DECEMBER 2014 VOL XIV ISSUE III SYRACUSE NEW YORK Your student fee
A UNIQUELY COMMUNAL DINING EXPERIENCE WHERE THE ONLY THING MORE STIMULATING THAN THE COLLISION OF FLAVORS IN OUR SIGNATURE DISHES IS THE COMPANY OF THOSE AROUND YOU.
116 WALTON ST., SYRACUSE, NY 13202 (315) 373–0031 | SMALLPLATES.COM/SYRACUSE
FRESH START
CONTENTS DECEMBER 2014 FRESH START 24
After surviving 18 years in a Nepalese refugee camp plagued with hunger, fire, and floods, Jay Subedi rebuilds his life in Syracuse.
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FROM THE EDITOR FEEDBACK PEEPS CLICKBATE
WILD THINGS 38
We're pelting over all things fur, so much that we worked this season's most ferocious pieces into looks so wearable they may even break a few hearts.
(BIG) EYES ON THE PRIZE 48
Tim Burton is eyeing an Academy Award for directing his newest film Big Eyes. When it hits theaters Dec. 25, it will be up to the academy whether this seasoned director wins the coveted award.
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Cover Design by Maia Henderson Photography by Sam Maller
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BACKDROP Sixth Floor of Bird
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TOTALLY UNSCIENTIFIC POLL Underdog Day
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SEX Homecumming
22
FRAMED Movement
BITCH OPINIONS 16
NOISE ARTS & MUSIC
JERK THIS What you should hit up and bitch about this month.
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#WHEREISEVERYONE
The movers and shakers didn't earn their places by sitting down. 30
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BLURRED LINES Mixing content and advertising is a recipe for sleaze.
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OFF TARGET Mainstream media live from mass shooting to mass shooting but avoid the gun violence that happens every day.
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REWIND The Clash
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ALTRUIST Remakes
60
AMPLIFIED Comfy
61
SYNAPSE Breakin' Up, Baby
BACK OF BOOK 62
DISCOVERSYR CranX
NO SOLDIER LEFT BEHIND Even off the battlefield, our troops stand together.
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SPEAKEASY Chase Guttman
65
OBITCHUARY Privacy
ORDINARY PEOPLE Rhys Harper fell in love with the shutter.
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CLOSET CASE Cut, dyed, and blown all over, we hair because we care.
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FORM AND FUNCTION Grandma's Visit, 2.0
GAWK FASHION 46
CLICK IT. CLICK IT GOOD. Your guide to navigating the clean, dirty, and professional realms of the Internet.
THE BIG * PICTURE Horny teens, rejoice! Sexting might be good for you.
SMUT FEATURES
GIRL POWER SUIT A woman in management isn't bitchy—she's the boss.
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THE FAULT IN OUR SHELVES Not all libraries are like Club Bird. Some are actually places of learning.
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STRIPPED Let your sunglasses be your shadiest statement piece.
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Michelle van Dalen EDITOR
Kelley Rowland
Maia Henderson
MANAGING EDITOR
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
EDITORIAL
Heather Rounds ASST. FEATURES EDITOR Susanna Heller ARTS AND MUSIC EDITOR Hugh Ferguson ASST. ARTS AND MUSIC EDITOR Collin Gordinier OPINIONS EDITOR Eric King ASST. OPINIONS EDITOR Erin G. Kelly STYLE EDITOR Leigh Miller ASST. STYLE EDITOR Lauren Yobs F.O.B. EDITOR Ryan Harper RESEARCH EDITOR Rebecca Shafer COPY EDITOR Gigi Antonelle COPY EDITOR Stephen Connors FACT CHECKER Michaela Quigley FACT CHECKER Rachel Lockhart FRESHMAN INTERN Chazz Inniss FRESHMAN INTERN Nicole Engelman FEATURES EDITOR
DESIGN
Abby Legge Hannah O'Connell, Kristie Cordon, Kitty Caissy, Adam Jameson DESIGN DIRECTOR DESIGNERS
ART
Adrian Hatch Katrina Ragland STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Allen Chiu, Kelli Mosher, Sam Maller, Rina Matsuno窶適ankhetr ILLUSTRATORS Ryan Brondolo, Dylan Cownie, Hannah Moore ILLUSTRATION DIRECTOR
PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Kaitlynn Cooney Carrie Eager, Kelsey Chipman, Hanna Bird, Anagha Das PR DESIGNER Elizabeth Ching
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR PR REPRESENTATIVES
WEB
Laura Cohen WEB EDITOR Cori Rosen ASST. WEB EDITOR Haley Schluter ASST. WEB EDITOR Sarah Ibrahim WEB DESIGNER Shawna Rabbas DIGITAL DIRECTOR
MULTIMEDIA
Jacob Pirogovsky ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR John Pflieger SOCIAL EDITOR Jensen Cannon SOCIAL EDITOR Aidan Meyer MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
BUSINESS
Maria Ingaglio Anna Goodell AD REPRESENTATIVE Marisa Stark, Sara Spelfogel, Estella Xian PUBLISHER
AD DIRECTOR
CONTRIBUTORS Spencer Arbige, Jill Comoletti, Kait Hobson, Rawan Ashoor, Gabriela Riccardi, Meredith Jeffers, Brendan Germain, Sarah Schuster, Meg Zukin, Caroline Koller, Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, Jake Cappuccino, Claire Dunderman, Ousman Diallo, Bridget Williams, Rob Byers, Staci Downing, Spencer Bodian, Chaz Delgado, Dylan Lowther, Stephanie Jacobs, Jessica Scicchitano
Melissa Chessher ADVISER
Through its content, Jerk is dedicated to enhancing insight through communication by providing an informal platform for the freedom of expression. The writing contained within this publication expresses the opinions of the individual writers. The ideas presented in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Jerk Editorial Board. Furthermore, Jerk will not be held responsible for the individual opinions expressed within. Submissions, suggestions, and opinions are welcomed and may be printed without contacting the writer. Jerk reserves the right to edit or refuse submissions at the discretion of its editors. Jerk Magazine is published monthly during the Syracuse University academic year. All contents of the publication are copyright 2014 by their respective creators. No content may be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the Jerk Editorial Board.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
ONCE YOU GO LILAC... ...You never go back. It started with a photo of Kelly Osbourne's silvery, purple locks. Because of my cando attitude, disaster inevitably struck in the form of an at-home bleaching attempt, turning my hair an unforgiving neon green. But thanks to the talent behind a professional salon, it ended with a successful dye job. Before joining team pastel, I admired people sporting asymmetric cuts and unconventional colors. I went lavender for the thrill—some change their style for more personal reasons. On page 66, we feature three students who went hair crazy whether to make their 'do more functional or to express their gender in a freeing way. Others, like Rhys Harper, pictured on our cover, take a more deliberate approach in showing freed gender expression. Read about his photo exhibit, Trans*cending Gender, on page 34. Or better yet, go to ArtRage Gallery yourself to view his compilation of photos showing trans*gender folks as exactly what they are: ordinary people. No matter how different our personal views or backgrounds, conversation always reveals a common thread. This season, set aside your preconceived notions, start a conversation with someone new, and find that common ground.
Keep on Jerking,
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FEEDBACK Last month it was sunshine and rainbows, but it’s about time you guys figured out we can take a hit. You took to Twitter like a pack of Directioners to tell us why our actions match our name. Keep the heat coming and let us know how we fucked up this month. The Manslator, email [Nov. 4] I was really disappointed to see that you chose to include only white women in your recent article about feminism. There are so many important, influential feminists of color, and you could have chosen to include at least ONE of them. Failure to acknowledge people of color and the intersection of race and gender has been one of the major failings of feminism throughout its history.
SHOW US SOME LOVE Jerk Magazine 126 Schine Student Center Syracuse, NY 13244
Siren, @LookAtAsha [Nov. 5] @jerkmagazine someone fixed your picture
@jerkmagazine jerk@jerkmagazine.net jerkmagazine.net
#TheHonorRole, @youlovesomedemi [Nov. 3] "@jerkmagazine: Move over Ebola, there is a “new” plague: ow.ly/DJURn”... lets compare a dance to a disease killing thousands.” Kennedy Patlan, @kpatlan_ [Oct. 29] Does your school have a forum to bitch, smut, gawk and noise all in a single, awesome publication? Didn’t think so. #JerkThx FOLLOW, DON’T LEAD
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Jerk contributors Photography by Katrina Ragland
BRENDAN GERMAIN / Sophomore / "Blurred Lines" The amount of quizzes I took on BuzzFeed before actually attempting to write my article is a tad shameful—at the very least I know which font I am. Relevance? Well, I'm not editing this mag so technically none, but thank God I'm not Comic Sans!
CLAIRE DUNDERMAN / Senior / Amplified The lead singer of Comfy, Connor Benincasa, warned me at the beginning of the interview that he likes to talk. Little did he know that I can talk a mile a minute and speak a marathon of words, especially if it’s about music. I found myself interjecting things like “Oh yeah! I know that band!” between my questions.
DYLAN LOWTHER / Freshman / model, "Wild Things" I have to say, initially, my first modeling experience was awkward. That quickly changed a few minutes in, because like most of us, I'm a narcissist. Having someone take pictures of me wearing dope clothes while Drake's "6 God" blares in the background is an ideal afternoon for me.
KAIT HOBSON / Junior / "Ordinary People" Working with Jerk is always a learning experience— typically discovering how to extend my deadline. This time was different. I came into the interview with a very specific angle and quickly realized that I have A LOT to learn about the trans* community. Read the article yourself and discover exactly why gender shouldn’t matter.
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JERK THIS AFTERHOURS Dec. 4 A pre-finals reminder of your lack of talents.
INHERENT VICE
ROCKEFELLER CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING Dec. 3 Get a sequoia; then we'll talk.
GODS AND KINGS Dec. 12 Leave warping the Bible to the pricks on Waverly.
THE LAST COLBERT REPORT Dec. 18 The death of truthiness.
KENNY ROGERS AT TURNING STONE Dec. 18 Didn't he die when Will Sasso graduated to Vine?
NATIONAL MAKE UP YOUR MIND DAY Dec. 31 Just in time to make a New Year’s resolution you won’t follow through with.
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Dec. 12 The master behind The Master makes his directorial return.
HOLIDAYS WITH THE ANIMALS Dec. 13 Baby zoo animals opening presents, aka the Internet IRL.
FESTIVUS Dec. 23 For the rest of us!
INTO THE WOODS Dec. 25 Are we in the clear yet? Good.
THE INTERVIEW Dec. 25 Being declared an act of war is an interesting hype plan.
BITCH
THE BIRD AND THE BOOKS
BACKDROP
Our library's best-kept secret.
By Rawan Ashoor
Photography by Chaz Delgado
The sixth floor of Bird Library feels like a Jane Austen novel; paneled in a rich brown wood, the room embodies an austere and grand atmosphere. The space—home to the Special Collections Research Center, the Conservation Lab, and the Archives— houses a range of valuable items, from an Oscar won by composer Miklós Rósza to sentimental memorabilia important to Syracuse University history. Lucy Mulroney, the interim senior director and curator of the Special Collections Research Center, says items are either purchased by the university or acquired by way of donation. The Margaret BourkeWhite collection, one of the most popular on the floor, contains gems like the famous photo of Gandhi sitting cross-legged with the spinning wheel. Students researching social reform and women's rights can access the Gerrit Smith papers, which contain original handwritten letters by Frederick Douglass. Mulroney says researchers from Asia, Europe, and Latin America come to view the rare materials here.
The Archives mainly deal with Syracuse University-related materials. Edward L. Galvin, the director and university archivist, manages the Pan Am 103 Special Archives. Galvin says the university started the collection by gathering materials from the university, collecting letters of sympathy, and reaching out to the families of the 35 students who died on the flight in 1988. The Archives houses more than 400 boxes of records on Pan Am 103, including government paperwork, pieces from playwrights, documentaries, and videos. But the sixth floor isn’t only for special items. Many students can be found studying in spots such as the William Safire Seminar room, dimly lit and lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that contain hardcover gems such as The Crown Treasure of Relevant Quotations and Dictionary of Obsolete English. The sixth floor is almost like a special secret on campus, and the students who discover it enjoy its solitude amidst a rich melting pot of history and culture. JM JERK
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CLICKBATE What We're Getting Off To On The Web This Month
JERKMAGAZINE.NET We know you have it bookmarked, but just in case.
10 Holiday Songs You Aren't Already Sick Of
Single Staffers
As retail stores gather 'round to discuss which artist—hint: Josh Groban—they plan on playing to death this holiday season, our web staff is here to help. We have gathered the beautiful unknown gems of the holiday genre that won’t make you want to kick a mall Santa’s sack. Head over to jerkmagazine.net—where all we want for Christmas is you—to catch our best rundown of the worst genre.
Jerk is here to lend a hand to the horny hoards who have already left-swiped through every Tinder profile from here to Albany. Our multimedia team put a few of Jerk’s sassiest bachelor(ette)s in front of the camera for some very special staff profiles. The first installment showcases social media editor Jensen Cannon, half of the reason why your news feed is filled with everything Jerk.
WHILE YOU'RE CLICKING AROUND... Pop Culture Happy Hour
Arabellesicardi.com
Turns out NPR is good for more than just your parents’ morning commute. This weekly roundtable takes on any and all types of pop culture from an honest critique on Sharknado to a scathing review of House Hunters International. Find out why you should look to the skies for Hollywood’s next blockbuster or see what’s up with all this damn fan fiction. Finally, confirmation that public radio is moving toward more than tote bags and telethons.
Arabelle Sicardi is a narcissist. Unlike most style and beauty bloggers, she’s not afraid to admit that. She also wants to be a robot—a fitting1 identity for this Internet-obsessed, 21-year-old fashion freak who prides herself on making people uncomfortable. She makes her presence known with features in multimedia exhibits and Paper. At this point it’d be easier to list through the publications and events that haven’t featured her.
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TOTALLY UNSCIENTIFIC POLL
UNDERDOG DAY On Dec. 19 we take a break from holiday hype and our month long post finals hibernations to recognize those who go without notice. Jerk took to Bird to ask your thoughts on the silent warriors of campus.
WHAT'S AN UNDERDOG?
36% BRING ME
MY CHIPOTLE,
PLEDGE. WHO'S THE LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS? Weird ass statues—what's with all the dongs? (46%)
WHEN DID SOMEONE MAKE THIS HOLIDAY UP?
*1976 2005 1969 1984
Makes sense when Ford’s your president. (22%) Nickelback was number one, America deserved a new holiday. (34%) A fake holiday for the year of the fake moon landing. (30%) We made it, suck on that Orwell. (14%)
ARE YOU ONE?
YES (54%) Started from the bottom and still there. WHAT DOES AN UNDERDOG STUDY? Women and gender studies—*joke removed for fear of boycott*.
60%
*Underdog Day was created to honor the heroes in stories who are not usually recognized
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SEX
Whether by earning a spot on the naughty list or indulging in a holiday stuffing, we're reinventing the meaning of "homecoming."
Quickie-Mart
I was running errands for my mom, just, you know, getting bananas, when I ran into my ex-fling from last summer. He was picking up some apples. I saw him, he saw me, and things went from eggplants to eye-fucking in less than 10 seconds. All the heat and passion from last year erupted and all I remember is having the best 15 minutes behind a supermarket that I will ever have.
Cold Shower
Last winter break, my boyfriend and I drove to his house and found it empty. After a long day of driving, a shower was definitely in order, so we figured we’d squeeze in a quickie while we were at it. A few minutes into it, we heard an angry knocking as his mom started to scream at us through the bathroom door. We scrambled, toweled off, and dressed. Apparently, his grandpa had been sitting downstairs while we were getting wet.
Soft Landing
I picked up my significant other at the airport at 2 in the morning. I had just seen him a few weeks earlier, but I guess it was a few weeks too many. We went from the lobby to the parking garage in less than five minutes, had our clothes off in seven, and proceeded to have the best airport parking lot sex ever. The extra time in the lot didn’t raise the toll cost too much either.
Caught Red-Handed
I hooked up with one of my best friends from high school last winter break. Considering our completely platonic relationship, it was quite the surprise. We were both hammered and started making out. Tongues were flying, and our hands were down each other’s pants. Just as things were getting hot and heavy he stopped, pulled back, and revealed his blood-covered hand. His hand wasn’t what was bleeding. We have never spoken of that dreadful visit from Aunt Flo.
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FRAMED
ART IMAGE
Movement Marissa Matthews junior, fashion design "It is inspired by a three-dimensional object I produced out of zip ties. I used cotton rope because it's unique and it's beautiful when it's manipulated on the body. When designing this piece I wanted to express beautiful, organic design. I believe the movement in the different sizes and scales of rope really expresses that concept."
To showcase your work on "Framed," email art@jerkmagazine.net. JERK
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E N O Y R E V E S I E R E H W # What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? As soon as it starts trending! By Gabriela Riccardi
Illustration by Adrian Hatch
There has been more activism at Syracuse University in the last four months than in the last four years. The closure of the Advocacy Center in June ignited a chain reaction of campuswide activism. Rages against the shutdown of the Advocacy Center spun into a crusade for a more inclusive campus climate. This gave momentum to movements against the defunding of scholarships awarded through the POSSE program and the refusal to withdraw investments in harmful fossil fuels. Students have pulled together, forming one body pushing for change across spectrums of gender, race, sexuality, class, and more. There are demonstrations, petitions, forums, and rallies outside the chancellor’s office. Most recently, THE General Body, a group formed across lines to unite these movements, organized a sitin that has occupied SU’s administrative building for weeks. And the charge owes much of its power to social media. 16 12.14
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“Without that virtual space, it would have been very difficult to sustain interest over the summer,” says Derek Ford, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Education and community organizer with the Syracuse ANSWER Coalition. “People would not have had a way to connect so easily and so continuously.” Our synaptic social media has been vital to the rise of the causes roaring on campus this semester. Just as a video of an SU women's soccer player slinging intolerant slurs swept across the Internet this fall, so did a reactive movement by marginalized students to pipe up about their experiences on Twitter with hashtags like #SpeakUpSU, #outspokenSU, and #ITooAmSU. THE General Body launched a website to circulate its grievances with university administration. “We are not location- and time-restrained anymore,” says Anthony Rotolo, professor of social media in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and a leader in
BITCH the emergent media and digital technologies. The communities that we amass online can be a potent tool in virtual organizing around an issue. There are even platforms built for social good such as change.org, where petitions for these movements have been filed, or apps like Causes, which helps users discover opportunities to get involved. But while social media provides us with new touch points for connecting with a cause, it has the capacity to substitute real action. Take the Rally for Consent held in September: While the showing of around 200 people was considered successful, it was just a shadow of the petition filed to bring back the Advocacy Center that brimmed with over 8,100 signatures at the time, many of them from those in the Syracuse community. And while #SpeakUpSU ballooned with hundreds and hundreds of mentions from minority students on Twitter, the #SpeakUpSU forum hosted to share their experiences in front of the community filled fewer than half of the 400 seats in Grant Auditorium; it would be forgiving to say that more than a handful of white students attended. When the university held its third listening meeting to voice grievances about new sexual assault services in October, fewer than 10 undergraduates came. Inflated by the belief that we did our part by using the hashtags, signing our names to a petition, or sharing someone’s event, we become a vast body of movement supporters who never intend to do much moving or supporting. We merely latch on to the latest cause-celebre: the do-gooding that everyone is doing. For the time being. “When that moment is over, the majority of the people that were doing that talking and that sharing are not there to deliver on the action,” Rotolo says. The statement-signers, the avatar-changers, and the tweeters aren’t all showing up.
AS QUICKLY AS THEY RISE, MOVEMENTS CAN FALL—AND OFTEN, IT’S BECAUSE OF THE TOOLS THAT STARTED THEM. THOUGH WE ENGAGE AND ENRAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WE FAIL TO STAND UP IN THE REAL WORLD. It’s not true in every case. Take the demonstrations of THE General Body, which fuses communications through Facebook, Twitter, and email. It has started conversations across campus via sparring newspaper editorials. It has published stances on its newly-debuted website, culminated its demands with a sit-in that is gathering national—and administrative— attention. It’s not perfect—it tweeted memes with blocky type and the chancellor’s face, a move that some students blasted them for. But the cause has jumped from the virtual to the very, very physical—just ask anyone who has been sleeping on the brick floors of Crouse-Hinds. Don’t let the movements you believe in slip into the abyss of #Kony2012 or that red equality sign that's sitting somewhere in the middle of one your past Facebook profile pictures. While showing support is important and valuable, you can’t just do it from behind your computer screen. Social media is a means, not an end, to producing the world we want to live in. To back a cause and to push it forward, you have to get the hell up, get the hell out, and put your voice in front of the people that matter. JM
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BITCH BITCH
Girl Power Suit It's not business, it's personal.
By Laura Cohen
Illustration by Hannah Moore
When Jill Abramson, The New York Times executive editor, was fired last summer, rumors started churning as to whether it stemmed from issues with her performance or from office sexism. It turns out Abramson realized the company paid her less than her predecessor, Bill Keller—read: sexism. A thorough look into the newspaper’s history showed the pushback Abramson received throughout her tenure there. Colleagues often used critiques like “abrasive” and “brusque” to describe her management style, but not that of her male predecessor. We’re presented with empowering books like Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In and Sophia Amoruso’s #GIRLBOSS about ways women can combat obstacles and advance in the workplace, but the market lacks a book on treating female co-workers equally. We need to quit placing the blame on women and start addressing the actual source of the criticism. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women’s participation in the workforce has increased by 53 percent in the past 50 years. And the Pew Research Center reports women now outnumber men in college. Women are rapidly climbing the 18 12.14
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professional ladder, and subsequently receive more criticism—criticism that is clearly gendered. An assertive female politician, editor, or professional in any other field is often seen as cold and unapproachable, while her equallyassertive male counterpart is not. In a report for Fortune.com, linguist Kieran Snyder studied 248 performance reviews from 28 companies, ranging from large technology corporations to small startups. Unsurprisingly, 87.9 percent of the reviews received by women contained critical feedback, yet only 58.9 percent of male reviews did. Not only did women receive more criticism in their reviews, but the criticism they did receive was less constructive and more personal than the men's. Most women got feedback like “watch your tone” and “stop being so judgmental,” and were commonly labeled “abrasive.” Turns out, Jill Abramson isn’t alone. Learning to take criticism is an important career skill, and women are surely encouraged to do this to improve their performance. But when so much of today’s criticism tells women to adopt entirely new personalities, they might be better off tuning it out. JM
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By Brendan Germain
BITCH
BLURRED
LINES Publications trick us into seeing advertisements as content, and we buy it—pun intended.
It's hard not to find at least one Buzzfeed article that isn’t your "jam" somehow. Whether it be “25 Things only Game of Thrones Fans Will Find Funny” or “51 Times Jennifer Lawrence In 2013 Proved She Was Master Of The Universe," Buzzfeed, and sites like it such as Elite Daily or Thought Catalog, stir the pot with these edgy, palatable news and pop culture articles. Though these two listicles are clearly not examples of this—J. Law is not going to be forking out to Buzzfeed anytime soon—native advertising, content paid for by companies and corporations, seeps into the content and disguises itself as "objective" work. “Journalism is never free for good, objective content," associate professor of advertising Beth Egan says. Someone has to pay the bills. This branded content reels in quite a profit, with estimates of about $60 million for 2014. It’s crucial that sites reap this much revenue because it fuels the original content they produce. However, normal consumers may not recognize what signifies branded content—or understand the effects this may have on credibility. It’s not that objective anymore. On Buzzfeed, look out for banners that read “brand publisher” or “promoted by.” These posts are normally in the community postings section, although Buzzfeed editors rarely gate-keep the content posted to the site, giving free reign to advertisers and companies to word their content as they wish. For example, HarperCollins, one of the "big six” of publishing houses in the
U.S., commissioned an article on Buzzfeed detailing 10 quotes every grad needs to read. Not surprisingly, these quotes were excerpted from Spelt McCullough’s You Are Not Special, a commencement speech which so conveniently had been recently published and distributed by, well, who do you think? It’s this type of targeted, potentially niche-based content that can sway you on things that are more important than your inter-Barnes and Noble decisions. On that, The New York Times printed an article discussing the hardships female prisoners face, sponsored by Netflix’s Orange is the New Black. What’s next? Mark Zuckerberg for President brought to you by our friends at Facebook? Though this sounds extreme, credibility and readers' trust toward these sites is now seriously called into question. The content’s sponsor may influence readers. The sponsor will definitely influence content. The trust between publications and readers can't remain intact if publications aren’t transparent about what they choose to publish and why. This "editorial" content only disavows a loyal relationship with the consumer—YOU— and makes understanding what is fact or opinion that much more difficult. When a brand’s ideals bleed too much into content, it disables people’s ability to think critically and independently. Either way, this phenomenon shows the importance of regulation. We need to draw a line between what is necessary for journalism to survive, and what will kill it just the same. JM JERK
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FF TARGET Looking down the barrel of America's gun problem.
By Meredith Jeffers
Illustration by Dylan Cownie
It’s nearly impossible to escape the media coverage that follows mass shootings in the U.S. In their immediate aftermath these brutal tragedies dominate our news outlets, from TV to magazines to social media feeds. The coverage is exhaustive and exhausting, but it rarely lasts. Instances of mass gun violence tend to follow a particular, predictable media trend. First, audiences express outrage and grief, then widespread speculation: How could this happen? What were the warning signs? Didn’t we have this same exact discussion a few months ago? Then comes the gun control debate that pits advocates for stricter gun laws against staunch members of the National Rifle Association. Politicians voice their opinions, the president may hold a press conference, but the coverage ultimately tapers off before ending altogether—until the next mass shooting, that is. Because there will be another shooting, and another after that, and another after that. But every time, the conversation about gun violence loses momentum before we can create real change. Shana Gadarian Ph.D., an assistant 20 12.14
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professor of political science in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, explains that when interest in a public policy issue slows down, the media “turns its eyes toward something else—something that’s newer, something that’s less complicated, something that’s going to get people to tune in.” The news coverage may stop, but the violence continues. “People are shot and killed with guns every day. It is a major public health issue,” Gadarian says. “But we as a country don’t talk about gun violence as a big national issue all the time.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, someone dies in a firearm-related incident every 17 minutes. These deaths include homicides, suicides, assaults, and accidents, and they average out to about 86 deaths per day and 602 deaths per week. In 2013, Slate published “How Many People Have Been Killed by Guns Since Newtown?” which tallied every gun-related death in the U.S. since Dec. 14, 2012. A May 2013 update revealed that the number of deaths due to firearms since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
BITCH surpassed the number of Americans killed during the entire Iraq War. The Iraq War lasted eight years, eight months, and five days. One hundred and sixty–seven days separated Sandy Hook from Slate's update in May. But instead of focusing on these gun statistics, Americans like to play the blame game. In a September 2013 Gallup poll, 48 percent of Americans faulted the U.S. mental health system for gun violence, but Duke University psychiatry professor Jeffrey Swanson, Ph.D., emphasizes that the “vast majority of people with mental illness are not violent and never will be.” Sometimes media pundits complain that video games cause violence—except a November 2014 study shows no long-term connection between the two. After the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, the media placed part of the blame on Marilyn Manson—seriously. No matter how many “Guns don’t kill people; people kill people” bumper stickers we see, we have to at least admit that firearms make killing a hell of a lot easier. The fact is, mass shootings only account for a tiny fraction of deaths due to firearms. We should be working toward finding solutions to everyday gun violence, rather than participating in and enabling the sensational media cycle. If a shooter opens fire on the SU campus, you can respond in three ways: run, hide, or fight. The Department of Public Safety recommends running and hiding first. If you run, you should drop your bags, brainstorm a quick escape route, and sprint past others, even if they need help. If you hide, you must stay still and silent, counting the minutes before the police arrive. Or you can fight. You might feel frustrated and hopeless, but you're desperate, so desperate that you will fight
"WE SHOULD BE WORKING TOWARD FINDING SOLUTIONS TO EVERYDAY GUN VIOLENCE, RATHER THAN PARTICIPATING IN AND ENABLING THE SENSATIONAL MEDIA CYCLE." like your life depends on it, because it probably does. Passiveness will not do. You should only take this step once you've exhausted all other options. We have officially exhausted all other options. Pretending that gun violence in America will just disappear won’t work. We must take control of the situation and confront it head on, no matter how terrifying it seems. Too many lives rely on the outcome of these actions. If we want to make progress with legislation that would control accessibility to guns and, ideally, reduce the number of gun-related deaths, we need to fight, too. Nothing will change if we sit back, stay silent, and let the discussion falter again and again, waiting until the next mass shooting to pick the conversation up right where we left off. JM JERK
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BITCH
THE FAULT IN OUR SHELVES If education is “The Great Equalizer,” libraries are definitely the trusty sidekick. By Sarah Schuster
Illustration by Ryan Brondolo
As an important part of any fanatic reader’s wet dream, libraries do more than house books. Anyone who has had Beauty and the Beast-inspired fantasies of leaping around firelit chambers of leather-bound books can attest: there’s something romantic about a building dedicated to knowledge and stories. But more than romance, there’s also necessity. Low-income neighborhoods have an average of one book per 300 children, while middle-income neighborhoods have 13 books per child. This statistic lends itself to a frightening fact: The best way to predict reading achievement in 10-year-olds is by their socio-economic statuses. Despite their importance, libraries, the only source for books for those who can’t afford them, are dying. In January 2011, a study released by Live Journal found that 86 percent of public librarians in cities with populations over 1 million experienced budget cuts. This year, 40 percent of schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the most populated public school system in California and the second largest in the U.S., lack the staff and money to open libraries. One million students in California are left without access to free books. Don’t sharpen your pencil for another millennial-critical think piece just yet—this decline is a not result of students reading 22 12.14
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less. A Pew Research Center study found that millennials are out-reading people over 30 years old. The study didn’t specify how many of those books were written by John Green, but hey—we’ll take what we can get. It’s just, instead of borrowing, we’re buying. According to the study, among those who read at least one book in the past year, more than half said they tend to purchase books rather than borrow them. Because of this, our love for reading doesn’t result in a love for libraries. Reading is important for all children, but arguably more so in communities with low graduation rates. Syracuse needs to look to cities like Chicago for inspiration. Instead of cutting funding for libraries, they’re innovating them. The city provides its citizens not just access to books, but also to technology. Chicago libraries offer free Internet, and some have 3-D printers and laser cutters. Given that 40 percent of the city’s residents don’t have access to books in their homes, this can be crucial for a student’s success. Instead of cutting libraries, we need to take advantage of their potential. Libraries provide more than dusty books. They are modern homes of information—and we need them now more than ever. Libraries are bridges over economic divides and information gaps. Don’t burn them. JM
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THE BIG * PICTURE
Digital, digital get down. It’s just what we need.
*DICK By Meg Zukin
Illustration by Adrian Hatch
Forget couples therapy, the newest way to strengthen relationships is by sending nudes. Yes, that’s right. Some experts now consider sexting healthy and informative, providing an outlet for young adults to learn about trust and consent. Sexting is foreplay for the phone—no need to wait until you get back to the bedroom. But even though more than half of adults sext, according to a McAfee survey, people still consider it a social taboo—especially for women. We have seen the media brutally victimize celebrities like Kate Upton and Kirsten Dunst for sending nudes, even though the photos were taken when the stars were in monogamous relationships. But no, it’s never the hacker’s fault. It’s the woman’s for being a slutty vixen and taking lewd images in the first place. In order to destigmatize sexting, we first need to destigmatize the naked body. Surprisingly, tits are very controversial. In October, comedian Chelsea Handler posted a photo on Instagram of herself sitting topless on a horse, mocking an infamous photo of Vladimir Putin. Instagram removed the image, claiming it disrespected its community guidelines. Handler reuploaded the photo, only to have it taken down again. As usual, she had the last word, posting a photo of Instagram's complaint with the caption, “If a man posts a photo of
his nipples, it’s ok, but not a woman? Are we in 1825?” We might be, Chelsea. We might be. If simple nipples and sideboobs are considered too risqué, it’s no wonder that sexting still has such a negative connotation. But sharing naked photos is like a grownup trust-building activity. It neither leads to riskier sexual activity, according to a study conducted by the University of Michigan, nor causes higher levels of depression, anxiety, or low-self esteem. Apps like Snapchat help millennials become more familiar and comfortable with sexting. As the old adage goes, “The Internet is forever, but Snapchat is only for 10 seconds—at most.” Knowing that the recipient can only view a photo for a certain number of seconds—until they discover the screenshot—takes the fear out of sexting, keeping it flirty, thirty, and thriving. Make you don't accidently accidentally click “send” to the wrong person—or even worse, to your “My Story.” Talk about dinner and a show. Sexting is an easy, safe way to spice up your intimate life if it’s done with the right person. A surprise dick pic in your international relations lecture could snap you right back into paying attention and give you something to look forward to once classes are over. Forget apples, a sext a day can keep the love doctor away. JM JERK
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FRESH START
After 18 years living in a refugee camp, Jay Subedi sets roots in Syracuse and commits to helping other refugees grow. By Spencer Arbige Photography by Spencer Bodian
Rain, rain go away. For 12-year-old Jay— pronounced j/ /—Subedi, the English nursery rhyme represented more than a simple song for better weather. When the rain rolled in, somebody would shake Jay from his sleep, and he would dutifully stand watch with the rest of his family. During these storms the whole family would be forced to stay awake, clutching desperately onto the poles that supported the bamboo house with its thatched roof. Without the family supporting the structure, the unforgiving winds would blow the house over. Other dangers lurked around every corner. Fires often tore through the camp, and because the refugees had no resources to fight the blaze, the flames often burned down hundreds of the tightly packed houses. Food, often limited to rice and vegetables, left a growing Jay hungry and unsatisfied, as the monthly rations often ran out in about three weeks. Jay spent 18 years in this hell, and he never Six years after arriving as a refugee, Subedi looks out the window in his office at InterFaith Works.
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wants to return. Seventy-five hundred miles and six years removed, Jay sits in a comfortable green armchair with the lights off, staring pensively out at the lightly falling snow. A soft gray light sneaks through the halfdrawn blinds, illuminating part of his brown face and casting the other half in shadows. He is of average height and build, but well fed with a slight curve to his stomach, a far cry from the hunger he experienced in the refugee camp. Like the soft white snow falling outside, the building feels fresh, crisp, and more notably, innocent. The newly painted white walls still bear signs cautioning against wet paint. Yellow pieces of paper, complete with a worker’s name and an office number, hang by blue masking tape on the doors to each room. InterFaith Works of Central New
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York, a nonprofit organization that helps refugees resettle, completed its move to 1010 James Street in November. The move puts the center closer to the large refugee population in Syracuse’s North Side, allowing many refugees without cars to walk to the center. It also consolidated the main building with the Center for New Americans, another nonprofit providing services to help migrants and refugees integrate into the community. Like Jay, who works here as a caseworker, InterFaith is still learning. A Google search gives incorrect directions to a building about five minutes away at 500 N. Salina St., a site that St. Joseph’s Hospital has occupied for almost nine months. Mistakes are bound to happen and come with learning a new language, a new culture, and a new way of life.
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For Jay, this learning started with fresh meat. When he arrived in the country, Jay found work at Subway. Having only practiced English within the refugee camp school systems, he only knew the words “tomato” and “cucumber.” But Jay was determined. He worked hard and after a month of training, he learned all of the words necessary to become a Subway sandwich artist. Now, a slight ray of sun pokes its way through the clouds as Jay sits in the room designed as a safe place for new refugees, especially those from the war-torn Middle East, to talk to a therapist and deal with any post-traumatic stress. Six years ago to the day, the sun didn’t come out. Instead, a foot of snow and a chilly winter greeted Jay as he touched down in John F. Kennedy Airport. After 18
years spent in the refugee camp, Jay entered the United States for the first time without a jacket. The conflict that forced Jay and his family into a refugee camp began with the introduction of the Bhutanese Citizenship Act of 1985. Commonly known as the “One Nation, One People Act,” it was designed to counteract both the flood of illegal immigrants from Nepal and their refusal to assimilate into the dominant culture of Bhutan. Essentially, the law stripped many of the Lhotshampa people, a general term for those of Nepalese descent, of their Bhutanese citizenship. This law prompted interethnic clashes between insurgents, dubbed “freedom fighters” by the Nepalese press, and the government. Amid protests and rumored violence by the Bhutan Peoples’ Party, declared a terrorist
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SMUT organization by the government, Bhutanese forces swept through the southern regions of Bhutan, forcing the Lhotshampas to flee to Nepal. An overwhelmed Nepalese government established seven refugee camps for the approximate 120,000 refugees who flooded into the country. After 18 years, the U.S., in accordance with the United Nations, finally offered to resettle about 60,000 refugees. When the U.S. opened its borders, Jay, armed with a basic understanding of English, pushed for his family to escape from the camp for a better life. Even at the gates to his paradise, Jay remained realistic. “Even if we dream, there’s no way for some of the people in the world to have the opportunity to come to the U.S.,” Jay says. He talks slowly, carefully navigating his way through the words. His fantasy, to experience the true “melting pot” of America, finally came true: In 2008, he arrived in NewYork accompanied by his wife, Jessica, and his parents, Lachhi and Chuda Subedi. Twenty-four years ago, when he first fled Bhutan, Jay wouldn’t have believed this future to be possible. Now he has food, a house, and an education. To Jay, this was a “God bless,” a term he used to capture his joy for everything positive that has happened to him since leaving Bhutan. Jay chose to settle in Syracuse, home to around 3,000 Bhutanese refugees, to be close to his 90-year-old grandmother and his uncle. Bhutanese culture embraces family, and it’s typical for three generations to live under the same roof. Some families will even house up to eight generations under the same roof. Jay—who lives with his parents, his expecting wife, and his almost 5-year-old daughter, Jessica—loves that even in America, the Bhutanese have retained their sense of community. Unlike
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in Bhutanese culture where you’re greeted with a cup of tea, Americans always need a reason to visit, asking questions like, who’s coming? Why? How long will they stay? This sense of acceptance allows the community to grow as a whole. When Jay’s family arrived in America, like most of the refugees, his illiterate parents spoke no English. But with the support of Jay and the community, they started to learn. At times it was frustrating, like when Jay's dad failed his permit test 11 times. Now it’s a family joke. He never knew what they said, but he memorized the answers. In November, Jay’s mom took her citizenship test, a feat Jay conquered in February. None of it would have been possible without her son who has flourished—he owns a local grocery store with his new role as household head. “My leadership started from the camp,” Jay says proudly, his eyes sparkling as he thinks back to his days of playing soccer barefoot, one of few happy memories from the camp. As one of the best athletes, Jay quickly earned the respect of his fellow classmates, eventually becoming the team captain. Even now, Jay organizes a Bhutanese soccer team for local teenagers. Under Jay’s guidance, the team has thrived, winning one or two national tournaments annually for the refugees. Now, as the team prepares for an upcoming tournament in Tennessee, the players and their parents want Jay to come along for the trip. Jay’s charisma and tenacious work ethic earns him praise from his colleagues. Helen Malina, the program director at InterFaith, even calls him her “personal hero.” As Jay integrates into American life, he continues to face challenges more difficult than the struggles that preoccupy most people his age. The transition into a foreign culture
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Jay keeps this photo of his daughter, as well as a Nepali dictionary, in his office. leaves many refugees feeling disconnected. his door. The wall of his small office is Jay witnesses these overwhelming effects littered with mementos from refugees he’s in other Bhutanese as they try to find their helped: foreign currency, a ceremonial hat place in the community. One day, Jay spent from London, an award for his service to the whole day playing soccer with his the community, and newspaper clippings friend, Mitra Mishra, in the park. The next from a weekly inspirational post he writes. day, walkers found Mishra’s body hanging His office connects to those around him by from a tree. sliding glass windows. While some prefer Jay saw no warning signs. privacy, Jay loves the community it builds Unfortunately, instances of suicide among with his coworkers. Plus, his friends are Bhutanese refugees remain a troubling great at sharing. trend. The rate of depression among Smiling roguishly, he slides the window Bhutanese refugees is 21 percent, about open and carefully takes his favorite milk three times that of the general U.S. chocolate Hershey’s bar from a coworker’s population, according to a study conducted jar of candy. by The Centers for Disease Control and Perhaps the most important feature of Prevention and the Refugee Health his office is the nameplate, reading Jay Technical Assistance Center of the Subedi, on his door. When Jay entered the Massachusetts Public. Of every 100,000 refugee camp, officials spelled his name Bhutanese refugees who have resettled in “Jai.” He has lived with this name ever since, the U.S., 20 commit suicide. For the general but this year, he changed it back to Jay. He U.S. population, the rate is 12. didn’t make the move to naturalize himself Pain like Mishra’s makes Jay try harder with American culture. Instead, he finally to help the next refugee who walks through embraces his childhood. JM
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No Soldier Left Behind War veterans gather to understand the past, express emotion, and reclaim their stories.
By Jill Comoletti
Photography by Chaz Delgado
When Jen Jeffery arrived at the Coast Guard station in Clearwater, Florida, people were already whispering her name. She’s a single mother. She’ll be a piece of shit. She won’t have time to do anything. Jeffery, who anticipated this type of attitude from her fellow guards, fought to prove them wrong. Eventually, she did. She qualified for boat crew and engineer positions, as well as for Officer of the Day. She shocked the other guards at the base with her success, but it didn’t come without sacrifice. “I couldn’t appear to be a mother. I always had to appear to be something I was not, and I constantly battled with that. Being authentic is very important to me,” says Jeffery, who served in the Coast Guard for seven years and one month. This struggle with identity put Jeffery in a moral bind. The Syracuse Veterans’ Writing Group provides an environment for her to deal with these past emotions. Eileen Schell, a writing professor at Syracuse University, founded the Syracuse Veterans’ Writing Group in 2010 as a living memorial to her uncle, Brady Lane Smith, who served in Vietnam. Smith suffered from injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder after returning from war. He passed away at 68 years old. Through it all, he remained a great storyteller. Schell met many veterans at SU who struggled to find an outlet for expressing themselves; she started the writing group as a safe place for them to share their stories. The Syracuse Veterans’ Writing Group meets once a month in the SU Writing Center and welcomes SU students, faculty, and members of the surrounding community. There are 16 to 20 regular attendees who range from Korean War to Afghanistan war veterans. Several family members also
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SMUT participate in honor of loved ones. the stock market. It goes up and down all Jeffery realized writing could help her the time and you have bad days,” Miller work through her past after taking a says. “I suppose you could say it’s because creative nonfiction class at SU. In the class, you’re writing about this horrible thing she found herself writing about one of her that’s been really unsettling for you, but darker experiences as a member of the ultimately that’s how you get through it.” Coast Guard. One night, when Jeffery was Writing about the war has been lifestationed in Florida, a 16-year-old girl changing for Pete McShane, a Vietnam training for the Navy was raped after her veteran who served as a U.S. Army Special roommate took her out of the station, Forces medic. Upon returning from Vietnam, breaking the rules. Because she was Officer McShane had a hard time transitioning of the Day at the time, Jeffery had to handle back to civilian life. After his bankruptcy and the situation. She had warned everyone divorce, he reached his lowest point. It that the roommate was a bad influence, but wasn’t until McShane attended a Special no one listened. She always felt she should Forces reunion in 2005 that he realized the have pushed harder to make sure the two root of his problems. “There was a room weren’t rooming together. Writing about full of broken men, and they were the only this experience proved difficult, so she took people in the world that I could trust,” he her story to the Syracuse Veterans’ Writing says. After this realization, McShane had a Group in March 2013. She has been a nervous breakdown. He turned to writing as habitual attendee ever since. a method of healing. Jeffery most enjoys when her stories In 2011, after taking courses and help other group members feel comfortable workshops at the Syracuse YMCA’s enough to share their experiences. She Downtown Writing Center for eight years, wrote a poem called “I Sat With the Dark McShane began attending the Syracuse This Morning,” which speaks to facing one’s Veterans’ Writing Group. Some of his most dark side and coming to terms with it, and rewarding moments in the group come shared it with the group. One male veteran from helping others realize they aren’t in the workshop hesitated to share his work, alone. “When I read my writing in front of fearing it was too dark. “After I read my other vets—particularly younger folks who poem, he said, ‘I think I can read my poem were just back from the war and their heads now.’ And I was just like, ‘Wow. That is were spinning—it has helped them stop awesome,’” Jeffery says. “That’s why you that spinning,” he says. He recently finished keep going back.” his 130,000-word memoir, and is currently Andrew Miller, a former company fire editing an anthology of work by members support officer and aviation squadron of the Syracuse Veterans’ Writing Group intelligence officer in the U.S. Army, also with co-founder Ivy Kleinbart. decided to attend the group after taking a Like McShane, Miller is thankful that the creative nonfiction class at SU. For Miller, writing group provides this for veterans. writing about his experiences is like facing “There’s something really special about a all of the dirt that gets swept under the space with just vets and caregivers working rug—sometimes when you sweep that dirt on writing together,” Miller says. “At some up, life gets worse before it gets better. point I realized I wouldn’t know what to do “Writing can be hard. Really hard. It’s like with myself if I didn’t have this." JM
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SMUT an excerpt from
An Ugly Place Written by Andrew Miller
Between mechanical roars, I reach some awareness of screams, commands, confusion. Their machine worked just as intended and now I can’t stop staring. The muscles directing and focusing my vision are paralyzed. My eyes continue to pull the truth and explain clearly, but my brain refuses the dialogue. I know this is death. I’ve seen death before. I can't bridge the connection and my brain stalls on this concept like an engine sucking water.
an excerpt from
Daddy, Did You Kill Anybody In Vietnam? Written by Pete McShane
I didn’t have to pull the trigger myself to see the enemy’s face in my nightmares, to see him beg for his life. I read his love letters, stared at his photos of beautiful young women and children, wondered how his family would take the news of his death. I held his rosary beads in my fingers and wondered whether we prayed to the same god. I’ve prayed for his soul and cried for my own. It could have been me lying on the jungle floor, life on fast-forward, begging the enemy not to thrust his bayonet through my heart. I Sat With the Dark This Morning Written by Jen Jeffery Why is everyone so afraid of the dark? scrambling for the light usually leads to cursing stubbed toes anyway What is so hard about sitting with the dark for a while?
give him something to drink and feed him listen to his wisdom and look him in the eyes see the reflection of yourself there sit with the dark until the embers burn low I sat with the dark this morning…
Dark chocolate Dark skin Dark blankets for stars to nestle in Next time the shadow knocks, let him in embrace him like an old friend offer a chair by the fire for resting his bones
Why do boys need christening gowns, but ever after aren’t allowed to be vulnerable? Why do girls need to be silent to be good, but aren’t allowed to be known as fierce?
Read more of the veterans' work on jerkmagazine.net .
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ORDINARY
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PEOPLE
Local photographer challenges gender binaries. By Kait Hobson
Photography by Sam Maller
Photos taken on a three-week road trip from New York to Los Angeles culminate in Trans*cending Gender, an exhibit at ArtRage Gallery. Rhys Harper, the artist behind the project, uses his love for photography to change the way that we see gender, especially in the trans*-community. Employees at ArtRage, located on Hawley Avenue in Syracuse, approached Rhys to help them create a trans* awareness campaign, something that Rhys had long envisioned and captured photos for. For Rhys, these photos represent more than his own gender transition. They mean “not boxing ourselves into these ideas of what gender is on a societal, mainstream level," Harper says.
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SMUT Harper began thinking about the project when he was focusing on his own transition. “I worried, will people see me as this trans* person, or see me as just a person and all the things I love and am about?” Harper says of the tough journey. As a photographer, Harper started thinking about how he could photograph someone as just a person so the viewer wouldn’t know that the person is trans*. Harper grew up in McAlester, Oklahoma, with supportive parents and never received a negative response even after coming out in the conservative midwestern town. “I’m really lucky," he says. "I’m a white dude. Certainly, I fall into a marginalized community because I’m trans*, but people perceive me as just a regular white guy.” The perceived privilege that Harper has and the minimal discrimination he faces prompted him to begin the Trans*cending Gender project, which he will continue working on after the exhibit opens at ArtRage. The next part of the campaign will
address discrimination. According to the Anti-Violence Project, in 2013, two-thirds of the victims of LGBT murders involved trans* women of color. Harper believes that in order to change this statistic, society must change things systemically. “We have to have conversations about racism and privilege. I think those are really hard conversations to have,” Harper says. “Just seeing people as people is where it starts.” In order to address discrimination, Harper will hold open, styled shoots where anyone can go and get photographed for simple color portraits. He will only ask each person to state one way that they break a gender stereotype. “Like a girl saying, ‘I like the color blue,’” Harper says. “Why the fuck are colors gendered?” In regard to the Trans*cending Gender project and the exhibit at ArtRage, at no point will Harper ever talk about someone’s gender transition. “It’s all about celebrating their lives,” Harper says, “outside of their gender. Just as a person.” JM
A few of Harper's photos that are shown at the Trans*cending Gender exhibit. 36 12.14
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GAWK
WILD THINGS Killer khaki greens paired with the season’s fiercest fur, shearling, and leather capture the perfect tension between rugged and sleek.
Stylist: Leigh Miller | Photographer: Ousman Diallo Makeup Artist: Stephanie Jacobs | Models: Dylan Lowther, Jessica Scicchitano
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JESSICA Hat: Topshop $52; Vest: Velvet by Graham & Spencer, Zappos $178; Shorts: Zara $50. DYLAN Shirt: CPO, Urban Outfitters $74; Shoes: Stacey Adams $75.
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DYLAN Jacket: Alpha Industries X UO, Urban Outfitters $149; Pants: Koto, Urban Outfitters $59; Shoes:
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JESSICA Dress: Zara $80; Jacket: Ladakh, • 12.14 JERK 41 Urban Outfitters $79.
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DYLAN Jacket: Your Neighbors, Urban Outfitters $139.
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DYLAN T-shirt: Supremebeing, Urban Outfitters $34; Button-down: CPO, Urban Outfitters $54; Jacket: Your Neighbors, Urban Outfitters $139; Pants: Publish, Urban Outfitters $90. JESSICA Sweater: Topshop $96; Cape: Zara $169; Pants: Zara $60.
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JESSICA Skirt: Topshop $84; Coat: Topshop $150; Boots: Timberland $180. DYLAN Beanie: Coal, Urban Outfitters $29; Cardigan: O’Hanlon Mills, Urban Outfitters $44; Pants: Publish, Urban Outfitters $90; Shoes: Stacey Adams $75.
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SOLAR
VORTEX As temperatures drop and the parkas come out, make a statement with a sick pair of shades—a stylish way to keep your eyes snow-free. Photography by Rina Matsuno-Kankhetr
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1. GOGGLE-INSPIRED Brands that do it best: Persol (as shown, $350 at J. Michael), Balenciaga, Cazal, Louis Vuitton, ZEAL Optics Pair it with: Fur-trimmed parka + knit scarf + wax-coated denim + lace-up boots What it says about you: “Going to class in December is like uphill skiing.”
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2. SUBTLE PRINT Brands that do it best: Oakley (as shown, $180 at J. Michael), ASOS, Arnette, Shwood, Thierry Lasry Pair it with: Oxford button-down + doublebreasted coat + dark jeans + duck boots What it says about you: “These add texture to my low maintenance lifestyle.”
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3. ROUND-RIM Brands that do it best: Ray-Ban (as shown, $200 at J. Michael), Chloé, Forever 21, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Nasty Gal, Quay Pair it with: Beanie + shearling coat + light skinny jeans + ankle booties What it says about you: “I always knew this trend would come full circle.”
4. TWO-TONED Brands that do it best: Tory Burch (as shown, $169 at J. Michael), Saint Laurent, Stella McCartney Pair it with: Oversized knit turtleneck + peacoat + leather leggings + riding boots What it says about you: “I’ll have it straight up––with a twist.”
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NOISE
(BIG) EYES ON THE PRIZE
Tim Burton’s art captures the imagination of audiences worldwide, but constantly eludes the Academy. This year, his film Big Eyes might change that. By Anya Jaremko Greenworld
Illustration by Dylan Cownie
Edward’s scissor hands chip away at an enormous block of ice, sculpting it into the shape of an angel. As he works, ice billows to the ground in the form of snowflakes, and Kim—who has never seen snow before, because suburbia remains gloriously weather-free—dances joyfully in the impromptu blizzard. This scene, from one of Tim Burton's most iconic films, Edward Scissorhands, reveals the pervasive darkness present in all of Burton’s motion pictures. Somehow Burton combines this obscurity with sweet and spirited feelings, while simultaneously creating a melancholy both childlike and innocent. No other filmmaker projects such a distinct visual style. Burton’s work is macabre, but accessible. He has created some box office hits, like Alice in Wonderland, which earned $116,101,023 its opening night and Charlie
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and the Chocolate Factory, a remake of the original that banked $56,178,450 in one evening. The original feature film Edward Scissorhands found less success in theatres, but is still considered one of his best. But whether economically lucrative or not, each of Burton’s films are sensitively rendered and filled with delicate, dreamy details. He seeks out characters with wild, gothic beauty who appear as though they belong in worlds more exotic and magical than our own—so Burton places his mystical characters in realms that could only exist outside of this world. And his latest film, Big Eyes, set to release this Christmas, has the potential to go where Burton himself has never gone before: the list of Academy Award winners. Because even though Burton’s films have won Academy Awards—like Best Achievement in Art Direction for Sweeney
NOISE Todd, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration for Sleepy Hollow, and Best Makeup for Beetlejuice—Burton has never won an Academy Award. His films contain originality and brilliance unfounded in the slapstick comedies, superhero remakes, and romantic comedies that see such success, but he has never won an Oscar. Why? Perhaps it’s because his films don’t deal with hot-button issues that tug at the Academy’s heartstrings. Or maybe it's because there are just too many good films to compete with. “I’ve seen several of his films that I’ve liked, but with so many good filmmakers nominated each year, lots of them who never receive an Oscar,” says Owen Shapiro, professor and program coordinator of FilmArt, Design, and Transmedia at Syracuse University’s School of Visual and Performing Arts.
Others attribute Burton’s lack of awardshow triumph to his hyper-focus on visuals. Keith Giglio, a professor of film at SU’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications admires Burton’s ability to create such imaginative scenes, but believes most of his movies lack structure and impressive storytelling. "He's an amazing visualist and when he's working with a good script, he has the chance to tell a good story," Giglio says. "Like when he worked with Caroline Thompson, who wrote Edward Scissorhands, one of his best movies. But he puts style above story." Big Eyes may be the story Burton has been missing. Based on the true story of artist Margaret Keane, the biographical drama details a time in the 50s and 60s when Margaret and her husband, Walter, played by Christoph Waltz, made a killing selling her artwork; her paintings featured people with unnaturally huge doe eyes.
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW TIM BURTON? 1) Did Burton write Edward Scissorhands, direct it, or both? 2) Is the movie Big Fish based on a book? 3) On which Disney animated films did Burton work? 4) What was the first animated feature film that Burton directed? 5) Which Burton film made the most money at the box office? 6) On which movie set did Burton meet his girlfriend Helena Bonham Carter? 7) True or False: Burton is an insomniac. 8) True or False: Danny Elfman sang all the iconic songs for Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas. 9) Which Burton character said: “Villainy wears many masks, none of which so dangerous as virtue.” 10) Which Burton character said: “I've seen The Exorcist about 167 times, and it keeps getting funnier every single time I see it."
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NOISE Walter took credit for his wife’s work, television at Newhouse, says that fantasy alleging that her paintings wouldn’t sell if “is one of those genres where you really they told the truth about who made them. have to overcome an unconscious When Margaret and Walter went through prejudice.” their inevitable divorce, they engaged in a Many of Burton's movies are cult battle over the legal rights to Margaret's favorites and nostalgically beloved. But “big eye” portraits. films that get better as they age aren’t so lucky come Oscar time, when eligble films are still less than a year old. “Burton’s films are like fine wines,” Thompson adds. “They seem to gain appreciation as they age.” Depending on whose perspective you're looking from, it may or may not matter whether or not Burton ever wins an - Bob Thompson, professor of film and Oscar. Even though more than 40 million television at Newhouse people tuned in to watch the Academy In a departure from Burton’s usual Awards in 2013, it's ultimately up to the subject matter, he based Big Eyes on a true Academy who wins. According to research story, not a fantasy. "Big Eyes looks by the Los Angeles Times, the writers, interesting to me because Burton has to actors, directors, animators, art directors, impose a realism on his vision,” Giglio says. and executives of Hollywood choose all of Edward Scissorhands was like a fairy-tale, the nominees and winners. Of that group of but still grounded in reality, which is decision makers, 14 percent have won perhaps why it worked so well. For Big Eyes, Oscars, 19 percent have been nominated, Burton teams up with Scott Alexander and and 64 percent have never won an award. Larry Karaszewski, the men who wrote Ed Of the Academy members, 54 percent are Wood, another of Burton’s best, according over 60, 36 percent are in their forties and to Giglio. fifties, and 2 percent are under 40. NinetyThe Big Eyes cast includes Jason four percent of members are white and 77 Schwartzman from Grand Budapest Hotel, percent are male. Krysten Ritter from Don’t Trust the B in Compare these numbers to the profile Apartment 23, and Danny Huston from of filmgoers and there’s quite a discrepancy. Masters of Sex. Like Amy Adams, these Of the 70 percent of Americans that go to actors and actresses are all Burton the movies at least once every year, more newcomers. Adams, a five-time Oscar than 30 percent are non-white and at least nominee, plays Margaret. This fresh cast of half are women and. In measuring Burton’s actors further justifies bringing Burton movie successes, it’s about whose opinion Oscar victory. The film also opens just in is valued more: the consumer’s or the time for awards season. Academy’s. Though Big Eyes comes with a cast of Plenty of renowned moviemakers Hollywood successes and a theme unlike never received an Academy Award. anything he has ever done, certain stylistic “Hitchcock never won an Oscar,” Giglio aspects will stay true to Burton’s aesthetic. says. “It also took a while for Spielberg. Bob Thompson, professor of film and When he directed Schindler's List, someone
"A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WOULD TAKE AN EMOTIONAL BULLET FOR TIM BURTON."
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NOISE challenged him not to bring his dolly tracks to set; he loved those sweeping zoom shots. So Spielberg didn't bring his dolly, and he won his Oscar. He adapts. He changes. Burton has been making the same movie over and over again,” Giglio says. You can’t argue with that—Burton has a style, and he sticks to it. Yet Big Eyes might be a welcome challenge for both the director and those who think his films are all the same. “A lot of people out there would take an emotional bullet for Tim Burton,” Thompson says. The award itself is one of the greatest marketing seals of approval—but perhaps nothing more. Oscar night is like one long infomercial, Thompson explains. “Oscars don’t tell you what the film industry thinks is the best of the year," Thompson says. “They only measure what Hollywood insiders wanted to reward.”
Oscar or not, at least Burton’s legendary aesthetics will remain a constant. You can tell just by watching a few frames of the Big Eyes trailer that it’s Burton: the lime green carpet, the over-the-top blonde wig Amy Adams dons, the phony shots of Margaret and her husband giggling on a beach. The colors are lurid, and aquamarine pools glint in the Los Angeles sun. Maybe Burton is too weird for something as dull and uptight as the Oscars. Even without this particular accolade, he has already earned his place among movie lovers and audiences. From his take on Batman that triggered the Hollywood obsession with comic book characters gone movie heroes to the beloved household comedy horror Beetlejuice, Burton’s work has proved itself Oscarworthy, regardless of whether a gold statue sits on his desk or not. JM
THE ANSWERS 1. Both 2. Yes. The movie was based on the book Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions by Daniel Wallace. 3. The Fox and the Hound and The Black Cauldron 4. Frankenweenie (1984). Burton later remade it in 2012. 5. Alice in Wonderland (2010). The movie made $116,101,023. 6. Planet of the Apes (2001). Burton directed it, Bonham Carter starred in it. 7. True. He also snores so much, he and Bonham Carter sleep in separate bedrooms. 8. True. Chris Sarandon did Jack’s voice, but he wasn’t a good enough singer, so Elfman took over. 9. False. Disney wanted to make one, but Burton wouldn’t allow it. 10. Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow 11. Beetlejuice in Beetlejuice
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CLICK IT. CLICK IT GOOD.
Of your online habits, you guys said...
The computer has consumed my life.
Please don't tell my mom how much I jerk off.
I have a problem.
Spanish homework, Real Housewives of Every City, and masturbating.
I read porn— literotica.
Stalking!
I need to divorce have a life.
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Applying for jobs. All the jobs.
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How to Network Like a Pro on Social Networks
Jerk Magazine: What do you consider the best networking site? Kim Brown, assistant director for Alumni Programs at Career Services: LinkedIn. But another useful site is followerwonk. com, where you can search Twitter bios. If you’re looking to connect with someone who’s a botanist in Albany, you can use Followerwonk to find that person. JM: Which professionals should students connect with on LinkedIn? KB: Unlike other social sites, on LinkedIn you want to think about the quality of your connections more than the quantity. If you get a connection request from someone you don’t know and there’s no personalized message, don’t hesitate to ignore them. Sending a connection request to someone you don’t know is like asking the guy you met at Chuck’s last night to marry you. JM: Is it ever appropriate to connect with someone you don’t know? KB: We teach students to join groups on LinkedIn that are filled with Syracuse University alumni. You don’t have to pay for InMail if you join groups like ‘CuseConnect, a group that allows SU alumni to connect with and help students. The alumni in the group know students will reach out to them. We recommend going back and forth in messages before sending a request.
JM: You mentioned you would never use Facebook to network. Most students know to keep unprofessional Facebook and Twitter accounts private. Does social media present any other dangers? KB: Keep Facebook personal and make a professional Twitter. Students should also think about their Instagram accounts. If you hashtag events like Juice Jam or Mayfest, anybody can see those. If a professor searches that hashtag and finds pictures of students with flower crowns and red cups, what message does that send? JM: A lot of people change their name on Facebook so they aren’t searchable. Do you think that’s a good idea? KB: I wouldn’t say it’s total protection. A motivated employer will do what it takes to find you. It’s not a perfect safeguard. JM: What is the biggest mistake a student can make when networking online? KB: Asking for a job outright. Students will find an alum on LinkedIn who they don’t know and say: ‘I’d love to work for Google and I saw that you work for them. Would you be willing to pass along my résumé?’ Or: ‘I saw you work for Google. Can I talk to you about job opportunities?’ You need to get to know them. And if the person goes out of their way to help you, it has to be on that person’s time, not yours. JERK
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Dangers of the Web
Wipe down: Research showed that one swab of a keyboard contained an average of 7,000 bacteria— a toilet seat had 5,400. Even though it's unlikely you'll get sick from the germs that linger on keys, viruses stay active for days. Avoid getting in this mess in the first place and keep your keyboard clean. Turn off your computer, unplug the power supply, and shake your keyboard over a trashcan. Use a lint-free cloth to wipe it down, and if you really want to tackle those microbes, use a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol. Whatever you do, don't spray cleaning fluid directly on any device.
1
!!!
This kid's not alone. A 2014 Pew study found that 34 percent of people who use Internet on their phones access the Internet mostly via their phones, rather than other devices like a laptop or desktop.
What do you do online? We asked, you answered "Basically if I'm not in class or not sleeping, I'm on my laptop and if I'm not on my laptop, I'm on my phone." 54 12.14
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"Most of the time I spend online is actually via my phone, which I don't watch porn on either, I swear."
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2
A health scare if there ever was one: Participants in a Cornell Food and Brand Lab study snacked on cookies, M&Ms, carrots, and grapes while watching a designated program on TV. The people watching a talk show ate 215 calories over a 20-minute period while those watching an action movie ate 354—a 65 percent increase. "If the food is in front of us, we eat to the speed of the program. The faster it is, the faster we eat," says study author Brian Wansink, Ph.D. "This works as much for healthy foods as it does for unhealthy ones." Wansink suggests serving snacks in bowls, leaving bags and boxes in the kitchen, and placing healthy foods up front and center.
3 Power off: Ninety-one percent of 18- to 24-year-olds reported using their laptop, phone, or a similar device within two hours of hitting the sack. Electronics like these emit blue light, which prevents your brain from releasing melatonin, making you feel less sleepy. Switch to a backlit electronic like a Kindle or Nook before bedtime. If you absolutely have to check any notifications, study author Richard Weisman suggests lowering the brightness and keeping the screen 12 inches from your face.
"I'm online a lot. I'm not sure how you could be a college student and not spend the majority of your time online. Beyond just online culture, it's school, it's work, it's entertainment." JERK
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NETFLIX If you...
We recommend...
...dream of growing up to be your immature, childish self of the past.
FUTURAMA
...crave behind-thescenes entry into culture and cases.
Meet the Fokkens
...thrive on glorified criminals with weird ass family drama.
b's Bob's erss rger Burg
GIRLRISING
THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE
SCANDAL Blacklist DEXTER the
"Amazing times we live in. Being online, specifically on Twitter, affords me the opportunity to ask pasty Republicans if they have ever made a female orgasm, while simultaneously giving me the ability to place a $5 bet on an upcoming football game." 56 12.14
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Por nM D.com has everything you're looking for!
lmost 40 percent of our survey respondents claim they don't watch porn. Bullshit. We know the truth. Avenue Q's Trekkie Monster says it best: "Why you think the net was born? PORN, PORN, PORN." Among those of you who admitted to getting handsy, more than half listed PornHub as your go-to service provider. Stop limiting yourself and discover the beauty that is PornMD, a site
A
that compiles videos from SpankWire, Gay Tube, YouPorn, and yes, PornHub, among other favorite sites. In the mood for some massage parlor loving or feeling hot for the innocent babysitter scene? Gotcha covered. Wanna see some anal toy action or soothe your toe fetish? Whatever you're into. Pleasure is at your fingertips— literally—so pick your poison and get to clicking. After all, the Internet is for porn.
"If they took all the porn off the Internet all that would be left would be one site, bringthepornback.com."
"Sometimes I masturbate looking at girls' pictures on Facebook. GOTTA LOVE THAT SUMMER ALBUM FROM 2012." JERK
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REWIND
This month, the band’s iconic album London Calling turns 35. By Jake Cappuccino
Illustration by Ryan Brondolo
The 70s left people with a lot to rage about: stagflation, Watergate, and an energy crisis plagued the U.S. and The Troubles, an oil shortage, and unstable politics afflicted the U.K. But out of this destruction and mayhem came punk. Punk rock articulated the rebelliousness of people frustrated with so-called “progress.” The first group to do so in Britain was the Sex Pistols, and The Clash, with members Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Nicholas “Topper” Headon, quickly followed. Thirty-five years ago this month, The Clash dropped its iconic album London Calling. The Clash influenced everything from fashion to punk rock. Polishing their outfits with studded bracelets, leather jackets, Doc Martens, excessive zippers, and their iconic wild hair, the band turned previously unpopular hallmarks into wardrobe staples. Their lyrics were the first to address the radical state of life in the U.K. In the song "London Calling" their lyricism and their
FLASH
REVIEWS
We judge albums by their singles.
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Artist
anger-driven sound touched on a feeling of melancholic gloom: “meltdown expected/ the wheat is growing thin" and "the ice age is coming/the sun is zooming in." The Clash sang about police acting against the nation, and rich people buying power. They sang about sex, broken relationships, depression and resilience, and revolution rock. The Clash captured passion and fury with a rebellious nature that signified the cornerstone of the punk movement. While Green Day, Blink-182, and Rise Against try to convince the world that punk isn’t dead, they can’t live up to The Clash. These groups avoid replicating The Clash and instead explore topics and sounds that reflect today’s punk. Who could possibly replicate lines as catchy and rebellious as “The judge said five to ten, but I say double that again/I'm not working for the clampdown”? All Billie Joe, Mark Hoppus, and Tim Mcllrath can do is make references in the form of hair, fashion, and their own lyrics that rage. JM
Album
Nicki Minaj
The Pinkprint
She & Him
Classics
Smashing Pumpkins
Monuments to an Elegy
Song "Feelin' Death" "Stay Awhile" "Being Beige"
Release Date Dec. 15 Dec. 2 Dec. 9
Rating
ALTRUIST
REMAKES By Eric King
THE DEAL: We find ourselves in the era of the remake. Of the 10 highest-grossing movies in the U.S. in 2013, only three were original stories. This year, none are. In the past 30 years, Hollywood executives have retold the story of Batman four times, and that excludes the litany of animated shows and video games, Gotham, or Ben Affleck’s Batman V Superman, slated for a 2016 release. But remakes have been around since the first “Once upon a time,” and no, I’m not talking about the campy ABC show. Ancient myths underscored the plotlines for books, which Disney regurgitated as animated films, which mutated into feature-length movie musicals, and now we can’t get “Let It Go” out of our heads. THE ISSUE: Critics of remakes say they lack in originality. When an original work sneaks into theaters, audiences either ignore it or pat themselves on the back for watching such an obscure title. Many remakes serve as playgrounds for special effects artists—a certain film about rumbling car-robots comes to mind. They say nothing new and they cannot and do not improve upon their predecessors. THE (big) ISSUE: People create original content constantly— you'll just never see it. The moneymen in Hollywood know what guarantees a good return on a movie or a TV show, and that’s a story the audience is already familiar with. So remaking isn’t going away anytime soon.
THE DEFENSE: In this Internet Age, we are hyperaware of both TV and film history due to their wide availability on cable and the Internet. We see works that have been produced in the past, we reread them and say this telling is wrong or outdated and must be retold for today’s audience. But remakes are not the problem, bad remakes are. Remakes of foreign works rarely go beyond Americanizing. Remakes of longstanding classics usually pale in comparison. There are, however, exceptions. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was transformed from an “eh” movie into a hit TV show with critical and popular acclaim. The same goes for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. In 2011, David Fincher remade the Swedish book’s film adaption, subsequently kicking its ass in the process. House of Cards, the Netflix-produced reboot of the synonymous 1990 British TV show, has been lauded by both critics and laypeople. It Americanizes, sure, but it also offers fresh characters, subplots; it steers itself more toward the melodramatic, diverging itself enough from the original to create its own aura and impression. When it premiered, House of Cards didn't rely on people’s familiarity with or love for the original. These works prove that we can— at least sometimes—successfully recycle culture. So if we have to sit through 10 more fucking Spiderman movies to get just one worthwhile remake, I’ll buy the popcorn. JM
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AMPLIFIED
COMFY By Claire Dunderman
Photography by Bridget Williams
Members—constantly in flux: Connor Benincasa, vocals and guitar; Ben Hicks, bass; Zeno Pittarelli, drums; Doug LaFlamme, back-up guitar. Active since: March 2013. Sounds like: A fusion of Violent Femmes, Parquet Courts, and Rilo Kiley.
BEST SONG: "People Talking" | WHAT THEY JERK TO: Heavenly, Of Montreal, Bad Cello, Pavement | INSPIRATION: The Real Burnouts, also from Utica, evident in the bands' similar psych rock sound. Why did you start the band? Connor Benincasa: I used to play in a band called Bad Sounds, but then I started writing my own songs. One member of The Real Burnouts, Paul, encouraged me to start this band. I have to thank other people for pushing me to do it, because I didn’t have the confidence at first.
What should people expect to experience at your shows? CB: We try to make it interesting. When a song is a bit short, we always throw in a guitar solo—it’s a running joke in the band. And we’re pretty loud sometimes. We try to make up for not being well rehearsed by playing louder.
How has the band’s sound developed? CB: When I first started the band, I abandoned every idea in my head about what made music good and I tried to write the simplest songs I could. The band’s sound goes all over the place. Some songs are heavier than others, some are more punk and others more rock. I grow and change as a person, so the types of songs I write are going to change, too.
Where you can listen: At shows in Utica, Rochester, Buffalo, and New York City. Expect their shows to take place in eclectic trendy bars, record stores, and cafés. If you're not in the area, listen online at comfy.bandcamp.com.
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What’s appealing about Comfy’s sound? CB: Our songs are concise, short, sweet and to the point. JM
SYNAPSE
BREAKIN' UP, BABY Forget family—holidays revolve around presents, garb, and overly spiked drinks. But if you're "so in love," your relationship may be in danger: an analysis of Facebook statuses found most people give their partner the boot two weeks before Christmas. After the inevitable breakup, prep that mixed drink—ideal ratio of alcohol to mixer: 3 to 1—delete your ex's number, and stop your goddamn moping with help from these motivators.
TELEVISION: Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce No more wallowing in the dark with a pint of Half Baked. Instead, find solace in a divorce so disastrous it’ll put your heartbreak to shame. Bravo’s series, premiering Dec. 2, follows self-help guru and divorcee Abby McCarthy as she tackles the single life once again. If anything will return you to the dating game, it’s her rebound hookups and one-night stands.
MUSIC: Sucker In her second studio album, out Dec. 16, Charli XCX helps you get the fuck over your so-called “greaaaat” other half. You'll be slapping your steering wheel to singles like “So Over You” and “Body of My Own” in no time. Turn up her girl-power lyrics and you’ll immediately overcome desperation and say “Sayonara, sucker” to that dude. What was his name again?
MOVIE: Goodbye to All That Old folks partake in social media romances, too. When Otto Wall’s wife divorces him in their sunroom, he takes to the Web for some lovin’ and exposes his young daughter, Edie, to his many short-lived sexual relations with women, women, and more women. His constant sex and moral struggles will rip you right out of your reality on Dec. 17.
BOOK: It's Just the Beginning...Break-Up, Get Up & Walk Away
Lindsey Richardson shares how her experiences with failed love inspired her to never settle. The blogger-turned-bookauthor started a Kickstarter campaign to fund her project with a goal of $5,000 and a Dec. 4 end date. Turn your pain into charity and you’ll receive your own copy when the book drops in February. But let’s be real— hopefully you’ll have walked away by then. JERK
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DISCOVERSYR
CranX
Local bike park fosters rhythm, art, and talent.
By Nicole Engelman
Photography by Bridget Williams
Taped up paper signs direct bikers to a concealed black door, an entrance plastered with neon stickers. Despite CranX’s plain exterior, which resembles a run-down warehouse, its interior holds a big kid’s dream playground: a labyrinth of endless bike tracks. Punk music blares from above, but the rhythmic thud of bicycle wheels against the wooden ramps provides an odd calm. Cyclists disappear entirely from sight as they glide down slopes, only to reappear moments later as they propel upward with fluidity and determination. The indoor-outdoor bike park, the first of its kind in Syracuse, opened in 2012. CranX attracts cyclists of all ages and skill levels, from as young as 3 years old to 87. Tracks are color coded like trails on a ski slope to symbolize the different difficulty levels—except this system is conveyed through graffiti murals. A local artist, Chem, usually creates these elaborate 62 12.14
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works of art, but CranX also hosts Graffiti Jam events and invites artists to print a mural on a section of the walls. The Bird’s Nest, a lounge overlooking the entire indoor complex, was designed for bikers to hang out and socialize. The Bird’s Nest also looks out onto one of the park’s most popular features, The Bowl, a vast pit bordered by plunging jumps. Above the giant chasm, graffiti reading #GIVESYOUWINGS covers a brick wall with a curious set of tire marks across the white lettering, demonstrating the great heights reached at CranX. The array of crisscrossing scuff marks across every inch of the floor is evidence of every success and failure experienced by the bikers who flock to this indoor cycling mecca. The bikers’ vivacity, despite all the scrapes and bruises that come with the territory, proves that “it’s just like riding a bike” means something very different to them than it does to you. JM
DISCOVERSYR
A lone cyclist roams the CranX maze.
Various obstacles challenge bikers.
Rental bikes weather daring feats.
Local artists' work illuminates ramps.
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SPEAKEASY
WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
After being named top travel photographer by US Today, Syracuse University freshman talks travels, photography, and inspiration. By Joshua Race Photography by Staci Downing JERK Magazine: How do you feel about being ranked third in your field at such a young age?
night from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. A severed, salted human toe is dropped into a glass of Yukon Jack by the toe master, whose sole job is to look after the salted toe. He will tell you, "You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow, but your lips must touch the toe." You don't eat it, just let it touch your lips, then you get a certificate.
Chase Guttman: It was really exciting for me. I was on the floor of a hotel in Newfoundland, Canada. It is beautiful and remote there. I was sitting in a dark hotel room, scrolling through Facebook and suddenly I see this article: “Nominated Top Travel Photographers.” I clicked on the link and I saw my face there. I freaked out— JM: Do you think you will take pictures for the rest of your life? almost waking up the whole hotel. JM: When did you first get into photography? CG: Whatever I do, it’s going to involve traveling. I know that. I have the travel bug. CG: My dad is actually a travel journalist. It’s not going to go away. I plan out trips I got to observe his photographs and the when I’m bored. I’ll check how long of a oohs and ahs of his audience. Growing up, drive it is to this place or that place. Right I had a toy camera, then a point-and-shoot. now, photography enables me to travel, My parents were very persistent, and they and hopefully that’s how I will make money. kept giving me cameras. So I just went out JM: Do you think it will become more and photographed. difficult to stand out as you get older? JM: What was the strangest experience you CG: It’s already exceptionally hard to have had while traveling? stand out now. Everyone thinks they’re a CG: My strangest experience took place in photographer with their iPhone and their a little town called Dawson City in Yukon, Snapchat. It’s basically consistency and Canada. This place is basically the wild, wild quality. If you’re consistently creating west of the north, and it's the only outpost quality images, you’re going to stand out for miles. This one little bar has a tradition naturally. From there, your work ethic will where they serve a sourtoe cocktail every determine how far you go. JM
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OBITCHUARY
PRIVACY CAUSE OF DEATH: PUBLIC EMBARRASSMENT Genesis 3:21 - 2014 By Chazz Inniss
Illustration by Rob Byers
After his sex tape was shared with all of his beginning of the end for Privacy. friends via iCloud, Privacy finally pulled the Privacy had enough when a 4chan user plug on his life and let Jesus take the wheel. hacked the iCloud and leaked nudes of Privacy died of public embarrassment, and celebs like JLaw and Ariana Grande. The by the looks of it, he was fighting for his event, now infamously known as “The life for a long time. If George Orwell’s 1984 Fappening,” drove Privacy into critical wasn’t enough of a warning for you, why condition. If he couldn’t even provide don’t you type your street address into security to celebs, there’s no way he could Google Maps? do so for us normal folk. Privacy nurtured us, allowing us to With the drones constantly overhead, hide secrets under our pillows and hang Privacy never felt safe. It was as if he always skeletons neatly in our closets. We used had something to hide from the watchful to freely browse the Internet, unabashedly eye of his big brother, Big Brother. He had searching things like “Can you die from to preserve the world’s secrets, and by the eating a whole tube of raw cookie dough?” looks of it he wasn’t doing a very good job. and “one REALLY long arm hair.” With him Privacy no longer had a place in this gone, our tracks are constantly monitored world of geotagging, surveillance, and and farmed for data everywhere we go. “cookies.” On his death bed he remembered And we wonder why we’re seeing so many his glory day of “Dear Diary,” when secrets Nestlé Toll House ads. were kept between pinky promises and the It all started when Privacy befriended creases of carefully folded notebook paper. the Internet. The Internet came up to his He is survived by his children, the “privacy” new confidant offering “cookies.” But, the setting on Instagram and “incognito” seemingly friendly gesture was really the searches on Google. JM
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CLOSET CASE
THE MANE EVENT
With hair of various lengths, hues, and textures, these coiffed kids grow it their own way. Photography by Rina Matsuno-Kankhetr
“I wasn't planning on ever “My hair makes decisions for “My hair is a reminder of my wearing my hair in a bun, me sometimes. I can hide racial and ethnic identity, a but when I worked out it behind it if I need to, and it’s representation of my aura, would always flop into my always there for me. One and an embodiment of my eyes. It started as a way to day last year I spontaneously recently freed gender get a few hairs out of my shaved off the sides. I expression. Growing up, I face, but as my hair got thought about doing it for a felt I needed to fit a specific longer, I began to put more few years, but never got the mold to be accepted by of it up into the bun. It was courage to actually pull it off family and friends. Where kind of a joke, but eventually until I acted on impulse. I I'm from, it’s not socially became my thing. I don't used to flat iron it, but as I've accepted for boys or men to mean it in a stylish, trendy, gotten older I've grown into have brightly colored hair. or hip way; I just mean it in a my hair. All curly hair is Since realizing I could utilitarian way. When you different; my curls are all express my gender how I have a massive mess of random, and no two are the wanted, my hair color has thick, unruly hair like mine, same. In that way, my hair gone from red, to pink, then your options are limited.” speaks to my personality.” purple, and now blue.”
—Simon Abranowicz 66 12.14
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—Tori Valentine
—Jeshurun Joseph
FORM & FUNCTION How To Dress For Grandma's Visit, 2.0
Hand-knitted hat: Curse that winter Grandma lost her glasses.
Holiday appliquĂŠ: Last time I wore this shirt, I was at a theme party in a frat basement.
Charm bracelet: I wonder what memory Grandma will want to relive this year. Leather pants: Not even leather can salvage this look.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Rina Matsuno-Kankhetr STYLIST: Leigh Miller MODEL: Victoria Miles Special thanks to Professor Joan Deppa.
Trendy boots: Yes Grandma, I know my shoes don't have any tread.
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to the positive, anonymous social media
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