Himalayan Spice Review

By: Madelynn Loring, Staff Writer

The fact that I ended up in Himalayan Spice Indian Cuisine was a total accident. My sister had just helped me move in for the spring, so we headed down Tennyson Street for brunch at the Denver Biscuit Company. It's a delicious restaurant, but given its promotion on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, everyone knows that. Thus, we chose to dodge the hour-long wait and give the little restaurant two doors over a shot. And I am glad we did. While Denver Biscuit Company may be popular, Himalayan Spice is a hidden gem.

The environment is warm and welcoming, with attentive wait staff and quick service. And the food? I will not go into a discussion about Regis’s cafeteria (that is a dissertation for another time), but I am often left feeling the need for authentically good, well-rounded cooking, and I know that I am not alone in that. The good news is that the solution is just a five-minute drive down Tennyson Street. The menu is packed with different traditional Indian dishes, all bursting with warmth and flavor. The restaurant also boasts a large vegetarian/vegan menu with gluten free options, so it is the perfect destination for groups with a variety of dietary needs. Additionally, they have spice levels indicated on the menu so you don’t find yourself with an under-spiced or inedibly spicy dish given your tastes. They operate on a 1 to 5 spice level: 1 being mild, 2 being medium, 3 being medium-hot, 4 being hot, and 5 being Indian hot. I, as a slightly-but-not-terribly pathetic white person, prefer medium hot for my curry, whereas Vietnamese Staff Writer Sandra Vo prefers hot. 

Regardless of where you’re at, there is a delicious, well-priced option for you at Himalayan Spice. You can choose from a variety of proteins, from lamb to chicken to seafood, to be prepared in many ways, from curry to dahl and sagg to masala. Regardless of what you prefer, there are also a plethora of delicious flavors of naan, a traditional Indian flat bread, to choose from, and you will receive bottomless basmati rice with your meal. The one thing to keep in mind during your visit is that you will spend just as long waiting for the check as you will enjoying your meal. Chances are you could reduce this wait time by flagging down the waiter if you so choose, or (if you are non-confrontational like myself) the time can be well spent digesting your meal over conversations with friends and family. If you are looking to try something new or simply spice up your college diet, Himalayan Spice is the place to go.

Photo by: Sandra Vo, Butter Naan

Photo by: Sandra Vo, Chicken Curry

My Emotional Support Animal Journey

By: Anonymous Writer

There is a song in musical Waitress which starts, “today’s a day like any other, but I am changed, I am a mother…in an instant”; it may seem hokey but that is exactly how I felt on the day that I found Roxy. She was just a little kitten, skinny and scruffy, shivering in an unusually chilly summer Idaho night and purring against my chest. My brother had spotted her as she nearly got hit by a minivan in our small town’s Stinker Station parking lot. I told him to get out, to go to the little nook between the gas station’s brick drive up area and a fence to grab her. We wanted to see if she had a collar and thought that if she did, someone would appreciate us not letting their kitten get hit by a car. He got out of my Dad’s towering charcoal gray truck and ran over to where she was. Roxy, then nameless, bolted under the truck. I got out to help and pulled her out from underneath where she was trying to climb inside the mechanical pieces. She immediately started purring when I held her little body tight to my chest.  

We didn’t plan on keeping Roxy. It was late so my family agreed to keep her for the night before taking her to the shelter the next morning (there is a great local no-kill shelter in town). I thought that would be all, but Roxy had other plans. That night, after playing with my brother and I, she cuddled up to me, purring constantly as she rubbed against my face and hands, so grateful to be in my arms. She ended up falling asleep on my shoulder. That night, I looked over at her tiny sleeping frame and realized that I was responsible for her, that until the day one of us died I would always take care of her. 

That whole summer I had saved up my tip money for a tattoo but my favorite artist was all booked out, so I used the money I had saved to cover Roxy’s food, travel, litter box, and vet bills. She came home with me and quickly she became an essential part of my life. She got me out of bed every morning, sat on the counter while I made and drank my coffee, napped with me, followed me around like a shadow and greeted me when I got home with a bright meow. That relationship prompted my psychiatrist to suggest me having Roxy certified as an emotional support animal. 

Emotional support animals are animals that provide support and comfort to individuals with psychiatric conditions. They are protected under the Fair Housing and Americans with Disabilities Act, meaning that you cannot be denied housing because of your ESA. Unlike service animals, emotional support animals do not go through any intensive training and can be any kind of animal. Since they do not undergo any special training, many people are skeptical of emotional support animals and their impacts. However, to become certified as an emotional support animal, the animal must belong to someone who has a disability and that animal must alleviate the symptoms of that disability. Roxy, despite having no training, can tell when I’m anxious or going through a depressive bout and will often lay on my chest or in my lap during those times. One day she was being especially clingy and I didn’t understand why, but later that night I had a massive anxiety attack. She is intuitive and seems to know when I need her most. 

I did not bring her with me originally since my roommate in the fall semester was deathly allergic to cats. So I decided to try and last the year without her. Fall semester was when I had one of my worst depressive episodes in recent memory, so I called my psychiatrist and worked on the process of moving out and getting Roxy to move in with me on campus. I met with Student Disability Services, and that day they said that once Roxy’s letter was processed she would be approved. I was so grateful for how quickly the process went and how understanding they were of my circumstances. Housing was tricker, but the housing department figured out a way to move me into a new living arrangement where I wouldn’t have to live with any roommate. I submitted my ESA form to housing and was able to move in before the start of spring semester. 

It has been a somewhat unconventional journey and it took a bit of work, but Roxy is worth every dollar I’ve spent on fancy wet food and every moment of effort poured into getting her certified. She is the light of my life and I am so lucky we found her that cold summer night.

Film Review: The Tragedy of Macbeth

By: Blanca Hitchcock, Staff Writer

Joel Coen’s first solo film without his brother, Ethan Coen, has been sending shock waves throughout the film world. Many critics were quick to question if the film would stick to the direct narrative of the play or take up a sense of creative freedom. After the film’s release date of December 25, raving reviews of the film came flooding in. Cinephiles from far and wide agree this film truly is a masterpiece. It was able to convey the true art of a Shakespearean play while also incorporating stylistic filming as well.  

As for my take on the film, I believe that the simplicity of the setting in which it was filmed worked entirely to its benefit. The lack of fluff or unnecessary costume enhancement/set designs was probably one of the best things the movie has going for itself. It is used in a way in that when the characters are delivering riveting monologs the focus is completely on their words. This is something that is difficult to do in films these days, especially when the character is chanting in Shakespearean prose. The simplicity of the set design is arguably one of the biggest strengths this film has.  

As for another huge strength, the cast seems to have been hand-selected by Shakespear himself (if he lived in the modern ages that is). Casting Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth might have just been one of the most amazing casting choices since Robert De Niro in “Taxi Driver”. She perfectly embodied Lady Macbeth and was able to deliver her monolog in such a twisted warped way, the lines themselves seemed to have been personified and acting of their own accord. The Wicked Sisters were absolutely horrifying, something that I was happy to see as I was nervous their portrayal would not be able to capture their absolute wickedness. I was amazed to find myself actually nervous every time they came on the screen, something that I was in no way expecting.  

The film itself branched out from the norm of Shakespearean type casting and decided to take on a more diverse approach when finding it’s lead. Denzel Washington as the part of Macbeth himself stated in an interview that, “obviously we [cast] are diverse, so I think that’s a great thing,” but argued that “we ought to be at a place where diversity shouldn’t even be mentioned like it’s something special.”  

Cast as Macbeth, Denzel Washington had to embody one of Shakespear’s more unhinged characters, and he gamely stepped up to the challenge. Not only did Washington succeed in this role, but he might also be the strongest portrayal of Macbeth in film thus far.  

I would say that the “Tragedy of Macbeth” was a great adaptation of Shakespear’s “Macbeth”, and accurately captured the nuisances of every single character. It was a strong portrayal of the play itself and provided a great cinematic experience for film lovers everywhere.  

New Years, New Wins: The Avalanche’s January

By: Maeve Hushman, Staff Writer

Since we arrived in the New Year, the Avs have had a 15-0-1 record and have a home winning streak of 18 home games. They were the first team to hit 30 wins, are the top of the league, and continue to get praise from hockey pundits around the media. So, let’s take a look at the Avalanche’s January. 

Things to fix: The Avalanche in a lot of their most recent games have spent the first two periods behind on the score sheet or have blown a lead and had to come back. Now, because this team is as offensively deep as it is, they can pretty reliably out score their problems. However, it isn’t a good strategy in general. Look at the Edmonton Oilers, who started the season one of the best teams in the league rarely scoring the first goal and now are rapidly dropping in the standings. Relying on the offense to constantly bail you out is not a dependable strategy. It all goes back to the Avalanche’s inability to play a full 60 minutes of hockey.  They either start dominant, then drop off, blow the lead, and then fight back (like in the game against the Wild) or they start slow and have to come back in the second half of the game. 

The Avalanche have the best PDO in the league right now and a higher than normal shooting percentage (per JFreshHockey). Since the Avalanche are scoring at a much higher rate than expected, it means that their PDO is high. PDO has to do with luck, so it always regresses back to the mean as does high shooting percentage. All of that is just a fancy way of saying that the offense is not always going to score at this rate. 

The Avalanche dominate when they get the other team to play their game, but sometimes they fall into the trap of playing the game of the opposing team. The Avalanche are all about speed and offense, while other teams want to slow down the game which makes the Avalanche more susceptible to making mistakes. In their rematch against the Leafs, for the first half the Leafs controlled the game and forced the Avalanche to play the way they wanted. When the Avs started to come back they forced the Leafs to play their game. No one plays the Avalanche’s game better than the Avs. 

Net front defense continues to be a problem and nowhere was that seen more than the game against the Kraken. Two of the goals scored by the Kraken in that game were scored at the net front. The Avalanche need to get better at moving players out of the net front. So many times players are allowed time in space in front of the Avs net and they either score or they are used as a screen which also leads to goals against. In the playoffs, goals are scored in front of the net as games get played tighter and more defensively stringent. If the net front is left undefended, they will feel it most in those tight playoff situations. 

Nathan MacKinnon was injured in the Bruins game by Taylor Hall and will need to have nose surgery. He will miss the All-Star game but hopefully be back in the line up after the All-Star break is over. MacKinnon has had horrible injury luck this season. He was just starting to heat back up before this hit by Hall. However, losing MacKinnon shouldn’t hurt the Avs too much because of the way the rest of the line up has been 

Positives: Honestly, everything else. This team is an absolute powerhouse that always finds ways to win. MacKinnon looks like he forces the game to his will. The whole first line look like world beaters and with the rate that they are scoring they probably are. Nazem Kadri continues to be on fire. Everyone on this team is playing their part and helping this team get to victory. Despite the concerns brought up in the last section, this team is almost completely perfect. 

The Avalanche’s offense has been lethal. It is deep and prolific, constantly able to bail the Avalanche out at every turn and this goes beyond the forward group. Cale Makar has been unreal and will be going to the All-Star game. He is generating offense and creating more scoring threats for the Avalanche, which should help them from regressing too much when their PDO goes back down to the mean. The Avs D-core has looked incredible lately, which it is. It saves the Avs when the passes to nowhere start becoming a prevalent problem in the game. 

One plus of the Avalanche’s continued comeback victories is that it shows mental toughness and resilience. They keep fighting and do not give up no matter the score. That determination keeps them competitive. It is a good sign when it comes to the mindset of the Avs, they won’t let things get them discouraged. They will always keep fighting. 

Darcy Kuemper and Pavel Francouz have both looked incredible in net. Francouz has had two shutouts in the past few games and Kuemper made JFreshHockey’s list of statistically best goalies this season so far. That goaltending tandem has looked shaky at times but is coming into their own and have played a series of strong games. 

Conclusion:The Avalanche are the best team in the league hands down, but they are also riding a wave of high PDO and unreal offense. No team is 100% perfect, the Avalanche come pretty close. If they keep up this tenacity, resilience, and ability to find a way then they will be in good shape to win the President’s Trophy again this year.

Introducing… Bucket lists!

By: Sofia Flores, Staff Photographer

Ever need ideas on what to do in your free time? Look no further! Here at The Highlander, we are going to be starting a new tradition. Every month, we will be publishing a monthly bucket list where you will be given ideas on what to do for each day. Of course, you will be given the option to pick what you want to do for the day. Once you have completed the task, post it on your Instagram story and include the hashtag #RUHighlander to be featured on our account. We would love to see your creations and can’t wait to see what y’all come up with! Have fun!

Beast

By: Blanca Hitchcock, Staff Writer

This beast is all consuming. It waits until I have shrugged off my clothes, brushing off the cold air and ice that has stuck to my dry skin.  

It waits in secret, letting me toss my shoes into their stale dusty pile.  

It waits patiently, while I scribble mindless notes on the cracked yellowing pages of my secondhand books. 

It waits while I furiously scrub off my insecurities in the scalding gray water that flows from the rusted showerhead. 

 It waits less patiently now, while I paint my face with numerous creams and sticky gels. 

It waits out in the open, as I slowly climb under my linted bedsheets. 

It waits until I see the black from the inside of my eyelids, and then the beast climbs on top of me. 

It’s boney claws scratch at my legs and arms, drawing blood on my neck. 

It creeps into my mind, consuming my matter. 

It inhabits my throat, swallowing the air meant for my lungs. 

It expands in the chamber of my heart, pulsating, throbbing, tearing. 

Finally, I swipe at the tears flowing down my patchy cheeks. 

Another night this beast has won. I will die tonight and be alive again when morning comes.  

Goodnight beast, I might miss you when I wake.