Sidelines Magazine

Sidelines

Magazine

issue 01 spring 2024

Editor’s Letter Just three short months ago, I was given the opportunity to

be the Sidelines Magazine editor. Sidelines has been a well respected institution for decades, and it is important to me to uphold the same standards. When considering what this issue should cover, I felt immense honor and responsibility to represent our university well.

The way that felt most suitable was showing how talented, determined and inspiring the creatives at Middle Tennessee State University are. There are many things that go into creating something, regardless of medium: process, purpose, co-creation and exposure. Each of these creatives have their own version of each but represent one especially well.

This issue had a quick turn around, and I wouldn't have been able to accomplish any of this without this amazing team.

Each of the journalists, photographers and editors made this issue into something worth sharing.

Thank you to the creatives who allowed us to tell their stories and show the art that they've worked so hard on. It was wonderful to get to know these talented students and for others to now see how truly remarkable they are.

Sincerely,

Aiden O’Neill Editor-in-Chief

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MISSION STATEMENT The mission of Sidelines Magazine is to create a safe space to foster creativity, honesty, inclusion and exposure.

When creating Issue 01, our team worked toward giving aspiring creatives the chance to share their work but also their story.

Sidelines Magazine is created by Middle Tennessee State University students out of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This issue has lifestyle based and university based content.

ON THE COVER PHOTO BY NOAH MCLANE ART BY GREER WILKINS “THE LEGEND OF THE HARE”

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06 PROCESS

26 CO-CREATE

16 PURPOSE

36 EXPOSURE

ARTICLE NAME

PG # 08

FINDING REALISM IN MYTHOLOGY

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PROCESS/PURPOSE

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CARTER ELLIOT: HIS PATH TO ROCK & ROLL

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THE LIFE OF A SONG WRITER

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EAST TENNESSEE NATIVE TELLS HIS STORY THROUGH SONGWRITING

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THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM

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MODERN CLASSISM WITH PAYTON VERNON

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EVERY DAY'S A FASHION SHOW

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SHOWING OFF CREATIVES WITH SHAMANI SALAHUDDIN

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JOURNALISM AS ART

44

THE TEAM

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PROCE

ESS

Finding Realism in

Mythology

By Noah McLane

M iddle Tennessee State University senior Greer Wilkins is the embodiment of calm. The soft spoken, hare-obsessed realist painter possesses a unique combination of dedication, imagination, introspection — and a keen eye for the eerily beautiful.

In her most recent series, and the subject of her senior thesis, “Blue Paintings,” Wilkins alludes to her personal development through pieces that evoke loss, longing and even death.

She blends the brutal nature of reality with surreal motifs — using an unnatural blue space to encompass each object in her otherwise realist “Blue Paintings.”

"The process of creating paintings gives me an avenue to ‘talk it out’ with myself and discover the source of unease deep inside that I may be inadvertently unaware of,” Wilkins wrote in her thesis.

The studio arts major discovered her aptitude for introspection shortly after COVID-19 upended her life in Virginia where she was studying mechanical engineering. She used her time in quarantine to become reacquainted with an old hobby — painting.

The rekindling of a past love unlocked a hunger that she hadn’t felt previously, and she felt encouraged to chase that feeling. It led to her return to the classroom in 2021 when she enrolled at MTSU, majoring in studio arts.

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“I got so much happier and excited to do things, I had an intense history of depression and anxiety and through this,” she said while proudly motioning to the array of paintings and projects dotting her workstation. “I have been able to cope so much better.”

In 2023, Wilkins made a shocking discovery that changed the course of her artistic career. She was introduced to, and subsequently charmed by, oil paint.

Greer Wilkins with her painting "Leveret" (2024) in MTSU's Art and Design building, Andrew L. Todd Hall.

Photo taken by Noah McLane.

Concealed in the gloop, a creative energy hid, patiently waiting for Wilkins’ arrival.

Before she knew it, she found herself in love with the dynamic medium.

Its lengthy dry time means Wilkins can tweak every detail to her high standards and create texture. The details masterfully demonstrate the breath of life in pieces like “Leveret” or “Presage,” which feature hares so real one may be tempted to reach out and pet them.

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"Gentlemen II" by Greer Wilkins displays a spiffily dressed hare.

Photo taken by Noah McLane

Enter the Hare ...

Many of Wilkins’ recent creations have featured one specific critter: the hare.

“At first they just popped up,” she said with a soft giggle, “but they started to stick around."

She figured since they didn't seem to be going anywhere, she might as well investigate the furry speedsters and their connection to humans.

Wilkins found that the hare has been an undeniable piece of Western mythology and folklore, appearing in Greek, Celtic, Roman and Christian myths.

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“They’re little tricksters,” Wilkins said, her hare earring bouncing as her laugh changed to a smirk. “Not always a good sign. They have ambiguity because they are cute, but they come with a price.”

Much like the hare, Wilkins’ paintings also come with a price: time and selfanalysis.

Wilkins’ works are captivating and elegant — but behind the paint and hand-stretched canvas sits hundreds of hours of meticulous work.

Wilkins often finds herself painting for eight to 10 hours a day. She’ll sit uncomfortably close to the canvas, brows furrowed, her intense brown eyes only breaking concentration when their owner rises to clear her mind or refill on coffee — a vital tool in Wilkins’ arsenal.

Her works share a commonality: they portray moments of uncertainty where the subject is on the edge of doing something that is only limited by the viewer’s imagination.

Her piece “Leveret” teases and challenges viewers by showing the subject of the painting leaving something undisclosed behind. The woman in the painting appears ageless, without place in life. The only certainty in her future is uncertainty.

“Aging is inescapable, yet so much fear accompanies this mundane process because the evidence exists in everyone,” Wilkins said about the painting.

"Leveret” thrusts that realization onto the audience but allows them to decide what to do with it.

The senior hopes to be able to stay in a creative environment after graduation.

“Ideally, I would just paint all day every day. Realistically, working around the art world, maybe in a gallery space or a communal creative space–anything that keeps me immersed in creativity.”

Wilkins’ art is a window to her heart, a glimpse of her personal crossroads. Much like the subjects in her paintings, she is at a moment in life often fraught with uncertainty, existing on the edge of something intangible as she prepares to enter the creative workforce.

Wilkins carries something magnificent within her that she shares with the world through her art. Much like the choice she gives her audience, Wilkins too is only limited by her imagination.

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"Presage" (2024) is one of Greer Wilkins' oil paintings featuring her favorite subject: hares.

Photo taken by Noah McLane.

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Kayleigh Messler standing with her paper sculpture that hangs in the Art and Design building, Andrew L. Todd Hall.

Photo taken by Aiden O'Neill

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* * PROCESS * * * * * *

By Aiden O'Neill * *K PURPOSE

ayleigh Messler, a Middle Tennessee State University Studio Arts major, believes that determination outranks artistic talent.

Engagement with the community and participation in the world fosters exceptional art, according to Messler.

Pokémon cards or scraps of homework.

Each day she'll add whatever scraps she stumbles upon into a blender and miraculously turns it into beautifully unique sheets of paper.

For Messler's current project, she combined the endless "If you have clear goals, and the stacks of paper into a flipbook. drive to make it happen, you'll Although she didn't have any be successful," said Kayleigh particular meaning in mind Messler when creating these pieces, the purpose grew naturally.

Although free spirited in nature, Messler's determination "It shows that I showed up to toward her creations is what the studio everyday. It's almost gives them purpose in her like a book of memories," eyes. she said.

Creating paper in the on Her memories of lengthy campus studio has become a hours in the studio, along with meditative practice.

Messler's pure love for her craft, are engrained in each Paper can be created from anything, whether it's it's trash sculpture, book and sheet of paper. from a fast-food restaurant,

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P

PURPOSE

Carter Elliott: His Path to Rock & Roll

By Kailee Shores

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Carter Elliott playing with band in Murfreesboro,.

Photo taken by Noah McLane

Carter Elliott, a songwriting major at Middle Tennessee State University, did not always see himself in middle Tennessee, but everyone around him knew he would end up doing music. James Taylor is in his blood. From small town, bluesy Mississippi, he took the scenic route to MTSU —through Texas. But it’s all part of a musician’s journey.

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Q: Tell me about how you came to music and where your passion began.

A: “Sure. So I was born to two James Taylor fans, and this was at a time when they had both recently seen him in concert. So I guess adoration was high and everything… there was a lot of James Taylor floating around the house, and I guess I kind of picked up on that... James Taylor was the only thing that could stop me crying as a kid. ...

I grew up listening to classical music. I’ve still got the CDs in my apartment that I listened to when I was [little], but all of that was just so appealing to me. Everything sounded so good, and everything looked so good that I was like, ‘I want to do this.’”

Q: Which instrument do you prefer?

A: “[Mississippi music was] offering piano lessons. Two group lessons for 35 bucks. Really cheap. And [my grandmother] badgered my mom about it enough to the point where, like, she offered to pay for them... and take me to them and everything. And I took to that like a duck to water. And I’ve been playing piano ever since. And guitar was soon to follow.... I play bass as well. I play drums OK, depending on who you ask.... a little bit of harmonica... melodica.”

Q: How did the conversation go with your parents when you told them you wanted to pursue music fulltime?

A: “It’s not that it didn’t go well... I was at the time in high school where I still needed to develop my talents a bit. ...

We had no knowledge of the music industry at all. We were in the middle of Mississippi, and Mississippi in the 2010s? Not great for the music industry. It hasn’t been great for the music industry in a long time unless you are old or play the blues... So they were like, ‘Why don’t you double major with something like chemistry so you can have the opportunity for like a real job?’ “Real job” are the words that they used. It’s a phrase that I think people kick around when people want to pursue music full time, as though it’s not a real job. And being here, let me tell you, it is a hell of a lot of work.”

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Q: How did you end up at MTSU?

A: “MTSU was one of five colleges that I applied to in my senior year of high school. At the time, I was torn between being a jazz major, so those would have been Loyola University of New Orleans and the University of North Texas... and University of Southern Mississippi, or a songwriting major, which would have been Belmont or MTSU... I decided that I wanted to be a jazz piano major, so I went to the University of North Texas. ...

Q: What kind of music do you make? What genre?

A: “I tend to loop myself into singer-songwriter. Like I said earlier, James Taylor is a huge influence.

He’s less so an influence these days and that’s frankly because I’m listening to other musicians as well and I’m hanging around people my age... and I’m learning things from the artists here as well. ...

I’m trying to lean more into a rock influence. I have this one song, High Water, that I still finger-pick and play acoustic guitar on. It’s got that kind of James Taylor background... but trying to lean more into that rock influence... the story is a little gritty.

It’s metaphorical for my time at [the University of North Texas] but I tell it through the perspective of a sailboat. Like one of those old tiny sailboats with an anchor and a mast, and the actual sails and that kind of thing. So it’s a lot about sabotage and loneliness and betrayal... but it’s about a boat instead of a person. Except I am the boat, and the boat is me. So it’s still a person, but it’s a boat.”

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Josie James playing her guitar on campus.

Photo taken by Noah McLane

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The life of a songwriter

By Sarah Baczewski

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Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, music follows Josie James to Middle Tennessee State

University. At just 18, she is a published artist on Spotify with two albums and multiple singles out. From lively performances to casual posts on social media, Josie shares her raw talent with the local scene. No matter where she plays, her passion for music undeniably shines through.

Meet the wonderful local artist that is Josie James.

Q: What drew you to MTSU?

A: I have always been playing music. My parents are musicians, but they are both classical musicians. My dad plays classical guitar and my mom plays violin. But they were like “we have no experience in the music business side of it so we can’t help you.” So as much as they wanted me to probably stay at home, I found the school because of one of my friends and it seemed like a great program.

Q: What kind of music do you write?

A: That is changing left and right. I started as a singer-songwriter. But getting into college, I realized that everyone in Tennessee is going to be a singer-songwriter. So I started playing guitar in jazz band. I incorporate a lot of jazz chords in my songwriting. It is kind of a mix of singer-songwriter and alternative.

Q: What instruments do you play?

A: I play bass. I played bass in orchestra and marching band in highschool. I play violin in symphony and chamber orchestra here. I play guitar and ukulele too.

Q: What is your process with writing lyrics and music?

A: Normally, I create chords. And if it sounds good, I write some lyrics over it.

Q: Are you planning on sticking with a R&B Jazz style?

A: I guess I’m just seeing where it goes. Right now I’m playing with this really great, amazing band. They are all members of the Soul Collective, an R&B band. They definitely influence whatever live music I do.

Q: How often do you play live?

A: I’ve played live a few times solo or with a band here in Murfreesboro. I play live a lot at home in Atlanta.

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Q: How many projects do you have?

A: I have two albums out on Spotify and three or four singles that are all self-produced, recorded and written. A few of them I collaborated with people on. But I’m currently in the process of re-branding and taking things down. I have three or four studio dates coming up.

Josie James notebook full of lyrics in the beginning phase of production.

Photo taken by Noah McLane

Q: What is your day like in the studio?

A: We go in the studio, the engineers normally set everything up. Last time, I had a vocal booth which was cool, it was my first time singing in a vocal booth. The session players were there, they had chord charts for my songs.

Q: Have you built a following?

A: I’m trying. I think coming to MTSU, everyone is so supportive, so it’s like everyone is going to be your follower. Everyone is lifting each other up. I’m hoping to expand it.

Q: What is something you think MTSU can do better for future singer-songwriters and future musicians?

A: I know they have a lot of mixers for students. But maybe they can create a place for people to play on campus weekly. Just more opportunities for students to get their name out there in someway, shape or form.

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East Tennessee Native Tells His Story Through Songwriting

By Kerstie Wolaver

From a town often musically overlooked, Jaston began writing songs at a noticeably young age.

At the age of seven, he began writing music with his dad, he took this love for music into high school, where he first started recording music.

This love from music began in the backseat of his dads car, hearing all types of music flow from the speakers. At the time, it seemed like simply making memories between a father and son, but looking back, it was what instilled his love for songwriting today.

His favorite part about songwriting? Emotions, making people feel something, he said.

The 22 year old artist currently attends Middle Tennessee State University and is pursuing a degree in Commercial Songwriting. He credits MTSU with giving him the confidence to pursue his dream: writing songs that others can experience the way he has experienced music since his childhood.

I wanted to make that same impact on others said Jaston, recalling the emotions that were instilled in him on those car rides with his dad.

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Photos taken by Noah McLane

He felt encouraged by the professors at MTSU, saying that he appreciated being around those who had been working in this field for so long. He also expressed appreciation for the chances he has been given.

I take the opportunity when it is offered now, he said.

While happy to be at MTSU studying his passion, he drew attention back to his roots, saying that Knoxville often goes unnoticed although the music scene is full of R&B as well as Hip Hop, despite people associating east Tennessee with country music.

With a halo of curly hair, he smiles and speaks with enthusiasm as he talks about his music. He is inspired by many artists in his genre, his biggest influence being Travis Scott. He also found inspiration in artists such as Beyonce, SZA, Jay-Z and Outcast.

I'm just trying to tell my story he said, in reference to his album, Heartbreak Aesthetic (The Villains Origin), and his EP Me, Myself, and I (The Villains Arc). Both of these are important to Jaston as they show listeners how he became the person he is today, and he is proud to bring his personal story into his writing.

The melodic slow-jam sound heartbreak R&B brings holds a special place in his heart. He also brought up an interest in exploring other types of music and being able to showcase it to others is something he is excited to experience in the future- specifically playing his music acoustically.

Listeners can experience Jaston's music through Apple Music and Spotify, he said that he is encouraged by his listeners, and specifically talked about what keeps him thinking positively.

Focusing on the people who do actually want to hear my music instead of those who don't, he said, I just want people to listen to my music.

Jaston has a lot to say, and listeners have proven that they want to hear all that he has to offer.

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____________________________

Third Time's

-the-

Charm ____________________________

By Shamani Salahuddin

While most parents encourage their children to have successful careers as doctors or lawyers, Kelty Oringderff’s parents said, “Go be a musician.”

Known as Kelty Greye to her 33,000 Spotify listeners, she grew up with a creative and unconventional childhood. For six months her family traveled around the country, free-spirited, in a converted school bus. During that time, Greye was homeschooled and busked on the streets of St. Augustine, Florida, to make a little money.

I think it really inspired me creatively. I had a lot of free time to just read books, play music and explore the country. But the house that we had was very impactful in my mind as a child; I remember it. We had like a third of an acre, and we had chickens and a garden, and we'd foster dogs from the animal shelter. We had a lot of really unique experiences, I feel like, that gave me a lot of cool experiences.

Inspired by her great-grandmother, the artist has been playing the violin for 18 years. After high school, the classically trained violinist acquired a scholarship to California Lutheran, where she studied violin performance.

During that time, Greye decided she didn’t want to study violin anymore, so she transferred back to her hometown at Maryville College and ultimately landed at MTSU in fall 2021.

Third time's the charm; it takes a minute to find out what you want to do.

I actually came here for speech pathology. I shot an email to John Merchant, who was the chair [of the songwriting program] at the time, and he gave me a tour and, like 30 minutes in, convinced me to change my major and come here and do this. And I am so, so glad I did.

Last year, Greye was on the songwriting team for the Emmy-winning College of Media and Entertainment “We Do It All” commercial. The concept was an assignment in Professor Bess Rogers’ songwriting class, and they recorded it in Studio B on campus. Greye played fiddle on the track.

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It was a bit surreal. I finished my final for the semester, and then I checked my phone, and it was like, “Hey, by the way, y'all had been nominated.” So, I was like, “What?” It was like the coolest way to end my semester.

On attending the ceremony:

We were all on cloud nine. We were like, “This is so fancy.” It was in the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. It was a beautiful building, and we were all really dressed up. It was it was like magical. Yeah, it was crazy.

Oh my God, [I’m] really happy that I chose MTSU, honestly. This was kind of a last-minute choice, and it has like changed my life. It was incredible.

“We Do It All” was Greye's first song for television, but it won’t be the last. After graduation, the artist plans to write more songs for TV under contract with a sync licensing agency she signed to last year.

the Knoxville Film division, for a movie musical that I So, the connection of telling has always Anything involvinga movie would be to me.

When I was 14, I won Festival, high school that was like a wrote and produced.

TV, music and story been my interest. music in a show or really cool Photo taken by Jordan Ring

The connection between visual storytelling and music continues to inspire Greye in her newest project, “Red Thread of Fate.” The single is a murder ballad— a subgenre of ballads that can be about the murder of anyone.

I looked into and listened to a couple of old murder ballads, and they’re kind of like story songs. So, I kind of got to write like a story … I just kind of got an idea of like a couple that is really bad for each other. But neither one of them is going to let the other one go.

Yeah, I think “Interview with the Vampire”—it’s like a Southern Gothic [TV show], so I kind of had that in mind. But also, yeah, the other songs I checked out. I’m from a small town in Appalachia, so I grew up listening to a lot of stuff like that.

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CO-CR

REATE

Modern Classism

By Jenene Grover

Photo taken by Kaleigh Young

Payton Vernon’s time at Middle Tennessee State University allowed him to go from never

having seen a sewing machine before to having his own collection in his senior fashion show.

Vernon grew up around clothes and fashion while his mom worked at Maurices, so fashion was always something on his mind, especially with his self-acclaimed “America’s Next Top Model” obsession. He always knew that he wanted to make money doing something related to the fashion industry, but before MTSU, he did not know exactly what he wanted to do in the industry.

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He started out as a Merchandising major but quickly learned to sew within his first semester, switching to Apparel Design. This fashion show is a way for Vernon to show off everything he has been learning at MTSU to his parents, professors and judges.

The theme of this year’s fashion show is futurism, but Vernon’s assigned subcategory is classism. He will have four female coworkers as models, showing off his pants-and-top ensembles and dresses. One of his pieces was inspired by Christian Dior’s “New Look” from the 1940s, but Vernon modernized it to fit within the show's theme.

“I’m focusing very much on the luxury aspect of classism,” Vernon said. “All of my outfits are going to be made out of metallic textiles, and then it’s going to be accessorized with lots of crystals, gold accessories [and] bling. . .The Hunger Games meets the Kardashians is kind of the vibe.”

In the fashion show, students serve on various committees to bring the show together. Vernon serves on the garment committee and the model committee for this year’s fashion show. On the model committee, he sets up auditions, creates flyers and hosts model auditions where he takes measurements and contact information. His roles coincide with one another as he takes those measurements and lines up models with the available garments.

The Textiles, Merchandising, and Design (TXMD) program offered Vernon a variety of classes and skills, some of which included pattern-making, illustration, College of Art and Design software, how to run a fashion show and many more.

Vernon said the most valuable skill he learned was working with others.

“The best thing the fashion program has done for me has given me a community of likeminded individuals to bounce ideas off with and bond over this one thing that we love,” Vernon said. “I grew up in a very small town where most people didn’t really care about fashion, it was just kind of like camo and boots, and you hit the door.”

Because of the small size of the TXMD program, Vernon has gotten to know the people around him since his freshman year. They have all gone through the program together, allowing them to share many experiences and to become much closer to one another.

While MTSU taught Vernon and his peers many new skills related to the fashion industry, Vernon said he feels deficient in some required skills. BROWSWHERE, a 3-D software for seeing designs digitally, was only taught for two weeks in the semester before Vernon’s graduation. He hopes to see MTSU’s coverage of BROWSWHEREgrow and adapt with the future of the program, but he does fear that he is not going into the field with all the necessary skills.

“The professors here at MTSU definitely have given me like tools to succeed,” Vernon said.

“However, I feel like there’s definitely a lot more they could have taught me or went in-depth with that other fashion schools teach their students about. So, I am looking for a job currently, and hopefully, I am prepared enough.”

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EVERY DAY’S A FASHION SHOW

BY BAILEY BRANTINGHAM

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Scarlett Dodd's dress.

Photos taken by Bailey Brantingham

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You might find Scarlett Dodd planning a fashion show or bent over her sewing

machine. Dodd runs the Textiles, Merchandising and Design student organization at Middle Tennessee State University. A fashion enthusiast at heart, she has taken her love for the craft from her childhood bedroom to MTSU’s campus.

Amid her junior year, the apparel design student is at the peak of her college fashion career. After two years of articulating in all aspects of fashion and design, she has finally reached “the big one” of every MTSU fashion student’s journey: the senior collection.

Scarlett Dodd works on one of her dresses for the TXMD fashion show. Photo taken by Bailey Brantingham.

Dodd's drive is rooted in her childhood. Growing up the only daughter in a household with three brothers, Dodd became somewhat of a dress-up doll for her family.

“Every day was a fashion show for me, I would change outfits every two hours,” Dodd said. “I used to walk around the house with different shoes on because I was like, ‘I can’t just wear one pair of shoes. I have to have this kind on one foot, and this kind on the other foot.’ I was always pushing the boundaries, I guess.”

After toeing the line of fashion as a hobby and a potential future, Dodd realized she wanted to take the plunge into the latter after inheriting her late aunt’s sewing equipment.

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Upon arriving at MTSU, Dodd was surrounded by like-minded fashion gurus for the first time. Although intimidated at first, Dodd saw her fellow students as peers and future colleagues rather than competition. It was this viewpoint, along with her razor-sharp skills, that elevated Dodd to the top of the MTSU fashion food chain.

“I got here and I met so many other people and they’re so talented. It was intimidating at first, because these are people I’m going to be in the field with and I’m making connections with. But everybody really helps each other out and it’s a pretty good environment,” Dodd said.

Dodd described her average day as being flanked by fellow students with a passion for fashion. With the program’s hands-on approach, they spend their days working on their senior collection. Sometimes following these long days in the classroom are long nights hunched over her sewing machine at home. For Dodd, a designer’s work is never done, and taking her work home with her is a regular ordeal.

Dodd’s current take-home project is her senior collection for the upcoming Textiles, Merchandising, and Design fashion show. Dodd snagged this year’s theme competition with her “Unstoppable Future” idea. The dystopian “Hunger Games”-esque theme will showcase the junior Fashion and Design students’ senior collection. The show is a culmination of the whole department, beginning with seniors planning the show, juniors creating the showcased outfits and ending with underclassmen supporting and modeling in the show.

Dodd walked in the fashion show during her first year at MTSU and her senior year of high school. Her experience on stage sealed the deal of her pursuit of fashion and her choice to attend MTSU.

“I met people and I saw how everything worked and the senior collections. And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I get to make one of those one day.’ It was really cool,” Dodd said.

Even as Dodd is approaching the peak of her college career, her senior year will be anything but easy. After submitting her collection for this year’s show, she will have to help plan the entire show next year and focus on lining up a job after graduation. Until then, Dodd’s summer plans include a senior trip to London and an internship with Ross in New York City ending at her sewing machine.

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EXPOS

SURE

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The 2024 Color the Runway fashion show, "Muse," was the 7th and final show. at MTSU. Photos taken by Skyler Wendell

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Showing Off Creatives with Shamani Salahuddin In a drab, often chilly seminar room in Middle Tennessee State University’s Busi-

ness and Aerospace Building, journalism professor Matthew Leimkuehler shared a key principle with his feature writing class I’ll never forget— as a journalist, you can take readers to places they don’t have access to.

This changed how I approach a story as a journalist. It’s self-serving, but I pitched stories that could get me into rehearsals of a play, a musician’s songbook or backstage of a concert. I figured readers interested in entertainment would want in on the same places, and I could take them there through writing.

When you think about MTSU, theatre, songwriting and fashion may not immediately come to mind. The arts on campus are underrated and not always marketed unless the program produced the likes of Tay Keith or Julien Baker. However, many talented individuals and student organizations add to the culture on campus.

Color the Runway was a successful Black History Month fashion show that students anticipated every year. It created a space for Black students to celebrate their culture, unite as a community and showcase local designers and artists. On Feb. 9, the student-run fashion show announced that the 2024 production would be the last.

In covering Color the Runway's legacy, the tight-knit runway team welcomed me into their world to understand their experiences and share their stories. I learned about their accomplishments and struggles, and the behind-the-scenes work audiences don’t know about.

The production was indeed a student-led project. The team planned the stage design, created the visuals, funded the production and collaborated with students in SPARE for the event’s lighting design and audio production.

The runway team’s professionalism and skill in managing such a big production amazed Danielle Rochelle, Color the Runway’s faculty advisor. She was there to support the organization administratively, but the fashion show was a product of the team’s initiative.

As a Sidelines lifestyle reporter, I love having the opportunity to sit down with student artists, hear their unique perspectives and share their stories. In my position, I’ve had conversations with creatives I otherwise wouldn’t have known and, hopefully, introduced their talent to readers interested in what they do.

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"Muse" was directed by MTSU student Ani Woodard.

Photos taken by Skyler Wendell

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Since it was the final show, the team decided to honor past shows as well.

Here they are honoring the theme "Welcome to the Jungle."

Photos taken by Skyler Wendell

Journalism as Art

By Zoe Naylor

As a senior in college, I’ve spent the last semester completing my honors thesis. The idea

evolved over more than six months, but I eventually landed on a journalism project where I would explore professors’ perspectives on the value of investing in personal connections with their students.

Embarrassingly, I’ve always been a teacher’s pet. I know from my own experience that having a warm yet professional relationship with professors is beneficial for students. Class discussions are more fruitful, doors for academic or professional opportunities can be opened and beforeand after-class chitchat is more fun when there’s a rapport between student and instructor.

But for my thesis, I wanted to find out how professors feel about this dynamic. Am I crazy?

Have I spent my whole academic life engaging in this weird parasocial relationship with professors who are nice because it’s part of the gig? I thought I might be the student equivalent of those customers who think a barista or bartender is their best friend when, in reality, they’re just trying to make a living.

What I learned through interviews with professors was valuable, but what I enjoyed most about the research was the human element of it. My journalism degree and thesis have served as the backdrop for human connection, which is the entire reason I entered this field.

Journalism gave me the opportunity to sit down and have delightful, thought-provoking conversations with professors, most of whom I hadn’t seen since my freshman year. I wouldn’t have made time to reconnect with these instructors if it weren’t for the journalism thesis.

That connection — which also took the form of closure — is more valuable than any research findings or 20-page paper required for graduation.

My journalism thesis showed me that journalism itself is an art form. The beauty is in the process of talking with people, listening to understand another’s perspective, chuckling about the similarities between us and prodding at our differences.

In our field, journalists are exposed to a unique side of people. We see the guarded side because what they say is on the record unless specified otherwise before they say it, but we also see a vulnerable side. Whatever we’re asking them about in an interview is at the heart of whatever broader topic we’re writing about. Interviews can bridge the gap between people because their priority is to frame the world from the subject’s point of view — as difficult and as simple as that is.

The same dynamic is present in the classroom. We students see a guarded side of our instructors. Lectures are a sort of performance art, just as interviews can be. The person speaking — whether in an interview or at the front of a lecture hall — is in a vulnerable position. In both cases, it’s worthwhile for both parties to let their guard down a little bit. If you do, there is much to be gained.

SIDELINES SPRING 2024

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Sarah Baczewsk i & Jenene Grover

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Kaleigh Young & Bailey Brantingham

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