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Meltzner: Streaming services are preying on younger users’ wallets

Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board.

Recently, Netflix made two major changes to its business model that target the wallets of its customers, specifically those in the 18-28 age range. 

These moves specifically target this demographic and do so because of the hostage market that represents the 20-somethings age range. Netflix knows this, doesn’t care how predatory it is and is doing it anyway.

The first of Netflix’s price-gouging maneuvers came in January when the company raised the price of United States and Canadian accounts: The standard accounts rose by $1.50 and the premium accounts by $2. While this may seem like a pretty inconsequential amount of money, once you think about it in the context of an $18 or $24 respective yearly increase, it becomes a bit more of a financial hindrance. 

Still, this is no suffocatingly large amount of money, so why the fuss? Well, let’s begin with the fact that Netflix quite honestly does not provide enough content or features for the average consumer in today’s market. Recent studies reported 55% of U.S. households subscribe to more than one of the big three streaming services: Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu. 

A price increase for even one of these services, an act often resulting in a ripple effect of similar price increases for other services, is certainly a big deal for consumers, but it is even more impactful to the 20-something demographic. Seeing as over 60% of Americans 18-29 years old said streaming services were the main way they watch TV, it seems to be a pretty sleazy business practice for Netflix to be engaging in. 

Along with the price raise, Netflix reported they are beginning to test a feature that will restrict password-sharing among accounts, even if these accounts are shared among family members who live separately. The company said they will be testing a feature in select markets that will require a $2.99 surcharge on accounts that share passwords outside of their household. 

“In order to remain tuned into the culture and able to watch the shows everyone else in your generation is watching, you must have subscriptions to streaming services, and this is why these new moves by Netflix aren’t just inconvenient or annoying, they are downright predatory.”

The keyword here is “household,” a word Netflix has decided to use incredibly liberally, conveniently not including students or young adults using their family accounts while trying to get on their feet and living alone. This is most infuriating because Netflix is directly targeting the demographic that built its empire in the first place.

The current generation that composes the 20-something demographic is also the very same generation that first used streaming services as their chief mode of consuming television. According to Statista, studies showed that while only 49% of those 65 years old or older reported subscribing to streaming services, 70% of those aged 18-34 reported subscribing to one or more. 

Clearly, this is a generation dependent on streaming services not only for quality entertainment but the ability to consume the entertainment their peers are. All the biggest shows in the current era are found on streaming platforms: “Euphoria” on HBO Max, “Stranger Things” on Netflix, “The Mandalorian” on Disney+, etc. 

In order to remain tuned into the culture and able to watch the shows everyone else in your generation is watching, you must have subscriptions to streaming services, and this is why these new moves by Netflix aren’t just inconvenient or annoying, they are downright predatory.

I’m not the first to detail this, as there have been studies regarding the legality and regulation of predatory practices and pricing models in the streaming industry, but I think far more attention needs to be paid to who is really being disproportionately affected by these changes: the 20-something demographic. 

Unfortunately, there isn’t much to be done from the stance of a casual viewer unless we all want to collectively cancel our subscriptions and return to the cold, cruel world of cable television. This is exactly my point — there needs to be further regulations and limitations on the streaming industry in an effort to curb predatory business practices before they consume the entire streaming world. 

Reach JD Meltzner at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @jd_meltzner.

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Soha Manzoor runs for ASUC Senate with value-centered campaign

Soha Manzoor runs for ASUC Senate with value-centered campaign

Photo of Soha Manzoor

UC Berkeley sophomore Soha Manzoor is representing Elevate Cal in her campaign for ASUC Senate in the upcoming April election.

Manzoor’s value-centric campaign highlights her ASUC experience and character. She focuses on four platforms: menstrual equity, STEM advocacy, community support and student wellness.

“I have always been very unafraid to say what I’m thinking and call out when I notice something unfair or unjust happening, especially within the ASUC,” Manzoor said.

As current chief of staff for Senator Issabella Romo, Manzoor oversees numerous departments and handles issues within the senate as a senior advisor for Senator Jason Dones. Manzoor noted her time within the ASUC allows her unique insight on its inner workings. 

Manzoor said that she differentiated herself from other candidates by her authenticity, noting some elected officials focus too heavily on politics.

“I don’t have a lot of experience in policy or government, and that isn’t really my focus when it comes to sharing my platforms,” Manzoor said. “I want to get work done and I want to do it in the way that I believe is right … developing Berkeley as a whole rather than getting wrapped up in drama and politics.”

Manzoor accredited her background in community service and advocacy to her four campaign platforms.

The first, inherited from Romo, focuses on menstrual equity. Manzoor aims to supply free menstrual products at campus restrooms and partner with the newly formed ASUC Menstrual Equity Committee to produce educational initiatives.

Romo noted Manzoor’s dedication to her current menstrual equity advocacy work.

“She’s not running on platforms just to get votes — she’s running on platforms that she cares about and that she believes are necessary to improve the student body,” Romo said.

Her second platform, STEM advocacy, bridges the gap between her two majors, astrophysics and sociology. Manzoor plans to extend STEM resources for underrepresented communities, a project inspired by Dones.

Manzoor also advocated for the addition of a STEM ethics graduation requirement on campus.

“Since it’s a new conversation, a lot of the majors at different universities do not have courses on ethics,” Manzoor said. “That’s concerning because it’s a new field that’s changing all the time.”

Next, Manzoor will focus on institutional support for marginalized students, minorities, and groups who are targeted or harassed. As the head of the Da’wah committee for the campus Muslim Student Association, she also plans to collaborate with the Muslim community.

Manzoor’s final platform involves mental and physical health. She aims to diversify campus Counseling and Psychological Services through communication with student advocates, promote equitable COVID-19 policies and increase resources for sexual violence and sexual harassment organizations.

Manzoor stands out through her “remarkable” energy and intellect, according to campus junior Yursa Arub.

“The Cal community would be lucky to have her as a Senator next year, but it’s safe to be grateful right now for her wit, spirit, and dedication to speaking up for what matters,” Arub said in an email.

Contact Lily Button at lbutton@dailycal.org, and follow her on Twitter at @lilybutton27.

The Daily Californian

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Classifieds – March 29, 2022

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:

Click to Download the Classifieds as a PDF

To place an ad, please contact an ad representative:

(213) 740-2707

USC Student Publications Student Union – Room 400

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http://dailytrojan.com/ads

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Digital Newsstand: Vol. 138, No. 17

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The ‘Stem Player’: Kanye West’s Tech Debut

 

On Feb. 22, Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, held a listening party at LoanDepot Park in Miami for the release of his new album “Donda 2.”  The 22-time Grammy award winner made the album available exclusively to owners of the Stem Player, a state-of-the-art music playing device created by Ye and Kano Computing.

A Star is Born

The Stem Player is the debut product from Ye’s technology venture, Yeezy Tech. The device allows listeners to play back music that’s been separated into four isolated stems — vocal, instrument, drum and bass. Using touch sensitive controls, songs can be manipulated during playback. Elements of a song are controlled on the device, turning the average music listener into a music producer. The device provides effects and production options including repeat, reverse, speed up, slow down, noise gates and reverb.

The Stem Player arrives in a small case lined with an elegant nude fabric. It has a magnetic mouth that opens similarly to Apple AirPods. The exterior of the player has six buttons, a 16-light customizable color display and a rubber exterior. Complete with a minimalist design, the Stem Player has presented itself as a music device for the future and one that can be appreciated by anyone with an interest in music production.

Ye vs. Jobs

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs unveiled the first generation iPhone at the MacWorld Expo in January 2007. The iPhone’s unveiling created a ripple for the future of technology, culture and — for better or for worse — the world. While the release of the Stem Player is only the first step towards establishing Ye’s presence in the tech industry, it pales in comparison to the iPhone release. This does not mean that Ye isn’t determined to someday achieve the same level of ingenuity as Jobs. In the past, Ye has even credited Steve Jobs as his inspiration and motivation. 

Challenges for Ye

Netflix documentary series “jeen-yuhs” follows West as a 25-year-old producer struggling to be accepted as a rapper by his peers.  A hungry and determined West challenges the reality he is presented, with the words his mother Donda West would say to him giving him the confidence to believe in his ambitions. Despite those who chose to doubt him, he successfully established himself as a rapper and his debut album, “The College Dropout,” won the Grammy for Best Rap Album.

Ye faced similar challenges when pursuing a career as a designer in the world of fashion. At first, he was not taken seriously and became determined to prove himself. Now, his apparel brand Yeezy Ltd. is currently valued at $4.7 billion.

The Stem Player is another addition to the reality Ye is determined to create. In an industry where musicians get paid a fraction of a penny for their music by streaming services, the release of the Stem Player shows that Ye refuses to accept the reality that’s presented to musicians. Influenced by Jobs and by his history as an artist, Ye encourages creativity and invention by challenging himself and the world to think differently.

The Stem Player is available for purchase at www.stemplayer.com.

 

a.belloso@dailyutahchronicle.com

@baeoso

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Fashionably executed: a collaboration with Hardware LDN and Biohaven Pharmaceuticals at New York Fashion Week

Lauren Durham, print editor-in-chief, Flyer News
Dayton, Ohio

London fashion designer Jessica Horwell debuted her grungy, eclectic Fall/Winter 2022 collection at New York Fashion Week on Feb. 12. Pieces included form-fitting dresses, flattering knits with shape-enhancing accents from balloon sleeves to fur cuffs, and a leather bomber jacket embroidered with the words “Fearless, “Grateful,” and “Relief” across the front to raise awareness for a disease that affects women three times more than men – migraine.

Biohaven Pharmaceuticals partnered with Hardware LDN to help empower women with migraine to advocate for themselves and demand more from their treatment.

“We’re about women empowerment. We’re about changing women’s daily lives, and that’s really where I see the connection,” Horwell said. “Not every woman cares about what they wear. But I do feel that when women feel confident in what they are wearing and when they feel healthy, they want to be out. They want to be seen and living their best lives.”

The Hardware LDN style is for tomboys to the girly girls to the latest up-and-coming rappers and creatives. Defined by leather, dress silhouettes and metal trims and embellishments, the brand is a mix of grungy and glamorous.

“Hardware LDN is about authenticity,” Horwell said. “When you buy Hardware, it’s because you want to be bold. You want to make a statement. You want to emphasize to people that you are part of that lifestyle.”

Established in 2014 by Horwell, Hardware LDN began with jewelry creations made with hardware she found in her friend’s garage. Horwell made custom pieces for her close circle of friends and creatives, including Cara Delevigne and Rita Ora, until eventually the brand grew into a high fashion line.

“It’s really important for me to make high quality garments, timeless pieces – jackets you’re going to look at five to ten years down the line and love them just as much as the day you bought them,” Horwell said. “I think there is so much fast fashion and badly made garments, and I want to make something different where people can see the love, quality and care that’s gone into making them.”

Two models living with migraine who use Biohaven Pharmaceuticals’ migraine treatment, Nurtec® ODT (rimegepant), walked the runway to further amplify the message of confidence and female empowerment.

Nurtec ODT is a prescription medicine used in adults for the acute treatment of migraine attacks with or without aura and the preventive treatment of episodic migraine. Nurtec ODT is contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to rimegepant, Nurtec ODT, or to any of its components. Nurtec ODT may cause serious side effects including allergic reactions, including trouble breathing and rash. This can happen days after you take Nurtec ODT. Call your HCP or get emergency help right away if you have swelling of the face, mouth, tongue, or throat or trouble breathing. This occurred in less than 1% of patients treated with Nurtec ODT.

“My heart is racing. It’s so inspiring. I love being around other creative people,” said Amy Marietta, blogger and Nurtec ODT influencer, minutes after the show ended.

“I’m so happy to spread awareness about [migraine] because so many people are affected. This is the perfect partnership.”

Several other Nurtec ODT influencers and real-life migraine patients attended the show, including college student Ellie Wiese.

As a junior in high school, Wiese did not think she would be able to go to college because her migraine was so debilitating. When she turned 18, she enrolled in the Nurtec ODT trial.  Almost four years later, she is in her fourth year of a dual-degree program at Wagner College in Staten Island where she is studying to be a physician’s assistant.

“It’s a very intense, expedited program where you are just studying constantly. I absolutely know I would never have made it through this last year,” Wiese said, crediting Nurtec ODT for relieving her migraine pain and enable her to achieve her academic success. “I’m very grateful for everything everyone at Biohaven has done.”

She enjoyed her time at the show, noting how meaningful it was to interact with other women who also struggle with migraine.

“To see what the drug has done to change the lives of these women is really impactful because I know how much it’s changed my life,” Wiese said.

“Everyone thinks it’s just a headache, and it’s not. It’s not just a headache. To be able to be with a group of people that understand what you’re going through – because a lot of people don’t understand what you’re going through – to be heard and to share experiences and know you’re not alone is a very moving thing.”

Wiese noted that the words on the Nurtec ODT jacket were particularly meaningful, given the battles migraine patients fight all the time.

Horwell shared specific advice for college students or men and women in their early-20s.

“Don’t be afraid to be different. In fact, being different is one of the best things you can ever be. Thinking outside the box and thinking uniquely and creatively is a gift, and if you see that you have it, you need to follow it,” Horwell said.

Next up, Horwell is planning Hardware LDN pop ups in New York in June. She is also working on plans to expand her jewelry, accessories, and menswear. Her goal is to build upon the success of her New York show and continue to expand the brand.

And you might be wondering beyond the styles presented at the Hardware LDN show… what color is in for 2022? Conveniently, it’s Very Peri – a soft purple and a familiar hue to the color of the Nurtec ODT brand.

Amy Marietta, blogger and Nurtec ODT influencer, walks in the Hardware LDN Show

Nurtec® ODT 75 mg orally disintegrating tablets is a prescription medicine that is used to treat migraine in adults. It is for the acute treatment of migraine attacks and the preventive treatment of episodic migraine. Do not take if you are allergic to Nurtec ODT or any of its ingredients. The most common side effects were nausea (2.7%) and stomach pain/indigestion (2.4%). Please visit Nurtec.com for full Prescribing InformationPatient Information and Important Safety Information.

For more information about Nurtec ODT, visit https://www.nurtec.com.
For more information about Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, visit https://www.biohavenpharma.com.

Watch the NYFW 2022 Hardware LDN show here: https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2022-ready-to-wear/hardware-ldn
Runway photography courtesy of Filippo Fior, IMAXtree
FOH photography courtesy of Ben Rosser, BFA

US-RIMODT-2200237 03/15/2022

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Putin must end this war or suffer economic consequences

Putin must end this war or suffer economic consequences

Putin must end this war or suffer economic consequences

Juana Garcia/The Cougar

While the cost of lives has already been tragic in this conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the economic cost will continue to hurt citizens in both countries. Because of this, Putin must end this war. 

Since Feb. 24, a total of 2.7 million people have left Ukraine, no doubt hurting the country in the long run as it will likely struggle to recover economically in the future with a large portion of its population gone. 

A Pew Research study found that countries believe that having more migrants makes them stronger. This makes sense as having a large population can increase the variety of skills in the workforce.

Ukraine is struggling against Russia as of now, but even if Ukraine wins, it will struggle to get the economy back to thriving with a fraction of its people. 

A lot of this war is the result of a power struggle between NATO and Russia. If Putin doesn’t want to trigger a major military conflict with NATO nations, he should end the violence against Ukraine. 

It’s not in the interest of Russia to have war with any NATO member as its biggest member is the U.S, who has the most military spending than any other country by far. In the North Atlantic Treaty, article five states that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all. 

Since Ukraine President Zelensky expressed a desire to join NATO, and Russia’s rockets have been striking dangerously close to Poland, a country in the treaty.  

Russia has a lot to lose, so it is better for them to back off. As of now, Russia is the most sanctioned country in the world. This is hurting its citizens who have been fighting over grocery store food due to shortages. 

A growing list  of companies including McDonalds, Starbucks and Goldman Sachs are also pulling out of Russia.

Additionally, the Russian ruble has declined over 40 percent and shares in Russian companies have fallen over 90 percent. Some experts have called this the worst economic situation in Russia since the Soviet Union fell. 

However, Putin does not want to stop. He is determined to get Ukraine no matter the cost to his country and people. 

Russia exports oil to mostly European countries. The top exports of Russia are crude petroleum, refined petroleum, Gas, Coal and Wheat, according to OEC. 

Germany relies on Russia for petroleum. Russia exported 8.53 billion dollars worth of crude petroleum in 2019 to Germany. Sanctions against them will hurt this large industry and continue to hurt the Russian economy.

Putin should put an end to this war or else the sanctions will continue. He must end this war for the sake of the Ukrainians and Russians who will economically suffer the most once this war ends. 

Jason Perez is a journalism and political science senior who can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com


Putin must end this war or suffer economic consequences” was originally posted on The Cougar

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StuGov confirms LGBTQ student task force, hears Spring Festival plans

The LGBTQIA+ BU Task-Force would conduct surveys, compare BU’s resources to other universities and propose actions based on data.

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Utah Beach Volleyball Heads to Tucson to Begin Pac-12 Play

 

This weekend kicked off the beginning of Pac-12 play for the Utah beach volleyball team. The team headed down to Bear Down Beach at the University of Arizona in Tucson to participate in the Pac-12 South event.

The team faced some tough competition as they squared off against last year’s national runner-ups the UCLA Bruins this past Saturday. This matchup proved to be a challenge for the Utes as the top-ranked UCLA Bruins team beat the Utes by a score of 5-0. Utah kept it close as the duo of Kylie Pitzak and Sydney Jacinto on court five pulled out an impressive first set victory with a score of 21-19.

On court four Sommar Daniel and Lauren Sayre played competitively for the Utes before the duo eventually dropped the close-set by a score of 25-23. Marissa Koch and Samantha Leight for Utah saw a close second set against the Bruins in which they cut a larger deficit down to just two points before UCLA was able to squeak out a narrow victory. 

The team also faced off against the reigning national champions USC Trojans on Saturday. The number three ranked Trojans proved to be too much for the Utes as they shut out the team 5-0. USC got off to a hot start as they quickly won four of the five courts, however the 4s for Utah put up a good fight. Daniel and Sayre had their second competitive match of the day, but barely got edged out by USC’s Shannon Scully and Caroline Schafer.  

Sunday wrapped up the final two matches for the Utes in the Pac-12 South tournament. The Utes earned their first win of the season against the Oregon Ducks. This also marked the program’s first-ever conference win in the regular season with their only previous win coming in the Pac-12 Championship. 

The day started out with the team falling to No. 8 Stanford. The Cardinal jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead before Sydney Jacinto and Kylie Pitzak got Utah on the board, making the score 2-1. Even after their performance, the Utes were unable to capitalize and lost by a score of 4-1. 

After falling short to Stanford, the Utes looked to bounce back against the University of Oregon. After falling behind 2-0, Jacinto and Pitzak proved to be the spark the Utes needed as the pair won their second match, making the score 2-1. Still trailing, Utah pairs Marissa Koch and Samantha Leight as well as Bella Vezzani and Grace Andrews had to win their matches in order to win the game. Koch and Leight played three competitive sets in which they finished with a marathon the last set, edging out the Ducks 22-20. Vezzani and Andrews also played three entertaining sets, however, were able to build a lead in the third set which led to a Utah victory. 

After securing their first win of the season the team will take a break from Pac-12 play and head to California to participate in six matches this upcoming weekend.

 

m.valva@dailyutahchronicle.com

 @max_valva

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Unfiltered and intimate: Fletcher shatters expectations at Atlanta concert

I went to my first concert last Sunday. Concerts have never really appealed to me; the envisioned amalgamation of sweaty, intoxicated bodies was not how I wanted to spend my weekends. But despite all my misgivings, social anxiety and claustrophobia, I still found myself standing in a line winding through the cracked asphalt parking lot desperate to see Fletcher, popular in the queer community as an activist and pop artist from New Jersey.

The Variety Playhouse is not a huge venue, but it’s perfect for the intimacy of Fletcher’s music. The hour-long set made up for the three-year halt in Fletcher’s tour due to the pandemic, and it revived both a musical and personal evolution from the devastating heartbreak anthems in “you ruined new york city for me” to the blurred lines of lovers and exes in “THE S(EX) TAPES.”

Courtesy of Shannon Beveridge.

“THE S(EX) TAPES” was created while Fletcher and her ex, YouTuber Shannon Beveridge,  were quarantined together, and all the music videos were shot by Beveridge without any external crew or props. Getting to see and hear their vision alive was somehow both excruciating and breathtaking; the history of the album and the artist is a flawless setup for the nuanced exploration of what it means to love, to be loved and to fall out of love. 

Though I didn’t know Amelia Moore, Fletcher’s first opener, the heavy bass notes and alt-pop sound vibrated through the floor and hyped up the crowd. As soon as Moore’s songs ended, the crew rushed to set up for Julia Wolf. Wolf’s music, which incorporated faster beats and rapping, was completely different from my usual music taste, but I still enjoyed the adrenaline rush. Her engagement with the crowd made the performance all the more memorable, inciting and tempting us for Fletcher’s imminent appearance. 

The wait for Fletcher was almost agonizing. While we stood around, someone suddenly tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a stack of multi-colored paper hearts. On one side there was a small note that said, “Hold this heart up when Fletcher sings ‘Healing,’ the last song in the setlist to show her how proud we are.” Soon after, I heard bass drums and Fletcher’s voice echo in the auditorium. I pocketed the heart and turned toward the stage.

The almost three-minute intro with flashing red lights gave way to Fletcher, who was wearing a white top, jeans and a moss green jacket, standing on top of a concrete structure. The opening notes of “girls girls girls” caused the whole crowd to erupt in an enthusiastic chanting of the chorus, a riff off of Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl.” As soon as the song ended, she quickly jumped into “Forever,” “Cherry,” her recent collaboration with Hayley Kiyoko and “If You’re Gonna Lie.” The energy and noise in the Playhouse were electrifying, and I could barely hear my own voice as it melted into the crowd. For the last six years, my discovery and appreciation of Fletcher had been a solitary one, but listening to her music live and with thousands of fans like myself was a surreal, existential experience altogether.

While I don’t have another concert experience to compare, being less than 30 feet from the stage felt magical. Fletcher designed the stage to look like the concrete jungle of New York City, where she got her heart broken for the first time, which served as the inspiration for her EP “you ruined new york city for me.” Pillars filled the space onstage; inside each wall was a member of Fletcher’s band, a scene no different from the crowded skyscrapers surrounding New York City, a melting pot of people from around the world. She continued the set with “All Love” and “Undrunk,” one of her first songs I ever listened to. The emotionally charged danceable beats are contrasted with a regretful and longing break up, perhaps mirroring the extreme spectrum of emotions a person might feel. 

Halfway through the set, Fletcher stepped down from the stage to sign boobs: a hallmark of all her concerts on this tour. The entire audience was anticipating this moment, with people in the front holding up signs like “Sign my girlfriend’s tits,” “You’re my girlfriend’s hall pass” and waving Sharpies above their heads. 

Fletcher’s transition into “S(EX) TAPES” started with more danceable songs like “Silence” and “If I Hated You” before turning to “Feel,” one of the slower songs from the EP. The album follows a complicated breakup, and it isn’t until “Feel” where the realization of the breakup finally sinks into her mind. The pain in her voice is still evident as she croons, “I’ll drink this wine, like it’s medicine for the mind.” Fletcher turned the microphone back at us, encouraging everyone to shout the lyrics they knew, further connecting us not only with her but also with the melancholic emotions of the song.  

Fletcher finished the show with an unreleased song she wrote for herself and her acoustic “Healing,” an ending to a setlist that perhaps symbolizes the transformation of both her music and herself. Immediately, a sea of hearts rose up from the crowd. Fletcher choked up; her voice cracked while she sang as she expressed her gratitude and love for her fanbase. Though “Healing” is not an upbeat song, it was the perfect ending to her concert: a vulnerable ode to the physical and mental pain that everyone is trying to work through.  

If there’s one word to explain Fletcher’s music, it would be unfiltered. I’ve always admired her honesty and rawness — not just in the topics she chooses to write about, like heartbreak and sex, but also in her unabashed fear of words and language. Her music bares forth uncomfortable emotions and brings up memories for each person that they might be too scared to face. For me, in particular, Fletcher’s music forced me to reckon with telling, admitting and believing the truth not to anyone else but myself. 

With my Fletcher hoodie closely hugged to my body, I vividly remember walking outside and saying to Brammhi Balarajan (23C), “This is the most amount of gay I’ve ever experienced in my life.” As much as sexuality is a spectrum, so was the queer audience at Fletcher. Driving away from the Playhouse and seeing the rest of the audience shuffling onto the sidewalk, I found myself less alone and more willing to breathe for the sake of myself. 

Sophia Ling (24C) is from Carmel, Indiana.

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