DIRECTOR’S L E TTERS

Holding onto the spheres of laughter, of a longform creative genesis, of artistic community.

For the past five issues, our team has evaluated the world which holds us and responds each time with a vivid and artistic output. To so diligently create alongside those who were once strangers and now my closest and dearest friends - is a privilege I’ll hold close to my heart forever. Beginning as a graphic designer to Assistant Creative Director and now Creative Director has been the most fulfilling experience. This magazine hosts a community of individuals who are truly beyond special: they’re kind, they’re passionate, they’re gifted. These are the people who have permanently touched my life, and to fully birth this vision for one last time seems incomputable.

The conception of Tethered was approached with a wish to skillfully and artistically comment on what we all experience – with a need to apply our contemporary lens in one sound, but spirited response. This is our reclamation. There’s no better way to oppose unprecedented mass consumption than to fully lean into its antithesis – creation. My wish for Tethered is to visually display a complex issue in a way that can be freshly understood. When was it normal to trip over our heels for eight hours a day, reaching for a medal we don’t know exists? This can’t be our ultimate purpose, so why do we constantly submit? My joy is different from yours, but your joy could be perfect beside mine. Whatever it may look like, I know it’s not hair clumping out from the stress of a corporate job. I know it’s not another amazon wish list or Shein haul. I know it’s not aisles of lifeless food, never to know or touch the true earth it came from. When our daily lives are jumbled in endless low-quality consumption, how do we regain our true essence? Maybe more importantly - when?

To be tethered implies there was once a pocket of time we were untethered, unbound by the constraints of the world we so tirelessly operate in today. My wish for all of us is to unravel from the string, the rope, the wire, the yarn. To release our soft bodies from all that keeps us gasping and entwined. Who were you then? Who could you be now?

With utmost love,

Marley Hillman (she/her/hers) Creative Director

I want to express my gratitude for the opportunity to be the Externals Director this semester. As someone who typically operates on the creative side of things, this role allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and merge my creativity with the external aspects of Strike to help bring Issue 05 to life. Working with so many talented individuals who brought fresh ideas to the table was an incredible experience, and I am thankful to my team for helping us execute this issue’s vision.

Throughout my time on Strike, starting from Issue 01, I have gained so much knowledge, experience, and cherished friendships. From my initial role as a graphic designer to my subsequent positions as the Social Media Coordinator and finally the Externals Director, I have seen every aspect of the creative and external process for this magazine. It has been a privilege to be a part of this group of incredibly creative and talented individuals.This semester, the marketing, events, and social media teams worked tirelessly to create a unique Strike identity that truly captures our chapter and community. I couldn’t be prouder of all that we have accomplished together.

Leading this team alongside Aisy and Marley has been an incredible experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to bringing Issue 05 to life, both creatively and externally. We truly did slay, and I am so proud of every single person who was involved in making this issue a success.

Love to you all,

KateLynn Fronabarger (she/her/hers) External Relations Director