Issuu

Issue No.1

EMPIRE STATE OF MIND By Kassydi Rone

THIS GIRL By Izzy Ster

THE OTHER WOMEN By Julia Zara

A TABLE OF OUR OWN By Daishalyn Satcher

GIRLBOSS CULTURE on COLLEGE CAMPUSES

Demystifying

Fall 2022

Issue No.1 | Fall 2022

5 | Letter from the Editor 6 | Empire State of Mind Kassydi Rone

YouTuber, entreprenuer, and influencer Kate Li opens up about building her social media empire.

18 | This Girl Izzy Ster

Is TikTok’s “That” girl really all that?

30 | The Other Women Julia Zara

Via McBride talks (sings, rather) the complex nature of identity in her upcoming release, “autopilot.”

42 | A Table of Our Own Daishalyn Satcher

Women in STEM create their own seats at the table.

62 | Behind the SCenes

An exclusive look into our creative process.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR | No.1

“H

ello, Dean Bay. My name is Julia Zara. I want to make my name known at USC. How do I do that?” A little over an hour after I had officially moved into my dorm, I had the nerve to walk straight up to the dean of my new school and utter these words. While my confidence was certainly admirable, the answer I received from Dean Bay was the opposite of what I wanted to hear, making it all the more impactful. Looking me in the eye, she said: “The best advice I can give to you is not to step in, but to step back. Your first instinct may be to dive headfirst into it all. But by taking a step back, you’ll be in the best position to determine what’s really important to you.” As a self-proclaimed “girlboss,” I wanted a step-by-step plan that I could personalize and follow, maybe even something that I could color code. But I soon realized that stepping back isn’t planned and executed—it’s the release of both. Seven months after I received this advice, I think I’m finally starting to understand. I’ve found myself in these soft moments of reflection, the new breaks I’ve allotted for myself in between the business of the day. I just needed to take a step back to finally see her: the version of myself that was waiting to be uncovered. I’m sure that many young women can relate to the story I’ve laid out. Gen-Z uses the title “girlboss” jokingly, but is the phrase truly sardonic? Or is it a humorous cover-up for the serious pressure a young woman feels to exchange her shortcomings for the material success of the working world? To compete with men rather than connect with them? To replace her list of fears with a list of achievements? To hide her weaknesses behind a facade of ambition, deathly afraid that one day someone will peek behind the curtains and unsheathe herself—faults and all—a self that even she is too scared to meet? Or is the phrase genuinely empowering? Is it an anthem championed by a young woman that allows her to delve deep into her passions, using her talents to contribute to a creativity-starved world? To take control of the uncontrollable environment around her? To celebrate the sisterhood that her gender provides her with? To plant the tangled roots of her goals in a male-dominat-

ed ground, hoping that someday they’ll grow into fruition? The answer is, it’s all of it. It’s all of it and more, so long as we’re able to take a step back to examine it and to examine ourselves. As for the girlboss subject of our pilot issue, you may be inclined to think, “She’s All That.” I want you to dig deeper. She’s all that, but is she so much more? She’s all that, but is she ever enough? Again, the answer is a resounding, yes. Ultimately, I hope SCene can shed a light on how we pressure and empower our young girls, whether that means illuminating girlboss/hustle culture or exposing it. My goal is for the reader of this magazine to find a little comfort in a tale of shared experience. Don’t be fooled, however. SCene is not just for the multifarious girlboss. I just knew that in order to accurately and authentically tell others’ stories, I had to begin with aspects of mine. Moving forward, SCene will continue to listen and give voice to as many narratives as we can. We’re excited to venture into experiences had by all kinds of people at USC: whether you’re a woman, a man, both, or neither. Whether you don’t know, or you don’t care for the labels. This magazine is for you, your roommate, your dining hall crush. SCene is for the always growing, always redefining college student. U set the SCene. We tell your stories. When you dive headfirst into a pool, you naturally close your eyes as you break the surface of the water. Oftentimes, we’re so blinded by the impact that we forget to see what’s right in front of us, including ourselves. We may even drown in the pursuit of our work. On that note, I extend the invitation to step back before diving in. It’s up to you, our dear reader, whether or not you choose to accept it. But just know that wherever you go after this, the invitation still remains.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Empire STATE of MIND 6

Kate Li ‘24 is a Business Administration major at the Marshall School of Business. She’s the founder of @preciousbykate and @milkylashes.co, as well as the owner of @shopkkateli, @kkatelieats, and Kate Li on YouTube.

indow of opportunity. Door to success. Hall of fame. Room to grow. We inadvertently measure our progress through the medium of architecture, many of us waiting for the day that we can look out to see what the fruits of our labor have produced: a high-rise, a skyscraper, an empire. But why is it that our most frequented phrases leave out the cruciality of foundation? Perhaps it’s because the height of our successes challenges our ability to stay grounded. In the pursuit of achievements, we allow the livelihood of an empress to be solely upheld by the scope of her reign. In a conversation with USC junior, Kate Li, she tells SCene how she has navigated the intricacies of building a diversified media brand from the ground up. Sitting elegantly in a belted blazer look, Kate delves into the art of seeing empire-building in a New Light: a phrase that doubles as the title of one of her favorite John Mayer songs and a description of the nature of her work. Mayer sings, I wanna break through I wanna know the real thing about you So I can see you in a new light

someone else’s deadlines, Kate’s public display of her livelihood—ranging anywhere from casual to catastrophic—gives her the luxury of working on her own time. Additionally, having jurisdiction over the content she produces allows her to sustain the transparency that she aims to showcase across the board. “Being genuine is the biggest value for me,” Kate says. “I don’t lie to anyone online about anything…I feel like because of social media, a lot of us have lost the principle of living our lives. We’re just posting it, capturing it…trying to make it look the best that it can be, but that’s not fun or real. I don’t ever want to become that.” Through her ability to create relatable content, Kate manages to foster a close-knit environment over a multitude of platforms, reaching a gross audience of over 170k+ followers. When asked what feeling she wants her audience to have when they engage with her platforms, she answers, “Warm. I just want my followers to feel like I’m a safe person and that it’s fun to see my content. It’s entertaining, but it’s nothing too serious.” While Kate does strive to maintain that not “too serious” vibe for her followers, her individual journey to empire-building is anything but that. She has faced identity-focused adversities, making bold attempts to discover herself beyond the path of tradition her family had set. “My parents…they’re immigrants from China,” she explains. “I would say they’re kind of the very stereotypical Chinese parents, like, they want you to be a doctor and study really hard. All the perfect things, you know—play piano, have very normal extracurriculars—so I think I was always really pushed because I wasn’t happy with where I was in my life and what my parents wanted for me didn’t make me happy either. I became an extremely determined person to change that and to make a life that I really would enjoy.” Such a deliberate shift in Kate’s mindset has enabled her to make more space for her creative

“I stay true to myself...I don’t doubt who I am or demonstrating that much like a relationwhat I’m doing because I ship, an empire is only as strong as its foundation—one that is built on authen- trust my close friends and ticity. my family.” Born and raised in Hawaii, Kate takes on the restless pace of Los Angeles with a refreshingly authentic lens. Rather than glorifying the city life, she is unafraid to acknowledge the difficulties of being a young adult while also being the face of her own brands. Kate sits upon a multitude of thrones—one YouTube channel, two small businesses, and three Instagram accounts—wearing different crowns to rule each one most effectively. Long story short: she just might have given Queen Elizabeth a run for her money in royal portraiture. By exercising rule over these facets of her personal brand empire, Kate has created a work ethic that she deems both favorable and integral to her success— she only answers to herself. Rather than adhering to 8

Kate’s powerhouse image compliments her sweet, soft-spoken nature: a testament to the dual nature of her social media accounts.

EMPIRE STATE OF MIND | Kassydi Rone

On right: Kate is adorned in gold details from her own handmade jewlery line, Precious by Kate, including the “Vestige” Crystal Croissant Ring in pink.

EMPIRE STATE OF MIND | Kassydi Rone

passions. From the humble origins of oversharing on her middle school Snapchat stories, Kate’s fascination with videography and editing sparked her desire to diversify. She began a joint-YouTube channel with a friend and later found her individual niches. “I was mostly posting vlogs [on our channel together], but then my other friends sent me this workout that Alexis Ren did, and I followed it for 30 days [on my personal channel]. That was the first time I had a video go viral. I used to get like 200 views, and then I suddenly had 150k views. That was when I realized, Wow, this could actually be something.” And something it became. From that point onwards, Kate has discovered new and exciting ways to share her many passions with her audience. Her determination has ultimately led to the birth of five new ventures in addition to her presence on YouTube, allowing different sides of her personality to shine through. The “Kate Li” YouTube channel has retained its lifestyle niche, providing both an “academic” and “holistic” view of her life. On the contrary, Kate’s personal Instagram (@kkateli) underwent an aesthetic shift. Her feed showcases “the pretty” and cohesive parts of her life, while her stories dig into “the ugly” and realistic experiences she faces as a student and as her own boss. Following that shift, Kate self-proclaimed Instagram as her hobbyist platform: she has since added two small business handles (@preciousbykate & @milkylashes. co) to garner exposure for her entrepreneurial websites, as well as two informal handles (@shopkkateli & @kkatelieats) as extensions of her personal account. As Kate’s audience engagement has increased, she feels empowered to continue creating a brand for herself. However, content creation has certainly presented its ebbs and flows. On one hand, Kate had begun “making more money than [she] could spend,” but on the other, she transitioned from being a kid with a hobby to a self-employed boss with multiple avenues of work.

“I gave up a lot of my time and my youth because I was juggling so much. I didn’t have that blissful, ‘la-di-da’ life for as long as most people did,” Kate sighed, her previously smile-stricken expression noticeably flattening. “I had to leave that behind me in a sense.” Hurtling towards her height of success, she lost her groundedness—or, in John Mayer’s words, the real thing. “I realized I was very out of tune because I was so busy all the time,” she recalls. Precious moments became filled with instant replays: “Can you do that again? I wasn’t filming.” Kate was no longer ruling her empire, her empire was ruling her. This was the very type of creator that she never wanted to become, so she has since searched for ways to reconnect with her foundation, using food as her ultimate catalyst for togetherness. “I just started taking everyone that I know out to lunch or dinner,” Kate says. “I wanted to keep doing fun stuff for my friends and family…I have a job that might pay more than most people my age right now, and so if I can provide people with experiences that they wouldn’t have had otherwise, that makes me so happy.” The healthy development of Kate’s relationships has provided her with greater insight into strategically detaching elements of her brands from elements of her personal life. She sits up at the mention of her growth, reflecting, “I think when I first started, any type of negative comment would spike my anxiety so high, and I wouldn’t be able to focus on anything after. But now, anyone can say anything that they want to about me. I stay true to myself…I don’t doubt who I am or what I’m doing because I trust my close friends and my family. They would tell me if I was being odd. They would call me out.” Kate’s experience with overcoming the adverse effects of negative opinions now serves as a pillar for her advice to other aspiring female content creators. “It doesn’t matter what you come from or who dislikes what you’re doing, you can do it if you want it badly enough,” Kate says. “I think you have to ask yourself what you really want and remind yourself of what it’s going to take to get there.” However, as an empire builder, pushing your internal boundaries doesn’t mean forgetting your external

Precious moments became filled with instant replays: “Can you do that again? I wasn’t filming.”

foundation in the process. She continues, “One of the biggest things is finding people who support you. If you start doing content creation and your friends think that it’s weird, they’re not your friends. Cut them out. They’re not going to help you in your life.” Kate’s business endeavors have also led her to share the significance of building and maintaining that solid foundation of supportive relationships, especially with the fluctuating nature of social media empires. “Everything is one day you’re in, one day you’re out—like Project Runway,” she laughs. “Nothing is solidified at all. You can’t do anything about it,” she adds, emphasizing the possibility of falling victim to unstable algorithms. Kate plans to continue expanding and diversifying her empire, climbing to new heights while using her strong support system as its foundation. “In five years I hope to have a new business. I don’t know exactly what it will be, but hopefully it’s something that adds more value to someone’s life besides being beautiful or aesthetic or pretty,” she dreams, beaming with ambition. “That’s the direction I’ll take next.”

Kate, born and raised in Hawaii, poses atop the Shrine Auditorium parking garage overlooking the iconic Downtown LA city skyline.

Kate is hopeful that with the future comes new and meaningful business ventures for her brand. She keeps her hand close to her heart, resting on the collar of Lionness’ Steinway Mini Dress in green (Found on Princess Polly).

EMPIRE STATE OF MIND | Kassydi Rone

Kate boldly moves towards her goals, mindful to keep her feet on the ground.

EMPIRE STATE OF MIND | Kassydi Rone

t ae

1. Define the term “girlboss” from your perspective. Someone who identifies as female who’s really on-the-go, like, working really hard and juggling different things while providing for herself. 2. So then, in what environment can you girlboss the hardest? Whenever I’m in my room, I would say. I like to film at home usually, and if I’m working on my business that is usually at home too. Just a lot of home life. 3. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received when it comes to self-employment, content creation, or both? Write your stuff down. Especially like with taxes or keeping track of your goals, just everything.

4. What’s your cure for an unsuccessful content day? We eat! My go-to comfort food is sushi. 5. If you could build a physical empire to match your brand empire, where would it be and why? What’s the one non-negotiable room you would have to get built inside? I haven’t thought too much about location yet. I guess it would just be wherever I happen to be living at that time. I want everything to be, well, I’m debating on whether I want it to be sleek, modern and sexy or to be very like, vintage vibes. I don’t know. But I would have “The Pink Room.” I’ve been talking about this a lot, actually. I feel like I go through phases in what I like to wear the most, but recently I’ve been getting into a more girly, feminine side again. I just feel like I love all things that are floral, pink, lace, or ribboned. I see maybe like a clothing rack, or, a cool Lego set that I make in there—a figure of a fake, pink car or something. I don’t know. I love collecting little trinkets like that, and I would love to just have a room devoted to things that look good.

EMPIRE STATE OF MIND

BEING “THAT” GIRL

2022

REBRAND: HOW TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF! HOW TO BE THAT GIRL IN COLLEGE! 5 SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO GLOW UP FAST! It’s 8 o’clock in the morning, and THAT girl from your “For You” page just strutted across campus: hair perfectly slicked back into an Olaplex bun and rectangular sunglasses perched on the bridge of her nose. She’s somehow mastered the art of wearing just the right amount of makeup for it to pass as bare skin—glowy cosmetics melted with a warm blush. THAT girl sips matcha with plant-based milk and, of course, dines on a bowl of berries and Greek yogurt. She reads a book with her breakfast, something that tells her how to further improve her already flawless habits. THAT girl has been up since the crack of dawn for a yoga session at the gym, jogging on a treadmill without breaking a sweat. She listens to podcasts about fashion, the latest makeup trends, and different variations of avocado toast as she makes her way to Doheny. She’s content, independent, and capable: adjectives that mirror the pristine nature of her matching monochromatic set. There is a rise in fascination surrounding the THAT girl archetype, as demonstrated on social media platforms like TikTok. While it is entirely possible that this lifestyle is sustainable for some people, we must acknowledge that “some people,” are not all people. It is no secret that the younger generation, in light of competitive college admissions, rigorous involvement in extracurriculars, and lofty societal expectations to achieve success at earlier ages, face extreme bouts of burnout in an attempt to become THAT girl.

Aadhya Sivakumar ‘25 is a Psychology major from New Delhi, India. Among many things, she loves reading and expressing herself through dance.

This exhaustion is not only a result of consistent overworking, but also of society’s current social, political, and health climate. Teenagers are expected to ace SATs and ACTs while purchasing COVID testing kits delivered by a drone. College students push themselves in university to ensure post-graduate success, facing intense mental health crises that lead to complete and utter derealization; their dissociation is tucked under the guise of global events that introduce turmoil at the most exciting and pivotal times of their lives. Adults on their commute to work are expected to swallow news of civil unrest with their morning coffee. More specifically, burnout has also found a comfortable niche in the feminine genetic makeup to such a great extent that it often feels inherent to us. It’s part of that ever-increasing desire to be a girlboss, the sort that marries well with the academic validation you so desperately craved as an adolescent, now coupled with the pressures of romance, careerhood, and professionalism. That validation is something you have to churn and produce within yourself, all while seeing your peers excel and achieve seemingly impossible feats at 19-years-old. You may even find burnout in your romantic relationships, soaked with the overarching expectation to be the it girl (the girlfriend who never misses an anniversary and definitely doesn’t forget to write a daily love note). And, god forbid, if your ambitions ever exceed those of your partner, you better keep it under wraps in order to spare their feelings. Yet all these expectations are a lit fuse, waiting, burning endlessly just to go out with the lightest gust of air. This phenomena is no stranger to THAT girl’s stereotype: people constantly show each other This girl stands in a brown, oversized H&M blazer that loosely drapes over her shoulders. The expectations to be the office-ready “That” girl don’t quite fit, and she doesn’t force them to.

THIS GIRL | Izzy Ster

This girl remains assured in the foreground, pushing back the expectations to be “That” girl.

how their lives can be better, stronger, and lovelier. You’re not loving hard enough, trying hard enough, or even achieving enough. Because burnout is intrinsically rooted in comparison, the foundation of social media and the breedThere’s no elusive life that ing grounds of “THAT” girl. There’s a glorification of immaculate lifestyles, leading many represents the epitome of perto either demonize or idolize a woman; while fection, no matter how many her followers are burnt out trying to achieve her morning routine, THAT girl also falls fancams we make of morning victim to her own exhaustion. No matter how routines complete with pristine easy it appears to wake up at the crack of dawn caffeinated drinks and clean each morning to pick up a lovely little latte, THAT girl is burning both ends of the candle skin care regimes. to please an audience. Despite the over-saturation of our feeds with images of THAT girl, perhaps it’s more achievable to lead —and rhapsodize—a truly balanced lifestyle. (One that not only includes going to the gym, but also indulging in a Dulce burrito on a lazy Sunday afternoon.) For when our thumbs get tired of scrolling, and our headspaces get tired of “never being enough,” we find that in the brazen heat of aesthetic pressures and expectations, our fires ultimately simmer down in a revelation of THIS girl, the woman who deserves care at her most basic and intimate levels. At the end of the day, THAT girl’s passionate, in-vogue trailblazing exhausts into THIS girl’s spark, the one that makes decisions to nourish her well-being regardless how trendy. This flame leads a life that asks: what does THIS girl need right now? Because if THAT girl is romanticized, it is vital to normalize viewing THIS girl in similar rose-colored glasses. THIS girl ultimately rises from her mattress topper-strewn bed, even if her morning is only beginning at five o’clock in the afternoon. She stumbles out of her room in last night’s clothes to choke down a bagel and black coffee, hoping the carbs will soak up mistakes from the night before. Perhaps later a kombucha and a salad (with lots of cheese and croutons, obviously) will sit well with her prior meal: Mexican food at ungodly hours

This girl holds a lighter, doubling as both a representation of burnout and the spark that reminds her to stay true to herself.

Asha Oommen ‘25 is a Cinema and Media Studies major from Frisco, Texas. When she’s not modeling, she’s practicing with the Trojan Dance Force or watching her favorite films.

in the morning—or perhaps it won’t. She moves her body when she wants to, stretching and exerting herself in ways that feel good —breaking a sweat for the sake of feeling re-energized before her next class. THIS girl listens to podcasts about her interests, whether that be current events, films, or Dungeons and Dragons. She absorbs information about her passions to satiate her hunger for them. After far too many hours at Leavey, she listens to her stomach and assuages the long day with dark chocolate, wine, and Gilmore Girls (for the hundredth time). Notwithstanding aestheticism, our choices are the ones that fuel our bodies, the ones that have carried us against great burdens and through even greater accomplishments. There is no set pace for how your life must run, nor a concrete track or rules or viewers inspecting your every move; however, even if there are, overcoming these obstacles is another one of life’s absurd mysteries placed upon an individual to overcome and—one day—celebrate. After all, that’s all life boils down to, really. Celebrations. No matter how big or how small, the visions appearing before you are a series of events painted and gifted to you. Whether you wake up with a hangover or just in time for that hot yoga class at the break of dawn, both are celebrations: one for not vomiting your guts out at 5:32 in the morning (yet) and one for moving your body because it feels good. If that’s true, then the synopsis is this: life is hard. Point blank. It is difficult and messy, yet also random and magical. And something uniting about our sublime existence is that it is aesthetic in its own natural ways. There’s no elusive life that represents the epitome of perfection, no matter how many fancams we make of morning routines complete with pristine caffeinated drinks and clean skin care regimes. Anyone who pretends their life is only an aesthetic existence where their largest tribulation is choosing what color workout set they’ll drape their limbs in today are the world’s greatest pretenders. The world is inhabited by real people, not those illustrated as thriving on social media,

Notwithstanding aestheticism, our choices are the ones that fuel our bodies, the ones that have carried us against great burdens and through even greater accomplishments.

THIS GIRL | Izzy Ster

On left: Lisa Dang ‘25 is an Economics/ Mathematics major from Westminster, California. She prefers cafes over boba shops.

This girl remains herself despite the claustrophobic pressures of being “That” girl.

no matter how dense and stark the circumstances we all find ourselves to be wrapped up in. Sometimes, THIS girl just needs to lie in bed all day because her brain spins new webs of negativity, and that’s okay. Because in reality, we’re all THIS girl, the one residing in the body that has carried us through several years of ups and downs, and even the inbetweens. The body that deserves to be treated with love, comfort, and any other form of self care that makes it happy. THIS girl is doing her best on a nine to five basis, attending classes (when she feels like it) to enrich her soul. THIS girl is beautiful and strong. THIS girl should be proud of the achievements she’s faced thus far, no matter how menial they appear. THIS girl is aware of how difficult these realizations are to reach, but remains proud of herself for trying nonetheless. The goal for THIS girl is to see herself as THAT girl in her own reflection.

This girl is still amidst the ongoing business of TikTok’s celebrated “That” girls.

THIS GIRL | Izzy Ster

THIS GIRL

The OTHER WOME V

eiled in a halo of incandescent ligh timidly at center stage. Back turn voice upon the crowd. As she reach —knees caved inward in the stance —she creates the iconic scene (no pun inten

“This is real, this is me. I’m exactly where gonna let the light shine on me.”

Cut to a wistful Joe Jonas. “I need to fin Demi Lovato through his angsty 2000s side describing is from Camp Rock. And yes, it’s While Lovato sings Hollywood’s picturesq in a triumph of self discovery, Via McBride’ pilot,” tells a different ending—one that des ney through the self, not a treasure hunt fo the creation of oneself is intricate, not imm rarely a single moment that changes the tra Rather, it’s a compilation of experiences tha Against the dulcet hum of Betsy, her po USC sophomore with a major in Communic sical Theatre—relays,

R EN

ht, our protagonist stands ned, she sweetly sets her hes the chorus’ crescendo e known ‘round the world nded).

e I’m supposed to be, now

nd you,” he sings, eyeing e bang. Yes, the scene I’m s integral to this piece. que tale of finding oneself ’s upcoming song, “autoscribes identity as a jouror it. Acknowledging that mediate, Via finds that it’s ajectory of self discovery. at builds character. olar white Fender, Via—a cation and a minor in Mu-

Via McBride ‘25 is a Communication major from Long Island, New York. An actress, singer, and songwriter, Via released her first song, “Hand Me Downs” (co-written by Roy Gantz ‘25 and produced by Michael Saunders ‘25) with the USC Songwriters’ Forum in 2021.

But I’m losing me a little bit Wanna feel like I’m livin’ it But right now feels like I’m stuck on autopilot.

Even through Zoom, Via’s bubbly presence is down-to-earth and familiar, contrasting the melancholic “autopilot.” Her brunette hair falls in layers of caramel, dripping onto an airy white tank top: an outfit perfect for beating the heat of the Long Island summers to which she’s accustomed. Describing her song’s purpose, Via pauses before explaining, “We have so many little thoughts in our heads that we don’t feel like other people may relate to. Everyone feels alone sometimes. Everyone feels insecure. Everyone gets jealous, but people don’t always talk about it. So that’s what I want to do in songs, is make people realize it’s all very normal.” She insinuates that being lost—droning through life on autopilot, rather than actively taking the wheel—is much more common than childhood movies may suggest. Embracing the uncertainty of one’s identity, she says, “I didn’t want the song to…solve the [identity] problem by the end…because I haven’t solved it in my life. I’m in college. I’m not supposed to have it all figured out, and I think that’s okay.” Take that, Lovato. Despite releasing her first single, “Hand Me Downs,” with Roy Gantz and Michael Saunders for the Songwriters’ Forum in December 2021, Via tells me that writing music was entirely unknown to her beforehand. A striking revelation. As her roommate and friend, I can’t recall a time when I looked across our 12’x15’ dorm and didn’t see Via jotting lyrics in her periwinkle journal. However, she assures me that her life in Long Island, New York is a world away from her life here in Los Angeles. Whether it’s easy access to the docks, the clear air, or even the changing seasons, Via explains there’s things she’ll “just always love” about her home state. “When I think of Long Island,” she reflects, “I think of waking up on a Saturday morning in the summer and going to the bagel store. You get your bagel, you get your free iced tea that comes with it, and then you drive to the beach and listen to music with your windows down. That is Long Island to tee.” For Via, speaking of New York also unearths memories of frequenting the city to watch her favorite productions on Broadway. Sitting in the audience of “foundational musicals” like Annie, Wicked, and Mary Poppins, she recalls thinking to herself, “I’m

going to do this one day.” While she’s been performing since the sixth grade, Via chose not to pursue a B.F.A. in musical theatre at USC, upturning what felt like a childhood of being onstage. She sighs, “I feel like I lost a little bit of my identity when I lost that,” mirroring her lyric, If I’m completely honest Don’t know who my honest self is But what’s “I didn’t want the song to... lost is not forgotten. Upon solve the [identity] problem moving to the by the end...because I haven’t City of Stars, solved it in my life. I’m in Via discovered acting for college. I’m not supposed to the screen, a have it all figured out, and I novel art form think that’s okay.” and subsequently a newfound passion. I wonder, “Did acting and the USC film program fill what not doing musical theatre had emptied?” She answers, “I think in a way it does because I could not just stop [altogether]. Even though they seem very similar, it’s working very different muscles for me. When I think of where I feel most myself, it’s performing in a show. And then where I feel most challenged, it’s acting.” And just like that, I’m transported through time and space to honey-glazed memories of Pardee Tower, Room 201. As the California sun spills like peach tea through our windows, Via re-records audition tapes against the door. She’s fascinating to watch— embodying a character, inhabiting a personality that is not hers. To me, Via is the vase of yellow sunflowers sitting on the microfridge; the serene strumming of her acoustic guitar, Ricardo, before she shuts off the lights; her signature pink knit sweater (the one she snipped a stain out of rather than washing). To her family, she is a strong-willed daughter and sister; a little girl, who on crisp New York Christmases, happily fixed arrangements of poinsettias in her father’s flower shops and shared laughter in the backyard bar that her brother built by hand. To her hometown friends, she is Liv; sunset songs played on steady drives through Lake George and strange French variations of the Phineas and Ferb theme song. But who is Via to herself, amongst all these competing versions?

Via connects with her mirror images and acknowledges them as crucial parts of her evolving identity.

THE OTHER WOMEN | Julia Zara

When do the characters end? Where does Via begin? I ask her now. “You sing, What if I only recognize/myself in other people’s eyes/ and I’m so co-dependent that I can’t find me? Do you think you’ll ever find that main version of Via, as in one day you’ll wake up, and it’ll just click? And you’ll know exactly who you are?” Via looks out her bedroom window. “I think it’s more complicated than that,” she resolves. “I think you can be more yourself than you’ve ever been, but human beings are naturally never going to be fully satisfied with where they are, who they are, and how they do what they do. But I think accepting who you are, as you are, in the present is being yourself.” She pauses a beat before continuing, “Because even in the moments where I don’t quite feel myself, because I want to be more like this person, or I’m so focused on this person’s validation or social media, that’s all part of who [I am].” Whether it’s Long Island or Los Angeles, onstage or on camera, singing or reciting lines, Via is still Via. While we’d all like a perfect Hollywood ending—with our protagonist rejecting everyone else’s version of herself—Via reminds us that we’re every version of ourselves, we’re none of them, and sometimes, we just don’t know who we are. That’s the elaborate humanity of it all. Like a song, identity isn’t composed of a single track. It’s a multitude of layers playing together in one, harmonious union. It isn’t something that’s found like misplaced change under a couch cushion. Identity is created as we go.

Entering Via’s interview, it was easy to assume that her identity as a young woman is a simple two-faced problem: there is the Via that only she will ever fully know, and there are the women that others make her out to be (the multifaceted Olivia, Liv, and Via). But she has proven that losing oneself in the pursuit of these “elusive other women” is a necessary step, one that brings her closer to creating and discovering her unique conglomerate of personalities. Even Camp Rock’s very own Lovato isn’t just the unmasked pop star at the film’s end. She’s Mitchie—the cook’s daughter and the shy singer-songwriter. Likewise, Via isn’t just a SoCal girl. She’s a New York native, a singer, an actress, a roommate, daughter, friend, and so much more. “Just because I’m doing very different things,” Via says, “my motivation behind it, the things I love, the people I love, that doesn’t change. I just had to be reminded of that by coming home.”

Via stares her reflections in the face, rather than pushing them away. Her song, “autopilot,” describes the process of understanding who her reflections are and how they impact her identity.

Via acknowledges that she doesn’t shove her identity in a box. Instead, she preserves the most important aspects of herself while remaining open to new and exciting phases of “Via.”

THE OTHER WOMEN | Julia Zara

Home is not just a place. For Via, home is wherever she feels most herself, even if it’s in a song. “There was one thing that always came easy to me, and didn’t scare me, and that’s singing,” she remarks, evoking images of dorm jam sessions and afternoons spent writing lyrics on Hammock Hill. “Singing was the one thing I didn’t have to put on a face for, or try and make myself out to be someone that I wasn’t. That’s why I love it so much. Even though I went from New York to California, and I changed my major and this and that, singing has always been a constant in my life.” When the expectations of these “other women” work to uproot her present self, the sense of groundedness that overcomes Via through song is her antidote. This is all too evident in “autopilot.” Her song comes to a slow close as she sings, I’m so glad you think I’m special That I could meet your expectations of me That I could be an inspiration Show your daughter all the things she could be The plural use of “things” rises in the ears, strikingly resonant. Singing enables Via to avoid villainizing her ever-changing mirror images. Instead, the reflections staring back at her have become endless possibilities springing from a single, fluid self. So then, who is Via McBride, you might ask? Another pause. “Confused most of the time, but having a lot of fun trying to figure it out.”

McBride

1. If someone were to open your most recently listened to music on Spotify, what would they see? Most of the songs that I listen to are smaller singer-songwriters. One of my favorite things is finding artists that don’t have a lot of followers and that are writing very personal music, and they’re not necessarily doing it to have a super mainstream sound or be popular. They just write from the heart. I like to listen to songs that I could see myself writing or relating to, and so it would be like Lizzy McAlpine, and you know, everything under the sun.

2. If someone were to take a glance over your book shelf, what kinds of books would they see? Oh my gosh, it’s so eclectic. I have a bunch of sci-fi books ‘cause I went through a really intense sci-fi phase. I love self-help books, so I have a lot of those, and then I also have a bunch of romance books. Kind of all over the place.

3. What album depicts how you feel in your life right now? Right now (pause) I would say the new Peach Pit album. It’s just vibes. It’s easygoing and happy and fun. I don’t know. I’ve loved college so far, and I feel like if I reflect on my time here, I listened to it a lot for the year.

4. Are you the type of person who associates songs or albums with different eras of your life? Absolutely, I get so nostalgic. With music, some of my favorite albums are my favorite because they remind me of certain times of my life. Like, I love “folklore.” I remember the first time I listened to that. I associate that with the fall of my senior year. And I remember so vividly times where I’d be driving listening to certain songs, so that’s really cool with music how it benchmarks your life. 5. What’s your favorite character that you’ve played on stage? I would say Belle, because it’s always fun to play characters that are really complex and nuanced. When I played Ariel, that was [also] really fun. But Belle had such powerful characteristics that I thought just represented being a strong woman. She’s very smart, she’s selfless, she sticks up for her family, she’s not afraid to stand up to like the big scary man or the Beast, and she loves to read. I love that about her. I played her at 15, I would say?

Via wears her iconic pink knit sweater: a symbol of her light and effeminate personality. However, just like one’s identity, this sweater can be taken off and switched out for other pieces—ones that reveal varying sides of herself.

THE OTHER WOMEN | Julia Zara

THE OTHER WOMEN

A TABLE of OUR OWN 42

From left: Ayonnah Tinsley ‘25, Paige Kaufman ‘25, Daishalyn Satcher ‘25, and Erin Light ‘23 gather in Studio A for a conversation about being women in STEM and the pressures and benefits that accompany the label.

aishalyn Satcher: Hello, everyone, and Paige Kaufman: I actually went to an all-girls high

welcome to the first radio episode of SCene Magazine, and the inaugural segment of “The Daish Diaries,” where we tell the story of college—its ups, its downs, and everything in between, from the students who make up the USC “SCene.” For our first issue, we will be demystifying girlboss culture on college campuses.

school, so it wasn’t as much like that. But of course a big change, right? So definitely, you know, polar opposite if I go from all women to then being more of a minority in the STEM classes here. I was prepared. Boys don’t scare me too much. So I was ready to jump into it. In high school, I was a member of our marching band as well. The all-girls school didn’t have one, so I actually joined the all-boys’ as the first female Hi, I’m your host, Daishalyn Satcher. I’m a freshman over there and then went up to lead it. I love the comat the USC Architecture program. I’m sitting here munity there. Talk about, you know, making friends with three amazing women who do some great things across majors and classes. on this campus. So, if you would like to introduce yourselves. Erin Light: Right. So yeah, I’m the president of SAWA, which is the Student Association of Women Ayonnah Tinsley: Hi, everyone. My name is Ayon- in Architecture. One of the things that I love about it nah Tinsley, and I’m a freshman who’s a part of co- is the community that it provides for students. One of hort eight of the Iovine and Young Arts, Tech, and the things we’re really focusing on this semester and the Business of Innovation major. moving forward is how we can bring that community not just to USC architecture students, but to stuErin Light: Hey, I’m Erin Light, and I am in my dents at the Marshall School of Business. We just had third year of study at the USC our first club collaboration, School of Architecture. “It was just so great to have this and it was a really great opportunity. I feel like so Paige Kaufman: Hi, I’m community of women coming many times we get defined Paige Kaufman, and I’m a together and breaking out [of] by these barriers and these freshman Astronautical Enlabels at school. Being gineering major here at USC. those barriers, and just to be an architecture student, people are like, “Erin, do seen as fully human for an hour.” Daishalyn Satcher: If you you sleep?” And I’m like, didn’t catch that, we’re all “Yeah, I actually do.” We women [in] STEM. Applause for that. (Applause) So have similar assumptions about Marshall students: many hours put in and so many classes in which we “Oh, they’re out to get me.” It was just so great to might be some of the only women. In terms of your have this community of women coming together and major and your classes, are there certain ones you breaking out [of] those barriers, and just to be seen feel like you’re in a male-dominated environment? as fully human for an hour. I just want to create more What are some circumstances that you face being in opportunities for that to happen going forward. those types of classes? Ayonnah Tinsley: [For me,] if anyone’s heard Paige Kaufman: I would say definitely my math my tour script before, I always like to call [my maclass. USC does a good job of having a little bit more jor] “spicy entrepreneurship,” because no matter women than traditionally, but a lot of my friends in what we do every year, the same 25 to 30 students my math class are men. We meet up, study together, are selected into this program. We all work togethbut it can be intimidating if you are one of the only er. We learn, we take fine arts classes, arguably arts females to make those friends. If you’re going to sur- and crafts classes, coding classes, 3D modeling, and vive in STEM, you have to do that. So that definitely business classes where we’re pitching every othcan be a challenge. Luckily, I’m good at putting my- er week, etc. And then our final year we do this big self out there. project, a kind of a conglomerate of everything we’ve done the past four years, to create our own company Daishalyn Satcher: In high school, was it also the completely from scratch or pick up a fellow IYA stusame way or is it better now? dent’s work from the past. 44

Each individual was asked to wear pieces that embody her style.

A TABLE OF OUR OWN | Daishalyn Satcher

Daishalyn Satcher ’25 is an active participant in Annenberg Radio News. With this experience in mind, she leads this conversation in her first role as host.

A TABLE OF OUR OWN | Daishalyn Satcher

Daishalyn Satcher: Is there a specific cohort here

Erin Light: You just got to be like, “What’s sur-

extracurricular—that you feel like you’re in a more male-dominated environment, [but] it’s not necessarily a bad experience?

Ayonnah Tinsley: Really. Just, genuinely, “Why?”

—it could be where you live, your classes, a certain

Erin Light: I took a gap year during COVID, so when I was in the cohort of the year older, it was actually more male-dominated and most of my friends were men. And now it’s interesting because I’m in a different cohort, and I have mostly women friends. I felt equally supported during both, which was really great because it’s not always about being “the woman” or being in a minority, but mostly how the men around you approach that, right? It’s about curating those people and choosing those friends that see you for who you are. Whether they’re a man or whether they’re a woman. It’s about finding those people who support you. And to me, I haven’t really felt a difference between my guy and my girl friends for that. So I’m really thankful.

prising about it?”

Erin Light: Yeah. I mean, I feel like it just happens. But something that I have noticed, I dyed my hair blue about a year and a half ago.

Daishalyn Satcher: We love it, by the way. It looks so good.

Paige Kaufman: We can see this beautiful light blue. We’ll describe it.

Erin Light: But it’s one of those things, like, [as a

cisgender woman] I could never change my body and become a man. I can never change my skin and become an Asian woman or become a Black woman. But I did change my hair, though. It’s really crazy because I was used to people treating me as a dumb blonde. [Now] if I’m unprepared in any way, it’s treated much Daishalyn Satcher: Right. Especially in our major, more aggressively. There was a specific instance it’s very important to have that support system. Was where I had the same level of preparation in my prethere ever a situasentation as everyone else. I was about tion where some- “Or maybe they saw, deep down, 10th in line, and the woman called one said someme out for every single thing I did not ‘Oh, a girl. I wouldn’t see her have...students came up to me afterthing subtle to you, and when you look wards and were like, “She was so rude doing a challenging major,’ that back you’re like, to you.” And I was wearing a blazer, so “Oh, I wish I rekind of thing. I feel like I get it wasn’t even my outfit. It was just that sponded to that,” she assumed certain things about me, those comments a lot.” [or] “I don’t think that I was unprepared, delinquent. And I realized I was bethat had never been something people ing treated differently.” What would you say in terms would think of a nice, blonde Southern girl. of that situation? Ayonnah Tinsley: Yeah, I would probably say it’s Paige Kaufman: [In] one of my GE classes, you more the very tiny things. Definitely getting box share your majors at the beginning and someone said, braids, you get all the regular questions. Yesterday [I “Oh my gosh, that surprises me. Like, I don’t get that was on a tour] and this mom in the group started tryvibe from you.” You know, I have to say thank you, ing to touch my hair, and I was like, no. But I love my and then I move on. (Laughter) And then 15 minutes braids too much to let that even bother me that much. later, I’m like, wait. My aesthetic [is] cool nerd, right? Just all the tiny rhetoric people put towards you, I’m That’s what I try to embody. You want to be smart, like, I don’t know what you want from me. I was born but you want to be sociable, popular. So maybe I’m with this lifestyle to upkeep the hair. I’m just like, I doing that well, and that’s what they saw. Or maybe know it looks good. they saw, deep down, “Oh, a girl. I wouldn’t see her doing a challenging major,” that kind of thing. I feel Daishalyn Satcher: And it does. like I get those comments a lot. I still get them, and I need to come up with a good response. Ayonnah Tinsley: Everyone’s hair in the room. We’re just all going off right now.

Daishalyn Satcher: When applying [for college], did being a woman in STEM motivate you to take on this challenge? Or now that you’re here, does it add pressure to certain things that you do? Do you feel like you have to overperform to compensate for the fact that you are women in STEM?

“...it’s not always in STEM, it’s more than just being able to do math problems, but also in general being in the field. I’m about being ‘the in the Society of Women Engineers because I love that association so much. It helped me so much in woman’...but high school [and so did the] National Society of Black Engineers. I learned that there’s flexibility in being a woman in STEM, and not letting that pressure dictate mostly about my entire life, but acknowledging my passion [for it]. how the men Paige Kaufman: Relating back to you, every day, probably without fail, I have to remind myself I’m smart. I’m supposed to be here. I can be here. I can around you do this. This semester, it’s not easy, and a lot of my friends are smarter than me. And when you go from approach that, high school to the best of the best, you have to remind yourself you’re still smart. It’s challenging not only as a woman, but as a human. So that adds an ex- right? It’s about tra element on top for sure. curating those Erin Light: Being a woman in STEM doesn’t motivate me or unmotivate me. At the end of the day, I’m here because I want to be and because this is a process people and that I love. As soon as it’s a process that I don’t enjoy, even if it’s challenging, I’ll quit. I’m gone. As soon as choosing those it doesn’t align with my values, as soon as something is not joyful to me, I’m out. But I’m here because I’m good at it, and I love doing it. That’s what guides me. friends that see you I’m not trying to be a girlboss. I’m just trying to be a boss. Not a girlboss, just a boss. for who you are. Paige Kaufman: Just a boss. Whether they’re Daishalyn Satcher: I feel like being a woman in STEM is definitely a factor, [but] it is not...going to a man or whether dictate everything that we do, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a challenge either. It’s just something that is. And we’re doing what we’re going to do they’re a woman.” Ayonnah Tinsley: I learned that being a woman

regardless. If you have any closing remarks, feel free.

Paige Kaufman: It’s worth it. I love it. Ayonnah Tinsley: Trust the process. A cliche, but really. 48

Each woman is a vision in color. The reds and oranges of Ayonnah’s headband match the red of Paige’s thrifted leather jacket. Ayonnah’s blue blazer flows with the blues of Erin’s hair, which also nod to the green hues of Daishalyn’s top.

A TABLE OF OUR OWN | Daishalyn Satcher

A TABLE OF OUR OWN

Erin Light ‘23 is an Architecture major from Durham, North Carolina. The president of SAWA, she works to promote unity across majors at USC, and she’s also a big believer in shopping/ eating local.

A TABLE OF OUR OWN | Daishalyn Satcher

“...I’m here because I want to be and because this is a process that I love...As soon as it doesn’t align with my values, as soon as something is not joyful to me, I’m out. But I’m here because I’m good at it, and I love doing it. That’s what guides me.” Erin LIGHT

“I learned that there’s flexibility in being a woman in STEM, and not letting that pressure dictate my entire life, but acknowledging my passion [for it].” Ayonnah TINSLEY

A TABLE OF OUR OWN | Daishalyn Satcher

Ayonnah Tinsley ‘25 is an Arts, Technology, and the Business of Innovation major from Centreville, Virginia (now Playa Vista, California). She’s the author of the children’s book, “This is What an Engineer Looks Like,” and an avid advocator of diversity in “STEAM” (Science, Tech, Engineering, Art, and Math).

Paige Kaufman ‘25 is an Astronomical Engineering major from Sacramento, California. When she’s not practicing with her clarinet section for the USC Marching Band, one can find her spending time with her horse, Andromeda (a.k.a. Drom).

A TABLE OF OUR OWN | Daishalyn Satcher

“...every day, probably without fail, I have to remind myself...I’m supposed to be here. I can be here. I can do this.”

Paige KAUFMAN

“...being a woman in STEM is definitely a factor [but] it is not going to dictate everything that we do, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a challenge either.” Daishalyn SATCHER

Daishalyn is an Architecture major from Atlanta, Georgia. She’s an avid fan of San Fransisco’s Golden State Warriors (Go Dubs).

A TABLE OF OUR OWN | Daishalyn Satcher

Looking to connect with everyone featured in our pilot issue? Then check out our Instagram @sceneusc for a spreadsheet with links to each SCene contributor and talent. Follow these students as they continue to navigate their college years, finding and discovering themselves and the world around them.

Scan the code below to access SCene & Heard: the official Spotify podcast of SCene Magazine.

Just like your stories and your unique experiences, this magazine will never be fully finished. We are constantly under construction, building and creating ourselves, listening for the finer details that eventually realize the bigger picture. Perpetual innovation with a timeless look. Want to be a member of our team? Well, we want you, too. Be on the lookout for ways to join us as we embark on our mission to capture the rarity that comes with being a USC student in the heart of Los Angeles. U Set the SCene. We tell your stories. 62

Kassydi Rone is a current sophomore at USC Annenberg pursuing a B.A. in Journalism. Her passions thrive in the intersections of fashion, culture and lifestyle, and her preferred mediums of expression are written and social media content. She operates almost solely on checklists, Pinterest vision boards, and freshly steamed outfits.

Izzy Ster is a current sophomore at USC pursuing a B.F.A in Writing for Screen and Television with a minor in the School of Cinematic Arts. She is involved with The Suspenders, Sack of Troy, Daily Trojan, Delta Kappa Alpha, and Helenes. When she’s not reading or writing, she enjoys spending time with loved ones, dissociating in Trader Joe’s, and listening to music.

Julia Zara is a current sophmore pursuing a B.A. in Journalism at the University of Southern California. She adores spending her time in Wallis Annenberg Hall, but when she’s not in the Media Center you’ll probably find her reading, stirring a cold brew, sporadically scribbling notes like the ones you see here, or watching her brother’s basketball games.

Daishalyn Satcher is a sophomore at the USC School of Architecture with a minor in Themed Entertainment. Recently, through her participation in Annenberg Radio News, she rediscovered her love for journalism. She enjoys most things that require the left side of her brain, with a passion for expression through creativity.

She's All That...or is She? | SCene Magazine Issue No.1