The Wasp - Volume IV Fall 2016

The American Studies Center Student Journal Volume IV | Fall 2016

Make Stars, Love Wars

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ALEKSANDRA BARCISZEWSKA Editor-in-chief PAULINA NIEWIADOMSKA Art director Illustrations: pages 14, 22 NATALIA OGÓREK Associate editor JULIAN HORODYSKI AGATA KLICHOWSKA Editorial board

v The next issue’s theme: Big Apple, Big Nipple, and the little World of American Cities

MAŁGORZATA DUDO Illustrations pages: 19, 43, 51 MAGDALENA KRZEMIŃSKA Cover image Illustrations: pages 9, 50 TOMMY LONGSWORD Illustration: page 30 KAMILA MARIA WYSZYŃSKA The Wasp logo Illustrations: pages 27, 38

We’re still recruiting! If you’re interested in writing for the Wasp, please contact us: thewaspjournal@gmail.com ASC Journals: https://www.facebook.com/ascribbler A SCribbler: https://ascuw.wordpress.com/ American Studies Center: http://asc.uw.edu.pl/

War-gasmic Star-ggle for Love – Editorial Notes

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“Shooting Stars” – Celebrities Supporting Gun Politics

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Paulina Niewiadomska Aleksandra Barciszewska

Nadia Błaszczyk

The Wars Over Love

14

There Has Been an Awakening?

18

iLiberty 2.0

22

Marta Natalia Giers

Zuzanna Pomorska

Adam Radomski

ISIL and Its Threat

26

Where Life Ends and Where Reality Star(t)s

30

Joanna Nędzyńska

Aleksandra Barciszewska

The Fig Tree Dominika Kowalska

Don’t Ever Go into the ASC Basement!

Małgorzata Dudo

Sonnet 3 Adrian Wesołowski

You would come at the end, right?; The sky held them right…; The story that has you at the end Imran Hossain

38 42 50 51

Paulina Niewiadomska

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Aleksandra Barciszewska

War-gasmic Star-ggle for Love What is love? (Baby don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me, no more.) Every single day, single people try to discover what this single most absurd myth ever invented by mankind means. Love, this tricky non-concept, mercilessly divides people into haves and have-nots, and the former rub their love into the latter’s faces. The 60s’ famous “make love, not war” recommendation made some believe that love can be made.

Can it? If it is such a DIY product, where and what are the instructions to make it?

Perhaps this lack of straightforward step-by-step directions prompted Americans to focus on the more comprehensible part of the slogan: war. More tangible, more common, more lasting. Yet, the two have a lot in common. A lot being, precisely, men. Men wage wars, men make love… pain-in-the-ass difficult. Coincidence? I think not. If women managed to get rid of men altogether, finding love would be much easier. A project to consider, just saying.

Living in the 21st century means that some place, “near, far, wherever you are,” there is a war which influences, be it directly or indirectly, your life. Media coverage tries to make the distance disappear, spreading terror and fear, helping you believe and remember that in that galaxy far, far, away, there is someone dying for someone’s thirst for blood and power. America as a nation which glorifies its soldiers fighting bad guys in some remote exotic countries with sand in their shoes and mission in their hearts, elevates killing and legitimizes lack of consciousness.

The “us/US vs. them” mentality has long before justified imperialist drive, yet it also alters people’s perception of their relationship to one another. Women vs. men, black vs. white, normal vs. deviant, etc., one is always in opposition to something or someone else. And that is reassuring. Recognizing one’s place in the hierarchy demands that little one to perceive everything as the Other, trying to establish one’s identity.

Identity which is molded to match the expectations, which often are constructed by celebrities, who are the porte-paroles for the perfection. Perfection which speaks to us from the movies we go to, news we watch, online magazines we read. Perfection which inspires, perfection which distorts. The ideal image which has its roots in fantasy, finds its way to the minds of many, and manages to do so through media. You might ask ‘what for?’ And the answer is, as always, for love.

Love for oneself, love for two-or-more-selves, or any self that we find suitable. Love for recognition which is always (un)consciously in the center of every endeavor. In this issue we terrorize you with our starry love, and in the basement of American Studies Center we make this mystical love to you. Love, which is sweet like fruit from the fig tree. The tree from which we holler to you and call you to arms. For the uncertainty that life brings, may the love be with you.

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8 Volume IV Fall 2016

“Shooting Stars” – Celebrities Supporting Gun Politics Nadia Błaszczyk

Gun politics in the United States has been a topic of heated debate since a very long time, especially over the last few years due to the increasing number of shootings and violent armed incidents. But what is actually understood by the term “gun politics”? According to Robert J. Spitzer, the author of one of the most important books on the issue of guns, Policy Definition and Gun Control, “gun politics” is an area of American politics that is primarily defined by the actions of two groups: gun control and gun rights activists (2012, p. 2).

The legal determinant of the guns and its consequences are the sources of an expanding division within world’s societies. While on the one side there are people who have always been supporting the access to guns and they can’t imagine their American lives without this fundamental right, on the other side there are supporters of the argument that guns should be banned because they cause more damage than good. These groups often disagree on the interpretation of laws and court cases related to firearms as well as about the effects of gun control on crimes and public safety.

It is an indisputable fact that the problem of guns in America is connected to relatively easy access to firearms and a high level of gun presence in American households. As the leading source for pros and cons of controversial issues in America, the website ProCon.org states there were at least 126 mass shooting between 2000 and 2014. Such events result in various surveys, like the one on December 10, 2014, when Pew Research Center found out that 52% of Americans believe that the right to own guns should be protected, while 46% believe gun ownership should be controlled, a shift from 1993 - when 34% wanted gun rights protected and 57% wanted gun ownership controlled (Pew Research Center, 2014).

The change in public opinion was the effect of many violent attacks which would not be that easy to organize without individuals’ right to legally possess firearms. The studies show that the United States has 88.8 guns per 100 people, or about 270,000,000 guns in total. Both are the highest number per capita and highest total in the world (ProCon.org,

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Nadia Błaszczyk 2015). The numbers clearly show that guns are a real, big-scale problem.

But where does it all actually start? Gun legislation in the United States is constrained by judicial interpretations of the Constitution. It is rooted in the history of the nation and its first set of official citizens’ rights. The right to have a gun is regulated in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and it provides the people with the rights to “keep and bear arms” (“Bill of Rights,” 1791, The Second Amendment). In 1868, the U.S. adopted the Fourteenth Amendment which addressed citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws, and was proposed in response to issues related to former slaves following the American Civil War (Legal Information Institute, 14th Amendment). These two amendments and their effect on gun politics were the subject of landmark U.S. Supreme Court 2008 and 2010 decisions that upheld the right for individuals to possess guns for selfdefense. However, on a smaller scale, the possession and sales of guns, the firearms’ accessories and ammunition are regulated by state laws which vary significantly in their form, content, and level of restriction. Forty-four states have a provision in their state constitutions similar to the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which protects the right to keep and bear arms. In many cases, state firearms laws can be considerably less restrictive than federal firearms laws (Law and Legal Research, 2010).

Since the issue of gun politics is a constant source of public discussion, it also involves the attention of the media. The media play a crucial role in distributing information all over the

country, and usually they are the main source of news for people. Both the supporters and the opponents of gun control try to use all available tools to get as many followers as possible. In the 21st century, various media cover the life of celebrities and other important people. The public craves little secrets from the lives of their idols. The chain is very simple. People want to hear all the stories about their favorite stars, so media get interested in such topics due to the big interest.

In other words, big celebrities draw big media attention. The image and the attention that the famous people get from the public are often used for the purpose of causes such as gun politics. The support of certain influential people can lead to an increase in the number of enthusiasts because they set both trends and the examples to follow.

Celebrities express their opinions in various interviews and in social media. Surprisingly, numerous articles involving famous people, present their opinions on guns as very shocking and unexpected. Some journalists use irony as a tool to demonstrate their skeptical approach to the “talking celebrities” phenomenon. Kalli Hallaway in her article “Vince Vaughn Isn't the Only Hopelessly Misinformed Star: 10 Unexpectedly Pro-Gun Celebs” states that the celebrities who “are in favor of keeping a gun in their homes, around their children, are not an easy guess due to the likely fact of employing a security team the size of a small nation” (AlterNet.com, 2015).

On the other hand, there are journalists who tend to express their respect to people’s different opinions and try to present the news in a more

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“Shooting Stars” – Celebrities Supporting Gun Politics objective way, and leave the judgment to the viewers.

One of the most mentioned influential Americans, who very often is not suspected of supporting such issues like gun rights, is Brad Pitt.

Together with his wife, Angelina Jolie, they openly comment on the issue, and they believe that the right to have a gun is part of the core of the American values and characteristics.

In one of his interviews for The Mail in 2012, he said that “America is a country founded on guns. It's in our DNA. It's very strange, but I feel better having a gun” (Morse, 2015, para. 7).

He explained that it is hard to change the law in terms of guns because with the big significant change, when people had to give up their guns, there is no certainty that all of them would do that: “To turn around and ask us to give up our guns… I don't know, we're too afraid that we're going to give up ours, and the bad guys are still going to get theirs” (Palmer, 2012, para. 17).

Moreover, in 2008, Angelina Jolie confirmed that she would not hesitate to shoot if her kids were in danger: “If anybody comes into my home and tries to hurt my kids, I've no problem shooting them” (Morse, 2015, para.

10). Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie inherited their attitude towards guns from their families and they probably put a lot of emphasis to shape certain worldviews in their children. Pitt explained: “The positive is that my father instilled in me a profound and deep respect for the weapon” (“I was given my first gun when I was in kindergarten,” 2014, para. 5). The opinions which they share in media are well-supported by reasonable arguments so they definitely know what they are talking about.

Another representative of the celebrities who, according to the web portal Newsmax, got himself a place on the list of “the most influential progun rights advocates,” is Vince Vaughn (2015). He openly talks about his approval of guns’ possession in the United States. He attracted people’s attention when he expressed his idea about schools owning guns to protect children and provide them better, safer environment. However, even though Vince Vaughn is in the same pro-gun “team” as Brad Pitt, he chooses more controversial words to describe his approach. He also puts a lot of emphasis on controversial ideas and arguments, like when he said that “[b]anning guns is like banning forks in an attempt to stop making people fat” (Blosser, 2015, no. 67). He believes that schools without guns are targets for mass shooters, so in order to prevent such tragic events the schools should be equipped with firearms (Hetter, 2015, para. 3). Vaughn’s ideas can be summarized in a “perfect plan” for reducing gun violence in the U.S. by putting more guns in citizens’ hands (Maeve, McDermott, 2015, para.

1). Vince Vaughn became mostly associated with controversial pro-gun rights attitude after the actor’s interview for British GQ Magazine in 2015 where he said that he supports the right to carry a gun also in public: “full stop, not just in your home” (Heaf, 2015, para. 3).

Ted Nugent, an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist is certainly one of the people who are not afraid to openly express what they think, especially when it comes to topics such as gun politics. He openly comments on guns and admits that he is a big fan of

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Nadia Błaszczyk them. As an NRA (the National Rifle Association) board member, he is a proud gun advocate and a gun owner: “Anybody that wants to disarm me can drop dead” (McLaughlin, 2011, para.

1). He firmly believes in what he represents and is able to prove his arguments. Not only is Nugent a gun rights activist but also he blames the judicial system for the amount of violent armed attacks due to the corrupted judges and prosecutors. He claims that the problem is rooted in recidivism and its consequence is the high level of gun related crimes.

Nugent appears in media as a strong proponent of the Second Amendment saying that “[m]ore guns equals less crime. Period” (McLaughlin, 2011, para. 6). He promotes the point of view which depicts guns as tools being used to save innocent lives every year.

He also likes to call the attention to the fact that the only reason why the guns have this negative image is their misuse in bad environments where there are drugs, alcohol, bad parents, and undisciplined children.

He supports guns due to street wars in America, emphasizing that people have to have the ability to protect themselves, and the best chance is to carry a gun with them.

Examples of celebrities who get involved in the discussion on guns and are representatives of the pro-gun attitude, demonstrate that even such a controversial issue motivates people to be active and express their

opinions. However, celebrities are not willing to say too much without encouragement, as they usually expose their views only during interviews.

There is a tendency in the society to exaggerate others’ words and this is what happens in the case of famous people who do not hide their support e.g. for guns. There are not many videos or interviews where famous people elaborate on such controversial topics.

Nevertheless, they are considered to be the most influential supporters of the cause, just because of their fame and power. The participation of influential people provides the necessary media coverage which is crucial in clarifying the arguments and building up a meaningful defense. Nonetheless, even the engagement of famous people does not help to solve the gun issue in America. The debate between gun control and gun rights supporters will still be going on – since it is impossible to come up with a coherent answer. What has to happen to bring all the people together and make them stand on the same side? What tragedies will we have to see in order to create a mutual strategy? The future has surely a lot of unpleasant surprises for us, and it only depends on us if we try to prevent unnecessary evil. Maybe there is a way to find balance between contrasting worldviews, and change the double vision of the American perception a little bit? Maybe…

Bibliography: Alexander, E. (2014, October 14). Brad Pitt: I was given my first gun when I was in kindergarten. Independent.co.uk Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/brad-pitt-i-was-given-my-first-gunwhen-i-was-in-kindergarten-9792094.html

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“Bill of Rights” (1791) The Second Amendment. Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html Constitution of the United States: Amendments 11–27. National Archives and Records Administration Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html Growing Support for Gun Rights (2014, December 10). Pew Research Center. Retrieved from www.people-press.org Gun Control (n.d.). ProCon.org Retrieved from http://gun-control.procon.org/#background Heaf, J. (2015, June 1). True Detective's Vince Vaughn on gun control, Edward Snowden and comedy. GQMagazine.co.uk Retrieved from http://www.gqmagazine.co.uk/article/vince-vaughn-covers-july-issue-british-gq Hetter, K. (2015, June 1). Actor Vince Vaughn outlines support for gun rights.

Edition.cnn.com Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/01/entertainment/vince-vaughn-gun-rights-feat/ Mathieson, M. (2015, August 04). 10 Celebrities Who Support the US Military. Omni Financial.

Retrieved from https://www.omnimilitaryloans.com/blog/10-celebrities-whosupport-the-military/ McDermott, M. (2015, June 02). Vince Vaughn: Guns should be in schools. USAtoday.com Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2015/06/02/vincevaughn-gun-rights/28343197/ McLaughlin, K. (2011, May 19). Ted Nugent: ‘More guns equals less crime.’ Edition.cnn.com Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/05/17/piers.morgan.ted.nugent/ Morse, F. (2015, June 19). Charleston church shootings: Celebrities who support gun ownership. BBC.co.uk Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/33197733/charleston-church-shootingscelebrities-who-support-gun-ownership New York Civil Rights – Article 2 – § 4 Right to Keep and Bear Arms (2010, March 30). Law and Legal Research. Retrieved from http://law.onecle.com/new-york/civilrights/CVR04_4.html Palmer, M. (2012, September 8). 'I want her approval. Angie is a force... I want her to be proud of her man': Brad Pitt on guns, violence and THAT wedding. DailyMail.co.uk Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-2199295/BradPitt-talks-Angelina-Jolie-I-want-approval-Angie-force--I-want-proud-man.html Spitzer, R. J. (2012). The Politics of Gun Control. Policy Definition and Gun Control. Boulder, CO: Paradigm Publishers.

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The Wars Over Love Marta Natalia Giers

Every revolution is aimed at changing certain state of affairs. It was no different in the United States with the Sexual Revolution that reached its peak in the 1960s and guaranteed people more freedoms. Americans love freedom, after all.

Rejecting

liberating them from the burden of being “a child-bearing machines” (Dew, 2001). Men, on the other hand, were no longer forced to actually marry a woman in order to experience sexual intercourse.

The banners of revolutionists carried slogans which

restrictions imposed for such long time by Christian morality could result in nothing but pure joy. The battle over the access to free love was fought by two opponents – the psychologists and the Catholic Church. One of the most prominent figures at that time was Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, who with her contraceptive pill enabled women to control their fertility, at the same time

encouraged the middle class to get rid of the old way of thinking and broaden their knowledge about human sexuality, which, as it turned out, was of a much greater importance than it was widely considered. Prominent scientists such as Wilhelm Reich or Alfred C. Kinsey even claimed that suppressing one’s sexual desires may lead to serious psychical problems.

The energy that was created when

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The Wars Over Love being aroused, if not appropriately released, could eventually result in pathological behaviors, antisocial attitudes, or suicidal thoughts. Not to mention the fact that moral restrictions were at odds with the natural law (Reich, 1971, pp. 4-5).

Moreover, Kinsey’s research revealed data about the sexual lives of Americans that shocked many at that time. For example, one could learn that 85% of men engaged in sexual relations before marriage, or that 70% had sex with prostitutes (Reisman and Eichel, 1990, p. 2). Kinsey also came up with conclusion that premarital sex is good for women. He claimed that women, who avoid premarital sexual relations, lack sexual, social, and emotional adjustment (ibid., p. 3). The above-mentioned statement is reflected in the movie Kinsey, in which the biologist is depicted as a caring father, concerned for his daughter’s sexual affairs. He talks with his teenage girl asking for her relationship with a boy she is dating. She responds with the greatest openness that they had done some petting, but nothing more yet. And for that Kinsey praises her, and advices her it will be better to wait a bit longer to actually have sex.

Quite different image of a father from the one usually shown in Hollywood movies – with a rifle ready to shoot a youngster to protect his daughter from being hurt. However, Kinsey is not a regular father – he is a prominent scientist, who is aware that when it comes to nature and instincts, no sexual inhibitions are healthy.

Kinsey takes a similar approach to infidelity. Being on a business trip, he decides to sleep with one of his male colleagues as not to suppress his own sexual desires. Later on, when

informing his wife about the incident, Kinsey blames the nature. Shame that Clara, professor’s wife, was not able to justify his deed as eagerly. Or maybe that is the price you pay for “greatness.”

Nevertheless, Kinsey’s reports laid the foundations for subsequent researches concerning human sexuality and were very often referred to as the irrefutable truth. The consequence of that were, for example, the bloom of pornography or sexual education (ibid., p. 4). Sexual liberation was very much applauded.

The majority of people in America accepted the changing reality and conformed to the new trends of sexual behaviors. People often claimed that such innovations made their lives better. Especially the new forms of contraception and changes in abortion's legal status which allowed for separating sexual intercourse from fertility; consequently, couples could enjoy pleasure without worrying about unintended consequences.

However, on the road to a true liberation some obstacles appeared.

Christian societies and primarily the Catholic Church condemned the use of contraceptive pill as an alternative means to prevent pregnancy. They viewed hormonal contraception not only as an attack on human reproductive capacities but also as interfering in the collaboration of married couples with God, the Creator of life (Paul VI, 1968, p. 1). Similarly to aforementioned sexual mentors, Catholic authorities also claimed that it was the natural law that should be cared after when making rules concerning human sexuality. The difference was that Catholic Church rejected instincts as a way to sexual

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Marta Natalia Giers fulfillment; instead, they put emphasis on rationality and responsibility (ibid, p. 2). Unfortunately, back then, besides rhythm method, not many other forms of contraception, which additionally would be reliable, accepted by Catholic Church were proposed (D’Emilio and Freedman, 1997, p.

252).

The condemnation of the pill resulted in rebellion against Pope Paul’s VI ordinance, eventually making the whole Western Culture the battlefield in the war over love that has been continuing ever since.

Yet, love is viewed differently by these two opposing forces. In the first instance, love is associated mainly with sexual compatibility and tolerance for various behaviors; in the other, love is understood as a sacrificial gift of oneself. Moreover, the two sides claim that they see the individual freedom of a man as their highest priority. Who should be trusted then? At first glance, it seems obvious that it should be the one which provides more choices for sexual expression. After all, the more choices you have, the more free you can become.1 Every attempt to limit individual liberty may be perceived as an attack on it.

Definitely, when such limitation appears, there is no place for personal happiness. But the issue turns out to be much more complicated. Back in the 1960s, people supposedly had no idea where the sexual liberation may lead them – of course not for all of them it ended up being a catastrophe, but very often sexual liberation resulted in serious personal, social, and economic problems. Nowadays, the divorce rate hits 50% and is still 1

Actually, Barry Schwartz in his book The Paradox of Choice. Why More is Less, proved that it is a very common misconception.

growing, the hook-up culture in schools and on college campuses became a norm, and the value of sex has dramatically decreased.

Additionally, the actual tolerance seems to be a very superficial question as more and more people who disagree with liberal/democratic politics are forced, for instance, to pay enormous amounts of money for having different opinions or are perceived as moralists. Moreover, sexualized culture has a huge impact on youth – impact which they would never be able to judge as they will be growing up surrounded by it.

In the 1970s in Poland in different periodicals there was a battle between conservatives and liberals.

They were fighting over the issue of premarital sex. Eventually, one student joined the conversation to express his concern over the intensions of opposing speakers. He was wondering which point of view is objectively more beneficial for him. He did not sympathize with any of the sides; however, he stated a very thoughtprovoking question: “who cares about us more – those who allow us do anything we want, regardless of the consequences or those who demand from us and challenge us to become better?”

(Wiśniewska-Roszkowska, 1988, p. 74).

Wars and love have something in common – in order to win, you have to sacrifice a lot. The victory never comes easy but when it is achieved, it gives the possibility to live truly and freely. Life is a chain of endless battles and wars, but only love can actually make them meaningful. Otherwise, they will become another means of destruction.

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Bibliography: Condon, B. (Director) (2004). Kinsey. [Fox Searchlight Pictures]. USA and Germany.

D’Emilio, J. and Freedman, E. B. (1997). Intimate Matters. A History of Sexuality in America.

Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Dew, Paul

D. S. (2001) In Her Own Words. http://www.dianedew.com/sanger.htm

Dianedew.com

Retrieved

VI. (1968) Encyclical Letter Humanae Vitae Of the Supreme http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae.pdf

from Pontiff.

Reich, W. (1971). The Sexual Revolution. Toward a Self-Governing Character Structure. Trans.

Theodore P. Wolfe. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Reisman, J. A., Eichel, E. W. (1990). Kinsey, Sex and Fraud. Lafayette: Huntington House Publishers.

Wiśniewska-Roszkowska, K. (1988). Seks i moralność. Kraków: Michalineum.

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There Has Been an Awakening?

Zuzanna Pomorska

While the Star Wars hype is slowly cooling down and science fiction fans are preparing for another important movie premiere this year, namely one of Star Trek: Beyond, the discussions about the new galactic adventures are still going strong. Ever since the badly received prequels, fans of Lucas’ epic space opera have been waiting for a good follow-up to the series. And while the expanded universe of Star Wars could probably quench some of that thirst, a new movie is what everyone wanted. With Disney buying the rights to the franchise, people have felt unsure whether the new film would be good, or if it would follow the fate of Marvel movies instead, where quantity slowly won over quality. The fact that J.J. Abrams was also responsible for directing Star Wars: The Force Awakens made some fans seriously question the future of the Star Wars franchise, after the film director’s botched attempts at the Star Trek reboots and his attitude towards the series and its fans. Yet, the new Star Wars movie received mostly positive reactions, although of course it had its fair share of criticism as well. Before I dwell deeper into that in the next parts of the article, I want to warn the reader that this will contain spoilers, so if you have not seen the movie yet, it would be best to stop reading now.

Seriously, turn off the computer, put your shoes on, and go to the movie theater. Now. Movie industry has been criticized for its lack of representation

of gender, race, and different sexual preferences for a long time. In the 21st century those feelings of general disregard that Hollywood has for everyone else but straight, white males, have grown in volume. Thanks to Internet, not only fans are protesting against what has been happening for so long, but so do the actors and filmmakers themselves.

Corporations have to finally acknowledge that the audiences are growing tired of pretending to be fine with how most mainstream blockbusters are made. Which is why The Force Awakens seems to be getting so much positive feedback.

Why? First, the main protagonist of the movie, without question, is not a man, but a woman. Rey (Daisy Ridley) handles herself very well. She had a rough childhood, but she is still kind.

Her character can function by herself, she is independent and talented. She is not sexualized in the movie, which is a nice change. Instead, Rey simply kicks ass. Although, there has been a negative response from, mostly, male fans of the series, who accuse the character of being too good at everything and fake. But this obviously proves that Hollywood has catered to this kind of audience for too long, because let’s face it – Anakin and Luke Skywalker were also great at everything they touched, yet, because they were white men, the male fans did not complain. Plus, they were whiny. For all three characters there is of course an explanation for their incredible talents for everything, yet, it

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There Has Been an Awakening? is only Rey that has been attacked, because she is a woman. Male pride aside, the character of a Forcesensitive scavenger has won people over, and girls and women who have been in the fandom since the beginning have a new strong character that they can look up to, next to PadmĂŠ and Princess Leia.

Next in line is race representation. Again, big thumbs up to the new Star Wars for having the other two characters of the main trio be an African American man and a Latino man. Finn (John Boyega) is the Stormtrooper turned Resistance member. While at the beginning on the bad side, which is sadly a typical way of portraying black characters in cinema, he still realizes the evil in what the First Order is doing and deserts it. This breakaway from stereotypes is a good start, especially since it is established from the beginning that Finn, even while on the side of the First Order at first, is actually a good guy. The way the character later interacts with others

and how he develops, from trying to just escape everything, to actually becoming a part of the Resistance, is a joy to watch. It is well thought out and well executed. Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) is a different story. Played by a Latino man, Poe is a good guy from the very start. The best pilot in the Resistance, can fly anything, he is a courageous and positive character. He is also kind and considerate, after all, it is Poe who gives the nameless Finn his name the moment he realizes that this guy does not even have something as basic as a name. Poe also proves how loyal he is, when for a long time he resists torture to not reveal BB-8’s location, holding himself quiet well against Kylo Ren’s (Adam Driver) Force mind attack. It is almost as if the Resistance pilot is simply the perfect hero. To be honest, I cannot find any fault in him so far, except little screen time that he had. There need to be more characters in mainstream cinema, who are not white, straight males.

And this sentence brings me to

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Zuzanna Pomorska an aspect of the new Star Wars movie that everyone has been wondering about: is Poe Dameron gay, or at least bisexual? Fans have been wondering how the relationships between the main trio are going to be distributed.

There is always romance between the main female character and one of the male characters, as both the original trilogy and the prequels have shown.

And this formula could work for Finn and Rey (which would be great – if an interracial couple was the main one), with Poe being the more solitary hero.

However, the audience has noticed that Rey has a lot of parallels with Luke Skywalker, and she is the one who leaves the other two at the end of the film. Not only that, her relationship with Finn seems to be more like between siblings. Does this make Poe the actual “lady” this time around? If Rey is the lonely hero, the new Luke, that would mean that Finn is the new Han, being the wild-card, while Poe would be the new Leia with his connection to militia and the Resistance. And it would fit well too, there is, clearly, chemistry between Poe and Finn, they actually parallel one of the Leia and Han scenes, since Poe and Leia were both captured by the enemy forces and were later saved

by Finn/Han who were dressed as Stormtroopers. The question now, is Disney bold enough to officially have a queer couple in a mainstream giant like Star Wars? If yes, that would signal an enormous change not only in the franchise but also in Hollywood.

The parallels between the original trilogy, especially Star Wars: New Hope, and The Force Awakens are making it easier for people to navigate through the story, but are also the reason for the movie’s main criticism.

Some people pointed out that it is a lazy move on the creators’ part, that the story is not original. By using those parallels the new characters have to live in the shadows of the original trilogy and do not stand out at all, and that they are simply bland copies. I would not agree with this.

Yes, there is a lot of similarities between those movies and the main point of this is of course to play on fans’ feelings of nostalgia. The filmmakers also try to reassure in this way that they understand what the audience loves about the series, by making these references to the old. It is, however, clear that the new characters are well developed and differ from the more somber originals.

Even when next to beloved Han and Leia, it is Rey, Finn, and Poe that keep the audience’s attention. There is, however, one key worry for the future in the form of the main villain.

Hopefully, Disney will not make Kylo Ren go through redemption arc by falling in love with Rey and turning back to the Light Side. Rey functions very well as an independent character and by reducing her to an object to further a male character’s arc, as well as romantic interest, will only put backwards the progress the new Star Wars movie made.

With those things in mind, could it be that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the awakening that Hollywood needed? It showed that a movie with a female lead can be a success (also proved by last year’s Mad Max: Fury Road and Furiosa), and that having a diverse main cast does not mean the film will be a failure.

And even with the backlash from the white male fans of the series, inclusion of a strong, lead female character and

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There Has Been an Awakening? multiracial actors allowed for a more wide audience to feel included in the series. If Disney decides to make Finn and Poe an official queer couple, that will make the LGBT community also feel more welcomed and acknowledged in the movie world.

Finn and Rey could also work as an

interracial couple, for which there is a huge lack of representation in mainstream cinema. One can only hope that the Walt Disney Company will not fail and that the Force will be strong with them.

21 The WASP

iLiberty 2.0 Adam Radomski

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, a smartphone was considered sci-fi and the Internet had no prototype, or wasn't even pondered on for that matter. The prime fascination revolved around air travel back then. How about the 1960s – 70s?

A time when people communicated face-to-face and schemed their vacation routes by marking printed maps with red pen while sipping coffee at a diner somewhere along Route 66. Now, in 2016, neither the smartphone, Internet, Google Maps, or air travel spark any amazement whatsoever.

Before anyone calls me a raging old-timer obsessed with the good ol’ days (which I only had the opportunity of reading about and studying through old Hollywood films) let’s get one thing clear. Technology is fascinating and deserves to be praised, but its advancement is threatening. Its pace of development can be called unprecedented after each passing day and it is reaching a velocity that most of us are no longer able to keep pace with. This prevents us from advancing along with, and adapting to the destructive, as well as reparative power that technology carries. But prior to surgically dissecting this issue, it is vital to analyze the fundament technology grows on.

As I write this paragraph I am sitting in a café, or — speaking with éclat — a locale labeled as the center of social interaction. But is it now?

There are three people at the table next to me who have been speaking

briefly before shutting down and gluing their attention to their smartphones. A classic denouement of the conversation in this day and age. It makes one wonder about the point of meeting up at cafés. But that’s just the strength that little device in our pocket carries. It dominates most of us, engulfing our brains with a wave polluted with unrealism and idiotic memes. No longer are we trying to come up with things to say. Instead, we display what we find online; things usually written by some brainless and pale wise-ass. Thus, the art of communicating with meaning, emotion and empathy is going extinct. On the other hand, ironically, I myself am

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iLiberty 2.0 falling into the same trap as the people in this café.

How is that? In comparison to the last paragraph, this one is being written on my smartphone during my commute on the subway. Yes, due to a busy schedule I have to squeeze in time for writing whenever possible.

The funny thing is, I still feel quite guilty as my thumbs tap away on the tiny keyboard of my phone because I feel alienated from what is going on around me. By staring at the device in my hands I miss out on studying society and its behaviors and observing the various ways of life. I am also quite possibly letting go of an opportunity to become inspired, or even to encounter a future business partner if not even a soulmate for life.

But, at least I am getting some work done, right? As they say, the stick has two ends.

But most of my guilt comes not from missing out on the world(,) but from the contribution I’m making to this cyber-epidemic. After all, this is somewhat of a plague. Instead of talking to each other we are trapped in our own cyber-world. Instead of reading a book we scroll through our Facebook feed. Instead of going to bed early to wake up and work hard at success, we fuel our jealousy of those who already achieved it by following @millionares.choice on Instagram.

Moreover, we are chatting online with our friends instead of going out for coffee or lunch because staying at home saves time – which, instead of spending on work, we mostly spend either on Facebook, Snapchat, or Instagram, labeling it as “social time.”

Due to becoming numb to what this system produces, we are unable to notice that this is part of a much

larger and complex system than it actually seems. In fact, for most people all of this feels harmless, moreover, absolutely useless to write an article about. But if we glance through the microscope, plenty of bacteria begin to show up. Firstly, the advertisements or photos we view toxically empower our competitiveness. Secondly, the ability to stay “connected” with people online, and the option of being entertained through services like YouTube eliminates the necessity of going outside. The grand finale is that we are losing touch with one another and the vivid, attractive light of our screens makes us extremely blind to all of it. Then we begin to lack personal experience which is life’s best teacher. But on top of this, there is a problem which is much bigger than us.

It is quite interesting how people become informed nowadays.

Actual newspapers in print are rarely read by the current generation, but neither are news in electronic form, unless, they are floating somewhere in a Facebook feed. These “news articles” can be posted by anybody on earth.

This brings us to the following analysis of the Internet’s force.

I’m pretty sure that the Black Lives Matter movement is known by everyone. Its cause is great and it does concentrate on a problem which should no longer exist in the 21st century – racial discrimination. But, as important as such a movement is, it properly illustrates how the Internet can influence one’s mindset. For example, if any video about an African American being treated with force is labeled #blacklivesmatter, it can automatically convince the viewer that the police officer in the clip is

23 The WASP

Adam Radomski mistreating the victim due to his racial background. But does that specific clip display actual police brutality due to racial discrimination?

The viewers of such short clips have no particular knowledge of prior events which influenced the situation.

This shows that anybody can write #blacklivesmatter under a video clip and for millions, it automatically becomes an example of unnecessary police brutality towards an entire racial group. On the other hand, the Internet serves as a powerful medium to enact change in the way minority groups are treated in the United States.

Using Black Lives Matter as an example might be harsh, which I want to apologize for, but unfortunately its priority and momentousness perfectly emphasize the main argument at hand. All racial discrimination aside, the Internet gives people a voice, and that voice is used in what some consider as a noble way to present what they believe in. But what is it that makes millions of people share their belief for the message that voice is sending out? The addiction to the dominant power of cyberspace. No longer do people need background information, knowledge about history, facts from reliable research. If the Internet said it, it must be true, especially if it’s on Facebook. But the reason I am writing this is not be that haranguing parent who states “don’t believe everything you read on the Internet,” but to demonstrate the power which the Internet possesses.

I’m not going to go into the intricacies of hacking, stealing bank accounts, or robbing one’s identity by infiltrating their computer with a virus. Why not? Come on… That’s too

old-school. Now, terrorists can gain access to Internet controlled hospital devices and databases and possibly terminate the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of patients. Same can be applied to airport control towers. A little coding and clicking here and there can disrupt air traffic and cause horrendous consequences.

The point is – we are becoming more technologically developed, but soon it will be technology which will be developing us to its personal liking.

The points I’ve listed above prove that the first wounds have already been made. Once the blood is in the water, that’s when the robotic piranhas and sharks come, but given the strength this cyber-tool carries, why is nobody working on caging its wild side?

It is quite funny, that with access to all of this information we are both enlightened yet stupefied, unable to distinguish between bad and good, knowing that we could be making lifesaving discoveries, but we’re scrolling through our social media feeds instead. In this age of Star Wars: The Force Awakens the force has to be ours, because if this trend goes on, we could potentially be facing the absolute end of civilization. Think about it: if technology is powerful enough to separate and encage us, its force can without doubt be used to liberate and bring us together instead.

For example, let’s pull out an idea from my patented ideas bag. How about an app called “Freedom,” which would run in the background and reward its users with badges, levels, cinema, or restaurant discounts, or maybe even free apps per week, based on how long the user did not access his/her phone. Another notion: an absolutely phone-free restaurant

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iLiberty 2.0 where smartphones would be given away at entrance and put into a vacant pouch in a phone cloakroom. But how about tinkering with Internet access itself? Mark Zuckerberg took the first step by introducing a system which would delete comments/posts with a

bullying/racial character. The rest is up to us.

BTW‌ Article written, lesson learned, g2g – time to put this goddamn phone down ;)

25 The WASP

ISIL and Its Threat Joanna Nędzyńska

The continuous threat of terrorist attacks led to my decision on writing about the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which declared to be responsible for carrying out the attacks in Tunis, Paris, or Istanbul just to name a few – all of them connected by the deaths of innocent people. For those of You who do not know, ISIL was established in 2014. It is a jihadist group of Islamic fundamentalists. The group calls itself the Islamic State – the name being extremely accurate because the organization controls a large territory of Syria and Iraq. Their leader is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

To start with, the question that I would like to ask is whether ISIL will last and are we supposed to fear it?

Unfortunately, the answer to both questions is yes. When it comes to the first question, it should be obvious that ISIL will last as long as the relations between the countries involved in the coalition against the organization remain tense.

The coalition is composed of, among others, the United States, Russia, Turkey, and France. Officially, the goal of the coalition is to dwindle the size of the territory occupied by ISIL and to minimize the threat posed by the organization. Isn’t it a beautiful goal?

Everything sounds so perfect, doesn’t it? WRONG! Here is why. The relations between the United States and Russia have already worsened three years ago with the outbreak of the Ukrainian

crisis. Besides, President Obama will soon be replaced by someone else.

And even though he has very recently argued in his speech to Congress that ISIL must be stopped, I believe that he is not going to risk his reputation (again), especially if one takes into consideration the fact that many see him as one of the worst Democratic Presidents ever (and I’m one of those people). He will most probably leave the issue unsolved so that his successor would have something to focus on (let’s just hope that it’s not Donald Trump).

When it comes to Russia – Turkey relations, they have also considerably deteriorated due to the recent incident in which Turkey shot down one of Russia’s helicopters. In revenge, Russia imposed sanctions on Turkish products, and canceled the possibility for Russian citizens to travel there (I wonder where they are going to travel now since not only Egypt and Tunis became potentially dangerous places, but their currency, rouble, is very weak). In addition, Russia itself does not play fair and has its own objective in Syria, that is to help the existing regime of President Assad. That is why instead of attacking the potential places of ISIL’s presence, it bombs the forces of the opposition. Due to this fact, Syria remains a place of yet another bloody international conflict.

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ISIL and Its Threat

As I have already mentioned, the answer to the second question, that is whether we are supposed to fear ISIL, is yes. I do not want to sound paranoid, however, what is worth noticing is that ISIL is so much involved in the so-called information war as no other organization has ever been. They can easily influence the minds of decent citizens of any European country to start believing in their ideology. They were even successful in seducing several teenagers from Great Britain to come to Syria and marry the members of ISIL. Moreover, what is also worth mentioning is that they are very successful in spreading fear in the Western countries. By filming and releasing movies of executions on YouTube, they show terror and make

us feel insecure in the nowadays world. This proves that they have done their homework on how to reach and successfully influence Western countries and its citizens.

What will be the future of ISIL? I believe that it is going to expand its influence until something is going to be done about it, and until the members of the coalition against ISIL realize that people’s lives are much more important than their problems and personal grudges against each other. The problem is that with further expansion, the threat of another terrorist attack will continue, and more and more innocent people will lose their lives only because the heads of the governments cannot solve their diplomatic relations. Let’s just hope

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Joanna Nędzyńska that some kind of a breakthrough will finally arrive.

The point of this article presentation was not to scare you. I don’t want you to be terrified and lock yourselves at home. I just wanted to show you that this is the world we live in, and that we have to be mentally

prepared in case another attack takes place. And I would also like you to be aware and cautious whenever you surf the net because the possibilities to reach us via Facebook or Twitter are enormous. The only question is whether we will allow others to influence and control us.

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29 The WASP

Where Life Ends and Where Reality Star(t)s Aleksandra Barciszewska

30 The WASP – Volume IV Fall 2016

Where Life Ends and Where Reality Star(t)s

31 The WASP

Aleksandra Barciszewska

32 Volume IV Fall 2016

Where Life Ends and Where Reality Star(t)s

33 The WASP

Aleksandra Barciszewska

34 Volume IV Fall 2016

Where Life Ends and Where Reality Star(t)s

35 The WASP

Aleksandra Barciszewska

36 Volume IV Fall 2016

Where Life Ends and Where Reality Star(t)s

37 The WASP

The Fig Tree Dominika Kowalska If I told you once about the village of my childhood, would you believe? Would you believe if I told you about the great fig tree that for centuries sheltered the elders and children during long summers? It’s where my grandmother would tell me tales about her grandmother, who once told her tales about hers. It’s where wise men would meditate and toddlers would make their first steps then run around the formidable trunk under watchful eyes of their mothers. The great fig tree gave fruits that were infinite and as long as it did, no one ran hungry. My younger sister was sucking on a fig fruit while making her first steps under the tree’s crown. She has brown eyes and black hair, just like me, our mother, and grandmother. You wouldn’t believe how beautiful she’s grown to be.

I only realized that when we were holding hands in front of the fig tree standing alongside the whole population of our village.

We’ve gathered there, fifty people, in deaf silence, to witness an execution. That day, my grandmother was to be hanged.

It’s been two weeks since They’ve reached our village. The fugitives from other villages were telling us about the things They are capable of, but we didn’t believe. They wore black headbands over their merciless eyes and were to take village by village, city by city, until they subdued the whole country and established their state, and then They were to conquer neighboring countries and the neighboring countries of neighboring countries, and soon the whole world would be Theirs.

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The Fig Tree They would come to houses and take all the food; soon, people started suffering hunger. The fig tree has withered and stopped giving fruit as if it was suddenly cursed. Five of Them came to inhabit the house of our next-door neighbors. One morning, through the window I saw one of Them catching our neighbors’ cat – Abdel – and wanting to pet it. My neighbors always treated Abdel like a family member. He was a great mice catcher and in return for protecting the harvest from the pest, he would always find a bowl of fresh fat milk and a warm hand to pet him. But this time I saw that Abdel didn’t want to be petted and was trying to escape, it meowed very loudly, scratched the man and he, with his two hands, tore the cat apart.

There was blood on his hands and uniform. He threw Abdel’s head with the upper part of the cat’s body behind his shoulder and went inside the house.

Then I saw a different soldier coming out of the house, he picked Abdel’s parts up from the ground and said: “The meat is still good to eat!”

Men like him were hanging persons that couldn’t be of any use to Them. Elders were the first to be strangled, then adult women and men who were refusing to serve. Male children and teenagers were sent to training camps where they would soon become Them. As a reward for loyalty and commitment they would be given virgins to marry who would give them children. Virgins who’d refuse to subdue were to be used and hanged.

Would you believe if I told you about the day when They knocked to our blue door? They were three broad-shouldered men accompanied by two teenage boys who have just accomplished the training. The boys with their pre-pubescent mustache looked just as our neighbor Nabil, with whom we played under the fig tree, also taken away by similar broad-shouldered men two days earlier to someday show in a house just like ours, where young girls lived.

First I heard loud male voices in the garden and then I saw Them through the window. It wasn’t hard to hear Them as the village was now silent as a graveyard. Half of its population has been hanged and the other half feared to come out of their houses. There were no bikes, no horses, no motorbikes on the street. The second before they knocked, I managed to hide my nine-year-old sister under the bed.

When they entered, the two boys took a look at me. None of them wanted to marry me. They said I was so ugly that if they were to marry me, it would be a punishment rather than a reward. They asked my mother whether she had another daughter and she said she didn’t. The older men, who accompanied the boys, forced my mother outside to have a talk.

Meanwhile the two boys took me to the room where my sister was hidden.

They threw me on the bed and took away my honor. They were doing it in the most brutal way possible, and all I thought about was my sister lying under the bed. They were so strong that I prayed they wouldn’t smash her, she was so brittle.

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Dominika Kowalska I once believed in god but in that moment I wasn’t sure somebody like that existed. And if he did, he wasn’t listening. The second I finished my prayer, I heard my sister cry. The boys stopped using me and looked under the bed. When they saw her, they stopped looking at me. Both of them wanted to marry Amira.

The same day, my mother was hanged on the tree for disloyalty.

Amira was taken to the neighbor’s house now occupied by Them. I could stay in my house, They said the maid would be needed when the child is born.

When we were seeing each other for the last time, witnessing our mother’s death alongside the whole village people, I whispered in her ear: “Meet me at midnight under the hanging tree.”

I was waiting since eleven thirty, and it was already past midnight. Amira was late, but I knew she would come. I closed my eyes and heard the water humming. We crossed the sea and reached the beautiful land where the common practice is not to hang people on fig trees but to let them grow and thrive. Amira grows up and goes to university to one day become a doctor. I give birth to a beautiful girl who has eyes just like me, my mother, and grandmother. And she too, goes to school and becomes famous. I see her posters all around the city. She is a movie star. She is the most beautiful girl in the world.

In the new land we have a garden with a fig tree, identical to the one from my childhood. Suddenly I see my toddler daughter under it, being held by her grandmother. My mother is looking at me with her good, brown eyes and opens her arm gesturing for me to come and lay my head on her shoulder like I used to. For the first time I feel safe, like in a dream you don’t want to wake up from. I feel that we could stay like that forever.

“The borders are closed.” – My mother says.

“But we made it mom! We made it! We are here and we are finally free!”

“If I told you that the skyscrapers are burning, that babies are lying dead in big, rusty metal garbage cans next to rats, and adults are being held without food and water behind the wire of short sharp spikes made by their brothers to make them suffer and keep them away, would you believe me?”

“Mom, mommy, what are you talking about? Why are you saying this?”

– What she was saying was scaring me. For the first time my mother was telling a tale that was unbelievable.

“They don’t want us. They are scared of us, but we have to forgive them. They don’t know that fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering, and suffering leads to the 40 Volume IV Fall 2016

The Fig Tree dark side. We have to forgive them because even if they heard it, they wouldn’t believe.”

When my mother finished saying these words, Amira came to join us under the fig tree. When she laid her head on our mother’s other shoulder, she was nine again. Suddenly our neighbors from the village gathered around us; there was even Abdel fawning over my grandma. I heard the joyful noises of children running around the tree and laughing; women were sitting, eating figs, and telling their tales. In that moment, we were free like never before.

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Don’t Ever Go into the ASC Basement!

Małgorzata Dudo This anonymous text was found in the ASC library, between the pages of American Cinema: One Hundred Years of Filmmaking. The handwriting has been deciphered and translated from Polish by Małgorzata Dudo.

I’m writing this to warn you: don’t ever go into the ASC basement.

Unless you want to lose everything that’s dear to you. You’re probably thinking “Yeah, right, this is another joke inspired by The War of the Worlds.

It’s not. You may believe me or risk your life checking it for yourself – it’s your choice. But if you meet me, don’t tell me it’s my fault, because I’ve already told you the story.

It all started in June 2015, on the day of the BA literature exam. I entered our building an hour too early, thanks to my suburban bus which runs once every two hours. The exam was supposed to be held in room 109, so I went to the first floor. It was crowded and very loud there, with students revising la conjugaison des verbes francais. I had to make a decision: whether to make an effort and go upstairs (the elevator was out of order again) or to try to find an unoccupied place to sit downstairs. I chose the latter.

A moment later I was in the basement. The stairs that led there were blue and they looked comfortable enough to sit on and make a final attempt to understand John Dos Passos’ U.S.A. So I sat down and tried to concentrate on the text.

Suddenly, I saw something in the corner of my eye. A little line of white light. It was coming from under a wooden door that I hadn’t noticed earlier. I stood up.

In fact, there were two wooden doors under the stairs. The one that I was interested in was smaller, but a normal sized human would fit in, if they bent down a little. I pulled the door and I was almost blinded. A bright light filled the whole room. After a while my eyes became accustomed to it and I looked into the space that was behind the door. The light seemed to come from a round brick hole in the ground, quite similar to the manholes you often see in the street. It had a metal ladder, but I could only see the first few steps.

I don’t know what I was thinking when I decided to go in there. Maybe I’ve done it because I hadn’t slept much, or maybe because as a little girl I’d watched the second season of LOST, and I’d been secretly hoping to find an underground hatch to live in. So I checked if no one was looking and down I went.

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Don’t Ever Go into the ASC Basement!

*** I was climbing down and down for a while. The French verbs became quieter and quieter and finally I could hear nothing but my own breath. After a while, I started to smell something. It was fresh air. And there were some new sounds: the swishing of trees and the noise of traffic. Suddenly, the brick wall ended and after a few steps of the ladder I reached the floor.

Except it wasn’t a floor, it was a roof.

I looked around. It was a sunny day, hence the bright light. I saw some tall buildings and some trees, but I still didn’t know where I was. I walked to the edge and looked down, on the heads of young smokers, and I realized: it was the ASC’s roof!

I turned back and noticed that the ladder was gone. However, near the spot where it should have been, there was a trapdoor. It was a little heavy, but I managed to open it. There was another ladder there.

I went down and I realized that I was in a bathroom. More specifically, the girls’ bathroom. How classy.

I went outside and then I was sure: it was the ASC corridor. For a while I felt proud of myself: I didn’t make any effort against the gravity and I succeeded in coming to the third floor. And there was no one there, so I could sit down and study in peace. Except, where were the benches?

Suddenly, a door opened and a dark tall monster came rushing in my direction. I swiftly turned around and hid back in the bathroom. As I closed the door, I wasn’t sure whether to climb the ladder or to reach for the window. I hated those films in which the hero runs upstairs as if they didn’t 43 The WASP

Małgorzata Dudo know that they would be made to jump. I also wasn’t an action hero, so going out of the window was out of the question. On the other hand, I remembered that Hermione hid in a bathroom and it wasn’t the greatest idea either.

While I was considering my options, the noise stopped. I risked peeking through a slightly open door. The monster was standing near the end of the corridor, talking with somebody. Now that I could scrutinize him a little longer, I noticed that he wasn’t a monster at all. He was just a very tall man in a black suit. He was talking with a short balding man in a brown suit and with a brown briefcase. Their lack of style reminded me a bit of the politicians I’ve seen on TV when I was little.

Finally they entered a room and I could get out. I looked at the corkboards. There were papers entitled “Class schedule” and “Exams.” There was also a note that said: “This week’s class in criminology is cancelled due to sick leave.” As I was reading it, another door opened and the corridor became flooded with young people in bootcut trousers. I glanced back at the first paper. It said: “Class schedule. Internal Affairs Academy. Academic Year 1975/6.” *** Ok, so here it is: I wanted to live in the second season of LOST, but instead I was in the fifth season – the lamest one. Funny how dreams work.

Because it was a dream, I was sure.

However, I tried very hard to open my eyes in the real world and I couldn’t. I tried to jump and fall like in Inception, but it didn’t work.

Moreover, I could very clearly remember what happened before that moment, so it became clear to me that it wasn’t a dream after all.

I thought to myself: “Let’s not focus on the fact that I am doomed.

Let’s think.” I went back to the roof, passing by the bathroom and realizing that it looked like the bathrooms downstairs, not the ASC’s modern one. Of course, the first ladder or the brick hole wasn’t there. Next step: the basement.

The basement looked more familiar, except the stairs weren’t blue but grey. The door was there and it was easy to open. The light in it was dimmer, but it was there. I sighed and I went down the ladder once more.

It was a gloomy winter day this time. I traveled from the roof to the corridor and saw young people studying. I looked at the corkboard: ASC! Yes! I was back.

Except, when I approached them, I saw that they were all dressed in black and white. Some of them were walking back and forth, some of them were nervously flipping book pages. Also, nobody looked at their phone, which was suspicious. Suddenly, a door opened and a girl rushed out, crying.

I looked at the corkboard again. It was January 2004.

I ran to the basement and down the hole. This time there wasn’t any light, but it wasn’t a total darkness either. Finally I reached the ground and noticed two things: first, it was a night. Secondly, I was standing on grass and the building was gone. *** 44 Volume IV Fall 2016

Don’t Ever Go into the ASC Basement!

“Who’s there?” somebody asked.

I looked around. It was a warm summer night, the moon was big and bright, the stars were shining. I was in a garden, between some trees. I turned around and I saw a small manor. Somebody was sitting by a table on the porch. He stood up and walked in my direction.

“A damsel in distress?” He said, as he was approaching me. “Or a damsel in… Pantalons?”

He was a young man, dressed as if he walked straight out of a museum. He had a big mustache, but when he came closer I saw that his eyes were young, so for all I knew he could have been 17 years old.

I decided there was no time for small talk.

“Where am I?” I asked.

“You’re on the property of the Pusłowski family.”

I was starting to panic. Did I move in time and in place this time? I mean, there wasn’t any manor near the ASC, was it?

“But we’re in Poland, right? I mean, you’re speaking Polish, so…”

“Yes,” He said. “And no. We’re in Russia.”

Now, I have to explain something: I’ve never been good at history. In fact, I’d barely passed it in high school.

“Oh, alright,” I said. “Do you know how to get to Warsaw?”

“I can take you there in the morning. It’s not far from here.”

“Wait. So we are still in Ksawerów?”

“Yes, I told you already. My uncle, count Ksawery Pusłowski, is the owner of this place. Would you like to sit down for a while? You look really pale.” *** Half an hour later we were sitting on the porch, trying to have a conversation. He said it was 1842 and that he was looking after the manor while his uncle visited his friends who lived in the Królikarnia palace. He told me in confidence that his uncle was hoping to buy it from them.

I, on the other hand, wasn’t willing to share my secrets. I told him vaguely that I had lost something and I didn’t know how to get where I wanted to go. He offered a room for the night, but I really wasn’t very keen on it, especially because he looked quite creepy with the mustache. So I changed the subject.

“What’s that?” I asked, looking at the book that was lying on the table by a candle. Its title was Die Leiden des jungen Werthers.

“It’s called The Sorrows of Young Werther. It’s very… romantic.” He said, and I thought I heard something more between the lines.

“Well, I’ve got to go,” I said and stood up.

“In the night? Is it safe?”

I didn’t respond.

“Can I do anything for you?” he asked.

“Actually, yes… Do you have a shovel?” ***

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Małgorzata Dudo Half an hour later we said goodbye and I went out of the property. I was hiding in the bushes until he went inside the manor. Then I jumped over the stone fence of the property and I started digging in the spot where I thought the brick hole should be. After a while, I struck something hard. It was, in fact, a metal trapdoor and the brick hole was under it. There was a dimmed light inside this time.

When I climbed down and reached the ground, I looked around. It was a rainy day and I was back in the garden by the manor. Except this time the place was full of garden patches, with some vegetables growing on them.

Suddenly, someone shouted, “It’s her!”

I turned around. A group of young, nasty-looking boys in dirty clothes were running towards me. I started to run away, but I reached the fence and I realized that it was higher than before. They caught up with me. Two tall boys gripped my arms and said: “You’re going with us.”

Then one of them said: “Peter! Go get count Pusłowski. Tell him that The Girl In Pantalons is back.” *** They took me to the basement of the manor and they locked me in a room with brick walls. I was getting used to this type of architecture.

It was dark there, with only one small window. Too small to escape anyway. And the nasty boys were walking around the spot where my brick hole was. They didn’t look particularly strong, but there were many of them, so I wouldn’t risk going there.

Suddenly, I noticed there was someone else there, sitting in the corner.

I almost jumped with terror. It was an old lady and she was staring at me.

“Excuse me, what year is it?” I asked.

“1861,” she said in a voice that reminded me of my grandmother. And then I collapsed. And I told her everything.

While I was talking, she didn’t say a word. Finally, when I finished, she said: “I’ve never thought I’d meet someone like me.”

And then she told me her story. She was born at the beginning of the XX century. She was living in Mokotów when World War II started. When the bad guys started shooting to people on the streets, she ran, trying to find an underground shelter. Instead, she found the brick hole.

She said that she had traveled many times and she’d never reached a point later in time than the one she’d started from. She didn’t want to go back to World War II and risk her life, so finally she decided to settle down in the XIX century. Thankfully, she could work in the count’s kitchen, which later became The Institute of Morally Neglected Children. She avoided going out of the property in order not to meet her parents, as this could cause a time paradox.

“Do you know what it is, this brick hole? Is it magic or what?” I asked.

She thought for a while and said, “The Buddhists believe there’s an axis mundi, a place where the Earth meets Heaven, and the Past, the Present, and the Future converge.”

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Don’t Ever Go into the ASC Basement!

“But that’s silly. It’s like those people who say that Jesus was Polish.

Please.”

“Anyway,” she said less grandmotherly, “you broke our count’s heart.

What are you going to do with it?”

“I… What? I didn’t!”

“Yes, you did. You came in those pantalons of yours, (I can’t believe that women wear this) and he fell in love! Then you left, and he promised himself never to marry another woman. Now because of you, he is an old bachelor and he won’t inherit any of these beautiful properties, neither the Ksawerów manor, nor Królikarnia. His sister will get all of them, because she has a family!”

“Wow. That’s a lot,” I said, surprised. “I didn’t know he was so stupid to believe in “one true pairing” and all those fantasies. I guess this Werther book messed with his brain the way You’ve Got Mail did with my generation,” I mumbled to myself.

“You’ve Got what?”

“I mean it messed with his brain. Like… Gone with the Wind?”

“What wind?”

Suddenly, the door opened and a man said, “The count will see you now.”

We went upstairs, to the living room. The count was standing in front of me, at the other end of the room. He had a bushy grey beard and was much fatter than when I last saw him. He was also wearing a fur coat, which made him even more terrifying. But then he opened his mouth and sounded rather like an angry child.

“How could you?” he exclaimed. “How could you leave me like that? I was devastated! You left and I could only find a shovel lying on the ground and a closed trapdoor next to it! Do you know how many times I tried to open it? I was convinced that you were stuck there, underground, and that I would rescue you! And yet, when I knocked down the door, there was nothing, just black soil!

“Come here. Look into my eyes and tell me you’ve never loved me!”

I approached him, even though I really didn’t want to. I made one step and another one. He crinkled his eyes. Then he reached for his pocket and put his old-timey glasses on.

“Wait,” he said. “That’s not her!” he shouted to the man who was still standing by the door.

“What?” I cried.

“But she’s wearing pantalons! It’s her!” the man said.

“Yes, she is wearing them, but there was another girl that was wearing pantalons, in 1843. I’ve forgotten about this one.”

I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry.

An hour later I was standing over the brick hole again. Thankfully, it was there, contrary to what the count had said.

“You can keep the shovel,” he said, so I think he wasn’t angry anymore.

47 The WASP

Małgorzata Dudo *** In the times that came later I tried to look on the bright side. I mean, I’ve always wanted to travel before settling down. So I traveled: to the 1770s, to the 1950s, and to the time when there was nothing but a forest.

In the 1930s I got on a train at the station “German Sheds” (later called Southern Railway Station, and later Wilanowska) and I traveled to the center of Warsaw. It was beautiful. Then I sneaked into Cinema Atlantic, watched a weird black-and-white comedy, and I cried. I suddenly remembered that my friend wanted to see the new Star Wars so badly and begged me to watch it with her. I was whining about it then, because I didn’t see the point of all those cheeky little monkeys, but now I would do anything to get back home and watch them dance.

The closest I’ve been to my time was 2010. But what would I do for 5 years? Where would I live? What would I tell my family and friends? That I’m five years older than I should be? So I tried again. And again.

But I’m not losing hope. I’m writing this down in 1999 as a warning, so that no more people go down the hole and have to face what I faced. Please, if you found this letter, publish it. But only after 2015, to avoid a time paradox. This is also why I won’t tell you my name.

But if you notice that one of your friends, the one who isn’t a Star Wars fan, is missing, don’t panic. I’ll find a way to get out of this. I’ll be back.

We’ll go to see the new cheeky monkeys, the slimy blob, and the Fraggles in HD. And it’s going to be great.

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49 The WASP

Sonnet 3 Adrian Wesołowski

Each sight of it makes me feel woe and pride Her walls have grown, her abodes rest run-down So many fightings, but one never tried To win its core instead of the stale crown Oh, I rejoice with any little sprout Making its way through our walls' dense rocks In havocked ruins there's no life to flout With all men's silence, mayhaps a root talks Wake up each day obsessed with need to find Another hand in neverending brash That moves; or not, but you choose to be blind In jiff of hope before you'll know you're rash Feeling its cold, you sit and rub your eyes In city, conquered far too many times

50 The WASP – Volume IV Fall 2016

You would come at the end, right?

Imran Hossain

I‘ve been looking forward to your path In hope that once you would come Meanwhile I counted all the stars for you All of them, the ones you don't even see at night My pocket is as heavy as stones with shooting stars now So is my aged breath for quite so long You would come at the end, right?

Someday...some other day...just for once?

51 The WASP – Volume IV Fall 2016

Imran Hossain

The sky held them right...

I look up at the sky I see shimmering arts I see twinkling stars They are still there Few might have fallen though From an unknown sphere But the rest are held tight The sky holds them right....

The sky held them right....

The story that has you at the end When the shooting stars shimmer at our rear Soothing breeze blows from summer’s plain Cast away from the indifferent universe An urchin whistles in lonely suburbs’ lane.

I tend to tell my story from the beginning The story of all stories penned The story that begins with ‘once’ The story that has ‘you’ at the end.

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CONTRIBUTORS: Aleksandra Barciszewska – editor-in-chief. BA-program-survivor. Vampiricpsychoanalyst-by-nature. Extracting the sexual from the mundane, rejecting reality for the sake of the very-tale of momentary satiation of the urges for creation.

Nadia Błaszczyk – her biggest passion is travelling, so she tries to travel as much as possible. She hates to sit in one place for too long so in her spare time she plans new trips and explores new places (even if they are just around the corner).

Addicted to drinking tea, even in summer. Her favorite piece of clothing is a smile.

Małgorzata Dudo – 3rd year BA student at the ASC. Her life motto comes from a classic text of American culture (Ugly Betty): “Be who you are. Wear what you want.

Just learn how to run really fast.”

Marta Natalia Giers – MA student of American Studies Center, very much interested in human sexuality. She got her BA in English Philology at University of Białystok. In her free time she enjoys travelling, meeting friends, and dancing (especially hip-hop and dancehall). She is also a chess coach for children.

Julian Horodyski – used to like reading books, love photography, enjoy music and have fun having fun out in the country. Recently he's realized that everything comes and goes, and so now he does a lot more things as well.

Imran Hossain – student of American Studies Center. Received 1st MA in Literature from Jahangirnagar University. An observer of emotions; tends to see beyond the edges and express himself through prose and verse.

Agata Klichowska – student of ASC with a passion for contemporary music and independent movies.

Dominika Kowalska – in her spare time she plans a revolution, fights for women and minority rights, writes stories, and drinks coffee at midnight.

Magdalena Krzemińska – always wanted to be a gypsy snake charmer, but never made it to the academy. So now, with the bluest blues in her ears and the blackest coal in her hand, she draws pictures, out of sadness and self-disappointment.

Tommy Longsword – something of a sexual deviant, Tommy Longsword channels his inner pervert into his artwork. With no fixed abode, Tommy drifts from country to country spreading his art (and a lot more besides).

Joanna Nędzyńska – about to graduate from ASC this year. She is currently writing her MA thesis on “The United States’ Response to the Ukrainian Crisis.” In the free time, she likes to compose new songs, and then rehearse them on her guitar.

53 The WASP

Paulina Niewiadomska – a psychologist manquée and a would-be illustrator who instead of writing her M.A. thesis makes drawings for the Wasp. Currently she is fully enjoying la dolce vita all’italiana.

Natalia Ogórek – singing is her biggest passion, but she does not connect her future with it. Lover of TV series and Marvel. 70% funny, 50% weird, 100% organized.

Zuzanna Pomorska – a huge nerd with a passion for movies. Has more action figures than should be legal. Sometimes ends up writing things like the articles for this journal. She is just trying to survive her last MA year at this point.

Adam Radomski – student of ASC with a major interest in how technologically and futuristically oriented progress influences society. His pessimistic perception of the upcoming years have made him hell-bent on working towards preventing negative impacts of a world that is developing at an unprecedented rate.

Adrian Wesołowski – long-loved collaborator of ASC and doctoral student in the Department of History of <<a very respectable university>>. Trying to keep up some not-boring characteristics of his profile, he has written a poem or two. Yet, on a daily basis his tedious past social patterns recognition is interrupted only by <<a trendy sport hobby>> and passionate reading of <<fancy names of hipster writers>>. One could say <<metaphor far too sophisticated for a byline>>.

Kamila Maria Wyszyńska – studies Graphic Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. American Studies is her second faculty. Loves to travel. Wants to live and create across the world.

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