According to Anne Hathaway and James Franco, this year has been a great year for lesbians… in the movie industry that is! Welcome to the Academy Awards show. Many of you may have seen the marvelously entertaining and socially fascinating event on February 27th, but for those of you that didn’t, here’s a recap of the 83rd Annual Academy Awards.

Somewhere around Seuss Land at Universal Studios’ Islands of Adventure, something magical (sorry, I had to say it) happens. As you scan the horizon, a towering castle emerges high above all the hoopla of pushing tourists, screaming kids and theme rides. And this is no ordinary castle, oh no…this is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Yes indeed, this past weekend I did hop a plane to Orlando for four glorious days of family, sun and butterbeer at “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter”.

She’s tall, thin, and blonde. She’s married to Coldplay’s Chris Martin and has a beautiful child named after the quintessential fruit. She’s famous for her roles in classics such as “Se7en”, “Emma”, “Shakespeare in Love”, and “The Royal Tenenbaums”. Just when you thought you had seen Gwyneth Paltrow in every role under the sun, she pulls a fast one: music.

When I found out from a very special Valentine that my gift for this year would be to attend a show at New York Fashion Week, I froze mid-sip of my caramel latte, mouth paralyzed in a little “O” of disbelief. Only one thought flashed through my excitement-numbed mind: “What the hell am I going to wear?”

Today marks one week from the 83rd Annual Academy Awards. In anticipation for the awards show, the writers and editors of A&E sound off on who they think should win the golden man for Best Actor.

Monday was Valentine’s Day, so I thought, in honor of the holiday, I would compose a tribute of sorts to a great love of mine: the British mini-series. Technically, if I am to express true devotion for the television medium, I should refer to them with their proper British moniker, “serials.”

Imagine this: you’re walking between classes, headphones on, lost in thought. The track on your mp3 player switches. Suddenly, your ears are infused with the melodic ticking of a clock, your pulse quickens, and then: 1, 2, Woop! Woop! Adrenaline courses through you; your mind, ears, core are pulsating and Steve Aoki starts screaming on the track. And then again, 1, 2 Woop! Woop! You have your first bass-gasm. You have it to Steve Aoki’s “Warp.”

US television hasn’t fared well in the international race to produce panel shows. Not since the cancellation of “What’s My Line?” have we made a novel contribution. Panel shows take many forms, but the most popular of them are game shows in which celebrities —preferably comedians—compete for meaningless points. If you’ve seen “Whose Line is It Anyway?” you’ve seen a panel show.

In early January, MTV premiered “Skins,” an adaptation of the hugely popular British show of the same name. The original show is a dramatic comedic masterpiece, following the tumultuous lives of teenagers in Bristol, England. What made the show so successful was its authenticity and fantastic exploration of controversial yet prevalent issues among teenagers, such as dysfunctional families, eating disorders, sexual orientation, substance abuse and death. The show, which could be consumed by American viewers via BBC America and Netflix streaming, was picked up by MTV, who planned to transfer the show from Bristol to the streets of Baltimore, Maryland.

I remember hearing about Mount Holyoke’s production of The Vagina Monologues during the spring of my freshman year. I was weary of attending because I was a naïve, shy first-year, and despite the fact that I was attending a women’s college, I was, frankly, embarrassed. The title in itself was intimidating. For me, I felt like it was as a personal thing. Why would anyone want to make a play about that? So, I decided not to go, but afterwards I felt I had missed out on something important. This spring, I told myself that I would go. I had to see what was behind this cultural phenomenon.