November 1, 2022

Title: PRE-ORIENTATION

Constructors: Enrique Henestroza Anguiano & Brooke Husic

Editor: Anna Gundlach

Theme Answers:

GAYATRI MANTRA (24A: Sanskrit chant for those seeking illumination)

BIOLUMINESCENCE (40A: Light emitted by underwater organisms)

PANEER MAKHANI (50A: Rich and buttery cheese curry)

Theme synopsis: A sexual ORIENTATION (GAY, BI, PAN) is found at the beginning (PRE-) of each theme answer.

And now a word from our constructors:

Enrique: I loved making this puzzle with Brooke, from the beautiful theme entries to the queer twist and a title that brings it back to college. Thanks to her for suggesting PANEER MAKHANI, which sounds delicious and I’d like to try now. I’m also really happy with the angles I suggested for NEVADA, ALIVE, and LOS. Hope you enjoy!

Brooke: This is my and Enrique's sixth collaboration out in the world and making every single one of them has been an absolute joy! +1 to everything Enrique said above -- I also love his clues for NADA and ANY SECOND NOW and I like mine for TEN and ESSAY. You can read "The Case for Reparations" here and listen to it (which I did and recommend!) here.

Things I learned:

• GAYATRI MANTRA (24A: Sanskrit chant for those seeking illumination) The GĀYATRĪ MANTRA is a sacred prayer from the RigVeda, an ancient collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns. The GĀYATRĪ MANTRA is cited widely in Hindu texts, and is referred to in Buddhist scripture.
• LOS (65D: Selena y ___ Dinos (Tejano band) Selena y LOS Dinos was a band formed in 1981 by Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla. At the time of the band's formation, Selena, who came to be known as the "Queen of Tejano Music," was only nine years old. The group disbanded in 1995 after Selena was murdered, but reunited for a tribute concert in honor of Selena on April 7, 2005.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ESSAY (36A: Nonfiction piece such as "The Case for Reparations") The ESSAY, "The Case for Reparations," was written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, and published in The Atlantic in 2014. The article's summary reads: "Two hundred fifty years of slavery. Ninety years of Jim Crow. Sixty years of separate but equal. Thirty-five years of racist housing policy. Until we reckon with our compounding moral debts, America will never be whole." In addition to the original ESSAY, I recommend this 2019 interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates by The New Yorker.
• BIOLUMINESCENCE (40A: Light emitted by underwater organisms) Underwater organisms emit light for a number of reasons, including to help them hunt, defend against predators, and find mates. BIOLUMINESCENCE is caused by a chemical reaction within an organism that converts chemical energy into light energy. Hooray for science in crosswords! Not all organisms that use BIOLUMINESCENCE are found underwater. The light emitted by fireflies is also an example of BIOLUMINESCENCE.
• NGO (46A: Charitable group such as CARE International (Abbr.)) CARE International is a non-governmental organization (NGO) focused on fighting global poverty and inequality.
• PANEER MAKHANI (50A: Rich and buttery cheese curry) I learned about PANEER MAKHANI from the April 2, 2021 puzzle. PANEER MAKHANI is also known as PANEER butter masala. It is a creamy dish in Indian cuisine with a gravy made from butter, tomatoes, and cashews.
• ALEC (26D: Actor and comedian Mapa) I learned about ALEC Mapa, the host of the reality TV show Transamerican Love Story, from the October 10, 2021 puzzle. Apparently that learning didn't stick, because I learned about ALEC Mapa and the comedy special ALEC Mapa, Baby Daddy, from the April 5, 2022 puzzle. So of course, when making notes about what to highlight in today's puzzle, I placed ALEC Mapa in the "Random thoughts" section, and not in "Things I learned." Well, the truth is I moved him here after discovering I've written about him twice before! Third time's a charm...
• PBS (29D: "Nova" channel) Nova is a science-focused TV show that first aired on PBS in 1974. The show covers a number of topics and has won many awards, including a Public Service Award (the first ever) from the National Science Foundation. 
• TEN (35D: Number worn by Sue Bird) Sue Bird is a recently retired professional basketball player. She played for WNBA's Seattle Storm - wearing number TEN - from 2002-2022. The Seattle Storm won four WNBA championships during Sue Bird's time on the team. Sue Bird was also a part of the USA Olympic team that won five gold medals.
• ALIVE (51D: "What a time to be ___!") "What a time to be ALIVE!" This is a fun clue for ALIVE. This multi-purpose phrase is one that can be used sincerely or ironically. It may remind some people of an episode of the TV show, The Simpsons.

Geography review:

• NEVADA (18A: Western state whose name means "snow-covered" in Spanish) Before NEVADA became a state (158 years ago yesterday - October 31, 1864), it was known as the NEVADA Territory. The NEVADA Territory took its name from the Sierra NEVADA mountains, which are indeed often snow-covered. Interestingly, most of the Sierra NEVADA range is in California, with only a small part located in the state to which it gave its name. 
• ATL (19A: Georgia's capital, for short) Atlanta (ATL) is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. State of Georgia. Bonus geography lesson: The capital and largest city of the country of Georgia is Tbilisi.
• SAO (48A: ___ Paulo, Brazil) SAO Paulo is located on the eastern edge of Brazil, about 40 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. It is the most populous city in Brazil. Brazil has been in the news for their recent presidential election, won by Luis Inacio Lula da Silva.
• NEW (1D: The "N" in NH or NJ) This clue could read [The "N" in NH, NJ, NM, or NY]. These are the four U.S. states whose names begin with the word NEW: NEW Hampshire, NEW Jersey, NEW Mexico, NEW York.
• IDAHO (56D: Boise's state) Boise is the capital and largest city of IDAHO.

Harkening back to college days today with the title PRE-ORIENTATION (the ORIENTATION before the official ORIENTATION). I liked that the ORIENTATIONs found in each theme answer were consistently part of longer words, as a PREfix would be. In addition to the answers I've already highlighted, I really enjoyed ANY SECOND NOW and ANIMAL PLANET. Thank you, Enrique and Brooke, for this puzzle that was a great way to begin my Tuesday.