How Prod. JRB found his way to BobbyBoy Records

History Of: River Phoenix

  The "It boy" of the 90s was a Hollywood bombshell with an upturned button nose, long blond bowl cut, and sparkling blue eyes. His name was River Phoenix. This teen heartthrob was known for his down-to-earth personality paired with a striking appearance. The late actor achieved many accomplishments during his lifetime. He was awarded the 1992 Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead for his performance in My Own Private Idaho. Phoenix was unlike any actor Hollywood had ever seen. His scattered press interviews allow Generation Z an introduction to his precocious, often unique approach to an emotional acting style.

History of: Celebrating Death in Different Cultures

The past few days held some of the most popular celebrations of death. Oct. 31 was Halloween and Nov. 1 and 2, El Día de los Muertos. We wanted to dive deeper into how people celebrate death among different cultures and religions. To start, we’ve compiled interviews and information to further observe three different cultural celebrations around their deceased. 

Top Seven Young Adult Fiction Books of All time

I believe YA fiction books are universal across all cultures, time periods, and walks-of-life. These books, in no particular order, best fit my definition of the best YA fiction books of all time. 

Five reasons why Tim Burton’s 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' is definitely a Halloween movie

After watching the film for the first time, I can’t tell where the confusion lies - it is clearly a Halloween movie, not a Christmas one.  After all, the title does read The Nightmare *Before* Christmas  

But first, let me take a selfie at SelfieWRLD Schaumburg

The moment I knew there was a museum dedicated to taking selfies with friends, I wanted to get a group of my own friends together and go to SelfieWRLD Schaumburg and make a day of it. Although I didn’t expect to make a trip to Chicago and back in a day, it was worth every twist in the plan—which included forgetting about the time change and spontaneously stopping at “The Bean” in Millenium Park. 

Artist of the month: Queen Bee

Queen Bee, also known as Ziyoou-vachi, utilizes bright colors, creative themes and costumes, octave changes, and diverse discography completely enraptured me. After first hearing some of their music, I decided to research more into who exactly this group is.

How would your favorite horror villains fare in a faceoff?

Who would beat who in a fight? Now you have the chance to help decide who would win in a fight in the metaphorical boxing ring of horror villians. This is a breakdown of all the statistics for the featured villians. Your votes directly relate to who moves on in the bracket.

Christian girl autumn turned grunge

One thing’s not quite the same this season—there’s no trace of infinity scarves, thigh high boots, or cream-colored sweaters. Have the days of “Christian Girl Autumn” finally been eclipsed? Why did it exist in the first place? And do darker days lie ahead?  

‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ isn't the origin of strong Asian protagonists

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was not predicted to be a box office hit in the wake of movies releasing simultaneously in theatres and onto streaming services. Furthermore, it features a lesser-known Marvel protagonist that had a lot of people doubting the movie’s potential. Despite this speculation, Shang-Chi was a smash hit. While this is incredibly encouraging given the film has a strong Asian protagonist and supporting cast, I can’t help but be a little irked by people acting as though this is a first for Asian representation in the form of a strong protagonist. Just because Liu as Shang-Chi is the first time you have noticed a strong Asian protagonist, it does not mean they haven’t been present in the film industry. 

Purdylicious Sweet Shoppe offers a wide variety of doughnut flavors

Carlie Boggs, Ball State junior computer information systems major, came across an advertisement on Facebook in January for a new doughnut shop opening in Yorktown, Indiana. When Boggs visited the shop to try its doughnuts, she said she was mesmerized by the food she had just bought.

‘Donda’ vs. ‘Certified Lover Boy’

Donda and Certified Lover Boy amassed a great deal of attention when they dropped—for these are two of the most prominent artists of our generation. Both albums came out within four days of each other, with Kanye West releasing Donda first. West and Drake have famously been in a feud for years, so it’s only fair to ask the question: Which album is better?

Artist of the Month: Alvaro Soler

It is National Hispanic Heritage Month and that means that the Spanish music on my playlists will be played nonstop to celebrate. The artist on the top of my playlists is Alvaro Soler. 

Looking Back on ‘The Last of Us Part II,’ One Year Later

Boutiques and Embroidery

When Ball State sophomore Emma Schneider launched her own fashion apparel company Reflections Boutique two years ago, she had a specific vision in mind — for people to look in the mirror and love the reflection they see, feeling confident from the inside out.  

Why ‘A Thief’s End’ is the Best ‘Uncharted’ Game

Staying sane with 'Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy'

One lesson I have learned from my six favorite teen dramas

‘Batman: Arkham’ games ranked (Console releases)

Big Monkey Fighting Radioactive Lizard: The good, the bad, and the disappointing