The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 25

March 9, 2021 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 7 Arts & Entertainment Staff Picks: “It’s been just about a year since lockdowns first began in the U.S., and a lot of things have changed -- including the things we do and observe to keep ourselves occupied. What’s a trend in pop culture or trendy activity from the early days of lockdowns that is most memorable to you?” “This one is a bit specific, but I remember whipped (Dalgona) coffee really vividly. The first time I made it, I was sitting at the island in my apartment on campus a few days after NSU announced we’d be moving online but before I had gone back home to finish out the semester virtually. My friend had been watching a lot of TikTok videos since we didn’t have classes, and we wanted to see if it would work. I was on a video call with my family trying to figure out how to navigate these ‘unprecedented’ events, whipping up some instant coffee, water and sugar by hand in my kitchen -- and I didn’t really even like the result that much, given how long it took to make. Looking back, the whole atmosphere of those first few weeks of lockdowns seems so strange, but at the same time, it felt like we were in it together: from whipping up coffee and testing other trends to trying to find any other way to make a new normal for ourselves,” said Madelyn Rinka, co-editor- in-chief. “Apart of me is cringing internally, admitting that this is the most memorable thing from quarantine, but TikTok has really become such a big part of my life. I am usually the last one on a trend and very rarely do I jump on new social media trends, but TikTok really held on for some reason. I don’t post dance videos or even make any content. My account on the app is primarily to like things on my For Your Page (FYP) and to send funny or relatable videos to my friends and family. The algorithm for the FYP is insanely predictable and it finds a lot of the content that I’m interested in and with very little mistakes. My favorite aspect of it is the customization of it. By engaging with your FYP page through liking and interacting with the videos, you can tailor and modify the content that you want to see. I’ve been able to focus content towards mental health and self-care tips and daily affirmations. It’s such a nice and encouraging app for me to open up at the end of the day when I’m feeling down or in the morning when I’m reluctant to start the day,” said Christina McLaughlin, co-editor-in-chief. “While it’s been just a year, the early days of lockdowns seem so distant to me, like if it were years ago rather than just last year. Yet, what I remember most is the creativity that flourished with everyone’s newly freed time. I remember seeing TikToks and videos of people creating socially distant games, redecorating their spaces and even taking up new creative hobbies, like painting, crocheting and rug making. I think, to this day, people are using their extra time to get creative and explore their creativity. As a creative individual myself, I’ve truly loved seeing all the art and beauty that has come out of such an unprecedented global experience,” said Flor Ana Mireles, copy editor. “Walks! At first, everyone started walking more to get some fresh air instead of being locked inside all day, but man, am I glad that I have made more of a habit out of it. The fresh air is fantastic. Not to mention, the minimal Ethical & cruelty-free hair products Sometimes, our hair can be our biggest concern when it comes to self-care. Taking care of your hair is a great way to feel your best and nurture both your body and soul. However, can you nurture your body if the products you use are stuffed with potentially harmful chemicals and offensive ingredients? When it comes to our hair, it’s important that we use products with the utmost best ingredients to ensure that it is going to benefit us in keeping our mane up to par. This starts with making sure that our hair products are produced ethically. I always look for products that are cruelty free and safe for the environment. Here are some ethical and cruelty free hair products: Emerge For people of color who have recently gone natural or are looking for a new set of cruelty free products that will define their curls and volumize their hair, Emerge hair products are perfect. Emerge products are created with all natural ingredients that are ensured to detangle, define and cleanse naturally curly hair. The products include no mineral oil, petroleum or dyes, so users are not exposed to any damaging properties. Their most highly rated item, the “Your Mane Bestie” leave-in conditioner, is made with pequi oil and shea butter, which is known to define curls. Not only are Emerge products cruelty free, but they are also inexpensive. As of right now, each available product is $6.99 on their website. Alaffia Alaffia is a brand that sells a variety of beauty products. From facial cleansers to hair products, all of Alaffia’s products are all natural, with their main ingredients being shea butter, coconut oil and natural plants. Alaffia has a variety of hair products, such as leave-in conditioners, shampoos, gels and more. When it comes to Alaffia’s ethical side, they are a brand that creates products beyond Fair Trade. All of their products are ethically produced in Africa, with the goal of assisting communities to maintain a good standard of education, health and environment. All of their packaging is also 100% recyclable. When it comes to pricing, OFFSHORE CALENDAR Online U.N. Perspective Series: Gender Equality & International Women’s Day 21 March 9 | 11:30 a.m. RSVP Rosslyn Rivals: Virtual Trivia Night March 9 & March 11 | 5 p.m. RSVP International Women’s Day Celebration: SASH’s 2021 Women Heroes Virtual March 10 | 11 a.m. RSVP Good For Your Soul: A Virtual Cooking Show March 10 | 6 p.m. RSVP BAMM Pride: An LGBTQIA+ Youth Summit March 12 | 10 a.m. RSVP Virtual Conversations with Najwa Dance Corps- Caribbean March 13 | 8 p.m. RSVP Virtual Save Sunday Music: David Phelops & More March 14 | 12 p.m. RSVP Unspoken Souls Virtual Event – Creative Black Voices March 15 | 6 p.m. RSVP their products are not too expensive with prices ranging from $8-15. Love Beauty and Planet Love Beauty and Planet have hair products that support all different hair textures. Their goal is to have all of their products be people and planet friendly. This means that they are willing to walk the extra mile to ensure that all of their packaging is 100% recyclable, compostable or reusable, all of their washed away products will be 100% biodegradable and support recycling collection infrastructure. This brand is also committed to planet-centric ways to enhance the beauty of one’s hair. When it comes to ingredients, Love Beauty and Planet’s hair products are all vegan and cruelty free and have main ingredients like coconut water, shea butter and essential oils. While ethical hair care products may not always be readily available to everyone, whether that be due to price, community or stock availability, it’s always good to research and find amazing companies that are eco-friendly and provide ethical hair products. By: Jaden Wilson Contributing Writer effort required. I am so happy to still be able to go on these daily walks while my family at home is currently locked in due to the non-stop snow. Walking with friends, walking alone, no destination in mind, just walking. It’s great,” said Rick Esner, news editor. “It’s been an entire year, and I have yet to be able to fully convince my brain that March was not last month. That said, I think coming up on the year mark really brings a lot into perspective. Like pretty much everyone, I had a boredom driven spurt of inspiration to have a “quarantine glow up” and started working out pretty routinely with my sister. What started as something I did out of pure and absolute boredom has grown into a habit that I am truly grateful for. Working out has become a really positive staple in my life, and I’m so thankful for the time quarantine gave me to stop and focus on me,” said Emma Heineman, features editor. “I miss playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons with my friends. It was a game that, as a fan of both farming-simulator-esque games and the Animal Crossing franchise, I had waited years for. It came at both the perfect and most terrible moment, but it was a great way to stay connected and play games with friends who I couldn’t see in person. It gave me a way to distract myself from all of the doom and gloom that so many of us have, unfortunately, learned to deal with now. I remember the first few weeks of lockdown being the most stressed and scared I ever remember being, but having a sweet little game about friendship and new beginnings was the perfect By: The Current remedy to that. I still play the game on a weekly basis, but lots of my friends have stopped playing entirely. I miss exploring each others’ islands and sending each other mail,” said Sofia Gallus, arts & entertainment editor. “Charcuterie boards! I am no stranger to a nice meat and cheese platter. I’m most familiar with them around the holidays, but this mass appreciation of the art that is charcuterie boards in the middle of a randomApril was just too good to resist. I personally love the ‘phone eats first’ trend where people simply just take a picture of their delectable meals and post them before they chow down. High definition photos of prosciutto, salami, various cheeses, crackers and fruit is just the type of content I sign into social media for. Whether your charcuterie board is merely Ritz crackers and a string cheese, share it -- someone is bound to enjoy it,” said Siena Berardi, sports editor. “This may sound a little out there, but I miss the concept of time. Like actual time. Only leaving my house three days a week has really messed up my sense of time. Most days, I only remember what day of the week it is and vaguely what month we are in. Do not even try to get the actual date fromme. Half of the time, I barely remember that it is 2021; this really just feels like 2020 part two electric boogaloo. Now, it is just filling in the passing time with memes from the putrid cesspool that is Tumblr and mindlessly scrolling through TikTok,” said Alexander Martinie, opinions editor.