Photography, Styling and Descriptions by: Ilanda Tran Editing by: Jackie Zhou
A bright outfit for a day at my internship. I kept it professional with a collared shirt and plain dress, and then added character with a cardigan I crocheted.
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Words by: Erin Constable
After several delays for the long-awaited jump day, I finally fell out of an aero-plane (voluntarily).
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Words by: Shabnam Sidhu
“How can a body be safe when it’s only a body? How can we expect that no stranger will be tempted to torch an empty house?” (Lilian Fishman, Acts of Service)
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Words & images by: Mia RobertsonREAD MORE
Words by: Bryan Hoadley Art by: Adrienne Aw
The taxi fills with sunlight. I’ve never been to this city before, but as I look out the window, I instinctively know I’m in LA. The car pulls up in front of a bright white hotel with large circular pillars and gleaming windows.
“Ms Davis is waiting for you in the foyer,” says a suited employee while ushering me inside. My chest tightens in anticipation. Hollywood, Davis — this can only mean one thing.
… The Happiest Day
Words by: Caitlin Cefai Art by: Madison Marshall
The sweat. The rush. The crowd. The bounce. The game. It’s full throttle: no protective gear, played in the dead of winter, and known for being a petri dish for vulgarity and violence in its crowd. Aussie Rules is the sport for Australians. It’s as tough as its namesake nation — the soul of a home with over 60,000 years of history. It’s a game for all Australians…
Well, up until only six years ago, it was actually a game just for men.
… She Is the Navy Blue
Words by: Ruby Ellam Art by: Hayley Maree
Dear Valiant and Noble Leader,
I write to you today in a flurry of tears. It is with my deepest regret, that I must abandon my post, and respectfully and woefully step down from the minimum wage retail job that you kindly gifted me so long ago.
… Please Accept This Letter As Notice of My Resignation
Words by: Gabriela Fannia Art by: Emilia Bajer
Innocent wishes and boundless imagination, with a touch of hopefulness — that is what childhood dreams are made of. Funny how we don’t remember most things from the past (let alone last Monday’s dinner), yet a childhood dream will always have its place in a precious storage box, tucked inside the mind.
… A Kid’s Dream
Words by: Laeticia Keiko Art by: Naiya Sornratanachai
To all my fellow hopeless romantics, love is full of expectations and disappointments. It can be a dream come true, but just remember that all fairytales come with constant ups and downs and plot twists. Are we really ready to experience realistic love?
… Fairytale Standards
Words & Photography by: Lauren Gallina
The warmer months are approaching; as we put away our puffer jackets and let our bodies breathe again, I want to present us with some ideas for hope and growth moving forward.
… Letters of Hope: For Our Sake
Words by: Clara Yew Art by: Lauren Easter
Unfortunately, we can’t all be forced into karaoke at a New Year’s Eve party with a stranger and have that person move to our school when the term starts. Alas, life is not an excellent musical film by Disney Channel, but anything can happen when you take a chance.
… The Start of Something New
Words by: Felice Lok Art by: Lauren Gallina
I have two really good friends who I cherish very much. One will FaceTime me for five hours straight as we talk about the minor inconveniences we experienced that day in immaculate detail. The other calls me and we talk about career crises and trips to London over the summer holiday. I try to catch up with them often, but when life gets in the way and we don’t see each other for weeks, it feels like I have a gaping hole in my heart. For me, these two are my biggest soulmates. And this piece is dedicated to all the things I hope will come true for them.
… You’ve Got a Friend in Me
Words by: Juliette Capomolla Art by: Ilanda Tran
I bought flared jeans because they were the thing. Never mind they accentuated my big hips and didn’t show off my smaller calves.
I cut bangs because everyone else was doing it. Let’s pretend I didn’t look like a moonface (as my mum would so kindly put it).
I downloaded TikTok so I could keep up with the jokes, despite knowing full well I would spend hours on that app when I could be doing something productive.
And that’s just to name a few times in my twenties when I’ve done a thing or two just to fit in. It’s a terrible thing isn’t it, trying to keep up with the Joneses? So why do we do it?
… MUST BE LIKED!
Words by: Daisy Henry Art by: Gabrielle Poh
Sometimes when you’re in need of a little hope, you might be inclined to venture outside for a walk or to enjoy a fun night out. Other times, you may simply want to retreat to your room, withdraw from the outside world, and enjoy some alone time.
… Top 5 Recommendations To Bring You Hope
Words by: Lochie McKay Art by: My Tieu Ly
I think my love affair with the bright side of life started when my dad and I watched Monty Python’s Life of Brian — we’re the only two people in our family of six who loved that movie. For those of you who haven’t seen it, Brian is mistakenly believed to be the messiah, despite his protests that he is just an ordinary guy. He is then sentenced to death and while all his followers and his girlfriend have the chance to save him, they instead vow to preach his teachings and form a new religion in his name. So, as he is hanging there after being crucified, his buddy the next cross along tells him to “cheer up you old bugger, give us a grin” and launches into song. Needless to say, the joke never fails to get a good laugh out of me.
… Glass Half Full
Words by: Tess Kent Art by: Carla J. Romana
I’m sitting in my first-year marketing class. The term ‘sitting in’ is a bit of a stretch, given that it’s 2020 and all of my classes have been shifted to this peculiar platform called Zoom. We’re learning about the premise of cost/sacrifice value and I’m half paying attention, thinking about whether or not I need to remember this information for this week’s Moodle quiz. Yet, fast forward to two years later and now every day I live the eternal struggle of evaluating the cost/sacrifice value of my silly little $6.50 almond latte.
… Financial Security: From the Perspective of a Student
Words by: Caitlin Cefai
A review of Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh
Trigger warning: violent and graphic imagery.
It’s icky, unkind and downright disturbing, but as Moshfegh herself describes, it’s a tale of hope, and a brilliant one at that.
… Heinous, Horrible, Hellish and Hopeful?
Words by: Kiera Eardley Art by: Naiya Sornratanachai
“…as heads is tails / just call me Lucifer / ’cause I’m in need of some restraint”
‘Sympathy for the Devil’ (1968), The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones have courted controversy for their entire 60-year career. The British rock & roll band was marketed as the anti-establishment antidote to the saccharine Beatles — and they didn’t shy away from living up to that bad-boy image.
… Just Call Me Lucifer
Words by: Sarah Louise Art by: Lauren Easter
You spot him seated at a small table in the corner. Thank God, he looks like his Hinge profile. The restaurant is dimly lit, so hopefully he won’t notice the pimple that rudely decided to pop up this morning. He stands up to greet you, pulls your chair out and fills your glass with water. Tick.
… Table Manners
Esperanto Magazine 