Emily Allgair, Editor

Warning: If you are morally opposed to supporting Taylor Swift, this article is not for you. If you are not, however, morally opposed to supporting women who empower other women, speak out against inequity and injustice and take great pride in their artistry, then you may want to keep reading. 

Taylor Swift has been making bangers since the release of “Tim McGraw,” her first ever single that makes you think of her in that little black dress and her old faded blue jeans, in 2006. So, for almost two whole decades, Ms. Swift has created 168 US Billboard Hot 100 chart entries, consisting of eight number ones and 30 top ten songs. 

These songs, while incredibly catchy, may not be her best work. Maybe it is, but I don’t want to discuss these songs. Instead, I am going to tell you the Taylor Swift songs that I personally believe to be underrated. For the sake of my own sanity, I will not be including vault tracks.

Now, in no particular order, here is my list.

Invisible – Taylor Swift

The Best Day – Fearless (Taylor’s Version)

Dress – Reputation

cowboy like me – Evermore

The Story of Us – Speak Now

Daylight – Lover

Holy Ground – Red (Taylor’s Version)

August – Folklore

Clean – 1989

Haunted – Speak Now

I Almost Do – Red (Taylor’s Version)

Sweet Nothing – Midnights

Paper Rings – Lover

Thank you for your consideration. See you when blondie finally releases Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).

Anthony Pantalone, Editor 

Ethan McGlone is an intelligent man, but he gives me way too much credit. I think he should actually give himself more credit. I am truly flattered, but I am way too braindead to be rewarded by his kind words.

Ethan compliments my opening, where I state that anxiety is a prison, and says that he had never considered it in connection to this show. What Ethan doesn’t know is that I am throwing things at the wall in these articles and praying to God that something sticks. I was trying to grasp what the show could possibly be trying to convey and mean below the surface, but honestly, the key takeaway of The Rehearsal could just in fact be “Haha, Nathan guy funny. Good show.” I am taking myself way too seriously talking about a show that includes the statement “Whoa, it’s door city over here.” Also, I have never enrolled in “Love, Marriage, and Parenting,” but I wish I could engage in such courses. My understanding of Mr. Fielder and his idiosyncrasies leave a lot to be desired without the knowledge Mr. McGlone might have gained from these classes.

This review of my review also mentions my mention of Charlie Kaufman and Synecdoche, New York. Ethan is not entirely alone on his point. I don’t really know exactly what Synecdoche means. I remember learning it in high school, but too much time has passed since and I’ve forgotten its meaning and asking now would just be embarrassing. I’m not entirely sure why I included Kaufman. It seemed right? I don’t know. It also makes me feel like I’m coming off as pretentious and snobby. I’ll outsource this one to my therapist.

I agree with him about “The Fielder Method.” It’s perfect. It gets so invasive, but you can’t stop watching. You can’t take your eyes off it like watching a train crash in real time. Instead of a train, it’s a tall socially awkward man, and, instead of going off the rails, this train is breaking into an actor’s home and living as him.

In summation, I am at most a pseudo-intellectual and not a competent human.

Review of his review of my review: 4 stars out of 5.

Enrique Carrasco, Editor

A little over a year ago, I wrote my world-famous expose, “Why I ABSOLUTELY DESPISE David O’Brien.” This article perfectly depicted everything wrong with David O’Brien and my sincere feelings toward that 5’8” man. David was quick to respond with his own expose, quickly shutting down any ambition and opportunity to destroy him. 

Now, the worst possible case scenario has occurred: David has been named the Editor-in-Chief of The Collegian. Simply writing this article puts me and my life at risk, but I do not care. I must do this for the people of South East Indianapolis. 

David O’Brien does not have a mattress topper on his bed. What kind of man, NAY, animal, sleeps on the La Salle-provided beds without a topper??? How can you hurt a man who constantly lives in pain like this? This makes David an animal, unpredictabler, and maybe, unstoppable. I overheard David say, “I might just start sleeping on my floor again.” What kind of person says that?!?!?!?!? 

Look at this image one of my now-deceased writers was able to capture of David shortly before going missing for months before being found dead (I blame David and his thought Police). Why is David posing next to a voodoo-looking Doll? Why does he look so happy? Why is it in black and white??? I am afraid I have no answer to this, but I do fear David has been behind every major global conflict since the dawn of man. 

We must not let David accumulate too much power. We must come together as a community, as a country, to put an end to David’s tyrannical reign. It might be too late for me, I do not know what David will do once he sees this article, but I must prepare for the worst-case scenario. If this is the last article I ever post, I hope you all remember me as I lived: Extremely handsome and cooler than Dave.

Emily Allgair, Editor

Noun. A person who expresses or promotes socially progressive views.

Now, I’m not saying that people who believe in progressive views are bad, in fact, I, too, believe in progressive views. But the people who are surface-level educated and make it part of their personality suck. 

I’m not ashamed to say it. In fact, I’d shout it from the rooftop. People who push views that they believe in but don’t know nearly enough about suck. And I’m not talking about the people that know they aren’t educated and bite their tongues when it comes to political conversation. Those people aren’t part of the problem; the problem lies in those who do some of the following.

Men who are performative about not liking men in front of their female friends, but as soon as there are men they enjoy being around, are performative about being a guys’ guy. Key word: performative.

People who, when you are talking about sexism in the college setting, bring up the fact that they have a female professor. Because that automatically adds to the sexism talk, right?

Meeting someone who uses they/them pronouns and everytime you speak about them, making sure you are emphasizing the pronouns to a point where it is no longer casual. “No but didn’t you hear what THEY said?” or “THEY are really cool, you’d definitely love THEM.” Like, chill dude. 

Wanting to participate in conversations about injustices in which you have no personal anecdotes rather than just being an active listener, so you contribute experiences that don’t really fit in with the conversation. Not like it diminishes the experiences of those who are speaking just so that you can feel included (in something that no one wants to experience). 

And I know what you’re thinking, is this really the behavior of an SJW? I thought they were people who talk politics but not in an educated fashion. You’re right – in one aspect. But SJWs exist beyond the world of politics, and that’s something that we need to keep in mind. 

Stay vigilant, check your privilege and if you aren’t sure if what you’re contributing to conversation applies, maybe just sit back and listen. 

Ethan McGlone, Staff

Anthony Pantalone is a smart man, far smarter than I. This will become evident as you read this article, an article reviewing Mr. Pants’ review of the critically acclaimed television series “The Rehearsal.” He begins his review with “Anxiety can be a prison. One that feels impossible to escape.” This is a valid point, and I understand the underlying meanings in the TV series. Although, when I was watching, I did not even consider this. My first sentence of a review would have been something like this: “Haha, Nathan guy funny. Good show.” This perfectly lays out my opinions on the host, Nathan Fielder, while also expressing my thoughts on the series.. This, however, is quite an advanced move, especially for a college student. After recognizing this flaw in Anthony’s review, it became apparent he never enrolled in the same rigorous courses I have, like “Love, Marriage, and Parenting.”

Later in the review, Mr. Pants compares the tactics used by Nathan as Charlie Kaufman-esque, more specifically his famous work “Synecdoche, New York.” I do not know who Charlie Kaufman is, and I cannot even pronounce “Synecdoche.” I do not have an opinion on this point.

Anthony’s section on the fourth episode of the series was very relatable. I have watched “The Rehearsal” and I would highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates comedy. “The Fielder Method” is the pinnacle of the entire series to me, and just when you thought Nathan could not get any more outlandish, he breaks into another man’s home. I would have put a spoiler alert, but if you are reading a review on a review of a television show, I believe it is expected that you have watched the show. Sorry, not sorry.

The last portion of Anthony’s review may be the most accurate piece of writing in the entire article. Nathan is playing a character (hopefully). He is going out of his way to act as insane as possible. But, of course, Nathan somehow surrounded himself with people even crazier than his own character, making him seem like the normal one in most situations. When his response to being told eating poop is a satanic ritual ends up being “Oh, ok,” the audience is left wondering, “What the hell am I watching?”

In summation, Anthony Pantalone is more intellectually competent as a human than I am. Review of his review: 3.5 stars out of 5.

Sophia Conte, Staff Writer

The average American checks their phone about 58 times a day, however other surveys suggest the number is just a smidgen higher, about 344 times a day. Either way we should probably get off our phones. Except getting off your phone might entail  very dreadful FOMO, or the fear of missing out. 

Now it’s a Friday night, you need to get off your phone, so the question is what are people doing? And where are the people? Who are the people? A very ambiguous answer: people are out. Going out; people are going out and you should too. Not every night, because then you would be either the kid that dropped out or a pledging freshman to Chi Kappa No-Toilet-Paper-In-The-Bathrooms Kappa whatever. 

Go out in moderation. And meet some of the fraternity brothers, say “hi” to those sorority sisters, most of them are great people enjoying a social scene where college students get together to have rootin tootin good ole time. 

Don’t like frats? Do anything that’s social, on a night where you can forget about homework and school and your ex-girlfriend or that boy that has the personality of a middle school gym teacher. Get sushi in the center city, have game night with friends, and of course chat about whatever drama is plaguing your friend group at said time, etc., etc.  But why do anything over your weekend other than relax on your phone? Again, everything in moderation. 

You probably relax enough as is, since the average screen time on a phone, according to studies, is about three hours. Besides that, there is a time and place for sitting on your phone. It can be every other Friday night, maybe you relax Saturday and Sunday, or maybe you go out once every two months but at least go somewhere other than your rectangular box that knows every detail about your life. Also going out is the easiest to do while in college, in your 20s. 

So, while you’re still young, you should do what you can to enjoy that youth, however, don’t destroy it. Everything in moderation. Now, if you’re thinking when the weekend rolls around, which let’s be reasonable and say Thursday night to Sunday, should I stay in? Absolutely friggin’ not. 

Luke Szyszkiewicz and Claire Ortiz, Staff Writers

“The bagels are great. The sandwiches leave a little to be desired.”

A sentence given to us many times throughout the week; it did describe it well. This week took us out to Flourtown. Only 20 or so minutes from La Salle, a quick drive into the “burbs” brought us to a cute little Main Street area. Greeted by a cute bagel sign, as well as so many nice customers and workers, we knew we were in for a treat. 

In order to appease some pushback I have received from other members of the Szyszkiewicz family, we have changed our review system. Instead of both ordering a bagel sandwich, instead we will order one bagel with cream cheese and one sandwich, to fully rate the bagel place. The first thing we noticed was the presence of a trendy bagel: the Rainbow bagel. We couldn’t resist. We ordered a cream cheese Rainbow bagel, as well as, of course, a sausage egg and cheese on a poppy bagel: Claire’s favorite. 

Overall, the quote rang true. The bagel itself was delicious, albeit not as big as I would like and didn’t have quite enough seeds. The inside of the sandwich, while filling, was not the best we’ve had. Not a true fried egg, and being slightly picky, orange American cheese. We’re still searching for the perfect bagel-to-filling ratio. 

Overall, we’d give it a 3.25/5 Gritty’s. Not bad for a place we had never heard of before. Thank you to avid reader Brian Murphy for the suggestion!

Emily Allgair, Editor

Hello Collegian readers. I have some unfortunate news for you today, and that it is that I am not made for music festivals. At least not music festivals in the cold and wet. Granted, I don’t think anyone particularly looks forward to being out in the cold rain for 12 hours, but as someone who has never experienced a music festival in the dry warmth of the sun, this wasn’t a great first experience.

It didn’t help that I didn’t have any caffeine before going, but I was sleepy to begin with. So going into a cold environment where all you want to do is curl up with a cozy blanket and watch a movie with hot chocolate, being outside with nothing but a ripped up plastic poncho to protect you isn’t exactly paradise. It also didn’t help that there was a four and a half hour gap between the sets we wanted to see.

And that’s not to say that we didn’t enjoy the sets we watched in between, but the energy wasn’t there for anyone until Bleachers, who went on at 8 pm. Then things got good. But as someone who spent a fair amount of money to see bands in the rain, I wish they would’ve done more to distract us from the weather, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers I suppose. 

And again, if the weather was even 10 degrees warmer, I think I would have had a totally different experience. Maybe not totally different, but I wouldn’t have bought a $60 sweatshirt that I didn’t really want because I was that cold. And maybe, if I was old enough to do so, drinking to keep myself warm would have been a viable option, but then again draft beers were $15 (and that was the cheapest alcoholic option). 

This also was the second year in a row that this music festival almost got rained out. So if any event planners of All Things Go are reading this, here’s your sign to maybe change the weekend. Hurricane season is kind of a risky choice when planning an event with thousands of people and a stage in the mud and woods. 

The saddest part of all of this isn’t the ungodly amount of money I spent while at a concert venue for 12 hours, it’s the fact that I don’t think I’m made for music festivals. No Firefly, no Coachella, no Austin City Limits, no Lollapalooza, etc. None of that for me. I love live music, and yet, I am just not built to risk bad weather for 12 hours, let alone the thought of camping in the cold and wet. Maybe someday that will change, but for now, I am a single-concert-per-night-goer. And it pains me to say so.

Emily Allgair, Editor

Let’s face it. Some people are not made for ankle socks, and that’s fine! It becomes an issue, however, when the people that aren’t made for ankle socks wear ankle socks. 

People with an actual sense of style: you aren’t really my target audience, but you shouldn’t wear ankle socks with Birkenstocks and shorts, unless you’re getting your laundry and just needed to slip on some shoes. But if you’re going out in public, ankle socks probably shouldn’t be paired with sandals. (With that being said, I am pro socks and sandals. Possibly a hot take…)

Men: you are my main focus here. Sorry, but also not sorry. I think seeing where your leg hair stops is weird, and wearing ankle socks only draws attention to that area of your leg. Some of you can pull it off, but if you aren’t sure if you fall into that category, then just play it safe and skip the ankle socks. And being totally honest, those that ‘pull it off’ aren’t actually making it work, you’re just barely passing by.

Even if you’re wearing jeans and you think we can’t see your ankles, we absolutely can. In fact, this exact situation is what inspired this article. So yeah, you definitely aren’t as subtle and slick and you think. 

Moral of the story, just wear longer socks. Maybe not knee-highs, but honestly that’d be better than ankle socks. By a significant margin.

Emily Allgair, Editor

Fair warning: this article is not an explicit call out. And by stating that, I hope you pick up on the fact that this absolutely is an explicit call out. 

If you are a plus one to a house party, as in someone who does not know the host(s), do not, under any circumstance, participate in the following:

1. Put your frat shoes on the kitchen counters where the hosts prepare their food.

Especially when coming from a frat, like those germs are fresh. These people are nice enough to let you into their home, just keep your shoes on the floor. 

2. Stay longer than the person that brought you when everyone else has left. 

If you’re vibing with everyone, that’s totally fine. But if you and your friends are hiding in the kitchen when literally everyone (I mean everyone) has left because it’s almost three in the morning and the hosts still don’t know your name, maybe you should have left with the person that brought you…

3. Take down house decor and physically pull it apart. 

This isn’t really cool in any circumstance, but especially not when you don’t know the people hosting and you aren’t in a frat house. 

4. Not introduce yourself.

At least ask someone that you didn’t come with what their names are. But if you’re not in the right mindset to do that, a nice attempt at a conversation could work instead. 

5. Ask for drinks that aren’t yours.

Again. These people don’t know your names, who are you to ask for a White Claw? Not even a cheaper drink, like a beer. Also, no one (not even the hosts) are drinking anymore. 

Moral of the story, stick with who brought you and read the room. If you can’t do that, maybe, and hear me out here, don’t come along? Just a thought. 

Oh, and thank the hosts for having you when you eventually do leave. It’s just polite.