“Netflix Killer” Has Lehmanites Excited
Disney+ includes the streaming services ESPN+ and Hulu. (Photo Credit: Business Insider)
By Nelson Fernandez
A new streaming service that’s being called the “Netflix killer” has been eagerly anticipated by a huge number of fans. A survey found that 70 percent of people were “likely” or “very likely” to drop their current streaming service in favor of Disney Plus, released nationwide on Nov. 12, 2019, according to Variety. Many Lehman students are also enthusiastic.
"Disney is making so much money out of nostalgia. I was a big Disney kid, so it's so valuable to me, being able to see the shows I grew up with," said Sharaah Aquinos, a studio art major and sophomore at Lehman who utilizes the streaming services of Disney Plus.
Danaye Branch, a Lehman junior and psychology major said, “Disney Plus seems like the best service to stream Disney classic movies and shows, along with new franchises and series.”
The new streaming service, Disney+, launched for viewers to enjoy Disney classics on Nov. 12. (Photo Credit: Digital Trends)
Accessible on a wide range of devices, Disney Plus launched on Nov. 12, 2019, with a free seven-day trial while officially billing subscribers on Nov. 19 with three subscription options; $7 for a month, $70 annually and bundle for $12.99 a month that includes Hulu and ESPN Plus.
The streaming-service television network includes every classic show known to older fans such as “Even Stevens,” “That’s So Raven,” “The Proud Family,” and even older Disney movies that aired before the Channel’s first launched on April 18, 1983, including “Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs” (1937), and “Miracle on 34 Street” (1947). All Pixar movies to date, from “Toy Story” (1995) to “Cars 3” (2017) are available as well.
Disney Plus’ interface offers a smooth content-browsing experience; films and series are sorted by categories Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic.
Marvel fans will find not only some of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films like “Captain Marvel” (2019) but also classic animations, such as “X-Men” (1992) and “Spider-Woman” (1979). “Star Wars” sequels, in addition to “The Clone Wars,” and the brand-new series exclusive to Disney Plus, “The Mandalorian” (2019), are currently available. Other streaming-shows exclusive to Disney Plus include: “James Cameron’s Avatar” (2009) and 30 seasons of “The Simpsons.”
Marvel Studios announced some TV programs under development for Disney Plus as well; “The Falcon” and “The Winter Soldier” planned for 2020, and “What If…?” for 2021. These will retell part of the biggest events from the cinematic universe. Since the launch of Disney Plus, there is also a live-action remake of Disney’s “Lady and the Tramp” (2019), starring Tessa Thompson as Lady, and Justin Theroux as the Tramp.
According to the Verge, Disney’s goal heading into the direct-to-consumer space is to provide general entertainment, family and sports content.
“Anyone young or old could find a timeless classic or a new show to fall in love with,” Branch said.
A few of the shows available with Disney+. (Photo Credit: ABC7 LA)
Lehman Students Call for Eco-Friendlier Campus
Lehman students designing their own eco-friendly bags in Carman Hall. (Photo Credit: Yadira Gomez)
By Yadira Gomez
About two million plastic bags are used per minute worldwide, according to “29 Plastic Pollution Facts You Must Know.” New York State, where single-use plastic bags will be banned as of March 1, 2020, currently uses 23 billion of them per year; New York City alone uses 10 billion annually, National Geographic reports. Every year, the same magazine states, nearly 700 species including birds, fish, and many other animals are killed by plastics, which also impact human health.
“When animals eat it, eventually, we eat plastic as well,” said Kimberly Gonzalez, 27, University Volunteer Student of the Church Mission of God, located in the Bronx, NY. “Plastic… is very harmful because it can’t be discomposed. Both animals and human beings consume the plastic-remains that are falling into the ocean.” Members of her church and Lehman students advocate for a more eco-friendly approach to help the environment by reducing plastic usage.
Plastic’s durability means that instead of fully discomposing, it breaks down into small particles that remain on the planet for a long time. Because of their microscopic size, these pieces are difficult to see. They not only enter animals’ digestive systems, but also go into the soil, crops and the air.
A recent study in the journal, Environmental Science and Technology, says that humans “may be consuming anywhere from 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles a year. With added estimates of how much microplastic might be inhaled, that number is more than 74,000."
Humans are of course the ones producing plastic too. Some Lehman students suggest that biodegradable alternatives can substitute for plastic materials, as these decompose through bacteria, without harming the environment.
Students were supplied with markers and paint to create their own designs for their new bags. (Photo Credit: Yadira Gomez)
“Instead of buying plastic cups, people should substitute them with paper cups,” said Paola Rendon, 29, Lehman senior and social work major. “Plastic is good in some ways, but people are over-using it. People are not aware of how bad plastic is to the environment to the animals. Even though we use it so much, it causes harm to ourselves.”
“Reusable bags help the ecosystem; also, instead of using plastic cups, we can use thermal cups,” said Gonzalez.
The most common way for people to carry their grocery shopping is with the plastic bags they are offered at the store. Using eco-friendly reusable bags instead reduces the risk of contaminating the ocean and therefore killing the wildlife. “Reusable bags help us reduce plastic littering because they become a personal item to us,” said Jasmin Vassallo, 28, Lehman junior.
Many stores, from Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s to Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, and Home Goods are now encouraging costumers to use recyclable bags instead of plastic bags by selling them for just .99 cents. Next year that shift will be imposed more broadly. According to the New York Department of Conservation, the upcoming ban on single-use plastic bags will apply to all stores in the state required to collect sales tax.
Starting in March, plastic bags will be banned throughout all of New York State. (Photo Credit: Yadira Gomez)
“When you are spending your money on a bag, it’s harder to throw it out as garbage,” said Vassallo. “It’s also fun to buy reusable bags that are cute and stylish.”
Lehman students say the campus should follow these stores’ lead with more than just bags. “There are ways our campus could reduce plastic waste, like decreasing the usage of single-use plastic containers, utensils, cups, wrappers, straws, and other items in the cafeteria,” said Samantha Di Donato, anthropology, biology, and chemistry triple major at Lehman. “It wouldn’t be too difficult or disruptive because it would just be replacing the current items with more environmentally-friendly ones.”
Lehmanities' Jaded in Aftermath of College Bribery Scandal
Lori Loughlin, Mossimo Giannulli and Felicity Huffman, parents involved in the infamous college admission scandal. (Photo Credit: CNN)
By Sally Barrilla
Nine months after the college admissions scandal broke, 50 parents have been charged with bribery. This includes notorious actresses, Lori Loughlin, known as the iconic Aunt Becky of “Full House” and “Fuller House,” and Felicity Huffman from “Christmas with the Kranks” and “Cake.” But while Ivy League schools Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown and Dartmouth have weathered their bad press, Lehman students remain skeptical of the system it has exposed.
“The revelation was necessary and these celebrities should certainly pay the price, but it shouldn’t be much of a surprise since poor people usually get the short end of the stick,” said 56-year-old English major Thomas Behnke. “Even though the percentage of rich people has increased with more people of color from 20 years ago, it’s completely unfair.”
“It's pathetic how Lori Loughlin [is] basically letting the world know her daughter is incapable of getting into college on her own and she’s proving that money can speak volumes more than hard work,” said Lehman senior English major, Davidia Boykins. “Other students work hard, and just because she's rich doesn't give her the right to try to make her daughter be above other students. There are parents working three jobs or more trying to put their children through school all the way to college, and she's trying to financially bombard her daughter into a college.”
The sums of the bribes reveal the steepness of U.S. income inequality. Former chief executive of PIMCO, Douglas Hodge, recently admitted giving admissions staff $500 million dollars to enroll his children in the University of Southern California, where Loughlin and spouse, fashion designer, Mossimo Giannulli, tried enrolling their daughters and lied about them joining the schools’ athletic team, according to New York Times.
Fox News reported that “Aunt Becky” faces a possible sentence of sixty years due to numerous charges that continue to rise.
Huffman, on the contrary, confessed paying to change her daughter’s Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) answers and was given only fourteen days in jail.
Some Lehman students think this scandal will cause many students of color and low income to be vulnerable to harsher college admission policies.
Some of the colleges where parents paid to admit their children. (Photo Credit: Crisis Magazine)
“Potential students can be overlooked for not having the same resources the college scandal parents had to support their children,” said English Honors student, Yenick Gonzalez.
Others disagreed. “I don’t think it creates much of an impact on students of color unless they went to those schools where that whole incident occurred,” said 28-year-old English major, Marissa Morales.
“I want to say this whole mess is outrageous, but I do believe this is an issue that has been known to people for a long time, and people just sealed their lips and turned the other cheek,” said junior, Kathryn Fornier, a studio art major with a minor in psychology. “I would like to think that this blatant exposure and public shaming of illegal and unjust activity will make waves and positively affect the lives of potential, hardworking, young students, especially those from families of color who are just trying their best to get an education and support themselves and their families.”