7 Years Later: Why ‘The Giver’ Films Should Have Continued

By Conner Tighe / February 20, 2021

Louis Lowry, known for books like Number the Stars, The Anastasia Krupnik Series, and The Silent Boy, reached her peak when she wrote 1993’s The Giver. Lowry wrote about 12-year-old Jonas, who was chosen to receive memories of his society’s past from the giver, Jeff Bridges. She was able to tell a story of a government keeping humanity bottled up in one man, the giver, and how dangerous and cruel this burden can be. I believe the 2014 film’s lack of violence and blockbuster-esque appeal killed the film before it was even released, although it wasn’t the film’s fault that it didn’t continue. 

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ENTERTAINMENT

Lawsuit Over Dualsense Drift | Checkpoint

By Byte Staff / February 19, 2021

Blake and OK break down a lawsuit over major problems with PlayStation's Dualsense controllers.  

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ENTERTAINMENT

Taylor Swift Re-Records Old Hits | Checkpoint

By Byte Staff / February 19, 2021

OK and Blake break down Taylor Swift's new recordings of her older hits.  

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BYTE

Top 10 ‘Soulcalibur’ Characters

By Conner Tighe / February 18, 2021

One of the best and longest-running video game franchises, Soulcalibur continues to show players what it means to strive toward a goal—and their destiny—through the means of using unique weaponry. No two characters have the same weapon or moveset, so I always experience new ways to combat enemies. The game itself is incredible, and it seemed only appropriate to rank the top 10 best Soulcalibur fighters/characters.

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Why ‘Black Panther’ should be recast

By Mason Kupiainen / February 18, 2021

During the Marvel Studios presentation, Marvel President Kevin Feige revealed that they weren’t going to recast Black Panther's role, nor use CGI to bring the character back. Instead, the Black Panther sequel will be focusing on the other characters from the first film, and further develop the world of Wakanda. While it’s understandable that Marvel wants to respect Chadwick Boseman as much as they can, not recasting the role is a major mistake.

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History Of: Valentine’s Day

By Arianna Sergio / February 15, 2021

Tis’ the season for the only day of the year where it’s socially acceptable and celebrated to be super corny and mushy with your lover. This day practically oozes affection. This kind of love is a challenge to flee from when it surrounds every move you make throughout February, so the majority of people either completely love it or completely hate it. I have certainly flip-flopped from one side to the other, but something that remains a burning question in my head is how did Valentine’s Day become a holiday? 

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Valentine’s Day: A New Perspective

By Lia Weisbecker-Lotz / February 15, 2021

I love celebrating Valentine’s Day, but not for the reasons most people do. For many, Valentine’s Day is about spending the day with their significant other, showering them in love and care. For me, it’s about expressing my love and appreciation for my friends, family, and myself.

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BYTE

“Choose your own” Discography Guide: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

By Brandon Carson / February 12, 2021

This guide will follow a “choose your own adventure” format. It will start with what is arguably the definitive Gizzard album, I’m in Your Mind Fuzz, and will then allow you to choose which record to go to next. This is mostly dictated by the different sounds of each album, and what can tie them together to create a path. When you’ve completed your path, go to the outro at the bottom! It is encouraged to listen to a couple of songs from each record as you explore your path, have fun!

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BYTE

‘Dare to Speak’ translates social justice into art

By Kellyn Harrison / February 12, 2021

Ball State’s 41st annual Unity Week Celebration was held the week of Feb. 1. Unity Week only comes around once a year, but it aims to encourage a long-lasting understanding of diversity and solidarity amongst Ball State students through a series of entertainment-based and informational events. On Feb. 4, “Dare to Speak” invited students to a zoom call with speakers Carlos Andrés Gómez and Katie Kramer. There, attendees found themselves in a diverse community and a conversation of equity. Students and speakers alike shared their stories and provided strength to those who reached out. 

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BYTE

A breakdown of The Weeknd’s Super Bowl Halftime Show

By Arianna Sergio / February 9, 2021

A Fourth of July’s worth of fireworks, a light-up tunnel, and masked dancers oh my! The Weeknd's halftime show was unlike anything we’ve seen before.

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BYTE

Artist of the Month: Dominic Fike

By Arianna Sergio / February 1, 2021

Lately, I haven’t been able to stop listening to Dominic Fike. No matter what I do, I find myself pulling up his Spotify profile and pressing the shuffle button, so much so that it has become a part of my daily schedule—like second nature. 

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BYTE

‘Uncharted’ games ranked (Playstation releases)

By Conner Tighe / February 1, 2021

In the city of Cartagena, Columbia, Nathan Drake -just kicked out of a museum for attempted theft- scours the city searching for another way in. An older gentleman spots the boy—witnessing his talents for thieving. Fast forward at least a decade, and the two are scouring the Rub’ al Khali desert, jungles of Borneo, and more. Uncharted’s heartfelt and thrilling journey began in 2007 and continues to capture movie-like escapades over a decade later. With three releases on the PlayStation 3 and three on the PlayStation 4 (including The Nathan Drake Collection), there’s more to return to even after several playthroughs. Here are the Uncharted installments ranked.

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BYTE

Upcoming DC Films in the Works

By Mason Kupiainen / January 28, 2021

The DC Extended Universe has had a history of announcing line-ups of films only to change their plans a few months later. Whenever a film comes out and something works within it, they generally announce random spin-offs and sequels that never see the light of day. Because of this nature of suddenly announcing films to only wipe them off the schedule, it may get confusing as to what films are and aren’t coming out. To that end, this list will break down the confirmed DC films in the works. 

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BYTE

Five Upcoming 2021 Movies You Don’t Want to Miss

By Mason Kupiainen / January 24, 2021

2021 is ramping up to be a big year for films. Most people are aware of the bigger films like Fast 9, Matrix 4, and Black Widow. However, there are many smaller films coming out that have the potential to be better than the blockbusters. Some of them were pushed over from last year, adding to the stuffed year. While there are many, many films slated to come out this year, here are five films that are looking to be hits. 

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Why ‘Glee’ is the Best Show of Our Generation

By Conner Tighe / January 24, 2021

Lasting six seasons and winning over 30 awards from its inception in 2009 to 2015, Fox’s groundbreaking show Glee celebrated inclusivity, equality, and what it means to be in high school in a way no other show had before or afterward. 

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Internet Explained: Social Media Trends and the Cultures they Create

By Conner Tighe / January 20, 2021

Along with his friends at Harvard, Mark Zuckerberg developed a revolutionary way of communication; one that involved zero in-person interaction yet expressed everything anyone wanted to say for better or for worse. In 2004, Zuckerberg launched TheFacebook, or what it’s known today as, Facebook. Facebook went from an interactive way of communication to politics, memes, and a news outlet. Later, when Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, TikTok, etc., were founded, age groups flocked to certain platforms while abandoning others. There’s much to observe in findings and cultural influence where social media is for lack of a better term—the culprit.

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History Of: Drag

By Conner Tighe / January 20, 2021

Although drag can be confidently claimed as an important outlet of gender discovery and understanding, it wasn’t always that way. 

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BYTE

Q+A with Axel Flóvent

By Conner Tighe / January 20, 2021

Singer-songwriter and Folk Iceland musician Axel Flóvent recently went on a journey of self-discovery while traveling in Europe. As a singer-songwriter, Flóvent writes and composes all his material. After growing up in a musical family, Flóvent sought identity and found inspiration from his life experiences and the environment he was living in. Flóvent says nothing else made sense to him except music, because he gave all his attention and care to it. He seeks to write as a conversation between himself and others. From a video call via Facebook Messenger, the artist agreed to discuss his life on tour, motivation, and the upcoming album You Stay by the Sea, which released on Jan. 15.

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BYTE

Five Movies you might've missed in 2020

By Mason Kupiainen / January 15, 2021

There’s no need for any explanation as to why 2020 was disastrous for film fans. Despite the few great films that did come out — like Tenet, Wonder Woman 84, Soul, The Devil All the Time, and The Invisible Man — there weren’t many films that caused a lot of excitement. Plenty of indies and streaming services continued to release films, but many of the notable titles didn’t garner a lot of attention. Nonetheless, within this wasteland of a year, there were a few notable titles that didn’t receive the love that they should have. 

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Five Lesser-Known Facts about the CD and its Fall from Popularity

By Conner Tighe / January 15, 2021

1979 was a big year in the entertainment industry. Alien, Mad Max, The Amityville Horror, and more well-known films were released, but a bigger breakthrough was also released to the world: The CD. A thin, reflective disc became the most popular and sought-after avenue for playing the best music had to offer. Before the internet and after the beloved record player, CDs would take over the music industry only to begin their decline decades later. Although at one time CDs could be found anywhere music was sold, the music industry has evolved, leaving a barren wasteland of CDs in its wake.