Since Abbott Elementary first aired just a few years ago, the show has racked up two dozen Emmy nominations, taking home four along with winning countless other awards and accolades over the years. With how exceptional the show is overall, it would seem difficult for one character in particular to stand out, especially with just how strong the entire cast is. However, the character Melissa, portrayed by actor and comedian Lisa Ann Walter, appears to have done just that. 

For those that have seen the show, it is very clear why fans have taken such a liking to her, especially those in the Philadelphia area. With her distinct hoagiemouth accent and toughness, the character reminds fans of people they may know from their neighborhood, or maybe even their own mothers. Despite how natural Melissa sounds talking about ”wooder ice” and the Birds, Walter says that getting it down was not as easy as it seems, but she knew it was something she needed to do.

“I work really hard on the accent,” Walter states. “It’s really important for me to honor the people from the neighborhood because they have such pride in the neighborhood, and the accent is a big piece of it. So I really try to get it right.” Without a doubt, fans have noticed this, and have truly embraced the actress as one of their own. She describes an encounter she had last year at Philly’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, where Walter was riding down the Ben Franklin Parkway in a float when a clearly-drunken fan came running up to her. “She’s like, ‘let me tell you something,’” Walter regales, using her best Philly impression for the fan. “‘Philadelphia loves you, ‘cause you are so effing,’ and then she starts dropping f-bomb after f-bomb after f-bomb.” Walter then pulled her phone out to record the whole interaction, before sending it to Abbott creator and Philly native Quinta Brunson, with Walter describing the whole thing as “so Philly.”

Once again, there is no doubt that Walter paid her dues to get to this level of love from the city. A native of the Washington, D.C. area, Walter had a lot of work to do in order to get the accent down, and although it is hard to imagine Melissa talking any differently, the accent was not necessarily a requirement. “They were like, whatever you do is fine,” says Walter, “but it was important to me, so I just studied.” How did she go about this exactly? Walter’s process involved a lot of hours of listening to people online pronounce words like towel and water, of course nowhere close to how they are spelled or pronounced anywhere else in the world. She also looked for inspiration in celebrities like Montco native Bradley Cooper, or Delco native and indie musician Alex G, making sure to encompass the full range of the area when figuring out how Melissa would speak.

Walter’s affinity for Philly goes far beyond her work, though. One way she has connected with the city has been through the food, especially the cheesesteaks. Of course, she first had to address the elephant in the room, and answer the question at the top of everyone’s minds: “John’s Roast Pork was my favorite cheesesteak, but Dalessandro’s was my favorite hoagie.” This decision comes after checking out nine different spots during her time in Philly. In the past, this time has been sparse, but may be more permanent going forward as Walter hopes to buy a home right along Philly’s Main Line. While the official move might have to wait until Walter decides to take a step back from her career, the area already feels like home to her. “When the people are on the street hugging me and kissing me, it makes me feel like family,” says Walter. “It makes me feel like home. It makes me feel embraced.”

Another way that Walter has felt this brotherly love is through her stand up performances, some of which are coming up this July at Philly’s Helium Comedy Club. For Walter, performing for a Philadelphia audience is as good as it gets. “There’s just no place in the country like Philly,” she says. “I don’t know if it will ever change but my best shows are always in Philly.” As much success as she has had in her career, both on the stage and on the screen, there is something about stand-up that Walter will always hold on to dearly. “I love doing stand-up because it is watching in real time an audience having joy because of something I’m doing, which is the reason I got into the business.”

Once again, Lisa Ann Walter will be performing at the Helium Comedy Club on July 11th, 12th, and 13th for a total of five shows. Tickets can be bought here: https://philadelphia.heliumcomedy.com/shows/310070 

Since Abbott Elementary first aired just a few years ago, the show has racked up two dozen Emmy nominations, taking home four along with winning countless other awards and accolades over the years. With how exceptional the show is overall, it would seem difficult for one character in particular to stand out, especially with just how strong the entire cast is. However, the character Melissa, portrayed by actor and comedian Lisa Ann Walter, appears to have done just that. 

For those that have seen the show, it is very clear why fans have taken such a liking to her, especially those in the Philadelphia area. With her distinct hoagiemouth accent and toughness, the character reminds fans of people they may know from their neighborhood, or maybe even their own mothers. Despite how natural Melissa sounds talking about ”wooder ice” and the Birds, Walter says that getting it down was not as easy as it seems, but she knew it was something she needed to do.

“I work really hard on the accent,” Walter states. “It’s really important for me to honor the people from the neighborhood because they have such pride in the neighborhood, and the accent is a big piece of it. So I really try to get it right.” Without a doubt, fans have noticed this, and have truly embraced the actress as one of their own. She describes an encounter she had last year at Philly’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, where Walter was riding down the Ben Franklin Parkway in a float when a clearly-drunken fan came running up to her. “She’s like, ‘let me tell you something,’” Walter regales, using her best Philly impression for the fan. “‘Philadelphia loves you, ‘cause you are so effing,’ and then she starts dropping f-bomb after f-bomb after f-bomb.” Walter then pulled her phone out to record the whole interaction, before sending it to Abbott creator and Philly native Quinta Brunson, with Walter describing the whole thing as “so Philly.”

Once again, there is no doubt that Walter paid her dues to get to this level of love from the city. A native of the Washington, D.C. area, Walter had a lot of work to do in order to get the accent down, and although it is hard to imagine Melissa talking any differently, the accent was not necessarily a requirement. “They were like, whatever you do is fine,” says Walter, “but it was important to me, so I just studied.” How did she go about this exactly? Walter’s process involved a lot of hours of listening to people online pronounce words like towel and water, of course nowhere close to how they are spelled or pronounced anywhere else in the world. She also looked for inspiration in celebrities like Montco native Bradley Cooper, or Delco native and indie musician Alex G, making sure to encompass the full range of the area when figuring out how Melissa would speak.

Walter’s affinity for Philly goes far beyond her work, though. One way she has connected with the city has been through the food, especially the cheesesteaks. Of course, she first had to address the elephant in the room, and answer the question at the top of everyone’s minds: “John’s Roast Pork was my favorite cheesesteak, but Dalessandro’s was my favorite hoagie.” This decision comes after checking out nine different spots during her time in Philly. In the past, this time has been sparse, but may be more permanent going forward as Walter hopes to buy a home right along Philly’s Main Line. While the official move might have to wait until Walter decides to take a step back from her career, the area already feels like home to her. “When the people are on the street hugging me and kissing me, it makes me feel like family,” says Walter. “It makes me feel like home. It makes me feel embraced.”

Another way that Walter has felt this brotherly love is through her stand up performances, some of which are coming up this July at Philly’s Helium Comedy Club. For Walter, performing for a Philadelphia audience is as good as it gets. “There’s just no place in the country like Philly,” she says. “I don’t know if it will ever change but my best shows are always in Philly.” As much success as she has had in her career, both on the stage and on the screen, there is something about stand-up that Walter will always hold on to dearly. “I love doing stand-up because it is watching in real time an audience having joy because of something I’m doing, which is the reason I got into the business.”

Once again, Lisa Ann Walter will be performing at the Helium Comedy Club on July 11th, 12th, and 13th for a total of five shows. Tickets can be bought here: https://philadelphia.heliumcomedy.com/shows/310070 

Since Abbott Elementary first aired just a few years ago, the show has racked up two dozen Emmy nominations, taking home four along with winning countless other awards and accolades over the years. With how exceptional the show is overall, it would seem difficult for one character in particular to stand out, especially with just how strong the entire cast is. However, the character Melissa, portrayed by actor and comedian Lisa Ann Walter, appears to have done just that. 

For those that have seen the show, it is very clear why fans have taken such a liking to her, especially those in the Philadelphia area. With her distinct hoagiemouth accent and toughness, the character reminds fans of people they may know from their neighborhood, or maybe even their own mothers. Despite how natural Melissa sounds talking about ”wooder ice” and the Birds, Walter says that getting it down was not as easy as it seems, but she knew it was something she needed to do.

“I work really hard on the accent,” Walter states. “It’s really important for me to honor the people from the neighborhood because they have such pride in the neighborhood, and the accent is a big piece of it. So I really try to get it right.” Without a doubt, fans have noticed this, and have truly embraced the actress as one of their own. She describes an encounter she had last year at Philly’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, where Walter was riding down the Ben Franklin Parkway in a float when a clearly-drunken fan came running up to her. “She’s like, ‘let me tell you something,’” Walter regales, using her best Philly impression for the fan. “‘Philadelphia loves you, ‘cause you are so effing,’ and then she starts dropping f-bomb after f-bomb after f-bomb.” Walter then pulled her phone out to record the whole interaction, before sending it to Abbott creator and Philly native Quinta Brunson, with Walter describing the whole thing as “so Philly.”

Once again, there is no doubt that Walter paid her dues to get to this level of love from the city. A native of the Washington, D.C. area, Walter had a lot of work to do in order to get the accent down, and although it is hard to imagine Melissa talking any differently, the accent was not necessarily a requirement. “They were like, whatever you do is fine,” says Walter, “but it was important to me, so I just studied.” How did she go about this exactly? Walter’s process involved a lot of hours of listening to people online pronounce words like towel and water, of course nowhere close to how they are spelled or pronounced anywhere else in the world. She also looked for inspiration in celebrities like Montco native Bradley Cooper, or Delco native and indie musician Alex G, making sure to encompass the full range of the area when figuring out how Melissa would speak.

Walter’s affinity for Philly goes far beyond her work, though. One way she has connected with the city has been through the food, especially the cheesesteaks. Of course, she first had to address the elephant in the room, and answer the question at the top of everyone’s minds: “John’s Roast Pork was my favorite cheesesteak, but Dalessandro’s was my favorite hoagie.” This decision comes after checking out nine different spots during her time in Philly. In the past, this time has been sparse, but may be more permanent going forward as Walter hopes to buy a home right along Philly’s Main Line. While the official move might have to wait until Walter decides to take a step back from her career, the area already feels like home to her. “When the people are on the street hugging me and kissing me, it makes me feel like family,” says Walter. “It makes me feel like home. It makes me feel embraced.”

Another way that Walter has felt this brotherly love is through her stand up performances, some of which are coming up this July at Philly’s Helium Comedy Club. For Walter, performing for a Philadelphia audience is as good as it gets. “There’s just no place in the country like Philly,” she says. “I don’t know if it will ever change but my best shows are always in Philly.” As much success as she has had in her career, both on the stage and on the screen, there is something about stand-up that Walter will always hold on to dearly. “I love doing stand-up because it is watching in real time an audience having joy because of something I’m doing, which is the reason I got into the business.”

Once again, Lisa Ann Walter will be performing at the Helium Comedy Club on July 11th, 12th, and 13th for a total of five shows. Tickets can be bought here: https://philadelphia.heliumcomedy.com/shows/310070 

This spring, the Drexel Theatre Program is presenting its rendition of “Urinetown: The Musical.” The show opened on May 9 and will continue to run through May 17 at the Mandell Theater. The musical is a witty satire that explores themes of authoritarianism, corporate greed, environmental degradation and civil resistance—all cloaked in humor and theatrical irony. Although “Urinetown” was written in 2001, its relevance is especially pronounced in the current presidential administration, serving as both a mirror and a warning.

“Urinetown” dramatizes a society where private corporations, backed by government enforcement, control a basic human need: access to public restrooms. In this dystopian world, environmental collapse has justified extreme measures, and citizens must pay to use public facilities. The musical warns about the risks of turning basic needs into products for profit and how easily government power can be influenced or taken over by businesses.

Throughout the show, the students’ energetic and passionate performances are captivating. Despite the musical’s runtime exceeding two hours, the cast maintains an impressive level of engagement and momentum, ensuring the audience remains fully immersed from start to finish. Remarkably, even characters with minimal spoken lines possess distinct and memorable personalities, brought to life through expressive body language, facial expressions and consistent character work. By the final curtain, each performer has made a lasting impression. The transitions between the vibrant musical numbers and the dynamic, often witty dialogue are seamless, with no scene feeling drawn out or misplaced. 

The casting choices appear especially thoughtful and strategic; each actor embodies their role so convincingly that it becomes easy to forget they are performing, despite the narrator’s periodic reminders that the story exists within a fictional musical framework. The duo of Officer Lockstock and Officer Barrel—the law enforcement figures who serve the interests of the private corporation controlling the city’s public amenities—stand out as particularly talented performers. Their comedic timing and chemistry create a consistently hilarious stage dynamic that keeps the audience engaged and laughing out loud, even when the subject matter veers into darker territory. Additionally, the actor portraying the assistant to the boss of the evil corporation delivers an outstanding performance. He fully embodies his character, maintaining an unwavering commitment to the role—even in the final moments before exiting the stage. The cast of “Urinetown” demonstrated an impressive level of commitment to their roles, which played a crucial part in the overall success of the production.

Throughout the show, the experiences of the characters encourage audiences to question who benefits from policy decisions, how narratives of “public good” can obscure exploitation and what is at risk of happening when people are pushed past their breaking point. The animated performances of the actors in the Drexel Theatre Program’s production of “Urinetown” highlight the fragility of rights, the risks of complacency and the power of collective resistance—making this musical as relevant now as ever.

This past Saturday, Drexel University’s Dance Marathon organization held its annual DragonThon main event. By the end of the six-hour event, they announced that over the course of the year, the organization had raised $50,400.17, all of which was donated to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. In the last three years, they have raised over $138,000 for the hospital, and this does not seem to be stopping anytime soon.

Formed in 2020, the organization just completed its fifth year at Drexel. Each year, the operation grows larger and larger. “I have had the pleasure of seeing this organization grow year after year and I am so proud of what we achieved,” says Hailee Walker, who served as the program’s executive director this past year. “We fight to give kids a chance at enjoying childhood, because kids can’t wait for a cure. They only get to be kids once.”

At the end of the day, this is what it is all for. All of the money raised by the organization goes towards the Child Life department at CHOP, which essentially allows patients to live their best lives possible despite their situations. While in the hospital, patients are given access to top-of-the-line treatment and care. They are given the opportunity to live as normal a life as they can, and are able to prepare themselves for their lives after treatment is over.

This is why what Dance Marathon does is so important, and why those involved work so hard day in and day out. Even though the main event was only six hours, the work the program does is 24/7, 365. Planning for the year began as early as last summer, and fundraising efforts lasted until the clock struck six p.m. the Saturday of the event. Throughout the year, the organization hosted countless events designed to raise as much money as possible for the cause. This included Flyers games, fundraising drives and the crowd-favorite pi day, where over $1,000 was raised from people throwing whipped cream pies at each other.

Dance Marathon also makes an effort to involve other on-campus organizations in its philanthropic efforts, partnering with fraternities, sororities, sports teams and other clubs, all of which compete throughout the year to see who can raise the most money. Many of these teams also partner with a “miracle kid,” a CHOP patient who spends time with the team and is able to be involved in their activities, which is a great time for both the kid and the team.

Even though the whole year was filled with excitement and good times, the main event is when everything comes into fruition, and everyone can truly celebrate a year’s worth of hard work. It had everything a child, or even a room full of college kids, could ever ask for: there were games, raffles, dancing and even a bouncy house. It also served as another reminder of how essential the organization is. On a poster on one of the walls, people were given the opportunity to write why they dance, and it was clear that this was very personal to a lot of people in attendance. Families shared their own experiences, and at the very end, everyone joined together in a “circle of hope,” where after once again expressing they were personally affected by cancer and other diseases, everyone was asked to then cut off the hospital bands that they were given at the beginning, signifying hope for the future.

While it is hard to doubt how fun it is to race through a bouncy house, it was moments like this that made the event so powerful. If it was not already clear, the true importance of Dance Marathon and everything that it does was put directly into the spotlight, and when the final total was announced just minutes later, the fifty thousand raised became all the more valuable.

On May 3, the Trump Administration began announcing the cancellation of National Endowment for the Arts grants. The recent recession of NEA grants is sending shockwaves through the arts ecosystem in Philadelphia and across the country. Community-based institutions like World Cafe Live in West Philadelphia are reeling from these cancellations and find themselves having to rethink crucial programming that relied on the grants. For organizations working at the intersection of performance, education and social impact, these cuts threaten far more than individual programs—they strike at the heart of accessibility, equity and sustainability in the arts.

For over a decade, WCL’s Bridge Sessions have offered thousands of Philadelphia students—particularly from underrepresented communities—a hands-on introduction to music, culture and the performing arts. These field-trip style experiences blend performance and interactive learning, exposing students to genres and stories they may never otherwise encounter: “The Bridge Sessions are a cornerstone of our mission,” said WCL’s Director of Development, Jessica Pasquariello. “Without them, the soul of our outreach work is at stake.”

WCL had been expecting to receive an increased NEA grant this year. The grant was not just financial support; it was a national endorsement. “It’s incredibly critical,” Pasquariello explained. “Grants from the NEA signal that the programs have been vetted and are successful and necessary… it signals trustworthiness.” 

But the rug was pulled out from under WCL when the NEA announced the rescission late on a Friday evening. The news left key staff reeling—and planning. Though a post from WCL announcing the rescission of the grant was responded to with an outpouring of donations from followers, funding for the programming is no longer a guarantee and cannot be counted on. “We still held all Bridge Sessions in the spring,” she said, “but the funding just isn’t there. We may need to hold back in the fall.” The arts are often dismissed as a luxury—something nice to have but expendable when budgets tighten—but the data tells a different story.

 Arts education and programming drive significant economic activity, offering job opportunities for artists, staff, local vendors and service workers. At WCL, canceling a single event can ripple outward, affecting income for artists, production techs and venue staff. “If Bridge Sessions don’t happen, our artists don’t get paid. The production techs don’t get paid. The facility staff doesn’t get paid. People’s shifts are taken off the schedule.” 

The economic consequences of grant rescissions are especially damaging to smaller organizations that may lack the visibility or reach to quickly mobilize public support. “The NEA announcement showed a huge outpouring of community support for our Music Futures campaign,” she said. “But that reach is harder for smaller organizations.”

Still, the team at World Cafe Live is not giving up. For them, Bridge Sessions are a crucial aspect of their organization. “You can feel what the room feels like when 100 middle schoolers are engaged—it’s worthy, it’s necessary,” Pasquariello noted. Bridge Sessions are more than concerts; they are curriculum-aligned experiences that embed music in broader educational goals. They help teachers build momentum in classrooms and create memories that stay with students long after the last note is played. “There’s something sticky that happens when a field trip is music-related,” she said. “It stays with kids. It goes beyond the classroom.”

As NEA grants disappear, the burden of sustaining arts education falls to local governments, foundations and individuals. But supporters of the arts—both institutional and individual—still have an important role to play. “Support the organizations that mean a great deal to you,” Pasquariello urged. “If you can just buy a ticket and go to a show, do it. If you can make a donation, do it. And be loud about it! Share their materials, call your legislators—it matters.”

For WCL and organizations like it, the road ahead will require creative fundraising, community advocacy and above all, a belief in the value of what they do. “The Philadelphia arts scene is doing everything in its power to survive,” she said. “We really need the city to lock in and realize that they’re the ones who are going to make the difference.” In a city that prides itself on creativity and grit, that survival is not just admirable—it is essential.

Drexel Night Live’s stand-up open mic on April 26 in Nesbitt Hall brought big laughs and big energy, packing a room with over 40 students and showcasing both seasoned performers and newcomers to the stage. For a club known for its “Saturday Night Live”-style sketch comedy shows, the event proved to be a refreshing and intimate way to connect with Drexel’s comedy community. It also served as a strong lead-up to their final performance of the year, happening May 23 in the Urban Annex’s Black Box Theater.

Mike Borko, DNL’s head writer, hosted the night’s lineup. With a natural ease on the mic, Borko guided the audience through a tight evening of student stand-up sets, a number of which came from first-timers thanks to the club’s new screening night format.

“This year we had a lot of freshmen and people who’d never done stand-up before,” Borko explained in a post-show interview. “The screening nights were a low-stakes way for them to try it out, get feedback and ease into the process.”

The night served as both a showcase and a proving ground. Some sets were raw, others polished, but the atmosphere was unmistakably supportive. “Anyone in the club who wants to perform is welcome to,” Borko said. “It’s really about helping people find their voice and getting better each time.”

For Borko, who is graduating this spring, the open mic format is especially meaningful—it is a space he hopes to return to after Drexel. “Stand-up is something I know I’ll keep doing,” he said. “DNL has been a huge part of my college experience, and now I want to help others have that too.”

But while open mic nights are loose and largely unscripted, DNL’s mainstage shows are another beast entirely. The upcoming May 23 performance in the Black Box Theater will be a full-scale sketch comedy production, complete with live and pre-recorded sketches. It is the closest thing Drexel has to a live taping of “SNL”—and this year’s finale promises to be especially sentimental.

“It’s our first time back in the Black Box in about a year and a half,” said Borko. “It’s where I did my first show with DNL, and where a lot of other seniors did theirs. Since it’s my last show, our president’s last show and the last for a bunch of us, we wanted to bring it home.”

Returning to the Black Box also means a return to higher production value and more immersive audience experiences. The team is planning two performances in one night, a throwback to a tradition from earlier DNL seasons.

Tickets are $10 for students and $12 for non-students, with proceeds helping to cover the venue and production costs. Past shows have taken place in larger lecture halls like the Bossone Research Center, but the more intimate Black Box space offers a tighter connection between performers and audience.

“It’s a space where we can really do the show justice,” Borko said. “We’ve got some fun stuff planned—and we want to send this off right.”

If the stand-up night was any indication, DNL’s final show of the year will be a packed house of punchlines, sketches and well-earned applause.

If the rumors are true, and humans are indeed the result of millions of years of evolution from monkey to man, then how is it possible that we cannot take down one singular gorilla? Not just by ourselves, but with 99 others around us. If not, then what was the point of evolving in the first place, if we cannot take care of business when it really matters?

When has this mattered exactly? Hopefully never in a real-life scenario, but within the last week or so, the conversation has taken over the internet. Unless you have been living under a rock or have anything remotely better to do with your time (I do not), there is a good chance you have seen about a thousand different takes on the situation. There are some that believe the gorilla in question (commonly agreed upon as a five ft. tall, 450 pound silverback gorilla) is simply just too big and powerful for any mere human to even make a dent. There are some who think it could be close but just not enough manpower to take down the goliath at the end of the day. There are also people like me, who believe in the power of humanity enough to think that this could actually be possible.

I am not saying it would be easy, but I have no doubt that there would be a chance as long as everything is done perfectly. I will start by laying out the basics: my team will only consist of currently living humans, and they will not have any access to weapons. Who is on this team? I am so glad you asked.

It would be easy and also extremely ill-advised to simply pick the largest 100 men and throw them into the gauntlet. No matter how big these people are, the gorilla is always bigger, so they would stand no match. At the same time, it definitely would not hurt to have a few of these behemoths on the roster. In this category, a guy like Jalen Carter, Eagles defensive tackle, would be one of my top picks. He is not just large, standing at a solid 6’3” and weighing over 300 pounds, but also quick and would have the agility necessary to attack and evade attacks from the gorilla. Another football player that could do some significant damage is Aaron Donald. Although he is retired, he seems to have the same figure as the one he used to terrorize National Football League offensive lines and quarterbacks for a decade, and there is no debating he could still get the job done if need be.

As I said before, this team cannot just be full of tanks. While the above guys can move with the best, I need the best of the best. As much as I cannot stand him and think he could potentially mess up the team chemistry, I would be remiss if I did not pick up Noah Lyles. The fastest man in the world, Lyles would be needed in order to put the gorilla in a whirlwind and leave the gorilla dumbfounded as to what would happen next. While Lyles gives the horizontal movement necessary for victory, I would also need someone who can get off the ground. This is where I select three-time National Basketball Association Dunk Contest champion and high school mixtape legend Mac McClung. The man reportedly has a 48-inch vertical jump. Whether or not this is true remains to be proven but what better way to find out?

As for our other needs? If we are talking about endurance, give me David Goggins. Intelligence and strategy? Give me Rick Pitino on the sideline. What about someone to lighten the mood when the going gets tough? I do not think it would hurt to have Shane Gillis in the background cracking jokes to the fighters. When it comes down to it though, I need my fighters. Who do I want in the ring? I want Jon Jones (especially if he is still addicted to cocaine), Conor McGregor (also especially if he is still doing cocaine) and Gervonta Davis (does not need to be doing cocaine, but I want Chief Keef walking him and everyone else up to motivate them). 

It would be a challenge, but we do not do things because they are easy but because someone on the internet told us it would be impossible. When it is all said and done, I know for a fact that my team will walk out of there in victory.

“Clair Obscur: Expedition 33,” the debut title from Paris-based Sandfall Interactive, is not just another RPG release. It is a haunting, painterly reflection on mortality, storytelling and resistance. It is set to release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on April 24, 2025, with day-one access through Xbox Game Pass. While blockbuster sequels dominate the charts, “Clair Obscur” emerges as a quiet revolution that aspiring creators and developers, especially in university programs, should not overlook.

At its core lies a chilling premise. A mysterious figure known as the Paintress awakens each year to paint a number. All people of that age disappear from existence. This year, the number is thirty-three. Players join a group of survivors who attempt to defy the inevitable, embarking on a final expedition to confront their fate. The game fuses classical themes with modern mechanics, presenting a narrative that feels more like a tragic epic than a digital quest.

The aesthetic, drawn from Belle Époque France and filtered through surrealist decay, is theatrical. Streets curve into abstraction. Colors dissolve into fog. Every environment feels as if it were extracted from the canvas of a fever dream. Combat combines traditional turn-based elements with real-time input, demanding thought and reflex. Players must parry, dodge and strike with precision, turning each encounter into a performance of tension and timing.

This blend of literary ambition and innovative design offers a clear model for students in game design, digital media and narrative studies. Sandfall Interactive, a team of former Ubisoft developers, proves that bold storytelling and mechanical complexity do not require AAA budgets. They require intention. With performances by Charlie Cox and Andy Serkis anchoring the cast, the script’s emotional weight is heard and felt.

The game also serves as a philosophical scrutiny. It draws on themes explored by Camus, Woolf and even Shakespeare—all asking, in their ways, what it means to live when the end is always near. In “Clair Obscur,” death is not a mechanic. It is a question. One the player is forced to carry throughout the journey.

G​​uillaume Broche, the game’s creative director and founder of Sandfall Interactive, captured the studio’s vision clearly: “We poured our hearts and souls into creating the game of our dreams, something that would feel fresh and new, so we sincerely hope you will enjoy discovering the world and characters we crafted with love.”

For Drexel students in storytelling, coding, visual design or even philosophy, “Clair Obscur” represents more than entertainment. It is a case study of what happens when a game is treated as art, when each frame serves a purpose and when each mechanic reinforces meaning. As studios and student teams explore the limits of interactive media, this title offers both a blueprint and inspiration.In a year packed with high-budget releases, “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” is not the loudest game in the room. It is the one that whispers something unforgettable. It does not chase trends. It creates its own language. And in doing so, it dares every young developer, storyteller and dreamer to ask not what games should be — but what they could become.

A$AP Rocky has lived quite a life in his 36 years on planet Earth. After growing up homeless in the streets of Harlem, he went on to become one of the biggest rappers of the blog era, making waves on the internet along with the rest of the A$AP Mob collective. From there, he continued to pave his way through other industries, including some acting gigs as well as turning himself into an indisputable fashion icon. In terms of his career, Rocky has done pretty well for himself, not to mention his ultra-publicized relationship with Rihanna, who needs no introduction.

In recent years though, Rocky’s career has sort of stalled, only making headlines for his aforementioned relationship and his 2019 arrest for assault in Sweden. Due to Rocky’s high profile, American officials immediately got involved and he was free to go shortly after. Since then, his musical output has been pretty inconsistent. Once again, a relationship with Rihanna and the responsibilities that come with being a father may have slowed him down a little bit, but regardless, he has not continued to take the steps that many expected him to take.

At the same time, however, Rocky still has a lot going for him and a bright future ahead of him, but less than two weeks ago in a Los Angeles courtroom, it looked like it could all go away. The trial stemmed from a 2021 incident in which Rocky allegedly shot former friend and collaborator A$AP Relli, government name Terell Ephron. According to Ephron, Rocky pulled a gun and shot at him during an argument, with the bullet hitting his finger. Ephron presented a recording replaying the whole incident. As the video proves, the incident did occur, but the main topic of discussion throughout the trial was whether or not the gun was real.

According to Rocky and his defense, the “gun” that was used during the altercation was in fact a prop gun from a music video, one which only fired blanks. If this was indeed the case, then Rocky would walk away a free man. If it was not and it was found that Rocky actually did pull a loaded gun on Relli, then he could face up to 24 years in prison. This was after Rocky denied a plea deal that would only force him to serve six months in prison. Despite the risks, Rocky bet on himself, and following the jury’s decision, it’s safe to say he made the right call.

Since there was no way to prove what kind of gun was used, there was no way to prove Rocky’s guilt. Immediately after the verdict was announced, Rocky did as anyone would do and jumped into the arms of Rihanna, a three-year nightmare now lifted off his shoulders. He thanked his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, now affectionately referred to as A$AP Joe, and went on his merry way. Three days later, it was announced that he would be the creative director of Ray Bans, and he continued to tease his upcoming album. Once again, things seem to be going pretty well for the guy, and it seems that no matter what life throws his way, A$AP Rocky will turn out just fine.