COVID CULTURE
covids’ effect on today’s trends Quarantine Edition
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Ezine Spring 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter From the Editors 6 Best films of 2020 8 NATalie Fischer Browsing through 2020’s closet Mari Parzick
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The new media 15 AidAn Sheridan
Growth of Tik Tok 20 Aidan Sheridan lights, camera, Uh oh 22 NATALIE FISCHER How to style a turtle neck MARI PARZICK
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Baking through the pandemic 28 JORDAN SHRAGA Trends at home 32 JORDAN SHRAGA
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AIDAN
Hi, my name is Aidan and I’m a freshman. I live with my mother and my dog in a cute little condo in Austin, Texas and go to LASA highschool. I love mountains and hope to one day summit Denali, a big huge mountain in North America.
JORDAN
Hi! I’m Jordan and I’m a freshman at LASA. After school I attend swim practice with my competitive team COTA. In my free time I hangout with friends and play with my dog Koda. During quarantine I have enjoyed experiencing all the different fashion trends. My favorite snack is the off brand takis from Trader Joes. Enjoy the magazine!
NATALIE
Hi! My name is Natalie and I’m a freshman at LASA. I cook and shop online in my free time. I also love to play soccer and go on runs in my neighborhood. I have been baking a lot during quarantine and I have really been enjoying it! My favorite thing to bake is oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! Enjoy the magazine!
MARI
Hi my name is Mari and I’m a freshman. I like to stay active and play soccer, volleyball, and softball. I like hanging out with friends and watching TV. My favorite food is any kind of pasta, especially mac and cheese and I have a rat like dog named Peanut. I hope you like the magazine!
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Dear Readers, Welcome to our magazine, Covid Culture! As Jawaharlal Nehru once said, “Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit.” While creating this magazine all about culture we tried to consider this idea that culture is more than just the language we speak or the flag we fly. This magazine speaks about the importance of culture and the way that it affects us all. Now that the coronavirus has taken over the world and forced us all into our homes, culture has changed completely. The way schools, restaurants, even a simple handshake works in our society has all been changed, possibly forever. We wanted to take a peek at how the coronavirus has affected parts of our culture, such as film, social media, the culinary industry, and fashion. We talked to business owners, social media influencers, and employees to get an in-depth look at the way the coronavirus has shifted the way businesses are run, and how trends changed. If the coronavirus has affected your daily life, or you have seen some of your favorite businesses changing due to the coronavirus, this magazine is the perfect fit for you. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to start reading!
Natalie Fischer Jordan ShragA Mari Parzick Aidan Sheridan
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‘Nomadland’ is a beautiful film that follows the journey of a recently widowed woman who packs all of her belongings into her van and starts to travel the U.S. This movie takes a profound look at financial hardship and has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture.
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BEST FILMS OF 2020
‘Promising Young Woman’ was named one of the 10 Best Films of 2020 and is nominated for Best Picture. This dark comedy thriller is refreshing and edgy and follows a woman with a traumatic past that is finally getting her revenge.
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A Look At the FIlms that people loved in 2020 and any awards they got. Although this year might’ve been a different one for film we can still enjoys these movies.
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‘Minari’ was named one of the Top 10 best films of 2020 and won the U.S Dramatic Film award. It follows a family of South Korean immigrants who try to make it in America during the 1980s.
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‘First Cow’ won the best film at the 2020 New York Film Critics Circle award. Its beautiful graphics and moving historic storyline were enjoyed by many people. It follows the story of two travelers who are trying to become rich and end up going on a very different journey.
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‘Da 5 Bloods’ won the top 10 movies of the year and Best Action Movie award. It’s an American war drama film. This movie follows a group of 4 Vietnam war veterans who return to the country in search of the remains of their squad leader and a chest of gold.
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BROWSING THROUGH 2020’S CLOSET
PHOTO COURTESY of NOONDAY COLLECTION
An Insider look on Upcoming Fashion Trends By Marianna Parzick
Colorful beading process handmade by artisans. Photo Courtesy Of noonday collection.
Noonday Collection. Noonday is a “fashion brand that creates economic opportunity for Artisans living in vulnerable communities,” said Honnegger.
As you flip through the pages of brightly lit runway shows, shining colors, and modern, funky patterns of the fashion catalog, you look down and can’t help but notice you’ve been in your pajamas all day. But, you’re not alone.
From mainstream and luxury to thrifting/second-hand finds, there have been many new, fun, and funky trends in the fashion industry recently. Finding your style can help you present yourself to others, and luckily there are many options.
The arrival of COVID hit the fashion industry hard and there have been some major adaptations ever since. Without busy New York streets or exhilarating runway shows, fashion inspiration has been low. But, even with the rise of COVID, people can find one thing to stay connected: fashion trends.
One main form of recent fashion is accessories and jewelry. Accessories and jewelry can be used to elevate or spice up an outfit. Trending accessories include headbands, chains, wire/ crystal necklaces, funky rings, and much more. Jessica Honegger is the CEO of a locally-owned jewelry and accessory fashion business,
Along with selling unique pieces from around the world, they are a feminist and socially responsible brand. Honegger said being at Noonday is, “a lot about our social impact that we’re making, and also just helping women feel beautiful in their skin.” Like Honnegger said, being in the fashion industry is fastpaced and constantly changing, which means it is very future oriented. So, planning out stock and designs takes time. “We’re designing our collections right now for spring 2022,” said Honegger.
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Strong Female Artisans and Ambassadors of Noonday Collection working together. Photo Courtesy of Noonday Collection
She explains that in order to release a collection, they first kick it off with a trend presentation from a merchandising director who looks to runway designers, artists, and culture to understand what the upcoming trends are. Once they can get a good idea of the designs they can begin developing and releasing their collection. But, like many other businesses, Noonday has been heavily impacted by COVID. “Typically, we are constantly scouring designers and runways in order to predict what sort of trends our customers might like,” Honneggersaid. But because of COVID, “both runway and street fashion have become a lot less relevant.” Honnegger said. She says they are no longer able to look to runway or street fashion because people aren’t really out and about anymore. In addition, the supply chain was impacted. For the first few months, certain launches had to be put on pause and their collections were adapted. “Certain things we thought we’d be able
to launch we weren’t able to,” Honnegger said. But, it wasn’t all bad. “Other items that we were able to get in, we were able to launch and we started launching DIY kits for when people were staying home alone more. We started launching build your own bracelet sets, morse code sets, and paper beads sets,” Honnegger said. She said they also began to “drop less products more frequently.” Some of Noonday Collection’s adaptations caused by COVID ended up being here to stay in the long run. “Our Noonday collection ambassadors, who are basically retail store owners, quickly shifted and started doing online gatherings...So now most of our sales are online... But now, as we are kind of thinking about what gathering is going to look like in the future, I think our real shift is that a majority of our sales are going to take place in a virtual setting, even as people begin to gather again,” Honneger said.
Mainstream, luxury, and brand names are not the only popular ways to shop. Especially this past year, thrifting has been widely popularized. Thrifting is a great way to find unique pieces that fit you. Aarian Frye, a marketing specialist for Buffalo Exchange, started in store as a buyer and moved over to the corporate office in Tucson, Arizona. Buffalo Exchange is a great thrift store that is meant for “anyone who enjoys the thrill of discovering an awesome secondhand find. Or, someone who wants current clothing at a great price,” said Frye. Frye explains that in order to keep up with trends while offering a wide selection they follow fashion blogs and style influencers on social media while also spending a lot of time researching what’s hot and new in stores. Then most importantly, they ask customers what they’re shopping for and what they’d like to see. Since most of the inventory does come from a super diverse customer base, it’s easy for them to offer such a wide selection.
Buffalo exchange’s selction adapted to new covid percautions. photo courtesy Of buffalo exchange.
In her mind, “secondhand fashion doesn’t really differ from mainstream because while you can find really unique, one of a kind vintage pieces shopping secondhand, you can also find styles that are super primed, and reflect what you see right now, while online shopping in malls or department stores.” Frye explains that if anything, thrifting gives you more options to really create your own personal style and you can find so many different pieces in one place. When COVID hit, Buffalo Exchange, like all businesses, had to adapt. Frye says that especially at the beginning of the pandemic, customers were not able to come in and shop. So, they implemented mandatory safety precautions such as mandatory masks, frequently sanitizing the entire store, and limited indoor capacity for shoppers and employees. “We also installed selling by appointment and the option to use our sell by mail program,” said Frye.
The colorful exterior of Buffalo Exchange ready to welcome excited shoppers. Photo Courtesy of Buffalo Exchange
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Beautiful Artisan-made jewelry in the hands of the skillful artist. photo Courtesy Of Noonday Collection
Buffalo Exchange has also had to adapt the way they market their business. Frye says a lot of the focus has been on explaining current protocols. Buffalo Exchange posts a lot online about updates in the store and new things that you might see like closed dressing rooms, plexiglass/screens in front of the buy counter, or the new sell via mail program. Along with affecting individual businesses, COVID has affected the fashion industry in general. “The luxury market has been impacted”, Honneger said. “Even in this last year, if people haven’t been impacted or suffered by COVID, then you’re not wanting to flaunt that. There’s just a little bit more of a quietness in the fashion industry right now.” In addition, “we’ve seen trends like loungewear, a ton of new DIY projects like tie-dye, and
just all around cozy styles to work for home and for brief outings. We’ve also seen on the flip side, people started to take a lot of chances with their style. So, someone who may have only worn jeans and a T-shirt before, they start experimenting with different layers and bright colors and things like that,” said Frye. People’s opinions and styles evolve and grow over time, and what might have been popular one year is forgotten the following year. However, some trends do last a long time, even if they are adapted based on the current styles or trends. “For the short term, I feel like we’ve seen a lot of micro trends, so they’re styles that take off quickly and are super popular” said Frye. “But instead of buying a ton of them, you keep a few key pieces, like tie dye as I mentioned. Cow print has been huge and fringe.”
“Longer term trends would be more comfortable. For example, loungewear, athleisure, and sustainable styles. Either buying from secondhand or smaller and slower style brands that have low impact materials and smaller production scale,” said Frye. The only way to know for sure what trends go into and out of style is just to observe. Hopefully as COVID begins to decline, we will begin to go back to our normal methods of style and fashion inspiration. But, even as we return to normal, 2020’s trends won’t be forgotten.
“There’s just a little bit more of a quietness in the fashion industry right now.” - Jessica honneger from noonday collection
THE NEW MEDIA By Aidan Sheridan
How Social Media and its influencers have Grown Over Time PHOTO COURTESY of GRAPHIC BURGER
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DEPICTION OF different interactions that are used in social media. Photo courtesy of All things web.
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s you upload your first picture, you’re nervous. What if people don’t like it? You check back hours later and it has hundreds of likes! You’re growing fast… maybe you could get the hang of this whole social media thing! Social media are websites and apps that allow people to create and share content through virtual communities and networks on the internet. Social media has been around for 40 years but has only recently gained a lot of popularity, especially in the year 2020. As of March 28, 2021, 3.96 billion people have social media and 58% of the
world are active on it with hundreds of different apps being used. Skweezy Jibbs has a large following on social media with over 2.8 million followers on Tik Tok, 240 thousand followers on Instagram, and 347 thousand followers on Facebook. He said a lot of people are on social media because it’s so addicting. “It is designed to be addictive,
that’s for sure.” said Jibbs. “Should you be the one to blame for spending too much time on the app, or could you say the company designed it that way to make everyone addicted?” King Caleb is a smaller creator on social media platforms , but still has more than 135
thousand followers on Tik Tok, and has been on the platform for around 10 months. Recently, Tik Tok has ‘blown up’ and he says this is due to attention span. “It’s one minute or less so it’s not like YouTube. On YouTube you have to sit there for 15 minutes.” said Caleb. “On Tik Tok, you just have to sit there for a minute or a few minutes and then you can get off the app, you know what I mean? The content is more digestible.” Jibbs also understands a lot about why Tik Tok blew up and he thinks it’s because Tik Tok makes it easier for people to create content and share it, and the company at least somewhat cares about creators. “I think that with Facebook and Instagram, they were designed for people to share pictures with their friends, but Tik Tok feels like it was invented for people to create things and share them” said Jibbs. “Tik Tok makes it so easy to create something and put it up without many bugs or glitches.” said Jibbs. “Facebook, I can’t even post. I have to go into my Facebook creator app and post the same thing between four and ten times before it works. It just wont show up. They don’t care about creators. I feel like they will care about people that just care about advertisers.”
Picture of Skweezy aka skweezy4real, famous comedian. photo courtesy of Skweezy Jibbs. King Caleb thinks that Tik Tok also doesn’t care about creators, just like Instagram and Facebook. He thinks that small creators’ voices, like his, are often left unheard. “It’s actually pretty bad. I know some people who have 700k, 800k [followers].” said Caleb. “They’ve had problems with community guidelines. I’ve had videos taken down in the past for no reason and they don’t really care. They’ll ban people for pretty much no reason.” Skweezy Jibbs also said that he’s experienced a few problems with Tik Tok as well. The issues with the information security and the Chinese government had driven him away but he later came back to the app.
“I was on Tik Tok a long time ago, like two years ago, and tried it out but the whole thing about the Chinese government I didn’t like too much,” said Jibbs. “And then when they ended up having to get American companies involved in order to diversify a little bit, it made me more comfortable to get back on.” Both Caleb and Jibbs are known as influencers on these social media platforms. An influencer is someone who gathers a large audience and is able to persuade their followers to act based on their recommendations. These influencers can make money by getting their audience to buy things they make or show them an ad for a product, usually COVID CULTURE |17
“I think it’s different and cool to have people just dancing in their underwear and [shiz], that’s fine, but I think sometimes people are looking for something a little different and I’m definitely different.”
because of luck.”
Jibbs also said part of it had to do with luck and being at the right place at the right time. He thinks it’s a combination of the two.
“I think the first one that hit a million was the one with my dad being a Juggalo or the reason maybe I’m a Juggalo too.” said Jibb. “I think that was the first one that blew up.”
“Luck is a huge part of it.” said Jibbs. “I’m not trying to talk shit, but look at these dancers on Tik Tok, I mean, there’s a million of them. Why do 10 of them get so popular and 10 of them rise all of the way to the top when there’s so many doing it? The thing that a lot of them don’t like to talk about is that it’s just
Jibb’s way of getting popular on social media was through weird comedy videos. After his first video went viral he just kept growing!
A Juggalo is a fan of a music group called the ‘Insane Clown Posse’ or a fan of any other group by the Psychopathic Records independent record label. For Caleb, his first video that blew up also had to do with
Some popular Social Medias among all age groups. Photo courtesy of BLogtacular.com. A lot of people are able to use this as a way to make a lot of money and don’t need to work a regular job because of it. Jibbs’ experience as an influencer gave him a lot of insight in the job and said that if you wanted to become a successful influencer, you’d have to be different from the rest. “I think with Tik Tok, people connect with how I’m weird, so that’s part of it.” said Jibbs.
A helpful infographic involving social media growth up until July of 2020. photo courtesy of smart insights
depiction of a social media influencer. photo courtesy of ShareThis.com
comedy. His take was based more on a political topic. “I think there was one with the presidential debates,” said Caleb. “You know Roddy Rich and the box? Well he said ‘I’m a 2020 presidential candidate.’ I played that part of the music video. It got 2.5 million views and I was like, ‘Where the [fudge] was this guy during the debate?’” Skweezy Jibbs used his fame on social media to bring monetary value. He came up with creative ideas for his fanbase to help support him. “Recently I’ve been doing pretty good not making money off of Tik Tok, but selling my t-shirts and doing cameo videos. I just did 10 cameo videos and my tongue is all swollen!” said Jibbs. “Those are fun to just kind of do that. I don’t really spend that much
money. I live in a little tiny apartment and I don’t really have expenses so it’s pretty easy to pay the bills.” Jibbs says he likes being famous, but there are some downsides to it as well that not many talk about or know of. “I think for most people that’s the dream. Especially for a lot of young people, it’s popularity and fame,” he said. “Let me tell you something homie, that [shiz] is the worst part of it. You can’t understand it until you’ve been there.” Jibbs says a big problem with being popular is the awkwardness in public places. “I’m not gonna name drop because that’s not what I do, but I’m kind of acquaintances with some really famous people, and they all hate being famous, every single one of
them. They liked the perks, they like to be able to make money off of what they create and what they love, but the [bullshiz]that goes with it is just not fun.” said Jibbs. “I appreciate when people like my stuff and respect what I do, but it’s hard to be doing a workout in a park and just having people stand there, staring at me.” Social media is growing rapidly and is projected to grow to 4.41 billion users by 2025. There are hundreds of different types of social media platforms, and each have their own reasons on why they’ve grown so much. Some, as we’ve learned from these influencers, have room for improvement. Nonetheless, it is these growing platforms that allow people to express themselves and their ideas while also making money, expanding both human interaction and the job market. COVID CULTURE |19
GROWTH OF Tik Tok Tik Tok’s recent growth and what groups of individuals are on the site
According to the graph, the amount of active monthly users on Tik Tok reached almost 700 million people in July of 2020. To compare, in January of 2018 there were only 50 million active monthly users on the site. That is a 650 million person increase in just over two years of time. At this rate, Tik Tok could become a social media super giant!
Information provided by Businessofapps.com, Business Insider, CNBC, and BBC News. Photo courtesy of CNBC.
The country that downloaded Tik Tok the most was India. In 2019, the app was downloaded 323 million times, making up 44% of the world’s downloads of Tik Tok that year. Tik Tok was also the most downloaded app in India, surpassing Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Tik Tok generated 5.6 billion dollars in just the first three months of 2020. To compare, Facebook only made 4.9 billion in the first quarter of 2020.
41%
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5 5
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of Tik Tok users are between ages of 16 and 24.
This is because Tik Tok is targeted towards younger audiences. The majority of users on Tik Tok are female, as seen on the graph to the right. In 2015, it was reported that 73% of online men and 80% of online women used social networking sites so this statistic makes sense.
41.3%
58.7%
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LIGHTS, CAMERA, UH OH By Natalie Fischer
How different theaters adapted to the pandemic
T
he lights fade out and you recline back into your chair that hugs you like a blanket. The smell wafting from the popcorn next to you makes you sigh in happiness. A server hands you a cold, sugary milkshake just as the movie starts and you are finally relaxed — “Beep, Beep, Beep!” blares the car alarm outside your window, jolting you back to reality. You realize that you’re not in a movie theater; you’re in the same house you’ve been locked in for the past year! Since the pandemic, hundreds of thousands of businesses have been forced to close down due to safety issues or lack of money. The film industry has been severely affected as it has been hard to safely produce movies. Many huge film festivals like Sundance and South by Southwest have moved online and theaters everywhere closed down. Tim League is currently the CFO of Alamo Drafthouse and was the CEO for over 20 years. Tim League said the unique qualities of the Alamo Drafthouse have helped it stand out from other movie theaters and become as successful as it is today. “What defines us as the Alamo started with ... [thinking] about all the things that [I] didn’t like about going to the movies,” League said. “Our no talking, no texting policy was a part of that, and the idea of introducing food and drinks, like upgrading concessions. … so a lot of the things we’re
known for, we articulated, what we didn’t like about the movies and tried to make a better option.” During the pandemic, the Alamo had to be even more unique to stay afloat. One new feature that was added is renting out theaters for small groups of people. “Fifty percent of our revenue right now is from the private theater rental business,” League said. “We’re definitely seeing a COVID-related desire that people are more comfortable with their partner, their family, and renting a theater.” Josh Frank has been the owner of the local Blue Starlite Drive-In Movie Theater for over ten years. His business is one of the few that is safe enough to stay open throughout the entirety of the pandemic and hardly had to make any changes to create a safe and COVIDfree environment. “The essence of the business is a very socially distant experience. All
Cars gather at downtown Austin, Texas Blue Starlite DriveIn location as theaters around the world shut down due to COVID 19 guidelines. Photo COurtesy Blue Starlite Drive-In
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did was double down on that and add additional measures; like you can’t sit outside of your car, if you get out of your car to go to the bathroom, you have to wear a mask, and all sales are done through our online portal. So, it wasn’t hard to change over to those protocols because it was just adding a couple of additional rules that secure everything even further.” The pandemic has created an environment where even going to an indoor theater can be dangerous. When most theaters were closed down, the Blue Starlite DriveIn welcomed a lot of new customers. “The fact that there were fewer going out to movie options meant that we’ve gotten more attention,” Frank said. On the other hand, making the Alamo into a pandemic safe environment was a much harder task. League was forced to close down and make a lot of adjustments in order to bring in revenue. “Our driving force was to be safer than the supermarket,” League said. “We shut down the box office, so all tickets are purchased online. We installed Merv thirteen filters everywhere, and we built technology into the website that automatically put 6 buffer seats between the groups. We feel pretty confident saying that we’re the safest in the industry and have a really
strong protocol.”
fall.”
The Alamo had to rewire its entire business to ensure that it was pandemic safe. League said quarantine presented a good opportunity to reflect on the Alamo and make changes that he would not have otherwise.
In order for the Alamo to make money during the pandemic, League helped create Alamo on Demand; a digital platform that shows a curated selection of movies.
“One of the strange silver linings is that you get to look at improving the business while you’re closed, which you never have an opportunity to do during normal operations,” League said. “So looking at the hospitality side of things, technology, the menu itself, and being able to rebuild that as we approach reopening this fall.”
“One of my side projects is to build a video on demand, a digital platform for the Alamo that will live on once we’re open again,” League said. “The idea for our platform is every movie on there represents a movie that one of our team absolutely loves and curates.”
The Blue Starlite Drive-In has also had opportunities to adapt and change their experience over quarantine. Businesses everywhere have One way Frank was able to do had to adapt and change to stay this was by showing South by open throughout the pandemic. Southwest films that had no League said that the Alamo place to be shown. has had to spend a lot of time trying to stay afloat given the “At the beginning of the decrease in people going to the pandemic, we showed a movies. number of short films from South by Southwest that got “The biggest challenge is canceled,” Frank said. “People making sure that we have responded really well to that, money,” League said. “We’re and we’re actually doing it acquiring a lot of debt because again this year, at the end of the [theaters] are open at March after South by Online fifteen/twenty percent happens.” capacity… so it’s making sure we don’t run out of money Along with changing theaters, before we open back up in the the pandemic has also changed
“One of the strange silver linings is that you get to look at improving the business while you’re closed,” - Tim League, CFO of the alamo
the movies that people want to watch and filmmakers want to create. “Our warm blanket movies, the eighties classic fun movies like The Goonies, Back to the Future, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars. Those have all continued to be very popular.” Frank said. League agreed and said that people are looking for an escape from reality at movie theaters. “People are tending to go to this warm, comfortable, feel-good, repertory. Movies like Elf, over the holidays, and Princess Bride, which everybody loves and it’s light. It’s nostalgic.” League said. “Generally, we aren’t going for heavy, depressing films, but artful films. I think everybody’s craving an escape from the heaviness of life, by seeing something that’s fun, and exciting.”
“There are a lot [of movies] that lean into the idea of isolation, or limited numbers of people and limited interaction. I think it’ll write itself come this fall” - TIM LEAGUE, CFO OF THE ALAMO
A family has rented a private movie theater and goes to the movies on Halloween as a part of the Alamo Drafthouse’s private theater rental program. COurtesy OF the alamo
The pandemic has had a huge effect on everyone and it will change the film industry from a local drive-in movie theaters to celebrities in Hollywood. Frank said that the pandemic is a time when the film industry should and will change.
“Now is a great opportunity to rethink entertainment, to rethink how we get our entertainment outside of The movies that audiences streaming. What kind of want to watch are changing due entertainment is offered at to the pandemic, and the films movie theaters, both indoors that people want to create will and outdoors?” Frank said. also change. League had some “We’ve been exploring, insight into what type of movies different types of content we would be seeing after the and what you can do in pandemic. other environments, other than indoor spaces that “Movies that are being involve movies and screen produced right now are on the entertainment.” independent side,” League said. “There are a lot [of movies] that The entertainment industry is lean into the idea of isolation, or changing due to the pandemic, limited numbers of people and and theaters have been forced limited interaction. I think it’ll to change in order to keep up write itself come this fall, and with it. Most indoor theaters then it’ll be just all the stories are planning on opening up that people want to tell.”
Entry to Alamo Drafthouse, South Lamar Location. COurtesy of the alamo
An empty Alamo Drafthouse Theater during the Pandemic. COurtesy of The Alamo COVID CULTURE |25
HOW TO STYLE CREWNECK
An essential
Similar to T-shirts, crewnecks and turtlenecks are a casual pairing. Crewnecks are a warmer alternative to T-shirts. Depending on the color or graphic on the crewneck, it can change the style of the whole outfit.
PUFFER JACKET Puffer jackets are great, trendy pieces in winter time to stay warm and to add an extra layer of warmth to your turtrleneck. In addition to adding warmth, it can add a pop of color to a plain colored turtleneck. Any color puffer jacket works with a solid-colored turtleneck.
Turtlenecks are perfect, tren or just spice up an outfit. I weather to highten your out of color and elegance, and a
A TURTLENECK
l closet piece
ndy pieces to layer, accessorize, It can be used in cold and hot tfit. This trendy piece adds a pop an essential part of your closet!
T-SHIRT A graphic T-shirt paired with any colored turtle neck is a great causual pairing. Depending on the T-shirt, it can make for a casual, every day outfit or a trendy street wear outfit. Matching the T-shirt to the turtleneck colors is an essential part of making the outfit.
BLAZER Blazers Blazers can can bebe layered layered with with turtlenecks turtlenecks forfor a professional a professional and and high high class class look. look. You You can can pair any pair any patterned patterned blazer blazer withwith a solid colored a solid turtleneck colored turtleneck for an elegant for an elegant look. look. This This layering layering can can bebe used used forfor a a trendy trendy street-wear street-wear outfit, outfit, or or a a professional professionallook lookdepending dependingon what on what bottoms bottoms youyou pairpair them them with. with. COVID CULTURE | 27 COVID CULTURE |27
BAKING through the PANDEMIC Local Austin bakeries’ journies throughout Covid-19 BY: Jordan Shraga
A cinnamon roll formed by the “Cinnamon Roll Recipe” by John Kanell. Photo courtesy of John Kanell.
O
wning a small business is a lifelong dream for many, and only a few can achieve it. As you continue conquering the world with your ideas, you could never imagine that you may fail. But as a deadly and contagious virus spreads around the globe, you can never prepare yourself for what’s going to occur. You hear about major countries shutting down and going into quarantine, but as a small business owner, you can’t afford that. Covid-19 is a virus that took the world by surprise and resulted in a worldwide pandemic in late 2019. Even though the first countries that were exposed to the virus went into quarantine in early 2020, Texas shut down weeks later on March 13, 2020. Nearly 1,500 small businesses shut down in Austin, Texas alone. Stephanie Schuester, the owner of the Upper Crust Bakery in Austin, Texas, experienced the major effects of Covid-19 firsthand. She revealed that maintaining her bakery has been an ongoing battle throughout these challenging months. “It takes everything we’ve got right now just to manage the day-to-day,” Schuester said. “It’s hard with all the other fires we are putting out.” Schuester mentioned that she had to reduce the items on her menu to withstand all the effort
Upper crust bakery’s full pastry shelf before the 10% downsize due to covid. Photo courtesy of The upper crust bakery. it takes to uphold her bakery’s reputation. Around 10% of her pastries had to be taken off the menu because of the shortage of resources and supplies. “We have such a large menu that if we did anything it would be to cut some pastries from the menu,” Schuester said. “To hone our processes and to continue to improve on the ones that are the most popular.” Upper Crust Bakery isn’t the only local Austin establishment that has been experiencing major turning points and obstacles during Covid-19. Ghufrana Mahrukh, the owner of Heaven’s Bistro Bakery, located in Austin, Texas, has been facing similar struggles as Schuester throughout quarantine.
Quarantine hasn’t just affected the personal performance of the staff or the bakeries themselves, but also the bakeries’ statistics and trends. Throughout quarantine, both of the bakeries’ statistics and sales rates have seen major ups and downs. “Yes, incredibly,” Schuester said when asked if there was an increase in pick-up rates. “We had a walk through bakery before, and now just about everything people pick up here.” The popularity of a pick-up option when ordering food has increased since the start of quarantine. Although, there are people who can’t afford to leave their homes during these troubling times who do prefer a delivery service.
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“my personal favorite...
Definietly Pecan Pie!” - Stephanie Schuester, OWNER OF THE UPPER CRUST BAKERY
goods which can be seen through both of these bakeries. “Tiramisu is our number one seller, we are selling more and more every day,” Mahrukh said. “We are also selling a lot of croissants; the croissant is a savory favorite.” Schuester has seen more of a variety in customers’ favorite pastries since the start of quarantine. Instead of having a sweet and savory baked good being the favorite, her customers prefer a more “old-fashioned” pastry. Heaven’s Bistro Bakery’s heavenly Tiramisu. Photo courtesy of Heaven’s Bistro Bakery. “Well, we thought about doing that [establishing a delivery service],” Schuester said. “But with all the other fires we are putting out, that takes time to set up that kind of thing with someone that you trust.” Mahrukh had a different input on the matter concerning pick-up and delivery services. Since the demand for certain pastries has gone down, Mahrukh made leeway for deliveries. Mahrukh instated a
delivery service with GrubHub mid-quarantine, but hasn’t seen customers favor it over the pick-up option. “The customers want to come in and choose their own pace.” Mahrukh said. Heaven’s Bistro Bakery and the Upper Crust Bakery have seen trends following their most liked and popular pastry items. Quarantine has uncovered people’s top choices of baked
“I would say the most popular pastries would be, cakes, running neck and neck with cinnamon rolls.” Schuester said. “Cinnamon rolls being almost its own entity, we sell more of those per day by number than any other item on the menu.” Quarantine has started a repetitive trend for these bakeries, instead of inspiring new ideas, it did the exact opposite: slow things down. All the way from condensing their growing menu to the rate of daily customers dropping.
increase of orders and overall business, to exciting and future goals for each bakery. “Freshen up, spruce up,” Schuester said when asked about her future goals for her bakery. “Have a big sigh of relief and like I said, freshen up.” Schuester also hinted towards a slight remodel when she mentioned “new paints” for the bakery. UPPER CRUST BAKERY’S CUSTOMER FAVORITE: THE CINNAMON ROLL. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UPPER CRUST BAKERY.
“First of all, I’m seeing fewer customers and we have to decrease our store hours to accompany the customer pace,” Mahrukh said. “Before the pandemic, we were open seven days a week, eight to nine. And after that, we were open five days a week, eight to five.” On the other hand, Mahrukh ensures brighter days are coming ahead. Even though customers aren’t rushing in compared to before the pandemic, Mahrukh is seeing an increase in the average daily customers that are coming into the bakery. “Everything is getting a little better now,” Mahrukh said. “We are opening again six days and the same hours, but I’m seeing more customers these days.” Catering is a successful way to promote and advertise a
business. Both of the bakeries provided a catering service before the pandemic, but neither escaped Covid-19’s wrath. “As for the catering business... we are not currently doing that as much,” Mahrukh said. “The offices are closed right now and everybody is working from home, so we can’t provide a major catering service.” Although Mahrukh said that the catering business isn’t receiving as much attention as before the pandemic, she hinted at a comeback. “But, we’re starting [to cater] up again,” Mahrukh said. “Last week, we catered for a Google company.” Throughout late February and early March, business started to pick up the pace for both bakeries. All the way from an
Mahrukh’s plans for her bakery varied from Schuesters. Mahrukh is eager to expand her bakery while re-opening the currently shut down entities. “Firstly, I want to re-open the inside dining,” Mahrukh said. “I’m also thinking about putting more tables outside and having a civic engagement on the rooftop.” As vaccination plans start rolling out and approximately three million Texans received vaccinations for Covid-19, a light at the end of the tunnel is starting to shine for these local Austin bakeries.
“we completely stopped
indoor dining.” - GHUFRANA MAHRUKH, OWNER OF HEAVEN’S BISTRO BAKERY
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K E FAS UP TRENDS AT HOME HIO MA EN N KE DS FA UP TS TR SH M PLA END ION NT S T F S P RE LAN N TS Popular at home activites done throughout quarantine | Jordan Shraga
GARDENING
“Gardening is becoming an increasingly popular quarantine activity.” DBKSNews said. Throughout the quarantine months, its popularity has continued to grow. While gardening can be time consuming, it’s an easy hobby to start. All the way from succulents to even vegetables, gardening has been an activity with increased interest throughout quarantine.
MALE MAKEUP
During the summer months of quarantine men started wearing makeup on multiple social media apps. It became a popular and well-liked trend. Mainly on Tik Tok, men from all ages would post videos of themselves wearing makeup confidently. This trend became highly supported by many. This trend was meant to break several societal standards and for men to be comfortable in makeup.
SEWING
Starting in 2021, a lot of videos have been seen around social media of (mainly) teenagers creating their own clothes. Some videos even included indepth tutorials of what to do. A large majority of these videos showed a dress being either machine or hand sewn. Although, other pieces of clothing have been presented such as pants, jackets, and corsets.
MA KE FAS UP M H ND ION AKE S U F S P TRE ASH P M LAN ND IO S N KNITTING
In addition to sewing fabrics together, people have started to knit. Knitting has become a common and popular activity amongst many during quarantine. A major part of its popularity comes from how affordable it is. Stitching Jules (a well-known knitting website) has estimated only a $28 spending fee to start knitting. Knitting is the perfect quarantine pastime.
PAINTING
Even though painting is obviously an activity done way before quarantine, its popularity amongst teenagers has increased dramitcally during quarantine. The famous painter, Bob Ross, assures that painting has relaxing effects, and uplifts moods. Painting is a soothng and relaxing pastime which is much needed during these difficult times.
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