Campus is a dark and desolate place over the summer, so chances are if you weren’t reading The Lantern, you had no idea what was happening in the entertainment world.

Worry not. We’re here to clue you in.

July 15

The final cinematic installment of the Harry Potter franchise debuted and did a number on the box office, setting the all-time opening weekend record. In fact, screens at AMC Lennox Town Center 24 and Gateway Film Center were almost all sold out for the first midnight screenings. What’s more, adult college students dressed up like wizards at these screenings in a disconcerting, cult-like fashion, and we have photographic evidence.

July 26

We learned that Dublin resident and Ohio State alumnus Casey Putsch built a street-legal Batmobile that runs off a turbine engine from a decommissioned military helicopter, which is believed to be the first of its kind in the world. If that’s not cool, I don’t know what is.

Aug. 8

“Watch the Throne,” the much-awaited collaboration project between hip-hop moguls Jay-Z and Kanye West, was finally released, and the Internet nearly exploded in celebration. The album was met with mixed reviews, but when The Lantern compared it to “Hell: The Sequel,” a similar project from Eminem and Royce da 5’9″, a flurry of angry hip-hop connoisseurs took issue with our assertion that Mr. 5’9″ is not as talented as Eminem, Jay-Z or Kanye West.

Aug. 20

Britney Spears is back, and after a summer of successful pop hits and the release of her latest album, “Femme Fatale,” on March 25, Spears landed in Nationwide Arena as part of her worldwide tour. Seats at Nationwide went largely unfilled, however. Was it because the tour stop was added late (it was added in June) or was it because her penchant for lip-synching in concert makes her a glorified Milli Vanilli? We might never know.

Also on Aug. 20, Kim Kardashian and NBA player Kris Humphries got married. If you’re compelled to know every single detail of how the wedding went down, E! will be broadcasting two, two-hour episodes of wedding specials on Oct. 9 and Oct. 10.

Aug. 25

Lil Wayne’s album, “Tha Carter IV,” leaked a few days ahead of its release. That wasn’t what was newsworthy about it, though. When listeners came across the track “It’s Good,” Twitter seemingly burst into flames at a lyric where Wayne takes a shot at Jay-Z. The Lantern weighed in on the potential feud and decided that it’s actually Wayne who has 99 problems, with one being that he’s not as good as Jay-Z.

Aug. 28

Though without scandal for seemingly one of the first years ever, the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards was still monstrous, featuring performances from and tributes to practically every big name in pop music. The hook for this year’s awards was performances from Lady Gaga and Lil Wayne and a tribute to Britney Spears, but all fell flat in one way or another. Gaga’s guise as Jo Calderone was far too played out, Spears’ tribute was none too rousing and Lil Wayne performed a track from his new album so indecipherable after censorship it somehow distracted viewers from the fact that he was wearing zebra-print jeggings.

Sept. 1

The Ohio Union Activities Board made an unexpected announcement: Smash Mouth and Boyz II Men will perform at this year’s Welcome Week concert, scheduled for Tuesday at 5 p.m. on the RPAC North Lawn. OUAB describes the show as “throwback,” but reaction students on Facebook and Twitter showed that some weren’t impressed. For example, Facebook user Dylan Two-Scoops Bateman commented on The Lantern’s Facebook link to the story saying, “I think it’s a great idea fifteen years ago.” OUAB also announced that they will be bringing comedian Seth Meyers (“Saturday Night Live”), actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“Inception”) and musician Matisyahu to campus this quarter.