By Tyler Carr

Even though the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, on October 7th, 2023, the terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel, taking over 200 hostages and killing around 1400 Israelis. This long-running conflict between Israel and Palestine has been happening since 1948, when the State of Israel was established. In 1949, a truce was signed that gave the Gaza Strip to Egypt. In October 1956 the Suez Canal was nationalized by Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, prompting Israel to invade Egypt. Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula after the war but kept Gaza, arguing that it never belonged to Egypt. Israel later gained control over Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula in the Six-Day War in 1967, returning the latter in 1979. In December 1987, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza declared the First Intifada; during this time, members of the Muslim Brotherhood formed Hamas. The Second Intifada happened in September 2000 after the Camp David negotiations between Israel and Jordan reached an impasse; support for Hamas continued to grow. From 2006 to 2022, relations between Israel and Palestine worsened as Hamas and other militant groups continued to launch attacks against Israel.

Bubola, Emma. “Here is a timeline of the clashes between Palestine militants and Israel.” New York Times, 12 October 2023,

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/07/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-conflict-timeline.html

Live Updates (as of Nov. 6th)

• In word and in deed, the U.S. reinforces its resolve to Iran.

• Blinken reports ‘progress’ in efforts to increase humanitarian aid into Gaza.

• When the phones in Gaza go out, family members far away fear the worst.

• Jordan airdrops medical aid to its field hospital in Gaza.

• Israel’s military cuts off Gaza City from the rest of the enclave.

• Antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents rise in Australia.

• Israel strikes Gaza as its military describes ‘a significant operation.’

https://www.nytimes.com/news-event/israel-hamas-gaza

Deanna Ransom and Natalie Pinckney have some suggestions for binge-worthy TV show watching over this Thanksgiving break. 

Deanna’s TV Shows

For the About I used the site IMDb (The source is listed below).

Use the included ratings to make a choice of show that is appropriate for you. 

Interview with the Vampire (TV-MA):

Genre: Gothic horror; Gothic romance; Southern gothic; Vampire drama; Dark fantasy.

About: 

In the year 2022, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac lives in Dubai and seeks to tell the story of his life or afterlife to renowned journalist Daniel Molloy. Beginning in early 20th-century New Orleans, Louis' story follows his relationship with the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt and their formed family, including teen fledgling Claudia. Together, the vampire family endures immortality in New Orleans and beyond. As the interview continues in Dubai, Molloy discovers the truths beneath Louis' story.

Why I liked it:

 I like how Louis is telling the story in an interview in the present and then goes to the past and shows what happened. A few times, his voice is over the past events. It was also that they did the same thing with Claudia and her diaries. It also doesn’t have places in the story that have nothing happening, but it also doesn’t have over-the-top scenes. The plot slowly rises to the middle and then there is a calm period, and then the finale.

Lost in Space (TV-PG):

Genre: Science fiction; Adventure; Family drama

About: 

Set 30 years in the future, colonization in space is now a reality. The Robinson family is among those tested and selected to make a new life for themselves in a better world. But when the new colonists find themselves abruptly torn off course en route to their new home, they must forge new alliances and work together to survive in a dangerous alien environment, light-years from their original destination. Stranded along with the Robinsons are two outsiders who find themselves thrown together by circumstance and a mutual knack for deception. The charismatic Dr. Smith is a master manipulator with an inscrutable end game. And the roguish but charming Don West is a highly-skilled, blue-collar contractor, who had no intention of joining the colony, let alone crash-landing on a lost planet. 

Why I liked it: 

The storyline has small events that all come together in the main event. I also like that it explains what happened in the past by having some sort of flashback. It was cool to see that most of the main characters were teens and my age. To me, it made it more entertaining. The CGI also made the timeline feel way more plausible because they are years into the future. The overall plot is entertaining. This is the kinda show I would always want to watch but could never find.

The 100 (TV-14):

Genre: Action; Drama; Dystopian; Post-apocalyptic; Science fiction

About:

The series is set 97 years after a devastating nuclear war wiped out almost all life on Earth. The only known survivors are the residents of twelve space stations in Earth's orbit before the war. The space stations banded together to form a massive station named "The Ark", where about 2,400 people live. Resources are scarce and all crimes, no matter their nature or severity, are punishable by death ("floating") unless the perpetrator is under 18 years of age. After the Ark's life support systems are found to be critically failing, one hundred juvenile prisoners are declared "expendable" and sent to the surface in a last-ditch attempt to determine if Earth is habitable again. The teens arrive on a beautiful planet they have only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. However, they discover that not all humanity was wiped out. There are people on Earth who survived the war, called "grounders" by the 100. The Ark consists of the space stations previously representing the nations of the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, China, Japan, India, Russia, Venezuela, France, Brazil, and Uganda.

Why I liked it:

I like the action mixed with the Sci-Fi and how it goes back and explains what happened in the past. Both when and why they were in space, to begin with, and what happened leading up to the first episode. It was nice to see the leads of the show were teens or were supposed to portray teens or at least people my age. The show even came up with its language for the characters called the “grounders”. I also like that the timeline had many events that led up to the main thing each season but still had a main plot during all the seasons.

911: Both (9-1-1 and 9-1-1 Lone Star) (TV-14):

Genre: Procedural; Drama and Procedural drama; Action

About:

Explores the high-pressure experiences of police, paramedics, and firefighters who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking, and heart-stopping situations. They must try to balance saving people with solving problems in their own lives.

Why I liked it:

I like that the storyline shows first responders during their jobs going from emergency to emergency and also their personal lives and how the job affects them. It shows me part of the field that I want to go into in a different light, other than just fake emergencies that get you on your feet. It also shows the bad side of the medical and first responder career fields and how the stuff you see on the job can and will affect you. Yes, it is entertaining to see all the action-packed sides of the rescues, but the show also shows that it is hard. That is why I like it, and that it has funny moments that just make you laugh.

My Hero Academia (TV-14): 

Genre: Animation, Anime & Manga, Comedy, Art House & International, Action & Adventure

About:

In a world populated with superhumans, the superhero-loving Izuku Midoriya is without power. However, after the Quirkless dreamer Izuku inherits the powers of the world's best superhero, All Might, his hopes of becoming the top hero are now possible. Once enrolled in the high school for heroes, U.A., Izuku soon discovers being a hero is much more complicated than it appears.

Why I liked it:

This was one of the first anime that I watched. It has a well-thought-out and thorough background of the main characters and even some side characters. I like how some episodes focus more on what would be called the side characters, explaining some of their major character developments or why they are on the paths they were on. I have always been interested in TV shows and movies that have characters with special abilities. The story plots or lines that go along with them are all interesting. I also like how the show has many plots that end but everything that had and learned from it slowly comes together into one major plot that has slowly been coming together. I mean it even gives you hints of what will happen, but until it happens you don’t realize it’s coming.

Sources used for about: 

IMDb.com, Inc. “Find.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 2023, www.imdb.com/find/?q=&ref_=nv_sr_sm.n