WOOF ISSUE 28 by WOOF webmaster

WOOF ISSUE 28 // FALL 2019

SECTION TITLE

WOOF MAGAZINE PRESIDENT

Jasmine Chan

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Cayley Ross

CREATIVE DIRECTORS

Cheyenne Tang, Meredith Fisher

SECTION EDITORS

Kaline Langley, Ruhani Nigam, Soule Coram

HEAD COPY EDITOR Samantha Rose

COPY EDITORS

Christina Philippides, Sharon Yan

WRITERS

Cayley Ross, Tori Markin, Aashka Pandya, Nanako Tokuo, Hayleigh Evans, Sharon Yan, Taylor Driscoll, Ken Ma, Talia Hadaway

DESIGNERS

Angelina Han, Srilekha Nuli, Diana Steelman, Stalo Metaxotos, Megan Lam

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Cheyenne Tang, Kaline Langley Cover Photography by Kaline Langley

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR At the start of the semester, I had no idea what was to come of Woof. We toyed with making our articles online-only, not printing just for the semester, and after losing a big chunk of our eboard, shutting it down altogether. In the end, as you’ve no doubt figured out for yourself, reader, we decided to push through and print after all — this magazine is the tangible result. It wouldn’t have been possible without the supremely dedicated remaining members of Woof’s eboard, who stepped up in a way that truly saved the magazine. They were quick-thinking, endlessly optimistic, and completely devoted to putting out the best quality issue we possibly could. And look at the result: it’s beautiful, the articles are well-written and polished, and the design is clean. I could not be more grateful for the way my Woof family stepped up this semester. So thank you Cheyenne, Sam, Jasmine, Kaline, Soule, and Christina for being so dedicated for so long. Thank you, as well, to all of our new members and to the people who have kept coming back to contribute to the magazine through thick and thin — you make Woof what it is. And reader, I hope you see what I see in this issue: a compilation of the work of the most talented people I know, and a testament to their dedication and skill.

Your Editor-in-Chief, Cayley Ross

CONTENTS FRONT

MEDIA & CULTURE

The First Week of Freshman Year: the Good, the Bad, the Scary

Laugh, Muse, and Cry: Returning Shows to Watch

Lindsay Lohan’s “Xanax” Cured My Anxiety

Noah Centineo’s Twitter Feed — Yea or Nay?

Time Out Market Profile

Overcoming Wishful Recycling

Massachusetts Vape Ban Creates Conversation about Public Health

Why So Serious? The Controversy Behind “Joker”

FOCUS 22

We Need Another Library, Not ISEC 2.0

Forever 21 Falls into Bankruptcy

Challenges Women of Color Face in the Workplace (Cover Story)

WE’RE NORTHEASTERN’S STUDENT-RUN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE. LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? EMAIL US • NUWOOF@GMAIL.COM

VISIT OUR SITE • WOOF-MAG.COM

FRONT

The First Week of Freshman Year: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE SCARY

WRITTEN BY MARTI BENNETT // PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHEYENNE TANG

FRONT No matter what anyone says, the first week of college is an extremely challenging adjustment for most incoming freshmen. It can be exciting and terrifying at the same time, especially when communal bathrooms are involved. If your first week of college doesn’t come equipped with a solid group of friends and an automatic understanding of your place on campus, don’t worry. Most people aren’t settled either. Acclimating to a new environment can take time, but the growth and emotions you will experience in that first week are both necessary and unparalleled. Coming from a small high school with a tight-knit group of friends, I’ve definitely found difficulty in my transition. I had the same friends since preschool, who even stuck with me throughout my “awkward phase” in middle school. Friendships take time and effort to form, and you shouldn’t take it personally if it doesn’t happen right away. “It’s hard because you’re going from somewhere where a lot of people know you and you have all of this history of friends, and then you have to rebrand yourself,” first-year theatre major Evan Penn said about his first week of college. Friend groups are constantly changing during your first semester of college, but they will form eventually. Transitioning from the top of the food chain in high school to the bottom position in college can be challenging, and its effects on students shouldn’t be minimized. During the first week of college, I met more people than any other time in my life, and socializing became a workout. I’ve found myself more exhausted after a long day of fraternizing than I do after an intense gym session. Max Pinheiro, a first-year computer science and cognitive psychology major, explained his process for socializing in college: “I had to force myself to socialize and put myself out there, which was definitely emotionally draining for a while, but I think that that’s a necessary part of the process.” Remember that everyone is in the same boat and be open to meeting new people. Although keeping

the door closed and watching Netflix might seem like a fun time, branch out of your comfort zone. Keeping the door open and hanging out in the common room is a great way to meet people. College freshmen can underestimate this amazing time in their lives by comparing their experience to others via social media. Freshman year is hard enough without having to stress about whether you’re having a “quintessential college experience” or not. Attending a non-traditional university like Northeastern can be intimidating when all of your friends from back home post “Game Day” photos on Instagram. When I’m feeling major FOMO, I think of all of the amazing opportunities I have at Northeastern and the beautiful city of Boston to explore. Remember that most of the time, social media does not show the full extent of someone’s life, but only what they want others to see. Moving into college is new, scary, and exhilarating in the best way possible. Like everything in life, there will be ups and downs along the way. Traveling away from home and into the unknown is a huge, life-changing experience, and I promise that you will eventually become a pro at college life ... even when it comes to using communal bathrooms.

FRONT

LINDSAY LOHAN’S

“XANAX”

CURED MY ANXIETY WRITTEN BY CAYLEY ROSS // ILLUSTRATIONS BY SRILEKHA NULI I’ll set the scene: a small home recording studio with fuschia walls. There’s calm, electronic music playing in the background. The coffee table is littered with McDonald’s ketchup packets and soda cups, a veggie tray and ranch bottles, and at least three different types of water (Dasani, Evian, and Perrier to be exact). Sitting on an ashtray is a still smoldering J alongside a cute little mason jar storing the rest of the stash. To top it all off, there’s a candle burning at the head of the table. At the other end of the room are three monitors on a desk; behind them, sitting in a swivel chair, is none other than Lindsay Lohan. The background music is the only released recording of her best kept (not so) secret and triumphant return to music: “Xanax” featuring Finnish musician Alma.

The video I just described lives on Lohan’s IGTV and is the culmination of weeks of teasing this song via Instagram, though on Sep. 23 she posted a more cohesive video featuring seemingly mundane scenes of skateboarding, traveling, and life. Lohan commented, “This video is a compilation of vignettes of life. Family, love, the process of moving forward and letting go of the past. To live and be happy, free of fear. Just to be grateful and open our eyes to our opportunities instead of numbing the mind ” This “compilation of vignettes” has since mysteriously disappeared from IGTV — though you can still find it on YouTube. “Xanax” is a total change of pace for die-hard fans of “Freaky Friday” and Lohan’s truly iconic song, “Ultimate” — let’s not forget the

garage band rehearsal scene. Were you even a real 2000s kid if you didn’t jump off the couch and shred the air guitar solo along with LiLo during “Take Me Away”? The song samples a 2000 Alice Deejay track called “Better Off Alone” — appropriate given the theme of “Xanax”. With this new single’s bass drops, synthesizer chords, and harder-hitting themes of mental health (“I don’t like the parties in LA//I go home in a bad mood, pass out, wake up alone//just to do it all

FRONT

over again”; “I got social anxiety, but you’re like Xanax to me”), it’s a far cry from the punk rock styles of early 2000s music. So, let’s cut to the chase: is it a good song? Honestly, reader, I love it. I’ve been religiously tracking Lohan’s passive-aggressive Instagram comments via Instagram drama connoisseur

@commentsbycelebs for months now (never forget when Lohan shaded Ariana Grande for casting Liz Gillies as Cady in the ”Mean Girls” section of her “thank u, next” music video). Because I live for drama, I would’ve loved the song even if it sucked, simply because it came from LiLo’s enigma of a mind. But all drama aside, I can actually say that it’s a good song — I play it and I feel like I’m in a club, which one might say is the essence of the song. The sample of Deejay’s song contributes to the mood and tone of “Xanax” a lot, but I also love the lyrics. They aren’t revolutionary, nothing that hasn’t been done before, but I love them nonetheless. Though the song itself isn’t extraordinarily unique, the marketing of it is. It first popped up as a series of cryptic Instagram posts

beginning in late May and randomly continued until the full version was released via IGTV in mid-Sept. The first of these posts was a photo of Lohan in the studio with a simple caption: “ ” As the release date drew closer, the posts began to reveal more — a title, a teaser of the chorus, short videos of Lohan and friends dancing to the song. Commenters were waiting with bated breath for the full song, only for it to be released exclusively on IGTV, where they couldn’t just stream it at the touch of a button. It’s what I would call a power move on Lohan’s part: Return to music after 11 years, drive everyone mad with anticipation, then keep the much-anticipated song off of any streaming platform, driving millions of Instagram users to her profile as the only way to listen to the song. Call it shameless self-promo all you want, I call it genius. The question remains: will the song ever be available on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music? We can only hope. I can’t imagine it will live on IGTV forever, but this is Lindsay Lohan we’re talking about — she does what she wants, and we love her for it.

FRONT

MARKET PROFILE

WRITTEN BY AASHKA PANDYA // PHOTOGRAPHED BY KALINE LANGLEY Walking into the food hall, you are greeted by a high-lofted ceiling, modern industrial decorations, and a wide range of eatery options. The Time Out Market, located at 401 Park Drive, recently opened in Fenway and is a short walk from campus. The venue features 15 niche food vendors, two bars, and a demo kitchen. The range of cuisines offered makes it the perfect trendy location to enjoy just about any meal. Time Out Market originated in 2014 in Portugal as a carefully curated mix of the finest eateries there. This structure has been replicated in Boston to showcase some of the city’s best restaurants and chefs. It debuted here in June 2019 and is open regularly throughout the week from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

on Fridays. On the weekends the hours start a little later: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The locations are a tad pricey for the college budget, but definitely worth it for the delectable bites. The eateries present in the marketplace are unique, and it is hard to find a location with so many options as this one. More so, the communal style dining makes it a fun, casual location to enjoy an outstanding meal. When you walk into the lot you can browse through the various eateries, which are aligned around the large, wooden, communal dining tables. Once you place your order, you are given a buzzer to pick up your meal. Then you pick it up and settle down at one of the high-top bars along the windows, the communal tables, or even the couches toward the rear of the

space. The most exciting part of the experience has got to be perusing the menus to decide what to eat. One of the restaurants you encounter as you walk in is Monti Roman Pizza, which offers a variety of Roman-style pizza, from a classic margherita to one of their specialties like wild mushroom, which consists of truffle and parmesan. Time Out Market also features The Tasting Counter which offers house-made delicacies like a smoked bluefish pâté, braised beef shank, and a duck leg confit. However, if you are in the mood for a lighter option, the marketplace houses Gogo Ya, which specializes in the unique creation of Japanesestyle tacos. Looking for a healthier choice? Head over to the Revolution Health Kitchen, where they offer a wide range of health items like smoothies, juices, and

FRONT

salads. Their main aim is to provide foods that cleanse the body and taste good. I went there for a quick, yet expensive, twelve-dollar Sunday breakfast and enjoyed an acai bowl topped with a delicious combination of coconut flakes, flax seeds, and bananas. It was refreshing and filling making for a great start to the day. Right next to Revolution Health Kitchen there is George Howell Coffee, which offers artisan coffees. Time Out Market is also home to Union Square Donuts, one of my favorite donut makers. They offer a niche and delicious selection of donuts that melt in your mouth as they burst with flavor. You can choose between their creative flavors, such as maple bacon or a simple sugarraised donut. My personal favorite is the classic vanilla bean donut, but I strongly urge you to venture

in and find your own. These are just a few of the many eateries in the marketplace. Time Out Market is a wonderful addition to the city. It is conveniently located near campus, and I bet you can spare 20 minutes out of your day to get to this food heaven. You may even get lucky and be treated to some live music â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Time Out Market features live bands on Friday nights and Sunday mornings, which is definitely something to look out for. It is delightful to be enjoying your meal in the midst of talented local artists and groups. The casual scene makes it the perfect place to congregate with friends, family, and even colleagues. It is the perfect spot for just about any meal and truly an inviting space that will keep you coming back for more.

OVERCOMING WISHFUL RECYLING WRITTEN BY TORI MARKIN // PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHEYENNE TANG

FRONT As the concerns about climate change continue to grow, we strive to do our part in mitigating the impact of climate change by taking individual measures, such as buying second-hand clothing, being mindful of meat-consumption, and of course, recycling. But how effective is recycling really? As of 2015, over 6,300 metric tons of plastic waste has been created and only a measly 9 percent of that has actually been recycled. Why is that? With the increase of excited recyclers, there has also been an increase in what has been deemed “wishful recycling.” “Wishful recycling” refers to the influx of individuals putting items that they think — or hope — can be recycled into recycling bins. This has lead to about 25 percent of the items put in recycling containers not actually being recyclable. Although the intentions of “wishful recycling” are generally honorable, the practice can lead to items that are actually recyclable being sent to landfills. When recycling bins are contaminated with nonrecyclable items, the cost of sorting becomes too high, to the point that it is more cost-effective to send to landfills or be incinerated. Regardless of how infuriating it may be to have recycling being sent to landfills, there are small steps that recyclers can take to progress from “wishful” to effective recycling. The first step to effective recycling is understanding what can be recycled. Many commodities that are believed to be recyclable are actually not, such as greasy cardboard pizza boxes, small plastics (generally smaller than three inches), and deodorant containers. Making sure these items don’t end up contaminating recycling bins is vital to ensuring that the actual recyclable items are not being thrown away. Likewise, many single-use drink containers are actually compostable and should go to compost containers. Bottles and plastic tubs are generally recyclable, but should be cleaned and have the labels removed. Plastic bags can also be recycled at most grocery stores. Many recycling standards vary locally, so make sure to investigate your local recycling regulations on items such as clamshell plastics and flexible packaging (such as chip bags). Being aware of what is recyclable in local facilities is simple and can help drastically reduce the amount of non-recyclable items enter recycling bins, but it is important to remember that recycling is not the only, or even the best solution for leading a sustainable lifestyle. When the average American produces an average of 250 pounds of plastic waste annually, buying consciously to reduce and reuse should be our primary concern.

The process of becoming more environmentally friendly starts at focusing on reducing consumption. When making purchases it is important to try to buy used and reusable items. A majority of single-use, low quality items end up in landfills, regardless of recycling efforts. Plastic production reached 335 million metric tons in 2016, with about half of production being for single-use products. Even with recycling, plastic can take 450 to 1,000 years to decompose. Environmental protection starts with minimizing plastic consumption, not just figuring out how to recycle it later.

MEDIA & CULTURE

Laugh, Muse, and Cry: Returning Shows to Watch WRITTEN BY NANAKO TOKUO // ILLUSTRATED BY SRILEKHA NULI Many popular shows returned for another season this fall, so take a break from studying for finals to indulge in an episode or two of your favorites! Here are some tips on how to catch up on earlier seasons, what to expect, and more.

MEDIA & CULTURE

“The Good Place”

“BoJack Horseman”

“Fresh Oﬀ the Boat”

The whimsical, fast-paced comedy starring Kriten Bell and Ted Danson returns for its fourth and final season. Receiving an astonishing average rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, the eccentric portrayal of the afterlife is a favorite among critics, with charming characters and unexpected twists keeping audiences hooked on the fastpaced show. Previous seasons can be binged on Netflix or Hulu, through short, less than half an hour episodes that will have you saying “Okay, just one more.” New episodes are aired weekly on NBC on Thursday nights and can be streamed online the next day on Hulu or NBC.com. Expectations are high as this is the last season of afterlife adventuring we’ll get.

The sixth and final season of the animated Netflix original BoJack Horseman was released in two parts, the first on Oct. 25, the second will be released on Jan. 31. Will Arnett voices the show’s anti-hero, BoJack: a depressed, alcoholic, Hollywood star wannabe that weaves through destructive relationships and habits with sarcasm and denial. With an average rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes with seasons two and three at 100%, the satire forces viewers to face their inner struggles while making them laugh again and again. Unflinchingly honest, clever, and at times devastating, “BoJack Horseman” evokes empathy for a cast of bizarre characters, some human and some anthropomorphic animals. Previous seasons are available on Netflix or Comedy Central. Fans eagerly wait to see if the final season will offer BoJack any resemblance of redemption.

The popular sitcom starring Randall Park and Constance Wu returns for its sixth season following Wu’s controversial Tweet expressing her disappointment at its renewal. The show created a buzz when it first aired, as the cast focuses on a Taiwanese-American family, making it the first sitcom in over 20 years featuring a predominantly Asian cast (“All-American Girl” aired in 1994, which consisted only of one season after a disappointing run inaccurately portraying KoreanAmerican life). Earlier this year, Wu’s social media outburst brought the show some attention, as she had to explain numerous times that her frustrated Tweet (“So upset right now that I’m literally crying.”) was due to the show’s renewal conflicting with a project she’d had to turn down, and that she is still dedicated to “Fresh Off the Boat”. Despite this short period of negative coverage, many fans are eager for the new season. Previous seasons are available on Hulu and new episodes are available on ABC.

Suggestions: Watch with friends for simultaneous laughter and lighthearted philosophical discussions. You might want to grab a hot drink and a blanket for the couch — creative conversations about the afterlife can get long.

VHF

2 1 13 12

5 4 3

Suggestions: Watch alone for individual musing and self reflection; Watch with friends to avoid being dragged down by some of the admittedly dark episodes and to pool your collective knowledge of pop culture so you don’t miss a single celebrity reference.

11 10 UHF

Suggestions: Watch with friends or family. Prepare to laugh together, relating to similar family struggles or learning about problems unique to Asian-American families or families living in places where they are considered a minority.

8 7

MEDIA & CULTURE

Noah Centineoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Twitter Feed Yea or Nay?

WRITTEN BY KEN MA // ILLUSTRATIONS BY STALO METAXOTOS

MEDIA & CULTURE American actor Noah Centineo, otherwise known as @noahcent, has cultivated a Twitter feed almost as meme-worthy as his “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” character, Peter “whoa whoa whoa” Kavinsky. Exhibit A: the link to Google Maps on his bio. At face value, the tweets are kind of hilarious, as they catch viewers off guard and have some spiciness or ring to them. This might fall in line with the notion of “Weird Twitter” or “funposting.” Everyone is pretty much in the vibe of weird Twitter. The unifying theme of weird Twitter is the “in the moment,” bizarre comedy of the Tweets. It’s synonymous with “funposting,” both being low-quality, low-effort posts — effectively useful or trash — with some humor to them all. Right now, Centineo has over 6,000 Tweetsand 1.57 million followers! Of his most liked tweets, two of the best are:

Off the bat, Centineo’s Tweets address reality and truth, just by looking at Tweet B. That is somewhat poetic and realistic, so a few or more can certainly relate to that. Expectations do change reality. The beauty of his Tweets lies in their unexpected and random nature — if we don’t expect a “normal” tweet, we can see past the weirdness of it straight through to the wisdom. The Tweets may or may not be funny to everyone, but they do follow a similar pattern to other Twitter celebrities. The question is: Do they come close

to the Tweets of those who have had a history of weirdness or outof-the-blue, like Jaden Smith, Harry Styles, President Donald Trump, or

Underrated Tweets:

Elon Musk?

These four truly exemplify weird Twitter. Welcome to The Twitter Zone (much like “The Twilight Zone”). It’ll be a chill, smooth ride. Some weird Tweets just come from sharing a message meant to be relevant or informative, as Trump’s are usually intended, but users like Smith and Musk make up the true core of weird Twitter. Thus, Centineo definitely fits into this category — he has some vagueness and strangeness in his tweets, similar to Musk, Styles, and Smith. However, Trump’s Tweets have more political context, which is in a different vein from Centineo’s feed. Centineo’s Tweets feature nihilism in an ironic way, as a lot of his posts and memes are in dread. His Tweets on reality or tiredness have some nihilism, but are more focused on comedy and relatability. He mixes weird and confusing into creativity, with lots of spiciness to gather an audience and really get everyone thinking

Most people can definitely relate to Tweet G, but his Tweet H response really hits home. When looking through Centineo’s timeline, these two are eyecatching. Everyone, for the most part, feels tired but has to act it out. We all can relate, which displays the nihilism in a joking or ironic kind of way. You’ve probably seen or heard it a million times, but the “My man” response in Tweet H calls to mind the American animated sitcom “Rick and Morty” — this Tweet is a reference to a season four episode. At one point, there was a small scene from this episode that everyone was referencing, including Centineo himself.

In short, Centineo’s Tweets are decent. Again, his Google Maps bio can’t be ignored. It truly commits to a cool and short description and rings true especially when you consider Tweet I, another Centineoism. There’s always someone with a mile-long about section, you know the type. On social media, it’s more and more of a trend to emphasize the short and sweet. Centineo’s Twitter feed exemplifies this, and if you don’t agree, in the words of Centineo himself, “I dislike you.” What else does Centineo have in store for Twitter devotees? Hit that bell icon to get ASAP notifications for more profound absurdities from @noahcent!

MEDIA & CULTURE

MASSACHUSETTS

VAPE

BAN CREATES CONVERSATION ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH

WRITTEN BY SHARON YAN // ILLUSTRATIONS BY MEREDITH FISHER

MEDIA & CULTURE On Sept. 24, Governor Charlie Baker issued an emergency four-month ban on the sale of all vaping products in Massachusetts following a rise in vapingrelated lung injuries. According to USA Today, “The number of vaping-related lung injury cases has jumped to 1,080 and deaths to 18,” with 10 cases of vapingrelated lung injury being reported in Massachusetts. This ban applies to all online and retail sale of nicotine and marijuana vaping products and devices, so all retail stores were directed to clear their shelves of such products immediately following the approval of Baker’s plan. Susan Mello, a professor in the College of Arts, Media, and Design at Northeastern University, has done research exploring the secondhand effects of exposure to e-cigarettes. In particular, she focused on how middle school and high school students are predominantly affected by this vaping epidemic due to being exposed to the aerosol in public areas. Since nicotine pods are small in size and easy to conceal, younger kids become more vulnerable and susceptible to experimenting with e-cigarette products. Her study of the topic with other researchers from the DanaFarber Cancer Institute, the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, the University of Illinois Urbana, and Michigan State University was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and has since been gaining national attention and featured in other prestigious publications like CNN, Daily Mail, and The Boston Globe. Though the e-cigarette epidemic is becoming widespread in America, many are still uneducated about the topic of vaping and its impact on the human body. Although long-term effects are unclear to most, many vapers have some idea of the potential dangers yet choose to ignore these looming suspicions. According to an anonymous Northeastern student, “I know vaping isn’t healthy for me, so it’s only a matter of time before I quit and I’m just going to enjoy it for now.” Until recently, there has not been much research about the effects of vaping, but now the nation is in panic and working to figure out what is causing people to need hospitalization for vaping-related lung injuries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that many hospitalization cases have resulted from people vaping products that include THC, the main psychoactive compound found in mairjuana, so they advise that people refrain from using vaping products altogether, especially those that have come into contact with other ingredients. “The vape ban has been effective because I no longer have access to nicotine, so it has made me realize the harmful effects it has because I have been noticing that with each day I wake up, I feel more healthy,” a Northeastern second-year student said.

According to USA Today, several Massachusetts vape stores and the Vapor Technology Association have filed complaints to the Boston federal court, as they are the main groups advocating for e-cigarette companies and vaping products. In addition, since many businesses rely on selling vaping products as their source of revenue, many retail shops are suffering and have had to let go of employees in order to afford personal costs like rent. WBUR reported that vape shop owner Stacy Poritzky made two million dollars in revenue last year from selling nicotine vaping products in Massachusetts but recently had to close down four of her businesses due to the ban, leaving her with an excess of vaping products in her inventory that will be costly for her and pushing her to consider early retirement. The ban is set to extend through Jan. 25, 2020, a four-month period, and another hearing is currently set for Oct. 15 for opposing groups to protests against the state-wide ban.

MEDIA & CULTURE

WHY SO SERIOUS?

THE CONTROVERSY BEHIND “JOKER” WRITTEN BY HAYLEIGH EVANS // ILLUSTRATIONS BY MEGAN LAM

MEDIA & CULTURE

“Joker” was undoubtedly one of the most anticipated film releases of 2019. Now, it is one of the most controversial. The film follows a psychologically unstable comedian who resorts to gun violence. Understandably, this can be very upsetting to audiences, given the frequency of gun violence this year. According to the Gun Violence Archive, as of Oct. 6 there have been 324 mass shootings in 2019. That comes out to an average of more than one mass shooting each day. Even outside of these statistics, mass shootings and gun violence have become a staple in the news and on social media. The controversy does not stop with the content of the film alone. Prior to its Oct. 4 release, the FBI issued warnings to law enforcement about potential mass shootings at showings of the film. While there were no specific locations, the FBI claimed they had been receiving tips about potential threats upon the film’s release for months. This stems from the mass shooting at an Aurora, Colorado movie theater during the premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises” in 2012. At the time, this was the deadliest mass shooting in American history, with 12 people killed and 70 others injured. Despite being so controversial, “Joker” is a box office success. The Warner Brothers film has a nine out of 10 rating on IMDb. On Rotten Tomatoes, the critic score is 69% and the audience score is 89% as of Oct. 29. The film broke records opening weekend as it made an estimated $93.5 million in North America, defeating “Venom” as the top grossing film ever released in October year-over-year. “Venom,” a superhero film from the Sony Marvel Universe, grossed around $80 million in October of 2018. The juxtaposition of controversy

with such success leaves us with many questions to consider. Are films like “Joker” glorifying gun violence and feeding inspiration for copy cats? Can a film be responsible for perpetuating a problem that society fails to eliminate? The director of the film, Todd Phillips, voiced frustration with the backlash. During an interview with Vanity Fair he said, “We’re making a movie about a fictional character in a fictional world, ultimately, and your hope is that people take it for what it is. You can’t blame movies for a world that is so fucked up that anything can trigger it. It’s not a call to action. If anything it’s a call to self-reflection to society.” After seeing all of the buzz about this film online, I went into the theater skeptical about what I was about to witness for the next two hours. It was intense and, at times, difficult to watch. I felt a whirlwind of emotions from horror to sympathy to anger. Audiences witnessed Arthur Fleck, a failed comedian, struggle with personal hardship and mental illness, which leads him to violence. While the film never reveals a specific diagnosis, it is clear that Fleck is suffering from mental illness. Fleck mentions being locked in a hospital and says that he takes seven different medications. Eventually, as the film progresses, he can no longer afford them because of governmental budget cuts. The film illustrates a dangerous link between mental illness and gun violence, which is the root of the controversy behind this film. It’s clear that the filmmakers want us to sympathize with Fleck, otherwise they wouldn’t have taken the time to give him an extensive backstory. If they had, the backstory would have been more similar to that of Heath Ledger’s Joker in “The Dark Knight,” simply

showing Fleck committing a criminal act and killing civilians. My heart hurt when Fleck said during a therapy session, “I just don’t want to feel bad anymore.” In this scene, he is very relatable, as I’m sure that is something we have all thought in times of hardship. I know I’ve said this when going through tough times myself. Many of us struggle with mental health issues — Fleck is not the only one. Despite this, many claim the film does not do enough. It introduces a mentally ill man, characterizes him through stereotypical symptoms, and convinces the audience he has no other option than to resort to violence. This sounds like something straight out of a news article. While this is upsetting to many, Phillips himself said that this was the point. This film is a call for self-reflection. We should not be focusing on what we dislike about the film, but rather we should be focusing on what we dislike about our society (the mass shootings that occur every day) and thinking about what we can do to fix it. “Joker” is not trying to offer solutions, and frankly, that is not its responsibility. Whether tied to mental illness or not, gun violence is a real problem. Blaming perpetrators of gun violence strictly on those who struggle with mental illness is not the answer. Criticizing a fictional plot line for featuring gun violence is not solving anything either. I was scared to go see this movie in the theater, but not because of the movie itself. I was worried for my safety, frightened of another mass shooting like the one in Aurora, Colorado. Evidently, this film is not perpetuating gun violence. We are.

FOCUS

We need another library,

not ISEC 2.0

WRITTEN BY AASHKA PANDYA // PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHEYENNE TANG Stepping onto the Northeastern campus with fresh eyes this semester, my first thoughts seemed to always travel back to studying and how I would study. Naturally, I had no idea what my study space was going to look like. So, like most college freshman, I went through the process of figuring out my study routine. Was I going to be a dorm person? Possibly a library goer? Or maybe even a green space studier. Once I became adjusted to the first few days of classes, I followed the herd of students filing into Snell library without really considering any other options, just because they were disappointing. Studying in the dorm became stressful as I was mixing my studying and living space and I found myself falling asleep while doing work. Studying outside was tedious as the weather was always unpredictable and honestly, I’m just easily distracted. So I found out that my favorite study space was the library, just like most Northeastern students. I completed my work in the dull, prison-like space daily. I was greeted by the same array of brown and gray with awkward splashes of red and green on the walls. However, there are often times where I am turned away from entering the library because of the daunting swarm of students heading in and out of the doors. In those cases, I opt to travel across the bridge to another side of campus and to the beautifully captivating building that has the perfect atmosphere for studying: the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex, or, as everyone refers to it, ISEC. The grandeur of ISEC is incomparable to Snell. The building is beautiful. The only fault? There are a limited number of studying spaces. It can easily take close to an hour to find a place to sit with a friend, constantly hearing the ding of the elevator floors and the scuffle of impatient shoes. Its architecture is not made for studying. So, if hundreds of students daily venture in and out of our one library, wouldn’t time and money be more useful if put towards building another, nicer library and not ISEC 2.0? ISEC is one of the prettiest and most modern buildings on campus. The atmosphere

is certainly more exciting than Snell’s but it does not have the same functionality as a library. According to the ISEC website, the space is dedicated to be used as a “hub for collaborative research. Inside [the] 220,000-square-foot innovation ecosystem, great minds come together — finding new ways to improve lives, to keep people and systems secure, and to preserve our fragile planet.” The ISEC building is serving its purpose as a research facility, but there seems to be a higher need for a new library. First-year marketing major Sofia Heimowitz said of Snell library, “It’s crowded! I’ve been there maybe twice and there are like eight million people there!” It is hard to settle down and focus with a constant flow of people in and out of the building. With a second

FOCUS MEDIA & CULTURE library, the traffic in the building could decrease and turn into a more functional space. Heimowitz isn’t the only one who thinks this. Heimowitz also explained that building another ISEC building would be counterproductive. “What is the point? What is it going to help?” Data analytics and engineering graduate student Yixuan Fengwhich shared a similar sentiment. Feng explained, “A new library would be better since there would be more room to study with friends. Snell is already crowded and there is a greater need for study rooms. There are not enough tables and chairs in Snell anyways.” Going with a group of two or three friends is always an impossibility and students are typically left combing through the aisles on each floor of the library to find some room to settle down. Feng continued, “I am in the pathway program so I, along with many fellow students, pay a lot for tuition and I still can not find a place to study in our one library. Where does our money go? It should go to a place where students can use.” I understand Feng’s sentiment. Personally, I feel frustration anytime I go the top floor of Snell, only to see a lot of open floor space but not a single open table. It would feel more productive and satisfying if money was going towards constructing another study space for students to utilize. The library is surely more practical of a study space than ISEC is. It was created to have more IT help, materials, printers, and resources. It is a building dedicated to studying after all. However, there are many ways that Snell can improve as a study space or rather, there are many reasons we need a new and improved one. Having another space dedicated to studying that is possibly combined with the refreshing and modern atmosphere of ISEC’s could do wonders for our campus and student’s morale.

Second-year behavioral neuroscience major Victor Foster expressed, “The university is just trying to get a lot of money through engineering and research. A more functional study space like the first floor of ISEC replicated multiple times with a cafe would be the ideal building to work in.” This makes sense as most students are seeking more study spaces for themselves and for when they work in groups. Some students, like first-year graduate management information systems major Rohan Yewale, found positives in the construction of ISEC 2.0. He concluded, “The university is getting more grants for their research since they need more space and area to work. It will help elevate the level of research they conduct.”Although he expressed the positives of ISEC 2.0, he was still quick to point out what Snell lacks when he explained, “Another library would not be the best use of money but maybe another floor would be helpful … the second floor is almost always crowded.” Snell is a convenient and easy place to study when not packed full of students, but it can be difficult to get over its innately dull nature. Libraries are always put to use and can even include space dedicated towards research. Having the freedom to alternate the space you work comfortably would further invigorate the process of studying. It can get tiring and distracting to study in similar spaces with high traffic. Northeastern University is a place that should be dedicated to the students and to improving our on-campus resources. ISEC 2.0 will surely help advance the research stature our school has achieved, but a new library can be used more practically to the student body’s benefit. As other students have expressed, there seems to be a greater calling for another library (or at least an improvement of our current one) rather than an ISEC 2.0.

FOCUS

FOREVER

21 CY

T P U R K N BA

WRITTEN BY KEN MA // ILLUSTRATIONS BY DIANA STEELMAN Founded in California in 1984, Forever 21 has been around in Boston and surrounding American cities for a long time. However, the retail corporation has fallen ill and is on the brink of disappearing forever in the 21st century, just like many other retail giants such as Sears and Kmart. However, it just might be a domino effect, a plague that will infect other stores doomed to a similar fate as Forever 21. Where did they go wrong? Although many stores have been closing their brickand-mortar locations, Forever 21 was still opening up new stores in 2015. Forever 21 opened 50 stores four years ago, making it the largest expansion in Forever 21â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s retail history. Openings included France, Germany,

and Britain. According to Fashion United, it did want to keep investing in Europe after getting a foothold and debuting in Birmingham in 2010. During that time, Forever 21 was on track to becoming an eight billion dollar company in a couple of years, as it had doubled its revenue in the previous years. However, its projected profit was not to come into fruition. By 2016 Forever 21 was beginning to have financial troubles, according to the New York Post. The company had always been succeeding and busy expanding world-wide, but the shoppers and audience shifted taste, having grown tired of the price and style. Like many other stores in the past, the company seemed to

FOCUS be over-expanding and outdated in its business model. Many follow the same fate of expanding too fast and not making the expected revenue, thus so many closings after periods of expansion. A few examples of these include Independence Air, Quiznos, Even Stevens, and Krispy Kreme — more businesses with similar tales. Mattress Firm is also a good example. Forever 21 could have taken some notes and learned from these companies’ mistakes. Forever 21 has made some bad moves in the past such as expanding too quickly, not catching up with consumer needs, and minimally investing in online retail. Reuters reported that despite the difficulties paying off debt, Forever 21 competed with Amazon in acquiring the bankrupt company American Apparel. With so many stores around the globe, which generated high prices in rent and catered to a small, specific demographic, the company did really limit itself, and with new competition in fashion and e-commerce, Forever 21 was really lagging behind. By June of 2019, Forever 21 was looking for avenues and advice to avoid bankruptcy. Concerns about falling short and going bankrupt officially arose in June but it has been under financial speculation for years, so it’s not very surprising. Even before 2010, the world knew that the online market is the future and was worth investing in, plus anticipated that brick-and-mortar locations wouldn’t stick around forever. Around the time Forever 21 filed for bankruptcy (late Sep. 2019), a whopping 178 stores closed across the country, with 350 shutdowns world-wide. By the end of this year, the company expects 12,000 closings of its stores — permanently as of January 30, 2020 — as stated by Elizabeth Hernandez, a company representative. Over 500 of its stores are based in malls

all over the United States, but the website is just a small portion of the pie in sales, accounting for a mere 16 percent. Forever 21’s website is not as developed, showing a customer discount and slowdown to competitors, as narrated by Forbes. Most seem to point to Generation Z and Millennials as the culprits of the near-collapse of Forever 21, as ultimately the demand for clothing and merchandise in-store continues to dwindle. Another factor is the emergence of e-commerce, which makes up a significant portion of the market, as many have moved towards buying on the internet for the most part, leading brick-andmortar retailers to fall out of favor in the market’s eye. Within the bad news, there are still good news for Forever 21. A retail analyst from Bloomberg predicted that Gen Zers may help save Forever 21, despite being a suspected contributor its downfall. Despite the store closings and chapter 11 bankruptcy, experts from National Real Estate Investor state that the Forever 21 chain will survive. Vox reported even the executive vice president of Forever 21 believes this isn’t the end, stating that “This was an important and necessary step to secure the future of our company, which will enable

us to reorganize our business and reposition Forever 21.” Hopefully the company will remain intact by repositioning to investing in their website and marketing to the newer generation via social media. A Woof poll surveyed public opinion on what type of shopping they prefer. According to the survey, three members picked online shopping, 10 of them selected in-store shopping, and 53 chose both (online and in-store). It seems there may be hope after all.

FOR

21 R VE

FOCUS

CHALLENGES WOMEN OF COLOR FACE IN THE WORKPLACE

WRITTEN BY NATALIA HADAWAY // PHOTOGRAPHED BY KALINE LANGLEY Northeastern’s co-op program grants all students the opportunity to gain work experience before graduation. However, despite having a generalized preparatory course for co-ops, some students have complained about less formal support upon actually starting in their positions. Various minority groups face particular difficulties from perceived and actual biases and discrimination. Since these common difficulties can impact long-term mental, emotional, and physical health, it is important to look into the obstacles minorities at Northeastern face. In this case, we looked into the women of color (WOC) in our community. Female students of color in particular have little specialized preparation or support for maneuvering the effects that implicit biases and underlying discrimination have on their wellbeing, despite heavy evidence of its existence and long-lasting impact. Insecurity in Sense of Belonging Journalism graduate student Brandi Griffin is an African American woman from Atlanta currently

working at a local Boston news station. “When you’re not seeing people who look like you ... it’s too easy to have the mentality of ‘Oh I don’t belong here,’” Griffin said. She expressed that this initial moment creates a sometimes momentary, sometimes constant feeling of not belonging or a feeling that others don’t believe you belong. While working in the newsroom, Griffin once wore a particular skirt she believed was more than appropriate for work. Nonetheless, her boss pulled her aside to explain someone had reported her attire to HR. That same week, a white female coworker wore a skirt slightly shorter than Brandi’s, but received no complaints or criticism. Whether or not race played a part, situations like this spark a sense of distrust in employees. Either way, the event made her feel as though she was being treated differently due to her race. Now, she’s even more cautious in what she wears and continues to be hyper-aware of disparities in the workplace.

FOCUS Stereotype Threat & Cementing Northeastern chemistry professor Oyinda Oyeleran has received her PhD in both chemistry and chemical biology from Harvard University. Even with so much prestige, Dr. Oyelarn explained that the “stereotype threat” remains regardless of achievement. Dr. Oyelarn was not the only one: Throughout my interviews, this term was continuously coined to describe the phenomenon of one person representing an entire race in social spheres. Dr. Oyeleran describes it as the constant feeling of “everybody think[ing] I’m going to validate whatever stereotype about whatever group.” In other words, Dr. Oyelarn, being the “Only One,” says “I have to be careful.” She had to ensure that her actions did not confirm any previous negative biases that her coworkers had towards black people. It causes WOC to be more wary with each step they take for fear that it will further justify and confirm negative attributes that would then spread to characterize every single person within their own race or ethnicity. While Dr. Oyelaran says she’s learned to dissuade that pressure over time, each student interviewed explained that she felt a responsibility to represent her entire racial and ethnic group as well. The Catalyst reported that “not only do [WOC] carefully choose their words for fear that their opinions will be attributed to their entire race or ethnic background, but they are also careful about their appearance and even their personal purchases.” Loss of Identity for Assimilation This theme is usually done subtly through something as simple as code-switching. Code-switching happens when WOC often change a part of themselves — how they express themselves and what they choose to express — in order to better fit the culture of the work environment, which is created to fit white narratives and lifestyle. While it’s normal and natural to choose to be more professional in the workplace, there’s an added distinction between the code-switching that those who are and aren’t WOC enact. It comes in various forms, from no longer playing cultural music at work to changing the pronunciation of their names to make it more digestible. A fourth-year biology and English major, who asked to remain anonymous, is aspiring to attend medical school and works at a hospital in her free time, where she finds herself to be the only Pakistani Muslim on her team. Her unique perspective to every situation — especially as a WOC treating WOC — is typically silenced out of fear. Even when WOC are being mistreated or misunderstood, she finds she doesn’t want to perpetuate and become the stereotype of an overly-sensitive and nitpicking WOC who overexaggerates race-related issues. She feels it will

antagonize her boss and coworkers, and she believes her perspective won’t catalyze a change anyway because, like many others, she is alone. This means the hospital is unable to process her perspective and improve. It also causes patients to suffer and forces her to carry that emotional burden and the deeprooted guilt alone. This woman experiences a more extreme loss of personal identity in her position at the hospital. She feels as though everything from her tone to her style is starkly different than everyone around her and as a result, she is treated differently. So she changed how she dresses, how she talks, what she talks about, and even how much she speaks altogether. “I had to adapt to another culture to be viewed in a better light so that my work was seen in a better light,” she said. Looking back, she realized she had sacrificed her entire identity, including both her ethnicity and religion, to become a person at work that would better fit the culture of the workspace. “As a South Asian woman, I have the option to adopt the culture and become one of them … [and not] challenge certain topics,” she said, referring to being viewed as more likable and a better employee. However, as a result of adapting to their culture and habits, she felt that her true, authentic self would continue to feel left out. Furthermore, she felt her authentic self wasn’t good enough, but she continued to work so as not to risk her current and future positions. Each woman interviewed explained her own issues related to being the Only One in the workplace, and each woman was impacted differently. The Catalyst revealed that 58 percent of all WOC in various levels of differing career fields experience this feeling of being the Only One, and are subsequently on guard because of it. Over 40 percent of WOC reported being on guard not only because they feared racial or ethnic bias, but because they anticipated it. This leads to sleep problems and increased exhaustion (which can in turn lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes), increased anxiety and self-doubt, and many other issues that follow them after co-op ends. So, with such strong evidence of these discrepancies even within the Northeastern community, it is imperative that Northeastern’s coop preparatory program addresses these issues by acknowledging their existence, providing tools to manage them, and facilitating support groups to cope with them. These women have shared stories from before college, during co-ops, and post-grad. Tackling these problems early on can minimize the effects on students, so there’s no reason not to.

NORTHEASTERN’S LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE DOESN’T END HERE. WWW.WOOF-MAG.COM