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Sadie Smart

Writer, journalist, editor, communications associate

The Vagabond's Verse •

Why Everyone’s Obsessed with Obsession - Sadie Smart - Reviews — The Vagabond's Verse

“Have you heard what’s happened? Barbie’s changed!” When Obsession debuted in theaters, it was hailed as a micro budget horror film, written and directed by 26 year old Curry Barker on $750,000 and a dream. Since then, the film has defied all expectations. While it did well opening weekend, it’s been on an upward trajectory, with ticket sales 39% up from its debut weekend – a trend that’s particularly uncommon for horror films that usually see ticket sales drop sharply after opening weekend....
The Vagabond's Verse •

Love Island’s Newest Bombshell - Sadie Smart - Culture — The Vagabond's Verse

A new bombshell has entered the villa, and they’re turning all of the guys’ heads. They’re bright, engaging, and will have anyone addicted after just one meeting. Their name? Kalshi.  It was virtually impossible to avoid Kalshi ads this summer. Kalshi is a prediction market platform launched in 2021 that people use to bet on everything from the weather to military outcomes, though for the past few years, its primary use has been to facilitate sports betting. As Love Island USA returned with...
The Vagabond's Verse •

Tell me about a complicated woman; please, I am begging you - Sadie Smart - Review — The Vagabond's Verse

It’s divorced from the epic version of Odysseus that has made generations upon generations of English students argue over whether or not he’s a hero, an idiot in his capacity for falling asleep at the worst times, or one of the worst husbands to exist. There’s no debate with Nolan’s Odysseus. Everyone knows where the story is going, and every character gets relegated into a well trodden archetype.Part of that is due to Nolan’s struggles with screenwriting. For such a serious movie, there were mu...
Locked & Unloaded •

A Century of Safety, Sacrificed

Each of you following this Substack – and tracking other invaluable news outlets like The Trace — knows that the historic, lifesaving drop in homicide rates in America over the last few years didn’t happen by accident. It was the direct result of comprehensive, evidence-based gun violence prevention policies.Instead of embracing these policies, though, the Trump administration is doing what we predicted: they are rewriting history and falsely claiming credit for these decreased rates through th...
The Vagabond's Verse •

An Age-Old Attraction — Sadie Smart — The Vagabond's Verse

Pop the wine, dim the lights, grab the blankets, and get ready for the latest and greatest reality TV show, Age of Attraction. A bastard love child of the infamous MILF Manor and Love is Blind, the show asks a bold question: can you tell how old these people are under all of their plastic surgery? Age of Attraction relies on a simple premise – the producers send a crowd of people to live at Whistler for a couple of weeks, hoping they will pair off into dramatic, made-for-TV couples. The only...
The Vagabond's Verse •

Marty Supremely Annoying - Sadie Smith — The Vagabond's Verse

‍ ‍Marty Supreme is a sweat soaked, adrenaline filled odyssey about a table tennis player in the 1950s as he bounces from one set back to the next, obsessed over his own glory at the expense of everyone around him. When the film finally closed out, I was left with one thought: they would never allow a woman to be this goddamn annoying.  That’s the driving force of this film – Marty is utterly unlikeable. He takes, and takes, and takes. He sleeps with a married woman, he books himsel...
Do You Know What I Mean? •

Not Just For Boys: How Women's Sports Need to Build Their Own Legacies

This year, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) moved to align the point allocation for professional women’s cycling races with professional men’s cycling races. This isn’t the victory for women’s sports that the UCI thinks it is.Previously, all women’s races allocated 400 points to the winner, no matter the challenge of the race. This was in opposition to the men’s races that awarded points based on the difficulty of the race, so the winner of the Tour de France won more points than the winn...
Locked & Unloaded •

The Holidays Shouldn’t Be the Deadliest Weeks for Kids

This holiday season, many of us are focused on gathering with the people we love. We’re thinking about where the ladder is stored to hang up lights, what food we’re making, what cookies we’re baking, and what gifts we’re going to buy.It’s an exciting time of the year, but it’s also undoubtedly a chaotic time of the year. We all have a lot on our plates, and we want to ensure that the holiday season is special for all of our loved ones.But amid the joyful chaos, we too often overlook a safety iss...
Do You Know What I Mean? •

What's Wrong, Baby?

In his dying moments in They Live, John Nada uses the last of his strength to destroy the satellite broadcasting subliminal, alien propaganda and flip off the aliens trying to stop him. Once the satellite flickers out, the full impact of the alien class is revealed: they are everywhere. They control every piece of human life, walking amongst the people, living with them, and enslaving them.As Nada posthumously lifts the veil, with the help of Armitage, who also gave his life for the mission, hum...
Locked & Unloaded •

When the Apocalypse Comes, Only Americans Reach for a Gun

Sadie Smart is Brady’s communications associate. This essay launches a new series amplifying Brady staff voices — sharing the insights and ideas of those on the frontlines of gun violence prevention.When the zombie apocalypse starts, what are you planning to take with you? Water, food, and a map. But if you’re an American, or basing your answer on American zombie movies, you’ve probably added another essential: a gun.Scenes of gunning down zombies left and right are quintessential to the America...
Do You Know What I Mean? •

The Devil Made Me Pregnant

Two hours into Rosemary’s Baby and I’m ready to see the birth scene. I have the volume turned down so my roommates – and the neighbors through the wall of our townhouse – don’t think I’m being murdered when inevitably the screams of pain echo through the house as Rosemary gives birth to the devil.But I don’t get to see her give birth.Instead, the satanic cult knocks her out with a simple syringe to the arm. When Rosemary awakens, she’s no longer pregnant, the cult insisting that she lost the bab...
Do You Know What I Mean? •

The Summer I Ended Up in a Horror Movie

At the end of Black Christmas, there’s a moment when you think everything is going to be alright. You believe that Jess killed the monster lurking in her sorority house, and now she gets to go to sleep, safe in her bed. But as the camera pans through the house, you find that Jess is not alone – the killer is still there, up in the attic, surrounded by the bodies of the women he has murdered. And as the camera pulls away to see the house all lit up by Christmas lights and the police leaving, you...
Brady United •

How to Keep Your Family Safe This Holiday Season and Practice Safe…

Holidays tend to bring more children into the home, and we all know kids are naturally curious — especially when it comes to things that they have been told not to handle. (In fact, it’s likely that young kids are already searching the top shelves of closets for any hidden gifts.) The fact is kids find everything — and that includes firearms we thought we'd "hidden."Parents who don’t personally own firearms should still have conversations with their children about what to do if they come across...
The Phoenix •

President Smith Joins PSEG’s Board of Directors

During her tenure as College President, Valerie Smith has helped lead Swarthmore’s multiphase plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. But in Spring 2022, Smith also quietly took on a role in the private energy sector, accepting a position on a major utility company’s board of directors.

On April 19, Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) released a statement announcing Smith’s election to their Board of Directors. PSEG is an investor-owned utility company headquartered in Newark, New Jersey.
The Phoenix •

SBC Announces Budget Reallocation Plans Amid High Projected Deficit

On Friday, Oct. 21, the Student Budgeting Committee (SBC) Board sent an email informing the Swarthmore community that the amount of money they have currently allocated to student clubs and organizations for the 2022-2023 academic year would put SBC into a deficit of $31,000. Therefore, SBC will be reallocating the Fall budget to 72 clubs and organizations under a new set of SBC guidelines.

SBC sought to clarify the situation in a town hall meeting on Monday, Oct. 24. In this meeting, SBC announ
The Phoenix •

The Swim Team Plays Assassins

On Tuesday, Sept. 6, the Swarthmore College Instagram posted an unusual picture. The photo captures two students walking across campus with, bizarrely enough, snorkels strapped to their heads. The photo is captioned “students found a creative solution to the heavy rain this morning.”

However, these students aren’t worried about the rain; instead they’re worried about being “killed” by a fellow Swattie. The snorkel-wearing students in this photo are swimmers on the Swarthmore varsity men’s and w
The Phoenix •

SBC’s Capital Reserve Fund is at Stake: What Does This Mean?

This spring semester, the college administration notified the Student Budgeting Committee (SBC) that they are considering making changes to their ability to access the Capital Reserve Fund — essentially the backup funding source for SBC — which could impact SBC’s ability to circulate all the funds allocated for student activities. Uncertainty around how this policy change will impact funding for student activities moving forward is causing concern among some club members and representatives as t

Playing for Peace: Afghan Musicians’ Perspectives on Taliban Rule – War News Radio

With the Taliban’s recent takeover of Afghanistan, musicians have been fearful of their safety. During the Taliban’s previous rule, music was completely banned, and musician’s lives were in danger, and now citizens are concerned again that music poses a risk.

In this episode of War News Radio, we spoke with Afghan pianist Arson Fahim, who has come to the United States to continue his studies, and Ariana Delawari, an Afghan American singer, filmmaker, and activist. They share their perspectives
The Phoenix •

Players Reflect on Resignation of Former Women’s Basketball Head Coach Signor-Brown

Candice Signor-Brown, The former Head Coach of the Swarthmore’s Women’s Basketball team, resigned from Swarthmore in late August.

Prior to the resignation, students at Swarthmore and Vassar, where Signor-Brown had previously coached for ten years, had voiced allegations against her of favoritism, toxic and inappropriate behavior, and neglect towards injured players. In August 2020, Swarthmore began a three-month inquiry following an anonymous Instagram post on the @vassarsurvivors account detai
The Phoenix •

The High Price of Remote Learning

March marked one year of the pandemic. One year of “unprecedented times” and emails “hoping to find you well.” Unfortunately, not everyone has been well this year.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Eighty percent of students around the country say that COVID has negatively impacted their mental health, their spiritual health, and their career aspirations.”

This analysis aligns with students’ experiences on Swarthmore campus as they struggle to deal with the challenge