Valentine’s Day tricks for late planners


By
 in ,
Valentine’s Day is upon us once again, this time with a well-earned three-day weekend. For many students, this means extra wallowing and maybe a one-night stand or two, but, for those who actually have relationships, the weekend holds a bit more significance and a chance for a romantic evening. But for busy college students, planning […]

Chocolate options for every sweetheart


By
 2 Comments/in ,
Valentine’s Day is as good of an excuse as any to dive into the candy jar. If you’re about to hop on the blood sugar rollercoaster, roll past those saccharine Peeps and Sweethearts and go for the good stuff — chocolate. From sweet and creamy to rich and silky, chocolate has as many textures and […]

An indie-rock mixtape for the post-love song soundscape


By
 in ,
When popular music first turned to Tin Pan Alley songs of the 1920s, it was led by songwriting greats such as George and Ira Gershwin composing and penning, respectively, heartfelt ballads like “Someone to Watch Over Me” and “Embraceable You.” They were hopeful, elegant and dripping with uninhibited emotion. This tradition of the love ballad […]

Not just butterbeer for college Britons


By
 in ,
The day has finally arrived when I can legally buy alcohol. No, I didn’t have a birthday, and I’m still only 20 — I’m in Europe. The United States is just one of a handful of countries that bans people from drinking before the age of 21, a move that eliminates not only alcohol consumption […]

Additional nominees a welcome change


By
 in ,
For the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the idea of awarding a single film the coveted title of best picture of the year has always been complicated. Sometimes the right film wins, sometimes the wrong film wins and sometimes the wrong film wins a record number of Oscars. No matter which film eventually […]

Websites foster musical creativity


By
 in ,
You know you have downloaded music from the Internet at some point or another. It’s so easy to get the latest Matisyahu album or the newest single from Lady Gaga with just a click of the button. It’s quick, easy and gives us new music now. Downloading music is something everyone has done and most […]

Student’s fruit-based dessert whips it good


By
 1 Comment/in ,
Maybe it is the icy winds of L.A. winter, but Yogurtland seems a bit lonelier these days. Could it be that frozen yogurt — back from the dead after its ’80s heyday thanks to Korean fro-yo chains — is another fading trend? You needn’t look far to find one potential heir to the frosty throne. […]

Patti Smith confronts new school celebrity


By
 1 Comment/in , ,
If the Grammys telecast Sunday and the recent Golden Globe Awards taught us anything, it’s that products that are mass produced to possess inherent widespread appeal have become synonymous with award-winning talent. Of course, it’s been this way for some time, and to harp on the grotesque nature of voyeurism and shameless self-promotion in relation […]

U.K.’s hands-off education policy puts students in control


By
 in ,
From behind, wild cackling erupts from the depths of someone’s throat. To the left, gangly arms flail about hoping to catch fleeting attention. Screams, loud noises and laughter give the room an air of madness. No, you’re not in a zoo. You’re in a classroom in City University London the sixth most popular university in […]

Mad Mel returns with a vengence


By
 in ,
A Hollywood comeback is never easy, especially when most of Hollywood perceives you to be an anti-Semite with a drinking problem who recently left his wife of more than 25 years for a much younger woman who has just given birth. Mel Gibson, a man once very near the top of the Hollywood hierarchy, is […]