DRAKE MAGAZINE SPRING 2016

DRAKE MAGAZINE

Dogtown’s locally owned coffee shop for the past 10 years

6 BIT OF LIT: SPOILER ALERT Coming soon to a theater near you.

6 READ ME LIKE A BOOK Don’t judge a book by its cover.

7 SUMMER TO-DO LIST We’ve got your weekend plans covered.

8 PORTABLE LIVING Meet Kasita, the new smart home.

9 URBAN BEEKEEPING It’s all the buzz.

9 ANXIETY BOX Delete your insecurities.

10 MODERN SPEAKEASIES Time travel to the ‘30s with three Midwest bars.

11 THINK OUTSIDE THE BEAN Not your average cup of tea.

11 FARM TO TRASH America’s food waste crisis.

12 SEAFOOD & DRINK IT There’s something fishy about these shots.

14 VEGAN BUTCHER SHOP These meats are deliciously deceiving.

20 SEX AND ICE CREAM One designer fashions heartache into success.

21 TALK TO ME FASHION Style that says it all.

22 LIP SERVICE Three steps for luscious lips.

23 LET’S FACE IT Find the best facial oil for your skin type.

46 A NEW SEXPERIENCE Get immersed in virtual reality porn.

50 MIND OVER MATTER St. Lucia gets tropical for its 2016 tour.

52 RED DIRT The country genre saying no to Nashville.

53 OPEN MIC Spoken word poetry gives artists a voice.

56 BACKSTAGE PASS The making of Des Moines’ 80/35.

47 LIVING WITH A FETISH [Shoe] size matters.

57 MONEYBALL As stadiums get bigger, so do their price tags—for everyone.

48 BUGGED OUT Insects are now on the menu.

58 SEEING GREEN You’re not hallucinating—absinthe’s back.

49 OUTSIDE IN Three reasons to try indoor plants.

49 SUPER SUNSCREENS Here comes the sun block.

Find a scenic background, add a small trampoline, and hire a talented photo editor: That’s one way to take great leaps. And in the case of our beautifully produced spring fashion shoot (pg. 24), that plan worked wonderfully.

But here at Drake Magazine, we’re also taking more figurative—but just as exhausting—leaps as well.

For starters, we were open to trying new things. From experiencing virtual reality porn (pg. 46) to taste-testing seafood shots see what has us (pg. 12), our writers have done their research. So you jumping on pg. 24 can trust us when we say that the tequila-salsa shot with lobster is a must-have at your next gathering.

While you savor your drink, I encourage you to join our deeper conversations. We continue to expand our coverage on thought-provoking topics like sleeping disorders (pg. 30) and recovering post gun violence (pg. 36).

The biggest leap of all will be my own. Retiring from Drake Magazine will be no easy task. I’m so lucky to have worked with the talented individuals who have helped create this publication. You’ve succeeded in making my life a little easier, which is the best thing an editor could ask for. Looking forward, I’m confident this publication will continue to produce great work under the leadership of Katie Bandurski.

I hope you enjoy the stories we have to share. Feel free to continue the conversation by sending your questions and comments to drakemag@gmail.com.

Until then, just Google us.

Best,

Melissa Studach Editor-in-Chief

full 12 the pg. get n o r f l avo

fill ’em up and take ’em back pg 12

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the secret behind our Made to Move shoot pg. 24

Danny Heggan and Mickey Davis are rebranding the music scene one dance party at a time. Midwest Disco is how they describe their blend of electro-pop party jams with their effortlessly laid back personalities. Their new album “These Days” is sure to make Midwest Disco speak for itself.

Meet Adam Elmakias: This artist tells his stories with a camera. He talks musicians, magazines, and perks of the job with Drake Magazine.

These Midwest establishments are just like regular bars–minus the alcohol.

This series of audio stories explores national issues, like race on college campuses, by giving a voice to people right here in the Midwest. Download the podcast at drakemagazine.com/ caught-in-the-middle.

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BIT OF LIT

SPOILER ALERT! READ THESE THREE BOOKS BEFORE THEY HIT THEATERS. WORDS: ALEXIS LITTLE | PHOTO: ASHLEY KIRKLAND

“THE GLASS CASTLE”

by Jeanette Walls In this coming-of-age narrative, Jeannette Walls recounts her childhood struggles with poverty and an alcoholic father. She recalls having to relocate and go without food because her father can’t hold down a job. But her father’s naive positivity keeps the family together.

He’s designed floor plans for the family’s glass castle they’ll build once he finds gold. It’s a story Jeannette and her siblings happily believe until maturity reveals its unlikelihood. The family eventually settles in Welsh, West Virginia, where her father’s alcoholism worsens.

Jeanette’s mother spirals into a deep depression, forcing Jeannette and her older sister, Lori, to raise their two younger siblings. Jeannette soon has to choose between moving to New York alone or staying to care for the family, creating a tonal shift in the narrative. The movie, scheduled for release in late 2016, features Academy-Award winner Brie Larson and Woody Harrelson. Warning: Have the tissues ready.

“THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE”

by Diane Ackerman A must-read for history buffs, “The Zookeeper’s Wife” is a true story based off the World War II journal of Antonina Zabinska, the title character. She and her husband, Jan, own the most popular zoo in Warsaw, Poland. They’re also members of a secret organization that smuggles Jews into safe zones. After a bomb kills a large portion of their animals, the couple begins hiding Jews in the underground tunnels that connect the zoo’s cages. Jan’s popularity allows him free entrance into the Nazi communities, where he secretly releases captured Jews. While he’s away, readers catch a glimpse of Antonina’s life as she runs the safe house. The novel’s eloquent language and vivid descriptions will surely transfer well to the big screen in late 2016. Acclaimed director Niki Caro, the mastermind behind “McFarland, USA,” is heading the book-tomovie project. Her involvement will guarantee a dramatic take on the historical tale.

“BRAIN ON FIRE: MY MONTH OF MADNESS”

by Susannah Cahalan In 2009, 24-year-old Susannah Cahalan woke up in a hospital with no memory of the previous month. In this captivating memoir, the reader follows the “New York Post” journalist’s descent into a psychotic state. Not even esteemed doctors can diagnose her consuming paranoia and seizures. A family dinner turns destructive when voices in Cahalan’s head convince her that her step-mother is calling her a whore. Eventually, she enters a catatonic state that renders her completely helpless. She wakes up with no memory of the events that have torn her family apart. As part of her recovery, Cahalan interviews friends and family and watches security tapes to unravel the truth.

Cahalan’s writing immerses readers in her diligent investigation and recovery. Chloe Grace Moretz re-enacts Cahalan’s trying past in the film adaptation of the same name, which is scheduled to hit theaters by year’s end.

READ ME LIKE A BOOK WORDS: ANDREA BECK

Talking in the library is usually discouraged—except at Chicago’s Human Library, where the ‘books’ talk back.

Volunteers act as books, telling their stories in one-on-one conversations. The program aims to foster a deeper understanding between community members. Some titles include ‘Atheist,’ ‘Iranian Feminist,’ and ‘Transgender Minister.’ Marlena Johnson, president of Chicago’s Human Library, insists that a book truly can’t be judged by its cover.

“The ‘book’ and its ‘readers’ connect on this level of what it means to be human beyond those identities that we are in society,” she says.

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SETTLED BETWEEN THE COASTS LIES AN UNDERESTIMATED TERRITORY, WAITING TO BE EXPLORED. THIS SUMMER, DISCOVER ALL THE MIDWEST HAS TO OFFER. WORDS: ANDIE CONTRERAS-MURALLES | PHOTO: SAM FATHALLAH

CAPRI DRIVE-IN MOVIE THEATER Coldwater, Michigan Time for a summer-lovin’ date night under the stars—dancing hot dog commercials included. New releases play at this ’60s drive-in, one of the few remaining in the Midwest. Grab cotton candy from the snack bar, and enjoy the movie’s audio coming from the car’s speakers.

MOON FLOAT Des Moines Gaze at a full moon while drifting around Gray’s Lake. All non-gasoline powered boats are invited to take float at this monthly event. Canoe, kayak, and hydro-bike rentals are also available.

KOM SUP Branson, Missouri Achieve relationship balance with a couple’s session of stand-up paddle boarding. Missouri’s State Park Marina provides beautiful scenery for the full-body workout, led by Kom’s experienced instructors.

PATIO RIDE Omaha, Nebraska Host your squad’s next bar crawl on this 16-seat party bike. The trolleylike vehicle comes with a sober driver who steers as riders do the pedaling—and the drinking.

COLDWATER CAVE SPELUNKING Decorah, Iowa Embrace that inner Batman with a crawl through Iowa’s longest cave.

The adventure is non-commercialized territory, so tag along with an outdoor group like Iowa Grotto that’s familiar with its 17-mile landscape.

THORNTON’S WHITEWATER RAFTING Athelstane, Wisconsin Take wet and wild to a whole new level with a whitewater rafting trip.

Professional guides teach the basics, then lead riders on scenic routes along the Peshtigo and Menominee Rivers.

DAVIESS COUNTY HISTORIC GEOTOUR Daviess County, Indiana Think “Wild” without the quarter-life crisis. The GPS-tracked scavenger hunt leads to 20 historical sites in Daviess County, each containing hidden treasures. Sign the location’s book, leave a trinket, then journey to the next spot.

MONTROSE DOG BEACH Chicago Fido’s a part of the family, too. Let pups roam free at Chicago’s original canine-friendly beach. Several enclosed acres of Montrose Beach’s north end allow dogs to run and play along Lake Michigan’s sandy coast.

LAKEFRONT BREWERY TOUR Milwaukee, Wisconsin Lakefront Brewery was named one of the nation’s best brewery tours by Trip Advisor—and for good reason.

The informative yet comedic tour guides explain the brewing process step by step. For $10, guests enjoy four six-ounce samples and a souvenir pint glass.

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SMALL, SMART, AND SUSTAINABLE, KASITA IS REVOLUTIONIZING URBAN DWELLING. WORDS: KATIE BANDURSKI | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF KASITA

Finding the right apartment can be challenging. Cost is usually the main consideration, followed closely by location, amenities, and size. Move to a new city and the search starts all over again. But Jeff Wilson has come up with a solution. It’s called Kasita, and it’s a game-changer in affordable, sustainable living.

Wilson lived in a—not joking— converted dumpster in Austin, Texas in 2014, prior to co-founding Kasita.

He was experimenting, trying to find the smallest space someone could comfortably live in. During that time, Wilson discovered that traditional home designs weren’t working anymore.

“I had a pretty good life in those 33 square feet,” Wilson says. “By going smaller, I was in the hottest part of my city. I had low rent. I could have my own place, and I was mobile. I could pick it up and move it around.”

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Wilson recognized that millennials wanted affordable, sustainable, portable housing but didn’t necessarily want to live in a dumpster. He left his university job, partnered with a real estate developer, and hired an industrial designer. Together, they created a 270 square-foot ‘smart apartment.’

Though the space may be small, the team didn’t sacrifice elegance and comfort. Each pod’s design focuses on a sleek, clean aesthetic.

The uber-practical layout keeps the apartment cozy, not cramped. Plus, the pod is embedded with high-tech functionality. Simply say the words and Kasita will roll out the bed or adjust the temperature.

Kasita homes are all the same size, so pods can be easily transferred from one building to another.

Imagine a game of Jenga, except the whole complex won’t fall down when a unit is removed. Users

request a move via an app. Then a truck transports the home to another Kasita frame down the block or across the country.

As healthy as a Kasita home may be for a millennial’s wallet (rent prices are estimated to be about half a studio apartment’s), the pods are equally as healthy for the earth. “We are taxing our planet,” Wilson says.

“The average new American home is more than 2,400 square feet. All the energy and water that’s necessary to build large homes is putting taxes on the environment that it’ll no longer be able to withstand.”

Right now, Kasita is being developed in Austin, Texas, but the brand plans to expand to other markets. “I see the company in cities all over the world,” Wilson says. “But even more than that, we want folks around the world—of all different income levels—to be able to live in a place with dignity.”

UBER DRIVERS AND MILLENNIALS AREN’T THE ONLY THINGS SWARMING THE CITY SCENE THESE DAYS. WORDS: ELLEN CONVERSE | ILLUSTRATIONS: LINZI MURRAY

placed in frame-filled boxes where Glancing out the window of a bees can build their honeycomb. The downtown high-rise, a city dweller same structure has moved to the city, expects to see skyscrapers and settling in backyards, community rushing traffic. A person in a white garden sites, and even rooftop suit complete with mesh headgear gardens. Raising bees in the city examining a beehive? Not so much. might seem counterintuitive, but the Honey bees in the metro may seem urban environment has surprising a little out of place, but urban benefits. “In the country, bees are beekeeping is not only becoming surrounded mainly by one or two more common in the Midwest, it’s kinds of crops. Their diet also helping rebuild can become very restricted,” the dwindling bee says Julie McGuire, founder population.

“IN CITIES, of the Des Moines Honey For many years, BEES CAN Group. “In cities, they can several major cities FLY FROM fly from garden to garden listed bees as GARDEN TO in a mere matter of a few “venomous objects,” city blocks.” Aside from a GARDEN charging hefty fines diverse assortment of plants, for those hosting bees IN A MERE city living also offers less in urban areas. As the MATTER OF exposure to pesticides. bee population began A FEW CITY Raising bees in an urban rapidly declining BLOCKS.” location helps more than just around 2008, several the insects. City gardeners locations decided to are also seeing benefits— lift their bans. New the added pollination is York City became the increasing their yield. “Bees are test subject, inviting hives to flat truly the difference between having rooftops in hopes of pollinating an a successful garden and a mediocre endangered food supply. It wasn’t garden,” McGuire says. “This long before hobbyists in other produces a more diverse garden and American cities wanted to adds a lot to the community itself.” get involved.

In rural communities, hives are

COME ON HONEY, DON’T BE A BUZZ KILL. GET STARTED ON YOUR OWN BEEHIVE. PRICE OF BEEKEEPING STARTER-KIT:

ALL ITEMS CAN BE FOUND AT BRUSHYMOUNTAINBEEFARM.COM OR MILLERBEESUPPLY.COM.

ANXIETY BOX WORDS: MORGAN NOLL

Check your inbox for the e-vite to anxiety relief. Computer programmer Paul Ford created Anxiety Box, a service that sends nasty, stress-inducing emails. Users register their anxieties, then receive messages chock full of tailored put-downs, such as: “It’s true that you’re basically disgusting and pitiful.” Then, they have the power to relocate those insecurities to a virtual trash can. Although the program can work for minor stressors, such as an upcoming presentation, Ford realizes that anxiety is too big a bully to fight with a keyboard. So he asks users with a serious diagnosis to seek professional help.

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PROHIBITION MAY HAVE ENDED IN THE ’30s, BUT THE CRAFTED COCKTAILS FOUND AT TODAY’S OLD-FASHIONED BARS ARE SO DELICIOUS THEY SHOULD STILL BE ILLEGAL. ENJOY A SCANDALOUS NIGHT OUT AT ONE OF THE MIDWEST’S MODERN SPEAKEASIES. WORDS: MELISSA STUDACH | PHOTO: DANIELA BUVAT

BUGSY’S BACK ALLEY SPEAKEASY Milwaukee, Wisconsin Pass the alley between Water Street and Chicago Street during the day and nothing seems out of the ordinary. But as night falls, the backstreet is lit by a hazy red light that streams from a mysterious door. Curiosity leads to Bugsy’s, a bar named after Prohibition mobster Bugsy Siegal. Go for the Sazarac, an era-inspired cocktail with rye whiskey, absinthe, and grenadine, but stay for the live music and flapper-esque dancers.

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WICKED RABBIT Omaha, Nebraska Don’t expect a line-up of pale ales here. Omaha’s Wicked Rabbit, hidden in Hotel Deco’s Looking Glass Cigars and Spirits shop, serves ornately crafted cocktails, like the citrusy Ramo’s Gin Fizz. The amber glow emanating from rows of topshelf liquor establishes the mood in the city’s first speakeasy-style bar. Velvety plum walls and quilted leather booths add to the seductive ambiance. With first-come, firstserve seating for only 24 people, be sure to get there early to snag a spot.

THE DRIFTER Chicago The Drifter may be new, but it’s underground location isn’t. The intimate bar setting was home to a 1921 speakeasy—and it’s still not easy to find. First, head to the basement of Chicago’s Green Door Tavern. Knock once on the wooden door for admittance into the vintage Americana-clad bar. Individual tarot cards reveal the night’s drink menu, allowing guests to choose their beverage destiny, such as the pistachio vodka-infused Bye, Felicia.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BEAN THIS RECYCLED BREW IS REDEFINING THE MORNING CAFFEINE FIX. WORDS: LANDON HODGES | PHOTO: ANNA GLEASON

In the beverage world, there’s a power struggle between coffee and tea. One new drink is finally putting the debate to rest.

Introducing cascara, a tea-like brew that’s flavored using the skin of a coffee bean. The coffee plant is—believe it or not—a fruit. It’s made of several parts, including the bean and the coffee cherry, a smooth and leathery exterior shell.

Think of it like a pistachio: To get to the nut, one must break open and discard the exterior shell. In the case

of the coffee plant, these exterior shells, or cherries, would normally be discarded as waste or compost.

But cascara had a more eco-friendly idea in mind. The remaining skins are now cleaned, sun-dried, then packaged as loose leaf tea. Coffee distributors recommend a ratio of three tablespoons loose-leaf cascara for every 10 ounces of water. When steeped, the skins produce a slightly sweet hibiscus flavor with musky undertones.

While it’s rooted in coffee, cascara’s caffeine count measures more on the tea side. According to a study conducted by the Square Mile Coffee Roasters, cascara contains about one-fourth of the caffeine content as brewed coffee.“It’s like many herbal teas, but with more caffeine,” says Sean Capistant, a quality control trader for coffee distributor Trabocca North America. “Cascara isn’t so much a coffee substitute as it is a novelty item.”

FARM TO TRASH WORDS: GRACE PIPER

Americans waste more than $165 billion worth of food each year while more than 15.3 million children go hungry, according to National Resources Defense Council and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “We have so much food that could potentially meet these needs,” says Julia Brown, a student representative of the Food Recovery Network. “The problem isn’t having the resources, but rather finding a strategy for distribution.” The food waste crisis starts on farms. Edible produce is left in the field, while only “perfect” picks make it onto shelves. “Grocery stores don’t receive fruits and vegetables that are imperfect regarding shape, size, and color,” Brown says. “Good produce that’s perfectly edible is thrown away.” Curing the country’s food waste problem isn’t a simple fix, but it can start with quick fixes at home.

FIND FIVE EASY TIPS TO REDUCE YOUR FOOD WASTE FOOTPRINT AT DRAKEMAGAZINE. COM/FOODSAVERS

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SOMETHING TO FEAST ON

seafood drink it Blend cocktail-crafting skills with culinary creativity. Three savory, fruit-filled seafood shooters are a great way to kick off a dinner party— or happy hour. They’re easy to make and even easier to eat.

WORDS: BRIAN TAYLOR CARLSON | PHOTOS: PRANEETH RAJSINGH

Fruit relish absorbs spiced rum before being layered with golden, crispy scallops.

RELISH: 1 mango, peeled and diced 1 kiwi, peeled and diced 6 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped 2 Tbsp. spiced rum SCALLOPS: 6 medium sea scallops Pinch of kosher salt 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp. butter GARNISH: 4 mint leaves, thinly sliced FOR THE RELISH: Combine mango, kiwi, and mint.

Pour in the spiced rum. Toss to coat.

FOR THE SCALLOPS: Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Salt lightly. In a medium skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat until the butter melts and starts to sizzle. Add scallops, and cook for 90 seconds, or until the scallops develop a golden-brown color. Turn scallops, and cook for another 60 to 90 seconds. Remove from heat, drain on paper towels, and let cool. Cut the scallops into quarters. Chill.

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Lobster can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Butter mutes lobster’s fishy taste, while citrus adds a pop of flavor to this tequila-enhanced favorite.

This shooter may need the help of a spoon, but the reward is well worth it. Vodka-infused avocado cream pairs perfectly with boozy seasoned shrimp.

SALSA: 11-oz. can mandarin oranges, drained 2 Tbsp. gold tequila

AVOCADO PUREE: 2 avocados ¼ cup sour cream 2 Tbsp. vodka 2 Tbsp. lime juice Pinch of salt

LOBSTER: 8 oz. lobster tail 2 sticks salted butter 3 Tbsp. lemon juice GARNISH: Lime zest FOR THE SALSA: Chop the mandarin oranges, reserving 6 whole wedges.

Combine in a bowl with tequila, and toss to coat.

FOR THE LOBSTER: Using kitchen shears, cut the lobster shell straight down the back toward the tip of the tail, and crack open. Remove the meat from inside the shell. Cut into eight chunks. Melt one stick of butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Once it’s bubbling, stir in remaining butter one tablespoon at a time.

Don’t let the butter overheat, as it will separate. Stir in lemon juice. Add lobster meat, and cook for five minutes, turning every minute, until the lobster meat is white and opaque. Remove lobster from butter, and drain on paper towels. Cool thoroughly.

Cut into small pieces, discarding any discolored bits. Chill.

ASSEMBLY: Divide the orange salsa into six shot glasses. Include a whole mandarin orange wedge per shot. Top with four chunks of lobster meat. Garnish with lime zest.

SHRIMP: 2 12-oz. cans light beer ¼ cup Old Bay Seasoning 1 ½ Tbsp. lemon juice 1 Tbsp. salt 6 large shrimp, peeled and deveined GARNISH: 6 small lime wedges, orange zest FOR THE PUREE: Halve avocados, remove pits, and scoop the flesh into a food processor. Add sour cream, vodka, lime juice, and salt. Puree until smooth.

FOR THE SHRIMP: Pour beer into a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in Old Bay Seasoning, lemon juice, and salt. Bring to a simmer. When beer starts to boil, carefully stir in shrimp. Lower heat, and cook for five minutes, being sure the liquid doesn’t boil. Drain shrimp, then discard the liquid. Chill thoroughly.

ASSEMBLY: Spoon the avocado puree into six shot glasses, filling two-thirds to the top. Place shrimp in the glass with the tail sticking out.

Garnish with lime wedges and orange zest.

tip

FOR A SWEETER SHOT, RESERVE THE MANDARIN ORANGE SYRUP, AND DRESS THE LOBSTER MEAT IN THE JUICE BEFORE SERVING.

BUTTER-POACHED LOBSTER WITH MANDARIN ORANGE AND TEQUILA SALSA

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH A MANGO-KIWI-RUM RELISH AND MINT

BEER-SIMMERED SHRIMP WITH VODKA AND AVOCADO-CITRUS CREAM

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VEGAN

BUTCHER SHOP

MINNEAPOLIS IS NOW SERVING FAUX MEAT WITH REAL SUCCESS. WORDS: ELISE NIKOLIC | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE HERBIVOROUS BUTCHER

Kale and Aubry Walch

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This isn’t a typical butcher shop.

The menu at Minneapolis’ The Herbivorous Butcher features only plant-based meats and cheeses. And with only four people in line, it’s a slow Saturday morning—after all, the January 23 grand opening had more than 300 people waiting for hours. Why all the fuss?

Boasting 27 varieties of ‘meat’ and 13 options for ‘cheese,’ The Herbivorous Butcher is America’s sole vegan butcher shop. It’s already garnered a national following, which House Manager Brett Miller credits to curiosity. “It’s the buzzword.

People want to know about this lifestyle,” he says.

Fake meats aren’t exactly known for their great taste. But siblingowners Kale—yes, his name is Kale— and Aubry Walch’s recipes are the

exception to the rule. They use an ancient Chinese method of diluting dough so it’s left with gluten protein, which has a chewy, meaty texture.

Spices and natural flavoring are then added to create faux sausage, ribs, deli meats, and even bacon.

“It really all tastes good,” says local customer Jeff Diamond. Since opening day, he’s returned several times and left with hands full of pastrami and other tasty varieties.

The shop is already making plans to expand their menu and break into the Los Angeles market. Despite its growth, The Herbivorous Butcher’s team doesn’t want to force a vegan diet on anyone. They just want to make the lifestyle more accessible.

“We want to keep succeeding,” Kale says. “And bridge the gap for as many as we can.”

UPDATE WARM WEATHER FAVORITES WITH A PINCH OF FLAVOR. THESE HERBS AND SPICES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AROUND TIME TO LEARN HOW TO USE THEM. WORDS: ANGELA UFHEIL | PHOTOS: PRANEETH RAJSINGH

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MAKES 6 GRILLED KEBABS Leslie Knope had Ann Perkins. Harry Potter had Hermione Granger. Bold characters are nothing without a calming presence, and de arbol chile powder’s burst of heat is no different.

The spice’s smoky undertone balances out the initial bite. Use in a dry rub for colorful kebabs.

INGREDIENTS: 1 lb. top round steak 1 tsp. de arbol chile powder 1 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. dry parsley 4 bell peppers, assorted colors 2 red onions

DIRECTIONS: Heat grill to 500 degrees. Slice steaks into bite-size pieces. Place in bowl, and toss with de arbol chile powder, pepper, salt, and parsley. Let sit for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove seeds and ribs from peppers, then cut peppers and onions into one-inch pieces. Thread steak, peppers, and onions onto skewers. Place skewers directly on the grill. Cook for seven minutes before turning. Then cook for another seven minutes, or until meat reaches 140 degrees.

tip

IF USING WOODEN SKEWERS, SOAK THEM IN WATER FOR 30 MINUTES BEFORE GRILLING. OTHERWISE, THE WOOD MAY CHAR.

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MAKES 8 SERVINGS SPIKED LEMONADE Cooking with lavender is the culinary equivalent of the three little bears. Use too little, and the herb flies under the radar. Use too much, and the recipe gets a soapy flavor.

But hit that just-right mark, and lavender adds flowery depth to tart lemonade.

INGREDIENTS: ¼ cup dried lavender leaves 7 cups water, divided 1 ¾ cups lemon juice 1 ½ cups sugar 1 cup limoncello DIRECTIONS: Bring two cups of water to a boil.

Place lavender leaves in boiling water, and steep for 10 minutes.

Pour mixture into a pitcher, using a strainer to catch the leaves. Add lemon juice to lavender-infused water. Stir in sugar, remaining water, and limoncello. Chill before serving.

tip

POUR SOME OF THE LEMONADE INTO AN ICE CUBE TRAY AND FREEZE OVERNIGHT. USE INSTEAD OF ICE TO AVOID DILUTING THE DRINK.

MAKES 4 EARS OF CORN Don’t get this spice mixed up with poison sumac, the shrub that causes itchy skin. Edible sumac comes from a bright red berry, which is grown in the Middle East, then dried and ground up. Sumac may look like chili powder, but it actually has a tart, acidic taste. Use in a tangy garlic sauce to dress up one of summer’s staples: corn-on-the-cob.

INGREDIENTS: 4 ears of corn 1 stick butter, divided 5 garlic cloves, minced ¼ tsp. black pepper ½ tsp. sumac 4 Tbsp. parmesan cheese, grated DIRECTIONS: Heat grill to 500 degrees. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Add garlic and cook for two minutes­­, or until golden. Mix in pepper and sumac. Take off heat, and let cool for five minutes.

Tear off four sheets of tin foil, and place one ear of corn on each. Fold the tin foil up and around the corn, forming a boat shape. Pour butter and spice mixture on corn. Divide remaining butter, and place slices on top of corn. Fold tin foil around the cob, and place on the grill for 20 to 22 minutes. Remove from grill, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

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tip

MAKES 6 SERVINGS SUMMER VEGETABLE CURRY Can’t decide whether to make bean salad, potato salad, or a vegetable for that upcoming barbeque? Unite the three in a golden curry. Use turmeric, a member of the ginger family, to add complex hints of mustard and horseradish.

INGREDIENTS: 2 Tbsp. coconut oil 2 white onions 1 tsp. cumin ½ tsp. black pepper 5 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp. ground ginger 1 ½ tsp. turmeric 1 tsp. garam masala ½ tsp. cayenne 1 ½ lbs. sweet potatoes, chopped into ½-inch chunks 13 ½-oz. can coconut milk 1 lb. broccoli, chopped into 1-inch pieces 15-oz. can cannellini beans ¼ cup cashews

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DIRECTIONS: Melt coconut oil in a large pot. Add onions, cumin, and pepper. Cook for five minutes over low heat. Add garlic, and saute until golden. Add ginger, turmeric, garam masala, and cayenne, stirring until well-combined. Toss with sweet potato chunks and coconut milk. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Add broccoli and beans.

Allow to simmer for 10 minutes or until sweet potatoes and broccoli are tender. Sprinkle with cashews.

FOR A CRUNCHIER DISH, REPLACE BROCCOLI WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS. ADD SPROUTS IN WITH THE SWEET POTATOES, AS THEY NEED TO COOK LONGER THAN BROCCOLI.

MAKES 5 GREEN TEA ICE POPS That old adage about opposites attracting? Totally applicable to matcha powder and dairy.

Creamy yogurt tames the biting, earthy flavor that matcha, a finely ground green tea, is known for. Freeze with fruit and honey for a naturally sweet popsicle.

INGREDIENTS: 2 cups vanilla yogurt 5 Tbsp. honey 2 tsp. matcha powder ¼ tsp. vanilla extract 1 ½ cups blueberries, smashed 5 assorted fruits (kiwi, strawberry, mango, etc.), sliced DIRECTIONS: Line bottom of paper cups with smashed blueberries, and set aside. In a large bowl, mix yogurt, honey, matcha, and vanilla. Pour mixture into paper cups. Hold fruit slices firmly against the inside of the cup, and slide into the yogurt mixture. Place a wooden stick in the center. Put cups in the freezer, and chill for 10 hours. Peel the cup off the popsicle before serving.

SPRING 2016 • 19

FASHION + BEAUTY

LIVE AND LOOK GOOD

SEX AND ICE CREAM MISSOURI-BASED NICOLE LETH IS TURNING HEARTBREAK INTO A CLOTHING LINE. WORDS: MADDIE HIATT | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SEX AND ICE CREAM

Almost 30 tattoos cover the arms of 23-year-old artist Nicole Leth. The feather, bird, and diamond designs pair well with cotton-candy-colored hair. Leth has always used her body as a canvas, but three years ago, she created a clothing line to extend her images of self-expression onto fabric. The line is called Sex and Ice Cream, and it represents Leth’s decision to love herself.

It all started when Leth was dating a boy she thought she was in love with. “We would have sex and then eat ice cream,” she says. “But he ended up cheating on me and breaking my heart.”

After the breakup, Leth decided she was worth more. She channeled her energy into something productive and became an intern at Raygun, a screen-print shop with

20 • DRAKEMAGAZINE.COM

several Midwest locations. That same year, while attending the Kansas City Art Institute, Leth got the idea for her brand. “Sex and Ice Cream symbolizes the first time I realized I was worth more than a relationship,” she says.

The first thing Leth ever designed was a piece of bra-printed fabric.

The line has since expanded to patches, T-shirts, and hats that reference pop culture and girl power.

Each piece in her collection has a true story behind it—from betrayal to first dates at Walmart.

When an idea strikes, Leth writes it down. Her diary is one of her favorites forms of expression, and it’s also how she came up with the image for Sex and Ice Cream.

“If I have a feeling, I’ll just write it out,” Leth says. “I also use my

body as a diary. And every time I dye my hair, it’s because of an emotion I’m feeling. All my tattoos are to commemorate a feeling. And now I’m just letting myself be myself and feel what I need to feel.”

While Sex and Ice Cream is still young, Leth has already found success. Her brand has extended to select retail stores across the country, and in May, she’s planning to open Sex and Ice Cream’s flagship store in Kansas City, Missouri. The shop will be a fresh start.

“I don’t think it’s something I’ll ever regret, even if I flop and don’t ever sell anything,” Leth says. “Being able to think that I committed this much of my life to something that was just about me believing in myself would be enough.”

SHARE HOW YOU REALLY FEEL WITH CHATTY TOPS, MUGS, AND ACCESSORIES. BUT WHY ARE WE DOING ALL THE TALKING? THESE PIECES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. WORDS: SIERRA BURGOS | PHOTO: JAMES NGUGI

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1. MUG, $20, FRANCESCA’S | 2. SHIRT, $27, MATILDA MUSE | 3. SWEATER, $17, NORDSTROM RACK | 4. SHIRT, $15, T.J. MAXX 5. SHIRT, $13, TARGET | 6. VASE, $20, TARGET | 7. CARD, $6, PRESERVATION | 8. FLASK, $13, ICING 9. HAT, $15, PACSUN | 10. MUG, $10, ICING | 11. TANK, $15, CHARLOTTE RUSSE | 12. TANK, $13, TARGET 13. PILLOW, $20, SOCIETY6 | 14. SHORTS, $16, NORDSTROM RACK SPRING 2016 • 21

FASHION + BEAUTY

LIVE AND LOOK GOOD

PUT THE SHOT GLASSES DOWN—THEY’RE NO LONGER NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE PLUMP LIPS. SMOOTH AND VIBRANT LOOKS ARE JUST THREE STEPS AWAY. WORDS: ARIEL FELTMAN| PHOTOS: PRANEETH RAJSINGH | ILLUSTRATIONS: GABRIELLE GAASS

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Soothe cracked lips, and create a smooth base.

PRODUCTS: Lip scrub (olive oil, sugar), lip balm Start with a lip scrub. Make one at home by mixing equal parts olive oil and sugar until scrub reaches a paste consistency. Gently rub on lips, then wipe clean with a warm towel.

Next, apply a lip balm to hydrate lips, leaving them incredibly smooth.

LET’S FACE IT Precise contouring creates the illusion of plump lips.

PRODUCTS: Highlighter, concealer one shade darker than skin, concealer one shade lighter than skin Apply highlighter to the rim of your upper lip—also known as the cupid’s bow—so it appears to protrude.

Repeat on the bottom lip with the darker shade of concealer, creating a shadow.

Time to add a pop of color.

PRODUCTS: Lip liner one shade darker than your natural lip color, lipstick, translucent powder Line the lips on or just around the edges, and fill in the rest.

Then, refer to the color chart below to find the perfect shade for your complexion. Don’t feel restricted to those tints, though—rock what makes you feel confident.

To finish up the look, gently brush translucent powder over lips. Powder eliminates oils to assure long-lasting wear.

Those with FAIR SKIN should lean toward pink and nude shades.

Next, blend the light concealer into the middle of your lips to create the illusion that light is hitting the lips at their fullest points.

MEDIUM COMPLEXIONS should go for rose and berry tints.

TAN SKIN tones look great in poppy and coral colors.

Lastly, for those with a DEEP COMPLEXION, brown and purple shades are the go-tos.

FACIAL OILS ARE HELPING SKIN, NOT HURTING IT. WORDS: MARISSA DEPINO

It seems counterintuitive to add oil to skin—after all, for years the slick liquid has been blamed for causing acne. But use the right formula for your skin type, and oil can actually improve your complexion.“Facial oils such as almond, sesame, and olive oil were used in Egyptian times,” says Martha Arroyo, M.D. of Lakeside Dermatology in Libertyville, Illinois. “Dermatologists have known for a long time that oils don’t block skin.”

OILY SKIN Oily skin produces a lot of oleic acid, which can clog pores. To balance it out, use oils with pimple-shrinking lineolic acid, such as sesame seed, grapeseed, and soybean.

DRY SKIN Oils made of large molecules tend to layer skin, as opposed to absorbing into it. Argan and jojoba oils protect skin that’s prone to chapping, while adding a touch of softness.

COMBINATION SKIN For skin that’s dry in some places and shiny in others, it can be tricky to find an oil that moisturizes without causing breakouts.

Rosehip and marula oils have low comedogenic ratings, meaning they’ll help repair dry, sun-damaged skin without clogging pores.

SPRING 2016 • 23

FASHION + BEAUTY

LIVE AND LOOK GOOD

WITH FLYING COLORS MAKE A STATEMENT WITH SPRING’S EASIEST PIECE: THE MAXI DRESS. DELICATE, FLOWING FABRIC KEEPS THE STYLE SIMPLE, BUT BOLD COLORS AND AN ASYMMETRIC HEMLINE ADD DEPTH. ON LINDSAY DRESS, $58, MATILDA MUSE. SANDALS, $25, OLD NAVY.

MIX SPRING’S FLOATY FABRICS AND PASTEL COLOR PALETTE TO CREATE ENSEMBLES THAT ARE AS LIGHT AS AIR. WORDS + STYLING: MAGGIE DICKMAN PHOTOS: SAM FATHALLAH HAIR: AHNA LARSON | MAKEUP: JORDAN GERMAN

24 • DRAKEMAGAZINE.COM

OFFSET WEIGHTY MATERIAL WITH SOFT COLOR CHOICES. A DARK BLAZER TURNS CASUAL WHEN PAIRED WITH A PASTEL BUTTON DOWN. ADD COORDINATING SLACKS AND A CHEERY POCKET SQUARE TO COMPLETE THE ENSEMBLE.

ON DYLAN, LEFT JACKET, $449. BUTTON DOWN, $60. POCKET SQUARE, $39.

TROUSERS, $88. THE BACKROOM. SHOES, MODEL’S OWN. ON ERIC, RIGHT JACKET, $449.

BUTTON DOWN, $60.

POCKET SQUARE, $25. TROUSERS, $70. THE BACKROOM. SHOES AND BELT, MODEL’S OWN.

SPRING 2016 • 25

FASHION + BEAUTY

LIVE AND LOOK GOOD

TAKE AIRY FABRICS TO THE STREETS WITH A NOT-SOBASIC T-SHIRT. COMBINE THE PATTERNED TOP WITH NEUTRAL DENIM OR A MINI SKIRT FOR A CHILL LOOK THAT BEATS THE HEAT.

ON ERIC T-SHIRT, $45, RAYGUN. JACKET, $50, OLD NAVY. SHORTS, $45, AMERICAN EAGLE. SHOES, MODEL’S OWN. ON MICHELLE T-SHIRT, $34, RAYGUN. SKIRT, $43, MISSGUIDED. SHOES, $80, ADIDAS. SUNGLASSES, MODEL’S OWN. 26 • DRAKEMAGAZINE.COM

A PASTEL MIDI SKIRT IS A MUSTHAVE STAPLE. GO WITH CLASSIC PLEATS FOR MOVEMENT OR A HEAVIER TEXTURE, LIKE LEATHER, FOR COOLER DAYS. PAIR WITH LIGHT KNITS OR TASTEFUL SHEER.

ON NINA, LEFT SWEATER, $23, FOREVER 21.

BRALETTE, $27, AERIE. SKIRT, $25, FOREVER 21. SHOES, NECKLACE, AND SUNGLASSES, MODEL’S OWN. ON LINDSAY, RIGHT SWEATER, $15, FOREVER 21. SKIRT, $35, TARGET. SUNGLASSES, $74, TOMS. SHOES, MODEL’S OWN.

SPRING 2016 • 27

FASHION + BEAUTY

LIVE AND LOOK GOOD

DON’T LET SPRING SHOWERS DAMPEN CHIC STYLE. A SLICK WINDBREAKER IS EASY TO LAYER, AND ITS VIVID COLOR BRIGHTENS ANY RAINY DAY.

ON NINA RAIN JACKET, $40. DRESS, $25. TARGET. SHOES, MODEL’S OWN. ON DYLAN RAIN JACKET, $54, TARGET. T-SHIRT, $21, RAYGUN. BUTTON DOWN, $35, OLD NAVY. SHORTS, $45, AMERICAN EAGLE. SHOES, MODEL’S OWN.

28 • DRAKEMAGAZINE.COM

CHECK OUT DRAKEMAGAZINE. COM/MADETOMOVE FOR BEHIND-THESCENES FOOTAGE.

THIN, GAUZY KNITS ARE MADE FOR CAREFREE SPRING DAYS. THROW AN OPEN-FRONT CARDIGAN OVER A BABYDOLL DRESS FOR A CUTE YET COMFORTABLE LOOK THAT’S PERFECT FOR A DAY IN THE SUN.

ON MICHELLE DENIM DRESS, $28, FOREVER 21.

TANK, $36, DRY GOODS. CARDIGAN, $45, AMERICAN EAGLE. SHOES, $55, CONVERSE. SUNGLASSES, NECKLACE, MODEL’S OWN. ON NINA DRESS, $42, STYLE BAR BOUTIQUE. SWEATER, $50, AERIE. SANDALS, $25, OLD NAVY. SUNGLASSES, NECKLACE, MODEL’S OWN. SPRING 2016 • 29

FEATURE:

30 •• DRAKEMAGAZINE.COM

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

UNLIKE AN ALL-NIGHTER, INSOMNIA DOESN’T JUST LEAVE YOU FEELING GROGGY THE NEXT DAY. THIS CONDITION HAS SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR BOTH INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETY. WORDS: MEGAN MOWERY | ILLUSTRATIONS: LINZI MURRAY

SPRING 2016 • 31

FEATURE:

32 • DRAKEMAGAZINE.COM

She figures, by its position in the sky, that it must be around 2 a.m.

Frustrated, she settles back under the covers in yet another attempt to doze off. A light sleep eventually follows, though it doesn’t last long. The sequence repeats itself hour after hour until her 6 a.m. alarm alerts Park that it’s time to get up.

“You’re waking up constantly and just being really, really frustrated,” she says. “Your body is telling you, ‘Wake up,’ and you’re like, ‘No thank you.’”

Park, a junior at the University of New Hampshire, is one of approximately 10 percent of Americans who suffer from chronic insomnia.

Insomnia causes a person to lose out on sleep for prolonged periods of time, leading to exhaustion, lack of focus, and anxiety.

Imagine sitting in a boring meeting after pulling an all-nighter. You can’t keep your eyelids from drooping, and your mind wanders to the coffee in the breakroom. Now imagine experiencing that feeling every day.

One in three Americans is not getting the recommended seven-to-nine hours of sleep, according to a study by the Center for Disease Control. However, some aren’t just staying up late. At least 40 million people suffer from actual sleeping disorders like sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, or Park’s condition, insomnia.

There are two types of insomnia.

Primary insomnia occurs independently, meaning it’s not generated by a specific condition. Park suffers from secondary, which is the most common. It’s often a side effect of medication, illness, or a mood disorder, like Park’s anxiety. It’s estimated that

80 percent of people with insomnia from doing her job, yet a voice in her suffer from this type. Both have the head reminds her that if someday same effects, though the details of a something bad happens as a result…she sleepless night vary from person can’t fathom finishing the sentence. to person.

“It’s not easy pipetting very small Like most insomniacs, Park amounts of liquid into this microscopic experiences extreme difficulty falling tube when you’re exhausted,” she says. and staying asleep. “You look over, A lack of sleep creates endless especially if you have a roommate or opportunities for poor judgment and a significant other, and that person’s mistakes. Just one wrong move and an sleeping, and you know they’re getting accident can occur. Eric Dyken, M.D., the rest they need,” Park says. director of the Sleep “And you’re just like, why Disorders Program can’t I do that?” at the University of Park assumed that her Iowa, studies these “YOU’RE sleepless nights were a situations. “If you WALKING normal part of college life. fall asleep in certain But an annual checkup jobs, you kill people,” AROUND LIKE changed her mind. When Dyken says. “If you’re A DILUTED her doctor asked how much sleep deprived, you VERSION OF she slept in an average night, could bury YOURSELF.” Park faced a distressing a mistake.” realization. “I said, ‘I don’t From the know, maybe four or five workplace to the hours on average, obviously road, exhaustion’s sometimes far less.’ And he effects can be seen said, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s horrible.’ He everywhere. The National Highway was really shocked, which shocked Traffic Safety Administration me. It made me realize maybe this is a reports that driver fatigue results in problem.” approximately 100,000 motor vehicle accidents and 1,500 deaths per year.

The stats make sense: Sleep-deprived OUTSIDE THE BEDROOM drivers have the same or worse The morning following Park’s sleepless hand-eye coordination skills than night, she prepares for work as a drunk drivers. laboratory research assistant. She Plus, sleep deprivation can cause takes deep breaths, trying to clear her road rage. Otherwise even-tempered head as she tosses on her white coat.

There’s no room for mistakes in this drivers can easily turn aggressive, says environment. As the day goes on, she Steven Zorn, M.D., founder of the Iowa notices her hands shake as she pipettes Sleep Clinic in Des Moines and Fellow exact measurements into tubes. A yawn at the American Academy of Sleep stops her in her tracks as she struggles Medicine. “Many people, when they to regain control of her movements. don’t get enough sleep or they have She refuses to let exhaustion stop her poor quality sleep, their fuse is a little

SPRING 2016 • 33

FEATURE: NIGHTS SLEEPLESS

09:00

51 :00 AM

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shorter,” Zorn says. “They react without thinking sometimes.”

The dangers of sleep deprivation aren’t limited to lethargic accidents or temperamental outbursts. A 1989 University of Chicago study proved that severe lack of sleep can, in fact, cause death in its sufferers. The study, now condemned by PETA, subjected a number of lab rats to total sleep deprivation. Between days 11 and 32, all were dead. No other cause of death could be found outside the sleeplessness. In addition, the rats’ appearance changed from healthy to scrawny and weak. The study was ultimately unable to explain exactly why sleep is necessary, though it opened doors for the future of sleep medicine. Of course, no similar study can be practiced on humans, but doctors predict the effects would be much the same.

Dyken says the study shed light on the immense importance of sleep.

Previously, it wasn’t thought that lack of sleep could do any great harm—and no one believed it could result in death. “[Researchers found] there was something restorative and necessary about sleep for life. Biologically we need sleep to keep alive,” Dyken says.

Clearly, the dangers of losing your nightly eight hours are dramatic. But it’s tragically easy to wave off sleep problems as unimportant, as Park did for the first five years she dealt with insomnia.

“It was something I never really meant to bring up because there were a lot of other issues I was focusing on,” says Park, who’s also diagnosed with anxiety. “[Sleep] really wasn’t in the forefront of my mind because I thought, ‘I want to be happy and functioning.

Who cares if I sleep or not?’”

But after her wake-up call at the doctor’s office, Park realized just how negatively the lack of sleep was affecting her life. “When you’re not sleeping—even though you try to convince yourself that you’re fine and functional—you’re really in this haze, and you’re not as present as you can be,” she says. “It made me feel detached from myself, because I knew that I wasn’t really all there. You’re walking

around like a diluted version of yourself.”

CAN YOU BUY SLEEP? There’s no simple cure for insomnia.

Park tried many methods to fall and stay asleep. From sleep aides to urban myths, nothing was off the table.

“I’d try guided meditations, teas, and aromatherapy sprays. I’d try a ton of different things,” she says. “I’d try to be blank in my head, but that didn’t work out very well.”

Park isn’t the only one who’s tried a variety of products to chase a good night’s sleep. Given America’s sleepless epidemic, it’s no surprise sleep-related businesses are so lucrative. In 2012, $32 billion were spent on improving sleep, according to a “Fiscal Times” report.

The Center for Disease Control finds that nearly nine million Americans take sleeping pills.

Park’s insomnia is now wellcontrolled with the use of medication.

Her solution, however, didn’t come without a few bad experiences.

“My general practitioner prescribed me a medication for sleep,” Park says. “It was an anti-psychotic, which are known for having these hypnotic effects and making you feel kind of sedated. I tried it, and I felt like a zombie. When I tried to wake up the next day, I wouldn’t wake up until 2 or 3 p.m., so I never took it again.”

Finding the right treatment is worth the trial and error. Park recently started a new drug, and she’s been sleeping through the night ever since. “I took it, and it was perfect for me,” she says. “I don’t feel like I’m on a drug.”

Park was lucky to find a solution for her insomnia. But millions of Americans still find themselves unable to rest. Sometimes the mere thought of sleep is enough to keep their minds racing. “Before, I’d really dread going to sleep,” Park says. “Because as much as I wanted that release, I knew I wasn’t going to get it.”

Park remembers that pain and hopes everyone struggling with insomnia gets the help they need. She believes her therapist describes it best: Sleep really makes you feel like more of a person.

Think you have insomnia? Try these sleeping tips from the American Sleep Association. If you’re still having trouble falling or staying asleep, it may be time to pay your doctor a visit.

STICK TO A REGULAR BEDTIME:

NO TV IN THE BEDROOM: The bed is only good for two things: sleeping and sex. Any other activities are off-limits. If you must read or watch TV before bed, move it to the living room. Otherwise, your brain will begin to associate the bedroom with activities other than sleeping.

NO MORE NAP TIME, SORRY:

Going to bed and waking up at different times throughout the week wreaks havoc on the sleep cycle. Sleeping fewer than the recommended hours creates what specialists call a ‘sleep debt,’ which must be repaid by sleeping more the next night.

There are few things in life as great as a nap. But sleep specialists say it must be sacrificed to stay on a steady sleep cycle. Naps turn back our body’s internal clock and delay bedtime to later in the day.

SET THE SCENE:

TEXTING AND TWEETING CAN WAIT:

Struggling to drift off? Try shutting the blinds and telling neighbors to keep it down. Creating a quiet, dark sleeping environment will help tell your brain it’s time to rest.

LAY OFF THE NIGHTCAP: Although it may seem counterintuitive, that glass of wine before bed is disrupting your quality of sleep. Alcohol does make it easier to drift off, but ultimately, under-theinfluence sleep is shallow.

Studies have shown that the blue light emitted from cell phones and other electronics causes you to fall asleep later at night. And notifications lighting up your phone throughout the night aren’t helping either. Shut devices off at least an hour before bed to make sure your eyes have enough time to recover.

SPRING 2016 • 35

36 • DRAKEMAGAZINE.COM

Maria’s scars are a reminder of the tragic campus shooting. “I can’t forget it, and I dont want to forget it,” she says. “I still think about it every single day.”

SPRING 2016 • 37

FEATURE: LIFE AFTER GUN VIOLENCE

The Northern Illinois University (NIU) police chief led her around the room.

The shooter walked in through here, he tells her, tracing a path from the door, to the stage, and into the rows of seats.

He explains which seat she was sitting in and what firearms the assailant used. Maria traces the scars on her neck where the bullets did the most damage.

For her, this room will never again be a simple classroom. It’s a crime scene.

Maria now walks past room 101 every day. She hasn’t forgotten the trauma— but she’s taking strides to make sure it never happens again.

Maria was critically injured in the 2008 Valentine’s Day shooting at NIU. At 3:05 p.m., a gunman dressed in all black entered room 101 near the auditorium’s stage. He fired into the center section of students before tearing up and down the classroom’s aisles, shooting as he went. Maria was among the first to be shot. After killing five people and injuring 21 others, the attacker turned the gun on himself.

Attacks like the one at NIU are becoming all too common. On average, more than 108,000 people are injured by gun violence in the U.S. each year—roughly 76,000 of them survive.

However, this number does not come close to describing the true amount of people affected. Friends, family, the wounded—experts and advocates call these people survivors. For each tragedy, an entire community suffers the aftermath. But some survivors are creating a web of support and protection for others affected by gun violence.

MAKING A NEW NORMAL For many survivors, becoming a resource for their community is not only fulfilling, but crucial to recovery.

“Everybody is going to have their own way of dealing with things,” says

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Rachel Beach, coordinator at the Crisis Center of Johnson County in Iowa City, Iowa. Beach explains that for a lot of people, it’s about finding meaning in the senseless violence.

Moving past an incident of gun violence is no simple task. Beach says that those injured may experience flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety.

And for the loved ones of victims, their grieving process may be complicated by the nature of the crime. “People are going to experience shock, numbness, disconnect from reality, disbelief, difficulty concentrating,” Beach says.

“Then of course all the normal sadness and fear.”

“A SURVIVOR IS SOMEBODY THAT DESPITE THE HORRIFIC HAND THEY’VE BEEN DEALT IN LIFE, THEY’RE PERSEVERING AND CONTINUING TO GO ON.” Many claim time heals all wounds, but Beach explains it’s more about learning to live with loss. Loss of a loved one, loss of innocence, loss of security. “We don’t get over a loss.

We integrate it. Life doesn’t go back to normal—we make a new normal,” Beach says. “There’s no timeline for grief. People think you should be over it after a certain amount of time, but the reality is that your grief is going to be something you live with for the rest of your life.”

This is a lesson Maria had to learn.

Upon her arrival at the emergency room, doctors gave her a 50-50

chance of survival. When she woke up from surgery, she was terrified to find her arms and legs bound to the hospital bed, drainage and feeding tubes weaving in and out of her chest, collarbones, and throat. While in the ICU, Maria could barely move. She couldn’t speak or eat. “My only form of communication was my hands,”she says. “I would write things down in a notebook to communicate with my parents.”

After 11 days in the hospital, Maria wanted to go back to normal. But when she looked in the mirror and saw her wounds, she knew that life would never be the same. “I can’t forget it, and I don’t want to forget it. I still think about it every single day,” Maria says.

“But I know I didn’t want it to be my whole life.”

Instead of hiding from the trauma, Maria confronted her challenges head-on. Early on in her recovery, she wondered if she would be able to return to school. “How was I going to finish?” she asked. “Would I be able to?” Her parents told her not to worry about classes. She could work things out with her professors later. However, Maria decided to return to campus.

“Going back to school and being with my friends was good. It kept my mind off of it,” she says. “We had something bad happen, but we should be with each other. We should overcome this together.”

It had only been two months since the shooting when Maria asked the NIU police chief to take her back to the scene of the crime. She was a criminal justice major, and by revisiting the shooting, she was able to reconcile her passion for law enforcement with the trauma she’d suffered. When the police chief heard Maria’s request, he told her she was crazy. She replied, “I want to go back. That’s part of the healing process, and that’s what I want to do.”

Five students lost their lives in the February 2008 campus shooting. Now, Maria patrols and protects NIU. SPRING 2016 • 39

FEATURE: LIFE AFTER GUN VIOLENCE ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE Dan Levey’s brother, Howard, was shot and killed in a carjacking in 1996. His family received the news of his death in a small hospital waiting room. They weren’t given a crisis worker or a grief counselor. Instead, a nurse entered the room and asked if they could quiet their cries so as to not disturb the other patients. A doctor prescribed the family sleeping pills and sent them home.

“I’m sure [the nurse] didn’t know the dynamic of what had just occurred. But as we sat there sobbing, that became an early ember for me to say, ‘Something’s wrong with this picture,’” Levey says.

Even though Howard is gone, Levey still lives on—and thus considers himself to be a survivor. “A survivor is somebody that despite the horrific hand they’ve been dealt in life, they’re persevering and continuing to go on,” Levey says.

He attended support group meetings and was able to hear other survivors’ concerns. Like himself, many experienced major obstacles that Levey felt they had a right to avoid. “I heard of survivors who had to take time off work and lose all their leave time to go to court proceedings that they have a constitutional right to go to. And I think things like that are important,” Levey says. “A lot of survivors want to know that they’re not incidental to the criminal proceedings, and they won’t be treated in those proceedings like they’re pieces of evidence when they’re not.”

Levey took his new mission to the political realm. He advocated for better treatment of survivors, eventually working his way up to positions in the governor’s and attorney general’s offices. “For me it was more about serving victims of crime and those in the community who needed a voice,” Levey says.

Today, he continues to advocate for survivors as the executive director of the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children, a nonprofit that provides support for survivors of all violent crime, gun-related or otherwise.

By picking up the pieces for others like himself, Levey was able to reconstruct his life in the wake of his own loss.

“The one thing we all have is that we’re in this thing called life together,” Levey says. “And hopefully, for those who’ve lost loved ones, they know there’s a 40 • DRAKEMAGAZINE.COM

place where they can reach out and at least know, if only for a moment, that they’re not alone.”

RETURN AND PROTECT The day she returned to room 101, Maria didn’t know that eight years later, she’d patrol the same halls. Today, she’s a wife, a mother, and a campus security officer at the same school where she almost lost her life. “I’m not the victim anymore,” Maria says.

Although she encounters violence on the job, Maria never allows fear to dictate her purpose. “I don’t relate my job to what happened to me. I try not to because I think it’d be emotional,” she says. “I can’t be teary-eyed during a violent situation because I’m not of good use if I’m like that.”

Every day, she passes the relics of the shooting that changed her life: the remodeled auditorium, the memorial standing next to Cole Hall, and the trees scattered around NIU’s campus,

each planted in memory of a victim who passed away. Maria faces these reminders of her past with both sorrow and gratitude. While she mourns for her friends and peers who were killed, she’s thankful for the second chance she was given. “Little by little I still heal, even though I don’t notice it,” Maria says. “It’s just being thankful. Thankful that I have my kids with me, and that I was able to have a family and move on from it. And that’s part of overcoming it too.”

For Maria, being a survivor means not letting any obstacle stand in the way of her desire to protect her community. For others, like Levey, it’s honoring the memory of a loved one by helping other survivors cope. “A fighter who wants to fight against everything that stands between that goal—I think that’s what a survivor is,” Maria says.

“And if it’s putting you down, you keep getting up.”

If you or someone you know has been the victim of gun violence, resources are available to help with the recovery process.

PARENTS OF MURDERED CHILDREN 888.818.7662 pomc.com This national organization has chapters throughout the U.S. that offer support groups and other specialized programs for survivors.

Online, you can find expert opinions from judges, lawyers, psychologists, religious leaders, and more to guide you through the grieving process.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME 202.467.8700 victimsofcrime.org The organization promotes comprehensive legislation and services for survivors and provides local and national resources for those seeking help. The center offers information about overcoming grief and victims’ rights.

VICTIM CONNECT 885.484.2846 victimconnect.org Victim Connect offers a crisis hotline and a chat service for victims seeking help, assistance, or information. You can access the hotline from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Friday and the online crisis chat from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

SPRING 2016 • 41

FEATURE:

THERE’S NO DENYING THE THRILL THAT COMES WITH GAMBLING. BUT WHEN DOES A NIGHT AT THE CASINO GO TOO FAR? DRAKE MAGAZINE INVESTIGATES THE GRAY AREA BETWEEN RECREATION AND ADDICTION. WORDS: JENNA PFINGSTEN | PHOTOS: JAMES NGUGI

42 • DRAKEMAGAZINE.COM

The deck was dealt again and again, and chips were gained and lost without any consideration for what time it was. The only indication of time passing was when the dealers changed shifts. Fortyeight hours after she arrived, Carmen Thomas emerged from the casino, winnings in hand.

“Some people say I have an addictive personality,” Thomas says.

Thomas started gambling with friends in her early 20s. It started as an innocent way to pass the time, but the thrill of the win kept her coming back.

“Your hand is itching and you want to go,” Thomas says. “You start dreaming about it, and then you have to go.

It’s like this unusual euphoria. You’re on top of the world. Like you can do anything.”

Soon she was faking sick and leaving work early to go to the casino. She was maxing out credit cards and using rent money to fund her gambling. If her husband or friends refused to loan her money, she’d lash out at them.

“She gets this look in her eyes, and she changes,” Thomas’ husband, Glen, says.

“It’s like she changes into a different person.”

Gambling addiction can do that.

What begins as an exciting night out once every couple of months, can progress into needing that high every chance you get. There’s a gray area between when the behavior turns from simple fun to downright destructive.

Deciphering what side a person is on can be difficult—but a proper diagnosis is crucial to recovery.

85 PERCENT OF AMERICANS HAVE SAID THAT THEY’VE GAMBLED BEFORE, pouring $119 billion into the industry in 2013, according to H2 Gambling Capital.

Yet only around two percent of these gamblers have an addiction, totaling six million people.

In 2013, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM-5 ) reclassified pathological gambling from an impulse control disorder, a category shared with kleptomania and pyromania, to an addictive disorder with many criteria similar to those of a drug or alcohol addiction. The manual requires an individual to exhibit four out of nine behaviors to be considered an addict. From risking relationships to unsuccessful attempts to stop, gambling can become destructive.

“Just like a drug addict is chasing their first high, a gambler is chasing their first win—trying to get back to that same scenario,” says Kenneth Cameron, LMHC, a therapist at the Aspire Counseling Center in Des Moines.

“That first win is what causes the spiral.”

Addictive substances like drugs stimulate the reward system of the brain to send out more of the pleasure chemical dopamine than usual, according to “Scientific American.” As addicts continue using the substance, the brain adapts and produces less dopamine. As a result, it gradually needs more to get the same feeling of euphoria. The act of gambling activates this reward system in a similar way,

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HIGH STAKES

which is why compulsive gamblers feel the need to increase the amount of money they gamble with.

What differentiates gambling from other addictive behaviors like drug or alcohol abuse is that it doesn’t come with any obvious outward sign. The body has no physical way of expressing the turmoil that’s happening inside, which is why some refer to it as a hidden illness.

“Most people don’t get addicted to it,” says Nicolas Foss, a gambling counselor at the Alcohol and Drug Dependency Services of Southeast Iowa. “But there’s a small segment of the population that does, and when they do, they really get in trouble.”

EVERY OPPORTUNITY SHE GOT, THOMAS WOULD USE HER MONEY TO GAMBLE. Paychecks became a mental game of how much needed to be spent on the necessities and how much would be left over to gamble.

“That’s all you think of. How much can I turn this money into?” Thomas says. “I knew that Friday at 1 a.m. my money from my paycheck would be available. I knew to go to the ATM at that time. And I’d see a line of compulsive gamblers standing there waiting for the ATM to turn over.”

As Thomas’ addiction got worse, she found herself itching to get into the casino more. Even driving past the building would have her fantasizing about how much she could make with the $20 in her purse.

Thomas went to great lengths to hide

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her habit. “I didn’t have to pick up my son until 6, and my husband wasn’t expecting me home until 6:15,” Thomas says. “I would time it so he wouldn’t know I left work early for the casino.”

Thomas’ behavior was a tell-tale sign of a problem, Cameron says. “Many individuals aren’t open about it. They don’t tell a lot of people,” he says.

On top of her secrecy, Thomas found herself constantly trying to dig out of debt. “I would write bad checks thinking I’d get the money back,” she says. Experts call such behavior “chasing losses.” “It’s an effort to get back to normal when the gambling was innocent. A fun high, no debt, no family problems,” Foss says. “It becomes a major fix for all their problems, so they’re chasing their losses all the time.”

And it’s easy for those losses to add up. “Gambling addicts can be sitting there for three or four days and they’re never going to pass out like you pass out on alcohol or drugs,” Foss says. “With gambling, you can do a tremendous amount of damage in a short period of time because you don’t have to quit. Your body’s never going to shut down. The only thing that’s going to stop you is, how are you going to get the money?”

AFTER A HARD LOSS ONE NIGHT, THOMAS FOUND HERSELF CRYING behind the wheel on the drive home. Twenty dollars had turned into almost $1,000 before she made some bad moves and lost all of it. She had no money and her

gas tank was running on empty when she saw a sign for 1-800-BETSOFF, an Iowa gambling treatment hotline.

Before Thomas even got home, she picked up her phone and called the hotline.

Cameron explains that many gamblers live in denial. They disguise their addiction as just having fun. But Thomas had hit an all time low. She finally realized that her habits weren’t normal.

“I always had an answer,” Thomas says.

“This particular time, I couldn’t figure out what I was going to do next. I think that’s what prompted me to get help.”

The day after her big loss, Thomas met with someone from Gambler’s Anonymous and started the program.

One of the first steps she took was signing a lifetime ban at the nearest casino.

“In therapy, you’re attempting to change those irrational thoughts back into rational ones,” Cameron says.

“How you’ve affected your family, how you’ve lost friends over this, how you’re indebted to everybody, how you’ve chosen this addiction over all of your priorities and things that matter in life.”

The reason some people, like Thomas, get addicted while others don’t isn’t completely known. But like most addictions, the recovery is a day-to-day process.

“There are individuals who have hit rock bottom. They’re tired. They’re done,” Cameron says. “And they’re able to recognize the effects of this addiction, and they’re ready to be over it.”

SPRING 2016 • 45

HEALTH + SEX

FOR THE BODY AND THE MIND

ONE WRITER GOES UNDER THE COVERS TO TRY VIRTUAL REALITY PORN. WORDS: ANGELA UFHEIL | PHOTO: DANIELA BUVAT

I’m lying on a lawn chair watching a muscular man clean a pool. He’s wearing nothing but a Speedo and a whole lot of ink. He walks over to me. Perches at the end of the chair.

Stares into my eyes. Strokes what appears to be my foot—except it isn’t my foot.

I put down the goggles and look around my dark bedroom. I feel how many people probably feel the first time they try virtual reality (VR) porn—a cross between intrigued and freaked out.

By now, we’re familiar with porn (come on, be honest). But virtual reality technology takes fantasizing to a whole new level. Instead of watching other people get it on, users of VR porn become part of the action. And as it turns out, lots of people want to join. VR Smash, the world’s first virtual reality porn site, is expecting to reach about half a million viewers this month. “The traffic’s almost been doubling every month for the last few months,” says John Hartman, content marketer at VR Smash. “It seems to be getting really popular.”

I had to see what all the hype was about. The first step was getting my hands on some goggles, such as the $15 Google Cardboard or the highly

46 • DRAKEMAGAZINE.COM

sex acts on the body that was immersive $350 Oculus Rift—you supposed to be mine. But I couldn’t can guess which one fit my budget. totally get into it. Having to hold I then purchased a video on my boxy goggles in front of my eyes was phone from a virtual reality porn inconvenient and awkward. It was site and slid the phone sideways also odd to only have two senses into the goggles. The video was shot available: sight and sound. from my perspective, so it appeared Hartman admits the development as though I was looking down at isn’t complete. “There are people my own body—though the actual working on sex toys that interact with actress’ navel piercing kind of ruined the videos,” Hartman says. that reality. When I “There’s one that’s like a turned my head in real dildo, and one that’s like life, the video shifted INSTEAD OF a fleshlight. They connect too—as if I was really WATCHING to your computer, and the there.

OTHER PEOPLE video will send signals Hartman says the GET IT ON, through Bluetooth to the “really there” feeling USERS OF sex toy to replicate the is the result of multiVIRTUAL movements in the video.” lens cameras, which REALITY PORN To be honest, I’m still on are used to shoot VR the fence about VR porn. I porn. Those different BECOME PART angles are then split OF THE ACTION. suspect it’ll be something I get used to—just as I between right and left adjusted to watching TV eye perspective when on Netflix instead of cable. the video is edited Hartman predicts VR porn for mobile. “Both will eventually overtake traditional perspectives are slightly different porn. “It may take five to 10 years to give you that 3D view,” Hartman to really be mainstream,” he says. says. “And the motion tracking on “But when people try it, they realize the phone lets you look left, right, the extra level of immersion and up, and down.” how much more real it is than just The visuals were pretty impressive. watching a video.”

I certainly didn’t mind watching the tattooed pool guy perform various

LIVING WITH A FETISH JAMES CROWLEY BARES ALL ABOUT HIS FOOT FASCINATION.

WORDS: GIULIANA LAMANTIA| PHOTO: DANIELA BUVAT

“I look at feet like guys look at It was a friendly game of Truth or breasts and butts,” Crowley says.

Dare. Then 14-year-old James Crowley “I like interacting with them sexually, chose truth. whether that involves licking “Do you have any strange or smelling.” sexual desires?”

While Crowley enjoys playing with Crowley was nervous. He looked others’ feet, he isn’t looking for around the room. He trusted his reciprocation. He explains that he friends, so he answered honestly. He usually experiences arousal when he told them he was into feet. sees them, including increased heart “People thought it was a little funny, rate, visual fixation, and fantasizing. but the friends I had at 14 were His sexual interest hasn’t received mature. They were like, ‘OK, cool. You negative reactions—harmless jokes do you,’” he says. or people informing him they dislike Crowley’s fascination has a name: having their feet touched, at most.

It’s a fetish. Sexologist Gloria Brame His first relationship was with a friend says a fetish is “getting turned on who found out about his by something that’s fetish during Truth or not directly genital.”

Dare and was willing to Breasts and butts don’t “WE NOW HAVE let him indulge. Since count—Brame says their SCIENTIFIC then, Crowley typically normalcy in society STUDIES OF doesn’t tell casual separates them.

HUMAN SEXUALITY hookups.

Fetishes themselves THAT SUGGEST “I’ve had someone I may not be that unusual, FETISHES ARE was casually hooking up though. “We now have NATURAL AND with come over to watch scientific studies of PRETTY COMMON,” TV, and I’d massage her human sexuality that feet,” Crowley says. “She suggest fetishes are didn’t know I had a foot natural and pretty fetish. I guess in a way I common,” Brame says. was still acting on it, but But when Crowley I wasn’t actively telling her or doing discovered his fascination with feet at anything inherently sexual about it.” age 12, he had no idea it was normal.

Brame explains that fetishes range A scene from “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” depending on the person. Some with actress Elizabeth Banks taking a require interaction to be sexually bath captivated him—he was fixated aroused, while others don’t. For on Banks’ foot propped on the tub.

Crowley, a relationship without foot Crowley was self-conscious about interaction wouldn’t necessarily be a his discovery. He hid his interest in deal breaker. feet during locker room talk because “I think I could work it out because he worried what his middle school I’m still into more traditional things,” classmates would say. But then he Crowley says. “It’d definitely be a stumbled upon foot fetish videos on damper, but I guess that’s where the Internet and found others with it comes down to how strong the similar desires. Now a senior at State feelings and the relationship are.”

University of New York in New Paltz, Crowley is open about his fetish.

SPRING 2016 • 47

HEALTH + SEX

FOR THE BODY AND THE MIND

BUGGED OUT

THE THOUGHT OF EATING BUGS MAY BE HARD TO SWALLOW, BUT DON’T SQUASH THE IDEA JUST YET. WORDS: MARY TRAXLER | PHOTO: SAM FATHALLAH

Americans typically only eat bugs on a dare—whether they’re seven years old or on Fear Factor. But that’s about to change.

Many people around the world already include insects in their regular diet. And they may be onto something. Bugs are a healthy alternative to meat—for both humans and the planet.

Cricket products are now hitting the U.S. market, making the six-legged creature the most commonly consumed bug in America. “Crickets have the lowest barrier to entry, in terms of people being willing to eat them,” says Greg Sewitz, co-founder of ExoProtein, a company that uses cricket powder in its products.

“They have more of a positive psychological association than other insects.”

Many companies recognize that bugs aren’t the most tantalizing creatures, which is why they’re making more palatable products like flours and protein powders.

These fine particles can be made into just about anything, including cookies, pasta, and protein bars.

The flour is made by drying crickets in a dehydrator or oven.

They’re then milled into a delicate powder before being baked into various treats. “They taste like normal snack bars,” dietitian Lisa Grudzielanek says. “There are no legs sticking out or getting caught in your teeth. You wouldn’t even know it’s made with crickets.”

Grudzielanek also says insects have incredible health benefits.

They’re 65 percent protein by dry weight as compared to 23 percent for chicken breast and 33 percent for beef jerky. Crickets also contain all essential amino acids and more than double the amount of iron in spinach. And as it turns out, these little critters aren’t just good for humans—those health benefits extend to the environment, too.

Current meat-eating habits in the U.S. are taking a toll on the planet.

Agriculture consumes about 70 percent of the world’s fresh water.

Livestock production is responsible for 13 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions—second only to transportation.

Crickets may be the answer. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations found that crickets are farmed with a fraction of the space, feed, and water required to produce typical animal protein. They require 12 times less feed than cattle, and they produce 100 times fewer greenhouse gases than cows.

Sewitz hopes that cricket protein will become as normal in American diets as whey or soy protein. “I want to see people mixing them into their shakes, other food companies putting them in their products, and consumers buying it to experiment with recipes at home,” he says. “We really want to normalize the consumption of bugs.”

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BRING PLANTS INDOORS AND REAP THE HEALTH BENEFITS.

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WORDS: EMILY VANSCHMUS | PHOTO: JAMES NGUGI

There’s no denying that indoor plants make a space more beautiful, but studies show that their benefits go beyond the aesthetic. “When people see green, leafy plants, all sorts of things happen in their minds,” says environmental psychologist Sally Augustin. “They’re happier and more motivated—it’s amazing.” Here are her top three reasons to bring the outdoors in.

1. TAKE A DEEP BREATH. A Clean Air Study conducted by NASA found that plants remove toxic chemicals in the air, making it cleaner and easier to breathe. For maximum benefit, place a Broadleaf Lady Palm or variegated snake plant—two notable varieties studied—every 100 square feet.

2. PAY ATTENTION. For employees feeling unfocused at work, indoor gardens could be the answer. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that workers in offices with plants were 15 percent more productive than those without plants.

3. DON’T STRESS OUT. Instead, plant lavender or jasmine. “The plants are linked to calming and creative effects on mental states,” Augustin says. Both herbs have a soothing smell that reduces anxiety, and jasmine can even improve sleep quality.

ENJOY THE SUN AND KEEP SKIN HEALTHY WITH THREE INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS. WORDS: JORDAN GERMAN | PHOTOS: ASHLEY KIRKLAND

Gone are the days of smearing on pasty SPF 100. Today’s advanced sunblocks have practical, long-lasting formulas. These no-sweat staples make skin protection easier than ever.

SUPERGOOP! DEFENSE REFRESH SETTING MIST, SPF 50 Many makeup products now include SPF. But as effectiveness wears off throughout the day, it can be hard to reapply without caking on foundation and ruining your look. This formula serves as a setting mist to keep skin matte, fresh, and properly protected.

Nordstrom, $28

PETER THOMAS ROTH INSTANT MINERAL, SPF 45 Cut the short-on-time excuse. Peter Thomas Roth’s powder formula makes on-the-go application easy.

Complete with a built-in brush applicator, the translucent mineral powder blocks the sun’s rays while smoothing skin sans drying time.

Sephora, $30

SHISEIDO ULTIMATE SUN PROTECTION CREAM WETFORCE, SPF 50+ Spending time in the pool usually diminishes sunscreen’s protection.

Keep block in place with Shisedo’s advanced formula, which actually works better when it comes in contact with water.

Macy’s, $36

SPRING 2016 • 49

MUSIC + ENTERTAINMENT

50 • DRAKEMAGAZINE.COM

IDEAS FOR PLAY AND PLAYLISTS

SPRING MEANS TROPICAL SOUNDS, SUCCULENT SURROUNDINGS, AND A NEW TOUR FOR ST. LUCIA. WORDS: DANIELA BUVAT| PHOTO: COURTESY OF ST. LUCIA

succulents, aloe, and cacti. The desert Ross Clark loves his bass guitar almost scene later became the inspiration for as much as he loves the tropical-dance the band’s new set. craze of this generation. As the bassist Clark attributes the album’s focus to for indie synth-pop band St. Lucia, he Patti Beranek, the token philosopher combines both of his muses together of the band. “Matter is what we’re to create the band’s beautiful, eclectic all made up of,” Clark says. “It’s the sound. building blocks of everything, the That clean-yet-upbeat sound dazzles idea for the space imagery and the the crowd at St. Lucia’s February symbolism for the tour.” concert in Kansas City, Missouri. Young The band lives out their vision with hipster diehards mix with locals just each song. Grobler bounces across looking to catch a good show at the the stage. His energy emits the same Madrid Theatre. The stage is adorned fresh, tropical vibe as their music. with cacti, succulents, and symbols Colorful lights dance across the crowd from South Africa—the nation lead to the band’s current hit, singer Jean-Philip Grobler “Dancing on Glass.” hails from. “ MATTER IS The song has garnered The band, however, WHAT WE’RE radio love, making top does have Midwestern hit charts both nationally roots. Originally from Des ALL MADE UP and globally. Grobler Moines, bass-guitarist OF. IT’S THE writes songs based on Clark grew up around BUILDING personal experience—all a tight-knit group of BLOCKS OF while keeping the lyrics musicians that took EVERYTHING, relatable. He intertwines turns sharing the local THE IDEA FOR themes of love, traveling, limelight. He was in a THE SPACE nature, and living in the band with a few buddies IMAGERY AND U.S. “Dancing on Glass” when he met Grobler, THE SYMBOLISM talks about someone who who was writing jingles FOR THE TOUR.” won’t learn from their for companies and own mistakes. The song commercials at the time. asks the question, “How The pair bonded over long ‘til we learn dancing a love for offbeat indie is dangerous?” Though the subject music. matter is heavy, the song’s beat brings When Grobler and his now-wife it to life.

Patti combined their talents with Clark, St. Lucia writes to identify with sparks flew. Nick Paul and Dustin listeners. “We don’t want to appeal to a Kaufman signed on to play keys and single demographic or genre, we want drums, and St. Lucia was born. to be universal, because that’s what’s so The band is now touring on the tails great about this type of music,” Clark of its second album. “Matter,” which says. “The possibilities of sounds are was released in January, was born in endless, and it’s constantly changing.” a small hacienda in California full of SPRING 2016 • 51

MUSIC + ENTERTAINMENT

IDEAS FOR PLAY AND PLAYLISTS

RED DIRT

FOLLOW OUR SPOTIFY PLAYLIST FOR AN INTRODUCTION TO OKLAHOMA’S DOWNHOME GENRE AT DRAKEMAGAZINE. COM/REDDIRT

THE COUNTRY GENRE YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF. WORDS: CHANCE HOENER | PHOTO: DANIELA BUVAT

Jason Boland takes the Wooly’s stage with a rock star’s gusto and the swagger of John Wayne. It’s a Sunday in Des Moines, and the crowd—donning ball caps, plaid shirts, and cowboy boots—is ready for a night of country music. But this isn’t a show filled with motifs of trucks, riverbanks, and girls named, well, “girl.” Boland and his band, The Stragglers, are a Red Dirt group.

Red Dirt isn’t a song, a band, or even a record label. It’s a genre— one that’s tough to define. Artists with an array of sounds have fallen under Red Dirt’s tent. Country, folk, blues, and even rock ‘n’ roll can be heard among its ranks. It’s the indie-rock of country. The genre isn’t built around a strict definition, but rather the idea of neo-traditional music that has something to say. It’s a genre that’s moving forward, yet never loses sight of where it’s from.

Red Dirt originated in Oklahoma, where the name pays homage to the state’s red clay soil. Boland says Red Dirt’s roots trace as far back as 1940s folk artist Woody Guthrie.

From there, it’s taken hold on acts like Bob Childers, Tom Skinner, and the Red Dirt Rangers.

Boland traces his own musical roots to his college days at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. There he discovered Bob Childers’ country home, a place called The Farm, where artists would gather to jam and write songs.

52 • DRAKEMAGAZINE.COM

“Childers was the greatest influence, as far as confidence, work ethic, and crafting songs,” Boland says. And if Childers gave him his inspiration, fellow musician Mike McClure gave him the means.

McClure introduced Boland and The Stragglers to the Red Dirt sound. He showed the band that it’s possible to do country differently—and that there are people who will listen.

The term Red Dirt mostly serves as a way for artists to separate themselves from the popular version of country music. “If somebody’s going to think by you saying you’re a country band that you’re what’s going on in Nashville, you might try to stratify it a little more with your answer,” Boland says. “So I’ll say Red Dirt—but personally, we’re a country band. We have a pedal steel and a fiddle, and we always have.”

Pedal steel guitar and fiddle may seem foreign to the popular notion of country today. And that’s kind of the point. Boland says—whether one side is wrong or right—that there are entertainers, and then there are artists making music to create a new riff in the world.

Boland’s assertion that he and The Stragglers are true country artists shines through in their sound.

Upbeat songs like “Hank” feature a chugging, Waylon-esque backbeat, while slow story ballads like “Lucky I Guess” ring with pedal steel guitar.

The sound has consistently grown over the last eight studio albums.

Boland says he always tries to make

music that’s true to his life. “When it was college age, it had more partying,” Boland says. “But as we go along, we get more and more perspective.”

The band’s latest album, “Squelch,” is proof of that growth. The album features songs like “Fat and Merry” that criticize gentrification and instant gratification. “Everybody kept saying, ‘It’s really political,’” Boland says of “Squelch.” He asserts that they aren’t nearly as political as other classic country acts like Merle Haggard or Hank Williams, Jr. “People just aren’t used to hearing anything assessive anymore.”

“Squelch” also shows Boland and The Stragglers at their most experimental. Tracks like “I Guess It’s Alright to Be an Asshole” sound a little California punk with a speedy, distorted power-chord-fueled melody.

While the album also has the twang listeners expect, these innovations help Red Dirt acts like Boland grow a loyal fan base. The music is new, yet familiar. And it’s genuine.

The search for something genuine pushed Jason Boland to a career on the edge of country music. He’s working to start his own label to help others make it in the tough, fringe world of country. Maybe someday he’ll pass the Red Dirt torch off to a new act, just as it was passed to him. Until then, he’ll keep playing the roadhouse circuit and making music for those with a love for country outside of Nashville.

ART MEETS ACTIVISM IN SPOKEN WORD POETRY. WORDS: COOPER WARNER | PHOTOS: ASHLEY KIRKLAND

SPRING 2016 • 53

MUSIC + ENTERTAINMENT

IDEAS FOR PLAY AND PLAYLISTS

for the genre. “Students aren’t just Mason Granger planned to be a developing art,” Ney says. “They’re scientist. He dreamt of exploring space, contributing to the community and discovering new species, and saving the the world.” planet. To merely fulfill a college class Many poets focus on topical subjects, requirement, he slinked into an open such as gun violence, women’s rights, mic session. He took a seat in the back, and the Black Lives Matter movement. expecting “old dude” poetry to put him The exchange of ideas between poet to sleep. But when the slam started, and audience is critical in creating and everything changed for Granger. His sustaining a conversation about today’s eyes grew wide, in awe of the raw problems. “Spoken word pieces are emotion and skill the performers often fueled by greater conveyed. Then he knew. issues,” He had to try it Granger says. for himself. “ ANYONE WHO Each poet offers a And so he did. Now, different lens through WANTS TO Granger is a member which to view a topic. of New York City-based CAN GET ON Granger weaves his Mayhem Poets, and even STAGE AND science background though his plans have SAY WHATEVER into poems, melodically changed, the scientist in THEY WANT. expressing his him remains. “When I HOW APPEALING frustration with the started writing, I loved IS THAT TO government’s inaction poems about science,” SOMEONE on climate change. Open Granger says. Many of WHO’S BEEN mics and slams are the his poems articulate MARGINALIZED?” perfect space for artists environmental issues to assert their style and and urge listeners to act. stances.

It’s this call to action When a poem that differentiates resonates, people listen. Ney cites spoken word from other forms of inclusion, intersectionality, and poetry—and why it’s garnered such diversity as key tenets to telling a a passionate following. Spoken word story worth hearing. Granger certainly draws from a hip-hop background, follows that maxim. He writes pieces its roots analogous with the rhythmic to make a connection. “It feels good to storytelling of a once-underground hear people talk about feelings that you genre. Mainstream pop culture is taking thought only you had,” he says. notice. Spoken word artists appear on More than anything, the spoken TED Talks, perform with rappers like word movement bonds the lonesome Kendrick Lamar, and glean millions of and reaches out to the disregarded. For views on YouTube.

Granger and many of Ney’s students, William Ney is the Founding the stage is a place of healing—liberation Executive Director of the Multicultural through rhymes. “We have so many Arts Initiative at the University of reasons to feel silenced in this world,” Wisconsin-Madison. He runs the first Granger says. “Anyone who wants to collegiate hip-hop arts program in the can get on stage and say whatever they country, First Wave. He says the work want. How appealing is that to someone of his students extends far beyond who’s been marginalized?” performance poetry. It paves the way

54 • DRAKEMAGAZINE.COM

ARTISTS TO CHECK OUT

ILLUSTRATIONS: LINZI MURRAY

SARAH KAY Sarah Kay tells stories of love and loss with a melodic and imageheavy style. She’s dazzled on TED Talks and cross-country tours.

CHECK OUT: “Hands” and “If I should have a Daughter”

DANEZ SMITH Individual Poem Slam Finalist Danez Smith hails from St. Paul, Minnesota.

In his work, he spits about injustice, oppression, and faith.

CHECK OUT: “Not an Elegy for Mike Brown” and “Dinosaurs in the Hood”

TONYA INGRAM Bronx-native Tonya Ingram draws from childhood experiences for her impassioned poems about womanhood and growing up in the city.

CHECK OUT: “Thirteen” and “I am Twenty Two”

SPRING 2016 • 55

MUSIC + ENTERTAINMENT

IDEAS FOR PLAY AND PLAYLISTS

A LOT GOES INTO MAKING DES MOINES’ 80/35 FESTIVAL— JUST ASK THE MAN BEHIND THE MUSIC, AMEDEO ROSSI. WORDS: KATIE BANDURSKI PHOTO: JAMES NGUGI

It’s a hot July night. The sun’s gone down, but blazing lights dance across a crowd of glistening bodies. Fresh talent jams on the 80/35 stage as the noise from screaming fans competes with the blaring amps.

This moment cannot exist without hundreds of others before it. Hours spent organizing, negotiating, and crafting a cohesive lineup. That’s Amedeo Rossi’s job. As project manager of Des Moines’ biggest music festival, he books all the acts.

Drake Magazine sat down with the music man to get a behind-the-scenes look at 80/35, talent buying, and the Midwest festival scene.

Drake Magazine: Des Moines was already pretty rad. Why start a music festival?

Amedeo Rossi: The festival is a tool.

It’s one of the things The Greater Des Moines Music Coalition [the non-profit organization that produces 80/35] identified early on that could be a lightning rod for change in the city’s music scene. We’ve been booking acts that don’t stop here—or weren’t stopping here—that we thought needed to. We were motivated by what could result from having a good festival here, not necessarily the festival itself.

DM: Weezer, The Avett Brothers, Death Cab for Cutie—you’ve had some pretty well-known headliners throughout the years. How do you get such big names?

AR: We start with a long list of artists.

We decide which ones we want to 56 • DRAKEMAGAZINE.COM

contact and see if they have any summer availability. This starts in the fall. If somebody is potentially available, we make an offer and negotiate. If they’re not available, we move to somebody else.

DM: Once you have a headliner, what’s next?

AR: We start at the top and work our way down. The next area is recognizable national talent, then regional talent—acts from Minneapolis or Chicago that aren’t necessarily very big. And then we do an all-local stage.

DM: For those who don’t get into indie music, do you book anything else?

AR: We build in two basic appeals. One being broad indie—everything from indie bands to a lot of hip hop—and two being broad jam, which could be jam music, folk, Americana, or bluegrass. If you’re at the festival, you can follow a track. One or the other is always happening.

DM: How difficult was establishing the 2008 line up without any sort of reputation?

AR: The first year, we wanted The

Flaming Lips. They were an original act that hadn’t been here, and we knew they’d have a dynamic show that would be well-received. Their agent called me and basically said, ‘Who the heck are you? What’s this festival?’

Just to consider booking, they wanted money up front. So we put a deposit on the act without it even getting approved. We had to be confident in what we were doing. [Editor’s Note: They succeeded in booking the band.]

DM: Do people know who you are now?

AR: There are a lot of festivals out there, but our notoriety has grown a little bit in the industry. A lot of the primary agents know who we are, so it’s a little bit easier to book. It’s also become a big following locally.

DM: What does 80/35 mean to the Des Moines community?

AR: You want to have an event that’s worthy of what you’ve done in the past. I think generally people aren’t going to know about 75 to 90 percent of the acts that are playing, but a lot of them will discover their talent.

People have faith that we’re going to deliver something quality.

MONEYBALL

STADIUMS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR ANY SPORTS TEAM. BUT THEIR PRICE TAGS ARE EASILY OVERLOOKED AMONG CRACKER JACK PURCHASES AND CHEERS FOR THE HOME TEAM. DRAKE MAGAZINE LOOKS INTO HOW MUCH BALLPARKS COST—AND HOW MLB TEAMS DON’T PAY FOR THEM. WORDS: NICK MCGLYNN | INFOGRAPHIC: SUSANNA HAYWARD

5 MOST EXPENSIVE BALLPARKS TO BUILD: YANKEE STADIUM, NEW YORK YANKEES

$2.3 BILLION TOTAL

$1.2 BILLION FROM TAXPAYERS

CITI FIELD, NEW YORK METS

$850 MILLION TOTAL

$615 MILLION FROM TAXPAYERS

NATIONALS PARK, WASHINGTON NATIONALS

$770 MILLION TOTAL

$670 MILLION FROM TAXPAYERS

TARGET FIELD, MINNESOTA TWINS

$545 MILLION TOTAL

$350 MILLION FROM TAXPAYERS

SAFECO STADIUM, SEATTLE MARINERS

$517 MILLION TOTAL

$393 MILLION FROM TAXPAYERS

TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE…

266,666,667 HOT DOGS

CITI FIELD IS WORTH

109,913,044

PLATES OF CHEESY FRIES

BUT MONEY FROM THE BALLPARK GOES BACK INTO THE CITY’S ECONOMY, RIGHT? NOT NECESSARILY. Michael Leeds, a sports economist from Temple University, says there’s almost no impact. Take Chicago, for example: “If you add up the total revenue of all five sports teams in the city, it comes out to a minuscule fraction of the total income generated by Chicago's economy.”

NATIONALS PARK IS WORTH

TARGET FIELD IS WORTH

96,250,000

109,000,000

GALLONS OF BEER

BUT HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? Athletic events cause traffic and other congestion, which people tend to avoid, meaning local businesses will suffer during game day.

Most people have limited money for leisure activities, and a baseball game costs a family of four $212 on average. If they didn’t go to the game, people might spend that money at a restaurant or a local business, which goes directly back to the city.

SOURCES: WASHINGTON POST, BALLPARKSOFBASEBALL.COM, LEAGUEOFFANS.ORG, WALL STREET JOURNAL, GREATERGREATERWASHINGTON.ORG, MARKETPLACE.ORG, TIMESUNION.COM

BAGS OF PEANUTS

SAFECO STADIUM IS WORTH

129,250,000

BOXES OF CRACKER JACKS

“

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT SPORTS FRANCHISES ARE NOT BIG BUSINESSES. THEY GENERATE ATTENTION THAT’S FAR OUT OF PROPORTION TO THEIR ECONOMIC FOOTPRINT.

“

YANKEE STADIUM IS WORTH

-MICHAEL LEEDS SPRING 2016 • 57

FOR PLAY AND PLAYLISTS FINAL THOUGHTS +IDEAS FINISHING TOUCHES MUSICCALL LAST + ENTERTAINMENT

WE SAT DOWN WITH AN ABSINTHE EXPERT TO GET ALL THE DIRTY DETAILS ABOUT THE REFORMED “BAD BOY” OF SPIRITS. WORDS: TAYLOR EISENHAUER | PHOTO: COURTESY OF SNAP STOCK

Imagine the worst possible scenario—all the wine is gone. But don’t freak out. Take a deep breath, relax, and do what the French did in the 1870s when wine prices surged due to a grape shortage: Find an alternative. Since absinthe cost less and was still delicious, it naturally became the go-to.

Fast forward a century or so.

Absinthe now has a reputation as a green monster, rumored to cause drug-like hallucinations.

But the Wormwood Society, one of the world’s foremost absinthe repositories, is looking to change that. Wormwood’s Absinthe Expert Brian Robinson has been studying, tasting, collecting, and reviewing the spirit since 1997. Now, Robinson’s helping us sort fact from fiction.

FICTION: ABSINTHE TASTES AWFUL Brian Robinson: All absinthe has predominant flavors of anise, fennel, and wormwood. All three are called the holy trinity. Anise and fennel give a licorice flavor. Wormwood has a grassy, minty flavor to it.

It’s supposed to be a nice blend 58 • DRAKEMAGAZINE.COM

of sweetness, earthiness, and refreshing flavors. It’s not something that’s supposed to burn all the way down and taste like crap.

FACT: THE FRENCH WINE INDUSTRY TALKED SMACK ABOUT ABSINTHE BR: When the French wine industry recovered, it didn’t have a lot of customers left. Everybody was basically drinking absinthe on a daily basis at that point. [The winos] decided to partner up with the budding temperance movement to demonize absinthe and get it banned. People started thinking absinthe made you go crazy, kill people, hallucinate, and all this other stuff. It was all propaganda specifically designed to get absinthe banned so that the French wine industry could get their customers back. That’s what led to the bans in France, Switzerland, and the U.S. FACT: ABSINTHE IS UNDERGOING A RENAISSANCE IN THE U.S. BR: In 2007, the U.S. government came out and said, ‘Nope, absinthe isn’t banned anymore. It just has

to have less than 10 milligramsper-liter of thujone’ [the ingredient blamed for making people go crazy].

That started the whole process of absinthe being legalized in the States again.

FICTION: EVERYTHING ELSE BR: Obviously the drug [myth] is a big one. Absinthe is not a drug—never has been. It was never marketed as something that makes you hallucinate until the 1990s, so that’s all fake.

The fire ritual is another one. You don’t light absinthe on fire. That was a marketing tactic invented in Prague to profit from bad ingredients. What better way to sell something to ravers in dimly lit clubs than to light it on fire?

Taking it as a shot is also fake. You never take absinthe as a shot. So if you light it on fire or take shots of it, you’re doing it wrong.

You know, you could be writing this.

Take the challenge.

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Visit us: www.drake.edu/sjmc

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