SPRING 2013
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SPRING 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3
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(Cover) On Kindyl: 1960’s hand crafted vintage beaded gown. (Back Cover) On Olivia: vintage skirt stylists’ own, top by Lillie Rubin.
Charlottesville Coffee and Study Spaces C&O Restaurant Review Bangs Shoes Spotlight: Hallie Clark Summer Movies Gluten Free Thinspiration Natural Beauty Rules of Engagement Tinder App Street Style Fashion Week Fashion Spread
Executive Editors Chanel Parks Brendan Rijke Managing Editor Vanessa Cao Editor-at-large Nabilah Jiwani Business Manager Victor Nguyen Art Director Gloria Roh Fashion Director Amanda Lim Fashion Team Abby Hargis Lara Luo Christian Paxton Meredith Wadsworth Photographers Brendan Rijke Brittany Snyder Jordyn Stuger Layout Artists Caitlin Fischer Sri Kodakalla Sara Neel Chanel Parks Michelle Ross Jordyn Stuger Staff Writers Natalie Barkley Hannah Brock Amanda Eller Kelsey Field Abby Hargis Ariel Kao Amanda Lim Mariam Thomas Meredith Wadsworth Sharon Wolbarsht
On Meredith: dress by Carmen Marc Valvo. On Olivia: vintage skirt stylists’ own, top by Lillie Rubin.
COFFEEHOUSES
Mudhouse
OF CHARLOTTESVILLE
Calvino Cafe
The four hour study grind before an exam or the due date for a twelve page paper is typically rough for the UVA student. Even throughout the week as everyone is finishing up reading or going over notes, students are spread out all over grounds and even off grounds in some of their FAVORITE STUDY SPOTS. In a survey of 55 UVA students, 47% said they studied at home, 37% said they also studied in libraries, and 11% said they studied at COFFEE SHOPS. While the apartment or library seems like the logical location to study, the coffee shops of Charlottesville are just as conducive working environments. Coffee shops have a COZY ATMOSPHERE with tons of caffeine when a BOOST OF ENERGY is needed. They generally provide free wifi, plenty of outlets, and comfortable couches and chairs to stretch out and accomplish whatever work that needs to get done. Aside from Starbucks and Para Coffee on the corner, Charlottesville has plenty of coffee shops to offer just around the downtown area. These places are lesser known but are just as great, and perhaps even better, to study at.
>> MUDHOUSE
Mudhouse has an urban street vibe, resembling an edgy coffee shop one would find in a metropolitan city. The place has a barebones feel with a wooden floorboard ceiling and floor with a tasteful, original unpainted wall on one side. There are three large mirror panels on one side which helps to elongate the small and intimate space and reflect light that streams in. The coffee counter boasts high end sophistication but the rest of the shop has a grungy barnhouse feel as characterized by their
furniture. Aside from the independent wooden tables, lying around are a couple of tables made up of clear plastic bags holding hay bales inside. There is also a cozy area by the window with window cushions and pillows. The coffee here is very strong and the noise level is a medium comfortable hum of people talking. The music is a soft mix of jazz, singer-songwriter, and light electronic.
>> CALVINO CAFÉ
Calvino Café is one of the smaller coffee shops,
Milli Joe’s tucked away in the corner of a tiny shopping area. On the inside, the décor is simplistic and tidy with one eye catching painting of a rural countryside town. It is your average suburban café setting, with brown earthy tones and dim lights, though the windows let in plenty of natural light. While the noise level is generally low, because of the small space, conversations and music can be particularly clear rather than fading into the background. Calvino has the highest potential in the warmer months with its classy and polished outdoor seating area, made elegant by its hanging bowls of dark straw.
>> MILLI JOE’S
Milli Joe’s has a clear red and brown color scheme with an atmosphere that can be described as shabby chic. The shop has a wide open space with a mix of snug seating and more professional seating in front with a long bar along with window in a addition to regular chairs, tables, and couches. Towards the back, there is an art connoisseur basement kind of atmosphere with its black leather couches, modern art, and decorative crates and barrels. The coffee is strong and sweet, served in a red mug with cute coffee art to provide a familiar, homey feeling. The noise level is low although the coffee blender sound does tend
Java
by ariel kao
Shenandoah Joe’s
Java
to fill up the whole space. That is easily fixed by popping in some headphones unless you want to enjoy Milli Joe’s diverse and atypical musical choices in lesser known genres of music.
>> JAVA JAVA
Java Java has a clean and classic design reminiscent of the French countryside or a model home out of a home décor magazine. It entertains a certain class and comfortable security that makes it perfect for an outing with the family or curling up in the corner with a book. The coffee shop is segmented into what seems like separate rooms or alcoves with its white arches and blue and dark brown walls. Decorated by fern plants, white bookshelves, glass placemats, and a fireplace, Java Java provides a safe haven with light coffee to shelter one from the usual clutter of life.
>> SHENANDOAH JOE’S
Shenandoah Joe’s is yet another dimly lit coffee shop with dark tinted windows and a diverse cultural flair. The shop is a large space that is made more expansive by the inclusion of a storage and kitchen area open to public view and decorated by hanging coffee bean burlap sacks
from various countries from its high ceilings. The coffee shop’s décor draws from different and almost conflicting foreign influences. The two door entrances are flanked by Aztec totem poles while there are crystal chandeliers and tapestry rugs indicative of European royalty. They also have a wide and exotic selection of strong coffee in addition to the cheaply priced regular menu. With jazz and softer genres of music, it is your typical coffee shop with warm couches and chairs that make it so suitable to study at.
>> TWISTED BRANCH TEA BAZAAR
The Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar is a spiritual and tranquil environment bursting with whimsical trinkets and ornaments. Located on a second floor in the downtown mall, its floor cushions by the window look out onto the downtown street. There are plenty of patterned couches and tables, along with a special booth with cushions and curtains to give a sense of privacy. The Tea Bazaar serves a wide variety of tea that is categorized by plant type, country of origin, and the function it serves. It plays almost every genre of music from techno to spiritual meditation music. From the flea market mirrors, Hindu God Ganesha tapestry, colorful sphere lights, and Buddha
Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar altar, the dark and airy atmosphere is derived from Middle Eastern, Indian, and East Asian cultures. Overall it is a warm and harmonious environment for independent work over a cup hot tea.
Though Charlottesville has so many excellent and unique coffee shops to choose from, many students have not heard of or been to any of these places to study. Most people have heard of and some have been to the Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar, Mudhouse, and Java Java, all of which are conveniently placed in the Downtown Mall. Yet none of the 55 students surveyed have been to Calvino Café or Milli Joe’s and only six have been to Shenandoah Joe’s. All of these places are accessible by the free trolley and provide the perfect atmosphere with delicious coffee for that three hour study grind. Living up to its reputation as number one college town according to the Travel Channel, among Charlottesville’s best attributes are its abundance of individualized restaurants and shops that break away from the typical chain stores of other cities. Next time you’re heading out to library to work on that paper, try hitting up one of these places instead.
C+ for C&O by: Amanda Lim
C&O located just off the Charlottesville’s sleepy downtown mall is one of my favorite go-to late night fine dining spots in a city that I have come to call my home in the last four years. Per true foodie fashion, I convinced eight of my girlfriends that their fourth year spring experience depended on coming to dinner with me. I was so sure that they would be blown away by the precarious detail and care that the chefs, waiters, and hostesses alike put into their customers’ experience that I was disastrously disappointed by what actually happened this particular evening. It seemed like the restaurant that had made many of my favorite dinners in Charlottesville had taken shortcuts, for lack of a better phrase. We all participated in their prix fixe menu which offered an appetizer, main course, and dessert. First up for me was the Louisiana gulf shrimp garnished with risotto, toasted sesame seeds and fried leeks. It was an overall well executed dish, but some of its credit was lost to the fact that it took about 45 minutes to reach our table and was cold by the time it arrived. The main course, a strip loin of beef, came with panisse fries, mustard sauce and a shallot-arugula salad whose meat was slightly undercooked and the dish underwhelming in the sense that it was the size of a normal appetizer. For the last course, I ordered the chocolate tiramisu with marsala zabaglione sauce, whose texture was more similar to a molten chocolate lava cake than the tiramisu it was advertised to be. These three small dishes took about two and a half hours total to be delivered to our table and considering that they could only squeeze our party in at 9:45 in the evening, it was quite a process getting out of there. The one thing that I can say C&O still delivered superbly on was their wine selection. We ordered a couple bottles of a California Merlot and it was the only reason that my friends and I really didn’t mind the mediocre service and strangely presented food. All in all I would still highly recommend coming to C&O for a low key, luxurious dinner; just maybe not during restaurant week.
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n June of 2010, Hannah Davis founded the social enterprise BANGS Shoes. Davis’ vision for the BANGS project formed during her post-graduate travels to China. While teaching English to native speakers in China’s eastern Jiangsu Province, she found herself inspired by a pair of typical Chinese worker shoes. Her return to the United States began her launch on a project she felt passionate about—a desire for change. The goal of BANGS Shoes is reflected in both the business’s name and mission. The literal meaning behind the word “BANGS” is derived from the Chinese character from the word “help”. BANGS’ mission is to raise awareness and funding for the non-profit organizations partnered with BANGS as well as to educate individuals on the importance of sustainability and long-term change. In the “letter from the founder” on the company’s website, Davis states “The BANGS method of supporting real sustainable change is to partner with non-profit organizations that turn away from “charity” and support community programs for dignified development.” Moving away from a popular handout methodology like that of TOMS, BANGS Shoes currently partners with four non-profit organizations: Global DIRT, Drop in the Bucket, SOUL Foundation and CHOICE Humanitarian.
BANGS SHOES Move over TOMS, because BANGS is making a change. by Sharon Wolbarsht photo by Paige McDermott
A percentage of proceeds from each shoe sale goes to the NGO that shoe is aligned with. Purchasing the red BANGS shoes sends proceeds to the Global DIRT foundation in support of their Disaster Aid program, blue shoes send proceeds to Drop in the Bucket in support of clean water, purchasing green BANGS supports sustainable development through the SOUL foundation and the khaki shoes supports hunger relief through CHOICE Humanitarian. The blue and red are both low tops while the green and khaki are high-tops. However, in an interview with the CEO, it was revealed that in July of this year BANGS will begin selling a pair of all-black high tops which will invest in “Education in the USA” and an all-white pair of high tops supporting “Financial Empowerment.” BANGS’ success extends further than new shoe developments—the brand currently has twenty-one east coast campuses represented and is sold in ten retail stores. The campus presence is possible through the BANGS Shoes Campus Ambassador program. Campus Ambassadors for BANGS work to connect individuals with the BANGS ideology by setting up a framework for shoe promotion and sales. At U.Va., second year student Sanaya Khaneja leads a team of five other undergraduates in the on-grounds organization. Khaneja reported that she felt refreshed “working with a brand with such clear intentions.” In terms of the future, Davis wants BANGS to continue “inspiring a generation of leaders to take conscious action with a focus on long-term sustainable development.” Their next steps, she commented, “are to expand our retail partners and college ambassador program to the West Coast.”
SPOTLIGHT // Hallie Clark by Abby Hargis photo by Brendan Rijke
While standing in line at Greenberry’s, do you notice who is standing in front of you? Taking the time to learn about the people surrounding you here at U.Va. may inspire you. The girl sitting at the table next to you wearing her button down buttoned all the way up with jeans, Nikes, and her favorite flat brim hat may be Hallie Clark. I had the pleasure of interviewing the fourth year to learn more about her experience with activism and the University. Being a major voice and promoter of justice is no joke for Hallie--she’s made an impact on both the University and national levels. Since first year, Hallie has been a leading proponent for African American students and the LGBTQ community at U.Va., and most notably, she campaigns for U.Va. employees without a living wage. What sets her apart from thousands of other U.Va. undergrads is her ability to take a stand in order to change something.
In five years, what headlines would you like to see in the paper? 1. “Borders Between Mexico and Canada Have Dissolved Completely!” 2. “UVA pays Living Salaries For Everybody Forever” 3. “Hallie Clark and Esperanza Spalding are Getting Married and It’s Wonderful. Everyone’s Invited!” What is your favorite outfit to throw on? My favorite baseball style t-shirt with some jeans, nikes, and a hat. If you could invite three people to dinner, dead or alive, who would it be? Grandma, Marvin Gaye, and Esperanza Spalding
A big thanks to Hallie Clark and best of luck on all your future endeavors.
Last year, Hallie took part in the Living Wage Hunger Strike held at the University, informing her classmates and teachers around Grounds that U.Va. employees were and still are not compensated with a living wage salary. But, the campaign did not stop there--the national media started paying attention and Living Wage was reported by major news outlets such as The Nation, The Washington Post and ESPN. Now a fourth year dedicated to activism, Hallie was once convinced that she would be a stockbroker. During her senior year of high school, some of her friends began to enlist in the Armed Forces. At that moment, Hallie knew this was something she needed to care about--she wanted others to recognize that her friends were pursuing a career in the Armed Forces because of money, not because of personal desire. When she arrived at U.Va., she encountered a similar problem and became aware that not all of the employees here were surviving on a living wage salary. Again, Hallie spoke up. “I didn’t think it was going to be my personal passion,” she says. At first she simply just wanted to support what she believed was right. “It’s not exactly what you’re standing for, but that you can see there is a problem.” Hallie did not come to U.Va. with activism in mind, but upon arriving, she found it hard to ignore the issues. Participating in activism was never the easiest way to bring about change, but she chose to do what she knew could make the biggest difference. “I hate, hate, hate resume builders--people who do stuff just to do it. If everyone just did what they were supposed to do, many of the world’s issues would be solved,” explains Hallie. She made the most of her experience as an undergrad. When I asked her to describe one of her two favorite moments while here at the University, she illustrated the day the Hunger Strikers for the Living Wage Campaign stormed the Rotunda, demanding attention from the school’s administration last year. And in true U.Va. style, her other favorite moment was Foxfields. Now graduating with a degree in Political and Social Thought, she says her plans for next year are not certain, but she will continue with activism well into her future. As students at a university as large as the University of Virginia, we have much to learn from those studying alongside us. Hallie Clark recognizes the influence and power held by students and strongly believes that we should make use of the opportunity given to us to bring about change, especially with our passionate faculty. “You have the privilege, use it for good. You can make a huge impact by being different. I think it’s [U.Va.] the perfect place. There are a lot of issues that you can get yourself involved with.” And after an Alderman Greenberry’s interview over coffee with Hallie Clark, my perspective on U.Va. and its possibilities changed. Young students are moving in hundreds of different directions, paving the way for generations to come. Next time you find yourself in line next to someone you may not know, strike up a conversation. Who knows where that conversation may lead you.
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UMMER BREAKERS
May 10th marks the end of spring exams and the beginning of summer, which means new movies ready to dominate your summer. BY HANNAH BROCK THE GREAT GATSBY May 10th
New York. 1920’s. Glamour. Wealth. Recklessness. The Great Gatsby has every ingredient necessary to make a dramatic, tragic, fantastical film. Originally a F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, The Great Gatsby is a literary classic. No stranger to the silver screen, The Great Gatsby has already been made into a movie four times. The story follows Nick Carraway as he moves to Long Island and experiences the extravagant lifestyles and complicated love triangles of his cousin Daisy Buchanan and rich neighbor Jay Gatsby and Toby McGuire stars as Nick Carraway, Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, Isla Fisher as Myrtle Wilson, and the one and only Leo DiCaprio as the scene stealing Jay Gatsby. Director Baz Luhrmann, has box office hits like Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rogue! under his belt. With an all-star cast, experienced director and an estimated budget of $127 million, the Great Gatsby, out May 10th, is a great way to welcome the summer.
THE INTERNSHIP June 7th
It has been 8 years since Wedding Crashers came out and the public has been longing for Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson to reunite and make a movie on a similar scale. The wait is over! On June 7th, Vaughn and Wilson star in The Internship, about two unemployed salesmen who manage to secure an internship at Google where they then are thrown into a “mental hunger games.” Written by Vince Vaughn himself, the Internship is bound to bring laughter.
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY June 21st
This was the movie that changed nighttime fears forever. No longer were children afraid of their closets or under their beds when the thought of a big blue furry animal with an equally big furry heart would pop out. Some may say Monsters Inc was the movie of the Millennium. Did you ever consider how Mike and Sully got into the business of scaring? In Monsters University, out June 21st, we get to see how the monsters came to be in the relatable movie about education, Greek life, and friendship.
Some summer releases may have some of you step back and ask: why another? Who in their right mind would make another one of these movies? What on Earth would make the producers want to make another one of these movies?
The answer is simple : money.
For example, late in the Summer comes Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters. After Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief failed to capture the hearts of tween girls the way the Twilight and Harry Potter fantasies did, the series took a three year hiatus. Now the series is back, once again trying to push Logan Lerman to Rob Pattinson status. This time Percy Jackson is on a quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters is out August 16th and has lost much of its A-list celebrity cast like Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan and Rosario Dawson. Despite its lack of a fan-following, the film managed to rake in more than twice its budget and there is no doubt the producers are hoping for a repeat.
Another widely profitable movie in 2010 was Grown Ups, whose box office revenue was more than three times its budget. The sequel, Grown Ups 2, is to be released July 12, 2013. Having most of the same cast, like funny man Chris Rock and Mexican beauty Salma Hayek, the producers, Jack Giarraputo and Grown Ups star, Adam Sandler, are banking on the same crowd to shell out cash to see the second. As if five wasn’t enough, Fast & Furious 6 comes out May 24th. The gang, now wealthy, is involved in negotiations to pardon their past crimes so they can return to their home country. With box office revenue of well over half a billion dollars, the producers have no reason to stop churning out the films —except, well, to quit while ahead.
Other sequels coming out this SUMMER Star Treck Into Darkness May 17th The Hangover Part 3 May 24th Kick Ass 2 June 28th Despicable Me 2 July 3rd The Wolverine July 26th The Smurfs 2 August 2nd No matter what your plans are for the three months of summer, there is bound to be a movie (or sequel) that catches your fancy!
GLUTEN-FREE DIET The perks...and the risks by Kelsey Field From slimming soap in the 1930s to the fat melting jiggle machine in the 1960s to sauna suits and juice cleanses, diet fads have always taken America by storm. One of the latest trends in dieting seen today involves omitting gluten or “specific types of amino acids (protein) found in wheat, rye, and barley” explains Kendra Glassman, Registered Dietitian. Medical advisement or the desire to pursue a healthier lifestyle are the two basic motivations for adopting the gluten-free diet. The only medically advised reasons for adopting the gluten-free diet are celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. Celiac disease comes from a reaction to consuming gluten where the lining of the small intestine deteriorates and becomes unable to absorb vital nutrients. Gluten sensitivity involves intestinal discomfort and the inability to tolerate gluten, but no intestinal damage occurs. “When patients with celiac disease consume gluten it elicits an
“I have more energy when I avoid gluten” autoimmune response and can damage the lining of the intestines. It is essential for patients with celiac disease to follow a glutenfree diet to minimize and prevent this damage,” warns Glassman. Lydia Neuroth, a third year history major and English minor, is personally affected by gluten sensitivity, but has discovered that a gluten-free diet has its unique perks. “I have more energy when I avoid gluten. Gluten products sometimes make me sleepy or lethargic,” she says, supporting the popular claim that the gluten-free diet helps boost energy levels. Yet despite Neuroth’s experience, Glassman claims that the gluten-free diet should not affect energy levels “if the person is getting enough energy (calories) from their diet.” Emily Ashby, a third year architecture student, has second-hand experience with the gluten-free diet.
Her brother was diagnosed with autism at age 3 and follows a very strict diet, gluten-free restrictions included. Yet Emily says that once he began the gluten-free diet, “all of his medical issues cleared up… he became less hyper and restless; was calmer, leaner, and has remained very thin.” Despite these positive aspects of the gluten-free diet, the effects are not always pleasant. Ashby explains that her brother experienced “some withdrawals and was mildly irritated” when he first started avoiding foods with gluten. Not only was the diet hard to adjust to, but finding gluten-free foods became a big hassle for her family. “My parents had to start shopping at health food stores to get everything he needed for a balanced diet… [Finding gluten-free foods] used to be horrible, but recently there have been way more options and better tasting ones, too.” Neuroth further elaborates that “certain [gluten-free foods have been difficult to find.] I’m still trying to find gluten-free bagels. But the Kroger gluten-free section is growing day by day. It’s just a tedious process because they have stuck gluten-free in with the non-gluten-free health foods section. It would be nice if they could
www.ginutrition.virginia.edu
dedicate a whole isle to gluten-free.” However, finding gluten-free foods in grocery stores is not the only complication people face; another big challenge is eating out. Gluten is extremely difficult to avoid and often times is present in dishes without anyone’s knowledge. Neuroth confides, “I think my biggest problem has been training my mind to avoid bread-like products when I’m out. It’s just easy to forget. Not only has beginning this diet been extremely difficult because I can’t eat whatever I want, whenever I want anymore, but eating out has also become a big issue.” Ashby adds that, “It is common that waitresses and even cooks will not know the exact ingredients in some dishes. The options are often limited to ordering specifically off-menu and getting something quite dry and boring. It will often bump up the cost and lessen the calories and taste.” Yet medical necessity is not the only reason for starting the gluten-free diet. Many people begin the gluten-free diet in hopes of losing weight by avoiding wheat, pasta, beer and many other gluten infused foods. Quite contrary to common
“My biggest problem has been training my mind to avoid breadlike products when I’m out”
“I have noticed that the dining hall often has several grain options, including rice, potatoes, and corn. However, when sauces are incorporated into the dish, this automatically takes it out of the options. Recently, there has been more detailed nutritional information available, so at least this would help avoid accidentally eating something with gluten. It would be good to always have sauces added by the individual rather than incorporated into the dish.” - Emily Ashby
belief, Glassman states that while “some feel following a gluten-free diet will aid in weight loss, it can cause weight gain because often gluten-free foods contain more fat or other fillers to improve taste which in turn leads to extra calories.” Yet, “the diet can be healthy or unhealthy based on individual choices just like any health plan.” If not careful, the gluten-free diet can actually endanger one’s health. “The risks include limiting some nutrients by avoiding food items. Many foods that are gluten-free are not enriched with B vitamins and iron and can be lower in fiber,” informs Glassman. In order to avoid the risks that the gluten-diet imposes, “it is recommended to look at the ingredient label. If individuals continue to have nutritional inadequacies not resolved with the diet, supplementing with an age appropriate multivitamin with minerals would be appropriate,” says Glassman. Yet most importantly, “it is always a good idea to consult with a registered dietitian to help sort out reasons for following such a diet and to help the individual create a healthy meal plan,” further advises Glassman. Visit www.ginutrition.virginia.edu to consult a variety of resources such as friendly, gluten-free places to eat in Charlottesville, tips to cut costs when pursing a glu-
ten-free diet, a list of portable gluten-free snacks, and more.
THINSPIRATION by Mariam Thomas
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rowing up, a girl is given the too-skinny but “beautiful” Barbie doll with an unrealistically small waist, paired with breasts so large that Pamela Anderson would need implants to fill Barbie’s bra. During her adolescence, she is incessantly bombarded with media’s portrayal of “perfect” Victoria’s Secret models that have the “ideal” two-inch gap between their inner thighs—which preys upon the deeply rooted childhood insecurity she found when she realized she would never look like her cherished Barbie. With this standardization of beauty, it is no wonder females employ drastic measures to mold their bodies into perfection—liposuction, plastic surgery, fad diets, and extreme workouts. Added to the list of dangerous methods to fight “ugliness” or also known as the “natural human body,” is Thinspiration. Also referred to as Pro-Ana and Thinspo, this phenomena involves online forums with roots sunk in popular social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumber and Pinterest. In these virtual spaces, women with eating disorders glorify the condition and further motivate one another through pictures of malnourished, skeletal women and advise on successful starvation techniques. Interspersed between pictures of faceless bodies with concave stomachs, visible ribs, and protruding hip and collar bones, Thinspiration promotes pro-anorexic/bulimic phrases such as , “Bones are clean and pure. Fat is dirty and hangs on your bones like a parasite,” “People who eat are selfish and unrealistic,” and “hunger is your friend it won’t betray you like food has.”
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) advisor, Claire Mysko asserts, “the trend is a huge issue. It makes its victims partake in self-destructive measures such as, maintaining an extremely restrictive nutritional plan that limits daily caloric intake between zero and 500 calories, daily purging, overconsuming caffeine, which could result in low blood pressure, kidney and liver failure, and even death.” Furthermore she says, “not only is it damaging to the participating individuals, but it’s detrimental to
“It is no wonder females employ drastic measures to mold their bodies into perfection.”
society. These external-beauty driven practices trap unknowing individuals into feeling worthless unless they have ‘Thinspired’ their body, thereby creating an unhealthy society.” In a survey conducted of 75 UVA students, 63% of the students have already been exposed to Thinspiration. 70% of the exposed first encountered the trend through online social media sites, while 25% came across it through magazines. In a society where the average teen consumes 53 hours per week of various media (University of Haifa), it is alarming to see that Thinspiration is endorsed through these means of entertainment. The European Eating Disorders Review conducted a study where college women, who did not have a history with eating disorders, decreased their calorie intake drastically only one week after being exposed to a few
Thinspiration sites. As of now, NEDA has attempted to create rules that take words like “pro-ana,” “thinsp,” “mia” out of websites and they have tried to ensure disclaimers appear when users search popular terms. Moreover, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Tumblr have sanctioned policies striving to prohibit harmful content. However, these limitations and prohibitions have limited success as they are very hard to enforce. If a site is shut down for its content, another one simply pops up somewhere else. With such frequent messages from media, peers and society painting “an ideal woman” as simply skinny, it can be tempting to turn to Thinspiration. However, as NEDA stated, “it is a selfharming practice.” Many social media sites are starting to realize that they are being used as a platform to encourage these practices and NEDA is providing counsel to Facebook with regards to guidelines on flagging and removing posts that promote pro-Thinspiration. The communication director of Tumblr, Katherine Barna stated,” We're reaching out to experts and activists in this area to understand the best approaches for us to take, and we're still in the process of determining what that is… We're not interested in Tumblr promoting the acceptability of damaging practices." While these steps are being taken, many therapists suggest individuals struggling with Thinspiration to find peers who encourage healthy dieting and fitness, joining group fitness classes and gyms that promote a healthy body. These steps are crucial, especially in order to prevent another vulnerable individual from venturing onto to a community of extreme, dangerous dieters, concave stomach admirers, who eagerly wait to offer words of Thinspiration.
u aNATURAL
i
beauty BY: MEREDITH WADSWORTH
t seems like all we hear about in the beauty industry lately is how to attain natural beauty. My question is, what really constitutes a “natural look” anyway? Is it about wearing whatever products you want so long as you only appear fresh-faced and makeup-less, or is it truly bearing the world as-is, zits and all? I think it is time to sort out some of the facts, and consider the difference between going au natural and going for the “natural look.” There is no doubt that going natural is the absolute cheapest and easiest option for your morning routine—your face is as natural as it gets, just the way it is! The minute you add anything to your skin to alter what your Mama gave ya, you are straying from what is truly, 100% natural. But not all of us are gutsy or confident enough in our morning state to just rinse and roll. This is where the oxymoronic “natural makeup look” comes into play. I sought the wisdom of UVA E-School alumna (and my dear big sister) Katie Wadsworth—a systems engineer with a knack for beauty. After learning some initial tips and tricks from watching YouTube beauty gurus and celebrity makeup artists such as Lisa Eldridge, Katie started her own beauty blog, Joie de la Mode, and has become something of a makeup expert , herself. In response to my question of her interpretation of the “natural look,” she spoke in terms of the type and number of products used. “When I am going for the natural affect, I will use a tinted moisturizer or light foundation, some pinpoint concealing for small blemishes, and mascara. Once you apply things like eyeliner, you are creating new effects rather than brightening and enhancing what you have naturally.” Ultimately, everyone has their own sort of tipping-point when it comes to looking as natural fresh as possible. Many may agree with Katie, while others may think a swipe of lip gloss is all it takes. Now, on to the next big question that is, naturally, always on our minds (pun intended)—what do guys think? According to first-year Brad Fagan, “it ultimately depends on the person. There are some girls who can pull off bold makeup and some who can pull off no makeup, but you can also tell the extremes of wearing too much [makeup] and just having rolled out of bed.” Though some guys claim to love the just-woken-up look, such as mentioned in this article from Huffington Post, most appreciate at least a little effort in the morning. “But if the question is, choose between too much makeup and not enough? I’d say not enough,” says Fagan. Looks like the natural trend, which was also seen in Fashion Week shows such as Balmain, is one we can all get on board with!
“ But if the question is, choose between too much makeup and not enough? I’d say not enough.
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Engagement, What’s the Rush? by Amanda Eller
As I sit in the back of my lecture hall, a sea of Pinterest wedding boards stretches out in front of me and every time I log onto Facebook it seems like someone I know is engaged. As a girl who can’t even commit to a Netflix subscription, I find myself asking: what’s the rush? At UVA it isn’t simply the case of girls seeking their “MRS Degrees,” using college as a watering hole of future husbands instead of a gateway to a fulfilling career. We are a student body of incredibly driven women who will undoubtedly graduate onto greatness, so it baffles me why so many are obsessing over getting the rock along with their cap and gown. Most of us struggle to show up to class, are we really ready to commit to showing up every day and giving someone else 100%? Are you ready to give up your ability to decide on a whim to take a gap year in Italy, to buy a puppy, to go back home? Here at UVA we’re so eager to grasp every opportunity and were constantly moving forward, in our careers, studies, romances. Were so busy most of us have felt like adults since the 7th grade, but are we really ready for marriage? More often than not, young marriages don’t last, with the National Center for Health Statistics reporting that 60% of couples who marry between the ages of 20 and 25 end up getting divorced. Additionally, the average marriage only lasts about 11 years, suggesting that many young marriages are destined to be “starter” marriages. Mother of two, Alison Kaplan, and her future husband met when they were juniors at Syracuse, but they didn’t walk down the aisle until 9 years later. “He needed to get his career on track,” she said, “and college is such a
TINDER & DATING By Natalie Barkley
“Oh my god did you see my Tinder match last night?”
Though you may not have actually said this yourself, you’ve probably heard the phrase floating around grounds. The cause of this new dating phenomenon, an app called Tinder, may already be familiar to some of our readers, and some may not have heard of it once in your entire college life. For those of you who have yet to be initiated into the Tinder cult, it is a social app created by the owners of Match.com, that enables you to secretly “like” or pass over people in a certain mile radius of you based on their Facebook profile picture. In the event that you and someone else mutually “like”each other, you will have a match! When you and your potential lover are matched, a private chat forum is created for the two to communicate.
controlled environment, we needed to see how we’d do in the real world.”They went to graduate school, dated other people, and explored their newfound adulthood before deciding they were ready to make a lifetime commitment. This brings up the question of whether college relationships are a good indication of what a marriage will be like. Once we leave college we really see who are we and how we are going to live our lives. 2nd year Liz Sherman fears that those who get engaged so young “let social pressures and their relationship define them…instead of exploring their independence and what they want out of life as a person not a couple.” 4th year, Emily, has another perspective, saying “its really comforting to know that we will be starting the next step of our lives together, I wouldn’t want to be alone.” It’s natural to want a partner to go through such a scary and exciting time with, but is a drastic change the right reason to make a serious commitment? Young couples certainly have the chemistry, but do they lack the history? Coming out of college, couples have shared classes, gone to tailgates, and had numerous Sunday Brunches. You know you can handle the late nights and stresses of college, but what happens when you’re picking out life insurance policies and opening a joint bank account? As it turns out the real world is filled with very, well, real, problems, and college couples need to take the time to figure out whether engagement is right for them. The next chapter in our lives is just beginning; so slow down and take it all in, after all, what’s the rush?
Tinder takes away the sting of rejection, endured by most of us in the regular dating scene, by only notifying each user if the “like” is reciprocated. For instance if you liked Joe Harris’s photo, but he doesn’t feel the same way he will not be notified that you liked him. For all of you basketball fans (or just hottie enthusiasts) out there, Harris has confirmed that he and a few of his teammates use the app. Harris confessed, “I typically only match with friends of mine or somebody I recognize.” But not to worry, he has also indicated that he is planning to start using the app more. So “like” away tinder users! You may just get that elusive match with Joe Harris. The app is what you make of it, and although you may not find your future husband on Tinder, people have reported finding their dates for various functions using the app. The reason the app has become so popular at UVa is because you are mostly seeing familiar faces that you wouldn’t usually approach. But with Tinder you can find out if that hot guy in your Spanish class feels the same way.
street style
photos by jordyn stuger
photos by brittany snyder
style on grounds
I STILL LOVE YOU,
FASHION B
F
all/Winter Fashion Week in New York City is my favorite time of year. It is also happens to be the coldest time of year in this city that I have grown to call my beloved ever since my first internship in the industry with Nylon Magazine. In the few fashion weeks that I have gone to previously, I had
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never been so unfortunate as to experience what real New Yorkers would call a genuine New York winter. This year, not only was I privileged enough to experience my first real New York winter, complete with a massive snow storm and all, but this was also the year that I got my first freelance job at New York Fashion week.
I had worked for New York City and London’s premier fashion public relations firm, KCD Worldwide as a publicity intern for three full months over this past summer and although they were fully staffed for fashion week, my old boss recommended that I pursue a freelance job with a smaller, fellow PR firm. So I poked around in the little network I had begun to create two and a half years ago and it turned out that a friend was able to put me in touch with the publicists at Black Frame PR, a boutique fashion PR firm that represents the likes of Kenzo, Delfina Delattrez, Opening Ceremony, Rodarte and many more. I was assigned to work as a part of the PR team on the Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony and Tim Coppens shows. I could not believe my luck. It had been a dream of mine for years to work behind the scenes at fashion week and now I would finally have the chance. The last two fashion weeks I had gone rogue and crashed as many shows as I could sitting front row at shows like Rebecca Taylor, General Idea, Rag and Bone and Band of Outsiders. But, I had begun to see those acts as a bit irresponsible and I thought that if I wanted anyone in this industry to take me seriously, then I would first have to take myself seriously. I headed to New York open to learning and hopeful for something that I had never experienced before. It did not happen exactly like that. I arrived in NYC on a Thursday night when the storm first hit. The next morning, I woke up with text messages from the people at Black Frame PR telling us to come in a little later than they originally requested and that they were not sure if we would be able to complete half the jobs they originally had scheduled for us due to the enormous amount of snow hitting the Big Apple. I walked outside bundled from head to toe in all black. All the metros in the Murray HIll area were closed and finding a cab was less likely than finding a tumble weed. But still, I prevailed and managed to reach the PR offices by 10AM and spent my first day going over seating charts, working on invitations and doing a lot of sample returns. They were tasks that I was all too used to from my experience at KCD and I started to feel foolish for having developed such unfounded expectations of my experience as a fashion PR intern freelancer. But as always, I was being impatient and there was a lot more in store for the weekend. The other PR interns and myself arrived at Saint Mark’s Church in the east village at 8AM the next day to set up the backstage and front of house area. Even though it was only one degree outside and the church itself had poor heating, we had such a great time interacting with the five bands that Chloe Sevigny had hired to perform during her presentation. They were mostly groovy, electro pop bands from the seventies that I had actually never heard of before. Each one brought such amazing energy to the church and complemented the models as they were allowed to playfully dance around during the pre-
sentation as editors, fellow models, bloggers and actors meandered around them. Our job as the PR intern freelancers was to make sure that everyone found their way into the building, enjoyed the presentation and left with a gift bag full of expensive beauty products and champagne. It wasn’t such a bad experience for my first show. Since Tim Coppens wasn’t happening until Monday, the publicists asked a few of us if we would come into the Black Frame offices on Sunday to prepare for the madness that would resume again on Monday. It was one of those “you can say no, but really you can’t say no” situations so of course I happily agreed and kissed my
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It was one of those ‘you can say no, but really you can’t say no’ situations so of course I happily agreed and kissed my lazy Sunday goodbye.
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lazy Sunday goodbye. Anything for fashion, right? This turned out to be an amazing decision though because we were able to work on the Rodarte guest list and help the publicists with some tasks that normally interns would not be asked to do AND they fed us. I can never turn down a free lunch. I was allowed to go a little early so that I could visit my family for Chinese New Year and on my way to the F train, I found myself caught in the middle of a fashion gliterrati crowd on its way to the Thankoon Fall/Winter show. Feeling deprived since I had not seen a show all weekend, I went with the crowd and found that an old friend from high school was one of the publicists working the door and of course, she let me through. The Thakoon fall/winter show was especially beautiful because he was able to incorporate a very diverse color palette without making it seem like any of the colors he chose were inappropriate for the winter season. This was largely due to the fact that he stayed faithful to mostly silk, with the occasional cotton garment and focused largely on creating dresses with elaborate details and bold patterns. The footwear was so distinct and complemented the drama of the models’ hair and makeup. Besides the Thakoon show, I was able to see Prabal Gurung, Alice + Olivia and Marc Jacobs, all of which did an amazing job. In fact, our very own former V Magazine UVa model, Taylor Vasi, was a star of the Alice + Olivia show. The fashion department could not be more proud! All in all, even though it was not like the fashion weeks I had been to in the past, I was extremely grateful for the experience and was exposed to just how much hard work and detailed planning goes into executing one of my favorite weeks of the year.
America’s Finest Clothes courtesy of
Photographer: Brendan Rijke Fashion Director: Amanda Lim Fashion Team: Abby Hargis Lara Luo Christian Paxton Meredith Wadsworth
Models: Natalie Barkley Kindyl Boyer Aaron Cho Olivia Dillingham Ina Scott Meredith Wadsworth
Vintage Vixen
On Meredith: dress by Carmen Marc Valvo. On Ina: vintage dress by Calvin Klein from the 1990’s. On Olivia: dress by Nicole Miller. On Natalie: vintage dress by Dave & Johnny. On Aaron: blazer by Zara, pants by Zara, vintage shirt by J.Crew, vintage velvet bowtie from the 1920’s. On Kindyl: vintage dress by Michael Kors, belt by Givenchy Haute Couture.
On Natalie: vintage swirl dress from the 1970’s. On Kindyl: dress by Victor Costa. On Olivia: vintage dress by Tracy Reese. Cn Meredith: vintage dress from the 1920’s On Ina: vintage suede purple mini dress.
On Ina: vintage suede purple mini dress. On Kindyl: dress by Victor Costa. On Olivia: vintage dress by Tracy Reese.
On Meredith: dress by Carmen Marc Valvo. On Aaron: blazer by Zara, pants by Zara, vintage shirt by J.Crew, vintage velvet bowtie from the 1920’s.
On Kindyl: vintage dress by Michael Kors, belt by Givenchy Haute Couture.
On Meredith: shirt dress by Donna Morgan for NSP, vintage dress coat by Satin from the 1940’s.
On Aaron: blazer by Zara, vintage shirt by J.Crew, tie by Boston Traders.
On Natalie: vintage dress by Dave & Johnny. On Olivia: dress by Nicole Miller.
On Ina: vintage dress by Calvin Klein from the 1990’s