History | The Burgundy Zine

October 22, 2019

What is Positive Psychology?

The field of psychology often hones in on understanding mental and behavioral disorders. Every time a new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual is released, psychologists and psychiatrists are tasked to familiarize themselves with an ever expanding list of disorders as well as updates to previously defined terms.

At the cusp of the 21st century, Martin Seligman, P.h.D. sought to change that by pursuing the field of positive psychology, says University of Penn.

July 13, 2019

Review: Weed the People: The Future of Legal Marijuana in America by Bruce Barcott

Bruce Barcott’s “Weed the People: The Future of Legal Marijuana in America” may just be one of the best cannabis books I have ever read – and I’m not just blowin’ smoke and flower out here.

May 20, 2019

How Smoking was Denormalized

Cigarettes? Yuck. Cigars? Even yuckier… As the kids these day would say. Teen tobacco use was at an all-time low with only 10.4 percent of youths smoking in 2017, Truth Initiative reports. This marked a 45 percent decline since 2011, when 18.6 percent of teenagers smoked cigarettes.

How did we get here? When did smoking stop being cool, despite it remaining an over romanticized aesthetic?

May 9, 2019

The Evolution of Meme Culture

Memes are the currency of the world wide web. Love them or hate them, they’ve fostered global connections and raised an entire generation.

May 8, 2019

Tea Around the World

Tea is more than a drink. The word embodies various flavors that give our tongues a taste of culture throughout history around the world.

April 20, 2019

The History of Cannabis Use

Cannabis, marijuana, flower, pot, gonja, green, grass, herb – however you prefer to refer to reefer – is a mild hallucinogenic drug that has been cultivated and used as far back as 500 BC.

March 31, 2019

Cigarettes: Over Romanticized and Over Done ’till Death

Between the parting of your lips and secured between your teeth is nothing but pure bliss – or what some might call a “cancer stick.”

Cigarettes are more than just a quick hit of dopamine and death sentence. They are a timeless aesthetic, romanticized and over done until the very end.

February 18, 2019

The History of Presidents’ Day

Presidents’ Day is a national holiday that has been federally observed on the third Monday in Feb by the United States since 1885. Schools and financial institutions across the country close their doors in honor of those who have served as the face of our nation.

February 11, 2019

Dickinson and Plath: Gaining Perspective on the Double Edged Sword that is Mental Illness

56 years ago today, the renowned poet Sylvia Plath took her life. In honor of the poet, the following article is an essay written for an English class semester that compares the works of Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath to further understand how mental illness may have influenced their art.

January 14, 2019

The Downfall of Department Stores

The same department stores that shaped consumerism as we know it today are failing to evolve with the market. Big names such as Macy’s, J.C. Penney, and Sears have been forced to close their doors across the country. Not to mention, their stocks haven’t been worth more than mere pocket change in years. Who’s to blame? The brand or the consumer?