A ccording to a study entitled “Smartphone use in a large US adult population: Temporal associations between objective measures of usage and mental well-being,” which was published on the National Institute of Health’s website (NIH), the average American spent 337.7 minutes, over five and a half hours, on their smartphone per day.   The median minutes of screen time for all non–social media applications per day was 295, and the median minutes of screen time on all social medi

The Troy women’s basketball team fueled its momentum with an 86-80 comeback victory over ULM, followed by a gritty 67-63 defensive win against Texas State to sweep their mid-January road trip.   After trailing the Warhawks at halftime in Monroe, Louisiana, Troy erupted for 53 second-half points while shooting a clinical 60.6%from the floor. This resurgence was led by Zay Dyer, who dominated the post to reclaim the Sun Belt Conference lead in double-doubles.  "We're very fortu

Every Thursday night, B. Graves holds a trivia night. This night is filled   with jokes, laughter and overall joy, bringing people from the city of Troy together as well as the students at the university.   “Getting together with friends in a central location in Troy is something I really enjoy,” said Bryson Grimsley, a senior in music education from Abbeville, Alabama, who shared his experience from last Thursday’s trivia night. “This gives me and my trivia partners somethin

Troy-Pike Habitat for Humanity (H4H) will be taking a frigid dip as the organization holds its 7th annual Polar Plunge Fundraiser on the morning of Jan. 31.  During this event, participants jump into the freezing water in support of Habitat for Humanity’s fundraiser, which helps them achieve their goals of providing safe and affordable housing to the local community.   Dianna Lee, a member of the Troy-Pike Habitat for Humanity board of directors, explained Habitat for Humanit

Recipe of the Week   For the blueberry sauce:  2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)  2 tbsp. orange juice  ¼ cup granulated sugar  1 ½ tbsp. Corn starch  2 tbsp. water    For the dough (or use premade dough to save some time!):  1 cup whole milk  ¼ cup butter, unsalted, at room temperature  3 ½ cups all-purpose flour  1 (.25 oz) package Platinum Yeast (active dry yeast)  ¼ cup granulated sugar  1 egg  ½ tsp. Salt  ¼ cup water    For the filling:  ⅓ cup brown sugar  4 tbsp. so

One of the Troy’s Greek organizations dedicated to supporting women in music held a hot chocolate and movie night to kick off its recruitment week last Wednesday.  Sigma Alpha Iota is a music fraternity that aims to provide community for women pursuing music whether as a means of career or hobby. The members act as ushers for choir, concert band and symphonic band concerts, and do community service across the John M. Long School of Music and the entire Troy community.  “Suppo

Music Industry chapter established at Troy University A national organization with the mission of supporting underrepresented groups in the music industry introduced a chapter at Troy University starting this semester.  The organization, We Are Moving the Needle (WAMTN), aims to provide experience, scholarships, grants and advocacy to women, non-binary people and transgender people aspiring to become music producers, audio engineers, or other positions within the music indust

I believe one of the most rewarding parts of music exploration is when one finds an album that clicks instantly. Whether by chance, or by trying your hardest to find that feeling, the feeling is always rewarding.  One time, the feeling came over me was when I was listening to the album “Dolby’s ON!” by Montreal-based Bataille Solaire. The album has a very wintery vibe to me, as if there’s a crisp wind on a January day.   Opening track “Boul” both starts and ends with a glitch

While many New Year’s resolutions fade, the Trojan Fitness and Wellness Center (TFWC), also known as the Rec Center, is working to help students stick to healthy exercise habits throughout the semester.  Georgia Bagdonas, a sophomore global business major and Huntsville, Alabama, native, is a personal trainer and fitness instructor at the TFWC. Bagdonas believes that healthy habits start in the mind before they start in the body.  “It's about discipline and teaching yourself

A vision of motivating and inspiring others through a clothing brand that began in middle school recently came to fruition for one Troy University student, and he’s just getting started.  Kishon Reynolds, a first-year strategic communication graduate student  from Childersburg, Alabama, merged the words future and millionaire to create his brand Fumaire, representing a push for increased productivity and a better quality of living for all.   “I've been able to build a communi

SPOILER ALERT! With Jimmy Nichols I used 2025 as the year to educate myself on some of the best movies ever made. For the first time, I watched “Good Morning Vietnam,” “Dead Poets Society” and “The Shining.”  Every new movie brought a new experience, enjoyment and appreciation for how movies are laid out and constructed. One movie that builds on this expertly is “Good Will Hunting.”  In the breakout film for future A-list actors, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, the audience follo

'Debate team brings home two big wins in recent tournaments' (2/2) In a sweeping victory, Carmen Cruz, a sophomore history major from Madison, Alabama, was crowned Novice IDPA Champion of the H. Neher Bulldog Battle on Jan. 17, 2026.   The tournament was held virtually by Butler University and consisted of preliminary, semifinal and final rounds. Cruz completed the preliminaries with a 3-1 record, moving her to the semifinals where she defeated Valdosta State University 3-0. 

Anais' Annotations Science fiction as a genre tends to conjure images of robot-human hybrids and spaceships soaring through the sky. In Rachel Ingalls’ 1982 novella “Mrs. Caliban,” this classic definition is put to the test. The author combines elements of science fiction with a psychological thriller; all set in an average suburban home. This tiny book packs a punch of meaning and heartache.  The story’s main protagonist, Dorothy, is a highly unstable but compelling characte

The Troy men’s tennis team fell 4-0 to the Miami Hurricanes this past Wednesday. The match continued their Florida trip, as they faced Florida State last Sunday.  With the match set to be played on Tuesday morning, the south Florida weather disrupted things and pushed the match to Wednesday. Because of the weather, singles matches were played first in Miami’s sweep.  Troy Athletics photo Auslas Martin Melo scoops a ball On court three, Trojan freshman Ryusei Miyazato dropped

Emma's Enlightements This Week’s Advice: Looking Back and Falling Forward.   Welcome back! Even though it’s an adjustment going back and forth, I hope everyone had a much needed, restful break. I had a lot to think about during my time back home.  Over the break, I learned something important: you can look back, but don’t fall back.  I was by myself for a while, and I was thinking way too much.   I started missing people I shouldn’t have and falling back into old habits of s

Troy Athletics announced Dan Heck as the new deputy athletics director for external relations and revenue generation. Athletics Director Kyle George announced the news over the winter break.  “I am extremely excited to welcome Dan and his family to Troy,” George said in a Troy Athletics press release. “You win with people, and I am thrilled we are able to add one of the most dynamic marketers in the industry to our team.”  Straight out of college, Heck worked at Arizona for f

Following an eventful fall season, the Troy women’s tennis team is counting down to its spring debut. The season is set to open in Jacksonville, Florida, when the Trojans take on North Florida. Saturday Jan. 24 marks the beginning of a journey that concludes in April at the Sun Belt Tournament.  Leading the team is the senior duo of Valeriia Avdeeva and Maria Guirguis. Avdeeva finished the fall season with a 6-5 record in singles play, while Guirguis went 8-3. As a duo, the s

The Troy men’s basketball team earned back-to-back home victories last week over Southern Miss, 91-65 and Arkansas State, 99-74. The Saturday win over the Red Wolves lifted the Trojans to the number one spot in the Sun Belt Conference standings.  Following two consecutive road games, Troy returned home with a statement win over Southern Miss, 91-65. A career night for Cobi Campbell led the way as the redshirt junior earned a new best of 30 points. He set a new career high of

You hear that? Exactly. Nonsense, which is basically what baseball is.  Baseball is boring and confusing. Now, don’t get me wrong; it has its perks here and there, but overall, it’s nothing compared to a fast paced, hyped, physical and active sport.   Soccer is exactly that.  When it comes to soccer, you are guaranteed some type of action at least every five minutes. With baseball, you’re lucky to be done with the first inning by the time you come back from the concession sta

With 2026 in full swing, I wanted to highlight some of the releases from last year that I personally enjoyed. The albums and songs I have mentioned are not in any specific order, but all of them are recommended by me.  Jane Remover’s album “Revengeseekerz” dropped last year and it was definitely my most anticipated album coming into 2025. It excelled my expectations dramatically, to the point where I thought every song was a hit. I like to describe “Revengeseekerz” as being j

Since 2004, the NASCAR Cup Series has had a variety of different postseason formats. What once was a simple points-earning system with the top-performing driver being crowned the champion became a convoluted, confusing, and sometimes unnecessary gimmick.  In 2016, NASCAR introduced its current version of the “Playoffs”. In it, 16 drivers would qualify after a 26-race regular season. With a “win and you’re in” model, it intends to make every race important throughout the seaso

2025s catalogue of music was disappointing. I recall weeks of the summer spent feeling like there was something good waiting just around the corner, only to poke my head out and repeatedly find nothing.   Ironically, in their stead, I found myself listening to droves upon droves of tracks released the year prior, and the one before that. Songs that within months became soundtracks to swathes of my time had, in fact, found their first air before the calendar turned 25.   Album

SPOILER ALERT! With Jimmy Nichols 2025 was a bounce-back year for movies following a lackluster 2024. The releases of “Sinners,” “Superman,” “Weapons,” and “Wicked: For Good” helped cinemas recover following a year with only a couple of noteworthy releases.   One movie released later in the year was only released on Netflix with much fanfare--  the sequel to the “Knives Out” franchise.    This franchise has been one of my favorites since the first movie. Each time they have a

Anais' Annotations After having spent much of my life not being interested in the film version, I decided to take some time during the winter break to read “Dances with Wolves” (1988). Michael Blake’s novel is better known for its film adaptation, a popular culture icon starring Kevin Costner. Despite its cultural lingering in the halls of cinema fame, I found Blake’s story left a lot to be desired.  The basics of the plot sound solid: post-Civil War, a United States soldier