A Love Letter to Hometown Friends

Moving in and out of school can cause many emotions. The second you get adjusted to being at college, it’s time to go home for break, and then the second you get used to being home again, it’s time to go back to school. But there is also something beautiful about it. It’s like when I am at school, I don’t want to go back home because of all the fun I am having and love the people I am with, but when I go home I don’t want to go back to school because of how much fun I am having and love the people I am with. It shows how although they are two different parts of my life, I still love the two aspects. With all the changes that go on during the college years, one thing that has remained a constant has been my friends from home.

Many people dread coming home for a break in that there is nothing to do, they will be bored, or no one is free, but for me it is what you make of it. It may not be exciting in the sense of going out every weekend, talking to new guys, having the morning after debriefs in your friends dorm, or exploring New York City, but it is important to realize just because your routine looks different, you can still have fun and excitement in other ways. When I tell people how close I continue to be with my hometown friends and the fun I have at home they claim me to be someone who peaked in high school. I was never close to being popular, I don’t think most people even thought about me at school, but everything is what you make of it. Even without popularity I had a great time in high school. I look forward to coming home to reconnect with the people I have grown up with, old friends who have serious blackmail on me during my awkward phase in middle school to see how much we have grown through our

time together and how we have continued to grow together even when we have been miles apart.

I am lucky enough that I get to go home to a group of friends that I endlessly love. The nostalgia of texting in the group chat and asking who can drive tonight and fighting for the front seat. Walking the streets of our hometown at night back from a house party, the same house of the person that threw every weekend in high school and the same streets I used to walk home from in middle school. No one wanting to have people over at their house so we sit in the car and talk for hours about the last guy we were all talking to before we left college to get opinions on whether we think he will ghost us or not by the time we get back. The adrenalin of having a character from home ask to hang out, adding more to the plot that me and my friends have been debriefing for years. Even sometimes needing an outlet to let out the frustration of the people and environment at college. Having relatable conversations about the aspects of college that you do not always see or hear about while at school. It is relieving to know that your friends from home understand completely your experiences and how you feel even with them being so far from you.

And when we are not home, there is the feeling of something so exciting in your life happening at school that the first thing you need to do is text your home friends and figure out a time everyone can join a FaceTime call and unpack. Yes, we all do constantly complain that we are bored, but there is beauty in that. Our boredom pushes us to get creative but also reminds us of being grateful for the little things. I have a special appreciation for our stay-at home mom walks on the boardwalk at the beach while we gossip. The only thing missing is a stroller and a baby. I find it funny how for fun we will drive 40 minutes to walk around a random farm in the middle of winter, all the plants dead and no one else there or getting excited about finding a new plant nursery to discover in a different town.

Asking who wants to run errands just to have an excuse to hang out with each other even though all we are doing is running to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription or a container of milk someone's mom texted to get. Going on Apple Maps to find green spaces around us to unlock new areas for nature walks, ironically I have never explored more parts of Long Island than I have after leaving for college. Or going to Walmart to play Mario Kart because none of us have gotten a new gaming system since the original WII. Embarrassingly enough having a great time at our town's public library reading J-14 Magazines and taking quizzes on if your crush likes you back. Then there is blasting music with the windows down in 30 degree weather at the beach during the sunset. And even finding an indoor pool just to have something new to do. There is a special place in my heart for these wholesome, simple adventures. We laugh at ourselves for how different our days and nights look compared to what we did in high school and in college but there is also a new found appreciation for each other and our town. Our time together and our adventures is a healing break from the fast paced life of college in Manhattan.

A time to sit back surrounded by those who can always take a joke, down for something new, and understand you like no other.

Written by Adnie Serrao

Photography by Rose Miller

Talent: Anthony Fowlkes, Rachel Lucas

2014 Turns 10!!

The year 2014 was when the aesthetics and vibes became viral on social media. Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, and Vine made the year a monumental time to be alive. This popular yet gloomy style emerged, encouraging a frenzy of images with colt schemes and often heavily processed images that captured the depressing aspects of daily existence. Black and white blurry and overexposed photos brought back memories of vintage effects and sparked nostalgia. 

All this while we witnessed childhood stars transform into adults, scandals, timeless albums, peak dystopian media, celebrity marriages, terrible TV endings, and social media challenges. It makes me feel old coming to terms with the iconic year turning 10 years old. It was a year for pop culture. I wanted to highlight some of the events that took place in this historic year. Let’s revisit some events from the time capsule.

The famous selfie

This broke the internet and became the most liked Tweet and the time and for what? It’s just a bunch of celebrities taking a photo. Now it can be looked at as a cursed image. Brad and Angelina’s public divorce, the downfall of Ellen, Kevin Spacey being a no, and Jared Leto iykyk.😒 This will forever haunt the Academy Museum.

Pop Bible?

In November 2014, Swift released the album of all albums. Complete with faded Polaroid pictures, unrestrained colors, cherry lipstick, noir sunglasses, cool sweaters, dreamy nightgowns at the beach, and “boys and boys and girls and girls.” The music videos during this era were top-tier and they were whole films. Swift went on to dominate the year winning Album of the Year at the 2016 Grammys. This album was too perfect, almost like a wildest dream.

The mistreated album

Ariana Grande coming off the set of Nickelodeon’s Victorious blew up in the music scene with “Yours Truly” in 2013 and then her second studio album in 2014. Out of all 6 of her albums “My Everything” is her most underrated. The song “Just a Little Bit of  Your Heart” is my favorite and the strongest from this time. This incredible sophomore album does not get the same treatment as her other albums. Justice for this incredible body of work. 

Changed Lives

When the “Anaconda” music video came out it started a roar. Everyone from children to the elderly was either praising it or shutting it off. The way parents and teachers gave warnings about this video and thought it was the most vulgar thing ever lol. The video achieved over a billion views on YouTube and made Nicki the first female rap song to achieve this. The cultural impact this had needs to be added to textbooks across the nation. Nicki Minaj, the legend that you are.

Mother Convention 

“Bang Bang” features Jessie J, Nicki Minaj, and Ariana Grand as they joined forces and did what needed to be done. Create and insinuate cunt. This trio mixed so well and the performances that came with this song were everything. 

First things first…

It was everything. This Collab cured the nation. The song was already so fun but the music video with inspirations from Clueless was the cherry on top. We ate this up and licked the plate squeaky clean. 

Clap Along 

I think I speak for everyone when I say I can hear this photo. This song was inescapable. You could've just been throwing out the garbage and hear this from a car driving by. Till this day if I hear it immediate flashbacks invade me. It’s truly a trap and Pharrell was so iconic for that. 

Wig

From Dance Moms to becoming the star of Sia music videos’ came the stardom of the talented Maddie Ziegler. The song had every singer making covers trying to attempt Asia’s vocals as well as dancers taking inspiration from this contemporary piece. 

Inescapable Trend 

The ice bucket challenge helped raise awareness of ALS which was such a random way of doing this so-called activism. Many celebrities participated in the challenge and called out others to follow. 

Back-to-back weddings

A lot of evil drama has happened behind the scenes of both of these marriages and both ended in divorce. Still, at one point in time approximately 10 years ago they got hitched and the public was so in love with them. 

Girl…

How I Met Your Mother gave us the worst ending of all time. Writers should take notes from season 9 if they are interested in murdering a great show. No words. 

Besties

This show was bonkers in the best way. NYC during the middle and late 2010s was a peak. Leave it to Ilana and Abbi to get into any normal situation and find a way to mess things up. The relationship between these two is so hilariously heartwarming showing the lengths they would go for each other.

“Okay? Okay”

To be on Tumblr at this time was chaotic. This movie reminds me of much simpler times. The chokehold this had on every future Wattpad writer. John Green setting up their first kiss in Anne Frank’s attic was crazy. 

Boom, boom, boom…

Then along came this banger. This was so Tumblr flower crown vibes. Our generation's introduction to the great Charlie XCX. Whenever I hear this now it reminds me of how the atmosphere was different. 

Trauma

After Surviving two Hunger Games now, having to be the face of a revolution! 

The hanging tree by JLAW and the iconic quote, “If we burn, you burn with us!” And “It’s the things we love most that destroy us.” Lorde’s song at the credits was the cherry on top. Dystopian film after another and the world’s introduction to Theo James. The world was a better place when the constant stream of dystopian media was all the rage. 

Barbie would never!

Her soul or your soul? No, because why would you purchase that doll in the first place? Adding on to the conjuring universe, Annabelle is alive and thriving. Terrorizing a couple and taking their baby’s soul. Director said cut but Annabelle heard, cunt. 

Couple Goals!

Straight couples are crazy. Everyone should watch this with their SO. She was a mastermind and calculated every decision and made it impossible for Nick to escape her. More and more everyday people drive me closer to thinking the way Amy Dunne does. 

Enigmas

The perfect photo to define this year for teens across the globe. The best display of soft grunge that nails the 2014 Tumblr aesthetic. They just served and left with no trace of who they are, what their names are… kind of iconic. 

For whatever reason for the resurgence of 2014 pop culture, I am overwhelmed with nostalgia and relatable to know what many others experienced this year showing us a glimpse of our adolescence; even if we didn’t know the impact it leaves over time.

Written by Daniel Rojas

Saltburn: Beauty Over Substance

After weeks of hearing some rather interesting things about Saltburn, I knew I needed to check it out for myself. I’m sure many of you have heard people going on about its disturbing scenes, which are definitely an attention getter for the film, but I honestly didn’t know what it was really about or what I was getting into. 

Saltburn takes place in 2006, beginning at the University of Oxford’s campus. We follow the main character, Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan), as he struggles to make friends after arriving at the university. He is quickly drawn to the incredibly popular Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi) and sets out to befriend him and fit himself into the man’s snobby friend group. Oliver develops quite the obsession with Felix, which, despite the character’s denial of being in love with him, is pretty homoerotic. Despite Felix’s friends not really caring for Oliver, the man himself definitely seems to and genuinely takes an interest in his life. Oliver confides about his difficult family situation, which culminates in Felix inviting Oliver to his house for the summer break.

I’ll begin with my spoiler-free review. Visually, Saltburn is stunning. Aside from the cast themselves being an attractive group, the cinematography was consistently enamoring. All of the actors provide really great performances; while of course Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi were wonderful, supporting actors Archie Madekwe (Farleigh Start, Felix’s cousin) and Alison Oliver (Venetia Catton, Felix’s sister) gave particularly brilliant performances. Everyone also had really great chemistry, whether it was romantic/sexual, platonic, or familial. The cinematography and cast earned the film three stars in my book, but unfortunately that was where my interest stopped.

I’ve seen many other reviews discussing the movie’s prioritization of beauty over substance, which was all too accurate. I found myself checking the time frequently to see how much of the movie was left, and I was surprised every time. My knowledge of certain scenes were likely an influence on this, as I found myself waiting for the so-called disturbing stuff to happen, but the film really dragged at the times between them. The plot in itself felt drawn out, and it took a while to feel like the movie was going anywhere.

Now is the time to stop reading if you really don’t want spoilers. 

Foreshadowing tends to be an effective and interesting narrative tool, and the film uses quite a bit, such as Oliver’s conversation with Elspeth Catton (Rosamund Pike) about Pamela’s (Carey Mulligan) relationship with the family and how she may have been lying about her circumstances, which hints at Oliver’s own lying about his family and economic situation. Moreover, in one of the breakfast scenes where Venetia is talking about Percy Shelley’s death and doppelgӓngers, Felix is shown walking past the window behind her, when he’s really sitting next to her at the table, foreshadowing his death later in the film. 

Ultimately, though, I found most of the movie’s “shocking” scenes to be pretty underwhelming. Most of them were just a bit of an uncomfortable watch–and I’m glad I didn’t watch it with my parents–but I wouldn’t call any of it disturbing. I would hesitate to even call this film a thriller, as I found it to be kind of predictable. It’s also listed as a “black comedy,” but the most humor I found was in the awkward, secondhand embarrassment-inducing scenes, which were just hard to watch for me. I wasn’t surprised by any of the deaths, and Oliver’s “reveal” to have been plotting against the family felt incredibly obvious. I will admit that I knew about this going into it, but even if I hadn’t, I’m certain I would have picked up on it early on. I honestly couldn’t tell if the movie was trying to frame it as a twist because it felt so clear, but the way they spelled it all out made it feel like they were expecting the audience to be surprised. 

Overall, I’m glad I watched it to satiate my curiosity, but I’m not sure I would watch it again. If you like weird movies with a great cast and visuals, I would definitely give it a go.

Written by Alec Conwell