Letter from the editor

Happy spring semester, Bobcats, According to tradition, the third issue of Backdrop follows a single theme. All of our writers, photographers, designers and editors had this one word in mind while creating our magazine.

Candid.

To explain how we came to choose this theme, let me tell a story.

Deep in the halls of Baker University Center lies the Backdrop Office. At the bottom of a storage locker, covered in dust, I found a briefcase. When I opened the case during our staff meeting, the lock broke from the weight of the history. In it, was 16 years and 25 pounds worth of Backdrop issues, including the very first issue published in 2007. Our staff chose the theme “candid” to embody what we read on these first pages of Backdrop magazine.

Backdrop has a history of being truthful, straightforward and frank. In fact, this is the reason for its founding. The founding staff saw a lack of stories that were intimate and sincere. The first Backdrop, at the time of its release, was edgy and committed to covering culture, sex, art, humor, music and life.

We incorporate these honest topics and our theme of candidness in these new stories. We frankly cover sex in music (pg. 6) and why taking more than the traditional four years to complete undergrad is a-okay (pg. 10). Our features are conversations about students using their voices (pg 16), and our university’s undeniable reputation (pg. 20). In the back of the book, we cover the app that forces us to get real (pg. 28), and how we treat the staff that keeps our campus clean (pg. 30).

I hope we did our history justice; I hope this issue sparks some conversations with you all, and I hope you enjoy our hard work. Make good choices, Bobcats.

Until next time,

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MIA WALSH

MANAGING EDITOR CAROLINE BISSONNETTE ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR MCKENNA CHRISTY ASSOCIATE EDITORS KRISTEN ABBEY, CAROLINE BISSONNETTE, MCKENNA CHRISTY, CAROLINE GILLEN, GRACE KOENNECKE

COPY EDITORS CAROLINE GILLEN, GRACE KOENNECKE

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTORS RORY BALL, LAINE DANNEMILLER

PHOTO EDITOR ELLIE HABEL

WEB EDITOR JOSIE DONOHUE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR RACHEL RECTOR

ART DIRECTOR DREW FOLLMER

DESIGNERS ABBY BURNS, CARMEN CHAO, DREW FOLLMER, ALLY PARKER, RACHEL RECTOR, ELLIE SABATINO, PEARL SCHAFER

PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR JOSIE DONOHUE

PHOTOGRAPHERS JACOB DURBIN, ELLIE HABEL, RACHEL RECTOR, PEARL SPURLOCK

WRITERS KRISTEN ABBEY, CAROLINE BISSONNETTE, ABREANNA

BLOSE, KATRINA CARLSON, JOSIE DONOHUE, JACOB DURBIN, CAROLINE GILLEN, LAUREN KEY, MAYA MEADE, AMBER PHIPPS, ELLIE SABATINO, DARCIE ZUDELL

Contents Features

WAIT, HOLD MY BEER

The shift in OU’s drinking culture and its impact ......................................16

WHEN WE MARCH

Cataloging the history of student protests on these bricks.........................20

The Beat

LIBERATION IN LYRICS

Does self-expression in music ever go too far?......6

Entertainment

STUPID, CUPID!

Dating is hard......................................................................................8

Community

FOUR AND MORE

Reasons why it may take more time to graduate.....10

Infographic

OVERSEA SHOCK

Life’s twists while abroad make for some entertaining stories.........................................................................12

Recipe

NOT YOUR NANA’S BAKED GOOD

Slutty brownies with all the layers... .....................14 GET DIRTY WITH SHIRLEY

Toast with a fruity fizzy drink.. ...............................15

Style

BEYOND STRAIGHT SIZES

A call for current (and hot) plus-size clothes.................................... .........................................24

The Drop

IT’S OKAY, YOU CAN LAUGH

Steven Strafford overcomes addiction and creates art....................................................................................................26

BEREAL WITH ME

Dissecting the 2022 iPhone App of the Year.............28

TAKE CARE OF THEM

A closer look into who keeps it clean............................30

Voices

ARTICULATING ANXIETY

One Backdropper’s experience having Generalized Anxiety Disorder......................................32

EXHIBIT A

One Backdrop designer shares her artwork................34

Calendar

ON THE BRICKS

Check out these events to start out your spring...35