‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ balances lush modernity with nostalgic charm

Focus Features/Courtesy

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(l-r.) Harry Hadden-Paton stars as Bertie Pelham, Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith, Tuppence Middleton as Lucy Smith and Allen Leech as Tom Branson in DOWNTON ABBEY: A New Era, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Ben Blackall / ©2022 Focus Features LLC

Grade: 4.0/5.0

“Downton Abbey” is no stranger to the long-standing clash between tradition and change. Over the course of six television seasons and a film, the widely acclaimed historical drama followed the aristocratic Crawley family and its steadfast servants as they navigated rapid political, economic and social developments in early 20th-century Britain. 

Set in 1928, the franchise’s latest installment, “Downton Abbey: A New Era,” follows a similar pattern, introducing impending change on the horizons of the eponymous estate. For a franchise as established and cherished as “Downton Abbey,” the suggestion of a new era presents a myriad of daunting challenges — balancing an ensemble cast of fan favorites, integrating unfamiliar faces and evolving to modern demands.

However, “A New Era” manages to skillfully neutralize the discordance between the old and the new. Together, screenwriter and creator Julian Fellowes and director Simon Curtis construct a narrative that is thrilling enough to intrigue first-time viewers but nostalgic enough to satisfy the franchise’s most staunch enthusiasts.

“A New Era” opens with a sprawling, exuberant montage of the beloved cast attending a wedding ceremony. Amid celebratory photographs, a whimsical rendition of John Lunn’s soaring musical theme engulfs the film’s initial moments in equal parts rousing anticipation and wistful intimacy.

To maintain thematic equilibrium amid an extensive ensemble of individuals, each with their own intricate backstories, the film bifurcates into two major plotlines. To investigate the summer villa mysteriously inherited by the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith), the majority of the Downton residents travel to the south of France — the first time the family collectively goes abroad in the franchise’s history. 

Closer to home, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), the willful captain of the Downton ship, desperately searches for a way to keep the slowly deteriorating family mansion afloat. As a solution, she allows a generously paying film company to use the Abbey as a location for the Hollywood production “The Gambler,” much to the chagrin of traditionalists such as Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) and the ever-proper former butler Carson (Jim Carter).

Remaining true to its title, the film sumptuously showcases the Crawleys’ unfamiliar experience with international travel, as the family must adjust to the heat produced by France’s balmy climate as well as the villa’s current residents — namely, the inhospitable Madame Montmirail (Nathalie Baye). “A New Era” also grounds itself in historical modernity by exploring the evolution from silent movies to “talkies” that occurred in late 1920s showbusiness. Admittedly, the plot is strikingly similar to that of “Singin’ in the Rain.” 

The film’s refreshing creative vision is further supplemented by charming performances from never-before-seen showbiz characters, who revitalize the halls of the Yorkshire mansion with expeditious zeal. From the delightfully suave director Jack Barber (Hugh Dancy) to movie stars such as the haughty Myrna Dalgleish (Laura Haddock) and easygoing Guy Dexter (Dominic West), “A New Era” is infused with just enough invigorating new blood to prevent plot lines from growing stagnant.

Even as “A New Era” hints at change on multiple levels, beneath its maudlin and deliciously opulent exterior, the film is, at its core, an exploration of the profoundly touching relationships that transcend the practices dictated by social class. 

As they traverse uncharted territories both in England and abroad, beloved characters receive a moment to shine in their own spotlights regardless of socioeconomic status — from the modern-minded Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) to the former footman Mr. Molesley (Kevin Doyle). This is perhaps the film’s greatest strength, but it is also its greatest weakness. In its attempt to entwine countless subplots and cater to the sweeping demands of a devoted fanbase, “A New Era” occasionally truncates plot points, leaving machinations underdeveloped or resolving issues with unnatural simplicity. 

Save a few glazed-over storylines, “Downton Abbey: A New Era” is an overall triumph. As the Downton residents are ushered to the cusp of the 1930s, audiences are escorted into a world that promises extravagance, exhilaration and emotion, even if only for two hours.

Contact Anne Vertin at avertin@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

The week of May 29 to June 5 marks Pride Week in Utah. This year, the Utah Pride Center expects to have the largest festival and parade in 30 years. Leading up to their three main events on June 4 and 5, there are 11 other events people can participate in. 

“Over the last three years that we haven’t been able to do this, it has been a challenge to know how many people out there support the LGBTQ+ community, to know who our allies are … It’s easy to feel alone in times where we can’t gather,” said Kevin Randall, the communications manager of the UPC. “So now that we’re able to do this, I think people are just really thirsty for it.”

Gathering Again, Proudly

Pride Week is occurring just a few months after the Utah legislature overrode Gov. Cox’s veto of H.B. 11, which would ban transgender girls from participating in sports aligning with their gender identity, and weeks after it was revealed the United States Supreme Court plans to overturn Roe v. Wade.

One event of Pride Week is an LGBTQ+ film screening put on by the UPC, where participants can watch “Changing the Game,” a film about transgender inclusion in sports, for free at the Salt Lake City Library. 

Randall said this film is ever important in Utah in 2022 because it has been difficult for transgender youth to hear their rights debated constantly. 

“Knowing some of these youth myself, personally, it’s been difficult to hear their stories — in fact, one kid I know had to leave school on the day that the legislature overturned the governor’s veto on H.B.11,” Randall said. “He said he just couldn’t be in school anymore.”

On the first day of June, which marks 23 years since Pride Month was officially recognized by the U.S. Government, the pride flag will be raised at the Salt Lake City and County Building to commemorate the month. This also marks the first day of the UPC’s Pride Story Garden Exhibit, which will be at the library atrium for 17 days. The exhibit attempts to share LGBTQIA+ histories, stories and communities with attendees. 

“We want people to know what the story is,” Randall said. “We want people to know how much people have fought for the rights and freedoms that we enjoy today, rights and freedoms that actually could be rolled back if we’re not careful.”  

Through its activities ranging from youth pride to 21+ events at clubs and various free opportunities, the UPC is trying to have an all-inclusive Pride Week, Randall explained. 

“We just want everyone to come and enjoy it, just to be there, be together and also take pride in contributing to the Utah Pride Center itself,” he said. 

According to Randall, all money raised through their Pride Week events directly supports the UPC efforts, including mental health and wellness programs.

“Having the Pride Festival back and seeing the community support, it makes us feel even more confident that we can continue those services and support our community,” he said. 

The UPC festival will be two days, starting on June 4, with more than 60,000 people expected to attend. There will be food trucks and exhibitor booths. The following day, June 5, marks the end of Pride Week, where participants in the Utah Pride Parade can march to the second day of the festival. 

The University of Utah will have a walking delegation in the Pride Parade, supported by the LGBT Resource Center on campus, among other collaborators. 

Clare Lemke, the director of the LGBT center, said the U is a sponsor of the 2022 Utah Pride Fest. 

“It’s a way for the university to show its commitment to supporting LGBTQIA+ community members and also for the commitment for advocating for equity for LGBTQIA+ students, faculty and staff,” Lemke said. 

Lemke encourages people to look into pride celebrations happening in other areas of Utah as well for the rest of June. 

“So really, what pride means, is different LGBTQIA+ communities making this celebration and also this observance of people’s activism and people’s refusal to be silenced or to be invisible, really honoring the communities that they’re in through their local celebrations and what it looks like for them to celebrate pride in their spaces,” Lemke said. 

Queer Liberation and Revolutionary Spirit 

Ermiya Fanaeian, the founder of Armed Queers Salt Lake City, said pride should be centered in its radical roots. The first pride parade happened in 1970, one year after the Stonewall Riots, where individuals protested police raids of the Stonewall Inn, a club and place of refuge for New York’s gay community. 

This fight against police brutality, according to Fanaeian, is often forgotten in the corporate attempt to honor LGBTQ+ histories. 

“Over the years, nonprofits that have taken on the LGBT struggle, have done so in ways that have been incredibly capitalistic and filled with corporate-centered greed, instead of our radical roots,” she said. 

Fanaeian will be speaking at Salt Lake Community Mutual Aid’s Pride Without Police event on June 10 — this event advocates for queer liberation rather than assimilation and the revolutionary spirit characterizing pride movements historically. 

“Unlike the rainbow capitalists who actively invite cops into queer spaces, we stand with great revolutionaries like Marsha P, Sylvia Rivera, and Harry Hay in recognizing that the police state has always been and will always be an enemy of the queer liberation movement,” the group’s Instagram post read. 

The UPC Pride Festival and Parade will have police presence. Randall said they will serve as escorts and security. 

“We have chosen to include the police in this festival but we also empathize with people who struggle with that, because in the past, police have harmed our community, and we understand that,” he said. “But we, as of today, have a good relationship with the police department, and want to maintain that, we want to have an all-inclusive festival for everyone, and that includes law enforcement.” 

According to Fanaeian, the Pride Without Police event is essential to “honor the true anti-capitalist, anti-police, radical, revolutionary roots of the queer and trans struggle.” 

Armed Queers is a socialist group fighting for communal defense of the queer community. This, Fanaeian said, is necessary, because the police do not protect them. 

“I will be talking about the need for queer and trans people to arm ourselves in the moment of hostility and the moment of political tensions growing against us and really defer [to] communal defense and communal protection of one another,” she said. 

In addition to celebrating pride’s radical roots and anti-police history, Fanaeian said pride represents liberation. 

“It’s a time to really grow that organizing in ways that we aren’t able to grow in maybe other times of the year,” she said. “It’s about growing the struggle and growing our movements.”

The event will have speeches from queer organizers, free food, music and dancing. Independent queer artists can direct message the SLCMA’s Instagram to table at the event. 

Fanaeian said pride is not for corporations, so instead they should realize how they have contributed to the need for pride celebrations in the first place. 

“[Corporations] need to allow for their queer and trans workers to unionize and to be able to stand up against many of the oppressive ways that they treat them,” she said. “I think they need to recognize that they are the reason behind much oppression and exploitation against us.”

k.silverstein@dailyutahchronicle.com

@chronykayleigh

The post Growing from Radical Roots: 2022 Pride in Salt Lake City appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

Santiago Gaughan/The Cougar

Based on the current trajectory plotted by many political analysts, the 2022 midterm elections seem to be a year where the U.S. reverts back to Trump-era division and signifies a loss for Democrats. 

Although most politicians are relieved to see Trump out of the office and out of the running for a second consecutive term, many Republicans and some Democrats have pushed back against Joe Biden’s ambiguous efforts to remedy a struggling economy, political tensions and civil rights issues. 

Early polls have shown that the slim majority of Democrats in the Senate are likely to be overtaken by Republicans. Several states such as Georgia, Pennsylvania and Texas are all having major decisive elections in 2022. 

Senator Warnock from Georgia, after winning an incredibly divisive special runoff election in 2021, will have to face another contentious election this year. 

Texas, a recently-declared battleground state, is having a gubernatorial election. The question of whether Gov. Greg Abbott will finally be replaced from office remains to be seen. 

Lastly, Pennsylvania is having both an important gubernatorial and House-level election this year which could allow the battleground state to swing in the favor of the Republicans this time around. 

These three states were one of the big states in question during the 2020 Election. Based on the recent performance of Biden as a leader, however, all of these states have a good chance of either swinging or remaining Republican. 

A Gallup poll conducted in January 2022 found that people who identify as independents, as well as some Democrats, have begun to feel negatively towards Biden. 

While the poll was done prior to the breakout of the Russia-Ukraine war and the aggressive rise in prices, most trends remain relatively the same, if not worse. 

An even more recent poll by CBS News finds a more troubling trend: the Republican Party is considered by most to be “extremist” while others label the Democratic Party as “weak.” 

Most of these feelings stem from a dislike for the current President. 

This labeling of the parties as “extremist” and “weak” only reveals an old trend that has kept the American government from reaching any favorable or progressive legislation: partisanship. 

Reverting back to a state where bitter divisions between the two parties ripped the country apart due to a deference to cooperate will only cause federal gridlock. 

The most recent struggle that Biden has had to address is the fight for abortion rights. For years, Biden has been a tactful supporter or opponent of abortion due to his Catholic faith. 

Now seemingly, with the midterm elections and 2024 looking like a hard race for Biden, he has reverted back to being a supporter of abortion once again. 

The 2022 midterm elections will most likely result in a loss for Democrats based on the analysis by political scientists, Biden’s struggling leadership, and reversion to partisanship as a reaction to the country’s weakened economic and political situation. 

JJ Caceres is a political science sophomore who can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

—
“The 2022 midterm elections will be a loss for Democrats” was originally posted on The Cougar

Watch Top Gun: Maverick (2022) Free Online Streaming at Home Here’s How & Where?

Paramount Pictures! Here’s options for downloading or watching Top Gun: Maverick streaming the full movie online for free on 123movies & Reddit,1movies, 9movies, and yes movies, including where to watch the Paramount Pictures at home. Is Top Gun: Maverick 2022 available to stream? Is watching Top Gun: Maverick on Disney Plus, HBO Max, Netflix or Amazon Prime? Yes we have found an authentic streaming option / service. Details on how you can watch Top Gun 2 for free throughout the year are described below.

More than 35 years after the original Top Gun, the Tom Cruise blockbuster is getting a sequel in the form of Top Gun: Maverick. Joining a long list of much-delayed follow-ups, will Top Gun: Maverick be able to capture the magic of the original?

In the original, Top Gun (1986), a young Cruise stars as the hot-shot pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, as he and his co-pilot Goose (Anthony Edwards) take part in the Navy’s top school for elite fighter pilots. Maverick likes to push it to the limit, but that ends up getting him in trouble and his confidence gets shaken following a tragic accident. But the happy ending prevails and he saves the day and gets the girl.

Top Gun remains a fan-favorite to this day, thanks to numerous factors including a star-making turn from Tom Cruise, memorable supporting characters like Anthony Edwards’ Goose and Val Kilmer’s Iceman, fantastic ’80s tunes like “Danger Zone” and “Take My Breath Away” and incredible aerial sequences. Talk about a sequel has been swirling for years and now its arrival is imminent (after a few delays along the way).

The movie ends with Maverick proving that he is the ‘top gun’ following the death of his best friend ‘Goose’. But when will Top Gun: Maverick be released in cinemas and who is in the cast?

Here’s everything you need to know:

When will Top Gun: Maverick be released?

After a few stops and starts, Top Gun: Maverick arrives in theaters on May 27 in the US and May 25 in the UK, making it a major summer blockbuster for 2022.

Top Gun: Maverick was shifted to its new Memorial Day weekend date after it was initially due for release in summer 2020. Of course, it got moved, along with every major blockbuster because of the pandemic. Fans hoped it would land in 2021, but it eventually was pushed to 2022.

The May 27 release date for Top Gun: Maverick is the start of the movie’s exclusive run in movie theaters. People can now purchase tickets to Top Gun: Maverick when it comes out, including for a special early screening on May 24.

We don’t know when Top Gun: Maverick will make its way to streaming, but we can bet that it will debut on Paramount Plus.

Where to watch Top Gun 2 for free

A silver lining to Top Gun: Maverick being delayed a bit longer, more chance for new moviegoers to experience the original Top Gun for themselves — or for fans of the movie to watch it for the eighth hundred time, no judgement.

At this time, Top Gun is available to stream with a Netflix subscription or on Paramount Plus.

When does “Top Gun: Maverick” become available on Amazon Prime?

We’re not sure if Amazon Prime will be getting Top Gun: Maverick anytime soon, but we’ll update this post as soon as we know more. In the meantime, you may check out some other amazing films on Amazon Prime, such as The Irishman and Hustlers.

Whether you want to watch or download Top Gun 2 online without having to register or provide your credit card information, Paramount Pictures has you covered. Select the one that’s appropriate for you from the options below.

Is Top Gun 2022 The Movie Available On Hulu?

Hulu is a streaming service that offers Jackass Forever for viewing. You can watch Top Gun: Maverick on Hulu if you’re already a member. If you don’t want to subscribe, you may join for a one-month free trial and then cancel before the month ends if you don’t wish to continue the membership. Jackass Forever may be available for rental or purchase on other streaming services.

Is the Top Gun: Maverick available on HBO Max?

HBO Max is a relatively new streaming service that offers Top Gun for viewing. You can watch Top Gun: Maverick on HBO Max if you’re already a member. If you aren’t already a member, you can sign up for a one-month free trial and then cancel it before the month is up if you don’t want to keep the subscription.

Is Top Gun: Maverick Available On Disney Plus?

Top Gun: Maverick is a movie that may be streamed on Disney Plus. You can watch Jackass Forever on Disney Plus if you’re already a member. If you don’t want to subscribe after trying out the service for a month, you can cancel before the month ends. On other streaming services, Top Gun: Maverick may be rented or purchased.

Is Top Gun 2 Streaming Online?

Yes, indeed. If you’re looking to stream the reality action film from home, you can now do so on Paramount Pictures’ streaming service Paramount+, which offers subscriptions starting at $4.99 per month for ad-supported viewing or $9.99 for ad-free streaming. The streaming platform also offers a free trial, so you can give the service a try and look into all that Paramount+ has to offer.

How To Watch Top Gun: Maverick Free Streaming on Reddit?

You can watch Top Gun: Maverick on Reddit without having to create an account or supply your credit card information. Click the play button below to begin viewing the film immediately. There are also no advertising or pop-ups here; instead, you’ll find great material! So why not watch Top Gun: Maverick online right now? It’s completely free and easy.

Do you want to watch Top Gun 2online for free? 123movies, Reddit, and google drive all have Top Gun: Maverick. You may now watch Top Gun: Maverick 2022 free here on Hulu!. Click the play button below to begin watching Top Gun: Maverick streaming online. There’s no need to register or provide credit card information! So why not watch Top Gun: Maverick 2022 online right now? It’s completely free and easy.

What Is Top Gun: Maverick About?

After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose”. Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.

Who is in the Top Gun: Maverick cast?

A host of new and familiar faces will be joining Tom Cruise for the second installment of Top Gun.

Val Kilmer is set to reprise his role as Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky and new faces include Miles Teller as ‘Rooster’, a pilot trainee, and the son of Maverick’s late best friend ‘Goose’.

Other cast members include:

Is Top Gun: Maverick on Hulu?

They’re not on Hulu, either! But prices for this streaming service starting at $6.99 per month or $69.99 for the whole year. The ad-free version costs $12.99 per month, $64.99 per month for Hulu + Live TV, or $70.99 for the ad-free Hulu + Live TV.

Is Top Gun: Maverick on Disney Plus?

Sorry, Top Gun: Maverick is not streaming on Disney Plus. With Disney+, you can have a wide range of shows from Marvel, Star Wars, Disney+, Pixar, ESPN, and National Geographic to choose from on the streaming platform for $7.99 monthly or $79.99 annually.

Is Top Gun: Maverick on HBO Max?

Sorry, Top Gun: Maverick is not available on HBO Max. There is a lot of content from HBO Max for $14.99 a month. Such a subscription is ad-free, and it allows you to access all the titles in the library of HBO Max. The streaming platform announced an ad-supported version that costs a lot less at $9.99 per month.

Is Top Gun: Maverick on Amazon Video?

Unfortunately, Top Gun: Maverick is not available to stream for free on Amazon Prime Video. However, you can choose other shows and movies to watch from there as it has a wide variety of shows and movies that you can choose from for $14.99 a month.

WHEN IS TOP GUN: MAVERICK’S STREAMING RELEASE DATE?

Paramount hasn’t yet confirmed a streaming release date for the Top Gun sequel. But understanding the company’s past practice can help make educated guesses about when it’ll be available to stream.

For movies similar to Top Gun, Paramount has tended to give them at least 45 days exclusively in theaters before making them available to stream on Paramount Plus. If Top Gun: Maverick follows a 45-day timeline, it’ll become available to stream roughly around July 9.

But Paramount doesn’t make films available to stream like clockwork. Jackass Forever, released in theaters in February, landed on Paramount Plus almost precisely 45 days after hitting cinemas, and March’s The Lost City did too. But another recent Paramount movie — Scream, which hit theaters late last year — took roughly a week longer at about 53 days.

And Paramount may choose to keep Top Gun: Maverick in theaters longer because it’s a megabudget, blockbuster-style movie; these so-called “tent pole” films rely on box office success more than other movies. Some rival distributors are already doing the same with their tentpoles: Disney has been keeping Marvel movies only in theaters for more than two months, nearly as long as theatrical exclusives lasted pre-pandemic.

WHO IS IN THE TOP GUN: MAVERICK CAST?

Tom Cruise will be just shy of 60 when Top Gun: Maverick is released, but there is no way Hollywood was going to make Top Gun 2 and not have him back in the cockpit of a fighter jet. Maverick remains one of Cruise’s most iconic roles, so you can’t have a Top Gun movie without the star reprising the character.

Cruise isn’t the only cast member returning from the original film. Maverick’s frenemy is back, as Val Kilmer will once again play Iceman. Anyone who has seen the documentary Val on Prime Video knows that Kilmer currently uses a voice box to speak after battling throat cancer. The Cruise was adamant that Kilmer would return for the sequel despite his health concerns.

There will also be plenty of new faces in Top Gun: Maverick. Key to the plot is Miles Teller, who will be playing Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of Maverick’s old co-pilot Goose. Other new members of the cast include Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Manny Jacinto, Monica Barbaro, Jean Louis Kelly, Raymond Lee, Jay Ellis and Charles Parnell.

The Daily Californian

Thirty-two athletes from USC track and field will travel to Fayetteville, Ark. this week for the 2022 NCAA West Preliminary Rounds. 

Athletes with top 12 times or marks in their respective events will earn a berth to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. in June. 

“The team’s energy has been great all year when we travel,” Head Coach Quincy Watts said. “It’s good to see they know how to relax, and they know how to bring a sense of calm before the storm.” 

USC used the last day of the Pac-12 Track & Field Championships to climb the standings, as both the men’s and women’s teams benefitted from clutch performances to each finish in the top five. 

“Even though obviously we didn’t win, … we got people to step up in different places that we didn’t think was possible,” said senior sprinter Bailey Lear in an interview with the Daily Trojan. 

USC’s men’s team finished third overall after sophomore Johnnie Blockburger won an individual title in the men’s 400m on the championship’s final day. The win was Blockburger’s second of his career in the Pac-12 Championship, posting a season-best time of 45.19.

Blockburger’s record-breaking day continued in the 4×100 relay, when, along with junior Nicholas Ramey, senior Eric Allen Jr. and graduate student Kasaun James, the team won the event with a time of 38.60. USC’s previous record for the event, 38.69, was set in 1980. 

On the final day of the championships, sophomore Jasmine Jones won the 100-meter hurdles and junior Jan’Taijah Ford won the women’s 400 meter, helping the women’s team vault from 11th to fourth place. 

“It’s nothing new to us because of the way that we’re made,” Watts said. “We always go into the last day down a lot of points, but we’ve always ran extremely well on day two.” 

Ford’s victory was the fifth consecutive women’s 400m Pac-12 title for USC.  

The 400 is always dominant for us,” Lear said. “Usually schools call us ‘400 Meter [University]’ because we’re so powerful in the 400.” 

USC will look to carry their momentum to the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds, where the competition is sure to heat up. With 48 participants competing in individual events, there will be plenty of opportunities for USC athletes to advance past the NCAA preliminary round. 

In the women’s 100m race, graduate student Celera Barnes leads all athletes with a time of 10.82, earning her the first seed in the race. Just behind Barnes at the seventh seed is freshman Samirah Moody. 

“These young ladies have worked extremely hard, especially Celera Barnes. I’m looking for a breakout for her,” Watts said.  

Moody, who started with the team in January, also garnered high praise from her coach. 

“Samirah is just a phenomenal freshman,” Watts said. “She’s off to a tremendous start and just looking for her now to find her legs and gain some experience.” 

For both the 4x100m and 4x400m relay preliminaries, USC is seeded fifth with UCLA just behind in sixth. The pressure will be high as the Trojans look to continue their successful season. 

“We don’t even call it regionals because it’s like the first part of nationals,” Lear said. 

Lear will join Ford in the 400m dash preliminary round. Both athletes are seeded in the top 15. 

Blockburger is the No. 2 seed in the men’s 400m dash preliminary round. With a time over a half second shorter than the event’s No. 1 seed, Texas senior Jonathan Jones, Blockburger might have to beat his own season-best time in order to win the event. 

The NCAA Preliminary Round will begin May 25 on the University of Arkansas campus and will be livestreamed on the NCAA website. 

The post Track and field prep for NCAA championships appeared first on Daily Trojan.

It starts with the ODU squirrels, and it ends with Spiderman.  

Kelli Bryla, sophomore, first made the @odusquirrels account in August of 2020. Instagram had recommended a squirrel account for another college, and she thought: I can do that.

“We have a lot of squirrels, and also, I have a nice camera,” she said. “Having high quality pictures of the squirrels made me happy.” 

By the spring of 2022, more accounts had popped up. Another ODU squirrels account was created, who reached out to Bryla to apologize; they hadn’t realized she was an active account. She didn’t mind, they sometimes tag each other in posts, and they both get unique submissions. 

“I think the ODU squirrels, the other one, was more in sync with – I think it was the Spiderman account? – and a couple of others,” she said. “And I wasn’t really associated with them. Because it was like a whole wave of ODU accounts.” 

Felix Radford, sophomore, created @odu_turtles in the beginning of the spring 2022 semester, when the trend to create them began to pick up. He also saw new accounts like @odu_ducks, which follows the journey of four ODU ducks pop up, and @odu_dogs.  

“I just kind of like hopped on the bandwagon,” he said. “I just made the page mostly because I’m really interested in reptiles and stuff, and I feel like most people don’t even know that the turtles are even there. But it’s something that when people do know that they are, I do see a lot of people who will walk by and be like ‘oh my god, turtles!’ so I think it makes a lot of people happy.”

In addition to ODU animal accounts, there are numerous others. @odu_plant_reviews rates plants (and rants about the squirrels), and @odu_sink_reviews is on a quest to try every sink on campus. @confessodu is a now inactive account that posted anonymous confessions and @odusleepz posts pictures of students sleeping. There’s also @oduparks, which describes themselves as “exposing people who can’t park for sh*t at ODU”. 

The first wave of accounts were created towards the end of the fall semester, months after @odusquirrels, and include @odu_sink_reviews and the now defunct @confessodu. A surge of accounts were created in early February, after the spring semester had started. 

Among them were the Spidermen.

Nicholas Sepple, @odu_spiderman, remembers the day he created his account: February 4. He was influenced by @confessodu, @odusleepz, and @oduparks.

Sepple was the first Spiderman account, but he’s different from the rest: he’s not Spiderman. Sepple purchased a Spiderman plush from Walmart, and decided to create an account where he takes photos of it around campus.

“I was the first, officially, … I made the account, but I didn’t post yet, …  I ended up posting when I got home, Sepple said. “And by the time I got home, I realized there was another Spiderman account, but that guy actually dressed up, and I was like ‘whoa, I didn’t even think about that.’ And then I started seeing more pop up.”

Unlike many of the other @ ODU accounts, Sepple has met people through his @odu_spiderman account. He met up with @milesmorales_odu and @vemon_odu accounts in March to take photos together. 

“Welcome to the Spiderverse? No, this is ODUniverse…” posted @venom_odu, tagging Sepple’s Spiderman account.

In addition to Sepple’s Spiderman cameo account, also recently created are ODU’s classic superheroes, and villains. Starkly different to ODU’s rapidly growing collection of animal, gossip, and college related accounts, are the Marvel accounts.

@milesmorales_odu, who refused to give up his secret identity and identified himself as Miles Morales, remembers making his account around January. He was asked by the @odu.valentines account to help hand out flowers for Valentine’s Day, and came all suited up to hand them out to students in the Webb Center. 

“Literally, everyone was just like: ‘Oh my gosh, it’s Spiderman!’ And I was just like ‘Oh my gosh, I did not expect it to go like this.”

He doesn’t suit up often, but when he does, he gets stopped by students. 

“I think that is one of the reasons why I do it. We’re all in college, we’re all going through stuff, we’re all stressed from classes and stuff but I feel like if they see Big Blue come through it’s like ‘okay, well now my day feels a little bit better.’ And even though I’m not Big Blue, it’s like, I can help you guys feel a little bit better.”  

The ODU Spidermen have no plans to meet up for the remainder of this academic year, but want to during the upcoming school year. Morales says he has some plans for tailgates in the fall.

“I would love to see more characters, and it doesn’t have to be Marvel, it could be anything, like if people wanted to it could be from a Pixar movie or a Disney movie… I would love to see more characters from other movies to start appearing at ODU. …We could have Harry Potter just walking around casually. I would love to see that.” 

New global research conducted on behalf of global student housing operator Yugo, uncovers students’ outlooks on a variety of mental and physical health related topics, including: • More than 25% of US students believe more calories, salt and saturated fats make for a healthier meal • Female students are more likely to go to bed early and […]

Somehow, the passage of time has not been halted and the end of Pioneer Theatre Company’s ’21-’22 season is staring us in the face. The much anticipated conclusion “Hello, Dolly!” premiered on May 13. As such, I was given the express pleasure of speaking with Paige Davis who has taken on the seminal role of Dolly Levi in the production.

Dolly Levi is Who She is

The titular role of Dolly is one that has been played by some of the greatest actresses to ever grace the stage and screen. Carol Channing, Bernadette Peters and Barbra Streisand are only the beginning of the long, impressive list.

Davis, who is no stranger to the stage, bravely faces the role. “It’s daunting, yes, but it’s also very exciting,” she said. “While my performance is my own, Dolly is such an incredible spirit that she’s going to be who she is no matter what.”

Davis assures that she is working passionately to bring her rendition of Dolly to life. The key to this process is twofold, yet at its core, relatively simple. First, Davis sought the similarities. “Dolly is very smart and controlling, and a little meddlesome,” she said. “I’m always a little concerned with how meddling and controlling I am, so it’s nice to live out all my dreams and let that part of me come out in such a powerful way.” Second, she uses the wonderful tools provided to her by Michael Stewart‘s incredible script.

“I’m leaning into the clues in the script,” Davis said. “That is the key to Dolly, period. I’m simply using what’s in the script and trying to build her from the ground up. I think it’s the only way to do it. It’s so easy to get caught up in the iconic aspect of the character, so I’m trying to be as truthful as I can. If you get caught up, you’ll be bogged down, not free to celebrate who Dolly is.”

A Woman Rejoining the Human Race

While the iconic nature of the show and characters in “Hello, Dolly!” is exciting, Davis hopes that the audience will gain more than a nostalgic appreciation. 

“Dolly Levi is a woman rejoining the human race after the death of her husband,” she said. “Over the last two years, I feel like we’ve all sort of shut down in a way and we are all now starting to rejoin. I hope people will relate to Dolly but also think about their own resurgence.”

The Power of Theatre

This resurgence is the power that theatre has for a community. Theatre has the ability to bring a community together and inspire hope. Davis wants us here in Salt Lake City to know just how lucky we are to have establishments like the PTC still up and running. 

The truth is that the pandemic has been devastating to theaters. “Not every theater survived,” Davis said. “And it cannot be stated how incredible it was that this theater did. The leadership of Karen Azenberg and the undying efforts to keep theatre alive are nothing short of admirable.”

“Hello, Dolly!” opened May 13 at the PTC and is running until Friday, May 28. It’s a spectacle of hard work and passion. Davis was an absolute delight to speak with and I excitedly await the next rise of the curtain.

luke.jackson@dailyutahchronicle.com

@__lukejackson

The post Paige Davis on Bringing Character Dolly Levi to Life at PTC appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

Authorities have canceled the search for missing University of Minnesota student Austin Ray Retterath after finding a deceased man in the Mississippi River on Wednesday, according to a statement from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as Retterath.

Authorities said there were no signs of foul play.

Retterath, 19, was reported missing May 8 and last seen outside near East River Road and East Franklin Avenue.

Retterath was a College of Science and Engineering student set to graduate in 2025, according to his Instagram page.

Voting for Georgia’s primary elections closed on May 24 at 7 p.m. Winners will represent the Democratic and Republican parties on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. Although the races for the secretary of state Democratic nominee and the lieutenant governor Democratic nominee advanced to a runoff after no candidate received over 50% of the vote, several major nominations were declared, including the candidates for Georgia’s governor and U.S. Senate seat. The runoff election will take place on June 21.

Photos courtesy of Flickr and Creative Commons. (Madi Olivier/News Editor)

Kemp, Abrams advance to gubernatorial general election

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp won the Republican primary race with 879,397 (73.7%) of the 1,193,361 votes counted by press time at 4:09 a.m., securing his spot on the Nov. 8 gubernatorial general election ballot. Former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) was strongly endorsed by former U.S. President Donald Trump and Kemp’s closest opponent, garnering 260,170 (21.8%) votes at press time at 4:09 a.m.

“David Perdue is a great leader and a wonderful guy,” Trump said in an endorsement video. “He has my complete and total endorsement.” 

While in office, Kemp signed the “heartbeat bill” into law in 2019, banning most abortions after six weeks, but the bill was struck down by a federal judge in 2020 for violating the 14th amendment. He also passed the Unmask Georgia Act, which prohibited schools from requiring masks, and legislation repealing citizen’s arrest after the death of Ahmaud Aubrey, whose killers alleged they were implementing a citizen’s arrest. 

Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who ran unopposed in the primaries, won the Democratic nomination for the general election. 

Kemp thanked conservative voters for supporting “our vision for this great state” in a speech Tuesday evening, earning cheers and chants of “four more years” from the crowd. 

“Our battle is far from over,” Kemp said. “Tonight, the fight for the soul of our state begins to make sure that Stacey Abrams is not going to be our governor or the next president. The reason that’s so important is because Abrams would take Georgia in a completely different direction.” 

Abrams last campaigned against Kemp in the 2018 gubernatorial election, which caught the nation’s attention and sparked claims of voter suppression and election fraud in Georgia. She refused to concede after Kemp declared victory on Nov. 7, 2018 and launched a provisional ballot program, alleging that provisional and absentee ballots still remained to be counted. A court-mandated review of rejected ballots yielded an additional 650 absentee and 82 provisional ballots to be counted in the race.

Kemp, who alleged that state Democrats hacked Georgia’s voting system days before the election, was officially declared as governor-elect on Nov. 28, 2019, beating Abrams by 1.5 percentage points. Abrams subsequently founded her nonprofit Fair Fight Georgia and advocated for election reform in the state. 

She launched and funded a program to recruit and train voter protection teams across 20 states and funded 24 grassroots organizations dedicated to mobilizing voters of color in Georgia. 

“Four years ago, I warned about the failure that Kemp was going to be,” Abrams said May 24 before her win was confirmed, according to the Associated Press. “And four years later I am going to prove he was the wrong choice for Georgia.”

Warnock, Walker advance to U.S. Senate general election

Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate with 685,090 (96.0%) of the 713,499 votes counted by press time at 4:09 a.m. Warnock will be campaigning for reelection against Republican Senate nominee and former NFL running back Herschel Walker, who earned his spot on the Nov. 8 ballot with 796,452 (68.2%) of the 1,167,533 votes counted by press time at 4:09 a.m.

During his time in office, Warnock cosponsored the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act and introduced the Preventing Election Subversion Act.  

Warnock thanked Georgia voters who supported his campaign in a May 24 tweet after the Associated Press declared his win. 

“It is the honor of my life to represent Georgians in the U.S. Senate,” Warnock tweeted.

In his acceptance speech, Walker said that he aimed to save the United States from “a bunch of maniacs too drunk with power” who “don’t even like this country,” according to the New York Times.

Walker’s entrance into U.S. politics has been controversial. Several domestic violence allegations were filed against Walker — who has dissociative identity disorder — between 2001 and 2008. In 2005, Cindy Grossman, Walker’s ex-wife, alleged that he behaved in a violent and controlling manner and secured a protective order against him. Walker was never arrested or charged with a crime.

The race for this Senate seat was widely watched in 2021. Former Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) resigned on Dec. 31, 2019 due to health concerns, and Kemp appointed former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) to complete the remainder of Isakson’s term. However, Warnock beat Loeffler in a runoff election, allowing him to occupy the Senate seat until this year’s election cycle. 

Warnock’s 2021 victory was historic as both he and Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) beat the Republican incumbents, therefore flipping the Senate and establishing a thin Democratic majority with 50 Democratic senators plus U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. This turned the U.S. Senate blue for the first time since 2014.

U.S. House District 5

Rep. Nikema Williams (D-5) is up for reelection for the U.S. House District 5 against Republican nominee Christian Zimm (15Ox, 17C, 20B, 20L), who ran uncontested. While in office, Williams  introduced the Striking Workers Healthcare Protection Act, which has not passed the House, and re-launched the bipartisan Congressional Endometriosis Caucus. Since leaving Emory, where he was the president of Emory College Republicans, Zimm worked as a real estate agent. 

Lieutenant governor

The Democratic lieutenant governor election advanced to a runoff between former member of the U.S. House of Representatives Kwanza Hall (D-5), who completed the late Civil Rights icon and Congressman John Lewis’ term, and Attorney Charlie Bailey, as no candidate received over 50% of the vote. 

The results of the Republican lieutenant governor election were still not available at press time at 4:09 a.m., according to the New York Times. Of the 1,103,669 votes counted at the time, which is over 95% of the total votes cast, Georgia State Senator Burt Jones (R-25) was in the lead with 552,704 (50.1%) votes, while President Pro Tempore of the Georgia Senate Butch Miller (R-49) sat in second place with 343,619 (31.3%) votes. If Jones maintains over 50% of the votes, he will avoid a runoff election.

Secretary of state

Georgia State Representative Bee Nguyen (D-89) and former Georgia State Representative Dee Dawkins-Haigler (D-91) advanced to a runoff election for the Democratic secretary of state election, as no candidate received over 50% of the vote. The winner of the runoff will advance to the Nov. 8 general election against Republican incumbent Brad Raffensberger, who won the primaries. Trump was an outspoken critic against Raffensberger, who publicly refuted the former president’s claims of fraud during the 2020 election and confirmed Biden’s win.

Attorney general

Incumbent Attorney General Chris Carr, who is considered the chief lawyer representing Georgia in legal cases, is up for reelection against Georgia State Senator Jen Jordan (D-6), the Democratic victor. During his tenure, Carr established the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and secured a $636 million opioid settlement. 

State school superintendent

Republican incumbent Richard Woods and Democratic candidate Alisha Thomas Searcy were nominated for state school superintendent, the administrative head of the Georgia Department of Education. While in office, Woods issued a one-time bonus of $1,000 for teachers and staff during the pandemic, and decreased high-stakes standardized testing.

Supreme Court justice

Georgia Supreme Court Associate Justice Verda Colvin was elected into office, beating her only opponent, Attorney Veronica Brinson. She was appointed by Kemp in 2021 to fill the position until this election cycle, making her the first Black female to be chosen by a Republican governor. Justices Shawn Ellen LaGrua and Carla Wong McMillian, both of whom ran unopposed, were also reelected. 

The Wheel will update vote totals as counting is completed.

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