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Gabriella Fernbaugh:
Hot off the press or hot off the streets of Phoenix. This semester's first issue of State Press Magazine is finally here.
Amber Victoria Singer:
We're sitting down with a couple of magazine reporters to talk about The Hot Issue.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
I'm Gabriela Fernbaugh
Amber Victoria Singer:
I'm Amber Victoria singer and this is State Press Play.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
We'll dive into what social media users have dubbed the "ASU effect." But first, I'm here with State Press Magazine editor-in-chief Camila Pedrosa to learn more about the inspiration for this issue. Hello Camila.
Camila Pedrosa:
Hi.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
Arizona just went through the hottest summer ever. And the Hot Issue focuses on a different type of hot. Could you tell me about that?
Camila Pedrosa:
Yeah. So the Hot Issue is meant to kind of encapsulate all sorts of hot, so we do have a couple of stories on the heat that we just went through, talking about what ASU is doing to help mitigate the heat and also some of the issues that community members go through especially with housing. In addition to that we talk about things like beauty standards, and then sexuality and, you know, personal issues that some of our reporters have gone through relating to beauty, especially. So it really just kind of is a grab bag. If you think of the word hot, you probably are going to have a story related to that, you know, meeting.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
What went into developing these stories on the magazine?
Camila Pedrosa:
Yeah, so I provided kind of that sort of explanation about any type of, you know, hot to the reporters and they came with just so many different creative pitches. The minority actually we're in, you know, heat category. So everyone was really looking to talk about things like beauty and sexuality and it was really exciting. So from there, we worked with reporters on you know, developing an angle and finding sources and they really just did the rest of the work. They are incredible. And the stories just came together so quickly and so easily. And I'm really proud of all of them.
To hear more from Pedrosa, please tune in to State Press Play.
READ MORE: STATE PRESS MAGAZINE: THE HOT ISSUE
Amber Victoria Singer:
Having a uterus is an intrinsically painful experience, whether it's dealing with horrible cramps every single month or painful birth control. I'm here with State Press magazine reporter Audrey Eagerton who wrote a piece called "Hot Girls Have..." for the magazine. Hi Audrey.
Audrey Eagerton:
Hi Amber.
Amber Victoria Singer:
So what's the meaning of "Hot Girls Have..." like what does that title mean?
Aubrey Eagerton:
So it started out as like there are these trends for a while on TikTok and it was like hot girls have something. I don't know with like a chronic illness after it. And it was kind of a joke about women's pain. Or women making fun of their own pain but it kind of turned into hot girls have, you could be this beautiful girl and you can be this beautiful person but then like dealing with something that's very painful, and not at all pretty on the inside day after day. So it's sort of that balance between hot girls have this kind of funny and then hot girls have this. No painful experience on the inside.
Amber Victoria Singer:
Yeah, I remember a lot of people being like, yeah, hot girls have stomach issues. Definitely. So what drew you to this topic specifically?
Audrey Eagerton:
Well, my sister had an IUD last year and then I was considering one this year. And I was like doing my own research for it. And I was all my TikToks and all of my Instagrams, all my social media was filled with it. And then I was doing my own research for it. At the time where we announced that our next issue was going to be the hot issue. And so I was like, Okay, this is what I'm gonna write about. And it's sort of turned into my own research coming into this giant, sort of like, spiral down into women's and like, people with uteruses health issues.
To hear more from Eagerton, please tune in to State Press Play.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
Students on Tik Tok have been talking about something called the "ASU effect." I'm here with State Press magazine reporter Leah Mesquita who wrote about the trend. Hi, Leah.
Leah Mesquita:
Hi.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
So can you break down what the ASU effect is?
Leah Mesquita:
Yeah, so the "ASU effect" I predominantly see it all over Tik Tok. I actually came across it just by looking through some videos having to deal with the girls who attend ASU and the TikTok trend itself is kind of about girls showing the before and after photos. They share photos before attending ASU and after and they kind of believe that they had a glow up prior to starting at ASU and going to ASU. And so they believe that they've gotten more attractive, more confident, their personalities have changed. They're happier with the with the people that they've met, with who they become.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
So how do they is who effect come about and why did it become so popular at ASU?
Leah Mesquita:
Yeah, so I think that one of the biggest contributors is Greek life. Greek life is so huge here at ASU. And I actually wrote a story last year about Greek life and I touched briefly on the stereotypes that go into Greek life and that girls who decide to rush or kind of put up against and it's very strict with the personality you have to have the way you look, you have to meet certain criteria to be considered a sorority girl kind of that stereotypical, those stereotypical traits and the girls that we see who are in Greek life, who are in sororities, all fit a very specific standard. Most of them are white, blonde, tan, athletically toned, and even though most of ASU student body population is white, there's um, I think a little more than half are non-white and so it's kind of interesting to see how big this trend has blown up on TikTok but how I guess non inclusive it is as well.
To hear more from Mesquita, please tune in to State Press Play.
READ MORE: THE 'ASU EFFECT': ATTENDING ASU IS GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOU HOTTER
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
And that's all for this week's State Press Play. I'm Gabriella Fernbaugh.
Amber Victoria Singer:
And I'm Amber Victoria Singer. You can read State Press Magazine's, "The Hot Issue" online right now at statepress.com.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
Or you can grab a physical copy from magazine stand on campus.
Amber Victoria Singer:
You can follow the State Press on X and Instagram @StatePress and the magazine @StatePressMag
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
State Press Play is produced and mixed by the State Press podcast desk editor Amber Victoria Singer. Additional editing was done by me. Our original music is by Jake Leroux and Ellie Willard.
Amber Victoria Singer:
Special thanks to our managing team, Alexis Heichman and Reece Andrews, as well as the entire State Press Mag team.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
See you next week, Devils.
