Hi guys, this week’s item is a “1973” Sweatshirt from Social Goods. The proceeds from the Sweatshirt are being donated to National Institute for Reproductive Health.
The National Institute for Reproductive Health is an organization that is working to change public policy and normalize women’s decisions about abortion/contraception. The year 1973 represents the year that abortion was first ruled constitutional in the United States in the Supreme Court case of Rowe Versus Wade.
Roe versus Wade was a landmark legal decision in which the U.S Supreme Court struck down a Texas law banning abortion. Now the U.S Supreme could strike down Rowe versus Wade, reversing the progress that our country has made.
Dorin Klair, a clinical professor of law at Cleveland State University explains what will likely happen if Rowe versus Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court.
“I think there are three steps that we’re about to see gradually,” says Klair.
STEP 1: Different states will create laws banning abortion
“The first is that 28 states already have trigger laws in the making or already on the books, just awaiting the day in which the court will indeed confirm that this draft opinion is the majority opinion of the Supreme Court. On that day, 28 state laws will spring into action and we’ll have different levels of restrictions, but basically it will eliminate the right of abortion across those states,” explains Klair.
Step 2: Women would be criminalized for having an abortion
If Rowe versus Wade is overturned, “there will be the notion that the unborn life is a person under the Constitution and therefore should receive all the protections under the 14th amendment and otherwise. That will turn the act of abortion actually into active murder, and that will criminalize abortion,” explains Klair. “From a Constitutional affirmative right, the act of abortion will turn into a negative criminal activity”
Step 3: A federal ban on the right to have an abortion
“Finally, I think that the final goal would be a federal ban on abortion. So, instead of what we’re talking about now, which is a federal acknowledgement or reaffirming of Roe v. Wade, the third stage of overruling Roe v. Wade after acknowledging personhood would be a federal ban on on abortions across all 50 states, which is the opposite of what we have now,” explains Klair.
By supporting the National Institute for Reproductive Health, you can help prevent Rowe versus Wade from being overturned.
“The Happy Medium” between online and in-store shopping: live streaming
Covid-19 causes live-stream shopping, a popular trend in China, to surge in the United States.
3 2 1… and we are live
During the peak of Covid-19, many U.S retail companies had to find new ways to sell products to consumers, as shopping malls and retail storefronts closed across the United States. Many retail companies have resorted to the use of “live stream shopping” and other contactless alternatives to maintain sales and to stay in business.
“Today, it’s all about meeting customers wherever they are at, whether they are online, curbside, or in-store,” says Nate Emerson, a social media influencer for American Eagle Outfitters. During the pandemic, Emerson was meeting his customers on live streams. He used live streaming to virtually connect with customers during Covid-19.
Emerson currently works at an American Eagle store in South Portland, Maine. During the middle of the pandemic, the American Eagle company launched an app called “AE Live,” a shopping app that allows customers to shop for products one-on-one with a personal stylist through a live video chat system. Emerson still currently hosts Livestream shopping sessions for AE with customers every week. He lives streams with customers from both his home and his store, using only his iPhone and ring light. He describes Livestream shopping as a mix between “shopping in-store and shopping online,” giving customers what he calls the “the best of both worlds.”
Picture of Nate for AE from his Instagram (@nate. emerson35)
Olivia Aneil, another AE influencer for American Eagle says, “AE live is kind of like zoom, facetime, and skype but for shopping and retail.” The app is currently only available to iPhone users in the U.S, but the company is working to expand the app internationally and across more locations in the United States. Aneil and Emerson are two of sixty AE Live Ambassadors.
Livestream shopping allows a brand ambassador to sell products directly to a customer without having to be physically present in the same location. It provides customers with the face-to-face personal interactions of in-store shopping, while simultaneously social distancing and limiting physical contact in a covid world. Live stream shopping started as a trend in China and is now making its way over to the United States. According to Insider Intelligence, Livestream e-commerce sales in China reached “$300 billion in 2021,” and are projected to double by 2023, reaching “$600 billion dollars.” U.S Livestream shopping sales are forecasted to reach “$25 billion by 2023.”
Overall, Livestream shopping increased in the United States during the pandemic. According to Statistica, “In 2020, the coronavirus-pandemic led to unprecedented growth in e-commerce, including the surge of contemporary trends such as social commerce and live commerce. Live stream e-commerce uses video content on digital platforms to sell products in real-time. U.S live commerce usage grew 76% percent in 2020.” During covid, social media and live streaming services offered new ways for businesses to continue to sell products to consumers. Live stream shopping allows companies and consumers to connect virtually.
In addition to the ability to avoid physical contact, Livestream shopping offers businesses other benefits as well. According to Amplify, “live stream shopping can help drive conversion rates and average order values while ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction.” Retail conversion rates measure the number of people who purchase products against the total amount of people that walk into a store during a given period. The more people who walk into a store and purchase products, the higher a store’s conversion rate will be. Emerson explains how using live streaming technologies has overall benefited his retail store.
“My store’s conversion has skyrocketed since using live streaming,” says Emerson. “When I host live sessions, I can tell people all about the products and suggest products that I think they will personally like. With traditional online shopping, there is no way for an employee to make recommendations to a customer. Since using AE live, we have seen store returns go down, and people usually always buy something and more than one item during a session.” Emerson has found that customers are more likely to buy items through a live stream than when shopping in-store because live streams create a feeling of urgency and a sense of “obligation” to buy.
Emerson explains how live-stream shopping can overall provide customers with a more personalized, tailored, and customized shopping experience than shopping in-store or online. According to a survey conducted by Meta Business, Facebook, “78% of Americans say the shopping experience a company provides is just as important as its products and services.”
Emerson works to create a personalized and unique shopping experience for all of his customers. In addition to AE Live, he utilizes social media to find customers. He reaches out to potential customers for live streaming sessions across the U.S through social media. Before every session, he asks each customer preliminary questions to get an initial understanding of their unique style, desires, and needs. Emerson explains how live streaming allows an employee to gain a better understanding of a customer’s interests and needs, before even showing and selling the products.
“ When I reach out to people through social media, I build outfits specifically for them. If I were to look at someone’s social media page right now,” says Emerson. “ I can see that “Oh, maybe they like crewneck sweaters and fitted jeans.” I can see what their style is and pull outfits for the session based on what they are wearing in photos and what I think they will like. If they love crop tops, I am not going to waste any time showing them oversized t-shirts.”
Since covid restrictions and protocols have decreased across U.S states, Emerson has seen a significant increase in traffic at his local mall and store. “ Our in-store and mall traffic has increased recently,” says Emerson. “A lot of people are coming shopping just to get out of the house and walk around. I feel like people are finally ready to get back out and are done being locked up. Right now, AE Live is no longer as necessary as it once was for the covid aspect. But some people have become “homebodies,” so were marketing it more towards people who prefer to stay home, rather than people who are afraid now to come out.”
Circumstances can change, but Emerson explains how a business adapts is what will determine whether they survive. “I think if we ever shut down again as a country or statewide,” says Emerson. “Virtual selling would go up.”
And if another disease ever sweeps across the country, closing down brick and mortar stores, Emerson will be ready to work from home, with only his iPhone and a ring light.
Hello Friends, this week’s organization is Surfrider, an organization dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans, waves, and beaches from plastic pollution.
The Surfrider Foundation believes that getting outside and engaging with the “world is inspiring, supports healthier lifestyles, improves productivity, and ultimately creates a better natural environment.” Surfrider is working to protect the worlds shores, by working to reduce the use of single use plastics, which often end up in the world’s oceans.
“Our oceans, waves, and beaches are everything. Let’s protect them,” says Surfrider.
Plastic is the world’s leading contributor to climate change and the most common marine litter in the world. From plastic packaging to plastic containers, plastic is a part of almost all the products we buy on a regular basis.
When plastic is littered and improperly disposed of, the plastic makes its way into creeks, streams, and rivers, which lead directly to the world’s oceans. The organization explains how plastics often start out in landfills, or as litter on beaches, streets, and sidewalks.
However, rain often sends the plastics towards ocean environments.
After plastics enter the environment, due to sunlight, they slowly photo grade into smaller fragments and pieces known as microplastics, which fish and aquatic life often can mistake for food instead of plastic. Plastics have harmful effects on aquatic life.
Microplastics polluting ocean water in the artic circle.
Image from CBS News.
Unlike paper, plastics are not biodegradable.
The qualities that make plastics sturdy, durable, adaptable, prevent it from being biodegradable, causing negative impacts to develop on the environment.
Many people believe that plastics serve no purpose whatsoever. However, in one of my previous blog posts about Starbucks, I discussed how Starbucks is struggling to create a fully biodegradable paper cup because plastic serves a vital function in paper cups.
Plastic lining is needed in paper cups, preventing the cups from being fully biodegradable. The plastic lining in the paper cups is needed for the cup to maintain its structure, showing how the plastic serves a vital purpose.
According to Surfrider, “Roughly two-thirds of all plastics ever produced remain in the environment today as either pollution in oceans and other landscapes, microparticles in air, soil, and rain, or as microparticles in air and soul.”
Surfrider is working to prevent plastic pollution, and to promote ocean protection, coastal prevention, clean water, and the preservation of resources.
Surfrider is working to raise awareness to plastic pollution by advocating for the reduction of single use plastics and through recycling initiatives such as beach clean-ups and awareness initiatives.
You can visit Surfrider’s website to learn more about their initiatives. (Home – Surfrider Foundation) and about the ways to get involved in your own community.
You can purchase a Surfrider T-Shirt from American Eagle Outfitters to help support the Surfrider Foundation. American Eagle has partnered with Surfrider for its Summer 2022 Campaign.
Images from American Eagle Outfitters
American explains how the shirts were “inspired by the oceans and made with the planet in mind.” The T-shirts are made out of sustainable materials such as algae ink, natural dyes, and cotton sourced through the Better Cotton Initiative.
The Better Cotton Initiative is the world’s leading sustainability initiative for cotton. The initiative works to help communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the natural environment. The organization advocates for better soil and water management, less use of pesticides, and greater resilience to climate change in the cotton production process.
You can purchase a Surfrider T-shirt from American Eagle.
Social Goods is a company that is working to connect consumers with social causes. Every purchase supports a different non-profit/social cause.
The company has three different missions:
Make a statement: shop goods that start conversations and benefit the causes you are passionate about
Support the cause: Not only are you showing support, but every purchase you make gives back to a non-for-profit
Be the change: connect with non-for-profits working to make real change and learn about different ways to get involved
The company was founded in 2018 by Lisa and Kate, two sisters from Ohio. Lisa and Kate created the company with the desire to directly connect consumers with organizations that are truly making a difference and advocating for social change.
According to the company’s website, “Whether it’s pink hats for women’s equality, orange t-shirts for common-sense gun reform, or black pins to show solidarity, what we wear — and what we buy – has the power to raise awareness for issues close to our hearts or make a statement about injustice.” How we spend our money has the power to make a difference and leave a lasting social impact on the world.
Social Goods offers consumers a wide variety of products, causes, and non-for-profits to choose from. The company supports a variety of different types of causes such as human rights, women’s rights, racial justice, civic engagement, civil rights, equality, environmental protection, international aid, and education/arts.
Different non-for-profits Social Goods partners with:
One organization that the company also supports is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which supports Ukrainian Refugees. 100% of the proceeds from the Social Goods “Human First for Ukraine” Collection are donated to the UNHCR. You can purchase any item from the collection to help support Ukraine.
In February, Russia invaded the country of Ukraine, igniting chaos, violence, and conflict. As a result, many Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes to neighboring and surrounding countries such as Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia. According to the UNHCR, nearly 5 million (4.8) Ukrainians have fled their homes to seek refuge in neighboring countries. And nearly another 7 million refugees still actively remain in the country, internally displaced, bringing the total number of Ukrainian refugees to 12 million. The number of refugees continues to rise.
Before the war, Ukraine had a total population of about 44 million, meaning that over 25% of the country’s total population is now refugees. Poland has received nearly half of the Ukrainian refugees (2.5 million refugees). To support the increasing number of Ukrainian refugees, Poland and other countries need more support.
The Polish government says that it will need significantly more money and resources than the EU and UN are currently providing to host the number of refugees that are coming to Poland and other Western territories from Ukraine. The majority of refugees, 90%, are women and children. By supporting the UNHCR, you are helping to support Ukrainian refugees and families in Ukraine.
Map of Eurasia
Ukrainian refugees are fleeing the West, moving away from Russia, towards Western countries such as Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania for safety.
The UNHCR is working to provide Ukrainian refugees across Eurasia with resources and humanitarian aid such as shelter, water, food, safety, and protection. Social Goods is working to rally support to help those displaced and suffering as a result of events in Ukraine.
Image of Bassett at the 2022 KCA’s from Just Jared
Hi guys, this week’s blog post is all about Joshua Basset, one of my favorite celebrities. Bassett is truly using his platform to make a difference in the lives of others.
“It’s been a fucking year,” sings 21-year-old Joshua Bassett about the year 2021 in his song “Crisis.”
Bassett became known for his role in Disney Channel’s High School Musical the Musical: The Series. However, at the beginning of last year, he become known for something much different.
“It’s not about what happens to you, it’s about how you react to it,” explains Bassett in an interview with Radio Host Zach Sang. In January of 2021, Bassett was hospitalized for septic shock and heart failure. The doctors at the hospital told him that if he hadn’t had checked in exactly when he did, he wouldn’t have lasted another 12 hours.
The cause of Bassett’s diagnosis: STRESS
According to Healthline, “septic shock can be caused by a drop in blood pressure, which can lead to heart failure.” A few days before his hospitalization, his world turned upside down when the song Driver’s License was released by his HSM co-star, songstress Olivia Rodrigo. The song has received over a billion streams. The song is rumored to about the pairs alleged romantic relationship.
After rumors started circulating surrounding the song on social media, Bassett quickly became known as the boy who broke Rodrigo’s heart. Fans began speculating about the pair’s relationship on social media, speculations that Bassett couldn’t seem to escape in 2021.
After the song was released, Bassett recevived a lot of negative attention online. In his song “Crisis,” he mentions how he started receiving death threats after the song was released.
“I would see Tik Toks with 50 million views and 10 million likes saying, “If I ever see that kid on the street, I am going to fucking kill him,” says Bassett in an interview with GQ. ” It’s hard to see that and the be living in New York and walking down the street.”
Bassett’s stress was likely caused by the controversy surrounding the song. After physically recovering, he spent most of the year emotionally “processing,” writing songs for his own catharsis, while choosing to forego issuing a public response to the controversy until the end of the year.
After a year of unexpected events, Bassett is now opening up. He is using his platform to advocate for change and to inspire other young people.
” Even if only 1 person is better off because of my art, I’m going to keep putting it out,” says Bassett in an interview.
At the end of 2021, he released three new songs: Crisis, Secret, and Set Me Free. “Crisis” seemingly references the public controversy surrounding Driver’s License. In the song, he sings about an ex who relies on a media narrative to gain publicity at his expense.
“You can’t write a song until you go through the emotional processing of it,” explains Bassett. Bassett spent most the year emotionally processing more than just the controversy.
In an interview with GQ, Bassett recently opened up about how he experienced sexual abuse as a child and how he is just now coming to terms with it. After he opened up about it, people started shaming him online, saying he “deserved it,” and doubting the fact that a man can even be sexually abused.
According to the Center for Disease Control, “nearly 1 in 4 men in the U.S experience some form of sexual abuse in their lifetime,” showing how sexual abuse against men is more common than many people believe. Reuters Health reveals that men are often less likely to report sexual abuse for fear that they will not be believed or be perceived as less masculine.
Instead of allowing the negative comments to discourage him from speaking out, Bassett is now working to break the stigma behind opening up about trauma, sexual abuse, and mental health to inspire other people of all ages to do the same.
He explains how abuse is often a cycle. “Alot of times people who are more inclined to commit abuse have experienced abuse themselves,” explains Bassett. “Until we break the chain and have space to say this happened to you, it was wrong, you know it was wrong, and you’re valid. That’s all we need to be saying and having space for. The more we can do that, the more people can actually process and say what they’ve been through.”
Bassett is working to break the cycle and stigma. He donates 100% of the proceeds from all of his merch to mental health organizations (Teen Line, Jack.org, Bring Change 2 Mind, and The Sunrise Movement). This year, he will be launching a podcast entitled “Taboo Talk,” where he will be talking about traditionally taboo subjects such as mental health and sexual abuse.
“Once you talk about a taboo, you break it,” explains Bassett.
Bassett is an artist who is using his platform to make the world a better place. You can listen to his music on Spotify and other streaming platforms.
A rally advocating for Starbucks to create fully recyclable paper cups
Out with the paper cups, in with the reusable cups.
Starbucks recently announced that it will be working to completely phase out the use of single-use cups at its locations through a reusable cup program by 2025. Starbucks has frequently received praise for being ahead of the curb in terms of sustainability and social responsibility, but just how sustainable are Starbucks paper cups?
In a recent press release, Starbucks stated “By the end of next year, customers will be able to use their own reusable cups at every Starbucks in the U.S and Canada – including drive-thru, cafe, and mobile order/pay.”
Whether it’s paper cups or straw-less sippy cups, many major coffees chain retailers have worked to develop more sustainable practices and products in recent years. Even though paper cups are better for the environment than plastic cups, they still can produce negative effects on the environment.
According to Kate Melges, a campaigner for Green Peace Plastics, “While utilizing less plastic is important, just because packaging is recyclable or compostable in an industrial facility, does not mean it will be recycled or composted.”
Starbucks has developed a public reputation for being environmentally conscious. In 2008, Starbucks pledged to create a fully recyclable paper cup. Over a decade later, this commitment remains unfulfilled.
Many consumers don’t even realize that Starbucks current paper cups are not 100% plastic free, the cups still contain heavy amounts of plastic. According to a recent survey conducted by the Seal Awards, “83% percent of Starbucks customers actually believe that Starbucks cups can be fully recycled.” I myself assumed that paper cups would be fully recyclable since they are made out of paper.
However, outside appearances can be misleading. Starbucks’s papers cups are lined on the inside with what’s called polyethylene plastic, a coating that prevents the cups from ultimately being fully recyclable and biodegradable.
When the paper degrades, the plastic remains.
Even when papers cups with plastic lining are recycled by consumers, they may not actually be being recycled by the recycling centers. According to BASF, “most mechanical recycling facilities are not equipped to sort the plastic lining from the paper. Despite proof that it’s definitely possible to recycle your typical plastic lined-paper cup, most recyclers ultimately lack the initiative to make it happen. Generally speaking, cup materials are not valuable enough to justify the cause of processing it.”
Polyethylene coating is commonly used in paper cups to help retain a liquid’s heat, to provide a barrier for the liquid from the paper, and to maintain a cup’s structure. Therefore, the plastic coating serves a vital function.
According to Jim Pace, a senior campaigner and actions manager at Stand Earth, “Starbucks committed itself to solving it’s cup problem and have taken steps to develop solutions, but the majority of its customers still leave the store with single use, disposable paper cups, that are lined with plastic, which end up in the landfill. Until that is solved, Starbucks has the responsibility to address the problem.” Many customers and individuals have been pushing for years for Starbucks to create a truly and fully recyclable cup, with hashtags such as #Upthecup trending on social media, urging the company to take action.
Starbucks has built its brand and public image on being socially responsible, but has it been a disguise. Has the paper exterior of cups been used to hide the plastic interior?
In the past, Starbucks has offered small discounts to individuals who bring in reusable cups. Now, Starbucks is test-piloting a whole reusable cup borrowing program in Seattle. The program lets consumers request a reusable cup for their drink through the Starbucks App from a kiosk, which then adds a $1 refundable deposit fee to their rewards account. When they return the cup, they get the $1 credited back. Each cup when returned is cleaned and sanitized for another customer’s use.
Customers can find reusable cup kiosks at Starbucks in Seattle
Starbucks says that “one reusable cup will likely replace 30 disposable single-use cups.”
According to Starbuck’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Michael Kobori, “We believe it our responsibility to reduce the use of singe use cup wastes, we will lead the transition to a circular economy.” Starbucks is also actively working to find a way to create a cup that is compostable, fully recyclable, and that can hold hot liquids without having to use plastic lining.
From Hydo flasks and travel mugs to metal straws and reusable containers, the use of reusable products has been on the rise in recent years, leading us to question whether disposable cups will finally become a thing of the past.
What are your thoughts on Starbuck’s new reusable cup program and initiative ?
Red carpets and flashing cameras. Pageant queens and big crowns. From the outside, it looked like 30-year-old Cheslie Kryst had it all. But underneath it all, behind the scenes, she was internally struggling.
Kryst was an accomplished lawyer and attorney fighting for criminal justice reform. She was a news and entertainment correspondent for Extra TV. She was crowned Miss USA in 2019, trailblazing the way for other women of color in the pageant scene. From beauty pageants and court rooms to newsroom and celebrity interviews, Kryst exemplified how one’s life path can go into a variety of different directions.
Image of Cheslie Kryst – 2019 Miss USA
Being a person of color going into the field of journalism and reporting, Kryst’s wide range of accomplishments have truly inspired me to reach for the stars. However, what I loved most about Kryst, was her big smile and bubbly on camera personality. Every time I would watch Kryst on a red carpet or on Tik Tok, she always had such a big and bright smile on her face. She truly radiated positivity, kindness, and light.
Behind the big smile, the glitz and glam of the red carpet, and her commitment to fighting for others in the court room, Kryst was fighting her own battle with high functioning depression.
According to mantracare.org, “High functioning depression presents less severe symptoms than major depression. People who live with high functioning depression may appear to be relatively happy and well-adjusted on the surface, but underneath they are struggling with low moods and feelings of emptiness and hopelessness.”
In January, Kryst jumped to her death from her 60-story apartment building in Manhattan, New York (The Orion Building). No one knew Kryst was living with high-functioning depression, except her mother who only learned about the diagnosis a few months before Kryst’s death. Kryst’s friends, family members, and co-workers all revealed that they witnessed no “warning signs” that she could have been struggling.
Kryst’s experience shows how there are ultimately many different ways to experience depression, and that people who experience depression may not exhibit traditional outward indicators and signifiers of depression.
According to Dr. Mimi Winsberg, a psychiatrist and chief medical correspondent at Brightside, “More often than not, severe depression correlates with a lower level of functioning, but some people experience severe depression, even suicidal ideations, but continue to be high functioning in their everyday lives.”
Ever since Kryst’s death, I’ve been thinking to myself, what can we do to start openly talking about mental health, and keep it on the agenda, to help people maybe considering suicide to feel less alone and seen?
According to the National Health Service, “1 in 4 adults experience mental illness in a given year,” including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and PTSD.
After conducting research, I found that there are many organizations currently working to raise awareness to mental health, specifically amongst young people. Organizations such as Bring Change 2 Mind, The Trevor Project, and Teen Line all provide mental health resources and support services for young people. I would like to share a little bit about some of these organizations with you that you can reach out to if you ever need support.
Teen Line: An organization working to make it easier and more comfortable for young people to start talking about mental health by providing teens with support from someone within their own age group. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death amongst 10-to-24-year-olds. Teen Line endeavors to provide young people with the resources and support that they need to thrive, and to overall destigmatize conversations around mental health.
Teen Line provides young people with peer to peer, mental health support through an anonymous 24/7 hotline of trained teen counselors, with the assistance of certified health professionals. Reasons for reaching out include loneliness, abuse, suicide, family, relationships, and many more.
Call 800-852-8336 or text “TEEN” to 839863 to receive support at any time from Teen Line
The Trevor Project: an organization that provides mental health support to specifically LGBTQ+ youth. According to a 2018 study from the American Medical Association, “LGBTQ+ youth are 3.5 times more as likely to commit suicide than their heterosexual peers. ” The Trevor Project is the world’s largest crisis intervention and suicide prevention organization specifically designed as safe space for LGBTQ+ and questioning youth. Similarly, to Teen Line, the organization provides 24/7 support trained from counselors. The organization is overall working to raise awareness to LGBTQ+ issues and topics, and promotes LGTBQ+ representation, visibility, and understanding.
Text “Start” to 678-678 or call 1-866-488-7386 to receive support from the Trevor Project
Bring Change 2 Mind:
An organization working to destigmatize and raise awareness to mental health. The organization was co-founded by actress Glenn Close; she started the organization after her sister was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and her nephew with Schizophrenia. The organization is working to create dialogue and conversation. The website includes firsthand accounts and blog posts from people living with mental illnesses. The organization provides support to those living with a mental illness and works to educate those who know someone with a mental illness. The website offers information and insight on different mental health disorders and the different symptoms of each.
You can use the #nonormal hashtag on social media to share your mental health journey and to join the Bring Change 2 Mind movement
I hope that these resources can help you if you’re ever struggling or are looking to learn more about mental health. Never hesitate to reach out, you’re never alone!
“Zach is one of the most genuine, musically talented, and gifted individuals I’ve gotten to meet. His eagerness, work ethic, and passion, for music is so inspiring,” says DePaul.
As a young boy growing up in Lynchburg, Virginia, Zach Sines would travel around with his father, a musician in the industry, to churches, assemblies, and shows, to open for him. His first time performing with his father was at a school assembly in the fifth grade.
“I was never the coolest guy in school,” says Sines. “But, after I started singing, things changed.”
On an average day in June of 2009, when he was eight years old, on his way back home from vacationing in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Sines, and his family walked into a McDonalds. After walking in, Sine’s dad stopped and crossed his arms, in front of a television screen in the restaurant, to stare at a flashing news headline.
Growing up, Sines never had any ambitions to be a singer or a musician like his father, but he always mimicked his father’s behaviors.
“If he got a lawn mower and he was the mowing the grass, I would get a play lawn mower and I would act like I was mowing the grass,” says Sines. “If he would watch the news, I would watch the news. If he would eat steak, I would eat steak.”
When his father crossed his arms and looked up at the screen, he looked up at the television screen with his arms crossed.
The headline on the television screen read: “Michael Jackson, pop-star, found DEAD.” A name that Sines didn’t even know at the time.
After learning about Jackson from his father, he looked up Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” music video on YouTube and watched it for hours. He explains that this is the exact moment where his passion for music first developed.
Sines taught himself how to sing by studying and watching YouTube videos of singers such as Jackson and Whitney Houston. At the age of 15, he began working to discover his own personal identity as an artist and embarked on his own path of self-discovery.
Now, at 23 years old, he is still actively working to figure out who he is as a musician and who he wants to be an artist.
“I’m still trying to figure myself out as an artist, that’s been the trickiest part for me,” says Sines.
Sines has amassed nearly 12,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, a music streaming service, and has released numerous songs under his own name. He writes his own lyrics and produces his own music. In 2021, he was a contestant on the reality singing competition American Idol and made it close to the Top 40. Judge Lionel Richie said that he was even “Top Ten Material.”
From wedding bells and wedding planning, to moving boxes and moving back home, to new names and new beginnings, everything is changing this year.
“Everything in my life is changing right now,” says Sines.
In just a few days, he is moving back to his hometown of Lynchburg. Seven months ago, he moved nearly 3,000 miles away from home, to be with his fiancé, Jess, in Seattle, Washington. Sines works as a youth ministry pastor at a church, which allows him to also pursue music. He and his fiancé will be getting married in San Antonio, Texas, her hometown, at the beginning of June.
In January, one of the first changes of the year for Sines was when he announced in an Instagram post captioned “Welcome to the Garden” that he would be releasing music under the name, “ROSE.”
He explains the overall vision and concept behind ROSE. “Ever since I was in high school,” says Sines. “I always had an idea of releasing music under an artist’s name titled ROSE. One year after American Idol, I woke up one morning, and I was like “I think I’m ready to release music under the name ROSE.” When you give someone a rose, they tend to feel understood, seen, valued, and loved. My whole hope is that when people hear this new music from ROSE, that they will feel all those feelings you feel when you get roses.”
This is not the first time he has incorporated the theme of roses into his music. A line from his song, “In This Kitchen,” on his 2020 EP entitled “In My Head” mentions roses. The lyric reads “There’s nothing else I’d rather do than dancing in this kitchen with all of these roses of you.”
He explains that growing up he witnessed firsthand how the simple act of giving flowers and finding roses on the kitchen counter could make someone feel loved, valued, and understood.
“Growing up, my dad, every Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or Birthday, he would give my mother roses,” says Sines. “And you could see growing up, my mother always felt so loved at those times. And in the world, we live in today, it’s clear that anyone who accepts roses or anything floral in general just feels so loved.”
At the beginning of February, Sines released his first single as ROSE entitled “85.” In the song, he sings about adjusting to life in a new city with his fiancé, away from home and familiar surroundings.
Sines explains why he choose to release 85 as the first single for ROSE. “85 is one of the first songs that I ever wrote about Jess, my fiancé” says Sines. “And it was one of the first songs that I wrote for ROSE. This is the season I’m in. 85 is literally my life right now. I’m in love with this girl that I’m about to get married to and it’s been a challenging season.”
Whether it’s getting used to public transportation or “rainy weather”, the song discusses how living out West, in Seattle, has been an adjustment for the pair. During the zoom interview, he even pointed his camera outside of the window of his high-rise building to show me the rainy and cloudy Seattle skies. Downtown traffic in a big city like Seattle is no joke either as Sines was rushing through backed-up city traffic to get back to his apartment.
Zach and his fiancé, Jess, in Seattle, Washington
“The transition from Lynchburg to Seattle has been huge, for the first couple of months it was a struggle for us to find people and a community to connect with,” says Sines. He describes the transition of moving across the country in the opening lines of 85.
The Opening Lines:
“I see you now in your favorite sweater
I know you hate this rainy weather
and I know it’s new to the both of us
Got to make your way on the city bus”
“Here out West, it’s not the country
You’ve been so used to daddy’s money
He taught you how to take care of yourself
You never need anybody else”
Other lyrics in the song:
“You’re the reason this new city feels like home”
“You’ll never be alone, baby I’ll be your home.”
“I’ll be your home when we’re 85 and we’ve lost our minds. When we forget our names and lose track of time”
The word home is mentioned in different lyrics throughout the song. Sines believes that “home” can carry two different meanings and interpretations.
“I think home can definitely be a place, right now, Seattle is my home. But I also think it can be the nostalgic feeling of going back to a place or a friend group that just feels safe,” says Sines. “I mean home is supposed to be the place where you feel safe and the place where you belong. I think a community, a relationship, or even a workplace can make you feel that way.”
After living away from “home” for seven months, he now has advice to offer others who may be struggling to adapt to new environment or surroundings. “My biggest advice would be whatever the new environment is. Whether it’s a workspace, moving all the way across the country, or adapting to a new school, I would say just remember two things:”
#1: Find community, community is important, we’re not meant to do life alone
#2: Real life only happens when you make big moves
Sines will be a making a “big move” back home, across the country, in only a few days. His white-walled apartment is currently filled with moving boxes.
“I’ve been grateful for our time here in Seattle,” says Sines. “But we’ve gotten to a place where we want to be close to family and our community again. Finding people that understand what you’re going through and dream big, that’s important. The people in Lynchburg, they’re dreamers. And that’s why we’re moving back.”
In Lynchburg, Sines will be giving “110%” of his time to ROSE. Sines reveals that we can expect to see more changes, as it’s a “new season” of life for him, and he is still blooming and dreaming big.
You can stream “85” by Rose and listen to the full song now on Spotify or Apple Music. The “85” music video is also available on YouTube (85 – ROSE (Official Music Video) – YouTube).
You can also follow Sines on Instagram (@songsbyrose) or on Tik Tok (@songsbyrosee) to stay updated when he releases any new music.
Love Your Melon is an apparel company that started as a class project.
The Love Your Melon Company was founded by two friends, Zachary Quinn and Brian Keller. They met in an entrepreneurship class at St. Thomas University, where they were tasked with the challenge of creating a business from scratch.
They were only given two stipulations from their professor:
You can’t spend more than $700 dollars to start the business
The business needs to turn a profit by the end of the semester
Quinn and Keller liked the idea of a creating company centered around a “Buy One Give One” business model. The pair came up with the idea to sell beanies and to donate 1 beanie for every 1 sold to a child battling cancer in the United States. Every year, approximately 45,000 children in the United States battle cancer.
After a year and a half into the business, the company reached its initial goal to give a hat to every child battling cancer in the United States. After reaching its goal, the company began looking for other ways to continue to make an impact on communities and families.
“My immediate thought was what do we do next? What is impactful?” says Quinn.
Even after reaching its initial goal, Love Your Melon continues to be a mission-driven business. In addition to giving hats to children fighting pediatric cancer, the company now donates 50% of its total net profits every year to pediatric cancer research. The company has donated a total of over 9.4 million dollars to fighting pediatric cancer and over 230,000 beanies to children battling cancer.
Quinn believes that giving back should be a fundamental component of every business.
“Every business should be making someone’s life better and supporting communities,” says Quinn.
In addition to providing hats, all of the company’s products are made in the United States, which provides U.S jobs in manufacturing. Overall, Quinn emphasizes the importance of impacting communities on multiple different fronts, what he calls “a wholistic way.”
” In addition to providing beanies to these kids and fighting pediatric cancer through research, and family and financial support,” says Quinn. “We support U.S jobs in manufacturing and we provide customers with great quality products. It’s this very circular mentality.”
He explains how the company simultaneously balances three different missions:
Providing support for causes
Providing jobs
Providing consumers with products that make their lives better
The Black Bread company was created by three black friends from the Southside of Chicago, Charles Alexander, Mark Edmonds, and Jamel Lewis. The company is being featured in a Black History Month docuseries entitled “Profiled: The Black Man” on Discovery +.
Charles, Mark, and Jamel
The idea for the company first formed in 2020 when Edmonds went to his local grocery store to simply purchase a loaf of bread. At the time, after the death of George Floyd, he was making a conscious effort to specifically support black-owned businesses.
“I was going to the grocery store with a list that my wife gave me,” says Edmonds in the docuseries. “At the top of the list was bread. I immediately started just googling every single bread brand that was in the aisle. When I got done, 45 minutes had passed. I left the store. I didn’t buy anything.”
After looking up all the bread companies in the aisle online, Edmonds discovered that none of the bread companies in the aisle had black CEOs or business owners. This was the moment that his idea for the black bread company formed.
Since Edmonds couldn’t find any black representation or ownership anywhere in the bread industry, he became determined to start his own bread company. He called up his two best friends, Charles and Jamel, with the idea for the company. Edmonds and his friends had no previous experience in the food industry.
“We started out knowing what we didn’t know,” says Edmonds.
The company is the first American black-owned bread company. Through the company, Edmonds and his friends are overall working to promote African American representation and to deconstruct popular media stereotypes and narratives surrounding black men.
You can purchase the bread from the company’s website (theblackbreadco.com) or at select retailers.
