Productivity is a sham
Kevin Leon keleon@ursinus.edu The sun goes up and down every day. This routine strings itself into weeks, which have now blurred into months. The last day of in-person classes was on March 6. The online-classroom that supplanted traditional college learning gave people more free time. No longer worried about having...
“Biden” My time? I’d rather not be
Daniel Walker dawalker@ursinus.edu This past month has seen the rapid ascendancy of Joe Biden to the top of the Democratic candidate heap, despite his initial poor showing in the first few national primaries. Biden knocked out all other centrist candidates for the 2020 presidential race, and even early favorite Bernie...
“The Circle Brazil” and demystifying the foreign
Jen Joseph jejoseph@ursinus.edu There has been a growing uptick in xenophobia since the spread of the Coronavirus, as many of you have already experienced. This in turn has led to violence and hate crimes amongst those perceived as foreign, most notably Asian peoples. This problem is not new, but the...
The arts: a casualty to come?
Daniel Walker dawalker@ursinus.edu As John Maus once sang, “times is weird these days.” Weird is an understatement: for all of us except the most hermit-y of hermits, our daily lives and the sense of normalcy and routine that accompanies them have been upended in the wake of a global pandemic...
On Bloomberg and the boys in blue
Daniel Walker dawalker@ursinus.edu On February 29th, the first official month of the Democratic primary closed out with former Vice President and current bumbling coot Joe Biden netting an unexpected win in South Carolina. While some have found occasion to fret that this win might disrupt the forward momentum of left-leaning...
“The Good Place” ends in . . . a good place
Jen Joseph jejoseph@ursinus.edu Last week marked the end of one of my favorite shows, Michael Schur’s “The Good Place.” I’ll try not to spoil the series, as it’s one I believe everyone should watch. But the show, despite its sitcom format, asks very deep questions of its audience. What are...
“Marriage Story” isn’t divorced from humanity
Ian Abrahams iaabrahams@ursinus.edu This year’s Oscars had a diverse offering of films from a variety of studios. Amongst these, one Netflix movie stood out amongst all the nominees, despite its only major win being Laura Dern (deservingly) for Best Supporting Actress. “Marriage Story” brought subtle humor and attention to realism...
“Uncut Gems” turns 2010s anxiety into great cinema
Daniel Walker dawalker@ursinus.edu Pandemonium. Chaos. Shoving matches, petty violence, conflict, sex, money, and other things I can’t mention here. No, it’s not a typical Friday night on campus - it’s “Uncut Gems,” the newest thriller from New York-based directors Josh and Benny Safdie. Since its release at the tail end...
The fall of the house of “The Bachelor”
Jen Joseph jejoseph@ursinus.edu Dear readership, I come before you today with the most genuine realness imaginable when I ask: is it time for NBC’s “The Bachelor” to end? Most regular viewers of “The Bachelor” seem to be in agreement that the show has gone a bit off the rails in...