“The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” returned for its third season on Jan. 24, giving fans yet another dose of teen drama and witchcraft. “The Fright Club” teams up again to take on the challenges of dealing with hormones while fighting the supernatural. Although season three has a lot of highlights and iconic moments, it certainly carries some significant shortcomings.

From the start of this season, one very noticeable thing is the visibly bigger budget that this season had to work with. From the music video “Straight to Hell” and targeted social media marketing to the overall production quality, it was clear that the production studio brought their A-game. While the focus on effects sometimes felt unnecessary, there was a noticeable increase in the quality of the CGI. 

A striking distance between this season and others was the overall quality of the soundtrack and music. Unlike previous seasons where the music was just songs that include themes of witchcraft, the shift towards music that actually fits the situation and mood within the episodes was far more appropriate and appreciable. The combination of subtle and very noticeable differences made the season feel far more composed in its narrative and armospher than those previous.

While the season had many high points, it also had many shortcomings. The third season handled a lot of major plot points, but overall significantly failed to show the different sides of all the characters. In the past couple of seasons, multiple characters have dealt with serious issues and battle scars, but overall they lack realistic human wear and tear.

Outside of a few key characters, there also was a general lack of development for many characters, especially for Sabrina. Sabrina’s one-dimensionality and total lack of growth can at times be incredibly disconcerting and frustrating. Her inability to consistently grapple with the real consequences of her actions reaches impossible heights in the third season, making Sabrina quite a nuisance in this season.

Another thing that must be discussed is the show’s focus on underage teenage sex. As the writers for the show’s previous works include “Riverdale,” it is not entirely surprising. While the show does better than “Riverdale” when it comes to depicting the actual act, there are still some crucial problems. 

Regardless of the real actors’ ages, the show again discusses and features a fair bit of sex between characters who are not legally of age. 

While promoting dialogue about these issues can be beneficial for younger and impressionable viewers, hyper sexualizing minors and intentionally displaying unrealistic narratives of sex are not okay. 

To make matters worse, this season takes the time to deliberately highlight which main characters are virgins and which ones are not, and it fails to properly navigate the problematic subject. While the show is tied to Riverdale, it could do a world of good to focus less on the subject matter of underage sex.

 Overall, the season did an excellent job of keeping the story riveting and exciting. While the show still lives in the shadow of other supernatural television shows with teen leads like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” it has done an excellent job of carving out a place for itself. 

Towards the end of this season, the writing turned to hackneyed resolutions for conflicts that will have repercussions on the show going forward. 

Still, hopefully the writers properly will take that into account and address it adequately. The season executed many things well but left some things to be desired. “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” has proven that it can handle what would usually be a season three slump, and it is exciting to consider what might follow in subsequent seasons.

Coolest boy at the party Ryan Beatty released his second album since reinventing his sound. In the early 2010s’, Beatty was seen as a teenage pop heartthrob, or a JV Justin Bieber. After a two year hiatus, he has returned to the limelight with a completely evolved sound and appearance. His first album, “Boy in Jeans,” tackled his coming out and navigating his sexuality as a former mainstream pop heartthrob. 

In the past few years, Beatty has also become an affiliate of hip hop collective, Brockhampton,  and been featured by artists Tyler the Creator and Benny Blanco. This latest album, “Dreaming of David,” draws from this experience and confirms that he is more than just a has-been
teen heartthrob. 

To label “Dreaming of David” as a pop album feels like a disservice. This album urges listeners to recognize the layers that make up each song. Beatty does a phenomenal job in merging dream pop with atmospheric or ambient pop. Ryan Beatty’s somber lyrics make him the “sad boy” of listeners’ dreams. 

The album is composed of a dozen tracks and mimics a dream from start to finish. If “Boy in Jeans” is summer, then “Dreaming of David” is definitely winter. It is beautiful in a dreary kind of way and comes from a place of incidental sadness. 

One of the first singles released off this album, “Dark Circles” begins with a calypso-like rhythm that is similar to an early 2000s ringtone. The heavily distorted vocals would make for a good background at a rave. The relaxing and steady rhythms are juxtaposed against the coarse vocals. 

Marking the end of the first half of the album is “Evergreen,” a song that perfectly sets the stage for a slightly more dream-pop second half. Beatty uses guitar loops to provide listeners the illusion of spinning in circles. “Evergreen” is a dizzyingly haunting track that puts listeners in a
dreamlike trance.   

“Backseat” begins with gentle rain and layered with guitar loops and quiet chatter. This track marks the first time that the listener truly gets to hear Beatty’s cutting tone. His angelic vocals demand attention and are just above a whisper. His lyrics are a snapshot of a relationship that has since ended. 

Final standout track “Casino” is a simple yet stunning song. This track incorporates anecdotal lyrics and speaks from a place of fresh heartbreak. The lyrics “Love me to death or don’t give me anything” are repeated over and over again. This line is bound to get stuck in listeners’ heads and create an unsettling feeling. This track makes for the best introduction for someone that has never listened to Beatty. It is the perfect combination of experimental-pop with radiofriendly vocals. 

Ryan Beatty’s sophomore album “Dreaming of David” has demonstrated his exponential growth and versatility as an artist. Although his first album is more top 40 friendly, his second album is exactly what his overzealous fans wanted: a dreamlike pop album with sad boy vibes.

Of Montreal takes listeners on a ride to the center of their psyche with album “UR FUN.” This Athens-based band was formed nearly a quarter of a century ago and has a sound that has aged like fine wine. “UR FUN” marks the band’s 20th album release and was written and recorded in frontman Kevin Barnes’s Athens home. Of Montreal has been integral to the reemergence of psychedelic indie pop music. “UR FUN” makes for a dizzyingly entertaining trip from start to finish. 

The album opens with upbeat “Peace To All Freaks” and has a sound that is  eerily similar to many alternative rock songs released in the early 2010s. This tune could be considered one of the band’s more radio-friendly songs because it lacks the experimental, psychedelic qualities that usually make up an Of Montreal song. 

“Polyaneurism” is as chaotic as its title, but fortunately it has that unmistakable Of Montreal sound and vibe. The song is full of complex, disjointed rhythms and vocals. The lyrics are almost incomprehensible and feel as though they are suffocating and circling the listener. 

The fourth track “Gypsy That Remains” is a fun and fast-paced song that mimics time passing. With its electronic heavy sound and smooth vocals, this “Gypsy That Remains” makes for the perfect song to drive with the windows down. 

“You’ve Had Me Everywhere” is chock-full of jumbled beats and a doo-wop vocals, creating yet another song reminiscent of early 2010s’ indie rock. As one of the first singles released off the album, it does a tremendous job in capturing the best elements of this experimental band. 

“Carmillas of Love” has a sound that stands apart from the rest of the album. It has a disorienting sound while also drawing the listener in deeper. This song also has a romantic quality that creates an optimistic atmosphere for listeners. 

The hilariously named “Don’t Let Me Die in America”  is comical and one of the more simple songs off of the album. Although it is extremely repetitive, it does not lose its appeal and is still a very catchy song. 

The album closes with “20th Century Schizofriendic Revengoid-man” and is more on the rock side than any of the other songs off the album. It features heavier guitar and less of a kaleidoscopic vibe. 

“UR FUN” offers songs that longtime fans and new listeners will both enjoy. This album is able to make psychedelic rock easier to swallow for those that are not as familiar with the genre. Over the course of just over 40 minutes, Of Montreal introduces listeners to an otherworldly sound that truly cannot be put into words. “UR FUN” is a totally immersive experience and is undoubtedly worth a listen.  

For a television series, endings are difficult. If showrunners follow their artistic intuition, such as in the case of the abrupt fade to black in “The Sopranos,” viewers get put off. When writers give into the whims of their fans, storylines become resolved almost too perfectly. Alternatively, toeing the line between the two extremes can result in a failure on all accounts, like in “Game of Thrones.”

“BoJack Horseman” remarkably eschews this finale dilemma. After years of assaulting viewers with its protagonist’s crimes, fans have been trained for what was always the creators’ intent: BoJack’s bout with justice.

The sixth and final season of the Netflix animated series was divided into two segments — each comprised of eight episodes. Audiences last observed the eponymous horse recovering from years of alcohol and depression. Just as BoJack (Will Arnett, “Arrested Development”) starts to find his peace and happiness in sobriety, journalists begin to uncover his various crimes, and Hollyhock (Aparna Nancherla, “A Simple Favor”) — BoJack’s half-sister — also learns of his previous misdeeds.

Released on Jan. 31, part two follows closely. BoJack accepts a position at Hollyhock’s college where he becomes an acting professor. Meanwhile, Hollyhock gives him a deserved cold shoulder. Then, on the night of his students’ acting showcase, he receives a call from his past that sends his peaceful bliss crashing back down to reality.

With the guidance of his friends — Diane (Allison Brie, “Community”), Todd (Aaron Paul, “Breaking Bad”) and Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris, “Elf”) — he faces the allegations head-on in an all-access interview. Although he initially handles it well, his typical BoJack vanity leads him to deepen his own mess. Dismayed by the reality of BoJack’s crimes, his friends finally begin to turn on him, sending him into one more depressive spiral.

This might sound awfully serious for an animated comedy. But the final eight episodes are not all BoJack, and they are certainly not all serious.

Todd — the goofy, freeloading asexual who used to sleep on BoJack’s couch — prances through a variety of kooky capers with his new girlfriend, Maude (YouTube personality Echo Gillette). Maude was the adorable “CinnaBunny” from earlier in the season, and she makes the perfect fit for Todd. From enabling his failed “Marshmallow Experiment” to sharing his love for random, nonsensical ideas, her relationship with Todd might truly be the highlight of the season. She even helps Todd reconnect with his mother in the funniest scheme imaginable.

The chipper yellow-lab Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins, “Comedy Bang! Bang!”) somehow creates a love triangle between him, his fiancee and popstar Joey Pogo. His television show, “Birthday Dad,” continues to takeoff and is a constant source of levity and comedic relief during serious moments.

Princess Carolyn’s storyline is not as full of wackiness, but her career and personal life have never been better. Where previous seasons used to perpetuate her awful work-life balance, the final one has found her successfully juggling a baby, a business and now even an unexpected romantic partner who makes that balance even lighter. BoJack thought he had ruined the best years of her life, but it turns out that the best years of her life are still ahead of her.

Diane continues bouts of depression, but supportive loved ones keep her on track. She gives up her fixation on damage and sadness, channeling her newfound happiness into a lucrative book series. In a display of even greater maturity, Diane connects with her boyfriend’s son and helps to maintain that bond.

The key for each character’s progress comes almost as a direct result of the loop of toxicity that BoJack’s presence caused. As soon as they move on, their lives begin to settle. 

BoJack is not quite as fortunate as he finally receives overdue consequences for his actions. When his friends and the public turn on him, he is forced to resort to a fellow problematic celebrity for friendship. Ultimately, he spirals and relapses again before the show’s finale.

The truth is that, despite its nihilist shell, consequences do matter on “BoJack Horseman.” BoJack was always going to face the music, and fans have been primed for just that.

“BoJack Horseman” handles its finale in its own unique way. Existential questions of meaning and purpose are explored. Characters share fond conversations. And there are always a few goofs to lighten the tension.

There might not be a greater meaning than the relationships humans (and animals) forge. Individuals struggle, make mistakes and even commit crimes. “BoJack Horseman” wants viewers to confront their problems and grow. Or, as Todd says, “Do the Hokey Pokey and turn yourself around.” That is what “BoJack Horseman” is all about.

Jazz music is not only deeply rooted in the history of Atlanta, but in the history of Tech. Exactly 100 years ago, campus hosted one of the earliest radio music broadcasts in history when Tech’s  band performed jazz music that was then transmitted through wireless telephone to a party being held at  Capital City Club.

One hundred years later, the presence of jazz music within Tech’s atmosphere has become no less significant. 

To gain insight into the modern-day jazz program offered on campus, the Technique sat down with jazz band director and professional performer Dr. Chip Crotts. 

Crotts began by emphasizing what makes jazz so interesting to study and how it differs from other musical genres.

“Jazz, unlike classical music, allows for a lot more individuality within the art form,”  Crotts said. “That’s probably one of the things that really drew me into jazz music. 

“Jazz is the foundation for all of the music we listen to from country to pop to rap and hip hop,” Crotts continued. “The creativity and individuality of jazz is really what drives me.”

Crotts further  explained the significance of the traits that jazz drives — like creativity and individuality — in a technologically-focused environment like Tech’s.

“With such a great academic program that is very technically driven like the one here at Tech, it is special to have what we do in the jazz and music area, because it allows for a different kind of thinking,” Crotts explained. 

“There is a creative, outside-of-the-box mindset that comes with learning about music that I think helps complete the students here at Tech and allows them to be more well-rounded.”

Crotts emphasized learning how to work in a team setting as one such example of the well-rounded attributes that can be gained from participating in a music program.  

“The students in the music program and the jazz program are the ones that can handle things without specific instructions and know how to work in a team. They learn to practice and play a valuable part in a greater team,” Crotts explained. 

“I want students to gain something that helps them in the real world beyond just a musical scenario, something tangible they can take with them when they graduate.”

Crotts noted that students who play an instrument not only learn lessons that can be applied elsewhere, but can even be made healthier as well — both mentally and physically. 

“Music allows for a release and a chance to get away from the stress of being a student at a  prestigious school like Georgia Tech. There are a lot of students who like that sort of outlet and even need that outlet. 

“We can see this within our community, from open-mic nights at Under The Couch to a more structured musical outlet like what we have with our program,” said Crotts.

In order to take advantage of all the jazz program offers, all students have the chance to audition for the band at the beginning of every semester. 

“There are a lot of opportunities and we really try to place anyone we can. We have a wide variety of skill levels and experience within our program,” said Crotts.

The goal of  the jazz program is to put on high quality concerts that will allow for both the audience and the students to share in a unique experience. 

“We want to practice and improve so that we can put on the best performance we possibly can,” said Crotts. 

“During a concert we typically play a wide variety of music to keep the audience entertained. After every show, everyone walks away with a different favorite piece from swing dancing to a more rock-driven piece.”

The jazz program has several on-campus concerts coming up this semester.  A schedule of upcoming performances can be found at https://music.gatech.edu/concerts. 

Football game days. Men’s basketball game days. Women’s basketball game days. Volleyball game days. Practices. Workouts. Appearances. This is what it looks like to be a cheerleader at Tech. And this is my life since I became a Yellow Jacket in 2017.

Athletes all have their own rigorous sports schedules on top of academics. No two players are alike but all are equal in overcommitment to their life as an athlete. There has always been whispers of “what if’s” when it comes to the topic of NCAA athletes getting compensated for their collegiate performance. But why has this not happened? Well I am glad you asked. Let us unpack this further.

To begin with, while most of the funds athletic programs receive go to the coaching staff and athletic directors, this is their full-time job. In comparison, student-athletes are not spending 40+ hours a week solely on their respective sport. In addition, playing sports in college should be seen as a privilege and not a job. 

While yes, most student-athletes make their college decision based upon the athletics of the school or the team itself, they are still there for education as their “nine to five job.” Even more so at Tech, a key differentiator from most other colleges is that you have to get into the Institute first before your athletic capabilities can come into play. If Tech athletes were to be paid this would diminish the prestige of their degree when they graduate. 

Before I go any further, I think it is important to point out the fact that student-athletes still are being financially recognized through scholarships. This is the best approach to giving student-athletes that value-add feeling but also bringing together the alumni community of every college to pour into the current athletes with sponsored scholarships. 

This builds community. This builds a network of Tech enthusiasts past and present and helps shape the future of the school’s athletics. These scholarships are ultimately a gift, and if instead of scholarships students were paid there would not be the same level of gratitude expressed by players worldwide for their opportunity to be in the position they are in, on the team they are on and ultimately at the school they are at. 

According to a New York Times article, Californian Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill to go into effect in 2023 to allow college athletes to receive endorsements and have their own hired agents. Their argument is that college sport industries are generating too much revenue in comparison to the wear and tear being put on the athletes. But backtrack a second and recall that the students made the choice to be on the team. 

And at the end of the day, student-athletes are at school with the rest of the students to get a degree. Not all collegiate athletes are even good enough to make it to the next level. Why compensate these athletes that are not going to make it to the pros and giving them false hope of their careers continuing? Instead, let them live their dream of college athletics, and let the professional leagues decide whether or not they should be paid. 

Plus, according to the NCAA, “This directly contradicts the mission of college sports within higher education — that student-athletes are students first and choose to play a sport they love against other students while earning a degree.” 

Is change necessary and appropriate with the day and age we are in? Yes. But it is important to remember the mission of the NCAA when making these changes and not lose sight of the primary reason for going to college — getting your diploma and getting to say, “I got out!”

Taylor Swift welcomes Lana Wilson — and consequently, millions of other people — into her life with a glimpse into her childhood diaries. That is how she sets the stage for her new Netflix documentary, “Miss Americana” — by allowing people a brief glimpse into the most personal parts of her life.

On Friday Jan. 31, Netflix released the highly-anticipated documentary, named for Swift’s most political song yet from her 2019 album, “Lover.” Directed by Emmy-winner Lana Wilson (“After Tiller”), “Miss Americana” offers a new side of Taylor Swift. Though Swift is known for her deeply personal and confessional songwriting, Lana Wilson introduces viewers to a side of Swift that has never been seen in her 15 years in the music industry. “Miss Americana” shows all the raw, emotional, heartbreaking and fulfilling moments of a career in the spotlight, and Swift takes aim at all of the things that have attempted to dismantle her over the years.

Viewers are able to watch Swift grapple with everything from political opinions, health issues, family struggles and a shifting mindset as she grows up through her 20s in a highly-speculated, overly-publicized environment. This is a rare opportunity, considering Swift’s entire persona has been built upon a balancing act of infamy and notoriety simultaneously. 

A recurring theme in “Miss Americana” is Swift’s desire to be polite, to maintain the peace and play by the rules, a responsibility that is often placed on women in a patriarchal society and industry. Yet, Wilson takes this documentary as a chance to highlight Swift’s work to dismantle this foundation on which she had built her entire life, identity and career. 

“My entire moral code as a kid — and now — is a need to be thought of as good,” Swift says in the opening scene. “It was all I wrote about. It was all I wanted — it was the complete and total belief system that I subscribed to as a kid.” 

This idea permeates much of “Miss Americana”, and that is the most powerful aspect of this documentary. Opening with this idea humanizes Swift despite her iconic status. Fans, especially young women, are able to find pieces of themselves in this representation of Swift. 

Wilson highlights a number of important moments in Swift’s life that deconstructed this belief system and those that put her life into perspective. In the midst of snapshots of Swift’s songwriting process, excitement in the studio, time with loved ones and Swift’s infamous cats, the documentary does not shy from difficult topics. Swift acknowledges a deeply personal and heartbreaking struggle with her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer several years prior.

“Do you really care if the internet doesn’t like you today if your mom’s sick from her chemo?” Swift questions, once again attacking her need to be good. 

“Miss Americana” takes another jab at this expectation of goodness: how it began to morph into a monster that affected Swift’s mental and physical health. In a strikingly vulnerable moment, Swift opens up about an eating disorder she dealt with in her 20s. Swift confesses to not eating in order to maintain a look she thought she was supposed to have. 

“You don’t ever say to yourself, ‘I have an eating disorder,’ but you know you’re making a list of everything that you put in your mouth that day and you know that’s probably not right, but then again there’s so many diet blogs that tell you that’s what you should do.”

Perhaps the most significant catalyst for Swift’s mindset change was her 2017 sexual assault trial. Another difficult subject to address in an otherwise fast-paced documentary, Wilson and Swift find a way to do it justice. Swift powerfully acknowledges her privilege in her trial. 

“The process is so dehumanizing. This is with seven witnesses and a photo,” Swift says of her trial. 

She goes on to wonder what happens to other women who do not have these things — those with only their word as defense. 

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry to anyone who ever wasn’t believed, because I don’t know what turn my life would’ve taken if people didn’t believe me when I said that something had happened to me.”

This moment is what propelled Swift to take a stance in politics, despite keeping her opinions quiet for over a decade. In her long-term effort to be “good”, Swift also kept quiet. Yet, all of these experiences catapulted her into a space to stand up against the injustices she sees in the world. In the midst of everything, Swift found her voice; she learned to deconstruct those ideals upon which she had built her life. 

“I want to love glitter and also stand up for the double standards that exist in our society,” Swift says. “I want to wear pink and tell you how I feel about politics. I don’t think that those things have to cancel each other out. I want to still have a sharp pen, and a thin skin and an open heart.”

“Miss Americana” shines in its duality. It shows the mountains and the valleys of Swift’s life, the pink and the politics, the lighthearted joy and the heartbreaking hits. Most importantly, “Miss Americana” shows that these things can all exist harmoniously. Through it all, Wilson is able to string together a collection of moments that make Taylor Swift feel less like a stranger.

For Aaron Traywick, the road to graduating from Tech’s sister campus in Savannah with a B.S. in CE was full of twists and turns. And his road to working for Google? That was another winding journey.

Traywick’s atypical college experience began with him pursuing a BME degree at Mercer University in the hopes of becoming a doctor. However, after a few technical introductory courses, Traywick quickly found that he was more inclined toward the business side of engineering and decided it was time to make a change. Seeking a balance between business and engineering, Traywick decided to instead pursue a degree in IE.

Due to personal circumstances, Traywick was not able to complete his undergraduate degree with the rest of his peers. He was, however, able to gain industry experience from one rotation as an industrial engineering intern at Gulfstream Aerospace. 

Despite this halt in his academic studies, Traywick never lost sight of his educational dreams and goals. After a five year gap, Traywick was ardent to resume his undergraduate career. 

Once he completed his transfer to Tech’s Savannah Campus, Traywick had originally planned to pursue IE. Upon discovering that a majority of classes were conducted online through a web camera, but that other majors like Civil Engineering had full-time faculty on campus, Traywick switched to the CE program. 

“I wanted a more intimate learning environment where the professors were more available and there was more hands-on experience,” Traywick explained.

Despite graduating with a B.S. in CE, Traywick’s zeal for industrial engineering never left him. Nevertheless, his formal background in a different field of engineering added an additional layer of friction during his job search. While searching for a job at a university career fair, Traywick was rejected from the same company he had earlier interned with as an IE major.

“The recruiter at the booth told me that even with previous internship experience in the field, it wasn’t enough for a full-time offer since I didn’t have the corresponding degree,” Traywick explained.

Fortunately for Traywick, J.C. Bamford Excavators Ltd (JCB) saw potential in him.

“Finding the right first job is difficult,” Traywick admitted. “So try not to get discouraged especially if you are in a non-traditional situation, just as I was.”

During his ten years with JCB, Traywick worked his way up from a lower level manufacturing engineer to an operations manager. As a higherlevel manager, Traywick had responsibilities such as process improvement, developing bills of material structure, setting up production lines, tooling and fixturing. 

This broad range of tasks allowed him to expand his knowledge base and expertise and would eventually assist him in his more demanding roles at the bigger corporations he would later join — specifically Google where he currently works. At Google, Traywick is able to apply the knowledge and skills he gained to launch proprietary products and facilitate team building. 

Last Friday, Georgia Tech held its third TedX Talk of the semester as a part of its “Vision” series, which featured nine student speakers over three days. Audience members heard inspiring stories from students who’ve turned struggles into lessons they’ve applied to their college lifestyles. 

The first talk was given by Hassaan Asif, a third-year CHEM major who loves boxing and photography. He spoke about the difficulty of coming to Tech and experiencing imposter syndrome, a reality many new students feel as they become small fish in a big pond. Last year, Asif began to volunteer at a medical center open for only two hours a week. This experience was incredibly formative for him as he realized that he didn’t have to be a high-powered medical professional to profoundly impact the people around him. 

For the rest of his talk, he lamented the belief that seemingly insignificant students can’t be influential, and he emphasized that just being there for both strangers and loved ones counts as volunteerism. 

He concluded by stressing that Georgia Tech’s motto is progress and service, and that doing small things for each other does a great service not only to our community, but to our own mental health. 

The second speaker was Vishaka Holsambre, fourth-year CS, fascinated by influencer marketing and its ethics. She delved into the rise of influencers, especially on Instagram, and talked about how this has changed traditional advertising methods and has challenged the definition of beauty. The main takeaway was that we should not be so quick to discard the efforts of influencers to sell us their sponsored products; we should instead support their individuality and applaud their hard work. This new facet of the economy allows for a much more diverse and interesting market, and we should encourage voices from the minority rather than squash them. 

The last talk was on what it means to play when you’re a busy college student. Sarthak Narjivan, a pre-health CHEM major in his fourth year at Tech, reminisced about his first year away from home living in Smith Residence Hall. He and the rest of his floor found a community in the shower stalls; they literally formed a team of shower pranksters called TeamShower. 

After a year of throwing soap on each other every night, Narjivan says he realized the group had done far more than create a fun nighttime distraction. They’d found a safe, invigorating, and family-like environment doing something completely silly and definitely not career-related. When asked what he’d tell students who say they don’t have the time to play, he answered, “I’d say you do. You have to adopt the idea that life is easy, not complicated. Once you do that, you see that you can shape your life around your commitments. When you make time for fun, the hard parts get easier and go by quicker. Time expands to fit what you need it to be.” He finished by giving Tech students three pieces of advice: one, find people who share your passion, two, be as spontaneous as possible whenever possible and three, work toward a crazy goal that will give your life direction, even if it’s ridiculous. 

The event was put on by 33 students, one of whom was first-year Tanya Iyers. She encouraged other students to get involved, saying she’d found an “inspiring and intellectual community” in the TedX organization. Students can apply to join either the Finance, Media, Speakers, Production, Community or Programming team when they sign up to help with the next Ted Talk. 

Unpacking the media coverage of Bryant’s death as well as the overwhelming social-media response that followed

Vishva Natarajan

Kobe Bryant’s death undoubtedly came as a surprise for millions of Americans and fans around the world. Media coverage of such an impactful and emotionally charged event ought to be sensitive, but apparently this can often be a difficult compromise for media outlets that seek to quickly spread more facts and news about the death of a legendary star. 

I think news outlets should prioritize accuracy of news while delivering it in a reasonably timely manner: not rush to inform audiences at the detriment of news accuracy. 

It is also important for media outlets to gauge how fast is too fast when rushing to cover a story, all while considering who would be affected by the reporting — in this case, the Bryant family. How a media outlet weighs these factors says a lot about the outlet’s values, credibility and in my opinion, overall quality.

According to the New York Times, TMZ reported the death of Bryant before his family was informed of it. Sadly, much of a celebrity’s family’s privacy is non-existant. However, in a serious matter like the death of a husband and father, TMZ’s move was highly insensitive. 

Further, Matt Gutman of ABC news reported all four of Bryant’s children died before later apologizing on Twitter. 

And speaking of Twitter, the initial TMZ report incited such a cacophony of loose reporting that President Trump in his tweet stated, “Bryant and three others have been killed in a helicopter crash” even though Bryant and eight others
were killed. 

I imagine the President not mentioning the death of Bryant’s daughter would have been hurtful to the family.

In the age of the internet, false stories and misleading narratives are ubiquitous and spread rapidly. 

What would usually be a private and sensitive matter becomes a topic of open discussion and speculation by what the family might consider complete strangers. 

It is easy to state that media outlets should respond the way the Los Angeles Times did, by acknowledging the need for more investigation before coming to conclusions. 

But I think the unfortunate truth is that given the disproportionate influence of anonymous sources and the powerful vehicle that is social media, the problem of loose reporting is probably not going away anytime soon.

Will Marchant

Traditional and social media responded to Kobe Bryant’s death with a consensus sorrow and respect for the late Lakers player that allowed no room for voices of genuine concern for his troubling past conduct. It created a rare moment of monoculture in our divided and fractional world. 

Writers, fans and generic public figures all acted within this monoculture narrative. Social media became a 48-hour loop where everyone you knew eulogized the late Kobe Bryant. When individuals stepped outside the monoculture view of him, the herd lashed out. 

The most troubling of which was the Washington Post’s suspension of writer Felicia Sonmez. The writer tweeted a link to a fact-based story on Kobe Bryant’s 2003 sexual assault case with no attached comment. 

Details in this case are uncomfortable to read and write about. I can only imagine how victims of sexual assault felt as they saw the monoculture’s response to the death of Kobe Bryant, and I apologize that this may be yet another piece that will be triggering in this uncomfortable time. 

Kobe Bryant was likely a rapist. His 2003 victim sustained injuries from his attack. Kobe Bryant’s legal team used the victim’s sexual history against her. The legal team claimed she may have been pursuing wealth even though the victim reportedly came from a wealthy family. 

The legal team talked of the victim’s past depression, as if accusing a powerful man of sexual assault would not worsen her mental health. The legal team represented Kobe Bryant, and the legal team cannot be separated from
Kobe Bryant. 

Sonmez, a victim of sexual assault herself, was punished by the Post for speaking out. Democracy dies in darkness, but according to the Post, sometimes democracy is silencing the weak. And sometimes democracy acting in the light provokes enough of a backlash that you have to reinstate your writer near immediately. 

The Washington Post represents the establishment, and the only reason the writer was reinstated so quickly was because there was enough backlash to force them to. 

Traditional media caught itself out farther than the educated public that consumes their media. There is more appetite for accountability and far less for protecting adults’ heroes.