On Tap Issue 11 Spring 2015

ONTAP

ISSUE 11

SPRING 2015

Smoothies Smoothies can be a great way to cure a sweet tooth and be healthy, if they are made correctly.

Page 16

The Move One of the most nerve racking experiences of moving into a new place is meeting new people.

Page 18

Cover Photographer Genevieve Kennett Lost

CONTENTS 5

Editor's Letter A welcome back to our readers.

Joshua E. Abbott

6-7

Steel Magnolias A critique of a local favorite.

Ayanna Craig

8-9

Yoga From a Guys Perspective Yoga isn't just for girls, get your workout on.

Marquez Slaughter

10-11

Spring Time In New York City The city so nice, they named it twice.

Stephanie Turner

12-13

The Move One of the most nerve racking experiences of moving into a new place is meeting new people.

Ashley Jacobs

14-15

Smoothies Smoothies can be a great way to cure a sweet tooth and be healthy, if they are made correctly.

Rebecca Thorn

16-17

Managing a Kitchen The kitchen can be the site of many a masterpiece or disaster.

Autumn Sullivan

18-19

Staying Healthy Quick facts to help the busy student stay on track.

Aysa Greenwood

20-21

Maximize Your Fashion Potential As full figured women, we are some of the sexiest, most confident and sultry women on the planet.

Mia Rawls

22-24

Andalusian Meditations Spain is old world pummeling post-post new world sensibilities.

Megan Woods

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Staff EDITOR IN CHIEF

Joshua E. Abbott

MANAGING EDITOR

Daniel Miller CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Victoria Papadelis ASSISTANT CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Carrington Ware CONTRIBUTERS

Carolyn Brady Ayanna Craig Marquez Slaughter Stephanie Turner Ashley Jacobs Rebecca Thorn Autumn Sullivan Aysa Greenwood Mia Rawls Megan Woods PHOTOGRAPHERS

Patrick Elliott Genevieve Kennett Carrington Ware Elizabeth Gillman SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Tamelonie Thomas FACULTY ADVISOR

Dr. Deborah Hall CONTACT

Ontap@valdosta.edu

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Editor's Letter On managing a magazine Welcome back readers! We are excited to share this new issue with you. Over the course of ten semesters, we had a few articles slip through the cracks. So, this issue is jam-packed with lost articles that disappeared in the hustle and bustle of their semesters.

One lingering thought in our minds was: Why didn’t these articles make it to print? Well, it seems most were lacking one small item or another. As a tribute to all those who have worked with us before, I present to you: “The Lost Issue.”

Each article featured within was written by a student from another semester. Some stretch all the way back to Issue 2! We’ve sifted through our files and found some great, but forgotten, articles.

We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

This special edition of On Tap is a tribute to the past. We look forward to writing more compelling articles and bringing you a great magazine. As always, keep us On Tap! Joshua E. Abbott

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Ever get tired of fast food and Ramen Noodles? Ever crave a meal that reminds you of home? Steel Magnolias will settle that craving.

Ayanna Craig Photographer Patrick Elliott

Steel Magnolias 132 North Patterson Street, Valdosta, GA 31601 (229) 259-0010 SteelMagnoliasRestaurant.com

Ever get tired of fast food and Ramen Noodles?

Ever crave a meal that reminds you of home? Steel Magnolias will settle that craving. Steel Magnolias is a fresh new restaurant located in downtown Valdosta at 132 N. Patterson Street. Open for lunch at 11am, Steel Magnolias has an urban base that uses the classic Southern style many can’t resist. While adding their own original twist, the food speaks for itself making it a fast growing and popular restaurant. If you have visitors, take them for dessert alone! Their Banana Pudding Crème Brulee is to-die-for with caramelized bananas.

all agree that it is hard finding a place that can satisfy many of our needs. From salads, sandwiches, dinner plates, and classic favorites, Steel Magnolias is a place where students can receive good food, albeit at slightly higher prices, and ultimately get a reminder of home. The shrimp and grits with Andouille sausage, roasted pepper gravy ($17) will weaken your knees. If your budget is tight, you might try an appetizer (from $3 - $12) like their pulled pork and pimento cheese wontons. You can expect fresh Southern style food, artistically created to fulfill those home cravings.

Leaving home causes stress when it comes to figuring out what your next meal will be and where it will come from. Many of us do not appreciate those free home-cooked meals until they’re no longer at our fingertips. As students with limited time and tight budgets, many can

A restaurant should not only have good food, but should also make you feel comfortable every time you walk through the door. Steel Magnolias has a comfortable atmosphere that makes you feel welcome and at home. You can dine upstairs, downstairs, or if you really want a special dining

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Steel Magnolias experience, you can enjoy your meal on the rooftop open Tuesday - Saturday at 5pm, closing at 10 pm on the weekends. The restaurant is closed on Sunday and Monday.

The food and “homey” feel aren’t the only satisfying factors of this restaurant.

Customer service is the cherry on top of a pleasant afternoon or evening at Steel Magnolias. Each employee serves their guests with a warm smile that invites you to keep coming back. Steel Magnolias contains all of the qualities of a well-rounded restaurant. From the great good, great service, and beautiful rooftop, it is a great place to take the time and check out for yourself.

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Yoga from a Guy’s Perspective You may consider yourself a gym-rat, muscle-head, or maybe a beast, but the question is have you considered using yoga in your exercising routine?

Marquez Slaughter

Photographer Genevieve Kennett

Yoga began as a school of Hindu philosophy advocating a course of physical and mental selfrestraints for attaining liberation from the material world and union of the self with the ultimate principle. Some still look at yoga in that way, but most will define yoga of today as a type of exercise focusing mainly on flexibility, strength, breathing, stress, and the heart. The focus of flexibility is important, because humans age every day and for humans to continue moving as they did “back in their old days” joints need as much flexibility as possible. Yoga builds strength, believe it or not. Hold one of the four limbed staff poses for fifteen seconds, and you will begin to feel your strength being used. Breathing is key to yoga. If you take a yoga class, the instructor

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will repetitively remind you to breath in and out to keep your lungs pumping at a relaxed pace.

Once you succeed in the breathing, you will unintentionally begin to relieve stress. All the symptoms of yoga are healthy internally for the heart, as well as mentally and physically for flexibility and strength.

Do you have to be flexible or strong for yoga?

Yoga introduces flexibility and strength to the human body, so does one need these factors to do yoga? No. If you are not that flexible and/or strong, then it would be suggested that you have a licensed instructor or just a friend assist you by

Valdosta State University

encouraging you to accomplish the exercise the correct way. Yoga is not easy, and people who have tried it will tell you. It is a mind game that consists of your mind guiding your body to or past its limits.

Does one’s gender matter for yoga?

That is an absolute no! Yoga is for everyone and anyone! That is like asking if women can bench press. Men do shy away from yoga, and that is why it looks like it is a woman’s exercise.

My personal experience with yoga.

I am an athletic guy that picked up on exercising when I got to college, because I would walk around campus and see guys bigger than I was at every corner that I turned. When I started working out I was somewhat skinny, and it was strictly free weights that I would use. I avoided running, because I played basketball throughout my life and ran track my junior year in high school. I am now the guy that one would catch in the gym working out almost every day.

Now, with that information provided about me and my masculinity, one can understand my experience with yoga, which was hell! I knew I was not flexible, but I did not know that I was that stiff. I went into the class sore in the knees, because I had played basketball the day before.

When the instructor had everyone in the class holding our poses, I wanted to cry. When class was over, I felt amazing. The soreness in my knees was gone, my shoulders were loose, and I felt joyful. I do yoga in my free-time now to support my other daily workouts.

Another male’s perspective of yoga.

Marcus Harvey, a junior Valdosta State University student, began yoga spring semester of 2014, and has taken many yoga classes at the campus recreation center. He mentioned that he has enjoys his sessions. He went from having a random thought of just trying yoga, and now he

feels progress in physically feeling better, and also finds it as a stress reliever. “I think it’s pretty fun and relaxing and such. At first it was rough for me, and it’s just like I’m in here feeling like a block, and everybody else is a circle trying to stretch, and it’s just like wait, how did you do that?”

An instructor’s perspective of yoga.

Shannon Reicks, a yoga instructor at VSU’s Campus Recreation Center, has been doing yoga since she was 16 years old, she has been an instructor for three years, and an instructor for VSU for a year. Reicks is able to instruct different yoga classes for people to insure that her students feel comfortable with the type of yoga they do.

She explained that there are different types of yoga classes, such as cardio, stretch oriented, or just strength, so students have more than one option to choose from when considering picking up yoga as a new exercise in their workout routine. She would along to agree that men should not shy away from yoga because “guys can get as much out of it [yoga] as the females do.”

Why men shy away from yoga.

Masculinity plays a big role in why men shy away from yoga. One fact is that if you were to Google “yoga,” you would find photos of women. It’s like if you Googled “football,” you would find a picture of a male. Men like to “hit the weights” and yoga is more of bending and stretching, which has nothing to do with “pumping iron.”

Why men should not shy away from yoga.

If you are a guy that plays sports, then it helps with flexibility to run faster or maneuver, strength, and gives you a relaxing state of mind to prepare for the next sporting event. LeBron James, Ray Lewis, and New Zealand All Blacks (rugby team) all do yoga. The world’s most masculine male has no reason not to do yoga, it is for everyone.

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Yoga In valdosta Valdosta State University’s Campus Recreation Center (VSU Students only) 229-333-5898 1300 Sustella Ave. Valdosta, GA 31698 Sutherland Physical Therapy Inc. (229) 244-1201 5108 Northwind Blv. Valdosta, GA 31605 Thomasville Cross Fit (229) 977-5025 170 Big Star Dr. Thomasville, GA 31757

Springtime in New York City You see it in movies. You hear about in songs. You read about it in books. The capital of the world. The city that never sleeps. The city that’s so nice, they named it twice. New York City.

Stephanie Turner

Photographer Elizabeth Gillman

For 20 years, I have fantasized about visiting this glorious land, and this past Spring Break, that fantasy finally came true.

As a first-time tourist, the itinerary included the typical tourist sites. On St. Patrick’s Day, my friends, Clay, Amy, Natalie, and I took a ferry over to Liberty Island to see Ms. Lady Liberty herself. Clay, Amy and I ice-skated on Rockefeller Center rink on Monday. Tuesday night, the vast city mesmerized Natalie and I as we stood on the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State building; I definitely recommend doing this site at night. Taking a subway up to Coney Island, we all ate at the original Nathan’s and walked the perimeters of the closed amusement park on Thursday. Our last night took us to Central Park and Strawberry Fields, the site dedicated to songwriter legend John Lennon.

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You will certainly not starve in this healthconscious city because restaurants seem to be everywhere. Stardust Diner, appropriately placed on Broadway, gives a new meaning to dinner theatre; while you sit in the 50’s atmosphere, the singing servers serenade their guests with a range of show tunes, oldies and hits. Hard Rock Café caters to music lovers, as Planet Hollywood does to movie enthusiasts, with memorabilia and photos scattered throughout each establishment.

Bubba Gump’s Shrimp and Co. in Times Square serves more than seafood, but be prepared for some tricky Forest Gump trivia. A Starbuck’s seems to occupy every block. Jamba Juice whips up smooth smoothies, while Ray’s Pizza slices up pizza pies, New York style.

No trip to a fashion capital would be complete without shopping. The world’s largest Macy’s

New York City resides in Herald Square; there are 11 levels, and each department has a restaurant, which dictates its own floor. High-end stores, such as Tiffany’s and Co., Cartier, Bloomingdale’s, Gucci, Prada, line the sides of 5th Ave. If you didn’t get your expensive- taste fix there, stop by the trendy Greenwich Village. If you have a cheaperpreference, Canal St. satisfies that with knockoff name brands and negotiable prices--just be prepared for some persistent shop owners. The luminous, advertising hull Times Squares not only contains several clothing and gift shops but also kid-friendly places like Toys R Us, the Disney Store, the M&Ms and Hershey’s store. The numerous street-side vendors sell not only food, but various other items such as pictures, shirts, hats, and books; the prices, of course, differ with each stand. And to a typical tourist’s bliss, “I NY” and other NYC branded items flood several stores in several different locations.

Seeing a Broadway show topped my must-do list, and paying $70 with Telecharge’s website made that possible. Natalie and I chose Chicago; as a fan of the movie, I was intrigued to witness the original. On Sunday, we dressed up and took a taxi to the Ambassador Theatre on 49th Street.

For about two hours, the cast jazzed, sparkled and seduced the audience. Sitting in this aged theater's fourth row, being taken into this dark, yet playful world is something I will never forget.

Something unique to me happened Saturday night at the Clearview Cinemas in Chelsea. The theatre showed “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” like I’ve never seen it before. If this randomly odd double feature picture show is not exciting to you, this theater will change that. For

advent fans and newcomers, a dedicated group acts out the movie as it plays on the screen. The audience can join the fun by throwing rice and toilet paper, shouting jeers at the movie, dancing the “Time Warp.” Be warned about the pre-event, though; any first-timers, or “virgins,” might be persuaded to do an unusual activity for the audience. I should know.

None of the trip would have been possible without travel. Going from Jacksonville, we flew with Delta Air Lines; being my first flying experience, I found this part to be fun and fascinating. In New York City, I rode in a taxi three times; surprisingly I felt secure as the speeding drivers steered through the chaotic traffic. While we were there, we relied on the subway, having purchased a $30 Metrocard for the week; this provided a few interesting encounters and a fast, whooshing way around the city. And, of course, walking was inevitable; I felt proud of myself, though, for wearing skinny 3-inch heels while navigating the streets of Manhattan.

This city immensely exceeds any other that I have seen. The finger numbing weather was atypical for a Spring Break but no complaints; I do live in sweat-inducing South Georgia after all.

We did so much, saw so much. I never heard such a wide variety of languages and saw such a wide variety of people before. But I guess that’s what makes it one of the hugest cities in the world.

I am not full and through with the city though-after all, you can’t do New York in a week.

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The Move One of the most nerve racking experiences of moving into a new place is meeting new people. In most cases, you’re not going to know many people in your new town. Don’t worry though, there are plenty of ways to meet new people, and most importantly, make new friends.

Ashley Jacobs

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Photograph taken on site

At some point in everyone’s life, boxes have to be packed up, bags have to be stuffed full, cars have to be loaded down, and a drive has to be made.

The drive could be across town to your first apartment away from your parent’s house, a few hours to a new city, across the country, or to the airport to travel to a completely different country.

No matter where you’re going, most of the time the move to a new place can be scary and nerveracking as well as exciting. I just moved to Valdosta at the beginning of the school year, and I can tell you from experience some ways to make this experience a little easier.

First, make sure you have a place to live. This may seem like an obvious statement but it’s also the most important part of a move. Many people, students especially, think that they can wait until a month or two before moving to start looking for a place. While it’s possible to do so, it’s a level of stress that you do not want added during this important time in your life. You should start, at least six months to a year in advance, getting to know the town you are moving to and deciding what part of town you want to live in. Once you’ve done this, start calling apartment offices, real estate companies, or personal ads to get the information you need about leases, deposit fees, etc. Also, don’t forget to find out whether utilities are going to be included in your rent or if you’re going to be responsible for paying a separate bill.

After you’ve decided or at least narrowed down where you want to live, it’s time to start thinking about other things you need in your new town.

Are you going to find a job? Are you familiar with the campus at your new school? Do you need a gym to work out in? A library to study in? Where is the post office located? What about the banks?

Of course you can’t forget to find out all the hot spots in town! The best place to get coffee, the best movie theater, where a good place is for you to hang out and just meet new people.

Researching and asking around about these things ahead of time will put your mind at ease and keep you from being stressed out at the last minute.

If your move is your first one away from home, it’s also going to be important that you ask your parents, or whomever you lived with, some tips for living on your own. One example of something that’s been important to me is having a simple toolbox! You never know when you’re going to need a screwdriver or a hammer.

One of the most nerve racking experiences of moving into a new place is meeting new people.

In most cases, you’re not going to know many people in your new town. Don’t worry though, there are plenty of ways to meet new people, and most importantly, make new friends. One of the easiest ways to meet people is by joining clubs.

Every college or university usually has many clubs to choose from, and you can usually access a list of these clubs on your school’s website before classes even start. Look up your school’s clubs and research what clubs may interest you. Are you interested in politics? Most schools have clubs for collegiate democrats and republicans. Do you want to take a stand for an important cause? Join the Relay for Life committee or the Gay-Straight Alliance. Are you a big social butterfly? Find a fraternity or sorority that seems to fit your personality. Did you love the clubs that you were involved in during high school? Most colleges offer 4-h, FCA and FBLA to name a few.

Whatever club or organization that you join, you are certain to meet new people that have the same interests as you.

The most important part of moving to a new place however, is embracing your new surroundings. You never know when you move to a new place what kind of people you are going to meet, new experiences you’re going to encounter, or even what problems you are going to run into. Embracing each new experience with an open mind will not only make transitioning into your new environment easier, but will also help broaden your mindset and better you as a person.

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Photographer Genevieve Kennett

Photographer Patrick Elliott

Quick and Easy Smoothies

Smoothies can be a great way to cure a sweet tooth and be healthy, if they are made correctly.

Rebecca Thorn

We all want to be a little healthier, but we don’t want to have to deprive ourselves of delicious treats. Smoothies can be a great way to cure a sweet tooth and be healthy, if they are made correctly. A lot of smoothie shops add sugar or yogurt with added sugar to sweeten their smoothies, and some charge upwards of five dollars a drink. Take control of your health and your wallet with these smoothie recipes! These smoothies are dairy-free with no sugar added.

They are completely fresh, natural, and delicious!

Each recipe yields about 40 ounces (a full blender for me). You can either adjust the recipe to make a single serving or just pop the extra in the freezer!

When you’re ready to drink the frozen portion, throw it back in the blender to soften it up. Don’t be scared to get experimental with the recipes either—try all kinds of fruits!

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Green Smoothie:

1.5 cups of orange juice or apple juice 2-3 Cups of Spinach (or Half a blender) 1 whole Banana 1/2 Cup of Pineapple 1/2 Cup of Mango 1/2 Cup of Peaches Fill the blender up half-way with spinach, and really pack it in. Push the spinach down a couple of times to make sure you really have about half a blender full of spinach. Toss in a banana. I normally break mine into a few pieces. Fill the rest of the blender with pineapple, mango, and peaches. Really, any yellow or light orange fruit would work here. The goal is to not use any berries or dark fruits so your smoothie comes out nice a bright green!

Photograph taken on site

Make sure you blend until completely smooth. My rule of thumb is to blend until the top of the smoothie is swirling on its own. I do have to stop my blender a couple of times and stir everything up a little. These things come out pretty thick!

Purple Smoothie: 1.5 cups of orange juice or apple juice 2-3 Cups of Spinach (or Half a blender) 1 whole Banana 1/2 Cup of Blueberries 1/2 Cup of Blackberries 1/2 Cup of Strawberries 1/2 Cup of Dark Cherries (optional) Same directions as earlier; if you would like you can use raspberries.

Raspberries have lots of seeds so be careful!

Don’t worry if you aren’t the biggest spinach or mango or whatever fan, you honestly cannot pinpoint the taste of any one ingredient in the smoothie. All that comes through in the translation is cold, smooth, fruity goodness! Also, invest wisely: buy frozen fruit instead of fresh. Frozen fruit has no added sugar or preservatives, and it costs less and lasts longer! If you favor a sweeter smoothie, use the apple juice for your base; if you like something a little more tart, use the orange juice. Also, you can substitute the spinach for kale. I find that kale doesn’t chop up quite as finely in my blender, but it is a little more fortified than spinach if you want a little more of a health kick! Either way, these smoothies are healthy and delicious. Try them as a quick breakfast, a between-meals snack, or a post-workout pick-me-up.

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Photograph taken on site

Maintaining a Kitchen The kitchen can be the site of many a masterpiece or disaster. A major factor in making or breaking a potential meal is the state of your kitchen.

If it looks like a mad scientist’s lab, odds are you’ll create a monstrosity.

These tips can help you organize your kitchen and keep it clean: Autumn Sullivan

Wash your Dishes!

It’s as simple as it seems. Keep the dishes down in your kitchen. When you get ready to cook, you should have your tools and utensils readily available.

You should not have to scrounge around in a sink or dishwasher full of filthy dishes. Dishes piled up for more than two days, needless to say, spreads germs and bacteria because of the leftover food particles; in addition, stagnant dishes emit an odor equivalent to that of week old food left out in the open. Who wants to cook or eat in that?

Be Aware of Expiration Dates This means before and after you buy your groceries. If it’s March 4th and the milk expires on March 7th odds are, you shouldn’t get that carton . . . unless you’re an avid milk drinker. Aim for dates that are at least a week off, this way it will store longer and you have a better chance of using it and you won’t waste your money.

Organization is key When you’re cooking, either following a recipe or “free-styling” the job would be easier if you can reach into the cabinet and pull out the intended pepper shaker-- not cinnamon for your spaghetti sauce. Assign each section and level of your cabinets a specific item type: Seasonings on the bottom left of the cabinet, because that side is closest to the stove, on the bottom right could be various sauces like barbecue, hot sauce, etc.

Organizing the refrigerator is important as well, especially if you live with roommates. Like the cabinets, assign food to certain places based on function, type, or how often you use them. For cases with roommates (if you don’t intend on sharing your groceries) each person could claim a shelf or specific area of the fridge where their food could be specifically be placed.

With these tips you should have your kitchen in great shape in no time at all!

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Photographer Patrick Elliott

Staying Healthy College is a new lifestyle for most students. With so many large changes, your health is sometimes forgotten. Here are some ways to make sure you stay healthy while adjusting to your new environment.

Aysa Greenwood

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Photograph taken on site

Stay active:

Photographer Patrick Elliott

Getting to the gym everyday may be a struggle for a new college student with a packed schedule. Try small things like walking to class instead of taking the bus or getting dropped off. Another way to work out is by joining an athletic team. There are several recreational teams available such as basketball, softball or tennis at the Student Recreation Center.

Eat right: Counting calories is usually a little too much for the average student, but there are easier ways to eat healthy. Try your best to have five meals a day— everyday at the same time. You should eat a moderately sized breakfast, lunch, dinner and two small snacks. For meals make sure you have a good balance of healthy food. Try vegetables instead of French fries and eat baked food instead of fried. For a snack, replace the usual unhealthy snacks with fruits and nuts. Palms and Hopper dining have a lot to offer, so be careful— it is easy to overeat.

Don’t stress out: Being a college student is one of the most important times in a young person’s life. A key in succeeding is making sure to avoid stress. Being stressed can cause so many unhealthy habits, and it is bad for your body altogether. If studying becomes stressful, try a change in venue. Choose a park instead of the hustle and bustle of campus. Always pace yourself. Use an agenda to plan your day so that nothing sneaks up on you. Finally, don’t wait until the last minute; teachers supply students with syllabi so that students can plan for their assignments ahead of time.

With these few tips you can be on your way to a healthy lifestyle in college.

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Photographer Patrick Elliott

Maximize Your Fashion Potential As full figured women, we are some of the sexiest, most confident and sultry women on the planet.

The media tells us we should lose weight, but, in reality, the average American woman wears a size 14, which is a plus size. This does not mean that the average American woman is fat; it means her look has changed and is constantly evolving. The fashion world is meeting us half way by creating new and innovative ways to dress plus-sized women with class and sex appeal. Plenty of full figured fashion companies have stylish and sexy clothes for any occasion. Using these resources is the key to expanding your closet and maximizing your style.

Mia Rawls

Know Your Body There are five different female body types: hour glass (big hips, ample breasts and a smaller waist), pear shaped (bigger hips with a small waist and smaller bust), apple shaped (ample breast and narrow hips), narrow figured (straight figured from the bust to hips) and curvy all over or plus-sized (defined as size 14 and up). Knowing the way your frame is shaped will help you determine the most flattering types of clothing, cuts of denim and pants that are right for you.

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Photograph taken on site

Make Shopping an Event Unless you love to shop 24/7, shopping can be a task. Most of the time you may feel annoyed because the clothes don’t fit you the right way. The clothes in the women’s section are known to be “tent-like” and not flattering or stylish. The overall shopping experience could become warped. Walk with authority when you shop! Make a shopping date with your friends and make it a day of fun with the girls! Have fun and bring supportive friends that will cheer you on when you twirl out of that dressing room! When you go, look for things you may need. Have lunch or mani/pedis afterwards.

Protect Your Wallet Plus-sized stores and fashions are noticeably more expensive because of the extra material needed to make the clothes. To combat this, you can sign up on the email lists of the stores where you like to shop as they usually send numerous coupons and codes full of discounts! EBay is a great tool as well.

Be Fabulous!

Being a full figured woman is not a life sentence and it is not a label to define your life. You can still be hot, sexy, classy and super stylish! One thing you can do is keep your hair, nails and toes done at all times possible. It keeps you feeling fabulous whenever you may be having a bad day or bad week.

Spritz a little perfume or wear some makeup occasionally to spruce your look up.

With these tips, maybe you too can maximize your style!

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Photographer Carrington Ware

Andalusian Meditations The streets are segments of alleys that zigzag like close tunnels, interrupting and cross cutting each other.

Meghan Woods

I pass through Triana in tandem with the breeze that gusts up from the Rio Guadalquivir. I am miles away from the bridge and teaming Rio at the onset of my journey home, but this breeze catches the folds of my skirt like a sail and ushers me forward. Behind me are the mosaic archways of the school, modern Spanish-language books, the wooden desk, and the chalkboard. Stretching in front of this present moment is a stroll down the Avenida, a river crossing, and an epiphany.

Standing glorious in the fire shine, I look up at the sky, a sheaf of glass tinted robins egg blue, and wonder why it is not red. It is hot like car seat leather out here; it withers leaves, skillet hot, and the sky is so cool blue. The contrast sucks my breath and pushes new life deep in my lungs.

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June ushers in Sevillian heat; like a masochist, it teases my face with the fluttering air, then rips the cloak of clouds from over the sun, blasting its flippant flickering rays. The sidekick sun is a hooded man on a horse, beating at storefront windows, and terrorizing the locals caught in its glare. But I bear the oppressive heat with a Spanish banner and an American flag, mixing and meshing together in the forge that is “going abroad�. My skin sponges the rays deep and deep, ignoring the pain. I want to mop the sweat from my forehead, the telling little drizzles rob me of all that is hoity-toity self-composure and fashion sense, but I don’t. I pull out 5 E sunglasses, bought as is, with broken frames and a scratch in the left lens. Adjusting the bag and hooking purse strap in thumb, I continue down the Avenida de

El Ciego, Spain

Constitution.

In America, this would be Main Street, hustle bustle latte shuffle. In Spain, this is the extending smokers’ corner, where every cool kid grabs a café chair to gossip and muse. Where irony is an executive gliding down the street in a moped, and dainty white-haired ladies in yellow and green ensembles burst from exhaust fumes as well.

Where the Cathedral is across the street from a café, and real gypsies take your money and amble over to the shop to spend it. Spain is where storeowners who know you by name or face start making your order as soon as you pass through the glass. At breakfast, I am the striking tostada con marmalada con cafe customer, occasionally smoking in the corner and reviewing Capitulos One and Two. The cashier gives me extra sugar because he taught me how to say it, and knows that I don’t know how to say extra and feel uncomfortable saying “more.” He looks at me with all the compassion of a host mother, the lust of an old man, and a kitten’s quiet curiosity.

When I step through the door frame and call out a Spanish farewell, he hollers “Hasta Luego!” in earnest.

It’s about one o’clock, and stores will shut down soon, fluttering their metal eyelids closed, an exaggerated clank, clank as the sheaf comes down, and the employees exit from the back. We are drawn home in the zenith, gorging on the cold, hot, and sweet, in that order: little round bites of sausage, refrigerated tin-foil cheese, bread from the bread drawer, steaming Ionian ham and paella mixta, watermelon by the slice, then edging drowsily to our beds, we sleep like well-fed babies as if that, eat and sleep, is all we know.

When I look around and about me, I feel Seville’s closeness. The streets are segments of alleys that zigzag like close tunnels, interrupting and cross cutting each other. My teacher, Frances, says that it’s an antiquated design once used to defend the city from invaders. Am I an invader? My first days here I would get lost in the mazes. Coming home late from a discotec, purse clutched fast to my side, I remember the frustration, the foreboding instinct of a pre-victim. The streets took on the visages of harbingers, and I saw rape and violence in their gaping windows. Seville at five o’clock in the morning possesses this fright unlike during the day. At night, my foreign face is a target more

than a spectacle. In my head I would picture the hands of a mugger wrapping around my jeweled throat, “Pagate!” he would speak in those rabid inflections of Spanish my host mother uses; her angry, “No estoy enojado” voice. Busying my mind with these scenes deflated my courage but hinged fast my resolve. I crept through the faithful sleeping old city, the picturesque buildings and fountains, and never once have I seen the eyes of a mugger, never once am I forced to face that fear.

When I recognized my street, I slid the key safe in its metal slot and slipped across the threshold to Rita and the closest things I had to familiar. I know now that I take a right out of my school building, walk up past the pastry shop and the Estanco then turn left, walk around the curve of the alley past the flamenco bar’s back entrance, and when I see the Heladeria I keep going straight and turn at the Catedral. Then I’m on my favorite street in all of Sevilla, Avenida de Constitucion, walk for about ten minutes, cross the bridge, turn right on the corner that has the Cruzcampo sign, walk past another Estanco, cross the street, make a right into Pages de Corro, make a left at the bar with the metal chairs outside, walk past the in vitro clinic, past the Panderia and constant dog shit, turn on Marianella and I’m home.

I reach the Starbuck’s and the Plaza de Nuevo simultaneously. Revelries and contemplation make the journey home a treat, despite the heat and the starring, starring, starring. The Plaza is a wash of tan stone, interrupting the browns and grays of the cobblestone street, sanded and smoothed into benches and barefoot-friendly walkways. Vibrant pink and yellow flower arrangements hang from the neat green trees and spill over the thick stone pots with an edenic flourish. A heroic stone statue stands at the center of the plaza, depicting a man on a horse, midcharge. Booths with knock off Dolce and Gabbana purses and Versace glasses, and blankets spread with homemade jewelry face the towering aged statue. I have never seen cultural artifacts juxtaposed like this. In America, I am from the suburban fresh and neat where everything is present and future, never past. I see landscape architecture, a ritzy McDonalds next to a cute chiropractor office, strip malls where high school and college students earn a little extra money, and endless construction, endless additions.

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proud to wear it, fashioned out of mistakes and adorned with lessons.

As I walk past the Plaza, I pull out my pack of Greens, one of the three menthol cigarette brands they sell. Spain is notorious for having many smokers, but everyone smokes the same thing. I puff and walk, and try not to stare at everyone who is staring at me. The shopkeeper on his mop-head risks a crash for a quick glance. The cute old couples slowly twist their withered white heads, making missteps in the cracked cobblestone, looking with fascination until they or me turn a corner. Little children stare, edging around my peripheral, climbing on the backs of chairs or struggling out of strollers, trying to touch my skin or hair, while their parents laugh good-naturedly, looking everywhere but my eyes.

The motivation to stare is not about beauty in a traditional sense; it’s more about curiosity and stark contrasts. For all their cultural appeal, the people in Seville are incessantly real, flawed like any other human, like a venerated orator with a secret mistress, worthy of respect as well as slant judgment.

So they stare rudely because I am an anomaly or speak frankly without considering if I understand them. My teacher explains it’s because the dictatorship, which ended fifteen years ago, halted immigration for decades. Spain accumulated nothing but Spaniards for years, and

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so diversity is as foreign to a Spaniard as I am.

I’m often mistaken for an immigrant worker from Senegal, although my host mother remarked that my nose “wasn’t wide like most of those people”.

For this reason, I cannot hide from being an interloper, but that need to hide fades. I am as much a part of the scenery as a peacock. One among one, and this new status takes the shock from the stares and offers a smile in return. The other American students look more like true Spaniards, who look more French and English than Hispanic, and I look more like something else entirely. But the gross curiosity is an ugly stamp I recognize in my own eyes; I am guilty of that same curiosity back home. How humbling it is to see your mistakes mirrored in others. More importantly, I see the advantage of concentrated attention on me. The beacon status forces me to lighten up. To combat the world in hostility is a feat I’d surely lose. But if I love myself, and accept the world as a reflection of that self, then I love it. I will do for it what I constantly do for myself, forgive.

If the world ends while I’m in Spain, I know that six people will reach for my hand, four out of the six will look into my eyes, and one or two will make a small cubby in their hearts, and I will make one in mine, and we will exchange soul pieces, foreign comforts as the towers fall.

Seville, Spain

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