“What Is Left Unspoken, Love” opened on March 25 at the High Museum of Art in Midtown. The exhibit explores questions surrounding love and relationships. 

Curated in-house, the multi-modal exhibit features artists from all walks of life and from around the world. They hoped to follow the ethos of poet and painter, Etel Adnan, who wrote love is “not to be described, it is to be lived.”

The exhibit varies in media, styles, tones and stories, from familial bonds to stories of a failed relationship the exhibit explores a variety of expressions of love. Unfortunately, this sometimes does lead to a mismatch in tone in the same room, where both childlike love is shown while discussing heavier stories like that of “The Kitchen Table Series” from Carrie Mae Weems.

Pieces like “In the Beginning: Time and Dark Matter” by Michelle Stuart add a unique depth to this exhibit which is ultimately focused on themes surrounding love. By combining celestial images with a collection of shells and fossils, its placement in this exhibit offers up its meaning to the poetic expression of the viewer. 

More than just stills, there are several sculptures and videos of all sizes and lengths on display. Grandiose pieces like “Take me, take me, take me … to the Palace of love” by Rina Banerjee exist and leave several onlookers speechless.

Following the theme of extending the definition of love, the exhibit also hosts several pieces that offer different interpretations of the word. 

“Love Me, Protect Me Chair” by Thomas Barger reflects on parental love, saying thanks to their mother and father, who loved and protected him. 

In comparison “VI Mural from the series Reducción objetiva orquestada’’ by Gabriel Rico, tries to define relationships through math but ultimately suggests they are beyond comprehension. 

“The Love You Give is the Love You Get” by Jeffrey Gibson, brings light to liberation movements associated with Indigenous rights and the LGBTQIA+ communities utilizing a sculpture that reflects traditional powwow regalia.

The High curated a diverse exhibit, not just in terms of themes and media, but also artists. More than half the pieces are that of international artists such as RongRong&inri and Ghada Amer. Indigenous and African-American artists are a prominent part of the display as well.  

Organized into six thematic sections, the exhibition outlines the most quintessential concepts of love. The High has outlined it as The Two, The School of Love, The Practice of Love, Loving Community, Poetics of Love and Love Supreme. All the way from the unification of people to love’s ability to transcend the exhibit touches all themes equally and with care.

The exhibit ends with the “Pulse Room” by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. This interactive light exhibit invites visitors to transmit their pulse to the lightbulbs in the room. 

By recording prior heartbeats, visitors are connected to each other, and a collective identity is formed. As a warning, the final gallery of this exhibition features flashing lights.

Overall, this multi-modal exhibit may look confused, disorienting and frankly overwhelming on a first walkthrough. However, The High provides additional commentary along the walls of the exhibit and on their website. The exhibit and pieces within them deserve a second pass. 

“What Is Left Unspoken, Love” will be on display at the High through Aug. 14. Tickets to the High are $18 for regular admission with group discounts available. 

The Second Sunday of each month offers free admission, and members of the military receive free admission and parking. More information is available at high.org.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates. 

In a unanimous verdict of the April 11 hearing for Friese v. SGA, the Constitutional Council held that the Board of Elections has not “seriously violated” the Student Government Association (SGA) Constitution or “greatly misused” their powers in creating the spring 2022 SGA presidential run-off election or determining the procedure following “a no confidence” victory.

The Council determined that SGA Attorney General Stewart Zelnick (20Ox, 22C), SGA President Rachel Ding (20Ox, 22B) and SGA Staff Advisor Lisa Loveall were valid to choose to follow the line of succession and promote vice president-elect Noah Marchuck (24C) to the position of president-elect after the “no confidence” win in the March 29 run-off elections left the presidential office vacant.

However, the Council also wrote that due to the Constitution’s “vagueness” surrounding procedures in the case of presidential vacancies, the Board of Elections is within the right to choose to organize a new spring election cycle for a vacant presidency, though they are not obligated to do so. Since executive elections must be held in the spring, according to Part III, Article 1B in the SGA Code of Elections, the Elections Board would have only 10 days until the end of the semester to organize a new election.  

In the event that the Elections Board determines there is insufficient time to hold the new election, the Constitutional Council wrote that the “line of succession becomes the primary (and only remaining) course of action.” 

The Council ordered the Legislature and Board of Elections to deliberate and inform the student body whether they plan to hold a new election for SGA president or invoke the succession line following the end of the 55th SGA term.

(Ally Hom/Photo Editor)

Despite the overall affirmation of the Board of Elections’ actions, the Council also noted that the Board did not act within its powers when they announced to the student body via email that Marchuck would assume the office of presidency. The Council clarified that instigating and announcing the succession  should have been the role of the attorney general. However, the Council held that this act was a “minor violation” and declined to issue a course of action. 

The Constitutional Council recommended that the legislature must act to rectify “inexcusable vagueness in Emory’s governing documents,” stating that while they had not significantly violated the Constitution or the Code of Elections, they had violated “the Emory student body’s trust by failing to resolve ambiguities in its governing documents for years on end.”

The Board recommended that the Legislature should clarify whether “no confidence” must receive a majority or plurality of votes to win, as well as specifically amend Part III, Article 2 of the Elections Code to clarify “how a ‘no confidence’ victory in an SGA presidential or vice presidential election should be handled.” 

The Council also noted that, in cases of absence of the president, the Legislature should further define the executive vice president’s powers as acting or temporary president. 

The Council’s decision was made by Chief Justice Ben Thomas (23C) and Associate Justices Jane Wang (22C), Sarah Gordon (22C), Pavel Ramirez (23C), Madeline Bryce (21Ox, 23C) and Mari Ismail (24C). Associate Justice Kardelen Ergül recused herself from the case.

The Board Elections held the trial after plaintiffs Emma Friese (24C) and Sruti Kumar (20Ox, 22C) submitted a challenge on March 31 to the Constitutional Council, alleging that the Board of Elections misused their interpretative authority and did not act in accordance with the Constitution by holding the run-off election between “no confidence” and former SGA presidential candidate Alyssa Stegall (21Ox, 23C). The SGA elections advanced to a run-off after no candidate won more than 50% of the vote. 

Friese and Kumar claimed that the Board of Elections’ decision to follow the line of succession in filling the vacancy was unconstitutional because it was not written in the SGA Constitution or the Code of Elections. The Council noted that the SGA Code of Elections states that, in the event of a “no confidence” win, the position is considered vacant and the rules of the individual governing body should be followed. However, the SGA Constitution does not provide guidance on what to do in the event of a presidential vacancy, so the Board “had no choice but to rely on the current president, attorney general and staff advisor’s interpretation of the line of succession.”

In response to Friese and Kumar’s allegations of the unconstitutionality of the run-off elections, the Council ruled that ‘no confidence’ should be treated the same as any other candidate on the ballot.

“In all other cases where no candidate for SGA president wins a majority of votes, a runoff between the top two choices must take place,” the Council wrote, citing Part VI, Article 3D of the Code of Elections.

The Council also cited past precedent for a run-off between a candidate and no confidence, such as the 2021 BBA Council SGA representative run-off election between Sophie Nathanson (23B) and “no confidence.”

In response to Friese and Kumar’s claim that the lack of procedure in SGA governing documents causes a “constitutional crisis,” the Council wrote that although they agree that their documents are “ambiguous” and “must be revised,” Zelnick was correct to argue that the documents never mention the term “constitutional crisis” and the Board of Elections acted within its authority to best interpret any ambiguities regarding the SGA Constitution’s line of succession procedures. 

Friese, Kumar and Elections Board Chair Mild Trakarnsakdikul (19Ox, 22B) did not respond for comment by press time.

The post Constitutional Council holds that run-off election was constitutional, Board of Elections did not violate powers appeared first on The Emory Wheel.

Old Dominion University is being targeted by phishing attacks exploiting the DUO mobile app. ODU uses a two-factor authentication system to verify a user’s identity when logging into ODU’s online services. Multi-factor authentication utilizing smartphones adds a layer of security for students and faculty, but it opens the door for different kinds of cyber-attacks like “prompt-bombing”. 

“Prompt-bombing” involves flooding targets with authentication requests using mobile phones. This is done in the hopes that a user will fail to differentiate between the “real” request and the “fake” ones, thereby accepting a false request and granting an attacker access.

“No legitimate business would communicate to customers in a manner that comes close to “prompt-bombing,” said ODU IT Services.

If you receive a DUO prompt when you are not actively prompting DUO Mobile to access an ODU service, press “No” and change your MIDAS password. If you accidentally select “Yes”, report the incident to ITSHelp@odu.edu, and then go and change your password. These cyber-attacks give access to credentials and allow use of targeted accounts.

Alternatively, another approach has been to send multiple “fake” login requests around the time when actively authenticating, hoping to ensnare users that way. Checking timestamps on the verification requests to ensure that the correct request is being authenticated is paramount.

The rise in prompt-bombing attacks comes because of multi-factor authentication’s growing use and popularity. A famous incident involving this type of cyber-attack was the recent SolarWinds cyber-attack in early 2020 that granted Russian hackers access to a massive amount of sensitive information.

Protect yourself and your information by ensuring that all DUO Mobile prompts are legitimate before confirming authentication. 

For any additional questions regarding cybersecurity awareness and prevention, visit www.odu.edu/safecomputing. 

Made in Mexico

In Mexico, people would rather talk about religion, politics or soccer — all of which are pretty polarizing topics in my hometown — than talk about racism. For the most part, the idea of “color blindness” has historically prevailed. We, as a society, choose to ignore the sheer diversity under the category of “Mexican” and idealize only a small percentage of the population: light-skinned Mexicans, otherwise known as “whitexicans.” 

The term by itself is pretty self-explanatory. However, it stands for so much more than just being a light-skinned individual. Whitexicans come from a privileged background within Mexican society and are usually known to be oblivious to the reality of the vast majority of the population. Whitexicans are thought of as a big joke in Mexico, from their accents to the way they dress (usually wearing a “Mexico is the s—” bomber jacket). The whole country makes fun of them. 

All jokes aside, I reject the whole idea behind whitexicans. It is a term that is intrinsically racist — it devalues the life experiences of millions of people because they don’t have the  “right” education or the “right” connections to other people. I also have a problem with people showing pride in Mexican culture abroad but adopting classist and racist conduct once their planes land back home. 

I have a distinct struggle with the label of whitexican when it comes to my own life. I fit most of the criteria: I’m white-passing, bilingual, I attend a private university in Mexico and have the opportunity to study abroad here at UC Berkeley. Nevertheless, “whitexican” is a label I do not willingly accept because of its lack of social consciousness — the “whitexican” reality is a bubble far from what most Mexicans experience on a day-to-day basis. I can’t ignore the fact that looking “whitexican” has saved me from experiencing racism in everyday encounters. Quite the opposite occurs: The words güera or güerita are thrown my way in the streets as compliments and praise. 

Since arriving at UC Berkeley, the word “microaggression” has had a new meaning to me. Back home, sexist remarks in everyday conversations are known as micromachismos. Although an extremely normalized aspect of Mexican culture, I can identify them. Still, after coming to UC Berkeley, I wasn’t familiar with being discriminated against based on where I come from or the language I speak. 

These occurrences have come in small doses within mundane interactions. They usually consist of a quick remark that is not meant to have much significance within a conversation, almost like a thought not meant to be taken seriously. 

I’ve encountered these microaggressions in explicit ways, such as receiving praise for my English-speaking abilities, which I have been told are “unfathomable” for a Mexican. These remarks go unaddressed in a conversation, but I spend days replaying that same exchange in my head because I can’t help to feel unsettled by how it all played out. 

In order to make sense of these latter interactions, I have resorted to the coping mechanism of many overthinkers: dropping all of my thoughts into my phone’s Notes app. 

There, I have a list titled “Interactions that weren’t outwardly racist but felt like it.” That list is a compilation of many awkward moments of silence and uncomfortable glances. At the very top of the list is a time when me and my roommate, Marcela, decided to go to the Target in Emeryville. At the store, we were speaking Spanish, as we often do, because that’s our first language. It never occurred to us that someone was listening. 

In the middle of our conversation, a woman approached us with a loud and slow tone, as if making sure to enunciate each syllable to make sure we understood. 

Her inquiry was simple: “By any chance, do you know how to pick avocados?” 

Totally weirded out, I told her that I don’t eat fruit (which is true) and that I don’t know how to pick them (also true). My roommate, who is far more patient than me, ended up helping her even though she actually didn’t know how to pick them either. 

Was that woman racist? If we weren’t there, would she ask anyone else that wasn’t speaking Spanish? These questions flooded my brain for a while, but I’ve accepted the fact that we’ll probably never know. My roommate and I laugh about it now, especially about our palpable “failure” as Mexicans due to our inability to pick one of our national fruits. 

Even though microaggressions, whether explicit or unnoticed, are meant to make me feel like the other, they have given me an opportunity to realize aspects of my Mexican identity. At the end of the day, I now know that I’m proud Spanish is my first language and of the historical significance that comes with it. My time here has made me reframe the bad connotation that surrounds the slogan “Made in Mexico.” Sure, it’s a deeply flawed country, but some of my favorite things are made in Mexico: tacos, mural art and the best people in my life.

Marina Román Cantú writes the Friday column on being a person of color at UC Berkeley. Contact the opinion desk at opinion@dailycal.org, or follow us on Twitter @dailycalopinion.

The Daily Californian

The Associated Students of Colorado State University met April 13 for their 25th session. ASCSU heard five pieces of legislation.

The first piece of legislation on the agenda was the second reading for Resolution 5109, “Calling for Student Debt Cancellation.”  This resolution affirms ASCSU’s commitment to the cancellation of student debt at a federal level, in accordance with President Joe Biden’s promise to alleviate student debt. Evan Welch, University Affairs Committee chair, presented changes made to the resolution by the University Affairs Committee. These changes included fixing formatting and grammatical errors. The senate then entered into a debate about the resolution.

Some senators drew attention to the fact that the resolution doesn’t specify between subsidized or unsubsidized loans or specify whether it’s addressing undergraduate or graduate students.

“I agree that the resolution is vague,” said Noah Burge, senator for the College of Business. “I do like the motive behind it. I think it is positive to look at ways that we can decrease debt in this country. I don’t believe that this is the right way to go.”

Welch said the resolution was kept vague to generate broader support for the resolution and to stand with the other student organizations involved with the resolution.

The resolution passed.

Next, ASCSU heard Bill 5114, “Reallocation and Sunset Clause for Bill 5023,” which provides Rams Against Hunger with discretion over funding given to them in Bill 5023 and creates a sunset clause for the bill. 

Alex Silverhart, interim Budgetary Affairs Committee chair, presented changes made to the bill by the Budgetary Affairs Committee. Silverhart said the Budgetary Affairs Committee endorsed the bill and changed the date the funds may be used until to Aug. 1, 2023 from May 30, 2023. The bill passed.

ASCSU also heard Bill 5115, “Funding for Lyft (RamRide Secure) codes for Colorado State University Health Network.” This bill seeks $5,500 from the ASCSU Discretionary Fund to increase student access to health care on campus by providing transportation to the CSU Health and Medical Center via Lyft discount codes.

Silverhart presented changes made to the bill, including changes specifying that the codes are for RamRide Secure, adding up to $15 for accessibility purposes and adding a sunset clause that states if funds aren’t used by Dec. 31, they will be returned to the ASCSU fund balance. 

Ariadne Athey, chair of the Internal Affairs Committee, raised concerns over the fact that the bill seeks funds for transportation only to the health center, as well as Lyft’s discriminatory practices toward disabled people.

“A business that has proven time and time again that it does not care about its disabled users is not a business that I want to support with my student fees,” Athey said.

Rithik Correa, senator for the Office of International Programs, spoke about some of Lyft’s policies. The policies included allowing customers with service animals to ride and an app feature that allows riders to get drivers or cars suited to assist disabled people.

“I completely agree that Lyft does have some discriminatory practices, which they are trying to do better with,” Correa said.

The bill passed. 

After, ASCSU heard Bill 5116, “Rams Destress Event,” which would create and fund an event to inform students about untreated mental health and the effects of high stress before finals week. The event would be May 2-5 on The CSU Plaza. The bill passed. 

ASCSU also heard Bill 5119, “ASCSU Budget Reconciliation Act.” This bill reorganizes the ASCSU executive budget to reallocate currently unavailable funds. The bill passed.

The last piece of legislation was Lex 5102, “Constitutional Amendment in the Absence of a Senate Officer,” which adds guidelines to ASCSU’s constitution regarding the elections of senate officers in the case of abdication. The bill states elections will happen within 15 business days of the abdication of the previous holder. The lex will be sent to the University Affairs Committee.

The Utah Museum of Fine Arts unveiled the latest exhibition presented by ACME Lab titled “Transcending Time and Space” by David Rios Ferreira, featuring work and writing by Denae Shanidiin. 

The exhibition represents a gateway into the mysterious. A glimpse into the ineffable. Visitors are encouraged to contemplate and connect with those we’ve lost, have yet to meet or exist far from our physical presence. 

Within and Without

“We have a repository of centuries of history that we carry within our blood cells and carry that within our soul,” Ferreira stated at the Artist Talk hosted by the UMFA. “How can that start to manifest and what does that look like in the visual form?” ​ 

“Transcending Time and Space” represents a gateway to connect with parts of cultures and traditions through collages, photographs, abstracted drawings and interactive installations. Ferreira’s work is presented in collaboration with Shanidiin’s writing which brings awareness to the devastation of missing and murdered Indigenous people.

Awareness

The exhibition begins with “Gateways,” a collection of celestial drawings used as a beacon for connecting with those we’ve lost, and those who have come before us. The ongoing tragedy of missing Indigenous women, girls and LGBTQ individuals in this country is the motivation behind the art piece.

“We’re responding to the violence perpetrated on Indigenous people and it’s a lot of work,” Shanidiin said at the UMFA Q&A. “There’s a lot of abuse that happens in the process of using our voices. The awareness is growing, but right now nothing is being done to address the silence.”

Gateways is followed up with four photographs titled: “Ha’a’aah, East. Shádi’ááh, South. E’e’aah, West. Náhookòs, North.” The surrealist photographs are paired with knowledge from a Diné worldview. The territory of Utah is the ancestral homeland of the Diné, Timpanogos & Shoshone, Paiute, Goshute and Ute Tribes.

A Message Through Time and Space

The exhibition concludes with a “Message Through Time and Space,” an interactive installation that encourages visitors to write a message to someone that is missed or a person one has yet to meet. The message is delivered through a “portal” represented by a black hole. The words are sent to the past, present and future. A wish. A promise to return back to the center.  

“We create beautiful, beautiful things to honor our bodies with,” Shanidiin said as her closing remark from the artist talk. “The things that we make have meaning. And when we adorn ourselves with them, our ancestors can see us and recognize us. And when we create, we create for people, and I think that’s what David’s doing in this work.”

“That’s what I try to do in my work. If art doesn’t have purpose, and if it doesn’t have those connections to relationality, and honoring someone, healing someone, moving someone, pleasure, love, all the things, then what’s the point?”

“Transcending Time and Space” is open to the public now through Dec. 4 at the UMFA. Information and resources regarding missing and murdered Indigenous people can be found at here.

a.belloso@dailyutahchronicle.com

@baeoso

The post UMFA’s ‘Transcending Time and Space’ is a Gateway to Love, Loss and Memory appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

The Daily Trojan features Classified advertising in each day’s edition.  Here you can read, search, and even print out each day’s edition of the Classifieds.

Click the Classifieds icon to download the PDF of today’s Classifieds:

To place an ad, please contact an ad representative:

(213) 740-2707

USC Student Publications Student Union – Room 400

Los Angeles, CA 90089-0895

http://dailytrojan.com/ads

The post Classifieds – April 15, 2022 appeared first on Daily Trojan.

This article first appeared in the spring 2022 Mace & Crown magazine issue. 

The Old Dominion women’s lacrosse team did not have a strong outing in the 2021 season and fell short of their expectations. Although it wasn’t the season they had in mind, they went into the offseason and worked at improving their game. Coming into the 2022 season, ODU head coach Heather Holt began her 11th season in charge of the lacrosse program. ODU finished 3-14 in 2021, but the Monarchs return three of their top four leading scorers from a season ago and a wealth of experience that also return. Senior attacker Lilly Siskind was a preseason all-conference selection and was the leading scorer for ODU in 2021 with 31 goals, 11 assists and a total 42 points. Along with her is graduate student attacker Claire Porter who was second on the team offensively as she tallied 15 goals, tied Siskind with 11 assists and registered a total 26 points. Also, senior midfielder Danielle Dundas also returned for the Lady Monarchs as she had 12 goals, six assists and a total of 18 points a season ago.

On the defensive side of the ball, senior midfielder Amber Stieve and junior midfielder Katie McGrain both combined for 33 starts in the 2021 season and led the backend of the field for the Lady Monarchs. Old Dominion played a three goalie rotation in 2021 and all three have returned this season. Sophomore Jenna Peccia made eight starts and led the team with 83 saves, junior Sabrina Leatherwood started five games and registered 46 saves and senior Brianna Blatter started in four contests between the pipes and made 55 saves.

The Lady Monarchs began their season with the first six matchups being against in-state universities. They opened up the season on the road as they traveled a couple hours north to take on the University of Richmond, which resulted in a loss as the Spiders won handily over Old Dominion 18-7. After the defeat, ODU returned to Norfolk for their home opener as they welcomed in VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University). Although the game was close, the Rams would pull away late and defeat the Lady Monarchs 11-9. Later that week, ODU had another home matchup against the University of Radford that turned out to be a game the Lady Monarchs would have control of most of the game. This resulted in their first victory of the season over Radford 20-11. 

Next up for Old Dominion was three games on the road with the first stop being in Williamsburg, VA as they faced William & Mary University. A flurry of goals from W&M in the third quarter resulted in another loss for the Lady Monarchs as they fell to the Tribe 18-11 and were 1-3 on the season. Although it wasn’t the ideal start that ODU had in mind, they wound up defeating Longwood University in their next matchup 15-6 in convincing fashion. In the last contest of the three-game road trip was a matchup in Lynchburg, VA with a good team in Liberty University. The Flames were too much to handle as they got by ODU 18-7 and inflicted another defeat on the Lady Monarchs. Old Dominion returned home to play Campbell University, but after a rally from ODU that fell short in the end, the Lady Monarchs fell 13-12 to Campbell. After back-to-back losses, ODU got back on the road and traveled up to Delaware to play Delaware State University. The Lady Monarchs found their groove throughout the entire matchup and trounced the Hornets 18-1 and their record stood at 3-5 with three non-conference games to go. 

A few days after the victory, Old Dominion returned to Norfolk for a four-game home skid that started off with American University. The Lady Monarchs were not able to comeback after falling behind early on and lost the contest 17-13. In their next matchup, they played against Niagara University and the game was a back-and-forth affair that went into overtime. In the second overtime period, sophomore midfielder Corrine Stratton found the back of the cage to lift ODU over Niagara 18-17. After the thrilling victory, the Lady Monarchs had another contest with Howard University. Old Dominion got out to a huge lead that got up to a 19-0 advantage before Howard got on the board finally. ODU went on to win the contest 22-2 and earned back-to-back victories for the first time this season. In the last weekend of March, ODU had its last non-conference matchup as they hosted the University of Delaware. It was a contest that had multiple outbursts of goals from each side, but the Blue Hens prevailed with a goal in the final minute of regulation that earned them the victory over ODU 12-11. Although the Lady Monarchs dropped to 5-7 on the season, Peccia had a career-high 20 saves in the matchup, which is among the top goalkeeper performances in the NCAA thus far. 

Old Dominion may have not had the best non-conference record, but the games that really matter are conference matchups. The Lady Monarchs will begin their hunt for an American Conference Championship as they start off league play on the road at East Carolina University on April 2nd. They will play five conference games against Florida, Cincinnati, Vanderbilt and Temple University. Depending on how Old Dominion finishes in league play, the conference tournament will take place in the first week of May from the 5th-7th where the chance at a league championship and opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament are on the line as well. The Lady Monarchs have battled through a tough non-conference schedule and will continue to fight their way to conference gold and postseason play. 

Half marathon diary: Why everyone should sign up

rorris/Creative Commons

I often hear that “only a crazy person would subject themselves to running that much.” I completely agree, but that’s because we’re all just crazy in our own way. You wouldn’t understand it until you actually sign up.

Entering my freshman year, I had lost much of my self-discipline and healthy habits, leading to unhealthy food choices and a lack of sleep. Eager to get my mental and physical health back on track, I decided to sign up for a half marathon. I trained throughout the summer and into the school year, keeping notes in a mental diary. Spoiler alert: There were many shocking things that I wish other people could also experience.

Getting more sleep

Many of my peers avoid working out for fear of feeling exhausted throughout the day. Because running encourages higher quality and quantities of sleep, it actually does the opposite. As a strict morning runner who consistently woke up at 8 a.m. to train, I made sure I was in bed by midnight so I could get my run in before class. This sleep routine ensured that I got seven to eight hours of sleep a night. I also fell asleep a lot faster, because I was so active throughout the day. Sleep greatly aided in my muscle recovery and performance and also helped me feel my best mentally.

Being more productive and managing time better

Initially, I thought that adding one to two hours of training into my days would rob me of my time. However, I actually found that I had more time each day, because I had stopped procrastinating and became more focused. Exercise naturally increases blood flow to the brain, meaning that it increases cognitive function and causes the brain to become sharper, more energized and less distracted. In addition to mental clarity, my strict sleep schedule encouraged me to manage time better, prioritizing studying over scrolling on my phone so that I could get to sleep on time.

Increasing mental strength

Getting back into the running groove after my time as a high school athlete reminded me of just how far it had gotten me in other areas of my life. Mental resilience is just as important as physical strength in terms of reaching one’s true potential. As my self-discipline and capacity to withstand pain grew, my running times dropped while my school grades improved. In order to run 13.1 miles consistently, one needs to develop the mental capacity to withstand repetitive — and often uncomfortable — bodily movement. The more you practice running, the easier it will get. The ability to develop the self-discipline to push past personal boundaries will show you just how capable you actually are.

Listening to the body and accepting rest days

There’s no better time to be in tune with your body and hormones than when you are preparing for a physically demanding task like running. I often tracked my menstrual cycles and adjusted my training according to my energy and recovery levels. I also documented any soreness and tightness I felt so that I could prevent myself from getting injuries. When I felt overtrained and fatigued, I showed compassion to myself, allowing myself to rest so that I could jump back stronger than before. For new runners, taking it slow and steady is key for injury prevention.

Doing it for myself rather than validation from others

I didn’t feel the need to prove anything to anyone when I had finished the half marathon with flying colors. My self-esteem came from within. I knew that I had completed the race and surpassed my goal time because of the work I put in. Running was an act of self-love and crossing the finish line was proof of my commitment to myself. Signing up for the half marathon catapulted my journey in self-care, and it didn’t stop there.

If you are looking for a structured plan that keeps you accountable for building healthy habits, self-confidence and physical fitness, this is your sign to sign up for a half marathon. Run it because you love yourself. Run it to challenge yourself and build confidence. Run it to finish.

Contact Geraldine Yue at gyue@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

Grocery workers at Ralphs, Vons, Albertsons and Pavilions ratified a three-year contract Sunday with their employer, Stater Bros., which includes significant wage increases, improved healthcare benefits and secured pension provisions. The deal applies to the Ralphs workers at the Vermont Avenue and West Adams Boulevard store, which many USC community members frequent to buy groceries and other supplies. 

Members of United Food and Commercial Workers Locals 8GS, 135, 324, 770, 1167 and 1428 voted April 4 in favor of the deal. The Union represents 40,000 Vons, Ralphs and Albertsons workers whose contracts ended March 6. The unionized workers planned to strike ahead of the negotiations, but the favorable conditions presented at the table negated a strike from happening. Target and Trader Joe’s, both located in the USC Village, were not affected by the negotiations and contract. 

Shyli Akhare, a sophomore majoring in business administration, said she was worried about a potential strike creating slowdowns in grocery stores.

“I would say that I think it’s a good thing that they’re advocating for the rights, and I feel like it’s about time that some change happens in the community,” Akhare said.

Mackenzie Martin, a sophomore majoring in business administration, said that because of the high cost of living in Los Angeles, she believes that workers should be paid a reasonable wage amount. 

“I think that inventory might be low, and it might be harder for us to get any customer service when we are shopping, but I feel like the protests are necessary and it’s for the greater good,” Martin said.

Contract negotiations date back to March 7. Six UFCW locals said in a statement Saturday that the unification of its members secured a historic contract for a “fair deal.” UFCW represents and advocates for workers in healthcare, retail, grocery, packing and cannabis.

In a statement made by Ralphs, the company stated its three goals in negotiations with the union: reward workers, keep groceries affordable for customers and maintain a sustainable business model for an expanding workforce. 

Homero Vasquez, a Ralphs worker on Vermont Boulevard, said the “not good part” has been waiting for payments.

“It’s kind of good just because we’re gonna get a bit better pay,” Vasquez said. “The thing is that we got to wait to get the full amount.”

Robert Branton, vice president of operations at Ralphs, said the company is pleased with the agreement because it will secure money in 18,000 associates’ paychecks, protect healthcare and create effective pension plans.

Pio Figueroa, a worker at the same Ralphs as Vasquez, noted that when the contract terms were first released, the provisions were not adequate. He believed that for the hard work grocery workers do all day, they deserve higher wages and healthcare benefits. Figueroa said he is satisfied with the terms finalized in the ratified contract.

“There was definitely a fight back and forth and negotiation table, but we’re definitely proud to be where we’re at,” Figueroa said. “That was only possible from all the hard work that we’re doing in the stores, all the organizing and all the communications that we’ve been doing with our coworkers.”

Union workers made signs for a looming strike at UFCW 77 Headquarters located in Koreatown Saturday. Workers wanted $5 raises and were met with a 60-cent counteroffer. 

Figueroa said communication between workers to unite was mostly done through a special credit union representative. He visited the three different stores throughout Orange County and spoke with coworkers about better contract provisions. 

“When these terms come into effect, this will definitely set a gold standard for what other contracts are negotiated throughout the country,” Figueroa said. “I think this definitely sets the standard for what’s possible with contracts not only in the grocery industry, but industries throughout the country. We really prove that anything is possible especially when we organize and we get united.”

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