Life & Style
September 2018 Horoscope
Love is in the air for Libras in this month.
Kenneth Bufford
Aries: While Mars may have just left retrograde, you are still feeling its effects. You will start falling back into habits of self care. Be careful of your finances for they may shift unexpectedly.

Taurus: You may start to feel the least connection to your sign. Your emotions may lead you to being more concerned for others and yourself. Trust your instincts for others may lead you down the wrong path.

Gemini: Emotions will reach all time highs as you start to feel the effects of Saturn in retrograde. Do not play into your emotional weaknesses and if needed, seperate yourself from situations. Rely on your intelligence to help you combat insecurities. 

Cancer: September will be a rough time for you. Having those you trust around is going to be key to your survival of this month. You will find yourself in the middle of plentiful offers, some will be good. 

Leo: As summer comes to an end, your professional affairs will start to dwindle. Use this time to invest in family matters and your emotions. Your open mindedness will allow you to grow and adapt to issues to that present themselves.

Virgos: As you enter your astrological season this month is all about you. Listen to your heart. Allow them to guide you but be weary of professional and personal relationships for they may take a dip this month.

Libra: As Libra season approaches your mood and emotions will take a full swing. Love is in the air for Libras in this month. Take a chance. Be wary because with love comes heartache. Listen to your heart but trust your brain even more. 

Scorpio: In September your ability to be oneself will blossom so explore your inner thoughts. If there is something you thought about doing but were unable to, now is the chance. Add a new work out to your routine. Be spontaneous.

Sagittarius: Slow and steady wins the race all throughout September. While you are known to be spontaneous in nature, it is time to settle down and think things through. Karma is coming so be ready for your bad to catch up to your good.

Capricorn: September is your month for love! Recently you have found yourself distracted by your thoughts and emotions towards other issues. Allow work to take a back burner and work on yourself. Spice up your life and do the unexpected!

Aquarius: September is a month of self care for you. It is time to take a moment and take care of yourself. Freedom will find its way to you as Uranus stays in retrograde. Expect the unexpected and do the unexpected. 

Pisces: Let's talk about how out of all the signs September will be the best for you. Neptune’s retrograde will help your find yourself.You may not think you are lost but regardless you will be found. Use this new you to find a date, go see a play. Be fun and be free!


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Culture Club
Giving Credit Where Credit is Due: Queer Culture Goes Mainstream
From “throwing shade” to “getting read” to “clocking someone’s look,” much of queer slang has gone mainstream.
Kenneth Bufford
In January 2018, Donald Trump's former communication manager, Jason Miller, was arguing with CNN correspondent Brian Karem, when he surprised viewers with some unexpected vocabulary. “If it’s not true, then we need to go and make sure we’re being very clear here. So, please don’t try to throw shade,” said Miller.
From “throwing shade” to “getting read” to “clocking someone’s look,” much of queer slang has gone mainstream. Chad Ochocinco, former Miami Dolphins wide receiver, recently commented on his daughter’s Instagram picture saying, “you betta give me looks sis” and “come through hunty.”
In gay culture, there are many phrases unique and dear to us, such as “reading” or referring to someone as “sister” or “mother.” But it is not just our vocabulary that has been popularized, it is also our dances—voguing, death drops, duck walks—and our mannerisms. The issue for many homosexuals is when queer references and actions are used in mainstream pop culture, but are not credited as originating from queer culture. 
 Queer culture and pop culture do not correlate, explained Zach Phelan, a freshman at The Savannah College of Art and Design. “It’s annoying to me when Vanessa Hudgens says she’s ‘so into voguing right now’ because voguing isn’t a fad happening right now, it’s apart of a lifestyle and has cultural significance,” said Phelan. 
Phelan continued saying, “decades of gay people being completely isolated in a heteronormative society, and now it’s trendy to have a gbf [gay best friend] and people don’t even understand ball culture and where all our trendy moves and lingo comes from. It’s just frustrating.” 
Madonna’s iconic song “Vogue” sold more than six million copies worldwide to date. She popularized an underground, queer dance fad, and introduced it to a mainstream audience without crediting queer culture for it creation. Many homosexuals criticized Madonna for erasing the queer roots of her hit song. 
Nicole Thompson of The Latin Post, criticised the pop artist in her article “‘The Madonna-Free Zone:’ The History of the Harlem Vogue Scene,” saying Madonna “took a very specifically queer, transgender, Latino and African-American phenomenon and totally erased that context with her lyrics.”
 Voguing was the expressionary form of “shade,” explained Willi Ninja, a dancer and choreographer, in the documentary “Paris is Burning.” 
“Voguing came from shade because it is a dance that two people did because they didn't like each other. Whoever was throwing the best moves was throwing the best shade," he said. 
According to Madonna, in her song “Vogue”, her lyrics infer she views voguing as just the opposite. It was an escape from yourself, it was allowing your body “to move to the music.” “Vogue” ripped off the legacy of many queer men, discrediting and removing their acknowledgement from the limelight.
“It's infuriating when you're forced out of a space, seek asylum among other similarly marginalized individuals, create a thriving community for yourselves and those who look like you, and the people who expelled you (in this case cis-hetero black women, cis-hetero black women and white people in general) co-opt your comfort and survival mechanisms for their own enjoyment. All while refusing to acknowledge the trauma they inflicted, forcing you to create those things in the first place.” explained Ryan Sides, writer and digital strategist.
 As time continues, the way we talk, walk and move keeps finding its way into mainstream pop culture. Queer trends, fads and slang has grasped the attention of many heterosexuals, but we are not being credited for the creation of such trends. Behind every new trend and pop queen is queer culture originating the next fad. 


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School
Enough is Enough: A Guide to School Walkouts
Last December, I participated in my first racially motivated school walkout.
Kenneth Bufford
Last December, I participated in my first racially motivated school walkout. In order to prepare for the event, other students and I took the following steps. 
We stated the purpose of the protest: standing in solidarity with a minority student who was called the N-word on school grounds. The protest also called for the school administration to deal with racial tensions properly. We hoped to increase transparency between the administration and its students. 
We made flyers. Make sure to include the exact date and time of your walkout. Thanks to the power of social media, we were able to spread our message. This garnered posts from individuals saying whether or not they were going to participate in the walkout. 
We caused enough ruckus for the school to hear us. Most people believe that approaching the school first would have solved the problem, but I do not think so. If you have an administration who sweeps most things under the rugs, I would avoid seeking their attention. By allowing the school to hear you, they might take preventative measures to try and stop the protest. This part is important because it lets you know where they stand. 
Learn some chants. My favorite are “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Complicity has got to go!” “The People united will never be divided” or the iconic “Show me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like.”
Walk out and accept the consequences. If you are fed up to the point where you do not care about the results of your actions, then live freely. Luckily for me and my school there was no snapback to our walk out.
Finally, see the changes of your action. Walking out is meant to enact change in your school, not to start drama with your administration. After walking out, sit back and watch the change roll in like a thunder cloud. It is worth the watch.
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Life & Style
Falling Into Style
Men, you can be complicated but that doesn't mean your clothing choices have to be.
Kenneth Bufford
Pumpkins, apple cider, Halloween and that nice period between t-shirt and winter coat season—fall is a great time for all of us. Where it’s just warm enough to go for a walk in the park to admire the scenery yet just cold enough to snuggle up in a nice blanket on the porch to watch the sunset. For some, with fall comes a new wardrobe. People with this understanding have designated seasonal clothing and continue to slay year-round. These pioneers truly encompass what fall should look like and for that reason this article isn’t for them for they do not need help. That being said, Ladies you need read no further... Men this one’s for you.
First, let’s cover the fashion basics. Do wear neutral tones to provide a parreling aesthetic to the scenery around you. Deep green, golden yellows and plum purples are great fall colors and allow men to extend the color vocabulary they tend to not have. Do not wear shorts. I understand that 60 degrees is some sort of magically warm weather haven for you guys, but I can promise you, save it for spring. 65 degrees and below is not shorts weather, you want to comfortable while fashionable, not cold while tacky. Fix it. 
Now let's talk about outfit choices. Peacoats are a great accessory to any neutral outfit you wear. Long and fashionable they allow you to give your fit a little je ne sais quoi. Now while you have pea coats on top how about trying some plaid combinations on the bottom. Plaid in some instances can be tacky, but paired with a nice khaki or dark jean they work well with your outfit. Finally time to for some fresh kicks. Save your hot pink, red, white and blue shoes for the summer. Sperry, Vans and Toms are cute and provide versatility while comfortability
Aside from color blocking many men—including myself—struggle with one major category: layers. Layers are a simple and efficient way of staying warm and looking cute. Layers allow one to replace certain types of clothing for other types to provide the same function but for less of a climate hassel. For example, wearing a cardigan and a thin shirt because the thin shirt is fashionable, but your cardigan can keep you warm. 
Men, you can be complicated but that doesn't mean your clothing choices have to be. Always keep in mind that fall outfits can be recycled every year so don't be afraid to start or add to your collection. 


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Life & Style
Financial Tips for Savvy Teens
We all struggle when it comes to saving money.
Kelly Thai
Omarlyn Martinez, a Boston teen, worked full-time this summer in hopes of paying for his college tuition and also to save money. Since Martinez comes from a single parent household, saving money was always difficult, especially since he only had a checking account at first. Now, he’s able to save with a savings account. Martinez is hoping to get into investing and aspires to buy a house for himself, and one for his mom in the Dominican Republic.
We all struggle when it comes to saving money. Despite some of us having bank accounts and reminding ourselves not to overspend, we do it anyways. 
Jeff Paddock, a Financial Empowerment Coordinator at Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción, is a financial coach for low-income families. He guides people of all ages on saving, as well as encouraging them to reach their financial goals.
“For kids, I recommend getting in the habit of putting change away in a jar in their room,” said Paddock. “When you become a teenager, I recommend setting savings goals. This is something that is very important.” 
Getting in the habit of saving early fosters discipline and control. Paddock recommends for teens to open a savings and a checking account because “once they have a steady income, they should set up an automatic transfer of a few dollars from the checking to their savings. This will build the habit of saving a little every month.” 
Kathy Lee, a freshman at Northeastern University, does not have her own bank account, but has one under her parent’s name. 
“I was told to save money by my parents. But that never ends up the way they expected it to be,” said Lee. At a young age, her parents advised her to save all her money from Chinese New Years. “However, much like a child, I did not learn my lesson,” she said. “I still spend a bit here and there but it has decreased quite a bit.”
In her spare time, Lee likes to shop. “I only make the purchase if I believe that item is absolutely necessary and practical for my daily lifestyle.” Following this method, Lee learned to save money little by little.
Paddock has two tips for teens to practice when preparing for their first big purchase. 
The first tip consists of three rules:
Rule one - open a bank account so that your money is safe. Storing your money in your room could be dangerous because it could be lost, stolen, or destroyed.
 Rule two - track how much money you have in your account.
 Rule three - spend less than what you make. Even though it sounds simple, it could be difficult. 
The second tip is to open a separate emergency savings account where you put a little bit of money away. “Emergency savings are like first aid kits. They should be close, accessible, and hidden away,” said Paddock. 
An important things to do is to calculate your monthly income, as well as bills or monthly expenditures you have to pay for. Next, generate a budget that includes how much you’ll spend on eating out, entertainment, social activities, shopping for clothes, etc. Subtract your monthly expenses and social spending from your monthly income, and you’ll get an idea of how much you spend monthly. That way, you can estimate how long it will take to save for that large purchase. 
Jeff Babcock, a Senior Associate at WS Development, said an overarching principle is that the earlier you start saving, the more time your money has to grow. For this to happen, Babcock recommends that teens seek out a savings account that has a high interest rate. If you want to save even more money, finding an index fund could be an alternative. Index funds are composed of a variety of stocks and bonds, Babcock explained. 
“You're investing a little bit in a lot of different things, diversifying your risk. When you invest $100 into index funds, it can be spread across all these investments, industries, or even the entire economy. ” The downside to this is that there is a bit more risk at play, and you may lose money. 
Once you get in the routine of saving, you can decide whether to put that money in a low-risk savings account or higher-risk index fund. Students can open a brokerage account to begin investing in index funds even though it is a bit more advanced and complicated, so research is crucial.
 “It is important to know what investing is like. Time is really your best friend when it comes to saving money, the sooner the better, for sure,” said Babcock.



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