When I was in my junior year of high school, I started noticing that my peers were starting to vape — inhaling nicotine vapor instead of smoke. Specifically, my classmates started to buy and use nicotine products called JUULs. I distinctly remember this dingy little gas station by my high school where everyone who vaped would go to buy JUUL cartridges during the weekends, usually before heading to a party. For those who don’t know, JUULs are an e-cigarette that have become extremely popular amongst teens because of the fruity flavors of their nicotine cartridges and because a lot of young people believe that vaping is safer than actual cigarettes, the latter of which is not true in the slightest. JUULs currently make up 72% of the e-cigarette market. As high school continued, JUULs got more and more popular, especially when the majority of my classmates turned 18 and were able to buy them legally.

Since I graduated from high school, vaping has only gotten more popular amongst teenagers, much more than actual cigarettes. A study done in 2020 found that 19.6% of high school students use e-cigarettes, while only 4.6% of high school students smoke actual cigarettes. The discrepancy between the amount of teenagers who use e-cigarettes and actual cigarettes is very large, and I attribute this to what I perceive as the normalization of vaping amongst teenagers and young adults. When I think back to the summer before college, I reflect upon how someone always had a JUUL at a party and how people would all take turns hitting it. As gross as this is, no one batted an eye. I am positive that we all knew it wasn’t good for us, but as I previously stated, we naively thought it was better than cigarettes.

While binge drinking is usually thought of as the most dangerous decision that young people can make, vaping is also incredibly detrimental to one’s health. In particular, nicotine use poses risks regarding brain development. Teenage brains are still developing and heavy nicotine use can negatively affect areas of the brain that regulate attention, learning and impulse control. Reading this research, I thought about my friends and peers in high school, who I suspected were addicted to nicotine, and I hope that these negative consequences do not affect them.

I am not trying to shame those who are still using nicotine products. I am aware that it is extremely addictive and incredibly hard to give up, especially if started at a young age. Like any addiction, I think many of my peers are in denial of being addicted to nicotine and maybe view it as less serious than other addictions. But clearly, nicotine can pose several detrimental consequences to the body, especially the brain, and it is important to reiterate that it is extremely dangerous to vape, and it is anything but normal.

I had been looking forward to comedian Bo Burnham’s special since he announced its release on Twitter, but I had no idea what to expect in terms of content or tone. The one thing that was known to be different about this particular special was that it had been filmed, written, directed and edited entirely by Burnham. I had been following Burnham’s content for years, and while he does comment on serious societal issues, I wouldn’t describe his previous two shows as overwhelmingly unnerving. If anything, his two previous specials, “what.” and “Make Happy” tackled serious content in a way that was upbeat and contained underlying optimism. I did not feel bummed out or existential at the end of these specials. Based on these prior experiences, I didn’t think anything would be different. But I was beyond incorrect.

I started to realize that “Bo Burnham: Inside” was not going to be your typical comedy special when it started with a trigger warning. Since Burnham has always dealt with dark humor, I thought maybe he was just being cautious due to society’s increased awareness and sensitivity towards those who suffer with mental illnesses. Then I saw Burnham’s disheveled appearance, the state of the room he had filmed the special in, and began to think that maybe the content actually warranted the trigger warning that preceded it.

While Inside does contain songs that are relatively light hearted, like “White Woman’s Instagram,” “Facetime with My Mom (Tonight)” and my personal favorites, “Bezos I” and “Bezos II”, a good chunk of the songs performed in this special are heartbreaking in part because they are so relatable, even if this relatability is not positive. More specifically, they are relatable in terms of how the pandemic impacted people’s mental health.

The pandemic, and by extension quarantine, was extremely hard for those who already struggled with mental illness. As someone who has dealt with anxiety for their entire life, I can attest to the difficulty of having to stay inside all the time and not knowing when normalcy will be reached. Additionally, some of my friends who hadn’t previously dealt with depression and anxiety experienced them for the first time in the wake of all the uncertainty and the “cabin fever” aspect of quarantine.

Burnham addresses this reality frequently throughout “Inside.” As the special reaches its end, it becomes more and more apparent that Burnham’s mental health has deteriorated since starting “Inside.” The song that most embodies this is “That Funny Feeling,” during which Burnham lists things that make him feel like the world around him is collapsing. The song, which is sung accompanied by an acoustic guitar, left me feeling extremely sad and in a weird way, claustrophobic. “That Funny Feeling” accompanies the thoughts that often crept into my mind during quarantine when it seemed like reality was spiraling out of control. It is just one example of “Inside” tapping into the ways in which the pandemic impacted not only Burnham’s mental health, but the mental health of everyone watching the special.

I consider “Inside” to be a masterpiece. There are so many aspects of this special that truly show Burnham’s talent not only as a writer and comedian, but as a filmmaker as a whole. On July 14, it was announced that “Inside” was nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards, a huge accomplishment within the world of television. I personally think that Burnham deserves not only these nominations, but to win as well. It is very rare that a comedian is able to make people laugh while also making them question their place in the universe.

Last fall, I wrote a column titled, “Let’s not forget about Planned Parenthood.” The piece discussed efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit organization that provides women with services like abortions and access to varying birth control methods and how these efforts would impact the lives of women across the country. Additionally, Planned Parenthood provides STD testing and breast exams, which I feel is not discussed enough when having conversations about Planned Parenthood. If defunded, it will become a lot more difficult for women to make the choice regarding whether they’d like to have children.

Over the past few months, efforts have been made to not only defund nonprofit organizations like Planned Parenthood, but to eliminate women’s choice to have an abortion. In May of this year, the Supreme Court announced that they will be reviewing a Mississippi law that would undermine Roe v. Wade, the ruling that guarantees women’s right to choose an abortion. The law, which would ban almost all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, is a grim reminder that there are individuals who are unwavering in their efforts to put a fetus ahead of women who would be the ones facing the consequences of an unwanted pregnancy.

During Trump’s presidency, he claimed that overturning Roe v. Wade was a priority and was a factor in the new Supreme Court justices he chose: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. These justices maintain conservative ideologies and have expressed anti-Roe rhetoric, further putting the choice to have an abortion in jeopardy.

I am getting really sick of people attempting to prevent women from choosing whether they have children. I am of the opinion that it is absolutely no one’s business what a woman wants to do with her body and that some people’s obsession with “protecting life” is just a clever guise to undermine women’s freedom. I am aware that this sentiment will upset some individuals, but frankly, I do not give a shit. Additionally, I am particularly disappointed with women who seek to overturn Roe v. Wade. If you don’t want to have an abortion, then don’t have an abortion, but don’t project your own ideologies onto other women.

In the same vein, I believe that individuals should not project their religious beliefs onto women who are in their legal right to make a decision regarding their own bodies. As someone who was raised Catholic (but is no longer practicing) and even attended Catholic school, I was exposed to many people who were vehemently opposed to Roe v. Wade and, more specifically, Planned Parenthood. It was implied with varying degrees of subtlety that Planned Parenthood was an evil, godless organization whose main purpose was to be “baby killers,” with no regard being given to women who did not want to become mothers.

Living in fear that my right to not have a child could be taken away from me is terrifying. I am hoping Roe will be upheld, but at this point, the fact that the Supreme Court is even reviewing Mississippi’s law could become a slippery slope from which more anti-abortion legislation could become a reality. It feels dystopian and wildly unfair.

If you are like me and are also scared of this happening, please consider donating to Planned Parenthood.

I was in the sixth grade when the iconic boy band One Direction released their first single, “What Makes You Beautiful.” The pure pop track, which is overwhelmingly catchy, skyrocketed One Direction into worldwide popularity, especially amongst preteen and teenage girls like myself. As a young girl in the throes of puberty, I liked One Direction not only because of their music, but also because I found the band members, especially Harry Styles, to be very attractive. I am not ashamed to admit that. But just as quickly as “What Makes You Beautiful” got stuck in my head, I learned that my interest in One Direction, and boy bands in general, was something to be ashamed of.

According to Rolling Stone, boy bands, no matter what era they are from, are connected by one thing: their proclivity for playing to venues full of screaming teenage girls. These girls, which make up the majority of their fanbase, are what make these bands so popular and successful. When I was 13, I experienced this phenomenon firsthand when I attended One Direction’s Take Me Home tour with opener 5 Seconds of Summer. I had never experienced anything so loud and exhilarating and had an absolute blast. It was also amazing to be surrounded by thousands of other young girls with the same, seemingly silly interest. Looking back, I consider myself very lucky that I was able to see One Direction live before their infamous breakup in 2015.

But when I returned to school for seventh grade, I was promptly told by my male classmates that liking One Direction, or any boy band for that matter, was unacceptable. “One Direction sucks,” they would say. “Girls only think they’re good because they have a crush on Harry Styles.” They did not consider these bands as making “real” music. I also observed that adult men made snide comments regarding my interest in boy bands.

I find the fact that some claim boy bands don’t make “real music” to be ludacris. In doing research for this column, I found that not only are the Beatles deemed the greatest rock band of all time, but they are also considered to be the most popular boy band of all time. Personally, I think you would be hard-pressed to find someone who believed that the Beatles didn’t make “real music.”

Additionally, in 1965, the Beatles played their most iconic gig of all time: Shea Stadium in New York City. This performance has been regarded as one of the most famous performances in rock ’n’ roll history, right alongside festivals like Woodstock and Monterey. But the Beatles didn’t play to tens of thousands of adult men and women that night. The 56,000 people at Shea Stadium were mainly teenagers. Therefore, one of the greatest rock ’n’ roll moments of all time was put in place by a boy band and screaming teenage girls.

I am not saying that One Direction’s, or any boy band’s, music is particularly earth-shattering or profound. But I want to point out that teenage girls are scrutinized for their taste in music and that boy bands are scoffed at in part because their fan base is primarily made up of teenage girls. Just because teenage girls are interested in something does not mean that it is necessarily unworthy of praise.

On March 6, 2020, I left campus for spring break. The day prior, everyone in my media effects class was buzzing about the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic that had entered the United States in February. I was not the only one who wasn’t comprehending the gravity of the situation. I remember laughing with my peers about how if everyone washed their hands, we would all be fine. It was “just like the flu.” It wouldn’t be a big deal. In fact, we all thought it couldn’t be worse than swine flu, which several of my classmates and their family members had contracted back in 2009. However, a few days later, we all got the email that we would not be returning to school for a few weeks. Those weeks turned into months, and before I knew it, I was finishing my third year of college.

That media effects lecture was the last class I had in person. The remainder of that spring semester was chaotic, with professors and students trying to figure out the best way to teach and learn via Zoom, respectively. By the time finals rolled around, I felt like I really hadn’t accomplished anything in terms of learning. I was attending lectures in my childhood bedroom instead of walking to class. I hadn’t interacted with my peers or professors face-to-face in weeks. Projects I had been working on all semester had to be dramatically altered to accommodate virtual instruction. No part of my day-to-day routine made me feel like a college student.

Fast forward over a year later, and I’ll be returning to in-person classes this fall. I really don’t think I have fully wrapped my head around that yet. While my third year proceeded somewhat smoothly in terms of actually retaining information, and I received good grades because of it, it still wasn’t the same as sitting in a lecture hall with the amazing professors teaching me. I am extremely lucky that I will experience a semblance of normalcy this year, but it is still going to feel insanely surreal. Pre-Covid, I would have expected entering my final year of college to feel different. I thought I would feel more adult, more accomplished. Obviously, attending classes in your apartment and being deprived of all in-person events for an entire school year is not what college is supposed to be. While I am not an extremely extroverted person, I desperately missed in-person classes, and the pandemic drastically altered my expectations surrounding collegiate learning and social interactions.

Despite the adjustment this semester will be, I am looking forward to going back to in-person classes. I am looking forward to interacting with my brilliant professors and my amazing peers at the journalism school. “Zoom university,” what many called online instruction, ended up not being as awful as anticipated, but I am glad it’s over. Even if I have to wear a mask during lectures, it will be a huge improvement to sitting in my apartment alone every day. I also am looking forward to walking to class in the fall, when the campus is at its most beautiful. I feel so lucky that I can attend the University of Minnesota, and finally, after over a year of staring at a computer screen all day, I will be able to fully appreciate it again.

As someone who is about to enter their final year of college, I have not spent a lot of time reminiscing about who I was at 17, because frankly, I think I was a little insufferable. But I vividly remember what music I listened to when I felt like the world around me was caving in or when I felt deeply misunderstood by my peers. Most of what I listened to were songs written and performed by men who whine about how not getting the girl they desired was tearing them up inside. However, the pain and anger in their voices were what I was relating to, not the lyrics. I also occasionally listened to Lorde, an amazing female artist, but her songs left me feeling more pensive and nostalgic than anything else. I did not realize it at the time, but I never came across a female artist who encapsulated the frustrations of being a teenage girl, at least not one who was actually a teenager while writing her songs. Then, at 21 years old, I heard “Brutal” by Olivia Rodrigo for the first time.

For those who have been living under a rock, Rodrigo is an 18-year-old songwriter and actress who first achieved fame when Disney cast her in the television series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” While appearing in the show made Rodrigo popular, I first heard of Rodrigo when she released her now renowned single, “Drivers License,” at the beginning of 2021. The song became a staple on my Tik Tok “For You” page, and not only was it stuck in my head constantly, but like many others, I became a little too invested in the petty teen drama that inspired “Drivers License.” Basically, Joshua Bassett, another actor in “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” broke Rodrigo’s heart by choosing to date Sabrina Carpenter.

While I am long past my teenage angst phase, the songs on SOUR, particularly “Brutal,” which explores the anger and anxiety that comes with being a teenage girl, resonated with me. The songs forced me to think about who I was at 17 and how, if SOUR had come out when I was in high school, it would have been all I listened to, particularly because I would have found it so relatable. From capturing the frustration with stupid teenage boys, to anxiety over not being good enough for peers and the world in general, Rodrigo can channel emotions that are difficult to vocalize effectively. While some may find Rodrigo’s songs immature, I think that they are incredibly accurate, and teenagers should not be expected to possess the maturity of people who have gone through their adolescence.

It is rare to find an artist who can vocalize teenage angst while also being a teenager themselves. As Pitchfork writes in their review of SOUR, “Like [Rodrigo’s] seeming newness, her earnestness, the heartbreak baked into her ascent, it’s one of the qualities that makes her easy to root for.” While Rodrigo is obviously a major celebrity and lives a life very different from mine at 17, SOUR proves that no one is too famous or too successful to avoid heartbreak, anger and crippling anxiety. I think it is clear that Rodrigo will have a very long, successful career, given how poignant and impressive SOUR is. And based on my TikTok “For You” page, I am definitely not the only one who possesses this sentiment.

Oh, one last thing, I think it would be best if Joshua Bassett stayed off the internet for a while.

My heart had been pounding since I got the notification that the Derek Chauvin trial verdict was going to be read within the hour. I made myself some peppermint tea as my hands shook and quickly turned on the news. I watched news correspondents discuss how surprised they were that the jury came back this quickly and how this usually means a bad outcome for the defendant, in this case, Chauvin. However, I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I was petrified that the justice system would fail George Floyd and all of America. But that did not happen. Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He was held accountable for murdering Floyd.

On March 8, I wrote a column titled “Hoping justice will prevail.” I wrote this column as the Chauvin trial was starting and the city of Minneapolis was beginning to get tenser and tenser. I was hoping more than anything that Chauvin would be found guilty of murdering Floyd and set the precedent that police officers should be held accountable for killing Black Americans. Looking back at the title of that column, I should have replaced the word “justice” with “accountability.” Justice prevailing would mean that the system that allows police to get away with murdering Black Americans would be completely reformed. While this verdict is a milestone in the fight for justice, Chauvin is a rarity in being a police officer held accountable for the murder of a Black man.

The prosecution and defense delivered their closing arguments on April 19. In between doing classwork and attending lectures, I watched the closing arguments and started to gain hope that the jury would find Chauvin guilty on all three counts. While watching the closing arguments, I was struck by prosecutors Jerry Blackwell and Steven Schleicher, who were absolutely incredible. In response to the defense’s closing argument, Blackwell said “The reason George Floyd is dead is because Mr. Chauvin’s heart is too small.” This was in reference to the defense alleging that Floyd died not because Chauvin was kneeling on his neck, but because Floyd’s heart was enlarged. I felt as though the eloquence of Schleicher and Blackwell’s closing argument and rebuttal, respectively, should be enough to convince the jury that Chauvin was undeniably responsible for Floyd’s murder.

The outcome of this trial marks a turning point in America. It shows that the justice system is not completely broken, that a jury can recognize that police officers are not public executioners and need to be held accountable for their actions. As I watched Chauvin’s reaction as the verdict was read, I wished his mask was off so I could see the shock spread across his usually smug face. He mercilessly robbed Floyd’s family of their son, brother and father. Chauvin deserved this convictionsentence. He deserved to face accountability and he deserves to rot in jail.

“Tara, it is not normal to get sick every time you eat pizza.”

“Tara, please take Lactaid.”

“Tara, maybe you should just stop eating dairy.”

These are the words my friends and family have been saying to me for years. I think part of me has always known that I was lactose intolerant, but for most of my life, I ignored it. Yes, my stomach doubled in size every time I had ice cream, and yes, I had to sprint to the bathroom an hour after eating Culver’s cheese curds. I never took Lactaid, a medication that helps people with lactose intolerance digest dairy products, because I didn’t think it was really that bad. I chose to be in denial and continued to eat dairy products frequently.

In the United States, about 36% of people have some form of lactose malabsorption, meaning they have a reduced ability to digest lactose. I am one of those people and know others who are as well. However, most of the people I know with lactose intolerance — myself included — continue to eat dairy anyway. In many ways, I think people view the consequences of eating dairy as worth it, since foods that contain lactose tend to be incredibly delicious.

What I find really interesting about lactose intolerance is how flippant people are about it. In elementary school, I remember teachers not allowing us to bring treats to school that had peanuts in them and having a peanut-free table in the lunchroom for kids who were allergic to nuts. But there were no such regulations regarding dairy products, at least none that I was aware of.

Clearly, this is because the consequences of lactose intolerance are quite mild compared to a severe peanut allergy. If a person with lactose intolerance eats dairy, they are often met with bloating, stomach cramps and diarrhea — which can definitely be unpleasant (I would know) but not deadly. Those with severe peanut allergies can die if they ingest peanuts and need to carry an EpiPen around in case of accidental ingestion.

Side note, people with peanut allergies are often made fun of on social media, being called weak or attention-seeking. Some even go so far as to argue that people with peanut allergies shouldn’t be allowed to reproduce since they make everyone without peanut allergies sacrifice eating certain foods in order to prevent severe allergic reactions. You will find no such posts about us lactose-intolerant folks.

A question I sometimes get is, “Why do you eat dairy if it causes you so much pain?” I really don’t have a good answer for that besides the fact that dairy products are delicious. Is that immature? Probably. But what’s life without a little pain?

I want to make it very clear that I do not recommend blatantly ignoring your lactose intolerance. Obviously, you can make your own choices regarding what you eat, but there have been many times where I’ve had moments of intense self-reflection, mostly while in the fetal position on my bathroom floor, and I question why I continue to eat foods that hurt me.

Will I stop eating dairy products? Frankly, no. But I am going to do my best to be more responsible about it, even if that means reducing my consumption of dairy products and carrying Lactaid with me wherever I go.

It has been almost 10 months since George Floyd was allegedly murdered by Derek Chauvin, a now-former police officer for the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). Floyd’s death rocked the country and caused justified outrage, sparking uprisings in many major cities. This week, on March 8, the trial of Derek Chauvin is finally beginning. Chauvin is currently facing charges of second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Additionally, the Minnesota Court of Appeals is considering reinstating a third-degree murder charge. If convicted, Chauvin will face up to 40 years in prison.

Floyd’s death was monumental in bringing historically persistent acts of police brutality back into the spotlight. While there have been many instances of racial profiling leading to the tragic deaths of Black Americans, the gruesome video of Floyd crying out for his life under Chauvin’s knee showed how blatant this problem really is, and how nothing consequential was being done to stop it. In the weeks following Floyd’s death, the city of Minneapolis seemed to implode, with protests and uprisings being met with rubber bullets and tear gas.

While jury deliberation will not begin for another few weeks, jury selection alone has caused the tension caused by Floyd’s death to reemerge stronger than ever. On my Instagram feed, I have seen many people already planning on attending protests around the Minneapolis courthouse where the trial is taking place. Clearly, some people are planning for justice to not prevail. This is understandable given the track record of individuals not being held accountable for the deaths of Black Americans.

The city of Minneapolis has made it perfectly clear that they are expecting conflict no matter the verdict. At least $1 million is being spent on installing fences and other barricades around the courthouse, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey revealed that he has been working with the state and Minnesota National Guard to avoid unrest. I know many are hoping that the trial is fair, and that the verdict would give no reason for unrest. I think a heavy military presence will only increase hostility and remind people of the violent and tumultuous summer of 2020, which could have very negative effects on the entire city.

In order for Chauvin to be found guilty, the jury will have to make a unanimous decision regarding his role in Floyd’s death. If just one person disagrees with the other jurors, a mistrial will occur. A mistrial would be incredibly problematic, because it could allow Chauvin to work out a plea bargain, lead to another trial or even get the charges dismissed.

I am sincerely hoping that this will be a fair trial and that Chauvin will receive the punishment I believe he deserves. While deliberation won’t take place for a few weeks, the entire city and I are going to be holding our breath, hoping justice will be served. Personally, I think that the video footage of Floyd’s death is enough to convict anyone of murder, regardless of their job. Even the county medical examiner ruled Floyd’s death a homicide. I hope that the jury will see the video and quickly decide that Chauvin should be put in prison for the full 40 years. It is time to start holding men like Chauvin accountable for taking the lives of Black Americans.

This past summer was beyond tumultuous. Between the pandemic, the police killing of George Floyd and the resulting uprisings, everyone seemed to be on edge and frustrated. It was around this time that I also started noticing an increase in Instagram stories. They weren’t the kind of posts I was used to, though: Many of the posts, including my own, were political in nature and calling for an end to the various injustices that were not only plaguing Minneapolis but the rest of the country as well. However, I quickly began to question these posts’ authenticity.

It was around this time that I first heard the phrase “performative activism.” Performative activism is characterized by people posting about important social and political issues in hopes of making their followers believe that they care about said issues. For example, when the nationwide lockdown began in March, some celebrities took part in a video compiled of each of them singing a line from the John Lennon song “Imagine,” supposedly to increase morale. Not only did this video quickly become a meme on sites like Twitter, but many of the people I know — myself included — saw this as a shallow attempt to make normal people feel united with these celebrities. But the majority of people do not have the luxury of being able to quarantine themselves in a massive house with access to great medical care whenever they need it.

Performative activism is not exclusive to celebrities. In the days following George Floyd’s killing, many people posted black images with the hashtag #BlackoutTuesday in an attempt to bring attention to racial injustice in America. However, many Black activists were quick to point out that flooding Instagram with these posts hid resources for ways to support Black-owned businesses and petitions to end racial violence. For transparency’s sake, I will admit that I was one of the people who posted a black square. At the moment, I believed that this was a way to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement, but after learning that it was viewed as repressive rather than helpful, I felt embarrassed and ashamed that I didn’t do more research before posting the black square. It was then that I realized that I had fallen into the trap of performative activism, and it was a huge learning moment for me.

In my opinion, the real harm of performative activism is that it can suppress the voices of people who don’t have the same number of followers or as large of a platform. The “Imagine” video is a perfect example of this. While it is possible that these celebrities’ hearts were in the right place, the attention this video got overshadowed the reality that hundreds of thousands of people were contracting the virus and thousands were dying. On a smaller scale, someone partaking in performative activism who has 1,000 followers is going to reach more people than someone who has 300, but this can be harmful if the person with a greater number of followers spreads false information.

It is natural for people to feel that if they are not jumping on the bandwagon, regardless of the context, that they are doing something wrong. But in this instance, blindly supporting a cause you really don’t know much about has the potential to be toxic rather than helpful, as shown with #BlackoutTuesday. I am not cynical enough to believe that everyone who participates in performative activism is doing so just to gain followers or clout, but I think many people are afraid that not showing their support for certain social causes will cause them to be ostracized. In reality, surface-level activism is, I think, worse than not saying anything at all.