THE WAKE VOLUME 19 - ISSUE 12
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THE WAKE ISSUE 12 - BIZARRO
PRODUCTION: Executive Director Creative Director Finance Manager PR/Ad Manager Social Media Manager Art Director Web Manager Distribution Manager Production Interns Art Interns
Macie Rasmussen Kiley Nelson Nikhil Barr-Saxena Claire Redell Madison Amland Morgan Wittmers-Graves Juan Rujana Cassie Varrige
Designers
Kelsey Hanscom, Samantha Fischer, Ellie Kestner
Grace Augustin, Skylar Neuber, Tymia Phat Joe Price, Gavin Schuster, Selena Philaphandeth, Laura Kuchar
EDITORIAL: Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Cities Editor Voices Editor Music Editor Online editor Copy editors Multimedia Editor Multimedia Producer Editorial Interns
Tala Alfoqaha Emma Chekroun Sylvia Rani Esther Chan Tosin Faseemo Sammi Divito Autumn Sanders Hannah Haakenson Sebastian Alfonzo Courtenay Parker Ian Knoll, Isabel Teitelbaum, Megan Bormann, Marley Richmond, Kylie Heider, Prahlad Sankrti, Emma Smisek, Martha Huson, Kinga Mozes, Jemma Keleher
THIS ISSUE: Writers
Tala Alfoqaha, Grace Augustin, Megan Bormann, Esther Chan, Emma Chekroun, Samanthan De Leon, Tosin Faseemo, Joshua Jordan, Jemma Keleher, Bri Maikranz, Khilav Majmudar, Kinga Mozes, Nina Raemont, Marley Richmond, Isabel Teitelbaum, Madeleine Ware
Art
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1 Morgan Wittmers-Graves 2 Meredith Song 3 Kinga Mozes 4 Marley Richmond Cover and feature art by Joe Price
The Wake Student Magazine - 126 Coffman Memorial Union, 300 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 Š2020 The Wake Student Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Established in 2002, The Wake is a fortnightly independent magazine and registered student organization produced by and for students at the University of Minnesota. The Wake was founded by Chrin Ruen & James DeLong. Disclaimer: The purpose of The Wake is to provide a forum in which students can voice their opinions. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not representative of the publication or university as a whole. To join the conversation email eic@wakemag.org
OCTOBER 9—18
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DEAR READER, Thanks for clicking on our final publication of the year: a digital issue offering guidance for living in quarantine. Right now, it’s hard to find a corner of the internet not filled with pain, anger, or despair. For me, the scariest emotion of all is numbness. In a futile attempt to regain sensation, I let myself eat blueberry waffles every morning. I send voice memos back and forth to friends just to hear their voices. But what’s been most effective is diving deep into my camera roll. As I scroll through months of Twin Cities’ outings, house parties, and intimate spaces, I yearn for the moments that have passed. Once I’ve escaped that initial dwelling, I’m able to recall feelings in a way that reminds me that those types of emotions will return (whenever that may be). In the app that holds the moments I want to remember, I see pictures of Dorian Electra and 100 Gecs. I can’t articulate the distinct feeling of being surrounded by people who have the same level of enthusiasm for an artist that I do. It feels liberating to jump around carelessly while simultaneously not being able to move. It’s funny to miss being covered in other people’s sweat. A photo on the Metro Transit 3 reminds me of the comfort of sitting by a friend or, more specifically, of making a bus-ride pact to be more vulnerable in the upcoming year. Or, it’s the feeling of curiosity when I’m sitting two inches away from a stranger, wondering what they’re listening to.
I find a video of friends doing karaoke for someone’s birthday. Watching that seven second clip, I feel overwhelmingly grateful to have crossed paths with someone I met on a study abroad trip, as well as a friend who gave me her number on the first day of Journalism 1001. When I see clips of dance parties in a torn-up basement, I’m reminded of how cared for I felt when I lived in a crooked house with three kitchens and nine roommates. Scrolling further back, I see a picture of The Wake’s staff sitting on Folwell Hall’s staircase. It’s a photo filled with so many talented people, and I hope I’ll eventually get to work in an environment with the same amount of dedication and creativity after graduation. I’m proud of everyone who’s contributed to the 12 issues we’ve published this year. So, having felt such strong emotions, I imagine how much joy, comfort, and excitement I’ll feel in the future. And I’ll keep tugging at that thread of hope when callousness or alienation creeps in. I hope we’ll see the next issue of The Wake in print. With love and gratitude, Macie
I wonder why I appreciate the presence of strangers. I see pictures with friends at the Kitty Cat Klub, chatting around a table while snippets of unintelligible conversations buzz around us. Then I come across a photo of a hidden waterfall I took while on a walk with someone on one of the first warm days of spring. The prospect of getting to know a person better always imparts a sense of hope. THE WAKE
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These times can be tough, but we’re in this together. Keep your head up and look for signs of positivity
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OCTOBER 9—18
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THE WAKE
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CONFIDENCE
Avoid Mirrors for a Week and Build Your Confidence Discovering new connections through music in the time of isolation My whole life I have struggled with low self esteem. While there is no way to instantly become confident, this is an experiment I accidentally started in quarantine after changing my hair, hating it, and deciding the easiest thing was to just not look at myself. For about 10 days, I avoided my reflection, covering mirrors and avoiding reflective surfaces. Slowly I started peeling back the covers and found myself shockingly neutral, and feeling—well—less disgusting. Here’s how I did it.
Step 1: Plan on dying your hair pink for months, do it, but then get locked inside because of COVID-19. Have a break down over the fact that you don’t look like yourself anymore. Step 2: Have a supportive and equally insecure boyfriend put a fitted sheet over the bathroom mirror so the two of you stop obsessing over your flaws. Step 3: Avoid turning on your camera in Zoom meetings at all costs. If anyone asks just say you have internet issues. Step 4: When friends FaceTime, point the camera up at the ceiling, but stay on because you miss your friends’ faces. Thankfully, they understand your struggle and allow you to stay off camera without too much chastising. Step 5: Slowly start peeling back the bed sheet cover on the mirror to check on your progress fading your pink hair. Step 6: Take the bed sheet off the mirror because you realize you genuinely miss your own face. Step 7: Look yourself in the mirror and realize you don’t look as bad as you thought.
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Step 8: Occasionally do your hair and makeup to feel cute, but still regularly show up to Zoom meetings, camera on, looking somewhat homeless in baggy clothes with no makeup. Step 9: This is the most important step. Still have bad days where you just need to turn the camera off but understand you are human and deserve to be appreciated and seen—even on bad days.
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EMMA CHEKROUN
OCTOBER 9—18
SELF-LOVE
Love Yourself
HOW TO
Take this time during quarantine to connect with the person you see the most in your life and judge the harshest—yourself. I’ve been stuck in my hometown— Duluth, MN—ever since the stay at home order was put in place. Spending every day at home has forced me to become a minimalist. I no longer spend time thinking about what to wear, as I only have the backpack full of clothes that I came home with. Free from the burden of social norms and expectation, I spend my days engaging my mind with creative ideas. Loving myself under quarantine has had its perks and its drawbacks. Being stuck at home all day makes it easy for me to focus on things such as eating, the lack in exercise, or how when I try to be productive, I’m quickly redirected by another Netflix documentary. However, it’s also shown me that it’s okay to take days for myself where I do nothing but focus on passion projects. I consider writing to be my “soul food.” Poetry has always been a creative outlet for me. I turn to it most in times of great pain or passion. It’s a very effective way of transferring strong emotions and thoughts onto a page and out of my head. If I allow myself to give an issue my entire focus and attempt to create something out of it, it’s less likely to wreak havoc in my mind. It also feels extremely satisfying to use the creative side of my brain.
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It’s hard to stay productive everyday. Social media feeds my boredom but still manages to give me anxiety about not being active enough during quarantine. One of the greatest threats to appreciating yourself is constantly comparing yourself to others. I’ve noticed people who are the happiest are those who authentically present themselves and don’t try to imitate someone else’s identity. Authenticity will set you free. Being able to accept your emotions, positive or negative, aids your ability to be authentic. One habit I’ve worked hard to break is shaming myself for the emotions I have. In the past, I have tried to ignore or deny what I was feeling, only to have it put me in a sour mood and then later bubble up more intensely than before. Speaking your mind and saying “no” when needed are two important parts of validating yourself. Pretending will only hurt you in the long run. Surrounding myself with supportive people helps create a positive mentality. It’s hard not to mirror what is reflected back at you from other people, so it helps to have a good mirror. The people I choose to surround myself with also greatly influence my perspectives and introduce me to new ways of thinking. It can be difficult when I’m trying to be healthy and take good care of myself to then have people pressure me into unhealthy behaviors, dragging me into their own indulgences. I’ve had people make me feel bad for working out before, even though it’s something important to me that I do for my mental health. It can feel as if people think I’m being snooty; as if caring about my physical health means I believe I’m above others.
I know it sounds cheesy, but I’ve started thanking my body after every workout. We get in the habit of being physically and mentally judgmental towards our bodies as we expect so much from them. It’s important to recognize the feats our bodies accomplish, not just the limitations. I’ve stopped working out for how I look and instead work out for how I feel. While at home, I’ve stopped stressing out about exercising, stopped planning what to eat during the day, and gained a little weight along with a new perspective on the balance between mental and physical health. Engaging in self-love is not an act of narcissism. Self-love comes easiest when taking into account what my body and mind need to be their healthiest. Eating healthy and getting outside regularly helps me feel energetic and like a better version of myself. That being said, before quarantine, I was going to the gym regularly, angry at myself when I couldn’t muster up the energy to go, then spending half my time stressing about what to eat. I love exercising, but now I make sure to use it as an expression of my body’s abilities rather than punishment for eating sweets. There’s no single trick or cure-all to loving yourself—it takes a lot of exploration. I’m continuously adapting to find new ways of encouraging and appreciating myself. Things that work for me may not be compatible with what you personally need. One thing I want to stress is that no one knows you better than you do. You know what’s best for you. You know what makes you happy. You know how to love yourself, so just have patience. Give yourself the same care and acceptance you give to your friends.
BY ISABEL TEITELBAUM3
DIFFICULT TIMES
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Stopping Time Find the good during difficult times “The hands of my wristwatch were no longer slowly circling the center of the clock; they had altogether stopped. Coincidentally, the world had done the same.” In late February, I had realized my wristwatch’s battery was slowly dying. I brought it home for spring break with the intention of replacing it. After the shelter-in-place laws were enacted, my mom told me that once “all of this” was over, we would get the battery changed. After a while, the hands of my wrist watch were no longer slowly circling the center of the clock; they had altogether stopped. Coincidentally, the world had done the same. I went about the first few days of quarantine coming to terms with the craziness of the outside world, inside. Every new statistic had sunk my spirit, and every cough or sneeze from a family member felt like a security threat. I despised the repeal of routine the at-home restrictions bestowed upon me. It no longer mattered whether I attended class at 9 a.m. or 9 p.m. It no longer mattered what I would wear to “class” because no one was going to see it. It no longer mattered if I went to class because no one was going to be there with me. How interesting it is to realize our lives are so ostensibly autonomous yet tacitly performative. If nothing else, this pandemic has reminded us that we are a civilization driven by recognition and inspired by the individuals that live within it. The severance of this routine enabled another to be built. After glaring at the stack of books that I had been meaning to read, I thought to myself, “That journalism lecture will still be there 40 pages later,” and picked one up.
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NINA RAEMONT
The books became my morning routine. I would wake each morning, open my windows for fresh air, and sit down with a cup of coffee and a novel. I began this pandemic with Malcolm Gladwell’s “Tipping Point.” On the cover, a single match stick and the words “How little things can make a big difference” are displayed. I didn’t need to read this book to know that peculiarly small things—let’s say, a wild animal market in China or one contagious individual— can influence the masses, but touché Gladwell. After “Tipping Point” came “Little Women.” I spent my mornings with the Marches, sipping my coffee and adoring the beloved women whose spirits and hearts hold messages that are equally as relevant today as they were in the 1800s: messages of love and loss, disease and death, ambition and hope, revelation and resilience. Taking walks around my neighborhood assuaged my anxieties. Getting outside, opening up your ears to the songs of the choir frogs and the swaying white pines; I apprehended that, although time has stopped for me, the natural world hasn’t felt a similar impact. The whirs of the world reminded me of a poem I had loved for years: Sara Teasdale’s “There Will Come Soft Rains.” Featured in Ray Bradbury’s short story of the same name, Teasdale speaks of the world after war has struck. One particular cluster of sentences repeated in my head:
“And not one will know of the war, not on will care at last when it is done. Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree, if mankind perished utterly; and Spring herself, when she woke at dawn, would scarcely know that we were gone.” Many will debate whether this time spent in solitude is beneficial for the human psyche. Obviously, it comes with challenges that cannot be fixed with a book or a walk around the neighborhood. Our world is in peril, but that doesn’t mean that our spirits have to be as well. Now, more than ever, we must seek out the experiences that bind us to the human world we live in and grapple with the ambiguity we collectively face. We come to terms with uncertainty through the books and the life around us. We are not the first to experience this measure of sadness and confusion. We are not the last. But for the time being, we must enjoy the stopped time. My watch’s battery won’t be replaced for a while, but that’s alright; I don’t need to wear it anytime soon.
OCTOBER 9—18
HOW TO
LEARNING
Learn Stories About Your Parents’ Past that Never Came Up A Comprehensive guide
Step 1: Linger after dinner, waiting until your mom begins to brew the tea that will carry her through the evening, until your dad begins to browse through Netflix to choose a movie to play and not watch.
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Step 5: Eventually, your mom tells you about the children that she homeschooled in Arabic in her early days in the US. The cheese pastries that you love? She learned from the mother of those children. Step 6: You ask more questions about Otis. Your parents smile as they recall his 74 year-old girlfriend, Wanda, who went dancing with him each Saturday. Was he still alive? Did they keep in contact after they moved away? Your dad will say that he visited him often afterwards, that they emailed and talked over the phone, that Otis told your parents that he felt that they cared about him more than his own son. You learn that Otis tried to leave his inheritance to your parents, yet your father refused his offer. Otis passed away shortly after. Step 7: Add those pieces to the mosaic of your parents’ life before you--a life that seems a little more real than before.
Step 2: Complain about the inconvenience of a global pandemic on your semester plans. Quietly sit through your parents’ subsequent lecture about being grateful that your college experience was halted by a precautionary quarantine instead of a military invasion, like their final year was. They’re right, but you’ve heard this story before. Step 3: Wait. There’s no rhyme or reason to when they begin to tell you parts of their adolescence that have been absent from the glimpses of their earlier life. Their twenties have always seemed less dynamic than yours, less real, confined to blurry pictures in old boxes and invoked only for moral commentary about your own choices. Step 4: You always knew that your parents came to the US as newlyweds with no ties to the country beyond a student visa and a vision of a different life. Yet eventually, they tell you about Otis, the 83 year old man with whom they shared their first flat. Your mother spoke little English at the time. Otis had a son who worked at Microsoft yet never bothered to call. When your father was at school, your mother went on strolls with Otis. When your father came home, they all ate meals together.
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BY TALA ALFOQAHA5
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LOVE
When Your Love Story Shifts How to Navigate a Digital Relationship in Quarantine
BY JEMMA KELEHER 2
OCTOBER 9—18
HOW TO
LOVE
THE WAKE
On March 5, the Thursday before spring break, I went on a first date. Leading up to this Thursday, I’d spent two months going on dates with girls I had met on Tinder. With all of them, I’d either found a lack of chemistry or a lack of similarity in what we desired from love. I’d been through a plethora of halfhearted talking phases in which we would flirt for a few weeks and then forget about each other. By March 5, I was exhausted. And yet, because I am a hopeless romantic, I set up another date with someone I had never met before in hopes that it would end in something other than an awkward kiss and faux promises to stay in touch. Looking back, my expectation of mediocrity could not have been more incorrect. Within the first ten minutes, my stomach already had butterflies, and my cheeks were blushing a shade embarrassingly close to a tomato. She unintentionally wooed me into having a tiny crush on her, which was a stark comparison to the apathy I was used to. I went home that night with a skip in my step and a tiny bit of hope that maybe, just maybe, things would work out this time around. The day after our date, I broke a universal dating rule and asked her to go out with me again the day we returned from spring break. I couldn’t stop thinking about her, and I’ve never been one to hide my feelings. I told her that a week seemed too long to wait to see her, and she assured me that she felt the same way. But a few days later, after talking
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nonstop, we got the announcement. “We are suspending in-person instruction,” Joan Gabel, President of the University of Minnesota, said in one of many emails related to COVID-19, “and are moving to online.” We would not be returning to campus for the rest of spring semester. With that announcement, the week of waiting turned into five months. The fifteen-minute walk from my dorm to hers turned into a seven-hour drive from my house to hers. Our dates turned into nightly FaceTime calls, and the affections I would’ve expressed to her were sent via text message. Nothing went as expected, and the love story that I had begun living was shifted in a different direction. New love in quarantine, in my experience, is similar to a long-distance relationship, except you have an extra obstacle: you don’t have any history. Every new relationship experience happens through a digital platform. I told her I liked her for the first time through iMessage, and we decided to be exclusive over FaceTime. The only physical memories I have with her are from those hours we spent together on March 5, and everything after that has been through an iPhone screen. The digital nature of our relationship doesn’t make it any less valuable; in fact, it’s allowed me to grow an appreciation for her that may not have been as potent had we started our relationship in a
BY JEMMA KELEHER3
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LOVE
conventional way. I don’t get to hug her, take her on dates, or hold her hand, but I do get to spend hours every night talking with her about things that inevitably bring us closer. As much as I would love to physically be beside her, I also love knowing that I like her for exactly who she is regardless of anything physical, and that she feels the same way.
When you’re navigating new love, especially in quarantine, you have to trust that that person will be there to catch you when you make the choice to fall for them every day. You have to trust that when this is over and you can see them again, all of the effort you put in will be worth it. You may have nothing to base your trust on, but you have to give it anyway. You have to trust that if you put in the effort to love them, they will return it, and things will work out how they are meant to. As quarantine has shown many of us, love isn’t something that can only be done in one way. If you would’ve asked me three months ago if I would date someone who I wouldn’t see in person for five months, I would’ve laughed in your face. Long-distance love isn’t something many people think of when they imagine their ideal romantic lives, but choosing to care about someone regardless of how far away they are is one of the most romantic things you can do. When you’re faced with a choice of ending something good or pushing through quarantine with the hope that things will work out, it becomes clear that love and affection transcend physical barriers.
Falling for someone who lives seven hours away has taught me more than anything that love is a choice that you make every day. You wake up and decide that you want to be with that person. You decide more than anything that they are worth it, and that any pain you may go through is worth it, no matter how things turn out.
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Part of me is terrified that when we do finally reunite, things will feel different; however, our entire relationship is different than we expected it to be. Things will undoubtedly be awkward the first time we see each other, but if this is truly meant to happen, it won’t change anything. I tell myself that if I’m able to make it through months of not being able to see her, I think I will be able to
OCTOBER 9—18
HOW TO
LOVE
THE WAKE
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though you have hardly any idea what’s going on, and they watch “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” with you every night even though they can’t tell the five sisters apart. You knit them a scarf in their favorite shade of blue yarn, and they make you a t-shirt with their art on it. You express your affection wholeheartedly, because even if the two of you aren’t physically in the same space, the affection you have for each other, you hope, is enough to hold you together.
handle finally being able to see her again, even if it is different than what my daydreams entail. In the meantime, while you count down the days until that person can be yours, and you can hold their hand and hug them as often as you want to, make the most of the relationship you’re growing together. You watch skateboarding shows with them on FaceTime even
Growing a new relationship in quarantine feels like throwing yourself face-first off of a cliff into a world of uncertainty, but knowing that it will be worth it at the bottom. No matter how terrifying it is, the physical distance between the two of you is no reason to stop yourself from exploring what your connection has the potential to become, even if that distance is a seven-hour drive. When you’re considering if this new, crazy love you’re feeling is real even though you can’t see the person you feel it for, know that it is. The screen that separates you does not subtract from your affection, and while you may have to work a little harder at it, things will work if that is what you both choose. Choose to wake up every day and continue throwing yourself off that cliff. It feels crazy, but in the end, whether or not things work out, you owe it to yourself and to your person to try.
BY JEMMA KELEHER5
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Q & A
Photographed by: Alayna Hoidal
JACK PFEFFER Jack Pfeffer is an indie multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter from Minneapolis. He plays with a live band consisting of singer/guitarist Eli Herchert, bassist Riley Schmitz, drummer Teddy Nordvold, and synth player/saxophonist Sutton Honey. Keep reading to find out about their musical inspirations. Q: How did you all meet? J: We all went to high school together, but Elijah and Riley are three years younger. So I was a senior in high school and they were freshmen. Teddy and I were in a band together with Sutton. Our first band together started in high school. And then later we met Elijah and Riley. Q: So you’re all from the Minneapolis area? T: Yeah, we’re all from West Metro; we went to the same high school over in Minnetonka. Q: Obviously, we’re all in quarantine right now. Has anything changed in regards to collaborating and making music, or is everything on hold for now? J: I’m still able to record here at my house, but I definitely miss being able to jam, practice, and play shows. All of that is on hold. Creatively, I would say nothing’s really changed. But socially, I miss being able to play with other people. T: We had some projects we were looking to start. We wanted to do some collaborative recordings for some different projects. We were still in the early stages of that when everything went upside down.
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Q: Before quarantine, did you guys collaborate with other acts around Minneapolis or play shows with other bands? T: In this DIY community, bands that like each other’s music just message each other and say, “Hey, you want to play a show some time?” Q: What is it like being a part of the DIY scene? J: I’m able to do everything on my own. I don’t have to go to a producer. I don’t have to be signed to a label to put my music out. I like being able to share music, reach people, and play shows. T: It’s really easy now, with the internet, to share and make your own music. We don’t have to bother club promoters or go through shady organizations to play venues. It just seems a lot more genuine to message people you think are cool, or talk to people that you trust. It’s a lot more direct and it’s honestly a lot more fun. It just feels more genuine. Q: You guys recently did a livestream fundraiser, right? J: I was at home and I thought, maybe I should just do a live benefit thing. Later that night, we got it all set up. I played a set of old and new songs, Elijah played the songs he helped me write, and Teddy did OCTOBER 9—18
Q & A
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a set. Then my friend, Nolan, who is also a musician, played a little set too. We did this on Instagram and people were able to donate to the COVID-19 Relief Fund. For every viewer that joined the livestream, Teddy, Elijah, Nolan and I donated. It’s crazy how much money we raised. It started out as an idea and then six hours later, we had raised $700+. Q: What genre would you consider your music? J: I’m always trying to kind of switch up the sound of things, but I’d say recently it’s been soft rock and indie rock. Q: Some bands are really into interacting with the audience, and other bands like to focus more on the instruments. What’s your usual approach to live shows? R: I’d say somewhere in between. It’s not like we don’t interact with the crowd at all. E: Yeah, I’d say it’s somewhere in between. Most of us are not the most social people so trying to engage people while you’re on stage is a pretty difficult task. But we do our best. T: I’d also say it’s somewhere in between. I definitely feel like I really feed off the energy of the crowd, so I try and keep in tune with that. J: I go on stage hoping that the crowd has a good time. Recently, there have been more people that show up knowing the music. I really appreciate that they’re coming to listen to the music and have a good time. They encourage other people to have a good time too. I think having a good show is more about, I’d say, having a good crowd of people. S: I’d say it depends on the crowd. It’s fun to jump around. If you know somebody in the front, then you call out their name or point at them, they go even crazier. Otherwise, I like to focus on my instruments. I also like to watch the band. I don’t play all the songs, so I like to watch what they’re doing.
THE WAKE
Q: Who are your biggest musical inspirations? E: John Mayer and any neo-soul guitar player. Isaiah Sharky, an honorable mention. He’s pretty godly at the guitar. S: The last time I took lessons was sophomore year of high school, and my teacher had me learn almost every single Hank Mobley song off of the album “Soul Station.” I learned a lot of those solos and I think they influenced the way that I play. T: So, the most influential is Neil Peart. I listened to him and that’s what really got me into drums, when I was a little dude. I would air drum all over the place and then I tried to learn that stuff when I was in elementary school. R: What first inspired me to start playing bass was old James Jamerson hits, but I’ve gotten more into jazz. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of upright bass players. But the biggest jazz influence is definitely Jaco. He paved the way for everything. J: I really pay attention to studio techniques, so I really like The Beatles, George Martin recording techniques and Jeff Lynne recording techniques. Some big influences on my songwriting are John Lennon and Todd Rundgren. I think they’re really talented.
BY TOSIN FASEEMO3
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How to Embrace Your New TV Obssession A guide on how to make a new show the focus of your life while in quarantine.
TV & MUSIC BY MEGAN BORMANN In this strange and confusing time, homework, baking banana bread, and crafts can only get someone so far. My personal recommendation for surviving boredom would be to find a new television series to binge. My show of choice: The Vampire Diaries—but you can choose whatever you like. In order to first get into your new obsession, you have to start and finish the first season within an unhealthy amount of time. This will show your true dedication and loyalty towards the journey ahead. Your spiral will continue as you decide to prioritize the show above other tasks in your life. Do not worry, this is a typical symptom of the process, and there are ways around it. For example, the split laptop screen was invented for a reason; this way you can Zoom in for classes and keep a steady pace in finishing the next season of your show. Another way is to just ignore your schoolwork altogether, but for anxious, academically-oriented, type-A individuals—such as myself— this might be too far. As I have fallen farther and farther down the rabbit hole of The Vampire Diaries, I have taken it upon myself to thoroughly research and explore the show’s universe. This includes but is not limited to: the cast and their previous roles, plotlines of spinoffs, and Youtube compilations of my favorite character’s romantic plotlines. This step takes the obsession to the next level, making the show the only thing one thinks about.
Finally, embrace your new TV obsession by losing a little sleep. Do not postpone researching how your favorite character saves the day, just so you can get the recommended eight hours of shut-eye! Obviously do not overdo it, but if you aren’t willing to put in the work, can you really call it an obsession? 1
BY BRI MAIKRANZ As college students across the country find themselves disconnected from the communities we’ve come to call home, many of us have turned to sharing art, music, and media as a way to touch base with our support networks. In the past, I’ve searched for community and connection in the local live music scene around campus. Attending live shows also helped me find new artists to support, which is especially crucial in these times. The number of upcoming gigs being postponed or canceled continues to rise, leaving performers struggling for income. Recently, Rolling Stone reported that over 800 independent venues across the country joined together to ask Congress for aid. So how can we find new artists to support in this time of social distancing? If you’re looking to listen locally, one of my favorite ways to discover new artists is on the social media accounts and websites of local music venues. Venues with a more limited capacity, such as 7th Street Entry in downtown Minneapolis, are especially likely to book local artists who need support. Who would have been playing right now? Whose postponed show might I want to attend when it’s safe to gather in crowds again?
Why We Should Look Local for New Music During Lockdown Discovering new connections through music in the time of isolation
Many individual artists have moved to live streaming digital concerts. Furthermore, visual art collections from museums such as the Minneapolis Institute of Art which feature local artists offer online viewing options. Online communities are increasingly important in maintaining the vibrancy of the local art and music scenes. While we struggle with the dreariness and uncertainty of social isolation, embracing the vivid emotion and imagination in these spaces helps us to boost our emotional wellbeing. Sharing local art virtually with friends is both a way to connect with each other and with the places and communities we’ve had to temporarily leave behind.
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READING
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How to: Read for Pleasure
HOW TO
Find what you enjoy and read about it You live in a bizarro time
in which they chronicle their real-time groundbreaking progress in human-gene editing. Or, you might tag along on a physicist’s journey of conducting research at the nexus of nanotechnology and regenerative medicine.
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) characterized the novel coronavirus as a pandemic. These are not normal circumstances in which to live. Once-mundane activities have somehow evolved into a relic of the past: socializing, exercising, and shopping, to name but a few.
Why confine yourself to science- and research-related topics, though, when history books can be equally enthralling?
A luxury still in most of our control, however, is the power to read. Right now, reading for pleasure is seemingly one of only a few keys that effectively locks the door behind which insanity is fighting to break through. With the trifling current affairs, the mountain of emails piling up in your inbox (what was once a nod is now an email), the surging amount of end-of the semester busy work, family affairs, and so on, reading is a way to decompress and evade the whirlwind; it’s the new mundane, in lieu of socializing, exercising, and shopping—at least for now.
As opposed to the monotonous lectures whose sole purpose is to ready you for quizzes on arbitrary facts, you might find, for example, it interesting that the founding fathers—Washington, Jefferson, Adams, and Madison—actually led double lives as gardeners in the late-17th and early-18th centuries. Or, maybe you follow along on a 19th-century physician and botanist’s whereabouts in New York City—dirt roads NYC, that is—and New Jersey, where he was attending to a deathly Alexander Hamilton by morning and teaching students by afternoon.
A refreshing respite
Still, other thrills abound, such as the treatise on the founding of the U.S. Navy and America’s struggle to defend its Atlantic seaboard from British blockades; if that doesn’t float your boat, maybe the sorrows of the years leading up to Civil War would be more engrossing.
of famous people or your idols. Books are, in fact, the important history of your culture and ancestors, whose stories would otherwise be lost in the ages-old, never-ending, existing-since-thebeginning-of-time political warfare. Reading can also be about many other things, and is, fundamentally, a process of exploration. It’s ok not to know where to start—whether because everything is interesting, or because nothing is interesting. Sometimes it takes a stroll through a bookstore (when it’s safe to do so) to find something that piques your interest. Other times it’s reading a new bestseller, or finding out that your favorite celebrity, journalist, or news anchor is also an author! Above all, reading is a coping mechanism, so let it come naturally. The point is finding something you want to read, so that you can become lost in its whirlwind rather than the one we’re in right now.
As if it wasn’t already the case pre-pandemic, it’s especially easy right now to feel clamored by everything around us. Personally, delving into a book is a great way to distance myself from the chaos and to decompress. The key, however, is finding something you like, then reading about it. While my taste is continually evolving, I’ve been able to find books on everything I’m interested in.
Read what you enjoy and enjoy reading
Why not pick up a book and instantly learn about, say, conformal cyclic cosmology in which there are cycles of time and no testable beginning of time (in part because, the theory goes, “time” didn’t always exist); or you’re reading about a socalled weird scientist whose prescient mathematics in the early 20th century foreshadowed the discovery of the positron (the antielectron).
Find what you enjoy and read about it. My commentary above is more about what I like to read, so it’s certainly limited in scope and taste. But, through introspection, meditation, reflection, or whatever it takes, you can find what you’re interested in, since books are more than “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” and “Fahrenheit 451.”
You might read, for example, a biochemist’s journey with the biotechnology CRISPR-Cas9
Reading can be about learning the history of the U.S. and the world; it can be the biographies 1
BY JOSHUA JORDAN
WALKING
18
How to: Take a Walk Tips to consider before your next sojourn on foot As someone who always considered walking as an activity worthy of being pursued only by geriatrics looking to lubricate their limbs, this quarantine situation has brought about a sea change in my estimation of said process. In the distant past, I used to visit the Rec Center with a metronomic consistency, and while I am sure that I will return to that state of mind once this new normal comes to an end, an ongoing discovery of the pleasures of the daily saunter has currently kept me occupied. A peripatetic journey can be executed with various mindsets, and I will merely discuss my own experiences. But the simple act of taking a walk, regardless of the form in which it takes, ultimately achieves the common outcome of refreshing both mind and body. The physical component of the benefits are well known and experienced by many, so I will not spend too much time on that. I personally recommend a march at a brisk pace, one which makes you breathe a little harder and gets the heart pumping. This method of walking should be employed when seeking to capitalize on the exercise benefits that are offered. However, even a gentle trudge will do more good than sitting in a chair. A few words are in order regarding the duration of a jaunt. At the risk of sounding authoritative, I suggest a minimum of 20 minutes for a trek to be profitable. This number is purely anecdotal and will differ from person to person. Twenty here is just a placeholder for the length of time one would take to feel one’s legs loosen up and to get into a genuine stride and rhythm. I have found that ever since quarantine transitioned from an impending proposition into being a daily feature, I have experienced a new alertness to the sights, colors, and sounds of my surroundings. It would hardly be a farfetched guess to presume this is due to fewer things to focus on. Pre-quarantine, I would be thinking about what to pack for lunch, what time to leave for work, which bus to catch, or how I would fit in a trip to the grocery store or the gym in my schedule. Now that these have largely become non-issues
for many of us, we should utilize this freed headspace to adopt a renewed appreciation for, among other things, the colors of the sky, the architecture of houses, the tweets and chirps of birds, and the inevitable summertime din of construction and maintenance work in our city. My advice is to make discovery the aim of one’s excursions. Take different routes every day. If one is an evening rambler like me, excellent use can be made of the clement weather around 5–6 p.m., when the world is well-lit and wide awake, yet the streets are empty enough to not be an annoyance. This is a perfect time to explore our own and nearby neighborhoods—which we commonly neglect, owing to our regimented routines. To invoke a few personal examples, I came across a couple of new parks, spacious parkways, and a potentially dangerous and forbidden stretch of gravel along a railway line. I had seen on several occasions a couple of informative boards at the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and Stinson Boulevard but never bothered to stop and read them. Upon taking the time to do so one of these days, I got a short and sweet lesson on the history of the Como neighbourhood and the Mid-City industrial area. Here, I am tempted to quote Mr. Sherlock Holmes when he said to Dr. Watson, “You see, but you do not observe,” in “A Scandal in Bohemia.” As an example, we all “see” many electronic billboards every day, but if one pauses to glance at the advertisements which appear on them, one would scarcely fail to notice the stark incongruity of a sombre recommendation of social distancing followed by the razzle-dazzle of colors in a Burger King two-for-one announcement. This discovery was quite a hilarious moment for me. At the end of the day, the benefits of a stroll can hardly be exaggerated. If you have not started yet, just do it once, then once more. The great outdoors will be irresistible thereafter.
BY KHILAV MAJMUDAR
1
DANCE & MOTIVATION
How to Dance
HOW TO
A short tutorial to rediscover the secret talent that should’ve landed you a spot on Dancing With the Stars
3
19
BY KINGA MOZES Are you tired of going on a run only to realize halfway through that you have crippling back pain and allergies? Look no further—I will help you discover an exercise that feels less like torture for your lungs and more like pleasure for your legs: dancing. You might be thinking “But Kinga, I am terrible at dancing! Ever since middle school dances I’ve avoided it because I look like someone who simultaneously broke their ankle and has to pee.” It’s okay. Me too. Even so, if you follow this short tutorial, you are well on your way to becoming an extra for a Step Up movie.
Step one is to look up dance tutorials on YouTube, blast one in your living room, and follow along while your sister gets infuriated as she tries to do her pre-calculus homework. Next, it’s crucial to curate a playlist. These can’t just be any songs. They have to be songs that, when you hear them on public transportation, you have to cross your legs to restrain yourself. Once you have some basic moves down, grab your favorite shoes (my Air Force 1’s), put on a comfortable outfit, and groove. The more you let go, the more you will find that bodies were made to free themselves through music. I rediscovered my passion for dancing from my childhood, and it spiritually revived me. Some things are purely meant to bring you joy. At the end of a long day full of Zoom calls, dancing is a creative way to boost your health and relieve stress. You don’t have to do juice cleanses to take care of your body. It does not matter what you look like—the only person who might see is your lurking neighbor. Simply pay attention to the way it makes you feel.
BY: ESTHER CHAN
From my personal experience, the key to motivation is switching from a mindset of self-obsessed individualism and adopting one of collectivism. Admittedly, in a society where we celebrate our unique passions, it’s a tough pill to swallow—but it’s not all about you. View your work as something that is a part of a greater whole. Go back to the foundations of why you are doing any of this, and remind yourself why you want to pursue this degree or why you wanted that job. Maybe even go back to those college application essays or that cover letter, rereading your own words that once convinced someone else why you cared. It can be a starting point to remind yourself how your everyday tasks fit into a greater picture. Instead of viewing your education as your individual burden, consider how your work ethic is an opportunity to recognize your parents’ sacrifices. Instead of procrastinating, respect your teammates who depend on you. Maybe show up to those Zoom lectures and even speak and show your video every once in a while. Lectures may be the only opportunity for your instructors to receive social interaction or feel a little less helpless. On top of that, project even farther into the future. Consider the role you might play in rebuilding and maintaining our future. If you entered college with hopes of improving the world, remember that only happens if you develop as an individual now, not later. I am the last person to hold all the answers—or to even follow my own advice consistently. However, in a time where individuals are recklessly endangering others in the name of so-called-freedom, we need to reevaluate our selfishness. There’s no perfect answer to balance individualism and collectivism, but when our country feels torn apart and society is bleeding, I, for one, am desperately craving a whole lot more unity.
How to Find Motivation And no, it has nothing to do with what you wear or your ordered to-do lists
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PRODUCTIVITY
20
1
Productivity Doesn’t Have to be Stressful How to love yourself and your productivity habits during quarantine Quarantine had barely started before the toxic “hustle culture” posts began arising everywhere. They popped up on every platform, urging people to pick up a new workout plan, start a side hustle, or become the next Shakespeare. Like many other college students who were ripped away from the security of routine, friendship, and lattes, I felt attacked. I felt entitled to a few days of relaxation without the pressure of productivity looming over me. If you felt like that too, you are not alone. Many of us are caught up in the dilemma of deciding whether we should use this free time to relax or to be more productive than ever. On one hand, it can be rewarding to have some time to hide away from the stress of the outside world. Things are very uncertain right now, and it can be comforting to turn to a favorite TV show, podcast, or video game. On the other hand, many of us cannot
6 BY
MADELINE WARE
succumb entirely to the void, losing track of the days in a monotonous blur of unwashed pajamas and skipped meals. Doing something creative, exercising, or starting a new hobby can be great ways to release untapped energy and feel more in control. There will be days where you feel unmotivated, stressed, and discouraged by the state of the world, but finding small ways to remind yourself of your humanity is more important than ever. Try a new recipe, take a walk, or start a new exercise routine. But remember, life is a balancing act. Always put your mental health and wellbeing first and do what’s best for you.
OCTOBER 9—18
CRAFTS
21
Bringing Snail Mail Back
HOW TO
How to make cute cards to send to your friends or family 4
For a couple of years now, I’ve tried to write my friends a letter each month. It’s always fun to get mail that isn’t a bill or spam, and now is a great time to get creative while staying connected with friends. Cards from the store are pretty expensive, so here are some creative ideas to make your own! Step 1: The Base Almost anything can be used for the card itself. A piece of loose-leaf paper has plenty of room for doodles, and cardstock works wonderfully when folded in half. If you really want to commit, getting a bulk pack of blank cards and envelopes is easy and cost-effective. Step 2: Decorate! You can play around with all sorts of art supplies (markers, pens, crayons). No need to be realistic if that’s not your thing: abstract designs and simple patterns are great. You could find a silly quote to layer on top as well. If you’ve got old magazines or cardstock lying around, collaging is a no-drawing-required technique. The more bizarre the better, in my opinion. Wrapping paper, packaging, newspapers, and old school papers might be up for grabs at home as well. At some craft stores (online, of course), you can find cheap packs of paper scraps that go a long way as well. Stickers, stamps, and colorful tape are great additions if you have them. With foam sheets and an Exacto knife, you can even cut out your own stamps to use with markers or paint. Maybe you have leftover sticker packs from your childhood, or a parent who’s into scrapbooking—get creative with whatever you’ve got! Step 3: Send That Baby Out If you want to go one step further, decorate your envelope as well. Wave at your local mailman when they pick up your card, and don’t forget your stamp!
THE WAKE
BY MARLEY RICHMOND 7
W0RK OUT AT HOME
22
2
Excercise For You and Me Working out doesn’t have to be a drag, get up and head to the outdoors
2 BY
SAMANTHA DE LEON
Many of us are stuck inside, patiently waiting for the nonessential businesses to open again. Gyms, workout studios, and recreation centers are closed, forcing us to come up with our own ideas on how to work out from home. At first, this idea may be intimidating or discouraging, but rest assured, staying healthy and in shape while quarantined is manageable. It can be done from wherever you are, requiring little to no equipment. You just need a positive attitude and the will to get up and move.
If you don’t feel like going outside, your apartment or house can offer you just as much. There are a plethora of apps and YouTube channels that offer equipment-free, at-home workouts. Furthermore, if you are looking to build strength, basic equipment such as a yoga mat, dumbbells, and resistance bands can add an immense variability of movements and exercises. Even if you don’t have equipment, items like water bottles, laundry detergent, or canned goods are great makeshift weights.
Now that we are approaching summer, the outdoors offers unlimited space. Outdoor exercises can be just as productive as indoor ones, and the best part is, you can smell the fresh air and feel the sunshine on your skin. Being outside boosts your energy levels and reduces stress. Walking, running, cycling, and hiking are some of the many cardio exercises you can do outside; all you need is a pair of tennis shoes. To add intensity to your workout, most parks have benches or a set of steps you can use to jump, lunge, or sprint on.
The most important thing to keep in mind is to make sure you do what you need in that moment. Whatever you choose to do for exercise should make you feel happy. Most importantly, it should help you build emotional and mental strength along with physical strength.
OCTOBER 9—18
HOW TO
LIVE AT HOME
THE WAKE
23
Moving Home During a Crisis How to peacefully exist in your childhood bedroom Whether we wanted to or not, many of us have moved back to our hometowns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With nothing but a basket of dirty laundry, our laptops, and a feeling of uncertainty about what the next few months would bring, we made the journey back home. Many of us quickly realized that this transition was not going to be easy. Maybe our bedrooms had been converted into a storage closet, our younger selves thought having neon green walls would be cute, or our siblings got the misguided impression that they could take over our bedroom. Regardless, this would be our home for the foreseeable future and we, being the adaptive college students that we are, needed to make the best of it.
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However, we must not forget that the worst part about moving back into our childhood bedrooms was not the storage bins or the unsightly paint job, but rather the feeling that came with being back. The feeling that, by moving into your old room, you were once again a child. The feeling that things were out of your control. That your freedom was being taken away. So we spent time with our families, we reconnected with our roommates, and we made sure our friends were doing okay. Why? Because we knew that if we were feeling this way, those we care about probably were too.
So we put on our interior designer hats and got to work. That high school yearbook and stack of old birthday cards you could never throw away got packed up and replaced with plants and scented candles. The clothes you kept at your parents’ house even though they will never fit you again were stored away, and the sweatpants you brought home took their place.
BY GRACE AUGUSTIN 3
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!
LOVE, THE WAKE
4
OCTOBER 9—18