“Saturday Night Live” (SNL) returned for season 48 Saturday with former cast member Pete Davidson as the host and rapper Ice Spice as the musical guest. This lineup was originally scheduled for May 6 but was canceled due to the writer’s strike. 

The episode itself was not bad, but “SNL” is not starting their season with a hard hitter. The episode had its funny moments, but many sketches didn’t land properly. 

“SNL” always has a musical guest, one that is typically popular at that moment in time. This week’s musical host was Ice Spice who has not done many performances but is still able to capture an audience. 

The performance was lacking. After looking at other live performances by Ice Spice, I was able to pinpoint why this one was lackluster. Ice Spice usually has a toned-down performance style, but she typically has a lot going around her while she performs — dancers, lights and an audience hyping her up. Her performance on “SNL” did not lack fancy lights, but it did lack in everything else. There were only two dancers around her along with some flashing lights. Neither of these truly added to her performance and just made it awkward to watch.

“SNL” decided to forgo their traditional cold open in exchange for a heartfelt statement from Davidson. During this, he made connections to the lives of the children affected by the war in Israel and Gaza to losing his dad in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He tells a story of how after his father’s death, his mom accidentally bought him an explicit Eddie Murphy stand-up special CD, but let it continue to play because she hadn’t heard him laugh like that in a while.

“I’m going to do what I’ve always done in the face of tragedy, and that’s try to be funny. Remember I said try,” Davidson said towards the end of the cold open. That one sentence explains why I enjoy Davidson as a comedian and why I wanted to watch this season opener. 

Despite a strong cold open, Davidson’s monologue was not my favorite. It had its moments that made me chuckle, but it wasn’t filled with the dark humor that Davidson is known for. 

My favorite parts of the monologue occurred during the second half of the set. It was classic Pete Davidson, making fun of Staten Island and making the audience question whether or not they should laugh or not. 

Throughout the show, there were references to moments that briefly took over social media throughout the past few months. “SNL” referenced Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce dating, the Delta airline diarrhea incident, people’s brief obsession with the show “Suits” and of course, the “Barbie” movie. 

The cast did a parody of the song “I’m Just Ken,” which I assume Davidson pitched because he pitched many parody videos during his time on “SNL.” The song was called “I’m Just Pete.” This sketch was the highlight of the episode for me. It was clever and was able to reference a majority of Davidson’s popular moments — from his dating history, his mental illness, to his brief slightly one-sided beef with Kanye West — in four minutes. My favorite line from the song was “I’m just Pete/Anyone else I’d be a three.” The catchy line will be in my head for the entire week. 

Weekend Update is typically my favorite part of “SNL” but didn’t live up to my expectations this week. My least favorite part was the Christopher Columbus bit. Bowen Yang played Christopher Columbus, who of course took credit for discovering things that he did not. I understand that was the point of the bit, however, the bit was four minutes long but felt longer. I was waiting for it to end, but it just kept going. They were beating a dead horse by the end of it. 

Even the parts that I found funny were not that well-written. There was a bit where Michael Che had Colin Jost say a joke that he would typically be inappropriate for him to say. It was a one-sided version of the joke swap tradition that the two hosts do. However, the joke swap was the only highlight of Weekend Update this week.

It feels as if Davidson just left the show, so it felt as if there was no host for this episode, especially since Davidson was in this episode just as much as he was when he was a part of the cast. 

The ideas behind the sketches were there and had potential, but most of them fell flat either because of the writing, the acting or both. Since it was only the first episode of the season, there is hope for improvement after what could have been a promising start to the season.

While “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” came out Aug. 2, it was recently made available for streaming on Paramount+ on Sept. 19. This movie, along with the entire Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) brand, has reached multiple generations because of the franchise’s top-tier soundtracks, slapstick humor and many references to popular culture both now and in the 1990s.

The Soundtrack

While watching this movie, I could not help but dance along to all the music being played. I also felt a strong sense of nostalgia for my childhood, as so much of the music in the movie resembled what my family grew up playing around me.

There is an action montage in the movie with “No Diggity” by Blackstreet and Dr. Dre playing in the background. Most action montages include high-energy music, not the chill hip-hop beat of “No Diggity.” It is different, but it works well.

The 1990s hip-hop sound seems intentional for two reasons. The first is that 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop music, and the second is that the TMNT television series and original movies came out in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The composers of the movie’s soundtrack seemed to want to pay homage to the era that brought the world of TMNT.

In “Mutant Mayhem,” the music seems targeted at an older audience that likely knows the sounds of ‘90s hip-hop. There is one part of the movie where the character SuperFly (played by Ice Cube) says, “6’N in the morning, cops at my door…” in the same rhythm as the song “Boyz-N-The Hood’ by Eazy-E. If the reference isn’t clear, Ice Cube, Eazy-E and their group N.W.A are a major part of hip-hop history.

Humor and Animation

Animated movies are typically targeted at younger audiences, but creators often throw in subtle moments for the older people watching the movie as well. This movie is no different, with a nice mixture of physical and childish humor that will make children laugh.

For example, there are many scenes where characters get hit in the head or fall and make a funny face. There is also a scene where the turtles make fun of the fact that Leonardo’s name, separated, is “Leo Nardo.” The turtles think the name Nardo is funny and spend at least a minute making fun of him for it. There is no explanation as to why it is funny, it just is. I feel like that is an accurate representation of children’s humor.

Throughout the movie, pieces of Gen Z humor are woven into the way the teenage characters talk. At times, it is a bit cringey because of the amount of Gen Z slang used in a single scene, but it is accurate nonetheless.

References to Popular Culture

I could not get over the small references in this movie. There are too many to dive into them all, but I can focus on two I appreciated. The first is about the revival of anime culture happening at the moment. They make Donatello an anime fan and reference “Attack on Titan,” a specific anime. I think it is especially interesting because the 1990s were when anime started to capture an American audience.

Referring back to the late 1980s and early 1990s, the character SuperFly’s name references 1990s slang, as “fly” was often used as a synonym for the word “cool.” On top of that, they gave SuperFly a Jheri curl, a hairstyle similar to a perm but with curl rods added to give the hair waves. This hairstyle was very popular amongst African Americans in the 1980s and early 1990s. This precisely detailed allusion made me smile during the movie.

April O’Neil and The Message of the Movie

Recurring TMNT character April O’Neil is usually portrayed as a white, red-headed girl who hangs out with the turtles. However, in this iteration, she is a Black girl with red locs. She is still a journalist who wants to report on the turtles and the series of crimes happening in New York City. April has a similar character arc to the turtles in this movie, all of them realizing they have been trying to catch SuperFly for the wrong reason.

In the 2014 and 2016 TMNT films, April was played by Megan Fox and had a very different backstory from the previous films. These two movies were more inspired by the original movie rather than being directly based on them.

While her race is not essential to her character in the franchise, in this movie, April being Black made things a bit more impactful for me.

*Possible Spoiler Alert*

Toward the end of the movie, the news portrays all of the turtles as monsters trying to destroy the city, even though they are actually trying to save it. The turtles see the news broadcast and are hurt that humans will only ever see them as monsters.

April, their only human ally in this movie, refuses to let the news paint her friends as the bad guys. She goes on television and tells the truth, as she has been reporting on them throughout the film and knows them better than anyone.

It is plausible that April does this because her classmates picked on her and cast her out for embarrassing herself on camera, and she didn’t want the turtles to continue to be outcasts as well. Additionally, she and the turtles had bonded throughout the movie, so it makes sense that she wants to defend them.

However, there are always many ways to interpret a piece of art. For me, April doing this while being a Black character made me think that she did it because she knew what it was like to be painted as a villain all the time, no matter what you do.

Historically, Black people in the United States have been portrayed negatively in the media and typically have their stories mistold by those who shape media narratives. While race is not something that explicitly comes up in this movie, I feel that making April a Black person automatically gives her character the knowledge of what it is like to constantly be misrepresented in the media.

I could be thinking about this movie too much, but it is art. Everyone has their own interpretation.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is a modern spin on an old classic but makes sure that all generations of people who have enjoyed the franchise in the past can continue to enjoy it now.

The Twin Cities music scene has not died down since the end of summer. Local musicians like We Are the Willows, The Dalmatian Club, Colin Bracewell and Labrador Wild are all releasing music this fall.

We Are the Willows “We’re Livin’” ft. Orchid Eaton.

We Are The Willows’ frontman, Peter Miller, described the sound of the band’s new song “We’re Livin’” as “ethereal.” The song’s content revolves around grappling with the knowledge of the climate crisis while also trying to enjoy life.

Miller has toured across the United States. He describes touring as “a really specific kind of human experience” and that many of his favorite memories as a musician have come from being on tour.

Most of Miller’s song inspirations come from “thinking a bit too much” about life which he views as both a negative and a positive. But, he quoted Socrates, saying “an unexamined life is not worth living.”

Listeners can expect We Are The Willows’ newest song “We’re Livin’” later this fall.

The Dalmatian Club released “Out of Hand” on Sept. 16.

While The Dalmatian Club identifies more with the indie rock genre, the band believes their new song “Out of Hand” fits in better with the genre of indie pop, as it has a softer sound than their other music.

The song focuses on trying to figure out who you are and how to figure out life without being reckless, with parts of the song alluding to drug abuse. However, The Dalmatian Club wants their audience to interpret the song as they want.

The band consists of Zac Fogarty and Kyle Siemon (guitar), Tony O’Keefe (drums), Griffin Ruud (lead vocals and bass) and Maisie Sweeney (keys). This specific musician lineup is relatively new, as they have been together for around two months.

While this group has not been performing for a long time, they have been busy this last month, playing shows at Green Room in Minneapolis and Como Backdoor.

They also have a song coming out on Sept. 29 called “Stay for Awhile,” along with several shows coming up within the next few months. On Oct. 14, The Dalmatian Club will perform at Green Room again.

Colin Bracewell to release “Julia” on Nov. 3.

Colin Bracewell played his new song “Julia” at several shows in the last few months but has yet to officially release the song on any platforms. Bracewell said the song is a hybrid of R&B and pop music that revolves around the emotions and life of being single while in college.

Bracewell is a student at the University of Minnesota and is currently taking a class about Prince, which makes the fact that he will be opening for the band Guytano on Nov. 3 at First Avenue even more special to him. Bracewell will be performing at a fundraiser event for The Garage on Oct. 21 which is open to all ages. “Julia” is set to be released on Friday, Nov. 3.

Labrador Wild: “Lonely Eyes” – November

“Lonely Eyes” will be Labrador Wild’s first EP and consist of five songs from their earlier days as a band, when they were still trying to figure out the group’s sound. Labrador Wild did not want to share what specific songs will be on the EP to keep it a surprise. However, they did say there is a broad spectrum of music on this EP.

The band got started on Craigslist and switched through members until the current group stuck. However, the dynamic of the group makes it seem as if they have grown up together.

While the band said they think their music has always been a bit of a melting pot of different styles and genres, Labrador Wild believes their music fits best into the alternative genre.

Labrador Wild will perform at Acadia on Oct. 28 for a Halloween show with Twin Citizen and other bands.

The first day of fall is officially Sept. 23 this year. As a result, fall fashion ideas have been circulating for about a month. 

According to Kathryn Reiley, professor of apparel design and retail merchandising at the University of Minnesota, fall fashion trends consist of loose-fitting silhouettes, especially for college students. Cargo pants and wide-legged jeans, for example, are predicted to gain popularity this season. Reiley added that these kinds of pants are expected to be paired with casual pieces such as crop tops, baggy t-shirts and formal blazers. 

Coming back in style again are peplums, short strips of fabric placed on the waist of shirts and jackets. As the temperature continues to drop, puffer jackets are also expected to be worn more, Reiley said, along with predicting the color of the season to be red, in all different shades. 

After interviewing students, the verdict is that the University’s campus is on track to be on trend this fall. 

Emma Bedard, a strategic communication major with a minor in fashion studies, has been wearing a lot of light layering. Bedard said she often layers tank tops with long sleeves, lace or sheer tops. 

She believes layering is “fashionable but also realistic” as the colder months approach. Layering has not been limited to clothing. Bedard added she has been seeing a lot of people wearing jewelry in a layered fashion, often mixing gold jewelry with silver jewelry. 

Bedard’s personal style and observations line up with Reiley’s stated fall fashion predictions, as the ‘90s were a time when layering clothing and jewelry was very popular. 

Shivangi Pandey, a University mechanical engineering student, describes what she has been wearing lately. It does follow Reiley’s general description of fall fashion trends. Pandey said she has been wearing a lot of knitted sweaters, turtlenecks and crewnecks. She often pairs them with flare pants and leggings. Pandey enjoys dressing in the fall because she gets to “try different combinations before the winter time rolls in and [her] jacket covers everything up!”

When it comes to what she sees in her classes, the specific clothing descriptions are not as glamorous as the predictions are — Pandey said many people in her classes wear “‘groutfits’” (all gray outfits typically consisting of sweatpants and sweatshirts).

However, when it comes to focusing on the silhouettes, Pandey’s description of her classmates’ outfits does match the predicted fashion trends, as sweatpants and sweatshirts match the baggy silhouette Reiley described. 

It seems it does not matter what people are studying, they will somehow manage to be on trend. 

These fall fashion predictions are not random guesses or wishful thinking. Trend predictors and fashion companies use theories to help predict fashion trends. The example given by Reiley was the “theory of Fashion Cycles.” This theory states fashion styles come back around every 20 years. 

While a bit more than 20 years ago, Reiley believes the 1990s fashion will become even more popular as these kinds of clothing become more accessible due to thrift and vintage stores. 

Pay close attention to what people on campus are wearing, you’ll start to notice almost everyone is wearing a fall fashion trend. 

The University of Minnesota’s Office for Student Affairs announced the application process for student groups applying for event funding has changed. Student groups are now allowed to request funds throughout the semester instead of once a semester. 

The Student Services Fee provides groups’ whose events are approved to have a way to fund the event. In the past, groups had four different opportunities to apply for events. 

Associate director of the Office for Student Affairs Sara Carvell explained in an email to the Minnesota Daily that last year, if an event was taking place in fall 2022, a student group could request funding in April or October 2022. If an event was taking place in spring 2023, groups could apply either in November 2022 or in February 2023. 

Funding for large events have to be requested at least two months in advance and other events, referred to as regular events, have to be requested at least one month in advance. 

“Groups have the opportunity to request as many events and as much money, as they did last year,” Carvell said. 

The feedback leading to this process change was student groups wanted more opportunities to apply for funds and be able to wait until officer elections to make requests for fall events. Carvell said these new changes give groups more flexibility, and some students see this as positive change. Black Student Union’s (BSU) board member, Cyrus Jarjay, said, “we don’t have to have all of the planning already figured out before the school year begins.” 

Andar Farhan, co-treasurer for Al-Madinah Cultural Center said this new process “is an impactful change in a series of occurring as pandemic era guidelines and policies wind down, especially as it relates to the SSF.”

The change may require some adjusting on the administrative side and on the side of student groups, according to Carvell, and added since the application process is now on a rolling basis, the Student Services Fees Committee (SSFC) along with advisors and workers in the finance office will have more administrative work. 

From the perspective of the student groups, the change consists of a large amount of information that can be a bit overwhelming and confusing when they start off, but they are often encouraged to reach out for assistance, said Jarjay. 

Nazish Khan, co-treasurer for Al-Madinah Cultural Center, said in an email to the Daily all of the different parts of the application process can make it difficult to know exactly if the organization is filling out the right part.

 “It seems that there is always something that we’re missing, or some form to fill out,” Khan wrote. 

Student groups are encouraged to ask questions if they do not understand a part of the process. Carvell said the Office of Student Affairs communicates “regularly with group leaders to ensure they understand how the process works.”

Carvell added one of the goals of this new process is to make SSFC funds more accessible throughout the year. Carvell hopes student groups become more creative with their requests for funds as a result of this change. 

Student groups look forward to seeing how this change will affect both their organizations, but also other ones. Farhan said he is “interested in seeing all of the events that are executed … as a result of these changes.”

Ann Waltner, a University of Minnesota professor in the history department specializing in Chinese History, started her term as interim dean for the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) on July 3.

The Minnesota Daily was sent an email with responses from Waltner on her goals and what she is looking forward to as the new CLA dean.

Minnesota Daily: What influenced your decision to accept the position as the interim dean for the College of Liberal Arts?

Ann Waltner: “I was honored to be asked to be interim dean. The University of Minnesota is in a unique position to deliver a remarkable education to our students — we are a first-rate public research University in a major urban area which gives us some specific advantages. CLA is an exciting place, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to serve in a leadership role.”

Daily: What have you been doing these past few months to prepare for this new role?

Waltner: “I accepted the position on May 26, so I have had just over a month to prepare. Even before I formally took over on July 3, I went to many meetings. I have also asked lots of questions. I know the college well as a faculty member and as former chair of the history department (from 2019-22) but the perspective of dean is a different one.”

Daily: Do you have any goals for your time as interim dean?

Waltner: “I want us to think about what we want the College of Liberal Arts to look like in 5 years, in 10 years, even in 20 years and then I want us to sit down and decide what it is we need to do now to get to those goals. I am also mindful that, as interim dean, I am here for only one year, so my goal really needs to be setting up discussions so my successor can succeed in developing their own vision.”

“I would also like us to continue deepening our acknowledgment of our particular location. The population of the Twin Cities is rich in diversity. We have one of the nation’s most productive creative environments with a wide array of traditional and new media, theater, music, museums, and dance. We have a large number of Fortune 500 companies here as well as medical technology and other research-intensive industries, marketing and strategic communications and a concentration of higher education institutions. CLA has deepened our connections to this vibrant community in several ways, including through the Liberal Arts Engagement Hub. I hope to continue strengthening our community engagement efforts.”

Daily: Is there anything you are looking forward to during your time as dean of CLA?

Waltner: “I am aware, as the point person for problem-solving, there will be challenges to tackle and moments where I will be the person who will take the heat. That is simply part of the job, and I accept that. I am looking forward to learning more about the college and to getting to know how it works (and maybe helping to figure out how to make it work better). I look forward to meeting more people who are doing excellent work, and getting to know students and faculty from other departments.”

Daily: Is there anything you would like to say to the students of CLA to introduce yourself to them in this new position?

Waltner: “I am a historian of early modern China who is particularly interested in gender, family and religion. What got me interested in history is the stories people tell about their lives and the lives of others. I am currently finishing a book about a young woman religious teacher who lived in China in the late sixteenth century. I am working with wonderful documents, including letters she wrote to her family members. I also worked with the early music group Sacabuche in multi-disciplinary performance — I write scripts and am one of the people who perform the script … We stopped performing during the pandemic, but are about to begin work on another show.”

“I will be holding open office hours for students in the fall. The first two will be on Aug. 3 and Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. I encourage CLA students to reach out to my office if they’re interested in making an appointment as well. We are working on a new web page, especially for students, which will be linked to my dean’s web page — stay tuned for details.”

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.