Last weekend, I watched Five Nights at Freddy’s, a film adapted from the popular horror game franchise by Scott Braden Cawthon. I went into the theater with little knowledge about the franchise—a reality derived from the fact that I’ve never played the games. Not being a fan of the source material, however, didn’t mangle my incentives to tune in. 

Everyone has that one person in their life: the friend, family member, or mild acquaintance that is foaming at the mouth for the upcoming season of The Great British Bake Off (GBBO). As episodes roll out each Friday, we are graced with familiar, comforting episodes as contestants participate in weekly challenges for the title of Britain's Best Amateur Baker. 

Brady is a biology major on the Pre-med track who has been writing for years, while she hasn't been previously published she has been working on a manuscript of poetry for quite some time. For years writing has been an outlet for her, her main inspiration comes from the tales her Grandmother read to her while growing up and the adventures she had throughout her life. 

When pop icon Taylor Swift released her fifth studio album, 1989, in 2014, it cemented her status as a definitive pop star of the decade, while also assuring her status as a former country singer. Nearly a decade later, Swift has reprised her role as the red-lipsticked, party-going narrator of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), continuing her series of re-releases that started in 2021, with Fearless (Taylor’s Version). Unfortunately, though, this version of 1989 falls flat compared to her previous re-recordings. 

With the passing of the mid-semester, you may be looking for new, exciting events to keep yourself occupied during the colder weeks. The good news is that Suny Geneseo offers many diverse and unique experiences to all students on and off campus.  

Though Halloween has passed, this time of year allows one to reflect alongside the changing of seasons, on their favorite movie night-worthy films, whether they be niche thrillers or the latest horror films. So, I thought it best to indulge you with something near and dear to me: Donnie Darko (2001), written and directed by Richard Kelly. It follows the titular character, 15-year-old Donnie (played by Jake Gyllenhaal), as he tries to cope with the revelation that the world will end in “28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds” on Halloween morning: Oct. 31, 2001. This seemingly divine revelation from a man named Frank in a bunny costume sends Donnie on a series of escapades, like burning down a house and acquiring his father’s firearm, as all the pieces eventually fall into place, and answers become clear to Donnie. 

For being the main character in Nickelodeon’s early 2000's hit show Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA), Aang’s character does not receive nearly as much analysis or appreciation as companion characters like Zuko or Katara. This has always stood out to me because not only is Aang the titular character, but his arc throughout the show’s three-season run is no less compelling or nuanced than that of his larger ensemble counterparts. This oversight from large portions of the larger fandom and the casual enjoyer alike fails to acknowledge an aspect of the show that I hold in the highest regard: Aang, the story’s main character, is a young male protagonist ahead of his time. 

For over a year, streaming services like Max, Disney Plus, Netflix, and Paramount Plus have unceremoniously removed films and television shows from their library, leaving many of them as lost media. In this era of fleeting media availability, physical media is paramount to the preservation of millions of people’s hard work and creativity. The individuals at the forefront of this effort are those behind Boutique Blu-ray companies. 

Psychology major with a minor in English. Does not usually submit works to public places like this, but kind of wants to try something new! Not really for any purpose, just to prove to herself she can even if the poems don’t make sense to others.

Kendall is a junior English (Creative Writing) & Adolescence Education major. She has previously been published in Gandy Dancer & Iris Magazine. When actually writing and not thinking about writing and deciding to play The Sims instead, they pull from the complications of gender identity, ways in which we are socialized as children, the ‘future self,’ and questions surrounding belief.

Giulyana Gamero is a communication major from Rockford, Illinois. Published in the Young American Poetry Digest twice, featured on Poetically Yours, and having worked alongside Carnegie Hall in their Afro-Futurism workshop, Giulyana enjoys any opportunity to express her passion of self expression which she values closely. Her inspirations are never concrete, but she always gives credit to her 7th grade English class as the start of her journey.

Nikolete is an English major with a minor of Political Science 

Academy Award-winning director Guillermo Del Toro once said: “Animation is not a genre for kids. It's a medium.” This couldn’t be a more fitting statement; the art form of animation has the potential to tell an infinite number of stories, and its roots are tied to the very beginning of the motion picture. However, the animation medium is seldom used to create a horror story—seeing it as a taboo. 

*Major Spoilers Ahead* 

Nickelodeon’s standout show Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA), is beloved by many who did and did not grow up with the show. It has garnered a cult-like following that keeps the shows and its themes, plots, characters, and canon relevant to this day—fifteen years after its initial release. ATLA is my favorite show in Nickelodeon’s vast catalog, and I find myself returning to it repeatedly, finding something new to appreciate or take away from it with every watch. One episode in particular that seems to stir up debate among those who have watched the show casually or intensely is book (the show’s preferred word for a season) three’s eighth episode: “The Puppetmaster.” 

As the Halloween season comes to a head and all things spooky find a way to creep into the spotlight, I have been looking for a film that compliments the season just right, and let me tell you, this was a choice which doesn’t reflect that! Upon talking with one of my fellow Lamron staff, they told me I should watch House (1977)—directed and produced by Nobuhiko Obayashi—not just because of the time of year, but (most importantly to me), the antagonist is a fluffy munchkin cat. Though sounding nonsensical—trust me, we will get there—this film embraces its wacky and borderline unhinged elements, which, when combined, create a genuinely mind-boggling watch that I have yet to recover from and probably never will. 

*This article has a section with the mention of suicide. Reader discression is advised.*

On Halloween night of 1992, around eleven-million British television viewers tuned in for what was simply billed as Ghostwatch on British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), a “live” television broadcast depicting a concrete investigation of paranormal phenomena. This event was hosted by popular British talk show personality Michael Parkinson in the BBC studio and on-location by television hosts Sarah Greene and Mike Smith, featuring an apparent investigation into the haunting and tormenting of a simple London family. As millions watched the program unfold live, Parkinson asked viewers to call in to share their own supernatural stories and discuss their views on the paranormal—that is, until something went ghoulishly wrong.

Adryanna is a First-Year Communications major. She published work in her high school’s newspaper, with no other publications, but received awards for her writing from the Josephine Wicker Kutcher Memorial society. Her inspirations range from Joe Tex’s music to Abbie Hoffman's standup to her senior year English teacher, Andy Sanderson.