The term “gatekeeping” has skyrocketed in usage recently. Simply put, gatekeeping refers to the active and intentional withholding of information—in this context, there also tends to be a specific emphasis on information pertaining to certain hobbies, activities, or franchises. The stereotypical act of gatekeeping tends to involve someone who is a long-time fan of a particular topic, such as baseball, Game of Thrones, or Magic the Gathering, choosing to trivialize, dismiss, or even full-on reject a person who is showing interest or asking questions about the fan’s topic of expertise. In doing this, the topic’s fandom serves as its own “security” of sorts, or rather, gatekeepers, preventing others from entering the fandom or setting a tone for the fandom and their behavior that might dissuade it. This allows a certain level of knowledge surrounding the fandom to be almost an expectation to “count as a real member.” 

Hot Topic prides itself on providing shoppers with “counter-culture” clothing and accessories. As someone who used to drag my parents into the store with me for school shopping and Black Friday, I feel Hot Topic has lost its significance as the store has become less atypical. Finding alternative clothing and accessories has never been more difficult than now.

In February 2014, I downloaded the infamous app Snapchat on my iPod 5 with no knowledge of how big the app would become. The app grew quickly as various unique traits were added to the app. At the time, it was one of the only social media apps consciously geared toward the younger generation. 

The idolization of celebrities encourages the public to blindly support highbrow individuals that often have few redeeming character qualities, at times frequent occurrences of being “canceled” or do not ever seem to be held accountable for their actions. When we glorify celebrities, we treat them as if they can do no wrong, as if they are gods who cannot face punishment or answer for their actions; putting celebrities on a pedestal is very dangerous for all parties.

Ten years ago, the pilot episode of The Flash (2014-2023) aired on The CW. In the episode, we met CSI scientist Barry Allen, the show’s protagonist, as he received his newfound super-speed powers, before getting a glimpse into the future towards the end. The screen read “Flash Missing Vanishes in Crisis,” while a future newspaper explained that the hero had gone missing in a time of crisis on Apr. 25, 2024. As seasons went by we crept closer to the catastrophic event, until ultimately in the 2019 five-part special “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” based on the comic issue of the same article five years earlier, came to life. 

As well as being an avid Hayday player, which you may be aware of due to a recent article, I am a Fortnite player. This is the only console game I currently play and have ever played, and I believe people are taking this stuff way too seriously. Punching holes in walls, yelling, screaming, being genuinely mad, and other common reactions people have when they lose and do not get a “Victory Royale” are too much. 

For any confused consumers out there TTPD is short-hand for Taylor Swift’s newest album, The Tortured Poets Department (2024), and the “Anthology” refers to the extended version of the album that features bonus songs. Jumping into this, picking just three songs was virtually impossible given that there are 31 to choose from but I did my best, and here are the results. 

As social media continues to be a hub with which many people get their news, there has seemed to be an increase in conversation about knowing when to disengage with certain social rights movements or stop yourself from seeing content covering particularly sensitive or difficult topics. While, of course, I would never argue that the general public should willingly sacrifice their mental health in order to keep themself as informed as possible when feeling stressed or overwhelmed, I can’t help but wonder who this mass desire to disengage and the movement towards apathy really benefits. 

Who is the rightful owner of the respective artifacts in the archaeological record? I am not any more qualified to address this topic as the next guy, however, as an anthropology student, my interest is piqued. On principle alone, my consensus is that artifacts created in a culture should remain in that culture. If artifacts are stolen, ethically, they should be returned to their culture or country of origin. The controversy begins when asked the important question: ‘What if that culture is no longer identifiable in the modern era?’

The month of April is annually observed as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Before SAAM was officially declared in 2001 by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, activists held campaigns, protests, marches, and other events related to sexual assault and violence throughout April. Sexual assault is a challenging topic, but it is crucial for us to discuss these public health issues. It is even more important for us to show our support for sexual assault victims whose stories have never been shared.

Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the most iconic video game characters of all time. Ever since the release of the first Sonic game in 1991, the franchise has sold over 160 million copies and continues to grow strong, with one of its most recent titles, Sonic Frontiers (2022), selling over 3.5 million units. In addition, the franchise has produced two highly successful live-action films, with the second movie making over $405 million worldwide. 2024 is shaping up to be a good year for the franchise, as not only is the third movie coming out this winter, but Sonic won’t be the main focus this time around. Instead, this year's focus will be on the fan-favorite character: Shadow the Hedgehog.

Body modifying and inking in professional settings has been a controversial topic for far too long. It is already enough that workers must advocate for a liveable wage, but the idea that some people are denied that opportunity because they choose to decorate their bodies how they see fit is, honestly, embarrassing. 

As a kid, I was absolutely enamored with the zoo. Going there allowed me to see animals up close that I wouldn’t otherwise see. I had seen countless squirrels in my backyard, but it was only at the zoo that I could see large predators like tigers and alligators. While it’s easy to get sucked into the spectacle of the ferocious beasts, the best animal there is undoubtedly that of the penguin. Cute and cuddly, the penguin has been a staple in the zoo business for a long time.

The app Hay Day is a popular game among many, but few, truly, take this game seriously. This game is available on the App Store right now and will continue to be one of the best as it continues to get better through every update. The game has been around for years, and I have had the app since December 2013. I have spent 11 years enjoying the calming yet exciting features that the game has to offer. 

Since the dawn of Hollywood, the general public has been enraptured by big-screen stars, with Florence Lawrence (1886-1938) often being dubbed “the first movie star.” In the modern-day the prevalence of social media, particularly platforms like YouTube and TikTok, has only expanded what the general public categorizes as “celebrities” or—at least—“content creators.” Though having a career in social media is a relatively new phenomenon, which is currently being actively defined by those who have been able to reach into more traditional “stardom” through social media, the ways in which these platforms have changed how the public interacts with entertainers are already becoming apparent. 

Apex Legends is a free-to-play battle royale first-person shooter game. The game was released on Feb. 4, 2019, by Respawn Entertainment, and was a massive success, taking the gaming industry by storm. At its release, only eight playable characters were available in the game: Bangalore, Bloodhound, Caustic, Mirage, Lifeline, Pathfinder, and Wraith. Five years later, Apex Legends is now on its 20th season and has continued to thrive with 25 characters, hundreds of cosmetics, and an engaging storyline that ties all of the legends together.

If I were to ask what pops up when you Google “the world’s dumbest problem?” would you guess the top response is “food waste?” If so, bingo! You're dead on!

Shopping for summer? Not sure what to wear? Well, look no further as I am going to be sharing my top summer fashion choices for everyone—you don’t want to miss this.

On Mar. 31, 2009, the first International Transgender Day of Visibility was held. The founder, Rachel Crandell-Crocker, a psychotherapist and executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Transgender Michigan, has stated that she is moved by the celebration of this day 15 years after it was first acknowledged. Crandell-Crocker stressed that she wants transgender people to feel a sense of joy and community while celebrating their identities.