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Category: Arts and Culture

Venturing into the world of Junji Ito, Japanese horror manga artist

Venturing into the world of Junji Ito, Japanese horror manga artist

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I was never a fan of Japanese horror. For a scaredy-cat like me, it takes a lot of courage to take on movies like Ringu or The Grudge. Although I am aware that there usually is a close connection between movies and comics as they are both under the umbrella of culture, my perception of Japanese manga is completely isolated from that of movies and bound to more lighthearted series like Doraemon, Naruto and Avatar. I never thought of trying…

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How to Write Compelling Fiction: A One-Act Play

How to Write Compelling Fiction: A One-Act Play

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Characters: Will Self Edger Allen Poe Hilary Mantel Kazuo Ishiguro Margaret Atwood Setting: A dark cellar. Will Self stands by a small bare bulb. He has just finished putting the final masonry on a walled up section of the cellar. Margaret Atwood floats 5 feet of the ground in a Jules Verne inspired dirigible. Kazuo Ishiguro stands somewhere in the room dressed as a knight. Hillary Mantel points a sniper rifle out the only window in the cellar, staring intently…

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Viet Thanh Nguyen offers a glimpse into the life of refugees

Viet Thanh Nguyen offers a glimpse into the life of refugees

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There are countless reasons one can think of on why many people choose to move far away from their mother land, be it to pursue one’s distinguished career in a promising foreign market, to settle down with a local, or simply look for better economic status. However, the term refugee would still be such an unfamiliar concept to most Americans until waves of Vietnamese refugees arrived in the US after the war just to be greeted with reservation, doubt, and…

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A Brief Review of ‘Sense8’: Flawed But Still Worth Watching

A Brief Review of ‘Sense8’: Flawed But Still Worth Watching

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Before I rant about a social justice issue or reflect on the fact that I have just started my last year of college, I want to talk about something I watched over the summer—something that I urge you to hurry and binge-watch before schoolwork really starts to build up. It’s a new-ish Netflix show called Sense8. Disclaimer: if you don’t enjoy things that don’t really make sense, then you might not enjoy Sense8, because for the entirety of the first…

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Album Review: Travi$ Scott’s Long-Awaited ‘Rodeo’ Delivers

Album Review: Travi$ Scott’s Long-Awaited ‘Rodeo’ Delivers

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The first words we hear on Travi$ Scott’s debut album Rodeo are from rapper T.I., who praises Scott as a “young rebel against the system, refusing to conform or comply to the ways of authority, [choosing] a mood of ‘fuck this shit.’” Scott (or, as he refers to himself, “La Flame”) takes these words to heart, delivering his well-known brand of “fuck this shit” music on this album. After a few listens, it’s clear that T.I.’s intro serves as both…

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The Villain Always Wins: Why The Bad Guy Is More Fun

The Villain Always Wins: Why The Bad Guy Is More Fun

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My favorite scene in the Lion King is the one where Scar kills Mufasa. It might not surprise anyone to learn that when I share this fact, I usually get reactions of shock and horror. This scene makes me excited; it makes most people extremely sad. But how can you not love it? It’s the culmination of the brilliant villain’s evil plan! It’s the rise of Scar, voiced by the magnificent Jeremy Irons. In an instant, Mufasa’s rescue of his…

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Table Tennis is the New Pool | Muddled Post 1

Table Tennis is the New Pool | Muddled Post 1

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Usually I don’t like ping pong, but it was the end of summer and I needed something to hold onto. You know the feeling, you probably had it then too (you might even have been in New York City, too). Well there I was, gripping a paddle in a basement bar on Christopher Street called Fat Cat, waiting for a girl from South Dakota to serve a battle-scarred pong ball over a sagging net. Thanks to South Dakota, I had…

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Elite Academia Is Terrifying: Lessons From A Less-Than-Silent Reading Room

Elite Academia Is Terrifying: Lessons From A Less-Than-Silent Reading Room

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On a predictably hot and humid Saturday afternoon in D.C. I sat down at a large wooden table in the Folger Shakespeare Library’s reading room and (gently) placed the 400 year old book onto reading pads . I had taken special care to thoroughly wash and dry my hands as the librarian had instructed me, but the rest of me was still drenched in sweat from walking four blocks in the sun, and then nervously registering as a “special reader”…

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Shaking off Taylor Swift

Shaking off Taylor Swift

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Dear Taylor, We were both young when I first saw you. I close my eyes, and the flashback starts. I’m standing there… a sad middle school girl in suburban, 93% white Hunterdon County, New Jersey wondering why the boy I thought was the love of my life just did not reciprocate my romantic feelings. The bulk of my friends responded with the classic “he doesn’t know what he’s missing out on” and “you will find someone better”, but they didn’t…

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On Reading by Sunset Lake

On Reading by Sunset Lake

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As a sentimental senior preparing to graduate within the month, I have been trying to spend as much time as possible in my favorite places around campus. I have many, but an especially beloved spot is on the hill overlooking Sunset Lake, right near the broken bench. I go here to read. I sit on the grass (which is currently long and sprinkled with dandelions and forget-me-nots) because the bench is missing several bars on its seat—sitting on it requires…

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