F shion Sen¢e with Raigan Clay

RAIGAN CLAY Features Editor

Recently, while I was scrolling the feed on my TikTok “For You Page,” I came across a video in which a content creator was talking about the concept of buying fake pieces of clothing or shoes. His take was that he would never do it, and it devalues fashion in its entirety to buy fake pieces that aren’t of any real value.

I agree with his take in that buying fake clothing almost inevitably defeats the purpose of what I think fashion is. It takes away an element of character and storytelling. And because everything is so “instant gratification” these days, we struggle with the idea of waiting and maybe saving up to buy clothes that we desire.

Fast fashion has killed authenticity and originality. Something to take into consideration is the societal push for people to buy these fake things. Was it ever that deep? Why are we willing to spend hard earned money on fake goods for the sake of fitting in and hoping for an edge of superiority over others.

As teens who don’t really have a large store of revenue, it might be viable to spend our money on things that can at least give us a good story. There’s something really cool about maybe looking up to a designer and finally saving enough to buy a pair of shoes you’ve wanted. Now you have a story behind how you got it and what it means to you. To me that is an important part of fashion.

IZZIE SONG Staff Writer

February is Black History Month, a celebration of the achievements and historical contributions of Black Americans. While people like Harriet Tubman or Malcom X often take the focus of this time, the person who began this tradition was Carter G. Woodson, a historian.

Dr. Woodson dedicated his life to mentoring young scholars and studying black history. The Harvard graduate co-founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) alongside Jesse E. Moorland. Their mission was to research and share the history of Black Americans. In 1926, the organization sponsored a week dedicated to black history which took place in early February. This eventually led to the hosting of many celebrations and lectures across the country.

The week evolved into Black History

Month, in part thanks to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Gerald Ford was the first president to officially recognize Black History Month, and since, every president has followed.

Each month pertains to a certain theme, with 2023’s being “Black Resistance,” focusing on the battle against past and modern oppression. From the 1950s sit-ins and boycotts to the Haiti revolution and recent protests, this month’s theme seeks to highlight the many ways discrimination has been opposed. Among these, common activities, and the way they’ve been used to uplift black communities, are discussed. For example, music genres like gospel and rap have been used to speak out against oppression and spread knowledge on racial issues to a large audience.

By addressing the past, Black History Month promotes a progressive future. This celebration serves as a reminder that black history is an integral part of America’s history as a whole.

Sunday, February 5, Crypto.com Arena hosted the 65th annual Grammy Awards. This is the first Grammys that promised a sense of normalcy after all the Covid interrupters. All the biggest stars were present, but surprisingly, this year’s Grammys felt mundane and boring compared to years past, while the most anticipated Grammy honor seemed a safe bet.

The performances weren’t anything to rave about, either, and the show overall just lacked character. While watching the awards show a little closer this year, I realized just how many awards the televised show leaves out of the program. Viewers get the traditional Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Album but not Best Urban Contemporary Album. After years of watching the same lineup, it just gets a little redundant.

I also realized that within each of the categories (that are televised at least,) the same artists are being rotated, and they seem to be taking turns winning one of the awards. I understand some artists deserve to be nominated for various awards, but at what point is this all a popularity contest? And about what’s relevant and easily digestible to the public?

The Grammys lose a lot of their credibility sometimes because often it seems like The Recording Academy goes the