Trends: The Hunger Games, Uneven Hems, and Popular Apps
Hoot.Me
Facebook as a study tool? Yes, now that three UT students have created Hoot.Me, a handy Facebook app
that allows students to collaborate on school assignments—without being in the same room. Using Twitter-like hashtags, Hoot.Me allows Longhorns to search for peers working on the same subject, and then sets up multi-person video chats and “smart chats” (for engineering and math majors with complicated equations) between them. Professors can also hold virtual office hours and Q&A sessions for their classes.
The Hunger Games
In a post-apocalyptic North America, a tyrannical government hosts a televised competition—where children fight to the death until only one survives and is crowned champion—for entertainment. Sure, it doesn’t have vampires and werewolves or wizards and witches, but the premise of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy, has definitely caught on both in the college and literary worlds. UT students are especially excited about the film adaptation starring Academy Award nominee Jennifer Lawrence, set to hit theaters in late March. Word to the wise: steer clear of Barton Creek Mall and any Alamo Drafthouse on the 23rd.
Uneven Hems
Party in the front, business in the back: the new skirt trend takes the old conventional wisdom about mullets and reverses it. Celebrities like HBO darling Emmy Rossum and former child star Mary Kate Olsen have been spotted sporting a miniskirt-length dress in the front and a flowing gown in the back. The Drag’s Urban Outfitters and college budget-friendly Target are stocking up on the dichotomous garments, which are perfect for those Austin days when it’s hard to decide whether to wear shorts or jeans. Just have both!
Temple Run
Maybe it’s because most current Longhorns only caught the tail end of the Indiana Jones era, but they’re definitely seeking out the Dr. Jones-esque iPhone app Temple Run to make up for it. Currently the most downloaded free app in the iTunes store, Temple Run replaces Angry Birds—2011’s most popular app—with an addictive, fast-paced running game that doesn’t involve using your feet. Using a finger, players turn, jump, and slide while running through an ancient temple with a stolen gold idol (Raiders of the Lost Ark, anyone?), attempting to outrun its demon guardians. Players collect coins during their escape, and, if they connect the app to Facebook, they can post their high scores for all to see in their newsfeeds.
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