1/ This issue’s steering themes.

2/ Visual & literary inspirations.

3/ Sample writing pitches.

4/ How to join
No. 22 staff.

5/ SPARK’s Zero-Tolerance Policy.

The Slut

Diamonds are an IT GIRL’s best friend. Though she may tend towards excess when reaching towards her designer monogrammed handbags, there's no room for existential dread in her two-by-four cardholder. The beauty of luxury is more accessible than ever, and it’s ours for the taking.

The Slut will examine the hedonism of the specific brand of consumption encouraged by designer brands and their paradoxical relationships with the wealthy women whose bodies serve as canvases for their art.

By Senior Print Editor Andreana Joi Faucette

PARIS IS THE CITY OF WHAT’S LOST

From the dust of World War II emerged 1920s America, a world of glitzy flappers and glamorous speakeasies. But in this new world, repopulated with millions of young men returned hollowed, psychologically damaged from the war, something was missing. Something artists and writers — James Baldwin, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway — couldn’t go without yet couldn’t get back. So they went searching with a drink in hand: to Paris, to partying, to impossible love.

PARIS IS THE CITY OF WHAT’S LOST will examine the tumultuous lives and literature of the Lost Generation, uncovering why great American novels are written in Europe.

By Associate Print Editor Anjali Krishna

THREE4FIVE

Three rings. Five papercuts. Three times I’m allowed to embarrass myself today. Eight is okay because it’s three plus five. Counting is a guilty pleasure, and it gives me such a spine that I don’t care if it’s odd. It feels good to count. It gets louder, and I let it. Listening to it stiffens me, but I feel at peace.

THREE4FIVE is about the duality of desiring control– giving in means succumbing to your urges.

By Associate Print Editor Anagha Rao

Rubberneck

There’s a Britney inside all of us, a Lindsay, a Miley. We pity their circumstances, mourn what they could’ve been. It’s painful to watch, but we can’t look away. There’s a part of us that yearns for that release, envies them for releasing. We can live vicariously through them, and they feel our scorn is the punishment they deserve.

Rubberneck is about why we gave so much attention to public breakdowns. Plato’s Euthyphro dilemma takes a modern, hedonistic adaptation: is something authentic because it’s enjoyed or enjoyed because it’s authentic?

By Associate Print Editor Anagha Rao

Follow the Velveteen Rabbit

When I was six years old, my worst fear was a house fire. I was suspicious of our century-old home and its old electrical wiring and creaky, dry wood, and my 8pm bedtime was characterized by a terror of waking up trapped by flames and choked by smoke. I knew the basics: life over possessions. I knew better than to focus on anything besides my escape— even the family dog was on his own.  

But I also knew of a fate worse than death: watching my stuffed animals go up in flames. If my house ever did burn down, I decided somberly, I’d assess my own exit route only after throwing my plushies off the balcony to safety below. 

What is it about a stuffed animal that a child, especially one who cried every night for a year because they found out their mom wasn’t immortal, would risk life and limb for? And why does my attachment remain fifteen years later, as I rebuild my collection and mourn the day my tweenage self gave them away because he was ‘too old for toys’?  

Follow the Velveteen Rabbit reflects on the tactile versatility of stuffed animals as a child’s foremost companions and teachers. Unapologetically, I admit the depth of emotion I’ve felt—and feel— for those stitched and crocheted critters not as indulgent nostalgia, but as a sober adoration of the patience, gentleness and compassion they embody.

By Associate Print Editor Rhys Wilkinson

Photo: CammyGray on Pinterest

Poetry in Motion

The reason for my playing sports at all has been lost to time. I suppose that, as an overzealous child, I watched in agony as Zinedine Zidane headbutted away a World Cup in 2006 and made it my mission to avenge my disgraced hero. (This was, of course, before I realized semiweekly practice was part of the deal, at which point I was in too deep.) As bad as I convinced myself I wanted to be, I was never going to be the next star player; I disliked running, I hated getting yelled at, and I often dreaded attending practice at all. 

Gradually, I transitioned from sports to college and settled into my Freshman 15. But between the force of habit and my insecurities about my changing body, I found myself back on the track, trying to “whip” myself into shape again the only way I knew how.  

After years of fluctuating weight and grasping for motivation, I’ve finally ceased attempting to shame or coach myself to results, and I’ve committed to finding pleasure in movement itself. The extensions, the breath, the sweat— all become part of a ritual of gratitude for life, a commitment to use and nourish my body without shame, without judgment. 

Poetry in Motion addresses the toxic fitness culture which permeates everything from social media feeds to youth sports leagues, and tracks my journey through those mindsets and towards an understanding that movement is play, and play is sacred.  

By Associate Print Editor Rhys Wilkinson

How to Apply:

1/ Complete the application here. You may only apply to three departments and if accepted, can hold a maximum of two positions.

2/ Before you submit, ensure that all Google files have been set to “Anyone with the link can view.” Due to the volume of applications we receive, any application we cannot fully access is automatically disqualified.

3/ Applications close January 20th @ 12 p.m. (noon) CST.

Terms of Eligibility:

1/ You must be a registered undergraduate or graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin.

2/ You do not need prior editorial experience, but may be asked to produce a portfolio depending on the department-specific application.

3/ Upon acceptance, you must consent to signing a Work Release Form and Liability Release Form. This is so you can work on photoshoots and we can publish your work in print and online!

4/ You must be 18+ years old at the time of application submission.

5/ You must agree to uphold SPARK’s zero-tolerance policy and understand that failure to comply with our standards will result in immediate dismissal from staff.

EDITORIAL

Departments: Print, Web.

Writers concept, pitch, and draft stories for our website, biannual print issues, and sometimes serve as ad hoc copywriters throughout the semester.

CREATIVE

Departments: Modeling, Photography, Styling, Videography, Hair & Makeup.

As members of SPARK’s largest branch, creatives work on- and off-set to produce editorial-level visual assets published on the website and in biannual print issues.

DESIGN

Departments: Layout, Graphic Design. 

Designers are in charge of magazine layouts, digital art, front-end web development, and producing other mixed-media assets for print and online publication.

BUSINESS

Departments: Social Media, Marketing, Events. 

Business branch members plan and host events, manage our newsletter, create and organize SPARK merchandise, work with big fashion/makeup brands, and keep our social media up-to-date.