diff --git a/server/routes/auth/index.js b/server/routes/auth/index.js
index 455d79a6..a36dd78a 100644
--- a/server/routes/auth/index.js
+++ b/server/routes/auth/index.js
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
-const signup = require('./signup');
-const login = require('./login');
-const logout = require('./logout');
-const user = require('./user');
+const speechPassport = require('speechPassport');
+const handleSignupRequest = require('./signup');
+const handleLoginRequest = require('./login');
+const handleLogoutRequest = require('./logout');
+const handleUserRequest = require('./user');
 
-module.exports = {
-  signup,
-  login,
-  logout,
-  user,
+module.exports = (app) => {
+  app.post('/signup', speechPassport.authenticate('local-signup'), handleSignupRequest);
+  app.post('/login', handleLoginRequest);
+  app.get('/logout', handleLogoutRequest);
+  app.get('/user', handleUserRequest);
 };
diff --git a/server/routes/auth/login.js b/server/routes/auth/login.js
index 88a9bc4f..fcc4782d 100644
--- a/server/routes/auth/login.js
+++ b/server/routes/auth/login.js
@@ -1,28 +1,28 @@
-const login = (passport) => {
-  return (req, res, next) => {
-    passport.authenticate('local-login', (err, user, info) => {
+const speechPassport = require('speechPassport');
+
+const login = (req, res, next) => {
+  speechPassport.authenticate('local-login', (err, user, info) => {
+    if (err) {
+      return next(err);
+    }
+    if (!user) {
+      return res.status(400).json({
+        success: false,
+        message: info.message,
+      });
+    }
+    req.logIn(user, (err) => {
       if (err) {
         return next(err);
       }
-      if (!user) {
-        return res.status(400).json({
-          success: false,
-          message: info.message,
-        });
-      }
-      req.logIn(user, (err) => {
-        if (err) {
-          return next(err);
-        }
-        return res.status(200).json({
-          success       : true,
-          channelName   : req.user.channelName,
-          channelClaimId: req.user.channelClaimId,
-          shortChannelId: req.user.shortChannelId,
-        });
+      return res.status(200).json({
+        success       : true,
+        channelName   : req.user.channelName,
+        channelClaimId: req.user.channelClaimId,
+        shortChannelId: req.user.shortChannelId,
       });
-    })(req, res, next);
-  };
+    });
+  })(req, res, next);
 };
 
 module.exports = login;
diff --git a/server/routes/auth/logout.js b/server/routes/auth/logout.js
index 7ee5997a..13d945b1 100644
--- a/server/routes/auth/logout.js
+++ b/server/routes/auth/logout.js
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
-const logout = () => {
-  return (req, res) => {
-    req.logout();
-    res.status(200).json({success: true, message: 'you successfully logged out'});
-  };
+const logout = (req, res) => {
+  req.logout();
+  res.status(200).json({success: true, message: 'you successfully logged out'});
 };
 
 module.exports = logout;
diff --git a/server/routes/auth/signup.js b/server/routes/auth/signup.js
index 9c7d9da7..8db397cb 100644
--- a/server/routes/auth/signup.js
+++ b/server/routes/auth/signup.js
@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
-const signup = () => {
-  return (req, res) => {
-    res.status(200).json({
-      success       : true,
-      channelName   : req.user.channelName,
-      channelClaimId: req.user.channelClaimId,
-      shortChannelId: req.user.shortChannelId,
-    });
-  };
+const signup = (req, res) => {
+  res.status(200).json({
+    success       : true,
+    channelName   : req.user.channelName,
+    channelClaimId: req.user.channelClaimId,
+    shortChannelId: req.user.shortChannelId,
+  });
 };
 
 module.exports = signup;
diff --git a/server/routes/auth/user.js b/server/routes/auth/user.js
index 21dc607b..9e776bbd 100644
--- a/server/routes/auth/user.js
+++ b/server/routes/auth/user.js
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
-const user = () => {
-  return (req, res) => {
-    if (req.user) {
-      res.status(200).json({success: true, data: req.user});
-    } else {
-      res.status(401).json({success: false, message: 'user is not logged in'});
-    }
-  };
+const user = (req, res) => {
+  if (req.user) {
+    res.status(200).json({success: true, data: req.user});
+  } else {
+    res.status(401).json({success: false, message: 'user is not logged in'});
+  }
 };
 
 module.exports = user;
diff --git a/server/routes/fallback/index.js b/server/routes/fallback/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..35073607
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/routes/fallback/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+const handlePageRequest = require('./sendReactApp');
+
+module.exports = (app) => {
+  app.get('*', handlePageRequest);
+};
diff --git a/server/routes/fallback/sendReactApp.js b/server/routes/fallback/sendReactApp.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b6aac94b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/routes/fallback/sendReactApp.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+const handlePageRender = require('helpers/handlePageRender.jsx');
+
+const sendReactApp = (req, res) => {
+  handlePageRender(req, res);
+};
+
+module.exports = sendReactApp;
diff --git a/server/routes/pages/index.js b/server/routes/pages/index.js
index 63d73e34..5d4c27ae 100644
--- a/server/routes/pages/index.js
+++ b/server/routes/pages/index.js
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
-const sendReactApp = require('./sendReactApp');
-const sendEmbedPage = require('./sendEmbedPage');
+const handlePageRequest = require('./sendReactApp');
+const handleEmbedRequest = require('./sendEmbedPage');
 const redirect = require('./redirect');
 
-
-
-module.exports = {
-  sendReactApp,
-  sendEmbedPage,
-  redirect,
+module.exports = (app) => {
+  app.get('/', handlePageRequest);
+  app.get('/login', handlePageRequest);
+  app.get('/about', handlePageRequest);
+  app.get('/trending', redirect('/popular'));
+  app.get('/popular', handlePageRequest);
+  app.get('/new', handlePageRequest);
+  app.get('/embed/:claimId/:name', handleEmbedRequest);  // route to send embedable video player (for twitter)
 };
diff --git a/server/routes/pages/sendEmbedPage.js b/server/routes/pages/sendEmbedPage.js
index e1869173..c5e16460 100644
--- a/server/routes/pages/sendEmbedPage.js
+++ b/server/routes/pages/sendEmbedPage.js
@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
 const { details: { host } } = require('siteConfig.js');
 
-const sendEmbedPage = () => {
-  return ({ params }, res) => {
-    const claimId = params.claimId;
-    const name = params.name;
-    // get and render the content
-    res.status(200).render('embed', { layout: 'embed', host, claimId, name });
-  };
+const sendEmbedPage = ({ params }, res) => {
+  const claimId = params.claimId;
+  const name = params.name;
+  // get and render the content
+  res.status(200).render('embed', { layout: 'embed', host, claimId, name });
 };
 
 module.exports = sendEmbedPage;
diff --git a/server/routes/pages/sendReactApp.js b/server/routes/pages/sendReactApp.js
index ea6fa019..b6aac94b 100644
--- a/server/routes/pages/sendReactApp.js
+++ b/server/routes/pages/sendReactApp.js
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 const handlePageRender = require('helpers/handlePageRender.jsx');
 
-const sendReactApp = () => {
-  return (req, res) => {
-    handlePageRender(req, res);
-  };
+const sendReactApp = (req, res) => {
+  handlePageRender(req, res);
 };
 
 module.exports = sendReactApp;
diff --git a/server/server.js b/server/server.js
index a577536b..e732ca4f 100644
--- a/server/server.js
+++ b/server/server.js
@@ -4,11 +4,8 @@ const bodyParser = require('body-parser');
 const expressHandlebars = require('express-handlebars');
 const Handlebars = require('handlebars');
 const helmet = require('helmet');
-const passport = require('passport');
-const { serializeSpeechUser, deserializeSpeechUser } = require('./helpers/authHelpers.js');
 const cookieSession = require('cookie-session');
 const http = require('http');
-// logging dependencies
 const logger = require('winston');
 
 function Server () {
@@ -41,20 +38,15 @@ function Server () {
     });
 
     // configure passport
-    passport.serializeUser(serializeSpeechUser);
-    passport.deserializeUser(deserializeSpeechUser);
-    const localSignupStrategy = require('./passport/local-signup.js');
-    const localLoginStrategy = require('./passport/local-login.js');
-    passport.use('local-signup', localSignupStrategy);
-    passport.use('local-login', localLoginStrategy);
+    const speechPassport = require('speechPassport');
     // initialize passport
     app.use(cookieSession({
       name  : 'session',
       keys  : [this.sessionKey],
       maxAge: 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000, // i.e. 24 hours
     }));
-    app.use(passport.initialize());
-    app.use(passport.session());
+    app.use(speechPassport.initialize());
+    app.use(speechPassport.session());
 
     // configure handlebars & register it with express app
     const hbs = expressHandlebars.create({
@@ -80,7 +72,7 @@ function Server () {
     this.server = http.Server(this.app);
   };
   this.start = () => {
-    const db = require('./models/index');
+    const db = require('./models/');
     // sync sequelize
     db.sequelize.sync()
     // start the server
diff --git a/server/passport/index.js b/server/speechPassport/index.js
similarity index 100%
rename from server/passport/index.js
rename to server/speechPassport/index.js
diff --git a/server/passport/local-login.js b/server/speechPassport/local-login.js
similarity index 100%
rename from server/passport/local-login.js
rename to server/speechPassport/local-login.js
diff --git a/server/passport/local-signup.js b/server/speechPassport/local-signup.js
similarity index 100%
rename from server/passport/local-signup.js
rename to server/speechPassport/local-signup.js
diff --git a/speech.js b/speech.js
index 6a92d8d8..9fdc04b4 100644
--- a/speech.js
+++ b/speech.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const logger = require('./config/loggerConfig.js');
 const mysql = require('./config/mysqlConfig');
 const site = require('./config/siteConfig');
 const slack = require('./config/slackConfig.js');
-const passport = require('./server/passport/');
+const passport = require('./server/speechPassport/');
 const models = require('./server/models/');
 
 const exports = {