Nails: A weapon if used correctly

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Nails: A weapon if used correctly

aaron elliott | @aaron.elliott _

Beginning around four years ago, I started to get my nails done extremely long. I don’t mean just over the fingertip, I mean a whole extension of my phalanges with the longest I ever had them being two inches. My fingers are a bit stubby but oddly bony and of course I would have old lady fingers to match my older chic physique.

To keep it youthful, I had them adorned with little crystals and small details of whatever story or message I was feeling. Expression was key, so my focuses and inspirations were what my nails displayed.

I paid more money getting my nails done on a regular basis than I did on gas at the time. I’m not complaining about nail prices, that is hard work and you should pay your artist well, but my pocketbook just can’t keep up with the trends.

Not only are they monetarily exhausting, they take up so much time. I would spend four hours in that nail parlor chair, wasting away as the sounds of filing and the fumes of acetone lingered. I swear, my head used to pound like crazy after waddling away from a nail appointment. You get a stiff hand and back, you start to feel a cramp and all because you want literal paintings on your index finger.

Art is gruesome, especially when your hand is the canvas.

Why do we paint our nails? You could say it is just prettier than having to look at that dull fleshy pink color they are naturally, but it is something that most girls feel necessary in their everyday beauty regimen.

I grew up with both women who keep their fingernails kept and women who spend most days in the garden. Wearing no nails could possibly be perceived as unkept or not doing well. I know plenty of women who wouldn’t be caught dead with their “signature” french tip that every other mother is also swearing allegiance to, but I also know women who get incredible works of art sprawled across all ten fingers.

I remember this brief moment in the early 2000s when my sisters were obsessed with that cracked nail look. Oh gosh, spare me. It was so funny, I wanted to paint my nails like that so bad. Little gay boy dreams.

Things have changed so much, and fashions have changed just as they always do. Over the past five years we have seen an influx of interest in the beauty of expression through nail art. These long and lavish daggers covered in swarovski crystals and chains with all sorts of mesmerizing bling must be credited to who made it mainstream.

Female and queer Black artists of all genres have brought nails to a different level. Nails have become no longer just an accessory to go with every outfit, but also a sign of prestige and a cultural weapon.

Although most don’t think about it strategically, nails have become a status symbol in recent times. If you are a person who likes to pamper themselves with a manicure, tell me something: What is one of the first things you think about when you get a paycheck? Oh yes, a visit to the nail salon.

Getting your nails done is expensive, and to do it the way that beauty standards are set, you are going to be breaking the bank on a fresh set of claws. Details mean everything now, and that calls for really big talent. Craftsmanship and labor are poured onto the fronts of acrylics now, making transportable art. Brava, that is just sensational.

Not only are nails art that you take everywhere with you to essentially flaunt a status of prosperity and hard earned money, but they are also durable art and a tool. You can giggle at me calling them tools all you want, but as a person who inherited a terrible online shopping addiction from my mother, I deal with a lot of cardboard boxes that are sealed with tape.

I slice them open with my thumb nail and tear into it to see what goodies await me. Nails are instruments if used correctly. Dolly Parton came up with the opening of “Nine to Five” strumming her long, angelic nails together, making a classic song that can be heard around the world. She also uses them in an episode of “Hannah Montana” to unlock a door and I think that camp is a wonderful conversation starter while you’re standing aimlessly at a party.

Fingernails of a prominent nature usually aid in conversation to get the point of the speaker across faster and more dramaticized. They give emphasis where it lacks and add a bit of flair.

When talking with a great deal of excitement, you have to be careful. Nails are a dangerous, literal weapon also to be wielding: sharp and fragile. It’s so weird how some that I could easily crack and split could also take out an eyeball. I wish I knew how many faces I have left claw marks on just by talking with obnoxious arms.

I once was asked to hold a baby while wearing a set of nails I could barely write with. That poor child, I held it out as if I was fearful of it, holding a firm grip, but loose enough to keep my nails from digging in.

I gave up quickly. I give it up to the incredible strong mothers who keep their nails looking right and their babies in check.

People use nails as a motive for communication. Have you ever heard the dissatisfaction of a woman? Please don’t take this as bad in any way, but it sounds like nails slowly tapping a table top or desk. Intimidating, yet so girl boss in a good way.

I had a teacher who used to tap her fancy acrylics on her desk when we were being bad. Nothing is more startling than a mother with long nails telling you to be quiet with a single large clack of their nails. It instantly freezes you calling your attention to her. A nail sound can be powerful when conversing passionately.

A good set of nails brings attention without any sound at all. Completely “Euphoria,” glitzy, Honey Boo-Boo craziness is what catches the eye. Sparkling light dancing off of your rhinestones, bringing the human eye right where you want it, at your hands to show off your latest thoughts on display.

There are no limits anymore. Nails can be anything you want, all you have to do is have the time and the money to achieve it. Most of all, nails exude confidence. They give a powerful energy that is shown through your fingers and the art you put upon them. Where do your fingers tap the line?

SIU SCHOOL OF THEATER & DANCE

Directed by C. Rion Towery

Book & Lyrics by LYNN AHRENS Music by STEPHEN FLAHERTY

Based on “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo” by Michael Butterworth First Produced by Playwrights Horizons, Inc. Off-Broadway in 1988

Directed by Matthew C. Williams

Music Direction by Andrew Abrams

Choreographed by Darryl Clark April 21-24, 2022

Thursday - Saturday @ 7:30 pm & Sunday @ 2 pm MCLEOD THEATER

ADULTS: $18 STUDENTS & CHILDREN: $6

CALL 618-453-6000 VISIT THEATER.SIU.EDU

Anika Svancarek | sw.ani.ka Dominique Martinez | @dmartinez_powell.photography

Staff Writer Aaron Elliott can be reached at aelliott@dailyegyptian.com and on instagram at aaron.elliott_

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bringing back your favorite tracks

Janiyah Gaston | @DEJaniyah

Mario Kart has brought my family game nights together for as long as I can remember. The excitement of trying to get first place, avoiding shells and trying not to fall off of Rainbow Road makes it more fun.

Nintendo released its new downloadable content (DLC) for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch on March 18. The new DLC includes 48 different tracks from the Mario Kart series.

Tracks from the Nintendo DS, Wii, mobile app and other systems which supported the game will be included in the DLC. Nintendo will be releasing 8 tracks at a time till the end of 2023. Nintendo intends to keep us waiting in anticipation for the next release of tracks. I, being an impatient person when it comes to video games, certainly cannot wait.

So far, Nintendo has released two cups, Golden Dash and the Lucky Cat Cup, each having four tracks each. Doing as any college student would do, I put off my homework for an hour to play all eight tracks.

The first cup I played was Golden Dash and the first track in the cup was Paris Promenade. The entire track is modeled after Paris. The detail when it comes to capturing the essence of Paris is amazing, from the design of the buildings to the detail on the Eiffel Tower. One thing that threw me off was how, on the last lap, the track switched direction entirely.

This track was first released on the Mario Kart Tour app and, while I did enjoy playing it on my phone, being able to play it on the Switch allowed me to have more control of what I was doing.

The next track was Toad Circuit. Personally, I didn’t feel this track was that exciting. I understand the desire for a regular racetrack, but for me it was missing the excitement of avoiding obstacles.

I am partial to the tracks that have more going on over the course. For instance, Thwomp Ruins. Thwomps are large rock-like monsters with faces that can fall on players at any moment. Thwomp Ruins does not just focus on you staying on the road, but also trying not to get crushed by thwomps and keeping your cart on the wall if you decide to drive that way.

I have a love-hate relationship with the Choco Mountain track. It starts off with you turning down the mountain. As someone who is more partial to karts it did not help that the first thing on this track is a long narrow turn. I also cannot drift to save my life, so I fell off halfway. The falling boulders were also a challenge for me because I had to be careful of how fast or slow I was going.

The final track of this cup was Coconut Mall, which was and still is my personal favorite. That’s because you get to drive through a mall and it is a good mix of a simple track and obstacles.

The Lucky Cat Cup included two tracks from the mobile app, Tokyo Blur and Ninja Hideaway, as well as Shroom Ridge from the DS and Sky Garden from the Gameboy.

Tokyo Blur, like Paris Promenade, changes direction of the track. However, instead of just changing for one lap, it changes for all three and a few more obstacles are added. This aspect of this track I found exciting because you were kept on your toes from beginning to end.

The first lap is fairly simple with no obstacles, but on the second lap you have to avoid Thwomps falling on you and for the third lap Thwomps are still an issue and you are taken to a different part of the track where even more Thwomps serve as obstacles.

Shroom Ridge, the next track, reaffirmed my inability to drift or turn. This track is mostly turns, which gives players who choose bikes a better advantage to turn faster. The set up for Shroom Ridge is like a highway, so you should be aware of hitting cars because they can knock you out and slow you down. All in all, this track was fun to play and exciting and really challenged me.

Sky Garden was another challenging track where it is helpful to have a bike so you can make quick turns. The track is set up to evoke the story of Jack and the Beanstalk as you are playing high up in the sky and it is easy to fall off. Personally I found this track to be really fun, especially when playing with other people, because it increases the competition aspect of the game due to how easily someone can knock you off.

The final track of the cup was Ninja Hideaway. I am just going to say that this track kicked my butt. There were a lot of different elements to this track. For this example, you are racing through a ninja dojo, but instead of mostly driving on the floor, you drive through the ceiling and on the roof.

It also had a lot more traps, which really threw me off. One example includes when you get out of the ceiling and you land on the dojo floor and the player has to avoid a spike trap that comes down from the ceiling. While this track did put me through the wringer, it was still fun.

All the remastered tracks have their own special thing that goes along with them and makes them fun in their own ways. I can certainly say I cannot wait for the rest of the tracks to come out.

Seth Martin | @seth.mart

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Dustin Clark | @dustinclark.oof

Lube Listicle (and other things of the sort)

DominiquE martinEz-PowEll DmartinEz-PowEll@DailyEGyPtian

Sex is something we often see in movies, T.V. shows and adult websites. For many, this is their first introduction to the act of sex and one of the points of reference they use when they become sexually active. What these forms of media don’t show you is the messy technicalities of sex.

Sexual education doesn’t cover a lot of the questions we have when we begin to explore ourselves in the sexual space, and for a long time women were shamed and shunned for discussing and expressing their sexuality. Mind you, I am not a professional so please, please, please talk to a professional if you have further questions, and take what I say here with a grain of salt.

Information about sex is constantly changing. Many of these points are meant for women and people with vaginas, but they apply to more than these groups of people. If you’ve ever had a question about something sex-related, take a look. Maybe some of your questions will be answered here.

Condoms are useful outside of penetrative intercourse with a partner!

You can also make a dental dam for oral sex using a condom. Actual dental dams would always be preferable, but sometimes they may be unavailable or inconvenient. Just snip the tip and the bottom of the condom. Next, carefully cut down the sides of the condom. Then, open it up, and you have a quick dental dam to engage in some safe(er) oral sex. They can also be helpful when engaging in self-play. When using “bodysafe” non-porous adult toys condoms aren’t necessary, but they can make cleaning your toys after the fact quick and easy. Take note of what is in your lubricant!

It’s important to know what kind of lubricant you have and what is in it. For example, using an oil-based lube can break latex condoms and using silicone toys with certain types of silicone lube may cause your toy to break down over time. Cleaning silicone off of silicone can be a pain too.

There is also much debate about what ingredients in lube are bad for your body. It is good to do your research and take it with a grain of salt. For example, it has been said any lubes with glucose or glycerin may cause yeast infections. Many of the leading lube brands have these ingredients, so make sure you take a peek at the list of ingredients in a product before you buy. Yeast infections aren’t guaranteed when using lube with glycerin or glucose, but if you are prone to them, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Try to buy sex toys from reputable retailers and manufactures that *ideally* can tell you what the product is made out of!

Sex toy manufacturers may mislabel their products sometimes and you should know what is going in, on and around your body. Many toys are made with chemicals that are not safe for the human body. The FDA does not regulate sex toys so be watchful of chemicals and porous materials! Do some research before you go shopping!

Do NOT internally clean your vagina!

For decades there have been products marketed to women to help with vaginal cleanliness. Here’s the kicker, vaginas are self-cleaning. Douching is not necessary and can throw off your PH balance, effectively making whatever “issue” you were trying to address worse. Vaginas aren’t meant to taste or smell like roses and vanilla. To properly clean, use warm water and unscented soap around the vulva and let your vagina do what it was made for.

As a bonus fact, the vagina and vulva are different body parts. The term vagina is often used when talking about the vulva.

As a rule of thumb, do not used flavored lubricant for penetrative sex (unless stated otherwise on the product and even then make sure to check the ingredients list)!

Most flavored lubricants have some sort of sugar compound in them and should not be introduced into the vaginal environment. Flavored lubricant is mostly intended for use on the vulva.

Many may not know, but there are different lubes for different purposes!

For example, silicone lube is best for extended sessions, sexual activities involving water and anal as it doesn’t dry out as quickly and is thicker/slicker than most waterbased lubes. Needing extra lube is fine and normal during sex, so there is no need to feel ashamed about it! Lubricant is necessary to prevent friction tears and subsequent infections. It also makes the act of sex more enjoyable. In addition, don’t use petroleum jelly as it can lead to infections. If you can’t ingest it orally, it probably isn’t great for your genitals.

Know yourself so your partner can know you!

Exploring yourself and your body is a good way to know what it does for you. There are many different ways and variations that people with vaginas can orgasm and it is different for everyone. You should know yourself before anyone else does. Take some time to get to know yourself intimately and eventually you can share what you’ve learned with your partner so they can better understand you and your body! For example, don’t rely on the G-spot. It’s a myth. There is no universal button in your vagina for orgasms. It works for some and not for others.

Clean your sex toys and do not share!

The hygiene of your toys is important and can help them last for longer than if you weren’t taking care of them. Cleaning your toys helps prevent bad bacteria that might be on them from being introduced into your vagina. If you have a toy that you used with your previous partner, get a new toy to use with your current partner. Even if you keep it relatively clean you still shouldn’t cross-contaminate, especially if you don’t use condoms with your toys.

Vaginal discharge is normal and indicative of a healthy vaginal environment!

Also, discharge is acidic so having bleached underwear is completely normal, so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. If you feel your smell or discharge is different from normal, talk to your doctor. It could be an infection, which is also normal. The vagina is a very sensitive organ and any introduction of outside bacteria can trigger an infection. And finally, pee after sex (and before if you can manage)!!!!

Peeing after sex helps to remove bacteria from the ureathra before it gets to the bladder and helps prevent UTI’s.

HUMANS OF SIU

Jackie Dixon and other SIU students construct vases in ceramics class in Carbondale, Ill. on Monday April 4th, 2022. Tristan Allen | tallen@dailyegyptian.com

A group of SIU students glaze their pieces in ceramics class in Carbondale, Ill. on Monday April 4, 2022. Tristan Allen | tallen@dailyegyptian.com

Jackie Dixon and other SIU students construct vases in ceramics class in Carbondale, Ill. on Monday April 4th, 2022. Tristan Allen | tallen@dailyegyptian.com A group of students enjoy lunch at Lentz dining hall in Carbondale, Ill. on Monday April 4, 2022. Tristan Allen | tallen@dailyegyptian.com

SIU Student Austin Hamrick walks to class in Carbondale, Ill on Monday April 4, 2022. Tristan Allen | tallen@dailyegyptian.com

SIU Students Kylie Walker and Grant Oliver enjoy a lunch together at Lentz dining hall in Carbondale, Ill. on Monday April 4, 2022. Tristan Allen | tallen@dailyegyptian.com