Spooky Season Series Selection Part 1 - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Austin Price, Editor in Chief  

Spooky season is upon us! That means it’s time to pop some popcorn, curl up under a plaid blanket, and light a pumpkin spiced candle while watching a relaxing tv show. If you’re like me, this relaxing show involves gruesome crimes, obscene murders, and intense trials. As a spooky season enthusiast and true crime nerd, I understand the excitement of diving into a new series focused on some of the most horrific events imaginable. And so, to feed both my October loving soul, and satisfy my true crime craving, I am creating the ultimate list of TV series perfect for spooky season, all based on real events and true stories. Come with me as I provide you with the best content to consume as the leaves change and the costumes are purchased. Each installment of this series will highlight one of my favorite TV series that fits the macabre and mystery of spooky season. First up, we have Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.  

On September 21st, 2022, Netflix, Ryan Murphy, and Ian Brennan partnered to bring an unfiltered and raw look into the disgusting and perverted nature of one of America’s most notorious serial killers, Jeffrey Dahmer. Evan Peters stars as the infamous cannibal and has received countless accolades for his performance. The show was initially conceived to be a limited series, with the first and only season planned to follow the life and crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer. However, it was later renewed for a second and third season.   

Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is one of the most visually upsetting and intense depictions of Jeffrey Dahmer’s life. I have listened to countless podcasts and read tons of articles regarding his life, but I will say that Ryan Murphy brought the disturbing nature of Dahmer’s personality, and the repulsive nature of his crimes to the screen in a nightmarish way. As a lover of true crime, it takes a lot for me to actually recoil and truly be terrified by a case. However, I could not watch this series in one go, because of the realistic depictions of Dahmer’s confessions.  

Evan Peters is a genius in the titular role, and metamorphosizes into one of the most deranged and appalling serial killers in American history. His performance was recognized when Peters won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film.  Watching the TV drama gives a feeling of poison in one’s consciousness, as it carefully follows and exposes the crimes and actions of Dahmer, without holding anything back. Ryan Murphy approaches the Dahmer story without fear of repercussions and does not limit his exposure of Dahmer's life to being culturally sensitive and politically correct. While this approach has been criticized by many, I found it to be refreshing. The media is constantly monitoring and censoring aspects of true crime. While I understand this approach is done to respect the sensitivity of viewers, I’d argue that consumers deserve to truly be immersed in the hideous reality of killers to fully understand the severity of their crimes, and to fully emphasize with victims.  

Sharing the spotlight with Peters is Niecy Nash, who’s portrayal of Glenda Cleveland, Jeffrey's neighbor, resulted in the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Nash’s character gives an often-suppressed side of the story, as an African American woman whose concerns over Dahmer’s behavior were repeatedly ignored by police. In this narrative, Nash brings awareness to the many victims of Dahmer that were considered minorities, and that did not initially receive the same levels of commitment and respect by authorities as some of his other victims did.  

Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story includes 10 full length episodes, following the timeline of crimes committed by Dahmer, and glimpses into the ending result of his behavior and court records regarding his accusations and charges. The show immediately made its way into all forms of digital media. The season rose to the number one spot on Netflix in the first week of its release. In the second week of its release, Netflix announced that Dahmer was its ninth most popular English-language TV show of all time, with 56 million households having viewed all 10 episodes.  

Following the gigantic success of an anthological look on Dahmer’s story, Netflix announced on November 7, 2022, that it had renewed Monster as an anthology series, with two further editions based on the lives of "other monstrous figures". These figures would later be revealed to be Erik and Lyle Menendez for Season 2, and Ed Gein for Season 3. Stay tuned for upcoming installments of Spooky Season Series Selection as both of these series will be covered and included.  

Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is available to stream on Netflix. 

The Benefits of House Music

Gabby Sandoval, Events Manager and Liaison 

Music is a universal language that undoubtedly unites us all, under the various rhythms, beats, tempos, and instrumentals that are found to be appealing to our ears. One genre in particular under the title of “house music” has found its way into many college dorms, parties, gatherings, and cars. While house music is popular for its diversity in artists and song choices, it also provides benefits to the human body. 

The beats per minute (bpm) in music is linked to a human heart rate. So, the higher the bpm in music, the higher your heart rate is. The more your heart rate increases, the more excited you and your body get. Beats per minute (bpm) plays a fundamental role in how humans process music; and house music has an average speed of 120 to 130 BPM. Studies show that music that lies between 90 to 150 BPM produces greater feelings of happiness and joy as well as diminishing emotions associated with sadness. This relates to the pleasure it is to listen to house music.

Research by The Glasgow Insight Into Science and Technology (TheGIST) showed that when it comes to house music specifically, the build-ups and drops are intensely “rewarding” for the body. This is because when we hear a build-up in music, our body anticipates a crazy drop coming up and therefore prepares for it, leaving you feeling excited and tense. Your body responds to that drop by releasing a dopamine hit which satisfies your brain in a positive way.

TheGIST has also mentioned that the social aspect of listening and dancing to house music in a crowd is good for you. The reasons why are easy to guess, given that dancing releases endorphins and house music releases dopamine. With these elements combined, dancing to house music serves as an all around excellent experience. Humans are also social creatures, so when in a room full of others enjoying themselves and dancing, a collective positive mood can be produced. This is caused by our  brains subconsciously mimicking the emotions of those around you.

A study conducted by the International Music and Talent Agency (MN2S) also researched how the brain reacts to house music and found that "The repetitive patterns and ambient soundscapes are unobtrusive and stimulating, aiding concentration without distracting,". This means that you can listen to house music while studying and gain some benefit from doing so. 

While it feels physically rewarding to listen to house music, it is always refreshing to have science back up positive effects of listening to this kind of music. Whether you consider yourself a fan or not, house music is one of the best genres to throw on in the background at a small gathering, listen to while you're studying, or blast it through the speakers with your windows down when you just need to move.

Pop Musical, & Juliet, Gives A Happy Ending to A Traditionally Tragic Tale

Austin Price, Editor in Chief

The Shakespeare classic, Romeo & Juliet, has long been heralded as a great love story. It spins a tale of star-crossed lovers, separated by the complicated politics of their families. As we all know, this angsty teen drama ends in the death of both lovers, showing an end to a youthful obsession with the idea of true love. Shakespeare often gave his protagonists a martyr like mentality, making his heroes the saviors of the stories, even when no one needed to be saved. Romeo & Juliet is a prime example of this narcissistic narrative, as both characters are crowned with an idea of selflessness, each willing to give their life for the other, and each willing to receive death with open arms. Despite this traditionally tragic tale of excessive commitment and complex hormones, Max Martin and Tim Headington brought reality to the classic story, accompanied by an iconic soundtrack, and embracing the diversity of “true love”. 

& Juliet, a pop musical, created by Max Martin and Tim Headington asks the question, “What would happen if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo?”. The idea of a rewritten love story, that proves that popularity is not always built on tragedy, was that of Max Martin, a Swedish music executive. Martin is an icon in the world of pop music, with over dozens of chart-toppers and 5 Grammy Awards to his name. Some of his most popular songs include Britney Spears’s “...Baby One More Time”, Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life”, and The Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way”. 

Martin knew he wanted to fashion his songs into a musical and had a bountiful library to pull from. With an extensive catalog of over 250 songs, Martin had more than enough material to create a bombastic musical with incredible music. With the motivation to service a musical that was a great story, rather than a random collection of songs, Martin brought on Emmy Award winner and “Schitt’s Creek” writer, David West Road. Road listened to Martin’s endless catalog of work, and after identifying a recurring theme of heartbreak and young love, decided that the most famous love story, Romeo & Juliet, needed a reboot, accompanied by Martin’s genius soundtrack. 

Once Road proposed a reinvention of an iconic classic, the production team enthusiastically agreed, and began to reinvent Martin’s award winning music, to create an energetic, powerful, and progressive musical. Rather than focusing on one, devastating ending, & Juliet exhibits a variety of love stories. These progressive narratives include the reunification of long lost lovers, the acceptance of a non-binary relationship, the realities of a struggling marriage, and the beauty in self love. The play picks up just before Shakespeare’s original story ends, with Romeo dead, and Juliet by his side. However, instead of taking her own life, Juliet decides to move on, experiencing her youth with vibrancy and independence. As she embarks on this journey, Juliet is accompanied by her closest friends and greatest mentors, including the writer of her new story, Anne Hathaway, William Shakespeare’s wife. 

The show starts with Shakespeare, played by Corey Mach, announcing to his theater troupe that he has finally decided on an ending for his play, Romeo & Juliet. His cast of performers and faithful wife Anne, played by Teal Wicks, listen as Shakespeare describes the devastating and bloody end to a whirlwind love story. Needless to say, this depressing and gorey end, not unlike most of Shakespeare’s work, was met with disdain and doubt. However, Anne proposes a different ending that isn’t so tragic, but is one of hope and discovery. In an energetic rendition of The Backstreet Boys’ hit song, “I Want It That Way”, Anne convinces Shakespeare to let her rewrite the story, and to show him that true love doesn’t have to be tragic. 

With Shakespeare’s writing quill in hand, Anne creates a cast of supporters that will join Juliet, played by Rachel Simone Webb, on her journey. This ragtag group consists of May, Juliet’s best friend played by Nick Drake, Angelique, Juliet’s nurse played by Kathryn Allison, and April, Juliet’s main girlfriend embodied by Anne, Teal Wicks. With the team assembled, April/Anne leads them to a nightclub for a wild evening of dancing, drinking, and dreaming. 

At the party, the group meets Frankie, played by Mateus Leite Cardoso, a young bachelor with an overbearing father and a kingdom to his name. While Frankie is excited to befriend the group and welcomes them into his home, his father Lance, played by Paul-Jordan Jansen, is less than enthused by the group crashing a classy evening of elegance and dancing. Angelique, Juliet’s nurse, is sent to Lance as a distraction, in which a love connection starts to form, based on a past relationship. 

As the night goes on, Juliet and her friends perform renditions of pop songs including Demi Lavato’s hit single, “Confident", and Kesha’s party anthem, “Blow”. The characters rave to the music and each member experiences a new approach to the world. Anne, under the alias of April, reconnects with her youthful, rebellious self, revisiting a life she gave away in order to marry Shakespeare. May makes a connection with Frankie, quickly falling in love and belting out a fabulous rendition of Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl”. Angelique, spends a romantic night reigniting the flame of love with Lance, a long-lost lover from her teenage years. Finally, Juliet connects with herself, finding her worth as Juliet, and breaking away from the shadow of Romeo’s death. This metamorphosis showcases a strong, independent and confident woman, who does not need a relationship as her identifier. Shakespear watches Anne’s rewrites with contempt, believing that her changes are outlandish and ruining his story. In an attempt to get things back on track, Shakespeare revives Romeo, played by Michael Canu, bringing him to life with Bon Jovi’s classic rock anthem, “It’s My Life”. 

With Romeo back in the picture, Juliet worries she will be forced to be with him, and performs a powerhouse version of Kelly Clarkson’s iconic breakup song, “Since U Been Gone,”. Despite her protests, Romeo remains adamant that he and Juliet belong together. To avoid a future with Romeo, Juliet pretends she is betrothed to Frankie, who agrees with the fantasy as it appeases his father. This leaves May heartbroken and Angelique exasperated. Anne/April watches on with sadness as her husband undermines her, yet again. 

As things go from bad to worse, Shakespeare implements himself into the play, with the desire to get Romeo and Juliet back together and end the story as he initially planned. However, the reciprocation and connection of love between the characters foils his plan. May and Frankie stand up to Lance, declaring their love for one another. Lance, now blissfully reunited with Angelique accepts both of them with open arms. Juliet agrees to give her relationship with Romeo another try, after he agrees to hold off their potential marriage until they both know what they want. Everyone is finally ready for their happily ever after, except for the writers of the story, Shakespeare and Anne. 

With Juliet’s story finished, Anne expresses her pain and resentment towards Shakespeare, who frequently took her and her love for granted, as he pursued his artistic endeavors. Anne begs for Shakespeare to show her the same amount of love as he does to his work, and Shakespeare is shocked to finally understand how much Anne was struggling. Anne explains that she rewrote the ending of Romeo & Juliet to reflect what her life could’ve been without giving up her dreams and passions for Shakespeare to support his career. Humbled by her honesty and ashamed of his selfishness, Shakespeare apologizes, and reassures Anne that she is his muse, and is greater than any story he could ever write. The lovers embrace, and showcase their dedication to one another, and to their marriage, in a reprise of the song that started it all, “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys. 

As the musical comes to an end, all characters have found love, freedom, joy, and passion. Anne’s rewrites prove that love doesn’t have to be tragic, and that true love isn’t as simple as it seems. With the entire cast reunited onstage, the final number is a celebration with singing and dancing to Justin Timberlake’s song, “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”. Through her progressive revisions, Anne introduces Shakespreare to new ways of love, and Shakespeare is reminded of his original inspiration in his beloved wife.

Broken Glass

Carver Lawson, Special Projects Manager

I’ve realized recently that I rely on my sense of sight too much. 

I’m so fascinated by the image in front of me that I don’t notice my posture is craning my neck, 

and I don’t feel how my body is knotting up from spending all day analyzing the feedback from my eyes, 

and I don’t feel the emptiness in my stomach and the headache from my hunger, 

and I couldn’t sense how my spirit was dead and dry because my fixation was futile, 

and it all didn’t even occur to me until I felt every sensation hit me in one go. 

So I broke my glasses, 

and now I can’t see. 

But I can feel the heaviness weighing down my eyes as I hear my body calling for rest, 

and I can feel the tension in my shoulders and neck that my back left behind, 

and I can even feel those muscles relax with every breath I take, 

and I can understand that I am not upset with you but my own inner turmoils, 

and I can feel my heart soften towards the world and people in it, 

and in these moments I can know my senses have returned to me, 

that I can taste my passions, 

hear my subconscious desires, 

smell the peace in the morning air, 

feel the love of the sun, 

and see through a lens of clarity. 

I broke my glasses and I’ve never had a better sense of sight.

Honesty

Carver Lawson, Special Events Manager 

I’m sorry,

In my defensiveness,

I denied you your humanity.

The truth, is I’m always asking myself what makes a person lovable,

What causes someone to be so fascinated with another like it’s an obsession they’ve always had?

I thought I stopped asking myself that question and I did for a good while.

I was going to let love find me like friends told me to,

so I stopped searching and then I was in your bed, 

and it felt right,

I was just bored and didn’t want to sleep alone that night,

but I thought that maybe the universe had finally rewarded me,

that I finally mastered what it meant to be lovable and enough of a fascinating person to get you hooked,

but I know now this isn’t about you,

these are about hard questions I ask myself for no good reason, a pattern I must have picked up somewhere 

It really isn’t about you and that’s what makes it hurt worse because this chase of love has always been about me, 

I was hoping that a stranger could tend my wounds just this once,

yet again i’m the only one who knows of secret doors and the shortcuts in the labyrinth of my heart,

It’s not your responsibility to tend to my garden like that, 

I have flowers so strange that no botanist has ever seen and that leave gardeners dazed,

so yes, I am sorry in my defensiveness I’ve denied you your humanity, 

I should have remembered the mazes and flowers I saw in you when I looked through your eyes.

The Storyteller

Austin Price, Editor in Chief

There was a great storyteller

Who told tales of you and me

The sweet songbird of literature

Who relied on his ABC’s

His currency was parchment

Stained deep with black paint

He often spent his days alone

It gave him time to think

He was a chameleon of sorts

You could never tell what mask he wore

You might recognize him in the after

But he stays a stranger in the before

He drives the yellow bus on your way to school

He cleans the conference room after meeting

He’s the quiet neighbor who lives across the street

He doesn’t answer the door when you’re trick-or-treating 

He’s a hoarder of words

He captures, categorizes and collects

Your deepest, darkest secrets

Your ultimate regrets

He speaks countless languages

He is the ultimate translator

He shares your secrets

He is history, it’s mediator

With the words he writes

He exposes humanity

Illuminating the good and the bad

Revealing the ugly

He scribbled his thoughts

Ancient hands begin to shake

The splotches of liquid color

Mark the page with intentional mistakes

The storyteller is a narrator for us all

Documenting our best and our worst

He remains neutral in his writing

For the naked truth must come first

With a mind like a mouse trap

Enticing the reader in

Only to take them hostage 

And let the games begin

The work of the storyteller never ends

There will always be more to record

The secrets are shared

And the readers are never bored

When his days of writing are over

The storyteller does not quit

His tasks are passed on

For new stories will always exist

Once the pages are drying

And the stories have been told

He seals the letters tightly

And signs them in gold