Welcome back to the Community Corner!

Last time, we had a chat with EtherealEOD—the fantastic 3D digital artist whose work has graced many Spotlight blogs.

This month, we are joined by LaSinity to learn about her personal journey with the Halo series and what she gets up to as a full-time content creator.

Welcome, LaSinity! Thank you for joining us for this issue of the Community Corner. Tell us a bit about who you are, what you do in the Halo community, and where we can find you online.

First of all, thank you so much for having me—it really is incredible to have this opportunity.

My name is LaSinity, but you can totally call me Sin. I'm a full-time content creator and aspiring HCS caster and desk host from Detroit, Michigan.

I livestream on Twitch, I create content for YouTube, and I host a podcast called Ladies Night. I cast Women Halo tournaments, as well as coed community events and tournaments as well.

You can find me at twitch.tv/LaSinity or just @LaSinity on most social platforms.

How did your great journey with Halo begin?

Honestly, my boyfriend played Halo for years and I never was into it or into playing video games in general. I used to be a heavy drinker and party girl for about ten years of my life—not the fun type of party girl either, but the type of party girl who just drank because she was sad. He would play video games, I would drink until I went to sleep.

I saw him play Halo almost every single day—from campaigns to multiplayer. If he had a bad day, he would pick up a controller and boot up a Halo game. I always admired how he had this outlet to just unwind, and I was desperately searching for one myself but didn’t even know where to begin or what hobby to even try. Eventually, I got very tired of how my life was going and decided to make some major changes. That meant getting sober, quitting the jobs I had, and figuring out new hobbies to keep myself busy and my mind distracted.

So one day, when I was feeling frustrated with life, instead of picking up a bottle, I picked up a controller and started playing Fiesta in Halo Infinite. Now this might sound crazy, but the first time I hit a kill sequence and heard Jeff Stietzer’s voice and the medal pop up gave me the “high” I looked for on a daily basis. I was hooked. I got a new job in the cannabis industry and all I would do is work 8 to 12-hour days, come home, play Halo. I worked there for two-and-a-half years before getting laid off, which was probably the biggest blessing in disguise. With more time on my hands, that meant more Halo.

Now this worked out great until my boyfriend and I both started to fight over the Xbox! He was essentially forced to get me my own so he could have his back.

I truly believe that if I didn't make the choice to play Halo that day, I probably wouldn't even be given this opportunity for this interview right now. I know a lot of people share this sentiment: Halo truly changed my life.

What are some of the areas of Halo that you particularly enjoy and why? Campaign and story, multiplayer, Forge, the expanded universe, etc.

I enjoy everything about Halo, but my answer here might be a little different from most. Something I truly enjoy—about all Halo games for that matter—is the music.

I am a huge music nerd, I used to tour and work with bands for a very long period of my life. Music holds a big part of my soul, and the music in Halo is incredible—it really has the ability to immerse you in the gameplay and makes you really feel the intensity of the scenes that much more.

My favorite Halo track is “Impend” from Halo 2. It’s played during a couple of scenes in the game, and I actually had EDM artist GREX remix it and add some voiceovers from me into the track as an official theme for my content.

Who are some of your favorite Halo characters and why?

I really enjoy the Arbiter and Cortana.

I like the Arbiter because I am a huge fan of Keith David’s work. He has voiced so many characters that hold some importance to me or my childhood. Growing up, Gargoyles was my favorite cartoon. I remember fighting with my brother to put it on over TMNT—if he didn’t let me, I was a brat and would cry until my mom forced him to change the channel. I even had a stuffed plush of Goliath. When I was younger, I was convinced that every girl had a Goliath somewhere saving her. Some girls liked Prince Charming, I liked Goliath the Gargoyle. So, when I played Halo 2’s campaign and heard the Arbiter’s voice and got to see the journey he went on as a character, I was hooked.

I like Cortana because, simply put, I think she’s a badass. She doesn’t put up with any BS and is straight to the point, even loses her marbles there for a moment—making her totally relatable. I cosplay as Cortana at conventions; something about being blue and in her character just makes me feel unstoppable. I like to think other women out there watch her and feel unstoppable too.

Let’s talk about Ladies Night—tell us about this awesome podcast you host!

Ladies Night is a little passion project I started that focuses on women in the Halo and esports space.

I try to host them as often as I can on Wednesdays, bi-weekly at 7pm EST. I film this live on Twitch, and then I upload them directly to my YouTube after.

It is the first and only community-driven talk show event to be featured on the HCS community calendar four times. I am incredibly proud of that!

What led you to create this podcast—did you have any particular goals in mind?

Honestly, I noticed how few opportunities women get in the space. There are so many talented and kick-ass women who play, but the fact is that joining a male-dominated space as a woman can be a little scary.

I’m not saying I'm trying to take this space over, the majority of people I game with are men and are open to women joining the space, but what I am really trying to do is to encourage other women and young girls to pick up a controller and join a community by way of sharing the stories of other women who are already involved in hopes that it makes them feel comfortable enough to try themselves.

What does it mean to you personally to be a voice for women in the esports space?

It means a lot, and that statement is wild to read! It gives me a lot of emotions. I never wanted to be a “role model,” I just wanted people to feel more comfortable to join the space—and with that, I became a voice.

I hope, with that voice and the responsibility that comes with it, that I am able to make people proud, or inspire someone along the way. Maybe it’s to be kinder to others, maybe it’s to start creating content. Either way, I just hope that what I’m doing makes people feel like they can do something too.

What are some of the things you love most about streaming? Do you have any personal highlights from over the years?

Connecting. I love connecting and meeting new people. I like being able to bond with people over something I typically wouldn't be able to in everyday life.

One highlight that I’ve talked about before is UberNick gave me my first ever Twitch raid. I was at that weird stage in streaming where I felt like I was just streaming to nobody and wanted to quit. My boyfriend took it upon himself to go into UberNick’s stream and ask him to raid me when he was about to end, and Nick did. My boyfriend ran downstairs, and all of sudden I had 300 viewers—my heart was pounding!

That was cool because it kinda made me feel like a larger creator took a chance on bringing their community to me, and I was very thankful for that. I met some incredible people through the Halo community specifically because of that Twitch raid. That will always be one of my favorite highlights.

Do you have any advice for folks out there who might be looking to get into streaming or podcasting and are finding their feet?

YouTube will teach you everything! Can’t figure something out? I promise you there is a YouTube tutorial on it somewhere.

But most importantly, JUST DO IT.

Stop waiting around or making excuses to yourself as to why you can’t do content. You don’t need expensive equipment, and you don’t need to be the best editor—there are so many free programs out there that can help you along the way. Not to mention, it’s a total learning process and for most a new skill set to learn.

Be easy on yourself. No one is going to be Leonardo da Vinci the first time they pick up a paint brush. You just need to START!

Do you have a favorite piece of Halo merch on your shelf?

Yes I do, and it’s more of a sentimental one. My favorite piece on my shelf is probably my 2023 HCS World Championship Pass. That event was my first Halo event—my first LAN event, even. It holds so many memories that, any time I see it, I just get super stoked.

You got to share the Community Stage with (and sit next to!) the one and only Keith David, voice of the Arbiter, during the Pictionary panel at last year’s Halo World Championship event. I’m gonna assume that was something of a life highlight!

Yeah, I won’t lie, I was so incredibly nervous. That whole situation was so wild in how it played out. My boyfriend and I did a lap around the venue, and for whatever reason I looked at him and said “Wouldn’t it be crazy if I got on the broadcast or on-stage today?” and he was like “You probably could!”

We walked up to the Community Stage as they were asking for audience members to come and play. I looked at my boyfriend and said “THIS IS MY MOMENT,” and I just started jumping up and down and saying “PICK ME.”

And well, they did.

I got on stage and realized I was playing Pictionary with Jen Taylor and Keith David on my team against Steve Downes. I literally beat the Master Chief at Pictionary!

The winning answer was “What would you have your Arbiter do?” and it was so fitting because I was saying that all weekend long. It truly felt like I was supposed to be there at that moment. I ended up winning a Megablox 360 set and I had all the voice actors sign it.

I actually saw Steve and Jen this past weekend at Motor City Comic Con and they remembered me. Jen was excited to see me again and celebrate our win once more. Steve’s feelings are still hurt. Understandable.

Do you have any other memorable moments and highlights?

One of my favorite memories at HaloWC 2023 was the SSG afterparty at the arcade place across the street from the venue.

SSG really threw one hell of an event and the hospitality from their crew—not just there, but the entire weekend inside and outside of the venue—was unreal. I will forever be an SSG fan, purely because of how well they treat people. They really made my first Halo event special.

What’s your favorite Halo game and why?

I absolutely love Halo 2. It has my favorite campaign and storyline, being able to learn more about the Arbiter was cool. Seeing and playing two different perspectives was also a cool experience.

What are some of your biggest inspirations in life?

My biggest inspiration in life is truly just trying to inspire others. I like to make others feel like they can accomplish the world. There is something about setting others up for success that truly makes me feel like I am fulfilling my duty as a person and that in itself is inspiring to me.

What does being part of the Halo community personally mean to you?

It means a lot. Halo gave me that glimmer of hope I needed and was that sanctuary my mind needed when I was going through such a rough time. Being able to be a part of this community and grow with it is very special to me—it's something I will cherish forever.

Do you have any folks out there who inspire you that you’d like to give a shoutout to?

My boyfriend, Cody. Most of you know him as “Womp” or “Womptastic.” He inspires me to be a better person every day. He really is my biggest cheerleader, and he makes me feel like I can take on the world. He encourages my ideas no matter how silly they seem, and really pushes me to challenge myself and grow. I hope that everybody finds a Womp in their lifetime. I love you forever, B.

And my duo, Sarvanah. I met her through Halo and she quickly became special to me. She has taught me so much, from patience to kindness, and she has the best energy both in-game and out. She pushes me to be a better player and she isn’t afraid to go up against harder players for the sake of growth. We’ve competed together a couple of times and have plans to compete at the HCS World Championship together later this year. She deserves all the praise, she is a great soul.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself!

I‘ve been in Detroit my whole life, but for about twelve years of it I lived out of a tour bus as I was working for various bands, DJs, and on Vans Warped Tour. I was a Stage and Tour Manager. When I wasn’t on tour, I was working as a radio personality and a hospitality agent for a North American EDM/Bass music talent buyer called “Ignyte Events.”

I’ve worked with artists such as Filter, Juice Wrld, Coal Chamber, BroSafari, Sullivan King, Escape the Fate, and more. I actually met Womp when he was drumming for a band that I was hired to work for. Music will always be my first love, I’ll always be a rock star at heart.

Thank you so much for joining us, Sin! Do you have any parting words to share?

I’m a firm believer in manifesting your future or creating your own future or opportunities. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you cannot do something in this space, because you can and you will. And if you need a little boost, or someone to remind you that you can do it—I am here, and you know where to find me.

Wake me when you need me <3

Be sure to follow LaSinity on Twitter and check out her Twitch and YouTube channels!