Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Department of Romance Studies’ Brazilian Studies Colloquium. In this colloquium, Neil Larsen — a professor of comparative literature at UC Davis — spoke about current political developments in Brazil. In doing so, he brought into his discussion José Padilha’s Tropa de Elite, which — along with its sequel — is considered one of the most famous productions in the history of Brazilian cinema. The Tropa de Elite saga is essentially about BOPE — the equivalent to the SWAT in the U.S. — and its role in fighting drug lords and corruption in Rio de Janeiro.

There are some things that only great television can achieve.

What's really the difference between reading and watching a movie?

How much real world application does academic have?

After reading the blog post "Betches Love This College: Cornell University," A.J. Ortiz '13 shares some reflections.

From 1493 to 1898, Puerto Rico was a possession of the Spanish Empire. During this extensive time period, Spanish culture had an influential role in the development of a Puerto Rican identity. Such influence was reflected in the island’s economy, jurisprudence, ethnic composition, the political arena, cultural traditions and society as a whole. However, in 1898, an event occurred that would prove be the beginning of a challenging era for Puerto Ricans. As a result of the Spanish-American War, the United States gained possession of Puerto Rico. Although the United States’ culture was not fully incompatible with Puerto Rico’s, such events did create a major sociological and anthropological clash between two dissimilar nations.

Abdiel Ortiz-Carrasquillo '13 explains the cultural paradoxes of architecture in Rio.

AJ Ortiz explains the injustice often caused by the death penalty.

Abdiel Ortiz-Carrasquillo '13 celebrates the awkward situations we all occasionally find ourselves in. 

Abdiel Ortiz-Carrasquillo '13 argues against getting caught up in the details and appreciating the big picture, the answers are right in front of us