Youth Diaries Magazine by Taheera Faith

youth diaries

THE COMFORT ISSUE

Table of Content creativity / guidance / home living / social

06 Top financial aid practices to reduce anxiety

People, plant bond: welcoming houseplants improves pandemic living

The depiction of Black narratives outside of trauma matters too

12 A vase.

06 08 10 12 14

Financial Aid Black narratives Plant living Poetry Comfort music

May 2021

Editor's Letter When crafting this magazine, I envisioned content that served as a big hug to readers. We've gone through a lot this past year alone with social injustice, inequality, pandemic living, and overall negativity. So, Youth Diaries Magazine is my way of sending a virtual hug to all who choose to read this during or even after the pandemic. Youth Diaries is my version of being the big sister figure in readers' lives, even if you already have one. There's so much that's uncomfortable to share with family that I figured it would be best to create an open space for those discussions to take place. Everything included are things that my big sister taught me, or I had to learn on my own, and I wish to bridge that gap.

Contributors Kristyn Garza Kristyn Garza is a graduating English Literature major, whose main interests are writing decent poetry, procrastinating on literally all adulting responsibilities, and figuring out how she can work more naps into her stupidly busy day-to-day schedule.

Sarah King Sarah King is a senior psychology major from El Paso, Texas. She’s contributed to a sustainability blog and helped run its social media pages. Some of her work include "What Even is Sustainability" and "5 Awesome Inventions that Could Save Earth." She is currently working on her own magazine, Swifite Chronicles. Some interests she has include reading, video games, and music.

Daniela Urda Vasquez Daniela Urda Vasquez is currently a graduating senior majoring in Spanish Literature, as well as Writing and Rhetoric with a focus on Professional Writing. She has been published at Hilltop Views, B.hooved, among other honorable publications. In 2019, she was able to publish a chapbook titled “Dollhouse” through the Writing and Rhetoric program. In her spare time, she likes to read, run and watch movies. A quote she lives by is: "isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive -- it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There'd be no scope for imagination then, would there?"

ISSUE 1 YOUTH DIARIES | 2021

Top financial aid practices to reduce anxiety BY TAHEERA WASHINGTON

The worry of financial aid looms over every school

Have all documents ready before opening FAFSA

year, and the process is the most anxiety-driven part

There’s different types of information depending on

of applying for college and continuing enrollment.

whether you’re a dependent student on your parents’

When it comes to completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you cannot do it alone without risking your sanity or messing up along the way. So, here are some tips to get you started on your financial journey and becoming a FAFSA master.

Apply as soon as possible

It’s so easy to procrastinate and assume that if you don’t apply for FAFSA, then it’ll just get done. However, there’s no digital ghost roaming around in your computer to check your eligibility, proceed with your application, and complete FAFSA for you. With most things, the sooner you get it done, the better you’ll feel. Many colleges use FAFSA to determine your eligibility for any grants or scholarships that they offer, so completing your application as soon as it’s open on Oct. 1 puts you at priority for getting the most financial offers.

need to create a Federal Student ID (FSA ID), which is probably the easiest part of the process. The most crucial documents are federal income tax information or tax returns, which come from either you or your parents completing their taxes for the financial year prior. For example, if you’re applying for the 2021-2022 school year, then you need tax returns from 2020. Some of the other applicable documents include W-2 forms if you’re a working student and your driver’s license ID or some form of identification. Use your financial aid advisors

FAFSA isn’t the end of your financial aid journey. Yes, some financial aid advisors act like they hate their job and would rather be anywhere but their office. However, they’re a viable resource to getting access to more resources, because they’re the ones that

Don’t assume that you won't receive funds

While FAFSA comes at a needs-basis, having substantial family income doesn’t mean that you won’t get nothing. It may not be a Pell Grant, but it's something. If that’s not enough encouragement, then you need to know that some colleges don’t offer their academic scholarships unless you fill out FAFSA first. EVERYDAY LIVING |

tax records or an independent student. First, you

actually have the authority to give money. There’s an emphasis on family income, and it may mostly be loans, but it’s something to think about when deciding what colleges you plan on attending. Institutions have to value their students enough to have these financial offers, and it’s your duty to find a college that is worthy of being pursued.

"What's causing you the most anxiety these days?"

All of the above 28.6%

School 57.1% Pandemic 7.1% Work 7.1%

EVERYDAY LIVING |

ISSUE 1 YOUTH DIARIES | 2021

The depiction of Black narratives outside of trauma films matters too

Opening social media as a Black

BY TAHEERA WASHINGTON

Blackness doesn’t stop with trauma.

woman is a mental preparation, as it’s often polluted with triggering videos and stories of Black people being brutalized beyond belief. While oppression and brutality is a critical facet of the Black experience, this past year has made it almost possible to separate being Black from oppression; it’s almost laughable how many times I’ve heard “I don’t understand, but I see you” by someone for just being Black, but my

"Being black doesn't just mean police brutality..."

Photos by Canva Depicting Black lives as joyful requires looking beyond moments of oppression. SOCIAL

Now, it’s time to explore and embrace the

BThere’s a way to stop the fetishizing of Black

Black experience outside of trauma, as Black

trauma and open up spaces for Black writers and

lives matter with or without oppression.

stories to be told that aren’t traumatizing for the

Being Black doesn’t just mean being

viewers. There’s plenty of trauma-free films out

oppressed; it’s the culture, the livelihood and the community built from being proud to wear our skin. The mass media needs to recognize the multifaceted Black experience more.

there, with the newest entry being the Concrete Cowboy, but we need to be held accountable to give these trauma-free films the same viewership and accolades as the latter. Black lives will continue to matter outside of our trauma. Hollywood, we’re looking at you.

This notion is prevalent in the film industry, with stories recounting the horrors of being Black are shown throughout the decades. I think I speak for all Black people when I say that we’re tired. We’re tired of seeing our lives trivialized to this one moment on the screen, which feels like the only place where people seem to care. We don’t need 100 police brutality films to get the point. That’s what the news is for. To those who’ve never heard of these stories, these films could serve as a much-needed, eye-opening experience to the Black freedom struggle. Films like When They See Us or Judas and the Black Messiah recount real experiences that should’ve been discussed on a wider scale, pointing the blame at our American education system’s faults for just a moment in time to repeat the cycle over and over again with the next film. lack trauma films are like pointing a mirror to our faces, and no one likes to look at themselves for too long.

Photos by Wiki Commons "Concrete Cowboy" is available for streaming on Netflex.

SOCIAL

ISSUE 1 YOUTH DIARIES | 2021

People, plant bond: welcoming houseplants improves pandemic living BY TAHEERA WASHINGTON Spring has come again amidst pandemic living,

That’s all technical terms that work to reveal that it’s

and we’re still spending a lot of time at home

impossible to separate humans from plants, yet

(maybe not as much with Texas reopening fully --

we’ve tried for too long. As we’ve progressed as a

please wear a mask). In my case, instead of

population, we’ve become more industrialized and

focusing on taking care of myself like any normal

limited nature to becoming decoration for our cities.

person, I chose to become a plant mom during

This pandemic has rediscovered the affinity humans

quarantine and began devoting the majority of my time to nurturing six plants. Yet, one year has passed, and all six plants and I are surprisingly still alive and flourishing as a matter of fact.

have for nature, and adding greenery to your home is a symbiotic relationship that shouldn’t be lost. Implementing biophilic design, or introducing house

The reality here is simple: plants bring a necessary

and indoor plants to your home, improves wellness,

comfort that life itself cannot provide under the

productivity, and overall health. Think of your home

current conditions. The bond between humans and

as your ecosystem that you’re solely in charge of.

plants is ageless.

People have total control over how to encourage a people-plant connection, and it’s relatively

The therapeutic powers of plants aren’t a new

inexpensive to buy and nurture these plants. There’s

discovery. First documented by Dr. Benjamin Rush,

plenty of low-maintenance plants to begin your plant

the “Father of American Psychiatry,” Rush discovered

parenting journey with, and it’s essential to think of

the benefits of gardening on those with mental

plants of an extension of yourself; there’s a

illness. This practice expanded beyond treating just

houseplant out there that lives like you do, whether

mental illness and is now widely recognized as

it’s as low-maintenance and lazy as you are, or high-

horticultural therapy, or the practice that uses plants

maintenance and dramatic.

and gardening to improve mental and physical health. This therapy explores the indescribable,

Nurturing plants is a project worth putting effort into,

people-plant bond that’s known as biophilia, which is

as it brings life back into your home when the

“the innate human instinct to connect with nature

pandemic tries to limit the amount of life outside.

and other living things.”

Plants serve as a reminder to take care of yourself when the world feels bleak, and it’s a better investment than retail therapy. Seriously, go buy yourself a plant.

EVERYDAY LIVING |

Our favorite houseplants BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO BUILDING YOUR PLANT COLLECTION

Pothos plants are almost impossible to kill with how low maintenance they are. It prefers to dry out before being watered again, and this plant can grow vines up to 10 ft. long with the right care. If you end up killing a Pothos plant, then maybe it's time to downgrade to a succulent instead. Similar plants: Peperomia, Grape Ivy, Philodendron, English Ivy

Pothos (Epipremnum) / Terrain

TMoney trees don't ask for much; they require indirect sunlight, breaks in between watering and little attention. They purify the air, and they're also a symbol of good luck! We all need some good luck, right? Introducing a Money tree into your home means having a midsized plant that only asks for you to water it once every two weeks. You'll forget it's even there! Similar plants: ZZ plant, Chinese Money plant, Prayer plant

Money tree (Pachira aquatica) / Jojotastic

EVERYDAY LIVING |

ISSUE 1 YOUTH DIARIES | 2021

A vase.

BY DANIELA URDA VASQUEZ Routine. A vase, dusty in the corner Chipped. internally bleeding. The air smells like sour, stale bread And at the edge of the kitchen, the butter Drips salty tears The sound of the clock Drowns this room and I Like the vase, slowly worn out, wait for time To softly caress my skin, to purge the pain out. The clock marks the hour. In an instant, I ran to the bathroom, As if I had an appointment. The windows beg me Not to do it, they let in a bit of light. I bow in a prayer position and take off from my left hand a ring

with an angel: “it’ll protect you” said my mother when she gifted to me

I placed it on the floor It becomes my accomplice every time. I open my mouth, my heart and roughly push it all out My fears, My sadness And a bit of the morning breakfast We ought to sacrifice something. After, I can taste the bile as it runs down my face I feel time: touch it, breath it, taste it. Peace. In those seconds, I feel free.

CREATIVITY |

Then the heat of my face and my runny eyes bring me Back and I realize I haven’t been breathing. My hand involuntary flushes the toilet And I try to get up, but my feet are cement pasted. I stay motionless, another bathroom accessory. Try again and this time I drag myself in front the mirror letting the faucet run, I look at wherever is in front of my eyes An intimate moment. She judges me, fears me. Vulnerably I Touch my face, my eyes connected to hers I move my hands slowly like asking for forgiveness. I wash my mouth, my hands, my face. The taste of peppermint hugs my tongue, I put my ring back on. Walk back to the kitchen, the same smell of stale Bread and the butter still dripping

nothing change

I sit in the corner waiting for time to Strike again.

CREATIVITY |

"What's your comfort song these days?"

RESPONSES FROM KRISTYN GARZA, SARAH KING, ET. AL.

"The Truth Untold" by BTS

"Good Days" by SZA

CREATIVITY |

"Feel" by Brent Faiyaz

"Baby Powder" by Jenevieve