REFINE Magazine Spring/Summer 2021: The Dream Issue

REFINE

Table of Contents / The Dream Issue

IN EVERY ISSUE Behind the Cover... 4 Masthead... 6 Who We Are... 7 Editor’s Note... 8 Rebekah’s Edit... 9 Staff Spotlight... 10

THE MINE CULTURE Bimbos Are Back, Baby!... 14 Life’s a Trip... 15 This Is What Dreams Are Made Of... 16 Daydreaming with a Twist... 17 Q&A Jacquelyne Ellis Talks Life as an Intuitive... 18 An Introduction to Shoegaze and Dream Pop... 19

FASHION 70s Fashion Trends... 20 Open for Business... 22 The Dream Issue Cover Shoot... 24 Bridgerton Inspired Fashion... 32 Plus-size Shopping... 33 Monochrome Fits All 2021... 34 Dream Girls Shoot... 36

HEALTH Sleep to Dream... 42 Ray’s Reusables... 43 A Medium for Healing... 44 Healing Hands... 45

LOVE Beginner’s Guide to Manifestation... 46 Come On, Carry Me Home... 48 It’s Not You, It’s Your Relationship OCD... 49 Killing the Dream Job... 50

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Table of Contents / The Dream Issue

MAIN CAMPUS

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Astrologer Q&A... 52 Moment of Magic... 53 Welcome to the Croc Party... 54 Revisiting Retro... 55 Fantasy Faires... 56 The Show Must Go On... 58 Searching for the Stars... 59 Cloud Nine Shoot... 60

STUDY BREAK International Corner... 67 Fact & Fiction: The Crossroads of Fantasy Writing... 68 The Longest Trip... 69 Tarot Reading Guide... 70

PG. 60

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BEHIND THE COVER

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n a sunny day in early March, Art Director Dani Meenan met with models Dané Simms and Abby Steinour at the Hancock Playground in Philadelphia for the Dream Issue cover shoot. Inspired by the bold, playful, primary colors of our childhood, we look to the future as creative adults.

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Photography by Dani Meenan

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Rebekah Harding FOUNDER Sarah Madaus MANAGING EDITOR Lindsay Bowen SENIOR EDITOR Gabrielle Houck | EDITORIAL | FEATURES EDITOR Samantha Roehl CULTURE EDITOR Milly McKinnish LOVE EDITOR Maggie Mancini FASHION EDITOR Molly Reinhard HEALTH EDITOR McKenzie Morgan FOB/BOB EDITOR Leilani Henson COPY EDITORS Magdalena Becker, Maryam Siddiqui DIGITAL EDITOR Sarah Waddington | VISUALS | ART DIRECTOR Dani Meenan DESIGN EDITOR Tara Doll ASST. DESIGN EDITORS Nicole Hwang, Sydnee Ellison FASHION DIRECTOR Logan Wentzel VISUALS EDITOR Haley Domzalski | SOCIAL MEDIA | SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Tonja Butler ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Maya Johnson | Business | TREASURER Peace Okiye A special thanks to our staff writers and editorial, digital, and visuals contributors

WHO WE ARE Just as diamonds are refined by intense pressure and extracurricular challenges, REFINE magazine will challenge Temple women to think outside of the box. REFINE offers a fresh perspective on campus life: the fashion statements, culture, music trends, health habits, and love lives that Temple women possess, all from one beautifully packaged product.

Our goal is to provide great service to our readers, so that they can navigate through the trenches of college with confidence and grace.

REFINE mimics the voice of the reader’s BFF: We love you, but we have no qualms about giving it to you straight.

Haley’s hamster, Four Loko “Loko” Domzalski, stepped in briefly as visuals editor during the Cloud9 shoot.

Visuals Editor Haley Domzalski and Fashion Director Logan Wentzel on set of the Cloud9 shoot

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Editor’s Letter

ED’S NOTE Hey, it’s me again.

This issue is a stark contrast to our award-winning Apocalypse issue, published last fall in the wake of a tumultuous election and a school year gone awry due to horrific planning (hi, Temple). After tackling such a heavy issue, I knew our editors were craving something a bit more lighthearted— Enter: The Dream Issue.

As this issue has come together, I’ve come to the realization that the Dream issue is very much an extension of the themes we explored in the Apocalypse issue. As Temple students have adapted and struggled within the context of mid-pandemic college life, we’re learning to redefine the dreams we came here to pursue.

In the following pages, our writers explore topics like how microdosing psychedelic drugs can benefit mental health, the death of the dream job, spirituality, and even the reinvention of the bimbo archetype.

From jumping on countless Zoom calls, answering my hysterical mid-production-panic Slack messages, to adapting gracefully to every single obstacle thrown our way, this year’s team has impressed me more than they could ever know.

While I’m devastated to see so many of our “incumbent” staff graduate this spring, they’ve left a legacy that will be continued by many of the same staff writers and contributors that they helped guide the past year. It’s big shoes to fill, but I know next year’s staff will do amazing.

Next fall, as I run REFINE from 6,897 mi across the Pacific Ocean from my dorm room in Seoul, South Korea, I know the 2021-22 dream team is ready to take on anything.

And so it is, Rebekah Harding, Editor-in-Chief

photo by Haley Domzalski

Rebekah’s Edit

Manifestation Journal, RedBubble Excited to start manifesting your dream life after reading our guide on pg. 46?

(Shameless plug, I know)... This journal is a perfect home for all of your exciting manifestations.

Incense Burner, Amazon This frog incense burner is one of the top five cutest things I’ve ever seen.

This super helpful little guy holds your incense sticks for you while you cleanse your space.

METAPHYSICAL MUST-HAVES Rose Quartz, Etsy We can all use a little boost in our love lives— especially in terms of self-love. And, rose quartz is a great focus tool for just that.

Tarot Cards, ADAMJK Do readings in style with these adorable, millenial pink tarot cards.

Rosemary Smudge Stick, Etsy You can still enjoy the benefits of smudging without using the popular, but appropriated and endangered, white sage. Instead, opt for rosemary— it smells AH-mazing, too!

HI VRIDD is for

V LH: So to get started, what is something you are most excited to see in the Dream Issue?

VV: I’m most excited to see all the different pieces that I’ve been seeing come together in the Love section, especially because I’m so excited about those topics and the interpretation of dreams with love.

And I’m also just so excited in general to see how everyone puts together their experiences and opinions to best reflect dreams in the Dream Issue. We worked so hard on this issue—I can’t wait.

LH: Have you ever had a lucid dream where you’re completely in control?

VV: Oh, yeah! Like almost every night.

I can either dream vividly, if not lucidly, and if I don’t like it, I’ll just change it...

You can tell it’s a dream, but I still know you’re fully conscious. Or if there are characters in it, I can ask them questions or do stuff with them.

LH: When you interpret your dreams, do you look for specific resources or do you go for a quick Google search?

Front-of-Book Editor Leilani Henson spoke with Vriddhi Vinay about spirituality, dreams, psychedelics, and their intersection with cultural appropriation. Vinay, a current writer for REFINE’s love section, heavily researches South Asian history with a focus on women and the effects of colonialism. A self-described “academic bimbo,” Vinay combines her varying interests with academia and hopes to continue embracing bimbo culture as she explores the world both physically and spiritually. She will be stepping into the role of digital editor during the 2021-22 school year.

VV: Sometimes, I only interpret it if it’s a little shocking. If it’s just a fun dream, I’m like, ‘gotcha, that was a fun little story for the eight hours that I’m knocked out.’

If it’s something that seems symbolic, or following the theme of the day that I’ve been thinking about, I’ll totally look it up.

I’m South Asian, so there’s already Hindu spirituality, and then that is something you could look up for the dream interpretations, which I prefer to any kind of Western resources when talking about spirituality or doing interpretation.

LH:What are your thoughts on the use of crystals in spirituality?

VV: I support friends buying ethically made crystals, not only just because they’re pretty but because I really do believe in the law of attraction. If it’s something really good for your subconscious or something to focus on to meditate or manifest on, then what’s the harm?

I totally support it because if anything, it goes in your favor to just buy it. I guess in my own spirituality, it’s not really a part of it. I think there’s nothing wrong if you buy ethically made, not like an Urban Outfitters crystal then using it to manifest or as a focus tool.

LH: When thinking about spirituality, what are your thoughts on “closed practice” magic?

VV: My viewpoint on this is you have to look at these closed practices as not just your fun and games, but as someone’s religion, culture, and something that is being erased from that person’s identity or livelihood. When you participate in a closed practice, you kinda deserve what you have coming because you shouldn’t deal with something when you don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s very neocolonialist that these other white-owned spiritual companies are taking these crystals

or these prayer artifacts. They’re stealing so much of Hinduism and Buddhism, and they’re selling that after paying them 20 cents to make it just to sell in these crystal shops for $10, just capitalizing off of it.

When people participate in closed practices I think they’re very much delegitimizing someone’s entire viewpoint, and deep history and culture, like in hoodoo and Voodoo. A lot of times, these closed practices are closed because they have to do with ancestry.

LH: Do you have any recommendations for those looking for spiritual materials?

VV: There’s a lot of West African, South Asian, Southwestern Asian-owned shops that sell just all these things. On South Street, for example, there’s a lot of Nepali and Southeast Asian shops that sell these spiritual materials. South St, if you want South East or Nepali, which is South Asian, and West Philly if you want more South Asian, West Asian, West African, East African kind of shops. If you’re South Asian, there’s Foreign Bazaar on Chestnut St that’s just great.

LH: Post-grad, what is your dream future?

VV: My long-term goal is I hope to get a graduate degree up to the Ph.D. level. I’d like to study South Asia and the history of colonialism, or modern political economy, which isn’t completely unrelated. I would like to teach, or I would like to do research long term, and doing research obviously includes writing about it. That’s what I kind of hoped to do. In the free time, I would like to be traveling the world, finding lovers and collecting their souls in every city, going to darkwave sex clubs, and picking up men over 50 in Santa Monica Beach.

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THE MINE Culture & Fashion & Health & Love

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Bimbos Are Back, Baby!

Bimbofication is all the rage on TikTok now. Below, REFINE talks to self-professed bimbos, himbos and some of the movement’s critics.

by Lily Sanders

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ecently, Y2K styles have reached their 20-year cycle with low-rise jeans, butterfly clips and bubblegum pink once again becoming all the rage. However, another 2000s cultural phenomenon has reemerged—the bimbo.

While once used in the early 2000s as a term to denounce stars like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, the trope of an attractive yet ditsy woman has been embraced by the TikTok community.

Griffin Maxwell Brooks, @griffinmaxwellbrooks, a popular TikToker and self-proclaimed “enby,” (short for nonbinary) bimbo, has collaborated with Chrissy Chlapecka, @chrissaychlapecka, to create some of the platform’s most popular #bimbofication videos. While many of Maxwell’s videos are over-the-top satire, they still embrace the reclamation of the term.

“Bimbo” ironically stems from the Italian word for a male baby or child, later being appropriated into an English slang term for a friend. The word’s modern usage did not emerge until the 1920s, and “himbo,” a term for the bimbo’s male counterpart, was coined by a film critic at The Washington in the late 1980s.

Brooks had trouble reconciling with the history of the term, but saw power in it as they are not your conventional female-identifying bimbo.

“I loved the idea of reclaiming such a negative term and had been going through a bit of a struggle over my identity and gender expression at the time, and the idea of really my own femininity was one that I wanted to embrace,” Brooks said.

While subverting a hyperfeminine aesthetic has immense face level value (think drag and camp), some call into question whether the bimbo movement thrives on stereotypical bleach blonde eurocentricity.

TikTok user Leah Mazzola, @leahmazz, created a popular TikTok urging creators to rethink their reclamation of bimbo culture. Unlike white creators that have free reign to play with the term, “black women are stereotyped as dumb, but are still expected to work twice as hard,” Mazzola says.

So how do other creators grapple with the pervading whiteness of the movement?

“Stereotypes around the bimbo definitely entail white/eurocentric features, and that’s something I want to eliminate in the reclamation of the word,” Brooks said.

With dramatically conflicting opinions on the matter, it can be

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difficult to determine whether or not the movement is possible of being subversive or at the bare minimum satirical.

“I had so many people comment in my video on how they’re constantly chasing their femininity, and they wish it was just easy to wake up and be a bimbo,” Mazolla said.

Mazzola’s followers have a point about the old aesthetic of bimbo’s past, but does the satirical, campy, unconventional bimboism that Maxwell employs differ from that? And how can creators deal with the fact that many people still feel distanced from the movement?

There is no steadfast answer to the “right way” to be a bimbo, but continued discourse will only help the movement become more inclusive.

Students share their diverse experiences with the benefits and limitations of psychedelic microdosing.

by Clover Gideon

As the concept of microdosing has swiftly entered its way into mainstream culture, many folks are able to recognize the familiar term, or have made the decision to experience the art of microdosing for themselves. Before delving into the world of psychedelics, it’s important to explore what microdosing is and understand the various effects that this practice may have on the user.

As if the name couldn’t make it more obvious, microdosing on psychedelics tends to look quite different from the otherworldly, hue-filled psychedelic adventure that would result from the consumption of a larger, more typical sized dose.

“Microdosing is taking a much smaller amount of a psychedelic drug, such as one-twentieth the amount it would take for a full psychedelic effect. People make all kinds of claims about improved mood, creativity, and attention. It also involves the regular use of the drug, with many folks claiming to take it once every few days” said Matthew W. Johnson, a John Hopkins psychiatry and behavioral sciences professor.

According to Johnson, research conducted within full psychedelic therapy has demonstrated positive effects for “treating addiction, depression, and anxiety.”

Students have made the choice to microdose for a variety of reasons. These reasons range from wanting to treat and manage symptoms of mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression, to seeking a boost of creativity, pleasure, and clarity.

The experience of microdosing is not meant for one to be placed into a state of

Life’s A Trip psychosis, but rather to help enhance positive feelings within the body and mind.

Temple students shared their own unique insights and personal experiences with microdosing and how it has affected them and those around them.

“I decided to start microdosing back in June when my anxiety was at an all time high,” said Nandi*, a Temple student.

“I only take enough psilocybin to where I’m able to have a clear head and be creative, but not to where I’m experiencing a full-on psychedelic trip. I can say that it’s helped tremendously with my anxiety and has also aided me in my spiritual journey of mindfulness,” Nandi said.

The consumption of psychedelic substances is known to put the brain in a hyperactive state, which then results in a heightened state of consciousness. The most common psychedelics include psilocybin, DMT, mescaline, LSD, and 2C-B. (Penn Society for Psychedelic Science). However, microdosing is not meant to give the same effects that a full dose would provide simply because the dose is, well, micro.

Although positive effects have been seen from microdosing, it’s important to note that everyone’s bodies are different, and not all microdosing experiences are universal. Improper dosing could lead to possible unpleasant experiences. Psychedelics should be understood and treated just like any other medication that you would take, whether someone is choosing to microdose or not.

In contrast, some students have seen others experience negative outcomes, particularly associated with prolonged daily use

“I think psychedelics are incredibly useful but microdosing is super risky because of the effects it can have on the functioning of your brain,” said Eva*, a Temple student. Eva witnessed a friend who chose to microdose over a prolonged period of time. As a result, they struggle with things such as problem solving.

Some students experienced negative effects, there are some students who didn’t feel they got what they needed out of microsoing.

“I personally didn’t feel like microdosing did very much for me,” said Marie*, a Temple student.

“It might be because I generally have a very high tolerance and would prefer to just take a regular dose every once in a while rather than microdosing regularly,” Marie said.

Whether or not you make the decision to microdose, it’s important to be mindful of your consumption and be aware of the potential positive or negative effects that may occur.

“I think it’s important to understand different kinds of psychedelic substances and what their effects are as well. We should be working to end the harmful stigma surrounding using psychedelic substances and instead work toward more harm reduction and education ,” said Jonah*, a Temple student. *Names have been changed to protect the sources’ identities.

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This Is What Dreams Are Made Of While the pandemic continues, some countries—like Italy—have allowed students to come study abroad. Emalee Douglass, a junior visual studies major, was one of the lucky individuals able to study abroad this semester at Temple’s Rome campus. Halfway through the semester, Douglass spoke with staff writer Hafeezat Bishi about her experience living abroad during a pandemic.

Disclaimer: This interview has been condensed and edited for style and length.

Hafeezat Bishi: So, what are you currently doing in Rome?

Emalee Douglass: I am currently studying abroad, taking three studio courses and an internship for credit. I’m also completing a work-study at the Temple Rome Gallery.

HB: What was the process of getting ready to travel to another country during a pandemic like?

ED: It was stressful! And it was scary. It wasn’t in anyone’s control; we were up to the grace of COVID-19, as well as the Italian Government. When I was finally in the home stretch with my plane tickets, my visa—which was a whole stressful process, because they want to know why you want to come here since it’s a pandemic— my certificate from the Italian consulate, they tried to stop me at the airport.

HB: Oh no!

ED: I had to be like “no, no I’m allowed to be here! I have the visa, I have permission from your government to be here.” The woman said, “no, it says no entry to Italy.”

Apparently, a couple of days before [Italy] had put a new travel ban on top [of the one already in place], so we were the last group allowed to fly in.

HB: What’s a typical day for you like?

ED: So I’m usually up by 6:30 A.M. (which is half past midnight EST). [It] is disgusting but I do it. I’ll get a cup of coffee and then walk to school. I’m living in Prati, Rome, which is a nice neighborhood. I’ll walk across the Tiber River to get to [campus].

All my classes involve going places, so I’m really blessed in that sense. I get to see a lot that I wouldn’t see if I was stuck in the Temple building all the time. I might go take pictures at a market, sketch at a Basilica or church or eat in a park. So it’s a bit different every day, but I’ll end early in the afternoon and get a panini for lunch

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because that’s what everybody eats. Then I’ll do my internship remotely or meet up with friends and get an aperitivo and some appetizers.

HB: Do you feel safe being in Italy?

How’s COVID being treated over there versus over here?

ED: From my understanding of it, [Italy] is way more on top of it. Temple is especially good about it; they make us get tested once a week. Besides that, Italy has a color-coding system. there’s yellow, orange, and red. Yellow means that museums are open on weekdays. You can go out to eat until 6 p.m., and then there’s a curfew at 10 p.m.. No more dining in, or even outside; there’s only take away after 6 p.m.. Orange is the next step, no dine-in at all just take-out, and then curfew still at 10 p.m..

I think that kind of structure makes everybody feel a little bit safer. We’ve been in yellow for a while, so we’re able to travel within the Lazio region of Italy. So, as long as it’s yellow, you can travel within the region, or, depending on what the government says, between other yellow regions. The fact that the government’s watching the numbers that carefully and has it down to a system makes everybody feel more comfortable.

HB: Did you watch the “Lizzie McGuire Movie” when you were younger? Is Rome truly “what dreams are made of?”

ED: It’s funny because my roommate and I, while we were in quarantine together, watched the movie—because you know we had to! I never in a million years would have told [myself] that I could be here right now and to be living the life that I’m living.

I didn’t even think I was gonna be going to college, and then I got in with some

scholarships and grant money, and I worked my butt off for my grades and got scholarships to come here and study.

I’ll be passing Ancient Egyptian obelisks, and I’ll sit there eating a sandwich in this historic space; it’s so insane and I have to remind myself to never lose that wonder.

HB: What do you hope to gain from this experience?

ED: I would definitely say personal growth. There’s a lot to be said about putting yourself in a situation without any of your security blankets. I’ve made friends, but it’s still weird, especially adjusting to a different culture and trying to work through language barriers. But your adaptability and self-confidence increase.

I also wanted to become a global citizen, so I was really happy to be able to study abroad, expand my worldview and really get to know another culture. I can order a sandwich and ask to use the bathroom, so that’s all you need.

HB: Any final words?

ED: I think it’s very important what I said about childlike wonder, and to be curious and not make assumptions. People will stare at you, and they’re gonna know you’re American whether or not you’re speaking.

Also, don’t count carbs! Girl, you’re walking, how many miles a day, because all we do is walk. You’re burning it off.

Daydreaming with a Twist Changing between realities may not be as far-fetched or impossible as most believe.

by Mia Parker Have you ever thought about becoming your favorite fictional character, meeting your favorite celebrities, or living in an entirely different world?

I certainly have, along with most others. Almost everyone dreams about what it would be like to live in an alternate universe as somebody else, but, for the most part, it’s just a fantasy. However, a select group of people are blurring the line between reality and fantasy.

Reality shifters have recently taken over TikTok and other forms of social media, sharing their experiences of “shifting” into an alternate reality. Through lucid dreaming, hypnosis, meditation techniques, and manifestation, these people claim that they can change realities and become whoever and whatever they want to be.

One reality shifter, Jade S., also known as jambasurf on Youtube, opened up about how it feels when shifts.

“It kind of feels like you are being lifted out of your body, [but then] it becomes physically real,” she said.

Jade created a YouTube video on the subject once shifting became a popular TikTok trend. She noticed that many people on the platform were misinformed, and she wanted to explain the quantum physics of shifting in an attempt to teach people the real science behind it.

Maggie Castro, another reality shifter with a YouTube channel that promotes it, has not been so successful with shifting, but continues to try.

“During my closest attempt, I felt some of the common symptoms people experience—tingles, limb numbness and the sensation that your head is spinning,” she said.

She hopes that she will fully shift so that she can meet some of her favorite celebrities from the 80s. According to Castro, most people shift to meet their comfort characters and celebrities.

“I’m no different,” Castro said.

Kristan Dat, or Kristeau on Youtube, first tried shifting when she was in a “pretty bad mental state” as a form of escapism.

“That ideology was very flawed because I wasn’t getting rid of my problems at all. Although I started shifting with an unhealthy purpose in mind, once I learned how to do it my mindset changed,” Dat said.

Shifting can be used as a type of escape from the present reality, but it can also be used to meet people and experience things that would be unattainable here. It does not mean that this reality isn’t good enough; it just means that there are limitless other

possibilities to explore.

Shifters can change their locations as well as transform into another person or thing, such as a fictional character. Dat usually shifts realities to a countryside mansion for peace or into the anime “My Hero Academia.” She detailed exactly what happens when she is in either of these realities.

“In the ‘My Hero Academia’ reality I shift to, I go to school and do things a normal teen would except I have superhuman abilities and a sixth sense. In my big mansion in the countryside reality, I have a mansion with a butler and spend my days lounging around and just doing whatever I want,” Dat said.

Next time you find yourself creating imaginary scenarios of meeting your favorite celebrities or characters, or daydreaming about your ideal vacation spot, pull up YouTube or TikTok and find more information about reality shifting. You might have the ability to transform into an alternate reality too.

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Q&A:

Jacquelyne Ellis Talks Life as an Intuitive For over 30 years, Jacquelyne Ellis has been guiding people as a spiritual coach between the physical and non-physical realms. Her passion in life is helping people learn to trust their own inner intuition and identifying spiritual guides in people’s lives.

Read more about Ellis’s full-time profession as an intuitive, her connection to the spiritual world, and skeptics.

Disclaimer: This interview has been condensed and edited for style and length.

Lindsay Griffin: How did your spiritual journey begin?

Jacquelyne Ellis: When I was about 5-years-old, my folks had friends come over to go play Monopoly, and I stood at the door for a while waiting for them to introduce the other people that came with them, and nobody did because they did not see them.

LG: Tell me about your business; how long have you been sharing this profession with people?

JE: I’ve been a professional intuitive for about 32 years, and I’ve been psychic all my life. I’ve always seen, heard, and had conversations with people that weren’t necessarily in a body.

LG: Can you tell me how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected your business?

JE: When we first went into lockdown, I didn’t have anybody scheduled for about two or three weeks. It was really weird, but it didn’t make any sense to me. I knew that a lot of people were going to be out of work, but there’s also going to be a lot of people wondering what is going on. This changed when my business started up again the next month, and I really haven’t noticed any difference. I’m already working from home, I was already working over the phone, so I was really lucky in that regard as people are concerned and are calling for direction and support.

LG: What made you start to trust in your psychic abilities and believe this was something special to share?

JE: I’ve always known that I was different, and I didn’t know what to do with it. I tried to shut it up, and frankly, it was hard because I’d go to the grocery store and see people’s hunger, their passions, their sex lives, or what their past lives were, and it’s too much information. I’m not trying to read anybody’s mind, I don’t want that, so I shut it down. Finally, I had to say “well if it serves me if it helps me to be a better person—if it helps me to show others then I want to know—I want to see it.”

LG: Who or what has impacted you throughout your career?

JE: I would have to say the work itself, to me, it’s still a miracle.

It’s been over 35,000 readings and that blows my mind. This ability continues to show me that there’s some other force that’s delivering this, not just to me, but to people like me. It comes from somewhere that you just have to keep surrendering to it and the work itself inspires me day after day.

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LG: Can you predict your own future?

JE: I don’t know if anybody can predict the future. I don’t claim to do that for anybody. There’s no way to pin something down and say on this day that’s going to happen. I don’t always know what’s coming, but intuition does guide you like a GPS. LG: Have you had any skeptics in a reading?

JE: I don’t get skeptics anymore because you can’t really read them. You can read that they have trust issues and that it’s a waste of their money and my time. But my business is by word of mouth, so when someone comes, their friend referred them and there’s already a connection.

LG: Do you have any predictions for 2021?

JE: No, I don’t. It’s like if somebody did astrology, they might give you an astrological reading, but I don’t get it like that. I’m very personal and intimate in my readings, so I could look at you and what might come up for you personally, but globally there are just way too many possibilities.

LG: Before we go, any words of wisdom?

JE: Intuition is an art, not a science. I don’t know anybody who is 100 percent accurate.

An Introduction to Shoegaze and Dream Pop In wake of the genres’ resurging popularity, REFINE offers a brief history and five quintessential albums.

by Lily Sanders

D

ream pop is everything its name implies: atmospheric melodies, breathy vocals, and ethereal synthesizers. When listening to dream pop, without a doubt you’ll be transported into a trance or dream-like state.

Often conflated with “shoegaze”—its thrashier, discordant sibling—dream pop’s origins date back to the 1980s with the emergence of bands like My Bloody Valentine and the Cocteau Twins (BTW, their album “Heaven or Las Vegas” being heralded as one of the best dream-pop albums of all time).

Now that you know some background, here are five must-listen albums for a dream pop novice: “Heaven or Las Vegas” by Cocteau Twins Just because you’re the first to do something, doesn’t mean you’re the best, but in the case of the Cocteau Twins, that’s not a far stretch. “Heaven or Las Vegas” is truly THE dream pop record. Lead singer Elizabeth Fraser was known for telling reporters that she “goes with the sound and the joy,” referring to the band’s iconic lack of coherent lyricism.

The album’s most popular tracks, “Heaven or Las Vegas” and “Cherry-coloured funk” may have sensible lyrics, but they are hardly discernible without a previous Google search. The idea of lyrics as a vector to manipulate sound is a concept popularized by this band, but also present in many genres today.

“Loveless” by My Bloody Valentine My Bloody Valentine has more in common with the rock-inspired Shoegaze ethos than dream pop. Its thrashy distorted vocals and loud reverberated electric guitar on tracks like “When You Sleep” are profound and crushing. The band’s lead singer, Kevin Shields, sings of falling into an intense romance only to feel as though you never mattered to them at all. “Loveless” was the band’s last album and the perfect final note.

“Soft Sounds From Another Planet” by Japanese Breakfast Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner has Philly roots. After attending Haverford College on the Main Line, she moved to South Street and was a member of Post Post and Little Big League, two local bands. While she has since returned to the West Coast, Zauner still regularly performs at venues in the city and is a regular part of line ups for XPN events.

Her music is an ode to dream pop’s past but with a contemporary twist. With tracks like “Road Head,” soft sounds from another planet is quite the perfect descriptor. Zauner’s voice is astonishingly sweet with a much airier feel than some of the older albums on this list.

“So Tonight That I Might See” by Mazzy Star Mazzy Star’s devastatingly beautiful track “Fade into You” alone makes this album a mandatory listen. A poignant ode to an intense unrequited love, its simplistic production puts all the emphasis on the band’s singer Hope Sandoval’s melancholic voice.

Other standout tracks from the 1993 album include “Into Dust,” a nihilistic pondering of endings, and “Five String Serenade,” an obsessive eerie serenade written for “you.” Mazzy Star plays with the boundaries of the dream-pop genre, conveying the nightmares of reality with a dream-like tonality.

“On Fire” by Galaxie 500 “On Fire” is slow-paced like many of the other albums on this list, but has a certain feverishness and vigor that they lack at times. The album is exactly what its name implies; “On Fire” is nothing but endlessly passionate and bold.

What are you still doing reading this? Pull up Spotify (or Apple Music, I guess if you’re into that) and start listening.

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Time to dig through your Mama’s closet! The ‘70s are coming back!

Serving looks in suede and breaking hearts in bell bottoms: ‘70s fashion is dominating 2021 By: Joey Lomorticello

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atin, suede, and sweater vests––oh my! 50 years later and trends of the ‘70s have started to creep their way back into the lives of fashion followers all over the world. Who would have imagined that skinny jeans are out, and bell bottoms are in? Or that we would be saying goodbye to side bangs and welcoming back Farrah Fawcett’s iconic curtain bangs? All questions aside, let’s celebrate the fact that ‘70s fashion is back and ready to make its mark yet again.

Some people may not realize how much of an impact the 1970s has made on the fashion world. We have this glorious decade to thank for halter tops, bra tops, flare pants, over-the-knee boots, midi skirts, headscarves, and so on. Although designers like Yves Saint Laurent have been using ‘70s fashion as an inspiration for their clothes for years, these styles are starting to make their way back into people’s everyday looks.

Celebrities like Bella Hadid and Harry Styles, influencers like Emma Chamberlain, and people all over the world have found themselves buying a halter top or a pair of bell-bottoms recently.

Temple students have also found themselves hopping on the bandwagon with these trends as well.

‘70s fashion is known for its warm color palette and fun patterns. Popular colors of the ‘70s were browns, yellows, greens, reds, and oranges. Along with the fun and vibrant colors, there are also distinct patterns as well, such as argyle, flowers, patchwork, psychedelic, etc.

Junior Temple student Olivia Chiaravalli explained her take on the styles of the ‘70s, “I really enjoy the bright colors and the combination of those bright colors with earthy tones. A lot of ‘70s’ fashion almost mimics children’s clothing with its whimsy and fun patterns and I love that. I love incorporating child-like things into my everyday life because why not,” said third-year Temple student Olivia Chiaravalli.

Like all things in life, trends come and go before people even realize it. Styles that were once in are not anymore, but who or what determines if a style will last or not? How long will it be until people start to grow bored of denim dresses or brown sweater vests? Or will these pieces always remain in society and never go out of style? Fashion followers all over the world have different opinions on the topic.

Of course, there are some people who think the ‘70s trend will be out of style by next month, but some people, like Temple sophomore Sarah Guilianti, think that ‘70s trends aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

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Photo courtesy of Alessia Chinazzo

“I think 70s trends are going to stay popular for a while. However, every few years the trends change and I look forward to seeing what decade we emulate next,” she said.

What lies ahead in the future for ‘70s fashion remains unknown, and no one is quite sure how much longer these trends will be around. What we do know is that now is the time to have fun with your style. Thrift the fringe shawl that you were always too nervous to buy, pick up those bright white platform boots, and give the Studio 54 fantasy. If there’s one lesson to take away from ‘70s fashion, it’s to take risks with what you wear, and trust me-- it’s always worth it.

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“I love the whimsical nature of ‘70s fashion in general, but specifically I love the color palette and silhouettes associated with this era. Silhouettes such as bell bottoms, halter tops, and skirts are some of my favorites.” said Lauren Scully, Temple junior and member of Temple’s Fashion and Business Club.

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OPEN FOR BUSINESS Temple beauty technicians keep their clients looking good and feeling safe.

By: Raven Lawson Nails done? Check. Hair done? Check. Brows done? Check. Nowhere to go? Also check. he pandemic has put a pause on all of our plans, but that hasn’t stopped Temple student-run beauty businesses from providing their services. Adaptability helped these beauty technicians continue to make their clients look and feel beautiful, even under such uncertain circumstances.

Thalia Reveil, a Temple sophomore and owner of BeautybyThalia, 18, started doing hair and makeup in 2018 during her senior year of high school. She comes from a line of entrepreneurs and was always encouraged to be a self-starter and make her own money.

When she transitioned her business from high school to college, Reveil could finally make use of having her own space to take clients. The majority of her business came from students on campus who had discovered her through word of mouth, but since the pandemic, she’s had to use social media more to market herself.

“Over the summer, I started taking people from the community, and that was just through social media,” said Reveil.

“Sometimes people saw my work on their Explore page, if they searched up #Phillyhairstylist, so people in the North Philly area were coming in, not just college students.”

Running a beauty business during a pandemic can be especially difficult because it is based on human interaction and contact.

Staying updated with health protocols and safety guidelines is imperative to keeping their businesses running.

Kunti Patel, 22, owner of BrowsbyKunti, is a senior marketing major who has been threading eyebrows on campus since her freshman year.

She is taking her safety precautions very seriously by requiring her clients to have a negative COVID-19 test before coming to her. *“[COVID] Testing is one of the only things I can really ask for [from my clients. I have them wear] masks, give them hand sanitizer -- the basic precautions I can take because the pandemic isn’t going anywhere anytime soon,” said Patel. “I want everyone to feel safe; it gives everyone a sense of security, you know?”

Patel, who learned how to thread at 13 during her summer visits to India, took time during the pandemic to transition her business into an LLC. She reached out to the Small Business Development Center over the summer and, with the help of a Temple professor and law student, completed the necessary documents to file for LLC in Pennsylvania.

For junior nail technician Soumaya Benkhoukha, 20, of Anailiated, health and safety are always on her mind. She works out of her home and has to be extra cautious with her clientele.

“It’s not like it’s a shop where you can leave at the end of the day. I stay at home, so I have to be extra careful with who’s coming in and who’s leaving; I have to make sure that I take my precautions,” she said.

Benkhoukha has always had a love for doing her own nails and only started taking clients during her sophomore year after encouragement from her

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Top: Thalia Reveil Bottom: Kunti Patel Right: Soumaya Benkhouhha

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friends. Still a novice nail tech at the time, she wasn’t yet charging for her services, just practicing her craft. Unfortunately, with the pandemic, she had to take a break from doing nails to assess the severity of the virus.

“I took a break for four months, and honestly, it hurt me a little bit because I wasn’t getting the practice that I needed and I felt like I was getting out of tune with my work,” said Benkhoukha.

But once school resumed for the fall semester, Benkhoukha decided to reduce the amount of clients she would take and increase the sanitization procedures that she already had in place. She also implemented a page on her booking site dedicated to COVID-19 and all of the restrictions and protocols she was following.

The pandemic has definitely changed the way in which these businesses find new clients. Word of mouth was a major component of expanding their businesses prior to the pandemic. But now, these beauty technicians have to rely on social media more than ever before.

Prior to making the Instagram account for her business, Patel would print out business cards and walk around campus handing out her information.

But after she created her social media page, she started doing giveaways and promotions to help grow her following.

“Using hashtags on Instagram really helps grow businesses,” said Benkhoukha. “So when I had people coming to me from Jersey and from other schools, they would always say ‘I saw your posts under the hashtags and I really liked your work.’”

Being a beauty technician during this time has not been without its obstacles.

Although, Reveil was more interested in doing makeup than hair when she first started her business,, the popularity of her makeup services has gone down.

“Because there’s nowhere to go, nobody wants to get their makeup done. With hair, I think everybody needs their hair done. But the services that were being booked prior, aren’t being booked as much because they’re more occasional-type styles, my protective styles are what people come for because that’s all they can do right now,” Reveil said.

Even despite all the difficulties, the past year has brought, these beauty techs remain optimistic for the future of their businesses. They have learned a lot about being flexible and adjusting to change.

Patel, who also has her own line of beauty products, is a passionate advocate for clean beauty and sustainability. She has done extensive research on ayurvedic medicine and natural ingredients while developing her products.

“Clean beauty doesn’t always have to be more expensive and that’s what my goal is:; to make it affordable enough to switch out what you’re already using while also helping the environment,” said Patel.

While her main goal when first starting her business was to make money without having to get a part-time job on campus, Reveil has discovered that she wants to create a beauty space free of judgement and pressure.

With the breaks that she has had to take due to both the pandemic and school, Benkhoukha’s main goal for her business right now is to maintain consistency. She also hopes to continue to service more people outside of the Temple and North Philly “I aim to make people feel beautiful in their community. own skin,” said Reveil “I aim to make anybody “Don’t get discouraged because of what somebody else is doing,” said Benkhouka. “If you think that you that decides to book with me feel comfortable want to become a beauty tech, do it. There’s plenty of and feel happy.” room for many different types of creative artists in this business.”

These beauty techs have faced their fair share of ups and downs during the pandemic. But through their perseverance, passion, and dedication to those they serve, their businesses have continued to thrive, even if everything else has come to a halt.

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Modeled by Dané Simms and Abby Steinour, Photography by Dani Meenan

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Bridgerton Inspired Fashion Dominates This Spring The Queen, the Ton, and Lady Whistledown will definitely approve of these trends.

Netflix’s Regency-era historical drama, “Bridgerton”, could offer a vast amount of style inspiration for seasons to come.

By: Nuri Piera Webb

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ady Whistledown has not only given us a tremendous amount of gossip but also extravagant, regal outfits that can easily be incorporated into modern fashion. I’m sure you’re all still hooked on the love story between the Duke of Hastings and Lady Daphne, but it’s the corsets, tulle dresses, puffy sleeves, and empire waists that have us smitten.

Before the release of “Bridgerton”, quarantine influenced our fashion sense toward athleisure due to our lack of social interaction.

Now, Shonda Rhimes’ new hit show is making a case for fancier outfits that give off a feeling of royalty.

Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick created a staggering 7,500 pieces just for the show, and we certainly appreciate her effort because it has given us much inspiration. With spring approaching, a “Bridgerton” inspired piece like a corset, an empire waist dress, or a puff sleeve blouse is essential for your wardrobe.

The corset, for example, was an undergarment introduced by Catherine de Medici to Italy and France in the 1500s. Throughout several centuries, this indispensable supportive undergarment has changed due to era, geography, bodies, and genders.

Now corsets are made by women for women to unroot the controversial silhouette from the sixteenth-century connotation of restraint.

Miranda Hoehn, a fashion business management major at the Fashion Institute of Technology and assistant manager at Guess Inc. said to veer away from the idea of corsets being “appeasement to the man’s eye and making a woman’s shape more flattering to them.”

Hoehn states the way that the corset has now been adapted, it can be styled with any piece and donned by all genders, body shapes, and ages. But most important is that “we look good for ourselves” rather than for men.

Robin Reetz, an editorial director at Club Monaco, a renowned clothing retail company, also mentioned the original use of corsets and described it as, “[once] being a piece dominating women’s bodies, to becoming a tool of self-expression.”

Along with the corset, the Empire silhouette has re-emerged after being out of the industry for so long thanks to influences like “Bridgerton.”

The Empire silhouette is a style in clothing in which the dress has a fitted bodice ending just below the bust, giving a high-waisted appearance. The outline is created to emphasize the bust, and it also helps lengthen the body’s appearance. It is an elegant yet comfortable silhouette.

We can incorporate this high waistline into blouses or mini dresses to wear in the spring. Personally, I would style an empire silhouette mini white dress with wedge heels for a city stroll; I’d certainly feel like a princess.

For years now, designer brands have also been incorporating pieces from the Empire era into their collections, but Bridgerton was truly the spark of inspiration because it reached mainstream sooner than the trickle-down of high fashion. The show “democratizes it,” as Reetz said, because everyone was able to watch it at the same time, which then led to more exposure and conversation all throughout social media.

Thanks to Reetz’s suggestions, you can find smaller brands that are more accessible than designer brands showcasing these trends.

Designer Kristin Mallison works with vintage tapestries and floral upholstery fabrics and turns them into corsets. There is also Aurore Van Milhem, who makes clothing inspired by the Empire waist and balloon sleeves. Although these pieces are on the more expensive side, they are more unique and creative versus mass-produced fast fashion.

On the more affordable side, there are the brands Immoral London and The Label Rae, which also have original pieces inspired by the Empire silhouette.

There are many ways in which you can style Bridgerton-inspired corsets, empire waists, and balloon sleeves this spring. For a more flirty, feminine look, layer a pastel-colored dress with a corset overtop. A more edgy, androgynous look could be your favorite corset styled with men’s dress pants or vintage Levi’s and converse. For a romantic springtime date, a balloon sleeve blouse paired with a maxi skirt is a perfect look. With an outfit like that, who wouldn’t want to have you on their arm like you’re at a Bridgerton ball?

What is in store next season for “Bridgerton”? Could it be pearls, parasols, and tulle gloves for next season’s trends? As Lady Whistledown said, “Of course, there are other endings that will offer new beginnings.”

The struggle of shopping as a plus-sized woman: A personal essay Imagine a world where bigger girls can shop without fear of not fitting or not fitting in… Hey, a girl can dream!

By: Molly Reinhard

The mall is my worst nightmare. It’s not because of the crowds, the lines, or the possibility of spending my entire paycheck. The real reason is simple: I can’t find anything that fits.

At the mall in my hometown, there are about 10 clothing stores that I would venture into on my regular shopping spree.

Of those 10, only two of those stores sell clothing that goes up to my size.

I have so many experiences of going to the mall with my friends. We’d browse in all of the stores, and while they’d shop and try on adorable outfits, I would stand and watch because these clothes weren’t made for girls like me.

These types of experiences were extremely harmful to an already insecure young girl. Not being able to fit into the trendy clothing stores everyone shops at and wear the cute outfits you see on Pinterest ingrained into my brain that I was not good enough, I wasn’t pretty enough, and my body was not acceptable.

For a while, I’d just squeeze into anything that would maybe fit to feel like I fit in. I’d buy clothing with my friends to pretend that I could shop like a normal person with a normal body.

Obviously, that didn’t get me anywhere.

It continued to contribute to my self-hatred and overall discontentment with my body and what I looked like.

Eventually, I finally accepted that I am a plus-sized woman and I need to shop in the sections that fit me. Soon after, I learned just how shitty it is to be banished to the plus-size section.

First of all, where are the trends? Most plus-size clothing retailers sell clothes that are so… old looking. As a 20-year-old woman, I definitely don’t want to dress like someone’s mom.

I want to look trendy, like I came fresh out of my fashion inspiration Pinterest board, and most of the time that’s nearly impossible.

Second of all, where is the selection? In the huge warehouse that is Forever 21, plus-size women are cast out to the back corner of the store filled with the same ugly blouses and tacky leather skirts that just aren’t cutting it for me.

So basically, shopping in the mall as a plus-size woman sucks. I’ve shifted to online shopping, which is a bit better but not by much. With online shopping, the selection is still scarce compared to the regular women’s clothing section, but there are a lot more trendy options that don’t make me feel like someone’s mom, which is really all I can ask for at this point.

I think it’s important to recognize that this is a real problem for plus-size people that negatively contributes to our mental health. It really is a “skinny privilege” to walk into the mall and be able to find something that fits in any store.

In a perfect world, clothing stores would extend their sizing. Brands would empower their customers more and ensure that everyone has a great experience shopping, no matter what they look like.

I hope that one day shopping can be more of an inclusive and positive experience for all people. I’m not sure if it will, but hey, a girl can dream.

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Monochrome Fits all 2021 We know you saw the inauguration and obsessed over the fashion -- we did too! Jill, Michelle, and Kamala inspired fits and how to incorporate them into your wardrobe this spring.

By: Jocelyn Brechbill

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pring fashion is here, and monochrome trends are one of our fave looks for the upcoming season. Not only are they still with us, but they’re picking up speed and creativity with bold colors, all-out leather looks, and an inauguration day filled with one-color styles worn by strong and truly beautiful women.

We’ve seen these looks for the last few seasons in anything from comfy sweatpants styles to powerful and elegant suits. This spring, the neutral creams and blacks stick around, but a much-needed breath of color has arrived with soft yellows, bubblegum pink, tennis-ball green, and some rusty and sunny oranges characterizing the season.

Inauguration Inspiration Some say the monochromatic looks of the inauguration were symbolic of unity, and the unique style of many of the women present seemed to be a testament to how far we’ve come. Women are powerful and strong, but they don’t have to be like men to be in power. They are beautiful (all of them), and statement fashion does not diminish their ability to lead.

“I was a fan of the monochrome look at the inauguration,” Abby Steinour, a senior graphic design major at Temple, said. “It was a very respectful amount of style and flare for politicians. It said, ‘Our job isn’t to be fashion icons, but we can still look good at work.’”

The simplicity of their outfits also looked affordable, like I could go to my nearest Banana Republic and get a similar coat as Michelle Obama, which was probably a calculated move on the stylists’ parts, considering the economic crisis going on.”

Our country’s leaders, talented artists, and the next generation all brought colors that shook up social media. Feeds were filled with pictures of Michelle Obama’s perfect plum pant-set, Kamala Harris’s vibrant purple coat, and Jill Biden’s elegant blues. Four of President Biden’s granddaughters and Vice President Harris’ stepdaughter gave us some tweetable neutral fashion inspiration, too.

The theme of this day may have been professional and formal, but monochrome really is for every day too. Take your favorite pants, pair them with a jacket, shirt, and boots of the same color, and you’re good to go. If you’re at the office, exploring the city, or in your apartment, monochrome has got your back.

How to wear it The best part of monochromatic outfits is the simplicity. You can use what you already have and love, pairing together pieces of the same shade or color family for effortless style.

Haley Williams, a senior public relations student at Temple, agrees.

“I love monochrome outfits because of the ease of it,” she said, “It is so simple to throw on a matching loungewear set, and it makes me feel like my style is more elevated.”

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The consistency in color also leaves room for easy additions of pattern or bold looks in your bags, shoes, or makeup. Red lips with neutrals. Patterned purses and heels with an all-out pink suit.

I’m serious about the pink suit. So are some other Temple students.

“I have been on the market for a good pink suit so I can pull a monochrome business moment, but make it more my style.” said Williams.

Steinour is feeling the bright colors too, “I’m a big fan of the monochrome pink look. I’ve always been a tomboy and hated pink my entire life, but I’ve been obsessed ever since I saw Natalie Biden wear it at the inauguration. I actually bought bright pink Nike shorts this morning,” she said.

Mixing textures adds to any monochrome look too. Leather, sheer, denim, lace, silk, cotton-- anything your heart desires. Pairing different fabrics gives an outfit depth and character. One consistent fabric can be just as effective, but make sure to layer.

All that said, the true secret to a one-color look is to fill it with pieces that you love. What are your go-to staples? What makes you feel like you? Take those and build around them, keeping in line with the color family of that piece.

Why simple, why colorful, why now?

In the article “Basic Color Theory” by Color Matters, the effect of visual harmony is discussed: “In visual experiences, harmony is something that is pleasing to the eye. It engages the viewer, and it creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the visual experience.”

Our world so often overstimulates yet leaves us begging for something more. When we create outfits that are both fun and harmonious, our brains relax. Perhaps the trends emerging from this season reflect what we want more of in our lives: simplicity, peace, freedom, and joy.

Or maybe we’re all subconsciously so ready to hop on a plane that we’re prepping our wardrobes to fill a suitcase with one-color-fits ready for anything. Who knows, but monochromatic outfits do it all.

Haley Williams & Abby Steinour 1.

What is your favorite thing about monochrome styled-outfits?

AND/OR How do you incorporate monochrome into your personal style?

HW: I love monochrome outfits because of the ease of it, so it’s certainly great for me that they are on trend right now! It is so simple to throw on a matching loungewear set, and it makes me feel like my style is more elevated. I usually choose to wear monochrome looks with my loungewear. I have been on the market for a good pink suit so I can pull a monochrome business moment, but make it more my style!

AS: I love monochrome styled outfits because they look put-together, even if the shades are mis-matched. As a student who doesn’t have a lot of disposable income to spend on clothes, I’ve always gravitated towards classic styles and neutrals. The brown trend that’s going on right now is cool, but it is what it is: a trend. If I’m going to spend money on clothes, I want to get something that’s “in” but still long-lasting and more versatile. When shopping for pieces to refresh my spring wardrobe this year, I opted for tans with a range of textures: suede, knit, corduroy, etc. I think tan is just as cool as brown, but it goes better with all of my black accessories and looks expensive when you wear it in monochrome.

2.

This spring, there’s an increasing trend for monochrome outside of neutrals (i.e. soft yellows, bubblegum pink, tennis-ball green and some rusty or sunny oranges on the runways and in street style) What colors are you excited about/do you think you’ll be trying for the spring/summer?

HW: I am a huge pastel fan, so I’ve been really excited to see more colorful monochrome options. I definitely will be rocking monochrome looks all summer long.

AS: I’m a big fan of the monochrome pink look. I’ve always been a tomboy and hated pink my entire life, but I’ve been obsessed ever since I saw Natalie Biden wear it at the inauguration. I actually bought bright pink Nike shorts this morning.

3.

(if you peeped the inauguration fashion hype) What did you think about the monochrome trend or about the emphasis on style at the event in general.

HW: I think the monochrome inauguration fashion was absolutely incredible! Michelle Obama’s monochrome outfit was my favorite, and I loved Jennofer Lopez’s white Chanel monochrome look.

AS: I was a fan of the monochrome look at the inauguration. It was a very respectful amount of style and flare for politicians. It said, “Our job isn’t to be fashion icons, but we can still look good at work.” The simplicity of their outfits also looked affordable, like I could go to my nearest Banana Republic and get a similar coat as Michelle Obama, which was probably a calculated move on the stylists’ parts, considering the economic crisis going on.

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Photography by Haley Domzalski

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Sleep to Dream: The Art and Benefits of Lucid Dreaming

By Kendra Franklin

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rianna Williams is an avid daydreamer. Almost everyday, she would stare into space, creating a fantasy world in her head.

Eventually, her daydreaming transformed into lucid dreaming, a surreal experience that she had full control over while asleep.

Lucid dreaming is the act of one taking control of their dreams, manipulating them however they please. In a lucid dream, you can fly or become an Oscar award-winning actress, an Olympic swimmer, or a mermaid.

According to Healthline.com, there is evidence that lucid dreaming can help improve mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, reduce stress, and increase motor skills.

Williams, a freshman advertising major, first started lucid dreaming a year ago. She believes that every dream has a message behind it, though she may not always find it right away.

“I can actually hear myself speaking, seeing, choosing what I do, actually in the dream,” Williams said. “It’s like very, very detailed.”

While some stumbled into the lucid dreaming space by accident, others sought out how to control their dreams.

For example, Alexander Da Cunha, a junior computer science major, first got into lucid dreaming nine years ago. His interest piqued as a fan of science fiction movies and while studying Buddhism and spirituality.

Unlike Williams, who daydreams her way into the lucid dreaming state, Da Cunha usually enters by waking up in the night and going back to sleep.

“I mean it’s definitely a natural thing,” Da Cunha said. “I don’t know how to control it but I know how to trigger it and get into that state more easily.”

Both Williams and Da Cunha believe lucid dreaming has benefits, even though they aren’t significant.

Though lucid dreaming may seem like a casual hobby, some have made an entire career out of using lucid dreaming for its benefits.

Lana Sackwild, a transpersonal lucid dreaming and lucid living coach of Get Lucid With Lana, LLC, and long-time lucid dreamer herself, focuses on helping clients mitigate depression and other life issues using lucid dreaming.

Lana obtained her master’s degree in consciousness, spirituality, and transpersonal psychology from Middlesex University, then opened her own coaching practice to help fight mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

Sackwild’s coaching practice is dedicated to bridging the gap between the lucid dreaming space and regular waking life, bringing “lucid living” into clients’ lives.

“If you’re someone who has social anxiety and you get really nervous talking to people, I might set you a task to get lucid and practice speaking with a dream character or practice giving a presentation,” Sackwild said.

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Da Cunha shared a time that lucid dreaming taught him something he could apply to his waking life. He found himself dreaming about scrolling down his Facebook timeline on his cell phone.

“It really bothered me,” Da Cunha said. “I think I definitely took that as like a sign that I should probably back off using my cell phone too much all day.”

Sackwild, who coaches clients on creating good sleep environments, also highlighted how lucid dreaming can also help create healthy sleeping habits. Setting a stable sleeping environment does not require much. Adding some favorite sleep scents, colors, and a clean room can make a huge impact on how you sleep, she said.

“To get a really stable lucid dreaming practice sleep hygiene is pretty important,” Sackwild said.

“I feel like it creates a hopeful person,” Williams said. “When you dream about positive things, it allows you to be a positive person. I do feel like it was beneficial, at least for me.”

Running on Ray

By Brianna Fairman

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riving through the bustling city streets of Philadelphia with her van full of eco-friendly products, Ray Daly is bringing sustainability to the people.

A former cashier, Daly is now the creative mind behind Ray’s Reusables, a mobile eco-friendly business selling plastic-free household and personal care necessities in bulk.

Daly was inspired to create a business that prioritized accessibility after moving to Philadelphia with her husband and noticing how burdensome transporting goods in bulk across the city was for some residents without cars.

“I thought the best way to keep it the most convenient and accessible for the most people was to keep it mobile,” Daly said. “So, I got a van.”

After launching Ray’s Reusables in the fall of 2019, Daly began parking the company van at farmer’s markets and craft fairs around the city. Now, via Daly’s website, plastic-free shipping and curbside pickup at NextFab are also available.

Alongside products like vegan dental floss, dish soap, and repurposed denim tote bags, Ray’s Reusables offers a flourishing refill service. Customers can bring glass and aluminum containers to refill with select products like deodorant and detergent.

Daly was determined to find new ways to contribute to her community after witnessing the devastating impact of the pandemic. She began selling organic cotton masks as part of a 1:1 donation campaign: for every mask sold, Daly gave another to local hospitals and charities.

“I count myself as very fortunate that I was able to continue to pursue what I was doing,” Daly said.

Nearly a year later, Daly has given organizations over 500 masks and now donates 20 percent of profits from all mask sales to Philadelphia-based charities.

Daly founded Ray’s Reusables with a focus on community, and the pandemic only strengthened her desire to give back, she said.

“I want the sustainability journey of people to not just be something you’re doing on your own,” Daly said. “I want to bring in what the community in Philadelphia needs.”

Daly prioritizes partnering with local small businesses for items like soaps and beeswax wraps, keeping her product sourcing as close to Philadelphia as possible, she said.

Peter and Adriana Fitzgerald, founders of Bee Our Guest, a Pennsylvania-based online beeswax wrap shop, recently partnered with Daly. The Fitzgeralds began their sustainability journey after “pinky-promising” each other to avoid all single-use plastic during their honeymoon. After meeting another couple selling beeswax wraps, they decided to start their own company, sourcing their beeswax from local beekeepers.

“We feel that’s a really big part of local sustainability,” Peter Fitzgerald said. “We want to be an example for other businesses, focusing on education and making a difference in people’s lives.”

Both the Fitzgeralds and Daly hope to hold workshops for residents to learn more about how they can begin their sustainability journey.

According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, plastic containers and packaging contribute nearly 15 million tons of waste across the country — something Daly is looking to change.

“If you’re buying a plastic bottle every time, versus buying it once and then refilling it, I think that it’s a small step, sure, but if you’re thinking about how to buy in a way that supports a small business that makes [sustainability] their model, then it becomes more of the norm,” Daly said.

Joe Toolan, a friend of Daly, praised her drive, innovation, and commitment to sustainability.

“They’re just one of those people you like to be around, and it’s clear that they’re really passionate about everything that they do,” Toolan said. “They’re not afraid to take risks, and I really admire them for that.”

Daly says she is excited for the future of Ray’s Reusables. She hopes to open a storefront in addition to her van, but in the meantime, customers can visit Daly by checking out Ray’s Reusables’ schedule of events available on her website.

“I’m so floored by the amount of positivity and love that I get from the people of Philadelphia, so I’m really excited to continue to bring this around the city and to grow it from what it is,” Daly said. “I’m really excited to spread the sustainable love.”

Photo courtesy of Rays Reusables on Instagram

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A Medium for Healing A Conversation with Medium Alyssa Marie on Healing Grief

G

rief is a feeling that many have experienced, and it’s a feeling that can take over a person’s life. The pandemic has left a large number of people to deal with grief, which for many is a new emotion. Some have even sought the help of a medium who has the ability to speak to people who have passed. I sat down with Alyssa Marie, a practicing medium, mother, and nurse. Her voice was sweet, and speaking to her was like talking to an old friend., I thought, “it is no wonder she practices spirituality.”

Marie is a practicing medium of ten years who performs readings to connect living beings with spirits of the dead. She uses her practice to help clients begin the process of healing from depression and aiding in lessening grief by providing a connection to lost loved ones.

Marie has been clairvoyant since she can remember, always having the ability to speak to spirits since she was young even though she did not initially know what her ability was called. Since discovering the power of her gift, Alyssa has put her talent into helping others whether it be through reading or as a practicing registered nurse.

The first question I was dying to ask Marie was, how does she use her practice to help others heal from grief? Marie makes it clear that she or any medium doesn’t have the ability to heal others’ grief.

Instead, she is a vessel for loved ones to speak through and can offer clarity.

AM: “So, the simple answer is that I don’t. I can’t heal anyone from their grief. No medium or psychic can or should do that. Grief is a very personal process, and a person should be stable in their individual grieving process before seeking out a medium or psychic Marie says. . “This reason is because as humans, we need to experience the grieving process to achieve healing from a loss. During readings, the spirit has healing messages for their loved ones, and I pass those messages to my clients, and that can help the client during their healing process. But the actual healing has to take place on a personal level.”

Being sensitive to the emotions of people she meets is nothing new to Marie; it’s all part of being a good nurse and medium. But I wondered if the emotions of the people she works with ever stick with her.

AM: “I am very empathic, which means that I have the ability to feel others’ emotions and physical feelings. As an empath, I have had to learn how to cleanse and protect my energy so I don’t take on the emotions and energy of others. When I give a reading, my energy blends with the clients’ energy, so after the reading, I separate our energy and energetically cleanse myself. Of course, I have had readings that are so emotional and full of grief, which causes me to think of those clients more often than others, and I pray for them to find healing and peace,”she says.

By Peace Okiye

AM: “It’s more like being a medium affects being a nurse, but in a positive way. I have always been able to develop a close relationship with my patients because I have the ability to actually feel their pains or emotions because I am an empath. This has helped me to better care for my patients because it gives me a deeper understanding of what they are feeling slash going through.”

As a medium, Marie meets a lot of new people who are dealing with grief, but she also stresses the importance of knowing when to see a medium and when to see a mental health professional.

AM: “I would recommend therapy if someone is in the worst part of their grieving process and they need help navigating this process. A therapist can help an individual cope with the process by giving them ways to heal and guiding them through it. A medium will connect you with your loved ones. If you really need to hear from someone who passed, mediums are a great choice, but they are not certified in advising on mental health issues.”

Mediums are a wonderful way to create a connection with the spirits of your loved ones, but they are not able to heal your grief, Marie says. They can give you communications and a sense of peace, but the only way to truly heal grief is to take the time to work through it. It is a way to help yourself on the path to healing, but not the only answer.

AM: “I believe that all of us are born with the innate ability to connect to Spirit or higher energy. At our core, we are all energy, our souls are made of energy, so it only makes sense that we would all be able to connect with that energy and the energy around us.”

Photo courtesy of Yoann Boyer

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Healing Hands How two Reiki Masters have been healing through the pandemic

By McKenzie Morgan Sitting in her Center City, Philadelphia apartment, shamanic Reiki Master Lisa Dee is surrounded by her drums and Himalayan salt lamps as she heals the energy of her clients from her living room, connecting with them only through her cellphone.

Dedicated to her clients and not wanting to leave them behind, Dee has continued to help heal her clients through Reiki for the past year, even from miles away.

Reiki, an ancient method of energy healing, is traditionally done by channeling energy using physical touch and or with their hands above their body. However, as the pandemic put limits on gatherings, many Reiki practitioners like Dee have taken to other modes of reaching their clients.

Even though Reiki is traditionally practiced physically between the practitioner and the client, Reiki can still be practiced virtually with a skilled enough practitioner, Dee said.

Reiki can be used to treat and heal different kinds of ailments, from emotional to spiritual to even physical, Dee said.

“The Reiki is loving, compassionate energy,” she added.

Dee, a shamanic Reiki master since 2006, used to practice at a studio in downtown Philadelphia, spending her days performing energy healing on her clients or meeting with oncologists in New York City to work with cancer patients.

Dee decided to close her studio once the COVID-19 pandemic began to sweep the city. She faced the same fate as most of us: only communicating with her clients through a screen. But it hasn’t stopped her from healing.

“I’m finding my sessions are more powerful now than they were in person,” she said.

“I have shifted somehow, it’s spirit.”

Once the COVID-19 pandemic made it clear that in-person sessions were no longer an option, at least for the time being, Dee took to connecting with her clients virtually. Now practicing in her living room, she meets with her clients over FaceTime or Zoom, and she says it’s just as effective.

“It’s just as powerful as me being in person,” said Dee. “Energy does not know time nor space.”

Although Reiki is traditionally a very physical practice, certain levels of Reiki practitioners can practice virtually, and that’s why Dee can continue her practice to clients even across the country, she said.

Even as Dee sits in her living room, joined by her favorite tambura music that fills the space with its powerful sound as it would be in her studio, she says it still doesn’t compare to the physical connection she once had with her clients.

Makenzie Flynn, another Philadelphia-based Reiki master and tarot reader, still works with clients out of her home in a space she curated herself to create a peaceful and safe environment for her clients’ sessions.

Flynn’s Reiki space is filled with ethereal music, with incense smoke floating around and a handmade dream catcher draped across the wall.

With masks on and hands lathered in sanitizer, Flynn’s dedicated Reiki space has become one for her clients to heal by her own hands.

Flynn made sure to be accessible to her clients once the pandemic began, immediately offering services virtually to keep her clients connected and continuing their progress in healing.

“I felt this sense that I was forced to leave my clients hanging during a time when they probably needed relief the most,” she said.

But Flynn, who says she thrives off of human connection, felt like she was missing the one-onone connection with her clients that she couldn’t seem to get virtually—and eventually she went back to in-person healing as hair salons began to re-open in July, taking all of the precautions she can to safely practice.

“I prefer connecting with people in-person. It’s easier for me to read their energy that way,” she said. “So for me, embracing the shift towards operating virtually has been a bit of a challenge this year.”

For both of the Reiki masters, focusing on their own spiritual health was just as important to them, too. Dee took a break from practicing Reiki after the pandemic first swept through, focusing on healing and securing herself. she says.

“It shook up my practice, I can’t practice the way I used to,” she said. “I knew that I needed that time, personally, to heal on all levels so I can be the best I can be moving forward.”

Flynn practices Reiki on herself and meditates, but also works with a fellow Reiki practitioner and friend, who she meets with to “trade” off Reiki sessions with each other.

The two Reiki masters have noticed a shift in their clients’ needs after the pandemic started.

Before, clients would come to them with different ailments, from physical injuries to emotional trauma. But now, they’ve been coming to the Reiki masters for help with their anxiety.

Dee also noticed her clientele becoming younger, finding more college-aged clients coming to her for healing, she said.

“I’m really happy that I could help and empower the kids or teenagers or college students, that they are not alone,” she said.

“I empower them with spiritual tools and the Reiki, goes to the place where they need it most” Sarah, who wished to remain under an alias to keep the nature of her experiences private, has been seeing Flynn for over two years, starting while she was in graduate school and still continuing throughout the pandemic.

As she was just moving to Philadelphia to start grad school, Sarah was looking for a way to manage the stress and anxieties that came with being a full-time grad student and found herself drawn to Reiki.

Sarah already had an appreciation for energy practices like Reiki, growing up learning about Qigong and acupuncture from her mother, so it was only natural that she found her way to Reiki to help her work through her stress.

“I’d heard that it was an energy healing modality, and it seemed like a next step and something that I could try,” said Sarah.

Sarah, who has gone through demanding undergrad and grad school programs, said that Reiki can be a powerful method of healing for college students.

“You’re just really going into yourself and allowing you to almost meditate in a structured way,” she said, “in a way that leaves you feeling renewed and restored and able to kind of take on the next challenge.”

Even aside from the continuing pandemic, the Reiki masters say that focusing on spiritual health is just as important as focusing on physical and mental health.

“You got to incorporate it because it’s all connected,” Dee said. “We are spiritual beings in a human body.”

“I think it’s really important for people to maintain some form of spiritual practice so that they know they can always come back to themselves and escape the chaos of the outside world.” Flynn said.

THE MINE | LOVE

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO:

From vision boards to intention setting, Temple’s Owlwakening gives tips and tricks for beginning a manifestation journey.

BY JULIANA DICESARE

T

he beautiful thing about being a young adult is that we are entering a distinct period in our lives — one characterized by our budding idea of who we could be. For some of us, our dreams are taking on a clear form just beyond the clouds in the distance.

Our dreams are built upon individual aspirations and the route in which we want to achieve them. But these dreams often seem out of our reach as they dissipate behind our own fear that they aren’t achievable.

It’s a repeated pattern that keeps us stuck, but manifestation may offer us a new path.

Manifestation is a spiritual tool that has been around for centuries, but has recently been gaining traction. If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that we need self-encouragement, especially when things feel bleak. Manifestation gets us clear about what we would like to see for ourselves in the future.

Miriam Shlafman, a sophomore human resources management major, is the founder of Temple’s club Owlwakening. As one of the university’s newest clubs, Owlwakening is centered around a community of students seeking spiritual and personal growth.

As president of Owlwakening, Shlafman is supported by vice president and sophomore advertising major Lydia Davidheiser.

We can understand manifestation a bit more clearly with a little help from those who know more about its ins-and-outs.

WHAT IS MANIFESTATION? “[Manifestation is] using your energy in a physical vessel to bring something in to form that you know you can.

Everything you want is valid and real — you’re meant to have it.

Manifestation is just the work of that,” said Davidheiser.

We manifest things unconsciously into our lives everyday. Our present reality is shaped by the beliefs we have about it, and at the core, the beliefs we have about ourselves. To begin manifesting to our advantage, we have to have a high vibrational energy. Energy is the key word here.

Operating from a place of high vibrational energy allows us to tap in to a feeling of abundance that influences our reality. We often fall into a mire of what’s not going our way, ruminate in negative energy, and get stuck there. If we believe that everything in our reality sucks, we will attract more of what we don’t want.

This is why manifestation is often dubbed the Law of Attraction.

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“It’ll only get confirmed for you what you believe,” said Davidheiser.

High vibrational energy and feeling worthy of what we want gives us the power to manifest the good things that we desire more easily.

WAYS TO MANIFEST Manifestation isn’t a one-size-fits-all in terms of how you can practice it. Here are a couple different ways.

DEVELOPING GRATITUDE AND MEDITATION SKILLS We take things for granted that are in actuality great blessings.

In the ebbs and flows of life, it’s crucial to focus on being grateful for all that we have. This energy expands, ushering in that powerful abundance mindset as opposed to our conditioned one of scarcity. Manifestation, while a practice rooted in the future, should not detract from immersing ourselves in what we have in the present. Meditation anchors us in the here-and-now and boosts us towards higher energy, according to Shlafman.

“Realize that all of life is a miracle,” said Shlafman.

SCRIPTING Scripting is essentially manifestation journaling. The most common scripting practice is to simply write about the things that you want as if you already have them. One way to set this up is to begin with a repeatable phrase such as “I have…” It may seem a bit dubious to write in that way, but using the present tense intertwines the present with the future. Scripting is also useful because it lets us bring our wants and intentions into conscious thought.

VISION BOARDING For those more visually inclined, you can collect images that represent what you want to manifest. This can be a Pinterest board, a physical collage of pictures, or any visual representation that feels right. Fill your vision board with specific pictures that

excite you and feel in line with things you’d like to see in your future. Something to remember while vision boarding is that manifestation is personal. The photos you select don’t have to make sense to others to be important.

ASKING DIFFICULT QUESTIONS AND INTENTION SETTING “A lot of the time, manifestation comes from an ego-centered place,” said Shlafman.

It’s perfectly fine to seek out that dream house or other material objects. However, checking in with why you want the things you are trying to manifest is something to keep in mind. Is it something that’ll fulfill your soul’s desires?

Shlafman suggests as some questions to ask yourself, “Why do I want to manifest this? Is it because it’s going to bring me closer to the truth of who I am? Please give me what I need for my spiritual and personal growth, not what I think I need,” she said.

MANIFESTING IN PRACTICE A common misconception about manifestation is that it means what you want will come to you without any legwork.

Manifestation is not about doing the above practices and sitting back, but about using these practices while taking active steps

Photo courtesy of @fotografierende on Pexels

towards the things you desire.

“Partake in that ‘doing’ so that you can fulfill your desires,” said Davidheiser.

Shlafman also points out that the answer to a manifestation request, with concerted effort, will always be “yes.” The caveat is that this “yes” presents itself in three forms: yes, yes but not right now, and yes, but not in the way that you think.

Maybe it’s scary to think about what form of “yes” we will receive from a manifestation request. But if we continue to believe that what is meant for us will come for us, we enter a new way of thinking and acting.

“You have to know that these things can come to you. When you know, you lack no faith, [what you want to manifest] will appear when it’s right,” said Davidheiser.

“It’s all inside of you,” said Shlafman.

Manifestation is not meant to be a band-aid fix for present problems that you want to pass. Shlafman and Davidheiser both emphasized that it cannot be a substitute for healing. Instead, manifestation helps us harness our energy in whatever present moment we are in so that we can show up for our desires. It lets us step into our full potential and ultimately into our power.

Challenge the beliefs you have about yourself, and be curious about what manifestation can bring you.

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Come on, Carry Me Home After Olivia Rodrigo’s chart-topping hit “drivers license” caused social media uproar, the question remains: are torch songs making a comeback?

BY CAMILLIA BENJAMIN

Everyone loves a good ballad. Not only do they give us the space to go through our emotions, but they’re also some of the most beautifully crafted songs ever.

Torch songs, or sentimental ballads, are making a comeback after the release of Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license.” But there have been more songs put out that fit this same category before Rodrigo’s song.

Making a good song entails so many individual aspects. A torch song specifically details holding onto the torch for someone and being in a relationship where it may feel one-sided or illfated.

That kind of devotion and love for one another is poured into the songs.

“Finding the right instrumental and crafting lyrics are crucial to make me think ‘oh this is good, this is a ballad,’” said Devon Morris, a junior public relations major.

Gurpreet Kaur, a freshman biology major, explained that to her, torch songs are “those really sentimental songs where you can feel everything through the lyrics. Sometimes it’s a love not being reciprocated or a heartbreak.”

Torch songs were prominent in the past with artists such as Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand. However, some new artists like Adele, SZA, and Bruno Mars have an extensive list of songs that can classify as torch songs.

Think “Drew Barrymore,” “All I Ask,” or “Talking to the Moon.” These songs have everything a song needs to be a good torch song. When thinking about a “torch song,” the emotion and transparency are some things that must be present as well as having lyrics that resonate with the audience.

“Making a song purely out of expression and releasing emotion is what makes a torch song. People put all of their feelings into the song,” said Mercy Sackor, a freshman journalism major.

For the interview process, I curated a playlist full of modernday torch songs with a handful of classics. I did this not to only expose myself to torch songs but to expose the interviewees to them as well.

Having them listen to the playlist not only gave them new music to listen to, but allowed me to witness their natural reaction to the songs and how they were able to identify some songs from their personal playlists that they didn’t know were torch songs.

From that playlist, the most popular song was “Drew Barrymore” by SZA. Not only is SZA putting raw emotions into

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the song for herself, but it makes you look to yourself and say “Oh, I get that.”

“Since we’re in the middle of a pandemic, everyone is going through different stages in life. Having something you can resonate with is so important,” said Morris.

These songs being a big hit now isn’t surprising to me. I’ve always had my “in my bag” playlist updated on a monthly basis, and I’ve always been drawn to this particular type of music— whether it be because I loved acting like I was filming a music video in the back seat of the family car, or because I pretended to be the artist hitting all of the notes.

Torch songs are currently having a comeback. Feelings are something that will always be there, and more artists are now releasing music with heavy emotional undertones. It has become normalized to be open about one’s feelings, making torch songs something everyone can relate to.

“They’re making a comeback because it’s easy to relate to, and it makes you value the artist even more than you did before,” said Kaur.

There are a lot of small reasons for the comeback of torch songs.

“A lot of people are now open to listening to new music, everyone is always asking for recommendations. Because of that, the comeback makes sense,” Koita said when asked why she thinks torch songs are making a comeback.

Not only that, but having the feeling that one can relate to as a listener is something very special about torch songs and music in general.

Songs like “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston and “Ex” by Kiana Lede, although different in meaning, can make listeners feel the same. It’s pushing them to confront themselves and really think about the things they have going on.

These songs will always be timeless classics that pull on heartstrings no matter what mood someone is in at that moment.

That’s what makes them beautiful.

Go to your music library and make your “in your bag” or “sad boy hours” playlist to have at the ready when you need a good cry or emotional purge. Not only will it make you feel better, but it will help you know that you’re not alone.

Torch songs outline what it feels like to have an unrequited, and sometimes ill-fated, love. The unfiltered emotions of the artists are able to transfer to the listener, allowing them to feel what the artist is feeling.

IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S YOUR RELATIONSHIP OCD Vriddhi Vinay explores a personal experience with ROCD.

BY VRIDDHI VINAY

I entered 2021 with a girlfriend— the most beautiful, emotionally intelligent, creative, and adventurous girlfriend with exceptional taste and communication. I truly won, and sometimes I tell myself I am not allowed to be sad this year over menial things because of that reality. It was never menial, however. My feelings were so confident in something now so healthy and passionate after a history of only destabilizing and occasionally traumatic romantic encounters.

However, in those precious sunlit afternoons that turned into entire weekends, in the back of my mind I could hear the smirk-lipped version of my voice taunting: There’s no way they could ever truly like you. Are they bored? Perhaps you’re just here to hurt them. Perhaps this is a facade. Where will you be able to mourn when they find better?

It was comforting to find this is a little more common than I’d imagined. If you are familiar with your own anxiety disorder coupled with the chronology of events following being delightfully enchanted, swept off your feet giddy date after date, and after learning every humanizing history about this person you are so entranced by only to question your feelings time and time again, congratulations, you’ve had Relationship Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (ROCD).

I include the first part as someone with diagnosed “regular” (in its cyclical nature, what does such even mean) OCD who understands the absolute turmoil circling the rotation of consistent intrusive thoughts, nonstop anxious obsessions, coping via compulsions and who is irritatedly aware of the lightheartedness of “OCD” being thrown around

(add the therapy worksheets and dry swallowing SSRI medications in for good measure).

ROCD is a studied type of OCD based on its relationship between obsessions and compulsions. In understanding the classist history of recognizing only professional diagnoses instead of setting some rigid criteria of who can use this term to maintain respect towards the seriousness of OCD, try to use the term “relationship anxiety” if you don’t think this particular torture fully adheres to yours.

ROCD usually begins with the sufferer’s fixation on questioning feelings towards a partner, a partner’s feelings towards them, their attraction towards their partner, or even the validity of their established relationship. The difference between this and a lack of interest in a casual relationship is a debilitating amount of time interrogating these feelings in a partnership they normally feel joyous and healthy in when not fearful. The next step is a lot of compulsive rituals, crying, romcom comparisons, emotional flagellation, internet tarot readings, venting past midnight to distant acquaintances, or sometimes more serious anxiety behaviors (in realizing how common this is, I’m wondering how common searching what therapists take your insurance between the tint of mascara tear stains is).

Accounting for trauma was crucial for me. I couldn’t even conceptualize how, for the first time in my life, I felt so reciprocated, engaged, and excited. Yet, I wasted so much time trying to solve the intrusive possibilities that festered in my head. It caused me to look inward and ask the conscientious questions: If my girlfriend is not a trigger, what past

patterns were the catalyst? How can I be kinder to myself in knowing that I am enough?

Trauma often doesn’t permit a future that exists in a vacuum from its past.

Sometimes it felt like I was getting sick over nothing, which could risk everything.

It was enlightening to understand these thoughts as anxieties and reactions, not ones of my own conscious mind. It was what I was used to. Stability and care are uncomfortable disruptions to these patterns.

Addressing ROCD started with the root of what I was taught about my own capabilities in relationships as something less unrelated and more chronic than I’d imagined. It also included being honest with my girlfriend.

If you are suffering from ROCD, this kind of conversation with a partner you trust will only make you stronger. Think of this as especially true if you recognize the previous list of compulsions as the hallmark of old relationships you thought you escaped with no scars.

Be frank and explain that this is something you are not only concerned about projecting into the relationship but also for yourself. Start with “I am really secure in my feelings for you, and if you’re comfortable, I’d like to talk about romantic histories so I can explain better what I need and learn how I can be a better partner for you…” Step number two then includes those worksheets (a Google search for who takes your insurance or “DBT therapy free emotional regulation techniques - printable PDF” will do).

It takes effort. That’s the unfortunate part. Trust your intuition and the reality of what your relationship is, knowing that intrusive thoughts are just that: intruders.

You deserve that as a minimum.

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KILLIN G THE

Dream Job

Writer Malorie Lazer explores what happens when you don’t quite know what to do with the rest of your life.

BY MALORIE LAZER

I am one of those silly and naive people who thought they had picked the perfect major and knew exactly what they wanted to do for the rest of their lives. As it turns out, I was terribly wrong.

I’ve always considered myself a people person and knew that whatever career path I chose, I wanted to do something that would help others. I can’t think of a time where I dreamed of working, but I’ve dreamed of making people happy through things I’ve done. I mean, how cool would that be?

Since I was so stuck on what to do with the rest of my life, I took the aspect of being a people-pleasing-person and applied that to my chosen major. I decided on being a psychology major minoring in English because of my love for the subject. However, I was instantly let down when I found myself struggling to keep up in my psychology classes. I was excelling in college English though, so I dropped psychology and switched my major to English.

I felt comfortable with the switch, but had no idea what to do. I felt slightly defeated, especially as a first generation college student. Being a first generation student comes with an intense amount of pressure, but I’ve learned that the majority of the pressure we carry is created in our own minds. It’s almost as if we feel like there’s something we have to prove: to ourselves, our peers, professors, and parents. I was terrified of being seen as a failure all because I had to switch majors.

I caught myself constantly overthinking everything about school and what I was going to do with my life. Am I going to do something I love? Am I just totally stuck? I was in a constant state of anxiety because of the overwhelming idea that I had no set-in-stone plan for the future. All of those college handbooks

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that you think you’ll literally never use became my best friend during this time. I was always flipping through pages of them whenever I had any free time.

At a certain point, a flip switched off in my brain and told me to stop thinking so deeply about something that is mostly out of my control. I reminded myself that I’m in school, with a perfectly stable major and doing fairly well in classes. I could find something to do that would make me happy. My main priority is my happiness above all else, and that especially includes my career.

I don’t necessarily not dream of working. I just dream of a life of happiness, not coming home after a long day irritated about work. I want to relax, live comfortably, and love whatever it is I decide to do.

The future is never clear, but always in our own hands. The mindset of not dreaming of work is totally realistic, and my advice for that is to just do whatever makes you happy. Do your research on something you absolutely love to do and turn it into your career. There is always a way to follow your dreams; you never have to give them up because of the unrealistic societal norms that have been so deeply intertwined with being successful. Why live a life where passion doesn’t exist? You shouldn’t!

I’ve realized that my heart ultimately belongs to the intellectual disability community and I would love nothing more than to be a Special Education teacher. Since I’m only an English major, I’m obviously not on track to accomplish this, but I’ll never stop trying to. Life is no fun when you don’t have a dream to follow. Keep chasing whatever your dream is; there will always be a way to make it your reality.

MAIN CAMPUS Question and answer with an Astrologer A Retro Revisit A Guide to Tarot Reading . . . . . and more!

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MAIN CAMPUS

A Sign of the Times Staff writer Nathaly Suquinagua spoke to Lauren McBride, a Philadelphia-based astrologer, to find out more about what astrologers do and what her job has been like during the pandemic.

BY NATHALY SUQUINAGUA

Q: What exactly is astrology, and what does it mean to be

Q: What have you started doing since the pandemic hit?

an astrologer?

A: Astrology is a system of symbols and numbers that relate the movement of the planet to the occurrences here on Earth.

While astrology has existed throughout almost every culture for thousands of years, I think the [type] that people are most familiar with is being a modern astrologer, and doing interpersonal work, like reading trends for people. But you can use astrology to predict events, political movements, and really anything that you want.

Q:: Is it scary to know your future and predict others’?

A: The thing about modern astrology is that it is more aligned with psychology. The goal is to empower the client, not to make them fearful. Astrologers are not fortune tellers. We literally read tables of numbers and symbols. In terms of predicting the future, it’s about as spooky as predicting the weather.

The weatherman says, ‘Oh, it’s gonna snow on Tuesday’ and nobody’s like ‘oooh spooky.’

Q: What do you mainly focus on when you’re reading a person?

A: I focus mainly on relationships and personal development.

My goal with astrology is to make very complex topics simple for people. People come to me with all types of issues in their life, or some people are just curious about themselves. But the thing about astrology is you can figure out why things are happening. And that can help you figure out what is the best action to take.

Q: What is the difference between how Hollywood portrays astrology and how it is in real life?

A: Some people think that astrologers are like charlatans—that I’m gonna take advantage of people. You have to be morally grounded because in this type of work people really do believe everything that you said, and you have a lot of power.

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A: Before the pandemic, I spoke at conferences, in a crowded room of people in the city. That would never ever happen now.

Now it would be through webinars on Skype or Zoom. I’m holding classes virtually. Many people have been coming with different types of issues since the pandemic hit. It’s actually been really hard on people’s partnerships and romantic relations from what I’m seeing.

Q: What are some things that people have come to you for since COVID hit?

A: People are really looking for answers. So I think that people who maybe wouldn’t have turned to astrology did start to learn more and turned to astrology. As an astrologer, I’m a truth teller — I’m able to sort that out with people.

Q: Do you do daily affirmations?

A: Astrology is like a structure that’s open to interpretation.

Astrology is not inherently spiritual, in my opinion. It’s unspiritual in the way that it’s not a religion. I don’t have a daily affirmation. I always just say, the messages come through me, not from me. That’s pretty much my affirmation. ‘Through me, not from me.’

You can find Lauren McBride on social media at @astrobylauren. Her podcast, GalaxyGrillz, can be found on all streaming platforms.

A MOMENT OF

MAGIC

Temple students bring magic to children in hospitals.

BY MEAGHAN BURKE

E

very child dreams of meeting their favorite characters. Thanks to volunteers across the country—even right here at Temple University— some of those children get to see that dream come true. A Moment of Magic, a non-profit organization in which volunteers dress up as superheroes, princesses, and more beloved characters to visit sick children, has chapters all across the country. Temple University’s chapter participates in bringing this magic to children dealing with medical issues in the Philadelphia area.

“Just being able to make this kind of change and just knowing that you are bringing so much joy to someone, and sometimes you might not be able to tell, the kids are very tired sometimes, but just to be able to see them smile or see their faces light up is just the most rewarding feeling,” said Jackie Condly, a junior health professions major and vice president of Temple’s A Moment of Magic chapter.

Even in the midst of a pandemic, A Moment of Magic at Temple has not stopped working to help bring a bit of joy into these children’s lives. While they are not able to physically visit kids in the hospital due to COVID-19, they are still active and have started to utilize video calls and streaming to continue to bring joy to the children, even from far away.

Through one-on-one calls, live streams through Facebook, and streaming directly to hospitals, Mary Naughton, a senior psychology major and president of the chapter, said that they have been able to reach more than 1,000 children per week during the pandemic.

One of Naughton’s favorite memories from A Moment of Magic is when she and two other members visited a young girl who was having treatment on Christmas Eve. “We got to go visit her in the hospital. We ended up staying there and hanging out with her and her mom for like four hours, but it felt like we were there for like ten minutes. And it was just really exciting to be there on a holiday and experience that excitement with her,” Naughton said.

Naughton and Condly both emphasized how these connections are not only important to the children, but to them as well. They often speak to and visit kids more than once, which allows them to form bonds and even friendships with the kids and their families.

They find that these connections are what makes it such a rewarding experience for members along with creating the real magic for these kids.

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WELCO M E TO T H E

CROC PA RT Y

Temple student LeNia Samuels built a business around customizing the popular comeback clog.

BY RAVEN LAWSON

At the beginning of quarantine, it seemed like everyone picked up new hobbies.

Suddenly, Instagram feeds were full of knitting and baking and gardening. But LeNia Samuels, a junior majoring in film and media arts, had a different quarantine hobby: customizing Crocs.

When Crocs first debuted in the early 2000s, they were created as water-resistant boating shoes.

Despite their nautical roots, Crocs quickly became the shoe of choice for those who worked on their feet all day. Since their inception, the ‘love-it or hate-it’ footwear has gained popularity with designers, celebrities, and everyday people.

Social media has contributed greatly to its resurgence. A canvas for self-expression, Crocs became the unofficial shoe of 2020 and are associated with both comfort and durability.

Samuels started customizing Crocs in the spring of 2020, after wanting to purchase a customized pair for her girlfriend from another Instagram account. But after seeing the price tag, she decided to make them herself. The encouragement she received from family and friends inspired her to make her new-found hobby into a business.

“It wasn’t meant to be a business at first, but that’s just what it grew into,” Samuels said.

As the creator and namesake of Nia Make My Crocs, she likes to incorporate studs, patches, and rhinestones into her personalized shoes. She typically charges $50-$150 for a pair of crocs and estimates that she has sold 175 pairs.

There was a bit of a learning curve: when she first started making personalized Crocs, it would take her a couple hours to finish a single pair. But now, if she knows exactly what the

customer wants, she can finish a pair in under 20 minutes.

“At first, it was just hard trying to tap into my creative side, because I didn’t want everyone’s shoes to be the exact same,” Samuels said.

“It was about making each shoe unique.”

Though Samuels enjoys creating the Crocs, she has found that being a student and a business owner has its challenges.

“Not everybody understands that I’m going to put my schoolwork before I put my business, so it’s hard trying to juggle all my classes, juggle everything else that I need to do, and then on top of that make crocs,” Samuels said.

Despite this, she is pleased that many people are still enthusiastic about her business.

“I get so many orders,” said Samuels. “Even after I shut down for winter break when I came back, I had endless orders waiting for me in my DMs.” Eventually, Samuels hopes to expand her business to include kits so people, especially children, can customize their own Crocs.

But she has other goals too: her passion lies in filmmaking, and her custom Croc business has helped her build connections.

She has sold her Crocs to other student photographers and directors for their films, with whom she later built business relationships.

“People in the music industry, models, and people like that have come to me requesting Crocs, and then later down the line I say, ‘I’m a producer, do you mind making music for my film?’ or ‘would you be willing to act in a film for me?’” Samuels said. “It has just helped me network and grow and expand my name.”

Photo courtesy of Allie Ippolito

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Revisiting Retro Temple University freshman, Clare Sykes, shows her love of the 60s and 70s through her aesthetic Instagram account.

There’s no doubt that the ‘90s are back. From claw clips to baggy jeans, these iconic styles have made a fascinating comeback. But despite the overwhelming nostalgia for these ‘90s trends, Clare Sykes prefers a more retro era.

Clare Sykes, a freshman communication studies major, enjoys sharing her aesthetic on her popular Instagram account, @ retrohippes. With nearly 110k followers, she devotes her account to the fashion, music, and history of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

“I wanted to make some posts to brighten up peoples’ feeds.

I’ve always been a fan of music and the history surrounding music, so I thought I might as well share the knowledge that I have in those posts with longer, historical captions,” Sykes said.

Despite being a member of Generation Z, Sykes says her style and personality reflect her love of the ‘60s and ‘70s. She calls herself laidback and loves rocking bell bottoms and flared jeans.

After recently celebrating the two-year anniversary of her account, Sykes feels as though the profile displays a balance between aesthetic photography, historical facts, and content from her personal life. By scanning historical books and sharing posts with similar accounts, she has no trouble finding content for her page.

Along with her personal admiration for the music and aesthetic of the era, Sykes loves connecting with her supporters.

With followers both young and old, her account serves as a source of entertainment for those who appreciate the ‘60s and ‘70s, while bringing nostalgia to those who experienced the historical events in person.

“Follower interaction is my favorite thing, and everyone loves to reach out in my direct message and comments,” Sykes said. “I always get involved with smaller businesses and smaller brands, as a way to connect and give back to the people who have supported me through my journey.”

By promoting her fellow creators’ products on her page and involving them in giveaways, Sykes enjoys the opportunity to support small businesses who admire the retro style.

“I’ve gotten so close with some owners of Black-owned and female-owned businesses, and it’s so rewarding to be able to

promote them and support them on my platform,” she said.

“It’s a great community.”

While supporting her fellow social media creators, Sykes looks forward to expanding her account and reaching a wider audience with her aesthetic content.

“I would love to get involved in creating my own products or open a small vintage business,” she said. “I have a lot of ideas; I consider myself a dreamer.”

Her dream of working on retro-themed projects has already begun. Sykes greatly enjoyed working with Creem Magazine, a rock n’ roll publication, to help promote their 50th anniversary documentary release.

“It’s such an honor that [Creem Magazine] chose me to help promote their celebration, as I’ve known about their company since I got into music,” she said. “Now that the company is working on new content again, I’ve been in touch about some [projects] behind the scenes.”

But Sykes doesn’t just love the flowy clothes and spiritual mindset; she also admires the activism and social justice movements of the retro decades. While many admirers of the ‘60s and ‘70s often sugarcoat the social and political issues of the decades, Sykes uses her account to shine light on the imperfections of the time period.

“I don’t think it’s right to ignore and block out the horrible things that happened, and I don’t think it’s right to erase history,” she said. “We have to be reminded that the racism and civil rights issues that came out of the 70s still exist in different ways. They could be covered up, but they’re still deep rooted issues today.”

Despite her social media success and the great community she has found, Sykes has found that people are not always comfortable acknowledging the realities of the past.

“People will ask me, ‘Why are you posting political content on your page? This is supposed to be about music and peace,’” she said. “Politics is what makes music, especially during those decades. They made music to voice their concerns, so I’m going to use my platform to bring attention to these issues, too.”

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Photo courtesy of Clare Sykes

BY SOPHIE GUSTAFSON

THE MAGICAL WORLD OF

fantasy faires

With the rising popularity of fantasy franchises like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, some fantasy enthusiasts find themselves drawn to more interactive forms of escapism, such as renaissance faires and Live Action Role Play.

BY SAMANTHA ROEHL

W

hen Cat Olsen, a senior biology major, goes to renaissance faires, she loves seeing all the vendors and craftspeople. Just like her, these people have “real” lives and “real” jobs outside of the faire.

But they are drawn in, just like she is, by being someone else and somewhere else for the day. With the prevalence of fantasy media in the 21st century, it is no surprise that people want to live that fantasy, if just for an afternoon. Events like renaissance faires and Live Action Role Play bring fantastical worlds into real life.

The first of what are now known as “renaissance faires” was hosted in 1963 as a fundraiser by a California public radio station. According to Rachel Rubin, author of Well Met: Renaissance Faires and the American Counterculture and department chair and professor of American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston, many people came in the morning and left, only to return in thrown-together costumes.

Some men came back with tights under bathing suits because they did not have time to find actual renaissance costumes.

“The first faire broke countercultural ground. There was a great deal of pushback,” Rubin said.

Despite the name “renaissance faire,” these events do not usually adhere to the renaissance period of the 14th century.

Instead, renaissance faires are often amalgamations of whatever fantasy worlds the visitors want it to be.

“I think it makes it really more of a fantasy faire. If you’re into fantasy novels and stuff, that’s your thing,” said Olsen.

“You can go here and be a nerd and be with other nerds—it’s great.”

Olsen has been going to renaissance faires for years. Her mother started taking her when she was younger, and Olsen greatly enjoys dressing up in what is referred to as “garb” by fairgoers. Garb does not have to be period accurate nor does it have to be practical. Garb is, simply put, whatever costume the fairgoer wants to wear for the day. Olsen tends to dress up as an elf inspired by Lord of the Rings. A friend of hers dresses up as a fawn, with makeup and antlers, and others have chainmail

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and swords.

The world of renaissance faires is one of excess: vendors sell intricate weapons and jewelry, there can be knife throwing or archery, and stalls sell giant onion blossoms and turkey legs.

But there is a way to immerse even further: Live Action Role Playing. Referred to as LARPing, this pastime takes another step in bringing fantasy to life.

Carrie Biermann, an Intellectual Heritage professor who LARPs regularly, defines LARPing as collaborative group storytelling.

“You have folks that set the scene and you make your characters and you do adventures, you fight battles, you solve puzzles, you engage in politics, anything your character can do,” Biermann said.

LARPs can be set in any type of world: steampunk, the Victorian era, ‘80s time loops, and post apocalyptic wastelands are just a few of the infinite fantasies players can inhabit.

One of Biermann’s characters comes from the aforementioned ‘80s time loop: Rio, a tough woman with a kind heart.

“I got to play her as someone I physically, in real life, couldn’t do. This is what I wish I could do,” Biermann said.

“She was very protective and she would jump in the frontline of battle, and she would loom over somebody who was bullying somebody else and could handle the situation.”

Biermann has found LARPing a helpful teaching tool, using it in youth groups along with middle school and high school students. She once presented with students at Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con about how roleplaying built their confidence and allowed them to explore new ideas in a safe environment.

Similarly, renaissance faires and LARPing help create tight-knit communities. Biermann has gone to many weddings of people she met while LARPing (and officiated one while dressed as a pirate).

Because of COVID-19, everything has been closed for about a year. While some events were able to move online

Photo courtesy of Jamie Lee Thomas Kerig

through websites and chat rooms, the bulk of both LARPs and renaissance faires were cancelled.

“It’s unfortunate that everything for people who have interests like that is dead. I feel bad for people who genuinely make money at these events because they lost out on massive amounts of revenue because they were not able to sell their wares or perform. I hope that they can come back and be okay next year, when hopefully everything will be more normal,” Olsen said.

Some events, of course, have been able to push through: Eternal Pizza Party Productions, Inc., a non-profit that runs LARPs for charity, was able to donate over $3,000 to charities like Feeding America and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital during 2020.

With vaccine rollouts and warmer weather around the corner, there is hope that this summer will see a return to normal — or, perhaps, to fantasy.

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THE SHOW MUST

Go On

Theater students and professors reflect on the worrying realities facing live theater thanks to COVID-19.

BY SHIVANI REDDY

Broadway has been closed for over a year. TV shows have postponed shooting. COVID-19 has dramatically affected the entertainment industry. But what about for those who are trying to make their big break? Theater professors have worked to find ways to prepare senior theater students for careers.

In Temple’s Acting Certificate Program, students are typically required to be in person for their classes. On Zoom, students still perform pieces, rehearse, and are coached by their professors.

However, the majority of the group work has been reconstructed to be completed individually.

To help level the playing field, students in the theater studies department were given ring lights by Temple, so they would have consistent lighting for Zoom meetings and performances.

Nina Straface, a senior theater studies student, has found that her last years in college are nothing like what she expected. She recently starred in the fall, virtual production of Anton Chekhov’s Ivanov. But despite the star role, Straface feels that she has lost the last year and a half of schooling and that she would be doing better if classes were in person.

“Sometimes I get in the headspace that this isn’t how we’re supposed to be educated for theater,” Straface said.

Other students have definitely felt the change. Jackson Purdy, another senior theater studies student at Temple, said that

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in pre-pandemic acting classes, students could feel the energy of the room. It was important to feel the physical distance with others in a room and the pace of the interactions. For him, Zoom changed everything.

“I stepped away from theater and acting entirely for a few months, when the pandemic first hit because I didn’t see a point and tried to think about it and freak myself out. It’s been hard to figure out who you are, as a person, and what you do and what makes you you when you’re not allowed to do a ton of stuff,” Purdy said.

Both Straface and Purdy have adapted.

Straface hopes that her self marketing and voiceover courses can be useful even in this virtual world and get her foot through the door into the acting world.

Purdy found that online school forced him to focus more on his own work before stepping on stage. He believes that because of this past year, students are more focused on how to prepare for the industry when it opens back up.

The pandemic has changed the plans of both students.

Since there aren’t many in-house production castings happening at the moment, Straface’s post-grad plans have come to a screeching halt. She fears that there won’t be anything live and prefers not to perform in virtual productions.

She doesn’t plan on submitting any applications and may have to wait a year or so until she can. After graduation, she’ll

be staying back in Philadelphia and working at her family’s pizza shop, Frank’s Pizza.

Conversely, Purdy will further his theater education in the Oslo Conservatory Program at Florida State University, instead of going to New York and auditioning for casting directors and agents.

Temple’s professors have been doing their best to make the most of this. Professor Donna Snow, Head of the Undergraduate Acting Program, was concerned with the small number of students who enrolled for the Acting V course last spring.

The Acting V course is important because students can make connections with agents and casting directors. Snow and agents said they would only ever go to showcases from the top acting schools: NYU, Yale, Brown, and Julliard. They were shocked to see that there was other great talent in other schools and will continue to progress into searching for talent outside such a small pool.

Temple University is working with the theater students and professors to accommodate for the changes. The pandemic just may have enlarged the job market for the entertainment industry, leading to more creative film and theater pieces.

“We are making adjustments when we have to, you have to collaborate and improvise and that’s the job,” Snow said.

Searching for the Stars

At Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania, visitors can see the night sky without light pollution.

BY MIRANDA GATES

H

ave you ever had a good view of our galaxy?

I know I have—from the galaxy projector that projects stars onto my ceiling. For many people, this is the only way to see the stars at night, especially in a place like Philadelphia with so many city lights. As beautiful as my projector is when it paints constellations across my room, it is incomparable to the natural night sky.

At Cherry Springs State Park, located in Potter County, PA, the night sky can be seen clearly. The park is dedicated to protecting and preserving the night sky from light pollution.

But what exactly is light pollution? According to Temple astronomy professor Matthew Newby, light pollution is “light that is essentially dumped into the atmosphere that is not serving a good, useful purpose.”

Many common forms of infrastructure contribute to light pollution such as buildings and street lights. According to the International Dark-Sky Association, excess amounts of light can harm human health, animals, and the environment. But it also blocks out our view of the stars.

A “Dark-Sky” is somewhere the stars can be easily seen because of restrictions placed on artificial lights. Cherry Springs State Park is one of the only International Dark-Sky Parks on the East Coast. The park limits white light on its property; instead, it uses red light for visitors to view the stars better.

“When visiting the night sky park, you’re there for the nighttime environment; white light takes away that environment.

Red light allows us to see just what we need to, to navigate, yet preserves most of our night vision,” said Tim Morey, a park representative.

Some people find that seeing the stars for the first time without light pollution can be jarring.

Photo courtesy Jason Brown

“It was crazy. I remember just like looking up at the sky and being like, I am very small. I am a very small person on a rock in space,” said Maggie Brennan, a junior theater major who is currently taking a gap year. She visited the park in highschool as a fun, spontaneous trip with a friend.

Humans have been on earth for the last six million years. But it’s only in the last couple hundred that we started losing sight of the stars, thanks to the industrial revolution and the ensuing light pollution. Cherry Springs is popular because it lets us reconnect with nature.

“Art, culture, religion have all been inspired by the night sky.

In the last 150 years, we’ve lost so much of that night sky that our ancestors were inspired by,” Morey said.

The night sky frequently appears in our art forms, yet there is little awareness surrounding light pollution in our society.

Perhaps our cherished childhood tune’s lyrics should be changed to twinkle twinkle little stars; how we wonder where you are. In fact, the International Dark-Sky Association found that more than 80% of the world’s population lives under light-polluted skies.

“Seeing [the sky] really light up like that, it was almost kind of like how the sky looks when fireworks are going off. It was unreal. In a city, there’s nothing to look at, there’s nothing there,” said Zak McGeary, a sophomore media studies and production major who traveled to Cherry Springs to experience the night sky in its full effect.

As artificial light brightens the earth, it becomes easy to forget the wonder of the natural world. Admittedly, I still love my galaxy projector. I mean, how could I not, with its built-in speaker and multi-color settings? But nothing can compare to the Milky Way’s natural beauty that Dark-Sky parks are trying so hard to protect.

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WELCOME TO

CLOUD 9

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Styled by Fashion Director Logan Wentzel and photographed by Visuals Editor Haley Domzalski, the Cloud 9 shoot uses pastel lighting and soft hues to create an angelic mood— exploring the visuals team’s own interpretation of the divine.

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STUDY BREAK 66

International Corner Temple Student Vivian Li writes about her time studying abroad at Temple Japan.

by Vivian Li

S

tudying abroad has always been the main reason I chose Temple, and I had been looking forward to my sophomore year spring semester for a long time, since that was the only semester I could live out my dream and still Fly in Four. When the pandemic hit, I still poured all my hopes into Tokyo. I got an overpriced apartment for the fall-only lease, applied and getting accepted, and got both a scholarship and an internship.

That being said, I was so thankful I was able to get across the border safely and successfully!

Between exploring Japan, I have to run a pretty tight academic schedule. However, due to the class sizes being smaller at Temple University’s Japan Campus and overall better adherence to health guidelines in Japan, I think the in-person classes work quite well.

Since my class is a studio that has less than 10 people, it is super easy to socially distance, and we each get our own desk and computer.

TUJ itself is a super new 6-floor building in Sangen-jaya, which has a lot of great restaurants and stores to explore. To get in the building, there is a temperature check and sanitizer, and there are always sanitizers in front of the elevators, which are limited to two people. For my art history class that is held on zoom, I usually go to the quieter study rooms or library on the second floor, but there is also a great cafeteria on the first floor with outlets on every table to get you through those online classes. As for my internship, I’m a graphic design major, so I do web and design content for Paradigm in Osaki. As much as I like the campus and my workplace, I do regret not going virtual for work because it makes taking longer trips to other parts of Japan a lot more difficult.

All the study abroad students live in a dorm about 45 minutes from campus, but despite the long commute, the subway system is super reliable. There are two cards, the Suica and the PASMO, that can be refilled at stations and used to scan into the subway much like the SEPTA key card. Not to mention, you can usually use them at vending machines, which can be found throughout Tokyo. In the beginning, I stuck to Google Maps to get around, but everything is color-coded and numbered in a way that makes it super easy to navigate.

Other than academics, there are so many beautiful places to explore here. One of my favorites is a temple town called Asakusa and a huge Chinatown in Yokohama. It is also super easy to buy food or a snack at a convenience store or combini like FamilyMart or Lawson’s, which can be found anywhere. One thing that is difficult is the language barrier, as it isn’t as common to find people here who speak English. However, learning the basics

photos courtesy of Vivian Li

or taking a study abroad Japanese class can get you pretty far.

There are also restaurants where you can get a ticket for the meal you want from a machine, bring it up to the waiter, and easily get food with minimal communication.

I encourage anyone to take the opportunity to study abroad if they can and to make the most of their time wherever they plan to go, because let’s face it, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

If you are an introvert like me or nervous about traveling alone, I really recommend getting to know the other students and putting yourself out there. Chances are you’ll find a loving community and a group that likes to explore the same things as you. I am extremely thankful to be here and I know that these experiences will be something I’ll remember forever.

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Fact or

(Fan)Fiction?

by Nathaly Suquinagua

Fanfiction has come a long way since the early 2000s. Starting

out as a small hobby for most, it has evolved into a multimillion-dollar industry.

Allowing readers to explore alternative storylines, fanfiction creates an avenue to embark on new adventures with favorite characters— even after their original tale has come to an end.

And, anyone can write it with the right amount of passion and imagination. Some writers are even given the opportunity of having their work published or adapted into a movie after starting on popular fanfiction websites like Wattpad.

Movies that we know today like “The Mortal Instruments” by Cassandra Clare and “Fifty Shades of Grey” by E.L. James are based on fanfiction inspired by Harry Potter and Twilight.

Julianna Badger, an undeclared freshman, wrote fanfiction in her childhood and early adolescence—starting between fifth and sixth grade after being inspired by the Twilight series.

Before writing her own stories, Badger read fanfiction through Wattpad and Archive of Our Own for fun, until one day, the stories inspired her to go further.

When writing, Badger starts by organizing her ideas and writing notes on the desired plot. Despite not having an editor, Badger’s friends are always willing to read her stories before she publishes them online.

Her story was about how two boys met online and their friendship grew. Each chapter would be written as text message conversations, and at the end, the two boys meet in person.

Each of her stories consist of LGBTQ+ couples, and to her, it was something that she really enjoyed writing about. Her goal when writing is to address things that she can relate to and for her to express parts of herself, such as mental health and family drama.

Badger draws inspiration from listening to music and transforms them into romances. Since she started, Badger has written over 25 stories, with the longest being 15 chapters. She mainly uses Wattpad to publish her stories but switches to Archive of Our Own when writing longer pieces.

“I like that I can write based on people I already really like and know them in a way. It was a good outlet for me and being able to express my ideas,” Badger said.

Badger started to take her writing seriously around 2015 with stories about popular YouTubers such as Dan and Phil. Her story All Star has since then blown up, with around 800,000 readers when she last checked.

Her target audience was mostly her age at the time, around 13-17 years old. Today, she does not read any more fanfiction since she

lost a lot of her interest in it.

As a romance writer, Badger expressed a lack of inspiration as she grew older. Although Badger does not write anymore, she hopes she can get back to it in the summer.

Badger has considered writing more stories that aren’t based on people and wants to be able to create her own characters. Right now, she is interested in writing poetry and music on her own time.

“I know what it is like to have a relationship and real-world situations, and it does not have that exciting part of writing something that I have never experienced before,” Badger said.

For Badger, fanfiction is a creative outlet to write her stories and explore her fantasies. It can be a tool of professional growth that turns an amateur writer into a published author, and sometimes even a screenwriter with credits on a blockbuster film.

Fanfiction gives writers the liberty to write anything they want about pre-existing characters and storylines. Websites like Wattpad allow writers to grow in their craft and grow their readership. With fanfiction, the possibilities are endless.

by Shivani Reddy In front of the mirror, she described seeing herself as a man.

Emily* has anonymously shared her vivid experience with acid.

This experience happened the summer after her freshman year of college, on a Wednesday night, by herself. She expected to project herself into the astral plane: an experience that some people describe as a separation of their physical body from their spiritual one.

Leaving to buy marijuana, she came home with something new: a tab of acid.

“I don’t know why I took it, it was actually pretty irresponsible of me to do it,” she said.

In the drug usage world, it’s best advised not to take hallucinogenic drugs by yourself, but rather with someone you feel comfortable around, dubbed a “trip sitter.”. She, however, did not adhere to that advice.

After several minutes, the effects started to kick. “Images would start to move on their own,” she detailed. The first visual she had was looking at the straight edges of a picture frame that started to warp into waves and bends.

Depersonalization is the medical term to define someone who is in the mental state of feeling detached from one’s body and thoughts. That feeling kicked in as she imagined watching herself research acid trip videos on her laptop with this out-of-body experience. For her, it felt similar to the movies from the 1990s that involved drug use.

The most vital part of the trip she remembered was seeing

someone on her wall. She had gone to her bathroom, and when she leaned against the wall, she felt a person, specifically the shoulders. With a handbag in her hand, she stared back at the wall and no one was there. The wall instead felt like gravel, like it was coming apart, but there was nothing in her hand. Emily looked at herself in the mirror and felt the peach fuzz on her face, but because her sense of touch was overstimulated, it was rougher. At that moment, she thought she was a man.

Later, when she had watched a documentary, she could see the people from the screen in her room. She wasn’t frightened or scared, but her visual senses felt amplified. The documentary mentioned something about an Iron Man suit and to her, she saw it in her room, feeling completely normal about it. Emily was asking questions to the people in the documentary. Even though none of them were responding.

By the time she heard birds chirping and saw that it was five in the morning, she immediately went to bed. Especially since she had her managing job in a couple of hours. Overall, the entire trip was nine hours. By the time she got to work, she was checking to make sure that she still wasn’t feeling or even showing any of the effects in front of her coworkers. Although she went about her day just as normal afterwards, the intensity of the experience is something she might try again, but not anytime soon. For anyone looking to try acid, she advises that you trip with someone who’s tried acid before or if someone you trust can tripsit you because of how mentally exhausting acid can be.

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refine’s Tarot

by Camillia Benjamin

P

sychic readings, crystals, and tarot cards are widespread on the internet. This has opened up a new spiritual path for some, and many have learned most of what they know from TikTok. Creators on TikTok are giving advice through tarot cards, and teaching viewers how to read them.

Tarot cards date back to the mid 15th century in Rome and started being used for readings like they are today in the 18th century.

The tarot cards’ history is rich and full of fascinating points that would make the learning process exciting and rewarding.

An entire deck consists of 78 cards. 22 are placed in the Major Arcana deck, which serves as the core and foundation for the entire deck. Those are the cards that can depict one’s whole life journey:the past, present, and future.

The remaining cards are divided into different suits: the suit of cups, suit of pentacles, suit of swords, and suit of wands. These cards can be for a more specific reading. There are certain aspects of the card that can fall under a particular category.

For reference, in Princess and the Frog, Dr. Facilier pulled three major arcana cards that depicted Naveen and Laurence’s past, present, and potential future.

The way in which the cards are read is different as well. One can stick to 3 cards to highlight the life journey someone has taken or is taking at that moment in time. One could also change up the spreads depending on what the reader thinks is the best or necessary for the reading.

Each card has an upright meaning and a reversed meaning. One could say it’s to keep the balance in the universe. Others could say the reversed meaning is irrelevant to their readings.

It is important to note the reason behind the two meanings. Some card readers will ignore this, which is totally fine, but some take it into consideration and incorporate it into their readings. There can be a chance that a card gets chosen upside down or backward.

In that case, it would take on the reversed meaning. The cards in an upright position will have the title of the card at the bottom. In the reversed position, it can either be on the back of the card or t at the top.

Learning the meaning of the core cards makes the reading process easier to learn from the comfort of one’s home.

Typically, when you visit a reader, they will prompt you to ask a question or give them a theme or prompt to work from. While focusing on that prompt or question, the reader should shuffle the cards.

Shuffling the cards is important, so it’s as if a new set of hands is touching the cards and a new set of eyes is looking at the cards.

You want to cleanse the cards of any previous matters it answered for you.

Once the deck is shuffled, you begin to pull the cards, or the person being read can pull them out. You pull them out and lay them into the spread format you want for this reading in

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particular. Once you have the question you want to be answered in mind, pick away from the deck of cards following whichever spread you chose to do. Have your answer to the question you’ve been dying to find out, and seek out more answers for different questions.

Learning an entire deck of cards takes time naturally, but luckily there are tutorials everywhere and inexpensive decks you could order from literally anywhere.

Labyrinthos is a website that teaches people how to read tarot cards and breaks down the meaning of each card. On the site, you can also purchase your own deck of cards to practice with.

With good intentions and enough practice, you’ll be able to do a reading with your eyes closed.

Now let’s break down each card by meaning.

The World Upright: fulfillment, harmony, completion Reversed: Incompletion, no closure

Judgment Upright: reflection, reckoning, awakening Reversed: lack of self-awareness, doubt, self-loathing

The Sun Upright: joy, success, celebration, positivity Reversed: negativity, depression, sadness

The Moon Upright: unconscious, illusions, intuition Reversed: confusion, fear, misconception

The Star Upright: hope, faith, rejuvenation Reversed: faithlessness, discouragement, insecurity

The Tower Upright: sudden upheaval, broken pride, disaster Reversed: disaster avoided, delayed disaster, fear of suffering.

The Devil Upright: addiction, materialism, playfulness Reversed: freedom, release, restoring control

reading guide Temperance

The Emperor

Upright: middle path, patience, finding meaning Reversed: extremes, excess, lack of balance

Upright: authority, structure, control, fatherhood Reversed: tyranny, rigidity, coldness The Empress Upright: motherhood, fertility, nature Reversed: dependence, smothering, emptiness, nosiness

Death Upright: end of cycle, beginnings, change, metamorphosis Reversed: fear of change, holding on, stagnation, decay

The Hanged Man Upright: sacrifice, release, martyrdom Reversed: stalling, needless sacrifice, fear of sacrifice

Justice Upright: cause and effect, clarity, truth Reversed: dishonesty, unaccountability, unfairness

Wheel of Fortune Upright: change, cycles, inevitable fate Reversed: no control, clinging to control, bad luck

The High Priestess Upright: intuitive, unconscious, inner voice Reversed: lack of center lost inner voice, repressed feelings

Magician Upright: willpower, desire, creation, manifestation Reversed: trickery, illusions, out of touch

Fool Upright: innocence, new beginnings, free spirit Reversed: recklessness, taken advantage of, inconsideration

The Hermit Upright:contemplation, search for truth, inner guidance Reversed: loneliness, isolation, lost your way

Strength Upright: inner strength, bravery, compassion, focus Reversed: self-doubt, weakness, insecurity

The Chariot Upright: direction, control, willpower Reversed: lack of control, lack of direction, aggression

The Lovers Upright: partnerships, duality, union Reversed: loss of balance, one-sidedness, disharmony

The Hierophant Upright: tradition, conformity, morality, ethics Reversed: rebellion, subversiveness, new approaches

Artwork by Nicole Hwang

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