Preserving biodiversity and allowing for multicultural equity should be at the top of each of our priority lists.

The University of Utah football team played its annual spring game on Saturday afternoon, which allowed us our first peek at the roster for the 2022 season. There were a few standout performances, but the glimpses we got of the stars were few and far between. This game is really for the young athletes and bench players to get a chance to show off their skills.

Cameron Rising played one series as the quarterback for the White Team, and looked as sharp as ever, throwing multiple on-point passes and a touchdown with ease. He wore a yellow penny for no-contact work; can’t risk the health of your potential Heisman candidate at the spring game. Makai Cope had a great one-handed grab to set up the score. Rising didn’t play any more after that as Bryson Barnes took over for the White Team at quarterback.

“What Cam did was exactly what we hoped and expected,” said head coach Kyle Whittingham.

Kyrese Rowan had a couple nice moments at wide receiver, a good sign for a guy who hasn’t played much in his few years at Utah. Hayden Erickson also hauled in a nice pass. Zach Vaughn caught a touchdown.

Barnes had a long rush that resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, not something you see often in a spring game.

“Should have let [the penalty] go,” joked Cole Bishop afterward. “It’s a spring game.”

Money Parks caught a score for the Red Team to bring the score to 14-14 late in the third quarter. Munir McClain, who has moved to tight end, had a long touchdown to make it 21-14 White going into the fourth.

That would be the last score of the day, with the White team topping the Red team. A successful day of football all around for Utah as they prepare for their 2022 campaign. 

“Good competition out there,” Whittingham said. “It was a great way to end spring football.”

e.pearce@dailyutahchronicle.com

@splashcitynba

The post Utah Football Wraps Up Spring Camp With Exhibition Game appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

When Vanessa Bartlett unexpectedly had to return home from college last November, her mental health took a hit.

The sudden change left Bartlett, a third-year psychology student at Hamline University, feeling isolated and depressed. “I was really struggling mental health-wise,” she said.

The cure for her loneliness, at least in part, came in the form of a fuzzy, four-legged friend. That same month, Bartlett and her family adopted Echo, a three-month-old Labrador mix.

In true puppy fashion, Echo brought a boatload of energy to her new home. Training a new puppy was challenging, but worth it. “It’s exciting and fulfilling,” Bartlett said.

The new pet, Bartlett said, brought some direction back to her life.

“It’s easy to feel like you’ve lost your sense of purpose,” she said. “But I felt like I found that again with Echo.”

The emotional benefits of our furry friends don’t just exist in the abstract. Interacting with pets has been shown to reduce levels of cortisol — one of the body’s main stress hormones — as well as blood pressure, according to the National Institutes of Health.

I don’t have a medical degree, but that fact comes as little surprise to me. I’ve long been a pet person, reaping the benefits of their healing powers.

Even when I lay awake at night, unable to sleep because of my two cats’ 3:00 a.m. shenanigans, I am at least a little bit grateful. The noise, while annoying at the moment, is an indicator that I’m not alone. Even while I’m sleeping, two of my friends are close by.

But, as Bartlett points out, there’s something about loving a pet that’s just different; you’re not just a friend, you’re its caretaker. That level of responsibility, of constantly needing to keep tabs on the health and happiness of a creature other than yourself, makes life brighter.

Many of my closest friends are also pet people, and a sentiment I hear frequently is that even on their worst days — the days when they don’t want to get out of bed, shower or do much of anything — they’ll always get up to care for their animals.

I find that it’s much easier to neglect yourself than to neglect someone else. But, once you’ve done that step of taking care of someone else — feeding the cat or walking the dog — taking care of yourself seems easier. You’re already up. Why not shower, or make yourself something to eat?

Even though Echo’s adoption was not without its psychological perks, Bartlett admitted that welcoming a new puppy into her home was challenging. “It’s like a devious baby,” she said, noting that she’s spent the last few months training the energetic pup.

However, putting in the effort to care for another being was at least part of how Echo lifted the student’s spirits. “It’s very fulfilling to have something there that needs you all the time,” Bartlett said. “I’ve learned a lot about myself and I’ve learned that I’m capable of taking care of something.”

Based on her experience, Bartlett says she’d definitely recommend adopting a pet to anyone who is struggling with their mental health, provided that they know what they’re getting into.

“I would recommend getting a pet for anyone who is struggling,” she said. “But please do your research and be prepared to take care of them.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NBA to end its regular season two months early, commissioner Adam Silver came up with the idea to create a play-in tournament for teams to compete for a spot in the playoffs. The tournament took place in the Disney World bubble, which saw players from 22 teams take up residence at many of the park’s resorts for at least six weeks. 

The players competed in the tournament, which was formatted like a modified playoff competition. The league adopted the format the following year to incorporate into their season. Now in the 2022 season, a total of 24 teams will compete in the playoffs and play-in tournament, one of the largest postseason fields in NBA history. Earlier this April, the tournament was in full swing and helped earn the Minnesota Timberwolves, the New Orleans Pelicans, the Atlanta Hawks and the Brooklyn Nets spots in the playoffs as the seventh and eighth seeds in their respective conferences.

In dramatic fashion, the Timberwolves managed to knock out the widely favored Los Angeles Clippers, who are led by Paul George, at home in Minnesota in front of their fans. The game was Minnesota’s first playoff game in four years. The post-game celebrations among fans and players exhibited pure euphoria, as the community was genuinely excited to be back on the upswing after many years of turmoil. 

In the east, the Atlanta Hawks entered the tournament hoping to find their way into the playoffs, having to win two consecutive games to earn one of the final two seeds. Unlike the Timberwolves, who had ended the year in the seventh seed position, the Hawks finished the year in ninth. After some heroics from their star point guard Trae Young, Atlanta was able to beat both the Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers en route to earning the eighth seed. 

The viewership numbers were down from last year’s play-in since that season featured LeBron James and Anthony Davis’s Lakers trying to repeat as NBA Champions, against the greatest shooter in NBA history, Steph Curry, and his star-studded Warriors team. This year, even though the viewership numbers were lower, it was still a captivating tournament, where it was clear that the players in the competition and the fans in attendance enjoyed competing to earn a playoff spot.

Every single game of the play-in was a sellout for the hosting team, nearly mirroring the numbers a playoff game brings in both atmosphere and intensity. The addition of more playoff-style games is something all sports fans want, and other leagues should look to the NBA as an example of how to improve on an already successful idea. Not only is the play-in tournament something fans can enjoy, but will also bring in added revenue from the extra sell-out games and the opportunity for teams to get a second chance to get into the playoffs.

Major League Baseball was another one of the major leagues to expand their postseason in 2022. They added two more teams to their initial ten-team playoff field and eliminated the Wild Card games in exchange for three-game series to decide the remaining spot. Just two years ago, the NFL also expanded its playoff field to 14, with meaningful games happening across the league and culminating in one of the most historic (and profitable) seasons in NFL history in 2021. 

The MLB, NFL and NBA’s expansions have shown what expanded playoffs can do for leagues across the country. The NHL hasn’t changed their playoff format, leaving bevies of talented squads to miss out on the postseason. This year, both the Vancouver Canucks and the Las Vegas Golden Knights run the risk of missing the playoffs, with the Knights nearly putting up 90 points so far on the season The NHL could certainly see benefits from letting these squads compete for the playoffs. 

One more year: My thoughts finishing my junior year at UC Berkeley

Emily Bi/File

As a junior, I have only one more year left here at UC Berkeley, which is terrifying to think about. Due to the pandemic, the last three years I’ve spent here feel like they’ve zipped by in the blink of an eye. Things have moved so fast that I still don’t feel ready to go out into the “real world” and leave Berkeley behind. At the same time, I find it comforting to know that I still have senior year left to figure out what I want to do after graduation.

Going into my senior year, I’m expecting a lot of changes in my personal life. In just these past couple of weeks, I’ve signed the lease for my first apartment, took on a big project in my work-study job and made the tough decision to stay in Berkeley this summer, my first summer away from my family. These decisions remind me that I’m going to be an actual adult really soon, one that lives away from their family and must juggle a lot of different responsibilities. In all honesty, the expectations that accompany this level of independence make me scared for the future.

Since I’ve only ever been in academic settings, I’m a little bit scared to get a job and start working at a company, especially since all the jobs I’ve worked at so far have been smaller, part-time, work-study jobs. I’m also still a little unsure what field I want to go into in the future, making the idea of graduating even more daunting since I now have a looming deadline to decide what I want to go into.

However, I know a lot of other juniors have different thoughts about graduating soon, with most looking forward to graduating and moving away from Berkeley. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one apprehensive to leave college life and enter the workforce since nobody else around me seems to relate. To anyone who might be feeling the same way, you should know that you’re not alone.

I think most of the fear I have about graduating is tied to the innate fear I have of change. I remember experiencing a lot of anxiety in the transition from high school to college as well, but I was fortunately able to get used to college life really quickly. Similarly, I hope the transition from college to the workforce will be the same.

There are still a lot of things I want to do in the Berkeley area before I graduate. Hopefully, with a course load of only 13 units next semester, I can have a lot more fun compared to this past year on campus. Reflecting on the impact of the pandemic in my personal life, I feel like I was never able to fully experience the freedom that comes with being in a new town, especially since my freshman year on campus, a time where I had relatively fewer responsibilities, was cut short.

During my final year, I’m determined to take more time on the weekends to explore the Berkeley area. Admittedly, this same goal was on the list I made of things I hoped to accomplish in my junior year. I even made a bucket list of all the places I wanted to visit in Berkeley, but after taking on too many responsibilities in the fall and dealing with a major family emergency this semester, I was barely ever free on the weekends. At least I have one more shot to check off all the places!

While there’s no doubt that I’m really nervous to head into my senior year, I’m glad I have one more year to figure everything out. In my junior year, I was able to power through all the trials I faced, allowing me to grow as a person and become even more responsible. At the end of my senior year, I bet I’ll experience even more personal growth and hopefully be a little bit more ready to graduate too.

Contact Samantha Herrera at sherrera@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

After Minneapolis police officer Mark Hanneman killed Amir Locke Feb. 2, the Attorney General’s Office and Hennepin County Attorney’s Office released a report on the event, including why Hanneman was not criminally charged. The report also includes firsthand accounts from officers and witnesses.

The report was published on April 6, the same day Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced that Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officer Mark Hanneman would not face criminal charges for killing Locke.

On Feb. 2, just before 7 a.m., Hanneman shot and killed Locke at Bolero Flats apartments in Minneapolis. Officers entered the apartment using a no-knock warrant, meaning that they did not have to announce their presence before crossing the threshold. Hanneman shot and killed Locke less than 10 seconds after police entered the apartment.

Hanneman was put on paid administrative leave until Feb. 28 and is now back on duty, but no longer serves on SWAT, according to the Star Tribune.

Since Hanneman killed Locke, activists have pushed for a ban on no-knock warrants. On April 8, Mayor Jacob Frey put limits on no-knock warrants in Minneapolis.

The joint report details background information, pre-warrant briefing and planning, the execution of the warrant and MPD policies and procedures. It also explains why Hanneman was not charged with homicide. The report uses findings from the investigation into Locke’s killing by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), the AGO and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

Background information and pre warrant planning
On Jan. 10, St. Paul police began investigating a homicide involving a fire weapon. The investigators linked suspects to Bolero Flats apartments in Minneapolis.

St. Paul police obtained a knock-and-announce warrant for apartment 701 where Locke was staying. A knock-and-announce warrant means that officers must knock loudly and declare their presence before entering the threshold. Tatyana Henderson was living at apartment 701 with Marlon Speed, a suspect named on the warrant.

After obtaining the warrants, St. Paul investigators reached out to MPD Sgt. John Sysaath to request assistance from MPD SWAT teams to execute the warrants. After consulting with MPD SWAT Lt. Thomas Campbell, Sysaath told St. Paul investigators that MPD SWAT would only assist with no-knock warrants.

Execution of the warrants
The joint report includes first-hand accounts from people who were present at the apartment, which includes officers and two residents. Interviews with Henderson and Speed were conducted by the BCA during their investigation into the homicide.

Henderson said she was sleeping in the bedroom with Speed when the officers entered the apartment. She said she was confused and thought people were breaking in. Speed said he woke up when the police entered. He said he then heard gunshots and then the police announce themselves, in that order.

Speed and Henderson were found in the bedroom of the apartment during the execution of the warrant.

Sysaath was the first officer to enter the apartment and can be heard yelling “Police,” in body camera footage. Sysaath submitted a written statement for the joint report that said he saw Locke when he entered the apartment.

When Locke sat up, Sysaath said he noticed a tan colored firearm in his hands pointed in the direction of Hanneman, who was standing about three feet in front of the gun. Sysaath said he believed Locke was going to shoot at Hanneman or the officers, according to the report.

Hanneman also submitted a written statement. He wrote he was the third officer to enter apartment 701 and once inside, he saw a blanket rising and falling from the couch in the apartment, which he indicated meant a person was on the couch.

As Hanneman moved to the couch, he wrote that another SWAT officer kicked the couch. Hanneman then saw Locke begin to rise with a handgun that he said was pointed at him.

“I was convinced that the individual was going to fire their handgun and that I would suffer great bodily harm or death,” Hanneman wrote in his statement. “I felt in this moment that if I did not use deadly force myself, I would likely be killed. There was no opportunity for me to reposition myself or retreat. There was no way for me to de-escalate this situation.”

Hanneman wrote that he fired his gun three times at Locke, then jumped on his back to restrain Locke.

The footage on Hanneman’s body camera cuts off shortly after Hanneman was on top of Locke, and Hanneman said he believes the camera deactivated at some point during the struggle. After Hanneman shot and killed Locke, another officer escorted Hanneman out of the apartment, according to the report.

MPD Policies
MPD policies allow for use of force when necessary which aligns with the Minnesota state statute for use of deadly force. The policy states that deadly force can be used only when lives are at risk and other tactics for de-escalation have been considered and would be unsuccessful.

David Schultz is a law professor at the University of Minnesota. Schultz said it would be difficult to overcome the burden of proof for a homicide charge in this case because of the rules surrounding use of deadly force.

“I think what the Attorney General and Freeman were thinking was on one level it doesn’t matter if the person was a suspect,” Schultz said. “An officer at that point had no idea whether or not Locke was going to pull the gun out on them, or whether he was perhaps a potential co-conspirator or co-defendant. All this would be difficult for the prosecution to be able to make their case.”

Since then, various Minneapolis public officials and activists started calling for an end to no-knock warrants. On April 8, Minneapolis mayor, Jacob Frey, enacted a new policy that prohibits the use of no-knock warrants, except for in exigent circumstances.

Abigail Cerra was the Chair of the Police Conduct Oversight Commission in Minneapolis, but recently resigned from her position. Cerra said Locke’s death highlights the danger of no-knock warrants for civilians and officers.

“If somebody had firearms and was known to use them to commit murder and harm people, charging in on somebody unannounced in the middle of a night when everyone’s asleep just presents a risk all the way around,” Cerra said.

Fun-fact friendships: A personal essay

Caroline Lobel/Staff

L
et’s go around the circle and introduce ourselves. Say your name, your major and a fun fact about yourself!”

His eyes scan the room and fall on me. I realize, suddenly, that the circle starts from me.

My mind instantly goes into overdrive, evaluating my whole life, every experience I ever had, searching for the perfect fun fact.

I recently started playing the piano — but that’s not unique, a lot of people play an instrument.

I used to have a cat — literally everyone has a pet, Merve!

I am from Turkey — OK, so what?

I love reading — nerd! 

I finally decide: “I once broke my spine!” I spurt out.

“Woah!”s and “Oh my god!”s fill the room. Someone asks how I got injured: I tell them the whole story. When my turn is over, I sit back, relieved that my fact was fun enough but uncomfortable nevertheless. Despite my spinal injury being the fact I chose to share with them, I don’t like that the only thing these people will know me by is an injury I once had, an injury that has such a small part in my life right now, that has nothing to do with who I am. 

Another girl goes after me. “I enjoy listening to music,” she says. A bunch of nods.

Next week, nobody remembers either of our names.

***

In college, fun facts are the start to most introductions in group settings: They are the ultimate icebreaker game, especially in  classrooms or academic clubs. I’m sure most college students have found themselves faced with the fun-fact question at least once. In fact, I know some people who have a list of fun facts in mind at all times, ready to be used in a moment’s notice, guaranteed to surprise people, to interest them. 

Despite their prominence in our conversations, I have never met anyone who actually likes the fun-fact question. In fact, everyone I have ever talked to about this has admitted to hating the fun-fact question and feeling stressed when asked it.

But if nobody likes the fun-fact question, why do we insist on asking and answering it?

The answer partly lies in another, much larger problem: We, as students, simply don’t have enough time and energy to build new, long-lasting friendships.

As we navigate through adulthood and life in college, many of us struggle with not having enough time. Classes are hard, studying is time consuming and research or other extracurriculars fill up all of our remaining time. I often find myself so exhausted that even socializing feels like a burden. Though meeting new people used to excite me in high school, in college, it can feel tiring.

It is tiring.

Making friends takes a great deal of energy and time. After all, when the person getting to know you has been absent for the first 20 years of your life, there is a lot of ground to cover. And you can’t do it all at once; building a friendship has stages, each carrying more weight than the previous one. Starting with the most superficial things, like your favorite movie or your celebrity crush, you go deeper and deeper, through your most important memories, thoughts, feelings, greatest fears. It’s a beautiful process, to get to know someone closely, until you one day find yourself surprised at how much you care about them, how saddened you are at their misfortunes or how you fill with joy for their happinesses. 

This process requires an immense amount of trust, communication, mutual understanding and of course, time. For burnt-out college students with varying daily schedules and barely any free time, these friendship ingredients are hard to combine.

When nobody is willing to put in the extra effort to make new friends and get to know them better, the fun fact question emerges as an alternative. It simplifies things, allowing you to get away with knowing the bare minimum about someone and keeping things light.

But when the fun fact culture becomes the norm, it prevents us from building meaningful friendships and getting to know each other for who they are, instead causing us to judge people based on what they do or achieve.

We are alienated — robbed of our depth, our individuality — all the while contributing to a toxic social culture where people become their accomplishments, their hobbies and in cases like mine, even their injuries. 

Eventually, as people are reduced to their skills and achievements, and encouraged to form more surface-level relationships with one another, they start seeing people as mere commodities. Friendships begin to mimic symbiotic relationships where each party benefits from the other in a material way, and this benefit is the glue holding them together.

Often, these symbiotic relationships are endorsed as an important part of college. One of the most common pieces of advice I get as a college student is that I need to improve my “networking skills.” I am introduced to other students in social settings — the only introduction I am given being their academic or professional qualifications — and am told to befriend them in case they could help me in the future. The concept of networking, building connections with people who might present you with opportunities, seems to me the end result of the fun fact culture in business settings, where someone’s worth is determined only based on what they have to offer you.

This individualistic culture that is constantly enforced in college under labels such as “networking” is robbing us of our humanity. Everything becomes mechanical, result-oriented, even our conversations. We don’t try to truly get to know each other: We just go through a checklist. Someone’s job, major or simply the fact that they got an internship in a successful company can become a good enough reason to build a relationship with them. 

As these fun-fact friendships become normalized, we become confined to our categories: the athlete, the tennis player, the girl who broke her spine, the girl who listens to music, and so on.

But we are all so much more than that. When I think about my closest friends, I don’t think about the most interesting thing that ever happened to them. I think about their quirks, their sense of humor, the way they think about the world, the way they make me feel when I’m with them. 

In the hectic rhythm of our college years, we sometimes forget to give friendships the time and space they deserve in our lives, reducing them to “fun facts” and “useful connections. But it’s always possible to go deeper, beyond the surface.

They say that friendship is like a flower, and that with love and care, it grows, blossoms. 

So, take the time to grow it. Because when it does, it is beautiful.

Contact Merve Ozdemir at mozdemir@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter at @ozdemir_merve_.

The Daily Californian

The Mace & Crown is hiring for the Fall 2022 – Spring 2023 Academic Year.

Positions are paid by stipend and require minimum of 10 hours of work per week. All positions require availability during 12:30-1:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Open Positions are as follows:

URGENTLY HIRING – Managing Editor

Responsible for editing all copy and ensuring content adheres to Associated Press (AP) style. Responsible for conversing with and assisting editors, as well as working with the Editor in Chief and Copy Editor. 

Specific Duties:

1. Works with editors to assign digital and magazine deadlines, in order to best optimize headline news.
2. Responsible for revising and proofreading all digital articles after the Copy Editor
3. Required to look over, revise and proofread closely of magazine proofs.
4. Work with the Social Media Editor to best optimize social media publication and website content.
5. Communicates with outside contributors and contacts (freelancers, alumni) to determine which pitches get written. 
6. Required to be present at all meetings (on Tuesday/Thursday from 12:30 – 1:30)
7. Must be available to answer questions or messages from section editors within a reasonable time frame that does not impede on the production schedule. 
8. Secures press passes for events.
9. Responsible for keeping four (4) weekly office hours.

URGENTLY HIRING – Copy Editor 

Responsible for editing all copy and ensuring content adheres to Associated Press (AP) style. The Copy Editor is to make edits, trim, and write headlines and cutlines (when needed) for stories. 

Specific Duties:

1. Copy edit, proofread and revise section editors’ and writers’ work prior to the production night/digital deadline. 
2. Required to look over, revise and proofread closely the magazine proof 
3. Responsible for revising and proofreading all digital articles at least once before they are published.
4. Required to be present at all meetings (on Tuesday/Thursday from 12:30 – 1:30)
5. Must be available to answer questions or messages from section editors within a reasonable time frame that does not impede on the production schedule. 
6. Responsible for keeping four (4) weekly office hours.

URGENTLY HIRING – Graphic Designer

 The Graphic Designer is responsible for the overall layout of the magazine once copy and photographs have been submitted. 

Specific Duties:

1. May be asked to create ads for customers, but will receive design fees for ad creation.
2. Will be proficient with the Adobe Creative Software Suite and/or associated computer systems necessary to present a clean, professional looking magazine. 
3. Will adhere to layouts and styles set forth, but can be changed with approval of the EiC. The EiC will oversee all graphics and section editors for proper presentation of the stories.
4. May produce and/or alter graphics on the digital website, following the layouts and style guidelines already set.
5. Must be available to answer questions or messages from other editors and contributing and Staff Writers/Photographers within a reasonable time frame that does not impede on the production schedule. 
6. Must manage and set deadlines for their assistant and any staff or contributing graphic designers under their supervision, as well as communicate regularly with them.
7. Required to be present at all meetings (on Tuesday/Thursday from 12:30 – 1:30)
8. Responsible for keeping four (4) weekly office hours.

URGENTLY HIRING – Social Media Editor 

The Social Media Editor is responsible for overseeing all digital operations of the news organization. Any candidate for this position must possess in-depth knowledge of digital journalism and understanding of social media platforms including (but not limited to): Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. 

Specific Duties: 

1. Curating relative content to reach the news organization’s readers on current social media platforms.
2. Developing and expanding outreach efforts.
3. Overseeing design (i.e. Facebook timeline cover, profile picture, thumbnails, Twitter profiles, etc.)
4. Must be available to answer questions or messages from other editors and contributing and Staff Writers/Photographers within a reasonable time frame that does not impede on the production schedule.
5. Must manage and set deadlines for their assistant editor and any staff or contributors under their supervision, as well as communicate regularly with them.
6. Required to be present at all meetings (on Tuesday/Thursday from 12:30 – 1:30)
7. Responsible for keeping four (4) weekly office hours.

We are also accepting applications for News Editor, Technology Editor, A&E Editor, Photography Editor, and Sports Editor. 

Specific Duties:

1. Responsible for the recruitment and development of new writers, and following up with writers’ progress throughout the week. Ensure beneficial leads each week.
2. Responsible for uploading stories of their section to the website
3. Responsible for making sure at least one story under their section is published per week while classes are in session
4. Must be available to answer questions or messages from other editors, interviewees, and contributing and Staff Writers/Photographers within a reasonable time frame that does not impede on the production schedule 
5. Must manage and set deadlines for their assistant editor and any staff or contributing writers under their supervision, as well as communicate regularly with them
6. Before each article/magazine is sent to the printers or published 
7. Responsible for keeping four (4) weekly office hours in addition to being present at all meetings

Please apply by emailing your work portfolio and resume to editorinchief@maceandcrown.com

Application Deadline is May 30.

Most women experience everyday sexism and misogyny. It affects our lives growing up, from the toys we buy to “how to be ladylike” lessons. As adults, we are criticized for our behavior, our decision to have or not to have children and our choices in partners. Something truly unexpected, however, is the effect of repetitive misogyny in our viewpoints of the world and other women.

The term “internalized misogyny” describes the sexist way women learn to view both themselves and other women. It’s a subconscious way of degrading yourself and other women based on sexist ideas of how women should act, dress or speak.

Recognizing our own internalized misogyny is essential to equality. Women must continue to support and empower each other which is impossible without empowering ourselves first.

What Does Internalized Misogyny Look Like?

In popular culture, “pick me” girls sabotage other girls’ interests, or brag about how much they are “not like other girls.” Carrie Underwood’s pop hit “Before He Cheats,” says “He’s probably buying her some fruity little drink cause she can’t shoot a whiskey.” Even one of my favorite artists, Taylor Swift, used similar lines in “Better Than Revenge” and “You Belong with Me.” “She wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts” and “she’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress” both call out another girl for being too sexual or girly.

However, some examples are more internal. My own inner monologue commenting on how “slutty” my clothes are one day, or how I’m speaking too much in discussion is internalized misogyny. As a child, I often felt frustrated when I wasn’t “tough” enough, preferring a spa night to camping in the muddy, mosquito-filled woods. I forced myself to hide my interest in politics to avoid emasculating men.

In a 2020 study, women reported that internalized misogyny had negatively affected their socialization, physical and mental health and experiences at work and school. Internalized misogyny in women is connected to increased belief in the rape myth, and women who accept these gender roles were found to place less blame on perpetrators of rape. It’s been linked to unhealthy body image and disordered eating.

Demonizing Internalized Misogyny

It’s important to remember, however, that internalized misogyny is not reflective of who you are as a person. Even as a feminist, I have difficulty avoiding this involuntary phenomenon.

Misogyny surrounds us 24/7. It’s a constant presence in the media, not only in advertisements objectifying perfect female bodies but also in the high numbers of women who experience harassment online. Sexism exists in the workplace, in universities and at home. It isn’t surprising that women’s thoughts are affected by these pressures, so it is normal to experience internalized misogyny.

Addressing and Erasing

Noticing how it makes you feel when another woman puts you down, or comments on how you’re so “high-maintenance” can help you understand the effect of internalized misogyny. Pay attention to comments other women may make like “I prefer my guy friends because girls are too much drama.” These comments are used to separate yourself from negative stereotypes associated with women and bring down other women. Instead, we should be working against the same patriarchal systems that tear us down.

Rewiring your brain to not silently comment on how you and other women are acting is difficult. My best advice is to address those thoughts when they happen and correct yourself. Your clothes aren’t “slutty,” they’re clothes. Red nail polish does not mean you look like a sex worker, and it’s perfectly okay to prefer fruity drinks over beer. You do not need to be masculine to be a strong, confident woman.

Even if you aren’t a woman, it is likely you have internalized sexist views about women. If a peer says a sexist microaggression, notice and call it out. If you find yourself demonizing the color pink, challenge yourself to unpack why you could hate a color. Refuse to make femininity the enemy, and embrace the strengths and passions of different women in your life.

Without acknowledging and combating our own internalized misogyny, it is difficult to tear down the misogyny that is perpetrated by men. Internalized misogyny not only allows misogynistic behavior by men to be accepted but also increases the strain women face from everyday sexism. As women, we must work together to address our own involuntary acceptance of sexism to grasp a better view of what our world should look like. At the end of the day, let’s be proud to be like other girls.

a.hibben@dailyutahchronicle.com

@aya61987269

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Google Chrome has gone through constant updates since late February. Chrome, arguably one of the most popular browsers used today, has been patching severe exploits found within its source code. However, Chrome is not the only browser that was under fire from these exploits since other browsers use Chromium, Google’s open-source code, as a foundation. Other browsers based on Chromium include Opera, Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Vivaldi. Until an update is released, users are advised to be cautious while roaming the web or to use an alternative browser if necessary.

There’s a day zero exploit titled “CVE-2022-1364”, or “Type Confusion in V8”, which was discovered by Clément Lecigne, a Google employee. V8 refers to the JavaScript coding that Chromium uses in its structure.  Take this situation as an example, a user types in “www.youtube.com” onto the browser search bar to get to the website directly. Once the “Enter” key is hit, the request is sent. The server is supposed to receive the request and respond with code. Normally, the server will direct you to the site you requested without any issues. However, the bug provided an opportunity to infiltrate the process in the middle. Allowing a different user from the outside to write in malicious code that the server sees as “correct”. If you stumble on the wrong site, a hacker could easily load malware onto your computer. This is extremely dangerous considering ransomware like WannaCry could encrypt your files and then demand money to have those files back. Depending on your line of work, this could result in severe damage. If it’s not malware, other sensitive information could be accessed which could result in fraud or identity theft.

Google currently considers the most recent bug as “out in the wild” which means it could be taken advantage of by anyone savvy enough on the internet. It’s important to be careful when downloading software from third-party sites or simply browsing around sites with deceptive ads. Make sure to use strong passwords, avoid sharing personal information, and refuse to give permissions to programs and downloads that can’t be fully trusted. Recently, an article was published on the Mace and Crown regarding phishing attacks done via Duo Mobile. It’s important to keep vigilant for similar attacks, especially since Google has been known to not release many details about the bugs or when the next update will be.

Stay safe out there on the internet. These days, any well-executed cyber attack could make a great impact on your everyday life. Any updates regarding the situation will be posted.