Houston McLaury – Opinion Columnist  Over the past summer, I had the pleasure and opportunity of seeing Jordan Peele’s Nope in theaters, a movie about a ranch owner investigating why their family’s horses have been disappearing into the night, only to have an encounter of the third kind. And although it’s been months since I’ve seen this film, I have not been able to get … Continue reading The value of the horror genre

David Eide – Opinion Columnist  As a political science major and someone who is just generally plugged into politics, I’ve been paying very close attention to this year’s session of the Minnesota legislature. This session is especially significant because it represents the first instance of unified governmental control in almost a decade, with the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party having taken full control in the 2022 elections. … Continue reading A new way to vote?

Jonas Doerr – Opinion Columnist Our trees are lonely, and we are not loving them enough. Trees cannot help other trees. All a tree is to another tree is a pollen receptacle, and everyone knows how objectifying it is to be a pollen receptacle. Trees never walk up to another tree and ask “How are you doing?” Maybe they yell it across the sidewalks to … Continue reading Our trees are lonely

Houston McLaury – Opinion Columnist For every month of the year, there is something to look forward to. For the summer months of June, July, and August, it’s the break and warmth that summer brings that gives these months value. The fall months of September, October, and November bring cozy feelings, falling leaves, spiced drinks, and dark nights that bring the richest of atmospheres into … Continue reading The worst month: March

David Eide – Opinion Columnist In the past couple of months, I’ve been trying to get out and see more movies in theaters and I think it’s really inspired a deeper appreciation and curiosity toward the art of filmmaking.  In turn, this interest has spun off to include things that directly tie into films, in particular, the Oscars.  If you’re unaware, the Oscars, or the … Continue reading Oscar-vations

Houston McLaury – Opinion Columnist The modern world brings a multitude of wonders into people’s lives thanks to the advantages of modern technology. Items from phones to microwaves have changed lives in drastic ways, some improving life, while others tend to hold people down. One of these inventions that holds us down is the LED headlight. This light, straight from the fiery furnace, has ruined … Continue reading Blinded by the headlights

Gabrielle Lavan – Opinion Columnist We’ve entered into the stage of capitalism where we attempt to turn robots into sentient beings. Machines that can move, consume, and think on their own used to be a concept of the sci-fi-fantasy genre. Beloved fantasy worlds with sentient robots such as BB-8, WALL-E, and R2-D2 pique our curiosities because human-like robots are a spectacle. They’re confusing, interesting, and … Continue reading AI – friend or foe?

Jonas Doerr – Opinion Columnist  “What do you want to do this weekend?” “I don’t know, what do you want to do?” “I don’t know?” The conversants walk off and end up doing nothing that weekend. This situation has happened to nearly everyone. I’ll be a mind reader for a second; you have a hard time making decisions. Was I right? Nearly everyone does. One … Continue reading Why can’t we choose?

David Eide – Opinions Columnist  Having gone through three and a half years of it, I think it’s fair to now say that I have a pretty decent grasp on academia and the various institutions and systems that support it.  Overall, I’d say I’m quite satisfied with how academia functions, at least from the admittedly limited perspective of a student. That is not to say … Continue reading Academic grifting

Houston McLaury – Opinions Columnist  Over these last few weeks, with the release of “The Last of Us,” on HBO Max and its subsequent success in capturing the American audience, I have been forced to ask myself one question: why are the episodes so long? The first episode of the series, “When You’re Lost in the Darkness,” was 81 minutes alone. That’s just shy of … Continue reading One hour dramas, or the half hour sitcom