Photo provided by Caitlin Smith ’24

Your average Rosary senior’s Roman Empire.

Following the new hot TikTok trend, many of us have begun to notice the peculiar fascination that boys seem to have with the Roman Empire. The trending Roman Empire craze on the internet reveals that this era occupies the minds of many guys. When asked about how frequently they ponder the Roman Empire, even Mr. Lyons admits, “I probably think about the Roman Empire once or twice a week.”

Here is a list of interests equivalent to the “Roman Empire” trend that capture the Rosary community’s attention on a weekly basis:

1. Tom Holland’s performance on Lip Sync Battle to the song “Umbrella” by Rihanna
2. The moment when Andrew Garfield referred to Emma Stone as “a shot of espresso”
3. “Couch guy”
4. That iconic edit of Timothée Chalamet that continues to amaze everyone
5. Another iconic Timothée Chalamet moment with Pete Davidson rapping on SNL
6. Googling “the most beautiful girl in the world” at the age of 7
7. Anakin and Padme not being endgame
8. Princess Diana
9. The unforgettable duet of Harry Styles singing “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” with Shania Twain at Coachella
10. Starbucks and double stars day
11. Area 51
12. Helen Keller–how did she do it?
13. Joan of Arc
14. The fact that flat earthers are real and that Millie Bobby Brown is one of them

Beyond these surface level “Roman Empires,” here are some more niche thoughts that occupy the minds of our seniors:

• Paige Sorensen ’24: “Ever since I saw an educational video of a guy slicing a girl’s Achilles heel while hiding underneath her car, I haven’t been the same. I think about it every time I go to my car now.”
• Claire Heidelman ’24: “My personal ‘Roman Empire’ is undoubtedly the riff-offs from ‘Pitch Perfect.’ It’s my jam.”
• Finley Hawkins ’24: “Fergie’s national anthem.”
• Maddie Popovich ’24: “I’m constantly thinking about the Tom Holland umbrella dance; it occupies my mind 24/7.”
• Sydney Swenson ’24: “My ‘Roman Empire’ is easily La La Land, and the fact that they haven’t made a sequel. They deserved to be together.”
• Madison Bautista ’24: “I often find myself thinking about the Ed Sheeran movement from 2021.”
• Makayla Palos Rodriguez ’24: “My ‘Roman Empire’ is the Servite boys getting friar cuts. I just don’t get it–I literally just don’t get it.”

With these many interests, it’s clear that the Rosary community has its own unique set of ‘Roman Empires’ that captivate our thoughts and conversations. And while it’s not as historical or surprising as the random TikTok trend, it represents the diversity of the campus’ thoughts, which is just as (if not more) entertaining.