Hatter Network

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

Honoring the past, uniting the present and building for the future... I know, I know what you’re thinking — $6.7 million for a tower? Seriously?

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.

Ali Burgess, Editor-in-Chief When thinking about this theme of Fusion, I think of all of the intersections in life. As young adults in such a transitional and expansive period of life, college, we are aptly aware of where our lines blur together. From work, to school, to hobbies, we are spread across a myriad of activities that require us to fuse and connect with ourselves and others in uncharted ways.

“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

Often times, the term “Greek life” may bring up visual images of lavish house parties with neon lights, red Solo cups and music-blasting speakers. Sorority sisters in coordinated outfits practicing choreographed chants and fraternity brothers clad in matching jerseys, tossing footballs on manicured lawns. Behind the stereotypes, is a community that fosters collaboration in ways that may not necessarily come to mind immediately. Especially in Stetson’s relationship-rich enviro

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

For decades, college has kept students’ wallets void and null—except for some singles to spare for a weeknight’s hamburger. Along with the inexorable emptiness of bank accounts, there always arises the anxious question of where to find work. For many students already juggling a full class schedule and social life, the addition of a job surmounts to a pretty heavy plate to carry. Meanwhile, for post-graduates, hefty bills remain to be paid.

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

Editor-in-Chief, Ali Burgess ’25 When one semester comes to a close, a new semester is just on the horizon. But that interlude of end of semester slump and winter break can make things seem a little dull. I hope that within this edition of The Reporter you can find new ideas, opportunities and answers that you may not have seen before. I am so proud of all that the Executive Board and the staff writers have accomplished this semester and am looking forward to how we continue

As Stetson students settle in for the fall semester, many face the challenge of food insecurity. Food insecurity is the experience of lacking food, in quality and/or quantity, to meet one’s basic needs. Stetson’s food pantry, the Hatters Helping Hatters Food Pantry, aims to combat this pressing issue. Affecting students across campus, it is shown in a National College Health Assessment survey that as of Fall 2023, 61.7% of Stetson students have or are currently experiencing f

From the Gutenberg press to Google Docs, the publication process of Stetson University’s The Reporter, Florida’s oldest collegiate publication, has transformed since its genesis as The DeLand Collegiate in 1887. Feasible as it is for Hatters reading this very article to fancy print magazines a fad of the past and imagine staff writers mooring over outdated typewriters – much like “Miss Lizzie Webb,” editor-in-chief of the inaugural 1887 publication, might have – I fear that t