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A Complete Unknown: Art and Activism in Uncertain Times

By Rob Eschmann

A Complete Unknown, a 2024 film nominated for 8 Oscars, explores the life and music of Bob Dylan (played by Timotheé Chalamet), as he makes the personal and professional choices that would go on to define him. With a star-studded cast, stories of Chalamet learning to play the guitar and sing for five years in preparation for his role, and a marketing plan that made even this hip hop head/purist start streaming Bob Dylan songs, the expectations for this film couldn’t have been higher. And it delivered, as expected.

What I did not expect, was this film, set in the early 1960s, to speak so poignantly to the issues facing the United States in 2025, as we confront what can feel like an unprecedented attack on democracy and American freedoms.

Until His Dying Day: Elders' Fear of Crime

By Stacy Torres

Until his dying day, my father ordered, “Don’t open the door to no one,” as though I was still 11 years old, not in my early 40s. In retirement, Dad had more time to warn me about scary news items. Most daily calls involved consulting me about his heavy load of anxieties related to money, health, and physical safety that he dragged around like an overstuffed suitcase. As he aged, his radius shrunk as he transitioned from late nights at the Copacabana Club to making his neighborhood rounds within a few blocks of home, only on good weather days and during daylight hours.

Crows, Cities, and Sociology

By Lisa Smith

“Crow o’ clock” is that time of day in Vancouver when crows make their way at dusk and dawn, to and from their roost. After a busy day in the city hunting for snacks, watching out for predators, and chattering in the trees, rest is a must. And as deeply social creatures, crows rest up together. These winged fixtures of the city scape congregate in different spots, but most head to a wooded area adjacent to an industrial park—Still Creek in Burnaby, British Columbia. It is estimated that around 10,000 crows settle in every night in the same spot. You can check out footage of the daily trek and typical routes, which have been well documented.

Managing Fear Itself

By Stacy Torres

I like to see myself as a tough and seasoned lifelong New Yorker. I pride myself on quickly distinguishing real urban dangers from visibly troubled city dwellers who may talk to themselves or act erratically but are much more likely to suffer harm than to hurt me. But despite declining crime, recent random attacks on strangers have rattled me and many residents in cities across the country.

To Go or Not to Go: Why Student Choice Matters in the Class Attendance Debate

By Monica Radu

Does attendance really matter?

It’s a question I ask myself a lot, especially on days when it feels like I’m lecturing to an empty classroom.

The topic of optional class attendance at colleges and universities often sparks heated debates. At its heart, this isn’t just about policies, it’s about agency, the ability of students to make meaningful choices about their education. In higher education, agency shapes how students engage with their learning environments, whether in a lecture hall, a small classroom, or a virtual meeting space.

On the Disappearance of Community

By Karen Sternheimer

By now you have likely heard about the wildfires that devastated parts of Los Angeles in January 2025. The fires destroyed more than 10,000 homes, including my own.

Sociologists study the importance of communities in shaping individual and social life. We might think of ourselves as individuals seeking places to live that meet our personal needs, but communities shape our experiences of the spaces we inhabit. Community violence, for instance, can cause stress so severe that it impacts public health. Or in the case of my neighborhood, the people and setting added to a sense of well-being and belonging. We enjoyed walking in our neighborhood and hiking on the trails in the state park nearby. Ironically, we felt safe there.

Castles and Housing Crises

By Karen Sternheimer

When I have visited Europe, I always found the castles there a bit shocking in their sheer size and number. One can stumble upon a castle on a walk or on the side of the highway, as they are seemingly everywhere. Their magnitude can be visually stunning, yes, but the American in me feels a bit smug that we don’t have a royal family or old castles to tour. 

Except that we do—maybe we don’t have royalty, but in the U.S. the unofficial royals still build and live in modern-day castles, especially in Los Angeles where I live, a city that is often ranked as the most unaffordable and is in the midst of a housing crisis.