Arts & Culture | The Reporter

Five percent of U.S. lawyers are African American according to a 2024 report from the the American Bar Association. To Temi Adediji, ‘27 and Collin Hughley ‘27, these numbers are reflected in the lack of diversity in Stetson’s pre-law program.Back in January 2025, Hughley scrolled Instagram and realized that his future career prospects have expanded, leading him to Fall Semester 2025, where his goal to change the lives of future attorneys would take root at Stetson. 

Black History is not confined to a revisionist lesson that lives in a middle school textbook, only opened during February. It is a living and changing movement expressed through different mediums. Art, language, literature, journalism and so much more presents opportunities for narratives to be unflattened, acting as an active resistance to colonial norms. How do you reflect this in your work/life ALL year, not just in February?

Bearing checkered flags and NASCAR’s infamous rainbow emblem, Daytona Beach and its beloved Daytona International Speedway is a place Hatters have called home since the Speedway’s inaugural race held in 1959, which introduced it as the the lifeblood of Volusia county’s cultural scene. Since the ‘60s, countless Stetson students have spent their first days of the semester in the grandstands for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 — back then it was the ‘Firecracker 400.’ Spring break goer

Poetry and art, while encouraging connection and challenging societal norms, is still seen as taboo. Some topics are seen as too graphic or too personal. Artists and writers often self-censor to avoid sharing realities that might overwhelm their audience, but sacrifice artistic honesty while they do so. There are blossoming writers who are tackling this issue head-on, and they are right here at Stetson University. Kendal Gailyard ‘29 is an undergraduate freshman, whose poetry

Black Stetson students may have grown up tucked in the corner of a living room couch as their parents watched the likes of “Moesha” and “Martin”. No doubt, those same parents hope the family values in these old network shows rubbed off on the next generation as we watch “Love & Basketball” or stream “Insecure.” The shifting portrayal of Black love in the media from homes to ritualized situationships has been noticed, but what does this translate to off-screen?

In St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, carnival is a massive, month-long Christmas celebration that spills out into the streets with huge parades, local food, and free concerts every night, from December 6th, all the way through Three Kings’ Day on January 6. Carnival is the one time of year the whole island “links up” to celebrate its rich history and culture through colorful costumes, loud music and good vibes. Carnival is celebrated differently across the world, with many cult

Growing up, I had trouble sleeping. I still do. I am afraid of the dark, uneasy with silence, unsure of what waits for me in the shadows — but when I lived in Puerto Rico, I knew what lived there. At random hours of the night, music would drift through my window, blasting from trucks with huge speakers strapped to their sides. During Christmas time, those same trucks would play songs that played on my grandfather’s record player, filling the air with the music he yearned for

Hippie braids interwoven with daisies, black-armband protests for peace. “Galaga” sounds emanating from glowing arcades, Walkman wires and Coca Cola still being drunk from glass bottles. In the decades of the 1970s and ‘80s, the era when most of our ‘latchkey kid’ parents were wearing starchy denim and talking to each other via curly phone cords, the world saw much innovation and change. Vietnam sparked an entire subculture in itself, and frizzy, teased hair was the move. Wit

In the heart of historic downtown DeLand stands the Athens Theatre, designed in 1921 by Orlando architect Murray S. King. Over a century later, the Athens still stands as a landmark of creative art and performance. As time moves forward, the stories told on the stage of the Athens have become more necessary than ever.

It’s the eve of your final exam and, so far, you’ve played your part well. You studied until you and the stars set the scene for the perfect night’s sleep – pillows propped, curtains closed, textbook on your nightstand, prepared for when you wake from your slumber and realize you forgot to review page 67. What could possibly go wrong? Somehow, you still ended up doom-scrolling on Instagram reels until 3 a.m. and woke up to the sun shining like a spotlight on the tragi-comedy

Remember "Stranger Things"? The Netflix original show has become a cornerstone of contemporary culture ever since it premiered in 2016. Capturing the attention of 14 million adults during its first month, "Stranger Things" has brought with it a sweeping wave of nostalgia for the 1980s. Fashion, music and movies associated with the era experienced a significant resurgence in popularity. However, contemporary culture has become heavily influenced, if not entirely defined, by no

The world is a rapidly changing place, and one way or another we move along with it. What is something of the past that has made you who you are and how do you hold onto and celebrate those aged parts of you as time passes?

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? 

Whether it’s cancel culture, the block button or a point to the door, we all fear that moment in a conversation where you can tell the person across from you is absolutely over it.  While I cannot make any promises that your friend will hear you out the next time you hate their favorite food or that the family dinner table will be a great place to be when politics comes up at Thanksgiving dinner, I can offer a few tricks to help you with the art of debate. 

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