SS Issue 2024: BOUND

by Ryan Singh

videography by Riley Peters

layout by Rebekah Shook

modeled by Rhese Voisard, Lucy Smothers + Morgan Boston

IN THIS ISSUE

photographed

styled by Halle Maskery

hair & makeup by Katelyn Phan, Scout Tincher + Reagan Hamilton

written by Nisso Sacha

by Princess Ford

written by Alice Momany

by Julia Moore

by Maddy Evans

by Ellen Long

by Rhese Voisard

by Julia Jacobs

photographed by Katie Gabe BEYOND

written by Allison Lee LINKED written by Ava Shaffer

LEAN

photographed by Nyah Smith

IN

written by Eleanor Wentworth

NO

written by Anaka Bretzke ALL

written by Evan Stefanik LAST WORDS from the Executive Staff

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Alice Momany

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Deanna Hay

PUBLISHER

Taylor Shockley

DIRECTORS OF FASHION

Kelli Amburgey + Kate Stevens

DIRECTOR OF HAIR & MAKEUP

Julia Knoll

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Tia Benson

DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Emma Kremp

COPY EDITORS

Natalie Luci + Rhese Voisard

DIRECTORS OF EVENT PLANNING

Jack Kerstetter + Mia Brillhart

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Morgan Schramm

DIRECTORS OF MARKETING

Cole Pittman + Olivia Spencer

DIRECTORS OF VIDEOGRAPHY

Jill Rimer + Zach Lawson

BLOG EDITORS

Emily Bame + Charlotte Hudson

ADVISORS

Kerry Hegarty + Sacha Bellman

STYLISTS

Ella Salvagio

Nicole Gonzalez

Meggie Rasure

Mary Eisenhart

Halle Maskery

Morgan Schramm

Eden Brush

Emma Beck

Brigham Young

Anne Ambrose

Lucy Smothers

Abby Steinkraus

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Deanna Hay

Rebekah Shook

Nyah Smith

Ellen Long

Ryan Singh

Gregory Engler

Princess Ford

Kayla Miller

Katie Gabe

Marina Carey

Paige Senkiw

Kayla McNab

Jake Ruffer

Lily Hoffman

Olivia Smallcombe

WRITERS

Natalie Luci

Rhese Voisard

Evan Stefanik

Eleanor Wentworth

Nisso Sacha

Anaka Bretzke

Maddy Evans

Ava Shaffer

Allison Lee

Julia Jacobs

Julia Moore

BLOGGERS

Eleanor Wentworth

Halle Grant

Marissa Rotolo

Shea Smith

Abby Thompson

Taylor Morgan

Kaitlin McDowell

Abbie Prues

Chloe Emberton

Sophie Taylor

Joan Carol

Campbell Masys

Maya Svec

LAYOUT

DESIGNERS

Deanna Hay

Rebekah Shook

Caroline Cilley

Erin McGovern

Lauren Harris

Emely Villalba

Caitlin Curran

Lindsey Brinkman

Madeline Buecker

Danielle Silver

Lucy Hiller

Sophia Taylor

Macey Chamberlin

Madelyn Liedel

Jack Kerstetter

EVENT PLANNERS

Callie Frimel

Lillian Hempfling

Davie Avis

Jack Dobson

Olivia Smith

Sylvia Eastman

Abbie Lyons

COMMUNICATIONS

Allie Lindblad

Sara Rose Detwiler

Katie Kruzich

Alyse Fisher

Sophia Myers

Elaina Calisi

Abbie Prues

Elizabeth Maher

Anne Marie Arnold

Kelsey McCarthy

Emily Bame

Kelly Greiner

VIDEOGRAPHERS

Grace Wilson

Ellie Nickel

Rachel Whary

Marina Carey

Ella Pawlowski

Charlotte Tirola

Riley Peters

Alyssa Schaeffer

Maria Adamo

SOCIAL MEDIA

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Lily Hoffman

Mitchelle Adu-Gyamfi

Jordan James

Madelin Joseph

Princess Ford

Kayla Miller

Olivia Smallcombe

Kayla McNab

Jakob Lawrence

STYLISTS

Lillian Hempfling

Abby Thompson

Emma Beck

Mark Petrowsky

Liz Karipides

Paulina Adams

Lucy Smothers

Katharine Jessop

Mercedes Thompson

Riley McGee

Isabella Holsman

HAIR + MAKEUP ARTISTS

Katelyn Phan

Alexandra Leurck

Reagan Hamilton

Scout Tincher

Katharine Jessop

Klaudia Brown

MARKETING

Maddie Kazmaier

Bronwyn Cantrell

Anna Mueller

Olivia Michelsen

Katie Kruzich

Teagan Brush

Katie Sayler

Kelly Greiner

Tyler Estep

Kaitlyn Olvany

Sophie Metzner

Charlie Donahue

Lacey Walker

Anjali Duke de Lanerolle

Justin Dinh

Letter from the Editor

When I came to Miami University as a naive first-year student four years ago, I was lost.

I spent the last part of my senior year of high school on a Zoom screen, and I started the first part of my college career the same way. Not many students from my high school came to Miami, and I only briefly knew my roommate from a few FaceTime calls. The campus seemed overwhelming, I didn’t know anyone, and I was embarking on a new chapter in my life.

Within the first few weeks, I joined UP Magazine and quickly got involved. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I was faking it in search of genuine connections. Over time, I built a supportive network of friends, classmates, coworkers and professors. In just four years, I went from being an overwhelmed, spiraling student, to being rooted in a community that has my best interests at heart. "Bound" is about the interconnectedness that inspires a community to push beyond the borders of the stereotypical mold.

In “Revitalize,” Maddy Evans looks at how students in the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma create a haven through Miami's Myaamia Center. In "No Place Like Home," Anaka Bretzke explores how students find comfort in Oxford, no matter how far away their home is.

While finding a group of people you can rely on is comforting, the community is largely defined by the individuality of the people within it. In Allison Lee’s “Beyond the Color Wheel,” she speaks with people who go beyond wearing colors that compliment their features and the freedom that accompanies wearing hues that make them feel good. In Rhese Voisard’s “Game On,” she talks to female athletes, who are tired of being compared to their male counterparts and are making a name for themselves.

Most people are connected through shared identities or beliefs, while others are tied together through doings beyond the physical world. Nisso Sacha explores the invisible string theory in her story, “Tethered.” Julia Moore discusses Generation Z’s lack of a third place, or so it seems, in her story, “The Third Place.”

In a way, the entire UP Magazine staff is tied together as professionals, creatives and friends. This issue is brought to life through the help of our directors, writers, layout designers, stylists, photographers, videographers, models, marketing, communications, event planning and digital teams, as well as our community members and readers, who have continuously supported us.

As you read through "Bound," I hope it brings to mind your own community, while offering comfort in the fact that you are a part of ours.

Alice Momany EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Much UP Love, Alice Momany

BOUND

(v.) to intertwine, connect and build community; to push beyond the borders

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”

- Chief Seattle of the Duwamish and Suquamish Tribes

Tethered

Written by Nisso Sacha

An immediate connection with a stranger can spark the intriguing question of destiny. The “invisible string theory” suggests that unseen forces guide people to those they are meant to meet, regardless of constraints of time, place or circumstance.

A similar legend, the Red Thread of Fate, an East Asian belief stemming from Chinese mythology, suggests that two destined soulmates are invisibly connected by a red cord. No matter the distance, time or obstacles they may face, their paths are intertwined, leading them back to each other.

These beliefs in unseen connections speak to a human desire to find meaning in the random interactions of daily life. These beliefs in destiny align with some implicit theories of relationships. Implicit theories, the lenses through which we view the world, shape how we approach relationships.

“We see people behave differently in their relationships, depending on what kind of beliefs they hold, how much work and effort they are willing to put into relationships before ending them, depending on these implicit theories of truth,” said Allison Farrell, a professor of psychology at Miami University. “We do see often that when issues do arise and relationships start to have more conflict, people with more destiny beliefs are more likely to end those relationships early.”

photographed by Rebekah Shook styled by Emma Beck hair & makeup by Scout Tincher + Katelyn Phan videography by Ella Pawloski layout by Caroline Cilley modeled by Chloe Ryan, Lane Mameniskis + Ella Myers

Maegen Peppe, a junior accounting student at Miami, has been dating her boyfriend for over four years. Peppe had an “invisible string” moment when she found out she had been going to the same track meets as her boyfriend long before they met in high school.

“We were talking about our history with running … We were talking about the different club teams we’ve been on and realized our teams were always competing with each other,” Peppe said.

Despite believing in the concept of soulmates, Peppe acknowledges that all relationships take work.

“One important thing to mention is that it’s not always going to be easy because nothing’s easy in a relationship, nothing’s always easy,” Peppe said. “They’re hard work, and if they’re going to be long-lasting and continuing to develop into something more, then you have to put in the hard work.”

Culture also plays a crucial role in shaping the relational landscape. Different societies place varying importance on being partnered, influencing individual aspirations and shaping how individuals navigate love and connection.

“We actually find a lot of evidence that arranged marriages, over time, develop the same levels of closeness and satisfaction and intimacy as love matches,” Farrell said.

These dynamics of romantic relationships often mirror a broader fabric of community ties.

In the town of Oxford, the feeling of “six degrees of separation,” a theory that any two people are connected by at most six social connections, is strong. The potential for unexpected encounters can create a sense of interconnectedness. This can foster a feeling of “shared destiny” within the town, where everyone’s path seems to intertwine in some way.

Evan Edwards, a sophomore biology student at Miami, recently experienced this. While undergoing training at an eyewear store, he learned the person training him was from a town near his hometown. A few days earlier, while at a coffee shop Uptown, Edwards ran into a student he hadn’t seen in a few years, a student he used to play baseball with, who was from the same town as his trainer. It turned out that the trainer’s sister dated the student’s brother.

Experiences like these can often be overinterpreted as people search for meaning in random events.

Farrell noted that people who are similar to one another in backgrounds, values or interests tend to end up together on various dimensions, leading to more opportunities for coincidences.

“We are on the lookout for coincidences, and we find them very exciting when they happen,” Farrell said. “It is something that people are very attuned to, and there's a tendency to sort of overinterpret that. For every coincidence we do see, there's a lot that we don't.”

In exploring how our lives connect with others, each encounter leaves a mark, adding to the overall picture of the human experience.

“Each person that's supposed to be in your life," Peppe said, "is gonna have some sort of impact on you.”

Boundless

photographed by Princess Ford styled by Kate Stevens videography by Charlotte Tirola layout by Caroline Cille y modeled by Justin Dinh, Selena Holmes + Reilly Smith

pass the plate

Written by Alice Momany

The sun rose on a chilly March morning, bringing light to the otherwise hidden home of the Reiff family. If driving on OxfordMilford Road, one might miss it; the single-story home sits back, concealed by the trees.

Outside, the home is quiet except for a few squirrels dashing from tree to tree. Inside, the smell of salmon fills the air, and chatter can be heard from the kitchen.

Anna Reiff is home for the weekend, despite attending Miami University – a 10-minute drive from her gravel driveway. But her parents don’t mind. In fact, they feel quite the opposite. Having Anna home means catching up on her life at school, helping with chores around the house and having a reason to cook special meals.

Dishes clinked together, timers buzzed and the conversation flowed as the Reiffs prepared a typical Japanese breakfast. Anna’s mom, Ayako, was born in Saitama, Japan, where she grew up before coming to the U.S. Ayako’s parents have since moved to the countryside of Japan, close to the ocean, where the Reiffs visit at least once a year.

As they sat down to eat, Ayako muttered a Japanese blessing over the food. Despite just being a little past 11 a.m., the spread included rice, broiled salmon, Japanese omelets, pickled cucumber, seaweed and soy sauce.

“Growing up, it was 50/50 on which parent cooked,” Anna said, grabbing a piece of salmon for her rice. “Now, it’s more so my dad that cooks, but whenever my mom would cook, it would always be Japanese food.”

Ayako grew up in a traditional Japanese household, where her father went to work early in the morning and came home late at night. Her mother was in charge of the household, which included cooking.

“As you were eating the meal, she was already talking about what they would have for the next meal,” Karl, Anna’s father, said.

While people in Japan traditionally sit on the floor to eat their meals, the Reiff family gathered around a wooden table in their dining room with the food scattered between them.

“[Cooking] is kind of like a family event [in Japan],” Ayako said. “Oftentimes the kids get involved.”

photographed by Marina Carey styled by Lucy Smothers videography by Grace Wilson layout by Jack Kerstetter modeled by Davis MacKelcan, Caroline Kurtz + Maddy Evans

For the Reiff family, cooking is an opportunity to blend their cultures. Karl, who grew up in Ohio, cooks primarily American dishes, except on New Year’s Day when they celebrate his German ancestry through sauerkraut and sausage. Even though he is an expert on pot roast, woodfired pizza, soups and stews, he enjoys learning how to make Japanese food.

“We actually made Japanese breakfast [together] once,” Karl said, looking down at his own breakfast in front of him.

“But how much of that was actually me?” Anna responded, laughing.

Beyond food, the Reiffs embrace Japanese culture by celebrating Girls’ Day, where they pray for the happiness and health of girls by setting up a display of hina ningyo dolls inside the house, Kids’ Day, where they decorate the house with fish to celebrate the health and happiness of children, Hanami, a viewing party of the cherry blossom trees in bloom, and Japanese New Year.

But food is an opportunity for Ayako to celebrate her culture all year round.

Food is an outlet where people can tap into their heritage or learn more about a different one. The tasteful flavors, aromatic smells and salivating textures offer an invitation to bring

Despite the Reiff family’s busy schedules with children in high school and college, not to mention being university professors themselves, they can rarely find time to sit together to eat a meal. But when Anna comes home from college, they make an effort to be in the presence of each other to eat a good meal, whether it's Japanese, American or inspired by another culture.

As the morning slowly faded into the afternoon, the bowls once filled with rice were empty. Chopsticks laid haphazardly next to crumpled napkins. The Reiffs talked about the items they had to get done that day, and Anna was headed back to school. Despite the chaotic schedules, they were thankful for the small

The Third Place

Written by Julia Moore

Imagine a place that makes you feel fully refreshed and free from the stress and responsibilities of work, school and home. A place where you can relax or bond with others over something that exists purely to bring you joy. When you are in a place like this, you feel safe and at ease. You feel like you are a part of something else.

While the term "third place" might not be universally recognized, it is a concept familiar to most. The third place is a sociological idea referring to social environments where people gather to escape their established roles of home and work. A third place could be the gym, church, a bar or a bookstore — essentially any social setting people might spend a lazy Saturday afternoon or stop along the 5 p.m. commute.

About 20 years ago, nearly every individual could claim a physical third place. However, since then, one element has completely altered how people pursue social interactions: the digital realm.

Gen Z is the first generation to grow up almost completely exposed to online communities and bear the effects of the digital transformation in full. Miami University senior Emily Brace, who is regularly active on Instagram and TikTok, shared an experience similar to many individuals of the generation:

“I’ve been interacting with the online world since kindergarten through games like Webkinz, and social media entered my life in middle school.”

Because digital spaces have saturated the world of socialization so thoroughly, there is reason to question if social media and the digital world have replaced the need for a physical third place.

The internet has thoroughly altered how modern society communicates. People from all corners of the world can communicate with each other and form close bonds. News can be shared globally in a matter of seconds. Social media and the internet are complex, but the convenience it adds to everyday life is undeniable.

“Third places exist to foster genuine connections. You find your third place through shared passions,” Brace said. “I think the digital world can and is serving as a form of a third place.”

Today, shared interests transcend geographical barriers, fostering genuine connections where communities can thrive, even virtually. But this isn't necessarily a good thing.

“We lose the beauty of being in person with one another and genuine connections can’t exist as naturally,” Brace said.

When the social escape from home and work exists solely on a screen, society is at risk of losing integral aspects of connection and even individualization.

“I think social media has the potential to replace physical third places, and I think that is very sad,” said Olivia Voelker, a sophomore at Miami who chooses an Instagram-free lifestyle. “Mentally you’re in a ‘different place,’ but it’s not real. It’s all curated by an algorithm and the highlights of life people choose to display. You may as well be watching a movie.”

Still, there are aspects of third places that, no matter what, cannot be replicated and replaced by interacting in physical third places. Katie Wilson, director of Miami’s Armstrong Student Center, believes strongly in the irreplaceability of physical spaces for students to foster relationships and growth.

“I think the most important thing about a third place is its ability to create a sense of belonging," Wilson said. "When you physically exist in a space, you feel like you’re a part of a bigger community. You can create tangible memories. You just can’t have that sort of experience online.”

Still, that isn’t to say that the digital realm cannot coexist with physical third spaces.

“Here in Armstrong, there is an eSports lounge for people to be physically together, even if they’re engaging in an online realm," Wilson said. "The very need for a space like this proves that being connected solely online isn’t enough to fulfill a person.”

Social media and the digital realm are unique because they can be accessed in another space; they can occupy space in the home, work and other third places. It’s a place that connects people from all over the world over shared interests and passion, but it can never replace physical atmospheres that foster lasting relationships.

Maybe it’s too unfair to group physical third places and the digital realm together when they exist as such unique entities. Perhaps, it is more accurate to consider the internet a “fourth place.”

Some might argue that society is becoming too attached to technology and the fast-paced ways of social media. But, whether it’s from face-to-face relationships or ones formed and fostered digitally, we are all universally bound to the need for genuine connection.

photographed by Deanna Hay styled by Ella Salvagio hair & makeup by Katharine Jessop videography by Ellie Nickel layout by Erin McGovern modeled by Amanda Hokr + Alexandra Stucke

Featured on page 66

cjsbarinfo@gmail.com

Revitalize Revitalize

Written by Maddy Evans

"The Myaamia Nation will be strengthened through the revitalization of our distinct ways of knowing, speaking, and being.” -Myaamia Center Vision Statement

Inside Bonham House, a stately brownstone on Spring Street in Oxford, is centuries of culture.

The Myaamia Center is a unique collaboration between Miami University and the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. Not only do these two groups share a name, but the university is located on the traditional homeland of the Miami Tribe.

The Center serves many purposes, including research and preservation of the Myaamia language and culture, programming to educate students about Myaamia history and support for current Myaamia students. They also provide the Myaamia Heritage Award program for Tribe members, giving students the opportunity to come to Miami and be directly involved with the Center.

Kara Strass, the director of Miami Tribe Relations, is a part of all of these missions. She described her role as one-half “trying to strengthen the relationship between the Miami Tribe and Miami University,” and one-half “a mentor to the Myaamia students who are here at Miami.”

The sense of a tight-knit community is something that holds members together not only within the university but across the country.

“You see people around campus, and you’re like, ‘Hey, they’re also in the Tribe!’” Courtney Drake, a fourth-year nursing major at Miami, said. “We’re also all related to a very small degree, but we’re still related. You create these lifelong friendships with people that you wouldn’t normally get to meet with.”

That’s how Drake and Madison Angelo, a secondyear nursing major, sparked their friendship. During her first year at Miami, Angelo was placed in the nursing LLC, where Drake was an RA at the time.

“We get to move in early if we’re part of the Tribe,” Drake explained. “It shows on our roster who’s moving in early and why. And I’m like, ‘Oh, she’s part of the Tribe. I have to go say hi.’”

“And we’ve been best friends ever since. It’s been so fun … we see each other pretty much every day,” said Drake.

Even without the perfect coincidence of residence hall placements, Myaamia students see each other regularly at their Heritage Award Program classes.

Over four years, students take classes covering the Tribe’s ecological perspectives and history, language and culture and contemporary Tribal issues, culminating in a senior capstone project.

From doing projects with the Tribe, arranging trips to and from Oklahoma and helping students understand their role as Myaamia members, each day is different for Strass. Being a Miami Tribe citizen herself, she is able to understand the process students go through in the program.

“This is a unique position in higher education because I either had met many of them before they were coming in, or some of these students I’ve known since they were pretty small because they’ve been a part of Tribal programs,” Strass said.

These experiences often go beyond the classroom and into the larger community.

“[I] will be working with the Center doing video work, creating videos to be sent out on a large scale to the Tribe about things like language and cultural practices,” Kaleb McMullen, a junior at Miami, said.

Not only has the Center helped McMullen connect with others in the Tribe but also to discover parts of his own identity.

“I see myself as a Native American filmmaker now, and a lot of my work stems from that,” he said. “I’ve been trying to learn the language and certain traditional stories and songs to try and involve myself in that more.”

These experiences take students all the way to Oklahoma, where the Myaamia Tribe was forcibly removed in the 1800s by European settlers. Now, the Tribal Headquarters are located in Oklahoma, where the Myaamia Center holds community outreach programs.

There, junior Mia Hankenson was a camp counselor for Myaamia youth.

“I was teaching children about the Tribe, and it was honestly teaching me,” said Hankenson. “It made me feel like I’m really doing something, trying to revitalize our culture and community and moving forward. I’m still working on reclaiming my identity with being Myaamia, but it’s grown significantly in the past two years, just being on campus and being involved with the Tribe and getting to learn.”

For generations, Myaamia families like Hankenson’s have been separated from the culture due to the forced removal of the Tribe and acclimation into the white, European ways of living. Native American culture developed a stigma of shame and grief, and as the Tribe was dispersed across the country, Myaamia traditions and language faced the risk of extinction.

But with the work of students and faculty at the Myaamia Center, revitalization is no longer just a possibility, but the product of what’s happening right now.

“The reason students are saying, ‘This was never really a big part of my life,’ is because of the history of violence, oppression, forced removals, boarding schools, more than 200 years of history that have tried to wipe out indigenous people physically in some cases, but even after there’s no more violence and war, culturally,” Strass said. “Now, we get to reclaim that, and we get to decide what education looks like for our people.”

Through her senior project, Drake is taking part in that education using her interest in community health nursing. She created an educational poster explaining the community garden space and meat production facility created by the Myaamia Second Chief, Dustin Olds, in Oklahoma. The poster will be displayed at the community market space in Oklahoma and the Clinical Health Sciences and Wellness facility at Miami.

Seeing the passion Myaamia Heritage students have for their cultural revitalization, it’s clear that the community is continuing to grow and prosper for future generations.

“The main thing we want people to take away when they engage with us is an understanding that the Miami culture is a living, breathing culture,” Strass said.

“It’s not a part of the past.”

photographed by Ryan Singh styled by Kelli Amburgey + Kate Stevens hair & makeup by Julia Knoll

layout by Sophia Taylor modeled by Mia Bowles + Miami Hankenson

DIVIDING LINE

photographed by Ellen Long

styled by Mary Eisenhart

hair & makeup by Julia Knoll + Scout Tincher

videography by Maria Adamo

layout by Macey Chamberlin

modeled by Abby Griffin, Ava Britford + Adia Johnson

GAME ON

Written by Rhese Voisard

The sun rises over Miami University; the early morning hours creep across the horizon as the world begins to wake.

Across campus, a soccer player laces up their cleats, ponytails swinging as they run toward the next few hours of conditioning.

Down the street, a diver walks across the pool deck, pulling on their cap before plunging into the chilly waters below.

Later that evening, white lights gleam across the glossy gym floors as a basketball player sinks the game-winning shot, sending the crowd into a sea of applause.

Not far down the road, a rower pulls their boat out of Acton Lake at Hueston Woods State Park, watching the tangerine sunset melt across the water as they wipe a bead of sweat from their brow.

They all fall into bed later than night, completely exhausted but ready to wake up and do it all again.

Every athlete's experience looks different, but their dedication to their sport translates into a mutual passion that radiates throughout their lives.

Through good times and bad, they persevere, captivated by the process.

Clare Chambers, a junior on the Miami Women's Basketball Team, speaks on the significance of shared struggles – a concept that brings athletes closer together.

"When I am sore, they are sore; when I am exhausted, they are exhausted, and when I feel like giving up, they are right there next to me, giving me a reason not to," Chambers said. "This team has made me fall back in love with the sport again, and I am blessed to say that I have not only found amazing teammates that I love playing with but also girls that I will be having in my wedding one day."

The power of female friendship is threaded through the lives of women, but they seem to take on an entirely different definition when placed into the context of athletics.

As a Miami University Women's Soccer Team member, Kylee Beinecke expresses her love for her teammates, both on and off the field.

"These girls have pushed me to be the best I can in my sport but also the best human I can be too," Beinecke said. "We've learned how to have tough and honest conversations with each other, and it has only made us grow closer. I literally go to battle with these girls every single practice and game, and that is something that I think bonds us for life."

While it's easy to see all the positive aspects of being an athlete, the shine of the stadium lights tends to hide the more challenging elements of the experience.

There's a prevalent gap in sports marketing that can occur in multiple facets, one being between men's and women's teams. This happens at collegiate and professional levels and has become glaringly apparent for audiences and athletes.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful for the resources this university gives us and all the people behind the scenes, but I'd be lying if I said I think most people at this school know we have a women's soccer team," Beinecke admitted. "I think our school just needs to do a better job of publicizing our games so that people are more aware of when they are."

Across all sports, men's teams usually receive more promotional attention than women's, further fueling their passionate fanbase and generating more income.

"The men's team has been able to gain traction through their content, and I have seen different promotions for their team throughout campus, whereas our team gets none," Chambers said.

It's a frustrating reality, reigning true over almost all athletic levels, creating a divide that elevates some, leaving others in the shadows.

Vivian Niekamp, a junior on the Miami Women's Swimming and Diving Team, has experienced disparity within her own co-ed sport.

"It is easy to get caught up in comparing the attention and perks other sports get, but in the end, it all comes down to the audience," Niekamp said. "The swimming and diving community is much smaller and doesn't generate as much interest as the other wellknown sports, so it is understandable when there are unequal amounts."

Club teams know this better than anyone, yet they still make moves toward developing their teams in leadership and communication.

Ava Wehner is a sophomore in the Miami University Rowing Club. She shared that as a student-run team, there are a lot of responsibilities falling onto the students' shoulders and it takes a lot of practice and understanding to ensure the team's success.

"We have to be very cognizant of our organizational skills," Wehner said when speaking on how she and her team manage practice schedules and coordinate rides out to Hueston Woods.

They do all their own marketing, and as much as they try to get the word out, it's hard to make noise without the D1 stamp next to their name.

It all ties back to the desire to be seen, and it makes sense.

However, circumstances don't always allow for a stadium full of excited fans, glossy posters or a viral social media post.

But when you love a team and sport as much as these athletes do, waiting for the world to change isn't an option.

Despite the disparity, these girls have goals to reach, people to inspire and lives to live.

Because when the world chooses not to see women in sports, they see each other.

And that's enough to keep going.

United in struggle, they also share a passion for their craft. It doesn't matter if they're playing in front of thousands or just another day of practice; the game remains the same.

"It is bigger than basketball, and the people that you meet along the way are what make it worth it when this game is over for me," Chambers said.

From the diving board to the basketball court, to the soccer field and across the lake, all of these women keep the course.

When the sun rises, so do they, challenging the forces of gravity, strengthening their bodies and paving paths for future generations.

photographed by Paige Senkiw styled by Nicole Gonzalez hair & makeup by Julia Knoll + Katelyn Phan videography by Zach Lawson layout by Madeline Buecker modeled by Vivian Niekamp, Kylee Beinecke, Jadyn Scott + Jada Scott

Written by Julia Jacobs

Miami University’s community fosters all kinds of relationships. Ask anyone for the most popular example, and they’ll point you to one group of people for the answer: Miami Mergers.

The term “Miami Mergers” has been used since 1973 to refer to married couples who attended Miami. This tradition is one of many that makes the university special. It comes with several superstitions and beliefs, one of which is that if you kiss someone under the Upham Hall's arch, you will be married and merged forever. On June 20, 2009, Miami broke the Guinness World Record for the most people renewing their wedding vows at once under the Upham Arch.

While all Mergers share their loving relationships and connection to Miami, their stories unfold in unique ways.

Michael and Cheryl Turnbull met at Miami in the Sigma Nu fraternity house. Cheryl was visiting one of the advisers for her sorority, Delta Zeta, who also happened to be the House Mom for Sigma Nu. Michael came home one day to find Cheryl talking to her adviser in his living room. That night, he called his mom to tell her he found his future wife, and Cheryl went home to doodle an invitation to their future wedding in her journal.

“The environment, even back then, allowed for a lot of exposure to a lot of different people, and certainly had a significant impact on my life, from a personal and professional perspective," Michael said. "To this day, I still go back to Oxford to meet with friends. We play golf, go to Uptown and tell stories.”

Two of their children also ended up going to Miami.

“We took our kids to Miami when they were little, and we got some great pictures of them dancing and laughing in front of MacCracken, where I used to live," Cheryl said. "I think that was a big reason why two of our children decided to go to Miami; we went there a couple of different times when they were young.”

Griffin Turnbull, their son, is engaged to become a Merger as well. However, his story went a little differently.

Griffin Turnbull and Morgan Lasley fell in love after attending Miami. Morgan claimed she refused to kiss anyone under Upham Arch while at Miami because she knew she hadn’t found “the one.” She, like many others, believed strongly in the Upham Arch legend.

She was right. She had briefly crossed paths with Griffin at Miami before but got officially introduced to him after they had both graduated. The fact that they both had attended Miami kick-started their relationship.

“Knowing that he went to Miami and we had met before, there was a familiar feeling there, and we wanted to see where it could go,” Morgan said.

Miami tied the bow on their happy ending, and it’s no surprise that it still holds a place in their hearts.

“Miami is a great school for both education and for forming a community,” Griffin said. “Every experience there was wonderful. We both would recommend it.”

Another pair of Mergers followed a completely different path: falling in love before Miami. Sam and Miciah Mikes-Thacker were friends in high school and started dating shortly before coming to campus for their first year. Attending Miami furthered their growth as a couple and led to them becoming engaged and getting married.

“The community at Miami definitely impacted our relationship,” Sam said. “We were able to eat together and go to events on campus, and just existing in that space together was an incredible experience.”

“Miami is always going to be a place that’s special to us because this is where we really started our lives together,” Miciah said. “If we ever have a kid, I want to take a picture of us all at the Upham Arch.”

Miami’s community certainly plants the seeds for relationships to grow, but it’s up to the couples themselves to water them. No two Miami Merger stories are the same, but they all have two things in common: love and honor.

photographed by Lily Hoffman styled by Abby Steinkraus hair & makeup by Scout Tincher videography by Rachel Whary layout by Emely Villalba modeled by Miciah Mikes-Thacker + Sam Mikes-Thacker

Below the

Surface

photographed by Katie Gabe layout by Lindsey Brinkman styled by Kelli Amburgey makeup by Klaudia Brown videography by Charlotte Tirola modeled by Chloe Volpe + Jill Rimer

BEYOND

THE OR THE BEYOND THE COLOR WHEEL BEYOND THE COLOR WHEEL

BEYOND THE COL OR WHEEL THE WHEEL

Written by Allison Lee

Leaves crunch beneath every step taken – a sea of crimson, scarlet and gold on a crisp autumn morning. Autumn turns to a bitter winter, where frost covers the paling grass and the icy cold wind hits harshly. After winter comes spring, and the smell of fresh-cut grass and blooming bulbs wafts through the chipper air, pastels meeting the eye in every look taken. Then comes summer with its sweltering days by the pool, birds chirping every morning and melty orange creamsicles lingering on sticky fingers.

Our world is technicolor – everything from the nature around us to the colors we bear on ourselves has a purpose.

Within the fashion world, some people take it upon themselves to get their "colors analyzed." The intricate process involves holding up color samples to somebody and seeing how they look against skin tone, hair color and eye color.

Light hair makes people a spring or a summer, and dark hair makes people a winter or an autumn. If their skin has warm undertones, they are a spring or autumn. Cool undertones mean winter or summer.

Victoria Simich is a sophomore studio art major at Miami University with a concentration in painting, and Simich marches to the beat of their own drum.

“I think I’m more of a fall color palette,” Simich said. “I’ve been told sometimes that when I wear my bright greens, it washes me out, but it’s what I like to wear.”

The theory stems from “Color Me Beautiful,” the cosmetic company that created the seasonal palettes. Leslie Stoel, a marketing and fashion professor at Miami, is familiar with the brand.

“The founders had done research and found that some skin tones look better in certain colors. Sometimes intensity makes the difference. ‘Summer’ is the most intense, and adding black or white to your palette can make it more intense or muddy things up,” Stoel said.

This process can be mentally taxing, however. Sticking to one color palette can feel constricting, preventing self-expression. Following a color palette can be unappealing to some for that very reason: making them feel stuck inside a narrow spectrum.

Isa Obradovich, a sophomore art education student at Miami, dresses in bright colors and funky patterns and dyes her hair.

In a myriad of people who conform to societal standards, Obradovich chooses to dress in a way that reflects herself and is inspiring to others.

“I think that regardless of what TikTok and the color palettes tell you to wear, at the end of the day, you should wear what makes you happy and what makes you comfortable in your own skin because that confidence and comfortability will project into how you want to live your life,” Obradovich said.

When the world shifts to new trends, dressing for yourself can become a challenge.

“I don’t use the color wheel to dictate my outfits. Sometimes the colors that are in fashion just don’t look good on me, and then I get stuck,” Stoel said.

Neutrals show simplicity and minimalism. Black shows depth. White shows purity.

On the brighter end of the color spectrum, red shows passion. Pink is associated with femininity. Green is humble and mellow.

Although colors can curate a mood, they also cultivate an environment that obsesses over uniformity.

“Going to Miami, there’s definitely a safe space within the art bubble where we dress for ourselves, but there is a different culture of dress at Miami; so, when I came here, there was a lot of rethinking about how I dress,” Simich said. “I had to learn how to break out of that.”

But does color define the essence of our very being? Is it better to dress for the heart or the eye?

“Dressing for myself and what makes me happy … like, what do I feel good in, in a sensory way? What makes me happy? What gives me something to look forward to when I dress in the morning? That’s how I would define my style.” Obradovich said.

Instead of being a strict guideline, color should act as a medium for individuality and self-expression. Exploring options beyond the color wheel can open a world of possibilities when it comes to style. Options that, although may not be traditional, reflect people's true and natural selves.

photographed by Ryan Singh styled by Halle Maskery hair & makeup by Katelyn Phan, Scout Tincher + Reagan Hamilton

videography by Riley Peters

layout by Rebekah Shook

modeled by Rhese Voisard, Lucy

Smothers + Morgan Boston

Written by Ava Shaffer

An old Greek philosopher named Heraclitus once said, “There is nothing permanent except change.” Obviously, Heraclitus has never met me and my sister or known a single thing about female friendships.

My twin sister, Mia, and I have been best friends our entire lives. Even though we no longer live a bedroom door away from the other, we remain close. And as we grow older, we do not grow apart.

One day, after feeling emotional about moving to different cities once we graduate, Mia and I decided to do something special to commemorate our forever bond with one another.

That’s how my sister and I found ourselves browsing dozens of custom bracelet chains beneath a cursive neon sign that read, “Forever Linked,” in a chic jewelry store in Cincinnati called Elaine B Jewelry.

“One of the beautiful, beautiful things about jewelry is that it is all about special moments,” said Elaine Jaeger, owner of Elaine B Jewelry since 2010.

With over 14 years of owning her jewelry business, she believes that experiences, memories and the people you share them with, are key to the beauty of jewelry.

For my sister and I, that special moment came to fruition when we each chose a chain that best fit our personalities and personal styles, and then met with a friendly specialist to help secure the bracelets for us. As we sat in the lush pink chairs at the counter, the specialist sized the chains perfectly to our wrists and cut them with pliers, before bringing them to a machine to weld closed. The machine wasn’t as daunting as it sounds, it was only a small electro tip that zapped the jumpring of the bracelet, fusing the metal together, and making the bracelet permanent.

Jaeger explained how permanent jewelry creates experiences among the people who decide to get them together. She also mentioned the role of local businesses is in this experience, too.

photographybyOlivia Smallcombe

stylingbyMeggie Rasure

videographybyZach Lawson

layoutbyLucy Hiller

modeledbySophia Puhalsky, Sadie Soren

+ Kennedy Kerber

“You know, it's one of the few products that you can't buy online," she said. "Target and Amazon kind of can't touch it, which is really awesome. It's really a reason for people to come together at meaningful times in their lives.”

The customizable factor of permanent bracelets is important, too. When people go in person to a store to get this type of jewelry, they get to choose the design, style and material of the bracelet. At certain stores, including Elaine B Jewelry, customers can even add charms or birthstones to their chain.

Then, the bracelet is perfectly sized to the customer’s wrist, making it a customized and personal experience.

Jaeger shared how relationships of all types are represented through customers coming to purchase permanent bracelets together. Jaeger recalled seeing childhood best friends, girlfriends, entire bachelorette parties, and even on one occasion, three generations of women coming to get bracelets together for a grandmother’s 94th birthday.

“It really holds this memory,” Jaeger said, “It’s a timestamp.”

For Miami University seniors Macey Chamberlin and Allie Pakulski, a time stamp was exactly what they were looking for to commemorate their friendship as they ended their college years.

“It’s something I’ll forever remember getting,” Pakulski said, reflecting on the Saturday morning Chamberlin, Pakulski and their third roommate decided to get permanent bracelets together at The College Artisans Shop in Oxford.

The three friends each chose a bracelet that reflected their own personal style and the type of jewelry they liked to wear. Pakulski chose a dainty gold bracelet with an infinity sign loop linking the chains together, and Chamberlin opted for a gold paperclip design.

As an artist and creative person, Chamberlin knew having a bracelet that matched her personal style would be important to her.

“Mine’s golden, like most of the jewelry I wear,” Chamberlin said. “I think it’s a good way to have something that can become part of your everyday look but still have an important meaning.”

She explained how she has multiple bracelets she likes to wear every day and having a high-quality permanent bracelet is a nice addition to her jewelry. That is one of the major appeals of this specific type of jewelry – it’s low-maintenance, effortlessly chic and can accessorize any outfit instantly.

When asked about the reason they decided to get bracelets together, Chamberlin said, “It was a no-brainer. If I’m going to get one, it was going to be with these two … It feels like a nice commitment to somebody.”

Pakulski shared a similar sentiment when she said, “I’ve never really had friends like them before. I plan to be friends with them for the rest of my life. This [the permanent bracelets] kind of symbolizes the friendships I’ve always wanted and finally found.”

As I write and look down at the gold chain on my wrist hovering above my keyboard, I think of my sister. I think of her 40 minutes away at the University of Cincinnati, doing her own work on a Sunday night. I can picture her looking at her bracelet too and thinking of me.

The important friendships, relationships and bonds we make are like the chains of a bracelet -- they never break. They stay with us as we move through life. Certain connections can span miles, time zones and countless years to come. Although the world may change, and we may change along with it, the bonds we share keep us forever linked.

LEAN ON ME

photographed by Nyah Smith

styled by Morgan Schramm

makeup by Klaudia Brown

+Julia Knoll

videography by Marina Carey

layout by Deanna Hay

modeled by Kei Brown, Nicholas Bertrand, Donnae'jah McRae + Nathaniel Ivy

Out In with the Old

Written by Eleanor Wentworth

In the age of instant gratification, where trends flicker like flames in the wind and clothes are as disposable as yesterday's news, the fashion industry finds itself at a crossroads.

Generation Z has grown up amidst the allure of fast fashion, seduced by the promise of cheap thrills and quick fixes. Brands like SHEIN and similar companies offer an abundance of trendy pieces at prices that seem too good to pass up. Yet, beneath the surface lies a stark reality: the detrimental effects of a fast fashion obsession.

After reminiscing with my mother about her college days in the late 1900s, a stark contrast emerged. She spoke of a time when shopping meant more than mindless clicks and impulse

weight of intention and value. Contrastingly, today's fashion landscape sees people ordering dozens of items with a mere tap of their fingers, only to discard them just as swiftly.

Reflecting on the concerns surrounding fast fashion giants like SHEIN or Zara, Shana Rosenberg, founder and executive director of Thread Up Oxford, emphasizes the importance of consumer awareness regarding the consequences of purchasing choices. Thread Up Oxford is a local nonprofit committed to minimizing textile waste. Her goal is for buyers to become aware of the practices, aggressive marketing, work labor and carbon footprint that are effects of fast fashion.

“I want consumers to be educated consumers,” Rosenburg said.

Amidst this sea of excess purchases, a beacon of hope emerges -- the resurgence of thrifting and sustainable fashion. In the heart of bustling college towns, where fast fashion is habit and routine, establishments like Thread Up Oxford are a bastion of change. Amidst racks of pre-loved garments, a new narrative unfolds — one of conscious consumption and mindful living.

Rosenberg quickly realized that the never-ending issue behind textile waste boils down to one common denominator: overconsumption.

In 2021, Rosenberg, along with a group of like-minded women in the community, identified the potential impact they could have through textile recycling. They organized a textile drive where they gathered over 2,900 pounds of materials.

“The materials immediately filled my basement, so we had to rent a storage unit to hold all the donations,” Rosenberg said.

She and the other women distributed clothing and materials locally at back-to-school events and food drives.

In July 2022, she secured a location in Oxford, beyond her basement and storage unit, to create Thread Up Oxford.

“I think of Thread Up Oxford as a hyper-local solution to a global problem,” Rosenberg said.

Residents flock to the brick-and-mortar Uptown Threads, not merely out of necessity, but out of a genuine desire for change. Some see beyond the allure of fast fashion, recognizing its hollow promises and detrimental effects. Students and residents have begun to find a growing appreciation for quality, sustainability and individuality.

“I have been thrifting ever since I started buying my own clothes, and I have progressively stopped buying non-secondhand clothes more and more," said Alyssa Black, a Uptown Threads employee and first-year student at Miami University.

"At this point, I only thrift."

Her enduring passion for sustainability, particularly in textiles, has deepened her appreciation for thrifting as a means of selfexpression.

“I think that thrifting is a way for me to express a more unique fashion sense than traditional clothing stores,” Black said.

Receiving thousands of pounds of textiles, Rosenberg and her colleagues work diligently sorting day in and day out.

These pieces come in from the community and stay within the community, whether that means partnering with Miami University Fashion & Design, holding craft sessions for young kids or upcycling garments to resell at Uptown Threads.

“I want to work for a sustainable fashion brand in the future and genuinely feel it would be against everything I have learned to work for a fast fashion brand,” said MB Ludwig, a junior marketing and fashion corporate business major at Miami.

Ludwig highlighted the impact that the fashion program at Miami has, emphasizing the importance of sustainability in the way professors teach, as well as the resources they promote.

Recognizing the issue of fast fashion, Ludwig no longer shops at SHEIN or Princess Polly and believes that these stores are the reason that fashion has become so mainstream.

“Fast fashion brands copy pieces of designer brands with such rapid manufacturing rates, allowing trends to turn over weekly,” Ludwig said.

Beyond the realm of statistics and surveys lie the unsung heroes of sustainability — the entrepreneurs like Rosenburg, and students like Ludwig and Black, driving change from within. Thrift store owners like those behind Uptown Threads are not merely purveyors of second-hand goods -- they are champions of a movement towards a more sustainable future.

“I think of Thread Up Oxford as a hidden gem of Oxford,” Ludwig said.

The shift towards sustainable fashion represents more than just a trend; it signifies a collective realization of the power inherent in our choices. As we recognize and combat the never-ending issue of fast fashion, we usher in a new dawn; one where quality triumphs over quantity, where individuality reigns supreme and where fashion becomes a force for good.

photographed by Gregory Engler styled by Eden Brush + Annie Ambrose hair & makeup by Katharine Jessop + Reagan Hamilton videography by Alyssa Schaeffer

layout by Danielle Silver

modeled by Morgan Schramm, Nathan Born, Jack Dobson, Noelle Wittwer + Hayley Beardsley

layout and illustration by Caitlin Curran

"To most, home is more than just a place. It’s the community that raises us, the food that comforts us, the schools we attend and the friends and

Written by Anaka Bretzke

Everyone comes from different places, backgrounds and cultures across the globe. However, to most, home is more than just a place. It’s the community that raises us, the food that comforts us, the schools we attend and the friends and family that reside there.

The thought of home may evoke feelings such as comfort and warmth, as well as memories we made with loved ones in our hometown. It shapes values and preferences, teaches mannerisms and molds us into the people we ultimately become.

Home has a different meaning for everyone.

For Miami University senior Chloe Pesa, the concept of home is structured through a desire for the things that matter. She lived in New York until second grade, then moved with her family to Powell, Ohio.

“We lived in a tiny house [in New York] in not the best area, and I remember very much [as a little kid] not being able to play outside because of the area I was in,” she said. “We were on a busy street, so there were a lot of cars. I remember seeing a kid on T.V. riding a bike and dreaming of the day I would be able to ride my bike outside.”

When her family moved to Ohio, she was able to play outside with her siblings and learn to do things she couldn't do in the city.

“I always remember the first day coming to Ohio and my mom telling me I could finally learn how to ride a bike,” she said.

Moving from New York to Ohio grounded her. When she reflects on the move, it reminds her of how far her family has come.

“I look at home, and I bring all the good memories in Columbus and the good memories with my siblings, and it reminds me that the only place that will always be home is the person within myself and to make it a good place to be,” she said.

Ryan Singh, a sophomore at Miami, grew up in Lucknow, India. He describes Lucknow as a “beautiful” place with some of the best food in India. One of his most cherished memories of home is riding his family’s motorbike through his neighborhood.

“In Lucknow, you cannot drive a bike without having a license. I used to drive my grandfather who was in the police for a long, long time,” he said. “I have many core memories of riding the motorbike through the neighborhood and learning how to ride it.”

One of the most significant takeaways Singh has from his hometown is the tradition of being respectful through conversation.

“Lucknow is really known for the way that people talk,” he said. “They’re very respectful, and I think that has really translated to the way I talk to people in the States.”

While Singh’s hometown is in Lucknow, he spent most of his time in India at an all-boys boarding school named Mayo College in Ajmer, Rajasthan, India. He was in a class of 90 boys, whom he considers to be his brothers.

“They know all my secrets, and we still hang out … I know all of them,” he said. “Growing up with these 90 kids really shaped the way that I am today.”

Anna Ralston, a senior at Miami, describes her hometown of Danville, California as “close-knit” and sort of a “bubble.” While she has moved around the country throughout her life, she has lived in Danville, a town 45 minutes outside of San Francisco, since she was 12 years old.

“Everyone knows everyone despite it not being a super small town,” she said. “Everyone has a very tight-knit group of friends in our town.”

She also said people in the Bay area are “free-spirited,” but hold themselves to high standards.

“People definitely get a lot of freedom from a younger age but with that also a lot of responsibility,” she said.

In Danville, everyone is always spending time outside, she said. Some of her favorite things about home are eating dinner outside with her family, going on walks and hikes, spending weekends in San Francisco with her friends and being able to wear flip-flops year-round.

Most of all, she loves spending time on Mount Diablo in her hometown, watching the sunset with her friends.

“We would drive up the mountain, park our cars in the gravel, and sit and watch the sunsets. That was just the thing to do,” she said. “Whenever I bring people home, I always take them to Mount Diablo [to watch the] sunset. We will go get food before, park our cars, sit in the trunk and eat, play music, take pictures and sit and watch the most beautiful sunset you’ve ever seen.”

To Ralston, home means community.

“It's having people to lean on and having people that support you during the hard times but also being there for you in the simple small moments, ” she said. “I think that my hometown, there’s definitely pros and cons of it being a bubble, but we have a very strong sense of community, and everyone always comes together, and I just think that that’s something that’s really special.”

The importance of community also translates into the life of Anastasija Mladenovska, a Miami sophomore from Kumanovo, North Macedonia.

“We would always have guests at our houses,” she said. “I got so accustomed to this idea of people coming over, relatives and non-relatives.”

Going to local coffee shops was another way she and her friends connected with the community in Kumanovo. She would get coffee, sit, talk and people-watch.

“Coffee shops were my thing, and that’s where I would go with friends,” she said. “Beautiful weather, you go to a coffee shop. Terrible weather, you were in a coffee shop.”

However, while she has much love for her home, she has always had a complicated relationship with it.

“The homeland is something that really means a lot to me. It’s something that … shaped every day,” she said. “I wake up, and I reshape the relationship I have with my homeland.”

Mladenovska always wanted to move to the States, but it wasn’t until she left home that she truly realized how special it was, despite her complicated relationship with it.

“When I left and I came to the United States, that’s when I realized that I love my hometown and I miss the people, I miss the warmth,” she said. “[I’m] not there to experience how my grandmother’s face changes or what [my family is] doing.”

To Mladenovska, being an international student, the concept of home is “belonging everywhere and nowhere.”

“I think that I’m at a point where I consciously believe and choose the fact that I can create my own home wherever I am,” she said. “I can see it in people, I can see it in my friends, I can see it when it’s a sunny day … That’s probably when I feel the most at home, and I’m at peace with who I am and the world around me.”

By Evan Stefanik

Today's men stand before a closet of increasing potential. Outdated societal standards would typically dress him either in athleisure or something professional, but as we evolve to understand and include self-expression for all, men can wear anything, too.

However, History of Western Dress professor Melanie Mortimore explains how men’s sense of authenticity used to be constrained.

Nick Bertrand, the modeling co-director for Miami University Fashion & Design (MUF&D), experiments with many facets of his fashion. He draws inspiration from traditionally feminine looks like jewelry, heels and silhouettes.

“Growing up, I was dressed by the women around me,” Bertrand said. “My mom’s wardrobe is my favorite. It got me started on playing with how I represent masculinity.”

He likes to set out his basics first, such as jeans and cargo pants, and then mix in a variety of brands that appear on his social media.

A man’s clothing signified where he belonged within a class system until after the Industrial Revolution. Men worked different jobs, and they lost the need to conform. During the Civil Rights era, colors, prints and textures took off.

“What kept men's fashion from being interesting for so long was the idea of a certain attitude under capitalism,” Mortimore said. “Today, it’s more about the individuality that sparked and which we’re still experiencing.”

The abundance of personal choice allows men to fluctuate between contemporary and historical trends. Josh Schreiber, an Alpha Sigma Pi brother, extends that freedom to the fellow students he meets through his own recruiting business.

“I’ve found that clothing has a psychological correlation with my clients,” Schreiber said. “I want them to be transparent with who they are, even if that means dressing casually.”

Most of them need to own suits and ties for their involvement in business school. Schreiber also rotates between half a dozen of those outfits but prefers to innovate by blending in sneakers and tee shirts.

“I don’t believe in wearing something just because everybody else is doing it,” Schreiber said. “My way leaves people time to decide on whatever makes them feel most productive rather than just using an uncomfortable dress code.”

Bertrand mirrors that same progressive approach. He tends to reinvent men's pieces in his MUF&D role, collecting unique pieces to incorporate into his photoshoots.

Like Schreiber, Bertrand sees a future full of men embracing their personalities.

“My philosophy is to look my best because then you also feel and do your best,” Bertrand said. “For me, I always want to do something different and stand out in appearance.”

Now that men explore so often, Mortimore predicts a new aesthetic for the workplace. She views the changes happening today as a challenge to previous unspoken rules.

“If it doesn’t detract from being successful, you’re not risking a lot,” Mortimore said.

Men were tied up by the expectations of their employers for a long time. During Schreiber’s first internship, he quickly realized the status quo of professional attire made him feel less like himself.

Eventually, men like him began discovering their style – and the more they learn, the better their productivity becomes.

photographed by Jake Ruffer styled by Brigham Young videography by Jill Rimer layout by Caitlin Curran modeled by Ben Collinson + Sam Hauser

ALICE MOMANY Editor-in-Chief

The first time I saw the words, “By Alice Momany,” was in UP Magazine’s FW20 issue, “Ignite.” Now, I’m ending my time as a student journalist in UP Magazine’s SS24 issue, “Bound.” It’s truly impossible to put into words how much this organization means to me, and I am beyond grateful to have been trusted to lead it. To say I did it alone would be significantly inaccurate. Deanna is one of the most talented creatives I have ever met, and I am honored to say I have worked with her. Taylor’s professionalism and dedication to this organization is truly inspiring, and she motivated me everyday to become a better leader. This organization would not be possible without the proficient members of UP and the work they’ve put into this organization over the past four months. I wouldn’t want to be "Bound" to any other group. To me, "Bound" is about finding individuals who push you to be the best version of yourself while being there for you when you fall. As you read this issue, I hope you are reminded of those individuals in your life and can be that person for someone else.

LAST WORDS

From the Executive Staff

TAYLOR SHOCKLEY Publisher

It has been an honor to serve and lead the many talented individuals of UP Magazine this year. When reflecting on my four years at Miami, UP will forever hold a special place in my heart. The community I have made in this organization will leave an imprint on me and the people I have met along the way will continue to inspire me as we all go our separate ways. Alice and Deanna, it has been an absolute privilege to get to work with you two and see your creativity grow and shine through each issue. I am so excited to show off all of our hard work that is encompassed in “Bound.” “Bound” reminds us to look back on our communities and where we came from to understand why we are who we are. I will forever cherish the community and friendships I have made here at Miami. I am so thankful for the opportunities I have had within UP and I cannot wait to admire the magazine from afar. Forever and always sending much UP love!

DEANNA HAY

Creative Director

I am proud to finish my time with UP Magazine with such a warm and positive issue. "Bound" is a reflection of the connections we make with each other and ourselves in every aspect of our lives. This issue is a representation of community, connectedness and beyond. I could not be more grateful for the community and creativity UP has given me. Working with the talented and driven Alice and Taylor has been both wonderful and inspiring. I am forever grateful to have been Creative Director alongside them and our staff. Serving as Creative Director has been nothing short impactful and invaluable. My experience as a student at Miami will always be interwined with my dedicated involvement with UP. Thank you to our lovely staff for all your hard work and energy. Thank you to our readers and alumni who continue to support us every issue!

photographed by Deanna Hay