Scene

Scene Style Spotter

Name: Valerie Mejias

Midseason Television

It's been a long winter, and while spring isn't peeking around the corner just yet, your days will look a little brighter thanks to the return of your favorite TV shows. From new shows to returning favorites, January and February spell a whole new television landscape. Check out Scene's guide to what's worth watching when the snow starts falling and you just can't bear to leave your room.

Art in the Service of Humanity

Most art exhibitions tell a story of some kind, whether or not viewers are aware of it. Sometimes the organizers concentrate on the stylistic evolution of a single artist, while other times they draw connections between multiple artists working at a particular historical moment. DIGNITY, an exhibition of 52 photographs that recently opened at the Snite Museum of Art, tells a chilling story of human rights violations and extreme poverty.

Dragon Tattoo' Leaves Its Mark

David Fincher is a filmmaker of many hats: a masterful storyteller, a visionary director, a weaver of thrilling suspense and an utter perfectionist behind the camera and in the editing bay.

Sundance of South Bend

Thank your lucky stars syllabus week coincides with the Notre Dame Student Film Festival, because this is a year you don't want to miss. From campus romance to post-apocalyptic drama to psychological thriller, the students of the introductory, intermediate and advanced film courses have outdone themselves — again.

Sushi Grill Nothing Special

I should preface this review by saying I am not a sushi connoisseur. The few times I've eaten it before visiting Toyo I did enjoy it (and yes, that even includes the sushi from Reckers).

Weekend Events Calendar

More Rock Climbing Fewer Martinis

"Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" accomplished exactly what it set out to do. It hounded us through countless TV ads and billboards, built off the recognition of the franchise's three previous films and at the end of the Christmas holiday was the highest grossing film in theatres. The series always promises audiences extraordinary special effects coupled with high-octane action. This newest addition is no different as, without question, "Ghost Protocol" hits all of its marks and provides some absolutely stunning visuals. The scenes in Dubai are particularly jaw-dropping. However, all the pageantry in "Ghost Protocol" got to be overkill. Although it succeeds as a truly red-blooded action film it has just enough lame dialogue, one-dimensional characters and convoluted plot to weigh it down.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

There is no doubt Tomas Alfredson's follow-up to his 2008 hit "Let the Right One In," "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," is meticulous — a thinking man's film. It's brimming with moments that play out like still images, the characters so full of suspicion and distrust of one another that Alfredson beckons his audience to trust no one.

The Descendants': One Small, Dysfunctional Family

Gone are the days of the traditional American families, if they were ever here to begin with. The visages of Rockwell's wholesome Americanism that we find on postcards and calendars are nothing but illusive shadows. They are myth, a fantasy we hold as a standard. A bar we will always fall short of, some of us more painfully than others. As Tolstoy wrote, "happy families are all alike; but every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

Fashion by Felicia

During one chic aperitif hour over New Year's, while settling a linguistic tête-à-tête, this fashionista discovered that dear Mr. Dictionary defines new as "not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time." As we descend upon our snow-covered campus, we return to our dorm rooms from holidays at home, with multiple suitcases of winter clothes dragging oh so gracefully behind us. It occurs to me that Mr. Dictionary must have known a chic young collegiate woman intent on combining her Summer/Fall wardrobe with her Winter/Spring items into one minuscule wooden frame (masquerading as an adequate closet space) when composing his definition.

Best Dressed at the Golden Globes

One of my favorite things about awards season is watching some of Hollywood's greatest actresses walk down the Red Carpet showing off their elegant, sophisticated and sometimes extravagant ensembles. Their fashion choices for these special occasions often influence our style and foreshadow upcoming trends. If Angelina rocked a long-sleeved sparkling emerald gown last year, why shouldn't we?

The City of (Christmas) Lights

PARIS—By the time December rolls around at Notre Dame, students face chilly winter temperatures as they roam the snow-covered campus. But students studying abroad during the most wonderful time of the year experience the Christmas season with somewhat more temperate climates and much less snow.

Czech-ing Out the Prague Christmas Markets

Prague, Czech Republic—There are many things Notre Dame students studying abroad miss during their time outside the U.S., but the holidays are the absence that might hit closest to the heart. Halloween, Thanksgiving and the time before Christmas (though not the actual day itself) are all spent in a foreign country, with different customs and traditions of celebrating.

Chorale Winter Break Tour

Movies to See Over Winter Break

Four weeks of no class, no homework, no papers and no tests is a daunting idea. After sleeping off your finals stress for a week and preparing for a marathon of Christmas events, you might find yourself stuck at home with nothing to do. The holiday season is always full of new releases of the biggest movies of the year, and this year is no exception. From family-friendly films meant to capture the Christmas spirit to serious Oscar-contenders, December and January are chock-full of the movies that you just have to see. And with all that time on your hands, what's stopping you?

Fashion by Felicia

There are some seasons of life that require something more of us. It is not enough simply to go through the daily motions, to pass the same people with the same smile. Instead, these seasons require imagination and a full-bodied commitment to being absolutely fabulous. 

St. Mary's hosts cupcake battle royale

Last week, Saint Mary's College hosted its first annual Cupcake Battle Royale in Le Mans Hall. Students from Saint Mary's baked the best cupcakes they could, and three were entered into the competition.

Mixed media collages at CircaArts Gallery

Scholars have estimated that one out of every three Americans collects something. Some collect used bottle caps or celebrity baseball cards, while others prefer foreign postage stamps or Willow Tree figurines. In most cases, these collections are destined to be stored in a box or displayed on a shelving unit. For the local artist Christine Tirotta, however, collecting is a crucial part of her creative process.

Bieber underwhelms with "Under the Mistletoe"

Teen phenom Justin Bieber entered the holiday music market much to the excitement of 13 year olds across the world.