This weekend my best friend and I decided to have a little friend date as one does. We picked a cute restaurant to go to (also if you’re in the Tallahassee area, Sakura Sushi is the place to be on a saturday night!) and then we thought ‘why not go see the new rom-com, The Drama, with Zendaya and Robert Pattinson!’ I have to say, if anyone is planning on seeing that on a date depending on who you are I would possibly rethink that.

I walked in and expected to just see maybe a little angsty romantic comedy/drama with two people who basically helped build my personality. I mean I knew the Shake It Up choreo by heart as a kid and I’ve been a “Team Edward” girl since my sister showed me Twilight. And honestly, for the first twenty minutes, that is what it was. Their meet-cute was cute, a bit worrisome but honestly super realistic. We are introduced to all of the main players pretty quickly and, as an inspiring film producer and director, it was shot in the classic A24 indie way. With a grainy look, it seems like this is a couple in love who are about to get married with loving friends.

When I say that the plot twist, twisted… I really really mean it. I don’t want to give anything away because I think not knowing anything is the best way to go into this movie, but I feel like it brings forth a lot of interesting questions and dynamics that are not really seen in many movies. Actually, I really think this is a very original movie and I’m not super surprised, A24 has a history of taking movies that are more original, indie, or artsy or artistic. However this really is a new take on the idea of a rom-com and also the idea of “do you ever really know someone”?

Again I don’t want to spoil anything, but this is a fair warning that I may get really close to it, because the character relationships that this movie attacks needs to be discussed and context is kind of needed. I’m gonna do my best but no promises.

As someone who was in public school her whole life and now goes to FSU, the topic at hand isn’t something anyone my age isn’t familiar with either; this movie really tackles the idea of empathy towards it in a way that at least got me thinking about it a lot in the following days. I mean Zendaya’s character, Emma Harwood, is the center of the conversation but I couldn’t find it in myself to condemn her the way other characters do, specifically Alana Haim’s Rachel. To me, Emma was and probably is the most empathetic person in the whole movie: she saw the reality, she changed her mindset, she forgave, and she became a better person because of it. However, in the catalyst for the main conflict, every other character showed that their behaviors never changed.

I think it’s most seen in Rachel, which while there are conflicting opinions on this movie everyone seems to hate this character so take what you will from that. Her confession illustrates behavior that she repeats over and over again throughout the whole movie. She views herself as better than everyone else because of tragedies she was adjacent to and lets that cast herself as the victim even if she is more of a perpetrator than anyone else. She is forceful with her husband and strongly condemns Emma through the whole movie even when Emma continues to apologize.

Even Robert Pattinson’s character Charlie Thompson doesn’t really seem to have grown from his confessional, he repeats the behavior of hurting others when he is highly emotional. Nor does Mamoudou Athie’s character, Mike, seem to have changed as he stays behind Rachel through the whole movie.

Honestly, though, the story in The Drama is probably the most realistic depiction of what would happen in this situation. I have seen a lot of polarizing opinions on this movie and I really think they all have a spot in the cultural zeitgeist. I guess to add my two cents, I thought it was a well written, well shot, and well protected movie. I truly had no idea what I was walking into. All the press around it has seemed more like ‘oh lets put Zendaya and Rob in a room and see what comes out of it’ rather than actual discourse over the movie. If you were to ask my best friend, she would say the ending sucked, I personally am not totally sure about it yet. I see what the point was, but I do agree that I wish there was more around if Charlie could grow from this and if Emma truly was just going to forgive and forget. But I guess if we go into movies wishing to see everything, we’d be living in a movie rather than real life.

I think it has brought important acknowledgement towards mental health and the main topic of the movie, which I won’t say in case you are reading this before watching the movie– which may have been a bad idea, like seriously just go watch the movie. All in all I think it was a refreshing take on a Rom-Com-Dram-ady (see what I did there). With the rise of romanticizing more negative aspect of human life, The Drama, with some moments of comedy, a little bit of romance, and just full drama, it brings the conversion I think a lot of people are going to start having to see: what was the true effects of popularized violence and can one come back from mistakes as a child? I’d like to think we shouldn’t judge people for what they may have almost done but what they do, but maybe after watching this movie again I’ll have a change of heart. However, for now, The Drama sits in my letterbox with a five star rating because at the end of the day I watched this movie almost a week ago and I can’t stop thinking about it. To me, a movie that does this to its audience is a five star movie heading to be a possible cult classic.

Edited by Natalli Newman

Visibility, for lesbians, has never been a simple matter of being seen. It is about recognition without distortion, presence without erasure, and community without fragmentation. While cultural shifts might suggest broader LGBTQ+ acceptance, lesbian-specific spaces, histories, and identities are increasingly at risk of being flattened, absorbed, and LOUDLY sidelined.

The Disappearing Space

One of the most tangible markers of this erasure are physical spaces. In the 1980s, the United States had an estimated 200 lesbian bars. Today, that number has dwindled to fewer than 30, which has increased from only 15 in 2019. The dwindling of these spaces is a huge cultural loss, because they’re not “new” or “trendy”—they have rich histories that prove the persistence and resilience of the lesbian community across time.

Lesbian bars are not just nightlife venues: they are sanctuaries. They are places where lesbians can exist without explanation, without translation, and without fear. In a world that often demands invisibility or conformity, these spaces offer something rare: ease.

The sharp decline is tied to a mix of factors: gentrification, rising rents, the rise of dating apps, and the broadening (and sometimes blurring) of queer spaces into more generalized LGBTQ+ environments. While inclusivity matters, it has also, paradoxically, contributed to the dilution of spaces specifically centered on lesbians.

What happens when a community loses its place to gather without negotiation?

Visibility vs. Assimilation

Lesbian identity has long been subject to reinterpretation, often by outsiders and within the broader queer umbrella. Increased media representation has not always meant accurate or affirming visibility. Too often, lesbian characters are hypersexualized, written for the male gaze, killed off, and/or positioned as temporary phases in narratives that ultimately center heterosexuality, and more specifically, men.

In a way to undercut lesbian relationships, many (mostly those in the manosphere or in conservative spaces) will refer to the statistic from a CDC survey stating 43.8% of lesbians reported having experienced IPV (intimate partner violence). However, upon further investigation, 72% of those 43.8% experienced violence at the hands of men.

Even within LGBTQ+ spaces, lesbian identity can be overshadowed. The expansion of language around gender and sexuality has been liberating in many ways, but it has also created tension around specificity. While the term ‘lesbian’ is traditionally defined as a woman attracted to another woman, modern definitions have expanded to “non-men loving non-men”, with broader terms like “sapphic” or “lesbian-identifying individual” used as more inclusive umbrella-terms for non-binary and trans lesbians. Within the lesbian community, there is still tension around terms, definitions, and the value of exclusivity–having places just for lesbians–because contrary to popular belief, you cannot tell a lesbian by their looks.

Visibility, then, has become complicated. As with many issues often overlooked due to white supremacy or heterosexuality, it is not about being included, but about being understood.

The Data Behind the Reality

• Lesbian couples are statistically less represented in media compared to gay male couples, despite comparable population sizes.

• Studies have shown that lesbian relationships receive significantly less screen time, and are more likely to be depicted as unstable or short-lived.

• Lesbian women often face a dual marginalization: sexism and homophobia. This impacts everything from healthcare access to economic stability.

• Community surveys continue to show that many lesbians feel underrepresented, even within LGBTQ+ advocacy spaces.

These are NOT abstract issues. They shape lived experience; how safe someone feels holding their partner’s hand; how easily they can find community; how often they see themselves reflected in the world around them.

Why Visibility Still Matters

It would be easy to assume that in 2026, visibility is no longer urgent. That would be a mistake.

Visibility is about young people having language for what they feel. It’s about ensuring that lesbian identity does not become a footnote in the broader story of queerness.

Weeks like Lesbian Visibility Week are not solutions, but signals. They point to what still needs attention, protection, and care.

Reclaiming Space, Reclaiming Narrative

There is, however, a quiet resurgence happening. New lesbian bars are opening in cities that haven’t had them in decades. Pop up events, collectives, and digital communities are carving out space where none existed before. Independent media is telling more nuanced stories. There is a deliberate effort, especially among younger lesbians, to document, archive, and celebrate their identities on their own terms.

Visibility, in this sense, is evolving. It is no longer confined to physical space, though that space remains deeply important. It lives online, in art, in fashion, in language, and it still requires intention.

Without intention, erasure happens gradually. Quietly. Until one day, you realize something that once felt undeniable now feels impossible to find.

Lesbian Visibility Week asks us to notice that — and to resist it.

Not just for a week, but every day.

*Fun Fact*

The shift of RuPaul’s Drag Race from Monday nights to Fridays (specifically starting with Season 9 in 2017) had a significant, disruptive impact on gay bars and, by extension, queer spaces like lesbian bars that often hosted viewing parties.

This article has been edited and approved by our humble lesbian supreme, Hannah 💅

Sources

Queering Place: The Case of the Lesbian Bar

There are only 15 lesbian bars left in the entire country. This campaign is trying to save them

What Happened to All the Lesbian Bars?

THE LESBIAN BAR PROJECT

Why finding a lesbian bar near you is almost impossible

Number of lesbian bars in the U.S. from 1977 to 2021

As Black Maternal Health Week comes to a close, the conversations it sparks cannot end here. This week is more than a moment of awareness, it is a reminder of an ongoing public health crisis that continues to impact Black women and birthing people across the United States every single day.

I was first made aware of just how severe maternal health disparities are for Black women long before I ever had my son. Around that time, a friend of mine from high school, a Black woman, was experiencing a difficult pregnancy, and it forced me to pay closer attention. That awareness deepened when I read an article around that same time while doing some research and learned how Serena Williams quite literally had to save her own life after giving birth.

After delivering her daughter via emergency C-section in 2017, Williams, who has a history of blood clots, began to feel short of breath. Recognizing the symptoms of a pulmonary embolism, she immediately alerted medical staff and requested a CT scan along with blood thinners. Her concerns were initially dismissed, and she was instead given pain medication. As her condition worsened, further testing was finally conducted, confirming multiple blood clots in her lungs. The severe coughing that followed caused her C-section incision to reopen, leading to additional complications and multiple surgeries.

Her experience is a stark example of what so many Black women face not only during labor but in healthcare in general: not being listened to, even when they know something is wrong. While Serena Williams had the knowledge, resources, and platform to advocate for herself, many Black women do not, making these outcomes even more dangerous and, too often, fatal.

Organizations like the Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) have spent years pushing this issue into the national spotlight, they are actually the key original organizers of Black Maternal Health Week. Their work centers Black mamas and birthing people, advocating for research, policY change, and cultural shifts that prioritize equity, dignity, and care. The data they’ve compiled tells a story that is both urgent and impossible to ignore.

In the United States, Black women are three to five times more likely to die from pregnancy related causes than white women. In 2024, that reality looks like a maternal mortality rate of 44.8 per 100,000 live births, compared to 14.2 for white women. Even more devastating is the fact that over 80% of these deaths are preventable.

Despite an estimated $111 billion spent annually on maternal, prenatal, and newborn care, the United States continues to have some of the worst maternal and infant health outcomes among high-income nations. The issue is not simply access, it is the quality, consistency, and equity of care being delivered.

Black women are more likely to experience preterm labor as well as life-threatening conditions such as preeclampsia, embolisms, and hypertensive disorders. They also face higher rates of chronic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, all of which increase the risk of complications during pregnancy and postpartum. A powerful experience shared just yesterday was by artist Jennifer White-Johnson who reveals her experience:

These disparities do not exist “just because”, they are rooted in systemic racism.

Research shows that even when accounting for income and insurance, Black women still receive lower-quality care. In fact, 22% of Black women report experiencing poorer treatment in healthcare settings, and a national study found that 67% experienced race-based discrimination when seeking reproductive or family planning services.

The impact of this goes beyond individual experiences. Chronic stress caused by racism and discrimination has measurable effects on the body, increasing risks during pregnancy and contributing to long-term health complications for both mother and child. Black women are also more likely to experience preventable chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, as well as reproductive health disorders like fibroids and endometriosis.

Economic inequality further deepens these outcomes. Black women are typically paid just 62 cents for every dollar earned by non-Hispanic white men, with median wages significantly lower overall. This gap limits access to stable housing, nutritious food, and consistent healthcare. Workplace discrimination compounds these challenges, as many Black women are forced to return to work before they are fully healed or face penalties for taking necessary leave. Nearly three in ten pregnancy discrimination claims have been filed by Black women.

Access to care remains another critical barrier. Nearly half of U.S. counties lack an obstetrician-gynecologist, leaving millions without essential maternal health services—especially in rural and underserved communities.

Still, there are solutions, and they already exist.

Community-based care models, including doulas and midwives, have been shown to improve outcomes by providing culturally competent, continuous support throughout pregnancy and postpartum. These approaches reduce emergency interventions, lower healthcare costs, and help bridge the gap between patients and providers.

As this week comes to an end, it is important to remember that Black Maternal Health Week is not the conclusion of a conversation, it is a continuation of one that must remain at the forefront.

Behind every statistic is a life, and ensuring that Black mothers are heard, respected, and protected is not just a health issue, it is a matter of justice.

Sources

Black Maternal Health Alliance

Black Maternal Health Statistic Issue Brief

New York Times Article on Serena Williams Birth Complications

How Serena Williams Saved Her Own Life

Serena Williams: What my life-threatening experience taught me about giving birth

After my brain tumor surgery, my pituitary gland, hypothalamus, and my metabolism no longer functioned properly, and therefore I started to gain a lot of weight. I was 11 years old, and only weighed about 75-80 pounds at the time of the surgery. I started gaining weight rapidly, and was diagnosed with Hypothalamic Obesity, a condition which affects weight and hunger in many brain tumor survivors. My weight is something I still struggle with18 years later. No matter how many diets I’ve tried or how much I’ve exercised, I’ve constantly faced an uphill battle.

I remember walking into Justice with my mom the summer after my surgery, to do some back-to-school clothes shopping, and suddenly realizing that not much of what they had there would fit me anymore. After finding the few things they had that I liked, we left, my mom saying she’d pick up some more clothes elsewhere for me before I went back to school.

Throughout the rest of middle school and all of high school, I struggled to find clothes that fit me that I actually liked. While some stores offered plus-sized clothing, most of what I could pick from looked like something my grandmother would wear, and was never even slightly close to resembling the style of clothes that my friends all wore. Occasionally, of course, I’d find something cute in the plus-size section, but the chances of that happening was slimmer than winning the lottery. And finding dresses for dances or parties? Especially a cute dress? That was like the shopping equivalent of Mission Impossible. I’ve lost track of the amount of time I’ve spent browsing aisles at the mall, hoping, praying that I’d find something, anything, that didn’t look like a dress you’d wear to a funeral in my size. All the while, my extreme fatigue (a side effect of my tumor and stroke) made the experience even more unbearable.

Because of this, I never really got to develop my own sense of style. My closet mostly consisted of T-shirts, jeans, sweatpants, and leggings. Sure, I had a couple of cute outfits, but most of the time, I was stuck wearing boring, old-lady-like clothes.

This trend of unfashionable plus-size clothing is still something I struggle with when shopping. It makes dressing rooms intolerable, unwelcome hell pits. I do most of my shopping online now, holding my breath when I open the packaging, praying that what’s inside will actually fit, and look good on me.

But still, even now, I have a difficult time finding fashionable, plus-sized clothing for myself. It’s like fashion designers think that the only people needing plus-sized clothing are old ladies who sit at home binge-watching TV while stuffing their faces with cake. It’s like they don’t think that younger women, moms, working women, or teens need plus-sized clothing. I don’t think it’s fair that just because someone’s built differently, they are forced to wear clothes that don’t have any style or flair to them. What a confidence booster that would’ve been for me in high school, to be able to wear clothes that fit me and actually looked remotely similar to the things my friends wore, and feel good about myself for once.

According to an article by Vogue Business: “Across 198 fashion shows, only 12 brands included any plus-size models (five brands in New York, five in London and two in Paris). The article mentioned that plus-sized models only accounted for 0.3% of models on runways, a significant decrease from already low numbers. If inclusivity is such a big trend in every other industry, why is it almost nearly omitted from fashion? Another article noted that taking away plus-sized styles and brands in the fashion industry doesn’t just mean less clothes for the plus-sized community, it causes a decreased amount of self-confidence in that whole population. “Fashion isn’t just aesthetic,” says Heinen, “It’s psychological scaffolding. When that scaffolding is absent — when someone walks into a store and sees nothing made for their body — it creates more than inconvenience. It creates emotional erosion. And over time, that erosion leaves a trace in how people speak about themselves, in how they show up socially, and in how much space they allow themselves to take up”.

Fashion is not just a form of how we dress, it’s a form of expression. It’s how we display to the world who we are. In addition to stripping away a form of self-expression, taking away plus-sized styles and brands is another way of reminding the plus-sized community that our bodies need to be fixed, and that they aren’t good enough or pretty enough. Vogue’s Business article noted that “When women’s rights are restricted, there’s often a corresponding pressure to embody an ideal that is not only physically controlled but also hyper-feminine and submissive to male desire.” Why is the women’s fashion industry so concerned with what guys want? Because the fashion industry is now so focused on pleasing men by showing thin models, body image and eating disorders are now increasing.

Additionally, when we no longer see clothes made for us, or models in our sizes, we become disconnected from fashion completely. I constantly look at the outfits my sisters-in-law’s, or my friends or co-workers wear, and think to myself, “Gee, I wish they sold that in my size, I would totally buy that!” Honestly, I’m not sure why more stores, brands, and designers haven’t started selling the cute clothes they make for regular sizes in plus sizes. They’d make a killing. It’s 2026. Why should I have to be a size small and as thin as a stick to be able to dress fashionably?

Edited by Lottie Bowden

Sources

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326974302_Images_of_Thin_and_Plus-Size_Models_Produce_Opposite_Effects_on_Women’s_Body_Image_Body_Dissatisfaction_and_Anxiety

Moreno, Silvia & Servian Franco, Fátima & Paso, Gustavo & Cepeda-Benito, Antonio. (2019). Images of Thin and Plus-Size Models Produce Opposite Effects on Women’s Body Image, Body Dissatisfaction, and Anxiety. Sex Roles. 80. 1-10. 10.1007/s11199-018-0951-3. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326974302_Images_of_Thin_and_Plus-Size_Models_Produce_Opposite_Effects_on_Women’s_Body_Image_Body_Dissatisfaction_and_Anxiety.

Shoaib, M. (2025, March 17). The Vogue Business Autumn/Winter 2025 size inclusivity report. Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/article/the-vogue-business-autumn-winter-2025-size-inclusivity-report

Tovar, V. (2025, July 14). The psychological cost of the Plus-Size retail collapse. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/virgietovar/2025/07/12/the-psychological-cost-of-the-plus-size-retail-collapse/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/virgietovar/2025/07/12/the-psychological-cost-of-the-plus-size-retail-collapse/, 2025

https://www.vogue.com/article/the-vogue-business-autumn-winter-2025-size-inclusivity-report

I never thought of the area where I live as too urban, or to be lacking in green spaces. I was raised in the South of England, by parents who found it vital that my younger sister and I spent our childhoods in local nature as much as possible - so that we would learn from it, and grow to care for and protect it as we grew into adults. I was lucky enough to live close to both the sea (Bournemouth’s expansive coastline) and also a sizable area of the New Forest only a twenty minute drive away, alongside various park and river walks only a stones throw from our front door. I never really paid attention to the keep out signs, the barbed wire separating me from stretches of empty green fields. I was quite content sticking to the paths.

I’m not sure what it was about my morning walk today that shifted my perspective. I didn’t have my headphones with me, my phone was in my back pocket, untouched. I was bathing in the nature surrounding me as I walked, listening to birdsong and the wind whistling through the trees. I was walking along a fairly narrow stone path, higher up from the riverbank pathway on my left, which was closed off due to flooding, and had been for the majority of the month. My gaze turned to my right: a vast, green field, lush and primed for agriculture or farming or whatever use it had. In the distance, just on the edge of this field and totally isolated, was a barn and farmhouse that looked more or less abandoned, the perfect setting for an apocalyptic survival movie, I thought briefly. The more I walked, the more I stared, and the more I thought - so, so much land, serving a purpose unknown to me, and totally inaccessible to anyone who didn’t have the ‘right’. The narrow path I walked was segregated from the rest of the landscape by barbed wire. And all of a sudden, it occurred to me how hostile this once quaint landscape had become, all from the work of a few strategically placed fences.

By any stretch, I am adequately privileged in the amount of walks, forests and fields that I do have access to so close to home; so many across the UK are not so lucky. In fact, the 8% of England (statistic from Right to Roam) that the public do have access to is mostly largely detached from civilisation: mountain ranges, expansive moors, in the deepest hearts of infinite forests. Not exactly somewhere you can go for a quick, peaceful dog walk. Furthermore, the places you can go in your local area have even more restrictions applied: these paths are for walking only. No kayaking down the river (something I did as a child with my father at our local river which has since been banned), no cycling, no camping or picnics, don’t let your dog off the lead. And whilst these rules have been put in place to protect local nature from people who don’t care for it as much and will treat it poorly, it also stops the vast majority of people from doing more than just passing through a green space; interacting with it. Being in it.

Two writers whom I treasure, Wyl Menmuir and Guy Shrubsole, have both spoken on this issue in their separate novels: The Heart of the Woods (Menmuir) and The Lost Rainforests of Britain (Shrubsole). Within these beautifully poetic yet scientific and relevant non-fictions, each contains a chapter dedicated to ‘peaceful trespassing’ and the ramifications they encountered from doing so. Essentially, going on a walk beyond a ‘Private land’ or ‘no entry’ sign, for no nefarious reason, just to wander through the land you belong to, and not being afraid of facing the consequences of an angry, wealthy landowner who doesn’t like to share. And if you’re thinking that these restrictions surrounding public and private land feels political, that’s because it is.

1% of the wealthy own 50% of England’s landscapes. That is a statistic that is so outrageous to me, so baffling, that I had to fact check it from several sources. But just like most things that you hear about the ultra rich, it’s true, and it’s a means for the wealthiest of Britain to have total control and ownership of our land, essentially making the majority of the public, visitors in our own country. Because how many nature reserves, sections of forest, open fields, do you have to pass a fence through to access, or question whether it’s ‘legal’ to even go through in the first place? All in the name of privacy and land ownership, but nature is meant to be walked in, meant to nourish us, meant to allow us in so we can protect and preserve each other. Not kept locked away behind electric wire.

Walks in green spaces and being close to nature is still one of the top natural ‘cures’ for mental illnesses as preached by the professionals, so imagine the contradiction when it’s those same people in power who are restricting the average man’s access to said green spaces just to benefit those same landowners, to keep them happy? It’s no coincidence that England ranks bottom both in nature connectedness and nationwide mental health. This is becoming more and more of a social and political issue. And of course, I’m not talking about treasured institutions like The National or Woodland Trust, who dedicate their budgets to protecting and preserving some of the most beautiful locations in the country whilst still allowing people to visit. Yes, there are memberships and fees involved with accessing these areas, but that’s for a reason; these areas are fragile, potentially under threat, or perhaps just haven’t had much exposure to humans and the Trusts intend to keep it that way. Wildlife needs to be protected, especially when we already have so little of it left. I’m talking about landowners who buy acres of land just because they can, and then keep it off limits to literally everyone else. Why? Who knows. Maybe they just don’t like people, or they’re plotting world domination from the heart of their estates and don’t want anyone getting too close. The more I learn about the world and its inhabitants, the less it surprises me.

I have experienced this spoiled hostility myself. Walking with my parents one early misty morning through an abandoned golf course that had been sold to a company who planned to raze the land and build flats on top of it. A shame, because in the absence of rich, loud golfing parties, the land had flourished into a haven for wildlife. Deer, swans, rabbits, birds of prey, could be seen like hallucinations through the fog as we walked with our two well behaved dogs, all of us taking in the nature we so rarely got to see like this. That is, until, a shout from our right and a Barbour clad figure emerged from the mist some 50 metres away. “You can’t walk here! Path is that way.” Blunt. Final. ‘Get off my land’ in a mildly less aggressive tone. We did as we were told, albeit my Dad muttering and swearing the whole way about being told off like a naughty schoolboy, and no sooner had we made it on to the path that was fenced off from the golf course haven, did we see three other figures appearing from different areas of the field to join the first, all of them staring at us obviously, from a distance, as we walked off. They had been watching us the whole time.

Realistically, if a large group of people walked onto private land and made a big, peaceful day out of it, said landowner couldn’t walk out his front door with a rifle and start shooting at everyone. That would be murder, and would end very badly for him. But that’s still a real threat, even in England where gun ownership is scarce. The only thing he could do, really, would be to call the police, who most likely wouldn’t show up for a few hours, giving said protesters plenty of time to scarper. Putting it like that sounds so silly; so much fuss over where you can and cannot walk!

Another point worth making is how these green spaces are so tightly entwined with our country’s history and culture. The sacred art of rambling, of rural festivals and rituals has been an innate part of England’s historical culture for centuries. And with green spaces and access to our gorgeous forests dwindling, those traditions are dying out, rapidly, simply because people do not have interest in the things they do not have access to. Rural pubs and businesses are suffering, parts of our countryside staying largely unexplored all because we are losing more and more access to it. And it doesn’t seem to be any kind of priority to any of our political parties gunning for office. I wonder why that is?

I’ve already made my point quite clearly, but it needs to be reinstated why laws need to be put in place for governing the public’s right to privately owned land, and for rules to be put in place that would stop landowners from taking away walking paths as and when they please. Why it’s so important. Without access to nature, specifically local nature, accessible nature; we’re less likely to care about it, and therefore unlikely to protect it when the time comes, which is now if anything. With the climate crisis heightening in severity with each day that passes, our planet is screaming at us to do something, anything. And that starts small, with preserving what’s around you. It can be disheartening, when you think that in the grand scheme of things, the main and most beneficial difference can only be made by the billion dollar corporations, the oil rigs, and the fossil fuel industry. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t try. We have to try.

When I think of my home country, I think of a united people, from all walks of life, all living and breathing under a canopy of thick forests and rolling fields of green. I picture summertime, and having the freedom to pass a gate into a hazy woodland thick with heat, a gentle breeze and the song of birds. And it’s quiet, but not because there’s nobody around, not because this land is off limits. It’s quiet simply because that’s just how nature is, and I pity anyone who wants to take our country’s green fields away from people.

Edited by Natalli Newman

Research / References

• Right To Roam:

https://www.righttoroam.org.uk/

• The Lost Rainforests of Britain:

https://lostrainforestsofbritain.org/

• Weird Walk:

https://www.weirdwalk.co.uk/

• Wyl Menmuir:

https://www.wylmenmuir.co.uk/

• Gov.Uk: https://www.gov.uk/right-of-way-open-access-land/use-your-right-to-roam

Digital art surged in popularity with the launch of Photoshop and the boom in personal computer use in the 90s. Nowadays, digital tools such as Procreate or Blender offer an easy entry point for any artist with a laptop or phone who cannot afford to spend hundreds of dollars on materials. Over the past few decades, mixing mediums has become more accessible than ever, and, as a result, art has become more integrated with social media.

This merging of creation and consumption brings both benefits and drawbacks. To explore these, I reached out to several North Florida-based artists for their unique perspectives. Max Elton, a digital artist, illustrator, and designer, operates a beautiful Instagram page and Etsy shop, where he showcases nature-themed work. Amanda Boekhout Diefenthaler—also known as divinefem—is an artist, mother, wife, and teacher who creates multimedia works centered on the spiritual realm. In the center of Tallahassee, the Venvi Art Gallery displays local talent while targeting a more corporate market to attract buyers. Together, these viewpoints form an intriguing picture of how social media has reshaped artists and their art in Tallahassee, a city not typically seen as a major arts hub.

Increased Accessibility

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​Social media enables artists to circumvent limitations in location or gallery accessibility by providing global reach. This can be especially helpful to Tallahassee artists because it doesn’t limit them to local events and markets that often don’t drive large crowds. Instead, an artist could post their work for hundreds to see in just a few minutes.

“Once I started using social media to promote my art, it helped my reach as an artist immensely, and I was able to get many opportunities I wouldn’t have been able to get without the help of social media,” Max Elton said.

Artists can now sustain a career without relying on physical exhibitions. This is evidenced by Elton’s successful Etsy page and Diefenthaler’s comprehensive website, which features products ranging from art prints to yoga courses. This success stems from the positive impact of social media algorithms, which direct users to artists and works they are likely to resonate with and consider purchasing.

“Instagram has definitely expanded my reach, and in turn, I have sold more art without having to constantly have gallery art shows,” Amanda Boekhout Diefenthaler said. “It has invited an alignment with people who resonate with me. The audience changes all the time as I evolve with my work.”

The Algorithm Trap

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Most social media algorithms learn which types of content users interact with. They then push more of that content to keep users on the site for as long as possible. While this feedback loop can positively affect artists by directing their work to potential fans, it can also keep users away from content the platform deems “not eye-catching enough.” As a result, many Instagram-based artists feel forced to adhere to trends and prioritize virality over what they truly want to create. This constraint hinders artistic freedom and unrestrained expression.

“Social media does have its downsides,” Elton said. “It can be hard when you just want to post your art, but you also have to consider social media algorithms.”

There has been a substantial shift in the composition of artists on social media over the past decade. What began as a relatively simple way to build a niche community around one’s work has now become a gladiator-style fight for views and engagement as platforms shift from social networks to interest engines: systems focused on exploiting the user’s engagement habits rather than connecting them with pages they’ve connected with. If your post doesn’t fit into the engine, it may not even be pushed to your followers.

This instability has taught Diefenthaler the importance of not becoming consumed by the numbers. The content that is popular now may not be a few years from now, so there is no point in getting hung up on what is appealing over what one is passionate about creating.

“I’ve been on IG as @divinefem for 12-13 years. It’s changed a lot, and my relationship with it has changed along the way. I had a phase where I was drinking the Kool-Aid and trying to work the algorithm,” Diefenthaler said. “I found that prioritizing the ever-changing ‘rules’ of socials took away from my connection to my creativity. IG is fun and inspiring, AND I am not going to rely on an app to build my art reach. It could change, crash, or disappear anytime.”

Limits of the Screen

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Walter Benjamin, in “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” defined aura as the authenticity, history, and presence an artwork acquires from existing in a particular time and place. This idea introduces tension when we consider how art is often consumed online, confined to a small, pixelated screen. On a screen, the viewer loses connection with the work’s aura, a quality preserved in a gallery, where every brushstroke, color, and layer can be fully appreciated.

“Venvi Art Gallery was established well before social media became central to how people discover art. As social media evolved, it became a complementary tool rather than a replacement for the gallery experience,” manager Rachel Smith said. “Social media has expanded our reach beyond the gallery walls, allowing people who may never physically visit Tallahassee to become familiar with our artists and exhibitions. However, our curatorial approach has not changed; we still prioritize depth, craftsmanship, and the work’s physical presence. Social media supports visibility, but the art itself continues to lead.”

Given these dynamics, the role of social media for artists needs to be balanced. Letting engagement and input take over can leave an artist dissatisfied, feeling bossed around by the algorithm. On the other hand, refusing to use social media means sacrificing access to a massive audience that might view, share, or even purchase art if they saw it in their feed.

“Before IG, my art was created to be experienced in person, in real time. I love that I had so much time without social media being a part of the art-making process. It felt more raw and ephemeral,” Diefenthaler said. “It’s so powerful to be with art in real life. The little screen on a phone will never do art proper justice.”

A Tool, Not a Master

Social media and its unstable algorithms can be used as a tool, but they cannot be viewed as the master of one’s art. It can foster rapid growth and enable art consumers to discover a distinctive style with which they will connect deeply.

“Yes, social media has contributed to the growth of the gallery, particularly in visibility and accessibility. It has helped us reach new collectors, artists, and collaborators who discover Venvi through shared images, exhibition highlights, and behind-the-scenes moments,” Smith said. “Growth has come not from volume, but from meaningful connections formed through consistent storytelling and presentation.”

Social media provides diverse revenue streams for artists: direct-to-consumer e-commerce, print-on-demand merchandising, brand partnerships, commission-based services, and ad revenue. Not every artist utilizes these devices, but they are present for those who need an extra boost in clientele, as seen in the experiences of all the artists I inquired with.

“There have been times when sharing on socials resulted in a lot of art sales. I would say financially, I have pretty similar results every year with slow and steady growth,” Diefenthaler said. “I don’t really consider my art a business. It’s my life.”

Social media has transformed art making and sharing—offering powerful opportunities but also introducing challenges to creative freedom and authenticity. Overall, social media is best used as a funnel leading people to engage with heartfelt work and find artists they wouldn’t find otherwise. Still, it doesn’t hurt to visit your local art galleries and absorb what is right in front of you.

“Social media may introduce an artist, but a gallery provides context, credibility, and a curated environment where the work can be fully experienced. Many visitors come in already familiar with an artist’s work from online platforms, yet their understanding deepens when they see the scale, texture, and emotional presence of the artwork in person,” Smith said. “Rather than competing with social media, we focus on offering what it cannot: thoughtful curation, dialogue, and the lived experience of art in space.”

Edited by Natalli Marie Newman

The last few times I’ve been in the hospital or the emergency room, I’ve had some horrendous experiences. And these were with multiple healthcare systems, including the big ones, like the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Virtua, and University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). Unfortunately, one thing that I’ve learned from these hospital and ER visits is that our healthcare system isn’t what it used to be.

I went to the ER at CHOP for an extremely bad headache. Now, you might be wondering why I’d go to a children’s hospital as an adult. Because I had an extremely rare brain tumor and was treated there as a child, I was eligible to go there upwards of 25 years old.

I was admitted into the hospital so doctors could figure out what was happening, and why nothing was helping my headache. My mom and I both begged the doctor(s) on my care team to give me an MRI, considering I’ve had two brain tumor resections and radiation for a brain tumor in the past (no one would). They kept insisting that I just had a migraine headache and that they were going to just treat me for this. I’ve never had migraines before, nor was the headache I was experiencing in any way indicative of a migraine. One day, after days of being in the hospital, the doctor came in while I was sleeping and tried to wake me up. My mom had told me that they tried to wake me up—and couldn’t. The doctor proceeded to take my vital signs, and when my mom cried out, “Can’t you see she’s not waking up, this isn’t normal!”, the doctor replied, “Oh, she’s awake, she’s just faking” (spoiler alert: I wasn’t faking). As we were telling a different doctor assigned to my care how frustrated we were that no one had ordered an MRI, especially as my symptoms had gotten worse since I’d been admitted, she replied that, “I’m not going to lie to you, you’ve been around long enough, and so have I—our healthcare system is broken. Doctors aren’t in charge here anymore. We have to follow standard protocol.”

I once had a neurologist from Penn tell me, “If you ever get a bad headache that won’t go away, call me before you go to the ER. I work for Penn, but our ER is a mess.” I recently found out how bad it was when I went for an endocrine-related issue. As we sat there waiting, we heard a nurse telling a patient in the waiting area, “Yes, I know we took your vitals earlier, but that was 4 hours ago; we need to retake them.” And as we were waiting to be called back, other patients who had been taken back earlier were being rolled back into the waiting room, on stretchers, with IV tubes hooked up to them. We finally ended up leaving after hearing one nurse say the wait was around 6 hours. I could go on with countless other traumatic stories of terrible things I’ve experienced in the ER and hospitals, but I’d be here all night. Every experience is the same; the doctors don’t listen. They don’t care. They have another patient to see, more money to make. They just do whatever standard protocol tells them to do.

I recently watched a documentary called Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare. One doctor actually states, “If I spend five minutes with you, and then put in one of these stents, I would get paid $1500. For me to spend forty-five minutes with a patient, and try to figure out what their true problem is, I would get paid $15.” This quote, sadly, only proved there was truth in what the doctor admitted to us. Doctors aren’t paid anymore to actually do their job—they are paid to meet quotas for the big healthcare corporations they work for. They are taught standard protocols to implement for every patient they see. During one of my hospital stays, I had written a poem, containing this line, “These doctors don’t listen, these nurses don’t care. It feels like they just try what works for everyone else, as if they don’t even realize I’m lying here.” At the time, I hoped I was just being dramatic, but as I’ve experienced more and more of the same, I’ve realized that this is, in fact, reality.

According to this same documentary, “30,000 medical recipients die every year in America, from care they didn’t need. That’s the equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every week.” One doctor in the documentary makes such an excellent point, stating, “If the aviation industry killed as many people, we’d be up in arms.” It is so true that if any other industry killed 30,000 people per year, it’d be all over the news, and there’d be protests and riots. Instead, because it’s the healthcare system, we say that they were just trying to help, and push it all under the rug.

Yet, are we closing our eyes to reality? You see, the healthcare system isn’t aimed at helping people anymore; it’s aimed at making the healthcare industry richer. The U.S. spends a much higher amount compared to other countries on healthcare (16.5% of its GDP), and yet ranks last in overall healthcare, access to care, and health outcomes, when compared with ten other countries. One analysis reports that the US spends 16.5% of its GDP on healthcare—4.6% more than France and 4.8% more than Switzerland, the next two biggest spenders. However, out of the ten countries this analysis compares, the US ranks last in overall healthcare, access to care, and health outcomes (Blumenthal, Gumas, Shaw, Gunja, & Williams, 2024).

I don’t understand the point of spending so much on a healthcare system that ranks dead last in overall healthcare. Where is all of that money going? Certainly not toward bettering the health of the people of our country, or paying to be able to hire more healthcare workers. No, it’s going right into the fat pockets of the big corporations. Rather than paying more doctors, hospitals are encouraging the doctors they do have to up their productivity. In other words, the more patients they see, the more they get paid. This is why we’re seeing things like boarding in emergency rooms. The College of Emergency Physicians President stated, “Boarding is when a patient remains in the emergency department, even after a disposition has been made in terms of what their care should be, sometimes even for days and months and weeks.” (Rascoe, 2023).

The same article noted how many people now go to emergency rooms because of the lack of access to care our nation has. So people are going to the ER for anything and everything. The emergency room has now become a safety net for those without insurance or healthcare access. “Essentially, we are the jack of all trades, if you will, and we’re there 24/7 to care for patients. The problem with boarding is that it’s really interfering with the inherent function of the safety net, because when we can’t move patients, essentially the whole system backs up. We just don’t have physical space. So, we find ourselves literally going into the waiting rooms to take care of patients from there or taking care of patients in the hallway.” Doctors are so rushed in trying to take care of everyone at once, trying to up their productivity to meet their organization’s quotas. They don’t have time to actually care about helping their patients anymore. If healthcare professionals actually treated patients, then the healthcare industry would stop making money. Shouldn’t healthcare have a lot more ‘care’ in it? Is our country so brainwashed into thinking that faster is better—that we believe we’re actually receiving the best healthcare—when in fact the opposite is true?

Edited by Isabelle Hampton-Zabotti

Sources:

Blumenthal, D., Gumas, E. D., Shaw, A., Gunja, M. Z., & Williams, R. D. (2024, September 19). Mirror, Mirror 2024: A Portrait of the Failing U.S. Health System: Comparing Performance in 10 Nations. The Commonwealth Fund. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2024/sep/mirror-mirror-2024

Rascoe, A. (2023, June 25). The COVID-19 emergency is over, so why are hospital emergency rooms still crowded?. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/06/25/1184198834/the-covid-19-emergency-is-over-so-why-are-hospital-emergency-rooms-still-crowded#:~:text=According%20to%20NPR%2C%20emergency%20rooms%20are%20still,Lacerations%20*%20Orthopedic%20injuries%20*%20Broken%20bones

YouTube Movies & TV. (2012). Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare [Video]. YouTube.

The Oxford Dictionary defines horror as “a painful emotion compounded of loathing and fear; a shuddering with terror and repugnance; strong aversion mingled with dread; the feeling excited by something shocking or frightful. Also in weaker sense, intense dislike or repugnance” (OED), while the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as, “painful and intense fear, dread, or dismay”, “intense aversion or repugnance” or “the quality of inspiring horror : repulsive, horrible, or dismal quality or character” (Merriam-Webster). But how is this tied to the novel Jane Eyre?

A few of the horror elements are seen in the characters Mr. Rochester, the first wife, and the own personal turmoil that Jane Eyre struggles with throughout the novel. Mr. Rochester is around 20 years Jane’s senior and is keeping many secrets from her, including the existence of his wife. During the time of which this novel was written, this age gap and the reason for his wife’s captivity are not as unusual for the time as they would be now, as some of the other options would have been institutions (which were dangerous and horrible at the time) and the audience was meant to sympathize with Mr. Rochester, as was Jane. But his acts were still deplorable and repugnant, leaving Jane no longer able to marry this man as he is already married, which, in itself, is a horrifying realization for a young 19 year old girl who wants nothing more than to marry the love of her life. The marriage and secrets are amplified in the other iterations of Jane Eyre by adding more horrifying twists to the characters. In Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, Maxim de Winter is a widowed man due to his first wife dying due to a boat “accident.” Maxim is still 20 years the senior of our main character while also hiding a secret: he killed his wife. Both characters are cold and calculated with how they treat their supposed loves and treat them as though they are only decorations, even as they pursue them, hiding their first wives away with embarrassment. With a clear difference in Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood’s main male love interest; Magnus Rochester is kinder and closer to the main character’s (Andromeda) age. The domineering nature from the original Mr. Rochester is put into Andromeda’s mentor, Jember. He is abusive and cold towards the girl he raised.

Next, the first wife or “the mad woman in the attic” is seen in all three novels in different ways. In Jane Eyre, Bronte has Bertha Mason haunting the house. Jane hears the laughter she gives when speaking to another worker in the house, Grace Poole. Jane describes Bertha as terrifying and compares her to a vampire often because of what she looks like and does. Bertha is terrifying to Jane and haunts and stalks her throughout the novel as even being in her room one night, not doing anything but staring at her in an almost Edward Cullen from Twilight kind of way; continuing the vampiric mannerisms she has. While Rebecca is haunted by Maxim’s first wife, Rebecca. She haunts both Maxim and the FMC throughout the novel in different ways, mostly tormenting Maxim mentally as he deals with the idea of his haunting and fear of being found out to be her killer. The only difference is, again, in Within These Wicked Walls where the “mad woman” is the Evil Eye, a curse, actual supernatural occurrences that are attached to Magnus and his house.

Lastly, the inner turmoil that Jane deals with is a different set of psychological monsters. All three female protagonists deal with their inner confidence and independence from those they depend on and feeling as though they are not good enough for love or the good things they receive. While this is not a stereotypical kind of horror characteristic, it is a realistic, psychological horror that breaks the reader from the figurative or literal supernatural happenings and they relate with the main heroine in a way that shows the horrifying real world they were trying to escape from by reading the novel. Their own struggles with their looks, past traumas, and current wanting to be loved but not feeling as though they deserve it.

But if these elements can be seen by modern authors attempting to adapt Bronte’s original 19th century gothic romance, why is there little to no discourse on the matter? When looking for any discourse on the subject of horror within the novel Jane Eyre, not much pops up unless it also involves another novel. Adrienne E. Gavin speaks about a different descendant of Jane Eyre in her article “‘deepen[ing] the power and horror of the original’: Caroline Clive’s Paul Ferroll as Descendant of Jane Eyre”. Gavin talks about Caroline Clive’s Paul Ferroll and how Clive took already horrific characteristics and amplified them. Gavin states that, “After a few years, each man takes dramatic action to rid himself of his unloved wife. Rochester by keeping Bertha secretly locked up as a madwoman in a third-storey room and Ferroll, ‘deepen[ing] the power and horror of the original,’ by actually killing his first wife Anne as she sleeps” (Gavin, 36). She continues speaking on the fact that Rochester and Ferroll are both cruel and calculating when it comes to how they treat their second wives, “​​Rochester and Ferroll are prepared to dishonour themselves and their second wives for love. This might be seen as nobly putting true love above all else were it not for the cruel streaks in their natures that see them using their positions of power to test their lovers’ feelings in heartless and selfish ways” (Gavin, 39). Confirming the idea that Rochester is, in a sense, a horror character and this is ignored by the fact that the audience is seeing him through the eyes of the young and naive main character.

The audience can be a lot like the main character, Jane, because, like her, they want to ignore the red flags and finally have someone who wants to love them as well, even if they are keeping live women or skeletons in their attics. The ultimate fear is that, if they leave that one man, no one else will love them. Especially those like Jane where they have no family or friends to turn to if anything were to south. While also believing that their history and childhood was much worse than any future that they can gain from the man.

Works Cited

Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Smith, Elder & Co, 1847.

Blackwood, Lauren. Within These Wicked Walls. Wednesday Books, 2021.

Du Maurier, Daphne. Rebecca. Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1938.

Gavin, Adrienne E. “‘Deepen[Ing] the Power and Horror of the Original’: Caroline Clive’s Paul Ferroll as Descendant of Jane Eyre.” LISA, vol. VII – n°4, no. Vol. VII – n°4, 2009, pp. 64–86, https://doi.org/10.4000/lisa.839

Edited by Lilli Eve

Statement dressing extends beyond bold colours or heavy jewellery; it stems from how you style those pieces. Statements are defined by the garments, proportions, and styling decisions that construct a distinct visual identity.

Statement dressing operates through form rather than immediate visual impact.

However, the traditional understanding of statement dressing is now undergoing a shift, from being anchored in immediacy or overt visibility to being fixed within construction, proportion, and form. It relied on boldness, it commanded attention, but now it operates through restraint. In an environment saturated with visual expression, boldness has become somewhat predictable, so the move is towards more nuanced forms of expression. As a result, statement dressing requires closer attention and longer engagement than delivering visuals that are immediately recognisable.

In traditional forms of statement dressing, the impact of a garment was largely defined by how eye-catching it was, either through bold prints or through striking accessories.

Increasingly, however, the “statement” no longer exists in how it is perceived, rather it exists in the construction of the garment; how it is built, how it moves and how it subverts traditional construction expectations.

This shift becomes more apparent when we see how the garments are constructed. As seen with Vivienne Westwood, it started as a punk brand, rejecting social norms in favour of rawness and disruption. Today, the rebellion has shifted towards a more structured, thoughtful approach.

As statement fashion shifts, construction irregularities, which were once considered imperfections, are now deliberately integrated, through asymmetry, uneven hemlines and slight disruptions in print. These are controlled deviations that hold attention by reinforcing a quieter approach to statement dressing. We can see in brands like Rick Owens and Rei Kawakubo, which rely on an alternative sensibility but, through sculptural designs, differ from traditional gritty punk, traditional proportions, and silhouettes.

There is broader saturation of visual culture, where overt expression no longer carries the same impact it once did.

There is also a growing sensitivity among designers and the audience towards design, so the focus shifts from surface-level identity to construction and intent, and the emphasis is no longer on being instantly seen, but on being understood.

When we see designers and houses like Maison Margiela and Jil Sander, we can observe that the statement is embedded in the garment’s construction rather than its surface; there is a restrained yet deliberate design. Proportion, material and the cut of the garment replace the overt surface ornamentation.

This shift has to carry such an intention that the slightest deviation in structure carries significance

Statement dressing is no longer about commanding attention through excess ornamentation, but about sustaining through precision. Impact is now built into the garment rather than applied to it.

Edited by Hanna Villegas

I love scrapbooking and crafting. I’ve been scrapbooking since I was 11, and have been crafting for as long as I can remember. To me, there’s something peaceful about the process of creating something that’s your own. And growing up, a lot of my friends had craft supplies (paints, markers, paper, stickers, posterboard, etcetera) lying around their houses. But with the increasing cost of craft supplies, will that still be the norm in the future? Or is crafting turning into a luxury only the wealthy can afford?

Lately, prices on supplies that I’ve never found expensive in the past are skyrocketing. When I ordered a set of paints and a small pack of 8x10-inch canvases, it cost me about $40. My last scrapbooking purchase (an album, a paper pad, and some sticker sheets) cost me well over $100. According to an article from the Digital Journal, there are currently 71% of consumers in the United States that identify as crafters. (Insights News Wire, 2025). While this is an increase seen since 2020, will it start to die down now that craft supplies are getting so expensive, with crafters spending an average of $3200/year on craft supplies (Daily Insights Wire, 2025)?

While craft sales have shown increases since 2020, are these supplies still accessible to low-income families whose jobs have been either eliminated or decreased since COVID? Many who are low-income struggle to find the time and the money or resources to be able to engage their children in arts and crafts, due to their lower wages and decreased amount of time spent at home.

Parents and crafters aren’t the only ones spending money on craft supplies, though. Teachers and educators also spend money on craft supplies for their classrooms and students. According to the Association of American Educators, “97% of teachers purchase their own classroom supplies, including arts and crafting materials, with their own money, spending an average of $673.00 per school year” (Yahoo.com)

It is so important to maintain a sense of creativity in our world, and especially to build a love for creating and crafting in our future generations. An article by Tiffany Spire states that there are many benefits to doing arts and crafts. These benefits included muscle and brain development, reasoning skills, confidence building, as well as math, science, engineering, pre-writing, and writing skills. Additional skills included those that strengthen character, such as flexibility, perseverance, and patience, as well as social skills (Spire, 2025).

Unfortunately, we live in a world where revenue reigns over creativity and recreation, and the companies making and selling craft products care less about helping people to access the tools they sell, and more about how much it makes them. If this inclination for expensive craft supplies keeps trending upwards, will crafting and creativity still be available to everyone? Or will it gradually become something only the wealthy have access to?

Sources:

Choi, M., Tessler, H., & Kao, G. (2020). Arts and crafts as an educational strategy and coping mechanism for Republic of Korea and United States parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. International review of education. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Erziehungswissenschaft. Revue internationale de pedagogie, 66(5-6), 715–735. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-020-09865-8

Insights News Wire. (2025, November 17). U.S. craft industry revenue surges to $51 billion as DIY movement reshapes consumer spending habits. Digital Journal. https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/news/insights-news-wire/u-s-craft-industry-revenue-surges-178843421.html

Shelton, S. (2024, July 19). 97% of teachers buy classroom supplies out of pocket. Yahoo! News. https://www.yahoo.com/news/97-teachers-buy-classroom-supplies-192522233.html

Spire, T. (2025, March 10). Why it’s important to do arts and crafts with kids. The Budding Artists. https://www.thebuddingartists.com/tips/why-its-important-to-do-arts-and-crafts-with-kids

https://www.yahoo.com/news/97-teachers-buy-classroom-supplies-192522233.html

Sandy Laing celebrates spring in a big way with their SS26 show. Major elements being bright colors, light fabrics, flowy silhouettes, and fun. Sandy Liang looks require play, and play we get with these gorgeous looks, ranging from ‘I could wear this to the office’ to ‘ frolicking in a tulip garden’, truly showcasing their full range. Sandy Liang brings back childhood whimsy and effortlessly elevates it, in a way that is utterly captivating. Gifting us 37 whimsical looks this season.

Here are some of my top looks.

Edited by Lillian Paulo

This article was going to compare and contrast the film and the novel, but there are honestly few similarities between the adaptation and the original novel. So, let’s talk about it.

Emily Brontë

Emily Brontë published Wuthering Heights in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell. The novel is notoriously argued to reflect the ideals and social norms of 19th-century Victorian England, which of the time were incredibly conservative. People of color were rarely ever noblemen or above the social class of laborers and professionals. The novel had some pushback due to the ideas and darkness of the novel, as it goes from a tragic ‘love story’ to a haunting ghost story, ending with an ending of generational trauma and stopping the repeat of history with a twist of depravity, cruelty, and violence within the tragic story. Many critics remarked things as such: “How a human being could have attempted such a book as the present without committing suicide before he had finished a dozen chapters, is a mystery. It is a compound of vulgar depravity and unnatural horrors” (Britannica).

Our story follows the Earnshaw family: Catherine, Hindley and his wife Frances, and their father; Heathcliff; the Linton family: Edgar and Isabella; and the subsequent children that these characters have, as well as Ellen “Nelly” Dean, Joseph, and Mr. Lockwood.

The Moors

So, what did Fennel get right? The Moors. For those who haven’t read the novel (which I highly recommend reading), Brontë wrote the Moors as a hauntingly romantic and forebodingly uncomfortable setting. If you haven’t been to England, it honestly is very foggy, it is rainy, and clouds are common, which, of course, Brontë would know as she took inspiration heavily from where she grew up in Thornton, Yorkshire, England.

I do believe that Fennel depicted the Moors correctly. The setting in which the film takes place is picture-perfect to what they look like as it was filmed in Yorkshire. Probably the easiest thing to get right as well, since Brontë’s landscape setting is real. Another thing I believe Fennel got right was where the houses are in reference to each other…a website talking about the Moors actually featured a map as well. ​​

The running, breathlessness and having to take a car or horse between houses makes complete sense, while I do think the way they had Heathcliff and Catherine sneaking around as a little farfetched because the novel and film showed these places as being rather far apart, close enough to walk during the Victorian age yes, but how Edgar wouldn’t have figured it out sooner makes no sense, even if he is out during the day, the servants are not stupid.

This film was so incredibly, aesthetically beautiful, and while I do not believe that was something Brontë intended for her setting, I do think that is something done to many adaptations of gothic novels, no matter the form of media in which they are adapted.

Heathcliff

Let’s talk about Heathcliff. Now, as I said earlier, the race change was the least abhorrent, as Heathcliff is not a white character. He is quoted as “a dark-skinned gypsy in aspect” in chapter 1 by Mr. Lockwood, or as “if you were a regular black; and a bad one will turn the bonniest into something worse than ugly” by Ellen in chapter 7. While you can try to make the argument that this man is just a tanned white boy since his son with Isabelle is a pale, sickly boy, it would negate all the complex, sadomasochistic, degrading, and micro-aggressive undertones within the novel that Fennel just does not touch.

Now, the reason the race change is the least abhorrent thing I witnessed is because Fennel still makes nods to the fact that this man is not supposed to be white. Certain parts show close ups to Jacob Elordi’s (Heathcliff’s actor) skin that are a lot darker than that of Elordi’s natural skin color. And this may have just been my own personal perception and take, but Elordi is not usually that tan, and during that time, a white man, in a foggy moor, would also not be that tan. They barely see the sun, and we are meant to believe that this man just tans or is just that tan? Even while he is rather pale in other scenes, which weren’t always scenes that were time jumps, so season changing and tanning and working in the sun don’t quite add up.

Ghosts

The film ends about halfway through the novel’s plot. It ends with Catherine’s death and the death of her baby. While the novel has Catherine die during childbirth, they combine Catherine’s death and Heathcliff’s death as he dies in the novel by not eating and going into a depression after being haunted by Catherine’s ghost and waiting for her to come back. Instead, they have Catherine die that way, mixed with a miscarriage. Fade out.

They took out the entire ghost story from the novel and the tragic ending to the rest of the family members, and the children’s happy(ish) ending after their families are gone and they are no longer haunted by Catherine’s absence and Heathcliff’s presence. I believe this does change the point and plot of Brontë’s novel from the intergenerational trauma and interracial struggles of the time period that caused the pushback it received after its publication.

Opinions

There is so much more I can talk about, but I think I’ll let some other people go into way more detail than I can for this article. So, mentioned below are some video essays, podcasts, and/or social links for you to check out the opinions of others. But for now, in short, the movie sucked. If you want soft porn or a shirtless Jacob Elordi, then this film is for you. Otherwise, only the historically inaccurate and aesthetically pleasing outfits, and the Moors, are the good things about this film.

Sadly, Wuthering Heights Discourse Is That Deep

i watched wuthering heights so you don’t have to 💔📖🍳 (2026 wuthering heights review)

Wuthering Heights: Analyzing Heathcliff’s Whitewashing | TikTok

Emerald Fennell Comments on Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff | TikTok

glossing over the british “raj,” partition, star vat-ion, g*cide, and ... | Margot Robbie

Exploring the Controversial Wuthering Heights Adaptation | TikTok

Comparing Wuthering Heights and It Ends With Us | TikTok

Understanding the Significance of ‘Wuthering Heights’ Title | TikTok

Edited by Sonal Butley

Works Cited

Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights. Penguin Books, 2003.

Ostberg, René. Edited by Britannica Editors, Wuthering Heights | Book, Movie, Characters, Summary, & Facts | Britannica, www.britannica.com/topic/Wuthering-Heights. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.

Thompson, Paul. “The Moors.” The Moor around Wuthering Heights, wuthering-heights.co.uk/locations/the-moors#google_vignette. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.

I understand that this authorization was put into place to promote those with disabilities in the workplace. At the same time, things have changed since it was enacted almost 100 years ago! People with disabilities are no longer institutionalized or denied access to educational opportunities as frequently as they were in the 1930s. I just cannot understand why we make such a big deal over inclusion in education and recreation, but not in the workplace.

Plus, for those of us with chronic illnesses, we may experience flare-ups on some days that might hinder our work performance slightly, but that does not mean on days without flare-ups, we don’t work just as hard or as passionately as someone who doesn’t have our condition. If anything, on those symptom-free days, we work harder than our able-bodied co-workers, because we know that our energy may not last long. People with disabilities have to put in an increased amount of dedication and effort to reach the same outcomes as their able-bodied co-workers, because, on top of our work responsibilities, we are also dealing with unmet modification needs, along with systemic barriers and stigma.

For employees with disabilities, we are not only doing our jobs, but also putting in more effort than our non-disabled co-workers because we have to navigate and adapt to physical or social barriers in a workplace not designed for us. In fact, according to a study by the Institute of Corporate Productivity, “3 out of 4 employers ranked disabled employees to be just as good as – or better than – others in terms of work quality, attendance, and motivation” (People Business, p. 1).

Additionally, assistive technology and devices did not exist back in 1938, but we have made great strides in this area. We have screen readers, speech and voice-recognition software, E-readers, ramps, electric wheelchairs, and so much more. We have made many advancements in science and technology that help better support people with disabilities in their workplace environments.

While I do understand that this legislation is extremely important for those who have more severe developmental or socio-emotional disabilities, it is not fair to those of us who have disabilities and are more capable of doing things on our own, be it with assistive devices or not. I completely get that this legislation is mostly for those with developmental disabilities. However, who is to say that if an employer finds out that the person they are hiring has a disability, they won’t decide to pay them less because of that, even if the disability doesn’t hinder their work performance?

I know that this legislation helps those with developmental disabilities, but for those of us who have conditions that affect us differently, it can be crippling and diminishes our value. The wording of this law shouldn’t lump all impairments into one category. Not all limitations are the same or affect everyone in the same way. Employers are very quick to translate disability to liability, but that isn’t the case for every person with a disability. This is why I strongly believe it is critical that this piece of legislation be changed, or at least reworded, as soon as possible.

Edited by Jacquie Galvano

Sources:

People Business. (2025, March 3). Employing people with disabilities - blog. https://www.peoplebusiness.co.uk/employing-people-with-disabilities/

Sawo, M., Ferrante, D., & Weaver, A. (2025, January 14). It’s legal for some employers to pay disabled workers less than the minimum wage. Ending this practice is just a first step toward supporting their economic stability | Urban Institute. Urban Institute. https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/its-legal-some-employers-pay-disabled-workers-less-minimum-wage-ending-practice-just

“Updated July 2024: Trends and Current Status of 14(c).” U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (USDOL, 14(c) Certificate Holders, 7/2024). American Community Survey (ACS, Employment Data, 2022). APSE, 7361 Calhoun Place, Suite 680, Rockville, MD 20855. Accessed October 2023.https://apse.org/final-14c-statement-3_26_19/

I don’t know when exactly the switch happened, when weekly shonen anime episodes became more cinematic and thought out than the studio-backed, highly anticipated films that cost millions to make. But the shift came to my attention most recently when I was sitting watching Jujutsu Kaisen‘s (2018, Park) fourth episode, Perfect Preparation, in its third season: this 28-minute episode alone topped anything I’d seen in Stranger Things (2025, Duffer Brothers) season five.

That feels unfair to say; two different genres, two different mediums, made by two different countries. But nonetheless, I can’t pretend like I wasn’t absolutely floored by Jujutsu Kaisen‘s third season so far, more so than I have been with any other show or film in a long, long time. Almost ten years since its first season’s release, the show is an entirely different beast now. Not your typical action-anime with choppy, fast-cut animation and basic backgrounds - episode four in particular was straight out of the movies. Literally - it referenced direct shots from Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003, Tarantino) more than once, showing the distinct correlation between these two main characters, the themes of revenge, and the elegance of female rage particularly prevalent. It goes without saying that a product of Japanese media referencing Western media that was originally influenced by Japanese culture is a full circle moment that has, subtly, bridged the gap between Western and Eastern culture, bringing the two together in a combination that everyone can enjoy and appreciate.

The episode following the week after, Fever, utilised a long, high-angle wide shot coupled with rotoscoping of its two scene characters to create a moment that felt drawn out, brimming with tension, and almost like a live-action shot if you squinted. A lot of online fans have been complaining about the use of so much rotoscoping for so long in one shot, but I personally feel that it adds a layer of artistry and cinematic excellence that hasn’t really been seen before in weekly anime. It’s different, and a lot of people don’t like that. But it’s spanning a new age of mainstream anime unlike any other.

The small, humane character movements captured in season three so far (most obviously episode five) shot via rotoscoping is a risky move, one that animation studio MAPPA didn’t have to take. However, they did, and their focus on making their characters more human instead of forefronting flashy impact frames and fast-paced action creates a show that suddenly feels much more intimate, more dialled in, more of an experience.

It’s not like Jujutsu Kaisen is the first anime to adopt a more cinematic style - another new gen anime, Chainsaw Man (2022, Nakayama, Yatabe) gained internet-wide recognition for its highly stylised intros and outros in its first season, heavily referencing many cult classic films. Anime openings tend to be where a lot of the stylistic vision goes - it’s a short, minute long introduction to the show you’re about to watch, and studios often put a lot into them, from the visuals to the music and the execution. Going back to Jujutsu Kaisen‘s newest season, the opening, instead of referencing film, opts for referencing famous paintings by the likes of Klimt, Monet, Schiele. This decision is subtle, but once you notice one, you notice them all. It feels like a message of reinforcement, a deliberate enunciation of ‘anime is art’. And it proves its point with its episodes spectacularly - anime is a form of animation, which is in turn a form of art. Regardless of popularity, of how mainstream it is.

Long-standing anime’s like One Piece (1999, Oda) have also started to take on more stylistic choices. One thousand episodes in, it would be tricky (and expensive) to make every episode a masterpiece. One Piece has had more than a few beautifully animated episodes in its most recent Wano and Egghead arcs - typically saved for the big fights, the climatic moments, frames animated with so much detail that even if you don’t watch the show itself, no doubt you will have seen people raving about it online. And for an anime that started off in the 90’s, therefore with a very different style of animation; it’s nice to see progress, to see how new anime’s are adapting to people’s modern tastes, taking reference from the old and bringing it into the new. It’s refreshing to see an anime as long standing and popular as One Piece refresh itself so wonderfully - unlike shows such as One Punch Man (2018, Natsume) whose long awaited third season was animated so poorly that it bombed within weeks of it airing. Compared to shows such as Jujutsu Kaisen, One Piece, Frieren Beyond Journey’s End (2023, Saito) - it felt lazy. And it let the fans down.

Of course, Japanese animation has always been exquisite, especially within their cinematic endeavours. Studio Ghibli - need I say more? Hand drawn frames, thought out moments, colour theories applied to make every single shot look like a painting, which they essentially are. Standalone films like Paprika (2006, Kon) and Ghost In the Shell (1995, Oshii), both adapted from Japanese literature, both cult classics that have gone on to influence Western films within their corresponding genres today. Proof for the age-old argument that animation isn’t a genre - it’s a medium, and it has been used for many many years as such a medium in which incredible stories can be told, stories that live action just can’t quite do justice to.

This highly-stylised version of animation is something that seems more sought out now more than ever. With the rise of AI-generated ‘art’, the big tech is even worming its way into filmmaking, predominantly through animation as a more accessible route for it to learn. Naturally, anything that I’ve personally seen that’s been labelled as AI-generated has been of poor quality, lacking any sense of charm or authenticity. Because how could it? Art not made by a human defeats the entire point of art; it’s humanity. So to see animation both on the small and big screen, that has so obviously been drawn by a human hand, imperfections and all, is so refreshing, and marks a clear line in the sand in the ongoing battle between humans and AI: ‘you will not be able to create something like this with your robots. Ever.’

Not just in a vital effort to out-art AI, it’s undeniable that anime has boomed in popularity in the West since the turn of the 21st century, as media and culture from all corners of the world became more accessible to all with the rise of the Internet and streaming. Perhaps this is one of the many reasons why the quality of anime has developed so much in recent years; more popularity means more viewers, and therefore bigger budgets, particularly for the Big Name studios such as MAPPA and Toei. The art style, like most things, has evolved with the times. Anime isn’t just about story anymore - it’s about how it looks too. Whether some studios go too far in their artistic choices is one argument, or whether animation has been evolving quicker than live-action filmmaking for years already is another, and people are only just noticing now that it’s seeping into mainstream media.

All in all, anime is expanding both in genre and audience appeal. It’s not just an Eastern experience anymore; people from all over the world are consuming all kinds of anime. And the options of what to watch are endless - there’s something for anyone, whether it be Hello Kitty-esque or something straight out of an all too possible dystopian future. Either way, seeing a character whose entire personality is a metaphor for generational misogyny (Naoya Zenin, Jujutsu Kaisen) get his jaw punched off in exquisite frame by frame animation, is something I hope anime keeps striving for in the years to come. It’s what the people need.

References / Research

• https://www.reddit.com/r/JuJutsuKaisen/comments/1qqht89/am_i_the_only_one_or_this_felt_like_one_of_the/

• https://www.cbr.com/jujutsu-kaisen-season-3-intro-art-references-explained/

• https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/563369/when-anime-doesnt-look-like-your-typical-anime/

Edited by Sonal Butley

The bias cut allows fabric to behave unpredictably, to respond to gravity, motion, and the wearer herself. It was not suited for mass production or rigid tailoring systems. Unlike surface-level trends that announce themselves loudly, the bias cut reveals form. It is subtle and repeatedly rediscovered in moments of cultural recalibration.

Before the twentieth century, most garments were cut along the straight grain to preserve structure and predictability. The bias cut’s rise coincided with a world reshaping itself after World War I. During the war, social hierarchies softened, gender roles shifted, and modernism challenged ornamental excess in favor of clarity and function. Therefore, Madeleine Vionnet’s embrace of the bias cut in the 1920s represented more than innovation; it was a rejection of fashion’s obsession with containment.

Vionnet’s garments followed the body’s logic instead of correcting it, introducing a new relationship between wearer and clothing. Yet unlike the overt rebellion of the flapper silhouette, which removed emphasis from the waist and hips, the bias-cut garments traced them. The transformation was quiet because it did not scream rebellion. It did not look shocking in the way a knee-length hemline did in 1925.

Cutting on the bias did not erase femininity but redefined it. Bias-cut fabric stretches over the fullest part of the hip and then contracts slightly as it moves upward toward the waist. That subtle contraction creates contour without rigid construction. Where earlier fashion structured the body to fit an idealized form, bias-cut garments allowed the body to dictate the shape, making it appear elegant and fluid.

What makes the bias cut particularly compelling is its cyclical return. The cut resurfaces whenever fashion enters a moment of introspection. In the 1990s, slip dresses cut on the bias surfaced as an antidote to excess, aligning with minimalist aesthetics and a cultural desire for authenticity. In the 2010s the technique returned again as it resonated with conversations around comfort, gender fluidity, and bodily autonomy. Each revival reframes the bias cut in its time. Sometimes the cut reads as restraint and other times as exposure. Its adaptability is in its refusal to dominate the body.

Today, the bias cut feels newly relevant. As fashion grapples with sustainability, inclusivity, and the rejection of harsh beauty standards. Techniques that emphasize longevity and adaptability have gained a renewed significance. A bias-cut garment ages with the body; it adjusts and responds. It is less about achieving a static ideal and more about inhabiting change.

The bias cut endures because it does not demand attention. As a deep cut in fashion history, it resists trend cycles while shaping them from beneath the surface. Its legacy is not defined by spectacle, but by precision and trust in the body itself. In a discipline often obsessed with control, the bias cut remains radical precisely because it lets go.

Edited by Hanna Villegas

I have never owned a Kindle. That’s a lie - I had one when I was about thirteen, for a year or so. I’m not sure what happened to it, and I have no judgement towards the people that do own kindles - they’re convenient, genius little devices. But I’ve been reading since I’ve been big enough to hold a book in my own two hands. Most of the books I’ve read past the age of 15 I still own - all crammed onto a bookcase in my room, that’s double-rowed now and expanded across to a new set of shelves on my wall to accommodate. Most of them have my own annotations in the margins, shared with a best friend in our teen years, are dog eared, or gifted by a loved one. Anything I try to read through a screen - my brain logs out.

The other night, my boyfriend and I settled in to watch one of the Star Wars films - Episode II, part of our rewatch marathon. Except, we spent the first hour of our cosy night-in flicking through various websites trying to find the film in the first place. Neither of us have DisneyPlus, and we weren’t about to pay for a film we knew we should be able to find somewhere. It resulted in using a dodgy pirate website (to any police reading this, this story is purely for educational purposes) that buffered every five minutes and made the already kind of trashy experience of watching any of the prequel Star Wars films even less enjoyable. The frustration we both felt at this fruitless battle to find the film anywhere online for free felt silly, because at one point in our lives, we both owned the entirety of Star Wars on DVD! Vowing to begin rebuilding a DVD collection together of at least all the ‘big saga’ box sets, I was sent back to a memory of being a kid, at our family friend’s house, on the nights we stayed over and got to pick out a film to watch. Being literally floored at the choices - back then, it felt like they had an entire Criterion Closet’s worth of films to choose from, all stacked in neat rows in a big wooden chest. It was like having your own at-home cinema. Without the subscription fee.

Don’t get me wrong, the digitisation of hobbies and art and pastimes has made life more convenient for most, more streamlined, and that’s a good thing! Rather than having to lug around books, knitting needles, tangled wire headphones and a walkman - everything you could possibly need to keep you entertained during the morning commute is on your phone! But convenience isn’t the point of art, or of hobbies - it’s there to stimulate, to engage us, to provide a little slice of peace in our otherwise hectic and mundane lives. And I think a lot of this sudden boom in “bringing back analogue” comes from just that - people want an escape. Now, more than ever, with all of the horrible, horrible things happening all over the world. People want to go back to a time when things were, or seemed, simpler - their childhoods. I’m talking primarily about Gen Z and millennials - because we were hit the hardest when it came to the digital age. It boomed when we were still so young, most of us tweens, and therefore, we became shaped by social media, the iPhone, streaming services. And now that we’re a little older, we’re realising, much like our parents - “hey, life felt so much more simple when I didn’t have the technology available to read about every single uprising and every single victim of Trump’s America at first thing in the morning”.

The medium of analogue brings us closer to the art - if you’re listening to an album via CD or vinyl, you can’t really pick and choose which parts of the record to listen to. You just listen to the whole thing, more as an experience than anything. Modern ‘record bars’ are a testament to this - bringing the old into the new, the new generation of adults choosing to spend evenings cosied away in low-lit corners with wine, hand-picked tunes from the bar owners collection, loved ones. By choosing to hold the art physically in your hands, you are connecting with it on a much deeper level, rather than just having the option to click off of it and view the next piece of art in an endless chasm of creation and one-upping on social media. The same goes for hobbies too - you’ll find your mind much more at peace doing colouring in an actual book designed for that exact purpose, rather than an app that only lets you colour in once every three ads with notifications still pinging at the top of your screen to distract you.

Screens are killing our capability to connect with the art we’re consuming on a regular basis - because that’s what music, novels, podcasts are: art. For me, anytime I try reading something longer than a few sentences through a screen, my brain starts to tune out. It reminds me of schoolwork - staring at pages of text on a laptop for hours, only absorbing half of it. Give me a book on the other hand, and I’m drinking the words like wine - savouring them, devouring them, note taking and underlining prose I find particularly delightful, dog-earing the pages. It’s love in its purest form. Screens detach us from that output of love.

I adore the takeover of analogue that seems particularly prevalent in this new year, however, there’s a slightly darker side to it. “Analogue 2026” was a term I first saw, and then one that came up repeatedly, on TikTok. If anything, all I’ve seen recently are videos of people showcasing to the internet how “analogue” and “slow” their lives are, ironic considering these videos are then shared by millions and viewed over and over, edited and curated specifically for that exact purpose - to go viral. A small part of me worries that a lot of the people spending money on physical copies of books they’ve already read on a Kindle, vinyls of albums they only know one song off of, a whole basket of knitting equipment that will get used once - are only doing it just to be a part of this week’s microtrend. And companies are catching on too - Shein and Temu and the like are turning out mountains of cheap plastic to accommodate this new lifestyle everyone’s adopting, desperate not to get left behind in the dust. Fake, wind-up watches that are purely for accessory over function, CD players that barely work, ordinary tote bags being rebranded as “analogue bags”, for “storing all of your hobbies in!” Firesticks; little devices plugged into your TV, only for any show or movie you want to watch to be turned off after half an hour due to endless glitching. It’s all merchandising, all just an excuse to make more money, and more poor quality waste material that will end up in landfill by the time the year is out. It’s a full circle moment from when everyone in the early to mid 2000s threw out their hoards of CDs and book collections and DVDs in favour of Spotify and Netflix and Amazon. Convenience, unfortunately, will always, always win out over authenticity.

I asked my parents for their thoughts on all this - both in their late fifties / early sixties, the digital age didn’t transform them as much as it did the younger generations, their two daughters. They still have mostly the same books on their bookcase they’ve always had. An updated sound system, complete with a CD player, most of their CDs handed down to me to fill my growing collection. A record player and its treasure trove collection of vinyls, my dad’s prized possession. They both said they love the physicality of using it; the crackle of the needle, the audible production of the record underneath the song. It’s also a talking point amongst their friends - every party they host, they all end up gathered around the record player, voicing their favourites, eager requests for classics they all know and love. The only “analogue” thing I’d say no longer really exists in our house anymore is DVDs - victims again of the streaming conglomerates, the few DVDs I personally own fit in one drawer of my dressing table.

On the other hand, they of course appreciate the convenience of the digital age when it comes to consumable media. My dad’s music collection has only gotten bigger through Apple Music, and he loves the idea of apps like Audible - still getting to read, even when you don’t have the time to sit down and do it the traditional way. My mum has cautiously expanded her taste in TV - Netflix has given her the opportunity to watch hit shows like Stranger Things over the Christmas holidays, catching up on it with her two children before the final season ended. That’s a show she never would’ve even considered watching before streaming, let alone pay for.

Overall, it’s harmless, this trend of reverting from digital back to analogue. It’s a quiet rebellion against the growing digital takeover, the people in power condoning it, a direct rejection of a more convenient but less stimulating and less healthy lifestyle. I’m all for physical copies of art and media we all adore, of engaging with that art and with our interests in a way that doesn’t feel disconnected by a screen. Reduce your screen time, get outside, read and learn and appreciate all the same things that shaped you as a child. But if all this uprising is to most people is a trend, just another excuse to buy and consume and talk about - I fear we, as a people, may be more of a lost cause than we thought. And in years to come, the 90s revival CD players will be filling up landfill all over again.

Edited by Natalli Newman

Political Beginning of Ballet

The book, Ballet The Definitive Illustrated History by Vivianna Durante, speaks on the history of ballet since the beginning. Ballet originated roughly around the 15th century in Italian Renaissance courts (otherwise known as ballet de cour*) as a way of entertainment for the wealthy and noble. It was then later brought to France by Catherine de’ Medici in the 16th century after she married the French king, Henri II, in 1533 at the ripe age of 14 (they were both 14 at this time). Catherine, with a love for the arts on her side, brought Italian entertainment to the French Courts in hopes of reasserting the monarchy’s authority, which, at the time, was not highly regarded in the eyes of the people (Durante, 2018).

This was done when Italian musician and composer Balthasar de Beauhoyeulx was brought to the French court in 1555 and created Ballet Comique de la Reine in the celebration of Catherine’s daughter-in-law’s, Marguerite de Vaudemont, marriage to the Duke of Joyeuse in 1581. In the ballet de cour style, Ballet Comique de la Reine is credited as the first ballet to combine choreography with a narrative and lasted 5.5 hours (Durante, 2018).

As the ballet de cour style lasted throughout the next few centuries, even more political allegories started coming through the dances, as even royalty started participating in the performances, adding a layer to how the audiences would see their nobility. King Louis XIV appeared in the 12-hour Ballet de la nui as the Sun King–god Apollo; solidifying the god-like comparisons between the nobility in France (Durante, 2018).

Ballerina Pipeline

As most of the world knows, the arts were male dominated. While women still practiced these arts, for example, Catherine de’ Medici was trained in ballet in Italy, during a time where women were known for painting, playing the piano, and singing as hobbies, they were not allowed to perform these arts on the stage. Men played both male and female parts on the stage, oftentimes even dressing up in more ornate gowns when playing a woman. That is, until 1681, when choreographer Pierre Beauchamp choreographed the first ballet to publicly feature female professional dancers Le Triomphe de l’amour (Durante, 2018).

There are two recognized “first” ballerinas. Our first is Henriette-Anne, Princesse d’Angleterre, duchesse d’Orleans, as spoken about by Moira Goff in her blog, “Dance in History”. At the age of 9, Henriette-Anne performed in a ballet de cour in 1654 called “entrée of Les Nopces de Pélée et de Thétis as Erato, at the head of the other Muses” (Goff, 2015).

Our second is the first professional ballerina: Mlle de la Fontaine. Fontaine performed in Beauchamp’s Le Triomphe de l’amour and is cited to be the first ballerina to have publicly performed on a stage in front of an audience outside of court (Goff, 2015).

As we skip through a few years, we start to have more women performing professionally until about the late 17th century and early 18th century when we have more women than men performing ballet professionally, and we see the switch to a female dominated sport. Women were even starting to be admitted into dance academies in the late 17th century (Durante, 2018). This is also around the time when the word “ballerina” (an Italian word for “dancing master”) was first used to describe a professional female dancer (Jacobs, 2013).

The Art of Perfection

For any ballet dancer, they know that anything less than perfection is unacceptable. Even non-dancers know this; as the amount of media portraying this issue is striking. One big example of this is Black Swan (2010) with Natalie Portman portraying ballet dancer Nina Sayers as she navigates the contrasting differences in the two leading roles she is cast in: White Swan and Black Swan. Nina’s own personal struggles to be perfect causes her to have hallucinations and her own fatality as she stabs herself, thinking it’s her understudy, but still performs even after she realizes who she actually stabbed, while bleeding out after her performance, she says: “I felt it. Perfect. I was perfect.”

Perfection is something that the average person knows they can never obtain, but for a ballet dancer, perfection is the only choice many tend to have. You hear of dancers being kicked out of companies for being anything less; berated, beaten down emotionally, and completely broken inside and out as the only thing they can hope to get is the approval of their teachers and to perform in coveted roles. But this is not a new deal; perfection has been wanted since the beginning of the art itself. Laura Jacobs talks about this in her book Celestial Bodies: How to Look at Ballet, in the chapter “Thoughts on Perfection”.

Jacobs speaks on various dancers and critics’ own views on perfection within the world of ballet; all agreeing that the goal of perfection isn’t ideal or achievable as they’ve gone through their careers. Former ballet dancer, Heather Watts (known for her time in the New York City Ballet), states, “Perfection is a moving target. Each day you begin anew, trying for a higher bar every time you go out onstage” (Jacobs, 2018). Which is true, the scope of perfection will always be changing; whether that is from class to stage or from teacher to teacher. In the Australian show Dance Academy, the main character, Tara, was the best dancer in her hometown and was probably perceived as perfect to her teachers, but at the National Dance Academy, she was the least trained and most technically wrong dancer they had accepted.

Eating Disorders

Another form of perfectionism within a dancer shows up through eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and comparisons. This started early on, even before women began performing ballet. In the book Celestial Bodies: How to Look at Ballet by Laura Jacobs, she states that “A shapely or ‘well-turned’ leg was such a source of pride that men with thin calves might fill out their stockings with lamb’s wool” (Jacobs, 2018). The idea to change one’s body for performances isn’t new, just worsened throughout the years. According to the article “The Cult of Thin” by Deirdre Kelly, the amplified fixation on thinness can be attributed to “Balanchine’s preference for long and lean ballerinas” in the 1960s, which then influenced companies worldwide for the slender and thin aesthetic of their dancers.

But as we get into the age of technology and social media, we now have the up close and personal photos and videos of the ballet dancers themselves on and off the stage. We have the behind-the-scenes in classes, body checks, “what I eat in a day”, etc., videos that dancers, magazines, Youtube channels, and teachers post to show the world what they’re doing and eating to look the way that they do, or how to prepare for Nutcracker season. Because of this, the world can no longer ignore the glaring problem of eating disorders within the dancers of this art.

Current and past dancers open up about their own body issues and how ballet took its toll on their mental and physical health. In her article, “How I Recovered from My Decade Long Eating Disorder”, Suvi Honkanen speaks on how her relationship with food regressed significantly starting from the age of 14; all from the comment “lose a kilo” by her teacher (2022). In the article “Eating Disorders and the ballet industry: why change needs to occur”, Amelia recalls, “I didn’t want anyone to see me – I had comments about my body from my director and the choreographers who I worked with which made me doubt everything about myself. I was taken out of ballets and told I should never wear a certain leotard because it made me look ‘big’” (2022).

The body expectations in ballet are because of lines and lightness. The shapes a ballet dancer’s lines make, from the top of their fingers to their legs, are meant to be seen from the back of the theatre. Which, to many dance instructors beliefs, pops and can be showcased more the thinner the dancer is. Their legs are completely straight, like a pencil; no curves, no fat, nothing to ruin the lines the choreographer made in 1720 or was “improved” upon in 1960. The lightness needed for the male dancer to lift the girl above his head or to help stay upon point through thirteen pirouette turns in one go.

The End…

Ballet is a gorgeous art to witness, but a dark, twisted, political, and dangerous art to partake in. This does not cover even half of what can happen in the ballet world as so many things are left untold to the media or just rumored around in the ballet world itself. With the dark and political truths of the Bolshoi ballets not even mentioned, and the personal truths unsaid by other ballet dancers, as some secrets are meant to be kept. Ballet, unfortunately, cannot be summed up in one article, but, hopefully, there are more to come.

Edited by Grace Myatt and Lilli Eve

Citations

Aronofsky, Darren, director. Black Swan. Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2010.

Bradbury, Zoe. “Eating Disorders and the Ballet Industry: Why Change Needs to Occur.” Butterfly Foundation, 27 Jan. 2022, butterfly.org.au/eating-disorders-and-the-ballet-industry-why-change-needs-to-occur/.

​​Durante, Viviana. Ballet: The Definitive Illustrated History. DK, 2018.

Goff, Moira. “Madame. the First Ballerina?” Dance in History, 12 Feb. 2015, danceinhistory.com/2015/02/12/madame-the-first-ballerina/

Honkanen, Suvi. “How I Recovered from My Decade Long Eating Disorder.” Ballet with Isabella, 28 Apr. 2022, balletwithisabella.com/posts/how-i-recovered-from-my-decade-long-eating-disorder/

Jacobs, Laura. “Defining ‘Ballerina.’” Pointe Magazine, 20 Nov. 2013, pointemagazine.com/who-is-a-ballerina/#gsc.tab=0

Jacobs, Laura. “Thoughts on Perfection.” Celestial Bodies: How to Look at Ballet, Basic Books, New York, New York, 2018, pp. 119–126.

Kelly, Deirdre. “The Cult of Thin.” Dance Magazine, 29 June 2016, dancemagazine.com/the-cult-of-thin/.

Samantha Strauss and Joanna Werner, creators. Dance Academy. Werner Film Productions, ZDF Enterprises, and ACTF, 2010.

Freely repurposing images in service of communicating a message reflects the overall democratization of art. Marxist philosophy is arguably the single greatest influence on the state of the contemporary art world, and has affected virtually every aspect of its community and production, which manifests significantly in the use of collage. Collage is a medium that encourages the viewer to think critically in seeing connections between seemingly dissimilar subjects, requires materials that are accessible to most all economic classes (in contrast to media historically associated with fine arts), and doesn’t necessarily require formal training or education to engage with. Picasso is often credited with the creation of art history’s first collage, a mixed media still life which introduced questions about the relationship between the “real” and “artificial”, the content of which Budd Hopkins emphasizes in Modernism and the Collage Aesthetic primarily “concerns collage not as a physical technique, a marriage of contrasting materials, but rather as a philosophical attitude”1

Collage is antifascist. Collage is engaging with the pieces of your world, tearing it apart, and reshaping it on your terms.

In her series House Beautiful: Bringing the War Home (1967-1972), Martha Rosler utilized collage to splice together images of violence from the Vietnam War (published in Life magazine) with images of affluent American homes featured in House Beautiful magazine. Recombining photographs with such a stark contrast in tone attached an atmosphere of absurdity and sardonic humor to the realism of the images. The series is a collection of twelve individual collage pieces, composed of cut-and-pasted paper on board. Their size fluctuated since, rather than being displayed in exhibitions, they were often printed in underground publications or distributed as flyers at protests. Rather than focusing on more traditionally celebrated technical skills/execution, the emphasis here is placed on the concept of the piece, and the complex relationship that it illuminates between the military industrial complex, consumerism, and the concerns of second wave feminism.

As a primary focus of the series, the Vietnam War was a conflict which stemmed from opposition from the US toward the mounting global influence of Marxism. In reaction to support provided by the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China to revolutionary efforts in North Vietnam (sparked by Ho Chi Minh, a member of the working class, who brought Communist ideology to Vietnam following his time traveling to numerous other countries) American military forces intervened.2

This work confronted the psychological dissonance of many Americans regarding the contrast between domestic life in the US and the violence enacted on the Vietnamese population by the US military, in addition to exploring the way the performance of gender roles was tied to these historical events. This dynamic has an ongoing presence in American life, considering common attitudes toward Russia and China (among other countries still associated with the Soviet Union, despite its dissolution). Suburban architectural design is a manifestation of the isolationist, hyper-individualistic lifestyle so common in our capitalist society. Discouraging community among neighbors extends to a larger attitude of discouraging identification with the people of foreign countries. We see this now with Palestine.

House Beautiful is explicitly representational and politically charged in contrast to the body of work in the Abstract-Expressionist movement preceding it, which (while widely celebrated) was critiqued as cold, isolated, and overly intellectualized. As the first specifically American art movement to be recognized internationally, Ab-Ex could be considered a manifestation of a uniquely American cultural climate and value system. It emphasized masculine action and hyper individualized self-expression. It avoided scrutiny during the McCarthy era following the war due to its lack of representation, which was perceived as apolitical. A quote which I consider the most accurate summary of its faults comes (ironically) from Harold Rosenberg, who coined the term Action Painting3 and was one of the movement’s most avid supporters: “The gesture on the canvas was a gesture of liberation from value—political, aesthetic, moral.”3 This encapsulates the sentiment of the phrase “Art for Art’s Sake”, or, “l’art pour l’art,” a slogan coined in the early 19th century by French philosopher Victor Cousin4, which was popularized by those in opposition to Marxist aims of utilizing art for political purposes.

The ideological presence of “art for art’s sake” has persisted through numerous movements. As a variation of this philosophy, Italian Futurists also aimed to separate art and the consequences of the present from its context in the past, based on a desire to advance Italy’s position as a global power. They glorified speed and violence; Filippo Tommaso Marinetti refers to war in the Manifesto of Futurism as the “sole cleanser of the world”5, framing war as a natural evolutionary state. Many Futurists therefore supported the spread of fascism as an extension of this ideology.6

Walter Benjamin’s seminal essay, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, explores this concept in depth; he writes, “With the advent of the first truly revolutionary means of reproduction, photography, simultaneously with the rise of socialism, art sensed the approaching crisis which has become evident a century later. At the time, art reacted with the doctrine of l’art pour l’art, that is, with a theology of art. This gave rise to what might be called a negative theology in the form of the idea of ‘pure’ art, which not only denied any social function of art but also any categorizing by subject matter.”7 He then goes on to say, more explicitly, “This is the situation of politics which Fascism is rendering aesthetic. Communism responds by politicizing art.”8

House Beautiful: Bringing the War Home is indicative of greater trends in the evolution of artmaking: the growing popularity of mixed media and the increased importance placed on the role of philosophy and social issues in art, as advancements in technology rendered its former priorities somewhat obsolete. The question of removing images from their material context became a focus of contemporary artists following the Industrial Revolution, during which mechanical reproduction altered not only the physical properties of art but our approaches to conceptualizing it. Contemporary art movements became increasingly preoccupied with bringing attention to the viewer’s subjective perspective, encouraging the audience to cultivate a sense of self-awareness.

The representational qualities, cut-out style, and color palette of Martha Rosler’s work seem to reference the stylized look of Soviet propaganda posters (similar to the iconic, widely identifiable aesthetic of her contemporary Barbara Kruger). Martha Rosler says in a 2016 interview for Another Gaze Journal, “I was trained as an abstract painter, and I was liberated from that paradigm when Pop appeared; it caused me to question what is representation and what is art.”9 It interests me that she uses the word “liberated”, implying that abstract painting was a restrictive force, when abstract art movements are so often presented from the opposite perspective: as liberation from the shackles of representation. When asked to differentiate between making activist work as an artist and being an activist during an interview for BmoreArt in 2019, she replied, “To be an activist you probably have to be working intensively with a specific community and a specific issue or set of issues, specific outcomes. And if not, you’re something else ... I am an artist. I make art. And I was also a full-time professor. Activism is an on-going process, and it’s true that I worked with activists on that project, but one thing is certain: activists don’t expect intractable problems to be solved by an exhibition or a political campaign and certainly not in six months.”10 This indicates an understanding of, and respect for, the importance of the distinction between the spheres of material impact and cultural ideology. Placing emphasis on the primary role that the material occupies is characteristic of Marxist theory, reflecting the model represented in dialectical materialism where the means of production and technological tools serve as the foundation for culture.

As a prominent figure in the Feminist art movement, Martha Rosler could be compared to her peers on the basis of dealing with gender politics; however, what sets her apart is the extension of her work to include international politics such as anti-war activism and class consciousness. In an interview for The New York Times regarding the opening of her retrospective at the Jewish Museum, Martha Rosler describes some of her politics as rooted in her Orthodox upbringing: “There’s no question my sense of justice came from my religious background. If you think about Judaism, this is a really central component. It has to do with just behavior and a certain kind of righteousness and communitarianism.”11 While the second wave feminist movement focused primarily on bodily autonomy (largely that of white, middle-class women located within the United States) Rosler broadened the scope of this discussion to embody collectivist values by including other mechanics of domination as an exploration of the ways they were connected and contributed to each other. Elizabeth Richards identifies one aspect of this distinction in Materializing Blame: Martha Rosler and Mary Kelly, an article for Woman’s Art Journal, when she writes “Rosler’s combinations are a reminder that all images in the media, whether of a brutal war or pleasing domestic furnishings, are presented to the American viewer for consumption as spectacle.”12 Richards compares the way abstraction is used by Mary Kelly to the way Martha Rosler fully embraces the visual language of that spectacle in order to satirize it.

In House Beautiful: Bringing the War Home, parallels drawn between American capitalism, commodity culture, and the Imperialist forces they fund highlights the contradictory position that American housewives were in. Despite their subjugation (largely presented as marketed objects themselves) they possessed a great deal of control over the economy through their collective buying power. As the people responsible for most household spending, they weaponized this power through boycotting. In 1966, as grocery prices rose due to inflation caused by government spending related to the Vietnam War, many housewives and female labor activists organized a national grocery store boycott to force prices back down in favor of working-class families.13

Martha Rosler connects the visual lexicon of American advertising with documentation of the Vietnam War in order to make the population aware of the underlying relationship between the two. As Carl Jung said, “The psychological rule says that when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside, as fate. That is to say, when the individual remains undivided and does not become conscious of his inner opposite, the world must act out the conflict and be torn into opposing halves.”14 Jung’s theory of the collective unconscious could also be framed in the context of dialectical materialism, a major component of Marxist theory, based on the writing of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The two share similarities in the illustrative diagrams used to demonstrate them, with a material foundation (the means of production versus the collective unconscious) and more individualized consequences of that foundation (institutions which shape values/ethics versus the personal unconscious and ego). Freud’s theories also follow this format, the foundation being material bodily processes shaped during development in childhood (oral, anal, Oedipal, latency, and genital) and their various effects on various personality traits in adulthood. Despite modern criticism directed toward their accuracy and lack of supporting evidence, Freud’s contributions have made an undeniable impact on the structure of clinical psychology.

The body of Marshall McLuhan’s work (a pioneer in the field of media theory) deals largely with materialist principles stemming from Marxism in the context of treating media as a physical extension of human sensory perception which shapes our approach to interacting with the world. In Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, McLuhan writes, “I am curious to know what would happen if art were suddenly seen for what it is, namely, exact information of how to rearrange one’s psyche in order to anticipate the next blow from our own extended faculties.”15

Located at the intersection of the art world and medical industry, the field of art therapy takes a great deal of inspiration from all of these sources in particular. Art therapy combines art practice and social activism with the key principle that artmaking is a fundamental human activity, as opposed to one reserved for those who are particularly wealthy or innately talented. It emphasizes the benefits gained through the artistic process, rather than imposing an assessment of technical skill. The value in art therapy is derived from the potential for art to illuminate thoughts and feelings, connect with others, or manage behavior. I consider art therapy the culmination of all aforementioned art historical context, as a fusion of mixed media art practice, community-focused activism, psychology, and philosophy.

Christine Givens is a writer and multimedia visual artist based in Tallahassee, Florida. Her poetry and soft sculpture explores themes such as institutional critique, dialectical-materialism, and generational trauma. She studied Studio Art and Psychology at Florida State University, with interest in the advancement of art therapy as a means for regaining agency and developing self-awareness. Her work has been featured at 621 Gallery in their First Impressions exhibition. Most recently, she incorporates her experience working in social service. She feels strongly about the importance of praxis and devotion to community. She can be found and contacted on Instagram @deathcabforcoochie

​After 25 years of classical ballet for the renowned American Ballet Theater, Misty Copeland announced her retirement from ABT on October 22, 2025. As the first African American woman to serve as a principal dancer in their 75-year long legacy, Copeland is an inspiration to others who seek to pursue their dreams and, in the process, challenge conventional norms regarding privilege and social status. Ballet, despite its sophisticated technical appeal, still largely remains a field of dance dominated by white female dancers. Copeland was also disadvantaged to some extent by her relative late-bloom status when she started dancing at 13. Ballet dancers often start learning foundational ballet training from ages 3 to 6 because it is much easier to develop good habits and the discipline later on. They develop crucial motor skills that provide a solid basis for more advanced techniques as they grow older. Despite these supposed disadvantages, Copeland displayed a natural affinity for ballet that earned her a scholarship at the San Francisco Ballet School. Later, she would go on to join ABT as a member of the corps de ballet in April 2001, becoming a soloist six years later. As a reward for her hard work and determination, June 2015 saw ABT promote Copeland to their principal dancer, the highest rank for a ballet dancer! Not only did she become the company’s first African American female soloist in two decades (Anne Benna Sims and Nora Kimball had preceded her), Misty Copeland became the lead performer for one of the most renowned ballet companies in America! Among many notable performances were the The Firebird (2012), Gulnare in Le Corsaire (2013), Swanilda in Coppélia (2014), and the dual lead role, Odette/Odile, in Swan Lake (2014).

However, behind the grand spectacles of ballet and the accomplishments that would cement Misty Copeland’s legacy is a woman of humble origins.1 A young girl uncertain of her future, who struggled to grow up in San Pedro, California with a single mother and five siblings due to financial instability. It was in middle school, through the drill team and their coach’s recommendation specifically, that granted her the opportunity to attend ballet classes taught by Cynthia Bradley, creative director of the San Pedro City Ballet. There, Copeland began training under Bradley, even moving in with the director and her family in order to be closer to the studio. At age 15, she won first prize in the ballet category of the Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight Awards, as well as a full scholarship into the intensive summer program at the San Francisco Ballet. Later, Copeland would go on to win another full scholarship, this time to the ABT’s intensive summer program, then invited to join the ABT studio company for developing dancers. Soon after, in 2001, she became a member of the ABT’s corps de ballet, the only African American woman in a group of 80 dancers. During this period, Copeland stood out not only in skin color but also in body type, as she was more muscular and full-figured, and had experienced challenges as a result of those differences. As alluded to in an interview with CNN2, “I’ve experienced difficulties being a Black woman when you stand out, especially in the corps de ballet when it’s supposed to look uniform, and everyone kind of in the same tones wearing pink tights, which represent the color of your skin,” Copeland said. “And that wasn’t always the case.” According to a CNN article, she admits there were times she wasn’t cast in roles out of concerns she would ruin the piece’s aesthetic, or was told she should lighten her skin. In another interview, this time with CBS News, Copeland said the attention came with intense pressure and unfair expectations. “There were articles being written, ‘If Misty doesn’t go onstage and perform Swan Lake perfectly, does she deserve to be a principal dancer? Is this because she’s Black? Is this why she’s getting this opportunity?’” she recalled. Questions regarding diversity always seem to come with doubts regarding the supposed legitimacy of the person (of color) given the opportunity over someone else. For Copeland, this was especially true given the traditional legacy of ballet dancers.

And yet, despite the apparent challenges that came with the territory of challenging ballet norms, her talent spoke for itself. Copeland climbed the ranks, and thus the respect and admiration by peers, audience, and experts alike through her exceptional skill. To quote from author Leah Asmelash’s CNN article regarding people’s perception of her legacy:

“Misty Copeland’s influence reaches far beyond her extraordinary performances,” said Susan Jaffe, artistic director for the American Ballet Theatre, in a statement. “On stage, she broke barriers and redefined what it means to be a ballerina, inspiring generations with her artistry, strength, and grace. Off stage, she has used her voice to open doors and expand access to ballet and the arts. Her impact is still being defined, but there is no question it will be felt for decades to come.”

Her prominence could not have come at a better time in terms of representing and inspiring future Black ballerinas. As noted, the Dance Theatre of Harlem — one of the only ballet companies in the world that trained and highlighted ballerinas of color — went on hiatus due to financial difficulties from 2004 to 2012. There weren’t many Black dancers at other companies to begin with, and the DTH’s hiatus further compounded the issue of diverse representation. Therefore, Copeland’s success was crucial in demonstrating to everyone the value of looking beyond traditional standards for ballet talent. Furthermore, she proved to be a positive role model, as seen through work done outside ABT listed on her personal site - “Misty started her production company, Life In Motion Productions, focused on bringing representative stories of artists past, present, and future, and normalizing the arts experience. Her first independently produced project, Flower, premiered at the Tribeca Festival in 2023 and is a silent arts activism film using dance to help raise awareness about intergenerational equity. Misty is an avid philanthropist and is an ambassador of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, of which she is also an alum. In 2022, Misty launched The Misty Copeland Foundation, with its first signature program BE BOLD, which aims to bring greater diversity, equity and inclusion to dance, especially ballet.”

What is her relationship with ballet? Why ballet of all things?

“I felt beautiful and I felt powerful and I felt strong and I felt like I had a voice. I felt confident and I felt stability for the first time in my life,” she said. “Because the way I grew up there was no stability. There was a lot of chaos and movement, and, didn’t always have a home and food on the table. And so ballet became, dance allowed me to flourish. It gave me structure. It gave me discipline. It gave me grace. It gave me a purpose.” The true beauty of art is not in the final product but the enduring relationship between the artist and the chosen medium to express the artist’s self. Though Misty Copeland may have danced her swan song in October, her legacy will continue dancing to the tune of her love and passion for ballet.

Edited By Lilli Eve

My ears perked up. My head turned. I knew I needed to meet her.

As part of an ongoing effort at Kailon Magazine to engage more directly with civic life, and to better inform our readers, many of whom are college aged and entering some of their most formative voting years, I have been reaching out to local politicians and candidates across our region. The goal is simple: to create space for longer, more human conversations that go beyond soundbites and campaign slogans, and to help demystify the people and processes shaping our local and national future.

This interview is part of that effort.

Yen Bailey is a Democratic candidate for U.S. House in Florida’s 2nd Congressional District. She is also a lawyer, a mother, a caretaker, and a Vietnamese American woman navigating political spaces that have not historically been built with people like her in mind.

On Identity and Representation

Bailey is keenly aware of who is, and isn’t, in the room.

“When I walk into political spaces,” she told me, “I notice the lack of all diversity, not just Asians.” For her, representation isn’t about optics, it’s about acknowledging that entire communities remain structurally absent from leadership and decision-making. That absence, she believes, weakens democracy itself.

Her approach to leadership is shaped by the many roles she has occupied: mother, wife, lawyer, and caretaker to her father. “Being a representative is about connection,” she said. “It’s about being able to relate. My experiences, and the different hats I wear, give me that ability.”

An Unexpected Path to Running for Office

Running for Congress was not a lifelong dream for Bailey. In fact, it was unexpected.

At the time, she was working with Every Vote Florida, focusing on voter outreach in rural, low-income areas and among young people. After repeated attempts to work within established organizations with limited success, it became clear to her that something wasn’t working. When she was approached to run – after the qualifying deadline, with only three months left before the election, the odds were daunting.

The incumbent would have run unopposed. Few people were willing to step in.

“I knew it would be difficult,” Bailey said. “But I also knew it would help accomplish goals I was already working toward. I’ve done difficult things before, so what’s another challenge?”

Who Is Congress Not Listening To?

When Bailey says she wants to be “our voice in Congress,” she means it literally.

She spoke about traveling through rural counties like Washington and Taylor, where residents told her they hadn’t spoken to a candidate in years. She mentioned communities in South Tallahassee and Gadsden County who feel politicians only appear during election season.

“These are the people who most need a voice,” she said. “And they know when they’re being ignored.”

For immigrant and working families, Bailey believes one of the most neglected issues is immigration reform. “Our system is broken,” she said plainly. “It shouldn’t take decades to immigrate legally. It shouldn’t be so expensive or so impossible to navigate that you need a lawyer just to survive the process.”

She emphasized the urgency of fair solutions for Dreamers and for people who have lived, worked, and paid into the system for decades without access to benefits or stability.

Priorities, Accountability, and Access

If elected, Bailey says her first priority would be restoring Congressional oversight.

“One of Congress’s main jobs is to provide a check on the executive branch,” she said. “And they haven’t been doing that.”

Beyond oversight, she spoke about rebuilding the district’s economy, bringing in industries like aerospace in the western part of the district and pharmaceutical manufacturing, particularly leveraging institutions like FAMU’s pharmacy program. Equally important to her is constituent service – helping people actually access the funds, grants, and resources that already exist.

“The average person has no idea how to fill out grant paperwork,” she said. “You can’t expect a small business owner to do that alone.” She envisions grant workshops and hands on assistance across the district, making government more navigable rather than more distant.

On DEI, Electability, and the Cost of Running

In my writing, I have argued that minority candidates are forced to constantly prove their electability while navigating donor networks, prejudice, and disproportionate scrutiny. Bailey did not hesitate to agree.

“I’ve had community leaders tell me outright that they believe our candidate should be white, male, and a veteran,” she shared. “I’m none of those things, but I know I’m qualified.”

What grounds her, she said, is her record of service and her ability to connect, even with conservative voters. “Once people start talking to me, they realize I’m here to help. I care.”

To Bailey, representation without substance is meaningless. “If you’re not delivering for people, you’re doing a disservice. You might as well not be there.”

She is unapologetic in her belief that DEI and affirmative action remain necessary. “We are not in a post racial society,” she said. “Until there is true equality, we still need protections for the groups who haven’t achieved it.”

Bridging Division and Building Trust

Bailey believes today’s political division is intentional.

“It serves the people in power to keep us fighting each other,” she said. “Because then we don’t notice who’s actually benefiting.”

Across party lines, she believes people want the same things: safe schools, affordable healthcare, and the ability to pay their bills. “There needs to be less left versus right, and more top versus bottom.”

Building trust, she says, starts with showing up consistently, not just asking for votes. Her campaign has participated in food drives and community support efforts, focusing on follow-through rather than optics.

“It’s not enough to create ‘safe spaces,’” she said. “You have to actively invite people in.”

Sustaining the Work

Campaigning is exhausting. Bailey is candid about that.

“Therapy helps,” she said with a laugh. “I started pretty early in the campaign, knowing how intense it would be.” Staying grounded, she said, also means leaning on others who understand the pressure, and remembering the people who tell her to keep going.

As a mother of two teenagers and a longtime caretaker for her father, balance is an ongoing challenge. She spoke openly about leaving a job she loved when her father’s dementia progressed, and about the support of her husband and children.

“The mom guilt is real,” she admitted. “That’s what therapy is for.”

Looking Ahead

Bailey will formally mark the start of her campaign with a public kickoff event on January 10th at 5:00 PM at Element 3 Church, offering community members an opportunity to hear directly from her, ask questions, and engage in dialogue about the future of Florida’s 2nd Congressional District.

What She Wants Her Children to Remember

Regardless of the outcome, Bailey hopes her children remember that she didn’t back down from something difficult.

“I saw a situation where people needed a voice,” she said. “The odds were high, and it was going to be hard, but I didn’t let that stop me.”

That, she hopes, is the legacy: showing that hard things are worth doing, and that change requires people willing to step into uncomfortable spaces.

“This will take all of our efforts,” she said. “And we’ll do it together.”

Additional Links & Sources

Yen Bailey for Congress