Mischief Monthly: August 2024

Welcome to the first edition of Mischief Monthly!

Sam

There’s something about the idea of a man who’s been wronged, simply because of his values, that stands out to me-maybe because I felt I was in that position with my previous supervisor.

But Michael and Gladiator’s Commodus are very similar. Both are tyrants who came to power through unorthodox methods and who suck at being administrators: Commodus attempted to have Maximus killed, and Michael rigged the customer survey.

I’ve also been watching Season 2 of Invincible, and Omni-Man, though he didn’t conquer Thraxus for himself, still conquered it and led it to ruin, just as Commodus almost leads the Empire to collapse in Gladiator and the store to go under while Michael is the cashiers’ supervisor. Even more so, Michael, Nolan and Commodus ignore the warnings of their peers(and again, yes, Omni-man is different, but I’m choosing to keep him grouped in).

I don’t see myself as Maximus, or Mark: I definitely don’t have the biceps. 🤣 But these stories of heroism in the face of the most bleak circumstances still ring true and provide noble and courageous examples we should look to.

By the way, Michael: No one knows how you became head cashier. All the other supervisors brought up concerns before you were appointed and agree that sending me home was unjust. And you never truly apologized for saying you didn’t want me there.

Riona

What makes someone human? The concept is hardly unexplored territory in the world of fiction. And yet, the works of Naoki Urasawa- as I’ve be fervently consuming- delve into the topic in a way that feels whole, unique, and grounded. Shows like Monster and Pluto seek to answer this question in a roundabout way: by asking what, if anything, makes someone inhuman. Both stories make perfect use of their settings, tackling themes of racism, love, and vengeance throgh the lenses of human experimentation and robots respectively.

Urasawa has distinct calling card- both in narrative structure and design.

Which is simply a nice way of saying I was more than a little taken aback to see the face of Johan Liebert descending from the sky in Pluto’s third episode.

Jokes aside, however, I actually think the similarities in character design benefit both stories greatly. Pluto’s original manga run began not long after Monster’s had ended, and the visual callbacks encourage viewers to draw narrative ties between the two.

One tie I find particularly interesting is how both works explore the relationships between emotion and identity- characters who lack one often lack the other as well.

As both shows center around mysteries, there’s little I can say without spoiling! But the bottom line is this: Urasawa is a storyteller who understands the function of story, and understands it beautifully. A trait which unfortunately seems to be dwindling, at least in our western markets. So, if you’re ever given the chance to watch or read some of his work, I highly recommend it!

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.

Recent Shenanigans

Jacia

Do you ever feel like throwing your textbook across the room and burning it to a crisp?

Yeah?

Good.

Then you know how I feel.

Maybe it’s just that I’m a slow reader, or that I process what I read really slowly. I have to read the paragraph again and again…and again…and again, because for whatever reason, the sentences just. don’t. stick. The meanings don’t sink in, and I don’t understand a single thing I just read, or I have no memory of ever reading that, so I go back and forth and back and forth, and maybe it’s just that whoever wrote textbooks makes chapters WAY too long LIKE C’MONNNN ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!?!?!?!?!?!

anyways 😃

Whoever’s fault it is- mine or my biology textbook, it should not take two. hours. just to read one stupid biology chapter. WHY PROFESSOR, WHY MUST YOU ASSIGN SO MANY CHAPTERS

There are sections for a reason!!!!

You know, maybe this will benefit me later with tests and grades but C’MON I DON’T WANT TO SPEND TWO HOURS LISTENING TO A MONOTONE VOICE READING ABOUT BIOLOGY IN MY HEAD

can’t it at least be a fun British voice?

…No?

stupid brain.

stupid biology

stupid long textbooks

I’ll update y’all (if I somehow survive the three textbook chapters, two study guides, and three quizzes and rehearsals this week) and let you know if my biology textbook is still in the land of the living.

I mean it’d better be because it’s rented…

but still

we shall see.

Yet so far, it’s Biology Sixth Edition: 1

Overwhelmed college freshman: -1

Riona

I have, to date, been gifted a total of three items while waiting at the train station.

A pair of sunglasses- plucked off the street.

A bag of chips.

And a copy of the Book of Mormon.

All, of course, courtesies of strangers.

The connection between these items remains to be seen.

It is possible there is none.

Campbell

College is a unique experience no one can prepare you for. It’s inexplicably strange, just it is equally captivating. Social norms cease to exist, classes somehow become easier, and people watching becomes a favorite hobby. 

     Socially, it’s an extrovert’s paradise but an introvert’s nightmare. That person you bumped into on the street could be your best friend for the next three weeks until they disappear again. One night you meet a group of strangers and stick with them until the next morning, another you have a profound conversation with a not so well known acquaintance from high school. It all depends on what the night holds. However, making these connections requires one to be extremely proactive. High risk leads to high reward, but the unfortunate reality to that is being afraid to approach people may also lead to lonely nights. People who prefer their quiet time may receive more than expected if they cannot meet their neighbor. As unfortunate as this is, the great thing about college is that there this means there are no consequences towards reaching out as well. A little practice, and any person will be able to find the people they connect with, the people they can talk to, the people they can sit and do nothing with. At least, this is what it’s like at a college with an extremely large student population. Best of luck to everyone new! 

Until next time, remember: if you’re not causing a little trouble, are you even having fun?