• Tech Talk: Good Passwords and How to Create Them

    Dierdre Lee IT Major   Most people aren’t very good at choosing passwords. The two most popular passwords (according to SplashData) are “password” and “123456”.  Other popular choices include names of family members or pets, sports teams, and swear words. Frequently people will use one password for multiple sites, making them all vulnerable to compromise.… Read more

  • The Future of Virtual Reality

    Christopher Tran IT Major   The definition of “Mixed Reality” is the merging of real and virtual worlds to produce new environments and visualizations where physical and digital objects co-exist and interact in real time. Microsoft is currently developing on a device called HoloLens. It is a device that gives the user the ability to… Read more

  • Look Both Ways

    Christian Guthrie CNMS Major   Over the past few years, there has been a shift in the culture in the Portland area. It is a new, more chaotic method of how the fair citizens traverse the streets of the city. Crosswalks have become decorations. Pedestrians have been walking freely across traffic with no inkling that… Read more

  • Divisive Laws Threaten Value of Human Life

    Sarah Ford CNMS Major   Mississippi recently passed a law that allows discrimination. Business owners are now legally allowed to refuse service to people if they feel that it would violate their religious beliefs. This law is obviously anti-LGBT, but potentially, could someone refuse service to a black person if they made the argument that… Read more

  • Letter to the Editor: On Alex Serrano’s Tedx Piece

    Dear Editor,   I am writing to complain about The Beacon’s editor for the latest issue of your paper. Your article on TEDxSMCC was critical and way too novel for the context. Alex Serrano writing up an opinion piece on the event was inappropriate, and at times misinformed regarding participants intentions and hard work. An… Read more

  • Oddworld: An Interview with the Soulstorm Developer

    Oddworld: An Interview with the Soulstorm Developer

    Christian Guthrie CNMS Major   March 16 marked the next installment in the beloved Oddworld franchise. Recently, I had the opportunity to ask Oddworld inhabitants about their recent project title called Soulstorm. Since the late 90s, Oddworld has been critically acclaimed for its unique take on storytelling as well as the complex characters that fill… Read more