New University

You’d be hard-pressed to find a movie with as much hype surrounding it months before its release as “The Dark Knight.” Just when you think the superhero genre has been played out and must rely on witticisms and humor such as in “Iron Man,” Jonathon and Christopher Nolan deliver a quite humorless three-hour epic that explores social order and stability more than gunfights and feats of superhuman abilities.

With eyelids pressed tightly together, Thao Nguyen crooned into the microphone while her lips trembled underneath her strong voice. With her left hand, she placed delicate, small fingers across the neck of her guitar, while her right hand slammed a drumstick across the strings.

There is little that Broken Social Scene hasn’t done. It has released three albums that are all uniquely blissful and arguably have as much staying power as any band in modern rock not named Radiohead.

Listening to The Hold Steady’s fourth album “Stay Positive,” one cannot help but draw comparisons to rock predecessors like Bruce Springsteen & the E. Street Band. And while some critics find The Hold Steady’s unapologetically classic rock sound to be a blatant rip-off of music from a bygone era, this reviewer begs to differ.

OLYMPICS: As fierce competition approaches, all eyes turn to China on the big issues.

THE ORACLE: “Everybody, come on! Stand up!”

THE HYPOTHESIS: Every Dodger fan at UC Irvine owes famed sports agent and Anteater baseball fan Scott Boras a handshake at Anteater Ball Park next season. Why? The best dreads in sports are swinging under an L.A. Dodger hat now and Boras was the orchestrator of the blockbuster deal.

MEN’S GOLF: Anteaters Tim Cha and John Chin Qualify for U.S. Amateur Championship.

A recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by Andrew Klavan argues that the characterization of Batman in the blockbuster film “The Dark Knight” is representative of our Commander-in-Chief George W. Bush. While on the surface there may be similarities between the two, the conclusion that Batman somehow symbolizes conservative principles clearly misses the point of not only the film, but the mythos of Batman as well. For readers who have yet to see “The Dark Knight,” be warned that spoilers are ahead.

At the age of 71, comedian George Carlin died from a heart attack. During his career, what differentiated him from other comics and contributed to his success was his willingness to make remarks that some of his contemporaries found controversial.