GEN-ZiNE RENAISSANCE by GEN-ZiNE

THE

COVER

INSIDE

LEFT

INSIDE

RIGHT

TABLE

NEWn chi: a Rebirth of Korean Culture

My Year of Restless Relaxation

New Art in a New World

Healing the Inner Child: Rebirth in the Time of COVID

written by Joshua Ryu, designed by Kathryn Aurelio

written by Grace Waichler, designed by Kathryn Aurelio

written by Bailey Harris, designed by Charan Ravikumar

written by Kelsey Goldbach, designed by Charan Ravikumar

The Entertainment Renaissance: How Entertainment Consumption Has Changed Throughout the Pandemic written by Tamanna Sood, designed by Kathryn Aurelio

Yes Chad, We Can Print More Money

Waiting on the World to Change? Our Planet is Waiting on Us to Change

written by Alex Lam, designed by Alvaro Camara

written by Margot May, designed by Kathryn Aurelio

A Woman of Many Hobbies

The Renaissance Women

written by Cecilia Pou, designed by Ashley Kang

written by Alana Macmahon, designed by Charan Ravikumar

CONTENTS 40

TikTok and the Rebirth of Personal Style

Open Source Intelligence Means Stalker Are Everywhere

written by Kayla Nickfardjam, designed by Alvaro Camara

written by Niki Winston, designed by Daisy Bell

A Crossroad of Consumption

written by Lauren Faust, designed by Ashley Kang

To Glow Up or Not

The Problematic Revival of the Tumblr Era

written by Ruby Fuller, designed by Daisy Bell

written by Lily Muscarella, designed by Alvaro Camara

Interdisciplinary Learning: Don’t Discount its Importance written by Leyla Winston, designed by Daisy Bell

21st Century Women: Redefining Womanhood written by Irish Padilla, designed by Daisy Bell

The Downfall of Discourse

written by Anoushka Kemka, designed by Daisy Bell

New Year, Boo Me?

written by Shefali Murti, designed by Cecilia Pou

Paradise Lost

written by Tori Frank, designed by Daisy Bell

C ON T R I B U TO R S LEADERSHIP Editor-in-Chief - Cecilia Pou Creative Director - Daisy Bell Gen Editor - Himani Pangal Zine Editor - Chloe Lewis Social Media Coordinator - Christina Baker Podcast Editor & Wellness Coordinator - Tori Frank Community Lead - Sydney Fiorentino Political Editor - Lauren Faust Climate Change Editor - Margot May Art & Culture Editor - Olivia Novato

WRITERS

DESIGNERS

Joshua Ryu Grace Waichler Bailey Harris Kelsey Goldbach Tamanna Sood Alex Lam Margot May Cecilia Pou Alana Macmahon Kayla Nickfardjam Niki Winston Lauren Faust Ruby Fuller Lily Muscarella Leyla Winston Irish Padilla Anoushka Kemka Shefali Murti Tori Frank

Kathryn Aurelio Charan Ravikumar Alvaro Camara Ashley Kang Daisy Bell Cecilia Pou Thank you Kathryn Aurelio for designing our cover.

LETTER THE

FROM EDITOR

Dear GEN-ZiNE readers, A term stemming from the French definition of ‘rebirth,’ the word ‘renaissance’ encompasses multiple meanings. Most famously, it refers to the period beginning in 14th century Europe, in which icons such as Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Titian, crafted paintings and sculptures reminiscent of the styles of Ancient Greek– or an explosion of scientific progress, especially in the field of astronomy, under the hands of Ptolemy. This period of great revival in art, culture, and discourse, led to the term ‘renaissance’ to be used in common vernacular, now used to refer to great progress within a field — allowing the term to be stretched and interpreted in countless ways. In this zine, you will find pieces that all, in some way or another, examine the term ‘renaissance’ through a lens of authors’ own experiences. Some authors explored the idea of a ‘personal renaissance,’ others explored renaissances in art and culture as the COVID-19 pandemic slowed, while still others explored the technological renaissance which has characterized the 21st century. Change is occurring at a rapid pace. Our interconnected, globalized world, allows information to travel at a lightning speed across massive distances, while digital communications platforms allow for the seemingly constant exchange of ideas and development of discourse. Furthermore, increasingly unpredictable and common global challenges- such as the COVID-19 pandemic- spark explosive periods of creativity and innovation, to overcome. In tandem, these two factors have led to hyper-rapid development in fields such as fashion, art, technology, culture, and identity– thousands of mini-renaissances, so to speak. It is time to stop, pause, and admire how far we’ve come while acknowledging how far we have left to go. Best,

Cecilia

I can still distinctly remember their faces. They all pinched their noses tight and seemed to stare at me with a look of disgust. Surrounded by my classmates, I remained frozen, clutching a Ziploc bag containing jipo, or Korean dried squid. My fourth-grade teacher hurriedly snatched the snack from my hand and threw it into the trash. “Open the window, it stinks in here!” was all she said as she turned her back to a wave of laughter. In today’s America, this probably wouldn’t happen. Korean culture, through mass media, has entered the limelight of public attention. Especially in major cities like New York and Los Angeles, there has been

on the lookout for the discomfort and displeasure of others, often to the point in which they disregard their own. If I were to be eating dinner with my parents, for example, it was my job to immediately scan and recognize that the table had not been set or that my mother needed help lifting the pot. Furthermore, it would also be expected that I see and act upon this accordingly without direct verbal instruction. In essence, the idea is that I would be so attuned to others that I can indirectly see and react to others’ needs. This can often be self-destructive. Noonchi, as a result of its indirect nature, removes proper communication and expects action. As a result, individuals often begin to build up resentment

a rebirth in the Korean American identity from an ignored minority group to a growing, assimilating culture. Ten-year-old me, however, didn’t want to be part of it. Ever since that fiasco, I told my mother to never pack me jipo again. I wanted sandwiches, not kimbap. I wanted a salad, not kimchi. For me, being anything other than an American was shameful. In an ironic sense, I’ve come to realize that this urge to abandon my own culture was an expression of my Korean upbringing. In Korean, we call it noonchi, a term that can roughly be translated to “ the subtle art of reading the room.” In direct translation, it means “eye force” or “eye power” and it refers to a sense of social awareness to maintain social harmony. In Korean society, noonchi is an expectation. In group settings, it is often expected that Koreans are constantly

and anger when they perceive that the respect they give to others is not returned. Alternatively, individuals may also take unnecessary matters into their own hands by pushing down their emotions. In my case, I came to believe that what I viewed as normal and accepted was a disturbance to others. I came to the quiet realization that everything from the food I ate down to the clothes I wore was a point of displeasure amongst my peers. So I, like many other Korean Americans, began to drift away from our culture while developing a lonely resentment towards the American majority. Fast forward to 2022.

Korean culture has now reached the opposite end of where it was during my childhood. With the rise of Korean media -such as K-pop and K-dramas- Korean culture, and by association, Koreans are often over-romanticized in modern America. From my perspective, it’s confusing. Having been hated for the same things just ten years ago, now it seems as if my culture is just the latest trend. Now, everyone is going out to eat kimchi, get kbbq, and learn K-pop dances. However, that doesn’t mean the microaggressions have stopped. It only makes our job harder. The rebirth of an ignored minority group into a fetishized minority group comes with growing pains. Now our noonchi is more complicated. We must consider both extremes: “am I being Korean enough?” and “am I being too Korean?” In both cases, our presence causes a disturbance. In the first case, our lack of knowledge of our own culture- as a result of our past desire to disassociate- now causes social awkwardness among others. In the second case, our newfound pride in our culture offends the American majority and the status quo. Recognition does not imply normativity and as such, we must learn to keep ourselves restrained.

For many minority groups in America, there is a fine line one must balance before the expression of their culture becomes threatening. For me, I’ve noticed that when the expression of my Korean culture exceeds my outward image as an American, I am labeled as a “FOB” – otherwise known as an individual who is “fresh off the boat.” Speaking in Korean too much, eating too much Korean food, listening to too much Korean music, or watching too much Korean media…the moment our excitement becomes excessive, we are stripped of our societal perception as Americans. To balance this opposing force, we must make sacrifices. To assimilate, we must water down the aspects of our culture that may be inconsistent with American preferences. As an American, I would like to question whether or not this is what is truly best for the United States. In the future of this nation, other cultures will inevitably begin to make an entrance into the American mainstream. Why must this entrance be resented and prevented? From my perspective, it seems as if every culture, before being assimilated into American society, must have the noonchi to bow its head to the American majority. They are forced to claim: we are not Americans, we are a trend; we must dilute ourselves to a point where we are easily digestible. The true cost of digestion is degradation. Ironic isn’t it? Considering they can’t even handle me digesting my food.

“Oh, sleep. Nothing else could ever bring me such pleasure, such freedom, the power to feel and move and think and imagine, safe from the miseries of my waking consciousness.”

lethargic afternoons, I returned to my routine respite: the books that had, over decades, built up and crowded my shelves. I tore through The Virgin Suicides, Play it as it Lays, Show Them a Good Time, Boy Parts, descending further into my seductive stupor with each protagonist. As spring broke into summer, in the misty, overgrown, allat-once way it seems to most years in the Midwest, I stayed burrowed under blankets, mending paper cuts and compulsively checking my temperature– feeling winter had rotted rather than melted.

I had been certain Otessa Moshfegh had been lurking on my balcony when she penned the line, spying through perpetually drawn blackout curtains. The onset of a global pandemic and international upheaval had, through a blur of confusing headlines and canceled flights, elicited restless anxiety in me. However, the retreat home to Chicago and to my too small, too bright, too PB Teen (circa 2015) childhood bedroom quickly quieted my nerves. It was one of those evenings, spoiled by early summer’s burgeoning Suddenly, however, my stifling escape humidity, that I began My Year room, padded in pillows and quilts, of Rest and Relaxation. The novel morphed into some distortion of its follows an unnamed narrator in her former glory (three, five, fifteen years quest to sleep for an entire year and ago), and my whole life seemed to wake up a better, happier version of collapse in on itself in one great, herself. Even in my revulsion towards gray heap. With each missed Zoom her (and her way of always teetering meeting and midnight walk, I was between apathy and cruelty), I saw reminded of the days I had spent the intoxicating brilliance of her plan. skipping school to stay in bed, hiding How many days had I wasted willing away from the world, breathless and myself back to sleep, rather than face tearful at the thought of leaving the the intricate anxieties and pleasures safety of my little home. of life? How many months had I been kept inside with little else to keep I pulled myself into the familiar peace me busy but one more of isolation: weighted blankets, frozen nap? How many foods, timeless days that bleed into times had the one another until you realize you numbness of haven’t showered in a week. sleep seemed But between a preferable sleepless nights and

alternative to the reality of waking? And how long does it take to build a resistance to sedatives? How ironic, the disdain I had for Moshfegh’s unnamed narrator as she finally found her bliss, unperturbed by the death of her sole friend on 9/11, while I wasted away in bed as the pandemic ravaged the world. I suppose it is no wonder, that the theme of “disassociative feminism” has gained popularity in art. The idea that “women have pain built-in,” as Phoebe Waller-Brigdge asserts in Fleabag and have no escape but retreat, has become mainstream. This

idea is not new in theory nor is it a creative concept; the work of Joan Didion, Jeffery Eugenides, Sylvia Plath, and Virginia Woolf prove as much. Even in negating biology, there is a perceived cultural inevitability to the plight and imprisonment of femininity, as it plagues the women of these works. The notable privilege of these womentheir consistent characterization as pretty, white, and often wealthy- at times, assert them as disastrously unlikable or

to do so without nuance is to risk tumbling off a great precipice into a state of delirium and dread. I found myself, months later, in such a state– still in bed, still miserable. I thought needles, vaccine cards, and compliant Trojan Checks were my path back to myself, but the bed is a seductive place and the world is no quieter than how we left it. But we all must inhabit it, all the same. So I put the books back on my shelves, peppered my window sills with fresh cut flowers, and drew back the blinds. Though I hesitate to admit it, at times I do not feel unlike the unnamed narrator in her final

deeply unaware, but always defines their specific reconciliation with their space in the patriarchy. They each descend into a Blackswanesque pit of madness, marked by their paradoxical relationship with femininity, which it is simultaneously valued as their primary currency and greatest oppression. The slow, self-degradation and isolated stupor of attempts to work within an oppressive system, particularly through weaponizing elements of one’s oppression (arguably a path singularly available to white women), can be easily romanticized (especially as strife, tragedy, and liberation are all relegated to one’s bedroom). But

reinvention, waking up lazily from a year of rest. I left my bed more exhausted and more unsure, but still, something is dazzling about finally waking up. Something that makes you forget about the time spent asleep and anything that could have come before. It all blurs into some indistinguishable past and you are left with nothing but the eyes-wide shock of being reborn to a world that is so, so bright. And there is a peace in the present that eludes linens and REM cycles.

History is infused with the legacy of great art. It provides us insight into moments that are otherwise undocumentable; cave drawings allow us glimpses into the early lives of humankind; grand architecture helps us conceptualize what existed before; fashion presents a greater understanding of societal and cultural evolutions. One of the earlier but more well-known artistic periods, the Renaissance, was built upon a belief in preserving and expanding upon the past to create something new and beautiful. This sentiment has continued into the 21st century and can be seen through the rise of digital art. Digital art, engendered by the uninterrupted expansion of technology, seeks to build upon what was previously thought to be creatively possible. By combining a traditional understanding of art with an awareness of internet culture and automation, artists can expand their creative endeavors and reconstruct how audiences engage with visual works. I spoke with rising artists @sheelastudios, @confusedswedee, and @meg.ikarp about their journey growing up in a world where art can be moved into a digital space. Their stories, while each unique, paint a picture of the blooming possibilities within the digital art world. This “rebirth” of creativity could very well be described as a modern-day Renaissance. In the same way that oil paintings grew in popularity during the Italian Renaissance, digital art continues to rise in popularity due to its originality. Viewers are intrigued by the way artists manage to bend pixels to their will, while artists find joy in exploring the possibilities of creation at their fingertips. When asked how digital art compares to more traditional mediums

@sheelastudios said, “I think that there are a lot of interesting things you can do with digital art and a lot more experimenting. Recently, I have been super into collages, graphic design, and animation– all of which I’ve done digitally”. @confusedswedee described what initially drew them to digital art in the first place by stating, “it was much more versatile for what I wanted to create and honestly just cheaper in the long term. No more running out of color or wasting a canvas.” It is this freshness that makes this newer medium so enticing. What is truly special about this art form is its accessibility. Rather than confining artwork to museums, artists have begun to share their pieces online. Today, most artists possess one, if not several, social media accounts to promote their artwork which allows viewers to easily become exposed to this fresh art scene. This digital sharing of creativity is then able to shift the general public’s perception of what art is. Artists can upload timelapse videos of their artistic progress, or photos capturing the stages of their pieces, which creates a sense of intimacy between the art and the viewer. When asked about her online presence @meg.ikarp explained, “it’s important to remember that your audience is not just a bunch of numbers on a screen; behind every username is a real person, and if you’re looking for a stronger connection with your followers, it starts with the individual connections.” Audiences can feel more connected to both the artist and the pieces being made, allowing them to gain a greater appreciation for the work, as they are let into the nuances of its creation.

Not only does the use of the Internet allow for a greater appreciation of art among the general public, but it also provides artists with new ways to build a career. During the Renaissance, high art was primarily relegated to the sphere of wealthy patrons such as the Medici family, who could afford to commission pieces. Today, artists can share their work with people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and amass a variety of patrons. While talking about social media @sheelastudios remarked, “platforms like Tiktok and Instagram have been extremely beneficial in promoting my shop and displaying my art to wider audiences.” This unprecedented simplicity in the ability to distribute art further strengthens the artist/audience relationship. There are even platforms such as Patreon or BuyMeACoffee where patrons can directly financially support artists they are fond of. By shifting the art world online, artists are given more feasible pathways to become financially independent on their art alone, challenging the traditional notion that art is not a viable career path. However, the utilization of tech has led to a conversation among more traditional artists and their followers regarding the validity of digital art. Some argue that digital art can not be given the title of “true art” because it is aided by drawing programs in its creation. To refute this claim @meg. ikarp argues, “it’s like saying writers who only type instead of handwrite are not writers, or that people who use expensive paints and materials are better than those who use cheaper supplies. It just does not make sense.” Technology is not creating art for the artists; artists are using technology as another drawing tool, such as a circle compass or plumb line, to heighten their craft. The critiques, as perceived by @confusedswedee, are to be expected since, “right now digital art is the major art form we see almost every day, so it’s naturally going to face more criticism.” Questioning the legitimacy of digital art is trivial since technology is not acting as an artistic

crutch, but instead a creative tool. Michaelangelo, a Renaissance artist who was believed to have embodied all the ideals of a Renaissance man, once said: “a man paints with his brains and not with his hands.” An artist’s abilities extend beyond what audiences can see in their final pieces; artists are skilled artisans whose scholarship in their respective mediums allows them to defy creative limits. Therefore, the use of technology to both create art and promote it is not “taking the easy route” but instead an extension of an artist’s skill set. And while the high Renaissance met its end after only 35 years due to the fall of Rome, digital art will most likely find a permanent place in society. Technology will only continue to grow and with it, new avenues of creative expression. Digital art will likely not meet its demise but will instead continue to grow and blossom– ushering in new periods of art that will join the history books alongside the Renaissance.

Healing The I n n e r- C h i l d

By Kelsey Goldbach

When you think of early quarantine circa March 2020, what comes to mind? Whipped coffee? Stolen TikTok dance controversies? The infamous video featuring celebrities like Gal Gadot and Kristen Wiig singing John Lennon’s “Imagine” in one of the most tone-deaf acts of celebrity culture to date?

one’s inner child or teen looks different for everyone; some write letters to their past selves and others meditate. For me, this healing process involved a major upheaval of everything I thought I knew about myself.

The catalyst for this change came at the very start of the quarantine that characterized almost all of 2020. I was fresh from a messy friend breakup, the wound still raw and aching. That, combined with the general cloud of inner angst that had hung over me for as long as I could remember, left me in a state of turmoil. You’d think that isolation would have only exacerbated my issues. Instead, quarantine saved my life.

A year in quarantine provided me the time to begin the lengthy process of healing and had two unforeseen effects, with the latter being a complete surprise: I felt more comfortable in my own skin than ever and I rediscovered my own style and sense of creativity.

As a starting point, I reevaluated what I enjoyed. For years, I had hidden my true inOr, do you consider how you changed? Did terests in favor of appearing “normal,” desyou enter the pandemic as the same perperately seeking validation and friendship son that you will leave it? from people whose goals and interests did not align with my own. Now, confronted In my case, the answer to that is a rewith the question of who I was outside of sounding “NO.” my relationships, it left room for self-realization. I reread old books that sparked joy I entered the pandemic at 17. Presently, my for me as a young teenager, did my make20th birthday is in one month. While it is up in fun, bright colors that I found I had expected that anyone would change from subconsciously forbidden myself to touch, their late teens to early twenties, it feels as and rekindled my love for pink– all things I though I am no longer in the same body. A had not allowed myself to think about, let phoenix, reborn from ashes. alone indulge in, for years.

I owe much of my metamorphosis to the idea of healing my inner child. Healing

I have always struggled with inspiration. Cultivating a certain atmosphere in my writing had never come easy to me; I was far more comfortable with writing in a more formulaic sense (which has inspired my current career goal of “journalist”). I

noticed, however, that my self-exploration had not only dredged up old media and activities I enjoyed, but also my old childlike fever for expression and creation. Instead of stick figure drawings, this urge manifested itself through writing. Engulfed in my renewed passion for creation, I looked to the one medium all young people with WiFi seem to turn to: blogging. I kept the account private and I wrote. I wrote short stories– about how I felt, about experiences I’d had. I experimented with writing movie reviews, fashion trends, and even long-winded rants about things I hated. Even my “nerdier” hobbies were fair game- such as: anime, video games, and online culture- some of the other interests I allowed myself to rediscover and celebrate through my blog. It was a constant creative flow; whether what I produced was good or bad, I knew that I had entered a mini, personal renaissance. A period of overflowing cultivation and potential, all contained within the confines of my Macbook.

Despite the immense growth and rebirth I’ve experienced throughout the past two years, the healing process is far from over; it will continue as I enter my early twenties and beyond. Even though my personal renaissance has started to slow down, the effect that not only healing but welcoming my inner child has had on me as an individual is almost indescribable. It’s something inside that tells me: “you’re on the right path. Keep going.” The timeline for healing is not linear. I’m still working with my inner child– learning to not only be patient with her but to extend that same patience and kindness to my current adult self.

“THE

TIMELINE

HEALING LINEAR.

NOT

I’M

STILL

WORKING MY

WITH

INNER

LEARNING

FOR

CHILDTO

NOT

ONLY BE PATIENT WITH HER, BUT TO EXTEND THAT SAME PATIENCE AND MY ADULT

KINDNESS

CURRENT SELF”

The phrase “New Normal” has become part of our vernacular since the beginning of the pandemic. Our lives have been forever changed and the way we view certain things and activities have been altered enormously. Entertainment and the way we consume new media is one of the many things the pandemic has changed for us. Cinema, for example, and the way it’s watched has had major changes since the beginning of the pandemic. After March 2020 and required lockdowns, viewers were forced to stay home and entertain themselves with the means they had available to them. Streaming services were at the top of this list. Movies that were originally scheduled to be screened in theaters quickly had to be put online. While this kept the masses at home fed with entertainment, the movie theater industry began to vanish. Theaters companies like ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theaters, once staples in the movie industry, had to shut their doors down permanently one year into the pandemic in April 2021. Now two years into the pandemic, other movie theater companies still exist and are open for visitors, however, the novelty of watching movies has shifted. Having to go to the theater used to be a necessity to keep up with the latest movies, but now the collaboration between production companies and streaming services have completely changed the game. For movie enthusiasts, this change in movie consumption has been bittersweet. Movie lovers now can watch instantaneously, but they no longer have the experience of waiting and experiencing things on the big screen. While the option is still out there, the

fear of COVID and the extra fee to watch a movie has changed this perception. Movie enthusiast and LMU sophomore film production student, Dylan Guss, shares how he feels that the pandemic exacerbated the end of the theater industry. “The decline of the theater industry didn’t start with the pandemic. The pandemic made the transition that was already happening faster,” Guss shares. “Most people, if not all, were already subscribed to some sort of streaming service.” Going to the theater has never been something that Guss has enjoyed, but commented on what it means to him regarding his memories. “I don’t even really like the theatergoing experience, honestly, because here’s all these people and the seats are uncomfortable and the popcorn is expensive. But I will say, when my local theater shut down, I was hurt. That was a place I had a lot of memories of, including family nights. While even before the pandemic I consumed most of my films at home, I will miss theaters dearly.”

Guss is also one of many filmmakers who have been thrown for a loop work-wise during the pandemic. Not only has how we watched movies changed, but the way and why we create them has changed as well. Films like In the Same Breath, In the Earth, Locked Down, The End of Us, and Don’t Look Up mention or are allegories based on the COVID-19 pandemic. Movies now show individuals wearing masks and mention vaccines. Considering the pandemic has encompassed the consciousness of the entire planet, this adoption and acknowledgment of the virus in the movie-making business has made some people uncomfortable. For some, movies and television are a form of escape and the existence of the pandemic in the entertainment world would sully this escape. Others find the adoption to be key and integral to the growth of cinema. “TV and cinema have always been around to comfort people during hard times. This new era of entertainment, I can’t say is any better or worse than the ones before it, but it is new,” Guss shares. It’s hard to say for sure whether the entertainment industry will change its cannon forever or whether theaters will die out, but one thing is for sure: movies will still be loved and made.

Y E S CH

, WE C

o D y d a e r l a

written by Alex Lam

We are in the midst of a renaissance of economic thought. This rebirth of economic theorizing is forging a new way to think about our economy and its purpose. We have begun to contemplate the following questions: should the economy be focused on producing output or promoting general well-being? Is it possible to print more money and spend more on government funding? Regardless of the answer, I know one person who would disagree — straight, white, male Chad from Hinge. We are all sadly too familiar with the cliché and cocky Hinge prompt that unironically says “I bet you can’t: tell me why we can’t print more money.” The answer he is looking for is inflation. Hinge boy is probably referring to classical economic theory — which is the one most people are familiar with. This framework says if the government prints more money, there will be too much money in circulation and inflation will occur. Many point to Greece, Venezuela, and other instances of hyperinflation as their rationale.

It’s a genuine concern, but it’s not as clear-cut as Hinge boy Chad might think it is. For starters, please do not waste your rose on this man. But when he says “print more money” what he is saying is “increase the money supply.” Today, money exists in both physical cash and electronic money (think your credit cards, Venmo, and dining dollars). Many people believe electronic money is backed by cash. However, this electronic money is simply created from the federal reserve by typing numbers on a computer and sending it to your local bank. It’s as arbitrary as bells in Animal Crossing. It’s like a Venmo transfer from an empty bank account. So we do “print” — both digitally and physically — a lot of money every year. Some of this money is to replace old bills that are no longer suited for circulation. However, part of this money is to increase the money supply. The US aims for inflation of 2.7%. This “natural rate of inflation” is considered the product of a healthy and balanced economy. So, we can print more mon-

ey and a little inflation is natural! This may lead you to wonder, ‘if the government can and does print their own money then why do they tax people for their money? What do I look like, a money tree!?’ This is where we meet modern monetary theory. This theory is part of a new wave of economic thought that promotes more government spending. This theory reframes the traditional ideas of taxes and inflation. It states how the United States could print more money without causing insane inflation. You’ve probably heard someone complain, “this is what they’re using my tax dollars for?!” Taxes are a hot topic of debate. The widely-accepted conventional understanding is that taxes we pay every year are used to fund government spending. Think roads, public schools, Got Milk campaigns, and Obamacare. Understandably, many taxpayers disapprove of raising taxes. However, modern monetary theory states that the government doesn’t tax then spend. In fact, they create their yearly budgets and thus the money to pay for the yearly budget. Then, taxes are implemented to take out the extra money they put into the

economy. In other words, taxes control inflation and are not used to fund government spending. When we look at it from this perspective, taxes should not be seen as government revenue, but as a way to control the money supply. We can invest in more jobs first by printing money, then controlling inflation with taxes. Therefore, we can print more money to invest in more productivity as long as we are mindful of inflation. As long as productivity grows at the same rate as the money supply, gross domestic product (GDP) can be kept at bay. Many critics say that this optimistic view of modern monetary theory is not feasible. However, it has already started to be implemented in countries like Japan. The rebirth and rethinking of the economy not only helps us better understand social issues but helps us advocate for our ideas and rights. When we make economic education more accessible, it becomes liberating rather than oppressive. It’s empowering to know what you are talking about and challenge those who otherwise make you feel small. So next time Chad threatens you by saying that his tax dollars will be paying for your canceled college debt, you’ll know better.

A “renaissance” is defined as a revival that occurs under the influence of new information or models. In recent history, we have seen society undergo a series of revivals. From renaissances stemming from technological advancements to a post-pandemic revival involving art and fashion, we have increasingly seen our society root its renaissance periods in consumerism and capitalism. While these periods of creativity, progress, and innovation are certainly valuable, the most significant renaissance has yet to take place. Society needs a renaissance that is rooted in a desire to protect our planet. It is no secret that our planet is in distress. The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report clearly stated (numerous times) that human activity is leading us to a point of irreversible damage. This idea is often so overwhelming that we turn towards indifference to protect ourselves from our distress. Unfortunately, our planet needs each one of us to care. It is important to recognize that governments and corporations, not individuals, are primarily responsible for the policies and actions that have ravaged our planet. However, we are voting citizens of these countries and consistent consumers and supporters of these corporations. Our indifference emboldens their indifference. It might sound harsh. You may think: “I am not indifferent about the climate crisis. I care!” However, what I witness on social media, on campus, and in conversation is in fact indifference. Well, perhaps, it is just laziness. Oh, or maybe it’s selfishness? If we are aware that fast fashion is incredibly harmful to our planet, why do we feel the need to boast about our Zara, Revolve, or Shein hauls? If we understand that single-use plastics will have a horrifically long lifespan rotting in our landfills or waterways, why do we find it so difficult to say no to the plastic cup or straw or water bottle? If we understand that carbon emissions are harmful to our planet, why don’t we divest our financial resources to nonprofits which combat rising levels of CO2? The answers to these questions lie somewhere between a desire for ease, societal pressure to fit in, lack of education, and greed. These societal vices may lie within each of us, however, we must understand the clear relationship between socioeconomic privilege and overconsumption. There is an innate difference between consuming an inexpensive option because it is what is affordable to you and choosing the more convenient, inexpensive option because you do not care to spend the extra money or time on the most sustainable alternative. Those who have the resources to act must acknowledge that with privilege comes responsibility.

Taking action can feel overwhelming– there are are so many aspects of our daily routines that impact the planet: our diets, our transportation habits, our investments, our clothing, and even the kind of milk we drink. Calculating your accurate carbon footprint is practically impossible. But, just because it is difficult does not mean it is not worth doing. We can no longer hide behind climate icons, like Greta Thunberg, and continue to pretend that we are implementing the change that must happen. We are not doing enough, but we could be. Recently, there has been a noticeable shift amongst many climate activists to encourage the public to focus on what can be saved rather than center conversations around overwhelming statistics. While there is a significant amount of societal change that we have no control over, changing our behavior allows us to be a part of the shift in the tide. Our actions do not occur in a vacuum. Our generation must begin to see the beauty of making small steps. We must focus on what we have control over, rather than what is out of our hands. A feeling of loss of control allows inaction. So, I encourage each of you to start with what feels manageable to you. If you enjoy talking to others, call representatives about climate legislation. If you relish spending time curating your fashion, try shopping secondhand for a while. For those who are looking to add more physical activity to your lifestyle, try walking or biking rather than driving. There is a place in this movement for everyone. This article may seem like hypocritical commentary from your average climate-anxious Gen Zer, and in many ways, it is. There is so much more that I could personally cut out of my daily life to protect the planet, but I am trying. That’s what the planet needs from everyone. Please, for the sake of the planet, just try. As the saying goes, it is better to light a match than to simply curse the darkness.

A WOMAN OF MANY HOBBIES

WRITTEN BY CECILIA POU

I saw a TikTok a few months ago of a girl stumbling on roller skates around her backyard. Undeniably uncoordinated, she flailed around, catching herself at the last moment, before a final disastrous flop onto the awaiting grass. Accompanying the blatantly humorous video, was the following text: friendly reminder that you do not need to be good at your hobbies. While many would scroll past this TikTok– this four-second clip stuck with me. Her comment was addressing a personal challenge that I had been struggling with for months: allowing myself to embark on my individual creative exploration, without fear of judgment or the desire to turn it into something productive. In my elementary school days, I was signed up for numerous after-school activities, everything ranging from chess to ballet to sailing. But with each year, it seemed like I shed a hobby like a layer of skin; in my journey to become a focused, academic student, I no longer had time for foolish creative pursuits. By the time middle school rolled around, I had narrowed it down to two after-school sports and not much else. But then, things switched again. By my sophomore year of high school, I felt pressure to pursue activities for the sake of appearing like a well-rounded applicant on college applications. These activities were not guided by genuine interest, but rather, by appearance. I vividly remember being told that I could not play the violin, as I desired, but instead should consider the oboe or the viola, for the sake of standing out.

I took up the cello (my silent, subtle rebellion), became a peer advisor, ran track, and sat on my high school’s disciplinary committee. I was, frankly, completely overbooked. Furthermore, I did not feel particularly passionate about any of these activities. The only one which piqued my interest was the cello. I felt so much pressure from my teachers and parents to excel, however, that it became a stressor rather than a creative outlet. As I reached my ultimate goal, performing at Lincoln Center, I felt exhausted and over it. This momentous event was not the victory I had envisioned-- I quit cello almost immediately after, sick of the stress it represented to me. In college, I entered a phase that I will call “where hobbies go to die.” Attending a hyper pre-professional university such as USC, I felt like the goal was always to set yourself up for professional success. Unless you are seeking a career in a creative field, employers largely do not care about your hobbies (sadly, you cannot list crocheting on your resume). Therefore, I felt like my peers largely tailored their activities around beefing up their resumes, much like in high school. Between excelling in academics, pursuing strategic extracurriculars, and hanging out with friends, it seemed like college students did not have the time nor the incentive for their hobbies or creative pursuits. In my experience, quarantine brought a much-needed respite from the laser focus on academic and professional pursuits. With socializing out of the picture, we found our days filled with seemingly endless expanses of time, longing to be filled.

This situational change, along with my TikTok feed pivoting to exclusively DIY content, strongly influenced me to explore activities that had never crossed my mind. I took up baking and crocheting and I learned the basics of graphic design. I began to write for fun once more, an activity that I had enjoyed years ago, but had largely forgotten about. In pursuing these activities I began to reconnect with both undiscovered and forgotten parts of myself. With baking and crocheting, I became infatuated with the rhythmic, relaxing nature of both activities, accessing a side of myself that was calm and controlled. While messing around on Adobe Illustrator, I connected with my visually creative and expressive side – able to paint, distort, and dimensionalize with complete free range. By returning to personal, creative writing, I reconnected with the part of myself that was introspective and thoughtful; unpacking my own experiences on the page allowed me to get to the root of my deep-seated feelings – a sensation I had long forgotten.But it was not all a carefree experience. I had a hard time shaking the pressures which had been ingrained in me from middle school onwards – to excel, to achieve.

It was a good question. In our hyper-capitalist society, productivity and achievement are idealized. We are taught that our purpose is to work as hard as we can and consistently strive for perfection – that is how we will achieve fulfillment. In living this way, self-exploration, relaxation, and creativity are largely pushed to the wayside. Hobbies and creative pursuits are only acceptable if they generate an economic return, which leads us to the idealized modern-day “Renaissance Woman,” who works five different creative side-hustles to support herself. The idea that we can pursue activities for solely enjoyment and pleasure is a foreign one – at least for me. And it takes a toll on me. A large part of discovering who you are comes from finding what you enjoy doing; creative activities, in whatever form they take, are an amazing way to connect with multiple parts of yourself, both forgotten and undiscovered ones. You don’t need to profit off of them and crucially: you do not need to be good at them. Your skill level at a hobby is completely irrelevant – if the purpose is to enjoy them, the focus should not be on the end product, but rather an appreciation of the process.

But it was not all a carefree experience. I had a hard time shaking the pressures which had been ingrained in me from midUnlearning the drive towards productividle school onwards – to excel, to achieve. ty and perfection is difficult, but exploring your interests without judgment is a good A few months ago, I was talking to my sister first step, and ultimately it will lead you on the phone when I said: “maybe I should down a road of genuine self-discovery. start an Esty shop to sell stuff I crochet.” A seemingly innocent comment, I did not expect the reaction which I received. “Why do you always need to make everything you do productive? Why can’t you just enjoy an activity for its own sake?”

“Why do you always need to make everything you do productive? Why can’t you just enjoy an activity for its own sake?”

Strolling through the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) in Seattle in August 2021, following an academic year of COVID-19 lockdown, I pass by a sign for “The Lusty Lady” (a now-defunct peep show establishment) followed by a historical toy display. Behind an orange toy crane is a Gilbert Toys poster encouraging young boys to “BE AN ERECTOR ENGINEER!” Depicted in front of the Golden Gate Bridge are two boys constructing a robot. MOHAI’s features nod to the history of Seattle’s industry based on a

trading economy and pension for innovation and creativity. This is juxtaposed with a culture of rejecting societal norms, a disdain for capitalism, and an acknowledgment of the abuse of Native Americans and natural resources. As I enter the world of the Da Vinci (MOHAI’s Da Vinci – Inventions exhibition, demonstrating the full scope of Leonardo da Vinci’s remarkable genius, has now been extended in Seattle through Sunday, March 13, 2022), I am proud that the class entering after

mine was the first to achieve gender parity in USC’s school of engineering. Science, inventions, and art: the trifecta of a true Renaissance man – or woman. There is something magical about a place where multiple disciplines tell a story that moves and inspires. MOHAI’s Da Vinci – Inventions exhibition showcases an eclectic mix of flying machines, anatomical studies, and costume designs - placed adjacent to weapons of war and diving equipment. Hydraulics studies remind me of my modern-day engineering classes, complete with Da Vinci’s quote on the wall, “water is the driving force of all nature.” As a flute player myself, his double flute piqued my artis-

tic side. Another quote on the wall reads: “I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” This quote emphasizes that being wellversed in many disciplines is not enough; we must use these interdisciplinary connections to be men and women of action. Peering from the walls of the exhibit, the women in Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings may not be speaking with words, but their expressions tell their stories. Truly the mirror of the soul, their eyes invited me to learn more about their identities by putting names and faces to the women who inspired Da Vinci to archive their lives on

canvas. First up is Lady with an Ermine (circa 1489). Painted cradling a weasel like I would carry my cat, 16-year-old Cecilia Gallerani was the favored mistress of the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza. However, she was no pawn. The ermine not only represents docility and kindness, but as Cecilia exerts control over this mythically elongated weasel, the confidence in her eyes suggests that she was the dominant partner in her relationship. She was not born into nobility but was well educated; she spoke Latin fluently, was a gifted musician and singer, and wrote poetry. While posing for the painting, she reportedly invited Da Vinci, who at the time

was working as a court artist for Sforza. She later sat for the Duke of Milan’s court as an artist and engineer. Likely painted to commemorate her engagement, 16-year-old Ginevra de’ Benci was a member of the aristocratic class in 15th century Florence. She was admired for her intelligence and was known as a poet and conversationalist. Her portrait showcases Da Vinci’s propinquity for innovation as he placed her in an open setting during a time when women were still shown carefully sheltered within the walls of their family homes– with landscapes glimpsed only through open windows. The juniper tree was a symbol of female faithfulness and

sat for the ofof Milan’s court Da as an artist virtue. As aDuke friend the family, Vinci not only recognized her and engineer. beauty but commended her character. She eyes the viewer directly in one of the first known three-quarter-view portraits in Italian Likely painted to commemorate en- so the attention never art. She was painted with simpleher clothing, gagement, 16-year-old Ginevra de’ Benciher eyes peer directly into leaves her face. With a heavy expression, was of thewalks aristocratic 15thbeen century whoever by; sheclass may in have less than happy regarding Florence. She was admiredIn forlater her intelliher impending marriage. life, she was reported to have gence by contemporaries and known as and to have gone into been tormented by an ill-fated love affair a poet and conversationalist. Her portrait self-inflicted exile to recover from severe illness. showcases Da Vinci’s propinquity for innovation as he placed her in an open setContested but generally attributed to Da Vinci by experts, La Bella Principessa (The Beauting during a time when women were still tiful Princess) is a portrait in colored chalks and ink on animal skin of a young lady in shown carefully sheltered within the walls a fashionable costume. Bianca Sforza was the illegitimate daughter of Duke of Milan of their family homes, with landscapes Ludovico Sforza [1494-1499] and his mistress Bernardina de Corradi. At the age of seven, glimpsed only through open windows. The she became legitimized through marriage to a distant relative. It was agreed that she juniper tree was a symbol of female faithwould remain in Milan for another seven years until the marriage was to be consummatfulness and virtue. As a friend of the family, ed on June 20th, 1496, when she turned fourteen. After having been Da Vinci not only recognized her beauty, a “woman” for just under five months, she suddenly passed from but commended her character. She eyes unknown causes; there was speculation of poison. Her husband was a patron and friend of Da Vinci. She was almost erased from memory twice, as her cousin, Bianca Maria Sforza, and Bona of Savoy both were considered possible subjects of the painting. However, comparisons to other portraits later eliminated this possibility. Ironically, those who doubt that Da Vinci created this work of art often note the eyes as proof: “La Bella’s eye is constructed by straight-edged planar surfaces when every Leonardo’s eye was constructed with curves and curving surfaces in accord with anatomically-dictated surface shifts at the eye/cheek intersection.” Da Vinci’s portraits of women are forward-thinking for their time, portraying them with soul and character; he depicts them not as objects but rather complex subjects. Modern women can presumably pursue any career, make their own money, and marry whomever they choose –– or not get married at all. However, history shows us that there is always Sources more understanding to be had and more work to be done. Leonardo da Vinci will always be known as a true Renaissance man– from a period Sources of European cultural, artistic, political, and economic “rebirth.” To emerge from the pandemic into a new renaissance, such a nuhttps://www.dailyartmagazine.com/da-vinanced approach to learning is essential for culture and society to cis-female-representation/ flourish. The women from the 14th century Renaissance period inspire me as a female engineer and polymath. The field of engineering benefits from having diverse backgrounds and perspectives at the table. Art evokes empathy, which should be a guiding principle of engineering as it applies math and natural sciences to leverage resources for the betterment of humankind.

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K ayl a

NICK FARDJAM

AND THE REBIR TH OF PERSONA L S T Y LE TikTok contradicts itself by promoting both homogeny and individuality. Conversations about the app are largely centered on the former half of the spectrum. Creators and journalists alike have aptly pointed out that the vast availability of the app has created a culture of “sameness.” Any video has the potential to appear on the screens of up to millions of people and thus potentially influence the way many around the world think or act. This ability to empower massive amounts of people to act in certain ways has been taken advantage of to create an environment of hyper-consumerism. Corporate consumerism has particularly dominated the fashion-related side of TikTok. Oftentimes, creators will share an article or style of clothing they love, typically from fast fashion and e-commerce giants like Zara, Shein, or Amazon, which quickly sells out and becomes a staple- albeit briefly- in many people’s closets. Indeed, Aritzia’s faux leather “Melina” pants, which have gained popularity on TikTok, are often worn by USC students at parties and special events. These purchasing patterns come under scrutiny when they are used to promote “microtrends,” or fads that quickly lose their appeal and become considered cringeworthy and outdated within just a few weeks or months. Overall, this purchasing behavior demonstrates the natural human inclination to be a part of the “ingroup,” but also a uniquely Gen-Z desire for

efficiency and instant gratification. However, a counter-movement has emerged on TikTok– a “renaissance” of personal style, which reflects opposing interests within the same demographic. The state of our world in 2022 shares many similarities with the Renaissance. Plagues and COVID-19 pandemic aside, these eras are both primarily characterized by innovations in art, science, literature, philosophy, and politics. While the people of the Renaissance were advancing, at the core of the movement was a “rebirth” of classical Greco-Roman culture. Similarly, Gen Z fashion borrows from the past to create something new. For example, while the rise of practices like thrifting and vintage shopping may stem from a contemporary desire to shop sustainably, this shift has inevitably led to the styling of older pieces in unique ways—a “rebirth” of old fashions. In protest of fast fashion and over-consumption, Gen Z has also turned to second-hand shopping, which promotes the purchase of one-of-a-kind pieces. This has led to the emergence of more individualized, personal styles, which are popularized on TikTok in multiple ways. The fact that “#Thrifted” currently sits at 5.2 billion views says a great deal about the prominence of thrifting on TikTok. Countless creators wear exclusively or mostly preloved pieces. Masego Morgan (@coco-

tinyjewishgirl on TikTok. “I would like to see more of a rise of personal style”.

nut_cracked), for example, is a Cape Town based influencer whose pieces come from different time periods and whose dynamic outfits draw from a wide range of aesthetics. In her numerous outfit of the week videos, she can be seen wearing everything from an oversized graphic t-shirt under a long slip dress to brown chinos with a color-blocked polo. Although her style feels fresh and is received well, it does not perfectly align with any current trends. Morgan’s individualized style and “slow fashion” philosophy keep her insulated from buying into short-lived trends and blending in with the crowd. Perhaps the most notable creator in this area is Claire Perlmutterm, who is known to her over 700,000 followers as @tinyjewishgirl on TikTok. In a short-form TikTok interview with fellow creator Emma Rouge (@ rougarms), Perlmutterm states that she

IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT TIKTOK WILL COMPLETELY VEER AWAYFROM PROMOT ING UNIFORMITY OVER UNIQUENESS does not follow trends and that she would like to see more of a rise in personal style, with hopes to inspire people to “go after what they love.” She advises that people dress according to what their childhood self would enjoy. This childlike spontaneity is very apparent in her outfits, which most people would likely agree is not derivative of any other established aesthetic.

A frequent shopper from Poshmark, eBay, and various small businesses, Perlmutterm not only wears unique pieces, but she curates outfits in unexpected ways. In one of her newer videos, she dons a ruffled chartreuse blouse, pink embellished flairs, scuba-goggle-esque sunglasses, and a beanie with a pug printed on it. While this combination may certainly strike one as eclectic, it is not random. Perlmutterm often justifies why she pairs pieces together, which often includes establishing bold contrasts and incorporating the right amount of texture. Her style, which demonstrates no allegiance to trends, is a trailblazer for a movement in which people dress themselves to unapologetically embody their inner spirit, not influenced by the opinions of others. Essentially, her style is untouched by the influence of corporate marketing tactics or social pressures and is instead an unfiltered embodiment of her internal sense of self. For now, it seems unlikely that TikTok will completely veer away from promoting uniformity over uniqueness as corporate brands still maintain a firm grip on the buying habits of the youth. However, while it can feel difficult to think positively about the direction that social media is influencing our society, this fashion “Re-Renaissance” still serves as a glimmer of hope. If TikTok, and Gen Z accordingly, can continue to move more towards sustainable and intuitive fashion, a road can certainly be paved to make responsible consumption and authentic self-expression more widespread and perhaps eventually, the norm.

IT CAN FEEL DIFFICULT TO THINK POSITIVELY ABOUT THE DIRECTION THAT SOCIAL MEDIA IS INFLUENCING OUR SOCIETY

The Renaissance of the 14th century was a period of innovation and challenging the norm. It was also a time when people developed a newfound sense of curiosity. In the world of science, this period was one where individuals were seeking new and innovative solutions to problems and conducting experiments of utter complexity. These experiments were predominantly successful as a result of access to improved technology and scientific tools. We have just set foot into a more modern Renaissance. Like in the 14th century, we are experiencing advancements unlike ever before, specifically when it comes to technology. One of the primary changes in the world of technology is the prevalence of open-source intelligence (OSINT), or the collection and analysis of data from sources that are publicly available. This tool is a double-edged sword. While it enables the intelligence community to collect information to protect the population, it also allows predators to collect the same actionable information and use it to harm people. There is something rather troubling in the fact that your yoga instructor can find your address with nothing but an email; it is frightening that your classmate can cancel your flight after seeing a barcode on a boarding pass you didn’t notice was in your Instagram story; it is even more disturbing that the person who checked you out at Trader Joe’s can watch you go about your daily activities through an unprotected webcam. Everyone who owns a piece of technology or has a social media account is affected by the collection of OSINT, but one of the demographics most affected, but unexplored, is college students.

attending classes on Zoom, writing essays, or submitting practice problems, most of my academic day is spent interacting with a screen. Then I have the “wind-down” time when I’m on my social media, watching a movie, or reading on my iPad– all of which also revolve around some form of technology. My point is not to walk you through my daily routine, but rather to prove that the lives of most college students revolve around technology, making OSINT extremely dangerous and effective. OSINT results in privacy invasion. College is supposed to be a period where the petty drama and gossip circulating a stereotypical high school disappears. However, this is simply not the case. People remain invested in your private life and are eager to get their hands on your juicy secrets; while not created to do so, OSINT can be abused to accomplish this goal. Consider the case where you post a picture on your Instagram story and there is a barcode for an upcoming plane ticket in the frame. From this alone, one can find much more information about your travel plans than they should be able to. As a more extreme example, say someone gets their hands on a picture you’ve taken; from that picture alone, the person can identify where you were and when it was taken, along with other information. On an even more severe note, imagine a situation where you have an interview, have parked outside the location and another applicant wants to size up their competition. From your license plate, they can figure out who the car belongs to. If that is not an invasion of privacy, I don’t know what is.

As a college student, most of my day is The second implication of OSINT in colspent behind a screen. Whether that be by lege communities is that it poses a securi-

ty threat. The sheer fact that an individual’s location can be pinpointed without their knowledge is disturbing and inevitably grounds for stalking. Chances are if someone is looking to OSINT to find the location of a peer, it is because he or she has malicious intent. While all college campuses have some form of security system, if another student is trying to enter a dorm or a class that he or she is not in to find a peer, no one will question the student. On the other hand, if someone who is visibly not a student tried to get into a dorm, they would encounter some difficulties. Overall, OSINT can be abused within college communities, posing a threat to the physical security of the student body. Finally, there are also mental health implications. The topic of mental health and social media has been belabored, yet there is rarely discussion about the relationship between OSINT and mental health. The ease with which one can obtain information affects the mental health of the one seeking the information as well as the subject. While misusing OSINT is unethical and dangerous to the victim, it can also be harmful for the perpetrator. This is seen in situations where the perpetrator experiences feelings of missing out or jealousy regarding their peers based on information they’ve seen online. This toxic dynamic where one is constantly wishing they have something they do not can become very problematic. On the other hand, the individuals targeted can be terrified for their safety and privacy. So really, it’s a lose-lose situation. As we look to the future, colleges must implement some form of education around OSINT. After all, most college students (including myself until a few weeks ago) do not even know what OSINT is. Open-source

intelligence is easy to use– this ease coupled with the fact that everyone has access to the same information is bittersweet. If used properly, OSINT can protect countless individuals. If in the wrong hands, however, it can put the privacy, safety, and mental health of its targets in jeopardy. Hopefully, as we delve deeper into our new technological renaissance, where open-source intelligence is ubiquitous, the consequences will be as positive as when our ancestors shifted from the Gothic period to their Renaissance.

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One of the best things about moving to California for college was the fact that they put avocado on everything. High school me, however, probably would not have agreed. Despite my Mom taking every opportunity to brag about how my first food was avocado, I think this contributed to my dislike of the food for the majority of my adolescence. I hated the texture, I hated the taste, and I hated how popular it was. But, within my first few weeks of living in Los Angeles, I was converted. I now order avocado on everything possible, from breakfast burritos to sandwiches. Avocado is arguably the first food that became truly trendy in Gen Z culture and is arguably responsible for the creation of a rejuvenated plant-based diet.

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I think I have to credit my high school AP Environmental Science teacher for my transition to a plant-based lifestyle. Despite the growing evidence of the meat industry’s responsibility for the skyrocketing rates of carbon monoxide emissions- which my generation, along with a handful of others, has found impossible to ignore- I continued to happily eat meat with almost every meal, along with regular glasses of whole milk. Looking back, I find it embarrassing to admit that I ever consumed anything besides a milk alternative. It took a rather explicit video of the process of producing cow’s milk, a detailed lesson about CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations– believe me, you don’t wanna know), and a period in which I only was able to consume peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a solid two weeks for me to acknowledge that I needed to change my diet.

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I act as if I’m the epitome of environmental consciousness. I’m a sucker for a Long Island bacon egg and cheese. I love ice cream. I’m an avid consumer of chicken nuggets. However, I think it’s important that our world acknowledges how our consumption has changed generationally. The rebirth of the plant-based diet to encompass more than just tofu and lettuce has changed consumerism and the food industry as we know it, and I think it’s time for us to dissect why that is.

Written by Lauren Faust

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As much as older generations love to criticize us, if there’s one thing Gen Z has right, it’s the rejuvenation of the plant-based diet. Now, a lot of people take this the wrong way. No, I’m not saying that you should be vegan. I’m not even saying that you need to be vegetarian. All I’m advocating for is a little less ignorance and a little more adventurousness when it comes to meat and dairy alternatives. Our generation has taken the stereotypical depressing and bland vegan diet and reformed it into something now seen as trendy. Beyond just gaining social capital by adhering to a more plant-based diet, you also get to limit your carbon footprint. Doesn’t that sound intriguing?

I think one of my greatest strengths is my ability to convert people into oat milk drinkers. In all

seriousness, if it weren’t for Gen Z, the alternative milk industry would probably be six feet under by now. It wasn’t always this way. Once upon a time, we were all little kids whose parents fed us whole milk under the guise of helping us grow “big and strong.” Now that our generation has popularized flexitarian diets and trendy meat and dairy alternatives, I think everyone has a lot of questions.

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It’s hard to pinpoint when and where exactly the plant-based revolution began, but if I had to guess, it would be in the state of California. Upon moving here, I immediately noticed a huge difference in the culture surrounding food and consumption. It was clear to me that everyone here was very conscious of their consumption of meat and dairy products. For my friends who had grown up in the Bay Area or Southern California, this was seen as very typical. It was normal to request alternative milk at the coffee shop. It was normal to get a Beyond Burger at the dining hall. For someone who had grown up in a less open-minded area, however, the difference was baffling. Now, a few years later, I can find myself not getting (most of the time) outlandish stares when I ask for oat milk in my latte when I’m home on Long Island. This is a refreshing development and speaks to our generation’s ability to market dairy and meat alternatives as something not just for vegans and vegetarians, but for everyone. This kind of progress comes in small numbers, but makes largescale differences. I took quarantine as my opportunity to get my parents onto the Beyond Meat wave. Now, to the best of my knowledge, they continue to eat Beyond Meat meatballs with Sunday night dinners– even though I’m no longer hovering over their shoulder giving them guilt trips at the grocery store. I think this phenomenon can be attributed, once again, to the influence of Gen Z. No other time in history has an entire generation succeeded in providing for the rise of an entire industry. It is arguably not the first, or last, industry that our generation has provided for. Where would the technology industry be without young adults there to educate our grandparents on how to use their new smartphones? With plant-based diets, it’s the same idea. We are, as a generation, responsible for helping plant-based diets continue to gain traction within other age groups and in less accepting areas.

This mission is much less plausible when you consider the strength of the culture and market of meat and dairy consumption in the United States as a whole. Eating a hamburger is probably one of the most American things you can do, and yet, we are finding ourselves at a crossroads. Can we shift our American identity to be an inclusive one that supports the rise of plant-based diets through meat and dairy alternatives? Can we use the knowledge and community Gen Z has created to help reduce our consumption in pursuit of a better world? I think it is abundantly clear that we have a choice as a society– a choice with extremely high stakes.

I am personally a glow-up master of deceit. In the past, I have manipulated my friends, family, and followers to think I am in a glow-up, or becoming the “best version of myself.” At times, I have even manipulated myself– sabotaging crucial parts of my identity in the process. Out of all of the trends we have seen come out of quarantine, none have been more widespread than the drive for a glow-up. The word ‘glow’ means to be radiant, therefore a ‘glow- up’ is a seemingly positive expression describing some-

one amid a transformation. The glow-up takes many forms; there is the ‘post-breakup glow-up’ when an individual comes out of a relationship heavily utilizing self-improvement habits. Another is the ‘senior year glow-up’-- high school is coming to an end and you are finally getting comfortable in your skin. But the ‘quarantine glow-up’ may have been the biggest hit of them all; it became a global phenomenon that attracted many worldwide as quarantine remained stagnant.

As the fall semester of my freshman year of college rolled around, I was the only one of my friends to stay home. Given that the University of Southern California (USC) is in Los Angeles, there was never any hope that USC would allow students on campus during the pandemic. My boyfriend and I had just broken up and most of my senior year of high school had taken place from my bedroom. I was experiencing a type of loneliness that I had never endured in my life. Slowly, my TikTok feed became consumed by videos of girls who were using the pandemic as an opportunity for a full transformation. My Instagram feed was full of photos of my friends and acquaintances who were finally celebrating taking on a new chapter of life. Every Snapchat I received was a picture of someone I knew in an entirely new environment. I wanted to be included so badly that I needed to create something new for myself as well. Social media caused me to fuck up that entire process before I even started. Online, it seemed like everyone else’s lives were not affected negatively by the pandemic except for mine - which was beyond untrue. I had a plan in my head that I needed to find what my passions were immediately and I needed to fall in love with a ton of new hobbies, all while looking my best. So many people on social media were creating their businesses, selling homemade art and clothes, and embarking on personal journeys. It seemed like I had to follow in their footsteps to be happy. My first steps: cut my hip-length natural brown hair off, dye my short hair blonde, cut bangs, lose weight, and become an Instagram fanatic. These actions all gave me temporary satisfaction. My friends were commenting, “you look so great!” or “whole new you, and I’m here for it.” Each positive comment got me on a high. This went on for months, to the point where when I finally went to college in the spring, I was fully reliant on this external validation. I had no idea who I was or who I wanted to be. All I knew how to do was to manipulate people into thinking I was doing amazing things. Long story short, the spring semester on campus was terrible, and it made me realize that being home was not all that bad. The pandemic did not allow me to make friends or explore the city beyond my apartment. So there I was in Los Angeles, with no friends, no car, and no way of getting the experience I so badly wanted. There was no way of doing things alone since everything, including campus, was closed. I had thought that

just getting to Los Angeles would cure the loneliness I had felt at home– instead, I felt an entirely new form of loneliness away from home. Ironically, I became very homesick. When I returned home that summer, I knew I had to drop my act. I was too unhappy to keep pretending; I needed to come clean. There was never any glow-up. I finally let myself be vulnerable and I expressed to my friends how badly my freshman year had been. My friends were empathetic and immediately supported me. They reminded me there never should be any comparison between my life and others’ lives. I am so thankful for the community that I had that summer and I hope anyone else who was relying on the “fake it till you make it” mentality was able to catch their breath too. As I write this now, I have never felt so myself. I live by the words: your life is only as good as your perspective, and finding peace in all situations is truly the best medicine. My sophomore year of college has been some of the best months of my life, and I realized that there was no need to look to social media for validation or to make sure people were witnessing my glow-up. While it took hitting rock bottom for me to have a genuine glow-up, I realized along the way that the need to glamorize a glow-up is toxic for impressionable minds. Putting the pressure on yourself to appear like you have had this ultimate transformation will never be as fulfilling as the actual feeling of it. When you have that shift in life that brings you joy, remind yourself that social media will never have the power to validate it better than yourself. Waiting for happiness will never bring you the happiness you wish for. Finding peace in the present is what will bring you happiness– do not manipulate yourself into thinking otherwise.

THE PROBLEMATIC

REVIVAL OF THE TUMBLR ERA

As Tik-Tok continues to gain more and more popularity, the trend cycle seems to be speeding up at a hyper-accelerated pace, leaving us with fragmented subcultures. One day, we are being pushed into 70s-style clothing and music and the next month we’ve skipped two decades ahead, leaving us where many of us vividly remember: the 2010s.

Tumblr especially offered mental illness and eating disorders a place to flourish, promoting a skewed and idealistic version of femininity to a generation of young women. Lana Del Rey backed up these same aesthetics with Lolita-esque narratives and the glamorization of drug abuse while also promoting a hyper-feminine view of femininity.

The early 2010s epitomize much of our youth. While it’s hard to boil down this era of extreme growth and cultural diversity, considering the 2010s was the first era to be dominated by tech, I remember it as Tumblr, corded headphones, grunge aesthetics, and hyperfeminine dress on the runways.

I would compare this hyperfeminine dress that dominated runways and Lana Del Rey’s aesthetics most closely to today’s ballet core. It is dominated by pastels, ballet flats, frills, lace, and hyperfeminine silhouettes like dresses and skirts. This style of dress, at least in the context of Lana Del Rey, seems to hyper sexualize a childlike way of dressing but on a more womanly silhouette– once again tapping into this harmful Lolita aesthetic.

The rhetoric of the early 2010s which came out of this aesthetic was largely misogynistic. The feminine was defined within a context of toxic masculinity, leaving understandings of femininity to be limited, stereotypical, and increasingly harmful. Coming into adolescent femininity during this time had a sizable impact on our generation– which suffers from higher rates of eating disorders and mental illness than ever before.

As we see our culture return to corded headphones, ballet core dress, and even the return of the now deeply controversial and notoriously problematic Lana Del Rey, we must consider what this means for feminist theory in the 2020s. Are we seeing a rebirth of the 2010s, and if so, does this mean we will see a rebirth of this limited

definition of femininity? This can be analyzed by looking to the mid to late 20th century when feminist theory dealt with a much similar problem: combatting the chasm between the 50s housewife aesthetic and assumptions of what a “modern, feminist woman” should be. I would argue theory and cultural understandings of gender largely operate in a trend-cycle type circulation as well. For example, the 60s and 70s were dominated by feminist rhetoric and movements for gender equality. Despite the ground that was covered during those decades, we saw these movements be put aside in the 80s and 90s. Oftentimes, we also see feminist rhetoric and movements being placed on the backburner during wartime, as we saw during the early years of the War on Terror following 9/11. Following this same cycle, it seems that amid an international pandemic and a world on the brink of war, feminist theory and movements may once again lose steam within pop culture discourse. Will this loss of steam result in a swing back on the pendulum to hyper-feminine aesthetics? And if so, is this harmful to the next generation of young women who undoubtedly have the greatest access to media and pop culture than ever before in our increasingly tech-driven world?

ITTEN BY

LILY MUSCARELLA

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly brought significant change into our world. Behaviors that were once foreign to many have become habits, such as: washing hands every half-hour, wearing a mask to the grocery store, and getting a nose swab every week. In addition to these new- yet easily implementable- practices we’ve had to adopt, there have also been arguably more significant and difficult changes that we’ve had to face. Particularly, students have had to figure out how to navigate virtual learning environments, elderly individuals have had to familiarize themselves with foreign technologies, and we’ve all had to find new ways to engage in the things we love most. Music lovers have attended virtual concerts, sports fanatics have brought live events to the comfort of their couches, and the list goes on. Society has been forced to undergo a rebirth due to the pandemic, and many technological advancements have enabled new ways to navigate our world. For example, it is arguably the most significant technological development of this period, the vaccine, that has enabled our return to a semi-normal life—a life where one does not enjoy a swab shoved up their nose every week. Thus, an emphasis has been placed on STEM fields throughout this time. Given that developments in these fields have led to the tools we’ve employed to adapt to this new way of living, the favoring of STEM fields makes perfect sense. I acknowledge the importance of STEM, however, we must also continue cultivating an appreciation for more qualitative fields. There is something undeniably valuable in learning that is not grounded in commodity skill but rather interdisciplinary skills– especially regarding our rebirthed society. An appreciation for literature, the arts, and culture can be cultivated through an academic study of these interwoven areas– be it through a poetry class or an art history seminar. A week ago, I was speaking to a

dear friend of mine, who I have not seen in quite some time. I witnessed our friendship solidify within an instant of being able to share an appreciation for Alex Katz’s Ulla in a Black Hat. Another wonderful friendship of mine stemmed from a conversation about Mahmoud Darwish’s poetry. The pandemic has created so many physical boundaries between people, we must turn to the nuances in literature, the arts, and culture that bind us together. Being able to communicate one’s ideas in writing is of utmost importance– in interdisciplinary studies, one exercises his or her ability to do so. We continue to spend less face-to-face time with each other in all contexts. In professional environments, co-workers no longer bounce ideas off each other in side-by-side cubicles. Thus, communication more often comes in written form; to avoid inefficiency, messages must be delivered clearly and concisely. Furthermore, the ability to think freely and creatively- a skill set developed from interdisciplinary study- is more necessary than ever. The world has changed; to take advantage of opportunities in all types of industries, one must be able to draw connections between different fields and problem-solve accordingly. For example, a drive-through immersive exhibit in Toronto was set up to adhere to social distancing measures, combining technology, art, and architecture to design a meaningful experience. Personally, it is when I studied the economics of the Middle East in conjunction with a course on Arab Literature, that I most extremely felt my mind being forced to draw interdisciplinary connections. STEM has saved us from experiencing an even more dramatic slow-down in our society. That said, one who is well-versed in interdisciplinary studies will be able to maximize their position in this new, exciting, and unfamiliar period.

Womanhood (noun): the state or con-

It’s easy to pretend that we like hook-up culture. It’s even easier to believe that evdition of being a woman. eryone participates in it because that’s just a part of the college experience. It’s hard Woman (noun): undefined to admit the truth and it’s even harder to pretend that we don’t care. But almost alMerriam-Webster offers six different definiways, the ambiguity of it all becomes intions of what being a woman could mean. toxicating– in the worst way possible too. In society, those definitions have been conWith more time spent comes inevitable attested, blurred, and rejected since the gentachment. With more time also comes the esis of social gender roles. emptiness, shame, and complications. For hundreds of years, being a (good) woman meant staying at home and caring for their families. Being a woman meant being a good cook. A good wife. A good mom. It meant being quiet. Submissive. Docile. Outside of domesticity, many women attach their womanhood to their sexuality– especially young girls in college. Questions of “am I pretty enough? Am I desired enough? Am I too promiscuous? Am I not promiscuous enough?” replay in our minds constantly. Being agreeable is a central tenet to femininity, leading us to say “yes” to things we don’t want to. We feel pressured to participate in things that we’re unsure of. We try our best to pretend we like hook-up culture, or at least, we tell ourselves that “casual” is okay because wanting more is too much. We do it because we think we want it, or maybe we were told to want it. We’re not sure.

You find yourself questioning if you’re good enough for your partner, analyzing each text message, and every interaction you had the night before. You and your girlfriends find yourself on hour-long facetime calls circling 20 different possible scenarios as if they could know more than he does about how he feels. You wanted to take agency for yourself, but somehow, it feels like you’ve lost it in the midst of it. It’s almost crazy to wrap your head around. As students, especially students at a prestigious university, we can find confidence in doing and being anything we want to be. But when it comes to advocating for our bodies and sexuality, it becomes a different story. So if we don’t like hook-up culture as much as we pretend we do, then why do we do it? Is it really for ourselves? Is it really for sexual liberation? Is it really to rebel against the patriarchy?

When I first started college, there was a strong narrative that claimed that belongCan we separate ourselves from patriarchy ing to a commitment-free lifestyle was a when even an act of rebellion against it repart of feminism– that we are taking agenaffirms its mere existence? cy of our bodies and reclaiming what it means to be normal, sexual beings. On the other hand, maybe womanhood has nothing to do with fighting the patriarLots of my peers believe(d) that true femchy even if womanhood and its perception inism meant endorsing emotionless, were bred from it. Truthfully, womanhood non-committal entanglements as an act doesn’t have to be attached to sexuality. It of rebellion. After all, it is a clear rebellion doesn’t have to be attached to rebellion or against the way that society has molded a what we think rebellion should look like or “good woman” to be. be.

Womanhood is and isn’t so many things. It’s not just wearing Aritzia pants and sipping espresso martinis. It’s not if we can put out or sacrifice our bodies to feel wanted. It’s not if we can be good wives or girlfriends or sneaky links or participate in a culture that was never intended for us to thrive in anyways. It’s not our biological makeup or genital differences. In 1949, a French philosopher by the name of Simone de Beauvoir stated “one is not born, but rather becomes a woman.” In doing so, Beauvoir concisely summarized the long, layered, and multifaceted facts of how we are transformed into the people or the women we decide to become.

should be attached to how you show up and treat others. Womanhood is about discovering. It’s about learning who you are and what you want and finding the courage to say “no” to the things that don’t serve us. It’s about seizing the opportunity to engage and build a relationship with your own body without sacrificing your peace.

For hundreds of years, the rights of women regarding employment, equal pay, reproductive health, and workplace rights have been contested. I’ll argue that we don’t need a textbook definition of what being a woman means because we’ve already been told our entire lives what being a woman is I think I was 9 years old when I first heard supposed to mean. that my skirt at school was too short. While it wasn’t the first (nor the last time) that the If womanhood is anything, it’s about beclothes I wore were attached to my value as coming. a respectable human, it laid out how I- and so many impressionable girls- viewed the correlation between sexuality, respectability, and worth. Is that the definition of womanhood we want to share with our kids? I don’t think so. If I can speak candidly, I don’t know what womanhood will look like in the next 5 or 10 years. Truthfully, I don’t know what my own life will look like then. What I do know is what I hope womanhood should be for our future daughters. Right now, womanhood looks like having a seat at the table, even if it’s a folding chair. Womanhood is advocating for other women’s rights, even if you feel secure in your rights. It means realizing that femininity and womanhood aren’t attached to biological differences in sexual makeup. Womanhood could even mean waving middle fingers to adults that teach elementary-aged girls that earning respect means showing less skin- when respect and kindness

THE

DOWNFALL

Discourse WRITTEN BY ANOUSHKA KEMKA 60

Last Monday, after my classmate explained how Putin had a raging “Napoleon Complex,” I asked him, “where did you read that?”

duced counterparts of more nuanced concepts begin to take the stage in an inherently weighty discourse en masse i.e. the way it functions on social media platforms. Instagram has brightly-colored infograph“On Twitter.” ics, Twitter has 280-character text posts, and TikTok has 1-minute videos. These ways He defended himself, explaining that it was of disseminating information are not inheran excerpt from an article published in an ently problematic. The problem is when we esteemed newspaper. He hadn’t clicked on adopt these reductionist approaches as an the link to the article, though. A complex end-all, despite them merely being tools idea condensed in 280 characters had de- intended to aid our understanding. livered the news to him as convincingly as a research paper. In 2020, Pew Research Although I didn’t know it at the time, my conducted a study to find that 59% of Twit- classmate’s careless comment about Puter users regularly receive their news from tin’s “Napoleon Complex,” also known as the platform. In 2021, they found that TikTok “Short Man Syndrome,” was one I would see has seen a surge in the percentage of teen regurgitated all over the Internet. This theaudiences that supplement the app as a orized inferiority complex, while often cited news source. The modern renaissance of as fact, is regarded by academics as nothing news strikes fear amongst academics and more than a derogatory social stereotype. laymen alike. The wildfire that is fake and Even those who pass off their comments flawed news has one discerning origin: so- as nothing more than a joke at Putin’s excial media. pense, are reducing the labyrinthine history of Soviet politics and taking away attenBut when we lament that social media has tion from the Putin’s inimical justification ruined discourse, what do we mean? of invasion — for instance, his unfounded contention that his aim is to “demilitarize I believe that the crux of the matter lies and de-Nazify” Ukraine, a country led by a within reductionist arguments. The limit- president who is Jewish. To laugh off Pued space we have to share and elucidate tin’s damaging decision to invade Ukraine on intricate theories and opinions is prac- by saying it stems from an inferiority comtically a requisite for stunted discourse. plex about his height, while Russian forces We are forced to break big ideas into their concurrently close in on Kyiv in real-time, is most basic, discrete parts that oversimplify to reduce the serious matter of war into an thought and snatch away any possibilities indifferent tagline. of taking a step back to look at the big picture. Aristotle’s notion of “the whole” being Especially when it comes to political disgreater than the “sum of its parts” has nev- course on social media, I feel that we should er seemed more essential to the way we be careful in resorting to reductionist approcess the news. proaches. These tools that are intended to supplement our understanding, have While reduced arguments are useful in giv- now begun to replace them. For example, ing people a broad idea of the range of ideas the political compass, a two-axis model of that exist, we begin to falter when these re- the political spectrum between libertarian/

authoritarian and economic-left/economic-right, is often used as an identifier of someone’s biases on politics and human rights. For instance, someone who identifies as Lib-left is more likely to be prochoice than pro-life. However, there is an inherent difficulty in putting political ideologies on coordinates because of qualitative differences. When we look at real political platforms, these issues are largely separate from each other and should be treated individually; we can easily imagine an Democrat who is anti-gun control– maybe he doesn’t believe that owning a gun is objectively necessary, but is adamant about protecting the Constitution. Here, the compass falters in its attempt to quantify fundamentally qualitative issues. On social media, approaches are often even more reductionist as people tend to resort to the simple binary of left/right. It’s not uncommon to find comments claiming that someone looks like a Trump supporter or behaves like a liberal “snowflake” on posts entirely unrelated to political discourse. Ultimately, these reductionist arguments only serve to degrade our critical thinking. Throwing around reductionist arguments in the void of social media isn’t beneficial for anyone, least of all for discourse as a practice. Maybe we would all benefit from logging off and learning more about the ideas we are engaging with superficially on social media platforms. Stereotyping and categorizing prevents us from appreciating nuance and seeing things for what they are and distracts us from the seriousness of the real issues at stake. Maybe it’s time for another renaissance, one where we return to discourse devoid of partisan politics and search for our answers in real news.

Every time a new year rolls around, New Year’s resolutions start to plague the minds of society. Yes, plague. The new year seems to strike the masses with countless needs for a sudden personal renaissance. To put it frankly, I don’t think this concept has manifested into something remotely beneficial for most peoples’ mindsets… certainly not my own. Though I fully believe in the importance of self-improvement and self-motivation, New Year’s resolutions tend to offer an abrupt and superficial way of doing so. They allow people to be blindly self-critical or super vague in an entirely unhelpful way. When we don’t follow through with most of our resolutions– because they were framed in a way that makes it hard to follow through with– it is disappointing and we feel like we let ourselves down. I’m not going to pretend that I am above this. I’ve certainly fallen for the cycle of listing a bunch of things I want to change and then rarely going through with them. My most recent New Year’s resolutions looked something like this:

Work out more Stop eating unhealthy foods Find a new hobby Get more involved at school Be more extroverted

Objectively, this seems like a perfectly fine list. But what I subconsciously meant by this, was:

Essentially, in December of 2021, I nitpicked things I disliked about myself and masked them with general, non-specific statements that were seemingly positive. I don’t think the things I wanted are bad. They address important lifestyle improvements that are important for anyone to implement, as they relate to physical and mental health. I do think, however, that only abruptly making a list at the end of the year is unhealthy and I do think the way I went about that list was rooted in insecurity. I’m self-aware enough to know that these insecurities come from the weight I put on peoples’ perceptions of me, which in turn comes from unrealistic societal expectations that I feel a need to fulfill. It is no secret that nowadays there are extremely high standards (physical, economic, social, etc.) held for individuals in general, let alone the expectations and biases that come with being a woman, being a person of color, and being a woman of color. I internalize these expectations, standards, and biases to a degree where rather than focusing on what I want and what is best for me, I am too focused on who I should be and what people think of me. Naturally, this manifests in my New Year’s resolutions and the self-improvements that I seek. Rather than criticizing myself based on how people perceive me, giving no positive self-affirmations, and having no specific steps in how to achieve the improvements I desire, I (and you) should frame these improvements in a positive, goal-oriented structure. In setting goals, it is essential to be realistic, specific, and measurable. A second key to success is having a genuine commitment to achieving these goals. And as for timing, there’s no reason why we can’t be goal-setting throughout the year. Why wait until the very last minute? We are much more likely to be successful in achieving our goals if we spread them out and address them when the need comes–whenever that might be. Using this certain goal-setting framework boosts self-motivation and drive without being grounded in toxic self-criticism.

There’s nothing wrong with a little (or large) personal renaissance here and there. We spend a lifetime going through these renaissances because we are constantly evolving as individuals and as a society. I’m relieved that I have grown enough to see the errors in the ways I was going about this, and I am excited to implement my newfound mindset in the future. And you should too. Personal growth is essential to living and thriving…embrace it, as long as you are doing it in the healthiest way possible.

“It was Lucifer’s prideful character and unbridled ambition which caused him to lust for power exceeding that of God. As a result of his failed attempt at insurrection, Lucifer was cast out of heaven and fell from grace.” Lucifer’s covering of his face is very possibly a reaction to the skyscape behind him, a wounding reminder of both his fall from grace and a dimension he can no longer exist in... And yet, upon closer inspection, his eyes tell us that the story is far from over, that the true act of rebellion has yet to begin” -Francisco Rivera, Tumblr, 2021

WRITTEN 68

TORI

FRANK

Look– Behind us, is The death of a routine A tourist in my dreams Waking up with the moon Morning shower icy blue, as brown tinted water collects around my toes… The fall from (comparative) grace into an ungodly decade wasn’t really worth epic poem. It’s been two years since we sat in our bedrooms, called ourselves Artist–Hidden behind curtains painting metaphors of graveyards and gardens, then called down for dinner on delicate ceramic plates, Keep following Life hasn’t been kind to us. Left is right and right is confused and the one thing that remains true Is the loss we all went through. The loss we all wear On our tattered sleeves like a uniform of today’s apocalypse… today’s misty sky. In quarantine we learned to meditate and found that Our daily breath is cooler coming in than it is coming out. Try for yourself and see while we can still breathe for free

After the fall, skinny and beaten, look to planet earth for today’s eden. There’s food and shelter and friendship and all that we need and the space to contemplate everything that’s below. We’re walking slow in the new renaissance, through gardens and graveyards. Ashes of angels, dust in a past dimension, prior expectations. We’re stepping around new faces who smile now, for the first time, like budding spring. Curious that the dirt we wash off of our feet from exploring this fucked up feat of paradise lost Wasn’t as upsetting as I was told it would be as a kid, preventatively, to keep me from making a mess. That life grows from dirt, future is in the breaking down of the past or is it that with age and perspective you realize mess is inevitable, and Maybe you could hear me as I whispered There’s so much art here, So much and, Has it always been here and Where else would it be? Where else would we be?

A F T E R WO R D GEN-ZiNE readers, This is the second zine that the University of Southern California (USC) chapter has produced without the leadership of our founding members. One semester wiser, we’ve overcome some of the initial headaches and confusions which characterize zine production. We’ve strengthened bonds within our small organization, allowing us to move forwards as a tight-knit community. I am so grateful for the effort and passion I have seen this semester from writers and designers alike. I’ve witnessed an explosion of creativity surrounding this zine– as each has strived to create a piece of writing or a design, which encapsulates the theme while speaking to their own experience. Having ~40 individuals partake in a zine, from a design and writing standpoint, is no easy feat. With differing passions and styles, it is difficult to create a zine that retains a coherent theme and focus. However, I think this is part of what makes this zine, along with our past ones, so special. Each leaves a clear mark– their influence is unmistakable. It is a work of a community, rather than just a few leading individuals. It is truly a patchwork of ideas, representative of how we all feel at this exact moment in time. As I graduate this semester, I am excited about the future of USC GEN-ZiNE and GEN-ZiNE as a whole. I have faith that the talented and caring individuals that I have worked with this past year will continue to further GEN-ZiNE’s mission of empowering Gen-Zers to speak their truths, and I look forward to seeing all of the ways the organization will continue to grow.

- Cecilia Pou

INSIDE

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COVER