Uprising Magazine Issue 14: Passion Project

Land Acknowledgement:

Uprising would like to acknowledge the land on which we gather is the seized territory of the Ioway, Sauk, Meskwaki, Wahpeton and Sioux People. Indigenous lands weren’t ceded through efforts of “good faith” by the United States Government, rather they were stolen from Native and Indigenous Peoples through coercion and dishonesty.

Both the State of Iowa and the United States Government carried out acts of genocide, ethnic cleansing and forced removal as ways to acquire land. Despite centuries of theft and violence, this re mains Indigenous land — it will always be Indigenous land.

Native and Indigenous People are not relics of the past. They con tinue to share their talents and gifts amidst a backdrop of ongoing colonialism. We celebrate you.

#HonorNativeLand

Sustainable Promise:

Uprising promises to publish our magazine in the most sustainable manner possible.

We have switched our printing processes to a more environmentally friendly company using a recycled paper alternative. We also vow to use only secondhand or borrowed clothing for styling in our editorials.

We acknowledge that in order to ensure a future for Uprising Mag azine and our Earth we must modify our processes as environmental issues increase in severity globally.

Lastly, we are committed to furthermore learning and growing as it relates to publishing our magazine in a sustainable manner.

Dear Readers,

After a year of coming up with themes, articles, and photoshoots relevant to our society and the world as a whole we wanted to take a leap and focus on us and our members.

Instead of focusing on one overarching theme for the basis of our magazine, we wanted to give our members the space to work on something really meaningful to them. Not to say that every issue of Uprising isn’t meaningful.

With this issue we implore our members to look deeply into a topic, a lifestyle, an article of cloth ing, a song, or anything that they are passion ate about. There is so much going on in the world and so many different identities to get to know.

In a way, this magazine will be a time capsule, a glimpse into our organization and what we care about at this moment in time.

That being said, this theme has turned out deeply personal projects that we are endlessly proud of our members for com pleting and we hope there will be something for everyone within these pages.

In order to not diminish anyone’s passions this magazine had no content limit.

Issue 14 will be a beautiful amalgamation of our passion projects.

She/Her/Hers Editor-in-Chief

Mia Rampton She/Her/Hers Editor-in-Chief

xoxo, Ireland Frisch

ADORATIONOFART

PERFECTION.

Although it’s never explicitly stated, it’s the expectation that we find ourselves trying to meet. In school, sports, jobs, and our hobbies. Even if perfection isn’t demanded by someone else, we hold ourselves to it all the same. I used to love to draw. I had sketchbooks and notepads and random pieces of paper scattered throughout my house when I was young. I attended art classes every Sunday at an art studio run by an old WWII veteran, Don. The class was filled with teenagers, middle schoolers, and other kids my age. We all sat together at the long table filled with mix match chairs and admired whatever Don put in the middle that day. We took turns walking up to him at the head of the table and showed him our work.

One year, Don got sick and had to put the classes on hold. But I still drew at home all the time. I joined the art club at my school and doodled on every piece of paper I could get my hands on. Then it slowly stopped. School was getting harder and I found myself involved in more extracurricular activities. I didn’t take time to sit and draw like I used to. I also started to see other artwork around me. Kids my age and younger whose skills clearly surpassed mine. In art class I cringed at the thought of my peers seeing my work, causing the doodles to slowly disappear. I wasn’t good anymore. Maybe I never was.

I’ve drawn and painted here and there in the past few years, like attending painting events in Maucker, or doodling in boring classes to keep myself awake, but it wasn’t like it used to be. Before school started, my family and I had to go through our things as we were moving to a new

house. My mom pulled all my old sketchbooks out from a big tub in the basement and we sat and went through them. I realized how happy art used to make me. And due to my fears, I had let it slip away.

Now, it’s my senior year of college which means it’s time to start looking for a job. Looking back at my old sketchbooks made me realize how fast life is going and how much time I have lost not doing what makes me happy. It’s not everyday, maybe not even once a week, but when I can, I take the time to draw again. I don’t draw with anyone in the room, and I don’t show anybody after. But it’s a start.

So many people, especially young adults, have let their passions fade into the background of their lives. But think back to how happy it used to make you. The love you poured into it. What’s holding you back? Everyone has a passion and shouldn’t be hidden from the world. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t even have to be good. You just have to have fun doing it. Read young adult books even if they’re way below your reading level, play video games on easy mode, join an intramural sports team, sing if your voice is off-key, and paint a picture even if you’re the only one who knows what it is. Life is so short, and we spend so much of it worrying about what other people think. Find ways to incorporate your passions into your life even if it’s only a little at a time. Our world needs more love in it, and sometimes love looks like allowing yourself to be happy doing what you adore.

WORDS LAUREN MCGUILL DESIGN RACHEL HEINE

OUR WORLD NEEDS MORE LOVE IN IT, AND SOMETIMES LOVE LOOKS LIKE ALLOWING YOURSELF TO BE HAPPY DOING WHAT YOU ADORE.

PHOTOGRAPHY KALLEIGH KRESS IRELAND FRISCH DESIGN RACHEL HEINE

The water sloshes in the pool below her. Tiny waves of chlo rine filled water imitate their counterparts of the ocean, cre ating a splash on the side of the pool. The bright blue of the water matches the sky above it. The girl squints her eyes be hind her swimming goggles. The frames, dotted with specks of water, distort the scene surrounding her.

The girl looks down at her bare feet, their color mismatched from those of her tan legs. She steps onto the metal ladder. The material is sharply cold against her feet, contrasting the burning hot concrete. She wraps a nervous band around the railing, and steps up the rungs. One, two, three, four, five, she counts as she slowly steps. The remnants of the steps of divers before her made them slippery. She climbs higher, higher, and higher yet until she reaches the top.

The air feels different at the top of the diving board. The wind rushes past her ears. Her wet hair whips around her face, uncomfortably sticking to her neck. It has been a long time since she has stood here. The height feels unfamiliar to her. She doesn’t hear the chatter of the people swimming in the pool below her. Instead, she hears only the water. The waves of the pool seem to be making splashes as loud as crashing storm waves. She looks down, and the pool imi

tates the ocean, the diving board turning into a cliff. The task becomes even more daunting, yet she is excited. She feels like an adventurer, craving an adrenaline rush. She curls her toes around the edge of the diving board. She takes a deep breath, bringing her back to reality. She spends a mo ment in stillness.

Suddenly, she jumps, cutting through the air like a soar ing bird. Her arms hit the cold water first. Next her torso, legs, and lastly her feet disappear into the pool. She swims through the water, letting it rush over her limbs. Memories of times lost long ago return to her. She remembers the ex citement she felt as a young girl, jumping into the pool for swimming lessons each Saturday. It had been years since she felt such joy.

She pushes through the thick, heavy water, then springs suddenly into the air. Water falls in small droplets around her as she emerges. She stays in place for a minute, the water supporting her like she is weightless. She smiles; it is her long-lost friend. She is reminded of all of the times they spent together. The pool watched her grow up. It saw her lose a passion, and regain it again. She inhales deeply, tast ing the warm, moist air around her. It is full of possibilities.

They sit on a wooden stool, facing a looming, blank canvas. Their feet are propped on the rungs of the stool, toes curl ing around the bar. It has been a long time since they have sat here. Their childhood self would have felt at home in this position. But now, this space feels unfamiliar. Their eyes widen, the task in front of them is daunting. They wonder where to begin. The palms of their hands grow clammy with nerves. Their inner child pokes at their insides, prompting them to take a first step.

They fold their hands in their lap and close their eyes. Their eyelashes fold in amongst each other and they breathe in deeply, filling their lungs as full as they can. They exhale, and focus their attention inward. They hear the beating of their heart, feel their fingers twitch, and hear the soft hum of the room surrounding them. For a while, it is only dark be hind their eyelids. Then suddenly, small sparks of light flash in their vision. Thoughts begin to swirl around their mind. Colors, patterns, and textures intermix on a messy slate. A vision presents itself before them. They open their eyes.

They gently dip the fine hairs of the wooden paintbrush into the thick paint. Bristles of the brush fill with color, turning the tan strands blue. The paintbrush stalls before the can vas, a drop of blue ruining its untouched surface. The unex pected drop does not phase them. They then begin to paint, creating a universe with their brush. Paint splatters, streaks,

and splashes on the canvas. Emotions flow through their fingertips and down to the bristles, creating a scene only known to them.

The excitement they feel is like no other. They feel joyful, like they have stepped into a world they didn’t know they had in their mind. Painting gives them freedom; the freedom to create whatever they desire without judgment or bound aries. It gives them purpose. They have full control of their paintbrush, and commands its movements with their mind. Hours that seem like minutes pass, and they inhale deeply upon finishing their masterpiece. They step back from the canvas and admire the work before them. They hear the sound of clapping. Their inner child is jumping for joy within them. With a smile, they know they have rediscovered a love deeper than any they had known before.

This is what passion feels like.

He begins by stretching his arms. They rise above his head, meeting in the middle, the shape of a mountain. He reaches, reaches, and reaches more until his arms burn with ago ny. They drop to his sides, swinging back and forth in any direction they please. Next he stretches his legs, bending forward at the waist and touching his toes. He unfolds him self, and leans to the right, then to the left, feeling the pull of his muscles throughout his sides. It feels as if he is a rope in the middle of a tug-of-war game, being pulled in both directions at once. He sighs as he completes his stretches, shaking out his limbs.

He catches his reflection in the studio mirror that lines the entire wall. It has been awhile since he saw himself here. He suddenly feels timid and vulnerable, like a stranger has been watching him through the glass. He knows he is just here for fun, to reignite a passion lost by years of overwork and uninspiring teachers. Voices of the past flood his mind. You’re not good enough. You need to try harder. You will never learn. He shudders, residual feelings from his younger self boiling inside of him. He knows he can’t let the voices bother him, yet it is still hard to shake them away.

He walks to the corner of the studio and presses the play button on his phone. Upbeat music booms through the speakers, transforming the small studio into a stage. The bass rattles the ceiling tiles to the floorboards. He begins

to move his feet. Slowly, but surely, they twist and turn, his arms following their wild movements. He expresses the mu sic with his movements. His body tells the story the lyrics and instruments cannot convey. With each movement, he is enveloped in the process. The sunlight from the windows turns into spotlights. The people passing on the street are his audience.

Sweat begins to drip down his forehead, a physical remind er of the hard work he is completing. He continues to dance, each step reigniting a fire deep within him. He thought this flame had been smothered a long time ago, but this day had proved him wrong. The song abruptly ends, as does his dancing. Clouds cover the rays of sun that once streamed through the windows, turning off his stage lights. He bows to the crowd outside the window, knowing no one is look ing. He laughs softly, he doesn’t care. Dancing is his passion, it always has been. But now, he feels as if he has refound himself in the small studio. The boy catches his reflection in the mirror, seeming brighter and more confident than it had ever been. The world is his stage, and he made a promise to reclaim it.

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the cold tile nips my knees as my hot breath expands and contracts my lungs in a harsh rhythm. the second pair of two pink lines stares me in the face as i realize i am no longer at liberty to choose. this is the reality i live.

my pockets pull up empty. there is not enough change in my middle console for gas. i can’t get coverage for work to leave the state. i am stuck with the promise i won’t be able to give someone a stable life. this is the reality that i live.

I am four days late. I can’t tell if the nausea I feel is due to a stranger in my belly or the thought of it. i place my hands on the bottom of my stomach that i know i no longer have control over. existing in a world where this fear overcomes my ability to know my body. to discern what is real. this is the reality i live.

a 10 year old on the news. a child for a child. a life for a life. this is the reality we live.

WORDS SIERRA NEMMERS PHOTOGRAPHY EMMA DEATON DESIGN HAILEY HERSHEY

THIS IS THE REALITY WE LIVE.

as i lay upon my tear-stained pillow i dream of impasto paintings, your face displayed in oil paints on canvas, while mine still waits to dry. my damp eyes wander towards the studio. acrylic encrusted in the bristles of my tarnished brushes, yearning to be put to use. palettes packed with dried paint, filled with fresh pigment only a couple of hours ago. serendipity overflows my mind as i progress to leave my satin sheets, to clean the debris from my supplies. my lips draw upwards with an impassioned smile, and i begin to paint, wishing you were here to see the living color.

WORDS DANI SUNSERI DESIGN MADDIE NAEVE

today i learned i am more impactful than i thought i was. realizing that it’s okay that sometimes i snort when i laugh. learning it’s okay to eat more than once a day. realizing i can mourn my past self as she has fought for the steps that got me here.

i’m learning that no amount of compassion can keep those in your life who are not compatible with it. i’m realizing that i don’t have to blame myself for things out of my control. i’m learning that i am worthy of love. i’m realizing that yesterday was just a bad day and today is not. i’m learning that my belly falling over my jeans does not define who i am. i’m realizing that some things are not meant for me and that is okay.

i’m realizing that I may not always feel whole. i’m learning that there is always more to find out about myself and I don’t need to know everything right now.

and there is so much more to learn and have big realizations about. but what I do know, is tomorrow is not promised. and you and me, we’re gonna be just fine.

a love letter

My darling,

Your favorite flowers are daffodils. That was one of the first things I asked you. A favorite flower is important to know. The last time I picked them for you I found out too late they were yellow lilies. You didn’t correct me, only thanked me over and over for the gesture and kissed my forehead when I got embarrassed at my mistake.

You do a cute little nose twitch to fix your septum; I don’t even think you realize you do it. I love learning your quirks. It’s only been a few months, yet I feel I know you more than I’ve known anyone before. I thought we’d be Not Forever After (Olive Klug), then slowly we turned into Sofia by Clairo. Now All I Want Is To Be Your Girl (Holly Miranda), and I’m going to Love You For A Long Time (Maggie Rogers).

We take turns sharing sighs of contentment, matching tones like we’re trying to harmonize. I hope it’s enough to show you how I feel. When you look into my eyes there is such an intensity it’s hard to keep looking, but somehow even harder to look away. Sometimes you accompany this with a slight head shake, like you can’t believe how lucky you are. Even though I’m in awe every day that you chose me.

Most meals we buy are shared; I still smile when our fingers brush reaching for fries at the same time. We FaceTime for hours talking and talking, saying everything and nothing all at once. You get me every time when you pause the conversation and say, “Oh, I have something to tell you!” or “Guess what?” Because you know I’ll reply, “What?” excit edly. I would listen to you tell me about anything. Then you’ll say, “I love you” with a smirk to show you got me; I didn’t even see it coming. Somehow you always catch me off guard, I’m so wrapped up in you that I fall for it time and time again. It makes me blush every time.

We laugh until our stomachs ache, holding each other as we giggle. All the light we have makes it easy to look past some of the shadows. Not between us, but surrounding us. We drop our hands whenever old people walk by, just in case. It’s easier that way.

No kissing unless no one else is around or we’re in the safety of a room or car. When we were catcalled the other day, my heart stopped as the wolf whistle rang in my ears. I felt helpless, like I should have been able to protect you, protect us. But I did nothing as we walked away. Even though I would do anything for you.

Normally I’m nothing but strong on my own, and you allow me to be vulnerable around you. Which is terrifying. I’ve never had someone to go to when I’m scared, to cry to when I’m stressed. You’re always there for me. And that scares me.

It scares me because I didn’t think I was worth it, I always thought I’d be on my own. I had adapted, resolved to figure things out and enjoy life in solitude. You came along and messed up those plans and I am so incredibly grateful you did. You saved me.

But it’s somehow frightening, a feeling I never would have anticipated when falling for someone. I was sure movies and books would have given me unrealistic expectations, unreachable standards.

Yet you’ve met every one. Reading about how scary and fleeting love is has no real impact until you live it. It can be a battle, I find myself fighting to run away when I get too close. Seclude myself when I’m scared of how much I’m feeling. Because now you’ve given me so much to lose.

I want to be together for so long, but I’m terrified at the number of things out of our control. We’re so young, such a precarious position. Stuck between adult and child, a teetering balance where everything is supposed to be understood, yet nothing is explained. While I’ve never been sure about what lies ahead in my future, I couldn’t bear it if it doesn’t include you.

Love, Lauren

My femininity is an ever changing part of me. Fragile yet unbreakable— something within me I long to protect.

For femininity I’d smear my perfected pursed red lips and wear dresses that heighten the curves on my hips I shake her hand with a friendly, tight grip making peace has been healing for us both.

Femininity is no longer the broken-winged bird I pitied and hated. I took her out from the cold-shouldered and close minded eyes. She may not be for everyone, but she is for me, and I’m proud to claim her.

I beg forgiveness for the ones who’ve caused her pain and those who feel hatred when she’s called out by name. I long to see the day when the world perceives us as enough.

Femininity is the essence of high heels clicking on marble floors, she is dancing to a favorite song, wearing something that makes us feel powerful, speaking new ideas to life in a crowded room.

Femininity is allowing yourself to breathe, to be heard, to be seen, to be recognized and loved for who you are.

Femininity is allowing yourself to exist without fear.

WORDS MADDIE KIZER DESIGN MADDIE NAEVE

water

... it feels like an opportunity

I speak like a waterfall words never ending that reach everyone whether they wanted to hear them or not soaking everyone in their wake

being quiet was never a strong suit of mine and it seems I can’t always remember what I say as the next thought pours out of my mouth most of them are shallow anyway

I write like a still pond. every letter every word is deliberate carefully placed as not to disturb the minnows and frogs.

I don’t mind the silence when I write instead of feeling choking stale

It feels like an opportunity I remember what I write as everything I ever have holds a piece of me inside

WORDS LAUREN MCGUILL DESIGN ALLYSON GAYER

A HISTORIC GLANCE ON WOMEN IN GREEK LIFE

Stereotypes surrounding sororities are often generated by those outside of the Greek community, rather than being perpetuated by actual members. Throughout the 1900s, sororities portrayed themselves as elite compared to the other women on campus, insisting that members had to be worthy to join such an organization. This leads people to think these same values are used today as they have been translated to the portrayal of sororities in the media. In mov ies such as Neighbors 2, Sorority Wars, and Legally Blonde, many people have a skewed idea of what sorority life is.

These labels can be harmful, especially when they are most often inaccurate. What most people do not know is most sororities have a GPA requirement to join. Sorority women are recognized as students first and expected to prioritize their studies. Additionally, sorority women are expected to follow the core values of their sorority, which often includes practicing kindness and respect. In my own sorority, my sisters and I are expected to complete at least 6 hours of volunteer service every semester. We often volunteer at the food bank, humane society, or homeless shelters.

A sorority is a women’s organization that focuses on uplift ing members, building relationships, and supporting phil anthropic causes. According to the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), which oversees 26 nationally recognized sororities, they are “committed to relationships built on trust through transparency, accountability and mutual respect. Innovation and [their] core values of friendship, leadership, service, knowledge, integrity and community guide [them] in fulfilling our mission.” The point of a sisterhood is to uplift and connect young women pursuing an education.

So, how did sororities start and where do the stereotypes come from? Sororities were often founded by feminists and built on the basis of a feminist ideology.

president of Alpha Xi Delta, has found empowerment through her sorority despite holding biases prior to joining one. “My freshman year, I didn’t want to go through recruit ment. I genuinely did not believe I fit the image of sorority life. The images that are portrayed in the media can be far from true.” Cady continues to say that sorority members are incredibly dedicated to their philanthropic focus and core values. She includes that the idea of sorority life is to serve and help advance the growth of its members. “Some of the times I have felt the most empowered as a woman is when I am working with the women in my chapter,” Cady says.

In 1870, about 11,000 out of 3,075,650 college age women attended university in the United States (Turk 2004). They were vastly outnumbered by their male counterparts with in the classroom and bonded over the fact that they were some of the only women to pursue higher education in the midst of discrimination and critism.

The first organization to consider itself a Greek-letter wom en’s fraternity was Kappa Alpha Theta, established in 1870. In her book, Bound by a Mighty Vow, Diana B. Turk explores the beginning of a now incredibly large group of organiza tions. The four founders of Kappa Alpha Theta were some of the first females to attend Asbury College after Asbury made the controversial decision to open its doors to co-ed ucation. Despite the intense criticism on campus, the wom en were able to rely on their sisterhood and organization to push them forward. The founders of Kappa Alpha Theta were not only blazing a trail for women’s fraternities, they were setting the stage for women everywhere who would eventually be granted the right to higher education.

As college life began to evolve, so did sororities. Through out the years, higher education became more accessible to women, and therefore, sororities changed their focus from that of scholarship to that of socializing. Cady Burrington,

Sorority members have the power and potential to contin ue to progress not only toward our founders’ original vi sion, but a new, modern day feminist idea of what a sorority could be. Today, when my sisters and I wear our sorority badges, we do so with pride. We know the deep and com plicated history of our organization, and we understand the risks and obstacles our founders overcame to create these badges which serve as a symbol of our sisterhood and orga nization as a whole. The vast majority of sorority founders were feminists and would be proud of the incredible prog ress women have made throughout that past century and a half to get to where we are now. However, I, and many other sorority women, recognize the need for more growth. So rorities would do well to look back on their histories and un derstand the progress their founders were searching for. We can honor our founders and their missions by continuing to progress forward, to disprove the stereotypes, and to create a safe and welcoming college experience for all people.

WORDS CASSIE WILLIAMS DESIGN LANIE WEBER

These organizations served as a safe space for women pursuing higher education at a time when it was unpopular, and sometimes dangerous, for them to do so.

“We are constantly trying to embrace the different thoughts of our members to further its advancement. We want to ensure the chapter is a place for everyone to be the best version of themselves.”

WORDS ANNA HOINS PHOTOGRAPHY EMMA DEATON DESIGN DYLAN LUNDQUIST

ingredients

• four servings of pasta, any shape

• a good amount of salt

• butter (optional) & oil

• garlic, mince as much as you like

• a shallot or two, thinly sliced

• 1/4 lb. pancetta (optional. I ordered mine thick cut, and sliced into small pieces. not going for a meat sauce, just to add a nice flavor)

• some crushed red pepper flakes

• a big can of whole peeled tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, or 10 fresh peeled tomatoes (I used my grandma’s romas, but canned is great)

• honey glob or sugar

• fresh parmesan, shredded (optional)

• fresh basil, torn or sliced (for topping. if anything is gon na be fresh, make it this!)

a note for chopping sizes

you may be wondering, “Anna, how small is a small piece? how thin is a thin slice?”.

that is a great question. and the answer, think about the moment that meat or onion will enter your mouth. how big do you want that piece to be? how big just looks and feels right? that’s your answer, my friend.

get a pot for sauce and get a pot for pasta

steps

1. start boiling water for your pasta. add lots of salt to it! more than you think you need. as that comes to a boil, prepare your garlic, shallots, and pancet ta. get a *little neutral oil* with a high smoke point (avocado or grapeseed work well) in your pan, and begin heating it.

2. meat lovers: once your pan is at medium heat, add your pancetta. you want the fat rendered without the meat getting too caramelized or crispy.

3. now it’s shallot time! add a little bit of salt and a little more pepper. more salt if you did not do meat. get those onions niiiice and soft and maybe even a little fried if you’re crazy. if you did meat, that will begin to crisp slightly. don’t worry about it!

4. garlic. add that. red pepper flakes. add that. make your house smell nice. once it’s smelly, add your tomato form of choice. i prefer whole peeled that I crush by hand because chunks are nice. stir stir stir your sauce. add a little more salt. salt at every stage friend.

5. OKAY. your sauce is lightly bubbling and your pasta water is certainly bub bling. awesome. add your pasta to the water! the sauce is just gonna sim mer away while you do your pasta al dente (aka boil a couple minutes under package instructions. you’re gonna finish cooking it in the sauce be cause you’re awesome).

6. before you strain your pasta, get a cup and scoop out pasta water; you’re gonna need that. strain your pasta and add it to the pan your sauce is in (if it is big enough! if not, throw everything in your pasta pot). add that pasta water too.

7. put everything back on a medium-low heat to finish the pasta and make everything love each other. add a small knob of butter (or a *little more oil*) and a small glob of honey or spoon of sugar. is the sauce already sweet? kinda yeah. but we like sweet. stirring in some parm here if you want.

8. once done, take off the heat and stir in your torn basil. serve up with some more parm on top if you like, grab some warm crusty bread, and be merry.

bonus: salad dressing for your friends

• a spoonful of nice mustard

• a squeeze of lemon juice or splash of vinegar

• a splash of water

• a glug of oil

• salt & pepper

spill that on fresh greens. you’ll never buy dressing ever in your life again.

A LETTER TO SINGLES

When I was in 6th grade, I would walk past the 7th grade locker hall and see all the boys with their arms wrapped around their girlfriends, and I swore that it would only be a year before I finally had one of those boyfriends for myself. In the 8th grade, I summed up my lack of romantic experience to the fact that middle schoolers are, to put it lightly, not exactly prepped for deep, loving and lasting relationships. During my high school graduation speech, I stood in front of hundreds of people I barely knew and proudly declared that I had experienced a global pandemic before I had experienced the duration of a romantic relationship. And now I’m here, still having never done so much as romantically hold hands with a man but more than willing to milk it for all it’s worth. And as you can imagine, I’ve gotten all, and by all I genuinely mean all, of the romantic advice that was designed for all the hopeless singles like me. It ranges everywhere from the “don’t worry, it’ll probably maybe happen at some point,” to the “there’s actually a lot of advantages to being single,” to the “you really shouldn’t be upset when you have so many other friends who care about you,” which are, effectively dismissive. Maybe true, but completely unhelpful, and honestly just kind of rude. As I’ve quite painfully observed, a lot of the relationship advice for those such as myself, who completely lack romance, are generally just not hitting the mark no matter what the intention behind it was. And perhaps you shouldn’t listen to my advice, maybe I am the cause of my own demise and the common denominator is me, but I did not survive two decades of being single to not know a couple tips about how to be single well.

1.

Trust me, I know. I know you want to do it so badly because it only feels natural when you’re deep in your emotions to listen to the songs that seem to reflect those emotions. And so you start blaring T-Swift and Whitney and Lizzy McAlpine (“Pancakes For Dinner,” anyone?) until you’ve given yourself the headache of all headaches and spent the last hour crying more than you’re probably willing to admit. But truthfully, that’s never going to make things better. The ability of music to touch people’s souls and speak to their innermost thoughts they didn’t even know they had is a quality that still astounds me to this day, but that same music has the power to inadvertently validate the most nonsensical and hopelessly pessimistic ideas about relationships that your brain manages to piece together in the middle of the night because you haven’t gone to bed anytime before 3 in the past week. Listen to irrelevant break-up songs, drown out your thoughts to the heaviest metal or most obnoxious melodies you can find, do whatever you want, but don’t let a love song ruin your spirit.

I’m sure you’ve all heard it before, but I’ll preach this until the day I die. It doesn’t really matter who you love or what you love or what that love looks like. What matters is that you have so much love inside of you to give regardless of your relationship status, and it would be a shame if you wasted that love on a romantic partner who doesn’t even exist. Love the people who you know love you, be the friend someone so desperately needs, love harder than you have ever loved before, and, fingers crossed, you might finally run into that person who will end your cycle of singleness in the middle of all of it.

Kindly but firmly ask them what in the world is taking them so long. If cussing is your style, cuss them out. Tell them about all the random details of your day that don’t really matter. Hypothesize what their favorite color is. Tell them you love them, that you can’t wait to spend the rest of your life with them. Then sign your name at the bottom and keep it until the day you can give it to them in person.

Just because you’re desperate (because I know you are), don’t give your energy to someone who’s not worth it. A full-grown man (or anyone, for that matter) has no excuse to not know how to fold his laundry or vacuum his floor or make his own meals, and if you’re doing all that just so you can maybe have the title of his girlfriend, pick up your stuff and find someone else who’ll either appreciate you accordingly or pay you what you’re worth.

The truth is, being single can suck. It’s never inherently the time of your life when you have to see a sweet couple holding hands in public or making sweet Instagram posts or going out on fun little dates or just generally wearing out the concept of sweetness. And I wish I could fix everyone’s relationship problems in the regards of actually getting into a relationship (though the chances of that are not looking too hot considering I can’t even do that for myself), but the reality is you’re not going to meet the right person until it’s the right time. Until then, you just have to learn to exist and accept your current reality with your arms open as wide as you can possibly get them and your heart ready for whatever’s coming next. But hey, if you know the numbers of any single men, do your girl a favor and send them my way.

WORDS RILEY MCCALL DESIGN RACHEL HEINE

With cold weather approaching, it is a perfect time to curl up with a book and boy, do we have the list for you. Whether you stick to your comfort genre or are looking to explore, this *expertly picked* book recommendation list was curated for your exploration and adoration.

book club!

Fiction

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (Magical Realism)

Imagine no one being able to remember you besides the person who put you in this position. Well, that is just reality for our Addie. This story, despite its mixed reviews, was one of my top reads last year. Read it, come back, and answer this question: Luc or Henry?

The Secret History by Donna Tartt (Mysterious)

If you like dark academia, this one’s for you. This book has been on “Booktok” quite a few different times and for good reason. It is a murder mystery and leaves the reader wondering how the characters got to where they are. It is told like a story from one of the friends in this group, but can they be trusted?

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado (Psychological)

A collection of short stories that is going to break your heart and breed your inner feminist. I was introduced to this book in one of my creative writing classes and let me tell you…wow. Machado takes real-life situations and turns them into hauntingly realistic fiction that makes you not want to put it down. Great for readers who don’t have time for a long read but want to feel something.

Spooky

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

This book is multi-perspective, which normally it is not the type of book I reach for, but it just works. By having insight from multiple people the uncertainty of ‘whodunit’ builds more and more as the story progresses. You will not be disappointed by the time you reach the end.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

In my opinion, the best psychological horror books are those with an unreliable narrator and Alex Michaelides does just that. For those who read the ending before they read the book, please please please do not do that with this one, it is worth the suspense.

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

The classic horror trope of teen slasher but done in a tasteful way. Readers are not only dealing with the unknowingness of the killer, but they are also challenged with the discussion of American politics and the topic of colonization. This book makes you think! If you like this one, Jones’ book, The Only Good Indians, is also worth picking up.

Romance Poetry

Flowers

on the Moon by Billy Chapata

This is one of my favorite poetry books of all time. Chapata tells you exactly what you need to hear and does it in such a beautiful way. I normally do not read poetry all the way through in one sitting but this one is hard to put down. We all could use a little more self-love and this is the book for just that.

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman

The style and art in this book is refreshing. You can tell Gorman puts so much thought and realism into her poetry making it relatable and eye-opening. I received this book as a gift, and that is truly what it is.

The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

Although Rupi Kaur has been coined under the term “Instagram poet,” she is consistent with her style and allows the reader to find themselves in her words. Kaur will always have a special spot in my heart because she just captures life, love, heartbreak, breaking, and healing all in one.

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Although I would recommend anything, quite literally anything, written by Emily Henry, Beach Read, her debut new adult novel is where I would recommend starting. As someone who has read quite a bit of romance, her writing does not feel cheesy despite her using traditional tropes. Fair warning: once you read Emily Henry’s books you’re ride or die for her for life.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton I know what you’re thinking: whew, that title is a mouthful! But I promise once you dive into this book it will be exactly what you need. The main character is a witty thief who remains a proper lady throughout and catches the heart of many. Did I mention the characters get around in flying houses, honestly what more could you want?

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Talia Hibbert provides the representation we need in romance stories. The Brown sisters are not only loveable but allow room for readers to find bits of themselves in the story. We always need more plus-sized individuals represented in romance, and Hibbert does it in a way that is refreshing and normalizes plus-sized love. Pick this one up if you can.

Non-fiction

Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History by

Tori Telfer

Let’s get one thing straight, this book in no way is glorifying these women for their lifestyles and choices that we see too often with certain types of serial killers. Instead, Telfer does a great job using a scientific approach to uncover how these women made an impact in a way we are not used to.

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

This book has been a hot topic as of late, but I thought I would include it as it regards someone who was a staple for many of our childhoods while living through very tough years. Many people have been struggling with the title, but after reading you realize it is McCurdy taking back power she never really had while growing up. Disclaimer: there is heavy content in this book but I think it is a very eye-opening read and if you enjoy memoirs this is very insightful when it comes to healing past trauma.

The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli

As an indecisive person who overthinks things this one is a doozy. Rolf Dobelli has written a how-to on making more rational decisions. There are 100 different scenarios on ways people act irrationally and how to take a step back and combat these tendencies and in turn make better decisions all around. If you find yourself in these situations, this one might be worth cracking open.

Contemporary Fiction

Writers & Lovers by Lily King

I am not going to lie to you this book took me a hot second to get into, as contemporary fiction has never been the genre I reach for. However, Writers & Lovers made me feel better about becoming an adult. It is a scary thing, but this book allows life to seem painstakingly normal and makes you feel less alone about the things we go through. It is humorous and real and you should read it.

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien

A classic I will forever hold close to my heart. It is just a cozy little adventure book that is a quick read. If you are a fan of the movies I highly recommend reading the book as Bilbo Baggins is an expert at capturing your attention as well as your heart. This witty little hobbit deserves a place on your bookshelf.

Circe by Madeline Miller

As a woman, this book definitely made me mad, and if you know anything about Greek Religion, you’ll know that Madeline Miller does a lot of research into what she is writing about. I have always been a fan of Greek Mythology, and her retellings always spark some sort of strong emotion in me. If you also love Greek myth and want to cry: Madeline Miller is your girl.

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

This book is a healthy mix of genres that all work together when setting the dark and twisted tone of the world. We follow our main character, Vern, as she flees from all she has ever known. This is a story of selfdiscovery and fighting for your beliefs, even if it means going against your roots.

Sci-fi

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

One thing’s for sure about V.E. Schwab, she sure knows how to worldbuild. This story is based in London but in ways you wouldn’t normally see it. The main character, Kell, takes us through many trials and some triumphs. These multidimensional charters will keep you invested the whole way through. What are you willing to sacrifice?

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Normally you do not find a lot of romance in the science fiction genre, but this has the best of both worlds. Two-time travelers from conflicting future realities need to work together in the form of letters as they work through the past. You may want to take the journey with these two. Appleseed by Matt Bell

If you’re an active sci-fi reader, I recommend picking this one up. It shows the story of the past, present, and future in a new way by telling it based on the famous story of Johnny Appleseed. The three different timelines work with each other as the story progresses, sometimes overlapping, leaving you wondering what will happen by the time you reach the end.

Two words to describe this book: Surprisingly Refreshing. Many of the characters in this book are dealing with mental health issues and although normally in contemporary fiction the main character cannot catch a break, which can turn people away from this genre. However, there is a lot of love and support in this book making it more comfortable and wholesome in its own ways.

The

Seven Husbands of Evelyn

Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Oh, I know you’ve heard about this one. This book is more of a contemporary romance but needs to be in your TBR (to-be-read) list. The title only gives you a glimpse into who Evelyn Hugo is but the rest remains a mystery. Everyone is begging the question: why seven?

AREA GREY

I major in the Study of Religion and within this major, we do a lot of thinking about challenging subject matters regarding religion. We learn about the content within different religions and compare their similarities and dif ferences, but we also think critically about how religion interacts with different aspects of culture, including in teractions with race, public schools, law, and pop culture. I think of this article as a love letter to my religion major, a thank you note for challenging me.

To start this journey, I need to say a little more about myself and how I got here. I grew up in a Christian household and throughout my life, I was very involved in the church. The church meant everything to me. I loved the certainty of it, I loved having all of the answers, and I loved the idea of helping others. My identity was defined by my experiences within the church.

In college, the religious studies major changed all of this. I am a senior at UNI now, and I have been forced to challenge everything I thought I knew about religion, and in turn, challenge everything I thought to be true about myself. I need to be perfectly honest, sometimes I wish I never got into this major, I wish I did not challenge my beliefs, I wish I could still be that same person I used to be. Now I realize that this challenge pushed me to grow. This challenge led me to seek counseling for feelings of depression and anxiety. Therapy helped me realize what religion has been for me up until this point. My therapist and I are still working on what exactly my trauma was as a child as I do not remember a whole lot from my child hood. So far we have deduced that my trauma comes from a chaotic home life, and in turn, the church became my safe place. At home nothing made sense, but in the church, everything did. I loved the church because I loved how certain it made me feel. Everything was black and white and it felt so good to have that structure in place. The church was telling me what the meaning of my life was and how I should live it out.

High school is where the church really took over my life. I worked after school at my church as a janitor 3 days a week. I had youth groups throughout the week and was helping serve anytime I could. I worked Sundays at the church and would go to two services every Sunday. I was deeply addicted to the church, but I was also severely depressed and anxious. I never dared to seek out help from the church on these issues, I was scared that would make my faith look weak, or even false. So I kept up the act. I was a happy Christian around others, but de pressed, anxious, and lonely when it was just me. I was

so convinced that being so involved in the church was the meaning of my life, that how I felt when I was alone did not really matter. This is where the religious studies major came in and changed the course of my life. These classes introduced me to the idea that faith might not be so black and white after all. I also must say, because this is a constant misconception, these classes are in no way anti-religion. These classes celebrate the differences between religions. We do not study what makes good religious theology, or what makes logical sense, we study the people and what they do based on what they think. Long story short, these classes made me realize that I did not have certainty in my beliefs, especially seeing the way that my beliefs have hurt people throughout history. The effect of this was feeling lied to by the church. I felt betrayed by the one place that gave my life meaning. I had developed my whole identity based upon these beliefs that I believed to be black and white, my beliefs were right and every other religion had it wrong.

So where does that leave me now? To be honest I am not sure. I am currently grieving the person I used to be, I am grieving the comfort that certainty in life gave me. I am trying to find new comfort and meaning in the uncertainty. The religious studies major has also shown me the immense goodness that comes from having faith. I still consider myself a Christian, and I always want my faith to be a part of my identity. I want to be in a com munity with people, I want to figure out how to live with uncertainty. I have permission for faith to be part of my identity, but not the whole of who I am. I have never felt that freedom before. I need to grow, I need to figure out the other parts of my identity, and who I want to be. Faith is and always will be a part of me, but I cannot be that sad little boy anymore, I need to let him go. I am thankful for my religious studies major because it has helped me realize it is okay to let him go. I realized that the only way for me to deal with my depression and anxiety, to not have to hide those things from the people I am closest to, is to let the rigidity of my old faith go. I have to learn how to live within the gray of not knowing for sure. I need to heal from my trauma, I deserve to heal from my trauma, it is okay to heal.

WORDS NATE VOELKER DESIGN DYLAN LUNDQUIST

style UNITED IN

THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT FASHION IS THAT EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO WHAT THEY WEAR.

Some people don’t think about it at all; they simply throw on whatever is in their closet, and there’s merit to this approach. There is freedom in this experience, just like there is freedom in dressing in order to consciously conform or break away from the dominant culture. This act was what I was most interested in. How were people on campus dressing in order to actively or subconsciously express themselves and where did the inspiration for their personal style come from?

It was a clear day when I met up with my photographer, Ty, on the benches outside of Rod Library. Our goal for the day was simple; we were going to find those people who used their fashion as a form of self-expression. Ty and I sat for a while talking about different influences on our style. Ty wore a greenish, grey work jacket, with grey pants, and Doc Martens. I wore my dad’s DJ jacket from 1987, black and white Adidas Gazelles, with forest green Levis, and a matching vintage sweater. After sitting around for an amount of time that I can only describe as nerve-inducing, Ty spotted someone. She was walking briskly past the library, on a far away path. From afar, I could tell she had on a long denim skirt and a unique-looking top. It was our first clear lead of the day.

ABOUT LOOKING WEIRD

The black top and loafers certainly fit well into the grungy aesthetic that was popularized in the 90s. Another interesting aspect of Whitman’s philosophy was her emphasis on being “experimental” with her style stating, “Don’t be worried about looking weird or strange… because I feel like that is part of a society of control to discipline people by making them all dress the same.” Ty did his thing, directing our newly acquainted model, Whitman Cler, on how to pose while still maintaining her natural warmth. She explained that the whole outfit was thrifted, from her worn black loafers to her lacy quarter-sleeved top. Whitman cited the 90s as one of her inspirations for the outfit and her style in general.

Ty and I decided to head back to the poster sale in Maucker Union to scope out more potential models. Our next interviewee was perusing the posters when we approached her. Ty and I spotted her because of her plaid pants and accessories.

“Me?” Sam, the girl, asked, surprised when we told her we thought her style was unique and we wanted to interview her, “Sure, yeah!”

Sam got her “shiny Docs” from Depop, a clothing resale website, her grey plaid pants were Stussy, a popular streetwear brand, and her shirt was from the UNI bookstore. Sam shared her style wisdom with us, “I like to think of pants first and then develop the color scheme from there. This is actually my third change of the day; I was wearing a white shirt with this originally.” When I asked Sam if her fashion choices are influenced by any particular group her answer was simple and reflected a similar view to Whitman’s from earlier, “Nope, I just wear whatever I want to wear!”

As the afternoon was winding down, Ty and I spotted some skaters making their way across the central path on campus next to the campanile. To our surprise, they were not UNI students but were two high school skaters. Andrew wore cargos, the wide silhouette of his pants fitting snugly over his rollerblades and a Denver Broncos crew-neck. His friend Rylan sported a brown tank top with black work pants accessorizing with jewelry from an Instagram brand called Hard Steel.

“I started skating like five years ago and I saw people at the park wearing, like, baggy shit so I went to Goodwill, got all the baggy shit, and then I started looking at silhouettes and proportions and everything,” Rylan explained.

Ty chimed in. “What would you tell your younger self?”

“Be prepared for the future, you never know what the future holds for yourself… you can’t expect nothing in life really,” Andrew explained.

“You’re not going to get anywhere in life if you don’t take any chances,” Rylan said in return.

We talked for a little while longer before letting the young skaters go. Ty and I parted ways and I thought about the advice they gave us. It felt odd that I was five years removed from the person I was at 17, and yet the advice the boys gave us was still solid.

PEOPLE ARE GONNA STARE...

Another person we spotted was a girl named Naila Clarkson. She wore a purple crew-neck, with torn jeans, and Fila’s on her feet, “These were the first pair of shoes I actually bought so that’s why they’re my favorite,” Naila explained. “I take these basic outfits and dress them up

Naila ended with a sentiment that seemed to be a common theme among our subjects, “Dress how you wanna dress, people are gonna stare regardless.”

REGARDLESS

I AM MY OWN CULTURE

Ty and I retreated to the library where we spotted Mijah Jones, tucked away in a corner doing work for her class. She wore ripped jeans over leggings with black and white Nikes. Her shoes were decorated with jewelry festooned in the laces. Each of Mijah’s fingers adorned a ring, most were from Claire’s aside from the garnet ring that she bought for herself as a graduation gift. Mijah hopes to create a lookbook of her different outfits, including notes and drawings of what she wears. She wants to have a permanent record of her outfits outside of the internet.

When I asked Mijah if she had any subcultures she identified with and I got another familiar answer, “Not to sound cocky but I am my own culture, I go by my own stuff.”

“Don’t be afraid to try new things. I just started putting my earrings and stuff on my shoes. I have so much jewelry and stuff that I don’t use so I just put it on my shoes.” Mijah added.

The range of different philosophies on style was exactly what I wanted to try and capture, but it was baffling that my idea of how people look at fashion was actually grounded in reality. It was reassuring knowing that others thought so deeply about how they’re presenting themselves, in the same way I did, but also in vastly different ways as well.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO TRY NEW THINGS

BLITZ

OUR TAKE ON THE PACE OF FASHION TRENDS

PHOTOGRAPHY TY WILLIAM DESIGN EMMA CECIL-STARLIN

MAKING MY INNER TEENAGER PROUD

When I was fourteen years old, I discovered a band that changed my life—Five Seconds of Summer. I was obsessed. I listened to their music religiously and used it as a soundtrack for my everyday life. So, when I heard that my music idols were going on tour, and I could see them live? I couldn’t believe it! It was like I had died and gone to heaven. My sister Emma and I begged our parents to take us to their Chicago show. Since we were only 13 and 14 year-olds begging to go to a concert in one of the largest cities in America, my parents allowed us to go—as long as my mom went with. We looked forward to the concert every day for months, counting down the days with excited squeals. Half of the excitement is in the waiting, the anticipatory buzz of knowing something good is coming.

That concert nearly eight years ago remains to be one of the best days I’ve ever had. I remember the scent of Hot Topic in the air, head-to-toe black clothing in the outdoor venue in the middle of August. Overpriced water bottles and merchandise stands everywhere. Girls taking selfies and screaming at people who dressed like One Direction members, creating rumors that Harry and Niall were in the audience that night (they weren’t). The best part, though, was that this was the first time I remember being in such a

large space where everyone had huge, genuine smiles on their faces. We were simply existing and living for every moment. Right then and there, Emma and I made a promise that when we were old enough to do it on our own, we would go to as many concerts as possible and chase that euphoric concert feeling.

Now that we’re both at the beginning of our twenties, Emma and I have begun to keep up that promise to our younger selves. We lovingly call our promise the “Trips for the Twenties”. The initial issue was: we’re in college and, well, let’s face it…we’re poor. How can we travel? Isn’t it expensive? Short answer: yes, traveling can be expensive. But we’ve learned there are certain things you can do to limit that costimmensely. On longer road trips, we split the gas and take turns on who fills the tank. We bring along a cooler and make PB&Js on the road! We try to find one place to park our car and travel only to sites and areas close enough to walk to in order to get rid of parking fees and city-driving stress. We buy hotels and tickets months in advance, so by the time the concert comes up, we’ve been able to save some more money and earn it back. We find quaint, cheap hotel rooms to split rather than big chain hotels—we’ve found that usually the smallest hotels have the biggest character anyways.

Within the last two years, we’ve seen Harry Five Seconds of Summer, Lawrence, Ashe, Phoebe Bridgers, Aly and AJ, Greta Daisy the Great, YOLA, Ben Platt, , and Lizzo, along with amazing opening acts from bands like Pale Waves, , and Lindsay Lomis.

We’ve traveled to Chicago multiple times, seeing a new aspect of the city and getting to know it better every time. There are ups and downs, of course. Near the Bean, we walked a mile on the biking lane sidewalk near the bean and received (looking back now) a decent amount of angry looks that now make sense! But, that day we also found the cutest ice cream shops like Lick me I’m Irish Ice Cream on the West Loop, comparable to another hidden gem, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams near Wrigley Field. We’ve gotten our car stuck in a parking garage for hours right after we checked out of our hotel, leaving us stranded. But we made a friend in the process, Bill, a middle school history teacher, who begged a man from city works on the phone for an hour to come down and open the gate for all of us (even though it was our fault for reading the sign wrong). Emma and I have been to Madison, Wisconsin for a concert and accidentally ended up in the front row and had the time of our lives. We’ve been to a block party concert in the middle of Omaha, Nebraska, and we also went on a cross-country roadtrip to Washington D.C. and in the process, we stumbled upon the best cheesecake we’d ever eaten.

I guess what I’m saying is, you never know what life experiences buying a concert ticket in a new city could bring—whether it be inside of the concert or out.

Getting to travel and make weekend-trips or day trips with my best friend is one of my favorite things to do. We’ve made so many memories even just within the past two years that I wouldn’t trade for the world. Our family often worries about us or doesn’t understand why we love concerts so much. Don’t you get bored? Isn’t it the same experience every time? Absolutely not!

The best part about going to a concert is that you get to share an experience that can never be exactly replicated. You’ll never hear that same note change during your favorite song with everyone in the crowd. You’ll probably never see that person again who you talked to in line for hours, or the middle school teacher who you were stranded with in the parking garage with the next morning. You’ll never be in the same place at the same time with everyone in the room ever again. It is truly a love letter to existence—for a fleeting moment, all anyone cares about is the next verse or guitar riff, or screaming your favorite song. It is a gift we are able to share with a room of people whom we’ll never get the chance to know, but we all have one shared experience that makes us feel connected, making life seem incredibly exciting. I’ll chase that feeling forever.

I’LL CHASE THAT FEELING

MUSIC & CULTURE THROUGH THE DECADES

‘50s

Fueled by passion and rhythm, music has become a staple of culture over the past 70 years. Music captures a window into the time of social trends, style trends, political trends, and more. Starting in the 1950s, music became an outlet of expression for youth culture by inventing new ways to represent race and gender in turn, re-inventing normalized culture (“The Reciprocal Nature of Music and Culture”).

New “gyrating” dance moves, mild feminine style, and sexually suggestive lyrics changed the conservative music industry indefinitely. Elvis’ less masculine persona was famously defined by his voluminous hair and his eccentric patterned jumpsuits with lots of pops of color led the encouragement of many famous artists’ style to come in later decades such as David Bowie, Prince, and Boy Gorge (“The Evolution of Popular Music”). Elvis Presley had found his love for music within religious and gospel songs, more specifically in predominantly Black churches. This made Black music shift toward the mainstream but also due to the current copyright laws, Elvis and many other artists at the time hijacked quite a many songs written by black artists including, “Hound Dog” by Leiber & Stoller, “That's All Right” by Arthur Crudup, and many more (“The Evolution of Popular Music”).

Artists like Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles rocked the 60s. Lyrics were used as a tool to get young people to be exposed to the idea that everyone should be accepted no matter their race. The Beatles revolutionized the music industry through their mix and match of a multitude of different genres including R&B, rock, blues, pop, and more (Stevens). They took the definition of what popular music was and turned it on its head, opening the minds of the younger American generation to a more accepting view of not only British culture but the cultures from which each genre they used. Their long hairstyle was also a staple of controversy, as that was a more ‘feminine look’, and yet youth culture adopted it years later challenging what masculinity was considered.

The popular 70s music scene varied in genre and style starting with the emergence of more theatrical types of rock including Glam Rock, Punk Rock, and Disco. Glam rock was carried out by artists like David Bowie and Elton John stemming from Elvis (“The Evolution of Popular Music”). They transformed rock culture from lyrics written about the acceptance of all people to the actions of acceptance by wearing dense makeup and flashy costumes to prove their point. These artists brought light to new ideas about how gender can be defined, gay culture, and rising drug issues.

This was the decade of mainstream rock. punk rock and glam rock developed into the 80s music we all love today such as Queen, Journey, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince, and many more (“The Evolution of Popular Music”) . These artists specifically took some of the flamboyant elements from glam rock and grunge elements from punk and mashed them together to give a pop-rock type sound with an electronic sound. It became mainstream to have bold, bright-colored outfits on stage and off as well as the use of textures to give an outfit some shape. These artists paved the way toward a new conversation about non-gender conforming styles and gave individuals an outlet to express who they are.

‘90s

Hip hop, alternative rock, and pop ruled the 90s music era. Rap artists like B.I.G, N.W.A, and Snoop Dogg carried the beginning of the 90s. This changed the mainstream style from bright colors to loose-fitting darker shades of clothing. In the mid-90s, alternative rock artists like Nirvana and Green Day took the dark aesthetic and changed it to a more neutral color look we see a lot today. Nirvana is famous for its album “Nevermind” because it instantaneously changed the face of rock forever leading the music world into a new grunge genre that has never been seen before (Starkey). Youth culture changed with the times and was led into the butt end of the 90s with pop artists like Britney Spears, Whitney Houston and Celine Dion.

2000s

As a new season of music took shape, hip hop overtook rock with big names like Eminem and Kanye West. Pop music also maintained a strong hold on mainstream music listeners from the 90s. Pop and hip hop styles blend to create a whole new colorful, layered, and loose style that took over the young culture. This became the decade of women in music and gave many young girls an idol to look up to in pop culture. Pop artists like Beyonce, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, and Rihanna allowed for more representation of women in the industry. Though the glass ceiling had hardly been touched in the business world, having women’s representation in the music industry fuelled many women to advocate for better treatment in the workplace and in their relationships.

2010s

The 2010s built on what the 2000s ran out of time for. Artists upped their lyric ability wrapping in political and social justice statements to bring light to present issues that needed an outlet for change. Kendrick Lamar took rap to a new level in 2018 with his album “DAMN” which won a Pulitzer Prize making it the first non-classical or Jazz piece to win the prize (Andrew & Asmelash). Rap became the music of social change through music and media throughout this decade. Creating a mix of hip-hop, pop, and R&B. Lizzo became one of the first artists to brand herself as body positive and top the charts in late 2010s (Milano). She changed the face of pop by speaking her mind freely on stage and off, starting conversations many artists had only scraped the surface on.

2020s

Though this decade has barely begun, artists have been working to break the barriers of gender conformity in style and representation in media. The leading pop artists Harry Styles and Taylor Swift have broken many records and created a safe space for fans to relate to their music and express themselves. Taylor Swift connects to her audience through her highly relatable lyrics dealing with relationships and mental health. Mental health has been a large focus of this decade due to the pandemic, so for many artists to bring awareness to those topics makes their audiences feel seen and heard. Breaking down the walls of gender-conforming clothing on and off stage has been a switch we’ve seen in the new decade. Lil Nas X pushes these boundaries as he entered the strictly masculine rap industry with a loose approach to what it means to be masculine by being one of the most popular black and queer artists. Since this decade is just beginning, there is even more room for growth and representation within the industry.

WORDS JAYE HAINES DESIGN MADDIE NAEVE

THREE WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS

Mac Miller, Lizzo, and Luke Bryan are some examples of artist that started playing locally to their communities and have built careers that you can’t ignore. What does this mean? It means you have the power to help local artists, which could take off their career. Here are three simple ways that you can build up a musician in your community:

Buy Their Merch

Merch not only helps a musician get their name out by having you wear it, but it is also a huge source of income that they rely on. Artists will usually have links to their merchandise in the bio of social media accounts or sell it at shows. This is a great way to show support for an artist in more ways than one as it can lead to more music, videos, and performances.

Attend Their Live Performances

Are you really a fan of that underground band that records in a garage down the street? Prove it. Don’t just listen to their SoundCloud and brag about them to your friends, go watch them perform. Keep up with their social media, as they’ll usually post details of where and when they’re performing. When they see faces in the crowd enjoying their music, it is a huge confidence boost.

It works as a way of positive reinforcement for artists and makes them feel like their dream is worth chasing.

Use Their Music in Your Media

A great way to show off an artist’s music is by associating it with social media posts. The song “BILLIE EILISH” by Armani White is a great example of this. This song blew up because fans of Armani White and Billie Eilish turned it into a social media trend. But if you don’t have a video for the music, then you could always caption your Instagram post with something like, “Alexa, play (insert artist here).” Give your followers a reminder that they need to stop sleeping on your favorite artist.

Becoming a musician requires a leap of faith into chasing a dream, and it’s not easy. In the beginning, it doesn’t pay well and can be exhausting constantly trying to promote your stuff to people who may not be willing to give it a chance. What an up-and-coming musician needs more than anything is support in any way you can give it. This is what drives them to keep putting out music, recording videos, and hopping on stage. Your appreciation could be what motivates the kid singing at open mics or freestyling on the corner to become the cover of a magazine one day.

Some underground artists in Iowa to check out:

Lady Revel (Des Moines)

Spotify: Lady Revel YouTube: Lady Revel

Run Wilson (Des Moines)

Spotify: Run Wilson Instagram: runwilson

OFF-BASE (Cedar Falls)

Spotify: OFF-BASE YouTube: OFF-BASE

Tha Lonewolf (Waterloo)

Spotify: Tha Lonewolf YouTube: Tha Lonewolf

ITIS (Ankeny)

Spotify: Itis YouTube: Itis

Gold Revere (Cedar Rapids)

Spotify: Gold Revere YouTube: Gold Revere

Pictured: Members of the band, Back Pocket