Category: Opinion

It’s the end of November and that means that the holidays are right around the corner. It may feel impossible to find something for everyone on your list while also staying on budget. Taking advantage of Black Friday deals are a must but if looking for additional ideas, you may want to consult Panera Bread’s Gift Guide. Panera offers a lot of deals; you just have to look over offers on their app for the best bargains. The Unlimited Sip Club at Panera that allows patrons to order free fountain drinks with the purchase of a member ship is one however they are running a
special offer regarding their gift cards. Gift cards make a great gift as they don’t require the challenges that shopping on Black Friday
brings and they allow the user to purchase whatever they
would like from that store. Currently, a purchase of $50 in gift cards gifts you an additional free $10 card at Panera. They allow you to break up that $50 in your order so you could buy 10, $5 cards, 5, $10 cards or any other combination to accommodate your shopping list. With the additional $10 card you could give another gift. This offer is valued until 12/31. Panera’s holiday menu is extensive with French ciabatta dippers, cranberry orange bread, chocolate coconut macaroons, a spicy fiesta chicken sandwich, and more. Panera is offering plenty of new sandwiches and soups to try over this winter. New MyPanera signups receive a free mitten cookie as well. Panera has a lot of deals this holiday season, be sure to check them out and stay tuned for offers from them!

Wired For Chaos is a film about Harley Flanagan, a Hardcore musician whose roots start from the enclave of the Lower East Side to a proud musician, husband, and father. The film isn’t mostly about his music shockingly, it is about how someone grew up in a troubled life filled with violence, depression, drugs, and abuse, but somehow, he still managed to persevere and become a fantastic man with a fiery personality. The movie starts with his early years (obviously) talking about how he was raised by a single mother and his struggles of living on the lower eastside of NYC during the 70s, it was filled with gangs, drugs, and other stuff that I am not allowed to discuss on a newspaper, he talks about this experience with some form of nostalgia but with some disdain as it was a rough time. Then, it finally gets to his introduction to music with his aunt’s band, The Stimulators. At the ripe age of 11, he became a drummer, which would finally turn into the founding of the hardcore band The Cro-Mags. Alongside great
visuals and its stunning story, there are great interviews/stories from Harley’s friends like Flea, Ice-T, Henry Rollins,
members of the Bad Brains, Jocko Willink, and many others that give more depth and character to him. The movie centers more on Harley’s trauma and how it affects his present life, on how he had to raise himself in a world that was constantly against him. He confronts his past hoping it can bring him peace and bring others
a lesson. Even though he is in a better spot now he still is in a battle with his prominent PTSD. Overall, the film is a new and refreshing watch, with no filter every viewer is entitled to a raw, grunge-esc, and serendipitous experience.

With Black Friday right around the corner, shoppers eagerly await great deals. While it’s true that many retail stores drop their prices on November 29, you can do another kind of shopping that allows for year-round savings.

Outlet stores are similar to malls, as you can shop at many stores next to each other. The beauty of the outlets, however, is the prices. Many outlet stores offer the same items you’d find in the retail store but with a better value. The clearance sections are known to be home to great products for a fraction of the cost.

The closest outlets to HVCC are Lee Premium Outlets at 17 Premium Outlet Blvd, Lee, MA 01238, and the Outlets at Lake George at 1424 US-9, Lake George, NY 12845. Being each about 45 minutes from campus, these locations contain stores such as Old Navy, Under Armour, and Coach. There are constant sales promotions at both outlet locations but particularly around Black Friday is when the deals start to heat up. 

     These outlet stores are a great one-stop shop for holiday shopping. While scanning the clearance section is certainly a great tip to find hidden gems, a lot of stores offer whole-store discounts as well. If you are interested in purchasing a higher ticket item such as a purse from Kade Spade or Vera Bradley, you’ll likely get a nice deal on their products also. 

     When deciding whether or not to travel to the outlets this Black Friday season I would recommend taking a look at which stores are present where so you can optimize your trip. It’s also best to head there before the snow and winter come for more enjoyable shopping.

Tired of the same old boring routine? Tired of working for some mega-corporation that does nothing but drain your energy?

Well, you sure deserve some rest and relaxation.

Stardew Valley is the perfect game to pick up if you enjoy a medium-past cozy farming sim.

Without spoiling too much of the game, after inheriting your totally not deceased grandpa’s farm and accepting the offer to quit your job and move to the countryside you soon introduce yourself to the fellow residents, about 28, including the happy-go-lucky mayor.

And after playing for a couple days, earning resources and recipes you learn that the town community center has been out of service for many years.

Made by a single developer Stardew Valley has been a huge staple in indie games ever since it came out and with its newest, there are even more life improvements and a new farm to choose from on the main menu, again without spoiling too much.

One thing I will spoil is that your avatar now has the option to drink mayonnaise. Which is absolutely not an instrument.

Also game mechanic-wise there are daily seasonal events per year, so there are multiple opportunities to get special items for your farm. 

I absolutely adore this game and have been getting back into it after the long wait for the update for the console and I highly recommend it. It’s a really really great way to pass time as well, with managing said time for each day in the game.

The holiday season is quickly approaching and as we enter November more and more  businesses are dropping their seasonal bargains. Dunkin’ fans can delight with the return of the  Free Classic Donut Wednesday that’s available now until December 25. Each Wednesday,  Dunkin’ reward members earn a free donut by purchasing a drink.

With over a dozen classic donut options to choose from, Dunkin’ members are sure to  receive a nice treat each week.

With two Dunkin’ locations close to Hudson Valley, one at 76 N  Greenbush Rd, Troy, NY 12180, and the other at 487 Campbell Ave, Troy, NY 12180 this offer  can be redeemed on the way to or from class.

In addition to their Free Donut Wednesdays, Dunkin recently dropped their holiday menu  including a hash brown brisket scramble, cookie butter donut, new holiday cookie signature latte,  and almond croissant. Members earn points through ordering items online which contribute to  free menu items throughout the holiday season.

As far as value goes, the Free Donut Wednesday may be worth it for you if you regularly  order a drink as it’s important to note that the donut is only free when purchased with one. 

Alternatively, the $6 Meal Deal is a good bargain as you get a medium coffee, bacon, egg, and  cheese sandwich, and hash browns for only six dollars.

It’s always a good idea to check for deals  ahead of ordering and to take advantage of mobile ordering through the app as it may cut down  on your wait time.

The 2009 horror-comedy Jennifer’s Body, written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama, is a film that’s evolved into a cult classic, largely because it takes a refreshing, if grim, look at the lives of teenage girls, their friendship dynamics, and the way society tends to objectify them.

When the film was released, its marketing was heavily focused on hypersexualized imagery and promoting lead actress Megan Fox as a sex symbol. This choice of marketing, brought about by men, was ultimately ironic because it clashed with the core themes of the film, which critiques how women are viewed, used, and consumed by society.

In Jennifer’s Body, Jennifer (Megan Fox) is a high school “It Girl” who becomes the victim of a ritual sacrifice gone wrong. The ritual, performed by a sleazy indie band, is intended to grant the men fame and success, but it backfires, turning Jennifer into a demonic figure who begins preying on her male classmates.

At the center of the film is Jennifer’s complex friendship with her best friend, Needy (Amanda Seyfried), whose loyalty and compassion often clash with Jennifer’s self-absorbed and manipulative behavior.

Jennifer’s sudden, violent transformation serves as both a literal and symbolic depiction of how she’s been “devoured” by others, first by the band and then by society.

One of the film’s main strengths is how it addresses the objectification of women. Jennifer is initially portrayed as the “Hot Girl” character, an image society has projected onto her. However, her monstrous transformation becomes a powerful metaphor for the toll that objectification takes on women. She literally turns into something that consumes others after being violated and sacrificed for male gain. This transformation underscores a powerful commentary on how society feeds on young women’s sexuality, often without their consent or consideration. Jennifer’s “monstrosity” isn’t so much about being evil as it is about embodying the rage and trauma that come from being reduced to an object.

The film’s exploration of Jennifer and Needy’s friendship is just as significant. Their relationship is marked by a deep, if twisted, bond that goes beyond the superficial. There’s an underlying tension and sense of rivalry that reflects the complexity of female friendships, especially those formed in high school. Needy’s love for Jennifer is evident in her willingness to put up with her friend’s possessive and sometimes cruel behavior, and Jennifer’s manipulation suggests a desire to control Needy while also needing her approval.

Their relationship plays out as a blend of admiration, envy, and co-dependence that feels very real and raw, especially against the heightened backdrop of horror.

The film suggests that these friendships aren’t always simple or purely supportive, they’re often layered with conflicting feelings that make them as challenging as they are meaningful.

A big reason Jennifer’s Body initially flopped with audiences and critics is that it was marketed almost entirely as a standard teen horror flick, focusing on Megan Fox’s sex appeal rather than the film’s underlying themes.

The marketing campaign, led by male executives, pushed images of Fox in suggestive poses and ignored the film’s actual message.

Instead of framing Jennifer’s Body as a nuanced look at female friendship, power, and rage, it was advertised like a generic slasher movie, meant to excite rather than challenge.

This misrepresentation did more than just hurt the movie’s box office performance, it also highlighted the very issue the film criticizes: how women, and their stories, are often manipulated and simplified to fit male-dominated narratives. In this sense, the marketing approach unintentionally underscored the film’s point about how women’s identities are commodified and stripped of complexity.

Over time, however, audiences have begun to recognize Jennifer’s Body for its clever way of remixing common horror tropes and its sharp commentary on girlhood, trauma, and rage. The film has become a feminist horror staple, precisely because it examines these issues in a genre that has historically objectified women. It’s now celebrated for its wit, dark humor, and the way it highlights female voices, in the narrative itself, and through the work of Cody and Kusama, who fought to bring an authentically female perspective to a genre where it’s often missing.

In the end, Jennifer’s Body is more than just a horror movie; it’s a critique of the way society treats women, the complexity of female friendships, and the horrors of adolescence. Perhaps ironically, the film’s mishandled marketing only serves to reinforce its message.