I Attended Finals At Baruch College:

Going around, rushing back and forth from building to building the last two weeks of the semester can be described as chaotic for many a college student, especially those in their first year. The conglomerates we form in bustling spastic bunches, and slowly breathing piles of sleeping students creates a form; a creation of the institution of learning. It’s called music- “vibrating bodies” in the words of Professor Wollman who I interviewed for a freshman seminar assignment. The constant building up of tension as friction creates sparks as we pass each other in a rush to get to the end of our load. It’s like watching the ball drop or releasing a deep breath. The institution is a body and you interact with the performers by becoming one and getting lost in the tossing of papers and scrambling for seats in the library. Continue reading →

One man’s charismatic pursuits to tear down the realms of authority and to bring forth justice can make for an excellent political movie; now putting that scenario in the setting of a mental asylum can make for a masterpiece. One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a brilliant comedy with many dark elements that gives both laughs and evocative images. The movie is hailed as a classic, and although it is great in several aspects it does not quite hold to its legendary reputation. Continue reading →

            Just as the lights dim a big man walks on stage. He’s tall, around 6’2” and wide. Very wide. He approaches the chair in more of a waddle than a walk, his hands in the pockets of his black zip-up hoody. His light blue Levi jeans are almost as much of a trademark as his low hanging baseball cap. Continue reading →

In a time of Occupy Wall Street protest and the Bernie Maddoff investment scandal the idea of Americans loosing their life savings to investment fraud is not far from the peoples’ imagination. Scandals like these can happen in a moment but the effects are catastrophic—but only for the working class. Typically, the businessman hires a team of experienced lawyers, serves no jail time and retires wealthy. On the other hand, the average person must work even harder to make ends meet. The movie “Tower Heist” accurately depicts the inequality between the rich and poor in terms of legalities and financial frauds.

Alan Alda plays the rich businessman, Arthur Saw, who lives at the Tower Heist, the most expensive and secure penthouse in New York City. The director Brett Ratner introduces Shaw swimming in his private pool, which has the image of a dollar bill engraved in the pool floor. He is clearly an affluent gentleman and it is no coincidence that the movie’s antagonist is also wearing red swimming trunks. The director then shifts to a shabby apartment in Astoria, Queens where John, played by Ben Stiller, is getting ready to leave for his job as manager at the Tower Heist. John, on the other hand, is wearing a white button down shirt and the grey hairs along his temples clearly show that he is a hardworking and honest individual.