The Post Grad Gazette—June 21, 2024

Rachel Loring

Macy Kissel

Lizzy Zarrello

Chesney Jensen

Rachel Loring

Rachel Loring

Macy Kissel

Brenna Mcwha

Molly Dekraai

Ashley Powers

Kiley Parrish Melanie

Carah

SHITS & GIGGLES

Your Summer Wardrobe Gets Together

CONTENT

Macy’s (Adult) Lemonade Stand

Wish You Were Here (Norge) What Popstar Are You?

What’s In My (Summer) Bag

Your Summer Walking Guide

Popsicle Punchlines

Brenna’s Bucketlist

Molly’s Thoughts On Graduating

THE

CRITICS

Challengers Movie Review

Summer 2024 ‘It’ List

POETRY

“The City In Summer” “Waterfall”

“Cigarette Smoke” “Freeing Oneself”

PUZZLES & GAMES

Post Grad-lib: Camp Day

Lemonade stands are the pinnacle of young entre preneurial spirit and quite literally the backbone of the economy that we know today. I used to shake down my parents to buy all the ingredients (Crystal Lite Lemonade Powder, paper cups, and sometimes a baked good) and then would slave away on the corner of my street and keep all the ‘profits’ for myself. In an attempt to continue to connect with my inner child, and reignite the spark of playfulness and creativity, I am single-handedly bringing back the lemonade stand for summer 2024.

The only thing better than an ice-cold glass of lemonade on a summer day is an ice-cold glass of lemonade with alcohol in it. These delightful drinks take the simple, refreshing qualities of your classic lemonade and elevate them with a sophisticated twist.

by Macy Kissel

FOR THE FIZZ:

(to serve two)

2 Parts Bombay Saphire gin

1 Part lemon juice

6 Parts champagne

Garnish: Lemon peel twist

Glassware: Champagne coup

MAKE THE MOJITO:

(to serve three)

6 Parts Bacardí Superior rum

1 Part lemonade

1 Part lime juice Mint leaves

Muddle mint leaves in shaker glass. Add rum, lemonade, and lime juice. Shake well. Pour over ice and lemon wheels.

Garnish: Lemon wheels & mint sprig

Glassware: Rocks glass or mason jar

THE CITY IN SUMMER

by Melanie Blatt

A breathy breeze I’m a graffitied rooftop

Putting on clothes to get painted in sweat

Sun steaming a heady high

Kissing the day sensuous and slow

Time moves different under her gaze

Wanting the day to turn to night as little as we do

The sun shines its rays even as it passes the horizon

Leaving licks of sherbet push pops on curves of clouds

The sticky heat releases its grasp to a euphoric cool in a way only summer can

Post sunset clarity - the beating in your chest that signifies an internal communication, the calling of your soul to itself

It seems everyone is easier in summer, the heat makes it hard to hold things too close Chaos, it is a cricket singing its song, whether music or noise is up to you

Routines disrupted as missed workouts in favor of happy hours, teams calls go unanswered, and pockets empty

In the name of laughter that lifts off your chest with the weight of feather, smiles that refract lightness, memories that write the pages of our 20s

How lucky we are to have more days, more time to tender the garden we keep for ourselves

Gardens becoming so overfilled with fruit we can share with others

Hearts in bloom so we may let in the love and light from others

The salty sea a known healer for all wounds, let her wash over us in sight, sound, skin

The world is still on fire but in summer we roast marshmallows and weenies with it

Seed the soil, serenade the sun, and soak in the rain

The sun rises and falls, waves crash

Take notice of the movement around and join in this energy

This is the time for growth.

You are alive

You can forgive

You have power

YOUR SUMMER WARDROBE GETS TOGETHER

Cream_linen_pants:

Hi guys—Linen pant here. Summer is here!! We are SO BACK! I’m ready to go out and get mad wrinkled LOL. Who’s in???

Long_flowy_white_skirt:

Hi! Sorry, I’ll be in europe all summer :/ --send prayers for no red wine stains! Check me out on insta tho—I’m “trending” this summer (ironic considering I’ve been a staple for years)

Cream_linen_pants:

Lol literally—I’m like guys…I’ve been right here for YEARS! Where in Europe?

Long_flowy_white_skirt:

Just…Europe

Boxer_short:

Can we add frilly gingham shorts to this chat? They’re in town this summer and everyone’s talking about them!

Cream_linen_pants:

Sure! Wanna add bloomers too?

Boxer_short: Maybe…don’t get me wrong I love bloomers but sometimes I feel like they’re only good in certain contexts…

Cream_linen_pants:

Well there’s always next year

(frilly gingham shorts was added to chat)

Frilly_gingham_shorts:

Omg hey guys!!! Am I finally moving up from the baby and children’s clothing GC?

Long_white_skirt:

LOL we’ve all been there

Boxer_Shorts:

No bc I literally was in the “items from my ex’s floor the morning after chat” and It was…rough.

Long_flowy_white_skirt:

Was…you know who there?

Boxer_Shorts:

Sadly…skid marked underwear was there

Cream_linen_pants:

Keep them AWAY from me!! What do we wanna do? Preferably something where there’s literally no sitting at all in any way shape or form involved, at least until we’re done taking pics! People can’t know how impractical I lowkey actually am lol

Boxer_Shorts:

Oh baby you know I will be creasing RIGHT in the crotch all night long!

Black_mini_skirt_w_shorts_attached:

Sorry just woke up…late night, mad hungover—too many espresso martinis and one too many cartwheels

Cream_linen_pants:

Lol one drink and you KNOW black mini skirt with shorts attached will be cartwheeling!

Black_mini_skirt_w_shorts_attached:

I mean…the shorts are ATTACHED! You gotta do a cartwheel or it’s kinda a waste, no?

Cream_linen_pants:

Alright meet at the park this afternoon? And for the love of God someone bring a blanket…I can’t get another grass stain this year.

Jeans:

…Guys please take me out of this chat…it’s WAYYY too hot for me

WATERFALL

by Carah Gedeon

I sift through my memories with a colander, Flipping through pages and pages of language, Underlining and dog earring,

Dissecting words and conjuring meaning from scribbles, Hallucinating lines into vision, I create new worlds, or rather, re-create my own (I’m a scientist in my own right after all)

I stutter, I falter, I erase, I write, I erase, I begin again Like a river, it floats by, Quietly and smoothly until it reaches its end

The cliff before the fall

CHALLENGERS MOVIE REVIEW

by Ashley Powers

If you told me a few months ago that I would become emotionally attached to a movie about tennis, I would have been hesitant to believe you. If you told me it was directed by Luca Guadagnino, director of Call Me By Your Name, maybe I would’ve believed you a little more. What can I say? I love a gay little movie.

The movie follows the lives of 3 key players. Zendaya’s character Tashi, Mike Faist’s character Art, and Josh O’ Conner’s character Patrick. And of course the other main character: tennis. This movie had everything: rivalry, betrayal, homoerotic moments, Zendaya in a juicy jacket, phallic foods, techno music, and a very sweaty tennis match. By the way, if you think tennis is boring then clearly you’ve never seen it set to tech-

no. Literally, listening to the score of Challengers is the equivalent of taking a hit of poppers, a drug I’m suuure our male leads would love.

The film volleys between past and present like a tennis match, while we watch an actual match between Art and Patrick. But is it a tennis ball they’re volleying or the chance to be with Zendaya’s character Tashi?

The only thing Tashi loves more than tennis is manipulating these two men, a sport in its own right. It seems she knows something that they refuse to admit, that they are actually in love with each other. Tashi tests this theory the first night they meet, by feigning a threesome that she soon exits. Tashi looks on to the 2 boys making out like I would to my ken dolls after making them kiss. Pure sat-

isfaction. The boys go on to fight over Tashi the whole movie, and it’s never quite clear who wins.

Although someone ends up winning the match—I won’t spoil it—I think the message was that the real score was love-love. (I was legally required to make that pun). The film ends with Tashi’s reaction to the match results, a visceral response that matches her complex feelings throughout the film.

I believe this is an important film in our society. Bi erasure, especially for men, is a very real thing. Men are often afraid to explore their homoerotic feelings, because they don’t want to be labeled as gay. But in my opinion, the manliest thing you can do is be in touch with your sexuality.

Speaking of sexuality, we sadly don’t get full Zendaya nudity (she has a no nudity clause in her contract – still a Disney star at heart), but we do see her in her underwear, a visual stunning enough to make me want to die a little.

This movie has made an imprint on my psyche. Seriously, I’ve become annoying. I’ve started asking “Mike Faist or Josh O’Conner?” and treating it like a personality test. I can respect either answer, but I’m a Josh girl. Also, I might actually start watching tennis.

Well there it is, my review on the sexy tennis movie. I hope I haven’t spoiled it too much, because if you haven’t seen the movie you really should. And if you need someone to go with, I’m not opposed to seeing it a third time; if I learned anything from the movie, it’s that sometimes all you need is a third.

The best time of year—besides Christmas, naturally—is basking in the sunshine of summer. As the days stretch longer and the UV index climbs higher, dive into this year’s ultimate summer “it” list.

IT: Fruit (as a lifestyle)

The physical food is always an in. I’m talking about utilizing the cuteness of fruit-- everything from graphic tees and bikinis covered in strawberries to nail colors inspired by citrus and DIY crafts featuring little cherries.

IT: Over accessorizing I want to see three watches, a stack of bracelets, and 11 rings on just one arm this summer. If you don’t jingle when you walk, you’re doing it wrong.

IT: Rewatching Sex and the City Is Carrie still annoying? Of course. But revisiting her chaotic love life and questionable fashion choices is like a warm, problematic hug. Perfect for summer nights in with a glass of wine, wondering why you ever thought Mr. Big was a catch.

IT: The color orange Enough said.

IT: Channeling your inner Shark Tank

Saying, “And for that reason, I’m out” whenever you don’t want to do something. Leave the FOMO in the spring and do what makes you happy this summer.

by Kiley Parrish

IT: Short nails Acrylics? Annoying, expensive, and an express ticket to damaged nails. Your local Walgreens has all the cute summer colors you need. Plus, you can actually type without sounding like a tap dancer.

IT:Making SPF your BFF

Lobster doesn’t look good on anyone and nothing says, “I’m a responsible adult” like protecting your skin from the fiery wrath that lives 92.96 million miles away.

IT: Pretending to be in Europe

Your bank account might not agree with a trip around the Amalfi Coast but Instagram doesn’t need to know that. Grab a croissant, sip an overpriced cappuccino, and snap some photos of a body of water - enjoy your staycation, minus the jet lag and overpacking.

IT: Complaining about the heat At the end of the day, I’m just a girl and the heat is exhausting. So go ahead, moan about the weather. Bonus points if you do it while sipping a lemonade in the AC.

by Chesney Jensen

WHAT’S IN MY (SUMMER) BAG

by Rachel Loring

We all need to fill up our tote bags this summer as we attempt to find shade and a spot on the beach and/or our favorite park. Here is what will be in my bag all summer long:

An Unexpected Summer Read.

I want a summer book that, like the summer heat, makes me squirm uncomfortably in my seat. For this, I suggest Luster by Raven Leilani and The Guest by Emma Cline. Both feature sleazy, sweaty protagonists scheming and flying by the seat of their pants. Young women using their wits, sexuality, and pure blind (delusional?) confidence to navigate in an often chaotic and confusing world? Sign me up. Both novels feature the summer, older men, leads that will leave you with second-hand embarrassment, and drama. 10/10 for both!

Sunscreen in an unconventional form.

So the super fun thing about sunscreen is that you have to reapply it, but if you’re like me and don’t like touch ing your face during the day or happen to

be wearing makeup, slathering on your go-to daily sunscreen might not be an option. My solution? Powdered SPF. Supergoop makes one and I’ve had it for around three summers now--so it does last a while! Hawaiian Tropic makes a dupe that I’m sure is as good and most definitely less money. These are not going to give you a full protective layer, so you need to still be using your regular (more than SPF 30) sunscreen, but as a little touch me up on the go? Can’t get better.

Second rec is a sunscreen mist. I’ve used this one from Neutrogena for years. It’s lightweight and is super easy to apply--no rubbing in at all!

A tinted lipbalm.

I support tinted lipbalm at all times of year, but they just hit different in the summer. My tried and true is Burt’s Bees--the Rose shade is in my purse at all times.

good dupe and will most definitely be checking that out next!

A Fan.

I’ve been in my fan era for years. Fans are the best to bring with you out, not only can you fan yourself off, but you can fan off your friends, or use it to strike up conversation with a particularly (and literally) hot man at the bar.

I think an accordion fan is so luxurious and over the top, although it’s not necessarily the most efficient--great for going somewhere you know will have AC but you just want the drama--just make sure you practive your THWORP.

Eletronic fans can’t be beat--I got mine from Amazon for $15 and it’s rechargeable, which is a must because buying batteries sucks.

If you wanna ball out a little more, black honey to me is a timeless tinted lippy--although I’ve heard Elf makes a

YOUR SUMMER WALKING GUIDE

Collect all five Rachel-certified walking badges by completing each walk!!

by Rachel Loring

We all remember when the hot girl walk took off, forever altering our perceptions on what a walk can truly be, both mentally and physically. Though, in my opinion, the term and concept is a little…corny and played out. It’s too vague, too formless, too girlboss-millenial core. As a self-proclaimed walking connoisseur, let me take you through some of my tried and true walks that are guaranteed to brighten your summer and get your steps in!

THE INCLINE WALK

This is the classic Rachel walk, of which I have coined my “walkies”. It’s the 12-3-30, which is a 12 incline at a 3 speed for 30 minutes. This walk will require a treadmill, some good shoes, and a shit ton of endurance because, in my opinion, it’s HARD. But incline walks are supposedly great for you and you get a nice sweat without running (cue dread).

Certified Walking Tip: If you’re like me a few months ago (unable to do this without feeling like puking) then I suggest gradually building up speed and incline throughout the walk.

THE FLOWER WALK

I came up with this walk idea last year when I was feeling especially uninspired and sad. And yes, I am working on finding a way to patent and then monetize it. The concept is as follows: walk wherever you want and pick flowers as you go, stop once you have a sufficient bouquet. This is a great way to explore a new city or find new love in a familiar place. A few rules: try not to take flowers from private property…but if you must, be sneaky! This is my personal favorite walk and once lasted me all day, it really makes you stop and quite literally smell the roses.

Certified Walking Tip: Bring bug

ative Walk Bad

The Wine W

THE SPARKLE WALK

This one I found on TikTok, so will not be patenting or monetizing, but essentially it’s just a laid-back walk with sparkling water. Choose your favorite brand but, if you’re feeling fancy, a lime Perrier in a glass bottle would be the most iconic move here. This is a great walk to take with friends as it is chat-friendly!

Certified Walking Tip: If you want to take this bad boy up a level, this is prime mocktail territory, muddle up some berries, sprig some mint, and go!

THE WINE WALK

Similar to the Sparkle Walk in concept, but with alcohol. Additionally, this has to take place at sunset or, better yet, night. Pour your fav vino, get your friends, and walk in a SAFE PLACE (aka maybe save for your quiet summer getaway).

Certified Walking Tip: Check your carrying laws so you don’t end up taking a walk to the police station

(better yet, put your wine in a water bottle that’s not see-through).

THE MEDITATIVE WALK

This walk is best in the morning! Walking within an hour of waking up is apparently super sexy for your circadian rhythm. Take this one outside with NO distractions. No music, no podcasts, no phone calls. Walk slow and try to really take in your surroundings. Ponder, take deep breaths, the works. This walk in my opinion is best when kept short. I think of it more as a quick pick me up or as a substitute when someone tells you to touch grass.

Certified Walking Tip: Alternate between looking at trees, grass, and the sky. This is a great way to cast your mind outwards if you struggle with any stubborn/overthinking tendencies.

THE BIRD WALK

Bird watching is quite literally all the rage right now. If you’re not currently staring at a bird you’re behind. But, if you find just sitting around waiting for the birds to come to you (or are, like me, bird feeder-less) boring, then this walk is for you. Essentially go outside and watch some birds. I’m really into pigeons right now (and happen to live in NYC) so I go out and count how many pigeons I see. If you see an especially lovely bird, snap some pics and annoy your family and friends with them. You could also walk for multiple kids of birds and just count the grand total of all types you see.

Certified Walking Tip: If birds aren’t for you (aka you’re lame) this can extend to anything, have a dog-watching walk or a butterfly-watching walk! It’s a good way to engage with your surroundings--plus I love having a task to accomplish!

CIGARETTE SMOKE

by Carah Gedeon

It’s blurry and dim and the cigarette smoke Creeps in from the cracked window. It smells so much of sweat and piss beer that we’re sticky with it. Our bodies move with the drum kick and all night is a show of stolen glances.

I want to make poetry right now, drunk with a gin and tonic in my hand, I want to make words collide into each other, to watch them come apart Just to grasp for one another again in the dark, But the men just want to make something else. I enter these environments hoping for a different outcome every time but it’s always the same, Loneliness hugging contemplation. Now, I’m on the street, stumbling to my ride home, feeling like I missed the point of it all.

POPSICLE PUNCHLINES

by Macy Kissel

Popsicle has come a long way since I was a kid, with crazy new flavors and collabs with Jolly Ranchers. They even put the jokes on their website now, so you don’t even get the fun of eating the entire popsicle the fastest in order to tell your joke first. Here are some jokes that will probably make you smile to yourself because they’re so bad that they’re cute.

Q: What’s the difference between Port Authority and a lobster with a boobjob?

A: One is a crusty bus station, and one is a busty crustacean!

Q: What sits on the seashore and has anxiety?

A: Me! Just kidding. A nervous wreck! (Still me?)

Q: What do you call a French guy in sandals?

A: Phillipe Phloppe.

Q: When do you go at red and stop at green?

A: When eating a watermelon!

Q: What do bees say in June?

A: It swarm, isn’t it?

Q: What is the difference between a piano and a fish??

A: You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish.

Q: What do sheep do on nice summer days?

A: They baa-baa-que!

Q: Why did Humpty Dumpty have a great fall?

A: To make up for his miserable summer.

Q: Where do ants go for vacation?

A: Frants.

Q: What did the mermaids do when they got married?

A: They shell-ebrated!

Q: What is brown, hairy, and puts on sunglasses?

A: Me! Just kidding again. A coconut on vacation.

Q: What do you deserve and is also a type of bagel?

A. Everything

by Brenna McWha

Making a bucket list for the months between school’s end and the new school year used to be one of the highlights of my childhood summers. So why, as adults, have we disregarded the magic of a Summer Bucket List?

Grab a group of friends, some list-making supplies, your childlike whimsy, and get ready for the best summer ever. Here’s some ideas to add to your list:

Go to a nearby winery.

Buy in-season produce at a local farmer’s market.

Picnic in at least 3 different parks.

Go skinny dipping.

Go on a hike.

Throw a BBQ.

Play a game of kickball.

Have a summer movie marathon.

Reap the benefits of Free Slurpee Day. Make some jewelry.

Go to a different state (or country).

Go camping.

Have a good old-fashioned slumber party.

by Molly Dekraai

Graduating is weird.

It is not an isolated experience. It’s so hard and emotional and nostalgic that I thought I was experiencing some wholly new, unique feeling. To make myself feel better, I would often tell myself “Everyone around you is also going through this.” Which led me to think, “EVERYONE around me feels like this???”

To be fair, it’s unlikely every single person in the senior class of FSU felt the way I did, but most of the people I was surrounded by shared my (melodramatic?) sentiment. I couldn’t scroll TikTok without seeing some resposted nostalgic freshman year compilation, or go out with my friends without the pressure of making every second count. At first, these were cute, pleasant

reminders of the ever-more-relevant good old days, but they eventually started to bloom into panic . Was I doing enough in the last few weeks? How many more weekends did I have to fill with memories? Did I cherish enough of these little moments? Would I have cute anecdotes to look back on when I’m feeling sad? With spring break over, I realized I was at the peak of the mountain that was once the endless time of senior year. Metaphorically, my life was over. I know that’s a dramatic statement. And I knew it then. But, life as I knew it, the life as I was comfortable with, would soon be over.

I felt an impending doom that my life was about to change trajectory so viciously and quickly that I was holding on to my life at college with

white knuckles and numb fingers. I wondered if everything I did would be the last time I did it, saying goodbye after goodbye day after day. There came a point where I had to remind myself that I was not dying, just graduating. I laughed about it, tried to make peace with it, sat in circles with my friends, having a makeshift graduation intervention: my name is Molly and I don’t want to graduate. I tried to normalize the sadness and encourage the hopefulness, but, no amount of platitudes made the dread go away. There was no solution to it, so I just had to feel it, watch the ticking clock and let it happen. And it’s still a weird feeling.

I also experienced a kind of phenomenon during my last weeks of college. Right around April, I started to feel the walls close in a little

bit. If I wasn’t making the absolute most of every single fleeting moment I had left, what was I doing? There was an element of pressure applied. Every second was a memory I could be making, time I could be spending with my friends who were about to live hundreds of miles away from me. At some points, I felt like I was trying to panic buy final college experiences, rushing through the aisles and grabbing every single opportunity that arose. Everywhere I looked I felt the pressure shouting back at me: Hope you did what you could with it! Hope you tried your best to make the BEST memories in the world!

Jesus Christ. I was exhausted.

Graduating is the worst thing that has ever happened to anyone.

And even worse, no one treats it as such. You just have to nod along. Yes, I know. It’s the beginning of the rest of my life! Yes, I know my best years haven’t even begun! Yes, I know young adult life is so exciting! But PLEASE Shut up! Oh my god! I loved my life at school, so so so so so much. Graduation made me feel like I was be-

ing physically torn from the version of me I had curated over the past four years. I know I’m lucky to have enjoyed my college experience so much, and that this is annoying and short-sighted, but I would probably pay 1 million USD to transport back to freshman year right now. I also know that everything happens when it is supposed to, and that college is a definitive period of time for a reason, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t wish I could go back to living in my sorority house, sitting on the couch watching a movie before convincing my friends to go down the street to our favorite bar in our pajamas.

It hurts, bad, the final realization that you will never live this way with friends again, that you will never live this unencumbered again. Yes, I’m excited for friendships in my twenties and beyond, but they will never be like the ones I had in college. We will have jobs and relationships and much bigger responsibilities. Face it, it’s not socially acceptable to skip your 9 to 5 to go to happy hour pre-banding at 12 pm. I can’t email my boss

and tell them I’m sick 15 minutes before work like I did before class a few too many times with professors during my last semester.

Leaving school, driving out of Tallahassee listening to “You’re Gonna Go Far” while sobbing has been the greatest pain of my twenty-one years thus far, like pull-over-intothe-shoulder-so-I’m-not-a-roadhazard kind of hard. It was the moment I had been anticipating in the worst way, and when it finally happened, it was worse than what I could’ve imagined. Instead of it being vaguely kind of over, it was actually over. And I haven’t experienced a definitive finale like that ever before. Which leads me to:

Graduating is inevitable. You have to leave at some point! If you didn’t why would college be special at all? I found the quicker I realized that, the more time I’d have to pre-process the feelings I was about to have. In all actuality- for how emotional my friends and I were the entire time, we did a decent job of trying to prepare ourselves. We talked a lot about

graduating and it always came back to the same thing: It’s gonna suck, but it has to happen. For a while, we’re probably gonna hate it. But, at some point, it’ll be normal and we’ll be okay. Still waiting for that part, but I’m getting there.

Graduating is necessary.

I did not need to be given a reason to go out every night. SYFI (an acronym meaning “senior year, fuck it” that is employed to encourage (peer pressure?) people to do what you want in a YOLO sort of way, or shouted while taking shots, or written on arms in Sharpie during a bar crawl) is cute for one year and one year only. That expiration date is FIRM.

In a broader life-sense, what people shove down your throat when you show trepidation to graduation is true: it actually is the start of a whole new chapter. And in a way, it is something to look forward to with excitment. Something I’m starting to realize is that the person I have become throughout college is actually ready to try out something new. It won’t all be exciting or fun or shiny. I’m only a month out, and I have hit many highs and sunk to many lows. I miss my friends. I feel their hurt from miles away and I ache to feel their joy nearby.

I hate that I probably won’t see my favorite bar DJ, or the random kid my friends and I thought was an evil doppelganger for our friend Charlie, or Charlie, for that matter, or my academic advisor who saved my life, or the fifty acquaintances I gotten used to running into at Happy

Hour, or the freshmen girls in my sorority I had a soft spot for, or the kid who sat next to me in my Emily Dickinson class who I thought was so cute but never talked to, ever again. This new part of my life is teaching me that I cannot hold on to all of these people. I can appreciate them, and watch them from afar, but it is unnecessary to live in the realm that I once did with all of them. It doesn’t exist anymore and we have to make room for a new one.

Graduating is actually a good thing.

I’m home with my parents and dogs. I go to bed at a reasonable hour most nights. I see my best friend Olivia every week. I work a job with people I adore in a place that makes me happy. I call my best friends I graduated with every day.

I’m not averaging five hours of sleep a night. I don’t have a meeting every night this week. I got to the very end of this piece before I looked at the word count- a habit I need to kick. I’m not living with a low-lying anx iety for a looming future I know I can’t stop. There’s a different feeling about the future I’m looking at now, one with a lot more control.

I think after this reflection, I ought to stop staring down the barrel of the future and focus on the present. I’ll let y’all know how that goes.

Thank you to my peo-

ple, LMB, the Gamma Chapter of Chi Omega (and its couch), Dance Marathon at FSU, Jack Clifford, Olivia North, and Rachel Loring for quite literally everything. When I look to you, I know I’ll be alright.

FREEING ONESELF

by Melanie Blatt

Love cannot reach you unless you open for it

Unless you drop your shoulders, take a grounding breath and accept the fears and imperfections

Because we are all abundantly human and no pose, construction, or makeup can hide our true image from ourselves

We have to live with this sight and accepting the person we judge the most is no easy feat

What we judge about others is just the shadow of what we fear about ourselves

But forgiveness is like magic, with it we wield the power to free ourselves out of the cage we’ve built

The place we’ve sequestered the darkest ugliest parts of ourselves that we’ve convince ourselves we are better off without

An animal in hiding, when finally unleashed we worry it will bite

So we keep it contained, issuing ultimatums and commandments: be different, be better

So afraid of what it might do, we build the walls higher and slowly we tuck more and more of ourselves away, deeming them unfit to rule

We do this until we’ve buried so much of ourselves in the fortress that the fire within cannot breathe and goes out

Wandering we continue on this path, wishing for more: more money, more things, more friends, more fun

We are walking around without a compass, and as time progresses we begin to forget

how we got here, where we were even going Then one day you realize you are hungry and lost, you’ve done so much but nothing is better

There is no one around but you, you lay in the soft grass, close your eyes and breathe you navigate the fortress, clumsily triggering traps you rigged under the pretense of keeping yourself safe

You cry a lot, so much so that the salt from your tears starts to turn the iron citadel into rust. it is ugly at first But then it is not, then it is you and it is so beautifully broken that you don’t wish it were whole through the imperfections you notice the way the light creates shapes and the wind creates music and you are art and beautiful and imperfect you no longer feel alone or afraid and welcome the warmth of your spirit. after this rest you wake up on the lawn, which is actually a meadow every step feels hard and sometimes you trip but you don’t take that setback seriously you don’t judge yourself for being sore and you allow yourself to rest there is darkness and light but you let them both live it is here that you realize no armor is as protective as the one made out of love for oneself

POST GRAD-LIB

by Rachel Loring

CAMP POST GRAD

Hi Campers! Welcome to Camp Post Grad—we are excited to have you! Fill in the below mad-libs to figure out your perfect day at camp!