Box Office: The history behind how studios choose when in the year to release movies

Hollywood’s a company town. It might be a cliche, but in this age of record-breaking box office hauls, it couldn’t ring truer. With every film around the corner a potential franchise, the box office has become a high-stakes chess game for studios; who gets a sequel, and who gets left in the dust? In his […]

The Quad: Yerba mate came to California canned and commercialized, but has a storied history

It’s hard to believe yerba mate, cans of which many students chug to get through finals, is the subject of centuries-old South American legends. Mate is a caffeinated beverage made from dried leaves and twigs of the native South American yerba mate plant with hot water. Though its arrival in California might seem relatively recent, […]

The Quad: Why specialty coffee shops have bean on the rise, culture surrounding them

When I envision the perfect homework setup for a Sunday morning, I expect the typical lecture notes and essay outlines. But more than anything, I look forward to my oat milk latte at one of the many craft coffee spots in Los Angeles. As craft coffee’s popularity has risen sharply in recent years, the options […]

The Quad: Mosques increase security during Ramadan in response to recent hate crimes

Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, is a time of prayer, community and reflection. But with a recent rise in Islamophobia-fueled hate crimes, the observance of the holy month has become a bit more complicated. This year, Ramadan stretches from May 6 to June 4 during the 1,440th year on the Islamic calendar. The […]

The Quad: Examining effect of smartphone overuse, applications that measure screen time

If the first thing you did when you woke up this morning was check your phone, you’re not alone. Nearly 70% of smartphone users begin using their devices within 15 minutes of their alarm going off. Coupled with the fact that the average college student spends around nine hours a day on their phone, the […]

The Quad: Media coverage skewed by biases of journalists, American society

It’s safe to say that popular news outlets like The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal each publish more than 230 stories a day. Viewers of the news can often feel overwhelmed with the countless stories told in the media, but only certain stories leave lasting impressions on their audience. […]