Drake Mag Winter 2023 by Drake Mag

Drake Mag WINTER 2023 | VOL. 63, ISSUE 1

LGBTQIA+ VOICES IN RELIGION

GOOD FOR HER: FEMALE RAGE IN FILM

THE

THE HARD TRUTH ABOUT

SEX

ERAS TOUR THE ECONOMY

Thank you to our sponsors of the Winter 2023 issue of Drake Mag

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nate Eisenmann

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

ART DIRECTOR Lily Eckenrode PHOTO EDITOR Tori Oliver MANAGING EDITOR Bella Spah SENIOR EDITOR Kylie Petty ASSISTANT EDITOR Zoey Borkowski Sadie Jones DESIGN APPRENTICE Allie Raines BUSINESS & PR DIRECTOR Colson Thayer

rake Mag just came off another high. We took first in the 2023 College Media Association’s Pinnacle Feature Magazine of the Year and we were finalists for the Associated Collegiate Press Magazine Pacemaker Award. That’s on top of our two third-place awards iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiduring this summer’s ACP Clips + Clicks Contest. We’ve also had our share of challenges, like walking into the newly renovated Meredith Hall and having our magazine office taken over by construction tools, an array of paper towel dispensers, and a janitorial cart. But we’re pushing through. We made a great magazine for you anyway, our own way. And that’s a trend I encourage you to look for in these stories. Even with the pandemic barely behind us, things are inching back to “normal,” whatever that word means. We’re working three jobs to afford a concert road trip if it’s for one of the artists who got us through that time. We’re making our own spiritual journeys as LGBTQIA+ people, despite being excluded from so many churches. We’re finding ways to deal with what we’re calling climate anxiety — that feeling of existential dread driven by the effects of global warming that older generations are so graciously leaving us with, a feeling that may not be officially recognized, but that we’re pretty familiar with. Just like the people in these stories, the Drake Mag staff has shown grit and perseverance through the past few years. We’d like to thank our peers, professors, readers, and sponsors for helping us put together this magazine. We’re proud to show you what we’ve been working on.

Nate Eisenmann, Editor-in-Chief

Special thanks to Dean Catherine Staub, Associate Dean Kelly Bruhn, Jen Wilson, Jeff Inman, Kate Busch, Drake School of Journalism & Mass Communication, Gina Ryan, Christian Edwards Printing, AM Apparel, all of our models, and everyone who’s supported us behind the scences.

Copyright 2023 by Drake Mag and Drake Magazine. Drake Mag is published with the support of the Board of Student Communiations. Opinions expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of Drake University. Please direct any questions, comments, or concerns to drakemag@gmail.com.

PHOTO Summar Ahartz Joshua Bruer Michael Cummings Madissen Kerman Karis Tuve DESIGN Ava Barvian Princess Hart Maria Hernandez Eve Kelly Maddie Kruse Ava Leigh Reese Modugno Allie Raines Tyler Strachan Eli Woodson Emily Zeller WORDS Floyd Ezell Amanda Favazza Mara Fendrich Jack Harrington Caroline Hill Sarah Jamil Skylar Lathrop Mel Munoz Morgen Neuhauser Gunner Onkst Aidan Quinlan Elizabeth Rosa Ryley Roudabush Victoria Soliz Reno Valentino

CONTENTS BITS & PIECES Dump it | A guide to an Instagram photo dump Crystal Clear | Strength from stones 5 Things to Say When You Don’t Want to Drink | Sober under pressure How to Soft Launch Your Relationship | Show off your boo Finance for Gen Z | Budgeting in the 21st century 4 Gadgets You Need in Your Kitchen | Plug in and get cooking

AESTHETICS

Making Beauty Accessible | Inclusive tools to boost your look Capsule Accessories | Add to any outfit Makeup Tips for Men | A beginner’s guide Fast Fashion is Sabotaging the Planet | Skip over Shein

WELLNESS

FEATURES

Accessibility in Cities: Real or Urban Legend? | It doesn’t need to be so complicated I Can Have a Spiritual Journey | LGBTQIA+ voices in Christianity Lessons from Loss | Moving forward from grief

CULTURE

DRAKE MAG | WINTER 2023

BITS & PIECES

DUMP IT The Instagram trend that’s taking over everyone’s feeds

WORDS AMANDA FAVAZZA | PHOTO KARIS TUVE | DESIGN MADDIE KRUSE

Photo dumps — posting a few photos at a time from different events or moments in your life — have transformed Instagram. Here’s how to create the perfect photo dump.

1. DECIDE IF YOU NEED ALL 10 SLIDES.

Instagram allows you to post up to 10 photos per post. Decide which photos best speak to your feed. If you have any photos left, post them on your story.

2. AVOID REPETITION.

Your followers already saw it once. Repetition diminishes the elusive aspect. If you posted the picture on your story before creating the dump, don’t include it again.

3. START THE POST WITH A PHOTO THAT WILL COMPLIMENT YOUR FEED. This will attract more interaction and will be in your feed — the square grid of previous posts that followers see when they click on your profile. Incorporate cohesive colors that extend the aesthetic of your feed, or use an object or scene as your cover, rather than your face. This can break up your feed to display your interests.

4. FOLLOW PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS.

Even though a photo dump isn’t for the best looking photos, don’t throw the rulebook out the window. Think of the rule of thirds, flattering angles, and appropriate lighting. To make your iced matcha latte more visually appealing, use the grid tool on your phone and align your subject along the grid lines. Try a new angle to make your post more worthy of a like. Decide what the mood of your photo is and adjust lighting accordingly. Play around with contrast. Try softer lighting for a warm or effortlessly natural look or use more contrast to create a dramatic or edgy vibe.

5. CAPTION WISELY.

Instead of “photo dump,” combinations of emojis, song titles, or lyrics can be used as caption placeholders. But make sure your photos tell the story, not the caption.

WORDS KYLIE PETTY PHOTO JOSHUA BRUER DESIGN ALLIE RAINES

Whether or not you believe in the power of crystals, they look great, serve as cheap room décor, and there are so many out there to choose from. Try these five to get started on your crystal journey. You may even experience their benefits along the way.

CLEAR QUARTZ: FOR VERSATILITY

Clear quartz is a translucent white stone and one of the most popular crystals to have in your repertoire. As the ultimate healing stone, it’s used for everything from bringing clarity to boosting self-esteem. Clear quartz can also be used to amplify your intentions, or the qualities of other crystals.

AMETHYST: FOR BALANCE

This purple stone is believed to help with balancing and centering. It nurtures deep contemplation, aids in decision-making, and can help calm your mind for sleep and emotional balance. To bring balance to your life overall, carry amethyst with you.

ROSE QUARTZ: FOR LOVE

Called the “love crystal,” it’s a pale pink color that’s helpful in both romantic love and self-love. Rose quartz deepens all kinds of relationships, healing old and new emotional wounds. Whether you’re looking for love in another or in yourself, give rose quartz a try.

SMOKY QUARTZ: FOR DETOX

Translucent and brown-gray in color, smoky quartz is a detoxifying crystal that blocks negative energy and helps the mind focus on the positive. It helps to dispel negative thoughts, anxieties, and anything else that may be holding you back.

SELENITE: FOR CLEANSING

Crystal Clear

Learn how a stone can transform you.

Chalky and opaque-white, selenite radiates clarity and peace. Use it to relinquish anxieties and gain healthy insight. It cleanses your mind to aid in making decisions and setting clear intentions. This stone is also used to cleanse other crystals which is important to maintain your crystals’ energies.

DRAKE MAG 5

BITS & PIECES

5 THINGS TO SAY WHEN YOU DON’T WANT TO DRINK WORDS FLOYD EZELL DESIGN LILY ECKENRODE

Let’s face it: Giving in to peer pressure is easy. People are pushy and it can be uncomfortable, but it doesn’t have to be. Next time you find yourself at a party, and you don’t want to drink whatever the annoying frat boy is shoving into your hand, try one of these five ways to say a clear and confident no.

1. “NO, THANKS. I’M THE DESIGNATED DRIVER.”

Nobody wants a drunk driver on the roads. You don’t have to be the actual DD, but the person pressuring you may back off when you claim the job.

2. “I’M SOBER.”

Sobriety isn’t a joke. People can be sober for all kinds of reasons from health to family addiction issues — but you usually don’t have to say much else about it if you just say you want to stay sober.

3. “I WISH I COULD, BUT I’VE GOT AN INTERVIEW TOMORROW.”

Most people can empathize with the need to be on your toes for a job. Expressing a boundary between work and social life is a classy move that requires little to no explanation.

4. “I’VE ALREADY GOT A DRINK.”

This one requires holding some sort of beverage in hand. It’s nobody’s business but yours if it’s non-alcoholic. If you’re already sipping something, chances are you won’t be pressured into another drink.

5. “NO.”

In some cases, just say no. It might be better than providing an excuse, genuine reason, or a lie. If the people around you don’t respect your boundaries, they aren’t worth your time.

How to Soft Launch Your Relationship WORDS ZOEY BORKOWSKI | PHOTO KARIS TUVE | DESIGN LILY ECKENRODE

You’ve probably seen it all over Instagram. Rather than posting more formal shots together, couples are opting to “soft launch” their relationship. This trend helps you walk the fine line between publicizing your love life and still preserving privacy and control, all while keeping your audience waiting to see more.

LESS IS MORE

Grabbing food or drinks together? Take a photo of your meal framed with your partner’s plate across from yours, without tagging them in the post. Your audience will wonder who you’re out with.

HIDDEN FEATURES

Obscure some of your partner’s physical features. Taking a selfie? Drape one of their arms around your shoulders, or position yourself in front of your partner so that just a part of them remains identifiable. Taking a picture of the sunset? Include your partner’s hand holding yours, but don’t reveal any other part of them.

MAINTAINING PERSONALITY

You can try other types of photos that highlight your partner's personality. Take a candid while doing one of your favorite activities together. Try neck-down photos or use blurred motion to distort obvious features.

FINANCE FOR GEN Z Advice from experts on managing your money WORDS JACK HARRINGTON | DESIGN EMILY ZELLER

Gen Z is already the generation with the highest student loan debt in history. And if the president didn’t cancel your debt, you’ve got critical financial decisions ahead.

AVOID IMPULSE-PURCHASES

“If you have a dollar that doesn’t have a name on it, it’s going to get spent,” says Bob Hallgren, an advisor with Financial Partners Group in Des Moines, Iowa. “Young generations can have difficulty delaying what they want. You can get in the habit of buying more and more to fill some kind of hole or void.” Know where every dollar goes and quit the impulse and urgency spending habits.

BEWARE OF YOUR LIMITS

Hallgren says to steer clear of credit card debt, too. Credit Karma reported Gen Z being the only age group that had an increase in credit card debt between May and June 2023. It’s worth checking out budgeting apps like YNAB or EveryDollar. They can help you track where every dollar goes, like Hallgren says. From there, you can determine what’s possible to put away for the future.

MAKE A SAVINGS PLAN

“The sooner you start saving money, the better,” says Dave Lorbiecki, a financial advisor with the firm D.M. Kelly. “Money markets today pay over 5%, so you’re earning even if you have money sitting in a savings account.” Lorbiecki is referring to having a highyield savings account which compounds interest monthly on what you’ve put in. Upgrade Premier Savings and CIT Bank Platinum Savings are just two of many institutions that have listed rates above 5%. You can compare which banks offer the best rates on reputable websites such as Bankrate and NerdWallet.

INVEST IN MUTUAL FUNDS

“Mutual funds are group effort investing “pools,” which multiple people contribute to. It’s an alternative to investing in individual stocks, but is still simple to do. “You put money in the market, and if the market does well, you’ll do well,” Lorbiecki says. “Even $50 to $100 a month,” he says. “It’s a great low-cost option.” He says to check out big, diversified funds like the Vanguard S&P 500, which you can do with the Vanguard mobile brokerage app. Just download, set up an account, and explore your options.

BITS & PIECES

4 appliances you

NEED

WORDS MEL MUNOZ PHOTO JOSHUA BRUER DESIGN AVA LEIGH

in your kitchen

Up your cooking game with these gadgets.

Finding the right tools for your first apartment can be overwhelming, especially when you’ve never shopped for essential countertop appliances before. Laura Miller, associate editorial director of Better Homes & Gardens commerce content, suggests choosing appliances that have multiple functions, offering you the most versatility for your buck.

AIR FRYER

The Ninja Digital Air Fry Countertop Oven doubles as a toaster and an air fryer, saving you much-needed counter space. It’s a great option if you’re trying to keep your place cool on a hot summer day or when you’re baking something small and don’t want to heat up your entire oven. Ninja Foodi Digital Air Fry Countertop Oven, $219.99, ninjakitchen.com

COFFEE MAKER

A high-quality coffee machine is essential for a daily coffee drinker. The Keurig K-Mini is a slim, spacesaving addition to your kitchen and will speed up your morning routine. It makes smooth, concentrated coffee in seconds, with the option to customize your drink with different K-cups. “It offers more variety to those who like to get creative with their coffee,” Miller says. Keurig K-Mini Single Serve Coffee Maker, $89.99, keurig.com

BLENDER

The Nutribullet Pro 900 is one of the best and most affordable blender options out there. It’s compact and lightweight, and comes in a variety of fun colors, from black to pink. The

blender has a convenient twist-andblend mechanism that doubles as a cup, saving you loads of dishes and time. Nutribullet Pro 900, $109.99, nutribullet.com

PRESSURE COOKER

Whether you’re making rice, soup, or another hot and savory meal, a multi-use pressure cooker is a worthy alternative to a rice cooker or a crockpot. The Instant Pot Duo 8-quart Multi-Use Pressure Cooker can whip up anything from rice to soup to yogurt. It’s easy to use, and best of all, dishwasher safe. Instant Pot Duo Plus 8-quart MultiUse Pressure Cooker with WhisperQuiet Steam Release, V4, $129.95 instanthome.com

MAKING BEAUTY

ACCESSIBLE These products make getting ready easier for people of all abilities.

Health and beauty companies are constantly coming up with new marketing angles for their products and there’s one becoming more common: accessibility. Catering to consumers with limited mobility, these cosmetic products may be all-electric, or combine two products in one unit, or have thicker grips for easier handling. But they also improve the experience of all beauty gurus. Whatever your situation, it’s worth it to experiment with these tools and innovations.

WORDS CAROLINE HILL PHOTO JOUSHUA BRUER DESIGN MADDIE KRUSE

GLAMNETIC MAGNETIC EYELASHES

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS STICK BLUSH

Attaching falsies is near-impossible for anyone. Enter Glamnetic to the false eyelashes scene. Start by applying the Glamnetic Magnetic Liner, drawing as close to your lash line as you can. Place the lash on top when it’s nearly dry. The lash band’s microscopic magnets will attract the liner. You can get fuller lashes without glue or fuss.

When you have a motor disability (where it’s tough or impossible to perform tasks with your hands), grasping a brush and blush compact at the same time is tricky. This stick combines both, so you’ll only hold one unit at a time. It’s also thicker than the usual blush brush, making gripping easier. To apply, uncap, swipe, flip, blend, and go.

glamnetic.com | $30

anastasiabeverlyhills.com | $32

FOXY BAE BLOWOUT DRYER BRUSH

THE FLEX COLLECTION BY KOHL KREATIVES

This brush gives you a gorgeous beachy blowout while drying your hair. The flat and curved handle makes styling a breeze. Grip it and run it through your hair like a manual brush. Unlike other dryers with cords that limit your range of motion, this one is cordless. You can’t get much more accessible than that.

When you buy this set, the proceeds benefit Kohl Kares, which supports people transitioning gender identities, going through chemotherapy, navigating motor disabilities, and more. The handles are designed for easy grasping. The best part? These brushes stand on their own, so you don’t have to worry about not being able to reach a fallen one.

foxybae.com | $89

HANDS FREE BLOW DRYER STAND

kohlkreatives.com | $50

michaels.com | $33

Not many people know this gadget exists and it’s a crime. Stand it on your bathroom counter. Then, secure your hair dryer using the large clamp and Velcro straps. Finding the angles and heights that work for you takes experimenting, but once you find them, it’s smooth sailing. Just power on your hair dryer, rest your hands in your lap, and rotate your head. DRAKE MAG 9

AESTHETICS

CAPSULE ACCESSORIES WORDS RENO VALENTINO PHOTO TORI OLIVER DESIGN AVA LEIGH

Buy less and use more of what you have with versatile staple items that go with any outfit.

You have styling down. Semi-matching suit? So corporate chic. Oversized graphic t-shirt and baggy jeans? Hello streetwear. Metallic maxi? You vogue, girl. But maybe you’re still not satisfied. Your looks are missing that “pop” factor. What you need is a collection of capsule accessories. These are pieces that match and enhance every outfit. They never go out of style and don’t have to be expensive. The best part? You probably already own many of them.

GOLD HOOPS

Nothing screams glam more than medium-sized gold hoops glimmering under your hair. These earrings enhance the shine in your skin and the spark in your eye. Choose a size and pattern that best reflects your personality. And if hoops aren’t for you, pop in some gold studs instead.

BELT

Because of their shine, belts contribute an aspect of luxury into all styles. They also flatter your natural figure. Opt for a belt with a circular buckle — you’ll look more modern. Choose a neutral belt color and a metal color that you will feel most confident in. Black and gold is always a classy option.

SUNGLASSES

Sunglasses are sexy. When you wear them, you might find yourself feeling 10 times more confident. And — everybody knows this — when you’re feeling yourself, you look hot.

BASEBALL CAP

A hat brings a cool vibe to every look and could save you from a bad hair day. Pick a baseball cap with a minimal logo or neutral color to ensure it’ll match every outfit.

A KEEPSAKE

The best accessory is the one that means the most to you. Whether it’s your father’s watch or your grandmother’s medallion, a keepsake will let your personality shine — and serve as a conversation starter.

MAKEUP TIPS WORDS SADIE JONES PHOTO SUMMER AHARTZ DESIGN PRINCESS HART

FOR

MEN Developing your basic makeup tool kit

WINTER 2023

IT’S A MATCH

It can be nerve-wracking to go up to a sales associate and ask for help choosing the right product, but there are alternatives. Open the Ulta Beauty app on your phone and “try on” the shades recommended for you. No need to panic if you purchase the wrong product. Many stores, like Ulta Beauty, have a 60-day return policy for gently used makeup.

LIKE IT WAS NEVER THERE

Last night’s slumber was more like a catnap. A new mountain range converged on your chin. The Maybelline Fit Me Liquid Concealer has got you covered. Dot the product on problem areas and tap the concealer into your skin using a sponge or firm brush (clean fingers work fine, too). Fit Me Liquid Concealer, $7.49, maybelline.com

BROWS THAT WOW

GOOD IN YOUR SKIN

You were born with a natural tone and glow. Allow the hydrating powers of the Tula Blurring & Moisturizing Primer to reinforce that. You can layer it underneath makeup or apply it in place of foundation. Your skin will appear poreless and the product feels weightless, no matter how you wear it. Blurring & Moisturizing Primer (Sheerly Tinted), $38, tula.com

Keep your brows looking sharp by plucking them according to their natural shape. To make them look fuller, use a tinted brow gel. Begin by working the product into your brow tail. Then, blend it towards your face’s midline. The hairs closest to your nose should have the lightest amount of product. Finish your brows by fanning the hairs up and out. Tinted Eyebrow Mascara, $8.50, ulta.com

THE BASIC TOOLKIT Besides having a few staple products you’re comfortable using, you’ll need a variety of brushes to help you apply the look. 1. For achieving a seamless foundation blend Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Foundation Brush, $15, nyxcosmetics.com

2. For a natural, dewy foundation look Miracle Complexion Sponge, $5, realtechniques.com

3. For precisely applying concealer Small Concealer Brush, $1.29, wetnwildbeauty.com

4. For filling in your brows with hairlike strokes Morphe Angled Liner/Brow Brush, $6, morphe.com

5. For blending bronzer, blush, and all things face Total Face Brush, $3, elfcosmetics.com

AESTHETICS

FAST FASHION IS

SABOTAGING THE PLANET You can save the environment by taking sustainably-conscious steps today. WORDS ELIZABETH ROSA PHOTO JOSHUA BRUER DESIGN TYLER STRACHAN

It’s burning day in the Chilean city of Iquique. Villagers choke. Their homes overflow with thick smoke. Succulents wither. Wildlife retreats. There is no food for the animals in this part of the Atacama Desert. This is the day in which workers attempt to mitigate the waste left behind by American fast fashion. That top you bought at Target, that fad you fell for on Shein — they’re now the village’s problem. In the United States alone, more than 34 billion pounds of used textile is discarded every year. Divide that by the total population, and the numbers say each American is dumping the weight of 300 t-shirts into landfills. But things don’t have to continue this way.

INFLUENCING CHANGE

In fact, young people like us hold the power in reducing the burden of

fast fashion, says Anupama Pasricha, the Interim Dean of the School of Business at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. “We hope that everything [you buy] is sustainable in the near future,” Pasricha says. By sustainable, Pasricha means clothing that is produced using longlasting materials by brands that are honest about their ecological footprint. Companies will improve their environmental impact if, and only if, young people start voicing their opinions through the dollars they spend, Pasricha says. “The market will have to change if we stop buying unethical and unsustainable options,” she says. That’s much easier said than done though. The numbers show most young people want to shop

consciously. In a survey conducted by Simon-Kucher & Partners and Dynata in 2022, 89% of adults felt inclined to shop sustainably. But things like cost, accessibility, and exclusivity keep them from easily doing so. Fashion industry experts like Pasricha say we must overcome these barriers. Shopping consciously isn’t easy, but it’s doable.

THRIFTING MAY NOT BE THE ANSWER

A common barrier to shopping sustainably is cost. The easy answer is thrifting, which renews used clothing. While it’s an affordable way to shop sustainably, it’s unreliable as a primary source of dress. Thrift stores are unpredictable. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, your desire for clothing doesn’t go away. Thrifting is not the only way to shop sustainably on a budget. Pasricha suggests swapping clothes. Ask to borrow your friends’ clothes, then lend them yours in return. Organize

clothing swap events in your apartment complex or community.

“Natural fabrics,” Zhang says, “are biodegradable when disposed of in the landfills. In contrast, synthetic fabrics … are not biodegradable and can introduce toxins into the environment.”

At some colleges, this is already common practice. “There is this wonderful thing called the Huskie Closet at my school,” says Becca Katz, a Northern Illinois University sophomore. “It’s similar to a thrift store, but the clothes are free. You can go twice a week and get up to five items.”

University. Try different combinations of basic pieces. Repair your favorites when they’re worn. “If it’s something that you love and something you continue to wear,” Eike says, “then it’s worth mending and fixing.”

Natural fabrics may cost a little more, but Zhang says the longevity of quality items justifies the money spent. She says that when you save up for a pricier item, you’re likely going to take better care of it and make it last. Not to mention it’ll probably be better quality than H&M.

PRIORITIZING NATURAL MATERIALS

You can strive for sustainability without breaking the bank by prioritizing natural over synthetic materials, says Dr. Ling Zhang, associate professor in the Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management at Iowa State University. The school’s fashion program is ranked among the top nationally, according to fashionschools.org.

And the most sustainable practice is to properly care for your clothing. Before washing items, read and follow the instructions on labels. Air drying garments can extend their life. “You do not need to wash everything you wear daily,” Pasricha says. “Overwashing can cause pilling, fading, and loss of fibers.”

“Investing in higher-priced garments often results in better fit and superior sewing quality,” she says.

Bottom line: Shop consciously. Not every item in your closet can be thrifted, but not everything needs to be bought new. Ask yourself questions before making a final purchase.

SHOP IN YOUR OWN CLOSET

The best way to be sustainable on a budget is to shop in your own closet, says Dr. Rachel Eike, associate professor in the Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management at Iowa State

“If you don’t need it, don’t buy it,” Eike says. “There’s so much overconsumption that isn’t necessary … be creative with the clothing you have.”

I want an article of clothing or a pair of shoes.

Graphic developed with the help of Rachel Eike and Anupama Pasricha

Don’t buy it.

Do I really need it?

Does it need to be new?

Find it in a friend’s closet, clothing swap, thrift store, or alter a piece you already own.

Is there a way to buy it new in an ethical way?

Shop from businesses that are transparent about their working conditions and environmental impact.

Look for colors, styles, or fits that you know you’ll wear again. Buy materials that will last (non-synthetic).

No matter how you shop, to ensure your clothes last longer, follow care labels carefully and air dry.

DRAKE MAG 15

WELLNESS

GIRL DINNER VS. EATING DISORDER

WORDS SKYLAR LATHROP PHOTO KARIS TUVE DESIGN EVE KELLY

Behind the complex relationship between a TikTok trend and eating healthy

Girl Dinner was all over TikTok this year. But is it really healthy, or just another way to scrutinize what’s on a woman’s plate? Olivia Maher, TikTok creator and inventor of the “Girl Dinner” trend, went viral with her cute platter of cheese, pieces of bread, and grapes. This seemingly simple spread evolved into a platform-wide takeover and caused a wave of Girl Dinners to materialize on TikTok. A lot of the time, these Girl Dinners start with a package of crackers and some pre-sliced cheese. They might include bread, fruit, vegetables, and some sweet treats. These performative plates posed a looming question: Are quickly pieced together meals actually healthy? Then the trend rapidly devolved into a more dangerous and disordered pattern, as TikTok trends will, and another side of the story began to appear. As people around the internet continued to share their elaborate meals, a darker Girl Dinner trend took root. Instead of posting about plates of food and spreads of cheese and crackers, social media users began to use the trend to share their unhealthy relationships with food. Content creators continued to post their Girl Dinners, but the amount of food on the plate began to dwindle. The

trend started with meal ideas and turned into a breeding ground for eating disorders. Some teenagers even began posting empty plates with #GirlDinner. “While judgements on how women eat isn’t the sole factor, it definitely contributes [to the development of eating disorders] along with many other projections and expectations placed on women and our bodies,” says Angie Phillips, founder of the Douglas County Democratic Party Women’s Caucus in Omaha, Nebraska. In an era of diet culture, body checking, and harmful “what I eat in a day” videos, this trend could quickly become a major issue. “When these Girl Dinner videos are taken out of context without a nuance explanation, it can perpetuate a disordered mindset around food, and promote restriction, or foster harmful comparisons between people, and their relationship with food,” says Mackenzie Woolwich, intuitive eating coach and dietician in West DesMoines, Iowa. She recommends steering away from calorie counting entirely as it can lead to the development of disordered eating habits.

“[Girl Dinner] can absolutely be done in a healthy way,” Woolwich says. “The purpose of it is, how do you put together meals that don’t really require cooking? I’ve seen some videos that are just carrot sticks and a dinner roll … and that’s just not adequate nutrition.” As long as you’re eating food from each food group, you don’t need to worry. “Girl Dinner might not be a helpful approach for somebody who doesn’t already have a healthy relationship with food,” Woolwich says. “For those of us who feel confident eating all foods, I would say absolutely, this could be something that’s incorporated as part of a healthy diet.” Women will always be met with criticism, so it’s best to pay attention to which trends are helpful and which ones aren’t. “What we like, what we don’t like, if, when, and how we express ourselves as women, or label ourselves and our feminism — it doesn’t matter what the trend is — if women and girls are doing it or liking it, it will be questioned, criticized, and used to divide us,” Phillips says.

DRAKE MAG 17

WELLNESS

MYTH BUSTING

SEX

The hard truth.

WORDS GUNNER ONKST PHOTO MADISSEN KERMAN DESIGN AVA BARVIAN

WINTER 2023

Sex is all anyone can talk about, so why are there so many myths surrounding the topic? To understand Gen Z’s knowledge of sex education, I went to the anonymous app Yik Yak and asked a variety of groups, “What are common myths people believe about sex?” to see what they thought.

MYTH: PORN IS REALITY

Many young adults use pornography as a visual aid in how to have sex. But in reality, it’s not a healthy reference. Jennie Plummer, mental health counselor and sex educator in Ankeny, Iowa, says sex tends to be a secret we gossip about but never acknowledge. Curious and uninformed minds may turn to porn to learn about these secrets, but while looking for the truth, they end up finding something that’s far more harmful.

TRUTH

“[We] get a view of sex from the pornographic lens,” Plummer says. “In that sex is this cinematic act every single time … but pornography is scripted. It’s not sex. It’s not our lives.” It’s a performance done by actors, and it’s unrealistic to compare yourself or your partners on the same scale. Instead, be upfront with your partner and understand what each of you hopes to get out of a sexual experience. The best way to meet your partner’s needs for pleasure is communication, says Azaria Menezes, an intimacy, kink, and sex coach based in British Columbia, Canada, who offers online courses for anyone.

MYTH: THERE’S ONLY ONE WAY TO CLIMAX

Based on what’s shown in porn and the media, you might be led to assume an individual can climax just through penetration alone, but that’s not always the case.

TRUTH

“[It] depends on the person’s anatomy and how it’s all structured together,” Menezes says. “There is a possibility to climax from penetration alone, and for a lot of vulva-bodied folks out there, the external part of the clitoris being stimulated is the go-to way to climax. There is also penetration into the anus, and … ways to orgasm from this as well, depending on [how] your nerves and anatomy are pieced together.”

MYTH: KINKS ARE TABOO

In the same way pornography is used for a visual reference for sex, it also sets a standard for what’s allowed to be brought into the bedroom. This could lead you to believe you should hide your kinks, or that everyone shares the same preferences.

TRUTH

Menezes explains kinks as desires, fantasies, and turn-ons that may feel like something outside of what feels “normal” based on the standards set by society’s norms. She explains it through the analogy of walking into an ice cream shop and seeing a wide variety of flavors, which represent different kinks. “There will be people for every flavor,” she says. “You get to choose the flavor that is delicious to you and mix and match as you please. You can even mix and match with other people as long as you have the right informed consent and boundary conversations around creating a flavor that’s yummy for everyone involved.” Menezes says it’s not about the flavor on the spectrum of desires, but that people should have an opportunity to express their authentic selves and connect with one another. “When we create intentional spaces for exploration, we get to create a space to learn without the pressure of chasing peak pleasure,” she says. “It’s a space to play and explore.”

DRAKE MAG 19

WELLNESS

THE CASE OF

PERIOD POVERTY Low-income individuals can be faced with a choice between period products and food. WORDS SARAH JAMIL | DESIGN ALLIE RAINES

Between climate change and the state of war, period poverty is a massive world issue that often gets overlooked in the media. And yet, it’s probably the easiest problem to solve. In a survey of more than a thousand college females conducted by women’s intimate health brand INTIMA, nearly half of them have struggled with access to menstrual hygiene products. That means when you’re sitting in a classroom, the woman next to you is probably struggling to afford period products. Up to 500 million people across the globe experience period poverty — the lack of access to menstrual care and education — according to the World Bank.

IT’S A COMMON OCCURRENCE

The average person who menstruates uses more than 10,000 products over the course of their lifetime. According to U.S. News & World Report, that adds up to about $9,000. That’s as a result of both the COVID-19 pandemic and the pink tax — gender-based pricing that causes women’s products to be more expensive. “I was in Costco, and I was getting myself a pack of eighty pads to take home and it was 20 bucks,” says Varsha Nallabirudu, the Iowa City leader for nonprofit Love For Red. “And I was like, ‘I feel like this is a lot.’ The toilet paper cost way less than that.” Love For Red hosts period product drives and donations all throughout Iowa. In 2023, they attended a fair for the Waukee school district in West Des Moines. “I was surprised at the amount of kids who, when we were giving out products for free, didn’t want anything to do with it,” Nallabirudu said. “As soon as they learned what it was, they were like, ‘oh my gosh, no no no, we’re not, what is this? I don’t want to talk about it…’ Their parents had to encourage them.” So, what if your period hits while you’re in school? You’re not in a state like California which has legislative laws allowing free access to period products in their restrooms. So, you can only

hope that a few sheets of toilet paper would suffice to catch any drops of blood from leaking.

isn’t an issue, everyone has access to these products anytime. There’s never an issue where no one can’t afford it.”

“People use old rugs, cardboard, toilet paper — and that’s not hygienic. It could cause a lot of infections like UTIs,” Nallabirudu said.

But that’s a change that remains to be years in the making. For now, they’re looking to start small, on a school board level and then work their way through the state of Iowa, shifting the landscape of period poverty.

Tomorrow, you decide to skip school for the rest of the week because you can’t bear the possibility of people making fun of you while you’re still on your period. The school fails to provide a formal education to dispel the stigmatization of menstrual health. It’s a trauma that sticks with you for the rest of your life. A St. Louis University study in 2019 found that 36% of employed women missed work at least once a month during their periods. That adds up quickly and can mean weeks of income missed.

A SHIFT TOWARDS ADVOCACY

Just two years ago, Love For Red was a small organization that functioned out of a basement. Today, they’ve donated 38,000 menstrual products, raised $11,000 in donations, and have helped more than 25 places in need throughout Iowa.

HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO

If you have the means to, giving away just one box of product can mean the world to another family. Start looking into in-state organizations to donate to like Love For Red in Iowa or reach further with a national organization like PERIOD. If you are pressed for time, leave that extra box you’ve purchased in a communal bathroom, or public restroom on your college campus. According to the Alliance for Period Supplies, only 4% of Americans know where to look for free or reduced cost menstrual products. Organizations like PERIOD and Love Ford Red host social media platforms where they educate people on menstrual hygiene and announce their events.

The nonprofit took to the Capitol to push for a bill that would allow access to free menstrual products in Iowa this spring. Since 2021, several states — California and Maryland, to name a couple — have enacted such laws for their female restrooms.

So, take a moment to pause from your daily dose of comedic Instagram reels, and share their cause on your platform. Open the conversation between your friends, and not just among the female population — it takes an entire society to alleviate such a deep-rooted stigma against menstrual hygiene and health.

“We always say in our organization that our goal is that we don’t exist,” Nallabirudu said. “That period poverty

Only then will those experiencing period poverty feel unafraid to ask for help. A AIT’S SHIFT

COMMON TOWARDS

ADVOCACY OCCURENCE

WELLNESS

DIGITAL DETOX The road to mental wellness in the age of information overload WORDS KYLIE PETTY DESIGN AVA BARVIAN

In the week I refrained from using social media, I was incredibly efficient. I got homework done so quickly that I had more free time than I was expecting. I did my laundry and my dishes instead of scrolling on TikTok. Maintaining a clean room had never been so easy. But as the week went on, it became increasingly difficult to stay off my phone, and I began running out of things to do. I’d been feeling down and always pressed for time, and I thought spending some time off screen might help. What I found is that it’s nearly, if not completely, impossible to fully abstain from using technology for an entire week. In other words, your parents are wrong. Your phone isn’t every single problem.

FIND A BALANCE.

Technology is so deeply ingrained in our lives that doing a partial “digital detox” doesn’t even feel like a digital detox at all. Addison Malinski, therapist at Seva Counseling in Des Moines, Iowa, says that just taking a step back from social media and nonessential apps is the best way to unplug.

“The biggest challenge … is finding a balance between helpful use of technology and using technology in ways that reinforce difficult feelings or imbalance,” Malinski says. To identify how social media had been negatively impacting me, I experimented with cutting out TikTok and Snapchat and replacing that time suck with more productive activities. It was incredibly difficult. I started getting antsy. Nothing felt quite right.

BUILD TOLERANCE TO DISCOMFORT.

Malinski says that this sense of unease is healthy and important when doing a digital detox. “I would recommend actually adding in something that builds that tolerance to discomfort,” Malinski says. Consider doing a difficult workout when you wake up or focusing on reading or homework for an extended time without your phone, for example.

IDENTIFY WHAT MATTERS.

In addition to building tolerance to discomfort, Malinski says to think about what you really value in your life.

What matters more than doomscrolling? What could you be doing instead? What are you missing out on? Maybe you’ve been wanting to finish that book sitting on your shelf, or you’ve been wanting to spend more time with your friends or call your family. There’s almost always something more important than scrolling on TikTok. You just have to commit to stepping away from the screen and remembering what matters most in your life.

RECOGNIZE HARMFUL BEHAVIORS.

Malinski recommends looking at each specific behavior and deciding which ones are actually harmful. Are you missing deadlines? Have you been out of touch with people you care about back home? From there, it becomes easier to identify which habits to quit and which are OK to stay. Creating physical barriers, especially in the beginning phases of a detox, will make it easier, she says. Delete apps, leave your phone in another room, or leave it at home when you go out. Simply turning off notifications may not work as well because of an automatic behavioral pattern you may have developed.

I found that shutting off notifications helped me use apps like Snapchat less, but for others, I had to move where the app was on my home screen. This forced me to think twice about opening it.

BE MINDFUL.

When planning a digital detox, center what mindfulness means to you. While meditating and yoga can be excellent ways to spend your time instead of scrolling, it doesn’t work for everyone.

the time to go on a walk, or doing a face mask with a friend works better for you. The first step to living a healthier life is to find the right balance of indulgent and productive behaviors. Doomscrolling might be eating up your time, preventing you from living the best life you can. “The question that I ask isn’t necessarily ‘Can you do it?’” Malinski says, “but ‘Are you willing to do it?’”

“Mindfulness doesn’t always translate to being able to disengage from unhelpful behaviors,” Malinski says. Instead, she recommends noticing and naming thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations. Take a moment to separate yourself from a harmful activity. Put your phone down, stand up, and stretch when you notice yourself scrolling. Then you can decide whether you want to go back to that activity.

CUSTOMIZE YOUR DETOX.

Doing a digital detox doesn’t have to be refraining from using your phone at all — it can look different for everyone based on their needs. Maybe meditating for five minutes a day works for you. Maybe it’s more about taking

DRAKE MAG 23

WELLNESS

CLIMATE ANXIETY Facing Earth’s bleak future. WORDS MORGEN NEUHAUSER DESIGN AVA LEIGH

Bella Bovasso, a 19-year-old climate activist, loved learning ways to combat global warming. But the more she learned, the more she became overwhelmed. Educating herself about wildfires devastating the Amazon Rainforest in 2019 made Bovasso feel paralyzed. With every new fact she learned — thousands of square miles of invaluable and biodiverse habitat destroyed, roughly the size of New Jersey, not to mention the carbon released into the atmosphere — her fear for the planet’s future grew into a kind of climate anxiety. Dr. Staci Fosenburg, licensed psychologist and behavioral health consultant with Primary Health Care in Iowa, says that though climate anxiety isn’t recognized as an official diagnosis, she’s noticed an increase in her patients who share Bovasso’s feelings of dread. “Anxiety thrives on this idea that we can’t control things,” Fosenburg says. Sound familiar? While it’s true that you can’t control everything, you do have the power to make an impact. And that can help your feelings of helplessness.

TURN ANXIETY INTO ACTION.

Bovasso’s climate anxiety started affecting her everyday life. “I would hole up inside rather than enjoy what was there,” she says. “I would just not go outside, which definitely negatively impacted my health.”

What makes me feel best is knowing my work can help, maybe not by a whole lot, but any progress is enough.

Worrying only made her anxiety worse. In contrast, Bovasso found that when she put that energy into helping environmental causes, it made a difference in her mental health. During her healing journey, Bovasso worked to spend more time outside and stopped ignoring the problem. She encourages people to be proactive by pursuing environmental activism. “What makes me feel best is knowing my work can help, maybe not by a whole lot, but any progress is enough,” Bovasso says.

SHARE THE BURDEN WITH OTHERS.

AJ Mortale, student and co-president of University of Iowa’s Environmental Coalition, says a lack of control is at the root of his climate anxiety — it’s more existential than his other fears. It’s Gen Z’s passion for the environment, he figures, that makes us more susceptible to climate anxiety than the generations before us. According to a 2021 study by Pew Research Center, more than one-third of Gen Z adults say addressing climate change is a top concern, and 75% say it’s at least one of the prominent issues that concern them. “I think with younger generations, we understand the impacts humans have on our climate and it makes sense to feel powerless about it,” Mortale says. Joining the environmental coalition eases his anxiety. He encourages young people to meet other activists and work together by volunteering and lobbying for change.

“We are human beings who are wired for connection and often feel better when we find other people concerned about the same things we are,” Fosenburg says. She suggests sharing your feelings with like-minded people.

HELP THOSE AROUND YOU TO UNDERSTAND.

Christopher Gloninger, senior climate scientist at Woods Hole Group, a company dedicated to solving environmental engineering problems, says education is key in overcoming climate anxiety. “[Education] would depolarize the issue,” he says. “It would help people with fear about what’s to come because they’ll understand that it isn’t a hopeless situation.”

VOTE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

People will be better prepared to vote wisely if they know the truth about climate change and overcoming climate anxiety. Gloninger says there are politicians in both parties who believe climate change is a hoax, or don’t take enough action. This means upcoming elections will play a major role in climate action. “While individual action is important, you need your local, state, federal, and international governments to all be on the same page,” Gloninger says. “That is where young people can really step in.”

ACCESSIBILITY IN

CITIES: Reality or Urban Legend?

WORDS CAROLINE HILL DESIGN PRINCESS HART

WINTER 2023

A quarter of Americans live with disabilities and face obstacles in urban areas. Meet the people affected and those working to help them.

n spring of 1990, an astonishing sight unfolded on the steps of the United States Capitol. Dozens of people ascended the steps to protest the stalling of a bill in Congress. But these weren’t your everyday protestors. Present that day were just a handful of the millions of Americans living with disabilities, more than 60 people who dropped their assistive devices — abandoning wheelchairs and crutches and canes in the grass — to drag themselves up the steps of the Capitol. This brave demonstration, known as the Capitol Crawl, left its mark on the nation. Four and a half months later, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. This took the monumental step of imposing accessibility requirements on public spaces. Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin was a co-sponsor and fought for the ADA’s passage even before the Capitol Crawl. He had an older brother who was deaf, which helped Harkin see the divide between people with disabilities and those without. Three decades later, the fight continues as demands for universal accessibility grows.

LIMITATIONS IN PLAIN SIGHT

Maridy Nordlum’s 26-year-old daughter, Sarah, has XiaGibbs syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes weak muscle tone and issues with balance. Nordlum says even something like going to Target involves lots of planning. “Sarah’s had mobility issues. She can walk only a short distance, she’s got a club foot, and so it makes it difficult for her to be on her feet very long,” Nordlum says. When they try to get out of the house and go somewhere like a public park, Nordlum says it’s hard to find wheelchairs that can move well in the grass or even navigate off the smooth surface of a sidewalk. They’re constrained to the paved areas. And so many city streets don’t even have those. “A lot of places, they’re not set up for accessibility. They don’t have 36-inch doorways where people with wheelchairs could get in. Not every place has all that,” Nordlum says. “It’s really difficult to take [Sarah] places.”

These issues are my everyday reality, too. I’ve used a wheelchair my whole life.

THE HARKIN INSTITUTE

Founded in 2013 by Harkin, the Harkin Institute in Des Moines is a nonprofit organization that conducts policy research for lawmakers in a few key areas, including issues that affect people with disabilities. “Disability is the largest minority population in the United States,” says Daniel van Sant, director of disability policy at the Institute. “So you’re not talking about some minor, single percentage of people. A full one-fourth of our population has a disability.” The building itself embodies accessibility for all. Floor-toroof windows are a benefit for those with sensory issues and chronic disorders like migraines. The concrete floor was buffed to allow reflection of light from the windows for those with a sight impairment and to offer support for those with mobility or balance issues. Every aspect of the building process was considerate of multiple needs, both physical and mental. Those are things that average people don’t realize but that the disabled community doesn’t take for granted. The automatic sliding doors meant I didn’t have to press a button — I just entered right into a wide-open lobby space with plenty of room. The floor’s surface was very smooth, so I didn’t have much trouble getting around. Even making it up to the top floor was easier because of a wraparound ramp, in addition to the extra-large elevator capable of fitting two wheelchairs in it. Saying a place is accessible and actually being accessible are two different things, I overheard someone say during my tour of the Harkin Institute. I felt that deep down. I wish everywhere could be like this. It’s places like the Harkin Institute that show how far we have to go in order to make other places more accessible. Think of how hard it would be for someone like me next time you walk up a flight of steps, or step over a high doorway threshold that millions of people couldn’t do.

DRAKE MAG 27

FEATURE

ACCESSIBILITY BENEFITS EVERYBODY

As assistant architect for the city of Des Moines, Mark Dinges comes face to face with the issues of accessibility every day as he follows up with resident complaints surrounding accessibility. But change can be slow. Dinges says the city’s goal is to continually expand the accessibility of buildings, bringing them up to Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) standards as much as possible.

Saying a place is accessible and actually being accessible are two different things. Right now, much of their focus is on bringing accessible parking up to Public Right of Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG). The plan is to shift accessible parking closer to an intersection instead of midblock. From a practicality standpoint, this makes sense. It means people with disabilities can park closer to street corners, and therefore closer to a crosswalk, or a curb cut — that part of the curb that’s more of a ramp and not a step down into the street. It’s these little things that others might not think about that Dinges works to improve. They’re a mark of how a place cares for its residents, a way you can measure if a city is the kind of place you want to live in. The scope of his work can be felt by everyone. “That helps not only people with disabilities but just the general population — people who have strollers, walk dogs,” he says. “It’s a double win to deal with accessibility issues and the health and wellbeing of the population at large within the city.” Even though newer projects have to comply with a variety of accessibility regulations, sometimes, mistakes are made that impact people with disabilities. Recently, for example, Dinges received a complaint that parking at Bank of America on University Avenue in Des Moines didn’t comply with PROWAG standards. Upon inspection, he found that the complaint was valid. The plan approved

by the city wasn’t followed during construction, so the city stepped back in and is currently in the process of reworking the area to comply with accessibility guidelines. But there are circumstances where making structural changes to a place aren’t allowed, like in a historically protected neighborhood. Take East Village in Des Moines as an example. “There are some buildings that were built in the 1890s on East Grand that have a step up into them from the sidewalk,” Dinges says. This means just one step for you might mean I can’t even get into the building. “A lot of times, when you go from the ‘public’ into what we call the ‘private,’ there’s that demarcation zone where a [city employee] could reach out to the owner of that building or the tenant and maybe offer some suggestions in terms of assisting someone,” Dinges says. He says this could look like having a call button on the outside of the building so that a person with a disability could ask for assistance in getting up the steps and into the shop. But how would you feel, waiting outside a door to get helped into a building? Think about this next time you step up into a building and point it out to the manager. You could just end up making a difference for someone like me. “There are ways to help someone to the best of your ability, in some of these cases, particularly with these historic structures, to offer some accommodation to people,” Dinges says.

A 12-YEAR-OLD IN A WHEELCHAIR

Issues with accessibility are something I know with my whole body. My elementary school days were spent in typical old buildings lacking basic things, like air conditioning. The community was smaller, in a larger rural area. The school I attended for sixth grade was four stories, brick, and only accessible via steps. I was the only kid in a wheelchair. My family and school administrators had discussed the

I was dealing with the fact that I’d be in a completely unknown building and coming to terms with the disadvantages that my wheelchair had brought me in an environment that I shouldn’t have had to fight to be included in. obvious issues in passing for many years in the leadup to the 2016 school year. The simplest solution was to build an elevator, but the school board wasn’t very proactive regarding the whole thing. They kept putting it off. Instead, they came up with alternative solutions that got progressively more outlandish. Like a three-hundred pound stair crawler that the administration brought in to test. That was nixed immediately. As a 12-year-old recovering from reconstruction surgery, I was dealing with the fact that I’d be in a completely unknown building and coming to terms with the disadvantages that my wheelchair had brought me in an environment that I shouldn’t have had to fight to be included in. It wasn’t a fun year to be in my head. Needless to say, they finally put in an elevator, but it wasn’t completed until the middle of October of that school year. Nordlum’s story and mine are just two of the millions of stories that echo the exact same sentiment across the country: Accessibility shouldn’t be challenging. I can’t face these issues alone. We need more people like Dinges and van Sant — people who understand just how important and complex these issues are for an inclusive, livable city. More importantly, we need people like Harkin to act

when they know something needs to be done. Minimum accessibility requirements shouldn’t be the norm. Don’t hide from the discussion and don’t back down from fighting for a better future for all. If we all give just a little bit of time and attention to accessibility like Harkin, the world could be a more inclusive place. One where everyone could get anywhere, regardless of their limitations.

I CAN HAVE A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY 32

WINTER 2023

Three stories of individuals navigating the intersection of their LGBTQIA+ identity and religious faith within the church WORDS SADIE JONES | PHOTO MICHAEL CUMMINGS | DESIGN MARIA HERNANDEZ

DRAKE MAG

FEATURES licia Fisher sits comfortably in who she is. We’re in a quirky Des Moines coffee shop, where she orders the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Latte because it sounds good. Her auburn hair descends from a knit hat in waves, framing her eyes, which have been painted a bright pink. Under a cardigan, she’s wearing a t-shirt from which a rainbow casts out the words “Downtown Disciples.” Fisher is proud to be asexual, bisexual — and Christian.

ALICIA’S STORY

Our conversation gets off to an unexpected start. “I always joke that some people rebel in high school by drinking and doing drugs. I rebelled by becoming a conservative Christian,” she says. As a young girl, Fisher attended mass sporadically. Her grandmother was a practicing Catholic. Her mother wasn’t uber religious. Fisher only went to service on holidays. “Tumultuous” is the word she uses to describe her childhood. At seven years old, Fisher was the new kid at a small school. Relationships were already established between the students there, so she struggled to fit in. Then the bullying started. “It made me very lonely and angry. I would lash out a lot at people, which only made the bullying worse,” Fisher says. In school, she developed a reputation for being angry all the time. At home, things weren’t any better. “I don’t think my parents knew what to do with me,” Fisher says. Desperate to find love and support as a young teen, she looked to the church. On Sunday mornings, an older woman from her congregation would drive her to service. Fisher also attended Wednesday evening services. Church became the community Fisher needed. “I think I found a place where I could just still be [a] hurting person and they would listen,” she says. “I [had] a reputation of being angry all the time, and, with them, I didn’t.”

By high school, Fisher was spending nearly every night with her church’s youth group — eating meals, playing board games at the pastor’s house, and serving the homeless shelters of Milwaukee. Meanwhile, she was beginning to sense she was different from her church-going peers. “I don’t think I had words for it for a long time,” she says. “The asexual part of me is probably the biggest part, and that goes back to high school — not ever really wanting a boyfriend, never really feeling called to marriage, never really feeling strong attractions to anyone.” So when her church acted inappropriately towards her, Fisher felt all the more uncomfortable. Her youth pastor would arrange for the boys in the youth group to drive her to events. During mission trips, guys would crowd around her. “I was like, ‘Haha. I’m just going to throw this ball at you and go away please,’” she says.

Fisher was aware her church fostered a conservative culture. It wasn’t an issue — until she was challenged for advocating tolerance. She’d just attended a performance of The Laramie Project, a play that depicts the aftermath of a hate crime that killed a gay man in 1999. Fisher cried through the entire show. “I think that was the first time I started to see violence in anti-rights rhetoric,” she says. Fisher says she was never taught to treat homosexuality with violence, but the show revealed the consequences of permitting hate to fester. After the play, Fisher bought a t-shirt. It read “The Laramie Project” on the front and “Tolerance” on the back. She wore it the next time her youth group gathered. Her tone shifts as she explains their critical response. “I remember getting a lot of questions about it and being really defensive and angry that they were being so harsh about

something I felt was a staple of what we were teaching,” Fisher says.

new congregations — and constantly walking away hurt.

She didn’t know what to do. It was clear her church didn’t tolerate people like herself. But if she walked away, she’d lose her entire support system. She’d go back to being alone.

“I’ve been to a lot of churches,” Powell says, “and it seems like all that I could find was contradictions.”

“I hate to say it,” Fisher says, “but it was a six-year long journey … chipping away at what I was taught, and asking questions … [like] ‘Why is love wrong?’” Fisher was a junior in college when her youth pastor invited her to partake in a summer retreat in New Hampshire. During the getaway, the youth group listened to a guest speaker who was leading a thriving boarding school in Africa. Following the presentation, one of Fisher’s peers expressed it was a shame the speaker never had a husband. He insisted the speaker could accomplish more if she was married. “I’m just sitting there [thinking], ‘Shit. That doesn’t really play into the way I feel. I don’t know that I want to get married,’” Fisher says. This was the final straw for her. She knew there was nothing wrong with how she was created and didn’t want to associate any longer with a culture that constantly told her otherwise. The retreat was the last thing she did with her childhood church. Fisher isn’t alone in her experience. Across the country, churches are losing their LGBTQIA+ community members. The Religious News Service surveyed 250 LGBT people in 2023 and found 80% of them reported being raised religious. But only 36% reported a current religious affiliation. Of the 64% who reported no religious affiliation, about onethird claimed they continued to feel a connection to their spirituality. Mickey Powell would’ve identified with this group three years ago. They believed in God — but were burned out from church.

MICKEY’S STORY

Growing up, their parents worked as Independent Baptist missionaries. Powell was constantly experiencing

The sermons Powell sat through left them questioning, “If this is wrong, shouldn’t this be wrong too?” and, “If God loves everybody, why is this person bad, and I’m better than them?” Church hindered Powell’s ability to know who they were. “They very much hold to the Bible and hold to homosexuality is a sin and all that stuff … that’s why it took me so long to discover myself,” they say. Powell spent their young adult years in a cycle of desiring spiritual connection, getting involved with a church, encountering homophobia and hypocrisy, then leaving discouraged. A round of this cycle played out when Powell was a college student. After enrolling in Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary in Ankeny, Iowa, they decided to give church another try. Powell joined a Bible study at a non-denominational congregation. It failed to practice what it preached. They left that church “worn out.” In 2012, Powell earned their degree in theology. Shortly thereafter, their grandparents fell ill. This caused Powell to move back to their home state of New Mexico. While living there, Powell was expected to attend church. They complied for a short time — until they couldn’t stand the culture anymore. “[It] was the antithesis of everything I stood [for],” Powell says. So, in September 2020, when the opportunity to nanny for a friend presented itself, Powell enthusiastically moved from New Mexico to Des Moines. They didn’t step foot in a church for an entire year.

THE UNFORTUNATE STANDARD

The amount of LGBTQIA+ Americans driven away from a house of worship versus that of all Americans is disproportionate. In a 2020 study by the University of California, Los Angeles, 53.3% of LGBT people reported being religiously unaffiliated. In the same year, the Public Religion Research Institute found that only 23% of all Americans reported not having a religious affiliation. A Minnesota-based Catholic priest, who wishes to remain anonymous, deems it “unfortunate” that a high number of LGBTQIA+ people are withdrawing from churches — though he’s not surprised. When he was a young boy, he remembers accompanying his mother to mass. There, he’d witness her travel to a place “beyond,” he says. “She just closed her eyes, and she was listening. You could tell she was in another world, but she was sitting there, totally physically at peace, almost glowing.” So he, too, was delighted to attend church. “I went with her because it was cool. It was quiet. It was a routine in the day. It was spiritual.” In their small town in Wisconsin, homosexuality wasn’t condemned, nor embraced. He remembers one instance where he brought up the topic of homosexuality around his mother, and she shut it down. “In my world, [sexuality] just wasn’t part of conversation that I heard around me.” Later in life, the priest was attending seminary school, where he lived among men, studying and interacting. “When I admitted to myself, I was gay, I was … on my bed crying in my room alone,” he says. But he wasn’t alone. He soon learned that many of his intelligent and admirable schoolmates were gay, as well. He was able to pick himself up. “All of a sudden, it was OK,” he says. The priest never abandoned his faith. Still, he can understand why half the LGBTQIA+ community keeps their distance from the church. One of the

DRAKE MAG 33

contributing factors, he speculates, is a lack of insight among members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

transgender. Powell says they didn’t feel these titles suited them. Enter Downtown Disciples.

“Maybe the gay and lesbian community … get caught up in their own … in some ways, shallowness,” he says. But he deems formal religion the main factor, “especially the very conservative religions [that] preach, ‘It’s the sin, but we’re gonna love you; we’re gonna hate sin.’”

“It was actually the first week that I went to Downtown Disciples when I finally decided that I’m not a he/him. I’m a they/them,” Powell says.

To which, he says, “That’s bullshit.”

But finding a tolerant congregation can be frustrating for LGBTQIA+ individuals, Fisher says. Many churches don’t clarify whether they embrace the community. “They’re going to say, ‘We don’t hate gay people, we love them. We just don’t love their lifestyle,’” Fisher says. “It’s that whole ‘love the sinner hate the sin’ thing. They want you to get plugged in … they don’t say the horrible things out loud because they want your life to be so involved that breaking away is too painful.”

He saw the destruction such thinking can cause when he was asked to anoint a high school classmate of his who was losing his battle against AIDS. This was a profoundly spiritual man. One who spent much of his boyhood in chapel. Even so, when the man was dying, his parents paid him only a brief visit, then drove away before his final breath, never returning for his funeral. “Yet these people think they’re religious!” the priest says. “No, they’re afraid.” It was the culture of the parents’ Catholic church, not religion or spirituality, that enabled them to turn their back on their child, he says.

FINDING AN AFFIRMING CHURCH

LGBTQIA+ affirming congregations are revolutionizing church culture. For instance, New Beginnings Christian Church in Urbandale, Iowa believes all people deserve to be honored for who they are, according to Minister Heather Wachendorf. “Whoever you are, however God created you — you’re good. You’re beloved. You don’t have to pretend to be something that you’re not,” she says. Powell says they believe if it weren’t for Downtown Disciples, another LGBTQIA+ affirming church in Iowa, they would have remained unsatisfied in how they identified. The supposedly spiritual environment they were raised in didn’t provide resources to help them discover themself. At 16, they wondered if they were lesbian. Fifteen years later, when they moved to Des Moines, they identified as

They say being in an affirming church empowers them to be whoever they want to be.

But Downtown Disciples is direct about what they stand for. In 2019, Fisher landed on the congregation’s webpage. In clear sight were the words “LGBTQIA+ affirming” and “Black Lives Matter.” In attending her first Downtown Disciples service, Fisher was amazed. “There’s this pastor standing up there teaching a Christian message from the Bible that isn’t saying gay marriage is wrong and isn’t saying that people shouldn’t love who they love, that people shouldn’t be who they are, and I’m like, ‘This can happen?’”

HEALING OPEN WOUNDS

LGBTQIA+ believers are embarking on spiritual journeys. If churches want to walk alongside them, they’ll need to, in the priest’s words, “grow up.” He’s calling on religious communities to understand their need for queer people’s spiritual gifts. “The church is really denying itself a great source of grace by keeping people on the fringe,” he says. The priest says that, due to their subjective experiences, members of the LGBTQIA+ community can help build churches. “The perception of a gay person can be increased by the struggle that they’ve had because they come to know another truth

that is beyond the narrow truth prescribed by society.” The church’s next step in forming a positive relationship with the LGBTQIA+ community is to extend genuine invitations. “It’s interesting that there’s so much that the gay community can bring to the church, and has, but the door is just ajar,” the priest says. “Why don’t we open that door? Let the fresh air in. Let the Spirit come in and work and build this community.” Powell has experienced the power of a welcoming church. They want this feeling to reach the entire LGBTQIA+ community. Until it does, Powell extends a hand. “There is someone out there [who] loves them no matter what,” Powell says. “They don’t necessarily have to believe in a higher power, but there is a community … out there that loves them and accepts them and affirms them.”

Why don’t we open that door? Let the fresh air in. Let the Spirit come in and work and build this community. DRAKE MAG 35

LESSONS FROM LOSS Grief and loss in any capacity is a long process and it’s shaped who I am today.

WORDS AIDAN QUINLAN | DESIGN EVE KELLY

WINTER 2023

uring the summer of 2021, my dad had a pulmonary embolism, which was expected to kill him. School started three days after it happened, and I had to tough it out. I don’t remember much from August that year. I was on autopilot: going to school, coming home, and visiting my dad in the hospital on the weekends. Seeing him is the one thing from this time that I can fully remember — the image of my dad laying in the hospital bed, unresponsive, with tubes down his throat, and machines all around him. I vividly remember trying to speak to him as if nothing was wrong, just trying to get any sort of response from him. As my dad slowly started to improve, my mom did the opposite. Her cancer caught up to her, and she died that September. I had no idea how I’d be able to navigate the world, apply for colleges, finish high school, and go to college without my mom by my side. It’s been a challenging journey for me since then, but I’m finally able to say that I’m in a much better place right now. Grief is an intricate journey, but I’ve been able to learn a lot along the way.

A PROCESS, NOT A DESTINATION

Maybe you didn’t lose your mom in high school. But we’ve all been through at least one time in our lives when we experienced some form of loss. Maybe the COVID-19 pandemic took a certain event or tradition away from you, like prom or graduation. During those years, we all lost something. We lost our normal routine of how we went about life because of stay-at-home mandates. We went weeks, months, and maybe even longer without seeing friends and family. Being thrown out of the normal routine had a detrimental effect on people everywhere, especially on mental health, and we grieve what we lost then.

When lockdown orders were in effect, there was an increase of nearly 30% in the usage of mental health services among adults aged 21-40 years old, according to a 2021 study by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The study found the mental health effects of breaking a daily routine and not being able to interact with friends were drastic. Some people knew someone who died from COVID-19, and many struggled with feeling isolated. “It’s important to distinguish that grief is a process rather than a destination,” says Luke Katuin, a therapist based in Des Moines, Iowa. “Many people want to ‘be done with it’ or ‘over it.’ It’s important to engage and connect with your support system as we all have a tendency to feel some level of avoidance.” Even if you’re grieving over a year of your life lost to the pandemic, it’s important to acknowledge the loss and be gentle with yourself, because that grief is natural. It’s also important to talk through your feelings, not just bottle it all up and act like everything is going well, because that stress can lead to a physical illness. “Grief can bring stress to our bodies and that releases different stress hormones and chemicals that can affect sleep, appetite, a body’s natural gut microbes, and could potentially lead to a lowered immune system,” Katuin says.

SHARE YOUR STORY

Marcie Sparrow, a 43-year-old homeschool mother living in Puerto Rico, recently suffered the loss of her husband. She explains her experience of the physical and emotional effects of grief. Even though we’re from different generations, we have many experiences in common. “It is pretty intense,” she says. “You think about all the things, you have flashbacks of all the things, you go through guilt trips. What if I did this instead? And then you get to a point where it’s physically painful to think about, you can’t sit in it for very long.”

An organization called EveryStep in Iowa provides support for those who have experienced a loss. The organization serves participants through six-week support groups. They also hold “Living with Loss” dinners for the participants to discuss their loved ones. Program coordinator Taylor Clemens says it might feel impossible at first, but discussing what you lost is one of the most important parts of going through grief. “That’s one thing that bothered me,” Sparrow says. “People avoided mentioning [my husband’s] name or avoided bringing up memories. There’s a point where people avoided it because they didn’t know how to handle it, or thought it would make me sad, and it actually bothered me so much that they never asked about him. It’s so unnatural to not talk about somebody.” While it might seem basic, it can be a daunting step for some. I’ve learned that I need to think about and talk through the loss that I had with those closest to me, especially my sister. We share the same experiences, so we know how to comfort each other. My advice for anyone going through loss — no matter how big or small — is to share it with people you trust. If it’s an event or activity you miss, share the memories you do have from that time with people who also missed out on those things. Having someone to be there to listen to me and my story has helped me process my feelings. In doing so, it could just help you connect better with others. “Day to day, [people experiencing grief] have the common experience of having a huge void of energy and something they’re used to being around,” Sparrow says. “I think that does bring people closer.” There’s no right way to grieve. She says the only thing you can do wrong is to do nothing at all.

TAKE A SHAKY STEP FORWARD

Once you’ve started talking about grief, getting back to doing basic activities is an essential next step forward. “We see the value in trying to find meaningful ways to incorporate that loved one in traditions and things that they used to have been present for but aren’t anymore,” Clemens says. For me, this was when I was looking for something to watch on TV and came across “Jersey Shore.” It instantly brought me back to 2020, when my family and I would watch the show all the time. Honestly, it seemed odd at the time, but watching the show again stung. I even cried when I first turned it on. It made me think of how I’ll never get to have that experience ever again. I’ll never be in the same room as my mom, dad, and sister. I realized my mom will never get to see me go through the rest of my life, and I won’t be able to celebrate any more accomplishments with her. At the same time, “Jersey Shore” reminds me of all the good times with my family, even if it was just sitting together on the couch watching TV. Sometimes, the smallest things can bring back some of the most powerful memories. Sparrow had a similar experience. When a new season of the show she and her late husband used to watch was released, she says she turned it on and watched it with her kids. “I’ll sit down and watch this show, but that was what he watched, and that has a weird connection to all of us,” she says. Sharing simple activities in memory of what was lost is impactful, Clemens says.

For a long time, I was mad at myself for getting sad over something as small as watching “Jersey Shore.” I now recognize that’s just part of processing my feelings. It’s important for me to go back and remember my life before it all changed, because those memories are all that I have left of that life. “It’s a daily evaluation of what is good and what you can handle. It’s a daily exercise in what can I do today, what can I not do today,” Sparrow says. Grief is not a linear process either, by any means. “Grief is something that lasts a lifetime and comes in waves as you go through different milestones in your life,” Clemens says. I finally understand what Clemens means. Once you lose someone or something, it sticks with you forever. You have to recognize how you’re feeling, share it with someone you trust, and then forge a path ahead, while appreciating what you had. You can’t tiptoe around it, but must take that first shaky step forward. Life will continue to move on and it’s up to you to keep the memory alive of what you miss most, like I did with watching “Jersey Shore.”

CULTURE

From food and drinks to a full on spa, Paws & Pints is every dog lover’s dream. WORDS VICTORIA SOLIZ PHOTO TORI OLIVER DESIGN ELI WOODSON

Being nine hours away from home has made me realize something — I miss my dog. As I’ve entered my last year of college, the deadlines are fast approaching, and I know if my pup was here, she’d be helping me get through this. Because dogs always do. They’re called man’s best friend for a reason. It’s for that very reason that I sometimes need to get away from it all … with the help of dogs. Paws & Pints not only a great spot to grab a quick bite and step away from the craziness of everyday life, but it serves as a convenient way

to scratch that puppy itch you feel deep down. As soon as you step into the restaurant, you’re greeted by wagging tails and drooling smiles just outside on the patio. And those pups are just dying for attention. Paws & Pints is like a Lifetime Fitness for pet owners. From a restaurant with stacked menu items including puppy safe meals, a full bar with 20 beers on tap, and a full service coffee shop to grooming services, Paws & Pints has got you covered. It also offers training classes, lodging, doggy daycare, and a retail shop jam-packed with everything an owner needs.

As we continue to see Des Moines succeed, it’s not the only place dog owners live that want to be able to have a social outlet like this with their dog. “We thought it would be intelligent to put all the services under one roof. It grows the community,” says Megan Casey, Paws & Pints co-owner. “At the end of the day, you see the same dogs in day care that you often see in the dog park — everybody socializes here. And for some people, if they’re just moving to Des Moines or if their dog is kind of their thing, this is kind of their one social outlet.” It’s not just the human interaction that I love about Paws & Pints but rather the puppy interactions that are offered as another part of the experience with the restaurant. Being a student means I need to find ways to alleviate stress, and according to the American Psychiatric Association, dogs are one of the most effective methods of relieving stress. Out of a study conducted in March 2023, 69% of participants mentioned that their dogs offer stress relief, and 66% mentioned that dogs offer a “calming presence.” Three days a week, Paws & Pints hosts local acoustic artists to play throughout the night while you dig in to some of the fan favorite foods. A personal favorite of Casey’s is the Paws & Pints mac and cheese, made either plain or with the addition of your choice of meat. Not feeling the mac? Just when Paws & Pints couldn’t get any cooler, they also have a dedicated sandwich called the Porter Rinsky in honor of the PorterRinsky Foundation. “We started a foundation in memory of one of our Bernese Mountain dogs we had to put down at a really young age,” Casey says. “A dollar of every sandwich goes back to Porter’s foundation to help raise the money for animals when owners can’t pay crazy medical bills.” It isn’t just the human food that’s to love. Paws & Pints has three main courses made specially

for man’s best friend. Each meal is vetted by a doggie nutritionist and the info is readily available by QR code on the back of the menu. The all-day breakfast bowl that would make any dog owner jealous, complete with scrambled eggs, pork, red bell peppers, spinach, and Idaho potatoes. For a simple grab-and-go pup treat, Paws & Pints offers single ingredient jerky with a variety of flavors — all made weekly in-house and in small batches. Looking to give your pup a sweet treat instead? Paws & Pints’ Bonetique, their retail portion of the store, offers handmade doggie-safe cookies with a variety of dog-themed cuts and shapes. But let’s be honest, everyone’s probably dying to look at the full bar. The extensive list includes a light Lavender Lemondoodle, Foundry vodka with lemon and lavender simple syrup. There’s also the Patio Pooch, made with Chambord, vodka, and peach schnapps, with pineapple and cranberry juice, topped with a cherry and orange wheel. If you need a pick-me-up after chasing your pup all around the patio area of the restaurant, order the Carajillo, a coffee cocktail. After a year of success, it only makes sense that Paws & Pints will go off and share it with the world. Casey is hoping that there will soon be a Paws & Pints outside of Des Moines. Dog owner or not, everyone will be able to experience the joy that furry, tail-wagging pups can bring. “The goal is by next year, we can begin to build these in other parts of the country,” she says. “As we continue to see Des Moines succeed, it’s not the only place dog owners live that want to be able to have a social outlet like this with their dog.”

G I I B E C S C U A S S

CULTURE

During his senior year at Drake University, Erik Fahner was studying graphic design, but dreamed of something more than what he was doing in school. It started with the creation of an Instagram aesthetics page called Biig Pluto and continued to grow as he skipped classes.

Meet Erik Fahner, who runs his own clothing company. WORDS RYLEY ROUDABUSH PHOTO TORI OLIVER DESIGN REESE MODUGNO

“Me and my painting teacher … didn’t get along because I didn’t paint anymore. I was just screen printing and I stopped showing up to class because I was so invested in this vision,” Fahner says. Fahner was still painting — just on clothing instead of canvas for class assignments. The Instagram page turned into a place to show off his apparel designs. “In that process … I ruined my whole wardrobe by trying to screen print,” Fahner says.

TO I LOVE YOU BACK PLUTO AND

TELL Y OUR F RIEND YOU LO S VE TH EM

His focus turned to making Biig Pluto into a brand. Fahner says the misspelling of the name is significant because you can be unsure of the future but still find success in what you’re passionate about.

Most slogans on his apparel are encouraging and advocate for mental health, such as “I’m proud of you,” or, “Thank you for being you.” Fahner’s inspiration for each clothing drop is spontaneous.

His first collection was released in April 2021 with the words, “I love u to Pluto and back” printed on the apparel. The inspiration for the first slogan came from a love letter Fahner received from a fan who had written those same words at the end of the letter.

“When I look at the drop, that’s what I was feeling in those moments,” he says.

Unfortunately, the lack of growth in his business following his first collection drop was unfulfilling and not at all what he’d expected. Rather than giving up, Fahner kept pushing and released his second collection titled “Mental Health Matters” a year later with the slogan “Tell your friends you love them,” printed on t-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, and tote bags. Surprised with how positive the responses from this launch were, Fahner marked this as a turning point for himself and Biig Pluto. “I was scared to put it out there. But when I did, the response was amazing,” he says. “After that, I was like, wow, that’s what the whole year of work was for this drop right here. From that, I was like, wow, I can really do this.”

Though he works by himself, he uses his friends and the brand’s community to model his work. He’s promoted his products solely on Instagram — increasing his brand’s reach while sticking to his DIY origins. Through Biig Pluto, he aims to create an accepting environment full of love, positivity, and inspiration. Even when it feels impossible, he says the most crucial part is listening to yourself. “Just start,” Fahner says. “You can just go in circles and loops thinking about it and stressing about it but at the end of the day, if you have a vision or a feeling, or like your gut’s telling you to do something, or you feel like you’re capable of more, don’t silence that voice.”

DRAKE MAG 43

These cozy fits will make you fall for cold weather. WORDS MARA FENDRICH | PHOTO TORI OLIVER | DESIGN LILY ECKENRODE

WINTER 2023

ON ELLA (She/Her) Overalls | Hollister Top | Calvin Klein Sweater | Model’s own

DRAKE MAG

ON ORLANDO (He/Him) Pants | Dickies Sweater | Burton

WINTER 2023

ON IVERSON (They/Them) Pants | Dickies Sweater | She + Sky

DRAKE MAG

ON THOMAS (He/Him) ON THOMAS (He/Him)Pants | Urban Outfitters Pants | Urban OutfittersSweater | Cider Sweater | Cider

WINTER 2023

DRAKE MAG

ON MIA (They/She) Skirt | Model’s own Top | Cider Sweater | Cider

WINTER 2023

ON JOSÉ (He/Him) Pants | Zara Sweater | Ice Knit

ON JOANN (She/Her) Pants | Zara Sweater | Lee Jacket | Duluth Trading Co. Scarf | Model’s own

DRAKE MAG

COOKED TO

perfection

3 heartwarming dishes to try this winter

WINTER 2023

WORDS KYLIE PETTY PHOTO MICHAEL CUMMINGS DESIGN MADDIE KRUSE

DRAKE MAG

BAKED BRIE

Total time: 20 minutes Serves: 6

1 wheel of Brie Toppings of your choice: honey, jam, chopped nuts, caramelized onions, berries 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. If using jam or honey, add before baking. Place brie on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until gooey on the inside. 3. Add berries or other toppings. Cut into slices and serve.

BAKED KALE SALAD WITH CRISPY QUINOA Total time: 30 minutes Serves: 4 1 small red onion 1/4 cup honey 2 Tbsp. water 3 sage sprigs 2 rosemary sprigs 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1 cup uncooked quinoa 12 stalks of kale 1 small head of green cabbage Olive oil as needed 1-2 tsp. cayenne pepper Salt and pepper

DRESSING

1. Thinly slice red onion into half rings. 2. In a small saucepan, whisk together honey, water, sage, and rosemary on medium heat. 3. Stir until mixture thickens slightly, about 1-2 minutes. 4. Add red wine vinegar and stir. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. 5. Remove sage and rosemary and add red onion to hot saucepan. Remove from heat. 6. Stir until onions soften slightly, about 2-3 minutes.

SALAD

7. Preheat oven to 450°F. 8. Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Wash and roughly chop kale. 9. Remove the core from the cabbage and thinly slice it into strips. Spread the cabbage onto a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. 10. Spread quinoa onto a separate baking sheet, cover with olive oil and cayenne pepper, and mix until quinoa is evenly coated. 11. Roast cabbage for 20 to 23 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden and slightly crisp. 12. Roast quinoa for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. 13. Add kale to the baking sheet with quinoa for the last 4 to 5 minutes. Drizzle kale with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 14. Toss kale and cabbage into a bowl, top with quinoa and drizzle with dressing before serving.

WINE POACHED PEARS Total time: 60 minutes Serves: 4

2 cups dry red wine of your choice Large piece of orange peel 1/2 cup orange juice 2-4 cinnamon sticks 6-10 whole cloves 1/2 cup sugar 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 cup raspberries 1/2 cup blackberries 4 Bosc, Asian, or Anjou pears, ripe but firm

1. Combine all ingredients except for pears in a saucepan. The saucepan should be large enough to fit the pears snugly, and so they’ll be submerged in the poaching liquid. 2. Bring mixture to a simmer while stirring to dissolve the sugar. 3. After sugar is completely dissolved, pour liquid through a strainer to remove berry seeds. 4. Peel pears and place into poaching liquid so they are mostly submerged. Poach for 20-25 minutes, simmering on medium-low heat and rotating every 5 minutes.

5. Once the pears are fully poached (when you can stick a knife through with little to no resistance), remove the saucepan from heat and allow pears to cool in poaching liquid. 6. Remove pears from poaching liquid. Let liquid simmer a few more minutes until it thickens into a syrup. Add water if it gets too thick. 7. Plate poached pears and drizzle with leftover syrup.

COZY COCKTAILS WORDS KYLIE PETTY PHOTO TORI OLIVER DESIGN TYLER STRACHAN

Try these four drinks this season.

SPICED SCARLET SANGRIA Total time: 10 minutes Serves: 4

COZY RUM CIDER Total time: 25 minutes Serves: 4 3 1/2 cups apple cider 1/2 cup spiced rum 1 Tbsp. molasses 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1-2 cinnamon sticks 3/4 Tbsp. ground allspice 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 1. In a medium saucepan, bring apple cider, rum, molasses, fresh lemon juice, cinnamon sticks, ground allspice, and ground nutmeg to a boil over high heat. 2 Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. Remove cinnamon sticks and serve.

3 cups red wine 1/2 cup cranberry juice 1/2 cup orange juice 1/2 cup sugar 1 sliced orange with the rind 1. In a saucepan, combine red wine, cranberry juice, orange juice, sugar, and orange slices. 2. Bring mixture to a simmer and allow sugar to dissolve. 3. Pour sangria into mugs, garnish with orange slices and enjoy while it’s warm.

BOLD CITRUS BOURBON Total Time: 15 minutes Servings: 4 2 slices of ginger, peeled 2 cups water 1/2 cup honey 2 lemon wedges 1 cup bourbon 3-4 dashes angostura bitters Ground cinnamon to garnish 1. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat ginger and water until almost boiling. 2. Pour water into a large mug, straining out ginger. Add honey, stirring until well-dissolved. 3. Squeeze and drop in lemon wedges. Add bourbon and bitters. Stir to incorporate all ingredients. 4. Garnish with ground cinnamon.

WARM CINNA-RUM

Total Time: 10 minutes Servings: 4 2 cups water 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup honey 1 tsp. allspice Pinch of salt 1 cup spiced rum 4 sticks cinnamon, for garnish

1. Boil water. 2. Using an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar, butter, honey, allspice, and salt in a medium bowl until blended and smooth. 3. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. 4. Add rum and boiling water. Stir until butter mixture dissolves. 5. Garnish with cinnamon sticks.

DRAKE MAG 57

CULTURE

“

ONE FOR THE

MONEY,

TWO FOR THE

SHOW”

WINTER 2023

Do we have to do everything? Now we’re fixing the economy, too. WORDS AMANDA FAVAZZA DESIGN EMILY ZELLER

Girls are shedding glitter as they click across the hotel lobby in their cowboy boots. Camping at cocktail tables, plugging in their mirrors to apply shimmering makeup and 13s on hands. Attendees from the night before are slumping down escalators with suitcases, tricked out with the latest from the merch tables. I get ready in the lobby bathroom, sharing counter space with a stranger as we talk about our hopes for the night’s surprise songs. I hope she plays “You’re on Your Own, Kid,” the girl tells me. This is the Eras Tour experience. We’ve all spent thousands of dollars to be here. During the pandemic, all anyone could do was listen to music, cross off canceled concerts from our calendars, and dream of the next tour announcement. Lying on our bedroom floors, watching old concert videos became a daily habit that kept the hope alive. And now? We road trip to see those same favorite artists who got us through it all.

CONCERTS ARE BACK.

Lauren Hickham, a summer stagehand, 28-time concert attendee, and student at Depauw University, describes live music experiences as “something you can hold onto in your mind.” Now, concerts are back. Shows were rescheduled, and people are waiting in Ticketmaster queues, credit cards ready to hit their limits for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. The new generation of concert attendees has no issue dropping thousands for a glimpse of the star onstage. “Seeing them live is such a surreal thing,” Hickham says. SeatGeek says the average resale ticket price in 2023 is $245, while resale tickets for the Eras Tour were upwards of $1,600. Kalen Haag, a student at University of IllinoisChicago, has attended more than 40 concerts herself. Her TikToks — which regularly go viral — capture her traveling adventures for concert

experiences. Haag shelled out $700 for pit tickets to see Harry Styles in Chicago. Hickham estimates to have spent $1,000 to see 5 Seconds of Summer in August. “Bottom line, I can’t,” Hickham says about costs. But she says she’ll make it work, and so will Haag. “It hurts my soul, but I’m just a girl,” Haag says. It’s not that these concertgoers have the money laying around for these road trips, especially as ticket prices rise exponentially. But we find ways to make it happen. Personally, I spent more than $2,000 in the past year to be a part of these emotional encounters. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

Philadelphia’s city Federal Reserve Bank “Beige Book” for June 2023 showed tourism had a slight growth “in large part due to an influx of guests for the Taylor Swift concerts.” Chicago had three nights of Swift, which resulted in more than 44,000 occupied hotel rooms, bringing in $39 million in total hotel revenue, according to Choose Chicago. This isn’t just happening in major metropolitan U.S. areas. The effects are being felt in countries across the Atlantic. A Statistics Sweden report showed Beyoncé’s presence “caused 0.2 percentage points of the rise” in the country’s inflation for the month.

BRINGING SUN ON THE DARKEST DAYS

Hickham recollects on some of her most chaotic concert moments as experiences worth chasing.

THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS

“There’s never a moment where I’m like, ‘I shouldn’t have done this,’” she says.

“Everyone knew that it was going to be so chaotic,” Hickham says.

For me, this moment was seeing Harry Styles in Chicago. It’s my senior year of high school. I don’t know where I’m going to college, who I am, or what I’m supposed to be doing with my life. My mental health is deteriorating and everything seems dim. The light that brings me back is a singular square stage which holds the artist who makes me see the world through a different lens, who shows me “a power that is strong еnough to bring sun to the darkest days.”

And hosting live mega-shows is worth it to cities, which are profiting from the revived tourism dollars. While we’re emotionally recovering alongside our heroes, for cities it’s another kind of comeback. Kansas City ushered in hundreds of thousands of hotel-staying, restaurant-patronizing, and merchandise-shopping fans when Taylor Swift came to Arrowhead Stadium in July.

When all was said and done, the city’s metro area estimated a $46 million economic impact, according to Visit KC. Retailers in the area reported better sales when Swift was performing for just two days than when the NFL Draft was there for an entire week, according to NPR Kansas City. The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City recorded that consumer spending expanded at a moderate pace due to “a stronger-than-expected summer tourist season.” Also known as July 7-8, Swift’s tour dates. Large scale tours are a big business for cities across the country.

On the journey there, I’d been stuck in traffic. I got ready in the backseat of a car. By the time I got to the show, my hair looked tragic, and I hadn’t eaten since lunch. But to be among the feather boas, go-go boots, dancing the “boot-scoot,” and chanting for “Medicine” during the encore — this, to me, is home. To quote Michael Clifford, lead guitarist of 5 Seconds of Summer, “Real bands save fans, real fans save bands.”

BLOOD GORY Gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss. Good for her. If you’re familiar with these terms from your social feeds, you’re aware of the way feminine rage has been depicted in the 21st century. We’ve seen it. We’ve felt it. When Oliva Rodrigo screams about being screwed over by her exes, and when Taylor Swift demands her red scarf back from Jake Gyllenhal. But what do these terms mean, and why the recent surge in their portrayal in films? “Feminine rage” as a genre is a collection of works that often depict women breaking from the societal pressures of being female. Alicia Alverez, writer for Her Campus, says it’s an “ancestral and inherited response to the struggles, oppressions, and wrongdoings that women have been subjected to.” Femininity is a shared experience that usually isn’t shown on screen in this way. We aren’t allowed to take revenge, be angry, or feel hurt. Often on screen, when we see femininity, it’s dainty and small. With female rage, everything finally boils over. It comes when we can’t fully express ourselves in a society built by men and their emotions. There’s crying, there’s screaming, and more times than most, there’s murder. But there’s so much more to it than that. It’s the rage women experience in their day-to-day lives when met with limitations society places on them. It’s important to note that while our generation is aware of the girl bosses like Amy Dunne from Gone Girl, or Pearl from Ti West’s X franchise, feminine rage or “good for her” films have existed for a while and typically come in waves as a response to whatever crap we have to deal with for that generation. These films are the responses to everyday politics and societal pressures. “We could look farther back, but I think a lot of people will generally center the ‘good for her’ female rage movies with the rape and revenge films of the 1970s,” says Courtney Dreyer, who’s getting her Ph.D. in communication and film at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “Of course, feminists have differing opinions on the genre but still see the general idea of something bad happening to a woman: she gets angry, she gets revenge.” Take a look at the 1970s film “I Spit On Your Grave.” The movie

Exploring femininity through bloody acts of violence in movies WORDS VICTORIA SOLIZ | DESIGN PRINCESS HART

follows protagonist Jennifer as she enacts bloody revenge on her rapists who left her for dead. It’s no easy film — the act itself is brutal and hard to watch — but Dreyer counters that while it’s difficult to take in, it might’ve been needed at the time. “In the 1970s, we didn’t talk about rape in the public consciousness,” Dreyer says. “We didn’t talk about violence against women as much as we do now. While [the scene] is awful to watch, I think that was kind of the point — to express that these horrible things happen to women.” As we’ve progressed to being able to talk about and recognize the violence against women, there’s been a shift in these films. Violence still happens against women — but now, we’re able to see a wider range of feelings associated with feminine rage. In a time where the government is intent on taking power away from women, these films have gotten clever in depicting their monsters. Take Ari Aster’s 2019 cult horror “Midsommar” (not only for the fanbase but because it’s literally about a cult). Dani’s rage is slow and an accumulation of all the hurt she’s gone through. Her sister murders her parents and then kills herself. But to top all this off, she has an uncaring, gaslighting boyfriend who gangs up on her with his friends behind her back. While there’s crying and plenty of screaming, Dani’s rage can be summed up with the slow build of a smile spreading across her face as her boyfriend is burned alive. She’s gotten her revenge against all the hurt and grief she’s gone through with her family but also with an uncaring boyfriend. Female rage isn’t simply screaming and crying anymore — it can also be a small, tight, smile. In a culture intent on banning women’s autonomy and limiting her choices, the female rage genre has skyrocketed in popularity. TikTok core edits flood feeds, and Pinterest boards aesthetically push the “good for her” message. Audiences see themselves in these flawed characters, for better or for worse, because let’s be honest, there’s always something more dangerous in this world than a humiliated man — a raging woman.

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