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On October 6th, the Arts and Humanities departments hosted its “Stone Soup” event, which is hosted annually. The event consisted of food, intellectual conversations, and drinks. The turnout for
such a small event and space was pretty large for the maximum of people being in the space at once being about fifteen people. Students and staff alike were satisfied with the company and to share thoughts with one another while enjoying great food.

The soup made by Professor MC Harper was simply amazing, a sentiment stated by students and staff alike, consisting of all sorts of veggie goodness. MC put a lot of effort into the main dish and “Thank you MC!” echoed off the walls and were distributed appropriately. Professor Todd Comer slaved his way through his own kitchen the previous day of the event as well, to bring to the event chocolate chip cookies and a mystery nutty kind that did not survive the event as intended.

The conversations at such an event being deep is one of the best parts, which you will get with a
Arts and Humanities event. Thoughts flew through the air and burrowed through students and staff
after filling up on soup and cookies. Ideas and thoughts jumping back and forth. From talk of film,
adapting book to film, and ideas of how to engage students interest in subjects. The conversations being one of the reasons you would attend, were educational and useful for students working on their degrees in these fields.

These events are good for students to meet others in the same field of study and to meet the Professors you will be working with to achieve your goals and should consider attending future events to receive such great knowledge from the Professors that work for The Defiance College.

People tend to look negatively upon sequels, especially animated sequels as being
inferior to the original product. This isn’t without reason, as sequels are often pushed out the
door with far less thought and effort then the movies that spawned them, with executives
attempting to milk as much viewership out of the product’s reputation as they can. The reason I
believe this is so often been a problem with animated films is because of how animation is
believed to be for children, and children make for such a rich demographic who are seen as
willing to eat anything up without questioning its quality.

Even though I disagree with this viewpoint, whenever I think of an animated movie I
liked growing up, I have to question my own judgement about whether it was really as good as I
remember or if it will fail to stand the test of time. One such movie I remember very fondly,
which happens to also be a sequel, is Balto: Wolf Quest. I actually grew up with the sequel movie
rather than the original, which I didn’t see until I was an adult. I decided to do a bit of a
throwback review this week for a sequel I still believe, even after watching it earlier this week,
gets far less credit then it deserves.

Balto, the original movie, deals with a straight-forward but heavily fictionalized version
of the historical wolf-dog and his heroic efforts to lead a sled team bringing medicine to the
people of Nome, Alaska. If I could compare it to anything, I’d have to draw a parallel between
this movie and Don Bluth’s Anastasia. Both movies feature historical figures and events that are
heavily distorted from how they actually happened, but still manage to thrill and entertain and
most importantly, tell a good story. That said, the first animated Balto movie is fairly par for the
course for what it is, and it might be hard to imagine that such a movie could lead to any quality
sequels without stretching its source material.

Balto: Wolf Quest almost certainly does stretch the material beyond belief, to the point
where the fabric gives way and the contents spill out in a completely original, unexpected
direction. The sequel movie stars the fictional daughter of Balto, Aleu, as she and her father
embark on the titular vision quest to discover her destiny. What makes this sequel unique is the
complete change in atmospherics from the original. Rather than being a colorful but down to
earth adaptation of a historical event, this movie plunges us straight into a mystical world of
ghostly creatures, strange dreams and even apparent magic. Eventually, Balto and Aleu find
themselves placed in charge of deciding the fate of a starving wolf pack, which will in turn help
decide Aleu’s true destiny.

This radical departure from the original story is ironically what saves this movie from
being just another lazy sequel. A description of all this may seem a bit strange for those only
familiar with the first film, but in motion it makes for a graceful, deeply spiritual adventure that’s
as much a journey of the heart as of the body. I was bizarrely transfixed by this movie as a child,
and I was pleasantly surprised to see that it still holds up even today. If you’re looking for a new
but old animated movie to watch with your children or even just for the sheer sake of watching
it, I highly recommend Balto: Wolf Quest as an example of an animated sequel done right.

Visuals

3.5/5. There’s some conspicuous CG here and there that hasn’t aged as well as the rest of
the movie, but at the same time there are parts of this movie where the animation is still stunning,
even eerie.

Story

5/5. The bold new direction that this sequel takes from its predecessor only does it favors,
as it manages to be compelling and atmospheric at the same time.

Voice Acting

3.5/5. Kevin Bacon does not reprise his original role as Balto here, his voice instead
being filled by career voice actor Maurice LaMarche, although the difference is hardly
noticeable! I was surprised that Aleu’s voice acting was much more grating then I remember as a
child, which is what prevents this from having a higher score.

Final Score: 4/5

Written by Alisa Pescosolido

Catharine A. MacKinnon once said “In a society in which equality is a fact, not merely a
word, words of racial or sexual assault and humiliation will be nonsense syllables.” On Tuesday,
October 11, The Office of Intercultural Relations held a sexual assault panel. The panel was
made up of students and staff alike, and was hosted by the It’s On Us Campaign as a portion of their ‘Month of Action.’ The conversation started off with talking about what sexual assault really is. The proper definition is that sexual assault is a crime of power and control. The term sexual assault refers to sexual contact or behavior that occurs without explicit consent of the victim. Of course this is a sensitive topic, taboo almost, but it is a topic that everyone should be aware of.

What most people don’t realize, is that sexual assault can begin with the things a person
says and how they think. It can be as simple as saying “that test raped me.” By saying this,
you’re taking away the seriousness of rape. Things like this can be triggers to survivors. The very
root of this language starts with sexism, in the degradation of women or men through
stereotypical gender roles. A person’s attitude and beliefs shape the way people view rape
culture. People usually do not realize that they support rape culture in the things they say and by
being a silent bystander when they witness something.

There are good and bad talks about rape culture and sexual assault. The good talks
support the survivors and make it easier for them to decide to speak up for themselves. Bad talks
can degrade the survivors and downplay what may have happened to them. These good talks,
like the one held on Tuesday, are a good way for people to become knowledgeable about a very
serious topic. The panel members did a very good job of covering various aspects of the topic.
The members talked about why people do not speak up about what they witness more often,
which has become an issue on the Defiance College campus in the last few years. People are
afraid of the backlash they may receive from their peers, they are scared people may treat them
differently because of the stigma tied to rape, or they are afraid of getting a friend in trouble.
There are tons of excuse why people do not speak up, and yes they are excuses because there is
no reason to not speak up about a topic so serious. The trouble is, is that most people do not have
much knowledge about rape culture and sexual assault and therefore, do not understand what
qualifies as sexual assault. Sexual is qualified as any type of forced or coerced sexual contact or
behavior that happens without consent. Sexual assault includes rape and attempted rape, child
molestation, and sexual harassment or threats. With this knowledge, it is easier to determine if
this has happened to you or someone you know. It is time for people to speak up and stand with
the survivors. The support is needed and sexual assault is not something that should be let go
easily. Think of it this way, what if it was your mom, sister, or brother? How would you feel?
With this in mind, speak up for those who cannot.

Written by Gabby Justice

The month of October has been buzzing with discussions and sidetalk of the presidential debate and the two candidates. Around campus much of the beginning of classes has dealt with talk about Trump or Clinton. People have asked: Are you voting? Who are you voting for? Why are you voting for him/her? or What is his/her stance on this topic? As November gets closer and the race for our nation’s new president continues much of this talk with continue and become more heated. However, on college campuses today most of the population is uneducated about the political views and stances for each candidate. Instead, college students are more focused on what snapchat filter or meme is the best. Today’s younger voters should be educated to make a more informed decision.

The two main candidates for the election are Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, but a third party candidate can always be included. Main goals of Trump include reducing taxes for all, implementing better cybersecurity, defeating ISIS, creating a booming economy, and prioritizing jobs, wages, and security for all Americans. In contrast, Hillary’s main goals consist of implementing higher taxes for the wealthy, protecting immigrant rights by ending racial discrimination, ensuring LGBT rights and ending violence against transgender individuals.

Around campus I asked 40 random people about the upcoming election. The results concluded that most of campus is divided on whether they want to vote or not. I found that 19 will not vote and 21 will. Of the people who claimed they will vote, Clinton led the poll followed by Trump and then third party candidates. However, the tally for each candidate was evenly distributed only varying by a few votes.  In addition, several of the people that participated stated, “Both candidates are terrible.” As we approach November, most of us could assume that people have made up their minds about who they want to be our next president. However, many people that I asked are still undecided as to who they are going to vote for. Nonetheless,  I encourage you all to educate yourself about all parties and their stances on important topics to help you make an informed decision on who to vote for. Finally, I encourage everyone to register and vote for a president that they believe can help America.

Written by Madysyn Creighton

DC’s Homecoming parades used to be a big event in Defiance.  This is a
float created by the Beta Sigma sorority for the 1964 parade, in front
of what is now the Carpet Unlimited store on N. Clinton, south of the
College. The Ayersville High School band is behind the float.

Photo donated and taken by Larry A. Van Brackel

From Barb Sedlock, Library Archivist

Last Sunday, October 2, St. John United Church of Christ held the 17 th annual
candlelight vigil for the Four County National Alliance for Mental Illness. The service
was opened by a few speakers from NAMI, Les McCaslin and Ron Hofacker, The
explained what their organization is all about: giving support and education for the
individuals who live with mental illness and families of those who live with mental
illness. They said that they strive to help the public better understand mental health.

After explaining what NAMI was all about, there was an array of
presentations. The Tacketts, a local family band, performed a few heart-warming
songs, one with their two young daughters. The pastor of St. John United Church of
Christ, Jim Brehler, spoke on how faith can be tied in to getting through the
complications of mental illness. At the end of the service, everyone gathered at the
front of the church, were given signs and candles, and walked around campus to
give awareness to NAMI and mental health issues.
In the middle of the service, after hearing from the leaders of NAMI, a woman
was invited up onto the stage to talk about her own experience with mental illness.

She explained that her mother suffered from depression and her sister suffered
from bipolar disorder. Growing up surrounded by people that are struggling with
their mental health was hard on her, she continued, and when she got older, she
suffered from anxiety. The part of her life that she focused on was her son, who
suffered from multiple mental illnesses, even from a young age. Throughout the
story, one is led to believe that the story ends happily ever after, but she ended by
explaining that her son still suffers from schizophrenia.
Mental illness is a rough thing to have to endure, and it is not an easy thing to
overcome. If the woman’s speech taught nothing else, it was that mental illness is
not simply fixed by a few doctors, medication, and therapy; it takes a lot of time,
commitment, and support. People who suffer from mental illness are not alone in
their struggle, and there will always be organizations like NAMI and people like
those who attended this vigil that will provide the support they need.

Photo by Nami Four County

Written by Erin Conner