Editors' Letter
Dear UA Readers,
I don’t want to say much in this Editors’ Letter. The theme is self explanatory. We all understand it almost too well. I’m sorry about that.
This month is for you. Every month is for you, but this one especially so. It’s for your rants. It’s for your confusion. It’s for your loneliness. It’s an attempt to counteract that loneliness. We can all be lonely together.
Take whatever you need. Take the time to make a playlist of all the songs distracting you. Take a moment to reflect on the emotions you’re having, and just sit with them. Don’t push them down anymore. Take time to remember all the good things. Because they’re still there.
Write us if you’re not okay or if you’re lonely or if you’re bored. We’re here for you, and so is the entire UA community. You make us feel less alone.
So much love,
Vivian Chambers, Editor-In-Chief
Some things to keep you sane:
Sofia Coppola’s Lost In Translation seems fitting now. It’s a film about feeling alone. And it’s also about finding connection. It might bring you a sort of peace.
Likewise, The Before Trilogy has come into mind. Particularly Before Sunrise. I’m revisiting it to get lost in these conversations between two strangers. It makes me feel less alone in a strange way.
Rewatch all of your old favorite movies and TV shows. It will make you feel like you again. I’ve watched The O.C., Lady Bird, Mid90s, Romeo and Juliet, and everything I have on my computer.
I’ve seen many playlists to listen to in quarantine—and they’re filled with songs about loneliness. I’ve ignored these playlists and found myself listening to songs that make me laugh or smile or cry that have nothing to do with isolation. I guess it’s a way of distracting myself, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I’m trying to remember what fun feels like so I mess around and listen to Frank Oceans’s “Super Rich Kids”.
I’ve found myself not wanting to read to avoid making my brain work. But I think reading is one of the only things that makes me feel like things are normal. If you’re looking for something pensive, I recommend anything Joan Didion. Or try reading a memoir by your favorite actor or actress—anything to make you laugh and remember real life. I also recommend Emma for something funny, classic, and heartfelt.
Find the things that make you feel normal.
Dear UA lovers, loners, and dreamers,
When we last spoke, it was under many different circumstances. Last month’s theme was Rebirth, although, under current circumstances, we are still yet to feel reborn.
April’s theme is Isolation, and I think you know why. It is a very scary time to be young- to be human. I have been reading, writing, watching movies and finding distraction and coping mechanisms through art. I often find myself experiencing loneliness while under self-quarantine, and maybe you do too. And yet it all seems so insignificant. How can I feel bored with the tediousness and afraid for my family’s health at the same time? How can I be lonely when people are dying daily? How can I enjoy my senior year of high school when the world is so much bigger than prom or graduation or college?
Times like these leave me with the sudden feeling that our youth is fleeting. The freedom and innocence of growing up are becoming displaced by disillusionment. Perhaps we can use this month to reclaim our youth and find a way to heal. Because Life is a miracle, perhaps we can use this month to dance and play like children would and celebrate the joy, laughter, and release.
In the words of Tom Rosenthal, “The Lights Are On.” We just have to find them.
This space is for you. It always has been, and it always will be. Use this month to find a community, a friend, or inspiration. As always, we’re here if you ever need it.
Yours truly,
Savanna chada, managing editor
Dear UA Readers and Contributors,
Hi. It’s Katherine. I hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy. The past couple of weeks have been crazy for everyone.
I tried to write something for last month’s theme for what feels like five hundred times. I just couldn’t do it. It just doesn’t feel right with everything going on right now. If you’re in that place too, I’m right there with you.
I find it ironic that we chose rebirth for last month’s theme when we’ve been isolated for most of March. When this is all over though, we will be reborn. We’ll dance, we’ll hug our friends, and remember the eternal power of kindness and perseverance. These times bring out the best in humanity.
For now though, we’re in isolation, and that is why we chose it as April’s theme. I’ve been struggling with being alone. This whole experience almost doesn’t feel real to me, but I’ve been thinking a lot (one of the perks of social distancing, I guess), and maybe, some art is what we need right now. I quote Dead Poets Society to my friends every year before finals, and part of it feels as pertinent as ever today. “Poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”
I’ve been starting small. Writing some notes in my phone, jotting down some quotes and ideas that make me happy, writing this on a whim. It feels good to write.
Although this theme is called isolation, there really are no boundaries. However you are feeling right now is completely valid. I’ll say it again, however you are feeling right now is completely valid. We’re in this together.
And in no way am I meaning to come across as out of touch with this encouragement. If you need to take this time to care for yourself, then do it.
One quote I saved is from Vincent Van Gogh. He said “I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” So yes, please write and create and share it with us, but first love. Check up on your friends, your grandparents, someone you haven’t talked to in years. It is of the utmost importance that we take care of each other right now.
We will recover from this, and what a day it will be!
Best,