The Stargazer

She Did That! A Brief History of Women in Literature

””Did you know that Florida State University was at one time a women's college? While it had existed for years before in many different forms, the university would become known as the Florida State College for Women in 1909, when “the Buckman Act reorganized Florida's six colleges into three institutions segregated by gender and race” in 1905. By the year 1933, “the Florida State College for Women was the third-largest women's college in the U.S.”*  It wouldn't be until 1947 that the school would become known as Florida State University and return to a  co-educational university, largely due to the influx of returning soldiers looking to take advantage of the G.I. Bill.

Little Women y los talentos técnicos de Greta Gerwig

”” La película de Little Women trata de las vidas de cuatro hermanas, cada una con diferentes personalidades y ambiciones. El cuento se enfoca en las relaciones entre las hermanas, desarrollando sus historias individuales durante todo.  Muy temprano en la película, los sueños de las niñas son increíblemente claros. La hermana mayor, Meg, sueña que un día podría empezar una familia. La segunda hermana, Jo, desea que pueda tener éxito como escritora. A la tercera hermana, Amy, le gusta pintar y a la hermana menor, Beth, le gusta tocar el piano. La película cambia entre escenas del pasado y del futuro. Mientras las escenas de sus jóvenes enfatizan juego y esperanza infantil, las escenas de sus adultos demuestran a las hermanas con obstáculos más graves. Aunque Meg espera que sus niños tengan una vida buena, a ella le cuesta trabajo cuidarlos porque la familia tiene poco dinero. En el futuro, Jo es presentada como una maestra. Aunque ella sueña con ser escritora, no tiene éxito porque el campo de escritura está controlado por hombres. Amy ha pasado mucho tiempo estudiando arte en Francia, pero ella duda que pueda ganar suficiente dinero como artista y, en lugar de eso, se enfoca en encontrar un esposo que pueda apoyar a su familia. Las hermanas están enfocadas en ellas mismas hasta que la hermana menor, Beth, muere de fiebre escarlata. Este evento reúne a las hermanas para así darse cuenta que ellas necesitan seguir juntas. También aprendí la lección de que la familia es lo más importante de todo. En resumen, esta obra muestra la importancia de depender de la familia. Enseña que no importa a donde vayas en la vida, la familia siempre es un parte integral de nosotros mismos.

My Favorite Oscar Nominees

””Amidst the vast award ceremonies held each year, the Academy Awards reigns above them all. It notoriously highlights brilliant actoral direction, original scores and each aspect of the directorial artistic vision. I was first introduced to the cinematic celebratory phenomenon when I was about twelve. Prior to the Oscars itself, my mother would put on the red-carpet exclusive interviews on the television. Together we would gawk at all the beautiful women in their triple dollar priced gowns, creating imaginary personal connections with each and every celebrity that attended. I remember vividly gasping in bewilderment at the men’s lack of style, of course with the exception of Christian Bale, Jared Leto and maybe Brad Pitt. I would always blush in perplexion at all the grown-up jokes that never actually matured into comicality as I grew to understand. It is safe to say I think of the Oscars rather fondly.

A Case for Russian Cinema

””Ukrainian homes and Ukrainian lives are lost daily. There is ten-ton sorrow weighing on the world, and the world is doing its best to push back on Putin’s arrogance. On March 1st, in President Biden’s State of the Union speech, he announced the freezing of Russian bank accounts on a global scale, closing off U.S. airspace to Russian flights, and plans to seize the properties of Russian oligarchs, following the statement with a menacing, ominous riff over the applause: “[Putin] has no idea what's coming.”

Disney: A Way to Relive Your Childhood

””To go back to the days of 101 Dalmatians on VCR: my beaten-up The Little Mermaid backpack happily sits on my back while I dance to the Beauty and the Beast Soundtrack and his light-up Lion King Sketchers glow as we play kickball during recess. I always catch my mind wandering back to those times, the times of seven dwarfs running around and Cinderella running back home when the clock strikes midnight. Disney never ceases to remind me of my childhood. The Walt Disney Company started in Los Angeles, California, on October 16th, 1923. Since that day, childhoods all over North America have been filled with Mickey’s heartfelt laugh and the image of Tinkerbell flying over Cinderella’s castle. We all understand the shared experience of Disney films being present in our youths. These films are reminders of the child we all have within.

How to Live with Eyes and Ears: Almodóvar

””To fancy a filmmaker is to fancy his shoes, his eyes, his legs, the way he drools when he sleeps, and the drugs he does. Pedro Mercedes Almodóvar Caballero, known on the screen simply as “Almodóvar,” fancies himself. Each film he writes is glazed with his life’s sticky resin, polished and bruised in tandem. Such eccentric sincerity is a phenomenon built over time, and understanding Almodóvar’s journey helps us understand what informs his filmmaking.

Unpacking the Psychological Horror of Cats (2019)

””Twisted moonlight floods an abandoned alleyway with a sickly green-blue tint. Silhouetted humanoid figures crawl along the brick roads and piles of oversized trash, following a massive car. They watch as a pulsating white bag is discarded by its unseen driver. A nauseating chord progression, played in blaring synth, repeats and grows louder as the figures draw closer to the bag, revealing disturbingly realistic human faces, digitally stitched onto furry animated bodies. The entire scene begins to spin as the creatures circle their target. Hissing sounds fill the air. The dance becomes chaotic. The closest figure raises a feline claw. The music swells to a climax. With one swift motion, he tears the bag open.

A Very Unofficial List of the Best Olympic Figure Skating Performances, According to Me

””Truth be told, when my editor informed me that I would be allowed to write this article, I did a little dance behind my black zoom screen. I am far from a figure skating aficionado (unless we’re counting the 3 weeks of figure skating classes I took with my brother when I was 7). That said, I am a huge figure skating fan and have been obsessed with following the performances and careers of some of the best figure skaters of our time. So, in honor of the Beijing 2022 Olympics, I present a list of my favorite figure skating performances from the past decade, in hopes of converting each and every one of you dear readers into the figure skating stan that I am.

10 Things I Love about “10 Things I Hate About You”:

””It is not every day that you find a movie that encapsulates everything you would ever want in a rom-com. To be both heartwarming and heart-wrenching, witty and beautiful, full of romance and humor. This is exactly what you’ll find in 10 Things I Hate About You, the best movie to watch during Valentine’s weekend. Released in 1999, 10 Things I Hate About You stars Julia Stiles as Kat and Heath Ledger as Patrick as they create the ideal rom-com through a timeless story of love, friendship, and music. 10 Things I Hate About You is my go-to till the world ends. Imagine this: Valentine's Day, on that sweet Monday night, snuggled up with your significant other or snuggled up with warm blankets and hot chocolate. 10 Things I Hate About You’s opening scene is playing, and everything is good. For me, in a long-distance relationship, Valentine's Day will be comprised of looking forward to watching 10 Things I Hate About You via Disney+ Group watch. It is EVERYTHING one could ever want in a rom-com. Here are 10 Things I Love about 10 Things I Hate About You.