THE EDGE THE MAGAZINE OF THE PENDULUM VOL. 7 | EDITION 2
Terrariums
DO-IT-YOURSELF
MARCH 2016 ELON, N.C.
PG. 5
formation fashion Channel your inner beyoncé PG. 8
Letter from the Editor
2
It is officially March which means warmer weather, sunnier days and preparing for spring season. I have had enough of the cold and am ready for fresh flowers and more sun. This month’s issue we wanted to focus on embracing spring and kicking off the new season by sharing some ways to freshen up your life. Health and Wellness shows us the power of acai and how it can be used to spice up your everyday smoothie (pg.12). The Style section teaches us an easy way to incorporate some greenery into our homes with an easy DIY terrarium (pg.05). Fashion channeled faux fur inspiration with their feature story and shoot with the APA club (pg.29). March means St. Patrick’s day so, we talked to some students that have experienced this day at its origins, in Ireland (pg. 36). Join us in the spring mindset and enjoy the March edition of The Edge.
Brooke Lowrey @bablinbrooklynn
Managing Editor
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S 05
DIY Terrariums STYLE
08
GET IN FORMATION fASHION
12
AÇAI BOWLS hEALTH & wELLNESS
18
tony Weaver Cover Story
26
American in china Features
29
Friend or faux? Fashion
34
CHEAP TRAVEL eNTERTAINMENT
36
En Route to Ireland fEATURES 3
Editor-in-Chief of The Pendulum Tommy Hamzik
THE EDGE Managing Editor of The Edge Brooke Lowrey Design Chief Haley Longbottom Style Editor Courtney Campbell Assistant Editor Kayla Hoey Senior Reporter Danielle Deavens Senior Reporter Allie Dietz Senior Reporter Ally Feinsot Senior Reporter Lucia Jervis Senior Reporter Alexandra Schonfeld Senior Reporter Lea Silverman Senior Reporter Miranda Siwak Fashion Editor Katy Bellotte Senior Reporter Emma Braun Senior Reporter Christina Casillo Senior Reporter Jordan Hsu Senior Reporter Na’Briya Ware Health & Wellness Editor Kate Sieber Senior Reporter Marissa Baum Senior Reporter Tyler Grimsley Photo Editor Caroline Brehman Social Media Editor Maggie Griswold Copy Chief Janat Bashir Designers Katy Bellotte Mackenzie Clarken Ingrid Frahm Victoria Labenberg Nicole Zuhse Photographers Caroline Brehman Nic Nelson Contributors Marissa Costner Claire Farrow Emma Mankin Kara Rollock Alex Simon
Jordyn St. Holder Courtney Thompson Janay Tyson Shelby Valeriano Emma Vo
Do It Yourself
Terrarium
STYLE | 5
Supplies: - Glass container - Small stones - Soil - Plants (real or fake) - Moss - Figurines
STEP
Place stones at the bottom of the container
1
2
Pour a layer of soil
TIP: Mix together stones and soil for an earthy look
6 | STYLE
TIP: Choose interesting containers, like a fishbowl or old coffee pot
4
3
Place plants in the soil. Make sure to room for landscaping opportunities
Add moss and figurines in an aesthetically pleasing way
5
TIP: Place the biggest plant first to see how much space is left
Snap some pics for your next Instagram!
STYLE | 7
“
Ladies, Let’s GET IN
FORMATION. -Beyoncé
”
“A true diva is graceful, and talented, and strong, and fearless and brave and someone with humility.” -BEYONCé
FASHION | 9
“I don’t like to gamble, but if there’s one thing I’m willing to bet on, it’s myself.” -BEYONCé
FASHION | 11
Step ASIde
oR SHOULD WE SAY... “açai-de” (pronounced ‘AH-SIGH-EE’)
A
çai is the popular superfruit you’ve probably heard about by now. The berry originates from Brazil and has quickly become a staple of beach culture across the United States. They’re great for breakfast, lunch or dinner, because there really is no such thing as a wrong time when it comes to açai. You can add any type of toppings for your personal preference. If you’re sick of oatmeal or regular smoothies, try out our DIY smoothie bowl. As long as you have a blender, you can make this anywhere. Here’s how to make your own açai bowl in 10 minutes or less.
DIY Smoothie Bowl Ingredients • 2 cups of frozen strawberries and bananas • 4 tablespoons of açai powder • 1-½ cups of coconut milk • 2 tablespoons of almond butter • 1 tablespoon of honey
Toppings • Sliced bananas • Raspberries • Honey • Granola • Dried goji berries • Chia seeds
Directions 1. Add the frozen strawberries and bananas, açai powder, coconut milk, almond butter, and honey. 2. Blend the ingredients on high power until the smoothie is thick and creamy. 3. Spoon the açai smoothie into a bowl. 4. Add a layer of granola, and top with sliced bananas, raspberries, goji berries and chia seeds. 5. Drizzle honey on top for a nice, golden finish.
green
It’s all about the Kate Sieber
HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITOR
Kale
If you’ve never heard of this nutrient-dense, leafy green, you probably eat flaming hot Cheetos while playing video games all day and live under a rock. It’s the more exciting, less crunchy version of lettuce. Kale is packed with vitamins, minerals and calcium rightfully earning the title of a “superfood.” When the food industry started to recognize kale as more than just a garnish for fancy meals, food blogs and restaurants started showcasing this veggie in a whole new light. Not surprisingly, people were more than willing to jump right on the kale bandwagon. Because if Beyoncé loves it, it must be good, right? The kale movement has permanently changed America into a nation simultaneously
14 | HEALTH & WELLNESS
dedicated to eating wholesome, healthful ingredients while remaining one of the fattest nations in the world. Sure, kale is healthy and even kale chips are a great alternative to French fries. But does it really deserve to be the star of the salad bar? Part of the reason kale has become such a huge hit is all due to social media. But just because the internet claims something is true, doesn’t necessarily mean it is. So, while we can’t deny that kale does have nutritional perks like respectable amounts of fiber, potassium, and vitamins C and E, there are still plenty of other leafy green vegetables being left out of the limelight.
Spinach
Chard
Lettuce
Turns out Popeye knew what was up. Spinach was once the original green superfood that has since been overshadowed by the media-hogging kale. Whether you choose to cook it or eat it raw, spinach is loaded with vitamin K, an important nutrient for your blood and bones. One cup of cooked spinach can give you your daily dose of vitamin K for less than 50 calories. It’s both fat- and cholesterol- free, and full of vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium, and vitamins C, B2 and B6. Along with those nutrients, it’s also full of flavonoids that act as antioxidants to help keep cholesterol down, as well as folate that helps support optimal cardiovascular health. So step aside kale, spinach is making a comeback.
Though it might not be as well known as spinach, chard boasts just as an impressive list of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Just one cup of chard contains less than 40 calories while providing 300% of your daily recommended value of vitamin K. Not only that, it contains more than 13 different antioxidants, and we all know what antioxidants do for us — they are the nutritional fountain of youth. Chard also contains riboflavin and vitamins C, B6, E and A. In terms of minerals, it’s chock full of magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, sodium and copper. Possibly one of the most important health benefits of chard is its ability to regulate blood sugar, making it a prime veggie for fighting diabetes. On a different note, chard is also more aesthetically pleasing than almost all other salad bases — colors can range from the classic green to red, yellow and white. Now go ahead and try a taste of a healthier rainbow.
Also known as romaine, leaf lettuce is one of the most underestimated greens that could rank above kale. Similar to its edible foliage relatives, leaf lettuce contains an abundant amount of important nutrients and minerals that help boost your body’s health. One water-logged and fiber-rich cup has only five calories. This often overlooked green contains minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium and zinc, along with vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, B-6, C, A, E and K. Leaf lettuce also doesn’t only have to be used as a salad base. Substitute it for a slice of bread or a tortilla; give lettuce wraps a try!
Diets
Are They Worth the Weight? Marissa Baum SENIOR REPORTER
W
hether it’s trying to cut things out of a daily food intake, or completely changing eating habits altogether, many people have dabbled with dieting. Some diets really help people get on track to a healthier lifestyle, but what happens when diets aren’t all they’re cracked up to be? With the spring quickly approaching, it is important to inform yourself of diets that are popular and alluring, but might be dangerous to your health and not suited for you.
The Gluten-Free Diet
Many people, mainly
16 | HEALTH & WELLNESS
women, are choosing to go gluten-free. Here’s the deal about our bodies and gluten: thanks to Peter Green, MD, director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, unless people are suffering from Celiac Disease, or are following instructions from a doctor, “you need to be very careful because a glutenfree diet can lack vitamins minerals, and fiber,” and it is not necessarily healthier than a diet with gluten. If anything, it takes away important ingredients that your body needs. Gluten itself doesn’t offer special nutritional benefits, but many whole grains
such as bread, crackers and breakfast cereals that contain gluten, do. They’re rich in an array of vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins and iron, as well as fiber, which are essential to any healthy person’s diet. They may also help lower risk of heart disease, type2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer. So, bottom line: if you think you have a gluten problem, get tested by your doctor until then, keep eating gluten.
The Sugar-Free Diet
This might seem like a no-brainer, right? Sugar is the enemy. Sugar is what makes
people overweight. These things are not necessarily true. Let’s break this down. There are two types of sugars in the world: natural and refined. Refined sugar is in all of the “bad” stuff you see, like processed junk food. Natural sugars are in fruits, such as bananas. When people decide to cut out sugar, they lose both refined and natural sugars. The human body needs natural sugars in order to sustain regular health levels. When someone eats sugar, it gets absorbed into the blood acts as a source of fuel for tissues in your body, including your brain. Cutting out sugar short-term can be very dangerous because it causes your body to go through withdrawal. Headaches, fatigue, mood swings and depression are all side effects of cutting out all sugars. The main reason this happens is because our bodies are used to a decent sugar intake, and by cutting that out our body reacts negatively to not getting the nutrients it’s used to having. Short-term also means that you will go back to eating sugar in the future; by re-introducing sugar into your diet, you are also more likely to gain weight back.
Unless someone is making the huge decision to cut sugar out of their diet for extended periods of time, or are under doctor supervision, a sugar-free diet will not aid you in losing weight and you may be putting your body at risk.
The Juice Cleanse
You’ve heard of the “only-juice-for-a monthand-it-will-help-you lose -X-pounds-and-you’ll-feelgreat!” diet. Except, will you feel great? People that are looking for a fast way to slim down or a quick way to eliminate toxins usually gravitate towards a cleanse, typically in the form of juice diets. Many nutritionists are warning people away from this type of dieting, mainly because there’s not a lot of scientific evidence showing that cleanses work. Lauren Blake, a registered dietitian with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, says that by “restricting your calories so heavily, you’re going to lose weight, but people who follow these cleanses tend to put the weight right back on and leave themselves at risk of developing nutritional deficiencies.” A normal woman’s caloric intake should be about 2,000 calories per
day; juice cleanses usually limit to about 1,000, which is clearly half of what it should be. Blake also says that these cleanses don’t have a lot of protein in them, and when we don’t have adequate protein in our body, it breaks down muscle tissue instead. Cleanses can actually cause you to lose muscle, not fat, so the weight you’re losing is the breaking down of muscles that protect your bones and help you stay strong. Juice cleanses that are not giving a body all of the energy it needs is dangerous to your shortterm and long-term health, and should always be under the supervision of a doctor or dietician you trust. Dieting can be extremely beneficial for some people, but having a healthy diet is the long-term goal to keep unwanted weight off. Diet trends and fads will come and go, but do not be fooled — there is no quick fix to getting slimmer or healthier. With exercise and a diet full of fruits, vegetables and lean protein, you will be able to observe results that you can see physically, but also feel on the inside, too. It takes commitment because it can be a long process, but it is definitely worth it in the long run. Your body will thank you. fin.
HEALTH & WELLNESS | 17
Weaver’s Weird Enough to Work dANIELLE dEAVENS SENIOR REPORTER
“During my global experience class, I volunteered in a local elementary school and there was a fourth grade African-American male student that I mentored. We’d talk about cartoons and stuff like that. Halloween was coming up and I said, ‘Hey what are you gonna dress up as for Halloween? Are you gonna be like Ben from Ben Ten?’ because that was his favorite hero. And he goes, ‘I can’t be Ben because I don’t look like him. I’m gonna be CJ from Grand Theft Auto.’” This was the moment that made it click for senior Tony Weaver. The effects of media under- and misrepresentation are not just theorized or speculated — they are real. That conversation planted the seed for Weaver’s company, Weird Enough Productions, which focuses on elevating positive media images of people of color. “Weird Enough appeared at an intersection of two things,” Weaver said. “Number one: me being fed up with media misrepresentation and seeing
18 | COVER STORY
how it affected people. And then number two: me looking at how the media industry was changing and seeing how we could take advantage of that.” Nearly two years after his light bulb moment in that elementary school, the acting and strategic communications double major teamed up with four friends to develop Weird Enough Productions — sophomore Aneesha Smith, and alumni Rasheed Clark, Negesti Jaudo and Mia Watkins. The original five were linked by collective frustration with media representation, but Weaver had an added source of inspiration: his parents. His mother, now the superintendent of a school system, was born to an impoverished single mom but worked full-time to put herself through college. His father was a paperboy for the Atlanta Journal Constitution for 25 years before he started his own business. Their determination has been key to his success.
“The mindset that I’ve always had has always been entrepreneurial,” Weaver said. “And it’s always been, ‘My success is not negotiable.’ The moment you decide, ‘I’m gonna leave it up to chance, I don’t know if it’s gonna happen or not,’ you lose a certain level of power that you need to have.”
Funding the Dream
“My mindset has always been if I want to do something, how do I get someone else to pay for it?” Weaver said. “There’s a lot of free money floating around, there’s a lot of opportunities, especially on this campus. So we hit the ground hard looking for them.” Weaver, with the support of the other four group members, applied for the Triple Impact Challenge in fall 2014. The competition, open to all Elon students, requires participants to pitch a new business venture to a panel of judges, who measure potential impact. The first, second and third place winners win $500, $300 and
COVER STORY | 19
$200, respectively. In 2014, Weird Enough Productions came out on top, the first of many similar competitions they would go on to win. To date, Weird Enough Productions has been awarded nearly $7,000. At Elon, the company has also won funding through the Leadership Prize and the Acorn Fund. Beyond the financial support these competition wins provided, it also aided in the company’s early development. “We had to have our premise, 22 | COVER STORY
we had to have how we were gonna be profitable, we had to have why we were important, why our business needed to be made, and that was gonna be the important factor that allowed us to win or not,” Weaver said. The Triple Impact Challenge required Weaver and his partners to present foundational materials to the panel, materials that may not have been developed for months if it were not for the competition. “So competing in the Triple
Impact Challenge early on kind of got rid of that phase where we floated around thinking ‘What are we gonna do?’ We had to nail that down right away.”
Focusing the Voice
As the only black male in Elon’s acting program, Weaver found himself uncertain of the kinds of roles he would be able to find. “When you’re a black male actor, it’s not about, ‘Did I get the role?’ It’s about ‘How am I gonna explain to my family this role that I’m about to
go do,’” Weaver said. “Job or not, if I am on television robbing someone, stealing from someone, cursing someone out, killing people, my mom is not gonna be happy.” When Weaver first conceptualized the company, his goal was to create projects that improved the lives of AfricanAmerican males, counteracting the negative stereotypes that have colored media representations of black males for decades. But Weaver soon found that supporting African-American males meant tackling issues that affected people of color in general, crossing lines of both gender and sexuality. “In this day and age, if your work is not intersectional, then it’s inadequate,” Weaver said. “It’s not enough to just aim for one group anymore.” Weird Enough Productions works on projects that illuminate the intersecting pieces of the black experience, aiming to address both heavier topics like LGBTQIA identities in the black community, and the seemingly trivial topics of being a black person who loves rock music.
the leading man in Weird Enough Productions, he admits his ideas would have never come to fruition without the support of his partners. In fall 2014, there were five members of the Weird Enough team. Today, there are 40. When he graduates in May, Weaver hopes to be able to take the company on full time, with the help of grant money and additional prize money. Weird Enough Productions is currently in the second round of a competition that offers $90,000 to its first place
winner. But whether he takes it on as his day job or not, Weaver knows that Weird Enough Produtions will be sustained by supporters other than himself. “The only reason that we’ve been able to push forward is because we have a team,” he said. “Whether that’s the original team of five that we started with or our team of 40 that we have right now, everyone is contributing and everyone is working to make the company better and greater and that’s what I attribute our success to. I’m just glad people listen to me.” fin.
Looking Ahead
“For us the path is not set in stone, but it never has been,” Weaver admitted. “Two years ago if you would have told me that we would have been this far by now, I wouldn’t have believed you.” This upcoming spring is sure to be busy for Weird Enough Productions. In addition to the existing “Weird Enough to Work” miniseries, the company will begin production for its second web series in April. The next project to launch will be a spoken word series written by Weaver, “Shade and Hues: The 21st Century Black Experience.” Perhaps even more exciting, though, is that the company has started the writing process for its first two feature length films. Though Weaver continues to be COVER STORY | 23
how to
MARCHESS N D MA
Alex SimoN CONTRIBUTOR
I
n the world of sports, the month of March means one thing: March Madness. College basketball’s 68-team postseason tournament begins this month, and with that comes the obsession over the bracket. Everyone can fill one out, but it mostly is all about luck. Here are a few tips to try to make your bracket as best as it can be. Teams are ranked in seeds, going from 1-16, with the best four teams getting #1 seeds.
1: The 1, 2, and 3 seeds almost always win their first game The #1 seeds usually win their first two games. These 12 teams are ranked this high for a reason, and you should consider them to go far into the tournament — every Final Four has had one. 2: Make sure you have one 12-seed that upsets a 5-seed Even though none of them did it in 2015, there were three 12-over-5 upsets in 2014 and 2013. On average, at least one of these upsets happen per year. 3: Try to identify superstar players for small schools Think Steph Curry for Davidson, Jimmer Fredette for BYU or Gordon Hayward for Butler. These players tend to have a major impact on the NCAA Tournament, so keep an eye out for them. 4: Don’t listen to what anyone tells you to do This includes me. The tournament is always about luck, and so is your bracket. Tips may help, but do whatever you want. Usually, the best brackets come from the people who know the least about them. Which leads to the last tip… 5: Have fun. 24 | STYLE
Celebrity Snapchats Becoming Virtual BFFs RECENT UPDATES Celebrity Snapchat accounts offer us a private view into the lives of our favorite stars. By sharing some parts of their personal life with us, we feel like we really know the celeb. Though it’s only the “highlight reel” of their lives, it makes for some daily entertainment. Here are some of our favorites:
DJ KHALED - @DJKHALED305 DJ Khaled’s Snapchat account nearly broke the Internet over winter break with his keys to success, breakfast recipes, lions, plants and overall lavish lifestyle. His elliptical rants and mantra of “Another One” have inspired us to not only ride with him through the journey of success, but create our own success as well, whether we have a Chef D or not.
KYLIE JENNER - @KYLIZZLEMYNIZZL Alongside her app, Jenner’s Snapchat account educates us on all things beauty as well as recently entertaining us with an exclusive dramatic 110-second movie starring her sisters, Kanye, Hailey Baldwin and Jenner’s friend Harry Hudson featuring their unreal living arrangements. It truly deserves an Oscar.
COSMOPOLITAN - VIA SNapchat discover Cosmo shows us the behind the scenes of shoots, meetings, red carpet events and the perks of working for one of the most successful Lifestyle and
COSMOPOLITAN
Beauty magazines, which often include the best looking desserts and lots of celebrity candid appearances. ENTERTAINMENT | 25
A move to CHINA An all-American girl faced the initial difficulties of moving internationally, yet fell in love with the country throughout her time in China.
Allie Dietz SENIOR REPORTER
26 | FEATURES
L
eaving behind the life you know is always hard. Picking up and moving, leaving your friends and home is a hurdle that’s difficult for anyone to jump over. But imagine doing it when you are ten years old, and imagine you are headed across the globe to the opposite hemisphere. Sophomore Kaylina McKelvey did just that. “On Christmas day, my brothers and I woke up and went down the stairs to open presents and there were no presents there,” McKelvey said. “There was just a note from my mom and dad that said, ‘Pack up your bags, we’re moving to China.’” Her father, who works in the retail and technology industries, had been traveling back and forth from China and their home in Connecticut for some time. “Right before Christmas that year, my mom sat me and my brothers down and was like, ‘I never see your father anymore,’” McKelvey said. Since she was a stay-at-home mom, there was nothing holding back the McKelvey family from making the move so they could all be together. They took the plunge and relocated to Guanghou, in southern China, a big city that’s still growing. Her father owns factories in the city where they make denim and other clothing. At first, McKelvey admits she didn’t know what she was going to think of the country. “I visited Morocco once before and when I found out about our move to China, I was so scared I was going to live in a village like the ones there,” McKelvey said. “But, it’s nothing like that.” After eight years living there, McKelvey fell in love with the country and wants to live there permanently. While there, she
found a few differences between new home and her old, especially when it came to socioeconomics. “I’m not saying America is a dying country, but the economy in China is just starting,” she said. “As a foreigner, you automatically have somewhat of a bump in the class system.” When she first moved there, McKelvey recalls everyone being in awe of the “all-American girl” that she was. She described the situation as being a black sheep in a pool of white sheep, simply saying that as a foreigner, “you’re different.” “People would come up to me and they would start feeling my hair and looking in my eyes. They were infatuated with my blonde hair and blue eyes.” People were so captivated by her and her equally all-American brother, that they were both offered modeling jobs as kids. According to McKelvey, people in China love learning about Western culture and said the Chinese citizens have an extreme desire for more European stores, such as H&M. “It would just be me, my brother and some American man who looks too young to really be a dad, posing as an all-American family in an ad for a washing machine,” she said. Even though she loved growing up there, McKelvey said she had to trade off a lot in order to live there. She is now studying strategic communications with an Asian studies minor at Elon University. Her years living across the pond and the internship she had in Hong Kong this past summer showed her the opportunities she could have if she moves back, which is a possibility. “I had an experience that not a lot of people had, but I also didn’t get the experience most people had,” McKelvey said. fin.
Start your morning off right.
THE
PENDULUM
www.elonpendulum.com
friend AND FAUX* *no animals were harmed in the making of this fashion shoot.
FASHION | 29
30 | FASHION
Looking at Emma Vo, Miki Salamon, Clare Farrow, Emma Mankin and Marissa Costner, a lot comes to mind. These women are all beautiful, strong, intelligent and friendly. The one word that perhaps doesn’t come to mind, yet describes one of their biggest identifiers, is vegan. Intensely generalized and often misunderstood, veganism is not merely a diet that eliminates all animal-based products from your meals. Many people that pledge themselves to veganism do so for very real and prevalent reasons that they cannot ignore in their daily lives. These reasons have also led these women, and more than 400 other students at Elon, to serve as part of the Animal Protection Alliance, seeking to bring awareness and activism for the problems facing those who cannot defend themselves.
https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2016/01/26/15/03/texture-1162642_960_720.jpg
GOT APA?
Elon Animal Protection Alliance strives to create a community of intersectional animal advocates who work toward ending animal oppression through community engagement.
How do you combat the stigma attached to animal rights activists and veganism? Claire: “Veganism as a philosophy is based in peace that was stigmatized by people trying to get involved. We have a lot of events that are intended to create conversation and exposure, and I don’t feel like we are pushing an agenda. We really meet people where they’re at, whatever works for you.” Emma V: “A perfect quote for this is, “Activism is the rent I pay for living on this planet,” from Alice Walker. When people bash me, its so easy to get mad, but now I just focus on being positive.”
What was the inspiration behind forming the APA?
How would you like to see the apa grow?
Claire: “We wanted to bring more awareness surrounding animal issues to campus. I was already running SHARE, and had been a part of it since my sophomore year, so it just seemed natural and like a good opportunity to extend that circle of compassion to animals.”
Emma M: “Part of the way in which the club could grow is through spreading the message that care for animals is really care for us. Most people feel that they should be more invested in the fate of humanity, but, through veganism, I’ve found that its all related; the earth is all about codependency. Our job should be to make that message accessible.”
32 | FASHION
about
7.5 million Americans abstain from all animal products
according to the Vegetarian Resource Group.
What do you think is the most vital action we need to take at Elon to make the biggest impact on the issue of animal rights? Miki: “Little subtle changes can help because it makes people think. Education is always one of the best platforms.” Claire: “If you eat less meat, that’ll save the most; only one hamburger requires 2500 gallons of water, which is the equivalent to showering for six months straight.”
Do you see this lifestyle and the activism that comes with it continuing in your life after you graduate? Emma V: “I’m a cinema major with a minor in public health, so I’d like to work for an animal advocacy group and make videos promoting veganism.” Emma M: “It’s really about integrating that mentality into our various fields like incorporating my understanding of the planet into my career.”
“
When people bash me, its so easy to get mad, but now I just focus on being positive.” -emma vo
Emma M: “Eat less meat in whatever capacity you can.”
FASHION | 33
Vacationing on a college budget How Airbnb and Skyscanner are becoming college students’ best friends for spring break plans
34 | ENTERTAINMENT
AIRBNB
www.airbnb.com With spring break coming up, many
of Miami or Cancún seems a little
people are scrambling to figure
daunting, using Airbnb to find a more
out last-minute vacation plans. On
local and outside-of-the-box option is
a college budget, it’s hard to find
the way to go.
affordable, but safe, places to stay.
Super Bowl 50 made waves in the
Airbnb makes the struggle a little
news for many different things — the
bit easier. The website is a place for
halftime show being one of the biggest
people to list, find and rent lodging
focuses. Beyoncé took to the stage
in 34,000 cities in more than 190
with fellow pop artist Bruno Mars and
countries.
rock band Coldplay for an unbelievable
Airbnb offers housing ranging from
show, but at the end of the night,
stand-alone homes and apartments
she spent her “super weekend”
to state-of-the-art, fully furnished
partying at a $10,000 per- night Airbnb
and decorated tents for travelers to
rental described as a ‘contemporary
experience “glamping,” also known
masterpiece’ on its listing.
as glamourous camping. If the idea
Skyscanner www.skyscanner.com
One of the biggest challenges students find when planning out spring break trips can be the fees
engine that enables people to find comparisons for flights.” The site offers an option to choose
associated with travel. Plane tickets are
‘everywhere’ as a destination, and
outrageously expensive and the price
allows users to select a specific month
goes up the longer you put off buying
or ‘Cheapest Month.’ It filters through
them. As college students we are all
travel websites to find the best
procrastinators by nature.
flight prices for both domestic and
Skyscanner is “a global search
international itineraries.
ENTERTAINMENT | 35
I
In a green country known for pints of Guinness, charming accents and four-leaf clovers, Elon University students are finding Ireland to be the laid-back oasis needed for a break from the fastpaced college life. Ireland, sits directly west of the United Kingdom. It is a country deeply rooted in tradition and whose citizens value their heritage and roots. Like most European destinations, one of the perks of being in Ireland is the ability to travel to different countries in Europe without breaking the bank. Because of Ireland’s size, tourists can travel coast
36 | FEATURES
to coast in a matter of hours, giving you a taste of every landscape from the beach at Lahinch to mountains and the Cliffs of Moher and to the most populated city in Ireland, Dublin. Senior Katherine Nichols, who spent last spring studying abroad in Ireland, says living in Dublin allowed for a city vibe while still getting a taste of Irish traditions. “It’s a city, but it feels like a small town community where you pass people you know on the streets daily,” she said. Stephen Braye, professor of English who leads
Ireland en route Alexandra Schonfeld SENIOR REPORTER
the Winter Term trip “Ireland: Literature, Culture and History,” advises travelers to be wary of only visiting Dublin if you want to get a true taste of all of what the country has to offer. Instead, Braye said he has three top destinations for anyone traveling to Ireland: (1) the Aran Islands, 45 minutes off the coast of Galway, (2) Giant’s Causeway, an area of hexagonal rocks that have erupted out of the ground in Northern Ireland, and (3) Graystones, accessible via train from Dublin, where you travel along the scenic east coast of the country the entire time.
According to Braye, the people of Ireland take time with life. They’re never in a rush, and are overall much friendlier than us Americans. “They are way slower paced,” said senior Megan Cummins, another student who studied in Ireland. “Not in the same way as they are here in the south — they are just very laid back. Time to them is not an issue. If you had a business meeting or something, being 20 minutes late is not abnormal.” The Irish people are also very in touch with their heritage, which Braye said is one of his favorite things about the culture. FEATURES | 37
“So many people have immigrated that the Irish people don’t know a stranger,” he said. “They think they might be related to you.” The country, which is home to both the Guinness and Jameson factories, places drinking as more of a casual social event, varying greatly from the typical Elon frat party. Pubs are a place where strangers talk to strangers and a pint of Guinness is meant to be enjoyed within an hour — not chugged within a minute. “Going out at night was one of the easiest places to meet people,” Cummins said. “The drinking was a lot bigger, not because of the drinking itself, but because it’s such a big part of the city,” she said. A group of students even spotted Hozier, the Irish singer-songwriter, out one night at a pub. “The pubs were a change because there was live music, better beer and more talking and dancing with friends,” Nichols added.
summer to celebrate his,” Braye said. “There are lots of emblems of him everywhere.” This cultural association of Saint Patrick is much different compared to the United States, which is very centered around drinking. “We just think of it as a day where we celebrate the Irish by drinking — they do that, but they do lots of other things with [Saint Patrick], too,” Braye said. “Most people probably don’t know that he is the patron saint of Ireland — he is kind of the national figure of Ireland.” Cummins said the parades and celebrations in Ireland are not as flashy as they are in big American cities like New York or Boston. “What I heard from people from Dublin is that it has only become a real thing over the past 20 years or so. Before that ,it was just a religious holiday,” Cummings said. “But they had a parade, and everyone got dressed up.” On the days leading up to the actual holiday, the pubs and clubs are packed constantly with people in the birthplace of Saint Patrick. Nichols said it appeared as though no one went to work. “On the day of, you wake up and drink some Irish coffee and then get beer by 10 and just keep going until the bars close,” Nichols said.
“It’s a city but it feels like a small town community ” - Katherine Nichols
St. Patrick’s Day Since St. Patrick’s Day falls in March, the Elon students studying abroad in the spring got to experience the holiday in the country it honors. In Ireland, Saint Patrick, who the holiday is named after, is both a historical and mythological figure. “We know that there was somebody that we say was Saint Patrick around the fifth century and that he did some proselytizing around Ireland,” Braye said. Saint Patrick also has some mythological stories associated with him, such as how he got the snakes out of Ireland. “There are lots of things in Ireland that they would associate with Saint Patrick — Saint Patrick’s Croagh, which is a mountain that people walk up every 38 | FEATURES
fin.
Claddaugh Ring An Irish Tradition The heart represents love, the hands represent friendship. the crown represents royalty.
Single Engaged Relationship Married
If you’re wearing your ring on the right hand, with the heart facing out, you’re single and looking for love.
If you’re ring is placed on your left hand, with the heart faced outward, you’re engaged.
If you’re wearing your ring on the right hand with the heart facing in, you’re in a relationship.
If the ring is on your left hand and is facing inwards, you’re married.
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