You may have seen the articles and rants all over your Facebook page as many [Christian]  Americans take to the internet to share their disgust with Starbucks’ new coffee cups. Some people have become angered that the holiday-edition cups this year, which are a solid red, are not “Christmasy” enough, and thus Starbucks must be trying to wage a war on the Christmas season.

In the video below, posted to Facebook, Joshua Feuerstein attempted to start the movement #MerryChristmasStarbucks in an effort to get more people to trick Starbucks into putting “Merry Christmas” on their cups.

Starbucks is a business, and businesses have a history of trying to appeal to as many people as possible to sell their products or services. Starbucks’ making a neutral cup isn’t an attempt to wage war on Christmas, but rather to be neutral during the holiday season. There is no controversy here; Starbucks is doing what nearly every other large corporation in America does around the holiday season.

What do you think about the Starbucks cups? If you want to read more about the “controversy,” here are two interesting articles from The Washington Post and The Atlantic, but really this isn’t an issue Americans [Christians] need to be concerned with.

Fair Trade sounds like one of those fancy unnecessary terms tacked on to the end of someone’s high-end coffee order, “Can I have a grande hot soy half-caf caramel Fair Trade latte?” Fair Trade is actually pretty simple. All it means is that the farmers and workers who create the product are being fairly compensated. Since most of the modern, developed world has had labor laws protecting workers and minimum wages since around 1940, we assume that all countries have these laws and protect their workers. Many still do not. Employers pay their workers as little as possible, and since employment is scarce and some income is better than no income, many are forced to attempt to live on too little. These workers are forced to choose between food, healthcare, education, and family time. To meet their family’s basic needs, much is sacrificed, and workdays become unending.

Fair Trade products are approved by multiple federations and organizations, and ensure that all the workers involved in creating goods are fairly compensated and the wages they earn are livable. This allows workers access to the things they need to live on a day-to-day basis, including nutritious food, adequate healthcare, safe housing, the ability to educate themselves, and since they are compensated fairly, they only need to work a reasonable amount of hours, allowing them time with their families.

Many of these workers need their jobs so badly that they will endure years of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse from their employers, as they are too scared to go to their local authorities. Though American farmers may struggle financially, they do not live in fear of being violated with no possible opportunity for recourse. Fair Trade goods ensure that the producers are safe and not in danger of being violated. Though some might argue that this couldn’t possibly be widespread and commonplace, it is important to consider that the United States had to create laws to prevent it.

Though Fair Trade goods are readily available in most supermarkets across the United States, the variety of available goods fluctuates. Fair Trade coffee and chocolate are some of the more common products and has been growing in popularity since the popularity surge of Fair Trade goods in around 2002. Less common and more accessible in health centered stores are Fair Trade textiles, fruit, honey, teas, sugar, nuts, wine, and grains. Many people don’t notice that Fair Trade goods are in the aisle, and are just overlooked. It only takes reading the package to notice.

Even if a store or organization is not Fair Trade certified, they still likely carry Fair Trade goods. According to a 2013 report by SCS Global Services, 95% of all coffee sold by Starbucks is Fair Trade, and ethically sourced. According to Starbucks, they are working towards a goal of 100%. All of Dunkin Donuts’ espresso beans are also Fair Trade. These coffee beans are carried in most supermarkets nationwide. Another common product is Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. Ice cream is a year round staple in many American households, and is available in grocery stores, gas stations, and convenience stores across the nation. These are international companies, putting their foot down and demanding that the people who make their product are treated fairly, and their basic human rights respected. If such large corporations can find time to bother with the ethics of products, consumers need to pay attention as well. 

A common defense against Fair Trade goods is usually that the higher price is not practical and isn’t worth it. In actuality, Haagen Dazs ice cream is very similarly priced to Ben and Jerry’s, and not Fair Trade. For the quality of the product, an ethically and socially responsible product is very close in price to it’s less responsible counterpart. Regardless of this, this is not an economic issue, but an ethical one. Even if a Fair Trade product was significantly more expensive than the rest, it is more important to support the companies that are giving their workers a wage that they can achieve basic human necessities with, that they can support their family on. The purchasing power of the consumer shows retailers and manufacturers, what is demanded in a product. If there is a more significant shift toward these socially responsible goods, more socially responsible products will become available to fill that demand, then more farmers and workers will be making enough money to support themselves.

Others argue that supporting local goods is more important, and we should put our communities first. Locally made goods are inherently Fair Trade and it is common knowledge that their producers are able to survive on the wages they earn for their labor. It is more important to support Fair Trade certified products, as these are the products that will show producers that a high quality product that also supports the people who make it, is a priority. Once the rest of the world establishes more ethical labor laws, minimum wages, and protection against child labor, the shift back toward locally made goods can be made to support local economies. In the meantime, since many things are just not available as Fair Trade certified, local options are still a great alternative. 

Originally written for Her Looking Glass. 

As the tragic events of an ISIS attack on Paris over the weekend (11/14) continue to unfold, people (in particular Westerners) wonder why such “senseless” acts of violence occur, especially in the heart of Western Europe. This attack was not senseless; it was a very deliberate act to attract international attention and show that ISIS is growing.

If you haven’t heard of the terrorist organization ISIS (also referred to as ISIL or the Islamic State), here’s a quick recap. There is very little known about the group, as it came into existence (as far as global awareness knows) several years ago. The United States and other countries have had a difficult time confronting the Islamic State, as they have use tactics very different from other Islamic terrorist groups like al-Qaeda. All that is known about the group is that it acts upon Puritan Islam interpretations, it is very anti-Western, and it wants to create an Islamic state free of any other religion and culture.

ISIS has gained a global awareness for its videotaped executions (in the form of beheadings) of U.S., British, Russian, French, Spanish, and other aid workers and journalists working in the Middle East as hostages (read more here).

When looking at the Paris attacks, it is important to understand the significance of what happened. According to CNN, this has been the worst spout of violence in France since WWII (which ended in 1945, exactly 70 years ago). This the worst attack on French soil since WWII. According to the article:

As a response to the attack, numerous cities around the world lit up their buildings with the colors of the French flag.

The ISIS attacks on Paris are significant for two other reasons in addition to the obvious death toll and security breach in France. First, as a result of the attacks, countries may become more weary of accepting Syrian refugees and IDPs (internally-displaced people). According to the Internally Displaced Monitoring System, there are approximately 7.6 million IDPs in Syria as of July 2015. The individuals responsible for the attack are believed to have posed as refugees from Syria (according to Politico), and may have created challenges for countries accepting refugees in the future.

According to this article (which references this press release), the Governor of Alabama, Robert Bentley, has already issued a statement claiming he will refuse to accept Syrian refugees relocating to the U.S. In Europe, there is a fear that countries will fall into the hands of extreme nationalists to spread Islamophobia and far-right policies (according to this article from Foreign Policy).

When looking at the Syrian refugee crisis, it is important to understand that the Syrian refugees and IDPs are escaping the same violence that Paris experienced. ISIS is to Islam as the KKK is to Christianity; the majority of Muslims are moderates and do not believe in the acts of violence or “Islamic beliefs” that ISIS and other Puritan groups use. Islam is different from Christianity because it does not have a central authoritative voice; it is up to individual and group interpretation. While it is very difficult to find unbiased information about Islam, you can read more about the religion here (especially looking at this article on Islam and Terrorism), and here.

There is currently a movement among Muslims to dissociate ISIS from Islam. You can check it out here on Twitter under the #ISISisNotIslam. Many Muslims are tweeting that “Islam is not terror” and “cruelty is not Islam,” denouncing ISIS for their interpretation of the Quran and practice of the religion.

Secondly, it is important to remember the other bombings which took place around the same time as Paris, but received little to no attention. Beirut, Lebanon is one of these cities. ISIS suicide bombers killed 43 people and wounded 200 others in an attack on Thursday, according to the New York Times. It is very important to show support for Beirut, as well as Paris, for they lost valuable lives at the hands of ISIS too.

According to another article from the New York Times:

In addition, Iraq suffered the third ISIS attack of the weekend. According to the New York Times, at least 26 people were killed and at least 61 were injured in two separate suicide bombings in Baghdad. The New York Times says,

That being said, when you remember the victims of Paris, also remember the victims of Beirut and Baghdad. No attack is any more or less important than the other, and no attack deserves more or less recognition from the global community.

You may have noticed some recent articles online about the Mizzou threats against minorities on the University of Missouri campus. According to MIC:

One graduate student, Jonathon Butler, has taken to twitter to explain his anger with UM President, Tim Wolfe, and why he should resign from his position. (Note: Wolfe officially resigned November 9th).

Butler wrote this tweet in response to a confrontation that occurred between the group Concerned Students 1950 and Wolfe (prior to his resignation). The below video, uploaded by Concerned Students on October 16th, illustrates the confrontation.

_Social justice vlogger Kat Blaque recently shared the following screenshot to her Facebook page, depicting an e-mail sent to a professor regarding concerns over personal safety. His response is very disheartening.

While some faculty members have reacted insensitively to their students valid concerns, UM football coach Gary Pinkel has been praised for his response. According to the Huffington Post;

He also tweeted the following photo and caption to further show his support;

According to The Atlantic, Concerned Students 1950 has made demands to heighten racial awareness in the community and attempt to address the racism that plagues the UM campus. ​

(Above image from The Atlantic)

Many supporters and protesters have claimed that racism on the UM campus is far from over. Racism against minority populations isn’t exclusive to Missouri; it happens across the country. Underlying racial tensions and institutionalized racism have made it more difficult than before to address this inequality and end violence and discrimination based on race/ethnicity.

At this point, one of the best solutions to combat the incidents at UM is to support the protestors, call for the school (faculty, students, and administration) to bring more attention to the incidents and address them, and continue raising awareness of the events. With so much attention on UM and with the recent resignation of Wolfe, the administration will have no choice but undergo a thorough investigation and begin implementing measure to ensure these occurrence do not happen again.

To read up on what is happening in Mizzou, check out this article by the Huffington Post and this blog post from Progressive KC.

If you want to follow the story, I suggest following #ConcernedStudent1950 on Twitter.

NOTE: We are not affiliated with any of the articles or photos or people linked and mentioned in this post. All quotes belong to their corresponding links and are not our own.

***Disclaimer: This post is in no way meant to be offensive to anyone, and displays my own personal beliefs and opinions that do not reflect the views of this blog.***

The first Democratic Debate aired last night on CNN in Las Vegas, Nevada. As of right now, the big Democratic candidates are Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O’Malley, Lincoln Chafee, and Jim Webb. Anderson Cooper (from Anderson Cooper 360) acted as the moderator. In my opinion, Cooper did a fantastic job making sure the candidates answered their questions and abided by the time limit (although some of them would blatantly refuse to accept their time limits *cough* Jim Webb *cough*).

While all five candidates did speak on all or most of the issues, the Debate was very much between Clinton, Sanders, and O’Malley. Chafee rarely talked (most likely because the candidates did not call him out as often as they called each other out), and Webb repeatedly (and knowingly) went over his time limit.

Many news sources are claiming Clinton as the winner of the Debate, but I beg to differ. In all honesty, I did not see a real “winner.” Clinton did an excellent job with her points and “standing her ground” against criticisms, but I didn’t think she was any more (or less) lively than any of the other candidates. I had high hopes for the Debate, and I wished the candidates had been more expressive.

But since there must always be a winner, I’ve listed some of the major topics of discussion I wrote down from Debate below, and which candidate I believe “won” those discussions and why. These are not all of the topics or questions discussed, but they are the “umbrella” (or overarching) ones.

***Again, below are all of my opinions, and not actual facts or general standings***

Gun reforms and the shooting in OR
    -Sanders: protect the gun shop owners and employees, background checks and ban on assault weapons, US needs better mental health care, does not want to protect gun manufacturers, difference between urban and rural gun laws
    -Clinton: Sanders is not tough enough, need to stand against the NRA, in favor of the Brady Bill
    -O’Malley: comprehensive gun legislation in Maryland, harder on NRA, experience with urban and rural gun laws
    -Webb: need to protect people who want guns to defend their families, the average American does not have bodyguards
    -Chafee: gun comprehension laws, need to find common ground with the gun lobbies, not going to take away guns

This question was difficult to judge, but I believe that Clinton and O’Malley had the best points, with Sanders coming in second only because he did not mention the NRA. However, Sanders made a compelling argument about mental health care in the US. Clinton and O’Malley touched upon the NRA, which in my opinion is a very large part of the gun controversies in the US. Chafee largely piggybacked off of O’Malley and Clinton, while Webb offered a very weak answer.

Largest national security threat to the US
    -Chafee: chaos in the Middle East
    -O’Malley: ISIL, climate change, and the nuclearity of Iran
    -Clinton: nuclear weapons
    -Sanders: climate change, and fossil fuel energy
    -Webb: relations with China, cyber warfare against China, the Middle East

There was clear overlap between the candidates and what they felt was the largest threat to the US. I doubt I could choose a winner for this, as they were all mostly on the same page, but if I had to choose it would be a split between O’Malley (for his ISIL and climate change comment) and Sanders. Chafee could have been more specific, Clinton should have added more to her answer (being the Secretary of State), and Webb needs to move away from China to understand that there are larger threats to the US.

Black Lives Matter or All Lives Matter?
    -Sanders: Black lives
    -O’Malley: Black lives
    -Clinton: *Evaded answer*
    -Webb: All lives
    -Chafee: *No response collected*

There is no doubt that Sanders is the winner for this question, as he was very adamant about the movement (especially since he involved some of the activists in his campaign). He brought up the example of Sandra Bland (which you can read about here), discussed institutional racism, and he discussed that major reforms would be needed for the “broken” criminal justice system in the US. Sanders used this question as a gateway into his policies on income inequality. O’Malley would come in second, as he noted his experience as the mayor of Baltimore working with African Americans. Clinton, while she did use extensive examples for the Black Lives Matter movement, did not explicitly state that she supported Black Lives over All Lives, which was worrying. Webb is the sore loser, as he states All Lives and completely missed the point of the Black Lives Movement. Chafee, for whatever reasons, was not offered time to respond.

Maternity Leave
    -Clinton: the Republicans are blocking a woman’s right to choose, support Planned Parenthood, “we should not be paralyzed by the Republicans”
-Sanders: the US is an “international embarrassment” because every other major country in the world has paid maternity and family leave but the US does not
-O’Malley: further include people in government, women should not be penalized for wanting families, the US needs to become a stronger nation with paid family leave
-Chafee: *No response collected*
-Webb: *No response collected*

I would say that the winner for this topic is Clinton, with Sanders and O’Malley trailing very closely behind. Clinton hit very important policies like Planned Parenthood and a woman’s right to choose abortion and birth control. For whatever reason, Chafee and Webb did not weigh in on this topic of discussion, which I think will hurt their chances at winning the Democratic nomination for the presidency.

The legalization of marijuana (in Nevada)
    -Sanders: would most likely vote yes to legalize recreational marijuana
-Clinton: in favor of medical marijuana, but more research needed before recreational can be legalized
-O’Malley: *No response collected*
-Chafee: *No response collected*
-Webb: *No response collected*

In my opinion, Sanders was the clear winner for this question because he took an affirmative stance, and he used the criminal justice system to support his answer. He spoke about the criminal justice system being harder on young people (usually black) who are arrested for smoking marijuana, when Wall Street executives who caused the 2008 market crash walk free. Sanders emphasized how damaging this is to society. Clinton offered a more moderate response, which is perfectly acceptable and very predictable. In all, I believe that Sanders’ answer and the explanation he offered alongside it, won him this topic.

Which enemy are you most proud of that you’ve made during your political career?
    -Chafee: the coal lobby
    -O’Malley: the NRA
    -Clinton: the NRA, health insurance and drug companies, Iran, and Republicans
    -Sanders: Wall Street and the pharmaceutical industry
    -Webb: the enemy soldier who threw a grenade and wounded me

All candidates, with the exception of Webb, offered good answers to this question. It is a three-way tie between O’Malley, Clinton, and Sanders as the winners, Chafee as a close second-place, and Webb in dead last. I know that Webb was trying to lighten the mood and win the crowd over with humor, but he completely missed his mark and just ended up making things uncomfortable.

Closing statements
    -Chafee: experience as a Senator, governor and mayor, high ethical standards, has the judgment that America wants, policies to end wars
    -Webb: willing to take on complicated issues, criminal justice reform, has a strong economic strategy, will address social justice and foreign policy issues, was a leader in the Pentagon and in Vietnam
    -O’Malley: wants US to move to clean energy, increase employment, rebuild US cities and towns, take the actions Americans have always taken, new era of American progress
    -Sanders: many serious problems facing America, income equality and child poverty are very serious issues, health care guarantee, provide family and maternity leave, Republicans are not fit to address these crises, stand up to billionaires and have a campaign not funded by super PACs
    -Clinton: has a vision to make changes, America got up when it was knocked down during its 2008 recession, get US back to working hard to stay ahead

***There were other questions and major topics that were discussed in the debates that are not included in this post. These include health care, immigration, education, etc. If you’re interested in watching the candidates debate these topics, I suggest looking at CNN’s website and finding any video clips or articles relate to the topic you are interested in. As of right now, there is no live recording of the Debate, although one may appear (most likely through CNN) later on.***

In all, the candidates offered many good answers for each of the questions, but I do not think that one candidate stood out from the rest. They were all mostly on the same page about issues, but offered different methods to reach the same solutions. After watching and analyzing the debate, I think that the top candidates are going to be Clinton, O’Malley and Sanders. I think that Chafee did a fairly decent job at holding his own, but did not speak enough to make an impact. Personally, I did not like many of the answers Webb supplied, and I am very skeptical of him as a potential presidential nominee.

If you’re interested in reading more about the debates, I suggest looking at these articles by The Atlantic, NBC, and the New York Times.

You can check out the platform, policies, and campaign websites for each of the candidates below;
Martin O’Malley
Jim Webb
Lincoln Chafee
Hillary Clinton
Bernie Sanders

***This is an opinion-based piece, and is in no way legitimate or self-sustaining, and it should not be taken as such. I am always open to passive and intellectual discussion, but will not respond to personal attacks or aggressive criticisms (come on, let’s be grown up here). Please take this into consideration before commenting***

***Warning: This post is in no way meant to be offensive to anyone, and displays my own personal beliefs and opinions.***

The #AskTrump tag on Twitter went about as well as you would think. It appears that for every Trump supporter there is out there, there’s at least three people against him (which is more comforting than it should be). I wasn’t originally planning on writing any posts on the upcoming U.S. presidential election (and the campaigns for the party nominations), since I am very biased in that field, but I don’t think a candidate like Donald Trump can be ignored.

Is there anyone Trump hasn’t offended, aside from rich white American males and even then, he’s gone after his own kind in some instances. And while nationalism and pride in one’s country isn’t the worst thing you could endorse as a potential candidate for president, there are definitely a lot of problems with strong strong nationalism (anyone else remember a certain leader who started out just wanting to create a strong German nation many decades ago?). And while you shouldn’t believe every idea you hear or every parallel you see, there is definitely some take away from that one.

In an effort to connect with the younger generation, Trump launched his #AskTrump tag on Twitter, stating that he would answer any and all questions sent to him. And people had a field day with it. Below are some of my personal favorites.

And there are so many, many more. If you want to read them all (in all of their glory), I suggest checking out the #AskTrump tag on Twitter.

I hate my name. Susan feels like a middle aged housewife who hates her life and regrets most of her life choices. Susan is tired of feeling tired. Susan feels like everything I would hate to become. When someone mispronounces my name or bastardizes it into Sue or Susie or Suzanne, I don’t really mind. But lately, I’ve come to realize that there is a privilege in this indifference. 

See, Susan is a familiar name. It’s simple and easy and generic and very very white middle class America. You see Susan in the grocery store, down the bread aisle, contemplating white or whole wheat. Susan is nonthreatening to those in power. Susan doesn’t mind being oppressed. Susan is quiet and complacent and rarely speaks her mind. 

I’ve been trying to recognize the privileges I’ve been born with and realize how they affect who I am and what I stand for. Going through the American education system, I’ve noticed that my name is many’s first impression of me, even before they see me. I’m just another notch on a class list. Writing resumes has only cemented this thought. Potential employers see my name, and they have a distinct mental image. And most of the time, they’re at least partially right. My name has much different soci-cultural/economical, and even political connotations and implications than a more unique name. These videos from the Freakonomics documentary explore what a name means and how it will affect your life, I'd highly suggest watching the full film (it's even on Netflix, you have no excuse) because it makes some interesting points that I couldn't find in clip form. 

At the beginning of this semester, I noticed more of my professors taking more time to ask each student how they preferred their name be pronounced. I saw this as a really valuable opportunity to build a rapport with each student and show respect within the first few moments of meeting them. 

Unfortunately, the reason I was so excited by this is this respect isn’t always shown in other aspects of our society. I’ve noticed that generally, white populations have a difficult time dealing with unique names, and tend to pronounce them the way they feel inclined to or give them ‘white’ nicknames that’s easier for them to remember, without consideration from the person. Below is a great example of this from Late Night With Seth Meyers. 

All in all, I was just hoping to get people thinking about their names, and the people around them's names and how to lessen our personal biases regarding what we see the connotations as. I'm hopeful that we can stop being dicks and call people what they deserve to be called. 

Note: none of these clips are our own, and belong to the respective labeled sources. 

I’m a huge fan of Nicki Minaj; her music, her personality, her values, everything! I absolutely love her. Not only is she an incredible female rapper in an industry dominated by men, or a successful WoC in the female music industry dominated by white women, but she’s also very driven and level-headed. She’s succeeded in an industry designed to keep her down, and I admire that very much.

I can assure you that there are more than 10 reasons to love Nicki Minaj, but I figured a shorter list would be more powerful than a longer one. So here are 10 reasons to love Nicki Minaj. 


1. While I’m not a fan of girl-on-girl hate (especially between celebrities and especially when the media is involved), I did like how Nicki stood behind her statement about why her video “Anaconda” (which celebrates the black female body instead of the white female body) wasn’t nominated for video of the year , when confronted by Taylor Swift. Nicki handled the situation very well, not naming names but still holding Swift accountable for misunderstanding the tweet (which, to Swift’s credit, she did apologize for later on and all was forgiven between the two). 

2. Nicki realized the value of a college education, and often tells her fans to stay in school and further their education as much as they can, because she never had the opportunity to go to college.

“If you have the opportunity, go to college and forget these little boys out here that are trying to get in your pants.” - Nicki Minaj

3. Nicki is an excellent rapper, and doesn’t need to demote women to do so. Her verse in “Monster”  

(by Kanye West and also featuring Rick Ross, Jay-Z, and Bon Iver) proves she is one of the best rappers out there. 

4. She believes women should feel empowered and in control of their lives. She also called out the double standard between bossy men being “bosses” (a positive connotation), and bossy women being “bitches” (a negative connotation). 

“I just want women to always feel in control. Because we’re capable, we’re so capable.” - Nicki Minaj

5. She’s a good role model for little girls because she shows them how powerful dedication, motivation, and believing in yourself can be.

“I want to show little girls that the possibilities are endless. That’s my goal, to not only do it for myself, but to show them I can do whatever I put my mind to.” - Nicki Minaj

6. A few years ago in 2011, Nicki went on Ellen and rapped her song “Super Bass” with the adorable British mini-duo Sophia Grace and Rosie. If you haven’t seen the video 

check it out right now, it’s too cute not to! (And she told the two to stay in school, as per usual; “Music is beautiful, but I want you to stay in school. Put your books first and singing second”). 

7. Nicki and Queen Bey are best friend goals. When they work together, the end results are always perfect. Source? Try a live version of Beyonce’s ***Flawless 

featuring Nicki, and the video for “Feelin’ Myself” the two made off of Nicki’s latest album. 

8. Nicki also made a killer video with friend Cassie for their song “The Boys” 

And while it isn’t my favorite song, the two are definitely spreading some real bad girl vibes. 

9. She understands that you don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to be everything you’re expected to be. 

“When you’re a girl, you have to be everything: you have to be dope at what you do, but you have to be super sweet, and you have to be sexy, and you have to be this and you have to be nice, and you have to- it’s like I can’t be all of those things at once. I’m a human being.” - Nicki Minaj


10. “Anaconda”

really was a break-through video, that went from objectifying black women to empowering them. Nicki shows through her video that it’s okay for women to look and act sexual, especially black women (who are more often than not exploited in the music industry).

(NOTE: All pictures were taken from Nicki’s Facebook, since none of us know her personally)

(ADDITIONAL NOTE: All quotes were found via tumblr, and may not be linked to their initial interviews. We did not conduct the interviews, and are in no way associated with the conductions of the interviews, because again, we do not know Nicki at all).

Dear 13-year old Allison,



You’re probably confused as to why you’re getting this letter from someone also named Allison. That’s okay, it’s a confusing time for us all. You’ll be in high school soon, and that’s why I’m here, to help you through it.

First of all, you’re going to meet some new people, both good and bad. There’s no way to distinguish which they will be at first, but just know that you don’t have to like every new person you meet. In fact, knowing you (and being able to look back on it now), you’re going to hate about 90% of them. And that’s okay, just suck it up and be civil, because the drama isn’t worth it, and when you’re out of school you can stop talking to all of them (which worked out pretty well, if we’re being honest).

Second, you’re going to be sad. You’re going to be really, really, really sad, for no reason. It’s going to be hard to breathe sometimes, and hard to sleep, and you’re going to hate your life and consider taking it on multiple occasions. Spoiler alert; you won’t do it. Not because you’re too scared to, but because you know that maybe the future won’t be so bad (and you were right; it’s still bad, but it’s also a little better). Don’t lash out at your family so much, and maybe consider therapy or medication (i.e. stop drinking all the vodka from your parents stash downstairs in the kitchen, because it’s going to ruin sad drinking for you in the future). You’re going to have a lot of “worst days,” but the actual worst day of your life will come much later (April 11th, 2015, put it on a calendar and save the date). It’s okay to cry and feel like dying, even if nothing specifically happened to make you feel that way. You’re still going to feel crippling depression when you’re older, but it will come and go a lot quicker.

Third, focus on school. It’s stupid and you hate it, but just try and do well. Around senior year you’re going to realize how much time you wasted hating it, and how easy it is to bullshit the work when you actually try to. You’re smarter than you think, and you can do well. Don’t waste your first two years being mediocre. The American education system is shit, but you can get out of it (that’s a lie, there’s no getting out of it. But still try to, you little shit).

Fourth, you have social anxiety. That’s why you can never turn your test in unless other people stand up to turn it in too, and why you get nervous about going to your first day of classes because you don’t know who will be in them (and why you are going to skip your first days freshman, sophomore, and junior year). But you can live with it. Don’t think too much about what everyone else is thinking, and remember that no one cares what you’re doing.

Fifth, spend more time in the art room. Senior year especially, that’s going to be your home away from home at school. You’re going to eat lunch there, spend time there during free periods, and also when you skip those pointless assemblies, you’re going to spend time hiding in that dark room. So just start out by going to the art room. Play with the clay, and use the shitty acrylic paints to your heart’s content. You’re going to meet some pretty awesome people there, and those are the people you want to spend time with. Forget the rest.

And lastly, college will be better. You’re going to do well, and you’re going to meet people you couldn’t imagine your life without, and you’re going to travel (which, spoiler alert again, you’re going to love). You’re going to find what you want to do with your life (maybe, nothing is set in stone after all), and you’re going to have a lot of fun. You’ll even be kind of happy, so that’s pretty awesome too.

Remember that all of these things are inevitably going to happen, but at least you’ll know the outcome is good. You’ll go to college, and meet people you genuinely won’t hate, and you’ll have fun. You’re going to be okay, and all that sadness you once felt will slowly go away (although not entirely, because sadness is one persistent little fuck, just like you). So go ahead and fail Humanties in 9th grade and get that 2.5 GPA freshman year, because that’s what needs to happen. That’s the push you need to grow as a person, and you’re going to be a good one.

And stop talking back to your parents, they’ve given you everything.



Love,
20-year old Allison

Editor's Note- this was posted on Allison's birthday and in honor of her being birthed, please snuggle with the nearest dog or cat for at least ten minutes