Culture

On the Outer Banks, a sea change is in the wind

Wanchese is a small fishing village, located on the southern end of Roanoke Island, North Carolina. Roanoke is a curious place -- protected from the Atlantic tides by the Outer Banks, it was home to the first English settlement in 1585. Notoriously, the entire colony vanished without a trace two years later, and many legends circulate as to the fate of the colonists. Today, Roanoke is settled again, with the rather upmarket village of Manteo to the north and the working-class village of Wanchese to the south, where my parents recently purchased a 1910 farmhouse. It was from there I would begin my journey.

What to watch this weekend

Here's what's worth watching, streaming and procrastinating with this weekend.

Have you seen this?

Fall TV: The good, the bad and 'Young Sheldon'

The arrival of September means the unfortunate combination of two phenomena: the beginning of classes and onslaught of fall television. It's difficult to find time to study for midterms or write that poly sci essay when there are so many new compelling programs vying for network approval. The fall schedule can be complicated to navigate, so no matter how you're trying to procrastinate, whether you're looking for an HBO megadrama or a silly late night comedy to binge through, a new hit or an old favorite, we've got you covered.

'Leap!' goes from 'Swan Lake' to swan dive

Just about everything you might expect to be annoying about an animated, 19th-century film about dueling Parisian child ballerinas cripples "Leap!" It's essentially a Barbie movie with twice the budget, worse characters and even less plausibility (but better pop songs.)

'Game of Thrones' makes a mad dash for the endzone

Television, which was once condensed to weekly programs on three or four channels, has expanded so vastly in recent years that it's impossible for a person to watch every show of note. In such a diluted market, the TV series-as-a-cultural-event, where, for the course of an hour, a large swath of viewers has their eyes on the same program, has essentially died.

Editors' summer 2017 pop culture picks

Film: "Mommy Dead and Dearest" (Kirby)

Humans of Oxford: Malory Owen: Animal Aficionado

When Malory Owen was 4 years old, her parents lost sight of her at Hueston Woods. Like any good parents, they panicked, assuming the worst had happened on their guided tour.

Rallying a narrative for hope and change

The sun was beginning to set, the color from the sky fading and turning grey. The music from Mega Fair was still booming, but the event was dying down. People began to trickle into the area around the Sundial. Waiting.

Out of place in the Armstrong addition

I was scared to step into the new wing of Armstrong. That sounds a little silly, and maybe it's a bit of an exaggeration. But it's true that I avoided the new addition like the plague for the first two weeks that I was back in Oxford.

Humans of Oxford: Abby Gromek: On the Rebound

Abby Gromek can't remember the first time she stepped on a trampoline. However, she can remember the day it began to mean something more.

Satire: It's time for Armstrong Phase III

Jake Gold and Nick Froehlich, guest columnists

Miami Dining makes major changes for new year

Harris closes, Maple Street changes, Armstrong and Bell Tower expands, and more

Fall back into the semester: What to look out for in Oxford this autumn

Welcome, welcome back, or hello again! Whether you're an upperclassman, the new kid in town, enjoying retirement, or somewhere in between, these events will help you find your place at Miami and around Oxford.

The Best -- and Worst -- Films of the Summer

Film-wise, this was the best summer in recent memory (no thanks to "The Emoji Movie"). Here are the top five films worth watching if you didn't manage to catch them in the last few months, plus the ones you should steer clear of.

Miami alum appears in new Netflix special, recalls working at Bagel & Deli

The self-explanatory new Netflix series, "The Standups," features six episodes with six comedians, one of whom is Miami alum Beth Stelling.

'Wonder Woman' challenges cinematic patriarchy

It's a good year to be a woman in film. Unless, of course, that film is directed by Michael Bay or stars Tom Cruise.

Taking it to the extremes: Living life like the Finnish

HELSINKI, Finland -- I stepped outside in my simple black two piece bathing suit, bare feet and hair tied up. The cold air hit my flushed skin and filled my desperate lungs. I could see my breath cloud in front of me. I walked along the deck, down the steps and to the ladder at the edge.

OUTSIDE OXFORD: An afternoon in Hamilton

Just a short 25-minute drive from Miami's campus, metal sculptures dozens of feet tall dot the landscape of the Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park. From the bright orange behemoth that is sculptor Alexander Liberman's abstract "Abracadabra" to the monumental bronze and steel of Michael Dunbar's "Euclid's Cross," a walk through this park makes it hard to believe you're just outside Hamilton, OH.

Saying goodbye to HBO's 'Girls'

The airing of "Girls'" final episode on April 16 seemed to be an equal source of relief and distress for the American public -- maybe more relief.