Inside this Issue
Biden’s First Executive Orders | Page 2
Remember the Holocaust| Page 4
The Bengal
isubengal.com 27 January 2021
Expansion of the MCU | Page 7
Volume 46 Issue 18
The Independent Voice at Idaho State University Since 1910
COVID-19 Screenings Canceled Due to Test Backlog Logan Ramsey News Editor Idaho State University instituted a mandatory COVID-19 screening program as students returned back to campus for the spring semester, but it got off to a rough start when they had to cancel screenings with some students. This was due to a massive test backlog with the testing facility in California they contracted with. ISU health officials designed the screening program over the month of December, originally with the intention that anyone with an on-campus presence would take two COVID-19 screenings over the month of January. This would allow the university to identify asymptomatic cases, which according to Rex Force, Vice President for Health Sciences, account for up to half of new cases. “We’re coming back from the holidays, we know people have travelled, they’ve spent time with family, they’ve had New Year’s parties and done things like that and we expect, like we saw after Thanksgiving, that we might have a bump in cases and we wanted to really focus on the asymptomatic group,” Force said. So to set up this testing, ISU contracted with a testing facility in Sunnyvale, California to do extensive testing for the first three weeks of January and then to scale back the screenings over the course of the semester. They had heard excellent references for this facility and expected a result return time of 24 to 72 hours. “We felt really comfortable going in that we would be able to execute our plan and unfortunately the supply chain issues and the staffing issues caught up with us right in the first two weeks of January,” Force said.
Please Recycle
In an order of test tubes, the lab received 200,000 defective tubes which caused a supply chain disruption in ISU’s testing kits. At this same time, the lab was experiencing staffing problems and didn’t have enough resources to complete the test volume they were at. In order to address the problem, the university suspended appointments for the first week of school to allow the lab to catch up on their testing volume. This was also when they decided to decrease the number of screenings to one in the month of January. They don’t expect to run into the same problem again. “The work that everybody did here on campus was exemplary over the holidays to get ready to do, literally, thousands of tests over the first three weeks,” Force said. Between Jan. 13-19, the University reported 71 new COVID-19 cases, the most reported cases of the whole pandemic. With the increase in testing, this is expected. “Having more widespread screening will increase the number of individuals we identify as being ill. The key point here is that these are all asymptomatic individuals. These people have not been exposed and they do not have any symptoms of COVID so we’re detecting those silent cases that are spreading it in the community and that’s the benefit that occurs here,” Force said. The university has already conducted between three to four thousand tests this semester, and they’ve discovered a screening positivity rate of just over 1%, which Force finds reassuring.
Cover Photo by Brandon Oram | Photo Editor
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The Bengal at Idaho State University
27 January 2021 • Page 2
NEWS
Logan Ramsey | News Editor Contact: bgnews@isu.edu
An Overview of President Biden’s First Day of Executive Orders Dylon Harrison Managing Editor Joseph R. Biden, Jr. took the oath of office and officially became the 46th President of the United States on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. On his first day in office, President Biden signed a total of 17 executive orders in order to begin attempting to resolve some of the issues he believes the country
is facing. The issues covered in these orders include the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, immigration, civil rights issues, economics, government accountability and the climate crisis. Under the executive orders, all federal employees will be required to follow social-distancing protocols and wear masks at all times while on federal property. Biden also issued orders appointing a new COVID-19 response coordinator, re-
committed the US to the World Health Organization and restored the Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense at the National Security Council. This group had been eliminated by former President Donald Trump. The US has also rejoined the Paris Climate Accords following an order from Biden. In further attempts to combat the climate crisis, the president also signed an order which revoked the permits for the
Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons
controversial Keystone XL Pipeline. In addition to the orders related to the pandemic, Biden has also started a “100day masking challenge,” which asks all Americans to wear masks in public for the next 100 days. In regards to immigration, the president has ordered that the construction of the previous administration’s border wall come to an immediate halt. He also increased protections for Dreamers, ended a plan to not include noncitizens in the census count, overturned an order form by Trump that called for aggressive efforts in deporting unauthorized immigrants and ended the travel ban to the US from several, predominantly Muslim nations. Biden also ended the 1776 Commission, which had been started by the previous administration and gave an inaccurate account of the role of slavery in United States history. The president has also overturned a Trump executive order which limited the ability of agencies under federal jurisdiction to hold diversity and inclusion training. Federal agencies have also been ordered to assess and report on their internal equity within 200 days of the order being signed. Part of the report must include each agency’s plan on ways to remove barriers in programs and policies. This order is also aimed at assuring that all Americans, regardless of their background, will have Biden also issued an order which reinforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, requiring that no one be discriminated against by the federal government on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This directly reversed actions taken by Trump The president has also extended a federal moratorium on evictions until the end of March at the earliest. He has also asked several federal agencies to extend a moratorium on foreclosures on federally guaranteed mortgages. He has also extended a pause on federal student loan payments and interest rates until the end of September. Biden also issued a freeze order on all regulations that his predecessor put into motion. This was done in order to give his administration time to review these regulations and determine which ones he wants to allow to move forward.
Page 3 • 27 January 2021
The Bengal at Idaho State University
Logan Ramsey | News Editor Contact: bgnews@isu.edu
Student Activity Board Plans New Events Joanna Orban Copy Editor College students around the country are no strangers to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As they’ve shuffled back and forth between their homes and dorms and taken classes online or on Zoom, they all have dealt with the loneliness that is plaguing many students. College is widely acknowledged to be a social awakening for students as they make new friends and join new clubs. Due to COVID-19, these activities, many of which have been taken for granted, have been moved online or simply canceled. Students at Idaho State University are certainly aware of this. However, even though many events have to be held online or must adhere to strict social distancing standards, the ISU Student Activity Board (SAB) has still found ways to continue hosting traditional and well-beloved campus events. Idaho State senior Ben Storms, who serves as director of SAB, knows how important it is for students to be able to go to events. “SAB has been a part of student life for quite a while and we have that platform and that responsibility to provide students those opportunities to be able to branch out and make friends,” Storms said. SAB has several events coming up during the rest of the Spring 2021 semester. One of the most popular events that SAB hosts is its annual Bingo Night. Bingo will be held Jan. 28 and will be held online. According to Storms, “Students will have a chance to win a whole bunch of cool prizes.” Students will be able to register online using Google Forms in order to reserve their spot. The sign-up form can be found on the SAB website which is www.isu.edu/ sab/. Although many students may be turned off by virtual events Storms says that Bingo Nights have large turnouts and at the end of last fall semester were regularly seeing 80-90 people log on. Another traditional campus event that
NEWS
is hosted by SAB is Bengal Wednesday, where you wear Bengal gear to get Bengal gear. In the past, SAB has given out stickers, socks and a variety of other Bengal gear. The next Bengal Wednesday will be on Feb. 3 at 11:30 AM in the PSUB. On Bengal Wednesdays in the past, students have also been required to show their Bengal ID cards so students should be sure to have those in handy this time as well. Another event that Storms and the SAB are putting together is a virtual ISU’s Got Talent. Previously this event has been held in person, but this year auditions and voting will all be held virtually. More rules can be found on the SAB website but the deadline to send in a virtual audition is Jan. 29. Once auditions have been submitted SAB will select the final contestants. Those selected contestants will then have a chance to recreate their audition videos. Online voting will run from Feb. 26 to March 5. There will be cash prizes reward for first, second and third place. In addition, student voters will be entered into a raffle for a prize. SAB is struggling with its virtual events because it is difficult to connect with students who have already been on Zoom for their classes and may not want to sit in front of their computers for another hour. “We are trying to make it as enticing as possible,” Storms said. SAB posts information regarding its events on its Instagram account which is @isusab. In addition to posting about regular events on their SAB also posts about special events such as when they gave away tickets to Lava Hot Springs or when they handed out free flavored popcorn. Students can also stay tuned for virtual lip-sync battles that will have more information posted soon. Despite COVID-19, SAB hopes to continue to “inspire campus pride by promoting student involvement, self-growth, unity and traditions within all hosted ISU events.”
Brandon Oram | Photo Editor
Brandon Oram | Photo Editor
The Bengal at Idaho State University
27 January 2021 • Page 4
NEWS
Logan Ramsey | News Editor Contact: bgnews@isu.edu
Remember the Holocaust Joanna Orban Copy Editor Edith Eva Eger was only sixteen years old when she was sent to the concentration camps. As a teenager, Eger had been hoping to join the Hungarian Olympic team as a gymnast before antisemitic laws forced her to quit. She, her sister Magda and the girls’ parents were sent to Auschwitz after living in a ghetto and a factory. The very day Eger and her mother arrived her mother was sent to the gas chambers on the orders of Josef Mengle as a man who is more commonly known as the “Angel of Death”. Later that day, Eger was forced to dance in his quarters. He “thanked” her with a loaf of bread. Eger and her sister survived numerous camps and death marches. After her final camp was liberated, Eger was rescued by an American soldier who according to Eger’s online biography, “noticed her hand moving slightly amongst a number of dead bodies”. After receiving medical help Eger and her sister were eventually
Featured: Elie Wiesel Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons
reunited with their elder sister Clara who had remained in Budapest, safely hidden by her music teacher. Eger, like many other Holocaust, survivors eventually immigrated to the United States. Today Eger holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and is a renowned speaker. She states on her website, “Though I could have remained a permanent victim –scarred by what was beyond my control– I made the choice to heal.” The Holocaust was one of the most horrific events to have ever occurred in human history. An estimated ten million people are believed to have died in the Nazi death camp, six million of which were Jews. Eger is just one example of someone who survived those horrors. This article is being published on Jan. 27, a day that is recognized worldwide as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Today is the 76th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau by the Red Army. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), “The purpose of International Holocaust Remembrance Day is two-fold: to serve as a date for the official commemoration of the victims of the Nazi regime and to promote Holocaust education throughout the world.” This day started by the United Nations in 2015 picks a different theme each year in order to discuss more aspects of the Holocaust. For example, the theme selected in 2011 was regarding women and their experiences during the Holocaust. According to the USHMM, many countries around the world celebrate other kinds of remembrance days. The United States Congress established the Days of Remembrance. These dates coincide with Yom HaShoah, Israel’s annual Holocaust Remembrance Days, and fall on April 8 and 9 of this year. Although the U.S. commemorates many
Holocaust Remembrance Days, some people remain unaware or have misinformation. According to a 2018 article published by The New York Times, “Forty-one percent of Americans, and 66 percent of millennials, cannot say what Auschwitz was.” These numbers come from a survey published on International Holocaust Remembrance Day of 2018. This number is understandably troubling to Holocaust survivors, educators and others from all over the world. This year, perhaps more than ever it is especially important to remember the Holocaust. A few weeks ago, the US Capitol building was stormed by far-right rioters. Many of these rioters, who among other vulgar hate symbols, were seen holding a Kek flag, which is directly inspired by the Nazi swastika, as well as other symbols widely associated with Neo-Nazism including Camp Auchswitz sweatshirts and stickers from American Neo-Nazi organizations. Neo-Nazism in Idaho has been a recent topic of conversation given the vandalism of the Boise-located Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial in December of last year. Stickers, depicting swastikas and the words “we are everywhere” were found placed on the statue as well as throughout the memorial. The memorial is the only one honoring Frank in the country. Frank was a Jewish diarist who died during the Holocaust. Her diary is one of several that depict what it was like to be Jewish during World War II. The memorial is upheld by the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights located in Boise. According to Dan Prinzing executive director of the center, as quoted by NPR, “While this defacement didn’t cause significant damage, it was the where, the how, the premeditation,” he said. “We have always felt like the heart of the community, and this was a stab in the heart.” According to NBC, the Wassmuth Center
opened the memorial in 2002. After the more recent vandalism, the Wassmuth Center issued the following statement, “This explicit act of white supremacy serves as a reminder of the stark and disturbing pervasiveness of racism, bigotry and hatred that continues to plague society.” For those wanting to learn more about the Holocaust, impeccable resources can be found through the USHMM. The museum, although currently closed to the public, offers free videos, podcasts, photos and survivor statements on its website: ushmm.org. Elie Wiesel was born in Sighet, in what is now modern Romania. After being forced into a ghetto, Wiesel and his family were loaded into cattle cars and sent to Auschwitz. He and his father were chosen for slave labor. His mother and sister were killed. Wiesel’s experiences were documented in his memoir called “Night”. Wiesel and his father were sent on a death march to another concentration camp called Buchenwald as the allied powers approached Auschwitz. His father, although he survived the march, did not survive to see Buchenwald’s liberation. After the war Wiesel, like Egel, immigrated to the United States and was left to reconcile his experiences in the Nazi death camp like so many others. According to the museum’s website, Wiesel was “awarded the inaugural United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Award, the Museum’s highest honor, in 2011 for the singular role he has played in establishing and advancing the cause of Holocaust remembrance.” Wiesel once said, “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” Egel and Wiesel, are just two Holocaust survivors. There are many more whose stories are not shared in this article.
Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons
Page 5 • 27 January 2021
The Bengal at Idaho State University
SPORTS
Kaitlyn Hart | Life Editor Contact: bglife@isu.edu
Bengals Return From Portland, Bruised but Unscathed Trevor Delaney Sports Editor The Idaho State University men’s basketball team faced off against the Portland State Vikings Thursday night in Portland with a close game that resulted in the Bengals winning with 64 points to Portland’s 57. The night started off with a five point lead by Idaho State in the first half with a 30-25 score. The second half was even closer than the first, with a two point spread between Idaho’s 34 and Portland’s 32 points respectively. Idaho State Junior and Idaho native Emmit Taylor III shot an impressive four out of four three-point shots during Thursday night’s game, adding 12 points to the scoreboard. Austin Smellie brought another 13 points to the Bengals with an additional set of three three-pointers and 4 free throws. Robert Ford III also added another nine points to the Bengal’s final win over Portland, combined with Malik Porter’s eight point addition. The most impressive scorer of the night was senior Tarik Cool, who scored 17 points for the Bengals. Finishing off with a seven point lead over Portland, Idaho State ended the night with a 8-6 lead in total season play and a 5-2 lead in Big Sky play.
Thursday night’s victory was seemingly short-lived when the Bengals faced the Vikings again on Saturday, with Portland upsetting the Bengals with a 69-43 win. Reinvigorated by their loss on Thursday, the Vikings slammed the Bengals the entire game on Saturday. Idaho State put up a decent fight to the onslaught of well-calculated plays by Portland, but couldn’t muster the necessary passion needed to sink the Vikings’ ship. Idaho trailed by eleven points in the first half, starting the second half with a 26-37 score. The second half of Saturday’s game was an even larger loss for the Bengals, with a 15 point spread resulting in Portland’s triumph. Ford and Cool both stuck to their guns and managed to put some points on the board Saturday with Ford scoring eight free throws and Cool sinking two threepoint shots. Sophomore Brayden Parker also made it onto the leaderboard for point scoring In Saturday’s game, with an impressive ten points scored to match Ford’s and Cool’s 10 point totals. With Saturday’s game in the rearview mirror, Idaho State’s men’s basketball team is heading into the week with an 8-7 season score so far and a 5-3 score in the Big Sky. The Bengals will be back home playing at the Reed’s Gym this Thursday, January 28 at 7 p.m., and again on Saturday at noon.
Featured: Zach Vesentin Photo Courtesy of Idaho State Athletics
Bengals Trounce Vikings in Back-to-Back Wins Trevor Delaney Sports Editor The air hung over the game with a heaviness that clung to the walls of the Reed’s gym so palpably that you could reach out and touch it. The once roaring stands are filled with a deafening silence, captivated fans replaced by more subdued cardboard cutouts. Rubber squeaking against the court, both teams reaching for one step closer to the coveted Big Sky title. The Idaho State women’s basketball team won a hard-fought victory Thursday night against the Portland State Vikings, finishing with a final score of Idaho State with 80 points and Portland with 55.
Thursday’s game started with a close couple of quarters with Portland leading in the first half of the game, followed by a strong finish by Idaho State. Idaho State’s Dora Goles scored a phenomenal 22 points in Thursday night’s winning game, shooting five of the team’s nine three-pointers. Diaba Konate also had a remarkable shooting record this game with 14 points scored. Estefania Ors also shot 11 points during Thursday’s game, with a 100 percent three-pointer record. The second home game the Bengals played against the Vikings this week ended in yet another triumph for Idaho State, with a 70-62 lead.
Idaho State had a great first quarter, gaining an astonishing lead of 21 to 9. Portland gained some face back in the second quarter with a 16-10 lead over Idaho. The third and fourth quarters saw a much closer game, with Idaho gaining an additional one-point lead per quarter in the second half. Junior Callie Bourne of the Bengals scored a whopping 18 points during Saturday’s game, for a season total so far of 129. Dora Goles played another strong game Saturday with three effective threepointers and 13 total points scored for the team. Idaho State Senior Delaney Moore added
another 14 points to the scoreboard on Saturday, with two successful free throws. With two consecutive wins against Portland, Idaho State’s season is shaping up to be a landslide. These two wins leave the Bengals at a 12-1 season record overall, with an undefeated 10-0 winning streak in Big Sky Conference standing. The Idaho State women’s basketball team will play Southern Utah University at 6:30 P.M. MST this Thursday, January 28, in Cedar City Utah. The Bengals will play Southern Utah again at 12 P.M. MST this Saturday, January 30, once more in Cedar City.
Featured: Delaney Moore Brandon Oram | Photo Editor
The Bengal at Idaho State University
27 January 2021 • Page 6
LIFE
Kaitlyn Hart | Life Editor Contact: bglife@isu.edu
Student Opinions on a Minimum Wage Increase
Chloe Reid Reporter Working for $7.25 an hour is an issue that is way more common to the average American adult than one would think. For several years, $7.25 has been the federal minimum wage in America, caus-
ing many to struggle financially and experience an all too common problem of living paycheck to paycheck. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2018, there were 81.9 million workers or 58.8% of all wage and salary workers 16 and up in the U.S. that were paid at hourly rates. Of these 81.9 workers, 1.7
Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons
million were paid at or below the federal minimum hourly. For someone working a typical full-time job at 35-40 hours per week, annual income for those minimum wage workers totals out to about $15,080. For comparison, according to the New York Times, the poverty line in America is maxed out at about $16,910 annual income for a two-person household. In order to not be considered as living in poverty, one of those two people would have to make $8.13 an hour or more. Due to these statistics, President Joe Biden proposed to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 hourly. Biden stated, “No one working 40 hours a week should be below the poverty line.” If this comes into effect, the 1.7 million workers who experience pay at the minimum and under could have a chance of escaping poverty. Increasing the minimum wage has been fought towards for years, with national movements such as Fight for 15, that have been promoting the increase in wage since 2012. Today, it has become more prominent as the increase to $15 has become a much more probable reality. According to Fight for 15, with hosting strikes for employees, the movement has raised $70 billion in raises for 24 million workers nationwide. With all this being said, the increase of minimum wage in the U.S has been a controversial topic for years. With a minimum wage increase, poverty in America may decline, but it also has the potential to affect labor costs and provide fewer jobs due to employers who are unable to satisfactorily pay a greater amount of employees. According to CBS News, the federal minimum wage hasn’t been raised since 2009, which is the longest period of time it has gone without change since the idea of the minimum wage was passed in 1938. The
postponement of the increase could be for a reason, such as the current possible issues with raising the minimum wage. The main question persists: should the minimum wage be raised in an attempt to assist the many U.S workers that face poverty each year, or should it remain the same in an attempt to keep labor costs down? Many Idaho State University students feel that an increase could potentially be harmful, as it has the chance to hurt small businesses as well as the economy. “I believe it depends on the area you live in,” says ISU junior, Alex Cuevas. “If you live in a smaller city where there are lots of local businesses, it could hurt the business owners because they might not have enough money to increase pay to their workers, but in larger urban areas where companies can afford it, raising the minimum could be beneficial to those who make less money.” “I don’t think we should raise the minimum wage because it would drive up the costs for small and local businesses and would create poverty,” said sophomore student Richard Colapietro. Some students believe that small businesses wouldn’t be affected by the increase of minimum wage, and are for the increase in pay. “I feel like small businesses wouldn’t be affected that hard by increasing the minimum wage since many small and local businesses hire people they are already familiar with and typically pay them above the minimum wage anyway, $15 might be a bit more but I think it is doable,” said freshman Samantha Howard. With pros and cons in hand, raising the minimum wage to $15 could definitely have some positive potential. With the wide range of opinions, only time will be able to tell if the rise in wage will end up being a detrimental or beneficial change to America’s economy.
Page 7 • 27 January 2021
The Bengal at Idaho State University
Kaitlyn Hart | Life Editor Contact: bglife@isu.edu
Expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
LIFE
Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons Kyran Cates Reporter I’ve never been much of a Marvel fan, but after the announcement of 12 upcoming TV shows, that might have to change. On Jan. 15, Marvel released the first two episodes of “WandaVision” on Disney+, a seemingly lighthearted sitcom following the hijinks of Wanda and Vision as a happily married couple...with superpowers. If you saw “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019, you might be wondering how Vision makes an appearance. Without giving away too much, it seems the show is more about Wanda’s trauma than it may appear. “WandaVision” is the first of many Marvel TV shows streaming on Disney+. Let’s get into the list of superhero series you should keep an eye out for over the next two years. At the top of my list of to-see Marvel TV shows is “What if…?”, set to release this summer. “What if…?” will explore how events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) may have played out in alternate timelines; what if Peggy Carter had taken the super-soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers? What if it was actually Loki who wielded Thor’s hammer? With 23 confirmed episodes and an extensive cast of superheroes, I can only imagine the wild tales bound to take place. Next on my list is “She-Hulk”, which will
dive into the life of Bruce Banner’s cousin, Jennifer Walters who gains Banner’s Hulk powers through a blood transfusion. Not much is known about this series quite yet, but Tatiana Maslany, best known for her role on “Orphan Black”, will be starring as She-Hulk. While it’s unfortunate that most female superheroes in the MCU still have their gender specified in their names, I hope Marvel will take this expansion as an opportunity to produce more feminist content. No release date has been announced for “She-Hulk’’ yet, but it’s expected to hit Disney+ in 2022. Without a doubt, I will be listening for more updates on this developing “Hulk smash”. Next up, we have “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”. Originally, this show was set to be released in August 2020, but since filming was delayed due to COVID-19, it is now finally set to release on March 19, 2021. Following the story of the mismatched duo, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” will bring the audience on an adventure around the world. Filled with action and set after the events of “Avengers: Endgame”, these six episodes will test our heroes in many ways. Make sure to tune in to see where this series will take them. While “I Am Groot” is still in its early stages, many audience members are already thrilled to see Baby Groot returning
Photo Courtesy of Den of Geek
to their screens. Another show with very limited information, “I Am Groot” will be a series of shorts featuring new characters, and anchored by Baby Groot himself. We’ll have to wait for more details on this show, but Marvel is smart to capitalize on Groot’s cuteness factor in this developing set of narratives. Wrapping up the end of my list are several self-explanatory releases, as well as a few new heroes and storylines. Certain to make waves upon their release, “Loki” will start streaming in May 2021, “Ms.Marvel” is scheduled to air in late 2021, and “Hawkeye” is planned for 2022. Additionally, Marvel will be releasing: “Moon Knight”, “Secret
Invasion”, “Ironheart” and “Armor Wars” all with premiere dates to be announced. Although some of these final shows sound promising, unless they contain some new and exciting perspective I’ve missed, I doubt I will find myself compelled to tune in. That being said, feel free to watch any of the shows mentioned in this article, and let me know what you think. Marvel Studios has been a prosperous company for many years now, but these upcoming TV shows mark a new and exciting era of at-home superhero streaming. If you haven’t already, get a subscription to Disney+ and join in on all the excitement.
The Bengal at Idaho State University
27 January 2021 • Page 8
OPINION
Jacob Gutridge | Editor-in-Chief Contact: bgchief@isu.edu
Discover a New Streaming Service
Photo Courtesy of Discovery+ Andrea Diaz Reporter Discovery+ is a new streaming service that has joined that plethora of streaming services. The streaming service is set up like any other streaming service and you can access it through its app, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, etc. However on the Amazon fire stick TV it does seem to have some issues playing the shows at a high quality. Discovery+ has many subsidiary channels that may interest the viewer such as TLC, Food Network, HGTV, the Travel Channel and Investigation Discovery. While the streaming service has many recognizable shows and movies, it also has its own original shows and movies. The main genres featured on Discovery seems to be true crime shows, cooking shows or competitions and reality TV. Discovery+ is currently priced at $4.99/ month with a 7 day free trial. Some of the most recognizable shows include “Worst Cooks of America”, “My 600lb Life”, “Ghost Adventures”, “90 Day Fiance”, “Mythbusters” and “Chopped”. Discovery+ also has its own original shows which include “Onision: In Real Life”, “Toddlers and Tiaras: Where Are They Now’’, a Jonbenet Ramsey documentary and “Battlebots: Bounty Hunters” — just to name a few. Discovery+ is mainly geared towards adults, and there isn’t a family function, so it may be a great option for a single student or couple that is home alone. There is a limited selection when it comes to genres, however there is a nice selection within those genres. So if someone in the household likes true crime, food, science and
technology or reality TV then this may be a good streaming service. There are also mainly TV shows which are great for binging and passing the time. What few movies that are included are mainly true crime documentaries. I watched “Toddlers and Tiaras: Where Are They Now” and “Ghost Adventures: Hotel Cecil”, which are both Discovery+ originals. The “Ghost Adventures” movie was very interesting and had a lot of suspenseful moments. “Ghost Adventures” is a crew of four guys who go to haunted or paranormal locations and do an overnight investigation with the purpose of finding proof of the paranormal using cameras, temperature sensors, etc. I am familiar with “Ghost Adventures” and have been watching the show for quite some time so when I saw the advertisement for the Hotel Cecil episode I was interested and got the service for mainly that reason. The episode had some great paranormal evidence and interesting history. Another show was “Toddlers and Tiaras: Where Are They Now”, which is a clear difference in genre from “Ghost Adventures”, showing the variety within Discovery+. The show is about following up on the toddlers from the original show “Toddlers and Tiaras” 10 years later. Now the toddlers are in their early teenage years and it showcases what they are doing now. The show is very much a reality TV show. Since we are still in the midst of COVID-19 many housebound people are spending more time on the internet and streaming services — a great way to pass time if one finds themselves needing to quarantine and stay home is to watch a favorite show or movie.
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The Bengal Staff Editor-in-Chief Jacob Gutridge
News Editor Logan Ramsey
Production Editor Hailey Nelson
Advertising Manager Samantha Winslow
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Life Editor Kaitlyn Hart
Photo Editor Brandon Oram
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Sports Editor Trevor Delaney
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Reporters Andrea Diaz Lesley Brey Chloe Reid Kyran Cates
Advisor Jerry Miller