Plan an Ideal Vacation and Get a Kali Uchis Song

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Question 1/10

What’s one word to describe your dream vacation?

Peaceful

Comforting

Romantic

Exciting

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Question 2/10

What type of vacationer are you?

The early bird

The spontaneous one

The shopper

The over-planner

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Question 3/10

Choose your ideal destination..

Amalfi Coast

Paris

Hawaii

Switzerland

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Question 4/10

Who are you going with?

Big family

Friends

Alone

Siblings

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Question 5/10

How long will you be gone for?

Four nights

A week

A month

Two weeks

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Question 6/10

What is your first activity of the day?

Sleeping in

Taking a scenic tour

Going swimming

Shopping

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Question 7/10

Which restaurant are you going to?

A hidden local gem

Fast food

Michelin star restaurant

The closest place

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Question 8/10

What are your evening plans?

Cozy night in

Explore night life

Go straight to sleep

Late night meals

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Question 9/10

What’s the highlight of your vacation itinerary?

Watching a beautiful sunset

Exploring nature

Visiting tourist attractions

Resting by the beach/pool

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Question 10/10

What souvenirs are you taking back home?

Just memories

Art

Something practical that you can use everyday

Rocks and shells

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“I have always been in dance since I was little. I did competition dance as a kid and then I did ballet as well, so dance has always been an extremely important part of my life,” Nickens said. “At that time, my sister’s best friend, Josie Herrin, who was the SunDancer Major, encouraged me to try out for Sundancers, saying that [I] was going to love it. And after meeting the directors, I knew I [wanted to] be a part of this and that’s why I tried out.”

Nickens’s decision to dive into Westwood’s dance team was largely inspired by the people she had around her like former SunDancer director Jessica Steedley, who was known for unconventional yet effective teaching.

“What piqued my interest to join the SunDancers was Ms. Steedley, who taught my Jazz 34 class at Westwood,” Nickens said. “She always made me want to work really hard. She is still one of my biggest role models to this day and I knew I would enjoy being in the program, knowing that she was going to be the one teaching and directing me.”

The magic of the SunDancer community, like many other tight-knit groups, shines the brightest during competitions and events. It’s in shared moments and the thrill of celebrating a nailed routine that strengthens friendships, but more than that, are the small moments when SunDancers can see their love for the team.

“I love everything about being a SunDancer,” Nickens said. “I love that I get to spend so much time with my best friends. I love football games, I love competition season, and I love [the] spring show. I just love the little memories we make in between all of that. I love the early morning practices. I love staying late at night at games and getting home at 12 o’clock. I just enjoy every moment of it.”

The magic behind the team’s special bond is also in the way traditions are carried out, and to Nickens, these rituals are a rhythm of belonging, connection, and leadership.

“[One of these traditions] happens when you are a junior going into your senior year. Current seniors of that year, during Escapade, pass on a saying or movement,” Nickens said. “For example, my pass down was a slow clap. During practice sometimes, I randomly shout out, ‘I think we need a slow clap,’ and then everyone follows suit.”

Stepping into a leadership position was more than wanting an important role to Nickens. Her focus was on giving back to the team that had shaped her, a desire that stemmed from her passion for leading others through hardships and helping every dancer feel seen and encouraged.

“I’ve always considered myself a leader. I love taking charge of a group and to be the one to help initiate and get things done, but this organization has blessed me in so many ways,” Nickens said. “This program has changed me as a dancer, friend, and as a person in general, [and] I wanted to be a part of that legacy to help younger SunDancers grow.”

“I also had some incredible leaders to show me how fun it could be to be an officer and I wished to help other people feel the love for the SunDancers that I feel,” Nickens said. “As a leader, I have so many chances to bring joy to the SunDancers’ days. Every day, I get to walk into practice and I get to help people feel like they’re reaching their highest potential.”

Nickens’s daily routine is one of dedication and passion. Throughout the day, reflected in how she continually and consistently narrows down on specific things she wishes to accomplish.

“My day-to-day life looks like working on choreography the night before practice and cleaning up my technique so that when I come in the next day, I’m prepared to teach people,” Nickens said. “On the days I am cleaning, I’ll stand in front of the room and make sure that we squash mistakes so that we can be prepared for whatever [event or competition] we are participating in.”

However, Nickens doesn’t just lead on the floor – she spends time writing notes, strategizing, and organizing her goals. She works tirelessly behind the scenes, pouring her time and energy into perfecting her dancing and thoughtfully planning what she hopes to bring into practice. Her leading is in the small details and that is where her passion shows.

“I have so many notes and documents on my phone just full of cleaning, tips, and things that I want to share with the team at the next rehearsal because practice time is so limited,” Nickens said. “I use a lot of my free time outside of school to make sure that I’m prepared and the team is prepared,”

Nickens’s impactful leadership alongside the dedication of other Line Officers Senior Lieutenant Aubrey Phu ‘25, Senior Lieutenant Ella Popps ’25 , and Junior Lieutenant Elliot Richard ‘26 – have turned up results. But beyond the polished performances is the bond between the officers and the pride from knowing that they have uplifted their team.

“I always say that our line has never been stronger because we work so well together and it’s been wonderful getting to work with the other officers,” Nickens said. “They’re just the most incredible officer line and we get things done so efficiently.”

As Nickens has grown into her leadership position she has learned that real leadership is rooted in empathy, the ability of inspiring others, and sacrifices.

“What I have learned from being a SunDancer is that it showed me how to be a serving leader. I think that many people see being an officer as being above other people, but I believe that in a way, I am underneath everyone else,” Nickens said. “I’m [constantly] building other people up and helping them grow to their full potential. It’s taught me awareness of what other people need.”

Nickens acknowledges that a team’s strength lies in its members, and her role as Major extends past leading and being a reliable, positive figure.

“My team members could be doing anything else with their morning like sleeping in or eating a nice breakfast, but they’re at practice and so I want what we do to be absolutely worth it, so I make sure that I come in with a smiling face,” Nickens said.

As the year comes to a stop, Nickens has the chance to reflect on the lasting impact she has left on the SunDancer community. As she graduates, her focus on creating an environment where dancers feel inspired to find their voice will inspire the future leaders who have seen her contribute to her teammates.

“I know the importance of a strong community. [The SunDancers] are my family. We do everything together,” Nickens said. “These are my best friends and I know that some of them will be my bridesmaids. I am so blessed that I got to experience [being a part of the SunDancers]. There’s nothing like it at all in the world.”

A less well-known artist, George Clanton is an American singer-songwriter who emerged in the early 2010’s vaporwave scene. Clanton is most well known for his songs Warmpop, Livin’ Loose, I Been Young, and his tendency to utilize the feeling of nostalgia. Both self-proclaimed “bad boys of indie-electro pop,” TV Girl and Clanton connected in 2015 when Clanton had toured with the band, and a year ago had begun to work on a collaborative album.

Released earlier in August, the single preceding the album, which included Summer 2000 Baby and Take A Trip, did not hint at an album until TV Girl posted the vinyl months after and confirmed the existence of an upcoming album. Fauxllenium dropped on December 2, bringing a mini album of seven, funky and hypnotic pop songs. Unlike TV Girl’s past albums, Fauxllenium has a production sound that features the technical production and more muted, repetitive lyrics. 

Everything Blue, the second track of the album, exudes a dreamy, video game-esque aura. The singers express their unhappiness in their current situation, wishing to be washed “back out to sea” and go back to where they belong, where “everything’s blue,” as TV Girl’s classic combination of synths and snare drum beats sound in the background, or rather, forefront. As the singing comes to a stop, the synths rise up in a melodic line that almost imitates the waves of the ocean the lyrics are about. 

And as Everything Blue fades out, Fauxllenium brings a song reminiscent of TV Girl’s past album, French Exit. Fauxllenium comments on the ability to brush off life’s serious points and focus on something more short term and childish, as George Clanton sings, “Some people need someone to save / Some people need someone to blame / But I just need / Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah.”

The next track, Butterflies, featuring Jordana, an American indie and bedroom pop artist, presents a house music style with its upbeat tempo, 4/4 beat, strictly rhythmic ad-libs, and synthetic melody. Jordana, along with Shira Small (a folk artist) who sings the chorus, explores the feelings of attachment to a romantic partner and fear of hurting them, evident in the lyrics, “You said it wouldn’t hurt you if I left without a warning / Baby, baby, why would you lie to me? / Even the flying bird’s caged by the breeze.” 

Take A Trip sounds similar to Taking What’s Not Yours. In contrast with the majority of the songs on Fauxllenium, the vocals are more uncovered and become as important as the instrumental. Overall, Take A Trip brings a sound that has now completely become TV Girl’s signature sound and groove. 

As the album comes to a slow end, The Sweet Life definitely stands out among the other tracks on Fauxllenium. The song features a trumpet melody and a beautifully paired maracas that sets it apart from TV Girl’s regular music. The Sweet Life directly leads to the last song of the album: Yesterday’s World. The last track is a light hearted song with a noticeably faster tempo that feels dedicated to the listener’s own 2000s movie montage, tying the feeling back to the beginning of the album.

In the end, Fauxllenium is a very well produced album, with a few outstandingly memorable songs like Summer 2000 Baby, Take A Trip, and Fauxllenium. The album does present a unique blend of TV Girl’s and George Clanton’s music, resulting in a more heavy electronic sound and a hip hop influence. Fauxllenium is much faster and upbeat than TV Girl’s past albums, with a more European pop sound. However, the album does have some songs that immediately stick out along with songs that may need a few repeats to get them to stick. TV Girl’s voices are also curiously sparse during the entire album, with entire songs sung by Clanton. 

Although the album does feel more geared toward George Clanton, the songs are colorful and provide an amazing listening experience. Fauxllenium is perfect for those who enjoy TV Girl’s faster, more electronic tracks and are eager to explore different music genres. 

What Kind of Summer Food Should you Eat?

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Question 1/10

It’s the first day of summer! What are you doing?

Sleeping in!

Hanging out with friends

Starting to study for next school year

Enjoying the extra time for hobbies

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Question 2/10

It’s time to plan a trip! Where are you going?

Hawaii

Bali

Quebec

Australia

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Question 3/10

It’s a hot day! Where are you going?

Local swimming pool

The beach

The lake

Stay at home since it's too hot

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Question 4/10

You planned an outing with your friends. What’s the first thing on your itinerary?

Eat brunch

Road trip

Go shopping

Watch a movie

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Question 5/10

What’s the second thing on your itinerary?

Swimming pool

Beach day

Watch the sunset

Have a picnic

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Question 6/10

It’s already halfway through summer…What are you most stressed about for next school year?

My hard classes

Making new friends

Having to focus on grades again

Having little free time

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Question 7/10

But summer isn’t over yet! Pick something to do during an all-nighter.

Binge watch my favorite show

Read a book

Call my friends

No all nighters for me!

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Question 8/10

You need a day for self-care! What are you doing first?

Take a bubble bath

Skincare

Journal

Exercise

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Question 9/10

Choose another self-care activity!

Do some stretching

Cook healthy food

Decorate my room

Go on a walk

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Question 10/10

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Strawberry

Vanilla

Mint chocolate

Chocolate

Submit

On April 19 at the Bass Concert Hall, Laufey performed songs from her newest album, Bewitched, along with her newest single and the title of her tour, Goddess. 

The concert began with opener Grace Enger, known for her song The Neighborhood, which she performed along with Bad Guy, Good Stuff, The Cut, Ruin, and an unreleased song. Enger charmingly introduced her songs with short anecdotes and hushed the crowd with her angelic voice and heartbreakingly relatable songs. Although her setup and performance— a dark stage with only a guitar— was simple, her stage presence drew in the audience. 

The audience anticipated Laufey’s entrance as a simple piano instrumental and simple melody played and the stage lit up small lights that resembled stars. The cloudy haze of the spotlights, the warm pink lights, and the starry walls made the experience out of this world. Her entrance, right as While You Were Sleeping started, was as magical as the stage decorations. 

After the first song, Laufey continued on with her setlist, getting the audience to sing along to fan favorites, such as Valentine, Falling Behind, and Promise. Among the songs she performed, From The Start is arguably her most famous song, as it helped her become much more well-known in the music community and beyond. As a testament to her skills in classical music, Laufey performed a beautiful cello solo in the instrumental section of Beautiful Stranger and I Wish You Love, and played the piano for more than half of her setlist. 

Laufey’s newly released single, Goddess, acted as the pinnacle of her concert. The song is filled with Laufey’s raw experience of having someone in love with the person she was on stage and the bitterness of being just human. The performance started with just piano and Laufey’s voice, slowly joined by the live quartet and drum, until the audience could feel the emotions of the song. 

Additionally, Laufey performed an unreleased single, which is currently set to release on Apr. 26, introducing the song with the question: “Have you ever been in a relationship with someone, and they were just so boring?” The song was simple, but had a memorable melody and even more memorable lyrics. 

Laufey’s music has continued to evolve as she’s experimented with slightly different themes and instrumentals, which is evident in her album Bewitched. Her Goddess Tour beautifully sums up her achievements and the evolution of her music from simple melodies to more complex, emotional songs.                                                                                      

Laufey’s next concert date is set to be in Washington, D.C. on April 25.

On April 12, Biden canceled $7.4 billion in student loan debt for 277,000 borrowers in his administration’s latest efforts to cancel student loan debt. The Biden Administration’s last cancellation of student debt in March forgave student loans for 77,700 public service workers (including teachers, firefighters, nurses, and social workers) were canceled by Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Now, around 870,000 public service workers have benefited from debt forgiveness, which is 100 times more borrowers who were provided relief prior to the Biden-Harris administration. 

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona commented on Biden’s loan forgiveness plan, saying that the country has allowed our nation’s vital workers to be unable to “access the debt relief they are entitled to under the law” for too long.

On Feb. 21, President Joe Biden announced an early cancelation of approximately $1.2 billion in student debt six months ahead of schedule. The plan will cancel debt for borrowers enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) program, who have been in repayment for at least 10 years, and who have $12,000 or less in college loans. 

These actions should have been taken much earlier, as it would have helped millions of students who struggled to earn money due to the burden of needing to pay off their debt. Therefore, Biden’s actions are a great starting point to aid current college students and graduates in their financial journey. 

It is estimated that 153,000 borrowers enrolled in SAVE repayment plans were provided debt forgiveness. Debt cancellations have provided much-needed breathing room for borrowers to afford other expenses, buy homes, start businesses, and pursue other goals. President Biden has vowed to fix the student loan system and guarantee that education is a reliable passageway to success instead of a barrier. 

For those whose debt has been canceled, Biden’s actions are a saving grace. On the other hand, people who have paid back their debt may find it unfair, since they had not received aid. Although the situation is not favorable for those already free of debt, there is a limited amount of action the administration can take. However, for those who have paid back student loans and currently are not in a good economic situation, the government should work to provide something. If Biden’s goal is making the passage into the middle class easier, he should try and help those who are debt-free, but still struggling from the consequences of student loan debt. 

The SAVE plan and other similar programs have done much more than past administrations for canceling student loans. Compared to other former governments, the Biden-Harris administration has approached the problem more efficiently, quickly, and with a clear goal in mind. Through the cancellation of debt, borrowers will hopefully be able to pursue larger goals. 

However, despite the success of their efforts, Biden’s administration has only approved the cancellation of around 9% of the current $1.6 trillion of student loan debt. Additionally, it is only one-third of the debt that had been expected to be forgiven, as $430 billion would have been forgiven if the Supreme Court had not blocked the program from taking effect. 

In January, the Supreme Court rejected Biden’s plans, claiming the Department of Education doesn’t have the authority to cancel such amounts of student loan debt, as Congress had not granted that power. While true, there are no extremely concerning economic consequences for canceling student debt and there are many people who may be in dire need of financial aid. 

The Biden-Harris administration is continuing on towards its goal of canceling up to $430 billion in student debt.  Currently, the Department of Education is recounting past payments to fix errors and bring more people closer to debt relief. Biden is working to deliver relief to a specific group, those who have accumulated high. These proposals are expected to be finalized and go into effect in the fall.  Student debt is an unnecessary burden that affects far too many, and the Biden administration should do all that it can to alleviate its pain.