Strike Magazine FSU Issue 10

ISSUE 10

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tabitha Labrato CREATIVE DIRECTOR Helen Trawick SHOOTS TEAM Reese Hafner Hannah Fliess Abby Gleason Anisa Velazquez Cate Adams Colby Milchin Leah Davis Taylor Colling Sydney Tindall Vallerie Kolczynski Jade Sievers Katie Jones Emma Edy Morris Anastasia McGill Emily Cabrera Tia Kearney Abby Marcil Nia Alexander Giovanna Moceri Maddie Mayberry DIGITAL DIRECTOR Lily Fox DIGITAL TEAM Sarah Anthony Lindsey Solomon Brianna Bascle Alysha Steinman Adrian Junco Martelle Jackson Abigail Thielen Hope Joffray Sophya Ojeda Skye Fox

Alexandra Martin Emma Davis Brianna Piderit Kayla Bright EXTERNAL DIRECTOR Sara Sanfilippo EXTERNAL ASSISTANT Meredith Brosofsky EXTERNAL TEAM Kelsey McDermott ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Brianna Winders ADVERTISING TEAM Emma Roush Andrea Wolfe Alexa Casanueve Cordelia Seymour Cammy Park Jillian Barley Scott Sampson Daniells Curatelli Marisa Balzano SALES DIRECTOR Alex Pittman SALES TEAM Emily Ensel Rachel Newcombe Biance Loewen Maya Nadulek EVENT DIRECTOR Sarah Lower EVENTS TEAM Alyssa Bynum Olivia Ellis Keira Wilkinson Lauren Greenbaum

INSTAGRAM DIRECTOR Cristina Reyes INSTAGRAM TEAM Patricia Ferrer Nikki Kramarz Natasha March Stefanie Becker Isabella Harrison TIK TOK DIRECTOR Lalo Ambris TIK TOK TEAM Jade Edmonds Sophia Smith Quentin Mantilla MERCHANDISE DIRECTOR Alexandra Dabage MERCHANDISE TEAM Matthew Levine Gracie Upbin Sam Fineo Delaney Hanson Sienna Kelley PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Layla Mathews PHOTOGRAPHY TEAM Lalo Ambris Sammy Crown Kevin Farley Julian Gonzalez Abigail Marcil Sarah Morris Katrina Oro Michelle Poreh Sophia Quintero Olivia Rodriguez Lola Rivero

VIDEOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Libby Bekins ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Alex Pagan VIDEOGRAPHY TEAM Molly Dekraai Olivia Kasper Rachel Martinez Imani Armand Sophie Kish Chole Miller Eva Akaishi Kevin Farley BEAUTY DIRECTOR Abby Wright BEAUTY TEAM Rebecca Short Katie Russell Carson Schultz Victoria de la Torriente Stephanie Kraus Emmali O’Neill Lauren Butts GRAPHICS DIRECTOR Sophia Villiers-Furze GRAPHICS TEAM Giana Carew Abbey Fleming Katie Boucher Madison Dodd Olivia Glatzer Valerie Esquivel Daniela Rodriguez Madison Karram Alison MacCloud Nicole Terry Allexandria Clemons Alexandra Rivero Lauren Wakeman Madison Sloan LAYOUT DIRECTOR Lauren Horner LAYOUT TEAM Molly Custis Stella Humberg Taylor Kirby Lily Riopelle

WRITING DIRECTOR Lexi Fernandez EDITORS Karina McCarthy Breanna Tang Noelle Knowlton Faveanny Leyva WRITERS Alyssa Cuevas Alyson Brinkley Kylee Seaver Isabel Burden Alexa Martinez-Loza Roxy Rico Samantha Petters Annamarie Simoldoni Veronica Polanco Gillian Bennett Emily Valmana Jayna O Elissa Day Racquel Gluckstern Nikki Cohen Isabella Botero Gavin Pinto Kylee Mukeba Nyan Clark Sara Vigne BRAND AMBASSADOR DIRECTOR Gabriela Sicardi BRAND AMBASSADORS Hannah Emonds Bethany Newcomb Jennifer O’ Grady Paulina Matheu Valerie Verga Lexis Kreimeier Caroline Booth Sophia Pinilla Kamilla Knyazeva Peyton Earl Kayla Montenegro Jamie Schmidt Julianna Coates Stefanie Becker Ella Yazdanpour John Phillips

Madison Lowery Scott Sampson Rose Jackson Marena Bentoit Olivia Bradley Kendall Butler FINANCE DIRECTOR Fatima Hamad FINANCE TEAM Lauren Nally Victoria Cone PRODUCTIONS DIRECTOR Alyson Brinkley PRODUCTIONS TEAM Grace Wu Aryana Hashemian Heaven Le RUNWAY DIRECTOR Daniela Rodriguez RUNWAY ASSISTANT Jacquelyn McGaha Isabel Wilder RUNWAY TEAM Nicole Shaked Alexandra Stutman Katie Kissane Emily Cabrera Kaya Arena Alani Verges

DIRECTOR’S NOTES EXTERNAL DIRECTOR: SARA SANFILIPPO I am so grateful to have gotten to work with both of you again this semester. Thank you for all of your hard work and I’m so proud of you both, I love being a team with you two.

SALES DIRECTOR: ALEX PITTMAN i am beyond thankful to have been a part of something so special that is issue 10. It has been an honor being a director this semester and I can’t wait for the readers to enjoy what we all made happen!

VIDEOGRAPHY DIRECTOR: LIBBY BEKINS I just want to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to each of you. My first semester as a director and you all helped me drastically. I am so grateful to have each of your creative minds on my team, thank you for making issue 10 the best. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you, love you video team! <3 BEAUTY DIRECTOR: ABBY WRIGHT I feel so blessed to have worked on Strike for four issues learning from some of the most creative and talented minds at FSU. THANK YOU to my incredible beauty team, who always go above and beyond no matter the challenge.

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: BRIANNA WINDERS It has been such a privilege to work alongside so many creative individuals and watch issue 10 come to life! It’s been so fun work- GRAPHICS DIRECTOR: SOPHIA VILLIERS-FURZE ing with you all- especially my advertising team!

“It’s no surprise that so many moving parts came together to create the masterpiece that is Issue 10. From graphics to runway to finance EVENT DIRECTOR: SARAH LOWER and every team in between, we are all artists and I am so grateful to This magazine would not be in the hands of this reader if it create amongst every one of you (esp you graphics team ;*)” weren’t for the hands that created it. The talent amongst our staff is truly remarkable and the dedication is inspiring. I am so bless- INSTAGRAM DIRECTOR: CRISTINA REYES ed to have been a part of something so special!

I am so lucky to have had you all on my team. You are all so creative and unique, and I couldn’t have done this semester without you.

TIK TOK DIRECTOR: LALO AMBRIS Cheers to the best issue yet!

It was such a privilege to work with all of you this semester! I am so proud of all of the hard work and creativity you put into strike! WRITING DIRECTOR: LEXI FERNANDEZ It has been such an honor to work alongside such a creative, driven MERCHANDISE DIRECTOR: staff! Issue 10 is truly reflective of our devotion to Strike, and as you ALEXANDRA DABAGE turn the pages, I hope you fall in love with what we’ve created. To To my merchandise team, it was a privilege to work with such everyone on our staff (special shoutout to the writing team), thank creative minds and amazing people. I’m so proud of all your hard you for making this possible! work this semester and so happy to see everyone’s ideas come to life. I couldn’t of done it without you all!

FINANCE DIRECTOR: FATIMA HAMAD To my two budgeting queens, you two have made this semester the best time ever. As always, I appreciate the hard work and dedication you guys put in. You guys continue to make me proud and I am so happy to have had the privilege to work with you for two semesters straight. Shall we make it three?

RUNWAY DIRECTOR: DANIELA RODRIGUEZ I can’t imagine my last semester at FSU without this wonderful team of creative, talented people! I love my Strike fam so so much! I appreciate everything I have learned and the mems I’ve made along the way. Runway team, thank you for being so hard working and making my little runway dream come true! Issue 10, you have my heart!!!!

BRAND AMBASSADOR DIRECTOR: GABRIELA SICARDI What an honor it has been to be a director this semester! To my sweet brand ambassadors, you made my first semester as a director so memorable with your positive energy and creativity. I cannot wait to see what you do next! Cheers to Issue 10!!

PRODUCTIONS DIRECTOR: ALYSON BRINKLEY I am so grateful to have worked with such a kind, creative team with the creative goals and ideas to improve organization and model diversity in Issue 10. It would have been Mayhem without this Strike staff this year.

PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR: LAYLA MATHEWS It was a privilege to watch everyone come together to produce such a beautiful magazine. So glad to have been able to be a part of your creative growth as artists, love you photography team!

LAYOUT DIRECTOR: LAUREN HORNER Thank you so much to my amazing team! I could not have put this magazine together without them! Thank you Taylor, Molly, Stella, and Lily for all your help it is much appreciated.

GRAPHICS Abby Marcil PHOTOGRAPHY Julian Gonzalez

EDITOR’S LETTER

Stepping into the role of Editor-in-Chief this semester, I had enormous shoes to fill. With the continued success of Strike Magazine intensifying with each issue, I was so nervous to take on the feat of producing issue 10, which will be Strike Magazine’s very first issue in double digits from any university.

I knew I wanted “wow,” and when meeting with my leadership board to discuss this magazine’s theme, I made it clear that we needed to do something that would be completely different from anything else Strike has produced. We wanted to say goodbye to the issues of well-lit models with a sunny landscape on the cover and step out of our comfort zone to experiment with something different.

We wanted “dark.” We wanted “crazy.” We wanted “wow.”

We wanted absolute MAYHEM. I could not be more proud to be the Editor-in-Chief during this semester of experimentation, creativity, and achievement.

For the first time ever, Strike Magazine at FSU has put on a runway show for an audience of 200 with 20+ individually crafted looks for each model. For the first time ever, Strike Magazine at FSU has grown to a staff of over 190 individual creatives who have each worked tirelessly to place their own unique fingerprint

on issue 10. For the first time ever, Strike Magazine at FSU has produced more than 150+ online articles, each with a unique graphic or digital shoot to bring it to the next level.

To my trailblazing team of directors who have continued to raise the bar for how creative a team of professionals can be, I applaud you for your hard work and dedication to producing the best content possible. To my incredible staff who I have had the privilege of knowing and loving, thank you for each serving such a special and unique purpose to this magazine and making this issue as breathtaking as it is.

I am so blessed to be surrounded by so many talented people who have pushed me to be the best leader I can be and taught me something new every day that I have gotten to lead this role. I am so proud of issue 10, the memories made while creating it, and the people I’ve met that got us here.

With love. With pride. With mayhem.

Strike Out, Your Editor-in-Chief Tabitha Labrato

CREATIVE DIRECTOR There are truly no words to describe how proud I am to see this beautiful vision we had only months ago come to fruition in Issue 10. This issue is full of passion, thought, artistry, and most importantly—mayhem.

At the beginning, Mayhem was only the seed of what would later bloom in the coming semester through the dedicated work of the many talented individuals on our team. After 3 years of being a part of Strike and having the honor to lead it this year, I am continually in awe of the creativity and passion that every Strike member holds and I am so grateful for every hand that helped in creating this magazine! Finally, I am eternally grateful to Strike for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to create, to challenge myself, and to lead. I wouldn’t be who I am without this organization.

Strike Out, Helen Trawick Creative Director

DIGITAL DIRECTOR Firstly, I want to say thank you to every person that contributed their time, effort, and talent to this issue. This staff is so dedicated and hard working and we could not be more thankful. The theme for this issue, Mayhem, is something I think we all know a little too well. It seems as though we’ve been living in this constant state of chaos these past couple years, from one historic tragedy to another. Strike has been my refuge and my outlet, and if I’m not mistaken I believe our staffers would say the same.

When you see this issue, I hope you can feel that. I hope you feel every ounce of passion. Because if Issue 10 is anything, it’s full of passion. Enjoy the Mayhem!

Strike Out, Lily Fox Digital Director

An Ephemeral Existence 1 Creatures of the Night 7 No Body. No Crime. 13 Hell is a Teenage Girl 21 What’s My Age Again 23 Lethal Attraction 31

Florida vs. Mary Newman 38 Circus Freaks 39 Growing Pains 43 10 Decade Defining Moments in Fashion 49

TABLE OF

51 Distortion 57 Falsifying Reality 58 The Season of the Witch 59 Lead Us Not Into Temptation 63 Girl on Fire 71 By The Throat

81 Spinning Out 83 Self-Titled Disaster: A Glimpse into the Minds of Northy 84 Missing in the Media 85 Graphics

CONTENTS

H P E E M N A E

ISTANCE

SHOOTS TEAM ON SITE Jade Sievers, Val Kolczynski MODEL Isabelle Santiago PHOTOGRAPHER Sammy Crown/ Lily Fox WRITTEN BY Breanna Tang EDITED BY Lexi Fernandez VIDEOGRAPHER Chloe Mueller 1LAYOUT Stella Humberg

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SIX FEET UNDER

T

he time has come. To bury all of the past traumatic experiences, toxic relationships, and self-loathing. Numbed from the act of placing others before yourself, you don’t even have a true understanding of your potential. Change is inevitable in life. It’s uncomfortable.

It’s chaotic. It’s exhilarating. Yet, it is something everyone must endure.

As a child, women were taught to be caretakers. Most get lost in this idea by giving far too much of their energy to others, leaving nothing for themselves. Growing into adulthood, we then begin to realize that we’ve poured a little too much into other people’s cups. The turbulence in life takes its toll, whether you were backstabbed or you’ve grown out of people, and you feel empty. Empty to the point where you begin to second guess yourself and the person you’ve become. You feel emotionless, heartless, even. These people have driven you completely mad. In turn, you are forced to redirect your energy, finally caring for yourself and unraveling a part of you that has been missing for all of these years.

You feel different yet empowered. There is a method to this madness. Do these people not understand what they’ve created? However, these experiences needed to happen for this version of you to come to fruition. You begin to look at this old version of yourself as naive and disorderly. Almost unrecognizable. Wanting to just go back to old ways because that is what others were comfortable with, but that is only half the battle. The hard times in life are meant to expose you to what you hope to avoid.

Time has passed, yet the craving for chaos is still present. Beginning to hear the constant chirps of others saying “she’s changed” or “she’s selfish”, but isn’t that the point of life? Self-love isn’t selfish, and what people say about others is merely a projection of themselves. It is easy to get lost in the idea of what others think about you, but regardless of what you do, whether good or bad, someone will always have something to say about it.

This feeling of change can sometimes lead to madness because you begin to overthink and overanalyze everything to the point where you wish you were as naive as you once were. You wish yWou didn’t know that there is hate in this world all while your trust in people and your hopes begin to dissipate. But once this energy is directed toward you, you can almost feel the toxins leave your body, and peace begins to enter. Life is about balance. It is like a seesaw, the constant back and forth of good and bad things outweighing each other.

Everything happens for a reason. There is real strength in awareness and acknowledgment of self-sabotage. Finally shattering that threshold is unsettling but follows with many lessons. Without these poor experiences and challenging life events, you wouldn’t be the person you are today. Perfection is a fallacy, and being content with the different aspects of you is what matters most. People may not agree with the person you’ve become, and you may lose friends along the way, but there is beauty in embracing the unknown. Now, cheers to the celebration of a fresh start.

CITY OF THE DEAD

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“Life is about balance.

It is like a seesaw, the constant back and forth of good and bad things outweighing each other.”

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Brad and Janet stumble upon the eerie mansion

of transvestite scientist Dr. Frank N. Furter where selfexpression is welcomed and innocence is left at the door.

The 1975 rock ‘n’ roll musical film The Rocky Horror Picture Show has been recognized as a “cult classic”, including progressive themes of sex, gender ambiguities, and homosexuality in tandem with madness, resistance, and chaos. Rocky Horror exposes the elements of the 1970s that weren’t yet normalized to produce the horror element of shock in the audience. Horror and thriller films offer the most realistic social commentary by incorporating emotions, such as fear, shock, and terror to expose the ways societal norms make us feel. Terror creates the feeling of dread and apprehension at the possibility of something frightening, whereas horror brings the shock factor and repulsion of seeing the unthinkable. Rocky Horror paved the way for a new era of film through the normalization of performativity and gender as a sense of entertainment.

The post-punk neo-glam rock musical film Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) carries an uncomfortably rebellious message about the fluidity of sexual roles, isolation, and deception in the realm of rock music. The boisterous characterization seen in Rocky Horror continues as the film follows the travails of Hedwig, a punk rock star and a creation of a botched sex-change operation that has left her with an unwanted vestige of masculinity. Hedwig is never looked at through a gender-specific lens, rather she is simply a being of talent and creativity, never defined by the divisions that have created her. The film deals with issues of duality and uncertainty, evoking curiosity, discomfort, and absurdity into the audience through its ambiguity.

Similar to Frank N. Furter’s mansion in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the stage is Hedwig’s safe space, free from the pressures of gender identity and societal norms.

Based on the 1988 screenplay, Hairspray (2007) is a phantasmagorical and jubilant film that will leave you feeling electric. The musical uses comedy to overlook the serious narratives and undertones of the issues in society, an element that could be a direct influence of Rocky Horror.

Tracy Turnbland, a teenager with all the right moves, is living in an optimistic world even when surrounded by hate and injustice. “Don’t Dream It, Be It” a song featured in Rocky Horror can be related to the obstacles that Tracy overcomes to achieve freedom towards self-expression.

Hairspray is a reminder of how the elements seen in The Rocky Horror Picture Show are still struggles that individuals are facing today.

The Room (2003) may be one other piece labeled as one of the worst that appeared in cinematic history.

Written, directed, and produced by Tommy Wiseau, the film’s nonsensical dialogues and plot trajectory leave you questioning its wholesomeness. The placard depicting a black and white mugshot of the starring figure named “Johnny”- a successful Californian banker that fell into the trap of his partner’s infidelity- placed itself on the streets of West Hollywood for five years until the film miraculously became a major cult hit. How can a movie be so bad that it reaches a fanbase of millions? Its incoherent, if not absurd melodramatic scenes of despair and tragedy with underlying elements of misogyny make this incompetentlyproduced “Trash Movie” unintentionally hilarious. The Room’s unconventional storyline and filming, which has alternated between 35mm and HD formats (allegedly due to Wiseau’s superficial understanding of videography) do not fit within the frames of traditional mainstream filmmaking.

The movie has its audience ritual-- just like Rocky Horror; next time you decide to see this movie in public, don’t be surprised to see the audience throwing spoons and pervasive mocking of the film.

The House of 1000 Corpses (2003), directed and written

by Rob Zombie, was likewise one of the most critiqued films in the early 21st century. With the featuring of quite gruesome, repulsive scenes, Zombie’s piece indeed earns the title of a “Horror Movie”. Staged during Halloween, the film takes off with four young people who are on a search for a local legend ultimately finding themselves with a family of lunatics. As the focus remains on the victims forced under complete subordination of the antagonists, House of 1000 Corpses is the visual “haunted house”, the scenes of which escalate the catastrophic events in the plot. With allusions to Rocky Horror, is successful at alternating episodes of humor with terror, disorients the audience from its true vibe, yet drives into deep paranoia and fear of not knowing what to expect; it has likewise reached to be a major cult hit.

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SHOOTS TEAM ON SITE Cate Adams, Reese Hafner, Giovanna Moceri, Emma Edy Morris MODELS Cameron Long, Kassidy Saba, Michelle Poreh BEAUTY Abby Wright, Katie Russel PHOTOGRAPHER Abby Marcil, Kevin Farley WRITTEN BY Sara Vigne and

Kamilla Knyazeva EDITED BY Breanna Tang, Faveanny Leyva & Lexi Fernandez VIDEOGRAPHER Molly Dekraai LAYOUT Stella Humberg

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haq laudia Abdel MODEL C SITE TEAM ON SHOOTS annah Fliess Abby Marcil, a Velazquez, H is n A , es n Jo Katie orriente ictoria de la T BEAUTY V la Matthews, ay L HER P A R G O T PHO Lily Fox ukeba

BY Kylee M & Lexi WRITTEN an reanna T g B Y B D E EDIT Fernandez Akaishi, PHER Eva A R G O E VID ai Molly Dekra auren Horner L T U O LAY

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of Love In the Name

on ay Afterno sd r u h T n o olice Stati office.

Downtown P detective's e h t n i s i motel maid Louise the Louise

lk out, , clean, wa n e p o , k c o n nd here. K my daily for me arou e m sa was rare in e h t t n e s m a e w t i y c a Every d iked it. Ex job, but I l e l p m si a was Ms. Alden. repeat. It when I met d e g n a h c t that all routine, bu (Melancholy

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ty as a and as pret , e l b a r i m d to a onfident, a ld walk in could be. C u I o w d e e sh sh i w n o I way. Whe She was wh o felt this h w tion. e n o y l n ain attrac the o m t e o h n t s m y I' a . w e pictur he was al ward her. S o t d e t r a d yes room, all e

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ing. She ore entertain m s a w s er h like me, but ple, walk outine just r a d a beautiful peo h t os en m e th Ms. Ald h e street wit r.Bridges, bar across th e th e eptionist, M v a ec r le sk de would t m. The fron rested, request a roo d n a , get her inte el to ot t m es b is to our h , too. He'd do ith Ms.Alden w d te a tu a f was in se. hard to plea but she was

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Ms. Alden was very kind to me. We would conversate anytime I would clean her room. She confided in me about her relationship and how she felt it was twisted, but she still loved him. I felt bad for her at times, but was still envious of her intriguing life. She should be thankful.

Detective (Intrigued) Explain when and how you met her dead lover.

Louise Well, on Thursday morning at 9:oo a.m, I finally met her boy toy. I met him lying face-up on a bed, lifeless, with a single slash across his throat. I stared at him for a long time, probably too long, but he was so beautiful, even while dead.

Detective How did the policemen on my team approach the situation when they arrived?

Louise The police instantly suspected Ms. Alden. They wanted to take her in for questioning, but she was nowhere to be found. They were all over the motel questioning everyone for potential witnesses. Oddly enough, Mr.Bridges called out of work sick. The police finally got to me, and I told them I knew nothing.

They noticed blood on my hands and I explained that it was from when I entered the room to clean and I happened to touch the doorknobs. I asked the policemen if any clues were left behind. All they said is they found a note that said ™Love is dark, twisted, and beautiful∫.

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n o p a e w r e d r u M eved to be beli knife. a

Love is dark, t wist ed, and beaut iful

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By: Jayna O

Female characters in horror films have always possessed a complexity about them, more so than female characters in other film genres. With the prominent themes of villainy and womanhood intertwining, these characters are often the victim and the villain, the monster and the hero.

The 1976 horror film Carrie is complex, unconventionally lacking a murderous villain or supernatural, malicious creatures. The threat of the film, however, is internal, as fear, anxiety, and unrestrained powers lurk within the protagonist and titular character, Carrie White. After experiencing her first period, Carrie struggles to navigate through womanhood in a world that has been so unkind and cruel to her. Tired of being relentlessly bullied by her classmates and abused by her devoutly religious mother, Carrie finally snaps and uses her newfound telekinetic powers to wreak havoc at her senior prom, slaughtering everyone in attendance.

It is not uncommon for female-led horror films to take place during puberty or sexual awakening, as this is when teenage girls first begin to experience and face the struggles and injustices that accompany being a woman. These characters, much like young women in real life, are subject to being sexualized, brutalized, overlooked, patronized, etc. Being a teenage girl is hard. In horror films, puberty and coming of age make monsters out of women, or more so, unleash the rage and monster within.

Are these portrayals created to demonstrate what can happen when a young woman posesses too much power? Will she destroy everything and everyone around her? Can we blame her? These women are angry at the world, and how they have been treated.

They respond to injustice by killing and seeking revenge on those who have wronged them. Is it wrong to want to see them succeed? These triumphant sensations and desire for vengeance can explain what is referred to as the “good for her” trope. Women can relate and feel a connection to the anger and rage these women harness towards the world and the men who have hurt them.

It can be difficult to rationalize whether the victims in this particular genre of horror films are deserving of their fates, as the acts of revenge carried out by female characters or villains are not the best ways to approach the dismantling of patriarchal or misogynistic ideals. What can be agreed upon, however, is the fact that the true enemy to women in these films, and in real life, are those same misogynistic ideals and injustices women are cursed to face in society and culture.

With this in mind, we may have more in common with these female “monsters” than we think.

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SHOOTS TEAM ON SITE Colby Milchin, Jade Sievers, Emily Cabrera, Val Kolczynski MODELS Brita Bocian, Christian Thompson, Eva Akaishi, Michael Mancari, Lexi McCain PHOTOGRAPHER Katrina Oro, Abby Marcil, Lily Fox WRITTEN BY Sarah Gibson, Gillian Bennet, & Kylee Seaver EDITED BY Karina McCarthy, Breanna Tang, & Lexi Fernandez BEAUTY Carson Schultz, Katie Russell LAYOUT Taylor Kirby

WN O D

P THI

R T S I

NGS

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ANGST DOESNT AGE Punk is all about stripping things down; rejecting the mainstream. It’s fast, it’s aggressive, and at times, it can be a little scary. But when you strip punk music down to gaze past the intimidating facade, it’s incredibly poignant.

Punk creates a safe space for people to belong to something meaningful.

The Clash is easily one of the most influential punk bands of all time, and they continue to remain a driving force behind many modern punk bands. The heart of their music focuses on civil unrest in politics and race relations in England throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In an early interview with NME, they made a bold claim: “We’re antiFascist, we’re anti-violence, we’re anti-racist, and we’re procreative”. The collective found no point in concealing their opinions or making pretty music to hide the grit and grime of the world around them. Their unabashed sense of self showed those who followed that it is okay to do the same.

Don’t be fooled: the punk genre is alive and well today.

Irish band Fontaines D.C., whose 2020 album A Hero’s Death was nominated for a Grammy, is a perfect example of punk in modernity. The Clash set a keen example of utilizing lyrics and turning music into a weapon against tyranny, and there is still plenty to go around today.

Fontaines’ song Boys in the Better Land highlighted the rampant Anglophobia that exists in the Republic of Ireland. In true punk fashion, the lead singer, Grian Chatten, sings “Driver’s got names to fill two double barrels / He spits ‘Brits out,’ only smokes Carrolls”. His words are reflective of honest feelings about the uneasiness existing in Ireland against the Brits, who have long subjected them to remaining silent.

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Punk is unique in its ability to be both chaotic and imperfect yet purposeful and personal. It appeals a great deal to young people, too. Our lives are already chaotic and messy, and we are all in search of our sense of purpose to guide us through the world.

The late 1990s served as a testament to how influential the punk genre is on the youth. It marked the beginning of the pop-punk revolution, which shaped an entire generation and served as a gateway for the “young stupid kids” who wanted to be seen. The punk genre relies on mayhem. The bands are edgy, the songs are insanely catchy, and the lyrics wreak havoc in strict households. One iconic punk rock band accelerated to the top and is credited with inspiring a new wave of punk music.

In 1994 in Poway, California, the American punk rock band Blink-182 was formed. Their chaotic energy particularly resonated with rebellious teens. They incorporated chaos into their album covers, song titles, and interviews to establish their very unique energy as a group.

The members of the band were known for not taking life too seriously. Their prominent personalities and anarchic wit appealed to the masses and were at the forefront of the music they produced. They took daring risks and frankly didn’t care what anyone thought. As a band, Blink-182 redefined the genre by writing lyrics that perfectly portrayed the angsty feelings teens experience daily.

Blink-182’s third studio album, Enema State of Mind, is truly what opened the pop-punk floodgates, allowing the genre to enter the mainstream music industry. From the controversial cover photo to the album’s final track, Enema State of Mind will forever be iconic in the punk music

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scene. The lyrics encapsulate a subtle sense of rebellion and resonate with anyone who has ever been a teen.

The punk rock genre has come full circle, with contemporary works paying tribute to the familiar sounds of prominent bands like Blink-182. You can see sprinkles of their influence in the punk rock genre and beyond, with many notable bands and artists such as Paramore, Avril Lavigne, and Machine Gun Kelly being inspired by their revolutionary take on the music they produced. Punk music has mastered the art of chaos and cultivates nostalgia for many listeners. We often turn toward music to feel sentiments of the past which is why Blink-182’s edgy discography has remained so popular to this day.

As the floodgates of punk music opened in the mid-1970s, the movement quickly became dually about the lifestyle and the music. The music genre was a front for refuting societal ignorance and questioning human nature, making punk a middle finger to the establishment. Young crowds across the globe rallied, singing their opinions through the speakers with a clumsy yet powerful melody. Although it has been fifty years since the birth of punk, the political and cultural climate of today’s society still sparks activist tendencies in the youth, regularly expressed through music.

Olivia Rodrigo is the ideal representation of the modernized punk artist. Seventeen-year-old Rodrigo released her debut album Sour in 2021, and it took the world by storm. The mixture of pop and punk created an undeniably addicting tracklist, whose listeners

L U F

ranged from young girls to middle-aged adults. Rodrigo was raised listening to Green Day, and their punk rock attributes are evident in the inspiration of her composition style. Olivia also credits Paramore, another early 2000s punk band, with lyrical influence over her song Drivers License.

Rodrigo’s first track on the album, brutal, embodies the short, fast-paced nature of punk music with harsh melodies and stripped-down acoustics.

The upbeat tempo and quick lyrical turnaround make for a track that lasts a total of two minutes and twentyfour seconds. The pounding drums and aggressive guitar strumming craft the perfect soundtrack to accompany the lyrical criticisms of adolescence. The line “If someone tells me one more time / ‘Enjoy your youth,’ I’m gonna cry / And I don’t stick up for myself / I’m anxious and nothing can help’’ encompasses the universal struggle of this generation’s youth with chronic anxiety, and the disconnect from the older generations caused by their inability to understand. This messy, angry, exposé style songwriting, along with the nod to punk-era instrumentation, shows how influential original punk still is today.

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A T LE T HAL R A C T I O N

SHOOTS TEAM ON SITE Maddie Mayberry, Anastasia McGill, Leah Davis BEAUTY Abby Wright MODEL Nina Chong PHOTOGRAPHER Kevin Farley, Lily Fox, Abby Marcil WRITTEN BY Faveanny Leyva EDITED BY Lexi Fernandez VIDEOGRAPHER Kevin Farley LAYOUT Lauren Horner 31

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UNTIL DEATH DO US PART A letter to my lover. It fills my chest in a way I can’t describe, that from this day forth, I get to call you mine. From the moment I saw you, I wanted to know all of you. For years and years, I waited for you to finally love me the way I needed. I knew that in due time you would. After what has felt like forever, our loved ones bear witness to our blest amour. They never understood what I meant before. True love remains constant through wax and wane. I am forever grateful for the lessons you have taught me. You taught me the importance of unity and forgiveness. We are a team.

Together we washed the ruby-stained walls and were able to brighten our home with a coat of crisp atrium white.

I spent much of my life searching. Searching for what I was supposed to be (submissive), what I was supposed to do (you whenever you wanted, wherever you wanted, and however you wanted), and what I was supposed to say (nothing). I dreamt of the crescent-shaped creases on the ends of your smirk and of stormy blue mornings where you pull me close (on the occasion you decided it

would be me to wake up in your bed).

Today, surrounded by all those who love you (your Mother certainly does not love me), I choose you to be mine (only mine) and for me to be yours. I give myself over to your mind, body, and spirit and accept your mind, body, and spirit (I own you). I choose you and promise to choose you from this day forth (you did say I would be crazy to think anyone else would even want me). I promise to listen to you (the bittersweet lies you tell to soothe the sting) and to learn from you (one day, I will understand how we got here). I will forever stand guard of your dreams (only to be featured in your nightmares). I vow to support you and accept your support (like I did those $500 when you just were not ready). I am proud to be yours (what other options do I have).

I take you for my lawful love, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part (see you in hell).

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FLORIDA V.

MARY NEWMAN WRITTEN BY: ALYSSA CUEVAS EDITED BY NOELLE KNOWLTON & LEXI FERNANDEZ

SUPERIOR COURT OF FLORIDA, COUNTY OF LEON

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA, CASE NO 2021-09-001345 Appellee vs.

MARY NEWMAN Appellant

OPINION

******** FINDINGS AND VERDICT The Appellant, Mary Newman, on or about September 23, 2021, in the county named above, has been charged with the crimes of AGGRAVATED MAYHEM and CRIMINAL THREATS, in violation of state code, a felony.

The Court has closely examined the facts of the case, including the State’s video of Newman biting off Jane Doe’s ear multiple times. The Court has received the bloody ear that surgeons were unable to sew back onto Jane Doe’s head, as well as the images provided by the hospital staff. The Court has reviewed the testimony of Jane Doe and Mr. Newman and has considered the arguments of both parties. The appellant has asked this Court to interpret what a “reasonable reaction” would be within the confines of self-defense and State Statute 776.013. State Statute 776.013, justified use of force, section 1A reads as follows: A person who is in a dwelling or residence in which the person has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and use or threaten to use non-deadly force against another, to the extent that the person reasonably believes such conduct is necessary to defend themselves or another against the other’s imminent use of unlawful force.

In reaching a decision on this case, the Court has considered and defined what a reasonable person’s reaction to finding your husband in bed with another woman would be. The appellant claims that she believed Jane Doe to be an intruder assaulting her husband. This Court finds that Mary Newman, in maiming and biting off the ear of Jane Doe while yelling obscenities and threats such as “I am going to fucking kill you both,” is beyond a reasonable person’s reaction. Further, this Court does not feel that Mary Newman’s claim of self-defense is applicable here because the threats she shouted were directed at both Jane Doe and her husband. This Court believes that if Mary Newman felt Jane Doe was an intruder assaulting her husband, she would not have threatened to also kill her husband. Additionally, as upsetting as it might be to walk in on one’s legal partner cheating on you, Mary Newman’s actions do not constitute self-defense because she was not physically attacked first, nor was she threatened in any way by Jane Doe. Therefore, this Court upholds the district court’s conviction of guilt and the sentence of ten years in federal prison.

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They walked the hallways with purpose and confidence

in an attempt to be the perfect social specimens. Each of the boys hide their skeletons in their closets so no one will catch them with a divergent mind. With the uniform structure of societal rules, this generation's expectations and standards for human behavior are confined to a specific box. One can easily tell when someone's mind wanders in a different direction, falling behind in the group. Nonconformists are the freaks that risk social rejection, so they have adapted to avoid isolation, to follow the actions of others, and to follow what others believe we will do. Fear of being an outcast fuel the cycle of conformity.

Accepted norms shape society's little puppets and tell them who to date, what to wear, what to say, and who to befriend.

They decided to never speak of their skeletons and adopt the desired behaviors in order to stay "on-trend". The weight of being deemed unacceptable by the majority is often too much of a burden to bear. The conformists suffocate him with their stares as he drowns in his public humiliation. His authentic thoughts have outed his inner self that deviates from the norm. Moreover, there are societal norms that are bigger than us that he must be wary of. These are the steel structures that have poisoned our autonomy to authentically express ourselves, no matter our gender, race, religion, or attractiveness.

The conformists of the past have created implicit cultural expectations around the specific behaviors, characteristics, and roles an individual should have. Above all, attractiveness defines how harsh the consequences will be if an individual does not conform. The conformists force him into social isolation because, with his looks, there is no longer a need for him. Conventionally unattractive people are expected to fulfill these adequate behaviors to avoid getting caught. Furthermore, each human is brainwashed to not expect a male to wear a dress or colors that are considered “girly.” He has always had the mind of the nonconformists that fancied the realm of femininity. Toxic masculinity is the superior and violent beast that is holding a knife to his throat. In return, women bend to meet social norms through a male’s eyes. Being submissive, pure, and constantly looking attractive pleases the male gaze.

His curiosity and defiance have weeded him out of society’s male power structures, sucking him of all the power he has and leaving him for freaks. it is so deeply rooted in this generation to conform in hopes to remain accepted. There is a clear divider between the conforming and the deviations, the outcasts, the mutations, and the weirdos. Understanding why people conform to societal norms addresses the toxic limitations it puts on our freedoms.

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MODELS Dominique Hughes, Aidalis Aiko, Beza Alford, Janan Chu SHOOT TEAM ON SITE Anastasia McGill, Maddie Mayberry, Leah Davis, Taylor Colling BEAUTY Abby Wright and Emmali O’Neill PHOTOGRAPHER Michelle Poreh GRAPHIC DESIGNER Abby Marcil VIDEOGRAPHER Sophie Kish LAYOUT Lily Riopelle 42

SHOOTS TEAM ON SITE Cate Adams, Reese Hafner, Giovanna Moceri, Emma Edy Morris BEAUTY Helen Trawick MODEL Gillian Bennett PHOTOGRAPHER Lily Fox WRITTEN BY Alyson Brinkley EDITED BY Lexi Fernandez & Noelle Knowlton VIDEOGRAPHER Chloe Mueller LAYOUT Taylor Kirby

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GROWING

PAINS

T H E

F E T I S H I Z A T I O N

As you age, the desire to compare your matured figure to your pre-pubescent body rises from within like bile in the back of your throat. Standing before the mirror, you shoot daggers at your new appearance in distaste, resentful of the fact that your glare alone cannot shave off the filled-in curves to resculpt your figure to reveal your sixteen-year-old body. Eyebrows, now waxed out of their roots, become thinner as stomachs get slimmer. Your features become more refined, yet are hidden underneath the acne scars of your once porcelain skin. As you find yourself complicit in the objectification of your seven-year-old self, the line between the beauty standard and subliminal pedophilia becomes blurred.

The changes that come naturally as you’ve lived within the home of your skin—cellulite, stretch marks, hips, and wrinkles—become labeled and vilified as “imperfections.” This desire to embody the prototype of a woman who takes up as little space as possible is what feeds the vicious cycle of the beauty industry. The female body has become a mere vessel for marketing that creates a bottomless demand for changes and upgrades. In turn, the feminine physique has become a crucial building block for capitalism.

As we are conflicted by these changes from within, sexuality piques our curiosity. For as long as we can remember, men have been spoonfed images of hairless, petite women dressed in schoolgirl skirts, and the pornography they have consumed since the age of

O F

F E M I N I N I T Y

their own puberty has conditioned them to sexualize prepubescence.

We strive to embody this girlish adaptation of womanhood to satisfy the male gaze, denying ourselves the right to exist in our natural state.

In turn, these boys turn into men who have been socialized to expect this unrealistic unwoman. The pedophile with the most to blame and who can never be prosecuted is the media.

As to not villainize the consumer, we must realize that attraction is a product of the individual’s environment. Aside from widely accessible pornography, social media serves as a mainstream instrument of infantilization, where algorithms curate a feed of minors to develop and satiate one’s debauched sexual desires. Such content directly sexualizes children, where many subjects are minors themselves, while others are adult women in childlike cosplay posed to the tune of baby voice audios. We must hold our media accountable for victimizing young girls and attempting to put bodies into boxes.

The beauty standard can no longer be labeled as internalized infantilization: it’s become externalized in its power to create outward actions. The victimization of young girls is profitable for industries and pedophilic preferences alike. As women, we have to desire to take up the space our body needs, as it’s meant to be a bearer of our lives and not a landmark for visual consumption.

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beaty tadard rfections feminine illianized

viciou beauty Villia feminin imperfe 45

us an ne ection 46

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victim desire

10 10s

Decade defining moments of fashion

Written by Veronica Polanco, Nikki Cohen, Isabel Burden Edited by Karina McCarthy, Faveanny Leyva & Lexi Fernandez

Fashion at the start of the 1900s shared something in common with the decade itself: it was divided into two periods- pre and post-World War I. WWI had an intense effect on societal culture, and fashion was not exempt from such an influence. A substantial transition in fashion resulted in silhouettes shifting from the norm, transitioning from tight straight-fronted corsets into a soft, natural shaping silhouette. This fresh, freeing silhouette was formed due to the outcome of how women’s bodies were molded into the “S-curve”.

Such a form was the result of a straight-fronted corset that started lower on the bustline than the corsets women had been wearing in previous years. After the S-curve style began to fade, skirts narrowed toward the bottom. This definitive moment in early 1900s fashion allowed women to express their bodies in an entirely new style, focusing on exploring their waists and the sex behind a tapered waist.

30s&40s

As the 1930 and 1940s approached, women’s fashion evolved from the boyish appearance attributed to the previous decade into the feminine silhouette of the early thirties. Hemlines migrated to ankle length, and waistlines ascended to their typical placement.

This style was described as having a slender, elongated torso featuring widened shoulders and a smooth, perfect head of finger waved hair. The look of the 1930 and 1940s aimed to dominate romanticism and femininity. This paved the way for later looks involving more daring pieces of clothing.

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20s

Throughout the 1920s, women’s fashion became increasingly controversial by rejecting formality and traditional layering. Instead, they developed a more convenient, modernized female wardrobe by maintaining a stunning yet simplified choice of dress. This revamped wardrobe created the popular phrase “la garçonne” look that dominated much of the decade. By definition, la garçonne means a young woman of the 1920s who rebelled against conventional ideas of ladylike behavior and dress. This identity, more commonly known as the flapper, is symbolic of the glitz and glamour of the 1920s.

50s

While the 1950s was a quintessentially modest and conservative time during women’s fashion, there were still trends that allowed women to explore a sexier, more daring side of themselves. Fashion icons like Marilyn Monroe were the stars of the 50s fashion, showing women that it was acceptable to dress immodestly. Monroe was seen sporting halter neckline dresses and strapless gowns that were far from popular in the eyes of the average woman. In her famous rendition of Happy Birthday to President Kennedy, Monroe wore a strapless and backless gown that was most definitely not a staple in anyone’s closet.

70s

The 1970’s can be characterized by excessive use of patterns and vibrant colors. In particular, Yves Saint Laurent’s groundbreaking 1971 Spring and Summer runway show was seen as extraordinarily scandalous. Inspired by the 1940’s film Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne, the collection was full of plunging necklines and short skirts, both of which were worn by prostitutes during the 1940s. This collection shocked the fashion world and was seen as immensely daring and original.

90s

Grunge emerged in the 1990s with the help of Generation X. Graphic t-shirts with slogans, faded and ripped jeans, flannel shirts layered over t-shirts, and Doc Martens became American staple trends. With an increase in recycled clothing, a new approach to creating outfits emerged that included layering of different patterns and textures to encourage individual style. Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction featured Uma Thurman as Mia Wallace, a character who paved the way for femme-fatale looks. Her most famous look was a white button-down shirt and black cropped pants paired with a black bob cut with bangs and dark lipstick and nails. Her outfit made the basic men’s button down shirt more feminine, embracing professionalism for women entering the working environment in the 1990s.

60s

Fashion designer Mary Quant first introduced the miniskirt in the early 1960s. This look quickly became the most defining piece of clothing throughout the entire decade but was met with considerable criticism. Even designers like Coco Chanel despised the mini skirt and did not believe that it was modest enough to be as popular as it was. People were worried to see such a short skirt being worn by young women. Some places even enacted rules in which mini skirts were not allowed to be worn. In reality, it was an edgy piece of clothing that allowed women to feel sexually liberated and youthful, and it paved the way for future designers to break boundaries and create more exciting and chaotic pieces.

80s

The 1980s paved the way for punk fashion as the youth wore clothing that went against society’s expectations. Bondage-type clothing, dog chains, safety pins, fishnet stockings, ripped jeans, leather jackets became popular fashion pieces. Vivienne Westwood’s collection, Punkature, was launched in Fall 1982 and showcased distressed garments in over-printed and pre-washed materials. Her Autumn/Winter 1983 collection Witches was inspired by Haitian voodoo, as it applied the magical and abstract sign language of Keith Haring on graphic, stretch-fabric bodies and tube skirts.

Additionally, the collection featured oversized garments and unisex overcoats with exagerrated bat-wing sleeves.

2000s/y2k

The color palette of the 2000s consisted of reflective metallic and shiny black tones. Emo fashion emerged into the mainstream as it was influenced by punk, goth, and grunge styles. Outfits were mainly all black with band t-shirts, skinny jeans, leather chaps, baggy cargo pants, Converse shoes, and studded belts. Hairstyles included choppy cuts with long side-swept bangs, usually dyed jet black, platinum blonde, or a bright color. For cosmetics, lip gloss and the smoky eye were popular looks.

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SHOOTS TEAM ON SITE Tia Kearney, Abby Gleason, Nia Alexander, Sydney Tindall BEAUTY Emmali O’Neil MODEL Keely Mathers PHOTOGRAPHY Abby Marcil WRITTEN BY Nyan Clarke EDITED BY Noelle Knowlton & Lexi Fernandez VIDEOGRAPHY Libby Benkins LAYOUT Stella Humberg 51

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n life, we have many personas. The person we believe ourselves to be. The person we present to family. The person we present to friends. The person we present to coworkers.

The person we present to classmates. The person we present online.

In the mix of these various personas, it is remarkably difficult to find one’s true self and remarkably easy to lose that self once it is found.

Mirrors are not only in our bedrooms and bathrooms; now, we carry them with us everywhere in our pockets. The dangers of constantly perceiving ourselves are reflected in our distorted self-image.

Often, constant self-perception can transform into rapid self-deprecation. Perpetual awareness of your features can lead to a cynical perspective, and you are your worst critic. Every scar, every blemish, and every feature is heightened through the cultural lens of aesthetic hypervigilance, where we view ourselves as a culmination of many glaring, unrelenting imperfections.

You are not the person you think you are.

The self-deprecation morphs into self-hatred, and it begins to seep. The mirrors whisper sweet lies, lulling you into a debilitating trance of insecurity, convincing you that others notice your imperfections in the same cruel light.

This deprecating self-image influences your interactions with others as you alter your persona to please the world and sacrifice your true self, masked behind a guise of dulling conformity.

You view yourself as too inferior to converse with your friends, believing that they don’t appreciate your presence. You’re too inept to complete tasks at work or apply for an internship. You’re a disappointment to your family, and you invalidate your own achievements due to a lingering sense of inadequacy.

You are not the person you were.

This self-hatred of your features, your actions, and your personas can cripple you. It becomes self-loathing, and you despise being in your own skin. You avoid leaving the house in order to not disappoint people by presenting them with “flawed” personas, personalities that you’ve deemed appalling through heavy scrutinization of yourself. You fail to do any schoolwork, afraid to receive an unsatisfactory result that proves your preconceived notions.

You avoid mirrors and refuse to be in pictures because one look at your deformed body will destroy your will.

Due to the weight of the world, you’ve lost the person you were.

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FALSIFYING

REALITY Written By: Samantha Petters & Emily Valmana Edited By: Noelle Knowlton & Lexi Fernandez

The success of blockbuster hits such as Midsommar, Mandy, and Charles Says breeds a peculiar cultural craze over films about cults and religious fanaticism. The creative direction seen in these works provides a fresh take on the horror genre, exploiting our innate fear of psychological control in eerily realistic storylines.

We are enamored by the horror of cults because they are indeed real, with the heinous behaviors promoted in such films serving as a reminder of our dark reality. In the United States alone, nearly ten thousand cults exist today. Though they remain a mystery and fascination to many, the term “cult” has gained a new, horrifying connotation throughout the past several decades.

The eternal fascination with such groups stems from the perplexing mystery of how their leaders exert such control and dominance over seemingly ordinary people.

It seems that this phenomenon, paired with the fact that cults all thrive off of fear, are the common denominators of these extremist groups.

The question that continues to confound us: How are cults able to get ordinary people to commit such heinous crimes, including murder, rape, and mass suicide?

Despite the ambiguity surrounding what classifies as a cult, some culturally recognized characteristics include a charismatic leader who is revered as a false messiah, extreme indoctrination and reprogramming of the mind, fear-mongering, and exploitation of the members in all aspects. They attract members who are both easy to manipulate and are isolated, seeking a sense of community. A falsified sense of family, belonging, and hope is the glimmering aspect that lures people into cults unless the members were born into it or joined at a young age for their families. The most common recruitment method of cult leaders is the selling of a false reality.

As seen in the cases of the Manson family and Heaven’s Gate, the leaders promised a utopian paradise free from the ordinary struggles 57of life. This is exactly what Charles Manson swore to provide for

his followers. The Manson Family was a commune and cult established

by Charles in the 1960s. Manson’s followers were mainly young women who believed him to be a reincarnation of Jesus Christ. In turn, when Manson instructed his followers to commit murder, they complied. It was Manson’s belief that the murders would provoke the race war he was already convinced was going to transpire. As seen in the case of the Manson family and countless others, the reality of cults is mass brainwashing and psychological damage going on behind closed doors, along with horrific behaviors, rituals, and punishments that are all meant to “support the cause” of the cult.

There is a fine line between religion and cults. With time, our understanding of the chaos that ensued behind the scenes and the horrific acts of these groups has evolved. In essence, it’s as if members don’t even consider their organization a cult. Children of God, Heaven’s Gate, and the Church of Scientology serve as perfect examples.

Children of God was founded in 1968 by a group of runaway teens and hippies led by self-proclaimed prophet David Berg. They dedicated themselves to worshipping Jesus Christ and engaging in promiscuous sex. Female members of the Children of God were encouraged by Berg to utilize sex as a recruiting tool, a practice known as “flirty fishing”. Then, in the early 1970s, Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles created the Heaven’s Gate Away Team, a group that believed that the only chance at survival was by rejecting their human nature, thus transforming into extraterrestrial beings and ascending to Heaven. In 1997, Applewhite persuaded thirty-eight followers to commit suicide, ensuring them that they wouldn’t be dying but rather leaving their earthly vessels behind. Regarding Scientology, it is most often classified as a belief system. A belief that stems from the power of groupthink where cults think they’re immortal. The leader alone deems himself infallible and untouchable. Luminaries and celebrities are also known to practice Scientology. Strangely enough, the Church of Scientology is notorious for treating its most prominent members very differently depending on their status.

THE SEASON OF THE WITCH Written By: Elissa Day and Alexa Martinez-Loza Edited By: Faveanny Leyva, Karina McCarthy & Lexi Fernandez

Witchcraft is a centuries-old practice rooted in traditional cultures across the world, most notably in Indigenous African cultures, the Americas, and Asia. Deeply embedded with the occult, witches have been historically feared and fiercely persecuted by commoners, who saw them as innately wicked and highly dangerous. Witches are powerful and self-sufficient and, as such, proved to be a threat to them.

However, in recent years the practice has developed into a mainstream phenomenon, commercializing into million-dollar industries. Pagan symbols are used commonly in fashion, crystal collections have become trendy, and social media has entire subsections for witches.

It is no surprise that we ended up here. In times of uncertainty, transition and upheaval, people tend to turn to spirituality as a last resort for a sense of control. This re-emergence has brought about a growing cultural appreciation for astrology, tarot, and healing crystals, all of which serve as tools for connecting with unconventional sources of power. Witchcraft is especially empowering for women and people of marginalized identities to express their rage and frustrations against an oppressive, patriarchal society. Both in practice and as a cultural aesthetic, it is political in its outright rebellion of the status quo. It is dark and threatening and screams, “We are not here to play nice.”

Much of the appeal of modern witchcraft draws from our evolved views and relationship with it as something meant to help us, meaning practitioners can choose ideas and customize their spirituality to best fit their needs. Through this, personalized spirituality can transcend the original religion by giving individuals the autonomy to integrate modern values in useful and life-affirming ways.

Even if not wholly subscribed to this identity, many people find comfort in practicing select areas of its teachings. Crystals, for one, provide a type of therapy through their various healing abilities, including enhanced immunity and increased focus and positivity. Rose quartz is well-known for its properties of love and connection and is an ideal choice for those seeking to purify and open up their hearts.

Amethysts, on the other hand, are often used as tranquilizers to relieve stress, anxiety, and grief.

It is heartening to see the beauty of spirituality being widely practiced, but there is a reason the religion has produced countless myths and scary stories. With the broadening of the good sides of witchcraft also comes the bad. Singer and actress Azealea Banks is unashamed to be a practicing witch and posts many controversial videos and photos that perfectly demonstrate the modern dark side. Banks showed a video of an entirely bloodstained closet to the point where the stains appear black from layers and layers of blood. Stuck to the floor are feathers and bones, making it evident she has been sacrificing animals.

Her closet/kill room, she explains, is the result of “three years worth of brujería,” the Spanish word for witchcraft. It is certainly unsettling to look at, and it’s a far cry from crystals and incense.

Pagans and Wiccas make up the peaceful, nature-loving people who practice cultural traditions based in witchcraft. They are often put under the umbrella term “witch,” which can be problematic as it is also a term used to describe certain Satanists. Wiccans, in fact, are so peaceful that their one rule is “harm none, do what you will.”

There is a popular practice in modern witchcraft that involves ‘talking to deities,’ in which someone attempts to spiritually communicate with different gods and powerful figures, two popular ones being Aphrodite and Loki. Many young teens attempt to do this after seeing it on social media, which could be dangerous for them in the long run.

Demons are prevalent beings in almost all religions, with the common aspect of trickery and disguise. Leaving yourself spiritually and emotionally open to the universe could invite demonic presences disguised as helpful deities.

People often want to believe in the beautiful aspects of witchcraft and write off the darker side. But, if one is real, they both are, which could certainly prove dangerous if people go into a spell without knowing what it does. Prior research is a must when looking into witchcraft.

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Lead Us Not Into

Temptation Religion exists as a haven that many choose to reside

in for a sense of purpose, security, and community. The tale of what lies beyond and why humans wander this Earth has evolved over time through storytelling and inherited literature.

Empires rose and fell, and as a result, philosophies traveled the globe--integrating into the regional culture. The clash of competing civilizations reflects nothing but greed for power, for as many religious scholars will tell you, the parallelisms between religions across the world are simply uncanny. There is no inherent dark side of religion, merely a suppressed wickedness lurking beneath the table. The yearning for power opens the door to other vices, sins that corrupt the foundation at its core.

The deadliest threat to religion is its capability to turn against the nature of its creation and divide the people it means to guide.

By the creed that established Islam, Christianity, even Buddhism, etc., there is an obligation to recruit followers in an effort to establish dominance that prioritizes political favor as well. Unfortunately, it has often been executed in the shadow of death. It is difficult to fathom the words that fill our history books, words that reveal the crusades and executions of thousands in the name of religion. A relevant quote by dystopian author Margaret Atwood reads, “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme.” The parallelisms spill into the modern era; the United States heavily mimics the way the Church embedded itself into European rule. Immigrants moved across the Atlantic for a new life and found themselves planting sisterly roots. As exemplified in the United States, laws are pushed forward to favor the beliefs upheld by those in power--old, religiously guided, Caucasian men. We see blatant enmeshment

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of Church and State. Merely from what we know of, we are still blind to what happens behind closed doors.

The thunderstorms beneath the umbrella of religion don’t stop there. Instant access to vast information has exposed the crimes that have occurred within the Catholic Church for decades. 216,000 is the estimated number of victims that have been sexually assaulted by the French Catholic Church since 1950 alone, a situation of unignorable gravity. A repeated line across various media outlets is that the release of the inquiry came as a shock but not as a surprise. Nonetheless, to unfold the truth, revealing the extent of suffering is nothing short of heart-shattering. Discovering the hypocrisy and systematic covering of crimes causes one to reconsider how religion has ordered us to critique ourselves.

The cruel mockery is that religious organizations denounce homosexuality, restricting followers from fulfilling their true identity when members are known to act on their homosexuality. In a myriad of texts, the realm of religion has condemned sexual activity between members of the same sex.

Contrast to religious doctrine, homosexuality is not a crime.

What is immensely staggering is the suffering such rules have caused when members of religious organizations are known to act on their homosexuality. Further exacerbating transgressions, members strip the youth of their innocence when committing heinous crimes of pedophilia. Nowadays, we have the power to hold those accountable for their wrongdoings. The power of the public is exemplified in Pope Francis’s confession that the French inquiry induced a moment of great shame. It is an interesting proclamation, given that religion often brings shame to its members for their mistakes. Safety within the

SHOOT TEAM ON SITE Abby Marcil, Katie Jones, Anisa Velazquez, Hannah Fliess MODELS Joshua Santos, Alex Huyhn, Meghan Gilmore BEAUTY MEMBER Katie, Lauren PHOTOGRAPHER Sophia Quintero, Lily Fox WRITTEN BY Karina McCarthy EDITED BY Lexi Fernandez VIDEOGRAPHER Eva Akaishi LAYOUT Molly Custis

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faith you grew up on, the religion you identify with due to familial or cultural relations cannot be found in an environment that rejects your persona or others.

The ungodly and inevitable dark side of organized religion is its ability to divide humankind—if we let it.

We have the power to change the illusion and remove the pedestal to which we hold all religions. Understanding the flaws of religion will enable us to let it be merely a guide and the reason to unite humanity, not aside from, but because of our differences.

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GIRL ON FIRE DIRECTORS Tabitha Labrato, Helen Trawick, Lily Fox BEAUTY Katie Russel MODEL Nia Alexander PHOTOGRAPHER Kevin Farley, Lily Fox WRITTEN BY Lexi Fernandez VIDEOGRAPHY Libby Benkins LAYOUT Lauren Horner 63

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OUR WORLD ABLAZE

ur world as we know it has been set ablaze, and we the people are left to fight our battles alone, engulfed by the menacing flames. What was once beautiful, spacious skies are now tainted by a hateful, all-consuming smoke, blinding us from the worst that has yet to come. Such a tragedy that today has become; we have seen our own fall victim to acts of hate at the hands of those who are meant to keep the peace. Gone are the days of sweet liberty, for the harsh reality of disunity has taken its place.

Have we forgotten the meaning of equality and justice? Unfortunately, as we venture further into the unknown, the fundamental values of our nation are long forgotten. No matter where we turn, we are faced with rioting, gun violence, and potential threats to our human rights. Those who are meant to lead the supposed free world and wear the white hat with honor turn their backs in the darkest of hours. Perhaps it is only human nature to be so selfish. As the members of our nation cry for help, their voices echo into a void of empty promises and

falsified pipe dreams. Finally, we see the truth behind the white lies we were fed throughout the teachings of history.

It seems as though our only option is to fight fire with fire.

We are told by our so-called leaders that we are all in this together, but was it ever really true? The contemporary societal divide cuts deeper than ever before, with no middle ground in sight. What we thought to once be a flicker of hope has since ignited into a raging, merciless fire that leaves no individual unscathed.

Neutrality is no longer; the idea of compromise is nonexistent, left behind with the ashes of what our world once was. We crucify those who disagree, unwilling to listen, unwilling to learn.

Indivisibility- what a beautiful meaning in the word.

If only it were ever true. Recent events have shed a light through the smokescreen, illuminating the reality of a modern, dystopian chaos. Just days into the new year, we witnessed carnage to the crumbling foundation of 64

our country. In the months prior, rising tensions had relentlessly fueled the spiteful fire of partisan division.

Rioters stormed the front steps of our once untouchable capitol in true mob fashion, violently overtaking law enforcement officers. Some were armed with weapons, others with ill-advised patriotism. Remnants of windows and doors littered the capitol floor as menacing protestors breached the highest office of our nation. With bated breath, we watched the tumultuous upheaval of any shred of peace we had left.

After the siege came to an end and the dust settled, we were left with a wounded, stagnant nation. We witnessed truthful, unaltered history. All we can do is hope that they

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tell it right this time. Rising from the ashes, we long for a moment of relief, a moment of tranquility. Sadly, such a luxury is difficult to come by. Will there ever come a time in which we are willing to stand hand in hand, unified once again? No one knows for certain.

In times of utter chaos, the only way we will be able to make it through the unpredictable flames is if we work together. We are a society plagued by vindictive behavior that only contributes to our deep-rooted division. Years of pent-up frustrations are finding their way to the surface.

One small spark is all it takes to inspire the masses, so let’s be sure to do it right this time.

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BY THE T SHOOTS TEAM ON SITE Tia Kearney, Abby Gleason, Nia Alexander, Sydney Tindall BEAUTY Katie Russell and Stephanie Kraus MODELS Tia Kearney, Quinn Cote, Josh Emanuelli PHOTOGRAPHY Lalo Ambris/Lily Fox WRITTEN BY Noelle Knowlton EDITED BY Lexi Fernandez VIDEOGRAPHY Sophie Kish LAYOUT Molly Custis

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Femme Fatal “From now on, it’s gonna be nothin’ but short, short skirts around the office,” retorts the outstretched superior, arched on the desk in licentious fervor as she flays herself afoot her coworker. The cascading neckline and ruched curves of her pantsuit accentuate the sultry sensuality of her contorted frame, the bold impiety of her dishabille uniform juxtaposed against the solemnity of the workplace. In this narrative of hegemonic femininity, the seductive femme fatale coyishly spreads her stiletto-speared legs for the libidinous male voyeur, paralyzed in tortured perversion at the sight of our pimped-out heroine’s weapon of choice: her womanhood.

A euphoric scene of female dominance and sexual liberation has been crafted as an underhanded manifestation of male fantasies, parading under the false guise of empowerment. The geisha archetype represents merely an eroticized subversion of the traditional power dynamics of sexual politics. The domineering, “grab ‘em by the balls” persona upholds the notion that maleoriented constructions of femininity exist to serve men. Even when men like the depraved voyeur reduce themselves to subordinate positions, they do so to position themselves in a dignified role of sexual gratification. Our femme fatale’s role is purported to be one of dominance, yet she exists to perpetuate the old social order of female submission and servitude.

Contemporaneously, the masculinized “boss babe” with dominion over the workplace exacerbates the dichotomy between masculinity and femininity, where the former is equated with dominance and the latter connotes

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submissive subordination. By fetishizing females in positions of authority, these archetypes are proven to be counterproductive in subverting and redefining gender norms.

Hegemonic femininity emerged as an anthem of reclamation, the rallying cry for a creed of women disillusioned to the facade of egalitarianism. Femme fatales flipped the script by weaponizing their femininity and sexuality to secure the same power coveted by men through hegemonic means. Made in the image of the male gaze, these prurient archetypes of virility transformed sex appeal into an equalizing instrument of authority.

While empowering, hegemonic femininity can become problematic when played off of the status quo of female objectification. Inherently misogynistic men devise these scenes to entice a hedonistic male audience, offering up the bare femme fatale to fetishize the dominance of women as an abnormality that can only exist to satiate the depravity of men. As female dominance is rare in our society, female empowerment has been sexually warped into something that can only exist in debauched fantasies. This sets the precedent that hegemonic femininity is only permissible if it ultimately serves men.

Sexual liberation has become another sensualized

aberration of feminism for men to reign dominion over. The destigmatization of women’s sexuality has transformed into a perversion that men feel entitled to benefit from. Genuine empowerment can only be derived from exclusively female-oriented contexts of sexuality, independent from the desires of men. While the presence of such femme fatales can help facilitate sexual liberation, we can only purge the toxicity of hegemonic femininity by freeing women from the constraints of male hedonism.

Only in the ruins of the old sexual order can women truly emerge in an empowering light; incandescent as we bask in the glow of our innate preeminence, forged by the fire of unrelenting feminine devastation.

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MATRIARCH

“GENUINE EMPOWERMENT CAN ONLY BE DERIVED FROM EXCLUSIVELY FEMALEORIENTED CONTEXTS OF SEXUALITY, INDEPENDENT FROM THE DESIRES OF MEN”

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SPINNING OUT

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SELF-TITLED

DISASTER:

A GLIMPSE INTO THE MINDS OF NORTHY WRITTEN BY ISABELLA BOTERO EDITED BY NOELLE KNOWLTON & LEXI FERNANDEZ

Tallahassee is notorious for its club culture and nightlife but it has its underbelly that often goes unnoticed by the mainstream excitement. The alternative community has been bubbling in the heart of this college town and it is all thanks to the growing network of punk rock and heavy metal bands that have been permeating the city. We sat down with one of Tallahassee’s great up-and-coming punk rock bands to introduce their origins, their future plans and to discuss the complexity of the growing alternative scene in our town.

How and when did you all meet each other?

Ben: In middle school, Tyler and I knew each other, and we were in the school band together. I did percussion and he played the trumpet. We then went to high school, and that’s where we met Noah, and the three of us fell in love. We spent the next few years jamming rock band style.

Noah: Yeah, I had been trying to start a rock band as soon as I hit freshman year of high school. One of the first bands that I ever started was actually with Tyler on drums, so that was actually before I met him [Ben], so I guess that was a bit of an overlap. The band was called Brick Window. We had one practice.

Caleb: I’ve been playing instruments most of my life, and I come from a pretty musical family. When I went to college, a mutual friend knew I was passionate about music and that I wanted to start a band, and he knew Noah, too. We awkwardly met in an FSU dorm, and we started jamming and writing music together. We definitely got a lot of noise complaints. The next year, Ben came up and we started to play a lot more seriously.

When was Northy officially established? How did you come up

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with the name Northy?

Tyler: Northy was established in the fall of 2019, and it was actually the three of them [motioning toward Ben, Noah, and Tyler].

I wasn’t up here yet. I was back at home in community college, and then I came to Tallahassee during the fall of 2020, and then just became a part of the band somehow. I remember we went to Guitar Center and bought a speaker together and we were just like “I guess we’re in a band now.”

Has Tallahassee had any influence on the type of music that you make? Have you interacted or collaborated with any other bands?

Ben: Yeah, there’s a pretty good scene forming here in Tallahassee. We know and are close with some other bands. We haven’t done any collaborations yet, but there is a group of three or four bands here, and we’re all pretty close.

Tyler: Yeah, we’ve become friends with some of the other people in bands like Airport Drive. They’re great. They’re great musicians, too.

Ben: Manic is another heavy metal band, and we actually gave them their first venue show. I’m happy that we’re in a position where we can help bands that are newer than us. It’s a strange and cool feeling.

Was it difficult to find your audience here in Tallahassee? What was hard about getting started?

Ben: Apparently, there was a well-established band scene before the pandemic. I used to work at Music Masters, and my coworkers would tell me that there was a certain person that I would have to talk to. Also, there was a Facebook group for every indie and punk band

that was in town. If you wanted to get started, all you had to do was talk to these people. We kept playing shows during the pandemic, and that was a big no-no for them. But, we were very careful and made sure to keep the crowds small. After that, people graduated and moved away, and the old scene was dismantled. We’re just part of the new era of it now.

Your debut album, Self Titled Disaster was recently released.

What was that process like?

Noah: It’s been a work in progress for a really long time. Some of those songs were ones we wrote in the dorm room over a year and a half or two years before that.

Caleb: We went into the studio, and we did it in one weekend.

We spent many hours there. It was a great experience.

Ben: We felt like rockstars.

Caleb: We would definitely like to do it again.

The theme of our tenth issue is mayhem. The punk rock genre has a lot of chaotic, hardcore connotations. How do you feel about these associations? What does mayhem mean to you? What do you think it inspires?

Northy: A part of punk rock is certainly chaos and rebellion, but

it’s often not anarchy just for anarchy’s sake. It’s a rebellion against the unfair and cruel parts of the world. Many of the people at the forefront of social issues in the 90s and early 2000s were members of the punk community. Despite negative connotations some people might have, it’s a community we’re proud to consider ourselves a part of.

What are some of your future goals moving forward? How would you guys want to contribute to the scene?

Ben: I want to inspire people in the same way that I’ve been inspired by the bands that I liked growing up.

Noah: Inspiring others, you know? Keep the music going. I want to play a show with a band that I listen to. Mayday Parade is from Tallahassee, and I would love the opportunity to be able to open for them.

Northy is only one of many punk rock bands that have been building up their name in Tallahassee. This interconnected network of bands uplifts one another and empowers each other to be successful. Northy claims to want to inspire others just like they have been inspired themselves. And yet, they are already doing so by serving at the forefront of the new era of punk rock in Tallahassee.

MISSING

IN THE MEDIA WRITTEN BY GAVIN PINTO­ EDITED BY KARINA MCCARTHY & LEXI FERNANDEZ Thousands of missing persons cases remain unsolved every year, leaving families and communities devastated by the grief and hardship of loss. Such devastation intensifies when the media selectively deems certain cases as newsworthy, leaving others unheard of. The racial disparity in missing persons cases is as clear as day with the overwhelming majority of those who receive less than adequate resources to find justice being non-white individuals.

The case of the missing woman, Gabby Petito, serves as a contemporary example of such disparities. After the twenty-twoyear-old travel blogger was reported missing by her family after not hearing from her for an extended period of time, the media quickly curated theories regarding what may have led to her disappearance.

All eyes were on her fiance, Brian Laundrie, and his family as a result of persistent news coverage and public speculation. In true crime junkie fashion, many took to social media in an attempt to uncover what happened to Petito. Cries for justice were amplified to ensure that everyone was made aware of the situation; however, this is not the reality for thousands of other missing individuals.

It is no secret that minority groups are often targeted by both the media and law enforcement, suffering from false accusations and ridicule from the public. Members of racial and ethnic minorities are

more likely to face racially motivated acts of violence, sex trafficking, and police brutality. In contrast, they are less likely to have their stories broadcast by leading media outlets. The lack of attention minorities receive further conveys the disparities they face in their everyday life. Exemplified in Petito’s case, our criminal justice system, the media, and society can take a situation and dictate the validity.

Minority families are left with few options and often take to social media in an effort to raise awareness, begging for others to notice.

In 2016 alone, there were nearly six thousand reports of missing Indigenous individuals, yet there was a noticeable lack of response from news outlets.

Breaking down the barrier will allow us to achieve a reality of fairness for all. The tragedy of what happened to Gabby Petito is something that will be remembered for years to come; however, it is not the case for all missing persons. The unfortunate reality is that race and ethnicity play a prominent role in our justice system; it is a painful line that only minorities have to walk. The inadequate efforts put into the discoveries of non-white individuals do not represent the resources we have. Our justice system promises equivalent opportunity for all, and it is due time that we make such a commitment truthful.

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Mayhem

The intense feeling of complete chaos and disorder. Such a sensation resides everywhere, in everything. Captivated by the madness of it all, we are drawn toward the flame.

Mayhem is suppressed within each of us, waiting to be unleashed. By nature, lawlessness exists in a world without end. We are mesmerized by its ominous yet alluring presence, overwhelmed by the desire for liberation. The mayhem of one’s mind is not meant to be subdued, for it persists in our craving for chaos. As we become acquainted with the beauty in all of such madness, we uncover a newfound sense of confidence. Mayhem is a part of who we are, and what we decide to do with that power is entirely up to us.

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STRIKE MAGAZINE FALL 2021