New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
‘The Hate u Give’ author’s next Belhaven scholarship awarded
A private university in Mississippi has awarded the third Angie Thomas Writers Scholarship. It is named for the author of “The Hate U Give” and other bestselling young adult novels. Incoming freshman Dee Holden will receive four years of tuition, room and board at Thomas’ alma mater, Belhaven University in Jackson. Holden is a U.S. citizen living in Yantai, China. She submitted creative writing samples to apply for the scholarship. The university says Thomas took part in an online meeting April 25 to tell Holden about the award. Belhaven established the scholarship to honor Thomas, a 2011 graduate.
the last two years during the pandemic. The Minions — a second-banana scenestealing horde of mostly incompetent but fiercely loyal henchmen — have in 12 years become a formidable force and a ubiquitous culture presence.
“There’s a lot of them so they have a kind of power in that they can overwhelm,” says Chris Renaud, producer of “Rise of Gru” and director of the first two “Despicable Me” movies. “It’s like power by wearing you out.”
“There’s a paradox about them,” says Kyle Balda, director of “Rise of Gru,” “Minions” and “Despicable Me 3.” “They want to serve an evil boss of some sort yet there’s nothing evil about them, really. They’re quite good-natured except they like to see others fail a little bit.
They laugh at each other’s misfortune. They’re very flawed, but their flaws end up working out for them. One of the things we often say is: They fail upward.”
Because the Minions started out loosely defined, and their very nature a little mysterious, the franchise has offered them a chance to continually evolve. In 2015’s “Minions,” their backstory got filled in a little; a montage followed them through history and a long line of bosses, from a Tyrannosaurus rex to Napoleon — all of whom the Minions unwittingly sabotage. Some Minions — Kevin, Stewart and Bob — have been isolated like a trio of siblings. “The Rise of Gru” picks up after they meet young Gru, who they call “mini-boss” even though he wants to be taken seriously as a villain.