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EOTW: Jordan Williams

West & Down

p.22 Friday Nights at the PMA

October 2, 2019 | 34st.com

FINDING A PLACE IN THE CLASSROOM The complicated past and uncertain future of Penn ethnic studies

october22,,2019 OCTOBER 3 WORD ON THE STREET

How Penn Taught Me to Finally Love My Name

4 EGO

EOTW: Jordan Williams, Maggie Blackhawk

Annabelle Williams, Editor–in–Chief Dalton DeStefano, Managing Editor Daniel Bulpitt, Audience Engagement Director Lily Snider, Assignments Editor Ethan Wu, Media Director

Chelsey Zhu, Katie Bontje, Isabella Simonetti, Denali Sagner, Chris Schiller

Sophie Burkholder, Special Issues Editor Allison Wu, Long–Term Features Editor Ryan McLaughlin, Word on the Street Editor Katie Bontje, Ego Editor Sam Kesler, Music Editor Srinidhi Ramakrishna, Developing Features Editor Bea Forman, Style Editor Shannon Zhang, Film & TV Editor Sophia DuRose, Arts Editor Sophia Dai & Eleanor Shemtov, Photo Editors Tahira Islam & Katie Steele, Copy Editors Kira Horowitz & Sarah Poss: Copy Editors

Film & TV Beats: Shriya Beesam, Samantha Sanders, Anna Collins, Jonah Charlton, Aashray Khanna, Deren Alanay

Dean Jones & Jackson Parli, Video Editors Alice Heyeh, Print Director

6 MUSIC

Calexico and Iron & Wine, 'Truth Is,' Charli XCX Review

10 STYLE

West & Down, 69th Street, Queen & Rock

LOL

12 FEATURE

Ethnic Studies at Penn

LOL 17 FILM & TV

Netflix & Chills, 'Downton Abbey,' 'Judy' Review

22 ARTS

Friday Nights at the PMA

LOL

Ego Beats: Amanpreet Singh, Sonali Deliwala, Katie Farrell, Amy Xiang, Ananya Muthukrishnan, Margaret Dunn, Fernanda Brizuela

Arts Beats: Rema Hort, Sarah Yoon, Tsemone Ogbemi Design Editors: Gillian Diebold, Lucy Ferry, Jess Tan, Tamsyn Brann

Video Staff: Sam Lee, Megan Kyne, Morgan Jones, Mikayla Golub Copy Associates: Kate Poole, Serena Miniter, Erin Liebenberg, Lexie Shah, Carmina Hachenburg, Luisa Healey, Agatha Advincula Audience Engagment Associates: McKay Norton, Rachel Markowitz, Kat Ulich, Brittany Levy, Jessica Bachner, Maya Berardi, Stephanie Nam

Design Associates: Isabel Liang, Ava Cruz, Joy Lee, Rhys Floyd, Manasa Sudunagunta, Gebran Abulhai, Sudeep Bhargava,

"I'd definitely rather be dumb than stupid."

Staff Writers: Ana Hallman, Arjun Swaminathan, Tara OʼBrien, Hannah Yusuf, Sophia Schulz-Rusnacko, Jordan Waschman, Jessica Bao, Quinn Robinson, Layla Murphy, Anya Tullan, Hannah Sanders, Julia Esposito, Avery Johnston, Harshita Gupta

Contacting 34th Street Magazine: If you have questions, comments, complaints or letters to the editor, email Annabelle Williams, Editor–in–Chief, at williams@34st.com. You can also call us at (215) 422–4640. www.34st.com

Music Beats: Mehek Boparai, Melannie Jay, Teresa Xie, Petyon Toups, Julia Davies, Keely Douglas

Illustrators: Brad Hong, Catherine Liang, Jake Lem, Saranya Sampath, Christopher Kwok, Diane Lin, Jacqueline Lou, Isabel Liang, Sammie Yoon

Features Staff: Zoe Young, Hailey Noh, Katrina Janco,

Staff Photographers: Hoyt Gong, Sophia Zhu, Diya

Cover by Sammie Yoon

©2019 34th Street Magazine, The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. No part may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express, written consent of the editors (but I bet we will give you the a–okay.) All rights reserved. 34th Street Magazine is published by The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc., 4015 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa., 19104, every Wednesday.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR E

very time I walk into the 34th Street office—so pretty much every day—I’m greeted with paper.

The wall behind my desk is tiled with covers of old issues dating back to 2017. To my left are photos of former Street editors—one DFMO–ing, one as a child in a fedora.

A note from my predecessor Nick Joyner is tacked right in front of me. An ad from "professor Salaam" touting a "sexual powder" and protection from "mystical abuse" hovers directly in my eye–line on the back wall. A note saying “Good Job!”—I don’t remember who wrote it— sticks to the corkboard to my right. These are the ephemera that mark my time on 34th Street.

But when I started, we spent our time in a different room entirely. From where I sit now, here's how you get there. Head out the door and take a right and then a left and then another right at the water fountains.

That office was smaller, passing cozy and careening right into claustrophobic, papered with physical artifacts dating back decades. Where our current office's walls are around half–blank, the former was so covered in clippings that it probably constituted a fire hazard. That old office formed my first mental picture of Street, back in my freshman year—a small space, steeped in a history I couldn’t even begin to picture, a legacy I couldn't envision myself taking part in.

Between my freshman and sophomore year, I worked a job in Philadelphia. On my nights off, I’d trek over to the DP office and thumb through old issues of Street,

23 OVERHEARDS 2

Style Beats: Diya Sethi, Karin Hananel, Sofia Heller, Mark Pino, Hannah Lonser, Hannah Gross

Sethi, Adiel Izilov, Sally Chen, Mona Lee, Emma Boey, Amanda Shen, Sudeep Bhargava, Adrianna Brusie, Kelly Chen, Eli Cohen

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Wawa slushie in tow. I wanted to learn more about what I was getting myself into. Even more than that, I wanted to belong somewhere. I wanted to make my mark on a place.

In the late summer of 2017, as I prepared for my sophomore year and geared up to become a Street editor, the office moved. It was, put simply, a mind–fuck. I wasn’t even all that involved, and still I’d built up so many memories in that space. And now we were supposed to cede it to Under the Button and retreat to an (admittedly larger) office with antiseptic white walls and an uncomfortable red couch?

The split came during the 133rd Board, and I have these bifurcated memories of then–editors Dani Blum and Orly Greenberg in both places. I had to check with another DP lifer, Julia Schorr, to even remember when we moved. That space feels like a relic of another life.

I sit in our office now and think about the notes and photos on the walls. I realize that, if and when I leave them here, they'll outlast me on Street. Someday someone might sit in this office and know me and my predecessors and my successors only from a photo or a scribbled note. And I feel grateful to have added to the physical record of this place.

But more than that, I'm excited to see how that record grows.

WORD ON THE STREET

HOW I LEARNED TO LOVE MY NAME WHAT STARTED OUT AS HATRED FOR THE NAME ON MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE GREW INTO AN UNTAPPED APPRECIATION OF WHO I AM. AAKRUTI GANESHAN Isabel Liang | Illustrator

If you’ve met me during any part of my adolescence, you probably know me as ‘aa–kroot–ee’. If you’ve had the unfortunate displeasure of meeting me for the first time at any social event where the decibel of the music turns those three syllables into an incoherent mess, you may know me as "AJ." Neither one of those variations is reflective of the actual name on my birth certificate.

As the famous quote from Romeo and Juliet goes, “What’s in a name?” As someone whose parents decided that the best name for their child growing up in suburban Australia was "Aakruti," I can tell you—a lot more than you think. My first attempts to introduce myself with my actual name (pronounced aak–rith–i) were met with discombobulated, uncertain repetitions back—"Aqua–ti?"

"Aak– rit?" They seemed futile.

Eventually, I decided ‘Aak– root–ee’ was probably the least awkward sounding of the bunch. I vowed to never be like my parents, in the

sense that I would be sure to give my hypothetical child a name that doubled as both white and Indian.

By the time I moved to Singapore around the sixth grade, I’d accepted the consistent mispronunciation, just as incorrect colloquialisms often become part of the dictionary. Any compliments on the prettiness of my name were immediately turned down. To me, the Emmas and Sophias of the world had hit the fucking jackpot. They’d never seen that look on every teacher’s face when they get to your name on the attendance sheet on your first day­— that look of confusion, followed by a consonant–by–consonant sounding out that always, always made my name sound a thousand times more convoluted.

Somewhere along the way, my grudge shifted. I no longer hated the mispronunciation. No, I hated my actual name. And despite going to an international school in a country where my mother tongue was one of the four national languages, I treated

my culture with a sort of tolerant indifference. I kept it at arm’s length, only considering it relevant when I was around my immediate family. My nationality, according to every legal document I own, was Australian. My ethnicity? More of a bump in the road along the way.

Of course, this came with its own issues. When asked where I was from, I immediately identified Australia as my hometown. This response always evoked the same reaction: a smirk, accompanied by the follow–up question "But where are you really from?" Apparently, shirking my identity did not mean everyone else would do me the same courtesy. I was stuck in a perpetual purgatory—not Australian enough, but also not culturally aware or willing to claim India as my own. If anything, it deepened my disassociation with Indian culture by forcing me to assert one sole country as home.

Keep in mind, I lived in India for a solid three years prior to relocating to Singapore. By all logic, I should’ve

instinctively developed a connection to my heritage just by being immersed in it. However, what I saw as negative aspects of the country far outweighed any appreciation I had for the culture. I quickly became fixated on the pollution, the sexism, and the dichotomous relationship between the wealthy and poor present throughout the country. I equated the cultural and the political, further reinforceing my apathetic attitude.

But when I first introduced myself to the girls who would become my future roommates and best friends, they looked me dead in the eye and flatly told me, "That is absolutely not the way to say it."

At Penn, something changed. Given the current inflammatory rhetoric regarding immigrant identity in the United States, it is difficult to not opt to assimilate. But I will say this much.

Until I moved to America, to Penn, I had never been truly proud of my culture. It was here that I joined an Indian dance team, and here that I

found the people that always insist on saying my name the right way. Penn taught me to see the true value of Indian heritage in a number of ways and magnified my appreciation for the country I once refused to refer to as home.

Ironically, here, in this country a thousand miles away, is where I probably feel most connected to the culture I’m actually from.

Of course, I feel fortunate to be surrounded by people from such a varied range of backgrounds and opinions.

I also fully acknowledge and appreciate the privilege that has come with exposure to such a plethora of cultures, for I have learned and grown so much because of it. In the same vein, I don’t resent those who still pronounce my name the way I initially introduced it. That was a conscious decision on my part, one that I still sometimes make because it feels like the easy way out.

But that deep resentment I felt towards my name? Gone.

And all of the discomfort I felt towards my ethnicity no longer exists either.

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EGO

Ego of the Week: Jordan Williams reflects on his passion for entrepreneurship, finding himself, and what vacation he would be.

Fernanda Brizuela 34th Street: Tell me a little bit about the Youth Entrepreneurs Diversity Corporation.

Jordan Williams: It’s a nonprofit organization that a few friends and I came up with. We usually call it YED Corp. It’s an organization that gives resources to college students who are interested in entrepreneurship and starting their own business. We have a conference that we do every summer called the YED Summit where we bring together college students from across the country and invite speakers and mentors that they can listen to.

It’s just a lot of good energy, having these young individuals inspiring each other. We also do local meetings, such as in Philadelphia and Boston, that bring people together to have an environment where ideas can come together.

34th Street: What inspired you to start YED? JW: I run it with two friends from Boston who are at Northeastern. One of my friends actually came up to me with the idea—he had been to a lot of conferences and wasn’t really satisfied with the experience. He felt that those who planned them didn’t know the best way to cater to people our age. They don’t know the type of speakers we want to hear, or the type of structure that would be the best fit for college students. Since we’re in this age group we wanted to start an organization that could cater to people our age so events actually resonate with them.

34th Street: Are you personally interested in entrepreneurship?

JW: I have been interested in entrepreneurship since I was young. I grew up in an entrepreneurial household. My dad is an 4

entrepreneur, and I always followed his example. Ever since we were young, my friends from back home and I worked in entrepreneurial projects. We started our first business when we were ten, it was just selling old toys and games to kids at school, but it got that passion flowing. Then when we got to high school we started our clothing line, Young Moguls Brand. We just had this itch— we wanted to create things that resonate with our friends as well.

34th Street: Tell me more about Young Moguls Brand.

JW: Young Moguls Brand is a clothing line we started when we were sophomores in high school.

The purpose is to promote a positive message for our generation.

All of the pieces are meant to inspire people to find their passions, start their own business, or just create what they’re passionate about in some way. It’s something we’ve been working on since then and we want it to continually develop—hopefully, it’ll grow into something that is more than just clothes. We want it to grow into more of a lifestyle brand rather than a clothing brand, so that’s the goal for the future. I definitely want things I’m working on after college to fall into that brand. I’m not extremely interested in just doing clothing, I would like to branch out, but with the same message and overall brand of Young Moguls.

34th Street: I’ve heard about one of your other projects, Making Money for Teens, what is that?

JW: Making Money for Teens was one of the initial projects I worked on with my friend Brandon, when we were about 13

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Williams

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia Major: Marketing Activities: Baker Retailing Center, Black Wharton Undergraduate Association, Friars Senior Society, Youth Entrepreneurship Diversity Corporation, Young Moguls Brand

years old. The story is that our dads used to be business partners and they would do these financial education seminars for adults every week. They told us that if we helped them set up they would give us ten, twenty dollars, so we would just sit in the back every Tuesday after school.

We learned a lot just from being in the room–we picked up on a lot of financial topics that 13–year-olds probably don’t hear about on a daily basis, and so we thought they were topics that would be helpful for our friends to hear since we weren’t being taught that in school. We created Making Money for Teens to put financial topics in a simple way that our friends could understand. We would make CDs or other financial education projects and we would actually sell them at those meetings so parents could take them back to their kids.

34th Street: A lot of the career paths we’re exposed to at Penn are very individualistic, what inspired you to create projects that motivate others to follow their passions?

JW: Honestly, there are a lot of things that personally resonate with me that people who inspire me have done. Whenever I look at other people that have made an impact in society, I notice that their motives were not about them, even if they might get a lot of attention now. They were passionate about something and I think when people focus on doing something to provide value for other people, good comes

back. I think starting with Sophia Dai | Photo Editor that pure moment is always better in the long run. The end trying to figure out my purpose goal for many people is to get and the direction I wanted to go attention or money, and this in life. This was a difficult process drives the creative process in the of trying to understand my own beginning, which I think skews identity and where my future the whole beauty of what being is taking me. It was tough but creative means in the first place. I think that the process of writI just want to provide value for ing and starting the book gave others and at the end of the day, me so much clarity throughout the school year. It felt like I was the rest will take care of itself.

34th Street: Tell me about a finding myself. I think finishing meaningful experience your it in the summer and coming back to Penn I just feel a lot more projects have given you.

JW: My junior year I was clear–headed. I think it’s made working on a book project for a difference in my interactions pretty much the whole year–I with people, my friendships, and published it this summer. That how much I’m enjoying Penn in project means a lot to me because general. This experience means a lot to me. it started junior fall when I was

LIGHTNING ROUND Favorite Penn building?

That red library? Fisher Fine Arts! Which is interesting because I’ve only been there like twice but it’s my favorite building. It gives me Harry Potter vibes.

Favorite class you’ve taken?

A Jazz history class I took freshman year.

Do you have any hidden talents?

Hmm...I don’t think I have something like playing guitar or anything like that, but I’m into graphic design.

Sweet or savory?

I have a sweet tooth.

If you could be a type of vacation, which one would you be?

It would definitely be somewhere that’s secluded but that has beautiful scenery, just stuff that’s not typical.

Something that’s underrated but very nice.

There are two types of people at Penn: Those who stress and those who enjoy.

Adi el I zil ov

EGO

her rap tog ho |P

Professor Maggie Blackhawk is Breaking New Ground in Federal Indian Law The Penn Law School professor talks about what brought her to law school and how she's shifting the legal paradigm.

Katie Farrell

“It feels as though you are carving completely new ground,” I remark to Professor Maggie Blackhawk, a Federal Indian Law scholar at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a member of the Fond du la Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe. She responds with a quick burst of friendly laughter before responding, “I have been told that by others before.”

It's a modest answer for one of the two Federal Indian Law scholars at Penn Law, who recently published a 100–page Harvard Law Review article, an op–ed in the New York Times, and is as the Senior Constitutional Advisor to the President of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.

The articles are her newest contributions to the field, and they're accompanied by many other publications and conferences, but they all forward the same thesis: that “we have not yet reformed the laws that allowed for the abuse of Native Americans,” because we have not “d[ug] deep into the field and the way that their doctrine and law may have a connection to American colonialism.”

On–the–ground activism regarding indigenous rights made headlines during the I Stand with Standing Rock (Also known as: “NO DAPL”) movement in North Dakota in 2017. Further, calls to change the Washington Redskins football team name, and a New York Times article about the discourse surrounding

Massachusetts' official state seal (which depicts a Sword hanging over a Native American) show a shift in the right direction.

It was legal activism that originally inspired Professor Blackhawk to attend law school, after working with “a team of women lawyers, who were lobbyists, working to change the legislation.” She notes that “it’s been Congress, not the courts, that’s been saving Indian Country.”

But, Professor Blackhawk is not going into Congress, at least anytime soon. Instead she has decided to go into the legal academy, because “[she] thought that we could try and help the other branches, as well as scholars, in training lawyers differently.” Now, it is her goal as a professor to, “train the best lawyers I can. The law is a tool—and a really amazing one—so my hope is to train the best lawyers but also, through my work and action, to have our students leave here with a better understanding of the value of pluralism, diversity, and the reality of what our country has been: to celebrate the good and see the bad.”

Professor Blackhawk's office is filled with law books, thoroughly highlighted and opened on her desk. It's clear how importantly she views her work, and how she integrates it into her daily life. The walls are filled with famous indigenous paintings. Right between where the bookshelf and ceiling meet, there are eight license plates. On the other side of the

room, there is a seemingly familiar United States map, but instead of an emphasis on the state lines, the map is marked with native countries.

“It’s a way of responding to erasure,” she explains, “these famous painters, and the map where the landscape is all devoid.” Instead, it is the native countries at the focal point.

Her eyebrows furrowed together in thought before her face returns to her smile, “sovereignty can look like a license plate, native government issues license plates for those cars, it’s a quick way of showing students that these governments are governing and

doing wonderful things, just like other governments.”

Looking forward, Professor Blackhawk is attentive to future legal battles. For example, Carpenter v. Murphy is a case that was heard before the Supreme Court this past session, but was ultimately put onto the next semester—an uncommon move.

The case asks the question: Do the 1866 territorial boundaries of the Creek Nation within the former Indian Territory of eastern Oklahoma constitute an “indian reservation” today under the “Indian country definitions” within the law?

Professor Blackhawk’s work is

new, and when asked about her limitations in the field, she states “because it is so new, there has been a wonderful response. Many scholars have started the conversation to, at the very least, change the classes to be teaching students about Native nations and American colonialism in their classes.

We can look towards Professor Blackhawk as an inspiration to stand up for the voices silenced.

We can look at her as an inspiration that shows the true power that laws can have. But, perhaps most importantly, we can thank her for carving out a new territory in the legal field.

CAPS Counseling & Psychological Services

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MUSIC

Calexico and Iron & Wine Were Worth the Wait at Union Transfer

Photos by Alec Druggan

The long–anticipated return of the folk collaboration was accompanied by indie pop star Natalie Prass.

Alec Druggan 14 years is a long time to wait for anything. It's especially long when you’re waiting for a second album. The successful 2005 collaboration between Calexico and Iron & Wine followed great albums from both individual bands, and ran parallel to an incredible international tour. Another something, anything, was expected from this collaborative effort an era ago. Calexico and

love for Sam Beam—the sole member of Iron & Wine—and his live performance stemmed from two factors: his beard, and how a frequenter of his concerts put it: “He does things so amazingly live that if he released any live vinyl every show could be, like, a new album, and I’d be more broke than I am now."

In glimmering blue light, Natalie Prass and her pianist came on

Iron & Wine’s Years to Burn (2019) tour stop at Union Transfer on Sep. 20 showed us why we waited.

The doors opened at 7 p.m., and pleasant conversations between fans that had already planted themselves in front of the stage curbed the boredom. While both bands drew attention, there was a main focus to this conversation. “Weren’t you at Keswick in November?" referencing Iron & Wine’s concert of last year. “Yeah great show,” was the reply. Other dialogue went similarly. “How many times have you seen them?" followed by, “Six in Philadelphia, first time was in Manhattan, no, in Hell’s Kitchen.” Above all, the

stage and opened quietly with the beautifully sung “Far From You,” her musical response to the classic Carpenters' song, "Close to You." Although beautiful, it felt slow.

The energy wasn’t there. Yet Prass exchanged small talk with the crowd, and dropped a couple electric bass notes before starting “The Fire.” The crowd reacted with energy. Prass followed with acoustic piano and songs like "Bird of Prey" and fan–favorite, "Short Court Style". Union Transfer seemed like a world of its own, and the light dashes of electronic bass was all that reminded us of modernity in music outside of the venue.

Standing up for a second

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time, Prass told us of her music, and how she hadn’t felt ready to bring past dark relationships into her work until recently. Halfway through her set, Prass introduced some unreleased music, and the audience felt privileged to be the guinea pig for these new tracks.

Of her unreleased titles, “Talk Too Much” and her last song, “Angel,” were greeted with loud and supportive applause. No one wanted to let go after 45 minutes.

Between sets, conversations picked back up. The murmuring grew, and the bright flashes of orange and violet brought attention centerstage, where Sam Beam casually walked on with his signature glass of red wine. Latecomers had filtered in, and the static energy spread through the sweat–filled audience as fans shouted “I LOVE YOU SAM BEAM,” “GIVE ME YOUR BEARD,” and the light chant of “SAM BEAM,” for those not quite ready to make declarations of love.

The people wanted Beam.

Mirroring Prass' set, we were teased until the third song, when the opening notes of “Father Mountain” caused a rampage.

In that moment, the vivid lights pulled up, and the crowd shifted to stage–left; where Beam stood with his guitar. This was the most Beam–dominated moment of the night, and it was the only time where it felt like Calexico was backing. Bowing out, playing with his back to the audience, Joey Burns faced drummer and Calexico member John Convertino on drums, respecting Beam’s moment.

Both bands have released various albums and matured since the

legendary In the Reins (2005), with Calexico bringing instrumental variation and sensibility in tracks such as “Outside El Paso."

Sam Beam from Iron & Wine’s newer abstract compositional style is definitely present, as evident in Our Endless Numbered Days (2004) and its contrast to the modern Beast Epic (2017).

Thankfully, Sam Beam no longer feels like the independent focus he was in the 2005 collaboration. Beam obviously dominated “Father Mountain,” while Calexico brought back old favorites like "Flores Y Tamales" in their traditional Arizona–inspired style. Although the majority of the music was collaborative work, allowing the bands to play their own hits with each other revealed a great dynamic between them. Years to Burn shined live when the two presented in tandem.

Calexico showed new skills across instruments, but mainstays Convertino and Burns played

incredibly strongly on drums and guitar respectively. The big three—Beam, Convertino, and Burns—played off each other's strengths as a trinity of musical prowess. Technically perfect, the dynamic lighting fit each part of the set perfectly, reflecting both the mood and stories presented.

Not only did Iron & Wine and Calexico hold the audience's attention, their 80–minute set managed to alter their moods and thoughts too.

This tour showed us why we waited. From Prass’ appetizer to Calexico and Iron & Wine, we witnessed new level of maturity from all performers, and there was finally an explanation for the time passed. Sure, fan’s taste can change. The musicians of fourteen years ago had steeped and fermented, and the maturity it had gained is what got new and old fans to show up, grab a drink, sway around, and escape the modern world for a while.

MUSIC

Sabrina Claudio Shines Through Darkness on Her New EP The artist's newest release shows great promise for her upcoming full album and tour.

Julia Davies On Oct. 19 at the Fillmore Philadelphia, the warm and sultry vocals of Sabrina Claudio will fill the theater just days after the release of her upcoming album, "Truth Is".

A rising star, Sabrina Claudio is creating music that feels like a sweet return to old school R&B. If her recent surprise EP release, with songs from the full album, Truth Is - The Short Collection is any indication of what she has in store for the rest of the album and tour, then listeners are in luck.

Turning more noir than her previous songs, Truth Is is introspective, personal and raw.

“I will take your bullets even if it were you holding the gun” Sabrina Claudio sings as she dances in the desert covered in blood for her music video for “Holding the Gun.” Just before the video cuts out she gazes into the camera and eerily laughs.

In an interview with PAPER magazine, Sabrina Claudio explained that she didn’t want to show any violence in the video but rather wanted the blood to symbolize “the loyalty and unbreakable bond between two people who are deeply in love.” She’s able to take the phrase “ride or die” and capture it masterfully in a three and a half minute music video.

From scenes of driving in the remote dessert in a classic red corvette and Sabrina’s 60s–inspired look, every element of the music video carefully considered and cinematic.

“On My Shoulders” dives deeper into the darkness opening with the lines “I’ve gone insane.” Equal parts eerie and

sensual, the music videos features three Sabrina’s, two of which play the devils on her shoulder. The line between lust and obsession is blurred as the artist gives into the madness of love. The smooth peacefulness of her vocals and the instrumentals is in stark contrast with the intensity of the lyrics.

It’s visually and audibly compelling.

The title track is equally captivating. Breathy and delicate, Sabrina croons about the love that lingers for an ex–lover. On this track denial develops into painful honesty as her vocals becomes stronger and more confident. There’s no shying away from the feelings of fear and pain. Lingering love turns into jealousy on the last song of the release, “As You You’re Asleep.” It’s short but serves as a fitting conclusion for the EP leaving the listener in high anticipation for the full album.

In just four tracks, Sabrina Claudio is able to capture the progression of falling deeply and madly into and out of love.

Sabrina Claudio is on an exploration in paradox. Light and tranquil vocals are paired with dark and tempestuous lines. Love is full of fear, pain, madness and conflict. There’s more beneath the surface of these love songs than one might get from a first listen.

How this complexity and paradox will be presented in performance will be compelling to see. It’s likely that the cinematic quality of Sabrina Claudio’s music videos will translate into a visually captivating concert performance in Philadelphia.

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MUSIC

'Charli' Trades Mainstream Appeal for Self–Reflection Charli XCX's newest album stands out as her most mature work yet.

Peyton Toups Charli XCX’s career is like a tightrope walk. She's constantly balancing between the mainstream pop world (through which she started her career) and the underground She cut her teeth and made a name for herself as an up–and–coming talent with Icona Pop’s 2012 hit “I Love It.” Charlotte Aitchison (XCX's real name) released her first mixtape, True Romance, in 2013. She then followed up in 2014 with another hit, “Boom Clap,” as the lead single of her major label debut studio effort

Sucker.

Aitchison took a left turn back in with the release of her landmark pop–electronic Vroom Vroom EP in 2016, entirely produced by the innovative producer SOPHIE. From there, Aitchison attached herself to the underground British label PC Music, enlisting its co–founder A.G. Cook as the executive producer of her next two mixtapes, Number 1 Angel and Pop 2, and her long-awaited third album, Charli, which came out on Sep. 13. Charli,

like many good self–titled albums, functions as a self–portrait.

Aitchison has always walked the fine line between mainstream and underground pop.

Here, this dichotomy is reflected in the fact that out of the 15 tracks on Charli, only two (“1999” and “Blame It on Your Love”) stand out as radio– friendly hits.

The other 13, for the most part, are avant–pop, an experimental genre which made her last mixtape, Pop 2, a favorite

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among both critics and fans.

“Click” and “Shake It” most clearly fit this style, since both songs feature collaborators who appeared on her previous mixtape and use the same abrasive production style. “2099” is equally reminiscent of Pop 2, with its similarly futuristic backing track.

“Next Level Charli,” “Gone,” “Cross You Out,” and “Silver Cross” also have similarities to Pop 2, but none go as far into the fringes of pop music as the other aforementioned songs do. “Warm,” “Thoughts,” and “February 2017” are interesting updates on the formula as well; they feel like daytime versions of her mixtapes' late–night shenanigans.

The remaining songs (“White Mercedes,” “I Don’t Wanna Know,” and “Official”) sound like odes to Charli’s True Romance and Sucker days, full of 80’s pastiche and saccharine synths. You would think that with all this retrospection (and introspection) that Charli would just feel like a rehash

of her former hits, but the album—taken as a whole—still feels entirely new and fresh.

Even “Shake It,” which features the same collaborators as “I Got It” from Pop 2 (with Big Freedia added in as well), feels more like a companion or sequel to “I Got It” than merely an attempt to conjure up the same old magic.

Charli expands Aitchison’s relentlessly hedonistic universe, sharpening the edges in some places, while improving upon winning formulas in others. In an Instagram post marking the release of the album, executive producer A.G. Cook posted an equation, "(True Romance + Sucker) x (Number 1 Angel + Pop 2) = Charli," showing that the latest project is both an amalgamation and a continuation of the albums and mixtapes within Charli's discography. And it's hard to see an album like Charli as anything but that—an evolved form of her previous works that stands as a career–defining masterpiece.

Thursday, October 3, 3:30pm Paul Goldberger, Author and Architectural Critic, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair Hosted by President Amy Gutmann and Dean Frederick Steiner Irvine Auditorium, 3401 Spruce Street Presented as part of The Weitzman School: A Celebration of Design Register online Thursday, October 3, 6:30pm Fine Arts Lecture Series A.K. Burns Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 South 36th Street Presented by the Department of Fine Arts Friday, October 4, 5:30pm Paola Viganò, Università IUAV di Venezia Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, 220 South 34th Street Presented by the Department of Landscape Architecture

Fall 2019

Thursday, October 17 – Saturday, October 19 Investigating Mid-Atlantic Plantations: Slavery, Economies, and Space Multiple locations in Philadelphia Co-sponsored by the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation Advance registration required Friday, October 18 at 4:00pm Fine Arts Lecture Series Scott Myles Presented by the Department of Fine Arts

Friday, October 18 at 6:30pm Lecture Series on the Synthetic Liz Johnson Artur Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, 220 South 34th Street Supported by the Provost’s Excellence through Diversity Fund Monday, October 21 – Friday, October 25 Energy Week at Penn Presented by the Kleinman Center and Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology Program details at energyweekatpenn.com Thursday, October 24, 4:00pm Annual Carnot Prize Policy Lecture & Award Ceremony Cheryl LaFleur, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, 220 South 34th Street Presented by the Kleinman Center Thursday, October 24, 6:00pm A Planner’s Perspective on Running for Office Jamie Gauthier, Candidate for Philadelphia City Council Samantha Whitfield, Candidate for Willingboro Township Council Presented by the Department City and Regional Planning Thursday, October 24, 6:00pm Katja Neves, Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Concordia University Presented by the Department of Landscape Architecture Thursday, October 24, 6:30pm Fine Arts Lecture Series Amie Siegel Morgan Building, 205 South 34th Street Presented by the Department of Fine Arts

Monday, October 28, 12:45pm Career Discovery in Historic Preservation Architectural Archives, 220 South 34th Street Presented by the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation and the Office of Professional Development and Leadership Register online Monday, November 4, 6:30pm Lecture Series on the Synthetic Charles Davis, II, Assistant Professor of Architecture, School of Architecture and Planning, University of Buffalo Solmaz Sharif, Poet and Lecturer, Stanford University Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, 220 South 34th Street Supported by the Provost’s Excellence through Diversity Fund Tuesday, November 5, 6:00pm Change Over Time Dialogues: LGBTQ Heritage Ken Lustbader, Co-Director of the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project (Moderator) Sharon Hayes, Associate Professor of Fine Arts, University of Pennsylvania Bob Skiba, Archivist, William Way LGBT Community Center; President, Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides John T. Reddick, Architectural and cultural historian; Former Columbia University Community Scholar; Founding member and Vice President, Harlem Pride Presented by the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation and the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center Thursday, November 7, 6:00pm Retrofitting Suburbia for 21st Century Challenges Ellen Dunham-Jones, Professor, Director of the Urban Design Program, Georgia Institute of Technology Presented by the Department of City and Regional Planning Monday, November 11, 6:30pm Women [Re]Build: Stories, Polemics, Futures Book Launch Franca Trubiano, Associate Professor of Architecture, University of Pennsylvania Ramona Adlakha, Intern Architect, Diamond Schmitt Architects Ramune Bartuskaite Thursday, November 14, 6:30pm Fine Arts Lecture Series Irena Haiduk Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 South 36th Street Presented by the Department of Fine Arts Monday, November 18, 12:30pm Victor Lundy: Sculptor of Space (2014, 49 min.), Film Screening and Discussion Joan M. Brierton, Senior Preservation Specialist, U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Sarah A. Garner, Historic Preservation Specialist, U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Presented by the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation Except where noted, lectures are held in Meyerson Hall, 210 South 34th Street, and admission is free and open to the public. Times and locations are subject to change. www.design.upenn.edu/calendar

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West & Down Relishes Its Own Irony A senior visits the fledgling club, which doubles down on the White Claw and frat party vibes.

Photos courtesy of Wes

Ask any washed–up senior about their instinctive routine for Wednesday night.

One of the most ingrained traditions on campus is partaking in a night of debauchery and 50–cent drinks at Smokes' for Sink or Swim.

Deviating from this tradition on a Wednesday night felt like I was betraying an institution that gave me so much.

The sloppy DFMOs, hair– holding in the bathrooms, and embarrassing dancing clips the next morning were what made Smokes feel like a second home. It felt wrong and out of place to go venture elsewhere on a Wednesday night, but alas, like a moth, I was lured by the shiny lights of one of the newest clubs on campus: West & Down.

In the back of my mind, I remained cautious—as they say: all that’s new, bright, and shiny isn’t necessarily gold. Away from my comfortable table at Smokes', I approached this night with skepticism. But a little skepticism certainly wouldn’t stop

t an dD ow n

me from downing $3 White Claws.

Upon turning the corner on 39th street from Walnut, my friends and I immediately saw a line, stretching the entire block. Excited students stepped out of their Ubers clad in an array of chic looks.

The huddles of tall guys negotiating with bouncers outside and looks of hopeful individuals eager to get stamped reminded me less of any bar on campus and more of a club in New York City's Meatpacking District. Hype and energy filled the air and my uncertainty morphed into anticipation for the ensuing night.

After getting checked out by the bouncer, we descended into the subterranean space.

The size and scale of the club blew away all of my expectations. For a basement space below HamCo, West & Down spanned a huge area.

The space itself has two full– sized dance floors, each with different DJs fueling the energy in the club.

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Mark Pino

If EDM and Top 40 isn’t your style, the second dance floor features hip hop and R&B. The club was packed enough to bounce off the energy of other party goers, but still included plenty of alcoves to stake out and regroup with your friends.

Along with space at the bar, there were a number of tables to drink by and step back to after dancing.

We pushed our way through the crowded bar to get our fix of Black Cherry White Claws. Already several drinks in, we maneuvered our way through the packed crowd to the dance floor. Music pulsed as the DJ hyped up the crowd. Excite-

ment and euphoria permeated the air, bringing me back to the unrestrained thrill of freshman year NSO parties.

This was certainly a step up from the damp basement parties in frat houses three years ago, but still evoked the same fun. As we danced the night away, parades of servers carrying bottles of liquor lit with sparkling cannons snaked through the crowd, rallying everyone up in jubilation and extravagance.

West & Down created an experience that was like a love child between a frat party, bar mitzvah, and a Penn downtown. The DJs seemed to select tracks exclusively off of a standardized frat party

playlist, replaying songs that will invariably get you on the dance floor screaming lyrics at the top of your lungs.

Although the interior decor—including black–lighted neon walls and cliché alcohol displays—bordered on tacky, the TV screens cycling through White Claw memes and DJs shuffling through hit throwbacks created an amusing irony in the space.

Yes, you really are in a basement below BonChon, but you’re still going to have a really good time. The nightclub embraces the new–kid–on– the–block mentality and uses it to create a space that buzzes with energy while deflecting any kind of pretension.

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the orgasm gap 69TH S T R E E T:

Welcome

This week, we're bringing a whole new meaning to "Mind the Gap."

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When’s the last time you had an orgasm? It’s okay, don’t be shy. Has it been a while? If you’re a heterosexual woman, the answer might be yes. Maybe you’ve never had one at all. But trust me, you’re not alone.

There’s a great disparity in the frequency of orgasms between partners, particularly between heterosexual men and women, called the orgasm gap. In heterosexual sexual encounters, 91 percent of men report experiencing orgasms with partners on a regular basis, while only 39 percent of women feel the same way. Buckle up for this next one. In first–time heterosexual hookups, 55 percent of men say they always orgasm, while 4 percent— yes, 4 percent—of women say they do.

I often have low expectations for first–time hookups with men.

When a guy comes and asks me if I did too, I hesitate to invalidate his best efforts with averted–eyes and a polite, “Well, uh, not really.”

I do what too many women in similar situations do: I lie. I don’t tell him that he was the best sex of my life, but I might give him a little more of a pat on the back than he deserves.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, I should say that I don’t believe the orgasm gap is inherently the fault of men, but rather of the taboo ways with which we still treat sex. There are also statistics suggesting men are great at bringing their partners to orgasms in homosexual relationships, and the same goes for women. This makes sense. When we have sex with people whose anatomies are similar to our own, we know our way around the neighborhood.

Orgasm gaps can exist in nearly every kind of relationship or sexual encounter. But fear not, for I have a few tips to help you get to

that coveted finishing line.

The easiest way to help increase the number of orgasms in your life is to learn more about your own body. I’m always surprised by the amount of women who complain about subpar sex, but also have no idea where their own clitoris is.

Open and confident communication is key to a healthy, happy, and orgasmic sexual encounter, but how can we expect our partners to know how to give our bodies the pleasure we need if we’ve never taken the time to figure it out for ourselves? What most people refer to as the vagina is actually everything but.

The vagina is actually what connects the uterus to the external female genitalia, and it’s the area of stimulation that most people typically think of when they talk about sex. But this is another roadblock, because sex should not be synonymous with intercourse.

While intercourse is a reliable path to the male orgasm in heterosexual relationships, the same cannot be said for women. Only 5 percent of women say they can rely on regular orgasms from intercourse.

Even though much of this advice is specific to heterosexual women, to finally close the orgasm gap, we all need to start giving more value to our own pleasure.

We need to identify sexual stereotypes in popular culture when we see them, and encourage those around us to adopt a sex positivity that prioritizes more than just the standard male orgasm. The benefits of communication go far beyond improving our sexual health. Comfortably opening up to others about our desires gives us a self–validation that can help reduce body shaming and normalize the beautifully intricate road to orgasms for all involved.

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F E AT U R E S

F E AT U R E S

THE COMPLICATED PAST AND UNCERTAIN FUTURE OF PENN ETHNIC STUDIES

I

In addition to stressing the recruitment of students and professors of color, their efforts achieved the creation of the first ethnic studies programs and departments in the country.

It was a discipline which would soon come to Penn, when the Afro–American Studies Program was founded in 1971.

It’s important to recognize the difference between area studies and ethnic studies. Ethnic studies is a broad field of study, which at Penn includes Asian American Studies, Latin American and Latino Studies, Africana Studies, and Native American and Indigenous Studies. It focuses on those considered minorities in American society, although it often extends its focus beyond American borders as well.

On the other hand, area studies, like East Asian Studies or Modern Middle Eastern Studies, stems from the Cold War era when many regions decolonized, according to Farnsworth–Alvear. Although it includes the study of culture, it tends to analyze particular geographic regions with an increased interest in strategy, development, and economics. Area studies in the US was established by already– institutionalized university scholars in order to focus on—and, some say, uphold—US– Third World relations.

In particular, ethnic studies classes give students of color ways to learn more about their own communities’ histories, an opportunity many find was not afforded to them before Penn. Jessica Li (C ’20), a co–chair of the ASAM Undergraduate Advisory Board (UAB) and current Daily Pennsylvanian opinion columnist, grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood and entered Penn certain she wanted to know more about her Asian American heritage.

“I think we all came from high schools with

very white history classes. I had never really learned anything about marginalized people—the first class that I took on that was 'Introduction to Asian American History,'” she says. “You’re learning about the history of people who haven’t been spoken about.”

Louis Lin (C ’20), also a co–chair, nods at Jessica’s response and adds on, cutting through the murmur of the coffee shop.

“Coming to Penn and seeing that there was a field of Asian American studies that I didn’t even know existed before… gave me the impetus to find the language to describe [the Asian American experience].”

He zeroes in on the class ‘Asian American Activism and Organizing’ as a pivotal moment. “It was kind of an outlet to see people who looked like me in different fields, who kind of did the things that I want to do in the future.”

Ethnic studies at Penn has found itself in precarious situations time and time again.

This turmoil has left many feeling powerless in the face of administrative decisions. Students were left unsure if they’d be able to complete their degrees. Faculty members worried their disciplines would fall to the wayside.

When Grace Kao, former director of ASAM, left Penn in 2017, the future of the program was left up in the air. Remaining professors were forced to take on her duties, rendering them unable to teach. Months of protests and petitions followed because of the administration’s perceived lack of interest, funding, and support for the program.

“It was very depressing. We’re a program… programs have very limited power and means in the university,” English professor and ASAM

“YOU’RE LEARNING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF PEOPLE WHO HAVEN’T BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT.” -JESSICA LI 11

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broadens people’s understandings of different n one of t he first classes that history professor Ann Farnsworth–Alvear communities and histories. Students might be members of the group they’re studying, or taught at Penn, the sheer range of experiences of the students packed they might not be members and want to dispel preconceived notions. into her lecture on Latin America was both “Just because I interpret a historical event in remarkable and invisible, depending on who this way doesn’t mean my way is the only—or you asked.

Farnsworth–Alvear, the former director of best—way,” she says, emphasizing how it’s imLatin American and Latino Studies (LALS), portant to be aware of alternate perspectives.

For many members of the Penn commurecounts these early days, saying, “There was a kid whose father was a general in the Argen- nity, ethnic studies classes hold massive imtine military—very right wing, as this was a portance. The current state of ethnic studies country just coming out of a military dictator- on campus is nowhere as contentious as it has ship. He was sitting next to a Puerto Rican kid been in the past. But recent events that have from New York who understood his own in- threatened or modified the field—like the tellectual motivations in terms of a left–wing 2017 struggle to preserve the Asian American Studies (ASAM) program or project of Puerto Rican liberation. And the 2015 merge of the African they were next to somebody Studies department with the from Kansas who just saw Center for Africana Studboth of them as Spanies—loom large. In light of ish speakers!” ethnic studies’ fraught hisFarnsworth–Altory at Penn and in Amervear’s LALS classica, students and faculty es have brought alike want to see Penn furtogether students ther legitimize and support not only to learn the field. about regional cultures and societies, but also to tackle complex isEthnic studies wasn’t sues of race, ethnicity, even considered an area and identity. Regardless of academic focus unof their backgrounds til 1968, when the Third or whether they idenWorld Liberation Front, tify as Latinx at all, she explains that “people Camille Charles a coalition of students of color at San Francisco approach [ethnic studies] State University and UC Berkeley, conducted from many different stand- points.”

Sociology, education, and Africana stud- a five–month strike demanding comprehenies professor Camille Z. Charles, also the un- sive multicultural reform in curricula they dergraduate chair for the Department of Af- saw as almost exclusively delivered by and for ricana Studies, describes how ethnic studies white men.

Sciences Dean Paul Sniegowski, as well as Penn Provost Wendell Pritchett. Despite some small successes—like moving out of a one–room office—Louis and Jessica are disappointed by the administration’s complacency.

“They seem very satisfied—they’re like SRINIDHI RAMAKRISHNIA ‘we hired a chair, and we hired faculty.’”

Jessica says. To her, the main problem is achieving legitimacy in the eyes of the Penn administration. “We are a program, but we’re not at the same level as say, Urban Studies,” which is also a program. “They don’t really recognize ASAM as its own discipline.”

One of the main issues ethnic studies still faces is the need for more faculty. “We don’t have the manpower to teach the classes that we want to see happen,” Jessica says. Existing classes are mostly cross–listed and taught by facdiAnn Alvearulty not primarily dedicated to ASAM. re c tor Farnsworth The pivotal class Louis took on Asian JoseAmerican activism, typically taught evphine P a r k sighs. “No one ery fall, has only been taught once in at least knew a way forward. Grace Kao was three semesters. Park splits her time between the first hire in the initiative to create an Asian ASAM and her duties as the undergraduate American Studies program. She was founda- chair for the Department of English.

ASAM hasn’t been the only ethnic studies tional—there was a gaping hole in our curdiscipline to face some type of upheaval rericulum.”

After more than a year without a director, cently. In 2015, protests and discontent folPark was appointed the interim, and now the lowed after the Africa Center was closed and full–time, director of ASAM. A full–time lec- the Center, along with the African Studies program, was merged into the Department of turer, Rupa Pillai, was also hired.

Park acknowledges that the program is in Africana Studies.

Many felt this decision marginalized Afria better place than before, “but it’s not on a can Studies, which promotes the direct study growth trajectory,” she says.

The ASAM UAB continues to hold annual of the African continent—and by extension, meetings with School of Arts and Sciences African students. They also felt that the deDean Steven Fluharty and College of Arts and cision indicated that African Studies was the

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"BUT IF WE DON’T OFFER THE COURSES FOR STUDENTS TO BE TAKING, HOW CAN WE SHOW WE HAVE STUDENTS INTERESTED IN COURSES?" -LOUIS LIN same as Africana Studies, which specifically includes the study of the African diaspora.

While School of Arts and Sciences Dean Fluharty asserted that federal funding being cut was the reason for the merging, those affected remained skeptical of Penn’s priorities.

“Africana studies has always included African studies,” Charles qualifies. But it was “quite difficult for some faculty members, because of the unique context of merging the African and African diasporic experiences.”

Because scholars can specialize in populations with extremely distinctive histories—from African Americans, to Afro–Latinxs, to continental Africans, and more—it’s often previously justified separate resources. The 2015 decision blindsided those it affected. It also signaled, to many involved in the discipline, an institutional neglect of African Studies and ethnic studies as a whole.

Charles says that Africana Studies has now stabilized and even expanded. But the events bring up an important tension between Penn’s allocation of resources and the courses students want to see offered.

Louis adds his perspective, as if he’d been holding it in the entire interview. “There’s a catch–22, where [the administration] pushes back on funding, saying that ‘You don’t have enough students taking your courses.’

But if we don’t offer the courses for students to be taking, how can we show we have students interested in courses?”

Even the few courses offered by programs like ASAM are immensely popular. "Introduction to Asian American History" is one of the largest History classes the school offers. The largest English class at Penn is "Asian American Literature." “So you can’t tell us that people aren’t interested.”

“If it’s an issue with the university literally not having enough funding, which I think that they do”—Louis mutters the last couple of words under his breath— “then that’s understandable. But if you’re saying that we don’t have enough students interested, we actually do, so you should fund us,” he concludes.

LALS is somewhat of an anomaly in that it straddles the line between ethnic and area studies. The department has been afforded a certain degree of legitimacy at Penn. With a major and minor, the program is 1 4 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E O C T O B E R 2 , 2 01 9

growing and thriving, Farnsworth–Alvear says.

Founded in 1988 as the Latin American Cultures program, LALS has always explicitly included the study of Latinx communities in the US and strongly emphasized culture, as opposed to its strictly area studies counterparts.

Now, LALS increasingly studies Latin America as a region, as area studies would, and Farnsworth–Alvear describes the program’s mission as “the study of culture–areas.” This broadened mission statement has given LALS more ground to stand on. “You have a wider pool of faculty to help the program…

They have more wherewithal than a program that is focusing on minority populations in the US,” she says.

Early on in LALS’ history, there was much discussion about whether the program should split in two.

Some envisioned one program for Latin American studies, researching populations across the Americas that speak Romance languages, and one for Latino studies, researching populations within the US with ties to Latin America.

Farnsworth–Alvear explains how, unlike the controversy that came with merging African Studies and Africana Studies, the model of a joined program is the only workable model for LALS due to the unique “transnational vision of their identity” often held by Latinx populations in the US. LALS has also faced issues, such as its need for more faculty, but its merged status and focus on both geography and culture, among other factors, have stabilized the program.

The question at hand for ethnic studies at Penn is how exactly to gain legitimacy. There’s debate on if ethnic studies driving for more acceptance within academia will lead the field away from its original activist ideals, de–emphasizing race and racism to make it palatable to a wider audience.

At many universities, including Penn, most ethnic studies disciplines are relegated to programs. They stand in contrast to departments, which hire their own faculty and control their own budgets. Most interviewed seem to agree that it’s currently unfeasible to transform these programs into full–fledged departments, given their fragile state. It’d take years, more resources, and require the University to hire a full standing body of faculty. Other options, like hiring postdoctoral fellows, are more easily achievable.

Regardless, everyone agrees that ethnic studies needs more support.

People involved with ethnic studies think that, Penn, as a predominantly white institution, needs to do more for diversity and inclusion in academia.

“As long as the system of racial dynamics exists in the world,” Charles says, “everybody could do more.”

In addition to promoting the cultural resource centers, Farnsworth–Alvear wants to see a more sophisticated hiring approach if Penn is trying to increase faculty diversity, with a special eye on the complex issues hiring “Latino” faculty can bring.

Louis Lin

Being “Latino” is an ethnic, not a racial, identity— hires might be anyone from a white Latino to someone of Afro–Colombian descent, she mentions. “I’d never endorse any kind of restrictions on what sort of person diversifies the institution. But if it’s an anti–racist project, Penn needs to pay attention to what kind of work is being done with different kinds of hierarchies.”

But Penn professors only have so much influence over the student body, and they can’t influence how much students value ethnic studies in academia.

“There’s a lot about the racial climate on campus that we don’t control,” says Charles.

Although many ethnic studies disciplines at Penn have faced a lack of top–down support, Jessica says she’d like to see more collaboration between students involved in the various programs and departments to advocate for reform. Although the 2018 pan–ethnic studies conference was an important first step, Jessica hopes this will translate into long–term cooperation.

“Obviously our struggles and histories are very different… but we’re under this umbrella of ethnic studies and more sustained communication would be good.”

The future of ethnic studies at Penn is uncertain, and many people involved in the departments and programs feel like it’s not an institutional priority. “It’s sad to say, but I feel like diversity has just kind of become a buzzword for people to just brush on the agenda,” says Jessica.

“I criticize this university because I love this university,” Louis says. “[Penn] does tout a lot of diversity on campus, and that’s not wrong. But it’s what we’re doing once they’re here. What needs to be more of a focus is inclusion.”

Srinidhi Ramakrishna is a sophomore in the College from Montgomery, New Jersey. She is a features editor for Street.

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this board game cafe is the site of your next night out

by

ST YLE

Queen & Rook just opened in Queen Village, and it's a must–visit.

DIYA SETHI

Queen & Rook has only been open for a little for over a week and already has regulars. Honestly, we’re not surprised. This board game cafe in Queen Village offers over 1,200 games just on site, and another 1,000 kept in storage.

The options available range from every special edition of Monopoly, to several versions of Apples to Apples, and even some raunchy adult truth– based games. The shop also has game experts wandering around the cafe and providing game recommendations.

With a selection this extensive, the fledging business is trying to make board games cool again.

Founder and manager, Edward Garcia, first stumbled upon a board game cafe in Montreal when visiting for a friend’s bachelor party. The dinner at the party contained meat, leading Garcia and his few other vegetarian friends to venture off and find something else to eat. Here, Garcia stumbled across Randolph, the first board game cafe he had ever seen. After spending hours playing, drinking, and eating, Garcia was infatuated with his experience: “Everyone was just enjoying; there were no phones. It was just a different vibe.”

Coming back to the East Coast, Garcia began his search

for his local board game cafe, only to find that there was only one in New York. Having received his MBA from Temple, the idea of bringing the board game cafe to Philadelphia just made sense.

In an effort to perfect his shop, Garcia travelled across the West Coast and Canada, where board game cafes are more heavily concentrated, and drew from his favorite aspects as he created his own cafe.

The cafe is currently open 7 days a week, from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Monday through Thursday and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The use of the games is free from

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Monday through Wednesday with a $7 charge for 3 hours of gaming per person Thursday through Sunday.

Apart from this, the shop has an extensive drink menu with options ranging from Rosé to a classic milkshake. The food menu has an expansive vegan/ vegetarian selection alongside the typical bar foods available. Relying on social media marketing through Facebook, Yelp, Instagram, but most importantly word of mouth, Queen & Rook quite literally speaks for itself.

The idea of turning family game night into a restaurant is genius. Still, the shop means more than just a source of money to Garcia. Queen and Rook stands to encourage certain values with its shop. The cafe tries its best to remain as sustainable as possible, using paper straws, emphasizing vegan options while composting its leftovers. Beyond that, Garcia focuses on inclusion.

The company itself is majority–owned by women and people of color, with the staff mirroring this diversity. Garcia hopes to bring old–school joy back with his shop while improving upon an industry often bereft of racial and gender awareness.

I was a bit nervous when I decided to check out the cafe, as my luck with board games extends solely to my ability to flip the board after I lose.

Walking into Queen & Rook, however, the energy was palpable: people were drinking, laughing, yelling, and rolling dice. It felt like a bar designed to evoke colorful childhood

memories. My friends and I were overwhelmed with the list of games available, and we pulled out Sorry, Shoots and Ladders, Apples to Apples, and a new game, Social Sabotage, just to start.

We were seated at a table set up with cushions perfectly designed for game–playing. After ordering our food, we immediately laid out the cards for Social Sabotage, texting, tweeting, and Instagramming embarrassing photos and statements just to win the game. We ordered typical bar foods—mozzarella sticks, nachos, popcorn (made in shop), and a beautiful designed cheese board, and while the food was nothing special, it was exactly what we needed to encourage us to keep playing.

One hour passed. Two hours passed. Three hours passed. Time flew by without notice; we couldn’t bring ourselves to get up and leave.

We had been receiving texts and snaps all night of friends questioning our whereabouts, eager to find out more about Queen & Rook Cafe and what it had to offer. We all told them the same thing: Queen & Rook is a must–visit. Set up a date night or maybe just grab some friends; you can even bring your parents here. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to unplug and crowd around a game board with some friends.

FILM & TV

'In the Shadow of the Moon' is Crime, Mystery, and Sci–Fi All At Once The first of Netflix's 'Netflix and Chills' thriller originals is flawed, but entertaining nonetheless.

Shannon Zhang

Photo by Sabrina Lantos | Netflix

Recently, Netflix teased a handful of new thriller originals that are being released every Friday until Halloween. They’re an advertisement for a new genre titled “Netflix and Chills." In the Shadow of the Moon is the first of the new “Netflix and Chills” originals to be added. Next Friday, we get In the Tall Grass.

Judging from the trailer of In the Shadow of the Moon, the movie could’ve easily fallen prey to a glaring failure that many sci–fi movies end up suffering from: overzealousness, in a way that brings in a lot of high–potential plot and character elements, but fails to expand upon any of them. And in some ways, the movie fails—but it’s also entertaining.

The film follows Philadelphia police officer Thomas Lockhart (Boyd Holbrook) as he pursues a woman (Cleopatra Coleman) who strikes the city every nine years, killing seemingly–unrelated individuals in the same way every time: with an injection that disintegrates the brain and causes blood to drip out of the victims’ face.

The good parts of In the Shadow of the Moon are loud and mindless—car chases through Philadelphia streets, the mystery woman fighting off police officers in hand–to–hand combat. Movement in the movie is realistic and fluid, with Lockhart’s partner Maddox (Bokeem Woodbine) developing an uneven gait after having his leg broken and Lockhart himself showcasing his deteriorated sprinting ability in numerous shots, throughout several decades. As an action film, In the Shadow of the Moon is glorious, and even features a long, gorgeous shot of a bloated Lockhart slow–moving in water after having been pushed out of a plane.

The movie’s plot has a buildable, if not trope–y, premise: killer kills in mysterious ways, police try to figure out the killer’s motives and motivations. Amid the ups and downs of the plot, the heavy acknowledgement of racial and social tensions in the film also should be addressed. Within the first 45 minutes of the movie, we see protests happening in Philadelphia against a white policeman’s killing of an unnamed black woman, and a young partier’s remarks about how “she was in the wrong neighborhood.”

And of course, the whole plot of the movie winds up being about preventing a racial civil war sparked by white supremacists.

In the Shadow of the Moon says a lot, like the idea that every individual plays a role in a bigger plot (Lockhart’s seemingly–futile struggles throughout the movie are what fuels the whole movie).

In regards to social commentary, it offers up, “violent white power is bad and should be destroyed at the root.” Nothing more, nothing less. I suppose you can take from a Netflix action/mystery original what you want, but investing a plot so heavily into these issues and acknowledging them so off– handedly is confusing.

In the Shadow of the Moon is entertaining. It’s action–packed, bloody, heart–wrenching, and messy, although it doesn’t offer much in terms of cult–classic genius or hard–hitting commentary. It’s an enjoyable Friday–night–in Netflix movie to watch with some friends.

Plus, it’s set in Philadelphia, so if you're not too big on mystery thrillers, there’s the added bonus of evaluating how accurately director Jim Mickle portrayed our city.

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FILM & TV

'Downton Abbey' Says Farewell, Just When You So Badly Want It To Stay The nostalgic final episode we all wanted, but on the big screen.

Jonah Charlton Ring the service bells, polish the silver, and clean every surface until it “gleams and sparkles,” as Mrs. Carson would say—the Grantham family is back and the same as ever. And the same is completely fine. More than fine, in fact—it’s just right. Downton Abbey, the film, acts as the official conclusion to the identically–titled series that aired its sixth and final season on PBS in 2016. The transition from TV to the big screen is seamless, largely due to the fact that Julian Fellowes, the creator of the Emmy Award–winning series, is the film’s writer, and Michael Engler, who directed much of the series, serves as the film’s director.

It only takes a few seconds for the nostalgia to hit. The opening credits scene follows the journey of a letter from the King and Queen of England as it makes its way to Downton Abbey. As the letter's final “t” is crossed and “i” is dotted, Downton Abbey's classic eerie, urgent opening theme plays, ending when we get our first glimpse of the Crawley family's Jacobethan home where the story primarily unfolds.

For a superfan of the show like myself, this introduction elicits goosebumps. For someone who isn’t familiar with the show, like the couple sitting a row ahead of me, you’re likely asking yourself if you walked into the wrong theatre—the film picks up right where the television show left off, with no formal introductions to the characters or their complex relationships.

After six seasons and over 40 hours of character development, the 122—minute film has to budget time, especially since Fellowes adds so many new storylines. And with the time crunch, only some characters get the same attention as they did in the

series. Mr. Carson (Jim Carter), Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), The Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith), and Mrs. Bates (Joanne Froggatt) take central roles as they did in the show. Cora Crawley (Elizabeth McGovern) and Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle), however, fade into obscurity.

While I never was a fan of Cora's drawl or Bates's reserved stares, their relative unimportance is an awkward choice, especially after

turned–butler Thomas Barrow (Robert James–Collier) falls right back into his ways. However, it’s quickly apparent that neither Mr. Carson's nor Mr. Barrow’s services are necessary, as the King and Queen have a policy for their visits, and send their personal staff ahead to prepare and run the homes where they stay.

Not willing to let the chance to serve the royal family fly by,

ton style, this one plot is not enough. There are over a dozen other storylines that come and go over the two hours, including but not limited to an assassination attempt on the King, Thomas getting arrested at an underground gay club, and an inheritance scandal involving one of the King's staff, Lord Grantham, and, of course, the perfectly prudent Dowager.

For someone not familiar with

Jaap Buitendijk / © 2019 Focus Features

Mr. Bates and his past contributed to some of the main plot lines of multiple seasons of the show.

When the letter finally arrives, Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) opens it and announces that the "King and Queen are coming to stay at Downton."

The news sends the family, along with the wait staff downstairs, into a tizzy. Such a tizzy, in fact, that Lady Mary seeks the help of Mr. Carson, who recently retired as the butler of Downton, to take over in the days leading up to and during the visit. When he obliges, longtime antagonist–

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Mrs. Bates organizes a retaliation, featuring the impersonation of a British official and the addition of some "sleeping juice" to the royal chef's drink. This allows Downton’s staff to wait on the royals as they had so desired.

While it's a rather absurd turn of events, it plays its role in the story that Fellowes is telling— the Downton family is not just those related by blood, but one that encompasses the wait staff, cooks, and servants too. This collection of characters is what makes Downton, Downton.

But in keeping with Down-

Downton, a lot happens, and it all happens very, very quickly.

Even for an avid fan, the plots in the film can become convoluted—they move much faster and without the degree of closure that they did in the show.

But even with all the storylines and, at times, their rather curt endings, Fellowes manages the moving parts nearly effortlessly.

Most importantly, he provides fans with something they have been craving since the camera’s last pan in 2016—an ending.

Downton Abbey's series finale lacked the closure a show

of its magnitude deserves. The episode featured monumental, shocking moments (including a marriage, a baby, and a promotion) that any true series finale should contain, but the story still felt unfinished. The final shot of the family singing "Auld Lang Syne" as they ring in the new year felt passé. It left Downton's great doors open for more.

This is where the film shines.

The movie only contains an hour and 40 minutes of story, as the last 20 minutes are set aside for each character's final line: their goodbye. While each one is perfectly executed, one still sticks out above the rest. The moment between the Dowager Countess and Lady Mary, inarguably the show's two leading ladies, strikes a new chord even after all six seasons of the show. The Dowager, who's always been known for her sarcastic zingers, tells Mary that she's dying and doesn't have long to live. While Mary begins protesting, the Dowager, calm as ever, delivers her final line by saying, "I’m leaving the family and the place that I treasure in talented hands" and telling Mary that she's the "future of Downton."

This line marks the end of a generation at Downton and the end of the Downton story for the viewer. All that's left to do is lock Downton's great doors, something we see Mr. and Mrs. Carson do as the camera pans away one final time.

There's nothing groundbreaking or headline–making about the film, but it's the heartfelt conclusion Downton Abbey fans needed and deserved. Whereas the finale of Downton’s sixth television season felt like an informal "see ya later," the film Downton Abbey is a proper "farewell."

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FILM & TV

'Judy': Too Sentimental, But It Still Sticks the Landing Judy Garland, brought to the screen once more by a masterful Renée Zellweger.

Anna Collins

Photo by David Hindley Courtesy of LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions

Judy Garland is undoubtedly one of the most famous American actresses of all time. From her lead role in the groundbreaking film The Wizard of Oz to her enduring status as a gay icon to her tragic death at the age of 47, she is not only a part of film iconography but also an emblem of the American entertainment industry. Unfortunately, despite her compellingly tragic life story, the biopic of her life—plainly titled Judy—falls flat when compared to the legend’s stardom and rawness.

Judy begins by looking at one of the most recognizable periods

of Garland’s life—her partnership with production company MGM and the making of The Wizard of Oz. The movie then shifts to Garland’s life around the year 1968, when she is forced to move to London because she can't get work in America. From there, we witness her career’s final descent and the end stages of her life. There is nothing particularly shocking about this plot, and likely its greatest flaw is that it flits back and forth between the ''present" and the past trauma that Garland went through on the set of The Wizard of Oz. Yet, while Judy displays this

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tragic part of her youth, it fails to actually make the agony of it connect with its audience. The overbearing evilness of Judy’s manager skulking in the corner and barking that she can’t eat a hamburger feels over–the–top.

Even Judy's rebellion against the system feels hollow and drawn– out, featuring a classic coming– of–age shot where she jumps into the prop pool at her fake birthday party for a photoshoot against the wishes of her boss.

The overwhelming control of these film directors and producers should inspire fear and horror in the audience, but instead,

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because of their campy evilness, they inspire nothing but irritation. There is certainly sympathy for Judy, but never empathy, which is disappointing given that the actual terror Garland experienced during this time in her life is well–documented.

Renée Zellweger is the perfect choice to play Garland in this film. She, like Garland, has been facing a career decline since her hits Bridget Jones’ Diary in 2001 and Chicago in 2002. Around 2008, she took a hiatus from screen roles, but now that she's back, this performance is one of her best. Zellweger, an incredibly versatile actress, transforms into Garland while still putting elements of herself into the character—while not totally Judy, she is not totally herself, either. Obvious quirks of Zellweger’s like her sweet little wink or the peculiar purse of her lips worm their way into the character, but they do not feel out of place. Such a combination takes precision, which is why actors able to pull it off deserve considerable praise. This might not be Zellweger’s best role—Roxie in Chicago is a feat of musical and physical talent, and an impressive revival of a complex character—but she portrays Garland’s descent and sings her incredibly well–known songs without feeling too trope–y, all while wearing fake teeth.

The issue with her version of Judy lies not on Zellweger, but on how her story is constructed.

Judy relies on Garland’s extensive, effortless talent—even after drinking herself into a stupor and taking handfuls of amphetamines, she still struts on stage with no practice and performs the first number of the film effortlessly.

Judy's writers communicate her nervousness—she says, after a grand opening night, “What if I can’t do it again?” but the film tells us time and again that she can do it without faltering. Even while completely lost in an alcoholic swirl, she performs with ease—perhaps a little too easily, an issue that could’ve been alleviated if Zellweger had performed live instead of dubbing. Still, the only thing that ultimately stops Judy from performing is her literally collapsing, not any change in vocal quality.

Ultimately, the problem with Judy is that it’s too sentimental.

An emotional film can be a good thing, but the heart–wrenching instrumentals starting in the background as Judy lights another cigarette and watches London fly by her do very little to support any sense of reality. Garland was a woman of rawness, honesty, and genuine charm—all traits portrayed well by Zellweger—but the film overdramatizes itself by throwing in heady orchestrations and dramatic scenes that feel far too theatrical to be real.

Despite all this, Judy lands something with perfect accuracy: its ending (warning: spoilers to follow). In spite of its melodrama—the two gay men who have been in the audience for Garland’s show a dozen times finish her long–awaited performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in a serenade to her. This ending fully understands quite how tragic Garland’s end was and how much she was loved.

Despite any missteps of the film, Judy’s audience left the movie theater in tears, thinking about the nuanced, tragic story of her life.

ARTS

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ARTS

The PMA's Friday Nights Series Is an Unmissable Art Experience The almost–weekly series seeks to unify attendees and artists through whimsical performance and uniquely extended museum hours.

Avery Johnston It's rare to find spaces in the bustle of today’s world that allow for uninterrupted appreciation of art in all its forms. So, when you do come across one of these spaces, it's difficult to forget. The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Friday Nights series is one such art haven. The series presents a new musician virtually every Friday night, drawing from the Philadelphia music community and beyond. The artists hail from a wide variety of countries, backgrounds, and musical histories, with classical jazz, Americana, folk, and Latin music among the styles represented. But the unifying feature of all the artists is their ability to

create their own distinct ambiance.

Friday Nights costs only $14 for students, which is the regular student price for admission to the museum on any given day. Beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday evenings, attendees can enter the museum, greeted by cocktails, tapas–style food, and a candlelit Great Stair Hall. The first performance begins at 5:45 p.m., with a second set at 7:15 p.m. The rest of the museum is also open late, allowing guests the opportunity to get up close and personal with the art on display. It’s a fluid experience— although the featured musicians play, listeners eat, drink, and

otherwise enjoy the space. The soft clinking of glasses and soaring piano arpeggios create the ideal atmosphere for a unique night out.

This past Friday, singer–pianist Dena DeRose graced the Friday Nights attendees with her velvety voice and old–school jazz repertoire, backed by a bassist and a drummer. The night was one of romance and community, with young couples holding hands under the tables spread around DeRose, older couples bobbing their heads to the old songs, and groups of friends laughing softly over wine on the Great Hall staircase. DeRose’s crooning could

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be heard while strolling through some of the museum’s many exhibits—a perfect accompaniment to the stunning artwork.

Coordinator of the Friday Nights series Catherine Ricketts holds evenings like this close to her heart. Not only does she painstakingly select performers from a large list of submissions, but she also wants to ensure that the artists and attendees have an enchanting night.

“You know, we are an art museum. We should take good care of people that are making art, so I really love that about my job," Ricketts explained. "I also love seeing a huge room of people that are very different from one another in some ways all united around the same experience … I love looking around the room and seeing everything from young families with toddlers, to couples on their first date, to friends who came after work for happy hour, to older couples who have been married for 40 years." Ricketts is not just passionate about art, but about the experience of consuming it as well.

The eclectic noises of the night’s sound check echo as we chat about her favorite performances (the “dreamy, ambient” ones), and how some have moved her to tears. She explains the vision behind Friday Nights as a means of putting “local artists in conversation with the art” at the museum and as a way to build community within the museum and in Philadelphia. Art has the power to create and celebrate community, and if you want to get involved with the Philly art scene, this is the perfect place to start.

The Friday Nights series is constantly expanding to feature different types of art and performance. Oct. 11 is Friday Remix, a night of “improvisational, participatory” pop–up performances scattered throughout the galleries.

Catherine described the event as “DIY art,” a way to connect with art in a unique way.

The featured artists include a circus group and Eppchez!, a vocal group slated to perform in an elevator. There's also an exclusive membership rate for students during the month of October—only $20 for a year of membership, which includes free admission and special rates and discounts for exhibitions.

Regardless of your experience (or lack thereof ) with the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the larger art scene in the city, Friday Nights is the perfect spot for a dreamy date night or an evening out with friends. The space fosters magical moments that only music can spark and serves to educate Philadelphians about art. If you’re looking for charm, the Friday Nights series—and more broadly, the art museum—is the place to go.

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Let's Talk provides an easy access to informal consultations at different locations around campus for undergraduate and graduate Penn students. Any student could come-in without an appointment during the times specified below.

Let's Talk is not a substitute for formal counseling or psychiatric care and does not constitute mental health treatment, but counselors will listen closely to your concerns and provide insight, support, and help you explore solutions and suggestions for resources.

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