​Positives of Social Distancing Culture
By Becca Masch
 
2020 has been like a 24/7 version of a nightmare where you go to school and realize you’re not wearing pants, find out you have a test that’s worth 100% of your grade for which you haven’t studied, and that, for some reason, you have to take that test orally in front of everyone (you know, just to add a nice sprinkling of public speaking). In other words, 2020 has been rough for all of us. However, it is in the worst times when we have to have the brightest outlook. In the spirit of that, here are a couple positives that I’ve dug down deep to find during this period of social distancing (besides the obvious and important benefit of keeping everyone safe):
 

1. Starting a new hobby: For many people, the sheer boredom of being stuck at home meant trying to find anything interesting to do. You might’ve finally rummaged through those beads you’ve been collecting to make some beautiful new jewelry or gone on hours-long YouTube binges to find the perfect recipe to try. Personally, I started creating little painted gifts for my friends to cheer them up during the monotony of quarantine. If you haven’t tried anything new, consider checking off some childhood dreams. Whether it be learning to knit, playing a new instrument, or even writing poetry, there’s something out there to keep everyone entertained.
2. Finishing that book you’ve been meaning to read for months now: Most of us have experienced being so excited to pick up a book, reading only for a bit, and then forgetting about it when you get sucked into work. Being stuck at home for so long may have been dull, but hopefully you realized that there are little entrances to adventures in every book you open. And if your time was taken up by other things, look at your nightstand with that lonely book and give it another shot.
3. Everyone now knows how long to wash their hands: It’s hard to believe that this wasn’t true before the pandemic, but apparently people have struggled with the logistics of a simple handwashing routine. It’s safe to say that at least the majority of people have it down at this point. It’s a little disappointing that it took a deadly pandemic to get everyone to that place, but, on a positive note, at least we’re experts now. Snaps for that twenty seconds long, paying attention to the fingertips and thumbs, and getting between the fingers handwashing technique.
4. Masks = new accessory to rock: In the beginning of social distancing, we were seeing a majority of surgical masks—classic but boring. Now that we’re a couple months deep into social distancing and mask-wearing, we’ve seen designs of all kinds. We’ve seen reborn t-shirts, scarves, and bandanas, not to mention the countless designs on each mask where you can express a little bit more about yourself. I’m sure we all miss nonverbal communication and non-muffled speech, but (because we’re positive people here) let’s look at this as just a new way to lend yourself a voice.
5. No more commuting: I’d like to combine this positive with the rise in remote work. The job market isn’t exactly booming at the moment, but it really helps that suddenly work which would only be accessible to those living three states away is now an option for everyone. Not only that, but those who’d been driving, biking, or busing to work every day now get to sleep in for that extra bit of time. Have a Zoom call but want to stay comfortable? Fine—wear pajama pants instead of those tight trousers you’ve always hated (we’ve all done it, no shame). You may miss your work buddies or the work environment, but let’s face it, no one misses rush hour traffic.
6. Relationship growth: Not to get too sappy, but if you’ve made it this far without killing your roommate, whether they’re a significant other or not, you know you have a pretty solid relationship. Quarantine was the time that you figured out who the most important people in your life were and who wasn’t as necessary. It’s unfortunate, but there were probably some people who seemingly dropped off the face of the planet once you could no longer meet them in person, and, well, you had your answer right there. There is nothing more positive than cutting the toxic people out of your life. So, here’s to nurturing those lasting, strong relationships through the endless trials of 2020.

 
Edited by Kristina Drendel

​ 
Signs You Should Take a Social Media Break
By Kristina Drendel
 
Social media has completely revolutionized our lives. It’s made keeping in touch with coworkers, family, and friends easier than ever and even can help with finding jobs or other things you may be looking for. However, social media is far from perfect. Many people don’t realize how much time they spend scrolling through feeds and, as a result, they may not realize when it takes a toll on their mental health. I personally decided to delete all my social media a little while back, but permanently deleting social media may not be feasible for everyone. In this case, taking a social media break is a perfect happy medium. Think it might be time for a break? Here are some signs that you should temporarily sign off of social media.
 
You can’t stop comparing yourself to others. Although comparing ourselves is oftentimes just a part of human nature, there is also a line where comparing goes too far. If you constantly feel bad about yourself, wishing you had the Instagram model’s body or your best friend’s vacation home, or even if you just feel like you should be further in your career or personal/romantic life, it’s time for a break.
 
Your screen time is longer than you want it to be. Let’s be real here, social media is addicting. Did you mean to only spend five minutes scrolling and suddenly you’re an hour deep into endless cat pictures? Maybe it’s time you check exactly how long you spend on social media every day. Fortunately, most smartphones have a feature that allows you to see how many minutes (or hours) you spend on different apps every day. If you feel like you’re spending too much time on social media and aren’t sure how to decrease your screen time, consider taking a break.
 
You feel overwhelmed with the world. Social media is a great way to find out important news about everything going on in the world. Unfortunately, sometimes everything can seem a bit overwhelming and can cause you to feel lost or even depressed. If this applies to you, step back from social media and spend some time just focusing on self-care.
 
And finally, your mental health is currently not great. This goes hand in hand with the previous sign, but this one is more a general sense. You may not necessarily feel overwhelmed, but that doesn’t mean that your mental health is as good as it should be. Check in with yourself. If you start to notice yourself feeling anxious or depressed, consider taking a break and reaching out for help.
 
Edited by Morgan Mitchell
 
 

Princess Berry
June 28, 2020
 
Title: Change
 
 
I can’t change the color of my skin-
But you can comfortably bend your eyes when you look my way, knowing that if I say anything, I’ll never make it home.
 
I can’t change the color of my skin-
But you can call me the N-word, as long as you choose the one that ends with the “a” and not the “er.”
 
I can’t change the color of my skin-
But you can casually call the police anytime your life is “threatened,” and never think about the boy, no, the child, that is bleeding on your lawn.
 
I can’t change the color of my skin-
But you can get cornrows, twists, dreads, and call it a new style, as you watch a black person get fired for having their afro be too high.
 
I can’t change the color of my skin-
But you can shout “All Lives Matter,” or “Blue Lives Matter” without a moment of hesitation, without thinking about how America was built on the philosophy that Black lives were meant to be captured, chained, whipped, raped, tortured, experimented on, killed, mutilated,
 forgotten.
 
I can’t change the color of my skin-
But you can avoid explaining to your kids that they can’t speak too loud in public, they can’t wear a hood, they can’t walk to the convenience store, they can’t expect to be loved by everyone, they can expect not to be accepted.
 
I can’t change the color of my skin-
But you can confess your love for black bodies, turn that love into an obsession, into a game, then become a ghost when those bodies turn into voices, pleading for mercy and justice.
 
  
I can’t change the color of my skin-
But you can kill a black trans woman, convince your soul that she had it coming, and freely walk without ever hearing about your crime on the news.
 
 
I can’t change the color of my skin-
But you can use the phrase, “I don’t see color,” as a defense mechanism when your “black friend,” tells you that they are offended by your brewing ignorance.
 
I can’t change the color of my skin-
But you can say “go back to Africa,” just so you can silence the so-called “villains” of your American fairytale.
 
I can’t change the color of my skin-
But you can start to recognize that I don’t need to, that We don’t need to, rather, We need space, We need freedom, We need you to listen, We need you to fight with us, We need to move, We need to march, We need to sing, We need to shout.
Because after all this time, we still have the right to happiness.
Because after all these years,
we still deserve change.
 
 

Hamilton’s Arrival on Disney Plus
By Emily Stewart

Hamilton has entranced viewers since 2015, when it first appeared on Broadway, smashing records and surprising people with its creative rendition of Alexander Hamilton’s story. The ten-dollar founding father lived quite a tale, and the show explores the dynamics at play in the early 18th century, complete with the shifting pieces of the other founding fathers and their actions that made the United States what it is today.

Alexander Hamilton was born in a small town in the Caribbean called Nevis. Orphaned and alone by age ten in a horrifyingly dismal and cruel island, Alexander’s wit and intelligent writing created an opportunity for him to get to the United States. Extraordinary for an uneducated boy, he quickly rose to fame in the U.S. through his education at King’s College, where he met his later nemesis, Aaron Burr. The story follows his close relationship with George Washington, and how Alex was called on to write, yet yearned to fight in the war. Meeting Eliza, the daughter of Philip Schuyler, turned Hamilton’s world around and he quickly fell in love. We see the birth of their firstborn Philip, and Alexander’s next political conquest, where he gained the position of the secretary of the treasury. Flash forward many years and Philip dies in a duel due to someone dishonoring the Hamilton name, Hamilton has a treacherous affair with a Mrs. Reynolds, and a cruel Reynolds Pamphlet is passed that forces Hamilton into an embroiled political scandal. Hamilton’s political views pitted him against Thomas Jefferson, who later ran for President against Aaron Burr, where Jefferson surprisingly gained Hamilton’s vote. This pitfall leads to the infamous duel between Burr and Hamilton, leading to Hamilton’s untimely demise.

The Disney movie captures the magic of the stage version, following different camera angles and views that transport the watcher to a first-row seat at the show. Hamilton’s famous acclaim made it extremely difficult to get tickets, so this movie brings people a wonderful chance to view the show for themselves. Cast with a diverse set of people, the takeaway is all about unity in diversity, and how anybody can play whatever role they want. This culturally enriching and new form of casting helps open the door for new musicals to follow suit.

The most exciting piece of the musical is the music: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s brilliant soundtrack creatively encompasses pop, rap, and hip hop to tell the story. If you listen closely to the words, you can catch the clever history references and lyrical rhetoric that make this show so amazing. Alex Lacamoire’s orchestrations are genius, creatively joining together instruments to match Miranda’s lyrics. The choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler perfectly matches the music, making difficult moves look simple and effortless. All in all, this musical combines history and hip hop with beautiful orchestrations and choreography, forming a show that will stand the test of time. When you see the movie, you’ll understand the hype that’s surrounded this show since its release. Go watch Hamilton on Disney Plus and see for yourself; it’s a kind of magic you won’t forget anytime soon.
​
Edited by Morgan Mitchell

​Five Things I Learned at College That Weren’t on the Syllabus
By Morgan Mitchell
 
Although four years ago it seemed like the day would never come, I just recently graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with two bachelor’s degrees: one in English and one in Library and Information Sciences. During my time at college, I learned a lot about my two chosen fields. In English classes, I gained the confidence to share my interpretation of texts, and I became a better writer and critical thinker by producing essay after essay. Meanwhile, the LIS courses introduced me to cataloging, reference interviews, readers’ advisory, collection development, and more. While these skills have been directly applicable to my everyday life as I intern at publishing companies and work at libraries, I also learned other valuable lessons that could not be found on the syllabus. I hope new and current college students alike can benefit from reading and applying these insights in their own lives.
 
1.Be active on campus: Make the most of your time at college! It might be tempting to hide out in the dorm all day—especially if you are an introvert like me—but you will have a way better experience if you are active in your campus community. Get involved with student organizations, take on a leadership role, go to sporting events, attend plays or music concerts, join a religious organization, volunteer your time. If you can find a group that does something you love, you’ll have a ready-made group of friends that have similar interests to your own. At the end of the day, college is not just about earning a degree. It’s a time where you can build friendships that last a lifetime, a time where you can experiment with different hobbies to find what speaks to you, a time where you can give back to the community that will become your home for four years.
 
2.Learn how to adult: Adulting refers to all the skills and knowledge you will need to survive on your own in the real world, from budgeting to changing a tire to cooking a meal. It could even mean having the ability to kill a bug. As a freshman in college, I was distressed to discover that a wasp had somehow made its way up three flights of stairs and through four locked doors to settle in my dorm room. Far from an adult at this point, I rushed downstairs to ask the desk assistant on duty if they could help me. They agreed to call a resident assistant since they couldn’t leave the desk unattended, so I gladly waited fifteen or twenty minutes on someone to do a job that I myself could have completed, had I been emotionally capable, in less than one minute. Fast forward four years, and I was a senior at college with a similar bug problem on my hands. I had just woken up and was walking to turn on the light when my foot brushed against something. I looked down in horror to see an overturned cockroach. By this time, I had told my parents the story of the wasp and they had lovingly gifted me a bottle of Raid, so I raced to the closet, retrieved the can, and sprayed the bug. I then proceeded to pace around the dorm room for thirty minutes as I gave myself a pep talk to psyche myself up for the moment when I would be forced to pick up the bug and dispose of him. It might have taken some time, but I think we can count it as a win.
 
3.You don’t need a lot of stuff: I packed a little bit at a time for weeks before I moved into a dorm for the first time because I didn’t want to forget anything that I might need while I was away from home. Once the semester started, however, it quickly became clear that I wasn’t in the dorm room often enough to appreciate all the extra stuff that I had brought with me. The material items just aren’t as important as the memories that you will make along the way. As such, in addition to the essentials like clothing and bathroom supplies, I would recommend limiting yourself to bringing one thing that makes you happy and leaving the rest of the clutter at home. For example, I brought my favorite books with me, and they were enough on their own to make the dorm feel like home.
 
4.Network with professionals: While networking might not seem like a fun or even necessary activity, you will be thankful to have the connections after you have graduated and are looking for a job. As the saying goes, it is not what you know, it’s who you know. If you have the same experience and education as someone else but the other person has previously worked at the company or knows someone who currently works there, they will have a better chance of being hired. It’s unfortunate that one’s skills and knowledge aren’t enough on their own anymore to secure a great job, but the fact is that the market has become saturated with highly qualified individuals and there has to be some way to differentiate them. Talk to your professors during their office hours. It is their job to help you, and they are happy to do it. Apply for internships. They can give you experience in the field and could even lead to jobs if you’re dependable and work hard. Use the resources that you have while you’re at college to make connections.
 

1. Build up your resume: During your time at college, it is important to always look toward the future. Taking advantage of the countless opportunities for growth that are available to you is an easy way to build up your resume, which will in turn make you more marketable to employers. Consider applying for leadership roles in your favorite student organizations, or join honor societies that are relevant to your career. When you have these leadership roles, it gives you experience with solving problems and taking initiative, so you will be prepared to answer interview questions and to tackle these issues when they arise in the real world.

 
 
Edited by: Emily Stewart

Canceling Cancel Culture

Imagine this: After finding success in a job of your choice, someone finds out about one of your past mistakes and reveals it to your bosses, coworkers, and consumers. This mistake makes you a pariah at your job, where you are condemned, harassed, and ultimately fired without the chance to defend or explain your actions. Unfortunately, this practice of shunning a person for small mistakes has become commonplace in this era, especially in regards to famous people like celebrities and politicians.

There has been a rise in “Cancel Culture,” or a refusal to support a person based on their actions or beliefs. Originally, someone would be “cancelled” due to severe failings sexual and domestic abuse, misogyny, racism, homophobia, etc. Over time, however, people began canceling others for more mundane issues, like off-color jokes, different political leanings, or simple mistakes made years before. Many famous people even loss their jobs or positions due to these reactions. Condemning people immediately for smaller past actions doesn’t account for changes in a person’s character over time or mistakes made out of ignorance rather than malice.
Rather than immediately declaring someone a persona non grata over simple errors, people should give them the time to do several things in response:

1. Acknowledge: Although acknowledgement of a mistake seems simple, doing so is the only way to begin a dialogue about what was expressed.
2. Apologize or Explain
   1. Apologize: A lot of people are remorseful for their actions, whether it’s a past action that doesn’t reflect their present-day beliefs or a present action that’s the result of sincere cluelessness. They just need the opportunity to do so.
   2. Explain: Someone may genuinely support the thoughts that they express, but those thoughts are poorly explained. Give them the opportunity to explain those beliefs before deciding whether or not you can support them.
3. Amend: If a person apologizes, give them time to make amends and prove that they really have changed, or at least still deserve your good will.

If a person refuses to acknowledge their actions or apologize, explain, or make amends for those actions, then pulling support for that person would be an appropriate response. The one time a swift rebuke would be necessary is when a person has severely harmed a person or a group of people, especially if they use their wealth, power, and influence to perpetuate that harm.
Ultimately, we’re all human. From the person on the street to the World’s Richest Man, we will all eventually make mistakes that unintentionally hurt others. You wouldn’t want people to condemn you for errors that you’ve grown and learned from…you should give others the opportunity to do the same.
​
Edited by Andy Smiley