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Breaking the Glass Ceiling (?): Women in Politics
By Markéta Šonková Although constituting about a half of the world’s current population, women are still grossly underrepresented in politics, diplomacy, and positions of power. Taking into account the so-called Western world, women should have equal rights as well as responsibilities. So why there are so few women in high positions? And why do they…
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Report from the 58th International Short Film Festival Brno 16
By Barbara Ocsovayová Brno16, or B16, in Czech “Brněnská šestnáctka”, is an international festival of short films. In the beginning, the festival only featured films with a 16mm format but now includes other formats as well. The filmmakers range from professionals to students. The topic for this year’s festival was “We Are Family”.
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Internship in Cascadia Cross-Border Law Firm in Bellingham, WA, USA
By Denisa Krásná Last semester, I studied as an exchange student at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. I was fortunate enough to meet the head of the Canadian Studies department David Rossiter during my first quarter at Western who helped me to look for internships in my field. I successfully passed an interview…
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Deboning the Audience: Sarah Silverman’s Shock Comedy
By Blanka Šustrová What makes people laugh? Is there still a space for racist and rape jokes in today’s comedy? Why do comedians even go into this realm of taboo comedy material and what is their point? These questions and many more were discussed towards the end of September 2017 in an intensive course taught…
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Sounds like Something Written by Margaret Atwood
By Petra Polanič The political climate is eerie. You might wish to use a clever literary reference to illustrate just how dystopian the future could be. Orwellian, by now, is a well-enough known term, present in most major dictionaries. With the increasing significance of The Handmaid’s Tale, both the 1985 novel and the new award-winning…
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Arbitrary Humanity: The Long Way to A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
By Michaela Medveďová A crew comprised of four different species, the universe governed by a galactic government, a wormhole-making spaceship travelling light years away to an unknown world. The setting for Becky Chambers’ The Long Way to A Small, Angry Planet provides a seemingly perfect opportunity for a breathtaking space adventure, filled with chases and…
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“I Don’t Repeat Courses. That Would Be Freaky!” Interview with Hanjo Berressem
By Blanka Šustrová The English Department at the University of Cologne in Germany has been a popular ERASMUS+ destination for many of our students. I have spent my summer 2017 semester at the Englisches Seminar I. (department focused on literature, culture and linguistics) and to anyone thinking about studying abroad at this department I can…
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Howdy! A Letter from Central Texas
By Tomáš Kačer, PhD. The best thing about going to the United States as a research affiliate is that you have time for research only and don’t have to deal with students. Well – it’s not true. I may have got plenty of time to carry out research and to spend with my family, but…
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Fighting for the “Right” Version of America: Timeless Review & Analysis
By Tereza Walsbergerová Time-travel, popular historical figures, and light humor, but also mystery, conspiracy, and corruption at the very root of America’s past… The American TV series Timeless, created by Eric Kripke (Supernatural) and Shawn Ryan (Lie To Me), is a seemingly straightforward time-travel procedural packed with popular history trivia, stereotypical characters, and overused television…
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Labels and Beyond: On Queer Liminality and Fuzzy Edges of Identification
by Tereza Walsbergerová As most societies still struggle to fully accept gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans people, new sexual and gender identities keep entering the discourse, filling the gaps in representation and aiming to secure a niche in the queer community. While on one hand, these “new” identification labels will perhaps in time lead to…