September Favs: Music, Media & More

By Rachael Gerron
Web Content Contributor

When planning what to write about this week, a few topics came to mind that all had an equal amount of importance and timeliness, so I thought, why not talk about them all?

Here are three things I’ve been loving this September!

Game: “Among Us“

This game is more than just a “fav,” it has become an obsession. “Among Us” is a video game that has recently blown up across social media. The idea of the game is very similar to the party game, “Mafia,” but in video game form. 

In this multiplayer game, there are crewmates and either one or multiple imposters. Once the game starts, imposters discreetly kill people without while crewmates complete tasks within a spaceship and try to not get killed. 

Once a dead body is reported, all the players meet in the chat to discuss who they think it is. When the players have an idea of who the imposter is, it is time to vote. If the imposter is voted out, the game is over and crewmates win, but if a crewmate is mistaken for the imposter and voted out, the imposter is still in the game, so it continues. 

I love “Among Us” because you can play with friends or with strangers online. Many people host private games, share the game code with friends in person or while talking on Discord, and then make the game public for others to join as well.

My friends and I have been addicted to this game and I can foresee this obsession lasting beyond September. 

Music: “You Are The Traffic” – COIN

On Sept.18, Indie-pop band, COIN, released their first single since their album, “Dreamland,” released at the beginning of this year. In the months that “You Are the Traffic” was written, the band was supposed to be touring the world; however, as COIN said in a message to fans, “the universe had other plans.” 

During this time, music is a form of comfort for many people. Unlike other songs written during the Coronavirus pandemic that have cheesy, uplifting vibes, this song is more of a reality check or self-realization that we can all relate to. 

Lead singer Chase Lawrence explained, “You’re not ‘stuck in traffic’ you are the traffic.” The song is a metaphor for our thoughts hindering us from attaining our goals.

Lyrics like, “We’re frozen in the fast lane,” and “Oh God I get so eager that I lose sight of what’s in front of me,” seem to be inspired by the effects of the pandemic.

We all want it to be over so we can get back to normal life, but time is still moving forward regardless of how we feel. 

As for the sound, it is quintessential indie-pop with a typical COIN sound, yet it still sounds so fresh and unique. My first time listening to it, the chorus instantly grabbed me. It’s one of those songs that makes you wish you already knew the lyrics so you could sing along.

“You Are The Traffic” is probably one of my favorite COIN songs, which I think is a great testament to the message of the song itself. It wasn’t in their plans to be writing and recording new music right now, but despite the uncertainty and confusion, they’ve created a beautiful piece of art.

Food: Dunkin’s New Menu Items

Last month, Dunkin introduced some new menu items and reintroduced some classic fall favorites. With the new Starbucks inside Alkek Library, I’ve been neglecting my Dunkin addiction, but the other day I decided to visit my old friend and tried out some of these new menu items.

First I tried, probably the most hyped-up drink of all time, The Charli. The coffee is named after Tik-Tok star, Charli D’Amelio, and consists of cold brew, whole milk and three pumps of caramel swirl (her go-to order).

If you like your coffee sweet, The Charli is for you. This is by far one of the sweetest coffees I’ve had. It tastes like a caramel iced latte if you ordered it with extra caramel and extra milk.

The flavor is good, but the sweetness is a bit overpowering to me; however, my best friend loves sweet, milky drinks and The Charli has become a go-to for her. 

Next, I tried the new oat milk latte. I am so excited about this addition to the menu because I’ve recently been making coffee at home with oat milk. When I’m on campus I used to have to resort to coffee with real milk- not any more thanks to Dunkin!

My go-to order is an iced caramel latte, so I had high standards for this alternative. But to my surprise, the oat milk only slightly alters the flavor! As opposed to other dairy-free alternatives, oat milk is super creamy and mimics the texture of real milk; although, the oat flavor can sometimes shine through in certain things.

However, in this case, it is such a subtle difference that I plan to order it from now on in place of a latte with whole milk!

As for food, I tried the stuffed bagel minis which were delicious! One order comes with two mini bagels in either the plain flavor or with everything bagel seasoning. Unlike other stuffed bagels I’ve had, with Dunkin’s you get lots of cream cheese in every bite. 

You can find the full list of Dunkin’s new menu items here!

Featured image by Rachael Gerron.