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on-the-big-screen
Columns

On the Big Screen: 'The 40-Year-Old Version'

The film sells itself as a story about a woman who turns to making rap music when her writing career seems stuck, but it is so much more. Radha Blank’s screenplay is an intricate and personal portrait of what it means to be an artist, life in New York City, and the issues that come with gentrification.





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Columns

Sharp from the Sofa: A used mattress, pasta and the NCAA

No players or coaches did anything wrong and nobody affiliated with the program or working at UMass knew anything incorrect had occurred, yet the NCAA cracked down and forced the team to vacate three years of wins. If a teacher, parent, boss, or any other authority figure acted this way it would leave us scratching our heads in disbelief. But this is the way the NCAA has governed for years.


Maeves-Music-Mondays
Columns

Maeve's Music Mondays: In defense of the viola

As someone who spent a rather large amount of their Starbucks barista savings on a nicer viola, I find myself rather defensive whenever my instrument is subject to the popular jokes and scorn cast on violas and violists. Ever since the 18th century, violas have been the butt of endless jokes and mockery. As it was often unaccomplished violinists who were made to take up the viola for the sake of the orchestra, the viola became an instrument associated with inferior musicians. 


The Setonian
Columns

The Countdown: Stop waiting for another Jim Jeffords

Jim Jeffords left the Senate in 2007. How could Democrats be so naïve to even consider there might be another like him lurking somewhere in the Republican cloakroom? With today's political climate, there is no more room for another Jim Jeffords in the Republican party.


The Setonian
Columns

Little Bit of History Repeating: Salmon sushi

Salmon sushi did not exist before the 1990s, and no one told me. I have been taking its “authenticity” (whatever that means) as a Japanese dish for granted, when really we have Norway’s ridiculous persistence to thank for its creation.



Daily-Headers
Columns

Hoops Traveler: FC Barcelona, the basketball team?

This week, my travels take me to Spain — provided that I successfully cross the language barrier. My lack of soccer knowledge is compensated by my fascination with international basketball. Lucky for me, I quickly discovered that behind the iconic soccer franchise logos of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid rests an unexpected — yet powerful — non-soccer legacy.


The Setonian
Columns

The Weekly Rewind: Let's Marvin Gaye and get it on (top)!

If 2020 has taught the music industry anything, it is that historically excluded groups should have an equal opportunity to a lasting legacy. The Beatles should be respected and idolized in their own right, but with a larger, more diverse playlist of artists to listen to today, more icons can emerge into the mainstream.


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Columns

The Turf Monster: The 14 NBA teams that can win a title in 2021

To fill some of that basketball void that’s been lingering since the finals wrapped up, I’ve decided to look ahead and evaluate what the basketball landscape will look like in 2021. There are some exciting narratives and teams to explore, as well as several key players coming back from prolonged absences.




The Setonian
Columns

Since You Last Saw Me: Antisocial media

Although I’ve been wary of social media for a while, the decision to actively regulate my usage was precipitated by “The Social Dilemma” (2020), a Netflix documentary centered around Tristan Harris, a former Google employee and cofounder of the Center for Humane Technology. He uses the ominous phrase “human downgrading” to describe the effect social media has on our minds, and has spent much of his career pushing tech companies like Facebook and Apple to adopt more ethical guidelines to govern their interfaces.


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Columns

Wonder Women: Breanna Stewart

In honor of the Seattle Storm’s thrilling Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Finals win on Oct. 6, this week’s spotlight is on two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) Breanna “Stewie” Stewart. The forward brought home the hardware this season after a dominating run against the Las Vegas Aces.