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WEDNESDAY | 12.10.2014 | MACEANDCROWN.COM | Vol. 57, Issue 12

Farewell to our editor-in-chief. E1

Dawit Samson | MC

HANDS UP, DON’T SHOOT! #757toFerguson brings national protest to ODU

Sean Davis Josh Whitener Copy Editor & Contributing Writer The past week saw a series of peaceful protests and events on campus, organized in solidarity with the national response to a number of recent police killings of unarmed black males across the country. Tuesday saw a “die-in” on the front steps of Webb Center. What started out as about 40 students grew to about 80 as people joined.

Most stood on the steps speechless while a small group of students laid down on the cold sidewalk in chalk outlines, symbolizing the many unarmed black Americans killed by police. Students carrying signs held stoic, earnest looks and only the sounds of observers could be heard. A quiet anger could be felt from the group of concerned students. The goal of the action was “to show support for Michael Brown and his family and to give awareness to the whole situation that’s going on in

Ferguson as well as to open the eyes to those who may not see what’s going on” said ODU student Kenneth Brandon. According to ProPublica, black male teens are 21 times more likely to be killed in a confrontation with police than their white counterparts. “Will I Be Next?” read one sign with a hole cut on the top for a face. Thursday saw another action during activity hour, “open mic unity night” organized by the Black Movement Council and the Floetic Movement, and a candlelight vigil

organized by SGA. The action on Thursday brought out local media as well as a number of high-level faculty observers including President Broderick himself. A group of about 100 formed a peace sign on the raised circle stage in front of the north entrance to the Webb. At 1:01 p.m., the entire group laid down on the ground and held a moment of silence for all of the lives unjustly taken by police. Despite worries by SGA and the ODU administration, as well as a number of inflammatory posts on so-

cial media by students, the protests at ODU have remained nonviolent and have seen no major confrontations. Student Engagement and Enrollment Services sent out an email to the student body after the Ferguson grand jury decision reminding students to uphold the school’s “core values of integrity, fairness, respect, community and responsibility.” SGA tweeted a message on Nov. 25 reminding students to act “in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct and ODU/Norfolk PD.”

Inside: The Winter Meltdown B1 The Mace & Crown

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Face In The Mace Mace & Crown Staff : Adrienne Mayfield Editor-in-Chief editorinchief@maceandcrown.com

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Hashtag #ODU to see your face in the Mace. Instagr a m

Sean Davis Copy Editor sdavi116@odu.edu David Thornton News Editor news@maceandcrown.com Veronica Singer Arts & Entertainment Editor Public Relations Manager publicrelations@maceandcrown.com Nathan Budryk Sports Editor & Distribution Manager sports@maceandcrown.com Zachary Chavis Photography Editor photo@maceandcrown.com Alyse Stanley Technology Editor technology@maceandcrown.com Elijah Stewart Senior Graphic Designer layout@maceandcrown.com Jason Kazi Advertising Director advertising@maceandcrown.com Noah Young Webmaster webmaster@maceandcrown.com Jugal Patel Content Strategist

Staff Writers: Brian Saunders Carlito Ricafort Michael High Mitchell Brown Matt Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Rashad McDowell Robert Williams Seann Barbour Symmion Moore Victoria Wood

Staff Photographers: Joshua Boone Dawit Samson Nicolas Nemtala Joshua Caudell Sam Dawit Alan Martinez

Mace & Crown is a newspaper published by and written for the students of Old Dominion once a week throughout each semester and once in the summer. Originally founded in 1930 as the The High Hat, the paper became the Mace & Crown in 1961. The Mace & Crown is a primarily self-supporting newspaper,maintaining journalistic independence from the university.All views expressed in this collegiate paper are those of the author, not of the University, Mace & Crown, or the editors. Contact Information: Phone: 757-683-3452 Advertising: 757-683-4773

T w it t er


NEWS

M&C| WEDNESDAY | 12.10.2014| MACEANDCROWN.COM

To view a photo gallery of ODU’S #757toFerguson protest visit maceandcrown.com.

Top: Students held a die-in on Dec 2, 2014. Josh Whitener. Center and Bottom: Another “hands up don’t shoot” action was held on Dec 4, 2014. Zack Chavis | MC

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Arts &

M&C| WEDNESDAY | 12.10.2014| MACEANDCROWN.COM

To view a photo gallery of the Winter Meltdown visit maceandcrown.com.

E N T ER T A I NM E N T

Tyler Glenn of Neon Tress performs at The Ted on Dec. 6, 2014. Jason Kazi | MC

Neon Trees and Rise Against rock Winter Meltdown Sean Davis Copy Editor Chicago-based punk band, Rise Against, closed out 96X’s Winter Meltdown Saturday night. The band, which released its seventh album, “The Black Market” in July, blew through their high-energy set pausing only once for a flooring performance of “Swing Life Away.” The band’s set saw much of the pit crowd jumping and screaming for the majority of the show. Their set was markedly shorter than the last time

they played the Ted Center in 2012, and lacked the same extensive stage setup. Despite that, the passion and energy remained the same from both the band and the audience. Security allowed the near-constant mosh pit toward the front of the crowd to go on unabated, but pulled out crowd surfers. About 40 flailing, spinning 20-somethings fed the hectic swirling hurricane that was the pit. It was not especially tame by any means, but participants were promptly helped up when they fell, and the stream of the exhausted had little

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trouble exiting. The band’s set opened with “Ready to Fall” and included most of their later big singles like “Re-education (Through Labor)” and “Savior.” They only played two songs from their new album “The Black Market;” “Tragedy + Time” and “I Don’t Want To Be Here Anymore.” “The Black Market” debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 chart. Cult Noise described it as “about the weariness that comes from living in this world, in having to fight to survive.”

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Neon Trees performed before Rise Against. Although much of the crowd was probably only on the floor to be closer to the front for Rise Against, the Utah-based pop-rock quintet coerced them into clapping and jumping along. “This is the most human thing I’ve ever experienced,” singer Tyler Glenn told the crowd as he crowd surfed mid-song, still singing. Glenn, who came out as gay in Rolling Stone earlier this year, told the crowd at one point, “I’ve only felt cool twice in my life: when I made out

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with my first girlfriend, and when I came out of the closet.” The band’s most recent album, “Pop Psychology,” was released in April and debuted at number one on Billboard’s rock albums chart. Glenn told the Baltimore Sun that lyrically, the album is based on therapy sessions from 2012. The album features at times anthemic songs about the modern American experience such as “Love in the 21st Century” and “Text Me in the Morning.”


M&C| WEDNESDAY | 12.10.2014| MACEANDCROWN.COM

Album review: Taylor Swift’s “1989”

Adam Flores Contributing Writer

Playing the numbers game seems to be working for Taylor Swift, a seven-time GRAMMY Award winning artist. Her latest album, “1989,” is her fifth studio album that was released on Oct. 2 and sold 1.287 million copies in its first week, according to USA Today. This calculates to over two albums sold every second during that week. The last album to sell over one million copies in a week was Swift’s previous album, “Red,” which sold 1.21 million copies in its debut in 2012. Her third studio offering, “Speak Now,” in 2010 sold 1.047 million copies in one week as well. Only 18 albums in history have sold more than one million units in a single week. Swift now owns three slots on that coveted list. “1989,” which has sold over two million units to date, makes Swift a force to be reckoned with in her current crossover status from the Nashville influenced sound of her early country music roots, into the current mainstream popular music scene. She now competes with the vocal prowess of Katy Perry, Ariana Grande and many other current pop female vocal phenoms. While it may seem for now that Swift has devoted her vocal energy to pop music, this was a growing change found in her previous release, “Red.”

Songs such as “State of Grace” and “Starlight” deliver rocking guitars and heavy drum grooves, but if you listen carefully, you can hear new mixtures of electronic beats, keyboard synths and sampled vocal motifs within a handful of other tracks. On “1989,” Swift has made the overall electronic sound dominant. You hear little guitar work compared to her previous releases. “1989” opens with her exposition entitled, “Welcome to New York.” This is her dramatic, opening statement as she belts the opening lines of the chorus, “Welcome to New York, It’s been waiting for you, Welcome to New York.” What lures us in to the album are the infectious beats, big synth bass lines, catchy synth keyboard riffs and her command of a more mature vocal timbre. The rest of her new release follows the cliché themes she has written about before: love, relationships, breakups and personal reflection are some of the main topics she reinvents in her new sound. Other tracks such as “Out of the Woods,” “Bad Blood” and “This Love” reflect on what young love and life are about for dreamers, star-crossed lovers and hopeless romantics. In order for her to accommodate her new sound on “1989,” Swift moved from Nashville to New York City in April. According to zillow.

com, film director Peter Jackson [Lord Of The Rings] previously owned the Tribeca Penthouse she now resides in. The appeal of the Big Apple had Swift sold and her “Empire State of Mind” is as big now as her millions of records sold worldwide. Fellow Nashville recording artists, Lady Antebellum, were asked about Swift’s crossover endeavor and how that may impact fans. According to People’s Choice, the band members were in full support of Swift’s decision to shift genres. “I think she just wants to explore, try new things, and I think she’s at a point in her career where she can if that’s where her heart is,” said Charles Kelley, lead guitarist for Lady Antebellum. According to Billboard, her number one hit single, “Shake It Off,” was recently bumped from the top spot by her current hit, “Blank Space.” This proves that the only person currently better than Swift is Swift herself. According to Forbes.com, she has become the first woman in the chart’s 50-plus year history to replace herself at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. “1989” is an album that should delight fans and generate new “Swifties” from the current pop culture genre. Look for her new album and previous titles currently in record stores, as well as from digital download services such as iTunes.

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The Last Bison plays “gathering” for the hungry Adam Flores Contributing Writer With the spirit of the holiday season in full swing, Chesapeake natives, the Last Bison, hosted a show on Nov. 29 at the NorVa to collect goods for the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia. The show marked the third year the band has worked with 96X and the Foodbank to host a food drive for locals in need. Esbern Snare, a local band composed of six members, took the stage first. After their first song, lead singer, Luke Jones, jokingly said to the audience, “we’re not used to playing a crowd this big. I guess it’s good when you play with Bison!” The audience laughed, and continued dancing their way through the rest of their set, a mixture of ambient rock and smooth crooning. The four-piece band, Swear and Shake, took the stage next. Light chatter from the crowd slowly faded

and the band gained the audience’s full attention. Swear and Shake have an Americana sound similar to the Last Bison, and the crowd eased right into their set. Swear and Shake wrapped up their part of the show with a gracious thank you. “We are so appreciative to be on the bill, especially for such a great cause,” said lead singer, Kari Spieler. The lights gradually darkened and the six members of the Last Bison walked on stage to the applause and cheers from the crowd. The band had abandoned their colonial-esque attire for a more simple and modern appearance. Dan Hardesty, multi-instrumentalist and father to bandmates, Ben and Annah, welcomed the crowd. “It’s good to play at home, and it’s good to be back again,” Hardesty said. Hardesty mentioned to the fans why the artists and fans had been brought together, and why this

event was so aptly named a “gathering.” The band’s most well known song, “Switzerland,” was written after Ben Hardesty spent a night sleeping in the streets of Switzerland because he couldn’t afford a place to stay. Because of Hardesty’s experience, the Last Bison consistently gives to people in need wherever they are. The Last Bison opened with “Bad Country,” and immediately moved into “Governor’s Son.” The crowd sang along and swayed back and forth to the vibrant music. Ending the night with “Switzerland,” the Last Bison managed to recreate a holiday atmosphere full of warmth, appreciation and the spirit of giving. If you would like to support the cause, donate online to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia at www.foodbankonline.org.

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M&C| WEDNESDAY | 12.10.2014| MACEANDCROWN.COM

Grab your popcorn:

Eric Barnett Staff Writer Michael Keaton, known mostly for his role as the legendary superhero Batman, resurrected his career as a new type of superhero in the dark comedy, “Birdman.” Keaton stars as Riggan Thomson, a washed-up actor best known for playing Birdman, a superhero in films, but is adapting Raymond Carver’s short story “What We Talk About When

“Birdman”

We Talk About Love” into a play. Thomson puts all of his money into the production of this play because it’s his last shot at notoriety. If he fails, he will fade into the abyss of forgotten stars. Thomson’s daughter, Sam, played by Emma Stone, is a recovering drug addict that acts as the assistant in the play. Her addiction started due to her father’s inability to be a consistent fatherly figure, solely concentrating on progressing his film career.

While the two of them are mending their feeble relationship, Thomson keeps a close eye on Sam to make sure she doesn’t slip back into her drug addiction. Zach Galifianakis stars as Thomson’s best friend and lawyer, Jake, who helps keep Thomson from exploding from the stresses of producing a play. Lesley, played by Naomi Watts, is the coveted and well-respected actress of the play who brings in Mike Shiner, played by Edward Norton. He

replaced the original male lead, who was injured by a falling stage light. What is truly enjoyable about “Birdman” is the combination of realistic and fantastical elements. Thomson moves and throws objects with the use of his mind, but the question is does he really have superpowers or is he just imagining it all? The audience watches as Thomson’s current mental health deteriorates. He played the role of Birdman perfectly, but because he has no other

film offers, this play is all he has. Keaton’s performance in “Birdman” was comedic yet serious, at times. A man who had everything, now has nothing and is starting at the bottom again. His world is crumbling around him and the only way for him to survive is to unleash his inner Birdman and show the world who he truly is.

Q&A with Jahkoy, Toronto’s next rising star Abdirahman Mohamed Staff Writer Looking to pave his own way, R&B talent, Jahkoy, has plans to touch many people’s lives with his “feelgood” music, and hopes for his sound to be recognized globally. Jahkoy, 20, was born and raised in Toronto and has just starting to come into his own musically. The independent singer released his third project at the end of 2013, called “Dying to Live Forever,” and is currently working on his fourth project, “Forward Thinking,” which is scheduled to release mid-December. He has been releasing tracks off the highly anticipated projected for six months, including “Downtown2,” “Trading Places” and “Poison” - which is currently available on iTunes. Jahkoy said he was “eager to start something new and different” after releasing his last project and has been on that mission ever since. Q: Talk about your project “Dying To Live Forever” that you released late last year. How did that come

about and what influenced you to make the project? What happened prior to that point? A: My first two projects were the inspirations to lead up to that third project. My first project was called “Peer Pressure,” and my second project was called “Never Enough.” When I came around to that third project, I knew there was something I wanted to differently. Q: On your SoundCloud over the last several months, you’ve been releasing tracks such as “Trading Places,” “Closer,” “Fall In Love,” “Heart Smile” and “Poison.” How did these songs come about? Talk about some of the producers you’re collaborating/ working. A: To be honest, everything that I was doing after “Dying To Live Forever” to me was an experiment. I didn’t know how people were going to react to it only because everyone that knew me knew what I was doing before and it was very different. The whole change was more so a risk…for me. I wasn’t sure if everyone would cater to it right away or under-

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stand what I was trying to do. I wanted to do it anyway, and try something new and get out of my comfort zone to explore the boundaries of music. A lot of the material that I have on SoundCloud right now are basically records from producers that I found on SoundCloud. Q: As we all know Toronto is the recent years has been coming out with big name artists such as Drake, The Weeknd and more recently, the acquisition of Partynextdoor signing with Drake’s label, OVO sound. Have they influenced your music in anyway? A: I wouldn’t say they do influence [me], [but] what they’re doing is really good. My influences from music are Pharrell and Andre 3000, more so than anybody else just because those two artists weren’t afraid to step out of their boundaries. They actually influenced me to do what I’m doing right now. Q: Do you feel any pressure being from Toronto knowing that such artists [like Drake and the Weeknd] are having the success that they’re having?

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A: No pressure at all, no, just because all three of those artists have their own unique sound. When you hear a Drake record, you know its Drake. When you hear a Weeknd record, you know it’s The Weeknd, when you hear a Party record, its Party…I…wanted to do the same thing and…step out, so when I do drop a record people can say, ‘Oh, that’s a Jahkoy record.’ I wanted to have my distinctive sound” Q: What can people expect from Jahkoy in the future overall? Any other upcoming mixtapes, albums, features or shows you want to touch on? A: I would say to expect the unexpected. As of right now, I’m working on production features, not necessarily collaborations, with artists because I’m still finding my sound. I’m only seven months into what I’m doing right now, so who’s to say things may or may not change in the next seven months. I want to keep my options open and just…grow from where I am right now, and then hopefully…have some

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big features in the years to come. Q: What’s something a lot of people may not know about Jahkoy? A: A lot of people don’t know that I’m shy [starts to laugh]. I’m not a very outgoing person, you could say. Q: What motivates you to create the type of music you make? A: Love does. Love inspires me to make the music that I make. The way I look at it is nothing beats love. Nothing does. Everyone wants love, everyone’s going to need it at some point in their life. Q: What can people take away from your music each time they listen? A: The message I would try to tell anyone is to stay positive. In life, you’re going to go through good things and bad things, so at the end of the day you have to get through it. It’s more so to stay positive, be patient and have faith. SoundCloud: https://soundcloud. com/jahkoy Instagram: Jahkoy Twitter: @Jahkoy


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Sports

Have an opinion on Ray Rice being reinstated to the NFL? Share it at maceandcrown.com

Are the tides turning in Virginia football? Alex Brooks Staff Writer

There are two schools known for their football programs in the state of Virginia. The first one is Virginia Tech, with their rich history of being the top dog for recruits wanting to play football in Virginia. The other school is the University of Virginia, a team that hasn’t had has a losing season six out of their last seven seasons, and hasn’t won a bowl game since 2003. There is however, another football program that is fairly new; it was reinstated in 2009. The Monarchs of Old Dominion. The Monarchs moved up to FBS this year, joining Conference USA and finishing with a record of 6-6, better than U. Va. and tied with the Hokies. Now before you say that the team from Norfolk has no shot at being the football powerhouse of Virginia, look at some stats. In the past six years, the Monarchs have gone 52-20, the Hokies 53-26 and the Cavaliers 26-47. That gives the Cavaliers the worst winning percentage at a measly 36%, followed by the Hokies at 67%, leaving the Monarchs at the top with a 72% winning percentage. Look at the first year Virginia Tech joined the Division 1-A, now known as the FBS. This was formed in 1978, but Tech did not become part of a conference until 1991 when they joined the Big East. It took them three seasons to post a winning record, whereas it only took Old Dominion their first year to have a winning season.

U. Va. has been in the FBS since the beginning, 1978, but had a similar story to that of Tech. It took U. Va. only two years to have a winning record after joining the FBS, but still longer than that of the Monarchs. Old Dominion also has a young coach who has been able to do all of this winning with a talent pool that had already been picked over by Tech and U. Va. Looking at the past two years, the years ODU went from FCS to FBS, Tech has had the best recruiting class out of the three teams, followed by U. Va., leaving ODU in the dust. In 2014, the Hokies had no 5-star recruits, eight 4-star recruits and 14 3-star recruits leading them to a 6-6 season. U. Va. got two 5-star recruits, two 4-star recruits and seven 3-star recruits, landing them second in recruiting in the state and ending the season at a subpar level at 5-7. Then there is ODU. They had no 5-star recruits, no 4 star-recruits, and three 3-star recruits and managed to tie Tech at 6-6 on the season. In 2013, Tech had one 5-star recruit, three 4-star recruits and 15 3-star recruits and finished the season at 7-6. U. Va. also had one 5-star recruit, only two 4-star recruits and 15 3-star recruits, and had a horrendous season, finishing at 2-10. Yet again, ODU had the worst recruiting class with no 5, 4 or 3 star recruits and finished their season at 8-4. Most times recruits don’t play immediately, but they do play faster at ODU than U. Va. or Tech. This most recent football season, Old Dominion started five freshmen compared to both U. Va. and Tech who started three (this does not include special

teams). U. Va. has struggled to put together a winning season under the leadership of Mike London. He has had one winning season in his five-year tenure with the Cavaliers. That win came in 2011 where most of the players on that team were recruited by previous coach Al Groh. Old Dominion has been playing lower-tier teams but with the leftovers from the Cavaliers and Hokies, coach Bobby Wilder has done a phenomenal job with the kids that he has been able to recruit to a startup football program. If they were not a

brand new team to FBS, they would be on their way to play in a bowl game that is on the same level as Tech’s. The Monarchs are also in the works of building a brand new stadium, as they have sold-out every home game they have played at S.B. Ballard Stadium. In this new stadium, they are slated to play three games against Tech at home, and four games at Tech in the next ten years. If Old Dominion can play all of those games close and win a couple, prospects will take another look at the Monarchs when being recruited. Tech used to be the powerhouse

of Virginia, but with their recent struggles, they have opened the door for other teams to claim the throne. U. Va. hasn’t done anything within the past six years to warrant being at the top. ODU has proven a lot over the past six, and a lot last year going 6-6 in their first FBS season. If they can continue to improve at the pace they have been, and Tech continues to just scrape by Old Dominion will become the best college football destination in the state of Virginia.

Op-Ed: Ray Rice reinstated, what does it mean?

Alex Brooks Staff Writer

On Nov. 28, Ray Rice won his appeal to be reinstated into the NFL. This comes just two months after the NFL took a “stern” stance on the issue of domestic violence. The indefinite suspension was their rebuttal to their suspension of two games issued on July 24. The graphic video of Ray Rice knocking out Janay Palmer, now Rice, surfaced Feb. 19. The video showed the much more massive Ray Rice hitting Janay Palmer with a vicious left handed punch. Her head collided with the elevator railing, knocking her unconscious. He then proceeded to drag her limp body out of the elevator, laying her

on the floor. Does a man who did all of this deserve to make millions through a violent sport? Does he deserve another shot with a team desperate for a back that can produce? Looking at his stats with the Ravens, he totaled 37 touchdowns and just under 6,200 rushing yards in just six seasons. A back like that is highly coveted in the league, but does all of this justify the fact that he knocked a woman unconscious? This court case was more about the NFL than Rice. Everyone has formed their opinion on him by now, with many having an immense disdain for the man. This ruling was more about the public perception of the NFL. First, the NFL made a joke out of

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the whole domestic violence problem they seem to have by suspending Rice for a pitiful two games. Then the NFL received an immense amount of negative media coverage, hurting their image. In my opinion, Rice should never play in the NFL again. He had his shot at it and blew it. He was making millions of dollars to hit and get hit by people, but he failed to leave that aggression on the football field. Mistakes have repercussions and the judicial system did nothing to punish him so it is up to Goodell. If Rice makes more than the majority of the world after knocking his wife unconscious playing a sport that is known for its violence, then the faith in Goodell’s leadership is all but lost and the NFL’s stance on domestic vi-

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olence becomes more of a joke than previously thought. So to all the NFL teams out there,

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it’s your choice to pick up Ray Rice, but choose wisely.


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Technology

Check out the 2014 Mace & Crown audience demographic study at maceandcrown.com.

Gamestop

New “Assassin’s Creed” game announced just weeks after the troubled release of “Unity” Victoria Wood Staff Writer Fans of the “Assassin’s Creed” series should hold onto their seatbelts, because next year Ubisoft is bringing nineteenth century London to life in their new game, “Assassin’s Creed: Victory” for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. After years of fan requests for this setting, Ubisoft will finally feature it in their next flagship title this fall. Earlier this week the news was “leaked” to certain websites, notably Kotaku.

Kotaku also states that they were presented with a seven-minute gameplay video of the game, something they said “is suprisingly slick and could pass for an E3 presentation.” The news is very exciting, yes, but many people are worried. Not only does this come less than a month after “Assassin’s Creed: Unity” was released, but it comes shortly after Ubisoft was placed in the hot seat because of that very game. “Unity” had a release that is reminiscent of many AAA blockbuster games released this year. Not only was “Unity” delayed from

October to November, but it launched in subpar condition, with many bugs and optimization errors. PS4 and Xbox One users reported low framerates, while PC users complained about having to need a high-end rig in order to make the game look nice and play smoothly. CEO of Ubisoft Montreal, Yannis Mallat, wrote in a blog post, “unfortunately, at launch, the overall quality of the game was diminished by bugs and unexpected technical issues.” Mallat ended his post by offering the upcoming DLC “Dead Kings” for free. Is Ubisoft really ready to release

another “Assassin’s Creed” title? Ubisoft has come under fire in recent years because of its annual game release schedule and apparent decline in quality of titles in the “Assassin’s Creed” series. In response to the leak, Ubisoft hastily issued a statement, in which they said, “The team in our Quebec studio has been hard at work on the particular game in question for the past few years, and we’re excited to officially unveil what the studio has been working on at a later date.” The Quebec team is mostly known for developing DLC for the series, so

it is nice to see a different team at work on “Victory”. This puts stress off of the other teams and allows one team to completely focus on the game. “Victory” will use the same game engine as its predecessor and hopefully the bugs and optimization errors will have been smoothed out by the time it releases. As with previous releases, a trailer is bound to release before official gameplay is shown at next year’s E3 show. Hopefully, this will be the title that redeems the series, something that “Unity” has failed to do.

Nintendo patents emulators: Prepare for nostalgia Rashad McDowell Assistant Technology Editor There’s highly unlikely chance that Nintendo may be preparing to launch some of its titles on the mobile gaming market. This idea stems from the patent that the gaming company filed for emulation software compatible with smartphones and seat back screens on airplanes and trains. The patent is mostly a renewal on an older patent the company previously filed, but the move is pretty telling. Nintendo has seemed almost principally adverse to the smartphone market, having kept all of its main title games console and handheld ex-

clusives. The only nods to the new class of mobile gamers have been spinoff Pokémon games that were released on iOS devices. In this regard, Nintendo is behind the times. Big game development companies like Square-Enix have allowed some of their main series titles to make their way into the mobile market. It’s hard to say if it’s bad business for Nintendo to shun the mobile market, if it’s just the path to success the company refuses to abandon. Console sales for the gaming giant haven’t been high for the Wii U, but its handheld numbers are still outstanding. According to the most up to date numbers released by Ninten-

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do, the recent duo of Pokémon games released on the 3DS, Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby, have sold 7.7 million units since their mid-November launch. Still being able to move numbers like that have given Nintendo a nice cushion to fall back on, while it tries to recapture the popularity it once had in the console market with the Wii. This, in turn, has kept the mobile market pretty much beneath Nintendo’s caring. Renewing and extending its patent on Gameboy emulation software could very well be the turning point in Nintendo’s relationship with mobile gamers. With so many gaming outlets covered, the possibilities are

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endless. No stranger to using nostalgia to driving up sales, the Nintendo model seems primed for the use of emulators to shore up even more business. It’s not as if the interest isn’t already there. Emulators for Nintendo handhelds have already been created several times over on mobile devices. The problem is, these emulators, as unlicensed projects, are taken down for that very reason. Currently, the only way for nostalgic gamers to play their favorite games from Gameboy or SNES is to have those systems or use an unlicensed emulator. Nintendo does offer the Virtual

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Console system, which allows users to play some of these older titles on the Wii, Wii U and 3DS. The problem with this system is the small library size and lack of SNES and Gameboy Advanced titles on the 3DS version. Should Nintendo really be eying the mobile market for a massive dump of its older titles? The move might be the best the company has come up with in recent years. The wealth of emulators already available online shows that the nostalgia is strong enough to make the move quite profitable. And if Nintendo knows anything, it’s how to play on nostalgia.


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The Alienware Alpha: The next generation console Morgan Engelhardt Contributing Writer For those who want the ease of a computer but the enjoyment of a console, there is now a product that combines both: the Alienware Alpha. The newly released Alienware Alpha is both a PC and a console in one. The Alpha is controlled by the Xbox 360 gamepad, and doesn’t even require a keyboard or mouse. Although it is not a Steam product, it is still mainly centered on playing games through Steam. In fact, Alien-

ware is calling the Alpha ,“the console worthy of the title next-gen.” The Alienware Alpha can be built with a fourth generation Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 depending on the buyer’s choosing. Every model comes with Windows 8.1 and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPU graphics card. The buyer can easily upgrade the system just like a PC when it comes to RAM and CPU. The system is also portable, weighing in at only 4.5 pounds; it can easily be carried between rooms or even to another house.

The Alienware Alpha includes the console itself and an Xbox 360 controller, and ranges from $550 to $900, depending on the processor and amount of RAM that is chosen. The Alienware Alpha is compatible with over 500 games supported by Steam and Alienware is still working to make over 3,000 other games usable on their system. The console is made to focus on local multiplayer games and has resolutions that are currently higher than the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 at 1080p.

The Alpha also has “Early Access” games, so those who own a game in development within their Steam library can play it, even if it isn’t out in a full version or on other consoles. Alienware, however, is still making changes to their console and plans to develop future models. Alienware says they hope to add not only Steam games to the console, but distributors like EA’s Origin as well. However, the Alien Alpha is still in “Alpha” mode, hence the name. The creators of the console have said how there are still changes to come to the

Alienware Alpha that they hope to implement in future models. So far, there are both negative and positive reviews from those who have bought the Alpha, ranging from it’s price to the graphic quality to the ease of use. This is normal for any brand new console and since the Alpha is the one of the first of the PC-Console hybrids there should be more models to come in the near future.

ODU’s Gaming Hub: “An interdisciplinary initiative for social change” Alyse Stanley Technology Editor Gaming in the classroom is coming in the upcoming spring semester with Old Dominion University’s newest interdisciplinary program, the Gaming Hub. Students will learn how to construct, design and market contracted games, with the aim of discovering how games can improve our lives and have real world significance. The Hub consists of coordinated classes where students work with faculty to design and implement games for non-profit organizations, city governments and for-profit corporations. As one of the teachers for Social Entrepreneurship in Gaming, Dr. Avi Santo plans to focus on more than just games. The broader goal of the class is to help students develop their own game businesses and implement them. Students will also learn how to take a prototype and market games to different clients. Led by Santo and Dr. Kevin Moberly, the two plan to eventually develop the program into undergraduate and graduate certificates

in game studies. Any classes taken until then will still count for the certificate. This spring will be the program’s implementation phase, but future spring semesters will focus on programming, writing content and testing games designed in the fall semesters. Moberly also hopes to form a student advisory council to help suggest additional classes for the program. Four classes will be offered for the 2015 spring semester: STEM 351 Communication Technology, MSIM 408: Intro to Game Development, ENGL 395 Topics in English: Gaming and Social Entrepreneurship and Gaming cross-listed as HUM 795, COM 795 and PADM 695. The classes were purposefully diverse in representation of different colleges to make it a “truly crossuniversity initiative,” Santo said. Moberly also explained how, since a game contains components from multiple disciplines, it’s difficult to confine its teaching to one major. An additional class, GEOG 495/595 Playing the Cannonball Trail, will be available for the 2015 Maymester - a three week semester

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spanning from May 12 to May 29. The hub’s first project will be to construct a walking trail app for the City of Norfolk to teach about the city’s history. The app will be coordinated with the Cannonball walking trail in Downtown Norfolk to help visitors navigate the trail’s 43 historic stops. Using virtual historic figures as tour guides, the app will organize the stops by theme, show how Norfolk appeared at various points in history, and provide a narrative for the trail. The game “ultimately teaches about the history of the city [and] allows people, through play, to understand this environment in a new way…and that’s where these classes come in,” Santo said. Each class will focus on a different aspect of the game. Students are divided into design teams according to which class they’re enrolled in and can communicate with one another through a virtual lab supervised by teaching assistants. Their progress will be governed by production schedules and deadlines, similar to a real-world work environment. Students will also be listed as developers in the game’s credits to help them

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build their portfolios. “Partly what we’re trying to do is not just teach students how to create games, but also how to create a career around game design,” Santo said. Moberly’s class, Topics in English: Gaming, will create content for the walking trail app, performing background research on the app’s virtual historical tour guides and providing dialogue to flesh out the characters. Students will gain hands-on experience with how to design games and gain a better understanding of how games work. The idea for the hub stemmed from Santo, whose position as the director of the institute for the humanities, he said, allowed him to identify patterns across disciplines. He described how, over the years, he’s noticed a lot of interest in gaming across the university. “There are a dozen faculty across every college who either teach…or research some aspect of game theory, gamification, game design, game studies…but these classes largely exist in isolation from each other because there is no game studies degree,” Santo said.

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He sought to bring coherence to the study of games at ODU by bringing all of these resources under one roof. The idea began with a symposium on gaming last fall featuring faculty members Moberly, Dr. Amy Adcock and Dr. Richard Landers. Afterwards, Santo and Moberly, with support from the dean, provost and provost counsel, fast-tracked the idea to becoming approved. By the end of summer, Moberly and Santo had enough of the program prepared to feature it at the Main Street Student Organization Fair in September. The response was positive, with the list of interested students spanning nearly two pages. Moberly plans to expand the program to different majors if it’s successful. He suggested the possibility of a class within the music department about sound and scoring in games, as well as classes in the art and theater, criminal justice and biology departments. “We kind of see it as a win-win. It’s good for the community, it’s good for me because I get to teach about games until I die, [it’s] good for the students and [it’s] good for the university…,” Moberly said.


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THANKS

for an incredible semester, Adrienne Mayfield, and good luck at the Tidewater Review!

Photos by: Zack Chavis, Ellison Gregg, Vamsi Manne, Adrienne Mayfield


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Creative

E NC L AV E Body of An Angel by R.A.W

I had the blessing and the opportunity To witness the sight of an Angel Her feet swelled at her heels Toes delegated and strong Standing faithfully for what she believes in Her legs were elegantly carved From running down her own untouched and rug ged path It did leave her knee scared As proof though That lesson were learn and choices were made Now the hips and waist of this Aphrodite Would make Neptune jealous An ocean so pure, So crystal clean, Just the mere taste from these waters nearly drowned me

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Submit your creative pieces to the Creative Enclave by emailing artsandentertainment@maceandcrown.com And the bewitching curves of the waves could pull the strongest men from shore

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The touch, Accompanied by her smile and eyes Effortlessly send chills through my soul Lays anger to rest Relieves all obstacles and stress Quiet and peaceful The world just seems better. The heart of this deity is unmatched Loving, caring, unwavering faith Capable of producing bounds like no other Compassionate to those she feels worthy If so chosen, Then count yourself lucky But tread carefully Even the Devil was an Angel. By: R.A.W

Break of Day by Nate Fakes: gocomics.com

The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn: gocomics.com

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