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Showing posts from March, 2024

When a sports movie isn't just a sports movie

“Do you believe in miracles?!” That line has become one of the most memorable lines in sports commentary, but not just from the game Al Michaels said it in. The 2004 film, Miracle , immortalized the line to describe one of the ultimate achievements in sports. Miracle is my favorite sports movie, because it transcends what sports movies can be. It doesn’t just show an underdog story, it is a film that best exemplifies the fulfillment of the concept of “The American Dream.” What Miracle has over other movies like it, such as Rocky IV or Creed , is it is based on a true story.  The film follows the coach and team of the gold medal winning United States men’s ice hockey team from the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. The team was made up of college players mainly from across the country. On the other hand, the Soviet Union team was older, seasoned and tougher, considered to be the best in the world after winning four straight gold medals at the preceding four Winter Oly...

The Problem with Hollywood

     “It’s unoriginal,” “Why are they remaking that,” or “Do we need another sequel?”      Those are the common themes of the complaints when a new movie is announced based on an existing material. That all Hollywood can make is sequels and remakes to things we already have. These critics claim all they want is an original movie. But that’s not what the problem we face is about.       Yes, a majority of the movies made today are based on existing material, but the problem is most of those are done to make a quick buck. Studios are banking on the love audiences have for the source material or preceding films to make as much or more money this time around.       What is missing is that most films are not being made with any artistic integrity or passion, original ideas or not.  Recently, comic book movies have suffered both at the box office and with critics. Audiences are tired of the same, safe stories being to...

The Next Journey

     “Are you excited to graduate? Or nervous? It’s probably a bit of both isn’t it!”      That’s the question every college senior gets from adults they meet every time they learn they’re graduating. Usually, you laugh it off and just tell the person, “a bit of both,” to get to the next topic so you don’t have to think about it for longer than you have to. I think I’ve heard it more times than I can count at this point, but as graduation gets closer I think I have my answer.       I’m excited.      Not because I want to be done with school, or want to start paying bills. I’m excited for what is to come and what I’ll be able to do.       For most of college, I was dreading graduation. Living on my own in a brand new city, and knowing no one? No thanks, I'll stay in school as long as I can.       But in the couple first weeks of my spring semester as a senior, I started to apply for j...

Personal Column Draft

               “Are you excited to graduate? Or nervous? It’s probably a bit of both isn’t it!” That’s the question every college senior gets from adults they meet every time they learn they’re graduating. I think I’ve heard it more times than I can count at this point, but as graduation gets closer I think I have my answer.  I’m excited. Not because I want to be done with school, or want to start paying bills. I’m excited for what is to come and what I’ll be able to do.  For most of college, I was dreading graduation. Living on my own in a brand new city, and knowing no one? No thanks, I'll stay in school as long as I can. But in the first weeks of my spring semester as a senior, I started to apply for jobs. And those jobs began to reply to me. Realizing that all my hard work in school and internships wasn't for nothing and that I was going to be okay. When I came to terms that this semester was potentially going to be the last se...

What's Behind that Door?

     People like their homes to present an image of themselves they want you to see, but how well does that image cover everything they don’t want you to see?      Not very.      When you work for a moving company you see just about everything someone owns when you pack up their belongings. And I mean EVERYTHING.       I worked for a moving company for three summers, and about 25% of that time I was packing homes. That means putting anything and everything in a box in any way you can. Meaning I would shove as many pillows as I could into a box (of course nothing that would damage someone’s items) to not make more boxes that I would end up carrying the next day.      When we get to a house, the first thing is the walk-through, and that’s exactly what you think it is. We go to each room and look to see what’s hidden in closets, cabinets, wardrobes and under furniture.       What we don’t do...