Vol. CXXXII · July 10, 2026
On Friday, May 29, students gathered in Straus Library for Beatstock, an annual event celebrating the culmination of the three Magus Mabus boards’ work: music, art, and literature. Unlike Beatnik, Beatstock is traditionally performed on the Quad rather than in Straus.
During the pandemic, Noah Kahan broke the charts with his album, Stick Season. It debuted at number fourteen on the Billboard 200 and helped him earn his first Grammy as Best New Artist. He gained commercial success, appearing on Saturday Night Live, and even having a documentary made about him this year. What made this avant-folk songwriter so alluring to many was the effortless blend of his intricate lyricism and the melancholic melodies of his acoustic guitar. His breakout album reached a wider audience beyond his hometown of New England; this year, the country was introduced to his highly anticipated first album following his rise to success, The Great Divide.
FKA twigs is one of music’s “vanguards” who fearlessly amplifies her ever-changing identity while defying critics and consumers alike. She’s a jack of all trades: dancer, vocalist, director, wushu artist, and 2025 Grammy winner for her album Eusexua. She’s been in the music industry for twenty years, and despite her increasing recognition, she keeps her authenticity ablaze in midst of those who are blinded by the façade of stardom. MAGDALENE, her sophomore album released in 2019, serves as a testament to her personal ethic amidst a difficult period in which she faced pervasive scrutiny, health problems, and a breakup that led to controversy in her name.
On February 11–13, Clue: On Stage (High School Edition)—often called Clue—left students in awe in Milton Academy’s King Theatre. Each night, from 7:00–8:30 p.m., the theater buzzed with the energy of the cast and rang with laughter. “It was pretty good, I can’t even lie,” said Matthew Ngure ‘29. “The part where the chef fell on the man really got me laughing.”
The Best Picture at the 2020 Oscars was one of the most surprising awards in recent memory. 1917, the film many had predicted to be the victor, was overtaken by a foreign movie called Parasite. Parasite, directed by Korean filmmaker Bong Joon Ho, was the first time a non-English film won the Academy's Best Picture Award. Parasite continues to be recognized as one of the best films produced in our decade. The movie, a bold, blunt satirical story tackling capitalism’s conceptual flaws and the complex human psyche, stepped outside the norms of Western cinema. This film is notorious for making you squirm in your seat and greeting you with unexpected laughter, dread, and plot twists. The development of characters and plot amplifies the central theme of social hierarchy. Yet Parasite brings to consideration not just current world strife but also something more grounded in human nature: our complexity.
Recalling the first time I was exposed to the vulnerable cold of Stranger Things is like blowing the dust off an old tome. My sixth-grade self, entranced by the occult atmosphere, finished all four seasons in a single summer. From the minds of the Duffer Brothers, the Sci-Fi TV show Stranger Things first came out on Netflix in 2016 and quickly rose to a major pedestal of pop culture. Season four, the pinnacle of the show, premiered during late May of 2022 and promoted the show to a household name. According to a 2022 IMDb article by Tony Maglio, the debut weekend of Stranger Things 4 Volume 1 was the biggest ever for Netflix viewership, which reached 286.79 million hours. You, reader, might even recall the “song of the summer” of 2022, which social media deemed “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush as a musical paragon of the Stranger Things Season Four era.
Christians can be devils, too. It’s a bold statement. I am a Christian myself, yet Christians, or members of any religious groups, can still be mean people—or even “devils.” The cloak from God doesn’t deter the fact that a Christian is still human, susceptible to their vices and sins.
As Halloween approaches, students begin planning activities to “spice up” the day, ranging from special dorm events to coordinated costumes. As many boarders lack the option to return home to engage in childhood traditions like trick-or-treating and wearing Halloween costumes in their hometown, faculty houses collaborate in the task of candy-giving to provide an on-campus alternative.