This is the web version of issue one of “Word From The Web”, a WIUX Web Content zine on print. It was first published via print and distributed at Culture Shock 40 on April 11, 2026. This issue was written and produced by the Web Content Team 2025-26.
Meet the Team…
Karly Jo - “Professional pedestrian”
- “Radio Kure” Monday’s 4-5pm on B-Side
Sophia - “If anxiety and nonchalants had a baby”
- “Inner Monologue” Wednesday’s 3-4pm on 99.1 FM
Laszlo - “Whimsical + eclectic boycreature, melodramatic anthropologist, st. dymphna’s #1 fan :3”
- “The Melancholy Skittles Show” Monday’s 8-9pm on B-Side
Emma - “Always too busy, but passionate. :)”
- “River Valley Radio” Sunday’s 1-2pm on B-Side
Claire - “19 y/o language and cat enthusiast!”
- “River Valley Radio” Sunday’s 1-2pm on B-Side
Jess - “Mediocre dreampop enthusiast”
- “Mediocre Dreampop Enthusiast” Wednesday’s 11pm on 99.1 FM
- “Universal Remote” Thursday’s 7-8pm on B-Side
Danielle - “I’m a concert lover and pretty much everything I do involves music!”
- “Deepcuts with Dani” Wednesday’s 5-6pm on 99.1 FM
Lily - “Just a cool guy…”
- “Surviving This Horror” (Radio/Podcast Show) Monday’s 10-11pm on 99.1 FM
Charlie - “Indie Rock supernerd”
- “Rough Draft Radio” Tuesday’s 1-2pm on 99.1 FM
Current Listens
Karly Jo - “Bleeds” by Wednesday
Sophia - “How Did I Get Here?” By Louis Tomlinson
Laszlo - “Sprained Ankle” by Julien Baker
Emma - “Van Occupanther” by Midlake
Claire - “Fables of Reconstruction” by R.E.M.
Jess - “Pet Grief” by The Radio Dept.
Danielle - “How Did I Get Here?” By Louis Tomlinson
Lily - “Steal this album!” by System of a Down
Charlie - “Evolution To Thrust” by Cars Get Crushed
Current Watches
Karly Jo - “Saving Face”
Sophia - “Iron Man 2” & “The Good Place”
Laszlo - “Funeral Parade of Roses”
Emma - “Santosh” & “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”
Claire - “Midnight Cowboy”
Jess - n/a
Danielle - “Zootopia 2” & “It Ends With Us”
Lily - “Iron lung”
Charlie - “The Baader-Meinhof Complex”
Current Favorite Smells
Karly Jo - Dark roast drip coffee
Sophia - Patchouli
Laszlo - My dog Odin’s fur (he’s kinda stinky but i love him dearly)
Emma - Gasoline, coffee, and vanilla
Claire - Chopped dill
Jess - Cucumber watermelon wax melts
Danielle - Vanilla candles
Lily - Cucumber + mint
Charlie - The delicious chocolate coffee candle in my room that i bought from kroger with my roommate's employee discount ... it is sweeter because I got it for 20% off...
“How Did I Get Here” by Louis Tomlinson - A Review by Sophia
Louis Tomlinson best and first known as one of five members of One Direction recently released his third studio album “How did I get here” following his first album “Walls” in 2020 and his second album “Faith In The Future” in 2022. Across Tomlinson’s first two solo albums you can tell that while they aren’t poor albums they seem rather held back and unsure vocally but are, for the most part, strong lyrically. In his third album I would dare to say there was a full 180 switch on that statement. “How Did I Get Here” feels strong and comfortable vocally but when it comes to the power or the substance of the lyrics it can seem meaningless or basic. The first track on the album and the lead single “Lemonade” is one of the more poorly written songs, lacking substance and real meaning that can be interpreted. Musically, it seems to have been written to suit radio rather than what has been Tomlinson’ s past indie rock style leading to some questions if he is trying to reach a new audience. The second single “Imposter” gets a little bit back toward the indie rock sound but still has a little bit of the poppy four chord progression with a little bit of flair to it. I do think this album apart from the singles has a little bit of influence from early Maroon 5 and some of the Tame Impala spacey vibe to it. Looking at the album top to bottom I think it is mixed very well for a full album listening experience with no one track sounding out of place compared to the rest of the album. My personal highlight is track 3 “Sunflowers” as it feels most like his rock indie pop style and feels like it is telling a story with the lyrics rather than just a clump of words. Overall I would give this album a 7/10 rank wise as I feel that while Tomlinson grew vocally and did have some fun Instrumentation, the pull back on having quality lyrics and the singles feeling a little basic makes this album not be able to reach its full potential.
“Alysa Liu, The People's Princess” An Essay by Laszlo
The 2026 Winter Olympics have ended, and I don’t think I’m special in saying that I’ve walked away from them obsessed with Alysa Liu. A good chunk of the world is right now, and has every right to be. The 20 year old Olympic champion managed to take home two gold medals--in both independent and team skate events--without her positive attitude ever seeming to shake. Her self-pierced smiley constantly flashed as joy beamed from her face in every aspect of the competition, whether she was supporting her teammates, or even her rivals, or taking on the ice herself. I’m a fake figure skating fan. I literally just got into the sport--okay, I tried back in middle school when I was into Yuri!!! On Ice, but it never got far--and Liu is the reason why. Her look made me pay attention, with sparkly gold outfits and haloed hair, but it was her carefree attitude that drew me to become a fan of an athlete for the first time ever. A true IDGAF warrior, she’s cited as stating about the competition, “It’s just not that deep.” Of course, what piqued my interest next was the music she had chosen for her season on the ice. (source) I thought Liu’s image seemed so thoughtfully curated, but she also seemed so authentic. (Honestly, she reminded me of someone you’d meet here at the station.) The truth is, authenticity and artistry are the only reason she’s back on the scene at all. Liu began skating when she was only five years old (most skaters start young and retire young, too), and by the time she was thirteen, she was already a two-time Junior Grand Prix champion, a Junior Grand Prix bronze and silver medalist, and the youngest person ever to win the U.S. national championships. Needless to say, she retired at sixteen, actually hating skating. But in 2025, she came back, with stipulations--she would have the final say in what she wore, what she skated to, and how she presented herself. She wanted control of her image, and she wanted to be able to be herself while on the ice. She stated in an interview with NBC that stepping away from the ice was what allowed her to discover herself, since she never had the space or time before. The music she selected for her skates reflect this. I’ll give a quick run down for anyone who (somehow) missed it, with a huge asterisk here that reading this article won’t do it all justice.! Liu’s short program was skated to “Promise” by Laufey, an artist that she describes as a huge inspiration to her. Liu defines herself as a lover of all art, and considers her skating an art in and of itself. Truly, her program feels like an exchange between artists, a thoughtfully choreographed and masterfully executed tribute to the song she loves so much. Laufey has actually responded to her skate in multiple fashions, including calling her out as “the best figure skater in the world” the “Best Dressed” at a concert that Liu attended in the dress she took home World Championship gold in. According to Yahoo Sports, “MacArthur Park” by Donna Summer was chosen by her coach and her choreographer, who ran the “Suite” version by her in its full 17 minutes of disco glory, and she immediately fell in love. This skate is filled with energetic glides across the ice, her whole body swaying along to the music in a way that feels extemporaneous, like the music came on at a party and she simply wanted to dance. This, of course, does not detract from the effort she clearly put into the skate--watch those jumps come out as near to perfection as one can achieve time after time and you’ll absolutely be sure of it. While she had always wanted to skate her free program to this song, I did want to mention another of my favorite performances from her: at the 2025 Lombardia Trophy event, her Free Program was a medley of Lady Gaga’s “G.U.Y,” “Bloody Mary,” “Disease, “Paparazzi,” and “Bad Romance” Again, what sticks out most from this performance in particular is the use of choreographic elements reminiscent of Lady Gaga’s own choreographies for “Bad Romance,” complete with claw-like hands. And, while not an official part of her season, her exhibition gala skate truly solidified her charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. She skated to Pinkpantheress and Zara Larsson’s “Stateside,” complete with a blue puff-sleeve and tutu dress reminiscent of Pink’s looks during her Fancy tour and matching the color of the remix’s album cover. Exhibition gala skates are more about fun and silliness after a stressful Olympic season, so this performance was mostly a darling step sequence--my personal favorite part was a cute little jump-kick to Larsson’s “Boots!” line. In a sport that has a reputation for its intensity and prides itself in being human perfection--art and athleticism become one, and even the tiniest mistake can cost you a placement on the podium--Alysa Liu shows the skating world that being great does not have to mean being stuck in anyone’s ideal but your own. Knowing herself allowed her to maintain confidence, kindness, joy, and positivity on the ice. You can feel the love she has for everything that she does in her smooth step sequences and flawless jumps, all of which she makes seem completely effortless. She also shows us the power of fun in sport. Of course, the Olympics are meant to showcase the very best athletes, who have trained for the better part, or in the case of most skaters, all of their lives, and of course winning is everyone’s goal. But there’s also something so incredibly refreshing, entertaining, about watching Liu skate to disco pop daydreams like MacArthur Park in a glittery gold disco gown with a huge smile on her face, or catch her during warm ups taking pictures of everyone out on the ice with a digicam. And Liu skated just to skate. While watching the Free Skate final coverage, a huge grin broke out on my face when I heard the announcer remind us that Liu herself stated that she did not need a medal; she simply wanted to show people what she could do. Personal fulfillment, rather than external validation, therefore, becomes the goal. Alysa Liu is a trailblazer for so many reasons--she’s the daughter of a political refugee, a confident young woman with an alternative hairstyle, and a reminder to center joy in all that we do. She didn’t care about the medals; she quite literally did it for the love of the game, and this allowed her talents to shine. The music selected in her programs added flair and spice, as well as showing that by selecting art that she truly loved and was inspired by, beautiful, breathtaking, Olympic-gold-medal-worthy art could be created in turn. I cannot wait to see what she does next.
