VOL 120, ISSUE 16 - March 9th, 2023

08
THURSDAY
MAR 9,
2023
DONAROO CONTINUED
PERIOD PRODUCTS
SHOULD NOT BE LUXURY GOODS
09
SCENE
The Driver Era give their final bow on the Hilltop. PHOTO COURTESY OF DYLAN DIVINE-SICHERMAN/SLE MARKETING TEAM
JORDAN PREMMER & TALEAH JOHNSON
Staff writers
Vocal chords were shot, bodies were left sore from dancing, and two bras
were thrown at Donaroo on Saturday.
This year the Campus Activity Board (CAB) invited alternative rock
sibling duo, The Driver Era to headline the Hilltop’s annual concert. Compton-based
rapper Buddy opened the show along with the two-time winner of
CAB’s student DJ competition, DJ Muze.
According to some Lone Mountain East residents, screaming could
be heard all the way across campus when The Driver Era stepped on stage.
Brothers Ross and Rocky Lynch emerged in red lighting along with their
backing band toting electric guitars and broad smiles. With matching bejeweled
cowboy hats — a hand crafted gift from CAB — they sailed through
their newest album, “Summer Mixtape.” Cowboy hats are recurring features
at Driver Era concerts — fans often bring them for the duo to wear on stage.
The Hilltop practically melted as a collective as students screamed “I
love you Ross,” and the room boomed with chants for Rocky, the more introverted
of the duo. Several times throughout their set, The Driver Era used
covers as bridges in their songs. High-energy “Heart of Mine” had a brief but
groovy interlude with “Hold On, We’re Going Home,” originally performed
by Drake, and “Malibu” was paired with Ginuwine’s sultry “Pony.” Every so
often, Ross would dip into the pit and hug his mom, who watched proudly
from the front row.
Though doors opened at 6:30 p.m., students were camped outside of the
entrance in their best outfits as early as 5:00 p.m. CAB sold over 1,000 tickets
for the show, nearly twice the size of last year’s Donaroo.
Wearing a cowboy hat, first-year computer science major Aria Srivasta
was among the first to arrive at the War Memorial gym with her friends.
Srivasta pointed to her friends as being the main reason for arriving so early.
“They’re huge fans. Huge fans,” she said as her friends giggled in embarrassment.
As soon as the doors opened, people ran with their friends to secure spots
close to the stage.
Fourth-year sociology major Destiny Camarillo was in the front row
wearing a delicate, silver tiara for her birthday. The Driver Era was her second
most listened to artist on her Apple Music Replay, and she was beaming. “The
Driver Era is literally my favorite band. I’ve been a huge Ross fan since his
Twitter brunette era in 2017.” When asked how she felt having The Driver Era
at USF, she declared, “It feels like the best birthday gift ever.”
The show’s openers heightened the already buoyant energy in the room.
Students learned the electric slide with Buddy, who opened the event.
Stumbling over each other, students slid from side to side, ad libbing “Go
Buddy, go Buddy go!” in harmony. “Thank you for the love,” Buddy said to
the crowd in between songs.
DJ Muze, also known as second-year finance major Donny Musleh, was
the winner of CAB’s student DJ competition and opened for the show for
the second year in a row. Playing a mix of contemporary songs from genres
ranging from hip hop to house, DJ Muze warmed the crowd up for a night
of fun. The crowd broke into dance when they heard songs like Lil Uzi Vert’s
“Just Wanna Rock” and Lil Jon’s “Snap Yo Fingers.”
During a phone interview the next day, Musleh said that he loved being
in a room where everybody “just wants to have a good time and share live
music.”
USF’s dance team,VarCity, gave an electric performance in between sets.
“I am thankful to CAB for getting artists that I admire to be here,” said
second-year media studies major Laura Stevenson after her first performance
with VarCity. “When Buddy walked by and said, ‘Y'all ate’ I was like ‘OMG.’
It’s really special to be recognized by a bigger talent.”
In between spells of dancing and posting Instagram stories, students
lined up to pose with friends in CAB’s sparkly photo booth.
For some, this was their very last chance to experience Donaroo before
they graduate. Emily Marcelino, a fourth-year nursing major, danced the
night away with her friends for the last time at USF. “It’s really bittersweet,”
she said. “I love just being together since we’re all seniors. It’s really sad leaving,
but I’ve had the best time here.”
After the show, fans waited outside of the gym in front of The Driver
Era’s van, cheering for them as they walked out. Their screams echoed
throughout campus, marking the end of a fun evening before the start of
midterms.
ANALICIA PARISH is a
second-year advertising
major.
After a few years, most menstruators know
the ins and outs of their flow all too well. However,
many of us still face economic and social
barriers when it comes to taking care of ourselves.
Policies like the tampon tax present the
larger issue of period poverty, and menstruators’
healthcare continues to be inadequate because
of the stigma around the topic.
The American Medical Women's Association
defines period poverty as “inadequate access
to menstrual hygiene tools and education,
including but not limited to sanitary products,
washing facilities, and waste management.” Period
poverty is partially caused by the shame
around menstruation and a lack of accessible
educational information. According to the
2021 State of the Period report commissioned
by Thinx and PERIOD, 84% of students in the
U.S. have missed class or know someone who’s
missed class because they couldn’t access menstrual
products.
In seventh grade, I got my period at my grandpa’s house where there
weren’t any pads or tampons. After making due with toilet paper for three
days, it was clear that I needed to tell my grandpa. Embarrassed, I called my
mom, and she called my grandpa. Our trip to CVS was unpleasant, but he
respected my privacy and had my back. When we got there he told me to grab
anything I needed as he distracted my brothers. I must have been radiating
discomfort, because a middle-aged woman asked if I needed help. Flustered,
I muttered, “No thanks,” grabbed the first package my hand went to and sped
toward the register.
Despite how uncomfortable the
situation was, I feel very privileged
to have gone through it with the support
of my mom, my grandpa, and
even the random lady at the store. I
didn’t want to admit it at the time,
but I was relieved about the advice,
kindness and privacy they provided.
Many aren’t able to go on awkward
CVS trips because of period
poverty. Some countries, like the
United States, tax sanitary products
as luxury goods, according to the
Alliance for Period Supplies. This is
known as the “tampon tax.” In the
United States the tax can go up to
7%, and up to 20% in some countries
in the European Union.
But menstrual products are not
a luxury — they are a necessity to
maintain basic hygiene. The 2021
State of the Period report found that
“16% [of menstruators] have chosen
to buy period products over food or
clothes” and that low-income college
students of color are “most impacted.”
Menstruation is often an uncomfortable
and painful time of
the month. According to the Mayo
Clinic, symptoms of premenstrual
syndrome (PMS) include but are
not limited to constipation, diarrhea,
joint and muscle pains, uncontrollable
mood swings, social withdrawal,
and an increase in anxious or
depressed moods. At the very least,
menstruators should be able to easily
acquire products that can make this difficult time easier to manage.
Those who struggle with painful menstruation are still expected to accomplish
their daily responsibilities, such as work and school. Period stigma
prevents open discourse on the topic, and menstruators often receive undeserved
criticism on their ability to concentrate or their quality of work. A
study conducted in India by the National Library of Medicine found that
45% of menstruators experienced concentration problems at school while on
their period, but those who used disposable pads as opposed to cloth were
39% less likely to report problems of concentration at school.
Discrimination in academia and the workplace creates a cycle that prevents
opportunities for menstruators, and globalized sexism places another
barrier on top of the tampon tax. According to the Global Citizen, women
are at a socioeconomic disadvantage due to the gender pay gap, and “earn less
than men across all regions by an average of 23%,” making it harder still to
afford period products. By eliminating the tax, we can work toward a more
equitable future for menstruators.
Advocates for menstrual equality such as ​Chris Bobel, a professor of
gender and sexuality at the University of Massachusetts Boston, note that
the first step to ending period poverty is for the government to recognize
period products as a basic need that everyone, regardless of socioeconomic
status, should be provided with. Normalizing conversations about menstruation
will help change cultural attitudes, debunk menstruation myths, and
encourage empathy towards menstruators’ experiences. NPR reported that
after UNICEF distributed an educational comic about periods in Indonesia,
“Knowledge that menstruation is a normal process jumped from 81% to 97%
in girls and from 61% to 89% in boys.”
When cultural attitudes start to change, systemic policies like the tampon
tax have a better chance of changing. Too often, we are made to feel like
a burden while menstruating, but our bodies are not the issue — people’s
ability to talk about periods is.
GRAPHIC BY MILLY TEJEDA/GRAPHICS CENTER
OPINION