Happy May! Although we are all still social distancing and grappling with this alternate reality we find ourselves in, it is nice to see that nature is still following a normal routine with flowers blossoming and spring weather arriving. We want to take a moment to thank all of the health care workers, first responders, and essential workers for their heroic work and support for our society.
In Entertainment we write about Dua Lipa who has been nicknamed the “Quarantine Queen” due to the release of her album Future Nostalgia during the Coronavirus crisis which has given new meaning to the title, and become the most downloaded album on Spotify. We also report on
Lady Gaga’s historic One World:Together at Home Concert.
Celebrities are coming out in force to use their platform to do what they can to entertain people during quarantine and raise money for charities helping people around the world. In our Charity section we report on Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and BLACKPINK who have created specially designed face masks that will raise money for the charity MusiCares. We also report on the cast of Friends – Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer who have announced that they would be taking part in the “All in Challenge” for charity, auctioning off tickets to attend their reunion special to support America’s Food Fund. NBC’s Parks and Recreation aired a special episode in order to raise money for Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund. And we report on Kacey Musgraves new music and fundraiser to help save the Earth. Successful female business leaders are also doing what they can to help and you can read how women-led companies like Bumble and female billionaires like Spanx Inc. founder Sarah Blakely have given away millions of dollars to small businesses and individuals in need of support during this crisis.
Speaking of entertainment, we don’t know what we would do if we didn’t have access to our favorite binge-worthy TV shows and movies. In this month’s Five Questions, we talk to Melissa Tolchin, Senior Vice President, Partner Marketing at NBCUniversal, whose job is to make sure that all television affiliates around the country carry NBCUniversal content…talk about a lifesaver for these isolating times!
May is Mental Health Awareness month and considering the difficult times that we are all facing, there has never been a more important time to encourage conversations and support for mental health. In our Sports section we have a story about Coco Gauff, the young tennis phenom who has revealed that her rapid rise in tennis has led to emotional struggles. May is also Mother’s Day, and we feature new mom USWNT captain Alex Morgan. Finally we report on WNBA’s first virtual draft which saw Sabrina Ionescu as the first draft pick and honorary drafts for Gianna Bryant, Alyssa Altobelli, and Payton Chester: three rising stars in women’s basketball who died in a helicopter crash in January alongside their coach Kobe Bryant and five others.
Businesses are also rising to the fight against COVID-19. We are happy to report in the Business section that when Ford motors pivoted to help create protective equipment for healthcare workers, top employee Marcy Fisher conceptualized an innovative repurposing of car equipment to make face masks. We also report on how some in the fashion industry are joining Anna Wintour in fighting COVID-19.
In Politics, we look at how female leaders are handling the COVID crisis, and assessing their leadership styles compared to other leaders around the world.
In our Culture section we feature essentials for self-care which is particularly important during this time. We have a report on things that hold women back, and how they can propel themselves and create a supportive community. We also write about Michelle Obama’s new weekly reading series for children, and Teen Vogue’s Virtual Prom. While high school students around the country are mourning the loss of year-end traditions, it is nice to see so many leaders, celebrities, artists and organizations trying to make the best of this situation and create virtual proms and graduations for the class of 2020. In our “It List” and Recommended sections, we highlight many special programs acknowledging end-of-the-school-year celebrations. We also feature people who are coming up with creative and selfless ways to make a difference. And we have lots of new TV recommendations as we are sure those will come in handy while we are all staying home!
We know that times are tough for everybody right now and we hope that the inspirational and empowering stories featured within this issue help lift your spirits and our Recommendations and suggestions can help you thrive. Together we will get through these challenging times and we look forward to better days in the future. We hope you stay safe and healthy and thank you as always for your support.
Chloe Cornell
Editor-in-Chief
