University Girl Fall 2022 "Exploration" Issue

As college students, we’re often met with the daunting question: what do you want? As in, what do you want to do? Where do you want to go? Who do you want to become? The four years we spend running around recklessly with the best friends we’ll ever have only to write a 42-page thesis the next day are the years that build the bridge between real life and “still learning,” between following and leading, and between child and adult.

This year’s theme, “Exploration,” represents everything we explore in our coming-of-age era, whether that be looking within and exploring ourselves, forming relationships and exploring others, or exploring the world by finding our place within it.

The beginning of the magazine highlights “Exploration of Self,” including reads on “Reclaiming Breakdowns,” (7), “Dates You Can Do Alone” (8), “Healing Your Inner Child” (12), and discovering your “Identity Through Fashion” (13-14). “Stuck in the Middle” (11) takes us through the emotional journey of this in-between period in our lives, and my article, “You Drive Me Crazy,” (9-10) aims to explain why we are driven to these all-time highs and lows.

We then transition into “Exploration of the World,” which teaches us how to fall in love with travel, how to ground ourselves in doing so, and how to fulfill your wanderlust on a budget. Its accompanying shoot (15-18) is a colorful, playful tribute to the joys that come with travelling with your friends during this time, even if that adventure is simply a road trip. “Fashion Around the World” (23-24) showcases University Girl’s undying love for fashion and how we can appreciate it from a multitude cultural perspectives.

Finally, the “Exploration of Others” section takes us all the way to…Syracuse’s own Bird Library. In a modern, sultry-meets-academia vibe shoot, we turn to all-too relatable struggles, like facing “The Ghosts of Lovers’ Past” (36), “People We Meet in College,” (37) and how to handle relationships from “The First Date and Beyond” (32). We also delve into “Feminism and Our Political Identity” (38), which highlights the importance of navigating our place within today’s political climate. We conclude with a University Girl tradition, “Hook Ups from Hell” (40), which will indisputably never get old.

The “Exploration” issue meets the unsureness and confusion of this time with mature solutions, celebrating this inevitable transitional phase that is exhilarating, lonely, and wonderful all at once. I wondered then what type of content would resonate the most deeply with those in a period of intense exploration, and then it occurred to me; people don’t need to see perfection. People need to see themselves. They need to see their best friend, the nice girl who gave them gum in the bathroom, the boy they never expected to fall in love with, the friend who wiped their tears and held their hair, the person they never thought would call. Facilitating a student publication gives our team a chance to make a real impact not only on each other, but on the entire student body.

When I became the Editor-in-Chief of University Girl at the end of my sophomore year, I knew I wanted to make a magazine that impacted everybody who came upon it just as deeply as it impacted me. Here, we prioritize creating an environment that we can be proud of, excited to be a part of; one that changes what it means to be a part of a student-run organization.

Being your leader for the past year has been an absolute honor. University Girl has made my time here at Syracuse, and I can only hope that our magazine will continue to flourish with the same love and dedication that my team has put forth.

Thank you to our stellar creative team, Britney Kirwan, Charlie Wenig, and Vivian Yang, to our design directors Sammy Fuss and Dana Levine, Sophie Walter, Jane Shevlin, Layla Harrison, Mia Gelb, Aviya Garg, Katie Hill, Rhea Srivastava, Julia Short, Ellie Batten, our gorgeous models, always my family, Nicole, Yosi, and Rex Hechter, and of course Phoebe Block

Chloe Hechter

model: tal ben ari

photos: sophie walter, samantha fuss design: samantha fuss model: kamryn kanter

We’re Reclaiming Mental Breakdowns

Meltdowns are kinda hot.

by: charlie wenig | design: vivian yang

Mental breakdowns are for the hottest of the hot. Society has already seemed to normalize struggling and dealing with mental health, but there’s a lot of good that can come from the bad and the ugly. You have to go through it to get through it. As opposed to repressing your emotions, let them out. Get messy. Hit that bathroom floor.

When we think of the word “breakdown,” the connotations of a temper tantrum tend to come to mind; screaming, crying, throwing things, destroying your room in rage…the usual. However, mental breakdowns are far different than your typical toddler crying fit.

Gaining the skills to be able to reclaim your mental breakdown is a critical factor in creating a healthy relationship with yourself and your mind. Being able to embrace certain emotions as they arise is extremely important, especially for college students experiencing new situations and emotions constantly.

Mental health is just as important as your physical health. It is necessary

to be able to take care of your mind and treat your conscience with respect. However, this level of awareness does not come overnight.

Through trial and error, we can find what makes our minds happy and satisfied. This means taking the journey and exploring every aspect of your own mental health.

Reclaiming your mental breakdown starts with recognizing triggers that may lead you to become upset or frustrated with certain situations. From there, we can begin to identify how to control these triggers and create a healthy balance of emotions when difficult situations come to light.

The goal of reclaiming mental breakdowns is not to eliminate them. We are striving toward creating a healthy balance between ourselves and our mental health because becoming self-aware is the ultimate superpower.

Embracing and reclaiming mental breakdowns is the ultimate self-growth experience. All of us reach a tipping

point of having too much on our plates or too much on our minds. Being able to freely “break down” is the only way to fully express your emotions and build up the strength to tackle whatever life may be throwing at you.

The final outcome of reclaiming your mental breakdown should be reaching the point of a mental breakthrough. The experience of reaching a mental breakthrough will look different for everyone but should reflect as a moment of empowerment. Coming out on the other side of a breakdown provides a new sense of clarity and can lead to a more effective and level-headed solutions to the problems that caused your breakdown.

Reclaiming your mental breakdown means embracing that good cry sesh, taking the time for yourself to let it all out, and come out on the other side with a strong mental perspective. Let’s make meltdowns hot again.

Dates You Can Do

Alone

Just take some time to recharge your battery. by: julia paperny | design: gianna corrente

This is officially the “who cares” era. You just realized you have a huge coffee stain on your shirt? Who cares? You’re eating dinner at a restaurant alone? Who cares?

There’s a subtle art to spending some time with yourself. It’s peaceful, warm and easy. You’re able to express yourself freely like … eating whatever gross concoction you want, burping as loud as you want and taking a break from your “A” game.

You scroll through Instagram as your friends post their Friday night with their manz, while yours consists of solo Netflix and chill…which fits the bill for you. But are you sick and tired of being alone AND doing nothing? Don’t worry, this article will outline several date-withyourself ideas for those times when you’re wanting to escape from Becky’s birthday dinner bash that’s been going on 30 minutes too long.

There are times when no one’s around, or you don’t want to be with anyone, so you’re left with the “me, myself and I” option. You’re single, your friends are busy with school or work, you’re in a relationship but you want to try things they’re not interested in. During these moments, don’t think of it as a let down or a negative; this is an opportunity for you to find peace and comfort…and to love yourself even more.

After all, your happiness shouldn’t always depend on others, and it’s perfectly reasonable to dictate your own experiences now and then. First of all, a satisfactory solo date has to meet at least a couple of the following criteria whether it’s something fun, makes you laugh, relaxing, fascinating (learn something new), pushes you outside of your comfort zone, or gives you pure excitement.

Other than that, the conditions are very flexible. You can plan it beforehand or it can be a last minute adventure, you can dress fancy or you can walk in with Brandy Melville sweats, you can stay-at-home and make jello shots or you can go out and buy jello shots at the club, you can go out during the day, at night or Day ‘n Nite, it can last an hour, a day, a weekend … you’re calling the shots!

SOLO DATE IDEAS

1 Nature It Up!

Whether the weather, take a walk! There are so many tempting exercises to keep the adrenaline flowing. Exercise and movement is good for your mental, emotional and physical health. Find a nice bike trail near you, put on the trendy work-out set you’ve been dying to wear and start pedaling. Besides biking, alternatives include laying out a blanket on the grass for a picnic, enjoying the crisp winter or fall air, laying in a hammock and reading a bestseller, tanning at the beach gives you time to enjoy fresh air and catch up on some

overdue Vitamin D, or find a favorite spot to hike and think without any distractions besides the sound of a waterfall, birds chirping, snow falling or ocean waves.

2 Tourist and Fanny Pack 101

Spend the day exploring a new part of the country, state or city. Riding around in a tour bus, or taking a walking tour of a section of your city that you’ve never been to before, is a great self-date. You don’t have to worry about anyone else pulling you away from the destinations you want to see.

3 Get to Know Yourself

One of the main reasons for going on a date with another person is to get to know them better … so use a solo date to get to know yourself better. You can take personality tests, or you can ask yourself questions. Take out the journal you barely write in and answer questions such as: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go? Who is your role model? What is your best feature? Bucket list? (Check off some items on that list while you’re at it).

Alone time gives you the opportunity to reflect, recharge and appreciate yourself. Maybe you’ll even remind yourself of all the amazing qualities you have.

YOU DRIVE ME CRAZY

Being a “chill girl?” SO out. by: chloe hechter | design: samantha fuss

Perhaps the most objectively insane deal I’ve ever made was when I told a guy-friend he could do coke off my desk so long as he cleaned it up and acted super into me when the boy I liked was around. Am I proud of this? No. I felt crazy. But does it add character? Absolutely.

I share this somewhat pathetic anecdote because frankly, it’s realistic. You’re not always with the person you want to be with, and what’s worse is that sometimes they’re with someone else–someone who seems to have everything you don’t. I talk a lot about maturity, and perhaps there was a more mature way to handle this situation. Maybe a mature person would’ve found some peaceful acceptance and went on with their night, careful not to cause any trouble–careful to be “chill” instead of “crazy.” But what fun is that?

When you’re in your 20s, it’s your God-given right to make the guy you like jealous, even if you have to go to extremes to get there. The self-awareness in this act is imperative; I knew what I was doing was far from taking the high road, but the only true consequence here was further breaking my own heart. I was willing to take that risk. If you’re plotting and scheming at the expense of your Man of the Hour, despite knowing that maybe it’s not the “adult” thing to do, consider the consequences and who they might affect. And if there are none, by all means, go for it. You’re not crazy. You’re entitled. You might feel crazy for a stalker mission or for intentionally making somebody jealous, but it happens to the best of us. Sometimes our feelings just come to a head, and the “crazy” way out is the fun way out—why fester in the unknown when you can stir the pot? This advice is not applicable to most adult situations, but point blank, don’t feel guilty

or insane for wanting to wreak havoc around an ex… something or other. If you ever feel crazy, here’s a point of reference: I knew of a girl who posted public TikTok videos about how much she loved and missed her ex, complete with pictures of him in his underwear and referring to him as her “soulmate.” For reference, he broke up with her over text after a three-month relationship. Hopefully, you no longer feel that crazy.

Guys are quick to call a girl crazy, so much so that we feel we must act a certain way to appease the men in our lives. We live in a world where it’s legitimately normalized to manifest your perfect partner as opposed to…I don’t know, TEXTING THEM? Girls in our generation would rather hover over a $20 crystal and repeat a series of “affirmations” that they totally just found somewhere on the internet than make a move on their own.

“Crazy” has become such a universal concept that we’ve perhaps ignored the very things that drive us to a point of considerable insanity…

The phrase “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” is a narrative in desperate need of a rewrite (which Rachel Bloom does an excellent job of in her television show, I might add). When a relationship ends, women are driven to a whole host of all-consuming emotions, emotions that are beyond our control. The same goes when we have a crush, especially one that seems inaccessible. In a somewhat desperate attempt to control these emotions, we turn to unhealthy behaviors that attempt to placate our discontent. Something as simple as checking someone’s location or whether they liked your picture is your brain’s way of trying to cling to something that doesn’t exist.

Love is complex, messy, and often incomprehensible. This lack of understanding in adulthood can drive even the most intelligent woman to utter madness. Lust lies more within the body than within the mind, and it drives us to erratic, sexual, and sometimes regrettable behavior like sleeping with an ex, a friend, or a friend of an ex. Oxytocin, the “love hormone” functions as a drug and gives us a sense of accomplishment, or a “high.” Without it, we’re sent back to a low, and the trouble is that its primary source is physical touch. This chemical low, this need for touch, then pushes us further towards the “crazy” of fulfilling this need or lust.

Jealousy is ugly. Jealousy drives bitchiness. I’m the first to admit that I was always jealous of the girls who had boyfriends when I didn’t, and I don’t consider myself to be the “jealous type.” Growing up, there was this end of summer event at camp called the “Last Chance Dance.” This beautiful, blonde girl was “dating” my childhood crush, but she had another boy take her to the dance when her “boyfriend” couldn’t make it. I had no date, my hair was frizzy, and my strapless dress was too big. All I could think the entire night was that her dress probably fit perfectly, and her hair was blonde and straight, and every guy wanted to be with her.

Anger occurs when we feel we’ve been wrongfully harmed in some way, and perhaps we feel we need revenge or justification. Wanting to fight or argue might make us feel or sound “crazy,” but if someone has hurt you deeply enough to make you angry, you have every right to be driven to anger or, well, “madness.”

There’s a reason for the phrase “madly in love.” We tend to feel a little “crazy” when we’re searching for something that’s missing. When my friends and I didn’t have any prospects on the horizon, we’d have to get creative and fill the love and lust voids with other sources of serotonin, oxytocin, adrenaline, and entertainment. Sometimes, my best friend and I would drive past guys’ houses just because we could—it’s not like we were doing anything. It was a funny way to pass time. At one point, I slid down in the passenger’s seat and was like, “this is actually insane,” but she reminded me that this was exactly what we should’ve been doing. “Girl crazy” is harmless. And yet there’s no “Boy crazy” to counteract “Girl crazy” other than referencing a girl being “crazy” about boys. This double standard has led us to criticize our own behaviors more so than we do those of guys who have given us the bare minimum.

When we hit that landmark “relationship,” we’re still led to wonder whether we should trust our counterpart. Girls will force their boyfriends to unfollow female friends on Instagram, wipe their phones clean of any past evidence of dating apps, and micromanage their every move. While this, from the male gaze, may come off as obsessive, this lack of pure trust is due to a long history of being screwed over. If the relationship is healthy, we should have no doubt that our partner isn’t contacting anybody else in a flirtatious way and just leave them be; be comfortably in love. But again, how often do you hear the phrase “comfortably in love?” Regardless of the nature of the relationship, obsessing over an idea of something that could be is sometimes all we have to keep ourselves sane in a world of guys who leave us alone when we’re blackout drunk or tell us that it “isn’t a date” moments after telling us that they like us.

Men can treat women with little to no respect and expect them to just take it, and when we find a guy who we really do like, our fear and past experiences get the best of us. Our trust has already been long destroyed. We want to protect the relationship and our own feelings at all costs, so we turn to manipulative self-help tricks or typical “crazy” acts like looking up their childhood home on Zillow. If girls are “crazy,” guys are crazier for driving us crazy.

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right...

by: hannah karlin | design: elizabeth wolf

While growth is universal, it’s also an individualistic experience. We achieve it at differing times and quantities. Maybe we got taller? Maybe we learned how to apply perspective? Maybe we accepted our feelings. However, by the ripe age of 18, we all have gained some sort of insight. Whether or not we want the experiences, we deal with them and wake up with a stronger grasp. A grasp on the life that we have been told: “takes time to understand.”

So does this classify us as grown-up? We are technically adults but not fully there yet. It’s this middle stage. The stage where we can climb mountains but also need someone trailing behind. It’s scary and thrilling. It’s weird and uncomfortable. It’s the middle.

The freedom is there. We can drive ourselves into the city. We can vote for our representation. We have control over our education. While it can send shockwaves of serotonin, it can also create a state of paralyzation. It’s overwhelmingthe ability to navigate life. One must balance the freedom. Breathe in the feeling and wrap your body around the power. Love it to the extent that your ten-year-old self would. But, at the same time, appreciate your stability. The day doesn’t always have to be seized and sitting out can be as productive. Appreciate the awkwardness of your senior prom, the excitement of your first love, and the uncertainty of new friendships. Appreciate your fleeting youth.

The choices are there. They stare us down every day, through every door, and around every corner. The choices lurk from what career to pursue to who we should surround ourselves with. Because yes, at this point, we can make smart decisions, but we also compare

ourselves to those who taught us right from wrong. The thing is, there is no correct answer. Every choice is a path, and we can maneuver the possible adversity within each direction.

The expectations are there. That we can look in the mirror and be completely satisfied with our lives. But the mirror is broken. It’s broken because we are broken. Not in a violent shards of glass type of way, but as a culmination of shimmering pieces in the works of assemblage. We have to accept progression and understand the difference in goals. Disorder can be beautiful. Let’s embrace our mess and soak in the pride from our efforts.

The help is there. A personalized support system. The confusing thing is when to utilize such help. We are taught to own our independence. But our early twenties are lonely and difficult. Seeking help is no weakness-it is power. Yes, there are times when you need to rely on yourself, but our people are there for a reason. To guide us through what we just can’t bear alone.

The failure is there. It’s inevitable. Our high heels eventually break and we hit the ground. The difference comes in knowing how to embrace such failure. Acknowledge your downfall and remind yourself that you can survive. Think of the grains of sand in your hand at the beach, the lips of your loved one against your cheek, the crisp autumn air brushing across your sweater. It’s these moments that get us back up.

The thing about growth is that it’s linear. As we have entered adulthood, we have gained access to new levels of growth. The middle stage is messy, but it’s also beautiful. We can learn to love, fall hard on the ground, stand a little straighter, and hurt a little deeper. It’s the culmination of life downpouring on us as we feel each droplet’s impact one day at a time.

HOW A TEMPER TANTRUM HELPED

ME HEAL MY INNER CHILD

Tbh, a childish meltdown can be eye-opening.

by: jenny destefano | design: samantha fuss

In June, I–a newly 20-year-old woman who’s considered herself age 30 since the fourth grade–threw a temper tantrum. As much concern as that sentence might arise, I’ve actually never felt freer.Hear me out:

Fresh off of finals week, I was eager for the few weeks of ~no responsibilities~ before my first big-girl internship began, kicking off my summer with a little vacay to Disney World. Soon enough, I remembered how much I hate being sweaty (like south-Floridaheat sweaty), hangry, and surrounded by Disney adults, prompting what can only be described as a toddler-like breakdown. What was once a fall-tothe-floor type of meltdown had matured into redfaced swearing under my breath, until–with the help of some salvaged AC–I realized exactly what was happening: My inner child had been tampered with.

I’ve always considered myself an exceedingly mature person, organized and on top of myself. But with that comes someone I’ve been ignoring–the kid inside. I grew up just wanting to feel older and independent but, now that I am, it’s become clear that I, like many of you fellow aspiring girl-bosses out there, have to embrace my youth to be comfortable as a *real* adult. Definition: an adult outside of the Syracuse bubble. Here are a few ways to get there.

Appease Little-You

Okay, first of all, this doesn’t mean allowing yourself to go ham. There are still limits with everything, babes. Appeasing yourself just means giving yourself some leniency now and again. Maybe you feel like you

should really use that about-to-go-bad lettuce for dinner tonight, but time management says you should order in…Go for it. If little-you needs to rely on teamwork or wants to get some fresh air (as long as you’re treating your schedule fairly), there’s no consequence for doing so. Giving in to some of your wants at times is a need in and of itself. It’s fair to spoil yourself once in a while.

Be Gentle

To be gentle with yourself simply means treating yourself in the same way you’d treat a friend or younger version of you. You can even take a page out of Kendall Jenner’s book and place a childhood picture of yourself somewhere close to remind you of who you don’t want to lose. Of course staying kind to yourself can be easier said than done, but it’s crucial to think of how younger-you would react.

Connect With Yourself

In the least psychoanalytic sense, it’s very important to get to know who you actually are. While that might seem a liiiitttle too meta, you don’t really need to do a whole deep-dive into the inner machinations of your brain. Just spend some time figuring out your likes and dislikes and start off with the smalltalk questions. Pin down your favorite color and song. Let that change as much as it would as if you were looking through a childhood scrapbook.

Especially as college women, it can be a little too easy to neglect the side of you that needs to be shown the little things. When you’re feeling like you might be slipping, all you’ve got to do is pay attention, or (in my experience), sometimes a temper tantrum helps.

IDENTITY through

FASHION

How what we wear translates into who we are.

by: rebecca carr | design: catie haugen

Often when we think of our identity, we think of where we go to school, what jobs we hold, our character traits, or even our status. Often, what is not realized, is that who we are starts to flow into our wardrobe and fill our drawers and become how we present ourselves to the surrounding world.

Fashion has always become amazing as seen on the runways in various fashion capitals with transformative designs in otherworldly settings, as the clothes become a wearable museum that is displayed. Even watching the creation of fashion as we saw in Coperni’s show as scientists sprayed a cotton jersey material dress onto Bella Hadid during the live runway show.

“Although the glitz and glamor have always been appealing, the most fascinating thing is watching how people adapt runways and campaigns to their own lives and are affected by the trickle-down effect.”

Whether we wear frivolous clothes with fur, leather, prints, and sequins or feel best in a white t-shirt and jeans, being over the top or minimalistic are both expressions of who we are whether we really care about the fashion industry or not. When I was growing up in my blue-collar family, remember feeling pride in my overalls that had a constant supply of goldfish in the pockets and always felt at home in a worn pair of hand-me-down jeans and my tan Wrangler jacket as I always want to be presented as laid back, but ready to get my hands dirty if I have to. Although I personally never looked like I cared about the fashion industry, I was always heavily enthralled whether I created small dresses out of flowers for my dolls, watched and waited for every runway, and even checked news feeds in case I missed any fashion news.

“Fashion has the consistent tendency to represent various facets of ourselves and represents the occasion as we present ourselves one way for classes, another for an interview, and expressively when we are going for a night out or for a special occasion.”

When I thought about discovering identity through fashion, one student that has always come to mind for me has been Kaai I who has never been afraid to experiment with fashion,

even breaking boundaries by dressing gender fluidly despite growing up in a masculine household where he felt his creativity was being stifled and even admits to today still growing out of his shell as he presents himself on a daily basis. When I asked how he identifies himself through fashion he meticulously answered;

“For me, the relationship between self-expression and fashion is intimately connected.”

Coming from an environment where conservative, traditionally gendered appearances were the norm, I personally had a really difficult time understanding who I am and the way in which I presented to the world. And the absence of that knowledge had a profound effect on my state of being. This is to say, my recent discovery of fashion that is more in line with my personality, style, and taste was far in a way one of the most profound moments of my life. Through fashion, I have been able to push my own boundaries and slowly but surely grow more comfortable in my own skin. It seems crazy that something as simple as a crop top polo can have such a substantial effect on one’s selfesteem, but I have relied on fashion to imbue with the confidence needed to face every day.”

When identifying who we are, our confidence can emerge as we flourish in the creativity that is lurking in our closets. When interviewing Kaai I, he spoke with nothing but enthusiasm and intelligence as he referenced multiple historical periods where fashion has emerged and reflected gender normality, and times as gender fluidity flourished as we begin to see with celebrities such as Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and Lady Gaga that Kaai explained have always had an androgynous look as we begin to do away with the archaic notion that clothes can only be adorned by certain genders.

“Fashion has been a kaleidoscope of how we perceive ourselves and others. Whether we care or not, it shows in how we display ourselves.”

When interviewing Kaai I, he referenced the notable film “Devil Wears Prada’’ a scene where Meryl Streep’s character, Miranda Priestly explains the trickle-down effect of fashion and how fashion affects our lives whether we realize it or not. Fashion will always be an existing force in our identity and culture which has become one of the true factors that continue to shape our human perspective.

Featured interview with Kaai I

model: zoë boise model: john calder

models: fanta diarra, josh kibler, JK krystyniak, chloe weinstein, alan wu

Glamorous Getaways on a Budget

How to escape campus for the weekend without breaking the bank.

by: eliza cardillo | design: samantha fuss

Syracuse winters are notorious for a reason; we all get tired from the cold, dark winter months. That being said, sometimes a break is needed. However, with transportation to-and-from, overnight stays, and food, this can get expensive. Here are a few hacks that can make a spontaneous weekend away fun and affordable.

The first step in planning your trip is finding a location. Before you rule out flights, start by browsing the prices in the general area you are thinking,i.e. Florida or California. If you’re feeling spontaneous, or are simply lacking inspiration, Google Flights is your best friend. Simply leave the “Where to?” box open, and find the cheapest prices on the internet. If you don’t have any luck, some great destinations within driving distance are Montreal, Toronto, Burlington, VT, NYC, Boston, or Philadelphia.

Next is transportation. Like we explained earlier, Google Flights has the software to find you the best deals out of the majority of airfare sites—especially if you are a bit flexible with dates/timing. It directs you to the cheapest flights posted online, often on sights like Kayak.com and studentuniverse. com (specifically for college kids!) Trains also can be a really affordable, comfortable option, however Syracuse is not the most convenient location for train travel. For driving: If you have a car on campus, by all means, use it. If you don’t though, you’re in luck. ZipCar is a great option if you’re traveling semi-close to campus,

but if you’re going over a couple hundred miles away, Turo.com is your best bet–it’s like Airbnb for cars. Coach buses are also an option if you are unable to rent a car or would simply prefer to relax during your travels. CoachUSA.com will help you find the best bus company/route for your trip, or you can go directly to a company site like Greyhound.com. If your chosen destination is a city, we highly recommend that you use its respective public transportation/ metro system. It may seem scary at first, but most folks living there will be willing to help you. Most major cities also have apps for their transportation systems nowadays that spell it all out for you.

Now it’s time to find somewhere to stay. We highly recommend using Airbnb and VRBO- they are oftentimes the cheapest, most convenient places to stay. If you would prefer to stay at a hotel, browse myunidays.com. This is a rare financial perk of being a college student-–they have student discounts on sites like Booking.com and Expedia, so be sure to check out their deals before settling on a place. If you still find yourself out of luck, this is when you should start to peruse sites like travelocity.com and agoda.com.

Lastly, once you actually arrive at your destination, you have to find some things to do—or not! A warm queen sized bed and a bath are sometimes a vacation in itself. If not though, Groupon is a super helpful source for finding deals on tours

and museum tickets in cities. Although most cities have self-guided tour maps on their websites if you just want to go on a stroll and see the main tourist sites. If you want to go see a sports game, most professional teams have some variation of “student 9s”, discounted tickets for college students in the area. Also, many ski resorts also have discounts for students nearby! If you’re going somewhere warm, be sure to research the best and safest public beaches (if your hotel/rental has one, even better!) and hiking trails. Eating at restaurants every meal of your trip can get expensive. We recommend you research the best, most authentic spots in your destination, visit a few of your top picks, and then eat affordably for the rest of the trip. This means maybe grocery shopping at local shops and stands, making your own dinners, and picnicking at the beach or on your outdoor adventures. This way you get your time to wine and dine but have the majority of your meals be cost-friendly.

We’re sure you love the content in your 8am lecture. But honestly, sometimes the best way to learn about the world, and yourself, is to go out and explore a new area. A change of scenery is a healthy way to raise your spirits during the cold, sometimes depressing winter months. And it’s even better when you go with friends! Girls’ trips are good for the soul. Safe travels <3

Life Lessons From Running Away

What traveling has taught me: it’s about the journey and the destination. by:

ellie batten | design: samantha fuss

I have loved traveling ever since I was a little girl, and although I can’t really pinpoint where this love stemmed from, I know it runs deep. Everything about the journey is magical in its own way–I'm not talking about the actual act of arriving at a destination, either. No, I love the entire process.

I know this is weird, but I love the airport (come to think of it, maybe this is where my love for traveling came from). Some of my earliest and best childhood memories were waking up at 3 a.m., watching my dad load luggage into the car, driving down an empty interstate, and savoring the buzz of energy that everyone in the airport seemed to have–it’s the feeling you get when you know you’re about to go on an adventure. The question ‘what has traveling taught me?’ is complicated. I don’t think there’s a singular answer because, the truth is, seeing and experiencing the world has shaped me into the person I am. Answering that question would be like trying to explain my entire personality. I don’t think there’s room on this page for that, but I’ll try anyway.

1

The first real life lesson I learned from traveling is how to be brave. When I was younger, I had terrible anxiety, to the point where the thought of leaving the house would send me into a full-blown panic. When I was 13, my family took a trip to Tulum; I left home anxious and honestly terrified, but I came back knowing that I was better than everything that was dragging me down. I have ziplining, scuba diving, and a friend to thank for that. By forcing myself hundreds of feet above the ground, literally swimming with sharks, and asking a stranger to get virgin strawberry daiquiris with me, I realized that the world isn’t so scary and even when it is, I have what it takes to face it.

2

Lesson number two is cliché, but there’s a reason for that–it’s true. Traveling has taught me to appreciate the little things, the small (and oftentimes un-glamorous) moments that will become core memories. When I was 16, I spent 3 weeks in Australia with my family. Near the end of the trip, we were significantly less afraid of the wildlife and ready to take on the outdoors, so we decided to take a hike. We rolled out of bed and into an ancient Land Rover with a tour guide that was too happy considering the sun hadn’t come up yet. By noon, we made it to a small waterfall. We were caked in mud and sore from what had been a mostly uphill hike, so swimming in the basin was a no-brainer. As we lay on the warm rocks and listened to the rush of water, we ate little lemon coconut cakes. It was a small moment from a long trip, but it was the best day of my life.

3The third lesson is a recent one. Traveling has taught me how to appreciate my family in a way that I didn’t think was possible. As I’ve traveled with my family since going to college, every trip seems to bring us closer together. My siblings have gone from just being siblings to being my best friends. I know our lives will take us in different directions, but I also know that I’ll treasure every adventure I get to have with them until then.

The most important thing traveling has taught me is that we can only learn these things about ourselves and the world if we actually experience it. Reading “1,000 Places to See Before You Die” won’t pull out an inner strength you didn’t know you had, it won’t put into perspective small, yet beautiful moments, and it won’t teach you about those closest to you. The only way to let the world teach you is to see it for yourself.

Grounding Yourself in Space

by: fiona hurless | design: kate bartoletti

Traveling to new places can often feel like a whole new episode in your life. New characters, plots, and settings can be hard to connect to the life you’ve built up. Whether you’re leaving for college, studying abroad, or just going on that family trip, travel has an undeniable excitement surrounding it. But the romanticism doesn’t last forever - even if it is a place you’ve always dreamed of.

If you’ve lived in the same place your whole life, you know how different it is to move somewhere completely new. Not only is getting settled a process, but being apart from all you’ve ever known and having to establish yourself is a whole different kind of procedure. Feeling the separation between both your physical home and previous lifestyle can be hard, and going back and forth between can be even more straining. Sometimes as little as talking to your friends in a new place about your friends back home can help merge your two worlds.

Going abroad increases the distanceby a significant 8 hours or so. Despite its glorification, abroad can be an uncomfortable experience. Your in a foreign land where you independence must emerge. Its here when that one phone call home goes a long way. Hearing someone’s voice on the phone goes an incredibly long way whether you realize it or not. There’s pressure to experience new things, throw yourself in a new culture, and meet all the new people you can. However, nothing about this involves throwing away your old life. Just because you want to experience the culture of a different city doesn’t mean getting rid of the traditions you hold in your everyday life.

On those rainy days when you miss your parents, siblings, or friends, do the things that remind you of them. It may make you ache for them a little more, but the comfort of ordering your friends’ favorite drink, throwing on your Mom’s favorite song, or reading that book you loved as a teenager can bring you back to a state of comfort you may not even have known you were missing.

In the theme of getting back to your roots, journaling can be another way to ground yourself when you’re not home in the surroundings that automatically do it for you. Break out that diary you may have had back in middle school, because now is the time to use it again. But this time- don’t just blog out your days. Write it all, the feelings, the people you miss, the hopes and goals and dreams you have. Journaling should be more than trending; it should be a place for you to pour out your soul and bring with you no matter the landscape.

You don’t need a time difference or a college degree to know that a new place creates changes. Missing home cooked meals, your favorite restaurant and even just your morning coffee the way your local Starbucks used to make it isn’t easy. But your favorite book, movie, and pictures can act as your sources of stability.

Taking comfort in organizations can help as well. If you’re involved with religious or cultural organizations, finding those in the new places you live are ways to connect with similar people and your values.

Stranger in Someone’S HOME

What it’s like to be an international student.

by: bibiana snyder | design: julia thack

My whole life, I have dreamed of the college experience. More specifically, the American college experience. Dorms. Tailgates. Bars. A collection of things you can’t exactly find where I’m from.

Coming to Syracuse all the way from Costa Rica was one of the best and worst decisions I’ve ever made. During the college application process, I knew two things: I wanted to go somewhere big and I wanted to go somewhere far. After going to an extremely small school where my graduating class was only 20 students, I was longing for something different. I wanted to be able to meet new people, study subjects I’d never heard of, and attend those massive sports games I only saw on TV.

Since I had missed out on the typical high school experience, I desperately wanted the typical college one. Syracuse had all of this and more. I remember looking over each tab on their website three times a day, anxiously awaiting my acceptance letter. I had never been so sure about anything in my life as I was about this school–and I hadn’t even stepped foot on campus.

I feel that nothing truly prepared me for leaving home. One day, I just did it. Some people move an hour away, some move a plane ride away, and others never leave their hometown.

I chose to move countries away.

I came to college not knowing a single soul and having never visited Upstate NY. Surprisingly, I wasn’t scared. I felt confident in my decision and knew that I would figure it out along the way.

The first few weeks of college are so busy that you forget to miss home. It wasn’t until I was finally alone in my small room watching videos of my friends back home that I realized how much I missed it.

Having grown up in Costa Rica, my experiences are very different from most of the people I’ve met in college.

I grew up watching telenovelas with my mom every morning, forcing my sister to drive me to the beach every other weekend, and sneaking out to nightclubs at 16.

There was a large amount of culture shock I went through after moving here. This was the first time I really felt I was struggling to connect with others.

When I’m with my friends here, I often find myself laughing a little too hard at social references I don’t understand or pretending to be much more “American” than I am. I’m used to kissing people on the cheek to say hello. You can imagine the strange looks I got when I first did that here. Spanish is engraved into my culture, yet I only speak it on phone calls with my

mom twice a week or when I forget the English word for “cariñoso.” Sometimes, it feels like I’m not being true to myself. Missing out on the typical high school experience has made the typical college experience a lot harder to experience…but I did it. I hated my freshman-year roommate. I went to Castle before the Duke game. I’ve been to every bar near campus a million times over.

I’ve attended interesting classes, I’ve made lifelong friendships, and I have had fun while doing it.

But no matter what, I still feel like a stranger in someone else’s home.

Food tastes a little blander, music sounds a little slower, and the weather is much much colder.

Living in Costa Rica and attending Syracuse University has been an interesting experience, but one I wouldn’t change for the world. It has given me opportunities I never could have imagined.

I may miss home sometimes, but who doesn’t? It makes going back and forth all the more valuable.

It’s a nice home, but it isn’t mine.

When exploring the world, there is so much to see and experience. Come with us to explore the seven wonders of the world, and no, not the Great Pyramid or the Great Wall, but the actual seven wonders, the seven fashion capitals of the world, where fashion was born and raised.

Oui

CATCHING FLIGHTS, CATCHING FASHION

Oui, We’re in Paris:

We’d be awful historians if we didn’t begin with Paris. Paris is the home to some of the greatest fashion designers in the world, including Coco Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, Jean Paul Gaultier and Yves Saint Laurent…icons. When talking about fashion in Paris, we would be incredibly remiss to exclude the fact that Vogue itself was founded in Paris. Wow! Paris remains generally acknowledged as the most important fashion city (as it should be). When walking down the Parisian streets, exploring the Lourve or possibly wandering around the Eiffel Tower, you will see a collection of very chic and sophisticated styles. For a little bit of history, from the 1960s until today fashion in France returned (post war) to prominence through Christian Dior's famous "New Look'' collection in 1947. The collection contained dresses with tiny waists, majestic busts, and full skirts swelling out beneath small bodices. This shape of dress and clothing items coincide completely with the fashion of today's world…accentuating curves and doing so, in a notably elegant and French way. Au revoir and on to the next!

Ciao

Just Touched Down in London Town:

On our next top we will be trying to get the London look—and no, that does not mean embodying a “chav.” The streets of London aren’t only filled with classic red telephone booths, but with walking creativity and unique designs. London is the fashion hub for aspiring designers who want to showcase fresh, new looks to the fashion world; that explains why we see such iconic designs from Vivienne Westwood, Alexander Mcqueen and Burberry–all London based designers. These looks that grew up in London—Hunter Boots and Burberry (as well as many others)—have migrated and now live in the states, where everyone can enjoy. Whether it's sporting a long trench coat, loafers or a button down shirt, everyone in London is different, so their clothes should be too. Now, we got that London look.

The City that never sleeps (on fashion):

The recognizable brand Comme De Garcons is exactly what Tokyo fashion is…the big red smiley heart on a classic white sneaker, is just absolutely the pinnacle of fun. As Tokyo is such a flourishing city, its ever so popular streetwear style is becoming more and more prominent throughout the rest of the world. Streetwear (not just outfits you wear on the street), encompasses elements of hip-hop fashion, modern high fashion and haute couture. It is characterized by comfortable, often oversized clothing and bold graphic designs. If you're looking to embody this growing style anywhere in the world, looking to the streets of Tokyo would be a great place to start! Alright…let's stay in this continent..the jet lag is starting to set in…

Shang(high) fashion:

Bella, Welcome to Milan:

Staying in Europe, our next stop is the beautiful italian city Milan! Remember when Roxanne from the movie Grown Ups just HAD to get to Milan for her job as a fashion designer? Well.. now we understand why. It's jaw dropping to realize how many prominent fashion designers are from Milan including, Dolce & Gabbana, Missoni, Moschino, Prada, Versace, and Giorgio Armani. How can all of these people be from one place? We are actually left speechless. But…maybe we shouldn't be? Milan fashion is the exemplary style upon which western fashion was built. Today, Milan features over 12,000 fashion houses, 800 showrooms and 6,000 sales outlets. Milan style is similar to that of Paris as it is still very chic and sophisticated but has a bit of an Italian edge to it with some more grungy details and additions. Italian models are almost the pinnacle of perfection, managing to look sexy and elegant, yet relaxed and carefree at the same time. Monica Bellucci, Sophia Loren, and Isabella Rossellini are not only stunning models from Milan, but renowned as some of the best around the world. And that's Milan fashion. Oooo got to go…can't miss our flight…kisses!

Moving on from our ~European~ exploration, we will now be visiting the city that never sleeps (especially on fashion)...New York City! You can wear anything in New York and call it fashion, the Sex and the City icon herself, Carrie Bradshaw, taught us just that. The streets are the hub of all American trends, constantly keeping up with everything and anything new. From streetwear, Adidas Samba, vintage Bella Hadid look to an Upper East Side, Blair Waldorf sophisticated yet delicate, designer look; you name it, you’ll see it. New York is the place where you strut the street in what you want to wear, not what society wants you to wear. So many prominent American designers are based out of NYC such as Vera Wang, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger (just to name a few), and SoHo is the home to many of these stores. It’s a city that accepts any trend, and helps popularize it for any season, for anyone. It’s a city that supports collected chaos. It’s the city where fashion lovers come to play.

Konnichiwa from Tokyo:

The next trip on our exploration will take us to a completely different continent…let's talk about fashion in Tokyo! Tokyo style is characterized by quirkiness, colors and above all else, kitsch (art, objects, or design considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic or knowing way). Think pairing neon platform boots with a tutu, a statement shirt and a crazy hair bow. Tokyo is considered as the Asian style capital, known for its vibrant youth fashion culture and incredibly trendy street style. It’s a city that combines the past, the present and the future all in one place.

On our next stop we will be visiting Shanghai! Shanghai has long been considered a cosmopolitan city as it is China’s hub of Eastmeets-West cultural exchange. This means that in Shanghai, people are very open to new and foreign ideas, inventions, and in our case… clothing. China has quickly developed on the international economic scene and Shanghai on the scene of fashion and haute couture (expensive, fashionable clothes produced by leading fashion houses). Indeed, Shanghai is really the main event for all Chinese fashion lovers as most of the luxury brands in China choose to establish their headquarters in this populous and diverse city. Some famous brands from Shanghai include: Anta, JNBY, EP (Elegant Prosper) and Ochirly. Ok…we love fashion but we are getting tired. Let's wrap this up!

One last stop in Berlin:

Our final stop on our exploration takes us back to Europe and visits the capital city of Germany, Berlin. Berlin is punky, playful and has a special vibe that people say is indescribable. Berlin is a city where fashion is an open minded invitation for everyone to come as they are and wear what they want. The beautiful city streets are the runway, while the passersby are the models… strutting their stuff. Although lesser known for a particular clothing style or trend, Germany as a whole still draws the attention of fashion lovers through designers like Karl Lagerfeld and famous brands including, the starting years of Off White, MCM, Hugo Boss, Adidas, PUMA, and Triumph. Models, Heidi Klum, Claudia Schiffer and Julia Stegner additionally, are all great representations of the talent and beauty that Berlin has to offer the fashion world. When it comes to a vacation..shopping is a must and when it comes to shopping in Berlin you won't be disappointed. Berlin is the home to some amazing vintage shops where you can get unique pieces to perfect your Berlin style.

POP THE BUBBLE

As Troy and Gabriella say, we’re breaking free.

by: katie hill | design: samantha fuss

White girl from Westchester who now attends Syracuse University. Did I just describe you to a T? Well, don’t worry, bestie, that’s me too. When people ask me where I’m from, I try to diffuse the basicness of Westchester by adding “oh, but I was born in Queens.” I add in the Queens because even though I only lived there for a total of 14 months, I like to think it makes me a little different. I don’t want to be that basic white girl from Westchester, but news flash, that’s exactly who I am. Sure, I’ve traveled abroad to London, Italy, France, and Costa Rica, and even made my way down to Texas, but there is a lack of exploration present in my life that I would love to rectify.

The concept of the “Westchester bubble” hits close to home for a lot of us. While everyone has their version of it, us girls from Westchester grew up in the three or fourbedroom house, with the white-picket fence, the large yard, and maybe a dog or two sitting on the oversized porch. The concept of money didn’t worry us, unless our mom denied us a new cami from Justice when we were 10, and explained for the millionth time that “money doesn’t grow on trees.”

Now, we’ve made the move to Syracuse. We’re four hours away from the limits of this bubble, yet it seems to have followed us here. Every other person we talk to says they’re from Westchester, or New Jersey, or Long Island, it’s all the same. So how do we escape this confinement; how do we pop the bubble?

For me, it’s always been the prospect of studying abroad. The thought of truly immersing myself in a completely different culture, in a completely different country, on a completely different continent seems like the cure. A psychic once told me (believe what you will) that I was somehow spiritually connected to England, and I don’t know how to justify it, I just know she’s right. To escape my bubble, I need to move halfway across the

world, but maybe that’s not the solution for everyone. Maybe you already studied abroad and it didn’t change you, or maybe you’ll never have the chance, or you simply don’t want to. So how else can us Westchester girlies escape our stigma? How else can we escape our all too similar simulation of a life?

I think this journey to finally explore, to rid ourselves of this lack of exploration, is a personal one. As long as you can acknowledge that up until this point you have been stuck in the bubble and you want to do something about it, you’re already on the right track. If something feels scary, jump head first into it. If someone you meet is different than the people you usually surround yourself with, get to know them. Through these initial explorations and changes, you will find what other parts of the world, or other parts of others, interest you and what you want to explore further.

That being said, the exploration of yourself is just as important, if not more, than the world around you. You need to discover who you are, or who you truly want to be, outside of what they assume you are. These past couple of months, I have explored my independence by living alone for the first time in my life. I am exploring the world of cooking (pretty much chicken and salmon on a rotation, but it still counts), as well as the unfamiliarity of being alone for multiple hours of my day. And while I’m still changing and learning to become the best version of myself, I think I am on the right track.

With your newfound passion to explore yourself and explore the world outside of the bubble, keep in mind that who you were as a kid and where you came from is nothing to be ashamed of. While a lot of us have felt stuck for the majority of our lives, there is no denying that this feeling and how we’ve been raised have taught us valuable lessons and shaped us into the wonderful women we are today; the women who are ready to explore and who can’t wait to pop their bubble.

models: william khabbaz, taylor puccella

models: amaya harvey, ella ray models: ty hashemi, zev kalechovsky

The FirsT daTe and Beyond

Putting out vs. waiting it out. by: rachel musman | design: samantha fuss

In a world of “slut,” “whore,” “hoe,” and “prude,” being thrown around like your situationship’s dirty pong ball, thinking about sex has gone from “with who” to “when?” Everyone knows about the classic sex after the third date rule, or “make them wait for it if you want to seem like Girlfriend Material.” What everybody needs to know: that it’s absolutely okay to sleep with somebody on the first date, but it’s also totally fine to wait.

Let’s be honest: just as much as we all get hungry, we all get horny. Our minds are constantly consumed with flashbacks from past sexual experiences, and the media is just full of images that only feed into our desires. So why is acting on that bad? Our physical needs are just as valid as our emotional needs. An orgasm has biological benefits, ranging from happy hormones to stress reduction to strengthening your immune system.

There is an expectation that women are less sexual than men. But if the “celibacy club” Glee episode taught us anything, that is totally false. Follow your body and your mind, and go about things in a way that makes you and your partner comfortable; don’t think about what anybody else might say. Sex is a huge part of daily life, and there should be no shame for being a normal human being. If a potential partner doesn’t want to get

more serious with you because “you put out on the first date” then that person is not worth your time.

Intimacy should have no rules, other than that it needs to happen at the pace you and your partner are comfortable with. Consent goes two ways and is the most important factor of any sexual interaction.

“Sex” can mean a wide range of things. Do whatever, whenever. Not one thing needs to come before or after the other. Sex is not just penetration. There are many other ways to feel pleasure. may not know much about sports, but home base isn’t the only base to exist. Sorry baseball boys, but sometimes running the bases out of order can lead to more fun.

Physical aspects of a relationship play a huge role in things. Learning each other’s bodies and desires can happen at different paces. If the sex is good on the first date: amazing! It’s great that the chemistry is there from the start. If the sex isn’t good on the first date: don’t loose hope. It takes time to learn what feels good and pleases the both of you.

However; if you aren’t ready to sleep with someone after the first date (or even smooch, let’s be real here) that is NORMAL, OKAY, AND EXACTLY WHAT YOU SHOULD DO. Just do you. Not to please society and its rules. Like Samantha Jones once said, “If worried what every bitch in New York was saying about me, I’d never leave the house.”

AMANDA

UNZ

that’s how I got my first internship in fashion. I started at my internship at 16 and I stayed at my internship as a paid intern for five years. I was so young, I couldn’t even drive to my internship. My parents had to drop me off. After highschool, went straight to FIT for fashion merchandising and management and stayed for all four years.

What made you decide you wanted to be a part of this industry in the first place and what are some notable experiences?

It’s very evident that “The Fashion Foundation” has impacted many people, but how has it impacted you?

Oh, I’ve never had someone ask me that. It’s definitely impacted my life and I absolutely love what do. It has brought me job opportunities and helped me create my personal brand. It’s definitely the reason why I am also a college professor at 28. It has also given me more clients to work with after being featured on The Today Show and Forbes.

us because they want to and we’re not paying anyone to help.

You also have had incredible recognition. Will you explain why September 15th is such a significant day for you and the backstory?

EXPLORING THE CAREER OF A SELF MADE ENTREPRENEUR

How She Made Her Dreams a Reality.

by: britney kirwan design: catie haugen

honestly was never fashionable growing up. remember in middle school and elementary school wearing T-shirts and sweatpants every day. I also wasn’t super girly. I don’t remember at what point it kind of switched over to being interested in fashion, but I remember I was always creative. By the time I was in trade school and had my first internship was when I really started to seek interest in it. However, I don’t think it was just one moment that I realized wanted to be apart of it. I think everything just built up to it.

What message/advice would you like to give to our readers?

PICTURE THIS:

You wake up to go work one day, when all of a sudden Nicole LaValle (a.k.a Snookie) wants to give you her favorite clothes from the The Snookie Shop and Kelly Clarkson wants you to be on her show. A girl can dream right?!

Well, for Amanda Munz, she doesn’t have to as this is now her reality. Amanda Munz is the founder of The Fashion Foundation, which is a 501c3 non-profit. She gets designers to donate merchandise or samples that they don’t need anymore. They’re sold on the website for a fraction of the retail cost for customers around the world to buy, and then the proceeds go to help local underprivileged kids. She’s been featured in Forbes and was even on the Today Show because of her business. There’s so much to learn about Amanda and it was such a pleasure interviewing her.

I’m so excited for everyone to get to know you and everything about the Fashion Foundation. So, to start off, tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? Where did you go to school? What did you study?

So, I grew up on Long Island in New York. I had my first internship in fashion at 16 years vold because I went to a trade school. Most towns don’t have this, but our town had a trade school program where left my high school for half of the day for my junior and senior year, and then I went to a fashion school. I learned how to sew, learned about fashion merchandising and the basics of fashion. So because of that,

What sparked the idea of “The Fashion Foundation?”

As I got older and I got deeper and deeper into the industry, I was questioning whether or not loved the industry anymore. I just remember sitting at one of my internships and saying,”, Why are we throwing shoes in the garbage? Why am I throwing clothes into a dumpster?”

And that was the moment where I realized I couldn’t work in an industry like this my whole life. After doubting the industry I was working in for a little bit, the solution came to me by finding a way to combine my love for fashion with starting a non-profit.

What is you’re day-to-day like running the “Fashion Foundation?”

Day-to-day every day is very different because we are an e-commerce store selling all donated designer merchandise. We’re not buyers so I don’t plan for my merchandise as what I get is what get. I could wake up and get 30 boxes delivered to my office and have no idea it was coming. I could get one box or not get merchandise for three weeks. It really depends on the day. I’m not much of a morning person so our work day starts at 10 o’clock. don’t wake up and do yoga and have a matcha. I literally wake up, roll out of bed and get to the office. I answer my emails, I look at like our social media accounts, and I typically ship out orders. I could also be sitting in meetings all day brainstorming for collaborations. That’s pretty much everything, I guess. And then the next day could be totally different.

You really need to set yourself apart in whatever kind of field you’re going into. There’s a lot of competition, especially in the fashion industry and PR industry. What is that thing that’s going to set you apart from other people? For me, I’ve always been a hard worker. I’ve always had a job. Like I said, I started at 16. I was an unpaid intern to start, but that kind of rolled into a lot more opportunities. So you need to put in the work. You need to set yourself apart just because you get an internship doesn’t mean you’re going to last in that internship. You need to be a good intern.

How can readers get involved in

“The Fashion Foundation?”

Okay, so I think the easiest way is to follow us on Instagram and support us on social media, even if you don’t buy anything or volunteer in an event. Shopping and telling your friends about us is also a great way to be involved. Don’t keep it a secret because the more people know about us, the more merchandise we sell, and the more kids were able to impact.

I’ve noticed that you’ve collaborated with some pretty notable people/ companies, which one(s) have been your favorites so far or have really given you a “Woah I’m really here right now” moment?

Definitely when Kelly Clarkson said that she loved my glasses and loved everything was doing. I was just thinking,” What is happening?!” She’s an icon. I just can’t believe it happened. Rebecca Minkoff, as well. She was one of the very first people who supported our mission as a designer, and celebrity Paige Desorbo from Bravo who responded in 12 minutes after I had emailed her about about partnering with The Fashion Foundation. She’s been to schools with us, homeless shelters, and shes’s always donating from her closet for us. What’s amazing is that these celebrities are genuinely helping

So, September 15th, 2021 was when I was on the Kelly Clarkson show and they brought out Mayor Bill de Blasio, and he actually honored me and dedicated September 15, 2021 to be recognized as Amanda Munz Day in the City of New York. I don’t know. I really sometimes can’t believe it. Like, that’s my life and these are things that are now happening. The craziest thing is once once I recorded Kelly Clarkson, it didn’t air for another two weeks, so I wasn’t able to tell anybody what happened.

I know that many of us UGirl’s are ambitious and such dreamers and I really want to say that you are the definition of what UGirl is about. With that being said, to end on a high note I want to ask on behalf of girls who are in college and pursuing their dreams and unsure of where life will take them and ask you “Why it’s important to stay true to yourself and do what you believe you are meant to be doing even if you are scared of how things will turn out or unsure if its the right choice?”

Here’s the thing, in college I was not comfortable in my own skin. I was always trying to impress people. You’re surrounded by a lot of competition and you’re trying to figure out who you are. Trust me, you will learn it. You might not learn it in college, but it will come to you.. I learned who I was after I started my business. If you’re in a job that you hate or you’re in a relationship that you hate,, take that as a win because you just learned about what you don’t like. Don’t stay in jobs too long that aren’t good for you. Don’t stay in relationships too long that aren’t good for you. I think that helps kind of alleviate the stress of what you’re searching for and really helps you feel more comfortable in your own skin. But figuring all that out comes with age and time. Don’t get like worked up right now, especially while you’re in college. A lot of things will be out of your control and you’re not alone. Learn how to figure out each day as it comes.

SONGS THAT GOT US THROUGH IT

Music

is the best medicine.

by: cate hudson design: samantha fuss

Throwing on your headphones to walk to class or running on the treadmill is a great way to pass time, but the moment you’re on your bedroom floor screaming the lyrics to “Before He Cheats” is when music holds its greatest power. Music triggers emotion and heals trauma in special ways, bringing people together. The most life-shattering and identity-forming experiences happen during college, so here are the songs that got us through the good, the bad, and the confusing.

FOR WHEN THEY BREAK YOUR HEART

Potential by Danielle Bradbery

Jealous by Labrinth Starring Role by Marina and the Diamonds

Break My Heart Again by FINNEAS Self Control by Frank Ocean

Heartbreak hurts and the best way to cope can be drowning in the pain. If you need a pick me up, consider Beyonce’s new album and attempt to keep a positive mindset and stay distracted; but, when you need to scream into your pillow and cry your eyes out, these are the songs to queue up. Blast it in your car or on your bathroom floor, but most importantly make sure you drink some water after.

FOR WHEN THE ONES YOU LOVE ARE FIGHTING

Family Line by Conan Gray Big Girls Don’t Cry by Fergie TV by Billie Eilish Hey Jude by The Beatles Charlie Boy by The Lumineers

When those you care about are on the rocks, they can also take you down with them. Fighting can be tasking on mental health as well as on finding motivation to do simple daily tasks. A great way to let out these feelings can be journaling or therapy. When you need to vent but can’t find the words yourself, here are some songs to fill in the gap.

FOR WHEN THEY ARE NO LONGER HERE

Silhouette by Aquilo Jaded by Drake The Night We Met by Lord Huron Yellow Lights by Harry Hudson Talking to the Moon by Bruno Mars

Grieving the loss of a friend, family member, or loved one looks different for everyone. This is a feeling no one can explain but everyone experiences. Don’t be afraid to find comfort in the people who are present in your life. Here are some songs to feel a little less isolated in your own mind.

FOR WHEN YOU NEED CLOSURE

Camera Roll by Kasey Musgraves

Find What You’re Looking For by Olivia O’Brien

Starting Over by Niykee Heaton Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All) by Omar Apollo We Find Love by Daniel Caesar

Is closure even real? Whether it is or isn’t, trying to find peace and understanding after any huge change in your life can be distracting and mind-consuming. Be kind to yourself even if it’s difficult to understand your circumstance. These songs are great for looking at the past with a judgemental but gentle eye.

FOR WHEN YOU WANT THEM BACK...

Something in the Orange by Zach Bryan I Still Do by Why Don’t We Forever by Lewis Capaldi Those Eyes by New West K. by Cigarettes After Sex

No one will judge. But maybe turn off your friend activity if you’re listening to any of these songs on Spotify. It is normal to miss the past and grieve the loss of a constant in your life. Let yourself mourn it, but just remember you had a life without them once and you can have a life without them again. These songs will bring up old feelings while also reminding you why you didn’t need them in the first place.

Boo! Remember me?

by: jolie zenna | design: elizabeth wolf

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eflecting on past relationships can feel like opening the creepy attic door in a horror movie. You are scared to open it, but you have to see what has been haunting you. In this scenario, the ominous creatures beyond the door are the ghosts of our lovers in the past. Quite honestly, I don’t know what’s scarier; that, or a real ghost. It’s easy to shut the door and throw away the key, but are we really going to act as if every sort of relationship we’ve been through has not left some sort of lasting mark on us? Whether it was the month-long situationship that you just couldn’t shake off or the three-year relationship that forced you to grow up, each of our relationships has a lasting effect on us whether we like it or not.

The first step in reflecting on the ghosts of lovers’ past is accepting that they are there. Everyone has ghosts and it’s totally normal and healthy. Whether it’s refusing to delete photos of your ex from your camera roll or replaying a song that reminds you of them, there’s a reason for it so let’s address it.

People can have a hold over us, even after they are no longer a part of our lives and it’s a hard truth to face. We often have the tendency to romanticize things as we reminisce about them but to truly reflect on the time spent with your ex-partner, you have to remember the good and the bad, which I know is much easier said than done. Did they belittle

night in or some family time to get you back to your roots. Most importantly you need to open your eyes as every experience is a learning lesson. As soon as you see these same tendencies as your ex in another potential partner, RUN.

Or maybe the ghosts you can’t shake are of what could have been, the thing that never truly blossomed into a relationship. Being in college there are many of those situations, unfortunately. Feeling on top of the world when they ask you to hang out, but ignoring the fact that it’s never in public nor sober. Some ghosts can feel like unfinished business and that is why they continue to follow us around and drag us down like an anchor. You deserve someone who wants you at all times of the day and wants to commit to you. Do not settle for something like this again if it doesn’t satisfy you (but also I get it we all have needs sometimes). In your heart you may feel that there was so much wasted potential when in reality you are hanging on to the spirit of someone that you put

Great, now know that you need words of affirmation with your future partners. Did you hate how another ex didn’t get along with your friends? Now you know you need someone who can hang. Once you’ve reflected and taken your lessons from each ghost it’s now time to perform the *metaphorical seance* to relieve yourself of them because let’s be real, it’s exhausting to waste energy on people in our past. These ghosts can only serve a purpose for so long. For your future’s sake, it’s time to let go of the ghosts of our past partners to move on to a healthy relationship.

Let’s turn it up a notch, meet the new characters of your plot.

by: vivian yang | design: samantha fuss

Welcome to college. The place to experiment your identity, make unforgettable memories, and meet your life-long friends…or whatever. Your time on campus will feel like a blink of an eye. Here, you are going to meet people that make you fall in love with life and the ones that make you question everything you’ve ever known. Here are a few special characters you will meet at Syracuse University.

1. The Day Ones

Think orientation buddy or the first person you met in your freshman dorm. You guys went to the dining hall together for the first time. You guys depended on each other for everything in those beginning stages of adjusting to college. They usually turn out to be the people you trust the most on campus…or you move on and forget about them after two weeks—no shame in going down either path.

2. The Campus Celeb

They are the talk of the town (the town being Syracuse, NY). Every time their name comes up, the whole room will have stories to tell. They walk through campus with an unmatched flair. Their calendar is packed with facey events, but they are choosy with their presence. Even when they have a pair of shades on, every passerby will do a quick five-second stare.

3.

The Strictly In-Class Bestie

Your schedule aligns with theirs perfectly. You always sit next to each other and do projects together. You exchange stories over the weekend when the professor isn’t talking. They make Mondays feel like Sunday mornings and ease the pain of monotone professors. But once you walk out of that classroom, you guys go back to different worlds.

4.

The Roommate from Heaven

Woah, shockers, some people love their roommate. These people respect your boundaries and space, just as they expect you to do so as well. They allow you to be yourself at home and never comment on your decisions and actions. They are not afraid to speak up and deliver clear communication. And, most importantly, you guys know how to have fun together.

5.

The "Sleep When You're Dead"

Even if no sign of life is left on their face, their body will still be at the dance floor. They will most definitely roll their eyes at you or send you a text, “I will drag you by your hair out tonight,” when you tell them, “I think I might stay in.” They are the life of the party, and they seem to bring out the wildest version of yourself.

6. The "one"

They made you believe the scenes from The Notebook are true. You imagined spending the rest of your life with this person. They are your best friend; you have never felt like this with anyone else. Sometimes, it works out; sometimes, they are just the “ones” that taught you how to love yourself more.

7. Trust Fund Baby

If you are sitting behind them in class, they are most definitely adding just one more thing to their shopping cart, so their total adds up to a thousand dollars to qualify for free shipping. Their dorm room looks like an ad for Dormify, and their entire personality tells you where their hometown is. The point is Trust Fund Babies rock.

8. The Irish Goodbyer

They live by the fact that they are independent and probably will do whatever it takes to convince you that they are “cool.” They seem to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. You can never fully get a hold of them, and in a heartbeat, they have left the party without leaving any trace of evidence they were ever there.

9. The Lifelong

You went through hell and back, and finally, you met your lifelong. This person will always pick up the phone no matter the circumstances. This person lights up when you walk into the room and is your best friend. They showed you what a true friendship looks like, and everything feels easy when you’re with them.

This list can go on and on…and on. College is the time to meet people that make you look at the world in a different light and recognize the beauty of it all. It will take endless laughs and countless tears, but soon, you will realize you have found yourself while finding your people.

Lately, our news platforms and social media feeds have been overloaded with current events, political propaganda, and attempts at spreading awareness of injustice through reposted content. It doesn’t take a genius to comprehend that our country, “America the Great” (or not so great, recently) has been struggling to overcome some tough obstacles: the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the immense amounts of gun violence all over the country, and the lack-of-fact in the news. All maintain an avid media presence and many opinions across multiple platforms.

As females (or feminists) it is difficult to know where we fall in all of this – where can we let our voices be heard – and even more importantly, where can we be taken seriously? With the clear lack of female leaders and politicians (as compared with men of course), it’s nearly impossible to see that our presence is vital to a political and news-educated society. And by the way, these statistics are confirmed as Pew Research centers confirms the 117th Congress (most recent congress) has a record percentage of women, with 27%. Only 27%, and that’s a record! Where is our representation?

UGirl is here to clarify that there is a place for women in politics and that we are not only welcomed, but needed. The first step in figuring out our female identity in the political world is staying up to date and not feeling guilty or unwelcome sharing our opinions because they matter.

We know the stigma: girls are too emotional to be a part of politics. Girls are too sensitive and politically correct, and we’re ‘know it alls’. Girls conform to certain beliefs to impress a crowd and don’t have their own opinions, like men do. It’s time to end these stigmas and know our worth. If you know what you’re talking about, then it’s badass to educate our male counterparts. As said, hot girls stay up to date in the news. You can develop your independent female political identity by catching up in your freetime. There is so much out there to explore and learn, and many sources to gather information from. We recommend reading or watching from both sides of the political spectrum and keeping an eye out for inaccurate news reporting, which is an unfortunate and realistic risk in the media nowadays.

Secondly, in order to explore your political identity, you have to know your rights as a woman in this country, and know our history. Although the feminist movement has made significant strides in the effort to end sexism in all corners of society, it is still a present issue. Even moreso, we’ve seen this reflected in many of our states, which have quickly made access to services like abortion difficult to access or simply unattainable.

Acknowledging that we as women are inherently disadvantaged in the political world is vital to fueling the anger we should feel, as well as pushing us to make our own difference in the world because of the strong female voices we have.

Knowing your stuff is hot, and so is using your voice to talk about it. Women need to use their voice to make a difference because the feminist point of view is so important, especially now. Now it’s time for you to start your own journey of feminist political identity exploration because this country needs your opinions.

Exploring 0ur Female Political Indentity

Because hot girls stay up to date on the news and their rights.

by: emily bruck design: kate bartoletti

Knowing your stuff is hot, and so is using your voice to talk about it.

HOOKUPS FROM HELL

I-U-DIDN’T

I was hooking up with this guy. Mind you, he’s 6’7…and I am 5’2. He puts it in and it literally feels like he has reached my belly button. I had to get an emergency sonogram the next day. Turns out he disclosed my IUD. It’s been two months, the IUD has been fixed, and I am still bleeding out. Thanks for the neverending period! To make matters worse, he lives directly across from me and has asked to hook up again multiple times. Little does he know, I medically cannot do so. Should I send him a doctor’s note?

YOU MAKE ME SICK

After a long night at Lucy’s, I bring home a girl. We start hooking up in my bed and are both sloshed out of our minds. I feel bad because she starts coughing as we’re making out. All of a sudden, she throws up...IN MY MOUTH. The best part was that afterward, we went to the bathroom and both threw up in my toilet together. She slept over after. Most romantic night of my life!

KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE

The roommate situation has always and will always make for disasters with dorm hookups, and my sophomore year proved that to be oh so true. If accidentally flashing a titty to my ex-situationship’s roommate wasn’t bad enough, getting walked in on *in the act* and him seeing my entire naked lower half was even worse. Getting kicked out of the room didn’t exactly make him my biggest fan, but the best part? Same major. Same classes. Same clubs. Needless to say, things are more awkward with the roommate than the hookup in question. Stay safe out there.

ANOTHER BELLYBUTTON STORY

There’s no easy way to put it: he tried to finger my bellybutton. That’s all, that’s the whole story. Were we drunk? Yes. But is there any explanation for that? Absolutely not.

THERE’S SOMEONE FOR EVERYONE

This one time, 4 girls and 4 guys were in a room. Each guy wanted to get with each girl in the room, and each girl wanted to get with each guy in the room. We decided that each guy would stand in one of the 4 corners of the room, and the girls would rotate from guy to guy. We set a timer for 10 minutes each time, which was as awkward as you could imagine when we switched. 3 of the hookups were good; one of the girls, however, kissed like a dog gives kisses to you after not seeing them for a long time, just non-stop tongue action. It got hard to breathe.

AREO-NO

I decided that when I turned 20 I wanted to be rebellious and get my nipples pierced. I ended up doing it and they looked absolutely amazing! A couple of months go by and everything is going well with the healing process. Next thing you know Halloween Weekend approaches I end up in some random boy’s bed. The hookup itself was okay, but the next morning when I woke up my nipples were completely swollen and in so much pain. They were completely infected and caused my boobs to feel as hard as a rock. I honestly had never experienced so much discomfort in my life and I immediately knew why. He no-joke had been sucking on my boobs for a solid 10 minutes the night before which is a major no-no when your piercings are still healing. After many weeks of embarrassing appointments at Barnes, I got on antibiotics and they eventually healed. He still has no idea what he caused.

@universitygirlsu