Moda Magazine: September 2019 Issue

BUZZ

TEAM EDITOR IN CHIEF Lauren Chung

ART CURATOR Channing Smith

DEPUTY EDITOR Elise Andersen

PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Annika Ide

ART DIRECTOR Allyson Konz

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Maria Dayneko

WUD PRESIDENT Mills Botham

FASHION EDITOR Ethan Fenke

WUD PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE DIRECTOR Carlos Romagnolo

LIFESTYLE EDITOR Kate Lawless

WUD PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE ADVISOR Jen Farley

ON THE COVER Amy Van De Hay by Annika Ide

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CULTURE EDITOR Katie Herrick ARTS EDITOR Naomi Gallagher SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARKETING DIRECTOR Emily Bian

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ariana King Naomi Gross

MODELS Anastasia Karakhanova Amy Van De Hay Grace Dwyer Sylvie Tyska Olivia Sommers ART Allyson Konz Channing Smith PHOTOGRAPHY Maria Dayneko Annika Ide Madison Lecher

TABLE OF CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2019

CULTURE

LIFESTYLE

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BUSY (AND BURNT OUT) BEES The problem with millenial ‘hustle’ culture

END THE BEEF WITH VEGANS Why eating vegan is selfless

XOXO GOSSIP GIRL How social media has exacerbated gossip culture amongst women

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BUZZED OFF

Clarifying the buzz around surrounding the U.S. Women’s Team National Team pay gap

The whitewashing of the Green Rush

UW MADISON: TOO BUZZED? When just a little buzzed goes too far

ARTS

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MODA’S GUIDE TO BUZZWORTHY TRENDS Keeping up with all the latest

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MORE PLAY, LESS PAY

YOUTUBERS THAT DESERVE MORE BUZZ

FASHION

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BREAKING THROUGH THE BACKGROUND BUZZ How to find your personal style

ELECTRIC EXPRESSION Examining the union of eco-conscious function and form in urban architecture and art installments

FEATURED

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HECTIC VOLTAIC Behaving boldly

SEPTEMBER 2019 3

MO RE LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

than a magazine

It’s the same old cliche to say that ever since I was a kid I dreamed of making it big at a shiny, glamorous magazine.

But truly, I did. I would watch The Devil Wears Prada or 13 Going on 30 and dream about the days I would lead a beautiful, inspiring magazine with passion and pride. Only for me, the vision was always a dream and never a tangible career path. As an Asian-American woman it was always difficult to imagine myself in the roles of women I watched on the big screen or read about in best-selling novels. I could read countless books about the under-dog girl who rose up and rebelled, but I could never picture myself leading the world towards change. I could watch the girl finally get the guy in any classic rom-com but never fully convinced myself I was going to end up finding my better half. These girls never looked like me, constantly making me question if I would ever get my dream job, be able to fight for what I believe in or even fall in love one day. But that’s the thing about dreams: they will always be dreams until you finally make it a reality—no matter the odds against you, even if you aren’t the picture perfect image of who is “supposed” to fulfill a role.

help and love one another to make the world a better place.

Let’s start conversations about how the Millennial ‘Hustle’ culture is negatively affecting our mental health and discuss what the implications of The War on Drugs really means for people of color. Let’s inspire one another through stories like the US Women’s Soccer team fighting for equality, and learn to love each other and ourselves through confronting the toxicity of gossip culture.

This year I want to create the most buzz around Moda there ever was because Moda is more than just a magazine. To me, it’s a place where there are true opportunities to turn dreams into a reality. I hope the buzz surrounding Moda ignites inspiration and fuels burning passion amongst everyone. At Moda we can do and be anything, and anyone is welcome to join the movement. Let’s change minds, ignite drive and

Cheers,

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The beginning of the school year always seems to elicit a particular energy in the air as students flood the streets and chatter echoes at all hours. This buzz comes in all shapes and sizes. It can be seen in fashion trends, news, relationships or a brand new social calendar. If I have learned anything from my previous three years on campus it is that there is always going to be that loom of something new. It is easy to be overwhelmed by or even drowned out amidst the sound.

In light of all this noise, I encourage you to be your own source of the buzz. Find your inner desire—that image of yourself that you think is impossible to manifest—nd use the electricity of its passion to make it possible.

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LIFESTYLE

BUZY

+ BURNT OUT

BEES

THE PROBLEM WITH MILLENNIAL ‘HUSTLE’ CULTURE

By Elise Andersen, Deputy Editor Photo Courtesy of Paul Jung Illustration by Channing Smith, Art Director 6 MODA

Open up your Instagram app. What is the first thing you see? An Instagram story of an MCAT prep book from that girl in your freshman year chemistry class, or maybe a post from one of your favorite influencers with a caption touting their newest podcast episode. Check Snapchat. What are your friends up to? Posting their OOTD for the last day of their killer summer internship, or maybe their Apple Watch post-eight mile run.

It seems like everyone is out and about bettering themselves in one way or another, being “productive”... while you’re lying in bed rewatching Euphoria for the second time. You begin to get this uncomfortable feeling deep in your stomach that maybe you are not doing enough, and although you worked two part-time jobs and took a class this summer, it just isn’t enough. Sound familiar?

Millennial culture loves to perpetuate this idea, especially on social media, that everyone is constantly go, go, go-ing. We normalize the idea that if you are not achieving your goals in a speed that matches the digital world we live in you are not doing it fast enough. If you are not spending every waking hour working on yourself and your future, it does not take long to feel like you cannot keep up with those around you.

College campuses may breed the hustle culture phenomenon better than anywhere else. Students are in constant competition with each other and themselves to have the best grades, the best internship and the perfect social group. Anne Trager, an incoming college senior, speaks for many college students when she says, “I was always told to work hard.

To be better. To push more than the person next to me.”

It means internalizing the idea that we should be working all the time and that only through this will we achieve our goals and dreams. Hustle culture, especially in the millennial age, can stretch beyond the workplace. It includes anything that takes a toll on your mental health— whether it be working out, studying, extracurriculars or even traveling— to prove that you are “working harder.” The combination of hustle culture, technology and our hypercompetitive society can prove to be a recipe for disaster if taken too far.

Technology and social media have only led us to accept this practice of hustle culture, often in ways we do not even realize. Social media creates an overall sense of attachment to

to social media with any sort of good news, whether it be landing an internship or being elected president of a school club. Anne says, “I say I post for myself, but it’s for others...it’s because I want them to see that I’m not just doing well, but that I’m doing better than them.”

Social media also enables the “imposter syndrome,” or the internalized fear of people seeing you for who you really are. Imposter syndrome gives way to that nagging feeling that you just do not belong, whether it be at work, school, or in a social setting. Social media lets us cope with feelings of imposter syndrome by allowing us to appear confident and happy to our followers through fabricated posts and captions, when really we may be tired and miserable. The ability to portray an idealized life to the outside world through social platforms is just as addictive as social media itself.

Anne, like many other millennials, states, “my days revolve around curating an aura of ‘puttogether-ness’ for others to see.”

Combined with an environment of constant comparison and competition, social media drives the hustle culture mindset.

“WORKING LONGER DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN WORKING HARDER” communication, leading many of us to believe we need to be on our devices all the time. This concept spreads into work, school and beyond, constantly making us think that we need to be on at all times.

Hustle culture can be described as “the complete abandonment of finding healthy work-life integration, and instead, defining one’s self-worth, and perhaps one’s entire life, by what is accomplished in the workplace.”1

Aside from this idea of addiction, social media perpetuates the idea of broadcasting our “best life” for our followers to see. “We all have the ability to choose our words carefully on the internet, include any photos we want and utilize skewed verbiage,” Anne says. “This contributes to hustle culture because we think the person next to us is doing better, when they’re not.” People only post what they want others to see, leaving us with an unrealistic idea of our peers’ lives. Many of us can attest to taking

1 Erin Griffith, “Why Are Young People Pretending to Love Work?” The New York Times, January

26, 2019

There is a fine line between hustling to better yourself or your future and hustling becoming downright dangerous. Working hard is important— no one has ever reached their goals just by sitting around, waiting for their dreams to come to fruition without any effort on their end—but when “working hard” becomes drinking coffee at all hours of the day, countless nights in a row of no sleep and posting about your personal success on social media, leading your followers to believe that copious amounts of caffeine is trendy and effective—that is where the line between healthy and harmful is crossed.

It’s not just millennials who subscribe SEPTEMBER 2019 7

to this idea of overworking yourself to be successful. Elon Musk once tweeted, “There are easier places to work than Tesla, but nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week.” Companies are constantly advertising in-office perks such as gyms, medical staff and massage therapists, all to normalize and encourage the idea of staying at work longer.

The truth about hustling and grinding is that it is simply not sustainable.

Overworking oneself for an extended period of time will lead to burnout and exhaustion and can be attributed to mental health diagnoses. Burnout itself is built by recurring cycles of stress and no rest, which can lead to hormonal disorders, muscle tension, insomnia, anxiety and depression. Eventually, this pattern of chronic stress disturbs the endocrine system, which regulates the “fight or flight” response. When this happens, the endocrine system starts taking over everything that the brain considers nonessential, such as sleep, digestion and the reproductive system, while simultaneously amplifying muscular and cardiovascular functions.

This is where burnout begins, and at its highest degree, burnout is a state of complete mental, physical and emotional exhaustion.

Burnout can lend itself to a sense of helplessness and hopelessness, two key symptoms of depression. The burned out mindset becomes a mental trap, replacing any sort of connection with isolation and loneliness. In the midst of Suicide Awareness Month, it is necessary to highlight the very real connection that lies between burnout and suicide.

Studies estimate that on average, one doctor a day dies in the United States by suicide, and 44 percent of physicians display signs of burnout at any one given time.2 Job-related burnout rates are rapidly rising among many different professions, with suicide rates rising right alongside them.3 Many amplify the symptoms of burnout with drugs or alcohol in an 2 Ashley Turner, “Stress and rigorous work schedules push a doctor to commit suicide every day in the US: ‘We need them, but they need us’,” CNBC, May 21, 2019 3 Clark Gaither, “The Very Real Connections Between Job Burnout and Suicide,” www.clarkgaither.com, June 21, 2018

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attempt to lessen the emotional impact of burnout, resulting in a downward spiral of self-destruction.

It is not just professionals in the workplace that are facing climbing suicide rates; according to the CDC, suicide is the second-leading cause of death among individuals age 16-24.4 In a 2018 study, more than 20 percent of surveyed college students reported experiencing stressful events that were strongly associated with mental health problems, including harming themselves or suicidal thoughts or attempts.5 The top two stressors found in the study? Academic pressures and career issues. The drastic increase of social media over the years can contribute to this added stress and pressure. With more than 70 percent of millennials visiting at least one social platform a day along with the constant exposure to others’ successes and highlight reels, it is not hard to believe there is a connection between social media and our generation’s mental health crisis.6’ Some might argue that the hustle mindset present in a large population of millennials is nothing to worry about, and that eventually it will die out, just like any other trend. Sadly, the habits we adopt early on in life typically translate into our later years.

Being young and living in a constant state of go-go-go and always looking to social media for validation in areas such as school, work and social life will eventually prove detrimental.

Later on, this mentality can lead to taking on too much in the workplace, a constant feeling of dissatisfaction and a hyper-competitive attitude that can ruin relationships. Sooner or later, symptoms of burnout will present itself if actions are not taken to combat it.

So what can we do to fight back against our social-obsessed, rise-and-grind generation? Instead of telling yourself, “I’ll take a break at some point,” take that break now. Step outside, delete the Instagram app for a few days and 4 “Suicide Statistics,” National Institute of Mental Health, April 2019 5 Steven Reinberg, “1 in 5 college students so stressed they consider suicide,” CBSNews, September 10, 2018 6 “Social Media, Social Life,” Common Sense Media, 2018

focus on the bigger picture.

Ask yourself, “what’s the rush?” and “what am I actually working towards?” Remember that working longer does not always mean working harder and working harder does not always produce the best outcome.

What would life look like if you took the time to slow down? If you decided to not share the highlight of your day on social media, and instead called a family member who you have been distant with to share your news? If you took the 20 minutes you take in the morning to catch up on whatever you missed on your phone during the night and instead used it towards journaling or taking a walk?

Sometimes it is better to take one step backwards so that you can take two steps forward, instead of constantly taking hops and jumps without any pause to take care of yourself— eventually being forced to stop when you inevitably burn out.

Success is not measured in terms of how many connections you have on LinkedIn or your GPA upon college graduation. Happiness is not found among the amount of people who have viewed your Instagram story or in securing the perfect post-grad job (let’s face it, most entry level jobs are far from perfect anyways). True success and happiness are found when you find meaning in the work that you do and the life that you live beyond the short-lived applause that is given on social media.

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If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273TALK (8255).

On-Campus Mental Health Services: UHS 24-Hour Crisis Hotline: 608-2655600 (option 9) UHS Mental Health Appointment Scheduling: 608-265-5600 (option 2), or log into MyUHS for 24-hour web appointment booking UHS’s no-cost mental health services include individual, couple/partner, group counseling, campus-based programming, stress management and psychiatry.

LIFESTYLE

END THE BEEF WITH VEGANS Why Eating Vegetarian and Vegan is Selfless

By Allyson Konz, Art Director ‘The Awesome Green’

I lived with a vegan this summer.

I, however, am not a vegan.

This does not mean I turned down a slice of buffalo-cauliflower avocado pizza when she offered me a piece. I mean, how could you?

Usually, when my friend has to break the news that she’s a vegan, she will get odd looks or eye rolls—implying, oh, you’re one of those people. Even if someone has had an unpleasant encounter with a vegan or vegetarian, I think it is important to remember that there’s a reason why they are choosing to live that lifestyle.

I see an unparalleled passion in my friend. She has been vegetarian since October of 2017 and vegan since this past March. She does not use her diet to push blame on me or obnoxiously complain about the food she can or can’t eat. Instead, she has given me insight into how thoughtful and purposeful we can be with food. My friend first became vegetarian (then vegan) because she wanted to be a conscious consumer, one who could hold herself to high expectations as an environmentalist. Through her diet, she saw a way to be a greater steward for the earth.

Over the course of the summer, I learned that it is not as hard as I thought it would be to eat vegan, especially as a consistent choice. I started to struggle with how many different ways I could cook sweet potatoes and cauliflower and some

days I really did not want to spend the time cooking an elaborate meal. But, it challenged and inspired me to be more creative about the way I cook and more thoughtful about the food I eat. Do not get me wrong, there were still days where a burger was just too tempting not to eat—red meat is just that As as soon as I realized that meat is not the end all to get protein, my perspective on my meals began to shift. Slowly but surely I am finding ways to eliminate meat in my diet when I can.

There seems to be this faux-idea running around that eating vegetarian or vegan, even for just one day or even one meal, is pointless. These skeptics argue that the impact that these people have on environmental sustainability is so slim that it’s essentially pointless or not of any purpose. Just enjoy the damn burger and move on, they may say. It is in this limiting process that we fail to truly see the potential of our actions—even if they may feel small. If one person does not eat meat for a day, sure, that may not have a large impact on the immediate economy, but if everyone in the country went vegetarian for a day we would save 100 billion gallons of water that would’ve otherwise been used for animal production. In other terms, that is enough water to supply all the homes in New England for four months. 1 1 Kahn, Joel. “The Environmental Impacts of Going Vegetarian for Just One Day.” VegNews. com. Accessed August 14, 2019. https://vegnews. com/2017/7/the-environmental-impacts-of-going-vegetarian-for-just-one-day.

If the idea of going vegan or vegetarian is a daunting, seemingly impossible task, you can still have a remarkable impact on sustainable agriculture and your local economy. Consider buying locally at a farmers market or giving up meat or dairy for one meal a day. Small and simple lifestyle changes regarding food can have an exponential effect.

The other great thing about being vegan or vegetarian is that it does not have to be permanent; this is not a binding life-long contract. Instead, it is something you can try for as long or as little as you want. Even my friend has admitted that someday she will want to eat ice cream and cheese again.

Being vegan or vegetarian is not about being perfect, it is about doing what is best for our bodies and our earth while finding happiness within that journey. And if that is a choice you decide to make, you are the one that gets to make the rules. Meatless mondays? Done. Eat vegan one meal a day? Done. It is not about how many steps you take, or if you are running or sprinting towards vegetarianism. It is that first step that you take that fits your lifestyle that best suits you.

Being vegan or vegetarian is not for the purpose of gaining attention or distinguishing yourself. It is not about shaming people about what they eat and why, as a vegan, you are so much better than them. Instead, as I learned from my closest friends, becoming vegan is submitting your personal autonomy with the food you love for the sake of issues larger than yourself.

--And I find that beautiful.

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H E C T I C

Creative Direction by Maria Dayneko, Creative Director Anastasia Karakhanova photographed by Maria Dayneko

l

s

N

z

CULTURE

MORE LESS P

By Naomi Gross, Contributing Writer Illustrated by Channing Smith, Art Curator

The notorious U.S Women’s National Team (USWNT) had an exceptional, yet, expected run this year in the World Cup. Following their 4th world championship, the women’s team were, reasonably, rattled at being paid less than their male counterparts who failed to even qualify for the tournament.

Rather than passively allowing this injustice, only supporting the cause through a social media post on International Women’s Day, every player on the team filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation for institutionalized gender discrimination. Their fight is not only for equal pay but also for overall equity.

Contrary to popular belief, equity in this situation is not as black and white as paying the women’s team the same salary as the men’s. Rather, equity means more than just equal pay; it

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E PLAY, PAY

States. To some, it did not make sense to ignore Norway’s efforts toward better treatment, but to others, her stand is admirable. She demanded respect without compromise so that future generations can have more success.

means equal pay for the players and the staff, as well as the quality of facilities and fields and funding for development squads. These elements of equal treatment are pertinent to shaping the future of the sport.

Take Ada Hegerberg, the talented Norweighen striker, for instance.

Hederberg is one of many who has made a voice for herself and females around the world in the fight for equality. In the most recent world cup, Hederberg refused to accept her spot on the Norweigan World Cup Squad for the same reasons the USWNT stand for today. Hederberg stood by her boycott despite Norway’s men’s team agreeing to cut their own salary to make means with the women’s team. To her, equity means more than just equal pay between the two teams.

Echoing the lack of respect for women’s soccer, Hederberg was belittled when receiving the Ballon d’Or. Hederberg was the first woman to receive the prestigious award.

Rather than commenting on her groundbreaking history and inspiring speech, the DJ celebrated her accomplishments by asking if she could twerk.

Her choice to sacrifice her career opportunities has been rather confusing, not to mention Hederberg’s lack of details about her actions. The secrecy surrounding her decision was a highly polarizing topic in the United

Similarly, the Women’s World Cup has divided the nation between those who believe the USWNT should receive equal pay and those who believe they should not. But again, equality is not that black and white. There are many misconceptions about the pay programs between the men’s and women’s team that make the equal pay issue complicated in itself.

Many believe there is a quick fix to the pay gap argument based on what they see on social media, not fully researching the complex situation. Even the U.S. Soccer Federation bandwagoned on the simple, go-to solution: give the women and men the same pay, and that will resolve the situation.

This is not the solution, as a change this big requires restructuring the women’s team salary system in its entirety. As Hegerberg can attest, equity includes better pay for the staff, better fields for the team and more funding for development programs.

The misconception that the women’s team shouldn’t be paid the same salary as the men’s is easy to fall into believing. Many people assume the men’s team is justified in receiving a higher pay than the women’s team because they bring in larger audiences and, therefore, higher revenues. After all, it’s a business structure. *eye roll* However, according to Fox Sports, the American audience on Englishlanguage television for the Women’s World Cup final was 20 percent higher than the 2018 men’s final.1 Specifically, 1 “U.S. Soccer Says Women’s National Team Paid

from 2016 to 2018, the women’s team brought in $50.8 million in revenue, while the men’s team brought in $49.9 million. 2 Additionally, Nike CEO Mark Parker said the USA Women’s Home Jersey is now the #1 soccer jersey, men’s or women’s, ever sold on nike.com in one season.3 To be fair, the men’s team was not in the World Cup… but that is somewhat the point.

On July 29th, U.S. Soccer released a statement claiming the federation invests more heavily in women’s soccer than men’s.4 On Twitter, U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro released an open letter stating that from 2010 through 2018 the federation paid $34.1 million in salary and game bonuses to the women, compared to $26.4 million for the men.5 If that is true, this is a symptom of a systematically under-supported program requiring higher investment.

The women’s team criticized the selective numbers and creative accounting, and soon after, even the men’s team issued a strong statement in support of the USWNT. After Cordeiro’s announcement, it has become increasingly more important to understand how the teams are paid. The structures are different, which, in turn, makes it a difficult comparison. The women’s team signed a contract to commit to this pay structure starting in 2017, on the belief that was the best offer they could get without going on strike.

According to The Washington Post, the women’s team has a guaranteed salary of $100,000. 6From there, they get bonuses for winning or drawing games based on the level of their competition.

Millions More Men’s Team over Last Decade.” CBS News. July 30, 2019. Accessed August 04, 2019.

2 Ibid.

3 Nike, Inc. “Prepare Remarks: Q4FY19 NIKE, Inc.” News release, June 27, 2019. Accessed August 15, 2019.

4 Das, Andrew. “U.S. Soccer Says It Pays Women’s Team More Than Men’s Team.” The New York Times, July 29, 2019.

5 “Ussoccer.com.” Ussoccer.com, July 29, 2019.

6 Kelly, Meg. “Are U.S. Women’s Soccer Players Really Earning Less than Men?” The Washington Post. July 08, 2019. Accessed August 16, 2019.

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The men’s team, however, has no base salary. Their players make ludicrous amounts of money on their MLS club teams’, or, in the case of rising Chelsea star Christian Pulisic, the English Premier League. When they win, which is unfortunately uncommon for our men’s team, they receive a bonus. This is also based on opponents skill level. The men even get rewards for ties as well as losses; so no matter what they make at least $5,000 a game. 7 The unequal pay between men and women in soccer trickles upward all the way to the teams’ coaches.

Jill Ellis, the US Women’s National team coach, does not follow the same pay structure as her team. In her final year before she stepped down, Ellis’ contract was $300,000.

not exist. Instead, both men and women have their own brackets and tournaments within the larger umbrella competition of Wimbledon. There are even co-ed doubles tournaments.

This should be mirrored in the soccer World Cup. If games were staggered so we could watch both men’s and women’s games, that would be incredible. Additionally, as Business Insider explained, with the major sources of revenue (ticket sales, broadcast rights and advertising) pooled together, equality would be much more within reach. 9

needs to be more appreciated for what it is: a beautiful and tactical game. Unfortunately, in other parts of the world, the pay disparity is far worse than in the U.S. and there is an overall lack of respect for women’s sports.10 With more money put into development programs, other countries would be able to improve their level of women’s soccer.

Without that money, teams like Thailand will continue to struggle as they are not on par talent-wise with many of the other countries’ programs.

Social status of women’s soccer around the world is reflective of what happens here in the U.S. How this controversy ends will likely have a rippling effect on women’s soccer and thereby women’s sports and our world.

“SPORTS ARE A WINDOW INTO OUR PATRIARICHAL CULTURE, SO INEQUITY REFLECTS NOT ONLY ON WOMEN’S ATHLETICS, BUT ON OUR GLOBAL CULTURE AS A WHOLE.”

Before the most recent World Cup, U.S. Soccer declined to give Ellis a new contract to restructure her pay system. They, instead, offered to increase her pay to $500,000.

While this is a substantial raise, it is still much less than the salaries of the coaches for the men’s national team. According to PBS, the former coach for the U.S. men’s team, Jürgen Klinsmann, was paid $3.3 million in the last year of his contract in 2016. 8

Even in the World Cup name itself there is a systematic differentiation between the men and the women. If you look at tennis, a sport in which men and women are paid similarly, you see that “Women’s Wimbledon” does 7 Ibid 8 Frazee, Gretchen. “Like Her Players, Outgoing U.S. Women’s Soccer Coach Has Faced Unequal Pay.” PBS. August 01, 2019. Accessed August 04, 2019.

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I despise saying the “Women’s World Cup” when we just call the men’s the “World Cup.” Our language affects society more than we know, and normalizing a men’s competition while clarifying the difference of women is a subconscious way of lessening the women’s competition and connection to sports. Combining the tournament would eliminate this issue all together.

To encourage more women to play we need to drastically adjust a sexist society. Women’s soccer 9 Gaines, Cork. “There Is an Easy Path to Equal Pay for Women’s Soccer Players, and Tennis Has Already Shown It Can Work at the Highest Levels.” Business Insider. July 08, 2019. Accessed August 16, 2019.

Sports are a window into our patriarchal culture, so inequity reflects not only on women’s athletics, but on our global culture as a whole.

While the issue is complicated, the answer is not. The women’s team deserves more.

Putting money into women’s programs is not only the right thing to do, but it also has huge returns.

The truth of the matter is that even if the women’s team was paid more, which is unlikely, they played more games and won more of those games than the men’s team. If pay is based off revenue, the women’s team pulls in more.

If pay is based off success, the women’s team wins more. If pay is based off time, the women’s team plays more. The conclusion is that pay is not based on these things, but good old fashioned sexism.

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10 O’Connor, Philip. “Soccer: World Cup Shines Spotlight on Gender Pay Disparity.” Reuters.

Thomson Reuters, May 15, 2019.

ART

ELECTRIC EXPRESSION

By Naomi Gallagher, Arts Editor

‘Vimeo’

To question the functionality of art is often criticized as limited ─ uncultured, even. One is taught that art needn’t serve a particular function. Even more so, the question is often raised: “If some given fixture is functional, can it truly be categorized as art?” In certain spheres it is clear that creativity and utility are viewed as rather distinct entities, however, one domain in which functionality and aesthetics have recently collided is in urban planning, specifically in regards to public art installments.

Public sculptures and architecture quite obviously have the ability to transform the physical landscape of a city. Millions of selfie stickbearing tourists flock to structures such as Chicago’s Cloud Gate, or more informally, “The Bean,” demonstrating the profound capacity for urban art installments to become emblems of a metropolis itself. The Bean is undeniably cherished as a token of Chicago, and is striking in its liquid mercury form that distorts the reflection of the city’s skyline.

Public art installments represent a city’s appreciation for the arts, and visitors of The Bean are not wrong to celebrate its artistic prowess. What we are seeing now, however, are cities

taking public art fixtures beyond merely aesthetics by combining both creativity and socially eco-conscious endeavors. The primary way they are achieving this? Solar power.

In 2017, Nigerian-American socialimpact artist, Shala, collaborated with ComED and the city of Chicago to install “The Solar Pyramid of Bronzeville.”

Adorned with hieroglyphic symbols designed by children within the community1, this massive, pyramidshaped sculpture draws solar energy to generate power for the neighboring Guichard Art Gallery.2 In an interview following the installation of the Pyramid, Shala explains his vision, stating “I wanted to create a magnet that would bring power to my people and my community...Pyramids have always been known to do that and this one literally empowers lives.”3 The work Shala has done for the Bronzeville community in Chicago is emblematic of the intersection of social impact and the arts.

1 Sam Cholke, “‘Solar Pyramid’ To Be Centerpiece Of Gallery Guichard Sculpture Park,” DNAInfo, July 7, 2017 2 A.L. Smith, “SHALA: A Visionary Artist Taking Chicago by Storm,” Bronzeville Life, August 2018 3 Christopher Shuttlesworth, “Comed Unveils Solar Spotlight Pyramid in Bronzeville,” The Chicago Citizen, August 30, 2017

Artist Cruz Ortiz, along with the city of San Antonio and Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) have also made strides to reduce their community’s carbon footprint via public, solar powered art installations. Ortiz’ “La Monarca” is a public mural constructed entirely from photovoltaic solar panels, and is the first one of its kind. 4 The monarch butterfly design on the panel commemorates San Antonio’s recent nomination as the National Wildlife Federation’s first Monarch Butterfly Champion City, tying the work to another of the city’s sustainable endeavors. Not only does this mural provide illumination for the EPIcenter campus building near which it resides, the solar energy generated by “La Monarca” also feeds into San Antonio’s power grid.

This coalescing of artistic expression and sustainability is an exciting prospect for major cities. As more metropolises begin to consider energy conservation, it will be interesting to watch how they choose to integrate solar-powered architectures into the urban landscape.

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4 Erik Van Erne, “Land Art Generator Initiative Solar Mural Artwork: La Monarca in San Antonio

by Cruz Ortiz,” Monarcas, November 11, 2017

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BUZZED OFF

CULTURE

The war on drugs established the means for the whitewashing of the marijuana industry.

By Katie Herrick, Culture Editor As the legalization of marijuana spreads to more and more states一with Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Washington D.C. legalizing recreational use1一new business opportunities are popping up left and right.

However, the people who are receiving and benefiting from these opportunities are largely rich white men, the opposite of the community that has been illegally selling and therefore criminalized for decades.2 Why are Americans of color being left out of the so-called “Green Boom,” a movement they basically started? It is an easy answer: the War on Drugs.

It is no secret that black and Latinx Americans have been discriminatorily targeted and affected for years with drug crimes.3 The “War on Drugs,” started in the 1970s by Richard Nixon, was an effort to reduce drug use, with Nixon declaring drug abuse “public enemy number one.”4 Seems like a great idea, right?

1 “State Marijuana Laws in 2019 Map.” Governing.

June 25, 2019. Accessed August 09, 2019.

2 “Race and the Drug War.” Drug Policy Alliance.

2019. Accessed August 09, 2019.

3 Ibid.

4 History.com Editors. “War on Drugs.” History. com. May 31, 2017. Accessed August 09, 2019.

20 MODA

Maybe so... that is, until 1986 when Congress passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, which allocated longer prison sentences for offenses involving crack cocaine, used more often by black Americans, than powder cocaine, used more often by white Americans.5 This left black Americans with longer sentences than white Americans for the same amount of drugs.

These laws remained unchanged until 2010, creating almost 30 years of legal racist sentencing and incarceration ーyears that would cause a lasting impact, even today.6 Additionally, these 30 years of higher arrest and incarceration rates in these communities were not reflective of an increased prevalence of drug use, but rather law enforcement’s focus on urban areas, lower-income communities and communities of color.7 People of color are more likely to be stopped, searched, arrested, convicted, sentenced and left with a lifelong criminal record that affects their ability to vote, bank and work. 8

5 Ibid.

6 Ibid.

7 “Race and the Drug War.” Drug Policy Alliance.

2019. Accessed August 09, 2019.

8 Ibid.

“Nearly 80% of people in federal prison and almost 60% of people in state prison for drug offenses are black or Latino. Research shows that prosecutors are twice as likely to pursue a mandatory minimum sentence for black people as for white people charged with the same offense. Among people who received a mandatory minimum sentence in 2011, 38% were Latino and 31% were black.” 9 This system of mass criminalization of people of color, particularly young African Americans, was born out of demands in the 1960s for equal rights by law, causing racists and white supremacists to search for a more discrete way to continue Jim Crow laws and segregation.

By creating policies that were “tough on crime” or a so-called “war on drugs,” racist white policymakers were able to continue slavery and Jim Crow segregation under the vise of fighting crime and drugs, making the prison system the new plantation.

“Black Americans were disproportionately targeted in the ‘war on drugs.’ Now state laws and steep regulatory costs have left them far 9 “Race and the Drug War.” Drug Policy Alliance.

2019. Accessed August 09, 2019.

more likely to be shut out of America’s profitable marijuana boom.” 10 The legalization of marijuana in many states is leaving the same person of color Americans who have been disproportionately incarcerated for the past 50 years out of the benefits and opportunities to do business.

Black and Latinx Americans remain incarcerated for drug crimes in the same states that white Americans are now legally selling, growing and budtending. Not to mention the POCs released after their sentences—they can sell legally now, right?

Wrong.

The marijuana industry requires major institutional capital.

Selling marijuana legally requires a license and a legitimate business, which for most people means a smallbusiness loan. 11 “In general, the first states that legalized recreational marijuana made it hard for anyone with a criminal record to enter the marijuana business and gave preference to people already operating medical marijuana businesses, which were in many cases subject to even tougher licensing laws because those stores came first, when regulators were at their wariest.” 12 Taking out a small-business loan requires a clean and clear record, so even the smallest arrest for possession has shut many would-be entrepreneurs out of a business they had already been apart of for years. 13 This discrimination has allowed rich white men: tech workers, real estate investors, construction company owners and former politicians to snatch up the majority of the market before actions were taken to allow black entrepreneurs the opportunities they deserved. 14 10 Lewis, Amanda Chicago. “America’s Whites-Only Weed Boom.” BuzzFeed News.

March 17, 2016. Accessed August 09, 2019.

11 Hughes, Trevor. “New Marijuana Laws in 2019 Could Help Black and Latino Drug Dealers Go Legal.” USA Today. February 24, 2019. Accessed August 09, 2019.

12 Ibid.

13 Ibid.

14 Hughes, Trevor. “New Marijuana Laws in 2019 Could Help Black and Latino Drug Dealers Go Legal.” USA Today. February 24, 2019. Accessed August 09, 2019.

For example, former House Speaker John Boehner, a white politician, spent his time in office backing the war on drugs. After leaving office he joined the board of a cannabis company, his racist policies of exclusion and discrimination allowing him to skyrocket in the cannabis industry. 15 “The Green Boom is an incredible story of de-stigmatization, entrepreneurship, and opportunity. It also risks becoming a staggering tale of hypocrisy, greed, and erasure.” 16 For most jobs, experience will help you get ahead, but in the marijuana industry it is the opposite. Investors want people who know what they are doing: people with a background in cultivation, curing, trimming and processing, but they don’t want someone who has been caught doing this, which for the most part means they do not want someone who is black. 17 “Legalizing marijuana sounds revolutionary, but with every day that passes, the same class of rich white men that control all other industries are tightening their grip on this one, snatching up licenses and real estate. In a few years, when the land grab is over, the cannabis industry may become just another example in America’s neverending cycle of racially motivated economic injustices.” 18 So what is the “answer” then? As support for legalization grows nationwide, it is clear that this is not a trend that will end soon. It is safe to say that there is agreement that those disproportionately affected by the War on Drugs should be first in line to benefit from the Green Boom, whether as business owners or beneficiaries of programs funded by earnings from the marijuana industry.

But the time for that in most states where recreational marijuana is legal 15 Ibid.

16 Avins, Jenni. “In the Age of Luxury Cannabis, It’s Time to Talk about Drug War Reparations.”

Quartz. June 29, 2019. Accessed August 09, 2019.

17 Lewis, Amanda Chicago. “America’s Whites-Only Weed Boom.” BuzzFeed News.

March 17, 2016. Accessed August 09, 2019.

18 Ibid.

has already passed, leaving reparations as the next step. Americans who spent decades of their lives illegally selling need criminal record expungement, access to job fairs, voter registration, health care and social equity programs.

Reparations are not easy to design or fund. They are needed at the government, corporate and personal level. None of this is coming until people realize the political and racial issues that the simple lighting of a joint entails.

“For the legal cannabis industry to check its privilege and become more diverse requires a shift in mindset, and a reframing of the conversation.” 19 The biggest issue is that people who feel they have not done anything wrong, and were not the ones to make the laws or disproportionately arrest POC, they simply profited off new legal changes. This sentiment is not fair. White privilege is not an excuse to continue systemic oppression and discrimination for your own personal enjoyment and gain.

People are pushing for conscious cannabis consumerism, but this alone is not a replacement for political action. White Americans need to realize that marijuana charges and the War on Drugs has ruined families, lives and opportunities.

Every time you light up, whether legal or not, you need to be conscious of your privilege and the foundation POC Americans built for you to be able to do so. White smokers and business owners need to fight for not just nationwide legalization, but also reparations and release of people currently serving sentences.

Whether or not it is fun to think about or admit, POC Americans,ーespecially young African American males,ーhave been hurt and abused by the legal system, the same legal system that has helped white Americans get ahead in the Green Boom.

·

19 Avins, Jenni. “In the Age of Luxury Cannabis, It’s Time to Talk about Drug War Reparations.”

Quartz. June 29, 2019. Accessed August 09, 2019.

SEPTEMBER 2019 21

FASHION

MODA’S GUIDE TO BUZZ-WORTHY TRENDS

By Emily Bian, Social Media Director Not sure what to wear for back to school season? As always, MODA’s got you covered. Stay tuned to learn more about six styling ideas to stay on top of your wardrobe game.

HOT PINK LIPPIE K-BEAUTY TREND

YSLbeautyus.com

By now we already know warm, dusty rose shades are a given in your Fall/ Winter makeup routine, but if you want to stay on trend try incorporating hot pink into your beauty regimen for that extra pop of color! As an integral part of the next K-beauty wave you will see all the biggest names in the fashion industry toting a fuschia lippie in their bag. Hot pink is the latest and best way to reminisce of your hot girl summer in the fall.

MILLENNIAL PURPLE

“2018 was all about Millennial pink, but everything is coming up purple this fall.”1 Start by incorporating small, lavender accessories in your neutral looks to add just a touch of color, while still staying on trend. Or, for a more daring look, go for a purple inspired monochromatic outfit!

1 Carreon, Justine. “ELLE.com’s Guide to the Biggest Trends of Fall ‘19.” ELLE. ELLE, August 21, 2019. https://www.elle.com/fashion/trend-reports/a26147021/fallfashion-trends-2019/.

TINY HANDBAGS These teeny bags were first introduced in Jacquemus’ Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear collection, but did not gain major buzz until after last year’s Met Gala when celebrities such as Kendall Jenner and Rihanna were spotted sporting the miniatures. Elle refers to this trend as your staple TBB: the bitty bag,1 and today, every major brand has a these staples for sale for sale, from Channel to Prada to Feni to Alexander McQueen.2 This buzzing trend may not be the most practice (especially Getty Images

22 MODA

1 Carreon, Justine. “ELLE.com’s Guide to the Biggest Trends of Fall ‘19.” ELLE. ELLE, August 21, 2019. https://www.elle.com/fashion/trend-reports/a26147021/fall-fashiontrends-2019/.

2 Mathews, Ellis. “The Mini Bag Trend, Explained.” FASHION Magazine. May 14, 2019.

Accessed August 15, 2019. https://fashionmagazine.com/fashion/mini-bag-trend/.

modaoperandi.com

MIXING METALS

TRENCH COATS It is always hard to style in between seasons. I find myself constantly battling between bundling up or dressing down. Long trench coats are the perfect solution. This buzzworthy trend is perfect for when showing off your outfit while still keeping warm as the weather starts cooling down.

We know street is all the rage right now, but if you miss the more feminine aspect of styling try incorporating a sheer, lace longsleeve or turtleneck underneath a band tee or chunky sweater. Layer a few silver chains, another trend with a lot of recent buzz, on top of your sheer or lace shirts to create a perfectly harmonious look. The power balance between hard and soft textures makes a literal statement for fall as it mirrors the phase between summer and winter!

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Vogue.com

UNDERLAYER HAIR COLOR Thinking of changing up your hair color but not sure if you are ready for that big of a jump? Consider an underlayer bleachand-color, a style that involved dying the underlayer of your hair any color of your choosing. The latest trendsetters sport colors all over the spectrum, from bright aquas to pastel pinks to royal blue. While sure to turn heads, this look can still be tame enough for job interviews you may be preparing for with a quick half-up look or blow out. However you choose to style this bold and buzzworthy trend you are bound to at least a dozen compliments of your beautifully blended streaks of color! @bobby_omoto_style

SEPTEMBER 2019 23

elr

y

GLEAM

Creative direction by Maria Dayneko, Creative Director, Lauren Chung, Editor-in-Chief, and Allyson Konz, Art Director Makeup by Maria Dayneko, Creative Director Amy Van De Hay, photographed by Annika Ide

LIFESTYLE

SOCIAL MEDIA HAS EXACERBATED GOSSIP CULTURE AMONGST WOMEN

BY KATE LAWLESS, LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Remember the first time you watched Gossip Girl? How you were unsure who was behind the infamous blogging site? How they had so much personal information about our favorite Upper-East-Siders? Gossip Girl became more than just an iconic early 2000’s TV drama—it is Big Brother-esque parallels and resulting friendship drama became a reality with the onset of the social media age, especially for young women.

These experiences can sound dramatized, but they are actually, and unfortunately, pretty common in “girl world”. At one time or another, we have all felt like a victim of “Gossip Girl” forces. At some point, we have all even been “Gossip Girl,” sharing information and judging one another while also trying to manage our own reputations.

Social media has made the ability to gossip considerably worse. Now, we can instantly share information to perpetuate the toxic comparison across multiple platforms, distributed throughout the interverse and reaching all corners of the world in a matter of seconds. Complaining about other women in group chats, “cancelling” people and “getting receipts” 28 MODA

have become normal parts of interpersonal conflict management.

This type of indirect aggression is something we learn from a young age.

Unlike boys, girls tend to avoid physical confrontations when they are upset, instead preferring “low-risk” forms aggression like gossiping. 1 Even though men statistically gossip just as much as women, gossiping is more often associated with women.2 Women are more likely than men to use prosocial gossip in everyday conversation, meaning they use gossip to share negative judgments about others as a warning, such as if someone is a notoriously bad partner for group projects.3 Women also use gossip to form friendship bonds. By “othering” one girl you identify yourself with the girls that you gossip with, essentially 1 Chesler, Phyllis. Woman’s Inhumanity to Woman. New York, NY: Thunder’s Mouth Press/Nation Books, 2001.

2 Robbins, Megan L., and Alexander Karan. “Who Gossips and How in Everyday Life?” Social Psychological and Personality Science, May 02, 2019. doi:10.1177/1948550619837000.

3 Lombrozo, Tania. “Why Do We Gossip?” NPR. May 23, 2016. Accessed August 09, 2019. https://www.npr.org/ sections/13.7/2016/05/23/479128912/the-origins-of-gossip.

including yourself by excluding another. Privately sharing intimate or negative thoughts about other women can feel like it is solidifying a friendship even though it is at the expense of the reputation of another woman.4 As much as we would like to think modern feminism has encouraged us to be more supportive of other women, the rapid growth of social media use has led to gossip becoming a serious obstacle in having meaningful and positive relationships with other women.

Today, many girls have social media accounts, the most popular being Youtube, Instagram and Snapchat. If you do not have some form of social media, it is yet another tick to launch you into the outcast group. Yet, if you do have social media, there comes even more ways to deem you an outcast who does not follow proper forms.

Not posting enough or posting the “wrong” things? That is another strike against you. Instead of secretly worrying if your friends are more popular than you, you can check their follower count or how many likes they 4 Chesler, Phyllis. Woman’s Inhumanity to Woman. New York, NY: Thunder’s Mouth Press/Nation Books, 2001.

got on a photo and see a number that you can then compare to your own.

Like the brands of clothes you wear, what hobbies you have or who you hang out with, these metrics are yet another way of measuring how well you fit in amongst your peers. Not getting the “appropriate” amount of followers or likes is yet another way that could decrease your self-confidence. Trying to attain social media goals, like getting 1,000 followers or twenty comments, can lead to feelings of selfdoubt when you don’t “measure up” in comparison to your peers. Social media even encourages focusing on these superficial numbers and goals through apps that tell you when someone unfollows you or when is the best time to post. Social media can feel more like a competition or a job than a way to share your life with your friends.

With social media, we can send other photos and messages instantly, kick people out of a group chat and secretly record embarrassing Snapchat videos of one another. What used to, quite literally, be secretive whispers in a hallway or on the streets is now utterly public and easily shareable.

Outside of the cliques we belong to at school or work, gossiping in now normalized in the public and professional world of social media as well.

People make Youtube videos reviewing other people’s fashion choices or speculating about alleged drama going on behind the scenes in the lives of celebrities and influencers. They get thousands, maybe millions, of views and make money from ad revenue, quite literally profiting from gossiping.

Those of us who follow and look up to these famous women, whether it be smaller Youtubers or Kylie Jenner, think we have the right to judge these real women because they invited us into their lives through their social media.

That is the beginning of much longer conversation, but in short, no matter what someone’s profession or lifestyle is, be it insta-baddie or Twitter comedian, they are deserving of the kind of compassion and respect that all humans are owed. Treat people

like people. Everyone has their own idea of what makes them feel or look good—it is a waste of your time and energy trying to tear someone down by saying their freely made choices are wrong. Sharing parts of your life on social media does not make someone an exception to that.

Comment sections under famous women’s photos are filled with derogatory remarks about how they are too skinny, too heavy, not aging well or whatever else they might not be doing “perfectly.”

We talk about our friends, celebrities and influencers in person and in text messages, screenshot their posts and comment on their photos. We do not even think twice before sharing a thought with someone about something we see on social media.

Many of these judgment-based types of content come with the disclaimer, “it’s all in good fun,” or “I’m just worried about her.” Women are then trained to ignore or downplay how that commentary on their lives makes them feel—yet another show of how social media has not only normalized but perpetuated gossiping culture.

In both our personal relationships and our imaginary relationships with strangers through social media, women need to become better at using our platforms to celebrate one another.

If you do not have anything nice to say, do not say it at all. The cliché is a cliché for a reason, and especially applies to public spaces like social media platforms. Be aware that negativity on social media has the power to snowball and seriously damage not only someone’s reputation, but also their self-esteem.

We need to be honest with ourselves about why we gossip. When it is not prosocial it is often because we feel jealous of the attention another woman is getting on social media. Women are just as naturally competitive as men, but we are taught to hide it, suppressing it

until it turns into envy and hostility.5 Social media, being the newest and most convenient way to compare ourselves to others, is fertile ground for inspiring and enabling gossip.

Changing our gossiping habits is difficult because the root of the problem is one’s own negative selfimage. We need to remember that the perceived success of other women does not lessen our own success or indicate we are not worthy of our own spotlight. Comparison is a hard habit to break, but we can alleviate those feelings and limit those behaviors by focusing our energy on lifting each other up, both publicly and privately.

Partake in body-positivity and selfie threads on Twitter, gas your friends up in the comment sections and follow women who use their platforms to celebrate the diversity of women. The more you consume positive content on social media the more you will exhibit positive, healthy behavior in your day-to-day life.

Fortunately, there is no shortage of positive female role models on social media. Many famous women are using their platforms to advocate for female empowerment.

I highly recommend Jameela Jamil, Chrissy Teigen, Halima Aden and Yara Shahidi, just to name a few.

Follow your female representatives, your classmates, maybe even some cute dog accounts.

Work on filling your feed with content that reminds you that other women are not your competition, but your support system. Women have enough going against them; emanating positive, healthy engagement amongst each other is so simple, yet so impactful in today’s day-in-age.

Even though social media has normalized negative commentary on other women, do not let negative online behavior translate into “real life” behavior. Your words matter, whether the people you are talking about hear them or not.

·

5 Chesler, Phyllis. Woman’s Inhumanity to Woman. New York, NY: Thunder’s Mouth Press/Nation Books, 2001.

SEPTEMBER 2019 29

FASHION

B R E AK I N G T H RO U GH T HE

By Ethan, Fenske, Fahion Editor Grace Dwyer, Sylvie Tyska & Olivia Sommers photographed by Madison Lecher

30 MODA

In a generation with extra emphasis on the importance of creativity and individuality, these traits have become not only valuable, but also evaluable.

Traits that should be tools to selfdiscovery have become markers of personal success. Everyone faces pressure to compete with every other creative. Because of this, our very personalities are held to a higher standard, forcing us to project a perfect persona.

This phenomenon is born and fed by social media, which allows and expects one to advertise who they are by presenting a cohesive statement of what one values and where one belongs in the world.

Unfortunately, the trend of hyperbolizing and manicuring yourself to a billboardworthy exaggeration has completely drowned out the potential social media has to allow one to authentically express themselves and share anything truly special with the world.

While the potential to use socials as a platform for self-discovery has always existed, it is hard to stay on track amidst targeted content that continually suggests how to live, dress and think.

Complacency is a key adversary. It can be all too easy to acquiesce to whatever information you are presented—after all, social media is self-curated, and advertisements are personally tailored towards users. It is a natural human response to want to fit in and to feel like others share the same viewpoints, so it logically follows that people use social media to see content that they agree with.

It is easy to see how allowing social media to suggest thoughts is problematic.

What can be more problematic, however, is then trying to convince other people that you have the right ideas and that they should, too.

The practice of emphatically expressing thoughts intended to show-off one’s good character or one’s “superior” perspective on a particular issue has completely permeated social media culture. Too often, people don’t really

care what they are saying so long as it is considered the “right thing.”

Rather than focusing on being a good person, a person who lives a particular lifestyle or a stylish person, many seem to be more focused on convincing others about who they would like to be without taking the necessary steps to actually become said person.

Most people can agree that this type of virtue signaling is wrong when it comes to major issues. I believe that it is just as big of a problem when it comes to lifestyle and fashion.

Look at the current trends you see on Instagram. Chunky dad shoes, bike shorts, wallet chains, minimalist clothing, cropped pants, wide pants, clothing that outwardly carries any sort of political message... Individually, these items reflect a personal choice and a personal style. However, when the curation of these items make up the bulk of one’s wardrobe, they begin to paint a picture of a person.

Furthermore, when these items are chosen to emulate what is “supposed” to be in style, they start to directly reflect the influencers and style groups whose individuality you are inadvertently emulating rather than your own.

By trying to become a specific type of individual, too many of us are unwittingly becoming perpetuations of certain cultural in-groups and outgroups. When choosing a personal style, it seems that despite the increased value of personal individuality and availability of inexpensive clothing, people often take the backseat and let what they see determine who they are.

Because fashion is a form of self expression, you are making a statement no matter what you wear. It is up to you whether or not the statement will be one of your own or one that has been marketed to people who might be like you. The issue of conforming to the world around you is that it is too easily believed to be a world of your creation, not a world created by companies for your consumption.

In order to prevent oneself from

falling into the trap of influencers, advertisements and force fed fashion, one needs to ensure they are conscientiously purchasing clothes that truly hold meaning to themselves— not to the image they have been convinced they need to project. Under that trap, we begin to lose sight of who we truly aspire to be. We cease to be compelling individuals, and therefore, sink to become just another face in a smaller, similarly dressed, crowd.

In order to stay authentic, it takes more than just keeping up with the culture. What you decide to show off to the world should be a true reflection of what you find cool and interesting, without the direction of others. People who become known for being authentic individuals capable of making a mark on the world are not those who decide to go with the motions and nod their heads.

Instead, they create their own culture not by what they see and experience, but by how they interpret and extrapolate from those experiences.

While drawing inspiration from others is certainly encouraged and necessary, your style should be something that nobody else could reproduce. It should be a concentrated and thoughtful expression of you. Nobody can tell you how to do that, it is something that happens with time and trial—and probably with some egregious error.

Try blending styles that speak to you in a way that you have yet to see before.

Mix cuts and silhouettes that are not typically mixed. Try clashes of formality, color, pattern or texture. Accessorizing in unexpected and new ways can be a great tool to subtly move the compass towards your true north. Take bits and pieces of different groups, rather than sticking to one status quo. Your style needs to be something that has not been done—or has not been done well—for other people to pick up on your sense of style as a thoughtful, individual and interesting expression of your views, who you are and where you see yourself in the world. Otherwise, be prepared to be drowned out in the buzz of an ever-increasing background noise.

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SEPTEMBER 2019 31

CULTURE

UW-MADISON:

TOO BUZZED?

By Ariana King, Culture Staff Writer Illustration by Channing Smith, Art Curator

that seems to be ingrained in our school’s atmosphere.

*The following names have been changed to preserve anonymity* It is late Friday night and my roommate and I are scouring the Madison meme page.

In between our bursts of laughter loud music blares from the frat house next door, the sound reverberating across the lake 32 MODA

we look out onto from our cozy room in the French House.

Both of us are quite content where we are, but we wonder what it would be like to experience nightlife at UW-Madison. As two timid freshman girls we have not gone to any parties, yet somehow we are still affected by the party culture

I suppose I should have expected the prevalence of party culture given what I knew about UW-Madison’s reputation. By the time I was a high school senior I was well aware of both UW-Madison’s excellent academic credentials and the prominence of Greek life.

Similar feelings were expressed by my friend Alexander,* a UW-Madison sophomore and Wisconsin resident, who said he came here for UWMadison’s academic rigor, particularly in the sciences, but was also still aware of the party reputation.

Yet, not everyone believes that the party-scene at UW-Madison is unique. As Jake,* a UW-Madison senior and Wisconsin resident told me over coffee, he did not think the party scene was more intense at UWMadison than at other UW schools.

In 2017, the Princeton Review ranked UW-Madison as the #1 party school in the United States.1 Rankings were based off of surveys of student opinions on a variety of topics ─ one of them including campus life outside the classroom.2 Students ranked aspects of campus life from 1 to 5, one representing “awful” and five “excellent.”3 UWMadison specifically ranked high for “low personal daily study hours (outside of class), “usages of alcohol and drugs on campus” and “popularity on campus for frats/sororities 4 This means UW-Madison students ranked the university high on one, or all, of these sections.

So, why is that the case? According to Alexander,* drinking is tolerated more at UW-Madison than other state schools and universities because drinking alcohol, particularly beer, is a unique part of the culture in Wisconsin. Katya, a UW-Madison junior and Illinois resident, adds onto this suggesting that the “work hard, play harder” mentality the school promotes is a driving force behind the party culture.

Before coming here, Katya saw numerous videos of tailgates, the Mifflin Street Block Party and a variety of frat parties on social media. She specifically cites Badger Barstool’s Instagram account as a large influence on incoming students.

Katya feels these types of accounts and videos contribute to the notion that “the only way to blow off steam and stress is to drink excessively during weekends.”

Taking a look at Badger Barstool’s 1 Tyler Kingkade, “UW-Madison Is Ranked The Top Party School For 2017 By Princeton Review,” Huffington Post, August 29, 2016 2 Ibid 3 Ibid.

4 Ibid.

account myself, I do admittedly find several photos and videos centered around the party aspect of UWMadison’s social culture. While there are some innocent sports photos, the account is still flooded with videos of intoxicated students and their reckless actions.

With these types of posts, incoming students are primed with the idea that partying is a way of life at UW-Madison.

Even if they are not directly affiliated with the university, these social media accounts take pride in the party atmosphere, celebrating the party culture on campus. In doing so, these accounts greatly influence students’ expectations of social life, and furthermore can lead to an immense feeling of pressure to participate.

For some, like Katya and Zoey, a UW-Madison junior and Virginia resident, that pressure weighed more than they expected.

As an incoming freshman, Zoey felt she had to drink to make friends.

Similarly, Katya felt an “unspoken social pressure to drink the moment [she] arrived on campus.” Jake* admitted he witnessed peer pressure heighten to “social exclusion” if his friends “didn’t drink enough.”

Personally, I too have been looked down upon for not drinking.

UW-Madison’s social culture tends to breed separation between drinkers and non-drinkers, and there are consequences for both. Of course, there is the possibility of hangovers or embarrassing stories anytime you drink too much.

More problematically, the party culture at UW-Madison can breed what Sarah Van Orman, the executive director of University Health Services, calls “problematic drinkers.” Compared to other universities, 41.48 percent of Madison students are considered “high-risk drinkers” after starting college, compared to 27.18 percent of students from other sizeable public universities.5 According to Van Orman, high-risk drinking can 5 Emily Neinfeldt, “High density of alcohol venues correlates with college student binge drinking,” The Badger Herald, Dec 10, 2014

lead to severe consequences such as unpleasant and expensive detox6 and a greater risk of sexual assault.7 While it may be easy to be comfortable in a group of non-drinkers, being one of the only sober people in a mixed group can be a bit more challenging.

Alexander* often finds it tricky for non-drinkers because they aren’t on the same wavelength as everyone else and may be expected to take care of those who aren’t sober.

In addition to the potential caretaker role a non-drinker might play, they also face the stigma of being “innocent” or a “goody-two-shoes.”

I remember feeling like I was the odd-one-out at parties, not only because I was the only one sober but also because people thought I was judging them, even though I wasn’t.

At the end of the day, the choice to drink or not to drink is made for many reasons, most of which are different for each person. For Zoey, leaving her sorority and the “party scene” decreased her anxiety and helped her “feel comfortable in [her] own skin,” allowing her to find new friendships through activities that didn’t revolve around drinking.

For me, I choose not to be part of the UW-Madison party scene due to medical reasons. Just because I do not want to risk my health to “let loose” time does not mean I am innocent, a goody-two-shoes or judgemental. Others might simply feel uncomfortable at large, loud parties where they do not really know anyone. Having a “good” time means different things for everyone.

While drinking and partying is ingrained in UW-Madison’s social culture, everyone’s choice should be respected and neither option should be stigmatized. The only time there is something wrong with drinking, or not, is when it starts to damage your health and wellbeing, or that of those around you.

·

6 Kelsey Anderson, “Demystifying detox: The price of binge drinking,” University Health Services 7 Emily Neinfeldt, “High density of alcohol venues correlates with college student binge drinking,” The Badger Herald, Dec 10, 2014

SEPTEMBER 2019 33

LIFESTYLE

YOUTUBERS WORTHY OF MORE BUZZ

By Lauren Chung, Editor-in-Chief & Elise Andersen, Deputy Editor

As avid Youtube subscribers we are unphased by the recent rise of YouTube personals making it big.

From acting in HBO shows, to clothing collaborations with Nordstrom to all-expense paid trips to Fiji and beyond, we are less surprised and more jealous that we too did not pick up our point-and-shoot cameras in our 7th grade purple bedrooms and show the world what we just bought from Forever 21. Since then, it is fair to say our subscription boxes and explore feeds on YouTube have seen their fair share of phases (we are looking at you, tag videos and ‘what’s in my purse?’). With the oversaturation of every girl under the sun aspiring to be the next “It” girl, navigating the YouTube sphere for fresh content can be daunting.

Here are five YouTubers whose channels are worthy of more buzz.

LINDSEY REM California | 360,000 subs Lindsey Rem has often referred to herself as a glamorous, goth princess in many of her videos, and she is just that. She is equal parts confident, unique and stylish and a 20-something post-grad dealing with anxiety and various pressures of the world.

In an environment filled with soul cycling and immune juice shot drinking Lindsey is the down-to-earth best friend we all need to stay grounded. As a graphic design major in college, Lindsey often attests to the greatness that comes from channeling inner anxiety and stress into art. She preaches staying true to your unique self, teaching her subscribers how to feel comfortable in integrating fashion pieces that make you feel at your best and most comfortable. Every Lindsey Rem video is sure to put you at ease with her calming, authentic presence, chai-lattes (see her “Chai Chat” videos) and best friend-feel.

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HELLOKATY New York | 470,000 subs Katy Bellotte, also known as HelloKaty, has been on YouTube from the very beginning.

Alongside Macbarbie07, MeghanRosette and Elle and Blair Fowler, Katy made videos in her childhood bedroom as a way to escape the trials and tribulations of her younger years. This humble start set the tone for the draw to Katy’s channel: she is your average 20-something trying to navigate the vast, and sometimes, scary world we live in. Katy is your big sister.

She attended college and has a nine-to-five day job, and she experiences every tumble and turn life hands at her and turns them into the utmost graceful and humble videos; she is sure to make you feel like you are seated together on the couch late at night with wine glasses in hand. She talks through nuances like college hookup culture, finding a career path, romanticizing life, post-grad pressure and feeling incredibly insecure in a world that at times seems like it is almost out to make you feel just so. Amidst crazy challenges and lavishly sponsored trips, Katy is the familiar breath of fresh air we can all count on. @HelloKaty

MARGOT LEE New York State | 425,000 subs Margot is a college senior attending Syracuse University and is known for her unmatched editing skills as well as exposé-style videos.

While she makes plenty of college content, she is also known for her video interviews with young women entrepreneurs within the digital and fashion industries. Margot’s sense of style and passion for life shines through in every one of her videos, leaving you feeling inspired and empowered. While she participates in many sponsored trips and events, she has never let that interfere with her true personality and opinions. Margot’s content is more than just a video - it’s artistic, creative, real and raw.

@MargotLee SEPTEMBER 2019 35

AMY LEE California | 412,845 subs Amy Lee is everything a subscriber could ask for in a YouTuber personnel.

She is quirky, yet still sophisticated. She is intelligent and professional, yet not afraid to be different. She is fashionable, yet not another clone of every trend on the YouTube space. Amy graduated from the University of California Berkeley, and aside from her killer lookbooks and extremely aesthetically pleasing apartment, Amy is best known for her series ‘The AM with Amy.’ In these series, Amy settles in on the floor with her bag of makeup and chats away about all things real happening in her life. From toxic friendships, to living authentically, to feeling unmotivated, to online dating, to embracing imperfections to growing up Asian American Amy exudes a perpetual honesty that could not be more genuine.

Her lack of fear in laying it all out on the internet is extremely admirable and incredibly inviting. @AmyLee

MICHELLE REED Texas/New York | 337,000 subs Michelle Reed is a recent college grad of the King’s College in New York City. Since graduating this past May and retiring from her “College Day in My Life” videos, Michelle has successfully transitioned her channel into documenting her post-grad journey, whether it be through Work Day in the Life vlogs, NYC apartment hunting videos, or night/ morning routines. She also covers topics that many other YouTubers don’t talk about such as how to negotiate your salary, investing, and post-grad anxiety. Michelle also incorporates her faith into her videos without making it feel forced or preach-y.

Her editing style makes it feel like you’re catching up with an old friend, and she truly makes an effort to come across as real as possible. If you’re looking for the “Girl Next Door” YouTuber, Michelle is definitely your match.

@MichelleLee 36 MODA

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