Fable: May 2021 Issue

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Allyson Konz

DEPUTY EDITOR

Kate Lawless ART DIRECTOR

Channing Smith

HONORARY ART DIRECTOR

Annika Ide

WUD PRESIDENT Lily Miller

WUD PUBLICATIONS COMMITTE DIRECTOR

Evanka Annyapu

WUD PUBLICATIONS COMMITTE ADVISOR

Robin Schmoldt

ARTS CURATOR

Emma Gray

PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR

Annika Ide

CREATIVE DIRECTORS

Sam Starks

Maria Dayneko

FASHION DIRECTOR

Sarah Troy

FASHION EDITOR

Corbin Woessner

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Shelby Evans

CULTURE EDITOR

Gabrielle Gronewold

ARTS EDITOR

Arella Warren

SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARKETING DIRECTOR

Jade Christensen

SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR

Talia Abbe

WRITERS

Jane Houseal • Manon Bushong • Emily Fleming

• Kate Lawless • Rachel Hale • Elizabeth Karnowski

• Emma Goshin • Gabrielle Gronewold • Kora Quinn • Ella Warren • Jessica Kats

• Mason Braasch • Maya Greenberg • Shelby Evans

MODELS

Archi Patel • Jacob Day • Maria Mansala • Ella Cunz • Nyla Mathis • Rhys Koch • Jessica Katz • Manya Shah • Lucia Wallinga

ART

Arella Warren • Sammy Meyerson • Jessica Tenenbaum • Allyson Konz

• Rose Quinlan • Ella Kunz • Mac Gale • Emma Gray

PHOTOGRAPHY

Audrey O'Neill • Luc Marchessault • Anna Janke • Jessica Tenenbaum • Hannah Huber • Annika Ide • Hunter Kiehl • Seth DeGier • Bela Orzechowski

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIFESTYLE

20 Performative or Purposeful

Looking at the stories different Gen Z catered brands tell to sell their products

34

The Future of Faith

How faith communities can combat decrease in youth membership by reflecting inclusive values

40

The Hidden Villain of your Childhood Story

How fables were used to perpetrate the Nazi Regime's antisemitism

10

The Stories of Laurel Canyon

An in-depth look at the music of the picturesque California scene

13 Fable Playlist

A look into some of the artists featured on our Fable Playlist

25

Subverting the Tolkien Template

Modern fantasy authors you should read instead of Tolkien

6 The Kombucha Craze

What is it? And why should you make your own?

24

Pushing Daisies

How to give your dead flowers a second life

14

Are you a Fairy, Mermaid or Unicorn? What your favorite mythical creature says about you

36

Simple, Yet Whimsical Makeup

A little extra something for your everyday makeup look

FASHION

5 Here Comes the Bride

A look into how Moda moms chose their perfect wedding dresses

26

Stories of Style

How to evolve your own look, as described by four UW-Madison students

37

Bringing Back Dress Up

From runways to your closet, storytelling is the heart of fashion

FEATURED

15 Charmed

28 Secret Garden

Letter from the Editor

Photographed by Audrey O'Neill, Assistant Photography Director

Dear Readers,

We have made it to May. A year has passed in this role, and I want to share what I have learned as I reflect on these final moments of college and Moda.

To be a senior in college this past year has been, at the minimum, difficult. I have experienced my last classes, last meetings, last moments virtually, waving goodbye to professors, friends and Moda staff members I have never seen in person. For a long time, I harbored a bitterness at this feeling of loss and frustration, thinking of what should have been. I spent hours looking out my window, watching the seasons change from snow to rain to sunny skies, wondering how I would remember my undergraduate experience.

However, holding onto this bitterness will get me nowhere, and so, I have allowed myself to feel those emotions earnestly, in their full, and accept them for what they are. Taking the time to process this past year has allowed me to fully appreciate what our staff at Moda has accomplished. Eight digital issues, two print issues, four lookbooks, UW-Madison’s 10th annual Fashion Week, a plethora of online content and one website redesign later, this team has come together to do the extraordinary.

As usual, our team pulled out all the stops for our final 2020-2021 digital issue. Fable is the team’s ode to springtime, renewal and storytelling. A season full of wildflowers, soft evening skies and rainy days inspired us to create something ethereal for our readers. Creative Assistant Emily Fleming interviewed Moda mom’s about their wedding day dresses, Mason Braasch wrote a how-to guide on how to brew kombucha and Arts Editor Ella Warren curated the perfect Fable playlist for all your nature walks.

Of course, fables are a form of storytelling, and our writers took it upon themselves to analyze and critique commonly-told stories we are all familiar with. Culture Editorial Assistant Rachel Hale wrote about the blatant antisemitism in childhood fables passed down for generations and Emma Goshin wrote about the narrative that shifts the responsibility of fixing the climate crisis on consumers (instead of the corporations who are actually polluting our earth).

In every issue we created this year, I wanted to challenge our readers to think about themselves, and the world, differently. Many of these issues, like Honey, Melodrama and Oasis, asked our readers to boldly embrace their emotional health and wellbeing in this taxing year. Others, such as Plastic and Fatale, sought to break down our presumptions and stereotypes surrounding topics like femininity and feminism. However, at the end of it all, I hope our readers and team were left with more questions than answers, ready to start where we left off next fall.

I dreaded writing this letter because finishing it felt insurmountable. Even last week I still felt some sort of unease about graduating; I still had an unnerving feeling that I, in fact, wasn’t ready to leave Moda or college behind. But now having turned my tassel to the right and walking out of Camp Randall one last time as an undergraduate, I feel at peace about moving on, and to that, share my final words.

To the Moda team: Thank you for being the light in my senior year; you are the reason I will look back on this year with fondness. Thank you for being my confidants and bringing your enthusiasm to every Tuesday night Zoom call that we met on. You are some of the most incredible people I know, and I cannot wait to see the ways you grow Moda over time. Cherish the people on this team and your time in Moda — you will miss it someday.

Don’t be a stranger; I’ll miss you all,

EDITOR IN CHIEF ALLYSON KONZ

Findingthe perfect dress is one of the most important aspects of achieving your dream fairytale wedding. There are many factors that contribute to finding the perfect wedding dress—the price, color, size, fabric, detail, length, cut, and more. Four of our Moda staff’s moms have given us a peek into their process of choosing their perfect dress, and gave us insight into what made their dress special to them.

Heather Bushong, Manon's Mom

“Dresses at bridal shops were too expensive—the one I liked was $650—so I found a vogue pattern and had it made by a seamstress in Missoula. It turned out to be around $250. Off the shoulder dresses were the style of the moment, and I liked it. I felt that I could trust Vogue as the style maker of the time. It worked out well for me. I also picked an ivory color fabric over white, and I loved the pattern on the fabric. It was perfect.”

Nancy Woessner, Corbin's Mom

“It was not frilly and over the top and that’s what I wanted. I loved it because it was simple, yet classic. I also loved how the silk fabric and lace peter pan collar gave the dress a very classic, yet elegant look.”

Gail Houseal, Jane's Mom

“I went shopping for my wedding dress with my husband. We went to the Jessica McClintock store together and

Here Comes the Bride

A LOOK INTO HOW MODA MOMS CHOSE THEIR PERFECT WEDDING DRESSES

Written by Emily Fleming, Creative Direction Assistant Graphic by Jessica Tenenbaum, Staff Photographer

picked out a dress we found off the rack. When I first picked out my dress, I loved it because it was simple and elegant, but I didn’t know if I felt like a bride. I was also hesitant to be a bride, because the wedding was small and I am not one to want a lot of attention on myself. When I told my husband I loved it, I still didn’t quite feel like a bride. Yet when I picked out my headband veil, that is what made me feel complete.”

Tanya Polsky, Emily's Mom

“My dress was custom made because I was 6 months pregnant at the time. I had a Russian seamstress make me this dress, and I knew I wanted to have flowers, layers, and lots of movement. I wanted a romantic and delicate look, and nothing too revealing. I had freesia’s in my hair, and I wanted the details of the dress to mimic the flower. It turned out beautifully. I also had a summer wedding, so I wanted a dress that was breezy, airy, and light. It reminded me of ocean waves.”

Each dress showed the brides’ individual personalities and tastes. It is beautiful to see how much thought goes into the process of choosing the perfect dress, and how much opportunity there is for creativity and uniqueness. In the spirit of Mother’s day coming up, it felt right to celebrate Moda moms and their beauty, inside and out. ■

HW A T I S I T? ANDWHYSHOULD YOU MAKEYOUROWN?

The Kombucha Craze

By Mason Braasch, Lifestyle Staff Writer Photographed by Luc Marchessault, Contributing Photographer

Afew

months ago I was at my grandma’s house, scouring her fridge for her worldfamous cookies, when I noticed a lineup of bottles filled with a mysterious orange-brown liquid. They were arranged neatly on the shelf of her fridge, and upon closer inspection, I realized that there were things floating around in the mysterious liquid; I would later come to learn that these were live microorganisms. To say the least, it didn’t look appetizing, especially in comparison to her cookies.

My grandma explained that she had started to brew her own kombucha, and the bottles I had seen in her fridge were her latest batch. I reluctantly put my cookies aside to try some.

If you’ve ever tried kombucha, you know that the bitter, almost vinegaresqe taste is truly unique; but even more unique is the intricate way it is made. Since experiencing my first taste in my grandma’s kitchen, I have also started to brew my own. I’ve come to love the earthy process of brewing the drink; it has made the drink mean so much more to me because it’s a special skill that I share with my grandma.

While my grandma and I brew our own, kombucha is now a $475 million industry that puts bottles on the shelves of countless stores around the world.1 The ancient Chinese beverage has been rising in popularity among yogis, influencers and everyone in between. With new brands, flavors and even sugar-free options being added to the shelves, it’s easy to get your hands on some “buch.” However, with a price tag of an average of 4 dollars a bottle, it can be quite pricey to make this superdrink part of your daily diet.

Kombucha, also known throughout history as “the tea of immortality,” is known to be a healthy alternative to pop, and sometimes even alcohol.2 It has many health

¹ Mackeen, D. (2019, October 16). Are there ben efits to drinking kombucha? Retrieved April 13, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com

² Ibid

benefits, including high amounts of vitamins and amino acids, as well as cleansing and detoxifying qualities. Additionally, the drink is said to “improve digestion and diabetes, strengthen the immune system, reduce blood pressure and be detoxifying. Proponents also contend kombucha helps rheumatism, gout, hemorrhoids, nervousness and liver function and fights cancer.”3

In simple terms, kombucha is fermented tea. To create the beloved brew, bacteria and yeast are added to a simple mix of tea and sugar. The two week process of brewing a batch of “buch” consists of brewing black tea, and fermenting it in your closet with specialized bacteria. I know it sounds really disgusting, and to be completely honest, the bacteria mat looks disgusting sitting in my closet, but the result is oh-so delicious.

For supplies, almost everything you need can already be found in your kitchen. What you might not have, however, is the bacteria matknown as a scoby. Scoby is short for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, and it looks just as appetizing as it sounds. However, the scoby is what gives kombucha the healthy benefits that make for a delightful drink. Scoby’s are easy to find online and cost around 15 dollars to order. If you know someone who brews their own, you can ask them to split their scoby for you as well, as it is a living organism and will regrow!

Making your own kombucha is truly rewarding. Being able to drink a beverage that you brewed yourself is not only fun and satisfactory, but grounds for bragging to all your friends about your locallyproduced superdrink. Whether you drink it for the health benefits, the clout or simply because you like the taste, kombucha is a great, healthy drink to add into your diet; and the rich history, amazing benefits and intricate process make it all the more satisfying to brew yourself.

³ Ibid

Make Your Own 'Buch

10 Bags Black

Instructions

Brew about a half gallon of tea in large bowl.

Dissolve about a cup of sugar into tea and let cool to room temperature. Pour the tea into your gallon-sized jar and add the Scoby.

Cover the jar with a thin, breathable cloth and place in a dark space, such as a closet.

After two weeks , strain the beverage into glass bottles. After capping the bottles, place them on the counter and leave them to sit for about 2 days.

Finally, you have six fizzy and delicious homemade bottles of kombucha to enjoy! ■

The ancient Chinese beverage has been rising in popularity among yogis, influencers and everyone in between.

The Sounds of Laurel Canyon

AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE MUSIC OF THE PICTURESQUE CALIFORNIA SCENE

By Gabrielle Gronewold, Culture Editor Graphic by Sammy Meyerson

Inthe peak of our initial quarantine last spring, I came across the beloved Joni Mitchell for the first time. As I sat in my light pink childhood bedroom and tackled Zoom learning curves, I also listened to the album “Blue” in all her glory.

No surprise from the title of the record, “Blue” is an emotional journey, one Mitchell cited as “probably the purest

There is no one else I would rather have paint this scene than Mitchell herself, who once shared with Vanity Fair, “When I first came out to L.A. [in 1968], my friend [photographer] Joel Bernstein found an old book in a flea market that said: Ask anyone in America where the craziest people live and they’ll tell you California. Ask anyone in California where the craziest people live and they’ll say Los Angeles.

one. Yet the sounds of Laurel Canyon extend farther than this and the labels of soft rock and folk-rock were even considered misleading at the time of its origin. Rather, the music incorporated the styles of blues, rock and roll, jazz, Latin, country, psychedelia, bluegrass and folk.3

To put names to the face, Laurel Canyon and her music was home to Crosby, Stills

bell and also connect to the vision of what Laurel Canyon looked like. What we can imagine from depictions of the ‘60s and ‘70s groovy, freeing and politicized demeanor, Laurel Canyon during this time can be described as idyllic.

At a time symbolized today by peace signs and love, a bunch of rock stars lived virtually on top of each other. This is something that the author Michael Walker’s book “Laurel Canyon: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll’s Legendary Neighborhood” solves as part of the magic to why the music that was made was even made. “Musicians need to breathe the same air,” Walker shared. “And these were some of the best musicians of their generation, sort of by luck and happenstance jammed into this beautiful, leafy, little neighborhood.”4

This little alcove of art is in part why we received the beautiful, lasting sounds that we did. However, I also believe that these sounds are a product of the time’s efforts. The ‘60s and ‘70s were painted in cultural change, from the civil rights movement, to legal equity of women, to increased acceptance of sexuality and a growing concern for the environment.5 Also duped the ‘cognitive revolution,’ psychology and emotion studies were re-emerging in the 1960s.6

From this, it is no surprise that we got deep dives into the human experience. After times of war and remorse, people were looking inward and feeling and experiencing in ways they hadn’t before. Or it was the drugs. Or it was both. Whatever it was, the music of Laurel Canyon signifies a specific space or experience of people, one that in my opinion didn’t hold back.

We also got a plethora of politically charged music. In addition to sharing the human experience, people, specifically in the counterculture, were challenging the norm. Songs like “Almost Cut My Hair” by Crosby Stills, Nash & Young and “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield symbolize the kind of opinionated and at times striking, politically moving and influential songs that were being produced in the Canyon, all of which

⁴ Michael Walker, “Laurel Canyon: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll’s Legendary Neighbor hood,” Farrar, Straus and Giroux; First edition, May 1, 2007.

⁵ Stanley Kurtz, “Culture and Values of the 1960s” Hoover.

⁶ Lisa Feldman Barrett, “The Secret History of Emotions,” The Chronical of Higher Education, March 5, 2017.

connected to those timely anti-war and environmental protection efforts.

As much as I adore reminiscing about the lovely Laurel Canyon, I do want to point out the problematic tendencies of the music industry that were also practiced at this time. Marginalized communities and specifically Black people have always been pioneers for revolutionary art, but have also been historically left out of many scenes.

As much as I think Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” is an absolute environmental banger, I do not want to romanticize the faults of the era and industry. There are tangible parts to the counterculture and political movements of the ‘60s and ‘70s that did indeed hurt marginalized communities. When we appreciate these moments in time I also want to be critical about the things we need to do better today.

Ultimately, the Laurel Canyon moment outlived its expiration date. For starters, I have made many of my friends Joni Mitchell fans this year, and far more influential people have spread the sound throughout the 21st century. Lana Del Rey’s song “Bartender” from her 2019 grammy nominated album “Norman Fucking Rockwell” holds the lyric “all the ladies of the canyon,” paying tribute to the image of that time and place.7 Funny enough, modern Americana music, a style explored by Del Rey, is heavily inspired by the sounds of Laurel Canyon.8 Harry Styles’ 2019 grammy nominated album “Fine Line” was also inspired by Laurel Canyon and its inhabitants as he referred to one song as “Crosby, Stills and Nash on steroids.” In the same Rolling Stones piece, Styles additionally noted using a dulcimer, an instrument used on Joni Mitchell’s “Blue.”9

I do admit writing this article felt like writing a pitch for some of the most popular music from a widely documented time. Something I am sure music fans would maybe giggle at, but here at Moda we don’t gatekeep good music, so if any of these sounds or styles sound inviting please enjoy the playlist I created for the arts section this month located on the Moda website. ■

⁷ Lana Del Rey, “Bartender,” July 31, 2019.

⁸ Lisa Robinson, “An Oral History of Laurel Can yon the 60s and 70s Music Mecca,” Vanity Fair, February 8, 2015.

⁹ Rob Sheffield, “Harry Styles Reveals the Secrets Behind ‘Fine Line’,” RollingStone, December 13, 2019.

From this, it is no surprise that we got deep dives into the human experience.

After times of war and remorse, people were looking inward and feeling and experiencing in ways they hadn’t before. Or it was the drugs. Or it was both.

Fable Playlist

A LOOK INTO SOME OF THE ARTISTS FEATURED ON OUR FABLE PLAYLIST

Written and illustrated by Arella Warren, Arts Editor

Conjure

up an image that is ethereal, dreamy and whimsical, with a hint of nostalgia rooted in the comforts of home — that is the story of “Fable,” and it’s the story our team hopes to tell through this charming collection of songs. A perfect amalgamation of classic rock, neo-folk, soul, alternative country, synth, indie and singer-songwriter, the Fable Playlist offers a little place that anyone can call home.

“Ain’t No Man” - The Avett Brothers

A contemporary folk band, the Avett Brothers mix the familiar tones of bluegrass with modern indie. “Ain’t No Man” is an uplifting anthem to bring some spring to your step any day.

“A Change is Gonna Come” - Sam Cooke Cooke was a prominent civil rights activist who met a tragic racism-fueled end, but not before releasing “A Change is Gonna Come.” This song presents a powerful, yet beautifully sentimental cry for change that continues to inspire us.

“My Sweet Lord” - George Harrison

Best known for being in The Beatles, Harrison has a vast discography of music that deserves its own praise. A gifted guitarist and songwriter, he wrote “My Sweet Lord” as an expression of the universal desire for finding purpose in something greater than ourselves.

“Amour plastique” - Videoclub

Videoclub was a dream that two French teenagers, Adèle Castillon and Matthieu Reynaud, made true. Their music features a rich symphony of synthwave and ethereal duets, ideal for those times when you just want to feel like you’re floating through a sky of clouds.

“hypnotized” - tUnE-yArDs

A neo-folk band headed by talented vocalist Merrill Garbus, tUnE-yArDs’s music offers a range of experimental, harmonic possibilities. “hypnotized” in particular captures the dreamy vibes we’re shooting for this month.

“Feeling good” - Nina Simone

Our list wouldn’t be complete without including the tale told by legendary vocalist and civil rights empowerment activist, Nina Simone. “Feeling Good” is quite literally a feelgood song about liberation, growth and belonging.

“Dusk” and “Witches” - Alice Phoebe Lou

Phoebe Lou is a newer, neo-folk singer-songwriter from South Africa. Her music, which verges on psychedelic rock, is so melodic that she’s featured twice in our playlist.

“Ladyfingers” - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass Alpert’s “Ladyfingers” has no lyrics, but provides a brilliant, instrumental melody that will make you feel like you’re strolling through a magical forest during a sparkly, spring evening.

“Clay Pigeons” - Michael Cera

Scott Pilgrim’s very own Michael Cera makes contemporary folk music: Who knew? “Clay Pigeons” offers plucky guitar sounds and layered vocals reminiscent of something out of a coming of age story, perfect to bring the soundtrack of “Fable” to a whimsical end.

*This is a non-exhaustive list of highlights. Check out the playlist on Spotify for more. ■

Are you a Fairy, Mermaid or Unicorn?

WHAT YOUR FAVORITE MYTHICAL CREATURE SAYS ABOUT YOU

By Maya Greenberg, Contributing Writer Illustrated by Ella Cunz

Mythical

creatures are the product of fables, fairy tales and mythology. Although they are fantastical, these whimsical beings often reflect human nature. They are created to show the vices and virtues of humankind, and to teach lessons that transcend time and cultures.

Whichever mythical creature you feel the most drawn to can reveal a lot about who you are.

Fairies

Fairies are lovely and delicate creatures of nature. They possess magic they often use for good, though they frequently meddle in human affairs.1 If you find yourself fascinated by the modern fairy, or the nymphs of Greek mythology, you are likely a light-hearted individual with a deep appreciation for music and nature.2 You may come off as slightly vain, as you are easily distracted by sparkly and expensive things. A thoughtful gift is the way to your heart, and you’ll never turn up your nose to material things. Although you seem to frequently involve yourself in the business of

1 Encyclopedia Britannica. “Fairy”. Online, Sep tember 1, 1999.

2 Rigel, LK. “Ten Things About Fairies”. LK Rigel.

others, you truly have people’s best interests at heart.3 If you relate most to fairies, you may find that you even possess a touch of magic.

Mermaids

Mermaids are half-human, half-fish seductresses of the water. They lure sailors with their beauty and songs. If you are most drawn to the mermaid, you are likely a very complex individual. Since mermaids are different creatures on top and bottom, they truly are a paradox.4 Passion is your driving force behind everything. Although it can lead you to great adventures, it can also cause you to go against better judgement. A bit of a femme fatale, you love hard but you also have a short fuse. You experience a huge range of emotions, and you sometimes have difficulty harnessing them. However, once you learn balance, you are a force to be reckoned with.

Unicorns

Perhaps one of the most colorful and magical creatures is the unicorn. Depicted as a white stallion with a horn on its head, the unicorn possesses

3 Encyclopedia Britannica.

4 Hillier, Demelza. “7 Seductive Traits of Mermaid Women”. Rebelle Society, August 23, 2017.

magical healing powers.5 If the unicorn is your favorite mythical creature, you are probably a great friend, partner and family member. You have a natural instinct to care for others. Whether someone is hurt physically, or is going through a turbulent time, you are always there to help them through it. Japanese unicorn lore says that unicorns can tell right from wrong, so you likely have a strong moral compass and rarely stray from it.6 Although you are wise beyond your years, you ever feel the need to prove it or to put yourself above others.

Mythical creatures are beautiful, mysterious and magical. However, just like humans, they all have vices. If you are a fairy, don’t let material things distract you from what really matters. If you are a mermaid, continue listening to your heart, but also trust your instincts and don’t let your emotions overwhelm you. And if you are a unicorn, remember that your compassion is a gift, but remember to care for yourself as well, and don’t let anyone take advantage of your generosity.

■

5 Brandes, Nadine. “Mythological Creatures: Uni corn & Pegasus”. Enclave Publishing.

6 Ibid.

Directed by Sam Starks, Creative Director Assisted by Emily Fleming, Assistant Creative Director

Photographed by Audrey O’Neill, Assistant Photography Director, and Hannah Huber, Contributing Photographer Modeled by Archi Patel, Makeup by Riley August, Hair by Sam Starks

Performative or Purposeful?

LOOKING AT THE STORIES DIFFERENT GEN-Z CATERED BRANDS TELL TO SELL THEIR PRODUCTS

By Elizabeth Karnowski, Culture Staff Writer Illustrated by Allyson Konz, Editor in Chief

Consumer

needs have drastically changed since the Industrial Revolution-era. In the 1760s, xfactories and brands weren’t concerned about the values of their customers as much as they were about serving the quickly-growing cities in which their factories were located.1 This led to the rise of consumerism, with a mainstream prevalence that has resulted in decreased individuality.

Yet today, consumer values have evolved, requiring brands to meet consumers where they are at and invite them in with more than just a product. Now more than ever, companies are adhering to strong personal brands attached to purposes and social involvement to connect with their audience. This is partially due to the fact that younger generations, specifically Gen-Z, have been vocal about holding brands accountable for unethical practices. A study done by DoSomething.org reported that young people aged 13-25 aren’t likely to buy from a brand if there’s no clear

¹ History Crunch, “History of Consumerism”, 2021.

purpose the brand strives for.2 Another study reported that 66% of Gen-Z’ers believe it is no longer acceptable for companies to be silent on social justice movements.3 On the other hand, a survey of CEOs in 2019 reported that 60% are unlikely to speak on any social issue, simply stating they want to focus on the business of selling their products.4

So, what does this mean as a consumer?

While we cannot force CEOs to go carbon neutral or take responsibility for their actions, we can choose how and where we spend our money. As consumers, our purchasing power is one of our greatest assets, and there are many brands we should be focusing on supporting whose products are both ethical and proven to have a purpose that aligns with their brand image– two

² DoSomething Strategic, “Cause is Working, Your Marketing Isn’t”, 2019.

³ PN Purpose Tracker, “Gen Z Joins The Social Justice Movement”, August 2020.

⁴ Chief Executive, “New Survey Finds CEOs Want to Talk Sales, Not Social Justice Issues, in 2019”, January 24, 2019.

efforts that extend their behaviors from just performative.

Corporations as such are named B Corporations, which essentially indicates a balance of purchase and profit.5 They meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability. There’s a handful of brands that are considered a B Corporation and other companies should take inspiration from their work to be a business that makes a change.

Allbirds

Allbirds is a shoe brand that’s dedicated to making the most sustainable footwear they can using the world’s best natural materials.6 Since 2019, Allbirds has been a carbon

⁵ B Corporation, bcorporation.net, 2021.

⁶ Certified B Corporation, “Allbirds, Inc.”, Decem ber, 2016.

neutral company. For every tonne of carbon they emit as a business, they pay to take a tonne of carbon out of the atmosphere. This is done through purchasing credits from thirdparty verified emissions reduction projects. These projects protect trees that capture and store carbon, build wind energy and prevent harmful greenhouse gasses from entering our atmosphere.7 While Allbirds is a complete carbon neutral business, they strive to emit no carbon in the first place.8

Ben & Jerry’s

The infamous Ben & Jerry’s has brand values that directly impact and align with their consumers.

Their mission is to make the best product they can, be economically sustainable, and at the same time, create positive social change.

They use high-quality ingredients from family farmers who do not treat their cows with synthetic hormones.

Ben & Jerry’s also has a progressive, nonpartisan Social Mission that seeks to meet human needs and eliminate injustices in our local, national and international communities.9

One of their most notable movements is that around the decriminalization of marijuana and changing the current justice system’s mass incarceration for non-violent drug offenses that primarily puts POC behind bars. The brand took to Instagram this past 4/20 to sport just one of their many socially charged advertising campaigns that call out the injustices of society.10

⁷ Ibid.

⁸ Allbirds, “Sustainability”, 2021.

⁹ Certified B Corporation, “Ben & Jerry’s”, Sep tember, 2012.

10 Ben & Jerrys, Instagram, April 20, 2021.

For an audience like Gen-Z, brands continuously putting their money where their mouth is matters.

Patagonia

Patagonia has been a steward of environmentalism and quality products since their first day in business. They make products that can last for generations or can be recycled so the materials in them remain in use.11 Their environmental and social responsibility

So far, they’ve awarded over $89 million in cash and in-kind donations to domestic and international grassroots environmental groups making a difference in their local communities.

For an audience like Gen-Z, brands continuously putting their money where their mouth is matters. In some instances, we see brands passively posting an Earth Day picture or changing their logo to encase rainbow colors during Pride month. These performative moves, without action, are cheap, and emerging generations are not tolerating it.

program addresses the fact that everything they make has an impact on people and the planet.

Alongside their environmental activism, they pledge for 1% of their sales to be given to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment.

11 Certified B Corporation, “Patagonia”, December, 2011.

As more brands continue to claim to be sustainable and ethical, it’s important as a consumer to do research on their values, especially if that’s something that you take largely into consideration before buying from a brand. Doing this research, and spending your money in a way that champions your goals and values, is a powerful way to set yourself up to be an ethical consumer.

■

Not Your BurdenEntirely

HOW THE NARRATIVES OF ENVIRONMENTALISM SHIFT THE BLAME ONTO CONSUMERS

Written by Emma Goshin, Contributing Writer Illustrated by Rose Quinlan

Pressureto live a greener life is ubiquitous. Take public transit, reduce meat consumption, recycle your plastics. We are constantly told that climate change is on us, that we must do our part in saving the world. However, the realities of moving towards a more sustainable life show that the effects of an individual on the environment are incomparable to that of corporations — the big bad guys who are truly heating up our world.

For example, the term carbon footprint was popularized by British Petroleum, BP, in their release of the carbon footprint calculator back in 2004.1 A carbon footprint represents the total amount of greenhouse gases that are generated by one’s actions. BP’s calculator allowed users to view how their day-to-day life is responsible for global warming and an increase in emissions. Their early 2000s web page read “It’s time to go on a low-carbon diet,” a prime example of how the burden of climate change is placed on consumers, rather than a literal oil company.2

BP produces 3.8 million barrels of oil and gas every day.3 Back in 2010, the world played witness to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, in which BP’s oil drilling site experienced an explosion where 134 million gallons of oil spilled into the ocean and 11 people were killed.4 This event still stands as the largest marine oil spill in history. How can BP blame the individual for their carbon footprint without acknowledging their own role in climate change?

Back in 2011 Julie Doyle, a professor at the University of Brighton, wrote a piece expressing frustrations over the manipulation that BP has been using for decades to downplay their responsibility in combating climate change.

¹ Kaufman, M. (2020, July 13). The devious fossil fuel propaganda we all use.

² Ibid

³ Ibid

⁴ Oil spills. (n.d.).

She explains that British Petroleum works “linguistically to remove itself as a contributor to the problem of climate change.”5 In other words, BP uses strategic communications to shift the blame of environmentalism elsewhere, a tactic modeled by many and most mega-corporations as well.

Strategic advertising is a common way to maintain positive public relations. Companies use this to guard themselves against blame for climate change. Tesla’s electric cars are a revolutionary effort that is broadcasted as a way to reduce carbon emissions by huge amounts. They are seen by the public as a greener car. Tesla’s 2019 “Impact Report,” highlighted actions taken to reduce environmental impacts, and the company claims to have saved over four million tons of carbon from being emitted.6 Although this is an incredible feat, impact reports like this one tend to gloss over areas in which companies do not perform as positively. In fact, the light metals that are required to make up an electric car are rare and often come from destructive mines that damage the environment.7 The broadcasting of these reports contributes to a false conception that companies are doing everything they can to reduce their carbon footprint, when in fact most production is destructive to the environment to some degree.

One of the most famous ads pushing the idea that environmental change is on the individual is the Crying Indian ad that aired 50 years ago. In 1971, Keep America Beautiful, an anti-litter organization, depicted an American throwing a bag full of trash on Iron Eyes Cody, an actor in traditional Native American clothing, on the side of the

⁵ Doyle, J. (2011, January). (PDF) where has all the oil gone? BP branding and the discursive elimination of climate change risk.

⁶ Niedermeyer, E. (2019, April 16). Fact checking TESLA’S “IMPACT RE PORT”.

⁷ Wade, L. (2016, March 31). Tesla’s electric cars aren’t as green as you might think.

freeway.8 The ad concludes with Cody shedding a single tear. This campaign quickly gained traction and today can be witnessed as one of the first initiatives to encourage environment-conscious behavior in consumers. These ads told consumers that they were to blame for polluting the country from its initial untouched state. Although individual efforts are important and mitigating littering is essential to improving our environmental state, these types of ads don’t present the front runners behind the climate crisis.

The role of corporations in saving the environment is enormous. According to a 2019 report by The Guardian, 20 fossil fuel companies are linked to over one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions.9 To put this in perspective, changing a personal diet to vegetarian for the rest of your life can only reduce your carbon emissions by 2%.10 It is with stats like these that we should question who is truly responsible for the state of the environment.

Moreover, it’s important to acknowledge that individuals are often left with the impossible task of taking actions that large companies should be striving towards. We are constantly told to turn off the lights when we leave a room, throw away plastics in the recycling bin and walk or bike for transportation. While these actions, if implemented in our lives, are effective on a small scale and still very valuable, the reality is that individual efforts cannot possibly match those needed of large corporations. Structural and systemic changes are necessary to repair the damage that we have done to the environment.

100 companies globally are responsible for 71% of emissions. China creates 14.3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. At this rate, global temperatures will increase by 39 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100.11 The damage that has been done is nearly irreversible. However, there are several steps an individual can take to improve our situation. One is to vote for leaders who will put in the work and become advocates for environmental change. Government officials have the power to completely change regulations on corporations. Additionally, understanding the stories corporations are telling you and why they are telling you them is essential. Corporations benefit from placing the blame on consumers and shifting the responsibility of their actions away from themselves. Don’t allow these narratives to shift your environmentalism priorities which should emphasize holding big corporations and their support systems responsible. ■

⁸ Dunaway, F. (2019, May 31). The ‘crying indian’ ad that fooled the environ mental movement.

⁹ Taylor, M., & Watts, J. (2019, October 09). Revealed: The 20 firms behind a third of all carbon emissions.

10 Grabs, J. (2015, May 19). The rebound effects of switching to Vegetarian ism. a microeconomic analysis of Swedish consumption behavior.

11 Clendaniel, M. (2019, January 11). Focusing on how individuals can stop climate change is very convenient for corporations.

The role of corporations in saving the environment is enormous. According to a 2019 report by The Guardian, 20 fossil fuel companies are linked to over one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions. To put this in perspective, changing a personal diet to vegetarian for the rest of your life can only reduce your carbon emissions by 2%.

Pushing Daisies

HOW TO GIVE YOUR DEAD FLOWERS A SECOND LIFE

By Shelby Evans, Lifestyle Editor Photographed by Jessica Tenenbaum, Staff Photographer

Pressing

flowers often gets forgotten in childhood. It’s a whimsical hobby that doesn’t enjoy as much popularity as painting or writing. But it isn’t an activity that should be outgrown.

You don’t need a green thumb to surround yourself with plants. In fact, killing the plants is actually a part of the process.

When you’ve pressed flowers and they are dried, don’t put them off to the side or sadly throw them away. Instead, use them as decor — a wonderful hobby turned into very affordable interior design.

From April to September, there are plenty of plants in bloom around the state of Wisconsin. It’s easy to find beautiful things that are native and wild you admire and want to immortalize.

In the spring you can pick the delicate pink flowers from thousands of Prairie Crabapple trees, or in summer the purple flowers of a Hairy Wild Petunia, in late summer you can pick daisy-like flowers from a Heath Aster1

Grab an empty tote-bag and some good company. I recommend company in the form of a friend, but some Hozier music or your favorite podcast works too. Pick a route that will be littered with plants, and walk!

Stay away from picking plants from a strangers yard, but public parks are good. Pick up leaves, weeds, flower buds and petals. Add whatever you think is pretty to your bag.

Now that you have things to press, dig out that old math textbook you didn’t end up needing but bought freshman

¹ Johnson’s Nursery. Wisconsin Native Plant Guide.

year. You can use any large-sized book to press the flowers.

Make sure to line the pages with printer paper, you don’t want pigments from the flowers to ruin the pages or for the text ink to stick to the flowers.

Simply open the book, place one sheet of white paper down, add a flower or leaf-maybe two if they are smaller sized. Then add the second piece of paper on top, and shut the book. You can use the same book for a couple of flowers, but don’t try to press all the flowers in one book, it will get too bulky and the flowers won’t dry well. Once you have all the flowers placed in all the books you need, find something heavy. It can be more books, a heavy potted plant or a bin of unused clothing. Place your books full of pressed flowers under the weighted item. Leave them for at least a week.

While you are waiting for your flowers to finish pressing, take an afternoon to visit your nearest thrift store. Picture frames are usually never more than $2 each and sometimes as cheap as 50¢. Search for frames that will match your flowers in size and border style.

Once you’ve waited a week for your flowers to be pressed, transfer the now flat and dry flowers from the book pages into the frames. You can place them on shelves or hang them on nails or command strips. Now you have an entire wall of hand-selected, natural decor for less than $10!

Now, year round your home will seem to be blooming full of flowers. You’ll have spring time colors on dark winter days without having to work to keep a plant alive. ■

Subverting the Tolkien Template

MODERN FANTASY AUTHORS YOU SHOULD READ INSTEAD OF TOLKIEN

By Kora Quinn, Culture Staff Writer Photographed by Anna Janke, Contributing Photographer

WhenI think of fantasy, I immediately imagine a Medieval, Tolkien-esque world full of wizards, adventurers and kings — and there’s a reason for that. J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” series was so influential that for decades, fantasy authors piggy-backed off his success by using the same white, male, Medieval, Eurocentric, cisgender, heterosexual mold. Think Robert Jordan’s “The Wheel of Time,” Terry Brooks’ “The Sword of Shannara” and even George R. R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” (also known as “Game of Thrones”).

Don’t get me wrong, I love “The Lord of the Rings” as much as the next person. But Tolkien’s fantasy template is, for good reason, becoming less popular as more modern authors are coming out with unique and diverse worlds, representing all cultures, races, genders, sexualities and time-periods. Here are just a couple modern fantasy authors that either take Tolkien’s template and subvert its common tropes, or create something new entirely.

N.K. Jemisin (Adult Fantasy):

N.K. Jemisin is the award-winning author of the “Inheritance” and “Broken Earth” trilogies, as well as the “Great Cities’’ trilogy that is currently in progress. Jemisin refers to herself as an advocate for “science-fiction and fantasy as political resistance,” becoming the first author in the history of the genre to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel three times in a row.1 Interwoven with themes of race and oppression, the “Broken Earth” trilogy follows Essun on her journey to save her daughter in a dead and warring world called the Stillness.

Sabaa Tahir (Young Adult Fantasy):

Sabaa Tahir is the author of the ancient Rome inspired “An Ember in the Ashes” series, whose film rights were purchased by Paramount Pictures well before the first book was even released.2 The series deals with themes of imperialism and oppression as it follows Laia and Elias, a slave and a soldier fighting for their freedom.

¹ “About,” NK Jemisin, 2021.

² Karen Rought, “Sabaa Tahir talks ‘An Ember in the Ashes’ sequel, movie,” Hypable, July 2015.

Brandon Sanderson (Adult Fantasy):

Brandon Sanderson is the prolific author of the Cosmere, a literary universe which includes series such as “Mistborn” and “The Stormlight Archive,” as well as standalones such as “Warbreaker” and “Elantris.” He also has books outside of the Cosmere, such as “The Reckoners” series and his young-adult sciencefiction series, “Skyward.” Sanderson’s books are known for their mental health representation, compelling characters and religious undertones (questioning of religion, the diversity of religious beliefs, governments centered around religious leaders and/or gods themselves, etc.).

Chloe Gong (Young Adult Fantasy):

Chloe Gong is a young and emerging author, with her debut novel — a fantasy retelling of “Romeo and Juliet” set in 1920s China — becoming an instant bestseller right after its publication. Gong is currently an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, and “These Violent Delights” is her only published book, with the sequel expected to come out in 2021.3

Patrick Rothfuss (Adult Fantasy):

Patrick Rothfuss is the Wisconsin-born author of “The Kingkiller Chronicle” series and one of the current owners of A Room of One’s Own bookstore in Madison. Rothfuss has said “The Kingkiller Chronicle” series will span 10 books, but currently only two have been published. Book one, “The Name of the Wind,” is narrated by its protagonist, Kvothe, as he recounts his rise to fame and power.

Hafsah Faizal (Young Adult Fantasy):

Hafsah Faizal is the author of the Arabianfolklore inspired “Sands of Arawiya” duology, which follows Zafira, a hunter, and Nasir, a prince — two enemies with the same goal. The duology deals with themes of identity while breaking down gender norms in a world where men hold all the power. While “We Hunt the Flame” and “We Free the Stars” are Faizal’s only books released so far, she has signed a two-book deal with “A Tempest of Tea,” book one in the duology, set to be released in spring of 2022.4

³ “About,” Chloe Gong, 2021.

⁴ “A Tempest of Tea,” Hafsah Faizal, 2021.

Evan Winter (Adult Fantasy):

Evan Winter is the self-published author of the African/Xhosa-inspired series, “The Burning,” which was later picked up by Orbit Books for a four-book deal. “The Rage of Dragons,” book one in the series, follows Tau on his quest for vengeance in a world where the Omehi people have been plagued by war for 200 years. It deals with themes of revenge, inequality and consequences.

Leigh Bardugo (Young Adult Fantasy):

Leigh Bardugo is the author of the Grishaverse, a literary universe which encompasses the “Shadow and Bone” trilogy, the “Six of Crows’’ duology and the “King of Scars” duology. All seven of Bardugo’s books take place in the same world, with the Russian-inspired Ravka, Scandanavian-inspired Fjerda, East-Asian inspired Shu Han, Netherlands-inspired Kerch and Australian and American Colony-inspired Novyi Zem. “Shadow and Bone,” Bardugo’s debut series, has also been adapted into a Netflix series released in late April 2021.

Robin Hobb (Adult Fantasy):

Robin Hobb is the author of the famous Realm of the Elderlings universe, which includes the “Farseer” trilogy, the “Liveship Traders” trilogy, the “Tawny Man” trilogy, the “Rain Wild” chronicles and “The Fitz and the Fool” trilogy. Hobb’s most famous series, the “Farseer” trilogy, follows Fitz, the illegitimate son of a prince, who is an outcast training to become a royal assassin.

Tomi Adeymi (Young Adult):

Tomi Adeymi is the author of the WestAfrican inspired “Legacy of Orïsha” trilogy. The trilogy follows Zélie on her mission to bring magic back to the land of Orïsha, while at the same time struggling to control her own powers. Currently, only book one, “Children of Blood and Bone,” and book two, “Children of Virtue and Vengeance,” are out. In addition to writing books, Adeyemi is a creative writing coach. ■

Stories of Style

HOW TO EVOKE YOUR OWN LOOK, AS DESCRIBED BY FOUR UW-MADISON STUDENTS

Written by Manon Bushong, Assistant Fashion Editor Photos submitted by Maria Mansala, Jacob Day, and Ella Cunz

When articulating our personal fashion senses, we often equate style with ‘dressing well’ or keeping up with trends. In a more technical sense, style is merely a term used to describe “a distinctive manner of expression.”1 Based on this definition, style is more of a personal element, emphasizing expression and having a signature look rather than purely following whatever is trendy. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping up with trends, the process of developing your own style often entails prioritizing wearing what makes you feel good instead of what others are telling you to wear in order to look “cool”.

Given the sheer size of UW-Madison, it’s impossible to stroll through campus without being exposed to students dressed in a vast amount of different aesthetics. I recently spoke to a few students on campus who embody what it means to truly have your own style, and asked them about how their personal fashion sense has evolved over time.

¹ Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Style. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Re trieved April 14, 2021.

Jacob Day

A quick scan of UW-Madison sophomore Jacob Day’s Instagram (@jacob_day01) makes it obvious that he knows a thing or two about fashion. His feed is full of cool outfit pieces, and his bio advertises his successful Depop page. Day’s style is developed and personalized, described by him as being “extremely eclectic,” and “a mix of 90s and 70s, with a lot of high fashion influence.”

Day chronicled to me how he initially took an interest in fashion as a means of impressing girls in high school, however, over time it evolved into one of the most prominent passions in his life, sharing “My style changes a lot, I always love to say that my personal style is determined by how I’m feeling that day, and it’s as simple as that. It went from dressing for other people, to now, strictly dressing for me, which is growth that I’m quite proud of.”

So what does it mean to dress for yourself rather than allowing trends to dictate how you shop? Sophomore Maria Manansala often opts for “funky” statement pieces when picking out her clothes, which has given her an extremely

So what does it mean to dress for yourself rather than allowing trends to dictate how you shop?

bold, signature look. Manansala also picks pieces that make her feel her absolute best, using fashion as a medium of gaining self confidence; “Over time I learned what styles and pieces look best with my body; now all I ever wear is feminine silhouettes (i.e. bustier tops, pleated skirts, corsets) because I think they really accentuate my favorite parts of my body (legs and bust) while minimizing attention on my least favorite (waist). Overall this transition to super feminine styles has helped me gain SO confidence in my body and my clothes which i’m very happy about!”

Manansala strongly believes in shopping for what fits her look and what she can use to express herself rather than what is “hot” at the moment. While she urges that there is nothing wrong with going along with what is popular, she emphasizes that it’s important for everyone to develop their personal style consisting of what they like for the sake of liking it. In Manansala’s words, “To me, fashion is dressing in a way that makes you feel confident and happy, and not letting trends, other people’s judgements, or anything else dictate that!”

The ultimate trick to formulating your own fashion style is to dress for yourself and wear what you feel best in. Freshman Ella Cunz’ fun and captivating style is rooted in her own passion in finding clothes she loves. She shops heavily at thrift stores, which helps add a sense of uniqueness to her style. Cunz describes how she uses style as a means of making herself happy, and as a way of cultivating her own identity; “I really just try to have fun with my clothes. Over time I think I’ve become more comfortable expressing myself that way, and that’s why I love fashion because I think it’s a great creative outlet and way to connect with other people. Most of my favorite pieces are things i’ve found from thrift stores but besides that i’m obsessed with art gecko!”

While there is nothing wrong with following trends, it is also important to allow yourself to be your number one priority when deciding what to wear every day. Fashion can be a mechanism for confidence and self expression, an idea embodied by all four of these UW-Madison students.

■

Maria Mansala

Ella Cunz

Directed by Sarah Troy, Fashion Director Photographed by Annika Ide, Photography Director, and Hunter Kiehl, Staff Photographer Modeled by Nyla Mathis

The Future of Faith

HOW FAITH COMMUNITIES CAN COMBAT DECREASE IN YOUTH MEMBERSHIP BY REFLECTING INCLUSIVE VALUES

By Kate Lawless, Deputy Editor Illustrated by Mac Gale

According to a 2020 Gallup Poll, for the first time, less than half of Americans (47%) do not consider themselves members of houses of worship.1 This statistic is the newest data point in a steady trend of decline in religious community membership since the turn of the century. This trend is especially prominent in people aged 18 to 29, who are significantly more likely than their Boomer or Gen X parents to be religiously unaffiliated.

However, another interesting trend is the increase in Americans that say they are “spiritual” but not religious. In fact, there is an inverse correlation between Americans who consider themselves exclusively spiritual (27%) and Americans identify as spiritual and religious (48%).2 As the former group increases in size, the latter group decreases, indicating that Americans may be leaving their institutions, but not abandoning their values.

But how do faith communities respond to this shift away from interest in organized religious communities? First by understanding why young people are choosing not to be involved in faith communities that are led by religious institutions.

It’s not that Millennials and Gen Z are less concerned with community values than their parents and grandparents. Studies show that these demographics have the same, if not higher interest in collective action to solve social issues3— however, they’re

¹ Jones, Jeffrey M. “U.S. Church Membership Falls Below Majority for First Time.” Gallup.com. Gallup, May 6, 2021.

² Lipka, Michael, and Claire Gecewicz. “More Americans Now Say They’re Spiritual but Not Religious.” Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center, May 30, 2020.

³ Economy, Peter. “A New Study of 150,000 Mil lennials Reveals They Have 10 Surprising Things in Common.” Inc.com. Inc., July 27, 2019.

less likely to do so in a faith community setting. Instead, some of the top issues that younger generations have with religious communities is their controversial histories, refusal to adapt or react to the new times and lack of inclusivity.

To younger generations, having strong morals and values doesn’t exclusively come from religious texts or traditions; it comes from the high value they place on individuality and diversity. And while many faiths claim to espouse those same values, when you’re in a thousand-year-old community, there’s bound to be some things that contradict those teachings.

And by contradictions, I mean a history of colonialism, exclusion and oppression of women, as well as racial minorities and LGBTQ+ folks. Millennials and Gen Z are highly educated internet natives whose natural curiosity on any subject can be settled with a few clicks on a screen. They are well aware of their faith community’s past (and present) and aren’t as able, or perhaps willing, to turn a blind eye to the sins committed in the name of organized religion.

By allowing their own secular belief systems to guide their behavior, younger generations don’t have to contend with what they perceive as hypocrisy. In their eyes, they can be good community members, filled with hope and a sense of purpose without the moral conundrum of aligning with an institution whose history contradicts their core values.

The trend in skepticism of religious communities is also likely linked to Millennials and Gen Zer’s unique understanding of political life. Politics and religion both involve power structures that give structure around values and lifestyles and the relationship between political affiliation and

religious affiliation may seem blurred to Gen Z, especially considering their interest in identity politics.4

Consider what American faith looks like up through the Trump Administration from the perspective of a Gen Zer or Millennial who largely gets their information from the Internet. In the early 2000s, social sites like Facebook, Youtube and Instagram were rapidly connecting people of different backgrounds all over the world and people were learning about other religions and seeing how other people practice their faith in new ways, while also learning to recognize and speak up against both blatant and dog whistle rhetoric that pitted people of different faiths against one another (i.e. post 9/11 Islamophobia).

Especially as Gen Z has become more politically active in the last five years, discussion of faith-related stories like the Supreme Court case Masterpiece Cakeshop v. the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and the alleged “War on Christmas” have framed religion and politics as tightly intertwined topics. 61% of Gen Z voters and 58% of Millennial voters indicated that they would vote for a Democratic candidate in the most recent presidential election.5 If these groups aren’t supportive of Republican agendas and they conflate Republicanism with evangelicalism, it isn’t hard to see why these young people are leaving these Christian communities.

To reach Millennials and Gen Zers, faith communities need to acknowledge where they have not truly lived out the values of love

⁴ Parker, Kim, Nikki Graf, and Ruth Igielnik.

“Generation Z Looks a Lot Like Millennials on Key Social and Political Issues.” Pew Research Cen ter’s Social & Demographic Trends Project. Pew Research Center, May 30, 2020.

⁵ Parker, Kim, and Ruth Igielnik. “What We Know About Gen Z So Far.” Pew Research Center’s So cial & Demographic Trends Project. Pew Research Center, February 9, 2021.

and peace and show younger generations that they have a plan to be more inclusive going forward.

Faith leaders shouldn’t shy away from talking about how faith communities evolve and learn from each other and their past. Gen Z and Millennials are relatively well-informed and highly opinionated about the world6 and they want their faith communities to talk about how religion interacts with

for the growth or self-reflection that younger generations are looking for.

For an example of inclusive spiritual communities, there is an increasing interest in astrology8 and indigenous or pagan faiths, especially those that preach gender inclusivity and respect for the earth. For example, wicca, a pre-Christian spirituality that preaches “free thought and will of the individual, and encourages learning

The trend in skepticism of religious communities is also likely linked to Millennials and Gen Zer’s unique understanding of political life.

politics, race, gender and identity. Referencing current events in sermons or homilies shows young people how faith is relevant in everyday life and religion isn’t something only practiced in mosques, synagogues and churches. To be meaningful to younger generations whose everyday life is intertwined with information and relationships around the world, faith communities need to interact with life outside these spaces, not independently of them.

In addition to being responsive to current events, faith communities can use those discussions to emphasize the shared commitment to the younger generations’ values - especially being “radically inclusive.”7 Faith communities are rooted in ritual and tradition, but religious institutions facing criticism and declining involvement also have to ask themselves if they are willing to evolve to be more inclusive, to find balance between tradition and reaching the youth. While embracing othering rhetoric about other faiths or atheism may preserve some of the community, it doesn’t make space

⁶ Lipka, Michael, and Claire Gecewicz. “More Americans Now Say They’re Spiritual but Not Religious.” Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center, May 30, 2020.

⁷ Lipka, Michael, and Claire Gecewicz. “More Americans Now Say They’re Spiritual but Not Religious.” Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center, May 30, 2020.

and an understanding of the earth and nature,” has seen an increase in practice in the last decade.9 For young people whose top concern about the world is climate change,10 these values resonate and they’re willing to listen to these teachings.

Megachurches are also seeing a surge in attendance (pre-pandemic, of course) and some of the reasons for this is their emphasis on accessibility and making emotional connections with members. Megachurch sermons feature comeas-you-are-messages and don’t turn away members for dealing with addiction, mental health issues, divorce, questioning their faith or other kinds of “shame” that would be looked down upon in other faith settings.11

Despite controversial histories and political stereotypes, there are benefits to being part of a religious community and these faith institutions are worth protecting. According to the Pew Research Center, religious Americans

⁸ Beck, Story by Julie. “Why Are Millennials So Into Astrology?” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, February 12, 2018.

⁹ Kopf, Dan, and Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz. “The US Witch Population Has Seen an Astronomical Rise.” Quartz. Quartz, n.d.

10 Funk, Cary, and Alec Tyson. “Millennial and Gen Z Republicans Stand out from Their Elders on Cli mate and Energy Issues.” Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center, August 28, 2020.

11 Kelley, Peter. “God as a Drug: The Rise of Amer ican Megachurches.” UW News, August 20, 2012.

are “happier, more involved with family and more likely to volunteer than the less religious.”12 Being in communities like these can provide people with support systems in difficult times, teaches forgiveness, gratitude and mindfulness and can give structure and meaning to daily life.13 In other words, organized religion has proven mental health benefits, something key for Gen Zers, 37% of whom report being treated by a mental health professional.14

Luckily for faith communities, interest in (and need for) community, trust, hope and love are not decreasing. However, there is a need for a new approach if faith communities want to engage younger generations.

But evolving approaches to engaging new audiences with faith and values aren’t new.

When we are little, our parents read us fables and folklore passed down and adapted through centuries and across continents. These stories contain moral wisdom, packaged in a way that sticks with us through our whole lives. We learn to be careful, considerate and hardworking from Mother Goose’s tales and Aesop’s fables. In a similar way, faith texts and rituals inform the values we hold. These communities teach people to hope for and trust in things bigger than themselves, something even cynical Millennials and Gen Zers aren’t willing to abandon yet.

Faith and spirituality have always evolved alongside human’s relationships to each other and the world. From the first mass circulation of religious texts after the invention of the printing press to translating stories into new languages and editions around the world, humans have always been moving toward making faith more accessible and open to individual interpretation.

Perhaps with this shift away from organized faith communities, we are witnessing the start of the next phase of faith in an interconnected world. As younger generations are asking themselves what hope, love, gratitude and service mean to them, there isn’t an erasure of values, but rather a desire that they take a new form.

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12 “Religious Beliefs and Practices.” Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center, n.d.

13 Green, Luna. “The Mental Health Benefits of Religion & Spirituality.” NAMI, December 21, 2016.

14 Bethune, Sophie. “Gen Z More Likely to Report Mental Health Concerns.” Monitor on Psychology. American Psychological Association, January 2019.

Simple, Yet Whimsical Makeup

A LITTLE EXTRA SOMETHING FOR YOUR EVERYDAY MAKEUP LOOK

By Jessica Katz, Lifestyle Editorial Assistant Photographed by Seth DeGier, Staff Photographer Modeled by Rhys Koch, Jessica Katz, and Manya Shah Makeup by Jessica Katz

Makeup

can be artistic, working with colors and textures to highlight your favorite facial features. But you don’t always have to spend time beating your face to be playful and creative. A smidgen of glitter or a slight pop of color can make a big difference when incorporated into your everyday look. Here are some small, yet bold touches to let your beauty shine through.

Glitter

Everyone needs a little glitter! Any color of glitter can be incorporated into everyday makeup. You can layer some on top of highlighter, along your cheekbones, on the inner corners of your eyes, under your brow bones and on the bridge and tip of your nose.

Another way to incorporate glitter is on the eyes. Dab a little on your finger and gently press or swipe some on your lid for some extra shine. This method will definitely help your eyes pop.

Keep in mind that loose glitters can be quite messy. If you’re looking to minimize this, try Lemonhead Spacepaste, an ultra-thick concentrated glitter paste. Its formula is easy to manipulate, allowing you to add as much or little product as you please.

Colored Mascara

On the more subtle side of the spectrum is colored mascara. This product adds a slight bit of color that helps your eyes pop.

You can find basically any color of mascara and even try to match your lashes to your outfit or accessories of the day. One good way to decide what color(s) to try is by considering the color of your eyes.

For brown eyes, pick a cooler tone such as royal blue or purple, to offset your naturally warm undertones.1 Although pinks or reds may look intimidating, they look gorgeous against bright blue eyes. A forest green mascara will bring the right amount of attention to green eyes while still looking very natural. If you have gray eyes, focus on cooler undertones by using green or blue mascara. Lastly, brown or gold will brighten hazel eyes.

You can buy colored mascaras at any price. On the pricier side, try YSL Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils for voluminous lashes. At the drugstore, L’Oreal Voluminous Original provides long, full lashes for a more budgetfriendly price.

¹ Kilkeary, Alanna M. 2020. “Best Colored Mascar as for Your Eye Color.” Makeup.

Pastel Eyeshadow

It’s fun to create bold looks with eyeshadow, but if you’re a beginner or want a more subtle look, you can definitely still play with color.

Use a lighter shade of any color to create a simple, springy look that will draw attention to your eyes. After priming with concealer or primer, swipe a pastel shimmer of any color on your lid and complete the look with a little mascara.

You can probably find a light color in any palettes you own; you can even use highlighter. However, NYX Prismatic Shadows are an affordable option for single eye shadows. This metallic-shimmer product comes in a wide variety of colors, such as Blue Jeans (light blue), Mermaid (light green) and Whimsical (light purple).

Embracing your beauty and expressing your personality through makeup is truly an art form. Don’t be afraid to play with colors and products you’ve always wanted to try. Add a fanciful touch to your everyday makeup routine, and trust me, it’ll add a little pep to your step.

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Bringing BackDressU

FROM RUNWAYS TO YOUR CLOSET, STORYTELLING IS THE HEART OF FASHION

By Jane Houseal, Fashion Staff Writer

Photographed by Bela Orzechowski, Staff Photographer

Modeled by Lucia Wallinga

Illustrated by Emma Gray, Arts Curator

Disclaimer: This photoshoot was conducted by a model an d photographer who live together, hence the lack of masks.

Storytelling

through fashion is a powerful tool; it is apparent on runways, the outfits you wear to your lectures, and everything in between. Designers are essentially storytellers using clothes rather than words to evoke a feeling on the runway. However, storytelling through fashion isn’t limited to high-end designers. It’s common to use clothing as expression, regardless of whether one is aware of it. American fashion designer, Rachel Zoe, said, “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak”.1

Using clothes to communicate with others starts when we are young. For many, playing dress up was an introduction to the art that is fashion, allowing kids to express themselves creatively and learn a new form of communication.2 From wearing princess dresses to the grocery store to flaunting butterfly wings at school, dressing up was an opportunity to be whoever you wanted for the day. As kids, we didn’t have social media or an understanding of social norms. We didn’t follow fashion rules or trends, so even when not in a costume, our outfit choices reflected our authentic selves.

Playing dress up doesn’t have to stay in the past, and using clothing to tell a story is not only for famous fashion designers. There are many ways to bring back dress-up into your everyday life. One trend that has become popular on TikTok is dressing up for different, unlikely scenarios you may encounter, such as going on a picnic date with Harry Styles or shopping with Kendall Jenner’s friend group.

Creators on the app make up outfits for completely different realities as well. They put together outfits they would wear if they were a fairy or frog princess or any other fantastical creature. While the events for the outfits are clearly made up, the clothes chosen for them are often stylish and unique. The creative looks that come

¹ Harper’s Bazaar Staff, “The 80 Greatest Fashion Quotes of All Time,” Harper’s BAZAAR, Novem ber 30.

² Kimberly Zapata, “Playing Dress-Up: Benefits, How to Start, and Tips,” Healthline (Healthline Media, November 23, 2020).

out of these fantasy scenarios are a way to bring joy to everyday life through fashion. Where you get your outfit inspiration from can be a unique reflection of you and your imagination rather than a reiteration of the trends you are tired of seeing.

Another exciting way to bring dressup back is through themed parties. Need an excuse to dress up? Bachelor theme night. Want to get creative? Experiment with your wardrobe by choosing a theme revolving around a particular style. Try organizing a monochrome picnic or a fancy teaparty. These theme nights might seem cheesy, but they are a fun way to experiment with clothes and bond with your friends.

Even if you are not dressing up according to a theme or a fantasy world, you can take aspects of “dressup” into your everyday wardrobe. After all, communicating through dressing up is at the core of fashion. It is clear in designer collections and in kids who barely know how to dress themselves. Self-expression and storytelling is where the joy of fashion lies.

To find inspiration, try looking inward; consider your intentions for the day and let that guide you. Explore how different garments make you feel, and then when you’re putting together outfits you can take those experiences into consideration. Don’t be afraid to break “rules’’: mix patterns and play with texture. You can even try wearing pieces differently than they were originally meant to be worn. A skirt or a bathing suit can be a top, a dress can become a skirt- the options are never ending.

When aiming to tell stories through clothes and dress more authentic to yourself, it is a great time to try DIYing some of your clothes or go thrifting for interesting pieces. Getting dressed every day should be a creative outlet rather than another way we conform to the social pressure around us. ■

The Hidden Villain of your Childhood Storyldh

HOW FABLES WERE USED TO PERPETUATE ANTISEMITISM

By Rachel Hale, Cultural Editorial Assistant Illustrated by Emma Gray, Arts Curator

One of my earliest memories is being read stories, passed down from generation to generation, embalmed within the pages of a book or spoken from the heart. From Little Red Riding Hood to Cinderella, fables helped us define the world with the help of adventurous plots and endearing characters. Yet beneath tales of handsome princes, magical hair, and glittering palaces, a much darker element threatens utopia: antisemitism.

The Grimm brothers, known for publishing stories like “Hansel and Gretel,” “Rumpelstiltskin,” and “The Frog Prince,” were revolutionary in industrializing classic folk tales in their collection known as the Kinderund Hausmärchen, or “Children’s and

Household Tales.”1 But in protecting these ancient fables and procuring new ones, they also brought a less-than whimsical element of antisemitism to their work. Most significantly, in “The Jew in the Brambles” or “The Jew Among Thorns,” the main character uses a magical fiddle to torture a Jewish miser into dancing in brambles; the Jew is later forced to make a confession to stealing money and hung at the end of the story.2 In another popular story “The Good Bargain,” the Jewish character is portrayed as a deceitful, “penny-pinching swindler.”3

¹ Martha B. Helfer, “The Fairy Tale Jew,” Brill (Brill Rodopi, January 1, 2009).

² Louis L. Snyder, “Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Literature ...” ( Indiana University Press, 1978. p35-54. Gale Group, 1999).

³ Greenspan, Jesse. “The Dark Side of the Grimm Fairy Tales.” History.com. A&E Television Net works, September 17, 2013.

These stories dehumanize Jews as lying, greedy and motivated by money, also playing on elements of blood libel, the myth that Jews murder non-Jews, especially children, to use their blood for ritual purposes.

During the Nazi regime, the Third Reich used these fairtyales and more as justification for real-life horrors toward the Jews, capitalizing on their elements of German nationalism.

In “Little Red Riding Hood,” the big bad wolf is Jewish and devours the innocent red riding hood, playing on an ages-old myth of blood libel, and before Cinderella was starring in an acclaimed Disney film, her Aryan purity was viewed to make her a better candidate for the prince’s marriage than her mongrel stepsisters.4

⁴ Ibid.

As writer Neil Gaiman put it in a New York Times article on the Grimm brothers, these tales left one to wonder “whether the ashes Cinderella slept in would one day become the ashes of Auschwitz.”5 All German households were required to own a copy of the “sacred” book, and schools were mandated to use its stories as literature.6

Today, the Grimm brothers’ work is maintained in the 2004 and 2012 editions of “The Annotated Brothers Grimm,” a printed chronicle of the original 1857-era stories with annotation from Harvard scholar Maria Tatar. “The Jew in the Brambles” is included in the back section of the book meant for adults, with a forenote from Tatar that the latter along with “The Good Bargain” feature virulent antisemitism.7

While these stories may seem innocent, they contribute to the idea that all Jews look a certain way and enforce harmful stereotypes that still manifest in violence today — despite making up less than 0.2% of the world population and only roughly 1.8 to 2.2% the U.S. population,8 Jews account for over 60% of religiously motivated hate crimes in the U.S.,9 and the Anti⁵ Neil Gaiman, “‘The Annotated Brothers Grimm’: Grimmer Than You Thought,” The New York Times (The New York Times, December 5, 2004).

⁶ Martha B. Helfer, “The Fairy Tale Jew,” Brill (Brill Rodopi, January 1, 2009).

⁷ Christopher Donovan, “Ancient Resistance in Red, Black and White: The ‘Anti-Semitism’ of Grimm’s Fairy Tales,” The Occidental Observer (February 14, 2011),

⁸ Lugo, Luis, et al. Pew Research Center, 2013, A Portrait of Jewish Americans: Findings from a Pew Research Center Survey of U.S. Jews.

⁹ “Hate Crime Statistics: Victims.” FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 29 Oct. 2019.

While these stories may seem innocent, they contribute to the idea that all Jews look a certain way and enforce harmful stereotypes that still manifest in violence today.

Defamation league estimates 28 million American adults harbor deeply antisemitic views.10 The Pittsburgh Tree of Life shooting, Jersey City kosher supermarket shooting, Monsey, NY Hanukkah stabbing and Poway, California Chabad shooting are a few of the acts of blatant antisemitism committed within the last three years alone, and in 2019, antisemitic hate crimes hit an all-time high in America since tracking began in 1979 11

Years after the publishing of these stories, the tropes of greed and control that inspire their characters are still believed by antisemites, with

10 “Anti-Semitic Stereotypes Persist in America, Survey Shows.” 2020. Anti-Defamation League. Anti-Defamation League. January.

11 “Antisemitic Incidents Hit All-Time High in 2019,” Anti-Defamation League, May 2020

approximately one in four Americans still believing the deicide myth that Jews killed Jesus Christ and one in 10 agreeing that Jews are weakening American culture by supporting immigration, spinning the myth of Jewish control over global affairs and finances in a new white-nationalist light.12

Despite this reality, we should not do away with the Grimm Brothers’ work or the valuable lessons on friendship, trust and learning these stories present. Rather, we should view these fables’ flaws as an opportunity to discuss the danger of prejudice from a young age, and to instill the most important lesson of all – not to judge a book by its cover.

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