Arts & Culture | The Reporter

Just as the cup-bearer Hebe proffered divine nectar to immortalize the Olympian gods, beauty and skincare companies of the modern age are seducing us with the same siren song of youth. If you walk into any given Ulta or Sephora nowadays, you’ll find yourself bumping elbows with a ten-year-old carrying armfuls of fuchsia-capped Drunk Elephant bottles. She will most likely have a mother trailing behind her, debit card ready to be wiped clean. In our current hyperfeminine era of

The legend of Zeus is one of the world’s most well-known stories. The all-powerful god who sits at the head of the table on Mt. Olympus; his name is synonymous with leadership, power and justice. On Stetson’s campus, we have Zeuses of our own – not ones that reign from a cloud, but from the executive boards of organizations with leaders who oversee aspects of student life.

Back when the world was dark and the cold was suffocating, a legendary figure brought fire down from the gods, ensuring the comfort and continued survival of the human species. A titan of great empathy towards mortals, Prometheus paid the ultimate sacrifice for his selflessness. Those familiar with the myth may aptly assume that the aforementioned sacrifice for bringing fire was the eternal torture he faced as punishment. While the physical toll of a liver-eating eagle is cer

Stepping onto a college campus is stepping into modern-day mythology, and Stetson University makes this quite clear. Its columned buildings tower like the temples of Corinth, pantheons of professors lecture on the ancient gods of academia and Stetson’s very  presence earned DeLand fame as the “Athens of Florida.” What leads today’s students through the labyrinth of education, however, are not muses – they are just “majors” and “minors.” Yet, recent statistics from the U.S. De

I always felt intimidated as a woman to train for self-defense. I had accepted a life where I would walk down dark streets on trepid alert, mace and a safety alarm equipped in my bag. I always wanted to learn to fight but I grew up in an early 2000s world where the representation of strong female fighters was mostly fictional and overly sexualized. The girls I knew who trained in self-defense sports, like wrestling or karate, were such a rarity that I worshipped them as akin

Myths are powerful. They shape institutions, movements, and even our own identities. In this issue, we delve into the mythos that surrounds student life, from the narratives we inherit to the ones we invent. Consider this an invitation to question the stories that claim to define you. Which myths are you ready to build up or break down? 

Netflix released the lifestyle television series “With Love, Meghan” March 4. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, continues to defy royal family norms as we see the former actress on Netflix, tying on an apron and returning to her television roots. Thanks to the binge-watching of viewers like me, the eight-episode series made the streaming giant’s “Top 10” list in the United States within a mere day of being available. People love to hate on the series, but I will shamelessly say

College Media Association Reflection Projects 2025 New York, Feb. 2025 This past February, four small-town college kids braved the ‘Big Apple’ in all its bedazzling glory. Each year, Stetson’s Hatter Network sends a select group of student journalists to represent The Reporter Magazine and WHAT Radio Station for the College Media Association convention (or ProCon), hosted in New York City. This year, Natalie McCoy, Nico Alonso, Colin Rhoads and I were among those lucky few to

Nowadays, journalists are continuously being told to play it safe. Time and time again, I have been told to “color inside the lines,” especially in the face of controversial topics and political issues. I understand why journalists and outlets have these conventions in place: personal safety, legal protection, or to maintain a neutral image. I guess some things are just not meant to make it to press.

Stetson students who enjoy getting tattoos might be looking for an after-hours fix. Whether their packed schedule prevents them from getting a tattoo during the day, they’re simply looking for a late-night thrill, or are somewhere in-between, these three DeLand tattoo shops can hook you up:

Like the flowers that indicate spring, the yearly edition of Touchstone Literary Arts Magazine is nearly in bloom. The campus organization is gearing up for its 45th issue, which will be released April 26. The magazine showcases students’ talents through multiple artistic mediums: poetry, prose, visual art and photography. The theme of this year’s magazine highlights all things whimsical, with a focus on the soft, tranquil and floral. This year’s theme is a stark contrast to

Before trends hit the mainstream, fashion gets co-opted, concerts sell out, and thrifty trinkets get resold online, there’s the underground. The ones who liked it before it was cool — at Stetson, this network of students can seem infinitely large and small, but all exist independently of each other while still being networked through shared interests and hobbies. From jam sessions to thrifted fits, Stetson’s underground scene doesn’t wait for permission to express itself and

“I love music more than anything. It is a wonderful way to relieve stress and inspire others to create and express themselves in a way that words cannot. It is one of my greatest joys to see other people experience that and, as a teacher in general, you get to see someone’s love for a subject inspired first-hand. As a music educator, you get to witness how people get their love for music. I feel like that’s more rewarding than performing,” said Colin J. Rhoads ’27, an aspirin

Burrow Press is the March Hare to Stetson University’s Mad Hatters. Founded in 2010 by Stetson University Master of Fine Arts (MFA) alumnus, Ryan Rivas, this literary publisher produces award-winning collections of poetry and prose which, in the words of Rivas, include, but are certainly not limited to, “absurdist short stories about fatherhood, retellings of fairy tales in Florida folklore, the queering of the Florida man myth in poetry form,” in print and online through the

I. Wake up to an opened window and the aftertaste of 99¢’s worth in Welch’s soda and street slice– Stranger, you slept in a city that never does– but a midnight you made plans for morning in your notes app, adjacent a musical’s motif: …don’t let him look back, Eurydice… but you can’t stop Orpheus in the streets if he’s searching for your hand. Songbird in a sweater vest steps out into Times Square; “I’m walking here,” you sing. You sing while walking there.

Featuring letters from current and upcoming editors, Ali Burgess, Sara Ward, Reagan Shivers, Michelle Marshall, Maria Latour, Indya Mckoy, Nico Alonso, and De’Vanese John-Baptiste.

“Take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I can show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. Remember, all I’m offering is the truth, nothing more.” Morpheus said to Neo.  This quote from The Matrix was meant to be an offering of the truth– staunch symbolism for having the courage to face life-changing choices and difficult truths. Little did the creators of this film k

Located in downtown Deland, ‘Sidecar’ is a hidden gem. Half coffee shop, half lounge, the space is decked in colorful wallpaper and cozy reading nooks — even offering jewelry, clothes and trinkets for sale. After stumbling upon the shop, Professor Leah Sandler, who teaches a culmination of arts classes at Stetson, made it her go-to spot. I sat down with her at Sidecar to get her perspective on how local hangouts can be vital for both professors and students–and how these shar

This winter, bloodlust is in the box office. With its broodingly dark color palette and haunting landscapes layered in Transylvanian frost, critics have found a grim yet macabre beauty in Robert Eggers’s latest film, “Nosferatu”. Starring as the undead Count Orlok is Bill Skarsgård and the vampire’s muse, Ellen, is played by Lily-Rose Depp. The Gothic production now makes the second reboot of the 1922 original, “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror”, a silent German Expressionist

This semester, students have lost their cool; Stetson has made some big switches regarding their dining options. Deliberated at the administrative level, Stetson has stopped distributing Coca-Cola products or any of its subsidiaries, going all-in on their competitor, Pepsi-Co. This removes items like Coke-affiliated sodas, VitaminWater, Minute Maid, and more from shelves. Another big decision that was made was serving Starbucks drinks in the coffee shop that previously served