Alice Vol. 6 No. 2

WINTER 2020
A C T I O N

[2]

ALICE TAKES
WINTER 2020
[3]

[4]
Photographer/Alexis Blue//Model/Shaquala Courtland

[5]

v 6.2
ON THE COVER
Photographer/Alexis Blue
Model/Shaquala Courtland
Designer/Sarah Lumpkin
[6]
[letter from the editor]
Ever since I started at Alice, I’ve
told anyone who would listen
that Alice is a true labor of love.
Every person who dedicates any amount
of their time to write, edit, shoot, model,
design or promote the content within our
pages is here because they care deeply about
what we stand for as a women’s magazine.
That passion and love for what we do makes
late night weekday calls, remote design
work and 7:30 a.m. interviews before
you’ve even had a chance to brush your
teeth worthwhile.
In an isolated world of Zoom calls and
endless emails, it’s easy to feel like you’re
completely alone, the common comradery
of the college experience lost behind laptop
screens. However, if I’ve learned anything
from these past unforgettable months, it’s
that the perseverance and commitment
of this team is incomparable. The everso-talented
Alice editors and contributors
made a commitment to create change for
this magazine when we began Volume 6,
and with our latest issue, I truly believe we
have kept that promise. Through countless
hours of hard work, this issue is dynamic,
insightful and above all, true to who we are
and who we want to be.
We’ve made room for women’s voices
and perspectives to be heard, opening our
pages for women to speak their truth about
their lives and the world around us. From
calling out toxic online trends to breaking
the stigma on birth control and everything
in between, this team continues to amaze
me with their passion for what they do
and ability to adjust in an ever-shifting
environment.
When I had the opportunity to
speak with UA alumna and White House
correspondent Kaitlan Collins back in
October, she said something about how
she prepares for a day covering the White
House that has since stuck with me.
“You really kind of just prepare
yourself for whatever the day can bring,
because if you think the day is going to look
one way it never does,” she said.
As someone who planned out her
entire year back in March and is still
recovering from the shock of living through
2020, these words couldn’t ring truer. The
adjustment to and uncertainty of a COVID
world has required plenty of trial and error
and for us to have to take things one day at
a time.
This year has been a lot of things:
unprecedented, chaotic, some may even call
it a cluster of sorts. However, we’ll bounce
back with the best of them and continue
to create and share this labor of love with
the world. These pages are ours to fill, to
celebrate and to share with you, and I can’t
wait to see what our next issue and 2021
brings for Alice, its contributors and I.
Annie Hollon

MANAGING EDITOR
Alexander Plant
CREATIVE
Creative Director/A’Neshia Turner
Design Editor/Sarah Lumpkin
Asst. Design Editor/Autumn Williams
PHOTO
Photo Editor/Alexis Blue
Asst. Photo Editor/Keely Brewer
WRITING
Beauty Editor/Christine Thompson
Fashion Editor/Gabby Gervais
Lifestyle Editor/Jennafer Bowman
Entertainment Editor/Hannah Taylor
Food & Health Editor/Lindsey Wilkinson
Market Editor/Evan Edwards
DIGITAL
Digital Director/Ansley Segal
Social Media Editor/Kendall Frisbee
Online Editor/Brynna Mitchner
CONTRIBUTORS
Aran McDermott, Baylie Smithson, Dalton
Robinson, Brittany Pitts, Rebecca Martin,
Carson Redwine, Sarah Hartsell, Emie Garrett,
Kalei Burgess, Mackenna Carney, Sidney
Radford, Kaila Pouncy, Julia Service, Grace
Brindley, Darien Pitt, Cat Clinton, Ma’Kia
Moulton, Lucy Hanley, Jeffrey Kelly, Olivia
Carroll, Lauren Kostuke, Emily Safron, Marina
Naranjo, Annabelle Blomley, Lucy Barrow,
Emma Margaret Thompson, Caroline Yuk,
Sophia Surrett, Ta’Kyla Bates, Emily Benito,
Kaley Metz, Bentley Harden, Simone Shadd,
Amanda Bowring, Asheton McAllister, Emily
Gantt, Emma Britt, Evy Gallagher, Molly Glus,
Lauren Barnes, Lauren Khoury, Lauren Murray
MODELS
Shaquala Courtland, Christian Thomas,
Sydney Thomas, Jurnee Moore,
Madison Wimpye, Sidney Spencer,
Kenya Harris, Jen Bowman,
Preston Phillips, Ella Smyth,
Emily Benito, Rachel Truex
FACULTY
Editorial Advisor/Monique Fields
Advertising/Julie Salter
Director/Jessie Jones
[editorial staff]
COPYRIGHT
Editorial and Advertising offices for Alice Magazine are located at 414 Campus Drive East,
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. The mailing address is P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487.
Phone: (205) 348-7257. Alice is published by the Office of Student Media at The University
of Alabama. All content and design are produced by students in consultation with
professional staff advisers. All material contained herein, except advertising or where
indicated otherwise, is copyrighted © 2020 by Alice magazine. Material herein may not
be reprinted without the expressed, written permission of Alice magazine.
[7]

[8]

LIFESTYLE
OPINIONS
12
Mothers in College
76
In The Consideration of Empathy
16
18
The Pill, IUDs, & Rings, Oh My!
Staying Sane: The Importance of
Routines in the Times of COVID-19
78
80
What Mental Health Really Looks
Like
For The (Diet) Culture
20
24
Swipe Responsibly
Breaking the Stigma of the
Freshman 15
82
Cultural Appropriation Is Not
Couture
26
College Life in a COVID World
28
Toxic TikTok Trends
BEAUTY
ENTERTAINMENT
32
34
38
40
The Downlow on Rae Metabolism
Drops
Evolution of Black Hair
The Creator Union
Color Faded Brows
86
90
92
96
Now Showing in Theaters is Not
What’s Showing in the Writer’s
Room
Looking Back and Going Forward
From Words to Swords
Left Out: Women and POC at Award
Shows
FASHION
FOOD & HEALTH
44
Telfar: It’s not for you– it’s for
everyone
100
How Much Are Self Care Products
Really Effective?
48
52
54
56
Fast Fashion
Sustainability Goes Digital with
Depop
Fashion’s Copycat Catastrophe
Sew Much Time
102
104
107
Here’s to Cooking Up Something
Good: College Edition
Advertised Healthy Alternatives:
Real or Myth?
When Food Speaks to Culture
58
The Future of Fashion is Accessible
FEATURES
62
She’s in the Room Where It
Happens
66
The Politically Active Woman: Who
Is She?
70
Masks: This Year’s Unexpected
Must-Haves
72
It Matters: Trans Representation In
Fashion & Beauty
[9]

[lifestyle]
12
16
18
20
24
26
28
Mothers in College
The Pill, IUDs, & Rings, Oh My!
Staying Sane: The Importance of Routines
in the Times of COVID-19
Swipe Responsibly
Breaking the Stigma of the Freshman 15
College Life in a COVID World
Toxic TikTok Trends
[10]

Photographer/Alexis Blue//Model/Christian Thomas
[11]

TUDENT
OTHER
ONDER
[12]

LIFESTYLE
By Jennafer Bowman
Looking at the floating boxes on
a computer screen all day can
become exhausting. Having Zoom
fatigue from communicating with others
through a medium has been an added stress to
the average college student’s already crazy life.
After the professors sign off, most students can
return to Netflix in bed or roll over and take
their daily nap, but for some, little feet come
gathering by the students desk asking “Are you
done with your class Mom?”
An average of 1 in 5 undergraduate
students are parents, reports the Institute of
Women’s Policy Research. With COVID-19
restrictions, those little feet can’t attend regular
daycares or after school programs, instead
they’re stuck with their parent all day watching
them teach themselves organic chemistry,
which is not an easy task for anyone. When
going to college, the average person is taking
on a whole new responsibility including taking
care of themselves on their own for the first
time. But now they’ve added another human
to the equation. The idea of being a mother in
college seems so taboo even though there are
2.7 million mothers in college in the United
States, according to the Institute of Women’s
Policy Research. With a number so high, there
should be more easily accessible help centers
from mental health to child care.
[13]

[14]
Photographer/Alexis Blue//Model/Christian Thomas

With each
battle
COVID-19
has started,
including
classes being
online and
campus
resources shut
down entirely,
today’s
mothers in
college can
now add
Wonder
Woman to
their resumes.
[15]

LIFESTYLE
The Stigma
Around Birth
Control and
Why It’s Not
a Dirty Little
Secret
By Emie Garrett
[16]

The pill, IUDs, the ring, depo
shots, implants: with so many
forms of birth control floating
around, it can be confusing and anxietyinducing
trying to determine which option
is the best for you. It doesn’t help that birth
control is often a topic that is whispered
about, like it’s a dirty little secret that a
woman wants to take the reins of her own
reproductive and sexual health.
I’m ashamed to admit that at one
time, I was an ignorant 15-year-old,
the kind that gasped and automatically
slapped the label of “slut” onto my female
peers that made the decision for whatever
reason to use birth control. Thankfully, I
grew up and realized slut-shaming isn’t
cool. I also grew up and learned that using
birth control isn’t a taboo that needs to be
whispered about, but something that, as
the proud owner of a uterus and ovaries, I
should want to learn more about.
A common misconception
surrounding birth control is that women
use it because they are sex-crazed monsters
and don’t want to deal with the possible
consequences of all the wild sex they are
having and, maybe they are, to each their
own! But maybe they’re not.
There are countless reasons a
woman might choose to use birth control
that have nothing to do with sex. According
to Healthline, taking birth control can
help with regulating periods, reducing
hormonal acne and intense cramping,
managing endometriosis and even
reducing the risk of anemia. Long gone are
the days of shaming women for wanting
to take ownership of their sexuality and
sexual/reproductive health.
However, how can women take
ownership of their own bodies when
they are not being properly informed on
how said body operates and should be
protected?
“Don’t have sex, because you
will get pregnant and die.” – Coach
Carr, Mean Girls
Many of us experienced an awkward
sex education class that left us giggling
and red in the face, but did those one or
two classes arm us with the knowledge of
how our own bodies work, how to keep
them safe should we choose to have sex,
or how different forms of birth control
can impact us physically and emotionally?
Are sex education programs in schools, or
the lack thereof, setting young people up
to fail when it comes to safe sex and birth
control?
Research published by the U.S.
National Library of Medicine shows
that when sex education courses are
comprehensive, students feel more
informed, and are empowered with the
knowledge to make safer choices that
result in healthier outcomes. Only 29
states and the District of Columbia have
laws mandating sexual education courses
in schools.
According to Planned Parenthood,
only 15 states require that courses are
medically accurate, while a mere 18
states require educators to also provide
information about birth control. With
these statistics, it’s clear that too many
young people are not receiving the crucial
information they need and deserve.
Emily Dorst a sophomore at The
University of Alabama majoring in
nursing, shared her experience with sex ed
at her Alabama high school.
“It was a one-day thing, I think we
talked about drugs longer than we talked
about birth control or pregnancy,” she
said.
Unfortunately, this is a common
theme among sex education courses taught
in high schools across the country. More
often than not, these courses are an hourlong
run-down on the mechanics of sex and
how to use a condom. Other methods of
birth control pertinent to female students
are rarely discussed, if at all.
University of Alabama sophomores,
Darien Pitt, a public relations major from
Middleton, New York and Julia Ratynski,
a communicative disorders major from
Westtown, New York, said that when they
went through sex education in school, the
only forms of birth control mentioned,
aside from condoms, were the pill and a
form of birth control commonly known
as Depo-Provera, an injectable form of
hormonal contraceptive. There was no
mention of the many alternative forms
of birth control like IUDs, Nuvaring or
implants.
Another form of “birth control”
commonly taught in schools is Abstinence-
Only-Until-Marriage. This method is often
taught as the ultimate form of birth control
since there is absolutely zero chance
of unintended pregnancy or sexually
transmitted disease/infection if one
abstains from sex entirely. While it is true
that waiting to have sex is a fool-proof way
to avoid STDs and pregnancy, teaching
young people sex is bad or wrong until
marriage could cause life-long, negative
perceptions about sex, as well as depriving
people of possible life-saving information
about STD/STIs, as well as HIV. Research
has also shown that sex education
programs including lessons in abstinence,
as well as birth control, have been more
effective in helping young people wait to
have sex until they are truly ready.
“Real change, enduring change
happens one step at a time.” – Ruth
Bader Ginsburg
While sex education in the U.S. is not
up to parr, there are people advocating and
fighting for change. Late Supreme Court
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a huge
advocate for women’s reproductive rights.
She was a crucial vote on the current court
in the decision to keep Roe v. Wade, and
was an advocate for a woman’s right to
choose for decades. Ginsburg also pushed
for the protection of pregnant womens’
rights in the workplace.
One woman advocating for proper
sex education and empowering young
people with knowledge about their bodies
is Charlotte Petonic, Assistant Director of
Health Promotion and Wellness at The
University of Alabama. Petonic educates
on many topics regarding health and
wellness on UA’s campus, but her focus
is primarily on healthy relationships and
sexual health education.
Petonic found her passion for
educating people about sexual health
and wellness while studying for her
undergraduate and graduate degrees.
“In a lot of classes I was taking [in
college], I was seeing that in the U.S.,
compared to other countries, we have
really high rates of unintended pregnancies
and STDs among our young people,” she
said. “It’s all 100% preventable. We aren’t
having the necessary conversations with
the young people in our country to educate
them on how to protect themselves.”
More than anything, Petonic wants
young people to know how to protect
themselves if and when they choose to
have sex.
“Through education, we can
prevent sexually transmitted diseases and
unintended pregnancies, and I think if we
can, we should,” she said.
Birth control has long been
shrouded in stigma, but it’s time that
changed. Women who have fought for our
reproductive rights, like RBG, and women
who are still fighting to educate young
people about their bodies, like Petonic,
are not standing alone. We have a right to
be educated about our bodies and sexual
health. Stop the whispers. Birth control is
no longer a dirty little secret, it never was.
[17]

LIFESTYLE
STAYING SANE:
The Importance of Routines
in the Times of COVID-19
By Julia Service
[18]

In March, we watched as the country went into lockdown to
prevent the spread of COVID-19. Although the strictness
and timing of these stay-at-home orders varied from state
to state, it was no longer life as we knew it. In an effort to
normalize the situation, many people turned to routines for
comfort during this uncomfortable time.
Throughout late spring and into the summer, Emily
Perrin would wake up at 8 a.m. and do yoga to start her day. A
senior at the University of Michigan, Perrin broke up her time
by studying and working on homework by eating meals and
going for long walks. To end the day, she’d either watch TV or
FaceTime a friend.
“My routine really kept me sane,” Perrin said. “I’m a
person who always needs a plan, and since in quarantine I
couldn’t do much outside my house, my routine needed to be
simple yet grounded.”
Instead of falling into the trap of reading or watching
TV all day, she made an effort to go outside and get some
exercise, claiming how important that was for her mental
and physical health. Before quarantine, Perrin did yoga “off
and on,” but has since learned to set the time aside for herself
rather than not doing it at all.
“Also, quarantine gave me an excuse to get out of things
I didn’t want to do, and I honestly think that helped me realize
what I actually enjoy doing versus what I just make myself
do,” she said.
Although she still considers herself to be in quarantine
due to living at home since all of her classes are online
this semester, Perrin believes she will keep parts of her
routine,“Even when things eventually go back to some
semblance of normal,” she said.
Whereas Perrin kept to the same routine
throughout her quarantine months, Jenna Khan,
an Albion College senior double majoring
in history and Spanish with a
concentration in secondary
education, found hers to vary.
While she was still living at
school, Khan followed a pattern
of eating breakfast at a friend’s
apartment, working on online
school assignments and eating
family meals with select friends
so they could avoid the dining
halls.
“When I was following
the routine, life felt normal
and I didn’t really feel like I
was struggling much,” Khan
said. “Especially while I was
still at school and on top of
everything, quarantine wasn’t
too bad. I was generally happy
and not very stressed and
things were going great.”
For her first couple weeks back at home, Khan
developed a new routine that involved coffee in the morning,
designating the home office as her school spot where she’d
work until dinner and watching TV with her parents before
bed. However, she found it much harder to stay motivated
while being home.
“I started to sleep through classes or spend the whole
day watching TV in the living room rather than being
productive and working on school work in the office,” Khan
said. “This forced me to pull all-nighters to catch back up with
my schoolwork and to turn in big assignments on time. Not
gonna lie, I kind of became nocturnal after a while of this.”
Although her sleep schedule didn’t change once her
online classes ended in late April, she was significantly less
stressed without deadlines hanging over her head. But the
experience did leave Khan with a realization of how important
routines are.
“Sure, things were different and frustrating during
quarantine, but when I had a routine I stuck closely to, things
went a lot smoother,” she said. “It wasn’t really until I had lost
touch with my routine at home that I really started struggling
and stressing about quarantine, and that’s when it really
started taking a toll on me. Now in my post-quarantine life,
I’ve been very cognizant of staying on track with my routine
and making sure I don’t stray too far from it.”
It’s also okay to have a fluid routine if that’s what works
best. Allyson Lux, a junior at The University of Alabama, has
a daily routine that varies throughout the week depending
on the day. However, she does try to keep some aspects
consistent, like eating lunch at her sorority house and
going to bed at the same time every night.
If following a routine is a new concept, it’s
okay to start small. For example, making your
bed every morning is a low-commitment
activity that can be built up into a
more involved morning routine,
like adding in a workout video
once the bed is made or eating
breakfast.
According
to
Northwestern Medicine,
having a routine can lead
to some health benefits,
including better sleep and
lower stress levels. With the
future surrounding COVID-19
still unclear, managing mental
health is still as important as
ever. Having a routine can
provide something to look
forward to and give life some
sense of normalcy.
But that comfortable
routine was upended when Khan
was forced to move back home due
to Michigan’s stay-at-home order.
[19]

Are you lightning?
Because I wanna make you
McQueen. Ka-Chow!
SWIPE RESPONSIBLY
By Lindsey Wilkinson
A
s someone who recently got out of a long-term relationship, I
did the only thing a college-aged girl would do in this situation:
I downloaded dating apps. I, of course, downloaded apps like
Tinder and Bumble, but I also gravitated towards the less known like
Tastebuds and Nuit. With each app I downloaded, I found myself swiping,
liking, messaging and becoming more entrenched in dating app culture.
Overwhelmed by the responses and experience overall, I chose to share
my experience and lessons from each app I tried for entertainment and
informational value.
....
[20]

LIFESTYLE
My Tinder Experience
Tinder was the first app I downloaded. It sat idle on my
home screen for a few days before I created my account. I know a
lot of people who have utilized Tinder, but I had always imagined
that I would never need to meet people virtually. One of my friends
encouraged me by reminding me that I had nothing to lose.
Tinder Takeaway #1: Your profile is your identity on
the app. While it might sound obvious, it was so hard for me to pick
the pictures I wanted to use to portray myself. I could be the party
girl with pictures of me in my best going out outfits, or I could be
the laid-back girl with pictures featuring barely done makeup and
hair. I eventually landed on a mix of both.
The pictures chosen will tell a potential match a lot about
you, and in the same way, their profiles could entice you to swipe
right. For instance, when I see a guy’s profile and one of his pictures
is just of his truck, I know all I need to know. He probably revs his
engine at cute girls and drives in circles on the main street of his
home town. This isn’t my kind of guy, but if it is yours, then you
would be able to gather all of that from a single picture. Another
example of this would be mirror pictures. You can tell a lot about
a guy from the vintage records hanging on his wall or the dirty
underwear hiding in the corner. My favorite sequence starts with
a picture of the person solo, picture with friends, picture of some
sort of hobby or interest, and then ends on a goofy note like last
year’s halloween costume.
Tinder Takeaway #2: Be prepared for pickup lines.
In my first 48 hours on Tinder, I got some of the best and worst
messages of my life forever immortalized in screenshots. Some
messages made me lose faith in the male species, while others
made me laugh out loud. If I was ever feeling down, I could hop on
Tinder and get an instant confidence boost. My personal favorite
was “Are you lightning? Because I wanna make you McQueen. Kachow!”
You will probably get lots of funny lines like this one, but
you will also get some pretty suggestive ones as well. If anything
that is said makes you uncomfortable, you have the option to
unmatch with or report that person at any time.
Tinder Takeaway #3: There is an option to super like
a person, a button located at the bottom center of the screen right
above your home button. This is super important to know because
a screenshot can turn into your worst nightmare. Amidst my
swiping, I landed on a profile of a guy who was in one of my classes
spring semester. He also happened to be in my friend’s class, so I
was going to take a screenshot and send the profile to my friend.
While this was innocent in and of itself, my finger slipped and
instead of taking a screenshot, I super liked this guy. The only way
to undo this action would be to fork over money to Tinder and buy
their premium service, and I wasn’t going to do that. I eventually
got the notification that we matched, but by this point, someone
had super liked my profile and I learned that Tinder tells the other
person when you have super liked them. I hope I don’t have a class
with him next semester because I think at some point I will have to
tell him that no, I don’t super like you.
[21]

My Bumble Experience
My Tastebuds Experience
Bumble was the second app I downloaded. While having the
same general goal as Tinder, Bumble is quite different. Bumble is
known to be more about building relationships when compared to
Tinder, which is usually viewed as only being used for hookups.
Date, BFF and Bizz are the three modes of Bumble, made for
dating, to find friends and to network, respectively. Another cool
feature found on Bumble is travel mode. Travel mode can be used
to map out a trip and then find matches on the way.
Bumble Bust #1: If you swipe the wrong way, shake
your phone. Despite having the security of being able to reverse a
swipe, you only have three. Use those three reverses wisely because
it happens more than you would expect. Considering my situation
detailed in Tinder Takeaway #3, you know how important this
feature really is.
Bumble Bust #2: Use the question prompts with a
match. A big difference between Bumble and other apps is that
when a match occurs between people of opposite sexes, the female
has to make the first move. Bumble acknowledges the societal
norms by giving a cool way to make the first move. This is a concept
that seems simple, but after getting used to Tinder this caused some
anxiety. If you click on the quotation marks, a random prompt
or question will pop up. You can choose to send that prompt or
select another random prompt to use. The questions are really
good conversation starters, such as “What’s your most unpopular
opinion?” The answers can get personal, which facilitates stronger
relationships and connections.
Bumble Bust #3: It’s easier to keep up, which is
probably the biggest difference between Bumble and other apps.
Because the girl has to message the guy first, you will most likely
not message fifty guys in a day. However, on other apps, you will
probably receive so many messages that it is hard to respond to
everyone. If you swiped right and you weren’t super interested in
the guy, then you don’t have to have any contact with that person.
If you do not reach out to a match within 24 hours, the match
disappears and is reshuffled into the deck. I view this as a big plus
side to Bumble because you will probably get more out of a match
if there are only a handful. On the other hand, if you are looking for
a confidence booster, you will have more luck on Tinder because of
the high rate of messages that you will inevitably receive.
Tastebuds was the third app I downloaded and probably the
least known. Tastebuds is a really cool app that matches people
based on their music tastes. This app is probably the most out-ofthe-box
way to match people, and if you are a music junkie, it is the
perfect dating app for you.
Tastebuds Tactic #1: Scroll down on a potential
match. Tastebuds has specific questions that a person can answer,
and their answers with the questions will show up when you scroll
down. As simple as it sounds, there is no instruction to do this and
you can find out so much more about your potential match by their
answers. Some of the questions include: “If I had a million dollars
for a day I would,” “The song I would want at my funeral is” and
“My dream concert would be.”
Tastebuds Tactic #2: There are slim pickings. This
app has a significantly smaller community than other apps, which
can lead to potential matches being from parts of the country that
are farther away than would normally be expected. On the flip
side, this could also facilitate stronger bonds because the people
on Tastebuds truly value music. There is an option to scale down
your matching range just like any other dating app, but since there
are not a lot of people you might not find a person perfect enough
for you.
Tastebuds Tactic #3: Don’t download this if you don’t
know a lot about music. I consider myself to have a varied musical
repertoire, however I don’t know a lot about the technical side. I
could tell you about what Taylor Swift song is dedicated to which
of her exes, but I am not sure what tonality or riffs have to do with
anything. These are the kind of things that will eventually come
up in conversation on an app like Tastebuds, and it’s hard to fake
being a musical wiz. You don’t know what you don’t know, so keep
an open mind, but prepare yourself for a few lectures.
[22]

My Nuit Experience
Nuit is very different from typical dating apps because
it emphasizes birth charts. If you are a novice in the world of
astrology, this app makes it easy to understand. While there is a
similar concept of swiping based on a picture, once a user chooses
to match, a page will pop up displaying a compatibility chart.
The chart covers romance, business, magnetism and friendship
compatibility based on the two people’s signs. For you to have
the most accurate chart, you will need to know the time of your
birth to specify your rising and setting signs, and affect your chart
significantly.
There is a lot of information out there about what signs
work best together romantically. For example, Virgos are normally
analytical which can push them to be overly critical, this means
that they need nurturing companions like Gemini and Capricorn.
Libras are over-sharers and crave partnership, and they typically
go well with Aries and Taurus because of their abilities to achieve
balance and natural tendency to take care of others. Sagittarius is
intensely loyal and loves adventure which works well with Aries
and Cancer, even though Cancer leans towards nurturing and
Aries is more daring and dauntless. Aquarius has trouble letting
partners in due to trust issues so they tend to go well with loyal
signs like Gemini and Sagittarius.
The song I would want
at my funeral is...
There are a lot of dating apps out there from
GhostSingles to Ugly Schmucks. There are sites for
people dating with STDs like Herpes Fish, and sites
for people in relationships who want to do better
like Can Do Better where people vote on couples’
pictures (which I found disturbing). No matter which
app or apps you choose, the most important thing
about using any kind of dating app is being honest
about your intentions. If you and the person you are
messaging are open and honest, then there will be less
of a veil, hopefully, between you. Many people find it
hard to ask about intentions in fear of messing up or
losing a relationship, but truthfully the people it will
scare away aren’t the people for you anyway. There is
a match for you out there, so just keep swiping and
keep these tips and tricks in mind for a better overall
experience.
....
[23]

eaking the stigma around the
FRESHMAN 15
By Cat Clinton
Weight gain freshman year of
college is not always bad, however.
Sometimes it is a sign of growth.
[24]

LIFESTYLE
Photographer/Sarah Hartsell/Model/Rachel Truex
Self-perception can have
serious, long-term
effects on anybody,
and weight has a big part in
that. Treating others with
respect can be harder when
becoming accustomed to selfdeprecating
behavior. When
people hate themselves,
putting effort into eating
well and staying active is far
less likely, meaning once the
weight is gained, it is usually
harder to shake off. Going to
college and gaining weight is
normal, so common it even
has a name: the freshman 15.
Despite how normal it is
for both girls and guys to gain
weight their first time living
away from home, girls’ selfperception
tends to take the
more brutal blow. There are
some factors that contribute
to the freshman 15 that are
simply unavoidable. People
grow, mature and evolve for all
different kinds of reasons, and
these factors can be internal or
external, as is loving oneself
when going through a weight
gain or low period.
One reason for weight
gain that first year of college
is the lack of resources for
healthy home-cooked meals.
Without an oven or stovetop
in one’s dorm, taking the time
to prepare dishes that aren’t
from a cardboard box can be
difficult, especially when some
students are accustomed to
their parents preparing meals.
“I lived in Tutwiler, so
most of my meals were made in
a microwave. I also had Dining
Dollars [a form of currency at
The University of Alabama],
and Julia’s Marketplace was
only an elevator ride away,”
Lydia Jackson, a sophomore
at The University of Alabama
majoring in interior design,
said.
The price of healthy
food can also contribute to the
freshman 15. Many students
don’t have the money to buy
fresh and healthy ingredients
for homemade meals but
they also don’t want to spend
the money going to a nice or
healthy restaurant, Students
then end up settling for
something quick and cheap
like fast food, and with newlyindependent
students still
learning how to manage a
budget, cheap food is ideal.
“If I did want to eat
healthy, I would have to go off
campus to a restaurant, and
that’s expensive.” Christine
Hannigan, a sophomore at
The University of Alabama
majoring in nursing, said.
The options closest to
campus are often what college
freshmen are likely to choose.
When learning how to balance
a course load and a social life,
quicker is better. This means
sit down dining will always be
trumped by a drive-through
option.
“I feel like the closest
and quickest options to my
university are all unhealthy,”
Avery Parks, a sophomore at
the University of Mississippi
majoring in political science,
said. “Some of my friends
don’t even have cars, making
the option of leaving campus
completely unavailable.”
If the lack of money,
time and resources are not
enough to have freshmen
gaining weight, the mental
factors of freshman year, such
as stress and uncertainty,
should be taken into account.
Insecurities tend to be at an
all-time high freshman year
of college, as people adapt
to the new environment
around them. The way we
see ourselves has a direct
correlation between how we
treat others, and how we treat
our bodies. The loss of the
consistent companionship
from highschool leads students
to find comfort in eating.
Living in a tiny dorm room
without friends can result
in a boredom often cured by
eating, and when sad, a bowl
of ice cream will always sound
better than an apple.
Weight gain freshman
year of college is not always
bad, however. Sometimes it is
a sign of growth. Some girls
get the curves they’ve been
waiting for and finally fill out
the way they’d like.
“It wasn’t even that my
eating changed so much, I
really just filled out,” Kamryn
Harley, a sophomore studying
communications at The
University of Alabama, said.
“It was mostly in my legs and
butt, so my tops still fit, but I
had to get all new pants.”
It is much easier said
than done to love yourself
after a notable weight gain,
but remembering that it
happens to everyone is
important. Nobody is handling
the struggles of freshman year
alone, so talking to friends or
a professional can be helpful
first steps and a great way to
feel less isolated. Activities like
scheduling when you go to the
gym, joining a club, getting a
job or paying attention to when
you eat out of boredom rather
than hunger can have huge
payoffs as well. Freshman year
will pass and the weight of it
will too.
[25]

LIFESTYLE
COLLEGE LIFE IN
A COVID WORLD
By Grace Brindley
[26]
To freshmen, COVID-19 defines college,
but to upperclassmen, it defies it.

COVID-19 is a normalized word in
2020. A year ago, having Corona
meant drinking beer, but now,
the rebranded term appears in
almost every news article related to a virus
rather than a beverage. People use it as a
buzzword too. I can’t because of COVID.
Before COVID we used to eat out at
restaurants, buy clothes in malls, and hug
friends on whim.
We are experiencing this traumatic,
life-altering experience together, as we
mourn the normalcy of the past and the
loss of the future. COVID-19, however,
is not an equally shared experience.
People from all walks of life underwent a
global pandemic. From newborns to the
elderly, when we say COVID-19, it means
something unique to each individual.
Even the young and healthy, such
as college students, suffer COVID’s wrath.
The global pandemic shapes the life of
every college student, from freshman
to senior.
Sorority recruitment, like many
other fall freshman activities, is traditional
and universal in nature. Whether a woman
is initiated into her sorority as part of
Pledge Class ‘55 or ‘95 early on in her
college career, she wore a dress to a party
in person.
People older than me
couldn’t believe or imagine
that I was going through
virtual sorority recruitment.
Pledge Class ‘20 doesn’t share
that same right of passage. People older
than me couldn’t believe or imagine
that I was going through virtual sorority
recruitment. The most thrilling story
from virtual sorority recruitment would
be our Macbook dying mid-round. Albeit
less newsworthy, the process spared me
little sleep.
Rushing at the university with the
largest Greek life presence in the nation is
already cutthroat, political and grueling.
A machine of 24 sororities filters through
over 2,000 women based on connections,
public image and legacy status, among
other things. The additional disconnect
of virtual recruitment didn’t alleviate
any pressure. Many girls I talked with
during rush expressed concerns about
“truly getting to know” a house when
they couldn’t speak with more than a few
sorority representatives over a Zoom call.
Outside of Greek life, COVID-19
dismantled many other social activities.
For University of Alabama
freshman Madison Ratliff,
these included “joining the
Kayaking Club and meeting
new people,” as well as
service organizations like
Habitat for Humanity.
“Serving’s something
I’m very passionate about,
but COVID makes it impossible,” she said.
Ratliff points out that COVID-19 is
not merely debilitating for the individual
student, but for their greater college town
community as well.
Coming to UA or any other school,
freshmen look for ways to connect and
contribute to their new college. COVID-19,
however, complicates this effort, both on
a philanthropic and social level. Social
distancing negates socializing, and while
upperclassmen may already know their
core friend group, freshmen are often
still in the process of finding their people.
The effect is isolating and somewhat
dispiriting, bringing into question the
potential connections and memories we
are missing.
Not all hope is lost. Many colleges,
such as The University of Alabama,
allowed students to return to campus
and participate in social activities with
social distancing and limited capacity
guidelines. There’s even talk of missed fall
events becoming possible again during
the spring semester. Still, this pandemic
will always characterize the class of 2020,
transforming both our senior spring of
high school and freshman fall of college.
COVID-19’s impact extends
beyond the freshman class. Katie Kehl,
a sophomore at The University of Alabama,
described how COVID not only impairs
college students socially but academically
as well.
“COVID has affected my grades not
numerically, but emotionally,” Kehl said.
“I have to put a lot more time in studying
because I don’t just go everywhere I want
now.”
Kehl also talked about the study
areas across campus closing and the
debilitating effect of school, work, and
home all colliding into one space.
“COVID’s affected every aspect of
life,” she said.
As a nursing student, Kehl is
enrolled in academically rigorous classes,
which require extensive after-class work.
Similarly, Jacob Christner, a
senior civil engineering major at Auburn
University, understands the demands of
a STEM student. Speaking on both the
social and
academic
effects of
COVID- 19, Christner
discussed how the two
intertwine and how
even an established
upperclassman can struggle.
“It’s hard being in classes online
because I can’t interact and study with
people I’ve grown to become friends with
over the past few years,” he said. “It’s also
difficult adjusting to a new learning style
after getting into a rhythm of regular
classes in my first two years.”
While upperclassmen may not need
to find connections to their school in the
same way freshmen do, COVID-19 still
separates them from their set communities,
and the result is just as isolating. In fact,
the post-COVID world might be more
difficult to deal with. Upperclassmen
realize what they’re missing but first-year
college students don’t know anything
other than their first-year reality, a
campus with masked students standing six
feet apart. They cannot feel deep nostalgia
for a university they do not know. To
freshmen, COVID-19 defines college, but
to upperclassmen, it defies it.
Bentley Harden, a senior at The
University of Alabama, majoring in creative
advertising with a minor in photography,
accepts the abnormality of her senior year
in the context of COVID-19.
“It sucks I don’t get to do all of this
stuff (campus activities), but people are
dying,” Harden said.
In the grand scheme of things, the
sacrifice of a traditional senior spring or
a freshman fall fades when compared
with actual loss. COVID-19 forces us to
consider people outside of ourselves,
people we hope to protect when we put
on a mask every day. Although we can
differentiate between the experiences of
each classification, it’s also important to
acknowledge the similarities too. While
each person’s experience is unique, we
endure this global pandemic together.
[27]

Toxic TikTok Trends
By Sidney Rapford
Looking for a quick and unhealthy
way to lose weight? Look no
further! TikTok and YouTube
allow untrained professionals to promote
toxic weight-loss diets! TikTok, a rising
social media outlet created in 2016, gained
extreme popularity over the past couple
of months during the quarantine. As
their popularity grew, new trends became
available. From fun dances to funny videos,
TikTok has it all. Like any other popular
social media outlet, with great popularity
comes toxic trends. These toxic unhealthy
trends promote dangerous eating habits
that can result in eating disorders or other
health conditions. What does TikTok do
to stop this? They do exactly as YouTube
does, they promote what’s popular no
matter what.
From trends like, “What I eat in
a day” and “Military Diet Challenge,”
influencers are encouraging viewers to eat
[28]
an unhealthy low amount of calories a day
to be as skinny as they are.
“The most unhealthy Tik Tok trend I
see is ‘What I eat in a day to lose weight’
where teenage girls are promoting eating
anywhere from 500-1000 calories while
burning hundreds of calories exercising,
this promotes disordered eating behaviors
and makes people think that these are
healthy and normal ways to go about
weight loss,” Sabrina Rodriguez Ortiz,
a pre-med junior at The University of
Alabama, said.
People watch videos to be inspired,
influencers promoting these unhealthy
habits and trends contribute to our
unhealthy society.
With “41% of users are between
the age of 16 and 24”, according to
the Omnicore website, there is a large
number of young impressionable viewers
on TikTok. A popular trend, healthy or
unhealthy, can seem like a good idea with
the right amount of influence.
“I’m twenty and I’m still guilty of
seeing edited pics and wanting to look
like that, so I can’t imagine the impact it
could have on younger people who think
it’s real,” Ortiz said.
For these viewers, it is easier for
them to absorb the toxic information
thrown at them on these social media
outlets. Younger generations should not
be encouraged to treat their body in such
a way. Because these trends are being
promoted, they seem like a good idea but
are 100% not.
“I think this is an issue that isn’t talked
about enough, TikTok has been under
fire before for censoring certain videos,
sometimes they even take down videos
of bikini body-positive TikTokers who
are on the larger side, but leave up those
who are thin. For example, some of Lizzo’s
videos where she is in a bathing suit have
been taken down. It has supposedly been

LIFESTYLE
TOXIC
TIKTOK
TRENDS
By Sidney Radford
restored, but the action has been noted by
all.
“You’d think if they can pick and
choose what they censor they’d be more
active about censoring these actually
harmful videos,” Ortiz said.
Instead of promoting body
positivity, TikTok is using their platform
to shame users who do not fit the idealized
body norms. Influencers are supposed
to set an example to better shape future
generations, actions like this promote
more body negativity. Seeing as their users
are on the younger side, you would think
they would want to plant a seed of body
positivity. But sadly, body positivity is not
a popular trend. Putting others down, on
the other hand, is.
Leanna Salmanson, a junior at The
University of Alabama studying Public
Relations, gave her thoughts about these
dangerous trends.
“This can encourage eating disorders
early on in someone’s life. Our generation
already has many mental health problems
such as anxiety and depression, we don’t
need to add eating disorders to the list,”
Salmanson said.
Having trends that promote a
poisonous diet to achieve a specific body
type, does not help the problem. Every
body type is unique and beautiful. Not
everybody can physically look a certain
way. We are not all built the same, so why
are we encouraged to look the same?
“The unhealthy trends seen on
YouTube and TikTok promote the image
of girls who are severely underweight as
the norm,” Paige Davis, a senior at The
University of Alabama studying Public
Relations with a specialization in technical
and digital management, said.
Instead of promoting body positivity
and teaching people to love the uniqueness
of themselves, these trends persuade
people to do the opposite. We are not all
perfect. We all have our imperfections. It’s
not about learning how to fix them, but
learning how to love them. Trends should
be things that better help people, not put
them down. Mental health is not something
to be messed with. Body negativity trends
seen on TikTok and YouTube can impact a
person’s mental state in a bad way.
“When young audiences see these
posts and see very attractive and slim
individuals encouraging these behaviors it
can have a really negative impact on selfesteem,
self-worth and in turn make the
viewer fall into these unhealthy habits...”
Ortiz said.
People, especially younger, will
do anything their role model tells them
to. Instead of promoting unhealthy
relationships with food, platforms like
TikTok and YouTube should encourage
their influencers to promote body
positivity. All bodies are beautiful, let’s
cancel toxic trends!
[29]

[ b e a u t y ]
32
34
38
40
The Downlow on Rae Metabolism Drops
Evolution of Black Hair
The Creator Union
Color Faded Brows
[30]

Photographer/Keely Brewer/Model/Shadae Broussard
[31]

The Downlow on
Rae Metabolism
Drops
By Darien Pitt
Readers may be aware of one
of TikTok’s biggest hits: Rae
Wellness Beauty Ingestible
Drops. Promoting strong skin, lasting
nails and growing hair, these little droplets
are meant to boost your metabolism in
addition to advancing weight loss. Sold at
stores including Target, Urban Outfitters
and Anthropologie, the product retailed
at $14.99 and became such a viral hit that
it was sold out on the shelves for weeks.
Put one drop in any beverage (hot or cold)
or just take the drops by itself and they
guarantee you will lose weight. Sounds
great, however, is it safe?
These unflavored drops became
a craze in February 2020 on the app
TikTok, where millions of creators would
track their progress using the product and
#weightloss hashtag as it was supposed to
suppress appetites. The drops combined
three simple main ingredients including
Raspberry Ketones, Taurine and Caffeine.
Nutritionist Kelly Davidson elaborated
on each of these ingredients during her
review of the smash product.
“Raspberry ketones have been
widely debunked as a way to increase
metabolism, taurine is an amino acid you
can find in food and just plays a role in
metabolism but doesn’t actually increase
metabolism, caffeine just might work,”
Davidson said.
[32]
Even though each of these
ingredients are deemed gluten-free, vegan
and non-GMO it appears that the drops
aren’t as good as they seem. The point of
it all is to increase metabolism, however,
“There’s no cure to increase metabolism,
the best way to increase metabolism is to
gain muscle mass,” Davidson said.
This, however, didn’t seem to stop
eager teens from buying into the let’s get
skinny trend.
It is easy for social media to market
products to their publics. TikTok is home
to many weight-loss trends that influence
young teens to try harmful activities.
As soon as you see one video, you are
instantly hooked, adding an easy way to

BEAUTY
lose weight and it seems as if there is no
stopping consumers. Metabolism drops
can be managed in different ways and
the ingredients can be harmful if not
previously tested by the Food And Drug
Administration (FDA). There are multiple
mental and physical health risks that can
especially harm youth.
Videos surfaced of young creators on
TikTok testing out the product to see if it
worked and if they would lose weight. The
60-second video would be a compilation
of the individuals recording themselves
taking the drops each day. They would
then reveal the results over the course
of days or weeks through another video
for the public to see. After many of these
videos with thousands of views surfaced
in late February, Rae Wellness removed
their products from online and became
unavailable in stores. The company faced
difficulties when they feared teenage
girls were misusing the product and
recommended the product be used by
adult women 18 and older.
“Yes, I did try it,” Riley Mullgardt,
a high school senior, said. “I didn’t dislike
it, but I definitely didn’t like them either.
They kind of tasted funny and had a weird
liquid texture.”
She had tried the drops previously
however, realized it wasn’t doing much for
her body.
“I had heard mixed reviews so I was
a little hesitant to try them,” she said. “I
was expecting it to suppress my appetite,
but I didn’t notice any difference. I don’t
think it helped at all either, honestly. After
a while, I just stopped taking it because it
wasn’t doing anything.”
Much like Mullgardt, many other
individuals were experiencing the same
problems. They stopped taking the drops
after a certain period of time due to them
being useless.
“Then it came out that they were
being recalled, so I just threw it out,” she
said.
None of Rae Wellness products
have been approved by the FDA making
the product a huge possibility for body
damage. Rae Wellness however stated
that the product is safe and was effective
to use. Their main concerns for removing
the product was stemming from the young
population using the product in excessive
amounts.
“They tasted funky and to be honest,
I don’t think they did anything for me,”
Grace Carson, a junior studying public
relations at The University of Alabama,
said. “On the plus side of things, the
packaging was very cute and the color
scheme caught my eyes.”
This seemed to happen to many
individuals as the look of Rae’s vibrant
packaging would catch their attention
from seeing it on an app.
“It was a little pricey in my
opinion for having no results, but overall
marketing and branding wise, I think it
was very thought out, just the execution of
the physical product was not all there,” she
said.
They would then try out the product,
realize no results and hear about its recall.
Proceeding all consumers to stop using
the product, leaving it untouched or in the
garbage.
“I stopped using them because I
heard they were getting recalled for one of
the ingredients in it and I have not touched
it since,” Carson said.
There are more affordable and safer
options to boost metabolism and lose
weight. Just because a product is viral on
a social media platform does not mean it
needs to be purchased. Rae Wellness is
promoting that losing weight is a route to
a healthy body image. This is a path that
should not be taken by young individuals,
if you want to benefit your health perhaps
think of different alternatives.
[33]

EVOLUTION OF BLACK HAIR
By Ma’Kia Moulton
Photographer/Alexis Blue/Models/Madison Wimpye, Sidney Spencer
[34]

BEAUTY
In 2013, Tracee Ellis Ross, a Black
actress, tweeted her view on
Black beauty,
“I love my hair because it’s a
reflection of my soul,” Ross stated. “It’s
dense, it’s kinky, it’s textured, it’s difficult,
it’s easy and it’s fun. That’s why I love my
hair.”
Today, there has been an increase
in appreciation of Black beauty compared
to other decades. Many Black women are
embracing the natural look and hair trends
from previous generations are making a
comeback. Further, many Black-owned
hair care lines are becoming popular
among non-Black populations.
Unbeknownst to many, there is a rich
and significant history to Black hairstyles
influenced by religion and slavery. The
Yoruba people of West Africa needed to
keep their hair braided in specific styles as
a component of their religion. The head is
the most northern body part and is seen
as the part of the body nearest to the sky.
Subsequently, the Yoruba believed that
communication from the gods and spirits
would go through their hair. Additionally,
the popular cornrows hairstyle was
used by enslaved people as a way to pay
homage to their African roots. Enslaved
individuals designed cornrows in different
ways to create maps to escape plantations
at night so they wouldn’t get caught by
slave owners or overseers.
During the 1700s, European
textured hair was the standard and African
hair textures were ignored. During this
time, hot combs, also known as pressing
combs, were created by the French and
brought over to the United States. Many
Black people still use hot combs today. The
combs are heated on stoves and gas heaters
and are used to temporarily straighten the
roots of Black hair. The invention of the
hot comb was a turning point that sparked
Black success in the beauty industry in
America.
Madam C.J. Walker, a Black
entrepreneur, revolutionized the press
and curl style by developing the first line
of hair care products specifically for Black
hair textures in the late 1800s and early
1900s. Following her success, Walker was
recorded as the first female in America
to become a self-made millionaire in The
Guinness Book of World Records.
Garrett A. Morgan, a Black sewing
machine repairman from Kentucky,
created a relaxer from a solution used to
reduce needle friction on wool. Morgan
then created the GA Morgan hair refining
company which created the first chemical
relaxer. In later years, the relaxer would
become a cultural phenomenon in the
Black community.
During the 20th century, Black hair
trends evolved significantly. From the
1920s to mid 30s in New York, The Harlem
Renaissance took the Black hair world by
storm. During the Renaissance, common
hairstyles included the pixie cut worn by
entertainer Josephine Baker, short cut
bobs sported by actress Ethel Moses and
braids, ponytails and updos worn by the
famous singer Billie Holiday.
[35]

The 1960s Motown culture brought
relaxers (perms) along with wigs and
Bantu knots. During the 70s, the perfectly
round Afro rose to prominence with the
emergence of The Jackson 5, actress Pam
Grier, and many others. Jheri Curls also
became popular among Black men. The
popular hairstyles of the 80s were braided
styles and finger waves along with curly
perms. In the 90s, short hairstyles became
popular due to artists and actresses like
Missy Elliott, Mary J. Blige, Nia Long and
Jada Pinkett Smith. Box braids and Bantu
knots were also quite popular but were
seen as unprofessional.
Lastly, in the early 2000s, many
women sported half up half down styles.
In the late 2010s, natural hair styles and
frontal lace wigs became popular. New
styles like faux locks, Goddess braids,
Butterfly ponytails and distressed locks
are now taking over the hair world.
Anita Latson, a Miami Beautician
of 10 years has styled plenty of Black hair.
At the age of 16, Latson began working at
her mother’s hair salon. She started out
braiding hair in the neighborhood and
then enrolled in cosmetology school as a
high school junior. Latson specializes in
hair coloring and hair care for clients with
breakage, heat damage and other hair
issues. Latson claims that when she began
doing hair in the 90s, popular hairstyles
included crimps, up do’s and finger waves.
For optimal hair growth and
moisture, Latson recommends Cream of
Nature and Bronner Brothers, along with
Motions and Lottabody.
Suzzette Moulton, a Miami native,
and hairstylist who was around the
prominent Black hairstyles in the 70s.
Moulton was known for her vivacious
afro and didn’t hesitate to share her
maintenance tips. To maintain her Afro
she used eggs or mayonnaise.
When using eggs as a conditioner,
it makes the texture of your hair soft and
curly. However, you have to wash it at
least four or five times to get rid of the egg
scent. After washing your hair thoroughly,
the eggs or mayonnaise give the curls a
beautiful gloss.
It is important to bring awareness
to Black hair and Black products because
it allows Black women and girls to see
the beauty of their hair. We can inspire
and educate this generation of women
by teaching Black beauty history,
featuring Black owned beauty brands and
highlighting Black hair care products.
[36]

[37]

The Creator Union
By Lucy Hanley
The past two years have marked
the true boom of social media influencer
marketing as the practice has proved to be
wildly lucrative for brands and individual
creators alike. Influencer marketing
involves the cooperation between brands
and influencers that allows the brand to
gain exposure to the creator’s audience.
This is usually done through posts
and content published by the creator that
endorse the company they’re partnered
with, thus, introducing the brand to the
influencer’s community.
[38]

BEAUTY
Unbeknown to most, the incredible
success of influencer marketing is
deceptively complex.
Traditional marketing mediums are
usually more expensive than influencer
marketing. This makes influencer
marketing more appealing, as companies
are able to bypass the high prices for
advertisements on big name platforms
such as Instagram and Snapchat, and
sometimes Twitter or Facebook. The subtle
endorsements of social media influencers
are also engaging to consumers. Sponsored
content can come in a variety of different
forms and might not even look like an
advertisement at first, which is crucial to
the success of the strategy.
A 2013 study conducted by
ADOTAS, a news publication that focuses
on the internet advertising and media
industry, found that the average consumer
ignores about 86% of online ads. As
consumers, we are constantly inundated
with advertisements that we’ve come to
automatically ignore the majority of them.
However, the same study found
that 74% of consumers use social media
as a place to discover products and make
future purchasing decisions. Despite the
distrust that consumers have developed
towards traditional marketing, their trust
in social media has yet to dwindle. This
fact is crucial to the success of influencer
marketing.
Creators also manage to post a
plethora of sponsored content that remains
subtle to consumers, as they actively
work to preserve their content quality.
Essentially, influencers work to prevent
their content from being bogged down by
too many sponsored posts, because the
alternative is a mistake might lead many
followers to disengage with, distrust and
perhaps even unfollow them.
Often, creators will continue
to produce original content despite
ongoing partnerships or sponsorships
from brands. This way, consumers may
recognize the sponsored content, but do
not feel so overwhelmed that they question
the creator’s motives. The practice of
preserving a creator’s content can also be
beneficial to their partners, as it provides
the company authentic PR momentum.
In recent years, the influencer
community has been in great need of
an organization that represents their
collective interests. Because the influencer
marketing industry grew so quickly, it
was successful enough to grow despite the
lack of proper legislation and regulations
needed to protect content creators. Thus,
in June of 2020, The Creator Union (TCU)
was launched in the United Kingdom with
the mission to properly represent creators
and assure that they are treated fairly in all
aspects of their work.
TCU seeks to serve as a labor
union for creators and influencers, and
address issues such as pay disparities
between creators, exploitation of smaller
influencers, employer harassment and
more. Due to the infancy of the influencer
marketing industry, many influencers are
in their late teens to late twenties and are
unfamiliar with their rights. TCU plans
to target discrimination by educating
creators on what they deserve and how
they deserve to be treated.
Upon their initial success, many
creators felt as though they should have
just been grateful to be involved at all, as
any participation in the industry would
ultimately grant them bigger opportunities
later. This humility, however, left many
creators far too scared of jeopardizing such
an opportunity that they remained silent
when it came to fighting for appropriate
compensation.
Nicole Ocran, a Black, plus-sized
blogger and co-founder of TCU, discussed
with Vogue Business her personal
experiences with discrimination as an
influencer. Most notably, Ocran describes
being invited on a press trip, only to later
learn that she was being paid significantly
less to attend than the other influencers.
After speaking with other influencers in the
community, Ocran discovered that similar
instances of discrimination were not
uncommon among minority influencers.
Another main issue targeted by
TCU, is a lack of contractual transparency
between creators and employers,
resulting in exploitation. It is not
uncommon for influencers to work with
a brand without a contract, leaving no
opportunity for negotiation. Additionally,
there are instances where a creator’s
content is used without permission or
compensation both online and in print.
Many influencers have conveyed
their frustrations battling companies’
use of their copyrighted content. Their
constant fight for recognition over their
own original content is exhausting,
discouraging and belittling. TCU also
promises to provide creators with legal
advice concerning contracts, support in
chasing late payments from sponsors,
contract templates, pricing advice and
any other guidance needed during
negotiations.
Ultimately, TCU will serve as
an informational hub available to any
influencer in the union, and support
system for creators who need support
and advocacy. Hopefully, The Creator
Union is the first step towards equity for
hardworking, but marginalized creators
that are too often exploited.
[39]

By Baylie Smithson
Beauty trends come
and go with the
times. Of course, all aspects of
the face play a role in making
a makeup look, but the real
definer of the face is the brows.
Brows are one of, if not, the
most important defining
factors of a makeup look.
By looking at a
photograph of someone
wearing makeup, you can
immediately tell the decade the
photo was taken in, by the look
of that person’s brows: Skinny
90s brows, supermodel 80s
brows or arched 50s brows,
Sharpie brows from 2016, the
list goes on. Some are declaring
color faded brows or colored
ombre brows as the newest
brow trend. Especially when
masks cover half of our faces,
creating eye-catching looks for
the brows and eyes is ideal. At
first, color faded brows may
sound like a tacky costume
look, but rest assured, anyone
can achieve these brows and
look super fun and trendy.
[40]
Here’s how to get the look:
Prep the eyebrows to
ensure the products glide
on smoothly.
The brows can be filled
in before or after a foundation
routine, just be sure to get rid of
any excess foundation or face
powder buildup in or around
the brows. If you neglect this
step, the buildup might mix
with the brow product and
create a thick, cakey texture.
Many cosmetic
companies sell brow primers
or brow conditioning products
that can help brow products
glide on smoothly and evenly
for those with thicker brows.
But brow primers aren’t
always necessary – if yours
are cleaned of product buildup
and skincare residue, they’re
ready for application.
Photographer/Keely Brewer/Model/Shadae Broussard

2Grab a colorful gel Once
pomade in your desired
color
Numerous cosmetic
brands make colorful gel
eyeliners, crème eyeshadows
and brow pomades in a wide
range of colors. Choose one
that has a nice slip to it so that
it goes on smoothly, but isn’t
too oily where it smears. For
this look, you want the product
to dry quickly and set in place.
3Apply the colored
brow product
For this step, you’ll need
an angled eyebrow brush and
an eyebrow spoolie. Use the
spoolie to brush the eyebrow
hairs upwards to reveal the
natural shape to the underside
of the brow.
Lightly glide the angled
brush on top of the pomade
product to ensure there isn’t
too much product loaded onto
the brush (Pro tip: you can
always add if there’s too little,
but it’s much harder to take off
when there’s too much.)
Pomades are usually
thick and pigmented, so no
need to dig your brush to get
maximum product pay-off.
Flip the angled brush on its
side, and begin to shape the
front of the brow by following
its natural line and shape.
Make sure to only do a section
at a time, stopping at one-third
of the way into the brow.
Blend the line by using
the angled brush with no extra
product on it, to feather the
product upwards.
Grab some more colorful
product and build the front of
the brow turning the angled
brush slightly, so that the
angle is perfect to create hairlike
strokes. Use light strokes
going from bottom to top to
shape the brow. Continue to
brush the hairs upwards with
the spoolie to blend. Repeat
as necessary to build color and
depth.
4you have reached your
desired color and look, wipe
the brush clean of excess
product with a washcloth.
Use the clean brush to fade
the color towards the middle
of the brow. This begins our
transition between the colored
product and the natural brow
color that will be added onto
the end of the brow.
To create the color-fade,
grab your normal, naturalcolored
brow product to use
on the end of the brow.
In order to achieve the
color-fade effect (ombré), grab
your normal brow product
that is most similar to your
natural brow color. Powders
and pencils can be used, but
the best effect will come from
gels or pomades that have the
same texture as the colorful gel
formula.
Completely clean your
angled brush of any remaining
pigment.
Repeat the same steps
as the colorful gel application,
except starting with the “tail”
of the brow. Brush the hairs
upwards, and use the spoolie to
lay the flyaways to fit the shape
of the tail. Fill in the end of the
brow, defining and shaping the
arch and “tail.” Then, lightly
blend/fade the neutral color
into the middle of the brow to
meet the colorful pigment to
5
achieve the color-fade effect.
Finish by brushing
through and setting with brow
mascara.
After both shades—
colorful and natural—have
been applied and blended,
and the brows are shaped
and defined, you’re ready to
show off your trendy brows on
Instagram and everywhere you
can stand it! Give each brow a
quick brush through with the
spoolie, and finish off with
some clear brow gel to make
sure your brows last all day.
BEAUTY
[41]

[ f a s h i o n ]
44
48
52
54
56
58
Telfar: It’s not for you– it’s for everyone
Fast Fashion
Sustainability Goes Digital with Depop
Fashion’s Copycat Catastrophe
Sew Much Time
The Future of Fashion is Accessible
[42]

Photographer/Rebecca Martin/Model/Ella Smyth
[43]

FASHION
[44]

TELFAR:
it’s not for you– it’s for everyone
By Ma’Kia Moulton
The COVID-19 pandemic has
altered the way everyday
life functions. According
to Harper’s Bazaar, many business
industries, specifically fashion and retail,
have suffered tremendously with sales
going down 50%. Some fashion brands
are even filing for bankruptcy. However,
that is not the case for Telfar. Telfar is a
unisex, internationally sold line created in
2005 by Telfar Clemens. He is well known
for his “Bushwick Birkin” bag, nicknamed
because of the high demand it has like the
Birkin bag. The difference is that Telfar is
more affordable and easily attainable.
“I love the fact that Telfar caters
to both men and women who want to
be stylish at an affordable price,” Kierra
Green, a fashion major at The University
of Alabama, said.
Telfar’s vegan leather shopping
bags are made with genderless labels
and sold for less than $300. They have
become status symbols for many fashion
influencers on social media, which has
helped the brand receive its popularity on
different platforms. The brand’s latest bag
drop sold over 1000 units in just 12 hours.
Many people anticipated the restock of the
Telfar handbag, but only so many people
were able to order them on the restock
date. That’s why the brand introduced
what is called the “bag security program”,
a 24-hour window that allows anyone,
anywhere to preorder the accessory in their
desired size and color. They pay upfront
which guarantees that the bags will be
delivered sometime between December
2020 and January 2021.
[45]
Photographer/Alexis Blue//Model/Sydney Thomas

Clemens is a fashion designer born
in Queens, New York. He lived in Liberia
for part of his childhood before moving
back to New York. Here he began to pursue
a career in modeling. He also owned
boutiques in the lower East Side and
SoHo where he created his own collection
of vintage clothing. Clemens then
launched his fashion brand Telfar. The
brand incorporates unisex designs with
principles of comfortable sportswear and
simplicity. In 2014, Clemens introduced
the bag at the Autumn/Winter New
York Fashion Week runway show. In an
interview with Dazed, Clemens said that
the inspiration behind the bag was to be
like Michael Kors, but on purpose. In one
of his most famous projects he redesigned
White Castle’s uniforms and released a
capsule collection featuring the restaurant,
based off of New York City neighborhoods.
Additionally, he won the CFDA/Vogue
Fashion Fund for diversity and inclusion,
where he was awarded $400,000. With
this money, he rebranded his collection
and the company generated more than $2
million in revenue.
Clemens spoke to The Business of
Fashion about why the brand operates the
way it does by stating how the motivation
of being a Black-owned and non gendered
fashion company is not about hype and
scarcity. The purpose of the bag is to be
easily attainable. Additionally, he spoke on
how the brand plans their production six
months in advance because Telfar is 100%
self-financed. Clemens built his business
based on removing walls instead of
building them. Holding true to the brand
motto, “It’s not for you, it’s for everyone,”
Telfar casts a very diverse group of models
for their advertisements.
Telfar is a unisex fashion brand in
which its collections intend to rethink
and remix universal basic garments Xaio
Michelle Tong, fashion professor at The
University of Alabama, said. Even though
the brand is created by a Black designer, we
are still underrepresented in the fashion
industry. Celebrities like Solange, Tinashe,
ASAP Ferg and many others wear Clemens’
designs. Memes on social media accounts
about the release of the bag continues to
make the brand popular. Clemens was set
to be a part of multiple events in 2020, but
because of the pandemic, everything is at
a standstill.
Telfar is unique in many ways the
quality of materials each product is made
of is exquisite and does not break the
bank. With the brand introducing durags
it shows how much of an impact on the
fashion world by catering to everyone.
[46]

[47]

By Annabelle Blomeley
[48]
what it is, why it’s harmful, and who participates
Photographer/Rebecca Martin//Model/Ella Smyth

In America, globalization and
mass media are bringing foreign
countries right into our backyards,
but it has always felt distant. We
seem close enough to everyone else to
feel included, but far enough away that
we can turn a blind eye to the injustices
that happen right beneath our noses—
especially the ones that we play a role in
(whether we acknowledge it or not).
Even throughout it’s relatively short
life, America has had a consumerism
problem. This is shown best through
our rapidly evolving clothing and
textile industry, which has only recently
been gaining attention for its ethical,
environmental and quality issues. In fact,
America’s textile consumerism seemed
to finally boil over when fast fashion was
introduced.
Babs Davis, a clothing, textiles and
interior design professor at The University
of Alabama, specializes in textile
merchandising and teaches a class about
ethics in the modern fashion industry.
“Fast fashion is something that
really started in the mid-2000s when H&M
started coming over to the United States,”
Davis said. “The operations are set up to
where they can produce large quantities
of merchandise really quickly within
six weeks. In a normal merchandising
cycle, it takes a company a minimum
of three months to produce something
with a large number of units. These fast
fashion companies have set up production
methods that have allowed them to do it
much faster and so they’re able to get onto
trends much sooner. Then they make such
a large amount of products that they can
sell it for much cheaper. The more product
you produce, the cheaper it is.”
There’s a lot about fast fashion that
is uniquely captivating. Fast fashion megaretailers
like H&M and Forever 21 sell
trendy pieces of clothing for alarmingly
cheap. The shirts with broken buttons,
split seams and hanging thread are clearly
cheap for a reason, yet consumers don’t
seem to care.
“It all has a short life but that’s the
point,” Davis said. “They want you to get
it and then buy something else from them.
The consumer moves so fast and gets bored
more quickly. These fast fashion websites
have to have new stuff almost every day.
The old retail model of bringing something
in for the spring season and having it
there for thirteen weeks isn’t going to fly,
because customers are going to get bored
after a week.”
Davis said that fast fashion has more
problems than just quality discrepancies.
Fast fashion is produced affordably
by using the cheapest fabrics that are
made using fibers engineered out of
plastic, making them impossible to easily
biodegrade. So when the clothes are
thrown out because of the bad quality, they
end up in landfills and stay there for years.
On top of that, fast fashion is outsourced
to poorer, developing countries, where a
lack of labor laws allow factories to pay
workers little to nothing for long hours in
unacceptable conditions.
Makenzie Tokes, a senior apparel
and textile design major at The University
of Alabama, serves as the UA Student
Fashion Association vice president for the
2020-2021 school year. Tokes said that
she doesn’t shop fast fashion because she
wants her clothes to be unique, ethical and
last for several years.
“If it’s not happening
in their backyard
then people don’t
really care.”
“If it’s not happening in their
backyard then people don’t really care,”
Tokes said. “If it’s not directly affecting
them, then it’s easy to just say ‘Someone
in China made this for me and I got it for
$10.’ But in reality, there’s so much more
to factory workers and especially textile
workers in other countries. They’re so
undernourished and they have horrible
conditions. Kids work up to 18 to 20 hours
per day manufacturing our clothes. Most
ethical brands don’t want to be associated
with the fact that a child made their blouse
but other brands like department stores
don’t care because if they can get more
product made and it’s cheaper for them in
the long run then they’re going to get more
net profit out of it.”
Fast fashion, like many consumerdriven
products, sits at a crossfire.
Consumers blame big businesses for
unethical behavior, but businesses blame
consumers for buying the product in the
first place. In a lot of ways, this crossfire
allows both parties to shift the blame
away from themselves and to continue the
fashion cycle.
FASHION
“I think [fast fashion] is so
prevalent because people love the idea
of getting something for cheap or getting
a really good deal,” Tokes said. “I don’t
think a lot of people look at clothing as
an investment. For instance, older people
who are in the corporate world look at it
as if they’re investing in a really nice suit
that they would be able to wear for years
to come. They don’t want to walk into
a meeting and have a seam split or pop
because it was poorly made. But a lot of
times, kids in college don’t look at it as an
investment.”
College students make up one of fast
fashion’s largest consumer demographics.
The inexpensive and convenient clothes
are ideal for students who are paying off
student loans and a myriad of other costs
associated with college. However, some
students have found alternative ways to
save money on clothes that doesn’t require
them to carry the baggage of the fast
fashion industry.
[49]

Claire Ryan, a sophomore interior
design and advertising major at UA, got
into thrifting after her mother gave her $5
to buy a couple of shirts at a thrift store
when she was in middle school. She was
amazed at how many clothes she got to
buy with so little money. Ryan said that
thrifting is how she is able to buy clothes
without worrying too much about the
ethical and environmental issues posed by
fast fashion.
“It’s so much better to pick pieces
that are well-made and different from
everything else,” Ryan said. “And you can
remake it to fit the trends that are right
now and make it fit your body like how
you want. You can make it your style…
Right now, clothes from the seventies and
eighties are becoming trendy again and
clothes at thrift stores are just those types
of clothes.”
While fast fashion may seem
inescapable, people are finding new ethical
and environmentally friendly ways to buy
their clothes. From buying made-to-last
pieces from sustainable brands to thrifting
and making your own clothes, you can find
clothes that are cute, trendy, and ethical.
“As I’ve gotten older and as I’ve
grown up in our current political climate
and around the news, I’ve become aware
of everything more,” Ryan said. “It feels
like every two years, there’s a massive
collapse like in a Bangladesh sweatshop or
something like that… It’s crazy to me that
we are so concerned about our homeland
and these problems but then as soon as
you can’t see, you don’t care anymore.
Those are the clothes that you’re putting
on your body and those are the clothes
that you’re buying that are literally made
in other people’s blood.”
Whether consumers and businesses
believe it or not, fast fashion cannot
go on forever. The environmental and
ethical problems posed by the industry
are already incredibly prevalent and
affecting millions of people every day,
whether Americans actively see it or not.
Fast fashion isn’t sustainable globally,
personally or environmentally. With more
and more of the secrets of the fast fashion
industry being exposed, consumers can no
longer feign ignorance.
[50]

[51]

SUSTAINABILITY
GOES
DIGITAL
WITH
DEPOP
By Emma Margaret Thompson
Photographers/Rebecca Martin, Keely Brewer//Model/Emily Benito
[52]

FASHION
intage jeans, customized
sneakers, handmade jewelry
and everything in between:
Depop is the one stop shop for
whatever you’re lookin for. A smallbusiness
oriented alternative to online fast
fashion retailers, Depop is composed of 13
million users all selling and purchasing
merchandise. The site was founded by
Italian entrepreneur, Simon Beckerman in
2011 in order to sell products that he was
featuring in the fashion magazine he
owned. Needless to say, Beckerman’s
original idea has flourished since and is
now the marketplace of anything and
everything. With fast fashion on the out,
Depop offers sustainable and unique
alternatives to those who are done with
retailers that don’t care about how they’re
polluting the world.
On the selling side of Depop, Rachel
Alison Cohen knows the ins and outs of the
app like a professional. After getting laid
off earlier this year, Cohen started ordering
beads and supplies to make jewelry to
entertain herself while in quarantine.
She eventually started making her flower
earrings, iconically known as “flower
power” earrings and they very quickly
became a success. In May, she opened up
her Depop shop and the rest was history.
“I didn’t realize how many people
would love them [the earrings],” Cohen
said. “I went to school for fashion design
but I love how jewelry is one size fits all.
And most of all I love all the people I have
met along the way the past few months.”
As a longtime supporter of small
businesses, Cohen loves that Depop offers
an online alternative to fast fashion and
has created such a tight-knit community
of both sellers and customers.
“I’ve always loved supporting small
businesses and finding one of a kind pieces
and I feel like Depop is the perfect place for
that,” she said. “It also feels more intimate
than some other similar websites which is
nice.”
And with a few months as a seller
already under her belt, Cohen is ready to
tackle another unique and colorful jewelry
design to go along with her famous “flower
power” symbol.
“I’m very inspired by the Wild West
lately and I feel like they
could seem very “cowgirl”
or you can style them to
just kind of be a fun girly
accessory,” Cohen said.
“I’m very excited to start
making necklaces with
them. I’m also always
thinking of new designs for
the flower power charms
and new accessories to
incorporate them into.
Maybe down the line I will
try to make mask chains
with them.”
Chloe Dickerson,
a 16-year-old Depop
fan, has used the app
for years because of the
ethical alternative it
offers her. She discovered
Depop through Emma
Chamberlain, a very
popular YouTuber and
social media figure when
she did a Depop “haul”
video in 2018.
“Ever since things surfaced
about major brands like Zara and Urban
Outfitters being unethical, I have been
ordering clothes from Depop exclusively,”
Dickerson explained. “I cannot stand the
thought of giving my money to a morally
irresponsible company – Depop offers
a more authentic and unique shopping
experience anyway.”
UA sophomore Faith Dunn
expressed similar sentiments. She fell
in love with the app as soon as she
downloaded it.
“I am trying to use Depop more
because of the negative effects that fast
fashion has on the Earth, with climate
change, global warming, etc.,” Dunn said.
And being environmentally friendly
is just one of the many perks of Depop.
Mostly composed of handmade items and
thrifted finds, Depop allows each shopper
to make their wardrobe unique with oneof-a-kind
clothing and accessories. Dunn
even has her next Depop purchase all
planned out.
“I am currently in the process of
trying to buy from an account called
‘maddypageknitwear,’” Dunn said. “The
seller [Maddy Page] makes unique,
handmade tops out of her home in
England and ships worldwide. They’re all
reasonably priced and so cool.”
All in all, each and every creator on
Depop is constantly trying to grow their
store to keep up with their own vision of
what they can develop it into in the future
and Rachel is just one example of that.
Most customers on Depop just want to
shop unique items that are sustainable.
Whether you want some Vintage Wrangler
jeans, a handmade knit top, a pair of
“Flower Power” earrings, or anything in
between – Depop will have what you’re
looking for.
[53]

Oscar Wilde once
said, “Imitation
is the sincerest
form of flattery.” While this
may be true, sometimes,
imitation reflects the lowest
level of imagination.
As artists, fashion
designers are constantly trying
to produce work that means
something to people. When
big fashion companies start
to steal designs from smaller
businesses, it destroys the
authenticity of the piece’s
original meaning.
In the age of fast fashion
and social media, this seems
all too familiar with Edge
o’ Beyond designer Naomi
De Hann. De Hann started
her lingerie company nearly
six years ago because she
had a passion for making
undergarments that were as
inclusive as possible.
She credits her devotion
to empowering women a
factor in her desire to create
a lingerie company. One
day, she noticed that Edge o’
Beyond was receiving an influx
of customer messages across
all social media platforms.
These messages contained
screenshots of lingerie pieces
by Victoria’s Secret and fast
fashion company, Shein. Those
companies had ripped off the
designs that were advertised
on her website.
“It’s heartbreaking to
see,” De Hann said. “I put so
much time in effort into all
our designs, plus my company
spends months working on
each style.”
She said that her
company ensures the highest
quality when picking out
fabrics and revising every
component to a piece. They also
create their own embroideries
that have since then been
used as inspiration by other
companies. Victoria’s Secret
and Shein are no strangers to
being caught in dishonorable
[54]
ethical business practices,
so this was no surprise to De
Hann when she became their
latest victim.
Both companies have
yet to reach out to De Hann
to offer apologies or even
compensation. The only
communication she received
was from Shein, a message
assuring her that the copycat
pieces were pulled from the
website. Victoria’s Secret on
the other hand started to sell
an even bigger collection of the
inspired pieces without any
acknowledgment.
Dolls Kill, an online
boutique, is another company
that is notorious for being
in the midst of fashion
controversies. Dolls Kill
promotes individuality, selfexpression,
and standing up
for what is right. Ironically,
they continue to be in the
press for ableism, selling racist
clothing and accessories,
promoting rape and posting
tone-deaf Black Lives Matter
content on social media.
The problematic fashion
company has also directly
stolen designs from small
businesses. Jamie Hollis, an
Etsy costume designer, has
been one of the company’s
long-standing victims. In the
2012 Halloween season, Hollis
designed a costume based off
of Max from the children’s
book Where The Wild Things
Are. During this time she had
been pursuing a fashion career
that took her abroad to The
London College of Fashion.
At the end of the year, she
got married, had a child and
decided to move stateside to
focus on growing her Etsy
shop.
In 2015, her shop
received a message from
Shoddy Lynn, the owner and
creator of Dolls Kill. Citing a
few articles online to prove
her notoriety, she continued
the message asking if Hollis
FASHION’S
CATAST

FASHION
COPYCAT
ROPHE
By Marina Naranjo
would rush a Max costume to
the company. Hollis and her
husband decided that a larger
brand posting the costume to
Instagram could create great
exposure for Hollis’s Etsy
shop. Excitedly, Hollis agreed
and rushed to create the
costume for Dolls Kill.
It was not until
September 2017 that Jamie
noticed an Instagram message
from a friend she went to high
school with. This message
contained a screenshot of
a Max costume that Dolls
Kill was promoting on their
website. Dolls Kill had started
selling a costume with the
same design as her original
Max costume.
“I was sitting in a
hospital bed as I just gave
birth to my daughter the day
before,” Hollis said. “This was a
tricky time because as much as
I wanted to fight back harder,
the time with my baby was by
far & away more important.
I felt proud to have a design
that a company would want
to knock-off, but at the same
time, I felt so gutted. The Max
costume makes up so much of
my identity as a designer.”
Shaken, Hollis reached
out to other artists that she
knew had dealt with the same
thing for a sense of direction.
She was advised to send a
cease and desist letter to the
company. After threatening
legal action, Dolls Kill removed
the costume from their site.
Hollis believes that their
reaction was pressured by all
of the social media traction she
gained, rather than any email
she sent, because they ignored
all of her communication
attempts.
Every year since the
incident, Dolls Kill has used
some variation of Hollis’
technical pattern costume
design.
“The biggest hit for my
business has been the price
point,” she said. “Dolls Kill
sold it for, I believe $60. I
took this as a constructive
opportunity. I got stretchy fur,
made a larger range of sizes,
and lowered my prices to $100
with free shipping.”
In all of her efforts to
reduce prices, Hollis is still
not capable of offering lower
prices like Dolls Kill is able
to. COVID-19 has also made
things harder for her business,
forcing her to raise her prices.
She is grateful for the support
her customers have shown her
but wished companies would
implement ethical behavior.
Hannah Kheireddine,
a senior majoring in fashion
merchandising at The
University of Alabama, hopes
that things change for smaller
brands in the future.
“These smaller brands
work so hard to be noticed and
to get their foot in the door, I
don’t think it’s fair that bigger
brands just come in and steal
their ideas and sometimes
even products,” Kheireddine
said.
As an upcoming
professional in the industry,
she says that it is increasingly
harder and more competitive
to make a name for yourself
and attributes large companies
stealing designs for this strain.
In addition to this,
fashion copyright laws are
severely outdated. This allows
big companies like Dolls Kill,
Victoria’s Secret and Shein to
find loopholes and continue
to rip off designs. There has to
be a bigger push for legislation
to be reworked in the name
of protecting fashion like the
artwork that it is. With the
budgets, design teams and
possibilities that big fashion
companies have, they must do
better.
[55]

FASHION
SEW MUCH TIME
By Lucy Barrow
[56]

While people across the
globe have had far too
much time on their
hands these last few months, we have all
taken to various forms of mind-numbing
activities to wish the bleak quarantine
days away. Whether it was a complete
home renovation or perfecting your
amateur cooking skills, all of our newfound
hobbies most likely had something
in common: TikTok.
As the platform took the world by
storm with its addictive dance videos last
year, a generation of creators began to find
their home on users’ screens across the
world. Fashion struck a chord for inspired
users everywhere, and “DIY Fashion
TikTok” revolutionized the industry. DIY
fashion has redefined the difficult to attain
role of fashion designer and placed the
creativity within the grasp of the consumer.
Thousands of users across the
platform have transformed their dreary
quarantine days by dusting off their
sewing machines and crochet needles
and delving into the inspiration-rich side
of the app. The fashion side of TikTok,
as it is called by users on the app, has
created inspirational avenues for people
everywhere and transformed the avantgarde
at-home fashion industry.
Nelisa Nieto (@nelisamakesstuff),
joined the TikTok community for similar
reasons to a majority of users: peer
pressure from a friend. Luckily for her,
the addition of the addictive app opened
up doors for her that she never expected.
While Nieto is pursuing an acting career,
she was happily surprised to find other
creative niches while browsing the app.
Inspired by a combination of easy crochet
how-tos and Harry Styles, Nieto spent over
two days creating an iconic “Watermelon
Sugar” inspired top.
TikTok has no shortage of Harry
Styles content, let alone the whirlwind of
posts relating to Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar
“music video. Nieto was no stranger to the
influence of the brunette star and coupled
with the inspiration she found from other
creators, designed the masterpiece that
is her viral top. After working up the
courage to perfect her amateur crocheting
skills, Nieto added the iconic piece to her
wardrobe.
As Nieto reflected on the
opportunities the platform has created for
her she feels an overwhelming sense of
gratefulness.
“I’m constantly inspired by the
people creating content for the app,” Nieto
said. “I definitely gained a new sense of
confidence because of what has happened
after downloading the app; for that, I’m
eternally grateful.”
Nieto has used the inspiration she
gained from content creation on Tiktok
to transform her business and make her
products available to others.
“There was a lot of self-doubt, but
luckily I kicked those negative thoughts
because I absolutely love creating things
for people,” she said.
Isabelle Mayes, a London resident
and fellow Tiktoker shares a similar story.
Mayes flourished as she explored the
platform, finding an outlet for her interests
in fashion by creating DIY content. She
used her inspiration to reproduce the
trending Nike sock top after finding an
overpriced version from the United States.
Created by sewing the contents of a Nike
sock package into a tube top shape, the
Nike Sock top has taken over the platform.
“[I] asked my sister who studied
fashion if it would be easy to make,” Mayes
said.
As thousands of users have done,
Mayes discovered a garment out of her
budget and utilized her resources to
create it herself. Creators and hundreds of
other users like her have bridged the gap
between unattainable fashion and inspired
people.
Julianne Dean, a senior fashion
designer major at The University of
Alabama, found a similar source of
inspiration from the platform and its
various creators.
“There are a ton of pages where
people will do outfit tutorials or even show
you beauty tips and photoshoot tips that I
wouldn’t have tried without the app,” she
said.
Dean has utilized the fashion side of
TikTok to not only find inspiration for her
clothing, but other creative outlets as well.
The fashion side of TikTok has
turned users’ lackluster quarantine days
into constant opportunities for creativity.
“It is such a good outlet for people
to be creative and be themselves and is
also a good way to try and network if you
approach it the right way,” Dean said.
As TikTok has progressed past the
average social media app, its creators are
becoming the next big fashion designers.
[57]

FASHION
A C C E S S I B L E
By Caroline Yuk
An estimated 61 million people
in America have a disability,
which hardly makes it a niche
market in the world of fashion. The word
disability is an all-encompassing umbrella
term for any impairment, whether it
affects your mobility, senses or mental
capacity, and it can be invisible and visible.
The World Health Organization describes
disability as a complex phenomenon
that “reflects an interaction between the
features of a person’s body and mind and
the features of the society in which he or
she lives.”
Since fashion is a way to empower
our own individuality and identities, it is
critical that people with disabilities have
[58]
access to this industry, no matter how
much society impairs our ability to do so.
Yet, a lack of visibility exists among the
largest clothing and accessory brands.
While there has been considerable progress
in terms of diversity in fashion, such as
Tommy Hilfiger, ASOS launching adaptive
clothing lines and Madeline Stuart’s debut
as the first model with Down syndrome,
people with disabilities continue to be one
of the most underrepresented groups. Due
to a disability’s wide influence and effect
on lifestyle, there is an urgent need to not
only reduce the stigma, but to normalize a
part of a life that is so normal for us and
others.
AVERY DOWNING:
When I was thirteen years old,
I experienced a traumatic injury that
changed my life forever. As a gymnast, I
was practicing my routine on the uneven
bars when I fell, broke my back, and
sustained a spinal cord injury that left me
paralyzed from the waist down. From then
on, my wheelchair has been an essential
part of my life and inextricably connected
to the way people see me. After spending
time in the hospital and working on my
physical rehabilitation, I returned to my
life as a middle schooler.
My name is Avery Downing, a senior
at UA studying English and Spanish,
and am also one of the captains of the

wheelchair tennis team. When Caroline
reached out to me with her idea of writing
a piece on fashion and disability, I was
excited to have the opportunity to talk
about something that I relate to so much.
Caroline and I met to share our stories
of how fashion and disability affect our
lives. The two of us have very different
disabilities, yet we both fall under the same
category. We discussed ways that fashion
could be more inclusive and encourage
the acceptance of any sort of condition.
By sharing our stories, we welcome
everyone into this extremely important
conversation.
As someone with reduced mobility,
my disability is extremely visible. I cannot
go anywhere or be seen by anyone without
my disability being shown at the forefront
of who I am. As a young girl, I struggled
with people seeing my disability before
they could see me for who I am. Through
the years of my adolescence I have learned
to use fashion as a way to showcase my
identity, so that when people see me they
not only see my wheelchair, but my style
as well.
Fashion gives us a way to stand out,
but it also helps us find common ground.
People with a disability may be expected to
dress or look a certain way but in reality, no
style is off limits to people with disabilities.
I look for style inspiration from ablebodied
people because I know that I can
wear what I like even though my body is
different. I also look for style inspiration
from other disabled women because they
might have an insight on what works or
what doesn’t work in a chair. Although our
wheelchairs don’t define us, they are a part
of our identity.
Personally, I see my chair as a part
of my image that I want to keep up and
make sure it looks more polished. That
means I have to keep it clean, maintained,
and try my best not to scratch it up (when
that’s possible). Just like my style, my
wheelchair has changed over the years.
The first wheelchair I got was bright blue
and purple. As a middle schooler, I used
to tie colorful ribbons to it and decorate it
with stickers and paint. My chair was fun
and messy, just like I was. Today, my chair
is silver and black, and reflects an attitude
of professionalism. When I graduate and
begin my first job, I want my appearance
to be stylish and put together, so my chair
needs to be that way too.
When you have a disability, fashion
isn’t always about the newest trends,
sometimes it’s about what works best for
you. Things like shoes or pants may fit
differently if your body is a little different.
Similarly, some clothing items don’t work
as well with a wheelchair. For example, I
am fairly selective about what shoes I will
buy. I have tried on countless different
styles of shoes, and at this point I know
what shoes stay on my feet well and what
shoes don’t. I also know that if I want
to wear a shirt or jacket with long, puffy
sleeves, I better expect those sleeves to
be covered in dirt by then end of the day
because of the way they rub on my tires.
To me, these obstacles are just another
aspect of the creation of my style and my
exploration of fashion.
My disability and any obstacles
I may face do not exclude me from the
world of fashion; although sometimes it is
clear that most fashion is not made with
someone like me in mind. I want to be
seen as stylish, and just like everyone else,
I want to be seen as who I am.
CAROLINE YUK:
My name is Caroline Yuk, and I am a
senior at UA pursuing an interdisciplinary
degree in Neuroscience. Unlike Avery, my
disability is less visible. Due to years of
speech and hearing therapy, people do not
realize I am deaf.
I wear cochlear implants which
are incredibly powerful devices that are
surgically placed under the skin behind my
ears. They bypass the damaged portions of
my auditory system to directly stimulate
the auditory nerve, and my brain then
interprets the generated electrical signals
as sound. This is what provides me a new
sense of hearing. Today, my cochlear
implants look like small, brown wafers
that are easily hidden in my hair, but it was
not always like that.
I was implanted at the age of two,
and at the time, cochlear implants were
still highly experimental and bulky. I
would carry my device around in a crossbody
fanny pack with long wires that
tangled around my head and ears. It was
noticeable, especially to curious kids.
Instead of hiding them, I put my devices in
vibrantly designed fanny packs and used
pins with cute animals to keep the wires in
place. Since I went to a school that required
uniforms, it was a cool way to let me
stand out and express myself. I distinctly
remember a few students wearing similar
pouches, even though I was the only one
in my school with a hearing impairment.
Years later, the devices transformed
into sleek, behind-the-ear models. I still
chose to experiment with different colors,
patterns and gemstones on my devices.
I went through four different cochlear
implants, and at each stage, I used fashion
to empower and take charge of disclosing
my disability. In this way, I was able to
beautify such an important part of me
while still maintaining a sense of control
and agency over my identity as a deaf girl.
My devices also became a conversationstarter,
a mediator to launch essential
discourse regarding any needs for
accomodations. I did not let my deafness
define me. Instead, I let fashion enhance
who I am.
I share this story because hearing
loss has a huge stigma. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention states
that the increasing usage of headphones
is leading to unprecedented rates of noiseinduced
hearing loss, and today, about
23% of adolescents have already suffered
permanent damage to their hearing
from noise exposure. Additionally, an
overwhelming 28.8 million people in the
US have hearing loss, but only 17% of
them wear hearing aids. While many of
the reasons are attributed to financial and
accessibility issues, one of the outstanding
and primary reasons is due to shame and
denial.
Simply put, both children and older
adults are embarrassed to wear hearing
aids because of what others may think of
them. This is an alarming issue because
unaddressed hearing loss can lead to
poorer grades, social isolation, higher
stress levels, lower employment levels, and
a faster rate of cognitive decline.
While my disability is more severe
than those who need hearing aids, I see
no reason why hearing aids aren’t as
normalized as wearing glasses to correct
visual impairments. I am sure everyone
knows someone who uses their glasses to
enhance their style, so why not hearing
aids? Imagine the increase in the quality
of life for everyone with hearing loss if
we changed the current societal view of
hearing aids and cochlear implants with
the power of fashion. This is an area of the
industry that fashion and clothing brands
could capitalize upon and initiate unique
and impactful collaborations with medical
device providers.
Fashion has given us the confidence
to live a normal life. Ultimately, we are just
like everyone else that enjoys participating
in the world of clothes, accessories and
shoes. We just ask for the aid of the fashion
industry and its audience to create and
enable options that are not only inclusive,
but celebrate our individuality.
[59]

[ f e a t u r e s ]
62
66
70
72
She’s in the Room Where It Happens
The Politically Active Woman: Who Is She?
Masks: This Year’s Unexpected Must-Haves
It Matters: Trans Representation In Fashion & Beauty
[60]

Kaitlan Collins/Courtesy of CNN
[61]

SHE’S IN THE ROOM
WHERE IT HAPPENS
By Annie Hollon
[62]
Kaitlan Collins/Courtesy of CNN

FEATURES
Across from the podium
adorned with the presidential
seal at the front of the room,
one of the socially distanced seats in the
James S. Brady Briefing Room in the
West Wing of the White House is reserved
for one of the youngest White House
correspondents ever hired by CNN. Three
years into her role covering President
Donald Trump and his administration,
Kaitlan Collins has established herself as
a key journalist six years into her career
documenting breaking news from the
Trump administration amid a global
pandemic and presidential election cycle.
Though she’s only been in this role
for a short time, Collins has already made
a name for herself within the news media
and has the accolades to prove it. Though a
spot on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for Media
is certainly noteworthy, Collins defines her
success not by the achievements under her
belt, but by the substance and quality of
her reporting.
“I’m definitely a perfectionist; I
want to read everything and be completely
prepared before I go into something,” she
said. “So, you do get that sense that it’s a
high-pressure job and you want to make
sure you’re living up to the demands of
it. That is something that is just like a
daily challenge, that you’ve got to make
sure every single day that you’re on top of
because you never know when a moment
will happen and you need to be prepared
for it. That has been one of the best parts
of the job.”
Before the Prattville, Alabama
native was on camera reporting for one of
the country’s biggest news outlets, Collins
initially set out to study chemistry at The
University of Alabama, influenced by her
sister who studied the same subject three
hours away at Auburn University.
“I wasn’t enjoying classes and I
knew I wanted to do something different,”
Collins said. “I’d always been a big
reader and writer so then I was going to
try journalism, a few classes in the fall
sophomore year. One of my first classes I
was like, “Oh, I love this.” It kind of clicked
instantly.”
As her enjoyment in classes
focused on reading, writing and reporting
compared to her earlier science classes
was “astronomical,” Collins shifted gears
to study political science and journalism,
interning for The Tuscaloosa News’
entertainment section her senior year.
After graduating in 2014, she wrote
for The Daily Caller as an entertainment
reporter and became a White House
Correspondent on the heels of the 2016
election cycle when the candidates for the
Democratic and Republican parties were
finalized. Trump’s victory over former
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whom
most believed would win the election,
“upended things” for a lot of news outlets
and the nation.
With The Daily Caller in need of
someone to cover the new administration,
Collins saw an opportunity to mesh her
interests in politics with her career in
journalism.
“It was the perfect scenario for
someone who had never covered a
presidency before to start with Donald
Trump, who had all of these people
working who had not been in Washington
for decades or anything like that,” she said.
“It was kind of like the perfect storm.”
Collins joined CNN as a White
House correspondent in June 2017, a big
opportunity for someone who had not
done television coverage before and had
only recently started covering the White
House. She became a frequent flyer on
Air Force One and a critical member of
the press pool, a small group of reporters
who travel with the president to cover the
administration on the road.
As the only TV person on the plane,
her work extends beyond reporting
exclusively for CNN, sharing notes and
insights with other TV outlets including
Fox News, CBS, NBC and ABC. Beyond
the opportunity to travel the world, what
she calls “one of the best parts of the job,”
Collins knows how critical her role is and
doesn’t take it for granted, noting the need
to be prepared if something happens.
[63]

[64]

“I was listening to this oral history
of 9/11 […] talking about the reporters
who were the pool reporters on Air
Force One that day,” she said. “One of
the guys still covers the White House,
he’s a photographer, and it was just so
crazy to think that he was there for such
a momentous day and he still covers the
White House here in 2020, even though
things have changed so much.”
While Collins knew she had to brace
herself for a “crazy election,” the addition
of COVID-19 locking down the country
“totally changed everything.” What would
typically be a year lined with coverage of
candidates as they toured the country to
gain supporters came to a halt in March.
The change from traveling to multiple
foreign countries and rallies to nothing
was a jarring one, and the first of several in
what would be a strange and unique time
to cover the White House.
Weekly COVID testing, limited
people allowed in the briefing room and
masks worn while in and around the White
House are the new normal for the press.
The impact extends to
the press’ access to the
briefings themselves
where a seat is not
guaranteed. Outlets
rotate seats so
someone else can
come in, but with
that change comes
added pressure
to ensure the few
people in the room that day ask the major
questions of the day, especially in a 24-
hour news cycle.
That day-to-day looks less like a
9-to-5 and more like a “crazy” 12-hour
work day with the occasional late night
updates, including late night tweets
from the president as they pertain to the
current news cycle. She kicks the day of
with a 30-minute workout, “a little bit of
sanity” in the long day ahead. The rest of
the morning rolls into calls with producers
and editors on the plans for the day’s
coverage. Collins spends the remainder of
the morning checking in with sources and
preparing for the day ahead, speaking with
sources sometimes only available on their
daily commutes and double checking for
new tweets from Trump.
“You really kind of just prepare
yourself for whatever the day can bring
because if you think the day is going to
look one way it never does,” she said.
Not even a day after the conclusion
of this interview, the president and
First Lady tested positive for COVID-19,
announced with a tweet from Trump’s
account Oct. 2 at 12:54 a.m. and quote
tweeted on Collins’ account not more
than six minutes later, captioned with, “A
nightmare scenario.”
After the morning check in, she
heads to the White House around 11 a.m
and starts presenting on television by
noon. The rest of the day takes place in
an office below the briefing room, writing
out scripts for the evening broadcasts,
contacting sources and ready to go in the
case of a last minute press briefing, what
Collins calls “going 90 to nothing.” The day
ends at the end of The Don Lemon Show
around 10 p.m., and the cycle continues all
over again the next day.
Collins, once doubtful with imposter
syndrome, is now comfortable being one
of the youngest reporters in the room.
Trump’s unprecedented term placed all
White House reporters, even those who’ve
covered multiple administrations, on
equal footing. From the early days of his
administration, Collins described “a lot of
whiplash and chaos” that people were not
used to, a factor that built camaraderie
within the press corps as they all tried to
do their jobs. With everyone on the same
playing field, being one of the youngest
reporters doesn’t phase her anymore.
“I’ve covered Donald Trump since
he took office, since he was inaugurated,
that was my first real day covering him,”
she shared. “I know Donald Trump just
as well as these other reporters, I know
the people who work for him, I know his
governing tactics and his style, so you kind
of realize that Donald Trump has put a lot
of the reporters on equal footing.
Even if you had been a White House
reporter who had covered President
Obama, President Bush, Bill Clinton,
there’s really no one like Donald Trump.
No White House ... is similar to the way
that they run their White House.”
Preparation for moments in the
briefing room never really stops. Collins
preps beyond her normal work hours
with a running list of what needs to be
asked, changing that list as the news
cycles change. Moments like the release
of Trump’s tax returns via the New York
Times on Sept. 27 gave reporters only a
moment’s notice before a press briefing
with the president to read the article and
pull the necessary information to ask so as
to not miss that opportunity.
“I’m kind of always prepping because
with Donald Trump there’s like ten news
cycles a day,” she said. “With a normal
presidency what ranks tenth on that news
cycle would be massive and would be a
story for days, but now because there is so
much news it really changes that.”
Tensions run high in the press room,
especially with the dynamic established
between the press and the Trump
administration, Trump calling CNN fake
news on multiple occasions. Collins has
made headlines for pressing for answers
and fact checking in press conferences,
such as comments regarding Trump’s
dismissal of masks to White House Press
Secretary Kayleigh McEnany and standing
her ground when a White House staffer
asked her to move to the back of the press
room during a briefing with Trump in
April. Her focus remains on staying cool
under pressure and remaining focused on
why she’s there, especially with COVID-19
policies restricting the opportunities for
reporters to be in the briefing room.
“You’re there as a reporter just
doing your job, and if the press secretary
wants to say something or make a remark,
that’s her decision and it’s not your role to
react to that,” Collins said. “It’s your role
to ask your question that you came there to
get and it’s important to not let any snide
comment or anything like that throw you
off. You’ve got to make sure that you’re
still there doing what you wanted to ask,
trying to get the answers to the questions
that you had in mind. It’s always really
important to maintain your composure
and keep your cool and remember it’s not
about you, it’s about the job and it’s about
covering the presidency.”
[65]

[66]

FEATURES
EDITOR’S NOTE: STATISTICS LISTED WERE FROM BEFORE
THE 2020 ELECTION.
Over the last four years,
politics have been at the
forefront of every discussion,
and the chatter debating what the single
most important issue we are facing today
is endless. Today’s political climate is not
one for the faint of heart. With such high
tensions in a male-dominated realm, it
can be incredibly intimidating for young
women to speak up and take action.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s not
happening.
According to Rutgers University’s
Center for American Women and Politics,
women’s overall civic and political
engagement has increased significantly
since 2016 with a record number of
women running for Congress in 2020,
surpassing the number set in the historic
2018 midterm wave. As of this year, 127
women make up roughly 24% of the
United States Congress. Taking this into
consideration, 2020 could arguably be the
most important election in our nation’s
history, and women will be a critical part
of it.
Looking back at the rise of the
Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement over
the summer, no one was exempt from
seeing the countless number of colorful
infographics and Instagram stories
sharing resources and information about
voting, systemic racism, the organization
of protests and more. Young women
were the demographic leading this front,
making the information readily available,
easy to share and aesthetically pleasing.
This made more people a lot more likely
to pay attention and participate in the
sharing of these resources. Activism is a
hot topic of discussion these days, leaving
everyone wondering what it takes to
consider themselves politically active in a
world where it is so desperately needed.
With women becoming more
politically engaged, we must ask ourselves:
Who is the politically active woman and
what does she value? For some, these
answers seem obvious, but others are still
figuring out what political activism looks
like. Elizabeth Tew, a sophomore at The
University of Alabama majoring in finance
with a minor in public policy who identifies
as politically independent, experienced
her first major election in November.
She believes that over the course of this
eventful yet eye-opening year, she has
discovered what it means to be a politically
active woman, though it wasn’t an easy
task.
“In the beginning, I was all wideeyed,
excited to vote, and learn more, but
then it’s like the more you learn, I think I
got a little more discouraged because you
begin to learn about all of the issues in the
world that need to be advocated for,” Tew
said. “This summer specifically, I became
really overwhelmed with the feeling that I
wasn’t doing enough.”
While the BLM movement gained an
incredible amount of momentum after the
death of George Floyd, people everywhere
took to the internet to find ways to help
the cause. However, for those who were
unfamiliar with the struggles marginalized
groups face on a daily basis, the influx of
information about this cruel reality and
information on what behaviors could be
harmful to people of color (POC) created
a stressful situation for people who were
going through a learning experience on
proper allyship.
Tew says her upbringing wasn’t
influenced by a lot of political talk. She
[67]

also grew up with a strong-willed,
successful mother to look up to and the
boundaries women and minorities face
never occurred to her because she never
experienced it. Tew described the moment
it finally clicked for her.
“Until this summer when it was right
in front of my face, I never really thought
about [the experience of POC in America]
that much, and I am very privileged to
have been able to ignore it.” Tew said.
“Previously, I thought of myself as a
politically engaged woman, but now I am
seeing the importance of being a politically
active woman.”
Many young women have become
overwhelmed with the same feelings
Tew describes along with the desire to
reject allyship fatigue and move forward
to advance our society. In the 2020
presidential election, Joe Biden, alongside
his running mate, Kamala Harris, broke
the record for most votes ever cast for
a U.S. presidential candidate in our
country’s history. With such a prominent
[68]
election still in mind,
Tew said that being an
educated and active voter is extremely
imperative because “the easiest and most
normal thing you can do [to create change]
is go out and cast your vote.”
Trinity Hunter, a nonpartisan
sophomore at The University of Alabama
majoring in public relations and political
science, is an avid advocate of voter
participation as the co-president of The
University of Alabama’s League of Women
Voters. She opens the eyes of many, saying
her participation in political activism was
never something she had to question.
“Growing up as a Black woman in
the South, you don’t have the luxury of
deciding politics aren’t something you
need to pay attention to because they
always affect you,” Hunter said.
She regards the decision to
knowledgeably vote every time as one of
the most important parts of citizenship.
“You need to be civically engaged
and that doesn’t just end with participating
in voting, you need to be educated about
the candidates you’re voting for as well,”
she said.
Both Tew and Hunter are correct.
Over the
last couple of
decades, the national youth voter turnout
has continued to increase. However, while
there is a continued push of resources and
awareness for getting the young people
registered to vote, it can’t be forgotten
that young people must be educated on
who and what they’re voting for in order to
make effective change.
With women becoming more
involved on the local level, one wonders
what it’s like for them on the federal level.
Cassidy Diamond, a conservative junior
majoring in mathematics and public
policy, spent her summer interning at the
White House with the Office of National
Drug Control Policy. She mentions the
connections she made with other hardworking
women in the White House and
the inspiration she drew from them.
“You see a lot of very intelligent
women, and it was amazing for them to
take me under their wing,” Diamond said.
Seeing women in political power is
crucial when it comes to building the idea

of the politically active woman. For some,
this looks like being the brains of the
operation, while for others the politically
active woman is one who stands proudly
at the frontlines of every movement.
Regardless, seeing women in power
encourages other women to find their own
ways to get involved.
“The politically active woman is
someone who is not afraid to stand up
for what they believe in, someone who is
well versed in her politics, or if not well
versed, willing to learn, but the best part
is speaking up in a society that is so intent
on silencing women,” Hunter said. “It’s
having lots of discussions, reading, staying
engaged and learning how we can help the
most marginalized groups.”
It is crucial to remember that
women weren’t always included in the
conversation. The politically active woman
should use her power and intelligence
to include others in the conversation.
Accurate representation will never be
achieved until that happens — education
first, action second. Diamond says, as a
politically active woman, it’s important to
focus on “encouraging change in your local
communities and being a change-maker
yourself.”
For those who are still growing
into the politically active woman, Tew
encourages other women to remain openminded.
“Even since last year, my idea of
what it means to be politically active has
changed and I still have a long way to go,”
she said.
The politically active woman is a
person each one of us must become in our
own way. Independence and passion is
what makes her who she is. She is fierce,
but compassionate. She is open-minded
and asks questions. She is always ready to
defend her beliefs, but also willing to learn
and change her mind. Most importantly,
she is determined to help and educate
others. These traits won’t look the same on
everyone, but what matters is that they are
present. No matter how or what it takes to
become her, it is necessary that we do.
[69]

MASKS:
This Year’s Unexpected
Must-Haves
By Sophia Surrett
Making a quick arrival into
our daily routine, people
are adding masks to their
checkout carts at a rapid rate. This has
inspired brands to begin producing their
own masks and incorporating these new
fashion necessities into their online stores.
Brands like Kirious Los Angeles,
a wholesale company that sells to major
retailers, have decided to promote
safety, and encourage the wearing of face
coverings by designing chic and practical
masks.
“Right when the pandemic hit, a lot
of our purchase orders got canceled, so we
had to pivot to going online,” Philip Kim, a
partner of Kirous Los Angeles, said. “When
my cousin was starting [the brand], we had
a lot of extra fabric. He said ‘why don’t we
just make face masks to encourage people
to wear them. Let’s make them cute and
fashionable, make it like an accessory.’”
Kirious Los Angeles includes a
free mask with every garment purchase.
This decision was made not only to gain
attraction to its website, but also to
encourage individuals to participate in a
now must-have health habit.
Face coverings have not only
positively impacted humans, but several
businesses as well. With so much
uncertainty surrounding retail right now,
one thing is sure: we need masks. Brands
saw this as a chance to increase earnings,
save jobs and deliver an essential item to
the public. Because of greater accessibility
and affordability, customers benefit
[70]
immensely from the boost in non-medical
masks.
In the beginning of the pandemic,
surgical masks were basically inaccessible,
which was a major concern for the essential
workers who were putting themselves on
the frontlines.
“We wanted to promote that our
masks were reusable and washable, so they
are not a one time thing where you would
throw them out,” Marla Cueva, social
media coordinator at Dippin’ Daisy’s, said.
“There have been tons and tons of articles
that show mask pollution, gloves and all
that we have been using to stay safe during
this pandemic, are causing a lot of waste in
our landfills and our oceans and affecting
our wildlife.”
Grounded in community service
and eco-friendly goals, Dippin’ Daisy’s has
contributed over 13,000 masks to different
hospitals, police officers, firefighters and
other groups to help give back to the
community.
“Since we started offering masks, we
have seen a lot of people order, which is
great because they are contributing to our
charitable cause,” Cueva said. “When you
buy one, we give one, so we’re able to give
back to our community and donate to the
professionals.”
With the variety of reusable masks
and the different prints that are offered,
styling your outfits can be difficult.
Anna Kearney, a sophomore
majoring in fashion retail at The University
of Alabama, uses her makeup skills and
fashion background to help style her dayto-day
outfits.
“As [the pandemic] has progressed,
I have seen masks as more of an accessory,
like I do with my earrings or my shoes,”
Kearney said. “I try to make them more
fun for my outfits. It has definitely pushed
me to try new things with my eye makeup,
which I have always been interested in, but
since that is the only thing someone can see
on my face now when I am out in public, I
definitely try to explore that more.”
Creating looks with a new
requirement can be difficult, but wearing
solid colors can make the process simpler.
Black masks coordinate with most outfits,
and some people have used their artistic
abilities to sew cute designs, clip pins on
the masks and even use bleach for fun
designs.
Trying new things, especially with
masks, is a new territory for most people
during the pandemic. Keeping up with
fashion trends isn’t as feasible as it usually
is, so having a unique style is the best way
to go about tackling the masks.
“I think it has forced me to try new
things, and I don’t have a problem with
it,” Kearney said. “Roll Tide and wear your
mask.”
COVID-19 has many negatives, but
the positives are out there if you look hard
enough. Bringing the world together and
keeping each other safe has brought out
communication across the country and
compassion for others.

FEATURES
Photographer/Keely Brewer
[71]

FEATURES
it matters:
trans representation
in fashion & beauty
By Ta’Kyla Bates
[72]

Fashion and beauty allow people
to express themselves through
makeup, clothes and jewelry.
From Kylie’s new makeup kit to New York
Fashion Week, consumers crave the next
best thing in these industries. They strive
to look like models Kendall Jenner and
Bella Hadid, because at some point in time
they represent what was the standard of
beauty.
As the industries have progressed
there has been more representation of
marginalized groups. Black women like
Winnie Harlow, Naomi Campbell and
Tyra Banks have paved the way for Black
models. They now have makeup shades
that match their skin tone, which is a
big step forward in the beauty industry.
LGBTQ+ individuals are also represented
in the industry, Cara Delevigne one of the
most recognizable ones.
But what about other marginalized
groups of people? The transgender
community is possibly the most
unrepresented and overlooked group in
the fashion and beauty industries, but
here’s the weird thing. If people don’t
realize a person is transgender, then it is
not a problem. Why is that?
Tracey “Africa” Norman was the face
of Clairol in the mid-1970s. A Black model
making her way through the industry,
Norman was carrying a secret: she was
transgender. She was the first Black
transgender model in the modeling world.
After Norman was outed as a transgender
female, the industry shunned her. During
this time, transgender was not a term
many people used, but now trans visibility
is more prominent.
Yet, some things haven’t changed. In
2018, Ed Razek, chief marketing officer for
Victoria’s Secret, was asked if they should
have transgender models in the show.
“No. No, I don’t think we should,”
Razek said in an interview with W
Magazine. “Why not? Because the show is
a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment
special. That’s what it is. It is the only one
of its kind in the world.”
What is the “fantasy” that he
mentions, a world where only skinny, cis,
mostly white women exist?
As progressive as these industries
are becoming, representation of the
trans community in fashion and beauty
is important, but lacking. There are not
enough people willing to showcase the
beauty of being a transgender woman or
man.
As a kid, I never really saw models
that looked like me, Black. There were
a select few, and not many were darkskinned.
I know how it feels to not see
yourself in a place where people are
deemed beautiful; It makes you feel as
though your beauty is not good enough.
Trans kids and people need to be able
to see themselves in fashion shows and in
makeup ads, so they know that everyone’s
beauty is unique in its own way. It is very
important to show that beauty isn’t just cis
straight white females and males.
In a 2017, a Models.com article
titled “How Should a Model be Treated?”
highlighted anonymous models who
wanted to share their stories of how the
industry mistreats them.
“When the designer found out I was
transgender...they canceled my booking,”
one model said.
“I’m a person
of color, first; a
woman, second;
the third, filled
with possibilities;
and lastly, I’m
trans — each of
them giving me
strength.”
The designer said it was “a risk,” that
it would “draw too much attention,” and
the brand would be affected negatively.
A transgender woman or man is not
a risk, and being trans does not negate
beauty. Trans people go through the
struggle of trying to be themselves and to
be accepted by society every day. Carrying
that burden is enough and denying
their dreams because of who they are is
something these industries don’t always
take into consideration.
The industry is slowly moving in
the right direction with the representation
of transgender models. Refinery29
highlighted five up and coming
transgender models who are changing the
modeling world. The models discussed
their hardships of being trans and how
each of their experiences is different.
Model Teddy Quinlivan discussed
her “passing privilege,” explaining that
because she looks more cisgender than
some of her colleagues she has far better
opportunities than other trans individuals.
This is an example of how the industry
accepts marginalized groups but only at a
certain standard. Trans people that look
like the gender they identify with; Black
people, but lighter skin tones.
Another model Refinery29 spoke
with was Lenya Bloom, a transgender
female and person of color (POC) who
explained that being a POC has come with
more issues than those that came with her
being transgender.
“I’m a person of color, first; a woman,
second; the third, filled with possibilities;
and lastly, I’m trans — each of them giving
me strength,” Bloom said in the interview.
The trans community is unprotected
in this world. It is a gift to be accepted into
a place where you are able to freely express
yourself. For trans people, that place
not only has to accept them but protect
them as well. Everyone has to be treated
equally. Models want to be appreciated
and protected rather than fixated on and
fetishized. Bloom describes the fashion
industry as a safe space for transgender
women and models, but it is a place where
trans people have to work twice as hard for
opportunities.
Many trans models are homeless,
hungry and in need of medical aid.
According to a report by transequality.
org, one in five transgender people have
been homeless once in their lives, mainly
because of discrimination and violence.
Bloom tells Refinery29, “They’re
making so much money off of us, but
they’re not paying us.”
Quinlivan thinks trans models
deserve equal opportunities, but believes
being trans is not what makes them who
they are.
“The fact that I’m transgender isn’t
what makes me successful, but it’s what
makes me special and unique,” she said.
The next step that the beauty
and fashion industries need to take is
to throw away the labels. Transgender
models are models, no need for the
modifier. Treatment among all people
needs to be fair and equal among in the
modeling industry. Models like Bloom and
Quinlivan want people to know that being
transgender is not what is important but
that it does matter, and that modeling is
a place where transgender representation
is necessary.
[73]

[ o p i n i o n ]
76
78
80
82
In The Consideration of Empathy
What Mental Health Really Looks LIke
For The (Diet) Culture
Cultural Appropriation Is Not Couture
[74]

[75]
Photographer/Alexis Blue//Model/ Jurnee Moore

OPINION
[76]

in consideration of
empathy
By Simone Shadd
On Sept. 23, 2020, The
University of Alabama
hosted “A Conversation with
Jane Elliott” as a part of their Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion (DEI) certification
process. Given her history, I registered
for the event knowing that I was going to
spend an hour listening to an incredibly
blunt keynote speech that would spark
controversy on a conservative campus
like The University of Alabama. I’ve been
here long enough to know that below the
surface of unity on this campus lurks the
understanding that our harmony is only
preserved by the student body’s general
willingness to accept the status quo and
keep dissenting opinions quiet. For this
reason, the prospect of Elliott’s speech
and its consequences both excited and
frightened me.
As expected, there were a good
number of unhappy attendees, but
therein lies the beauty of this event. The
disgruntled audience members, while
angrily mashing their keyboards to
discredit Elliott, inadvertently proved her
point. Our learned inability to empathize
is at the crux of all the social issues that
affect members of our campus.
Elliott claims that education in the
United States is not education but rather
a mandatory indoctrination from ages 5 to
18 that demands that all people, white or
not, buy into the lie of white supremacy. As
an educator, her time was spent teaching
the type of history in which white men do
all the adventuring and that Black history
starts with slavery.
That type of history finds itself in
every classroom in the United States, and it
perpetuates an image which upholds white
as right. After the assassination of Martin
Luther King Jr, Elliott made the choice
to break from the cycle of indoctrination
and conduct her now famous “Blue Eyes,
Brown Eyes” exercise. The students who
first participated in the exercise and
the individuals, young or old, who have
participated since have come away with a
new perspective about racism, or any other
type of discrimination, and empathy.
The student body at UA may not
have been able to do the “Blue Eyes, Brown
Eyes” exercise for themselves, but at the
very least, hearing about the exercise, its
genesis, outcomes and continued relevance
should have encouraged some level of selfreflection.
While some, like myself, walked
away from that Zoom event with a new
vigor to learn and do the uncomfortable
work of dismantling racism; others walked
away with a chip on their shoulder and a
tangible resentment for UA, Elliott and her
message.
One of the points Elliott made was
that people of color have to adapt their
needs to match the environment, while
the “melanemic” adapt the environment to
their needs. This observation demonstrates
the power dynamic that produces the
hyper flexibility of people of color and the
rigidity and unwillingness to compromise
of white people.
After the event, my colleagues
and I discussed our opinions about
Elliott’s speech. Unsurprisingly, a
conservative white woman expressed
her disappointment about the political
elements of the speech and even
mentioned that some organizations were
made so uncomfortable by the rhetoric
that they were considering dropping out
of the DEI certification process. She also
made a point to say that she brought up
these points to “start a conversation for
improvements in the future.”
Upon first glance, I could feel myself
getting angry. But after waiting to respond,
I decided to speak. I made the point to
tell her that I was addressing her with
compassion and not from a place of anger.
I expressed that for some, like myself, DEI
and politics cannot be separated because
our bodies and identities are politicized
every day. Elliott said things that I and
others have been afraid to say.
Too many times on this campus,
white people advocate for free speech so
they can express their opinions openly
(even though what it seems they really
want is to be able to speak without ever
receiving criticism). People of color are
made to swallow their dissent and not
upset the harmony on campus or the egos
of the “melanemic.” Time and time again,
people of color are asked to empathize
with white people. We are asked to see
from their perspective or walk a mile in
their shoes. The second that Elliott voiced
her views and asked white people to afford
the same considerations to people of color,
the fragile peace people of color have
negotiated to maintain their safety on this
campus was gone.
The chat broke out in “Trump
2020” messages and one student took to
Twitter and claimed that the event was
“mandatory.” Claims that Elliott was “not
unifying” and a “poor choice for diversity”
began to spring up on the Student
Government Association Facebook page.
Once again, angry members of the campus
proved a point. They were willing to lie
to make the environment fit their beliefs.
They were unwilling to see the value Elliott
represented for students on this campus
who have to live with suffering in silence
every day. White people want people
of color to empathize and apologize for
their discomfort, all while not once even
attempting to empathize themselves.
Hypocrisy is only a luxury that
white people can afford. DEI by nature is
uncomfortable, and as students on this
campus seeking to get certified in DEI,
we all have to be willing to sit with our
discomfort in order to learn. I am not
surprised by the outrage following Elliott’s
speech, but that won’t stop me from being
disappointed. We can do better. We have to
do better and that starts with empathy. If
we cannot empathize, then there will never
be equity and we will never end racism—or
any other type of discrimination.
[77]

what mental
health really
looks like
[78]

OPINION
By Mackenna Carney
I
know that I have found myself scrolling through
Instagram and thought, “Wow, her life looks
so perfect. She must not have any problems.”
Although nobody wants to admit that they have
judged someone else, we have all been guilty of
it at some point in our lives. Judging others and
trying to decide for ourselves who they are is a part
of human nature. But who are we to really decide
who someone is and what they could or could not
be struggling with? She may seem like the life of
the party, dancing and singing her heart out to her
favorite songs, never going anywhere without a
smile painted on her face, but behind closed doors
she could be struggling with crippling anxiety and
depression.
I wracked my brain for hours trying to think of
what mental health should look like, but in reality,
there is no certain way mental health should look on
anyone. For example, Paris Hilton promotes herself
as this wild, crazy celebrity who is famous for her
looks and party-girl personality but in her YouTube
documentary, The Real Story of Paris Hilton, it
reveals a side of her that nobody has ever seen. She
talks about Provo Canyon, a camp that her parents
sent her to when she was a teenager to ultimately
“fix her.” Behind the gates of this dreadful place,
she was abused mentally, physically and sexually.
She recalls one instance in which she was put into
solitary confinement with no clothes, food or water.
Hilton now suffers from post-traumatic stress
disorder with constant nightmares from those years
in her life. Without watching this documentary,
we would never know this about her. She puts on
a front and works to play this character, but on
the inside, she struggles every single day with her
mental health.
Another similar situation comes from my best
friend, the kind of friend that you know every little
thing about. We have been through it all together,
and I have seen her face many battles that she has so
bravely conquered. Everyone that knows her would
think that she has it all. But, what people miss is
the abusive mother, the clinical depression and the
divorced family. While she would come to school
with designer purses and perfect hair extensions,
her mental health was deteriorating by the day.
Coming home from school, it was always a toss up
on what kind of mood her mother would be in. Fear
and depression consumed her. She struggled to
even get out of bed some days. But would anyone
at school ever know? Not even a little bit, and that
made it even worse. She felt that since nobody
realized what was happening, she had to internalize
it. Imagine struggling to keep everything bottled up
while flaunting a mask of perfection every single
day.
“Imagine struggling and having to
keep it bottled up while putting on a
mask of perfection every single day.”
Although this is not something that most
people would be able to tell about me, I battle anxiety
every day. Anxiety is hard to explain to people,
especially if they don’t struggle with it since it looks
different for everyone. It can go from overthinking
about going to a public setting with tons of people
to struggling to get simple tasks done because your
mind is constantly on overdrive. I have learned that
we cannot just pretend that we know everything
about someone’s mental condition. I have days
where I am on the verge of an anxiety attack, and
the people around me can’t even tell that anything
is different.
You never know what someone is going
through. There is a quote that emphasizes that you
should be kind to people always, because you never
know what they’re going through. I started to think
about this quote and how true it really is. While
someone may act like they have it all together, they
could be battling their own demons right in the
open.
The title of this article asks what mental
health should look like but really, mental health
cannot be proven to “look” a specific way. Each
person has their own battles and their own struggles
that cannot be labeled.
[79]

Photographer/Rebecca Martin//Model/Jen Bowman
[80]
By Bentley Harden

OPINION
TW: EATING DISORDERS, DIETING
Could you imagine squeezing your body into a
corset before going anywhere? It used to be a
social norm to wear one and appear as if your
waist was for decoration only, and not holding
vital organs. Thankfully
we don’t have to do that
anymore, right?
Technically, right.
Finally, we’re free from the
stigma that womens’ bodies
are beautiful only if they look
like they could snap in two
down the middle. No more
corsets, but now women are
expected to naturally have
the curves that corsets gave
women years ago.
If there isn’t a tool, like
a corset, for women to achieve
this incredibly specific
standard of beauty, then what
is there to do? Look out—here
it comes—diet culture.
Don’t eat breakfast, the
hunger goes away. Green tea
every morning with a shot
of apple cider vinegar will
do the trick, I swear. Still
not working? Huh, weird.
Maybe your body simply...
can’t be pretty. Have you
tried keto? Changed my life.
Try veganism—save the world
and your body at the same
time!
If you’ve ever been told
anything from the paragraph
above, I’m sorry. You were
a victim of diet culture at
work. If you’re anything like me, some of your darkest times
and thoughts have stemmed from comments like those. The
majority of diet culture exists as a promotional testimony,
where people, not just women, repeatedly tell their stories.
How they lost 225 pounds, got rid of their “arm flab,” or how
they got toned abs in 30 days: these people are promoting
their own successes with their health by seemingly forcing
their own agenda onto you as well. I hope someone has told
you this, but getting toned abs in 30 days can not be done
by everyone, and shouldn’t
be expected. All bodies
are different; they require
different amounts of nutrition
based on factors that are both
in and out of your control.
But when this side of dieting
comes up, most people fall
silent.
I was a victim of diet
culture. I tried every trick in
the book, and trust me, that
article from Cosmo will not be
the one that will finally work.
These stories and testimonies
didn’t inspire me, they
shamed me. These women
could do it, what’s wrong with
you, right? I constantly asked
myself why I wasn’t capable
of losing weight. It became an
obsession. Before you know
it, I was sitting in my middle
school cafeteria, counting
the oranges I ate that day
so I could run that many
miles after school. The toxic
positivity and faux inclusive
nature of diet culture is one of
the reasons why I, and many
others, developed an eating
disorder.
Diet culture isn’t
all bad. There are a lot of
inspiring women out there
who are making a change for the better and that’s great.
Know that your body is wonderful the way it is, and that it
shouldn’t respond to the same diet as your favorite model
or the best workout trainer on the internet. It wouldn’t be
yours then.
[81]

CULTURAL
APPROPRIATION
IS NOT COUTURE
By Ta’Kyla Bates
Growing up, I witnessed big
hooped earrings, Apple
Bottom jeans, long nails,
cornrows and more. I saw it from my mom,
my cousins and other peers. It was and still
is a way of life for me as a Black girl.
It is a part of Black culture to create
trends and styles that make us who we
are. In my youth, I failed to recognize that
those long acrylics and cornrows made
Black women stand out from everyone
else. Black culture is a sacred space where
Black people can express themselves
without interference. Many cultures are
like this whether it’s Native American
culture, Asian culture or Indian culture, it
is a part of someone.
We tend to steal cultures to create
fashion trends. However, the problem
with this is that appreciation for other
cultures can become appropriation of
other cultures. Remember in kindergarten
when we did that dreadful Thanksgiving
play, and half the class dressed as Pilgrims
and the other half were Indians? We
would mimic traditional Native American
headdresses from construction paper and
our parents would come to watch and
cheer us on? It was “cute’’ at the time, but
it was cultural appropriation.
Society tends to overlook cultural
appropriation because it is usually done
in a joking manner. It is not a joke when
a Black woman is told that her natural
afro is too unprofessional for her job and
is fired, while Kendall Jenner is on the
cover of Vogue with the same hairstyle. It
is fashion when Gigi Hadid wears a hijab
on the cover of Vogue Arabia, but Muslim
women are harassed or even killed because
it is a part of their culture.
Stealing cultures is not trendy, it is
infuriating. Some people do not realize
that it is cultural appropriation. That is
why we have to educate ourselves and
others about what is acceptable and what
is just plain disrespectful.
“Appropriation occurs when the
appropriator is not aware of the deep
significance of the culture they are
partaking in,” actress Amandla Stenberg
said.
We see cultural appropriation
[82]

OPINION
everywhere everyday, the fashion and
beauty industries being the biggest
contributors to the problem. In 2015, Marc
Jacobs hosted a runway show where some
of his white models were seen wearing a
traditional African hairstyle called Bantu
Knots. In an article with Huffington Post,
Marc Jacobs’ lead hairstylist, Guido Palau,
said he was inspired by Bjork and her
“punky vibe” from the ‘90s, with Jacobs
referred to Bantu knots as “mini buns.” The
problem was not the use of the hairstyle,
the problem was the inspiration being a
rocker girl from the ‘90s and the hairstyle
being referred to as “mini buns.”
Kim Kardashian-West spoke to
Bustle about being under fire for wearing
Fulani Braids, a traditional African
hairstyle she referred to as “Bo Derek
braids.” Kardashian-West defended the
decision in Glamour, calling it a way of
“honoring her own daughter’s biracial
hair.”
Kardashian-West’s daughter has full
rights to wear the braids because it is a part
of HER culture, her Black culture. If Kim
were Black or biracial herself there would
be no problem, but she is not either of
those. She can honor her biracial daughter
by teaching her about Black culture and
letting her see Black women wear those
styles. Sometimes, such as in cases like
this, it is better to teach with examples
rather than demonstrations.
We have to stop appropriating
sacred cultures to be “cool and trendy.” We
have to call out our friends and let them
know that “blaccents,” wearing cornrows,
dressing in traditional cultural attire that
isn’t theirs is not okay – it is offensive.
That when someone of a specific culture
calls you out on appropriation, you do
not argue, you just say “okay” and learn
from it. Richard Cohen describes cultural
appropriation in the best way possible:
As an “intellectual fence.” In other words,
KEEP OUT.
[83]
Photographer/Alexis Blue//Model/ Jurnee Moore

[entertainment]
86
90
92
96
Now Showing in Theaters is Not What’s Showing in the Writer’s Room
Looking Back and Going Forward
From Words to Swords
Left Out: Women and POC Award Show Snubs
[84]

[85]
Photographer/Keely Brewer//Model/Kenya Harris

NOW SHOWING IN THEATERS
IS NOT
WHAT’S SHOWING IN
THE WRITER’S ROOM
By Emily Safron
[86]

A
s eager audience members
grab their popcorn and head
into the theater, their screens
have been upgraded to reflect
more diverse groups. To fans,
it appears as though production companies
and directors are making significant
strides in improving the diversity and
inclusion amongst their casting. Shows
like The Good Place have replaced the
all-white sitcoms of Friends and Seinfeld
with diverse casts full of different races
and sexual orientations. What moviegoers
and TV viewers don’t realize is that
despite the diversity shown on screen, it’s
incomparable to the lack of diversity in the
writer’s room for those films and shows.
In a recent study conducted by
Deadline, writer Dino Ray-Ramos delves
into this topic with further research and
statistics from Professor Stacy L. Smith
and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative.
The study looked at 57,629 characters in
films from 2007 to 2019.
“Only 13 women of color have
directed a top film across 1,300 movies in
13 years,” Ramos shared.
Ramos also spoke to Smith who
headed the study.
“This is a critical moment for the
industry to commit to real and substantive
change,” she commented.
THE BOLD TYPE
One TV show that has been doing
it right on screen has been Freeform’s
The Bold Type. The show initially aired
in 2017 and is now on its fourth season.
Set in New York, the show centers around
three girls in their mid-20’s navigating life
while working for a Cosmo-like magazine.
Since its start, the show has successfully
tackled heavy topics such as gun control,
immigration reform and sexual assault.
While the show has nailed it with onscreen
representation, this is not the case
behind the scenes.
Before the finale for the fourth season
aired, Aisha Dee, the actress who plays Kat
Edison on the show, took to Instagram
to call out the show’s “confusing and out
of character” storyline for her character.
Throughout the show, Kat comes out as
bisexual and works to bring diversity and
inclusion into their on-screen publication,
Scarlet. Within the referenced storyline,
she begins a relationship that goes against
everything she stands for throughout the
show.
“It took two seasons to get a single
BIPOC in the writer’s room for The Bold
Type,” Dee wrote. “And even then, the
responsibility to speak for the entire Black
experience cannot and should not fall on
ENTERTAINMENT
one person. In four seasons, we’ve had one
Black woman direct two episodes… it took
three seasons to get someone in the hair
department who knew how to work with
textured hair.”
Dee’s statement was met with
positive feedback from her fellow co-stars,
Katie Stevens and Megan Fahy.
“Please read what my girl has to say.
I am beyond proud of my sister @aishtray.
I stand by her through thick and thin and
am so proud of the woman she is,” Stevens
posted on Instagram.
Shortly after, the producers released
a statement agreeing with the post and
looking at a plan of action.
“Our goal on The Bold Type is and
has always been to tell entertaining,
authentic stories that are representative of
the world that Kat, Jane, and Sutton live
in – we can only do that if we listen,” they
responded.
While eager fans await to see if
The Bold Type will be picked up for
another season, they remain hopeful that
producers will take actionable steps and
stay true to their statement.
Disney’s live-action version of
Mulan came to Disney+ viewers and
[87]
Photographer/Keely Brewer//Model/Kenya Harris

theaters worldwide in September 2020.
However, many were disappointed over
the historical inaccuracies in costumes
and makeup, and several inappropriate
references to Chinese culture.
An in-depth article from Fortune
shared how much research Disney
conducted in order to cater to a Chinese
audience. In the five years they spent
preparing, they spent close to $200 million.
“Disney cast actors popular in China,
hired Chinese consultants, shared the
script with Chinese authorities, and cut
scenes that Chinese test audiences didn’t
like,” the article said.
What Disney hadn’t taken into
account was the all-white production crew,
that in turn, caused the highly-anticipated
motion picture to flop.
While research was conducted to
make the film look diverse, the movie itself
was led by a white director and all-white
writers and producers.
In an article from Strange Harbors,
the history of Asian representation on
the big screen and its attempt to push
boundaries in the past few years i. In 2016,
The Great Wall production company felt
the need to include “marketable white
faces” such as Matt Damon in fear that
the film would not draw the audience’s
attention. Shortly after, Crazy Rich Asians
premiered as one of the first U.S. films to
have a predominantly Asian cast.
Although Crazy Rich Asians was
a success for diversity on the big screen,
this was not the case amongst those who
helped to produce it. After an unsuccessful
fight over the massive pay gap difference
of over $200,000 amongst men and
women, co-writer Adele Lim left the
sequel production.
“Being evaluated that way can’t help
but make you feel that is how they view my
contributions,” Lim wrote.
She referred to both women and
those of color as soy sauce – “hired to
sprinkle culturally specific details on a
screenplay, rather than credited with the
substantive work of crafting the story.”
Looking back at the significant strides
that have been made in terms of diversity,
equity and inclusion, these incidents seem
like significant stepbacks. Mulan was
initially created to be empowering and
tributary to Chinese culture, yet neither
was achieved. The movie benefited the
white production team more so than the
cast of Asian descent in the film.
[88]

With diversity, equity and inclusion
becoming even more critical than ever,
we need to start looking at the production
gaps. As more women and those of color
begin to stand up for themselves and their
peers, we need to listen.
“Too often the results of studies
like [the Deadline inclusion study] garner
attention without action,” Smith shared.
“As protests for racial justice continue, it
is imperative that companies move beyond
performative statements and commit to
take actions that will result in inclusive
hiring practices on screen and behind the
camera.”
[89]

By Lindsey Wilkinson
[90]
Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, Tracy
from Mahogany, Patience from
Catwoman and Jo from Little Women are
all iconic female characters that have been
idolized by viewers for decades. While
many women commonly name these
characters as influential and admirable,
there is concern about the limited amount
of role models women have to choose from.
In an industry that boasts diversity, equity
and inclusion, it brings one to wonder how
far the entertainment industry has actually
come.
One area in which women are still
being portrayed as supporting characters
is on men-focused channels. A study
on gender representation on gendertargeted
television channels conducted
in 2017 found that women were underrepresented
on men’s television. Women
were often cast in traditional roles as
housewives and other “nurturing” roles. In
contrast, women-focused channels, such
as Lifetime and Oxygen, represented men
in many ways, including non-stereotypical
roles like completing household projects
and being nurturing to children.
This kind of narrowcasting, which
grew in popularity in the 1980s, is
detrimental to viewers. Common Sense
found that higher levels of television
viewing were associated with 4-year-olds
being more likely to think men are better

than women, and they are more likely to
have tolerant views of sexual harassment
and acceptance of dating violence. One
of the most disturbing findings was that
girls who watch more clips showing female
stereotypes express less interest in STEM
careers than those who are shown footage
featuring female scientists. This is why
representation matters.
“When I was growing up most of
the women on TV didn’t work,” Caroline
Threadgill, a 52-year-old special education
parent mentor, said. “They did what their
husbands told them to do and couldn’t
make decisions on their own. My personal
insight has changed a lot since my husband
died. I have had to figure stuff out on my
own, and I’ve never had to do that before.
I think it’s important for girls to realize
the value of being independent, because I
didn’t until I had to.”
It is significant to note, confirming
Threadgill’s experience, that young girls
who grow up watching gender-traditional
TV content are more likely to have
traditional attitudes about gender roles,
according to a study conducted in 2017.
There are, however, early examples in the
entertainment industry of women breaking
these stereotypes and glass ceilings.
In 1951, Gertrude Berg, who played
the character of Molly Goldberg on CBS’s
The Goldbergs, won an Emmy for her
role. This was the same year that acting
awards were divided into male and female
categories, so she was the first actress ever
awarded. While Berg’s character was a
Bronx housewife, she was also one of the
first women in the industry to work as a
writer and producer. Berg wrote, directed,
produced and starred in the show.
“Back in the day women’s strength
could still be shown even in the constraints
of what a woman could do,” Sylvia Castillo,
a 63-year-old Spanish-language translator,
said. “There were resilient characters who
might fall, but they kept going.”
In contrast to the 50s emphasis on
traditional family roles, the 60s brought
on a new generation of women. One of
these women was actress Marlo Thomas
who famously said to a television network,
“I don’t want to be the wife of somebody,
I don’t want to be the daughter of
somebody, I don’t want to be the secretary
of somebody, I want to be THE somebody.”
Thomas was nominated for an Emmy
four times, and in 1967 she won a Golden
Globe for her performances on That Girl.
The show is known for setting a precedent
for programs for and about women. It
even led to Nielson adding the “working
women” category to its demographic.
This shift in the advertising
landscape wasn’t the only change following
the introduction of a broader range of
female experiences in the media. The Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission
launched an investigation into network
hiring policies for women in the early 70s.
At that point, with the added legal pressure
on the industry, more opportunities than
ever before were available to women.
However, this influx of female journalists,
lawyers and more on-screen does not
equate to equality.
The Center for the Study of Women
in Television and Film released a report in
2019 which found that females accounted
for only 37% of major characters. This was
higher than 2018, but just by a singular
point. Streaming service programs had
42% identifiable sole female protagonists
— this can be compared to only 27% of
cable programs and only 24% of broadcast
programs. When assessed by race, women
of color are largely still under represented
with only 20% Black female characters and
5% Latina female characters.
While women are still struggling
for equal screen time, it is important to
note the ways in which the entertainment
industry has succeeded. For instance, BBC
America’s Killing Eve featuring Sandra Oh
and Jodie Comer completely reimagined
Hollywood’s portrayal of spy storylines. The
show has been praised by The Guardian,
Deadline, BuzzFeed, Refinery29 and more
for its abandonment of typical gender roles
and industry tropes. Oh’s work throughout
her career has been praised in the industry
— she was the first Asian woman to win
multiple Golden Globes, as well as host the
award show. There are also other ways in
which the industry has bettered itself.
“I think in older movies abuse of
women was shown and more accepted as
normal,” Castillo said. “I think that affected
ENTERTAINMENT
me as a child, and I think it affected other
children as well.”
The influx of programs and
guidelines is another factor as to the
success of women in the industry. The
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences recently amended its guidelines
for the Best Picture category, stating that
a film can only be eligible if the film meets
certain criteria, one of which being at least
30% of all actors in secondary and more
minor roles are from at least two of the
following underrepresented groups. The
Bechdel test, which asks whether a piece
of media features at least two women
who talk to each other about something
other than a man, is another measure of
defining representation of women that
has gained traction in the industry. Hulu’s
partnership with ReFrame is another
example of the industry’s response to
criticism regarding the representation of
women. ReFrame awards productions that
hire female-identifying people in four out
of eight areas, including writers, directors,
producers, leads, co-leads, speaking parts,
department heads and crew.
Andrew Billings, the Ronald Reagan
Chair of Broadcasting, credits some of the
success in the representation of women
to the exceedingly vast spaces in which
stories can be told specifically on streaming
platforms.
“I think the types of stories that are
being told have increased tremendously,”
Billings said.
While there is still much to be done
in terms of equal screen time, casting and
portrayals of the female experience, the
industry has made leaps and bounds in
recent years. The addition of organizations
whose sole purpose is to hold the industry
accountable has put the needed pressure
on many filmmakers and screenwriters to
showcase diverse storylines and switch up
the status quo. None of this would have
been possible without the historic women
with whom audiences of all genders,
backgrounds and ages fell in love. These
women broke glass ceilings, fought for
what they wanted and paved the way for
generations to come.
“THESE WOMEN BROKE GLASS CEILINGS, FOUGHT FOR WHAT THEY
WANTED AND PAVED THE WAY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.”
[91]

FROM WORDS TO SWORDS
[92]
How the young-adult
dystopian genre lends a
hand to activism today
By Olivia Carroll
Photographer/Carson Redwine//Model/Ella Smyth

ENTERTAINMENT
A
teenager stands before their
nation, their government and
the world — demanding to be
seen, demanding change and refusing to
be silenced. The world watches and riots
with them, following the lead of a young
person fed up with the world around them.
This scene has walked off the pages of our
books and now stands as a reality all over
the world. It is a call for change and a cry
for action that is unknowingly scripted
through young-adult dystopian literature.
The publishing of The Hunger
Games by Suzanne Collins in 2008 started
what some would call a revolution in
the literary community. This genre that
was previously mocked, the only honor
reserved for literary classics like George
Orwell’s 1984, now had a platform of
respect to build off of. This base laid the
foundation for series like Divergent, Maze
Runner, Red Queen and so many more.
Then, in 2012, The Hunger Games took to
the screen, inciting a whole new group of
fans and solidifying itself as a formidable
franchise. With a few strokes of her pen,
Collins created a revolution that changed
an entire literature genre and inspired a
generation. Though she did not know it
at the time, this fictional uprising found
a home in real-life activism that is taking
place around the world.
In Hong Kong, the youth demand
liberation from potential extradition to
China and call for democracy as they etch
their rallying cry onto walls and websites:
If we burn, you burn with us. This line
stems from Collins’ third installment of
The Hunger Games franchise, The Hunger
Games: Mockingjay. Katniss, the main
protagonist, finds herself face to face with
a regime who lacks empathy for those
below them and acts on its own accord,
similar to the situation that the youth in
Hong Kong face.
Joshua Wong and Alex Chow, Hong
Kong activists, wrote in a New York Times
Op-Ed titled “The People of Hong Kong
Will Not Be Cowed by China.”
“Hong Kong’s youth are maturing
quickly from breathing in the toxic air that
is being shot at them,” they said. “Many
teenagers buy safety masks with their
pocket money — and their convictions
strengthened.”
[93]

Collins’ famous three-finger-salute
from The Hunger Games franchise is
just another example of how literary
revolutions translate to real-life activism.
In Thailand, student activists boast the
symbol proudly during their national
anthem in their student-led, antigovernment
protests. The salute is a way
for them to express their demands to a
government who refuses to listen. The
revolution that Collins wrote finds its
home in the voices of those around the
world who, like Katniss, want a better life
and are willing to fight for it.
Collins’ franchise is not the only
fictional story inspiring real-world
revolutions. Elements of Margaret
Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale have
also taken root in many protests and
demonstrations. The red cloak and white
bonnet that the characters wear have
become the uniform of fed-up women
around the world who refuse to sit back any
longer. As stated in an article titled “How
The Handmaid’s Tale” dressed protests
around the world from The Guardian,
the outfit has emerged as one of the most
powerful, current feminist symbols of
protest in a subversive inversion of its
association with the oppression of women.
“When we started using these
[94]
costumes … we put out a call to people who
could help make the costumes, and there
was a huge response,” Keishia Taylor, a
protestor against Ireland’s abortion law
who wears the outfit while protesting, said
in the article. “It shows this symbol strikes
a chord.”
This outfit from Atwood’s story does
more than demonstrate oppression in a
fictional society — it gives today’s women
strength to defy the rules that threaten to
oppress them.
Young-adult dystopian literature is
full of symbols and phrases that emerge in
different uprisings around the world. Suzie
Townsend, vice president and literary
agent at New Leaf Literary and Media,
said that she believes these stories to be so
impactful because these stories do more
than provide a gesture or a costume — they
provide the script to help young activists
find their voice.
“Despite the odds against them,
[the characters] manage to rise up and
overcome [their] circumstances to change
the world for the better,” Townsend said.
Activism today tends to follow
the basic script that every young-adult
dystopian novel follows: a young leader
thrust into the spotlight in a way they
never wanted or expected as the face of
a revolution. Others hear their cause and
begin to believe in them and rally together,
slowly gaining an army of activists ready to
take on the powers that be.
Greta Thunberg boycotted her
Friday classes to sit on the steps of her
parliament to demand attention to climate
change. Now, the world watches her speak
at the United Nations. Malala Yousafzai
wanted to learn and, so, when she was
told she could not, she decided to say she
disagreed. Then, the world rallied around
her as she recovered from being shot and
as she went on to lead a movement for
the education of young girls. “Little Miss
Flint,” Mari Copeny, hated the way the
water in her town was unusable, so she
posted about it. This act inspired outrage
and a demand for change. Truly, it is within
these books that we find worlds that allow
us to grow further than the walls around
us permit.
“If you’ve grown up with Katniss
(The Hunger Games) and Tris (Divergent)
changing their worlds for the better, it
gives you permission to look at your own
world and try to do the same,” Townsend
said.
People may doubt the real-life
impact that these books can have as they
take place in worlds so unlike our own,

questioning how a fictional space with
fictional characters leading a fictional
revolution can influence anyone to actually
do the same.
“...It’s great for teens to be exposed
to politics in other ‘worlds’ so that they
can process their feelings about certain
political issues in a safe space, and then
apply their thoughts to our own society,”
Townsend said.
In other words, it is easier to see right
and wrong when we are not analyzing our
own lives. In this way, fictional literature
allows readers to encounter a situation and
judge it objectively. Once readers do this,
they can close the book and find objective
truth beyond the pages.
Victoria Aveyard, author of the Red
Queen series, wrote on an Instagram post
on May 31, 2020:
“Most of you follow me because
you’ve read my books about the fictional
rebellion of an oppressed class against
their oppressors. If you can understand
that struggle, you can understand the real
pain faced by Black Americans every single
day. You can understand the outcry for
justice…”
Aveyard’s story takes place in
a completely different world where
individuals are judged based on the color
of their blood, red versus silver. Where
silver bloods have abilities, yet, Mare
Barrow, the protagonist, finds herself as
a red-blooded girl with silver abilities.
The series forces readers to encounter a
world filled with gray spots and decide for
themselves where justice lies.
Stories like this — where your blood
gives you magic, where you can only
belong to one faction, or where your name
is pulled in a lottery forcing you to play a
deadly game — are the stories that allow
revolutions to form in the world around us.
They provide individuals with a chance to
see a way out of the situation that they are
stuck in. A young girl stuck in poverty can
see others fight to change that. Another
who faces oppression for the color of her
skin can find hope and strength to stand
up for herself and others. Even one who
is not oppressed can see that others are
unfairly treated and find courage to join in
their fight for equality.
These stories and the women who
create them write the revolutions of our
lives and help us see why we must fight
back. They give us permission to explore
ideas, imagine progressive changes and
take action. These are the stories that hold
power in their words — the stories that
turn words to swords.
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[95]

ENTERTAINMENT
[96]
Photo courtesy of Jakob Owens

“The world may be terrible, but the
television has never been better,” Jimmy
Kimmel, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, said
to an empty Staples Center as he opened
the night at the first-ever virtual Emmy
awards.
More and more diverse voices
showcased their talents through both
film and television this past year, yet a
major problem in the industry remains
— awards nominations still tend to fall
predominantly to white males. This issue
is not new to Hollywood, but recently,
many have begun using their platforms to
voice their opinions and draw attention to
the lack of diversity, specifically regarding
the women and people of color (POC) who
are snubbed of nominations each awards
season.
During ABC News Live’s 2020
virtual red carpet pre-show, a powerful
PSA aired regarding this very issue.
The Association of National Advertisers
(ANA) and the Alliance for Inclusive and
Multicultural Marketing (AIMM) teamed
up with a variety of diverse stars, including
Billy Porter, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daniel
Dae Kim and more. They spoke openly and
candidly about their experiences in the
industry.
“We appreciate the dialogue,”
the PSA said. “We see the effort from
Hollywood. But we need more.”
AIMM created this PSA as part of
its #SeeALL campaign, “challenging the
entertainment industry to increase diverse
and accurate cultural representation in
programming and advertising.” While
it acknowledges that some efforts have
been made in Hollywood, ANA wants
to encourage the embrace of authentic
representation in the television industry.
The #SeeALL campaign kicked off a
few days prior to the Emmys on social
media, asking people to share photos that
represent their unique identities and how
they wish to be seen.
The hope is that the PSA and voices
speaking up will continue to register with
people in Hollywood and changes will
continue to be made in terms of increased
diversity and authentic representation
in media. The 2020 Emmys had a 33%
increase in Black nominees, but there were
groups that still lacked representation.
The absence of Latina women in the acting
categories was particularly noticeable to
some. Notable snubs include Pose star
Mj Rodriguez and Superstore’s America
Ferrera. Pose was actually missing from
a lot of major categories, with only Billy
Porter being nominated in the lead
actor category. Many cast members are
transgender or non-binary and delivered
passionate performances in season two,
yet their work went without recognition.
Memorable wins of the night
included Zendaya becoming the youngest
person and the second Black actress to
win the award for lead actress in a drama
series. Regina King won her fourth Emmy
for her role in Watchmen as outstanding
lead actress in a limited series, which she
graciously accepted in her home while
wearing a shirt with Breonna Taylor’s
name on it. Overall, this year’s Emmys set
a record for most wins by Black actors.
During the Oscars last February, the
lack of diverse nominees was extremely
clear within the acting categories.
Cynthia Ervio was the sole Black
nominee, nominated for her outstanding
performance in the film Harriet. Some of
the most notable snubs of the 2020 Oscars
included Jennifer Lopez for her work in
Hustlers and Lupita Nyong’o in Jordan
Peele’s Us. Lulu Wang (The Farewell) and
Greta Gerwig (Little Women) were also
missing from the Best Director category.
While the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences has been working
to increase female and POC membership,
the stark reality is that it still consists of
68% male and 84% white members. There
is no shortage of talent in the international
film market, yet Parasite was the first ever
South-Korean film to earn a nomination
for Best Picture. The film then went on to
become the first-ever foreign language film
to actually win in this category.
There is progress being made,
but is it enough? This past year, the
Academy renamed an Oscar category,
changing it from Best Foreign Film to Best
International Film. Other new initiatives
put in place include new requirements for
Best Picture eligibility that focus on raising
inclusion standards. Variety covered the
new inclusion standards that will go into
effect in 2024. When submitting for Best
Picture, a film will be required to meet two
of the four standards. These standards
apply to all aspects of the filming process,
from on-screen representation and studio
executives to interns and marketing
departments. This could mean at least
one of the lead, or significant supporting,
actors is from an underrepresented
racial or ethnic group or one of the main
storylines/themes is centered around one
of these groups. The same goes for creative
leadership, department heads, and even
the marketing and publicity departments.
It is important to note that women are
considered an underrepresented group,
along with racial and ethnic groups,
LGBTQ+ and people with cognitive or
physical disabilities.
As someone who has held various
roles in the entertainment industry over
the past 15 years, Tony Brown believes that
power is real and that “you don’t have to
go any further than the top.” While Brown
acknowledges the current trailblazers in
the industry right now who come from
underrepresented communities, he knows
it is still not enough and there is much
more to be done.
While these new initiatives are a
step in the right direction, it is going to
take more than the Academy simply laying
out new standards for there to be major
changes in Hollywood. The opportunities
for women and POC need to be more than
just something that checks a box. There
are important voices and perspectives
being overlooked that have so much to
contribute to the entertainment industry.
Hollywood is missing out on the amazing
works and performances that these groups
could contribute by denying them equal
opportunities and by failing to recognize
their accomplishments during awards
season. As the world moves forward and
the entertainment scene gets back on its
feet while adopting a new normal in the
midst of COVID019, now is the time for
people to speak up and for change to start
happening.
[97]

[food & health]
100
102
104
107
How Much Are Self Care Products Really Effective?
Here’s to Cooking Up Something Good: College Edition
Advertised Healthy Alternatives: Real or Myth?
When Food Speaks to Culture
[98]

[99]
Photographer/Keely Brewer

FOOD &
HEALTH
HOW MUCH ARE
SELF CARE PRODUCTS
REALLY EFFECTIVE?
By Kalei Burgess
As the world has focused
more on the importance
of self care and its
helpfulness to your mental
and physical well being, a multitude of
products have hit the shelves that are
marketed towards this particular practice.
Although there really is nothing like
coming home after a long day, putting on
a sheet mask and lighting a candle, selfcare
has been twisted into a capitalist
money grab by corporations hoping to
cash in. Self-care is very important, but
it is necessary to focus on routines and
products that actually help to contribute
to your well being rather than just to drain
your bank account.
To Kadejah Adams, a junior at
The University of Alabama, self-care is a
necessary part in maintaining physical and
mental health while in college.
“I like to focus more on things like
journaling and writing,” Adams said. “I do
use certain products to help me unwind,
but most of the ones I try are kind of a
let down in terms of actual benefits and
results.”
Skincare and beauty products are
typically what we think of when we think
of self care. Especially with the explosion
Photographer/Keely Brewer
[100]

of TikTok gurus and beauty influencers
promoting their routines and secret
ingredients, it seems there is a never
ending list of products to try.
Licensed esthetician Natalia
Sanchez shared her professional opinions
on some of the fad-like products stocked
on the shelves at local grocery and wellness
stores.
“I do not recommend sheet masks
at all, especially for people with sensitive
skin,” Sanchez said. “I find masking works
best with natural products specifically
used for masking.”
Sheet masks often found at places
such as Walmart or CVS that are in the
$2-6 range promise anti-aging with the
use of moroccan oil, or hydration with kelp
infused clay, but usually can’t deliver those
results.
Those types of products are able
to be sold so easily because of the exotic
ingredients advertised. A lot of ingredients
are becoming trendy due to influencers
swearing by certain products. Witch hazel
has risen in popularity from TikTok to use
as a toner, since it is affordable and not as
harsh as alcohol-based products. A major
issue with trendy ingredients is that what
may work for one person may actually
harm another.
“Everyone’s skin is different, it all
depends on your skin type,” Sanchez said.
“I would not recommend witch hazel to
everyone, but it may help others.”
Other ingredients such as charcoal
and apricot have been put into just about
every product imaginable since their spike
in popularity. However, in most things
they’re a useless eye catcher that may be
masking the true danger of some self care
products.
“When I was in school, we were told
that the charcoal nose strips were actually
terrible for your pores,” Sanchez said. “The
most effective way to remove blackheads or
pustules would be using a good exfoliant,
steamer, and doing extractions. Also, the
apricot scrub that a lot of people use on
their face for exfoliating? That’s the worst
thing you can scrub your face with because
it is too harsh.”
Some good go to skin self-care
products Sanchez recommends are the
Bliss Fab Foaming Wash, the Bliss Micro-
Magic Microdermabrasion treatment, and
all of the Eminence products such as toner,
serums, and their facemasks.
A more critical category of self care
products are those that are meant to help
with vaginal hygiene. People with vaginas
are constantly targeted ads for products
such as Summer’s Eve that are marketed
in a way to make the consumer believe
something is wrong with their natural
functions.
Dr. Amy Lee, a University of Alabama
alumna with a lengthy career in gynecology
and women’s health, recommends against
all types of these highly intrusive products.
“The vagina is finely tuned to selfclean
and to maintain a very unique
bacterial balance without any outside
help,” Lee said. “Most of these products
are marketed to women for their economic
potential. In short, they are an unnecessary
expense.”
Not only are these types of products
a waste of money, they are also a threat to
the health of users.
“These products can actually be
harmful,” Lee warned. “As I mentioned,
the vagina has a very delicate bacterial
balance that it maintains. These products
disturb that balance and interfere with the
healthy vaginal biome. Once the normal
vaginal biome is disturbed, it creates an
environment for infections to flourish.
These vaginal infections can ascend up
the reproductive tract into the pelvis and
abdomen creating a pelvic infection called
pelvic inflammatory disease. Douching
in particular can assist in pushing those
infections upward into the reproductive
tract.”
Even seemingly innocent self care
products such as bath salts and bath
bombs pose a threat to consumers’ vaginal
health.
“Bath bombs and bath salts have the
opportunity to not only affect the vagina
but also to affect the sensitive skin of the
vulva and urethra,” Lee said. “Evidence
demonstrates that bath bombs and bath
salts affect the vagina in much the same
way as the other vaginal feminine care
products by altering the vaginal biome.
This creates the same vaginal infection
and subsequent ascending infection risk as
other vaginal products. Very mild soap and
water is all that should be in touch with
the vulva/urethra and there should be no
cleaning products applied to the vagina.”
What are some hygienic self care
products Dr. Lee recommends to people
with vaginas? Boric acid capsules.
“Boric acid if taken by mouth is a
poison,” Lee said, “But it can be placed in
a capsule and inserted into the vagina to
create a healthy acidic vaginal biome. So,
it’s very important to only use these as
vaginal inserts.”
Even though we link self care to using
products such as the aforementioned,
some of the most effective forms of self
care are things you can do right at home.
“I think they [products] can facilitate
self care in some ways, as they promote
relaxation,” Sarah Tarnakow, a licensed
independent clinical social worker and
therapist at The University of Alabama,
said.
“Self care does not always involve
relaxation or processing emotions,”
Tarnakow said. “Sometimes it is simply
taking a shower, doing your laundry,
paying your bills, or completing some
other thing you’ve been avoiding. These
are the not-fun, often overlooked parts of
self care that people tend to avoid. One
not-so-fun practice I always recommend
is the 30-second rule: if you’re avoiding
something and it will take less than 30
seconds to finish it, just do it and get
it out of the way. Sometimes the act of
completing one simple task will jumpstart
motivation and productivity.”
Although these aren’t necessarily
as fun as drinking wine and doing a
facemask, the best forms of self care
involve doing things that take a load off of
you mentally. Tarnakow also recommends
things like yoga, journaling, going outside
and exercising, activities that release
endorphins and won’t break the bank.
Not all self care necessarily needs to
be the most effective with top tier results.
Everyone has their own ways of taking care
of themselves. If that means doing a sheet
mask once a week or unwinding with music
and burning incense, that’s perfectly okay.
It’s just an important reminder that you
don’t need the latest multi step skincare
routine recommended by a YouTuber,
or fancy products that advertise trend
ingredients.
A combination of taking advice from
your healthcare provider, your mental
health professional, and knowing what
makes you feel cared for is key to properly
pampering yourself in a healthy and
effective way.
[101]

FOOD &
HEALTH
HERE’S TO
COOKING
UP SOMETHING
GOOD:
By Emily Benito
College students love to cook and ever since COVID-19
happened, more and more students seem to be cooking for
themselves. Restaurants have been closed, the take-out lines
take forever to get through and eating at dining halls for the rest of
the year does not sound appetizing to most students.
Cooking is easier than you think. There are many simple
dishes to learn to cook and have fun with. Some essential items
you’ll need in order to cook are pots and pans, big enough to
cook pasta in, measuring cups, easily found at your local Target
or grocery store, and items such as a spatula, cookie sheet and
colander.
One easy recipe for college students is avocado toast and a
fried egg. When all the ingredients are paired together, bread, eggs
and avocado, there is a great mix of carbs, protein and fat, Simple
Green Moms said.
[102]
Lauren Bayreuther, a junior at Sacred Heart University in
Fairfield, Connecticut, and her roommates make a schedule at the
beginning of every week so that they know what food to buy for the
week. This makes life a lot easier for them with classes, sports and
sorority life. Commitments take a long time and homework is timeconsuming,
but having a schedule makes life much easier. There
is pasta night, taco night and then the other nights usually vary
from week to week. Sometimes if someone says they want to make
something special, they cook for all the roommates Bayreuther
said. Some of her favorite things to cook include pasta and cookies.
Bayreuther says she “stress bakes,” and there are almost always
cookies sitting on the counter.

Her cookie
recipe is:
You will need:
2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) of unsalted butter
2 packs of light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Then add butter, sugar
and vanilla and mix until blended. Then add the dry ingredients
in slowly and mix until chunky. Mix in the chocolate chips and
stir until the dough gets all creamy (but leave the chocolate chips
chunky).
3. Drop 1 inch cookie dough circles on a baking sheet and stick in
the oven for about 10 to 11 minutes. Perfect chocolate chip cookies
have never been so easy!
“Tacos are really easy,” Alison Bayreuther, a student at the
University of Rhode Island, said.
She said some must-have tools for the kitchen are a whisk
and sharp knife and that some essential ingredients for day-to-day
recipes are, “pasta, sauce, fresh fruit for salad or smoothies and
salt and pepper.”
Molly Zarriello, a sophomore at The University of Alabama,
said that she has been cooking more since COVID-19 happened.
Zarriello said that one of her favorite things to cook is stir fry.
“I like to try new recipes and experiment with them when
I’m bored because that’s how I get to try new things,” she said.
She puts tofu, broccoli, carrots and mushrooms in her stir
fry with her special stir fry sauce.
To make stir fry, Zarriello uses a wok and adds the
ingredients based on how long they take to cook. She first adds
the carrots, then the broccoli, and after they have cooked for a few
minutes, she adds everything else.
Zarriello said her special stir fry sauce is made of sesame oil,
soy sauce, tahini and some other ingredients.
Another fun meal is chicken enchilada soup. It is both tasty
and easy to make, Karen’s Kitchen Stories said. It may take some
time to cook, but it is simple and does not require much attention,
which is perfect for a college student to check on it in between
zoom classes.
The recipe is:
You will need:
3 large chicken breast halves, leave the
bone in and remove the skin
5 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin or paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/2 cup dried chopped onions
1 cup long grain white rice
2 pints fresh or jarred salsa (or use medium-heat fresh salsa)
1 can black beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1-10 ounce can enchilada sauce
There are various ways to spice up this meal. Try chips and salsa
on the side. Put some hot sauce in it and spice it up. Instead of chili
powder in the soup, add some chipotle chili powder to make it a
total delight.
Whether you are used to cooking to destress or out of
necessity, these recipes are a great place to start. Get to mixing
and spicing things up in your kitchen with these recipes.
[103]

ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED
HEALTHY
ALTERNATIVES:
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
By Sophia Surrett
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?
[104]
ADVERTISED HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: REAL OR MYTH?

FOOD &
HEALTH
Beginning a diet or trying to eat healthier can be hard,
but starting with small steps can help boost motivation
and steadily keep the ball rolling to a healthy lifestyle.
We see advertised healthy alternatives everywhere, but are
they actually better for you?
Many people choose healthy alternatives to what
they like to eat on a daily basis. However, sometimes those
advertised alternatives aren’t as healthy as they appear.
One of the ways to tell the difference between
categorizing an alternative as healthy or not is to look at
the nutrition label. Comparing the original product to the
healthier version can tell you what is actually contrasting
these two foods.
Diet soft drinks, for example, are supposedly better for
you than regular sodas. This might be true in theory, with
fewer calories and sugar substitutes, but these diet drinks
can actually contain sugar that can mess with your body’s
ability to metabolize sugar in the long-run. You might shed a
few pounds from switching but in small margins.
Nutrition labels on food exist to help consumers realize
what they are taking in and to make sure the food providers
are giving all the information about their food products.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) patrol these food
companies to make sure they follow the guidelines and are
truthful about the ingredients in their products.
“The FDA’s approach is to help consumers understand
what ingredients and nutrients are in their products, so they
can make informed decisions,” Nathan Arnold, press officer
at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said. “Our goal
is to work with manufacturers to create truthful and not
misleading labels that provide the information that will most
benefit consumers, based on the latest nutritional research
available.”
Some alternatives are actually healthier, like the brand
Halo Top versus the leading brands of regular ice cream.
With an average of 280 calories per pint, the ice cream
nutrition labels and the ingredients prove to be accurate and
contain clean ingredients. Halo Top also has protein within
the ingredients, which make you less hungry as you eat so
you don’t consume more than the recommended amount.
Not only should consumers look at the nutrition labels,
but the ingredients underneath the labels. Non-processed
ingredients are the most important part of the foods you
eat. The healthy alternatives for foods that you love should
include better, natural ingredients.
Bailey Peeples, a nursing student at Georgia Southern
University, runs a nutrition-guided, keto recipe Instagram to
help people understand what clean eating is and to listen to
your body.
“I think for me a lot of people just look at the nutrition
facts, which I don’t care about as much anymore,” Peeples
said. “I think looking at the ingredients is a lot more
important. I would rather care about what I am putting into
my body versus the nutrition label like calories and carbs.
But you won’t know what is in the products because they are
so processed.”
An uncommon “healthy” alternative to the leading
potato chip brand is Veggie Straws. Containing only a little
less fat, Veggie Straws are actually not the best alternative
for potato chips as they contain no nutritional value, protein
or fiber. Instead of Veggie Straws or potato chips, try having
some carrots or celery sticks to get the Vitamin C and iron
nutrients that you wouldn’t receive with the straws.
Frankie Palmer, a future dietitian, runs her own
podcast Pre-Workout Chats and advocates for intuitive
eating. Intuitive eating is a common term in the wellness
industry, which means listening to your body and knowing
what you are actually craving.
“Learning how to follow the principle [of intuitive
eating] has been what helped me manage my binge eating
and really lean to feel my hunger and satiety,” she said.
“One of the biggest parts of intuitive eating is honoring your
cravings to avoid food rules and restrictions that take the
fun out of eating and usually lead to binging and disordered
eating.”
Having alternative healthy foods doesn’t always mean
eating an incredibly balanced meal. Focus on the food’s
content and listen to the body. The nutrition label and the
ingredients tell what is really going on inside the food and
what is going into the body.
“When it comes to understanding whether a food
is healthier or not, the nutrition label is where it’s at,”
Palmer said. “The areas I look at most are added sugars
and saturated fat. If you see low numbers there, it’s usually
a healthier option. I don’t like to look at calories, because
those completely disregard the other components of food
that are so important like antioxidants, vitamins, minerals,
etc. Calories aren’t everything.”
Added sugars and saturated fats can lead to congenital
heart defects, weight gain, fatigue and increase risks of type
ll diabetes, cancer and chronic kidney disease.
The misleading advertisements for these healthy
alternatives have not gone unnoticed. A psychological study
of Protecting Young People From Junk Food Advertising by
Jennifer L. Harris and Samantha K. Graff shows that over
one-third of the United States children are obese or on their
way to diabetes.
“A proper interpretation of the First Amendment
should leave room for regulations to protect young people
from advertising featuring calorie-dense, nutrient-poor
foods and beverages,” the study said.
Making sure to always check the facts and read what
is provided on the packaging is the best way to ensure
consumers know what is going inside their body and if the
advertised alternative is actually healthier and better for
their bodies.
[105]

FOOD &
HEALTH
Photographer/Keely Brewer
WHEN FOOD
SPEAKS TO
CULTURE
BY KALEY METZ
Thrown together in the midst of chaos, ingredients contribute
to more than a recipe. Cultures have become distinctive
for the dishes that are associated with them: Italians with
pasta, Americans with fried food, the Japanese with sushi and so
on. At the core of these dishes are the ingredients that create them,
unique to every culture.
One ingredient that plays a huge role across many cultures
is corn. Corn has impacted many cultures and their recipes. For
Americans, corn is a huge contributor to recipes. According to
LeFoodists, a blog dedicated to “discovering culture through food,”
the mass surplus of corn has led to an increase in high fructose
corn syrup that many other nations do not use. In addition, the
Mexicanist explains the use of corn in alcohol.
The corn whiskey, better known as bourbon, is a popular
alcohol that is made from corn. Corn is used in many other cultures
as an ingredient as well. In Venezuela and Colombia, corn is the
foundation to creating arepas, a corn-based bread item. In regards
to Italian culture, corn makes a strong appearance in polenta, a
type of stew which is now considered a gourmet dish. Romania
also has a well-known corn-based meal. Mamaliga is a meal of
three or four dishes that encompasses the many ways corn can be
prepared. All these cultures have a use for corn but in a unique way
that associates the ingredient with that culture.
A unique yet similar set of cuisines are Greek and Italian.
Italian cuisine and Greek cuisine share many similarities with
ingredients, but their recipes are quite different. Two ingredients
that appear frequently are olive oil and oregano. For Italians
and Greeks, olive oil is used more than for simple cooking. The
company Masterclass explains the impact olive oil has in multiple
cultures; Olive oil may have herbs added to it and may be used for
dipping bread and drizzling over salads.
In addition, both cultures heavily use the herb oregano in
their recipes. Some well-known recipes that incorporate these
ingredients include parmigiana, an Italian dish, which is made of
eggplants, olive oil, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. A Greek
meal that incorporates some of these items is dolmades, a stuffed
grape leaf that is a blend of meat with oregano, dill and other
spices. Cultures all over the world may have similar ingredients,
but the recipes those ingredients encompass are quite different.
Many of the same ingredients are used across cultures but for
different recipes and to achieve different flavor comparisons.
Another European culture shares similar ingredients in
addition to ingredients more unique to their own culture: French
cuisine has many similar ingredients, but are well known for their
wine, cheese and bread. A distinct ingredient to french cuisine
is crème fraîche, a heavy cream that is mixed with buttermilk.
[106]

This ingredient is used in soups and sauces, and as a topping on
sweet items such as fruit. Crème fraîche is like sour cream but it
is thickened with lemon juice, whereas sour cream is thickened
artificially.
In addition, another common ingredient found in French
recipes is dijon mustard. According to All About Cuisines, dijon
mustard, real Dijon mustard, is said to be more difficult to find
outside of France. The dijon mustard from the United States, Grey
Poupon, is said to be much sweeter than what the French make.
In much of French cooking, when dijon mustard is used, it is to
thicken a marinade or to add flavor to a vinaigrette.
An additional ingredient that is common in French cuisine
is olive oil. The French use of olive oil is comparable to the ways it
is used in Greek and Italian cuisine. Olive oil is considered a staple
ingredient within French cooking.
Whether it is for starting a dish or ending a dish, olive oil is
commonly found on the ingredient list. These simple ingredients
lead to amazing results that distinguish a culture and its food.
Some cultures are more unique and their ingredients are
more specific to their culture and not as versatile within other
cultures. Indian food could be used as an example in this category.
Their recipes are normally very distinct and are not easily changed
without losing the quality of the recipe.
Many ingredients in Indian cuisine are spices. Some wellknown
spices, according to the blog Ministry of Curry, include
turmeric, chili powder, coriander and cumin. There are a few
distinct Indian recipes that include these spices which are butter
chicken and red lamb. Indian cuisine is identifiable and unique to
itself. There are some very specific ingredients to Indian cuisine
such as tamarind. Tamarind is normally sold in a paste form and
has a very distinctive, sour taste. It is commonly used in the wellknown
dish pad thai.
People have pride in their culture, and in many cases, food
becomes the center of these cultures.
Cooking can become more than a chore when the reality
of ingredients is brought into account and more of a learning
experience, which can add to the excitement of preparing a meal.
Keep in mind the history of ingredients from specific cultures when
preparing a meal and how impactful those ingredients can be.
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