Blood diamonds -- diamonds used to finance many of Africa's recent wars -- first gained worldwide attention in the 1990s. Now Hollywood has turned the problem into a big-budget film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Andrew Lovdahl takes a look at the result.

From Canada's Shapes and Sizes to C-U's own Headlights, Friday's triple bill at the Courtyard Cafe featured enough indie-rock delights to make Erin Hayes one satisfied concert-goer.

Bethany Hutchens has not been a long-time fan of Mel Gibson's work as a director. And has his latest film, "Apocalypto," gone too far?

When the band My Morning Jacket played Foellinger Auditorium this week, Jono Baron was there. The Gargoyle senior editor gives his opinion of the performance directly from the front row -- complete with a video feed.

One again, Uni will be well-represented at the IMEA all-state music festival in Peoria. Check inside for the Uni musicians who rank among the state's best.

Gwen Stefani's new CD hit the stores today, and Erin Hayes has already reached a verdict.

After writing a play titled "Le Petit Chou" and submitting it to Student Productions, Sarah Pfander did something a little unusual: She turned the directorial responsibilities over to another student, Zoë Schein. Sarah describes the experience of seeing her words come alive on opening night and observing the cast's interpretation of her play. Posted Monday, Dec. 4, 2006, The OG.

Could a movie about a pair of aging, overweight slackers with delusions of greatness be worth seeing? Carl Zielinski gives his verdict inside. Posted Sunday, Dec. 3, 2006, The OG.

The fourth annual staging of Tchaikovsky's classic by CU Ballet and Sinfonia da Camera debuted Friday night. Performances will continue through next weekend. Check inside for the schedule. Posted Saturday, Dec. 2, 2006, The OG.

Get a head start on this year's Student Productions with a sneak peek at the four plays that will be staged this weekend in the North Attic. Two of them will be performed in January for a statewide audience at the Illinois High School Theatre Festival. Posted Thursday, Nov. 30, 2006, The OG.

"We're about things of majesty," the drummer of the metal band Mastodon told The New York Times recently. Carl Zielinski concurs. Mastodon's latest CD, he says, is one of the best releases by any band, of any genre, this year. Posted Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2006, The OG.

For the second consecutive year, a Uni student will perform in the annual all-state production at the Illinois High School Theatre Festival. Last year it was Paige Martin in "A Chorus Line." This year Ethan Berl will perform in "Les Mis." Posted Sunday, Nov. 26, 2006, The OG.

Daniel Craig as the new James Bond wasn't able to beat the animated penguins of "Happy Feet" at the weekend box office (the penguins won $41.5 million to $40.8 million), but he impressed the latest generation of Bond fans, including Elaine Gu. Posted Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006, The OG.

What could possibly make Michelle Gao get up at 6 in the morning on a Saturday? The IMEA all-district concert, of course, featuring some of the best young musicians in the area. Posted Monday, Nov. 20, 2006, The OG.

A movie about dancing full of clichés? Of course. But Michelle Gao asks: What's so wrong about that, as long as the action sweeps you away? Posted Monday, Nov. 20, 2006, The OG.