Episode 33: "You're Not Special"

April 22, 2015

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Like accolades ought to be, the fulfilled life is a consequence, a gratifying byproduct. It’s what happens when you’re thinking about more important things. Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.”

— David McCullough Jr.

A very sentimental episode for a number of reasons. First, this episode will be released during graduation season. To the recent and upcoming graduates, congratulations! Secondly, this marks the first episode with the newest co-host, Caroline Borders. Finally, in addition to the massive attention this received, this was the speech given at Kip's high school graduation in 2012 and he holds this speech and its orator, Mr. David McCullough Jr. in very high esteem.

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Episode 32: Why We Study Film

April 22, 2015

“Movies are not about the weekend that they’re released, and in the grand scheme of things, that’s probably the most unimportant time of a film’s life.”

— Quentin Tarantino

“A film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet.”

— Orson Welles

“A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what’s behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later.”

— Stanley Kubrick

“Realism is a bad word. In a sense everything is realistic. I see no line between the imaginary and the real.”

— Federico Fellini

This episode marks Hector's last as a permanent co-host on the show. As such, he wanted his final topic to pertain to his love of film. The following discussion (with guest Iggee Hu) encompasses film as a passion, a medium and a form of expression and communication. Both film majors offer their opinions on how to engage with film, what they personally enjoy about it and call attention to several finer details within film. We also discuss the unique approaches of a few directors as well as the impact of film on the masses.

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The Telegraph, "Avatar fans suicidal because planet Pandora is not real"

Hortense Powdermaker, "Hollywood: The Dream Factory"

Martin Scorsese, "The 85 Films You Need to See to Know Anything About Film"

Episode 31: Violence in Video Games

April 8, 2015

“One of the problems in this field is that people confuse aggression and violence. Some research will call sort of a competitiveness-type aggression as equivalent to violence in the real world. There is absolutely no evidence that any video game or violent movie for that matter has ever caused a real-world violent act.”

— Cheryl Olson, Harvard Medical School

“No one is suggesting that [violent video games are] the only reason they went out and committed those horrific acts, but was it a tipping point? Was it something that pushed them over the edge? Was it a factor in that? Perhaps. That’s a really big deal.”

— Jim Steyer, Common Sense Media.

Often a source of criticism and concern, we wanted to discuss how violence in video games affects our opinions of their entertainment value. We also examine violence as it relates to American culture, what we are willing to tolerate or embrace and actions we do not tend to code as "violent" in nature.

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Episode 30: The Doors Which Language Opens and Closes

April 1, 2015

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”

— Nelson Mandela

“You can never understand one language until you understand at least two.”

— Geoffrey Willans

“Never make fun of someone who speaks broken English. It means they know another language.”

— H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Alex Urist joins us in this episode to discuss his thoughts on language and how it affects our opportunities in life. In particular, we focus on his experiences with China, dialects of the country and his memories of street cuisine and other related stories. We also speak about the best ways to engage with a language and why everyone should pursue skills in multiple languages.

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