Murder Mystery Parties!

Tips for how to succeed in Humanities undergraduate courses

Bailey and Raquel host The Whole Shebang Podcast (Episode 37) sharing practical tips to survive an undergraduate humanities degree based on Raquel’s experience as a humanities TA. Key advice includes: don’t assume a degree guarantees a job; build relationships with professors/TAs by attending office hours; ask questions; read assignment instructions/rubrics carefully; edit work (including read-aloud tools) and submit early to avoid online upload issues; use strong academic sources and ask staff if unsure; understand extensions and grade appeals (regrades can lower marks). They discuss AI tools like Grammarly, disclosure forms, risks like fake sources and translation issues, and how AI is increasing in-person exams/presentations. Exam strategies cover studying early, focusing on themes, time management, answering everything for partial marks, and outlining essays. Other tips include using campus writing centers, managing participation anxiety, limiting distracting laptops, professional email etiquette, and respecting instructors as people. Follow us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewholeshebangpod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.whole.shebang2025 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586061363648 Listen:  Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2437848/episodes Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1WDYurvTa3avl897E7Y2t6 ApplePodcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-whole-shebang/id1794011520 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/67d20e35-c583-41fb-ae83-f8e9aba7f016/the-whole-shebang

Murder Mystery Parties!

In Episode 36 of the Whole Shebang Podcast, hosts Bailey and Raquel discuss murder mystery parties, explaining how murder mystery game kits assign characters, provide scripts, and end with voting to reveal the killer; they note parties can scale up to 25 players and are best when guests fully commit to costumes and roleplay. They recap three past events: a successful high-school garden party with an early-1900s/Victorian vibe and wild boar food, a Hawaiian luau-themed party that flopped due to weather and missing guests (forcing players to take multiple roles), and a strong witch-coven themed mystery hosted in a backyard man-cave with fog machine, tarot props, and a staged “ghost” victim. They plan a new masquerade ball murder mystery (replayable with random murderer), discuss dates, invitations, masks, decor, and potential guests, and invite listeners to share their favorite murder mystery games. Follow us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewholeshebangpod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.whole.shebang2025 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586061363648 Listen:  Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2437848/episodes Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1WDYurvTa3avl897E7Y2t6 ApplePodcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-whole-shebang/id1794011520 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/67d20e35-c583-41fb-ae83-f8e9aba7f016/the-whole-shebang

Holy Grail of Eris

Bailey and Raquel on The Whole Shebang Podcast (Episode 35) review the anime Holy Grail of Eris with full spoiler warning, rating it around a 7/10 for being entertaining, dark, and visually beautiful with muted colours that make Scarlet stand out. They praise the action, crime-solving mystery, lore, and having a mostly satisfying 12-episode ending, but criticize the finale for bringing Scarlet back, the rushed last episodes, confusing politics, sudden gun/grenade tech, and shallow or inconsistent character arcs (including Cece’s shift and the princess plot). They discuss favorite moments (Scarlet, comedic priest), forced romance pacing, too many similar-looking characters, and speculate about an unannounced season 2, also mentioning other anime they’re watching and where to follow the show on Instagram and Discord. Follow us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewholeshebangpod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.whole.shebang2025 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586061363648 Listen:  Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2437848/episodes Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1WDYurvTa3avl897E7Y2t6 ApplePodcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-whole-shebang/id1794011520 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/67d20e35-c583-41fb-ae83-f8e9aba7f016/the-whole-shebang

Friendship Quizzes

Bailey and Raquel host episode 34 of the Whole Shebang podcast with guest Judy, doing BuzzFeed-style friendship quizzes to see how well they know her. They banter about past episodes, then go through checklist questions (phone number, first crush, pets, middle name, zodiac sign, birth time, parents’ names, shoe size, favorite book/foods, TV/anime preferences, five- and ten-year plans, dream job, tattoos/piercings, alcohol tolerance, and future baby names). Judy shares details like not having a middle name, liking tea and bubble tea, preferring sweaters and pajamas, wanting a house, family, and a trip to India, and considering voice acting or singing. They also do a multiple-choice “Judy” quiz (genie wish, drinks, fast food, travel), score their results, and invite listeners to comment and follow on Instagram/Discord. Follow us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewholeshebangpod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.whole.shebang2025 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586061363648 Listen:  Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2437848/episodes Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1WDYurvTa3avl897E7Y2t6 ApplePodcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-whole-shebang/id1794011520 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/67d20e35-c583-41fb-ae83-f8e9aba7f016/the-whole-shebang

Bucket Lists

In Episode 33 of the Whole Shebang Podcast, hosts Bailey and Raquel plan a bucket list but first set New Year goals across podcast, professional, and personal categories. Bailey’s podcast goals include reaching 20 YouTube subscribers, launching Patreon with five members, and maintaining at least 500 podcast downloads; Raquel aims to post daily reels and stop obsessively checking stats. Professionally, Baileyl plans to enter her dog in a grooming competition at Master Groom in July, while Raquel must submit a dissertation chapter draft by May and hopes to present and publish research on scanning a cuneiform tablet. Personal goals include home renovations, consistent gym training, improving sleep, and taking a weekly 24-hour break from email/internet plus meal prep. After technical difficulties, they finish with a travel bucket list: Bailey—Iceland, Greece, Japan, Bali, and U.S. national parks; Raquel—Iceland, Peru, Italy, Scotland, and possibly Turkey and Iraq depending on politics. Follow us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewholeshebangpod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.whole.shebang2025 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586061363648 Listen:  Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2437848/episodes Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1WDYurvTa3avl897E7Y2t6 ApplePodcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-whole-shebang/id1794011520 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/67d20e35-c583-41fb-ae83-f8e9aba7f016/the-whole-shebang