Arts & Culture

The influence of influential parents Nepotism is nothing new in Hollywood. In fact, it’s rather common knowledge that it’s nearly impossible to break into the industry without connections. With practically every good role going to someone with a recognizable last name or a producer parent, why is nepotism in the entertainment industry not talked about […]

French films, zombies and Burton, oh my! With a little extra time on our hands, this may be one of the only quarters where watching a movie as a small distraction is completely acceptable. The list below includes four professors’ favorite movies. Although we may not be physically with them during lecture, we can be […]

Suggestions on how to approach this slow-paced new way of life amid COVID-19 We prepare for earthquakes, gas leaks and even heartbreak — who knew that for some of us, the most unexpected disaster was boredom? The pandemic of COVID-19 has altered our lives. Sure, an incurable, potentially fatal virus has struck the entirety of […]

The Arts Desks’ weekly picks for movies, books, music and television shows Book (ish): “Cat Person” by Kristen Roupenian This short story quickly gained popularity after being published in The New Yorker in 2017, landing Roupenian a well-deserved book deal. The story depicts a young woman hesitantly entering a relationship with an older man and […]

From Reznor and Ross to Zimmer Cinema is a sentimental itch. It’s the lasting tug when you leave the theater that forces you to take an extra couple moments out of your day to reflect. An invaluable asset in cultivating this pull is the score of the film, which, when done right, mimics the emotional […]

Glover’s most recent album is filled with honest, beautiful, self-assured self-doubt  For years, Donald Glover, the singer, rapper, actor and altogether wildly gifted artistic creator, has hinted at plans to retire “Childish Gambino,” the musical stage name under which he performs.  As a long-time fan, I can sympathize with Glover’s desire to separate from his […]

Remote work is all the rage I’m sorry to bring it up again, but as I’m sure you know, the COVID-19 outbreak has done a number on the economy — and it’s a negative number. Many have been laid off, and the stimulus package doesn’t seem to be compensating adequately, if at all (but that’s […]

For once, the movie might be better than the book When I first read Jennifer Niven’s young adult (YA) novel “All the Bright Places,” I was a 15-year-old sophomore — quite remarkably the worst year of high school for me. I relied solely on YA books to get me through the never-ending days of AP […]

HBO talk show host John Oliver uses compassion, sharp wit to engage America on issues we didn’t know we should care about   In the second season of John Oliver’s late night talk show “Last Week Tonight,” he announced that he had officially started his own church: Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption. This entire (legally binding) […]

Unpacking The Conspiracy Acclaimed journalist Henry Grunwald once said, “Journalism can never be silent: that is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.” In July of 2017, Jaye Hunt and […]

Absurd, addictive documentary about big cat people Netflix released “Tiger King” on March 20 — a seven-episode, true-crime miniseries about the feud between big cat breeders Joe Exotic and Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, and big cat rescuer Carole Baskin. During the COVID-19 crisis, Americans have asynchronously gathered to fall in love with an animal-abusing, but emotionally […]

The simple pleasures of Animal Crossing My alarm went off at 7:15 a.m., playing the once-loved but now highly detested “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler. I woke up a bit groggy, rubbing my eyes and lifting myself out of bed. My hair looked bad, my beard was unkempt and the bags under […]