VAYO
Every issue of Twenty Two is unique. Each issue will deal with a specific theme under which each article and feature will fall under, in one way or another. This issue deals with ‘Firsts’. Being that this is my first time making a magazine (completely on my own) and my first issue, I thought the theme was fitting.
For as far back as I can remember, I’ve always been interested in magazines. I looked forward to receiving the latest issue of GQ in the mail each month so I could pour over its creative and beautifully designed pages, sometimes for hours, and soak in the latest in fashion, technology, and pop culture. However, as time went on, I became aware of the negative messages and influence magazines, and other forms of media like movies and advertisements, have on not only myself but society as a whole. Magazines, while not intrinstically bad, have a huge influence over our society; an influnece that often times is used to promote negative ideals and messages. This is unforunate becasue I believe magazines are important to our society’s culture. They bring together those stories and ideas that one wouldn’t normally be exposed to otherwise. This was the reason I wanted to create Twenty Two. Based of the scripture Matthew 6:22-23, Twenty Two is a magazine that aims to do what I believe magazines are supposed to do, that is, to influence culture in our society in a positive way. I want Twenty Two to promote my love of story and the impact it has on the advancement of our world. The imagery and stories contained in this magazine seek to share the light and love of life, keeping away from the darkness that so often plagues our society.
TABLE OF CONTENTS WAFFLE HAUZZ - Alexis Alvarez RING BY PROBABLY NEVER - Rebecca Jane Smith SENIOR PROM RECORDS - Charlie Abbott RESTART - Oliver Hewett PAIN OBSERVED - Mia Barranco VAYO - Jeb Perkins THE FIRST TIME - Ethan Kilgore YEAR ONE - Victoria Goebel CAMPING IN BIG SUR - Kellyn Boyden FREE THE MIDI - Marina Lavender DANCING THROUGH TENSION - Amy Root LIFE ABROAD - Abi Flynn & Marin Butterworth
CONTRIBUTORS
Alexis Alvarez
Becky Smith
Charlie Abbott
Oliver Hewett
Mia Barranco
Marin Butterworth
Ethan Kilgore
Victoria Goebel
Abi Flynn
Amy Root
Marina Lavender
Kellyn Boyden
I wouldn’t have been able to make this magazine without your help. I can’t express how deeply grateful I am. Thanks! Jebaby Rachel Chang
WAFFLE HAUZZ Alexis Alvarez Kellyn Boyden The waffle; you’ve probably experienced the comforts of this amazing food. Wednesdays, in my apartment, have been deemed “Waffle Wednesday.” To us, Waffle Wednesdays bring hope and joy for the day and week ahead. It’s not too often where I am able to experience a perfectly designed waffle so when I heard about Waffle Hauzz I was more than thrilled to see what this place could offer to my waffle cravings. It was a cold and snowy afternoon in New England when I entered Waffle Hauzz in Beverly, Mass. I was welcomed with the aroma of homemade waffles in a warm, bright and intimate environment. There stood Mike behind the counter. Admittedly, I did not know he was the owner. Things I knew about the Waffle Hauzz upon entering was as follows: cool store decorations, the waffles are amazing, the owner likes to snowboard and is a pretty awesome guy. So seeing Mike wearing his beanie and a T-shirt was fitting. I proceeded to introduce myself and we made our way to a table to talk. Owner, Mike Abate and I discussed his new waffle business venture. I must admit that I was surprised as he described his business hopes and dreams. I asked him where he saw this business going in five years time. To that he gave me this response: “Oh, I want it to be on the McDonalds, Dunkin’ Donuts, or Burger King level. But we have to remain local for the time being.” Saying this man has ambition is an understatement. For 10 years Abate worked as a Auto-Mechanic Engineer which is where he attributes the origin of his work ethic. His passion, however, is deeply rooted in his Italian family blood. His desire is to help the community, to give back in a sense. Beverly is where he grew up, the place where he came into his own. Waffle Hauzz is a testament to that. Waffle Hauzz has a heart for charity, Abate’s vision is to spread the love of waffles but also the love of family and community. I asked him how business was going since opening in December 2014. Abate described the “blood, sweat, and tears” it took to run this business. “Business is doing well, “ Abate says, “it’s picking up everyday and with every off day, there’s double the good days.” He is grateful to his friends and family who have supported him in this venture; everything is personal to him at Waffle Hauzz. The business runs on waffles, so what’s their customers’ top pick? Mike says, without hesitation, “The Elvis Waffle” is their most popular. I asked him what exactly was in the Elvis waffle. Prepare yourself for pure bliss: Peanut Butter, Banana, Chocolate Syrup, Bacon, and homemade whipped cream. Are you drooling yet? I nearly passed out from pure glory. If you’re wondering if I consumed such a beautiful creation, the answer is YES and it was just as glorious as it sounded.
"Waffle Hauzz is a place where love and people are the focus; the fact that the waffles are out of this world - simply put is a bonus."
Anyway, theoretically, in this strange microcosm of a world that is Gordon, without influences of the outside world such as urbandictionary. com or gender equality, Christianity + reputation = dating potential.
RING BY PROBABLY NEVER Rebecca Jane Smith Dating is really weird. I originally wrote that as, “Dating is weird”, but the “really” seems necessary. At Gordon especially, dating seems like crossroads between what “type” of Christian you are (“You’re Mennonite and so is she” is a line I used recently while trying to set two of my friends up on a date. It seemed like bulletproof reasoning for long-term relationship success. It wasn’t.) and how crazy you’ve heard your potential suitor is from twenty of their/ your friends (and whether or not you’re willing to get to know this potential suitor well enough to either confirm or deny that they are/aren’t crazy). When it comes to dating, I personally throw out that model. Why? Because I apparently have little regard for future Becky’s feelings and have absolutely no concept of qualities in a “mate” that would promote relational “longevity” (quotes taken from my mom/ your mom/ everyone’s grandma). Anyway, theoretically, in this strange microcosm of a world that is Gordon, without influences of the outside world such as urbandictionary.com or gender equality, Christianity + reputation = dating potential. We’ll leave the physical stuff out of this for now, because the topic of physical attraction and sex just makes everything harder (See reference: seasons 1-6 and the first movie (Don’t bother with second) of “Sex and the City”). Bearing all of that in mind, the first time I was ever truly asked out on a date (where I hadn’t already made out with the guy) was my junior year of college. It was wintertime and I had just gotten back from my semester abroad in France. I was really anti-social and really intent on wearing all black all the time. Despite my best efforts to be socially taciturn (LOL BECKY NOT POSSIBLE), a boy (Man? Fella?) kept texting me. It was someone I’d known distantly for my entire time at Gordon, and he was really interested in knowing how I was doing post-study abroad, I assumed because he’d just come back from a séjour as well. I could only think that he’d bored everyone else with his not-at-Gordon stories and wanted someone to commiserate with. I avoided his texts for days at a time. When he invited me to the Tavilla basement one night to catch up, I had no (option) expectations. I don’t know how to emphasize that enough. I had a cold so I had rubbed Neosporin on
my nose, making it shiny and red, had my hair in a middle part because I was trying “something new” (never again) and was wearing a gray Mickey Mouse sweatshirt and gray sweatpants (See: “Groufit”). We started chatting and he finally said what I wasn’t waiting for, “I’m just really interested in you. I’d like to get to know you more”. I couldn’t agree/ couldn’t not agree more. “Yeah, we should definitely catch up more soon” I responded automatically and thoughtlessly. “No, I’m interested in getting to know you better. Maybe going out for a meal” I stared blankly at him. Then, I kid you not; I looked over both of my shoulders behind me. Instinctively, I thought he must’ve been talking to someone else. “So you mean... like... interested... romantically?” The words crept out as uncomfortably as the word “romantically” intrinsically is. He laughed, and nodded. So we went on a few dates, and it ended with us having a talk in my apartment about how we liked being friends better, and ultimately we’re still friends today. We didn’t kiss or hold hands. I didn’t wear anything exceptional on our dates, neither did he. We talked a lot about ourselves, equally. It was probably one of the healthiest dating experiences I’ve ever encountered, and may ever encounter. I don’t know what his mindset was going into the whole situation, but I hadn’t psyched myself out in any way. I didn’t know what “type” of Christian he was. I only knew what I knew about him because I knew it, and no one had time to tell me that he was/wasn’t crazy. It was the first time that I’d let myself experience dating without judgment or anxiety. The whole process really should be so mundane in our culture: getting food with a potential suitor that you may or may not end up spending the rest of your life with. It just starts with 1. Answering your text messages, apparently and 2. Wearing groufits. Just kidding. It all starts with saying “yes” (I promise you, no one hates me more for saying that than me). *Groufit (according to the blocked urbandictionary.com): An all grey outfit typically worn by someone who is miserable, has no fashion sense, or has given up on life and wants the world to know. Most commonly, groufits consist of grey oversized baggy sweatshirts and sweatpants.
SENIOR PROM RECORDS Charlie Abbott Caleb Auwerda, an 18 year old senior at Triton Regional High School, will not be going to his senior prom this year. “Prom,” he explains “was way more of a big thing in the passed, it was supposed to be the first outing for kids as adults or something like that.” However, Caleb’s first outing, as an adult, is much more ambitious than a fancy dinner and discoball-lit dance floor. Caleb is starting a DIY music label he is calling Senior Prom Records. Caleb is the bass player for Hot Lemon, a local punk band that tends to push limits of musical norms even within their own scene here on the North Shore with a combination of punk, math rock, melodic guitar riffs that scream to the point of pain, intricate textures and rhythms and song lyrics dealing with anything from their love of Kim Gordon, the bass player of the shoe gaze band Sonic Youth, to problems they see in church. However Hot Lemon is not where the music stops for Caleb or the other members of the band. Individually they write and record DIY lo-fi music. With a general lack of any kind traditional musical knowledge or regard for popular music, the members of Hot Lemon along with their regular group of hang arounds pump out large quantities of songs that are spread between so many genres it’s hard to nail down exactly what you’re listening to most of the time. Not a night goes by with these guys when someone isn’t grabbing the nearest acoustic guitar to debut their latest idea or exictedly brandishing a laptop to preview their latest recording. It’s this excitement that has pushed Caleb to start a DIY cassette label. Hey says it’s something he has wanted to do for a long time and over the course of the last year the idea has been refined and reshaped, drifting between different names such as Bat House Records or CoTV, to where it is now. When you mention, to most people, that Senior Prom is a cassette label the typical response involves a chuckle and a question along the lines of “Do they still even have cassette players?” It’s a valid question considering how easy it is to release music digitally with services like Bandcamp or Soundcloud but that ease is reason Caleb says he uses cassettes. “ I don’t even really consider it a music label,” he says, “It’s mainly so things will exist in the physical realm that otherwise wouldn’t.” He explains that the ease of digital music can put a hamper on the amount of thoughtfulness put into it. He’s not just being difficult to be cool, while he admits that the use of cassettes is motivated by some novelty, he says the reason is more nostalgic than that. Cassettes have played an instrumental part in DIY music long before he was even born. Before home recording as we know it today, where cheap audio interfaces and audio editing programs allow anyone to create near professional quality music from their bedroom, people used 4-track cassette recorders. Cassettes are also cheap. “I can sell cassettes for just two or three dollars a piece and completely break even.” At that price, this is much more than a business venture for Caleb. In fact, he says it will likely never be more than a hobby because it’s not about money or fame to him. He simply wants to share the music that is being made by his friends.
Restart Oliver Hewett
Pain Observed Mia Barranco
VAYO Jeb Perkins
Throughout my four years at Gordon, I’ve met a lot of wonderful people. On the flip side of that, I’ve met some not-so-wonderful people at Gordon. A few of the people I’ve met became close friends, while others ended up being acquiantances I awkwardly wave to as we pass each other on the quad. It’s not hard to befriend someone at Gordon. The overall mood here is amicable. However, what’s hard is developing lasting friendships; friendships that last past graduation day. There’s a lot of talk about intentional community and accountability here at Gordon however those words never seem to get past the almost too frequent floor meetings. Coming to Gordon, I was looking for real intentional friendships, not whatever was being promoted by the Residence Life. It wasn’t until I became friends with RJ did I ever
think it was going to happen. Now, I’m not going to use the rest of this brief article to talk about how awesome RJ is (because he is) instead I’m going to...wait, nevermind yes I am. RJ is probably one of the most laid back guys I’ve ever met. We had a chance to get to know each other well through our few years working on CEC together. Whenever I was freaking out about something, RJ was always there to balance me out. I learned a lot from him, espcially when it came to music. I’ve always enjoyed music but RJ taught me what it looks like to truly eat, sleep, and dream music. He actually loves it. It’s his passion. And nothing is better than seeing someone live out their passion, which is what I saw every week when I dropped into his apartment and hung out with him
in his room where he had a full DJ setupv, ready to play a stadium show at any moment. Even though RJ graduated a year before me, our friendship continued to grow. Check-in texts turned into once-a-week check-in phone calls, with each conversation funnier/more encouraging than the last. (Keep an eye out for our world tour!) Lasting friendships are important to me especially in this time of transition. Yes, there are memories that I want to take with me into my next chapter but there are also people whom I want with me as well. I can definitely say that RJ is first on the list.
*For a less sappy profile on RJ and his music head over to twentytwomag.squarespace.com and check out the film!
The First Time Ethan Kilgore When I was eight years old I first realized I was gay. Every week my parents would buy the Sunday paper. When we got home from church I would look at the Sports Authority fliers pretending to be interested in the sporting goods, but in reality I was looking at the male underwear models. I knew that this was something that I would get in trouble for doing, but mostly only because they were undressed – I didn’t think about the consequences of being gay. When I was 12 years old my friends started noticing girls, but I started noticing my friends. I told myself that it was only because I wanted to be like them, that I thought they were so cool that I was just jealous – that was a pile of bullshit. Puberty is a confusing time for everyone, but when you’re struggling with your sexuality it is like putting together a 1000 piece puzzle that doesn’t actually make a coherent picture. When I was 16 I first watched Brokeback Mountain in my room after everyone had gone to sleep. I cried through the entire movie. The next morning I woke up and I cried more – I snuck into the bathroom and took a shower to try and hide my puffy eyes. It took me about 30 minutes but for the first time ever I looked into the mirror and said out loud that I was gay. That was my first step into acceptance. When I was 17 I told my best friend that I was gay. We were in the car and I just spit it out without thinking about it – which is funny considering it was all I could ever think about. I felt like I was going to vomit – I was not relieved, only scared that someone in the world besides myself knew that I was gay. We didn’t really talk about it much after that. When I was 19 I was called a faggot for the first time. Initially it made me incredibly upset, but the further and further I got away from the incident the more I realized that I didn’t care. That was my first step to full acceptance of myself. When I was 20 I had my first real relationship. It didn’t last but it was my final stage of coming into who I was and wholly accepting myself. It was the beginning of moving forward with my life no longer having to be confused about my identity. It was freedom. I’m 21 now and I can say with a full heart for the first time that it does get better.
When I was 19 I was called a faggot for the first time. Initially it made me incredibly upset, but the further and further I got away from the incident the more I realized that I didn’t care. That was my first step to full acceptance of myself.
Year One Victoria Goebel
Everyone on this campus knows who Jennifer Jukanovich is. How could you not? She is the classy and strong woman who has faced more challenges than anyone new to a job should have to. But do we know her beyond that? Jennifer is currently the VP of Student Life and the only VP many students will ever know. For many, Jennifer is just a college official that sends us some emails. If we are being entirely honest that is all Jennifer was to me before this interview. Despite her chaotic schedule, she agreed to sit down with me for a few minutes to answer some questions for a magazine article. What was supposed to be a quick interview turned into so much more Jennifer invited me into her office, which was fabulously decorated I might add, and spent almost an hour with me. Before any sort of formal interview began, Jennifer asked me questions about my life and was genuinely interested in how I was doing. She asked about the coordinates on my necklace. I felt truly cared for, and I realized then that she was certainly a great choice for Gordon. Barry Loy retired and left the college in a time of transition- a time where Jennifer Jukanovich would have to replace Barry. Yes, what a large void to fill. Now almost a year into the job, Jennifer shared about her life and the winding path that led her to Gordon, around the world, and back again. Jennifer gracefully came to the job with a heart for Gordon and the knowledge that this is where she was supposed to be. After all, she does know what it is like to be a student here. Jennifer was actually the GCSA President, where she served the student body and worked with Barry Loy. She came to Gordon as a freshman studying Middle School Education with the intent of teaching in a middle school after college. How did an education major end up being a VP at a college? It is quite the story. When I asked Jennifer that exact question, I had no idea that her journey was so complex. Did you know she once climbed Mount Kilimanjaro? As students, our life often takes many turns we did not expect. How many of us are actually doing what we thought we would be 4 years ago? Jennifer’s experience was no different. Isn’t it assuring to know that successful people didn’t always have it perfectly figured out? Despite being an education major, Jennifer left the
Gordon bubble for a semester to study in D.C. She said she always had a heart for world-wide issues, and this only furthered that passion. After returning to the bubble, Jennifer declared Political Studies as a second major. Jennifer was two weeks away from graduation and set to student teach at Gloucester Middle School in the fall. While writing her Baccalaureate address, an old mentor from D.C called and offered her an once-in-a-lifetime job interview. Where was the interview? At the White House. Yes, The White House. Linda Lader was looking for an assistant to their family. The Lader family was a busy one, probably because Mr. Lader was the Chief-ofStaff for the Bill Clinton Administration. Jennifer even has a picture with Bill Clinton in her office. Be sure to ask about it if you’re ever in there. Linda Lader was looking for someone who cared about international issues and also could make a PB&J for her kids. So, changing her entire plan, Jennifer moved to D.C to work for the impressive Lader family. She spent the next 3 years living and breathing the life of a Christian political family with a heart for people. In the end, the change of plan ended up being everything Jennifer needed and more. A lot can happen in three years. While taking care of children and planning events for world leaders, Jennifer met Dano. Dano was a business student and West Point Alum who would become Jennifer’s husband. While Jennifer was building a life in D.C, Dano was attending graduate school and working for their future. Dano graduated business school and Jennifer knew it was time to move on.
The couple headed for the Rainier Valley in Seattle. With a heart for the city and the people there, they moved to the urban core with a desire to fully invest themselves in that community. Dano and Jennifer spent eight years creating a life in Seattle. Reaching out to whatever community she finds herself in has always been a passion for Jennifer, and that was especially true in Seattle. I was especially moved by an outreach program that she started with her husband. Every Thursday night Jennifer opened her home to any teenager in the neighborhood. Jennifer is not one to discriminate, and wanted to open her door to anyone. She welcomed straight A students, gang members, church kids and young prostitutes into her home every week. When everyone arrived, Dano would light up the grill and make burgers while everyone played basketball. These nights grew in popularity until eventually over 50 kids showed up every week. While Jennifer grew in the community outside of her home, she also grew the community in her home. Motherhood had been delayed for Jennifer, but she always wanted to be a mom. Dano and Jennifer decided to become parents through adoption. The family was growing and Dano’s job was going through a time of transition. These changes were met with a yearning for change and something beyond Seattle. That was no surprise considering Jennifer’s passion for world issues. A huge change was on the horizon for the Jukanovich family. The Crocketts (yes, Carter Crockett), close friends of Jennifer and Dano in Seattle, called Jennifer and proposed a weekend of prayer. I am blown away by what one weekend away praying with friends could do for three families. One weekend brought a business plan written on a napkin, a new Christian couple, and Rwanda into the lives of Jennifer and Dano. Carter and Dano created Karisimbi Partners with the help of a third partner who they found through prayer and happenstance. Within a few short months, all three families sold everything and moved to Rwanda with enough money to survive for six months. At this point in my conversation with Jennifer, her assistant had walked in with lunch and I assumed that was my cue to leave. 30 minutes had already passed, the time the CSD Intern had allotted, and I thanked Jennifer for her time. She told me not to be silly and that lunch could wait. I was
excited to hear more, and touched that she seemed sincerely interested in helping me write this story. So, instead of sending me away, she continued. Six months turned into 3 years. Just like in Seattle, Jennifer found that God was moving in her own neighborhood. The Jukanovich family lived in a village with the locals. Jennifer opened her home up for Bible studies to get to know the women. Knowing that time was temporary and fleeting, Jennifer wanted to create something that would last longer than her time there. She developed a business where women could create and sell goods in order to make money for their families. She feels that the business grew because of friendship. The women all make far more money than when the business began, and they are still thriving today. Despite two businesses and lifelong friendships flourishing, all three families knew it was time to move back to the United States. Jennifer was offered a position at Gordon, and the children were ready for the normalcy they once knew well. Carter Crockett was also being interviewed by Gordon for a position that involved opening a new center on campus. Later to be known as the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Isn’t it funny how things turn out? Now Carter and Jennifer both work at Gordon. Dano is a stay-at-home Dad and flies back to Rwanda once a quarter to help with the business. Jennifer is well-settled into the job, despite the newness of it all. She feels privileged to have had the opportunity to help hire and train new staff, as well as start the Office of Multicultural Initiatives. She feels incredibly blessed to be back in the Gordon community and feels that it has been a great thing for her family. Her son even gets his hair cut by someone in my building. She is immensely grateful that Gordon has welcomed her and her family.
Despite her joy found in the students, her first year on the job has not been so. Because Gordon does not provide rocks to live under, you must know what I am referring to. The controversy that began this summer has touched us all. Jennifer said she was not surprised that Gordon is wrestling with this issue. She has seen people divided by that same topic since she worked for Laders. She has experienced the impacts of the often hurtful debate in her own family. She told me that her heart breaks for the students who have been bullied or feel ostracized. She shared her hope that Gordon will heal and stay on mission for the future. She believes that Gordon is a special place, and the stories from this year will be woven into the fabric of this college. She said she wants to walk in love and grace throughout it all, and encouraged us to all do the same. “I can never fully understand what the LGBT students are going through, and I will never be so arrogant to say I do. I want to be loving”.
Jennifer is working on a way to publically illustrate how she feels about the student body. She is currently working on gaining funding for an art piece inspired by Isaiah 61 which says- ”They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” She sees Gordon students as future leaders and impact-makers, and wants to express that through art. She has a model of it by her office, which I encourage you to check out. Jennifer loves her job at Gordon, and is excited to see where we will be in the future. Knowing how rapidly life can change, she looks forward to whatever God has in store for her family. Right now, they are getting excited for a few weeks away this summer at her parent’s cottage. Jennifer will also see some friends from college this summer. She said they have seen each other through many joys and heartaches, and will continue to grow together. I was moved and inspired by everything Jennifer
said. I would encourage anyone who is reading this to get to know her. She is a phenomenal woman who has seen a lot. I am grateful for a VP of Student Life who takes the time to get to know students and isn’t afraid to be venerable with them. I thanked Jennifer for her time and put my notebook away. I was even more humbled when she thanked me. She thanked me for wanting to get to know her and for listening to her stories. She was thankful to share, and I am thankful to learn. I learned that not knowing what will happen after we leave this bubble is not only okay, but exciting. There is much life left to live, so enjoy lets enjoy the ride.
CAMPING IN
BIG SUR Kellyn Boyden
I’ve been camping tons of times before. But Big Sur was one of those places I had only seen photos of, forever wondering “it can’t be this beautiful in real life, can it?”
As every photographer would say, these photos cannot capture the very real and surreal beauty that is Big Sur. But this is a small collection of my favorite parts of the trip- my attempts to carry this one weekend with me in the form of tangible photographed moments.
Camping is one of my favorite ways to live. Camp life, to me, is a sort of transparency that doesn’t normally exist in our everyday lives. Camping is raw, unfiltered, and totally authentic. There’s no hiding behind any fronts. You are just‌you, unmasked, living in a matching environment. Big Sur was an opportunity for me to combine
my two favorite things, camping + photography, for the first time.It was a weekend where I felt so genuinely whole and myself, because I was documenting what I loved, in the way I most love. Photographing felt like an extension of myself, an opportunity to further experience the beauty of this time with these people in this place.
FREE THE MIDI Marina Lavender Rachel Chang Growing up in sunny Southern California I became accustomed to “almost naked” fashion. Whether it was wearing a bathing suit and going to In-n-out or going shopping in my volleyball spandex (which was about as modest as cheekies underwear), being more or less nude was so pervasive as to become normalized. Obviously, the transition to Gordon was difficult- especially considering that I only owned one pair of pants, and my idea of a “coat” was a tattered flannel. As a quick fix to being perpetually cold, I started to wear tights with everything- ripped tights of course. Mainly, my uniform was ripped black tights and ripped black denim shorts with a striped shirt and short brown leather Clark boots that I wore until they disintegrated. I quickly came to realize sophomore year that if I wanted to keep my job I needed to transition from ripped on ripped to BCBG on Vince, so the tights got thrown away with the boots, and the shorts made their way to the common exchange. With only a few weeks left until graduation I’ve been undergoing the obligatory nostalgia. I can’t pinpoint it exactly, but at some moment in this process I remembered my tried and true uniform and have been donning tights (not ripped anymore) with denim shorts and a crop top (to show off that delectable midi* mind you). This is my advice: Wear tights with short shorts or skirts and a crop top to show off your midi whenever possible. Even though the sun is out it’s not quite short/dress/skirt whether. It has been a long time coming however so pull a fast one on the weather and wear summer outfits (with tights)! It’s sneaky. It’s perfect. Now back to the midi: this sensuous sliver of your body is just the right amount of revealing. I’m not recommending partnering the midi reveal with other big reveals (like your legs that we both know are hairy). Just uncover the midi. The midi reveals just enough skin so you can feel like you’re embracing summer, and not get cold. Again- we’re skipping spring and jumping into summer, so get on the red radio flyer band wagon, pull out your barbecue and slip into a crop top. #freethemidi *Midi: that delicate portion of your midriff that spans below the base of your breasts to right above your belly button.
DANCING THROUGH TENSION Amy Root Rachel Chang This year has been a time of both light and dark. I have learned that there is no other option than to hold the two in tension; embracing the darkness and basking in every ray of light we find. Our long dreary winter locked us inside and deprived us of a healthy amount of Vitamin D. Now, the sun is out and this year of tension and conflict is winding to an end. But how does this relate to fashion? Possibly not at all. But in a grand metaphor I am about to propose, let’s say that you can incorporate unique aspects of this lightness and darkness into your spring looks. Let’s embrace this idea both in the larger narrative of how we live and process our year, and also in how we transition into this sunshine and breath of life. I am having a difficult time saying goodbye to all of my favorite sweaters and boots, and I’m not quite ready to put on a summer dress and sandals. I’m okay with the change, but let’s agree to do this gradually, okay? Incorporate some aspects of darker colors, heavier prints, and textured fabrics into your look while bringing in some lighter more playful pieces. I would suggest mixing some crushed velvet and light floral prints, some black opaque tights and a dress with some lace up oxfords or pointed flats, or even a blazer over a T-shirt with light wash jeans. Introduce your winter closet to your summer closet and see what pieces tend to get along. In this time of transition, allow what you wear to be a beautiful form of self-expression and dance through the bright and the dark for what they are.
Life Abroad Abi Flynn & Marin Butterworth
There’s something invigorating about new places. It’s cool that our instinct when met with a new environment is to explore it. We are always seeking to understand who and what surrounds us. Orvieto, especially, is a place that invites searching and discovery. The beauty of this town, while apparent at first glance, can easily be superficial. Sure, the views of the valley below, the gloriously colored sunrises and sunsets, and the wealth of surrounding greenery is enough to make anyone enjoy a day inside. But when you look hard enough, you might start to see it. Why is it that the richly colored brown tufa stone glows golden when the sun hits it in the morning? How much time have the towering clocktowers told? What stories do the worn cobblestones un-der your feet have to tell? Orvieto is small. Two weeks go by, and you feel like you’ve got this place pretty much figured out. We haven’t even been here that long, and the newness already seems to be fading. How do we keep discovering in the midst of growing familiarity? We know we only have four short months here. Time has already flown by so quickly, and will only con-tinue to gain speed. Realizing that makes us want to savor this time all the more, and we have to keep reminding ourselves to keep discovering Orvieto. On one of our first days here, we wandered the streets for hours. We tried to familiarize ourselves with this new place, but every twist and turn of the narrow streets left us more confused and disoriented. At one point, we were pretty lost, but we stumbled upon a street with a surreal looking gated garden at the end. It drew us in, but the gate was closed and locked. Just as we were about to turn back, we decided to walk down the street outside the garden which seemed to lead to a dead end. We reached the bottom of the street and realized it turned into to a cave-like tunnel where beams of light streamed in from a sky space above. It was quiet, cool, and un-like anything we had seen so far. We spent a few moments in that spot, savoring the beauty and mystery of it before we left and found our way back to a main road. Since that day, we’ve never quite gotten lost enough to find this magical place again. So just recently, we decided to set out with the intention of finding it. We wandered for awhile through town, every turn taunting us; we kept expecting to see the gated garden around each corner. At last, we found it. But this time, the gate was wide open. This garden was so enchanting, so dense, green and textural. We wandered this garden, pet the resident cat, and sat in the silence of the moment. Then we moved on, back into that cavelike space down the street. It felt so nostalgic, to be back in these places that we found so early on into our time here. It was like some kind of beautiful metaphor, trying to find a place again, in contrast to it finding us. It’s easy to walk up and down the Corso, the main road of Orvieto, over and over, quickly falling into a numbing routine, but that’s not why we came here. We came to learn from our surround-ings, to seek and appreciate the beauty of encountering familiar occurrences in new places. We are learning that the value isn’t found in the newness of it all, but how the newness pushes us to realize that this world just begs to be explored and discovered, and that’s something we’ll al-ways carry with us.