The Conversation

Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations blend Indigenous customs and European thinking in surprising ways

Written by Ezekiel Stear, Assistant Professor of Spanish World Languages, Literatures & Cultures, Auburn University

In Mexico City, parades on Day of the Dead feature people in colorful costumes.FG Trade Latin/Collection E+ via Getty Images

Every year, five hours west of Mexico City on Lake Pátzcuaro in Michoacán, residents flock to the island of Janitzio to visit the graves of their departed relatives.

On the evening of Nov. 1, the Noche de animas,...

The best horror movie you’ve never seen

Written by Scott Malia, Associate Professor of Theatre, College of the Holy Cross

In 'Trick ‛r Treat,' Sam wreaks havoc on characters who betray Halloween traditions.Legendary

It’s scary movie season, a time when many people watch films about zombies, serial killers, werewolves, magic and mysterious monsters who are impossible to kill.

However, as far as I know, there’s only one film that features all of those...

Threatening ‘the enemy within’ with force: Military ethicists explain the danger to important American traditions

Written by Marcus Hedahl, Professor of Philosophy, United States Naval Academy

Members of the Utah National Guard were deployed to Washington in June 2020 in response to public protests and demonstrations.AP Photo/Alex Brandon

On the campaign trail, former President Donald Trump has declared there are serious threats to the United States. First, he said, there is “the outside enemy, and then we have the enemy from within...

Debates about Columbus’ Spanish Jewish ancestry are not new − the claim was once a bid for social acceptance

Written by Devin Naar, Associate Professor of History and Jewish Studies and Chair of the Sephardic Studies Program, University of Washington

'Landing of Columbus,' by John Vanderlyn.Architect of the Capitol via Wikimedia Commons

In connection to Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day, media from the BBC and Fox to Reuters and Haaretz reported on new DNA evidence about the holiday’s original namesake. According to research revealed in a recent Spanish documentary, Christopher...

Student-athletes find more power in the changing legal landscape of college sports

Written by Joshua Lens, Associate Professor of Instruction of Sport & Recreation Management, University of Iowa

Money disputes abound between players and universities. Aksonov/E+ via Getty Images

Ever since the NCAA permitted college athletes to get paid by companies that use their names, images and likenesses, athletes have tested the limits of their increasing power.

One of the latest examples is Matthew Sluka, the starting quarterback for UNLV’s...

From Confederate general to Cherokee heritage: Why returning the name Kuwohi to the Great Smoky Mountains matters

Written by Seth T. Kannarr, PhD Student in Geography, University of Tennessee

View from the overlook on Kuwohi of the mountain peaks and ridges of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Getty Images

It’s not every day that the name of a mountain is restored to the one used by Indigenous peoples for centuries.

But after nearly two years of trying, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians finally convinced the U.S. Board on...

Foreign countries are helping autocracies repress exiled dissidents in return for economic gain

Written by Rebecca Cordell, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Pittsburgh

Governments, even democratic ones, are willing to aid autocracies in silencing exiled dissidents if the host nation thinks it’s in its economic interest.

That is what we found when looking into cases of transnational repression – the act of governments reaching across their national border to repress diasporas and exiles – from...

Horror movies are as much a mainstay of Halloween as trick or treat − but why are they so bloody?

Written by James Francis, Jr., Instructional Associate Professor, Texas A&M University

Horror movies are plentiful in 2024, and plenty bloody. The year has seen the release of films awash in blood, such as “Immaculate,” “The First Omen” and “The Strangers.” With Halloween on the way, bloody offerings are streaming, in theaters and running in marathons on cable.

Watch them, and you’ll likely...

Why is Halloween spending growing when Americans are supposedly cutting back?

Written by Jay L. Zagorsky, Associate Professor of Markets, Public Policy and Law, Boston University

Of course you can buy an evil clown at Home Depot.Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images

Halloween was once a time of both tricks and treats. Lately, Halloween has become one big treat for businesses, with consumers spending an estimated US$11.6 billion on this one-night holiday. That’s roughly the same amount of money as Americans spend on...

Florida’s new condo laws recognize the total price of living on the beach

Written by Bill Hughes, Research Director, Kelley A. Bergstrom Real Estate Center, University of Florida

Repairing high-rise condos like this one in Miami Beach can cost millions.Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Nearly a million Florida condo owners face an important deadline at the end of the year. That’s when a law passed in 2022 requires most Florida condo associations to submit inspection reports for their buildings...