Maybe I want to get a 4.0 GPA, or be more involved on campus, or meet new people — or maybe it’s all of the above. I meticulously plan my Google Calendar, join the GroupMe for a million different clubs and promise myself that this semester will be different.

But this kind of back-to-school productivity craze doesn’t set us up for success — it sets us up for burnout.

By mid-semester, the perfect routine I’ve created disappears. I start sleeping through those early morning alarms, skipping the gym and falling behind on my work. The tasks on my to-do list remain incomplete and the club meetings I swore I would attend get lost in the sea of my daily schedule. I end the semester exhausted and defeated, wondering why my goals were left unmet and what I can change for next semester.

And then the cycle begins anew.

As it turns out, this phenomenon is shared by many students. A study associated with the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania discusses the “fresh start effect,” a phenomenon in which events that separate the passage of time and represent the beginning of new cycles throughout each year are followed by increases in aspirational behavior.

This effect is why we set resolutions at the beginning of each calendar year and explains the productivity craze we see at the start of a new semester. These temporal landmarks present us with the opportunity to start fresh and work on our goals.

But it’s not just the resetting of the school calendar that tricks us into setting new goals. The season itself reinforces the illusion of a clean slate.

In an article featured on Verywell Mind, Dr. Ronit Levy stated, “As young kids, we learned that the fall is filled with new people, places, and opportunities. It’s when we got all of our new school supplies and were excited to dive into new activities. That association stays with us into adulthood.”

This, along with the approaching holidays and the changing weather and wardrobes, contributes substantially to the overall air of change and excitement the fall semester brings — the opportunities available to you feel endless, and there is so much to look forward to in the coming months.

Yet that very sense of possibility can also tempt students into overloading themselves from the start.

While the fall semester may seem like an exciting new start, its romanticization and the sudden productivity rush it brings can contribute to subsequent burnout when taken too far. A 2024 study from Journal of Affective Disorders Reports found significant associations between higher levels of overcommitment — or when people, often ambitious and seeking approval, excessively invest in activities — and increased burnout symptoms.

Simply put, when you are involved in too much, you put yourself on a fast track to burning out. When I start the semester by committing to a bunch of extracurriculars on top of my heavy class load and other responsibilities, I’m not setting myself up for success — I’m setting myself up to crash. What feels like ambition in September usually turns into exhaustion and disappointment by November when I spread myself too thin.

In a world where, according to a 2023 study by Zipdo, half of college students reported experiencing burnout symptoms and 70 percent felt overwhelmed by academic pressure, burnout has become increasingly normalized. And the romanticization of performative productivity, like the one at the start of a new semester, facilitates this culture. Students often wear their exhaustion as a badge of honor, bragging about how many all-nighters they’ve pulled and how many Red Bulls they’ve downed to showcase just how much they can accomplish in one semester.

However, this relentless ambition is not sustainable, and a study published in Front Public Health showed pushing at that pace only leads to exhaustion — and ironically, less productivity. By putting too much pressure on yourself to achieve high standards in a short period of time, you are actually further distancing yourself from that goal.

After repeating this exhausting cycle semester after semester, I realized something needed to change. That’s why I am entering this semester with a new mindset — I want to achieve balance rather than perfection to reach a more sustainable form of growth.

Instead of attending a million general interest meetings, I am picking one or two clubs that I can fully commit to. Instead of trying to explore all my different interests at once, I am tackling them one at a time. And instead of being afraid to miss out on all the opportunities available to me right now, I am focusing on fully reaping all the benefits of the few opportunities I can take advantage of.

Everyone says that college is the time to try new things and build yourself up, but that doesn’t mean it all needs to happen in a single semester. A sustainable pace may not feel as exciting as sprinting toward every opportunity, but it’s the surest way to turn ambition into lasting growth.

Danica Lyktey, a sophomore double-majoring in psychology and philosophy, politics and law, is a Pipe Dream Opinions intern. 

Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the Staff Editorial. 

This has not been an overnight change. Over the years, I’ve noticed that the stores that were once filled with bold crop tops and sequined miniskirts now sell racks of plain-colored long sleeves and matching sweatpants.

Maybe this shift was about growing up, or maybe people around me were aging into more modest wardrobes, taking on jobs and entering fields that require more professional garb. Maybe this is just the newest microtrend, a fleeting silhouette that will stick around only until a new flashy pattern or skimpy design takes the spotlight. And to be quite honest, this new mass rebrand was much more my style than the clothes these stores used to sell; throughout middle school and most of high school, the clothes sold at Garage were much too risqué for my taste. Now, it has become one of my favorite stores, supplying me with cute, comfy outfits that can be worn both in my philosophy class and on a night out with friends — pieces that aren’t just stylish, but practical and easy on my wallet.

Fashion changes all the time, so I never really paid attention to what these changes meant until my TikTok feed became flooded with influencers talking about “recession indicators.” Everything was being called an indicator of an incoming economic recession, from the more obvious signs, like limiting our spending, to more obscure signs, such as the type of clothing we wear and the appeal of modesty.

That’s when I started to do some research, and I discovered that TikTok didn’t have it all wrong, even if it did dramatize the situation just a tad. During recessions, fashion abandons much of its flamboyance and enters an era defined by plain and drab clothing.

As far back as the 1920s, people have been claiming they can predict the state of the economy based on fashion. In 1926, George Taylor, an economist, claimed that hemlines demonstrated to him the direction the economy was headed through his “Hemline Index” — the shorter they were, the better shape the economy was in. This theory is also backed up in history, with the Roaring 20s being known for their short flapper-style skirts and the Great Depression that followed bringing lengthened hemlines. Coincidence? Maybe not.

To me, the neutral, modest clothing we tend to gravitate toward in times of economic downturn is not merely a mirror of the economy — it is a survival tactic. And not just in a symbolic sense. This fashion shift doesn’t just reflect hard times. It actively encourages us to spend smarter, reduce waste and build a wardrobe that gives us a financial cushion when we need it most — all of which point to a more ethical consumer culture.

In an era defined by uncertainty about where the economy will head in the future and what that will mean for us as consumers, it only makes sense to start investing in clothes that will last through whatever hardships may come. By choosing to invest in neutral tones and modest silhouettes, we are creating versatility within our wardrobe. During the early 2010s, people were going to the club in business casual attire: peplum tops, blazers, slacks. The explanation for this? Given the recovering economy at that time, people were less willing to invest in different clothes for different occasions, instead repurposing their outfits from their workday into their going-out look.

This turn toward neutrality and practicality in times of recession is not just consumer-driven — it is embraced by the fashion world. Minimalism and quiet luxury, in which pieces are designed for longevity rather than quick trends, are being celebrated by designers and influencers alike. In fact, it seems like the more we move into uncertain economic times, the more the fashion industry is aligning with these values of simplicity, sustainability and enduring quality.

From capsule wardrobes championed by influencers to high-end designers focusing on investment pieces, this aesthetic shift reflects a larger societal desire for stability and resilience. So while consumers might be thinking about how to stretch their dollars, the fashion world is leaning into a message of timelessness, leading to broader embracement of this trend beyond just its financial upsides.

While a recession has not yet officially arrived, it is safe to assume that there is potential for one on the horizon. Consumers’ confidence in the economy is currently the lowest it has been in 12 years, there are high expectations for inflation to come and uncertainty looms over both business and trade outlooks — all economic indicators of a brewing recession. Whatever lies ahead, however, the fashion world is already responding — preparing us, consciously or not, financially or culturally, for harder times.

Recession-core is not all negative, however. With its encouragement of developing a wardrobe that serves a fundamental, practical purpose, this style also reduces impulse buying and, instead, encourages thoughtful purchases. This, too, makes sense when you think about it — if we think our finances are soon going to be in jeopardy, we are going to pay more attention to what we consume, only splurging on those items we truly need and are going to be most useful in our daily lives.

In the future, financial and economic literacy is going to be more important than ever, especially if and when the recession hits. Fashion reflects the times, and our current trends are reminding us to think before we buy, serving as a financial choice as much as an aesthetic one.

That’s the quiet upside to recession-core: It helps people curb impulsive spending, shop with intention and prepare for the unknown. Whether we realize it or not, this shift toward practical fashion might just be helping us preserve our savings. So just remember that the next time you choose a timeless blazer or a neutral maxi skirt instead of a flashy top or a miniskirt in your everyday wear, your wardrobe may be whispering something about your wallet.

Danica Lyktey is a freshman majoring in psychology and is a Pipe Dream Opinions intern. 

Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial.

“Beautiful Boy” (2018) 

Among the more accurate displays of drug addiction on screen is Felix Van Groeningen’s 2018 film “Beautiful Boy.” Based on a true story told through the bestselling memoir, “Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction,” the film follows Nic Sheff, played by Timothée Chalamet, as he struggles through a devastating addiction to methamphetamines. After experimenting with drugs, he goes through countless rehabilitation centers and relapses over and over again.

What makes this film unique is its focus on the impact Nic’s drug addiction has on his family. Instead of only representing how addiction impacts those suffering with it, the film shows just how difficult it can be to have an addict in the family, seen through the struggles of Nic’s dad David, played by Steve Carell. Faced with his son’s addiction, he constantly wonders why this has happened, pleading, “Have you seen my son? Have you seen my beautiful boy? Tell him I miss him.”

Though an emotionally grueling watch, “Beautiful Boy” is an impressively realistic depiction of struggles with addiction at a young age through the empathetic lens of a doting father.

“The Basketball Diaries” (1995) 

On the opposite side of the spectrum of the accuracy of addiction representation in film lies “The Basketball Diaries.” Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, this 1995 movie is based on Jim Carroll’s autobiographical novel of the same name. It follows Jim’s story as a high school basketball player who became addicted to heroin following the death of his best friend.

Viewers watch as Jim’s addiction gets him kicked off the basketball team, suspended from school and disowned by his mother, leading him and his friends to become homeless addicts who turn to crime to continue their drug use. Eventually, he goes to jail and finally gets clean.

Though this movie depicts the true story of Carroll’s struggles with addiction and it is largely praised for its portrayal of heroin depiction, upon deeper examination, “The Basketball Diaries” highly glamorizes addiction. There are many scenes of intense realism, with Jim going through extreme withdrawals and struggling heavily. However, even with incredibly raw and intense acting, DiCaprio never ceases to look glamorous, with only a few cuts and bruises across his face meant to paint him as an addict.

This is consistent throughout the entire film and makes the entire story less believable and ultimately, a less accurate depiction of addiction. Who would believe Jim is truly struggling as a homeless heroin addict if he looks perfectly groomed, without even a hair out of place?

“Permanent Midnight” (1998) 

Another realistic portrayal of addiction on screen can be seen in “Permanent Midnight,” starring Ben Stiller. Also based on a true story, the movie begins with Jerry Stahl, the film’s protagonist, completing a rehabilitation program. He impulsively quits his job at a drive-through restaurant to spend the night with an attractive customer, and soon, a series of flashbacks begins, detailing his life up to this point.

In the flashbacks, we see Jerry move to Los Angeles from New York City, already addicted to prescription drugs. He meets Nicky, another addict, and they quickly become friends. Nicky convinces Jerry to marry a woman he knows to help her get her green card, and in return, she gets Jerry a job on the writing staff of a popular comedy series. Jerry’s job goes well as he simultaneously juggles a heroin addiction until eventually, his drug habit causes him to lose his job.

He finds another job and attempts to get sober until he meets a drug dealer who gets him addicted to Dilaudid, causing another job loss and leading to Jerry losing his family. Jerry eventually gets arrested and loses custody of his daughter, which is where the flashbacks end — with Jerry returning to L.A. to try to repair his strained relationship with his wife and daughter.

The accuracy of this film comes from the incredibly realistic picture of Stahl as a “functioning addict” until his addiction causes his life to spiral out of control. His writing career initially thrived despite his rampant drug use, showing how looks can be deceiving — addiction comes in many forms. Just because someone appears put together doesn’t mean that they aren’t struggling behind closed doors, and it’s only a matter of time before they can no longer “manage” their addiction.

“Everything Must Go” (2010) 

In this 2010 film starring Will Ferrell lies another inaccurate depiction of addiction. This comedy-drama follows Nick, a salesman who is fired from his long-term job due to an incident with his alcoholism. Slashing his boss’s tires on his way out, he returns home to find that his wife has changed the locks, thrown all of his belongings across the lawn and left him a letter to say she is leaving him. He is completely cut off from his bank accounts, has his company car taken from him and is effectively left with nothing.

Nick slowly gets back on his feet throughout the movie, selling his things for money and making friendly connections with his neighbors. Eventually, Nick discovers that the incident that led to him losing his job was likely just a misunderstanding, and had he not acted out the way he did in the aftermath, he would have his job back — convincing him to give up alcohol for good.

As we see Nick get sober throughout the film, however, the realities of alcoholism are almost completely omitted. We frequently see Ferrell swigging beer and mourning all he has lost, but even throughout the process of sobering up, we never see Nick experience physical symptoms of alcohol addiction. Withdrawal from long-term alcohol abuse can be extremely painful and even life-threatening, but we never see Nick’s character fully confront this side of alcoholism.

While the reality of withdrawal is perhaps beyond the scope of a more comical movie, the misrepresentation of the process of getting clean from alcohol makes this film an extremely inaccurate picture of addiction.

“Requiem for a Dream” (2000) 

Finally, Darren Aronofsky’s 2000 psychological drama film “Requiem for a Dream” offers a more accurate and terrifying depiction of addiction. This movie tells the story of Harry, his girlfriend, his best friend and his mother on their separate journeys with drug addiction. Though they all start out with high hopes and dreams for their futures, their dependence on drugs leads each of them astray — experiencing hallucinations and delusions, going through intense withdrawal symptoms, getting involved in criminal activity and straining their relationships with one another.

Throughout the film, the lives of these characters continue to fall until at the end, they are left to grapple with the lives they lost to their addictions. Their imaginations as their only source of comfort, picturing a world where everything went​​ right for them.

While a very intense watch — one, perhaps, that you may watch once and never again — ”Requiem for a Dream” is a scarily accurate picture of what addiction can lead to for four different people, leaving viewers questioning human nature and why these characters chose to do what they did.

These are only four of the many films that address drug addiction. A quick Google search will give you laundry lists of movies with portrayals of addiction. However, it is crucial to examine each film with a critical lens and remember that not every depiction of addiction on screen is an accurate or realistic one.

The documentary follows Ruby Franke, the matriarch behind the former “8 Passengers” family vlogging YouTube channel. Founded in 2015, the channel reached around 2.5 million subscribers at its peak (2) and became the family’s primary source of income. Fans followed this “perfect” Mormon family of six children, getting parenting tips and a glimpse into their lives. However, as the documentary reveals, the reality behind the camera was far from perfect.

The first red flag appeared in 2020 when Ruby posted a video revealing that her eldest son had been forced to sleep on a beanbag for seven months after his “bedroom privileges” had been revoked. Despite swift backlash, the family continued to post content. The documentary follows the gradual downfall of the channel as more and more instances of overly harsh punishment, poor treatment and emotional manipulation of the children — sending their son to a wilderness camp, taking Christmas presents away from the two youngest children and more — were seen by their subscribers.

The real turning point came in 2023 when Ruby Franke was arrested for child abuse alongside her family therapist Jodi Hildebrandt. Two of the Franke children were found malnourished and showed signs of previously being tied up in what Ruby believed was an exorcism to rid them of “evil spirits.”

The oldest Franke child, Shari, was the first to question their family vlogging dynamic, realizing they operated more like a business than a family. Ruby, the de facto “CEO,” focused solely on monetization. Shari has spoken out about how her mother offered her monetized incentives to participate in videos: “It was like a business. She was the CEO and I was the employee.” However, this business model did not always entail positive interactions. On one occasion Ruby offered Shari $100 to be her “guinea pig” while promoting new eyebrow waxing strips. Ruby botched the procedure and the video went viral, but Ruby failed to pay Shari the money she was promised.

This incident highlights the risks of a business model built by the illusion of familial authenticity, treating family relationships as transactional and demonstrating that personal promises and responsibilities can be easily falsely conflated or overlooked.

Shari’s attempt to build her own YouTube channel was also affected by this blurred boundary between family and business. Despite Ruby’s initial refusal to help the channel grow, once it became profitable she moved in, taking 10 percent of Shari’s earnings for herself as “management fees.” This move demonstrates the exploitative side of the family business model, where a parent’s personal financial interests overshadow their parenting methods.

There is also a darker side of the business itself. Shari was often paid more for videos with sensitive topics, such as puberty, which garnered the most engagement. One video chronicled Shari and her younger sisters going bra shopping, a profoundly personal experience that did not need to be shared with the world.

At the heart of the issue, Shari realized that neither she nor her siblings were old enough or informed enough to fully consent to these videos. This exploitation underscores the ethical challenges of the family vlogger industry, where profit often trumps privacy.

Though the story of “8 Passengers” is an extreme case — likely fueled more by Ruby’s personal abusive tendencies than the channel itself — the ethical concerns surrounding family vlogging are widespread. In 2019, a Pew Research Center study found that videos featuring a young child “had on average three times as many views as videos that did not feature a young child,” contributing to the appeal of this industry. This presents a serious ethical dilemma: family vlogging profits off the personal lives of children who are often too young to give informed consent, all while subjecting them to invasive scrutiny and often harmful exploitation.

For years, children in family vlogs have been exploited because they fall into a legal gray area. The United States has protected child actors through child labor laws limiting their working hours, ensuring their education and protecting their earnings. However, children who appear in family vlogs lack such protection, allowing this exploitation to go unchecked. While the public is familiar with the longstanding issue of child stars being pushed to the brink by parents seeking fame and money — think the Sprouse brothers or Jennette McCurdy — family vlogging represents a new, unprecedented form of exploitation. Children are often coerced into performing for an audience without clear boundaries between private lives and public personas, limitlessly prolonging the workday and creating ethical issues beyond traditional child labor protections.

In August 2023, Illinois became the first state to enact legislation, forcing a reevaluation of how we treat minors in the digital age. Since then, states like Washington and California have looked into ways they can protect children of family vlogging. Shari has also become a massive advocate for the banning of family vlogging, arguing that there are no protections that can prevent it from becoming exploitative.

Though slow progress is being made. More influencers are opting to conceal their children’s identities online and legal protections are being proposed. But the work can’t stop there. As consumers, we must be vigilant about the media we engage with — especially when it involves children.

Watching “Devil in the Family” sparked not only a fascination with the documentary but deep questions about the ethics of consuming media generally. As someone who enjoys documentary-style content, I found myself questioning what forms of content are truly ethical. Just as true crime documentaries often exploit real people’s lives and traumas for entertainment, family vlogging raises similar ethical concerns. It forces us to examine the line between telling a story for public consumption and respecting the privacy and autonomy of those involved — particularly children, who may not fully understand the implications of their participation.

This brings us back to the core issue of family vlogging — what does ethical vlogging look like, and how can creators navigate the fine lines between entertainment and exploitation as well as public and private? Ethical vlogging means creating content that is transparent, responsible and considers the long-term impact on those featured. It also means ensuring that children have a voice in decisions about what is shared and that their well-being is prioritized over profit. As we continue consuming media, we must reflect on its ethical implications and hold creators accountable, ensuring their work doesn’t exploit vulnerable individuals for views or monetization.

Danica Lyktey is a freshman majoring in psychology and is a Pipe Dream Opinions intern. 

Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial. 

This line from “Dead Poets Society” is one of the most famous quotes from the 1989 film, and it encapsulates the humanities at their core. Robin Williams’ character, John Keating, speaks eloquently about the human need for beauty, love and passion — qualities that are the sunlight that nourishes the spirit and the breeze that lifts us above the mundane, allowing us to see the world as something more than a set of calculations. These are the things that make us feel alive.

As a humanities student, I often encounter the misconception that fields like mine are “easier” or “less practical” than STEM disciplines. My major is frequently ranked among the “most useless” college degrees along with the arts, philosophy and English. When people learn I’m studying psychology, the common assumption is that I’ll end up working as a barista, never reaching that Ph.D. Yet, my college experience has been far from easy, and sharing a dorm with two pre-med majors has proven to me that the demands of the humanities can be just as intense. While my roommates are in labs late at night or stressing over difficult chemistry exams, I’m reading dense philosophical texts or writing lengthy essays — tasks that would likely seem just as foreign to them as their labs and exams do to me.

This inherent difference in education styles also fosters a difference in abilities: Where STEM education builds a body of analytical students, studying the humanities focuses on communication, interpretation and cultural understanding — qualities that are different but just as important.

At a STEM-heavy school like Binghamton University, it’s not hard to recognize the importance of the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics. There’s no doubt that STEM fields are crucial to the functioning of our world — doctors, engineers and scientists are essential to solving global challenges — but that doesn’t mean we should dismiss the humanities, which are equally intellectually rigorous and vital. While a STEM professional might excel at solving complex equations, many of the world’s leading mathematicians would struggle to write the philosophical essays I frequently encounter in my studies and vice versa. These are different but important contributions to make to a well-rounded society.

As universities have faced budget cuts and declining enrollment in recent years, the humanities have been the first to suffer. In our own SUNY system, Potsdam announced plans to phase out several liberal arts programs in 2023 — dance, art history, music performance, theater and philosophy — due to financial constraints. This is part of a larger trend as institutions nationwide struggle to justify the expense of humanities programs in an increasingly market-driven educational system.

Beyond declining support for the humanities, students just aren’t choosing to go into the humanities as often. As the postgrad job market continues to get more competitive, it becomes increasingly difficult for students to imagine a high-paying job related to their liberal arts interests. Due to the higher-paying, more readily available nature of jobs in STEM fields, there is a rise in students choosing a STEM degree over what may be their passion for humanities. This has led to structural declines in students’ humanities studies, something that could be easily combatted if more people were willing to recognize the humanities as equally important to STEM disciplines and compensate humanities professionals accordingly.

The continuous institutional pushing of the humanities to the bottom of the educational totem pole threatens our society’s ability to evolve and solve real-world challenges. One of the major benefits of studying the humanities is gaining critical thinking skills and different literary and social perspectives. By studying history, we form a sense of continuity and identity with our past that can help us make informed decisions about our present and future while avoiding making the same mistakes. From geography and philosophy, we learn about other cultures and ways of life that would otherwise be unfamiliar to us, helping build empathy and understanding in our interconnected world. By studying the humanities, we are taught to question the world in an intersectional way, think for ourselves and make informed decisions.

The skills that the humanities can build are endless, developing empathetic, informed citizens who are knowledgeable in current events. To ignore the humanities is to contribute to the peril of advanced human society as we know it, leading to a world devoid of compassion and understanding. Still, the humanities continue to be neglected, especially in university settings.

Besides their necessity to form a well-educated populace, STEM simply does not exist without the humanities — at least, not well. Think of the necessity of ethics in animal testing, global theories of labor in engineering new cars or the history of race relations in surveillance technology. This inherent connection between STEM and the humanities reinforces the need to continue the study of the humanities, as both areas are necessary to sustain human life.

Ultimately, STEM and the humanities are not competing forces — they are intertwined and essential to one another. The world wouldn’t function without the knowledge of science and technology, but neither would it thrive without the empathy, critical thinking, cultural understanding and even the motivation to improve the world that the humanities provide. A society that neglects the humanities risks losing its intellectual and ethical compass. It’s time we recognize the value of the liberal arts — not as an easy path, but as a vital pursuit that shapes the future of our world.

Danica Lyktey is a freshman majoring in psychology. 

Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial. 

At just 21 years old, McRae has the trifecta of a pop star in her hands — singing, songwriting and performing, with intricate choreography and a stage presence that sets her apart from other pop stars of our time. McRae first stepped into the spotlight as a dancer, being named as a finalist on “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2016.

From there, McRae continued to gain traction with the release of her debut single, “One Day,” in 2017. She went on to release two EPs, the second of which — “TOO YOUNG TO BE SAD” — was the most streamed female EP of 2021 on Spotify. Her 2021 single “you broke me first” also went on to reach the 17th spot on the Billboard Top 100, all before the release of her first album — “i used to think i could fly” — released in 2022.

Since her debut album, McRae has continued to find success in the pop world, with hit songs like “greedy” finding worldwide acclaim, and her second studio album “THINK LATER” debuting within the top five of multiple countries’ charts.

The much-anticipated album opened with “Miss possessive” and “2 hands,” starting with a burst of energy and angst. The opening inspires a surge of confidence that McRae gives off, showcasing her growth as an artist and setting the tone for the rest of the album.

Despite the overarching dancey, pop-rock feeling of the album, “So Close To What” still features some dimension, with more mellow tracks and lyricism filled with emotion.

“Greenlight,” for example, fills the listener with a wistful feeling as McRae delves into the emotional complexities felt when moving on from a painful relationship. Two features — “bloodonmyhands (feat. Flo Milli)” and “I know love (feat. The Kid LAROI)” offer a nice change of pace in spots where the album begins to blend.

Though parts of the album sound flat, stand-out titles such as “It’s ok I’m ok,” which appeals to the fun, dancey nature of the album, and “Sports car,” which leans into a sultry and nostalgic sound, drive the album home. This solidifies its place in the modern pop world.

The album is reminiscent of artists from the early 2000s like Britney Spears and The Pussycat Dolls. That energy successfully shines through in many of the album’s tracks, and it is not hard to imagine some of these songs playing in a time of flip phones and low-rise jeans.

Overall, “So Close To What” is another huge step in McRae’s journey in the pop world. The pop-rock sound she demonstrates throughout the album fills the listener with a feeling of nostalgia for the music of the early 2000s that leaves you wanting more. Though the album is not perfect, it sets McRae up for some amazing growth as she continues to find her sound and place in the music industry.

Rating: 3.5/5 

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, many lovebirds may be wondering where to start when getting a heartfelt gift for their significant other. We took it upon ourselves to rank some of the top gifts to give and receive this season and hopefully provide some insight as to where to start.

6. Boxes of chocolate 

When you enter a store in February, you’ll be surrounded by the typical heart-shaped box filled with assorted chocolates. Brands like Russell Stover have capitalized on this celebration of love for years.

While this may be the go-to gift, it may not be the best choice. With flavors that may not be everyone’s cup of tea — strawberry creme — to the caramel chocolates guaranteed to leave your jaw aching, these boxes can miss the mark on so many levels. Unless you know that your significant other loves all of the flavors in these assorted boxes, it’s a safer bet to buy them some of their favorite candy instead.

5. Teddy bears 

Another quintessential Valentine’s Day gift is the teddy bear. Shelves are lined with bears and various other animals holding hearts that bear phrases such as “I love you” and “hugs and kisses.” However, many people have boatloads of stuffed animals from their childhood, and not to mention, they are not always animals that someone would want to display on their bed. While a teddy bear may provide a fleeting moment of joy, it will most likely end up discarded in a closet somewhere, which is why we advise against giving them as a Valentine’s Day gift.

4. Jewelry

Around this time of year, jewelry commercials are always floating around, leaving the “every kiss begins with Kay” jingle stuck in everyone’s heads. It is always nice to receive a pair of diamond earrings or a heart-shaped necklace.

However, jewelry is an expensive gift that many recipients may never even wear. By giving jewelry, you set a standard of expensive gifts for years to come, and on a day dedicated to showing your love for someone, the most expensive gift is not always the most heartfelt one. For this reason, despite the saying, “diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” we don’t believe jewelry is the best gift to receive on Valentine’s Day.

3. Flowers 

Taking the No. 3 spot on our gift ranking are flowers, a great and inexpensive way to show your love for someone. They don’t have to be roses — traditionally associated with Valentine’s Day — and instead can be made even more personable with your significant other’s favorite bouquets. Flowers are a great way to show your love in a way that provides decor and a fresh scent to your partner’s home and will constantly remind them of you.

2. Experiences 

There is nothing better than sharing a new experience with someone you love, whether going to a musical or a concert, going out to dinner or simply visiting a place you’ve been wanting to go to as a couple. A shared experience is always a great gift because it allows the gift-giver the ability to control the price of the gift. You can give your partner something as fancy as a nice steak dinner or simply take a trip to their favorite ice cream parlor down the road.

Whether expensive or inexpensive, giving the gift of an experience with your significant other is priceless, allowing you to simply enjoy each other’s company and making this our No. 2 pick for a Valentine’s Day gift.

1. Handmade or personalized gifts

Finally, our top Valentine’s Day gift is something handmade or personalized. This category is broad but can be tailored to best fit your partner. One visit to Etsy and you can buy anything from a custom watercolor portrait or photo flipbook to Funko Pop figurines.

Taking it one step further, you could make something for your partner, whether it be a photo collage, a cute knickknack or a “100 reasons why I love you” jar. Handmade or not, a personalized gift is something your significant other will cherish forever and is guaranteed to love, making it our top pick for Valentine’s Day gifts.

In the end, finding the perfect Valentine’s Day gift doesn’t have to be stressful, and should be catered to your partner and the things that make them happy. Whether you opt for a heartfelt personalized gift, a relaxing experience or something a little more extravagant, there’s no wrong choice when it comes to showing your love. Make this year unforgettable with something unique that speaks to your relationship.

But lately, I find myself mostly communicating digitally with my friends, and no matter how late we stay up texting or sending each other TikToks, I never close my eyes feeling that same sense of fulfillment as I do going to sleep after a late-night frozen yogurt run ending with hours of conversation in a parked car with those same people.

Since the 1990s, online communication has been on the rise, and in the last decade, we have seen a significant boom in its use. With the rise of messaging services and social media apps such as Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok that allow you to instantly send messages anytime and anywhere, it has never been easier to stay in touch. It is not hard to see the appeal of online communication — its ease, accessibility and efficiency. You can text someone on the other side of the world, receive news from other countries, and collaborate with other cultures at the touch of a finger in ways we have never been able to do before.

Although online communication has completely revolutionized the way we stay connected as a species, it doesn’t come without its consequences, many of which the majority of the population is unaware of. Gone are the days of mailing letters and talking over the phone. Even further lost is the art of face-to-face communication.

Communication is vital to human life, deeply rooted in our need for survival. We cannot thrive without interacting with our environment, including the people around us. As a species, we have always preferred collaborative living and the relationships we develop in all aspects of our lives significantly impact our well-being. As the saying goes, “To communicate is to be human.”

Throughout most of history, communication meant being in the presence of another person. It meant not only having deep, meaningful conversations verbally but also communicating through nonverbal cues like facial expressions, eye contact, tone of voice and body language. These face-to-face interactions have been shown to improve quality of life, which explains why I always feel happier after spending time with my loved ones.

In online communication, much of this depth is lost. Sure, thanks to the technological advancements in digital communication, I can text my best friend from 250 miles away while I’m at school, but that “LOL” I send does not carry the same weight as sharing that experience of laughing in person, or laughing at each other’s laugh, would.

American social psychologist Robert Kraut conducted a study on the psychological and social effects of internet use in the mid-’90s, right when digital communication was beginning to rise. The findings were sobering: “Greater use of the internet was associated with declines in participants’ communication with family members in the household, declines in the size of their social circle, and increases in depression and loneliness.”

The more that someone used the Internet to communicate, the less they interacted with those they cared about and those directly surrounding them in real life. Social disengagement, often a result of too much screen time, is also associated with poor quality of life and diminished physical and psychological health. In the digital sphere, a 2017 study further confirmed that the use of the Internet for interpersonal communication cannot replace face-to-face interactions for improving quality of life, especially among a disproportionate amount of young users.

The internet and our reliance on it has only expanded since Kraut’s time. A recent 2024 study found that over 63 percent of respondents prefer online communication over in-person conversations, indicating a significant shift toward digital interactions and a corresponding decline in face-to-face communication. The preference we have for online communication can hinder the development of crucial social and interpersonal skills, especially among developing individuals, like children, and redefine the place of in-depth relationships in our culture.

Children growing up in front of a screen are struggling to read the social and emotional cues associated with face-to-face interaction, an ability that is associated with many positive personal, social and academic outcomes and positive peer relationships. All this to say, if we continue to solely on the internet for the majority of our communication, we will lose the ability to communicate in person and foster positive relationships, skills that have long been necessary for our species to grow and thrive.

While these statistics may seem like a random list of data, they all point to one overarching conclusion: We are losing the art of face-to-face communication due to our reliance on digital interactions, leading to a detrimental impact on our relationships and overall well-being. It is crucial that we recognize the damage being done in replacing in-person communication with online interactions both on an individual and societal level. We must limit this substitution in our lives and encourage face-to-face interaction whenever possible, especially for developing children, before we face a generational loss of social skills and interpersonal depth. More deep frozen yogurt talks, fewer “LOL”s.

Danica Lyktey is a freshman majoring in psychology. 

Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial. 

Indeed, what is success? Is it those external achievements, like making top marks in school, or is it a more profound sense of fulfillment, like feeling like you’ve made a difference in the world? Is success measurable, or is it more of a philosophical concept, unable to be quantified?

Everyone views success differently. While my idea of success centers around being a high-achieving student, others my age may feel most successful in different situations. My first step to success after high school was going off to college and seeking higher education, but to someone else, it might have been enlisting in the military or entering a trade. Everyone is on a different path, making a universal definition of success difficult to find. Merriam-Webster defines success as a “favorable or desired outcome, also: the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence.” This definition opens up the word to different applications by different people, as the most favorable outcome for you may not be the most favorable outcome for me, and vice versa. Culturally, socially and personally, everyone will have different “favorable” and “desirable” outcomes, leaving the definition of success open for everyone, ironically preventing the universal, concrete application of a definition. In my life, making a difference is the most desirable outcome.

However, in a world bombarded by media, this definition will be skewed, making it ever more critical for individuals to formulate their own unique independent definition of success. You can open up Instagram anytime and see a flood of acquaintances going on extravagant vacations and buying expensive items — they may seem highly successful, being able to live so lavishly, and this can make you want to work toward similar things and feel unsuccessful unless you can afford that Rolex or trip to Bora Bora.

In a media-obsessed society, we continue to buy material items to impress those around us, leaving us constantly looking for more. While those things can bring you immediate pleasure, they can never fill the void inside that being genuinely successful can, leaving you with a lack of long-term, lasting pleasure. While material items can make you happy at the moment when you reflect on your life, what you bought is not going to be what’s most important to you — what you’ve accomplished will be. Confirmed in a report in the Association for Psychological Science — “Simply having a bunch of things is not the key to happiness.”

Studies show that true happiness and fulfillment often come from deeper sources. In a Harvard Grant study, researchers followed the same group of men for almost 80 years to try to uncover what leads to a happier life. The results? “Close relationships, more than money or fame, are what keep people happy throughout their lives. Those ties protect people from life’s discontents, help to delay mental and physical decline, and are better predictors of long and happy lives than social class, IQ, or even genes.” It’s important to mention that money and social class still play a role in the maintenance of close relationships as they influence the ability to spend time with family and friends, for example during the holidays instead of at work. Nevertheless, it cannot be said that wealth alone is enough. The more external, material definition of success is inadequate — you will never be happy if all you aim for is possessing material items to show your success. Instead, finding a solid group of friends, forming close family bonds or kindling a romantic relationship have further influence on your overall happiness.

Ultimately, I’ve come to believe that success isn’t about external markers like grades or accolades. While these markers can serve as helpful milestones, they should never be the sole definition of success. The internal fulfillment gives them true meaning — living a life that aligns, and at the end of the day, I care about test scores or class rank because they are milestones toward a bigger goal — making a difference in the world. I will never truly feel the emptiness inside me filled until I make a meaningful impact — a sense of purpose that grades or accolades can’t quantify. Yet, without those smaller milestones, I would never feel like I’ve accomplished anything or that I’ve made strides toward success, and I may never be able to quantify how “meaningful” my impact on the world is. As long as I’m alive I will continue working to make a difference, making it difficult to ever feel accomplished, so those smaller milestones are necessary not to quantify my success, but to show that I am making progress toward my goals. In using these external markers only sparingly, I ensure I am on the right track and I am motivated for the overarching goal.

As stated by Jennefer Witter, “More authentic action, understanding, education, and equal opportunities for everyone is a definition of success that I choose to live by.” To me, this is what it means to make a difference in the world around us, which is the core of my personal definition of success. In my life, I plan to take the pressure to reach those external achievements off of myself and focus mainly on internal gratification, and I urge you all to do the same. Success shouldn’t be about checking boxes or seeking validation from others — it’s about the relationships we build, our impact and the peace we feel with ourselves. As we navigate our paths, let’s redefine success on our own terms and prioritize what truly brings us fulfillment.

Danica Lyktey is a freshman majoring in psychology. 

Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial. 

Directed by Jon M. Chu — who is most notably known for directing “Crazy Rich Asians” and “In The Heights,” the film’s star-studded cast includes actress and pop star Ariana Grande and actress Cynthia Erivo as Glinda and Elphaba, respectively. A beloved musical, the bar was set high for a movie adaptation.

“Wicked” (2024) is an immersive experience of the stage show, with detailed set design that will surely leave you stunned. The colors are more muted than vibrant to replicate real life rather than make it feel plastic, and the utilization of physical sets in addition to CGI further adds a sense of realism to the film, as if you can visit the dancing streets of Oz or walk the halls of Shiz University.

The subtle, princess-like makeup Glinda wears and the blending of modern and fairytale elements of the character’s costumes take the whimsical world of Oz as seen in “The Wizard of Oz” and the “Wicked” stage show and make the audience feel more connected with it.

With powerhouse vocals and passionate actors, the audience begins to resonate with the characters’ emotions, feeling upset for Elphaba when she is mocked by her peers and overjoyed when she and Glinda begin to form a true friendship. Furthermore, the ability to utilize close-up shots of the actors — impossible when watching a Broadway show — allows the audience to connect with the characters.

The movie follows Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, as she grows up and begins her first year of college. The audience gets an insight into the harsh bullying Elphaba received for her green skin and the magic she can produce when her emotions get the better of her.

At Shiz University, Elphaba meets Glinda, and though they start as enemies with an entire dance number to showcase their loathing of one another, they eventually become friends. Elphaba begins to develop her sorceress powers under the supervision of Madame Morrible, the headmistress and becomes passionate about helping the animals of Oz, who are being caged and prevented from speaking. Eventually, Elphaba receives an invitation to see the Wizard, whom she’d dreamed of having granted her heart’s desire all her life, and brings Glinda along.

When they get there, Elphaba is overjoyed, and instead of wishing not to be green, as she had planned her whole life, she wishes for the animals to be protected. This is when Elphaba’s view of the Wizard begins to crumble. She realizes that he is not as powerful as he is made out to be when she sees that he is unable to cast a spell from the Grimmerie — his famous book of spells.

When Elphaba finds that she can read the Grimmerie and casts a spell for the Wizard to create flying monkeys, he states that they will be used as spies over Oz. This reveals to Elphaba that he planned to have her capture the animals for him because he is unable to produce magic.

Staying true to herself, Elphaba runs away as a fugitive to all of Oz. She asks Glinda to join her and she refuses, marking the beginning of their going separate ways. The movie ends with the famous “Defying Gravity” scene.

As the movie develops, the dynamic between Elphaba and Glinda is encapsulated through Erivo and Grande’s performance — highlighting the balance between Elphaba’s reserved, quiet self and Glinda’s boisterous, outgoing self. Their voices are incredible, bringing a more modern feel to the score of the musical. From the more reserved, solo ballads like “The Wizard and I,” to big song and dance numbers like “What Is This Feeling?” and “Dancing Through Life,” the musical numbers and distinct voices of the cast give the movie a sense of originality, without straying from the structure of the Broadway musical.

With the whimsical instrumentation contributing to the fairytale theme of “Wicked,” in combination with powerful vocals from Erivo and Grande throughout the movie, “Wicked” does a very good job at evoking emotional responses from its audience, something that movie adaptations of musicals don’t always do well.

Though the film is a bit lengthy with part one coming to a close at two hours and forty minutes — longer than the entire Broadway show — it allows the film to dive into the depth of the witches’ relationship and experiences.

With the movie staying true to the musical in its major plot points, the time difference comes from an expansion of the characters, fully delving into their relationships and backstories in ways the show doesn’t. With its pure artistry, the first part of the “Wicked” film adaptation leaves fans eagerly awaiting part two, where we will see the rest of Elphaba’s descent into the wickedness displayed in “The Wizard of Oz.”

Rating: 4.8/5 

The event was open to the public and included a guided poetry workshop with two writers, followed by an open mic and reception where community members were invited to share their own poetry and short prose.

“The Binghamton Writers Project was formerly the Binghamton Poetry Project, established twelve years ago by former Ph.D. student, Nicole Santalucia,” Tina Chang, the director of creative writing and an English professor at BU, wrote in an email. “This event was created to celebrate the Project’s over decade-long commitment to the Binghamton community and to offer recognition to its work to foster creativity, understanding, and connection.”

The event started with a poetry workshop led by Sam Corradetti, a second-year Ph.D. student studying English, and Matthew Midgett, a third-year Ph.D. student studying English. The workshop focused on ekphrasis poetry — a type of poetry that focuses on the description of art.

“You can be imagining yourself as part of the narrative,” Midgett said. “You can be adding onto the narrative that you’re seeing there. It’s just making an attempt to build some sort of relationship with your own words and another piece of art.”

The workshop began with an audience examination of “Nighthawks,” a painting by Edward Hopper. Then, an ekphrastic poem based on this painting titled, “A Midnight Diner by Edward Hopper” by David Ray, was read.

This allowed the audience to compare interpretations and examine the freedom this form of poetry allows before writing their ekphrastic poems based on public art in Binghamton. Photographs of four art pieces — two murals and two sculptures — located in Downtown Binghamton were shown for audience members to practice their ekphrasis.

The second phase of the event — the open mic and reception, was hosted by Jordan Franklin, a third-year Ph.D. student studying English, who has previous experience as an emcee.

Attendees were invited to share works of poetry and short prose, including what was written in the workshop, written before the event or works of other writers that they wanted to share. Finally, the event ended with a book raffle.

“What makes all Binghamton Writers Project events unique is the way they cross-pollinate the off-campus and on-campus writing communities,” Jen DeGregorio, the associate director of creative writing, wrote in an email. “So often universities are silos, never managing to authentically engage with the residents of surrounding cities and towns. But BWP, originally the Binghamton Poetry Project, was envisioned to create a bridge between the graduate-student writers studying at Binghamton University and the writers living in Binghamton and the surrounding region by offering opportunities to work together in a formal writing practice and to gather for sharing creative work.”

However, this event was different from the usual events hosted by the Writers Project, as it was announced that it was the last event before the group will take a hiatus for the spring semester. The project plans to use next semester to discuss new writing initiatives to bring to BU students and community members and, hopefully, return stronger than ever next fall.

Though the Writers Project may not be active next semester, it does not mean the community it fostered has to disappear. The event ended with Franklin encouraging attendees to connect and form groups to continue to share work and build creative writing skills.

“I hope attendees will feel inspired and see themselves as part of a larger community of writers living in and around Binghamton,” DeGregorio wrote. “I hope they went home feeling empowered and excited to keep writing and sharing their work with others. They should know that their voices matter.”

Climate change poses an existential threat to Earth, caused in part by the extreme emission of greenhouse gasses and the burning of fossil fuels since industrialization. The consequences have the potential to be fatal. With the Climate Clock displayed in New York City showing that we have less than five years before the effects of climate change are irreversible, it is important more now than ever that we as humans come together to make a change. So what’s stopping us? The answer — optimism.

Humans have an innate tendency to be optimistic or pessimistic in most situations. The typical glass-half-full, glass-half-empty debate is simply an aspect of human nature. Optimism defined more specifically is the “ability and willingness to observe the entire inner landscape of thoughts, feelings, and perceptions (whether judged as positively or negatively), and choosing the perspective and subsequent action that maximizes one’s well-being.” Personal well-being extends beyond emotional health as optimists generally tend to be physically and mentally healthier than their pessimistic counterparts, with more robust immune systems and a strong work ethic and resilience. There is no doubt that optimism generally tends to have merit.

However, when it comes to climate optimism, optimism is questionable. While the individual may still experience beneficial personal outcomes from holding a positive attitude, the environment suffers as a result. In a study published in 2015, David Jiménez-Castillo and José Manuel Ortega-Egea evaluated the effects of optimism bias, the tendency to overestimate the likelihood of positive events and underestimate the likelihood of adverse events, on environmental activism. They found that for people who primarily receive their news through TV, documentaries, interviews and radio, optimism bias moderates the effects, leading to less climate activism. This shows the negative implications of optimism on climate change — people are less likely to fight for change if they are overly optimistic about the environment’s future. Optimism lulls people into complacency, providing a false sense of comfort.

We have increasingly seen discourse in the media about how we shouldn’t worry about the climate and the amount of progress we have made in the right direction. While it is not inherently bad to recognize the positive strides we have made in combating climate change, climate optimism creates tension between hopefulness and urgency, and we do not have any time to waste. A typical climate optimist may say something along the lines of, “To date, 126 parties have ratified the Paris Agreement. Change is already underway.” Statements like these reflect how we entrust the work of bettering our climatic conditions to others. However, if everyone holds this “optimism” that others will do the work for them — especially elected officials — nothing gets done. This also demonstrates optimism as a privilege, as those whose lives are uprooted by massive floods, fires and hurricanes, among other mass climate catastrophes, cannot simply look the other way, hope and wait for something to get better.

This optimism, however, may not be due solely to people not caring about climate change. According to University of New South Wales Professor Ben Newell, “if people perceive climate change as psychologically distant from themselves, they could construe it in more abstract terms, potentially impeding action if the threat is perceived as less real, tangible or relevant.” When people place a mental distance between themselves and a problem, it can also be a sort of coping mechanism, a way to deal with the shock and anxiety felt about a situation. When it comes to climate change, when that distance is placed, it allows the person to remain hopeful about the state of the climate, even if nothing is being done to help it. Nevertheless, optimism about the state of the climate creates a society of people who are entirely okay with going on about their lives normally, even though we are in a desperate time crunch.

According to Brian Kateman, a food and environmental journalist, it is too soon, in reality, to feel optimistic about the many problems we have yet to solve. “We haven’t yet figured out how to support the population we currently have, on the planet we currently inhabit, without causing irreparable damage to our environment” and “the ‘stakes are very real,’” Kateman stated. Additionally, Liza Featherstone, another journalist, noted that optimism can look suspiciously like greenwashing, which is when a company misleads the public into thinking its products are environmentally sound. Featherstone went on to state that there should always be room for grief and anxiety in climate discourse — it does not need to be all positive or all negative.

This is especially important to keep in mind surrounding the recent presidential election. President-elect Donald Trump has never made environmental protections the priority of his administration — something that is gravely concerning considering that the coming four-year term of his presidency is the last before the climate clock predicts the damage we have done to our environment will be irreversible. Notably, Trump recently announced his pick of Lee Zeldin as the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Zeldin, a former Republican congressman who represented Long Island and an avid Trump supporter, made no moves to support environmental protections during his time in Congress and voted against environmental bills 85 percent of the time. In 2022 alone, Zeldin “favored an amendment that would have cut the EPA’s budget, voted for pulling the [United States] out of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and opted against investment in conservation and restoration of America’s wildlife.”

In a statement on his selection of Zeldin, Trump said, “He will set new standards on environmental review and maintenance, that will allow the United States to grow in a healthy and well-structured way.” However, the United States might not have the time to grow. Even if worldwide efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change continue, with or without U.S. involvement, the United States is still the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases on the planet — no substantial progress can be made without U.S. participation. Optimism about the climate, especially by the American people and leaders, can stall worldwide climate protection efforts, even if the rest of the world is working to prevent climate disasters. Immediate action is needed, and the complacency of the people and the government alike in thinking that everything will work out in the future will destroy our environment once and for all.

While it is okay to have hope for the future, we must not let optimism blind us from reality. Climate change is an urgent matter and, without a bit of fear and gravity, nothing will ever get done to mitigate humans’ disastrous effects on the natural world. We need to collect and organize, reject complacency and call for action from our governments and big businesses to do something to protect our climate. If not, the next generations may not have a livable planet.

Danica Lyktey is a freshman majoring in psychology. 

Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial.

I, too, am an enjoyer of popular crime media. I have watched every season of “Criminal Minds” and enjoy listening to the “Crime Junkie” podcast from time to time. However, after reading an article about the experiences of a Parkland survivor, I’m beginning to question the ethicality of certain types of true crime media.

Anthony Borges, the most severely injured survivor of the Parkland shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018, won exclusive rights to the shooter’s name in a monumental lawsuit settlement in June. Borges has since agreed to share these rights with other survivors of the Parkland shooting and victims’ families. This means the shooter cannot give any interviews, participate in any media appearances or cooperate with any movies, books, TV shows and other productions without their permission. While this may seem strange to some, Borges and his attorney have a well-hashed-out reason for this unique settlement — they want the story to be told by the victims, not by the shooter: “Anthony doesn’t want to walk in his house one day and see a Netflix special that (the gunman) was talking about his thoughts on what he did. This was a way we could shut it down. Anthony ultimately has control.”

In recent years, Netflix and other streaming platforms have increasingly given people their true crime fix with series and films retelling the stories of famous killers and popular actors portraying them. In 2022, Netflix released a biographical crime drama, “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” in which “American Horror Story” star Evan Peters portrayed Dahmer throughout his life and criminal career. Though perhaps meant to be of informative value and to give the public the true crime stories they itch for, this release, along with others of a similar nature, is extremely harmful in several ways. For example, they glorify these killers with storylines that seem to try to justify their actions and by casting famous, good-looking actors to draw in views. Additionally, they force victims’ families to painfully relive the loss of their loved ones, sometimes without any forewarning.

Peters explicitly told creator Ryan Murphy that his one rule going into the series was that it was never to be told from Dahmer’s point of view. While “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” may have aimed to avoid controversy, unlike others of its type, its focus on victims is still problematic in a number of ways, namely, the crimes of Dahmer are gruesomely recreated and the experiences during Dahmer’s reign of terror are dramatized. The family members of some of Dahmer’s victims have even spoken out against the show. Rita Isbell’s brother was tragically murdered at the age of 19 by Dahmer. She gave an emotional victim impact statement during sentencing, and that moment is recreated in the “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.” While watching the show, Isbell was shocked when her name flashed up on the screen, and an actress who looked eerily like her appeared. The worst part? She was never contacted by Netflix. Isbell was given no warning that her name, likeness and exact speech would be used in this show, and she was left to relive this traumatizing moment of her life all over again. Imagine one of the most vulnerable moments of your life being recreated on a big screen for millions to watch, with the creators and actors making a hefty profit and not even being given a heads-up.

Beyond just the horror of reliving the worst moments of their lives, victims’ families have to face another terrible reality that comes with such true crime biopics — the glorification of their family member’s killers. With sensationalized storylines fit for dramatic television and actors known for their looks, these shows and films give way to fanatics obsessed with these killers. Around the release of the Dahmer series, one could open TikTok and find uncomfortable fan edits of Peters’ portrayal that sexualized and fetishized Dahmer. Some viewers engaged so much with the show that they became completely obsessed — so fascinated with the character’s portrayal that they began to overlook all the horrible things this criminal did. Actions such as these put killers on a pedestal, give them the fame they so desired, even after death, and once more take the power away from the victims and their families and place it into the hands of the killers.

In contrast, some true crime media can provide great benefits and present cases in a new light, such as in cases of those wrongly accused or otherwise mistreated by the criminal justice system. Just recently, Netflix released the second season of Murphy’s anthology series “Monster,” titled “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” as well as a documentary titled “The Menendez Brothers,” both of which told the story of two brothers convicted of killing their parents in 1989. The brothers pleaded self-defense due to the sexual abuse they endured from their father. While their stories originally did not affect the court’s decision, some 30 years later, the case is now being reexamined with new critical pieces of evidence supporting the brother’s claims and, potentially, the growing interest in the brothers from the new documentary and biographical drama series. However, the Menendez family can still face negative effects from the documentary, dealing with increased media presence in their everyday lives over something that happened over 30 years ago. This makes the line between problematic and beneficial in true crime media extremely thin and difficult to draw.

Upon further reflection, it becomes much less difficult to see why victims of heinous crimes, such as Borges, may desire that seemingly strange right to their perpetrator’s names — they don’t want what happened with the Dahmer biopic to happen to them. The victims deserve power over the people who did horrific things to them and to reclaim their stories and such true crime media places that power right back in the criminal’s hands, as it was when they were committing their crimes. It is also important to continue examining how we portray true crime media and their place in culture to the public today, not just the portrayal of criminals. Victims and their loved ones don’t deserve to relive the worst moments of their lives, and no criminal deserves to be given glory for their crimes. After hearing these stories, I am going to begin to be more conscious of the true crime media I consume and ensure that I only support those forms that deliberately prioritize the victims over the killer, and I urge you to do the same.

Danica Lyktey is a freshman majoring in psychology. 

Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the Staff Editorial. 

Pixies, an alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, released their ninth studio album, “The Night the Zombies Came.” This album comes just in time for Halloween, reflecting the horror theme that it encompasses.

The band was formed in 1986 by Black Francis, Joey Santiago, Kim Deal and David Lovering. The band’s newest addition, bassist and vocalist Emma Richardson, just joined earlier this year after the departure of longtime member Paz Lenchantin. Pixies originally rose to fame in Europe, achieving more recognition there than in the United States, and are most associated with the alternative rock boom of the 1990s. Though the band has broken up in the past, they achieved great success on their reunion tour in 2004 and continue to make music together.

The album’s first single, “You’re So Impatient” was released back in June 2024, preceding the full release this October. The album is one of fluidity and a sense of strangeness that is cohesive with its title. Many of the tracks also contain an anxious pacing, contributing further to its spooky theme.

The album’s titular track, “Jane (The Night the Zombies Came),” is the perfect song to encompass the album’s vibe. The vocals throughout the chorus are very bass-oriented, which combined with the background drums that seem to resemble a heart beating and the singing that almost feels off-beat, creates a perfect landscape for an anxiety-inducing horror anthem.

As you listen to the album, you continue to hear more songs with these same types of elements of horror. Titles like “I Hear You Mary” contain lyrics such as “No, nevermore to roam / Sweet flesh is on the bone,” which when added on top of the instrumentation and pacing of the song, perfectly create an eerie feeling for the listener. There are also more upbeat, quintessential alternative rock-sounding songs such as “Oyster Beds” and “Johnny Good Man” featured on the album, further establishing Pixies’ place in alternative rock history.

One track, “Mercy Me,” takes on a completely different vibe from the rest of the album. It has a more slow and reserved sound. This provides a sonic break to the listener from the more rock-ish, spooky sounds heard throughout the album.

However, when listening to the album sequentially, it almost feels as though “Mercy Me” disrupts the album’s flow, forcing the listener to go from constantly upbeat at the beginning to one track that is more slow-natured, before going back to the upbeat sound for the rest of the album. While a very unique and subjectively good song, and also a much-appreciated break from the almost repetitive sounds of the rest of the album, “Mercy Me” just doesn’t seem to work in the landscape of the album as a whole.

Overall, “The Night the Zombies Came” is a very cool listen, even for those not typically into rock music. It represents the Pixies being able to still create music that is relevant even 38 years after their inception. This a perfect album for just around Halloween time, with its eerie sounds and lyrics situating it perfectly within this time of year.

Rating: 3/5 

Idolizing celebrities can be normal to an extent. One might dress in a style similar to their favorite actor or musician, allowing them to explore their outlets and how they express themselves. Many people can relate to having a celebrity crush growing up, and maybe you were a “Directioner” or a “Belieber.” Perhaps you would currently call yourself a “Swiftie,” simply naming yourself as an enjoyer of the music of superstar Taylor Swift. Being a celebrity’s fan is not in and of itself a danger.

However, while enjoying celebrity culture in such ways can be harmless, there are alarming instances, as people begin to devote their whole being to their favorite celebrity, in which it becomes detrimental. People may get cosmetic surgery to look like their favorite celebrity or purchase an out-of-budget purse because they saw their favorite celebrity wearing it. These extreme instances pose tremendous danger to the sense of individuality and sense of self that is so cherished in modern society, and social media plays a critical role in this trend.

Dr. Eric Hollander, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and previous director of the Compulsive, Impulsive and Anxiety Disorders Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, notes that increasingly, fascination with celebrities is becoming a substitute for real-life, placing the focus more on the lives of the celebrity than their own — a shift that can lead to anxiety, depression and a decrease in self-esteem. Further, in a 2018 study, associations between celebrity worship and several mental health problems, such as previously mentioned depression and anxiety, dissociation and body image concerns, were confirmed. Unsurprisingly, the same study also found high levels of celebrity worship associated with problematic internet use.

The new phenomenon of constant access to the lives of celebrities through the internet has also led to the rise of Celebrity Worship Syndrome, which, as described by Newport Academy, is “​​an obsessive-addictive disorder in which an individual becomes excessively focused on the details of a celebrity, typically a TV, movie, or pop star.” This disorder exists on a continuum and, at the most extreme end, is seen as complete devotion to the celebrity of interest. A 2003 study by researchers Lynn E. McCutcheon and John Maltby showed as many as one-third of adult and adolescent participants scoring on the more extreme ends of the continuum, indicating a willingness to go as far as spending thousands of dollars to buy a small personal item used by their idol. Though this study is from the early 2000s, when tabloids describing the every move of celebrities were rampant, it is still relevant today as social media has taken on and exacerbated a similar scrutiny of celebrity lives.

Social media platforms, especially TikTok, significantly contribute to the rise of this problem. Celebrity use of TikTok is unique — it’s usually more laid back and less meticulously planned out than on other social media platforms, allowing an appearance of relatability. This relatability is dangerous — by making the celebrities of society seem more similar to the rest of the world or to the average person, it creates the illusion that their lifestyles are normal and attainable, even if they very much are not. Further, TikTok’s algorithm promotes content based on specific user interactions. This leads to the creation of echo chambers, enabling a constant stream of information about the same situation and people — even down to the most nitty-gritty of details — and further reinforcing and even encouraging this form of obsession.

Beyond individual consequences, celebrity worship poses broader implications for modern society. As more people blindly follow their idols and put them on a pedestal, society risks becoming celebrity-dominated, with only those prominent figures possessing individuality. Recent pop stars, such as Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, possess unique, strong personas and individual styles, revitalizing the pop industry. However, if celebrities such as these are being worshiped to the point of extreme imitation, what was once unique will become mainstream, stripping away individual expression from both the celebrity and the fan in favor of conformity.

In light of this, it is crucial to remember that we are each our own person beyond being a fan. This awareness is now particularly important in the midst of an election season as celebrities endorse candidates and voice their opinions. Fans must recognize that while the views of these celebrities may be unique and enlightening, they are not obligated to adopt the views of their idols, and that research must be done independently to form an opinion.

Ultimately, the influence of celebrity worship on individuality and mental health cannot be underestimated, especially in light of the pervasiveness of social media platforms. Every person needs to prioritize their individuality and their sense of self above being a superfan to preserve the integrity of a free, individualistic society. I encourage you to reflect on how your admiration for celebrities influences your sense of self and to consider ways to maintain your individuality in a celebrity-driven culture.

Danica Lyktey is a freshman majoring in psychology.

Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial.

Formed by childhood friends Tyler Glenn and Chris Allen, and eventually with the addition of Branden Campbell and Elaine Bradley, Neon Trees rose to fame with the release of their 2010 hit song “Animal,” featured on their debut album “Habits.” Since then, they have released four more albums, some standouts being “Everybody Talks” and “Sleeping with a Friend.”

The lead single “Favorite Daze” came out in June 2023, followed by “Losing Your Head” in September 2023 and three additional tracks in subsequent months, leaving fans with a taste of the album’s dancy pop. The album sets raw lyrics about the journey through adulthood to upbeat music, giving listeners a potent look at love and life in a modern world and the uneasiness that comes.

The album starts with a hopeful look at these anxieties of adulthood. With lyrics like “we’re way too young to give it up” on the opening track, “Favorite Daze,” the band pushes a narrative that perseverance is necessary to get through the rough patches in finding love. The majority of the tracks also feature high-energy drumming and guitar, giving an overall feeling of optimism, despite the potential troubles expressed in the lyrics.

The album also features some hard-hitting, less upbeat tracks as you dive further into it, such as “Acting.” Lyrics like “you can keep acting like you don’t care / and I’ll keep acting like I do, ooh” in “Acting” and “no one anticipated happy endings / there’s no room for chasing dreams” in “Leave” demonstrate the more moody side of the album, describing the lows that can be felt in the love scene in a modern society.

The album highlights the light and the dark in a modern world of living and loving. “Bad Dreams” shows escapism from the troubles felt by many today, with lyrics describing the bright “technicolor” images that can be seen in a dream world where you can be anyone or anything, possibly leading the dreamer to wish not to be awoken and brought back to reality.

Finally, the album leaves the listener with that aforementioned feeling of hope in the closing track “Losing My Head,” which brings back that earlier energetic beat and features lyrics of letting go and letting loose, despite all of the worries of the world.

Though the album itself varies sonically, with some songs more upbeat and some more slowed down and reserved, it can feel a bit repetitive, especially in the upbeat songs. This makes for an easy listen and a cohesive album but can also cause the listener to miss out on some of the deep and potentially relatable lyrics featured. If there was more sonic differentiation between the more optimistic tracks and the harder-hitting ones, it may allow the listener to fully soak in the depth and meaning of the lyrics. However, as it is now, it makes the lyrics blend together and be easily missed.

Overall, “Sink Your Teeth” is a very interesting listen, especially for those who lean toward alternative rock music. It features variety, ensuring there is something for everyone — whether you want to dance around in the living room with your friends on a Friday night or stare out a rainy window on a long car ride in deep reflection and thought.

Rating: 3.5/5

After further investigation into that lecture hall, you’ll find technology is not all is as it seems. While some students use technology to note-take, others are online shopping, playing The New York Times games or doing work for another class. There are AirPods hidden in ears throughout the classroom, playing loud music and drowning out the professor lecturing. Some of the highest-achieving students in the class use applications such as ChatGPT to write their papers and PhotoMath or Socratic to solve their math and science equations. Phones are propped up on computers as students around the room attempt to text and Snapchat their friends without incurring the potential wrath of the professor, who is left begging for their students’ attention as they lecture. Students are paying so much in tuition just to attend class and not put in any effort because technology is always there to do it for them.

Even if some of these technologies were created to change the world for the better, their applications are, unfortunately, not always consistent with that goal. Technologies that are supposed to help students gain knowledge in their relevant areas of study are doing just the opposite, fostering laziness and allowing students to get by without a full grasp of the concepts being taught. We are sacrificing future talent in our professions by over-utilizing technology — our future doctors and lawyers are playing Wordle instead of learning the information for their future practices — and restrictions are necessary to preserve the value of education in our society.

The problem with technology damaging our education is not unique to college students and reaches back to the use of technologies in primary schools. As Jenna Skanberg of the Titan Times writes, “often, it is observed that too much time spent on technology has undesirable effects on young children and teens, whose brains are still developing,” especially influencing severe social determinants. These technologies “lower children’s frequency of interacting with their peers. This makes it more difficult for them to pick up on social cues and develop meaningful relationships with others.” By decreasing social interactions, technology not only damages children’s mental and social development, but also their quality of learning in schools, where a social environment is necessary to foster intellectual growth.

This is analyzed in a study done by Northwestern College, which concluded that using technology in schools increases children’s screen time and children exposed to a high amount of screen time are at “a higher risk of experiencing adverse health effects as well as learning deficits.” This is a concerning trend as technology is completely unavoidable these days, and both using and not using technology in schools can set back a child significantly compared to their peers, requiring the development of a precise balance for the utilization of technology in schools.

The impact of technology on higher education can be seen on college campuses worldwide in both educators and students. Technology is changing at a rapid rate, and educators are having a hard time keeping up — educators feel pressured to incorporate technology into their lessons in order to provide students with the most “up-to-date” learning experience, according to the aforementioned study by Northwestern College. Waffa Qurbani, a faculty member at Ontario Tech University, writes about how technological usage in universities causes educators to focus more on the use of said technology in their lessons rather than the quality of their teaching material. For example, in a typical classroom, you will often see educators stopping lessons to connect their laptops to the projectors or fiddle with a YouTube video that won’t play on the projector, taking away from the time dedicated to learning and causing unnecessary stress for themselves.

Along with this comes the potential for increased mental health issues among students and the increased necessity of students to multitask when they have access to laptops and other technologies in the classroom that can easily distract them from the work at hand. In an extremely contradictory way, students are feeling overwhelming pressured to do more all the time with every assignment at their fingertips.

It is clear that the use of technology in education can often cause more harm than good, showcasing the need to find a balance in the use of technology in the classroom. If limits on the use of technology in education are not implemented, students’ quality of learning will continue to decrease until it reaches a point of no return. Technology has the capacity to do good for education when used in the right ways, and the only way to ensure that is to cut back on how often we use technology and what we use it for in learning environments. Without restrictions, technology will forever destroy education, not just in the sense of learning quality but in the value of personal intelligence and enlightenment in our world.

Danica Lyktey is a freshman majoring in psychology. 

Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial. 

Albert “Skip” Rizzo Ph.D. ‘91 presented his research on clinical virtual reality at the annual Stephen A. Lisman Lecture Series in Clinical Psychology on Friday.

Held annually in Binghamton University’s Anderson Center, the Lisman lecture in clinical psychology was established in 2015 to honor Stephen Lisman, a professor who devoted 43 years of service to BU and the field of clinical psychology. The series brings top clinical psychologists every year to enhance training and education through exposing faculty, students and the surrounding community to critical topics in the field.

Rizzo recently to present his findings as the director of the Medical Virtual Reality group at the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies and as a research professor at USC’s psychiatry department and Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.

He emphasized defining “virtual reality” as human-centric rather than techno-centric, highlighting the interactions between humans and computers. During the lecture, Rizzo discussed how virtual reality and artificial intelligence technologies can be utilized to help treat numerous psychological and physical conditions, from the rehabilitation of brain injury and stroke victims to pain management. Other conditions include post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

“I think the technology is really well-suited for the types of things that we want to do in clinical care,” Rizzo said. “We can build virtual environments that we can put people in that help them to confront their fears, confront their past trauma, can measure their performance in ways that might inform various clinical conditions, like children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.”

Rizzo defined the three “Is” central to virtual reality in clinical psychology — immersion, interactivity and imagination. He said using at least two of these “Is” is essential to establishing a successful clinical VR application. Rizzo described the five core processes that clinical virtual reality can perform — expose, distract, motivate, measure and engage — which can be applied to help treat or address a number of different issues.

Virtual reality was first introduced to clinics in 1994 for exposure therapy, particularly for treating phobias. In exposure therapy, the patient would be shown virtual situations reflecting their fear. It has been used to treat other cases of psychological and physical conditions with such exposure, along with the other core processes.

To conclude the lecture, Rizzo described clinical V.R.’s current applications. He showcased the Virtual Ukraine Project, which his team developed to help Ukrainian combat veterans recover from PTSD and provide social support to refugees and children living in combat areas. Finally, Rizzo highlighted the use of virtual humans — chatbots and human support agents — like the “Battle Buddy,” an A.I. “friend” that can help with suicide prevention and wellness for veterans.

“Right now, one of the primary goals, there’s two of them, but one of them is to do a better job of integrating A.I. into this approach to mental and physical health care,” Rizzo said. “To be able to use A.I. to not only build the content better but to build applications that people can talk to, and they can be understood by an A.I. in the body of a virtual human and perhaps make it so that in the future, everyone will have their own personal coach on their smartphone.”

Many interested in the field of clinical psychology attended this “brief review of the future,” including undergraduate and graduate students, professors and community members.

“My biggest takeaway was to not fear virtual reality and its use in clinical practice,” said Shea Daigler, a junior majoring in psychology. “Because I’ve always heard it could replace [traditional therapy] as a therapy option, and I was scared of that.”

Rizzo said many people hold onto the misconception that V.R. is a fad technology that could never become mainstream or replace interpersonal relationships found in therapy. Instead, he believes that V.R. and A.I. should be used as tools to leverage and enhance interpersonal relationships, improving therapeutic strategies and clinical processes.

While Rizzo said he recognizes the fears surrounding A.I.’s capabilities, we should not just turn a blind eye to it.

“It’s here, I don’t think it’s going to take over the world and I think there’s such a tremendous capability in this technology that it’s going to make our lives much better,” Rizzo said.