AJ Eubanks (he/him) is a current student at Mississippi School of the Arts. He loves animals, dungeons and dragons, and talking all about his current fixations. He hopes to the joy of his hobbies and interests but also hopes to help advocate for disabilities in younger students. AJ believes everyone deserves a space to feel seen and heard, whether it’s just about a silly craft or a serious discussion about chronic pain. He has a dog named Toby who will make several appearances on this blog.* He's also planning to make a monthly blog about his favorite animal facts. Please, feel free to pull up a chair and listen to AJ ramble about nothing and everything.
*Pictures of Toby ARE included. :)
When you think of witchcraft, what do you think of? Magical, fantastical sorcerers from popular media? Or perhaps evil, animal-sacrificing women who defy the rules of morality? Neither is correct when looking at witches in our real world. So what is a witch?
Well, despite the sexism that history holds, anyone, regardless of age, religion, or gender identity, can be a witch and practice witchcraft. Witchcraft, or the practice of magick, is at its core, performing rituals to connect with spiritual and unseen energies to achieve a desired outcome. Typically, it is associated with folk magic and can be a part of certain religions, such as Wicca or Paganism. While people often think of rituals as being evil and malicious, many are just everyday things we do for good luck or prosperity. For example, praying to angels, praying for your dead ancestors, and manifesting things through positive words like “I will get this job” are all examples of magick and rituals. They are just listed under different names and religions.
The reason why the practice of magick is so frowned upon is because of old, misogynistic beliefs and popular media. Due to women questioning Christian teachings and outrage about how women were treated, influential people saw this as a challenge to their authority and thus claimed the Devil had possessed and influenced these feeble-minded women. Media, even today, depicts female casters as evil and powerful. Think of the Wizard of Oz, or witches in Halloween culture. All of it is just a way to put down non-Christian beliefs and women.
Some ways I like to personally practice are through color magick, tarot readings, and positive affirmations. Black, for example, is a protective color and is most used due to its protection. Yellow attracts positivity and joy, and brown is security, warmth, and a foundational color. Tarot readings help me better communicate with myself and delve deeper into my subconscious. I also love practicing stitch and knot magic, weaving intentions and goals into my work brings me a sense of fulfillment. It’s a self-care way I like to invite positivity into my life.
This is a silly little post about my fursona, Gyphe the Hyena!
So, I needed to talk about something that makes me happy. I haven’t been feeling the greatest lately…so I thought: hey! Why not write about my favorite creation? Unfortunately, this will be a shorter blog, but hey, we all need a brain break! He brings me joy, so today I will be talking about my original character and fursona, Gyphe the Hyena!
So, as we can see, Gyphe (pronounced gif) is a blue, pink, and white hyena. He has a purple nose, tongue, and big smile! He also has gold accents in the sense of his eyes. He has gauges and a second piercing above the gauges on each side. He also had two hoops on his outer cartilage. I can never stick to a tail size, as some sizes are more aesthetically pleasing for different artworks. I know I’m biased because he’s my Sona, but I love Gyphe to bits. He’s so colorful and fun
He doesn’t have any lore outside of being a fluffy personification of me. I’m actually having a wearable head of him made! It should be done before my birthday, and I’m so excited. I’ve had him as a sona for about 4 years now, and he’s been through a lot of changes. I refuse to show the old art, though, because it is BAD.
I also have been doing art commissions lately, and here are some of my most recent works! They were really fun to work on, and the customers were so kind and patient. I always get so happy when my customers tell me how excited they are and how much they love the artwork!!! I really love doing art for folks, and plus, it allows me to spend more money on yarn! !>:D
Anywho, that’s it!!! Thank you for checking this silly blog out. I really appreciate it.
Here today we talk about disability, how it is portrayed in the media, and why we should care.
While July is the official Disability Awareness Month, disabilities affect people all months of year, and we need to talk about it. Especially the representation in the media of people with different disabilities. Or shall I say, the lack thereof.
The disabled Flag represents the different types of disabilities and shows pride and support for those with disabilities.
Disabilities are varied and wide spectrum. We have broad categories for them, being physical, sensory, developmental, and psychiatric. Physical disabilities affect your mobility or motor functions. Cerebral Palsy, spinal injuries, and arthritis are common examples of physical disabilities. Developmental disabilities, like intellectual disability or fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, affect cognitive functions, especially at a younger age. Psychiatric disorders are psychological conditions, like PTSD or bipolar or OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). Though these can get tricky, as the way they debilitate a person is not very well documented or taken seriously. Neurological disabilities affect the brain and nervous system, like a traumatic brain injury. Neurodevelopmental disabilities are commonly represented by ADHD and ADD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and attention deficit disorder). Finally, we have sensory and learning disabilities. Sensory disorders consist of a disability that affects some sort of sense, such as blindness or deafness. Learning disorders, like dyslexia (reading difficulties) and dyscalculia (math difficulties) affect your learning process.
We’d think that, if we have so many different types of disabilities and disorders, we would have a better understanding of and acceptance towards disabled people. Unfortunately, due to negative stereotypes and ableist history, we still have so many misconceptions about those who are disabled. For example, not everyone who uses a wheelchair is paraplegic. While the statistics are inconclusive currently, it has been reported that up to 1/3 of wheelchair users are ambulatory. This means they still can move and walk with less assistance. Another misconception is that people who use canes or walkers are old, or that you can only develop physical disabilities later in life. Disabilities can be developed at any time in one’s life, and mobility aids can be needed at any point. So why do we depict disabilities as this rare, scary, and sad thing?
That’s another thing. The extreme depictions of disabilities. Either people who are disabled are depicted as hopeless and wish they weren’t disabled, or they’re a superhero and an inspiration. We are normal people. We have our good days, and our bad ones. We shouldn’t be reduced to one emotion because we are people with a wide and diverse variety of emotions. Or the extremities of psychiatric disorders. People with schizophrenia are considered dangerous and “insane”, people with bipolar disorder are “unstable and something you should fear”, or OCD is being the “neat freak”. These depictions are useless at best and harmful at worst because these disorders are a spectrum. We do not all depict disabilities the same way, just as no two people are alike. We need to start depicting disabled people and characters as what they are: people.
Thank you, FreePik, for the image
It also sucks, as someone who uses mobility aids, to have little to no accessibility in your daily life. Schools have barely any accommodation, and if they do have the occasional wheelchair ramp, it’s on the other side of the school. So, it gets to a point where it feels like the 1950s, where folks with mobility issues need to be “hidden from public view”. But with all systemic issues, the rights and support for people with disabilities are still new. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed in 1990 by President Bush. That’s only 34 years ago. So, architecture and medical information are still outdated and unavailable to people with disabilities. That’s also not to mention the discrimination against queer, afab, and people of color in disability spaces.
Disability affects about 1 in 6 people. Whether it be in the mind, body, or both, we all deserve respect and accommodation for our disabilities. We deserve to feel safe and comfortable in our bodies and shouldn’t be treated like we’re incompetent or a burden. Disabled people are still people and deserve to access quality medical care. So what could you do to help people around you with disabilities? The best thing you can do is ask what help they need. It can be nice to help them put something away or offer advice, but you need to always ask what would make the disabled person feel most welcome. If you’re holding events, please try to make them accessible. If someone has sensory disorders, make sure to add accommodations so they can experience everything too. I think people often think we want “special treatment”, but in reality, we want what everyone else wants: to be able to function and enjoy life.
Just remember that, if someone around you is disabled, treat them with respect and kindness. Treat others how you want to be treated, and please, for the love of God, do not push wheelchairs without asking.
Periods are a natural occurrence for 1.8 billion people. So why is it so stigmatized and repulsive? Let’s talk about that…
A discussion (well, rant) about feminine hygiene and the stigma around it.
Periods. The natural occurrence of shedding the endometrium. It is reported that over 1.8 billion people menstruate monthly. So why is the discussion around this topic so stigmatized? Any and all reasons stem from one real reason: the hatred of people who were born with uteruses.
Let’s look back in time, turn back a few pages of the history book. One of the oldest written menstrual stigmas was in the Bible. Leviticus chapter 15, verses 19-33 states (in layman’s terms) that women, and anything they rest upon, become “unclean”. If menstrual blood touches anything, it too becomes unclean. This passage led to a constant mindset throughout male scholars in history that anyone who bled and everything around them was corrupt and dirty. An example of this mindset early on was from Pliny the Elder (AD70) that menstruation “is productive of the most monstrous effects”, that crops will “wither and die”, and bees “will forsake their hive if touched by a menstruous woman”. These quotes are disturbing to think about. Imagine how much abuse stemmed from these types of mindsets. Even in 1694, women were compared to cockatrices, mythical beasts that had venomous breath, all because they were bleeding (according to James McMath, M.D).
Alright, stepping forward some, let’s look at the 20th and 21st centuries. In 1950, Good Housekeeping (THE magazine for women), advertised sanitary towels as “So skillfully shaped not to look like a napkin box” and so “that the sharpest eyes couldn’t guess what’s inside the wrapping”. This, even in “modern ages”, made periods seem like something that people should be embarrassed about and ashamed of. A monthly function to regulate your body is shameful. Wow. What about the 2020 Tampax criticism, where they advertised tampons that “open silently for full discretion”? More recent studies in the medical history of menstruation contain euphemisms such as “the curse”, “dirty red”, and more (from as recent as 1975) contribute to the unclean stigma of periods and feminine hygiene.
Now, we talked mostly about women throughout history, but they aren’t the only people who bleed monthly. AFAB people, or assigned female at birth, struggle with these stigmas and frequent transphobia due to this natural phenomenon. Period discussions and products are tailored for women. Pad wrappers that say “Strong Like a Girl” create an isolating barrier for transgender and gender non-conforming folks. When we also look at the prices of menstrual products, things get worse. The average price for 36 tampons can easily cost $12 a box. The federal wage is $7.25 an hour. So why does this hit trans individuals harder? The 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey stated that transgender people are twice as likely to live in poverty and three times as likely to be unemployed compared to the general population. Now, ten years later, times for the working class have been ever harder. We also need to think about those who prefer gender-affirming bathrooms, such as a transgender male using the men’s room. They will rarely have access to period products when they’re needed most. Along with bathrooms, opening a crinkly, plastic wrapper in the men’s room can lead to a sense of fear and lack of safety, especially in a time when transphobia and violent hate crimes are rising.
Now, the bloody point of this article was centered around the menstrual hygiene stigma in the United States, but there is so much discrimination for people who bleed monthly across the world. There are also discussions about people not having certain healthcare rights due to the assumption “all women want to or should bear children”. There’s also discussion around other feminine reproductive issues, like the age for hysterectomies and abortion, or even the effects of birth control, or how the medical system is very anti-AFAB people. But that, my friends, is all we have time for today. I really hope this gave you a better perspective on menstrual hygiene and why it is so important. Please read the linked articles for more information if you can.
Viva Piñata. You don’t know em, but you’ll probably love em! Viva Piñata is a video game (and a TV franchise, fun fact!) that was created by Microsoft and Rare. Its universe is full of living piñata animals, with various personalities, that you can collect and care for! They interact with each other, some getting into fights and even eating each other in a hunter-prey dynamic. You grow different plants to attract different pinatas, and even build houses for them!
So what’s so special about this game? Well, it’s an XBOX 360 classic from 2006, meaning it was competing with titles like the Spyro the Dragon franchise and the first LEGO Star Wars games. Big and exciting things were coming out in 2006 for the 360, and Viva Piñata was no different. It contained over 60 different animals, each with unique models, with some even having variants. You also have several systems, like hatching eggs and watering, and fertilizing plants. You can interact with multiple different townsfolk with different shops and dialogue. Now, in the big age of 2025, with games like GTA and Monster Hunter, and Minecraft, these don’t seem impressive. But when we look at how this game was only 10 years after the shift to 3d graphics, it is absolutely beautiful. Many of the models still hold up today. Take the Preztail, while made of paper, you still see the fox-like shape and a soft look to the animal. Or the Horstachio, a horse piñata that is colorful and looks very charismatic. Each piñata has so much love and character put behind it. Having 60 diverse models for the pinatas alone is a huge feat for 2006 3D games.
Left: Horstachio
Right: Preztail
Viva Piñata is so relaxing and has so many elements that inspired the game genre of “cozy games”, like Slime Rancher or Stardew Valley. While the graphics might be outdated and dialogue a bit janky, we have to admit that, for it being made in 4 years (concept was 2002, and release was 2006), this is a wonderful feat. They even had sequel games, a TV show, and (my favorite game), Viva Piñata: Party Animals. It has so many mini-games, each having unique mechanics and advantages for some animals! The game also has races like Mario Kart. For 2007, a game with such a diverse animal cast and franchise is amazing. Party Animals is amazing if you want some XBOX 360 nostalgia, and a fun game that still holds up amazingly today. What’s also great is they both have backwards compatibility, meaning the newer XBOX consoles still run them beautifully!
If there’s anything I want you to truly take away from this rambling, Viva Piñata and its franchise is a feat for its time, and I would highly recommend trying them out. They’re classics that have been in my heart for over a decade, and I want more people to experience the classic, nostalgic feel of these games. I wish there were a larger community for it, and I really hope that at least this gave you some inspiration to seek out this game, or even games from your childhood that are now dusty relics of the past.
Hi! Hello! Nice to meet you! I’m your host, AJ, and it’s lovely to have you here. This week’s first-ever blog post is about my new club at MSA: Dungeons and Dragons! Alright, alright, settle down. I’m just as excited as you are.
So, to start us off with a simple question, what is D&D? Dungeons and Dragons, often shortened to D&D, is a tabletop role-playing game. Typically, you have a Dungeon Master/Game Master, who is essentially the guide and narrator. Normally, you have 3-6 players who are the main characters of the story! It’s a collaborative storytelling game with creativity and battles. Normally, your group meets once a week to play, or once a month, depending on scheduling.
Sounds cool, right? Well, I, AJ Eubanks, will be the club DM. I’ve been in the D&D community for over 4 years now, but this is my first time DMing. This club is going to be open to all players, whether they’re experienced and know the ropes or are brand new and don’t know what dice to get. I want to create an exciting and fun group for nerds to gather and express themselves through the power of roleplay and storytelling. I will help you with your character creation and even make cheat sheets to help with your class and abilities. I will also provide dice you can use during game sessions (several made by yours truly). Water bottles will also be given out!
So why am I starting a D&D group this year? I wanted to bring the same joy and community that I was given with Dungeons and Dragons in 7th grade, because I feel like everyone deserves a good, safe place to express themselves and their creativity. I want to bring a place where those who feel like they might not “fit in” can feel comfortable and make friends. So far, I am loving MSA and want everyone else to have a great experience too!
Now, enough with the sappy stuff, let me tell you how the group itself is going to go. We will be doing a one-shot/session 0, which is a pre-game to get familiar with your characters and the basic D&D rules. The one-shot is very simple: The placid waters near a fishing village have been invaded by a huge, aquatic beast. The creature is destroying the ecosystem, attacking villagers, and blocking passage to an island full of healing herbs. The party needs to act quickly, before the creature claims its next victim. It is a very easy start and allows new players to get comfortable with the mechanics and storytelling aspects.
So, to wrap up this nice adventure with a golden bow, I would like to thank you for reading! I appreciate it greatly. Next blog post is going to either be my monthly favorite animal facts or my current fixation on cross-stitch. Pictures coming soon!! 🙂
Some of my own art of Viva Piñata!