As a brunch-enthusiast and wannabe dessert chef, perfecting my own cinnamon roll recipe has been a recent undertaking of mine during quarantine.

After several failed attempts and struggles with baking in my small apartment, I have developed a college-student friendly cinnamon roll recipe that is not just easy, but a delicious way to pass the time.

Classic Cinnamon Roll with Cream Cheese Frosting
For the dough:
1. Whisk together one cup of lukewarm water and two and a half tablespoons of active dry yeast
2. Add 3 cups of flour to the yeast water
3. Add one egg, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and a dash of salt
4. Knead together with your hands until thoroughly combined in a ball
5. Cover bowl and let the dough rise for two hours
For the filling:
1. Add 1 cup of packed brown sugar with 3 teaspoons of cinnamon
2. Melt 1 stick on unsalted butter and combine with dry ingredients
After the dough has risen:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and roll out the dough (if you do not have a rolling pin, a wiped-down wine bottle works just as well) to a 16-by-12-inch rectangle
2. Spread filling even, leaving about an inch between the edge
3. Roll the dough and filling into cylinder and then cut into 12 slices
4. Place slices into a pie dish (or really, any cooking dish)
5. Place in the oven for 20 minutes
6. Take out of the oven and combine ¼ cup of cream cheese, two cups of confectioner sugar and ⅓ cup of milk for the frosting and then pour over the dish while still warm

After finishing at least a dozen books in the last month and following several failed-attempts at knitting, I turned to a familiar craft that my mom used to do with me when I was younger: candle making.

Candles can cost anywhere from $5 to $40 depending on the store, and even then, the candles are likely not handmade or hand-poured. So, why not make your own for close to the same price?

All you need is candle wax—I prefer soy—essential oils, wicks and containers such as tins or mason jars. I recommend using recycled tins from olives or tuna. Once you melt the wax and add scents, the wax is poured into the tin and then the candle must sit for a few hours to harden.

I was able to make almost two dozen candles with five pounds of soy wax. I wanted to share my crafting fun with friends, so I spent the weekend dropping off candles and notes at friends’ doorsteps and even shipped a few to family from far away.

During this pandemic, crafting has been a way to cope with the abundance of time and by sharing creations, I can bring a smile to friends or family members during times where small gestures count the most.

Conor Linehan, a third-year applied math major at Seattle University, has been passionate about creating music since he was little. While abroad in Ireland during Fall Quarter 2019, Linehan took a class on sound theory, which inspired his latest surge of musical creations.

Linehan described the class he took abroad as very influential to the way he makes music. In the theory class, Linehan learned how to make art with sound, which has influenced his current project of a concept album.

As a math major, Linehan has enjoyed musical technology where he can write a code to produce a sequence of sounds through a virtual synthesizer. This is showcased in a few of his current songs.

During this pandemic, Linehan has plenty of time to focus on his music and said he is grateful to have songwriting as a way to relax during times of uncertainty.

“I’ve had much more time during the day for music and it has been much more necessary as a way of escape and meditation,” Linehan said. “Making music is something to do and to enjoy doing that’s not homework, and it’s really healthy for me and for my mental health.”

Linehan is excited to share his creations, which can be found on SoundCloud, Spotify and Google Play under the name Con Stellatum.

Netflix released one of its many new original shows “Outer Banks” on April 15. This teen drama follows the lives of unsupervised renegades John B and his friends, who call themselves the “Pogues,” as they clash against the North Carolina island snobs, the “Kooks.” John B narrates the first episode and he describes the clash of classes as the difference between “haves and the have-nots.”

The 10-episode season is filled with action, mystery and a hint of forbidden romance as John B and his friends discover clues to a missing treasure of $400 million that was lost from a sunken ship off the coast of Outer Banks in the early 1800s. John B’s dad disappeared looking for the ship, prompting the rebellious teens to uncover clues that pick up where his dad left off.

The cast of this binge-worthy thriller includes Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline, who both made brief appearances on the Netflix hit “Stranger Things.” Other members of this quaran-steamy cast include Rudy Pankow, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss and Austin North.

No matter what genre preference you have, this coming-of-age story will have you glued to your seat by the first ten minutes of the show. Season one is streaming now on Netflix and is currently sitting in the top ten most watched shows on the platform.

As stimulus checks begin to be sent out to aid Americans during the pandemic, Larry Bellah of Prineville, Oregon wanted to show his daughter how to pay it forward by helping those in need with part of his stimulus check.

Bellah and his daughter went to the local grocery store and helped members of their small-town community pay for their groceries.. Bellah brought his daughter along to show the importance of helping others. Other community members donated money to the father-daughter duo to continue paying for groceries.