Category: Entertainment

The Short Film Honey & Milk Will Bring an Untold Story of Gender-Identity to Life

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By Sophie Oswald

Honey & Milk tells a story we have yet to see on screen. It follows Alice and Grayson in their final moments as a couple before the life they once knew comes to an end. As Grayson discovers who they truly are and breaks down the walls of masculinity, everything about their romantic relationship changes. Emotions are high with moments of intense anger and heavy sadness. 

Alice wants to take on life together, but Grayson needs the freedom to find themself. Grayson leaves and heads back into the world anew, and Alice is left to grieve what once was. As said on Seed & Spark, “Honey & Milk will leave the audience contemplating how some of the most unconditional expressions of love often come at a personal cost. Love holds the sweet grief of impermanence.”

This uniquely beautiful and inclusive film is being created by an all femme and gender nonconforming (GNC) crew. The short film not only explores gender and personal transformation, but it’s being created by people who truly understand those experiences. 

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Poetry and photography zine Tessellation explores piecing yourself back together—while raising funds for Barrier Babes.

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By Kelcie McKenney
Photos by Travis Young

I reached a creative roadblock in the midst of the 2020 pandemic. I wasn’t making things for myself, and my mental health was suffering because of it. So I challenged myself to make. And this book was created.

Over the fall of 2020, I pieced together poetry and film photography to create Tessellation, a zine about falling apart and putting yourself back together again. 

Over a year and a half later, Tessellation is ready for the world. And because this zine helped me through a dark time, I want it to help others. So I’ve partnered with Barrier Babes—a Kansas City nonprofit that strives to promote inclusive and unapologetic sexual health education. Barrier Babes distributes condoms as a way to help lower rising STI rates in Kansas City. 

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Women Are Making Their Place in the Streaming Community

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By Nicole Mitchell
Illustration by Katelyn Betz

It’s no secret that the online streaming platform Twitch is made up of mostly men. Featuring a variety of categories including sports, food & drink, travel, gaming, and more, Twitch is a space where everyday people can livestream their lives online for the whole world to see. One of the most popular livestreams is in the gaming category, with streamers like Ninja, Sykkuno, and Trick2g being some of the most well-known Twitch creators.

Streaming or not, the gaming industry has always been a harsh place for women—from inappropriate comments to a complete distrust in their gaming capabilities. In fact, 44% of women in gaming have experienced gender discrimination in the last year, according to a report from esports giant Evil Geniuses. “As someone with an identifiably female voice and name, [harassment] is one of the reasons I refrain from playing online games,” a woman shared in the report. This idea that women are less-than has, unsurprisingly, seeped into the gaming community of Twitch. In fact, only 35% of streamers on the platform consist of women, according to Influencer Marketing Hub.

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Shop Local: Artists at Van Go Open Holiday Art Show, Online Store

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By Nicole Mitchell

One yearly project of local art nonprofit Van Go is Adornment, which is centered around holiday shopping. The organization hires youth to create works of art for its Annual Adornment Art Show and Sale, which are then sold to the public. This year’s theme is “A Seat at the Table” and is inspired by Shirley Chrisholm, the first Black woman to serve in the United States Congress, along with her quote, “if they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”

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Red (Taylor’s Version) Serves as A Guide to Growing Up and Getting Over

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By Hanna Ellington

I was 13 years old when Taylor Swift released Red, a 16-track album in which Swift navigates the complicated dynamics of love and loss. Through her experiences of questioning self-worth, the joys of young adorations, and the aftermath of ill-fated relationships, Swift’s second re-recorded album delivers universal themes and necessary advice to those growing up alongside the songwriter. Now, at 22 years old, I am once again immersed in Swift’s universe, masterfully updated with Red (Taylor’s Version).

The album feels like a visit from a forgotten friend. It delivers ever-poignant advice with a matured perspective, evoking universal themes of heartbreak and change. Concentrated on the intensity and grandeur of love affairs, Swift masterfully encapsulates the emotional intensity paired with growing pains, taking a beyond-her-years and poetic approach to the age-old search for one’s place in the world.

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