Opinions

Has anyone noticed how this summer is flying by? As I write this letter from Canada, it’s already been a month and a half since the spring semester ended, and we’re already halfway through summer. But for me, my days have not changed; working in The Mystician office, interviewing sources, and studying for my summer classes any chance I get. I hope that for you, dear reader, your summer is filled with sunlight, the sound of waves lapping at a lakeshore, or exploring lush hikin

It appears I’m back in the editorial column for the summer. I’ve also gotten an upgrade in the form of an official title: Rambling Raconteur. The word raconteur is French and refers to a skilled storyteller. I don’t mean to be presumptuous in titling my column such, but I like to think of it as more aspirational to the heights I wish to achieve. Perhaps I should include some more long-winded anecdotes in my pieces. Regardless, I leave it to my audience to determine if and whe

I picked up “A Winter’s Promise” on a whim a few years ago. I’ve read it a few times since, if that says anything. “A Winter’s Promise” is a young adult novel written by Christelle Dabos, originally published in French. This novel is set in a steam-punk world made up of 21 Arks. Each Ark is ruled by a celestial, immortal deity. Given their immorality, these deities have come to a point where they can no longer remember much of their life. To combat this, each one has a book

Home. It is one of the most unique words as it does not have a decided definition. It means something different to everyone. If someone were to ask me “where’s home for you?” the answers might go something like this: “I’m from Canada” or “I live in the States” or “It’s wherever my family is.” But what defines the place that is home? I have lived in the United States for almost two years now. I could say it is starting to feel like “home,” yet my passport and visa status r

Kayden Schmitcke and Sophia Fafard during their internship at the Morton County News Journal. The pair hold the first summer issues of The Mystician. It’s been a whirlwind of a semester, and so has this last Mystician. Coming in at (36) pages, this hefty, sexy beast contains our blood, sweat, and tears from this semester—literally. We want to send y’all off into the summer with stress, excitement, and nostalgia. Not only did we talk about the growth of BSC since we have be

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day and an interesting topic came up. Just one in a two-hour conversation, but it was a good one nonetheless. The topic was, ‘are you okay leaving an event early?’ Whether it is just a chill hangout, a wedding, or, I don’t know, a family picnic. We disagreed which I knew we would. I took the stance of being okay with leaving, and he said he would not want to. Again, due to our personalities, the conversation became about “Th

Humans are incredibly adaptive, as we see countless times throughout history. When a need arises, we rise to the occasion. But what about the reverse? What happens when our needs are met? Modern man can’t even walk 10 miles uphill both ways to school each day anymore! Pardon my bandwagon humor. We proceed. A culture of ease and convenience can yield some benefits in society. We have constant access to the necessities of life in addition to the innumerable comforts we hold d

If you have read more than a few of my previous book reviews, you might have noticed a pattern. I am not a fan of romance. More specifically, romance novels. And it’s true, I’m not. Mostly because what I find romantic is not stalker, werewolf men and their insecurities that they mask with fire, guns, and duct tape. I know, I know, call me crazy. But every once and a while, a novel surprises me, and that is true of “Grave Mercy.” My main problem, other than the one I just n

This is my official petition for Colleen Hoover to throw her computer away and do something else. Maybe real estate. She has no problem selling toxic men to people, so selling malfunctioning homes should be a breeze. I read Colleen Hoover's newest novel “Woman Down.” I didn’t want to. But I felt I had to, for all of humanity. “Woman Down” follows Petra Rose, a famed author, who is struggling with a writing block after a movie adaptation of one of her novels receives criti

Sometimes I wonder what people mean when they think someone is “really smart.” Do they mean this individual is well-read? Is the person generally knowledgeable in a wide breadth of topics? Is there a particular eloquence in his or her pattern of speech? Is it the realization of a greater depth to the person? Does extreme competence in manual tasks define intelligence? I don’t know. IQ is probably the most common measure of intelligence, but it is far from a perfect system. P

I attended the first showing of the Bismarck State College Theatre Department’s production of “Frozen: The Musical.” Last year, I had watched their last performance of “Anastasia” in the Sidney J. Lee Auditorium, so this was the first time I had seen a musical performance in the Advanced Technology Center’s Live Event Venue. I went to the musical with a friend and brought my boyfriend and his mom along. Although I am not the biggest fan of the movie “Frozen,” I was excited

Sophia & Kayden on a mission to find a brand new kayak launch at Fort Lincoln State Park during their internship at the Morton County News Journal. Summer feels different when you’re a college student. It’s a breath of fresh air, but you also realize that you’re no longer a high school student able to kick back and relax. Now, you have responsibilities. Your days are filled with a job, paying bills you didn’t expect, and spending time with loved ones. Sometimes it is easy t

The future is now. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology have gone viral as millions scramble to test its newest features. Discussions over its advantages as well as debates concerning ethical issues gain notoriety by netizens. While the topic seems new and refreshing, AI holds an old history leading up to what it is today. Discussion over artificial intelligence first began in 1950 by a man named Alan Turing. As an English mathematician and computer sci

In this new age of easily accessible online marketplaces, the demand for retail products has risen tremendously. Popular e-commerce websites such as Amazon, eBay, and AliExpress have expanded their capabilities, allowing virtually anyone to buy and sell from their sites. In addition, online shopping has been pushed by big tech companies and content creators through sponsored advertisements. Product promotions now appear on most websites and search engines, prompting an everla

The year is rolling to an end, and for some, it might start getting harder and harder to not procrastinate on work because you can basically see the finish line, but all year students have been interviewed on the craziest ways they , so today the script will be flipt and mystic media staff will be interviewed. The first person interviewed was Michael Huravitch on some of the ways he procrastinates. He shares that he procrastinates all the time on writing his stories and he w

The digital age has turned us into constant consumers. Our phones are the biggest culprits, providing us with an unlimited supply of entertainment for us to ingest at our leisure. As a result, we become reliant on external sources to think for us. We live for the next stimulation and refuse to think for ourselves. Why memorize when Google has all the answers? Why attempt to articulate your position in an argument when a YouTuber has already done the work for you? We become no

History is often an old fact, something that happened in the past. We also have to remember that we are living in history, though what you specifically did will more than likely not be remembered when looked on from future generations. Let’s look at some major parts of history we’ve lived through. January 2, 2004 - NASA Stardust Spacecraft collected the first comet sample and returned to earth in one piece. This is not the first time a comet sample has been collected but it

As the school year comes to a close, it’s time for the list of up and coming movies and games. As usual, there will be two video games and two movies. The first game on this list is “Elden Ring: Nightreign.” This game will be released on May 30. FromSoftware created this game. It will be released on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC. “Elden Ring: Nightreign” is not a sequel to “Elden Ring.” It stands on its own while still taking place within th

Everyone has those little things that drive them crazy, that push all the wrong buttons, that somehow spark an unreasonably intense anger. Those are called pet peeves. We’ve already covered my own pet peeves and Bismarck State College students’ pet peeves, so the only thing left is the Mystic Media Staff’s pet peeves. I went around the office and asked each staff member their pet peeves. Here’s what they had to say. “People not holding the door for those behind them” Editor-

BSC Class with the Sagrada Familia My name is Colton Markel, and I am currently in my fourth year attending Bismarck State College. I am writing this blog post as a way to reflect on the Bismarck State College Barcelona and Madrid Trip over Spring Break 2024. This blog post is my first ever blog post, which I find fitting as it documents my first ever international trip. The BSC Barcelona Madrid trip was one of the most educational, interesting, and fun trips I have ever bee