The holiday season is stressful for everyone. There are so many errands to run, so much food to cook, and finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list seems impossible. VERVE Magazine has created a local gift guide to find the perfect gift for even your most picky of family members. Prairie Lights The … Read moreVERVE’s Holiday Gift Guide
Sitting in Dash Coffee Roasters, Mary Mondanaro is beaming watts, enamored with life, and applying her berry Laniege lip balm. Of course, we’re sitting in Dash, because it is her favorite coffee shop in Iowa City and one that is often found in her vlogs. Her essential order? A cold brew with a little room … Read moreAuthentic Vlogging and Healthy Vlogging
As I grow older, the topic of spirituality, its misconceptions and the looming question of what it means to be “spiritual” holds a lot of wonder in my mind. For the longest time, I presumed it had to do with witches, cauldrons, black cats and crystal balls. I thought spirituality looked like the crazy lady … Read moreSpirituality isn’t black and white
You’ve just arrived home for Fall break and your loved ones are greeting you. They help take your luggage in and give you hugs. They ask about your travels. They ask about the homework you finished last night. They don’t ask you about your ex though. They’ve tactfully avoided that question. They don’t look to … Read more‘Tis the Season to Break Up
30 years ago, November 1989. On the evening of November 9th, an East German government official gave an unexpected announcement over live television: the travel restrictions which had kept citizens from leaving the German Democratic Republic or GDR—a satellite state of the Soviet Union—were lifted. The ability to freely travel outside of the GDR had … Read more30 Years After the Fall of the Berlin Wall: UI exhibit asks, “What Does Change Mean to You?”
There’s one place in particular that Iowa City forces an immediate physical and verbal response. Heads turn and eyebrows raise. It’s the immediate thought behind the word: tailgate. It’s the holy grail of football Saturdays, and always offers a good time. Melrose Avenue; infamous for the littered lawns and vomit stains that cling to the … Read moreAn Ode to Melrose Avenue
People often think tofu and salad when thinking about vegetarian or vegan meals. While that is not wrong, there is a lot more to these lifestyles than these cliche dishes. More and more individuals are deciding to move to meat-free diets for ethical and health reasons. Yet, many people seem to misunderstand vegetarianism. Take a … Read moreIowa City nurtures a vegetarian lifestyle
The mirrors of the studio are filled with steam from the heat as yogis exit the room, dripping in sweat. This is typical for a Hothouse yoga class. Afterward, you can find Maureen Mondanaro, owner of Hothouse Yoga Studio, smiling and chatting with her students. Mondanaro first got into yoga because of her former husband. … Read moreHer and Hothouse
As the fall season approaches, it is time to start marking your calendars with all the activities you want to experience. So, VERVE Magazine has created a list to help you find events and activities to do in the Iowa City area without stealing all your rent money. Visit the Black Angel The Black Angel … Read moreTop Five Fall Activities in Iowa City
An African student at the University of Iowa cut all of her hair off, because nobody could braid her natural hair. A black freshman relies on her mom to drive eight hours round-trip in order to get her hair done. A mixed, queer fourth-year shoves his earphones so far down his auditory canal it rattles … Read moreFeeling like a stranger in one’s own home: Being Black