About

The Culture:Our daily mission is to deliver you with news and opinion from a variety of topics that are interesting and relevant to you. From music, movies and fashion, to politics, science and technology, we hope to inform you of little known, but intriguing stories as well as voice our thoughts on the talked—about news of the day. Always thoughtful, and sometimes amusing, we aim to engage you, our readers, in a discussion about what matters to you. It’s the culture of our times, and we know how to cover it.

The Intellect: Our staff members bring their own individual backgrounds, tastes and voices to the table in an effort to speak to you more personally, no matter what your interests are.

Editor-in-Chief:

Matthew Iles — I recently graduated with a degree in Sociology and minors in Journalism and Film from Duke University, and am now fully invested in the future of this blog and the people we are already hearing from and interacting with. I love hip-hop, R&B and rock music, but have a strong distaste for almost anything played too often on the radio. I have a love of movies, especially when I’ve read the book before, which is something I often make a point to do. Finally, I have a deeply rooted interest in politics and our country’s changing landscape. I believe these are mere examples of the greater elements we all find to be interesting and intriguing. And by that, I mean, culture. As Editor-in-Chief of The Cultural Intellect, I hope to guide a staff of people committed to discovering and reporting the most intriguing, relevant, and sometimes even funny cultural stories of our time as well as engage you, the reader, to share your thoughts and your opinions on the stories of our time. As always, thank you for your continued loyalty and support. Contact Matthew.

Staff Writers:

Christian Crowley — With a degree in Political Science and History from Duke University and plans to attend Vanderbilt Law School in the fall, I find writing for The Cultural Intellect an opportunity for me to explore a variety of topics I find important and wish to share with our audience. I am particularly interested in American domestic and foreign policy, especially considering the implications of the new Obama Administration. I take a lot of life lessons from Calvin and Hobbes and am an avid Lost fan. I like a wide variety of music, from Mos Def to DJ Shadow, and thoroughly enjoy watching good movies. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and feelings and hope this blog will serve as a medium through which we can engage in an intellectual discourse. Contact Christian.

Matt Coolidge — Currently pursuing a degree in International Affairs with a concentration in Middle East Studies from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, I joined this blog primarily to contribute my thoughts on international affairs and how they affect the here and now. International goings-on are too often ignored by readers and passed off as irrelevant to their daily lives. What I really hope to accomplish in writing here is to make a connection between the happenings of foreign lands and how they impact your daily life. In addition to international affairs, I’ll occasionally be offering brain droppings on a number of diverse subjects, ranging from sports to technology to travel. I want to draw attention to stories that may normally slip under your radar and arouse an interest in you to go out and learn more about them. That being said, I’m always looking for comments or queries and I welcome your feedback on anything and everything I write. Happy reading. Contact Matt.

David Freed — A Southern California native, I enjoy lying on the beach, playing sports all year long and eating Mexican food. I’ve left the waves and burritos for now, though, to attend Duke University, where I’m studying Biomedical Engineering, and Markets and Management.  I hope to go into strategy consulting or found my own entrepreneurial project upon graduation in 2010.  For fun, I love playing basketball, beating my friends on XBOX 360, traveling, food, new technology and business. Contact David.

Marion McMillan — A Duke University graduate with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Markets and Management Studies, I couldn’t be more excited to join the team here at The Cultural Intellect. What I love about the site is it incorporates vastly different perspectives to paint a picture of current events as they relate to us and others who might dig our style. I’ve been called a musician by day, predator by night (although those identities have been known to overlap), and I’m a self-proclaimed hater of the mainstream, despite the once-in-a-while time you might catch me in a Polo and a fresh pair of Air Max LTD’s. I get off on being the guy who turns people on to the best music before anybody else has heard it and I cannot stand self-righteousness. I’m new to the blogging world, but it’s growing on me. My only hope is that I can offer up a unique opinion to The Cultural Intellect that will help us reach the broadest audience possible in an attempt to deliver the news as it matters to you. Contact Marion.

Katherine Neufeld — A recent graduate of Duke University with a degree in Biological Psychology and a minor in Chemistry, I am currently looking to break into the music industry. I’ve never been much of a frequent writer (science classes tend to be less than conducive), so I’m excited about this blog because it lets me spend time learning about things I’d otherwise have to label as procrastination. Besides getting over being a bit of a music snob, I love restaurants and cooking, trying to make my limited pieces of technology work, and driving with the windows down. Contact Katherine.

Lianne Sheffy (also Lead Web Designer) — As a current senior at Duke University, I’ll be graduating this year with a degree in Women’s Studies and a minor in Markets and Management. To put it simply, I’m most drawn to things that are innovative and beautiful. My interests revolve around fashion, art and design—and specifically, how these genres are all influenced by street cultures around the globe. There’s a lot to be said about the intimate link between “high culture” and “low culture,” which is why no topic is off limits here at The Cultural Intellect. I look forward to taking part in this creative exchange and encourage our readers to please do the same! Contact Lianne.

Contributing Writers:

Alexander AuWerter, Brent Beckert, Justin Blumenthal, Michael Burakow, Ashley D’Amour, Tyler Goin, Sawyer Carter Jacobs, Marc Nelson, Adam Walsh, Ryan Zampardo