Picture of Katarina Hockema

Katarina Hockema

Bio: Katarina Hockema, originally from Homer, Alaska, is a recent graduate of the University of Idaho where she studied journalism with a minor in marketing. Katarina has dedicated the last several years to sharpening her writing skills for lifestyle, interests, features, and entertainment topics. She also has a passion for marketing, working to combine the creative and logical skills needed to tell a great story. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, exploring new films and television shows, and playing the piano.
Music

Why are concerts becoming financially unattainable? (Op-Ed)

For decades, concerts were considered one of the best ways, if not the best way to show your appreciation for an artist’s music and connect with them directly in-person in a way that is simply not possible through listening to pre-recorded tracks or records.  With reasonably affordable tickets, accommodations, and ...

Read More
Latest News

Meta users experience global outages

Multiple social platforms owned under the social media conglomerate Meta experienced a “technical issue” Tuesday morning.  Apps such as Instagram, Facebook, and Threads, Meta’s competitor to X (Twitter), were unable to load content and/or forcefully logged certain users out of their accounts, displaying written “crash” messages and alleging that certain ...

Read More
Politics

Impeachment should be a disqualification for re-running for public office (Op-Ed)

In the entire history of the U.S. presidency, there have only been four presidents who have been impeached. Impeachment, defined by Oxford Languages as “a charge of misconduct made against the holder of a public office”, is one of the most controversial and scandalous occurrences that can be brought against ...

Read More
Sports

Why is endorsement by an athlete so effective? (Op-Ed) 

Now more than ever, it’s incredibly common to spot professional athletes in advertisements and commercials in all formats, whether that be television commercials, social media content, print, etc.  To be fair, a good portion of these endorsements are for products or services that align with athletics; athleticwear such as shoes, ...

Read More
Politics

The Supreme Court should not have lifetime appointments for justices (Op-Ed)

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has been responsible for making landmark legal decisions and setting precedents in our society for centuries.  As the highest court in the land, the individuals who are appointed hold an innate responsibility to the wellbeing, protection, and advocacy of the citizens of ...

Read More
Theater

Theater productions deserve our attention amid short-form content (Op-Ed)

Although far from rare, it is less common for some individuals to participate in theater culture, whether that be from a lack of interest or access to these productions, or the fact that other in-person activities such as attending movie theaters, keynote addresses, or concerts are more popular.  As well, ...

Read More
Politics

Alabama’s embryo ruling sets a dangerous precedent (Op-Ed)

In a highly controversial move, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos that are preserved for in vitro fertilization (IVF) are “akin to children”. The court voted 8-1 and cited religious reasoning in their concurring opinion.  While this decision stems from the fact that embryos are in fact human ...

Read More
TV

Should streaming platforms delay their shows’ finales for ratings? (Op-Ed)

One of the biggest appeals of on-demand content that is released on streaming platforms is the total availability of full seasons of shows that are compiled after their original air dates, or are released in full season catalogs instead of a week-by-week basis, as seen on cable platforms. As a ...

Read More
Music

Katy Perry’s Eras Tour attendance ends feud with Taylor Swift (Op-Ed)

Katy Perry attended Taylor Swift’s Feb. 23 Eras Tour performance in Sydney, Australia, delicately signaling to the world that any “Bad Blood” between the two pop artists has long been resolved.  Attending the concert with fellow artist Rita Ora, Perry posted on Instagram after the event, sharing a heartwarming photo ...

Read More
Theater

Did Mean Girls (2024) do the Broadway adaptation justice? (Op-Ed)

We are in the golden age of well-loved Broadway classics getting their chance to shine on the big screen after years on The Great White Way.  With releases such as “Mamma Mia”, “Hairspray” and “ Les Misérables”, capturing the hearts of theater enthusiasts while “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Cats” admittedly ...

Read More
Sports

Caitlin Clark deserves the hype for her basketball prowess (Op-Ed)

Caitlin Clark is one of the most well-recognized basketball players in the U.S., not only meeting and exceeding certain records on the court, but blowing them out of the water.  As the University of Iowa’s guard, she made headlines by breaking the NCAA all-time scoring record by putting up 49 ...

Read More
Politics

We should never raise the voting age to 21 (Op-Ed)

Since July 1, 1971 after the ratification of the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, the U.S. has set the national age to vote at 18, recognizing the civil duties and responsibilities of citizenship that were being fulfilled by individuals who were younger than their state-designated voting age.  This age has ...

Read More

Hey! Are you enjoying NYCTastemakers? Make sure to join our mailing list for NYCTM and never miss the chance to read all of our articles!