Short Story: Errant Part 2

The Hudsonian Newspaper

Liam May || Issue 13 || February 19, 2025

The ranger was seemingly oblivious to the knight’s critical gaze, but the black longbow that was resting at his side, was still strung, showing a professional preparedness. The arrows in his quiver were of exceptional quality and every piece of equipment on the man was well maintained. The knight tore the meat off the hunk of rabbit he was chewing on and tossed the bones into the fire. The marrow crackled as it oozed out onto the embers. The ranger looked up from his own piece of meat and met the knight’s steel gaze. He sighed and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “I have already told you that I’m a friend, yet your eyes betray your suspicions.” The knight snorted. “I have nothing to measure your word with, thus it is meaningless. I trust only your actions, and I do not trust rogues that stalk into my camp after sunfall.”

The ranger shook his head, “Can’t you see I’m not a threat? I even drank from my skin first.” He ended his rebuttal with a swig from the “water “skin on his hip. At that, the knight only grunted and shifted his gaze to dancing flames of
the campfire. The ranger paused. “You know, I still don’t know your name, Knight” The knight looked up with a grim smile. “This is true,” he said, “Names have power, and I don’t think I’ll be telling you mine.” The ranger narrowed his eyebrows, “Why not?” “I haven’t decided if you are some Fiend, Fae, or Shifter here to curse me
for a relative I’ve killed.” The ranger leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. He narrowed his eyes at the knight and then grinned. “How about a game then?” The knight sighed, “A mark towards Devil or Fae then.” The ranger waved a hand at the jibe. “We will guess things about the other, and then we will see how far our trust extends.” “Hmph,” the knight considered for a moment then replied, “Very well, I will play.”

Value for Vikings: Thrift Stores

The Hudsonian Newspaper

Kelly Nguyen || Issue 13 || February 19, 2025

It’s February, and with the new year underway, many people are cleaning out their closets. Thrift stores offer second-hand products at a fraction of the cost. It’s not hard to find some real gems among the racks. Perhaps the best deal of all is buying secondhand. The Capital Region is full of thrift stores with a great one being Doors of Hope in West Sand Lake. I’ve found designer dresses, new with tags, and brand-name clothes consistently at this location. They offer a great variety of clothing items as well as shoes and household goods. The prices are very low on good quality items. I’ve found that at the beginning of the year, the finds are the best as many people are cleaning out their closets and sometimes donate next to new or even never worn items. Similarly, the CAPTAIN’S Treasures in Clifton Park has great quality pieces. If you search on their website, you will find that they do a weekly savings deal with some weeks being 50% off the clothing. This drops already low prices even lower. At this location, I’ve found several designer items in really good condition. Both the CAPTAINS and Doors of Hope offer food pantry services funded by their thrift stores so buying items at their shops gives back directly to the community. While getting a good deal is always a priority, you don’t want to sacrifice quality. I’ve found that observing the condition is very important when thrift shopping as it allows you to avoid purchasing an item that may be too worn. The best part about thrifting is you never know what you might find because a lot of the items are vintage or one-of-a-kind. Understanding your fashion sense will help you find exactly what you’re looking for. I recommend giving thrift stores a shot when looking to update your wardrobe on a budget.

Opinion Review: Community College: The Smarter Choice

The Hudsonian Newspaper

Sohaib Khan || Issue 13 || February 19, 2025

Too many students are pressured into thinking a four-year university is the only respectable choice after high school. But here’s the truth: community college is the smarter, more practical option for most students. Let’s talk about money. The average tuition for a four-year university can leave students
drowning in debt, while community college offers the same foundational education at a fraction of the cost. Why pay tens of thousands for general education classes when you can take them for a few hundred dollars? The “2+2” model—two years at a community college before transferring saves
thousands without sacrificing the value of a degree. Beyond affordability, community colleges offer flexibility that traditional universities can’t match. With evening classes, online options, and smaller class sizes, students get a more personalized education while balancing jobs or family responsibilities. And the stigma that community colleges offer a “lower quality “education? Completely outdated. Many professors teach at both community colleges and four-year universities, and employers increasingly recognize the value of associate degrees, especially in technical fields. Some people argue that community college doesn’t provide the “full college experience,” but what does that really mean? If “college experience” refers to dorm life, parties, and social events, is that worth thousands of extra dollars in debt? Students at community colleges can still join clubs, engage in campus life, and form meaningful friendships all without the financial burden. Most importantly, community college gives students the chance to explore their interests without making a costly commitment. Many students
enter four-year universities unsure of their major, only to change it later and spend more time (and money) in school. Community colleges allow students to figure out their path before making a long-term investment. The bottom line? Community college is not a second-rate option—it’s a financially responsible and academically strong choice that more students should consider.

Movie Review: The Substance

The Hudsonian Newspaper

Adem Jones || Issue 13 || February 19, 2025

There’s something about watching beauty fade in real time that makes people squirm. Not just in a personal way, but in a collective, cultural way. Hollywood is built on the illusion that youth is infinite, that desirability equals existence, and that once a woman stops being either of those things, she stops being anything at all. “The Substance” takes that idea, pulls it apart piece by piece, and forces us to sit with the wreckage. Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) is a woman who has spent her life being seen, until suddenly, she isn’t. She isn’t young anymore, and in this world, that means she isn’t relevant. After a chain of events, Elisabeth finds herself introduced to “The Substance,” and it doesn’t take long for her to or
der. That’s where Sue (Margaret Qualley) comes in. Sue is the new, improved version of Elisabeth. The younger, shinier model. But Sue isn’t a person. She’s a concept, and the creators of the substance emphasize the harsh truth, Elisabeth and Sue are one. What’s most unsettling about Sue isn’t just that she replaces Elisabeth; it’s that she does it so easily. Sue has no last name, no history, no depth. And yet, she rises to unimaginable success, adored and consumed by an industry that never questions where she came from.

The most heart-breaking moment in The Substance for me comes when Elisabeth stands in front of the mirror, getting ready for a date with a man who sees her, really sees her, as she is, and finds her beautiful. For a moment, there’s hope. Maybe she can believe it too. But every time she moves toward the door, she catches a
glimpse of Sue’s billboard outside, that impossibly ageless face staring back at her, daring her to measure up. So, she turns back to the mirror, adjusting. A little more makeup. A higher neckline. Cover the hands. More powder. Fix the hair. But it’s never enough. She wipes it all off and starts over, faster, rougher, until she’s clawing at her face, smearing the foundation into something unrecognizable, rage, grief, desperation, all of it collapsing in on
itself. It’s the most honest moment in the film because so many people have been there in some way, standing in front of a mirror, trying to be something better, younger, more palatable. And in the end, Elisabeth doesn’t leave. She never even gets out the door. The body horror is relentless, grotesque, and exactly what it needs to be. The transformation is not just physical but existential. This is what happens when you reject aging, when you buy into the lie that you can stay young forever. It turns you into something unrecognizable. The film doesn’t shy away from the ugliness of it, the desperation, the self-destruction, the way the pursuit of perfection consumes everything in its path. And then there’s the ending. After everything, after the blood and the madness, Elisabeth, Sue, Monstro Elisa Sue, or what’s left of her, steps back into the light. She has no illusions anymore. She knows what the world sees when they look at her, and she doesn’t
care. The audience, both in the film and in real life, is forced to confront their own role in this. The way we consume beauty. The way we discard women once they no longer fit the image we’ve projected onto them. It’s ugly. It’s uncomfortable. And it’s brilliant. “The Substance” isn’t subtle, but it doesn’t need to be. It holds up a mirror, and whether we like what we see or not, it doesn’t look away.

Oscars Review: Oh The Horror!

The Hudsonian Newspaper

Matthias Mojallali || Issue 13 || February 19, 2025

When you hear the words “Oscar winning film” what’s the genres you think of? Do you think of adventure, drama, or maybe romance? One I’m sure you never think of is horror. I mean, why
would you? Horror is a gimmicky, art less genre after all, as many people seem to think. In my eyes, people who think that fail to understand that horror is an art. Unfortunately, it seems as though even those in Hollywood don’t see horror as real cinematic art. Throughout Hollywood, many amazing horror films such as “Halloween,” “Alien,” and even “The Shining” have never won an Oscar. All of these films inspired many other amazing films yet, even nowadays, films like this are blown off just because they’re horror. Months and years go into working on horror films to make them a true art museum of terror. Yet the hard-working men and women behind the scenes on these films get nothing in recognition of everything they’ve done. In my eyes, and the eyes of many others who can appreciate the dark art of horror films, it’s time for a change. It’s time for horror films to be remembered as something worth winning an Oscar over. Because they are, and many will deny it, but the truth is very
much there. Let’s see some horror films win an Oscar. It’s time for horror to be triumphant for the impact it has.

Game Review: Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

The Hudsonian Newspaper

Liam May || Issue 13 || February 19, 2025

“Kingdom Come Deliverance 2” is a realistic first person RPG, set in 15th century Europe. You play as Henry, a blacksmith turned Knight errant. In the first game, your village is slaughtered by Cumans led by King Sigismend in a war for dominance over Bohemia. In the end, you join the army and you go
on to fight the Cuman invasion with a variety of tactics and the arsenal of a small army. Plenty of side quests such as, smithing, fighting, drinking, gambling, and exploration to fit any fan of the Skyrim series. While not strictly necessary, I highly recommend playing the first KCD game. Much of the story and characters make more sense with the knowledge gained through the first entry into this title. For people that have played the first game, KCD is little more than a prequel DLC in comparison to the sequel. Warhorse Studios received so much funding that they were able to completely improve the game. It is only in high population areas that I noticed significantly annoying bugs, and even then it was incredibly well optimized, my lower end graphics card was able to handle the beautiful settings never dipping 60-70 FPS. The main campaign is about 20 hours longer than the first game. Completing all the side content will take you about 100 hours total. I only have two main issues with the game. Firstly, in an effort to improve the difficulty level of combat, they may have made end game levels too strong. This allows you to blow through a few narratively important duels. Regardless, combat is a lot more fluid and as a general rule it is an improvement. My critique is only that player skill becomes unimportant in the face of game stats. My other issue is that you become wealthy fairly quickly as compared to other games, receiving a lot of money for quests. With side quests money stops being an issue about midgame in Kdc2. Overall, I had a blast playing this game and I think this is 100% a day one (or day seven) purchase.

Trump To Use 1798 Alien Enemies Act for Immigration Crackdown

The Hudsonian Newspaper

Jonah Flanagan || Issue 13 || February 19, 2025

President Donald Trump is planning to take aggressive action on immigration by invoking the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law that has not been used since World War II. This law would allow him to deport immigrants alleged to be gang members without going through the normal court hearings, thereby bypassing due process rights. Trump’s intention to use the Alien Enemies Act marks a significant escalation of his immigration crackdown. Originally designed to target foreign nationals during times of war, the law could be applied more broadly to swiftly remove migrants, including potentially those not charged with any crimes. This unconventional use of the law could significantly boost his push for mass deportation.

The White House has announced plans to designate criminal cartels and gangs, such as the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, as terrorist organizations. This designation would enable the administration to use the Alien Enemies Act to deport individuals deemed part of an “invasion or predatory incursion,” bypassing the usual legal proceedings. While the Trump administration’s plans are likely to face legal challenges, the president seems determined to test the limits of his authority regarding immigration. Opponents argue that the Alien Enemies Act should not be used to intensify deportations in the absence of an actual conflict. However, the administration believes that invoking the law could establish presidential power to carry out such actions in the future.

Trump Renames Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America

The Hudsonian Newspaper

Adem Jones || Issue 13 || February 19, 2025

President Donald Trump has issued an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, a change already implemented in government documents, corporate communications, and digital maps in the United
States. The Gulf is a critical region for energy production and trade, and major oil companies such as BP and Chevron have updated their materials to reflect the new name. Google Maps has also made the change for U.S. users, though the company disabled comments on the update after negative user reviews. The White House has stated that the renaming is part of an effort to “assert American leadership” and align the body of water’s name with its importance to the
nation’s economy. The government of Mexico has objected to the decision, with President Claudia Sheinbaum calling the move historically inaccurate. The Gulf, which borders not only the United States but also Mexico and Cuba, has been known internationally as the Gulf of Mexico for centuries. Mexican officials have suggested they may challenge the decision through diplomatic channels or international organizations. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that a
majority of Americans are not in favor of the change, with critics arguing that it is a symbolic move with little practical effect. Others believe it reflects a shift in U.S. policy toward emphasizing national identity in geographic naming conventions. Supporters of the decision say it recognizes the Gulf’s economic contributions to the United States and reflects a broader push to assert American interests.

The media has taken different approaches to the name change. The Associated Press has chosen to continue using the Gulf of Mexico, stating that it follows internationally recognized geographic names. Other outlets, such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, have maintained the previous name as well, while several conservative-leaning publications and broadcasters have adopted Gulf of America. The White House has not commented on reports that AP journalists have faced restricted access to press briefings following the organization’s decision. The impact of the name change on businesses and international relations remains uncertain. Some oil companies, including Shell and ExxonMobil, have chosen not to update their usage, while others have already adopted the new name. Legal experts have suggested that unless recognized by international bodies, the change may have limited effects outside of U.S. government and corporate use. Geographic name changes have occurred in the past, including President Obama’s 2015 decision to re
name Mount McKinley as Denali, a move intended to aid in the restoration of indigenous history. The Gulf of America renaming follows a different context, and whether it becomes widely accepted or remains a politically contested issue will likely depend on future administrations and international responses.