spencer hall – The Columbia Chronicle

Good afternoon, good evening and goodbye

By Arts & Culture Editor

May 9, 2016

How can you sum up four years of college in one column? It’s not easy; I’ll tell you that much.I’ve thought a lot about what to say, but I’m not really one for sentimentality. Sure, I’ve cried watching “Her,” but who hasn’t? I figured in the end, I’d just write something funny and make some inside jokes like I usually do. But as the anxiety of stepping into the real world starts to creep in, I felt like I...

Queer hip-hop: breaking down barriers

By Arts & Culture Editor

May 2, 2016

Chicago-born rapper Big Dipper seems to share physical attributes with a hip-hop star like Rick Ross: a hefty build, big chains, busty video vixens and hyper-sexualized lyrics. But the similarities end ther...

From alleyways to galleries

By Arts & Culture Editor

March 14, 2016

A crumpled bag of Cheetos, some balled-up t-shirts and maybe a PlayStation. In the mess of a student’s dirty dorm room, one icon shines through the clutter: a concert poster from a favorite band.“The concert poster represents a tangible connection to part of their identity,” said Dan MacAdam, illustrator and founder of Crosshair Silkscreen Printing and Design. “They can put it up in their room and display it to their frie...

Pitchfork gets 10.0 rating for summer music festival

February 29, 2016

After a whirlwind year, including a buyout from Condé Nast media, Pitchfork and its annual Pitchfork Music Festival have not forgotten their original home in Chicago with the recently announced festival li...

FugScreens celebrates 10 years as unique printmaking studio

February 15, 2016

What started out as an entrepreneurial screen-printing shop in a cold basement turned into FugScreens Studios in Wicker Park at 1735 N. Ashland Ave., which is celebrating its 10th anniversary on Feb. 19 wi...

‘What’s The Deal With’ Pop Art?

February 1, 2016

Throughout the last 27 years, Bart Simpson has been many things. He was an Academy Award winner, boy-band sensation and even somehow managed to stay 10 years old the entire time.However, he was recently ab...

Christkindlmarket celebrates 20th year sans tree

November 9, 2015

The first Christkindlmarket in Chicago, 411 N. Michigan Ave., took place 20 years ago with just a handful of wooden stands in which patrons could shop. This year, the Christkindlmarket will be hosted a...

Tape collectors keepin’ it reel

By Arts & Culture Reporter

January 26, 2015

Walking into a local thrift shop, a casual shopper may pass an old cassette player and a stack of tapes and think nothing of it. In 1975, when boomboxes featuring cassette decks were introduced to U.S. consumers, the cassette became the go-to source for portable music listening until being all but completely phased out by CDs in the mid-’80s. Although still a popular medium for alternative music junkies, it seems like the cassette...

Sports fans: Da Bears and da bees

By Copy Chief

January 26, 2015

Somebody had to give da Bears da talk, and it wasn’t da coach.Face it, the Bears were beyond underwhelming this year. Contrary to what the majority of Bears fans might be saying, it was not entirely because of poor coaching, though.Don’t get me wrong, I am not praising the 2014–2015 Bears coaching staff, but since the league and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s decision on the Ray Rice controversy earlier in the s...

Filmmaker captures magical Chicago moments with iPhone

October 20, 2014

As Matthew Broderick’s famous line in the 1986 film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” goes, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”Local Chi...