Welcome back, Comets! We hope you’re settling in for a new semester and the freezing puddles haven’t been too much of a hindrance as you make your way to your classes. In case you’d like to get more out of your semester on top of that free laundry for your socks, you’ll be happy to know that all of Lot G and its surrounding buildings and sidewalks are permanently shut down in order to force you to explore more scenic routes of our beautiful campus. Oh, and to make room for a new student union, if that matters to you.

As we head into a new year, you might bring it upon yourself to enhance your relationships with a good dose of mindfulness and self improvement. This may also include apologizing and working to fix mistakes from your past life (read: a month ago) which is a great step in the right direction — unless you’re taking inspiration from Noah Schnapp. The “Stranger Things” actor recently appeared on Tiktok to clarify his stance on the conflict in Palestine, an in-depth apology-ish video that ultimately ended with a plea that his previous statements on the issue were misinterpreted. Those statements were, you may recall, phrases like “Zionism is sexy” when discussing civilian victims of a genocide — which, frankly, left little room for any positive interpretation. 

In the spirit of giving men platforms they don’t deserve, Jo Koy recently took the stage at the Golden Globes to prove why movies like “Barbie” are so culturally necessary. His description of the movie, which flattened themes of female empowerment and community into one dramatically unfunny layer, left much to be desired. In stark, refreshing contrast, America Ferrera’s acceptance speech at the Critics Choice Awards was a sweet summary of the cast and production team’s hard work and emotional investment in the film and the culture it created. Dear readers, be like America. (Well, the person, not… you know). 

Through this myriad of damp weather and dry opinions, we at AMP hope you’re staying warm and hydrated — preferably with a cup that doesn’t break a boycott or ignore the general benefit of reusable bottles. As you do, be sure to tuck this and future issues under your jacket to keep them (and you) safe from the ever-changing Texas weather.