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 fan...

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 w...

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 a...

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 down...

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...

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...

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 pr...

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...

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 Co...

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 yo...

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...

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...

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...

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, spe...

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

Over the past year, we’ve all lost little things in our lives. Restaurant dinners. Birthday parties. The hum of a crowded room. This episode of Offbeat is about all those smaller griefs. It’s about the year we’ve lost. And in this month's question segment, Clara Longo de Freitas leads a roundtable on the pandemic's effects on mental health, inviting some Diamondback reporters and editors to share...

TikTok’s popularity skyrocketed as young people were stuck indoors because of COVID-19. And among the dances and viral challenges on the app, there’s a thriving queer community. This month on Offbeat, we dig into LGBTQ TikTok. How has the app helped viewers and creators feel less alone? And, in this month's question segment: how does the TikTok algorithm determine what content goes on the For You...

(We get the irony.) 2020 has been hard for everyone, and it can be hard to find the lighter moments. On this episode of Offbeat, we find some cool things University of Maryland students made or did in this weird time that brought smiles to our faces and ask how we take care of ourselves and our minds when happy moments feel few and far between? Welcome to Offbeat, The Diamondback's podcast where w...

No matter who you voted for or what party you favor, the week of the election was long. At the University of Maryland — less than 10 miles from Washington, D.C. — students sat in "election purgatory" for five days, waiting to find out who the next president of the United States would be. Welcome to Offbeat, The Diamondback's podcast where we go beyond our typical coverage to find the most entertai...

In the midst of a global pandemic, it’s hard to find love and relationships. But at the University of Maryland, some students are really trying to make it through this cuffing season. Listen to stories of love (and heartbreak) in the time of coronavirus. On this episode of Offbeat, we answer your questions about another kind of public health precaution — STI testing — and safe sex on campus. Welco...