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Alyssa Lau is the founder and owner of New Classics, an online boutique centered on promoting “slow fashion”, a movement focused on reducing our carbon footprint by investing our money on items that will last us a lifetime. She is also the founder of Ordinary People, a blog regarding everything “Alyssa”. Since the beginning of her blog, Alyssa has dipped her toes into videography via her YouTube channel as well as other social media platforms, photography, and more.
I discovered Alyssa through YouTube near the end of high school, and I was immediately enamored by her unique take on fashion. At the time, I was just beginning to get a sense of what the slow fashion movement was about, and I have Alyssa to thank for driving that idea home. Never did I think I would have the opportunity to speak with her personally, but I am extremely grateful that I did.
This past month, I got to sit down with Alyssa and just talk. Fashion and her journey through university were the subjects of interest I had in mind prior to speaking with her, but our conversation hit multiple ends of her life and our world today. Alas, I was at a crossroads of what to title this blog post and decided to take it in a literal sense of what had actually happened: A Conversation with Alyssa Lau.
note: There are a lot of tangents and “side” conversations, if you will… but that is the fun that comes with having a solid conversation with a stranger.
Tell me about New Classics! How did you formulate the idea of creating an online boutique centered on sustainable/ethically sourced clothing?
So, I first started blogging when I was 19… in 2011… wait how old am I? Yeah I was 19!
So I started with my cousin… more so as a reprieve from school… university. I was able to use my blog to experiment with my own fashion style. It [gave me the] ability to explore my interest in fashion. I had two jobs: one working as a sales associate in a local women’s boutique and one working in a biochemistry lab as a research assistant. It was that duality that really allowed me to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. On one hand, I wanted to pursue a graduate degree in biochemistry… and the eventual path would’ve been medicine which is so stereotypical it pains me to say it… but that was where I was heading. When I realized it wasn’t really fulfilling [for me] and was more so doing it because that was what people were telling me I should do. It didn’t really help that my mom is also a doctor. But also I look up to my mom and it made me realize this it is a wonderful profession, it really is, but you have to be doing it with the right heart otherwise you can’t do the best that you could be doing. I kind of worked at those jobs for about a year or so.
When I was working at those two jobs, my cousin gave me a book called Naked Fashion, which talks about sustainable fashion… there’s an interview with Emma Watson. Emma Watson is actually very into sustainable fashion. I don’t know if you know this but she has pledged to only wear sustainable fashion labels when she goes on red carpets and stuff like that. She’s very much an advocate for that. It talks about People Tree, which is pretty much THE brand of the forefront of sustainable fashion. They are a UK based brand and really the first to do it [sustainable fashion].
I live in Edmonton, Alberta… and we are a very mall-based city. We like to shop at Zara, and H&M, and big box department stores. So, you know, growing up here, especially in university, I was very much into retail therapy. So I would buy all these things that I didn’t need. Being stressed out from school isn’t an excuse but that’s what I would use to justify my purchases.
I remember looking at all these things in my closet and just being like ‘there’s so much crap!’ All this stuff I just bought because it was cheap, not because I had liked it. We’re [Canada] one of the most developed countries in the world and we are so shitty on every Green frontier there is, and sustainable fashion was one of them. So I decided, okay, how can we get Canadians to talk about their clothing and to be more mindful about their purchases? One of the ways to do that was through New Classics. I really wanted to just open a platform that allowed us to bring in really cool, innovative designers, mindfully made brands, so that people could start [thinking] about ‘where are my clothes made?’, ‘who’s making my clothes?’, ‘are they being paid fairly?’, ‘what kind of materials are being made?’. So “sustainable fashion” is really an umbrella term and really encompasses so many different areas, if you will. We wanted to use New Classics to introduce people to slow fashion…
So we started New Classics in 2014. It took me 6 months to email suppliers and within a year my partner quit his job and started helping me full time. So yeah it’s just me, Eric, and my two dogs!
I know you’re super well-versed in a lot of different things in terms of social media, photography, and merchandising. I feel like you’ve transitioned a lot from just blogging to things like YouTube, Instagram, being an “influencer”, I guess that’s the term for it now-a-days. I just wanted to get to know about your journey from being a blogger to being someone who has such a strong online presence. How do you use that to portray what you want to portray?
You know I think I’ve always wanted that creative outlet. I learned how to code websites when I was 12 because my cousin did a web design camp. She came home and just taught me everything she learned. From there, I was always trying to build websites. I’ve always been looking for ways to express myself, and blogging was the very first thing that came to me. It was also a great way for me to explore my fashion style. Photography was a natural next step. I reached out to local designers and a local modeling agency. I think I was 21 when I did my first ever photoshoot… and I look back at it now and it was pretty awful… but you know you have to have those steps. I just wanted to see what I can do. There’s nothing wrong with trying. Especially as you get older, you are more afraid to try new things because being bad at something sucks, it doesn’t feel good. I have always been very determined, and impulsive, so when I set my mind to something I want to do it.
I think we started posting about YouTube four years ago. It wasn’t consistent, it’s still not consistent. Blogging has never been a job for me. It’s something I do when I want to, same with YouTube. If I don’t feel something, I’m not going to post it. If I’m not happy with it, I’m not going to post it. And I think, because it’s not forced, I am able to take a lot more enjoyment out of it.
I know a lot of full-time bloggers and full-time YouTubers… and you know they produce a lot of content consistently… and honestly making videos takes a lot of work I don’t know how they do it. Add like, what do you talk about it?? I can only do my make-up one way. It honestly takes so much work, I have so much respect for people who can do it. For me, I think I’ll just be drained super fast. I need to be doing a lot of different things… I like having other side projects here and there.
Do you feel pressured to be a consistent content-maker? Because, I feel like, now-a-days, it’s just exploded. Especially being in college and seeing so many ADs being thrown onto you and all of these influencers pushing these brands towards you… and I can see why it’s really enticing and fun at the same time…
Okay, so Eric always tells me not to say these things because I’m so harsh but, I hate it. If I did not have my business, I would not have my Instagram page to be honest. It sucks the soul out of you. People say they like it, but I’m like, “do you really?” I post when I want to, and that’s about it. A couple of years ago I was like, “I really want to grow my Instagram account!” But what meaning does that have? It has no meaning. I try to say present as much possible.
It honestly all looks the same to me now. Everyone’s trying to one-up the algorithm but the algorithm is already in place.
I feel like it’s crazy growing up in an era like this.
I can’t imagine. If I had Instagram in junior high, I would have been so much more insecure. Can you imagine looking at all of those pictures of models?
What clicked for you [school wise]?
If I could go back in time… I wish I could’ve taken a year off or so to really figure out what I wanted to do. The only reason I chose chemistry was because it was my best subject in high school, which makes absolutely no sense. I think that mindset needs to change where you should only go to school if you plan on using your degree for something that needs it.
Being in a lab for 8 hours wasn’t right for me. I had this epiphany when I was with my partner, sitting on my bench and was like “I cannot see myself doing this for the next two years”. [I think] We have to be really honest with ourselves.
15:28 - 18:21: part 1
18:21 - 20:10: part 2
20:10- 22:59: part 3
And then we got distracted and started talking about healthcare in the U.S., but here is us getting back on track. Ultimately, according to Alyssa, be sure of what you want to get a degree in, because college tuition is no joke (which I 100% agree with).
23:53-25:31: part 4
Where do you see yourself in 10 years, what are you most looking forward too? I feel like this is a very exciting time for you.
This is like when people ask you “How are you doing?” and I’m like, “I don’t know, good?” But jokes aside, I do hope that New Classics grows, but that it grows sustainably. It’s always been a brand based on intention and I want it to expand with the same mindset- with sustainability remaining as the core of the company. I hope that I’m still excited about what I do and that I’m challenged in what I do.
I know I’m very privileged to do what I do and to have found something that I love to do…. I’m excited for all of the opportunities that will come my way…. And just life, you know.
And finally, one last spiel for the day. I couldn’t end our interview without asking her about her thoughts on our environment and the political climate surrounding such a pressing issue. If you are a stern environmentalist (or even if you do not care the slightest about our changing Earth, take a listen, it might change your perspective on things), this is something you would thoroughly enjoy.
Was it when we were primates, picking gnats out of our fur,
or before, when we were fish, slinking through the water which washes it all away?
Does it begin with the word, the german word klein, which morphed and changed to fit our new lifestyle, our desire to be free from the filth we both make and encounter at every turn?
To be clean. A state of being that is constantly strived for, with every dish scrubbed and tabletop wiped. And so it becomes an action, a labor. To clean. We will it into being not by desire, but by the aching backs of the workers who pick spinach for endless hours be it scorching and sunny, or raining a downpour that chills to the bone. It is done by the immigrant women who make up the beds and swirl soap in the toilets of big homes on the hillside. It is done by men in garbage trucks who transport plastic bags straining full of waste to somewhere far away. And it is done by the families whose neighborhoods are marked by the stench in the air, blocking thick smog of nearby industrial sites from the gated communities all the way down the road.
Cleansing. Like the foamy lather of the rose scented face wash guaranteed to eradicate debris from our pores. Or the green juice with celery, kale, lemon, wheatgrass and ginger perfect for a detox after a cycling class. Clean selves and clean shelves are for the elite, the rich, the 25 year old with a Vitamix. The choice to not eat the Doritos, McDonalds, the cheap processed calories which dominate the racks of supermarkets, is reserved. For those with an organic farmers market and a Whole Foods on every other corner. We treat ourselves to Chinese food as if it’s dirty, take out, or gourmet ice cream in a handcrafted cone. But god forbid a single gram of enriched white flour enters my body.
Those in power cleanse, maybe the most. The light skinned cleanse their bloodlines of brown and black. Religions, practices, traditions, people are scrubbed away from history and the earth, murdered in concentration camps, massacred, kidnapped, disappeared. Genocides are ever present, unspoken, unseen, or mislabeled as something allowable, easier to swallow. The undesirable immigrant is turned away from asylum, and so is their brother, their children, and the strangers they make the journey with. The country must stay clean. While inside it the black man is removed from the home, the school, and the street, shot on sight or charged, imprisoned, and condemned. Indigenous lands grow smaller and smaller, exploited for resources, pipelines, plantations. Away they go, away we go, treated like mud washed from dirty feet, swirling down the drain in a pristine white tub.
It’s cool to be clean, green. No more oil! We say. Save the trees! Ban all plastic! Cleanse the earth from our own scrounge. Use less water! So we take a shower instead of a bubble bath.
Starving and thirsty, the poor wish for clean. An estimated 2.5 billion people lack access to “improved sanitation,”(1) whatever that means.
This makes us feel dirty, doesn’t it?
(1) Üstün A., Bos, R., Gore, F. & Bartram, J. 2008. Safer water, better health: costs, benefits and sustainability of interventions to protect and promote health.
Around a month ago, I attended Photoville: a showcase of photography of artists with different backgrounds. I heard Lynsey Addario and John Moore, who shoot for National Geographic, The New York Times, Getty Images, and the like, talk about their experiences in photojournalism. They spoke about how unimaginably hard yet rewarding the process of documenting lives in a war setting is. The entire talk was fascinating, with heart wrenching anecdotes about victims of politically driven agendas resulting in pain, anguish, and fear. In passing, John noted how he believed it is possible to be ‘fair’ when it comes to telling both sides of a story through photography. This struck a chord in me, and got me thinking about whether it is easier to be less biased with photojournalism compared to written news pieces.
There, of course, is no way to be purely objective with either medium--however, I am curious to know which one is more fair relative to the other. On the one hand, you invest less of your own perspective when you take a photo. Yes, you have control over the lighting, subject, and angles, but interpreting the scene is the responsibility of the viewer. To quote Susan Sontag, photographs are “not statements about the world so much as pieces of it.” With text, on the other hand, the only tools at the author’s disposal to paint an image of the scene are words, which at the most basic level are more literal than images. If this is the case, then the responsibility of interpreting the scene lies in the author’s hands, which can potentially lead to more of the author’s biases dispelled into the media. However, a flaw in this argument is that the amount of interpretation conducted by the reader versus the author is not necessarily a measure of objectiveness. Maybe it is safer for the author to interpret the scene rather than the reader, because the author was actually at the scene, and can thereby prevent the miscontruals of events that took place. This might indicate that written news pieces are less biased than photojournalism pieces.
When comparing languages, symbols (such as photographs) are more ambiguous than words. This is because every word has a direct meaning. When it comes to portraying something that is foreign to an audience, an image might be more effective than a word, whose meaning the reader may be unfamiliar with. This allows for the population of people with which the image resonates with to be larger and more diverse, as photographs surpass the language barrier. Since we are predominantly visual learners, the photos might be more impactful, and be our first association with the event too. Additionally, photographs can capture moods and nuances that might be harder to express in words. However, the fact that photojournalism likely impacts more people to a stronger degree is a measure of its pervasiveness, and not a measure of its objectivity.
I suppose the conclusion this train of thought has brought me to is that photos are more likely to stick with the viewer, whereas there is more room for eliminating bias with written news media. Ultimately, it is a combination of the two and a morally sound reporter that will lead to the most ‘fair’ representation of an event that took place.
Epidemic in Isolation - Re: What Current Meme Culture Says About Society
By: Phoebe Green
The reign of sloth memes has come and gone, and in its place has emerged a bountiful cornucopia of new material to draw from. If you follow internet culture closely, perhaps you have noticed a shift in the dynamic of meme production. Mainly, that new memes are being spit out with a groundbreaking rapidity. Previously, memes like success kid, the most interesting man in the world, and grumpy cat lasted for years, circulating the web and being refurbished over and over again. Now reappropriated for Facebook users to hang up around office buildings and professors to inexplicably stick in powerpoints, these memes have come to the end of their life cycle. Whereas for a meme in 2019, that life cycle is drastically shorter. A speedy rise to the top, only to be forgotten in a matter of days, not only mirrors the life of a social media influencer, but suggests new memes are dying at an unprecedented rate. Thinking about the sheer volume of content put onto the internet today, it is easy to see that the oversaturation of the virtual world makes it impossible for a single meme to have more than a few days at the top. Ironically, any meme I mention will already have its life forces sucked dry by the time of posting this. Combined with the rise of tweetdeckers and stolen jokes, the virtual world has fallen victim to the Tragedy of the Commons. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this phenomenon can be explained as a reflection of the state of affairs in the world today.
With the rapid spread of internet culture, it is only natural that there has also been a rise in news stories about memes, slang, and youth trends. However, mainstream media is wildly out of touch with the very culture it tries to dissect. The media typically fails to represent meme culture accurately, resulting in its spreading of false or extrapolated information about youth, influencers, and the internet. Even if their words may have some merit, the delivery usually comes across as aggressive or trying too hard and the message gets lost. This isn’t surprising, as media outlets employ middle-aged people whose lives are not permeated with virtual activity. But I digress--as much as adults seem to hate, and on occasions fear, the youth and all the things that kids these days are doing, their perspective is understandable. Still, the skewed media perception of internet culture leads to misinformation of the masses and highlights a disparity between generations. It follows that most adults believe the youth to be lazy, unmotivated, and irresponsible, making it hard for young people’s voice to be heard in any serious capacity.
Despite what news stories may say, memes are far from propagating the purchase of $9 avocado toast, anti-semitism, or an apathetic attitude. Instead, they are building a world where people can relate to each other online. They encompass current ideas of humor, interests, events, culture, etc. They ebb and flow with the minds of the youth and act as an outlet of expression that’s collectively understood. Thus, without an understanding of the wider context surrounding online culture, the content of a single meme cannot be used as a basis for inferences about the mentality of the youth. So, I will attempt to look at how this context reflects that of society at large instead of attempting to dissect an individual meme.
Memes mirror how news and other ideas spread and function in society today, which is overwhelmingly through the internet. Today especially, memes are even more culturally relevant as their subjects evolve to include social and political commentary. This dynamic has resulted in a disparity between those who understand them versus the ones who do not, along with highlighting the polarization of values present in society today. It follows that in the same way memes can connect people, they can also create division through controversy over where to draw the line. Hiding behind an anime profile picture, it is significantly easier to call out those who dissent from the supposed majority opinion and take them down as quickly as one can type “cancelled.”
The virtual world acts as an escape from reality that can be edited, saturated, and painted any way the user desires. As a different world is crafted in place of actuality, it becomes apparent that Gen Z finds solace on the internet. The necessity behind humor is underscored in the form of memes, as a few minutes (or hours) online can counteract pressures of daily life and grievances with the state of the world.
Unrelated to their content, the oversaturation of online culture and prolifery of memes reflects consumerism and a wider societal mindset. Memes today spread like wildfire, edited, reposted, and recaptioned until there is no comedic value left. For just a few days, the internet is completely ensnared by a few meme formats, only to abandon them on the side of the proverbial road. It seems we are always looking for something new and “better” to fill the void caused by constant existential anxiety. Just think of the lines outside the Supreme store on drop days--the youth will do whatever it takes to avoid death-by-FOMO and getting ostracized for not being ~trendy~. In the case of memes, referencing them far past their best-by date would achieve a similarly ill-fated effect. Perhaps this points to an innate desire to fit in, or a short attention span fostered by a childhood steeped in commercialism and clickbait. Influenced by these dynamics, the online community has adopted a modus operandi of catching attention by any means necessary and clinging to one’s 15 minutes of fame as long as possible--cue soundcloud link below every viral tweet.
Borrowing from Malcolm Gladwell, the youth have created an “epidemic in isolation,” a culture completely removed from the rest of society. All lulls in daily life are filled with social media and the influence of peers and idols alike. The rapid spread of ideas that are only understood by the youth builds a world capable of shaping the actions and ideas of those involved. From ironic Tiktoks to Reddit it is clear that meme culture will be synonymous with youth culture for the foreseeable future, marking a generation born too late to experience the great wars of the 20th century, too early to watch the world burn (maybe), but just in time to see a billionaire gunning for engineered catgirls.
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Insomnia and lethargy. Depression and fatigue. Anxiety. Therapy, medication. Mental health struggles can keep you from getting through the day, even with support from others and campus resources. It is real. Taking your inner pain seriously and engaging in self-reflection sometimes prompts instead an avoidance, or a regret. At least for me.
This mental health illustration series is an attempt to explore a deeper feeling, one hidden below layers of distraction. As a way to visualize incomprehensible or overwhelming emotion: the vulnerable sensation of therapy or the bone-deep exhaustion of depression, as you’re sucked into your bed, a place of safety. Everyone’s experience is different but hopefully the final illustration is relatable in some way to a universal mental health journey: finding self-compassion. Please be kind to yourself.
I think by now, it is clear that the environmental wellbeing of our planet, as well as the social wellbeing of humans, are problematic: there exist many ecological issues and inequalities. However, despite their salient relevance, society nowadays, with the onset of communication technology, has become oversaturated. It's not a recent phenomenon, and it is directly linked to the progression of technology. I know this might make me sound like one of those youth-frustrated older generations that seem to always lament how back in their day things were different, but I’m not pretending to be removed from this phenomenon of oversaturation--I fully acknowledge my sometimes overwhelming presence within it.
Let me define what I mean by “oversaturation.” In my mind, this word can refer to the pressing societal issue of apathy due to overconsumption of messages and ideas. It can be compared to that Instagram photo filter adjuster: saturation. The colors are intensified, red, blues, yellows, graininess is heightened and highlighted, making every detail pop up and vibrate in the eyes of the onlooker. This saturation editor seems to have been moved to the highest extent in America’s society of consumption. We have media blaring clickbait titles, flashing scandalous photos, billboards screaming slogans as we drive past them, radio stations that play incessant company jingles. And it's not just in advertising--this oversaturation extends to the news as well. News organizations like Daily News and People magazine are shifting people’s attention from more critical news topics like the effect of climate change on sea levels, or factory fires in the clothing garment industry in Bangladesh. Important reporting on events such as these are getting lost amidst the trivial details and celebrity news that is being magnified and monopolizing audience’s attention. Furthermore, social media is shortening this already limited 21st-century attention span. It is evident that the human factor, interest in the lives of others, contributes to the popularity of social media. Instagram and its multitude of posts ranging from manipulated snapshots of other people’s lives, funny or edgy memes, to fashion posts, workout pages or confessional accounts are ever successful in keeping us on it for lengthy periods of time. It definitely requires mental effort to not open an app or look at our phones when we find ourselves bored. It is a media obesity epidemic where what we consume, the images, tv shows, etc. are unhealthy for our mental ability to critically think. After all, when do we have time to delve into deep thinking when whenever we feel the slightest bit of boredom or discomfort we gravitate directly to our phones to entertain us. Our iPhones and other electronic devices are the packaging this metaphoric junk food is being served to us in.
Yet, media and the way it works today can’t all be that bad. It allows for connection across the globe, making long distance relationships between relatives, friends, and loved ones easier. This connection also extends to online encounters that can promote self-growth and creativity between like-minded individuals. It has also become a lot easier for vendors to find clients (I’m thinking about sites like Depop and Etsy) and for inspiring art makers to exhibit their works (like cargocollective.com/vimeo/ or even social media). For social activism, I think it has helped in spreading messages and raising awareness - but is it enough? So my view towards technology and the media it serves is kind of love/hate. I love the opportunities it has given, but I’m also upset with myself for how I’ve let it become a distraction to other real-life activities I used to do more of (read, create tangible art, or even just sit and think). Sometimes all this media can feel like just too much, like being overstuffed from certainly a good meal but one in which perhaps the food was just a bit too greasy and a bit too much.
Since its beginnings in 1945, Spring Sing has served as UCLA's premiere student talent showcase, bringing Bruins to the stage to perform song, dance, and sketch comedy for nearly 75 years. TPM had the opportunity to attend Spring Sing 2019 and see the show for ourselves - this photo gallery by Jaime Hattori is Part 3 of TPM’s Spring Sing 2019 series.
Since its beginnings in 1945, Spring Sing has served as UCLA's premiere student talent showcase, bringing Bruins to the stage to perform song, dance, and sketch comedy for nearly 75 years. TPM had the opportunity to attend Spring Sing 2019 and see the show for ourselves - this piece by Amy Liu is Part 2 of TPM’s Spring Sing 2019 series.
Maybe it was because they were the last act to perform, or maybe it was the hint of yellow in each of their fits, or maybe it was their sound (classic and groOooOOoOvy).
No matter what /it/ is though, TAXI brought IT.
But lemme not get too far ahead of myself here. What even is Spring Sing and who are TAXI???
Spring Sing showcases UCLA talent, and gives students a platform for them to do what they love, whether that be singing, dancing, or simply just speaking in front of rows of students, alumni, and celebrity judges. Spring Sing sheds a light for bands like TAXI to get out there and groove, while connecting them to an audience to spread their art and their true talents.
TAXI is comprised of seven guys: Nick Nikoian, Nathaniel Harris, Ryan Mangalindan, Michael Penny, Davis Chong, Justin Aoki, and Joshua Flancer who got together during the midst of Spring Sing. I wouldn’t say their band is officially official, but I do know that their music is. A combination of vocals, drums, keyboards, guitars, and saxophones that make up their song “Dancin’ on the Roof” against the beat and energy of Spring Sing – they were a force to be reckoned with. With a mixture of original music, arrangement, and lyrics by Nick Nikoian, fresh dance moves, and an unmistakable, undeniable natural stage presence, TAXI gave the crowd a light, funky, groovy energy. And that sort of energy spreads.
TAXI got Grouplove on their feet. TAXI got Sameer Gadhia from Young the Giant on his feet. TAXI got us on our feet, and eventually our votes for the Bruin Choice Award.
So, call us a TAXI because we sure as heck would like a ride.
Since its beginnings in 1945, Spring Sing has served as UCLA's premiere student talent showcase, bringing Bruins to the stage to perform song, dance, and sketch comedy for nearly 75 years. TPM had the opportunity to attend Spring Sing 2019 and see the show for ourselves - this piece by Sofia Tam is Part 1 of TPM’s Spring Sing 2019 series.
~the context~
Spring Sing. We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things the Show.
Since 1945, Spring Sing has showcased UCLA’s most musically talented students in front of thousands, including celebrities, students, and alumni. While every performance this year was awe-inspiring and goosebump-worthy, I will be focusing on the only one that really mattered.
Let me introduce Company. Company is a group of twelve UCLA students with a knack for comedy. With clever, quirky, and hilarious skits that are incredibly relevant to the UCLA experience, Company hosts Spring Sing and performs between acts. This year’s skits mocked the Roebling block party, the USC admissions scandal, Trader Joe’s, and more; however, the most important skit was Grapes with Egg.
As I write, I am sitting in the warmth of Kerckhoff Coffee House, headphones in, laptop out, and eating… Grapes with Egg.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Grapes with Egg Review
~the details~
Ingredients: Hand selected grapes, hard-boiled egg
Price: $2.25
Calories: 140
Expiration date: 5/24/19 (purchased on 5/22/19)
~the review~
Initial Thoughts: I felt almost embarrassed to be buying this. Out of all the grab-and-go options, there were the most Grapes with Egg. I mean, who actually thought this combination would be a good idea? For the sake of journalism, I put my head down, paid the $2.25, and retreated hesitantly to my table. I even caught people /not-so/ discreetly taking pictures. Yeah, that’s right, this monstrosity is probably more popular than me and you will ever be.
Appearance: 4/10. This comes in a cute little cup and lid, but the smooshed egg on top of grapes just does not sell it for me. The egg is so deformed that I can see the shadow of the yolk on the surface. Honestly, it looks disgusting. The grapes do look good, though, I’ll admit. However, the later expiration date makes me wonder how long these Grapes with Egg have actually been there.
Taste: The grapes are TASTY. Deep purple, seedless, crunchy. 10/10. The egg, though… it’s just so wet. And cold. Flavorless, flaky, and lacking color. The yolk is frighteningly pale. 2/10 for being somewhat edible.
Overall: 5/10. While taste is severely lacking, the overall experience gave me a substantial amount of joy. If you ever crave something both sweet and savory, Grapes with Egg is for you. As a relatively good source of protein, Grapes with Egg will satisfy your hunger. The displeasing taste will also make your next meal taste just that much better.
So please, please go to Kerckhoff, and show Grapes with Egg some love.
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Tell Your Friends, Maddie Ross’s Debut Album is Here and Queer: A Review of Never Have I Ever
By: Gianna Provenzano
Maddie Ross is no stranger to epic love stories. She’s currently living one with her girlfriend/producer, Wolfy, depicting its beginnings on last year’s EP, Touch Hands, Touch Bodies. And now her debut album, Never Have I Ever, soundtracks a fictional love story that would fit right in with She’s All That, 10 Things I Hate About You, and all of your favorite ‘90s and early 2000s teen rom coms.
Never Have I Ever is a concept album that serves as the soundtrack for a fictional teen movie, only this time instead of girl meets boy, it’s girl meets girl, i.e. the teen lesbian romcom we all deserve but haven’t quite gotten yet. The storyline of Never Have I Ever is similar to She’s All That—girl meets girl, girls fall in love, girl finds out that it was all a bet, then girl realizes it was real, and girls walk off into the sunset together. Each song embodies a teen movie trope, like love at first sight, house party, first date, that moment when everything goes wrong, and the epic end credits song. Opening track “Tell Your Friends” is inspired by the moment when the protagonist pulls up to their high school for the first time, track 5 “Liv Tyler” is the makeover montage song, and album closer “Take Me Home” is meant to play as the credits roll. While the songs are inspired by teen movie scenes, the lyrical content is inspired by Ross’s experiences with love and coming of age.
From the opening lyrics of “Tell Your Friends,” Ross sets the scene of a high school drama building its foundation on the small details that create this story world. Each song is better than the last, with fun couplets (“She’s got 37 plants/She ain’t getting in my pants”) and sweet details (“Kissing my neck, sunshine/tracing my new tan line”). Personal favorites include “Liv Tyler,” “First Date,” and “Take Me Home.” “Liv Tyler” is the kind of song that you have a dance party with your friends to, and its “ooohs” are infectiously catchy. “First Date” is as sweet as it sounds, with all of the butterflies and hesitancy and excitement that goes into a first date. Album closer “Take Me Home” is my absolute favorite, with a big chorus that you can’t help but sing along to.
The production is stunning, fun, and fresh, a product of Ross’s creative partnership with Wolfy. The album sounds polished and perfectly captures the sounds of teen movie soundtracks with guitar-driven pop rock—think No Doubt, All-American Rejects, Dashboard Confessional, early Avril Lavigne—but with a genuine joy that’s all Maddie Ross’s own. The diegetic sounds—slurping through a straw, dialogue, a siren, record scratches—feel like they’re pulled right out of a movie. There are two perfect ways to listen to this album: either lying on your bed listening through headphones or blasting from your car stereo with the windows down—both straight out of a teen movie. (But you should listen to it any way that you can because it’s that good.)
The lesbian relationship at the center of Never Have I Ever is a big deal because it isn’t treated like a big deal. The subjects of Never Have I Ever just get to be in a relationship, following a storyline that has been seen over and over again with heterosexual relationships, only now a queer relationship gets to be front and center. No more standing on the sidelines, no more being the “gay best friend,” no more being just the token supporting character, it’s just two girls who are in love and “ready now to tell the whole crowd.” It makes me nostalgic for a high school experience I never got to have, but with Never Have I Ever, I get to imagine a world where I did. And that world is pretty incredible.
Maddie Ross’s debut album, Never Have I Ever, was released on May 10, 2019. You can find and stream the album on Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Music, or wherever you get your music.
Flip past a basketball game on TV and you’ll catch flexed chests, flared nostrils, and two numbers on a scoreboard. One good, one bad. There’s a simplicity to this game that I find comforting, painted lines marking where I can and can’t go. But there’s more to it. There always is. This game is one of escaping circumstance—nail a metal rim into a telephone pole and suddenly you’re somewhere else. What basketball can and cannot do is central to Chicago-based photographer Adam Jason Cohen. Featured by the likes of Nike and Adidas, it’s Adam’s personal work—namely, the photo-zine “Fundamentals”—that’s most affecting, capturing social disparities in America that the more abstract often misses. TPM recently had the chance to talk with Adam about basketball and how it operates in his photography.
Where does your interest in both basketball and photography stem from? Did you ever see them as clashing or always as two things that could build on each other?
Adam: I usually keep a lot of my personal interests separate from my work, so there’s always an ongoing process on how I can actually merge those two things. And after being in Chicago for a little bit over a decade, I’ve realized how ingrained the culture of basketball and the language of basketball is here. So much of the economy is tied closely to the history of the Chicago Bulls—just geographically, areas around the United Center have been thriving, directly or indirectly, because of their ties to Michael Jordan and the 90s Bulls. It’s been interesting to talk about how certain resources come into the city and how they’re allocated to these neighborhoods and almost filtered down elsewhere.
Is there something about basketball specifically that lends itself to photography more than other sports?
A: I mean, with other sports, you can’t really play by yourself. You can’t play baseball by yourself. You can’t play football by yourself. The only thing that’s really come close is skateboarding. To me, skateboarding and basketball are the only real athletic activities that don’t really require a team. You can practice those things by yourself and that practice mirrors my photography. I don’t go out in the world with other photographers—I work when I’m just living my life.
When people think of basketball, their mind leaps to the pros and spoiled stars, but a lot of your work captures the game in not-so-glamorous settings, prison yards and overgrown fields. What pushes you to capture these less visible aspects of the game?
A: Truthfully, a lot of that doesn’t have much to do with basketball. I’m trying to get a point across. I think it’s pretty evident what that point is, and basketball is an easy way to get that across. So much pop culture, so much fashion, is tied to basketball, more so than any other sport now. With how popular the game has become, especially over the last ten years, all of that lends itself to getting my point across.
Along those lines, do you think of your work as being “bigger than basketball,” as a potential avenue for people to engage with perspectives they would otherwise ignore?
A: Oh, for sure, basketball is an easier way to get other people to relate to these topics. Because a lot of my audience care about, you know, fine art, and that type of sensibilities isn’t always lending itself to others getting their point across. So, I think using something that’s so universal—literally a children’s game—can break some of these ideas down and understanding what’s going on in the world. I don’t think I could go around taking photos of anything abstract to get my point across. It’s not who I am. It’s not a part of the culture that I’m in.
You have been a frequent collaborator with the basketball zine Franchise, was that your first experience with other creatives dedicated to covering sports? With the response they’ve received, do you anticipate more and more art publications dedicated to sports popping up and catching on?
A: Thinking about it, I really think Victory Journal was the publication to usher in a way of looking at sports in a more nuanced way. As something more than what happens on a scoreboard. I don’t really look at the bigger publications like ESPN, but I think that there has been a ball rolling and getting bigger and bigger with more nuanced and critical work.
I also wanted to ask you about working with Franchise to cover Nike Chicago transforming an old church into a “basketball heaven,” what was it like seeing a company like Nike step into the Chicago community and creating something tangible for these kids to grow with?
A: I mean, working with Franchise was cool, but really what matters is that a bunch of kids, who on a day-to-day basis don’t get to see a lot of cool shit, got to see a lot of cool shit. Outside of basketball, these kids got to learn about becoming things other than professional athletes. They can be photographers, producers, so many creative things that are just cooler than being a basketball player. Being out there and having these kids asking me as many questions as [Chicago Bulls’ player] Lauri Markkanen was pretty cool because some of these kids could have my job. Not everyone is seven-foot-one and from Finland.
One last thing, do you have any advice for young creatives trying to get from A to B? What were some of the first steps you took starting out?
A: Everything I do is 100% tied back into my work or into being able to stay creative. I think that it’s really important to make sure that your life is really adjacent to your personal work. You should want to live, breathe, and do this at all times. Don’t take things personally when things are going slow. We live in this world of immediacy, but these things take a long time. They just take a long time.
Greener Plates: Restructuring How We Think About Meat Consumption to Protect the Planet
By: Meghan Rhoades
Illustrations by Meghan Rhoades
The myriad of environmental pressures degrading the environment can often seem abstract and overwhelming, as if nothing one could do could ever make enough of an impact to truly mitigate the situation. Often, we speak about changing our lifestyles in a way that revolves around ultimatums—living plastic-free or giving up air travel. Or, going vegetarian or vegan, giving up all meat or all animal products. Many express the sentiment that they could never sustain such a drastic lifestyle change. But I feel that if we shift from thinking about managing the impact of meat on the environment as an all or nothing move to stop eating meat to a choice to consciously reduce intake, the decision will feel less intimidating. This shift in mentality has begun to be observable in food culture, which plays an important role in demonstrating how delicious and appealing meals without meat can be.
The discussion surrounding why we should eat less meat has had extensive coverage, raising awareness of some of the main arguments for doing so. They revolve around the benefits to animals (due to the impact of animal agriculture on the well-being of animals), humans (due to the health benefits—experts agree that a balanced diet moderates meat with lots of vegetables, fruit, and whole grains), and the planet (due the environmental degradation on the part of meat production). As we reflect on how to reduce our impact on the environment, eating less meat is an important action that can be taken. Meat production uses valuable land and water to raise animals as well as grow feed. However, the most dire impact of the meat industry is its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, which red meat production is especially notorious for. Drawing from a recent study, TIME magazine pointed out that if everyone stopped eating red meat we could lower food industry related greenhouse gas emissions by 25%. However shocking the statistic, this proposition is ultimately not feasible for many reasons—notably, the importance of considering regional context and cultural traditions surrounding meat consumption. In many places around the world, raising livestock forms the backbone of local economies and is often the best stable supply of available protein. Often the cultural role of meat, as a symbol of status or as the basis of traditional dishes, creates another angle of resistance to the movement for reduced meat consumption. However, there are just as many regions where vegetarian diets are commonplace in the regional tradition. There are varied and complex relationships with meat consumption, but the role of the meat production industry in environmental degradation is undeniable.
Taking into account the variety of cultural attitudes toward meat consumption, the question of how to create a sustainable change in consumption patterns that will reduce the impact on the environment becomes central. The approach of making eating less meat less imposing has been galvanized by the food industry. Influenced by observing the issue from the lens of Los Angeles, where health food trends are one key element of a vibrant food culture, there has been a rise of menus that move away from meat based dishes in recent years. Fast-casual establishments such as Veggie Grill and Native Foods are introducing diners to creative, delicious vegetable dishes. The more high end vegan restaurant Crossroads Kitchen is one restaurant that has demonstrated how vegan dining has begun to enter the commonplace, steering away from the image of a shack selling only raw kale. Food journalists have described other establishments where vegetables are given a prominent role in the menu as “vegetable forward,” creating a space in the vernacular for a model that is not entirely meat-free, but makes an effort to craft a wide variety of vegetable dishes. This trend in the restaurant world has played a valuable role in breaking down the bias against reducing meat, but an awareness of the motivations behind it is important to increase the chances that consumers will be motivated to put in work to maintain such a change in their own lives.
There are many strategies to make a personal effort to eat less meat more approachable. One approach is to give up a certain meat (such as red) all the time, replacing it with poultry or fish. Another is to pick a few days of the week to eat meat. For instance, some people choose to eat meat only on the weekends, or when eating out. Another important component of reducing meat consumption is the use of alternative sources of protein, such as beans, nuts, and seeds along with soy-based proteins such as tofu and seitan. Especially in western cooking tradition, vegetables have been banished from being the main event to being a side dish, sowing some apprehension among some as to how to prepare them in interesting ways. Luckily, we live in the age of the internet, which is rife with recipes and techniques for creative vegetable preparation—or, if you retain an old soul connection, there are many innovative cookbooks focusing on how to incorporate a wider range of vegetables in an interesting way. If you have enjoyed a vegetable-focused dish at a restaurant and wished you could make it yourself, you might be surprised to find you are able to replicate it with a little googling and testing. Working to reduce rather than eliminate meat consumption seems like a more realistic approach to achieve a more widespread change in the environmental impact of meat consumption. And in gradually eating less meat, one may find giving up meat entirely becomes less intimidating.
Reducing meat consumption is a key method of alleviating environmental pressures, but for many people a lack of access to fresh produce and a wide range of ingredients makes eating well a challenge, let alone restructuring eating habits. Those with the resources to do so may make a change in their own context but should remain aware of the wide, often disparate range of experiences with food access. Thinking critically about how food systems produce our food and how the circumstances of our life have impacted our interactions with them can reveal the many issues that intersect with the environmental impact of meat consumption. Perhaps an effort to restructure our food systems to be centered more locally, empowering communities to control their access to healthy food, centered around the underlying necessity to move away from the model of animal agriculture to reduce the environmental impact, is a larger goal that will have to occur at the level of the system. But an individual reflecting consciously on their place in the system and making the effort to eat less meat can contribute to this change.
How to Save Money and the Planet at the Same Time: SHOWER EDITION
By: Ingrid Sorensen
Low-waste beauty alternatives are a great and easy way to make a change in your environmental impact! These tips will save you money, provide you with more natural solutions, and reduce the amount of waste your shower routine creates.
Trade shampoo bottles for solid shampoo
Lush solid shampoos lather fantastically—much more than a liquid shampoo with a smaller quantity. They last 80-100 washes which means they last 3 months for daily users and 6 months for every other day users. I use Seanik, which costs 11.95$ and store it in a metal tin (also from Lush) that cost me $3.95. This means, a year’s worth of shampoo costs me between $23.90 and $47.80. In contrast, a 12.6oz bottle of L’Oreal Elvive Total Repair Shampoo retails for $4.99. An average consumer uses between 0.75-1.2 ounces for each wash. This means that this one bottle only lasts 11-17 washes, which means one bottle lasts between half a month and two months. That means, an average user will purchase between six and twenty-four bottles a year, for an annual cost of $29.94 -$119.76. Based on your use, swapping solid shampoos for liquid ones can save you between $6.04 and $71.96. That is a lot of money—in ONE year!
If you make this change, you can save hundreds to thousands of dollars over your lifetime alone! Lush has a range of solid shampoos that work for a variety of hair types—I would recommend looking at online reviews or asking a salesperson to find the right one for you. Other companies also manufacture solid shampoo bars, but I am wary of recommending a product I have not personally tested, so do a quick google search if you want more options!
Trade conditioner bottles for solid conditioner
Solid conditioner bars are a great method of cutting down your waste while reducing your spending! Rub a bar between your hands to warm it up and melt the oils then apply it into your hair. I must admit that, in my experience, conditioner bars have been harder to get used to because, depending on the bar you have, it can take a while to get enough conditioner for longer, thick hair like mine. I’ve tried Lush’s Big conditioner provides more moisture. I have heard good things about Bar None’s conditioner which can be found at Ulta.
Trade body wash bottles for solid bars
Bar soap is a classic staple in the bathroom, oftentimes associated with hotel room amenities. Nowadays, however; these bars are better than ever and hydrate, exfoliate, and soothe the skin. You can find bar soaps practically everywhere, but I would recommend Lush, where you can buy chunks of soap as some would buy cheese, wrapped in paper and priced by weight. They have so many different bars and soap alternatives, that I would just recommend visiting a local store. I’ve found that Milky Bar is a nice smooth soap, Outback Mate is great for waking up in the morning, and Lavender Vida Loca is great before bed.
Trade disposable razors for a safety razor
Have you ever gotten annoyed at how expensive and wasteful shaving is? Whether you purchase blades encased in plastic or bags of disposable razors, we can all agree that this is a wasteful practice, not to mention expensive. Trade your wasteful, and expensive razors for a sleeker, more efficient option. Rather than having to deal with switching out blades, or buying more disposable razors, invest in a safety razor. These are made of stainless steel, so they won't rust and various manufacturers have recycling programs for dull, older blades. Package Free Shop sells a good one by Albatross Designs, who will accept your old blades, regardless the brand, in order to recycle them. These can also be found on amazon and many other online retailers. In addition to being more cost and environmentally friendly, safety razors deliver a closer shave, with a lower probability of shaving nicks.
If you purchase 1x the Albatross Classic Safety Razor, it will cost you 25$. The body can be used indefinitely and you can buy a 10-pack of replacement blades for 3$. This comes out to 28$ total for the first year or so of use, then the cost would drop to 3$, 6$, 9$, etc. depending on how many blades you go through annually. In comparison, a Gillette razor head with one blade will cost you 12.32$ and a pack of 8 blade refills will cost you 22.67$. Clearly, safety razors are a better bargain, both in short term and long-term use.
Trade Shaving cream for solid alternatives
I do not use shaving cream, but I know it can be a popular shower product, so here are some options that produce less waste than pressurized cans of foam. If you have 20 minutes to spare and are willing to buy shea butter, coconut oil, and aloe vera gel, here is the DIY for you. If you’d rather just purchase something premade, Package Free Shop sells a shaving soap bar for 11$ that has great ingredients. This is one case in which the cost difference is quite minimal between options. A six pack of Gillette Shave Foam Cans costs 17.35$ in comparison. However; these cans are not always accepted at recycling facilities, because the aerosol could harm workers. If they are accepted, they must have been thoroughly cleaned inside and out, a job which falls on consumers. Save yourself the hassle by opting for a zero waste version instead!
Trade your Toothbrush for a Bamboo Version
Some people like to brush their teeth in the shower. Others think that is a disgusting habit. Both groups of people should think about switching from plastic toothbrushes to bamboo ones! Bamboo toothbrushes are compostable once you are down with them—they came from the earth and will go back to it afterwards! You can purchase 8 toothbrushes for 12$ on Amazon, compared to paying 13.84$ for 8 Oral B plastic toothbrushes. Another great thing about this switch is that you do not have to worry about swallowing plastic bristles; these brushes use compostable materials for their bristles.
As you can see, these swaps are pretty easy to make and there are plenty of options in products to choose from. Ultimately, eco-friendly living is not about being perfect or creating zero-waste. It is about doing what you can to make a difference. Going zero waste is an amazing feat; however, waste reduction makes a bigger change when practiced imperfectly by a larger group rather than perfectly by a select few. You cannot do everything the earth needs, but the earth needs everything you CAN do!
What even is sustainability? According to the United Nations, it is something that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In other words, “let’s not trash this place because our kids are going to have to live in this filth.”
Despite comprising less than 5% of the world’s population, the United States is the number one producer of waste, with the average American producing more than 1,600 pounds of trash per year. Consumer culture in the United States embodies the mindset of a small child. One year, everyone needs skin-tight jeans that squeeze the life out of their thighs. The next year, people are throwing out their skinny jeans for some patterned trousers. But this example does not even scratch the surface of what corporations are encouraging us to buy. With so much noise in the background, how do we even begin to dissect our belongings and figure out how to live a simpler lifestyle?
Advice: start with your clothes. The average American throws out 70 pounds of textile waste per year, a lot of which is not biodegradable. Our nation alone produces about 16 million tons of textile waste per year! Fortunately, the fashion industry is in the midst of taking a turn to sustainable options, and entrepreneurs, like Natasha Halesworth, are taking matters into their own hands.
Natasha Halesworth is the founder of The Consistency Project, an online boutique (and the frequent pop-up) with a mission of bringing second-hand products to consumers. She is also a freelance event coordinator currently working with Within, a business focused on arranging and curating leadership retreats for women in design. Before her entrepreneurial shenanigans drew her to Brooklyn, New York, where she currently resides, Natasha was born and raised in Hawaii and graduated from the University of La Verne with a degree in business. Shortly after, she moved up to the Bay Area to work in the tech industry, with her event planning job at AirBnB being her last corporate job and experience.
She is also married, has two dogs, and organized her very own sustainable wedding!
When did it hit you that you wanted to do something environmentally impactful, and why specifically fashion and second-hand use?
Natasha: I was always interested in fashion and it was my dream to go to a school like FIDM. My parents were just not financially ready to support that. It was always about which college gave the most scholarship money [and] that was where I went. We were a middle class family that worked really hard for our money.
So I always wanted to pursue fashion, never really had the opportunity to do it, put it on the backburner, and went through the typical route of getting a job in business and working my way up through the corporate ladder.
There was a point where I just started to do more personal research about the industry. And you know, I would say, less than 10 years ago, I was someone who still shopped at fast fashion chains and was a normal consumer who did not know what was [really] going on. But I think as I was able to live in the Bay Area, which is super progressive in a lot of ways, and started to pay [more] attention and... be more of an educated consumer... I started to get more passionate about it.
Working at AirBnb was great, but I knew there was going to be a point where I had to decide what I really wanted to do, which is something I think everyone goes through. Fortunately, I had the circumstances and opportunity to take this risk of leaving my corporate job and starting my own thing, and I know a lot of people don’t have that luxury. But since I did have that opportunity, there was no reason for me not to take it.
And the whole second-hand thing, it was not something I completely focused on coming into The Consistency Project. I grew up thrifting and it was just something that was normal for me. When I first started thrifting, actually, I didn't know that it was sustainable. I just thought of it was a way to be creative. But it was also for financial reasons. My parents had spent so much money on me to go to a private school so I was always looking for ways to cut costs. In the end, I didn’t get why there had to be this stigma around second-hand use.
I truly believe that if people integrated second-hand more into their lives shopping, we wouldn’t be having so many of the problems that we have today. But I also don’t think that people have to give up shopping new either. I think that's unrealistic and buying new is something that has driven our country to be as successful as it is now; we are a capitalistic and consumer-based country. I just hope people can just incorporate mindful shopping more into their lives, especially since this country is already overflowing with stuff.
You mentioned the stigma surrounding second-hand use... in fact that is something my parents embody. What were some of the challenges you faced surrounding this dilemma?
N: I wonder if my family still doesn’t get what I do. “Oh, you resell old stuff?” Sometimes I have to glaze over it. It's not like I don’t want them to understand, but I think it is kind of a generational thing. Do I focus on trying to change the perspective of these older generations that truly do not understand it or do I focus on the newer generations that are more susceptible and are actually going to drive society forward? I try to focus on that, so it didn't really dissuade me from having that awkward conversation of ‘so what do you do?’
Changing a stigma means making someone curious to want to know more, It's not like you have to push people to do something - it is about giving them the facts and the inspiration behind what I do, and it's up to you to do what you want with that.
But, yeah, my family gets excited to share what I do because they see that I am doing something that I love. They trust me to do my own thing.
On the flip side, what has been some of the most rewarding parts of your journey?
N: Putting myself out there has allowed me to attract others that are interested, and I have had conversations with people that I feel like I never would have had. The opportunities that do present themselves are just super rewarding... because I am able to learn... it feels fulfilling, it feels challenging. To put it simply, the people I have met through this have been so amazing.
I think in life we often forget that we’re here to learn and to hopefully make an impact. Truly, doing this, I enjoy it. It’s super rewarding in a way where I feel super blessed to be in the position that I am in, and hopefully inspire others to do the same. I think in the end, if we have more entrepreneurs, we can keep things sustainable and forward. It’s when things are taken over by only bigger corporations... we start to lose that culture and that flavor. I always love hearing people wanting to start something. I think there is enough business for everyone as long as you really hone in and focus on what you're trying to do and find that niche market. In my eyes, if we just had thousands of these small amazing businesses that a lot of people align with... that is where business can both be successful and focus on their best practices.
Continuing on the topic of big corporations, where do you see The Consistency Project going? Do you want it to expand? If so, how do you see yourself staying accountable?
N: The more I expand, the better... the more second-hand I can bring to more people. Therefore, already in the business model itself, is actually really positive. It's not like I am expanding as a new sustainable brand making new clothing and overproducing. That's where it gets tricky. But in the business of second-hand, there almost is no limit, as long as there is enough second hand in the world. If anything, this should be the kind of business that should scale and grow.
But if I were to grow a team, it is all about instilling these values to every employee and the culture of the business. So for newer businesses, it is really important for them to hire like-minded people and/or if they are not fully sustainable, hire individuals that do have that perspective. Small tweaks can make a huge, huge impact, and I think people who have that mindset or are studying this in school are extremely valuable and should be presenting this to any company because this perspective will always be beneficial [to a company]. It just takes the right person to bring it up.
So if I were to scale, I would make sure that the people I am hiring follow this mindset to the point where I don't have to second guess their decisions.
UCLA is sandwiched between two VERY wealthy neighborhoods: Beverly Hills and Bel-Air. As students here, we have seen our fair share of fancy sports cars and luxury fashion brands. What are your thoughts on fashion-consumerism in Los Angeles?
N: So from that perspective of going to school in Los Angeles...
I don't want to be super rash about my feelings toward Los Angeles, but I do think there is a silver lining to living in LA, which is basically being exposed to a lot of the extreme of what type of change needs to happen. Especially if you're an individual who values sustainability, [you] should view this extravagance as a pretty awesome challenge. Connect with people that maybe are not educated about this issue and inspire them by being an example. Being in a city [Brooklyn] where everyone's living a zero waste lifestyle can almost feel like: ‘What world are we living in?’ because you almost get jaded by everyone else thinking like that. But I think LA is a city where you can look around and still see a lot of positive change that can still happen.
I think if people are educated about different issues, if they're a good person, they are going to be responsive. There will be some people that will always feel entitled, but there are a lot of people that just don’t know. Sometimes it is not necessarily their fault... so how do you be that person that can inspire them and change them in a positive light?
The Paper Mixtape is a college publication with an audience primarily made up of college students. What advice do you have for us in regards to starting our own thing while also maintaining that “sustainable mindset,” especially since the zero waste movement has created this new industry?
N: Stay up to date on what is happening within the industry. That is where you are going to see the opportunities that you can build. Like you said, it is such a new industry and it is constantly changing. Your idea is going to come from see what is out there. Unfortunately, the million dollar idea is not just going to pop into your head without [at least] learning the landscape.
Gain as much perspective as possible, you will start to figure out what interests you the most. In the case of sustainability, do you want work on textiles? Are you interested in second-hand? What really hits that cord for you? From there, it's all about putting yourself out there and making those connections. In the end, I think I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for those that I had connected with and had supported me from the very beginning. As an entrepreneur, you can never do anything by yourself. In school, make sure to connect with like minded people and really make sure to value their time.
If you want to learn more about Natasha and her story, feel free to check out her website to shop and/or read her blog, as well as her Instagram: @theconsistencyproject.
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In honor of Earth Week, TPM staff writer Judy Vallette shares seven must-watch documentaries related to issues surrounding the environment, sustainability, and conscious consumption. TPM will be posting articles every day this week related to sustainability and the environment - check back for more tomorrow!
1. Cowspiracy
Highly suggest this movie! It’s about the negative impact of the meat industry, specifically in relation to cows, as the industry is both inhumane to animals and costly to the environment in terms of resources (like land and water). This movie is perfect if you’re looking for inspiration to become vegetarian/vegan in honor of Earth Week or just in general.
2. Garbage Warrior
Garbage Warrior follows the story of a renegade architect who follows his passion to build sustainable housing in a desert commune. The movie also follows him as he attempts to change unfriendly laws in California towards experimenting with unconventional architecture.
3. Food Inc
Basically how gross our food is becoming because of large corporations that have taken control over restaurants and supermarket chains.
4. Fed Up
Following Food Inc, Fed Up is also a key documentary in terms of highlighting the destructiveness of our current food lifestyles. It focuses on the drastic negative effects that the United States food industry is having on the health of its population.
5. Before the Flood
Mostly included this because of it being Leonardo diCaprio's movie, but it’s very insightful on the dangerous reality of climate change . Also has an optimistic note to it so that viewers are not discouraged and realize that it is important to take action!
6. True Cost
Explores the monumental impact the fashion industry has not only on people (low wages, third world countries exploited, etc) but also on the environment. Helps motivate purchasing second hand clothes/partaking in minimalism rather than contributing to contemporary fast fashion (even if sale items are cheap and seem worth it).
7. Thrashed
This documentary is probably the lesser known, yet it was super interesting to watch. This famous British actor basically travels around the world and highlights both the sheer quantity of trash we produce as well as how inefficient we are at sorting this waste, leading to the deep contamination of our environment. What I like about this movie, as well as some of the other documentaries on this list, is that it also shows environmental injustice, demonstrating how negative externalities like pollution from big producers are suffered by poorer people!
“Rough Tracks” is a recurring series that aims to showcase the ways in which the creative mind works. Each iteration of Rough Tracks centers around an overarching theme, to which our staff responds to in whatever medium they like. This is the third installment of Rough Tracks on TPM.
The concept of duality is an undercurrent of many of our mainstream beliefs about human nature, life, the universe. As our kind has shown again and again (for better or for worse), we like to retreat to the comfort of binaries, understanding the world through characterizing things as one or the other - good and evil, black and white, life and death. Yet, when we interrogate the concept of duality and how it infiltrates our daily experiences of life and the world around us, the seeming simplicity of its surface gives way to depths that are far more complicated than a simple classification of A or B.
This week on Rough Tracks, we sought to dive into this complexity of duality, taking pause to reflect on its external and internal implications on our own lives and senses of being. Duality is about contrast, duplexity, layers - and yet, while it is easy to think of duality as being about opposition and polarity, sometimes that which we consider to be a duality may not be as opposite as we presume at our first subjective glance. As you encounter our own musings with duality, we invite you to consider duality for yourself, and how you yourself embody and encounter its presence in your day to day existence.
I often find myself traversing through multiple dimensions of my being. Though the dimensions/ layers themselves are more than just dual, when I present myself before someone I am either something or not that thing, which is where duality plays a role. I find that the things which inform my behavior include my environment, the ~energies~ of the people I’m surrounded by, and the context of the encounter. I used to think of myself as a fraud, a chameleon of sorts, unaware of who I was, and where my identity lay as I seemed to present myself differently to others in different contexts (though in all reality, probably to a degree imperceptible to anyone but me). With time I have learned that there is no way I can exist and have thoughts and opinions if it weren’t for stimuli in the outside world. There is no way to be my objective self, as (in my opinion at least), no objective truth exists in this world. Our thoughts opinions, actions, reactions are all consequences of actions in the external world. Therefore it makes sense that my responses to stimuli varies, as the stimuli itself varies.
By Nikita Sridhar
“Bathtub Envy”
By Nina Young
Welcome to this thorough and intensive personality test! Where does your personality fall? Answer each question according to how well it describes you. Base your answers on how you really are, not how you would like to be.
1. Do you like routine over variety?
₃⚫ ⃝ ₄⚫ ₁⚫ ⃝ ₆⚫ ⃝ ⃝ ₂⚫ ⃝ ₅⚫
yes no
dot 1: I’m pretty into routines, yeah. I mean, I’m not a stickler for rules and regulations -- I got a bit more spontaneity than that -- but rules are pretty comfortable to me.
dot 2: but there was that time that I quit my job over the summer two years ago and it was the most free I ever felt. no needing to wake up with an agenda, feeling each moment as it came to me out of thin air. the ability to let each moment wash over me unanticipated, without the constraints of expectation and the worn-in feeling of routine. maybe I don’t like routines, now that I think about it.
dot 3: wait, no, I’m not remembering it fully -- after the rush of being in freefall, I started becoming apathetic and weak. I craved routine because the feeling of doing nothing and having nothing in my way meant that my inability to feel each moment fully came from me. it’s easier to blame my surroundings for my inability to be present in every interaction, every waking and walking moment. routine’s only a cage if you look towards outside, not inside.
dot 4: going all the way over to the left seems pretty extreme. am I that extreme? probably not. being on the cliff of the extreme, on the edge of a full ‘yes,’ that’s safer. no extremes in this situation.
dot 5: but what if I am truly extreme, and extreme routine is the wrong kind of extreme for me? maybe the freefall was so terrifying because subconsciously I knew that I was the closest I’ve ever been to my true nature. is that me? being unrestrained with my thoughts let me get into this mess; would letting my life be unrestrained get me into a larger mess, one I couldn’t undo? I don’t want to think about it.
dot 6: let’s do middle. that makes me look spontaneous and well-balanced. if I don’t know which extreme I’m on, maybe pretending I know myself will fool my own brain into a decision.
dailybridgerton
tangentwithtanner
titsay
prguitarman
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