Month: December 2016

Opinions & Editorials

Christmas is more commercialized than ever

by Nicole Belair, Staff Writer Christmas used to be about much more than Black Friday shopping, overspending on gifts, and wishing for the coolest new gadgets. It’s hard to believe that Christmas was ever free of capitalistic corruption. It wasn’t always focused on consumers, but rather on religion and pure holiday wonder. In the nineteenth century, Christmas consisted of church services and occasionally a large … Continue reading Christmas is more commercialized than ever

 
The TorchLeave a comment
Opinions & Editorials

A bachelor’s postscript

by Matthew Litchfield, Contributing Writer I guess it’s time to say goodbye, though it hardly feels real. I’m graduating a semester early—while I’m certainly not alone, the seeming lack of precedent is numbing. It’s sad, really, that my situation is as unique as people think it is. I know people who have graduated from this school up to a year early—and yet I still hear … Continue reading A bachelor’s postscript

 
The TorchLeave a comment
Opinions & Editorials

Castro’s death and what this means for Cuba

by Zack Downing, Staff Writer Dating back to the reign of Fulgencio Batista, Cuba has historically been a communist nation neck deep in turmoil and suffering. Most Americans know Cuba for their missile crisis, their cigars, and their Area 51-like restriction to visitors. However, the name that comes to mind when most people think of Cuba is the bearded dictator Fidel Castro, who rose to … Continue reading Castro’s death and what this means for Cuba

 
The TorchLeave a comment
Opinions & Editorials

President-elect Trump fills out his cabinet

by Sebastian Moronta Blanco, Staff Writer The months between an election and an inauguration are always a shaky, speculative mess as the country tries to get an idea of what the next four years will be like. President-elect Trump has made several announcements about his cabinet choices in recent weeks, and we can start to get a picture of what Trump’s administration looks like. I’d … Continue reading President-elect Trump fills out his cabinet

 
The TorchLeave a comment
Arts & Entertainment

Student Bill Hanley debuts self-written play Debts to the Devil

by Lauren Medeiros, Arts & Entertainment Editor This past weekend the 20 Cent Fiction theatre company debuted a never-before-seen play in the main auditorium, written and directed by senior Bill Hanley. The play, titled Debts to the Devil, was a project that senior crime and justice studies major Bill Hanley started working on in high school. He completed it after coming to UMass Dartmouth, and … Continue reading Student Bill Hanley debuts self-written play Debts to the Devil

 
The TorchLeave a comment
Arts & Entertainment

Aspiring student author Matthew Litchfield presents his book

by Carina Hennessy, Contributing Writer Historically, our English department hasn’t had many offerings for students specifically interested in creative writing, though this is changing rapidly due to the efforts of passionate professors and students. One such student is Matt Litchfield, who took to the podium in the University Club the evening of Thursday, December 4, to do a public reading from his Honors thesis, an … Continue reading Aspiring student author Matthew Litchfield presents his book

 
The Torch1 Comment
Arts & Entertainment

Avenged Sevenfold makes metal history with The Stage

by Andrew Tyrrell, Managing Editor On October 28, Avenged Sevenfold became the first metal band in history to do what Beyoncé and U2 had done before them: they released an album with absolutely no warning whatsoever. And to the delight of many, the album has done well. The Stage is Sevenfold’s seventh album, coming three years after Hail to the King, an album that was … Continue reading Avenged Sevenfold makes metal history with The Stage

 
The Torch1 Comment
Arts & Entertainment

Arts Night a hit for Foreign Language Department

by Justin McKinney, Staff Writer On Tuesday November 28 the Foreign Language Department held their annual Arts Night. Students presented poems, danced, and performed music from a foreign country/language in front of a live audience. I myself have heard of Arts Night, but had never attended prior to this year. Students have described it as a large mix of arts from different cultures around the … Continue reading Arts Night a hit for Foreign Language Department

 
The TorchLeave a comment
Arts & Entertainment

Hayao Miyazaki comes out of retirement

by Jesse Goodwin, Staff Writer In 2013, legendary Japanese anime director Hayao Miyazaki of the animation house Studio Ghibli announced he would retire from making feature-length films. His announcement was made with the intention of concentrating on smaller projects—namely, short films for the studio’s Ghibli Museum, which hosts exclusive screenings of those films and showcases work from the studio’s feature-length films. This was not Miyazaki’s … Continue reading Hayao Miyazaki comes out of retirement

 
The TorchLeave a comment