By David Slagle An array of multicolored dice lay on the table in front of you, serving as makeshift paperweights for the scrawl-ridden sheets of paper that blow in the wind of your friend's basement ceiling fan. The rainbow of dice colors is matched by the variety of dice shapes. There are run of the mill six-sided dice as well as polyhedral dice, from pyramidal four-sided … [Read more...] about D&D and The American Dream
Humanities
Project Bookjacket: Dressing for Success
By Diana Arterian In the contemporary bookstore, the shelves and tables glow with distinct and intriguing spines, yet more than half of the names and titles are a mystery to most store browsers: even to those that take the time to read book reviews and other literary publications. Due to the greater population's general ignorance concerning the quality of books, shoppers … [Read more...] about Project Bookjacket: Dressing for Success
Mass-Produced Masterpieces
By Kathleen Meek In Walter Benjamin's essay "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," Benjamin discusses the change that has taken place in art since the invention of mechanical reproduction and the way this change has affected society's interaction with art. Benjamin states that the mechanical reproduction of works of art has caused a "decay of the aura" of … [Read more...] about Mass-Produced Masterpieces
Sexwax and Sacrifice: the Surfing Ethos
By Kai Miller In the summer of 1907, an uncanny phenomenon began making regular appearances up and down the beaches of sunny California. Word of this eerie marvel spread quickly among Southern Californians as the Golden State residents flocked to catch sight of the spectacle. They stood in awe as they watched this man, this George Freeth character, defy nature and walk on … [Read more...] about Sexwax and Sacrifice: the Surfing Ethos
Hella
By Alex Herbach Sometimes it's the words that aren't in the dictionary that say the most about our language. NorCal native Alex Herbach explores a cultural phenomenon and linguistic rite of passage. According to Webster’s Dictionary, the word “hella” does not mean anything. It does not mean “nothing” in the sense that it is a synonym for “nil,” but it does not mean … [Read more...] about Hella