Strike Magazine UCF Issue 03

ISSUE 03 THAT’S LIFE 21

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

EXTERNAL DIRECTOR

Hanna Chute

Alex Adey

Claire Overstreet

CREATIVE DIRECTOR ASSISTANTS Noelle Espinal, Grayson Keglovic EXTERNAL DIRECTOR ASSISTANT Luisa Mesa

CREATIVE TEAMS CO-ART DIRECTORS Ashley Ferguson, Mia Marquez ART ASSISTANTS Regan Adre, Grace Altmire, Coryn Flavin, Peyton Gibson, Andrea Paradela, Andrew Zimmerman

STAFF SPREAD

CO-BEAUTY DIRECTORS Katherine Polgar, Alexandra Sullivan MAKE-UP ARTISTS Alyssa Góngora, Kellen Stephenson, Ashlyn Buckman STYLING DIRECTOR Adine Frazier STYLING ASSISTANTS Zachary Baker, Gabrielle Bosse, Ani Ekanem, Brianna Espinal, Erin Grier, Daniely RiveraMartinez, Isabel Vila PRODUCTION MANAGERS Nathalia Beltran, Lauren Leppert, Natasha Miguelez, Zane Tapper MAGAZINE PHOTOGRAPHERS David Cordero, Noelle Espinal, Ashley Ferguson, Riley Karekos, Berona Muro, Lena Neal, Jackson Ring, Braedon Walters, Christian Yancey SET DESIGN DIRECTOR Isa Maria Jones SET DESIGN ASSISTANTS Hannah King, Katrina Lashinger, Madison Mirra, Natalie Plastina PRODUCER Sarah Sullivan ASSISTANT PRODUCER Ariela Ortiz MEDIA/FILM DIRECTOR Kylie Kuhn HEAD OF VIDEOGRAPHY Ashleigh Jachles VIDEOGRAPHERS Daniel Botton, Francesca Duarte, Stephen Franklin, Cecelia Hubbard, Corey Marr, Emma Strauss 1

EDITORIAL TEAMS WRITING DIRECTOR Peyton Boudreaux COPY EDITORS Alexandra Laguna, Stephanie Peters, Lindsey Valenti STAFF WRITERS Nataly Ariza, Melissa Donovan, Madeline Gonzalez, Niyanna Jeffcoat, Haley Johnston, Riya Maria, Ellie Nassrallah, Reina Nieves, Carlie Nussbaum, Sylvie Picard, Emily Ruiz, Amanda Saavedra, Izabella Straka, Haley Wright

EXTERNAL TEAMS PR DIRECTOR Hannah Huerta PR ASSISTANTS Jessica Andrei, Marie Brooks, Marisa Davino, Jami Doolittle, Caroline Hudson, Allison Jimenez, Erin Jones, Jade LeBleu, Mia McMillan

STAFF SPREAD

PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR Alyssa Schroeder

EVENT DIRECTOR Donovan Butler EVENT ASSISTANTS Natalia Baez, Gabrielle Gleason, Nya Hearn, Emory McClean, Ariela Ortiz, Leslie Rodriguez CO-SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTORS Erin Jones, Abigail Thurston CONTENT CURATORS Olivia Alonso, Donovan Butler, Ani Ekanem, Andrea Ferrer, Jaime Happel, Marah Hunt, Sylvie Picard, Samantha Pietschman SOCIAL MEDIA PHOTOGRAPHERS Abbigail Huynh, Axel Marquez, Kayden Vitale SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHIC DESIGNER Daniela Ortiz, Natalie Plastina FUNDRAISING ASSISTANTS Alexander Morgan, Hayley Nguyen, Mya Salazar, Marlee Silver SALES ASSISTANTS Kassy Castro, Lindsey Davidson, Kendall Eisenhut CO-MERCHANDISE DIRECTORS Kelsey Bauch, Peyton Gibson 2 92

Letter from

THE EDITOR

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Photography By Berona Muro Designed By Ashley Ferguson

About

THE ISSUE

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Your 20’s are the best years of your life! Then why do so many of us feel this level of uncertainty about our goals and life track. School.

Minimum wage job. Repeat. This never ending cycle in life can make you feel trapped but how do you cope with it?

The art of tarot can be used to gain insight into the past, present and future. However, it is important to remember that you only have control over your present situation, as these cards act as a guide rather than telling you exactly what your future holds. It is entirely up to you to alter your life path.

When you swim towards your past you start to drown in the present.

We seem to always look back instead of forward. Chasing youth is a never-ending self-sabatoshing cycle that we all seem to get stuck in when we don’t like the present. The past will always remain in the past just like a river never flows backwards.

Entering the stoned zone is a place for your mind to run freely. We tend to question many circumstances and form new ground-breaking hypotheses or that’s just what we think in those moments. One question that really sums up our entire theme is what is the meaning of life? The best answers to the question come after you’ve entered the smoke circle.

To-list of life: 1.School 2.Dream job 3.Get married 4.Have kids 5.Happy ever after. A great blueprint to life however, there are people out there that don’t feel the need to check those boxes. Not another wedding represents the idea of going beyond society’s list.

Life takes you to a crossroads. Which route do you take? Being at a crossroads represents the idea of having two minds about making a decision. Is any path the right one? That is for you to decide.

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LIFE IS A VIDEO GAME

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9-5 by: Ellie Nassrallah

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Laying alone in your dark, messy bedroom and scrolling through Instagram is the equivalent of our generation playing a game of emotional Russian roulette. There is nothing more taunting than watching everyone you follow post their fun social outings, from picnics to a day trip to Disney World, while you lay at home exhausted from a long day of classes or just feeling sick of your mundane life.

While we have all experienced this, some of us never come to the realization that life on social media can be deceiving and completely fabricated. While you’re looking at your friends’ posts with jealousy, there is no knowing what truly went on behind the scenes.

We have all posted a photo of us that looks like we are having the time of our lives with a cute and fun caption to match, which doesn’t quite tell the story of what happened that day. All of this desire to have what everyone else has could be for no reason, as we never know what goes on behind the lens of someone’s camera, which captures these events of them supposedly living their lives to the fullest. From vacations gone wrong to a cute photoshoot, fellow members of Strike Magazine share their stories of sad days that are perfectly cropped and filtered to meet the standards Instagram holds.

Kayden Vitale, who posted pictures of her New York trip on her Instagram feed, said the vacation was not as glamorous as she made it out to be. Her pictures, where she posed happily and captioned one of the posts, ‘Livin like a rockstar’, have a deeper story behind them.

“Me and a friend took a spontaneous trip to Philadelphia and she had told me that she had a friend we could stay with there, come to find out that she had never met this friend in person before,” said Kayden. “He ended up being a scary 30-year-old man that had practically catfished her. So, we had to use all of our money to get a bus ride to New York plus pay for an Airbnb which we both had no money for. I had posted pictures from the trip like I was having a blast, but in reality I was having panic attacks everyday and crying on the phone with my mom because I so badly wanted to be home.”

Most people who viewed these photos would be jealous of a vacation to New York City and seeing this may depress them or make them feel envious and wish they could go on a vacation like that. We often try to live vicariously through other people on social media without knowing the full story, because we tend to assume everyone’s lives are so much better than ours. We envy people and their lives when all we see is the snippets of them where they seem to look perfect. Social media has us hypnotized everyone is living their lives to the fullest except for us, and the FOMO (also known as fear of missing out) all of us face could be for no reason. Approximately 56% of social media users experience FOMO; this especially affects our age group as college kids, as loneliness plagues 20-somethings more than any other age. This also may compel us to post even when we are feeling the most down, because we want to make our social media feed pretty and nice even though our lives may currently not be. G. Lanier talks about a time she posted pictures of herself posing and smiling when in reality she was going through a lot.

“I think one of the hardest posts I’ve ever made was an autumnal one, where I was wrapped in fairy lights,” said G. “I had just come from a makeshift pet funeral and struggled to brush the dirt off my jeans for a photoshoot.”

Social media can determine a lot of people’s happiness and it is also used to give the illusion of happiness. Up to 66% of frequent social media users have a higher depression rate than those who use it way less. Whether it’s wishing we had someone else’s life, or posting photos to make our online presence at its best, it can impact mental health negatively in the long run.

This isn’t supposed to give the idea to steer away from social media use, but to give a different perspective next time you find yourself experiencing FOMO. There’s nothing wrong with feeling like you’re not living your life to the fullest, as we all feel that pressure that we need to live our lives like it’s a coming of age movie.

“ we envy people and their lives when all we see is the snippets of them where they seem to look perfect.”

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WRITTEN IN THE CARDS

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WITH A GRAIN OF SALT As seen on social media, in advertising, and even on t-shirts, tarot cards have become increasingly popular. The practice has become so widely known that many can say they have experienced it at least once. While its current usage is commonly known, its history shows a different origin. Knowing the past can help us better understand the present.

While the cards can’t always be taken in the most literal way, when an intention is set before a reading, they can help the user gain insight or direction. They can be used before major life events -- like starting college-- to help prepare for what lies ahead; not to say they can predict what is going to unfold, but they can show you what to look out for.

Around the 14th century, European artists created the first set of cards which were originally used for games; here is where the four original suits stemmed from: Wands, Coins, Cups, and Swords.

Artists then started to design the cards that resemble the cards we see today with heavy illustrations in addition to the existing suits.

The cards were first reserved for the wealthy that could afford for an artist to create a set for them-- many of which included images of family members and other customizations. Until, eventually, a printing press was able to mass produce the cards for the common family.

These readings should be taken with a grain of salt; the cards’ meanings may not appear literally in our lives. About a decade ago my mother and father went to a tarot reader in Key West. My fathers reading was mainly centered around cups and coins which gave him the idea that he would do well with his new business but now I can see that this appeared in more aspects of his life other than that business; he has traveled, gotten the boat he always wanted, and bought a place in his favorite part of Florida. The main point from my mom’s reading, at least from what she’s told me, was that she was meant to have three kids. She already had me and my brother so she couldn’t imagine having a third. This card manifested however later when we got our dog Cookie - to whom she treated like another child. It took us reminiscing over that Keys trip for her to realize that Cookie was the third child the cards were talking about. The cards were right in a sense although it may not have been the most literal meaning that came true.

The idea that the cards could be used as a divination tool came later around the 17th century but even then they did not use the cards to the extent we use them today. It wasn’t until the 18th century that the cards began to hold specific meanings and different set-ups were created for purposeful divination readings.

Each suit leads to a certain aspect of our lives. Cups represent feelings and intuition; Coins (Pentacles) signify career and material possessions; Swords represent our thoughts and actions; Wands show our motivations and passions. Each card can be applied depending on the kind of reading that is being performed. There can be the daily use of the cards; these readings can give an insight into what out day holds and other obstacles to watch for. There can also be readings regarding a specific situation in mind as well as readings concerning our past, present and future; it all depends on what is being asked of the cards.

Tarot cards have been used for hundreds of years and although they didn’t always start off being used the way we use them now, they have now become a part of so many people. There are now decks for every interest and can be applied to our daily lives. Whether you choose to listen or ignore the cards, the message they showed you can give you clarity if you let it. You can take away what you want from a Tarot card reading.

By Madeline Gonzalez

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LIFE IMITATES ART

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FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

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CHILDHOOD JOURNAL

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To my future self: I guess that’s me, five years later.

It’s crazy to me that my moments are nothing but your memories. My monumentals are your nothings. You have had so many successes and failures that I can’t even begin to count, but one day they won’t just be your’s, they’ll be ours.

There are so many things I want to tell you. I’m graduating college in May with a degree I’m in love with and the tools to change the world. Wow, you would be so excited. Who would’ve thought I’d make it here?

But before they are, while I’m still just me and you’re still just a figment of my imagination, still moldable, I want to remind you of who you were. Back when your hair was stained red, your fingertips with blue ink.

I write with grey these days but my hair is still stained red, as are my bathroom tiles. I look a little different now. My body is marked with tattooed stories you have yet to read, but I think you’d like what I’ve done with it.

Remember you are not what has happened to you. You are what you want and choose to be.

Oh, sweet Haley, you are what has happened to you, and what will happen to you. And that’s okay. You tell your stories like they’re magical fables to young girls just like you once were and become the adult you so desperately wished you had.

The family drama and childhood mishaps are a layer to your intricate cake.

And while someone might not like buttercream frosting, the layer of chocolate ganache can mask it. Keep baking, it’s relaxing and makes people smile.

I’m still baking, and making terrible metaphors. You have no idea what a quarantine even is yet (wow, am I jealous), but you’ll have a little extra time to practice and hone in on your skills. It’s actually how you make a lot of friends in college; no one can say no to a free homemade cinnamon roll.

Don’t cringe at old photos, topped with filters and pun filled captions. Smile at the weird clothes and dorky positions.

Oh, trust me, I cringe, and delete, and archive constantly. Whoever told you chunky headbands and a side part looked good you lied right to your face. but I bet five years from now I’ll feel the same way about what I’m wearing now.

Read the journals. You have your entire childhood laid out in bedazzled Justice notebooks. Get a drink, read them, laugh, and cry.

Rereading is painful in a way you don’t know yet. I work with kids the age I was when writing these things and picturing it coming from their lips, it kills me. I don’t know why you kept going, what got you out of bed each morning, but I’m so glad you did. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to help the next you.

Everything will happen as it should Haley, you know this but in case you forgot it will.

I know. And everything happened the way it was supposed to.

I’m proud of you, no matter what you’re doing Haley. I’m proud of you for making it there.

I’m proud of you too. Even if I don’t say it enough. To the girl with buck teeth and a big smile, everything will happen as it should.

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Choose your fighter: blunt, joint, bong, gravity bong, dab rig or pen?

Weapon of choice: Sativa, Indica, or hybrid?

Pick your poison: boiled peanuts, gummy worms, pizza rolls or a random concoction of whatever is in your fridge?

Whether you’re a veteran or rookie stoner, the smoke circle is a place in which your high thoughts can thrive. It grants you the privilege to spew the most random, far-fetched ideas out there to your friends - and if you’re in good enough company - they’ll spew it right back at ya. So, I asked every stoner that I could possibly think of to please share with me some of their funniest high thoughts, stories or ideal blunt rotation. Puff, puff - pass that ‘blurnt’ - gather the pals, get some water on deck, spark up your favorite lighter and take a spot in the rotation because this joint is now in sesh-ion.

Dream Rotation: Guy Fieri - need someone to cook for us OMG or Sam the cooking guy Elon Musk - he’ll bring some interesting topics to the table Chicken Joe [from ‘Surf ’s Up’] - need that Sheboygan wisco energy 2 Chainz - he’d probably bring his dog The Queen [of England] - I feel like she’d be a good vibe and she’d bring her corgis Blunts and Blondes [DJ] - need that fire mix he finna post up with Subtronics [DJ] - I wanna witness this man out smoke every single one of us Griz [DJ] - that ASTRO FUNKK someone’s gotta supply the weeds Tana Mongeau - need some chaotic energy Cody and Noel - Ash High Thoughts: Greyhounds are like Phineas from Phineas and Ferb Why do they always make dinosaurs angry?

Popcorn is like eating styrofoam I can feel everything Everything has a feeling Reality is just zooming in and out between dreaming and the present Modern day heart break: he doesn’t vote in my Instagram polls anymore Wtf is an Idaho I just saw a Dino leaf I look like Pete Davidson What would happen if the ants eat my edible Think about how Shrek would’ve acted if he wasn’t under constant scrutiny. He played into the role they gave him.

I’m gonna name my kid shrek. They/them shrek

High Experiences: “One time me and my friends were smoking in the park at night and buddy walked into a branch and was like ‘oh this tree wanna talk shit’ then proceeded to beat it up for real,” Amy. “I was at my neighbors house smoking the other day and they have this really cute pit bull.

He was licking my ear earlier and then a few minutes later he had an earring in his mouth shaped like a dolphin and my neighbor was like ‘what where did he get that’ and I was like damn that’s crazy I’m wearing a dolphin earring right now what are the odds. Obviously it was my earring lol but I was like WOW WHAT A COINCIDENCE,” - Frankie.

“Mark Zuckerberg is a simulation created by another simulation and we are just the lowest on a totem pole,” - Helen.

“Dream blunt rotation: a clone of my mom that smokes weed, Rick [from Rick and Morty], an anthropomorphic koala, Louise (from bobs burgers),” - Andrea.

“I don’t remember the specifics, but my friends and I got super high together and made a plan for world peace. Long story short- we stage a huge UN world leaders summit. Lock all the world leaders in a room together and drug their water with LSD. We couldn’t decide if there should be some kind of trip sitter, or shaman or not but we figured if they could all just work out their differences on acid then the world might just be a better place,” - Mia.

This is a recount of a conversation that I had with someone while sober, about an idea that he thought of while high. He told me that he has always been fascinated by circles, and spherical shapes. Think about it, almost everything is a sphere - the sun, the moon, the planets, cells (for the most part), atoms, protons and electrons, etc. If you zoom in super close to atoms, they look as if they are miles apart from one another, but when you zoom out, obviously, we know they are not. So, what if our solar system is an atom on some greater, giant being and the galaxy, the milky way, is a cell on that being. Technically, Earth is an electron.

The planets and other solar systems are so far away from each other, but zoom out - in the grand scheme of things they’re not that spaced out from one another. I found this so interesting. Just something to think about.

Whether you’re looking to use marijuana medically or recreationally, knowing your limits and feeling comfortable in the environment in which you are in is important. Enjoy responsibly, but remember just to have fun. You can’t take life too seriously - even if you are pondering the meaning of existence.

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Safety Nets

By Madeline Gonzalez

“If we’re both single by the time we’re 30, then we’ll get married.”

It’s the ones we’ve known since 3rd grade, the people we meet throughout our lives that never panned out to be more than just friends: our safety nets.

Society’s timeline dictates our milestones. It tells us when we should get married, when we should have kids, and how our lives should unfold following those events. We are made to understand this timeline from a young age which is why we start making these contracts with the people who make us feel secure.

There are two factors that come into play with a marriage contract; the who and the when. Who we make these pacts with are people that we would always want in our lives, either romantically or platonically. It could also be said that we see potential for love to grow with this person.

It’s like a penguin - it has all the characteristics of a bird that can fly, but it can’t. The same can be said about who we make these pacts with. The timing of these pacts lines up with the imaginary timelines running through our heads. Conventional timelines show buying a house, traveling abroad, and having kids as steps that should occur after a marriage.

Should they happen out of order, those who surround them tend to look skeptically and wonder how that life is going to pan out since there is little precedent. Having these pacts gives a safety net into the conventional.

As for why we feel the need to make marriage pacts,it could be connected to the idea that doing things alone is abnormal. Whether it’s eating alone, attending events alone, traveling alone, or just going through life alone, we feel the need to have someone alongside us. This is something we have been taught our whole lives; we have never been taught how to be comfortably alone. ‘Normally’, college is the first time we have had the opportunity to do things on our own and have it not be something to marvel at. We eat on our own, shop on our own, study on our own, make friends on our own; all as part of the mundane day compared to the previously rare occasion when a parent or friend was not attached to our hip. Now, in college, we have to learn to find company within our thoughts and focus on ourselves rather than others.

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It has been instilled in us that loneliness stems from being physically alone. Our newfound independence in college can bring about fears we didn’t know we had but it can also help in understanding the difference between alone and lonely. In order to avoid being lonely, we create these pacts to ensure that we are never alone. These two words have always been linked to one another when actually you can be alone but not lonely. They both hold a negative connotation and generally describe the same thing however alone is an act and lonely is a feeling. One can bring about the other but they are not inherently the same. It’s in our nature to be social and to seek out meaningful relationships but we tend to neglect the company we always have with us; ourselves. We typically need around five relationships to have a happy life and we can start counting ourselves as one of those. When we have had the opportunity to, being alone usually isn’t the best time but becoming your own friend can turn the situation into a positive one. The word alone comes with a negative connotation and can elicit a negative response but once we get used to our own company, we can start to appreciate our time alone without letting ourselves get lonely.

These marriage pacts are seen as a fail-proof way to avoid being lonely when actually, you can be with someone or in a group and still feel lonely; having company doesn’t automatically mean we are not lonely. Marriage has been seen and taught as being the solution to never having to be alone; however, having a healthy relationship with ourselves can become the new fail-proof way to avoid being lonely.

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You May Now Kiss Your Pride In third grade, I was convinced that I had encountered the most evilest in all of existence which took form in the small body of a 5’0” 53 year-old woman named Ms. Smith. At first glance, Ms. Smith radiated nothing but warmth. But her looks, although deceiving, could not blanket the nature of her true intentions. One morning, while I was daydreaming through our daily objectives, Ms. Smith meticulously swiped a neatly folded note from my desk and then proceeded to announce to the whole class my secret, but undying love for a boy who sat just one desk away. Imagine a page from your diary being read aloud in front of all your peers. Now imagine not just your friends, but all your family members present… Sound terrifying? Sound familiar?

Well, if this nightmarish retelling of one of the most embarrassing moments of my life hasn’t cautioned you to never leave a love note on your desk, let me enlighten you by saying this. Believe it or not, one day, you, likewise to Ms. Smith, may willingly stand before your family and friends and profess your undying love for someone who may or may not have sat a desk away from you.

Wedding vows, although endearing to some, have never particularly rubbed me the right way. The exchange of promises and a future and “forever” in front of an audience of those who you hold dearest to your heart makes me almost equally as nauseous as reliving my third grade trauma. To put things further into perspective, 50% of all marriages end in divorce.

And as morbid as it sounds, that means that of half the weddings you attend in your lifetime, including your own, you may just be witnessing two people lying to each other.

Regardless of those who do eventually cut the knot, couples who don’t get divorced aren’t immune to the prospective failure of upholding their own vows. We often forget that although marriage is a union of two, making a lifelong commitment to yourself should be your first and foremost vow. People have the tendency to get married and ultimately forget the importance of their own individuality. They get so caught up in the ideal of providing or caring for one another, that they neglect the person that their spouse fell for in the first place. A partner should not be someone who completes you. A partner, as given by that title alone, should be someone who compliments you and supports you in becoming the version of yourself that you’re most proud of.

They shouldn’t be the source of your growth or happiness, but rather an amplifier of all that you already are.

The tradition of writing wedding vows is a beautiful thing, don’t get me wrong. But it is misleading, and some may even agree that it is outdated. Our parents shouldn’t be the template of all a successful marriage has to offer, so why follow in their orthodox footsteps? Why not establish new and more personal wedding traditions such as writing vows to yourself. Proudly stand before your spouse and promise them that you’ll never give up on you. Look them in the eyes and tell them how much you value your own pride. Decide not to share a last name if that’s how much your individuality means to you. Before saying “I Do”, maybe start by saying “I Don’t” to the conventional ideals of a wedding that may not represent all that you and your spouse hope to gain from your marriage.

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SONDER

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The way we view the strangers on the highway is reminiscent of how we view the strangers we see on social media. In both instances, their lives are all just a mystery; there is no information other than what is seen in the post or through the car window.

You can speed up and slow down or scroll back and forth to try to understand a bit more about what can be seen. In both instances, we are trying to get a better understanding of what we’re seeing but really we are still only making assumptions. It is difficult to get a grasp on both kinds of people through the brief moments we see them.Just like us, they have complex lives that go beyond what we see through these windows.

SON DER

LIVES THROUGH WINDOWS Madeline Gonzalez

Object permanence is described as the ability to understand that although an object or person can no longer be seen, they, as well as all the complexities they held before, still exist. While this concept is easier to grasp in relation to objects, it can be said that social media has made this hard to understand in terms of people. This might be easier to apply with the people we see on a daily basis, though can become more difficult with those we see in passing;whether that be walking by on campus or scrolling past on social media. It is easier to understand that once our roommates go into their rooms, they don’t disappear.

This concept can get hazy with the people we see on the bus, in the library, behind us in line; they leave and we can’t say for certain that they will come back nor can we imagine what they are doing after. All the possibilities of what they could be doing are harder to comprehend compared to just letting go of the idea of them existing. The outbreak of social media personalities has created a persona that is not fully authentic and is, instead, a depiction of a selective part of themselves. To combat this, there has been an emergence of Influencers showing the duality of their posts; the outtakes of a shoot, a post before and after editing, a behind-the-scenes shot. There was also recently the trend of accounts explaining the story behind the picture which most times gives a different view of the post when you know what went on around it. It is easy to get caught up in the idea that, just because an account looks perfect, then the life of the person behind it must be perfect when it actually is from it.

Followers may believe that they know so much about a person when actually they only know what the account wants them to know. This can be seen on a large and small scale like celebrities concealing major parts of their lives in an attempt for privacy and not knowing a girl from your past has a new partner. Both can paint a picture of their choice about their lives.

On my account, for instance, there are plenty of photos that have backstories that many would not have guessed. While some pictures can be taken at face value, there are also photos taken after a day of pure exhaustion, with people I no longer speak to, with people I just met, pictures taken ages ago. These photos are all throughout my account leading a narrative that I choose rather than the narrative that the pictures would tell if they could speak for themselves. I have personal connotations attached to each photo but that is because I know what went on around it; the same can’t be said about those who are seeing the picture in passing.

We tend to have the belief that we, along with our inner circles, are the center of the universe - the main characters. We then forget that everyone we meet likely has the same idea. This generation has grown accustomed to seeing ourselves as the main character and everyone else as just people we scroll or drive past. Outside of our inner circle, we only get an insight into the lives of those around us through posts on Instagram or updates on Snapchat which are both things that disappear as quickly as they appear. It would be hard for anyone to understand a larger picture when you can only see a small corner for a short period of time.

It is hard to change this mindset but what we can learn from this is to be more present in our own lives. We post everything with the idea that those who follow us care when in actuality, they react just as you do with their posts. No one can care more about your life than you will, so enjoy it in the present before the moment drives away.

SONDER

[sohn-dehrr] noun The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.

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GOLDEN DREAMS Minah saw her dreams as fractured golden pieces she could never keep from piling into Harry’s hands. Harry, who’s been her boyfriend for seven years. From high school to college, she knew their lives melted together to form one single clump of existence. Minah always saw college in her vision for the future, and in that future, she always saw Harry. His dreams of being a pediatrician were diamonds that shimmered into Minah’s eyes. When their sophomore year of high school ended, Harry decided that he wanted to go to the best school he could, so Minah ensured that her grades were the best they could be to be with him there. But graduation was soured, a bitter taste entering her mouth as Harry’s family joked that “Minah will always follow Harry, even if it’s to the ends of the Earth.” But they were in college now, and the words from his family still rang in her ears.

The door to the apartment they lived in always groaned at the simplest touch when someone entered. Her senior year of college was busy, and she was flooded with tasks for job applications and classes. With graduation a mere month away, Minah was more than ready to enter the next phase of her life.

With a grumble, her apartment door opened, and she entered the darkness. The bags of groceries in her hands hissed as she took in the closed curtains. Empty boxes that she saved for moving out were cluttered into a corner as her fingers fumbled against the wall for the light switch.

“Minah,” Harry called softly.

Her heart jolted, forgetting about a source of light; she turned to meet the man curled into the couch, a blanket wrapped tightly around him. His hair stuck up on every inch of his head, his glasses illuminated by the computer resting on the table in front of him.

Minah loved Harry, from the crooked glasses he wore in the mornings down the loose threads that dangled from his sweaters on his way to class. She loved his hands and the way rubbed circles in her back when she was stressed, slow and careful, as if he’s trying to brush away the weight of the day. And maybe his family was right, in the way that she always searched for the looming shadow of her lover in the mornings.

“Hey, love,” Minah greeted, “what are you doing in the dark?”

Adjusting his glasses, she watched as his fingers found her computer. The threads hanging from the sleeve of his sweater danced from their place as he shifted the device for her to view.

“What’s this?” he asked.

The computer was bright, a slight burn passing Minah’s eyes as she tried to read the screen. It was an email, an offer for an interview at a publishing company Minah never expected to get an offer from. She didn’t tell Harry about this company, about how she spent nights curled into his side imagining her life there.

She loved Harry, but she had dreams of her own. She remained silent and let the tension in the air smother the words she wanted to say.

“I’ll tell you what it is,” Harry decided. Rising to his feet, he gathered the computer into his arms as the blanket crumpled to the ground. “It’s an email from a company in New York, wanting to thank you for your application. They want an interview with you because your resume was truly,” a dark shadow crossed his face as he lowered the computer, “everything they’ve been looking for.”

“It’s just an interview—” “Yes, Minah, an interview, to a job in a completely different state from my medical school—” “I haven’t responded yet—” Somewhere in the hall outside of their apartment, a door groaned. As the room

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Niyanna Jeffcoat

chilled, Minah let a shiver rush down her spine and turned to find the light switch.

When the room became illuminated, she met the darkened bags that encircled Harry’s face. The bottom of his sweater was tattered from the amount of pulled, cut, and loosened strands that gathered there. His hands, quivering as they held the computer, were red at the tips. Minah took a step towards him, ready to apologize, to drop the groceries and curl into his side. Yet he stepped away, his eyes steady as a wavering breath passed his lips.

“Well,” he closed the laptop with a snap, “are you? Gonna respond?”

Minah took a breath and lowered the bags to the floor.

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THAT’S LIFE Reina Nieves

That’s what all the people say.

You’re riding high in April. Shot down in May. But I know I’m going to change that tune.

When I’m back on top, back on top in June.

Sinatra says it’s what all the people say. It’s true. It’s something you can’t help but say when something goes wrong. My car got a flat tire in the middle of I-4 traffic, “That’s Life”. I failed my final exam, “That’s Life”. I got dumped on Valentine’s Day, “That’s Life”. How come we don’t say this when any good comes our way? Celebrating both little and large victories in our precious lives: I made it through my speech in English Class, “That’s Life.”

I quit smoking three years ago today, “That’s Life.” The sunset looked beautiful today, “That’s Life.”

I said that’s life.

And as funny as it may seem. Some people get their kicks stomping on a dream.

But I don’t let it, let it get me down.

‘Cause this fine old world, it keeps spinnin’ around.

There are seven billion people in this world, all on a floating rock. We are in our own solar system, inside our billion mile wide galaxy, floating around and around different galaxies in our local group. There are perceivably endless stars and endless galaxies in our universe. Everything is still ever expanding, ever enlarging and the idea that scientists and experts still have no idea what is going on. Your problems don’t seem so big at that scale, does it? Your broken nail, the boy that left you on read, the failed math exam. It seems overkill to spend so much time on these “Earthly” problems when the scale of our world is too scientifically, statistically large to calculate. Spending time with those who you care about and loving immensely while you are still here seems like a much more productive use of your time here.

I’ve been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn, and a king.

I’ve been up and down and over and out, and I know one thing.

Each time I find myself, laying flat on my face, I just pick myself up and get back in the race.

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There’s a saying in Japanese culture. There are three faces we show in our lifetime. The first one is the one you show the world, the next, your family, and your last, the one you are hiding and reserving for yourself. In other words, we portray/wear different hats for different people. You could even go deeper on this and say you wear different hats for different friends, partners, or maybe even distinct family members. Reasonably so, it’s a dogeat-dog world.

Wear your hats. Don’t let your hats wear you. It’s so easy to get caught up in false personas to please others. You can’t please everyone and you can’t fit into every group. It’s reality. …That’s life.

That’s life and I can’t deny it.

Many times, I thought of cutting out but my heart wont buy it.

But if there’s nothing shaking come this here July.

I’m gonna roll myself up. In a big ball. And die.

I disagree, Sinatra. Failure is what makes life interesting. To depart, Sinatra finally tells us to give up. Things don’t “shake” (move smoothly) in life regularly. It’s hard. We face setbacks, turmoil and struggles on the regular. Sure, it is hard, I’m not doubting that. But I don’t let it, let it get me down, as he says.

For every setback, there’s a breakthrough, for every turmoil there’s a triumph, and for every struggle there’s harmony. Don’t go out “dying.” Don’t take things so seriously. Life is way too short not to.

My, my.

Good luck and take care of yourself ! I’m rooting for you.

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CREDITS Staff List:

Designer- Mia Marquez

Letter From The Editor: Designer- Coryn Flavin

Table Of Contents:

Ashley Ferguson,Regan Adre, Andy Zimmerman Styling- Adina Frazier, Ani Ekanem, Daniely Rivera-Martinez Photo Editor- Jackson Ring Set Design- Isa Maria Jones, Hannah King Katrina Lashinger, Madison Mirra, Natalie Plastina Photographers- Jackson Ring, Ashley Ferguson, David Cordero Video- Corey Marr, Daniel Botton Beauty- Katherine Polgar

Designers- Ashley Ferguson, Peyton Gibson

Life is A Video Game: Designer- Andrea Paradela Writer- Peyton Boudreaux

Concept- Jackson Ring Designer- Mia Marquez

Quarterlife Crisis:

What’s the Meaning of Life:

Spice Up Your Life:

Not Another Wedding:

Concept- Hanna Chute Production Manager- Nathalia Beltran Designers- Mia Marquez, Coryn Flavin, Grace Altmire, Regan Andre, Andy Zimmerman Photographers- Braedon Walters, Berona Muro Photo Editors- Riley Karekos, Ashley Ferguson Set Design- Isa Maria Jones, Hannah King, Katrina Lashinger, Madison Mirra, Natalie Plastina Styling- Ani Ekanem, Adina Frazier Video- Corey Marr, Emma Strauss Beauty- Alexandra Sullivan, Katherine Polgar Casting- G Lanier

Designer- Noelle Espinal Concept- Grayson Keglovic

Grass Isn’t Always Greener: Designer- Mia Marquez Concept- Alex Adey

Written in the Cards:

Concept- Claire Overstreet Production Manager- Nathalia Beltran Photo Editor- Lena Neal Photographers- Braedon Walters, Christain Yancey, Riley Karekos Styling- Ani Ekanem, Adina Frazier, Daniely Rivera-Martinez Set Design- Isa Maria Jones, Hannah King, Katrina Lashinger, Madison Mirra, Natalie Plastina Designers- Andy Zimmerman, Coryn Flavin, Peyton Gibson, Grace Altmire, Regan Adre, Ashley Ferguson, Mia Marquez Beauty- Alexandra Sullivan, Katherine Polgar, Kellen Stephenson Video- Cecelia Hubbard Casting- G Lanier

Life Imitates Art:

Concept- Emily Ruiz Photographer and Photo Editor- Lena Neal Designer- Andrea Paradela

Fountain of Youth:

Production Manager- Natasha Miguelez Concept- Hanna Chute Designers- Andrea Paradela, Coryn Flavin,

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Childhood Journal:

Concept- Hanna Chute Photo Editor- Jackson Ring Photographers- Jackson Ring, Lena Neal Designers- Peyton Gibson, Grace Altmire, Regan Adre, Andrea Paradela, Andy Zimmerman, Noelle Espinal, Mia Marquez Set Design- Isa Maria Jones, Hannah King, Katrina Lashinger, Madison Mirra, Natalie Plastina Styling- Adina Frazier Beauty- Alexandra Sullivan, Katherine Polgar, Ashlyn Buckman, Kellen Stephenson Video- Emma Strauss, Franki Duarte Casting- G Lanier

Concept- Erin Grier Designers- Grace Altmire, Peyton Gibson, Noelle Espinal, Andy Zimmerman, Ashley Ferguson Photo Editor- Riley Karekos Photographers- Ashley Ferguson, Berona Muro, Riley Karekos Beauty- Katherine Polgar, Alexandra Sullivan Video- Cecelia Hubbard, Corey Marr Casting- G Lanier Styling- Adina Frazier, Ani Ekanem, Erin Grier Set Design- Isa Maria Jones, Hannah King, Katrina Lashinger, Madison Mirra, Natalie Plastina

Sonder:

Designer- Ashley Ferguson Concept- Erin Michelle Photographer- David Cordero

Cross Roads:

Concept- Hanna Chute Designers- Ashley Ferguson, Coryn Flavin, Regan Andre, Peyton Gibson, Andrea Paradela, Mia Marquez Production Manager- Zane Tapper Photo Editor- Noelle Espinal Photographers- Christian Yancey, Noelle Espinal, Berona Muro, Isa Maria Jones Beauty- Katherine Polgar, Alexandra Sullivan, Ashlyn Buckman Video- Daniel Botton, Franki Duarte Casting- G Lanier Styling- Adina Frazier, Ani Ekanem, Zane Tapper Set Design- Isa Maria Jones, Hannah King, Katrina Lashinger, Madison Mirra, Natalie Plastina

THANK YOU To Hannah Kealy: Thank you for trusting us to bring your vision to life in Orlando. This is genuinely a once in a lifetime experience, and we are very grateful for your support.

To Emma Oleck: Without your leadership, none of this would be possible. Thank you for always being someone we can turn to for advice.

Issue 03 is dedicated to Kevin Overstreet, thank you for always supporting us and coming up with the best ideas.

MODELS Lucinne Zetrenn, Ani Ekenam, Chloe Trieu, Mackenzie Logan, Jasmine Garcia, Christopher Carter, Claire Overstreet, Peyton Gibson, Darrell Wright Jr., Eri Orengo, Zane Tapper

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SCAN CODE TO WATCH OUR PHOTOSHOOTS COME TO LIFE QUARTER LIFE CRISIS

WRITTEN IN THE CARDS

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

WHAT’S THE MEANING OF LIFE?

NOT ANOTHER WEDDING

CROSSROADS

DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUR WEBSITE WWW.STRIKEMAGAZINE.COM OR FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @STRIKEMAGAZINEUCF

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N o l a

Tibby’s is not just about what you see, but how it makes you feel. It’s the New Orleans that locals call home.

Beignets. A classic New Orleans pastry.

Covered in powdered sugar.

new ORLEANS KITCHEN

@EATATTIBBYS www.tibbys.com winter park | altamonte

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