Arts & Culture

WILLIAMS | Art Humanizes Currently and Formerly Incarcerated People

By |

Isaac Scott has an unconventional resume. As a young man (born and raised) in Harlem, NY, searching for a father figure, he turned to drug dealing and street life. He cycled through home, streets and school until he gained his associate’s in 2004, but could not afford the small cost for his cap and gown. Frustrated, hurt, he turned back to the streets and spent 9 years in prison, where he learned vocational trades but was also introduced to visual art as a means of financial sustenance and emotional coping. When he left prison in 2014, he founded an arts and advocacy group called Isaac’s Quarterly, majored in Visual Arts at Columbia University, became an ordained minister and is currently working toward his masters of divinity in youth and family ministries at Liberty University.

Arts & Culture

Iconic, Chaotic and Timeless: Film and the Women of 70s Rock-and-Roll

By |

There has arguably never been a more captivating character than the wild ’70s female rock star, or rock groupie, and they have arguably never been better presented than in the movie Almost Famous and the TV show Daisy Jones and the Six. Today we will discuss these projects’ iconic stars: Kate Hudson’s Penny Lane and Riley Keough’s Daisy Jones. 

Though both of these stories have male leads, the men simply pale in comparison to their female counterparts. It does not matter how handsome or talented Sam Claflin’s Billy Dunne or Billy Crudup’s Russell Hammond are — their spotlights are stolen because the women dancing across our screen with their bellbottoms and wild hair are ethereal, completely captivating. Despite being ’70s characters — Almost Famous is set in 1973 and Daisy Jones in 1977 — there is something timeless about them, something which connects deeply with female viewers. They are like older sisters, completely terrible influences, but important role models nevertheless, who inspire young girls to become the people they want to be. 

Their stories and choices are not perfect: Both girls nearly die in the glamorized whirlwind of ’70s drug culture.

Arts & Culture

SOLAR FLARE | Seasonal Affective Diaries

By |

As it gets warmer — and it has been warm — I always find myself as excited for the impending summer as I am a bit melancholic about the end of another winter. There’s a specific vibe that’s lost, and whose wavelength I can’t help but love. I tried tracing how I’ve followed that winter this year — from the neverending nights of Northern Europe, to the warm lonely Western dreariness of Los Angeles, to the frigid longing for spring inevitable in Ithaca. The throughline makes sense mostly only in my head, but perhaps you’ll be able to follow me down the rabbit hole… 

1. Chinese Satellite by Phoebe Bridgers

I like those songs that you first and most listen to at your saddest.

Arts & Culture

For All Admirers of Fairytales: A Review of the Once Upon a Broken Heart Trilogy

By |

“Every story has the potential for infinite endings”

Enter the dazzling world of the Magnificent North, a stunning fantasy series that is utterly impossible to put down. Stephanie Garber’s YA fantasy trilogy, Once Upon a Broken Heart, appeals to those who grew up speaking the language of fairy tales and long to return. The first novel, Once Upon a Broken Heart, starts when Evangeline Fox discovers a door that will only reveal itself to souls like herself who believe in wonder and magic. After discovering the man she believed to be her true love would be marrying her stepsister, Evangeline rushes to the veiled door and into the church of the Fated Prince of Hearts hoping to stop the wedding. But she soon discovers that the mythological beings of Valenda — The Fates — are not who she thought they were.

Arts & Culture

PROFILE | Paragon

By |

I was in Atlantic City for a weekend with Kyle Wolf ’25. It was there, in the Bally’s hotel somewhere above the casinos, that I asked if he wanted to make some music. We both brought MIDI keyboards when we met at his car before the trip, pointing at each other like that Spider-Man meme. 

Courtesy of Sofia Egol

He hadn’t made afrobeats before, but I was curious about his limits. We listened to Tyla’s “Water” for reference, and Kyle replicated the drums. I envied that he could do it without any serious effort — it was just a matter of listening to the first 30 seconds of the song and tapping the pattern on the piano. But he couldn’t let the song contain him; he let go of the reference and it became some sort of jazz fusion.

Arts & Culture

Hozier Cannot Be ‘Unheard’

By |

As a relatively new Hozier listener, I can’t really think of one word to describe his music. A mixed genre folk-pop-indie-alternative artist, he has such a talent at painting pictures with his lyrics and transporting his listeners to other worlds. The first song I ever heard of his was “Take Me To Church,” and I was immediately drawn in by his haunting yet beautiful sound, but I never really considered myself a full-blown Hozier fan until this past fall. I got very into Noah Kahan over the last year (as did most people), and after I had seen him on tour in Syracuse and listened to his songs so much that I could hear him in my sleep, I wanted to expand my scope by listening to more artists like him. A native New-Englander, I loved the familiar and comforting feeling Kahan created, so drawing on that folk-pop-indie vibe, I tried The Lumineers, CAAMP, Mt.

Arts & Culture

‘Guts Spilled’: It’s Not For You (It’s For Me)

By |

Way back last October, Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS released, captivating me to the point that it led to a brief foray into amateur music criticism and to the eventual position of Rodrigo at the top of my Spotify Wrapped. I didn’t really precisely understand what I found so undeniable about the album: It’s odd to be a person so skeptical of popular cinema only to have the milquetoast music taste of an AI-generated character from a Netflix high school sitcom. But besides the obvious earworm-y quality of the songs and palpable angst of the vocals, Rodrigo managed to so perfectly and bluntly hit a specific familiar stream of consciousness that resonated with me and society more broadly. She’s popular — I’m just describing pop music. 

Anyway, GUTS (spilled) — the album’s deluxe edition — released last Friday, featuring five new songs and a slight cover variant with very tiny text. As an avid fan nevertheless trying to avoid a Spotify Wrapped repeat, I did eagerly listen to the new tracks, but only after being reminded of the album’s existence by a friend texting me with (probably) a bit of derision.

Arts & Culture

WILLIAMS | Beyond Burnout: The Untold Story of Queer Intimacy on Dating Apps

By |

I didn’t think C was the love of my life. I didn’t even think she was going to be my girlfriend. But I was happy to be there, walking side by side beneath the warm lights of Chicago’s French Market, still giggling and swaying under the influence of a first date’s customarily sweet awkwardness. Those who suffer from dating burnout, a term describing the hopelessness and cynicism daters often feel about finding long-lasting love — especially in the age of dating apps — might wonder at my willingness to go out with a woman from Tinder, even while thinking that she would not be my person. For many, that knowledge contradicts the purpose of going on the date in the first place — to receive a return on the investment of a perfectly curated profile, a couple of days of messaging beforehand, a well-groomed appearance on the day of the date and ultimately to settle down.

Arts & Culture

SOLAR FLARE | Songs for Grinding Out an Essay

By |

I know what you’re thinking: “A playlist to write an essay to? Did they run out of ideas already?” Fear not. I just happen to be a part of a niche group of people who enjoy listening to words while typing other words. Something about having a beat makes me more productive, and I know that there are others out there who feel the same way. I dedicate this playlist to you all.

Arts & Culture

HATER FRIDAY | The Worst Walks at Cornell

By |

As a native New Yorker, I love walking. No really, love it. I love it so much that sometimes I would elect to walk the two miles to or from my high school in lieu of taking the subway. Other times, I would spend my whole day just strolling. Back in June, I even walked the entire length of Manhattan, all 11 and a half miles.