Deconstructing humor: Why we find things funny


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Last week, I discussed the appeal of offensive jokes as a vehicle to escape political correctness. The phenomenon of humor, however, extends far beyond just humor from offense and has puzzled philosophers for decades. It’s worth mentioning that many different theories persist to describe humor. Philosophers have posited that humor derives from feelings of superiority, […]

Proposing climate change legislation is a waste of paper


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This year, Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen plans on re-introducing legislation to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change. One would think that Hollen has reasons to be optimistic. On Monday, The New York Times reported that one of the main researchers who Republicans have referenced in their denial of human-caused climate change, Wei-Hong Soon, […]

A healthy dose of diversity and absurdity


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There’s something really endearing and weird that really cracks me up when I see pictures of unsuspecting animals wearing clothing. Snakes with hats. Baby goats with sweaters. Mice with glasses. I clearly spend too much time during lectures perusing Google Images for my own amusement. The sheer absurdity of the pictures keeps me coming back. […]

While it has broken records, Fifty Shades still lingers in gray area


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The Valentine’s weekend release of Fifty Shades of Grey was marketing genius. Not only did the film ride off the commercial success of the novel, but it also took advantage of the Valentine’s Day hype. Reeling in $93 million in less than a week, Fifty Shades grossed the highest amount of money for any film […]

There’s room for creative juices on dining hall menu


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Anyone who eats often enough at any one of USC’s residential dining halls knows that the food runs on a cyclic schedule. Fridays are usually the best nights at Parkside with salmon being a regular, and breakfast rotates the occasional pancakes or breakfast burritos, in addition to the main affair of eggs, bacon and waffles. […]

Love, hate and the human soul


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Many prominent realms of academia (the sciences and, ironically, the “progressive” humanities) are ever eager to dismiss considerations of the human soul, and if I were inclined to acknowledge mankind as merely the most evolved in a hierarchy of spiritless beasts, I would have to renounce my fascination with art, with identity, with the distinctly […]

Cards Against Humanity: The game of a generation


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“What gives me uncontrollable gas?” “Auschwitz.” The statement precedes a brief period of silence followed by ebullient laughter. There are few games more highly treasured to the college student than Cards Against Humanity, the card game in which players fill in a sentence given by a card with one of their own. The twist is […]

Expectations vs. Reality: Why the transition to college isn’t easy


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I’m a freshman. I came to USC with my head held up high, ready for that once-in-a-life-time college experience; I was going to meet tons of new people and develop my passions. Then halfway through the semester, my enthusiasm hit a brick wall and college became a nightmare. There were a lot of reasons why […]