The Wake - Issue 8 - Spring 2022

fortnightly student magazine

volume 21 — issue 8

The Eighteenth Ugliest Duckling

p. 8

Gen Z TV

p. 16

Battle of the Bands II

p. 11

The Power of a Good Playlist

p. 18

COVID on Campus

p. 13

Kids Ski Free Q&A

p. 22

ART

Art by Shannon Brault

FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 14

©2022 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

Fortnightly Student Magazine

Minnesota. The Wake was founded by Chrin Ruen and James DeLong.

Disclaimer: The purpose of The Wake is to provide a forum in which students can

Volume 21 Issue 7

Editorial

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.

Production

Editor-in-Chief

Marley Richmond

Executive Director

Shannon Brault

Managing Editor

Jemma Keleher

Creative Director

Laura Kuchar

Cities Editor

Ian Knoll

Finance Manager

Erin Krotz

Voices Editor

Mitchell Levesque

PR/Ad Manager

Hannah Lundquist

Online Editor

Na’Jai Wilson

Social Media Manager

Renée Mottet

Copy Editors

Autumn Sanders

Art Director

Megan Bormann

Peter Nomeland

Web Manager

Sahra Hussein

Music Reviews Editor

Tosin Faseemo

Distribution Manager

Kami Kendall

Multimedia Producer

Noah Berghammer

Designers

Gavin Schuster

Multimedia Editors

Natalie Aue

Makenna Larson

Cecilia Harold

Zoë Foster

Cities Interns: Vishalli Alagappan, Marie Ronnander

PR/Ad Interns: Pat Gagnon, Gracie Kibort

Voices Interns: Srihita Raju, Carter Starkey

Social Media Intern: Natalie DeBaker

Features Interns: Nina Afremov, Sophia Goetz

Art Interns: Madison Kuehn, Natalie Williams

Online Interns: Erica Bouska, Zoe Hoornbeek Copy Interns: Veronica Nowakowski, Anika Wilsnack Music Reviews Interns: Avery Wageman, Griffin Jacobs

This Issue Writers

Art

Harriet Bennett, Marie Ronnander, Vishalli Alagappan,

1 Megan Bormann, 2 Brook Lambrecht, 3 Natalie

Anthony Vystoropski, Nikhil Kumaran, Abby Vela, Nina

Williams, 4 Madison Kuehn, 5 Marley Richmond

Afremov, Peter Nomeland, Gracie Kibort, Lydia Tallarini, Sommer Wagen, Stella Mehlhoff Suomala, Griffin

Cover and Feature Art: Laura Kuchar

Jacobs, Avery Wageman, Max Pritchard, Jun Lin, Quinn

Feature Spread Design: Makenna Larson

McClurg, Matthew Zeichert, Tosin Faseemo Few Good Things, Laurel Hell, Too Hot to Handle, Inside Creative Submissions

Voices / Outside Voices, 11:11, Requiem images from

Shannon Brault, Madison Kuehn, Jacquelyn Fay

original sources.

The Wake Student Magazine 126 Coffman Memorial Union 300 Washington Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN 55455

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Peep The Wake’s Staff Pets! wink! one page magazine

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Lola Natalie

Sasha Erin

Bear Megan

Duffy Shannon

Jessi Hannah

Bean Marley

Panini Laura

Eddy Renee

Roku

Kami 28 – MARCH 14 FEBRUARY

INSIDE 8

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UPCOMING EVENTS

The Eighteenth Ugliest Duckling

Thursdays @ 6:00 PM

3/10 @ 7 - 9PM

Black Business is Beautiful

Jazz Night at the Market Looking to get a taste of the Twin Cities jazz scene, but don’t know where to start? Keg & Case has you covered! Come down to the market every Thursday night to catch some local musicians and local vendors!

Pinball Tournament @ Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative

Practice of Tarot During the Revival of the New Age Movement

928 West 7th St

The TikTok Addiction

3/12 @ 6:30PM

The Vanguard

Music and Storyteller Sessions: Chastity Brown

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Battle of the Bands II

13

Omicron, FOMO, and Cognitive Dissonance

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Gen Z TV

The Woman’s Club of Minneapolis present’s songwriter and storyteller Chastity Brown. The daughter of a blues musician, Chastity brings her unique perspective and folk jazz voice to the stories of marginalized people through her experience as a queer black woman (and, of course, her undeniable talent).

410 Oak Grove St

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Dear Trisha Paytas

3/1 - 4/16*

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White Girl Index

The Tempest @ The Guthrie

The Power of a Good Playlist 19

Hope in the Age of Climate Change

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Six Reviews

22

Kids Ski Free Q&A

THE WAKE

Shakespeare’s farewell to the theater comes to The Guthrie this Spring, a larger than life tale of a banished ruler, a stranded island, and magical forces that bring redemption and love.

Consider attending the sensory-friendly performance on March 27th, or the youth-oriented show on April 3rd. *Times and Dates Vary 818 S 2nd St

Whether you’re a regular Pinball Wizard or only ever played 3D Pinball Space Cadet, all are welcome to hit around the steel marble in this intense, winner takes all tournament. First drink is on the house for all registered players!

3134 California St. NE

3/11 @ 7 - 8PM Star Party: Astronomy with Other Senses 240p pictures of black holes 500 million trillion kilometers away can only get you so far. For a more intimate feel of the cosmos, come to University of Minnesota’s own Bell Museum for an event that helps you experience the universe through your hands and ears (and of course, your eyes).

2088 Larpenteur Ave W

3/14 @ 7PM Mitski @ Palace Theatre

More than just the artist behind that one TikTok song (you know the one), indie pop sensation Mitski comes to Minneapolis in support of her recently released sixth studio album, Laurel Hell, joined by NYC-based pop group MICHELLE as the energetic opening act.

7th Pl. W.

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Letter from the Voices Editor As I join the seemingly unending rotation of staff members to reflect on their time at The Wake, I’d like to say a few things about my time here. While at the magazine, I’ve reviewed the Bollywood Dance competition that takes place at Northrop every year and a talk given on traveler’s guilt, and I’ve written an article from the perspective of a second grader (don’t ask.) These stories, along with others, have called on me to think beyond myself and write from the perspective of another. However, in respect to what Helen Mirren says is the hardest thing to do in acting—that is, to walk into a room as yourself—I will be attempting to do the hardest thing as a frequent Cities and Voices writer today: writing a section purely as myself—or at least one that’s strictly about myself.

Not following tradition at the magazine, I was hired as an intern before I had written any articles. A few articles later and I am the editor of one of our sections: Voices, to be exact.

But you already know that. Looking back, I can remember the flood of emotions when my first article was published. I can also remember the terror of realizing that I only had two hours left to write my article. I definitely don’t do that anymore. Perhaps an important detail: just before my time as an intern, I took a semester off. I suffered a dip in my mental health and spiraled quite suddenly. Reflecting on that time, it represents a turning point in my life, a time in which things changed slightly, if not completely. Although I first wrote an article as an intern, I did attend Wake meetings before this time off. In a way, the magazine has remained a home for me, a place that has remained steady while everything else is shaky.

During the time that I have changed, so has the world. There’s of course the pandemic, that thing. The stuff with the presidents and the Capital, as well as the Olympics. There has also been a racial reckoning, not only in the United States but around the world. As the Voices editor, I have been able to see students’ responses to many of these events. I am always impressed by their ability to find the courage to question as well as to respond. I feel blessed to be able to participate in this process, once as an intern and now as an editor. For as long as The Wake has been special to me, I hope it’s been special to you, the reader, as well.

Best wishes, Mitchell, Voices Editor

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FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 14

THE WAKE

Art by Madison Kuehn

The Eighteenth Ugliest Duckling

CITIES

Why the U of M campus doesn’t deserve the ranking of the eighteenth ugliest campus

BY HARRIET BENNETT As the dead winter looms over Minneapolis, it’s easy to get caught up in the dreariness and melancholy that the gray slushy snow and negative temperatures bring to campus. While walking across the mall, past the dead grass patches peeking through the snow, you may think to yourself, “will this campus ever be beautiful again?”

The answer is yes, it will be.

Complex Networks may try to tell you that the University of Minnesota’s campus is the 18th ugliest in America. I for one have to somewhat disagree.

I’ll admit that while walking down Washington Avenue I’d rather not look at Moos tower. The building is big and blocky and looks like it was made in Minecraft. However, does it not give our campus personality? Plus, I believe that it’s what’s on the inside that counts. If you haven’t been inside Moos, I would highly recommend checking it out.

The West Bank’s Rarig is another popular building students like to hate. As for me, there’s not much I can say but yikes.

So yes, the U of M does have some questionable architecture, but I swear there are parts of campus that are beautiful. Have you ever walked through the mall at golden hour? With the light hitting the ivy-covered Johnston Hall? Pure beauty. Have you ever ambled down University Avenue, expecting to see fraternities but instead stumbling upon the castle-like Folwell Hall? The Weisman Art Museum may be strange-looking, but it certainly brings some artistic fun to your daily walk across the bridge. The mall in the winter may be drab and dreary, but in the spring and fall it is full of life, with students playing frisbee or napping or doing homework, and walking past everyone you can’t help but smile. So while the winter may have you convinced about this ranking, please wait until the spring and you’ll be reminded of how beautiful this campus can be.

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Black Business is Beautiful Bop into The Lab to help fight the racial wealth gap

BY MARIE RONNANDER The Black Business is Beautiful event was held in a giant urban warehouse dubbed “The Lab” and was one of the chillest shopping experiences I’ve ever had. As you enter through the doors, you’re met with groovy music, the smell of candles, and a gentle commotion of content shoppers and vendors. As you approach the center of the popup marketplace, there is a turf set up with giant versions of yard games like Connect 4 and Jenga.

How could it get better than giant Jenga?

The answer lies with the top-quality vendors.

From streetwear and fancy little hats to fruit-loop candles and homemade cake, these entrepreneurs sell anything and everything imaginable. Our group made a pit-stop at a table of impressive hand-crocheted plushies. There was an arrangement of miniature Disney villains, curlytentacled octopus, and smiling dinos. Right across from this table of cuteness was an elegant display of silver and gold rings. And, because being surrounded by cool trinkets leaves one parched, I made a transaction to get a five-star cup of hot chocolate. Let’s just say we all had some problems with monetary self-control.

The Black Business is Beautiful marketplace was established as a means to alter biases against Black-owned businesses in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. Their goal was to encourage the inclusion of Black-owned businesses in the Twin Cities, and it’s been a huge success for the Black community, with the first of the monthly events attracting upwards of 700 people. Of course, there’s still a long way to go in solving the racial wealth gap, but efforts like these are what inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs. And if you missed this event, have no fear. The next market will be held on March 12, and there’s one every month after that, so you should definitely mark your calendars for a visit.

FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 14

Practice of Tarot During the Revival of the New Age Movement

CITIES

Cultural colonization of Rromani spirituality

BY VISHALLI ALAGAPPAN After a long night of talking and procrastinating on homework, my roommates and I peel ourselves off the cozy warm bed in one of our rooms and gather around the coffee table, wrapping ourselves up with robes and blankets, to do Tarot readings. The reader cleanses the living room, the rest of us, and the Tarot deck with incense sticks that our Indian moms insisted we have in the apartment. The person getting their future divined asks the deck a question, the reader shuffles and spreads the cards out for them to choose from.

Once chosen, the cards get turned over and the reader reads the meaning of the card from the instructional book. The reader, and sometimes the whole group, interprets the reading as it pertains to the question at hand.

This is how we, and since the recent revival of the New Age movement, many others, practice Tarot.

Divination through Tarot, which traces its origins to the Roma people (also called the Rromani, which is spelled this way to distinguish the Roma ethnic group from Romanians) has become a very diluted and fetishized practice. Think about divination, palmistry, and scrying crystal balls.

Do you see an old, worn, “mystic” woman or an exotic, hyper-sexualized woman like Esmeralda from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”? The images you conjure up are the romanticized and unrepresentative depiction of Rromani women that is fed to us by the media and, ultimately, a society steeped in cultural erasure of ethnic minorities.

First, a history lesson that was never included in the syllabus. The Rromani are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group who migrated from India to Europe in the 12th century. Since their arrival, the Rromani have been ostracized, persecuted, and enslaved, with abolition only arriving in the 1850s. During

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the Holocaust, Germany marked the Roma as “enemies of the race-based state,” alongside the Jewish population. Rromani are referred to as the “Forgotten Victims” of the war as they were massacred and forcibly sterilized to keep down the population of the Roma. To this day, much of the Roma population survives without access to housing, healthcare, and education, meanwhile, many young Roma girls are kidnapped and pressured into sex work. Many Rromani are stuck in a vicious cycle of generational poverty and de facto othering.

As I was researching for this article, I came across this phrase that the Roma learn young: “Bury me standing, for I’ve spent a lifetime on my knees.”

The grim irony lies in the fact that throughout history jobs were withheld from the Rromani, so they were forced to use divination through Tarot for a meager income and were further stigmatized for their work as Tarot readers. Some countries even specifically ban Rromani from fortune telling, but allow others to practice divination.

In recent times, when Rromani Tarot readers criticize non-Rromani about their white washing of the Tarot’s origins and practice, they are posed with questions such as, “Where are your sources?

What historical record affirms that claim?” The Rromani record and preserve their history through oral tradition. Demanding written historical sources for proof is a habit that arises from white supremacy and the dominance of the written languages throughout history. Rromani have fought and died to hold onto this tradition of Tarot reading that has sustained them through years of persecution and ethnic cleansing. Cherry picking the “fun” parts of the Roma’s spiritual practices while actively stigmatizing Rromani practitioners

and erasing the Rromani roots contributes to the cultural colonization of the New Age movement.

Anna, a Rromani Tarot reader says, “When you can take on the history, suffering, shame and trauma, then you can have Tarot.”

It’s important to note that there is indeed disagreement within the Roma community about non-Roma individuals practicing divination from Tarot. However, this should not be the source of an easy pass. Nor should the fact that belonging to a marginalized group give anyone a pass to participate in closed practices not from their culture (again, Rromani disagree about whether Tarot is a closed practice, but it’s always better to err on the side of caution).

Now that we have established that, what can you do to not contribute to the cultural colonization of Tarot and uplift Rromani practitioners? Get Tarot readings from a Rromani practitioner and pay them for their divination services. If you have a Tarot deck and want to abstain from the practice, donate them to Rromani, dispose of them, or recycle them, if possible. Listen to Rromani voices and educate yourself about Rromani history and culture and resilience.

If you want to participate in the New Age movement without contributing to cultural colonization, explore your own cultural roots, partake in open spiritual practices, or even create your own custom of divination.

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CITIES

The TikTok Addiction TikTok has many communities, such as musictok, DIYtok, fashiontok - what is your current addiction?

BY ANTHONY VYSTOROPSKI Have you been scrolling through TikTok for a while now? Well, thank the TikTok algorithm for your addictive tendencies. TikTok can curate that perfect page for the individual based on your hearts and interactions with certain content groups, such as musictok, DIYtok, and fashiontok.

Personally, the baking and cooking content gets me every time, but the content of failures and life hacks also takes time out of my day. TikTok content is curated for you, hence the “for you page.” People can find community-based content and connect on another level, furthering TikTok’s addictive hold over us as we end up spending more and more time on the app. In one aspect, this level of curation is a great thing because you want to engage in the things that are interesting to you. On the other hand, it is a bit concerning because we might not get to see differing perspectives and get a rounded slice of content.

A big part of curation has to deal with location, which makes one think about how particularly tailored one’s content is. According to Universal Media, TikTok had enabled designated market area geo-targeting this past year, meaning TikTok can break down advertisements within the US to the state level, possibly even down to your surrounding location if location services are turned on. This precise location-based curation impacts not just the ads you see but the user content as well. For some, how precisely your feed is curated is a jarring concept, while others are happy to be getting the laser-focused curation they indulge in. It is important to think about all the parts that make the whole of being on TikTok. While it is such a popular app and continuously growing, there is more than what meets the eye to this social media app.

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The Vanguard: Fostering a New Community for Hip-Hop in the Twin Cities The Vanguard is the bridge between hip hop and college students

BY NIKHIL KUMARAN Everyone in the Twin Cities who considers themselves a music fan has heard of Radio K. They’re known for their intimate live DJs and eclectic variety of on-air music. However, the FCC has strict control over what songs can and can’t go on air. So over the past year, the station has launched a new avenue into genres that often use more mature language. Enter “The Vanguard.”

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The Vanguard, Radio K’s new 24-hour hip-hop stream, is promoting the genre all across the Twin Cities. The Vanguard covers it all from large names like Drake and Lil Baby to local artists such as Blu Bone and Riotgrrrl Darko. The coolest thing about the stream is that its team, like most of Radio K, is made up mostly of student volunteers who strive to bring attention to the Minneapolis music scene.

Paul Schoening, a senior at the University, is the stream’s current program director and has been there since the beginning. “There’s an insane amount of talent here,” Schoening said. “We’re really focused on checking our surroundings in the local scene and asking how we can boost these artists.”

Through The Vanguard, Radio K is quickly becoming the bridge between Minneapolis’s hiphop scene and the University of Minnesota. With their show “Local Vibes,” artists can perform their songs and sit down for an amazingly conducted interview which they post on Youtube. “It provides an opportunity for local artists to get their music across,” said John Kueppers, the host of Local Vibes.

6rips, a local hip-hop artist in the Twin Cities, has a lot of good things to say about the Vanguard.

“It has been constant love and appreciation,” the artist said. “The Vanguard gave me a step up to a different part of my career,” and he says he’s been seeing it for all the artists that have collaborated with the team.

If you want to hear more about The Vanguard, check out Radiok.org and click their big red label on the left-hand side of the website. There you’ll find more information about the stream and what they are up to.

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FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 14

CITIES

Battle of the Bands II: Electric Boogaloo Four music acts of all different genres and experience play on the same stage for a shot to plat at The University of Minnesota’s Spring Jam 1

BY ABBY VELA At the heart of Minneapolis–St. Paul culture is the animated and well-established music scene.

Acts spanning all genres and walks of life have found a home in the dimly lit venues across the metropolitan area. University of Minnesota’s venue in the basement of the Memorial Union, The Whole, is no exception. While the U’s historic stage has been graced by many big-name music groups like The Replacements, Dead Kennedys, and Green Day, it’s also home to one of the most highly anticipated concert series on campus: Battle of the Bands.

Every Friday in February, you can catch one of the four preliminary shows, hosting four different music acts each week. Completely decided by audience vote, these gigs determine which artist from each night will move on to Battle of the Bands Finals at the University-hosted Spring Jam music festival. I attended the second show of preliminaries, a show that was filled to the brim with new and exciting artists. Open to any student at the U, Battle of the Bands brings a range of artists— from seasoned veterans to those having their first performance— onto the same stage for the night.

“My main sort of music is House and EDM,” said Bryan Casas, first-time performer and new student at the U. Casas started off the evening with a bang, lighting up the venue with dance-electronic life.

Having just started producing music last year, he

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concluded, “at the end of the day… I’m just gonna go up there and have fun. Show people a good time.” Although not many in the crowd had heard his music before, that didn’t stop anybody from doing exactly what Casas had hoped.

The Redeemed are another new group on campus; the three-piece set shouldered a guitar, keyboard, and vocals for a setlist of faith-based Christian acoustic originals. “We’re a worship group, we just want to make the name of Jesus famous,” the group said when asked about their reason for participating in Battle of the Bands.

The crowd thoroughly enjoyed their set, both taking out their phone flashes and slow-dancing to the light soprano melodies. “It’s all for fun and to spread the Word.”

Another new band-on-the-block to perform was Bird Bass; “not like the fish, though,” the band’s frontman, Sean, joked while on stage. The four-piece set kept the fast pace going, playing unreleased originals with pop-punk vivacity and unexpected yet absolutely fantastic keyboard riffs. One of my favorite moments of the night was solidified as the frontman turned out to the gathering crowd and exclaimed, “this is so cool,” as the biggest grin spread across his face. The crowd called back with cheering and applause before their last few songs. Very cool, indeed.

The veteran band of the night, Kids Ski Free, proved to be a crowd favorite. The audience crowded the front of the stage once more, waiting and ready to go. “Ready for what?” one may ask.

The indie-rock band intentionally chose some of their most upbeat songs as well as a cover or two with “the goal” of starting a mosh pit, and a mosh pit did they start. The crowd went wild, arranging themselves into a circle and immediately diving in, bodies and elbows working in chaotic unison. For the full half-hour set, the pit did not cease. In the single moment of restitution, everyone stopped to lift a fellow show-goer into the air to crowd surf, something that I didn’t think was possible in a venue divided by large columns. Having played together since high school, Kids Ski Free is looking to not only jam at Battle of the Bands but also get ready for the release of a new EP to come out in the coming weeks.

Much like The Cities themselves, Battle of the Bands provides a space for groups, new and old, to find their foothold in the local music scene. It is truly a pleasure to be a part of this contest, both as an audience member and as a performer. Take time in the coming months to go see some local performances; I assure you that you won’t regret it.

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ART

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Art by Jacquelyn Fay

FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 14

Omicron, FOMO, and Cognitive Dissonance: Campus Life During the Pandemic

FEATURE

Pondering the confusion of navigating college life now that things are back to normal-ish

BY NINA AFREMOV THE WAKE

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FEATURE

There was a joke I used to hear in 2020, back when the COVID pandemic still felt like a shock to the system that was our everyday lives.

My friends and I would repeat the refrain, “Back when our grandparents were our age, they’d go to war to be heroes. Now we just stay home.”

However, this feels like an impossible task for some; for many restless college students, staying in feels like a loss. After all, Americans seem to view college as a time when young people embark on profound self-discovery through alcohol and socializing.

Look at movies like “American Pie 2” and “Pitch Perfect.” They are quintessential examples of the college lifestyle, especially the latter, since it’s set against the backdrop of a college activity. I remember my former roommate’s devastation when her a cappella group shut down for good.

However, some students have been partying since March 2020, before the distribution of the vaccines. This partying has stirred controversy: in September 2020, Kare 11 covered a story about freshmen at the University of Minnesota breaking protocol by partying at Kollege Klub.

But the reality is, we have made a lot of progress against COVID. According to the University of Minnesota, more than 90% of our community is vaccinated.

Reminders about the mask mandate and advertisements for getting

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boosted are posted on the door of every building on campus. But is that enough, especially considering the Omicron variant?

A week before the start of the spring semester, there were 219 student cases of COVID. Although cases went down to 82 the next week, it was still a surge compared to December.

The city responded to this surge by mandating that only fully vaccinated people or those with negative tests could dine at restaurants in Minneapolis or Saint Paul (a mandate that has recently been lifted).

Yet despite the mandates and the feeling of COVID closing in, it seems like people, not only students, will continue to grasp for pre-COVID normalcy.

Mitch, a senior at the University, told me what this surge looked like for him. “A lot of people got sick with Omicron. Fortunately I avoided it, but all of my friends had a scare and five to seven tested positive.” He also told me what he remembers about campus before the pandemic. “Things were busier, livelier. Campus was all over the place and professors were more readily available.” In other words, there is much to miss about life before the pandemic, and it is no wonder that people want a sense of normalcy, despite the apparent risk.

This state of living in weariness, but having a desire for normalcy, is a case of cognitive dissonance.

According to researchers at Princeton University, cognitive dissonance describes the state when people’s attitudes contradict their actions. This is an unpleasant state because it breeds confusion. It was more clear to take a stance against COVID-

FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 14

FEATURE

related cognitive dissonance a year ago, before the vaccines were widespread. For example, it was easier to see the cognitive dissonance of those who said they would get a vaccine to protect others, but would go out to clubs on the weekends.

This is an example of stating one thing (wanting to protect public health) but doing another (partaking in behavior that puts public health at risk). Yet as we come close to two years in a state of limbo, and as people continue to get vaccinated and boosted, the lines become blurred.

Speaking with Lara, a junior at the University, brought up some of this confusion for me. When asked about her social life, she told me about a ski trip. “My friends and I like to do a yearly ski trip, and I feel secure with those friends because they’re health care workers. They’re vaccinated, boosted, and need to be more careful.” But a friend of mine, whose mom works in the healthcare field, rarely goes to his parents’ house, because his mom is at risk of exposure to the virus and spends most of her days with patients who are immunocompromised. So, whose logic is right (or at least less wrong)?

No matter the answer, some students are still going to go out. If they do, they should keep several things in mind. Dee Dee, a master’s student in public health at the University, gave me her opinion on the matter. “If you do decide to go out, get tested before you visit. If you have symptoms, get tested a few days after, whether you’re seeing Nana or not.”

In other words, if you’re going to see your elderly grandparents every Saturday, maybe don’t go to Blarney’s for karaoke on Thirsty Thursday. If you

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do decide to go out, get tested a few days after, whether you’re seeing Nana or not. “At this point, doing anything social means accepting the responsibility to minimize the risk for yourself and others around you.”

Then there are those who don’t party at all and don’t need to worry about it.

Maybe the lockdowns of the past two years have turned them into hermits and the risk of Omicron is just another excuse to watch Netflix every night. And maybe there are those who make the choice not to go out because they don’t consider it time well spent.

I asked Ryan, a junior at the University, what he thought. “A lot of the people that I know who are going out to parties and bars a lot just don’t exactly have it together.”

Shots already fired, I asked him to elaborate. “Well, a lot of the time it seems like it’s sort of a get away. They’re facing problems and don’t want to talk about it and instead go out to bars and hang out.” Ryan’s answer seemed to bring the college party premise into question. But no matter what we value during our college experience, Omicron (or any new variant) won’t compel people to stop going out, not when it seems like COVID will always be a part of our reality.

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VOICES

Gen Z TV

“Industry” is the show that “Euphoria” needs to be

BY PETER NOMELAND One of the best shows on TV right now revolves around a group of young people as they grapple with the unique challenges and hardships that come with coming of age during this period in time. The show airs on HBO and has sex, drugs, and an incredible synth soundtrack that fills the atmosphere. It takes a look at how Gen Z is navigating the world that previous generations may have messed up forever.

That show is called “Industry.” You were almost certainly thinking of “Euphoria,” the phenomenon currently airing its second season on HBO, but I’ll get to that later. “Industry,” which initially aired on the BBC, follows a group of recent college graduates fighting for positions at a prestigious London investment bank. This concept might sound boring, but the show is much more interested in the stress and psychology of these characters and how they navigate an industry that is ruthless to all who enter it. The focus is on five graduates who are heading into the cutthroat world of finance, and they do all of the youngadult TV staples. They get into love triangles, they grapple with their upbringings, and they search for their place in the world, with varying degrees of success. But the show is heightened by its engrossing and expensive London setting and the performances of its lead characters, particularly that of Myha’la Herrold as Harper, an American expat who is even more out of place than her

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contemporaries. The HBO/BBC production values don’t hurt either, with the look and soundtrack of the show feeling like an old-school high-budget drama that they just don’t make anymore.

The show sometimes looks and sounds so much like “Euphoria” that comparisons are almost inevitable. “Euphoria” is probably the most popular show in the world right now, thanks in no small part to its cast, led by it-girl Zendaya, as well as its brutal and uncompromising look at teenage life.

Zendaya’s Rue is addicted to drugs, and almost every other character has a traumatic backstory, which leads them to damage themselves or those around them. In this show, everyone is a superheightened version of a troubled teen. The show, written and directed by Sam Levinson, almost can’t be categorized as a teen show. It seems more interested in making every shot and scene as stylized and intense as humanly possible. And this works in some cases, especially with scenes involving Zendaya, who is incredible, particularly in scenes involving her struggles with addiction.

But to call the show a realistic portrayal of teenage life would be a stretch.

The most obvious difference between the shows is the age of the characters, though many have noted that most of the “Euphoria” cast is closer to their thirties than their teens. “Industry” is a rare show in which actors portray young people who

are the same age and at the same point in their lives as them. Creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay described what makes this time in your life and your career so compelling and relatable: “You’re expected to be a fully formed person, to be an adult. My early twenties were far more of an identity crisis for me than my adolescence.” On “Euphoria,” the characters have theoretically just hit puberty, and yet the things they go through and the interactions they have feel overwhelming, even for adults. In “Industry,” when something intense or harrowing happens to the characters, you feel for them, because these things could happen to you.

This isn’t to say that there should not be teenage shows that deal with these issues or that are unrealistic in their depictions of teenagers. Two of my favorite shows are “The O.C.” and “Friday Night Lights,” and both have subplots in which a main character kills someone and gets away with it. But all of these shows are somewhat grounded in reality. They felt like they were going somewhere, and the kids were going to grow up and mature.

With “Euphoria,” it remains to be seen whether we’ll get there.

VOICES

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Dear Trisha Paytas My culture is not your latest personality quirk

BY GRACIE KIBORT If you’re anything like me, you probably felt a multitude of emotions as you watched Trisha Paytas exploit culture after culture, group after group, throughout the years. It wasn’t until a year ago that they targeted the Jewish community with full force due to their new relationship with a Jewish man. They posted TikToks devouring their “Jew lunch” and videos featuring their continued fetishization of Jewish culture. Although all of it was largely laughable, it infuriated me. I could not let it go. Suddenly I realized why their latest derogatory content about my inherited culture, foods, and tradition made me so irate. It was because they outlandishly represented the microaggressions that I, and so many others in my community, have faced throughout our lives, especially in the age of social media.

check a box. I couldn’t be a Girl Scout because it conflicted with Hebrew school. I listened to my grandparents’ stories of surviving the Holocaust.

Then I smiled as I half-heartedly sang Christmas songs in choir concerts and sat uncomfortably in middle school as I saw swastikas scribbled on desks. I shrank in my seat when a boy gawked at me in math class, pointing to me and saying, “she’s the Jew.” Friends commented on my body type, saying I looked the way I did because of my ethnicity, all the way down to the length of my legs and the size of my ass. The list persisted through high school. In my freshman year of college, a swastika was drawn on posters in my residence hall. Microaggressions became tallies on a chart I knew all too well. Everyone I know who is a part of the Jewish community has had similar experiences.

My upbringing has been defined by the culture that has hugged me when sad, cheered me on during achievements, and pushed me to grow as an individual. I feel intrinsically connected to the people I’ve grown with and what I have learned from them. But from a young age, I felt like I existed in two dimensions: embracing my culture and simultaneously making myself smaller to hide it, a double life with Hannah Montana incongruities. I attended public school and had friends from similar backgrounds but often felt like an “other.” When seldom included in Hanukkah crafts and songs, I felt tokenized just enough to

Jewish people have been persecuted dating back to the Bible. The idea that we’ve walked around with targets on our backs since we roamed the desert is an unfortunate cornerstone of our traditions. According to the Anti-Defamation League, acts of bigotry have led us to represent 58% of religious targeted hate crimes in 2020, despite only constituting 2% of Americans. Social media exacerbates the danger and fear of being a Jewish person in 2022, especially as a student.

It has aggravated my anxiety. Acquaintances often post Instagram graphics and stories featuring “10 acts of anti-semitism this week that

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you didn’t hear about.” I feel my blood pressure rise as I reflect on all of the people who want me obliterated. Dead. Gone. The comment sections are polarizing and even more frightening. In minority communities such as mine, we often exist in online echo chambers. While these facilitate feelings of community, they also allow us to feel confident that change is coming and word is being spread. I foolishly believed everyone I knew had heard about the hostage situation at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas in January, despite a lack of news coverage. For a week, my endless chain of Instagram stories focused heavily on the topic, but when I brought it up to my non-Jewish friends a week later, they hadn’t heard about it. My feelings of confidence vanished.

“They tried to kill us—now we eat!” is often heard at dinner tables during the holidays. Perseverance is intertwined with everything we do. Persecution and times of misery and misfortune are taught amongst themes of love and pride. The values I’ve inherited are taught through persistence, gratitude, and generational trauma, things that Paytas knows nothing about. Despite these values, by acting like it’s a costume to take on and off, Paytas could not begin to understand the weight that we carry and the fear that consumes us.

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VOICES

The White Girl Index Never bet against sorority girls in yoga pants

BY LYDIA TALLARINI 2

Reddit is a pretty odd website. During the pandemic, r/wallstreetbets came into the public eye as users “stuck it to the man” and short squeezed GameStop; meanwhile, I was browsing r/bettafish and looking at photos of other people’s aquariums. Somewhere along the line, I stumbled across an old post on r/investing that intrigued me.

On October 10, 2018, u/thisistheperfectname wrote about the “White Girl Index,” a collection of stocks he had put together with a friend.

With a list of about 20 public companies, they intended to capitalize on the buying power of your stereotypical 20-something white girl.

As a now-deleted user so aptly put it, “Never bet against sorority girls in yoga pants.” There are lots of people, disregarding gender or race, who have a disposable income and choose to spend it in “basic” ways. Apple, Netflix, Starbucks, and others benefit from the brand recognition associated with being an established corner of society.

For some brands, this type of loyalty makes sense.

Take Canada Goose, for example. At least on this college campus, it’s normal to see the Canada Goose logo. Their jackets are famously top-of-theline, and there will always be customers willing to buy that kind of quality. Lululemon is another strong company, keeping up with the fads but maintaining quality.

As pandemic restrictions ease, it’s interesting to see how companies do. Starbucks, for instance, might enjoy more market share in areas where local coffee shops have closed down. And although it was a brutal period for much of the population, those with more disposable income moved their shopping online, prompting growth in luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Sephora (which are owned by the same holding corporation).

I can’t speak to the future profits of these stocks, but they seem like strong picks, especially for people who are in the customer base and want an emotional connection with their investments. But beyond the numbers, I wonder if these businesses enjoy success because of the quality of their products or because of the wealth and trendawareness of their customers.

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The Power of a Good Playlist Why making playlists is its own art form

BY SOMMER WAGEN My relationship with music is extremely personal.

For me, there will always be songs I associate with certain moments in my life. Like a movie soundtrack, there will be a song humming in the background of my visions of the past that perfectly exemplifies the moment. A song I truly love will flood my psyche, scratch my brain in just the right way, and persist until the day comes when it doesn’t hit quite the way it used to. However, thoughtfully arranging a playlist of music I love is my favorite way to breathe new life into songs I’ve heard a thousand times over.

Whether your relationship with music is like mine or not, the way music influences our emotions is clearly evident. A good playlist, no matter the mood, can take you to an entirely different place, mentally and emotionally, whether you’re staring out a window, feeling the bounce of a cadence in your step, or clacking away on your keyboard. There’s something about a perfected flow of sounds and lyrics that can be energizing, comforting, or even heart-wrenching, making you feel like the protagonist in the movie of your life.

In a similar vein, making a playlist is like the construction of a story. Just as making music is an artistic expression of emotions for your favorite artists, taking their songs and arranging them in brand new ways is also creatively expressive. I currently have a “spring semester” playlist running, an anthology of songs that I feel best encapsulates the mood of this time of my life. Even though they’re all songs I listen to regularly, I’m using their words and sounds to reflect the narrative of my life, and, as a result, finding a new appreciation for them. As Phoebe Bridgers said in her song “Chinese Satellite,” “I wish I wrote it, but I didn’t/So I’ll learn the words.” Ultimately, making a playlist is writing a new story with the words and sounds you already know so well.

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VOICES

Hope in the Age of Climate Change Eco-anxiety, existential dread, and the power of community

BY STELLA MEHLHOFF One day over the summer while my town was submerged in Canada’s wildfire smoke, I watched my little cousin for an afternoon. Instead of going to the park, where we’d both have to wear KN-95 masks to protect us from damaging particles, we sat inside on the couch, watching a nature documentary on TV. The lush forests and sleek wild cats were a relief compared to the brittle dehydration of the lawn’s grass. But near the end of the documentary, the narrator embarked on an inevitable discussion of climate change. The screen filled with more figures than I could bear to see, all saying the same thing: our world is heading for disaster, and quickly. My little cousin is ten, his voice just starting to change, so it cracked when he asked, “Stella, is it true that the tipping point is 2030? Are we going to be okay?”

That moment was one in a series of unnerving climate revelations for me. I smoothed my hand over his blonde head, but I knew that I couldn’t offer him the comfort he craved. When I was his age, I remember learning in science class that the sun would explode one day and that would be the end of the world. I freaked out, but my teacher soothed me, saying it was an event so far away my great-great-grandchildren wouldn’t be there to see it. It would be silly for me to worry about it now.

But my cousin’s worry isn’t like that. It isn’t distant or fantastical. In fact, it’s completely rational. I cannot tell him, or myself, that there is no monster under the bed. Every time I open my phone to look at the news, it’s there with glaring teeth.

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My cousin and I aren’t alone in our fears.

According to a survey published last month in The Lancet, 75% of young people said that they fear for the future, and 56% agreed with the statement that “humanity is doomed.” This certainly points to a dismal outlook, but it also comes with increased recognition of climate change’s impact on mental health. There’s even a word for it. “Eco-anxiety” is defined by the American Psychological Association as “a chronic fear of environmental doom” and may require a different kind of treatment than more well-established mental illnesses. Because fighting climate change requires us to act off of logical fear, the goal isn’t to make these feelings go away, but to manage them so that we can still live fully.

Finding this balance is not easy, but it is necessary.

As David Montongomery said in his article in the Washington Post, “The new climate war… is against hopelessness.” Our future depends on our actions, and our actions depend on our ability to be motivated, instead of crippled, by our existential dread. Fortunately, strategies to cope are being developed. There are podcasts, email newsletters, online support groups, and a new category of climate-aware therapists springing up to support us. Personally, my antidote is both simple and unoriginal, given by a family friend while discussing the climate crisis. He expressed that, for him, prioritizing community is the only way he will be able to survive the inevitable tumult of the coming years. This isn’t a revolutionary sentiment— maybe it’s even a little cliche—but I connected with

the solace that it offered. I’m not saying that I think we can save the world with dinner parties and gardening clubs, but maybe they are the key to saving ourselves in the meantime.

Lately, heeding his wise words, I’ve been trying my best to restore my faith in the intimate joys of my relationships. I’m still going to keep informed and search for ways to advance climate justice, but I’m also going to go swing dancing with my friends and wrestle my little cousin at family functions, free of guilt. These aren’t climate solutions in the obvious sense, but they are their own kind of progress. They give me the rest and the radical optimism I require to work for a better future.

Community has the power to give us courage, and to tackle what we’re up against, we need it.

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SIX REVIEWS

Laurel Hell Mitski

BY AVERY WAGEMAN

Few Good Things Saba

BY GRIFFIN JACOBS Chicago rapper Saba has been a hip-hop indie darling since his early collaborations with Chance the Rapper that propelled him into relevancy. It isn’t difficult to understand why, either; his sound has been defined by his conscious lyricism, soft and laid-back beat choices, and an ability to string catchy choruses with wittily crafted flows in his verses.

On “Few Good Things,” Saba seems to be trying to branch out from that niche to mixed results.

“Survivor’s Guilt” is reaching towards a more mainstream trap sound. Unfortunately, despite solid lyricism, it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the album, and Saba is clearly out of his comfort zone. This issue is more clearly exemplified on “Fearmonger” which reminds me, at least instrumentally, of Childish Gambino’s notoriously bad “California.” It feels clunky and unnecessary, different for the sake of difference.

Mitski’s sixth album, “Laurel Hell,” is a thematically and sonically cohesive album. It’s brimming with a beautifully curated mix of deeply honest and slightly eerie lyrics blossoming with poetic imagery. If there is one thing you can expect from a Mitski album, it’s a tracklist of songs about heartbreak. “Heat Lightning,” “The Only Heartbreaker,” “Should’ve Been Me,” “I Guess,” and “That’s Our Lamp” are painfully truthful reflections on concluded relationships.

While her previous albums have often tied synth and electro with deep bass tracks, “Laurel Hell” fully embraces the ‘80s synth sound. “There’s Nothing Left for You” has a dash of dreamy, romantic influence reminiscent of Prince, and tracks such as “Valentine, Texas,” “Working for the Knife,” and “Love Me More” have wistful and melancholic characteristics of music from Joy Division and The Cure.

In the track “Everyone,” Mitski ponders the disconnect between her goals and perceptions of her career against others expectations. Similarly, in “There’s Nothing Left for You,” it sounds as though she is contemplating the end of her career and whether she has anything left to give of herself. This is depicted in the song’s epic instrumental crescendo as she belts “You could touch fire/You could fly/It was your right/It was your life.” Then, the music dramatically drops off as she sings in a near whisper, “and then it passed to someone new.”

Fortunately, the record picks up in its second half, where Saba returns to and improves on his previous sound. The last three tracks are easily the best three and exemplify the best elements of this record. “Make Believe” is beautiful poetry, reflecting on Saba’s origins and how he now lives Mitski has always been able to articulate very the life he could only imagine as a kid. “2012” is specific feelings through her lyrics, and as I near a puppy love song with the maturity of hindsight, the end of my senior year, this lyric from “Worka yearning for a time when all we needed was ing for the Knife” particularly resonates with me: each other. The title track adds a filter of realism “I cry at the start of every movie/ I guess ‘cause I to the nostalgia of the previous tracks, showing wish I was making things too.” the hardships of the past and how they’ve influenced his present.

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Too Hot to Handle The newest season of this Netflix reality television show is so bad it’s almost good

BY MAX PRITCHARD In the third season of this Netflix dating show, ten attractive twenty-somethings are placed on a luxury island, with the twist that they can’t have any sort of sexual contact during their threeweek stay. Gasp! The horror! If they don’t follow the rules, their $200,000 prize fund is decreased.

The guests are watched by Lana, a virtual assistant that attempts to help them make more genuine emotional bonds. To do this, she assigns them to sensual workshops and gives them nothing to do but talk to their fellow guests about how horny they are.

Unsurprisingly, these tactics prove to be unsuccessful.

Basically, this show is not very good. Most contestants are shallow, and their interactions are often tedious. In addition, the workshops are bizarre, the narration is awful, many relationships are uninteresting, and the plot twists are predictable.

But I would be lying if I said I didn’t have fun watching this. It helped that I watched it with friends— viewing this alone would probably be very dull. But we found ourselves growing to like many contestants for all their flaws. And there are a few sincere emotional aspects—one British couple has to overcome their Britishness and learn to express their feelings, and it’s genuinely touching.

In the end, the show is very dumb fun with a little bit of heart. If you’re looking for something to binge-watch with your friends, you could probably do worse than “Too Hot To Handle.”

FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 14

SIX REVIEWS

Inside Voices / Outside Voices

11:11

K.Flay

Pinegrove

BY JUN LIN

BY QUINN MCCLURG

Rock influences, from pop-punk (“Dating my Dad” featuring Travis Barker), nu-metal (“TGIF” featuring Tom Morello), to indie (“I’m Afraid of the Internet”), round out the album’s cohesiveness while avoiding too much similarity across the twelve tracks. The additional songs on the album, “The Muck” and “Good to Drive,” fulfill their functions as transitional and closing pieces.

Like the title, Pinegrove’s newest album “11:11” is reminiscent of a wish and almost palindromic in nature.

The first half of the album comes from “Inside Voices,” and its brash, buzzing instrumentals will drive the listener through five songs before they even know it. Her lyrics are irreverent, representing her desire to “say things I’ve been keepin’ inside.” This line comes from “Four Letter Words,” the opening song, and it sums up the album’s overarching theme.

The second half shows listeners the public, verbal version of K.Flay. The “Outside Voices” portion is laid back with acoustic guitar and piano instrumentals. It does not boast any featuring artists, and its relaxed rhythms slow its pace. This section is quieter, less loud, but if you lean in and listen carefully, the lyrical content is still emotive and true to K.Flay herself.

K.Flay’s inside voice is unapologetic, while her outside voice is communicated through filters of society, self-doubt, and outside influences.

However, comparing its softer edge to the previous half of the album illustrates each section’s strengths and weaknesses. The two halves complement each other, and one cannot exist without the other.

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At the beginnings and ends of the album, the listener is greeted with the same scenes: loss, regret, wildfires, climate change, and angst. But through the middle track “Respirate” and the latter-half songs of “So What” and “Swimming,” this seemingly bleak ending is made subtly different.

These songs emphasize self control, the importance of persistence, and the desire to live, all in contrast with loss, catastrophe, and difficulty. So, even though the end is the same, the lyrics add an air of emotional intelligence: the only way out is through. To achieve the healing and growth and peace that we and our planet desire, we must keep going.

These sentiments prove to be applicable to and a result of the experiences of continuing to live through current events such as the pandemic and climate change, the controversy that the band has experienced in recent years, and even the experience of the passage of time.

Although the album itself reads as a more tired and mature older sibling of previous albums (most notably their 2016 landmark album “Cardinal”), “11:11” moves along with the same crashing and raspy cadence that Pinegrove fans have come to expect and love. The midwest-emo riffs and clever wordplay all blur and lurch together smoothly, making “11:11” a familiar and cohesive album definitely worth a couple angst-fueled listens, certain to please newcomers, environmental activists, and Pinegrove fans alike.

Requiem Korn

BY MATTHEW ZEICHERT “Requiem” by Korn is the band’s 14th studio album from the foundational nu-metal group consisting of vocalist Jonathan Davis, guitarists Brian “Head” Welch & James “Munkey” Shaffer, bassist Reginald Arvizu, and drummer Ray Luzier. With hits like “Freak on a Leash” and “Falling Away from Me,” Korn was a staple of 1990s nu-metal among the likes of System of a Down, Slipknot, and Limp Bizkit.

Unfortunately, the band’s latest project is nowhere near as memorable as their previous albums, like their self-titled LP or “Follow the Leader.” Tracks like opener “Forgotten” and “Start the Healing” come across as desperate attempts to achieve airplay on mainstream modern rock radio stations. Davis’ vocals hardly pack the punch they once did. Modern rock norms aside, album producer Chris Collier’s production on “Requiem” is way too present through the album’s 33-minute length. The best part of the whole album is the opening guitar riff on “Lost in the Grandeur,” but it is quickly forgotten as soon as the terrible callback to “Freak on a Leash” on closing track “Worst is on Its Way” hits one’s ears.

The word ‘requiem’ stems from church mass held in remembrance of the dead. If “Requiem” was meant to be a reflection on death and grieving brought on by the relatively recent death of Jonathan Davis’ wife Devin, I sincerely hope it provided some solace to the legendary frontman despite the album’s obvious shortcomings. “Requiem” is by no means the worst album ever, but unless you are a diehard Korn fan, I have two words for you: steer clear.

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Q&A

Kids Ski Free

BY TOSIN FASEEMO Kids Ski Free is a Minneapolis-based indie rock band. The band is composed of singer/drummer Brandon Tang, bassist Brandon Burmeister, singer/ guitarist Logan Penny, and guitarist Harrison Yarwood. Keep reading to find out about the origin of the band’s name, their creative process, and their recent Battle of the Bands victory at the University of Minnesota.

Photos by @jjack.owen

: How’d you guys meet?

BT: We went to school together. Me, Harrison and Logan played in jazz band together in eighth grade. In high school, Kids Ski Free was formed.

Then sophomore/junior year Brandon started playing with us as well.

: What is the meaning behind your band name?

LP: I saw it on the back of a guy’s shirt. He was a guy who went to our school. I wrote it down. We were trying to come up with band names later on and I threw out Kids Ski Free.

: What do you guys like about the Twin Cities music scene?

HY: I feel like there’s a lot going on. Like there’s always a show or something that you hear about.

And that’s exciting; I feel like we found that we’re

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always playing with new bands. We aren’t playing with the same bands, over and over, because there are so many to choose from.

: What is your creative process like?

LP: Usually one of us has the start of a song and we just go from there. We’ll jam on it a couple times and start to say, “Oh well what should we do?” There’s a lot of coming up with a chorus as we’re jamming and going, “Well, what if we did this for the chorus?” So, it’s a lot of stuff like that.

But it’s hard to even say how our creative process happens. I feel like once we’ve written a song I have no clue how we did it.

: What inspires you guys to make music?

BT: I just feel like doing it a lot of the time. And then being in the band I’m just like, I should make music for the band.

FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 14

Q&A

LP: Yeah, being in a band definitely helps you be like, “Oh, I should write something for the band.” If you just only answer to yourself it’s a lot harder to be happy with something. But, I will also say that I saw Rush when I was like seven years old, and I was like, “This is the greatest thing ever.” Since then, I’ve done nothing but think about and write and listen to music.

: What genre would you say your music is?

BT: I feel like it’s mostly based in indie rock.

: I know you guys recently performed at Battle of the Bands at The Whole Music Club.

What was it like winning that?

BB: It was really cool.

HY: I know me and Brandon have been to shows at The Whole, so it was cool to play on that stage.

It’s a cool space and having sound people was cool, because we don’t always have that.

BT: I’ve seen a couple of my favorite artists [there] so it’s cool to be on the other side of that. Also, I don’t know if we’ve ever played to that many people. That was really fun.

BB: I feel like the audience was a lot more willing to get really into it. Everyone seemed very, very energetic from the get go, which is really cool because sometimes you kind of have to encourage that.

: What do you guys aspire to as a band?

What are your goals?

LP: It’s hard to say long-term, but our goal for this year is to get a show at 7th Street Entry.

BT: Also, I think, just to make music that we’re really into.

: Who would be your dream collaboration?

BT: I feel like I would really want to play with Snail Mail.

LP: I think I’d want to play piano on a Bright Eyes album or something. Or Car Seat Headrest.

BB: Jeff Rosenstock.

HY: Built to Spill.

Kids Ski Free will be performing at the University of Minnesota’s Spring Jam on April 30.

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