Rating: 2.3 stars “How to Kill Men and Get Away with It” by Katy Brent is not my typical read; it’s a semi-popular BookTok thriller, with a millennial focus. However, it was marketed as a dark comedy and a female rage novel. I’m a female with rage, so why not? The premise of the book was interesting, as it followed Instagram influencer Kitty Collins who, fed up with men, decides to start killing the worst of the worst, describing herself as a “female Dexter.” The book is de

Project Hail Mary: The Best Movie of 2026? While this year has seen the continuation of several franchises like Toy Story and Spider-Man, it has also seen several new ideas. Films like “Obsession,” “Disclosure Day” and “The Odyssey” prove that Hollywood can use original ideas or adapt books and still achieve great success. One of the best movies released this year is “Project Hail Mary.” Based on the sci-fi novel released in 2021, the book is written by famed author Andy W

Professor Chris Stagl's photos of Troy and well-known surrounding areas. Contributed photos A Troy Art and Design professor partnered with Troy Regional for a new art project through an uncommon link – a previous student. Professor Chris Stagl, associate chair of Art and Design at Troy University, was recently approached by Troy Regional Graphic Designer and Marketing Assistant Emily Robbins, a recent Troy graduate and one of Stagl’s former students. Together, they helped

Applications are open for an annual entrepreneurship competition held by the IDEA Bank. The Business Pitch Competition allows students to apply with an idea for a business they’d like to start and, if selected, present their idea to a panel of judges for the opportunity to win money to put toward their business. Before the presentation, students go through eight weeks of developing their idea, communication skills and understanding of their industry and audience. “I get to

Dawson Parks photo Shuttlecocks, as pictured, are the "ball" of badminton. A club sport that made a “racket” with international students and American students alike made its return this fall. Originally from India, badminton became popular across Europe in the 1800s. At Troy, badminton is famous among students from around the world. Since 2016, Troy’s Badminton Club has been a way for international and American students to hang out, have a good time and, of course, play bad

Following her most recent single release, “The light in the painting,” Lizzy McAlpine has dropped another sneak peak of her upcoming album, “Angel.” On Aug. 21, 2026, McAlpine released “Ugly things,” a stark contrast to the previous single. The previous single was hopeful, light and loving. Listeners were delighted to finally have a happy song from Lizzy, but in her familiar fashion, the newest single brings it all back down. “Ugly things” outlines the feelings of watchin

Students get creative at UAC's Paint and Sip. Austin Horne photos With paintbrushes in hand and mocktails nearby, students gathered for Paint and Sip to create art, meet new people and take a break from the stress of college life. The event, held by the University Activities Council (UAC), gave students an opportunity to be creative while connecting with other students on campus. The event was open to students of different class standings, giving both freshmen and seniors a

The winning team runs from one station to the next. Contributed photo Students got competitive at the Troy Campus Recreation’s second annual Amazing Race Around Troy University on Saturday. The event, based on the CBS show “The Amazing Race,” gave students a chance to get out of their dorms, meet new people and learn more about the Troy campus. “Originally, it was to get the students who live in the dorms engaged more, but we have opened it up to all of the students now,”

Members of Omega Psi Phi grill at 4DaCulture's cultural potluck. Quang Le photo A new student organization is working to bridge what many on campus see as an invisible gap: the space between walking past the same people every day and actually knowing them. 4DaCulture aims to create a platform where students from different backgrounds can share their experiences and learn from one another on Troy's international campus. Lewis Bell, a senior criminal justice major from Dothan

Students gather and participate in Denim and Paint with Sparkle and 4DaCulture. Quang Le photos Students gathered with denim in hand and paintbrushes ready as 4DaCulture and the Sparkle Mentoring Club joined together to hold “Denim and Paint,” an event designed to give Troy University students an opportunity to socialize, meet new people and express their creativity. The event invited students to bring any denim items they wanted to customize, while the organizations provid

Young Cutter graphic Students looking to get into the Halloween spirit can help create a spooky experience of their own as Troy University’s Department of Art and Design seeks volunteers for its upcoming haunted house. Malory Magrath, a departmental secretary for the Art and Design Department, said students do not have to limit themselves to one role when volunteering for the event. “We need actors, people to do makeup and move props and just anyone who wants to help out i

Descendants Wicked Wonderland: Wickedly good, top-3 Descendants movie? The Descendants franchise is something many current college students grew up watching. The first film came out over 11 years ago and spawned several sequels and a few television series. Originally, the film series started as a trilogy, with Descendants 3 coming out in 2019. For many of the fans, and even a few of the actors, they believed this was where the story would come to an end. The original fanb

What are you excited for this school year? “I’m excited for graduating and finally being done; other than that, it is studying and passing the CPA exam,” said Clark Smith, a grad student majoring in accounting from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. “I’m excited for the football games. This is my first year not in marching band, so I get to experience what it is like as a regular student,” said Kiavani Palmer, a freshman majoring in nursing from Eufaula, Alabama. “Basketball games. They wo

Students interact with puppies from TARP, Alex Ford photos Students took a break from the first week of classes last week when puppies from the Troy Animal Rescue Project (TARP) visited campus as part of Welcome Week. TARP Director Tiffany Howington said the organization brings puppies to the university each semester to give students an opportunity to step away from studying and de-stress. “Puppies are great for that because they love to be loved on and cuddled, and it’s j

Students gather at the amphitheater for the silent disco, Alex Ford photo To start off the new school year, the University Activities Council (UAC) partnered with Welcome Week to hold a Silent Disco. Students gathered for the semesterly event at the Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park Amphitheater. At the event, students wore headphones connected to stations controlled by DJs. Students were provided with headphones by the hosts. With three DJs to rotate between, students wer

Students look forward to the first day of school for many reasons. Reconnecting with friends, gaining new experiences and, most importantly, the first day of school fit check. This year, Welcome Week included the first day of class fashion show and photos, so students could put their style to the test. "On the first day of school, you show up, and you put on your best outfit usually, so we want to represent that and show off the outfits that people came and brought," said We

Beach House is one of my favorite bands. Their music has been in my life since my sophomore year of high school, and they were a part of me trying to listen to as much music as I possibly could. Their music consistently has this orchestral and cinematic feel to it while having a beautiful and dreamy sheen to it. Truthfully, I think Beach House is perfect at any point during the year, but for this beginning-of-fall-semester season, I would say their debut self-titled album “

Students gather for food and games at NPHC field day, Alex Ford photos Welcome Week came to a close last Sunday as Troy’s National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) joined the Welcome Week committee for an afternoon of games on the intramural fields. The NPHC Field Day featured games like kickball and spike ball, music and grilled food to encourage new students to interact with as many student organizations as possible. “I think it's important for a collaboration like this becau

Senior thesis displays in the Huo Bao Zhu Gallery, Sydnee Pennington photo The International Arts Center will be removing the Spring 2026 Senior Thesis Projects Exhibition from the Huo Bao Zhu Gallery on Aug. 23, giving visitors less than a week to view the project displays of 13 graphic design and studio arts graduates. Originally opened in May, the exhibition showcases the artistic efforts of Spring graduates from the graphic design and studio arts programs. Each designer

A group gathered in the IAC to view Smothers' work and celebrate with her, Emma Wasden photos Kitty Smothers, a Troy alumna and featured artist, is showcasing her collection, “Wild and Holy Things,” at the International Arts Center (IAC). The exhibition features paintings inspired by the natural beauty of south Alabama and Smothers’ connection to the rural area where she grew up. Smothers and her exhibit were honored with an artist reception at the IAC on Aug. 18. Smothers

Spider-Man Brand New Day In his time as the web-slinging hero from Queens, New York, Tom Holland has been under fire, with people online claiming he is the worst Spider-Man of all time. Holland has done a good job as the friendly neighborhood superhero, but the nostalgia from Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield and the Marvel heaviness bogged down his first couple of films. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” served as an ultimate service to fans. It brought back Garfield and Maguire to

Park Band performs at IFC Band Party. Quang Le photo Live music, food and socializing brought Troy University students together on Sunday as the Interfraternity Council (IFC) held its annual IFC Band Party as part of fall fraternity recruitment. The event, held on Fraternity Row and featuring The Park Band, gave prospective fraternity members an opportunity to meet students from Troy’s nine IFC fraternities in a relaxed setting. The band party also gave current fraternity mem

"The light in the painting" by Lizzy McAlpine Lizzy McAlpine is preparing to have listeners read it and weep once again with her upcoming album “Angel,” set to release Sept. 18, 2026. Or... so we thought. McAlpine’s discography, namely albums “Older” and “Older (and Wiser),” which include heart-wrenching hits like “Staying,” “Spring Into Summer,” “doomsday,” “Pushing It Down and Praying” and other scream and cry worthy songs have all left listeners in understandable shambles

Welcome Week invites students to create their vision for Fall Students gather in Trojan Dining Hall for Vision Board Night. Alex Ford photo With a pair of scissors in one hand and a magazine in the other, students searched for the perfect words to represent what they wanted their future to look like. At Vision Board Night, held by the Welcome Week Committee, dreams became more than thoughts; they became something students could see right in front of them. The event gave stude

Featured dancers perfom at the TROYxDAP Gallery Performance. University Relations photos To kick off the month of August, Troy University dance students showcased what they learned while participating in the Danza in Arte a Pietrasanta (DAP) Festival overseas in Italy. The night of performance, which closed out the TROYxDAP International Dance Experience, saw Trojan dancers fill the Trojan Center Theatre soaked in colorful ambiance. Those students weren’t the only performer

Sips Beer Garden and Food Court has introduced a new activity for those who enjoy good books and drinks with their Books and Brews book club. Sips is located in Downtown Troy at 115 Hanchey St. and features dozens of beers on tap, rotating food trucks and live music, a popular spot for locals and students alike. Sips Owner Hailey Finger shared how the club came to be. “Sips has consistently sought to introduce new ideas and events that bring the community together,” Finger sa

Move-in weekend is a stressful time for many students as they are unloading, unpacking and saying goodbye to their families for the school year. However, it can be even more stressful when a student forgets a key component for everyday living. Several students forgot key things for their dorm experience this year, which they said were essential to college survival. “I forgot a mattress topper, so I had to go buy a new one,” said Noah Hadwin, a sophomore political science majo

Students perform at Apollo Night. Jameson Fowler photos An organization highlighting the impact of Black students in journalism is preparing to throw their first event of the semester. Apollo Night is an annual event put on by Troy’s National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and Troy’s Welcome Week Committee that allows students to showcase their talents to their peers at the beginning of every fall semester. “It’s meant to be a fun, high energy event that celebrates t

Current and potential fraternity members enjoy cookout activities. Avery Lewis photos As students returned to Troy University for the fall semester, the Interfraternity Council (IFC) welcomed current and prospective fraternity members back to campus with a cookout designed to build community and kick off the new school year. The event brought together students from across Troy’s Greek life community for food, games and music while giving students an opportunity to reconnect

Another year filled with stories, emotions and creations is set to take center stage. Troy’s Department of Theatre and Dance released its itinerary of productions for the 2026-27 school year. The department’s production season includes literary favorites, inventive adaptations and a variety of student-led performances and projects. “This semester's performances will be ones you don’t want to miss,” said Melody Chen, a senior dance major from Andalusia, Alabama, who is a media

From a smooth nostalgia perspective Bruno Mars’ fourth studio album, “The Romantic,” is a clear, straight to the point 32 minutes, nine-track project that marks a deliberate return to his soulful, retro-inspired sound. Known for blending modern pop with vintage influences, Mars leans even further into his nostalgic aesthetic here, drawing heavily from 1970s and 1980s soul, pop and slow-dance ballads. The result is an album that is polished, emotionally warm and sonically cohe

The mention of a cheerleader probably invokes visuals of the all-American, happy-go-lucky, girl-next-door type who is always happy to support the team under those Friday night lights. Jo Spencer, however, is not quite a picture-perfect part of the cheer squad in Jill McCorkle’s 1984 novel “The Cheer Leader.” This story is about so much more than football games. Rather, this novel is about the maddening nature of what it means to live up to the standards of womanhood in the So

Troy’s popular music band, POPulus, will be releasing a new single this month in a genre the members haven’t previously explored: bluegrass. The band will be releasing a cover of the song “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” this Friday, May 1. Bluegrass is a genre that has inspired students in the band. “I’m a fiddle player, and I’ve grown up on bluegrass and classic country music,” said Chase Dawson, a senior interdisciplinary studies major from Phoenix, Arizona who is playing the fidd

Troy K-EDU Center introduced students to the Korean alphabets through bracelet making at the K-Wave Day last Wednesday. Students focused on greetings and introductions as those are the most basic parts of any language and some of the most useful phrases to someone who isn’t fluent. According to Minsol Kim, the assistant director of the K-Center, the organization’s goal for the event was to give students the tools they needed to communicate with international students and othe

An array of beads was scattered across the lab table in the Math and Science room 212 last Thursday for a bracelet making night. Students from the Troy Beta Beta Beta (Tri Beta) chapter, a biological honor society, made colorful and creative bracelets to sell for a future fundraiser. There was a mix of lettered and colored bead with the students being able to decide how they wanted the bracelets to look. Some were Earth Day themed, some had words and others were just colors.

From live animals to edible insects in a variety of flavors, the annual Earth Day festival brought a fun and unique approach to environmental awareness. Troy’s Naturalist Club, Marine Biology Club and College of Science and Engineering held the event on the quad last Friday afternoon. Those who attended were able to learn about the environment with cyanotype art, live animals, educational zines and artistic activities. While some students explored the exotic, others focused o

The semester has come to an end for Troy’s Symphony Band, after the band’s last concert took place on Tuesday. Conducted mostly by Director of Bands Dr. Mark Walker, the concert also featured three graduate assistant guest conductors, who each got to choose any piece they wanted to conduct. One of the guest conductors said he appreciated the opportunity to create a special moment for both him and the students. “It's incredibly moving to share that opportunity with them,” sa

While we can all agree that the days of the wild west are long gone, this reviewer truly believes that deep down, everyone would like to be a cowboy, at least for a day. Recent media has encouraged this reception of the idealized West primarily through television, film and music. John Grady, the main character of Cormac McCarthy’s “All the Pretty Horses” (1992), follows that yearning for the great frontier, even when circumstances change the landscape he must work with. Yo

Coachella 2026 returned to the desert with a lineup and energy that reinforced its status as one of the most influential music festivals in the world. Held the weekends of Apr. 10 through 12 and Apr. 17 through 19 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, the 25th edition of Coachella sold out within a week of its announcement, showing just how much anticipation surrounded the event. Even for those who could not attend, widespread media coverage, social media clips and a

Troy’s Student Unity and Services Council (SUSC) partnered with the Black Student Union and 101 E.L.I.T.E Men to hold a field day last Wednesday. The event was set up on the band practice field with kickball, tug-of-war, a raffle and an ice cream truck. “It’s a way to get people out of their dorms and get out of that spring semester slump,” said Taniya Traylor, a senior social work major from Anniston, Alabama, who founded SUSC and serves as the organization’s president. “Wh

Aquarius- You have a good balance between studying and getting a study group together. You’ll do fine. Pisces- You will spend no time studying because you got distracted by your cat. You’ll probably end up sleeping through the final. Aries- You’ll study for a brief period, but you have been had the material mastered for a few weeks already. Talk about being extra prepared. Taurus- You keep a calm head while studying. You are able to comfortably work through difficult areas

Disney studios has been lazy for the last few years. It is no secret that they only put out live-action remakes of childhood classics or sequels to already established properties. After slowly remaking classic movies since the 90s, Disney has started to remake any successful movie, specifically the princess movies. In the last 10 years, we have seen “Cinderella,” “Aladdin,” “Mulan,” “Snow White” and “The Little Mermaid,” with planned live action releases of newer movies like

Raising money for a good cause – that is what Miss Troy University did Friday afternoon in the Trojan Center. Anna Grace Tucker, a junior business administration major from Huntsville, Alabama, invited students to donate and “Go Red” for the American Heart Association. Tucker was able to teach students about heart health and how students can improve their own. While she was talking, attendees were able to donate to the American Heart Association either with cash or through

Troy University Police Department (TUPD) officers brought students relief through citation forgiveness. Students walking through the Trojan Center Food Court on Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. may have noticed a strong presence from the TUPD, but officers were not there to issue citations. Instead, they were helping students eliminate them. Throughout a student’s time at Troy, receiving a parking ticket is a common experience. For many students juggling busy schedules and tas

I have been a dedicated Ethel Cain listener for several years now. I have seen her in person twice, the first time in Nashville at Ryman Auditorium and the second time at Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. I chose to review “Golden Age” because it is one of Ethel’s most underrated projects in my opinion. “Golden Age” is Ethel’s second EP, following her first, titled “Carpet Bed.” What many may not know is that Ethel Cain is a conceptual alter ego of Hayden

Over the course of the last few months, we have watched and reviewed some of the most critically successful movies of all time. Whether it be newer movies like “Sinners,” “Bugonia” and “One Battle After Another,” or older films like “The Green Mile” and “Good Will Hunting,” we have watched some of the best Hollywood has to offer. However, after watching so many fantastic, well-made movies, the brain needs a break. It is hard to watch so many great movies back-to-back because

Historical fiction is a genre readers tend to love or hate. I struggle to be fully immersed in these books because I find that authors often go too heavy or too light with the research. Too much emphasis on the facts often leads to underdeveloped characters and plot lines. Too little historical background can be equally detrimental if readers can spot obvious flaws. All of these thoughts established, my most recent encounter with a historical fiction piece completely took m

Glue, scissors and markers were in full use last Thursday as students created artwork at Troy’s International Art Center. As the final days wind down for the exhibitions by Douglas Pierre Baulos and Jennifer McCohnell, the gallery was transformed into a creative field for students to engage in a hands-on craft activity using materials made by Baulos himself. “I enjoy looking at art,” said Carla Garcia, a sophomore elementary education major from Laredo, Texas. “I like seei

Troy Delight Ministries held a “Tea Party and Presentations” event for ladies looking to make friends and have a church-based community. The ladies gathered in their spring dresses in Hawkins 107, where blankets scattered the floor picnic style, and a table was set up with home-baked goods, and an allotment of teacups and teas. There were egg salad sandwiches, vanilla chai coffee cakes, raspberry cinnamon rolls as well as earl grey tea, ginger teas and more. After some teat

Aries: Spring hits and you burst outside like you’ve been released from prison, shouting “Who wants to do something dangerous but in short sleeves?” You then plan a hike, race and engage in a minor argument with a stranger all before lunch. Taurus: You step outside, feel one gentle spring breeze and decide productivity has been canceled until October, all in the name of Mother Nature. “Nature demands us to rest.” Gemini: Spring is the debut of your identity crisis. You wil