spending time alone

Dear Donna: Advice on friendships, love, more

DONNA KEEYA

NEWS EDITOR @DONNAKEEYA

Th is week’s anonymous advice column brushes on friendships, love and more.

To submit your question for future issues, click the “Dear Donna” button on our home page.

How do you make friends? I’m really shy and UH is so big. I’m worried people won’t like me

Hello! Th ank you for sending a question and I really admire you wanting to push yourself beyond your comfort zone and make new friends. Th at itself is something to be proud of, especially for someone who identifi es as shy.

I know meeting new people at a big school can be very overwhelming when thinking about how many students actually go here.

I really recommend taking a step back and realizing that you don’t have to interact with a ton of people, but you can start small and just talk to someone new.

Try to join a smaller organization and start interacting with the few people there.

While it can be scary, the smaller environment can be a lot more comforting and help you connect with someone with similar interests.

FILM CHIRAG MANGNAIK

STAFF WRITER

How disappointing. Perhaps it would’ve been folly to expect anything more, but somehow, “Artemis Fowl” managed to dash even the mildest of hopes.

However, in the interest of judging the fi lm on its own (lack of) merits, the fi lm shall not be compared heavily to its source material.

It’s undeniably a horrendous movie and a comparison would muddy that status, instead focusing on its existence as a bad adaptation, which would simply not do justice to the misery that is sitting through this fi lm.

“Artemis Fowl”, the movie, is set within a hollow universe and a thoroughly inconsistent set of

Renee Josse de Lisle/The Cougar

I’m a freshman and am worried that I’m not doing enough. How can I make the most of my college experience?

Before starting, I want to take a second to congratulate you on almost completing your fi rst semester. College by nature is hard, and making it this far itself is a huge accomplishment.

I’m here to tell you that even thinking about “doing enough” means that you are doing enough. I understand not wanting to feel like you’re falling behind or getting intimidated by your peers who seem to be really busy, but honestly rules. In one of the fi rst action set pieces in the movie, a troll and the world around it is frozen in time, yet, when dealing with Artemis Fowl, the Time Freeze seems to … do nothing?

Well, to be clear, it creates a dividing line between the Fowl Manor and the outside world, making communication out of the bubble impossible which is what it seems to do in the book, but after setting up a powerful Time Freeze, the only explanation for not freezing the Fowl Manor in time is Commander Root saying, “I have to talk to that kid.”

Why? Th e faeries know exactly who the Fowls are and what they’re capable of, so why wouldn’t they use this all-powerful device at this opportune moment? freshman year is about getting adjusted and comfortable in the university setting, and there’s no need to get down on yourself.

As far as making the most during your time at UH, follow things that spark joy.

Whether it be professional opportunities that excite you or having game nights with your friends, let yourself enjoy the day to day.

It’s a lot to think about the big picture college experience, but if you fi nd happiness in daily life, I’m sure you will be content in your overall experience.

I wouldn’t ordinarily nitpick a plot hole, but a hole this big is a sign of the amount of eff ort that seems to have been put into the project, though not by the actors. Some of them seem intent on salvaging whatever they can from this mess, especially Lara McDonnell and Dame Judi Dench, whose talents are woefully wasted here.

Moreover, the characterization ranges from incomprehensible to irrelevant.

Butler is just a regular butler with some extra aff ection towards his employer.

Juliet is supposedly there for a specifi c reason: to relate to and understand Artemis Fowl.

But there’s one scene with the two of them.

Briar Cudgeon seems to be being blackmailed into being a spy, yet he continually expresses contempt of everyone around him as though he were a real villain.

Th ere’s no resolution to that arc, either. And, of course, there’s Artemis.

Arbitrarily curt and wanting to look like a cool 12-year old in a suit,

How do I find love during a pandemic? Srsly.

To start, I want to say what you’re feeling is valid and I think a common theme among people these days.

Whether it be the cold cuffi ng season weather or how long the pandemic has lasted, you’re defi nitely not alone when it comes this topic.

Th at being said, I’m sure there are people who feel the same way who would love to get to know you a little better. And while love is a diffi cult concept to chase, I think it’s important to set your intentions out there. while making very few decisions that aff ect the plot (apart from the inciting incident) in a movie that bears his name.

He appears happiest when he’s surfi ng and one-wheeling, yet this seems to be completely irrelevant to his character. We briefl y see him at school and how he doesn’t enjoy it, then never again. We see him talk to a therapist and this has no bearing on anything that ensues, or any thematic relevance.

Th ere’s nothing that Artemis Fowl does in the movie, other than tell Butler to kidnap Holly and act smarmy from time to time. It’s a confused, jumbled mess of a character that feels like it’s got no

If you truly are pursuing something serious, let that be known through dating apps, in-person interactions or however you’re getting to know people.

Remember that you can’t change a person and shouldn’t waste time on someone who wants to casually date if you are pursuing something more than that. You are worthy of love and should surround yourself with people with similar intentions.

What are good ways to spend alone time?

As someone who loves spending quality time with others and always strives to be around people, I really value this question and admire your active eff ort to have alone time.

I think it’s really helpful to start off by treating yourself the same way you treat others.

Hopefully, you’re kind and respectful to others, and that same treatment should translate to yourself. Feed yourself positive affi rmations and make healthy decisions for your well being.

Other than that, do things that you genuinely enjoy.

One bright side to alone time is that you don’t have to compromise on anything, and you should do whatever you desire.

Play music however loud you want. Eat what you want, and exist in your purest form.

The Cougar Reviews: Artemis Fowl stands as an ‘undeniably horrendous movie’

Juana Garcia/The Cougar

arts@thedailycougar.com thought behind it.

All in all, this movie is horrendous, occasionally entertaining only by the talents of Judi Dench and Lara McDonnell.

Everyone else either does not deliver, or is simply not given the screen time or the script to deliver. But it’s confusing, it’s riddled with plot holes and it constantly makes no attempt at making the audience care for anything that’s happening.

At an hour-and-a-half long, the movie manages to feel longer and more laborious than some four hour-long epics. It’s simply not something that deserves a viewing.

SELF CARE

Students battle burnout during remote learning

Juana Garcia/The Cougar

CRISTOBELLA DURRETTE

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @CRIST0BELLA

Students juggle a variety of diff erent responsibilities: a full course load, extracurriculars, internships, a social life.

May Huyhn is no diff erent. Th e English and political science senior balances academic demands with personal and professional obligations.

She also grapples with a lack of motivation for her online courses, caused in part by a chronically heavy load of overall responsibilities.

“I’ve defi nitely been feeling unmotivated in my online classes,” Huyhn said. “Work, family, friends and other obligations aren’t helping at all.”

Huyhn isn’t alone in experiencing reduced motivation for remote learning. A survey from the Student Experience in the Research University found that 76 percent of all undergraduates reported a lack of motivation as the primary obstacle to learning in online courses.

Sociology sophomore Sam Kuo remarks that his motivation has dropped signifi cantly from when all of his classes were off ered face-to-face, despite the course load remaining comparable to

his previous semesters.

“My workload is about the same as other semesters. It may feel like more and I don’t think professors know how little bandwidth students have for online assignments,” Kuo said. “I fi nd myself having to force myself to go to class, or do readings or assignments. It impacts my overall quality of life, having to drag my feet through it all.”

A lack of motivation toward academic endeavors is one of the hallmarks of academic burnout,which entails a dive in productivity stemming from an overly stressful workload combined with a lack of social support and adequate reward.

Outside of academic stress, Huyhn remarks that broader social and political issues also contribute to feelings of concern and hindered motivation.

“Th ere are so many looming forces that we know are uncontrollable like (COVID-19) and the … elections, and our very individualistic culture that has become toxic during these times,” Huyhn said.

Stress related to the coronavirus, healthcare and the presidential election, among other factors, are raising stress levels among Generation Z. In comparison to October 2019, 34 percent of Gen Z adults report experiencing worse mental health in 2020.

While students nationwide have been experiencing increased rates of stress, fewer are accessing the counseling services available on their college campuses.

At UH, the number of unique clients seen by Counseling and Psychological Services dropped by 22 percent from Fiscal Year 2019 to FY 2020, according to data provided by CAPS.

Th e decline can be largely attributed to the presence of fewer students on campus, the

suspension of group counseling and skills workshops, student discomfort with teletherapy, Zoom fatigue, the prioritization of other needs and state laws limiting teletherapy, said CAPS director Norma Ngo.

Students can avoid burnout by making time for enjoyable activities and getting active.

Huyhn says that she prevents burnout through a variety of restorative activities.

“I deal with burnout by exercising, getting back into painting and cooking, playing with my dogs, praying or meditating and getting to know

my loved ones on a deeper level … And getting plenty of sleep for once without feeling guilty about it,” Huyhn said.

Kuo also attempts to make time for self care and activities he enjoys, but fi nds that they don’t necessarily mitigate his stress. “I try to engage in hobbies, rely on peers for support, exercise and try my best to get a good night’s sleep,” Kuo said. “Th ose things do not get the work done, however, and fail to make me less overwhelmed.”

arts@thedailycougar.com