Aidan Pongrace

In the midst of this year’s Oscar buzz, the New York Times described Leonardo DiCaprio’s roles in his recent films “The Great Gatsby” and, of course, “The Wolf of Wall Street” as “putting a face on the ambivalence that capitalism continues to inspire.” Collectively, Americans admire, envy and despise—all at once—what we now refer to as the 1%. The wealthy, it appears, are the beacon of hope to many Americans who see their success as the result of the American Dream. “Inequality for All,” a 2013 documentary narrated by former Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, attempts to put these things into perspective by highlighting the growing problem of income inequality in the Unites States.
April 3, 2014 at 9:50 am

While an Oscar is the most coveted award in Hollywood, even the nominees who don’t win go home with what is called a “swag bag.” A Los Angeles marketing firm awards every nominee with a gift bag of goodies worth upwards of $45,000, which includes vacations to Hawaii and Mexico, VIP service at London Heathrow airport, condoms, tequila and personal training sessions (because even Hollywood’s A–listers binge eat after a highly publicized rejection). Though Penn doesn’t have its own Academy Awards, we decided to join in on the fun and create our own swag bag of goodies. 1. All expenses paid weekend in New York City. Includes two Acela round trip tickets to the Big Apple with a Friday–Sunday stay at the Trump SoHo New York hotel because downtown is so in–the–scene right now. 2. Turn the rage you feel at being snubbed into some killer abs with five free group exercise classes at Pottruck. We recommend Body Combat. 3. VIP service at Van Pelt during finals week.
February 27, 2014 at 7:50 am

On Saturday in Sochi, Russia, T.J. Oshie cemented his place in Olympic history with confidence and a smile.
February 20, 2014 at 8:20 am