by Alexa Narlinger

Extra Credit- Groundhog Day

The film Groundhog Day is about cynical weatherman Phil Connors who travels to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to report on the holiday that is Groundhog Day. The audience is quickly turned off to the character with his pessimistic mindset and rather rude approach to those around him. However when the next day rolls around, Phil is awakened to the same alarm clock radio stating that it once again is February 2nd… Groundhog Day. How could this be? Phil finds himself asking this question with denial, and then acceptance that he is in a way “immortal”. He then fills his following days chasing after his coworker, Rita, by finding out bits and pieces about her to scam her into falling in love with him. Even with all of his advances, she still sees his motives as unfaithful. With this Phil begins to loose his mind and attempts different forms of suicide in effort to escape this repetitive hell. Eventually, Phill begins to realize the kind of person that he is. How his snide comments, intense ego, and total disregard to those around him truly affects others lives. Is this the reason he’s stuck in a repetitive day? To do the right thing? He uses the learned ways of the loop to save those around him both physically and mentally and ultimately becomes a better person. He ends up falling in love with Rita with true intentions and states that even if he wakes up alone again the next morning, he would be content. But when he awakens the same radio music plays, but something is different… The radio speech is not the same and it is finally February 3rd. This has always been one of my favorite movies because it uses a fictional story to tell of how someone can find themselves and change their persona for the better. I never thought I would apply this to my own life until my loop started in the second week of March, 2020. 

 

When the Covid-19 Pandemic first broke out, people everywhere were basically told to stop their lives and reside in their homes condemned to their own loop. I personally was living the same day over and over again for about 2 months until restrictions began to ease in my state. I think that this film can be instructive to this year of the plague because although it feels like a curse, it is also a gift. Like Phil, we are all gifted more time to be home with our families or more time to learn new hobbies that normally we wouldn’t have learned. Taking these extra minutes to learn more about ourselves or practice “mindfulness” as discussed in Jeremy Engels reflection of the film, could truly give us the opportunity to embrace our own “Groundhog Day”. Being a better person isn’t just about being nice to others, but also paying attention to yourself and your own everyday endeavors. Yes, 2020/2021 has been the worst time of most of our lives, but if we use the same motto and mentality of this 1993 film, then we too can improve ourselves for the better.

by Alexa Narlinger

RCL Post 4/21

The platform I’ve decided to go with for this assignment is Weebly. I used Weebly a lot in high school and I think it has the right set up and materials to achieve the aesthetics that I am going for for this project. Being an out of state student I feel that I rarely get time to speak to or see my parents. They only visited once this year since I’ve been at school and have only seen PSU’s campus a total of 3 times including that visit. With that being said, I am going to make them my targeted audience and I am going to make the theme/purpose of my e-portfolio be my freshman year at Penn State. 

 

I’m thinking that I am going to have 3 educationally based artifacts and then 3 extracurricular artifacts. My first educational artifact will be my favorite project that I made last in RCL which was my Ted Talk on the death of chivalry. I think that it was a really fun and different topic and that my execution was interesting to watch. My second educational artifact is probably going to be one of my discussion posts from PLSC 1 or 14 since both were quite controversial and I was quite proud of the support I had provided on my end. My final artifact will either be my art project for GER 83 or one of my writings from CRIM/SOC 12. I’m still playing around with my extracurricular artifacts but I’m thinking right now about including my sorority, ski club, and then either my involvement with THON or my other club CHAARG. 

by Alexa Narlinger

I can’t believe the time has come to write my final passion blog not only of the semester, but the year! Continuing with the same theme for this blog since last August has really instilled and furthered my love for the world of fashion. In honor of this final post, I’ve decided to do something completely different than my usual analysis of upcoming fashion trends. Instead, I’ve decided to write about my personal fashion trend choices that I wear and the pros and cons of them.

 

First up we have felt hats. The thing that I love about these specific hats is that unlike other hat styles, this one can be worn all year. In the photos below I am shown wearing the same hat in both late October and mid July in Colorado. Both outfits that I paired with the hat could not be more different. In the summer outfit I paired the hat with a bandeau top and striped pants made out of light cotton. In the other picture, I’m wearing the winter outfit that I paired it with a sweater and ripped jeans. The versatility of these hats is obviously the biggest pro, however one con I have is that in the summer, the felt material can make the hat really warm and kind of uncomfortable to wear. 

ME WEARING MY FELT HAT (RIGHT)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second fashion trend that I’ve followed are jumpsuits. In the last 2 years these have become a huge summer staple and I am totally here for them. I think that they are both a classy and casual outfit that can work for a number of occasions. I do think that there are some that are better or worse than others. The one that I own is strapless, has a cinched waist, and has a navy and white striped pattern. I absolutely love it and it’s so comfortable but my only con is that it’s kind of an odd length on me because I have such long legs and this particular jumpsuit needs a specific height to match it. 

 

ME WEARING MY JUMPSUIT (LEFT)

 

My last and favorite trend would be leather jackets. I did actually do a post on leather jackets and since have bought another one that is a brown leather. The one in the pictures is my favorite black leather jacket that I got on sale at Nordstrom for $60 (which for a leather jacket is a steal). It makes every outfit so much more chic and is actually quite warm for the odd material that it is. The only con to leather jackets is that they are IMPOSSIBLE to clean. Obviously a stain can wipe off leather somewhat easily, but it’s still kind of gross to not wash a jacket especially if you wear it as much as I do mine.

ME WEARING MY LEATHER JACKET (RIGHT)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you all have enjoyed reading my blogs and it was so nice getting to know more about all of you through your blogs. It’s obviously disappointing that I could never meet any of you in person, but I feel like this was as good of connection as we could have given the circumstances. I wish you all luck on your future academics and hope you all have a great summer!

by Alexa Narlinger

Biker Short Banter

Normally I write about fashion trends that I am a fan of or looking forward to in the upcoming seasons. This week however, I want to write about a trend that I’m a bit on the fence about… biker shorts. I have been seeing these all around campus paired with crop tops or oversized sweatshirts. As the weather gets warmer, I expect to see more girls move from jeans to jean shorts, and in this case from leggings to biker shorts. 

 

Biker shorts are usually the same material as leggings, are skin tight, and cut off a couple of inches above the knee. Although they look pretty comfortable, I’m not sure they are the most flattering fashion item I’ve seen. When paired with oversized sweatshirts or t-shirts, I think they look much cuter and are less risqué than when those tops are worn with shorter shorts like athletic or jean shorts. 

 

One of the bonuses of biker shorts is that they double as casual and athletic wear. Because so, there are so many stores and websites that sell them whether it be a fashion boutique or a big name athletic brand. One of my favorites that I’ve seen thus far is being sold by Lululemon. Lululemon is one of, if not the most, well known athletic brands today. The material and quality of everything sold by them is top notch and incredibly durable. One of the best aspects of the company is the lifetime warranty on each clothing article. Whether the logo peels off, or a thread becomes loose, the company will take it back and replace it with a brand new version of the same item. Of course, this does come with the very high price tag on their clothing. These shorts specifically are currently priced at $59 which for a pair of athletic shorts is a bit outrageous. However I can easily say that with my trust in this company, these are definitely the biker shorts I would try out if I were to buy a pair.

LULULEMON BIKER SHORTS

 

Other brands that I’ve raved about in the past like Princess Polly have sadly let me down when scavenging for other biker short examples. The pair from them are priced much lower than the one from Lululemon at a current cost of $26. But the color that they come in is beige which for shorts is just not attractive looking whatsoever. I do however like that they are a ribbed material and not smooth like the Lululemon ones because it creates more texture and suction around the waist. 

PRINCESS POLLY BIKER SHORTS

In the end after researching this trend, I can speak for myself and say that I will not be buying a pair of biker shorts. I think it takes a very specific body type to pull them off and even then they have to be perfectly paired with an appropriate top. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for other pairs of biker shorts that are maybe more flattering but until then I’m going to stick with my athletic shorts.

 

Picture Sources:

https://shop.lululemon.com/p/women-shorts/Align-Short-6-MD/_/prod9490018?color=45720&sz=10&locale=en_US&sl=US&CID=Google_WMTM_Shopping_US_ag=WMTM+-+Medium&gclid=Cj0KCQjw38-DBhDpARIsADJ3kjlelc3N8W7vuhIcuTjH0DsSDWx_LScqZH1QNLEMsfSJpQioZMrCGDsaAnyFEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Basic Ribbed Bike Short Beige

by Alexa Narlinger

4/7 RCL post

When I first read about the Advocacy Project, one idea really stuck out because it’s something I feel is so important today. Growing up as a dancer, I witnessed a lot of girls (as well as myself) go through eating disorders and problems with body dysmorphia. At first this was just prevalent in the dance world but now I see it everywhere I look. So for my project I am planning to do it on eating disorders (particularly in teenage girls). Most likely I would execute it via video format as an educational promo on the harm of phrases seen on apps like tik tok and how it affects girls’ perceptions of their own bodies. For example, when one girl on the slimmer side posts a video all of the comments are “I guess I won’t be eating dinner today” or “eat a hamburger”. On the other side, if a girl with curves posts the same video, the comments are “wow you are so brave!” or “i love your confidence”. Seemingly harmless jokes are creating this stigma of what size is “ideal”. With a video educating youth on what words can do to someone’s body, I think it would be very impactful if shown to a high school health class or something along the lines.

 

I think that Eva O’Leary’s collection Spitting Image is both a piece of art and a piece of advocacy. Without a doubt, this is a beautiful photography art collection because it captures people in how they view themselves, not how others view them which is completely the opposite of any art profile done previously. The concept is truly impactful and “art” would be the best way to explain the collection. It’s also 100% advocating for the help of desexualizing young girls as it shows when/how they feel beautiful, with or without makeup or any other forms of visual transformation. As for ethics, I think that it is when looking at the analysis of the keyword piece and the video. This project is being carried through by a girl who was in the same place as the girls in the photos just a few years prior and thus has a stable handle on how they view themselves vs how they think other people see them and it’s rather appropriate to see that through the photographs. 

by Alexa Narlinger

Living in Linen

From the personal opinions and experiences with the fashion trends I write about in my blog, it’s pretty obvious that these stem from a pretty intense shopping addiction… Trust me, I am very aware of this and how bad it is for my bank account but in return I work an absurd amount of hours to fuel this lifestyle. So, after I wrote last week’s blog on swimsuits, I started looking at Pinterest for more predictions for summer trends. Immediately I came across one that I fell in love with and spent a good bit on a few pieces from one of my favorite online clothing retailers, “ASOS”. 

 

This trend is linen fashion. Linen is a really odd concept for a material for clothing so I was a bit skeptical not owning anything of this material prior. One thing that I ordered was a pair of green linen shorts. I’m not a huge fan of jean shorts since to me they just feel very “middle school” and immature so I think this will be a perfect alternative. I also purchased a beige colored short sleeve linen shirt that I think would look really cute paired with a bandeau underneath or I could even use it as a swimsuit cover up.  Either way I think both are going to be a great addition to my wardrobe and I am crossing my fingers that they look as good in person as they did on the site. 

SHORTS I ORDERED FROM ASOS

 

The best part of this new trend is since it’s a material, it can be used on most articles of clothing. There are shorts, shirts, tank tops, skirts, and even dresses all sewn in linen on various sites. On Pinterest you can click on one of the pictures and it will usually take you to an outside link that is either where it is sold, or a blog similar to mine on the article of clothing. Although I bought mine from “ASOS” a vast majority of this fashion trend is being sold off of “Etsy”. “Etsy” is a really cool site because all of the things sold are from private businesses. Typically clothing on here is handmade and because so, is extra pricy. However, like I’ve talked about in past blog posts, this is a great way to support businesses that are against fast fashion. Linen is also a super sustainable material, so this trend is great for the environment especially with all of the boutiques selling it on Etsy. 

LINEN SET FROM ETSY

I can’t wait to see how the items I purchased look and if they’re actually flattering or not. I cannot wait for summer and see more trends emerge for the upcoming season over the next couple of weeks. I think linen is going to set the popularity of simplicity and monochrome colors as a theme for this year but we will see if this prediction pans out.

Picture Sources:

https://www.asos.com/us/asos-design/asos-design-tie-waist-linen-shorts-in-green/prd/21833927?colourwayid=60303065&SearchQuery=linen

https://www.etsy.com/listing/796069863/beige-linen-crop-top-square-neckline-top?epik=dj0yJnU9aHp5djlGV2g0dUdlSnFPdlpWOGhEanJsY1lzSjNmdF8mcD0wJm49bmhyc3dhakVFSldOVEZicGR3T3NEQSZ0PUFBQUFBR0JzWnVj

by Alexa Narlinger

Issue Brief Draft

https://pennstateoffice365-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/arn5293_psu_edu/EXQi0SwXsLtKtPOaJIv3qRQBnZA8Pq9Kz6nP1R1wboHYHg?e=PJ74H6

Here is my very rough draft for my issue brief (if you have access to edit please don’t I simply could not figure out how to make it view only). All of the things highlighted in yellow I still need to write out and the paragraph in blue needs to have the citations fixed. Overall, I like how its going so far but I just wasn’t in love with the infographics I had so Im going to start from scratch with that whole section in yellow.

 

by Alexa Narlinger

Flower Power

Since I began my passion blog on fashion trends last August, I’ve covered just about every article of clothing. Pants, shirts, jackets, shoes, and so forth have all been the peak of my interest because it’s what I’ve seen most of around me, on social media, in magazines, etc. However as the weather gets warmer, the trends have shifted to a different trend of fashion and that would be swimsuits. 

 

I personally love following swimsuit trends each season because one fascinating thing is every year they drastically shift. Other trends in fashion typically ride along the same wavelength from season to season, but not swimsuits. One year a color or pattern may be in, and the next it’s seen as passé and completely outdated. An example of this would be one that I’m sure most (or at least females) will remember which is the 2016 swimsuit trend that was “Triangl” bikinis. The brand “Triangl” swept swim fashion that summer as every girl wanted to own the brightly colored bikini with the iconic black lining. However, if someone were to wear that same bikini today, fashion trendsetters would laugh. 

 

Now with this swim season just a few short months away, fashion icons and influencers are already stocking up on what I’ve observed to be a modern take on an older pattern. In the 70s and 80s vibrant floral patterns were quite popular and now they’re making an appearance on big name fashion brands for this upcoming summer season. This trend doesn’t necessarily revolve around a specific brand, or swimsuit style like in past years with high waisted bottoms or strapless tops. It could be a one piece, monokini, bikini, basically any shape built for any woman but they all have this same pattern in common. 

RETRO SWIMSUITS FROM MODA OPERANDI

 

The most popular suits so far are bright color combinations like orange and yellow, pink and purple, blue and green, and so on. This bright retro fashion trend is just what 2021 needs coming out of one of the worst years in just about everyone’s book. I was skeptical at first because I have always stuck to neutral and monotone colors like black or white but this new trend is starting to grow on me the more I see the increase in popularity. Like everything else in the fashion world, the price completely depends on the name on the tag. Although you can definitely find ones for cheaper, the ones I’ve seen worn most by celebrities thus far range between about $95 to $145. My personal favorite sits right between this price range at $120. This one immediately grabbed my attention because it looks less like a swimsuit and more like a really cool top torn out of the 70s. It has the fun colorful pattern that is so popular this season but it also has a little wooden ring in the center of the waist that kind of looks like a belt. 

RETRO SWIMSUIT WITH WOODEN RING FROM AFENDS.

Obviously it’s barely even April and there’s still a good 8 or so weeks until I should even think about going to the beach or pool, but seeing this swimsuit trend and others that are going to make an appearance this season gets me really excited for everything to come. Hopefully more summer trends emerge before my next passion blog post so I can analyze some more to prep for this upcoming season!

Sources:

https://www.modaoperandi.com/women/p/cin-cin/cut-out-wavy-swimsuit/456663?AID=14321425&PID=2299623&SID=s_wd.w_3754967.uts_gg&cjevent=baa7b35890a011eb820802460a82b820&utm_source=cj_affiliate&source=cj_affiliate&medium=Clique%20Media%2C%20Inc.%20%20%7C%20Who%20What%20Wear&utm_medium=Clique%20Media%2C%20Inc.%20%20%7C%20Who%20What%20Wear

Afends Womens Daisy May – One Piece – Sepia

by Alexa Narlinger

Issue Brief Intro: Detecting Against Death

DETECTING AGAINST DEATH:

The benefit of the k-12 school system in America implicating metal detectors to prevent further school shootings.

 

April 20th, 1999 kept all of America glued to their TV screens and radios that day as a mass shooting was reported at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado. Senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold had walked into school that day unsuspected with two 9 mm firearms and two 12-gauge shotguns. By the end of the day, 13 innocent lives were lost at the hands of the two boys and the guns that they held. Twenty two years later, and there have been an additional 229 school shootings and counting in America. The real question is why was nothing done after the first massacre back in 1999? Why do school districts and boards continue to wait for something worse to happen to their students again? Some argue that it’s not the gun that kills people, but the person that does the killing. While this is true and schools should pay more attention to the signs of mental health in students, the guns are what could turn someone with a disease from a person, into a murderer. 

 

The best way to keep guns out of schools is the proposition of a system change of implicating metal detectors at the entrances and exits of k-12 schools in America. This would keep dangerous weapons such as guns from entering school either via student or intruder. It’s proven that schools with metal detectors have decreased crime within and around the school so if this policy were to be enforced at all schools around the US, we could see a decrease and maybe even the disappearance of school shootings.

by Alexa Narlinger

Civic Issue Blog Post 3/24

Social media is one of politics biggest allies today. Whether that be as a platform to share news, opinions, etc. it can connect politicians to mass groups of people both quickly and successfully. However, with opinions come disagreements… Obviously the reason there are different political parties, with the main two being Democratic and Republican, is because everyone thinks differently and has different stances on different topics. In the past this was how people voted for their preferred candidate party. But with the rise in popularity of social media, many are using it as an outlet to express their personal opinions or concerns on the political world and this is causing a mass issue of polarization. 

 

By definition, political polarization is “the divergence of political attitudes to ideological extremes”. For the most part without social media, this extreme divergence was much less if not existent at all. Specifically, the 2016 and 2020 elections have seen a strong pull in change from disagreements to full blown “cancel culture”. Cancel culture is when a person or celebrity says something to the public, or on social media that people might not agree with and because so instead of educating that person, they are “cancelled”. This basically is full blown exile from public acceptance and could affect that person’s platform drastically to the point of putting current or future employment in danger. 

 

On the other hand without social media, the public would not even be able to hold that kind of power to hold someone accountable at a national level. But again, at what cost could this power have on a person’s life? As we’ve seen, this kind of polarization created by social media can be dangerous and sometimes even fatal. For example, the riots that took place outside the United States Capitol on January 6th, 2021 were created out of former President, Donald Trump’s, remarks on how he had not lost the election that took place in November. Student Olivia in a New York Times article on the matter states, “They defaced flags, tore apart the democratic procedures that they apparently supported like a group of sulky toddlers all fighting over who got the cherry lollypop, and began the destruction of a symbol of worldwide freedom.” This created a divide that was so extreme that Trump supporters genuinely believed he won the election and violently protested against President Biden’s win. The polarization that Trump created on Twitter that created this chaos ended in the permanent suspension of his account as a result.

 

Political polarization at first glance may sound just like a divide between ideas. For example pro-choice vs pro life, pro gun vs anti gun, for or against the death penalty, etc. For the most part each political party or candidate sides with one of these issues and not the other and that is how people find who they most identify with. But social media has taken these to a whole new level that make political polarization a true threat to the United States democracy and political system as a whole. Platforms such as Instagram and Twitter allow people to repost other people’s or companies posts. For instance, if someone on Instagram posts an illustration that is anti-abortion on their timeline, people can take that post and repost it to their “stories” which are shown on their page for 24 hours. Notes, comments, etc. can be posted on top of it expressing their interest in the topic/illustration which is then shown to all of their followers. The problem with this is that these posts and comments are so biased that it basically strips away an alliance from half of that person’s followers who are most likely in favor of the opposition which in this case would be pro-abortion. 

 

The track that this will take us on is a very dark one because it’s taking away any room for disagreement and leaving it to a right and wrong answer for everything in this world. When voting this could mean that there will be even more aggressive protests for parties, cyber abuse on social media, etc. Many have seen this take a toll on friendships and even families because it seems like there is only one option in politics. The best solution to solve and further prevent political polarization from social media would be to leave space for open conversation and discussion. A lot of the time social media is made to be one sided and it’s almost like the users are lecturing their followers rather than sharing their ideas with them. Discussion is essential in politics and this is what will prevent polarization from destroying our nation.

 

Sources:

https://www.pewresearch.org/topics/political-polarization/