8 February 2021

A student newspaper of the University of Tulsa

February 8, 2021 issue:15 - volume 106

BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT TU, P.3

Feb. 14: Soul Food Soiree.

Feb. 18: Hannibal B. Johnson Buck Colbert Franklin Memorial Civil Rights Lecture. He will be talking about “Affirming America’s Promise.”

Feb. 25:

Cherry Steinwender, coexecutive director and a founding member of the Center for the Healing of Racism, will give a talk on healing and racial justice.

Feb. 26:

Vigil for victims of police brutality.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Super Bowl 31-9, p. 2 Origins of the yarn takeover, p.5 Gamestop fiasco doesn’t hit at real injustice, p.4

Sports

The Collegian: 2

8 February 2021

Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Super Bowl 31-9 In a mostly one-sided game, Tom Brady leaves with his seventh ring. NFL writer Zach Short recaps the big game.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; the renaissance of the legendary veteran over the stunning collapse of the young superstar. On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs went to Tampa Bay to compete against the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl, facing the first home team to play in the big game. Anticipation appeared at an absolute peak with the superstar quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady at the helms of their respective teams. The two have faced one another a handful of times before and have always provided a spectacle to behold, including the unforgettable 2019 AFC championship game that preceded Brady’s last ring. Unfortunately, the powers that be did not have another nail-biter written in the stars for this installment of the rivalry.

The game started tight, with neither team proving themselves capable of scoring on their first drive. Kansas City caught a little momentum with a sack on the Buccaneers’ second drive, turning around and taking first blood with a field goal on the following drive. This would prove the only time they would taste a Super Bowl lead the rest of the night. A Tampa Bay offense operating on all cylinders would promptly respond with a touchdown, and that was all she wrote. The Chiefs would stop the Bucs one more time before allowing three touchdown drives in

a row and a field goal as the cherry on top, offering nothing but a pair of field goals in response. The score at the half sat at 21-6.

After the culmination of the reign of terror, Brady had etched the final score in stone, 31-9. No one scored in the final quarter.

In defense of the half-billion dollar man, Patrick Mahomes, the story never seemed one of failure out of the pocket. Tampa Bay’s defense wreaked havoc on every facet of the Chiefs’ offense. Mahomes, often feeling pressure and having to scramble or throw on the run, offered a slew of impressive targets off his heels — once even throwing an end zone attempt while floating parallel to the ground. This impressive throw, in tune with a handful of other disappointing incompletions throughout the night, hit the face mask of the intended receiver before falling uncaught to the ground. In many ways, the Missouri superstar looked his usual self, aside from a slight limp, a casualty from the Divisional matchup versus the Cleveland Browns, which limited the efficiency of the scramble.

In a reality few likely predicted, the true story of the night has more to do with penalties. The final stat sheet had the teams looking mostly equal, with Kansas City leading 350-340 in total yards and behind just 26-22 in first downs. In fact, the penalties column

The Collegian’s NBA top five

Coming back yet again, sports writer Zach Short has his weekly picks for best in the NBA. 5. Los Angeles Clippers After a disappointing last week, the Clippers had to come down a notch. A close loss to either the Celtics or the Nets? Understandable. Dropping both? Unforgivable.

This team has a serious problem with bullying teams outside the estimable top 10, but playing inconsistently if not poorly against their better opponents. They have all the talent they need to beat anyone, but they struggle to employ that advantage in the games where it matters. Their record stays high (and they stay in the top five) because they simply do not blow games to average teams (cough cough, the Pistons over the Lakers and 76ers). Moreover, they win a healthy amount of games against good teams too.

Their biggest setback sits between the ears of Paul George, and until he can be the clutch player the team needs, they will have to stay in relegation at the lower ends of the rankings.

4. Milwaukee Bucks Up one from last week, the Bucks look a little better. If they can fight their way to the Eastern Conference dominance they have known in the past, they will stand a chance to vye for the top slot in the power rankings.

Sitting in their path, however, is the big man from Yaounde, Joel Embiid. Until the Bucks can prove themselves conclusively better than their Philadelphia competitor, they will suffer from a cap on all estimates to their success. The Eastern Conference looks a little better than it did in the past, but it still looks weaker than the West. If they want to enter the discussion on potential ring ceremonies, they will have to escape their conference. If they cannot beat the 76ers now, they may see another pre-Finals postseason exit. Hopefully the competition will encourage them to kick it into high gear.

3. Philadelphia 76ers As the only other team to drop this week, the 76ers still look remarkable. The East sits at their mercy and the West dreads to think of meeting them in a Finals scenario. However, the question remains as to whether they will prove capable of maintaining their current level of play. Last year appears to have been a wake-up call for the team, as they entered with a weak six-seed in the postseason and made no waves to raise eyebrows before their exit. More of the same,

it seemed. Now, they have to produce or face an existential crisis. If they do not win the East, they will have to at least make a close claim for a Finals appearance. If not, management will have no choice left but to search for the next superstar face of the team. Another team with all the talent they need, they desperately need to settle into their groove and play to their full capability, consistently, if they do not want the band to break up.

2. Los Angeles Lakers Back up one slot, the Lakers should almost be considered number 1B. While the search for consistency should remain the top priority for most teams, the Lakers seem to have it. They dropped a bad loss to the Pistons not long ago, but a bad game here or there just happens, not to mention the fact that they did have to play sans Anthony Davis that night. No one should feel surprised if the Lakers win another championship.

They have everything they need: they always play their best, and they are always clutch when it counts. If they lost their next five games, they would probably still hold a spot in the top five list. These guys can win at will, and as of yet, I do not think it is even anyone’s game as to who reaches and wins the Finals. If the postseason started tomorrow, I truly believe that only the Jazz could stop them from an appearance and only the 76ers could prevent a repeat. Everyone in the top five is good, but that does not mean equal chance in the postseason; the barrier between the top three and the last two is chasmic.

1. Utah Jazz In all frankness, these guys look absolutely unstoppable right now. I can only say so much about them. They do not just win, but they make it look second nature. The Nuggets may have ended their streak a bit ago, but Lot’s wife can take notes because they never looked back. After shrugging off their defeat, they simply started another little win streak that they definitely appear poised to continue. I fully expect a lull at some point here in the coming weeks, but if they bounce back to the excellency they know now, the object for the rest of the West ceases to be beating them and becomes simply avoiding the sweep. For whatever seed has to play them in the first round, they just need to see

became the only stark differentiator between the two teams. Tampa Bay found themselves on the wrong end of four flags throughout the game, allowing 39 yards to such errors. On the other side, Kansas City made 11 of such costly errors, ultimately handing over a whopping 120 yards to their opponent. The inability to avoid the attention of the referees never looked so frustrating as it did toward the end of the first half, when an offsides penalty called on a Bucs’ field goal attempt granted a vital first down and changed a three-point drive into a sevenpoint one. In the next drive of the Bucs, the last of the half, a risky strategy from Andy Reid (calling timeouts after the two-minute warning in hopes of getting the ball back) gave Brady the time to move the ball up the field, and a huge pass interference call put them in place to score a touchdown just at the end of the half.

For the positive appraisals of the game, Brady once again looked his prime, setting the record for the oldest quarterback to win the Super Bowl at 43 years of age. This of course beats the last record of 41 years, when Tom Brady beat the Rams, which beat the record before that of Tom Brady beating the Falcons at 39. Accusations can fly, but the future Hall-of-Famer has certainly had a career of longevity. Super Bowl LV

also saw the first female referee to officiate the big game, with Sarah Thomas operating as down judge just five years after being named the first female permanent NFL referee. Lastly, Bruce Arians set the record for oldest coach to win a Super Bowl at 68 years of age, the game already established as the oldest in combined coaching as he competed against the Chiefs’ 62 year-old Andy Reid. Arians’ mother Catherine attended the game in person at 95 years-old to see her son win his first Super Bowl as a head coach, presumably the oldest fan in the arena filled almost exclusively with vaccinated first health care workers.

After a year prepared for an array of torches passed, with many legendary quarterbacks looking destined for retirement, the only one apparently certain of his return for the next season just won his seventh ring.

Mahomes and the Chiefs will get a chance to return next season and prove themselves still formidable, but the wall of Brady has yet to crumble. Both strongly retentive teams have the potential to look just as terrifying next year, so feel no surprise if Los Angeles hosts a rematch next year — this time taking Brady far from his home field.

if they can make Donovan Mitchell break a sweat.

Hot Seat: Boston Celtics Despite the record not being there and the L10 making them appear as though in a lull, Boston sits on the cusp of a real breakthrough into top tier play. Recently, they dropped a close game to the Kings, which I would chalk up as an anomaly, as well as a one-point loss to the Lakers. In the same period, they topped the Warriors

(who can blame part of their weak start on a long court absence and a ruthless West, but are not actually bad in any respect) and the Clippers. Knock out the anomalous game that they will certainly fix out of habit by the end of the season, and these guys can upset anyone in the East. They do not look quite ready to pose a challenge to the Lakers or Jazz, but Bucks and Celtics fans beware of the threat to come.

Two Tulsa comebacks fall short Sports writer Tommy Reid analyzes the Golden Hurricane’s week as they played two conference games.

photo by Tommy Reid Last week, the Golden Hurricane played two games at the Reynolds Center. The first game was on Wednesday, February 3 against the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Mustangs. The second game was on Saturday, February 6 against the University of Central Florida (UCF) Bulls.

In the first game, SMU got ahead early, but twice in the first half TU tied the game only for the Mustangs to immediately regain the lead. In the second half, Tulsa had a strong comeback at the end of the game.

With just under three and a half minutes remaining in the game, Tulsa trailed by twelve points. Rey Idowu made a jumper to bring the Golden Hurricane to within ten points with three minutes remaining. Following this Brandon Rachal made several shots and Tulsa came within six points. SMU scored a free throw and then Curtis Heywood II and Austin Richie made shots which brought Tulsa within three. With four seconds left, Austin Richie was fouled on a three-point shot attempt. He was only able to convert one of his three free throws which gave SMU a narrow 65-63 win over the Golden Hurricane. Despite Tulsa being unable to complete the comeback, Curtis Heywood II had a career high 18 points in the game followed by Brandon Rachal with 15 points and Elijah Joiner with 10 points. After the game, Tulsa coach Frank Haith said, “Obviously, it was a tough loss. We didn’t play the

way we needed to play at the start of this ballgame. We dug ourselves too big a hole.

But we competed, got back in the game.”

In the second game, once again, Tulsa found itself at an early deficit as UCF gained a 9-0 lead three minutes into the first half.

While two made three-point shots brought the Golden Hurricane within three points of UCF, this was the closest Tulsa would get until the end of the second half. However, for the second straight game, Tulsa had a strong comeback in the second half.

A layup by Darrian Jackson with just over three minutes left brought Tulsa within three points and another layup by Darrian Jackson with just over two and a half minutes left brought Tulsa to within one point of UCF; however, this is as close as the Golden Hurricane would get as UCF ultimately won the game 65-58. Elijah Joiner led the way for the Golden Hurricane’s scoring with fourteen points while Darien Jackson and Keyshawn Embrey-Simpson followed with twelve points and ten points, respectively.

After the conclusion of the game, Frank Haith discussed Tulsa’s lack of confidence and how that affected the game. “We’re not a confident bunch right now. We’re really struggling with our confidence. I thought we had some really unforced turnovers that hurt us. I thought UCF was too comfortable early making some threes and that’s what happens. You get some confidence and you’re going to end up making some tough ones. We didn’t defend the three-point line very well.”

At the conclusion of this week of American Athletic Conference (AAC) basketball, TU dropped to fifth place in the AAC trailing the league leader Houston by four games. Tulsa’s only game next week is a rescheduled game against Tulane and will be played at the Reynolds Center on Wednesday, February 16 at 4:00 pm.

Feb. 8 - Feb. 14 Monday

Tuesday 8

W Golf Texas State All Day

Wednesday 9

W Golf Texas State All Day

10

W Basketball @ Tulane 3:30 p.m.

M Basketball Tulane 4 p.m.

Thursday 11

Volleyball Wichita State 2 p.m.

Friday

Saturday 12

Volleyball Wichita State 1 p.m.

Sunday 13

14

Track & Field Ichabod Inv. All Day

W Tennis Kansas City 1:30 p.m.

W Tennis Lamar TBA

W Basketball @ USF 3 p.m.

M Tennis Mississippi 12 p.m.

M Soccer Memphis 7 p.m.

8 February 2021

News

The Collegian: 3

University of Tulsa celebrates Black History Month TU and student groups plan lectures, meals and events to highlight Black Americans during February.

Joseph Breedlove Student Writer The University of Tulsa is marking Black History Month this year with a number of events meant to highlight the culture and accomplishments of Black Americans. Several of these will repeat weekly. The United States has celebrated Black History Month in February for more than 50 years, using this month as an opportunity to spotlight Black people in American history; other countries like Canada and the Netherlands have also started a comparable tradition. In addition to learning about history, people can celebrate by tangibly supporting Black people through promotion of Black businesses.

The Association of Black Collegians will spotlight Black owned businesses each week on their Instagram (@tulsaabc). On Mondays, they will highlight a Black owned student business, while on Wednesdays they will highlight a Black owned business anywhere in Tulsa.

Several of the planned events have already taken place. One was a talk on Feb. 4 on the topic of social justice through the lens of a Black Panther party, where Elmer Dixon, President of Executive Diversity services and former member of the Black Panther Party, discussed his experiences and his perspective on the current social climate and especially the Black Live Matters Movement.

As Black History Month continues, there are several opportunities for students to participate in events. On Feb. 14, there will be

graphic by Emma Palmer Black History Month takes place for the entirety of February every year.

a Soul Food Soiree in the Pat Case room in the Union. Given the experience of last year, the food can be expected to be great. Later, on Feb. 26, at 6 p.m., a vigil for victims of police brutality will be held in the Hurricane Plaza.

On Feb. 18 at 6 p.m., Hannibal B. Johnson will speak for the Buck Colbert Franklin Memorial Civil Rights Lecture. Johnson is a local attorney, historian, community activist and author of the book “Black Wall Street: From Riot to Renaissance in Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District.” He will be talking about “Affirming America’s Prom-

ise.” Johnson’s speciality is in diversity and inclusion, cultural competence and nonprofit governance. He serves as a member of the 400 years of African-American History Commission, and is also a part of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commision. Johnson’s lecture will be a virtual event: those interested in attending can register online.

On Feb. 25 at 6 p.m., Cherry Steinwender, co-executive director and a founding member of the Center for the Healing of Racism, will give a talk on healing and racial justice.

Steinwender’s focus will be on ways to rec-

ognize our social battles and how to offer healing. The event is free, open to all and is hosted by TU’s Office of Diversity. Registration is online.

In addition to these events, you can follow several student-led Instagram accounts that are aimed at increasing awareness of Black History Month, including @tulsaac. As TU facilitates spaces to celebrate Black History Month, students can take this opportunity to learn about underrepresented histories, to promote Black-owned businesses and to highlight the need to continue to support these causes throughout the rest of the year.

True Blue Neighbors opens TU food pantry Students seek to help members of the TU community struggling with food insecurity through access to free food options.

Hana Saad Copy Editor True Blue Pantry is having its grand opening on Feb. 9, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is a resource that will be open to anyone in the TU community who needs assistance. The pantry is located on the north end of LaFortune House across from the Reynolds Center at the corner of East Eighth and South Gary Avenue.

week we have pasta, cereal, grains, canned fruits, vegetables and proteins. Fresh produce, dairy and bakery items are available as well.”

Abdo also added that they will sometimes have common toiletry items available, depending on the amount of supplies that they are donated. Donations are one way that the TU community can support this new resource.

Naomi Curtis, a student who works at the pantry, says that she has “been working on creating a database for the food pantry to help out with inventory and high demand items.” Curtis added, “we are planning a lot of fun programming events to keep an eye out for. We are also thinking of ways to end

try to collect donations outside of its hours of operation.

Many Americans are dealing with food insecurity, an issue that has been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, one in five Oklahomans (and 1 in 3 children) will face food insecurity during the pandemic. Currently, about 635,740 people face food insecurity in Oklahoma, according to Feeding America.

Curtis explained, “food insecurity in college campuses is way more prevalent than people think, especially with the rise of the proportion of non-traditional students

— like people going back to school, commuters, working students, etc. The days where the majority of students were being supported by parents is not really the reality anymore. I think it’s important that the community supports students that need it — be it academically or with food assistance.”

Part of the True Blue Pantry’s mission is to “raise awareness about food security among college students and reduce any stigma or barriers around accessing the pantry,” according to Abdo.

Make an appointment at utulsa.edu/truebluepantry to access the food pantry.

.

“ ... food insecurity in college campuses is way more prevalent than people think ...”

Due to COVID-19 procedures, those interested in accessing the True Blue Pantry must make an appointment, which can be done online. The application only needs to be filled out one time and should take less than five minutes. After, the individual can schedule their preferred pick-up times as needed.

According to Melissa Abdo, Program Coordinator at True Blue Neighbors, the pantry stocks a variety of foods: “People may come in and choose their items. Every

the stigma surrounding food insecurity and seeking out help.”

“We would love to partner with students to support the pantry with food drives or programming to increase awareness of this as a resource.” Abdo said that the top five items the True Blue Pantry needs right now are “canned soup, canned vegetables, canned fruit, boxed cereal and toiletries items.”

Anyone who is interested in donating items to the pantry can drop them off between 9 a.m to 5 p.m. on weekdays. A donation box will also be left outside of the pan-

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courtesty @TrueBlueTU Twitter The True Blue Pantry will have its grand opening on Feb. 9, allowing students to start applying to pick up food.

@TUCollegian @TUCOLLEGIAN

tucollegian@tucollegian.org The Collegian is the student newspaper of the University of Tulsa. It is distributed Mondays during the fall and spring semesters, except during holidays and final exam weeks. The University of Tulsa does not discriminate on the basis of personal status or group characteristics including but not limited to the classes protected under federal and state law. Inquiries regarding implementation of this policy may be addressed to the Office of Human Resources, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104-9700, (918)631-2616. Requests for accomodation of disabilities may be addressed to the university’s 504 Coordinator, Dr. Tawny Rigsby, (918)631-3814. To ensure availability of an interpeter, five to seven days notice is needed; 48 hours is recommended for all other accomodations.

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The Collegian: 4

Commentary

8 February 2021

The Legislative Digest is your weekly look at the happenings of Oklahoma’s state legislature, upcoming bills and the terms to know.

Justin Klopfer Commentary Editor

SB 676: This bill authored by Warren Hamilton (R) concerns “gender reassignment medical treatment.” If passed, this kind of treatment would be illegal to receive for anyone under the age of 21. People who receive it at this age or doctors who provide it would be subject to prison sentences of at least three years.

Laws preventing people under 18 from sex reassignment therapy have been proposed in several states, Oklahoma being one of them. Increasing the minimum age to 21 and giving prison sentences to violators, however, is a uniquely horrifying and draconian proposal. An adult should be able to obtain whatever medical treatment is seen as healthy and helpful by the medical community, as transitional treatment is.

When trans people are denied medical treatment until later in life, many effects of bodily development are impossible to reverse. Puberty blockers can no longer be used, and mature sex characteristics have already taken root. Waiting until age 21 for these treatments would lessen their efficacy. Under this law, mature adults would be sent to prison for obtaining treatments supported by the majority of the medical community.

Treatment of this kind is life-saving, and its prevention should be fought against on all levels.

HB 1004: This bill would prevent any future illegalizations on counseling aimed at “reducing, eliminating, resolving... unwanted same-sex attractions” and “sexual or gender-identity expressions.” These practices, commonly called conversion therapy, have been seen as entirely

ineffective by the broader medical community for many years. The bill includes the use of conversion therapy on minors, a practice currently illegal in 20 states.

When the therapy is legal for children, homophobic and transphobic parents can force their children to undergo the brutal process. In this context, it’s hard to underestimate the amount of harm being done to young people through this supposed therapy.

Most young people are already in an incredibly vulnerable emotional state, and being LGBTQ+ in an unaccepting household only adds to this turmoil. When their identity is subject to direct attack in this form of therapy, existing anxieties can be exacerbated. The Human Rights Campaign links youth conversion therapy with depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness and suicide.

Not only should Oklahoma reject this bill, it should join the 20 civilized states who recognize the damage done by conversion therapy and ban it for minors.

HB 1648: On a lighter note, this bill authored by Justin Humphrey (R) would establish a Bigfoot hunting season in Oklahoma, probably in October. Thankfully, the season doesn’t give the holder the right to kill Bigfoot; the goal is to trap him. Humphrey also hopes to give a $25,000 prize to whoever can trap Bigfoot.

Humphrey hopes the bill will bring in tourism for Oklahoma, meaning more revenue.

His logic is solid, and it’s hard to find any real faults in the proposal. Regardless of the cryptid’s actual existence, the revenue and fun times that could come from the bill make it worth passing. For a Representative who has previously drafted legislation concerned with “tracking devices” in vaccines, this is a welcome shift.

Gamestop short squeeze fueled by hollow activism stock — was Reddit’s WallStreetBets subreddit.

When looking at the posts that flooded the site as the stock began to soar, it’s clear that profit was not the only motive for these investors. In a massively-upvoted post directed at a fund that shorted Gamestop, a user painfully describes the poverty they

those who were harmed by the crisis. Creating an alternative to the devastating practices of the financial world doesn’t even cross the minds of the average American, no matter the ruin it has brought to their lives. Seeing the hedge funds suffer has to be enough; they have lost all hope that the system could ever be better for people like them.

“... seeking punishment is easier than seeking justice.”

The investors are driven by emotional fury, but their actions aren’t truly subversive.

Justin Klopfer Commentary Editor From Jan. 12 to Jan. 27, Gamestop’s stock price rose from about $20 to a high of $483. The spike was driven by a massive short squeeze. Many Wall Street hedge funds had shorted Gamestop, meaning they thought it would fall in valuation over time.

When the price began to rise, they had to buy the stock back before it shot higher, triggering mass chain-reaction purchases by these hedge funds, thus creating a massive spike in the price.

The initial bump in Gamestop’s stock, however, was not caused by these hedge funds. It was fueled by online retail investors who saw this vulnerability and united together to exploit it. The community that has been center stage in this event — though by no means the only community to buy the

experienced during the 2008 financial crisis.

They view their investment into Gamestop as “personal,” investing every dollar of savings they have to make the hedge fund’s losses “as painful as [they] can.” The user, along with most of the impassioned Gamestock investors, seek no ends other than punishment for those that have wronged them and maybe some profits along the way. Their grand crusade is “to punish the sort of people who caused so much pain and stress.”

Of course, I do sympathize with these investors. A hatred of Wall Street is only reasonable at this point, and I don’t begrudge anyone trying to make money while also destroying a hedge fund. However, the emotional rhetoric spouted by the retail investors indicates a woefully inadequate conception of solidarity and class consciousness.

The WallStreetBets members, like most Americans, can only conceive of politics as a vehicle for inflicting pain upon enemies. After 2008, the user mentioned above sought to destroy those who he saw as the cause of the catastrophe, not seek justice for

Part of the reason for this, of course, is that seeking punishment is easier than seeking justice. It’s much simpler to scream at the billionaires and inflict negligible damage than to build a real base of working class power, however cathartic the screaming may be. Buying stocks somehow be-

comes a political and anti-establishment act. The internet and social media give an all-too-perfect space for this kind of fruitless hate. There’s a reason the ultra-rich class who own the social media sites allow this kind of activity to flourish: they know it ultimately does nothing, or even actively diffuses progressive sentiments.

Now that Gamestock has plummeted back down in valuation— $63 stock price as of writing — the effects of the short squeeze seem almost exactly opposite of the initial intentions. Many retail investors lost thousands of dollars from buying while the price was high, and some of the largest profiteers from the surge turned out to be Wall Street firms. Retail investors will probably be subject to restricted trading to prevent events like this in the future. The power structure hasn’t sustained a scratch, and its victims are as powerless as ever.

courtesy WallStreetBets/ Reddit An impassioned member of WallStreetBets explains the motivations for their investment.

The juxtaposition of the financial market with farcical memes is a common motif of the online retail investor community.

courtesy Special meme fresh/ Facebook

8 February 2021

Variety

The Collegian: 5

A love letter written to nostalgia

The first installment of a series, this note is for that feeling of yearning you get when you spend time reminiscing about the past.

Julianne Tran Student Writer

Earlier this week, I found myself swept up in the gentle wave of nostalgia. I wanted to watch the beloved movies of my younger years, eat Pizza Rolls and Gushers and spend time reminiscing on warm memories of my childhood with friends. I think “nostalgia” has a bad reputation for pulling people too far into the glossy, smoothed-over moments of the past. Even its dictionary definition notes that nostalgia is “a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period”. This wistfulness implies a kind of melancholy that accompanies feelings of nostalgia.

Beyond this, I am a firm supporter of nostalgic movies and TV shows. I love rewatching a movie where I have the vaguest memory of the plot, the clearest memory of a certain scene and the foggiest memory of what my life was like when I first watched it (typically the glazed over idea of how great my life was back then).

I enjoy nostalgic entertainment because it feels comforting to have a vague memory of what is about to happen. That memory lowers the stakes of the movie and makes me feel at ease throughout its entirety. Beyond what happens on the screen, these nostalgia trips bring me back to the first moments of watching them — who I was with, how I was feeling and what made me watch it. If I turned to these movies when I was feeling weighed down, rewatching them reminds me that those feelings pass. If I turned to these movies when I felt eager for some meet-cute romance, rewatching them renews those feelings of giddy excitement. If I turned to these movies when I wanted to bond with

spent before a screen watching movies with terrible jokes, the oddest costume design, the strangest characters and several plot holes.

Despite this all, time spent in these nostalgic worlds always filled me with a steady joy and lasting comfort. Although the world may constantly change, we can always return to the everlasting world of 2000s romcoms and ‘90s TV shows, where your expectations remain true and the pattern of life is uninterrupted. We can always turn to fond

memories and the glazed past to find moments of joy and simplicity, shedding light on similar moments within our current life.

In all, I hope that feelings of nostalgia serve you well. I hope that in some way, your present life resembles the ease and delight of the past. Watch that movie you used to love when you were 13. Search the recesses of your mind for that one odd, ridiculous movie you had forgotten, but remember enjoying.

You won’t regret it.

“... that simplicity still exists within our everyday lives ...”

However, I quite enjoy those feelings of nostalgia. Of course, I may sometimes feel as if I was better off in a past life, but there is so much more to those moments of nostalgia. More than anything, nostalgic memories of “simpler times” of my younger self remind me that simple joy, simple peace and simple friendship can still exist within our present. That simplicity still exists within our everyday lives — moments of laughing at a five-second video, taking a walk with friends or spending some down time doing something blissfully fun can bring about this same joyous simplicity in our adult lives.

some friends, rewatching them reminds me of their friendship and our shared experience watching it.

Especially during peak COVID-19 times in late spring and early summer, I relied on nostalgic movies and TV to fill my time.

This, in combination with being at home surrounded by so many symbols of the past, brought me great comfort. I always felt accomplished after searching the crevices of my memory and finding some long-forgotten movie or TV show to watch in the evening. It amazes me how much entertainment I consumed as a child and how much of that media I still enjoy. Many an evening was

It’s said that the strongest trigger of nostalgia is the sense of smell.

graphic by Emma Plamer

Crochet TikTok and the yarn takeover Knitting and crocheting, while typically seen as grandma hobbies, have rapidly gained popularity on social media.

Caroline Cox Student Writer Everyone during the pandemic has seemed to pick up some new hobby. What caught my attention is the large group of people, particularly on TikTok, who have turned to fiber arts — specifically crocheting and knitting. Just from scrolling my own For You Page, I’ve seen sunflower cardigans, cowboy hats, tote bags and unique sweaters galore. This isn’t your grandmother’s cardigan —- this is an artform.The pandemic had influence within it, but I think that there are other sparks to the yarn frenzy.

Thanks to TikTok, crocheting and knitting have transformed from a craft that made mittens to a craft that made art. While the lines blur between craft and art, the word “art” has a particular kind of distinction. I personally view a tenderly made sweater as a form of art, but there can be no doubts about the artistic merit of this new style of knitting. Funky patterns, bold colors and a variety of textures are taking over the algorithm. But when did these cardigans and sweaters come into fashion? I link it to Harry Styles popularizing knitwear.

However, one cardigan in particular has captured the eye of internet knitters. The J.W. Anderson cardigan, or the Harry Styles cardigan, is a patchwork of reds, greens, yellows, oranges and blacks tied up in a bright orange collar with large buttons. Each patch or “granny square” is sewn together,

but in a fashion that leaves ends of yarn peaking through to create a vintage handmade appearance. This specific garment caused video after video of people creating their own Harry Styles cardigans. After that, there were many more tutorial TikToks, as well as people showing off their handmade knitwear.

TikTok, while highly influential, is not the only thing promoting handmade clothing. With a growing movement to quit fast fashion, or cheap, trendy clothes produced unsustainably, it comes as no surprise that people have gained interest in making their own clothes. There are many appeals to custom made clothes as a method to protest fast fashion, including, frequency of use.

When I make something that I am proud of, I never want to take it off. Additionally they are customizable to body shape and can be designed in any fashion. The growth of the “slow fashion” movement has become huge online, with knitting shops popping up everywhere on Instagram. Purchasing handmade crafts can be quite expensive, however, so people have taken to learning knitting themselves.

Thanks to YouTube, learning to knit or crochet is extremely accessible. I taught myself how to crochet recently over Christmas break. I learned basic stitches, how to read a pattern and was able to get a sense of what style I liked. There are many community knitting clubs that meet online. Additionally, websites like Ravelry have free and paid patterns so it’s easy to find that perfect scarf. Even the creators of the Harry Styles cardigan released a video on how to make it yourself. If you’ve been thinking of picking up knitting or crocheting, now’s the time to give it a shot.

This pattern can be found on the JW Anderson website.

One of the most popular crochet patterns on TikTok has been the bee pattern, which has been remade in various designs.

courtesy JW Anderson

courtesy @mirellesminis Instagram