By: Emmitt Miller

Computer graphics have changed enormously since the earliest days of computing. What started as simple dots and lines on primitive screens has grown into detailed digital worlds that can look almost identical to real life. Today, graphics power video games, animated films, virtual reality, architecture visualizations, and even medical research. The evolution of graphics is closely tied to the growth of computing power and human creativity. As computers became faster and more capable, artists, programmers, and engineers found new ways to turn raw processing power into images that are more immersive, realistic, and expressive.

The first computer graphics appeared in the mid-20th century when computers were enormous machines used mainly by scientists and universities. Early displays were extremely limited and could only show basic shapes or lines on a monochrome screen. One major milestone was the program Sketchpad, created in 1962 by computer scientist Ivan Sutherland. Sketchpad allowed users to draw shapes directly on a screen using a light pen, which was revolutionary at the time. Instead of simply printing numbers or text, computers could now display interactive visuals. In those early years, many systems used vector graphics, where lines were drawn between specific points rather than forming images from pixels. While simple by modern standards, these systems introduced the idea that computers could be used as visual tools rather than just calculating machines.

As technology improved during the 1970s and 1980s, raster graphics began replacing vector displays. Raster graphics use a grid of tiny pixels to build images, which allowed for more complex visuals and color displays. This change helped launch the early video game industry and made graphics accessible to everyday computer users. Early arcade games showed how engaging even simple visuals could be. Players controlled paddles, spaceships, or characters made of only a few shapes, yet the games felt exciting and interactive. Home computers soon followed, bringing colorful graphics into people’s homes. Although the resolution and color palettes were very limited, these systems introduced sprites, scrolling backgrounds, and basic animations that made digital worlds feel alive.

The 1990s marked one of the most important turning points in graphics history with the rise of real-time 3D graphics. Instead of flat images, developers began building environments using polygons that formed three-dimensional objects. Games became more immersive as players could explore spaces that appeared to have depth and perspective. At the same time, specialized graphics hardware began appearing in personal computers. These graphics processing units, or GPUs, were designed specifically to handle the complex math needed to render images quickly. Companies such as NVIDIA and ATI helped push this technology forward, making it possible for home computers to display smoother animations, detailed textures, and more complex lighting effects. For the first time, digital environments started to feel like believable spaces rather than simple pictures on a screen.

During the 2000s and 2010s, graphics technology advanced at an incredible pace. GPUs became extremely powerful, allowing developers to simulate realistic lighting, shadows, reflections, and physical effects. Techniques such as shader programming and high dynamic range lighting made digital scenes richer and more detailed. Computer graphics also expanded far beyond video games. The film industry began using advanced computer-generated imagery to create entire characters and environments that blended seamlessly with live action. Architects used rendering software to visualize buildings before construction, while scientists used graphics to explore complex data and simulations.

One of the most exciting recent developments has been the introduction of real-time ray tracing. Ray tracing simulates how light behaves in the real world, calculating how rays bounce off surfaces, pass through glass, and reflect in mirrors. In the past, this technique required enormous computing power and could take hours to render a single image. Today, modern graphics cards can perform these calculations instantly, creating reflections and lighting that look far more natural and realistic than older techniques.

Looking toward the future, graphics technology will likely continue evolving in surprising ways. Artificial intelligence is already starting to assist in creating images, textures, and animations. AI tools can upscale lower-resolution graphics, fill in missing details, and even generate entire environments. Another major area of development is virtual reality and augmented reality, which aim to place users directly inside digital worlds.These technologies require extremely fast and realistic graphics to feel convincing, pushing hardware and software to new limits.

Researchers are also exploring new approaches such as neural rendering, where machine learning models help generate images instead of traditional rendering pipelines. This could dramatically reduce the computing power needed to create realistic scenes. Combined with advances in cloud computing and future hardware, these technologies could allow massive shared virtual environments or simulations that are far more detailed than anything possible today.

From the earliest glowing lines on a black screen to the breathtaking digital worlds we see today, the evolution of computer graphics has been driven by curiosity, creativity, and technological progress. Each new breakthrough has expanded what artists and developers can create, turning computers into powerful tools for storytelling and exploration. As new technologies continue to develop, the graphics of the future will likely become even more immersive, intelligent, and visually stunning than we can currently imagine.

By: Mateo Landayan

The 68th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles was a night full of standout performances and recognition as music’s biggest night celebrated mainstream stars. Held at the Crypto.com Arena on February 1, the ceremony had commercial hits, critical favorites, and cultural moments that resonated beyond the stage.

 Among the most talked-about winners was “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” by Bad Bunny, which made history as the first primarily Spanish-language album to win Album of the Year. Delivering his acceptance speech mostly in Spanish, the Puerto Rican artist showed cultural pride and the universality of music. Broadcasted to millions, it focused on how Latino audiences shape the industry while often being sidelined in bigger, national matters.

 In the Song of the Year category, Billie Eilish took home the trophy for “Wildflower” after being nominated for a second year. Meanwhile, Best New Artist went to British singer-songwriter Olivia Dean. Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter Laufey won her second career Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for “A Matter of Time.” She previously won the same award in 2024 for “Bewitched”, making her a two-time winner in this category.  

The show itself was filled with memorable performances from a range of genres. Pop and rock icons like Lady Gaga, Rosé, Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, Tyler, the Creator, and Bruno Mars lit up the stage. Notably, Justin Bieber’s raw performance of “Yukon,” played with just a loop pedal and guitar while in his underwear, stood out for its honesty and minimal staging.  

 Beyond the major categories, the awards highlighted diversity, from Turningstile’s Best Rock Album win to Tyla’s Best African Music Performance. The ceremony also featured emotional and political moments. Several acceptance speeches addressed immigration policy, social justice movements, and cultural identity. The Grammys, once criticized for avoiding controversy, allowed space for those perspectives. That space showed bigger shifts in public expectations. Audiences now look to celebrities not only for entertainment, but for engagement with the world around them. 

The Return of the “2016” Aesthetic
When the clock hit midnight on January 1, 2026, people didn’t post “new year, new me.” Instead, the phrase “2026 is the new 2016” began flooding timelines in apps like Instagram and snapchat.

Post were filled with old Instagram-style filters, blurry pictures with flash, random selfies, and silly videos without worrying about aesthetics. It felt like the internet had decided to rewind.

From skinny jeans and chokers to messy buns and Snapchat filters, Gen Z is reviving the 2016 style that once defined 2016 . This aesthetic feels so nostalgic back when time where photos felt didnt feel like a performance.

Why Is Everyone Looking Back?
The internet today moves fast. Trends last only a week. Feeds are carefully curated. Everything feels so intentional that it doesnt feel real. In comparison, 2016 feels messy and maybe that’s the point.

Back then, people posted without overthinking every detail. Not every photo was aesthetic, and not every video was optimized for engagement. It wasn’t perfect, but it felt more genuine. The revival isn’t really about trends. Instead, its about remembering a point in time when social media felt more real.

By: Allison Ambuehl

Claire Cottrill, famously known as Clairo, is a multitalented indie/alternative music artist who is known for her intimate lyrics and gentle sound. She is a singer who needs no introduction to the younger generation, as she has been incredibly popular on social media apps such as TikTok and Instagram for almost a decade. Most people know of Clairo and her music, but how much do we know about Claire Cottrill and how she got to be the artist she is today?

Claire Cottrill was born on August 18^th, 1998, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America. Although she was born in Atlanta, Clario and her family then moved to Washington and stayed for three years, but eventually moved to Carlisle, Massachusetts where she spent the rest of her childhood.

Her parents are George and Allie Cottrill, her father is a prominent marketing executive for popular brands such as Starbucks, Coco-Cola, and Converse. Clairo is widely considered a ‘nepo-baby’ due to her father’s industry connections, but part of her brand is being a ‘self-made’ artist, she has addressed these concerns by confirming her father’s support has been helpful towards her career, so it’s up for your interpretation. Clairo describes her upbringing as supportive and constantly having creative outlets throughout her childhood, contributing to her love for making music.

Her exposure to music throughout her childhood led her to start posting her music on social media platforms at age 13, and she released her first official demo in 2014, called ‘Do U Wanna Fall in Love?’ under her real name. Her first viral hit she released was in August 2017, called ‘Pretty Girl’ after graduating from Concord-Carlisle high school. This song was so popular as it was recorded with her raw vocals in her bedroom, which resonated with a lot of viewers because of the raw and acoustic feel. She then went on to attend Syracuse University, while pursuing music full-time.

She continued to release music, growing her already established fanbase and released albums such as ‘Immunity’ in 2019, which included the song ‘Bags’ that won the best song of the year in 2019. She later released ‘Sling’ in 2021 which debuted in the top 20 of the US Billboard 200. Her most recent album titled ‘Charm’, was self-released in 2024 and nominated for a grammy in the Best Alternitive Music Album category. Clario’s success has been widely criticized due to her industry connections, however that doesn’t change the fact that she is a unique artist with a beautiful voice and the ability to connect with her fans.

By: Savannah Swanson

King of Sloth is about Xavier Castillo who is a heir to a multi-billionaire who is known for his charm, wealth, and “playboy” personality and Sloane Kensington who is publicist who is known for her strict act and impeccable composure.

Xavier Castillo, charming, easy going, and a wealthy “playboy” who parties till the sunrises and avoids his responsibilities his father expects of him. But throughout the book we start to see the negative impacts of his actions and how his fathers’ reactions to his bad behavior start to get to him.

Sloane Kensington, ambitious, punctual, and known as the “Ice Queen” who barely shows emotion to her clients. As Xavier publicist she is constantly picking up his mess but as she struggles internally with her own issues and outside problems start to infer with her work her “Ice Queen” fade starts to melt.

In the beginning chapters we see the pair barely exchange a few words other than business meetings, and as Xavier continues to push back his responsibilities and put his family reputation at stake, a family crisis happens.

As Xavier is forced into his responsibilities as his father is dying he starts to consult in Sloane. He enjoys trying to crack her “Ice Queen” act, as they attend an event together and their forced proximity starts to become unprofessional.

Sloane struggles to keep up her professional act from Xavier flirtatious charm and banter. Their attraction to each other grows but its only time until someone notices, which could ruin Sloane career.

But as Xaviers father passes away he inherits a shocking amount of money, but he must become CEO by his 30^th birthday which is only 6 months away. He notices a loophole, he doesn’t have to become CEO of his father’s company, he just has to become CEO of something.

With all the money he inherits he starts his own business called “The Vault” which is a nightclub. Sloane helps tremendously with starting the business her internal walls that she put up begin to fall.

But as the pressures of the business wear on Xavier, making him start to act out. Something happened; someone tried to sabotage his grad opening by sending the place on fire. Most of his work that they had worked for months was demolished.

As Xavier didn’t even want to finish the place, Sloane gave him some encouraging words and made him sure he couldn’t give up. With a heavy heart, Xavier starts to rebuild fast enough hoping to make the deadline.

Many hours and many sleepless nights, the grand opening finally arrives. As Sloane and Xaviers open the nightclub together the business takes off right away. Xavier finally helped Sloane out of her shell and softened her in a way.

If you want to read more into Sloane and Xaviers relationship you can find these books at your local bookstores and grocery stores.

Crossfade is an American rock band that finally coalesced in 2001 after a few name changes consisting of The Nothing and Sugardaddy Superstar. Crossfade is home to founders Ed Sloan, Mitch James, and later permanent member Les Hall. As well as a few others that’ve cycled through throughout the years.

Their first album, self-titled Crossfade, depicts a man struggling to find himself and sounds like a series of understandings the singer has, with the typical relationship sentiment burned in here and there with Cold and Colors. The second album descends slightly in value, onto largely the topic of a selfish or cold lover.

Those two songs don’t show off the capacity of the singer or the band nearly as well as the rest of the album does. They feel simpler and almost corporate, as though the contract they signed said they had to have two generic songs to endlessly repeat. Though, that’s no jab to the song’s success; if they weren’t considered good they wouldn’t have been so popular, obviously.

The rest of the album takes on this darker sensation and feel. Angsty, irritated guitars, backing the powerful vocals that’re speaking of trying to be more and not settling for less than what you wanted to achieve. It’s enthralling. And in the tone that they present, it doesn’t make it feel corny or manufactured. I’m not sure how often, but I’ve noticed when songs try to be inspiring or the like, that it’s difficult to feel their struggle. It doesn’t feel like the bad is what sculpted the good, it comes off more like ‘everything is awesome and life used to suck, but now it’s great.’ It’s all preference at the end of the day, but for my tastes I enjoy being taken on a bit of a Hero’s Journey.

That’s not to say there isn’t any presence of mechanicalness, it’s there and probably thanks to producer Randy Staub, who’s helped the likes of Nickelback, Evanescence, and a bunch of the other notable bands from that time.

Crossfade’s second album, Falling Away, is less original than the first and details the relationship between the singer and his ex-girlfriend. She didn’t want to believe in him, he got too angry sometimes, she was cold to him, he slowly started losing feeling for her and eventually made the decision to leave. It’s a tale . . . understandably retold but not any less reused. None of the music is bad, and some of it can be as enrapturing as the first album. On some level I do enjoy it more, producers ‘n’ such were less involved so there’s a more personal feeling of individuality to each song. But for me, just the ex-girlfriend thing is kind of boring. None of it clicked like the first one did.

Perhaps they redeemed themselves for their third.

By Quinn Nordick

Genshin Impact is a free, anime styled, RPG game with a ton of amazing gameplay and fun characters. At the beginning there are two travelers, a brother and a sister, that get separated by this unknown god. As the player, you get to choose who you want to play as, the sister, or the brother. Then you get to name whatever one you choose.

After you name them, you wake up on a beach in a world called “Teyvat” and end up finding your little travel companion named “Paimon”. She’s sweet, kind, and might talk a little too much, but she’s your only friend in this world right now.

The game then teaches you the basic controls such as how to attack, run, climb, and use your elemental abilities. Which you get from touching a statue of the seven. Where you find out that you can control the elements without something called a vision. A vision is a jeweled amulet gifted by the gods to citizens with strong ambitions.

Visions give the user the abilities to use one of the seven elements. Cyro, pyro, hydro, electro, dendro, anemo, and geo. Also known as ice, fire, water, electricity, plants, and rock.

After the tutorial, you start the long story quests that you follow in your journey across the world of teyvat. You will meet many people along the way. Some foes, some friends, and many battles.

As you travel across nations you find yourself in many interesting predicaments such as being in trouble with the law enforcers or even the nations archon, also known as the nation’s god.

There are many nations, 7 are ruled by archons. only one nation so far has a god that is not a part of the 7. This nation is known as Nod-Krai. This nation is different from the others, unlike other nations this one worships the goddess of the moon, as their god is not an archon due to the moon not being a natural element like the other gods, and she also does not wish to assert control over her nation.

Every other nation has a god that controls one of the 7 elements, and each represent an ideal. These gods are known as Barbatos, The god of anemo. Rex Lapis, the god of geo, Beelzebul/Baal, the god of electro, Buer, the god of dendro, Focalors, the god of hydro, Haborym, the god of pyro, and Tsaritsa, the god of cryo.

These seven are known as the primary gods that rule each nation. Every nation you visit uncovers more of this worlds story, and more clues to where your sibling may be. But you also soon find out that this world is not as innocent and colorful as it seems, will you uncover the secrets that lie beyond the false sky?