Alice Vol. 7 No. 4

MARCH 2022
B L O O M

[2]

V O L U M E
S E V E N
I S S U E
F O U R
[3]
[3]

[ letter from the editor ]
Bloom.
March winds and April showers bring May flowers, but at Alice
we are ready to bloom now. With the release of our fourth
issue, intentionally released during Women’s History Month, Volume 7
officially has the most issues of any volume previously released. Seven
years ago during our inception, 100 college women were asked, “Would
you be interested in developing a women’s magazine?” Each and every
person said yes. There was a need for an outlet for women to talk about
the issues that they were facing and to illuminate the topics that mattered
most to them. Over the years, Alice has covered hot-button subject matter
and maybe a few ideas you never would have considered before. We have
the utmost gratitude to everyone who continues to support our work,
and that is why our team has kept college women and their interests at
the forefront of everything we do.
Since you last saw us, we have released four new YouTube videos
including lookbooks, reviews and tutorials. On TikTok, we posted four
new videos, surpassed 50 followers and reached over 300 accounts.
In addition, we published four stories to our website that featured a
woman-owned business, a coffee crawl and more. We also designed
merch that should be arriving at your doorstep within the coming weeks
if you ordered.
While data might not be the sexiest part of producing a magazine,
it is the most concrete avenue we have to chart the growth of Alice, and
the numbers don’t lie when it comes to our impressive expansion this
year. From December 9 to March 8, we reached over 9,000 accounts on
Instagram which was a 30.1% increase from September 10 to December
8. When we looked at our stats since our third issue launch a month ago,
we reached almost 8,000 accounts from February 7 to March 8 which
was a 445% increase compared to January 8 to February 6, and our
followers increased by over 5%. The seeds of Alice have been dispersed
across our platforms, and our accounts continue to bloom.
Bloom is everything you need to spring into the season of growth.
If you’re ready for spring nails, take our interactive quiz to see what
Alice-approved nail trend you should try. If you’re wanting to impress
at a dinner party, we created the Classy Girl Guide to Proper Etiquette.
If you want to make the most of your last couple months of school, we
asked top ranked professors for their advice. From covering fair labor
efforts at The University of Alabama, the struggles of being allergic to
certain kinds of makeup to the toxicity surrounding stan culture, we’ve
got you covered.
We at Alice know that in order to flourish, you first have to bloom.
Peace and Love,
Lindsey Wilkinson
[4]

[editors]
EDITOR IN CHIEF
MANAGING EDITOR
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
DESIGN EDITOR
PHOTO EDITOR
ASST. DESIGN EDITOR
ASST. PHOTO EDITOR
MARKETING EDITOR
FASHION EDITOR
BEAUTY EDITOR
LIFESTYLE EDITOR
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
FOOD & HEALTH EDITOR
DIGITAL DIRECTOR
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
ONLINE EDITOR
VIDEOGRAPHY EDITOR
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
CONTRIBUTING DESIGN/
PHOTO
CONTRIBUTING VIDEO
MODELS
EDITORIAL ADVISOR
ADVERTISING
DIRECTOR
Lindsey Wilkinson
Jennafer Bowman
Rebecca Martin
Ella Smyth
Sarah Hartsell
Wesley Picard
Emma Kate Standard
Mary Groninger
Ta’Kyla Bates
Beth Wheeler
Cat Clinton
Jeffrey Kelly
Evy Gallagher
Kendall Frisbee
Katie Morris
Sophia Surrett
Emily Rabbideau
Caroline Branch, Emilee
Boster, Bella Carpino, Kierra
Thomas, Savannah Dorriety,
Lizzie Bowen, Emie Garrett,
Morinsola Kuyoki, Hannah
Golden, Madeleine Leidner,
Joe Hoffman
Sarah Smith, Katie Nebbia,
Kayla Roberson, Katie
Harmon, Jennifer Stroud,
Grayson Byrd
Alice Choup, Megan Davis,
Laura Fecanin, Sami
LaCount
Nadia Hollis, Hasten
Howard, Sa’Niah Dawson ,
Emily Enes, Avery Maxwell,
Carthen Smith, Des Davis
Monique Fields
Julie Salter
Jessie Jones
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 © 2022 by Alice magazine. Material herein may not be reprinted
without the expressed, written permission of Alice magazine.
[5]

[6]
[table of contents]
[lifestyle]
The “Standard” in Standardized
Testing
Bookbags and Name Tags
From the Professors’ Point of View
10
12
14
[beauty]
Allergic to Makeup
Cancel Culture & Morphe
Which Nail Trends You Should Try
Spring 2022
Her Clothes had Nothing to do with
18
20
24
[fashion]
Take Me Back: Find Out What
Decade your Style Belongs In!
It
28
30

[features]
Photostory: Bloom
34
Fighting for Fair Labor
38
Toxicity in Stan Culture
40
[entertainment]
Which Euphoria Girl Are You? 44
“We need you out here:” A look at
parasocial relationships
“Eclectic and Under-discovered:”
Pulling Back the Cover on
Alabama’s Music Scene
46
48
[food and health]
Routines: Morning vs. Night and
Their Benefits To Your Health
The Classy Girl Guide to Proper
Table Etiquette
Milk Snobs: Which Alternative Milk
is Best?
54
56
58
[7]

[lifestyle]
The “Standard” in Standardized
Testing
10
Bookbags and Name Tags
12
From the Professors’ Point of View
14
[8]

[9]

T H E “ S T A N D A R D ” I N
Standardized
Testing
[10]
Test taking can be stressful for
anyone, but the struggle is most
common for students. We are told to
prepare for tests by studying, getting
a good night’s rest the night before
and having a hearty breakfast the
morning of. These instructions sound
simple, but in truth, not every test is
the same. Some tests have a couple
long sections that make drinking or
eating beforehand a risky decision.
Other exams have multiple short
sections with a break to go to the
restroom, eat and sometimes breathe.
The diversity found in testing formats
alone suggests there is likely no
standard experience when it comes to
standardized tests.
All students are different, as are
the resources and professors made
available. A professor’s method for
instructing the course and tests
play a large factor in the final grade.
Professors and course instructors
have the ability to construct and
format tests and their difficulty level
subjectively, meaning there is no
consistent way to factor in all the
elements that make up a person’s
testing average, grades or overall
grade point average. Like life,
everyone’s experience is different.
By Cat Clinton
Design Sarah Smith
Websites like Rate My Professor can
help students identify instructors who
are difficult or hard to communicate
with, but most students don’t know
the free resources that are available,
or the benefits of these tools.
“I administer tests now online
through Blackboard Learn. As my
class sizes have continued to grow, I
find that giving online tests is easier
from an administrative and grading
standpoint. It is also better in terms
of giving students feedback if students
have any questions about the test
material,” said Douglas Klutz, a
senior instructor at The University of
Alabama and a Forbes topped ranked
professor in the United States. “I
try to keep my tests manageable for
students given that set amount of
time. I also try to keep my tests as fair
as possible, where if you have put in
the time with the class material, you
will do well on the exams.”
The importance of proper test
preparation is clear, unfortunately,
not all students have the same
availability or commitments. Some
students have jobs to pay for school
or extracurriculars, some hold
internships or play sports and some

students have families to provide
for. To expect the same level of focus
and dedication from all test takers
is unrealistic, but it also results in
the question, how can there be a
standardized test when there is no
standard student?
“It’s important to set aside time
and have as few commitments as
possible. With tests like the ACT
that can be taken multiple times,
students should take advantage of
the opportunity and take the test a
few times to gain experience,” said
William Illiano, a 1st year medical
student at The University of Alabama
at Birmingham. “Students should
try to take tests like MCAT only once
because schools receive a full score
report.”
The attempt made by testing
companies and centers to level the
playing field for test takers is obvious
with the range of resources and
accommodations, such as private
testing rooms and extending time,
visibly growing. It will likely be a
never ending challenge to meet the
needs of everyone, however, as the
idea of who the “standard” student is
continues to diversify.
“Any accommodations that a testing
company approves are available. This
ranges from extended time, having a
private room, having a scribe/reader,
or assistive technology.
“Again, the testing company
approves the accommodations and
makes them available through the
computers or sends staff to provide
the accommodation,” said Chris
Grindle, Director of Testing Services
at The University of Alabama. “It’s
important to note that The University
of Alabama operates a test center
that contracts with national and
international testing companies such
as ETS, PROMETRIC and PEARSON.
Most all policies and procedures are
determined by the individual testing
company and the UA testing center is
contractually bound to follow those.”
Testing can be an overwhelming
experience for both students and
professionals. Luckily, proper
preparation is a huge key in helping
ease a test taker’s anxiety. Although
every student has their own personal
feelings towards test taking, Spending
time planning and studying can
ease uncertainty and anxiety.
Having awareness and insight on
the information being tested on can
result in a boost of confidence; leaving
students with a feeling of control over
the experience.
[11]

Bookbags
and
Name
Tags
By Caroline Branch
Design Katie Harmon
[12]

Let’s admit it, everyone would
like to live a well-balanced life.
However, achieving that goal is not
always a piece of cake. There are a lot
of different factors that play into why
a perfectly balanced life is so hard to
achieve. Although it may be hard, it is
not impossible to maintain equilibrium.
The most imbalanced aspects of day-today
life come from the stress of work
and the stress of school. For many,
this is a daily struggle. It is not always
easy to find level ground but there are
a few things that can help set us up to
succeed.
Most college students have a part-time
job, some even maintain a full-time
job. Along with school responsibilities,
keeping up with a job in college can lead
to your priorities becoming skewed. A
typical, full-time college student takes
a minimum of twelve credit hours. The
twelve hours does not even account for
the time spent doing homework and
or studying. Every college student is
different; therefore, no schedule will
be the same. By adding a job into the
mix, time-management needs to be a
priority. Truthfully, it depends on who
you are and how well you allot time to
things.
“Being in school full-time and working
as a server takes a lot out of you,” said
sophomore criminal justice major,
Mollee Bearden. “When it comes down
to it, you need to find a schedule that
works best for you, so you do not fall
behind.”
In addition to focusing on time
management, reflecting on what works
best for us is crucial. Taking time to lean
into what balance means to ourselves
specifically gives us more insight on
how to tackle balancing the things in
our lives. Learning at what time we are
most productive and tending to our
own needs will help to create a more
efficient environment for dividing up
our time equally between work and
school.
Finding balance is a personal thing and
the key to keeping balance is to know
our strengths and weaknesses. Once we
recognize our strengths, we will have an
advantage making a concerted effort to
use them effectively. Work and school
are often associated with one another
because of the time and effort required
by each. When college students work
it is uncommon to hear us complain
about everything on our plate. When
students are faced with juggling
classes and finishing assignments and
simultaneously working a customer
service or retail job for extended hours,
the load can become stressful and
overwhelming. Even though both are
time-consuming aspects of our lives,
that does not mean finding the right
balance always has to be stressful.
Setting boundaries for ourselves can
save us from getting stuck in some
nerve-racking moments. Not only do
boundaries help us, but they also give
us space to breathe. Making it easier to
come to terms with and prioritize each
part of our life that you must deal with.
“Setting boundaries has been my
number one priority,” said Auburn
University senior psychology major,
Sage Turner. “I have an on-campus job
and I still have to tell them when things
conflict with my school schedule. It is
hard to find the time to get everything
done sometimes.”
For different environments, it is known
that people usually fulfill certain roles.
For instance, while a college student
who is still stuck inside the classroom, it
is expected of us to respect the professor
and not interrupt. That is the role of
a student. If a person is at work, they
may be expected to be extremely social
or less reserved compared to when we
are in a classroom environment. In this
case, it would be assumed that they
fulfilled the role of a worker. When
coming to terms with boundaries
that need to be set for both work and
school, life becomes more enjoyable.
This is because everyone knows their
limits and what exactly to expect. In
order to follow through with personal
boundaries, it can help to communicate
what feelings may be arising more than
others. Transparency is always helpful
when it comes to dealing with how to
balance life as a student and worker.
“I have an internship at a bank, I am a
bartender, and I am in my last semester
of college,” said senior finance and
economics major at The University of
Alabama, Carter Billings. “The only
way I was able to have everything under
control was to be honest and tell my
work when school was becoming too
much.”
Balancing work and school is like
the equivalent of finding the yin to
one’s yang. These are two completely
different concepts, yet the balance
can work once students realize who is
in control. Balance is never as easy as
people make it out to be. Individuals
can come to terms with going to class at
11 a.m. and being dressed and ready for
work at noon. It is a student’s decision
what becomes part of the schedule.
Paying attention to the ways everyone
works best and the routines and areas
people personally thrive in will pay off.
Once students gain an insight on what
permits time to be utilized wisely, work
and school will become pieces of life,
not the whole thing. It is easy to let
school and work obligations become
consuming, ultimately equating life’s
purpose to the amount of effort put
into these aspects. By actively paying
attention and setting boundaries,
balancing school and a job may become
much easier.
[13]

From the
Professors’
P
oint Of View
By Emilee Boster
Design Kayla Roberson
Some of the highest-ranking professors
at The University of Alabama are not
simply teachers; they are also advisers
and career professionals. These top-rated
professors are overflowing with advice for
students that they have gained through
their own experiences, advising sessions
and observations of previous students.
Douglas Klutz is a criminology and
criminal justice professor and the highestranking
professor at The University of
Alabama with an overall score of 5/5 out
of 789 student reviews, according to Rate
My Professors. In 2017, Forbes named
him the top-rated college professor in the
United States.
Klutz believes that students are building
many fundamental life skills during
college. In his advising sessions as the
internship and advising director for
the criminal justice department, Klutz
encourages students to use higher
education as a preparatory stage for
the real world. This includes learning
to manage time well, prepare early and,
most importantly, network.
“My one critical piece of advice for
students, especially in today’s job
market, is to seek out internships,” Klutz
said. “Regardless of what field you are
going into, try to complete at least two
internships before you graduate from
your undergraduate degree. I always
tell students that the research shows
that over 80 percent of all jobs now are
gained through networking, and the best
way to network as a student is getting an
internship.”
Van Newell, English professor at The
University of Alabama, also emphasizes
the importance of networking to his
students. Newell has a 4.8/5 rating
on Rate My Professors. He said that
internships teach students best practices,
which are optimal methods to achieve
desired results. Internships also put
students’ names into the minds of
employers. Employers would rather
hire someone who they know is capable
of working hard than someone they do
not know at all. An internship can get a
student’s foot in the door and, depending
on how well the student completes the
internship, perhaps lead to a future job.
[14]

Students can seek out internships
through the UA Career Center and online
postings by LinkedIn, Indeed and USA
Jobs. The Career Center often hosts career
fairs where companies come to UA to
meet with students and discuss their likes
and dislikes, qualifications and future
career opportunities. The Career Center
also hosts online and in-person career
fair crash course sessions where students
can learn how to take full advantage
of the opportunities available at career
fairs. The Career Center’s website has
courses and information on networking,
internships, and creating ideal online
profiles to websites like LinkedIn.
Students also have an opportunity
to network without ever leaving The
University of Alabama campus: meet
with professors. Newell compared it to
the difference in texting and calling; some
messages are much better on a phone
call. Similarly, in order to connect with
professors, Newell advises students to
meet with their professors either during
their office hours or stay after class
time. This networking can help students
later with not only in-class help but also
personal letters of recommendation and
references.
All of this networking, though, is virtually
pointless if people do not know the
student’s interests and future plans. Klutz
explained that this is why he encourages
students to talk to their family members
and friends about their passions. He said
oftentimes internships come through
these previously-built relationships, so
students should network with not only
employers and professors but also family
members, friends and other students.
Brian Oliu is an English professor
and assistant director of the First-Year
Writing Program at The University of
Alabama. He has published six books,
including his most recent “Body Drop.”
He currently has a 4.8/5 rating, according
to Rate My Professors.
Oliu encourages students to find their
community at The University of Alabama.
As a writer himself, Oliu expects
accountability and motivation from his
own community, not a physical group
but a web of people whom he trusts. He
has built a group of people around him
whom he can bounce ideas off of and
who ask questions about his work, which
indirectly encourages him in that work.
Oliu is an example of why students
should network well with their professors.
Oliu teaches a variety of English and
writing courses. Students in his courses
who do not speak one-on-one with him
are missing out on first-hand knowledge
about publishing books, submitting
to publications, writing styles and
motivation for writing. Many professors
are similar to Oliu in that they teach
courses in which they have real-world
experience. They can often teach students
more than what is written in a textbook.
When attending meetings for clubs and
organizations, to share work or to simply
network with others, or even in everyday
conversation, Oliu said students ought
to refer to themselves highly. If students
are writing books or articles, then they
should introduce themselves as “writers.”
This automatically tells others what the
student is interested in or what they are
currently working toward.
“Let people know what you are
interested in,” Oliu said. “People are not
going to know to invite you to the thing
if they don’t know you are interested in
the thing. That’s huge, which is why we
have Get On Board day and why we get
involved in clubs.”
Newell also understands the importance
of sharing work,whether it be writing or
any type of creative work,with others.
Newell, a writer himself, uses the UA
Writing Center to get a second pair of eyes
on his work. The University of Alabama,
where there are people from all different
backgrounds, is an ideal place to receive a
wide variety of perspectives and opinions,
which Newell believes is important.
Elizabeth Naranjo Hayes is a foreign
language professor at The University of
Alabama and is currently pursuing her
PhD in romance languages. She has a 5/5
rating on Rate My Professors.
Hayes teaches foreign languages
differently than most foreign language
teachers. She emphasizes communication
over perfection; she wants students to
leave her class knowing how to speak to
someone in a different language. She also
incorporates pop culture into her lessons
to show students that these languages are
not bound to a textbook but are spoken by
people and cultures all across the world.
Because she loves teaching, she wants her
students to love their careers.
“You should love what you do,” Hayes
said. “You should be fulfilled and so
happy. It’s just a matter of figuring out
what you love,what makes you tick, what
gives you the warm and fuzzies, and
what gives you a sense of confidence and
pursuing it.”
When speaking with students who are
unsure of their career path, she asks them
one important question: what would they
pay money to have someone let them do?
Then, Hayes works with the students
to uncover what they enjoy. This comes
through taking a variety of classes, taking
personality tests and learning about
different, sometimes uncommon, career
options.
“You don’t have to know what you want
to do right off the bat, and that’s the
beauty of the first two years of college.
Take different things because you don’t
know what courses are going to appeal
to you,” Hayes said. “It’s about getting to
know yourself, what were you created to
do, what are the talents and interests you
were born with.”
Sometimes, this means students may
not be doing the same job for their entire
lives. Hayes always knew she loved
teaching, but she also always wanted to
join the military. She received her masters
degree, taught college courses, joined the
Army, became an Army officer, and then
returned to teaching full time. Her story
is like many other professors’ and why
many professors have career advice for
students.
[15]

[beauty]
Allergic to Makeup
18
Cancel Culture & Morphe
20
Which Nail Trends You Should Try
Spring 2022
24
[16]

[17]

ALLERGIC
TO
MAKEUP
Walking into an Ulta Beauty store
and picking out a new mascara
is a privilege to most: there seems to be
an unlimited amount of options, there
are multiple packaging designs and the
ingredients do not have to be readable. But
what about those who will break out in hives
if they do not read the back of the box?
Emma Coons, a junior news media major at
The University of Alabama, experienced an
allergic reaction to the cult-favorite product,
Tatcha Silk Canvas.
“All the beauty gurus used to love it,” said
Coons. “They said it was great for people
with dry skin and made your makeup look
awesome.”
Tatcha is a luxury Japanese skincare brand
that is used by celebrities and Youtubers
alike. Their products include moisturizers,
cleansers and primers. Silk Canvas is
described as a “velvety priming balm of
pressed silk that shields skin and goes on
smooth to help makeup apply better and
last longer.” The product retails for $52 and
is sold by popular makeup retailers such as
Sephora and Macy’s.
The product’s ingredient list includes
PARFUM/FRAGRANCE, an ingredient
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) is listed as a common allergy found in
cosmetic products. PARFUM/FRAGRANCE
can cause reactions from irritation to hives.
Coons said she experienced high irritation
By Jennafer Bowman
Photo Jennifer Stroud
on the areas she applied the product.
“I had applied it that morning but I kept
going to the bathroom and running cold
water over my face along with moisturizer
but nothing helped, I just had to wait it out,”
said Coons.
Hyram Yarbo, better known as Skincare
by Hyram, is a skincare enthusiast and was
all the rage on Tik Tok over the pandemic.
He has made multiple videos talking about
perfume in skin care products and how bad
it is for the skin. Many popular skincare
products came under fire when users realized
there was perfume in their products.
Other ingredients people seem to have
a reaction to Formaldehyde. According
to Northwestern Medicine, the chemical
Formaldehyde is often used to a preservative
in medical labs, funeral homes and lurking in
everyday makeup products.
But it’s not just skincare that people can be
allergic to. Rayn Britt, a junior at Bloomsburg
University, experienced an allergic reaction
to a makeup product that was supposed to be
catered to people with sensitivity to makeup
products. Britt was wearing Neutrogena
mascara and experienced eye irritation and
crying from the product.
“I usually only wear makeup when I go out
and it was so embarrassing to be out with my
friends and it looked like I was crying my
eyes out,” said Britt.
Neutrogena is a dermatologist-
[18]

ecommended skincare and cosmetic brand.
The brand prides itself on the statement of
“Beauty begins with healthy skin, so we’re
bringing you skin science and how-to guides to
help you achieve your best skin ever.”
Britt said that she had no long-lasting effects
but has barely worn makeup since. While she
was able to recover from her allergic reaction,
her mindset towards makeup has changed.
Her experience is not uncommon, the Journal
of the American Academy of Dermatology
conducted a patch test to over 900 participants,
they found over ⅓ of those participants
experienced an allergic reaction to the makeup
tested on them.
While it’s unclear what Britt is actually allergic
to, her shopping experience is quite different
than those who are not allergic to makeup
ingredients. Having this allergy can limit the
ability to participate in getting their makeup
done by professionals or go to salons due to the
risk of a reaction.
The University of Alabama alum, Donnamy
Steele, has been a freelance bridal and makeup
artist for the past six years. While she’s never
had a client have an allergy to makeup, she’s
had clients have skin conditions that cause
her to avoid use of certain products to prevent
flareups.
“With each client, I like to take a look at their
skin and ask a few questions before I apply
anything to their faces,” said Steele. “Some of
the questions I like to ask clients are if they
have any allergies to things like coconut,
or perfumes, there are many products that
include traces of these or have scents that could
counteract to a client’s skin. I am always sure to
have clean options in my kit for my clients with
allergies or sensitive skin.”
By taking precautions she’s able to keep
customers safe from any unwanted reactions.
While reactions can make makeup users
feel embarrassed and not willing to try new
products, there is hope.
Clean beauty products are created without
harsh chemicals such as parabens and are
created sustainably. Makeup retailers such
as Sephora have dedicated sections on their
website and in-store dedicated to clean beauty.
While it’s hard and can be frustrating those
who have allergic reactions to beauty products
shouldn’t feel discouraged. Many beauty
influencers have predicted that 2022 will be the
year of clean beauty, so don’t fret, soon every
brand will have a clean beauty line.
[19]

Cancel Culture
& Morphe
By Hannah Golden
Design Kayla Roberson
CANCELLED
[20]

Morphe is one of the most
popular brands in the
beauty industry because
of the quality and affordability of their
products and has partnered countless
times with social media influencers as
a way to make a profit for themselves
and give the influencers more internet
exposure. A few of them collaborated
with Morphe and became so popular
that they were able to start their own
brand, most notably Jaclyn Hill, a
former YouTube makeup star and now
the owner of Jaclyn Cosmetics. Her
2 eyeshadow palette collaborations
with Morphe were such a hit that she
gained enough traction and support to
start her own brand which is now very
successful. However, Morphe has also
partnered with some rather morally
questionable influencers in the past
and has faced backlash due to it even
if they were unaware of the influencer’s
choices. These problematic creators
have since faced so much criticism that
they have been officially “canceled” in
the eyes of the internet, making them
lose most of their popularity as people
have begun to realize that the person
behind the camera is a lot different than
they are letting on. Merriam Webster
defines cancel culture as “the practice or
tendency of engaging in mass canceling
as a way of expressing disapproval and
exerting social pressure.” Because of
Morphe’s ties with these problematic
influencers, Morphe has become
subjected to cancellation themselves
which has caused a huge decrease in
their popularity and sales because
people no longer want to associate their
makeup with a brand that supports
bigotry and hate. Morphe states on
their website that their mission is to
provide “killer makeup without killing
their wallet” and it was a beauty brand
“created for the creators,” implying that
their makeup is meant to be used and
worn by everyone. But that mission
statement is hard to believe when they
are consistently collaborating with
people who seem only to care about
the money they can make off of being
problematic.
Morphe x James Charles:
One of Morphe’s most popular
and most controversial collaborations
has to be the Morphe x James
Charles collection. It was launched
in November of 2018, right as James
Charles was gaining popularity on his
YouTube channel for his iconic makeup
looks and catchy slogan of “Hi Sisters.”
The collection consisted of a mega
palette, a mini palette, and a brush set.
The original price of the mega palette
was $39 and the brush set was $59. I’ll
also note that the mini palette and the
mega palette had the same exact color
story and layout, the mini one was just
smaller pans and a smaller compact to
make it more travel friendly. The palette
consisted of a row of large pan neutrals
for everyday use with a rainbow color
scheme underneath and a sunset
scheme above. Due to the versatility,
pigmentation quality, and the name
behind it, the collection skyrocketed
and was soon a staple in every makeup
enthusiast’s collection.
After James Charles became one
of the most notable influencers in the
beauty world, his popularity began to
plummet after some of his behaviors
behind closed doors was revealed to
the public. Charles’ popularity began in
2016, but starting in 2017 the makeup
star started to face the consequences
of his actions. The Vulture, an online
magazine, outlines a timeline of events
in Charles’ career, starting with the
racist tweets about the Ebola virus
and Africa in 2017. The most notable
scandals in Charle’s career began
in May of 2019 after he endorsed a
competitor brand of long time friend
Tati Westbrook without her knowing.
The two had a major internet fall out
and basically split their fanbase in half,
causing people to take sides. They have
since made amends, but Charles was
still in hot water because of his alleged
manipulative behavior towards one
of his former partners, Gage Gomez
in May of 2019. Charles was also
accused of grooming and pressuring
a total of four underage boys into non
consensual acts in February of 2021.
After brand partners got wind of the
incident, especially Morphe, many of
them continued to work with Charles
even though he was being accused of
some pretty serious crimes. Morphe
and Charles later announced that
they decided to mutually end their
partnership and gradually stop selling
the collection thus leading to a massive
price decrease and lowering of product
production. An Ulta Beauty associate,
Teddy Pizitz, states that his opinion
of Morphe is “unflinching” as they do
appear to be “one of the few” brands
that take action when a collaboration
goes wrong. He also states that the
collaboration took place before Charles’
scandals made the news, making
Morphe seem like a victim as well as
they were as unaware as everyone else.
[21]

Morphe x Nikita Dragun:
Nikita Dragun, a YouTube
makeup star, began her career in
2013 and has had a growing platform
in the beauty community ever since.
As a transgender woman, she built
her fame on being true to herself
and inspiring others to do the
same and with Hispanic and Asian
heritage, Dragun broke away from
conventionality and became an icon
for many people of color. She gained
so much traction that she was able
to start her own line of cosmetics,
Dragun Beauty. Insider.com outlines
Dragun’s start to controversy in 2017
when she was accused of blackfishing
for Jeffree Star’s ad campaign, which
is another issue in and of itself dealing
with Star as he allowed the campaign
to air. Additionally, Dragun faced
more criticism after the James
Charles and Tati Westbrook scandal
for supporting Charles even after he
lost millions of followers due to the
incident and the general consensus
was that Charles was in the wrong.
Dragun has also faced accusations of
cultural appropriation when she put
box braids in her hair, but claimed
she did it because she was inspired
by black women and their culture
rather than trying to make fun of or
appropriate the black community
stating “it’s really not that deep” in
one of her Twitter posts.
Dragun’s collaboration with
Morphe launched in November of
2020, consisting of a palette and a
brush set. Dragun Beauty products,
such as the liquid lipsticks, can
also be found on Morphe’s website
and are available for purchase.
The collaboration faced backlash
as Morphe fans realized that
there was yet another collection
with a problematic influencer’s
name on it and it began to seem
as though Morphe either did not
care or was completely oblivious
to the internet’s growing dislike of
Dragun. A University of Alabama
student, Lily Waldorff, says that
she thinks Morphe should do more
background screening of who they
do their collaborations with, but that
“all they can control is their product”
so she has no real issues with Morphe
as a brand. After the James Charles
fiasco, one would think that Morphe
would take Lily’s advice and the advice
of their fanbase and be more careful
about who they associate themselves
with, but there have been other brands
who collaborated with problematic
influencers and still remain popular,
so who’s to say that Morphe should go
down with the ship?
Morphe x Jeffree Star:
Morphe collaborated with Jeffree
Star and had two separate launches
for each part of the collection, both
happening in 2019. The full collection
included an eyeshadow palette, liquid
lipsticks, brushes, a makeup bag, and a
few other pieces. The collaboration was
between Jeffree Star’s beauty brand,
Jeffree Star Cosmetics, and Morphe. The
two brands released the collection after
Star’s brand had already launched, but
soon led to Star’s cosmetics becoming
more popular as fans fell in love with the
palette and packaging.
Star began facing backlash for some
events that transpired in the past that
have recently resurfaced. One such
event is recalled by Celeb Magazine
which consists of Star calling another
makeup icon, Jackie Aina, a woman of
color, a rat, and recently announcing
the release of his “Velvet Trap Lipstick”
which the promotional picture depicts a
woman of color in a rat trap. Star was
bashed for making the promotional
picture and posting it when he has a
history of ridiculing women of color
and making racist remarks that include
comparing women of color to rats. The
Washington Post states that Star has
also been accused of other racist acts,
such as saying that he should “throw
battery acid on a black girl’s face to
lighten her skin,” and that he repeatedly
uses the “C-slur” to refer to women with
which he has had issues. Emily Moeller,
an Ulta Beauty associate, says that she
used to watch all of Star’s videos for the
entertainment and his honest product
reviews, but after all of these scandals
broke, that she “stopped watching
and unfollowed.” The same goes
for Lily, the previously mentioned
student, who said she also watched
Star’s YouTube videos but stopped
after the news broke. She also stated
that it seemed like “everyone knows
he’s a crappy person, we just don’t
care anymore,” which is completely
fair in the grand scheme of things.
As for Morphe’s collection with
Star, it is no longer available for
purchase on their website. In fact,
when Jeffree Star is typed in the
search bar, the first result is the
Jaclyn Hill Volume II palette. So
it seems that Morphe cut ties with
Star and Charles after their scandals
broke and only Dragun remains
available for purchase at full price
on the Morphe website.
Overall, it seems that people
don’t want to cancel Morphe, they
just want to see better business
practice and more thorough checks
of who exactly they are making
products with so that people don’t
feel guilty when they purchase from
them. Being a widely influential
brand, Morphe is often in the
spotlight when they release new
products simply because people
look forward to new makeup from
them and are eager to expand their
collection. Morphe’s reputation has
taken a bit of a hit in the last few
years, but with strong releases and
collaborations, they can easily climb
back to the top of the cosmetic
industry.
[22]

[23]

Which Nail Trends You Should
Try Spring 2022
By Beth Wheeler
Design Ella Smyth
Springtime is a time for renewing everything in life from spring cleaning, to new highlights to warmer weather. With that, new
nails for the new season should never fall short (unless they do). 2021 started a few nail trends that have carried over well into 2022
from the emergence of convenient press-on nails to artistically crafted and groovy patterns straight from the salon. Each year, new nail
trends emerge, so take the quiz to see what Alice-approved nail trend you should try.
1 2
It’s girl’s night out, you opt for which go-to
outfit?
A. Simple all-black, maybe a jean
pant to spice it up.
B. A cute, patterned shirt paired
with any solid color pant (as long as the
color isn’t neutral).
C. A good pair of jeans balanced
with a stand-out top, perhaps hot pink.
D. Something classy but still
trendy–the classic L.B.D and an oversized
leather jacket.
You get to choose what the G.N.O is, which
are you going for?
A. A night in: cozy up with your favorite
gals and watch a rom-com, maybe paired with
popcorn and a nice Pinot (if you’re 21+).
B. A night of fun: the bowling alley,
trampoline park or the newest buzzing dance
club.
C. A night out at the vibey new
restaurant downtown, perhaps one with a
dance floor.
D. A night at the fancy Italian restaurant
down the street, treating yourself and your
3
You need a midnight-snack
4
after, what are you reaching for? Your Sunday morning routine:
A. Classic popcorn and a soda.
B. A trip to the local fast food
place because the fries are too good
to beat.
C. Your favorite ice cream.
D. You need to feed your
aesthetic gut at midnight as well so
you reach for the charcuterie.
A. Wake up early, make coffee and hit
pilates class.
B. Sleep in and have leftovers for
breakfast, maybe the local Waffle House.
C. Wake up early but check all your
socials first before heading to Starbucks.
D. Four words: Brunch. With. The. Girls.
5
What music are you listening to during the
drive to get coffee or brunch?
A. Easy Sunday morning music: The
Beatles, Billie Holiday or Lionel Richie.
B. The best 2000s hits.
C. The current top hits (we’re talking
Olivia Rodrigo).
D. Sad Adele songs, just to feel something.
[24]

If you answered mostly A,
A classic nude is always fresh and clean, which
seems to be your vibe rolling into the spring and
summer months. A neutral, clean mani/pedi gives the
feeling of being put together, but not too over-the-top.
A gel manicure, if chosen, is also a great way to have a
durable manicure that looks fresh and lasts a long time
without the commitment to acrylics. Some favorite
neutral gel combinations are Funny Bunny by OPI and
the classic Bubble Bath by OPI. Adding a fun shape like
a coffin shape or almond shape can take these colors to
the next level.
If you answered mostly B,
The popular 70’s inspired patterns are a trend
that have stolen your heart. Seeming to take inspiration
from artists like Matisse, these colorful, organic forms
amp up anyone’s nails in a fun way. Bright colors,
flower designs and wavy lines are perfect for the warm
weather. Nail artists can even get creative with it–
there’s no wrong curve to draw.
If you answered mostly C,
To be on the more tame side, but still a little fun,
do a different color on each nail. For example, all red
nails but each one is a gradual lighter red. Or, to go
all-out, each nail being painted a different pastel color
looks amazing in the spring, especially for Easter. Of
course, this nail look is very versatile and can be used
during any season by using cooler or darker shades in
the cooler months and warmer, lighter shades in the
warmer months.
If you answered mostly D,
You should try these cool french tips that have
become all the rage. A fun take on the classic french
manicure, people have begun making their nail tips
different colors like green or red. Another variation on
the french manicure is to simply change the shape of
the nail tip from a simple square to an almond french
tip, coffin french tip, the list goes on. Whatever shape
or color is chosen is guaranteed to be a fun, new twist.
[25]

[fashion]
Were their Clothes the Reason?
28
Take Me Back: Find Out What
Decade your Style Belongs In!
30
[26]

[27]

*Trigger Warning*
Were their
Clothes the
Reason?
By Savannah Dorriety
Design Katie Nebbia
[28]

“
Well, what were you wearing?”
This question carries a lot of weight.
It is a question rooted in trauma and
shame. Especially, for the sexual assault
survivors who must face it anytime, they
tell their story. ‘What were you wearing?’
or in other words, ‘what did you do to
cause it?’ When asked this question
victims are told the horrible things done
to them are somehow their fault while the
assailant is excused.
Being told you caused and could have
prevented an experience as traumatic and
painful as sexual assault can have longlasting
effects on a person’s psyche. The
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
(RAINN) reports that 33% of women
who are raped contemplate suicide while
13% of these women attempt it. Taking
into account the millions of women who
have been victims of sexual assault, this
number is astronomical.
Victim-blaming, as the above question
does, can contribute to this issue.
Anna Russell serves as an Education
Coordinator for the Women and Gender
Resource Center (WGRC) on The
University of Alabama’s campus.
“Victims automatically blame
themselves, so when outside sources do
the same it reinforces this feeling of guilt
and forces them to relive that trauma over
and over again,” said Russell.
Russell went on to discuss how revealing
clothing is often taken as an invitation
for sexual advances, how going out in
revealing clothing is seen as “looking for
sexual activity,” and how the people who
subscribe to these beliefs feel victims
don’t have the right to be upset when that
invitation is acted on.
According to a study in the Minnesota
Journal of Law & Inequality, however,
“clothing is not probative or relevant
evidence of the intent or attitude of the
wearer.” In simple terms, clothes do not
equal consent. No matter how sexual an
outfit is perceived to be by others, it may
not be seen the same way by the person
wearing it and should not open them up
to unwanted sexual advances or assault.
Russell explained that consent, as defined
by the WGRC, is a complex topic.
“It is freely given, it is reversible, it is
specific,” said Russell.
Consent is not a short skirt or a low cut
top. Regardless of how much or how little
skin is shown, women’s bodies are their
own and nothing but explicit verbal consent
should progress to sex.
A law decision is not the only evidence
that proves the falsehood of the argument.
An art exhibit titled “What Were You
Wearing?” at the University of Arkansas,
displays the outfits survivors wore when
they were assaulted, along with a short note
from the victim. The exhibit showcases a
wide range of fashion, from provocative
lingerie to a simple t-shirt and jeans. The
variety doesn’t stop at style either. The
exhibit is littered with garments young and
old, masculine and feminine, big and small.
The assertion made is a powerful one: what
you were wearing isn’t important.
The exhibit was put together by Mary
Wyandt-Hiebert and Jen Brockman,
directors of the sexual assault prevention
and resource programs as the University
of Arkansas and the University of Kansas
respectively. The goal of the exhibit was to
debunk the myths surrounding rape and
sexual assault as an event for Sexual Assault
Awareness Month.
“Never did we dream that this would
become a global awareness phenomenon
used to facilitate conversation and change
the way many view sexual violence,” said
Wyandt-Hiebert.
The exhibit has been on every continent
except Antarctica. It has been translated
into different languages and held on college
campuses, military bases, community
centers, and government sponsored venues
globally.
“We hear from many around the world
of their gratitude for an exhibit that has
helped them to find their voice,” said
Wyandt-Hiebert.
The “What Were You Wearing?” exhibit is
not only about awareness, it is also about
empowerment.
Fashion is a form of expression. It should
make women feel confident, strong and
empowered; not shameful and helpless.
Many brands today work to incorporate
women’s empowerment into their
business. Universal Standard provides
clothing options for sizes 00 to 40 with
no disparities, Sseko helps send Ugandan
women to college, Elegantees assists in the
fight against sex trafficking, Naja makes
lingerie designed for the women wearing
it rather than the objectifying male gaze,
and many, many more. Empowerment and
social impact is the new fashion.
“The mission of my brand has always
been to empower women to live a life of
style, whatever that means,” said Rachel
Zoe, fashion designer and founder of
CURATEUR. “Its meaning can be as diverse
as it’s wearers.”
Anna Swatski of Fashinnovation, a global
platform seeking to foster innovation and
change in the fashion industry claims,
“Every woman’s version of empowerment
is different. Some women prefer to wear
modest clothing, while other women prefer
to wear more revealing clothing.”
Whatever style of fashion is chosen the
woman wearing it should feel powerful,
confident and assured.
Blaming sexual assault on a woman’s
fashion destroys that confidence, and
not just in survivors. It leaves women
everywhere unable to express themselves
for fear it may be taken as an invitation for
something more. TIME magazine claims
dress codes that restrict the fashion options
of young girls to avoid distracting boys
or making male teachers uncomfortable
perpetuate this idea. Such dress codes
punish girls for the thoughts and actions of
men and boys, teaching them their clothes
and by extension they, themselves, are
responsible; that harassment is inevitable.
Once again, harmful and false ideas about
sexual violence are disseminated to those
most vulnerable to it. We must put an
end to the cycle, by refusing to follow this
culture of victim-blaming and excuses.
So, the next time you hear someone ask,
“What were you wearing?” know her clothes
had nothing to do with it.
[29]

TAKE ME BACK:
Find Out What Decade
Your Style Belongs In!
By Ta’Kyla Bates
Design Sarah Smith
In 2022 we’re all starting to realize that fashion trends aren’t new
anymore. They are just revitalized from different time periods. The
90s brought us low rise jeans and Britney still wears them today. The
2000s gave us velour tracksuits, and if you have one now consider
yourself a baddie. The 2010s and 2020s didn’t really give us anything
new, but we learned as a fashion culture that if we pull staple looks
from different decades, we’ll make heads turn.
1. You’re late for your 8 a.m. What are you throwing on?
A. I’m finding a cute outfit, I’ll be fashionably late.
B. Simple matching two-piece jogging suit.
C. Leggings and a sweatshirt.
D. Biker shorts and an oversized tee.
6. Which of these brands do you own?
A. Tommy Hilfiger
B. Juicy Couture
C. Off-White
D. Jordan
2. Which jeans would you wear on a night out?
A. Jeans?! I’m wearing a miniskirt.
B. Low rise jeans
C. Skinny jeans
D. Baggy jeans
3. Who’s your fashion icon?
A. Aaliyah
B. Paris Hilton
C. Rihanna
D. Zendaya
4. Which TV show has the best looks?
A. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
B. Gossip Girl
C. Riverdale
D. Euphoria
5. What makes an outfit turn heads?
A. Lots of patterns
B. Staple accessories
C. An extravagant make-up look
D. A principal shoe
7. Pick a staple shoe:
A. Combat boots
B. Anything with a platform
C. Dad sneakers
D. Anything Yeezy or Nike
8. You just got an interview for your dream job, what are
you wearing?
A. A nice matching skirt and blazer
B. A nice sophisticated dress
C. A cute blazer, a patterned skinny dress pant
D. The interview is over zoom, so I’m not wearing pants I can
tell you that.
9. Favorite Fashion Model?
A. Naomi Campbell
B. Miranda Kerr
C. Kendall Jenner
D. Bella Hadid
10. Pick a runway song:
A. “Supermodel (You Better Work)” by Rupaul
B. “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga
C. “Who Run the World (Girls)” by Beyonce
D. “Have Mercy” by Chloe
[30]

Mostly A- the 90s
You got the 90s! The year of plaid two-piece sets
and mini skirts. You’re not afraid of patterns
and Doc Martens are your best friend. You don’t
mind switching up your style, one day you’ll be
90s grunge and the next day you’ll rock a cute
patterned button-up with a cute pair of denim
jeans.
Mostly B - the 00s
You got 2000s! The year of low-rise jeans, trucker
hats and velour tracksuits. You’ve engulfed
yourself into y2k. You might not be on the full
y2k aesthetic, but you definitely add y2k elements
into your everyday look. Whether it's a simple
name necklace or a pair of small sunglasses you
definitely belong with Britney Spears and Cristina
Milian.
Mostly C - the 10s
The 2010s were the last decade where everything
was somewhat normal. The decade of
skinny jeans and mom jeans. You still can rock
a pair of skinny jeans, but there’s a rip here or
there. A chunky sneaker is your best friend and
you probably own at least five crewnecks and
sweatshirts.
Mostly D - the 20s
If your fashion is the 2020s you’re basically an
embodiment of all the other decades or you just
wear biker shorts, sweats or some kind of oversized
top wherever you go. But when you do get
the chance to dress up, you go all out, because
there’s no time to waste on a good outfit.
[31]

[features]
Photostory: Bloom
34
Fighting for Fair Labor
38
Toxicity in Stan Culture
40
[32]

[33]

Photo Emma Kate Standard
[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

Fighting for Fair Labor
Fighting for Fair Labor
By Joseph Hoffman
Photo Grayson Byrd
A
ccording to Massachusetts Institute of
Technology’s living wage calculator, the hourly
wage a single worker must make at a full-time job to
support themselves in the state of Alabama is $13.77 per
hour.
The minimum wage paid
to staff at the University
of Alabama for the 2021-
2022 academic year is
$8.67. Rates for employees
of Aramark, the external
contractor that runs
BamaDining, can fall even
lower.
At many other state
colleges, employees working
in conditions they deem as
unfair or unsafe would have
the power to form a union
and collectively bargain
with the state for better
compensation. At Rutgers
University in New Jersey,
over 20,000 of the school’s
workers, from professors
down to tradespeople, are
members of various workers
unions. These union
contracts can provide better
job security and protection
for those employed under
them, especially in times of
crisis such as the ongoing
pandemic.
However, employees of
the University of Alabama
do not have that same
right. No public employer in the state is allowed to
enter into a collective bargaining contract with a
union. This drastically decreases the power of campus
workers to advocate for themselves without the threat
of termination.
“The way that people on faculty, staff and support staff
are treated here at UA is, by and large, without a lot of
respect,” said Declan Smith, President of Students for
Fair Labor and a member of United Campus Workers,
the University’s only on-campus union. “The larger
problem is the inability for so many of the workers
here to be heard on an institutional level.”
The University of
Alabama system currently
has a labor problem on
many fronts. It is one that
goes beyond wages and
compensation, reflecting
instead the lack of rights
university employees have
to improve their standing
in the workplace.
Some UA employees
are even legally barred
from discussing aspects of
their employment outside
the workplace. This past
October, emails were
made public revealing the
details of a non-disclosure
agreement staff members
had been made to sign,
placing further pressure
on workers to stay quiet
about the details of their
jobs.
The issue lies not only in
the treatment of its direct
employees, but those
of the companies they
maintain crucial external
relationships with as
well. Aramark is currently
undergoing litigation
accusing the company of using prisoners as unpaid
labor and reports of serving spoiled food. Nike, the
sponsor of UA’s equipment and sports apparel, has a
history of manufacturing their clothing in sweatshoplike
conditions overseas to save on labor costs.
In a university system that collects over a billion
dollars in revenue annually and employs 45,000
[38]

people, pushing back against the status quo can seem
like a nearly insurmountable feat. There are, however,
multiple groups at UA that have taken up the fight,
attempting to organize campus workers and push for
stronger protections.
Students for Fair Labor (SFL) is one such group.
Their aim is to serve as the student wing of the
labor movement in Tuscaloosa, providing necessary
manpower and support for both campus workers and
other labor drives in the surrounding area.
“Very often we’ll have people come to our group,
either cafeteria workers or the bus drivers who we’ve
worked with in the past, and if they’re running a
campaign, they reach out,” said Smith. “We try to do
whatever we can to support them.”
Recently, SFL has worked with Amazon employees
in Bessemer, Alabama, through multiple phases
of organizing, voting, and now re-voting to form a
union. Their focus remains primarily on UA’s campus,
attempting to overcome the institutional barriers to a
unified labor movement.
The only true union currently operating on campus
is United Campus Workers (UCW). Founded in 2019,
the organization has grown rapidly over the past
several years as more and more employees have seen
the importance of unionization, especially in response
to the COVID-19 pandemic. UCW is mostly made up of
faculty and graduate students at the moment, but they
have made an active effort to reach out to employees of
the university on all levels.
The concept of solidarity is a core principle often
preached by unions and labor organizers. Simply put,
it is the unity of principles and goals for working people
everywhere, supporting strikes, union drives, and
other direct action when necessary in order to further
the causes of labor. The more complex questions lie in
what that action looks like for the average student at
The University of Alabama.
One model for a more ethical future may be found
in The Mallet Assembly. A longstanding group at the
university, Mallet is an independent, self-governing,
living-learning community that places an emphasis on
political action for mainly progressive causes.
“We describe ourselves as a countercultural group
on campus,” said Isabella Cornelius, a freshman news
media major and a member of the Mallet Assembly.
“We did tabling for the Bessemer mine workers as
well as a bail fund last semester. It’s about bringing
attention to issues on campus that the culture here
might ignore.”
Mallet’s structure places an emphasis on many
of the same values that labor unions traditionally
do, such as democratic self-governance, autonomy,
and inclusivity. The active relationship they have
maintained with organizers and pro-worker causes
serves a very similar purpose to SFL in providing
resources and manpower wherever needed.
More importantly, it fosters a politically active and
aware student body, something that is much needed
in order to influence the policies of the university or
board of trustees. The administration has shown on
many occasions that a strong response to a particular
issue by students, whether on the recent renaming of
Lucy Hall or last fall’s homecoming controversy, has
the power to influence the direction of the institution.
If progress is to be made in the treatment of UA’s
employees, a similar student-led component would
also be needed.
“It’s really easy to walk around all day and not think
about what’s going into the education you’re getting,”
Smith said. “What we would hope is not that every
student would be picketing, but to be aware that the
staff that supports you on a daily basis are working in
conditions that are unfair.”
Representatives of both Mallet and SFL emphasized
the importance of awareness in furthering the cause of
fair labor. The reality of pushing against an institution
as large and powerful as UA means that most of its
employees are unaware of any union or effort to
organize on campus. Even if they are, the lack of ability
to collectively bargain means placing a job or career at
stake for potentially no meaningful benefit in the short
term. To many, this risk is too high to take.
The push for unionization at Alabama has a very
uncertain future. The current trajectory of growth
in UCW is hopeful, and the growth of student-led
organizations that stand with fair labor shows the
willingness of the student body to help support
however they can.
Yet these two groups still represent a fraction of
employees and students at large. Paired with the lack
of a right to collectively bargain and Alabama’s rightto-work
laws, which decreased the power of unions
by making dues optional, public-sector unions in the
state will continue to face an uphill climb. Success
would require a massive movement on all levels, from
the student body to the statehouse, that even in the
most optimistic scenario is a long way away.
For workers and their advocates, this hope is enough
to keep pushing forward.
“I think there’s a lot of promise for this university.
I think there are a lot of students and workers who
have that progressive mindset,” Cornelius said. “They
just need to be set in a direction and organized. From
there, the movement grows.”
[39]

Toxicity In Stan
Culture
BY MORINSOLA KUKOYI
DESIGN KATIE NEBBIA
[40]
When it comes to fanbases and
entertainment, stan culture is a
popular topic that encapsulates how
both of these factors work.
Coined by rapper Eminem in the
song of the same name for his third
studio album, “The Marshall Mathers
LP,” the term “stan” has gone from an
allegory to a prominent description
for an overzealous fan of a particular
celebrity.
As social media has made
it easy for fans to interact with
celebrities, a certain culture has
emerged that allows fans to connect
and create community with one
another. However, while stan culture
isn’t inherently good or bad, some have
begun to wonder if it has become toxic.
In an article for USAToday,
entertainment reporter David Oliver
discussed how the “viral nature
of social media means platforms
can become powder kegs for
radicalization,” meaning while fans
can quickly get an artist’s music
climbing the charts, they can just as
easily go after someone.
One example is when
celebrities get into disagreements
with each other, and their fanbases
immediately begin to fight.
Hailey Jones, 19-year-old who
runs a Harry Styles fan account with
10.8 thousand followers on Instagram,
said in her experience stan culture is
sometimes it can be scary.
“Whether it’s fans making
threats to other fans or fans making
threats to celebrities. I’ve seen a lot.
I’ve seen people body shame others just
because they don’t like someone else’s,
favorite artist. I’ve seen some people
threaten to leak people’s numbers and
addresses,” said Jones. “As much as I
appreciate stan Twitter for connecting me
with people who have similar interests as
me, but it does get scary.”
From ages 13 to 14, Jones said
she’d experienced this first hand when she
ran a 5 Seconds of Summer stan account.
“These were the years where I got
many death threats sent my way. People
thought I’d be better off dead due to my
‘wrong’ opinion,” said Jones.
Camryn Mcgaha, a sophomore at
The University of Alabama majoring in
public relations, runs the Bama Swifties
stan account on Instagram. Though
she hasn’t experienced any particularly
negative moments with the account, she
has noticed how negative it all can be.
She said she believes fans bully on
social media because they think it will get
them noticed by their favorite celebrity.
“There’s a lot of toxicity
surrounding how ‘good’ of a fan you are. In
truth, none of that has any bearing on how
much you like the artist,” said Mcgaha.
Ronni Rowan, a sophomore at
The University of Alabama majoring in
creative media, said she’s seen this in a few
fandoms; however, the K-pop fandom has
been the most “disrespectful.”
“It’s the superiority complex
and harsh language when someone says
something they deem not positive, but

most of all, it is just K-pop stans
wanting to feel better in their position
and wanting to hurt people,” said
Rowan.
Though the level of toxicity
varies from fandom to fandom, issues
of racism, sexism, bullying and more
have become too prevalent for many
to ignore, most already being issues
that social media has always had.
Jones said she remembered
a particular instance where People of
Color stan members were harassed by
white fans for “leaving white people
out” of a “specific People of Color
selfie tag” they were using.
Because of this result, she
hopes People of Color fans can use
their specific hashtags without feeling
that someone else is taking this
away from them. When it comes to
incidents on social media, Jones tries
her best to address racist issues when
she sees them.
Stan culture also remains
problematic when it comes to the
topic of mental health.
“Stan culture could be a major
problem if it creates mental health
and/or safety issues for either the fan
or the content creator,” said Matthew
Barnidge, an associate professor of
communication and information
sciences at The University of
Alabama. “For the content creator
or any public figure, stan culture can
lead to harassment in the form of
unwanted contact, hateful messages,
or, in the most extreme cases,
physical harm.”
In an article by the Stanford
Daily, on “the dark side of stan
culture,” multiple social media
content creators were interviewed
and said that because of fans’
entitlement, they felt constrained
by fans’ demands for fear of intense
backlash.
“I’ve had people I have never
spoken to send me voice messages out
of the blue asking me why I haven’t
responded to their latest messages,”
said influencer Stephanie Yenoah in
the article. “I’ve also had people ask
for details on people I have shown
on my platform, such as friends or
family.”
Another example of the
pressure fans can put on celebrities
happened last year when Simone
Biles’ decided to pull out of several
rounds of the Tokyo Olympics.
Biles had to pull out of
several rounds because of the
immense pressure that she had been
getting from her fans and spectators
worldwide. That immense pressure
led to her mental health getting the
best of her, and she needed to focus
on allowing herself to be in a more
stable headspace.
The environment can be toxic
for other fans, but it at times becomes
toxic for the celebrities they follow.
Due to this constant overwhelming
cycle of negativity, Jones said she’s
had to take multiple breaks from
social media.
“I currently have an
Instagram account with 10.8k
followers. I’ve had that account since
I was 12 years old; I’m 19 now. I left
for about a year when I was 13, a
year when I was 17, and then for a
few months when I was 18,” she said.
“As for stan Twitter, I’ve left a few
times through my years, but never
permanently. Sometimes it gets to be
too much, and I do need a break, but
I also do appreciate the friends and
experiences I have there” said Jones.
Stan culture is problematic
because there is a need for fans to
dictate their own opinions in their
idols’ lives.
In some capacity, stan
accounts on social media allow fans
to promote this type of behavior.
Overall, everyone should “treat
people with kindness” and lift each
other up. Creating a safe space for
everyone in stan culture will be a
very important move in making stan
culture less toxic than it already is.
[41]

[entertainment]
Which Euphoria Girl Are You? 44
“We need you out here:” A Look at
Parasocial Relationship
“Eclectic and Under-discovered:”
Pulling Back the Cover on
Alabama’s Music Scene
46
48
[42]

[43]

WHICH
EUPHORIA
EUPHORIA GIRL ARE YOU?
BY CAT CLINTON
DESIGN ELLA SMYTH
January marked the season two premiere of HBO’s drama series, “Euphoria.” Since the launch viewers
have been raving about the characters’ decisions, storylines and cliffhangers, but the opinions forming
could not be more different. This quiz provides insight on which character is most similar, and likely
sympathetic to test takers. Readers can find out by answering a few quick questions found below!
1. When I walk into a party I immediately…
A. Locate a comfy spot to sit and observe people or talk to
friends
B. Checking out the side rooms. That’s where all the fun is
C. Assert my dominance. Besides, the party doesn’t start until
I arrive
D. Scan the room for the cutest and closest guy
5. During a break-up I…
A. Get cold and detach
B. Break down. Loss is crippling
C. Act unphased
D. Glow up
2. In school I can be found…
A. In class, where I am supposed to be
B. Slacking off or sketching in the bathroom stall
C. Gathering my girls to plan the weekend ahead
D. In the bathroom for a touch up or cheer practice. It’s not
easy staying active and looking good for eight hours straight
6. I would describe my “type” as…
A. Attentive
B. Creative
C. Strong
D. Affectionate
3. I would describe myself as…
A. An observer
B. Human, flaws and all
C. A boss. People listen when I speak
D. Beautiful. I’m just working on myself and hoping to be
acknowledged for it
7. I’m constantly striving to find…
A. Success and recognition
B. Pure happiness
C. Power and independence
D. True love
4. My hobbies include…
A. The arts. reading, writing, photography and film
B. Nothing appropriate
C. Planning my life and manipulating any obstacles
D. Self-care. Healthy habits must be practiced
[44]

MOSTLY As- LEXI
You’re Lexi! You may be quiet but are never
unaware of the situation at hand. These cautious
and prepared individuals often have a good
time relating to a vast array of personalities
because time is taken to consider the context
and surroundings of every interaction. This
personality type can relate and see things
from others point of view. Occasionally, these
individuals suffer from “FOMO”, from lack of
action due to overthinking and overplanning.
MOSTLY Bs- RUE
You’re Rue! You do not like the rules, but that
does not mean these personality types are
unproductive. These people can feel and see the
world in a different and deeper way. Although
that perspective is sometimes dark, occasionally
these individuals are able to spread warmth and
positivity others simply envy. It is common for
these personality types to have natural creative
skills and a sense of humor.
MOSTLY Cs- MADDY
You’re Maddy! You are most definitely the one
running the show, and these individuals are not
shy about it. Loud and proud is the game, but
imitation is not the only skill developed in these
personality types. Communication skills are also
a common asset. These individuals need to be in
charge, and this is often gained through politics
and alliance building. This may be high school,
but the long game is always lingering in the back
of one’s mind.
MOSTLY Ds- CASSIE
You’re Cassie! You are not ashamed of the radiance
given off. This is because it requires effort
and is often something that goes under appreciated.
These personality types are affectionate to
loved ones and demand the same kind of treatment
in turn. These people are also not the kind
to be hurt by partners. This is because love and
affection are this personality’s weapon of choice.
When these individuals do fall; game over.
[45]

“We need you out here:”
A look at Parasocial
Relationships
By Emie Garrett
Design Kayla
Roberson
[46]

In the age of streaming, viewers are
consuming television rapidly, binging
whole seasons on a lazy Sunday and gobbling
up entire series in a couple of weeks. Yet, while
people are constantly on the hunt for a new
television fix, many have special “comfort
shows” they return to time and time again with
a certain familiarity akin to rekindling an old
friendship or coming home after months away.
However, sometimes as people get attached
to these shows, they begin to see the characters
as real individuals instead of figments created
by talented writers brought to life by actors and
actresses.
According to the National Register of Health
Service Psychologists, parasocial relationships
are one-sided relationships where one person
creates a bond with someone or their persona.
That person is completely unaware of the
other’s existence; this is most common with
most celebrities.
In an article for Psychology Today, Matt
Johnson, a writer and professor at Hult
International Business School, explained that
Donald Horton and R. Richard Wohl coined
the term in 1956 after they saw how viewers
of the television shows “I Love Lucy” and “The
Lone Ranger,” didn’t just enjoy the shows, but
“felt strong, lifelike [bonds] with the characters
and the ‘illusion of a face-to-face relationship.’”
And though it might feel like an outlandish
experience, these parasocial relationships are
common, especially in the age of social media.
Steven Holiday, an assistant professor
of advertising and public relations at The
University of Alabama, said parasocial
relationships can be, to some extent, a means
to “help individuals feel less lonely.”
“Imagine being single and coming home at
the end of the night, turning on a show and
connecting with the characters and their lives
… your home feels less empty, filled with the
sounds and ‘presence’ of other people,” said
Holiday.. “You don’t have to be a depressed
or lonely person to benefit from this kind of
experience.”
However, a study published in the Human
Communication Research journal found that
there is no correlation between loneliness and
the intensity of viewers’ perceived relationships
with fictional television characters.
Despite the lack of connection to loneliness,
social media has showcased how fans create
these relationships over platforms.
For example, in 2015 YouTube personality,
Ingrid Nilsen shared her sexuality with
followers in a video entitled, “Something
I Want You To Know (Coming Out),”
Nilsen received over 150,000 comments
from followers, an overwhelming amount
expressing their support of her, despite never
having met Nilsen.
While parasocial relationships are quite
normal, they can become dangerous when
the lines between reality and fantasy become
blurred.
“When these relationships become obsessive
and replace the effort and ability to create
actual relationships, they become unhealthy,”
Holiday said.
Researchers have been studying how and
why parasocial relationships occur and their
connection to the world of social media, which
has amplified celebrities’ ability to instantly
connect and interact with fans.
A study published in The Journal of Social
Media In Society found that social media stars
simply responding to followers’ comments
heightened the sense of connection audiences
felt they had with the individual.
“The worry [that researchers have] is that if
people can interact with someone and believe
they’ve formed a relationship with them, they
can have expectations of this person and act
accordingly,” Holiday said. “Researchers worry
this could increase unhealthy relationship
actions, such as stalking and aggression.”
With social media, fans now have even more
accessibility to celebrities, and during the
pandemic, researchers saw how social media
influenced parasocial relationships even more.
And recently, research published in the
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
said parasocial closeness with media personaes
increased over time during the pandemic,
suggesting that favorite media personae
became more meaningful as participants
engaged in social distancing.
As long as people remain aware that these
relationships don’t equate to knowing the
individual, parasocial relationships are
perfectly normal. However, many have a hard
time adjusting to the idea that the actors who
play their favorite characters on their favorite
shows are the antithesis of the character they
know and love.
Because of the audiences’ bonds with
fictional characters on television, it’s hard
for them to separate the character from the
individual portraying them, leading to extreme
disappointment when they meet these actors
in real life and the bubble bursts.
In October 2021, a BuzzFeed article compiled
a list of negative encounters people had with
celebrities, like Machine Gun Kelly, Jessica
Alba and Jared Leto. Many expressed their
deep disappointment about discovering these
celebrities were not necessarily the people they
thought they were.
On TikTok, numerous users have shared
their encounters with the actors who grace
our televisions– some sweet, some funny, and
some upsetting.
TikTok user, Julia Carolan, blew up on
the internet when she created a TikTok
series where she rated celebrities she had
encountered while working as a hostess in a
swanky Manhattan restaurant based on their
treatment of her and the staff who served
them.
Carolan received backlash from Justin and
Hailey Bieber stans, despite very few of them
ever having encountered Bieber, when she
awarded Mrs. Bieber a measly 3.5 out of 10
because she “met her [Hailey Bieber] a handful
of times and every time she was not nice.”
Dalton Causey, a University of Alabama
junior majoring in acting, said he thinks it’s
important to remember that celebrities aren’t
magical creatures to be poked, prodded and
worshiped.
“The moment that I realized that these actors
are just people, it became so much easier for
me to take them off of their pedestal and put
them on the same level that we’re all on,”
Causey said.
“You have to remember those [celebrities]
are just people who also have dreams; they are
just people who are out there doing what they
love and have worked really hard to reach the
success they’ve achieved, which is something
all of us can do in some way, shape or form.”
Hannah Taylor, a recent University of
Alabama alumnus with experience working in
the entertainment industry, said she doesn’t
think celebrities “owe people anything other
than basic human respect.”
“I don’t think that just because [celebrities]
play characters that are always happy, or play a
certain type of role in general, that means they
have to act like that in person,” said Taylor..
So, while it is okay to grin and swoon while
watching Timothee Chalamet interviews or
disappear down a Swiftie-Tok rabbit hole,
remember to hop back out of Hollywood’s
shimmering orbit now and then. We need you
out here.
[47]

Pulling back the cover on Alabama’s
music scene
By
Madeleine
Leidner
Photo
Emma Kate Standard
Design
Wesley Picard
[48]

Alabama has seen the beginnings of
many famous musicians, like the
Alabama Shakes, Lionel Richie and even
Gucci Mane. Music is in a constant state
of evolution, and witnessing the sounds
of artists from Alabama change over the
years has been captivating to many.
Jones Willingham, the editor and
media coordinator of MusicBham, a
guide for music in Birmingham and
central Alabama, said he would describe
Alabama’s musical landscape as “eclectic
and under-discovered.”
“​Eclectic, because there is that incredible
genre variation, and I think that’s
illustrated across the local live landscape
at any given night at the venues like the
Firehouse or Saturn,” said Willingham.
“And under-discovered because I don’t
really feel like there are any publications
and groups like really mining through
Alabama, looking for good music.”
Willingham said Alabama has an
“incredible talent,” but it’s “just like gold
right under the surface.”
“So, I think that once that surface is
removed and there’s greater notoriety
for these acts, I think the country and the
world and listeners everywhere will be
very surprised and be like ‘oh there from
Birmingham Alabama,’ which I think is
really exciting,” said Willingham..
One formerly local band that has
garnered more notoriety is The
Brummies, an indie-rock band comprised
of multi-instrumentalists John Davison,
Jacob Bryant and drummer, Trevor
Davis.
The band who began playing together in
2014 while in high school in Birmingham,
Alabama, made a name for themselves
with their sound, which Billboard
described as “gorgeous” and “lush.”
They’ve amassed over 18 million streams
and have collaborated with notable
professionals in the music industry, such
as producer David Hopkins, Grammyaward
winning engineer, Jeremy
Ferguson and Grammy-award-winning
artist Kacey Musgraves.
They’ve also played several music
festivals and toured domestically and
internationally with St. Paul and the
Broken Bones, Kacey Musgraves, the
Wild Feathers, NEEDTOBREATHE and
BANNERS.
[49]

Although they have continued to travel
and expand their reach as artists, growing
up and starting their music careers in
Alabama had a deep impact on them.
“We’ve always had so much respect for
the music scene in Alabama. It was a
hotbed for under-the-radar artists that
we thought were stars, and rightfully so,”
said Davidson.. “We wanted what they
had, and it kept us pushing forward with
the music we were making.”
Each of the members of The Brummies
displayed deep appreciation for their
roots and the Alabama music scene in its
entirety.
Another local band on the rise is The
Stews, originally from Auburn, Alabama;
Preston Hall, Bennett Baugus, Blake
Dobbs and Wyatt Griffith started playing
together during the summer 2020.
“During our first jam session, we
completed the song ‘Slip Away’ and
realized that we should continue writing
and playing together,” they said.
They began playing at college venues
in Auburn and Tuscaloosa. Their fame
quickly spread throughout the state before
gaining recognition from Nashville-based
rock band the Vegabonds, and touring
along the Southeast.
“Being from Alabama has helped us
tremendously in our early steps as a
band. When looking for a studio to record
our EP, [“The Stews EP,”] we all already
had FAME Studios in mind,” they said.
“It’s a privilege to have access to such a
historic place in our own state.”
Luke Washburn, a representative agent
for Atlas Touring, a booking agency based
in Charleston, SC, said The Stews “really
care and love what they do, and it shows”
that is what sets them apart.
As these artists grow, many locals are
happy to watch Alabama’s music scene
expand along with them.
“Birmingham has grown a lot in the
past 10 to 15 years. Previously when
national artists were touring, they would
go Atlanta to Nashville and not hit
Birmingham. Well, now, people come to
Birmingham,” said Willingham.. “So, we
want to make sure that the public knows
what’s happening and not just about the
Billy Eilish’s of the world, but we also
want them to know about the little local
shows going on at The Nick or Little Italy
or, you know, the local bands that play
Saturn.”
This is what MusicBham seeks to
do, showcase Alabama’s talent while
also connecting these local music
communities to further enrich Alabama’s
music scene.
Lauren Golston, a junior majoring
in public relations, said she thinks it’s
interesting how artists are now coming
to Birmingham because Atlanta used
to be the closest place mainstream
artists would get. Yet, artists coming to
Birmingham are bringing revenue and
[50]

diverse groups of people.
“I think Birmingham could be the new
Atlanta when it comes to performances and
stuff,” said Golston.
Billingsley said he believes a big cause
of that is the artists that are coming out of
Alabama and making a name for themselves
going to new places, but “bringing it back to
the city.”
Billingsley and Golston said that when they
think of Alabama and current artists making
it big, they think of rappers like NoCap, Rylo
Rodriguez and Big Yavo. Who together have
over 2 million streams on Spotify.
For those interested in getting involved
with Alabama’s growing music scene,
Davison advises new artists to fully indulge
in Alabama’s local venues.
“I’d tell other artists to play Alabama. Don’t
skip over it like a lot of artists and bands do.
It’s a loyal crowd that loves music as much or
more than anyone,” said Davison..
He also recommends listening to
Birmingham Mountain Radio to learn
more about Birmingham’s budding indie
music scene. While his bandmate, Davis,
recommended artists to the venue Saturn
when searching to discover new Alabama
artists.
Willingham said for those interested in getting
involved either as a performer or just a music
connoisseur, it’s important to first and foremost
just go to local shows.
He said he’s seen many talented local bands get
burnt out because of no support, but then people
start paying attention when they break up. So,
indulging in local artists is important to keep the
music scene growing.
For those who don’t know where to look,
MusicBham has many resources on their website
and Instagram, including weekend roundups,
which showcase upcoming events and lists of
artists, venues, record/music stores, recording
studios and more in Alabama.
Willingham also encouraged people to “not be
afraid of genre” when searching for local events
because Alabama has something for everyone.
What is important is that people “go see and take
it in.”
“Being at live music is such a beautiful
communal experience that you’re bound to
enjoy it when you’re just there. And you might
even find a new local band that becomes one of
your favorites,” he said. “So I would just say dive
into that now; COVID willing, of course, be safe
and be smart with that.”
[51]

[food and health]
Routines: Morning vs. Night and
Their Benefits To Your Health
The Classy Girl Guide to Proper
Table Etiquette
Milk Snobs: Which Alternative Milk
is Best?
54
56
58
[52]

[53]

Routines: Morning vs. Night
Their Benefits to Your Health
By Bella Carpino
Photo Jennifer Stroud
For many people in society today,
it is known to be only a natural
behavior to get caught up in the buzzing
world surrounding them, along with
the stress of the overflowing mental
to-do lists and reminders that lie in the
back of their heads as they go through
their days. For some, their lack of sleep
but need for productivity in their day
can be an extremely difficult goal to
achieve. With that being said, the key to
unlocking the door to the pathway out
of this miserable cycle is simply found
in having daily routines.
The concept of routines should be
understood as a process in which one
acts in order to either create an effective
start to the day or unwind from their
day, and most importantly, care for
their mental and physical health and
wellbeing. For example, a morning
routine may consist of reading a page
out of a devotional book, going to the
gym, showering, making breakfast,
then going to work, while night routines
may involve doing a moisturizing clay
face mask and drinking a full glass of
water, followed by reading a chapter of
one’s favorite book before closing their
eyes to go to sleep.
While morning and night routines
certainly can have cons depending
on whether one is an “early bird” or a
“night owl,” as well as other factors,
the benefits of both types of routines
certainly outweigh the drawbacks.
Overall, morning and night routines,
when incorporated into someone’s
daily life either together or separately,
can strongly and positively influence
mental health and lead them to a path
towards a flourishing wellbeing.
Starting each day with a morning
routine is an effective way to begin
someone’s day on the right foot and
truly care for one’s mental health by
clearing their thoughts and preparing
for strength and success in the day
ahead. Whether an individual prefers
to head over to the gym bright and early
for a workout, or sit on the porch to read
[54]

a book with a morning coffee, these
activities offer ways to value wellness
in a way that will improve someone’s
everyday life.
“I’m not necessarily a morning person
but I love my morning routine and it
definitely helps prepare me to have
a productive day,” said Bella Powell,
a sophomore at The University of
Alabama majoring in nursing. “There’s
nothing worse than leaving the house
flustered trying to make it to a class on
time, and I notice that when I start my
morning flustered, it runs into the rest
of the day.”
Powell’s morning routine begins with
showering and getting dressed, and
ends with having time to read and eat
breakfast.
“There is such a huge difference in my
mood and overall productivity when I
start my mornings right,” said Powell.
While waking up early is not always
easy for her, Powell has created a
morning routine due to recognizing a
huge negative difference in both her
frame of mind and the productivity of
her days if that routine is ever skipped.
Tamashi, a business that sells 100%
plant-based ready-to-drink breakfasts
and informs its customers about the
relationship between the body, mind,
and spirit, shared an article regarding
the importance of a good morning
routine. The educational article focused
on outlining just a few of the benefits
including experiencing less stress
throughout the day, better quality
of sleep, and more free time in the
evening. While lower levels of stress
and anxiety can serve as an important
tool to improve mental health,
consistent hours of sleep due to waking
up to perform a morning routine is one
of the most significant positive effects
the routine can have on an individual’s
well-being. According to Tamashi,
“with a better sleeping pattern, you will
get through the day being sharper and
more alert while experiencing more
peace of mind.” While one of the very
few cons to a morning routine might
be that one may sacrifice less than 7-9
hours of sleep, an important benefit of
having one is to gain more free time
in the evening after a productive day,
also meaning that one can get to bed
at an earlier, healthier time. At the end
of the day, having a morning routine
represents a crucial solution for a
productive day that’s beneficial to one’s
health and welfare.
On the other hand, night routines
offer a variety of different benefits and
improvements to one’s mental health
and physical wellbeing. Although they
tend to be more difficult to commit to
doing every night, considering after
a long day of school or work the only
plan in a person’s mind is to relax,
night routines are just as important as
morning routines.
Leon Ho, the founder and CEO of
Lifehack, said that the three main
benefits of a nighttime routine include
that one will “have a more restful and
higher-quality sleep…[and] be able to
tackle the morning in a smoother and
more productive way.” Furthermore,
their “brain will be sharper throughout
the next day.”
Night routines are necessary to both
mentally and physically prepare in
advance for the next morning to come.
Finley Thacker, a sophomore student
and ambassador for the College of
Communication and Information
Sciences at The University of Alabama,
said her nighttime routine begins with
changing into pajamas and glancing at
her calendar for the next day in order to
plan ahead and it ends with streaming a
show to wind down before completing
her skincare routine and setting an
alarm for the morning.
“My night time routine is simply my
favorite part of the day because it gives
me time to reflect,” said Thacker.
While there are many positive aspects
of having a night routine, on the other
hand, they may require one to eliminate
certain behaviors such as staying out
late with friends or falling asleep with
screen time. The harsh electronic blue
light that reflects off of a phone or
computer can prevent the production of
melatonin in the body, according to Ho.
Night routines are the key to putting
an end to bad habits that can harshly
affect one’s well being and building
good habits that will assist their health
in promising development.
While morning and night routines
certainly have their similarities and
differences when it comes to their
beneficial impact on the human body
and mind, overall, the psychological
influences become clear to those who
perform either routine on a daily basis.
John Gaspari, who has been working
in the psychology field for 30 years as
a ​Psychotherapist and Professional
Coach with both a Licensed Clinical
Social Worker and a Professional
Clinical Counseling degree, shared his
perspective on what makes routines so
essential to all different aspects of one’s
life.
“Most of us spend little or no time
systematically training in any of the
key dimensions of energy management
(physical, emotional, mental or
spiritual). We are expected to perform
at our best eight to ten to twelve (or
more) hours/day,” said Gaspari.
Although time is a fixed resource
that cannot be sped up or stopped
completely, our energy is one that is
limited but renewable as well. Morning
and night routines not only represent
resources for the improvement of one’s
mental health and wellbeing, but they
also portray the natural psychological
and even physical necessity for people
all over the globe to manage their energy
while in the midst of their complex lives.
In this society, where daily productivity
and a healthy mindset are so strived
for by humans with lives of all different
kinds, morning and night routines are
pivotal mechanisms utilized to reach a
life of pure health and success.
[55]

To Proper Etiquette
By Evy Gallagher
Photo Sarah Hartsell
Design Wesley Picard
[56]

The South is most notably known for
its manners, hospitality and etiquette.
Specifically, proper table etiquette is
something that is a big part of Southern
culture and for good reason. Although
etiquette may not be as ingrained into
other cultures, or more so the younger
generations, it is very important for
a multitude of reasons. Proper table
etiquette is not hard to learn, especially
living in the deep South, and is a skill that
will serve one well for the rest of one’s life.
“Table etiquette is the ‘little black dress’
for success,” said Jovana Vanderheiden,
Sorority House Director. “It doesn’t
matter what part of the country you’re
from, good table manners are essential to
success in business.”
Table etiquette is not only having
good manners, it’s proper silverware
placement, how to eat gracefully and when
to begin dining. The list goes on. There is
quite literally a “rule” for every part of
dining, although learning the basics is
enough to fool people into thinking you
know what you’re doing.
“Nothing says, ‘I’m someone you
can trust’ like a person who is more
concerned with others than themselves.
Holding a door, saying please and thank
you and being an excellent diner lets
everyone know you care,” said Robin
Wells, previous owner of Robin Wells
Marketing and Etiquette Manor. Making
a good first impression at job interviews,
dinner parties or meeting the parents can
rely so heavily on proper table etiquette,
which oftentimes Generation Z may not
necessarily be familiar with.
There is no reason that proper table
etiquette, or a lack thereof, should be
what prevents someone from getting a job
or leaving a bad taste in someone’s mouth
at a dinner party when it is incredibly
easy to learn. “Remember dining is a
chance to enjoy and share the company
of others. Eat quietly, draw little attention
to yourself and always be someone who
is more concerned with the people you’re
with. You’ll get many more invitations,”
said Wells.
In an interview by Ohio Dominican
University, Cathi Fallon, founder and
director of The Etiquette Institute of
Ohio, said dinner interviews have become
the preferred way to search for employers.
“In many instances, employers favor
candidates who display proper interaction
and etiquette, and that could be the
deciding factor in getting a job offer,” said
Fallon..
Etiquette is simple yet detailed. Once
the rules are learned, they are almost
impossible to forget. The rules differ
slightly depending on whether someone is
dining in or out. The basics of proper table
etiquette are to know about napkin use,
when to eat, silverware and glassware.
According to The Spruce, when dining in,
wait until the host unfolds their napkin.
That is the cue to do the same. When
dining out, place the napkin in your lap
upon sitting down. Napkins should be
kept in your lap until you’re finished
eating.
When it comes to eating, there is a
difference between small and large groups.
According to Etiquette for Everyday, if
you are with a group of eight or smaller,
it is proper to wait until everyone is
served before you begin eating. The one
exception is if one member is waiting on
their food and says “please go ahead.”
This is to ensure the rest of the party’s
food does not get cold. When dining with
a group larger than eight, you may begin
to eat as soon as those seated around you
are served as well.
The last basic rule to know in order
to navigate a dinner is deciphering
the different types of silverware and
glassware, and where to place them
in case you decide to host your own
dinner. Depending on the setting,
whether a dinner party, an interview
or brunch at a local diner, there may be
different silverware at each. At the bare
minimum, a set table should always
have a plate, napkin, fork, knife and
spoon at every seat. Nicer restaurants or
more extravagant dinner parties tend to
have a wider variety of silverware and
glassware but it’s important to learn the
fundamentals first.
According to Food52, a run of the mill
table setting will have a fork to the left of
the plate, a knife to the right of the plate,
the plate being in the center, a spoon to
the right of the knife and a water glass
above, and a little to the right of the knife.
If the dining is a bit more sophisticated,
there will be an additional fork called a
salad fork that sits outside of the dinner
fork, both to the left of the plate. The forks
should be arranged in the order the food
is consumed, think of salad as being an
appetizer. On the right side of the plate,
from left to right, there should be a dinner
knife, a dessert spoon and a soup spoon.
Above the silverware on the right of the
plate, there should be a water glass, wine
glass and then a coffee or tea cup from
left to right. Sometimes there can also be
a bread plate and butter knife to the left of
the main plate.
Finally, there is the formal dinner setup
which isn’t as common but can occur
at big events or nice restaurants. The
majority of the forks remain on the left
side of the plate, all except the oyster fork.
On the outermost side is a salad fork, then
a fish fork and finally a dinner fork. On
the right side of the plate, the outermost
utensil should be an oyster fork, then a
soup spoon, fish knife and dinner knife.
The glassware remains in the same place
as before but the order should be a water
glass, white wine glass and then a red
wine glass, from left to right. For a formal
dinner, the bread plate and butter knife
remain as they were before, above the
forks on the left side of the plate.
These basic rules to follow when either
dining in or out will elevate one’s etiquette
skills immensely. Like Fallon said, having
proper etiquette could be the difference in
getting the job or not. At your next special
event or dinner party, try to master the art
of proper table etiquette and make sure
that “when you’re a guest in someone’s
home, make an effort to eat the food they
serve, even if you don’t like what they’ve
made, within reason,” said Abby Hall, a
junior Engineering student at UA, said.
Sir Benjamin Franklin said it best, “the
handshake of the host affects the taste of
the roast.”
[57]

[58]
Design Wesley Picard

Make way for plant-based and nondairy
milk companies! These
alternatives have gained popularity in the
milk market in the last decade. With the new
year, health and nutrition is a big priority for
many people.
It seems that many people have turned
to non-dairy milk options by converting
to dairy-free products due to dietary
restrictions, being lactose intolerant or
simply just choosing a healthier diet.
In this new age and with the high demand
for healthier options, these alternatives
are not just in your local grocery stores.
Now, you can substitute whole milk in our
coffee shops, recipes, the food you eat at
restaurants and you can even purchase in
the stores and gas stations when you need
that beverage for the road.
From almond and oat milk to nut-free
choices like pea, flax and soy milk, these
milk alternatives are taking over and do not
plan to go anywhere. What is the healthiest
and best milk option?
According to websites like Healthline.com,
Womenshealth.com and FoodandWine.com,
soy, almond and oat milk have been ranked
the top alternatives. These alternatives are
neck and neck when it comes to being the
number one choice.
Soy milk is the most common substitute
made from soybeans, it carries a lot of
benefits like vitamins and minerals that our
body needs. Soy milk can help reduce heart
disease, high blood pressure and build up
our organs, muscles and bones.
Soy milk is the closest non-dairy substitute
to whole milk mainly because it is rich in
calcium. Whole milk is still taking the lead
in the market due to its rich creamy taste
and its long history in the industry. When
it comes to nutrition, there are many health
benefits from whole milk, especially for
young children and adults.
Almond milk is popular amongst vegans
and dairy-free gurus. Almond milk is an
excellent source of vitamin E, which is
superb for our bodies according to an article
by Healthline.
“I’ll switch between almond milk and oat
milk because they both taste delicious in
coffee,” said Teyana Winn, a sophomore at
Shelton State Community College studying
General Studies. As a college student who
prepares her meals at home, Winn spends
her time trying new healthy recipes and non
dairy products.
“Silk is a good brand,” said Winn.“I also like
the brand Oat-ly whenever I get oat milk.”
Winn started her milk substitute journey
after watching a documentary about Fairlife.
“I saw a documentary about Fairlife and it
was disturbing,” Winn said. “It shows the
process of getting cow’s milk, and I just did
not like it. Plus, regular milk is not good for
me.”
Deciding which alternatives are better
depends on the individual. Almond milk
has the hearts of many because of its health
benefits, taste and availability in most places.
For individuals who do not prefer nut-based
alternatives but want dairy-free lean toward
other options like pea, flax, oat and coconut
milk. Out of these choices, Oat milk is the
best alternative people choose to consume.
“Oat milk is the best quality non dairy
milk to me, because it tastes closest to
regular milk,” said Delaney Butler, a senior
at The University of Alabama studying
public relations. “I use almond milk too, but
usually almond milk comes second to oat for
me. Oat milk tends to be my go-to for any
drink, recipe or meal, whereas almond milk
fits better for smoothie making.”
Both almond and oat milk are nutritious,
flavorful and great substitutes, but between
the two alternatives, oat milk seems to be
more versatile compared to almond. The
demand for oat milk continues to increase
as more companies start supplying it. It was
not until she was in her twenties when she
realized that her stomach aching was from
dairy. Oat milk is the better option for those
with lactose intolerance and for those who
want to avoid dairy altogether.
“I am not allergic, but I do have an
intolerance, so I chose to cut out dairy from
my diet,” Butler said. “I also get other dairy
free products like dairy free cheese, yogurt
and ice cream.”
Butler often spends her time studying at
coffee shops which allowed her to find her
perfect combination of coffee and non dairy
milks. The texture for oat milk is creamier
and smoother than almond milk, making
it the closest to the dairy milk out of the
two. Oat milk is also better in coffee and
for cooking and baking. Oat milk is higher
in dietary fibers compared to almond milk
which helps with reducing a lot of health
conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular
diseases.
“My favorite non dairy milks for coffee are
Oatly Barista Blend or Califia Farms Barista
Blend,” Butler said. “Both brands are smooth
and creamy, and most coffee shops use these
brands for your lattes.” Almond and oat
milk are the top two substitutes for coffees.
Which one is the better option for the coffee
lovers on campus?
One of the coffee shops on campus, Java
City Coffee, which is located inside Gorgas
Library is popular amongst the students and
faculty. Anna Ammons who goes to Shelton
State Community College is currently a
senior studying Biology and is working at
Java City Coffee and has been for three
years. “Almond milk is my top pick because
it is unsweetened, low in calories and carbs
and has a boost in protein,” said Ammons.
“I don’t always drink non dairy milk, but
because I’ve been going on a low carb diet I
do. I would rather consume non dairy milk
with low calories than high calories.”
When it comes to the most popular
alternative amongst students, Ammons says
almond milk is consumed the most.
Almond milk was the only substitute they
had for a while until recently Java City
started providing oat milk. By the first day,
oat milk was sold out and Ammons had
to order another shipment for more oat
milk. Almond milk is still the number one
substitute consumed at Java City Coffee, but
oat milk is becoming popular on campus.
“Other than almond milk and oat milk,
we provide skim milk but people rarely get
that.” Ammons said.
Though Java City’s options are limited, non
dairy milk is in high demand and surely on
its way to winning the race against whole
milk.
Non dairy milks are on the rise and will
continue to take over the market. Consuming
non dairy milk does more good than harm
for many people. The best alternative
depends on the individual. Soy, almond and
oat are the main alternatives but when it
comes to being the best alternative, soy milk
is the better option if you want something
closer to dairy milk, almond milk is the
better option when it comes to availability
and health benefits and oat milk is the better
option for those who do not want a nutbased
alternative and it’s the better option
for consuming, cooking and baking. Milk
alternatives will continue to grow and thrive
around the world.
[59]

CONNECT WITH US
alice.ua.edu
@alicethemag
@alicethemag
Alice Magazine
[60]