Tag Archives: 2020

Entertainment, Pop Culture

Among Us: the Games of 2020

In a year like 2020, full of social distancing and health precautions, everyone is looking for a way to enjoy their time in isolation. With the help of popular gaming YouTubers and streamers, the 2018 game, Among Us, has become a smash hit in 2020.

Among Us, created by indie video game company InnerSloth, is a 2018 online multiplayer “social deduction” game that has sky-rocketed in popularity in 2020. 

The games’ rise in popularity has been accredited to the increase of gameplay from big names both within and outside of the gaming community. These names include but are not limited to YouTubers Markiplier, Pewdiepie and Jacksepticeye, as well as Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar.

Illustration by Serena Rodriguez

The game has risen in popularity due to the user-friendly platform as well as the widely understandable gameplay. The game is comparable to party games such as Mafia, where a number of players are attempting to get away with murdering the rest of the group.

In Among Us, a group ranging from four to 10 players are dropped into a spaceship and then designated as either a “crewmate” or an “impostor” at the beginning of each game. 

Crewmates have the job of going around the ship and completing designated tasks while attempting to figure out who the impostor is among the group. 

Impostors have the mission to kill regular crewmates without getting caught. They have to navigate the map by running after crewmates and venting to different rooms, all while faking tasks to blend in. 

As online meetings and distant interactions become the new norms, this real-time multiplayer game has become a game-changer. Although Among Us seems just like a digital version of party games Mafia and Werewolf, it has opened a new world for multiplayer online games. 

The game full of small space people has garnered such a dedicated fanbase over the course of the last few months. With endless hours of content from the game, fans have created content inspired by the online game. 

The success of the video game has been strongly influenced by the continuous stream of Among Us related content. Twitter accounts such as Among Us Struggle Tweets and No Context Among Us, fans of the game can enjoy Among Us outside of the game itself. 

Although Among Us may not remain among us (see what I did there) forever, it has made an impact in gaming and the idea of having fun while still accommodating for safety precautions such as social distancing.

ATX / UT

2020 Texas Voters’ Guide

You’re still in time to vote! The 2020 Presidential Election is getting closer, but you still good to cast your ballot early and avoid longer wait times on November 3rd! Check out this 2020 Texas Voters Guide and make sure you’re good to go before you arrive at your polling place!

WHAT do I need to vote?

1. Be registered: First and foremost, you need to be registered. Unfortunately, if you’re not already registered, the deadline has passed but if you have a Texas driver’s license, chances are that you are registered. To check your voter’s registration, go here and input your information. In less than a minute you’ll know if you’re eligible to vote!

2. Bring a valid photo ID: These include a Texas driver’s license, Texas personal ID card, Texas Election ID Certificate, Handgun License, Military ID Card, US Passport, or US Citizenship Certificate. These have to be unexpired OR have less than 4 years expired. If you don’t have any of these documents, you can check other alternatives here.

Photo by Lauren Breach

WHEN and WHERE do I vote?

Voting during the early voting period (from October 13th to October 30th) is extremely easy! If you’re registered, you may vote at ANY early voting location located in your county. Otherwise, during the November 3rd election day, you can only vote at your designated polling place, so don’t wait any longer and vote early! There are TWO early voting places located on the UT campus, one at Gregory Gym and one at the Flawn Academic Center. You can also check your designated polling place and other early voting locations here by entering your information.

WHO’s on my ballot?

Because there are different races in different districts, everyone’s ballot might be slightly different. To check your specific ballot, click here and enter your address to see the specific ballot you’ll see when you vote.

Don’t let this huge opportunity to make your voice heard pass. Go vote! If you still have any questions, check out the official Texas Voting page.

Again, please GO VOTE!

Image courtesy of Lauren Breach

ATX / UT

TX VOTES: KEEPING UT VOTERS REGISTERED AND EDUCATED

You’ve probably seen them in your classrooms and if you haven’t, then you’ve definitely seen them tabling on Speedway. TX Votes is a non-partisan student organization that not only hopes to get students educated and registered to vote but works hard to do so.

By visiting over 100 classrooms this spring semester alone, there’s no question that they’ve made a recognizable name for themselves.  

Photo Courtesy of Kassie Phebillo

“I think as an organization, we have grown, which means that our outreach has grown ” Kassie Phebillo, Program Coordinator said.

Phebillo, who’s been with TX votes since that last general election, attributes the increased number of students they’ve registered to their in-class initiative that they started in 2018.

 “We’ve registered probably 5,000 students this school year since the beginning of fall,” Phebillo said.

Their efforts to register students before the deadline at the beginning of February contribute to the steady increase of student voter registration on campus. The National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement saw a 3,948 increase in voter registrations on campus between 2016 and 2018, so it’s no doubt that TX Votes’ work contributes to the positive growth of engaged and registered voters at UT.

And while TX Votes may be one of the most notable student organizations in the political-sphere – they attribute their recent successes and increases in student activity to the rest of the Civic Engagement Alliance. Without whom they couldn’t have hosted their Last Day to Register to Vote Celebration.

Now that the registration deadline has passed, the next goal for TX Votes includes getting students ready for the polls. With Early Voting and Super Tuesday dates coming up quickly, one-way TX Votes prepares for the hopeful flood of student voters is by ordering and distributing voting guides provided by the League of Women Voters.

“It’s basically a little newsletter with all these races. So, it’s like here’s a statement from this candidate and then their picture, and another one and their background for like all the races,” TX Votes President Anthony Zhang explained.

Photo by Evelyn Garcia

These portable voting guides work to ease first-time voters or any voter who may be put off by the process. TX Votes hopes to distribute these guides to students to ensure no one is misinformed or uneducated before stepping into the polls for what may be the first time.

“I feel like one of the main reasons that people will say that they aren’t engaged with politics, or nervous, or vibe, or like don’t want to is because they don’t know about a lot of stuff. So, there’s like a huge learning curve too,” Zhang said.

Along with helping educate voters, the guides distributed by TX Votes will prevent students from using their phones to remember or look up who to vote for, an action that may seem benign but in reality, comes with legal consequences. “We also provide them with what they need when they go in to vote. So, they’re not accidentally breaking the law.” Phebillo said.

With the national attention to the primary drama in Iowa, TX Votes combats any nerves voters may feel ahead of the Texas primary with accurate information, student-to-student engagement, and space where students can ask any questions regarding the civic engagement process.

See below for important info:

Early Voting in Texas:  Check out the FAC & PCL from 7 am-7 pm to vote! 

–    February 18th-28th, 2020

Primary Election Day (Super Tuesday): Check out the FAC & PCL from 7 am-7 pm to vote! 

–    March 3rd, 2020

Featured image by Evelyn Garcia