The Intoxicating Watch- Would you like "Another Round" ?

Q News

Bri Davis

Going through a mid-life crisis, not sure what to do?

Find a hobby, surround yourself with friends or see a therapist. 

Don’t pick up the bottle. 

Another Round (2020), directed by Thomas Vinterberg showcases the dangerous realities of using alcohol to solve your problems. The Danish film begins by focusing on four high school teachers who gather for dinner to celebrate Mads Mikkelsen (Martin) and his 40th birthday. 

During this dinner, Magnus Millang (Nikolaj) begins by talking about Norwegian philosopher and psychiatrist Finn Skårderud who thinks it’s sensible to drink. He claims, “Humans are born with a blood alcohol content that’s 0.05% too low.”

Everyone at the table looks at Nikolaj with peaked interest, except Martin. 

Immediately you begin to understand Martin isn’t like the other guys. The camera seems to follow him throughout the dinner as the men, laugh and joke. 

Something is off.

Martin is disconnected, staring into the abyss of nothingness. 

The waiters come around with a bottle of vodka, which they then pour into the four men's glasses. The camera focuses on the glasses as the chilled vodka is poured a quarter of the way like a crisp glass of water hitting the tall glasses. 

From there the men pick up the glasses to toast to this newfound idea Nikolaj has explained, except Martin. 

The only thing he’s had to drink tonight is a soda with a lemon. 

“Martin, come on,” says Lars Ranthe (Peter). “Russia was built by people who drink vodka and drive.”

It appears to be a sad case of peer pressure as Martin picks up the glass puts it to his lips and takes the smallest sip of vodka before setting the glass back down, quickly taking a sip of his soda.

From there, the snowball begins. 

One drink turns into two, three and then the camera settles on Martin, tears forming in his sad-looking eyes. The men look concerned as they stare at their friend from across the table. 

“What’s going on Martin,” says Peter. 

Martin responds, “I don’t do much. I don’t see many people.” 

It’s as if during the entire course of the dinner he had been reflecting on his life to only realize that he wasn’t happy with the way it was playing out. 

It was this realization that made the men want to test the theory of Finn Skårderud. 

There was nothing to lose, so they thought. 

However, as the movie unfolds this would soon show a fatal decision. 

Vinterberg eloquently showcases the four men’s lives as they go through the ups and downs of drinking.

Martin, who once seemed to live his life on autopilot, now appears vibrant and ready to take on the day. He has reconnected with his wife and sons and has become a more involved teacher for his students. 

Peter is no longer sitting back idly watching his classroom. Instead, he seems to connect more with his students and his classroom. 

Nikolaj and his wife were able to rekindle the spark in their relationship. 

Tommy, played by Thomas Bo Larsen, has become more energetic, spending more time connecting with the young soccer team he has taken on.

However, everything is not what it seems. 

With the highs must come the lows. 

As the movie continues to display the four friends' downward spiral, the director does a great job of using the camera to show the unsettledness unfolding before the viewer's eyes. The once-still camera now shakes each time the men pick up a drink. The once vibrant lighting has become a moody almost black and white color. 

This alludes to the fact that something bad is coming, but one can't say for certain when.

By increasing the amount of alcohol they consume and pushing their bodies' limits, the four men expose themselves to the harsh reality of alcoholism. Their social lives take a hit, the relationships they have with their families and even the relationships they have with themselves.

Will everyone make it out of this spiral? 

Title: Another Round

Length: 1hour, 56 minutes

Language: Danish (English subtitles)

Rating: 18+

Free Streaming Services: Tubi, Plex and Roku

Other Streaming Services: Amazon Prime Video (Subscription), YouTube ($2.99), Apple TV ($3.99)

Why you should visit HPU's fine-dining restaurant "Alo"

If you’ve been looking for a place to have a great meal, catch up with friends, or simply take yourself on a solo date, for nothing but a magic meal swipe. 

You should head to Alo.

"Alo" is Latin meaning, to develop, foster and nourish. It is High Point University's second fine dining restaurant and Life Skills learning lab. Alo looks to introduce students to international flavors, customs and cuisines. Each month is a different country where students have the option of choosing an appetizer, an entree and a dessert from that country (alongside the regular menu that doesn’t change). 

Although I have been to Alo countless times with friends since it opened in 2021. 

Last Friday, April 5, I got to experience Alo differently for the first time, I went by myself. 

Before I arrived for my 5:45 P.M. dinner I received a confirmation call from Alo’s front desk confirming my reservation. Of course, I responded with an ecstatic yes and the woman on the other end said, “We look forward to you dining with us.” 

As I arrived at The Jana and Ken Kahn Hotel (where Alo is located) I was greeted by a friendly face who welcomed me for dinner and pointed me in the direction of either the stairs or the elevator- whichever was more convenient for me. 

I chose to take the spiral red steps up to the restaurant that sits on the second floor.

The restaurant can be seen through two glass doors that open up to the gorgeous Mediterranean-style fine dining restaurant. All around are white tablecloth tables with shiny silverware and see-through drinking glasses resting upon them. 

Once greeted by the hostess who asks your name and then escorts you to your seat you are immediately welcomed by your waiter. During this encounter, I was asked if this was the first time I had been to Alo (which it wasn’t but if it is for you they will tell you a little bit about the restaurant and what to expect during your time there) and if I would like anything else to drink besides water. 

I decided to order a hot latte while I overlooked the menu. 

Once the waiter came back with my latte he asked if I needed any more time to browse the menu or if I was ready to order. 

I was ready, so I ordered the burrata to start along with the chicken tortellini pasta and to finish my meal I got the baklava, off of this month’s menu which was Greece.

As I sat there, sipping on my warm, vanilla latte, listening to the crackling of the fireplace behind me, I took a moment to soak in the serene feeling I had just being there. It was the first time I had ever gone to a sit-down restaurant by myself with only a book to keep me entertained. (Alo has a no-phones policy which I like because it helps you stay in the moment) 

My waiter returned with a plate of different kinds of bread and butter while I waited for my appetizer to come out. Every so often my waiter would return to check in on me and see if I needed anything or if he could take my plate. 

The bread and butter was probably what you could expect at any other restaurant, there’s nothing really special about it, but to offer bread and butter at all is a nice gesture. 

Finally, my burrata appetizer arrived. It was delicious, containing fresh mozzarella and tomatoes with a balsamic and pesto drizzle on top of it. It was just enough food to keep me lightly refreshed before my big entree came out. 

After about 15 minutes or so, my waiter appeared again, this time with my entrée in hand. I will say, that I was immediately a little disappointed with the small portion of food in front of me. (I have noticed that when you attend Alo with bigger groups of people, the sizes tend to be bigger). 

Nonetheless, I dug into my tortellini with chicken, which contained a fresh pesto sauce on top of it. It definitely could have used more salt and seasoning on the chicken, but it was easy to cut into and had a char-grilled taste. As for the pasta, it was nothing special. I think that the dish needed more of a sauce to help offset the chicken that lacked seasoning, but it didn’t bother me too much as I cleaned my plate.

Lastly, it was time to enjoy this month’s special dessert, the baklava. It was a nice and flaky phyllo dough filled with the decadent taste of pistachio and different nuts accompanied by a pistachio gelato, my true favorite dish of the night. 

Unlike other restaurants, you don’t have to wait for a check as you have already paid (magic meal swipe). So, once you are ready to go, you can get up and go about your day.

All in all, I would certainly go back to Alo by myself or with a group of friends. You can’t miss the opportunity to have a three-course meal alongside your friends for free. Of course, there are things that you could complain about such as the small portion sizes, the lack of seasoning on some dishes, or even the no-phone policy, but let’s be real, that’s an HPU privilege problem, not a real issue.

(If you’re looking to get a dinner reservation as a student or someone in the community contact alo@highpoint.edu or (336) 841-2960). For those in the community looking to get a seat, it is $60. Hours of Operation: Tues- Sun 4:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.)

Imagine that you are getting ready for a date. 

You pick out that gorgeous red dress that you’ve been waiting to wear for a special occasion, you take an hour-long shower so that you feel super clean and put on your best-smelling perfume. 

After all, you want to make an impression.

This is someone you have been talking to for weeks, smiling at their texts, waiting by your phone until you hear it ring, endless FaceTime calls until the early mornings, all for this special person who has come into your life.  

It’s as if you never needed them and then one day you couldn’t imagine life without them. 

As you get ready to text them to meet at the local Italian restaurant, you notice that when you send your text your iPhone message turns green. You think that your phone is broken so you turn it off and back on, only to realize that your phone is not broken. Your date that you’ve been texting and FaceTiming for weeks has blocked you. 

With no explanation. 

You're confused immediately you run to all your different social media accounts to see if you can find their page, only to find that their accounts, “no longer exist.” What happened? Just a few hours ago you both were planning to see each other and now you're confused, sad and maybe even a little heartbroken. 

You’ve been ghosted. 

Thriving Center of Psychology reports, “About 1 in 4 have been ghosted after the first date or after a couple of dates. Shockingly, 1 in 10 shared they’ve been ghosted after a couple of months of dating! Ghosting has made it such a pain that 30% of singles are fed up with dating in 2023.”

Getting ghosted is a frustrating experience that many people unfortunately have to deal with in today's dating world. It can be really confusing and hurtful when someone suddenly stops responding to your messages or calls without any explanation. It leaves you wondering what went wrong and if you did something to cause it. 

However, more often than not, getting ghosted has nothing to do with you. “I think a lot of us ghost others because that can feel like the “easiest” option at the time with the resources we have,” explains Marriage and Family Therapist, Lindsay Huckaba. 

Whether you are getting ghosted or doing the ghosting, one thing is clear.

It's not a reflection of your worth. Sometimes people just lose interest or have their own personal issues going on that have nothing to do with you. It's best to try to move on and focus on finding someone who will appreciate you and communicate with you openly and honestly.

The Supreme Court needs a better code of ethics

The Supreme Court is responsible for safeguarding civil rights and liberties by invalidating any laws that violate the Constitution. It plays a crucial role in ensuring that there are checks and balances within our government and that everyone is treated equally under the law. 

Given that their decisions have a significant impact on the entire nation, it is reasonable to expect that the nine justices are held to the highest standards of scrutiny.

However, it seems that today’s justices are not held to this standard. 

In recent years, Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Justice Neil Gorsuch and Chief Justice Roberts have fallen under heavy criticism for some of their questionable decisions as Justices of the Court. 

According to the Associated Press, Justice Thomas took undisclosed trips nearly every year from Republican megadonor Harlan Crow without reporting them on financial disclosure forms. Supreme Court Justices are obligated to file an annual financial disclosure form where they must report any gifts that they received. 

In a separate article written by the AP, Justice Alito accepted an Alaska resort vacation from GOP donors. According to the report, one of the two men had interests before the court. When Justice Alito was asked about whether or not they discussed such matters he responded, “On no occasion have we discussed the activities of his businesses, and we have never talked about any case or issue before the Court.”

Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor, came under fire when her staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books, according to the AP. 

One thing is clear by omitting details about vacations, personal finances or business trips. These Justices are in clear violation of a code of ethics.

Justices should know better. There is no excuse to make such lapses in judgment. It is not a partisan issue but rather a code of ethics issue. This is why on Nov. 13, 2023, after weeks of criticism the Supreme Court released a written code of conduct for the Justices. 

According to the 15-page document it was released because, The absence of a Code, has led in recent years to the misunderstanding that the Justices of this Court, unlike all other jurists in this country, regard themselves as unrestricted by any ethics rules.  Although this document is a first of its kind it fails to address the problem at its root.

After reading the document it is clear, the document is more of an advisory document for the way the Justices should act rather than a concrete binding agreement on how they must act. “In the end, this code is neither binding nor enforceable when there is an instance of impropriety among the justices,” said the American Progress. 

How are we holding our Justices accountable with a non-binding agreement? 

When comparing the Supreme Court’s code of ethics to other government employees, including judges and lower courts, the Supreme Court is a free-for-all. The gifts received by Justice Alito and Justice Thomas would never be permitted in other government spaces. “Federal employees cannot accept gifts valued at more than $50 per year. Members of Congress and their staffs are similarly prohibited from accepting gifts from anyone who is not a family member or close personal friend,” said the American Progress. 

Why are we accepting the fact that Justices are in clear ethical violation of their standard of conduct in and outside the Court as government officials? The Supreme Court should be ashamed of its mishandling of such situations and do better to ensure that its decisions are upheld under an enforceable code of ethics. 

After all, no one is above the law. 

 

Why you shouldn't join the High Point University women's soccer team.

I have been playing soccer since I was four years old. By a certain age, I knew the sport better than I could read or write. When I stepped over the solid white line onto the rectangular soccer field and felt the grass beneath my cleats while moving my pink and blue soccer ball across the field, I felt like this was what I was meant to be doing with my life.

It was moments like those that deepened my love for the game. 

That’s how it should be. A love for the beautiful game- an unexplainable feeling that puts you at ease when you play it. It’s as if time stands still and you are four years old again, doing what you love. 

Unfortunately, coaches can influence players and either make or break their love for the sport. If you're an athlete or someone passionate about something, you can empathize with me. As a young player, I had one dream: to play Division I soccer.

In high school, when I started receiving recruitment offers from colleges, I knew that my dream was going to come true. One of the schools that caught my attention was a beautiful Division I school in High Point, North Carolina called "High Point University." During my recruiting visit, I was welcomed by a friendly security guard who directed me and my mom to a black sign with orange letters that said, "Welcome, Bri Davis." Brandi Fontaine, the former head soccer coach of HPU, greeted us as soon as we stepped out of the car and explained to us that she would be giving us a tour of the school on a golf cart. As we crossed the campus, I heard classical music, visited kiosks that served different snacks and saw plenty of fountains. It felt like a vacation getaway more than a college. The coaches made HPU sound like a dream, the girls on the team were friendly and gave a familial feeling and the coaches assured my mom that they would take care of not just my physical but also my mental health. It was all anyone could ever ask for when getting recruited. As we rode back to the coaches' offices, I looked at my mom and knew that HPU would be my home.

However, the thing about dreams is that one day you wake up and you realize they’re not at all what you thought they were. As soon as my mom left me at HPU to begin my freshman year I would soon understand the "real" coaches that recruited me.

Being a freshman on a team in the middle of a global pandemic is uncanny. I was a part of a recruiting class of 11. I got extremely close to most of the girls in my class. We were together 24/7. After all, we couldn't be around anyone else because our coaches and trainers feared we would catch COVID-19 and have to isolate for several days. This went on into the spring until we began conference games.

It was the night before our first spring game when Brandi walked up to me and told me that some of the other girls and I could not be in the locker room before the game, "as a precautionary COVID-19 measure."

I was immediately confused, we had been in the locker room all of the fall during training sessions and were completely fine. It seemed as if she was trying to exclude us from the team. Before each game, I had to get dressed in my car with some of the other girls and then run out of my car to catch up with the "team" before they made it down to the field for starting lineups.

After talking with other teams at HPU (men's soccer, women's lacrosse, etc) who had the same size locker rooms as us and with more people on their team, they explained to me that they thought it was crazy she was making us actually change and get ready in our cars. It was as if she was treating us as club players and not scholarship athletes.

After one of the games, I went to Brandi and explained how changing in our cars made us feel excluded from the team. She offered a solution, putting our lockers in the showers.

There were seven freshmen, including me who had their chairs, and a piece of tape above "their locker" with their number on it, in their individual shower.

It was extremely humiliating and embarrassing. During halftime when the coaches would come to talk to the team, I along with the six other girls would sit in the dark in the showers listening to the conversation that was going on in the room next to us.

This coupled with racially insensitive comments the coaches would consistently make about my hair (as one of only two black girls on the team) saying things such as, "Is that your real hair?", "Can I touch your hair?", "Wow, Bri when your hair is straight it looks cleaner." Added to my humiliation and uncomfortableness in front of my teammates.

To make matters worse when we would have individual meetings they would try and invade your personal life saying things such as, "We want to be able to better understand you." (while speaking in a condescending tone) Knowing that they were only trying to find ways to get into your head and make you question your worth not only as a soccer player but as a person.

There were plenty of girls who quit that year and the year after because of mental and verbal abuse from our coaches. However, no one ever looked into it because we were the Big South Champions each year.

Why look into a team that's winning? Everything must be going well. Which couldn't have been further from the truth.

During my sophomore year, one of the coaches, Associate Head Coach Chris Fox, who created the mentally and verbally abusive atmosphere was let go. Although Brandi tried to acknowledge that she was sorry and that she wanted to do better for the team, it felt as if it was too late.

My recruiting class of 11 had dwindled to a class of three. Most of the girls who quit never played soccer again.

I feel as though HPU athletics failed the women's soccer team. There were numerous times when girls on the team spoke with the athletic director who promised that HPU was going to look into the issue, which never happened. As athletes and young girls who fell in love with the beautiful game, we deserved more and better than what we received. Coaches shouldn't be the reason someone stops loving their sport.

If I had to do it all again not only would I not join the HPU women's soccer team, but I would advise that you didn't either.

Why you shouldn't join the High Point University women's soccer team.

Imagine you’ve played soccer since you were four years old. You knew it better than you could read or even write by a certain age.

There was nothing better than stepping over the solid white line onto the rectangular soccer field and feeling the thick grass on your cleats as you moved the blue and pink soccer ball across the field. In those moments you knew that nothing could get better than this. 

As time went on you realized that you had one dream - to play Division I soccer.

When you started getting recruited in high school you knew that dream was going to come true. There was a beautiful school in High Point, North Carolina called, “High Point University” that looked more like a vacation getaway than a college.  

On your recruiting visit, as you drove into the campus you were greeted by a friendly security guard who directed you and your on mom on where to park. You parked in front of a black sign that had bright orange letters that spelled out your name and said the words, “Welcome, Bri Davis.” Immediately you felt a sense of home.

As you stepped out of the car, you were greeted by the HPU women’s soccer coach who explained to you that she was going to give you a tour of the school, in a golf cart. You looked at your mom in awe, it seemed as if they had rolled out the red carpet for you. 

As you made your way across campus you heard classical music, visited kiosks that served different snacks and saw plenty of fountains. 

Before you had even made it back to the coaches’ office you knew this was the place you would happily call home. 

Little did you know, everything you were shown was a facade and you would soon learn why you shouldn’t have joined the HPU women’s soccer team.

College Students Want a New Presidential Candidate, Not Another Biden-Trump Rematch

By: Bri Davis

Feb. 20, 2024

Imagine I told you that, although you’re a college student, your single vote could significantly impact the education you receive, the pay you earn at your job and your future in general. 

Would you vote?

You probably would.

However, college students seem to be unenthusiastic about the upcoming election.

Are the candidates to blame? 

In the 2020 presidential election, Generation Z and Millennial voters turned out in record numbers to vote for then-candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden. 

Yet, a new poll released in December 2023 by the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School, “finds waning enthusiasm among younger voters for a Biden-Trump rematch, with more of them saying they may vote for a third-party candidate or just sit out the 2024 election.”

This poses a potential issue for both candidates, as it seems younger voters do not trust another Biden-Trump rematch to handle key policy issues that matter to them such as gun control, climate change, healthcare, crime and the wars between Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Hamas.

“The number of younger Americans aged 18-29 who say they’ll “definitely” vote in the 2024 election has dropped from 57 percent to 49 percent,” according to the Harvard poll. 

We walked around High Point University, to get a feel for what college students thought about the upcoming presidential election, particularly a potential Biden-Trump rematch. 

“I think it’s time that we have a candidate that relates more to our generation,” said HPU, senior Kristarae Poell. 

When speaking with HPU, freshman Jaeden Anderson she said, “I think both candidates have had ample amount of time to make progress within our society, but have fallen short on making actual change in things that impact our generation. I wish there would be someone new to vote for.” 

Yet, the likelihood of a competitive third-party candidate emerging is unlikely.

“As a political identity, “independent” has polled better than Democrat or Republican since 2009,” according to Gallup.

What are college students who don't relate to either candidate supposed to do?

Most pick the lesser of two evils.

"I'll probably vote Biden, but that's only because I have to," said HPU, freshman Jaeden Anderson.

College students on the campus of HPU and around the country should not have to settle for a candidate they don't want to see in office. Our country must do more to ensure that voters from every age range are supported in the democratic process.

After all, young adults are the future of our democracy.