Workers at Amazon’s warehouse in Staten Island made history on April 1 by voting to form the first-ever Amazon labor union in the United States.

In a shocking turn of events, two Staten Island Amazon employees — Christian Smalls and Derrick Palmer — managed to successfully organize their colleagues and friends from the ground up, without support from national labor organizations, according to the New York Times.

This move exemplifies the steadily increasing power of the labor movement in the United States. Last December, Starbucks workers in Buffalo, New York also voted to unionize, creating the first Starbucks union in the country. Since then, more than 100 U.S. locations have begun to follow suit by filing for union recognition.

This isn’t just a win for U.S. unions, whose memberships have been in decline for years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is, more importantly, a win for the American worker.

There’s a crucial similarity between Staten Island warehouse workers, Buffalo baristas, Minneapolis teachers (who, on March 25, reached a tentative agreement with Minneapolis Public Schools to end their weeks-long strike) and every other U.S. worker. While the job descriptions may differ, workers across the board are united in the struggle to reconcile stagnant wages with soaring costs of living and to justify even working at all when, for some, it is unclear whether present-day wages will be able to cover a home or retirement.

In this struggle, then, Amazon is a shoo-in for the role of antagonist. One only needs to recall a handful of recent controversies before this designation seems justified. Last March, Amazon came under fire for implementing delivery quotas so harsh that some drivers said they had no option other than to urinate or even defecate en route. A union-backed report published last July cited Amazon’s “obsession with speed” as one of the reasons why its warehouse workers are injured more frequently and more severely than workers in non-Amazon warehouses. That same month, as the cogs and gears of Amazon’s $1 trillion machine turned, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos took a multi-billion dollar field trip to space.

If we choose to see this metaphor through, the Amazon Labor Union is the underdog, the David to Amazon’s Goliath, whose victory represents the slowly increasing power of the worker amidst a backdrop of a reckoning over labor: the “Great Resignation.” The U.S. saw a 20-year record-high rate of job quitting in 2021, with workers citing low pay, minimal advancement opportunities and feeling disrespected at work as some of their top reasons for jumping ship.

I hope that the Amazon Labor Union’s victory is contagious. There is strength in grassroots organizing, and this win proves it. There is also strength in numbers. These days, leveraging collective bargaining power — be it through unionizing, striking or other forms of collaboration — often seems to be the only way to combat labor exploitation.

This “contagion” may be spreading already. Following the Amazon Labor Union’s win, workers at over 50 Amazon warehouse locations have contacted the organizers in the hopes of potentially forming their own unions.

“The revolution is here,” The Guardian reported Smalls as saying.

Emory University shuttles will return to full capacity and permit standing riders on May 2. Masks will still be required to ride, according to Executive Director for COVID-19 Response and Recovery Amir St. Clair. 

Shuttles have been operating at full seated capacity since last summer, but standing riders have not been allowed in about  two years, St. Clair said. The University began limiting shuttle capacity in March 2020.

The decision follows a nation-wide reduction in COVID-19 transportation protocols. Following a court order, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on April 18 that masks are no longer mandated on public transportation conveyances and at transportation hubs, although the CDC did not support the decision. 

The CDC originally aimed to extend the transportation mask mandate, which went into place in early 2021, to May 3. However, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle of Florida struck the mask requirement down, forcing the mandate to expire.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is appealing the federal court ruling, as the CDC still deems it “necessary” for people to wear masks on transportation to protect against COVID-19. In an April 20 statement announcing the DOJ’s appeal, the CDC wrote that “this is a lawful order, well within CDC’s legal authority to protect public health.”

The appeal comes about two months after the CDC’s Feb. 25 announcement that masks would not be required on buses or vans operated by public or private K-12 school systems. Universities are not required to follow the decision.

Emory University shuttles will return to full capacity to allow standing riders on May 2. (Ally Hom/Photo Editor)

St. Clair and Executive Director of Student Health Services Sharon Rabinovitz both reinforced that reduced COVID-19 regulations on shuttles does not mean that the pandemic is over.

According to the University’s COVID-19 dashboard, 114 students, faculty and staff tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days, while only 41 cases were reported the week of April 16. This is about a 178% increase in cases.

COVID-19 cases at Emory last topped 100 infections in February, when 157 cases were reported within 10 days on Feb. 8. Cases decreased to 49 by Feb. 22.

“This uptick in cases really highlights that it’s not over, it’s changed,” Rabinovitz said. “People have the agency to continue to protect themselves and those that they are with, their friends and family.” 

St. Clair said he anticipated the increase, which he does not classify as a spike. He explained that case numbers are only one metric to measure COVID-19, and other factors have remained steady.

“What is important to note is that at this time, our metrics for disease severity, isolation and quarantine space, healthcare strain, those continue to be moderate and below established thresholds,” St. Clair said.

The rise in cases is largely due to the prevalence of the highly transmissible BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron variant, St. Clair speculated. BA.2 was first discovered in the United States in December 2021 and accounted for about 68% of U.S. cases reported in the week ending on April 23, according to the CDC. 

The American Medical Association reports that the BA.2 subvariant has genetic mutations that may make it more difficult to distinguish from the Delta variant using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, earning it the nickname “stealth Omicron.”

St. Clair and Rabinovitz also suggested that the cases could be due to increased travel and gatherings at the end of the semester, as well as loosened COVID-19 protocols, both at Emory and across the country. 

Despite the rise in cases, St. Clair said Emory is prepared to host a full season of programs and summer camps this year. He stipulated that certain schools within Emory may still elect to limit their events, and COVID-19 regulations will depend on the type of program.

“We will continue to monitor and assess any changes over the summer should we need to, but ultimately we want to support a full slate of programming and do so in a safe and healthy manner,” St. Clair said.

The University will be discussing changing its operating status meter — which color-codes campus COVID-19 protocols as green, yellow, orange and red depending on the severity of cases — according to St. Clair.

Emory University’s operating status meter will likely be changed over the summer. Photo courtesy of Emory University

He explained that the current operating model is largely based on “crisis response,” and the University will likely shift to a model that is more sustainable in the long-term.

“We still need to be aware and we still may have protocols in place, but we do not need to have a heightened response,” St. Clair said. “We don’t need to have significant restrictions in place.”

A decision regarding any changes to the University’s COVID-19 operating model will likely be shared over the summer, St. Clair said.

The University will also monitor national guidance for second booster doses. On March 29, the CDC announced that immunocompromised individuals and people over 50 years old who received the initial booster vaccine at least four months ago are eligible for a second dosage.

“Vaccines are effective, but they start to wane in terms of efficacy over time, and sometimes more so for certain populations or for certain health conditions,” St. Clair said. “There has been the need to develop and support and administer a booster shot because of that waning immunity, but also because the virus continues to evolve.” 

If the CDC recommends the second booster for the general population in the future, St. Clair said the University will rely on national public health guidance, as well as input from Emory epidemiologists, to decide if students will be required to get the vaccine. 

St. Clair added that the University will continue to require initial and first booster vaccinations for all returning and new students.

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The 2022-23 ASUU Inauguration ushered in new University of Utah student leaders while also honoring previous leadership. The event was held on Wednesday, April 27, 2022 in Red Butte Garden.

The event began with remarks from ASUU Elections Director Andrew Stender, followed by Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Martell Teasley.

Several of the outgoing members of leadership gave speeches filled with advice, thanks and memories about their time in ASUU.  

The outgoing Assembly Chair Sarah Hong and Senate Chair Gloria Aquino spoke about their time in their respective leadership positions.

“There are things that aren’t feasible,” Hong said. “Stay focused on what you can get done.”

Mikey Miller, the outgoing attorney general, also gave a short speech.

The Wojciechowski administration was historic — the first all-female student presidency in U history. All three women gave their parting speeches to pass the torch to the new VanderToolen Administration. Vice President of Student Relations Maryan Shale spoke about the leap of faith she took to join the presidential ticket.

“I think the most challenging part about this role was the self doubt and imposter syndrome,” Shale said. “I come from so many marginalized identities and I started to tell myself that I was ready to quit.”

Vice President of University Relations Tiffany Chan reflected on the contrast between her frame of mind when swearing-in as opposed to transitioning out.

“So, to be truthful, I am more nervous right now than I am relieved actually — I’m actually worried about the future of the students and how they will be represented in critical spaces and how their concerns will be heard and how this university can simply do much more than the bare minimum,” Chan said. “Students should always be supported.”

Outgoing President Jess Wojciechowski spoke honestly about hardships she faced as the student body president.

“I couldn’t bring myself to leave without sharing the truth of my experience as student body president,” she said. “And I promised myself several months ago that I would say what I wanted to say before I left.”

She explained challenges she had with making the university hear her voice, and how they shut her out at times. She advocated against the 6% tuition increase, but was outvoted by the board of trustees.

“Making the University of Utah more expensive is a slap in the face, and tells students that they don’t belong unless they can afford it,” she said.

She explained how she felt hopeless and burnt out at times, but what really mattered was how she did her best to hold the university accountable.

Justice Anna Kaufman administered the oath of office to all the incoming members and chairs of ASUU. This included the 2022-23 assembly and senate members. CJ Reid was confirmed as the new assembly chair, with Muskan Walia as the senate chair and Tracey Mai as the attorney general. Lastly, Ashlee Roberts became the vice president of student relations, Benvin Lozada became the vice president of university relations and Taylor VanderToolen became the president. 

Roberts briefly mentioned a couple of her goals during her speech.

“One of my main goals this upcoming school year is to be a friend to all students, to be a listener to all and to promote inclusivity where it’s not apparent on campus,” Roberts said. “I really want to see some change. I want to see a lot of voices heard and I’m just ready to do it all.” 

Lozada wants to advocate for and make an impact on the more than 34,000 students that call the U home.

“We will work our hardest and I will work my hardest to make sure that you can be empowered to speak your mind, to speak your experiences and to speak your truth,” he said. 

In his inauguration speech, President VanderToolen spoke about his history as a Utah fan, and how he hopes to make his family and legacy proud as he takes on this new role. However, that comes with a caveat.

“Even though I love this university, that doesn’t mean I’m content with where we’re at or that I won’t work to try to make improvements,” he said. 

VanderToolen explained he wants to give back to the university that has already given him so much. 

“Let us all remember that we represent the University of Utah and the legacies that so many have left for us and let us work to leave a legacy for future generations of proud Utah families,” he said. 

a.stuart@dailyutahchronicle.com

@AllisonChrony

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Collegiate Bears to Pro Bears: Former Cal players make their way onto NFL teams on draft weekend

With the conclusion of the NFL draft, six former Bears saw their aspirations come true as they found new homes to kick-start their professional careers today.

Outside linebacker Cameron Goode became the first Bear to find a home this offseason — the former Cal standout was drafted 224th overall in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.

Goode, who played 37 games in six years for the blue and gold, will join a developing linebacker core in South Beach — young pieces like Andrew Van Ginkel and Jaelen Philips were drafted in 2019 and 2021, respectively. As a seventh-round pick, Goode will likely be battling for a backup spot on the 53-man roster.

It will be a new setting for Goode, who grew up in Spring, Texas, before attending college in Berkeley. By the end of his tenure at Cal, Goode finished eighth on Cal’s career sack list and just outside the top 10 in tackles for loss. In his last season, Goode racked up 38 pressures as well as seven sacks.

Against all expectations, with the 254th overall pick in the NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected safety Elijah Hicks, making him the second Cal player to be drafted this year. Hicks joins three other Pac-12 athletes in Chicago’s defensive secondary: Jaylon Johnson from Utah and Kyler Gordon from Washington.

“I’m ready to go to work,” Hicks said. “Cal has prepared me for this next level … I’m just excited to go out there and show what I can do and prove myself.”

With the addition of Hicks, Chicago adds a unique perspective to their defense: a fifth-year senior, Hicks, spent his first three seasons at Cal playing cornerback before transitioning to the safety position. Hicks did not miss a single game during his college career — of the 54 games, he started in 46, accumulating 213 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, five interceptions, one touchdown, 14 pass breakups and six forced fumbles.

Despite his stellar resume, Hicks did not receive an invite to the NFL combine.

Three other former Bears, despite going undrafted, managed to sign onto teams after the conclusion of the draft. Quarterback Chase Garbers is headed to the Las Vegas Raiders, where he will look to compete with Nick Mullens and Garrett Gilbert for added depth behind starter Derek Carr. Garbers ended his collegiate career as Cal’s all-time leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. He also finished in the top five in total offense.

Wide receiver Trevon Clark found a home in Baltimore after signing with the Ravens. He has the potential to join a thin receiving group that consists of Devin Duvernay, Jaylon Moore, James Proche II and Binjimen Victor. Clark isn’t the only undrafted pass-catcher to make his way to Baltimore, as fellow Pac-12 receiver Devon Williams also inked a UDFA contract after the draft. Clark ended his stint at Cal with a career year in receptions, yards and touchdowns. The Victorville, CA local was also remembered this past season for being on the receiving end of a Big Game record 84-yard touchdown pass during Cal’s victory at Stanford.

Wideout Kekoa Crawford signed a contract with the Indianapolis Colts. Crawford ended his stretch at Cal with 75 receptions for over 1,000 receiving yards. The Colts added two other receivers to their class, one through the draft and one through undrafted free agency.

Cornerback Josh Drayden — who holds Cal’s record for games played — signed with the Washington Commanders, who also added Oklahoma State CB Christian Holmes to their draft class.

Contact Daily Cal Sports at sports@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

Cornerback Damarion Williams was the only Cougar off the board on the third and final day of the 2022 NFL Draft, going 141st overall to the Baltimore Ravens. | James Schillinger/The Cougar

Former Houston cornerback Damarion “Pepe” Williams found his new home in Baltimore after being selected by the Ravens late in the fourth round, 141st overall, on the third and final day of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Beginning in 2019, Williams spent three seasons at UH where he recorded 163 tackles and three interceptions. Williams’ 63 tackles in 2021 were second-most on the team.

During UH’s pro day, the 5-foot-10-inch, 182-pound cornerback said his biggest strength is his versatility and ability to play multiple positions in the secondary.

“I’m a lockdown defender in the slot, safety, corner,” Williams said. “Wherever you need me to play, I’m willing to adapt, accept the challenge and make plays.”

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. described Williams as a “baller.”

“(Williams) can overcome lack of great measurables,” Kiper Jr. said. “He’ll tackle, he anticipates, makes plays all over the field. He’s a football player. He’s a baller.”

Williams joins linebacker Tyus Bowser, who played at UH from 2013 through 2016, in Baltimore.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Ravens select Damarion Williams on final day of NFL Draft” was originally posted on The Cougar

Marcus Jones, who UH football head coach Dana Holgorsen has described as a “Swiss Army Knife,” is headed to New England after being selected by the Patriots in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. | James Schillinger/The Cougar

The New England Patriots selected former UH star cornerback and return specialist Marcus Jones with the 85th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on Friday night

The 2021 Paul Hornung Award Winner, an honor given out to college football’s most versatile player, and first team All-American Athletic Conference as a returner and second team as a cornerback proved to be one of the country’s most electric players.

Jones led the nation with two punt return touchdowns and tied for third with two kickoff return touchdowns during his senior campaign. The 5-foot-8-inch, 185-pound former Cougar also led the AAC and was third in the country with five interceptions.

Offensively, Jones hauled in 10 receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Patriots take former UH star Marcus Jones 85th overall in NFL Draft” was originally posted on The Cougar

Minnesota Gophers edge rusher Boye Mafe has been selected 40th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He was accompanied by his family in his hometown of Hopkins, Minn. when he received the call from Seattle’s front office.

“It was euphoric,” said Mafe. “You know, my phone was kinda sitting on the table. And then all of a sudden, I got a call, and then it was a missed call, and then it called again, and then I picked it up and it was crazy. My heart jumped, I’m still on cloud nine. I’m still just to sitting taking it all in.”

Mafe massively improved his draft stock after the conclusion of the 2021 college football season. An incredible Senior Bowl performance, where he won MVP with two sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble, skyrocketed Mafe up draft boards. He continued to rise in draft projections as he impressed NFL scouts at the combine with his athleticism. He ran a 4.53 40-yard dash at the combine while completing a 38-inch vertical jump and 125-inch broad jump.

“I can’t wait to just get in there and learn honestly,” said Mafe about joining the Seahawks. “They told me I’d play outside linebacker…the first thing I noticed when I walked in the room, Pete Carroll knew exactly who I was…it kinda got surreal for me.”

Mafe has played football for the Gophers program since signing as a 3-star recruit in 2017. He redshirted his freshman year, totaling 87 tackles, 59 solo tackles and 15 sacks. Mafe is also very studious, he’s been selected on the Academic All-Big Ten team the last two seasons.

Friends are underappreciated — at least, in Maude Latour’s opinion.

The New York singer’s discography offers a fresh perspective on love — the platonic, the romantic, the romantically platonic — that emerges at a moment when love, in all its forms, needs a revolution.

Latour traveled south for the final weekend of her debut tour, which spanned 13 U.S. cities. She played her first ever southern show at Vinyl in Atlanta on April 22.

The line outside the Midtown venue stretched to the edge of the block. Above it, the marquee sign glinted in the evening sun: “Maude Latour — Sold Out.”

Maude Latour performed at the Vinyl Theatre in Atlanta on April 22. She will perform at Lollapalooza in July and the All Things Go Music Festival in October. (Oli Turner)

Two college students in colorful denim told me they drove from Jacksonville, Fla. to see Latour’s closest show, joining many other day-one supporters crowding the sidewalk.

Before the concert, I sat down with Latour on one of Vinyl’s leather couches while the opening act, Syd Burnham Band, did a soundcheck. The floor would soon be packed after the doors opened at 7 p.m., but until then, we sat in the potential of the show, the space yet to be filled, to discuss Latour’s first tour. 

“I was worried it was going to be just stressful, but it’s actually great,” Latour told me, lounging in a slouchy purple hoodie and oval sunglasses.

The singer-songwriter is in a transition period. Latour will graduate from Columbia University in May and pursue her music career full-time.

“One day, I’ll put out an album,” she said. “I get my whole brain space to think about that.”

The Vinyl Theatre sign on April 22 read “Made Latour — sold out.” (Oli Turner)

Latour’s career is just beginning. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, her following surged as she posted her music on social media.

Latour sold 47 tickets to her last show before the pandemic began. Now, her shows sell out.

She said she is working to create the perfect soundtrack for the magic of life. 

“I hope my songs make you feel … powerful and larger than life, like containing the universe and cosmic,” Latour said.

Additionally, she said she has a message for her college-aged fans.

“Put your phone away at night,” Latour said. “Don’t get too hung up on any heartbreak. You can forgive them. You can move on.”

Inspired by intense emotion, Latour said that she uses her music to “remember” and “capture” the world around her. “I get to point to something I believe in and … make it stay forever,” Latour said. “I try to keep an eye out to look for sacred things.”

Among the things sacred to Latour is friendship. Her songs “Lola,” “Starsick” and “Walk Backwards” center on platonic love.

“I really feel like my friendships are my fingerprints on the world,” Latour said. “They’re frequently confusing, blurry.”

While most pop music praises romantic partners, Latour’s songs about friendship have garnered a passionate listenership.

Emotional tracks pervade Latour’s discography, rarely ever melancholy, but upbeat and cathartic. Think of screaming something devastating into the sky, crying tears of joy, feeling the sweeping relief of leaving nothing unsaid.

“I try to help people be ‘sick of small talk’ and … say what’s going on in their head,” Latour said. “I think we should share our feelings with the people around us.”

“Sick of small talk” is a lyric from her song “Superfruit,” one of the first tracks Latour said encapsulated her sound as a musician.

In 2018, Latour released an EP called “High School High,” which was deleted from all streaming platforms in 2020. I asked her about the missing songs, one of which still appears on the list of my all-time most-streamed songs on Spotify.

“I took them down because it was my first time putting a world out there, and I was only just starting to understand who I was,” Latour said. “[‘Superfruit’ and ‘Starsick’] really so clearly felt like the beginning, so the people around me advised me to take the other ones down.”

Although the EP no longer fits into Latour’s world, she hasn’t forgotten it.

“I would love to find a way for people to listen to them again,” she said.

But right now, Latour isn’t looking back. She’s slated to perform at Lollapalooza in July and the All Things Go Music Festival in October.

Her next move: another EP, which she said she will begin writing soon.

“I see it in my head, but it’s not ready,” Latour said.

The vision for her existing discography came to fruition in the evening’s show. Latour’s performance distilled all the energy in the universe inside the Vinyl — speakers bursting, hands reaching, the crowd one glittering unit at her feet.

Onstage, Latour was an incredible presence. She spent most of the show on the frontmost edge of the stage, just inches away from the front row of the crowd. 

Latour’s rhinestone jeans shimmered under the stage lights, and her blue eyeliner matched a sparkling blue earpiece. She wore her hair in long pigtails, a red tank top with a rainbow detail, hoop earrings and a choker.

“We’ll have our own revolution, baby,” Latour sang, bounding across the stage during “Starsick” with outstretched arms.

The notion that intense feelings can be celebrated, not denigrated, is itself a revolution.

“It’s important to me that my songs remind you to drink your water, make your bed, take care of yourself,” Latour told the crowd before launching into “Clean,” a song about self-love after a breakup.

Maude Latour released her first EP, “High School High,” which has since been deleted from streaming platforms. Since then, she has released two albums and two singles.(Oli Turner)

The audience knew every word to each of the 15 songs Latour sang that night — even “Lola,” a single released April 8, a mere two weeks before the show. 

The energy in Vinyl marked the dawn of an undeniable Maude-mania. I pondered the physics of kinetic and potential, the snowballing of something already in motion, the exponential forward-launching in the crowd’s reaching hands.

Latour paused between songs, asking for complete silence to lead the amped-up audience through three deep breaths. On the exhale of the third, the opening notes of “Ride My Bike” blasted through the speakers. A smile spread across Latour’s face as the crowd screamed to life.

She stepped back to the keyboard to perform a nostalgic rendition of “Shoot and Run,” a song she released for a school project as a high school senior that began her music career. The track showcases her deep, smooth vocals, which sounded clear and powerful in front of a live audience.

Latour took a break in her set to marvel at Atlanta’s spring foliage, far leafier than Manhattan’s trees in April. She then introduced her unreleased song, “Trees,” to the screaming crowd.

“And suddenly the trees are breathing like my lungs are too / And it feels surreal that I’m forever changed by you,” Latour sang. 

Her style is unmistakable, her lyrics distinctly profound. As the melody unfolded, I imagined a canopy of old Georgia trees swaying outside, their branches outstretched, life flowing through trunks and forests like it flows through each of us. Cosmic.

The post Backstage with Maude Latour: New York artist reflects on debut tour, platonic love appeared first on The Emory Wheel.

Sadie Radinsky, author of ‘Whole Girl,’ demystifies process of publishing

Sadie Radinsky/Courtesy

There are some people we meet who help us realize that our goals and ambitions are closer in reach than they may appear. Sadie Radinsky, a sophomore at UC Berkeley, has become one of these people: As a freshman, she wrote a book, inspiring those around her to share their own writing.

In February 2021, Radinsky’s first book was published, “Whole Girl: Live Vibrantly, Love Your Entire Self, and Make Friends With Food,” a lifestyle and recipe book aimed at helping young women redefine messaging around personal wellbeing and nourishment. Around the same time, she also published an article with the New York Times titled “Baking as a Mindful Break From Zoom School: How Making Healthy Treats Helped Me Enjoy Desserts Again.” 

Less visible to the public eye, however, are the years of dedication, passion and hard work behind these accomplishments. In my conversation with Radinsky, she broke this Herculean task down, demystifying the process of publishing a book and building a community around it into three main components: vision, intention and confidence. 

Vision

Authorship is an intimidating process. It demands dedication to a long term vision. Radinsky found hers when her own love for cooking exposed her to the often challenging stigmas that surround food and body image for many women. As she explored her passion for cooking and baking, she learned that she wanted to write a book to serve as a refuge for women who wanted to embark on their own journeys towards wellbeing and nourishment — “to help girls and to make everyone feel less alone and more heard.”

She wanted to write a book to serve as a refuge for women who wanted to embark on their own journeys towards wellbeing and nourishment — “to help girls and to make everyone feel less alone and more heard.”

The process of submitting a draft to various agents and publishers was extremely daunting, and is perhaps the phase of publishing a book many of us never get to. However, it allowed Radinsky to crystallize the ideas she was passionate about communicating. It also orchestrated a steady foundation for the future of the piece — the project which would become her book “Whole Girl.” 

Creating this proposal took several years, and writing the actual book took nine months more; another year and a half elapsed before it was eventually published. “Things do not go fast at all,” Radinsky said, laughing. She encourages us to give purpose to the incredibly lengthy and intensely personal process itself. “You have to really enjoy it to do it,” she said, “because of the amount of years you put in and because it might not even pan out.” 

In our conversation, Radinsky recalled how she found joy in the process by experimenting in the kitchen for recipes for her book. “The recipe creation was wildly creative,” she told me. “I tailored each recipe to a different mood and I was literally tapping into different emotions and flavors and ingredients and combining them to create these 45 recipes that are in here.” 

Radinsky also succeeded in crystalizing her vision by reaching out to experts for interviews to develop her own ideas even further. “I interviewed other young women, and experts — doctors, activists, musicians and yoga teachers,” she said. Radinsky’s vision for “Whole Girl” was brought to life by both her own self-expression and her willingness to learn from others, which proves that curiously pursuing expertise can serve as a vehicle to refine our creative ambitions. 

Intention

As Radinsky brought her own creative goals closer within reach and her project came to life, she realized that preserving the integrity of her vision would be both challenging and crucial. “I needed to be really clear with all the people I was working with, with what my message was and I made sure everyone was super in line with it.” 

Our conversation brought to light social media’s potential role as a huge obstacle to preserving the integrity of intentions in the creative process. Radinsky recalled her own frustrations with it.

“The biggest struggle was trying to stay true to my values in what I was sharing,” she said, “which is very hard with the way social media works.”

The ability to post instantaneously on social media stands in stark contrast to the lengthy process of writing and publishing a book, and Radinsky argued that it might not be the best means of self-expression at all. “I don’t think (social media) is a fair metric for us to use for ourselves because it can really undermine the quality of what we are putting out into the world.” 

Instead, she recommends finding clarity on our messages to the world as well as the things that inspire us, and seeking personal connection with other people. Writing and other forms of expression can build community outside of social media. “It can be an email, a newsletter,” Radinsky told me, “but whatever it is, try to have conversations with people about what you’re passionate about and reach out to specific people.”  

When it comes to sharing our creations, perhaps publicity is not as important as community. It’s certainly an issue of quality versus quantity: Trying to gain followers or attention online is often far less important than creating a community of people who truly identify with your cause. 

Sometimes, separating ourselves from the convolution of the internet keeps us from losing sight of our own artistic convictions. “It can fill us with other people’s ideas and lives to the point where we don’t know what’s ours and what’s other people’s, so I think that if we want to be truly creative, taking time away from it is so important.” 

Radinsky shares that in today’s fast paced world, the concreteness of writing was a driving force for her ambitions: “That’s part of why I wanted to create a book. I’ve always wanted something tangible that didn’t even have to be on the screen.” 

“That’s part of why I wanted to create a book. I’ve always wanted something tangible that didn’t even have to be on the screen.” — Sadie Radinsky

Confidence

Even with strong visions and clear intentions, however, young writers often face the falsehood that their youth and inexperience takes away from their credibility and the value of their work. In response to this challenge, Radinsky shared that her experiences battling claims such as these taught her to confidently market herself. “We put such an emphasis on having to be an expert on things and having to know all the answers, but you don’t have to know all the answers,” she explained. “You can start out writing as a quest to learn.” 

“You can start out writing as a quest to learn.” — Sadie Radinsky

What makes Radinsky’s experience so interesting is that her journey towards authorship really was just that — a quest to learn. In exploring a topic she was interested in learning more about, she sowed the seeds for creative projects that would eventually grow into multiple successful literary publications. 

“(The process) definitely made me have more confidence in my own ideas,” she shared. “And also in the fact that I do have ideas that are valuable.” 

In having the confidence to express her vision, and substantiating it through her quest to learn, she overcame the obstacles of her youth and inexperience. The process of writing a book became a process which reciprocally built her confidence and gave her credibility, setting her in good stead to keep writing about nutrition and more far into the future. 

“(The book) opened the door for me to talk about these issues; it gave me some level of authority to where I was able to speak to things that I cared about.” Although creative expression through writing and publishing your ideas is a risky challenge, having the courage to start building your own vision, intention and confidence is a strong foundation for purposeful expression.    

“(The book) opened the door for me to talk about these issues; it gave me some level of authority to where I was able to speak to things that I cared about.” — Sadie Radinsky

Radinsky is a staunch believer that such a quest is really available to anyone who seeks it. “If you have an idea that you’re really passionate about, you have opinions and you like to listen and learn, then you have something you can write about.” 

Contact Katie Cota at kcota@dailycal.org

The Daily Californian