Collaberative content, written, edited, and produced by members of the KAMP Student Radio
The Past Week in History
Written by: Ashley Arleen Avila
Published: October 21, 2021
This Wednesday, October 20th marks the peak of October’s full moon, also called the Hunter’s Moon. The Hunter’s Moon made it the perfect day to celebrate the birthday of Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi. Born on October 20th, 1882, in Lugos, Hungary, Lugosi is most known for his portrayal of the famous Count Dracula in Dracula (1931). This role has since had a major influence on the modern-day view of Dracula and vampires, as well as on the horror genre as a whole.
At 12 years old, Lugosi ran away from home and took up various jobs, including acting in stage plays. In his 20s, Lugosi was an activist and socialist in Hungary until he had to flee the country after the socialist government was toppled down. Throughout his 20s, he acted in several films in Hungary, Germany, and the United States. In the United States, he often worked in small theatres that let him perform in Hungarian, his native language, but over time he began to take more roles in English both on stage and on film. It was in 1927 when he first broke into the role of Count Dracula. It was on Broadway that American audiences would be introduced to Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula. The play was hugely successful and a film version of the play was set in motion. Lugosi looked forward to playing Dracula on the film screen, however, Universal wanted a more well-known Hollywood actor to play Count Dracula. Nonetheless, Lugosi eventually got the role of Count Dracula and Lugosi left his indelible role on movie history and gothic subcultures for centuries to pass.
The Past Week Locally
Written by: Fabiana Gadillo
Published: October 21, 2021
On October 29 the Tucson Museum of Art will be hosting the Howling at the Museum event at 6 pm. There will be drinks, tanline printing, food, and a costume I contest. The event will be held both indoors and outdoors. Music and drinks will be held outside while masks will be required inside the venue. Caterers will be Commoner and Co., Flores Market Run, Prep and Pastry, Café a la C’Art, Portal Cocktails, La Cocino, and Finley Distributing. Drag Queens Diva, Apple, and Venus will be attending too. The Howling at the Museum will not be a forgettable event. Tickets to attend are $35 for members and $40 for non-members. More information on how to buy your tickets will be at https://www.tucsonmuseumofart.org/event/howl-at-the-museum/
The Past Week Nationally
Written by: Alex Ray Sanchez
Published: October 21, 2021
As we enter the first year with a new president we are starting to see big policies come through to try and get passed. The first big one is President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework. “The $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework is a critical step in implementing President Biden’s Build Back Better vision” (The White House, whitehouse.gov). This infrastructure bill has been going back and forth for several months since its proposal but what is actually in the bill and why is it so much money?
There are several things that the Biden Infrastructure bill is setting out to achieve such as “Improve healthy, sustainable transportation options for millions of Americans by modernizing and expanding transit and rail networks across the country, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions”, “Repair and rebuild our roads and bridges with a focus on climate change mitigation”, “Build a national network of electric vehicle charges along highways and in rural and disadvantaged communities”, “Electrify thousands of school and transit buses across the country”, “Eliminate the nations lead service lines and pipes”, “Connect every American to reliable high-speed internet”, “Make the largest investment in addressing legacy pollution in American history”, along with a few other goals.
You may notice that the infrastructure bill is not only costly but also focused on tackling climate change-related issues for the most part. The reason for the high cost becomes apparent once you realize what the bill is setting out to achieve. Is it worth the price to invest this much into clean energy? Considering that recent reports are saying that “Major climate changes inevitable and irreversible” Harvey Fiona, (theguardian.com) I would say the cost is worth it. As a matter of fact, we should have already switched to clean and renewable energy but this is a step in the right direction. Time will tell if this infrastructure bill will see the light of day.
Written by: Kira McClure
Published: October 21, 2021
In an attempt to decrease tensions with holdout conservative-democrats, the Biden Administration has moved to cut back on many of the social components of the reconciliation spending bill. (Renshaw) Funding for free community college tuition is likely to have been omitted from the bill, a decision that has already been denounced by student advocacy groups. (Nadworny) The child tax credit program has been granted only a single-year extension, and the more conservative voices within the party have been calling for increased means-testing to decrease the number of citizens who are eligible for the credit. (Zeballos-Roig and Keith, et al).
The Past Week Internationally
Written by: Sophie Carlisle
Published: October 21, 2021
On Monday, 17 missionaries from the religious organization Christian Aid Ministries were kidnapped while visiting an orphanage. 19 people total were abducted while at an airport in the country’s capital of Port-au-Prince. Five of those abducted are children (ABC, 2021). At this time, the Haitian gang 400 Mawozo, who is the suspected kidnapping organization, is offering a ransom of $1 million dollars for each individual held captive (The New York Times). The outrageous sum is keeping pace with what other gangs across Haiti have been demanding. Eric Jean-Jacques, a businessman living in Haiti, told The New York Times that a gang called 5 Segonn kidnapped his aunt and cousin with a ransom at $1 million and $2.5 million respectively.
Increased gang-related violence and kidnappings coincide with recent social and political upheaval in Haiti. In July, President Jovenal Moise was assassinated in his home by a group of unknown mercenaries, following years of unrest under his leadership. When Moise first came into office in 2017, he was accused of attempting to install a dictatorship in the small island nation (Aljazeerara, 2021). His presidency remained rife with controversy following these accusations and combined with continued recovery from Hurricane Matthew in 2016, tensions were high in Haiti. And they don’t seem to be easing any time soon. With the recent earthquake in August of 2021 that left 2000 dead, rising inflation rates, abductions, and rampant violence since the death of the President, it doesn’t look like Haiti will find stability anytime soon. Many Haitians, fearing for their lives, are attempting to migrate to the United States but are blocked from entering the country due to the still enacted Title 42, which was originally authorized by the Trump administration in 2017 (NPR, 2021). Title 42 allows the U.S to rescind temporary protected status for Haitian immigrants on the basis of a public health emergency. As a result, thousands of Haitian asylum seekers are being turned away from the United States on the degree of a shoddy clause.
Sarah McCammon for NPR spoke with Yvens Rumbold, who is the director of communications for Policite in Haiti about the violence and kidnapping. Rumbold told her that “busloads of Haitians have been kidnapped, [and] our rights have been violated for God knows when, especially for the last two years” (NPR, 2021). Yet, American news media has barely covered the abductions that are plaguing the people of Haiti.
While copious amounts of time, money, and news coverage go into the search for the American Christian missionaries who were taken, activities surrounding the plights of Haitian people remain minimal at best.
Written by: Rhiannon S. Cox
Published: October 21, 2021
Netflix’s “Squid Game”, the platform’s most popular show, focuses on issues such as debt and class through a survival tournament of children’s games. In the program, hundreds of contestants compete for a grand prize of 45 billion won, equivalent to about $38 million (Tong Hyung). The personal stories of the players have hit close to home for many viewers, especially in South Korea where the show is set. The main character Seong Gi-Hun worked for automaker Dragon Motors before he and his coworkers were suddenly laid off. As a result, the former workers protested the unfair circumstances. This plotline directly parallels the Ssangyong protests of 2009, where laid-off workers protested the Ssangyong automaker by occupying the factory (Kwon). This occupation led to violence against the protestors, with riot police arriving and using water cannons and tear gas (Tong Hyung).
The themes of financial inequality and workers’ rights in “Squid Game” have resonated with viewers from around the globe. Particularly in South Korea, where on October 20th, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions organized protests across the country for better working conditions as well as an increased minimum wage (Frias). The KCTU has been using “Squid Game” inspired promotions to spread the word of the protests and at Wednesday's rally many participants dressed in uniforms from the show. While large gatherings have been restricted due to COVID-19, it is estimated that across the country around 16,000 individuals participated in the various protests (Kwon). While President Moon Jae-In condemned the gatherings, South Korean workers are determined to improve the exploitative conditions of their workplaces.
For more information on the above stories visit the links below:
History:
Campus:
Local:
National:
Biden's Infrastructure Bill
Keith, Morgan, and Joseph Joseph. “Sen. Joe Manchin Is Demanding Biden's Child Tax Credit Come with an Income Cap around $60,000 and a Work Requirement, Report Says.” MSN, Microsoft News, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/sen-joe-manchin-is-demanding-bidens-child-tax-credit-come-with-an-income-cap-around-2460000-and-a-work-requirement-report-says/ar-AAPDOUE.
Nadworny, Elissa. “White House Drops Free Community College from Its Spending Bill.” NPR, NPR, 20 Oct. 2021, https://www.npr.org/2021/10/20/1047609415/white-house-drops-free-community-college-from-its-spending-bill.
Renshaw, Jarrett. “Biden, Democrats May Limit Free College, Childcare to Shrink Reconciliation Bill -Sources.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 27 Sept. 2021, https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-democrats-look-means-test-way-shrink-reconciliation-bill-sources-2021-09-27/.
Zeballos-Roig, Joseph. “Democrats Slam Biden's 'Big Mistake' to Renew $300 Monthly Checks for Families for Only One Year.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 20 Oct. 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-slam-bidens-renewal-child-tax-credit-big-mistake-2021-10?op=1.
International:
‘Squid Game’ Inspires Protests in South Korea
Frias, Lauren. “Thousands of Union Workers Dressed in 'Squid Game' Costumes Rallied in South Korea, Calling on the Government to Improve Workers' Rights.” Insider, Insider, 21 Oct. 2021, https://www.insider.com/south-korean-union-workers-squid-game-costumes-demand-job-security-2021-10.
Kwon, Jen. “South Korean Workers Channel ‘Squid Game’ to Protest Their Real-Life Economic Woes.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 21 Oct. 2021, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/south-korea-squid-game-labor-union-protest/.
Tong-hyung, Kim. “'Squid Game' Strikes Nerve in Debt-Ridden South Korea.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 13 Oct. 2021, https://apnews.com/article/squid-game-strikes-nerve-south-korea-943ff3fd7269631aca6ee75da05c3757.
Political Upheaval In Haiti
Missionaries Kidnapped in Haiti
What’s happening in Haiti
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/7/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-interim-pm
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