Offbeat: A Podcast from the Diamondback

Beyoncé's latest album, Cowboy Carter, dropped March 29 with acclaim from critics and fans. But her latest venture into the country genre has sparked a wider discussion about the music industry and Black artists, as well as whether or not Beyoncé has legitimacy as a country musician. On this episode of Offbeat, we discussed the intersection of country music and Black artistry with some Beyoncé fans.

Between Barbie, Oppenheimer and American Fiction, this year's Academy Awards are stacked. If you don't know how to make heads or tails about what to expect at Sunday's awards ceremony, the Offbeat team has you covered. The music for this episode is Lazy Love by KEM, brought to you by Uppbeat.

What do breakdancing, stuffed animals and Survivor have in common? They were all features of this year's All Niter event at Stamp Student Union – an annual carnival of activities, performances and free goodies. For this episode of Offbeat, we interviewed students to see what makes this all nighter worth pulling.

Across the last two years, programs such as ChatGPT have ignited conversations about the role of AI in the workforce. But how are students feeling as they prepare to graduate with this computerized elephant in the room? In this episode of Offbeat, we spoke to University of Maryland students, staff and alumni to gauge how AI could impact the future of work.

Offbeat takes a look at one of the events the University of Maryland planned for Native and Indigenous Heritage Month. Take a listen to learn about Powwow etiquette, traditions and dance styles. For those who want to listen to what the attendees were dancing to, here's the Spotify playlist link. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3EtcIOyD5Tyhpkw9FkzSlM?si=a168dcb83fb84a84

In honor of Women's history month, the women currently serving us in our government, as well as those running for positions in 2024, Offbeat took a deep dive into women in politics. More specifically, a look into disparities in media coverage and how women on UMD's campus feel about their own involvement in politics. A full transcript can be found at dbknews.com enjoy! Music: The following music was used for this media project: Music: Breaking News 4 by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5953-breaking-news-4 License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Students are still reeling from the Oscars Sunday night, a ceremony full of emotional speeches, historic wins and a few fashion misses. For this episode, Offbeat sat down with Diamondback reporters to break down all things Academy Awards. Warning: spoilers and hot takes are not sold separately and will be included in this episode! Find a full transcript at dbknews.com

Dating in college. It’s easy to say that it’s one of the hardest things to navigate in our young adult lives. From dating apps, to hookup culture, to simply not feeling ready, many college students feel lost when it comes to finding love. For this episode, Offbeat investigated the dating pool at UMD, asking students about their green flags, what they think makes romance so unattainable, and some advice from our taken terps. Also featuring an alumni Terp love success story and a representative from the CARE office. Don’t worry, there’s still hope! MUSIC: The following music was used for this media project: Music: Fromage by Steven O’Brien Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10409-fromage License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Chocolates, teddy bears and candy hearts hit shelves as University of Maryland students are ramping up for Valentine’s Day, but how do students really feel about dating on campus? The Offbeat team took to the streets of College Park to find out students’ dating “icks” and “awws”. The following music was used for this media project: Music: Celebrate Your Wins [Full version] by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10381-celebrate-your-wins-full-version License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

As the renfaire season comes to a close, the Offbeat team takes listeners all the way to Revel Grove, or the Maryland Renaissance Festival. To understand why so many people have fallen in love with this weekend escape, we took to the town square to see for ourselves. Explore alongside as we sample the cuisine, watch live performances, and chat with festival-goers from all over. Find the transcript of this episode at dbknews.com!

We are now a week out from midterm elections, results are still rolling in, and voters across the nation are anxiously awaiting to see who the winners are. This episode Offbeat took to the polls to see how UMD’s voters actually felt about the midterms, and spoke to experts on what young people’s voting habits look like. We’ll also look at how this election is different from previous ones, from the nation’s climate to turnout in general. Find this episode's transcript at dbknews.com! Music: The following music was used for this media project: Music: Favorite by Alexander Nakarada Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4855-favorite License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/

Listen up ghouls and ghosts ‘cause it’s time to get spooky! To get ourselves in the Halloween spirit, Offbeat reporters asked UMD students what their favorite flicks, traditions, and, of course, costumes are! From our favorite scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis to the nostalgia that is Halloweentown, students had a lot to say about the candy-corny holiday. The following music was used for this media project: Music: Spooky Halloween 2 by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9999-spooky-halloween-2 License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frank.schroeter.52

College is for exploration, learning, maturing…. and finding out what you want to do for the rest of your life. Career fairs and job interviews are stressful for everyone, however, for some students resumes and cover letters are not the only things that they think about. Hair discrimination happens across the United States in not only jobs, but schools as well, disproportionately impacting African Americans. This episode the Diamondback brings you along to hear the stories of other students who discussed how their hair impacted their decisions and identity. Offbeats’s Grace Kpetemey tries to unpack some of the confusion, stigma, and misunderstandings of black hair in today’s episode. Welcome to Offbeat, The Diamondback's podcast where we go beyond our typical coverage to find the most entertaining stories from the University of Maryland’s campus and College Park. Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/DBKOffbeat Read more of our coverage: dbknews.com The following music was used for this media project: Music: Sadness by Phat Sounds Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9980-sadness License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhatSounds74

About every college town has a place like this... one that's open all night, easy to get to and has delicious food. Add those all up, and you have the most optimal place to go post-shenanigans. In College Park, that place is Marathon Deli. This episode, we bring you a night spent at Marathon Deli. From 9 p.m. well into the wee hours of the night, Offbeat reporters talked to the hungry people of College Park. Plus, later in the show, Offbeat’s Kimi Fleming tries to answer the most important question about the deli's iconic 'Marathon sauce.' Welcome to Offbeat, The Diamondback's podcast where we go beyond our typical coverage to find the most entertaining stories from the University of Maryland’s campus and College Park. Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/DBKOffbeat Read more of our coverage: dbknews.com

Football season is in full swing, and whether the Terps win or lose, Maryland fans make the most of the gameday experience. From the first stirrings of a morning tailgate to the last strains of the marching band at the end of a game, the sights, sounds and smells of football are familiar to the Maryland faithful. But what about all the work that goes on behind the scenes to make it happen? Have you ever thought of how many people it takes to run concessions? Or to keep that giant video board going? This month we’re pulling back the curtain on gameday to answer all your burning questions. Offbeat assistant editor Kimi Fleming will be your guide for the day. And later in the episode, she’ll talk with some Maryland fans to test how much they really know about their favorite team. Welcome to Offbeat, The Diamondback's podcast where we go beyond our typical coverage to find the most entertaining stories from the University of Maryland’s campus and College Park. Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/DBKOffbeat Read more of our coverage: dbknews.com

For the first time in over a year, campus is returning to a semblance of normal. Sidewalks fill between classes, professors dust off their projectors and a new freshman class finds their homes in the dorms. This month we’re taking you inside freshman move-in. From tearful parents to packed minivans, let’s experience the moment a new generation of college students starts their journey. Bring water and sunscreen; it’s a hot one out there. Plus, later in the show, Offbeat’s Kimi Fleming shares campus resources for health, academics and safety. Welcome to Offbeat, The Diamondback's podcast where we go beyond our typical coverage to find the most entertaining stories from the University of Maryland’s campus and College Park. Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/DBKOffbeat Read more of our coverage: dbknews.com

From flag football to squirrels, this year’s graduating class will remember College Park for more than the pandemic. They will tell the stories of a campus that, for a brief time, was their home. Plus, in this month’s question segment: What will Diamondback seniors remember about their time on staff? Welcome to Offbeat, The Diamondback's podcast where we go beyond our typical coverage to find the most entertaining stories from the University of Maryland’s campus and College Park. Our music this month is Graduation Day by Math and Physics Club: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Various_Artists/Swingin_Singles/csr044_swingin-singles_side-a_05_math-and-physics-club_graduation-day. Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/DBKOffbeat Read more of our coverage: dbknews.com

America’s religious and spiritual landscape is changing. According to data from the Pew Research Center, the share of people who identify as religiously unaffiliated has risen nine percentage points since 2009. But that doesn’t mean that believing in something larger than yourself has gone out of style. Some UMD students are finding spirituality outside of a church or temple. Tarot cards, crystals, and astrology help them think about their lives and feel more connected to the world around them. In this month's question segment, assistant Offbeat editor Kimi Fleming gives a crash course on astrology and horoscopes. Learn how to find your sun, moon, and rising signs. Plus, what signs are most common among Diamondback staff? Welcome to Offbeat, The Diamondback's podcast where we go beyond our typical coverage to find the most entertaining stories from the University of Maryland’s campus and College Park. Our music this month is “Mystic” by Moments. Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/DBKOffbeat Read more of our coverage: dbknews.com

April is Autism Month. Through this episode, multimedia reporter Amelia Jarecke seeks to take listeners beyond autism awareness to autism inclusion and empowerment by: featuring autistic students who explain what having autism feels like explaining the history of autism misinformation and the current misconceptions about the syndrome, and discussing ways in which non-austitic people can think, speak, and act in a way that empowers people on the spectrum. This episode features Kathy Dow-Burger, a University of Maryland Department of Hearing and Speech Science clinical associate professor, the Founder and Coordinator of the Social Interaction Group Network for All (SIGNA), and Co-Director of the University of Maryland Autism Research Consortium; the president of the Autism Student Group, junior computer engineering student Nina Agrawal; and treasurer of the Autism Student Group junior information science student Emmet Ryan. Resources: Social Interaction Group Network for ALL or UMD SIGNA http://signa.umd.edu/ The Autism Student Group https://terplink.umd.edu/organization/autismsupportgroup “Anti-Vaccine Movement'' from You’re Wrong About https://www.stitcher.com/show/youre-wrong-about/episode/the-anti-vaccine-movement-81281035 “Why Autism Functioning Labels Are Harmful -- and What to Say Instead.” by Jessica Flynn https://themighty.com/2018/07/autism-functioning-labels-low-functioning-high-functioning/ Music: “Motions” by Marco Sesay https://soundcloud.com/marco-sesay/fuego Welcome to Offbeat, The Diamondback's podcast where we go beyond our typical coverage to find the most entertaining stories from the University of Maryland’s campus and College Park. Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/DBKOffbeat Read more of our coverage: dbknews.com

In this bonus episode of Offbeat, assistant special projects editor Clara Longo de Freitas leads a roundtable on mental health and coping during a global pandemic. Mentioned in the episode: https://www.fastcompany.com/90612974/you-are-not-the-person-you-were-before-the-pandemic https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52845775-minor-feelings