University of Minnesota professor Lynn Lukkas will show her first feature film, “Claire Facing North” at The Main Cinema on Oct. 29. 

The showing is part of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival’s “MN Made” film series. The film stars Barbra Berlovitz, a veteran theater artist and co-founder of the Tony Award-winning Theatre de la Jeune Lune, as Claire, and Annick Dall as Iris. After the showing, there will be a conversation with Lukkas.

“Claire Facing North” is set in Iceland, and follows Claire, a woman in her 70s, seeking to heal past wounds and spread her daughter’s ashes. Her journey is disrupted by Iris, a woman who reminds Claire of her younger self as well as her daughter. 

“It’s really about their relationship, and how they sort of reveal each other through the relationship,” Lukkas said. 

The film is saturated with emotion, Lukkas said. Iris is a lost soul and estranged from family, while Claire is mourning the loss of her daughter. Age and landscape play roles as vast as the land in Iceland in this 76-minute-long film. 

“The landscape functions as a metaphor for healing and also as a metaphor for place,” Lukkas said. 

The desolate landscape of Iceland reflects Claire’s journey of self-discovery, Lukkas said. The film is a road movie, a genre where the main characters leave home, travel and have adventures along the way. Lukkas and her team navigated through all of Iceland and filmed from location to location. 

Eric Schleicher, the cinematographer, worked closely with Lukkas on her vision for the film. Lukkas wanted viewers to feel the emotions of the characters through the camera shots. 

“She wanted it to feel like you, as the camera, are a participant in everything that happens,” Schleicher said. “It should have an energy to it.”  

The film is laden with wide views and drone shots. Schleicher said the landscape of Iceland is barren and matches Claire’s longing for something. 

“In Claire’s journey, Iceland is a special place,” Schleicher said. “To place her in the middle of this empty landscape: It’s beautiful, but there is a blue sadness to it all.”

As for age, the exact age of both characters remains ambiguous for most of the film’s duration. Dall, the actress who plays Iris, said she enjoyed playing Iris because she masks her true age, and her speech and action show that. 

“She’s not really comfortable in this masquerade, and she doesn’t quite fit the way she talks,” Dall said. 

Berlovitz, who plays Claire, is Dall’s real-life mother-in-law. This made it easier to play characters in an intergenerational relationship because the personal bond was already there, Dall said.

Lukkas said music is also important to the integrity of the film. She worked closely with the composer Phil Aaron, and Lukkas’ husband wrote themes for Iris and Claire. Lukkas had her own ideas for certain themes as well. The music helps the viewers feel immersed in the environment, Lukkas said. 

Lukkas used the voice of a medieval abbess, the female superior of a community of nuns in an abbey, named Hildegard of Bingen. Lukkas also used a piece from Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Vespers.”

Empathy is one of the main things Lukkas hopes audiences draw from the movie. She hopes older people will be able to empathize with younger people and vice versa. 

Lukkas wanted to do that while highlighting the stories of women. 

“I really wanted to tell stories about women that were substantive that talk about women’s lives, talk about things women experience and go through,” Lukkas said. 

Lukkas was the chair of the department of art at the University for six years. In this position, she put her creative practices on hold. She finally had the time, the determination and the funding to execute her first feature film spring of 2021. 

Only six people worked on this film.

“You can make a large-scale project with a small, very dedicated group of people,” Dall said. “When you watch it, it’s sweeping.”

Tickets are $15 and can be bought online or at the door.

Life and family caused them to take a pause. Now, Kaizers Orchestra is traveling the world, replaying their old music.

The Norwegian alternative rock band returned from a decade-long hiatus when they started their revival tour in September 2023. They are now bringing their revival tour to the U.S., and they will play at Fine Line in Minneapolis on Oct. 13.

“We wanted to play those old songs together with our friends in the band in front of a lovely audience,” said lead singer Janove Ottesen.

Last year, they embarked on a sold-out 56-date tour in Norway, according to their Instagram. They toured Europe this past spring and played at festivals throughout the summer. For their first U.S. tour, they played in Boston, New York and Washington D.C. The last two stops are Minneapolis and Los Angeles. 

Before the hiatus, Kaizers Orchestra released eight albums and consistently toured for 13 years, Ottesen said. 

“We got kids and family, and it just felt enough,” Ottesen said. “We didn’t really have more to give, so we agreed to stop.” 

Ottesen, Geir Zahl, Terje Winterstø Røthing, Rune Solheim, Helge Risa and Jon Sjøen formed Kaizers Orchestra in 2000 while they were all in their early 20s. Once they finished their studies, the band was their job. 

Each band member is a multi-instrumentalist, according to Sony Hall. That’s where the name of the orchestra comes from. “Kaizers” is a spiff of the villain in the film “The Usual Suspects,” Keyser Söze. The idea is that something dark is conducting their music. 

Outside of two EPs released in 2023, Kaizers Orchestra hasn’t released new music since 2012. Ottensen said this tour is not only about the music. 

“It’s about introducing a classic live show that has been existing and developing for 24 years,” Ottesen said. 

The motivation to finally tour the U.S. was for the band to try something new, Ottesen said. They gained a following in the U.S. in 2013 after they performed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, according to Sony Hall. 

“We’re not a very big fan of just repeating what we did before,” Ottesen said. “This is new to us, and that makes it exciting.” 

So far, the band has enjoyed the American crowds. Ottensen said the crowds here are more outspoken. Guitarist Geir Zahl said Europeans and Norwegians are more introverted and filter their emotions more. 

“It’s more spontaneous and energetic here,” Zahl said. 

Zahl studied in Minneapolis for a year for an exchange program and said he is excited to come back. He was assigned Minneapolis at random but was pleasantly surprised. 

“It’s an exciting place,” Zahl said. 

Ottesen said the band is returning to the U.S. next year, and they plan to play a few festivals next summer.

With Halloween quickly approaching, many people may turn to fast fashion, inexpensive clothing produced rapidly using cheap labor, to find costumes. However, many engage in fast fashion all year round. 

A 2022 report published by ThredUp, an online secondhand clothing store, stated that 45% of college students said it is hard to resist the temptations of fast fashion while 51% said they want to stop buying or buy less from fast fashion brands.

Katrina Liberman, a senior environmental science major at the University of Minnesota, said fast fashion is a cheap avenue for buying clothes, but it is horrible.

To Liberman, thrifting is just as cheap.

“Shopping produces so much textile waste and water consumption, and thrifting is so much cheaper,” Liberman said. “Why wouldn’t you just do that?” 

Kobe Knettel, a senior environmental sciences, policy and management student and the president of the Environmental Student Association (ESA), said a lot of undergraduate students buy from stores like Amazon and Shein. 

“Sustainable clothing is not really something that exists,” Knettel said. “Even if people are buying newer, higher quality clothing, it still is generally unsustainable.” 

Knettel said fast fashion contributes to a lack of individuality in what people wear by selling micro-trends. Thrifting allows people to experiment and wear unique items.

“They do promote lifestyle habits that hinder individualism,” Knettel said.

Good On You is a website that rates the sustainability of brands and publishes articles about sustainable consumerism, Knettel said. 

Ava Kharin, a senior environmental sciences, policies and management student and vice president of ESA, said fast fashion is a consequence of hyperconsumerism, the act of consuming goods beyond necessity, but it is hard to be a “good consumer” given the options. 

“It is definitely becoming more and more of an issue,” Khrain said. 

Consumers tend to prioritize convenience, Kharin said.​​ The TikTok Shop is indicative of this because people can purchase items directly from the app for very cheap. 

Both Knettel and Kharin said Halloween is a time when people take advantage of fast fashion. 

“Halloween is a huge time where people will turn to fast fashion websites, buy stuff for costumes and wear it once,” Knettel said. 

Shopping sustainably can go beyond just shopping secondhand. 

Siri Stortroen, a junior history and urban studies major, said she prioritizes intentionality with her clothing while thrifting. 

“I’m always trying to buy secondhand, and I ask myself why I’m buying the item, whether I’m buying it for a trend or if it’s actually personal to me and conveys a story within my style,” Stortroen said. 

Ellery Funk, 24, said she lived in a van for six months, and from that experience, is a very minimal shopper. Other than that, Funk said she buys all her clothes secondhand and is also very intentional. 

“Before I go into a vintage or thrift store, I try to have an idea in my head of what I need or want instead of walking in with a completely open mind,” Funk said. 

The quality of clothing items can vary, and there is an influx of fast fashion in thrift stores. Funk said she avoids clothes from Shein, Forever 21 and Urban Outfitters in thrift stores.

Knettel checks for quality, price and overall need. He said he once found Diesel jeans for $20, but he put them back. Knettel said he has enough denim in his closet and decided to leave them for someone who needs jeans.

Before donating or disposing of clothes, Kharin recommends trying to upcycle them first. Kharin is currently working to patch up the sweatpants she wore to death. 

“I got a ton of patches,” Kharin said. “I’m going to make them patchwork, so I’m going to be able to reuse those sweatpants.” 

The University has events and places that can help people consume clothing sustainably. 

The ESA is hosting a clothing swap on Nov. 4 in Coffman Memorial Union. You can donate clothes anytime until then. Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering is also hosting a sustainability swap of clothing, plants and books on Oct. 11. 

The Toaster in the basement of Walter Library has resources for students to upcycle their clothes, such as a sewing machine. If you feel like digging, the Goodwill Outlet in St. Paul is a few stops on the light rail from the East Bank station.

Off a dimly lit street in Como, you would not be able to tell the difference between one house and the next on a Saturday night. Except for one house with a sign on the front door that says, “It’s the backdoor, duh” and a backyard light outlining a crowd waiting outside. 

Iris Bolton, the new owner of Como Backdoor, is running doors herself. She draws a blue heart on your hand, you walk down a normal-looking staircase and you are greeted at the bottom with “Let’s go lesbians!!” written in marker on the concrete wall. 

After Bolton’s first show, she said she feels great and has decided to host more often. 

“I was not expecting to get so many people that I’d have to start turning people away,” Bolton said. “The crowd was pretty diverse, and I heard a lot of people say it was the best house show they’ve been to, which made me very happy.” 

The basement is flanked with purple string, black lights and flower garlands. One half of the basement has a small stage and a couch in the back. The other half is set up with merch tables, a fan combating the humidity and free earplugs. 

Artists RiGBY, Slut Intent, Anita Velveeta and Gramma each performed sets of around 25 minutes. 

RiGBY opened the show, the lead singer in a homemade tinfoil top, with the spoken-word punk song “Shoulders are sexy,” a song about how young girls are taught to cover their shoulders in school. 

It did not take the crowd long to embrace the music. The crowd, full of energy, was immersed in the music and dancing. 

Maude Lorr, on vocals, consistently reminded everyone to drink water and stay safe. They also gave a speech about their support for Palestine. Lorr told the Daily inclusion of diverse voices is very important to the band and Como Backdoor. 

Lorr introduced another new satirical song, which ended with their classic riot-girl screams.

“This song is about our friend Elon Musk,” Lorr said.

The crowd cheered. 

Slut Intent was the second set and commanded the room with a strong metal sound. Despite their hardcore performance, Katy Kelly, the lead vocalist, expressed gratitude to the crowd for coming.

“I want to see you mosh,” Kelly yelled. 

And just like that, the crowd went crazy. 

The moshing was vigorous and borderline violent. Regardless, there were many moments where the crowd took care of each other.

They helped people out of the crowd when they got too hot or faint. A man picked up a lost phone, threw up his hand and yelled, “Someone lost their phone!” It was returned to its owner quickly. 

By the end of Slut Intent’s set, everyone had their hands up. 

Maritzia Sanchez, a punk show frequenter, said she was particularly excited about the new management.

“It’s more queer-focused now,” Sanchez said.  

Anita Velveeta played the third set, and the crowd got even rowdier. 

Velveeta played a variety of complex and unfiltered titled songs, such as “Stealing from Wawa as a Philadelphia pastime,” “Bored of Tinder, scared of Grindr,” “Affluent Gays” and “Regicide Renaissance.” 

“If you don’t know what regicide is, it is the killing of kings,” Velveeta said, introducing the song. “This song is about how we should bring that back.” 

Zoe Pinto has been attending Como Backdoor for years, and she brought her friend, Tea Taylor, to experience it for the first time. 

“It’s just such a great place to be around a lot of trans and queer people,” Pinto said. 

Taylor said she does not usually mosh but did at this show. 

“It’s just really fun, and I really like Anita Velveeta,” Taylor said. 

Velveeta’s sound is scraping with the strained vocals of Kurt Cobain. Velveeta also knows how to work a crowd, saying to open up the room and have everyone mosh from one side of the wall to the other. At one point, Velveeta pointed to a man in the front row and told people to lift him up. 

Everyone then lifted up a man and he crowd-surfed. He was cheering, fist-bumping the air and grabbing the ceiling.

Gramma went on last with a shortened set because of power issues and the heat in the basement. The power had gone out twice during their performance and the humidity skyrocketed. 

Gramma played their set wordlessly, but the crowd stayed hyped. People cheered louder whenever the power went out. The band’s low, droning metal sound added a heavier sound to the show. 

Chloe Chileen, a punk show regular, never attended Como Backdoor before. Chileen loves punk music culture because it brings out a crowd that is open, accepting and queer

The two-and-a-half-hour show consisted of sweat, moshing that left people unbothered, loud music and even louder cheering. Even the power outages could not deter the crowd’s enjoyment of the show. 

“I honestly don’t think it could have gone much better,” Bolton said.

Not all remakes and sequels are considered terrible. “Nosferatu,” releasing in December, is a remake of the 1922 horror film, and it is highly anticipated. 

But some say remakes or sequels are easy cash grabs for film studios. 

Of the 16 most anticipated movies to be released by the end of 2024, 12 are either a remake or a sequel. Of the 43 most anticipated films being released in 2025, 28 are a sequel or a remake, according to Rotten Tomatoes. 

Andy Windels, the theater manager at the Main Cinema, said he would rather watch a movie with an original concept than a remake or a sequel. Personally, Windels is exhausted by all the remakes and sequels.

“For the most part, I don’t think it’s a good thing to just sink more money into,” Windels said. “Not just for the culture, but financially I’m sort of confused why studios keep doing it.”

Legacy sequels, such as “Twisters” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” are an exception, according to Windels. Legacy sequels follow the original movie’s continuity, but they take place further along the timeline with completely different characters. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and “Gladiator II” are recent examples. 

“That type of legacy sequels almost seems more obscure, feels more original, even though it is a franchise thing,” Windels said. 

Windels said he could not name many instances where he felt a sequel made sense. He said a good remake consists of what people liked about the original, updated for a modern movie experience. Otherwise, he is just not as interested. 

“It’s just more content to put on screens,” Windels said. “I think audiences can realize when that’s not interesting to them, and they will not go see it, or they’ll see it and they don’t like it.”

Anna Belden, a University of Minnesota senior and fellow movie-lover, said she likes remakes where the director has a new vision for it, such as “West Side Story” and “Dune.” She added Disney live-action remakes are not good. 

“I don’t like the idea of taking something from the exact same animated format to real people,” Belden said. “I don’t think that’s doing anything different. It’s not interesting. It really just feels like a cash grab.” 

The live-action “Beauty and The Beast” cemented Belden’s dislike for Disney live-action remakes. 

Both Windels and Belden, however, are looking forward to “Nosferatu.” Both agree that the time gap between the original and the remake is long enough to make it interesting. Robert Eggers, the director, has established credibility in having interesting directorial perspectives, Belden said. 

“One positive thing that a remake can have is to remind people about how big the original was, and people get interested in that,” Belden said. 

Reagan Frystak, the director of events for Studio U, said sequels make the most sense when the first movie in a projected film series ends on a cliffhanger. Some movies are better off as single releases, Frystak said. 

“I don’t really understand movies like ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding,’ where it could have obviously been left at one movie, but they just decide to make two or three or four,” Frystak said. 

To Frystak, qualities of a good remake consist of passion for the film project, acknowledgement of the intellectual property (IP), and fans and filmgoers are kept in mind. 

“People who are involved in films, like the actors and the crew, should have passion and excitement for creating a sequel to a certain series or a remake,” Frystak said. 

Frystak also mentioned people in Hollywood and the entertainment industry are struggling right now, and it is important that writers and actors protect their rights. The writer’s strike is still affecting release dates and film production. 

The Cardinal Times chalks the abundance of sequels and remakes to the audience’s viewing habits and profit. 

Of all 53 movies that have grossed over $1 billion, 38 of them are sequels or remakes. 

From “Joker: Folie à Deux” to “Moana 2,” there are plenty of remakes and sequels to watch this fall and in the coming years.

Windels believes more and more people are getting tired of sequels and remakes. Nonetheless, studios feel more confident in franchise releases over independent releases. 

Windels said nearly all 50 of the Main Cinema’s top box office hits in the last decade have been remakes or sequels. Despite that, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Lady Bird” were strong releases that audiences went out to see for weeks. 

“It does depend,” Windels said. “If it does enough of what fans like, or if it gives them enough of what they haven’t seen before, it strikes some weird balance, and it does well.”

The most popular songs are not always lyrically deep. Think of “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter. 

The melody is the most important part of the songwriting process, according to MasterClass, a catchy one makes a song memorable. To some, lyrics are still a significant aspect of a good song. 

Sumanth Gopinath, an associate professor of music theory at the University of Minnesota, said it is difficult to separate sound and lyrics in music. 

When talking about “The Bridge” by Dolly Parton, Gopinath believes the importance of both lyrics and melody is apparent. The song is from the perspective of a woman who is pregnant, the father left her and she is going to jump off the bridge where the couple first met. It is a symbolic place in their love story. 

“You kissed me for the first time here / An’ held me awfully tight / And the bridge became our favorite place / We came here often in the night,” Parton sings. 

Storytelling is a key quality of country music, and it is something Parton excels at, Gopinath said. 

“The lyrics are important, but the way she sings it and the way the music accompanies it,” Gopinath said. “There’s a mimicking of her heartbeat on a drum that occurs later on in the song. It all works really well.” 

Albert Klayman, a senior DJ at Radio K, said he initially favors sound in a song and takes notice of lyrics later. 

“I find myself either immediately grabbed or immediately turned off by a song based on the sound,” Klayman said. 

Klayman said he tends to listen to rap and R&B because he likes the beat and production of the songs. He said MF Doom and Wu-Tang Clan have strong production. 

Klayman notes the song “Fourth Chamber” on “Words from the Genius” by GZA, who is one of the members of Wu-Tang Clan. 

“There’s this absolutely grinding bassline,” Klayman said. “It’s so constant and heavy and very penetrating throughout the whole song.” 

Anna Adamson, a sophomore DJ trainee at Radio K, is a big reader and loves poetry, so she said she naturally prefers the lyrics of a song. Adamson brought up album “Blue” by Joni Mitchell, specifically “A case of you,” as an example.

“Oh, you’re in my blood like holy wine / You taste so bitter and so sweet / Oh, I could drink a case of you, darling / And I would still be on my feet,” are Adamson’s favorite lyrics on the track. 

Adamson said sound still matters to her, but she listens to the lyrics first and holds them to a higher regard. 

According to Adamson, three things that make a song great are the relatability of the lyrics, a variety of instrumental sounds and gut-wrenching lyrics that linger. 

“It’ll get stuck in your head,” Adamson said. “Not necessarily because it’s catchy, but you just feel it. That’s what I love.” 

Emily Alexander, a senior at the University, said she also leans toward lyricism. She said she loves Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams because of their songwriting abilities. 

Alexander said she separates other songs with surface-level lyricism into a vibe-only category. These are songs generally known for their catchy sound. “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)” by Katy Perry is Alexander’s favorite vibe-only song. 

“My tears ricochet” by Taylor Swift balances impeccable lyricism and heartbreaking instrumentals, Alexander said. The instrumentals crescendo when the song reaches its emotional precipice.

“There is a part in that song where it sounds like a wave crashing,” Alexander said. “Since I noticed that, I haven’t been able to listen to it in the same way.” 

At the end of the day, one cannot separate the two. There are songs that are good because of sound, and there are songs that are good because of lyricism. There are songs that are great because of both. 

“When I hear lyrics in songs, I hear them as songs emphasized with emotion and inflections,” Gopinath said. “That’s core to what makes a song a song, and not just a written text that you’d read.”

The title of Sabrina Carpenter’s sixth album, “Short n’ Sweet,” describes the record, the artist and the long lasting ache of short but sweet romantic relationships.

The album was released on Aug. 23 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Sept. 7. 

Carpenter joined a plethora of other female artists releasing music this year, such as Charli XCX, Billie Eilish and Beyoncé. More and more artists are blending different genres to create a personalized sound. This album joins this pop renaissance. 

Carpenter opens the album with, “Oh, I leave quite an impression/ Five feet to be exact.” She lives up to her word throughout the entire record.

On the first track, “Taste,” Carpenter is calling out her ex for getting back with an old flame. Under the surface, Carpenter is pointing out her own pettiness and how she reacted to the situation.

In an interview on The Zane Lowe Show, Carpenter said she intertwined a lot of self-accountability on “Short n’ Sweet.” 

When talking about “Taste” specifically, Carpenter said, “It says a lot about my own character in moments, and mistakes I openly allow myself to make.” Knowing this makes the earworm track all the more enjoyable and admirable.

Listening to “Short n’ Sweet” feels as if you a’re with unfiltered friends during cocktail hour, especially in her songs “Coincidence,” “Bed Chem,” “Slim Pickins” and “Juno.” Throughout the album, Carpenter embraces the humor we saw on “Nonsense” in 2022.

“Coincidence” trades in synth-pop for a guitar-led country sound, a genre she mixes well with pop and R&B on this album. Nevertheless, she is still as honest as ever on “Taste.” 

“Bed Chem,” a song about the desire at the beginning of a new relationship, is unapologetically sensual. It is filled with playful innuendos and a playful beat.

Carpenter took me by surprise with how open she is with her sexuality. 

Sabrina sings, “Said you’re not in my timezone, but you wanna be/ Where art thou? Why not uponeth me?” 

I felt “Slim Pickins” to be one of her funniest tracks on the album. This song cleverly highlights the common disappointments of dating men in a lighthearted and catchy manner.

“This boy doesn’t know the difference between there, their and they are/ Yet he’s naked in my room,” Carpenter sings. 

The sound is reminiscent of Dolly Parton with expressive soprano and plucky guitar, and it pairs perfectly with the fun lyrics.

“Juno,” my favorite on the record, alludes to the 2007 movie “Juno.” It is equal parts whimsical and informal. 

Carpenter’s lyrical humor and bluntness is what makes her album shine. The way she talks about sex is refreshing and incredibly real, which hopefully encourages more open conversations. 

Carpenter grounds “Short n’ Sweet” with more emotionally vulnerable tracks, such as “Sharpest Tool”, “Dumb & Poetic” and “Lie To Girls.”

While “Sharpest Tool” is still humorous and intelligent, it is heavy with disappointment and anger. 

“Dumb & Poetic” is a stripped-back track with vocals that carry a strong feeling of hurt through every bar. In the lyrics, Carpenter is profoundly honest. She illustrates a person who misunderstands art and is emotionally manipulative. 

“You’re so empathetic/ you’d make a great wife/ And I promise the mushrooms aren’t changing your life,” Carpenter sings.

The details within “Dumb & Poetic” makes the track her most vulnerable song on the album. 

“Lie To Girls” points out typical behavior and gender roles within a heteronormative relationship that feel viciously true. 

“It’s lucky for you I’m just like/ My mother (And my sisters)/ All my (All my friends)/ The girl outside the strip club getting her tarot cards read,” Carpenter sings. 

Carpenter implies it is common for women to be blindsided by hope in a relationship, and men can easily take advantage of that.

“Good Graces” and “Don’t Smile” embody R&B and alt-pop. Lyrically, they are a bit repetitive, but the sound of each brings an enjoyable and chill vibe to the record. 

Carpenter has created a sound mixing country, pop, 80’s synth and R&B, distinctive to her and her persona, ultimately leading to one of the most contagious pop albums of the year.

When given a straw at a restaurant, most people use it. Necessary groceries are all wrapped in plastic. We take what is given to us. 

Accessibility to sustainable products is a large contributor to individuals making a difference in the Earth’s climate crisis. However, sustainable living is not cheap living. Sustainable products are 75-80% more expensive, according to research conducted by Kearney, a global management consulting firm.

Can low-income college students be held accountable for poor sustainability habits? 

To an extent, yes. 

Being a sustainable consumer is only part of what an individual can do. Students can recycle properly, reduce consumption and consistently educate themselves on how to continuously be sustainable. 

I recently learned you can recycle pizza boxes and that recyclables do not have to be perfectly cleaned before recycling, according to a story by The Washington Post.

In my experience, it is easier to forgo trying to live sustainably. It can be annoying to constantly follow what is new and a more sustainably effective lifestyle. 

Sustainable living habits ask more of the average lazy person.

Diya Shah, a third-year environmental sciences, policy and management student at the University of Minnesota, said if you want to be sustainable, it is pretty easy. A good place to start is to practice sorting your trash and recycling. 

Self-accountability is very important when it comes to climate action, according to Shah. 

“You should be morally holding yourself accountable,” Shah said. “Be like, ‘This is my planet too, and I need to do my bit.’”

Shah is on the culture and communications subcommittee of the University’s Climate Action Plan team. They work on fostering conversations and communication about climate change and sustainability by putting up posters and signs around campus and posting informational videos on the Office of Sustainability’s website. 

The University does a good job in sustainability efforts, especially with its Climate Action Plan to be carbon neutral by 2050, according to Shah. Nevertheless, we could always talk more about sustainability. 

Everything an individual can do to help the planet, no matter how big or small, matters, Shah said. This concept is one everyone needs to understand. 

“Sometimes people push it off, like, ‘That’s not my job. There are other people there for that,’” Shah said. “But every person matters, and something that every person can do matters. No matter what stream or what field you’re working in, anything you do that reduces your impact creates a really big impact on the planet.” 

Lilja Anderson, a third-year ecology, evolution and behavior student, said it is impossible for anyone to be 100% sustainable. 

“Our phones and tablets are not even sustainably sourced,” Anderson said. “You can try your best, but it’s hard to be sustainable just by how everything else is around you.” 

Textile waste is a huge factor in climate change, but sustainably made clothing is expensive. Many brands, such as H&M and Zara, greenwash or mislead consumers. Thrifting and buying clothes secondhand is a tried and true alternative. 

“College students are really good about thrifting,” Anderson said. “All my friends go thrifting, and that’s a great way to get clothes sustainably.”

Everyone should do their best to be sustainable, according to Anderson. However, Anderson does not think college students should severely be held accountable for poor sustainability habits. 

“Unless they’re doing something egregiously or purposely messing up recycling or composting, then sure,” Anderson said. “But I really think it’s impossible for people to be sustainable based on how the world around us is built.” 

To Anderson, climate activism is the best way an individual can make a difference. 

“Trying to strive to be the most sustainable you can be is good, but in the grand scheme of everything, going to protests, signing petitions and making your voice heard about climate policies will actually make an impact on how our government operates around climate change,” Anderson said. 

It can be exhausting to persistently alter how we live in favor of a greener planet, but it is worth it. Even if you are making occasional sustainability mistakes, such as using the straw your server gave you, you should be actively pushing our government and our companies to do better. 

We are living in a time when your comfort is not a priority. The past four years have been the hottest on record. Climate change worsens food and water insecurity, and low socio-economic communities are disproportionately affected by climate disasters. 

I cannot make people care about the environment, but everyone should care. We can all do something, even something small like not using a straw. Everything matters when it comes to taking care of our planet.

Self-soothing looks different for everyone. Regardless, people should know how to comfort themselves. 

Maintaining a social circle is incredibly beneficial to one’s health. Friends can help you realize hard truths about yourself as well as lower stress and anxiety levels. However, it is wise to learn how to comfort yourself. 

There will be times in your life when your friends and family will not be around. At the end of the day, it is helpful to be able to pull ourselves together after a tough situation or a long day because we have control over our own lives. 

For me, self-soothing looks like taking a hot shower and rewatching my favorite movie or TV show. It also looks like lighting a candle, making tea and journaling, or putting on my noise-canceling headphones and staring at the ceiling. 

I do whatever makes me happy and feels right in the moment. 

Mary White, a licensed professional clinical counselor, said self-soothing starts with realizing our thoughts create our feelings and a state of calm is always one thought away. 

“Anytime we’re out of balance or in a stressed state, that’s our mind whipping up a thought storm about something,” White said. “Things outside of our thinking don’t actually create our feelings.” 

Our thoughts have a lot of power and being able to see those as potential mental barriers is a strong first step toward self-soothing, according to White. Sometimes it is important to reflect inwards before blaming outside forces. 

Cecilia Bloomquist, a clinical social worker and associate director of the mental health clinic at Boynton Health, said self-soothing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls the body’s ability to relax. 

“You can think clearer,” Bloomquist said. “You’re able to use your reflection skills. You have that ability to think outside the box.”

Self-soothing can be deep breathing, personal affirmations, exercise or being mindful of the small things throughout your day, according to Bloomquist. The more personalized the self-care plan is, the more effective it is. 

“It’s always good to be proactive on your self-care plan,” Bloomquist said. “If you have things you already do throughout your day to keep yourself regulated, you have a better chance to cope when the stress gets higher.” 

People who are busier, like college students, are so preoccupied with what is going to happen next in their lives, that they forget to stay in the present moment, according to Bloomquist. For example, if you are driving somewhere, stay present in the drive, pay attention to your surroundings, listen to the radio. 

“Busy people tend not to prioritize those little breaks and reset moments,” Bloomquist said. “The ones that are better at handling a lot of stress are the people that can build that in and stick to it.” 

Self-soothing can consist of simple tricks to stay grounded throughout the day. 

Jake Loeffler, a staff psychologist and outreach coordinator at Student Counseling Services at the University of Minnesota, said effective self-care benefits our immune system and longevity. To Loeffler, self-care can be as simple as good sleep and a nutritional diet. 

“When you take care of your body, you feel better,” Loeffler said. “You feel happier. You feel more energized. When you’re constantly tired, you often question or doubt yourself and your ability to achieve your goals.” 

College is a great time to develop good self-care habits, according to Loeffler. Putting those habits into practice now will sustain students well into their chosen career paths. 

Self-care and self-soothing are not a “one-type-fits-all” mold. Despite that, a balance of short-term and long-term goals could be beneficial for most college students, according to Loeffler. 

“Who wants to study on a Friday night, you know?” Loeffler said. “But for your degree, sometimes you have to do that. But at the same time, it’s good to still enjoy that process of learning and reconnecting with the joy of what you’re doing in the moment.” 

Self-soothing also helps relationships remain healthy, according to Loeffler. While it is important to have a support system for people, you should know how to take care of yourself. The price of not being able to comfort yourself could give way to codependent relationships. 

“It’s very soothing to have a conversation with somebody that can understand you and validate your emotions, but it is important to give your friends the flexibility to not be available all the time for that,” Loeffler said. 

When it comes to leaning on your social circle for support, you should be open to feedback and criticism, Loeffler added. 

“Take that as a learning opportunity because most of the time when people give us negative feedback, it’s because they care about us,” Loeffler said. 

Cultivating stable mental health is a long journey and a delicate balancing act. A good place to start is to self-reflect. What could bring you joy in the present moment? How can you be productive right now to be less stressed? Are you facilitating your own stress? How can you fix it?

It is crucial to learn how to support ourselves. Everyone is dealing with their own baggage. One soothing thought could be that you are not alone. 

One soothing thought that helps me is, “It is not that deep.”

I am sure most people who work a service job have had a customer ask them to smile. 

To pay their way through college, many students fill summers and weekends during the school year with service jobs. 

On-campus jobs are great because most students are exempt from FICA taxes, but often, they are unable to get enough shifts throughout the week on top of class. The option to earn tips serving on a Friday night starts to stand out. 

Then you show up, and it is exhausting. You stand the entire time and try to answer questions you do not know the answer to, while simultaneously handling food and cleaning. 

Do students get paid enough to be energetic and give 100% at their service job?

The short answer is no. In Minneapolis and St. Paul, where the minimum wage is $15 instead of the $10 everywhere else in Minnesota, some argue they do get paid enough. I would still say no.

If a student works every day in the summer, they may make enough money. However, the work is grueling and may lead to burnout. It is difficult to keep showing up to work with a smile on your face. 

I am currently a server, and the shifts are long. I only get one meal in an eight-hour shift. My back and feet are sore, and I dread returning to work the following day.

On days I work, I feel like I can not do anything else. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work and make tips, but I do not have the energy or the stamina to give my service job 100% of my effort. I am going to breeze past some things and half-heartedly perform tasks. 

Isabelle Bialek, a third-year student at the University of Minnesota, has worked a taxing summer job. She was a hostess and was paid $9 an hour. Bialek said she was scheduled for six-hour shifts and would be the only hostess working. 

The restaurant Bialek worked at had two floors with two hostess stands. One was outside and the other was upstairs. Bialek said she would have to run back and forth in between stands to keep up. She was shocked when her coworkers would choose to work two shifts a day. 

“I don’t know how they did it because I was physically and emotionally drained,” Bialek said. 

Bialek dealt with a lot of customers treating her poorly because of wait time. One time, a man tried to seat himself and sat and watched her until he could be seated. Bialek was by herself when trying to solve the situation. 

“Some people would cuss me out,” Bialek said. “I was not getting paid enough for that. I can’t do anything about a long wait.” 

Cherry Bailey, the general manager at Jimmy Johns in Dinkytown, understands the importance of school work and is flexible around students’ schedules during the school year. Bailey said she understands when school needs to come first. 

“I get a lot of students that want to come back because they know I’m flexible when it comes to having final exams and having too much homework,” Bailey said.

Bailey simply asks for open communication from student employees and for them to let her know at least four hours before their shift if there is a conflict. 

Bailey does believe that if you are going to go to work, you should be trying your hardest. 

“I’d rather them let me know that they are not going to be at 100% because of school instead of coming in and making the work harder for everyone,” Bailey said. 

Clear communication with your employer is important as most of them understand you are a student and might have other priorities. 

While it is okay to be drained from work, students should try to do their jobs to the best of their ability. I have been there, and it is hard, but I do not slack off completely. 

The bottom line is understanding you signed up to do a job, but it is natural to feel burnt out and exhausted when doing the tasks service jobs require. Do not feel like you have to put on a positive face. 

“Sometimes it’s not worth it to give your 100%,” Bialek said. “Sometimes you just don’t have the energy.” 

Next time you go to a restaurant or pick up fast food, understand the work required for the job. Do not withhold a tip because your waiter was not lively enough. 

Service workers do not get paid enough to smile all the time. They barely get paid enough as it is.