The Honors Herald
The New York City Pforzheimer Honors College at Pace University Volume 4 Pace University 1 Pace Plaza W208/W209 New York, NY 10038 P: 212 346 1697
Issue 2
December 2014
A WORLD OF OUR OWN JULIET MUELER ‘18
It seems to be embroidered in the history of intergenerational relationships that adults fear teenagers. This fear probably comes from middle school health class textbooks documenting the horrors of puberty and hormones, and coming-ofage movies that depict young people as recklessly dangerous with a quirky affinity for disobeying their elders. It is also widely stereotyped that adults don’t just fear teenagers, but teenage girls in particular. Something about womanhood and all its glory strikes a sour chord. So naturally, a globally popular website created by and for teenage girls that highlights the beautiful, the embarrassing, the awkward, and the magical parts of being young should instill a fear so deep in the hearts of baby boomers and early Generation Xers that they write off the internet in its entirety. But instead, this aforementioned website, known commonly by address bars as rookiemag.com, brings teenagehood into a different light. Founded by real-life superwoman Tavi Gevinson when she was a sophomore in high school, Rookie serves as a beacon of trust, inspiration, and togetherness for young women on a global scale. Daily postings under a monthly theme from a wide variety of contributors cover topics from popular culture, music, film, and art, to social politics, current events, and feminism, to self-love, sexuality, relationships, body positivity, and so much more.
MY FRIEND KRISTINE AND I MEETING TAVI AT THIS YEAR’S EVENT. With contributors of various ethnicities, sexual orientations, cultures, and beliefs, the content of the magazine is vast in its perspective, but still relatable to the masses. It effortlessly and gracefully depicts the beauty and terror of adolescence and everything that comes with it: the ambiguity of the future, the clumsiness of love, the troubled road to selfacceptance. Every October, the staffers at Rookie compile some of the site’s best content and release it as an absolutely beautifully designed yearbook that moves chronologically throughout the year. The transition between months in the yearbook mirrors the website; there is an eloquent introduction from Tavi that details the month’s theme and the things and people that inspired it.