Solidarity Coalition hosts night of social awareness
By Becky Hunter and Paul-William deSilva
Last Thursday, the AOK Library Gallery hosted the Baltimore stop of the Sweatshop Workers Speak Out! Tour, whose mission it is to spread word of the abominable conditions factory workers in impoverished countries deal with on a regular basis. The event, in cooperation with UMBC's Solidarity Coalition and a host of other groups, both campus-based and from the Greater Baltimore community, brought former sweatshop workers to the forefront and gave them a platform to tell their stories. The presentation began with a few introductory words from Trina Tocco, the Deputy Director of the International Labor Rights Forum and pseudo-emcee for ... Read More
Digitizing comics and graphic novels could be disastrous for shop owners and collectors alike
By Derek Roper
DC Comics' Batman was released on Wednesday. By Thursday evening, it appeared on FilesTube and MediaFire, ready to download--free. Users can pick whether they want a regular download, or a speedier version that costs $49.97 a month. Welcome to the new world of comics, where the tactile sensation is gone and readers may choose to pay. While the incorporation of comics into the digital realm may lead to a renaissance, it may also be a double-edged sword for collegiate readers. Some worry that piracy will excel in the digital realm. For example, the Apple iPad is the perfect platform for ... Read More
Amazon reviews by average, unaware customers show lack of understanding of classic literature
By Nathan GladneyOne of my friends informed me of her opinion of Dante's Inferno a few days ago, which prompted me to visit Amazon.com to look at a few of the reviews for certain editions. Upon investigating these different versions, I found some hilarious and utterly confusing opinions, which sparked my interest in seeking out other books of classic literature to see how bored some users on Amazon.com to write online "troll" reviews for these classic pieces of literature. What did not surprise me was the fact that in some editions the editor blatantly refused to use original works or transliterate them ... Read More
Latest EP from Victory by Revenge captures high school sensibilities after graduation is over
By Derek Roper
The stage at UMBC's Quadmania received a jolt of energy when Victory by Revenge began to play. The very enthusiastic Casey Phillips, lead singer, bounced off speakers and the drum platform, belting out "Ocean Shore" from the band's self-released EP Addicted to the Radio. With their rock-pop sound, they weren't indie, and they threw their conventional sound into the faces of the unconventional crowd.The band, comprised of Greg Friedman, Rick Butler, James Ennis, John Rossomondo, and Phillips, formed in their Howard County high school and kept following their dream, most likely realizing that the clique would only get one so ... Read More
Coming to Theatres
By Daniel SupanickIron Man 2 [PG-13]The summer movie season kicks off with the sequel to 2008's superhero hit. This time around, Tony Stark, as played by Robert Downey, Jr., must deal with a multitude of opponents, ranging from his corporate rival Justin Hammer (the ever-so-awesome Sam Rockwell) and Russian prisoner Ivan Vanko, a.k.a Whiplash (Mickey Rourke), while also making new allies in his struggle against global weaponization. I'm stoked for this one, but I'm skeptical at how they're going to manage so many new characters. The method of "More villain, more cool" definitely did not work for films such as Spider-Man 3.Babies ... Read More
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