Just because I’m no longer your SSC president, and I am technically no longer a full-time student at GDS, doesn’t mean you’ve heard the last of me. (“Thank God!” said friend of the Corner/Column Jacqueline Metzger-Taylor. “God, no!” said people who think women should be silenced.)
Is it a corner? A column? (A closet?!) I don’t know! Haven’t got a clue! We might never know! Anyway, it’s mine and I get to do what I want with it. I’ve decided to share some things I’ve enjoyed during this corona-cation and rank them on a ten-point scale. There are plenty of things I haven’t enjoyed (high school ending, Elon Musk’s taste in baby names, having to make very important decisions about my future with very minimal and flawed information about what that future will look like), but here in the corner/column, we like to stay positive. [NOTE: Final scores are not necessarily representative of how much I liked or didn’t like any of the things I review! Numbers are a social construct!]
MUSIC
- Petals for Armor by Hayley Williams: After ten years of Paramore, 2000s emo queen Hayley Williams proves she never needed those men anyway. Personal favorites include “Dead Horse,” “Over Yet,” “Watch Me While I Bloom” and “Crystal Clear.” 10/10.
- “So Will I” by Ben Platt: I would pay good money to see friend of the Corner/Column Cole Wright-Schaner perform this song in the black box and/or choir room at GDS. He and Ben Platt have the same kind of big tenor energy. Added this song to my playlist of songs that have “going to college” vibes. 10/10.
- “Everybody Business” by Kehlani: And we thought it couldn’t get better than “Honey.” 10/10.
- “So Good” by Omar Apollo: As the title suggests, this song is indeed so good. Special shoutout to Julia Hay for suggesting we go to an Omar Apollo concert back in December and thus sparking within me a minor obsession with yet another man who plays guitar. 9/10. One point off because we never made it to that concert.
- “I Know Alone” by HAIM: Ok, I’m not actually a huge fan of the song itself. (It just hits too close to home during these social distancing times, ya know?) But the music video? The music video slaps. At first you’re like: ok. It’s just three white women socially distanced in a basketball court doing so very mediocre choreography, what’s the big deal? Just. You. Wait. When the bass drops after the bridge and they do that mediocre choreography in quadruple time? Fire. 8/10.
MOVIES
- The Florida Project on Netflix and Kanopy: It’s been out since 2017, and I’m just seeing it now?! How did this happen?! When/where did I go wrong?! Kanopy strikes again with another artsy indie film with a heartfelt and nuanced depiction of poverty. It will definitely make you cry (or at least feel like crying). It will definitely make you want to eat the rich and might make you lose all interest in ever visiting Disney World. 10/10.
BOOKS
- Coraline by Neil Gaiman: A horrifying classic and childhood favorite which I’ve been revisiting recently and greatly enjoying. It’s kind of fun to be scared of something that’s a) not the pandemic and b) not real? Also, not sure why my mom thought it was a good idea to give me this book when I was a little kid because I’m literally so scared of it now and I’m eighteen goddamn years old. 11/10.
MISCELLANEOUS
- Making playlists: A great way to waste some time. Make a playlist for your friends and loved-ones. Make a playlist for the graduation party you’re probably not going to have. Make a playlist for the prom after-party you’re probably not going to have. Make a playlist for when you’re sad about going to college. Make a playlist for when you’re excited about going to college. Make a playlist in which all the songs have a kind of food in the title. (See: “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles, “Cherry” by Harry Styles, “Kiwi” by Harry Styles.) 10/10.