Hopes were heavily mixed for “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.” While some were hopeful for the franchise to be resurrected in a glorious way, others expected Disney to beat a dead horse and make a movie that would be so bad, it would mirror the prequels. What we got was a spectacular show that boasted an attention-keeping plot and a fabulous array of truly unique characters, including a force-endowed warrior woman, a stormtrooper gone rogue, and a disgruntled Hot Topic employee (we love the Emo Kylo Ren memes). Be it due to the return of beloved characters from the original trilogy or because BB-8 is so darn cute, “Star Wars” was a hit for the DI!

Tragic Celebrity Passings

DI Denied

Last week, two pop culture icons passed away at the age of 69. Legendary pop artist David Bowie passed just a short while after releasing one final album to the world. Though we won’t claim to have the same emotional attachment to Ziggy Stardust of the generation before us, there’s no doubt that Bowie was one of the most influential music icons in our lifetimes. The other celebrity passing was Alan Rickman, famous for his roles as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film series and Hans Gruber in Die Hard. For one of the best villains of all time, here’s hoping there are young, bespectacled boys to torture in heaven, or at least some henchmen to boss around. 

New Year, Same You

DI Denied

Those of you who regularly go the the ARC or CRCE see it every year: when the Spring semester rolls around, the gyms are full of students who’ve never set foot in these facilities, attempting to lose some weight or put on “gains.” This crowding of the workout places is but one byproduct of a pointless aspect of our culture: the New Year’s Resolution. Everyone knows that resolutions are fickle and are almost never stuck to, but we keep telling ourselves every year that “I’m gonna start working out and quit smoking. New year, new me!” The whole nation collectively sets massive goals, and diminishes the relevance of the resolution. Consciously or not, the goal being set is treated more as a social custom and holds less weight to the “resolver” than a normal, specific goal set at literally any other time. We need to stop relying on the human construct of time to better ourselves. If you want to set a goal, the best time to make a change is today.

The Tide Rolls On

Alma Approved

The Alabama Crimson Tide took home college football’s national championship trophy once again after defeating the Clemson Tigers by a score of 45-40. As stale as it gets to watch the Tide win seemingly every other year, Nick Saban’s squad did it in style this time with uncharacteristically big plays and even a surprise onside kick. It’s difficult to support Alabama winning the title yet again, but it’s hard to hate when a team uses gutsy, exciting play calls to secure a championship.