On July 25, 2022, JYP Entertainment released an unprecedented video trailer on YouTube. In the video, J.Y. Park, the founder and chairman of JYP Entertainment, called upon the audience for the chance to be a part of the “biggest project ever” for the company: “America 2 Korea” or “A2K” for short. In collaboration with Monte Lipman, founder and chairman of Republic Records in New York City, “A2K” was born to “develop a super-group… we’ve never seen before” by sourcing American talent through the JYP K-pop system, according to Lipman.

 Auditions were held in Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, Dallas and Los Angeles at the end of 2022, with those who passed the regional auditions progressing to the initial bootcamp in Los Angeles. Finally, those who passed the rigorous training in the bootcamp would be trained in South Korea — the heart of K-pop, and would work with choreographers, vocal coaches and producers to be selected for the final K-pop group. 

In the early days of K-pop, talent was primarily found through scouting. When looking through the origin stories of legendary groups like “BTS,” “Exo” and “Girls’ Generation,” many members of these groups were found directly through auditions or indirectly through public scouting. 

For example, “Exo’s” Chanyeol was scouted at an acting academy he attended, and “Girls’ Generation’s” (“SNSD’s”) Krystal and Jessica Jung were scouted in a mall during a family vacation. Many idols  would also often audition directly to the company, like “SNSD’s” Sooyoung and Hyoyeon who were casted through the “SM open audition” in 2000. However, idol competitions were held relatively rarely and were seen mostly as a non-traditional means of casting members. 

As the K-pop industry was still relatively small compared to today, being an idol was more of a risky business than a lucrative one. “BTS,” one of the world’s biggest K-pop groups, made headlines when CEO Bang Si-hyuk decided to cast the members unconventionally using a “rap battle” format called “Hit It” to put the group together. 

Even still, the members for the group were not all formed through the competition show method, and members like Suga (who was casted through his work as a producer) and Jin (who was casted while getting off of a bus) were still incorporated into the group through traditional casting methods — scouting and auditions. 

Being an idol was not as secure of a job as it is now. While trainee life is known to be difficult, unstable and
risky, debuting has now become a marker of success and, given the boom of the K-pop industry, can offer idols much more security than the profession has ever had before. The K-pop industry is only getting bigger — and so is the demand and supply. More than ever, young teenagers in South Korea are seeing being an idol as a legitimate career goal and are beginning to train from younger ages. 

Especially in the second generation of K-pop, idols were not always expected to be well-balanced. While some K-pop group members specialized in visuals where others specialized in rap or singing, the saturation of industry talent means that K-pop auditionees are good at everything these days. In efforts to set themselves apart from others in such a booming industry, the skill floor has gotten higher than ever before. Thus, the industry has seen a marked increase in competition shows in order to recruit idols, where auditionees are now expected to be more well-rounded at younger ages. 

Additionally, in new generations of K-pop, social media interaction has become instrumental in the marketing and success of a group.

 When a K-pop group’s origin and formation can be streamed online in the form of a competition show where fans can also become involved, especially through online voting procedures, the parasocial connection between the audience and idol deepens. 

These cultural and social conditions in the Korean media industry have culminated in the pronounced success of shows like “Produce 101” season 1 and season 2, “The Unit,” “Produce 48” and now “A2K,” which have brought the concept of idol survival shows to new heights. 

While this is not a new phenomenon, the increased success and skill floor can be attributed to the boom of the K-pop industry and its innate connection to global social media. Additionally, K-pop is becoming increasingly multicultural, with groups like “X:IN” and the newly rebranded “BLACKSWAN” consisting of members from all over the world. 

“A2K” reinvents the essence of K-pop and asks the audience to question what K-pop truly is. The auditionees compete in four categories: vocals, dance, character and star quality, and have an upper age limit of 17. “A2K” capitalizes on this young talent with the competitive aspect of the show. 

Each auditionee must earn a “stone” in each of the four categories to progress to the Korea boot camp. Each stage of the competition is judged by JYP himself as he gives criticism and awards stones. 

While they tell auditionees there is no cap on the number of girls that can make it to the finals, the girls are still in a hyper-competitive environment at such a young age. The finale of the American boot camp exemplifies the cruelty of the environment as only one auditionee out of all 11 does not progress to the
Korean boot camp. 

As certain clips from the show became funny memes online, particularly clips of JYP’s laughably dry criticisms of the candidates, the online support for the show, especially from American audiences, has never been seen before. In the past, idol survival shows were hosted and aired primarily in South Korea, according to
South Korean broadcast schedules. The absence of a live audience from “A2K” means that the support for the show is fully virtual, and thus much more inclusive of global audiences. Interestingly, Lipman says the concept of the idol survival show is a “K-pop system — the JYP system,” largely foreign to American audiences, whose closest equivalent is “American Idol,” a still highly individualistic system in comparison to “A2K.” 

While the projected success or failure of the “A2K” girl group in South Korea is highly controversial as only two of the 11 auditionees are Korean, the girls are certainly supported on home turf. Americans are
rallying behind the members, with Atlanta natives cheering on Christina Lopez Sandiford, a business-major from GSU, Canadians cheering on Montreal native Camila Ribeaux Valdes and fans in general supporting “A2K” auditionees as the show brings K-pop closer to  fans than ever before. “A2K” keeps audiences asking what makes K-pop K-pop —and what “A2K” means for the cultural media preservation of the Korean entertainment industry in an era of globalism.

The ocean glimmers blue against burning sand. The waves are deceptively calm in advance of the storm to come. Four couples walk onto Maui for season five of “Temptation Island,” heads held high for their introductions. Not all of them will make it out as a couple, but those who do are forever changed.

Now produced by Banijay Studios, “Temptation Island” has passed through the hands of several companies since its original 2001 debut. Despite the tumultuous history of the show’s ratings, it has survived a two-year layoff and a complete revamp. 2019 saw the release of the newest version of the show and a total reset of the show’s seasons, making this year’s renewal season five. 

The premise of “Temptation Island” is reminiscent of the “catching a cheater” pranks of 2010s YouTube. Four heterosexual couples at a crossroads in their relationship come onto Temptation Island to test the strength of their bond. The couples are separated, with all the male members going to one villa filled with single women, and all the female members going to another filled with single men. 

Sometimes, a couple is recovering from one of them cheating; other times, a couple may be getting engaged soon and are testing each other’s loyalty. Despite the various reasons a couple may have for coming onto the island, the singles see them all the same: fresh meat. The single castmates’ sole job on the island is to “build a connection” with the newly separated couples. Whether that connection is mere seduction or something more is a matter of circumstance. 

To be on “Temptation Island,” a couple has to be having severe issues, hesitations or insecurities within their relationship. When you put them in an environment away from their significant other and surrounded by “temptation,” it creates a window unreplicable in the real world. Some couples escape the toxicity of their relationship and can break free by experiencing new relationships; other couples seize the first chance they can get to cheat. 

Throughout the show, there are numerous opportunities where the coupled women and men get to meet with the host, Mark Walberg (not to be confused with Mark Wahlberg), at events called “bonfires.” At these bonfires, the separated couples get to see video footage of what their other half has been up to in the villa. At the end of the experience, there is a “final bonfire” where the couple comes back together for the first time since the start of the show to make a final choice: leave the island alone, leave with a single person you have met on the island or leave the island together with your significant other. 

Season five brings with it an all-new cast and new events to spice up the show. This season, there is a massive party where all the singles and couples meet each other on the first night. In previous seasons, no parties or meetings occurred with the singles until the men and women of the couples were separated into different villas. 

Additionally, this season saw the introduction of the “temptation light,” a glowing orb atop a pedestal. The orb flashes red whenever a significant other cheats, without specification as to whose significant other cheated, creating confusion and tension between castmates. Lastly, significant others have the opportunity to send their partner a video message in the middle of the season. This season, however, the singles can also send the significant other in the other villa a video message, often stirring up drama and jealousy. 

The first couple is Marisela and Christopher. On the very first episode of the show, Christopher outs Marisela on national television as bisexual, which was unbeknownst even to her family. He uses this fact to connect with some of the single women at Marisela’s expense. Throughout the season, Marisela, once meek and mild, transforms into someone Chris can barely recognize. 

The second couple is Paris and Great, who are there  to test whether or not Great would cheat on Paris again. Both of their journeys are fiery, passionate and keep the audience on the edge of their seats waiting for the
next twist from left field. 

Third is couple Hall and Kaitlin, who are actually engaged and have been together for eight years —​​ far longer than any of the other contestants. They have split and gotten back together once in the past, after which Hall proposed to Kaitlin. While they seem assured, the island quickly works its way between them as Hall comes to
devastating revelations. 

Last is Vanessa and Roberto, who are struggling with the age gap in their relationship. Vanessa, who is much older than Rob, doubts his maturity and seeks to test his respect and loyalty for her. However, once they are separated, the controlling and toxic nature of their relationship comes to light. Furthermore, the reunion episode of the season overturns everything that the audience thought they knew as more clips and conversations are revealed for the first time.

While Temptation Island has been controversial in its interference in relationships, the couples that come on the show are seeking extreme change in the extreme manner of going on national television. At its core, “Temptation Island” embodies reality TV — the good, bad and ugly. 

With that, season five effectively builds on its foundation and makes for a truly infamous addition to the series. Whether you like reality TV or not, “Temptation Island” is far messier than its Netflix counterparts, keeping you hooked in a love-hate relationship with the series.  

On July 21, 2023, hundreds of thousands of people flocked to theaters to see the “Barbie” movie on its release date, setting records for the biggest opening day of the year with an opening box office sale of $70 million. People from all walks of life dressed in pink, planned cute coordinating outfits with their friends and took selfies with the “Barbie” movie posters. While audiences knew they were in for a show of excitement and nostalgia, few expected the “Barbie” movie to ask much deeper questions  —  to implore the moviegoers to look within and dissect their identities. 

The codification of the Barbie world into Barbies of different talents and occupations is not too different from our own world. Humans find ways to put themselves and each other in boxes — to pattern-recognize and categorize. Everyone has to be good at something. Everyone has to have a specific passion. Everyone needs something to set themselves apart from everyone else.

The “Barbie” movie explores this fact; each Barbie is differentiated from the next based on profession, skill or trait. There is a physicist Barbie (Emma Mackey), a doctor Barbie (Hari Nef) and even Midge, who is known simply as pregnant Barbie (Emerald Fennell). All of the Barbies are special in their own ways  — except one. The original stereotypical Barbie. She questions herself, wondering what her purpose is as a Barbie without a label. She fears she will never amount to anything, and worse, that she was never meant to amount to anything in the first place. 

But stereotypical Barbie’s plainness is deceptive; without a label, she can represent anyone. We are not all physicists, doctors or pregnant, but we are all people. We all have these fears, worries and sleepless nights wondering what we were made for. The “Barbie” movie is a well-done and novel example of de-girlbossing in pop culture. More than ever, people are realizing that they do not need labels or have to set themselves apart from one another. This is especially true for women, whose representation in media often relies on 
exceptionalism. 

Emilie Zaslow, a writer and Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Pace University, criticizes the “girlboss” mentality. “[With this] ‘pick yourself up by your bootstraps’ mentality, we see a kind of female empowerment that is completely self-focused on independence and individual success and power over others. It’s not about unifying or building up, it’s about: what do I look like when I’m in charge?” Zaslow said in a BBC interview.

The “Barbie” movie holds a mirror to the audience and calls on them to understand that they are people first – that unity, working together and helping others is more important than being special and different. It depicts a sense of communalism that juxtaposes the American individuality that we so often see on screen. Importantly, the movie also calls for women to come together and support each other rather than pit themselves against one another.

As feminist media continues to adapt to the society it reflects on, there will always be points of contention on “feminist media done right.” Most recently, Rachel Zegler, the lead actress in Disney’s live-action “Snow White” movie has come under fire for comments about the 1937 animated version of the movie.

At a press release, Zegler talked about her opinions on the original cartoon. “It’s no longer 1937, and we absolutely wrote a Snow White that is… not going to be saved by the prince, and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be,” Zegler said. This interview garnered massive scrutiny from every corner of the internet because of Zegler’s criticisms of the original animated film. 

With similar sentiments to the “Barbie” movie, many content creators online were hurt by Zegler’s disregard
for the themes of “finding true love” and responded to Zegler, saying that it is okay to also not want to
be a leader or to just dream of love and marriage, similar to how it is okay to be stereotypical Barbie — to just be yourself is enough, no matter how big or small your goals may be. 

In any case, a key criticism of “girlbossing” according to Zaslow is that it pits women against each other and minimizes the importance of unity and supporting other women. While some argue that Zegler may have been guilty of “girlbossing” herself by implying that the original Snow White’s character and goals are a relic of the past and have no place in 2023, it can also be argued that the creators “dogpiling” on Zegler’s vision of Snow White are minimizing Zegler’s personal perception of what womanhood means to her.

While the landscape of feminist media continues to evolve, it is important to keep considering and reconsidering what feminism is and how to maintain unity even as times change.

As Pride month ramps up into full swing, the community becomes even more vibrant. With a plethora of parades, outdoor events, drag shows and more, it can feel great to curl up after a long day of partying with a good book. Additionally, as more and more LGBTQ+ books are being challenged with book bans, it’s important to elevate the voices of LGBTQ+ authors, and support them in your own way. If you are an avid bookworm and are looking for a whole new way to celebrate Pride and the community, here are a few reads to get you started:

Middlesex

“Middlesex” by award-winning author Jeffrey Eugenides has the power to change your life. The novel follows the narrator Cal Stephanides, who navigates life as an intersex individual. The novel seamlessly blends past, present and future – as well as myth and reality – to paint a portrait of Cal’s life and journey. The main theme of the novel is transition and falling into place when it feels like you belong nowhere, as Eugenides melds together Cal’s coming-of-age with their Greek family’s legends. Eugenides’ command of prose makes this chronicle of the queer experience feel like an epic.

Call Me By Your Name

You cannot mention LGBTQ+ books without mentioning “Call Me By Your Name” by Italian-American writer André Aciman. While already made into a feature film, the novel itself is enough to capture the heat of the summer, following a passionate romance between Elio and Oliver, an intern for Elio’s father. The novel is a story about desire, change, and a coming-of-age like no other. Once you read this book, it just becomes part of you.

Under the Udala Trees

“Under the Udala Trees” by Nigerian-American author Chinelo Okparanta provides a harrowing setting for the novel: the Nigerian civil war. She masterfully mirrors the narrator Ijeoma’s internal conflict with her sexuality to the external conflict of the war, which tears apart her family – but ignites the flame of her first love. This book is not for the faint of heart; with conflict after conflict as well as the war challenging Ijeoma and the reader, Okparanta makes the hope of a happy ending truly something to fight for.

The Scent of God

Indian novelist Saikat Majumdar flatters the senses in “The Scent of God,” which follows Anirvan, a student who dreams of becoming a monk. He goes to an all-boys school managed by a Hindu ashram.

 In the foreground of the novel, the simmering of adolescence intertwines with a same-sex love affair between Anirvan and another student. What is meditation but spirituality?

 What is spirituality without love? Why would love ever be considered wrong? The religious tension, juxtaposition of setting and Majumdar’s mastery of the senses perfumes the novel with richness. 

A few weeks ago, I visited home for spring break. While it’s only a 20-minute drive away, the radio silence between my family and me has deepened the distance more. It was a normal weekend until it wasn’t. My dad says “I love you” as I leave. It’s the first time he’s said it and I’m shocked; the words feel foreign. 

Anyone else would have simply just replied with an “I love you too,” so why can’t I do it? The words fall jaggedly down my throat and all I can do is laugh in return. The drive back home feels even longer then, like some unknown part of me was trying to understand itself.

I had never thought much of it until now. My parents and I have never said those words to each other before, “I love you.” So why does my dad have to say it now? How can he move forward so quickly while I am still so stuck in the past? My father has changed and left me behind to somewhere I cannot follow. 

When I was growing up, I used to read a picture book called “I’ll Always Love You” by Paeony Lewis.  I have a vivid memory of reading it to myself in my mother’s bed, looking up at her and picturing her mouth shaping those words.  From a young age, I grew up seeing “I love you” in media, bombarded by the simple fact of its absence in my family. 

As a child, I could not comprehend why the momma bear in the picture book was so different from my own. I knew nothing of the barrier of cultural discomfort or the wordlessness of parenthood. 

That is not to say that love itself was absent in my childhood. It imbued itself into cut apple slices, into peeled almonds and birthday magic shows.

When I reached my teens, I finally came to understand that they didn’t even have to say they loved me. It infused itself into so many of their actions that I just felt it. So now, as I drive home, why do I mourn the child within myself who did not understand the weight behind those actions? The child within me whose age brought with it a growing database of vocabulary that would never include the words “I love you.” 

Even at 21 years old, I am still just a small child banging on a closed door with balled-up fists.

Even now, I struggle outwardly with feeling heard, let alone looking within myself and reflecting on my inner frustration with my father’s sudden change in lexicon. I struggle to understand why I can’t just say it back as easily as he can. 

Though it might have taken my father lots of contemplation to bring himself to say the words to me, his nonchalant demeanor — as if it were that easy to say — has me wondering, “why didn’t you say it before? Why wasn’t it this easy for you before?” But when I really think about it, he didn’t learn the words “I love you” in a day. I lay awake at night wondering if he’s thinking about it too. I wonder if we’re up at night dreaming the same dreams, visiting and healing the same childhood that is trapped within them. In a way, he may be stronger than I. 

When I first heard him say the words, I couldn’t find it in myself to choke the same ones out. It seems that the words were easier to swallow than my pride. 

The memory comes to me now. I was in middle school, hunting for envelopes and stamps in the dusty study. I didn’t expect for the drawer to be full of old pictures of my parents.

When I found them, I just couldn’t look away. There was a printed photo of my mother and father holding me as a baby, my mother balancing a glass of wine in her other hand. Both of them were only looking at me, and not at the lens. Seeing the photo makes me cry without fail because it reminds me where I came from, that there is undeniable evidence that my entire existence is love. 

Maybe avenging my childhood isn’t worth it. We only have so much time with those that we love. Maybe the fresh youth of my childhood and the lingering uncertainty of having a first child blurred the infinitesimal nature of our time together. Maybe as my father’s gray hairs multiply year by year, his ego has eroded with age. 

Perhaps his facility is not an invalidation but an invitation for change between us. While it’s never too late to change, it’s never easy either. Telling my parents I love them will not erase the pain of my childhood.

However, it will allow me to free myself from resentment and let that little kid within me hear those words at long last. 

Tomorrow, I will tell them.

Over the excited chatter of the concertgoers, the drone of an air pump filled the room. The audience gazed up at the sage in bewilderment as drummer Ross Murakami cranked the pump into an air mattress, which slowly puffed up by the minute. The “set” was not complete yet as Murakami brought out a plethora of little cushions, a fuzzy rug and stuffed animals, with the audience cheering and clapping for the plush axolotl he placed on the guitar amp. 

With pink fluffy decorations, the fully-puffed bed and the audience screaming in anticipation, the Vinyl’s stage was set on Tuesday, March 14, for Tiffany Day’s “Gratitude” tour supported by Alex Porat.

During the opener, Porat played some of her biggest hits like “HATELOVE,” “Kiss Face,” “Pity Party” and “miss sick world.” Posing and gracefully dancing along to the music, Porat got the audience moving along with her. During “HATELOVE,” the overhead lights washed the audience in red, mimicking her bright red album art for the single. During “Sensitive,” her 2022 single, a sort of aching echoed through Porat’s voice, giving the audience a similar sense of longing. 

“I hate that I’m so sensitive all the time/ I can’t say what’s on my mind/ even though I always try/ I just wanna cry,” Porat sang, putting lyrics to the frustrating feeling of being too sensitive for your own good.

The crowd synergized with the beat and with the lyrics, with dedicated fans mouthing the words to every song and straining forwards to feel even closer to the music. As Porat thanked the audience once again and twirled off the stage, the crowd grew even louder in anticipation of Day, knowing the night was still young.

As soon as Day appeared on stage, the audience was electrified. She ran onto the stage, jumping up and down and energetically greeting Atlanta. The audience screamed wildly in response, waving their hands in the air as she immediately jumped into performing “DREAMS ABT OPTIMISM,” one of the songs from her newest album, “THE GRATITUDE PROJECT,” which inspired the theme and motivation for the tour. Day’s sound is characterized by fast-paced, catchy electronic music that ranges from indie pop to hyperpop and even includes tinges of dubstep. With the energy of her personality and the music fueling it, the crowd truly came to life.

Smiling giddily and turning her guitar on, Day moved on and played some of her other top songs like “CALONE” and “SHOULD I BE OK?”. When Day performed “HANNA,” a song about wishing you were someone else — wishing you were someone to be yearned for — in order to finally gain the love of your significant other, some fans began tearing up, as the emotion of the song poured through Day’s voice. Day’s stage presence made it feel like she was practically part of the crowd as she leaned forward into the audience — pushed and pulled — and made eye contact while she sang, creating an intimate and otherworldly listening experience. “HANNA” reminds Day’s fans that they are all the same in the end — everyone yearns for love, and have sometimes had to unfairly sacrifice parts of themselves to gain the same love in return.

“I just want you to love me like her / Damn I’ve never felt so insecure, it’s a curse, and / I’m not doing okay,” Day sang to the audience, with audience members almost crying along to the emotional lyrics.

About halfway through the show, Day’s drummer Murakami took a short break, but the show barreled on without skipping a beat. Day took the mic, saying, “recently, you know, I’ve had a little time on my hands … so I kinda got into dubstep,” laughing through the mic along with the audience. Almost like a switch flipped, the stage lights flicked to a deep red, creating a supernatural feeling that snapped back to reality as Day suspensefully donned a pair of sunglasses, put on headphones and transformed the venue into a rave, DJ-ing the audience through her newest beat. The venue transformed into a club, with Day soaking in the energy of the crowd as the audience jumped in sync to the beat, hands pumping in the air while Day danced on stage, hyping up the beat drops. 

Suddenly, the venue was silent, as if the power was cut. In the midst of dancing, it seemed that Day has accidentaly flung her MacBook off of the stage, and the USB playing the music was thrown somewhere on the stage in the chaos. A fan in the front scooped the MacBook off the ground and gracefully handed it up to Day, and she resumed the music immediately. The fan started dancing to the beat as if nothing ever happened. The only sign of the incident was the the laughter radiating from both Day and the audience.

“Did anyone get a video of that?,” Day yelled out to the crowd through laughter. “Last time I [messed] up at a concert, it went [totally] viral on TikTok, so whoever has the recording, send it to me, so ya girl can post it!” The fans in the front enthusiastically nodded, pumping their hands in support. 

After the intermission, Day moved on to play “SPOILED B****,” which is an anthem of sorts for getting and knowing what you want, being impulsive and owning yourself. At this point, the crowd was practically chanting along with the song in anticipation of the beat drop when Day would whirl, jump and headbang about the stage while moving to the beat of the song, cueing for the audience to move with her, making the drops a truly dynamic, fresh experience. During the second verse, Day dropped to her knees, almost rapping along to the song before springing back up and dancing into another beat drop, keeping the energy high through the entirety of her performance. 

In songs such as “BITE BACK,” Day started off creating suspense for which song would be next by turning her back to the audience, letting the lights illuminate her silhouette and then breaking out into song as the intro of the next track dropped. “BITE BACK” is a song about not needing a relationship anymore and biting back when that person is the problem in the relationship. A “trap-inspired track” according to Genius, the quick-tempo beat drops were accompanied by bursts of choreographed dance moves by Day, which had the audience dancing, singing and chanting to hype her up. 

“You better believe I practiced that choreography,” she joked at the end of the song, before immediately jumping into one of her first songs to go viral titled “IF I DON’T TEXT YOU FIRST,” which was a fan-favorite. 

One of the most memorable moments of the night was when Day gave a short speech, saying, “Thank you for all the love and support; I appreciate it so much. I’m not making money from this tour,” continuing to say that she loves all her fans and letting fans know that they can buy her merchandise if they want to directly support her, but also that just by coming out to the show, they’ve made the tour worth it. She directly transitioned into “HEART TO HEART IN THE TATTOO PARLOR,” which can be considered a direct thank you to her fans and is the final song in “THE GRATITUDE PROJECT.” The fans quieted at times, as if taking a moment let the
moment wash over them.

“You get tattoos of all my songs / You know the answers … I’m digits deep before my credit card gets canceled / But I did it all for you, so we could see the moment through,” Day sang to the audience, referring to her tour that she paid for out-of-pocket. She committed to the tour to show her fans the gratitude that the project is meant to embody.

“Thankful for the things that I’ve been given … You’re the theory to my purpose / And I hope you know I’d never take / Your love for granted, you,” she sang. Each time she sang “you,” she pointed to someone in the audience, made eye contact and sang straight to them, making sure
her lyrics came through.

All in all, the night was a magical experience. From Day’s sonic journey through “THE DEPENDENCY PROJECT,” “THE RENEWAL PROJECT” and now “THE GRATITUDE PROJECT,” her transformation is clear and genuine through her music. Day’s latest album and tour gave her audience the experimental and iconic pop “Tiffany Day” sound and concert experience that her fans follow her for.

As awards show season progresses and the film industry buzzes over the actors and actresses in the limelight, it is necessary to recognize those who work behind the camera: the directors, producers, cinematographers and editors who create from the shadows. Furthermore, as only 24% of the film industry is composed of women, it is important to highlight the role of female creators as beacons of representation and inspiration. 

The history of film is inseparable from women’s history as women have been involved in film for as long as the art has existed — even while having to battle gender inequality and barriers to entry both in front of and behind the cameras. Female filmmakers are paving the way forwards in an industry where they are still underrepresented.

At Tech, student film is almost an industry of its own; various film clubs on campus are constantly creating and allowing students a creative voice through these productions. One such student film studio is Buzz Studios, a filmmaking club in which members create original short films that are fully student-led, from the screenwriting to the editing and all stages in between. One female filmmaker behind Buzz Studios that the Technique wanted to highlight is Sneha Malneedi, second-year CS. She serves as External Vice President and Webmaster of the club, focusing mainly on outreach within her role as well as filmmaking.

About 20 years ago, Buzz Studios was founded. Today, “we have probably about 30 members that come really frequently to everything, [and] we’re really active, making about four films a semester,” Malneedi said. 

Her interest in filmmaking emerged in high school, as Malneedi always considered herself a storyteller. She was writing for hours every single day, until she got the idea to start making movies with the pieces she had spent so much time creating. She would use any project as an excuse to make a movie, no matter what subject it revolved around. While her school did not have a film club, it did have a filmmaking class that helped her curate her passion. Upon coming to Tech, her involvement in Buzz Studios helped her grow her passion alongside peers who shared her love for writing and film, allowing her to thrive in the incredibly uplifting community around her. 

She made her directorial debut with Buzz Studios through her film “On Demand,” which follows a child flicking through TV channels, with the channels’ content hinting at the limitation of gender perception by the media; he gazes longingly at the makeup on screen and in his mom’s purse while halfheartedly playing with his toy cars. “On Demand” reflects Malneedi’s understanding of the importance of acceptance (and the hollowness of the lack of) and of the human condition. 

“One thing I use a lot for movies especially is music, so ‘On Demand’ is heavily influenced by ‘How to Be a Human Being’ by Glass Animals,” Malneedi said. 

The title “How to Be a Human Being” itself characterizes the short film as the child, through the media on screen, is learning how to be a human being. However, as the film progresses it becomes increasingly apparent that this education is through an extremely gender-biased lens. 

Malneedi added that while making the film, it was her first time dealing with so much management throughout the process. 

“I also edited it in 24 hours and slept for one hour,” Malneedi said about the experience. 

Her personal understanding of gender and humanity shines through “On Demand,” her creative voice and life experiences intertwining with the narrative, cinematography and the editing itself. Upon being able to create her own films with Buzz Studios and gain a creative outlet, Malneedi said that she had recently been thinking about the importance of female representation within the film industry.

“Growing up, I always thought, ‘Do I really need representation? [I] can just do it myself,’” Malneedi said. “[Now], I think representation is super important because you don’t [understand] how it affects you internally until you realize that [the representation] is either there or it’s just not,” she said. In film, “I think I’ve seen a lot of films with male perspectives, especially student films shown at competitions. I realize because they’re written by men, a lot of men write female characters two-dimensionally or very tropey,” Malneedi said. 

In regard to why female filmmakers are important to uplift, “I think it’s really important to have that eye in student films or more professional Hollywood films because you don’t want to miss that perspective,” Malneedi said. At Buzz Studios “we have people that will stand up for me,” Malneedi said.

Filmmaking organizations like Buzz Studios, who are committed to education and diversity, are important going forward as the industry progresses. “At Buzz Studios, we let everyone write if they want to and we’ll try to get them in before they graduate,” Malneedi said.

As Malneedi has gone on to work on many more film projects such as “As Long As I Can Remember,” “E Pluribus Unum” and “Canned” with Buzz Studios and even in collaboration with the Tech Square Times, she described filmmaking with Buzz Studios as “a student voice for creativity.”

“We reach out to commercial businesses [and clubs] and do commercial products to make a lot of our own money. … We’re all for the most part self-taught, so honestly a lot of people aren’t film majors,” Malneedi said. “It’s really just a diverse group of people who like doing this for fun.”

“There’s still some diversity needed in media so people can see it and normalize it. … Whether you are a man, woman, nonbinary, director, actor or anyone at all, anyone can write, direct or hold a camera if they want … going into the film industry, it’s going to become a lot more diverse,” Malneedi said. “Buzz Studios has really helped with my confidence. Especially being in a group of men and knowing that they actively choose to uplift me.” 

In “Ratatouille,” Gusteau says “anyone can cook … but only the fearless can be great.” So too, anyone can film at Buzz Studios — anyone can achieve greatness through their passion and peers.

To find out more about Buzz Studios and their work, follow them on Instagram and Tiktok using the handle @gatechbuzzstudios.

On Saturday, Feb. 11, Tech’s Chinese Student Association (CSA) hosted Lantern Festival, a celebration of Lunar New Year, for the first time since 2019. An RSVP-only event, Lantern Festival was planned as an intimate commemoration of Tech’s Asian community and its unity on campus. Despite the chilly rain clouding the unfriendly night sky, the Exhibition Hall became a beacon of comfort from the bitter cold as students and volunteers filtered into the venue. With the expectation of a semiformal dress code, it was heartwarming to see students dressing their finest, coordinating outfits with their group, and even donning traditional clothing such as the qipao.

Upon entering the room, students were immediately greeted by a beautiful display of glittering red lanterns overhead, decorated with fairy lights and small tickets of paper hanging from each lantern. These tickets displayed traditional Chinese riddles and their respective English translations, whereupon solving each riddle, students had chances to win raffle tickets. Students excitedly weaved through the room, stopping between the number of different stations that CSA had set up. Also under the canopy of lanterns was a Polaroid wall, where CSA volunteers took unlimited Polaroids for the guests to hang up on the wall and even take home after the event. 

Additionally, guests were given a chance to peruse the various activity tables and seat themselves before food began being served. First on the list was the professional photo booth, where students could pose in front of a glittering golden wall, holding up props to take as many photos as they wanted. After taking the photos, students could select their favorite four pictures and print as many copies as they wanted for their friend group to each carry a piece of the night home with them. 

Additionally, CSA had invited a balloon artist to make custom pieces for students including bunny ear hats in honor of the Year of the Rabbit and colorful balloon flowers for students to take home. 

Students could also choose to participate in a raffle, with each prize more shocking than the last given their value. The prizes included a Bluetooth speaker, a Polaroid camera, a Nintendo Switch Lite and Sony XM4 headphones. Some students completed enough riddles and bought enough raffle tickets to submit as many as 20 tickets for the prize they wanted most. 

The last activity to partake in was phone-charm making as guests could pick up readymade kits with thread, charms and beads to make their very own phone charms and even match colors and themes with their friends.

Given that the event was not open to everyone and operated on a first-come, first-serve basis (even ending up with a waitlist), the intimate nature of the event really shone through the sheer amount of work and dedication that CSA had put into making the night perfect. 

“The hardest things to plan were the venue and catering,” said Brittany Lu, fourth-year BA and the vice president of CSA. “Because we chose to hold the event at Ex Hall, we had to figure out how to work with both GT catering and the outside caterers that we wanted to use. We had GT cater our tablecloths and drinks and provide the staffing so that we could then use outside caterers for our food,” Lu said. 

In terms of the food, it was integral that it be authentic Chinese food hand-picked to be served by CSA staff. The menu consisted of fried rice, lo mein, egg rolls, popcorn chicken, mapo tofu, kung pao chicken and honey walnut shrimp, just to name a few items. Food was catered by popular and well-loved local Asian restaurants such as Bun Factory and Sweet Hut, with the outside catering adding to the polished experience. Food was served in an extremely organized fashion, with guests receiving color-coded wristbands based on arrival time which then corresponded to the order that food was served in.

Aside from the technicalities behind planning the event, the task at the forefront of every volunteer’s mind was how to make Lantern Fest a truly memorable experience. While the activities, food and prizes certainly contributed to that sentiment, the greatest contributor to the magnificence of the experience was simply in the Asian community at Tech coming together to share culture. As Lunar New Year is a festival that many different cultures celebrate at home, the celebration by CSA created a sense of home-away-from-home for many of the guests. 

“There’s a lot of cohesion, which is very cool,” said Julie Yan, second-year BMED, who was a guest at Lantern Fest. “I don’t go to a lot of really big events very often, so I think this was organized really well and was definitely very engaging. It’s just really cool to be in a space with so many different people and we’re all connected in some way,” Yan said. 

The ties between everyone in the room and the excitement for the prospect of getting to celebrate Lunar New Year with your peers was certainly palpable.

“I’ve celebrated Lunar New Year every year. One thing we do at my house is that China puts on this show every year that’s a big variety show and they feature so many famous actors, celebrities and singers and it’s four hours long, and honestly tonight is kind of reminiscent of that,” Yan said. As the performing acts began taking the stage, it was clear how Lantern Festival was very evocative of the CCTV New Year’s Gala, with the CSA emcees and performers mirroring the excitement and grandeur of the Chinese national event.

First to appear was Delta Phi Lambda, Tech’s first recognized Asian-interest sorority. Taking the stage decked in matching lavender outfits and tons of confidence, the dance routine had audience members giving standing ovations and roaring cheers by the end. Next was TBA, a band that performed in Mandarin, including a Mandarin cover of Coldplay’s “Yellow” and finishing off with an English original song, “Death of Me.” 

Additional acts of the night included Tech’s Taekwondo team which put together an amazing performance of synchronized Taekwondo routines which almost resembled performance art or a form of dance itself. The Dragon Flyers, Tech’s Chinese yo-yo club, featured almost a Cirque-esque routine with glowing yo-yos and dynamic formations. With Malibu Nights, a well-known band on campus taking the stage, the audience was enraptured. With her clear intonation and sultry timbre, Gabby Lee, the lead singer, performed “drunk” by Keshi, stunning the audience and leaving them hanging on her every melody. The last act to take the stage was GT Seoulstice, who had three performing groups and three respective different routines. As the fog machine behind the stage created an ethereal misty aura around the performers, guests cheered harder than ever before as Seoulstice performed the new hit “OMG” by NewJeans and the throwback “Growl” by EXO, to name a few of their routines.

To close off the night, the raffle winners were announced for the lucrative prizes. When it came to the winner of the Sony XM4 headphones, the winner and his friends let out deafening screams of excitement, the winner bouncing up on stage to claim the prize.

Overall, Lantern Festival was a massive success that will certainly live on in the hearts of its attendees and through the sheer cultural impact that the night brought to campus. 

“At CSA, we really just want to share Chinese culture with everyone through the traditions that we’re proud of, whether that’s Chinese yo-yo or authentic Chinese food or decorating the Ex Hall like it really was a Chinese night market,” said Helen Liu, third-year MSE and CSA’s director of communications. As the guests ventured back into the drizzly night, they certainly carried the camaraderie, joy and sense of togetherness that encapsulates everything Lantern Fest was meant to be along with them; with students excitedly chattering with each other, their warm breath billowing into the frigid air, the icy atmosphere felt oddly pleasant that night.

On Saturday, Feb. 11, Tech’s Chinese Student Association (CSA) hosted Lantern Festival, a celebration of Lunar New Year, for the first time since 2019. An RSVP-only event, Lantern Festival was planned as an intimate commemoration of Tech’s Asian community and its unity on campus. Despite the chilly rain clouding the unfriendly night sky, the Exhibition Hall became a beacon of comfort from the bitter cold as students and volunteers filtered into the venue. With the expectation of a semiformal dress code, it was heartwarming to see students dressing their finest, coordinating outfits with their group, and even donning traditional clothing such as the qipao.

Upon entering the room, students were immediately greeted by a beautiful display of glittering red lanterns overhead, decorated with fairy lights and small tickets of paper hanging from each lantern. These tickets displayed traditional Chinese riddles and their respective English translations, whereupon solving each riddle, students had chances to win raffle tickets. Students excitedly weaved through the room, stopping between the number of different stations that CSA had set up. Also under the canopy of lanterns was a Polaroid wall, where CSA volunteers took unlimited Polaroids for the guests to hang up on the wall and even take home after the event. 

Additionally, guests were given a chance to peruse the various activity tables and seat themselves before food began being served. First on the list was the professional photo booth, where students could pose in front of a glittering golden wall, holding up props to take as many photos as they wanted. After taking the photos, students could select their favorite four pictures and print as many copies as they wanted for their friend group to each carry a piece of the night home with them. 

Additionally, CSA had invited a balloon artist to make custom pieces for students including bunny ear hats in honor of the Year of the Rabbit and colorful balloon flowers for students to take home. 

Students could also choose to participate in a raffle, with each prize more shocking than the last given their value. The prizes included a Bluetooth speaker, a Polaroid camera, a Nintendo Switch Lite and Sony XM4 headphones. Some students completed enough riddles and bought enough raffle tickets to submit as many as 20 tickets for the prize they wanted most. 

The last activity to partake in was phone-charm making as guests could pick up readymade kits with thread, charms and beads to make their very own phone charms and even match colors and themes with their friends.

Given that the event was not open to everyone and operated on a first-come, first-serve basis (even ending up with a waitlist), the intimate nature of the event really shone through the sheer amount of work and dedication that CSA had put into making the night perfect. 

“The hardest things to plan were the venue and catering,” said Brittany Lu, fourth-year BA and the vice president of CSA. “Because we chose to hold the event at Ex Hall, we had to figure out how to work with both GT catering and the outside caterers that we wanted to use. We had GT cater our tablecloths and drinks and provide the staffing so that we could then use outside caterers for our food,” Lu said. 

In terms of the food, it was integral that it be authentic Chinese food hand-picked to be served by CSA staff. The menu consisted of fried rice, lo mein, egg rolls, popcorn chicken, mapo tofu, kung pao chicken and honey walnut shrimp, just to name a few items. Food was catered by popular and well-loved local Asian restaurants such as Bun Factory and Sweet Hut, with the outside catering adding to the polished experience. Food was served in an extremely organized fashion, with guests receiving color-coded wristbands based on arrival time which then corresponded to the order that food was served in.

Aside from the technicalities behind planning the event, the task at the forefront of every volunteer’s mind was how to make Lantern Fest a truly memorable experience. While the activities, food and prizes certainly contributed to that sentiment, the greatest contributor to the magnificence of the experience was simply in the Asian community at Tech coming together to share culture. As Lunar New Year is a festival that many different cultures celebrate at home, the celebration by CSA created a sense of home-away-from-home for many of the guests. 

“There’s a lot of cohesion, which is very cool,” said Julie Yan, second-year BMED, who was a guest at Lantern Fest. “I don’t go to a lot of really big events very often, so I think this was organized really well and was definitely very engaging. It’s just really cool to be in a space with so many different people and we’re all connected in some way,” Yan said. 

The ties between everyone in the room and the excitement for the prospect of getting to celebrate Lunar New Year with your peers was certainly palpable.

“I’ve celebrated Lunar New Year every year. One thing we do at my house is that China puts on this show every year that’s a big variety show and they feature so many famous actors, celebrities and singers and it’s four hours long, and honestly tonight is kind of reminiscent of that,” Yan said. As the performing acts began taking the stage, it was clear how Lantern Festival was very evocative of the CCTV New Year’s Gala, with the CSA emcees and performers mirroring the excitement and grandeur of the Chinese national event.

First to appear was Delta Phi Lambda, Tech’s first recognized Asian-interest sorority. Taking the stage decked in matching lavender outfits and tons of confidence, the dance routine had audience members giving standing ovations and roaring cheers by the end. Next was TBA, a band that performed in Mandarin, including a Mandarin cover of Coldplay’s “Yellow” and finishing off with an English original song, “Death of Me.” 

Additional acts of the night included Tech’s Taekwondo team which put together an amazing performance of synchronized Taekwondo routines which almost resembled performance art or a form of dance itself. The Dragon Flyers, Tech’s Chinese yo-yo club, featured almost a Cirque-esque routine with glowing yo-yos and dynamic formations. With Malibu Nights, a well-known band on campus taking the stage, the audience was enraptured. With her clear intonation and sultry timbre, Gabby Lee, the lead singer, performed “drunk” by Keshi, stunning the audience and leaving them hanging on her every melody. The last act to take the stage was GT Seoulstice, who had three performing groups and three respective different routines. As the fog machine behind the stage created an ethereal misty aura around the performers, guests cheered harder than ever before as Seoulstice performed the new hit “OMG” by NewJeans and the throwback “Growl” by EXO, to name a few of their routines.

To close off the night, the raffle winners were announced for the lucrative prizes. When it came to the winner of the Sony XM4 headphones, the winner and his friends let out deafening screams of excitement, the winner bouncing up on stage to claim the prize.

Overall, Lantern Festival was a massive success that will certainly live on in the hearts of its attendees and through the sheer cultural impact that the night brought to campus. 

“At CSA, we really just want to share Chinese culture with everyone through the traditions that we’re proud of, whether that’s Chinese yo-yo or authentic Chinese food or decorating the Ex Hall like it really was a Chinese night market,” said Helen Liu, third-year MSE and CSA’s director of communications. As the guests ventured back into the drizzly night, they certainly carried the camaraderie, joy and sense of togetherness that encapsulates everything Lantern Fest was meant to be along with them; with students excitedly chattering with each other, their warm breath billowing into the frigid air, the icy atmosphere felt oddly pleasant that night.