Arts-Entertainment

CULTURE

Romantasy books with yearning so exquisite they make you believe in true love

By Parker Green | 7 hours ago

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.

---

CULTURE

Kicking off the school year with culture: Events to look forward to

By Stella Powers | 6 days ago

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.

---

CULTURE

The ultimate guide to soundtracking your summer

By Elise Hanna | May 12, 2026

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.

---

CULTURE

Miami University theater department presents ‘Into the Woods’

By Layla Norris | May 11, 2026

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.

---

CULTURE

Blessed be the daughters of Cain: Newport packs MegaCorp Pavilion to experience the story of Ethel Cain live

By Sarah Kennel | May 10, 2026

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.

---

CULTURE

‘Bittersweet’: The hardships of Black students at Miami University

By Layla Norris | May 8, 2026

On Wednesday, April 29, people gathered in a Shideler Hall lecture room to watch “Bittersweet: Black College Life at a Predominately White Institution.”

---

CULTURE

How the birthplace of house music is shaping Miami University’s EDM scene

By Anthony Caprara | May 5, 2026

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.

---

CULTURE

Miami University’s Stage Left presents ‘Be More Chill’

By Layla Norris | May 1, 2026

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.

---

MAGAZINE

Reconnecting with scissors and glue sticks: A history of zines

By Ren Chaffee | April 28, 2026

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.”

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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).

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

CULTURE

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.”