mikayla rafala

University of Connecticut, Fine Arts

Instagram | Personal Site

Members of 'The Boys' standing next to one another.

‘The Boys’—Elevating Juvenile Source Material

Kyle A. McLaughlin, Elizabethtown College

The Boys is one of the most popular shows on TV right now, but how can that be when its source material is so derided?…

May 6, 2024

Five Letterboxd Lists to Mix Up Your Movie Night

Amelie Allen, University of Arizona

With so much content available on streaming services, people often are overwhelmed by choice. Here are five themed lists to make that decision easier.…

May 5, 2024

Chapelle Roan, Queer Rage and the Lesbian Masterdoc

Mariana Vaca, Lake Forest College

What is the history of the Lesbian Masterdoc, and what has been its journey in the online queer canon?…

May 3, 2024

A writer in a black sweater with square, rimmed glasses peers over his latest manuscript, glowing with a nefarious green light. In the faded background, a puppet sits and stares at him with an enthusiastic look on its face, twisted in the disturbing tone which belies only the most horrible fantasies.

The Life and Process of R.L. Stine

Hamad Naroze, Hunter College

What best-selling children's horror author R.L. Stine can teach up-and-coming writers through his professional process.…

April 22, 2024

The Islamic Blueprint of Dune

Hamad Naroze, Hunter College

How Frank Herbert and his iconic sci-fi “Dune” were influenced by Islam and the cultures of the Middle East.…

April 9, 2024

Person taking notes in front of their organized calendar.

Toxic Productivity Is Ruining Our Youth

Finlay O'Connell, Minerva University

The perfect recipe for a productive life is taking over the internet, but is does it actually work? And is it worth it?…

March 25, 2024

Is Laufey the Next Jazz Goddess?

Mariana Vaca, Lake Forest College

Laufey’s emotive songwriting confirms that genre is not the defining quality of her work.…

March 21, 2024

Pedro Pascal's characters lined up with clouds in background.

Pedro Pascal in the MCU—Fantastic Casting

Kyle A. McLaughlin, Elizabethtown College

Pedro Pascal has recently been announced as the new actor for Mr. Fantastic in the upcoming “Fantastic Four” reboot; will he be able to compensate for the preceding 19 years of disappointment?…

March 13, 2024

Members of the Matildas in their jersey.

The Matildas Are Putting Women’s Football On The Map

Finlay O'Connell, Minerva University

The Australian women’s football team, known as the Matildas, has brought lasting impacts for women’s sport in Australia following the 2023 Women’s World Cup.…

March 6, 2024

Collage of Mitski performing for a crowd.

Mitski and the Spirit of Intimate, Strange Performances

Mariana Vaca, Lake Forest College

Mitski’s 2024 “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We” North American tour has social media users speaking about concert etiquette and performative art.…

February 26, 2024

Three women in white t-shirts and colored bob cuts -- left to right: white, blue-green and blue -- stare blankly at the front. They are standing against a white background, the phrase "GIDLE" spelled out above their heads in a graffiti-like texture, as musical notes dot the screen.

(G)I-DLE’s Second Album 2 Hits the Ground Walking

Cerasela Hanseter, University of California, Berkeley

Despite a strong first album (G)I-DLE failed on the follow-through. For their second album, the group could really have had a stronger start.…

February 25, 2024

Glitching animation of Star Wars character.

The Everlasting Popularity of ‘Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic’

Kyle A. McLaughlin, Elizabethtown College

This article is about the long-lasting interest in Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic decades after its initial release.…

February 22, 2024

Women wearing Latine fashion with colorful filters.

Latine Streetwear Fashion: An Evergreen Vogue and Indigenous Resistance to Whiteness

Emily Diaz, DePaul University

Latine swagger is timeless in the world of fashion. From 90’s Cholas in lowriders to modern-day streetwear and even “Hot Cheeto girl” aesthetics, Latine styles certainly make their mark.…

February 12, 2024

Cloud Strife standing back-to-back with himself in armor and with sword.

Is ‘Final Fantasy VII: Remake’ Better than the Original?

Natalie VanHecke, University of Texas at Dallas

‘Final Fantasy VII: Remake’ is set to be released soon, and actors are eager to see how it holds up to the original.…

February 10, 2024

In this article, about how the 2024 remake of Tina Fey's "Mean Girls" fails to live up to the standards set by the original, a blonde woman with a black coat and a necklace of beads gives a smug smirk at the audience with a shadow lying over half her face against a blurred-out background of a brown hallway with blue lockers.

Did We Really Need a Remake of Mean Girls?

Vera Pavlovich, Loyola University Maryland

Over 20 years since the original release of Mean Girls (2004), Tina Fey remakes the Rom-Com classic with a musical twist.…

February 6, 2024

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mikayla rafala

Instagram | Personal Site