Author: The Torch

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News

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is Laid to Rest

Staff Writer: Kelsey Wink  Email: kwink@umassd.edu  Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was laid to rest on Thursday, January 5th, in Vatican City in the first funeral ever conducted by a sitting pope. Pope Francis, who has led the Catholic Church since his election in 2013 following Benedict’s surprise resignation, led the funeral Mass sitting down due to a pre-existing knee alignment.  The historic funeral capped a … Continue reading Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is Laid to Rest

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Arts & Entertainment

Will “Avatar: The Way of Water” Live Up to its Box Office Breaking Predecessor?

Staff Writer: Kelsey Wink  Email: kwink@umassd.edu Thirteen years after Avatar first landed in theaters on December 18th, 2009, its sequel arrives, and audiences are more than ready to return to Pandora. James Cameron’s ground-breaking epic Avatar smashed box office records grossing $2.92 billion against a $237 million budget. And finally, Avatar: The Way of Water landed in theaters on Friday, December 16th, 2022. The writer-director … Continue reading Will “Avatar: The Way of Water” Live Up to its Box Office Breaking Predecessor?

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Arts & Entertainment, News

Remembering the OG Green Ranger Jason David Frank

Staff Writer: Maya Arruda Email: marruda7@umassd.edu  On November 19th, 2022, beloved actor Jason David Frank died by suicide. His death was confirmed a day later, on the 20th.  Jason David Frank was most known for his role in the popular children’s series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993-1995), where he played Tommy Oliver, first the green ranger and later the white ranger. He played the red … Continue reading Remembering the OG Green Ranger Jason David Frank

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Arts & Entertainment

Netflix’s “Wednesday” Streaming Success and its Viral Dance

Staff Writer: Kelsey Wink  Email: kwink@umassd.edu Just two weeks after its debut on November 23th, the Netflix original “Wednesday” is one of the streaming service’s most popular series of all time. With a total of 1.02 billion hours viewed since it premiered, the series is already the No. 3 most-watched English-language TV title in Netflix history, sitting just behind “Stranger Things.” Netflix calculates this list … Continue reading Netflix’s “Wednesday” Streaming Success and its Viral Dance

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News

Tokyo Takes on LGBTQ+ Rights

(Image via http://www.tbsnews.net) Volunteer Writer: Isabella Gerardi Email: igerardi@umassd.edu On November 30th, 2022, Tokyo courts ruled same-sex marriage unconstitutional.  Despite this, activists say there is hope for the future as the courts also acknowledge denying members of the LQBTQ+ community the right to marriage represents a human rights violation. This statement marks a huge change in sentiment from one of the only G7 nations that … Continue reading Tokyo Takes on LGBTQ+ Rights

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Arts & Entertainment

Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover

(Image via http://www.businesstoday.com) Staff Writer: Rena Danho Email: rdanho@umassd.edu Twitter is a widely known social media app. It’s one of those platforms like Instagram and Facebook where it’s been around for so long that it’s gone through so many different stages throughout its life span.  But recently, Twitter has taken a major u-turn and may take a massive fall. For context, Twitter was founded in … Continue reading Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover

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News, Sports

Iran Exits the World Cup, But Player Safety Remains in Concern

Staff Writer: Colton Almeida Email: calmeida4@umassd.edu Iran was officially eliminated from the World Cup in a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of the United States last Tuesday. As the players make the return to their home country, concerns over their safety have become a critical matter.  Back in September of 2022, mass protests broke out across Iran in reaction to the death of Masha … Continue reading Iran Exits the World Cup, But Player Safety Remains in Concern

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Business

Top 10 Toy Brands You Will Probably be Purchasing from This Christmas Season

(Image via eparenting.co) Volunteer Writer: Brendan Flaherty Email: bflaherty1@umassd.edu We have all surely realized by now that the holidays are upon us. It’s that lovely time of year when people can exchange gifts or celebrate their favorite holidays with family. It might be challenging to create a list of gifts that appeal to the younger members of your family, so we did the research for … Continue reading Top 10 Toy Brands You Will Probably be Purchasing from This Christmas Season

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Science

NASA’s Successful Launch Begins Artemis I Mission

Volunteer Writer: Mckenzie Ferrari Email: mferrari@umassd.edu “On behalf of all the men and women across our great nation who have worked to bring this hardware together to make this day possible, and for the Artemis generation: this is for you. I give you a go to resume count and launch Artemis I.” In the early hours of November 16th, 2022, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, launch director for … Continue reading NASA’s Successful Launch Begins Artemis I Mission

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Arts & Entertainment

Dylan Mulvaney Responds to Caitlyn Jenner’s Hurtful Tweets

(Image via rollingstone.com)  Volunteer Writer: Sakara De Gil-Balija  Email: sdegilbalija@umassd.edu  Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender Tik Tok influencer, founded her fanbase in her “Days of Girlhood” series, where she talks about different struggles and triumphs that her transition has brought to her.  Her eight million fans, or ‘friends,’ as she calls them, follow as Mulvaney brings to light the ugly and more beautiful sides of transitioning, … Continue reading Dylan Mulvaney Responds to Caitlyn Jenner’s Hurtful Tweets

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