The O'Colly, Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Harvard legacy admissions targeted after Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action

with the U.S. Department of Education.

Harvard University was accused by minority groups of violating federal law by giving preferential treatment in the admissions process to children of alumni and wealthy donors, days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the use of race-based affirmative action policies. The long-standing practice of legacy admissions flouts a provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that bars racial discrimination in programs that receive federal funds, because about 70% of legacy admissions are White, the groups said in a complaint filed Monday

“Each year, Harvard College grants special preference in its admissions process to hundreds of mostly White students — not because of anything they have accomplished, but rather solely because of who their relatives are,” they said in the complaint.

The minority groups seek a probe into Harvard’s use of donor and legacy preferences as well as a declaration that the school will lose federal funds if it doesn’t end the practice. The groups also want Harvard to ensure that applicants with family ties “have no way to identify” themselves in the admissions process.

The complaint comes as the United States continues to grapple with the fallout of the Supreme Court’s rul-

times I wear the same hat as them. I’m an AD by day and an alum by night. So, it’s something that I’ve wanted for a long, long time.”

This is part of The O’Colly’s series on the four new members of the Big 12 Conference.

Thirteen years ago, BYU director of athletics

Tom Holmoe announced the university was leaving the Mountain West Conference for the open waters of independence in football and the West Coast Conference in Olympic sports.

BYU’s rival Utah left the MWC for more promising ventures in the Pac 12, and the BYU-MWC relationship was already shaky. After disputes over TV rights and limited exposure, which Holmoe said was hurting the Cougars’ brand, BYU announced it was going independent on Aug. 31, 2010.

The BYU brand resonates internationally, thanks to its affiliation with the LDS Church. Schools like Notre Dame have pulled off independence in the breadwinning sport of football, but it’s not always an easy existence.

Those days are gone, and BYU is now a Big 12 member as of July 1, joining Cincinnati, Houston and UCF. And it comes at a pivotal time in college athletics, with conference positioning as important as ever.

“It feels good. People don’t forget, but I don’t think they realize I’m a BYU alum. I’m a football player,” Holmoe said Saturday. “So, many

For Holmoe, who played football for the Cougars from 1978-82, the money and security of being in a Power Five conference was appealing and definitely a perk, but competition was his top priority. As an independent, it was tough fitting into other schools’ schedules.

In 2020, BYU didn’t have restrictions from a conference during the pandemic and was able to play football, but scheduling was messy, with conferences not allowing nonconference games. The Cougars taped together a schedule that featured only two teams with winning records.

“I’ve always said that for me, it’s not so much about the money that you might get,” Holmoe said. “That’s what everybody asks. But I want our student-athletes to be able to play against the best competition in the country year-in and year-out.”

BYU has been Big-12 bound since Sept. 10, 2021, so there’s been plenty of time to prepare. While other schools are pouring into new athletics facilities, such as Houston, which began construction of a $124 million indoor football practice facility and performance center, BYU doesn’t want an arms race.

“We have excellent venues, but in this day and age in college athletics, you can see it’s like keeping up the Joneses,” Holmoe said. “We won’t do that at BYU. It’s just not the style, it’s not the manner in which we go about our business.”

ing ending affirmative action, which has been used by universities to diversify campuses after decades of racially discriminatory admissions practices. Harvard forcefully defended affirmative action and said it would find other ways to ensure diversity.

Harvard declined to comment on the complaint. Justice Neil Gorsuch, in hearing arguments before the Supreme Court in October, suggested eliminating the legacy preferences given to the children of alumni and others who gain an edge such as athletes and big-money donors. But colleges are so far mostly loath to scrap such preferences, which keep donors happy.

The groups suing Harvard argue that considering legacy status of an applicant does not serve a strong enough

educational interest, and undermines accessibility for applicants more likely to be people of color.

By overturning affirmative action, the Supreme Court may have paved the way for more suits over legacy admissions, which is used by many colleges, said Jonathan Glater, a professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley.

“One reason that alumni give to colleges and universities is to enhance the odds that their kids will get in,” Glater said. “This practice bolsters development opportunities. So really, these claims highlight another way that how we finance higher education — here, the role of philanthropy — affects who can go.”

See Admissions on 6

How to save the bees

The buzz about bee hotels

it. Pollination is responsible for nearly $20 billion worth of products annually.”

cause they don’t excavate their own holes.

Though they are seen by many as disturbing pests, bees are recognized to be one of the most important creatures on our planet - and they, too, need a home.

Native bees are among the many different welcome and necessary pollinators in landscapes.

“Native bees are the most important group of about 200,000 species of pollinators,” said Oklahoma State University Extension consumer horticulturist David Hillock.

“They provide an important link to the environment by carrying pollen from one plant to another to ensure the growth of seeds and fruits. Some pollen is carried by the wind, but other pollen can be heavy and requires pollinators to move

Bees are instrumental in a variety of ways for the environment, to the degree that human life would not be sustainable without them. Pollinators are also a key element in the agricultural industry, and the world’s food supply would be smaller, less colorful and less nutritious without bees.

To help protect and increase the dwindling population of these pollinators, homeowners can build bee hotels, which are the insect equivalent of a birdhouse.

Also known as bee condos, bee houses or nest blocks, these structures provide nesting spaces for solitary bees or wasps in places where natural habitats may be scarce. These species make their homes in holes in dead wood, hollow plant stems or other nooks and crannies in the landscape be -

“Generally, a hotel provides shelter for its human guests for short stays, but bee hotels provide long-term accommodations,” Hillock said.

“You can construct a bee hotel using reed or bamboo. Other good materials include hollow stems from plants such as sunflowers, teasel, fennel, brambles, raspberries and elder.”

A bee hotel mimics nesting habitat and provides shelter from weather and predators, said OSU Extension specialist and director of OSU’s Insect Adventure Andrine Shufran.

“The bee hotel serves a dual purpose,” Shufran said.

“First, it provides a place for native bees to lay eggs during the warm season and serves as their home during pollination. Second, it gives the bees a place to overwinter when the seasons change.”

See Big 12 on 4

BYU adapting to Big 12 while holding on to ‘who they are’

Courtesy of Stephanie Landaverde

Native bees are among the many different welcome and necessary pollinators in landscapes.

Courtesy of BYU Athletics via Twitter

BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe (left) said as a former Cougar football player and alumnus, it feels good to make the move to a Power Five conference. See Bees on

Erik Larson and Janet Lorin Bloomberg News

Braden Bush

Sports Editor

Jake Sellers Staff Reporter

New era Cincinnati ready to make jump to Big 12

This is part of The O’Colly’s series on the four new members of the Big 12 Conference.

Kansas State isn’t the only group of cats in the Big 12 now.

The conference announced on Sept. 10, 2021, that four new teams would be joining the conference: Cincinnati, BYU, Houston and UCF.

As of July 1, the almost two-year-old news became official.

The University of Cincinnati exited the American Athletic Conference after becoming one of the all-around dominant programs in the AAC.

Bearcat football had undergone quite a resurgence in recent years, highlighted by a trip to the College Football Playoff in 2021.

However, Luke Fickell, the head coach of the 2021 CFP team, finished his six-year tenure as the Bearcats’ leader last fall, as he’s now the head coach at the University of Wisconsin.

His replacement, Scott Satterfield, spent the last 10 seasons as the head coach for Appalachian State (2013–18) and Louisville (2019–22). In four seasons with the Cardinals, Satterfield had a 25-24 record and led the team to three bowl appearances. He’s now tasked with leading Cincy into a top-three college football conference for the school’s inaugural season with the Big 12.

“The fact that they were going into the Big 12 was a huge, huge selling point for me,” Satterfield said, back in May. “I was sitting there in the ACC, playing some big-time ball in a big-time conference. The opportunity now to go play in another Power Five conference at a place where I felt administration — at the highest level on campus and within the athletic department — was much more stable. That was very, very important for me.”

As for basketball, the most notable Big 12 sport, the Bearcats have been searching for postseason success since Mick Cronin left for UCLA after the 2018-19 season (the Bearcat faithful hope the same won’t happen on the gridiron with Fickell leaving).

However, Cincinnati has made the Big Dance 15 times this century, so it’s a program that has been consistently relevant in recent history.

Cincy’s head coach, Wes Miller, is going into his third

season as the leader of the program, with a 41-28 combined record. After missing all postseason play his first season, his most recent squad lost in the NIT Quarterfinals, but won five more games than the season prior, showing solid improvement from his first year.

“I’m really excited about it,” Miller said of joining the Big 12. “If you look at the recent history, it’s unquestionably the best basketball league in the country.

“It’s certainly impacted

our recruiting a great deal. Cincinnati is a national brand, and this program has been on the national map of college basketball for decades. We’ve always been able to get involved with the best recruits and best players in the country. But sometimes it was difficult because they wanted to play in the best leagues.” Other sports, though, may take longer for Cincinnati to find its footing.

The school doesn’t have a softball program and is en-

tering the top-notch softball conference; the baseball team made the NCAA Tournament in 2019, but before that hadn’t made an appearance since 1974; not to mention a first-year head coach is coming in; tennis is limited to only women, who have a .499 winning percentage over the last five seasons. But stepping up to a bigger conference is a challenge for any program and will naturally take time to build up a reputation as an athletic threat. Luckily for Cincinnati,

the Bearcat fans and athletic department are up for the challenge.

“That’s why September 12, 2021, was so important,” UC Athletic Director John Cunningham said. “We had donors that were in tears, because the investment, the time, and effort were kind of coming to heat there. We’ve got tremendous support, a huge alumni base, and this will just give them even more fuel to their fire to make sure this program continues to compete.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Cincinnati Athletics

Cincinnati brings to the Big 12 a football program with a 2021 College Football Playoff appearance and a basketball program rich in tradition and success.

Ashton Slaughter Assistant Sports Editor

Ranking Big 12 position groups

OSU will have new starters at kicker, punter in 2023

hold their starter spots.

No. 3: UCF

UCF returns one of the best punter-kicker duos in the conference. Australian punter Mitch McCarthy averaged over 40 yards per punt last season while kicker Colton Boomer made 14 of 15 field goal attempts with the only miss being from 64 yards.

Football season is creeping up, and the Big 12 welcomes four new teams.

The O’Colly will rank position groups in the conference each week. Previously, quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and offensive lines were ranked. This time, it’s the special teams.

No. 1: TCU

TCU returns two of the best special teams players in the conference. Kicker Griffin Kell is arguably the best kicker in the Big 12 after his firstteam all-conference selection last year. Punter Jordy Sandy was an honorable mention for All-Big 12 honors a season ago.

No. 2: Texas Texas returns all special teams starters except the punter position, which the Longhorns are replacing with a four-year starter. Punter Ryan Sanborn transferred in from Stanford, who was an honorable mention in the Pac-12. Kicker Bert Auburn and return man Xavier Worthy will with-

No. 4: Oklahoma

OU is replacing punter

Michael Turk with one of the best MAC punters in the past few seasons. Luke Elzinga transfers in from Central Michigan with third-team and first-team All-MAC honors in his three years starting. Kicker Zach Schmit will start his second season as kicker. Wide receivers Jalil Farooq and LV Bunkley-Shelton will man the returning duties.

No. 5: Cinicinnati

Cincinnati holds a Ray Guy finalist on its roster.

Mason Fletcher was named a third-team All-American last season with an average of 46.2 yards per punt and 26 punts inside the 20-yard line. Carter Brown is expected to take over kicking duties after his freshman season at Arizona State. Transfer D.J. Taylor was ranked third in the nation in kick return average in 2020 and will be taking punts and kicks back for the Bearcats.

No. 6: Kansas State The Wildcats’ returner

has the opportunity to become one of the Big 12’s all-time best. Wide receiver Phillip Brooks holds multiple honors since 2020 for his punt and kick return abilities. He ranks sixth in Big 12 history for punt return touchdowns. Kicker Chris Tennant is expected to be the starter while punter Jack Blumer will return as the starting punter.

No. 7: Texas Tech

Texas Tech will have one more season with its best punter in school history. Austin McNamara will be a five-year starter and is considered to be one of the best punters in the country. Kicker Gino Garcia redshirted last season, but is expected to start. Receivers Myles Price and Jordan Brown are expected to continue returning kicks and punts this season.

No. 8: OSU

The Cowboys are replacing Tom Hutton with another Australian and returning at all other positions. Punter Hudson Kaak is a freshman from Australia who was ranked as the third-best punter in his class. Kicker Alex Hale will take over the starting duties and wide receiver Brennan Presley will be the primary kick and punt returner.

No. 9: Kansas Kansas added one of Sun Belt Conference’s best kickers to its roster. Kicker Seth Keller

has numerous All-Sun Belt awards during his three-year career at Texas State. Punter Reis Vernon is entering his third year of starting, and the kick and punt returns will be manned by a pair of safeties in O.J. Burroughs and Kenny Logan

Jr.

No. 10: Iowa State

The Cyclones enter the season with last year’s starters staying put. Punter Tyler Perkins was named a secondteam freshman All-American and ranked fifth in punt average last season. Kicker Jace Gilbert, also a freshman, made 12 of 20 field goal attempts for Iowa State. Wide Receiver Jaylin Noel began returning kicks in the middle of the season and is expected to be returning both kicks and punts.

No. 11: Baylor Baylor is expected to start the season with a new punter and kicker. The Bears recruited one of the best freshman punters in the country in Palmer Williams and brought in kicker Jack Stone from Michigan State, who made a 51-yard field goal versus Penn State last season. Wide Receiver Monaray Baldwin is expected to take over kick return duties while wide receiver Jordan Nabors will return punts.

No. 12: BYU BYU has one of the best punters in the conference while replacing its kicker for

this season. Punter Ryan Rehkow has started the last three seasons for the Cougars and boasts 48 punts inside the 20yard line in his career. Kicker Will Ferrin is expected to start while wide receiver Hobbs Nyberg will return to his role as kick and punt returner.

No. 13: West Virginia

One of West Virginia’s best transfer additions is also a returner. Wide receiver Ja’Shaun Poke averaged more than 27 yards per kick return last season at Kent State and is expected to return both punts and kicks. Punter Oliver Straw was named a freshman AllAmerican honorable mention last season, averaging more than 42 yards per punt.

No. 14: Houston

The Cougars will return a three-year starter at punter and start fresh at kicker and returner. Punter Laine Wilkins was named honorable mention All-AAC two seasons ago but has been a consistent punter for Houston in his three years. Jack Martin is expected to be the new kicker after spending two seasons at Alabama, where he didn’t get much playing time. Wide receiver Peyton Sawyer will take over the returning duties. He was the second-leading returner for the Cougars last season.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

File Photo

The Cowboys must replace both Tanner Brown (kicker) and Tom Hutton from last year’s squad.

Davis Cordova Staff Reporter

Holmoe praised how BYU has taken care of its basketball arena, the Marriott Center, which was built in 1971, and said it looks less than a decade old. Lavell Edwards Stadium, the Cougars’ football stadium with a Rocky Mountain backdrop, offers a unique viewing experience. Video boards, LED ribbons and the sounds system have all been upgraded recently, but Holmoe said the stadium still needs work.

When the Big 12 toured BYU’s facilities ahead of joining the conference, associate athletic director Chad Lewis said in an interview on Cougar Sports Saturday that the Big 12 agreed. “When the Big 12 came and saw Lavell Edwards Stadium, their response was, ‘This is really cool, this is a cute stadium,’” Lewis said. “‘It’s kind of got that 1970’s/1980’s feel.’”

With or without renovations, BYU offers a unique atmosphere that the Big 12 hasn’t had. Cougar fans show up, too. Their average football attendance of 61,647 in 2021 would have ranked third in the league, only behind exiting OU and Texas. In basketball, BYU had no problem selling out Marriott Center, where it averaged 13,855 fans – 16th nationally and third in the Big 12, behind Texas Tech and Kansas.

The Cougar men’s basketball team only went 16-15 in the WCC the past two seasons, but turnouts were still great. The football squad has a 29-9 record that last three seasons, including 10- and 11win campaigns, and boasts the 1984 national title. Men’s and women’s country has combined for two national titles and three runner-up finishes in the last five years.

And BYU’s success has come while doing it its own way. Houston announced a new $100 million athletics bud-

get, but BYU will set no such number.

“Sometimes in order to be able to get to a point, it costs money,” Holmoe said.

“So, do we have numbers and targets and projections? Yeah, but we are a private school, so that’s a good thing. But we do not have a number (for athletic budget) that we’re looking to shoot for, but it costs money to compete with these dogs.”

Though Yormark and staff have pushed BYU to

update facilities and evolve with the conference, BYU already fits some of his plans. BYU has more than 450,000 alumni worldwide, and the LDS Church has more than 17 million members. Yormark’s proposition of football games in Mexico excited Holmoe and the BYU community.

“It’s BYU. I was the first one to raise my hand,” Holmoe joked. “I think it fits right into our mission.”

In the new landscape of college athletics, BYU is adapting and joining the Power Five. For the Big 12, it brings a name-brand, tradition-rich school with programs across all sports that have experienced success. Important with the OU and Texas losses coming in 2024. For BYU, the conference offers stability, competition and a vision that will help keep the Cougars out of limbo again.

“I think it’s rubbed off on me to say, ‘Hey, if our conference, the Big 12, can be ahead of the game, let’s try to figure out ways that we can do that – without changing,’” Holmoe said. “BYU, we’re gonna look the same in many regards. We are who we are, y’all have seen that. We’ll be the same but different.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Mark Brown

BYU brings unique venues and game day atmospheres to the Big 12, and the Cougars don’t plan to “keep up with the Joneses” as far as new facilities.

CAS students selected for Beckman Scholars Program

Two standout undergraduate students emerged as the first scholars. Adriahna Blackburn and Nina Parvin have each been paired with a mentor and will spend the following 15 months doing intensive and important research.

Student involvement in campus research is evolving.

In January, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation awarded OSU with the funding to sponsor six student-mentor pairs through 2025. The program is available to students studying chemistry, biochemistry, biology, physiology, physics or microbiology.

“Receiving this scholarship is a game changer in my academic and professional trajectory,” Parvin said. “Being an OSU Beckman Scholar means being a part of a community that promotes diversity, education and leadership. This community will provide me with opportunities to work with and learn from other talented researchers and build lasting relationships that will support my professional growth.”

Parvin is a physics and mechanical engineering junior from Beggs,

OK, who has been paired with Mario Borunda as her mentor. The two will work to understand the radiation tolerance of perovskite materials to increase their stability. She is an active member of the Society of Women Engineers and serves as a representative for Transitioning Equity and Diversity into Engineering.

Blackburn is a microbiology and molecular genetics sophomore from Nardin, OK.

Alongside her mentor, Dr. Matt Cabeen, Blackburn will research the mechanism of non-canonical pyocin production by strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that are used to kill different strains of the same species. Blackburn serves the OSU campus community as the volunteer chair for the Asian

American Student Association. She invests in the community of Stillwater as a coordinator for Operation Catnip, which provides free trap, neuter and return services for cats in Stillwater and surrounding communities.

“I strive to be a lifelong learner, leader and educator,” Blackburn said. “Becoming a Beckman Scholar means that I have the resources to grow and hone these skills through research experience and through the leaders and other scholars involved in the program.”

To learn more about the Beckman Scholars Program at OSU, visit the BSP website. news.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of OSU

Adriahna Blackburn, left, and Nina Parvin, right, were selected as the first recipients of the Beckman Scholars Program.

Bella Casey

Staff Reporter

Admissions...

Continued from 1

In anticipation of the Supreme Court ruling, a study by Georgetown University in March called for selective colleges to scrap their legacy policies. The report — “Race, Elite College Admissions, and the Court” — held that doing so would help elite universities “maintain their newfound (albeit still limited) levels of diversity.”

While Massachusetts Institute of Technology has had a longstanding policy against legacy admissions, only a handful of other selective colleges have adopted such practices, including Amherst College and Johns Hopkins University.

‘Unfair, Unearned’

The complaint against Harvard over legacy admissions was filed by the Chica Project, the African Community Economic Development of New England and the Greater Boston Latino Network. The groups called the practice an “unfair and unearned benefit” based solely on “the family that the applicant is born into.”

“Your family’s last name and the size of your bank account are not a measure of merit, and should have no bearing on the college admissions process,” said Ivan EspinozaMadrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, which represents the groups.

The Supreme Court ruling stemmed from a suit filed by Students for Fair Admissions, an anti-preferences organization run by former stockbroker Ed Blum. On Monday, Blum pointed to his organization’s statement after the Supreme Court ruling, which said the elimination of legacy practices “is long overdue.”

“Because Harvard only admits a certain number of students each year, a spot given to a legacy or donor-related applicant is a spot that becomes unavailable to an applicant who meets the admissions criteria based purely on his or her own

merit,” the groups said in its filing.

According to the complaint, Harvard receives “substantial federal funding” from the Department of Educa-

tion each year to provide for research programs in arts, science, medicine, business, design and public health.

“As a recipient of these federal funds, Harvard must

comply with Title VI and applicable regulations, namely, the obligation to ensure that its programs do not use criteria that disproportionately and unjustifiably exclude applicants

in protected classes, such as people of color,” the complaint says.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Scott Eisen

People walk through Harvard Yard on the Harvard University campus on June 29, 2023, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious admission policies used by Harvard and the University of North Carolina violate the Constitution, bringing an end to affirmative action in higher education.

Bees...

Continued from 1

For those who want to build a bee condo or hotel, it’s best to fasten it waist or chest high on a tree, fence or wall near the pollen source. Shufran said bees commute between their habitat and the pollen source multiple times a day, so the closer together they are, the more time bees spend pollinating.

When installing it, homeowners should try to choose a sunny spot in the landscape and have the bee hotel face

the east so it gets the morning sun but won’t get too hot later in the day.

To prevent moisture from collecting inside the tubes, effective hotels should be positioned in a slight downward tilt. It’s a good idea to cover the front of the bee hotel with screening to keep out predators.

Shufran said bee hotels should be cleaned out during February or March, but timing is important.

“Cleaning them out too soon risks disturbing viable cocoons, while acting too late may disturb newly laid eggs,” she said.

In early spring, place the overwintered hotels or occupied nesting material inside a dark container known as an

emergence box. Cut a 3/8-inch hole near the bottom for the bees to crawl out and place it near the original outdoor location.

More information about emergence boxes, management and overall maintenance is available online.

Aside from bee hotels, there are other ways gardeners can help boost the bee population.

“Native bees are five times better pollinators than honey bees, along with wasps and flies, so it’s important to plant native flowers,” Shufran said. “Native flowers are shaped to accommodate the bee’s body, which makes it easy for them to reach the pollen. Although nonnative plants are beautiful, they may not

Courtesy of OSU

provide what bees need.”

Shufran encourages people to research native bees and how humans can help elevate bee populations.

“What you learn, along with your children and grandchildren, can make a difference in the long run,” she said. “Insects have been around for 500 million years. What we do today has a big impact on the future. Limiting the use of insecticides, planting native flowers and providing habitat for native bees has a big impact on our lives.”

Detailed information on building a bee condo can be found online.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Bee hotels, also known as bee condos, bee houses or nest blocks, provide nesting spaces for solitary bees or wasps in places where natural habitats may be scarce.

‘Asteroid City’

Michael Clark Staff Reporter

In Nicole Kidman’s groundbreaking AMC theaters monologue, she claims that we come to movie theaters to witness magic. Audiences rejected this sentiment, considering it to be pretentious and rather overanalytical. As an avid movie-goer, I’ve always thought Nicole Kidman wasn’t too far from the truth here.

There’s a kind of magic in cinema that’s rarely captured, but very much

present. Thankfully, Wes Anderson’s latest film “Asteroid City” is the perfect encapsulation of the magic that every filmmaker chases.

“Asteroid City” is a more character-driven approach to Wes Anderson’s iconic style. The plot features an ensemble cast of characters fighting against their own personal issues, alongside a surprise alien invasion. The themes are cryptic, and sometimes feel a bit uncertain. The film feels like a metaphor for struggling with an unexpected event or loss, and how those feelings can permeate the art we create, but many elements are open for interpretation.

With Wes Anderson, it’s hard to tell whether he’s leaving his stories open for analysis or if he has no idea what he’s doing. One part of the film is shot entirely in black and white and

it’s hard to tell what it serves to the plot and themes until the ending and subsequent rewatches. Some scenes are pretty slow, but the payoffs are worth the wait.

One of the best films of this year Review

Despite the strange pacing and themes, “Asteroid City” still has a certain magic to it that permeates every shot, and makes for a fantastic watch.

As always, Wes Anderson’s quirky direction and set design is on full display here. It’s a little more restrained than some of his other films, with a unique and lonely atmosphere. Almost every joke in the film lands; it’s the hardest I’ve heard a theater laugh in a long time.

What truly makes “Asteroid City” incredible are those little things. The UFO invasion scene may be my favorite scene in a movie this year just because of how weird it is. The soundtrack is as

charming and memorable as some of his best works, and the ideas presented are the most personal and moving Wes Anderson has provided in a long time. Dealing with loss, the small connections we make in life that last a few days but linger for a lifetime, there is truly some beautiful stuff here when he conveys it right.

So, even if there are some parts of the film that don’t fully work, and the central idea of the story isn’t perfectly conveyed, “Asteroid City” still manages to shoot for the stars and land as one of the best films of the year. From beautiful direction, to its charming humor, to its confused, yet very much beating heart, this movie is worth your time through and through.

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

HIMALAYAN GROCERY STORE

Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features

Scarlett Johansson stars in “Asteroid City,” co-written and directed by Wes Anderson.

Edited

by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

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Serving quality pizza and more since 1957.”

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815 S Main, Downtown Open 10-6 Monday thru Saturday

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Daily Horoscope

Nancy

Black

Tribune Content Agency

Linda Black Horoscopes

Today’s Birthday (07/05/23). Friends inspire friends this year. Expand explorations with steady, disciplined action. Fill your house with love, joy and family this autumn, before challenges redirect winter social plans. Springtime domestic changes set the stage for peak professional performance. Grow with help from your crew and community.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is a 6 — Patience comes in handy, especially on committees or group projects. Inspire and encourage others to succeed. It takes teamwork to navigate unexpected changes.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 6 — Focus on practical priorities around a professional challenge. Build and grow from strong basic structures. Listen to intuition. Stay flexible. Cut the noise for clarity.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 7 — Your investigation could take an unexpected twist. Wait for better conditions to launch. You can have what you’re willing to work for.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is a 7 — You’re building for the future yet a financial barrier blocks the path. Avoid arguments and save time, money and heartache. Discover a brilliant solution.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — Coordinated collaboration generates satisfaction. Keep a sense of humor, especially with your partner. Adapt around unforeseen events. Align strategies and schedules. Share love and support.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Prioritize your work, health and energy despite unreliable conditions. You can see what’s not working. Reduce risk. Keep your eye on the finish line, step after step.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 7 — Look for silver linings and hidden opportunities. Slow down. Have fun without taking expensive risks. Adapt around limitations or barriers. Relax with someone nice.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is an 8 — Prioritize home and family. A surprise requires adaptation. Fix something before it breaks. Clean messes and clear clutter for more breathing room. Savor simple pleasures.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 7 — Your creative juices are flowing. Polish a diamond in the rough. Work around changes. Reinforce basic structures. Avoid controversy or irritations. Put your headphones on.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Profitable work energizes you. Not everything goes as planned. Review the data. Pivot to adapt. Avoid spending on stuff you don’t need. Patiently untangle.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 9 — Expand your personal growth and development. You’re growing stronger, despite complications, surprises or misfortune. Relax. Nurture yourself with self care, nature and fun.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 6 — Process a transition. If you feel sensitive, lay low and hide in your sanctuary. Avoid risk, controversy or noise. Don’t launch until you’re ready.

Solution

By Alice Liang

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk