“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world…” — W.B. Yeats, The Second Coming In moments of political upheaval, Yeats’s words echo with an almost prophetic clarity. As American institutions weather the storms of executive disruption, legal ambiguity, and polarized governance, we must reexamine what it means for “the...
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Swiss üBer Collector Michael Ringier Reflects on an Art-Fueled Life
As the Ringier Collection takes over Germany’s Langen Foundation, the publisher ponders decades of curiosity, collaboration – and mixing business with pleasure ‘I gave up on asking myself why I have this drive to collect so many pieces of art,’ says Michael Ringier. Despite initially claiming ‘there is no real answer,’ when pressed, the chairman...
No Nation Is an Island: The Dangers of Modern U.S. Isolationism
“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” — John Donne, Meditation XVII In an era defined by global interdependence, the United States stands at a pivotal juncture. Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, a renewed emphasis on “America First” policies has signaled...
Q&A: What Makes an ‘Accidental Dictator’ in the Workplace?
The professional world has no shortage of micromanagers — or, as Penn State School of Labor and Employment Relations (LER) faculty members Craig L. Pearce and Hee Man Park like to call them, “accidental dictators.” But leaders don’t have to fall into that trap, according to an article published in the journal Organizational Dynamics co-written by Pearce, Brova Family Endowed Professor of leadership...
How Did a Bunny and Colored Eggs Become Easter Symbols? An Expert Has Some Answers
Easter wouldn’t be Easter without a bunny, egg hunts, and festive baskets. Alongside the religious significance of Easter, the story behind the Easter Bunny and Easter eggs involves a mix of pagan rituals, Christian traditions, and 19th century European folklore. Candace Buckner, assistant professor of religion and culture at Virginia Tech, shares more about the...
On Stage but Out of the Spotlight − the Quiet Struggle of Being an Opening Act
I grew up playing in a lot of different bands, and my bandmates and I always held onto the belief that if we could just open for a more established act, it would pave the way to more success. When I started playing in the indie pop band Passion Pit – a group known for...
25 Years of Everglades Restoration Has Improved Drinking Water for Millions in Florida, but a New Risk Is Rising
Do you know where your drinking water comes from? In South Florida, drinking water comes from the Everglades, a vast landscape of wetlands that has long filtered the water relied on by millions of people. But as the Everglades has shrunk over the past century, the region’s water supply and water quality have become increasingly...
A Need for Chaos Powers Some Americans’ Support for Elon Musk Taking a Chainsaw to the U.S. Government
A video of a Las Vegas Tesla dealership that had been set on fire by anti-Elon Musk protesters was posted on March 18, 2025, by an account on X called EndWokeness. The next day Musk replied to the post, “Some people just want to watch the world burn,” an iconic line from the 2008 Batman...
Pikachu Protesters, Studio Ghibli Memes and the Subversive Power of Cuteness
In Antalya, Turkey, in the early hours of March 27, 2025, Pikachu was spotted fleeing the police, making a getaway as fast as his short yellow legs could waddle. The person dressed as the popular Pokémon character had been objecting to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, whose political party later posted on X,...
Dice, Desire, and Destiny: Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Carmen Takes Center Stage
When Annabelle Lopez Ochoa set out to reimagine Carmen, she wasn’t looking to revive the well-worn story of a fiery seductress caught in a doomed romance. Instead, she sought to unearth something deeper—something urgent and modern. Her Carmen is not a woman ruled by passion, but by purpose. She is a force in motion, claiming...