Peeling Back the Layers – The Brilliance behind Rian Johnson’s Newest film, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

By Austin Price, Staff Writer

In November of 2019, a new film of a lesser-known genre shocked the world with its intricate plot, star-studded cast, and complex writing. This film was Rian Johnson’s Knives Out. Featuring A-list actors including Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana De Armas, and Jamie Lee Curtis; Knives Out is a murder mystery masterpiece with unexpected plot twists, elaborate details, and clever character development. Knives Out brought new life to a seemingly dead genre of murder mysteries while also incorporating dark comedy and thriller crime. 

Read More

Pretty in Pink: A Review of the Hello Kitty Grand Cafe

By Sandra Vo, Staff Writer

Photos by Sandra Vo

Located in the middle of California’s Irvine Spectrum Center, past the swarm of joyfully hollering children and carnival music emitting from the Ferris Wheel Speakers, lies a quiet sanctuary for Hello Kitty lovers everywhere. The Hello Kitty Grand Cafe proudly boasts a pink and white canopy, sleek pink windows, and a logo with Hello Kitty herself sitting in front of a coffee cup. 

Inside, the cafe is decorated just as sweetly as its exterior. Upon entering, guests are met with clean, white walls and several spots for a photo opportunity, such as the Hello Kitty sprinkle wallpaper or the statue of Hello Kitty in the corner. There are two sections of the cafe, one of which is the regular coffee storefront and another room in the back, which is reserved for the special afternoon tea set. 

Since the afternoon tea set was about $60 a person, I decided to stay within the main coffee area. There’s a window that shows the donut making process of the cafe, likely to entice customers with its smell and appearance. The service is friendly and eager, dressed in a pink Hello Kitty apron appropriate with the theme. 

On the day of my visit, I was disappointed to hear that they had already run out of one of the cafe’s specials, the strawberry dream smoothie, even though it was less than an hour since they had opened. However, I was able to get a cappuccino and the strawberry cake. The cappuccino had the classic “Hello Kitty” face drawn on the top with cocoa powder. 

As for the strawberry cake, it was decorated in a white frosting that was so thick and hard that it resembled a candy coating. Unfortunately, it was nearly unbearably sweet, although the portion was a decent size for ten dollars. There was an artificial taste to the jelly inside of the cake, but perhaps its appearance can excuse the poor flavor. 

Overall, the Hello Kitty cafe is a pleasant visual experience if not dining, but should still remain on the bucket list for any Hello Kitty fans or people looking to visit themed cafes.

Timeless or Touristy?: What to do (and What to Skip) on a Trip to Paris

By Madelynn Loring, Staff Writer

Paris is simply the place to go in France for Americans. In fact, when I first announced that I was studying abroad, the first thing everyone said was, “In Paris?” I definitely disappointed folks when I said that no, I was going to a smaller city in southern France, unheard of by Americans, called Montpellier. Regardless, I have been so fortunate as to have been able to catch a couple trains to Paris for weekend trips, so I figured I would share my experience with certain popular attractions, and offer my insight on whether they’re worth it, or too touristy.

Read More

Consuming True Crime Intentionally: What to Follow and What to Avoid

With an endless supply of true crime content, I personally believe it is both moral and necessary to understand where you are getting your true crime content from, and how that content is affecting the real-life people involved. 

Choose your true crime content wisely. There are certain programs and producers of true crime content looking to benefit from horrific stories without proper consent from the victims, causing additional grief and inappropriate attention towards the victim’s families. Fans of true crime often forget they are listening to stories that happened to real people in this real world and in turn, lack sympathy and respect for all involved in a case. 

Because the plethora of true crime content can become overwhelming and confusing regarding victim exploitation instead of victim advocacy, I have put together a list of true crime content to follow, and a list of true crime content to avoid. 

Read More

Timeless or Touristy? What to do (and what to skip) on a Trip to Italy

By Madelynn Loring, Staff Writer

I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to study abroad for a year in Montpellier, France. I have tried to make the most of my first time in Western Europe by traveling around to neighboring countries to try to see all that there is to see. I am no tour guide by any stretch of the imagination, and I am only a travel blogger in my wildest dreams, but I figured I would take the opportunity to share some insights with you about my travels in various countries, as well as some opinions about what is worth the visit, and what’s just a tourist trap. So, without further ado, here’s what to do (and what to skip) on a trip to Italy.

Read More

It’s A Man’s World, yet Women are Paying for It – The Controversy and Debate Surrounding the Pink Tax

By Austin Price, Staff Writer

Women have always been underestimated and devalued. When we do succeed and beat the odds, we are harassed or ridiculed. Because of this, I sadly say that this world is indeed a man’s world. One of the main things that makes our world a man’s world and not an equal human world is the blatant disregard for women’s personal needs in both a physical and mental sense.

There’s a lot of contributing factors leading to the inequality of women, but one of the main ones is demonstrated in commercialized retail items made in bulk, specifically targeting towards women. By rejecting women’s needs and increasing stress on their personal financial struggles, large corporations are bleeding women dry. This phenomenon is known as the pink tax.

Read More