Archives - Vennela Pandaraboyina
comic strips
Not Vanilla: A comical approach to expanding worldview
As a high-school underclassmen on the speech and debate team, I met a lot of older student deeply interested in geopolitical issues who prided themselves on being informed and having substantial opinions on the goings-on of the international world. One day, I was talking to one of those older students, and she introduced me to […]
Araina Grande
Not Vanilla: Songs to cure your pre-winter anxiety
Well, reader, this week we have finally been plunged into the cold darkness of a Rochester winter. With the encroachment of winter comes many beauties. The image of snow falling is truly gorgeous, and few things are as satisfying as fresh, even snow laid out on every surface. But, still, I find I need new […]
YouTube
Not Vanilla: On breakup videos
The other day I was browsing YouTube and proceeded to fall down what some call a “YouTube hole.” I started to watch breakup videos. For the unknowing reader, a breakup video is where a couple announces that they’ve broken up, explaining when the event occurred and usually why the split happened. These are couples that […]
travel
Not Vanilla: Traveling informed
Historically we’ve been fascinated by travel. You can see it in Western idealism of exploration — explorers risking their lives to seek new lands, to chart and record all the wonders they saw. Now, we know that in reality all the places that were, according to Western history, “discovered,” have long been inhabited by each […]
A Star Is Born
Not Vanilla: The emotional effects of media
Reader, let me warn you before you journey further into this article — if you haven’t seen “A Star is Born” and you don’t want anything to be spoiled, stop reading now. Okay, so the rest of you have now tacitly complied to have the ending of “A Star is Born” spoiled for you: if […]
video games
Not Vanilla: The new media on the block
Okay, reader, I openly admit that I am not that much of a gamer. I’m not a total stranger to video games — if you put a controller in my hands, I’ll eventually figure out the controls. Whether or not I’m good at the game after I decipher those controls is not up for debate. […]
Not Vanila
Not Vanilla: In celebration of museums
Hello, dear reader! This week, I want to talk about a more reserved but common aspect of our culture: museums. Museums are centers of learning and exploration, spaces designed for the enrichment of the human mind. They’re places where we showcase best of our knowledge and culture. There are museums for almost every subject in […]
cooking
Not Vanilla: The joys of watching people cook
Recently, I’ve realized I watch a large amount of cooking shows and videos. I came to this conclusion when the first three shows Netflix suggested were all cooking or food-centric. I started to think about why I (and society in general) like watching cooking videos. Cooking entertainment has spanned several types of media — you […]
Not Vanilla
Not Vanilla: Cycles of hype
Dear reader, we have to address the harsh truth that we have both been avoiding. Summer is over. And while I am happy to not be sweating in my sleep every night, I know we both will miss the amazing gifts that summer gives us, like sunny summer days, thrilling summer blockbusters, and countless summer […]
Podcasts
Not Vanilla: Exploring side content
Hello, reader! I hope your summer was wonderful or, at the very least, tolerable. I spent mine taking full advantage of my UR-provided HBO Go account. I finally had the time and the energy to really dive deep into a show. I landed on “Westworld” — the second season had premiered late in April, and […]
