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-Patrick McKelvey | Tuesday, April 30, 2019
For 11 years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has dominated the movie industry. It started in 2008 with “Iron Man,” an independently-produced feature about a lesser-known superhero that took countless pitch meetings and multiple rounds of financing to get off the ground. Few probably predicted how successful the film would be, spawning 21 entries into
Patrick McKelvey | Tuesday, April 16, 2019
I recently read an opinion piece by former Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal. He begins it with a criticism of the identity politics that has become associated with modern American liberalism. Pushing back against this ideology, Jindal reminded us of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech at the 1963 March on Washington — in which he dreamed his
Patrick McKelvey | Tuesday, April 9, 2019
In 2016, one of the most qualified presidential candidates of all time lost to one of the least qualified of all time. Hillary Clinton had been Secretary of State, a senator and First Lady. She probably knew the job better than anyone who hadn’t held the office. But a reality television star who had never
Patrick McKelvey | Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Anthony Bourdain, the acclaimed chef, author and travel documentarian, was a hero of mine for as long as I can remember. His shows “No Reservations” and “Parts Unknown” were staples in my home. On these programs, he would travel the world, both unknown corners and popular cities, and explore a place’s food, drink, people and
Patrick McKelvey | Monday, March 4, 2019
Since President Jenkins announced plans to cover the infamous Columbus murals in the Main Building, a number of statements against his decision have appeared on campus and in The Observer. Until very recently, I always thought the murals should be covered as well — and none of the typical arguments had swayed me. I don’t
Patrick McKelvey | Tuesday, February 19, 2019
On Thursday, Amazon announced it would no longer be building its planned “HQ2” in New York. After months of courtship and discussion, the company had decided to place one half of its new headquarters in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, New York. Amazon would have earned the city approximately $27 billion in tax
Patrick McKelvey | Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Every few years, when the low pressure system that surrounds the Arctic weakens, pockets of polar air can make their way farther south than they normally would. This is what happened last week, when a ‘polar vortex’ brought frigid temperatures to the midwestern United States. Not just frigid, actually—some states recorded temperatures colder than those
Patrick McKelvey | Tuesday, January 22, 2019
We all know who George Wallace is. The four-term governor of Alabama is one of the most infamous figures in 20th-century American politics. He is the face of the anti-civil rights movement, shouting in his inaugural address “segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.” In June of 1963, he organized the Stand in the Schoolhouse Door. The
Patrick McKelvey | Friday, January 18, 2019
If you pay close attention to the slate of movies released every year, you’ll notice a seasonal pattern emerges. This pattern is constant, unwavering. It almost never changes. It’s hard to mess with the calendar of a multi-billion dollar industry. January and February are the “dump months,” when production studios release the absolute worst movies
Patrick McKelvey | Tuesday, November 27, 2018
Every year, on the day after Thanksgiving, my family drives up from the shore to a Christmas tree farm somewhere in north Jersey. It’s a different tree every year, but the image remains the same: a picturesque, family-owned farmstead, a red cottage with a green door selling wreaths and serving hot chocolate, a dirt path