Archives - Olivia Alger

My birthday, my brother, and me

Ultimately, I think both of us are afraid of getting older. Our birthdays are a time for bittersweet reflection. Read More

Super Bowl: Fun to say, not to eat

Super bowl parties can be fun, or at least entertaining, as long as you avoid allergens. Read More

BSU Step Show never fails to bring energy, enthusiasm

Ultimately, what strikes me about BSU’s step competition is that it seems to be one of the few events on campus that attracts a lot of the local community. Read More

Aliens exist during NJR’s ‘Final Frontier’ show

On Saturday, the Drama House was decked out for the house show called the “Final Frontier,” featuring all songs about the sun, moon, and stars. Read More

Friday night at the Bug Jar was just weird enough

We were there to see the Demos, the last group that climbed onstage. Read More

The strangeness of love and war in Eastman’s Opera Theater

I’ve seen two operas in my short life. One was a quirky high school production where my friends wore boas and glittery shorts, and the other was the double bill program that opened at Eastman this weekend.  I was unfamiliar with both of the short German shows on the program, and as I climbed up […]

AAS professor Tinsely visits UR, speaks on black femme revolution

Last Monday, the typically black office chairs in the Humanities Center were stitched with sayings like “here to stay,” “evolve your mind,” “let’s be angry,” and “we are here” in colorful thread. The room was ready for a presentation by Omise’eke Natasha Tinsely.  Tinsely, a professor of African American studies at USC Santa Barbara, visited […]

Author and smooth talker Ann Patchett visits Strong

Sarah Mangelsdorf welcomed Ann Patchett to Strong Auditorium on Saturday afternoon by listing a few of her accolades — an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, a spot as one of Time Magazine’s Most Influential People of 2012, an Orange Prize, a PEN/Faulkner Award — but concluded her opening remarks by saying that her husband, […]

How Paper Mate Clearpoint™ Mechanical Pencils caused my moral downfall

One weeknight in seventh grade, I babysat for my social studies teacher’s two children. I was almost 13 and things were going to change. Thirteen would be my year, I knew. I could feel everything shimmering with teenage potential. Even weeknights became thrilling. Thirteen? Me! My social studies teacher (and their spouse) lived a few […]

Walrus Junction brings college music around town 

On their Facebook page, Rochester-based band Walrus Junction calls themselves fuzz pop mixed with “raw, gritty tones and lyrics of early garage rock” and “catchy hooks” of modern pop. Their cover photo is a walrus skull clutching a rose in its mouth — which, honestly, made me think they were going to be too edgy […]