November 2021

NO. 29 | Fall 2021 | FREE

IN THIS ISSUE: The North Shore Agate Hike | By: Cleo Birch The Art of Educating | By: Ana Lopez No Valediction | By: Sammie Garbers Externals Review | By: Cory Knudsen

LETTER FROMFROM THE EDITOR LETTER THE Hey Bulldogs! I’m Michael King, Editor-in-Chief of The Bark. Thank you for picking up our print magazine. This holiday season, we at The Bark have a lot to be thankful for. The support we’ve received from you all this year has been extraordinary, and we are extremely grateful. If you have any story ideas, general thoughts about The Bark or would like to join our team, feel free to shoot me an email at king1072@d.umn.edu — I’d be happy to speak with you. We hope you enjoy the variety of student content we have for you in our magazine, and we’ve got even more work on our website, thebarkumd.com, where you can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter! As always, we thank you for supporting student media here at UMD. Go Bulldogs!

The Bark produces this monthly news magazine in addition to publishing content online every day, providing local media to over 10,000 students at the University of Minnesota Duluth. To get involved or to share your voice please contact The Bark at thebarkumd.com/contact-us ADVERTISE WITH THE BARK Contact us at barkumdbiz@d.umn.edu for business inquires CONTENTS OF THIS PUBLICATION ARE 2021, THE BARK. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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CONTENTS

20 21

2

Letter from the Editor

4-5

No Valediction

6-7

The Art of Educating

8-9

Review of Marvel’s “Eternals”

10-11

UMD students take a break with agate hunting along the North Shore

Cover Photo by Cleo Birch UMD freshmen John Holmberg and Stephanie Morine skipping rocks at Flood Bay State Wayside during the North Shore Agate Hike Saturday, Oct.16.

THE TEAM Editor-in-Chief Michael King King1072@d.umn.edu BarkUMD@d.umn.edu Managing Editor Izabella Zadra Zadra012@d.umn.edu Social Media Manager Eliana Sonderup Sonde040@d.umn.edu Business Manager Abby Gaudreau

BarkUMDBiz@d.umn.edu

Managing Editor Madison Hunter Hunte557@d.umn.edu Visual Director Anna Gruben Grube200@d.umn.edu Reporter Sara Guymon

Guymo002@d.umn.edu

Sports Reporter

Alyvia Taylor Tayl2181@d.umn.edu

Reporter Nathan Miller Mill7759@d.umn.edu

Creative Author Samantha Garbers Garbe127@d.umn.edu

Reporter Isabelle Hopewell

Graphic Designer Phoua Xiong Xion1104@d.umn.edu

Reporter

Editor Emeritus Heidi Stang Stang344@d.umn.edu

Graphic Designer Emmett Curran Curra106@d.umn.edu

Multi-media Journalist Sarah Brown Brow5867@d.umn.edu

Advisor Maija Jenson Jenson@d.umn.edu

Reporter KaeLyn Stephens Steph729@d.umn.edu

Graphic Designer Quentin Goldknopf goldk003@d.umn.edu

Hopew048@d.umn.edu Crista Fleck Fleck130@d.umn.edu

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No Valediction By: Sammie Garbers I could feel my blood pulsing through me, as though I was running. Why? I couldn’t remember much of how I got here. Just that there were now three blurred people standing around me, while I lay motionless.

One of them was screaming and crying hysterically, their voices made my ears bleed. I wanted it to stop, for all of it to stop. I felt dizzy and heavy. Why can’t I lift my head? My eyes trailed down to my fingers, I demanded them to move, and nothing again.

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A face bent over me,

and I felt water splash my skin. My eyes began to focus on the figure. Her black hair covered a bruised, red face.

She had a pointy nose and her grassy eyes were wet with tears. Mom. My mind wandered, if I could I would’ve scrunched my face.

I know it. Mom always made fun of me when I did that to concentrate, even though she did it too.

My mind was bombarded with images: a dark road, my mom laughing, bright lights, light music, the blare of a semi, darkness, pain. I guess I know where she got those bruises from, but why can’t I move? Am I in shock?

I let my eyes wander down my body, I don’t feel hurt, I don’t feel anything. That’s good, right? That didn’t stop

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the wailing of my mother, other cars, sirens? I hope her car isn’t totaled. Soon I saw harsh red and blue lights, flashing against the black night.

Hardly any stars tonight, guess I was the only one. If I could I would’ve let out a laugh, but I still can’t move.

My mom called me her star, I always knew why, but I pretended not to. It was more fun that way, when she gave me a secret smile because she thought I didn’t know. Who doesn’t know the meaning of their own name? With how much she calls me her star, how could I forget?

“Dao, ple-please, you have to stay here,” she sobbed. “Stay with me my star, please.”

I wanted to stay, I don’t know

what she was talking about, who would take me? Why would I leave? My eyes grew heavy and I wanted to close them, that’s when the shouting started, “No, no, Dao. keep your eyes open.

You can’t sleep.”

Quickly I shot my eyes open, even though everything was blurry. How strange, she’s never yelled at me to stay awake like this before.

People with strange clothes on were pulling me onto a little cott, one that they could carry into the long car they brought with them, it kind of looked like a white box.

“Female, 12 paralyzed,” their voices cut in and out as I waved in and out of consciousness.

I’ve heard that word before, paralyzed. I can’t recall exactly what it means though.

They put a clear mask over my nose and mouth, I think they said it would help me breathe.

I let my body relax, I was so tired. That’s when the shock hit me. It jerked my body and I spasmed, the contents of my stomach were up in a whirl. Tears fled out of the corner of my eyes, I just wanted it to stop, all of this to stop.

My heart hammered through my chest. I was sure the medics could see it.

“Stable!” one of them shouted, the hair on the back of my neck stood and I groaned.

They wouldn’t let me relax, wouldn’t let me sleep.

I tried to fall asleep again, but a different person came over and started to hit my chest, hard and repeatedly. My eyes darted around the vehicle searching for a familiar face, but not finding one.

I must have blacked out because the next thing I knew I was in a room, full of white and bare walls. Something was attached to my arms and connected to a machine that was beeping, how annoying.

How was I supposed to get any sleep in here?

I swore I only shut my eyes for a second, but now my mom was here, standing in front of me clear as day. She must have noticed I was looking at her because she walked over to me and sat on the bed.

“Dao? Are you awake?” I tried to answer but my mouth didn’t move. “That’s okay, you don’t have to talk, can you nod your head?” I tried, I swear I did, but when I looked at my mom her lips were pulled in a frown. “Don’t worry, you’ll be okay. This is just temporary.”

I wanted to tell her that I know, she says that too much.

Still not even a puff of air escaped my lips. I grew exhausted again, trying to talk, to move, to be conscious so I let the darkness claim me.

When I opened my eyes my mom was sitting in a chair beside my bed, sleeping. I smiled, I think, then relaxed my shoulders.

Beeping machines, why wont they let me sleep? Five doctors crowded around my bed passing things and looking down at me. The

machine next to me beeped slowly, I felt sick. I watched with lidded eyes as a man in a white coat held two paddles in his hands, and not the kind for a canoe.

He leaned over me and placed them on my chest. I held my breath til the shock came again like it did last time. A buzzing noise, then, nothing.

His eyes were covered by his brows. Again a buzz then, nothing.

Ha, I wanted to shout, I’m immune now! Chaos erupted around me and I heard a familiar voice shouting and crying hysterically. I wanted to tell her so bad not to worry about me anymore.

of their tools away.

Daos chest ceased to rise or fall. She began gritting her teeth, she wanted to shout, no please, you can’t give up on her, please. She couldn’t move, and didn’t want to.

They combed back Daos black hair which was sticking to her face and neck. They forced shut her green eyes. Tugging her limbs every which way like a child trying to keep a doll straight.

She watched with shallow breaths, and let grief consume her.

Next to me the machine made one long, consecutive beep.

“Time of death, 2:39 am.”

One of the white coats said.

Pain and grief lowered the heart of Daos’ mother. She gripped the wall trying to stay steady in her world wiring into the abyss.

Screams clawed their way out of her throat and she was falling. Whispers of denial left her crumpled on the floor.

She was fine, she thought, she was just here yesterday.

Dazed, she watched as the doctors began putting all

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THEBARKUMD.COM | FALL 2021

The Art Of Educating Street art is becoming a bigger phenomenon as its vibrant colors light up the buildings of downtown Duluth.

Although colors are pleasing to the eye, these murals and art pieces displayed around the city are meant to represent a deeper meaning, some could argue art to be a form of educating and bringing awareness to sensitive topics.

A mural of an Ojibwe woman located on the side of the American Indian Community Housing Organization in Duluth is a prime example.

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According to supporters, this mural is meant to symbolize resilience and relevant topics such as violence, sex trafficking and enviormental racism. This mural was created by

California based artist Votan Ik.

Los Angeles, California.

Known to have created art meant to educate and The 30x25 foot mural of bring awareness — the the Ojibwe woman was Ojibwe representative created in summer 2017 to mural is not the only piece watch over Onigamiising Ik and his crew have of what is now known as created.

Duluth. a creation brought to life by nonprofit He is also the creator of organizations like Honor the mural known as Abya the Earth and the American Indian Community Organization, or AICHO.

By: Ana Lopez Yala, located in Albuquerque, a different approach to the educational murals on the indigenous culture. In this mural, he uses a Kawaii style of

When dissecting the piece, one will find each individual aspect of the mural has a point of representation. For example, the mask on the Ojibwe woman is described by the artist as the representation of missing and murdered indigenous women in Indigenous community here in Duluth.

Street artists like Ik bring awareness to topics some find hard to speak on, allowing a space to educate others on the importance of such sensitive topics.

Ik is a Mayan artist originally based in

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Image of the Ojibwe mural on the side of the AICHO b was taken by Ivy Vainio, communications coordinator a

“The mask on the Ojibwe woman is described by the artist as the representation of missing and murdered indigenous women in Indigenous community here in Duluth.”

building, this image at AICHO

painting to bring a happier and uplifting piece to the community.

on the mural.”

Through Ik’s Mural, he has reached the heart of those who are also honoring these lives and has been able to educate those who are unaware of the situations at hand.

“I must say each mural has its own vast experiences. For the mural in Duluth, most non-Native folks were curious to know what it represented, which was an amazing teachable moment. That’s one of the greatest purposes of the art we create, to educate,” Ik said.

All around the nation, Ik shares his responses from each creation and how overwhelmingly supportive and positive they are.

All around Duluth, one will see murals full of color lighting up the side of a grey building, and other times you will see a piece of art that is meant to represent something much deeper.

According to Ivy Vainio, coordinator at AICHO, states that the community went as far as participating in the creation.

Even though some may take these art pieces as a way to educate, others may find it easier to not talk about them at all.

“Votan, the lead muralist, invited the sightseers a chance to help paint the mural by giving them a paint brush and palette.

By the time the mural was completed – over 40 community members from Duluth and as far away as Minneapolis and Milwaukee – were able to put their paint brush mark

For artists like Ik, who create pieces with a deeper meaning, they can find themselves having both negative and positive reactions. For those who may be in disagreement with paintings that are meant to bring awareness,

Ik explains that he has no problem finding a voice of reason to settle any type of disagreement.

“Art can oftentimes feel menacing. We never have disturbance as an objective, but if people are offended by our work, we can dialogue. There are truly way more offensive behaviors and acts out there than any of our pieces” If art can be used as a neutral way of educating and making people aware of subjects that can be sensitive to talk about, that raises the question of just how much power a piece of art can carry. Because of artists like Ik, today, people are made aware of the Ojibwe community, and others can honor the lives of their relatives.

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THEBARKUMD.COM | FALL 2021

Review of Marvel’s “Eternals”

By: Cory Knudsen

“Eternals” is the 26th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and comes from director Chloé Zhao, fresh off of her Oscar wins for “Nomadland” earlier this year.

This film centers on a group of characters known as the Eternals, who are immortal beings who have been protecting Earth for centuries from creatures known as Deviants. The film has a stacked cast of actors, including Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Kit Harrington, Brian Tyree Henry and Kumail Nanjiani just to name a few.

One thing I loved about this film was the exploration of moralities between the Eternals.

Without getting into spoilers, there is a conflict that arises in the film which requires each member to make a choice as to whether they want to go along with this event or try to prevent it. It was fascinating seeing how the experiences each character went through determined their thought process. I always appreciate when a blockbuster film can take the time to slow down and explore characters’ philosophies and dive beneath the surface.

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Chloe Zhao’s directorial style up until this film had been very small-scale, with films like “The Rider” and “Nomadland,” which both utilized real people to tell deeply personal stories. She brings that same sort of personal feel to this much larger film by focusing on the character interactions. It is shot and directed incredibly, with many wide shots of ships and characters that give the film a large scope and feel. Some of my favorite shots in the film are of the characters known as Celestials, who are massive cosmic beings and are visualized to be so much bigger and epic than any of the human characters.

Even though the film deviates from the Marvel formula in some areas, there are still many things that anchor it to this franchise. There is a healthy amount of humor in the film that comes mostly from Nanjiani and Henry. While some jokes definitely land, there is still some humor that feels out of place.

This is something common with Marvel movies, as they inject humor to keep the films family-friendly, and it for the most part works, but some of the more recent films have injected it into emotional moments

Artwork by: Alyvia Taylor

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This film has certainly been divisive for audiences and critics alike, as it posts the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score of all of the films in the MCU. “Eternals” is in some ways a new direction for the Marvel Cinematic

Universe, as it introduces a whole new crop of characters that many audiences aren’t familiar with. The story structure is also unique, as the movie takes its time in setting up the characters and spends a lot of the first half flashing back to how the Eternals have shaped Earth’s culture throughout history. It strays away from the usual one or two character origin story focus in their films and devotes a lot of time to exploring the group as a whole.

SPOILERS: that would’ve worked better without jokes.

Another aspect of the film that falls into the Marvel formula is the third act. Whereas the first two acts were more contemplative and thoughtprovoking, the final act goes full Marvel with big CGI fights and action scenes.

This isn’t something that bothered me necessarily, but the action in this film felt a little forgettable. The sequences themselves work fine for this movie, but they don’t compare to the action of previous Marvel movies like Shang-Chi from earlier this year.

As for a few other minor flaws in the film, I thought the movie could have been cut down by 10-15 minutes, as I started to feel the length in parts of the second and third act. Another

area I wanted a little more depth in with was the Deviants. They start out as prominent figures in the film, but then get sidelined by some of the other conflicts that take place in the final act of the story. I would’ve liked a more thoughtful examination of the Deviants that would’ve given the film a more cohesive feel.

Overall, I really enjoyed this film and thought it brought a fresh perspective into the MCU while also delivering new and interesting characters.

While the action sequences could’ve been improved and the Deviants could’ve been explored more, I didn’t have any major complaints with the movie. It’s certainly not in my top tier of MCU rankings, but it does a really nice job of expanding this universe. I would give this film a B+ and feel that it is a must-see for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As a side note, the film does include two post-credits scenes, so be sure to stay for both to keep up to date with the future of the MCU.

Spoilers: So as for a couple of spoilers, the main conflict of the film is that there is going to be what’s called an emergence, which will create a new Celestial but destroy Earth in the process. This is where the interesting moral dilemmas play into the story, as some of the Eternals want to allow this emergence to happen as they see it as part of the natural way of the universe. The other members don’t feel the same way and think that life on Earth is worth saving. These interactions between characters lead to many of the best scenes of the film and are a big reason why I enjoyed it so much.

Alright, now the post credits scenes. The first scene includes a few characters searching for other Eternals in the universe when suddenly, Harry Styles transports himself onto their ship.

Styles is playing Eros, the brother of Thanos, and wants to help the Eternals.

It was a nice surprise to see him show up and I think he will bring a nice

element to the future of the MCU. Even in his small role in Dunkirk, Styles proved that he’s more than just a singer and can put in a good performance.

The second post-credits scene shows Dane Whitman, played

by Kit Harrington, as he’s examining a sword known as the Ebony Blade, and teasing him as becoming the character known as the Black Knight.

The scene ends with a voice asking Whitman if he’s ready to take on this mantle and it’s none other than Mahershala Ali himself. Ali is set to play the vampire killer Blade in an upcoming film and so it was exciting to have his first appearance in the MCU during this film. Although we don’t get a visual of him, it was still great to hear his voice and get the first taste of what he will bring to this franchise.

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UMD students take a break with agate hunting along the North Shore By: Cleo Birch The University of Minnesota Duluth Recreational Sports Outdoor Program hosted the North Shore Agate Hike on Saturday October 16.

Leaders took students to Rock Beach on Knife River Campground, Burlington Bay and Flood Bay State Wayside to not only share the basic facts about agates, but to provide students with a place to have fun and enjoy nature.

Agates are rock formations known for their colorful banding and are searched for by rock hunters who make them into jewelry or sell them in shops.

Students who participated in the North Shore Agate Hike dug under rocky beaches, finding other rocks that caught their attention in the process. UMD senior and RSOP leader,

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Annika Frazer, said it’s about enjoying the process of agate hunting more than identifying one.

“If you find cool rocks, then that’s like a success by itself,” Frazer said.

Sophomore and RSOP co-leader Lily Karg agreed, describing her brother’s frustration when looking for them.

“He just wants to find an agate and he gets really frustrated if he doesn’t,” Karg said. “But If you’re enjoying the weather, and the scenery, and the people, and the other rocks — it’s not just agates out there — that makes the experience like a lot better.”

minerals to seep in and create bands of color. Later, glaciers swept through the land, allocating these formations all the way to Iowa. Because the rift failed and glaciers don’t move through Minnesota anymore, agates are no longer created.

Although the beaches the group visited allow people to take agates and other rocks home, Sugar Leaf Cove and some other places only allow people to look and put them

back.

“Most of these beaches probably are theorized not to have that many agates left because of how many people come through,” Frazer said.

As for identifying agates, Frazer and Karg recommended patience and digging deep because they’re often found underneath the

Named the state gem of Minnesota, Lake Superior agates were the main focus of the hike. Frazer and Karg shared a brief history to participants as they sat along the shore of Rock Beach.

About 1 billion years ago, these agates formed from an active rift by Lake Superior where rocks with empty cavities allowed different

THEBARKUMD.COM | FALL 2021

Participants of the North Shore Agate Hike dig under ro Knife River Campground Saturday, Oct. 16. UMD senior Frazer says agates are best found underneath the surfac

Agate found by UMD freshman Cleo Birch at Rock Beach on Knife River Campground Saturday, Oct.16. Photo by Cleo Birch surface.

One of the reasons why UMD sophomore Jacob Ginocchio participated in the hike was because of his fascination with rocks as a kid.

ocks at Rock Beach on r and RSOP leader Annika ce. Photo by Cleo Birch.

“They caught my attention through books and museums and I did several projects on them through my local 4-H club,” Ginocchio said. “I fell off of it a fair bit in middle school, but I still have a collection I’m quite proud of.”

John Holmberg, a freshman at UMD, attended because he enjoys the outdoors and needed a chance to get out of the dorms.

“I don’t think I got outside once this week, I’m not gonna lie, without even trying,” Holmberg said.

Other than searching for agates, participants enjoyed the scenery, ate snacks, skipped rocks and had conversations about tattoos.

Apart from its cancellation in 2020 due to the pandemic, the North Shore Agate Hike has happened for a number of years, and the idea originated from a student who was passionate about earth

science and wanted to spread knowledge about agates, said RSOP Associate Director Tim Bates.

As a leader for four years, Frazer continues to encourage others to participate in RSOP and recognize its goal to provide welcoming experiences.

“It is just really cool to be able to go into a space with a bunch of new people and all learn something together and bond over that experience,” Frazer said.

te has i s b e w P The RSO ation about form vents e more in r o o d t g ou upcomin istration at and reg du/ e . n m u . p.d tivic umdrso a r o o /outd s m a r g o pr s. ties-trip

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FALL 2021

One last glimpse of fall!

Photo by: Quentin Goldknopf