ISSUE 32
RED LIPS, SCARLET LETTER
PHONE CALLS FROM HOME
I WANNA BE A POPSTAR
Red lipstick, regardless of its use,
3 missed calls at 5:35 a.m., what does home
When humans discovered popularity,
always has a story to tell.
mean in the college experience?
we were destined to be doomed.
P. 14
P. 36
P. 51
EDITORIAL DIVISION EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LEIGH CHAMBERLAIN MANAGING EDITOR GINGER LYONS WEB DIRECTOR EVVY BLATSTEIN COPY EDITOR SYLVIE AUGUST BEAUTY & HEALTH EDITOR NATALIE UNTCH SELF-IMPROVEMENT EDITOR REEYA KULKARNI CAMPUS CULTURE EDITOR GEORGIA CURTIS ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR JADE BRAMWELL FASHION EDITOR CHRISTINE BITONTI THIS JUST IN EDITOR ZARA DENISON WEB ASSISTANT ALYSSA OPRIS PRINT WRITERS SARAH GROSCH, MAYA GHOSH, VANESSA HOHNER, LUCY KOZAN, LIDIA VITOC WEB WRITERS DANIELLA ARCARO, MALI GOEBEL, PAIGE BALLIET, SHEA DEASY, ERIN O’NEIL, VICTORIA SALVES, ABIGAIL GIORDANO, MOLLY MCMENAMY
CREATIVE DIVISION CREATIVE DIRECTOR JOSH GUINN FASHION DIRECTOR EMMA GARBER PHOTO DIRECTORS TAAY JAACK, SHANA ANDREWS CASTING DIRECTORS CHLOE EVANS, DIANE AKPOVWA VIDEOGRAPHY DIRECTOR ANNA HERRIMAN CREATIVE TEAM MANAGER RAYNAH ZHU PHOTOGRAPHERS ZOE EDDY, JULIANA TOOHEY, MICHAEL LANCIA, KATHERINE WOODRUFF, EMMA HAMBRECHT, KAYLA MARCH VIDEOGRAPHERS JORDYN RAIFF, KAYLA CAMPFIELD ASSISTANT FASHION DIRECTOR KYLEE OWENS STYLISTS ZOË TON, SALLY HENDRICKSON MAKEUP HAZEL GIACOMUCCI CASTING ASSISTANT MAEGAN PIERRE DESIGN ASSISTANT TEGAN LOCHNER
BUSINESS DIVISION BUSINESS DIRECTOR GRETA AGEE ADVERTISING DIRECTORS BREANNA MILLER, EMMA STROUSE EVENTS DIRECTORS SAVANNA WOOTEN, CARA FLYER PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTORS CURTIS TROWBRIDGE, MARIE HILBERT FINANCE DIRECTORS LAUREN BRETL, LILY STACK ADVERTISING PAIGE PENIZOTTO, SKYLAR MUNDENAR, LIZ NEALY, VANESSA WASDEN, CARLY GOLDSTEIN, MARCELLA CAMBARERI, TERESA DEMAIO, CECE VENDITTI, JAIDEN VAZQUEZ, RACHEL RUNTA SYDNEY SCHNEIDER, ALEXA SOLCOFF, CAMILA IGUINA, GIANNA GOLATO, SOPHIE KOLLHOFF, MADISON SUNG, ZOEY JOSEPH, ALEXIS DODSON EVENTS MADI COLE, EMMA GINTHER, ALEXA SPILOTRAS, GABRIELLA SUDA, SADIE WILLETT, MADDALYN DIMICHELE, ISABELLA JAIGOBIND, MADI LEVINE, RANIA WRIGHT FINANCE AMANDA KARRENBAUER, KAITLYNN HECK, KYLIE ROWAN, KYLEA DELISO, LILY GUILLETTE, MADISON TRUESDALE PUBLIC RELATIONS MOLLY MCCAULEY, CHLOE AN TO, GRACIE THOMAS, JULES MALUENDA, LUDDY HIRALDO, MORGAN BROWN, JENNA BAKER, ZOLA DAVERIO, MARCELLA WALTER, RACHEL DEEGAN, EMMA FROELICH, MORGAN SHAH, CAITLIN MCKENNA, ALLIE SCAGGS, SARAH SMITH, GRACE LINDSTROM, NICOLE JOYCE, PILAR MEDRANO, GIANA RODRIGUEZ, JANAE HOLMES, TYLER LIPTON, LUCAS VALDEON, LOIS WADDELL, REAGAN MARCH, BECCA ZIEGLER BOARD OF ADVISORS MARIE HARDIN TO CONTACT VALLEY MAGAZINE GAA5279@PSU.EDU FOLLOW US TWITTER @VALLEYMAG INSTA @VALLEYMAG FB /VALLEYMAG LINKEDIN /COMPANY/VALLEY-MAGAZINE-PENN-STATETIKTOK @VALLEYMAG JOIN US ARE YOU A CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR STAFF? VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION. FUNDED BY YOUR STUDENT INITIATED FEE
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VALLEY Penn State’s premier student-run life and style magazine.
VALLEY Magazine is published once per semester and distributed for free on Penn State’s main campus in University Park, PA. Our mission is to recognize Penn State students for their academic and extracurricular accomplishments and to feature local style, entertainment and lifestyle trends. VALLEY Magazine is named after Happy Valley and was founded in September 2007 by former Penn State students Nicole Gallo, Meredith Ryan, Katie Zuccolo and Kathryn Tomaselli. The Fall 2022 magazine is VALLEY’s thirtieth issue.
The content and opinions of this publication reside solely with the authors and not the Pennsylvania State University or the University Park Allocation Committee.
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BEAUTY & HEALTH
10 14 18 19
General Beauty: Base Forward Red Lips Scarlet Letter Sweet Treat Anything but Subtle
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SELF-IMPROVEMENT
22 23 24 29 30
Being Nice Isn’t Always Kind Eye to Eye Tender Is The Night Karmic Partners Daddy Issues
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CAMPUS CULTURE
34 36 40 41 42
Third Base: My Childhood Phone Calls From Home The Unsung Heroes of Campus Money, Money, Money Cover Story: Breaking the Cycles
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ENTERTAINMENT
50 51 54 55
Barbie World I Wanna Be A Popstar Sudden Obscenities, Slurs and Total Indecency Found Family
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FASHION
58 60 66 67 68 69 71
Justice for Justice Old Money The Baggy Sweatshirt and Everything Underneath How Sneakerheads Kick It What Do I Do With My Ex’s Hoodie? The Great Purse-uit General Fashion: The Wilds
Funded by the Student Initiated Fee
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LETTER FROM
THE EDITOR I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I would sit in the kitchen of my childhood home and type on my mom’s iPad just to hear the satisfying clicks of the keys. I laid my head on my dad’s shoulder as he created a blog for my little 8-year-old imaginative stories to be published on. I knew from a very young age that I was a writer. Thanks to VALLEY, I never lost that sense of identity. VALLEY and I are my match made in heaven. Coming to Penn State, I yearned to be tied to such a creative and innovative publication. Saying that I am a part of VALLEY has been one of the greatest gifts Penn State could have provided me with. VALLEY 32 is an intimate issue. There are deeper meanings within every article and a personal touch that represents the writer behind it. VALLEY 32 takes risks, prompts conversations and guides the readers on a journey. I hope you run with it. Nick — thank you. Your story is one worth telling. It is made up of grit, strength and a humility that will inspire our audience as much as it inspired me. Thank you for being so trusting and for making the decision of Cover Star such an easy one. I am grateful for the opportunity to introduce you to VALLEY, to write your story and to meet you. Killed that!
From the outside perspective, VALLEY is a cool, unique, advancing brand that highlights different kinds of people and stories. From the inside — it is magic. Monday nights at 8 p.m. have been the highlight of my week for three years now and thinking about losing that brings tears to my eyes. But, VALLEY stays with you even after your term on staff ends, and I know that because of Amanda, Mariah and Sara. Amanda, you paved the way for how I wanted to run editorial. Your amiability and empathy inspired me from my seat in the back of a Willard classroom and became something I aimed to bring to every meeting. Mariah, you are forever my older sister. Thank you for always saying the words I need to hear. Sara, you truly have no idea how much your role has changed me as a person. It might be the one time where I don’t have the words to express how much you mean to me. Getting you as my mentor three years ago was such a blessing. To my current staff, you all are what makes VALLEY so great. Evvy, I am so happy that we got to work together because moving up with you has been so special. Alyssa, you go above and beyond in everything; it never goes unnoticed. Ginger, you are the best thing to come out of this semester. I cannot wait to see all the success you bring to VALLEY. I’ll be
here if you need me, but you won’t. Sylvie, who knew checking an AP Style Guide could be so fun? You are so smart and dedicated, and I look up to you for it. To my lovely Section Editors, you all balance so much and still have fun while handling everything. Thank you for loving VALLEY as much as I do. To my Web Writers, you joining staff opened up a whole new world for what we publish and what people talk about. Go far with your ideas. Every single one of them holds a little part of you. Greta, your passion for VALLEY as a whole is infectious throughout all three divisions. No one was better for the job than you. Josh, your creativity blows me away every single time. I can’t wait for the day when I can say I knew you. To both of you — thank you for making our collective vision come to life. I have never been good with change. VALLEY is one of my hardest goodbyes. I am beyond grateful for every opportunity this magazine has given me. I am so proud of this issue, of all the moving parts it took to get us here and for all the people behind the scenes, before and after V32. I may not be great at handling change, but the inevitable greatness that will continue to find VALLEY in the future makes this torch an easy one to pass. 5
Working all of last year in VALLEY as the Design Director (and the trusty right-hand-man of our previous CD) in full honesty, I didn’t know what I was really getting myself into when I accepted the position. Sure I had a taste, but this semester I really dove head first into the deep end that is the Creative Team. I have never once thought about what childbirth might be like, but after making this magazine my pseudo, 80 page baby, I might understand a small, small, small fraction of the feeling. Besides the obvious blood, sweat, and tears put into this issue by everyone on my team and the whole org, in the end, it turned out to be a major labor of love, and one that I’m immensely proud of. I would first like to thank every single member of my team, you all are some of the most insanely innovative people I’ve ever met and I’m so lucky to have worked with all of you so closely. I would especially like to shout out my amazing directors! 6
Even when the train went off the rails sometimes, you all held it down and kept the creative process moving smoothly along the track. And to Ellie, my extraordinary predecessor, I am eternally thankful that you introduced me to this new world, taking me under your wing to grow into the position where I stand now. Of course, I how could I not also give a HUGE thanks to the other two members of the VALLEY BIG THREE, Leigh and Greta. Leigh, as Editor in Chief, your storytelling skills never cease to leave me in awe, and I’m so glad I got to bring your stories to life in the magazine. In this case, a picture truly means 1,000 words (or maybe closer between 600-800 word count) Greta, your passion, power and drive as the Business Director allowed the foundation for our whole organization to rise to new heights, and I’m so happy I’ve gotten to stand next to you through it all and bare witness to your historical VALLEY reign.
Last, but most certainly not least, I want to thank my family and my partner. My mom has always encouraged me with no limits to explore my creativity and challenge myself with all new experiences, all of which are traits I needed to succeed here in VALLEY. You have made me the person I am today, and I am so grateful to know I always have your support. Speaking of support, no one gave me more support through this whole process than my partner Dray. You’ve seen me go through it all during this process, the highs and lows. Thank you for never once letting go of my hand and always cheering me on. I hope you all enjoy this issue of VALLEY, and if you somehow don’t… well I’m always down for a nice critique.
May 23, 2021. On that day, I was offered a position in the VALLEY Business Division, and my life changed. I found out who I wanted to be and have been making that dream a reality ever since. Sounds worthy of being a national holiday, in my humble opinion. With VALLEY 32 released, I am left thinking not only of our harsh deadlines and staff meetings but also of all of the talented people involved in bringing our collective vision to life. I want to take a moment to express my deepest appreciation for the two individuals who played a pivotal role in creating this issue. Josh, the ultimate Creative Director, your artistic vision and innovation never fail to amaze me. You’ve pushed the boundaries of creativity, and it’s impossible to not be inspired by all of your work. Leigh, my lovely Editor-in-Chief, your true dedication to incredible storytelling and your
passion for bringing out the very best in each of us is truly remarkable. You’ve taught me the power of words and how writing can change lives. I would also like to thank our wonderful cover star, Nick, for allowing us to share your story. You are an inspiration. Working with you both to bring this incredible issue to life has been a truly amazing experience, and your dedication and talent have made it all possible. I couldn’t have asked for a better team to work alongside. I can’t believe I even get to say this but… WE DID IT! On a more personal note, I’d like to thank my unbelievable team of directors within the Business division – Curtis, Marie, Lauren, Lily, Cara, Savanna, Emma and Breanna. You are the foundation that makes the Business Division as amazing as it is. Your hard work, dedication and unwavering support are invaluable to our success. And let’s definitely make sure not forget the
entire VALLEY staff. Getting to know each one of you has been a big privilege. Your creativity, dedication and camaraderie have made my first semester as Business Director truly memorable. Now, I want to share my heartfelt gratitude to my family and roommates for being my biggest fans. Whether it’s late at night or early in the day, they’ve always been there to offer advice and lend a listening ear, sharing in my fears and celebrating my successes. I couldn’t have done this without them. Last, but certainly not least, a massive shoutout to our readers. You fuel our passion, and we are grateful for each and every one of you. VALLEY exists because of you. I could continue to share how much VALLEY means to me, but I won’t subject you all to that— at least not yet. This is only the beginning. XOXO, 7
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY: SHANA ANDREWS AND TAAY JAACK
OUTFIT BY: PLATOS CLOSET @platosclosetstatecollegepa 9
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY: SHANA ANDREWS AND TAAY JAACK
OUTFIT BY: THRIFT KING @thriftingking
OUTFIT BY: PLATOS CLOSET @platosclosetstatecollegepa
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY: ZOE EDDY
WRITTEN BY CHRISTINE BITONTI Red lipstick has been a staple in makeup looks since the beginning of time. From Marilyn Monroe’s old Hollywood glamor to Taylor Swift’s classic elegance, the red lip has made an appearance on all kinds of people. But there has seemingly been a trend in Hollywood, in that the women we see sporting this color have also been notoriously slut-shamed as well. When people start to notice how these women are desirable to men, they begin using their sexuality to their advantage. Flaunting a red lipstick means drawing more attention to yourself, both good and bad. One of the first major figures to rock the red lip color was Marilyn Monroe back in the 1950s. While Monroe was idolized, she was not given the respect her peers had. Women have been victims of sexism and oversexualization for centuries. Looking back, you can’t help but wonder if the bold red lipstick was a statement, as if to say, “I know I’m being sexualized, and I’m going to use that to my advantage.” So, the question must be asked — do women wear red lipstick to empower themselves? Perhaps it is a bold statement, acknowledging their reputations and refusing to be ashamed of it. Wearing red lipstick can mean many things, depending on the woman. A newly single woman, showing off her sexuality, could show up to the bar wearing a bold red lip, very purposely wanting to attract attention. In this instance, red lipstick becomes an instrument of self-confidence. Perhaps the red lip is worn by a professional woman who wants to be taken seriously and chooses the daring color to earn respect from colleagues. In a male-dominated world, it can
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be challenging for women to assert their authority and expertise. Red lipstick, in this context, becomes a symbol of strength and determination. Maybe red lipstick is a symbol reminiscent of the 1850s novel “The Scarlet Letter.” In the novel, a woman is caught having an affair with a man she is not married to. Shunned by the town, she is forced to bear a bright red “A” on her clothes at all times, effectively slut-shaming her. In the end, the town realizes they may have been a bit hard on her and that everybody makes mistakes. Not to mention, they came down much harder on her than they would have for a man. Red lipstick, regardless of its use, always has a story to tell. It can signify defiance, self-acceptance or even a celebration of sensuality. It can be a battle cry against societal norms that seek to police and shame women for their choices. It can be a reminder that women should not be limited by outdated expectations or judgments. A third year student at Penn State, who chooses to remain anonymous, agrees that the 2020s era of confidence is a new beginning for women. She shares that she normally doesn’t wear red lipstick, but when she does, the striking look makes her feel more put together. Plus, the idea of women embracing sexuality has always appealed to her. “I love it. Personally, I see no reason to be ashamed of sex in any way. Everybody has a better time when people are open about what they like. It makes things better for everybody overall,” she says. Taking a look at another woman who is famously known for wearing red lipstick, we can start to see a pattern emerge in red-lipped icons
of pop culture. Taylor Swift has been ruling the music industry since 2006, changing her style and her image consistently over the years. She started out as a classic good girl in her early years, clad in sparkly dresses and princess gowns. But eventually she grew into her sensuality and her brand, now never being seen without sporting a bold red lip. Is this tied to her reputation in the 2010s as a man-eater? Is this a representation of the decision making process in many other women who wear red lipstick? So maybe women today are wearing red lipstick more and more as an unapologetic statement. Not only are they owning their scarlet letters, but they are using them as a way to empower and sexualize themselves. In case it needs to be said again — women are allowed to express their sexualities just as much as men are. Women are allowed to love their bodies and celebrate their sensual side, too. The rise of red lipstick as makeup for a night out symbolizes the dawn of a new era for women. We bear our scarlet letters with a newfound sense of pride, dignity and grace. We know how the world sees us, but we refuse to be ashamed anymore.
OUTFITS BY: PLATOS CLOSET @platosclosetstatecollegepa
With your burger, maybe you grab a nice strawberry milkshake. With your pizza, maybe you grab a Sprite or Coke. With your movie theater popcorn, you grab a bag of Sour Patch Kids or Skittles. It seems that after every savory bite to eat, VALLEY wants something sweet! Dr. John Hayes of the Penn State Food Science Department is an expert in sensory science, taste biology and food choice, among other areas of study.
“Our liking for sweetness is not a learned response,” Hayes says. “It’s an innate, biologically-coded response.” Turns out, if you have a just little bit of a sweet tooth, you were actually born that way. “If we take a two-dayold baby and put sugar on their tongue, they will actually smile,” Hayes says. Your body wants you to eat a wide variety of foods in order to fuel yourself with a diverse palette of nutrients. This is another reason you feel naturally inclined to eat something sweet after eating something savory. “We’re also really coded to like variety, so we will go and eat a really savory meal … eventually that liking for that savory meal will decline throughout the meal, and that’s known as sensory-specific satiety,” Hayes says. “It’s our body’s way of getting us to eat more diverse foods.”
slice of pepperoni pizza and salty fries, and now you need something sweet to finish it off. This meal will not feel complete and you will not feel satisfied until you’ve had that ice cream cone, sugar cookie or chocolate bar. This behavior is learned. “Yes, we’re encoded to like sweet things, and we’re also encoded to like variety, and main entrees tend to be more savory, so that drives us off into a sweet dessert,” Hayes says. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it doesn’t feel like a meal is over until you’ve had that sweet dessert — that’s not biology, that’s learning and prior experience.”
If your liking for sweetness declined over recent years, that’s perfectly normal, too. “We know that little kids like things really sweet, and older people don’t like things as sweet, and we only have one single study that has tracked people over time … but we do know that if you measure the same kids before and after puberty, their liking for sweetness does stop,” Hayes says. So, why did you devour that Venti Vanilla Bean Frappuccino with extra whip in middle school, but you cannot stand all the sugar now? Young children need more energy in order to grow, so they are more inclined to love foods as sweet as possible. “Liking for sweetness may be part of our energy needs when we’re growing,” Hayes says.
Years-old debates have been held on whether human behaviors of all kinds result from their innate nature or external nurture from their environment. “I don’t want to underestimate the power of habit, too,” Hayes says. “People always want to make things about nature versus You’ve opened that bag of M&Ms just to have a small nurture. But, when it comes to human eating behavior, handful. Suddenly, the whole bag is gone, and it was a it’s always both.” So, you’ve already had that big cheesy Family Size. You’ve done it again: overindulged on sugar.
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It may comfort you to know that food science supports that sugar is not addicting. In a book titled “Fructose, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sucrose and Health” Dr. Hayes and Dr. Rebecca Corwin wrote a chapter, “Are Sugars Addictive? Perspectives for Practitioners,” exploring binge eating and the concepts of sugar and food addiction. There are 11 criteria used to diagnose substance disorders. These criteria include measures regarding how the substance impairs control, impairs social tendencies and creates risk, among other subjects. In their summary, Hayes and Corwin write that “Based upon the 11 DSM-V criteria for substance use disorders, evidence for sugar addiction is lacking,” and that, “Brain imaging studies have not provided consistent support for an addiction model.” So, why does society seem to hold the negative perspective that sweet treats like cookies, ice cream, cake, doughnuts and candy make you gain weight? “In American culture, we often think sweets make you fat,” Hayes says. “This happens because we’re not very good at perceiving the fat in the food, but we are very good at perceiving differences in sweetness.” When you eat cookies or cakes, you taste how sweet they are, but you do not taste how much fat is in them. Hayes explains that fat has more calories per gram than carbohydrates, including sugar, and is more energy-dense. All in all, your body wants you to eat a variety of foods to get a wide selection of nutrients. Don’t be afraid of sugar and fat, just eat them in moderation and focus on balancing your diet between all the food groups. “We need to avoid this puritanical view that just because something is pleasurable, therefore it’s bad,” Hayes says. “It doesn’t make you a more moral person to avoid sweets because you’re resisting temptation.”
In the midst of smoky cobblestone streets and artisanal markets of Paris, Marcel Proust wrote the groundbreaking novel, “In Search of Lost Time.” In one prolific literary moment, a character dips a madeleine cookie into tea, the smell provoking memories of his past. The well-known scene referred to as “Proust’s Madeleine,” would go on to serve as a metaphorical description referring to sensory cues that trigger a memory. Proust’s writing transcended his novel giving rise to the phenomena now known as the “Proustian Effect,” prompting researchers to better understand the neurological works for scent-triggered memories. To understand the connection between memories and smell, Dr. Thomas Gould, department head of Biobehavioral Health at Penn State, with a doctorate in psychology and neuroscience, takes us on a journey through the human anatomy that makes the “Proustian Effect” occur. “Compared to four other senses, the nose has the fastest route to the brain and direct connections to higher areas of the brain that are involved in cognitive processing, such as the limbic system, which plays a role in emotions and memory,” says Gould. “For a memory to be formed, something needs to stand out in an event where emotions are activated. Since there is a direct pathway to the brain with smell, when an event occurs and a smell is there, it becomes associated with that memory and enhances it. While we are exposed to perfume throughout the day we won’t notice it, but if something happens while you’re exposed to that perfume it becomes incorporated into that memory,” says Dr. Gould. Most pleasant scents for everyone will be enticing, but it’s our individual experiences that make us feel a forged connection to them. The more profound experiences we associate with a perfume, the more prominent the scent becomes in our memory. Jerry Book, a second-year at Penn State, treasures the thick
vanilla and dark roasted perfume, Black Opium. The fragrance carries a meaningful connection to his Sicilian grandmother, who wears it religiously. “When I was younger and my parents were off at work, my Nonna would bring me to her house where we’d spend hours watching Italian TV shows and cartoons,” says Book. He recalls fond memories at night of his Nonna pretending there was a mysterious black cat in the neighbor’s window just to keep him entertained. And there, on the dresser, the Black Opium perfume would sit. “While I hate the smell of the perfume, I still find it comforting being able to remember moments in bed with my grandparents, and how I don’t really know how many more moments I have left with them,” says Book. The perfume carries a very vital reminder that time is passing; it’s not just a fragrance but also a connection to a past that is fleeting. Most commonly known in the perfume world are fragrance families: floral, oriental, woody and fresh. The four types of scents separate into creating different feelings and experiences that come from the smells, each with its own subfamilies. Picture freshly cut roses or a soft spring morning — that’s the floral family. Then, the oriental family is made up of warmth and richness with notes like vanilla and cinnamon. For those who value the touch of earth’s scents, the woody family takes hold, where cedarwood and sandalwood shine from the forest themselves. Lastly, the fresh family has the ability to encapsulate the sound of rolling tides and raindrops — think of early walks on the beach. Each one of the fragrance families takes on an important role in our sense of familiarity with humanity. Brands use these familiar smells in their scents to remind you of places. What is branding without a good story, especially one we connect to? Stories have the power to move people in a way facts cannot. The role of a perfumer is to tell a story, all through different
combinations of smells to create a perfectly curated memory in a bottle, to be sold at your local Sephora. Scent branding can come in many forms, from the smell of stores to our packaged orders. Each has us being touched with the feeling of wanting more. Crayons are one of the most commonly known smells for adults, with colors representing creativity, youth and nostalgia. We can all be brought back to when we first opened that flimsy cardboard box to a world of color. It’s no wonder that it’s a smell most adults know and love, wanting to give that experience to their children. Now every time their child opens that box, they too get to remember all the fun they had, forging the cycle of generational payments for crayons. Thus, having a scent attached to a brand can be crucial to its success. If companies are taking the time to hire specialized perfumers to help market products that aren’t related to perfume, it is very easy to justify that the connection to perfume and sense of self is important. Smell has proven to transport ourselves back to the past, choosing a perfume or scent can help us revisit memories once cherished. There is power in the way that smell triggers memories we had once forgotten and the ways it can come out of nowhere. The unexpectedness of what we smell relinquishes control of what memories might flood back to us. We cannot truly control how the smell of a forest might whisk us back to childhood hikes, or a meadow full of blooming wildflowers can remind us of our dandelion wishes. Yet, we can harness this power as our secret weapon, allowing scents to rescue memories we fear slipping away.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY: SHANA ANDREWS AND TAAY JAACK
OUTFIT BY: PLATOS CLOSET @platosclosetstatecollegepa 21
WRITTEN BY VANESSA HOHNER It’s a tale as old as time. You’re always told, “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say it at all.” These are words to live by. However, sometimes a situation arises where you should speak up for yourself. Being nice to someone else isn’t always kind to yourself. Some people face conflict headon and others avoid it just like the plague. Lots of times, we “people-please” to steer clear of conflict because we don’t want to displease a person but rather make others around us happy. The literal outlook of “people-pleasing” is synonymous with being a pacifist. Peacemakers thrive off conflict avoidance because it’s a lot easier to stay silent than to work through confrontation. It makes things awkward and messy. However, pleasing people is only a short-term fix that can quickly boil over. When you don’t communicate our feelings, it is harder to read signs like body language and small facial expressions that can get twisted and lost in translation. Inside of a person could be raging absolutely like a house fire, but on the outside, they’re masked with a smile. Communication not only helps with people expressing their own emotions but as well as the other person involved. People can’t read minds and are not always the most self-aware, so when we hurt someone’s feelings or vice versa, it’s important to speak up in those times when there’s a great lack of harmony. If the person knows they upset you or understands it might be something you’re not comfortable doing, they are unlikely to ask again. When you people-please, you aren’t being your actual true self. When you’re tailoring 22
to another person’s needs instead of your own, you also subconsciously want something in return. are essentially changing how you would normally People-pleasers often give an extraneous amount react to avoid a person disliking you or perceiving of TLC. When that meticulous amount of care is you differently. not reciprocated in the relationship, they feel their On paper, considering another person’s feelings, concern is one-sided. avoiding conflict or feeling guilty for saying no Hannah Bobrownicki, a third-year marketing is the best way to be, right? However, “people- major at Penn State, explains a time when peoplepleasing” can build up subconscious resentment pleasing threw a big wrench into her relationship toward the other person. Little things that would with her best friend. As two people who are both normally not bother you are now becoming much guilty of “the need to please,” Bobrownicki and bigger and creating more irritability inside you by her best friend found themselves not addressing harboring all this pent-up animosity. The question their concerns in an attempt to avoid starting a lies in where “people-pleasing” comes from and fight or being upset with one another. “We kept how those who have trouble saying “no” can break butting heads and there was noticeable tension, this “yes-man” cycle. but neither of us wanted to speak on it,” says According to Courtney Glashow, a licensed Bobrownicki. “I was upset with her, and she was psychotherapist who specializes in both teens upset with me, but we avoided it until it started and adults with anxiety and depression, “people- affecting how we were treating each other.” pleasing” often stems from learned behavior. Communication is key. Bobrownicki talks It’s a response that deals with conflict that can about how a non-judgmental environment fixed be conscious or subconscious. The need to please the friction they were having. “One night, we just can come from wanting external validation or talked about how we felt and it helped. I think if lacking self-love. Glashow mentions how it ends we didn’t talk and figure everything out, we would up hurting the people-pleaser in her article, “11 still be annoyed with each other. It allowed us to Reasons Why You Are A People-Pleaser.” see each other’s side and better understand what “They are always ready to lend a hand or be was upsetting us to avoid doing that in the future,” there for someone else. But when it comes down says Bobrownicki. to it, they are not there for themselves. PeopleBobrownicki and her friend thought they pleasers are usually great listeners and give the were doing the right thing by not bringing best advice,” says Glashow. “But they can’t take anything up, but, in the end, in an innocent that same advice themselves. People-pleasers effort to be nice, they weren’t being kind to usually don’t feel good enough or worthy enough themselves or each other. to help themselves.” A serial people-pleaser could
stabilizes our mood,” states Jones. Eye contact just fuck you — it’s way easier to do that on a one is stabilizing in and of itself. When you make eye night stand — than it is to literally sit next to your contact with a partner or friend, it grounds you to partner and look eye to eye with them,” says Jones. the moment and to each other. It is intimate. Jones revealed that she will practice eye contact with her patients who have sexual trauma. Prolonged eye contact is restorative. “I am rebonding with my partner because I see their eyes, and it brings me back,” she says. Eye contact is healing. Look me in the eyes. Not many phrases are that simple yet demanding. There is a reason why eyes are called the windows to the soul — they don’t have the ability to lie. Eye contact and body language speak much louder than words in intimate settings. “The way someone looks at you, “I think as we get older we lose the importance the way someone turns their body to you can of eye contact,” Jones says. “We lose the ability to tell you far more about their truth,” Jones says. have these loving, bonding connections because “Our body always knows our truth. And while we we are so focused on looking at everything else.” can convince our brain or our hearts of anything, Andreya Jones, a certified sex therapist with In such a fast-paced, technology-heavy society, we cannot convince the body.” you and I stand a doctorate in clinical sexology, revealed not it is easy to disregard meaningful connections. outside of my apartment, talking about our days. only the science behind eye contact, but also the We look at our phones, laptops and tablets in I bring up anything — how bright the sun seems great significance of it. From the first moment conversation rather than at each other. We have to be shining, the dog barking across the street, we are born, our eyes search for other eyes. The even resorted to finding love on apps instead of in grasping at straws to avoid the inevitable of having farthest distance newborn babies can see is from real life. “When it comes to sex and when it comes to part ways. Finally, when we can’t even linger in their mother’s breast to her eyes. “When we are to intimacy — doing eye contact, which is one of our silence any longer, we say our goodbyes and born, eye contact is a part of our world with our the most vulnerable things you can do — is letting see you laters and face our backs to each other to one person,” she says. When we make eye contact someone into your soul. It is letting someone into leave. I turn and look back at you, surprised to see with someone we love, are attracted to or even all of the things you are feeling. You cannot hide your eyes meeting with mine. Our gazes meet for are just fond of, oxytocin is released, which is the it,” says Jones. Discomfort with eye contact stems a second. I turn away to hide my smile, and you “love” chemical that enhances feelings of bonding from the vulnerability it makes the person feel. do the same. My face flushes, and I go inside my and commitment. “The other thing that goes up It is an interaction that is personal, carnal even. apartment beaming, wondering if you looked back is serotonin. That is what makes us feel good. It “In our culture, it is easier to let someone random just one more time, hoping to find my eyes. 23 In a crowded room, I search for your eyes. I make a joke to the people we sit with and everyone laughs, but I only look to see if you are laughing too. When I do turn to you, I find you’re already staring at me. My gaze lingers on yours before I finally pull away — drawn back to the group. But even though I am not looking, I can feel your gaze now on me still, beckoning my eyes back to yours. There are five known love languages — physical touch, quality time, gift-giving, acts of service, and words of affirmation. But, what if there was a secret sixth one that makes all the difference in romantic and platonic relationships?
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY: KATHERINE WOODRUFF
WRITTEN BY EVVY BLATSTEIN Outside it was warm and blue and June. I felt almost guilty for wishing for the cool, quiet air of the night like I was wasting the summer days that were graciously gifted to me. Soon, I found myself chasing the dusk of August, longing to catch it before it slipped away like the setting sun of July. The stars weren’t visible yet, but I could feel their presence. It wasn’t heavy — substantial, yes — but not heavy, never looming. The night didn’t demand anything from me like the day did. To write, to think, to feel plainly like we’re intended to.
of separation from life and the real world that comes with the solitude of dusk that seeps into the darkness.
I am plagued at night by my thoughts. I want to be a writer. I want to be a good writer. But I don’t have a single semblance of the qualities that make up one. My writing is too simple or too complicated. I’m trying too hard to seem like I am not trying at all. Like this is a talent that just comes naturally versus something that I have to put devotion, time, and practice into. I’m not a poet. I look into the night sky, and the universe doesn’t sing for me. Sometimes I Clarity is a virtue of the night and to me is simply write for the emotion of writing, and something that is never afforded during the day. other times I write to just to tell a story, and I don’t mean I am relieved from my thoughts sometimes I write just because I can. Because or worries or indecisions, but rather I am I feel compelled to. How do you wrap up the finally given the time to be alone with them. learned lessons of life into mere sentences? It’s the stillness. It is rich enough to revel in. You have to be worldly and wise or established. The peaceful quiet of the night is almost like Or maybe it’s none of those things at all. Maybe a temporary break from reality. There is an aspect it is the writer’s job to forget how people do it. 26
Should you wish on stars? How much of what we put into the universe is of our own volition? It is even possible that every path we set onto is something predetermined — a force of outside factors that make our choices while giving us the illusion we made them on our own. But, it is equally as possible that free will is what propels us forward — the belief that we create our own destiny. Regardless of which theory you believe, the universe always listens. Open the window and talk to the moon. Replenish your energy with sleep. Protect the sanctuary that is the nighttime. Be a dreamer and lover and poet. Or be nothing at all. So much of what is precious to life is squashed by the fast-paced, impersonal world we live in. Take the privacy of nighttime to absolve the sins of logic and entirely indulge in your most romantic and dreadful feelings.
“Outside now, it is cool and hazy and August. I’m tired and the stars thank me.”
OUTFIT BY: PLATOS CLOSET @platosclosetstatecollegepa
Sometimes we meet people that completely change the trajectory of our lives. How come we can walk into a big room with hundreds of people, but only a few make a lasting impact, even if they leave? Certain people cross our paths to teach us valuable lessons. Realizing the influence that people close to us have is difficult to quantify. People developed the idea of spiritual relationships, which helps to decipher the different types of people in our lives.
The most well-known types of spiritual partners are soulmates and twin flames. While it’s true these are similar in many ways, they also contain some core differences. A soulmate is often thought of as a person with whom one has a deep and profound connection that transcends time, space and even circumstances. This connection is rooted in the spiritual realm, and soulmates are thought to be intricately linked on deep a soul level. Many times, people know almost immediately when they have found someone who is a soulmate. A soulmate connection can feel like a gut feeling, or a feeling of immediate ease and familiarity. Soulmates are truly the most intense form of love and human connection.
Twin flames — also known as mirror souls — are closely related to the idea of soulmates, but they carry their own unique characteristics and spiritual significance. The idea behind a twin flame is one soul split into two separate bodies. These two souls
share an incredibly strong and deep connection that goes beyond the physical realm. Because people are fundamentally similar to their own twin flames, they function like a spiritual mirror that can reflect and magnify past traumas, strengths, weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
Another subset of spiritual relationships is the idea of karmic partners. As mentioned before, these karmic partners come into our lives to teach us a valuable lesson that has been repeatedly refused, whether consciously or subconsciously. These people are the catalyst for change of a certain repeated issue, negative behavior or pain from the past. Once the lesson has finally been learned, the karmic partner is removed from your life, either by you or by other forces. They are never meant to stay long term. People may have multiple karmic partners in their lives, each for a different lesson. Although karmic partners are associated with deep emotional pain, they are not necessarily bad or toxic people. Neuropsychologist Sanam Hafeez describes karmic relationships saying “some people believe that karmic relationships are agreements between two spirits to help the other grow before incarnating on Earth.”
The mirror, the window and the door constitute three major types of karmic partners. The mirror is a relationship that reflects both your positive and negative qualities, similar to a twin flame. This person
can help you become more self-aware by showing you aspects of yourself that you might not readily recognize. They serve a purpose to reflect the parts of you that need healing.
The window comes after the mirror. Their main purpose is to show you all new possibilities, even if you believe that you already know what you want. They unlock desires you did not know you had, before meeting the door.
The door is a relationship that is most similar to a soulmate. They come to teach a valuable lesson and are there to stay.
The beauty of these karmic partners is that they highlight the prime value in temporary relationships. Oftentimes, people are too focused on holding on way too long or expecting permanency from someone who is only meant to be temporary. The idea behind karmic partners emphasizes the joy of short-lived experiences: enjoy them, learn from them and then move on. Reflecting on the role someone is meant to play in your life eases the confusion and complexity of the human experience.
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Relationships come in many phases through our the time, when it’s child initiated it’s a good thing self-esteem for any child — boy or girl — things lifetime. Some have more of an impact than others. due to needing boundaries from parents who are do not go well,” says Maas. But, there are two people inside your life that hold being neglectful,” Maas says. In college today, Why is that 10 years ago affecting me now? the most weight within every choice you make: everyone is looking for different things within Relationships are about the give and take your your parents. When these relationships go awry, relationships. Whether it be a short or long-term partner puts in. But, if you choose partners who situations like divorce affect every single person hookup, partner for potential marriage or just ask you to put in 75% effort while they put in involved — most importantly, the child who’s someone to hear you vent your issues, everyone 25%, the relationship is bound to go awry. With felt the tragic dilemma of choosing a parent or looks for something uniquely catered to their own the new wave of feminism, society is coming feeling neglected. needs. But, all the potential walls built up inside to terms with the fact that women can want or Now we’re here today with our main subjects: of you could be there due to reasons you haven’t desire any form of a healthy relationship they dating and mental health, two hot topics students even discovered yet. choose without feeling pressured or ashamed. in university avoid. Whether it be crying over Your desire to find a personal connection with While hook up culture might be prevalent now, your most recent frat boy side-piece, managing a partner who satisfies both your emotional and you can still choose the relationships that suit long-distance partnerships or dealing with your physical needs may oppose your hyper-awareness your personal needs. Finding the niche balance parents separating and questioning whether love that they can disappoint you. There’s also the pre- between self-improvement and relationships can is even real, college has truly seen it all. For those meditated expectations set by your parents that feel daunting, especially when there’s no male who have experienced parental separation and instills confidence and expects support from not figure in that coveted spot for your numberdivorce, it can be difficult to view relationships only yourself but also your partner. But, you’re on one biggest fan. You may want to fill up that in the same way after the split. However, for girls your own now, kid. Sadly, whether your parents position by any means necessary. This can cause who experienced this major breakup within their decided to stick around for that part does not people-pleasing and can frame your view of life own lives, the disconnect between a daughter matter anymore. If the choices that you’re making with a male-centered and an “idealistic” version and father has not only been capitalized on but are based on the way your partner views you and of what you want. But, you can start out small also stereotyped in society. Fathers ever-present how you feel about yourself, the worth you truly and work your way up to a blossoming hook up in their daughters’ lives have now transitioned think you do or don’t deserve forces us to question or relationship. Friends are here, mentorship is into a scenario where they become just like an why we’re feeling this way and where it stems from around and, most importantly, doing the work on ex-partner — one that only comes into your life ... AKA those daddy issues. Penn State Professor yourself to create someone you want to be before for a season. Dr. Sarah Kollat spoke on the ways that familial you decide to settle down in life. Where exactly does this stem from? Whether issues can cause early puberty in young girls. Remember that the stereotype of having it be Sigmund Freud’s theory of the attachment “Early pubertal maturation in girls is related to “daddy issues” is a code word for a person who we have with our parents or generational trauma, father-absent families, conflict-ridden households might need some more self-love in their life. Not referring to someone a “daddy’s girl” comes with and sexual abuse,” Kollat says. This issue, however, having a strong presence and partner around you the connotation of their dad being their first love. does not just affect women within society, but men that holds you accountable for your own faults According to Dr. Megan Maas, a Professor at as well. Fathers are just as important in their sons’ and shows you a real version of support and love Michigan State University Human Development lives as well as their daughters’. Equal support can feel jarring. Relationships and breakups are and Family Studies, the transition from a present inside and outside of the home allows their son’s very difficult for anyone going through them parent to a ghosted parent can feel detrimental to to feel supported. If that support is not there and college is the place to discover how your life the individual child choosing to move on from any longer, the kids will feel a deficit and search situations have made you into the person you are the parental relationship. for affection somewhere else. “While this can be today. So shout-out to all the people with daddy “If the parent is not supporting their child and true for fathers present within their daughters’ issues, look how we’ve progressed in our college neglecting them it’s incredibly painful, but a lot of lives, when the motivation is to fulfill a deficit in lives without our absentee parents! 31
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY: SHANA ANDREWS AND TAAY JAACK
OUTFIT BY: LOVE IT @loveitupcycle
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Love tends to find you in the places you’d least expect. It could happen through your phone, in the back of a crowded lecture hall, or even on the steps of Old Main. People love to talk about the glamorous and scandalous parts of college relationships, the meet-cutes and the anniversary dinners. The trickier aspects such as setting boundaries or meeting the parents aren’t as fun to think about. Like, what happens when you fall for “the one” from your math class and decide to bring them home for the first time? Talking about the past, your childhood and personal family dynamics doesn’t always come easy. For those in relationships, conversations about your background and who you were before being inducted into the cult that is being a “PennStater” are inevitable. Sharing the nitty gritty of your upbringing is a deep form of intimacy, and sometimes you can feel like a deer in headlights. Lending someone stories about your childhood, family and culture are already pretty vulnerable. These complex feelings of anxiety mixed with giddiness only get compounded when you bring a significant other into your world. The Bachelor doesn’t just make such a big deal about “hometown dates” for no reason! In a new relationship, half the fun is getting to know each other. One thing about visiting someone’s hometown that can’t be replicated in State College is seeing one another’s bedroom, art studio or den. These spaces say a lot about a person beyond their favorite colors. A person’s room reveals the idiosyncrasies of an individual, as well as the years and years of accumulated information. The way you personalize your tiny sanctuary says a lot about who you are and where you come from. Even if the very small details you chose when initially decorating your room may not mean much at all to you now, they hint at parts of your personality that have remained throughout your lifetime.
Sam Gosling, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas and author of “Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You” discovered three ways in which we leave clues about ourselves in a space, either deliberately or unconsciously. These three ways are through identity claims, mementos and behavioral residue. Gosling explains these as “deliberate statements we make to others about who we are.” An example could be hanging a poster of your all-time favorite movie on the wall,
displaying a framed family portrait or showcasing your old soccer trophies. Mementos are objects meant to evoke a certain emotion or represent a memory for the dweller. They most often serve as a reminder of something; for example, an art project or stuffed animals. Mementos are unique because, unlike identity claims, they’re for the benefit of the occupant — not other people.
existed. “I loved how personable his room was compared to how I pictured a typical teenage boy’s room would be,” she says. “I learned more about how close he and his brother are. I could tell that they’re really best friends. That combined with posters, jerseys, team pictures and family photos, posted all around his room from the time he was in elementary school to high school. It was a lot.” For Deyo, the best and true most fulfilling part about her chance to see Patton’s childhood home was how she came so much closer to him through his past.“I was able to see firsthand his love for his Rooms tend to reflect the lifestyle of the hometown, our connection grew stronger because person living there because of their behavioral I was able to experience such an important part of residue. If the room belongs to a musician, they his life with him. It made it feel like I had known may have a guitar propped up in the corner. If him my whole life, almost as if I had always been the person is a bit chaotic, their room might be there with him” messy. If they’re obsessed with Starbucks, the Patton pointed out that Deyo’s room decor trashcan might be overflowing all with empty mirrored his own, which affirmed their shared venti cups. PSU students Carly Deyo and Witt value of family. “In Deyo’s room, some mementos Patton have been dating for just about two years. that stood out to me were pictures of her family They met under the luckiest of circumstances: a on her dresser. I also have the exact same thing on blind setup gone right. While at school, they like mine because family is always number one. It was to spend a lot of time together. Whether they’re something else about her I knew I could relate to hanging out at her apartment or his house, they’re just from comparing how we like to decorate our quite used to being in each other’s space. But rooms.” He agreed with Deyo that visiting each what about seeing beyond where they are now? other’s home brought them closer together. Unlike What’s it like to really see where one comes from? Patton, Deyo has moved several times, all within Their first times visiting each other augmented the the bounds of her hometown. Instead of her house way they viewed their significant other. With Deyo being the epicenter of her life experience, she has being from Richmond, Virginia and Patton, from many unique stories about growing up. “After the Saratoga Springs, New York, Penn State truly is the week spent in Virginia it 100 percent brought us hometown of their relationship. closer. Now, I can put a picture to all of the stories Those who know Patton are quick to describe she would tell me about home. Being able to see him as energetic, fun and the life of the party. It’s where she grew up was a ton of fun,” Witt says. no surprise his prevailing emotions about visiting his girlfriend’s hometown for the first time were positive. “Excited is an understatement for how I was feeling leading up to the visit. I’ve always loved the idea of living in Virginia and was excited to see it for the first time,” Patton said. “With me being in New York and her being in Virginia, it’s Love is born every day here at Penn State. a challenge for us to get a chance to be together in It may sound unbelievable, but it’s happening. our hometowns. When we have the opportunity The roots of love will remain here — ever heard of to visit each other we never take it for granted.” those people who get married at Old Main? — but Naturally, Deyo shared a similar sentiment — any let it grow everywhere in your life. Bring it to your flicker of anxiety overshadowed by her eagerness. favorite coffee shop, let it walk your streets; bring Deyo identified several things about her visit it home with you. Deyo and Patton are exemplary; to Patton’s hometown that made the experience they were both gracious and eager to see each feel special to her. The picture he painted of her other’s homes. They artfully noticed more about hometown rang true, but how personal the decor each other. They brought their loved ones home. of Patton’s bedroom was to him surprised her the most of all. She saw a snapshot of two decades’ worth of Patton from a time before she even knew he 35
WRITTEN BY REEYA KULKARNI For a lot of people, college has become a second home. We’re being left to our own devices, with newfound independence and responsibilities — exploring adulthood, new friendships, new connections and overall, a new life. But what about the home we’ve left behind? While college can feel like an exciting endeavor, it can also feel like stepping into something strange. With college requiring us to move on from so many fragments of our lives, it also can require us to leave behind the people in our lives. People we might love and cherish, people we might have wanted to get away from or maybe people we needed to outgrow. Time and distance are often grueling tests to put our lives through, which begs the question: how do our relationships with those at home stand these tests? Somewhere on the fifth floor of Beaver Hall, a muffled voice is heard, “Are you gonna be coming down for parents’ weekend?” Some of our parents would probably answer yes, some no and some might not answer at all. It doesn’t seem that loaded of a question: we want our parents to be around while we’re in college. While this might not be true for everyone, there is some degree of idealism associated with wanting your family involved in your life after moving out. You want your family to come to campus, to find themselves involved in school spirit, to show them around town and take them to all your favorite places. The distance college can put between you and your family could result in a greater appreciation of what you once had. Some college students say that their relationships with their parents have improved since attending school. “I think I appreciate my parents a little more now that we’re apart, honestly,” Penn State student Ravish Mungee says. On the flip side, the distance could give you proof of what you knew wasn’t the healthiest version of home for you. Still, events like parents’ weekend can bring joy and excitement, to have your parents actively engage in the life you’ve built for yourself outside of home. Despite the independence
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and thrill of college life, you realize you miss home and its irreplaceable comfort. You see someone in Panera on a FaceTime call. “Hey! Oh my god, we miss you so so much, when do you come home for spring break?” Being at college means that your experience and your journey on the way there is most likely unique. If you’ve moved away from your hometown, but the people you hold closest stayed behind, it might feel like you’re looking back at a snow-globed version of what’s happening there now. Stories being posted of people living and growing, somehow filling the void that you thought would be left behind in your absence. Maybe you’re missing a friend’s birthday for the first time or unable to attend the graduation of another one. People you used to see in person everyday are no longer within reach of your support. A student who chooses to remain anonymous shared her experience of being unable to visit a longtime friend during the loss of his family member. “I tried my best to call him and talk to him, but I don’t personally think it’s enough to make up for the physical distance, you know? I would rather have been right there with him through it all,” she says. She talked about knowing and acknowledging that with life comes changes in relationships — and those may include distance. “I don’t need to call my friends all the time and we can talk once a month or sometimes even every few months. Even then, because everyone values our friendship so much, it’s like I never left.” You ask your roommate what they’re doing tonight but they say, “Oh, I’m staying over at my boyfriend’s apartment. Doesn’t matter anyway, you’ll be on call with your partner all night.” Relationships and college … relationships in college: two difficult words to put together. Maybe you experienced a break-up before you got here, maybe you found someone new or maybe you’re one of the brave few that’s decided your relationship can persevere whatever distance. If you’re one of the former, things can get pretty complicated. Distance can force people apart and that might seem necessary on the surface, but the emotions involved in such a decision might stick with you
throughout the rest of your college years. A big reason why pre-college relationships break up is the idea that exploring your dynamics with different people might help you choose the right person. Despite this, a good portion of relationships are long distance. Penn State student Swara Talati only sees their partner around twice a year. “People might say it’s naive, but I just think it’s a personal choice thing. If you trust your relationship to put it through the distance with the end goal of being together, there’s nothing wrong with that,” Talati says. “If you think taking some time apart or permanently being apart is what’s best for you, that’s perfectly fine too. Everyone’s romantic life in college is a different experience.” Someone’s morning alarm rings and they pick up their phone to go through their notifications. 3 missed calls at 5:35 a.m. There are unique college experiences and then there are those of international students. When you’re living continents away from home, your relationships are tested. Some international students who VALLEY spoke to at Penn State reported time zone differences of somewhere from nine to 13 hours from home. Their relationships cannot be easy to navigate. When you’re an international student, you are not only leaving behind friends and family, but you’re also leaving behind a language, a culture and the environment you’re familiar with. Some students may have the privilege to go home every summer, but others haven’t been home in nearly two years. Even when you do go home, everything’s slightly off — new stores have opened in alleys once familiar to you, and you find the sights and smells of streets you used to walk every day almost foreign. “I get sad sometimes, feeling like I’ve left my culture and what I grew up with behind. I spend so much time trying to fit into society here that I’m now unfit for the society back home. It’s a weird feeling,” Penn State student Vedha Pranesan says.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: EMMA HAMBRECHT
COLLEGE CAN BUILD A COMMUNITY, FRIENDSHIPS AND THE MOST UNIQUE OF EXPERIENCES. HOME IS HOME, WHETHER THAT COMES WITH A POSITIVE CONNOTATION FOR YOU OR NOT — BUT COLLEGE CAN MAKE WAY FOR YOU TO EXPLORE A DIFFERENT VERSION OF WHAT THAT WORD MEANS TO YOU.
WRITTEN BY LUCY KOZAN It might be routine to double-tap a relatable post can relate to.” For @ pennstatechicks, Towers on Penn State Chicks’ or PSU Barstools’ accounts, manages platforms such as TikTok, Instagram possibly repost it or even save it to your favorites and Twitter, so she often creates content for more folder. You might find a specific post humorous than just one account. “My dream job would be to and share it with some friends and laugh about have a podcast potentially with Barstool,” Towers memories that the post made you think of. Have says. Working with a branch of Barstool inspired Hannah Fagersten, now a Penn State alumna, you ever thought about the people behind those Towers to attempt to take it to the next level and worked with @psubarstool throughout her college memes, photos and videos? Let’s introduce you to pursue fulltime employment with them post-grad. years. After her graduation, Fagersten landed a the people who put thought into what Penn State full-time job with Barstool Sports. Her own story students would relate to and laugh at — some proves that getting as much experience as you of the unsung heroes who make our day just a can will really help in the long run, especially if little bit lighter. you are looking to pursue a future career in social “Being the very first person to run and create media. Getting involved with accounts such as @ content for this account, I have gained countless psubarstool can broaden your skills in whichever skills that will help me thrive in a future career,” career you decide to pursue. Mia Paschuck, an Instagram admin for our Penn “Without @psubarstool, I would not have had State’s LineLeap branch account, says. For the the opportunity to intern at Barstool Sports NYC, students interested in pursuing media professions which had led me to be the TikTok manager at Tyler Towers, a PSU third-year majoring in after graduating, getting involved through any Barstool,” Fagersten says.There are success stories broadcast journalism, has run the accounts for @ of these smaller accounts can impact much more everywhere, just look at Fagersten. psubarstool and now oversees @pennstatechicks. than most would think. Paschuck took on her own Each of these creators provide people with Running a social media account around Penn position at LineLeap in hopes of making her mark daily laughs, posts and memories. Not only do State might sound easy, but figuring out what throughout campus. these posts humor us but they create a stronger content will be relatable to more than just one “Since the initial post done on March 17, the bond for the Penn State community as a whole. demographic can be challenging. Towers figures account has grown to over one thousand followers Whether it’s memes about the PSU football team out what will be relatable to the majority, as the and has over 100 unique posts including follower or funny videos of friends at the bar, these unsung posts usually generate more than 1,000 likes. submissions, memes, and interview videos,” says heroes save the day whenever you catch yourself “Usually I am very active on social media and Paschuck. Creating your own identity within a laughing at your Instagram feed. try to pay attention to all of the different social school as big as Penn State can be hard, but getting Remember that without these people scenes in order to discover the most relatable involved in any way you can, especially if it will behind the big accounts, we wouldn’t be content for students,” Towers says. “I try to think help your future, can be extremely useful. able to enjoy this ocial media as a school. about content that will appeal to everyone or will Sometimes, it is easy to forget that some include many different types of content regularly, heroes don’t wear capes, they wear a lapel so everyone will be able to see something they mic at the bar. 40
WRITTEN BY ALYSSA OPRIS Money lingers. Since your mom sat you down else tries to twist it. This system is not built on of fertilization. “There is quite a lot of empirical after dinner one day and told you that Christmas fairness, or righteousness. evidence supporting the fact that obtaining a will look different this year because mommy can’t Ewout Verriest, an assistant professor at Penn college degree is associated with substantially afford your list. You go to college with loans, in State University in the Department of Economics, larger future earnings. The data shows that the hopes to one day be rich. Or, rich enough to pay explains that the college system can be a tricky so-called ‘college wage premium’ has increased your bills, feed yourself and not give up one or the thing to consider. “Not everyone can afford the over the past several decades, which suggests that other. You go to college for this hope. initial financial and time costs of attending college, the rising costs of obtaining a college degree have Some people are born into generational wealth because of credit constraints or other burdens — also been accompanied with larger gains from or poverty. Some are born on a trust fund, some like needing a full-time job to support themselves doing so,” Verriest says. Of course, it is what you to a paycheck-to-paycheck family. There are or family members, not having access to affordable do with a degree and what you do with your time exceptions to every case, of course. You hear of loans, not having enough time to balance college in college that will help benefit your future the self-made millionaires who rose from rags into and work, discrimination or social stigma, etc,” most. But, in order to use a degree, you need to get riches. But, you also hear of your college classmate Verriest says. a degree. The nuance of college varies from person having a job lined up for him at Goldman Sachs Verriest says that colleges all across America, to person. Some say college is not worth it at this straight after graduation when his dad has worked including Penn State, typically have heterogeneous rate. The way the system is set up benefits people there for 20 years. characteristics in parental background (parents more than it will ever actually harm them — even You know that your childhood friend wasn’t who went to college, versus a first-generation as college prices go up. People will pay any price able to attend a college because his family can’t student,) income and financial status (students they can to attend college, but this will inevitably afford it, and he has to support them by working. who don’t need to take out loans versus students leave even more low-income students behind. College, for your childhood friend, is a far-off who do need to take out significant loans.) Most “Attending college [and having access to do luxury that is not in the cards for him. He could students at Penn State are in the position where so] is an important mechanism in improving what have climbed the latter if given the chance, but their parents can afford – or sacrifice – their child’s economists call upward intergenerational mobility, now that chance is made exponentially harder. education. and help break the cycle of poverty for your and While college is not a guarantee for a stable life For some, college was set-up right from birth, future generations,” Verriest says. with stable income, it can open a lot of doors. The mainly because of financial freedom. But for In order to break up cycles of poverty, people opportunity is taken away, and there is no choice other families, choosing to go to college may need opportunities. They need accessibility. They in the matter — that’s how cycles of poverty, of be more constraining. College is not the only need education. They need spaces to thrive. living scarcely, of not even living comfortably, way to start a career, make money as an adult College can be that haven. It just needs to be a continue. And it’s not fair, no matter how anyone or set up your future. It is, however, a ground universal truth for all children raised in America. 41
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Anger, depression and Adderall. Handcuffed to with them, while Nick was left to do his thing and only thing that was going through his head. It a hospital bed in the suicide watch unit, all Nick do it well. Nick’s diagnosis truly meant no possible wasn’t the accomplishments, or the idea of his could think about was Adderall. How the hell was future with his primary sport and no postseason limitless future that made Nick feel powerful, it he going to get his hands on some Adderall? workouts after school. Hearing the doctor confirm was knowing he had a way out of it all at the end Nick Chermol was a loud kid – outgoing, that something was wrong was very distressing, of the day. smart, athletic, maybe even a bit funny. Sitting but that shock also came with a hint of relief. “I Throughout the ceremony, the celebratory with him now, in a room with just a desk and finally don’t have to do all this shit,” Nick says he dinner, the family photos, the speeches, “You two chairs filled by you and him, that’s still the remembers thinking. could tell I was off,” says Nick. “The day I Nick sitting across the table. He is a 23-year-old Around that time, his friends decided to try knew I was going to use, you could just see it in who is personable, nonjudgmental and engaged. psychedelics. If you asked 18-year-old Nick, he me, I was just waiting to get to that point.” The He plucks his headphones off his head, sets them would have said all his friends were also constantly handshakes, the congratulations, all of it was down on the table and leans back in his chair, waiting for their next trip. “The second I tried overpowered by this foot-tapping eagerness to making himself comfortable. You wouldn’t know psychedelics, it was always as soon as possible to get to the point of the night he was waiting for. by looking at him what he has survived, but then do it again. You have to wait two weeks in between The ticking of the clock was getting deafening up again, you wouldn’t know one in every 10 guys or else it won’t work — those two weeks,” says until the very moment he got to fully escape into who look just like Nick walking past you on the Chermol, “I am dying to do it again.” that other world. street are alcoholics, either. “I thought my friends were like that too,” Nick The night of high school graduation is “You hear a lot of stories about people with says. “It took me until I got sober to realize people normally sealed by some nostalgic tears and a addictions having some fucked up shit happen to don’t think like me.” Chermol remembers doing slice of cake; Nick’s came to a close in a hospital them; I don’t really have that. That’s still something acid 10 times, 10 weeks in a row. “You completely gown with an IV pricked into his skin. That I’m trying to figure out, like ‘Why? Why do I do escape everything,” says Nick. “You are put into acid tab, the illusive white getaway, became the this?’” asks Chermol, “It’s really hard.” a different world. I couldn’t understand why the sobering vessel that sent him to the emergency Senior year of high school, Nick’s doctor whole world wouldn’t want to do it.” room. heard a murmur in his heart and confirmed the “I was constantly going back and forth from abnormality as Bicuspid Aortic Valve. Up until making my parents proud, making myself proud, then, he was just like all his other friends. Sure, he and just crumbling it,” says Chermol. smoked weed sometimes and yeah, he drank the It’s high school graduation. Friends crowded “My parents were terrified, but they were way plastic water bottle filled with his parent’s vodka into Nick’s home for a night entirely devoted more supportive, I don’t know,” says Nick. “Maybe on the weekends, but he always made it to football to celebrating their successes. “I basically I just work better with something stricter. I was so practice the next day and still maintained the high forced everyone to leave my house,” says Nick. angry at everyone, at everything. I was so tired of grades needed to stay at his competitive school. “All I cared about was taking acid.” Nick tried thinking people had these expectations or I had Nick was a varsity athlete, vice president to convince his childhood friend to take acid expectations for myself, and I was just like ‘Who of his class and overall, not someone his parents with him and the friend wouldn’t budge. But gives?’ I really did not care.” ever needed to lose sleep over; and they didn’t. Nick had his mind set on ending the night with With two younger siblings, his parents stayed busy that trip, which meant all day long, that’s the 43
Nick explains patiently that this is exactly how the convincing him that it would just be one beer, and brain of an addict functions — it’s constantly he still doesn’t know if he’s the one who should be tricking you into thinking things weren’t as bad giving advice. The almighty 12-step program of as they actually were. Your brain purposefully sobriety, brought on by Alcoholics Anonymous, Nick was a first-year at Penn State going through blocks memories so you can’t even realize how are the steps that make you sit in your addiction, in the motions of a typical Saturday spent amidst dire the situation was — how close you were to your anger, in your discomfort and feel the exact the shadows of Beaver Stadium. “I knew I had dying. And maybe during that time Nick knew weight of it on your chest. Each step pushes you to see my dad later, and so I asked my friend if he was dying, maybe he just didn’t care to live. toward success, accountability and helps change he was prescribed Adderall,” Nick stated. “I didn’t He was on autopilot, going through the motions peoples lives. Nick has not done them. Lots of even think it would get you ‘high,’ I just thought day in and day out, and was painstakingly angry Nick’s hesitancy has to do with religion, which people took it to amp them up to study or focus. I for every second of his survival. He was willing Nick isn’t too keen on. His own sponsor identifies just wanted to be present.” to give up the booze, or at least tell people he with atheism, which Nick doesn’t exactly resonate “I wasn’t looking to get this unimaginable gave it up, which in reality just allotted more time with either. Nick’s sobriety is very personal. In high. The second I took it I was like, ‘Oh my god, devoted to his beloved pills. He wasn’t going to the beginning, the journey was about conquering this is the best shit ever,” says Nick. let those go, not while in this cycle. His girlfriend the withdrawals and the imposter syndrome, and Nick, from the chair across the table, switching at the time thought he had lost his mind. Dec. 10 now his reflection of the past is more something between making eye contact and looking at the was a Tuesday night, her birthday, but a Tuesday that prompts the hard questions. wall, tells his story from a bird’s eye view. From nonetheless, and Nick gifted her a present of 25 A very big question for Nick is, “Why am I so this room, he can remember that day being the Adderall and 25 Xanax pills. “Shit boyfriend of the afraid to do these things that I want to do?” Why first time his 19-year-old self thought he might year right,” Nick jokes. His girlfriend would do was he afraid to get sober? Why was he the one to have a problem. That worry manifested as a small the drugs with him, but mainly because she liked have to get sober when his friends were partying, knot in his stomach, a minor lump in his throat. Nick, not the highs. Nick picked up the first of the too? Why would he hold back from pursuing a On that day, he simply cleared his throat and kept transcending capsules, swallowed and woke up near future doing what he loves, like comedy or going. It was State Patty’s day, a few months from four days later with no pills to be found. podcasting, which he has successfully started as the first time Nick experienced the powerful allure During these four days of a dreary Xanax haze, @allcapnobrim, his sobriety and wellness channel, of that small capsule of Adderall. It’s a holiday Nick recalls scalding shower water striking him for takes off. Asking these questions doesn’t always for most all Penn Staters, and Nick was simply hours on end. Cans of Fanta stood upright next to have to lead to any kind of answer, and most of doing just what everyone else in State College was his girlfriend, distraught, shaking back and forth, the time, it doesn’t. He does know that he has doing — drinking. A lot. sobbing on the frigid, wet tile. Hot fog made the been taking it one day at a time, now for over Nick paints the picture of him and his friends bathroom dense, inescapable, cut by the echoes of a thousand days, and is “taking the time to see walking through their freshman year dorm. The Nick’s incoherent mumbles through the water. what path I’m on right now.” beige hallway is brought to life by personalized Christmas Eve, over the chatter of the family “Accepting that you have a problem and you door decor and posters of upcoming events. One gathering and the festive music being played, an can’t control it was really hard for me,” states by one, these posters began getting torn to shreds irritated Nick escaped into the basement as often Nick. But through that acceptance, Nick gained as a Nick, who was too far gone, tried to break as possible and drank away his tiredness of a Xanax confidence and a new perspective that he did not through the very walls of his freshman year home. come down. Nick’s family thought he was sober have before. “I used to be ignorant to different Through the sounds of dry wall cracking and the because he claimed to have given up drinking, he kinds of people,” says Nick. “But it stopped when harsher cries of Nick slurring his suicidal thoughts may have even thought he was sober so too, but the I realized I’m not who I thought I was either.” He out loud for the first time, his friend dialed 911. socializing and the fake conversations were getting is more empathetic and he now knows he is wellNick’s addiction was constantly getting caught to Nick. That week, Nick drank, and drank, and equipped to handle hard situations. He actually within cycles. The first being the repetitiveness with each sip got more angry at his surroundings. handles them — sitting with his feelings and of trying to tamp down his over eagerly addictive Picking a drunk fight with his girlfriend in his focusing on his reaction — rather than sip, smoke mindset. “If I start using a little,” says Nick, “It’s childhood bedroom filled high with trophies or swallow them. Nick has, what he calls, “radical going to be extreme in a couple months.” The and school photos resulted in his dad hearing accountability,” a better sense of self. He describes second cycle is the more specific one he would screams from downstairs. His dad interjected and himself as creative, more in-control and still pretty get stuck in daily while using. “When I got too eventually sat with Nick, nodding his head and loud. In the chair, he is comfortable, calm and angry or too anxious, I would start drinking to keeping his voice calm, as he listened to his grown taking up more space than he realizes. calm down. If I got too low or I wanted to think, son who all the sudden seemed just like a little boy He knows that he has a story to tell and that I would just smoke weed, which would make again. That Christmas break, the family agreed on acts as the vehicle for all his advice. He can tell me paranoid. Then, I would drink and eventually an outpatient facility and Nick got sober. his story as the man he is now and let whoever just pass out,” explains Nick. “I would wake is listening draw the comparison from the person up and feel awful and be like ‘Thank god I have he is talking about from that bird’s eye view. His Adderall,’ and if I didn’t have it, stay out of my thoughts are clearer up here, less crowded with way.” And these vicious cycles were good at The day Nick sits across from you now at the anxieties, depression, and anger. There’s more what they did — they were incessant, with table just happens to be day 1,001 of his sobriety. room for creativity, understanding and growth. so much control and determination that even He mentions this right at the beginning of the It’s a new cycle Nick finds himself in today: one as Nick sits in that chair now, he still struggles retelling of his addiction, but prefaces everything of invention. He pursues new hobbies, strives for to remember certain things. “It’s hard for me he says about his sobriety with a big disclaimer health in all its realms and obsesses over becoming to remember because it’s so terrible,” says Nick, that in all honesty, he might not know what he’s who he wants to be. sitting perfectly still, eyes lingering on the wall trying to say. 1,001 days of sobriety, of successfully ahead. “It’s hard to explain how low.” stifling that villainous voice in the back of his head 44
OUTFIT BY: PLATOS CLOSET @platosclosetstatecollegepa
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WRITTEN BY SARAH GROSCH The definition of a doll is “a small model of a human careers. Additionally, the brand has pushed for diversity, figure, typically one of a baby or a girl, used as a child’s now having 40 different international dolls as well as toy,” according to Oxford Languages. This past summer, dolls with different body types and disabilities. Needless some pieces of plastic captivated the world. In late July, to say, Mattel expanded its branding from the signature the release of “Barbie,” starring Margot Robbie and classic blonde doll. Ryan Gosling, rekindled kids’ and adults’ love for the While many companies expanded by collaborating popular toy. with the Barbie brand, the beauty and fashion industry Due to marketing strategies such as clothing and that fully immersed themselves. Brands like Zara and food collaborations, social media promotions and a Pacsun not only launched Barbie-inspired clothing lines, soundtrack with popular artists, the film built up a lot but the Barbie craze also filled most storefronts with hot of hype before its debut. Loyal fans and accommodating pink. Many small businesses took the opportunity to join boyfriends packed the theaters on opening weekend. The in on the trend. Lock Boutique, located in downtown film ended up grossing 33 million dollars on opening State College, released a Barbie-inspired line. For owner night alone. Between the hot pink Instagram pictures Lydia Schaffer, this collection was about much more than everywhere and the endless lines of collaborations, our hopping on a trend. reality has become a Barbie World filled with references When asked if she had a special connection to Barbie, to other Mattel toys and products. Schaffer said that: “When I was growing up in the 90s, The famed Barbie doll has been around for 63 years, Barbie was huge. My friends and I had large plastic totes appealing to multiple generations. The seats filled with filled with Barbies. In the summers we would take our fans who all had something in common: a love for the totes to each other’s houses and play all afternoon. It’s doll they grew up with. All of the very loyal fans of all safe to say that Barbie started my interest in fashion.” ages contributed to the success of the movie. In 1959, Schaffer says the collection succeeded, “I think everyone Ruth Handler launched her doll at a toy fair in New is getting excited to dress up for the movie premiere. I’m York City. The original doll, selling for $3 in 1959, now also thankful the movie is coming out in the summer. It’s values at $25,000 in 2023. The doll, inspired by figures much easier to sell pink in the summer as opposed to fall like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, reflected old or winter.” Hollywood glamor. Due to the rapid success and sales Schaffer was correct, the long awaited premiere of of the doll, in 1961, Barbie got a boyfriend named Ken. the movie seemed like an all-inclusive red carpet fashion Since the early years of Barbie, the doll has had over 150 show. After the release of the film, every social media
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platform was covered in pink glitter. The Mattel brand made an impact by constantly advocating for diversity and inclusion… right? Despite the diverse casting and feminist theme, at the end of the day, a skinny blonde is still the Barbie we know and love. Yes, there have been attempts for change, but our idea of Barbie will always be the same: the classic, stereotypical, standard of beauty, exemplified through Robbie. The film left some fans feeling like Mattel did not accomplish their goal of demonstrating inclusivity in Barbie Land. The blockbuster’s release unleashed everyone’s inner child, which completely submerged the world into Barbie Land. Ruth Handler, the creator of Barbie, played by Rhea Perlman, gives Barbie this piece of advice... advice... “Humans only have one ending, ideas live forever.” Mattel and the entire Barbie team are full of fresh ideas. Between marketing collaborations, beautiful costume design and a fun soundtrack, the company showed their unlimited creativity and that 63 years later,
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OUTFIT BY: THRIFT KING @thriftingking
EVERYONE WRITTEN BY ALYSSA OPRIS You tell your mom at the age of six, after watching require an audience, and just in general crave a Fame can have negative connotations, but it truly “Hannah Montana” every morning before school type of stability that doesn’t involve the chaos of cannot be achieved without the right amount of begins for months on end, that you want to be a fame. But that does not negate the avenues of fame hard work. Plus, as everything else in this life is, pop star. From an early age, you knew you were that can be achieved in today’s age. You can be a fame is extremely nuanced. What even constitutes destined for greatness, for the glitz and glamor niche influencer for just about anything. It can be fame? We the people decide that. We the people of a big Hollywood singer. Miley Cyrus isn’t too empowering. make people famous. different from yourself, your mind reasons. From Fame is many things – some say it is an evil Celebrities are one thing we will never escape. magazines, to commercials, to books, and even incarnation or the best of humanity – and it is not We grow up with actors, musicians, models, and clothing stores, it all seemed to be thrown in your so black and white. A wisp of a dream might turn now, influencers. They are part of the way we face. There is nothing to life but great success that into someone’s career, and their work will forever live. An influencer says to buy rosemary oil for appeals to a voyeuristic audience. be immortalized and a source of inspiration. your hair, and it sells out. We trust them because You perform concerts for your family with Madyson Eisen, a third-year student at Penn as humans, we don’t want to feel alone. Look at a plastic microphone, you beg your mom to buy State studying telecommunications and a minor fame as a collective. A connection of thousands you glitter eyeshadow, you wear sparkly skirts and in sports media, says that as a child, she had an of people who share the same interests. Fame will have bracelets going up your arm (the bracelets are inkling of a thought to be famous, as many young keep growing, and content will only get more too tight, but you knew, even at the age of six, that girls have in their youth. As it turned out for advanced. Get on the train or just enjoy the ride. beauty is pain.) At the age of 12, long after you’ve Eisen, her dreams morphed into reality — but it At the end of the day, stardom may not be forgotten about Hannah Montana, you are forced isn’t about being watched, or about the attention possible for the majority of people — and maybe to take choir classes. Your singing brings you back but rather creating her passions into something it is better that way. Maybe not everyone is meant to your dreams of making music. tangible. “My ultimate goal with my career is to to be famous. That innate desire to be famous may Flashforward to high school, you would less inspire young girls to get involved in the sports never go away, and you may always tell your mom: rather sing and more rather become an influencer. industry,” says Eisen. “I like to create content just “I want to be a pop star.” If you can’t be a pop star, You spend your adolescence watching seemingly because it’s my passion and I have so much fun then watching other pop stars may need to suffice. normal people put makeup on and document doing it, but obviously reaching a large audience their day. They are normal people, you reason, but is a big part of content creation. I’m not thirsty for there’s a twinge to them that you can’t quite put followers, but it does help you obviously create a your finger on. Do you have that slight twinge, name for yourself and shows that hard work when too? To one day be the algorithm’s favorite and [creating content] pays off.” suddenly have thousands — no, millions — of Eisen is a local content creator at Penn State, people watching you for you. but her work has brought her opportunities from While it would be unfair to say that everyone Beaver Stadium to Yankee Stadium. The motive wants to be famous, there are certain children in for fame can have a bad reputation — but most the media age growing up with the big idea of people can admit, even if only to themselves, that fame in their head. A lot of people grow out the desire to be noticed and praised for your work of it when they find other passions that don’t is intrinsically beneficial for their confidence. 53
AND THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF IT ALL.
You’re sitting on the couch with your boyfriend on a Sunday evening. You’re doing some light reading, and he’s entirely engrossed in playing a video game. Suddenly, you hear a series of obscenities and slurs erupting from his mouth, aimed at the virtual enemies on the screen. “Where has this side of him been all this time?” you wonder. He doesn’t seem very much like the boyfriend you’ve come to know. It’s a scenario that many have encountered — an aggressive persona that only comes out during gaming sessions. This raises some questions about the possible correlation between video games and real world aggression. Why is it that normally quiet people have anger outbursts when they’re playing Mario Kart? Why does that casual State Patty’s party turn into a battle royale once somebody whips out Smash Bros? Why do we turn on those we care about the most when there are video games involved? The big phenomenon of heightened anger during video game sessions is common, especially among young men. Video game rage has sparked debates about whether video games can influence people to become more prone to violence. Why do those who normally do not have any violent tendencies can become aggressive when playing their favorite game? Those who play extreme violent video games may also develop violent tendencies in real life. The only
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thing left unclear: do violent people seek out violent video games, or do violent video games just make them that way? “First, anonymity might make people feel like they can get away with toxicity and bullying. This makes sense if we assume everyone wants to be a jerk in real life as well, but that’s probably not the case,” Michael Schmierbach, a Penn State media studies professor, says. “So anonymity alone isn’t a great explanation, but it’s probably a component of the issue.” When people feel more anonymous, they feel like they can get away with more extreme behavior. From mean comments to hate videos, when there aren’t any consequences, boundaries are removed and lines are crossed. But as Schmierbach points out, this doesn’t explain why people can get just as mean when they are in a room full of people they know. “Another factor is social learning. We pick up on what other people do and imitate their behaviors, especially if they are rewarded for it [or escape punishment,]” says Schmierbach. “If a specific game has a toxic community and many of those who act worse have been playing the longest, we might figure that’s just how to behave.” All too often in college, there are social pressures. Maybe gamers don’t learn how to behave from the game itself. Maybe they learn how to behave from each other. Think about it... the first time you were introduced
to your most beloved video game, was everyone in the room playing calmly and rationally? Probably not. The gaming session that you look back on as what sparked your love for video games most likely took place in a room filled with verbal obscenities. It is important to keep in mind that everybody is responsible for their own behavior. There is no game that can physically make you act a certain way: that behavior is coming from inside of you. “Finally, one thing to consider is that games don’t make most people say mean things,” Schmierbach says. “Lots of people don’t play online games, avoid games where people are mean or simply mute other players. So those people who keep playing and keep talking in these games will be a small minority of folks who are determined to be disruptive or cruel.” That post-game guilt where we all suddenly feel bad about an angry outburst at a friend is a totally normal part of the gaming experience. What is crucial to keep in mind is that we should act on that feeling of remorse, remembering to behave better next time. So, maybe, the next time you’re sitting around gaming with your friends, remember that it is just a game. As you ponder the unexpected outbursts, keep in mind that you are in complete control of the words that come out of your mouth.
The concept of a family is not so easily defined. If you were to look up the literal meaning of the word, you’d find that a family is regarded to be “a group of two or more persons related by birth, marriage or adoption who live together.” However, some would say that nuance is lost in this definition of what a family is.
“Found family” or “families of choice” is a trope in all your favorite pieces of media that challenge the definition of a family. A ragtag group of people, sometimes they don’t even all have to be people — from different walks of life, possibly having faced some hardship and rejection from the world around them, find themselves in each others’ company. They realize a bond between themselves, one that transcends a family line drawn by blood and blossoms into a relationship powered by love and a need to protect one another. This trope is widely loved in whatever genre or form of media it may present itself in. Why is it that we feel so attached to such depictions of familial love?
From the characters in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” to those of “Stranger Things” or even “Friends,” the trope is a fan favorite. The importance of this trope proves that a connection like this can exist, even though it is often overlooked. The concept of a found family can bring joy and hope to those who feel like their blood has somehow failed or abandoned them. Ultimately, what we long for is what we like to watch on our television. “The concept that you don’t have to be connected by blood to form a family and to be there for each other
is comforting in a variety of situations in life and seeing that in media allows me to feel that comfort too,” Baya Manjezi, a student at Penn State, says. “Found family feels like being wrapped in a hug which is telling you that maybe you’re not alone in any of this.” We feel a deep connection to the characters involved in a certain storyline because they prove that people can give and receive unconditional love, even when their biological families deny that love. This is part of why this trope can often feature characters that are queer and resonate with people in the community. “As a queer person, there’s always the fear of those who are simply supposed to love and accept you no matter what, who are just simply not doing that. The trope sort of makes you feel like it’s not all lost, since there’s no one type of family, you know?” says Manjezi. A “chosen family” is a widely known idea within queer and marginalized communities, since they often look for people to lean on rather than families that may have abandoned them. “Pose,” a show about New York City’s ball culture, presents a prime example of the found family concept within the queer community.
the audience what healthy parental relationships look like. The father-daughter relationship is especially explored quite a bit, with El and Hopper from “Stranger Things,” Aloy and Rost from the game “Horizon Zero Dawn,” and even Michael and Erin from “The Office.”
Close friendships, sibling-like bonds and the occasional romantic pairing
The book “Six of Crows” or the universally beloved show “Avatar: The Last Airbender” are primarily known for the excellent dynamics and close friendships depicted between the characters. However, most recently, Marvel’s “The Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy exemplifies the trope and becomes one of the first things you’d think of when someone says “found family.” The characters have all previously separated from their family in some way. At the end of these journeys, they found comfort within each other. Brilliantly written, character-driven stories connect the audience with these characters. You connect with their situations and experience their love and relief. Audiences popularized the found family trope because they find a sense of relief or comfort in seeing people enjoy each other’s company, treating each other with The media explores examples of traditional family kindness and respect, because they chose each other. dynamics, such as Joel and Ellie from “The Last of Us.” A rugged, traumatized man who has closed off his heart after having lost his daughter in a tragic accident meets a young girl with all the spunk, hope and drive in her that he desperately needs in his life. He eventually takes on a father-like role towards her and their relationship develops from orbiting in each other’s reluctant company to a deep bond, where both parties protect the other against all odds. This relationship ends up healing both characters and, in a way, for the audience as well. Genuine love and care between a child and their parental figure reminds
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY: SHANA ANDREWS AND TAAY JAACK
OUTFIT BY: LOVE IT @loveitupcycle
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Imagine you’re back in your childhood bedroom. You’re placing the finishing touches on your first day of school outfit. Middle school is here and you’re rocking the freshest two-piece layered t-shirt attached to a nice lace camisole adorned with glittery soccer balls. But, you were different, you wore the best outfit with your cropped lace leggings and the added touch of a ribbon headband and ballet flats. This was the average outfit for young pre-teen girls ages nine to 11 from the late 90s to early 2000s. Every girl felt represented from sparkly numbers to a “tomboy” look. You could just walk into any store and find clothing appropriate for the school dress code. In 1987, the company Tween Brands, Inc., created the store “Limited Too.” Before Justice, this was the primetime store for 80s to early 2000s babies to find their perfect look. Then, the store adjusted its marketing; thus, Justice was born.Times have changed. Young girls once wore Justice and Children’s Place, but they now turn toward the teen and junior sections earlier than ever. Stores like American Eagle and H&M are becoming the go-to places to shop for this age range and not in the kid’s section. Stores like Children’s Place, Claire’s and even Justice have closed or been forced to relocate. As a retail store known once for its beloved sparkles and passion for fashion, Justice has itself a new home in the coveted juniors section of Walmart.
Justice showed a generation of young kids that showcasing your own unique style could be original to you. However, due to the first wave of Internet celebrities replacing pop stars and Disney actors, influencers are causing a decline in individualism among young people. These children are very impressionable, and — just like our early 90s and 2000s stars — young kids are now trying to emulate the looks of these influencers. The rise of influencers, mixed with societal issues surrounding girls’ appearances,
showcases the effects of how society often treats children for simply being kids. Podcast host and pop culture enthusiast Monique Washington believes that, “one moment we ask kids to dress age appropriately, and we judge them. But then, if they’re dressing a little bit more mature, we still judge them, which doesn’t make any sense.”
guide children in the right direction but rather support them in their choices of self-expression appropriately.
Companies should pay more attention to how their fashion brands choose to showcase the “pre-teen” experience to kids. Collaborations with influencers like Charli and Dixie D’Amelio Millennials and Gen-Zers have now fallen into targeted toward young girls now mirror a Bethany the same cycle as previous generations by judging Mota collaboration with Aéropostale that catered the choices of children for what role models and to a past teen audience. Out of a total 70 women celebrities they look up to. Our once-beloved surveyed, 60 believe that the reason why children Hannah Montana has now turned into today’s Jojo dress they do today is due to companies not Siwa and Lay Lay and even semi-inappropriate catering to them, which forces them to dress older. TikTok stars. This calls for concern because the Brands and their celebrity spokespeople need to role models today have a major impact on the lives be mindful of the impression they deliver. They of these children. They emulate everything from do not need to change themselves but rather the their hairstyles, dances and even clothing choices. products they sell to impressionable kids that But with all the clothing choices seen on these soak up every word they say. celebrities, children have now fallen on either “With kids now having a very high exposure spectrum. “When we were younger, we dressed to all social media, their clothing choices can be like our favorite celebrities, now these kids do the overextending outside of their age group,” Penn same,” Penn state student Madison Cole says. State student Yacine Fall says. Justice itself is now If children dress like today’s Nickelodeon or working from the ground up to rebrand to become Disney stars, they’re seen and judged as immature more inclusive. Not only with the influencers and not on-trend for modern fashion. But, if you or products they showcase but also the models decided to mosey your way inside an American they choose and their choice to sell at Walmart. Eagle store and pick up the latest back-to-school Their sizing is more inclusive for kids with varying fashion for college students, chances are you body shapes, showcasing diverse models and, could see a middle schooler today wearing it. This most importantly, still selling their clothes at an pressure for early maturity in young people stems affordable rate. The choices matter, and Justice from the demonization of girls today. As society will not just be a vintage fad anymore. continues to evolve with the trend of “wokeness,” It is okay to wear clothing that might be we are now forced to look within ourselves to see seen as “uncool.” Every style and brand has how societal pressures have harmed us. Women its season. As the world continues to change, so and little girls alike are fighting to break free from will our thoughts and morals on growing up. the stereotypes placed on them, including the But, remember where you were and how you adultification of girls today. felt at that age. While Justice might be fazed The concept of being a woman and femininity out now, don’t forget that at one time they are all called into question when we hold the next were seen as “Limited Too.” Your childhood generation of kids to the same standards our is not completely dead, and kids today are parents once held. This doesn’t mean we don’t exactly who they are — kids. 59
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY: KAYLA MARCH
OUTFITS BY: THRIFT KING @thriftingking
WRITTEN BY NATALIE UNTCH The desire to live a life of opulent wealth captivates many people’s dreams. From paying close attention to royal weddings to following the steps of their favorite celebrities, we are entranced by the allure of affluence. Amidst the aloof glittering world of billionaires, international royalty, A-lister Hollywood celebrities and Silicon Valley CEOs, Nicole Pollard Bayme has seen it all from right behind their closets. As the CEO and founder of the luxury fashion styling company, Lalaluxe, she creates the images of some of the wealthiest people in the world. Typically shopping for clients at stores featured on Madison Avenue in Manhattan or on the sunny Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, she selects brands ranging from Hermes, Chanel, Bruno Cucinelli, Loro Piana and Dior. “I could bring over a million dollars’ worth of clothes and they could buy it in one drop,” Pollard Bayme says. The high price of a luxury personal stylist might seem extravagant to the average person, but for the elite, it’s an essential investment.
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“The elite get the best of the best in every industry and that is their masseuse, their golf instructor and their stylists,” Pollard Bayme says. “That’s why it’s our job to give the information in the most efficient way possible.” For a billionaire, efficiency means time, especially for those who travel. A stylist’s job involves designing a truly unique wardrobe tailored to each individual by creating a personal uniform with a harmonious color palette and the ability to mix and match pieces. In accordance with Pollard Bayme, her wealthiest clients prefer to look understated, aiming to not draw attention to themselves. “It’s less about drawing attention to oneself but more about who is the person behind the clothes,” she says. “The clothes don’t speak, it’s the person’s expertise, passions and placement in the world.” Billionaires meticulously care about detail. From the wallpaper that graces their mansion walls to the material of their watchbands, details are the secret to the quiet luxury language. The average person might see a grey sweater, but an elite will notice the signature stitching
that makes that sweater worth $5,000. The upper elites’ ability to recognize these miniscule details means that expensive clothing must fit perfectly, even with undergarments and loungewear. “That’s the difference between wealthy people and everyone else, they could buy a t-shirt off the rack and I might close the neck to make it fit better or adjust the sleeve length. Everything is made for them,” Pollard Bayme says. For these clients, maintaining an impeccable image during press conferences or public appearances is crucial for their success. Any distraction, such as ill-fitting clothing or worrying about loose stitching, can significantly affect their ability to perform with grace. Consider the times when you’ve personally experienced the discomfort of ill-fitting clothing and how it consumed your thoughts throughout the day. Now, amplify that concern to the magnitude of a national address or a critical public speaking event. The significance of well-fitted attire becomes all the
more daunting and essential. Social media has given us access to the quiet luxury and old money lifestyle through aesthetically pleasing content, to the point where we believe that we understand that world without having any connection to it. However, we are convinced that we can enter this world as long as we look the part. Companies deploy this marketing strategy to influence us to spend money because if we spend money, we might actually make some. “That’s what these brands pump out to make money, it’s the most basic marketing 101 and the entire American economy is falling for it,” Pollard Bayme says. In its essence, style is attainable to everyone without needing to overhaul our whole wardrobe. When we acquire new pieces, we should do so with intention and purpose. Anyone can cultivate style by knowing how pieces are made, looking to shop vintage for longerlasting clothes, learning about color theory and the right fit for their body type. From two decades of working in the fashion industry, Pollard Bayme has witnessed
how social media created a trend of buying culture, decide to make a name for yourself. As a well renowned resulting in everyone looking the same and missing the stylist and established entrepreneur, Bayme says... authenticity that comes from embracing personal style. She emphasizes that this is a moment to think about the swing in trends, encouraging us to examine our own style and who we want to be. “Having confidence radiating because you love what you’re wearing is important, it’s about looking inward and dressing outward,” she says. The gravitation towards the old money style is understandable. When we see people dressing that way we assume they automatically have class, respect and pedigree. We have become obsessed with the idea of being classy and sophisticated through our clothes without acknowledging what it means to be classy, which extends beyond fashion. Look to the people who you admire around you to find your own elegance. True class, true elegance or sophistication reflects in your attitude. Your inner beauty can be seen in how you treat others and how you
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OUTFITS BY: GOODWILL STATE COLLEGE @goodwillintl
It’s the giant sweatshirt you wear everyday. Either the one you bought at the beach or on your first college tour. It’s soft and just barely worn. Or it’s tattered and stained with remnants of past coffee orders, though you never seem to have the time to bleach it. This sweatshirt is your escape, where your body resides from class to class, from dinner to going out, from even a goodnight sleep to the next morning. While this sweatshirt is your most comfortable article of clothing, it can also be a place to hide, keeping others from seeing your insecurities. Many of us would much rather be swallowed by our clothing than feel it flush against our skin. What makes the big sweatshirt so appealing? Why does the giant t-shirt from our dad’s closet feel so much better than a fitted shirt? Why do we prefer hiding behind clothes rather than wearing our true size?
While there is comfort in oversized clothing, much more of this concept has to do with how we think of ourselves internally: how do we see ourselves out of these baggy jeans? Maybe in reality, when we stand in front of the mirror, fresh from a shower, hair wrapped in a towel, we don’t love the person staring back at us. Maybe parts of us are too full or too hollow. We see either too much or not enough in the mirror. Suddenly, our once formfitting jeans are too tight or too loose, so wouldn’t it just be better to wear something baggier? To wear something to cover it all up? “Comparing ourselves to others or not feeling as though we are enough usually reflects in our style choices,” says Kirk. “Often, we see people we admire posting on social media about new purchases, and we make those same purchases in hopes of being like them No matter the weather, the larger article of clothing or being perceived a certain way. I have succumbed in our dresser always seems to find its way into our to this many times. I almost always set myself up for pre-planned outfits. In the summer, it’s an oversized and disappointment because I expect a piece of clothing to worn-out t-shirt. In the winter, it’s the sweatshirt that fix how I feel about myself.” was purposely ordered two sizes too big. The look of “drowning in clothing” never seems to go out of style. This love for oversized clothing is partially due to the popularity of thrifting, according to Cece Kirk, a third-year fashion merchandising major with a minor in fashion media at Kent State University. “Thrifting culture heavily plays into this trend, given that second-hand For women, perhaps the very concept of the giant stores don’t typically have multiple sizes of one product,” sweatshirt is away to discontinue age-old stereotypes. says Kirk. As Kirk points out, the possibility of sizing up Women now no longer go to the grocery store in hoop is encouraged in thrift stores with the limited amounts of skirts or corsets, establishing the hourglass figure. Even sizes, fueling the desire to buy clothing that is too big. the notorious “women’s cut” shirt has found its way
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to our bag destined for Goodwill. On the contrary, we wear our boyfriend shorts, our mom jeans, our most baggy t-shirt and go into that Giant or Stop & Shop confidently. “Especially for girls, like when we were younger we would run around in our mom or our dad’s big shirts,” says Cassie Leach, a second-year student and the merchandise chair for Penn State’s Fashion Society. “And as you grew up, society made us believe that we had to wear tighter clothes and show off our figure because ‘that’s what a woman should do.’ But by making oversized clothes a statement or a trend is our way of healing our inner femininity.” However, for women as well as all other genders, underneath the layers of oversized clothing may lie what we desperately want to shield from the rest of the grocery shoppers: what our bodies actually look like. The perception of what others think and what is “trendy” can sometimes leave us choosing the sweatpants over our once-favorite skinny jeans. This idea that people will judge you for what you wear around town lingers in everyone’s minds. People are more concerned with their own outfits than what you are wearing. Even the frat boys wonder if they picked the right formal shirt to wear on this particular Tuesday.
SO WEAR THAT DAD SHIRT TO A FAMILY DINNER CONFIDENTLY, OR WEAR THAT SKIN TIGHT DRESS THAT HAS BEEN SITTING IN THE BACK OF YOUR CLOSET WAITING TO BE WORN. YOU LOOK GREAT EITHER WAY!
What you wear on your feet says more about you than sneakers, first buying multiple pairs of the same shoe.” why we’re interested in them,” he says. To find out what you may think. For sneakerheads, shoes portray one Sneaker collecting relies heavily on exclusivity. The sneakers are trending, Dunne talks to representatives of their most avid interests. Zero’s is a resale sneaker parent companies intentionally do not sell enough pairs from the brands and stores, visits sneaker stores and and hype retail store in Los Angeles that started through of shoes to quench the demand for them, driving the even checks out what people are wearing in New York owner Zero Selon commodifying his collecting habit. cost of limited edition sneakers up and making them where he lives. “I was just always obsessed with shoes, especially Nikes more exclusive. Resellers then come in and make a big Dunne must also consider the status of a sneaker and Reeboks,” Selon says. profit. “The thing that causes the up most frustration in the mainstream fashion world and in the sneaker Brendan Dunne runs all of the sneaker content at [in the community] is the tools that we have for buying world. Fans regard some sneaker styles as shoes that complex.com and co-hosts two shows about sneakers, these shoes and determining whether or not they’re fair,” only true sneakerheads wear, whereas other shoes have “Full-Size Run” and a podcast called “The Complex Dunne says. transcended into the mainstream and become popular Sneakers Show.” He writes about sneakers in his daily In a DOAJ journal titled “Sneakerheads as fans even with those not involved in rabid sneaker fandom. life and edits pieces that appear on Complex’s website. and sneaker fandom as participatory culture,” author He cites Nike Dunks and Nike Air Maxes as an example Dunne gained interest in sneakers as a teenager, started Ekaterina Kulinicheva writes about how some fandom of this phenomenon. Whether you are rocking working in the field in college and has since worked in cultures are often associated with resistance. In the Nike Dunks or your favorite Converse, kick it the sneaker world for the duration of his professional sneaker world, the resistance is against the large parent any way you want. career journey. companies.“One form of resistance is hostility to large “For people like me, sneaker collecting came out brands like Nike and Adidas. Another is dislike of of this obsession in the early 2000s with finding the rare many top brands’ marketing or distribution policies, shoes, the old shoes, the shoes that people had forgotten which fans may feel go against the needs or interests of about,” Dunne says. “You had collectors going into old the fan community,” Kulinicheva writes. sportswear stores and digging out deadstock, never Online bots create another obstacle sneaker fans used, discontinued shoes.” Selon got into the sneaker face in buying new styles. Some resellers use bots to game over a decade ago and has since watched it grow buy out the sneakers at a speed impossible for a regular enormously: “It had a pretty meteoric rise, the pinnacle consumer to match. The bots exacerbate the issue that would be about four years ago,” Selon says. Fashion is a even long before the Internet, sneakers were exclusive great means of self-expression. In sneaker culture, the and difficult to acquire. “I think [bots buying out the parent companies, such as Nike, Reebok and Adidas, sneakers] happens a lot, but I don’t think it happens as control the system. much as the layperson thinks it happens,” Dunne says. “Brands started to take notice that people cared “It’s easy to assume that this process is unfair because about these things and used them to say something somebody is cheating.” Dunne can personally recall about their identity and that gave birth to the production times in the early 2000s when sneaker fans would camp of rare limited edition styles, special collectors versions, outside of stores in order to get sneakers right when collaborations,” Dunne says. “It goes back even further they hit the shelves. into the 80s when people in New York were dyeing their “Not being able to get the shoes, to some extent, is
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“The sweater she wore when she first held me in the hospital still smells just like her perfume to this day. The buttons that configure the eyes of the bear are the The sense of touch is so omnipresent, and its effects buttons to her favorite sweater,” Parente says. “I can still so seemingly ephemeral, that it most often gets taken for remember her contagious laugh and dancing around her granted. However, like a terribly itchy sweater, no matter kitchen in that same sweater that makes up the body of how much we hem, cut or alter, the brain can not ignore the bear I hold so close to my heart every night.” feelings that demand to be felt. Your superstitious lucky socks, a sweatshirt soaked in first love and a haunted going-out top. Sometimes the fabric we wear has a way of materializing a memory in a particularly potent way. Author Emily Spivack explored the human connection to Our sense of touch is far underestimated because of clothing in her 2014 bestselling book, “Worn Stories.” how instantaneous we experience its effects. However, Spivack brings together a collection of memoirs from when a person interacts with an object, person, animal, ordinary people and the memories encoded in their etc. that touch lingers in your brain. A recent study wardrobes. She found that most people have a hard time conducted in 2018 by Fabian Hutmacher and Christof parting with garments that haven’t been worn in years. Kuhbandner found that the sense of touch has been This depth of meaning lies in the stories that are thinly far underestimated for a long time; physical sensation veiled within even the simplest of shirts. generates far more complex memories than we initially thought. In their experiment, participants were blindfolded and given two nearly identical objects (in this instance they were given pens.) Then, they were given a memory test: they were asked to determine which In Harry Potter, Voldemort disperses the memory pen was which, based on nothing but touch. They were of himself into seven horcruxes to preserve his life. Each correct 94% of the time. Even more jarring, when the of these items hold significant meaning to him and his experiment was replicated, and the memory test was “life” that eternalize pieces of his soul. People do this given a week later, participants still answered correctly too (in a less evil way.) To augment the limitations of 84% of the time. our animal brains, we offload memories onto external These results conclude that no, it’s not irrational to things. The way that the majority of people process shudder at the touch of the pink halter top worn on the grief most accurately demonstrates this experience first night of freshman year (the one that ended beside a of creating extended memory systems. Following toilet surrounded by Goldfish crackers.) That’s just your the death of her grandma, Allie Parente’s mom made brain interacting with the fabric, calling details to the her a bear using fabric from her late grandma’s clothes. surface with the help of some threads. “Clothes mean Keeping her grandma’s memory very close to her heart, nothing, until someone lives in them” - Marc Jacobs Parente’s likes to bring the bear everywhere with her, for It’s one thing to imagine a moment from the past, example her apartment here in State College. but it’s another to hold it in your arms. “Although
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sometimes the bear holds my tears, it also holds my hopes, my happiness and every word I wish I could’ve said to her, but never got the chance to say” Parente says. On the other hand, some clothes can even trigger unwanted flashbacks of nights gone wrong, failed plans or dates that never happened. “I had the comfiest black crewneck. I liked how I would look kinda put together in an all black outfit so I always wanted to wear it. But, for some reason, every single time I wore it I would end up having the worst day ever. I would fail a test, realize I had forgotten to do a homework assignment or if I wore it before a cheer competition, we would never end up winning. I’m convinced it’s haunted or something,” Aileen Mulcahy, a third-year Penn State student, says. It can be frustrating, losing agency over your own belongings. Thankfully, there is a scientific explanation behind the human tendency to hoard clothes that can’t be worn or serve no true purpose.
The ex’s sweatshirt, while it can be literal, serves as a metaphor for all of the clothes we keep but never wear. There’s no way around the feelings sewn into their fabrics. So, what should you do with your ex’s sweatshirt? It’s time to come to terms with the fact that for better or for worse, wearing it is like wrapping yourself up in the past — which not only is suffocating, but makes it nearly impossible to let go. Say thank you for the times and good bye. Donate old clothes to Goodwill, Plato’s Closet, GFWC State College Women’s Club or any other thrift stores you know of in State College.
Eye drops, powdered Pedialyte, a crumpled receipt know, your bag can’t be zipped shut, it weighs from breakfast with mom, expired student visa, 10 pounds and could be classified as a weapon if the lip gloss that TikTok made you buy, Lactaid swung around in a rage. wrappers, a stained Covid-19 vaccination card, A wallet, three-step lip combo and a digital too many quarters and one single penny, a sample- camera. Lara Sluszniak’s white Dior dupe shoulder sized Gucci Bloom, a Trojan Magnum BareSkin bag has only “the essentials” to make the move punctured by a safety pin, but no house key in between bags as painless as possible. The only sight. Of course, it had to slip past every obstacle thing missing is Advil for the weekends. Her three and layer of my bottomless pit — or maybe I left it other purses are currently empty, waiting for her in my other purse. weekend outfit to choose them. After turning 21, There comes a time in every person’s life Sluszniak elevated the concept of owning a purse when they transition from the phone wallet to from accessory to necessity. a larger vessel slung over their shoulder that can “I wouldn’t say that the organization of my fit more than just a student ID and credit card. purse has anything to do with the organization It usually happens around the time that they’ve of my life, but I wish it did,” says Sluszniak. She lost the backpocket lipgloss enough times that keeps the contents light because when things get repurchasing it isn’t much as silly as it used to be. crazy, at least she can find the key to her front Pulling a Zoey101 isn’t glamorous and turning door without having to shine a flashlight in there. your key into a bracelet is a recipe for disaster. All the receipts live there too, they’re just hiding The purse is the ideal home for your can of mace out-of-sight, out-of-mind in her wallet because your parents gave you on move-in day and the nobody needs to be reminded of how much they breath mints you bought that same night because spent at Ulta. The evolution of a purse owner you never know who you’ll run into at the bars. typically follows the ABAB pattern of practicality, But, it’s easy to get caught up in this newfound accessory, practicality, accessory. Your first purse power and illusion of proactivity. Next thing you is the first step to getting your life in order. It’s
typically simple and versatile since this is all new, and you don’t yet know what you might need on hand at all times because you haven’t yet experienced the endorphin rush from someone asking, “does anyone have a tissue?” and there you are about to save the day. Your next bag just might be somewhat of a statement. Maybe you’ve opted for a texture that’s really out there or a neon color because it matches one singular outfit you impulsively bought for spring break. Regardless, you can anticipate a lot of switching between the two because this new bag limits the occasions that it can be shown off. Things get lost in the transition every time. Your debit card is in your other bag, so you better hope your roommate has enough funds to spot you this time. Next purse is more sophisticated. It’s a classic that you could keep wearing until the seams give in or the zipper handle gets ripped off — whichever comes first — because this will ultimately be your heaviest bag. It’s starting to become a challenge to pick and choose what objects have earned permanence because you always seem to find yourself in a situation that requires face sunscreen, your entire ring collection 69
or that stupid bulky portable charger. You think house her essentials and was too classy for trips you have it all figured out right now. to Trader Joe’s. Last summer, she bought her first That’s about where most of us have made it to bag and has been upgrading ever since to meet unless you studied abroad in Europe and it “totally her ever-expanding special requirements. There changed your life” after you paid the Italian leather comes a time in every person’s life when a small market a visit. Each bag demands a different child asks if they can look through their purse, version of you the same way that each day does. and without a second thought, the answer is “NO” The person who owned that first very practical because there’s something there that shouldn’t be, bag is someone who you admire and miss, but buried under a nest of receipts and tickets. This is you’ll never be them again because they never a good opportunity for a deep clean. knew what you know. Two Band-Aids, a used Whether you dump everything out on your Starbucks gift card, an inhaler, a smushed protein desk or pick each item one by one, it’s all coming bar, a singular earring, a neon green lighter, back now. Your achievements, your sorrows, Aquaphor, hand sanitizer for flu season, a Tide your dreams and the steps you’ve been taking to stick, champagne toast-scented hand sanitizer and reach them. In every faded letter on little papers a little gray seashell. Dani Hess has everything and each coin with no monetary value that have in her everyday bag except for any of her credit accumulated since your last trip, your purse has cards or forms of identification because they didn’t become a time capsule left behind by the person make the move from last weekend. that used to be unrecognizably you. “I was in a panic this morning even though Your purse was once an extension of you who this always happens,” says Hess. “Like, how do my didn’t know which offer to take, who didn’t like credit cards end up in a purse that I didn’t even your sophomore year random roommates, who bring out?” Hess’s red Brandy Melville bag was an would fight all the time with your older sister, who upgrade from her first bag that could no longer failed an exam for the first time, who craved Playa 70
Bowls on a weekly basis. That person would be so proud of you — maybe a little surprised, but proud, nonetheless. The more purses you own, the more you understand that there are no wrong choices. By labeling a decision as incorrect, you assume that you’ll be rewarded for taking one path over opting for the other, but you fail to take into account that the universe has no fixed agenda. The moment you decided to switch from an iPhone wallet to a shoulder bag, everything started falling into place whether you understood that or not. It was the first time you really had your own back. When we grow up, we want to embody what makes us proud. We want to purse our dreams, our responsibilities, the moments that changed us and our identity. We want to keep those things handy and accessible “just in case.” A purse’s — journey coincides with your own, and its clutter never interferes with your clarity. Pursing change comes much more naturally than recognizing it. Pursing balance comes more naturally than understanding it. Pursing wisdom comes more naturally than articulating it. It’s all part of the great pursuit.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: MICHAEL LANCIA
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OUTFIT BY: PLATOS CLOSET @platosclosetstatecollegepa
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