It gets lonely sitting at home in your room on Zoom all day. After settling into their places this fall, students and their roommates began to consider adding a small companion to the mix — and cats seem to fit the bill.

Students who were considering getting a cat during quarantine, or didn’t know when the right time in their college career would come to adopt, found that now is the perfect time to adopt a furry friend.

Mary Tan, public relations manager for the Minnesota Animal Humane Society, has seen people of all ages adopting pets more frequently this year.

“Everybody wants a pet at this point to keep them company during the pandemic, and college students are not an exception,” Tan said.

Gaby Kauls, a second-year University of Minnesota student, was looking for a companion to share her quarantine days at home with.

“I wanted a companion. Someone to care for and cuddle with,” Kauls said. “Now that I’ve moved into my first apartment, I was like, ‘Okay. We need a cat.’”

She adopted her 5-month old kitten, Yuki, in October from a farm in Wisconsin. Kauls originally found the kitten adoption listing on Craigslist and then drove over an hour to pick up her new cat. She chose Yuki because he was a little older than the other kittens and Kauls saw that the larger cats at the farm were less likely to be adopted because everyone came for the kittens.

Growing up, her family always had a cat, so the cat owner lifestyle was nothing new to Kauls. The two now sleep together every night and are learning how to adjust to their new morning routine. For Kauls, that means getting up when she’s still half asleep to feed Yuki.

A fourth-year student, Katherine Schmid, hasn’t had a cat since they were a kid. Their household adopted a new kitten, Lila, from one of Schmid’s roommate’s family members. For the last month, having Lila around to keep them company has reignited Schmid’s love of cats.

As a plant parent, Schmid is no stranger to caring for living things, but says looking after a cat has been a bit of a change.

“I have a lot of plants and stuff, but it’s not the same as an actual animal,” Schmid said. “It’s very different. In a good way.”

Monica Algopera, a University of Minnesota third-year student, grew up with dogs but considers herself a “cat person.” She and her roommate have been planning to adopt a cat for the last few months.

“During quarantine it would be really nice to have a pet. It gets pretty lonely and having a pet would be super nice,” Algopera said.

Algopera and her roommate are taking their time to look for a hypoallergenic cat. Local shelters can’t always tell if a cat is hypoallergenic or not, so it’s harder for people to look for hypoallergenic cats from the Humane Society.

Another big draw for Algopera and many other busy students is that cats are generally lower maintenance animals than dogs.

“With cats you just have to feed them and make sure they don’t die.”

Kinetic Light dance company is caught at the intersections of disability and dance. Wheelchairs, ramps and lifts take dancers to new heights as they raise the bar for what it means to represent disability in the arts.

Northrop and Walker Art Center will premiere Kinetic Light’s film “DESCENT” running Dec. 3-5. Kinetic Light, founded by Alice Sheppard, is dedicated to uplifting those in the arts with disabilities.

As part of Kinetic Light’s initiative to highlight accessibility, the production also includes audio described versions. Other short films by Kinetic Light and others were screened in a separate Nov. 30 event.

Kristen Brogdon, the director of programming at Northrop, was first introduced to Sheppard while working at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Sheppard had just begun setting down the framework for starting Kinetic Light.

“Combining dance, architecture, design and technology, it challenges cultural assumptions of what disability, dance and beauty can be,” said Mariclare Hulbert, publicist for Kinetic Light.

During a trip to Wilmington, North Carolina for an arts festival, Brogdon was able to catch a showing of “DESCENT.” She wanted to bring Sheppard and Kinetic Light to the University of Minnesota. The plan was for Northrop to partner with The Walker Art Center and showcase Kinetic Light at McGuire Theater this semester, but plans changed when the art center could no longer have shows due to the pandemic — so they began thinking about a virtual show.

Kinetic Light had put together a high-quality recording of its performances prior to the pandemic, and they decided that Northrop would use those videos for a short series.

“DESCENT” features Sheppard and one of the company’s dancers, Laurel Lawson.

“There’s a ramp that functions almost as a third character in the piece. It’s incredibly designed for them to move exactly the way they need to move for the story they are trying to tell,” Brogdon said.

The two characters in “DESCENT” represent Greek mythology’s Venus and Andromeda that come together in a queer and interracial love story.

“The way they construct a world onto the ramp is new. It’s not new in terms of artistry but by inserting the kinds of bodies and the kinds of histories and legacies that are on the stage, it makes the whole thing really pop,” said Jerron Herman, a dancer for Kinetic Light.

The film highlights that disability can be a pathway to a unique and new methodology in the world of dance.

“It is not a film that tries to reuse the tragic narrative of disability,” Herman said. “We love our bodies as much as anyone would, and what would it be like to make an aesthetic of joy and beauty out of that?”

More information about Kinetic Light’s Descent can be found on the Northrop Auditorium website.

A previous version of this article contained several errors. It initially misstated Kristen Brogdon’s title; she is the director of programming at Northrop. An older version of this article also mischaracterized the plot of a film and inaccurately characterized the main performance. The article has since been updated to reflect the changes.

Imagine attaining your dream job straight out of college. Now, imagine your boss asks you to go work in Paris. Fashion-frenzied and Paris-obsessed Netflix watchers were spun into a world of French baguettes and the tribulations of being a social media influencer this October when Netflix came out with its new hit comedy drama, “Emily in Paris.”

*Caution: Spoiler alerts below*

“Girl boss” Emily Cooper, played by Lily Collins, works as a marketing executive out of Chicago but finds herself with the opportunity of a lifetime when her boss asks if she would spend a few months in Paris and provide an American perspective to a Parisian marketing firm. Like every great rom-com, Cooper breaks up with her American boyfriend soon after settling into Paris. Her new job treats her like an incompetent intern, and she finds herself working hard to gain the respect of her co-workers. A modern twist to a classic tale, Cooper has the confidence and drive to share her ideas. When she pushes to be heard, her coworkers begin to notice her intellect.

Cooper being a noticeable person is the groundwork of the entire show. With no prior knowledge of French or Parisian norms, her character is fashion forward, but also confused about the Parisian way of life. She begins to document all of her slip ups and adventures on social media to find herself quickly gaining a following. There’s also a romance with a French chef who happens to be her apartment neighbor.

University of Minnesota third-year Abby Weisser is a Hallmark movie regular, especially during the colder months. The October release of “Emily in Paris” was perfect timing for her new cheesy drama TV-binge.

“I feel like if you can look past the acting quality and the plot line being so unrealistic, it’s a really fun show — especially during all this craziness that’s been happening — because it is so predictable,” Weisser said.

At the end of the season, Cooper’s boss in Chicago receives an email stating that she must stay in Paris due to her exceptional work performance.

On Nov. 11, Netflix announced that the show will return for a second season. According to Netflix, the next season will hone in on Cooper’s arch nemesis, her boss. It will also include Cooper finally looking like a local, instead of a lost tourist.

“Emily’s character is the most cliché. I’m definitely watching season two,” said University of Minnesota fourth-year Lindsey Underberg, who began watching the show with her roommates as a joke and ended up finishing the entire season.

University of Minnesota fourth-year Emily Meyer got hooked when she was looking for something to take her mind off school. Plus, the show played right into her love of rom-coms. “I don’t have any expectations for season two but I want to know what happens with Emily and Gabriel,” Meyer said.

Gabriel is Cooper’s bistro chef/lover. The end of season one leaves viewers on a cliffhanger as to whether Gabriel will get back with his ex or choose Cooper.

“Emily in Paris” invites viewers to join in a pre-COVID-19 fantasy where a girl can escape her ordinary American life and travel across the world to pursue her dream career. According to Weisser, that’s what makes it so great.

“It’s a guilty pleasure type of show. You watch it to indulge even though you know that would never happen in real life.”

What are Minnesota winters without wearing three layers of socks to go tubing or sipping hot chocolate while you walk around a holiday lights display?

For people in the Twin Cities, the annual St. Paul Winter Carnival (SPC) is another great winter tradition, and this year it’s back with a COVID-19 twist.

Classic events like ice sculpture carving, the winter run and hot chocolate stations are still alive this season. But the carnival crew is also bringing in new attractions, like a drive-thru ice and snow sculpture park at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. The drive-thru experience allows visitors to hop in their car and play the SPC’s bingo card game. There will also be different stops along the path to purchase winter treats to enjoy during the ride.

“Every year we try to mix it up. We try to modernize it based on what the community is asking for and what’s going on in the world,” said Alyssa Olson, a St. Paul Winter Carnival committee member.

In past years, the SPC would keep all attractions within a certain radius of downtown St. Paul, but this year, in order to allow for social distancing, the carnival has created new walking excursions around St. Paul.

One of the events is a scavenger hunt where people can find prizes and solve clues while discovering many of St. Paul’s historic sites. Another option is the carnival’s craft drinks passport, called Crafted. The passport will be available on the SPC app and have a large selection of local breweries and wineries around the city that people can visit to collect stamps and win prizes.

University of Minnesota students are known to head out to the carnival with their family, friends or significant other and join in celebrating the winter season, too. University fourth-year student Sydney Laumeyer went to the carnival last year with her family and enjoyed watching the ice sculpture carving, where local sculptors embraced the cold to create winter-themed sculptures such as a giant fish.

“The sculptures are really cool and those artists are really talented,” Laumeyer said.

Last year, Eleanor Muzzy, a University second-year, was dragged along with her family to attend the carnival’s family day. Her favorite part was the number of dogs she saw there.

“There were a lot of dogs there. It was a really dog friendly event, so that was really cool. We got to meet a bunch of different dogs,” Muzzy said.

For students and community members involved in the carnival, and those who aren’t into ice sculpting, the SPC’s Softball Tournament is back after a couple year hiatus. Anyone will be able sign up to join teams and participate in the bracketed tournament.

Many of the carnival’s usual attractions will not be in store for visitors this year, like their downtown ice skating rink or winter carnival games hosted by local businesses. But, with the entirely new set up and opportunities to explore the city, this year will be a chance for visitors to try new things, according to Olson.

“We had to get rid of a lot of in-person activities but we’re really excited to be able to move carnival activities into a new space.”

As students watch marathons of “Halloweentown,” while simultaneously carving “More BOOs please” into pumpkins, there’s no doubt they’re also reminiscing about that White Claw costume they wore to their friend’s Halloween party last year.

Celebrating the season will certainly look a lot different this year with social distancing, but students are still trying to keep the spirit of Halloween alive, celebrating in costume with their “quarantine pod.”

Anna Keltner, University of Minnesota fourth-year student, is planning for two nights of festivities. One night she and her roommates are having a costume party, including pumpkin carving, caramel apples and festive drinks — one of them being Poison Apple Cocktails.

“My roommates and I are really into Halloween. There’s eight of us total in our house, so we’re having a party, costumes required of course,” Keltner said. “We’re being COVID-safe. We’re just doing the eight of us and then our partners.”

She and her boyfriend are dressing up as Betty Boop and Popeye for the party. The next night, Keltner and her boyfriend are headed over to his place for a superhero-themed party with his roommates. The two of them settled on Wolverine and Rogue from X-Men as their couples costume.

Ann Miller, University of Minnesota fourth-year student, plans to wear a vampire costume this year, only to settle in and celebrate Halloween on the couch in her apartment. For Miller, this year’s Halloween itinerary calls for movies and snacks with her roommates.

“It’s going to be a lot smaller than what we did last year, which is, had a big party,” said Miller. There will be pizza as the roommates watch their choice movie of the night, “Silence of the Lambs.” “I think that a few of us might dress up and just hangout in our costumes.”

Payton Faber, University of Minnesota fourth-year student, plans to go out with a few friends to Lake Monster Brewing in St. Paul. She was originally planning to make a taco bar and spend the night inside with her roommates, but has since changed her plans, saying she simply wants to get out of her apartment.

She now plans to play card games on the brewery’s patio and spend the evening with six close friends instead.

“We’re going to go get beer and play cards, like play Bananagrams or something, which is totally opposite to what we’ve done in years past. Normally we would go out and dress up,” Faber said.

The restaurant has socially distanced seating and since she will only be with a few friends, believes it’s a good COVID-19-safe option for Halloween. “It makes me feel better about it — that I’m not going to Blarney’s or the KK [Kollege Klub],” Faber said.

Being a fourth-year student, Faber has already had a couple years of going out to parties and bars with friends to celebrate Halloween. She said she’s okay skipping out on being at the bars this year and would rather prioritize COVID-19 safety.

“We’re also in the middle of a pandemic, so it’s like, how can we have that ‘oh we’re going out and we’re having fun’ spirit but make it the safe version of that?”

In hospitals today, people are often left to give birth alone in a room with a stranger due to COVID-19 and hospital visitor restrictions. One former Gopher set out with her theater degree and a passion for reproductive justice to share the stories of birth givers during the pandemic.

University of Minnesota 2020 alum Madeline Wall wrote, directed and produced the forthcoming play “I With Things New Born.” The play is set to run Oct. 30-Nov. 8 at Off-Leash Art Box. The seven in-person performances will run 45 minutes with no intermission.

The production lays out the story of a young woman giving birth during a time of world chaos, where she finds that she must have a stranger deliver her baby.

Wall’s piece,“I With Things New Born,” stems from Shakespeare’s piece, “Measure for Measure.” The main character conceives a child out of wedlock and is imprisoned. According to Wall, sharing the stories of childbirth can be a learning experience for all.

“Birth is a universal experience, so I think it can be a lens through which we understand a lot of the big questions about what it means to be human,” Wall said.

There are only two cast members in the play, Wall and Renèe Schwarz, a University of Minnesota fourth-year student. Schwarz is the lead role in the two-person production. Her character, Juliet, gives birth, with Wall as her struggling midwife.

The play originally had an eight-person cast and was set to hit the stage last spring, but because of COVID-19, was postponed to this fall — a blessing in disguise according to Wall and Schwarz.

“I think this story is really important especially during this time and talking about women giving birth during a pandemic,” Schwarz said.

“We need to listen to the stories of birth givers all the time, but especially now,” Wall said.

Reproductive justice and the stories of pregnancy are the driving force behind her current production.

“When we decide that a birth giver’s voice is worth listening to, then all these stories come to light and we learn a lot about what needs to be done in order to achieve reproductive justice,” Wall said.

Recently Wall started “The Birth Play Project,” a new Twin Cities theater initiative. Her plan is to have other productions join the organization in hopes of further sharing stories about reproductive justice.

According to University of Minnesota alum Seth Campbell — someone who Wall would regularly bounce ideas off of during the production’s creation — the play not only reflects Wall’s ability, but also that of the theater program at the University.

“I think [the play] really shows what the theatre program at the U is capable of producing,” he said.

Wall’s production will be the last play at Off-Leash Art Box before the venue permanently closes its doors. But, for those who couldn’t go to the show, a video of the production will be available to stream on the Birth Play Project Facebook page on a pay-what-you-can basis beginning on Nov. 8.

For skateboarders at the University of Minnesota seeking the smoothest sidewalks and the widest staircases, the campus and the surrounding neighborhoods are a skatepark all their own. A&E hit the pavement with student skateboarders to learn about their favorite places to skate.

Zoe Challenger, a University of Minnesota third-year student, grew up in Saint Paul. One of her favorite skate spots was a parking lot at St. Catherine University. Now she frequents Merriam Skatepark in St. Paul and Front Skatepark in St. Paul.

Parking lots are one of Challenger’s go-to pavements when not at a skatepark. When she wants to skate on pavement, she takes her board, complete with a deck from Familia Skate Shop in St. Paul, and heads to Dinkytown.

“There’s one on campus that I do like a lot. It’s over by the sports center. I think it’s the Land O’Lakes Center for Athletics — I like skating over there,” Challenger said.

Sammy Sherian, a University of Minnesota third-year student, regularly skates around the sidewalks on East Bank Campus. “I like hitting that Washington Avenue Bridge because it is flat, and you get a beautiful view,” Sherian said.

He began skating as a child, took a few years off, and then hopped back on the board during college. His first skateboard was a SpongeBob skateboard from Walmart. His current board is from Cal Surf in Uptown.

Sherian prefers street skating over going to the city’s skateparks. “Some of these bigger parks like 3rd Lair and Familia and Overpass tend to charge which is a little bit out of my budget,” Sherian said.

Vi Emissary, a recent University of Minnesota grad, prefers performing tricks over street skating. When they do go street skating, it’s mainly around East Bank Campus because of the smooth pavement and many short staircases to do tricks on. According to Emissary, East Bank comes together to form a makeshift skatepark of its own.

“There’s one of everything if you look for it,” they said.

Emissary started skating this summer and within the last few months has picked up multiple different tricks, just by getting out and skating a few times a week. They often skate at Front Skatepark in Saint Paul because of its small size and relatively high number of ramps for learning new tricks.

They recently moved to Uptown but lived in Como last year. Emissary said the basketball courts at a local elementary school, with large sections of flat pavement adorned with makeshift ramps, provided the perfect spot to practice.

“In Como we would skate at Tuttle Elementary like five times a week,” they said. “There are three or four ledges. A short one, a tall one and there’s an extra tall one and they’re super great to learn grinds on.”

Whether you’re looking to do some street skating or pop a few tricks, the University community can be your personal skatepark if you know where to look.

Fall is one of the best times of the year in Minnesota to get outside and enjoy the weather with a plethora of seasonal activities. Farms, orchards and hiking trails are all at the top of the list of places to go during the fall season, but now with the novel coronavirus looming over everything, students are trying to figure out the best ways to enjoy fall while still being safe.

University of Minnesota fourth-year retail merchandising student Kiara Dahmus, and her friends wanted to celebrate their friend’s 21st birthday.

“We decided with COVID-19 and everything, we weren’t going to do the normal U of M bar tour like [Kollege Klub], Sal’s — it’s not really smart to do that right now,” Dahmus said. Combining the autumn season with her friend’s birthday festivities, Dahmus and her group headed out to Aamodt’s Apple Farm in Stillwater for a cider tour.

Since the beginning of the fall semester, Dahmus has been missing the university bar scene and trying to find safer alternatives.

“We were looking for fall things to do that also included alcohol,” Dahmus said.

Maddie Stumbaugh, a University of Minnesota third-year art student, visited Minnesota’s largest corn maze, the Twin Cities Maze. Located in Brooklyn park, the maze spans 20-acres and stands alongside a pumpkin patch.

According to Stumbaugh, there was no maximum capacity for the corn maze and many people were not wearing masks, which made for overcrowding in certain areas, increasing the possibility for the spread of COVID-19.

“It was definitely fuller than I would’ve liked it to be,” she said.

Stumbaugh and her friend went through the maze trying their best to distance themselves from others. They also took home pumpkins from the patch, which they later carved faces into, scooping out the seeds to throw in the oven with cinnamon and sugar for a fun fall snack.

Izzy Teitelbaum, a University of Minnesota fourth-year journalism student, said she and her boyfriend went out to Pine Tree Apple Orchard located in White Bear Lake. The orchard’s bakery sells homemade pies, cider and other farm fresh treats, which Teitelbaum says she took full advantage of.

The moment oranges and reds begin popping up in the trees, Teitelbaum plans out her seasonal hiking trip on trails along the Lake Superior shoreline. Hikes allow her to get out and experience the season while also staying socially distant from others. Some of her daily hikes include walks around campus to check out the scenery along the riverfront.

“Walking down by the river the other day was gorgeous, when all the leaves are changing in the pathway down by the river,” Teitelbaum said.

Here’s to hoping the snow melts and winter weather stays away so everyone can enjoy their favorite fall activities.

Record players find themselves at home on dorm side tables and in apartment living rooms. They’re best enjoyed on solemn evenings or during study hours. Whether it’s grandma’s record of Lionel Richie or a vinyl of Harry Styles you found on sale at Urban Outfitters, listening to your favorite music on vinyl sets a mood that Spotify can’t replicate.

Record Store Day (RSD), which began in 2008, is the one day a year that indie record stores get a moment in the spotlight. This year’s original RSD was postponed back in April and then again in June due to COVID-19 concerns. Now, RSD has been broken up into three separate days: Aug. 29, Sept. 26 and Oct. 24. This Saturday, Sept. 26, will be the second day of RSD special vinyl drops. To prepare for the upcoming drops, Twin Cities record stores are gearing up with hot vinyl finds and rare music couture.

Cheapo Records houses the largest selection of Minnesota music. The store is packed on RSD. Some large stores bring out live bands and food for the day, but Cheapo does things differently. The store has never used anything extravagant to draw people in on RSD, according to Pat Wheeler, manager at Cheapo’s Minneapolis location.

“We’ve never done a lot. We don’t have a band playing. We don’t have food,” he said.

A big part of the profit for some smaller record stores comes from hosting live events.

“Not being able to host live events is really damaging. [We] had comedians set to perform,” said Adam Taylor, manager of Hymie’s Vintage Records.

Hymie’s Records is located on Lake Street, near where the 3rd Precinct burnt down.

“The entire neighborhood has seen a 30% to 40% decrease in sales,” Taylor said.

After the first RSD drop in August, the store’s numbers were down from last year’s, but Taylor is reluctant to be discouraged. “I’m still here, and Record Store Day is always fun.”

Student shoppers are also ready to take on the day, even with new store restrictions, such as waiting lines and stores only allowing less than half capacity of customers in the store at a time.

“My favorite is Agharta Records in St. Paul also because it’s right next to Black Coffin Tattoo. It’s a pretty chill strip over there with fun stuff,” said Caitlyn Speier, a University of Minnesota third-year studying prelaw.

Some 2020 RSD vinyls include: Coolio / “Gangsta’s Paradise,” Fleetwood Mac / “The Alternate Rumors,” The Notorious B.I.G. / “It Was All A Dream: The Notorious B.I.G. 1994-1999.”

The full list of RSD 2020 vinyl’s can be found on the Record Store Day website.

A&E ran around town to bring you a go-to Record Store Day list, featuring all of this year’s participating Twin Cities locations to help you support independently owned record stores and embrace the eclectic tradition of vinyls.

Minnesota’s COVID-19 restrictions require that everyone must wear a mask inside public businesses.

Cheapo Records
Both locations:
2600 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis
71 N Snelling Ave., St. Paul
RSD hours and guidelines: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Only 20 people are allowed in the store at a time.

Hymie’s Vintage Records
3820 E Lake St., Minneapolis
RSD hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

The Electric Fetus
2000 S 4th Ave., Minneapolis
RSD hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Agharta Records
2512 University Ave. W, St. Paul
RSD hours: opens at 10 a.m.

Extreme Noise Records
407 W Lake St., Minneapolis
RSD hours: opens at 1 p.m.

Roadrunner Records
4534 Nicollet Ave. S, Minneapolis
RSD hours and guidelines: 9 a.m.-10 a.m.
Donuts will be offered to those in line starting at 8 a.m.! Five customers are allowed in the store at a time. Regular store hours begin at 10 a.m., but with a twist. They will have many new releases in stock.

Know Name Records
6009 Portland Ave. S, Minneapolis
RSD hours: 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Rock Paper Scissors Goods
2403 Lyndale Ave. S, Minneapolis
RSD hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

SolSta Records
4022 E 46th St., Minneapolis
RSD hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Eclipse Records
419 Wabasha St. N, St. Paul
RSD hours: opens at 10 a.m.