Columnists - The Daily Cardinal

COLUMNS

Column: Roger Federer's return marked by racket change

By Grey Satterfield and Liz Puibello | Mar. 4, 2014

Roger Federer is back in the game.

COLUMNS

Wichita State playing good, not great

By Jack Baer | Mar. 4, 2014

It is done. The Wichita State Shockers finished their regular season Sunday and are undefeated. I don’t care what conference you’re in, that’s an incredible achievement. But not many people agree with that statement.

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Exploring the conundrum of filling concert seats

By Brian Weidy | Mar. 3, 2014

Last October, during the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, Arcade Fire played a pair of not-so-secret shows in Brooklyn under the pseudonym “The Reflektors,” the title of their new album. At a converted warehouse space that held about 3,000 people, tickets sold out instantly for the two shows and within minutes, tickets on StubHub ranged from $220 to $5,000.

COLUMNS

'House of Cards' showcases television's cinematic potential

By Steven Wishau - The Daily Cardinal and Callie Kollenbroich | Mar. 2, 2014

Last summer, I holed up in an air-conditioned room and didn’t resurface until I had binged the entire first season of "House of Cards," Netflix’s first successful stab at original programming. The opening scene is still as vivid in my mind today as it was those many months ago—we hear a dog get hit by a car offscreen and an impeccably dressed Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) arrives at the pitiful scene. While wrapping his bare hands around the neck of the whimpering dog, he looks directly at the camera and delivers the first of many monologues in a quaint, southern accent. He squeezes until its cries become faint and, after a few seconds, they cease altogether. We get the sense that Frank Underwood is the epitome of a ruthless pragmatist and a perfect spokesperson for the political underworld.

COLUMNS

Column: Shiffrin story speaks to the power of practice

By Adee Feiner | Mar. 2, 2014

The 2014 Winter Olympics officially came to a close this past week, but not before the United States, and the world, learned the name of a very unique 18-year-old.

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Celebrating the insanity of fictional characters

By Maham Hasan | Feb. 28, 2014

Books and literature have never been just about entertainment. To say that one merely reads “for fun” would be nothing short of the kind of travesty only previously seen when someone fell asleep during Star Wars. Just so you know, they never find the bodies.

COLUMNS

The soundtrack: film's often-overlooked treasure

By Brian Weidy and Liz Puibello | Feb. 27, 2014

When I was told I would be able to write a film column, I knew exactly what to write about—the soundtrack.

COLUMNS

Opinion on meaning of films differ from person to person

By Austin Wellens | Feb. 27, 2014

So, I wanna talk about Spike Jonze, “Her” and the old, old debate about an author’s ability to decide how exactly their work is interpreted. And about the BBC, I guess.

COLUMNS

Column: Media unfairly crashes down on English teams after European struggles

By Jonah Beleckis | Feb. 26, 2014

The Champions League returned only to affirm what members of the media were expecting: English teams are not among Europe's elite.

COLUMNS

Irrational Games shutdown exposes disappointing industry trend

By Adam Paris | Feb. 25, 2014

When Irrational Games shut its door last week, the industry lost a prominent developer that placed a strict focus on narrative. While "Bioshock Infinite" may not have been the savior everyone hoped it might be, it shipped over four million copies and if nothing else, created a worthwhile dialogue about the nature of sustaining a compelling narrative within the context of a typical AAA shooter.

COLUMNS

Column: Phillies make 'unexplainable' decision about Ben Wetzler

By Jack Baer | Feb. 24, 2014

Here’s the thing about the vast majority of bad decisions in sports: They are at least partially explainable.

COLUMNS

Decoding HBO's 'True Detective'

By Callie Kollenbroich | Feb. 23, 2014

It was a night like any other. I wrapped myself in a blanket burrito, took to the television and traversed the channels until I happened upon HBO’s latest endeavor—an eight-episode collection called "True Detective." Its menacing black claws had me ensnared by the end of the first episode and with each passing week, they dig deeper and deeper into my psyche. If I could go back in time, maybe I wouldn’t have chosen this path—alas, there is no turning back.

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Column: NFL experiencing an image crisis

By Jonah Beleckis | Feb. 19, 2014

On the surface, the National Football League is doing great.

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Exploring the multiplayer gaming world’s hidden gems

By Adam Paris | Feb. 19, 2014

Students on college campuses have relied on the same crop of multiplayer games to provide enjoyment for what seems like forever now. “Mario Kart,” “Mario Party” and various sports games are always excellent staples, but there’s been a movement afoot in the PC space to create a greater emphasis on local couch co-op. Rather than battling some folks around the world in “Halo”, why not take a trip to yesteryear and enjoy rubbing defeat in your buddies’ faces while they sit next to you.

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Column: The frustration of watching Kyrie Irving's demise in Cleveland

By Grey Satterfield | Feb. 18, 2014

Kyrie Irving approached this All-Star weekend with hopes of defending his 3-point contest title.

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Column: NBA All Star game format needs to change

By Jack Baer | Feb. 18, 2014

The National Basketball Association All-Star game is boring. Even a big comeback and close game couldn’t save the event from playing to a stereotype of the NBA as a league high on star power but low on real competition. No one believes that when you bring together the NBA’s best players, 318 total points scored is a natural result.

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Column: Kings teammates take U.S.A. and Russian rivalry too far

By Adee Feiner | Feb. 17, 2014

The United States and Russia have long had a bitter rivalry on the rink that dates back to their 1980 “miracle on ice” showdown.

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Pilot season offers viewers chance to decide which shows make it big

By Callie Kollenbroich and Meg Detrie | Feb. 16, 2014

The future of television is upon us. Well, at least for those of us with Wi-Fi. The relative ubiquity of the Internet and the increasing popularity of streaming technologies have prompted some of our favorite Internet startups to begin dabbling in the production of their own original series. Netflix, previously an exclusive online distribution service, proved itself as a competitive force in the arena of original programming this past year after the release of a few critically acclaimed series—namely “House of Cards” and “Orange Is the New Black.” Their success has not gone unnoticed and we now find ourselves in the midst of a digital arms race, with companies like YouTube, Hulu, Yahoo, Amazon and a handful of others all vying for a piece of the viewership pie.

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Column: Will Michael Sam be able to endure the media scrutiny?

By Jonah Beleckis and By Rachel Schulze | Feb. 13, 2014

My hope is one day we get to a point where the story of Missouri football star Michael Sam is centered around immense success at the collegiate level after coming from a tragic background.

COLUMNS

Different films offer different relations

By Austin Wellens | Feb. 12, 2014

So, lately I’ve been trying to gain an understanding of avant-garde films, seeing that I know basically nothing about them. And in my meandering through these new experiences, I’ve developed a new analogy I guess—a new way of thinking about film, which I will now present for your consideration and entertainment, in honor of the upcoming holiday.