By Thomas Fink | May 4, 2026 Movie Rating: ★★★★ Photo Credit: Wikipedia; Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios Is it just me or is there a shortage of movies today that are unable to entertain everyone? It seems to me that modern films are struggling with juggling multiple qualities. For example, although I found the romantic drama “Reminders of Him” to be refreshing with its charm and sweetness, its staying power was ruined by its overly predictable plot and simplistic story. It’s

By Maurice Burbridge | May 4, 2026 Naomi Ackie, Keke Palmer, Poppy Liu and Taylour Paige in Boots Riley’s “I Love Boosters.” Photo Credit: Courtesy of NEON It's impossible for fashion — or any art — to connect us, as long as the actual artists, beyond just the front-facing designers, go under-paid, under-seen and under-valued. Though the stylish form and star-studded cast may lead those new to Boots Riley to assume otherwise, “I Love Boos

By Maurice Burbridge | April 21, 2026 2024 Recipient Ava DuBoff at the Bates Dance Festival Photo Credit: The Dance Alliance Are you a current freshman or sophomore interested in attending a dance program or workshop this summer? You might be eligible for the Pat & Sven Peterson Scholarship. Earlier this month, the Dance Alliance announced that applications opened for the 2026 Pat & Sven Peterson Dance Scholarship. The deadline is Friday,

By Sofia Lamdichi | April 21, 2026 Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons The dust in the Coachella Valley has always had a way of blurring reality. For two weekends every April, the Empire Polo Club transforms into a neon-soaked oasis where the outside world is invited to disappear. But this year, as the first weekend of Coachella 2026 draws to a close, the "blur" feels less like a dream and more like a collective, feverish hallucination. While headliners like Sabrina Carpenter and

By Sofia Lamdichi | March 30, 2026 Photo Credit: Sofia Lamdichi / The ASP It cannot be disputed that experiencing fine art, such as an orchestra performance, inspires you and leaves you feeling a little lighter when you exit the auditorium. The passion and hard work can be felt by every member of the audience, as students, parents, families, professors, and more watched the University at Albany’s orchestra performance on Wednesday, March 11. The people curating the experience

By Aatia Fairuz Mreedu | March 30, 2026 I am holding a piece of paper in my hands. It looks ordinary, thin, light, almost fragile. But the moment I stare at it for too long, my vision blurs. Not because my eyes are weak, but because this paper carries a weight I cannot measure. It is heavier than numbers, heavier than promises, heavier than words like democracy or freedom ever sound on paper. Thousands of people paid for this paper. Some with their eyes. Some with their limbs

By Mirai Abe | March 10, 2026 Jelani Cobb, left, and Casey Seiler, right, during an event last Monday (3/2) on the University at Albany Downtown Campus. They discussed Cobb’s new book “Three or More is a Riot,” which analyzes American history and democracy in recent years. Photo Credit: Mirai Abe / The ASP In the 18th century South C

By Lillian Magurno | March 10, 2026 Student short films, Oscar nominees, celebrated filmmakers, and music biographers headline a full day of screenings and conversations. Photo Credit: the New York State Writers Institute The Albany Film Festival is returning to the University at Albany for its sixth year, bringing a full day of movies and conversations. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday

By Wilfred Jones Jr. | March 3, 2026 The new restaurant “Chix” recently opened on Madison Avenue, serving a variety of dishes. Photo Credit: Wilfred Jones Jr. / The ASP About The Owner Maher Al Naisani , the owner, is a 37-year-old Arab-American. He immigrated to the U.S. in pursuit of finding better health care for his daughter, who suffered from brain damage. He traveled to various countries, including Turkey, before settling in the state

By Sofia Lamdichi | February 10, 2026 Image Credits: Wikimedia / Trevor Stone “The most important thing in the world is difference.” -Professor Schoolman Behind the vibrant shop windows of Fifth Avenue and the high-energy design studios of Los Angeles lies a workforce that is often as invisible as it is essential. For the thousands of immigrant workers, many of whom are undocumented who sew, cut, and finish the clothes we wear, the workplace is no longer just a site of labor.

By Sofia Lamdichi | February 2, 2026 Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Martamenchini It has become impossible to ignore that savoring literature and film is littered with an impatient attitude towards the characters by many audiences. How dare we read or watch a character who is imperfect? After all, we use art to escape the imperfect lives we lead. The last thing audiences seem to want is to look into a mirror rather than stare at a screen or at words on a page. Due to audi

By Sofia Lamdichi | February 2, 2026 Photo Credit: Pixabay Emotions and internal thoughts are created within, and sometimes meant to stay within. Expressing oneself through art allows for others to resonate with the emotions being portrayed, but traditionally it is not customary for an artist to write out exactly how audiences are meant to feel. Some do, but it was never common to see many do this. With the rise of social media, there has also been a rise of people being abl

By Mattie Fitzpatrick | December 8, 2025 Photo Credit: Mattie Fitzpatrick | The ASP Medusa I scream up to the sky, but it has only ever been empty for me. They’ve done it again. There’s a broken child at my feet, blood where bravado once bloomed. His mask has become sticky with sweat against his face, his skin pale, and his breath coming fast. I drop to my knees next to him, cradling his head on my lap. I focused on his face as the sword and mirror hit the sand next to his b

By Kehinde Adejumo | December 5, 2025 Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons Tate McRae decided to close off the “So Close To What” era by giving fans four new deluxe tracks plus the already released “TIT FOR TAT”. The explosive single debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Released on Nov. 21, “SO CLOSE TO WHAT???” focuses on healing from a breakup and the pressures that come with being in the spotlight. Tate revealed on Instagram that she was writing a lot of poetry while sh

By Maurice Burbridge | December 1, 2025 Photo Credit: Doro Götz | © TondowskiFilms, FlairFilm In “No Mercy” Isa Willinger sets herself on a mission to determine if women make harsher films than men, after her muse Kira Muratova–one of many influential but under-appreciated female directors in the history of cinema–asserted such to be the truth. Earlier this month, “No Mercy” had its North American premiere at DOC NYC, and is now available to stream until Nov. 30th. Willing

By Maurice Burbridge | November 24, 2025 Photo Credit: Zackary Canepari | HBO Zackary Canepari recalled himself and Jessica Dimmock searching something common as their child reached school-age in 2019: “How are these schools preparing for gun violence?” This search led the two, already filmmakers and journalists, to a years-long investigation into the mass shooter preparedness industry, and the toll this industry’s fabricated violent scenarios are taking on students and tea

By Sofia Lamdichi | November 17, 2025 W.E.B Du Bois Photo Credit: Addison Norton Scurlock | WikiMedia Commons The rise in young Black men putting down the practice of wearing Nike techs. They are classifying those who do wear Nike Techs as aggressive, ghetto, unprofessional, and immature. Men who wear quarter-zip shirts are often perceived as professional, patient, masculine, and approachable. This may be something some of you applaud, but it should be something that is fea

By Kiera Garcia | November 10, 2025 Photo Credit: Ronald Woan | Flickr Following the release of her new album, The Life of a Showgirl and announcement of her Disney Plus docuseries about the Eras Tour, Taylor Swift has become a popular subject of discussion. Swift has truly experienced the life of a showgirl throughout her career. Starting as a young girl singing on her Christmas tree farm to a self-made billionaire performing at sold out stadiums, she has created a leg

By Sofia Lamdichi | November 10, 2025 Photo Credit: Adrian Greenwood | Wikimedia Commons The recent surge in Black women embracing premium athleisure on campuses like the University at Albany is a powerful visual statement that pushes back against a long history of systemic exclusion of them from wellness and fitness spaces. This isn't merely about fashion, it's about claiming space that was historically denied through a variety of socioeconomic, environmental and cultural ba

By Lucienne Burns | November 3, 2025 Photo Credit: Pixabay Tame Impala’s fifth studio album “Deadbeat” debuted Oct. 17, bringing club beats and an occasionally catchy sound. But is this “new” vibe what fans wanted? “Deadbeat” is the first Tame Impala album to come out in five years, following the 2020 release of “The Slow Rush.” Behind Tame Impala is musician Kevin Parker. Parker’s fifth musical project consists of 12 tracks, totaling up to just under 56 minutes.