The Reactions Issue

The Reactions Issue Dear Coronavirus, Trust in the Age of Distrust Origins of ORANGE Death of “Foreign” Cinema

Volume 2

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Read more at orangemagreacts.com & orangemag.co

the reactions issue

Issue Reaction Resolution Solution Change

contents

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DEAR CORONAVIRUS,

18 HIP-HOP ARTISTS USE THEIR CRAFT FOR ACTIVISM

22 of

HOW ALGORITHMS HAVE COME TO CONTROL OUR AGENCY

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MENTAL CIRCLES AND EXPRESSIONS

40 TRUST IN THE AGE OF DISTRUST

44 SENSES AND SOUNDS

46 IMPOSTER SYNDROME POWERED BY HIGH FUNCTIONING ANXIETY

table

CATALYST FOR COMFORT

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CATALYST

Anxiety

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ORIGINS OF ORANGE

60 AUSTIN’S TOP BEER BRANDS

62 LA PULGA

72 BLACK COWBOYS: ICONS OF THE AMERICAN WEST

76 WHICH 2000S FILM SHOULD YOU WATCH?

82 THE DEATH OF “FOREIGN” CINEMA

86 BEYOND NETFLIX AND CHILL

90 STUCK INDOORS

92 FROM THE BEATLES TO BTS

96 CROPPED

78 FIFTH PHASE OF CULTURE SHOCK

HOME

CHANGE

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Editors-in-Chief Jacqui Briddell Kennedy Williams Creative Director Maya Coplin Managing Editor Tyler Lewis

Masthead

Program Director Gabrielle Sanchez Features Editors Lydia Wagner Savannah Olson Short Form Editors Molly Schrader Rachitha Jadala Design Editor Meredith Cambis Design Staff Caleb Zhang Mayel Williams Najlae Chidmi Pranutha Punukula ReneĂŠ Koite

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Photo Editor Brittany Mendez Photographers Caitlin Rounds Narely Hernandez Video Editor Sara TreviĂąo Videographers Sarah Tang Sloane Wick Social Media Editors Danielle Ortiz Romi Geller Writers Bailey Cho Caitlin Rounds Miles Eackles Rhylee Lionberger Contributors Victor Guo Jordi Romano Moira Scrimgeour

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A Letter From the Editors...

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Dear Readers, Last semester, we worked to streamline ORANGE’s internal processes. At the beginning of this semester, our main priority was to get back to our roots. Seven years ago, our founders Jane Claire Hervey and Becca Chavoya envisioned ORANGE as an outlet for creative storytellers that championed innovation, transparency and creativity regardless of timelines. But in the past few years as the journalism industry evolved to a digital-first mindset, ORANGE followed this trend and published more web stories than ever. But we decided that quality is more important than quantity.

The past few years have changed our country, state, campus and communities forever. It seems like we’ve been subconsciously collecting thoughts and ideas that inform how we operate and what we value. While the world around us changed, we knew we had to remain honest and authentic in the stories we told, perspectives we cherished and relationships we fostered. We had to get back to what made ORANGE what it is today — storytelling that highlights the struggles, resilience and triumphs of our peers and our communities. So, we temporarily suspended digital content on orangemag.co to focus on the print issue and launched a special projects website at orangemagreacts.com to give an inside look into our process for creating the magazine.

And then COVID-19 happened. People on staff were affected by the pandemic in different ways, but we all reimagined our lives in a strictly virtual space unlike ever before. In addition to online learning, caring for loved ones and, for some of us, concluding our college careers off campus, we took all of ORANGE’s operations digital. Organizing team meetings and continuing work on the print issue without face-to-face interaction posed quite a challenge. But we wanted to continue building a community with our 24 staffers, supporting each other in these uncertain times and creating moments of joy.

While brainstorming the theme for this semester’s print issue, we couldn’t stop talking about all of the things that brought us to this current moment. First we reminisced. Now we react.

This print issue features more personal narratives and stories of self-reflection than ever before, giving staff the time and space to react to their surroundings with a pen and paper in hand. Contributors reflect on how we got here and how we will get through. They tell stories of anxiety, trust, reclamation, loss, identity and change.

We have felt many of these emotions as we wrap up our final semester in ORANGE. Leading and working with a phenomenal team of writers and creatives for the past two semesters has been one of the greatest joys of our college experience. We’re so proud to have been a part of this family.

We hope you enjoy the sophomore issue in Volume Two of ORANGE Magazine. Welcome to the Reactions Issue.

Love always,

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DEAR CO VIRUS,

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ORONA WORDS BY GABRIELLE SANCHEZ, LYDIA WAGNER, MAYA COPLIN AND NAJLAE CHIDMI ART BY MEREDITH CAMBIS

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our world. Some of us have become caregivers and others have needed care. Here, four ORANGE staffers share how the coronavirus has altered their lives, urging us to cherish resilience and vulnerability.

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4/10/2020 7:23pm I used to feel like I had clarity. Not mental clarity, but clarity for the future. This crystal path shining before me feels more like a fantasy in hindsight. I decided I wanted to study abroad in France. Be brave, I told myself. I pushed all my fears down each night after applying to that program and commended myself — what a cool, courageous girl I was! Then I got in. And immediately began living in the future, in a romanticized place and time that hadn’t occurred. I overlooked all the good things already in my life. All the good relationships. I realize now how privileged the whole opportunity was.

But still, when I got the email that the exchange program was cancelled, I felt cheated. There was no one to blame. No personally tragic circumstance or scapegoat to scream at. But I screamed anyway. I screamed and cried like a child. I entered a depressive episode, scribbling pained journal entries everyday for two weeks and going to bed early in fits of self-pity and depleted serotonin. I felt entitled to the plans I made. But on the other side, after much expression of my pain and much reflecting, I was humbled, watching my self-pity from a different point of view. Once I was so jaded and afraid, I couldn’t live in the moment. I had to project somewhere else, be a future version of myself.

But now is now again. And I’m moving on, I’m growing in love and honest capacity and doing my best to be kind to myself, to think kind things about me and other people. We all lost things. We are all losing things in cycles, but that only creates different beginnings. To you, anyone reading, I’m sorry for what you’ve lost. But I’m glad for what it may have caused you to gain. Wishing you well.

xoxo, LYDIA WAGNER

GABRIELLE SANCHEZ

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3/30/2020 10:36pm For the first time in my life, I am feeling inescapably uncertain. It’s inescapable, unquestionable, genuine uncertainty. I feel stranded somewhere between the waiting room of a hospital and the floor of an airport anticipating a plane that might never arrive.

This is not like the uncertainty that characterizes your senior year of high school as you await college decisions, carbonated with thrill and apprehension. This is the uncertainty of control and normalcy.

The only things we can ever be sure about is how we feel, who we miss and who we love — especially now. I know that I am certain that life is precious. I know that I am uncertain about its expiration dates, side effects and baggage.

And we have always accepted this uncertainty. But sometimes, you get too comfortable with the doctrines of time and ephemeral fortune. Countless times, I have avoided a phone call from my mother, flaked on a friend’s event or dodged a trip home to see my family. I existed under the volatile privilege that I had the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that, and all of the days following to hug, kiss, laugh and remind people I love them.

I am not comfortable anymore. Today, I sat isolated in my childhood bedroom, an untouched exhibition in the museum of my pre-university life, avoiding work but somehow getting it done, and waiting. I am not sure what exactly I am waiting for. Maybe for an impossible text or call confessing that my father and my sister’s test results are false positives. Maybe to hear another fit of coughs come from what seems to be every corner of our home. Maybe for news that will cause an irreparable fracture in my heart forever.

Maybe for the virus to make an example of me.

At this moment, the life adjustments within my family, my communities, my university and the world are about existing in this void and seeking comfort in it. I am struggling to find a silver lining to the demise of summer internships, the start of online courses and, most importantly, the heart-rending health conditions of an immunocompromised sister. I only find solace in the knowledge that this will be a catalyst for change. In the meantime, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that it is a change I agree with.

NAJLAE CHIDMI

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3/31/2020 8:41pm Before this time of self-isolation started, I worked from the start of the day to the end. It was school, work, my internship, having side hustles for extra money, all while trying to take care of myself and maintain friendships. I wasn’t doing well. Over the last year I found myself in a hole of working, working, working. I barely saw my family over the holidays, and I still lived paycheck to paycheck.

I found myself completely enveloped by capitalism, and in a spot I was afraid I would never find myself out of. My physical and mental health had deteriorated greatly and I constantly felt the weight of life on my shoulders.

Then, everything stopped.

Due to the virus making its way into my workplace I had one week off of work. I did things I hadn’t done in months, and most of all, slowed down. I felt my lungs and my mind open up and took all the time to do things that I needed or wanted to do. Then and now, there were no plans that I had to rush to, no work, school or internship. I’m making elaborate meals, going on long walks, and writing my feelings down. Before, when I had no money and found myself unable to pay rent, I sold my clothes, picked up extra pet sittings and skipped a few meals. Now, my landlord is working with me and I have continued job security. I still have moments of panic and depression, but what I’ve really internalized is the importance of living slowly, how life-giving hugs can be, and how capitalism really is the root of a lot of suffering.

GABRIELLE SANCHEZ

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3/26/2020 1:20pm

Three weeks ago, I was sitting at Tea Haus drinking a thai tea

the opening night would be cancelled, but that the exhibition itself

with my friends frantically transcribing interviews, editing photos

would just be postponed, but by the morning the reality of the situa-

and finalizing the layout for my senior design capstone project. I

tion set in. Printers were closing quickly, we would no longer be able

was planning on spending the majority of my budget at Miller IDS

to use UT facilities, and even Amazon orders were being delayed.

printing everything over spring break — vinyl cutting between sets

Things were changing too rapidly for our professors to expect us

at SXSW, and convincing my dad to help me build a personalized

to still get anything done. They encouraged us to ask questions but

bookshelf for my zines. It felt like we were sprinting the final mile of

every answer was the same, “we just don’t know yet.”

a marathon and suddenly the finish line disappeared.

I didn’t quite want to close the file yet, but to continue working on it Tonight should have been our senior exhibition but instead it marks

felt like a lost cause. So, my project sat untouched on my computer

exactly three weeks of social distancing. The last seven months had

for two weeks. But by our first Zoom class it was official, 144 square

been spent researching, designing, prototyping and creating a proj-

feet of work would be condensed into a 15-inch MacBook screen.

ect of our choosing. The all-nighters in the art building and dinners

No one would be able to see all the thought put into the physicality

in the form of stolen snacks from the faculty lounge were supposed

of the work or the experience of the exhibition as a whole. It was

to be worth it tonight.

supposed to be the end to our senior year, the project that would propel us into the job market. But instead, the end of our college

When we went into class the day after UT announced the extended

experience went from a 200 person gallery opening to 15-minute

spring break (what ended up being essentially our last day of col-

one-on-one Zoom conferences with our professors. The irony in all

lege), I saw the chair of the department standing at the front of the

of this is that we named the exhibition “Thanks for Understanding.”

room and I knew the exhibition was over. The night before, I figured

MAYA COPLIN

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“YESTERDAY I GOT A CALL LIKE FROM MY DOG LIKE 101 SAID THEY KILLED HIS ONLY SON BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT FUNDS” KENDRICK LAMAR “XXX” 2017

HIP HOP ARTISTS USE THEIR CRAFT FOR

ACTIVISM

WORDS BY RHYLEE LIONBERGER / ART BY CALEB ZHANG

A

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cross the globe, humans have relentlessly

can agree on: the love of music.

battled and demanded equality and peace

since the first formation of societies. However,

Genres of all types have held space for musical

even today, in 2020, the westernized country

artists to present critiques of society; however,

deemed a “melting pot” is still lacking revolution-

within the past few years hip-hop artists have

ary change. In recent years, America’s inhibitors

mastered the presentation of activism through

(not just the citizens) have experienced the de-

music. Whether it is a quick and subtle bar from

velopment of monumental movements advocat-

your preferred rapper or a full song calling at-

ing for the improvement of our society. “Aver-

tention to an issue in its entirety, chances are

age Joe” citizens throughout the U.S. have used

your favorite’s have made a stance in their lyrics.

collective power and various platforms to be the

Next time you go to put on music, sit down and

backbone of change within the country. Regard-

reflect on what is really being shared. Looking a

less of race, gender, or social class, there is

little closer at the lines in songs can reveal some

one unifying thing that the American public

surprising motifs.

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SABA “BUSY / SIRENS” 2018

“RIDIN’ THROUGH THE CITY I’M YOUNG, I’M BLACK, I’M GUILTY I KNOW ONE TIME WANT TO KILL ME THEY DON’ T KNOW ME BUT THEY FEAR ME”

TIERRA WACK “ONLY CHILD” 2019

“ALL MEN SHOULD BE FEMINISTS, DONALD TRUMP FUCKS IMMIGRANTS”

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“NOW UP IN THE CORNERS WHERE KILLERS USED TO INHABIT THEY BUILT A ROW OF NEW CONDOS WHERE THE TORE UP PROJECT BUILDINGS”

JOEY PURP “CORNERSTONE” 2017

BROCKHAMPTON “JUNKY” 2017

“WHY YOU ALWAYS RAP ABOUT BEIN’ GAY CAUSE NOT ENOUGH N***** RAPPIN’ BE GAY?”

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MAC MILLER “ASCENSION” 2018

“YEAH, BE A LITTLE PATIENT EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY THEN, BE A LITTLE PATIENT ONE WORLD, ONE NATION, DONE WAITING”

EARL SWEATSHIRT “SHATTERED DREAMS” 2018

“HATE SWIMMIN’ THROUGH YOUR BLOODLINES MOTHERFUCK A JUDGE, SAME GOIN’ TO THE ONE TIME, YEAH”

NONAME “SONG 32” 2019

“I’M OBAMA PUSHING THE BUTTON, IN LIBYA, PAKISTAN HUMANLY A HYPOCRITE, THE SINNER AND THE CIVILIAN THE PETTIEST THAT IT GETS, I’M AMERICA AT ITS BEST ”

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Is it a good thing or a bad thing?

Words by Miles Eackles Art by Reneé Koite

Y

ou get recommended a new sushi spot downtown

generally choose the lives they want without nega-

that just opened up on the Favor app. It becomes

tive reactions from outside parties the government or

your favorite place. You get an advertisement for a pair of

strict cultural groups. However, in other countries, a

Outdoor Voices leggings even though you were on the Nike

person’s entire life can be controlled by characteris-

website searching for running shoes. Whether you like it

tics such as gender, race and class. The more privilege

or not, your identity, purchasing behavior and agency are

you have, especially in America, the more agency you

now determined by algorithms that artificial intelligence

wield. That is a gift. For instance, white people have

creates based on the data each service collects on your

more freedom to act however they want. On the oth-

personal whereabouts.

er hand, people of color have to carefully watch the way they act in certain spaces. From being followed

The omnipresence of algorithms is invisible to the human

in stores to being tracked with algorithms, people of

psyche today. From dating apps and ride sharing services

color navigate both digital and physical monitoring,

to music and television streaming platforms, brainless

impacting mental health in marginalized communities.

mechanics, advanced equations and tedious computer

This power imbalance and surveillance affects the way

code help us through our daily lives. Initially, we reacted

these groups act in relation to the dominant culture.

to these algorithms with a blasé attitude, but as we reach a technological pantheon, anxieties increase exponential-

Beyond identity, your free will is controlled by algo-

ly. These anxieties are linked to privacy rights and while

rithmic streaming services such as Spotify and Apple

these are valid, on a much more deeper and visceral level,

Music For instance, your “Daily Mix” playlists are cu-

these anxieties are rooted in a loss of agency.

rated by artificial intelligence that caters its code to your tastes. This is possible because Spotify collects

Agency is the privilege to act independently and make

personal data every time you listen to a song. Let’s say

uninfluenced decisions based on free will. Americans

you listen to “Toxic” by Britney Spears once and never

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listen to it again. Spotify makes note of this and will start to recommend music that is different in genre and tone. On the contrary, if you stream it 20 times a day, Spotify’s algorithm will recommend more of Spears’ music and other artists with a similar sound.

The name of the AI system that Spotify uses is BaRT, otherwise known as Bandits for Recommendations as Treatments. BaRT is the reason you don’t have to actively search for a playlist when you get on the Spotify app. It is catered to your tastes thanks to big data, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. BaRT adds convenience to the Spotify experience and develops a close relationship with the consumer. But, should we so readily accept these conveniences? We give our data away by clicking “agree” to the services and conditions, which, realistically, no one bothers reading. So, it could be argued that we are compromising our privacy by signing a legal contract. However, is it truly ethical to have these terms tucked away in a document that’s almost always over 100 pages long?

The playlist has a long history dating back to 19th century London.

Musical curation began with mixed concert programs in 1850s London typically featuring acts of different musical styles. These acts were chosen by the people in charge of the programs who thought they could predict what their audience was feeling at the time. This man-made phenomena eventually transformed as the medium in which people consumed music changed. As Walkmans became popular in the late 20th century, so did mixtapes. These mixtapes could include any song in any order as long as an individual recorded it on their radio using a blank tape. Ultimately, it was purely a human act to make a mixtape for someone. The thought and time it took to construct one had to be from a place of love. Now, as artificial intelligence has largely taken the place of human curation, the art seems to be disappearing.

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Realistically, the algorithms that many services use are actually beneficial to everyday life, right? Well, maybe. But don’t be mistaken, these companies don’t necessarily have your best interest at heart.

With the increased value of big data, many companies see their consumers as merely numbers that they can analyze to gain a bigger profit and sell to third parties. Advertisers thirst after data like this to sell you products you don’t necessarily need, but due to the consumer culture we’re currently in, they want to try to fill that void.

On a more personal note, I have discovered countless artists such as Soccer Mommy, Bjork and Big Thief from my Daily Mix playlists thanks to Spotify’s algorithm. However, as time has progressed, the music recommended to me has become redundant and has reached a dead end. Much of the music given to me has been the same music I’ve listened to for the past three years, but my music taste has defi-

YOU ARE MERELY A STEP FOR HIGHER PROFIT.

nitely evolved. Furthermore, restaurants and fast food places suggested to me based on my consumer behavior on delivery apps do not give me new types of foods to try out. It is up to us to fully take control over our lives before algorithms take control of us and make our lives more mundane than they already are.

From mixtapes to algorithmic playlists, from TV commercials to targeted ads, from listening to your friends’ movie and TV recommendations, to Netflix doing all of the work for you, we can all benefit from these changes. But remember that on the business side of things, you are merely a step for higher profit.

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A CATALYST FOR COMFORT

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Words and photos by Maya Coplin Recipes from Bon Appétit

D

uring this time people seem to be taking comfort in cooking. At the very least it’s a way to occupy yourself

throughout the day without endlessly scrolling through Twitter. Some people seem like they are preparing themselves for an audition for the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen while others (me) really just miss going out to eat. We want an enjoyable meal without the stress of a million step recipe with ingredients you don’t have. So, enjoy these recipes from Bon Appetite for some classic comfort food.

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GRILLED CHEESE

INGREDIENTS 2 slices, 1/2 inch thick Pullman or other white bread 2 tbsp mayonnaise 1 tbsp unsalted butter 2 ounces thinly sliced American cheese or cheddar (about 4 slices) Freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS Place bread on a cutting board and spread mayonnaise over the top side of each slice. This is the key to a golden, delectable crunch. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Slide in a 1/2 tablespoon of butter. When it melts, place one slice of bread mayonnaise side down in skillet. Top with cheese and season with pepper. Top with the second slice of bread, mayonnaise side up. When the underside is golden brown, about 4 minutes later, turn the sandwich and add remaining butter to the skillet. Press down on the sandwich to encourage even browning and to help melt cheese—be gentle, don’t smash it. Cook until the second side is golden brown and cheese is melted. Eat immediately, preferably with soup.

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TOMATO SOUP

INGREDIENTS 1/2 lb butter 3 medium onions, diced 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 4, 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes 1 1/4 cups chicken broth 1/4cup sugar 1 tbsp kosher salt 1 tsp celery salt 3/4 tsp pepper 3/4 cup half-and-half

INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 20 minutes.

2. Add flour and stir until mixture is slightly thickened and pale gold, about 3 minutes; do not allow to brown.

3. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, chicken broth, sugar, salt, celery salt and pepper. Raise heat to medium until the liquid bubbles, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot frequently.

4. Stir in half-and-half and honey. Remove from heat and purĂŠe using a hand blender, or allow to cool until no longer steaming and purĂŠe in batches in a stand blender. Return to medium heat just until heated thoroughly. Serve hot.

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Ta-Nehisi Coates

Section 2: Anxiety

orange magazine

Words by Lydia Wagner Art by Maya Coplin

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It’s muscle memory to figure out how to go on how To take care Persist I want you To have love just As I want I’m no shame I’m not, No shame Pyramid dream on Alien love-like, love something Unreal paranatural Extends until You think I guess You retain I say it frank I’m asleep - Letting myself rest Approach me like a shadow But I make you out like a cloud You’re some shape And we make out like a cloud Just by observation So Be sane And feel, I’m not virtual I’m real In the dream, I am (In the dream, I am bad) In the dread, I am My lungs still have time

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reeling, healing, forgetting, myself it’s impossible, I’m staring at a white reflection of the sun for so long, everything’s tinted purple as a date, as a plum, as a bruise, and green looks black I ate the lesson raw, and now I want to throw up at least I can admit it.

My right hand is sunburnt from writing stick snapped in Texan winter skin too dry to hug yourself I’m a sparkling bead of sweat, Too special need my Pain and so do you If only for a little while, humor me Humor Me I’m turning myself inside out Like condensation in the heat, I’m foggy, I still get dizzy every time I stand up, like someone else’s guard dog

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I’m covered, head-to-toe in How-to-do-it wrong Drowsy, thorny, horned bruises, bees I want, I yearn I’ll forgive you because I know we’re Both naive This citrus flavored lozenge Is absorbing my tongue with it And all ill be left With Is dust

That’s okay Do you have any money?

Do you have any love?

Any thoughts of me?

You can tell me And Trust I’ll only tell a few People Play a song for me And put my name in it That watering-up feeling Perforates The stomach wall Whimpers the forehead like a quivering, Like a cold wet dog Every smallest sensation so assuming, all-Consuming, so arresting Be kind, gentle Undeniable, Show Too Much

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Words by Jacqui Briddell Photos by Brittany Mendez Art by Maya Coplin

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Reimagining trust as a 21st century currency

W

hen I was a kid my parents diligently ingrained every prin-

not just that my trust in people is declining, it’s that my blind faith

ciple of stranger danger in my mind to last a lifetime. The

in technology seems to be soaring. We just don’t need each other

rules were simple: Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t answer the phone

in the same ways we used to. And we don’t trust each other much

or the door when my parents weren’t home. And don’t ever, under

either.

any circumstances, and I mean even-if-they-offer-you-candy-orsay-they-have-cute-puppies-in-their-trunk-ever, get in a stranger’s

A 49-year-old participant of a Pew Research study on trust attri-

car. Don’t trust anyone, that was our mantra.

butes it to a societal shift in the age of technology. “Our lives now don’t necessarily require us to interact with anyone else beyond a

Fast forward a decade, I’m all grown up and some of the original

surface level if we do choose it to be that way,” she said. “We are, as

stranger danger anxieties seem to have lost their meaning while oth-

a country, busier per capita than any other country which also does

ers are more heightened than ever — and for good reason. The 21st

not allow for extended human interaction. The tech we use further

century has been plagued with terrorism and gun violence, redefin-

separates us.” Another participant argues that it’s the polarization

ing who and how we trust. Like many others I spend an increasing

of opinion that adds to the “suspicions of strangers.”

amount of time connecting with the world through the internet. It’s

For someone who was raised to err on the side of caution, I put a lot

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of trust into strangers on a daily basis. Without hesitation, I post my

detailing the National Security Agency’s illegal surveillance of Amer-

life on Instagram for anyone to see, I get into strangers’ cars using

ican civilians. According to the thousands of sealed files, the NSA

ride-share apps, I sleep in unfamiliar beds at homestays and I trust

was collecting everything from private phone and email records to

people I don’t know to deliver groceries to my doorstep with food

back-end internet data, including from tech giants like Google and

delivery apps. As consumers, we’ve been reprogrammed to use

Facebook, without public knowledge or consent. Since then, there

trust as a new form of currency. It’s ours to have, protect, exchange

have been mixed opinions about cyber surveillance and cyberse-

and most importantly, give away. Billion-dollar corporations have

curity — notice the varying terminology here — from the American

convinced private citizens to trust them — with their information

people. Some see it as a necessary precaution taken by the govern-

and their livelihood — while simultaneously distrusting those around

ment to keep us safe in a post 9/11 era, while others rage about the

them. I wouldn’t dream of sharing the password to my email or bank

breach of privacy and the private data sector.

account with a stranger in real life, but I’ve saved all of my passwords to my digital keychain and I use my phone’s facial recognition

But it’s not just the government that’s watching. Companies on all

feature to automatically unlock my accounts. But why the hell do we

sides of the spectrum are collecting private data every day to de-

accept this system? Simple, trust is good for the economy.

termine how and when to advertise to users based on what we like, where we live and how we interact with similar brands online. The

According to the Pew Research Center, 72% of Americans have used

algorithm is our new best friend and worst enemy. So when it comes

some type of shared or on-demand online service. The demand

to technology and anonymity, where is the line drawn? With the ad-

for digital goods increases daily as the tech industry continues to

vancement of tech and the oh so sweet worldwide web, we’re more

blossom. Corporations are racing to one up their competitors with

connected than ever. You can find pretty much anyone and anything

the best idea for a new lifestyle — the most convenient, digital one

on the internet these days. But with more opportunities to share

yet. But this inevitably comes with less privacy, a price most people

(and share more often), comes less privacy and less monitoring of it.

seem willing to pay for convenience. We’ve been socialized to believe we need to be users of the latest technological advances to stay

There’s a new breed of paranoia growing among us, the spectrum

relevant and are willing to betray our own privacy in the process.

varying from obsessive private cybersecurity installation to inter-

Who actually takes the time to read the terms and conditions when

net meme culture. We cover our webcams with tape “just in case”

signing up for a new service? Well, realistically nobody.

someone might be watching on the other end without our knowing, while simultaneously making “my FBI agent” jokes on Twitter.

But what happens when that trust is breached? In many ways, these

There’s a disconnect between who we trust with our information and

new business models implement the exact same concepts as in the

how much we consent to it being collected. Privacy, convenience

past, but freelance laborers like Uber drivers or TaskRabbits are not

and trust are all measured in the form of risk and return. But do

employees, they’re independent contractors. Much of their job se-

Americans know the risks and just not care or do we really under-

curity is merely based on customer reviews and data performance

stand the weight of it all?

tracking. Corporations can hide behind their comfortably nested non-responsibility clauses in their terms and conditions that leave consumers reliable for their own privacy protection.

But it’s not just corporations, federal agencies are slipping through the cracks as well. Apparently, people don’t trust the government either. And from what we now know about cybersurveillance, they have good reason not to. In 2013, former Central Intelligence Agency employee Edward Snowden leaked highly classified documents

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culture isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It was when I realized my artistic needs and creative self weren’t being satisfied by a selective and exclusive pop music industry. I rarely heard music on the radio that reminded me of my life, interests, and experiences. When I started listening to music made by and for people like me, I started to actually care about

Until my early twenties, I never intentionally listened to

music. Back then, music was just noise. My favorite songs

would be indistinguishable from whatever pop music

KidzBop was covering at the moment. I would turn my

brain off and listen to people I didn’t know singing about

things I would never experience. Enjoying popular art

Art by Jordi Romano

Words by Mayel Williams

SOUNDS & SENSES

many things in so many ways. Enjoy!

by alternative people like me. Music that makes me feel so

And so, here’s a sensory playlist that features music made

transcend sound and stimulate a variety of other senses.

melodies, lyrics, and beats.I realized how music can even

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orange magazine

Imposter Syndrome Powered

by High Functioning Anxiety Words by Caitlin Rounds Art by Najlae Chidmi Typeface by Ben Zerbo

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My journey to and through anxiety and how it shaped my college experience

I

think I was normal before college, however normal can be de-

The vast majority of people I knew at Baylor always did well on

fined. It seems like in this day and age, mental health issues are

tests, performed well and presented well. They were on an academ-

like belly buttons — everybody’s got one. Although that sounds cyn-

ic scholarship, their professors liked them, they were the president

ical, I find it oddly comforting.

of everything, they had an amazing internship with a big company and I just wasn’t the same.

Every college acceptance letter I got shocked me. If I’m being honest, I’m highly accomplished in a lot of areas but academics definite-

I left Baylor and started school at The University of Texas at Austin.

ly isn’t one. My grades in high school were less than impressive and I

Again, I felt that imposter feeling. I didn’t know how I got in, like it

was explicitly told by a high school counselor that I wouldn’t get into

was probably a mistake. Before I knew it, I was convinced every-

college. So when I got accepted everywhere I applied, I finally felt

thing I had accomplished was granted to me accidentally. Similar to

intelligent for the first time in my life.

how I thought the admissions team at Baylor had made the mistake of letting me in, I thought I only got into UT on a fluke. When or why

I started my freshman year at Baylor University. I knew almost im-

I became obsessed with my work is anyone’s guess. I had no outside

mediately that I didn’t belong there. That feeling isn’t foreign though;

pressures but felt the need to prove I was hard-working and worthy

I feel that way most places I go. I’ve always struggled to identify with

of my roles or else, I feared, someone would eventually realize I was

groups of people. I’ve never really fit in anywhere. I’ve never been

a fraud. I’ve always had an outstanding work ethic but I still never

included, and I’m not the friend people really think about until they

felt comparable to my peers, not on paper anyway.

need something. Eventually, I decided that people just weren’t my thing and loner became my brand, but I wasn’t lonely. Being by my-

I’d never considered myself to be a perfectionist or organized but all

self actually brought me peace. It made me feel safe. When no one

of a sudden everything had to be perfect. It needed to have struc-

was looking at me, perceiving or judging me, I couldn’t second guess

ture. I needed to be busy every single day and if I didn’t accomplish

myself so harshly all the time. I didn’t have to try to fit in.

at least one thing on a daily basis, I convinced myself I wasted my 24 hours, upsetting myself beyond logic.

I honestly don’t know how or why I got into Baylor. The entire time I was there, I was uncomfortable. I felt like a fraud. This is where I

I never wanted to upset anyone else and I never wanted anyone to

believe my struggles with mental illness began. I couldn’t reconcile

“catch on to me.” I could never be late because this person taking a

what the admissions office was thinking. I wasn’t valedictorian, and

chance on me had invested their time, energy and belief in me. I had

I wasn’t on academic scholarship like my peers. I couldn’t identi-

trouble admitting I needed help because that suggested I couldn’t

fy with the people on campus. I was a creative, not an academic,

solve the problem. I needed to produce the highest quality of work

and the fact that anyone could take me seriously as an “intellectual”

so no one would question my ability. I knew I had insanely high lev-

blew my mind. I became so uncomfortable in the fraudulent feelings

els of stress and worry but it took me a long time to call it something.

that early on, something told me that I had to get out of there. And it became an obsession. Everything was about my great escape from

There was no way I could have anxiety. I wasn’t paralyzed by simple

there forward.

tasks and, in an odd way, my undiagnosed anxiety motivated me to

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do my best work. I found myself insisting on being busy at all times.

At one point, I was working a part-time job, two internships, and holding positions in three university organizations, all while taking 15 hours of coursework. If I did ever shave off a commitment or two, I always found myself replacing it with something else sooner or later. Any influx of freetime was accompanied by anxious thoughts which convinced me that I was contributing to my eventual failure.

There came a point where I had to ask for help. I needed an outsider’s opinion. My own was too confusing and subjective. I reluctantly began to ask others if they thought I was “normal,” and an overwhelming amount of people said yes. The only problem was I struggled with confiding in people. Most of my battles and worries took place in my head and were never vocalized. On the outside, I seemed like a hardworking, self-determined hustler, but internally I felt inadequate, living an accidental charmed life.

With much counseling from trusted people in my life, many obsessive Google searches, and journaling it was determined that I suffer from high functioning anxiety. To others, I am the image of success. I never miss a deadline, I’m quick with a word of advice, I’m punctual and I always deliver. I don’t see myself as that person. I am driven by the fear of failure and nervous energy. This energy comes with great superpowers. I’m basically the energizer bunny, but I’m never at peace and I’m rarely proud of myself.

I know I’m not the only one who suffers from this form of anxiety. It’s a form of anxiety that people don’t often speak about. It disrupts the pretty perception that you’ve convinced so many people of and it’s hard to come to terms with internally. It’s hard to call it something.

The type of anxiety that doesn’t always cause paralyzing fear or depressive episodes can feel invalid even though, ironically, that type of anxiety is often invalidated as well.

Being driven to succeed by anxiety is an uncomfortable and challenging thing. Trust me when I say, the most difficult part is pinpointing the problem, and life gets so much more comfortable once you do.

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The s n i g Ori of 52

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Art by Caleb Zhang

Words by Maya Coplin

O

range Magazine was started in 2013 by then-students Becca

it all got started. We were just very frustrated. All good things start

Chavoya and Jane Claire Hervey after the magazine track was

from a place of frustration, I guess.

cut from the journalism program at The University of Texas at Austin.

Here is a conversation with Chavoya, Hervey and members of the

ON WHAT MAKES ORANGE DIFFERENT

original staff, Tess Cagle and Bryan Rolli.

Q: How did you create space for yourself within all the student pub*Editor’s note: Responses were edited for clarity and brevity.

lications at UT?

ON THE BEGINNING

Becca: I think that the people that gravitated and likely still do gravitate toward ORANGE are incredibly creative. I think they’re very

Q: Why did you start ORANGE and how did it begin?

design-minded and visual. I think that is one of the ways that we attracted students — they saw the kind of content that we were cre-

Becca: We loved magazine writing. Jane had written for the Daily

ating and they were like, ‘wow, I can really flex my creative skills

Texan and I hadn’t, but we both just knew that newspaper style writ-

with this,’ along with really sound and solid reporting and writing. It

ing wasn’t what we wanted to do. We wanted an outlet to be able

was so fun to see that mix of creativity.

to do more creative, long form writing. We wanted to be able to talk about and report on the things that were really important to us: the

Jane: I really need bylines. I cannot do nameless, faceless work for

arts and culture scene of the city, the food scene, everything culture

somebody else. I just feel like that distinguished us from the Texan

related in Austin that we felt like we couldn’t really get from any

because we were literally just like, ‘what the fuck do you want to

other publications at UT at the time. We were like, if we love this so

write?’ Not that we said it that way, but that was the sentiment.

much and if we love this kind of writing so much, there has to be a

‘What are you most curious about?’ Which I still like that is not the

ton of other students that feel the same.

lens of a lot of publications. Their lens is, ‘how do we regurgitate the news that’s already out there and ensure that our readers are

Jane: Becca Chavoya and I were both pretty gutted that the maga-

mildly entertained?’ And I think for us we were just trying to sharp-

zine track at UT had been pretty much completely decimated. We

en our skills as writers. How do we experiment and tell stories that

were both just completely dumbfounded that the whole program

are exciting to us? It was more about us than it was fitting into some

was just suddenly taken away. We had both come to UT for the sole

structure.

purpose of working in magazines. It didn’t feel like we were going to get the experience that we needed (in other classes) in order to really

ON COMMUNITY

succeed in our career paths. We both expressed that frustration and Becca and I were just like, let’s take ORANGE out of the class. Bec-

Q: Describe the ORANGE community.

ca met up with the dean and asked if it was possible. And then we spent that whole first year kind of stabilizing the magazine and Becca

Tess: It felt really tight-knit in the beginning. I remember when we

designed the very first PDF issue. She’s also just a really talented

first launched, we had one Instagram account and everybody had

writer with really great taste. So we were just kind of both co-editors

the password to it and our job was basically to just go out on the

in chief that first year and then she graduated, so I oversaw the mag-

weekends and take pictures of the things that we were doing all of

azine over the next year and a half. And that’s kind of how and why

the time. It was really collaborative. (Bryan and I) met on the mu-

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“How do we experiment and tell stories that are exciting to us? It was more about us than it was fitting into some structure.”

sic staff going to concerts together. My best friend who was one of my bridesmaids, actually two of them, we met through ORANGE. I joined ORANGE and the music section and it completely transformed my social life. It definitely gave me a place where I felt like I actually fit in and I had people who shared my interests.

Bryan: Spring of 2014, my first semester as the music editor, the music section had a team of five writers. I think Tess was one of them. Devin, who was one of the bridesmaids in our wedding, she was one of them. There were three others and we just worked together. I mean, we were all just 19, 20 years old figuring out this new thing. We would meet at Tom’s Tabooley for editor’s meetings every week, which RIP. We would just hang out. I think that the thing I remember most from that time is that I really looked forward to those meetings every week. I savored those meetings, it felt like nothing was off limits. Everyone on that music staff and the whole team at that time had a hunger for finding local stories, doing good journalism and really discovering what makes Austin special. I moved here from suburban Pennsylvania so it was a radical culture shock for me. I felt like telling every local musician or artist or important person in the community that they were the most incredible talented human being in the world. And that sense of excitement was, I think, the thing that made ORANGE grow in subsequent years. There was a circle of us who were so passionate about it that we all went out and told three of our friends and then they went out and told five of their friends and then before our eyes, it just exploded over the next two years.

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ON STUDENT JOURNALISM Jane: At its core, I want the future of journalism to remain integral to our society’s culture of communication, just culture in general.

I think that students, and especially students who are journalists, have to have the ability to test their own ethics and truth-telling skills. I think in order to perfect any craft, in order to pursue any medium of storytelling and truth-telling, there’s no way you can learn how to do it unless you’re allowed to do it. That’s the spirit of ORANGE: come do it. I’ve caught flack for saying this before, but I think it’s true. I think that students are learning, right? So when you’re in a stage of life where you are deemed a person that’s learning, there’s somewhat of a cushion in the way that people treat you and the way you can fail and fuck up and explore who you are. I actually think journalists need to be doing that all the time because I don’t know how you tell the truth otherwise. People who practice journalism should always be students of life, I guess. I wish that we cultivated that a bit more in the industry. I don’t practice journalism, I practice a lot of the principles of journalism. I just stopped my column at Forbes at the end of last year. I had to stop that column because Forbes, which is supposed to be one of the most expensive publications on the planet, is only paying $50 an article. Well, what does that mean? I think journalists have to be students, but I don’t think that capitalism allows many journalists to be students. I think a lot of journalism these days is operating under such intense financial constraints. I don’t fault the journalism industry because I think a

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“At its core, I want the future of journalism to remain integral to our societies culture of communication, just culture in general.”

lot of people who work within it still are trying to do the best that

through a totally unique lens that most people don’t get to see be-

they can. There’s still a lot of good that comes from it. But I worry

cause most people are not taking the time out of their day to really

about that. Every time I read something, I’m like, ‘how much did it

sit down and learn about other people or causes or companies or

that journalists get paid for this?’ And if we actually paid journalists

whatever it is.

to learn and invest in their reporting and challenge the systems in which we tell stories, how much better would I be able to navigate

ON LIFE AFTER GRADUATION

the world and exist in this community and have (a) good life? I think those are foundational questions that students ask that the industry

Q: How did ORANGE influence your work after graduation?

sometimes swallows up and spits out without even attempting to give an answer.

Becca: It’s interesting because I think my journalism education and everything I did with ORANGE has only benefited me in a communi-

Becca: You’d just be amazed at how many people graduate with

cations career. We know how to talk to people and how to decode

a college degree and they go on to be professionals in corporate

what people are saying versus what they actually mean. The report-

America and they are awful communicators. They just can not get

ing just serves you so well in your career, especially in one that’s like

thoughts across, they cannot work with a team and collaborate with

marketing. I learned how to be a crystal clear communicator and

a team. I absolutely think that journalism and student media has

to get other people to be clear communicators. Being an editor is

taught me how to do that. I think working on a student publication is

essentially being a project manager, which I do now. I have a room

so important in teaching teamwork. You have to manage your own

full of creatives. I’m helping them understand how they get a project

schedule, you have to figure out how to make these interviews hap-

from point A to point B, just like we did with the content and the

pen when you have 15, 18 hours of classes, a job and an internship.

stories. I think everything that I learned as an editor has absolutely

I just remember how grueling my schedule was when I was a journal-

helped me in my project management career.

ist. I think that learning how to manage your own time and be a clear communicator serves you so well in the rest of your professional

Jane: I feel like it was incredibly formative. I also feel like I still

career, whether you decide to be a journalist or not. The world that

work with the majority of the people that I was on that publication

student media opens up to you is just invaluable. You learn so much

with. I just think we trust each other’s work. I do think that a lot of

about the people around you and the city around you and share so

creatives, a lot of journalists, which I think are now becoming more

many different perspectives. I think it allows you to see the world

creative because they’re having to compete in more commercial

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settings and having to get really artistic with the way they

ON YOUR FAVORITE STORY

approach stories, are having to become curators to some degree. Really getting to know people and what they are ca-

Becca: Well, the one that’s coming to mind first is a story I

pable of puts you in a fantastic position to navigate a very tu-

wrote about Boggy Creek Farm. It was about that urban farm-

multuous career landscape. Because for me, I know people

ing movement here in Austin and how Boggy Creek was one

I can hire to do things. I also know people I can call if some-

of the very first farms to ever do that. It’s just the cutest place

thing blows up. I think I take that for granted sometimes. I

and the owners are this woman and her husband. I remember

don’t think we realized we created a community, you know?

that story so well because I went to interview her and I think I scheduled an hour and a half, but I ended up being there all

Tess: Well it’s funny, I don’t really do journalism. I mostly

day and she sent me home with all of this fresh produce. Be-

take pictures for a living, which is pretty cool. I think that’s

fore I left, she invited me into her farmhouse and we had tea

what my goal was at ORANGE too. I love to write and I still

and we just talked, not even talking about the story anymore.

write. I also really wanted to get into concert photography,

She was telling me about her husband and how he had cancer

and ORANGE was the first publication that I could get press

and how the farm meant so much to them because they start-

passes from. I definitely was able to hone my event pho-

ed utilizing holistic medicine food and it cured him. It was just

tography through ORANGE from covering events or covering

incredible.

music. I dabbled a little bit with portraiture. ORANGE definitely gave me a really good outlet to learn how to capture

Jane: I witnessed the South by Southwest crash, and I wrote

emotion. I think we were really invested in Instagram at the

an op ed on that for ORANGE. It was for some reason debat-

time. That has really helped me with learning how to tell

ed in journalism classes across the country the next day. My

stories through social media and more creative ways than I

professor was very upset that I wrote it because I criticized the

think traditional news sources would tell you.

journalism industry. There were people stumbling around with cracked skulls, it was horrifying. There were a ton of people

Bryan: Everything that I’ve done as a journalist has been a

in Mohawk who needed to be evacuated because we were just

snowball effect from the work that I started at ORANGE. It

stuck right there. There were journalists at the edge of bar-

gave me a platform and a place to just learn how to be a

ricades who were screaming. Nothing had been secured yet,

journalist with other incredibly talented student journalists.

and they were yelling and screaming at the top of their lungs,

It gave me some sort of credibility or legitimacy I guess. I’m

‘this is my story I need to photograph these people.’ You get

a musician as well, and a lot of the artists that I admire and

where they’re coming from, but there has to be a better way.

have come to be friends with and have played shows with in

That should not be how this industry operates because that

Austin I met doing stories at ORANGE. I admire their work.

feels super exploitative and that doesn’t feel truthful. That

I interviewed them and got to know them as people and

feels sensational. I think the way I wrote the piece was super

friends. Now we’re, we’re peers in the music industry here

emotional and something I would totally write at the age of 19.

as well, which is really great.

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2013

“I re mem ber like we a talk ll sa ed a t aro bou und t wh on t at w he fi e wa rst fl nted oor to a lobb ccom y of plish the Belo in jo Cen urna ter a lism nd j and ust abou why we c t mu ared sic a nd c ultu re.�

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ow Austin and h in re e h t n e It’s just ing movem t urban farm ever do that. a to th s t u rm o b fa a t s rs d. � fi “It wa d her husban e of the very n n a o n s a a m w o k w e is Boggy Cre ers are th and the own ce la p st te cu the

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Tess: My entire semester got flipped upside down. It all started when I was taking pictures for class at the Pleasant Valley Park and this man on a horse came up to me and asked me if I wanted to take his picture. And I was like, ‘well duh,’ and he gave me his card. And he had been touting to me that he was a local musician. Turns out, the story was way bigger than just his music. He’s called the Sixth Street Cowboy and he lives on land out in Riverside and has two horses.

A couple of years ago he had been thrown off his horse and was supposed to never walk again. He claims that horse therapy helped him learn how to walk again. It was this amazing, crazy really long winded story that I reported on for a whole semester for a photo class but I also wrote a feature on him for ORANGE. He had me ride his horse with him across town. He’s Native American and he had so many amazingly insightful things to say about his history of coming from the Midwest and what tribe he was a part of. I remember the whole semester I just felt like I was in this magical thing.

Bryan: My freshman year, I went out to cover a local festival called Ditch the Fest, which happens at the same time as ACL every year.

I went out, and it just so happened that that lineup was the perfect lineup. Did I love the lineup because it was my first one? I don’t know. But I ended up seeing every single one of my favorite local artists on one bill that weekend. I wrote a round up of it for ORANGE, and one of the artists that I wrote about was Roger Sellers.

Months later, we were at a show and I saw him play. After his set, I introduced myself and I mentioned that I worked at ORANGE and I had written a thing about him during Ditch the Fest. He was like, ‘yeah man, that was the first time I’ve read something about me where the writer really captured my essence.’ I was like 19 years old at the time, maybe 18, so I freaked out. I have a responsibility as a journalist now. The stuff I write has consequences and reverberations. That reaction has been the thing that I hope to get from every artist that I write about or interview in my career.

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BREWERIES

TOP CRAFT BEER BRANDS TO SUPPORT TO VISIT AUSTIN’S

Words by Miles Eackles Art by Pranutha Punukula

TAKES

2-3

WEEKS

MASH KETTLE

AUSTIN EASTCIDERS

FERMENTATION

ORIGINAL DRY CIDER Austin Eastciders prides itself on using real ingredients like Texas honey, hop flowers, pineapple and blood orange juice to make the variety of flavors. The bittersweet Original Dry Cider is an example of what they stand for: authentic ingredients and absolutely no artificial flavors. It has a slight apple aftertaste and a dry finish without making your mouth feel like you’re chewing on sandpaper.

Its crisp taste can be attributed to its use of European bittersweet apples and American dessert apples, which makes for a highly refreshing beverage. The next time you have taco night with your friends, I highly suggest this one.

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CONDITIONING ZILKER BREWING

MARCO IPA Zilker Brewing Company started in 2008 when Patrick and Forrest Clark, along with their best friend Marco Rodriguez, started a brewing setup in their garage. You can definitely taste and feel the chemistry in their Marco IPA. This tropical brew has notes of orange that tastes like a walk in Zilker park on a hot summer day. With an ABV of 7.0%, it packs a major punch. You’d want to pair this one with something greasy, preferably from the many food trucks that Austin has to offer.

AUSTIN BEERWORKS

PEARL SNAP The bottle design makes it feel like a true Texas brand.

This German-style pilsner beer is light, refreshing and a little bitter. The Austin Beerworks brand raised eyebrows for embracing the canned beer revolution earlier than most beer brands.

CONVICT HILL

OATMEAL STOUT This stout beer has a deep, rich, dark flavor that is synonymous with its dark and gothic packaging. The design of the can has an inviting aura that is sure to bring the inquisitive beer connoisseur in.

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3001 INDUSTRIAL TERRACE

AUSTIN BEERWORKS “Local Brewers Hell Bent on Excellence”

MOP AC E X

PY

Core Beers: Amber Vision- Amber Ale Sun Shovel- Wheat Beer Pearl Snap- German Style Pilsner Fire Eagle- American IPA Flavor Country- Hoppy Pale Ale Peacemaker- Anytime Ale

NORTHWEST HILS

NORTH LAMAR

4729 BURNET ROAD

PINTHOUSE PIZZA

CRESTVIEW

6406 N INTERSTATE 35

“Pinthouse Pizza was founded by six guys who share a passion for craft beer and good food.

We love Austin, and we are excited to help contribute to the energy and originality that make Austin a vibrant community. Our goal is to serve award-winning beer and hand-crafted pizza in a warm and casual setting.”

EASY TIGER BAKE SHOP & BEER GARDEN “Features artisan bread, locally roasted coffee, cured meats, full bar, and more than 30 local and boutique draft beers. Our in-house bakery offers a selection of Old World hearth breads, European-style pastries, and signature soft pretzels — all baked fresh daily.

Easy Tiger’s Wholesale Division provides bread to more than 100 accounts, including many of Austin’s top restaurants, hotels, and grocers such as the Whole Foods Flagship store. “

1701 E 6TH ST. TARRYTOWN

ZILKER BREWING COMPANY & TAP ROOM “It all started with a few Austin locals back in 2008– the Clark brothers, Patrick and Forrest, and their best friend from high school, Marco Rodriguez. The three dove headfirst into brewing with a setup in their garage.

They quickly fell in love with the craft and dedicated their time outside of work to this new hobby. In 2015, after years of dialing their process and brewing award–winning beers, they decided it was time to go all in. They quit their day jobs and upgraded from the garage to the brewery and taproom on the eastside you see today.

Our team has since grown as we strive to create high quality beer, foster community, and support craft beer.”

979 SPRINGDALE RD STE. 130 EAST AUSTIN

AUSTIN EASTCIDERS “We’re determined to make America fall in love with cider all over again!”

“We’re helping move the mainstream toward cider that’s lower in sugar and features more complex flavor profiles. And with a range of styles, we believe we have truly created ciders that appeal to beer, wine and cider drinkers alike. Not to mention, our ciders are both gluten-free and certified kosher.”

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La Pulga is a photography documentation of the typical street market by the border of Eagle Pass, Texas Words and photography by Sara TreviĂąo Art by Najlae Chidmi

L

a Pulga is photography documentation of the typical street market by the border of Eagle Pass, Texas. It has brought many clients from

across the border from Piedras Negras to buy, trade and resale used goods. It debunks the stereotypes of the borders not being a safe environment to live. I alter the perspective of the border town in the way the pulgas offer a safe place that unites both Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras.

Growing up going to the pulga on a Saturday morning was a given, after eating our barbacoa tacos washed down with our warm cup of coffee, we were ready to go. It became a family tradition as the morning Sunday church visits. I was immersed by the different eras of clothes as I dug through the endless piles while in the background La Rancherita del Arie echo through the warehouse. The pulga felt like home. I felt closest to my Mexican heritage in the way the vendors solely communicate in Spanish with their customers and the smell of barbacoa fill the air as shoppers waited in line for their breakfast tacos. Spending most of my youth living in the border became a struggle jugging my cultural identity as a Mexican American. As a result, attending American school made it difficult to connect with my Mexican heritage due to how Texas history molds Mexicans as the antagonist or the lack of Latinos representation in American media. As a Chicana filmmaker, I desire to reshape the Latinos narrative by capturing the stories of the underrepresented Latino culture in a more accurate, authentic manner. People gravitate to the arts because they are searching for their roots or because they are searching to belong somewhere. It’s equivalent to how I feel when I attend the Saturday morning pulga. With this project, I desire to inspire others and create a feeling of belonging because nothing is more rewarding than having a voice.

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Cowboy, storyteller and archivist Larry Callies highlights the true heroes of the frontier at his Black Cowboy Museum in Rosenberg, Texas.

Words by Kennedy Williams Art by Meredith Cambis

T

he American cowboy typically appears in pop culture imag-

them. To the left of his home, they grew corn and maize. His dad

ery as a gunslinging hero who protects frontier communities

would ride wild horses to the house. Callies got his first horse, Light-

against criminals and Native American “enemies.” Symbols of Man-

ning, when he was ten. “He was so old all he would do is walk,”

ifest Destiny, cowboys became mythic representations of American

Callies said. “We’d walk out to the woods and I’d have my dog with

aspirations and progress. Actor John Wayne emerged as the proto-

me. I thought I was a cowboy.”

typical cowboy — a rugged, gutsy, horseriding hero with an enviable drawl. But this prototype isn’t accurate. Rather, it’s a whitewashing

But he didn’t have a saddle. A young Callies fashioned a makeshift

of figures that are central to American culture and economy.

saddle out of a burlap sack and a bridle out of hay string. In the

On Sept. 27, 2018, cultural archivist Bri Malandro tweeted “the yeehaw agenda is in full effect.” With this, Malandro created a language to describe the current wave of cowboy-inspirited aesthetics that artists like Lil Nas X and Megan Thee Stallion employ. The yeehaw agenda chronicles how Westernwear offers black people an avenue for adopting cowboy culture.

Six months after Malandro’s prophetic tweet, Solange released a film accompanying her fourth studio album “When I Get Home.”

Several scenes in the film are dedicated to black cowboys. Their geometric pack rides and entrancing lasso tricks take center stage.

“These are black owned things,” sings Solange while twirling a black cowboy hat. Larry Callies’ Black Cowboy Museum offers a backstory and historical context for Solange’s visual inspiration. The museum, founded in 2017, creates a space that celebrates black cowboys, allowing visitors to learn the true history of the American West and Callies to reclaim his family’s legacy.

Callies grew up on a cotton field in El Campo, Texas, a small town about 40 miles southwest of his museum. In front of the house he shared with his parents, sister and three brothers, his family worked

image of his father and generations before him, he was ready to ride.

Callies can trace cowboys in his family back to 1746. Anthony Mitchell, a distant uncle, lived in Hallettsville, Texas. He was one of the first people to drive cattle to Kansas during the rise of the meat packing industry. Cowboys like Mitchell challenge the perceived historic whiteness of cowboy culture.

By 1825, one in four cowboys were black, according to the Smithsonian. Ever subjected to discrimination, these cowboys formed a culture based on community. After the Civil War, the open plains of the American West offered black cowboys more freedom, ownership and distance from white supremacy in the South. But the origins of the term “cowboy” cannot be separated from racism even if some cowboys were. Just as slave owners had black yard boys and house boys on their plantation, they had cowboys in charge of cattle.

According to Callies, black cowboys possessed specific skills that made them better equipped than their white counterparts to work cattle and bulls. This is especially true of black cowboys who herded longhorns using ancestral techniques.

cows, the arduous task of herding and sorting cattle to vaccinate

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“The origins of the term ‘cowboy’ cannot be separated from racism even if some cowboys were.”

“In 1865, plantation owners wanted to take longhorns to Kansas but

of color still faced discrimination. Williams was able to participate

they couldn’t get them out of the woods,” Callies said. “They asked

because organizers weren’t sure if he was black or hispanic. When

the ex-slaves to get them out of the woods. These slaves used a trick

his hat blew off while riding bareback, they got their answer. The

they learned in Africa, banging on pots and pans to get the longhorns

chaps that Williams wore when he won the championship adorned

out of the woods. Black cowboys would round the longhorns up in

Callies as he made the state finals. A photo displaying this moment

the plains. Back then they didn’t have barbed wire. They would sit

is displayed in the museum.

out there for two or three weeks rounding up the cattle to drive them to Kansas. Now who do you think would sit out there, day and night,

Along with more personal histories, Callies retells the stories of

night and day, and watch those cows? They were all black.”

prominent black cowboys like Bass Reeves, an early cowboy and the first black deputy US Marshal west of the Mississippi River. He is

Callies offers several stories that retell history at his museum. Sit-

believed to have captured over 3000 felons, mostly in the Oklahoma

uated between two storefronts in a strip mall, The Black Cowboy

territory. Scholars like Callies believe that Reeves was the true Lone

museum is an ode to the black cowboys in Callies’ familial and cul-

Ranger, shattering mythical perceptions of “authentic” cowboys be-

tural past.

ing John Wayne look-alikes.

For Callies, the centerpieces of his museum are 12 belt buckles worn

Callies may be an authority on black cowboys today, but this wasn’t

by his cousin Tex Williams, the first black cowboy to win the Texas

a culture or history that always incited pride. When he was in the

High School Rodeo Championship in 1967. Many rodeos were re-

fifth grade, Callies’ teacher asked the students in his class what they

cently desegregated at the time, but Williams and other cowboys

wanted to be. Some of his peers wanted to be doctors, others want-

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ed to be lawyers. But Callies proclaimed that he wanted to be a cow-

black, he wanted to be just like him. In the 1980s, he released the

boy. The classroom broke out into laughter, mocking Callies’ desired

song “A Little Bit of Charley In Me,” as an ode to his favorite singer.

career, but he still wore his cowboy boots with pride. This continued

But singing didn’t distance Callies from the discrimination he expe-

through high school, where Callies’ peers responded to his signature

rienced as a cowboy. He was often barred from performing in clubs.

attire with racist epithets and tripping him as he walked the halls.

In the late 1980s, he was chased out of a venue by white patrons.

They thought he wanted to be white.

Although Callies has been aware of the cowboys in his family, cu“The disco era made it tough to be a cowboy,” Callies said. Although

rating The Black Cowboy Museum has allowed his history to be a

he was always a fan of custom cowboy boots and Stetson hats, Cal-

source of empowerment. Through his work, the perseverance, resil-

lies temporarily retired his uniform. He couldn’t get a date. But Cal-

ience and legacy of black cowboys will not go in vain.

lies couldn’t deny his roots, so the uniform returned. The hate did too.

“The black cowboys are showing that they’re the number one cowboys,” Callies said. “If I said that on TV, man, people would go crazy,

For years, Callies worked as a country singer. He first fell in love

but I’d just be telling the truth. But black people can’t tell the truth.”

with country music when he worked the back gate at the Round-Up

Callies is telling the truth with his museum, though. For Callies, the

Rodeo in Simonton, Texas as a young kid. The gate happened to be

source of this truth is not in the books he’s read or the stories he’s

close to the jukebox, where the music of artists like Charley Pride

told — it’s divine. He was born with a veil, an ancient symbol of

and Willie Nelson could be heard. Before he knew Charley Pride was

blessings, wisdom and luck. “This is all God,” Callies said. “I can’t even begin to tell you how God has blessed me and protected me.”

But Callies isn’t just telling the truth, he’s creating space for it and inviting visitors to understand it.

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Which 2000s Film Should You Watch?

Take this quiz to find your silver-screen match from Y2K. Words by Savannah Oson Art by Meredith Cambis

t star

Your friends have finally let you pick the movie to see in theaters. You lean towards…

her

e!

When having a movie night, what kind of snacks do you choose?

sweet

You’re given the ability to make popular any early 2000s style trend.

Do you bring back…

salty

“Stankonia” by OutKast

You’re forced to choose an album from 2000. Which do you pick?

an artsy oscar film

Bam! You’re somehow starring in a film without any acting experience. Which film are you in?

chunky highlights

Choose a mixed-genre 2019 film about class.

campy horror flick

“Oops I Did It Again” by Britney Spears

“Tiger King”

“Ready or not”

a kooky ensemble comedy

a coming-of-age indie

dresses over jeans

What classic 2000s teen TV show would you put on after school?

What Netflix documentary series would you binge watch??

“Knives Out”

“Cheer”

1 76

“Gilmore Girls”

2

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”

4

3 Results

the reactions issue

You got:

1

George Washington “George Washington” exemplifies short-run friendships that we often find in our adolescence through an ensemble cast of poor, black kids living in a crumbling rural town in North Carolina. People may complain about the lack of plot in this indie-flick, but it takes a necessary backseat to the relationships between the characters and the scenery of the film. Every scene feels like a drifting memory etched from endless summers of exploring outside with no real mission except being with your friends for as long as you could.

2

Best in Show Never has there been another year which constantly feels like an ongoing mockumentary in the way that 2020 does. “Best In Show” is a continuous display of Guest’s ability to find humor in the mundane, with the world of dog shows as the setting.The cast of comedic legends make the Mayflower Kennel Dog Show feel as riveting as any sports competition.

3

Ginger Snaps “Ginger Snaps” uses the usual avenue of horror as a genre that highlights the fears of society, but also gives a uniquely female perspective. Instead of a hulking dude as the monster, the teenage girl is what lurks beyond the shadows horror films like “Jennifer’s Body” and “Raw,” this gothic werewolf film relishes in the messiness of growing up.

4 Bring Bring It On It On

Walking down the blue carpeted aisles of your local Blockbuster, this movie appeared like every other clichéd teen comedy. This story centers on a wealthy, predominantly white cheer team led by Kirsten Dunst. Come to find out, they’ve been stealing their championship worthy cheers from Gabrielle Union’s Clovers cheer squad. Balancing snarky 2000s humor with a fresh perspective of the cheer world, “Bring It On” manages to discuss topics of appropriation and race in a way that no other teen comedies – or Oscar nominated films – were attempting at the time.

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” “

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THE FIFTH PHASE OF

CULTURE SHOCK Words by Molly Schrader Art by Caleb Zhang

I

remember how weird it felt to wrap my head around

Twentieth-century anthropologist Kalervo Oberg first

the idea that I wouldn’t be living in Florida anymore.

presented the concept of culture shock in 1954 to the

Nevermind not having the beach close by or sunny

Women’s Club of Rio de Janeiro while living in Brazil on

weather for most of the year. At 11 years old I didn’t

assignment. He found that incoming Americans and their

realize how different it would feel to seldomly hear or

families would experience a visceral reaction to the Bra-

speak Spanish and get used to only eating Cuban food

zilian ways of life. He described it as a syndrome, “pre-

if I made it at home. I would rehearse to myself, “Hi, I’m

cipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all our

Molly, and I live in Virginia.” It felt unnatural to let those

familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse. These

words come out of my mouth. I was attached to being

signs or cues include the thousand and one ways in

a “Miami girl.” Little did I know that years later I would

which we orient ourselves to the situations of daily life.”

jump at any conversation that included Wawa or Bob Ev-

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ans. It’s even stranger now to be defending Whataburger

Many of us experiencing culture shock in any form, are

and H-E-B to non-Texans. All of those little things that

quick to invalidate our emotions because arriving at

become recognizable are what makes a place unique and

these feelings may not have included a plane ride. Re-

quirky, also foreign. I had no word for it at the time, but

gardless of distance, it’s unfair to suppress feelings or

being in a new state and feeling totally lost were signs of

negate them because human response exists on a loaded

minor culture shock.

scale. Culture shock often moves in phases - before one

the reactions issue

HONEYMOON

NEGOTIATION

gets to the lonely or frustrating parts of that roller coaster,

their food, even if you’re not particularly fond of it. I soon

there is exhilaration and curiosity. Oberg identified four

realized in every new country I visited that when people

phases of culture shock known as honeymoon, rejection,

saw I was making an effort to learn and adapt, whether

adjustment and adaptation. Some may find they experi-

it was picking up some German or Italian, to ‘do as the

ence all of these or just a couple, even out of order. Rules

Romans do,’ that effort would prevail over any negative

shouldn’t dictate when measuring matters of the human

thing they had heard about Americans.

condition.

Given that my first time in Europe, I didn’t go with family, My first time in Germany, everything was exciting. I was

it was easy to present whomever I wanted people to think

fascinated by the food, architecture, people and land-

I was. I found myself wishing I could reject the Ameri-

scape, but there were also many times the language bar-

can identity after realizing how much greater it seemed

rier became overwhelming and I would stay quiet even

to live in a place with breathtaking views, a place more

when it was important for me to speak up. Ordering food

environmentally conscious than many parts of the U.S.

at a restaurant or a heavier subject, like foreigners’ per-

and with people who valued living life at a slower pace.

ception of America, were sore topics because I couldn’t

Through rose-colored glasses, the countries I stayed in

communicate to the same extent that I normally would. As

had a facade of wonder and fewer problems, but truth be

much as you’re adapting to other customs and integrating

told, every society is dysfunctional one way or another.

into someone else’s community, it remains important to

It’s unreasonable to compare places that have historically

defend or correct misconceptions about where you come

been run completely different.

from.

As a study abroad student in Italy last year, it annoyed me The second phase of Oberg’s theory, rejection, refers to a

how easily others could start to reject where they come

period in which the visitor starts to become critical, rude

from like I had. Though after a couple of months, they

and even hostile. This is where generalizations about the

began to miss home and realize that variances are what

host country or location can manifest into harmful stereo-

make culture special. Adaptation may be the final phase

types. The best advice I can offer is to pretend like you’re

of Oberg’s theory, but the sweet spot is when we can em-

visiting someone else’s house. You smile, you nod and eat

brace both home and the unfamiliar.

ADAPTATION

ADJUSTMENT

“I was fascinated by the big and small, everything that makes that place unlike anything I had experienced.”

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where I am and

space between

day to allow the

“I am learning every

sectION 4: Change

- Tracee Ellis Ross

not terrify me.�

to inspire me and

where I want to be

orange magazine

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In the streaming age, global audiences are challenging the century-established formula of successful filmmaking in Hollywood, forging opportunities for unique storytelling that has never been seen before.

Words by Bailey Cho Art by Meredith Cambis

A

ccepting his award for best foreign-language film at the 78th

Therefore, the lack of awareness to foreign cinema is inevitable

Golden Globe Awards, director Bong Joon Ho said, “once

among Americans. Audiences cannot be excited about a film if they

you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be in-

do not know it exists. After “Parasite’s” Oscars win, the film’s limit-

troduced to so many more amazing films.” A decade prior, studio

ed release ended and it began screening in twice as many theaters,

executives would have never predicted the level of success Bong’s

according to Cinema Blend. Foreign cinema’s minimal exposure to

“Parasite” has achieved. American audiences have historically re-

American audiences is the fault of Hollywood’s ethnocentric agen-

sisted non-English films, reinforcing what Bong describes as “local”

da, and “Parasite‘s” boost in revenue illustrates how Americans of-

award ceremonies where other cultures are not recognized. The film

ten rely on the critical acclaim of award shows to decide whether

industry is shifting, however, as global audiences use streaming ser-

foreign films are truly worth watching.

vices to access international content. Once a Hollywood-dominated industry, film is more universal than ever before.

To global audiences, cinema has never been hindered by a language barrier. Non-U.S. countries have adopted dubbing and subtitling

“Foreign” cinema, or international film, is an American classifica-

for decades, with almost 70% of studios’ annual box office revenue

tion that lacks meaning. While English-language films are broken up

coming from international markets, according to the Motion Picture

into numerous categories at award shows, there are few channels

Association of America. However, the American audiences’ per-

in which non-English performances can be recognized in America.

ception is completely different. Cinema is not viewed as a universal

Hollywood remains the largest film industry in the world, dominantly

language, and Americans can be closed-minded toward foreign-lan-

impacting film distribution. International films are rarely advertised

guage films. Subtitles seem tedious, and international stories may

in the U.S. because a broad audience cannot be reached without

not resonate with a broad audience of different ethnicities and iden-

spending millions of dollars. Investors dislike gambling funds, es-

tities. For decades, foreign films were only palatable to Americans

pecially on films without established directors or renowned actors.

if they were remade in English, according to Paul Dergarabedian,

d ind ust ry, film is “On ce a Hol lyw ood -do min ate ore.” mo re uni ver sal tha n eve r bef

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senior analyst at Comscore. Hong Kong crime thriller, “Internal Affairs” was selected as an entry for Best Foreign Language film at the 76th Academy Awards. It was never nominated, but Martin Scorsese remade the film in 2006 as “The Departed,” which secured the nomination for Best Picture. From “Vanilla Sky” to “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” the list of foreign remakes is endless, but globalization and the demand for original content will alter filmmaking in the new decade.

In an era of streaming, the Hollywood machine is not as powerful as it once was. Platforms like Netflix and Hulu produce original content that appeals to global markets, and users can easily access international films. More people are willing to click on a movie than go see it in theatres, and the marketing efforts are not as risky as a national theatrical release. Today, Netflix generates subtitles in 28 languages. It is also working to include sophisticated dubbing for future

productions to adapt how films are viewed, according to IndieWire.

Since it is difficult to read subtitles on smartphones and people want to multitask without missing a line of dialogue, dubbing may become more common in America as the popularity of foreign-language films and TV increases.

It remains unclear whether an Oscar will be awarded to a non-English film again, but “Parasite” incites a conversation about foreign films that will influence the demand for international content from today onward. While some Americans may be hesitant to watch culturally diverse movies, the film industry is more globalized than ever before. Streaming services no longer cater to a few measly archetypes because viewers are tired of digesting redundant storylines.

Perhaps these shifts in attitude will encourage inclusivity, and all films will be remembered for how they make us feel, without being labeled.

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“Perhaps these shifts in attitude will encourage inclusivity, and all films will be remembered for how they make us feel, without being labeled.�

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&

NETFLIX BEYOND CHILL

Words by Molly Schrader Art by Pranutha Punukula

ORANGE staffers share the TV shows they can’t get out of their heads

G

rowing up as an only child with no friends close by, I watched a lot of television. I even had a small cinderblock of a TV

set in my childhood room right in front of my bed. If I wasn’t in my bedroom, I was sitting on the couch plastered to the TV on Saturday morning to watch my favorite cartoons, or standing in the kitchen watching sitcoms as I waited to leave for school. I remember hearing other kids’ parents say that too much television is a hindrance to learning and a waste of time. Sure, I could have been outside, but I just didn’t find that very entertaining. In fact, I can recall vocabulary words I first heard from characters on the screen, and while you

away with murder. Just kidding.

Watching characters on a television show grow up over the span of a decade feels like watching your own family and friends. I started watching “The Middle” and “Modern Family” on ABC with my mom in middle school, and both middle children from that show, Sue Heck and Alex Dunphy, were my age when the series started. I graduated high school the same year they did, and then they both went off to college. Now, both series have ended, but I felt like the situations I was dealing with at the time were mirrored by those characters. I think that for a lot of people, television becomes more

don’t learn things the same way you would in a classroom, TV taught

than Hollywood actors and funny one-liners. Here, some ORANGE

me a lot about friendship, family, race, prudence and how to get

Magazine staffers share what shows have stuck with them.

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GILMORE GIRLS

the reactions issue

TYLER LEWIS

MOLLY SCHRADER

CHEETAH GIRLS

“I AM A RAVEN-SYMONÉ STAN. “THE CHEETAH GIRLS 2” MADE AN IMPACT ON ME WHEN SYMONÉ’S CHARACTER WAS TAKING THE MUSIC COMPETITION SERIOUSLY AND THE OTHER GIRLS WERE NOT. I WENT THROUGH A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE WITH MY A CAPPELLA GROUP SENIOR YEAR OF UNDERGRAD AT TEXAS A&M. LOOKING BACK, I FEEL LIKE MY JOURNEY DURING THE TIME ALIGNED WITH GALLERIA’S.”

“I DISCOVERED “GILMORE GIRLS” WHEN I WAS UNSURE ABOUT PURSUING JOURNALISM, AND RORY IS A COMMITTED PERSON BUT DOUBTS HERSELF. I THINK THAT DESCRIBES MY OWN FEELINGS TOWARD AMBITION. SHE’S DRIVEN, FAST-TALKING AND HAS A DISCONCERTING ADDICTION TO COFFEE, WHICH IS A LOT LIKE ME.”

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gLEE

“THE QUARTERBACK” EPISODE IN THE FIFTH SEASON OF “GLEE” HAD A PROFOUND IMPACT ON ME. THE STORY CENTERS AROUND THE SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED DEATH OF FINN, A MAIN CHARACTER IN THE SHOW. ORIGINALLY, THE SHOW WASN’T MEANT TO HAVE THIS PLOT, BUT THE REAL LIFE DEATH OF THE ACTOR WHO PLAYED FINN, CORY MONTEITH, FORCED IT TO. THE EPISODE WAS TRAGIC AND RAW. YOU CAN TELL THE ACTORS AREN’T REALLY ACTING. THEY HAVE ALL LOST A FRIEND AND CO-WORKER. BEING A YOUNG VIEWER, “THE QUARTERBACK” SHATTERED MY YOUTHFUL VIEW OF IMMORTALITY AND PUSHED ME TO PONDER THE TRUE NATURE OF DEATH AND LIFE. FINN WAS MEANT TO HAVE A HAPPY ENDING. WATCHING THAT BE DESTROYED BY CORY’S DRUG USE AND EVENTUALLY DEATH WAS A HUGE WAKE UP CALL FOR ME. IT REALLY SHOWED ME THAT EVERY CHOICE YOU MAKE SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO HOW YOU WANT YOUR STORY TO END OR YOU JUST MIGHT RUIN YOUR OWN STORY. SLOANE WICK

CHARMED “A THEME THAT’S MADE AN IMPACT ON ME IS TEAMWORK IN THE SHOW “CHARMED,” WHICH IS ABOUT THREE SISTERS, WHO ARE ALSO WITCHES, WORKING TOGETHER TO DESTROY THE FORCES OF EVIL. EVERY TIME THERE’S AN EVIL FORCE THAT THE SISTERS HAVE TO BATTLE, THEY EACH USE THEIR UNIQUE POWERS TO DEFEAT IT. IT REALLY SHOWED ME THAT EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE DIFFERENT STRENGTHS AND ABILITIES, WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TOWARDS A COMMON GOOD. THE SHOW PROVIDES A SENSE OF ESCAPISM, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF WHAT WE’RE FACING TODAY. EVERY EPISODE FEELS LIKE AN ADVENTURE THAT HAS A HAPPY ENDING WHICH PROVIDES ME SOLACE IN THESE UNPREDICTABLE TIMES.“ MILES EACKLES

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ONE TREE HILL

the reactions issue

BAILEY CHO

crazy ex-girlfriend

TYLER LEWIS

“THE ENDING SCENE IN “PICTURES OF YOU,” EPISODE 13 OF “ONE TREE HILL’S” FOURTH SEASON, HAD A PROFOUND IMPACT ON ME AS A HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN. BROOKE DAVIS APPEARS TO BE THE MOST CONFIDENT GIRL AT TREE HILL HIGH, BUT SHE IS CONSTANTLY AFRAID OF NOT BEING GOOD, PRETTY, OR SMART ENOUGH. GROWING UP, I ALSO CREATED A FAÇADE THAT I DIDN’T CARE ABOUT PEOPLE’S OPINIONS OF ME, BUT I DEFINITELY EXPERIENCED MANY SIMILAR INSECURITIES THAT I KEPT INSIDE. DURING THE FINAL SCENE, BROOKE IS PHOTOGRAPHED IN FRONT OF A PROJECTOR. HURTFUL PHRASES ARE SPRAWLED ACROSS THE SLIDE, BUT SHE REALIZES THAT THESE COMMENTS ARE IRRELEVANT. THE LINE, “PEOPLE ARE GONNA LABEL YOU. IT’S HOW YOU OVERCOME THOSE LABELS, THAT’S WHAT MATTERS” HAS STUCK WITH ME EVER SINCE. ONE TREE HILL TAUGHT ME THAT THERE IS ALWAYS MORE TO PEOPLE THAN WHAT THEY INITIALLY LET ON, SO WE SHOULDN’T HOLD OUR OWN PRECONCEPTIONS AGAINST THEM AT FIRST ENCOUNTER.”

“NO TV SHOW HAS EVER SURPRISED ME AS MUCH AS “CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND.” THE MAIN CHARACTER REBECCA, UNHAPPY “WORKING HARD AT A NEW YORK JOB,” MOVES TO WEST COVINA, CA TO FOLLOW HER HIGHSCHOOL SWEETHEART WHILE ALSO IMAGINING HER LIFE AS A SERIES OF ELABORATE MUSICAL NUMBERS. REBECCA IS ACCOMPLISHED, FUNNY, AND SWEET, BUT YOU QUICKLY REALIZE SHE’S SUFFERING FROM AN UNTREATED MENTAL ILLNESS THAT UNRAVELS HER LIFE. YOU WATCH REBECCA HIT ROCK BOTTOM AND THEN LAUGH, CRY AND CHEER AS SHE LEARNS TO LOVE HERSELF. “CRAZY EX” UNEXPECTEDLY GAVE ME SOME OF THE BEST REPRESENTATION OF MENTAL ILLNESS I’VE SEEN ON TV AND IT TAUGHT ME SOMETHING: NEVER JUDGE A SHOW BY IT’S PILOT.” MEREDITH CAMBIS

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the reactions issue

Time travel through the boybands that established cultural movements and defined generations with their lyrics, looks and lifestyle.

Words by Bailey Cho Art by Reneé Koite

The Beatles (1960s) When we think of The Beatles, we don’t necessarily think “boy band.” Paul, John, George and Ringo have released some of the most influential records of all time, all while writing their own music and playing their own instruments. Their musical contributions contradict the bubblegum singles we typically associate with boy bands, but the same four members who recorded “Let It Be” also recorded “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” Beatlemania was the original phenomenon of frenzied teenage girls across the globe. People stopped referring to The Beatles as a “boy band” once their music became more complex and rock-infused. With albums like “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club” and “Revolver,” the band’s later material transcended their typical teen female audience. Grown men and self-acclaimed music enthusiasts began to openly enjoy Beatles records and the band received more acclaim and solidification in the years to follow.

Menudo (1970s) Formed by producer Edgardo Diaz, Latin boy band Menudo demonstrated that success of a boy band depends on its female fanbase.

The original plan for Menudo was to replace each member when they turned 16, maintaining the band’s appeal to a young teen audience. Certain band members, like Ricky Martin, became breakout stars so managers dismissed this rule later on, changing the age to 18. Teenage girls used the members to explore their sexuality and grow into independent adults. The simple act of choosing their own music was an early taste of independence from parents. Like Menudo, boy bands are gendered to interest teenage girls. Otherwise, all male bands would be classified as “boy bands.”

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New Kids on the Block (1980s) Writer and producer Maurice Starr managed R&B quintet New Edition in the early ‘80s, hoping to create the next Jackson 5. Due to record deal conflicts, Starr and New Edition quickly parted ways, and Starr sought to create the white counterpart of New Edition. After months of scouting, the clean-cut New Kids on the Block, or NKOTB, was established. Both New Edition and NKOTB crossed over into multiple genres, but black male groups of the time were only viewed as hip hop or R&B performers, cementing the lack of black “boy bands” throughout history. NKOTB brought choreographed dance routines, soulful harmonies and dreamy looks, which made them appealing to teenage girls and parents. By 1991, NKOTB managed to earn more money than both Madonna and Michael Jackson. They were undoubtedly the boy band of the decade as well as a marketing machine for their label.

The Backstreet Boys and NSYNC (1990s) The ‘90s continued to crank out successful acts but also became a decade for defining what it takes to make it as a successful boy band.

From Take That to 98 Degrees, boy bands continued to spring up throughout the decade, with the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC rising to the top of the charts. Frosted tips, baggy jeans and monochromatic outfits were staple trends that reinforced cohesion within bands, and fans seemed more obsessive than decades prior. Memorabilia sales surged as posters covered the walls of teenage bedrooms across America, and fans incessantly voted for iconic anthems like “I Want It That Way” and “Tearin’ Up My Heart” to be aired on MTV’s “TRL,” as visuals become more important than ever before. Despite their cultural impact, boy bands in the ‘90s were strategically created to entertain “white America” and Americans were not familiar or comfortable listening to music from other cultures.

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The Jonas Brothers (2000s) Propelled by Disney Channel, the Jonas Brothers gained popularity from their appearances in DC movies and TV shows. Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas diverted from the melodic pop sound of the ‘90s and introduced pop-rock to their female fanbase in 2005. Their discography reflected a cleaner version of the emo punk records that enveloped MySpace at the time, and they experienced several scandals throughout their career, remember the purity rings? Unlike most boy bands, the Jo Bros were comfortable discussing their experiences with sex, drugs and the pressures of being child stars, and this honest insight with fans proved valuable against the ultimate test of time. After a six-year hiatus, the band released a new single, “Sucker,” which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019. Unlike their early 2000s records, the band’s new music included reggae-infused beats and catchy guitar riffs — a matured pop approach to their original sound.

One Direction (2010s) One Direction was the most successful act ever produced on British singing competition The X Factor. Their lead single “What Makes You Beautiful” was a commercial and international success, becoming the most pre-ordered Sony Music Entertainment single in history. One Direction’s super fans, coined “Directioners,” were completely devoted to the five members and their obsession with the band often drew comparisons to Beatlemania of the ‘60s. Like other boy bands, Directioners were mostly teenage girls. The band pioneered fanfiction culture where fans could fantasize about having romantic or sexual relationships with their favorite member, further fueling conspiracy theories about the members’ sexualities. “Larry Stylinson,” or “Larry”, was the internet’s biggest boy band ship. This rumored relationship between Harry and Louis prompted countless memes and fanfiction stories,

BTS (Present)

reinforcing the Internet culture consumed by adolescents of the 2010s.

BTS has disrupted the music industry, becoming the biggest boy band the world has ever seen. The seven member group from South Korea has separated themselves from their boy band predecessors and exceeded the most challenging barrier for any musician — language. BTS has redefined what it means to be a “boy band” by writing and producing their own music while implementing heavier topics such as mental health, self-love and peer pressure. In 2018, the band delivered a speech at the United Nations in an effort to empower young people. The band has also achieved success through a vast catalog of music, spanning different genres and

BTS languages. Their interactions with fans online have pushed K-pop into the mainstream music industry in America, spreading awareness of Korean culture and establishing a foundation for other groups, like Blackpink, to enter the market.

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CROPPED

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Photos and words by Maya Coplin

W

hen planning this project, I thought of what I would consider quintessentially Austin. What came to mind was Zilker

Park filled with people the first Wednesday of summer waiting for Blues on the Green no matter how hot it is. Fighting for a table with a plug at my favorite coffee shops, the ones with patios filled with dogs and iced chais that don’t cost $7. Waiting in line for brunch at Magnolia (RIP) on Lake Austin knowing it will be awhile because your full party isn’t there. If these places closed, what will happen to Austin’s identity? I wanted to show the Austin I grew up in. A city that is rapidly changing but still strives to keep its local roots.

As much as I wanted to continue this project as though nothing had changed, ignoring the obvious was impossible. Driving around taking these pictures, I realized Austin had entered an entirely new period of transition caused by COVID-19. Restaurants that have been around for more than 40 years are fighting to stay open, 6th Street was drivable on a Saturday night for the first time in 22 years and campus has been closed entirely. Even my relationship with photography has shifted. Normally, I love talking to people who approach me while I am out photographing, but now anytime anyone even looked my way I walked the opposite direction.

Much like our semester, the photos are cropped. Instead of dropping the story entirely, I wanted to show a small glimpse into just a few of the places that feel like Austin to me. Excluding the boarded up windows and empty streets, I wanted to show the quirky and the old. I hope after COVID-19 people will embrace “Keeping Austin Weird” in the truest sense of the phrase and continue to seek out and support local businesses now more than ever.

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We couldn’t leave without saying goodbye...

There are so many people who helped bring this issue to life and have also helped us transform ORANGE as a whole. Thank you for these two semesters as co-editors-in-chief, Jacqui and Kennedy

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TO OUR STAFF, Thank you for going on this journey with us. Each of you has been a bright spot during the highs and lows of the semester. Thank you for your light. To the editors, this magazine would not have come to fruition without your hard work and dedication. Contributors, thank you for your vulnerability, innovation and diligence. We hope you take pride in the stories you told, both visual and written. Let this print issue be a celebration of the community we’ve formed and the community we want to create.

TO MAYA COPLIN, Thank you, thank you, thank you. The ORANGE that we know has always had you in it and we wouldn’t want it any other way. Your vision and commitment is unmatched. The late nights and early mornings will never be forgotten.

TO PROFESSOR McDONALD, Thank you for always welcoming us and our ideas. Your kindness and compassion for your students is invaluable, and your support means the world to us. Thank you for helping us solve the big picture problems, and for giving our website a long-awaited makeover.

TO DIANA DAWSON, Thank you for being a constant cheerleader for ORANGE. Your guidance, words of advice and candy bowl got us through. You created a safe space for us and we are eternally grateful.

TO KATHLEEN McELROY, Thank you for letting us stand on your shoulders and for teaching us how to let others stand on ours. As the director of the UT School of Journalism, you have opened doors we thought were bolted shut. You believed in us when we couldn’t believe in ourselves.

We hope to make you proud. Thank you for being a great teacher, advocate and mentor.

TO JANE CLAIRE HERVEY, Thank you for teaching us how to take risks and trust our intuition.

Your community building and resilience will always serve as inspiration. Here’s to a more equitable future.

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To the next editors-in-chief, You already have everything you need to lead this organization within you. At times things will seem unconquerable, but they aren’t. The solution will find you and you’ll recognize it immediately.

Objectivity isn’t real. We all have certain biases that determine how we work, and there isn’t one singular truth. Make sure that you are staying as close to your truth as possible. Be honest with your subjects, your staff, your audience and yourselves.

It’s important to stay true to ORANGE’s core values, but don’t be afraid to create your own legacy. ORANGE isn’t meant to remain static — try new things, push the boundaries and be curious. You can always start over.

Inclusivity is everything—always highlight the experiences of those who are too often rendered voiceless. Give them space and grace.

We’re always here for you.

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Colophon This second issue in the second volume of ORANGE Magazine was produced by members of the spring 2020 staff. It was printed in limited quantities by Heftwerk in Berlin, Germany. The cover was printed on 100 pound paper with a matte finish and the book’s 110 pages were printed on 70 pound uncoated paper.

Headline, subheadline and body typefaces include Balboa HK Grotesk, Orpheus, Type High, Acumin, Unibody, Brevier, Space Mono, Glyphworld Meadow, Lisbeth, Quiche Sans, Reforma, Inkunit, Granville, Euphemia, Filosophia, Lyno Jean, Ribes, IVY Mode, Tiempos, Antique Olive Compact and AKTIV Grotesk.

Image credits for photos not taken by ORANGE staff members are as follows: accordingtodazz.com, Alamy, Arthur Mola for the Review Journal, Bekia, Cosmopolitan, E Online, Empire Online, fanart. tv, Filmmaker Magazine, Fort Bend Herald, Garden and Gun, Genius, getslower.tumblr.com, Golden Globes, Hollywood Reporter, IMDB, Indiewire, L. Busacca for Getty Images, Letterboxd Mental Floss, Moxie Cinema. NBC, Newsweek, Pitchfork, Popsugar, quitespecial.tumblr.com, Revolt TV, Slate, Slug Magazine, Stephen Lovekin for Getty Images, Syfy, The Cosmic Empire, The Hollywood News, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Time Life Pictures/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images, Time Magazine, twitter user @btspics, Uncertain Regards, unsplash.com, Variety, Viki.com, Vox, Vulture, and We Heart It.

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