Issuu

SNAKE PRINT SNAKE PRINT

inclusive Fashion & Culture Magazine 2022 | issue 01 Darker Half of the Year

SNAKE PRINT

STAFF OWNER Allison Rainey WRITING & RESEARCH TEAM

CHEF EDITOR Isabelle Hancock TREND RESEARCH EDITOR Caroline Bryant WRITERS Diego De Jesus Caroline Bryant Allison Rainey Isabelle Hancock Sami Beason CREATIVES

CREATIVE LEAD Sami Beason PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHERS & VISUAL ADVISORS Morgan Shelton Jack Portune Isabelle Hancock

MARKETING TEAM Allison Rainey Isabelle Hancock FEATURED MODELS

Natalie Leah Chloe Johnson Eli Perez Zack Christopherson Natasha Kozel Sophia Francisco Allison Rainey Isabelle Hancock Morgan Shelton Caroline Bryant Tanzy Zviitwah Sami Beason Sydney Treppel Capri Procopio Jonah Hager Anna Weaver Agustin Lopez Tamayo David B

SNAKE PRINT

TABLE OF Message from the owner Darker Half of the Year intro

01 05

Trigger Warning 07 Darker Half of the Year explanation 09 In Tuned 11 The Roller Coaster You Never Get Off 13 Yo, You Sad Me Fuckin too 15 Dear Anxiety 17 PTSD 19

cONTENTS The Euphoria Effect 21 Don’t Text Your Ex 23 Swipe Right Swipe Left 25 Dirty Laundry 27 Divine Feminine 29 Cigarettes Are Fresh Air For Me 31 22222

What’s Happened? 37 Feedback/ Hiring 39 Lunar 41

“In my end is

These words are the driving point for everything I have ever done. It is engraved on my class ring; it was my senior quote and is now the inspiration for this magazine. The time for your beginning is now. Welcome to the world of Snake Print. Snake Print is an confusing name, I know... but the reason behind it is something my team and I hold dearly. First off, I’m not too fond of snakes, absolutely terrified of them. They are always around when you don’t see them and will only make themselves known when they feel in danger. This is precisely what I wanted my magazine to be like. I wanted the topics and issues we see in the world to come out of the bushes and be seen finally. There are conversations that Snake Print will bring up, and it might make some of you uncomfortable. The topics that we find uncomfortable might be affecting a large group of people in the world. My challenge is to push past your fear and see the bigger picture. Just as I did with snakes, I now know that they are necessary even though I am scared of them. The quote listed above is my motivation to see that there is never a true end to something. There is always progress to be made and perspectives to be seen. As you read through this magazine, bear this quote in mind, learn from each story, and see the bigger picture. The Snake Print team is a group of individuals ready to help the world see that there is so much to learn. We encourage you all to take these new perspectives with you. Welcome to Snake Print Magazine. I am so glad that you are here. Enjoy this issue and remember, in your end is your beginning.

- Allison Rainey Owner & Director

my beginning”

DARKER HALF

OF THE YEAR

Trigger wARNING

VIEWER DISCRESION IS ADVISED The material in this issue may be triggering for some viewers. Please understand that the information you are about to read may bring discomfort. Discussions regarding; depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, as well as the effects of sensitive material from viral TV shows. With careful research and personal testimonies, we have created pieces that coincide with each topic listed above. The Snake Print team understands that the following topics are severe issues throughout our world and have decided it beneficial to discuss the topics with consideration in mind.

Please read the following if you would like to skip through this section to the rest of the articles.

Page 29 is regarding our Valentine’s Day photoshoot. We discuss online dating topics, the anxiety behind dating, and airing out dirty laundry. We will also be discussing the events that occurred in the world while we were making the Darker Half of The Year. There will be a reference to the events in Ukraine, Black History Month, and the date of 02/22/22.

DARKER DARKER HALF OF HALF OF THE YEAR THE YEAR Welcome to the Darker Half of The Year. I get it; the name might be confusing but let me shed light on our thought process. The darker halves of the year might not necessarily be the literal darkness outside but rather the darkness for our minds and souls. Your darker half of the year might be a completely different time, length, and feeling than others around you. Regardless, it is still dark and brutal to navigate through. The Snake Print team is entirely run by college students who wanted our unspoken thoughts to be shown on a platform where viewers can relate and find comfort. There is a point in our lives where youth is dissipating, and it seems as if nothing will be the same. Chapters are closing, and it feels like you have nowhere to look. Look here. You are not alone in this feeling. The numbness you feel is temporary, and the setbacks you face are nothing but a lesson to promote growth. It is easier said than done. Talk to people, talk to us and share your stories. There are too many people in the world for us to think that we are alone in any situation. Your darker half of the year helps show how bright the other parts are. You are allowed to feel anything you want. Sadness, anxiety, fear, or happiness, along with so many more emotions that you as a human being can claim. With the past two years, we can all agree that life is delicate. However, expensive china shouldn’t only be for the gaze but instead used and enjoyed. With consideration for yourself and others, you can create a life that can be enjoyed to the fullest, although it may be delicate.

DARKE DARK HALF O HALF THE YE

ER KER OF OF EAR

In Tu

- Tom’s Din

top 10 er by Annae

- Growing - Morning - I Was Sad

nMayKante

up is _____

reit, Giant

by Ruel

Light by St

one Cold F ox

Last Night

- Black Ma

gic Woman

- How Do Y ou Know W

I’m OK Now by VCTRYS

s Right by

othing by S p

acey Jane

Of It by Arc

- OhNo! by K

tic Monkey s

evin Walkm

- Serotoni

by tobi lou

hen It Feel

- Lots of N - Snap Out

Rooks

n by girl in

an, Mickey

red

Darling

Sawyer

uned Follow our Spotify playlist for each issue! We will be posting a playlist that we recommend you listen to while reading Snake Print. It will be music to make you feel your emotions and pull you out of your day to day thoughts. Just put in your headphones, and start your journey through the Darker Half of the Year.

ev er

Th 13

O t

. f f

ev er

u o Y r e

eR u o oll Y ercoaster

o Y Ro r llercoaste

A personal testimony of seeing the effects of Bipolar Disorder.

High highs and low lows; Bipolar Disorder is like a roller coaster you never get off with extreme mood swings between mania and depression. The worst part is, many times, BD is misdiagnosed as ADHD or other mental illnesses. Growing up with a family member with Bipolar Disorder, I have seen the stereotypical ups and downs first hand. The disease is complex enough, and adding substance abuse and other mental illnesses on top of BD adds to the flame. Simple questions or conversations can spiral into outbursts of aggression and violence. My brother struggles with these issues every day, and until this year, he was misdiagnosed and treated for ADHD. Being involved in my brother’s life can sometimes feel like I’m being dragged onto the roller coaster with him, and the phase he’s in can factor into my own mental health. When my brother was manic, he got into trouble during my earlier years, which led to me trying to be as unproblematic as possible to take some pressure off of my parents. Then snap. The depression would kick in and it became all hands on deck to help bring him stability.

O t

. f f

Written by Isabelle Hancock

O t

. f f

Life can already be so unpredictable, and living with someone with Bipolar Disorder turns it up to a thousand. I’ve realized that I have unconsciously taught myself to stay on guard 24/7, waiting for the rug to be pulled out from underneath us all. One second, he’s on top of the world, then it’s toppling down on him the next. He’s manic one moment, and then in the snap of a finger, he slips into a deep depression. I have so many good memories of watching movies on the couch with candy bags in our hands, wrestling matches in the kitchen while mom yells at us to be careful from the other room, or giggling over our childhood shenanigans. But then there are the moments of him sobbing in my arms and yelling in the driveway, calling me in the middle of the night, crying out and wishing to be “normal,” sleepless nights wondering if he’s okay, or threats to his own life.

f O

I am repeatedly left feeling scared, confused, outraged and helpless.

t e

Having someone in your life that has Bipolar Disorder can leave you in a whirlwind of emotions, especially when they lash out. But even though it’s easier said than done, you have to remind yourself to be angry with the disease and not the person.

e G

ev e

Taking care of my mental health while fighting to help my brother stabilize his can be a challenge. But there’s a reason flight attendants always tell us to put our masks on first before helping others. I have to remind myself of that every day.

d a s u o

y , o

Depression fuck ing suc 15

k i c n u g f t o e o . m ? d Written by Samira Beason

As more people begin to prioritize mental health in their everyday lives, society is learning more facts about mental health and how it shows up in various ways. One mental illness you may have heard of is major depressive disorder (if you haven’t, congratulations). According to Psychiatry. org, depression has a variety of symptoms ranging from losing interest in things, sleep problems, feeling worthless, loss of energy, and many more. These symptoms are not a one-timeonly deal; they dissipate and return over and over and over again. As a person with depression, I can attest that this mental illness is no walk in the park. Sometimes you can barely walk to the shower. The feelings that I experience are like being caught under a 200 lb weighted blanket while the world continues to move around you and your mind hates you for not moving with it. I use humor to subtract the seriousness and abuse substances to dull the symptoms, either of which I am proud of. In the darker half of the year, seasonal depression is more common than ever. The air is colder, the trees are bare, and society thinks you have enough energy to go Christmas shopping. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re just sad or going through a phase if you are experiencing these symptoms. In all honesty, being sad and depressed are two very different things. As an illness, it can affect several parts of your life. It can add a layer of difficulty to eating, relationships, and self-care. It’s an added obstacle of just existing. Coming to terms with my mental illness has been a journey. For half of it, I didn’t know it was even there. Parents, classmates, and friends told me the same things that their peers told them: “you have to be strong,” “this too shall pass,” “you are just being dramatic.” Fun fact: That’s bullshit. Now I know that being vulnerable is being strong, asking for help is not a weakness, and talking about what I am feeling is simply a way to process. There are several options out there when dealing with mental health. You can speak to a medical provider, talk to a therapist, try out medications, and practice healthy coping mechanisms to see what works. Depressions can be intertwined with several different factors. Your mind is yours alone despite what you hear or what people tell you. Taking care of yourself means taking care of all the parts of you.

Depression fucking sucks. Fact. But if you are struggling with it, just know there are people who will help it suck less.

. t c cks. Fa

Dear A

Written by A

You make me feel l no control of my own breathing, sleepin

I either feel like myself body with prescription concepts of time. It will I haven’t eaten since

But I am young! I should my friends have anxiet

I don’t like this dress o I looked hot so, I guess t hyper focus on for the nigh feeling that someone is taking pho

Don’t even get me started wit breathing down my neck. Am I typing too If he calls on me I am go I know the answer but I can’ you filling my mind wit having a voice crack or mispronounci So do us all the

H EVE

Anxiety,

Allison Rainey

like I have absolutely n life. I can’t control my ng, eating or emotion.

f (which sucks) or I fill my ns that make me lose all l be 5 pm and I will notice 1:00 pm the day before.

have fun right? I mean, all ty... they seem to be fine.

on me but my friends said this will be the thing I can ht to distract myself from the otos of how I look when I am standing.

th trying to be in class with you loud? Is the professor looking at me? Agh no! oing to run out of the room. n’t even open my mouth without th horrible scenarios of me ing any word I can manage to pull out. e favor and leave.

Hate, ERYONE

PTSD PTSD Written by Caroline Bryant

PTSD is an ink stamp. When you transfer ink from a stamp

onto a t-shirt, the pressure difference applied onto the ink pad leaves a difference in the imprint. If you lightly push a stamp onto the ink pad, the stamp will absorb less ink, leaving a faint mark on the shirt. But if you push the stamp firmly, the stamp overflows with ink, leaving a bigger, distinct mark. The same occurs with PTSD. Because women are more susceptible to mental disorders like PTSD, they internalize the negative emotions attached to the trauma and stamp those emotions onto the hippocampus. The more haunting and prolonged the trauma, the bigger imprint it leaves on the hippocampus, physically shrinking the brain’s memory cortex. All that’s left for the brain to see is that trauma, consequenting in frequent nightmares, intrusive memories, and flashbacks- memories where the victim can’t tell the difference between current reality and the memory. Due to their altered brain chemistry, women are 2x more likely to develop PTSD than men. Yet, thanks to its misrepresentation in society, PTSD reigns as a man’s disease.

National Alliance on Mental Illness, NIH, and US Dept. of Veteran Affairs

The war in your mind the battle fie

d... not just eld.

Not just for middle aged men

The

2103

Euphoria Effect Written by Caroline Bryant

Before I started watching the first season of Euphoria, I was somewhat content with myself. I had good grades, a daily routine, and a solid group of friends. Why would I be jealous of a bunch of fictional teenagers with trust issues and drug problems?

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, with the medicine being right under their noses, teenage prescription drug abuse is on the rise. Despite other factors, media exposure of drugs, like in Euphoria, stands.

Because I felt like I wasn’t a true teenager. High school characters in almost every show have some sort of trauma nowadays. There is never really a character with a stereotypical normal life. And if a character does have a normal life, they typically aren’t the audience’s favorite.

The next step in the Euphoria makeover is, in fact, a makeover.

In fact, I remember selfishly wanting trauma to fit into that quirky and unique category others longed to fall into. So, when my happy life took a turn sophomore year of high school, I was excited. I had finally become the broken person as seen on tv. The feelings stemmed off of social media too. For the last decade, Tumblr has been accused of romanticizing mental illness and drug abuse by portraying such issues as aesthetics. Photos of pink, glittery prescription bottles and quotes saying, “I think suicidal people are just angels who want to go homes used to dominate the site.” Controversy arose, finally, when several researchers found that viewers of such aesthetics had heightened feelings of depression, anorexia and suicide. Those without illness started to inappropriately self-diagnose, as well. In a sense, Euphoria is just Tumblr televised. While there isn’t current research stating the effects Euphoria itself has on mental illness, prior research surrounding the impacts of romanticizing mental illness and drug abuse coincides with the show. Therefore, it is reasonable to imply that the aesthetics shown on Euphoria may influence the same negative feelings or desire for trauma.

Advertisements on Instagram stories promote Euphoria-inspired clothing, providing accessible links to purchase them with the push of a button. The same clothes dominate the junior women’s section of Target, Walmart and other brand stores. Wearing copycat items from the show gives girls a sense of belonging; if they can’t act like Cassie and Maddy, they can at least look like them. Controlled by conformity, girls who don’t watch the show still feel pressured to go on a shopping spree to fit in. Not fitting in at the teenage age can be worse than death. Finally, makeup trends soared due to Euphoria＊s unique looks. Thousands of videos appear if you search ※euphoria makeup§ on Tik Tok. Euphoria, Love Island and other social media stars have been so influential that Future Market Insights predicts that eyeshadow sales will surpass 5.2 billion dollars by 2031. Though parents could attempt to stop their child’s transformation using HBO controls, they’ll never escape it. From fan-made edits of favorite scenes on TikTok to Youtube interviews of Jacob Eloridi, Euphoria is everywhere.

A perfect example of these aesthetics is when Cassie and Maddy took Molly at the carnival wearing bold, glittery eye makeup in skin-tight dresses and high heels. As they confidently strutted away from the bathroom, men gazed at their beauty. It was as if the drugs enhanced their looks.

We can encourage the show’s creative team to think about the consequences their aesthetics make. While the show sometimes does a good job accurately portraying the realities of mental illness, drug abuse, and trauma, the aesthetic placed over them erases the point they’re trying to get across for unaware viewers.

The same goes for Rue. Though Rue was a manipulative gaslighter, her theme song that would play during her vulnerable moments muted her red flags. Instead, she looked untouchable.

Disclaimer: After multiple therapy sessions, I no longer believe that trauma is needed to make a person special. My emotions and experience are described solely to back up my argument.

Viewers want to be them because of the power they hold. How can they be them? By acting like them. Director Sam Levinson eases the process by showing teenagers all the possible ways they can get and abuse drugs. For instance, Rue’s addiction ignites after stealing her dying dad’s opioid medication. That said, teenagers realize that drugs can be easily accessible household items. Prescription drugs under this label are OxyContin, Vidocin and Adderall, to name a few.

DONT TEXT

DONT TEXT Y

YOUR EX xoxo

Swipe Right

Swipe left Written by Diego De Jesus

mid a persistent pandemic that doesn’t seem to be parting anytime soon, some people’s attitude toward online dating has changed. As a result, dating apps are trying to compensate for the fast-changing demands as spontaneous and influential as Covid’s mutations. Covid disrupted the world stage in 2020 when it spread from Wuhan, China, and paused the world into quarantine. The pandemic stopped everything and made the world skip a beat leaving the world in a great panic. At the height of the pandemic, no one could go outside, which led many to delve into the digital world more to pass the dragging time. Online dating exploded during the pandemic, but the reasons differ depending on the individual. According to Fortune, various dating apps saw a booming increase in overall usage–which was contingent on the specific features available in each app. Dating apps like Bumble, OkCupid, and Tinder saw surges in use. In a study that analyzed its demographic, Tinder saw 3 billion swipes in one day. The most Tinder had ever recorded in March 2020–2020 was Tinder’s busiest year. The same report found that while online dating “may have started out of necessity, the digital date is here to stay” as it is preferable for multiple reasons. Over 50% of Tinder’s demographic are considered part of Generation Z. Zoomers–the new namesake of the upcoming generation–view online dating as less stressful and more convenient interacting with matches. The reasoning is that Covid has caused intimate or inperson activities such as going outside on a date a health risk. Especially with the Omicron variant spreading voraciously, online dating is becoming more appealing. Dating app users went through quarantine in isolation and are currently under the stress of a debilitatingly tumultuous pandemic. Yet, in these circumstances, according to a report from the dating app Match, 62% of single people want a “meaningful, committed relationship.” All of this isn’t to say that Covid hurt people’s dating lives altogether; it only changed how they go about it. For example, 74% of Match’s users reported that Covid didn’t affect their dating negatively.

Video calls have become a popular way for matches to interact before meeting in person. Most of the time, meeting strangers–if not acquaintances–has always been considered a big step in online dating and is now becoming a staple as including your Covid vaccination status on bios. Half of Match’s younger users have video-called their match before meeting them since 47% of them believe that it prevents bad dates. In addition, 71% of users, 66% of whom Zoomers were, stated video calls determined if they would meet matches in the first place. Jack Wilkens is a graduating senior at Florida Southern College and downloaded dating apps during the pandemic when he was quarantining in Long Island, New York. He first downloaded Tinder in his sophomore year in college and has been on-andoff it. “I imagine that people not going out to bars or stuff as much into the public would make people want to go online more, where it’s Covid safe to do ,” said Wilkens. “I know some people that I know that have been dating people for a long time that they met on like Tinder or something.” From his experience, Wilkens also has friends in situations where they were part of hook-up culture and want to pursue a long lasting relationship. There’s two sides–or preferences–for those who use dating apps. There are apps that advertise and serve people’s specific dating needs. “For example Hinge is designed to be the app to delete for when you meet someone you would want to spend more time with,” said Wilkens. “I feel like people use different apps for different reasons. Like people won’t go to Hinge for a hookup, they’ll go to like Tinder or something. So I feel like at least there a little bit more differentiation between like which one’s used for what.”

Singles in America | Home Tinder_Future of Dating_3.24_FINAL.pdf (mediaroom.com) How the Pandemic Has Changed Dating | Time Tinder, OkCupid, Bumble: Activity on dating apps has surged during COVID | Fortune

xoxo

Director

y t r i D

y r d n u a L abe

s ey, I n i a R ison l l A y ten b Bryant t i r W ne roli a C &

e h t n i x a j A e n h a t l e l l c “A a n n o g t ’ n i a ” d l y r r d n wo u a l y t r i d d o o r u w r e yo d n U e i r r

t No, i . y r nd y lau what is t r i d of rt our ectives o pe t u o n o r p rs last ers s ai Let’ thing. Pe s from p was the ? e ra n d a ba rty vari t... whe r your b oes t ’ n s i g o e is not d , be hon r jeans ple that pair s i or ou te an eo I me ashed y those p r favori e sec. n o w s h f u you ne o g yo off t time uld be o t washin ip them e. o u r ic You c s witho u could our cho h y o t at mon rts or y e. It is king o m o o L o h is ”. et h of s ndry laundry e ou g u y a l d r ty ty on “dir ion, dir c exposu t r o f i t u goes k defini ose publ ent.” B be e m h d Sa oo ssm extb atters w mbarre on shoul my t e h e t f m ti e ic? I rma vate ss or “pri s distre hat info be publ want th d d g w brin to say at shoul , I woul s on Car k e e d h in s who te and w ted on m eat wor he’ll th r a a priv iend che . In the g ext time r n boyf to know , maybe d d ld ence l wor derwoo ts. i s be n a dn’t it is im rie U e he che l u o r et, ou s sh befo ence others. Y around y i r e f xp e ast e omfort o l of thos rmation babe. p r u fo ng You the c e mindf he in a dumpi f t o e t b l o ou m nd e. ant t y can ha t’s trau ext issu t r o a p e the n se th if th and d. Becau that in e to shar dive in l . We’l rs do e . h t t i sh no our whe y t k r l u h Ta ’t be n o d Just

k ncoc a H lle

-Ca

Cigarettes

are Fresh Air for Me Written by Diego De Jesus

Walking down a barely lit sidewalk with red street signs named after famous states I’ve always wanted to visit, I arrived at a cafe fashioned from a house. The street was wet and orange under the amber lights. I almost tripped from my blue loafers with white smooth soles going up the first step. A lot of heads turned in my direction with lit cigarettes briefly revealing their faces behind a balcony filled with glimmering metal ashtrays.

We talked about ice-breaker stuff, it was our first time meeting in-person. Where are you from? What music do you listen to? Those questions awkwardly asked if you ask them awkwardly. I managed, somehow, to keep her attention as she laid on either side plucking each brow. When I told my friends she touched my face a lot. That was the signal. She wanted to kiss me. Without a doubt, apparently.

After alleviating the embarrassing heaviness in my chest with a deep sigh that felt like how a wave lets sand breath, most of the heads turned back to their small talk and blue-striped saucers. I continued onto a creaking wooden balcony skirted by a gray wilting railing with yellow cuts and saw some gray ash flying into insignificant dust under the streetlights.

Everyone surrounded me when I got back to my dorm. Spill the tea, come on. I told them everything, including laying on the bean bags. She’s interested, everyone said. Without a doubt. The fact that she even said she had a nice time and wants to go on a second date, means she likes you.

It was busy inside. I looked through a large opening of the door’s plain curtain. There were a lot more heads around a violet-lit bar with lofi music playing in the background from a speaker on top of a worn out piano. I opened the door, it creaked and pulled on its own once I turned the handle. The music grew louder and the lofi hit the somber but talkative crowd briefly distracted from the work on their computers. Others had earbuds in and spammed keys of varying shapes and satisfying clicking sounds. One even had an old Macintosh keyboard that sounded really nice when they were on a roll with a loud click. The coffee machine puffed as the barista lifted the chrome lever shimmering violet right above a pitcher breathing white steam. I picked up my saucer and went back to the front door, past the crowded sofas and hopeless Tinder dates sitting at four-chair tables across from each other, rather than next to each other. I have a date. I canceled it last minute beforehand. However, once I did it I felt no different with the same metaphysical soreness in my chest that chafed when I breathed deeply. I was stressed about college in general, about being a junior. It was that existential realization that my college years were almost over. Half-over, but it still feels like it’s almost over when you’re halfway done with anything. Especially if you’re having fun in the first half. This is the second date. So that means she likes me, I guess? That’s what my friends told me at least. They told me that I’m either really lucky, because I canceled the date last minute, or she likes me. Without a doubt my feelings are mutual if she feels them too. I don’t want to mess it up, the possibility of being in a relationship for the first time. My head’s telling me that she didn’t get a chance to get to know me well last time, so this is a ride or die date. Or my last chance. Context. The last date went well, we went to a kava bar with the similar aura of welcoming varieties of heads doing their own thing or trying to talk with someone else. I taught her how to play chess, she offered to do my eyebrows which led to us lying together on large bean bags talking. I’m not very talkative, but she was, which filled the silence. I love it when people rant, if that’s a weird thing to say. I guess it’s because I’m a

With all this boiling in my head, I sat on one of the dark red linen couches and put my clinking saucer on the glass coffee table. There were muddy puddles on it with worn-out board games on its bottom shelf. Last call for coffee, only coffee, the barista shouts as everyone continues on murmuring. They served tea too. Tanner, the barista, closed the shop slowly to clean each machine over time. When he was done, he let people hang around after the cafe closed at 1:00. Unlike most men he knew, this was my first Tinder date I brought to the cafe and he respected me because I didn’t follow a script. Rehearsals like “oh I’ve never heard of this joint before” or “I searched up something cute and thought you’d like this place.” I felt a vibration in my pocket and took out my phone and tapped on the notifications with a sweaty thumb. She arrived. The lights blinked to cyan, and the incandescent bulbs hanging along the bar now shined like gilt unopened scrolls waiting to tell forgotten secrets in the glass cases. They were still, but just as random and unreachable as a message in a bottle. Should I open the door like a gentleman? Like those black-and-white 50’s relationship PSA’s everyone makes fun of? Or is that too creepy for me to be the first face she sees at a crowded cafe? I’ll just wait, wave, and smile when she sees me. I might have the confidence to hug her this time. She strolled out of the corner of my eye with the circles under her eyes inked more from the somber lights, and her bucket hat with a green furry worm with a boggle eye attached to it was inflamed with ultraviolet fluorescence. I clasped my hands together, felt how sweaty they were, then realized I had to untie them like an intricate knot because I didn’t want it obvious that I was nervous. It was probably obvious, but a little self-assurance didn’t hurt in the moment. I didn’t think everything was intricate at that time, but my body read everything and said to do this and that to achieve the perfect-to-the-decimal-angle of confidence.

“Yeah, I mentioned last time I had a bucket hat,” I paused because I was nervous and wanted to sound confident but at the same time didn’t want to be douchey. “So I said, ‘why not bring that bucket hat,’ you know?” That was awkward, but I had nothing else to say. She grabbed the brim of her bucket hat with both her hands. “Bro, you were right,” she tilted her head and analyzed my bucket hat with a soft smirk. “Your bucket hat is a lot better than mine.” My bucket hat was black with snowmen shooting each other with red crosses over their eyes, worn for the holiday season all year round. I got it from a senior who wanted to get rid of it. One day he looked at me, hey you want this, he pointed at the hat. He tossed it to me before I could answer and he left. I’ve been emotionally attached to it ever since, because everytime I wear it something cool happens. Meanwhile her bucket hat was dark green she got from a thrift store, that was all she shared with me. We continued talking, catching up because a lot can happen in one week, and a lot did happen. On my end, I was two weeks from the end of my semester and since then my professors had been flooding me with assignments and wondered why their students crammed so much. She had been dealing with her dynamic trio of bosses barking at her for doing everything right. It was one of those scenarios where someone in a superior position saw that everyone else was doing a better job. In short, she made the most tips with tip share and they didn’t like that. I maintained eye contact for most of the time, which is a good thing I learned personally. I could never tell what color her eyes were. The cyan lights didn’t help either which made her eyes pop less. I asked her what color were my eyes, she giggled and covered her mouth looking at me like I said something stupid. My eyes are obviously brown, but they were doody brown according to her. I’m playin’. I know. My goal for this date was to kiss her and I didn’t want to do it with people around. So, I said, do you want to explore? Sure. Let’s do it. We got up and left. I was tight with Tanner and he knew beforehand about the date so I didn’t have to pay right away. The clock was smirking from two and ten, so I had plenty of time. I opened the door and reached my hand out. She didn’t reach for it and walked past it with her phone screen shining a better, far away, reality on her face. My grip on the door handle tightened. The smoke dwelled under the lights like the fluttering moths bouncing off the bulbs. All the cigarettes burned a magma hue. One person saw, took a puff and revealed their indifferent lips, like the sun orbiting a floating asteroid, turning to a side frown with a quick blink.

She waited on the sidewalk with the phone continuing to satisfy her. It would’ve been best if I headed on. I stepped down the three steps and tripped.

Cigarettes are Fresh Air for Me

“Aww, you brought your bucket hat,” she pointed out, sitting next to me on the couch. “Now we can be bucket hat buddies!”

22222

2222

2222 22222

2 22222

22222

22 22222 22222

22222 36

h s ’ t a h w Black history month 2022 marked the 52nd Black history month. According to the National Museum of African American history and culture, Carter G. Woodson created black history month as a celebration and focused on black people. He believed “that his role was to use black history and culture as a weapon in the struggle for racial uplift.” Black history month is an acceptable way to educate and highlight black historical figures and issues. However, black history is more than just one month. Black history should be incorporated in all sections of history, yet, there is primarily whitewashed information taught in schools today. Critical race theory is still being debated all across the country as politicians push back teaching it in schools. The National Museum of African American history and culture highlighted the historical significance of midwives, doulas, birth workers, and black health/wellness pioneers. Remember the names: Henrietta Lacks, Dr. James McCune Smith, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams III, and Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller, black people who helped the medical world without being famously documented. Several black contributions go overlooked in history. Rather than only in February, let black history be a focus year-round.

2/22/20

hite ma of a straight w e y e e th to s u in u Inconspicuo ’t happen aga n o w t a th e m dro r 20 2 twosday palin e, and the yea m ro d lin a p e th number two, mber chics, “the nu sy P ia rn o lif a ossesse According to C rship, and it p e n rt a p e th r o our the couple, er two often, y b m u n e th e se e 2/2 energy.” If you ce of twos– lik n a d n u b a n A . good awaits ny ine energy, ma iv d e th f o e g gges Taking advanta k influencers su To ik T t a h w e ar And despit ecome your p b ’ll y e th so sh e univ about your cru intentions to th r a le c l a n g si at you wellness to grateful for wh e b d n a t n a w what you +2+ e year of six (2 th is lf se it 2 2 0 The year 2 also the year o is It . n o ti ra o st nde healing, and re rength.” No wo st d n a , e g ra u “bravery, co ncertainty. two years of u

d e n e p p ha War on Ukraine

ortant to p im is it t a h t e e still recogniz w , e in ociety may z s a , g a m e m h e t r e u r lt o u n c ig d o is a fashion an If we choose t . t n in io r t p a k e a r c n s S it e g il Wh occurred durin t a h t s e u s is l a discuss critic them too. choose to ignore

The real reason Russia invaded Ukraine will never be known because of Putin’s untrustworthy reputation (or you know, because he’s a dictator). Yet, in his justification to the world, he pleads his efforts are critical in “denazifying” Ukraine and squashing westernized groups, the “New York Times” states. The number of interpretations of his justification are endless. However, no matter what his rationale is, the damage his invasion leaves doesn’t change. On Feb. 24, Putin attacked. Citizens hear explosions in Mariupol and Kyiv. “Al Jazeera,” writes that, ‘Ukrainian President Zelenskyy declares martial law and calls for his people to fight back.” The full-scale war began. On Feb. 25, a group of Ukrainian soldiers on Zmeiny Island trended online. A recording features the men telling a Russian ship “to go fuck yourself” after being asked to surrender. While fuck isn’t a favored word by society, everyone and their religious mom saw the word as a symbol of hope– a signal that the Ukrainian people wouldn’t back down no matter the circumstance. Flash forward to March, CNBC states that more than 10 million people have fled the country. Amidst the several hundred bombings, Russia bombed an art school sheltering 400 people inside. Enemy tanks are running out of gas. They can’t drive on back roads either. Ukrainian forces can. Rating Group, a sociological research organization, found that 90 percent of Ukrainians believe they’ll win the war. What happens next is unknown.

0222

ate. It ’s a more than a d is 2 /2 2 /2 2 e , n a of the date– th rt a p h c a E . 2 2 until 24 . idual meaning 22– holds indiv e healer, team player, th e th ts n se re p athic r 2 re ring, and emp u rt u n , d in k , ething es a flexible aling that som n g si e b y a m r angels ergy. such divine en s ie lif p m a – 2 22/2 ir goals. anifesting the m r fo y a d e th ing y used nstantly think o c ’t n is n o ti a d st, manifest g self-care an in liz ti u t u o b a rtner. It ’s u already have o y if s a t c a st verse. You mu already have. n, nes completio fi e d t a th r e b s +2=6), a num that symbolize l a im n a n a r, e ded after of the tig al events colli u it ir sp o tw se er the

give us FEEDBACK 39

Follow our socials @ snakeprintmagazine @ snakeprintmagazine

Social Media Manager Graphic designers Writers models set designers Costume designers Makeup team

Apply through our link tree in instagram bio

WE ARE HIRING

positions

SNAKE PRINT