The Sycamore Spring 2016 by The Sycamore

THE SYCAMORE WELLS COLLEGE’S STUDENT MAGAZINE / SPRING 2016

THE

Disguise

ISSUE

THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 1

CONT features 18 55 WO(MEN) UNDERCOVER

Ladies who rocked the world as men.

THE WITCHING SEASON Magic, matriarchy, and media.

21 61 COPING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS

Dealing with "invisible" illness in college.

HAUTE MERDE CUISINE A transformation of the basics.

26 72 HIDDEN

"Where's Waldo": wildlife edition.

PLENTY OF FISH IN THE SEA Casting a line through the screen.

36 77 RACISM DISGUISED AS "SCIENCE" Why you need to stop saying "Caucasian."

RAGE AGAINST THE WAGE A investigation of the pay gap.

40 82 HELLO FROM MY OTHER SIDE

The alter egos called a thousand times.

MEDIA SO WHITE

Raciism and whitewashing in Hollywood.

88 BETTY CROCKER ATE MY FAMILY Smuggling through the centuries.

TENTS constants 6 54 EDITORS' NOTES

A few opening remarks.

DINNER WITH... Team Rocket.

8 93 HOROSCOPES

The signs have spoken.

WRITTEN WORK CONTEST

Tegan Watson's "The harvest moon is no antidepressant”

12 96 MUSIC REVIEW

A survey of LGBT rappers.

DEAR MINERVA

Advice from Wells’s resident goddess.

46 100 SEX COLUMN

Let's [not] talk about sex.

VISUAL ARTS CONTEST Alaina Kelahan's "Gold #6"

THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 3

THE SYCAMORE is Wells Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s student magazine. This is our sixtenth biannual issue. In keeping with our mission, we print on sustainably harvested paper and use nontoxic ink.

FSC BOX

staff MISSY BREWER RAEA BENJAMIN MICHELLE LEE EMILY MARSHMAN GABRIELLE UHRIG MINERVA TAYLOR BABB MELANIE CANALES

Editor in Chief Assistant to Editor in Chief Staff Writer Chief Copy Editor Staff Writer Assistant to Chief Copy Editor Staff Writer Chief Design Editor Advice Columnist

CLARE HARWOOD ATIYA JORDAN CARSON JORDAN KAILIN KUCEWICZ STEPHANIE TODD WINDY WELLS KATIE MOURADIAN CARLEY LEGG MYA PADILLA

Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Designer Staff Designer Copy Editor Staff Writer Staff Designer Staff Writer Copy Editor Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer

INDY HARRINGTON

Guest Photographer

CATHERINE BURROUGHS

Advisor

contact E–MAIL WEB ADDRESS

WellsSycamore@gmail.com Issuu.com/WellsSycamore Wells College 170 Main Street Aurora, NY 13026

FRONT COVER DESIGN BY GABRIELLE UHRIG/ FRONT COVER MODELING BY COURTNEY DANISE THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 5

Editor’s NOTE

ndings are hard, and sometimes sad, but I think of my time with The Sycamore as ending very, very happily. I am coming out of Wells College with not only a degree under my belt, but also eight issues of a magazine of which I am truly proud to have been a part. As Editor in Chief of the last two of those eight, I can show even more unrelenting pride and be the embarrassing mom I’ve always wanted to be, shoving them in the face of everyone I meet, saying “Look! Isn’t it beautiful?” This issue challenged all of us. “Disguise” challenged the writers to look at what has been hidden, the photographers to capture what wasn’t really there, the copy editors to parse out the real meaning in each article, and the designers to resist just using invisible ink and calling it a day. But the undeniable talent in our staff shone through. This issue includes Stephanie Todd’s (’16) insightful investigation into the online phenomenon of catfishing, Carley Legg’s (’18) lighthearted interviews with alter egos, Mya Padilla’s (’19) thoughtful exploration of women who presented themselves as men, and everything in between. It was very exciting to be able to offer a guest photographer spot to Indy Harrington (’16) in the “Disguise” issue. Her beautiful photospread is a mind–boggling search for animals hidden within nature, revealing the undeniable power of the natural world to protect itself. Staff photographer (and writer) Melanie Canales’s ('16) brilliant transformation of average pieces of food into couture meals took a form all its own and will hopefully inspire others to think outside of the box.

On every page you can see the hard work and creativity of all those who spent long hours in the office sitting in front of the Mac: Kailin Kucewicz (’16), Clare Harwood (’16), Raea Benjamin (’17), and Gabrielle Uhrig (’16). These ladies stunned me, as they always do, with how they made our precious magazine that much more incredible. Thank you to the entire Editorial Board—Chief Design Editor Gabrielle Uhrig, Assistant Editor in Chief Raea Benjamin, Chief Copy Editor Michelle Lee (’16), and Assistant Chief Copy Editor Emily Marshman (’18)—for your unsinkable commitment to The Sycamore and for tolerating my many frantic messages in our Facebook chat. I’m so honored to have run this crazy ship with Gabby and Michelle. We really did it. And I feel so confident in giving the wheel to Raea and Emily. Raea, you will lead The Sycamore with the positivity, warmth, and brightness that constantly radiate from your soul. I am so excited to see the amazing places it will go with you leading it along. Just remember to always show InDesign who's boss. I said hello and welcome in just the last issue of The Sycamore, and it feels a little unfair that I now have to say goodbye, with so little time in between. But I would not have traded my time as The Sycamore’s Editor in Chief for anything in the world, not even more sleep or less stress–eating. So it is with a happy and full heart that I take my leave, and present to you the “Disguise” issue of The Sycamore.

Copy Editor's NOTE

his is my last issue of The Sycamore, and I am so grateful for my time here. When I applied as a first year, I had no idea that it would start a four– year love affair. I’m forever indebted to the all The Sycamore members I’ve had to opportunity to work with, particularly past Chief Copy Editor Rebekkah Frisch (née McKalsen). Thank you for trusting me. I would argue every issue of this publication is an extraordinary one and the “Disguise” issue is no different. Our writers took the theme and looked for truth. New staff writer Katie Mouradian (’17) uncovers the history of the word “Caucasian” in her piece, while Raea Benjamin (’17) analyzes the effect whitewashing in media has on our perception of race. Resident Sex Columnist Carson Jordan (’16) candidly writes about keeping her sexual experiences from her mother and the responsibility people have to their future children. Congratulations to our contest winners, Tegan Watson (’16) and Alaina Kelahan (’16). This is the second semester Tegan has won our Written Work contest, this time for her poem “the harvest moon is no antidepressant.” Taking off one layer of her work simply uncovers another, perhaps more complex, layer. Alaina’s photograph, titled “Gold #6,” is visually striking and playful, asking what’s hidden under all the shimmering gold. I want to thank the entire staff for being incredible to work with, but special thanks to the other two members of the Editorial Board, Chief Design Editor Gabrielle

Uhrig (’16) and Editor in Chief Missy Brewer (’16). I couldn’t imagine this experience without them, and I would be nowhere without them. Thank you to my copy editors, Atiya Jordan (’16), Windy Wells (’16), Raea Benjamin (’17), and Emily Marshman (’18). Thank you for all your work. And for not judging the times when I sent two emails in a row, minutes within each other. A special shout out to Assistant Chief Copy Editor Emily Marshman who will take over as Chief Copy Editor. I could not have left it to a more worthy or hardworking person. I can’t wait to see what you do. It’s been a privilege to work with The Sycamore staff and to be in the company of so many talented people. Thank you for trusting me with your work and for letting me be a part of your process. Enjoy.

THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 7

Horoscopes

as predicted By Carson Jordan

Taurus

(April 20-May 20)

he obstacles in your life, whether you created them T for yourself or they have been presenting themselves to you, are causing you to use your problem–solv-

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ing skills this month. If that’s true for you, Taurus, your admirers are finding you extra sexy while you solve! If, on the other hand, the struggle that you have created is a friendly competition, shake the other person’s hand and stop before it gets too serious. Your self–worth is far more important than petty competition. Take care of you, Taurus, and remember that your hard work is paying off with admiration from others who find you captivating.

Gemini



(May 21-June 20)

hese days you are living up to your sun sign very T well, Gemini. You are wearing many hats, showing many faces, and expressing your well–rounded nature. You are not capable of everything, Gemini. Take time for self–care this month! Once things settle down and you take that self–care, take up a new hobby! This is great month for you to try something new!

Cancer

( June 21-July 22)

ou have been waiting for good news, but it will Y not come to you in the way that you are expecting! Brace yourself, Cancer, for amazing news in the form of surprises, puppy dog sightings, and reunions with old friends! Although it’s rearing towards the end of the semester, the stars are saying focus less and party more!



 Leo

( July 23-August 22)

his is a month to get back in touch with your goals, T Leo. Take time to go on special road trips, private adventures, and simple sight–seeing this month. Your homework this month is to solidify what steps you are making next, hold on to all goals, aspirations, and dreams that have repeated themselves recently, and to radiate a fresh, new energy.

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Virgo

(August 23-September 22)

ou may have been driving yourself a little craY zy this past few weeks, Virgo. Take time to tame your inner wild thing, and fine-comb the details of yourself. Meditate. This time that you take for yourself will help everyone around you, and eventually you will be the positive charm that inspires something great!



 Libra

(September 23-October 22)

down the evil, Libra. Separate yourself from anySleasthut one who you do not consider a positive influence at for this month. A conversation you’ve recently had

will probably be the inspirational force for you. Don’t dive head first into your new state of being, though. Take time to dip your toes.

Scorpio

(October 23-November 21)

et rid of stale air, stale conversation, stale friendG ship, or excess clutter in your life. Consider cleaning out your closet or backpack. Recently you may have had a vision, dream, or strange trip that lead you to believe something. Disregard, Scorpio. Your subconscious is only playing with your high–strung mannerisms to punk you. Keep your mind clear, despite the mess.



Sagittarius

(November 22-December 21)

up on sweets this month, Sag. In an effort to Schasetock help you understand what I mean, I advise you purany of the last Valentine’s Day candy, decorations, or mementos to display around you for the next month. You are in a time of love. Take that statement as you will. Your admirers will be jealous, your haters will be jealous, and you will have a great glow this month.

Capricorn

(December 22-January 19)

low your roll, Capricorn. Take time away from all of Simportant the extra responsibilities in your life and focus on the ones. You deserve recognition and validation, but you might not get it. Do not let that make you feel sorry for yourself. Give yourself validation and credit.

   Aquarius

( January 20-February 18)

lthough you can put good vibes out there to change A the outcome of how you feel about things, you cannot change other people or their reactions. Remember this as you go through this month. Repeat to yourself: I cannot control anything but myself.



Pisces

(February 19-March 20)

here is no simpler way to say it: Be about your T money this month. Don’t waste time with anything except bettering yourself and working towards your future. Maybe this is the month you put your coin jar into action and take it to Coinstar, or maybe just put a few extra bucks in savings. Do it for you, though! •

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t’s a well–advertised and unfortunate reality of mainstream hip-hop and rap that homophobia and hyper-masculine expressions of sexuality dominate a portion of the genre with bass bumping braggadocio. But it is worth noting that this narrow depiction of the genre is countered on multiple levels. Of particular interest here are the lgbt rap artists who, because of their sexuality, were given two options to function within a genre that can bear them such active hatred: death or disguise. This list merely scratches the surface of their refusal, and serves to highlight the places they’ve crafted for themselves within a genre diverse enough to offer them both condemnation and sanctuary. Aside from having one of my favorite names, Cakes da Killa rockets to the top of the lgbt rap scene for his lyricism and musicality that are nothing short of, forgive me, killa. For a sample, look no further than his EP, The Eulogy. The music video for “Goodie Goodies” is the only way to listen to this song. And really, any of the rappers on this list can’t be fully appreciated without a day spent watching their music videos and eating Cheetos (give or take the Cheetos). Cakes opens his sexually fantastical and aggressive rapid-fire rap wearing a flower crown. That’s right, talking, “Eat

Flower Crowns and Fanny Drops: A Review of lGBT Rappers

By Melanie Canales

my sh*t like a feast and don’t forget the trimmings” (da Killa), with a perky smile, pop art earrings, and a freaking flower crown. He only gets better, and by better, I mean ferocious. He embodies an oddly parallel trend within the lgbt hip-hop/rap community of sexual aggression and self- aggrandizement, much the same way heterosexual rappers are wont to do. Cakes is brash and unapologetic in “Goodie Goodies,” and, more broadly speaking, his discography. He totes his sexuality as an emblem, taking the expectations cast upon him as an lgbt rapper and making a whimsical mockery of them, all the while with lyrical ferocity and beats that’ll bump your head for days. This list would be dead at the doorway without Angel Haze, agender rapper extraordinaire. Their most recent album release, Reservation, maintains their penchant for brazen honesty framed with eclectic loops and a steady pulse. The place to start, though, is their fire-eyed album Dirty Gold. Their track “Black Dahlia” on this album is just one of many incredible exercises in vulnerability, but it stands out as a fitting home for their measured flow style. Angel Haze is notorious not for a whiplash tongue, but their articulated lyrical expression. And Black Dahlia, a song that functions as a love

letter to their mother when she was their age, allows for the weight of what they articulate to shine through and empower her audience. Angel Haze’s music seeks to empower through painstaking honesty, an endeavor that trounces the homophobic and hateful ravings of charts chasers. Instead, they fall into alignment with the far vaster world of hip-hop artists and rappers who actively encourage the same things they do. Love, honesty, and courage as a face, with no room for compromise. If you haven’t seen jbdubs’ music video “I Hate My Job,” you’re going to want to start there. “Single Ladies” era Beyoncé would have been proud to have inspired these leggy men in stilettos. Though not lyrically or musically exceptional, “I Hate My Job” introduces a trend that jbdubs employs in his more notable works (like “The Fanny Bounce”) wherein he turns the tables and mocks the hyper-masculinity of homophobic rappers. “The Fanny Bounce” is a great example of this. He pays homage to his ballerina roots by showcasing the male body in movement, an appreciation that diverges from the lavish and unabashed objectification of the female body in mainstream rap. From here, he dons the furlined bomber coat and tight pants of Macklemore and Kanye, but struts out of his dance studio and around THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 13

a warehouse with twelve inch platform heels and lipstick. But it’s when he transitions into overt mockery by donning an enormous Marc Jacobs jersey, chain, and hot pink lipstick that it becomes clear jbdubs is taking no prisoners. Everything about jbdubs is a pop art whirl of synths and refrains, an homage to house music and rap disguising itself with the characteristics of pop. jbdubs performs an important service by crafting music in this style; he provides an alternative to the music playing in clubs that so often falls into a pattern of heteronormative at best and homophobic at worst. By writing music that mimics the style of chart-toppers while also lauding expressions of diverse sexuality, jbdubs makes room for himself and whom he represents. He makes a safe option to lose oneself to, to dance and jam to, a privilege of those unattacked by their music preferences. He’s fun, and actively has fun, and he lets other have fun with him. Le1f ’s song titles kind of sound like an eccentric perfume line, with songs like “Hush bb,” “Wut,” and “Koi.” Le1f (pronounced ‘lif ’) himself is no less eccentric. Very likely the most diverse of the group, Le1f ’s music varies from dark and melodically dissonant to straight up Exploding Plastic Inevitable meets club culture. “Hush bb,” for instance, plays like if you spun Drake at a third of his usual speed and had David Lynch direct the music video. It is darkly sensuous, and ambisexual in a compelling reminder that sexuality, at its core, functions in many of the same ways regardless of orientation. Given that he runs the record label Camp & Street, subsidiary of Greedhead Music, Le1f is no stranger to versatility. He twists into a different gear with “Wut,” taking a page from Cakes da Killa by spitting a show of lyrical dominance. However, rather than lean on the hyper-masculinity many of his counterparts rely on, Le1f focuses on the androgynous, celebrating cross dress culture and gender fluidity. Heels are powerful. Lipstick is a given. Men and women who dance in the music video exist to create movement, to accentuate a sexuality more aware that the body is a vessel of a soul, rather than the body as an object for consumption. With music that matches the intensity and sass of the lyrics, “Wut” functions within the scope of lgbt rap as battle cry and strut anthem. This brings us to “Koi,” the third variation of Le1f ’s diverse

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array of musical talents. While the music video finds its home with surrealists, the music itself seems directed specifically to the gay club scene. A scene which, it’s worth noting, is a safe space for the lgbt community, where rather than conceal such a prevalent part of one’s life, encourages fully embracing sexuality. Le1f provides the soundtrack for abandoning the stigma of overtly expressing sexuality by tapping into the electronic sounds that mainstream rappers are embracing more and more (looking at you, Rihanna). lgbt hip-hop and rap find their place not as an opposition to mainstream or homophobic rap, but rather as a counterpoint, performing as both a satire and an extension of rap’s roots. The crux of each rapper listed here lies with a refusal to apologize or hide in lieu of a realm that has a reputation for rejecting them. Instead, they focus on carving out a place for themselves and the people they represent by using some of the same formulas as their predecessors and subverting others. As Le1f puts it, “Don’t ask me how I been cuz the/answer is relentless/Innocent until proven filthy/I’m wildin’ out here. I hope the cops don’t kill me/They wanna see me blend in like/Realtree/But I can’tz do thatz. I gots to do me.” • Works Cited Black Dahlia. Black Dahlia; Angel Haze. Web. Boom. Boom; Le1f. Web. Goodie Goodies. Goodie Goodies; Cakes Da Killa. Web. Hush bb. Hush bb; Le1f. Web. The Fanny Bounce. The Fanny Bounce; jbdubs. Web.

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Wo(men) Undercove

was the sport that she wanted to be a part of for the rest of her life. After years of training, Kanokogi moved to Tokyo, where Judo had originated. She was the first woman allowed to join the Kodokan men’s group, an elite Judo training group, after beating all of the women in her own group. Kanokogi spent her life training and adopted Judo as not only a martial art but as a lifestyle. She knew that many female practitioners felt the same way that she did about the art form, but they were not allowed to compete in certain tournaments, or take their training to the greatest test of athletics due to the absence of a women’s division in the Olympic Games. Kanokogi disguised herself as a man to compete in the 1959 ymca Judo Championship in Utica, New York, even though women weren’t explicitly barred from the competition. She served as an alternate on her team filled in for an injured teammate, and subsequently won the medal. One of the tournament organizers asked if she was a woman, and she nodded a response. The Committee stripped her of her medal. From then on, she vowed to make a women’s Judo division for the Olympics. A women’s division was added to the Olympics in 1992, after Kanokogi spent years convincing Judo organiza-

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any women in history have made leaps and bounds with their accomplishments but did so using a man’s name. Even after years of years of legendary women paving the way for women to have their work viewed as equal to that of their male counterparts, women today still use male pseudonyms as a business tactic to find success in their fields. What is particularly horrifying is that women constantly hear their male–counterparts proclaim, “your fight is over,” and have accepted that women have made all the “needed” changes. When, in actuality, women still face a myriad of disadvantages, particularly in male–dominated fields. Women have to overcome many battles before they can even begin to compete. Women must make their way into a particular field, distinguish themselves from their male–counterparts, and gain the respect from those in their field. Through her outstanding work, she must surpass the average success of her male–counterparts to be recognized. These steps reflect the lives of three women in particular: Rusty Kanokogi, J.K Rowling, and Norah Vincent. According to Joshua Robinson a writer for The New York Times explained in his article, “Rusty Kanokogi, Fiery Advocate for Women’s Judo, Dies at 74,” the beginning of Rusty’s career as one of the most influential Judo practitioners in modern–day history. Rusty Kanokogi was a Jewish–American woman from Brooklyn, New York. Kanokogi was a troubled girl, and found herself frustrated with the rough–to–touch living environment in her Coney Island neighborhood. She found herself wandering around Luna Park looking for trouble. In 1955, a friend of Kanokogi’s began to teach her Judo, a martial art formed in Japan. She was drawn to the sport because it helped her to have self–control. Judo served as an outlet, and Kanokogi knew that this

By Mya Padilla

tions to hold female–only tournaments and even took out a second mortgage on her home in order to afford the price for a tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City (Robinson). Kanokogi, like many women, fought their way into male–dominated fields, a fight especially hard in athletics, and paved the way for other female athletes to practice their sportsmanship. Women have the skills to compete in their fields, but are often overlooked, or in Kanokogi’s case, stripped, of their achievements because of their gender. After Kanokogi passed away, New York Times writer Joshua Robinson wrote an attribution to her life’s work. Robinson explained that after years of legitimizing the sport for women, “[she] received a gold medal in August 2009, 50 years after it was taken away because officials discovered she had disguised herself as a man to compete at the y.m.c.a. championships.” After 50 years Kanokogi was finally recognized for her outstanding performance, and in that time she created a space for women to compete, without the fear of being undermined. Women also face this harsh reality in other professions, such as writing and publishing novels. Many consumers unknowingly choose a male author’s work over a female author. Hannah Ellis–Petersen, a reporter for The Guardian, revealed in 2015 that even though “womTHE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 17

en buy two–thirds of books sold [. . .] magazine reviews are centered on male authors and critics—though the picture is beginning to change.” J.K Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, found herself being pressured by her publishers to alter her name in order to hide her true gender in an attempt to better reach male readers. Rowling knew that the only way she would make it in the business was to mask her gender identity in order to become a recognized author, and only then could she reveal her true identity. In an exploratory article written by Emma Cueto, “What J.K. Rowling Using a Male Pseudonym Says About Sexism in Publishing,” she found that at first, Rowling’s publisher had demanded that she use the initials “J.K.” in order to appeal to their target audience, which was young males. These types of demands undermine the capabilities of women, and openly state that a woman’s work can only be recognized if the audience is tricked into thinking it is the work of a man. Sadly, Joanne Rowling’s publisher had reasonable doubt of Rowling’s ability to sell her novels, believing that a female-sounding name actually jeopardizes the worth of a brand. Being a woman somehow devalues a marketable good. And the worst part? The publishers were right; if she hadn’t

created an ambiguous name for herself she could have easily lost her shot at success. Can you imagine losing one of the most influential franchises that has since changed millions of lives, because the spine of a hardcover copy of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone read Joanne Rowling? Everyday women have to face similar choices; they have to choose to act like men, in order to succeed as a woman, which is the most backwards and outdated logic forced upon women in the work force. Robert Galbraith is best known for The Cuckoo’s Calling, which won the 2013 LA Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller novels. David Shelley, the editor of the books, received an interesting call from our very own J.K. Rowling, where she revealed that she was the one who wrote the novels under the pseudonym. Shelley admitted that he, “never would have thought a woman wrote that.” Rowling also said on Robert Galbraith’s website that she wanted “totally unvarnished feedback,” which is understandable since her name is associated with her previous works. Although, it seems that Rowling made another calculated move because mystery and thriller novels are very strongly dominated by male writers; she understood

that in order to be given “totally unvarnished feedback” she would have to mask her gender, because a woman’s name creates preconceived notions of the novel’s excellence (or therefore lack of ). Even proven writers like Rowling understand that a man’s name is valued, but a woman’s name is a publishing burden. Women often believe that after years of battling sexism that we are seen as equals. We are calmed by the voices of our male counterparts as they say, “I don’t care if you’re a woman,” and we believe them. But women still face the sting of preconceived ideas about our gender, and more importantly our capability to do good work. Norah Vincent decided to put this “equality” to the test. She lived in New York City as a man called Ned Vincent for 18 months as a way to learn about human behavior and to prove that men and women are, in fact, treated differently and that men have a certain set of privilege. Vincent underwent acting classes and vocal coaching in order to blend in naturally with her male counterparts. Vincent explained that she, “wanted to enter males’ spheres of interest and ... see how men are with each other. [She] wanted to make friends with men. [She] wanted to know how male friendships work from the inside out.”

Norah Vincent eventually was able to infiltrate an allmale monastery in order to study their interactions. abc News covered her journey, where she explained that: “The monks,” Vincent said, “were pious, smart men. But they were still men.” She said she wit nessed a “desperate need for male intimacy and the lack of ability to give it” at the retreat. It was “really painful,” she added. Not only were the monks struggling to be open and intimate, Vin cent said they were hostile to her feminine side. She said she was ostracized because of the monks’ assumptions about her sexual orienta– tion. Vincent found that men were closed off and unable to be intimate with each other. Her attempts at openness and using general stereotypical feminine qualities with the other men were used as ways to “ostracize,” and criticize her manhood. This speaks to the trials that women have to face, since men view feminine qualities as weaknesses in both men and women. Our lives as women have been dominated by men, and judged on their scales of success. When women are held to man’s attributional standards, women are unable to achieve that measure of success, which forces women

THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 19

C C C C C C C C C C to adopt pseudonyms, or disguise themselves as men in order to gain forms of prosperity. I believe that in order to become more inclusive, men and women should not hold each other to societal standards that hold no real merit within the workforce. Working together will make us better, well–rounded people. Women can, and will,, succeed, but that doesn’t mean that men have to suddenly start failing in other areas of their lives. We can value each other’s attributes without erasing them. Women should not have their names erased from history. If we can start a dialogue about our internalized preconceptions about a particular gender’s ability to complete work, and if we don’t, we will raise generations of girls who will never feel like their contributions are good enough as they force themselves to adopt male attributes, names, and disguises. •

Works Cited “A Self–Made Man.” abc News. abc News Network. Web. 04 Mar. 2016. Cueto, Emma. “What J.K. Rowling Using a Male Pseudonym Says About Sexism in Publishing.” Bus tle. 18 Feb. 2014. Web. 04 Mar. 2016. Ellis–Petersen, Hannah. “Male Writers Continue to Dominate Literary Criticism, Vida Study Finds.” The Guardian. The Guardian, 6 Apr. 2015. Web. 27 Mar. 2016. Robinson, Joshua. “Rusty Kanokogi, Fiery Advocate for Women’s Judo, Dies at 74.“ The New York Times. 2009. Web. 04 Mar. 2016. Rowling, J.K. “About—Robert Galbraith.” Robert Gal braith. Web. 04 Mar. 2016.

Coping with Mental Illness in College

How suppressants such as medication and meditation are used to “disguise” suffering on a day–to–day basis. By Emily Marshman

tress levels are high for everyone attending college, but when you’re suffering from a mental illness, diagnosed or not, it becomes that much more difficult. Among people I have met in college, the most common mental illnesses are anxiety and depression. Most of the people I met who have anxiety, including myself, have experienced that anxiety is made worse by the fact that we are more apt to procrastinate ourselves into a panic attack. We take on too many responsibilities and then grow more and more anxious as deadlines draw nearer. Many other people are suffering from illnesses other than anxiety and depression, and while the symptoms of these disorders can be draining, the stereotypes surrounding people diagnosed with mental illnesses can be debilitating, too. In general, the ways in which people disguise their mental illness are different from the ways in which they cope with them. Coping could be seen as ways in which people try to make their situation better, whereas disguising your illness could only end up making your mental state worse. Not acknowledging your illness and not trying to obtain help would be disguising it, whether you do so consciously or not. Whether or not someone wants to hide their mental illness is up to them, and I know that speaking out and asking for help is a difficult thing to do, but having to live with concealing something so tiring is unhealthy.

Among the three people I interviewed for this article, there was a mix of diagnosed conditions, including general anxiety disorder, depression, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd). and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd). Everyone’s individual experiences were diverse, but all seemed to point towards the same conclusion: mental illnesses are debilitating, but they can be dealt with through the use of medication and therapy. Some ways of medicating help tremendously for some, such as medication for panic attacks, alpha agonists (which suppress epinephrine signaling in the heart and can act as anti-nightmare medicine for those who suffer from ptsd), Zoloft for depression, and melatonin to help insomniacs get the sleep their bodies need. However, these medications do not always help everyone in the same way. For some, more than just a medicinal fix is needed to deal with their illness. They need to talk their situation out with another human being, to be told that their existence is not futile, and that they can make it through despite mental illness. Some journal, some meditate, and some take up exercising. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting at least 40 million adult Americans with only one-third receiving treatment. College students are more likely to be diagTHE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 21

nosed with anxiety because of the worrying thoughts they experience that come with their workloads and the stressful environment. We are also the most likely to not recognize our problems and to ignore them or not seek treatment because we cannot acknowledge that we might be dealing with something more serious than everyday stress. Completely ignoring an issue that could one day cause more serious problems within a person would be considered suppression of a mental illness. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs’s official website, which has an entire section dedicated to educating the public about post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans, children, and adults, says that ptsd is a disorder that can occur after someone experiences an event so traumatic they have stress reactions thereafter. If these reactions do not go away and/or disrupt your life, it is possible that you have ptsd. One symptom of ptsd, which serves as a defense mechanism in direct response to the trauma experienced, is dissociation. ptsd is not very common amongst college students, but two of my interviewed peers have been previously diagnosed with the disorder.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, in comparison to ptsd, is a very common diagnosis. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, it is a “common mental disorder that begins in childhood and can continue into adolescence and adulthood,” and it makes it hard for those suffering to focus on anything, which can make it hard for them to succeed in school. If it continues unaddressed into adulthood, adhd makes it difficult for those in college to focus their energy on anything from homework to extracurricular activities to Netflix. Insomnia is another condition common amongst peers and college students in general. The National Sleep Foundation says that insomnia “can be caused by psychiatric and medical conditions, unhealthy sleep habits, specific substances, and/or certain biological factors." The disquieting thoughts that accompany psychiatric conditions such as anxiety or depression can cause long-term sleeplessness, prevalent amongst college students. 22

ways the case, it certainly adds difficulty to dealing with mental illness when it is. Deciphering between mental illnesses is difficult because many symptoms overlap. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America’s official website states, “Nearly one-half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder." All of my interviewed peers have been prescribed medication to help them cope with their individual mental illnesses and, in most cases, their bodies have either become too used to that medication, or they do not like the way that the medication makes them feel. Certain medicines cannot be taken with others, so it is difficult to pair them when you are treating more than one condition. Oftentimes, a certain medication is prescribed but does not help the person suffering, so they search for a new one that will. The process can be repeated multiple times, making the individual miserable until they do find a medication that works for them. Those suffering from insomnia sometimes have to take melatonin pills to fall asleep at night, and oftentimes, their doses have been upped so many times that even-

The most common age at which current Wells College students interviewed by myself said that they had been diagnosed with mental illness was the age of sixteen. However, many students, including myself, had for quite some time been putting off diagnosis. This is another way in which people have been known to suppress their mental illnesses—by denying them completely. This is not a healthy way in which to go about existing, especially when damaging thoughts constantly plague your brain. It seems like many people are embarrassed by their mental illnesses because these illnesses are frequently misunderstood and hard to talk about. The act of suppressing one’s mental illness contributes to the stigma surrounding them—that mental illness is not something that can be openly discussed without having to be done in the office of a healthcare professional. Many mental illnesses generally go hand-in-hand, e.g., those with ptsd are often diagnosed with insomnia and those who have been diagnosed with anxiety often suffer from depression as well. Although this is not alTHE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 23

tually their medication does not work at all. This can happen repeatedly, meaning that one person may never find a single medication that works for them in all their life. The stigma surrounding certain medications—like Adderall for those suffering from adhd—can deter people from using medication, or asking for help, for fear of being deemed drug dependent. Meditation is a very popular coping mechanism people have started using in place of medication or therapy. Another way most of the participants of my peer interviews have used is yoga. The feelings of relaxation and empty-mindedness seem to subside the symptoms of anxiety, especially the overthinking. Sometimes, when you are able to clear your mind of any thoughts, chiefly those caused by mental illness, it feels as if, for a moment, you are normal. When I say normal, it is not meant in a judgmental way—it is very hard to feel normal when you are suffering from something that a lot of people still do not completely understand. Living with a mental illness is one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. I struggled to understand what was going on inside my brain for years before I even knew that anxiety was something that could be diagnosed and treated. Currently, I am not using medication to cope except in extreme cases, such as when I have a panic attack. Instead, I use deep breathing techniques to calm myself down when I feel myself becoming too anxious. I went to therapy for half a semester before I realized it was not helping me in any way. My own personal experience, having had anxiety for years and having been finally diagnosed my freshman year of college, is that therapy makes me more anxious than anything. I felt that I could only do so much with the information given to me by the campus medical center, since there are only two on-campus therapists, and I had no way of getting off campus to find someone. Instead of helping me, the therapy sessions did a really great job at stressing me out. However, this is just based off of my own personal experience; it is very important that, if you want to have a good experience, you make 24

sure to find a therapist with whom you are comfortable. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, if anxiety is an “excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations,” it can be incapacitating and some sort of coping mechanism should be sought, whether that be medication, therapy, or meditation. It is also important that you find a mechanism that works specifically for you. Sometimes, it can take a long time to find exactly what works best. Mental illnesses are unique to every individual person, and the ways in which they can be disguised are unique as well. Sometimes, you can know a person for years and never know that they have been suffering behind closed doors. Not everyone has found that their mental illness brings their life to a standstill; some people have found peace with their illnesses through meditation, therapy, and sometimes medication. The stigmas surrounding mental illness are often reasons enough for people to hesitate to seek help from a medical professional and to disguise their illness even further, but we are reaching an age in which people are becoming more comfortable in their own skin. Those with mental illness are opening up to the idea of talking about their illnesses and of educating those who do not have them on what it is like to live with one. There is no longer any need to feel like mental illness is something that cannot be lived with and talked about freely. • Works Cited “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.” Nimh.nih. gov. usa.gov, 2016. Web. 31 Mar. 2016. “College Students.” adaa.org. adaa, 2016. Web. 16 Feb. 2016. Ptsd.va.gov. U.S Department of Veteran Affairs, 2016. Web. 31 Mar. 2016. “Tips To Manage Anxiety And Stress.” adaa.org. adaa, 2016. Web. 16 Feb. 2016. THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 25

Hidden By Indy Harrington

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Racism Disguised As “Science”: By Katie

ave you ever noticed that white people only use the word “Caucasian” when the conversation is about racism? It’s one of those things that people slip in uncomfortably and very intentionally, like when you’re trying to walk around a mess of Legos on the floor with bare feet. It’s like the three syllables of “Caucasian” separate you from the emotions and privilege of the one–syllabled “white.” It’s more official, more polite, and more scientific. It’s much easier to avoid uncomfortable conversations if you shout legal or medical jargon at someone until they stop accusing you of being a bad listener. It’s the term people use to avoid the privilege, responsibility, and history of being white and talking about race. “Caucasian” isn’t the better word; it’s rooted in pseudoscience that upholds white supremacy. It’s not at all politically correct. White people became “Caucasian” when medical doctor Johann Friedrich Blumenbach first popularized the word in the late 18th century. He was studying sizes and shapes of human skulls collected from across the world and divided the human race into five racial categories based on their physical characteristics. He decided that the skulls he found in the Caucasus country Georgia were the most beautiful and the most “modern,” so they must have been the ancestors of Germans (Dewan). This was when people from Europe became Caucasian. Although we don’t use other racially categorical terms created in this time (like Mongoloid or Negroid), Caucasian has held on and is still in the American vernacular. Blumenbach’s conclusions supported the social belief that people of different races had different abilities because of their biological race, and that Caucasians were the best. If you choose to use the word “Caucasian” over the word “white,” you’re assuming that Caucasian has more authority. This authority comes from a theory that is no longer accepted by biologists, anthropologists, or even the censuses. You assume that the differences in races are due to biological factors; this includes differences in societies and social inequalities within societies. This is wrong. Race isn’t based in biology. Scientists have been saying this for a long time. You can’t generalize things by race. There are more variations within races than between races. The social differences, like income inequalities, health differences, and status differences,

Stop Saying “Caucasian” Mouradian become normalized through a biological view of race. When the differences become natural and explained by biology, then we don’t question inequalities (Mukhopadhyay). Science is used to justify racism; it justifies the difference in treatment legally and socially. Using “Caucasian” is using the same pseudoscience that has been used to justify inequalities in education and healthcare or banning interracial marriages ( Jones). Using “Caucasian” is intentionally choosing pseudoscience over social justice. When Blumenbach decided to use “Caucasian” to mean “European,” he established a racial hierarchy that put Europeans and light skinned people from the Caucasus region at the top. His conclusion and decision to use “Caucasian” was based on theories that aren’t accepted anymore. It assumes that white people are more intelligent, more beautiful, and more culturally developed. Blumenbach decided to name Europeans and people with light skin tones “Caucasian” even though he didn’t know the skin color of the people whose skulls he was measuring. He named Europeans “Caucasian” because the skulls he studied, found in the Georgian Caucus mountains, were “well-formed” and “beautiful” and “had” to be where human life originated (Mukhopadhyay). He assumed Europeans originated from the Caucasus because it never crossed his mind that white people could be anything but the most developed. When people use the term “Caucasian,” it doesn’t express and communicate people from the Caucasus region. It doesn’t suggest cultural differences. It only implies that there’s something scientifically different between white people and non–white people other than privilege and skin color. So, where even is the Caucasus region? It’s the mountain range between Europe and Asia. It touches Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and includes people from North Africa, West Asia, and India. This is an incredibly diverse range of people, cultures, and skin tones. So why does Caucasian mean white in the United States? It’s for legal reasons, court cases, and history rather than biology. The U.S. legal system used Blumenbach’s definitions to interpret the 1790 Naturalization Act. The Act restricted the privilege to become a naturalized citizen to whites (Thompson). However, most white people in the U.S. aren’t from the Caucasus region. Blumenbach’s THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 37

definition included all the diverse groups mentioned above and thus created tension in the U.S. court system. The use of Blumenbach’s terminology by scientists and the courts gave the word legitimacy and weight that other contemporary racial terms lack (Mukhopadhyay). In order to protect white supremacy in the US and restrict whiteness to contemporary definitions, there were many court cases that defined exactly what Caucasian and white meant. There have been several legal precedents and social examples of redefining Caucasian to mean white. In Plessy v Ferguson (1896), the Supreme Court established white privilege. Plessy, a mixed man with light-colored skin, sued a train company because the conductor made him sit in the colored section of the train. He not only sued under the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution, he also sued because the train conductor took away his right to be perceived as white. The Court then established “separate but equal” that stated racial segregation was legal. The Justices decided that the ability to be white was a form of property. Although it was legal to exclude people who aren’t white, when a white man was denied the right to be white and assigned to the colored coach, then he was being deprived of his property. The case upheld that whiteness came with social privilege, but it didn’t give any definition of who is white ( Jones). The Court decision is a prime example of how American society is based on white supremacy. The Justices were able to decide that being white entitled someone to social privileges while simultaneously saying that being nonwhite is not a social disadvantage. They also specifically avoided defining what white was, exactly. So, people sued and went to court to demand that they get property rights as white people. In 1923, Bhagat Singh Thind applied for citizenship under the 1790 Naturalization Act on the basis of being from the Caucasus region However, his application was denied and he appealed all the way up to the Supreme Court. This is when the Supreme Court finally defined whiteness. They rejected the argument that Thind deserved citizenship because he was Caucasian. They dismissed the historical and anthropological definitions that included South Asians as Caucasian because Thind didn’t look white enough (Thompson). The Supreme Court chose to redefine the word Caucasian and change the “scientific” terminology rather than allow someone who isn’t part of a privileged class have the power to become a citizen. After this case, Caucasian began to exclusively mean white in legal and demographic contexts. Race in the U.S. clearly isn’t based on biology; if it were, then the Court would have ruled in favor of the Blumenbach definition rather than just going by skin tone. To the Court, physical whiteness overruled the geographical and ancestral grounds of being labeled “Caucasian,” but skin tone alone wasn’t enough. To be white, you had to be invited into the privileged class. Although they met various definitions of “Caucasian,” Plessey and Thind didn’t get white privilege because the Court decided they’d rather change the definition 38

“Caucasian” in America was created to protect privilege for a certain group of people and then defined and redefined to include or exclude people based on status.

We need to stop hiding behind the “polite” and “scientific” term Caucasian and use a word that more accurately describes the different social groups in America.

than let them into a privileged group. Caucasian doesn’t mean anything. White is what matters. It’s about who gets privilege and who doesn’t and only the privileged group gets to define the terms of inclusion. “Caucasian” in America was created to protect privilege for a certain group of people and then defined and redefined to include or exclude people based on status. The term is actually something only used in America. It has been used in 64 Supreme Court Cases and separates people as much as possible from the ambiguous term “white” (Dewan). It justifies whiteness, hiding the history and cultural context behind who gets to be American and who has to sit in the back. If Caucasian is the more polite term, then who is it more polite for? “Caucasian” only benefits white people. The American definition of “Caucasian” is so far removed from anything that means “from the Caucasus” that its use needs to be reevaluated. We need to stop saying “Caucasian.”It’s outdated, it doesn’t mean anything, and white people don’t need a more polite word. Use the word “white” instead. Using “Caucasian” instead of “white” avoids taking responsibility for the benefits white people receive in a white supremacist system. Insisting on using “Caucasian” ignores the fact that skin tone has a bigger impact on social standing than ancestral roots. White privilege is being able to avoid conversations about race. White privilege is being able to define what white is. White privilege is being able to insist on using pseudo–scientific terms that are inaccurate and don’t mean anything. White privilege is saying that white people should be called “Caucasian” because “white” makes them uncomfortable. We need to stop hiding behind the “polite” and “scientific” term Caucasian and use a word that more accurately describes the different social groups in America. We need to really consider where our language comes from and what words really mean. We need to look up things and question things and try to understand things without forgetting that everything takes place in a social and political context. White people need to call themselves white people and acknowledge that we live in a white supremacist society, not a Caucasian American preferred society. • Works Cited Dewan, Shaila. “Has ‘Caucasian’ Lost Its Meaning?” The New York Times. The New York Times, 06 July 2013 Web. 05 Mar. 2016. Jones, Brian. “The Social Construction of Race.” Jaco bin Magazine. Jacobin Magazine, 25 June 2015. Web. 5 March 2016. Mukhopadhyay, Carol. “Getting Rid of the Word ‘Cau casian’.” Everyday Antiracism: Getting Real About Race in School. Pollock, Mica. New York: The New Press, 2008. 12-16. Print. Thompson, Derek. “Do White People Really Come From the Caucasus?” Slate. The Slate Group, 19 Aug 2008. Web. 05 Mar. 2016. THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 39

Hello from My By Carley Legg

“A

lter ego,” as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary is “a person’s secondary or alternative personality.” From its Latin origins, the phrase translates to “other self ” (Oxford English Dictionary). There are countless reasons why a person might create an alter ego and many mediums to express an alter ego through. Creating an avatar in a video game, a character in a story or an alternate personality in one’s mind can help us deal with situations that push us out of our comfort zones, or provide a temporary retreat from reality. An ego state exists within all of us, this is our “self,” the part of our personality that manages the id, our basic urges and desires, and the superego, our moral and idealistic standards (Cherry). In his book New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis, famous psychologist Sigmund Freud wrote, “The poor ego has a still harder time of it; it has to serve three harsh masters, and it has to do its best to reconcile the claims and demands of all three... The three tyrants are the external world, the superego, and the id.”

When acting as part of the external world, the ego is at the forefront, processing interactions and feelings. An ego can be thought of as fluid, adapting our behaviors to our environments and circumstances based on internalized views of self and others. Many psychologists and psychoanalysts believe that when external pressures stress the ego, an alter ego is developed to take off some of the weight. In some extreme cases, like Dissociative Identity Disorder (did) known as Multiple Personality Disorder until 1994, the alter ego(s) are dissociated ego states and developed as a defense against trauma. The name of this condition was changed to reflect the then new information that did is a fragmentation, or splintering, of identity rather than a growth of separate identities. A person may wall off parts of themselves and live in separate parts of their own minds that they are not even aware of. This personality state typically emerges when the person is under extreme stress or perceived danger that the alter ego feels the host personality is too weak to handle (Gillig).

Other Side

Some people may be familiar with this condition from the movie Sybil, in which a passive, unassuming substitute teacher suffers a small breakdown in front of her class that leads her colleagues to encourage her to see a psychiatrist. As the movie goes on, the viewer finds out that, after years of physical and emotional abuse, the main character’s ego has split into fragments which help her to escape from situations that bring up memories of her abuse (IMdB). Cases like the one depicted in Sybil are uncommon and their diagnosis is controversial. Some believe that the symptoms of Dissociative Identity Disorder arise due to the suggestions of a patient’s therapist. However, there have been brain imaging studies showing identity transitions in some patients diagnosed with did (Psychology Today). As underreported and controversial as Dissociative Identity Disorder is, the case of the common alter ego is even less explored, though many people will admit to having an alter ego. Similar to a dissociative identity, yet not as extreme, an alter ego is a personality fragment that the host personality is aware of

and can control to their benefit. In stressful situations, the alter ego can be invoked as a coping mechanism, such as picturing yourself as the hero from your favorite book before dealing with a particularly daunting task and dealing with it the way they would. Making an attempt to understand the purpose and the make–up of alter egos, I asked Wells students to respond to interview questions as their alter egos. I asked them their purpose, their likes, the way they see themselves, and got some interesting answers.

[Interviews edited for length]

THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 41

Max’s host is a 20–year–old cisgender female with blonde hair and blue eyes.

a conscious decision or anything to make me male on some occasions, I think, just, when you watch TV or movies or whatever, the heroes are usually portrayed as Carley: So your name is Max. Just Max? men. So I think I just look like a man sometimes because subconsciously, that idea, that appearance is there. Max: Yeah, no point in a last name. [Laughs] Not like I If that makes sense? have a driver’s license or something. Sometimes I make one up for formality’s sake, like Campbell or Roark. C: Yeah, I get it. That’s really interesting. C: Like Howard Roark? From The Fountainhead?

M: But then, on the other hand, I’m still pretty badass as my female persona, so I don’t know. It could just be M: Yeah, I guess. But he’s got nothing to do with me. I entirely arbitrary. just borrow his last name occasionally. C: So, Max, I have one more question for you. C: So tell me about you. Are you different from the person the rest of the world sees? Do you look different? M: Go for it. M: Yeah, sometimes very different. Considering sometimes she sees me as man and sometimes as woman. As a woman I look more like her [blond with blue eyes], but as a man I have dark hair and my eyes are sometimes blue, sometimes brown. C: That’s interesting! So are you multiple alter egos? M: No. I guess it’s like… I’m like the same person, just with two different bodies. C: Why do you think that is? Does it play into sexuality or gender roles? Or maybe she just likes the way both of your bodies look? M: I mean, sexuality wise, like, she’s straight and I’m a straight woman and a gay man, so basically we all like the same thing. [Laughs] And I think it’s like the gender roles, you know? Like, I’m a more aggressive persona, and with our society’s gender roles, that’s supposedly a more masculine characteristic. I don’t think it was

C: What do you think your purpose is, as an alter ego? M: You know, I think because she’s shy and passive, I’m just the more assertive, I–don’t–give–a–shit side. I’m there to stick up for us when she won’t and I do the things she’s afraid to do.

C: Which era Britney Spears? K: Umm, shave your head, Britney Spears. C: Naturally. Kristaal’s host’s sex is male and they identify as gender fluid. K: Yeah… So a lot of its racy necklines to show off my They are 19 with long, dark hair and brown eyes and a more cleavage…and, some people call them stripper shoes, I toned down sense of style than Kristaal. call them“shoes of tomorrow” ‘cause every strong woman wears them. Like, who wears Louis Vuitton’s any?: So which do you want to talk to? I have, like, four. more? It’s all about the stripper shoes, you know, with clear bottoms because I hold no secretssss. Carley: Whoever wants to talk. C: That’s good. You’re very honest. ?: Hold on. [Pause] Ok, I’m here. K: Yeeah, and it’s like, democracy is basically the comC: So who am I talking to here? munism of tomorrow… Kristaal: It’s Kristaal, that’s K–r–i–s–t–a–a–l. C: Ok, cool. So, Kristaal, tell me about your signature look. I’m told it’s very… unique.

C: [Laughs] Ok, so I think this is going to be my last question: What do you think your purpose is in life Kristaal?

K: Well, I really enjoy shopping Michael Kors. But, you K: Well, it’s basically Pam Anderson… and Anna Ni- know, I think the real purpose of life is to make it to the cole Smith… and Britney Spears. end and win, just like any board game. THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 43

Probably then…Yeah, that’s the first time I remember me. C: Why do you think you became an alter ego at that Devon’s host is a 20–year–old man, who identifies as male. time? He has short dark hair and brown eyes. He expresses his alter ego as a more aggressive extension of his host personality. D: Hmm… Other me is really shy. Other me is really scared to be out there. I’m not. That’s why other me Carley: So, you’re an alter ego and your name is Devon, puts me on; so he can meet people. Otherwise, he’s just yeah? a nervous wreck. Devon: Yo! C: [laughs] Cool! Good to meet you, Devon. So tell me about you, how do you picture yourself ? D: Like, I see myself as a really confident person. No one can take me down, like what you tryin’ to do? You know, I put myself out there, I talk to people. Very interesting. I love it.

C: Yeah, I feel that. So what goals do you have in life? Are they different from your host personality’s goals, or are you just trying to help them reach theirs? D: The only goal I have that’s different from other me is to get people to like me, ‘cause, you know, I’m a likable person, that’s what I am as a being. Otherwise, I just want to help other me reach their goals, I want to get them in the public eye and be famous.

C: So you’re just out there, doing your thing. You don’t C: So while you’re doing this, is ‘other you’ aware you’re care what anyone thinks? there or do you two kind of just mesh together? D: Hell no! Fuck ‘em. C: So, I’m curious, how long have you been an alter ego?

D: I’m kinda standing right next to other me. It’s like an angel/devil thing, I’m on their shoulder whispering.

C: That’s a good analogy, I like that. Well, I’m going to D: Probably since my other half was in middle school. leave it there. Thanks! 44

Seen more clearly in Max and Devon’s interviews, their alter egos were more assertive in some way than the host personality. Their primary objective seemed to be to bypass their hosts’ shyness or passivity to assert their wants and express their thoughts with less anxiety. Kristaal, on the other hand, seemed to be created as a means of expressing the freedom to let go and deal with the darker parts of the host personality’s past with humor. While these interviews are not extensive enough to be called research, I’ve learned from them that alter egos are commonly used to lessen the intensity of reality in some way or another. They can act as a shield to protect our egos from perceived damage and mediate between present and past. And best of all, they allow us to step out of our comfort zones. •

Works Cited Anonymous. Personal Interview. 18 February 2016. Anonymous. Personal Interview. 25 February 2016. Anonymous. Personal Interview. 2 March 2016. Cherry, Kendra. “What is the Ego?” Psychology.about. com. Web. 26 Jan. 2016. “Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)” Psychology Today. Web. 20 Mar. 2016. Gillig, Paulette Marie. “Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Controversial Diagnosis.” Psychiatry mmc. Matrix Medical Communications. Mar. 2009. Web. 20 March 2016. Kohut, Heinz. The Analysis of the Self: A Systematic Ap proach to the Psychoanalytic Treatment of Narcissistic Personality Disorders. 1971. International Universities Press, New York. “Sybil” IMdB. Web. 20 March, 2016.

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Let ’s Not Talk About Sex:

Notes on Sex Education

and Our Parents By Carson Jordan

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r Y

e all have it. That place that we’re ashamed of or that brings us back to a moment of utter sexual or romantic grimace. Mine’s the dumpster behind an old Hollywood Video where, once, a boy fingered me on a hot summer day. Sometimes the smell of hot, sticky trash or the sun hitting the sidewalk and creating a metallic, shiny glare can bring me right back to being fifteen years old. I remember staring at the gum on the sidewalk. I remember the smell of the trash boiling in the hot metal box. I remember the poorly executed hand job I was receiving as if it was yesterday. The day I “lost it,” not long after the dumpster incident, I cried in a Taco Bell bathroom. My ass was covered in dirt and imprints of rocks, because losing your V–card at the “prayer spot” on top of Ithaca Falls was the highest level of intimacy in 2009. I cried while sitting on the toilet, staring at my brand new panties covered in blood and dirt. I didn’t cry because anything physical had been taken from me. I cried because I knew that sex was the beginning of secrets, lies, and complicated, careful words. I cried because I knew that sex was going to be the end of honesty between my parents and me. My parents should have known that I was going to be interested in sex early, because by age nine I could rap every word to Salt–N–Pepa’s second most sexual hit, “Shoop.” I’ve always been a woman interested in relationships, sex, and sexuality. My first kiss was at four years old, and back then, my parents thought my “boy crazy” phase was cute. My parents, who wouldn’t ever admit this, are examples of the “what not to do” of pregnancies. Both of them were 21, my mother in school and my father in a dead–end janitorial job at a health club, and neither of them were prepared to raise a bundle of knots and energy like me. To this day, I think that they’re simultaneously pretty mortified and a little proud that I’m the first to jump into a conversation and explain that I’m the sex columnist at my small, liberal arts college’s feature magazine. They definitely aren’t thrilled by my sex and body positive Instagram, and they certainly try to block out the fact that yes, my boyfriend of five years and I do the nasty on the regular. Being independent from them has definitely helped ease their minds about my sex life, my opinions on sex, and my quickness to speak about it, but the reason for that is that I’m not

under either of their roofs. As a person who is very dedicated to, and excited by, the prospect of having children of my own, the thought of them keeping secrets from me about sex throughout my childhood scares me. My hope is that my generation of parents will end the epidemic of secret–keeping about sex by being open, sex positive, and able to communicate freely with their children about safe sex. I can remember being asked about my first kiss on the playground pretty vividly. A family friend had been babysitting me while my parents were working. When we arrived back at my apartment, she asked me to explain what I’d done at the playground, with her hands on her hips trying to disguise her utter amusement with fake anger. “I kissed a boy on the playground. His name was Tarzan.” I said, uninterestedly. My parents busted out laughing, probably half because I didn’t even bother to get the poor kid’s name, and half because there I was, their spirited four-yearold, kissing boys on the playground. Sara Ipatenco’s article on “What To Do When Your Child is Kissing Another Child,” promptly corrects my parents’ way of dealing with me, their spirited child, kissing boys at four years old on the playground. The article begins by telling the reader, “Don’t panic if your child was caught THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 47

kissing another child, but do take the steps to teach him that there’s a time and a place for kissing.” I was annoyed that this article implies that the kissing monster of a toddler is boy, but as I furiously read on, I learned that the author’s main argument for children not kissing is because it’s sexual, not because it’s say, distracting, or lacking both parties’ consent. Talking about sexuality is a huge taboo while parenting, and I know this because my own parents had a really hard time with explaining sexuality to me as a child. They definitely did their best to explain that sex could be a good thing, but we never got into why, or who, or when, or even how. Ipatenco’s article continues to explain that in order to keep your children from doing more sexual acts they should be taught not to kiss outside of the home. Although there are so, so many problems with this pedagogy of parenting, I will just look into the glaring one: that children shouldn’t be able to express healthy sexuality. The family friend began again. “Is Tarzan your boyfriend?” She giggled and cooed. “No? Ew!” I said under a mess of crazy hair with, probably, very innocent eyes. Again, an explosion of laughter came out of my parents and their friend. Because, why would I not want him to be my boyfriend if I kissed him? Why would I just want to kiss someone without the prospect of entering into a commitment with them? I was four, and I was already being told to settle down. I never understood why adults called baby–friends boyfriends and girlfriends, or romanticized “love” between toddlers. It’s especially confusing when later, as a young woman or teenager, you start to get scrutinized for being sexual, mocked for being “boy crazy,” or forbidden to date until you’re married. Or you

I was four, and I was

already being told to settle down.

could be a young man and get called a “lady killer” for having girlfriends at a young age. I won’t even begin to get into the difference between how young men get taught to deal with sex and sexuality and how young women get taught, and that’s mostly because I am too old to point out the obvious to you. It ain’t equal. Stop the cycle. Moving on. As soon as I started having sex, I started living a continual lie. After a while, I found that my parents, like many others, realized that I was having sex, but they couldn’t figure out the when or where. I assume that much of the time I spent grounded as a teenager had a lot to do with them trying to stop me from having sex. Although many of us experienced abstinence–over– sex–before–marriage, no–one–wants–a–dirty–piece– of–tape sex education, in 2013, 47% of teen respondents in the cdc’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey said that they have had sexual intercourse. Whether you’re lying about your sexuality because you’re afraid of criticism about whom you are sleeping with (or attracted to) or because you’re too ashamed to be up front with your parents, society teaches you that sex is something to keep secrets about. Sometimes, you’re forced to have quiet, awkward sex until you’ve graduated and moved out of your parents’ house completely. While doing research for this article, I came across a fifteen-step advice column written in 2012 that teaches you how to have sex in your parents’ house when visiting from college. Some of the tips include, “Make sure you byo-condoms,” and “Quiet sex can be fun!” Yikes. My personal favorite ouch moment had to be, “You know what’s hotter than quiet sex? Fast, quiet sex!” This column, which, surprisingly, is 100% serious, proves a point that children will do anything to avoid having our parents know that we’re doing “it.” THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 49

Because of our stigmas surrounding sex and honesty with our parents, many college–aged students come home from their bouts of independence unable to tell their parents that they have been assaulted. In a heartbreaking essay by Megan Carpentier, a Jezebel sex columnist, she describes a moment between she and her father. She paints a scene where she and her father are watching an episode of Law and Order: svu. The episode, as is typical in svu, is about rape. She makes an offhand comment to her father about how she’s heard from a friend that two–thirds of his female friends had been raped, and in response to her father asking if she had ever been raped, she writes, “I tried to make that face and say ‘No,’ only I was tipsy and I could tell I was failing, because I wanted, desperately, to cry. And so I said, ‘No, he means me, too.’ I’m not sure I’ve ever hurt my father more.” If our generation is unable to be honest about sex, how can we be honest about our safety or lack thereof ? Everyday Feminism’s article called “3 Ways to Avoid Demonizing Your Teen’s Sexuality” offers advice to parents on how to positively speak about pleasure and consent. The article shares data that has proven that “Parent–Child Communication about Sexuality Promotes Sexually Healthy Behaviors.” An example of the amazing results found through these studies is that “when mothers discussed condom use before teens initiated sexual intercourse, youth were three times more likely 50

to use condoms than were teens whose mothers never discussed condoms or discussed condoms only after teens became sexually active.” Three times! All it takes is biting the bullet and talking about banging with a condom in front of kids, and they will probably have safe sex someday. The article later says that sometimes, parents’ own negative feelings or experiences about sex can trickle into their teachings to children. Not everyone grew up in a time when sex meant pleasure, and many older parents, from what I can observe about parents that are not my own, had sex to have children after they were married. Many people also grow up with negative associations with sex due to sexual assault or abuse. Lastly, parents’ homophobia and bias can very heavily trickle into their conversations with their children about sex. At the end of the day, when you look back at your sex education, whether it be from your parents at the kitchen table during an uncomfortably long dinner, or it be in a health classroom at 11 years old—do you ever consider what sex education would look like if it wasn’t based solely on explaining procreation? In Lori Duron’s

blog, which led to her book Raising My Rainbow: Adventures In Raising A Fabulous, Gender Creative Son, she raises the question that “The sex talk needs to be different for gay children, right?” While reading this, I wondered if that was really the question that should be asked. In conversations with other sexually passionate, sexual advocates, I find that we all, no matter if we are straight, queer, bi, gay, or asexual, have received, more or less, the same sex talk. A man’s penis gets hard, goes into a woman’s vagina, and if you’re not safe you can get stds or end up with a baby that you don’t know how to take care of. What about sex isn’t hetero (straight) sex? Or what about sex isn’t for the purpose of making a baby? What about how the vagina lets the penis in? What about foreplay? What about the clitoris? What about anal sex? When will our sex education begin to discuss pleasure, consent, and be queered? As a bisexual woman, I had no idea what safe sex with a woman was supposed to look like in high school. Raising my hand and asking a question in health class meant outing myself. Google should not be the only resource for healthy and inclusive sexuality. During my research, I came across an article called “How To Have ‘The Talk’ With Your Mom,” which was a “How To” and story about a woman’s experience with talking to her mother about sex. While looking at it, I began to remember how I told my mother that I lost my virginity. After boning my first boy, secretly,

I didn’t know the age-old secret of peeing after sex. I got a bladder infection that was so bad, I felt like I was dying. It wasn’t until the moment that I thought my death was really, really going to happen because of sex (thanks, Mean Girls!) that I told my mother that I had had sex for the first time with the boy that I had told her I was “fishing” with after school. Once I told her that, I started to admit that when I said I was studying for my Earth Science tests with “my friend” Jonah, we were actually making out and exchanging hand jobs while his mom was at work, and that when I said that I was working on a skit for the talent show, I was learning how to give head with my first boyfriend, Trent, in one of the stairwells of my high school. The lies that I’d told her for what had seemed like eons poured out of me, and she looked more hurt than I had ever made her. The hardest part was seeing her face more hurt than when I had once said I hated her after she had taken away my phone. This was beyond bratty teenager bullshit—my mother felt betrayed. She no longer thought it was funny that I was kissing boys on the playground. She was genuinely hurt that I hadn’t asked her questions about sex. Since then, my mother and I have tried really hard to be open about sex, without feeling uncomfortable, and open about our feelings about sex. Two summers ago, she even went with me to get my iud put in. I felt a woman–ness and connection to the person who birthed me on a different level then. Sharing that moment with her, although I passed out cold from the pain and she told me I was dramatic, made me feel like I had earned my worry–free, baby–less sex. I realize, though, that much of the time religion, culture, and generational difference can make conversations about sex terrifying, especially for young women THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 51

and their mothers. I am fortunate to have a mother who is young, open minded, and the first to deviate from her Italian immigrant relatives’ strict “rules” about premarital sex. Many of my gal pals and I have talked about “Talking About It” with our mothers. It ranges from the experience of mothers stopping them midsentence and saying they don’t want to hear about it to them disclosing secrets about the quickies they’ve had with their fathers at Christmas. No two women have had the same experience with this. Parents are human and have needs, just as we do. I’m a firm believer in attempting to treat everyone like you would like to be treated, and like how your happiest, most self–loving self treats yourself. Do you check in with your own sexual needs? Probably. Do you ask yourself if your desires are being met? I’d hope so. I hate to be the one to bust your bubble, but so do your parents. One of the most liberating experiences I’ve ever had was freely talking to my mother about sex, after realizing that she, just like myself, needed to be seen as a human with needs, both sexually and emotionally. As this is my last article for The Sycamore, I leave Wells with a last piece of advice: be better than our parents were, be better than we were to our parents. In a small community like Wells College, it is easy to let the lines between being concerned for a friend’s sexual health and being judgmental about a friend’s promiscuity get blurred. It’s our responsibility to not hide our sex lives from the people we love in order to shelter them from feeling uncomfortable. It’s our responsibility to start bringing healthy sexual conversations into our daily lives. It’s our responsibility to work towards making sex positivity and consent parts of the human vocabulary. It is our responsibility to start practicing the behaviors that we needed as teenagers from our parents. • 52

Works Cited Carpentier, Megan. “The Dating Game: Your Parents Know You Have Sex (A Memoir).” Bitch Media. Bitch Media, 23 Aug. 2010. Web. 27 Mar. 2016. Delaney, Chelsey. “How to Have ‘the Talk’ with Your Mom.” Bedsider. Besider, 06 May 2015. Web. 27 Mar. 2016. Duron, Lori. “Which Straight Parent Gives Sex Talk To Gay Child?” Raising My Rainbow. 05 Mar. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2016. Ipatenco, Sara. “Parenting: What to Do When Your Child Is Kissing Another Child.” Livestrong.com. Livestrong.com, 16 Jan. 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2016. Passell, Lauren. “15 Rules For Having Sex In Your Par– ents’ House.” The Date Report. This Life Inc., 27 June 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

It’s our responsibility

to start bringing healthy sexual conversations into our daily lives.

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Dinner with Team Rocket By Michelle Lee

This dynamic duo and their feline friend traipse around in all sorts of get ups to capture Ash Ketchum’s beloved Pikachu. Before blasting off at the speed of light, they stopped by for a quick bite.*

(Psy)Duck soup with steamed (Cl)Oysters

(Brock)ili and sliced R(Oddish)es on a bed of leafy green Chard(zards)

Grilled (Magi)Carp served with a side of sautéed (Ar)Bok Choy

(Bulba)s’mores *The food ended up being poorly executed, with the meal being mostly raw and pathetically plated. Their choice in dining establishments may or may not be indicative of their own planning skills. •

The Witching Season: An exploration of magic in disguise By Missy Brewer

hen my mom was pregnant with my brother, my grandmother knew before she had told anyone. My grandma simply picked up the phone, called my mom, and said, “Hi. Are you pregnant?” My mom, a little freaked out, replied, “Well, yes. How did you know?” My grandma said, “I just did. You and Ron are getting married now, right?” When they tell this story today, my grandma has the same answer. She woke up that day and just felt that her daughter, who was unmarried and childless, was pregnant. She pulled the same trick when my mom went in to labor. Answering the phone shortly after her water broke, my mom listened to her mom on the other end, who somehow already knew that the baby was coming. Call it a good guess, call it mother’s intuition, call it a sixth sense. Call it magic. THE THESYCAMORE SYCAMORE//SPRING SPRING 2016 55

Most people today believe in some form of magic or another. Those who consider themselves religious might believe in miracles, magic from the divine. Many people visit the fortune teller’s tent at carnivals and fairs, finding comfort in someone telling them about their future. Almost every person follows superstitions of some kind, whether they’re widespread superstitions or ones they personally hold. Countless T.V. shows and movies include magic and have large and devoted fanbases. Whether those fans actually believe in magic or not, something about what they see on the screen has captured their imagination. In many of the popular entertainment in which magic is involved, the characters have to go to great lengths to hide their magic, a fear that is probably born out of the long history of witch hunts, trials, and persecutions. In Western Europe, from 1484 until about 1750, 200,000 “witches” were tortured, burnt, or hanged (Castelow). A vast majority of the people accused and tried as witches were women. Persecutors especially targeted poor, older women who lived alone. Any woman who was outspoken about her preference for living alone or who was vocally against any political or religious establishment was often looked at as a witch, and “[a]ny unusual ability in a woman instantly raised a charge of witchcraft” (Walker).

These “abilities” could include almost anything, from knowledge about herbs and healing to “surfing” (referencing a unique case in which the “Witch of Newbury” was seen “flitting” on a river, and then tried and murdered because of it) to midwifery. When anything went wrong in a village or town, a woman would be blamed and accused of being a witch. Essentially, women were used as scapegoats because the men who were in charge of farming or healing or ruling or whatever the issue was did not want to take responsibility for their failures, making the persecution of witches, at least in Western Europe, really an extended attack on womanhood. Forms of “witchcraft” were, for a time, tolerated by those who would persecute them, primarily because witchcraft benefitted them. Within families where women practiced magic, often in the form of charms, healing, and fortune telling, women would pass down the secrets and traditions of the practice, and “[u]p to the [fifteenth] century, women’s ‘charms and spells’ were virtually the only repository of practical medicine” (Walker).

k j i k g j f i e j g d i f

w v u w t v r u q v t p u r m t q r p q m p k m k j Actual doctors were reserved for the rich, so the poor often turned to the “witches” of their village, yet women were officially forbidden to practice medicine. The Church did not like to perform any sort of medical services, because they saw getting close to illness as getting close to sin, so they preferred the ‘witches’ to do it, yet they persecuted those same women years later (Walker). Women who wanted to heal, then, had to go into hiding and make every effort to not appear as a witch. Otherwise, she ran the risk of being put on trial. The trials almost always proclaimed the accused guilty, consistently disregarding solid evidence of innocence. So if a woman was tried for being a witch, she knew that she would be hanged, burnt, drowned, or tortured in one of many forms from the very beginning. Although the mass persecutions of witches had ended by the early eighteenth century in the United Kingdom, the impulse to hide magic from the outside world is still strong in media that portrays it today.

THE THESYCAMORE SYCAMORE//SPRING SPRING 2016 57

We want to know what it's like to world, even if just for a second, wi

Western popular culture has been preoccupied with magic for decades and a look at contemporary film and T.V. will still reflect that. Popular T.V. shows such as Once Upon a Time and Supernatural use magic in conjunction with other fantastical elements to propel their plots. In these two shows, anyone with magic goes through moral conflicts of whether or not to use it, and, as a reflection of the historical view of magic as a sin, the threat of dark magic always looms over characters. The Harry Potter franchise, perhaps the most famous popular entertainment concerning magic and witches, blends the perennial threat of magic used for evil with the need to hide the magic at all costs. J.K. Rowling, author of the series, creates a world with two opposing sides: the one that surrounds witches and wizards and the one that readers would recognize as the “normal world” where magic is not a part of the everyday. The magic world takes every measure to ensure that the “muggles” won’t find out about them, even erasing their memories when needed. Rowling justifies this fear with the actual history of witch persecutions, maintaining that masses of non–witches will persecute anyone they perceive as different out of fear. The Harry Potter series began in the early 1990s as books and was turned into movies in the early 2000s. This ten–year period marked, essentially, a fascination with magic in T.V. and film. In addition to the widely popular Potter movies, and actually slightly preceding them, movies focusing on female witches mixing with the “normal” world were made. In Hocus Pocus, released in 1993, three legendary sister witches come back to life in a modern town and wreak havoc on Halloween. Unlike witches in other contemporary magical media, those in Hocus Pocus were truly set on evil; specifical58

ly, their goal was to capture children and brew them in a potion to stay young forever. Regardless, the mash between magic and our world creates a conflict rooted in the torment of the Salem Witch Trials—a frantic persecution of people thought to be witches in Salem, Massachusetts from January to October of 1692 (“The 1692”)—and consisting of the “normal” people’s complete disbelief in magic. Practical Magic (1998) is also the story of sister witches, but they do everything they possibly can to hide their magic and live average lives. Having faced discrimination from their town as young girls, because their family was known for being magical, they hide their powers. By the end of the movie the sisters embrace their magic and the women of the town actually help them in a women power-fueled spell against an undead man. However, the sisters’ initial fears and suppression obviously comes from a very real look at history’s demonization of females and magic. Several T.V. shows focusing on female witches from the late 1990s and early 2000s have had impressively long runs. Charmed, premiering in 1998, is the story of,

    

 o live in a ith magic.      

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once again, sister witches who hide their magic from the rest of society for fear of ridicule and persecution. In this eight season–long series, the Halliwell sisters inherit their magic from their matrilineal lineage and constantly draw strength from each other. Buffy the Vampire Slayer has long been hailed as a feminist–centered T.V. show, premiering in 1997 and running for seven seasons. Physically strong yet outwardly feminine Buffy and her group of friends fight supernatural creatures, all the while hiding their frequent battles from the rest of their town. As the show’s title indicates, Buffy fights vampires, but her best friend, Willow, begins to practice magic and becomes a full–blown witch by the third season. Willow adheres to the trend of modern witches fighting a tendency towards evil because of their magic and also fearing others discovering her magic. In one episode she and a fellow classmate/witch are nearly burned at the stake by the town when her mother sees her magic. Buffy saves the day, of course, and the townspeople miraculously don’t remember Willow’s specialty, but the incident makes it clear that Willow would have to guard any signs of magic very carefully..

    

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I believe that magic could fix a lot of today’s problems, and, I’ll be honest, my personal problems would definitely be made much easier with some supernatural help. And maybe that’s why so many people hungrily consume media with witches and magic. What if we could use magic to make enough food for everyone in the world? Or to fix the environment? Or to just get that thing we’re too lazy to go back for after we’ve sat on the couch? It doesn’t outrightly exist in our world, and when it’s portrayed as such a carefully protected secret in every movie or T.V. show, we value it even more. We want to know what it’s like to live in a world, even if just for a second, with magic. So many characters use magic to heal others and find good in themselves, that maybe we wish for just a little bit of that for ourselves. Real people, actual women in our actual history, used their own forms of magic to heal others. We do live in a world where a certain combination of herbs can physically improve someone, or one person looking at someone else’s palm can bring comfort and hope, or a mother can intuitively know that her daughter has life within her. Maybe we can’t conjure whatever we want with the wave of a wand or the recitation of a few choice words, but maybe, just maybe, we all have the power to feel, know, or do the inexplicable. • THE THESYCAMORE SYCAMORE//SPRING SPRING 2016 59

Works Cited Castelow, Ellen. “Witches in Britain.” Historic UK. His tory UK 2016. Web. 07 Apr. 2016. “The 1692 Salem Witch Trials.” Salem Witch Museum. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. Walker, Barbara G. The Women’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1983. Print.

Haute Merde Cuisine By Melanie Canales

his photo spread, inspired by Instagram’s @chefjacqueslamerde, is an homage to the stealth and performance of food presentation. Thanks to the buffet stylings of our own Wells College Dining Hall, these dishes depict haute breakfast, brunch, and lunch, to be found perhaps in the Upper West Side or four Michelin starred restaurant. And, alongside them, their components. This photo spread would not have been possible without the gracious staff and chefs of Wells College Dining, Colby Schrom for acting as my assistant and blender man, and Thiago Decoene for keeping the process light–hearted and for helping me clean up the incredible mess afterward.

THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 61

Breakfast

â&#x20AC;&#x192; Pictured is a fresh blueberry cheese blend infused with essence of rosemary, sage and thyme. This earthy and fruity balance is complemented by the texture and taste of the accompanying oats, baked using a timeless checkerboard frame to give this breakfast dish a light but substantial boost. Flower for garnish.

THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016â&#x20AC;&#x192; 63

Breakfast I don’t know what the plastic flowers are meant to add to the dining hall’s ambiance, but these tiny wiry flowers photograph well. Shout out to the gluten free for the gluten–free Chex Mix. No better way to kick off the day than tub yogurt, tub cream cheese, and tub veggie cream cheese. I like my dairy in bulk and smeared across a plate.

Deconstructed

THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 65

Brunch Our chefs at Haute Merde Cuisine adore brunch, and believe that our brunch dishes should embody the luxury of so glorious a meal. Pictured here is a generous brunch pâté comprised of the highest quality meat in town, atop a delicately prepared triangle of french toast prepared with quail egg. The base, a succulent, sun–ripened grapefruit rests atop a drizzle of organic honey. And, of course, a bacon flower for garnish.

THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 67

Brunch Deconstructed Forgive me, brunchers. Those of you who witnessed the sight and smell of my brunch blender mishap, I commend you. Who knew that if you blended bacon, sausage, home fries, french toast and milk together the result would be anything less than nauseating? It’s the mushy, smelly glue that keeps this whole dish together though, ensuring the wadded up bacon flower remains rosey, and weighing down French toast that’s been hacked on all sides by my id card. But I’m sure the grapefruit with the honey would taste alright.

THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 69

Lunch A playful take on a sandwich, this deconstructed midday meal features our finest ingredients to craft a dish that is both filling and thought–provoking. Our knife specialist paired with our top cheese hunter to acquire and prepare this finely–aged sharp cheddar, its checked pattern a whimsical nod to picnics in the park. We brine our pickles ourselves in Mediterranean caves to achieve the desired salt content and humidity that make our pickles one of a kind. The counterpart to our pickles, our freshly harvested shallots seem to almost bubble out of the plate, adding a carefree burst of tang to the dish. And, of course, the main focus of the meal, our rye sunflower oat blend bread, developed and baked with only three times a year, topped with creamed roe. To taste, our house–bottled dipping sauce, to add a smooth, savory burst of flavor to each bite. 70

Never underestimate the chopping abilities of your id cards, students. The constant swiping they get each meal keeps them sharp and precise, without any effort on your part. Bulk order yellow American cheese that sits out at the sandwich station all day pairs well with pickles and onions that also spend all day at the sandwich station. See also, the shockingly pink ham salad. And, of course, no sandwich would be complete without the bread component, the croutons available by the salad bar, with A1 steak sauce to taste. •

Lunch Deconstructed

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Plenty of Fish in the A Catfishing Expose By Stephanie Todd

n a world dominated by social media and Internet access, all aspects of life have become present online—especially relationships. With the creation of dozens of social media and online dating websites, dating has become easier than ever. The mask that a computer screen provides allows anyone in the world to be whoever they want to be, and thus, the modern “catfish” was born. Now a well–known noun, the term catfish recently rose to fame via television and the Internet: catfishing is something we’ve all at least heard of. In 2014, the word was added to the Merriam–Webster Dictionary, defined as, “a person who sets up a false personal profile on a social networking site for fraudulent or deceptive purposes (“Definition of Catfish”). However, its modern use has created even more definitions. Urban Dictionary, an online dictionary that defines millennial slang, defines a catfish as, “someone who assumes a false identity on the Internet using various platforms including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A catfish is often undesirable in comparison to their profile, as an actual catfish would be to a premium ‘catch’

e Sea:

fish like Alaskan salmon (“Top Definition: Catfish”). A term that started out meaning someone who creates a fake profile or lies about themself online, can also refer to someone who may be “displeasing” or afraid of who they are, and therefore hides behind a false identity. We don’t know when the first catfish was created, but it’s safe to assume that catfishing is as old as social media. In the early 2000s, Internet users saw the rise of websites like MySpace, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Today, hundreds of social media sites exist, which means hundreds of sites for potential catfishing. No one other than a catfish can really give reason as to why one would decide to take on a false identity, however, modern research has tried to find some answers. The biggest results have expressed that, “young people are increasingly using the Internet and social media as a means for identity exploration” (McHugh). When bullying and judgement are so inherent in the life of an adolescent, the Internet can provide a shelter. Social media users can put up emotional walls while also having access to creating as many online relationships as possible. A computer provides privacy as well as THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 73

free expression: it’s easy. The Internet is accessible nearly anywhere, computer prices have been declining, and life just seems to get harder. This means that anyone can feel the need to withdraw from reality for a while, and the accessibility of social media provides a great outlet for that personal time. The problem with the Internet, the ease of social media, and the growing awareness of catfishing is that no one knows how to spot a catfish. Luckily, researchers like those for “Digital Trends” have attempted to try and define the types of catfish and how to spot them. The most common types of catfish include: a different gender, someone who pretends to be a different gender than they are; the revenge seeker, someone who catfishes another person to get back at them; the wrong face, someone who doesn’t lie about their gender but lies about how they look; the wrong bio, someone who may use their own pictures but lies about major facts about their life; the friend who means well, someone who catfishes a friend in an attempt to help them; as well as other random types (Weber). But knowing the types of catfishing does not guarantee one can spot a catfish. Researchers in the subject have made this a little easier by offering tips in spotting a catfish: you’ve never met the person before, they won’t talk on the phone or on Skype, they refuse to meet in real life, or they refuse to discuss major details about their life (McHugh). However there are also many other ways to tell, and one of

these signs does not guarantee a catfish either. The reality is, with the ease of finding pictures, creating social media pages, and accessing instant messaging, people can interact every day and have the choice of revealing who they are or not. Catfishing has achieved worldwide status through pop culture over the last several years. In 2010, New York photographer Nev Schulman released Catfish: the Movie, which detailed his catfishing experience. Originally intended to be a film documenting his online friends, later online relationship, and eventually meeting his Internet girlfriend, the process turned into Schulman uncovering the secrets his girlfriend had been hiding and the true identity behind her social media persona (Berman; Deutsch). Sprung from the hit film was the mtv series Catfish: the TV Show, where Schulman travels around the country helping people who think they’ve been catfished and uncovering the truth. Sometimes, it’s the real deal. However, because the crew has become adept to noticing the key signs of the trend, most scenarios are unfortunately, nothing like what they seem. If you’ve seen the show, you know about the big surprises that often occur. If not, here are some highlights of some of the biggest Catfish reveals. In “Keyonnah and Bow Wow,” Keyonnah met a man online who claimed to be the rapper Bow Wow. Fans of the show know that if a person is pretending to be a celebrity, then there’s about a 90 percent chance they are fake. So, when

Keyonnah and the guys went to meet Bow Wow, they ended up meeting Dee: a girl who dressed like a man to pick up girls and even admitted to wearing lambskin dildos to get women to have sex with her (Eidell). Needless to say, it was not a good outcome for Keyonnah. In “Artis and Jess,” Artis met a girl online named Jess, whose picture was of a blonde bombshell model. Again, another red flag. Lo and behold, Jess turned out to not even be a girl at all, but a man pretending to be a woman online to catch other men cheating on their girlfriends (Eidell). Although there have been a few occasions in which the catfish turned out to be a real person, most often the person is a fake. The show is meant to spread the message about individuals lying about themselves online while making people aware of the possibility of fake internet profiles. However, the show reveals a lot more about society than the ease of lying online. The most common cases of catfishing are not anything crazy; rather they are usually just a person who uses a fake picture because they are uncomfortable with their appearance. Upon the reveal, the victim of catfishing is often more upset that their online love interest does not look like a model than they are about the fact that the person lied. Hosts Nev and Max have addressed these issues in the past, asking their clients why they care so much about how the person looks, since they claim to be in love. They have even called some clients shallow

after admitting that they would never date their supposed soulmate after seeing how they look in person. The reality of what the show reveals about modern Internet relationships is that sometimes the catfishee is as bad as the catfish. We have the world at our fingertips. We can search for any photo or sound, download any piece of information, and be in contact with anyone in the world. The ease of using the Web allows everyday people to be whoever they want to be. Although self–expression is something to praise, creating fake personas can lead to bad situations. In the last 10 years, Internet catfishing has become one of the biggest online threats, and one of the most popular social media trends. Tricky to spot but easy to encounter, these online sleuths are becoming a television phenomenon. However, Internet fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and perhaps in an age of hiding behind a computer, we should learn to take a step back from the mirage, and stay in touch with reality. The blame of the situation does not necessarily fall on the catfish, especially when the victim has questionable intentions. For some, a catfish is just someone trying to recreate themselves. Show creator Nev Schulman stated, “To think about the definition of ‘Catfish,’ it’s really anybody that is willing to take a risk, push the envelope, leave their comfort zone” (Warner). •

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Works Cited Berman, Thomas, and Gail Deutsch. “Inside ‘Catfish’: A Tale of Twisted Cyber-Romance.”abc News. abc News Network, 08 Oct. 2010. “Definition of Catfish.” Merriam-Webster. Merriam– Webster. Web. 2014. Eidell, Lynsey. “The 11 Craziest, Most Unbelievable Catfish Reveals of All Time.” Glamour Celebs. Glam– our Magazine, 8 July 2015. McHugh, Molly. “It’s Catfishing Season!” Digital Trends. 23 Aug. 2013. Steinmetz, Katy. “#Selfie, Steampunk, Catfish: See This Year’s New Dictionary Words.”Time. Time Maga– zine, 19 May 2014. “Top Definition: Catfish.” Urban Dictionary. Urban Dictionary. Web. 2010. Warner, Kara. “’Catfish’ mtv Show Brings Online Love Stories To Life.” mtv News. mtv, 5 Aug. 2012. Weber, Lindsey, and Jeanette D. Moses. “8 Types of Catfish on ‘Catfish’” Vulture. Vulture: Devouring Culture, 14 Aug. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

rage against the wage By michelle lee

t seems like a pretty easy and acceptable idea: equal pay for equal work. So, why, in 2016, is there still a wage gap present based on race and gender? And then, how are there people still arguing that the wage gap doesn’t exist? Like most things in life, the answer is systems of oppression. And unpacking the wage gap is difficult because of how many outside variables affect it: Institutionalized sexism, racism, classism, and ableism, just to name some components. According to the American Association of University Women (aauw), white women working full time in the United States made 79% of their white male counterparts. Asian American women remained outliers, earning 90% compared to white men’s earnings, but when numbers were compared to that of Asian American men, the numbers went down to 79%. Compared to white men’s earnings, African American women made 63%, Native women 59%, Native Hawaiian women 62%, and Latina women 54% (Hill). Instead of criticizing a system that rewards men and women differently (and rewards whiteness over people of color) and places more worth on men’s work than women’s (particularly white men’s work over all women, regardless of color), critics of the wage gap’s existence argue that the blame lay with women who make different life choices. Women are told the solution is to not get married, not have children, and not to get older than 30. That kind of advice isn’t grounded in reality. Women who do go into higher paying jobs, like in law and medicine, are still underpaid when compared with their male THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 77

counterparts. Not to mention the emotional and mental work of dealing with the sexual harassment prevalent in the male–dominated fields. And at the same time, a woman should not have to go to extraordinary measures to have equal pay. Not all women want to go into stem, and that should not devalue the work they do in other fields. Advising people to go into fields of work that require an enormous financial investment isn’t a realistic way of solving the wage gap, and it also places the responsibility on one person instead of holding a larger system of injustice accountable. For too long has the work that women are “expected” to do gone unaddressed. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2014, 65% of men reported doing household activity (housework, cooking, cleaning up after cooking, etc.) while 83% of women said they did (Kolhatkar). For women who can’t afford nannies or maids or personal chefs (a.k.a. most working women), the pressure to meet societal expectations in the domestic sphere keeps them from taking on more hours at work. Something that contributes to the wage gap is the taboo of talking about salary and money. Some people think it’s illegal; some people think it’s tacky. If being informed about what you’re making (or not making) is tacky, I say risk it. The right to discuss salary and earnings is protected by the National Labor Relations Act. As host Adam Conover explains in his video “Adam

Ruins Everything—Why You Should Tell Coworkers Your Salary,” “Employees have the right to engage in concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection.” Companies often rely on employees not talking to each other about salary to maintain information asymmetry, that is, “if you don’t know what the going rate of your salary is, it’s easier for the company to rip you off and this perpetuates the pay gap” (“Adam Ruins Everything”). There have been forms of legislation designed to address the wage gap, but signing a piece of legislation and applying a piece of legislation are two different difficulties. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (epa) is “a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. It requires that employers pay similarly situated employees the same wage, regardless of sex” (“Know Your Rights at Work: The Equal Pay Act”). The Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act was the first bill President Obama signed once sworn into office. On January 29, 2009, he signed a bill that overturned the Supreme Court’s decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Inc., 550 U.S. 6 18 (20 0 7 ) (“Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009”). After working nearly two decades at a Goodyear plant in Alabama, dealing with sexual harassment and not being taken seriously by her supervisor, Lily Ledbetter discovered she was being paid less than her male coworkers, losing $200,000 in salary and more in her

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pension and Social Security. In the “Remarks of President Barack Obama on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act Bill Signing,” Obama said: [I]n signing this bill today, I intend to send a clear message: That making our economy work means making sure it works for everyone. That there are no second class citizens in our work places, and that it’s not just unfair and illegal —but bad for business—to pay someone less because of their gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion or disability. And that justice isn’t about some abstract legal theory, or footnote in a casebook—it’s about how our laws affect the daily realities of people’s lives: their ability to make a living and care for their families and achieve their goals. While it is technically illegal to discriminate in hiring practices based on gender because of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, it is impossible to be wholly objective. Names, education, and experience are all coded with different expectations. A prestigious, private college with plenty of unpaid internship experience carries class implications. Names can have racial connotations—sounding “too ghetto” or “too foreign.” A study done at Yale University in 2013 sent identical applications to science professors at top research-intensive universities in the United States. The only difference: the names. Half of the applications sent out were under the name “John,” and the other half under

“Jennifer.” “John” was offered more money, seen as more competent, and deemed more “hireable.” The faculty, regardless of their gender, revealed their bias towards male students. The data from the study showed that, on average, male applicants were offered $4,000 more. In another study titled “Orchestrating Impartiality: The Impact of ‘Blind’ Auditions on Female Musicians,” economists Claudia Goldin and Cecilia Rouse analyzed existing audition records and orchestra rosters to examine the impact “blind” auditions impacted hiring (Goldin). They found that: Using a screen to conceal candidates from the jury during preliminary auditions increased the likelihood that a female musician would ad– vance to the next round by 11 percentage points. During the final round, “blind” auditions in creased the likelihood of female musicians be– ing selected by 30%. But sometimes, even a screen wasn’t enough. In a 2013 article published by The Guardian, professor Curt Rice writes of how the clicking of women’s shoes could influence a jury member so they advised removing footwear before walking on stage. Sexism is so engrained in us that the sounds of a particular shoe triggers something in or subconscious. In Rihanna’s 2015 hit “Bitch Better Have My Money,” she says, “pay me what you owe me,” and at the end of that day, that’s what women want. To be paid and respected for the work we do. •

Works Cited “Adam Ruins Everything —Why You Should Tell Co workers Your Salary.” Perf. Adam Conover. Youtube. TruTV, 16 Nov. 2015. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. “Know Your Rights at Work: The Equal Pay Act.” aauw. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. “Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.” U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. Goldin, Claudia, and Cecilia Rouse. “Orchestrating Impartiality: The Impact of ‘Blind’ Auditions on Fe male Musicians.” Gender Action Portal. 2000. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. Hill, Catherine. “The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap (Spring 2016).” aauw. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. “Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.” National Women’s Law Center. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. Midura, Margaretta. “John Vs. Jennifer: A Battle of the Sexes.” Yale Scientific Magazine. 19 Feb. 2009. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. “Remarks of President Barack Obama on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act Bill Signing.” The White House. The White House, 29 Jan. 2009. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. Rice, Curt. “How Blind Auditions Help Orchestras to Eliminate Gender Bias.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 14 Oct. 2013. Web. 1 Apr. 2016. Rihanna. “Bitch Better Have My Money.” Roc Nation, 2015. MP3. THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 81

Media So White:

in Film an Promotion of Racism in A By Raea Benjamin

acial oppression, the burdening of a specific race through unjust or cruel restraints or impositions, has been present in American society for as long as an American society has existed. Racial oppression comes in many different forms, whether it be the systematic oppression of a specific race through law enforcement or the negative misrepresentation of a specific race through the use of stereotypical dialect by a person of power whose voice is heard throughout the country. Though these are just a couple of obvious examples, racial oppression can take place in many other ways as well, some of which are less obvious, especially when it is not your own race that is being suppressed or misrepresented. â&#x20AC;&#x192; Whitewashing, the act of overwhelming the media with white individuals by choosing them to represent not only their race but people of color as well, is exceptionally prominent in American film. Whitewashing in film is just one more form of racial oppression in which America works to represent whiteness as the norm and anything else as less desirable and thus, less important. This form of misrepresentation takes place in four different ways (Andrist):

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1. Whitewashing in films based on historical events happens when white actors play the roles of characters who, historically, are not white. This causes people of color to be treated as though their racial identity is inferior. The Hollywood film industry, rather than simply casting an actor of the same race as the film’s character, invests time and effort into altering the appearance of white actors in order to make them fill a certain role and create a character. This can be exemplified by incidents in which white actors have appeared in blackface, darkening their skin to disguise themselves like an African–American in order to depict historical events involving African– Americans. 2. Whitewashing in films that are based either on true stories or written works of fiction takes place in film when a story from the past is retold on screen, adhering to the story’s actual subject matter but not to the actual race of the story’s characters. This leads to past events being retold in a way that alters them by forcing the audience to experience the story from a white perspective, changing the story as a whole and prioritizing the voices of white narrators. Whitewashing is also common in films that are based on fictional writing. Fictional characters from novels will be characterized and described by the novel’s author as a person of color; however, when the fictional work is turned into a film, said characters’ written descriptions are altered and the character in the film is played by a white actor. Sometimes the white actor will be portrayed as a person of color, and other times, the character’s original racial identity will be ignored and abandoned all together. Either way, when this happens, Hollywood reinforces the negative and inaccurate message that being white is more desirable and appealing than being a person of color. THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 83

3. Whitewashing through major film roles can take place even when the majority of the film’s roles are filled by actors of color. Despite the fact that people of color make up a large part of a film’s cast, these individuals are still cast as background characters, catering once again to the white majority and leaving people of color voiceless in their secondary roles. Not only are white actors favored to play the major roles in a film, they are commonly cast over the racially marginalized to play the film’s most admirable and complex characters as well, whether said character be the lead in the film or not. This further supports the misconception that to be white is to be “good” or “decent” while being a person of color is not necessarily bad, but still not as good as being white.

4. Whitewashing through the dominant white perspective takes place on a broader scale. Sometimes white actors are casted simply because the film they appear in is meant to be about white people. Aside from the racial inequality that comes with casting white actors to represent people of color, even more imbalance stems from the fact that the majority of Hollywood films are already based on a white perspective. This, paired with the unfortunate fact that white actors far too often play roles which would be more accurately represented by people of color from a historical or social context, creates for an undeniable white dominance in film.

We need to stop treating and portraying people of color as lesser individuals than whites.

Regardless of the form in which it takes place, whitewashing has been present in film throughout America’s history. Hollywood films from the early 1900’s, for example, were whitewashed in rather obvious ways. During this time period, white actors who took on roles of a marginalized race would go to extremes in order to portray the races of the characters they were playing. These actors would commonly wear blackface or yellowface (altering the skin tone of a white actor in order to make them appear as though they belong to an Asian race) to represent another race. They employed exaggerated and stereotypical movements and speech to represent marginalized races in a demeaning way, reinforcing common societal perceptions of people of color by the white public. This is exemplified in the 1915 film, Birth of a Nation, directed by W.D. Griffith. The film follows a South Carolina town during the Civil War and features white men in blackface defending themselves from the kkk. Birth of a Nation was the first ever full-length film and was praised by many (Lee). The film portrayed black individuals in a stereotypical, almost animalistic light while working to increase violence against African– Americans of the time period by depicting the race as a danger to society. This offensive and inaccurate depiction sparked more prejudice in white Americans by further supporting the ideology that white–society should fear those who are different from themselves (Brody). As American history progressed, the use of whitewashing in film progressed as well. Around the 1960’s, whitewashing in film had become somewhat frowned upon, but despite its believed inappropriateness, it was still quite prevalent. The 1961 film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, directed by Blake Adams, employs a white actor, Mickey Rooney, to play the role of Mr. Yunioshi, a Japanese photographer. Rooney too portrayed Japanese–Americans in a stereotypical way and defended his role as being “funny” despite its negative and insulting portrayal of Asian individuals. Rooney’s defense of the role as “funny” degrades Japanese people, portraying them as jokes rather than a respected identity (Lee).

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Years later, in 1986, the film Soul Man, directed by Steve Miner, depicted a white actor who posed as a young black man in order to obtain a Harvard Law scholarship. Not only does this film falsely represent racial opportunity through its implication that people of color are more likely to receive financial aid for their education, it represents African–Americans as disposable. This is demonstrated by the main character’s use of the African–American identity only to obtain a personal desire of his. The African–American identity is then abandoned by the character, enforcing the belief that the primary purpose of marginalized races is to serve and benefit the dominant white one, to be disposed of or forgotten when they are no longer useful toward the white agenda (Lee). One would hope that, in more modern times, whitewashing would become, if anything, a rarity in film. Unfortunately, this is not the case. In 2008, Ben Stiller directed the film Tropic Thunder featuring Robert Downey Jr. in blackface. Downey’s character in the film portrays an actor who knowingly submits to blackface to play a black character in a film. Whether the film’s intent was to bring to light the issues surrounding whitewashing or to ignore them all together and use the method for laughs, it missed the mark. Downey has even been quoted claiming he was aware of the negative backlash he may experience in playing the role, stating, “My way into the movie is, I’ve got to be tarred and feathered for three months and maybe have my reputation destroyed. That was my fear.” This speaks to the fact that, in this day in age, most of society is aware of the problems and downfalls of whitewashing but white domination in media seems to override this fact and make it a risk worth taking. This highlights the favoritism of white actors in film by demonstrating the poor, yet conscious, acting decisions they can make while still maintaining their popularity (Lee).

Regardless of how and when it takes place, whitewashing taints racial representation and promotes racial oppression and racism in society. Although people of color are represented in film, they are all too often represented inaccurately in that their character traits are based solely on racist stereotypes or the implication that the character is struggling because of their ethnicity, as if that ethnicity can do nothing but hinder the individual’s success. Lucy Liu, a Chinese–American actress speaks to this issue, saying, “I wish people wouldn’t just see me as the Asian girl who beats everyone up, or the Asian girl with no emotion. People see Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock in a romantic comedy, but not me” (Smith). Representing people of color from these negative and reductive perspectives degrades and demotes non-white individuals, boiling them down to nothing other than the destructively offensive misrepresentations of their race and implying once again that to be any race other than white is nothing more than an obstacle. This negative and harmful depiction of marginalized races equates to an even larger representation, a representation of America in its entirety. In representing whiteness as superior and as the preferred perspective through film, America promotes racism in the real world, resulting in acts of violence and hate and setting our country back in terms of acceptance and racial equality. By prioritizing the representation of white individuals, America is inadvertently prioritizing all the needs of white individuals, including their rights, their safety, even their health, valuing their race and their lives more so than those of people of color.

Putting a stop to this twisted and inaccurate representation of our country, as has been attempted through the protests and boycotts of films and other areas of media that our dominantly white, could have so many positive effects. For example, when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its 2016 Oscar nominees, only white actors and actresses were among the chosen few in the top four categories for the second year in a row. The overwhelming whiteness of the nominees resulted in public outrage and the social media hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. The hashtag, as well as other forms of media coverage, helped address concerns about diversity in Hollywood and raise awareness as to the negative effects that a lack of diversity in media can have on a society as a whole. By addressing racial misrepresentation in media and attempting to put a stop to it, we can raise awareness and inform the public of the destructive effects of whitewashing. In the same way that portraying minority races negatively leads to public disdain, addressing said races as our equals, which they are, could just as effectively promote acceptance and reduce discrimination in our country. We need to stop treating and portraying people of color as lesser individuals than whites. We need to start allowing characters in films to be played by individuals who represent these characters’ intended race instead of acting as though these races are less deserving of the roles. Promoting accurate racial representation in film could help to promote further racial acceptance within the country in the same way that portraying minority races negatively promotes their mistreatment. •

Works Cited Andrist, Lester. “What Is Whitewashing and Why Does It Matter.” The Sociological Cinema. The Sociological Cinema, 22 Feb. 2015. Web. 27 Mar. 2016. Brody, Richard. “The Worst Thing About ‘Birth of A Nation’ Is How Good It Is.” The New Yorker. The New Yorker, 1 Feb 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2016. Lee, Youyoung. “A History Of Blackface in Movies.” HuffPost Celebrity. The Huffington Post, 1 Nov. 2013 Web. 27 Mar. 2016. Smith, S.E. “Lucy Liu Talks Candidly About Racism And Stereotypes In Hollywood.” XOJane. Time Inc. Style Network, 4 Feb. 2015. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

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Betty Crocker Ate My Fam A Reflection on the History and Consequences of smuggling By Melanie Canales

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erhaps the most widely influential smuggling heist was also the most unlikely. It began with the Silk Road, pathway for commerce and communication from China to the Mediterranean and everywhere in between. Economically, culturally, and politically, discourse became global rather than territorial after the development of the Silk Road, sparking the growth of civilizations all across that expanse. Though not the only empire present and actively immersed in Silk Road economics, it was in a time of dire desperation that the Byzantine Empire seized the sword of Damocles for themselves. After disease had consumed much of the Byzantine Empire’s population (thanks again, to the Silk Road) and war had ravaged what was left of the healthy population, the empire faced economic demise. Justinian I, determined to find a way to bolster his economy and empire after a series of failed attempts to expand trade routes, found himself at a loss until approached by two monks of the Nestorian Church. Though their names are unknown, these monks had stumbled across information that greatly intrigued Justinian. While spreading Christianity in China, the monks learned the highly classified and intricate methods used to produce the most valuable commodity on the market: Silk. An incredibly delicate process including egg temperature maintained down to specific degrees, looming, white mulberries, and protection from all external stimuli, sericulture was a deeply protected secret in China. Even more closely hoarded were silkworm eggs and, most importantly, the cocoons. One cocoon could yield hundreds of meters of filament which, when wound with other cocoon filaments, made silk.

At this point in the monks’ story, Justinian I was, essentially, drooling, eyes full of gold coins. Plying the monks with unknown promises of vast fortune, he contracted them for a smuggling endeavor that would last approximately two years. With the help of contacts who worked closely with the silk industry, the monks acquired silkworm eggs and young larvae, which they then stored in hollowed–out bamboo canes. That they actually managed to transport and deliver live silkworms and eggs at all defied astronomically oppositional odds; eggs needed to be kept at specific temperatures that then increased the closer they get to hatching, and the larvae demanded constant attention and feeding, as sericulture’s rigorous production model would dictate. Regardless, the monks succeeded in secreting enough silkworm eggs back to the Byzantine Empire, and though there is much speculation about the specifics surrounding the actual smuggling, the outcome was decidedly concrete and vast. Justinian I wasted no time in monopolizing the silk trade in Europe, mostly eliminating China from the Western silk industry, and integrating silk into the economic and social culture of his own empire. Silk was just as closely guarded in the Byzantine Empire as it was in China, and would only be sold, already processed and woven, to authorized buyers for exorbitant fees. Byzantine silk functioned as a product, as currency, as a means for diplomacy, and stratified the social classes into the royals, the wealthy, and everyone else. The Byzantine Empire seized its monk–delivered deus ex machina and wrung it for all it was worth, changing the economic landscape of what was then considered the entire civilized world. These monks trekked for years, and hoped that what they had stolen would not be discovered. They were enacting industrial espionage, a form of theft and deceit never before possible on this scale. Without these

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qqqqqqqqqq qqqqqqqqqq qqqqqqqqqq qqqqqqqqqq qqqqqqqqqq qqqqqqqqqqq hollowed out canes (bamboo canes no less, another commodity from China), the Byzantine Empire would likely have fallen far quicker than it did, and Justinian I, no fool, chose to strike a damning blow rather than collapse. Ironically enough, the Byzantine’s own silk trade was then seized and monopolized by Sicily some time later, stealth and secrecy traded in for aggression in a time fueled by raids and conquests. The striking difference between smuggling and seizing, though, lies with the thief. For Sicily, it would not have been the end of the world or the empire had they failed. The Byzantine Empire, on the other hand, had everything to lose. The decision to disguise thievery with missionaries, with curiosity and amicable trade, is one that has been utilized time and time again, by colonists, by industries, even by people on an individual scale. The result, provided the attempt succeeds, empowers the thief who, without any particularly damning evidence, can lay claim to what was never his and reap the rewards without consequence. The ability to both wield power and remain nameless is the greatest luxury that accompanies smuggling, and its greatest downfall. Anonymity provides protection, but leaves no room for notoriety or claim to the influence smuggling can perpetrate. It is only with hubris that the disguise dissolves, and the thief laid bare, balancing between the legacy of hero or villain on a silk thread.

Starting with the temperance movement, peaking at prohibition, and culminating with a massive bang, moonshine smuggling was among the most quintessential of American traditions. When nationwide prohibition became law in 1920, the nation was anything but unified on temperance. The southern states in particular chafed against laws that prevented liquor

ferrying and production, practices that had spanned back for generations. They responded with what came to be known as moonshine races. Moonshine racers would have squealed circles around Dominic Toretto and his fast and furious crew had they crossed paths; these cars and their drivers could haul over a hundred gallons of “white lightning,” illegally–produced moonshine, half-way across the country before the sun rose. Though the drivers, known as runners, were heralded as icons in American culture by the end of moonshine’s era, their cars were the true stars of the races. Runners needed vehicles that appeared nondescript, but had the capacity to endure heavy loads and high speeds at the drop of a hat. Detroit delivered. GM forged Fords, Dodges, Chevys and Chryslers with rear suspensions stiffer than the laws condemning their use, allowing them to carry hundreds of gallons without sagging or jostling mason jars brimming with white lightning. With simple, black, stock exteriors, these cars could mask engines with fangs, claws, and a snarl that could scare off bears and draw in the swine for miles. By the time prohibition ended in 1933, moonshine remained in high demand and tax–free, a boozy goldmine for moonshiners and resistant to government regulation and profit. Moonshiners absconded to creek–side stills to produce hefty amounts of liquor that were carried North, West, and everywhere in between the moment the sun fell. Police began staking out high ways and backwoods roads, poised and ready to strike against runners packing gallons, horsepower, and every now and again, heat. Fittingly, the cars reared the title “hot rods,” and under the guise of night, they rocketed across states, racing the police and the sun.

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â&#x20AC;&#x192; Though the police continued to crack down on moonshine racing, the racing gave way to literal stock car races between runners and bootleggers, trying to prove themselves among other hot rod rockets notorious along the Appalachian. Thus, the National Association for Stock Auto Racing (nascar) was born. What was once an exercise in speed and secrecy became one of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most widely publicized community sports, making super stars out of moonshine racers and captivating the country with split-second finishes and brutal crashes. Despite the inevitable shift in cultural purpose, the essence of moonshine racing aligns itself with that of militia and cowboys. Moonshine races embodied the illicit and the lauded, a praise of social dissent that spans back to the birth of the United States. Hot rods were vehicles that looked indistinct, but in truth were works of collaboration that countered and subverted systems of power by innovating in spite of them. They were gestures of extravagant modesty, designed to fit in and stand out at the same time. In this way, the tradition of rebellion that hot rods once embodied continues to persist

(Our history]]}) founds it smuggled not just th cultures, refusing lives s and persecution and cho 90

both in American culture and the politics of smuggling. It is a tradition that roots in ticking and volatile secrecy, in disguises that transform the landscape around them.

But, who cares? Who cares that silkworms transformed the economic landscape of feuding empires, or that we can pay hundreds to watch cars loop at breakneck speeds? It matters because Betty Crocker is still a staple in American culinary culture. Now hold on. In the ‘50s Betty Crocker came into her own by toting her products as food the way Grandma used to make it. But that’s just it. There was never a way Grandma used to make it. All these cakes and meatloaves Betty Crocker made so easy and accessible to what was developing into the “working class American nuclear family” never came from scratch by granny’s hands in the first place. By advertising their food as a nostalgic reminiscence on “the good old days,” the Betty Crocker Corporation could then design what we now perceive as “hearty patriotic American food.” But what did Grandma actually make? It was zharkoe, it was pupusas, it was gumbo, and grits, and collard greens. Our history isn’t just built by the highest bidder. It founds itself on the people who smuggled not just themselves, but their cultures, refusing lives stricken by war, illness, and persecution and choosing a new one instead.

tself on the people who hemselves, but their stricken by war, illness, oosing a new one instead. THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 91

mmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmm That Justinian I and his monks could steal something as sacred from China as their silkworms and secrets, and in doing so completely change the course of history, still emerges in our lives. It emerges in the illegal trafficking of products and people that influence global economics in favor of the thief, and eliminates the burgled. And this is where our moonshiners beacon through the Appalachian night. They defy thieves and tyrants; they transgress the law in an attempt to preserve not just their liberties, but the progression of their culture. Justinian I salvaged his empire and tried to bury China by making silkworms his own. Betty Crocker attempts to crowd out all of our grandmas and great grandmas, our bisabuelas and Urgroßmütter, by eliminating their cultural contributions under the guise of nostalgia and patriotism. And, at a parallel, moonshiners ride on. They swig and peddle their white lightning as Betty Crocker scoffs. Though they no longer take the form of moonshiners, the spirit of smuggling finds its roots with those who go to any lengths to preserve their own culture, consequences and systems of power be damned. A two-sided coin, to be sure, and it’s not until history assigns a mask that we can determine if it lands in a hero’s hand or a villain’s. •

Works Cited

Feltham, Heleanor B. “Justinian and the International Silk Trade.” Sinoplatonic Papers. Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Philadelphia, Nov. 2009. Web. Houston, Rick. “nascar’s Earliest Days Foreve Connected to Bootlegging.” nascar News & Media. nascar 1 Nov. 2012. Web. Smith, Bonnie G., Marc Van De Mieroop, Richard Von Glahn, and Kris Lane. Crossroads and Cul tures, Voume I: To 14 50 : A History of the World’s Peoples. Vol. I. Macmillan, 2012. Print.

the harvest moon is no antidepressant By Tegan Watson on a day the color of bones & milk, only the cornstalks (golden, dying, reaching vainly for the sky) give warmth to the horizon. your skin is rough with gooseflesh & you realize that you have left sinewy chunks of your heart oozing gently in the hearthstones of every home you ever walked away from. your lips are so blue. your hair has been falling out every night, dusky strands laid to rest on your flower-encrusted pillow. your lungs are filled with the soggy gray remnants of the thousand origami stars you folded with shaking fingers when you still thought they might breathe for you if you just believed.

this morning you took a knife & tried to slough off your skin, but you are no snake. instead you will shove dying corn husks into the rotting cavern of your chest & hope no one notices the maggots squirming there.

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WELLS’S RESIDENT GODDESS ANSWERS YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS.

DEAR MINERVA,

How do I get over a really, really rough break up? We don’t talk anymore (it’s for the best) but it’s been months and I’m still crying all the time. Sincerely,

Weeping Willow Dear Heartbroken and Hurting,

Rough break ups are something that everyone goes through once in their life. The best way to overcome this obstacle is to keep looking forward as cliché as it sounds. You won’t gain anything from constantly looking back. First things first, it’s totally fine to cry it out. Crying to expel the overwhelming emotions is a must. Secondly, you must find things to occupy the newly freed space in your mind. Have you thought of possibly taking on a hobby or adventure that you’ve always wanted to do? Take this opportunity to work on it! Take this opportunity to work on putting yourself on a higher pedestal. Use this phase of your life as an advantage to do better for yourself. Remember that pain is always temporary.

DEAR MINERVA,

Lots of people always talk about wanting to bring back traditions like Wells family, but why do you think they died off in the first place? Sincerely,

Blast from the Past Dear Old Soul,

Sadly, the new wave of Wells students aren’t necessarily feeling such traditions that Wells used to have. Although we wish to bring these traditions back like good ol’ times, it all depends on the student body. Is Wells willing to make the room for such changes to happen? Even if Wells students aren’t necessarily feeling old traditions, there’s always room for new ones. That’s what Wells is about!

THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 95

DEAR MINERVA,

What is your sign? Sincerey,

Aligning Stars Dear Zodiac Lover,

I answered this question because I love zodiac signs. I’m a Pisces! For those who are deeply into astrology, I’m a Pisces sun, Cancer moon, and Sagittarius rising.

DEAR MINERVA,

Do you have any advice for the graduating seniors to go into the real world? Sincerely,

Advancing and Anxious Dear Languishing at Leaving,

People tend to think of the “real world” as a negative thing. This should be the time where your life is just beginning. Since Wells is such a small place, a graduating senior should be ecstatic to explore the gritty beauty the real world has to offer. Take advantage of opportunities presented to you, both career and personal wise. Most of all always make room for adventures and spontaneity. The real world craves people like you to grow and develop.

DEAR MINERVA,

I just feel that all of my classmates around me are doing better than me. It really isn’t doing good for my already low self esteem. What do I do? Sincerely,

Debbie Downer Dear Compare and Contrast,

Don’t allow others to dictate how you feel about yourself. You never know what someone else has been through in order to get into the position they are currently in. Instead of looking at your fellow classmates being detrimental to your self–love, use them as a motivational factor to do better for yourself. Find the time and resources to work harder. If anything, you can always ask them for help if your pride doesn’t get in the way of course.

DEAR MINERVA,

What is the best food in the dining hall? Sincerely,

Diners, Dining Halls, and Dives Dear Hungry Hungry Hippo,

They should bring back the crepe station, don’t you think? One day, I decided to sneak in after hours. I tried the chicken and biscuits, and I must say, they were amazing!

THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 97

DEAR MINERVA,

Will my adventure at life be as excellent as I hope it will be? Sincerely,

Thrill Seeker Dear Excited for Escapades,

DEAR MINERVA,

How can you answer me if you don’t exist? Sincerely,

Wellsian Enquirer Dear Skeptical in Aurora,

Who are you speaking to then? I exist through the spirit If you make your life as excellent as you want it to be, you of Wells students! will receive positive feedback. Always remember, what you give is what you will get in return. Keep looking at your life through a positive lens, and don’t let negativity or down aspects weigh heavy on your mind. The best way to push negativity out is to fill yourself around positive people, places and thoughts!

DEAR MINERVA,

Will I get better at chemistry and history? Sincerely,

Concerned for Classes, Dear Focused Student,

The only way you will get better at chemistry and history is if you study for chemistry and history. Go to your professor’s office hours. Take advantage of our tutors on campus. Visit the Office of Student Success to learn how to study more effectively. I’m still sending my spirit fingers from afar for you.

DEAR MINERVA,

I need you to be 100% honest with me. How did you survive that fire? Sincerely,

Genuinely Curious Dear Inquisitive Mind,

Stop, drop, and roll really came a long way. Not to mention, other obstacles protected me. Nevertheless, I’m here by luck and became a charm of luck.

THE SYCAMORE /SPRING 2016 99

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MODEL: DEAVEN THERIAULT '17

ALAINA KELAHAN ‘16

“GOLD #6”

VISUAL ARTS CONTEST WINNER