Editor’s note: Tastemakers is a new column we’re trying out here at The Spectator where we give you, the readers, a glimpse into what we at The Spectator are interested in (fashion, music, pop culture, etc.) It also takes heavy inspiration from Perfectly Imperfect, a paid Substack with content in a similar format.
This week, we will get to know Madison Moris, one of the social media managers for The Spectator. Moris is a first-year student double majoring in environmental public health and journalism.
Moris, who cannot emphasize enough that “Morris” is not how you spell her last name, is a Wisconsin native who has journeyed back to the Midwest after a stint on the East Coast. Let’s break it all down.
The East Coast: I recently made my way back to Wisconsin after spending the last eight years in Virginia, more specifically Blacksburg — the home of the Virginia Tech Hokies.
I miss the Appalachian mountains so much, but being a Virginia Tech student can run you almost 35k a year, so that was a major motivator in my college decision. I love outdoor recreation, especially on the East Coast, and hope to backpack the AT one day.
I love watching sunsets and being with my friends, on the coast and back here in Wisconsin. While the sunsets here are gorgeous, Blacksburg sunsets are just superior. Whether at Lane Stadium or in Grayson Highlands, I’ve seen some of the best views here.
While the mountains shown above are actually in California, I am a firm believer that the East Coast is superior to the West. I have a lot of amazing memories there and amazing friends and an amazing friend group. I promise this isn’t an “I miss Virginia” post.
Swoon: Speaking of Virginia, when I went to visit over break, my best friend Megan and I visited the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke and we saw the “Swoon” exhibition.
Caledonia Curry, also known by her artist name Swoon, is an amazing street artist who has gained national attention in a male-dominated field. The way she uses her art and platform to talk about trauma, relationships, equity and other issues is incredible for me.
My beloved Air Forces: My favorite pair of shoes that I own are custom Nike Air Forces. I love them so much and the brown sole and the sage green swoosh I put on the shoe.
They have been worn religiously for the past three years and I don’t care how close they are to falling apart, I won’t stop wearing them unless they are pried from my cold, dead hands.
Cats: I love cats. I truly believe they are better than dogs because dogs don’t purr when they sit on your lap, they yap. They’re yappers. I have house cats, but over the summer a particular cat kept visiting us at our family farm.
My brother named him Mr. Cheese and he has been one of the most pampered farm cats ever since. He gets to sleep inside when the weather is bad and my dad built him a heated nesting spot.
We have several other cats on our farm, but Mr. Cheese is the “main” cat that frolics on our farm. He set the precedent of cheese-related names for these cats including Cheddar, Colby and Gorgonzola.
If you just call out for the Cheese, he will happily gallop to you, while vocally meowing the whole way.
Self-proclaimed music nerd: I am my father’s daughter, so that means I love music. I enjoy broadening my tastes and going to concerts, no matter the monetary cost. Experiences to me are more desirable than buying things, so it is worth it for me.
I have been to ten concerts so far and have seen AC/DC (with Axl Rose), Guns N’ Roses, The Decemberists, The 1975, The Arctic Monkeys, Phoebe Bridgers and Dead and Company, who I’ve seen four times thus far.
The Arctic Monkeys were expensive, but it was so worth it as they are my favorite artist. I saw Phoebe Bridgers in 2021, before her collabs with Taylor Swift, so it was relatively cheap to attend and we were able to get in the second row!
The self-proclaimed music nerd in me just loves debriefing and discussing music so much, that I even made a show on Blugold Radio Sunday about it!
Moris can be reached at [email protected].
