Arts & Culture

The Arts Desks’ weekly picks for movies, books, music and television shows. Movie: “Police Story” (1985) dir. by Jackie Chan   Democracy is flailing, COVID-19 is spreading and the stock market is the worst it’s been since the 1930s or something like that. So you owe it to yourself to kick back, relax and watch Jackie […]

Finding solace, balance as a self-made artist Dream-pop student music group Urbanation, headed by fourth-year psychology and communication double major Bianca Ocampo, has amassed an impressive following as they move toward the release of their indie-rock album, scheduled to be released later this year. The album touches on life as a student, and the band […]

Religion is portrayed in many different ways than our parents or grandparents experienced  The topics explored and the themes portrayed in today’s media are vastly different than what was tolerated just 50 years ago. For example, when Lucille Ball got pregnant during her run as the star of “I Love Lucy,” showrunners consulted with a […]

Professors from different departments share their favorite non-academic reads Just like their students, professors are indecisive — half of those contacted couldn’t decide what their all-time favorite non-academic book was. So here is everything close to it.   Sociology Professor Erin Hamilton — “Less” by Andrew Sean Greer Greer’s comic novel is described as satrically funny, […]

Assimilation through America’s favorite pastime    It was a bit of a long ride to the field, taking the better part of half an hour. When we got there, the smell of hops and yeast coated the field like a veil, courtesy of the Anchor Steam brewery across the street. The grass was deep green and […]

Everything, nothing is real  Since the dawn of artificial intelligence (AI), theories about the nature of our existence tend to  credit some greater power — human or otherwise — with the creation of our artificial reality. This concept sounds absurd to most, but there are believers, and they make some fair points.  There are different […]

MESS focuses on designing graphic tees for customers of all backgrounds Although Lila Simpson and Shirin Mavandad began their artistic endeavours individually, they found a similar artistic spirit in one another at a volcano in Costa Rica. Ever since, the two have been inseparable in the creation of their up-and-coming brand: MESS. The two students […]

Sad boy anthems make for soulful night Have you ever come across a song that just gets you? A song that stops you in your tracks and commands your full attention? As you listen, all you can do is close your eyes and submit to a wave of euphoria. If you’ve had this pleasure, you […]

The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for television, movies, novels and music Movie: “A Beautiful Mind” Ron Howard does a fantastic job of storytelling in this star-studded, Academy Award-winning 2001 movie, based on Sylvia Nasar’s biography of the same name. John Nash (Russell Crowe) is a brilliant but odd mathematician who comes up with an original […]

A heart-shattering, unforgettable romance You will think about the last 15 minutes of Céline Sciamma’s 2019 romance, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” for the rest of your life. The film follows the relationship of Marianne (Noémie Merlant) and Héloïse (Adѐle Haenel), two women on an isolated island in mid-1800s France. Héloïse, a young woman […]

A review of series’ ability to touch its audience  The daughter of musician Lenny Kravitz and actor Lisa Bonet, Zöe Kravitz was born for her role in Hulu’s original series, “High Fidelity” — a remake of Nick Hornby’s 1995 novel. The ten-episode series, centered in a gentrified Brooklyn, is a play on the traditional heartbreak […]

Over two decades, 807 Pokémon later, Pocket Monster franchise still holds a special place in hearts of millions across globe Just home from preschool, alongside an overall-clad gang of toddlers, I took to digging a hole in my family’s backyard. With shovels in hand and determination in our hearts, we went to work — strewing […]