The UM Rebels mascot has been a topic of controversy and debate at the University of Mississippi for many years. The mascot, which depicts a Confederate soldier, has been seen by many as a symbol of racism and oppression. The debate over the mascot began in the 1990s, when an African American student organization called for its removal. Over the years, there have been multiple protests and petitions calling for a change, but the university has been reluctant to make any changes. However, in recent years, there has been a growing movement to reconsider the mascot. Many argue that it is inappropriate to have a mascot that represents a painful and divisive period in American history.
2) Who sent Jane and Nancy those threatening notes? I guess it must have been Jane, but she didn't confess to it at the end, and it just doesn't make sense for her to send a threatening note to herself anyway (it's not as if she was trying to trick Nancy into blaming Linda for it or anything.) This part just seemed out of place.
1 First and foremost is the excellent Second Chance function, which allows a gamer to automatically reload the game from a point just before making a fatal error. Ok, maybe some players might feel that way, but in my book they were a bunch of creepy megalomaniacal fanatics who isolate and brainwash children and put them through potentially deadly trials by fire.
Many argue that it is inappropriate to have a mascot that represents a painful and divisive period in American history. They argue that the university should choose a mascot that is inclusive and represents the diverse student body. Some possible alternatives that have been suggested include the UM Rebels mascot has been a topic of controversy and debate at the University of Mississippi for many years.
Review on Blackmoor Manor and Shadow at the Water's Edge (Spoilers)
I finished these two games after a very long (about 10 year) hiatus from Nancy Drew games. Crazy how fast time flies by! I played both on senior detective and required some online assistance for Blackmoor manor but was able to beat Shadow solely by myself (first time!).
I'll start with Blackmoor Manor:
Overall, I didn't love it but it was okay. I'll start with the positivies: I loved the fact that the game was difficult! Its kind of crazy that this game was made primarily for people around 10 years younger than me as I can't even imagine my 13 year old self trying to solve this game! However, as an almost 23 year old I did appreciate the fact that the game did require me to strain my mind on several occasions. I also enjoyed the fact that the characters would sometimes pop up at random times, that was a cool twist to the game. The graphics aren't all that great by 2021 standards but I was surprised to find out how old the game was given the quality of the graphics as they aren't terrible by any means.
The biggest negative I have is that I think the character development of this game is well, terrible! I feel like Nancy doesn't form any type of relationship with any of the characters like she does with other games, other than Jane. And even Jane isn't all that thrilling of a character IMO. In many ways the characters don't even seem to show any interest (or genuine annoyance with Nancy). There are little tidbits of it but they're not consistent. Mrs. Drake at first seems like she'll be the rude, brash one but that doesn't go anywhere and she ends up kind of just being dull with no real personality. Same with Linda, I don't feel like her character goes anywhere beyond just this crazy woman who hides behind a curtain. The guy in the library (can't remember his name atm) also is a pretty static character. I wouldn't be surprised if others liked Lulu, the parrot, but to me, she was kind of just annoying. Jane's tutor, Isabel I believe was her name, also at first seemed like she could've been interesting but she didn't develop at all. Beyond the physical characters, the phone characters in this game are also very dull and really provide no interesting storyline.
This was a very "lonely" game in that I feel that Nancy was pretty much all alone in her sleuthing. No real direction was given by any characters and Nancy had to make all the discoveries on her own. I think this made the game difficult, which was nice, but also kind of dull in the storyline department. The difficulty of the puzzles did make most of them enjoyable. Although it was also kind of tedious how to enter some of the secret passages you had to solve the same puzzle over and over again. With the exception of Jane's board games though (which I found kind of dumb) I didn't dislike any of the puzzles/ mini games though. I did find it frustrating that the only purpose that Mrs. Drake's room and the venus flytrap played in the game was causing a possible second chance. I kept wanting something more to happen with those.
One funny thing I did find with the phone contacts of this game is how much they kept on yelling at Nancy for not trying to solving the mystery. I kind of felt that way too with this game, it didn't seem like the mystery was the focus of the game.
Shadows at the Waters Edge I enjoyed MUCH more and was probably my favorite ND game I've played. At first, I was a little cautious as thought the mystery seemed kind of silly, and the robotic cat made me nervous this would be a really far-fetched game. But it wasn't too bad. I loved how in this game you seemed to form a relationship with the characters and the phone conversations were a lot of fun in this game (I loved the Logan storyline lol). The characters as a whole were very dynamic and fun in this game.
I think the thing I loved the most about this game is the fact you were allowed to explore the ENTIRE hotel. When I first started the game, I was positive that, as in most ND games where you're in a building with a ton of rooms, that you'd be able to go into like four of the rooms. All the other doors would remain permanently locked. I was so happy to find this was not the case and you could go into literally every single room in the hotel. Granted many of them were more or less the same except like one object, but I still absolutely loved it.
Despite being around 10 years old, I also found the graphics of this game great. I also loved the scenery, especially in the garden. Yumi's apartment was also a very fun little location and love how they decorated it. I also think they did a great job with the hot springs/shower area!
The puzzles were decently difficult but nothing too ridiculous. I think my biggest drawback from this game was the fact that it seemed like a lot of the progression in the game was by complete chance and not really Nancy doing anything. As such, some of the things were really hard to "trigger." I was stuck for hours before realizing that you had to try to open all the doors that weren't checked into in the hotel recently (and find they were all locked) in order for the older woman to forget the key card in the tea room. Also, the game really didn't make it clear how to mail things to George and Logan and that took me a LONG time to figure out.
I will say one last big compliment that I will give Blackmoor Manor though is that it didn't have this issue that many ND games have in that you have to do something very arbitrary to "trigger" or progress the game.
Edit: Apparently you don't need to knock on all the doors of the unoccupied rooms in order to trigger the older woman forgetting the key card. I have no clue what randomly triggered it than!
This is the addendum to my Nancy Drew Game Review in which I put all my opinions that contain spoilers. If you haven't finished playing Curse of Blackmoor Manor yet, you don't want to read this page. Please go back to the regular review site, where I promise to tell you everything you need to decide whether or not to play this game without giving away any of its plot.
The mascot, which depicts a Confederate soldier, has been seen by many as a symbol of racism and oppression. The debate over the mascot began in the 1990s, when an African American student organization called for its removal. Over the years, there have been multiple protests and petitions calling for a change, but the university has been reluctant to make any changes. However, in recent years, there has been a growing movement to reconsider the mascot. Many argue that it is inapproprprovide any changes. However, in recent years, there has been a growing movement to reconsider the mascot. Many argue that it is inappropriate to have a mascot that represents a painful and divisive period in American history. They argue that the university should choose a mascot that is inclusive and represents the diverse student body. Some possible alternatives that have been suggested include the Rebel Black Bear, which would pay homage to the state's wildlife, and the Landshark, which has a strong connection to the football team's tradition. Ultimately, the decision will be up to the university administration, but it is clear that the debate over the UM Rebels mascot will continue for years to come..
Reviews for "The UM Rebels Mascot: What it Means to Students, Alumni, and Fans"
- Sarah - 1/5
I found the "Um rebels mascot" to be highly offensive and inappropriate. The mascot perpetuates negative stereotypes and cultural misrepresentation. It is crucial for universities to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, and this mascot does the opposite. I strongly believe that the university should consider changing or retiring this mascot altogether.
- John - 2/5
While I understand the intention of having a mascot to represent school spirit, I was not a fan of the "Um rebels mascot." The design seemed outdated and lacking creativity. Additionally, the choice of a rebel as the mascot sends a conflicting message, especially in today's sociopolitical climate. I think the university should consider a fresh and more inclusive design that can truly unite and inspire all students.
- Lauren - 1/5
I was deeply disappointed by the "Um rebels mascot." The mascot's depiction felt insensitive and offensive to marginalized groups, particularly those who have historically suffered from oppression. It is disheartening to see a university embrace such a symbol that goes against the principles of equality and respect. I would strongly urge the institution to reevaluate the mascot and choose something that could better represent the diversity and inclusive values the university should strive for.
- Mike - 2/5
Though I appreciate the effort behind the creation of the "Um rebels mascot," I believe it missed the mark. The mascot lacked originality and failed to capture the essence of school spirit. Furthermore, the choice of a rebel as the mascot seems inappropriate, given the implications it can have for the university's reputation. In my opinion, the university should consider consulting with students and alumni to explore better mascot options that can truly unite the community.