Culture

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM | The Crossing: Matatu in the A.M.

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Part II: Matatu in the A.M
“By the time the fool has learned the game, the other players have dispersed.”- Ashanti proverb

Vacant eyes stared past Ava and onto some unseen distance. Her mother, Charity, sat in a rocking chair in the common area near the staircase. She had been this way since Jamal’s funeral. Sometimes she cracked a smile. There was something very innocent and childlike about her smile, as if she didn’t have full control of her facial muscles anymore.

Culture

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM | THE CROSSING: Birthright

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The Crossing is a micronovel in the genre of Afrofuturism written in honor of Black History Month. It will be published in excerpts every second Wednesday.  

“Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”- African proverb

 

Ava’s Bitmoji hovered above her Google Maps, fading in and out of sight with a buzz. She shook her phone and the glitchy hologram reappeared and pointed a finger towards a building up ahead.  

“Good job finding it, Avamoji,” she said, high-fiving her Bitmoji.

Culture

KYLIE’S ROOM | What Are We Celebrating on Valentine’s Day?

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I painted my nails red for Valentine’s Day. Very cliché, I know. This is shocking and out of character for me for two reasons: 1) I painted my nails — which I almost never do, and 2) I have spent the last 21.5 years (yes, even as a small infant) vehemently opposed to Valentine’s Day. When I was in elementary school, I would symbolically wear black (or whatever black clothing my mother let my nine-year-old self-wear — I definitely didn’t buy my own clothes) to make a statement. My mother would give me “love gifts” the day AFTER Valentine’s Day to respect my cause, and I even wrote a poem entitled “I Hated Valentine’s Day” in fifth grade and got in trouble with a teacher.

Culture

AGORA | Trigger Warnings

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This article represents the first in a hopefully long series of articles which aims to address controversial topics in an open and civil manner here in Sunspots. The name was chosen carefully: the agora, the marketplace of ancient Athens, was at once a place where material goods were exchanged and where ideas and conflicting viewpoints could be expressed in the open air for all to hear and criticize. This is therefore the goal of Agora, a bi-weekly column for which writers in Sunspots meet in person and compose a conversational piece in which they summarize their own take on difficult topics, and contribute to conversations that need to be had. This week, two Sunspots writers turn their attention to the issue of trigger warnings. By now, it has become a staple of online writing, a boldfaced prefix to harrowing subject matter: the cw, content warning, or its functional Doppelgänger, tw, trigger warning.

Entertainment

AKABAS | Which Movies’ Plots Change Drastically if We Change One Letter of the Title?

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Forrest Gump → Forrest Dump
Synopsis: In this two-minute live-action short, a young boy on a hike in the Adirondacks walks 50 feet away from the trail, poops, walks back to the trail, and continues his hike. Critical Response: One critic calls the short a “hauntingly realistic slice of life” and many are even moved to tears, while a minority of writers call it “hogwash” and “utterly pretentious.”
Difference-O-Meter: Forrest Dump is a TOTALLY DIFFERENT film.  

Tomb Raider → Womb Raider
Synopsis: An anti-abortion propaganda film. Critical Response: The film induces one of the most inappropriate strings of Trump tweets to date and is so divisive that it actually hurts the Republican Party at the 2018 midterm elections. Difference-O-Meter: Womb Raider is a TOTALLY DIFFERENT film.

Culture

SOUND OFF | What’s Happening In Hip Hop

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The past couple months have seen some exciting new music releases in the hip hop world. Between Drake’s new singles, Migos new album and so many more new projects coming out, there’s a lot to digest and review. In this article I want to take apart a few of the more popular releases.  

Drake – “God’s Plan” and “Diplomatic Immunity”

Drake released two new singles, “God’s Plan” and “Diplomatic Immunity”, quietly one Friday night (January 20th, 2018). Despite being a  complete surprise to fans and the general public, God’s Plan rocketed to the number 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

Culture

KYLIE’S ROOM | Atlanta Monster, A Podcast In A League Of Its Own

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Too often, true crime podcasts fetishize or take light of heinous human actions. I’ll admit, I’ve listened to  many – and have even written about them. However, my interest has waned because of the disappointing quality of production and crude jokes made making light of some really serious stuff. Luckily, documentary filmmaker-turned-podcaster Payne Lindsey and partner Donald Albrights’ Atlanta Monster is different. In the ranks of podcasts such as S-Town and Serial, its production value and content are exemplary and comment on the political and social context of the time that in some instances mirrors our current society today.

Culture

TRAVELIN’ WITH JACQUELINE | From “WHOA” to “NO”: My Youtube History

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Like any sleep-deprived college student earning a degree in Procrastination, I often convince myself I need a study break, only to find myself panicking two hours later because I spent too much time (1) reading about the endless antics of well-dressed but not-so-well-behaved Lapo Elkann (decadent heir to the Fiat fortune), (2) browsing the sale sections of online clothing retailers that shall remain unnamed (for the safety of your wallet) or (3) poring over the exceptional articles written by the Blogs section. However, as of late, I’ve noticed that I’ve been reining in those study breaks pretty well, so that the most they’ve gone on for is maybe half an hour. My secret: grossing myself out. Now, while celebrity gossip and consumerist values–but never The Cornell Daily Sun–may inspire revulsion, the disgust I speak of is…bodily. Such study breaks will usually begin with my watching what I call a “WHOA” video (something that mesmerizes me) and end with my seeing a “NO” video (something I find so detesting I voluntarily return to my homework).

Culture

BIWEEKLY JOKES FOR EVERYDAY FOLKS | Super Bowl Special: Biweekly Jokes for Everyday Blokes

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First of all, why the bloody hell is this game called football if the least talented player is the kicker? But before I get too miffed, I’d like to tell you all about how this year’s American Football Championship Match will “go down” as you Americans say it. In the first quarter the Eagles will throw some touchdowns. Many touchdowns. Around two to three, I reckon, would be an appropriate estimate for the number of touchdowns that will be scored by the Eagles in the first quarter.

Culture

THE E’ER INSCRUTABLE | Alpha and Omega: The Light in the Abyss

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Standing beneath McGraw Tower at midnight is akin to experiencing the prolonged death throes of an eternity. Every day becomes as the instar of all time en miniature. Sunrise came today at 7:16, and sunset came at 16:34. Every passing minute sends another crumpled leaf falling in a perishing semicircle; long-since dead, each has now given up clinging to even a semblance of its former life. The flood of light at the sun’s rising and the onset of twilight mimic the life-story of the universe as a whole, the first inklings of energy stretching the cosmic fabric outward, and, having vented their smoldering fury to the point of exhaustion, their eventual extinguishment.