The Wake - Issue 5 - Fall 2022

volume 22 — issue 5 fortnightly student magazine

This Place of Connection

Career Anxiety p. 16 p. 9

99% Invisible Best Friends in College p. 19 p. 11

Claire de Lune Q&A

Teachers Can’t be Trusted p. 22 p. 13

Fortnightly Student Magazine

Volume 22 Issue 5

©2022 The Wake Student Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

Established in 2002, The Wake is a fortnightly independent magazine and registered student organization produced by and for students at the University of Minnesota. The Wake was founded by Chrin Ruen and James DeLong.

Disclaimer: The purpose of The Wake is to provide a forum in which students can voice their opinions. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not representative of the publication or university as a whole. To join the conversation email eic@ wakemag.org.

Editorial Production

Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor

Cities Editor

Voices Editor Online Editor

Copy Editor

Music Reviews Editor Multimedia Producer Multimedia Editors

Srihita Raju

Sophia Goetz

Vishalli Alagappan

Carter Starkey

Quinn McClurg

Abby Vela Peter Nomeland Ben Villnow

Natalie Aue Kailee Baumann

Cities Interns: Sydney Peshon, Ava Rausch

Voices Interns: Devna Panda, Goamaar Paul

Features Interns: Maddie Roth, Joshua Kloss Online Interns: Zoe Hoornbeck

Copy Editors: Vern Nowakowski, Hana Handzija Music Reviews Interns: Shanna Sivakumar

This Issue

Writers

Sydney Peshon, Beatrice Handlin, Quinn McClurg, Gracie Kibort, Rachel Hoppe, Ava Rausch, Srihita Raju, Devna Panda, Bianca Llerena, Max Pritchard, Danielle Croom, Marie Ronnander, Rogan Isbell, Jacob Nelson, Elijah Awada, Peter Nomeland

Creative Submissions

Megan Bormann, Samuel Fedderly, Brooke Lambrecht

Pinterest @thewakemagazine

TikTok

@thewakemagazine Instagram @thewakemagazine

Facebook

@The Wake Magazine

Twitter @the_wake Web wakemag.org

Executive Director

Creative Director Finance Manager

PR/Ad Manager

Social Media Manager Art Director Web Manager Distribution Manager Designers

Marie Ronannder

Laura Kuchar

Rashmika Cheekati

Gracie Kibort

Renee Mottet

Megan Bormann Brennan Neuser Selam Gerezgiher Makenna Larson Mallory Paul Kat Regas

PR/Ad Interns: Cheyney McKinney, Jacob Nelson Social Media Intern: Makayla Hilluka

Art Interns: Sarah Jiang, Natalie Williams, Brooke Lambrecht, Alex Kozak

Art

1 Jacquelyn Fay, 2 Megan Bormann, 3 Brooke Lambrecht, 4 Natalie Williams

Cover and Feature Art: Alex Kozak Feature Spread Design: Kat Regas

Wendell and Wild, Her Loss, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Wild Violent, Control, and Andor images from original sources.

City event descriptions provided by minneapolis.org.

The Wake Student Magazine 126 Co man Memorial Union 300 Washington Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN 55455

What Muppet are You?

wink! one page magazine

are you the life of the party? can you make simple tasks fun? do you make the most of every day?

Find out what faux-fuzz, Jim Henson branded puppet (or Muppet, as the cool kids call them) you are in this early 2000s style quiz! are you an early bird? are you a procrastinator? do you get stressed easily? do you worry what people think of you? do you have crippling self doubt?

do you often overwork yourself? do you feel inclined to play the banjo?

You absolute menace... you know who you are and aren’t ashamed of it! You’re the person everyone wants to be...also the one no one can figure out (in the best way). Keep ‘em on their toes! Never let them know your next move!

You poor, poor, anxious soul. Just like Gonzo, you get in your head about the little things...but hey, you’ve been to SPACE (you know, if you were actually Gonzo) and you have a great sense of fashion! You’re cool asf.

Just like everyone’s favorite fuzzy amphibian, you’re a natural born leader who’s really good at playing the banjo for some reason. Wait, you can’t play the banjo? Why would you lie like that? ...ouch.

12/2 - 1/2 @ 5:30 - 8 PM

Nature Illuminated

This winter, there’s a magical world waiting for you at the Minnesota Zoo. Join us for Nature Illuminated: a one-ofa-kind drive-thru experience featuring stunning light work and larger-thanlife animal art installations. Nature Illuminated invites you on a spectacular journey into a world of art, awe and light, all from the comfort of your own vehicle. Join us as we shine the spotlight on some of the world’s most endearing and endangered animals, and learn how our collective actions can help save our planet’s wildlife.

13000 Zoo Blvd

Over 130 local women artists show and sell their wares in a variety of genres including jewelry, pottery, fiber, photography, painting and more. Live music all day. There is live music by women performers throughout the day and a women-owned co ee shop providing food, beverages and treats. Free admission, free ramp parking, all are welcome.

2540 Park Ave

6th Annual 12 Bars of Christmas Crawl

The 6th Annual 12 Bars of Christmas Crawl® is coming to Minneapolis!! Put on your best holiday onesies, Santa suits, ugly sweaters, and elf costumes! It’s the most wonderful crawl of the year! Psst...if you have a December birthday, you can get a free ticket and discounted tickets for five friends.

422 Hennepin Ave

12/17 @ 11 AM

Celebrate the longest nights of the year with us at the return of The Long Night Winter Solstice Bash. Join us for our enchanted winter wonderland with live music, tasty food, delicious beer, and more!

1401 West River Rd N

12/17 - 12/18 @ 2 PM4 PM Elf

Buddy was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler, and raised among Santa’s elves. This holiday season Buddy travels to New York—with the Minnesota Orchestra! Experience John Debney’s wonderful score as the full film plays on the big screen.

1111 Nicollet Mall

Letter from the Music Reviews Editor

Dear reader,

For whatever reason, I volunteered to do this letter from the editor for this issue, and like most things when you’re a college student, I got behind on it. I didn’t really know what to write about and thought, “oh, I’ll just get to it later,” but now that I’m writing it without anything really profound or meaningful to say, I sort of wish I had planned ahead. Not that I would think of actually deep or anything if I had even done that. I am the reviews editor, so naturally, I like writing about and analyzing other people’s work or looking at things and trying to convey my opinion on them, but that doesn’t really work for something like a letter from the editor. This is kind of like when you’re writing an essay, and you procrastinate on it till like 11:30 on a Thursday night, and you get the Canvas notification that says that you have until midnight to turn in a 7-page essay, and you have to pad out that word count. Except with The Wake, I’ve never had that really happen, or at least I’ve never dreaded having to come up with what I want to say. We let people have the freedom to write pretty much what they want when they come in and pitch something, and that’s one of my favorite things about working here. You’ll see that especially when we do our upcoming last issue of the year here coming up. It’ll be our Bizarro issue, and no spoilers here, but it’s gonna be insane. Finals are coming up so just keep in mind when reading this issue and especially the Bizarro that everything you read and see here in the Wake is just another thing our sta is putting on their plates on top of everything else. Therefore, I’m guilting you, the reader, into sharing this and all the other issues with your friends and family because you know what it’s like when you have like 2 billion things to do on top of one another, and you’re 3 co ees in on the day with lofi beats to relax and study to blaring through your headphones as you’ve got 50 tabs open on your laptop. So next time you read our lovely student-run magazine, just have that thought in mind, and I think you’ll appreciate it just that much more.

Peter Nomeland Music Reviews Editor

Art by Samuel Fedderly

My Journey Through Piotr Szyhalski’s Survey Exhibition

“We Are Working All The Time!”

BY SYDNEY PESHON

Multimedia artist, Piotr Szyhalski, is currently showcasing an impressive array of genres and mediums of expression at the Weisman Art Museum. The moment you walk into the Weisman, you’ll be greeted by two walls filled to the brim with poster-style prints commenting on the detrimental impact of COVID and the ramifications of the 2020 election, only to soon stumble upon his biography escorted by a glass case containing rusted workforce tools, such as a hammer, shovel, and pickaxe. His progressive and populist attitude bleeds into the bulk of his work, which investigates the meaning of common labor, understanding, and participation through poster design, mail art, sound art, and large scale installations. Along with the central idea his work focuses on, “we are working all the time,” he also uses jarring phrases on his conceptual paintings and posters, such as: “Do not think of the truth. Think of something else. Nothing is right,” something that made my blood run cold as I passed through art installations that Szyhalski constructed over the course of his three decade long career.

Although I’m no stranger to being yelled at by an overly audacious “Karen” for burnt toast in the food-service industry, I wasn’t prepared to feel the turmoil of what it meant to be exploited by work through Piotr’s portrayal–I felt uneasy by the myriad of drop cloths questioning the value of work itself, an entire wall of colorful shovels, and paintings depicting a surreal surgical procedure. A few of his paintings were a dispirited beige color o set by the occasional collection of red string, attracting the eye towards the pain that comes with manual labor. Szyhalski’s art o ers an empowering yet often dejected visual experience, along with a digestible account of how we treat and have treated vital workers. Overall, Piotr presents an all encompassing presentation of what it means to experience and participate in a system that reduces individuals into miniscule cogs within the larger ever-turning wheels of modern society’s machine for the sole purpose of evergrowing monetary progression. While the conglomerates succeed, the individuals running the operations are exposed for what they are seen as from the executive’s perspective–pawns in an end-sum scheme.

Gamers, Hobbits, and Comics, Oh My!

BY BEATRICE HANDLIN

This may seem like an odd thought to have but I would prefer my weekend to not involve seeing Mayor of Minneapolis Jacob Frey dressed in full Hobbit cosplay while he reads out a speech taken from Lord of the Rings. I suspect many other people feel this way, though it seems unlikely to occur.

However, my weekend did involve seeing Mayor Frey in full LOTR cosplay at Twin Cities Con. Mayor Frey was at the convention to announce November 12th as Middle Earth Day in Minneapolis at a Q&A panel held by Elijah Wood and Sean Astin.

Twin Cities Con was held November 11th-13th at Minneapolis Convention Center, featuring many creators, stars, and exhibitors from fandom spaces, including the aforementioned actors. Over the weekend, the con hosted Q&As with guests, celebrity meet and greets, tabletop and video game tournaments, creative workshops, costume contests, and exhibitors selling art, comics, props, and more. Attendees from any fanbase, from anime to wrestling, of any level of commitment had something for them. I personally spent a lot of time checking out booths run by comic book vendors and local artists and ended up going way over my budget.

This is the second year the convention has been hosted, and it hasn’t quite grown into the popularity it has amassed. The schedules and maps for panels were often incorrectly labeled and the overall set up was disorganized and not built for the number of attendees at the convention.

Aside from the disorganization, the con was pretty fun to attend and every creator or vendor I got a chance to speak to was very excited to be there and meet fans from across the Midwest. If you enjoy fandom culture, or you just love going to flea markets or art fairs - Twin Cities Con is something I recommend attending. Hopefully Twin Cities Con will continue to grow and welcome more creators and fans alike for years to come - hopefully with better planning.

Twin Cities Con returned to Minneapolis for the weekend - with large and vibrant attendance but a complete lack of organization.

Career Anxiety, Burn Out, and Feeling Behind Your Peers

How to fall behind at getting ahead

BY QUINN MCCLURG

What do co ee shops, bus rides, and my dinner table have in common? I can’t pass by any of them right now without seeing Schedule Builder’s multi-colored glow. All I hear my friends, partners, and peers talk about is which classes they’re going to take and how soon they’ll graduate. I’m happy for them, I really am, but I fail to see this collective excitement as anything else but anxiety-inducing.

Previously, I’ve tried to play the game and fasttrack my education. I took 18+ credits a semester, dedicated time to four di erent organizations, and sustained a 4.0 GPA, all while managing my mental and physical health. Sure, I barely had time to do my classwork, even less time for myself, and no time for friends, but I was saving money, baby! What could’ve gone wrong?

Not too long after keeping this charade up, I got a phone call. I accepted the call, pressed my phone to my ear, and, wow, would you look at that, mental illness and burnout were on the same call; what are the odds? They told me “they’ve been trying to reach me for some time” and “there’s no use in trying to hang up, kid,” but that all changed when I sustained a traumatic brain injury.

Now, I don’t think you need to endure months-long stretches of burnout or successive concussions to learn to slow down like I did, but you should know that it is perfectly ok to do the bare minimum, especially when your physical, mental, or relationship health is endangered. Sure, I can’t a ord much right now, but I trust future-me will find a way to pay for my extra time, as long as the survival of current-me is assured.

Also, gap years have helped me realize that it is perfectly ok to take a break to accrue funds for education. As long as you are taking care and advocating for yourself and growing in any way you can, your time is not wasted. More experience is gained, and you will have the rest of your life to go to school.

Grill Gracie

Gracie does advice

BY GRACIE KIBORT

Dear Gracie, I can’t get over my ex. Sincerely, Help!

Help!

There is no exact science to this so I’ll keep it short and sweet. Block! Their! A**! Out of sight and out of mind. Self-care goes far beyond face masks and bubble baths. The Lorde and savior, once said, “I light all the candles, cut flowers for all my rooms, I care for myself the way I used to care about you.” Take the energy you’ve dedicated to thinking about your ex, and reallocate it back into your own best interest. Pick up a new hobby or two (my current favorite is knitting!). Scream as loud as you can. Take yourself on the date of your dreams. You will always have you, this a human truth.

co ee or the simple, yet powerful reply “That f***ing sucks, I’m sorry.” Ask them how you can best guide them through this time. Do they want to be left alone? Distracted? Validated? It can change in an instant so I ask that you stay malleable.

you feel guilty. Everyone has their priorities and struggles, but they have the choice to reach out to you as well. I also struggle with keeping in touch with loved ones far and near. Every few days, I complete what I like to call a ‘scary hour.’ I’ll set a timer for 60 minutes and get as much done as I possibly can in that time. I usually omit schoolwork from this period, so that usually means doctors’ appointments, emails, and responding to texts. Although it may seem ingenuine, the love is still there, but a clock is counting down. If a to-do list isn’t enough, try this instead. Otherwise, stick to the Snapchat videos and voice memos and let yourself o the hook!

Dear Gracie, any advice for balancing commitments and turning down opportunities when already overwhelmed? Sincerely, Engulfed.

Dear Gracie, I feel guilty for not reaching out to long-term friends as much as I’d like to, despite both being busy and they’re not reaching out very often either. We’ve tried all the normal things like scheduling calls but I just still feel guilty. What do I do? Sincerely, Guilty As Charged.

Dear Gracie, A person in my life has been struggling with a problem that I don’t relate to. I deeply care about them and want to give them the best possible advice while they experience pain. Sincerely, Befuddled.

Dear Befuddled, I used to have a friend that was left dumbfounded whenever I presented them with any personal problems. As if on cue, they’d reply “I don’t know what to say.” This is the only unhelpful path you can take with this person you care for. Empathy is a beautiful thing! You have a few options. First, put yourself in their shoes. Think about how you might feel in their scenario, and how you’d like to be comforted. You might gain some perspective this way. Next, shower them with love. Remind them how much you love them, and explain the light they bring to your life... Everyone is di erent, but a hug, a listening ear, or a shoulder to cry on can go a long way. Empathy can look like a surprise

Dear Guilty as Charged, Guilt is an emotion that arises from wrongdoing. Have you done something wrong in this scenario? Based on your submission, I don’t think so. Life is really hard, and time passes faster than any of us would like. Keeping in touch with your LDRs is a two-way street. Remember that the next time

Engulfed, I’ve been there. In fact, I’m there right now. Do you feel like you’re thriving or just surviving? Recently, I’ve come to the realization that although I was keeping my head above water and fulfilling the necessary requirements, I was just doing so to check o boxes. I wasn’t completing anything to my full potential and was spread too thin to be proud of my work. Now I’ll ask you another question, what can you do to make your life easier today? I know it can sound exciting to take on a fresh opportunity, but I implore you to ask yourself if you can complete it with grace and compassion, not just because it’s another due date on your calendar.

Do We Make Our Best Friends in College?

BY RACHEL HOPPE

I love my friends. This is probably my most lukewarm take, but it’s true. As the years pass, I continue to become more of a sentimental person. I hold the people I love most close to a chest like a sacred secret. After transitioning into college I made even more friends that I cherish, but that hasn’t changed how important my high school friends are to me.

My high school friend group was very special. There were a lot of us and something was always going on; we were always doing something. We loved each other fiercely. Sure, we weren’t perfect. We got ourselves into our fair share of petty drama, but at the end of the day, we were a family. An odd and dramatic family, but what family isn’t a little odd and dramatic?

I was excited to go to college because throwing myself headfirst into a new environment provided me with the opportunity to meet new people and forge new, sacred bonds. And yet, my first few months of college were quite lonely. I had made a few close friends that I enjoyed spending time with, sure. I just wasn’t used to having a small inner circle instead of a much bigger one.

From talking to those around me I’ve discovered this feeling is not unique to me. The transition to college and making new friends is terrifying and overwhelming. However, there’s this pressure to sort of jump ship on all the friendships you’ve cultivated throughout your entire life for a bunch of new people.

My mom and her college friends have a reunion a couple of times a year. They gather around in one of their living rooms, trading anecdotes and appetizers. Normally when I’m home I sit with them while they reminisce. Because of this, I always had this idea in my head that my college friends would

be the only ones that mattered. Since actually going to college, it’s become apparent to me that this isn’t exactly the case; it doesn’t matter when you meet someone. If they mean something to you, that sentiment will keep ringing true. When you’ve reached middle age you can gather in your living room and catch up with anyone you’d like. Maybe I have a problem with letting go, but this idea of only looking forward to future relationships and leaving old ones in the dust was very painful for me. Meeting new people is one of the most beautiful and important aspects of life; that doesn’t mean that every time you forge a new friendship you have to let go of a di erent bond that you made in the past.

All this said, I have met incredible people during my first three semesters of college. While it took a bit to find my ground, I have a group of people in my corner that make me feel loved and supported in every capacity. I have made so many of my favorite memories with them, and it warms my heart to know that we get to experience these very special four years together.

Just because I feel connected to the group of friends I’ve made in college doesn’t mean I want to abandon the friendships I have with those from the past. To me, the idea that we make our best friends in college, and any friends we made before or will make after that will never compare, closes you o from so many meaningful connections. We should not feel the need to close ourselves o from further cultivating specific relationships just because we feel like it’s what society expects of us.

I firmly believe that people come into our lives for a reason. The friends we make throughout our lives were brought into our spaces because they could provide us with the exact life lessons that we need at that moment in time. We should prioritize friendships from the past, present, and future. Constraining ourselves to only prioritize relationships from college closes us o from a myriad of connections that could be fulfilling.

By no means am I saying that the relationships formed in college aren’t important. Simply put, if a friendship is meaningful to you, the time you met them doesn’t matter. You should do everything in your power to foster that connection.

Frat parties just don’t do it anymore

A fix for your quarter-life crisis

BY AVA RAUSCH

If you’re 20 years old and having a quarterlife crisis, don’t be surprised if you find yourself at a rave. Or in my case, standing in front of the barrier.

One month ago, my friend David called and asked if I wanted to go to a rave downtown. I was recently single and was willing to do anything that sounded remotely interesting. Besides, I went through a phase where I religiously listened to EDM music while doing homework. So at least I wasn’t totally lost.

The only thing I knew about rave culture was that there were a lot of people doing di erent substances and wearing next to nothing. And I wanted to be a part of that. If there was anything I considered to be the most crazy thing I would do in my life, it would be going to a rave.

The lights were blinding and the bass was shaking my body in anticipation. Four di erent DJ’s performed their sets all creating a unique techno vibe. The only thing you could hear was the music, there were no other screams or reactions from the audience.

The people I encountered were all part of the experience as well. A colorfully dressed girl, slipped one of her many vibrant bracelets onto the hand of an angry looking security guard. Their interaction seemed like a peace o ering from the inside to the outside world.

Once the show ended we rode with the wave of the crowd, through the doors of the venue and flooded the streets of Minneapolis. I felt a wave of relief rush over me as I finally felt the breeze of the wind– I was free.

I experienced the craziest thing that I will probably ever experience, and now I can relax.

Why do we prioritize friendships at this time of our lives when we have and always will foster meaningful relationships with people?

Art by Megan Bormann

full later. I was in St. Paul that morning covering a bookstore opening for this magazine, and had been having an amazing time. I didn’t want to sour the experience, so I tried to ignore it and focus on the books in my hand, the joy of those around me, my fraying shoelace, anything else but the text. Once I was in line to check out, I couldn’t wait any longer and began to scroll through the breaking news.

Craig Hollenbeck was a social studies teacher at Eden Prairie High School for 23 years. In that time, he had become a favorite in the community. I remember being a freshman and already looking forward to being a junior so I would get to have a class with him. Beloved by nearly every student who had had him, Hollenbeck had won numerous teaching awards over the years and was asked to speak at graduations and National Honor Society inductions almost every year. He was such a popular teacher that there was even a lottery

also found Google searches from September 2021 where Hollenbeck tried to find out how to delete messages and notes from his phone.

Later, other students came forward to share interactions they had had with Hollenbeck that, looking back, they now see weren’t appropriate for a teacher and student. A relationship that involved things like messaging each other privately outside of school hours now appears di erently to a mind that has since graduated high school, especially after hearing about peers’ experiences. I’ve left out most of the more disturbing details, and if you’re really curious I encourage you to look into it with caution, but the main point still rings true: Eden Prairie’s favorite teacher was

noted these are merely the ones that were not only reported, but resulted in the perpetrators being successfully convicted. There is also no way to know how high the number of o enders actually goes. And while more victims are stepping forward, experts are concerned that there isn’t enough conversation about sexual abuse and misconduct in K-12 schools. Because A lot of the recommendations and resources available for victims are typically directed to college students, younger students may not know how to identify an inappropriate relationship with an educator nor how to go about reporting abuse happening at their schools. One of the reasons abuse is so common at schools is because educators are able to easily target students by leveraging information they are privileged to. Educators have access to information on the familial, financial, and social backgrounds of students and are able to get one-onone time with students without

raising any eyebrows. Often, students struggling academically or socially at school have a weaker support system at home, which only makes it easier for them to be groomed. Reports studying sexual misconduct at various institutions found that of all targets, 17% were students with special needs. And what’s even more terrifying is that often parents won’t even realize something nefarious may be happening because they are just grateful that their child is getting extra attention from their teachers.

I often reflect on a journal entry I made on January 25th, 2020. It was the day after the final day of first semester, senior year of high school. A large part of the double-page spread contains scribblings of the advice Hollenbeck gave my class on the final day of that semester. His anecdotes were nothing remarkable, just advice on how you should always strive to keep learning, and to never let the world determine who you should be. Yet, at the time, it was because of their speaker that these seemingly-mundane words meant so much to me. To me, Hollenbeck was the epitome of who I wanted to be: wise, considerate, and empathetic. The illusion of who he presented himself to be a ected who I wished to be. When I consider the people in my life who made me realize the value of education and learning, especially when it came to learning about the humanities, it was him.

It’s hard when someone you looked up to so much turns out to be a monster. I find myself wishing that I could split him as a person into two halves. The half that taught me and my friends to be good students and good global citizens, and the half that retroactively shattered all of that. The part that bothers me now as an adult is that I don’t know how to continue to be an open and trusting person in this world. When famous people do bad things, we all throw around the phrase “you can’t trust any man”, but only after the news about Hollenbeck broke did I find myself truly believing it. This was someone who me and most of my classmates thought of as a friend, a trusted adult at school, and even a second father. And while perhaps this shows the naivete of high schoolers, I know that I would likely still feel that same way now, three years out of high school, if we hadn’t found out the truth.

It is important for me to stipulate that I write of how well loved and respected Hollenbeck was during his time at Eden Prairie High School not to speak positively of his character, because of course now I have nothing positive to say about him, but to illustrate that it really can be anyone. It can be the teacher who stayed after school to help you understand that day’s lesson. It can be the man whose speech made you tear up at your daughter’s graduation

ceremony. It can be the coworker who helped you adjust to your new school when you first got hired. How can you trust anyone if you can’t even trust your teachers?

With each year that passes, I feel like I learn ten new reasons to be less trusting. Sadly, it seems a part of growing up is realizing that the world can be a lot crueler than you imagined. If this experience has taught me anything, it is that we have to look out for one another. Listen to your friends, and don’t dismiss changes in their behavior for “just a phase.” You never know what could be happening, especially in a world where we can’t even trust our high school teachers. And remember, it is okay to change your mind on people. In fact, I think it is vital to reevaluate how you feel in your relationships. Just because you used to trust and look up to someone doesn’t mean that you always will or should. I want to be able to trust my role models without living in fear of who they are behind classroom doors. So when you find people who prove time and time again that they are truly a safe space for you, make sure to check in with them support each other, both through the good times and through the bad apples.

This Place of Connection

BY DEVNA PANDA

Passerbys walk routinely along Washington Avenue on a day like any other. As these individuals go about their daily lives, hurrying to complete the next item on their agenda, they are unaware that they are being observed. From the fifth floor of the Molecular and Cellular Biology, I idly watch strangers pass by. It just so happens that the view from the lab I work in is a prime people-watching spot. From the haze of new faces, familiar faces catch my eye. The roommate of a friend I’ve fallen out of contact with. My best friend’s boyfriend. A professor whose course I found to be both incredibly engrossing and painfully humbling. Even at such a large institution, I can’t stare out onto the street for more than five minutes without recognizing multiple someones. An inextricable web of connection links these seemingly disparate individuals.

Before I began pursuing my education at the University of Minnesota, despite this school having one of the highest undergraduate enrollments in the country, I did not thoroughly consider how its sheer size would factor into the experience of living and learning here.

At first, the physical size of the school was somewhat intimidating. If I met someone with whom I sensed a genuine connection, I would soon learn that they

lived on the opposite end of the campus. I felt like much of my circumstances were dependent on whom and to what I was proximate.

Moreover, the open-endedness of all the potential friendships I could explore and experiences I could have felt far too vast. The unending rows of windows lined across my dorm building were simultaneously awe-inspiring and overwhelming. In each room was a person possessing motivations and ambitions similar to mine while also carrying their own set of distinctive quirks and life experiences. How would I possibly go about finding the elusive, much sought-after group of “my people” that I was supposed to seamlessly stumble upon in college? Even as I was meeting many extraordinary individuals, I felt that the connections I was making were somewhat unrelated.

Until recently. I walked into the living room of a brightly colored apartment, observing the customary colored LED lights strung around the room. I had come to the party on a whim. Having spent the first half of the night with my friend Marie, she had asked me to join her in stopping by a friend’s birthday party. I hadn’t planned on being there, but the experience would soon shift how I viewed my relationships.

As the night went on and I spoke to more people, it soon became clear that nearly everyone was somehow tangentially connected to another person in my life. Funnily enough, earlier in the night, Marie and I had been introduced to a boy in my program. We had noticed a picture of his boyfriend on his lock screen and asked about him. And now, who would be standing before us but this very boyfriend! Even though I had been unaware of their presence, all of these people had been indirectly present in my life. Our lives had been occurring in timed synchronicity, each of us a few mere degrees of separation apart until our paths collided.

Can this phenomenon be chalked up to mere coincidence? Or is this all part of some cosmic master plan? I would personally rather believe that our universe is a well-oiled machine, constantly chugging and churning to coordinate two people meeting and impacting each other’s lives. Though I can not wait to see how the universe’s plan will continue to unfold, only time will tell what unseen connections will be revealed to me in the future.

A Changing Perspective of November

November Boredom: What to do on the gloomiest days of the year

BY BIANCA LLERENA

Leaving the colorful world of Halloween and mellow autumn behind, November can feel as if it falters in spirit. Jack-o-lanterns have begun rotting on doorsteps, the trees are almost completely bare, and mittens are no longer a choice to be made but a necessity. Daylight savings has shortened our time with the sun, and nights are just a little more bitter. So what is there to do?

Luckily, the absence of a holiday does not mean that there is no reason to look forward to the month. Thanksgiving, with its negative connotations, might not inspire the same excitement that it did in elementary school where paper turkeys hung on the doors in every room. But the warmth that the gathering of loved ones brings should not hesitate to be present. Staying connected to those we might only see once a year keeps us grounded and lets us reflect on who we were the year before.

November, a calm and acquiescent month, gives us a moment to pause in the midst of the chaos that is life. How has college really been going? Who have we been too busy to realize we have been missing? What did we hope to accomplish by now? When looking for something to do this month, make yourself a playlist for November, remember that a chilled autumn pairs perfectly with a scarf and book, and start your Christmas list ahead of time.

Take advantage of the gloom as it tends to disappear once the season is over. November doesn’t have to be a filler month in between such busy times, but rather a month of rest and self-rumination. Enjoy the month, the ordinary mornings, the long nights; and take advantage of the time you have before the snow begins to fall.

Art by Brooke Lambrecht

Comfort Boxes: Simple SelfCare Kits

BY MAX PRITCHARD

As we barrel through November, entering a third month of constant classwork and commitments without so much as a day o , it’s fair to say that most students are feeling some degree of burnout.

I’ve certainly had some overwhelming nights this semester. During one of these, I took a break from my work and scrolled through my phone’s gallery. I found a kind video message sent by my Dad, a screenshot of an encouraging comment from a professor, and images of friends and I from the summer. Looking at these made me feel a whole lot better. An idea formed, and I created a small folder of similar good-feelings-inducing imagery, before taking things a step further and collecting any physical notes, papers, or items that bring me comfort. In di cult times since, I have turned to this collection for solace.

Now, I don’t consider myself much of an entrepreneur, so I figured this must be a preexisting trend. After some quick research I found that it is, in the form of comfort boxes, although this idea is not especially well-known, nor is the practice especially common. I would quite like to spread more awareness about these wonderful creations, as I believe they have a lot of potential.

An article by Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center gives the best simple definition for comfort boxes, describing them as “an emotional first aid kit”. They can be any shape or size and include a wide range of items; whatever is most helpful to the person making them.

I find it helpful to include items that directly relate to frequent stressors. Schoolwork, for example, can feel overly daunting at times, so having a small collection of successful assignments and kind words from instructors can help, reminding me that, hey, I can do this. Loneliness, especially brought on by missing far-o friends and family, can be partially remedied with letters, birthday or graduation cards, and photo collections.

Beyond these sorts of keepsakes, filling a comfort box with items that appeal to each of the five common senses is widely encouraged. These items are helpful in times of distress for staying grounded - focusing on the present moment and your physical environment rather than being trapped by thoughts. The mementos listed above would count for sight, as would any comforting images or quotes. You can appeal to taste by including comfort foods, gum, or tea bags. Lotions, candles, perfumes, or oils can all lend a calming smell. For sound, you can include CDs or musical trinkets, and perhaps part of your ‘comfort box’ can be a grounding playlist on your phone. And lastly, your box can cater to your sense of touch by including items such as stress balls, modeling clay, or fidget devices.

All of the items above are only suggestions, of course, but the idea is that these boxes can include a variety of ways to calm oneself, which you can alternate using or apply all at once. For some, so many options and small objects may be overwhelming, so they may prefer to keep their

box simple and uncluttered. For others, it may be preferable to appeal to many senses at once and have numerous items to switch between, in which case a more varied and filled comfort box would be ideal.

Mental health is immensely di cult to navigate, and overwhelming stress can often feel unmanageable, so having a simple system in place to navigate tough times is extremely useful. This project isn’t a cure to mental health issues, but rather a way to improve di cult moments. Comfort boxes also may not be e ective for everyone that tries them, and that’s completely okay. Mental health resources can at times feel confusing, intimidating, or inaccessible, so it is very useful to have a simple and readily-available form of self-care.

As a result, I strongly encourage readers to adopt this practice in their lives, to whatever extent they find helpful. Comfort boxes have the potential to reassure, soothe, minimize distress, and provide relief, and this is absolutely invaluable.

Described as “an emotional first aid kit”, comfort boxes are a mental health self-care tool with a lot of potential

99% Invisible: Reflections From Minneapolis

Seeing all that is meant to be unseen

BY DANIELLE CROOM

As city dwellers, every aspect of the environment we interact with has been altered or designed in some way. That which is visible to our layman eyes only skims the surface. This is the guiding principle behind “99% Invisible”, a podcast and now book, created and narrated by Roman Mars. The name itself refers to the idea that we only see 1% of the built world, while the rest remains hidden unless actively uncovered, which is what the podcast aims to do. As a student of architecture, I am being taught to identify the aspects of design that go unnoticed but are integral and emulate both beauty and function. “99% Invisible” was already on my radar as someone with a great interest in design and podcasts, but taking a deeper dive into some of its anecdotes as well as its concepts has reinvigorated my passion for the weirdly mundane. Once you’ve been clued in on the mysteries of the designed environment, they cannot go unnoticed. Just in my walks around campus and Minneapolis, I have noticed several of these mysteries, some of them explainable, and some that remain unsolved.

The first mystery I noticed, and one that I have yet to solve, is a hexagonal manhole cover outside of Rarig Center. Never before had I seen a manhole cover in any shape other than circular, and I assumed they did not even exist because all other shapes of covers are capable of falling into the hole of the same shape. My cursory research turned up exactly one thing: there is a similar manhole cover in London near the Thames River. I also discovered that there are many shapes of manhole covers, including rectangular, triangular,

and elliptical. Yet nothing told me about when it may have been manufactured, or what it means for the workings beneath it. It invigorates me, this gap in internet knowledge. I am filled with the need to know why, why was this manhole made? If anyone knows, or has contacts with Big Manhole, share your knowledge with the world. Please!

One of my favorite concepts from the “99% Invisible” book that I now carry with me is the idea of desire paths. A desire path is a footpath treaded o any paved walkway. People want to go a certain way and have the free will to ignore the intended program and follow their desire. Over time, as more people use the path, it becomes more visible and therefore more used. Sometimes, these paths are legitimized and paved. One example of this is right outside Rapson Hall’s main entrance. If you exit the building and turn to the right, there is a diagonal path through the landscaping paved with small rectangular stones. Even before learning about the concept of desire paths, I could tell that this was a designer either foreseeing or reacting to the human tendency to take the most e cient path. Yet mere steps away, the landscaping of Northrop Mall clearly intends to block the creation of desire paths. Just look at the northwest corner of Tate Hall; the deliberate line of bushes bisecting the angle of the corner blocks any attempts at cutting across. Understandably, there is a desire to protect the grass, but it also begs to interrogate the di erence between nature which is meant to be looked at and meant to be experienced. Is there really any value in the former?

These are just a few, tiny examples of the design intricacies that I noticed when I observed the environment; and now it’s your turn. Go out in the world and ask questions so obscure and annoying that it makes your friends and loved ones roll their eyes. Create your own desire paths both physically and metaphorically. You don’t need any particular experience to start looking, just an open mind and genuine curiosity. Get inside the mind of the person who designed your hellish apartment complex, or your favorite park. Research HVAC systems and point out the vents to every first date for the rest of your life. Our world is vastly more complicated than it seems at a glance, and it is already so incredibly complex. If you are content to live in ignorance of the hidden machinations within every wall and sidewalk, by all means, go on your merry way. But if you look just a bit deeper, you may begin to understand just how much we are at the mercy of design.

Wendell And Wild

The next Selick classic

BY MARIE RONNANDER

As part of the generation with a soft spot for skeletons in Santa hats and a raging fear of button eyes, the newest movie by Henry Selick did not disappoint. With Jordan Peele at the helm of the script, Wendell and Wild will have you wanting to taste your own hair cream to test its magical powers.

The movie fades in with the story of Wilma and Delroy Elliot’s untimely death which left the protagonist, Kat as the last living Elliot. The trauma transforms Kat, and the next time we see her she’s most definitely a badass. So badass even, that she’s able to summon Wendell and Wild to do her bidding which, unfortunately, goes awry.

Throughout the movie, your senses are blessed with wild character design by Pablo Labato punctuated with groovy, afropunk music. The script subtly honors cultures that America marginalizes, highlighted by the kindness of Fawzi and his Falafels and the strong morals of Marianna, the local justice. The most heartwarming addition is Raúl, a transgender latinx voiced by Sam Zelaya, who holds the same identity.

Wendell and Wild’s marvelously original plot also pays casual commentary to seedy capitalism and colonization . Make sure to look out for the squat, old nuns shuttling a money hungry priest while a certain DonaldTrumpesque character gains profit o of a prison system. If you aren’t a fan of finding the deeper message, enjoy the beautiful art and trusty sidekick, Gabby the goat.

“Her Loss” – Drake and 21 Savage

Drake’s second studio album of 2022 features a more focused return to his pop-rap style following the houseinspired “Honestly, Nevermind.”

BY ROGAN ISBELL

Drake has been so popular for so long that it seems many people are getting sick of him. But on “Her Loss,” he reminds people of how he got to the top.

While this feels more like a Drake album with many 21 Savage features rather than a true collab album, they have great chemistry. The juxtaposition of Drake and the cut-throat, menacing 21 Savage shouldn’t work, but it makes for a relatively fun time.

The album features several beat switches and tributes to Memphis hip-hop, like bumping 808s and various chopped-up samples. It’s also refreshing hearing Drake rap with a hunger he’s lacked in years.

The high-energy moments of “On BS” and “More M’s” are outstanding and feature Drake trading bars with 21 Savage, sounding like he enjoys making music again. In addition, the album has these low-key melodies and catchy flows that stay in your head.

However, some songs like “BackOutsideBoyz” and “Jumbotron Sh-t Poppin’” feature Drake imitating rappers like Young Thug or Playboi Carti. They’re still fun songs, but they feel unoriginal.

Some people complain Drake raps about the same topics he has had for years. But I don’t want Drake to rap about political issues just because other rappers do that.

There are some corny lines on here, but all I ask of Drake at this point in his career is to make a consistent album that has e ort put into it and has some memorable bangers. For this album, Drake delivered on that front.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

BY JACOB NELSON

Following the passing of beloved, charismatic, unifying leader King T’ Challa (Chadwick Boseman), T’Challa’s mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), has assumed the throne, and his younger sister, the scientific prodigy Shuri (Letitia Wright), scrambles to honor her brother’s memory and fill his shoes. As a result, the kingdom of Wakanda faces disorder and vulnerability as they must regroup, grappling with threats of the outside nations that conspire to destabilize and gain access to Wakanda’s reserves of vibranium.

Get excited to discover a new world, with new characters and some familiar faces, new suits, new costumes, new alliances, and new threats (not just Rhianna) as they make their debut on the big screen. Viewers are I\introduced to the new, real threat Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and his people of Talokan: a long-isolated underwater Meso-American Atlantis-like tribal kingdom that controls the planet’s only other source of vibranium. Tensions arise when a student known as Riri Williams/Ironheart (Dominique Thorne) invents a vibranium-detecting device that could expose Talokan’s sacred secret.

The film unpacks the beauty and strength of familial, communal, and cultural ties and intergroup understanding among people of color, including loss, grief, and protection.

The 2hr 41min film was well worth the wait. The embodiment of representation of matriarchy, seeing females and women of color in positions of power, and superhero feminism provide a refreshing take. Expect heavily dark and emotional scenes, breathtaking visual e ects, a diverse cast, an abundance of humor, and unexpected plot twists. On top of that, its mesmerizing action scenes, including vehicle chases, hand-to-hand combat, weapons use, underwater and midair battles, high-tech suits, and seat-rattling explosions, make it exhilarating. The beautifully crafted soundtrack complements the cinematic masterpiece that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats until the end and demands them to want more.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” brings monumental tribute & legacy

“Wild Violent” by Saintseneca

Wandering, wavering, golden

BY QUINN MCCLURG

Let me preface this article by saying, statistically speaking; there’s no chance you know who I am. Regardless, I want you to know one thing about me: Saintseneca could release a 90-second song consisting of the vocalist yodeling while hitting a tin can with a whisk in the next room over, and I would listen to it 38 times the day of its release.

That being said, Saintseneca’s single, “Wild Violent,” was released on October 21, arriving just in time for both Halloween and their upcoming tour. The lyrics, wandering and wavering as always, are woven golden into the track, secured by threads of distorted guitar, with droning reminiscent of an organ.

Although the single isn’t even two minutes long, “Wild Violent” evokes rich and vivid visions of startling depth and complexity. Allusions to some distant person, perhaps the speaker’s mother, are drifted towards throughout the song as the speaker gradually makes their way through a box set of old horror DVDs–content that was previously forbidden in the speaker’s youth. The tone is listless yet, somehow, compulsive.

The single is anchored by two repeating phrases: “Let me get by” and “My dream’s all mine,” each providing a sense of suggested reassurance. They are reminiscent of not only reclaiming your dreams from a leatheryskinned nightmare creature but also of reclaiming your present state from past trauma and previous association.

Let me be clear: this single is probably not as deep as I read it to be; however, it clearly conveys a specific moment within a specific experience, something another artist may not be able to do as easily as Saintseneca. However, until I find another artist I deem as worthy of my idolatry and idealization, I will stick to my 90-second recordings of mystical men beating tin cans.

“Control” by Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson was Beyonce before Beyonce was Beyonce: a potentially controversial truth

BY ELIJAH AWADA

Serving as both a cultural icon and an extremely talented artist in her own right, Jackson, along with Minneapolis producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, changed the sound of popular music in the 80s, bridging new access for Black musicians to transition over into pop. Her 1986 record, Control, initiated Jackson’s thrust out of the shadow of her brother, Michael, and into a spotlight that highlighted her individual prowess. In a sense, this record would give Janet “control” over her own image and career.

Sonically, it is immediately apparent that Control is a product of the 1980s, as a hard-hitting electric drum pulse drives each track, and funky synth stabs inject themselves into the beat in satisfyingly syncopated intervals. These elements, along with staccato basslines and the sharp inflections of Jackson’s melodies, make for a rhythmically oriented soundscape that compels listeners to jerk their heads in synchrony with the beat. Even the ballads of this album, such as “Let’s Wait Awhile” and “Funny How Time Flies,” rely heavily on rhythmic intonation.

Control is also an important contribution to the molding of the “Minneapolis Sound,” a funky iteration of synth-pop made popular by stars such as Prince and The Time. With the recent induction of Minneapolis natives Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the producers of this album, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I thought it was important to recognize one of their most pivotal works.

Andor

The newest Disney+ show is timely and terrific

BY MAX PRITCHARD

“Andor” is a prequel to the 2016 Star Wars spin-o film “Rogue One” based around a somewhat-forgettable character and is the third Disney+ Star Wars series of the year, following two underwhelming e orts centered around far more famous figures in Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi. So it’s fair to say expectations for the series were tempered.

And yet it has proven itself to be not just great Star Wars but great television. The directing, special e ects, and performances are excellent; the dialogue is exceptional; and above all else, it’s timely.

Politicians avoid helping those in need in order to maintain the status quo. The Emperor is praised, despite his totalitarian intentions, for “saying what he really thinks” and cracking down on crime. The legal system is uncaring, and the prisons are brutal. The Empire slowly and systematically removes indigenous people from their land for the sake of military expansion. Star Wars has rarely been so relevant in such a subtle, natural, yet unmistakable way.

The series also brings added nuance to the galaxy far, far away; both painting the rebellion in shades of gray by showing the darker sides of fighting for freedom and by hammering home the dire consequences of fascist rule with a remarkable down-to-earth focus. By honing in on the regime’s consequences for well-developed everyday characters, it excels in reestablishing the horror of Imperial rule.

Overall, “Andor” is a must-watch for Star Wars fans while equally accessible and enjoyable for new viewers.

Claire de Lune Interview

BY PETER NOMELAND

Claire de Lune is an LA-based musician who was formally part of the Minneapolis all-women hip-hop group, The Chalice, alongside Lizzo and Sophia Erias. Her latest musical project, tiny deaths, most recently released their EP if i’m dreaming and she can also be found writing about the NBA for the Guardian US.

: Just to start, because we’re based in Minneapolis, could you explain your @ claireMPLS social tags?

Claire: I actually lived in Minneapolis for 7 years. So I’m happy to rep it! But the actual story of that handle is that back in 2011, my friend Chantz was telling me how I had to get on this new social media called Twitter, and I was like, “I’m good; I spend enough time on the internet.” And he was like, “Well, I’m making you a handle. And if you don’t use it, I’m changing the password, and I’m gonna tweet as you and say insane shit.” So I was like, alright, I’ll use it, and the rest is history.

: What was your musical background before starting “tiny deaths”?

C: I’ve been writing songs since I was 5 and performing live since I was in high school. Before tiny deaths, I was doing more RnB and hip-hop stu . I was in an all-female hip-hop group called

The Chalice for a few years in Minneapolis with Lizzo and Sophia Eris. While I was in that group, I started working on the music that would become tiny deaths.

: Where did the name “tiny deaths” come from?

C: It’s a rough translation of the French phrase for orgasm, “le petit mort.” I liked that it was a little sexy and a little macabre. I feel like that fits the music well.

: Your website describes your sound as “like taking a nostalgic trip down memory lane” What kind of genres would you say that is?

C: I don’t know if that’s a genre per se. I’d say genre-wise, the music is dreamy, moody pop music. I guess it’s indie in that it’s a little left of center. But the nostalgia thing, I feel like the songs have kind of a wistful, nostalgic quality to them. I like to describe it as music for when you’re driving

on the interstate, and you feel like the main character in a movie. It’s music for that.

: What are some of your biggest musical influences, past and present?

C: Beach House is like my favorite band of all time; tiny deaths gets compared to them sometimes, and it’s always immensely flattering. I also grew up listening to a lot of 90s pop and RnB like Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and I think you can hear those influences in the music as well. I also love older dream pop from the 80s like Cocteau Twins.

: What has been the song or songs that you’ve been most proud of or impressed with yourself by?

C: Oh man, I’m really hard on myself, so I don’t know that any come to mind, but “Magic” (the title track from the last full length) is one I feel proud of because it’s one that I had been trying to write for years, and when I finally did it I was able to make it sound exactly how it did in my head, which is always an amazing feeling.

: You’ve written for the Guardian about the NBA. How did your love of basketball lead you to become a sports writer?

C: Honestly, all my opportunities in the NBA Media space have pretty much come about because of NBA Twitter. I was doing podcasting about the NBA, and my editor at the Guardian followed me on Twitter and just reached out. It’s pretty wild because I really felt like I was just tweeting into the abyss about basketball. I never in a million years thought it would lead to growing a following, let alone covering the sport professionally. But I’m definitely enjoying the ride so far!

: What’s next for you as far as music and writing go?

C: I’m working on a new album right now, so that’s exciting for me after going a couple of years without really releasing new music. Writing-wise, I’m going to be writing throughout the season for the Guardian and also working on some other exciting stu in the NBA Media space that I will hopefully be able to talk about soon. [I’m] just trying to spend as much time as possible doing things I enjoy and as little time as possible doing things I don’t. That’s been kind of my governing career principle, and it’s worked out so far.