The Optimist

The Optimist.

2021 Vol. 3 Issue 2

ALIGN EXECUTIVE TEAM EDITOR- IN -CHIEF GILLIAN ARTHUR EXECUTIVE EDITOR KAELEIGH JAMES PROJECT MANAGER ANDREW BARRON WRITING EDITOR EMERSON BRADY PHOTO EDITOR ISA RAMOS ILLUSTRATION EDITOR NATALIE PEREZ DESIGN EDITOR PAYTON ALONZO COPY EDITORS LEAH PRATLEY NATALIE WITT & AMANDA LUREY SOCIAL MEDIA KELSEY MUNGER & LILLIAN HOTCHKIN WEBSITE DESIGNER SAM PAYAB

PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHARLIE NGUYEN MODELS

MARGARET FALIANO EMMA McGRANE & MAXINE FRANCISCO

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the align up.

1

Clothes that make people feel their best

35

Journaling my life (in quarantine)

3

Daily details

37

Stella McCartney’s sustainable fashion empire

5

Impermanence

41

Behind the scenes of Cara Huato’s citrus dress

7

Living in the open air

43

It’s okay, I’m sad too

9

Bees: they’re as sweet as honey

45

Bending, not breaking

11

Are you freaking out about the environment?

49

How to overcome the mundane morning

13

K-pop positivity

51

The benefits of aromatherapy

15

Women are funnier than men: An interview with Ruby Karp

53

Superfruits

17

Honoring the inner child

55

Reduce, reuse, rediscover

21

My rain boots miss you too

59

Spreaking in tongues: The Talking Heads

23

From sorrow to sun

61

How cannabis has improved my quality of life

27

There’s more to life, I promise

63

How lördagsgodis won my chocolatey heart

28

Giving grace

65

Freedom is...

29

The power of comfort items

69

Dancing with myself

31

My first-year experience

e d ito r ’s l ette r

Hey Readers, We’re back! Months after our last issue, days before spring, and nearly an entire year since the lockdown started, Align’s spring issue has officially sprung. And it feels GOOD. Just like a beaming ray of sunshine, our issue is bringing us warmth, beauty and a whole lot of optimism.

My executive team and I chose

‘The Optimist’ to usher in some much

needed positivity, manifest some sunny days and the feeling, even if it’s just the slightest bit, that things are beginning to look up. And I can tell you that the amount of sunshine I’ve seen in Eugene lately (despite all the rain) is starting to feel like a sign.

Let this issue be a reminder of the love we have in our lives, the love we have to give (to ourselves and to others), the things that make us happy, the things we are grateful for, and the things we are grateful to be making.

As creatives we have so much privilege to be doing the work we are right now.

With less resources and more challenges than we’ve ever faced, I’m just so proud of my team: thank you for lifting each other up and creating an issue as radiant as Align.

No matter who you are or where you’re reading this from, I wish you the best of spring, many days of sunshine, health, and of course, endless happiness. You deserve it.

Clothes That Make People

Feel Their Best

Finding the clothes that make you feel the best is a hard process. You gotta find the right top and bottoms to match that, not to mention the shoes and accessories. But what makes someone feel comfortable in their clothes?

Being confident. From a series of close friends, I got the first-hand scoop in what makes them feel the most comfortable. Surprisingly enough dressing up made them feel the best. We all remember at the beginning of quarantine when everyone was making every piece of loungewear tiedye or just living in one pair of sweatpants to the next. Once things started to become normal again you would see people dressing up for just about anything. This is funny to see because before quarantine you could ask anyone and they would say they’d love to live in sweatpants 24/7, but that is not the case anymore.

themselves and boost their mood. Similarly, more than 35 percent of people in the UK said they believed a day or situation had gone better because of the clothes they were wearing” (Young, 2019). When someone’s outfit doesn’t make them feel right that is an ultimate mood killer. We all have those bad days where we don’t feel good in anything.

On those days we usually choose to wear something less flashy or doesn’t show as much skin. Being self-conscious is the number one issue that women specifically face when choosing an outfit that they want to be comfortable in.

Remember a time when something made you feel great?

Dress to impress, but for yourself not for others.

Maybe it was that one time you went out to dinner with your friends, or you had a little Instagram photoshoot… but at some point that outfit made you feel good. You just put it on and you can walk into the room like you own the place.

People can tell when you are uncomfortable and that impacts the amount of confidence you bring to the room. If you like wearing crop tops and a mini skirt on the weekend and that makes you the most confident then wear that, or if you just like wearing jeans and a t-shirt wear that! We’ve all experienced it first hand there will always be someone that is going to pull something off better than you. Just because something is trending doesn’t mean that you have to wear it. There will always be something that just doesn’t quite fit right and that is okay. Finding the things that make you feel comfortable should be based on what works for you, not other people, they aren’t gonna be in your shoes, literally.

Study’s have shown that clothes have a huge impact on a person’s mental well-being. A study reported by Sarah Young, Independent Mag, said in the UK “64 percent of Brits believe that how they dress can make them feel better about

WRITTEN BY TAYLOR SWEENEY ILLUSTRATED BY NATALIE PEREZ DESIGNER EMILY CADENA

So why is it that so many people love to dress up? Jess Rotter, 21, is a student at the U of O, and a close friend of mine, said, “I love to wear shirts that show off my body.” Emma Sloan, 21, also a student at the U of O, said “I feel the most comfortable when my butt looks good.” So what is the ideal outfit for someone that wants to look and feel their best?

For most that is sweatpants and a sweatshirt but for a lot, it’s turned into confident = comfortable. That can range anywhere from jeans and a crop top to a dress and booties, or even jeans and a sweater. The perfect outfit is different for everyone.

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MODELS EMMA WILLIAMS & PEGGY MCBEE

WRITTEN BY SIDNEY STIPANOVICH PHOTOGRAPHED BY ATHENA NGUYEN ART DIRECTOR SYDNEY ALLAWAY DESIGNED BY ALLY WOODRING

S L I A S T L E A D I T S Y E L L I I D A I LY E T A I L S A I LY D E T A I L S D A A T D A I LY D E A I L S D A I LY D E T A I L S D A I LY D E T A I L D A I LY D E T A I L D A I LY D E T A I L D A I LY D E T A I D A I LY D E T A I D A I LY D E T D LY ng i h t ttle i l e in th t r m fo o c ng findi

The conundrum of daily life during a pandemic has become a consistent challenge. Despite virtual classes, daily walks, and other mindless activities, life has regressed into the same tedious scenario every day and it’s exhausting. The repetition of these activities feels like an episode of “The Twilight Zone” has come to life and waiting for that random Etsy package you ordered isn’t offering the same fulfillment as it did when this all began.

Despite this daily inquiry of “What should I do today?” I’ve recently found a solace in performing the normal and “boring” actions of everyday life. I was tired of feeling as if the small actions I completed throughout the day had no meaning, so I took it upon myself to give them significance. Since doing so, my simple daily activities have become my anchor and completely shifted my mindset.

After waking up, I dedicate around an hour to reading a book while I drink my coffee. It’s a peaceful period that offers some tranquility before I begin the day. It has become a time that I look forward to every morning, not because it’s super exciting or spontaneous, but rather comforting and reliable. The same goes for breakfast. My oatmeal with blueberries or protein smoothie establishes a healthy and mindful start before I join a Zoom lecture or work on homework.

As moronic as it sounds, I’m always extremely eager to brush my teeth and practice my skincare routine everyday. I put on my music as I get ready,and it kicks off my day to whichever Spotify playlist I’ll most likely end up overplaying that week.

s

If the weather is somewhat bearable, I’ll venture onto campus to get work done, or at least to pretend I’m being more productive than if I were to stay in my bedroom. Taking these steps every day has provided stability during a phase where life is anything but stable.

These types of actions and routines have proven to be beneficial for my mental health during this stressful time period. Routinely practicing small acts of self-care along with completing daily tasks creates a structure that I can rely on despite the chaos of everything else going on. Everything—from making sure you drink a certain amount of water each day to watching a certain TV series—becomes meaningful. During the pandemic, almost everyone has had to learn how to spend time with themselves. Through this experience, I’ve learned that I am truly the only one in control of how I feel. When I began to practice certain habits solely for myself and for my own mental and physical health, it changed the way I saw these habits. They were no longer dull, but uplifting.

Though this past year has taken a toll on the mental health of all of us, we can look to our daily habits for consolation.

When you dedicate meaning to a small part of your day that otherwise may be seen as irrelevant, it creates something to look forward to. We have the ability to romanticize everything about our day, even if it isn’t the most thrilling. During a time where our room for spontaneity is limited, it is up to us to find meaning in the little things.

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Impermanence

m

Impermanence I

ce

p

a n m r e e n

WRITTEN BY NICK ROSENBERGER PHOTOGRAPHED BY OLIVIA CROOKER MODELS KENNY PARK & ARIANNA SANTIAGO ART DIRECTOR LILIANA HERNANDEZ DESIGNED BY AUTUMN SOUCY 5ALIGN

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here’s a special kind of peace that comes with the knowledge that everything is temporary.

Pain will fade. Broken hearts will mend. Life will move on.

We’re only here for a brief amount of time and it begs us to pay attention, to notice the tiny details in the shape of a dandelion or the fragrant hues of a rose. As spring shows its face after months of Oregon’s rain and clouds, this is all the more apparent.

Take the cherry blossoms slowly emerging from their yearlong slumber. They’ll only last a few weeks, yet they are arguably the most beautiful and cherished of Oregon’s seasonal treasures. They are a fleeting and ephemeral scent, a reason to pause and reflect on a short-lived moment.

We all know these feelings of impermanence. We spend vast amounts of our lives trying to slow down and stop time. Every video we capture, every photograph we take, is an effort to pause physics. A flash of a camera and you’ll always have a reminder of happiness splashed on a negative. A moment in a garden: forever a cherished moment that can be carried around with you, folded up and crushed in a wallet.

But they are poor links to the past. They can’t bring us back and often leave the iron taste of nostalgia in our mouths; that funny feeling made up of one-part sadness and one-part happiness. A desire to return to the past and a recognition that we have no authority over the movement of time. Moments don’t last, no matter how hard we might fight for time to just, please, stand still.

The most beautiful moments are often so brief. Sitting on the floor surrounded by your best friends, laughing so hard that you begin to see stars and it feels like someone took a baseball bat to your gut. We all recognize the transience of these memories. We all know that the laughter will eventually end — and we gulp the intoxicating feelings down, trying to savor every second before normalcy returns.

There’s a quote attributed to the French philosopher Albert Camus, which says to “live to the point of tears,” and I think this is the only solution to our temporary state. We’re all going to disappear someday, forgotten amidst the sands of time.

Our bloodlines may continue, but eventually, we will all cease to exist. And, while this might be exceptionally depressing and sad, there’s also a hint of beauty to it. It’s almost as if, by giving us such a small amount of time,

the universe is screaming at us to appreciate the momentary tip-tapping of rain or the poetry of a smile.

There is a delicacy to this harmony, reminding us to respect the small, quick, and brief. The crying sounds of a violin or the elegant keys of a piano, gentle notes hanging in the air for a few seconds that manage to fill us with deep emotions.

Emotions laced with the knowledge that, no matter how many times you replay a song, you will never again be able to hear it for the first time. They hint at time’s hunger to reclaim all and that we are not permanent. We never will be. Our bodies will break down with age as we click on at a breakneck pace, bringing with it an abundance of fear. But what’s more lovely than an elderly smile?

So much fear comes from the thought of growing older or presenting in front of a crowd, asking out your crush or showing art for the first time. But the terror of these moments, the ones that remind us of our mortality can be a source of beauty and passion. The butterflies in your stomach, the jittering and stilted breathing, the clammy hands. These moments matter.

Ultimately, we are insignificant in the scope of the universe.

And yet, there is an allure to staring down this insignificance to build happy memories, to feel and to create stunning things.

This balancing act, and our experiences within it, is pure elegance.

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ART DIRECTOR EMMA WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHED BY LARA WAIBEL MODELS FIONA GIBBENS & HARLOW SAYERS

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Living In The Open Air WRITTEN BY GILLIAN ARTHUR DESIGNER SEBASTIAN HEALY

Most people want to feel more connected to nature (or at least say they do even if they have no intention of making it happen). In an increasingly digital age, it seems as though now more than ever people are looking to free themselves from their computer and seek spirituality in the woods. In high school my English class devoted a whole unit to this, introducing the idea of transcendentalism: a philosophical movement stressing the power of the self, espousing self-reliance and rejecting a corrupt society and its institutions. Transcendentalism emphasizes how nature can bring spirituality to the individual and help them become one with the rest of the world.

However not every follower practices transcendentalism the same way. Some explore it through writing like essays and poems. Others seek spirituality by embarking on a journey through the outdoors. One of the most notable and modern demonstrations of transcendentalist living was Chris McCandless, an American hiker inspired by the transcendentalist movement. In the early 1990’s Chris hitchhiked to Alaska determined to bring minimal supplies and live off the land. While Chris was unsuccessful in his endeavors, it’s compelling to see how such a fierce desire to become one with nature can be so galvanizing and invigorating for others to find themselves.

When I discovered the Norwegian tradition of friluftsliv, translates to “open-air living,” I likened it to transcendentalism (but without all the philosophical jargon). Friluftsliv simply put, is the cultural institution of getting outdoors.

Much like transcendentalism, many say it strengthens their physical and mental states. What’s really interesting is that transcendentalism and friluftsliv emerged around the same time historically. Developing in the eastern United States, transcendentalism came about in the late 1820s and early 1830s whereas friluftsliv is said to originate from Norwegian playwright and poet Henrik Ibsen in the 1850s. Scandinavian languages like many others seem to have an affinity for words that can’t be translated

into a single word. Meaning they don’t describe a single thing, rather than a concept. According to Ibsen, friluftsliv describes the importance of being in nature, more specifically places removed from the hustle and bustle of society, and how there can be significant spiritual and physical benefits.

Unlike the United States, Scandinavian work culture values breaks and recreation to combat the mental and physical tolls of working. However with startups and life becoming much more digital, Norwegians are worried about how friluftsliv will be valued in future generations or even in the next few months. Many are saying they have to schedule outdoor time whereas before they just went out and did it. This raises some questions and concerns for the future of the human-worklife relationship.

Entrepreneurs are becoming increasingly focused on work and often don’t know when to quit, leaving very little time for getting outdoors. While this seems like the reality in the United States, this shift comes as quite a shock to Norwegians who have long since valued their time spent outside.

I’ve always thought the Scandinavian approach to worklife, filled with plenty of coffee breaks and discouraging workaholism, sounded like a distant reality from the work culture in the US. While it’s important to love what you do, it’s unhealthy for your job to consume your life and your wellbeing. Don’t let yourself get to the point where you don’t remember the last time you went outside while working or doing school work. Set a timer every hour or so and force yourself to get up, take a breath of fresh air, and remember that you are more than the work you do.

This is also a great opportunity to get creative and have fun outdoors. Explore an area you’ve never seen before, pick up mushroom hunting, go for a hike, ride a bike, do what makes you happy. Let friluftsliv be a reminder to stop making excuses and start living for yourself.

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MODEL FAITH MALCARAZ PHOTOGRAPHED BY PAIGE GOOD ART DIRECTOR SHANNON ENRIQUEZ

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Bees,

they’re sweet as honey.

WRITTEN BY SOPHIE GLAD DESIGNED BY ALLYSSA OGAARD

W

hat comes to mind when you think about bees? Maybe you’re terrified of getting stung, you’re allergic, or maybe your brain just goes straight to Bee Movie. There’s a chance you’ve gotten stung a couple times and now a subtle bzzz is enough to send you running. If that’s the case, let’s talk about why we should love bees, not only for the amazing products they help produce for us, but also for how they help our world grow. If you already love bees, we’ll also get into how we can help save them.

In case you’ve forgotten since learning about bees in elementary school science class, honey bees are vital to our environment. They pollinate flowers and various food crops, which are two things we want to keep around. While honey bees are not necessarily endangered at this point in time, they are at risk due to both climate change and human interaction. So what can we do about it?

planting bee-friendly flowers and avoiding pesticides. If you’re looking to make your own yard more bee-friendly, you could also make a “bee bath” or water feeder to help out the bees that are already in your space. Shopping organic is always a good idea, too!

You’ve probably heard the phrase “Save the bees!” before, or maybe even several times, but they really are important—for us, for our food, and for our entire ecosystem. Life truly would not be the same without bees, so it’s time to start acting like it, and taking care of them. Our final tips? Shop local, do research on who you’re giving your money to, and remember that bees are our friends! “Sustainable living” is often thought of as a hard lifestyle to achieve, but it doesn’t have to be a complete lifestyle change. There are always small things you can do in your daily life that help both our earth and our small, pollinating friends who inhabit it.

A great place to start is by supporting local, ethical honey and beekeeping businesses. A family-owned and operated business right here in Eugene, Oregon, “GloryBee,” is a fantastic example. Not only do they provide a wide array of honey in different flavors such as Blackberry, Orange Blossom, and Wildflower, but they also offer products such as essential oils and butters.

Thinking about buying that twenty-dollar candle from Bath and Body Works? GloryBee sells all the materials to actually make your own candles, and the beeswax needed to do it. Not only do they provide amazing honey selections and materials, but this business also focuses on sustainability. Their website reports that 79% of their total waste was diverted from landfills in 2019, the energy used per pound of product decreased by 3% in 2019, and they donated 72,000 pounds of food to local food banks and homeless shelters that same year.

By supporting local businesses like this one, you not only get great products for yourself, but you help save the bees that make those products, too. GloryBee’s website notes that one third of the food that we eat is pollinated by bees, as well as the disappointing statistic that about 38% of beekeeper’s hives have been lost since 2010. If we want to keep produce, we need to keep our bees around. If you don’t eat honey or you’re looking for alternative ways to sustain the lives of bees, you could try

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WRITTEN & DESIGNED BY KAYLA KRUEGER

If you find yourself in a perpetual angst anytime someone mentions the declining state of the environment, you are not alone. One thing is evident: the previous climate legislation only accelerated progression of climate change.

Amongst the qualms of a warming planet, previous American leadership certainly didn’t positively contribute to an eco-friendly climate agenda. It is simple for the average person to turn a blind eye to the state of the environment; it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Frankly, much of the damage done to the climate is rather irreversible. However, instead of feeling overwhelmed and chaotic, we can work to align our values with climate clarity.

Firstly, it is imperative to note that climate change is inevitable. Usually, the climate changes through shifts in orbit, however the majority of climate change we have witnessed in recent years has been a result of human activity. There are many other factors that contribute to climate change, but it is clear that the human impact has unequivocally altered the future of the climate as a whole. Firstly there are greenhouse gases, which are the result of burning fossil fuels. This directly correlates to a rise in temperature, which exposes the harsh reality of fuel use. Fossil fuels are very unsustainable for the earth because of this, however previous legislation has placed a stark reliance on the use of fossil fuels. Oceans,

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ILLUSTRATED BY LIDIJA SOVULJ

covering approximately 70% of Earth’s landmass, are also heavily affected by climate change. Oceans regulate temperature, and the ocean swells when temperatures rise. This gives way to a general increase in natural disasters. Whether it be raging forest fires, flash floods, hurricanes, acid rains, and so much more, all disasters are encapsulated under the depressing state of climate change.

As a human being in a democratic society, the road to legislation is rather convoluted. Newly elected President Joseph R. Biden, and Madam Vice President Kamala Harris, have launched initiatives to create a more eco-friendly America. The divisiveness of the environment should be obsolete, however, this is not the case. President Biden has already launched a number of initiatives to combat climate change, including rejoining the Paris Climate Accord, as well as negating previous legislation that contributed to climate deterioration. In general, the Biden Administration strives to launch more permanent climate legislation centered around lowering carbon emissions. This plan involves a $2 trillion initiative to lower carbon emissions to zero by 2035 and net carbon emissions to zero by 2050.

Climate legislation also receives a fair amount of opposition, especially from the senate. The stark division between

the Republican and Democratic parties in the senate make climate legislation harder to pass. It is important to note that Biden’s climate agenda will take a long time to instate, while also being a big expense. Yet, the expense is worthwhile when the state of the climate continues to deteriorate at its current rate. Nevertheless, Biden is starting his climate agenda swiftly, as promised. By rejoining the Paris Climate Accord, the United States is tied to an international obligation to improve the sanctity of the environment.

The proposed climate agenda also recognizes how underprivileged communities in America have been affected by the shift in climate. A poor state of the environment directly disenfranchises communities that aren’t financially equipped to cope with the unpredictable effects of climate change.

As aforementioned, it is easy to get depressed, overwhelmed, frustrated, and wallow in this helpless rage.

However, there are ways we can manage our own selfcare and work to change the fate of the climate.

By far the most deliberately strategic way to combat climate change is to get loud! Speak up and speak out against the persistent atrocities linked to the environment. The state of the climate yearns for attention, and by talking about it, climate-conscious activities will not go unrecognized.

Secondly, one can easily combat climate change and reduce their carbon footprint by making small changes in their daily lives. Working towards becoming a more climate-conscious person isn’t a drastic lifestyle shift.

The steps to get started are actually quite simple. Recycling your plastics, using reusable products and containers, composting, driving less, and purchasing ethically sourced products are just a few ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

Shopping locally and sustainably are also two amazing ways to be kinder to the planet. In general, local vendors use less transportation for their products, which means less fuel is used and less exhaust is omitted, which bodes well for the environment. The same logic can be applied to sustainable shopping, especially in terms of ethically sourced materials and acceptable working conditions.

Climate change is unpredictable, scary, and overwhelming. It’s also very present in our current societal stance.

Yet, making a conscious effort to acknowledge the state of the climate is an imperative first step to a more prosperous future. Most importantly stay informed and continue to educate yourself on the everchanging state of

the environment! Follow reliable social media outlets such as the United Nations Environmental Program (@ UNEP), and the National Resource Defense Council (@ NRDC_ORG); Read viable news sources, such as National Geographic’s Environment editorial section, or Environmental Health News; Subscribe to newsletters, such as NASA’s Climate Change Newsletter or The Environmental Protection Agency’s “Go Green” Newsletter. Create change and gain climate clarity in your personal life, and the future will reflect accordingly!

SOURCES The facts: How climate change affects people living in poverty. (2020, June 05). Retrieved February 05, 2021, from https://www.mercycorps.org/blog/climate-change-poverty July 17, 2. (2021, January 20). How you can stop global warming. Retrieved February 05, 2021, from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/howyou-can-stop-global-warming Plan for climate change and Environmental Justice: Joe Biden. (2020, October 29). Retrieved February 05, 2021, from https://joebiden. com/climate-plan/ Sam Ricketts, C. (n.d.). The Biden Administration Brings STATE CLIMATE leadership to the White House. Retrieved February 05, 2021, from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/reports/2021/01/19/494753/biden-administration-brings-state-climate-leadership-white-house/ Sam Ricketts, C. (n.d.). The Biden Administration Brings STATE CLIMATE leadership to the White House. Retrieved February 05, 2021, from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/reports/2021/01/19/494753/biden-administration-brings-state-cli-

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Loving yourself is a theme that’s not expressed enough in western music. These days, it’s so easy to get stuck in a mainstream bubble of Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Taylor Swift. All three are amazing artists that I’ve listened to since I can remember. But when their 2020 releases dominated my Spotify Wrapped, I realized that every single one of my top songs were about romantic relationships and heartbreak.

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ing in love or breaking up. Instead, they center around the relationship we have with ourselves, encouraging listeners to embody a high level of self-confidence before trying to love someone else.

and was named ‘Entertainer of the Year’

by Time Magazine. The seven members, Jin, SUGA, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, are generally known for their While Bieber’s Changes and Grande’s intricate dance routines, over-the-top Positions made me yearn for the days music videos, and, of course, for their when physical touch was still a thing, loyal fanbase, ARMY. Swift’s Folklore made me cry over “the 1” person I can’t have. Yes, we need love I spent years not even trying to undersongs, sexy songs, and sad songs, but we stand BTS. Perhaps I was still too woundalso need ones that remind us to love ed from Zayn’s departure from One ourselves, especially right now, when Direction to invest myself in another we’re in isolation. foreign boy band. Or maybe I thought I couldn’t connect with their lyrics, which In classic Carrie Bradshaw fashion, “I are mostly in Korean. All I know is that couldn’t help but wonder” if there’s music the Bangtan Boys came into my life when out there that feels like self-care? Music I needed them the most. Now, at a time that would lift me up, rather than lead me when my days consist of Zoom classes to text my ex-boyfriend at 2 a.m.? and masked trips to Trader Joe’s, their music gets me excited about something By the grace of God, such music does ex- again and reminds me to prioritize selfist. There’s an ideal genre to turn to when care. so much of life feels like déjà vu, one that allows you to escape from all the “Due to By taking the time to listen to BTS, you’ll COVID-19’s,” breakout rooms, masks, realize that they are more than ever scrolling, sweatpants, walks, and Netflix changing hair colors and funny personbinges. alities, but they are activists, continuously spreading the message of self-love The genre is K-pop, a.k.a. Korean pop. through their music and philanthropy It’s a realm of music revolving around work. self-acceptance and positive energy. Their “Love Yourself” album trilogy: Love Since happening upon it by chance, ev- Yourself, Her, Love Yourself, Tear, and ery aspect of myself, from my mindset to Love Yourself, Answer, follows the ups my style, have been brought back to life. and downs of BTS’ journey to self-love.

K-pop evokes feelings of childlike joy – the kind of happiness I used to feel on In the healing ballad, “Epiphany,” Jin Christmas morning. The kind I thought sings, “I’m the one I should love in this I’d grown out of. world. Shining me, precious soul of mine.”

Meanwhile, in “Idol,” a kitschy EDM bop, I used to not understand the hype sur- Jimin belts, “You can’t stop me loving myrounding BTS, the K-pop boy band that’s self.” taking over the world. In 2020, the group earned their first Grammy nomi- These lyrics are like nothing I’ve ever nation for their disco bop “Dynamite,” heard before. They’re not about fall-

They’ve given two incredibly powerful speeches at the United Nations on the importance of caring for your mental health. In 2020, each member shared their own struggles with mental health after their world tour was canceled because of the pandemic.

“I felt hopeless. Everything fell apart.

I could only look outside my window. I could only go to my room,” Jimin said.

“Cherishing yourself, encouraging yourself, and keeping yourself happy are the most important…It’s the message in the lyrics of our song “Dynamite,” ‘I’m diamond, you know I glow up,’” Jin said.

There’s a reason why the “Dynamite” music video has over 800 million views on YouTube. Whenever I listen to it, it truly feels like I “glow up” in those three minutes and nineteen seconds. My skin clears, my hair grows a little longer, and I forget that we’re living in a pandemic.

Right now, we need positive songs like this, ones that make us dance around our rooms and return to our computer feeling a little better.

BTS’ music makes self-care fun. There are so many BTS songs and other Korean groups that I have yet to explore and I couldn’t be more excited. If I’d let my language barrier preconceptions keep me from taking a chance on K-pop, I’d still be crying alone to “cardigan” in my room. They pulled me out of my music rut and reminded me to love myself first.

WRITTEN BY ELIZABETH GROENING ILLUSTRATED BY CRYSTAL FRANKLIN DESIGNED BY ALLY WOODRING

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Women are

FUNNIER

than Men

Interview with

RUBY KARP

WRITTEN BY EMERSON BRADY IMAGE PROVIDED BY RUBY KARP DESIGNED BY KATALENA SANCHEZ

Ruby Karp is a twenty-year-old college student. She’s struggling through zoom classes, cringing at her high school self and feeling like the universe is out to get her… sometimes.

Ruby Karp is also a stand-up comedian. She’s hosted her very own comedy show at the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York City from the time she was eleven years old, wrote a book in high school and performed alongside Amy Poehler, Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobsen. Her story is every bit as outrageous as it is relatable.

Ruby Karp was born in New York City, but she was raised at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. Being an only child with a single mom, she recalls most of her childhood being raised by her mom and all of her friends, who happen to be comedians. She started performing with them at eight-years-old and upgraded

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to hosting her own comedy show at eleven. The show began as a project for the blog, Hello Giggles, and turned into a show of her own called We Hope You Have Fun. Ruby looks back on growing up in comedy fondly. “I loved being young in comedy, but I had a complete ego switch when I was 18.

When I was younger I never prepared jokes, I just had stories that I knew I could tell, and I would just get on stage and improv them,” she said. “ It would all work out because an eight-year-old is talking about finding lube.”

The challenges of doing comedy at a young age didn’t come until much later for Ruby. The transition to becoming an adult comedian isn’t seamless and comes with the typical teenage self-doubt. “When I got older I totally had this, like, mid-life crisis

where I was like, am I funny or did I just have this whole moment with comedy because I was young? I got very insecure, and I think it was getting over that hump,” Karp said. “That’s when I got a really strong work ethic.”

To say Ruby is ambitious would be an understatement. On top of hosting a comedy show once a month, doing school and theater, Ruby also found time to write a book, Earth Hates Me the age of 16. How she was able to manage her time is a mystery to both of us. She confesses that her reasoning for writing the book wasn’t all that pure. She wanted to prove something to her peers and to herself.

“I will say what my therapist says to me when I complain about being bitter, she says, I feel like the bitterness drives you sometimes, and I think that’s true,” she said. “That’s why I forced myself when I got to college to work my ass off, because I want to prove to everyone who’s saying that I’m not funny wrong.”

Her book chronicles the trial and tribulations of a teenage girl.

It’s dramatic, funny and painfully relatable. Rejection is woven into the existence of any teenage girl; Ruby’s experience is no exception. She tells me about rejections from boys, friends, colleges and even places she sent her book for publishing.

Ruby laughs, “It came to a point where it was like, can everyone just stop saying no to me? What am I doing wrong? I’ve obviously been told no before – I mean I have a Jewish mother – but I think it was getting a no from so many situations that were completely out of my control.”

It’s been nearly five years since Earth Hates Me was published.

The longest four years of Ruby’s life are behind her. Like any college student reflecting on their 16-year-old self, she’s relieved that she’s changed, but she wouldn’t really change a thing.

“I’m never seeking external validation anymore because my biggest insecurity became an un-insecurity. Like am I unlovable, and then I fell in love. Am I gonna have a career in comedy after I’m not a cute child, and now I’m doing it,” she said. “I would change things about the book the same way I would change things about how I was 17 with some knowledge things could’ve gone better people have written better.”

Since the release of her book, Ruby has continued to bestow her older sister wisdom on the youth with her “ask me” feature on her blog. To this day, swarms of middle school girls fill her blog’s inbox with questions about crushes, friends and bad teachers.

Ruby fulfills her duty as the cool older sister and offers her best advice to every middle school girl that asks.

With all the wisdom Ruby has shared with middle school girls across the country, she confesses her mom is the woman she turns to for counsel. Ruby describes her mom as “very open

about everything.” This didn’t surprise me considering her mom started her own feminist magazine, Bust, in the 90s. Ruby truly came out of the womb yelling girl power.

She said being raised a feminist made her “a really angry little person.” She recalls, “From a very young age, I was like why does no one respect me? And that just manifested for years after.”

When I told Ruby I found out about feminism when I was 14 on Twitter, she was shocked.

I hate when interviewers ask “WhAt is iT liKe to bE a wOman in coMedy?” because fuck off. However, this is a piece about empowering women and I think the girls wanting to try stand-up should be warned about the terrible men they might encounter.

Ruby, of course, understood my reasoning for hating the question, but also the validity in my desire to ask it.

“Shit’s crazy. It sucks to ask the question, but you can’t not ask the question. Feminism isn’t that ‘woke’ yet. I’d say a lot of the time with men you know what to expect. You know they’re gonna be creepy and harass you, but with the girls, it’s really up in the air,” she said. “I’ve met some of the best women in my life through comedy, but there are some women who see me as more of a threat than men and that can suck.”

Ruby later clarified that of course, it’s always men at fault, but that doesn’t necessarily make it feel any less shitty. I agreed that women should be on the same team, but living in a patriarchy complicates things.

Women refusing to befriend you unfortunately isn’t where the female comedian experience ends. Comedy shows have audiences. In those audiences are typically men that feel the need to compensate for something…

“When live comedy was still a thing, if I was not performing at a good theater I was getting harassed. If I was doing open mics I was getting harassed or like hit on or something creepy that I didn’t want,” she said. “When I do a show at UCB there’s more professional behavior expected. I got a couple of rude comments that annoyed me, but it was nothing compared to how brutal open mics were, and that is where being a woman in comedy is a thing.”

Despite the slimy, revolting and downright atrocious men that female comedians have to endure Ruby gave me reason to believe it wasn’t all bad. Every show gets better in terms of treatment and the Me Too movement is changing the culture of the entertainment industry. Classic “I can’t believe she’s wearing that” and “She’s wearing too much make-up” misogyny will continue to lurk in the bars of comedy clubs, but that doesn’t seem to phase Ruby. When all is said and done, she explained, “Women are funnier because of it all.”

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HonoringChild the

Inner

It was 1:45pm on a Friday afternoon, there was a quiz I needed to start in 20 minutes and I had just stepped in the contents of a full diaper. Barefoot. Across the room, a toddler--to whom the diaper should have been attached--stood screaming for mommy while rubbing his own sticky hands through the carpet.

There is no better time for us to recognize our power and privilege as college-educated young adults, and harness that conviction to fight for a brighter path. There is no longer one single definition of “success”-- perhaps we can use the uncertain state of the world to redefine exactly what that word means.

This was not how I intended my last year of college to look.

When I was a kid, opportunities for the future seemed endless. For a while, I thought I’d be an astronaut. Then a fashion designer, a doctor and an ice cream taste-tester.

In fourth grade, I was certain I’d end up an engineer, despite the fact that completing my math homework always seemed to end in a puddle of tears at the kitchen table as my frustrated Dad tried to explain the incomprehensible concept of carrying the one. But it didn’t matter. I knew that any career path was within my reach.

When the pandemic hit March of my junior year, I decided to tough it out in Eugene rather than move home.

Surely this couldn’t last more than a few months, right?

I got a job as a nanny and traded late nights closing out the bar at Max’s for early mornings preparing bottles of milk and attending lectures through a computer screen.

It was fine. I’m not a complainer, and other people certainly had it worse.

But that day, driving home from work with a carseat jiggling in the back and my unopened notes in the passenger seat, I got a text from a friend: UO had just announced that all of winter term would be remote. Suddenly, the weight of the last couple months landed on me--I felt ill-prepared, miserable about my future, and worst of all, old. I pulled my car to the side of the road and sobbed into my steering wheel.

It would be easy for any 2021 graduate to feel pessimistic about the future--we’ve lost the final year and a half of our college experience, and are being set loose into a world still grappling with a global pandemic. And yet, as we leave the safety of our college bubble, I have (recently) decided I am choosing optimism.

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Maybe it’s this idea--seemingly drilled into the brain of every child--that they can do “anything they want” when they’re older, is what leaves many of us feeling inadequate. If I’m so capable, why does it seem I’m always falling just short of the mark? Even worse, what if the goals I’ve spent my whole life aspiring to are no longer reachable in the world we live in?

During the last year, I’ve tried to shift my perspective.

My idea of a Utopian future no longer revolves around personal success, but in being a part of something I believe in. It means offering my skills to help others, rather than focusing on recognition. Although I reject the idea that the last year and a half should have somehow been extremely productive--no thank you, op-eds who claim I’ve failed if I don’t emerge from quarantine as an expert in some new trade!--I do believe that the pandemic has opened my eyes.

Our communities are in dire need of empathetic, intelligent young people who give a damn. It would be too easy to graduate from college this year wallowing in a sea of self-pity. But there’s too much to be done, and perhaps the grief we feel over losing our college experience can be a catalyst for change.

As I sat on the side of the road, hunched over my steering wheel, I forced myself to let go of the vision I had in my head of crossing a stage to receive my diploma.

I remembered my mom’s words from my childhood, repeating in my mind. She would always tell me, “In this situation you have a choice: tim or tor?” What she meant is, “victim or victor.” It was a motivating question meant for the third graders in my mom’s classroom when they encountered a difficult situation, but I found myself repeating the mantra well into adulthood.

And so, like I had so many times as a kid, I dried my tears, pulled it together and decided “tor.” Maybe the best way to honor my inner child was by choosing optimism.

DIRECTED BY ARIANNA SANTIAGO PHOTOGRAPHED BY AND WRITTEN BY EMILY TOPPING DESIGNED BY KATE HEDGEPETH MODELS MADDY YEN & FAITH MALCARAZ 19 ALIGN

my rain boots miss you too

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it tangled my hair, made me blue soaked the soles of my birkenstocks, too when the rain came, I didn’t know what to do mom visited bought me brown rain boots they knew me before I saw you human geography, got a b black vans, grey jumper, black jeans the most beautiful boy I’d ever see america couldn’t be sunny all the time even in august pouring outside, watching big little lies new york at christmas snow drops, rosé I should’ve known you wouldn’t stay I flew across the ocean and borrowed your mum’s red raincoat for afternoon tea, nights in notting hill your dad laughed at my rain boots the ones you used to tie called them “posh” and washed the mud off one last summer rain in red river, wearing your t-shirt crying at the trees, you assured me

WRITTEN BY ELIZABETH GROENING PHOTOGRAPHED BY KIERAN GOSS ART DIRECTOR KATERINA TRIANTAFILLOU DESIGNER KATALENA SANCHEZ

I live somewhere else now a place you haven’t seen my rain boots are here like you promised you would be

From Sorrow To Sun Five of Cups Black coat Mourning Sorrow for what has been lost.

Nine of swords Head in hands No sleep Anxiety.

WRITTEN BY GILLIAN ARTHUR ART DIRECTOR EMMA MCGRANE PHOTOGRAPHED BY KENNY PARK MODEL ATHENA NGUYEN DESIGNER EMILY CADENA

Three of Swords Broken heart Personal loss Emotional pain Something end.

Five of Swords Two of one Weeping.

The Star

Bending and bright Protection in difficulty Purpose and good luck.

The World

Floating with fulfillment Harmony is stable.

Nine of cups

Material reward Emotional happiness.

The Sun Yellow and gleaming Love Joy Victory.

Success.

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There’s More to Life,

I Promise.

*trigger warning: eating disorder*

WRITTEN BY AND ILLUSTRATED BY CLARA DEBRUN-SITTLER DESIGNER AUTUMN SOUCY

M

y friend and I were on hour two of a seven-hour road trip from San Francisco to LA when I asked her, “What do you think people without eating disorders think about?” It was a question that had been weighing on my mind for months. Whilst I was thinking about how many calories were in the green juice I had that morning, and daydreaming about chocolate cake, what were the so-called “normal” people thinking about? We burst into laughter at the sheer absurdity of the question. How had we forgotten what it was like to think of things other than food? But we both knew it wasn’t funny.

Every day with an eating disorder was the same torturous cycle. I would torment myself by restricting and hate myself when I couldn’t. I was constantly freezing and exhausted. I would often go to bed hating the way I looked and the person I was. My grades started to slip and I was isolating myself more and more. I was so unhappy.

It wasn’t until the end of freshman year when I decided to recover. I was so sick of hating my life and I knew that I had to make a change. I was faced with very few choices: I could either let myself commit this passive form of suicide, continue living a dreadful life or I could recover. At the time, the prospect of living a happy life seemed merely impossible. But despite my fears and hopelessness, I started my recovery journey. I started eating more and I began to gain weight.

It was so much harder than I could have imagined. With my main coping mechanism being taken away from me, my depression worsened gravely. I hated my body so much that I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror. Eventually, I got professional help and I made a lot of progress in improving my mental health.

A year and a half later, my mind is no longer occupied with obsessive thoughts of food and sadness. Sometimes I still daydream of cake, but then I go to the bakery down the street and get myself a slice. I’m free, and it feels so good.

I used to feel really angry about having wasted so much of my life to this illness, but I’ve recently realized that it wasn’t wasted time. I’ve grown tremendously, I’m so much stronger and I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. As singer Tony Bennett said after Amy Winehouse’s passing, “Life teaches you how to live it if you live long enough.” Give yourself a chance to live as I did.

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10 Recovery Tips 1. You might feel like you aren’t sick enough to get help, but that’s the eating disorder talking. You are sick enough. If you’re struggling, whether that be with disordered eating or an eating disorder, you deserve to get help and recover.

2. If you’re able to, I highly recommend getting professional help. The UO Health Center provides some free resources. Reach out for support.

3. Try not to compare yourself to others. You’re on your own journey.

4. Unfollow social media accounts that are hindering your recovery. Set boundaries with family and friends if you need to. Surround yourself with positive and supportive people.

5. Gravitate towards content that will aid your recovery process. Megsy Recovery, MerryRose Howley, Kate Noel and Tabitha Farrar are some great Youtube channels to check out. A motivational book I particularly enjoyed was Good Vibes, Good Life by Vex King.

6. Try journaling. During my recovery, I journaled every day and it was one of my best coping mechanisms. Writing down my thoughts helped me process some scary and incomprehensible emotions. This is particularly helpful if you don’t have access to professional help.

7. See food as energy rather than demonizing it. You need it to survive and be the successful person that you are.

8. Make yourself comfortable. Buy clothes that actually fit you and don’t be ashamed to wear sweats every day if that makes you more at ease.

9. It’s all about body acceptance. You don’t need to love every part of your body, especially in the beginning stages of recovery. However, it’s imperative that you learn to accept your body for what it is.

10. Trust the process and fight against the eating disorder voice in your head. Pain demands to be felt, but it’s temporary.

Life is too short to fret over the calories in your green juice. The choice to work towards a life worth living is yours. No one can make that choice for you. The prospect of recovery will never seem less daunting than it does now, so I urge you to fight. That’s not to say that it won’t be difficult, because it will be, but it’s worth it. There’s more to life, I promise.

G iving

Grace Yourself

Some days I wake up at 8:00 a.m. with sleep in my eyes, shove on my tennis shoes and run two miles. Other days I sleep in until 1:00 p.m and don’t eat until 3:00 p.m., followed by a nap at 6:00 p.m. In the latter scenario, I spend the rest of the day beating myself up for wasting away half the day.

There seems to be this idea that with the increased “free time” the COVID-19 pandemic has given us, we should be more productive, creative and discover new talents. And sure, baking banana bread and learning how to paint with watercolors for the first two months was fun. But as we hit the one-year mark, the pandemic seems to have sucked the motivation and energy out of us more than initially expected. With that, mental health has also shown a significant decline. In a typical year, one in five American adults struggles with mental illness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. But studies from the summer of 2020 indicate the number of people showing symptoms of depression had tripled since 2019.

It’s no secret that social media is connected to the national mental health decline. With an overload of social media posts containing at-home fitness routines, diets to implement, recipes to try, books to read and blogs to write, it can seem that even an hour of doing nothing is shameful and a waste of time.

What’s worse, as students there is an added expectation that suddenly there’s more time to devote to studying for tests or working on homework because there’s nothing else to do anyway, right? However, what is often not taken into consideration is burnout; whether it be from Zoom, the repetition of an uneventful daily routine or simply getting stuck in your own head.

All things considered, I want this to serve as a reminder that you are not alone in this. The COVID-19 virus is one pandemic, but the worldwide mental health decline is another that is not recognized nearly enough. Staying home, staying away from others and wearing masks to cover our face when we do leave the house goes against everything that evolutionarily brought humans to this point. To be clear, these guidelines

are extremely important and effective, but it is crucial to give yourself grace when these- guidelines take a toll on your mental health. These are not normal circumstances, so the way you handle everything may not be as easy as you thought.

For now, do your best to avoid productivity guilt. Comparisons aren’t doing much good for anyone right now, and toxic social media posts can often be disguised as inspiration. Stick to what works best for you, whether it really is implementing a workout routine or catching a few extra Zs in between classes.

Coming from a Type-A perfectionist who is used to juggling classes, clubs, social activities and exercise, I began to hate myself for how exhausted just doing homework made me. It seemed that the more time I was given, the less productive I could be. This goes to show the value of human interaction, the events we look forward to and our successes that motivate us to do better and dream bigger. Remember though that it will not always be this way, and that while challenging times are taxing, you are growing as an individual.

It’s also worth mentioning that progress is not linear in any realm, especially in the mental health department. Doing your best is all that you can ask of yourself, and yes it is good enough. I personally find that focusing on the people around me and staying as connected and open with them about how I’m feeling has been the best way to stay mentally sound. There are people in your life that care about you, and it’s worth keeping those connections alive and checking in on each other even if it’s just to let them know that they crossed your mind.

All that being said, it seems the worst of the pandemic is (fingers crossed) coming to a close soon. The light at the end of the tunnel is nearing. But until we reach whatever our new “normal” will look like, the best thing we can do is stay safe, strong, healthy and not forget to give ourselves some grace along the way.

WRITTEN BY LEAH PRATLEY ILLUSTRATED BY SOPHIE BARLOW DESIGNER KAYLA KRUEGER 28 ALIGN

the power of comfort items

WRITTEN BY KENNEDY GREGORY ILLUSTRATED BY ELSA DOUGLASS DESIGNER KAELEIGH JAMES 29 ALIGN

Before the pandemic, I didn’t realize how easy it was to attach comfort to certain parts of my life. Recently, I took a walk with my roommate through campus, and as we talked about our memories from freshman and sophomore year, I realized how much I missed my routine. I smiled reminiscing on waking up and getting ready for the day. I remembered going to Ducks After Dark movie showings with my coworkers and grabbing lunch with friends. The things that seemed so uneventful at the time, like catching the bus or walking to class, were what I caught myself missing the most. With my routine being cut short and my journey to class switching from a walk to simply opening my laptop, I wondered how I could bring a sense of comfort and happiness that I missed from my preCOVID life into my current one. That’s when I discovered the world of comfort items.

I discovered comfort items through TikTok, which has been the main cause of all my new obsessions. People discussed everything from comfort objects like blankets or pillows to other things I hadn’t thought of like comfort movies or songs.

Comfort Items or Transitional Objects are described as an object that provides a sense of psychological comfort and emotional security (Wikipedia, n.d.). We’ve probably all seen comfort objects before and likely think of a blanket or stuffed animal when we hear the term. While comfort items have been seen in the media before, they are almost always associated with children. Young children often cling to a blanket or a stuffed animal to help them cope with stress, remind them of the comfort of home or a special moment, and eventually help them become more emotionally independent.

Adults can also experience the positive benefits of comfort items, despite their association with children. A recent study of 2,000 adults found that about 34% sleep with comfort objects, including teddy bears, blankets, and more. Similar to children, adults feel a sense of comfort, happiness, or emotional security from these items. Adults often feel a sense of shame in these comfort items and even hide them from family and friends out of fear of judgment. However, I believe that there should be no shame in adults having comfort items.

These objects have not only been known to help adults in brief moments of stress and insecurity, but have also helped adults with autism, anxiety, and other mental health diagnoses.

The beauty of comfort items is that they can be almost anything! While blankets and teddy bears are common comfort objects, other items can provide the same effect. Some other popular comfort items among adults include putty or slime, candles, photos, movies, weighted blankets, and more. While

many adults prefer the physical calming sensation of putty or a weighted blanket, others may prefer the emotional ties of a specific photo or a candle with a scent that reminds them of something special. Comfort items are incredibly powerful because you can associate them with specific positive feelings. You have the ability to give an ordinary item an extraordinary meaning. This is what made comfort items so amazing and powerful to me.

My discovery of comfort items has helped bring more positivity to my daily routine, something that I felt I had lost due to the pandemic. I quickly discovered that my journal was my number one comfort item. As I turned the pages I had filled years or months ago, I was able to relive so many amazing memories in detail. I could go back to my high school graduation to remind myself of the hard work I’ve done to get here, or I could flip to last week and remind myself that I had made it through one week of quarantine, so why couldn’t I face another? My journal creates comfort for me and validates my emotions in the moment while also reminding me that things will be ok.

I think quarantine is the perfect time to explore the world of comfort items as our lives are constantly filled with uncertainty and stress. We are in a situation that no one could have predicted and its effects have taken a toll on us. It is perfectly ok to cling to a source of comfort and something that reminds you of positivity and happiness. Whether it’s a cute stuffed animal, rereading your favorite book, or lighting your favorite candle, your comfort item is valid and is meant to make you happy. We deserve positivity in our lives, especially as we go through such a rough time, and if it’s a comfort item that creates that for you, you should feel no shame in having one.

Bibliography: McCulligh, C. (2021, January 25). 21 Deeply Calming Items Everyone with an Anxious Mind Needs. Anxiety Gone. https://anxiety-gone. com/21-deeply-calming-items-everyone-with-an-anxious-mi nd-needs/ StudyFinds.org. (2019, June 12). Third Of Adults Still Sleep With “Comfort Object” From Childhood, Survey Shows. Study Finds. https://www.studyfinds.org/third-adults-sleep-comfort-object-childhood/ Transitional Objects. (2000, August 1). HealthyChildren.Org. https:// www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Transitional-Obj ects.aspx

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My

First-Year Experience S

urviving your first year of college is no easy task — especially in the midst of a global pandemic. Not only are we adapting to our new college lives, but to an entirely different way of learning.

Staying optimistic in times like these has proven difficult, especially when high expectations are met with unpredictable plot twists. Interviews from three freshmen portray an accurate depiction of how students are surviving their first year of college.

Zoë Holguin (she/her/they/them) experienced the loss felt by seniors around the nation when her school year was cut short in 2020. For Lan Tran (she/her/hers), COVID-19 stopped her from moving to Eugene until winter term, and has forced her to maintain a busy schedule to keep up and stay engaged. COVID has created barriers for everyone, but for Jorge Cervantes (he/him/his), COVID prevented him from moving to Oregon in order to protect his health and well-being, as well as his families’.

WRITTEN BY BRANDON ORICK PHOTOGRAPHED BY KENNY PARK ART DIRECTOR KENNY PARK MODEL TAHOE MACK DESIGNER GRACE CARDINALE 32 ALIGN

Despite the difficulty of these times, Holguin, Tran and Cervantes are three prime examples of freshmen who are making it work and staying optimistic through everything.

EXPECTATIONS Expectations were high for this year: the first year of college – a year of freedom and self-discovery. For many, COVID changed everything we thought to expect from our first-year experience.

Holguin knew that her expectations would have to change entirely once COVID-19 invaded her senior year.

“That sudden end throws everyone off a little bit,” she said. “It was a really hard transition from high school to college.”

As time went on, Holguin did what we all had to do: adapt. And while fall term did not go as planned, it was an important learning opportunity. As homework, classes and jobs stretch students thin and it becomes difficult to catch our breath, it is important to look toward people who have developed a strategy for success.

Holguin realized in order to tackle this strenuous situation, she needed to try new approaches for problem-solving.

For instance, Holguin developed a variety of new habits in order to thrive in the online, academic environment.

Some examples include using a planner to write down all her commitments, as well as setting daily digital reminders and alarms. With these tools and an optimistic mindset, Holguin has everything she needs to flourish.

MOTIVATION As college students, our motivation is constantly fluctuating.

Sometimes sleep just sounds too good, and writing that five-page essay is the last thing you can bring yourself to do. Tran manages a schedule packed with two jobs, two extracurricular activities and a full academic load. Not having motivation is just not an option for Tran, but everyone has moments of fatigue.

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Almost all first-year students are missing the social components of college life, but Tran is a proud member of the Vietnamese Student Association and the Asian Pacific American Student Union. She purposefully sought out organizations where she could find community and a sense of belonging. “In high school I was always a floater, not really alone, but felt alone,” Tran said. “I did not have a distinct group.”

Living in a pandemic forced Tran to develop new social skills.

By joining clubs focused on her passions and elements of her identity, Tran created a community of her own in Eugene through Zoom, group chats and Discord. These social

interactions helped Tran sustain her daily motivation for life.

So, remember that even in the midst of chaos, there is always something to learn and grow from; stay optimistic, openminded and free-spirited.

UTILIZING RESOURCES AND TIME MANAGEMENT Time is so valuable, and yet for some reason, it feels like it is always fleeting – especially trying to beat an 11:59 deadline.

The overwhelming number of due dates and Canvas confusion redefined what time management and organization meant compared to life pre-COVID. Inperson classes held students accountable in regard to staying organized and remembering important dates and information; but now, in an online format, students are working almost completely independently.

One specific difference Cervantes recognized is the difference in how we engage in class. “I would be used to the teacher saying, ‘Oh you have this due for class,’” Cervantes said. Being reminded constantly makes it less of a mental

struggle to remember due dates. Everything has changed and adaptation is crucial.

As the term progresses, Cervantes continues to strategize how he can best succeed. For example, he started journaling, which led him to realize that time management is less about scheduling out hours, but actually utilizing time efficiently. He also started attending office hours, taking in-depth notes during lectures and engaging more in the online academic systems to the best of his ability. By being more proactive and engaged, he has improved not only his academic standing, but his overall perspective towards life during COVID. As life goes on and new challenges come about, having a plan is vital to your success. Think about the different strategies these three freshmen used in comparison to what you are currently doing to cope and push through.

Allow yourself to breathe, but also give your mind and body the necessary tools to keep working hard and to finish college strong.

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Journaling My Life (in quarantine)

Since quarantine started in March 2020, our lives have felt frozen in time. COVID-19 single-handedly changed all of our lives, and, frankly, you’re probably sick of hearing about it. Gone are the days of listening to “Supalonely” by BENEE and making whipped coffee, as we now follow another round of quarantine restrictions. This time, restrictions brought upon everyone because of infamous anti-maskers and Southern political leaders who failed to abide by and enforce the CDC’s guidelines. Despite the small changes to our routines with the second lockdown, conditions remain the same and we’re starting to long for the pre-pandemic days. These days we took advantage of are all we can think about while we wait for vaccine distribution. These are the same thoughts that bogged me down and started affecting my mental health back when we were first confined last spring.

WRITTEN BY CHARLIE VIGNE DESIGNED BY PAYTON ALONZO

During the months March and April, I could sense my mental health was being affected. The lack of socialization was abrupt and saddening for me, an extrovert. Even more so, I went through the same routine every day when I was at home. Additionally, school felt stressful and almost pointless. I was able to get through it because I thought there was light at the end of the tunnel. But now, as we enter another freeze, I had to look for other options to help me get through the school weeks. Luckily, there’s a new method I discovered to help me get through these strange times: journaling.

As many of us did during lockdown, I was going through old things when I stumbled upon a black copyright notebook.

When I opened it and realized it was completely empty, I realized I could journal my life each day as I lived through quar-

ILLUSTRATED BY IZZY CHEW 35 ALIGN

antine – and still do to this day! After keeping a daily diary and taking just twenty minutes of each day to write about my thoughts, emotions and the events that took place, I was surprised to see the positive results of journaling that I wasn’t anticipating. After just a few days, I noticed an improvement in my daily thoughts and self-esteem. My newfound self-awareness allowed my confidence to gradually return, and I could find the positives in a lot of little moments. What I’m describing here isn’t for any random reason. Experts agree with me and say journaling is a great way to improve multitudes of mental health ranging from anxiety, reducing stress and coping with depression.

To be honest, the thought of journaling every day seemed overwhelming to me at first, and you may understand that thought too. While I started journaling during quarantine 1.0, the thought of journaling after returning to school in the fall – with a new routine – scared me. Would I find the time to journal? What would happen if I didn’t? Fortunately, I’m here to help you start.

Starting a journal is much easier than it seems, and once you begin, it’s easy to make a nightly habit. I love the thought of physically writing down my thoughts on paper. I let my thoughts rapidly flow through my brain, and I tend to keep adding more and more until I’m just thinking and doodling on the paper. In a world of everything being online, it’s nice for me to take a break from my computer after long Zoom meetings and write with the

old-fashioned pen and paper. Even if you don’t prefer the archaic pen-and-paper method, you can always use blogs and journaling applications to journal every day. Additionally, finding a great time that works for you is a great way to let your mind relax after a long day or, vice versa, relaxing before you pick your phone up in the morning. Regardless of the method or time you chose, I encourage you to explore a writing format that you can learn to love.

I think it’s vital to keep in mind that journaling is a great outlet that allows us to be reminded of what we’re proud of, but also the mistakes we’ve made. As we journal our lives in these challenging times, it’s important to keep in mind that journaling is simply a way of doing-self-care. I love keeping a journal because it allows me to understand myself and my thoughts better, but also because it helps me calm down in times of strife. Others may love to keep a journal because it reduces stress or may even be a great way to resolve discord with others. No matter the reason, I hope that feeling frozen in time won’t stop you from putting yourself first and digging up a piece of paper and pen. The benefits of journaling are clearly worthwhile, so I look forward to your writing adventures.

Citation: Shereen. (2020, August 14). Adults at Home: Write it Down-journaling During the Coronavirus.

Library Blog. Marlin County Free Library. Retrieved February 05, 2021, from https://marinlibrary. org/adults-at-home-write-it-down-journaling-during-the-coronavirus/.

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How Stella McCartney Made a Sustainable Fashion Empire

In the world of fashion, Stella McCartney is the reigning sustainable queen. But what makes her the reigning monarch of sustainable fashion? How did she create such a successful sustainable fashion empire?

Stella McCartney is an English fashion designer. She grew up in the limelight as Paul McCartney’s daughter, a former member of The Beatles, and animal rights activist Linda McCartney. As a young adult, Stella McCartney became friends with supermodels Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. For her college thesis in 1995, she had Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell debut her collection at her graduation from London’s Central St. Martins College of Art and Design. Little did she know that was just the beginning of her sustainable fashion journey. The supermodels’ presence brought much attention to the collection. Two years later, Stella McCartney became the creative director at the French fashion house, Chloé. She had tremendous success at Chloé and sales skyrocketed under her direction, causing the brand to seek more retail space.

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Her late mother influenced Stella McCartney’s decision to become vegetarian, which affected McCartney’s decision to use animal-free alternatives.

Her mother appreciated beauty for what it is. Stella McCartney believes fashion can be luxurious with animal-free and eco-friendly clothing. In 2001, Stella McCartney left Chloé and launched her luxury, ecofriendly and cruelty-free fashion brand in partnership with French Luxury Group, Kering. Her brand does not use fur, leather, or PVC in her collections. The brand also implements waste reduction strategies throughout its supply chain. The inspiration Stella McCartney gathers from nature has made her brand spontaneous, modern and chic. Her campaigns often have an environmental message intertwined in them.

Without forgoing style, design or quality, McCartney develops innovative sustainable textiles and business models to create a more eco-friendly solution for female consumers.

On Stella McCartney’s website, under the tab Stella’s World, there is a whole section dedicated to sustainability. The information on Stella’s World offers a raw and honest personal point of view on sustainability. McCartney provides a very informational space for her consumers to learn about sustainability and the materials her brand uses. The tab also lets you know how the company is eliminating waste and taking sustainable steps to create a positive impact. Stella McCartney also measures the impact the brand has made and breaks it down for the consumer to understand easily. The tab ultimately provides how the label is committed to sustainability. On Stella’s World, she also challenges the consumer to live a more sustainable life. By extending her knowledge onto this tab and challenging the consumer, she encourages education in her consumers and makes necessary adjustments in their own lives to create an eco-friendly world.

By becoming a pioneer in the fashion world and adopting more sustainable habits, other legacy fashion houses and e-tailers have adopted the same practices as Stella McCartney. She challenges others to think of the impact they can make and take action. Along with her brand, she’s done collaborations with mainstream brands such as Adidas and H&M, changing the two collaborators’ business models to be more sustainable and eco-conscious.

In 2018, Stella McCartney launched her collaboration with a consignment store, The RealReal, to promote a circular economy that eliminates waste rather than a linear economy that operates on a system of production, consumption and disposal. When customers purchase Stella McCartney products from

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The RealReal, the store rewards them a $100 store credit to Stella McCartney to use in retail stores and online. McCartney wants to transform the fashion industry by a wholesale change of operations. As she told Vogue, “The fashion industry is the second most harmful to the planet. There’s so much work to be done.”

In the fall of 2019, Stella McCartney became part of the French luxury goods company LVMH. Stella McCartney has hopes that her sustainable business model will influence LVMH to do the same in their other fashion houses. As McCartney told Vogue, “I do firmly believe you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your style for the sustainability card.” As time progresses, Stella McCartney believes that the fashion industry should also advance to be more ethical. Her brand produces a variety of ethically made chic clothing. Stella McCartney has innovative materials and uses safer chemicals to give consumers the option of choosing an ethical clothing brand. She believes that with her brand taking these steps, other brands will follow just as some already have. Her revolutionary change in the fashion world has made her brand stand out.

Having famous parents may have brought Stella McCartney instant fame, but her diligence and persistence in creating sustainable fashion were the catalysts in her success. Challenging herself to make a luxury fashion brand that creates pieces that are sustainable yet timeless and of excellent quality is what drove Stella McCartney to create the fashion empire that exists today.

WRITTEN BY EMILY CADENA ILLUSTRATED BY MELANNY ABREGO DESIGNER COURTNEY SHAPIRO

PHOTOGRPAHED BY CHARLOTTE MOEREL

MODEL COURTNEY BOURN

WRITTEN BY EMERSON BRADY CONSTRUCTED & ART DIRECTED BY CARA HUATO DESIGNER ALLY WOODRING

Behind the scenes of cara Huato’s Citrus Dress The world isn’t the same place it was three months ago. America has a new president, people are receiving vaccinations for COVID-19 and people are finally seeing a small light at the end of the tunnel. This season Align is feeling optimistic about what the rest of 2021 holds. Cara Huato is one of Align’s artists of many mediums who was inspired by the focus on optimism this season. Huato is a photographer, designer, art director, seamstress, and the list could go on. Inspired by this issue’s bright color scheme, Huato decided to craft a dress entirely made of Orange slices.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CREATING CLOTHING PIECES? I have been creating clothing since 4th grade. My grandma taught me how to sew and entered me into 4H programs.

ARE THERE ANY DESIGNERS/CREATIVES THAT YOU TAKE INSPIRATION FROM? My current fashion inspiration has been Project Runway/Americas Next Top Model. (I’m in a very 2000’s phase right now). Although some of my all-time favorite inspirations are Hope Macauly, Twiggy, Salehe Bembury, Sean Witherspoon, Kim Jones and Virgil Abloh.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CREATIVE WORK IN GENERAL?

WHAT RESPONSE ARE YOU HOPING TO EVOKE FROM AUDIENCES WITH YOUR CLOTHING PIECE AND THE SHOOT? I always hope people think my work looks clean and beautiful, but I think the deeper conversation in this piece is about the construction of fashion and how far we can push those boundaries. And how beautiful things can be created when we do push the boundaries.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FASHION? My relationship with fashion is constantly evolving. I am very interested in fashion as an art form and how it impacts our lens on the world. I think that fashion holds a lot of power over how we see the world and how the world sees us. I am constantly trying to learn more about how I can and want to use that power.

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THIS PIECE IN PARTICULAR?

I prioritize beauty and aesthetics through my work in order to start deeper conversations. I consider my designs simplistic and edited.

DESCRIBE THE CREATIVE PROCESS THAT WENT INTO THIS SHOOT? My creative process always begins with a lot of art boarding. I then went onto sketches of the dress and then into more design-oriented thinking considering how this would be structured. Lastly, I thought about the actual shoot, what would make the dress move, what angles and lighting are complementary, what poses and modeling fit the look of the overall shoot.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE SHOOT?

My inspirations for this piece were Project Runway, @funkierthanthou on Instagram, and the Align Pinterest account. I have always loved watching Project Runway’s unconventional challenges where designers are tasked with making an outfit of unconventional materials. I have always wanted to try that. @funkierthanthou created a lot of chainmail work on her Instagram which made me really want to try working with that. I love the accessibility metalwork provides for structure in a garment and allows her to work with such interesting materials as clothing. The Align Pinterest board had a lot of fruit, bright colors and interesting light that inspired my idea to work with fruit as a medium.

My favorite part about coordinating this shoot was the art boarding. I think that part of the process is when my creative freedom can really take hold and explore all my crazy ideas. Of course, the actual shoot is the most fun though. I had so much fun working with Charlotte and Courtney, they really brought my vision to light.

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It’s Okay, I’m Sad Too

Existing within a culture that has commodified happiness can be exhausting. Every day I am reminded of how “inadequate” my life is because I am not always happy or feeling optimistic, unlike what I see on social media or online. For a long time, I believed that I was the one at fault--I believed I was broken because I could not just be happy, but I now understand that to be untrue. We live in a capitalistic society that creates a false sense of reality by telling us we should always be happy. With advertisements that manipulate us by attributing

certain products, vacations, or experiences to the feeling of completeness, it only makes sense that we all feel so down and empty. As a person who struggles with depression and anxiety, I have had incredibly low points. I often share my experiences with those around me because I want to create a space that normalizes mental illness, but oftentimes I get challenged with a forced optimism that attempts to eradicate any feelings that threaten the idea of constant joy--this is a consequence of mass consumption.

We as a culture have become exploited by capitalism and in doing that, we attempt to diminish the conversation surrounding mental illness and the human condition. We are meant to feel highs and lows, especially because existing is hard work! But, with every moment that life wears you down, we assume that purchasing another item will fix it. Self-care has become a buzzword for companies. They tell us purchasing a new face mask or a bath bomb correlates to solving all our problems, but it’s only a temporary fix, a bandaid. With years of therapy and creating space to explore why I feel so empty all of the time, I have learned about what real self-care is.

It is not purchasing more clothes for my closet or another lipstick--though I always find an excuse to-- but rather, it is taking a step back to re-evaluate my needs, creating a safe space for my inner-child, setting boundaries, and radically accepting myself. To me, being an optimist is being confident in your future self, but first, you have to learn from your past self.

I first went to therapy when I was freshly 15 and I remember being embarrassed and ashamed that I had to go. My mother insisted on it, especially since my mental state was impacting my physical health, but I was adamant to remain clammed up during my first session. Instead, I ended up leaving it with swollen eyes and a lighter air about me. It felt so good to be heard, actually heard. Almost six years later and I have been given--I have learned-- a set of tools that makes my daily life easier. I can now recognize my feelings and I can work through them, rather than avoiding them with senseless consumption. My inner child feels cherished.

When I set boundaries, I am doing it for her. When I articulate my feelings and share them with my loved ones, I know I am caring for my needs. It can make people uncomfortable, but I choose to blame that on the mirage of constant joy that fills our lives. There is no longer space for us to feel everything. Life is not supposed to be a happy advertisement. It is hard, really hard, but that is what makes it so rewarding. I have found so much more value in my experiences when I separate them from what is expected. As my mother always says, “compare, despair.” We have this constant pressure to prove our value and our worth, but in reality, we are enough by just existing, so why do we continue to partake in this vicious cycle of inadequacy?

Learning how to truly care for myself has been one of the greatest lessons in my life. Ignoring the advertisements, pressure, and judgment to fit a certain “happy person quota” is not easy, but I know I am practicing self-care every time I do it. I think that the media has told us that self-care is a singular moment, a moment

of privilege, but it should not be! You can practice self-care every day, just by tending to the needs of your inner child, whether that be cutting certain people out of your life, leaving behind old people-pleasing habits, or simply creating a space to process your emotions. Some people may try to force their perceptions of what life should be and though their experiences are valid, it does not have to be yours. We are all singular beings, so why do we always feel the need to justify and commodify ourselves and our emotions? The first step to radical acceptance, to me at least, is to understand that the only person you have to please is yourself. Not your friends and family, not your social media followers, not the people selling you the plethora of useless products--just you.

WRITTEN & ILLUSTRATED BY QUAYE MEADOW DESIGNER GRACE CARDINAL

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Bending Not Breaking

If there is one lesson to be learned from this past year, it is that change is the only constant. We live in a precarious and chaotic world, but that does not mean that we have to succumb to the negative feelings that are created by the uncertainty of life. It is difficult to maintain a positive outlook when our minds are clouded with worry and doubt, but in order to make room for self-growth, we must learn to let go of the things that do not serve us. We must learn to bend so that we do not break.

This idea of “going with the flow” is core to Buddhist philosophy because it is rooted in gratitude, kindness and growth. These values are central to the practice of yoga. Yoga has a deep history however, it does not take a master to be able to experience the powers that yoga and meditation can have on the mind, body, and soul. The goal of yoga has nothing to do with the poses, but everything to do with making peace with oneself. Yoga is a reminder that peace comes from within and when the world is full of chaos, and we can choose to welcome it rather than to fight it. Only out of kindness and love for ourselves can we take these lessons and implement them in our own lives. Yoga teaches us to accept the things we cannot change which allows us to open ourselves up to new possibilities we may otherwise never experience.

Yoga is intended to be practiced on and off the mat. It can be so valuable to retain the various tools and skills that come from yoga and to apply them to daily life. Practicing yoga is all about the journey rather than the destination; it is about living in the moment and exercising gratitude in every way, shape and form. The beauty of flowing through various poses and formations is that there is no place to be stagnant. There is no place to resist change because the only option is to create space for all that is coming.

Yoga makes space in the places where we may be stuck.

Change is uncomfortable, but it is an inevitable part of life. The sooner we learn to embrace it, the sooner we will find peace, not only with ourselves, but with the world around us. When transitioning to a new pose or simply sinking deeper into the pre-existing one, we are reminded to breathe into the discomfort, to create space. This idea reiterates the importance of letting go and letting be, allowing things to be as they are rather than trying to force them. Because of the many life teachings that yoga can provide, regular practice creates a foundation for a balanced and happy life.

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Yoga also allows us to connect deeply and truly with our authentic selves. We are all imperfectly human, and with our minds racing a mile a minute, we can lose touch with ourselves. We can lose touch with what really matters. We often get so caught up with minor inconveniences and negative thoughts, forcing us to lose sight of what is important. Yoga helps us to focus on the “right” things; the things that are worth energy. In doing so, it reminds us to be picky about where we spend our energy. Why would someone waste their time focusing on something that makes them unhappy when they could use the same energy to focus on all that they are grateful for instead? Rooted in silence, yoga creates space to find our true selves. Yoga is a balance between control and surrender. It is a reminder to allow what flows to flow, and what crashes to crash. There is no benefit in putting energy into something that cannot be controlled. Yoga teaches us to bend, to remain open -minded and flexible in times of change. It creates a space of calm within the chaos by clearing away all of the things that can cloud judgement and prevent us from living authentically. By engaging in such a healing practice, we can learn to shift our focus and open our hearts.

Yoga is freedom, it allows us to be who we want to be, while simultaneously challenging us to be better. When we begin to accept ourselves, we will learn to accept the world around us exactly as it is. Through yoga, it can be understood that peace comes from within, and once one is peaceful on the inside, the world will become a reflection of that.

ART DIRECTOR KIERAN GOSS WRITTEN BY OLIVIA STEIN PHOTOGRAPHED BY SAMANTHA JOH MODEL EMMA MITCHELL DESIGNER SEBASTIAN HEALY

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How to Overcome the Mundane Morning

Life can feel like a bit of a blur right now. The days feel like they blend together, and not having a sense of direction or purpose to start your day can make this even more difficult. That’s why developing a morning routine and implementing healthy habits into your life daily is important.

day has greatly improved her daily life. “I made it a routine every morning to go the same time every day for an hour, and I try to go four miles every time I go,” Koll explained.

This structure each morning has allowed her to flourish in her academic and personal life. She said, “It improves my day a lot, it makes me more focused on my homework, it improves my mood, it makes me more energized throughout Lauren Koll, a University of Oregon student, explained how the day… I used to drink caffeine every day and now I don’t starting her days off with a nice morning walk every single need to because I feel like my morning walk is sufficient

for that.” This is just one example of how one can create a each and every day with a shower will always get him on the healthy lifestyle that will benefit them not just physically, right track to success. Wind said, “You can start a day with but mentally as well. hours of grogginess and unproductivity… in order to maximize my productivity I shower right when I wake up to avoid For some, getting in touch with the rest of the world to be- wasting too much time.” gin their day provides a sense of comfort. University of Oregon student, Jennifer Singh, elaborated on how just turn- Consistently showering at the beginning of every day aling on the news each morning lets her feel more connected lows Wind to make the most of his time and live each day to our world. “I actually turn on the news in our living room to the fullest. However, it is also helpful to make sure he is and I’ll watch that… starting my day off with getting a bunch looking stylish as well. He explained how this combination of information about what’s going on around me kind of of showering and ensuring he looks his best makes him feel motivates me… I’m in the loop, I’m ready to go,” Singh said. good in the morning and ready to tackle the day.

This has allowed Singh to feel more in touch with her life- It doesn’t matter how you start each day or what kind of style from before the pandemic began. After watching daily routines you have, as long as they get you in the right the news, she tends to go out to a coffee shop or the EMU headspace. However, building these morning habits cresince she finds it makes her more productive. She said, “I’ve ates a healthy routine that can make our repetitive panbeen going and working in places other than my apartment demic days feel a lot brighter. which makes me feel more normal just because I’m going and doing my work somewhere else just like last year.”

Some people just need something as simple as a morning shower to get their day started correctly. AJ Wind, another WRITTEN AND DESIGNED BY DEAN GRIFFIN University of Oregon student, elaborated on how starting ILLUSTRATED BY OLIVIA CROOKER 50 ALIGN

PHOTOGRAPHED BY SOPHIA PRINCE MODELS ARIANNA VAN BERGEN & CHI-AN LU

THE BENEFITS OF

AROMATHERAPY

DESIGNER COURTNEY SHAPIRO

ART DIRECTOR ARIANNA SANTIAGO

WRITTEN BY PAYTON ALONZO

How these 5 essential oils can benefit your day-to-day life and offer a new perspective on health and wellness Lavender

Eucalyptus

Lavender is one of the most versatile essential oils. With the power to soothe insomnia and provide stress relief, this scent can implement impactful changes into one’s life. Along with these benefits, lavender is also viewed as an anti-inflammatory and an aid for menstrual cramps. These are just a few of the many benefits, which is why lavender is so popular among the essential oils.

Eucalyptus oil is very beneficial to respiratory health. If one is experiencing coughing, the properties of this oil can help clear the throat and chest. This oil also has the capabilities to clear mucus from one’s chest. Eucalyptus also has properties that repel bugs, which is far more natural than most bug repellants. Cold sores and wounds are also treatable with the topical care of eucalyptus oils.

Cedarwood One of cedarwood’s strongest benefits is helping with hair growth. This is something that is known to help people with alopecia. Cedarwood is also known to recover dry and flaky scalps.

Acne can also be treated with cedarwood oils because of the specific properties within cedarwood. Overall, cedarwood is a great essential oil for skin treatments and topical care.

Thyme Thyme essential oil has many benefits to one’s physical health.

For example, thyme can help with inflammation and heart health.

Food bacteria can also be countered by thyme oil. Thyme oil also has the capability to preserve oral health and can prevent inflammation. Many oral care products have thyme oil in it for these reasons.

Rose Rose oil is famously known for benefitting peoples’ skin. Due to the many different antioxidants and minerals, this oil is often found in facial products. Rose oil can also help soothe menstrual and menopausal symptoms. Mental health is also closely related to rose oil, as it is proven to help with anxiety and depression.

Rose oil has many different benefits, both topical and mental, that allow people to feel rejuvenated and cleansed.

Citations: Wong, Cathy. “The Health Benefits of Lavender Essential Oil.” Verywell Mind, 9 Dec. 2020, www. verywellmind.com/lavender-for-less-anxiety-3571767. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-are-essential-oils#types https://www.healthline.com/health/cedarwood-essential-oil#benefits https://www.healthline.com/health/thyme-oil#benefits-uses https://www.healthline.com/health/9-ways-eucalyptus-oil-can-help#bug-repellent Krouse, Lauren. “How Eucalyptus Oil Can Clear Your Cold, Reduce Pain, and Keep Bugs Away.” Prevention, 10 Mar. 2021, www.prevention.com/health/a30615989/eucalyptus-oil-benefits/.

Heliotrope San Francisco. “The Magical Benefits of Rose Aromatherapy.” Heliotrope San Francisco, 26 Sept. 2018, www.heliotropesf.com/blogs/news/the-magical-benefits-of-rose-aromatherapy.

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S u p er f r ui t s

Normally, an ice cold açai smoothie can rival any bad day; but managing one’s nutrient intake on top of the never-ending list of chores can be seemingly impossible, even on a good year. Many people are left wondering where they will find the time or energy to incorporate healthy foods into their diet. Luckily nutritionists are constantly looking for easy ways to add healthy ingredients into average people’s lifestyles. The trendy new solution: superfruits.

Superfruit is a new term and it does not have many strict parameters; however, superfruits must be high in antioxidants and nutrient dense. Antioxidants are produced naturally by the human body, yet they can also be found in fruits, vegetables, and vitamins E and C. Some superfruits are exotic and difficult to acquire but the traditional list is fairly standard: açai berries, blueberries, cranberries, goji berries, pomegranates, and grapes. One might notice the majority of super fruits are berries. These berries specifically contain a high amount of antioxidants compared to other fruits.

Antioxidants are at the heart of what makes a fruit “super.”

So it only makes sense to explain why they are so fundamental to human health. There is a category of toxins in the human body known as free radicals. These can come from smoke intake, alcohol intake, lack of oxygen, high blood sugar, and more negative behaviors. When free radicals greatly outnumber antioxidants the human body enters a state known as oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can damage cells leaving an individual susceptible to disease or cancer. Most commonly, oxidative stress speeds up the aging process, something that celebrities are highly wary of.

Hollywood is the epitome of individuals using whatever new trick they can to maintain their youthful radiance. This is why any new food or supplement that claims to prevent aging sells well. Some will argue that the term superfruit is merely a marketing term and should be taken very lightly.

Those interested in superfoods should not assume that their life will change in a significant way by merely consuming the foods. The active consumption of antioxidants is simply a way to ensure the avoidance of oxidative stress in the hopes of consuming something more tasty in the process.

The superfruits mentioned above can be excellent sources of nutrients throughout one’s daily routine. One could simply snack on them whole or they can be blended for more creative consumption methods. The options for superfruit smoothies are fairly limitless, however a good place to start is: coconut water as a liquid base, acai berries, blueberries, a banana, and any powders or supplements one might regularly add to their drinks. To make things more exciting the smoothie mixture can be added to a bowl and served with fresh fruit, seeds, and granola. Smoothie bowls have become increasingly popular in recent years.

Although some will accuse superfruits as being nothing more than a new health food trend with the main goal of collecting money, there are some considerable benefits from consuming fruits rich in antioxidants. One should not have to compromise their budget for healthy eating. Superfruits can be a great way to have a refreshing snack while quickly preventing oxidative stress. Ultimately, everyone’s body and nutritional needs are very different and not everything that works for one individual will work for another. Experimenting with different ingredients and recipes is the only way to truly know what makes one feel their very best.

WRITTEN BY LOGAN ROBERTSON ILLUSTRATED BY MORIAH ARNOLD DESIGNER KATE HEDGEPETH

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How thrifting and secondhand stores can be venues of self-exploration

Reduce Reuse Rediscover

The first time I remember being conscious of what sorts of clothes I wanted to buy was in sixth grade. Before then I hadn’t really cared what I wore, as long as it was comfy. Sweat pants in the winter, shorts in the summer. I don’t even think I wore jeans until middle school simply because I thought denim was too restrictive.

But as my voice cracked and deepened, and hair began to sprout between my legs and under my arms, a growing anxiety festered in my body, rooted in some deep and instinctual tribalism. I needed to dress normal so I could fit in.

For an American adolescent, a shopping trip is a coming of age ritual. I can remember my poor mother taking me to the mall as I tried to figure out how I was going to present myself. For whatever reason, I decided that in order to blend in with the other kids at school I needed to wear jeans and a black hoodie.

I didn’t know anything about style. I didn’t know anything about which brands were “cool” and which weren’t. I just came to the conclusion that if I continued to dress as I had as a fifth grader, I would look childish and be ridiculed.

One October morning, when the weather had started to cool down, I came to school in my new jeans and a hoodie from the Gap store. My peers saw the large GAP branded across my chest and snickered. I was confused. Hadn’t I done enough to be normal? Wasn’t my hoodie cool enough?

It wasn’t until later that afternoon that one of my friends explained to me – with a twinge of delight at knowing something I didn’t – that the reason everyone was making fun of me was because GAP was secretly an acronym. “It means ‘Gay and Proud,’” he said slyly. I was mortified.

Three years after the Gap sweatshirt incident, on the eve of my freshman year of highschool, I entered a rebellious phase. I didn’t want to be invisible anymore; I wanted to make a statement.

My more cultured friends took me somewhere I had never been before: a thrift shop.

There I found the artifacts and adornments I felt would convey my new found spirit of independence: black skinny jeans, band t-shirts, a leather jacket that was two sizes too big. Best of all because it was so cheap, I didn’t need my parents to come with me to buy the stuff. I could get it myself. It was the coming of age of my coming of age.

And while that first trip to the thrift shop was made in the spirit of dissent, it was the beginning of a new understanding about what clothes were and how they worked. I felt empowered instead of embarrassed. My choices of what to wear had less to do with fitting in, and more to do standing out.

I was lucky enough to grow up in Portland Oregon, where there is a wealth of secondhand and vintage shops. When I moved to Eugene last year I worried that I would have a hard time finding places with a similar vibe and selection.

Fortunately my colleague and photographer Malena Saadeh suggested I check out Eugene Jeans.

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Eugene Jeans is located on 13th Ave a few blocks away from the university campus. When I walked in to check it out on a sunny Thursday afternoon, I was struck by how low key it was. Their Facebook page, which I had glanced at earlier, mentioned that people were asking if they had a website. “We don’t have a website,” the about section states.

“We are low-tech.”

A Japanese pop record was spinning on an old turntable, beside a stack of records listed “not for sale” – though, there was still a considerable amount of vinyl available for just a dollar a piece scattered throughout the store. Vintage lunch boxes decorated with cartoon characters sat on a shelf above plaid button down shirts. I was charmed by the eclectic mix of apparel on display: chunky sweaters with gaudy embroidery, t-shirts from past Oregon Ducks sports events and a number of handsome herringbone jackets. I found a lovely Pendleton coat for only $24, which I couldn’t resist picking up.

There’s some kind of self discovery that takes place in spaces like these. I felt as though I was in conversation with the clothes on the rack. I was seeking out some piece that spoke to me, something that felt, well, like “me.” This is the joy of thrifting: the possibility of finding things that feel authentic and genuine. As I left Eugene Jeans that evening, I thought about how much happier I was having found not only a nice coat, but also having discovered a place that I enjoyed browsing in, where my self expression could flourish among the fabrics.

WRITTEN BY MAX SERGIENKO DESIGNED BY COURTNEY SHAPIRO ART DIRECTOR KYANA HARRIS

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MALENA SAADEH MODEL LILLIAN HOTCHKIN

S peaking in T ongues (1983) WRITTEN BY MALENA SAADEH DESIGNER ALLYSSA OGAARD

- The Talking Heads

Speaking in Tongues (1983) You’ve definitely seen them before while walking through the party on a Friday night. The place goes silent as they pass and all eyes are stuck on the one with looks that could kill. Their outfit is the most outlandish outfit you’ve ever laid eyes on. They make their way past you as they strut across the dining room like it's their New York Fashion Week debut. You stand by silently watching and wondering if you’d ever be so bold.

We’ve all wanted our 15 minutes of outfit infamy and the truth is -- it’s always been ours for the taking. Whether you're headed to the event of the century or just another quick trip to Target, allow yourself the liberty to tap into your wild side wherever you go.

Burning Down The House First things first, if you’re working up the confidence to be outrageous, you better back that feeling with a soundtrack that screams self-assured. Start off by spinning Talking Heads Speaking in Tongues and let the opening track “Burning Down The House” bring out your will to be weird. When the funk sets in — which believe me, it will — take a peek into your closet.

Go ahead and make a mental note of every piece of clothing you’d wear on your average trip to Trader Joes. Got those items picked out? Perfect. Chuck em’ to the side — now the real digging begins.

Making Flippy Floppy Pull out three or four of your most offbeat items and lay them out on your bed. Nervous yet? Throw on your pieces in front of a nice big mirror with room for you to dance around and watch the clothes become extensions of your arms and legs. The key is to ride the fine line between personal comfort and what pushes your boundaries a bit. When you let your personal style become a pigeon hole, your creativity is stifled. Be wary of boxing yourself in with your day-to-day look.

Girlfriend Is Better Now that you have your threads secured and spun this album three songs deep, it’s high time you browse your shoe selection.

Just like the clothes, purge anything that seems ordinary. Only keep in front of you what makes you whisper a faint “Oh, shit ” as you imagine rocking it in front of a crowd. Don’t be afraid to take up space no matter your build and grab the lankiest loafers you can get your hands on. Own that room.

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Slippery People You're worried now and are imagining all the worst case scenarios of what people will think of you. You overthink all the anecdotes your name could potentially pop up in for years to come. Forget ALL of it. Assume better of the folks around you and revel in the satisfaction of knowing that they all stay envious of the huevos it took to pull that look off.

I Get Wild Now that you’ve got your canvas all covered, it’s time to color outside of the lines for a minute. Get your hands on anything you find beautiful and ask yourself what you like about it. Really think on this for a minute. Figure out what catches your eye and know that if you commit to becoming it, it will definitely catch the eyes of everyone you pass by.

Swap Side Two of this record seems like the right time to remind yourself to not take this avant-garde agenda so seriously that you get stuck in the swamp of people pleasing. Dressing up is only rewarding if you do it for yourself. Wear what makes you feel good because it makes you feel good. Life's way too short to get caught up in trying to fit in someone else's idea of right and wrong.

Moon Rocks You're finally ready. Dolled up from head to toe in the most striking pieces you could pull together looking perfectly conspicuous. You’re looking in the mirror and the most intrepid creature is staring right back at you. The only thing that could blow this whole thing away now is a lack of confidence. Pull your shoulders down and back and stand up a little straighter — there you go, you got it on lock now.

Pull Up The Roots Two tracks to go, it’s almost time to step out. Take a final deep breath and grab your bag while you ride into the outro of this groovy little number.

This Must Be The Place You’ve made it on out and you’re looking like a stone cold killer.

Ride the lyrics of this last track and take these words to heart as you sweep up the streets — “The less we say about it the better, Make it up as we go along, Feet on the ground, Head in the sky, It's ok I know nothing's wrong.”

MODELS MARIGOLD STENGER & IMANI WOLERY ART DIRECTOR JAS McKINLEY PHOTOGRAPHED BY ILKA SANKARI & JAS McKINLEY

How Cannabis Has Improved My Quality of Life WRITTEN BY ALLIE HOLT

ILLUSTRATED BY EMMA WILLIAMS

Hi, my name is Allie and I’ve had chronic migraines for eight years and counting. These migraines were brought on by a concussion when I was younger, and have since then been followed by two concussions from car accidents. My head hurts every single day.

Every morning I wake up with throbbing pain that’s usually behind my left eye and try not to throw up from how much it hurts. I have to lay down in bed with an ice pack in a dark room and hope that this torture will go away. When this happens, I can’t complete any of my daily tasks or schoolwork, only rest.

This lasts anywhere from a couple of hours to multiple days before the migraine breaks and I fall back into its exhausting cycle.

I’ve tried more migraine medications that I can count. Doctors told me there would never be a cure for my migraines, only temporary pain relief. Pills and injectable summatriptans left me fatigued, nauseous and unable to focus the rest of my day.

It came to a point where I would get used to the medications and their side effects wore off, or my insurance wouldn’t cover it. My new neurologist prescribed me a beta-blocker that required me to drink almost a gallon of water a day, change my diet and exercise regime. As a chronically ill person, it was impossible for me to do this because every day looks different for me. In the end, I wasn’t getting any pain relief and suffered in silence.

When I was younger, I was taught in school that drugs are bad and to never take them. My first impressions of cannabis started off negative. I had been offered it at parties, but al-

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DESIGNER DEAN GRIFFIN

ways said no. What I didn’t know was that weed would change my chronic pain and overall quality of life.

Typically I start and end my day with a migraine, so I tried a 5mg edible before bed to get pain relief at night. My pain usually jolts me awake at night. After taking an edible I slept through the night without any interruptions. When I woke up I had minimal head pain for the first time in years.

I remember crying tears of joy that day. I finally had something to make my pain more bearable. I was more functional throughout the day whenever I took an edible. It would take about an hour for me to feel it, but when the high hit I could feel the pressure ease from my brain. I finally had enough energy to clean my room and do my homework. The edible high would last for five hours before the pain would creep up on me. But for those five hours, I was pain-free and loving every second of it.

Because edibles take longer to hit, I decided to try smoking to get quicker relief. Smoking gives me a different effect than edibles do. All the tension in my body ceases to exist, and I’m fully energized. If I wake up with a migraine, I only need to smoke once from my vape pen before I feel my migraine symptoms subside.

I’m able to eat better in the mornings instead of skipping out on food because my migraine made me nauseous. I can take my dog on longer walks without feeling exhausted. I can get my schoolwork done on time. This is all because of cannabis.

Without it, I would spend more days in bed in agonizing pain, and for that, I’m grateful for cannabis.

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WRITTEN BY GILLIAN ARTHUR

I’m not usually one to go for fruity candy. Sure, I’ve dabbled in sour patch kids, starbursts and Swedish fish, but if given the choice I’ll always pick something rich and chocolatey over something sour and fruity. Indulgent is the name and dark chocolate is my game. You could give me anything dipped in dark chocolate and I’d eat it, no questions asked. Whether it’s a tub of chocolate-covered almonds next to my bed, chocolate-covered strawberries in my freezer and dark chocolate bars in my cupboard, I live my life in chocolate and rarely ever candy. It wasn’t until college I opened my chocolate heart and gave candy a chance. I’m not talking about any candy though; I’m talking about lördagsgodis.

Prior to the pandemic, you might have recognized this (very Scandinavian-looking) word from IKEA. Lördagsgodis originates from Sweden, meaning “Saturday sweets” or “Saturday candy.” Counter to what you’d think, this tradition started in the 1950s as a government project to keep children from getting cavities. The idea being: all candy is off-limits during the week but can be enjoyed on the weekends and in a more festive manner.

Mysig Fredag, or “cozy Friday” is another similar Swedish concept where families stay home, wear comfortable clothes, watch movies, and eat snacks or food they otherwise wouldn’t eat during the week. While some health experts question lördagsgodis and mysig fredag’s heath effectiveness, it’s no doubt both have become a Swedish institution. So much so that Swedes eat more than 50kg of sugar per year on average, 25% of that being from candy. To put that in perspective, that’s three times what the

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World Health Organization recommends and an average of 2/3 pound candy consumption per week. Similar to American traditions, the Swedes associate candy with holidays and special events, making candy a staple in homes on the weekends and during holiday seasons.

Because of its popularity, getting candy from a Swedish supermarket looks a bit different than if you were to pick up packages of Halloween candy in the US. If you venture to a Swedish supermarket you’ll find a whole wall dedicated to lördagsgodis in a pick n mix style (IKEA and Scandinavian Specialties in Seattle are the only places I know where you can get Swedish candy in bulk).

wall dedicated “ a whole to lördagsgodis ”

These candy walls were installed in the 80s, driving up the consumption of candy in Sweden.

Lined with treats like gummy kicks, sour skulls, Swedish fish, and salted licorice, the candy combinations one can choose are nearly endless, which is why it’s all the more exciting to take a trip and refill your candy bag every lördagsgodis.

Whether you’re one for chocolate, a sweet tooth, or none of the above, the opportunity to grab your godispåse (candy bag) and fill it with all the candy it can carry is truly any child or adult’s sugary fantasy. Just make sure you don’t overindulge in these decadent sweets, or else or your stomach, your teeth, and your dentist might not thank you.

ART DIRECTOR KATHERINE STALLARD PHOTOGRAPHED BY ISABELLE HESSE MODEL ELIZA ARONSON DESIGNER SOPHIE SARGEANT

Freedom is...

WRITTEN & DESIGNED BY KAELEIGH JAMES ILLUSTRATED BY IZZY CHEW

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freedom is is freedom om is freed edom is fre m is freedo s freedom i

Riding the bus by yourself for the first time.

Passing the same scenery you always have, only this time it feels a little different.

Freedom is growing up.

Getting your driver’s license.

Traveling down long winding roads, on unknown dirt paths, through forests,

and across miles of unknown land,

unsure where the next turn will take you.

Freedom is getting lost.

Going to the beach in time to catch the sunset.

The sound of the ocean waves could put you to sleep, but instead, you’re running for the ocean, stripping your clothes as you go.

Skinny dipping at midnight.

The memories are worth the chill.

Freedom is spontaneity.

Moving into your own place.

Making your first pot of coffee there,

cuddling up for your first movie night,

your first dance-till-we-drop-pajama-party

your first fight, failure, love story, and breakthrough.

Freedom is having space to grow.

Buying a one-way ticket to elsewhere.

No one knows you there.

It’s scary, but you feel more alive than ever before.

Freedom is taking risks.

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edom is fre freedom is om is freed edom is fre m is freedo freedom is Tossing your head out the car window, eyes closed,

and screaming a song into the wind.

Freedom is an emotional release.

Losing yourself in the music at your first concert.

Closing your eyes and feeling the beat, lights, and passion pounding through your eyelids.

Freedom is letting loose.

Buying your first legal drink.

That dumb 21st birthday sash, tee, or crown your friends “forced” you to wear and you wore the whole night like a badge of honor.

The blisters you wake up with,

reminiscing on all the fun from the night before.

Freedom is dancing like no one is watching.

In 2021, freedom looks a little different.

Wearing a mask,

getting vaccinated

and staying home whenever you can leads to freedom.

In 2021, freedom is put on pause.

Freedom is anytime your eyes fall shut, a smile creeps onto your face,

and you’re reminded why life is worth living.

Freedom is feeling alive.

It’s a visceral feeling.

Seek it, feel it, find it and this year, wait for it Because there’s nothing else like it & we’ll have it once again

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Dancing with Myself N

WRITTEN BY JENNAH PENDLETO

W

hen the topic of dance comes up, a heartbreaking number of people will tell me that they don’t like it. “I don’t actually hate it,” they clarify. “I actually really like it, I’m just bad.”

As a lifelong dancer whose life has been completely informed by creative movement, I feel shocked and confused that someone could dislike dancing. To me, it’s like saying that you hate to speak. To not dance seems like a suppression of something innate and natural, a piece of yourself that is purely human.

Historians speculate that the impulse to dance may have existed in early primates before they evolved into humans. It is a natural form of communication, an extrapolation of the body language that informs our everyday interactions. When we dance, we are reverting to the oldest form of creation when we didn’t have tools to create art and only used our bodies and intuition. Early civilizations used dance in rituals to celebrate, to mourn, and to tell the stories of the gods. Before written language, dance was a primary method of passing stories through generations.

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ILLUSTRATED BY ELSA DOUGLASS

Dancing is more than just a means of social communication. It is also a form of internal connection. Dancing requires you to be present in a way that many of us are not used to. You must take stock of the physical sensations of your body. Your internal rhythm takes over and you discover things about your mental state that you weren’t previously aware of. With regular practice, you gain the ability to creatively interpret a piece of music, fully experience that music, and become one with it. There is a reason it feels impossible to stay still at a great concert.

Despite humans’ natural inclination to move, many avoid it precisely for the reasons above. Dance is inherently personal. No one person moves the same way due to the innate qualities of having different minds and bodies. The way someone moves expresses a lot about a person and the anxiety of being truly seen that way can be quite scary.

I believe this is the reason people say that they don’t like to dance. Mother of modern dance Martha Graham once said, “dance is the hidden language of the soul, of the body.

And it’s partly the language that we don’t want to show.”

Others might like to dance in a social context, but underestimate the value it can bring to their lives when alone.

After nearly a year spent in isolation, many of us are still struggling to construct a routine that is healthy physically and mentally. Many people might recommend exercise as a way to improve your mood and stay healthy during the pandemic, but it can be hard to find the motivation to do strength training or cardio. Many advocates of self-care suggest yoga as a means to combine mental tranquility with physical activity while we deal with being physically distanced, but dancing may be able to offer just as much with the added benefit of being a creative outlet.

Learning to dance doesn’t have to be a formal activity.

Letting loose in your living room to music that hypes you up is a wonderful thing to do for yourself. However, there is a lot of value and joy to be found in taking up a specific form that interests you.

There is the ever-present issue of accessibility in dance.

To receive a formal education in dance is a privilege that

many people do not have access to. Others may have felt excluded from dance classes because of the shape of their bodies or their physical ability. Thanks to the internet, there are more options for people who have been previously excluded.

Teachers are offering classes over Instagram live and Zoom for almost any style you can think of including ballet, West African, and even Vogue. Many of these recordings are free or donation-based. DanceAbility International, an organization based in Eugene that seeks to create opportunities for people with and without disabilities to dance together, is also offering some Zoom classes.

While participating in online classes is fun and fulfilling, I have found improv to be the most personally fulfilling during quarantine. I am most at one with my body and inner self when I am intuitively moving to music, exploring my inner feelings, and expressing them physically.

DESIGNER ALEXA ANDERSON

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