When the name Dolly Parton comes up, almost everyone has a story. Whether they’re a lifelong country music fan, an avid theme park enjoyer, a baker or a reader — Parton has made an impact on some aspect of their lives, whether they know it or not.
As the semester kicks off and everyone settles into a new routine, I wanted to share what I’ve been listening to. If you’re new here, I have an important disclaimer: I absolutely adore showtunes. That being said, I branched out quite a bit this summer. It’s incredibly exciting.
I’ve been thinking a lot about romantasy (the sub-genre combining fantasy and romance); specifically, what makes a good one. For me, it boils down to two points: the fantasy-world plotline needs to be equally as strong as the romantic one, and the romance should be carried by a heavy, slow-burn, borderline-pathetic amount of yearning.Because I’m feeling generous, I will share five(ish) books that fit this mold exactly. Prepare to have your life changed.
Despite the crazy move-in schedule and getting used to a new routine and set of classes, you should still (hopefully) have some leisure time coming back to campus. As tempting as it is to stay in your dorm, taking advantage of the communal bathroom shower and breaking in that twin XL mattress, Miami and the Oxford community offer many events at the start of the school year that are definitely worth looking into.
Summer is known for a few things, like pool parties, cookouts and bonfires. And, of course, the constant music. It blares through every water park speaker and sets a comforting ambiance as you eat burgers in the summer sun. I’ve compiled a list of the best songs to act as the only playlist you’ll need this summer.
Miami University’s theater department presented its annual spring musical from May 1-7. This year, students performed “Into the Woods.”“Into the Woods” follows the story of the Baker and his wife and their quest to lift the curse of the Witch in order to have a child. Other fairytale characters are featured, such as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and Rapunzel. Even Jack from “Jack and the Beanstalk” make an appearance.
Artist Hayden Anhedonia is known for storytelling through music, taking listeners on the tumultuous journey of a preacher’s daughter who shares her stage name, “Ethel Cain,” and curates a unique aesthetic that incorporates her Southern roots along the way.
On Wednesday, April 29, people gathered in a Shideler Hall lecture room to watch “Bittersweet: Black College Life at a Predominately White Institution.”
As the panelists for Up & Up Oxford’s DJ competition met in February to listen to sets submitted by students hoping to open for popular EDM duo Shipwrek. The panelists expected to listen to energetic tracks that amplify rooms and invigorate crowds. They didn’t expect to hear the blasting horns of the FOX NFL theme.For Andrew Solomon, a sophomore business analytics major, that’s the purpose of being a DJ — picking the right track at the right time, even the unexpected.
Stage Left, a theater organization on campus fully led by Miami University students, presents a musical every semester. This spring, they performed “Be More Chill” over the weekend of April 24-26.“Be More Chill” follows the life of a teenager, Jeremy Here: A social outcast who has one friend, an estranged relationship with his father and an enormous crush on a girl who barely knows he exists. More than anything, he desires to be cool.
Sticky fingers, paper clippings and ink smears are the fundamentals of zines. While this may sound juvenile, this accessible entrance to a nuanced community is a huge part of the appeal. Anyone can do it, any time.Stefanie Hilles, a librarian at the Art and Architecture Library, defined zines as “self-published, kind of anti-establishment, underground little magazines that, in a lot of ways, are done for the love of the game instead of profit.”
“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.
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.
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.
Recently, I’ve picked up the hobby of collecting physical media.
If there’s one thing you need to know about me, it’s that I love classic books. “Pride and Prejudice,” “Wuthering Heights,” you name it, I’ve read it.
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.
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).
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.
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.