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By Haley Rey, Head Copyeditor Photos from gq.com, today.com, freep.com, usatoday.com, nfl.com, and azcentral.com Advertisements and entertainment in the age of COVID-19 have been strange, to say the least. There have been more animations, graphic designs, and puppets (yikes). The biggest night for advertisers in the US is the Super Bowl, because it has always guaranteed a sizable audience. Commercials and halftime performances are usually top-notch, which is great news for people that want in on the fun of the Super Bowl but don’t care much about football. That said, let’s take a look at the top five commercials from last night’s game. (This is my personal ranking, based only on my individual opinion.) Number 5: Toyota Big Game: Jessica Long’s Story Toyota’s commercial cas...

By Mikayla Walton, Associate Editor Photos from Google WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD WandaVision is the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Rather than the movies the fans are used to, it is delivered to us in half hour episodes every Friday as a television sitcom. This delivery style for Marvel is new, but there are more shows besides this coming to Disney+ to show what the heroes are up to. WandaVision shows us what exactly has become of Wanda Maximoff since the events of both Infinity War and Endgame.  Wanda Maximoff, also known as The Scarlet Witch, has been in the MCU since The Avengers: Age of Ultron and has been one of the characters to lose a lot within her character arc. It is pleasant to see her in a much nicer and lighter atmosphere in this televis...

By Victoria Sananikone, Editor In Chief Photos from Google *CONTAINS SPOILERS* Disney Pixar films never fail to entertain audiences of all ages. One would think that each animation is meant for kids, but they all have sprinkles of compelling elements here and there that appeal to adults. Up portrays the bittersweet concept of growing old with the love of your life. Brave focuses on the relationship between a mother and her daughter. The Incredibles juggles different dynamics of family. Pixar’s most recent release is called Soul, a film that had many of its viewers in tears from its beautiful message. Soul is praised for the integration of POC, with our main character being a black man named Joe Gardner (played by Jamie Foxx). Set in the heart of New York, Joe is a passionate j...

By Laurynn Davey, Assistant Editor Photos by Callie Hoadley During the tough times of COVID-19, a worldwide pandemic affecting many individuals, I have found myself both lonely and deeply affected by my mental health. Not being able to see my friends and hang out with them (as I normally would have a year ago) has brought me down both physically and mentally, and I’m sure the same can be said for other students. So I thought to myself, how can I escape this loneliness? For me, the answer was obvious. I need my cat.  For many young adults, college tends to be a difficult time. Meeting the expectations of professors and coaches, keeping up their grade point average, and just attending classes in general takes a toll on students. For students who live out of state, it’s particu...

By Haley Rey, Head Copyeditor Photos from Google McKendree is a very small university. When it comes to numbers, it better resembles a high school than a university. It’s always been said that we are a family here; in fact, that’s how we draw people in. Our professors know us on a personal level and, as a small community of students, we all know one other quite well—or, at least, of one another. For this reason, it does not go unnoticed when one of our beloved Bearcats disappears. At McKendree, just like any other university, there are plenty of people making an effort to help students feel welcome—recruiters, faculty and staff, student ambassadors, and coaches all try to give the students here reasons to stay. So, why have so many people left? Our school has become quieter and q...

By Mikayla Walton, Associate Editor Photos from Google If anyone is a big horror fan like I am, then perhaps you have heard of Dead by Daylight. Dead by Daylight is an online asymmetrical survival horror game, meaning there are 4 “survivors” going up against one “killer.” Yes, it is very dark, but the game itself is an interesting concept. Typically, as a player you get to choose whether or not you play as a survivor or a killer, but that isn’t even the best part. The best part is that the game itself has taken horror icons from every corner of the horror verse” and shoved them into one game! Well, maybe not every corner—there are no Stephen King characters making an appearance (yet).  Despite the lack of killer child-eating clowns such as Pennywise, you are liable to face many d...

By Kevin Memminger, contributing writer Photos from Harvard Gazette, Blackburn Center, and Unsplash In the society that we live in today, there is an influx on the importance of inclusion. There are millions of people protesting social issues across the country, whether they are for them or against them. During the late 2010’s the #MeToo movement began, addressing sexual harassment, abuse, and violence that women faced with public figures, as well as average joes. #MeToo produced one of the most prominent feminist movements. The movement addressed and publicized accusations of harassment that women face every day, whether that be in their everyday lives or their professions. The #MeToo movement is faced with constant backlash, as the feminist movements continue to deal with criticis...

By IS, contributing writer Photo from Adam Zyglis, cartoonist for Buffalo News When asked who in the United States has the greatest amount of power—how would you answer? Surely it must be the commander in chief or the legislators of congress that pen the laws, right? Or maybe you would argue: no, Izzy, that can’t be right. Checks and balances prevent any monopolies of power, this isn’t a dictatorship. And according to your 10th-grade textbook, you would be correct. The three branches of government—Executive, Legislative, and Judicial—were created to balance one another; they were created to limit each other’s power to avoid despotism. But in my humble opinion, the judicial branch is easily one of the most powerful of all, surpassing even that of the president.  As a student ...

By Victoria Sananikone, Editor In Chief Photos from Google and Justseeds I recently finished up a 10-day quarantine that I decided to wait out back in Texas. On my 12-hour drive back to Illinois, I couldn’t get enough of the TED Radio Hour podcast, each episode resonating deep within me. There was one episode titled “Slowing Down,” that talked about the stigma associated with procrastinating, a practice we have always believed to be detrimental to our productivity and overall success. These concepts are simply not true. It’s not just procrastinating; the world continuously feeds us the idea that we cannot slow down. You have to live fast and furious. You cannot look back. You have to be one step in front of your competition, or you will fall behind. If you want to be successful,...

By Haley Rey, Head Copyeditor Photos from anjuansimmons, rmselca, and reddit Video from TikTok Loneliness is one of the most difficult things to make the best of. During this pandemic, everyone can say they’ve felt the pain of loneliness at one point or another. So much has been taken away—community, certain freedoms, favorite activities, relationships, and plenty more. At McKendree, precautions have been taken just as the rest of the nation and/or world has done. However, the inevitability of loneliness has proven itself this semester when it comes to schooling. If there’s one word we’re all likely to be sick of, it’s this: Zoom.  An example of what some professors see every day. When we thought we only had to finish the back half of a Spring semester via Zoom, it was a he...