Chappell Roan, parasocialism, and how to leave women alone online
Renowned pop artist Chappell Roan has received drastic responses to her criticism of the U.S. government recently, with countless people either supporting or decrying her hesitancy to endorse a candidate in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
The conversation has now evolved slightly beyond her own position, but it does tell us plenty about our relationship with celebrities and what we believe their social responsibilities need to be.
Stuck in space: The fall of Starliner
Two American astronauts, sent into space for an eight-day mission by a Boeing Starliner, have been stuck for months on the International Space Station (ISS), as their craft was deemed too risky to safely make the return trip home.
On June 7, 2024, Boeing, in conjunction with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), launched the two American astronauts, Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunni Williams, into space aboard Boeing’s ‘Starliner’ capsule. The mission: an eight day test of systems aboard Starliner, but this not-exactly-successful mission has turned into an eight-month detour around the planet for the pair.
With clubs offering over a dozen opportunities for students, it’s impossible to be bored on Highline campus [PART 2]
Highline offers numerous avenues to get involved on campus, but there may be no better way to make new friends and bond with others over shared interests than by joining a club. Whether you like sports, reading, games, or anime, the college’s vast number of clubs definitely has something you might enjoy.
Last week, the Thunderword covered only a portion of the opportunities for involvement on campus. Whether you like to move, converse, or curl up with a book, here are some more clubs we’d like to highlight.
The Israel-Palestine conflict and the boycotts that follow it
Due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine in Gaza, many people have chosen to boycott corporations that invest money in Israel.
The current Gaza conflict surged on Oct. 7 when Hamas-led forces from Palestine gained access to Israel and caused a tragic loss of 1,200 lives, taking around 250 people hostage. Since then Israel has taken the lives of more than 40,000 innocent civilians. This conflict has raised a multitude of boycotts against companies due to their stance on the situation.
BECU shred-it event comes to Tukwila this Saturday
Is your home cluttered with old paperwork or outdated electronics?
BECU Tukwila Financial Center is holding their bi-annual shred-it event this Saturday, Oct. 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and this could be the week that you clear out all of your clutter!
Campus
Highline offers numerous avenues to get involved on campus, but there may be no better way to make new friends and bond with others over shared interests than by joining a club. Whether you like sports, reading, games, or anime, the college’s vast number of clubs definitely has something you might enjoy.
Last week, the Thunderword covered only a portion of the opportunities for involvement on campus. Whether you like to move, converse, or curl up with a book, here are some more clubs we’d like to highlight.
Highline offers numerous avenues to get involved on campus, but there may be no better way to make new friends and bond with others over shared interests than by joining a club. Whether you like sports, reading, games, or anime, the college’s vast number of clubs definitely has something you might enjoy.
Do you find yourself wandering around campus after class with a lot of free time, looking to make more friends? Then all you have to do is head right into Building 8 and find out what club might be the best fit for you.
Highline College opens doors to motivated high school students through its Running Start program. While this opportunity to get a start on a college degree while completing the requirements for high school graduation can set students ahead, it doesn’t come without its challenges for high schoolers turned college students.
“Running Start is a dual credit program in Washington State that allows high school juniors and seniors to take college courses,” according to the Highline running start website. “Students earn both high school and college credit for courses completed.”
The Highline College Bookstore, located on the top floor of Building 8, is a one-stop shop for supplies, merchandise, on-the-go snacks, and of course, books for all of your classes.
Entering the Student Union building one of the first things you’ll notice is the large sign that draws your attention to the Highline College Bookstore, where students are coming in and out with supplies or merchandise that they need for classes or personal use.
Highline College welcomes all new and returning students back this autumn season for its 2024 fall quarter!
As with every season at Highline, the campus is brimming with events, resources, clubs, and sports to appeal to anyone curious about trying something new, something different, or in search of a community over something you love.
Community
Due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine in Gaza, many people have chosen to boycott corporations that invest money in Israel.
The current Gaza conflict surged on Oct. 7 when Hamas-led forces from Palestine gained access to Israel and caused a tragic loss of 1,200 lives, taking around 250 people hostage. Since then Israel has taken the lives of more than 40,000 innocent civilians. This conflict has raised a multitude of boycotts against companies due to their stance on the situation.
As October finally begins the greater Seattle area has many options for those looking to get thrilled as the spooky season is upon us and everyone is wanting to get into the spirit.
To enjoy the turning of the seasons, some like to sit inside, watch movies and be all around cozy, some enjoy walks and outings in the crisp autumn air, while others enjoy horror (albeit, a lot of us enjoy a mix of them). But for those who are willing to step out of their comfort zone here is a short list of Seattle locals’ favorite “happy haunts”.
Between the dark hours of 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. EST, Florida residents braced themselves for another catastrophe. Entire towns were abandoned, debris left behind, and homes vacated. Those watching from the screens urge friends and family to get out, get safe, and stay alive.
Hurricane Milton made landfall on central Florida’s west-coast as a Category 3 hurricane in the evening hours of Wednesday. The once tropical storm took less than 36 hours to strengthen into a Cat 5, but slowed and downgraded to a Cat 3 upon approaching the state.
The Vice Presidential debate between Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator JD Vance, was one of the most polite political stages seen the past few election cycles.
The 90-minute face off between the two men duking it out to be second-in-command was a spectacle in that it was a night of civil oratory discussion – edging on even exchanging polite pleasantries.
As the fall starts to settle in, the wind blows colder, and the leaves start to fall and brown, people gather around Puyallup, Wash. in a yearly tradition that is beloved by locals, the Washington State Fair.
This year, the fair ran for four weeks, from Aug. 30 through Sept. 22. Throughout its long history, the fair continues to celebrate a community of people gathering for fun games, rides, entertainment, and amazing food from all different types of places brought from local vendors.
The recent unsealing of bribery and campaign finance charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams has narrowed the public eye into the past few years of his behavior and business dealings.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams of the Southern District of New York unsealed the indictment on Thursday, Sept. 26, sparking public outcry for his resignation.
Have you ever wanted to buy a Rolex, thinking all you have to do is walk into a Rolex Authorized Dealer and tell them which watch you want and automatically think that you’ll be walking out the store with a shiny new watch? The simple answer is that’s definitely not going to be the case.
Rolex does a process where if you want a specific watch they’ll tell you they only have the exhibition models and they currently don’t have any watches available at the moment. Then they would take your name and information and put you on a waiting list, after which they will run a background check on you.
As the fall quarter kicks off at Highline, there is a realization that the political world we live in now, in September, is vastly different than the political scene we left in June.
The last issue of The Thunderword reported on the historic conviction of former President Donald Trump. This was shortly before the disastrous debate with current President Joe Biden, who at the time, was the presumed democratic nominee for this year’s election.
Welcome back Highline scholars! You have likely come across the myriad of world-changing news that has been unfolding over the past few months, and things can slip by if we don’t give them their due diligence, so let us recount some of the biggest pop culture events that have happened since our last issue of the Thunderword.
Sports
Decatur High School’s football team keeps turning heads in the local community by continuing their undefeated streak, beating Skyview, a consensus top ten 4A team, 15-14.
The game took place under the lights of Federal Way Memorial Stadium, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m., where we saw the Decatur Gators (now 5-0) face off with the Skyview Storm (3-2). The Gators managed to hold Skyview to two touchdowns while also coming out on top for a hard fought win.
In true Seattle baseball fashion, the 2024 Mariners season ended without a trip to the postseason. Finishing the season with a 85-77 record, the Mariners missed the postseason by one game – mirroring last season’s tragic ending of falling just short.
While their playoff aspirations were dashed before the contest, Sunday, Sept. 29, Marked the Mariners’ last game of the regular season. The Mariners went out swinging, ending a disappointing season with a win – beating the Oakland Athletics 6-4 at home.
Through the first half of the season, the Highline Volleyball team has shown how strong the core of their team is and that they are a powerhouse in the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC). Thunderbirds have put up an impressive 19-1 record thus far, placing them squarely on top of the NWAC West Region
Highline Volleyball is currently in the middle of an 18-game win streak, while boasting an impeccable 13-0 record when playing at home and going a perfect 3-0 against conference opponents.
Arts
How much gore can a person handle in one sitting? Movie-goers were put to the test as “Terrifier 3” hit the theaters this fall.
People are preparing for the third movie in the Terrifier series. This movie included warning signs to the audience before walking in as well as vomit bags as some scenes got way too graphic and hard to watch. This may seem like an overreaction, but the resounding feedback for the film highlights just how shocked most audiences have been, even sparking censorship among some cultures.
Despite the fantastical nature of anime, there’s a noticeable lack of both POC (people of color), and/or people who belong to the LGBTQ+ community. Even with its popularity overseas, anime largely remains exclusive to anyone who doesn’t fit a certain mold.
While anime has instances of darker-skinned characters, they’re fewer in number compared to their lighter counterparts and are almost always Japanese. While dark-skinned Japanese representation is great, it’s only one type of representation.
Bringing us into the spooky season this year was none other than Tim Burton, the King of family-spooky night, with the reprisal of Beetlejuice. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” hits theaters in time to kick off the haunting season, 36 years after the original premiered.
Winona Ryder, Catherine O’hara, and Michael Keaton all reprise their roles as Lydia Deetz, Delia Deetz, and the exorcist himself, Beetlejuice.
When most people hear the word “Battle Royale,” they automatically think of the popular video game genre. But have you ever heard of the origin of the inspiration of that wildly popular video game genre?
“Battle Royale” started as a science fiction thriller novel written by Koushun Takami. It was completed in 1996 but wasn’t published till 1999. The novel consists of a class of junior high students taken to a deserted island where, as part of a ruthless authoritarian program, they are provided arms and forced to kill one another until only one survivor is left standing.
Although Japan has been open to the world for centuries, closing itself off from the world for nearly 215 years (a period known as Sakoku), has its long-lasting consequences, particularly in Japan’s entertainment industry. Said consequences have seeped into almost every aspect of Japanese culture in one way or another.
Unfortunately, like other countries in their “medieval” periods, Japan turned women into a commodity of sorts, something to be bought and sold. It isn’t easy to undo the centuries of cultural and mental damage such practices brought to the nation. Despite this, there are people out there demanding change.
Dragon Age is a strange game franchise. It’s wonderful, but it can be labeled ‘inconsistent’ as so many things have changed about it over the years.
The first in the series, “Dragon Age Origins” (DAO), was an edgy dark fantasy from 2009, complete with overt violence and horrifying social injustices that are handled kind of recklessly.
News Briefs
Is your home cluttered with old paperwork or outdated electronics?
BECU Tukwila Financial Center is holding their bi-annual shred-it event this Saturday, Oct. 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and this could be the week that you clear out all of your clutter!
The Oddities & Curiosity Expo featuring all things creepy is coming to the state of Washington and will be held at the Seattle Convention Center. The expo is open to visitors of all ages from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 19 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20.
This past week Israel has “defended” itself outside its borders by remotely detonating hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies used by militant group Hezbollah. The attack killed dozens and injured thousands more.
The conflict has escalated since, with Israel carrying out air-strikes and raids within Lebanon. Hezbollah has continued their own assault into northern Israel. The fighting continues as Israel wages another conflict in the south.
Opinion
Renowned pop artist Chappell Roan has received drastic responses to her criticism of the U.S. government recently, with countless people either supporting or decrying her hesitancy to endorse a candidate in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
The conversation has now evolved slightly beyond her own position, but it does tell us plenty about our relationship with celebrities and what we believe their social responsibilities need to be.
Per the headline: taking the bus kind of sucks. Well, to be more accurate, using public transportation in Washington is awful. It’s inconsistent, it’s way less organized than in places like New York or Washington D.C. for example, and it can even be confusing. Missing a bus always sucks, but here it’s quite unforgiving.
“This first time I used public transit when visiting Seattle, I got lost and had to call my sister-in-law while she was at work so she could walk me through how to get to her apartment,” said an anonymous Highline student about their experience.
In 1890, while living the life of a luxurious and infamous playwright, Oscar Wilde compiled all his imaginatives on hedonism, temptation, and human nature into a blood-driven, sex-filled young man he most definitely saw himself in, Dorian Gray.
“The Picture of Dorian Gray” remains Wilde’s only novel, first published in a monthly magazine. Wilde wrote a few versions of the story, censored and edited by his publishers, but an artists’ work is always a reflection of the artist.
It’s that time of year again! So begins another fall quarter, and with it, an array of new experiences. While excitement is in the air, it’s accompanied by all sorts of fears. There are so many new people joining Highline at this time of year and that means change. Change is great, but it can be scary. If you have doubts, what should you do?
The long-fought war between dog and cat lovers is still ongoing. Dog people claim dogs as “man’s best friend”, while cat lovers claim loving cats requires a certain appreciation for individual autonomy. While these paradigms are a couple ways to look at the issue, there is also the extroverted dog versus introverted cat debate. Regardless, all animal lovers can agree that animals improve our lives.
According to Forbes, 66% of households own pets, and of those 66%, 46.5 million households have cats. While dogs beat them out for the majority, 46.5 million is no small number.
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