The moment my sister called to tell me that Harry Styles would be performing in Little Rock, Arkansas, I immediately knew my savings were going to suffer. What I didn’t know was the process of buying tickets would be much more difficult than either of us expected going in.

My sister called the day the pre-sale opened, which meant that only fans with an access code could purchase tickets before they went on sale for the rest of the public aka us. Luckily, my sister had a friend who already purchased her tickets and shared her access code with us.

So it was easy, we would just go through Ticketmaster, purchase our tickets early before anyone else could snatch them up, and then spend the rest of the time planning cool outfits to attend the concert. At least that’s how it was supposed to go.

Tickets went on sale at 10 am and it was 2 pm by the time my sister and I entered the virtual queue through the Ticketmaster website. We waited in anticipation, talking about the setlist, and we even called our mom to share our excitement When it was finally our turn to purchase tickets, we were stunned by the prices displayed. The venue website had listed ticket prices at 3 price points: $65, $85, and $120. But what we saw on Ticketmaster was much different. The prices for the seats we wanted had skyrocketed past our budget and were in the $160 - $300 range. We were shocked by how expensive the tickets were. Looking back now, I was too naive to see the value of those tickets.

After going back and forth between seats and consulting our bank accounts, we decided to choose seats that weren’t too bad. They were in the lower bowl, but close to the back. As long as we could see the full stage we didn’t mind. So we added them to our cart and hit purchase.

But disaster struck.

I wanted to cry.

We started hunting for tickets 4 hours ago, it was now 6 pm and we were both exhausted. We tried, again and again, to try to purchase tickets. We used different computers, our phones, different accounts, but nothing worked. Then our seats were gone and the prices rose, what was once $50 nosebleed seats were now $400. We watched the blue dots turn to grey as tickets slowly dwindled away.

My sister and I decided to try our chances for the general sale, in hopes that we could secure tickets at a more reasonable price.

The next day, I had both my laptop and my phone signed in and ready to go on the Ticketmaster website. My sister was in my ear the whole day through my earbuds. Tickets went on sale at 12 o’clock sharp and we weren’t going to miss our chance. We decided to shoot for easier seats in the upper bowl, near the front. “It’ll be a better view from higher up anyways,” my sister assured herself. So the plan was all set. I would aim for seats in section 221, Row 7 and my sister would be online to pick up anything in the perimeter (222-219) just in case there was an issue on my side.

We were set and determined. I even talked with my professor before class about my situation and that I might be a little preoccupied when they went on sale. Thankfully he was understanding about the entire thing and even encouraged me to do my best (shoutout Professor Reppert).

Unfortunately, after several tickets slipped through my grasp and another error message occurred. I was left with nothing to show for all of our hard work. It didn’t even take three minutes. My sister was further behind in the queue, so it was already too late by the time she made it through. Tickets were officially sold out.

Although Ticketmaster has been selling tickets online for years (since 1996) it has only grown more and more difficult for fans to buy tickets. For years, fans have been complaining about scalpers and ticket prices rising when the money doesn’t go to the artist or the venue. To combat this, Ticketmaster created the very features that were the downfall of my sister and me.

In 2018, Ticketmaster was investigated and even found to be running a professional scalping scam itself. Scalping can pay good money for those willing to invest. Many of the systems that have been put in place to thwart scalpers has actually made it easier for them to purchase tickets.

1. The waiting room: It’s easy to create hundreds of accounts that would allow you to wait in many waiting rooms at once, giving you many more chances to purchase. I’m sure there are even bots that could do it for you.

2. “Fan” presales can be advantageous to scalpers as well.Getting presale codes is no hassle when many scalpers have networks or groups that they work with to buy and sell tickets.

3. Some of the best seats are sold to cardholders with benefits, such as early access (even earlier than pre-sale sometimes!) Which wouldn’t require any kind of verification.

In the end, the true hero to our story wasn’t StubHub or SeatGeek, and it definitely wasn’t Ticketmaster support. It was other fans who were just like us.

After giving up for long enough, I knew I was too determined to let this opportunity slip past. Sure, Harry would be on tour again, and he would be somewhere near Arkansas, like Dallas, Texas, that I could take a 4-5 hour drive to. Great chance for a road trip.

But when would he be here again? An hour away, basically in my own backyard. I would regret it if I didn’t try. I had to take my chances. I knew I could figure out a way to buy smart, people did it all the time. Plus with the show being the day before Thanksgiving?

I knew someone would be selling tickets their tickets eventually. I had time, so I took to the internet. I spent my spare time searching through Reddit, Instagram, and Twitter. I told anyone I knew that I was looking for tickets and posted about my search periodically.

Pls, I'll take any seat at a reasonable price pic.twitter.com/JMPkIup6dn

— ✨Morgan✨ (@chill_energy) October 26, 2021

All I need are 2 tickets to LOT Little Rock upper bowl/nosebleeds at a reasonable price, if anyone is selling please 🙏🏾#harrystylestickets #LOTlittlerock@HSTicketHeIp pic.twitter.com/kmVr5L4WDM

— ✨Morgan✨ (@chill_energy) November 5, 2021

As November 24th grew closer and closer, $500 for one ticket one StubHub didn’t seem as outlandish as it previously had. I continued my search for anyone selling tickets to any seat. I had joined a Reddit community devoted to Ticket Selling/Trading for Love on Tour. Here, I saw lots of people posting about the same issue my sister and I went through trying to purchase tickets. It made me feel less alone going through the search for tickets and a little more hopeful as people got legit tickets to shows through social media.

At this point, Twitter was my only hope to get tickets. In early November, an account contacted me claiming they had tickets, but after trying to verify the tickets, it was apparent that the account was a scam account. I later found the account was tagged as a ticket scammer on one of the fan hubs and I felt more certain that I could properly identify legit tickets.



The fan accounts really gave me the information I needed to purchase my tickets. One of the main accounts was @HSTicketHeIp. The account is run by a fan, Emeley (@cutesyhs), and she constantly retweets people looking to buy, sell, or trade tickets.

Advice and Tips on How to Purchase Tickets on Twitter: pic.twitter.com/KWvn8WKAVb

— Harry Styles Ticket Help (@HSTicketHeIp) January 6, 2021

But it doesn’t stop there. She also posts about scammers and has an entire thread dedicated to the steps to take to verify tickets. I definitely would not have made it to this show without the help of this account. Accounts like these made me realize the value of online communities. Instead of trying to make a profit off of each other, fans just want to help each other out. Those that know what it’s like to see Harry in concert want to help others experience that.

My saving grace was @gxldensofi. She had replied under a tweet on the Harry Styles Ticket Help page, so I slid in and messaged her immediately. She was very kind and was super cool about the verification process, she sent me a screen recording of the tickets and the payment process went smooth. We even talked about the struggle it is to get tickets on Ticketmaster.

I finally had the tickets. After weeks of searching and saving up extra money, I finally had two tickets to Harry Styles: Love on Tour in Little Rock, Arkansas. The tickets ran me more than I initially would have liked at nearly $200 per ticket. But it was much better than the $400-$600 that some seats were costing people. Plus my mom pitched in some as an early Christmas gift. In the end, the show was totally worth it. My sister and I had a great time and Harry even sang Medicine, which was even better than I imagined

harry styles had little rock hslot call the hogs for somebody’s dead grandma and i think that’s beautiful pic.twitter.com/8AhylGJX6H

— connect: liv 🛰 (@liveeun) November 25, 2021

If I ever had tickets to sell, I would rather sell them through Twitter instead of Stubhub or Seatgeek. I could at least verify that a fan whole really needed tickets got what they were looking for. I don’t think I would risk purchasing on a resale site. Stubhub doesn’t even verify their tickets. A “seller” could list them before they have the tickets, never get any, and then you’re out of money. No refunds or anything.

This was one reason why Twitter seemed more legit to me than these so-called “fan-to-fan selling” sites. Twitter was where I could verify who I was talking to, searching through their profile and their feed to see if they’re a real fan or just posting about selling tickets. Plus I could search to see if they’re tagged in any tweets about scammers.

But even with all the measures I took, I was one of the lucky few who had a happy ending. But there are many others who get scammed and still never get to attend. Finding a way to hold these companies for the robberies committed against fans like me or my sister will be necessary for the future. In our modern-day, online crimes should have higher consequences.

If I had to do it all over again, I would definitely plan ahead more to be prepared to buy tickets during the presale. Twitter Harries were my true heroes at the end of the day. Instead of purchasing from companies who front their legitimacy, I would rather try and see what I can find for myself. Fan accounts like @gxldensofi and @HSTicketHeIp are what really connect fans to artists and really care.

Learn more about how scalpers profit off of fans

Ticketmaster Investigation How Ticketmaster's Protections Help Scammers

Ticket scalpers: The real ticket masters

5 Seconds of Summer, a band from Sydney, Australia celebrated 10 years by dropping their latest single “2011” to mark the milestone. Leading up to the release of the single, the band started a podcast, 10 Years of 5SOS - The Story of 5 Seconds of Summer. Through this podcast, they would talk about their time together and experiences over the last 10 years.

The band spoke with People magazine about what’s kept them together over the years.

We did this together. We never forget that. It's bonded us on a level that's unexplainable," Michael Clifford, 26, tells PEOPLE. "It's really an unbreakable bond."

"We came together in such an organic way," adds Hemmings, 25. "We felt we had something special even when we were starting in the outskirts of Western Sydney. It's just honestly the friendship [that's kept us together.]"

The band has been able to explore their own individual creativity while still working together as a group. Drummer, Ashton Irwin released a studio album in October of 2020. Superbloom was a therapeutic form of self-expression for him.

“The over-arching narrative is support system, healing, recovery, strength and focus on true self. I felt like I had a lot to write about,” he told Rolling Stone.

“I had to reach a certain level of lyrical maturity in order to write about something I actually cared about. I think it’s always important as an artist to have a mission statement, like, ‘why do you make music? Why do you write the lyrics you write?’”

Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Luke Hemmings also released a solo album this year in August titled, When Facing the Things We Turn Away From. “...it was something that I needed: I didn’t realise this until I was into the creative process, but I needed to make this [album]. I needed to figure out those thoughts in my head. That’s the only way I know how to do it,” Hemmings said when he spoke with NME.

These solo albums led to speculation that the band had broken up or may have been on hiatus, but Hemmings reassured fans in their interview with People Magazine.

"There's no need to worry."

"We have this determination to keep going and keep pushing ourselves creatively," he says.

"There's no fear in me that the band is coming to an end."

There's more than a friendship between the boys too. For Clifford, who's an only child, "I learned what it was like to have brothers," he says. "We hang out even if we're not working. There's a real friendship there. We just laugh and have a good time. It's about understanding that things do grow and change and that's not necessarily a negative thing," explains Hemmings. "Our lives are intertwined. We have individual lives and this beautiful band that we started when we were so young. It holds such a special place."


During the release of the celebratory single, the band streamed “The 5 Seconds of Summer Show” on YouTube where they performed songs, skits, and showed behind the scenes of the last 10 years. The band also announced their 2022 tour.

Thank you for joining us for #5SOSThe10YearCelebrationShow. We’re so grateful for our wonderful fans who took the time to join us for this celebration, our amazing team, & the hardworking crew who helped us put this whole thing together. Let’s go party!https://t.co/wJjBhaCskN pic.twitter.com/1W1yfer9YA

— 5 Seconds of Summer (@5SOS) December 3, 2021

this is my favorite 5sos video to ever exist (the skits were hilarious, they sounded amazing while singing live) thank you so much @5SOS wasn’t here for some of the past 10 years but will stay here with you for the next 10 #5SOSThe10YearCelebrationShow #10YearsOf5SOS

— mal ?! (@Iukespov) December 3, 2021

As a seasoned 5 Seconds of Summer fan, I really enjoyed the livestream event. It was nice to celebrate one of my favorite bands with the rest of the fans and enjoy the extra content from them. I look forward to what the next 10 years hold for the boys of 5 Seconds of Summer.

More about Luke and Ashton’s solo albums

Luke Hemmings Solo Album Interview Ashton Irwin Talks With Rolling Stone

2022 Tour Information

Megan Thee Stallion is graduating this weekend and in cooperation with Twitter Music has created an emoji for use with the hashtag #HottieGraduation to let graduates across the country celebrate along with her.

Hotties have a cute lil emoji we can use allll weekend to turn up for thee #Hottiegraduation https://t.co/YpAn0kBKZU

— TINA SNOW (@theestallion) December 10, 2021

we always doing the same thing 🙄 #hottiegraduation pic.twitter.com/qE3RlVtWGT

— TANYA SN❄️W (@n3tanya) December 10, 2021

Where are all the degree’d up Hotties at ? 🥵 🎓 #HottieGraduation

— BET (@BET) December 10, 2021

This makes me so happy #hottiegrad #hottiegraduation #hotgirlgraduation https://t.co/FKMQMmkCYb

— Chemz (@theehotgirlchem) December 10, 2021

@theestallion #HotGirlGraduation #HottieGraduation pic.twitter.com/TzSqSoAIPD

— gui (@thotstallion) December 10, 2021

We ready!! ❤️‍🔥🤘🏾 #HottieGraduation pic.twitter.com/Tovl8fdfs6

— Twitter Music 🎓 (@TwitterMusic) December 10, 2021

Activists have been calling for the boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics for months, citing human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Tibet and the political suppression of Hong Kong.

Many countries have accused Beijing of imprisoning Muslim-majority Uyghurs in Xinjiang where detainees have claimed to have been tortured, raped, and even forcibly sterilized.

“Since 2017, when President Xi Jinping issued an order saying all religions in China should be Chinese in orientation, there have been further crackdowns. Campaigners say China is trying to eradicate Uyghur culture.” (BBC News)

In response to these allegations, Beijing, China’s capital, has strongly denied any misconduct saying that camps are “reeducation centers designed to fight separatism and Islamist terrorism in the far western region” according to CNN.

President Joe Biden’s administration announced on Monday, December 6th that they would not be sending any US government officials to the winter games. Following the US’ announcement, New Zealand also said that it would not be sending delegates to the Beijing Games.

The UK, Australia, and other countries were said to be discussing a boycott of the games as well. On Wednesday, December 8th Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada announced that they would also be keeping delegates at home and would not be attending.

"There will be effectively a diplomatic boycott... there will be a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. No ministers are expected to attend," UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the House of Commons.



Although this boycott isn’t a true protest of the games considering that although diplomats will not be attending, athletes will still participate in the games.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki who announced the boycott on Monday, stated that the US government did not feel "it was the right step to penalize athletes who had been training for this moment", but that not sending an official US delegation to the 2022 Games "could send a clear message".

This makes the boycott “more symbolic than substantial” according to Zhiqun Zhu, a professor of political science and international relations at Bucknell University. Since this won’t take much attention away from the glitz and glamour of the games, many are speculating that it won’t do much.

“Those politicians who clamor to boycott for political self-interest are showing off and hyping things up, no one cares whether they come or not,” China’s foreign ministry said in a statement following reports of Australia’s possible boycott. “It has no influence on Beijing’s success in hosting the Olympics.” China's Washington embassy also spoke on the announcement, calling the boycott a "grave distortion of the spirit of the Olympic Charter".

"No-one would care about whether these people come or not, and it has no impact whatsoever on the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics to be successfully held," said spokesman Liu Pengyu, quoted by Reuters.

However minor the protest may seem, this doesn’t mean that the boycott comes without consequences. With many countries participating in the boycott, this could affect political relations, which could have repercussions with global issues, such as climate change or the Iran nuclear deal.



Looking back at previous boycotts, there are still limits to how effective it could be. It doesn’t seem like a boycott could help to stop the mistreatment, torture, and potential genocide of Uyghurs.

Learn more about the kidnapping and disappearance of Uyghurs, China’s largest minority.

BBC World News: Why China is being accused of genocide.

My source information about the boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics

CNN BBC VOX

Spotify Wrapped is somewhat of a holiday tradition for me. In 2016, Spotify introduced a feature that would “wrap-up” a person’s top 100 songs over the course of the year into a playlist. Many people will share their playlists and their top artist highlights through social media. Artists can also see stats for their music as well.

The red carpet is ready for you 💃
Get your #SpotifyWrapped now and share how you listened this year.https://t.co/Gkp585MbUk pic.twitter.com/kQaQrXEyGI

— Spotify (@Spotify) December 1, 2021

This is our #SpotifyWrapped for year 2021!💜 Thank you #BTSARMY and @Spotify for all the support this year! #2021ArtistWrapped#BTS #방탄소년단 pic.twitter.com/YovqaxQbHo

— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) December 8, 2021

2021年のわたしのトップ5アーティストはこちら！あなたのトップ5アーティストは？#SpotifyWrapped https://t.co/BmqbZHXANN

— 趣味垢 (@yunapontaman) December 13, 2021

I think that Spotify Wrapped highlights how social media brings us together. Seeing everyone exchange their playlists and thank musicians for great music feels like exchanging gifts with friends. My friends and I have been listening to each other’s playlists and predicting what will be on next year’s playlist all week.

forever thankful for harry styles. happy 2 years to fine line <3. thank you harry for taking over my spotify wrapped and making me happy pic.twitter.com/cwqnt1geNP

— ana ❆ (@ananotanaa) December 13, 2021

As I grow closer and closer to true adulthood, I realize more and more the importance of civics and how it affects my life. When I was in middle school, civics was just a class that I didn’t care much for. To me it was a confusing mix of history, government, and economics. According to the Oxford dictionary, civics is the study of the rights and obligations of citizens in society.

Of course, 13 year old Morgan wasn’t as concerned about citizenship, she was concerned about being the first to read the latest Magic Tree House book.

But now, civics is more important than ever for me, especially when it comes to homeownership. I’ve always wanted to own a tiny home, however in many places, there are no regulations for tiny homes, making them technically illegal to own because they don’t match the set requirements for larger homes.

However, many aspiring tiny home owners are taking their time to work with local municipal governments to discuss ways to make their dreams a reality. By working with their local officials, many people have been able to find a way to introduce new zoning ordinances that are tiny home friendly. Renee in Rockledge, Florida worked with her city council to explain her goals and help people understand what she wanted and asked how she could achieve this.

Watch the full documentary to learn more about legalizing tiny homes and to hear more stories like Renee’s.

Now in Rockledge, they have a thriving tiny community and the city of Rockledge is now known for having “the most progressive tiny housing zoning ordinances in the country” according to tinyheirloom.com. Rockledge serves as an example for many other aspiring tiny home owners who want to approach their local government, but don’t know how. It’s amazing how something started by learning and working together as a community.

Civics is an essential part of any citizen’s life, it impacts the way we are able to use our freedoms. Although Renee’s story had a happy ending, many others don’t. Many people are afraid to approach local officials for fear that they’ll take their homes away and some living tiny can’t afford to live any larger. This leads to dangerous situations where people live in unregulated homes filled with fire and safety hazards, and for many people to be made homeless due to nimbyism or “Not-in-my-backyard-ism.”

By understanding civics and exercising our rights as citizens, we can work together to ensure that people always have their rights to shelter, however that may be.

Learn more about zoning ordinances for tiny homes.

Zoning Laws and Limitations Zoning Laws

Information about how nimbyism impacts homelessness in America.