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CULTURE

‘New Wave will Never Die:’ The spectacular return of They Might Be Giants

By Elise Hanna | April 25, 2026

“The World is to Dig” is the 24th studio album by TMBG, proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the band still has it in them to produce quality music.The title is a reference to Ruth Krauss’ children’s book “A Hole is to Dig,” which the band previously posed with for a promotional shoot about 35 years ago.

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CULTURE

Sparkfest: A snapshot of modern art for Gen Z

By Josie Zimmerman | April 24, 2026

It was a bright and sunny day for artists to play music, sell paint, draw portraits and share free pizza and cookies. Student organizations such as the Associated Student Government and the Miami University Center for Career Exploration and Success had tables filled with markers and crafts to create art at the annual Sparkfest celebration.

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CULTURE

Spider-Man: More than a comic book superhero

By Kethan Babu | April 23, 2026

Before the MCU took off, the Sam Raimi “Spider-Man” trilogy was the peak of superhero movies. Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker was the first live-action version of the superhero and the introduction to Spider-Man and Marvel in general for kids growing up in the 2000s.Those movies kick-started my obsession that still lingers today.

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CULTURE

On the record: The case for physical media

By Elise Hanna | April 21, 2026

Recently, I’ve picked up the hobby of collecting physical media.

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CULTURE

V2K: 25 years of Vision Dance Company

By Layla Norris | April 19, 2026

Miami University’s Vision Dance Company (VDC) is a student-led organization on campus bringing dancers together to choreograph and perform. Established in 2001, they are “Miami’s most versatile dance organization.”On April 10 and 11, they performed their 2026 show, V2K — their own take on Y2K — celebrating the organization’s 25th anniversary.

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CULTURE

The only correct title: A review of ‘The Drama’

By Layla Norris | April 16, 2026

Director Kristoffer Borgli did not miss when he titled this movie “The Drama” — because there is certainly drama.From the beginning, you can tell something is off. While it did not convey typical aspects of horror or suspense, things felt weird. The initial scene depicts a seemingly adorable meet-cute between Charlie (Robert Pattinson) and Emma (Zendaya).

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CULTURE

TikTok killed the MTV star: The decline of music videos

By Elise Hanna | April 13, 2026

Growing up, my family had a near-nightly tradition. After dinner and showers, we would gather around the TV in the family room and watch my mom’s favorite music videos from days past.It was a family-wide event, with my siblings and I taking turns choosing the next mini-movie, analyzing the story it told and copying dance moves we saw onscreen.The general quality of music videos has decreased dramatically in recent years. It went from being an art form where the artist could convey the meaning behind their music, to nothing more than a five-second silent snippet that plays on repeat while you listen to the track on Spotify.

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CULTURE

Kevin Chamberlin discusses creativity, adapting and Bertram tapestries in lecture

By Stella Powers and Ayla Peden | April 9, 2026

Kevin Chamberlin began his career on the stage of a community theater in South Jersey. Now, roughly 50 years later, Chamberlin has performed numerous times on Broadway, appeared alongside Bruce Willis in “Die Hard” and has become a childhood icon for his role in the Disney Channel show “Jessie.”Chamberlin visited as part of Miami University’s lecture series Monday, April 6.

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CULTURE

You can’t replace the movie theater experience

By Kethan Babu | April 7, 2026

Over spring break, I convinced a friend to tag along for a “Ready or Not 2” screening. I knew nothing about the movie — I still haven’t even seen the first one — but the trailers interested me, and I was due for a trip to the theater.The audience filled less than half of our showing, which I simultaneously questioned and celebrated. The movie itself lived up to my expectations, but as we walked out of AMC, I thought back to the theater experiences I had growing up.

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CULTURE

Snail Mail’s ‘Ricochet’: Spiraling through life

By Ren Chaffee | April 6, 2026

I’ve been listening to Snail Mail since 2022, so the wait for Lindsey Jordan’s newest album, “Ricochet,” was a long one. My first experience with her music was on my 16th birthday, and my dad decided to take a risk and buy me a vinyl of an album I had never heard before.

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Fandom culture: Why there are millions of clicks on AO3

By Ren Chaffee | April 6, 2026

A fandom, for those who don’t know, is “a group of fans of someone or something, especially very enthusiastic ones,” according to the Cambridge Dictionary.Fandom culture is not just a modern spectacle. In fact, according to Fanlore, “the practice of making fanzines originated in science fiction fandom in the 1930s, when they were called fanmags.”

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CULTURE

From Jimmy Fallon to Brittany Broski: The evolution of late-night television

By Layla Norris | April 5, 2026

From cable television to YouTube Shorts, late-night shows have touched audiences everywhere.When you hear “late-night show,” a few names probably come to mind: Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, James Corden or any Saturday Night Live cast member from 1975 to now.However, while these names are household staples, people are watching them less and less. According to rating reports, total viewership has declined by three percent since 2024. The number of viewers ages 18 to 49 has decreased by 16%.

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CULTURE

Short books to help you reach your reading goal

By Molly Fahy | April 5, 2026

But just because you might get hives every time you see a novel longer than 400 pages doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy thought-provoking literature. Here are five book recommendations, each under 250 pages, that will keep you entertained and engaged while helping you stay on track with your reading goal.

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CULTURE

“This Music May Contain Hope” convinced me that hope is still out there

By Ayla Peden | April 4, 2026

At the end of January, London-based singer-songwriter Raye announced the release of her second album, “This Music May Contain Hope,” and I have been eagerly awaiting its arrival ever since. Within a few minutes of its release on March 27, I sat down and listened to what would become one of the best albums I have heard in the past year.