Mad Hatter’s House of Games Still Playing After 30 Years

By Mackenzie Sams It’s nearing 7 p.m. at Mad Hatter’s House of Games and players are restless. Its weekly Magic: The Gathering tournament is about to start. Some players fiddle with an app that allows them to track their progress of wins and losses. Others start to fold their game mats or shuffle their decks. […]

Annual Lubbock-Con showcases both fan and fandom

By Avery Mendoza Stormtroopers marched for the Empire, medieval warriors engaged in simulated combat and an assortment of vendors from across Texas made sales to people dressed like Ghostbusters – among other sights at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center this past weekend. Lubbock-Con, a Hub City nerd’s paradise, attracted crowds of citizens Saturday through Sunday. […]

Apple’s ‘Walled Garden’ Ensures Profit even if You’re not Paying them

By Ben Alfonsin More users rely on mobile platforms to get online than ever before, particularly those in vulnerable socioeconomic positions. To Johanna Dunaway, a Texas A&M University professor who studies the interactions of cultural groups and technology, smart devices are a great asset to those who would otherwise not be able to utilize a […]

Carol of Lights Through the Years: A Tribute to Texas Tech’s Centennial Celebration

By Urvi Dalal / The Hub@TTU This year’s Carol of Lights is the official closing ceremony of the Texas Tech Centennial Celebration. The 65th Annual Carol of Lights will take place on December 2. This is one of Tech’s oldest and most treasured traditions. It provides an opportunity for all of Texas Tech’s students, faculty/staff, […]

Bye bye, Bertie: How an AI and Gaming icon was lost to time

By Reece Nations “Practically everyone knows tic-tac-toe.” — Josef Kates interviewed in 2014. The halls of the Canadian National Exhibition’s Electrical and Engineering Building were buzzing with excitement on Aug. 25, 1950. Situated on a picturesque piece of land north of Lake Ontario known locally as Toronto’s “Exhibition Place,” its grounds have hosted generations of […]

Lubbock’s costumed Halloween bike tour back from the dead

By Reece Nations For those on the lookout for Halloween-related shenanigans to be involved in, Lubbock’s informal house show bike tour sprouted as an unlikely bastion for the city’s unique brand of weirdness. For years, an annual event called “Skeletour” was organized very unofficially by hardcore house show enthusiasts and bicyclists as a do-it-yourself-affair. It was […]

Film Review: “The Creator, a Beautiful Display of Nothing at All”

By Geoff Daniels The Creator (2023) is a film that finds itself out of time. Although it is a stunning display of Gareth Edwards’ mastery of visual effects and atmospheric imagery, this imagery rests on a flimsy base due to the repetition — rather than the alteration — of conventional science fiction tropes. The story […]

eSports Lab adds new opportunity in College of Media & Communication

By A.J. Salazar In January 2023, Texas Tech University established the eSports Competition and Streaming Lab located on the first floor of the College of Media & Communication. Braxton Parrott, a Texas Tech Information Technology alumnus and current student assistant at CoMC, said what was once an abandoned call center has now transformed into a […]

Film Review: “Nolan, Oppenheimer, and their Respective Nuclear Bombs”

By Geoff Daniels When news broke in September of 2021 that Christopher Nolan had sold his screenplay about the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, movie fans rejoiced at the opportunity to see a true master of the craft tackle the incredible story of Oppenheimer’s life. Although Nolan had previously held a longstanding relationship with Warner […]

Tips on How to Empower Your Semester

By Venus Bayat The start of the fall semester is a novel chapter for both newcomers and returning students, presenting a chance to make a harmonious balance between educational pathway and personal life. This guide offers practical tips and tricks that offer students adaptable strategies to transition gracefully into the fall 2023 semester while prioritizing […]