Atlas Magazine: The Wonder Issue

THE

ISSUE

from the editor

Dear Readers, Suffice it to say this semester didn’t turn out how anybody expected it would. This was for me, and for a lot of Atlas’ staff, our last semester on campus. We were anticipating training our replacements for next year, hosting our annual launch party, finding solace in our last ever final papers and projects, and looking forward to walking across stage.

Obviously, that didn’t happen. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything about the way we see the world and the way we operate within it. People had to find new and creative ways to live their lives and to do their work and that is exactly what Atlas has done. Fortunately for us, most of the articles and photoshoots were written and shot before any panic had hit the United States. In fact, we are lucky that we exist in an industry so independent yet collaborative, allowing the freedom to put out what we hope to be a wonderful magazine and still keep our staff safe, healthy, and sane. To that end, I’d like to thank all the doctors, nurses, policy-makers, restaurants, delivery people, administrators, and parents who are helping to make this trying time a little less invasive and scary.

Coincidentally, this semester’s issue is called Wonder. As we navigate through a new decade, our staff felt it prudent to reflect on what that means, not just for those of us going through college or graduating and trying to find lives, but for fashion trends, politics, and the ever-changing attitudes and grace of our world. So while by all means not ideal, this challenge to our lives couldn’t have come at a more perfect moment for Atlas’s pages.

Could I have imagined a more joyful last semester as Editor-in-Chief ? Yes, I definitely could. But I’ve spent the last two years helping to guide and shape this magazine alongside a staff who has put all their heart and creativity into expanding Atlas into a magazine where vision and voice can play in harmony——and sometimes in intentional discord. The talent and passion on this team are unmatched and every puzzle piece that gets placed from here on out will only help to serve as stepping stones for all it is capable of being.

Sincerely, Allie DiGennaro Editor-in-Chief

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from the creative director Dear Reader,

When we started this issue, we were focused on the beginning of a new decade and the uncertainty of the future that comes with the change. Wondering what the future holds has become a new norm in ways that we never could have imagined. In The Wonder Issue our writers focused on critical thinking and questioning the norms, while the creative team focused on the beauty in wonder through vibrant images and minimalist art that dip into the abstract, surrealist nature of uncertainty. We were able to complete most of the issue’s creative executions before the semester came to an abrupt end, at least the in-person portion. As my last issue with Atlas, I am proud of the way my team was able to pivot and adapt in these unprecedented times. Atlas has been such a constant for me and I have tried to make it the same for my creative team. As I say goodbye to the team that I have been a part of and has helped me grow in so many ways, one thing I do not wonder about is the future of Atlas. I know it is in good hands. Our editorial team, photographers, designers, stylists, artists, and beauty team all worked hard to pull this off with many more behind the scenes to come together and create this issue. I am proud to present the Wonder Issue as my final issue with Atlas. I hope in this issue we are able to transport you into a world of wonder.

X Emma Cox

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staff Editor-in-Chief: Allie DiGennaro Creative Director: Emma Cox Managing Editor: Carly Thompson Head Copyeditor: Anna Moon Online Director: Victoria Steuwe Online Creative Directors: Somari Davis & Tripp Rams Style Editor: Marianna Reyes Globe Editor: Maya Garcia City Editor: Andrea Williams Campus Editor: Eliza Fu Health Editor: Monica Petrucci

Photography Director: Stella Drews-Sheldon Design Director: Kristen Cawog Art Director: Micaela Dix Fashion Director: Brynn Rhodes Editorial Director: Grace Cosgrove Beauty Director: Kendall Bruner Talent and Location Director: Reina Garcia Social Media Directors: September Schultz & Ema SepĂşlveda Events Coordinator: Kasvi Bhatia Staff Writers: Kaitlyn Joyner, Claire Fairtlough, Dana Gerber, Paige Shapiro, Faith Bugenhagen, Meredith Stisser, Mattie Holloway, Meghan Macpherson, Abigail Amato, Engel Williams, Karigan Wright, Grace Rispoli Copyeditors: Charlotte Drummond, Damica Rodriguez, Katherine Powers Illustrators: Natasha Arnowitz, Sophie Droster Designer: Mariana Reyes Photographers: Kaitlyn Joyner, Graham Wheeler-Nelson, Somari Davis, Elaine Tantra, Sophie Droster Editorial Team: Meghan MacPherson, Chloe Shaar, Serge Ganthier, Mattie Holloway, Lili Serio Hair & Makeup: Morgan Holly, Samantha Silveira, Jixuan Liu Stylists: Liv Cigliano, Neeka Boroumandi, Faith Bugenhagen, Khanh Nguyen Marketing: Lucian Parisi, Neeka Boroumandi, Bellamy Suter, Delaney Bailey, Alyssa Frey, Sherry Ma, Khanh Nguyen

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table of contents GLOBE

The Future is Diverse and Female

by Claire Fairtlough // page 14

Violence, Voice, and Virtues in an Anti War Age

by Kaitlyn E. Joyner // page 26 HEALTH The Pharmaceutical Paradigm: Does It Hold Up In 2020?

by Faith Bugenhagen // page 38 Fads in Food: Past, Present, and Future

by Paige Shapiro // page 42 Lights, Camera, Action: Meet the Professionals Giving a Whole New Meaning to Netflix and Chill

by Dana Gerber // page 50 CITY Lead the Way: Boston’s Tribute to Women of History

by Abigail Amato // page 56 Is the MBTA Putting the “T” in Ttials and Tribuations?

by Meghan MacPherson // page 62 Big Lights, Big City: What Does Boston Bring to the Table?

by Engel Williams // page 66 STYLE You Can Sit With Us: Opening up the Fashion and Beauty Industries

by Martie Holloway // page 72 Let “E” Happen

by Meredith Stisser // page 80 CAMPUS “Double, Double, Toil and Trouble”: The Reality of ‘Witchiness’ at Emerson College

by Karigan Wright // page 86 Are Emeson Expansions Exceeding Expectations?

by Grace Rispoli // page 96

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Photos: Stella Drews-Sheldon Models: Nico Dalmau Andrea Mendez Cassie El-Hajj

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GLOB

BE Photos: Kait Joiner Models: Maria Sato Liza Xiao Eryn McCallum Greta Morgan

The Future is

Diverse and

Female

Art: Natasha Arnowitz

By Claire Fairtlough

WHITE MEN HAVE DOMINATED THE world of politics consistently throughout history. The political world has been shaped by men for men, making it difficult for disenfranchised groups to fight for their spot in the political process. As the world emerges into a new decade, the mindset of accepting and praising diversity is common. However, there isn’t enough diversity in politics to fully represent the population.

In a study released by the Reflective Democracy Campaign, white men hold a majority of positions at all levels in the United States, despite only being 31 percent of the population. For republican candidates, 73 percent are white men, 23 percent are white women, 3 percent are men of color, and 1 percent are women of color. For democrats, 55 percent are white men, 27 percent are white women, 11 percent are men of color, and 6 percent are women of color. This isn’t just an issue within the United States. Despite diverse demographics, men still are in control of the political process globally. According to the United Nations (UN), only 24.3 percent of all national parliaments were women. Additionally, the UN stated that there are twenty-seven states where women account for less than 10 percent of parliamentarians in single or lower houses, including three chambers with no women in them at all.

Even though some women have had the right to vote for 100 years, the United States has failed to elect a woman president. There are still politicians in the United States and globally that work hard to limit women’s freedoms. The right to abortion, protections against rape, and equal pay are all issues that affect women on a global level, but historically haven’t been negotitated or decided and ruled on by women.

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In the United States, there has been an immense rise in women taking a stand in politics. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, or AOC, ran for Congress in 2018 on a complete grassroots campaign and defeated ten-term incumbent Joe Crowley. As a 28-year-old, working-class woman of color, this was historically groundbreaking. In her biography on her Congressional website, she discusses how she worked as a waitress and bartender to help support her family, which deepened her connection to fighting for working class people. The first legislation that AOC submitted was also her most influential, The Green New Deal. According to AOC’s Congressional website, the Green New Deal “outlines the framework for a comprehensive and ambitious plan to combat climate change by creating millions of high-wage jobs in new green industries, transitioning our energy system and building new infrastructure.” Additionally, AOC is fighting for immigration, LGBTQIA+ rights, gun control, and accessible healthcare for all.

Another woman politician that has set a new standard in politics is New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden. A member of the Labour party, she’s taken a strong stand for progressive values in New Zealand. A particular point of interest for Arden was her stance on gun control after the Christchurch Mosque shooting last year in March. Fifty-one people were murdered, and forty-nine were wounded. Arden condemned the shooting as an act of white supremacy, and in a briefing stated, “This can only be described as a terrorist attack.” She was also the first New Zealand Prime Minister to march in a gay pride rally. She’s voted for same-sex marriage in New Zealand, is an advocate for climate change, and fights for feminist values. She has dedicated her re-election campaign to be a “positive only campaign,” meaning that she won’t be focusing on the negative aspects of her competitors. According to the Guardian, political commentators consider this to be a risky move, since there could be a chance that she won’t get re-elected if she goes back on her pledge. Additionally, according to The Guardian, “New Zealand needs to be vigilant to protect itself against the kind of culture wars and fake news campaigns seen in the recent U.S. and UK elections.”

The Framers of the United States Constitution believed solely that only land-owning, white men should have the right to vote. Around the rest of the world, it wasn’t much different. England has historically colonized countries in order to exploit resources that they wanted. A common philosophy was the “white man’s burden,” a belief that white men were superior beings, and that it was their “burden” to “civilize” women, people of color, and other minorities that they deemed to be “savages.” Countries were founded and led by the patriarchy, creating a narrative that women were lesser beings due to false biological claims that women are inherently less intelligent than men. Thomas Gisborne, an Anglican priest and poet in the 19th century claimed “women were naturally suited to domestic work and not spheres suited to men such as politics, science, or business.” He stated that this was because women did not possess the same level of rational thinking that men did and had naturally superior abilities in skills related to family support. Prior to the 20th century, women were only considered for giving birth and homemaking, making it a radical notion for a woman to speak her mind. Even though women globally have the right to vote, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they can. Many countries still put sanctions on women, making it difficult for them to vote, run for office, and be activists.

In Saudi Arabia, women were granted the right to vote in 2015. According to the UN,

“There are still politicians in the United States and globally that work hard to limit women’s freedoms” Globe | 16

“Even though many strides are being made globally in regards to women’s rights, women are still being forced into child marriages and refused an education”

this makes them the last country allowing women the right to vote. However, sanctions on women persisted until August 2019, with a law that women can only leave the house with a guardian present only recently abolished. It used to be, that if a woman’s guardian didn’t want them to exercise their right to vote, they couldn’t. However, according to Vox, “Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers approved a royal decree this week put forth by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that would loosen some of the restrictions placed on women through the kingdom’s network of socalled “guardianship laws.” The decree marks the most significant changes to date of Saudi Arabia’s wilayah, or guardianship, system—a network of regulations on the movements and behavior of women that required them to seek the permission or accompaniment of a close male relative in matters of work, leisure, finances, law, and health.

The new law permits unprecedented mobility to women, including the right to obtain a passport and travel abroad without a male relative’s permission. Any Saudi over 21—regardless of gender—will now be able to obtain, renew, and use a passport.”

Implementation of this decree might run into some difficulties. According to Adam Coogle, a Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch, the new law could come into conflict with his legal right to file a claim of “disobedience” over her. He posed the question to the LA Times, “So how will this work?” Coogle asked. “Will the judge cite this change to the civil status law and say you have no right to demand this, or base his judgment on sharia law, where a woman has to obey her husband?” The Wall Street Journal also pointed out the decree doesn’t end the guardianship system completely, with guardianship laws still having an affect on a woman’s marriage, exiting prison, etc. The Wall Street Journal article mentioned that women still have to ask their husband permission to go to a domestic violence shelter. Even with the issues in implementation, this is a monumental step for Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, Princess Reema bint Bander, praised the decision on her twitter account. “I am elated to confirm that KSA [the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia] will be enacting amendments to its labor and civil laws that are designed to elevate the status of Saudi women within our society.

Including granting them the right to apply for passports and travel independently. These developments have been a long time coming. From the inclusion of women in the consultative council, to issuing driving licenses to women, our leadership has proved its unequivocal commitment to gender equality”.

Feminist activists in Saudi Arabia started a hashtag in 2017, #IamMyOwnGuardian, to raise global awareness of women’s treatment as second-class citizens. Saudi activists are still persecuted and detained

for fighting for gender equality, but their fight resulted in putting a stop to legislation that oppressed women. The same activists who started the #IamMyOwnGuardian, are now calling for the Kingdom to release every woman who had been imprisoned for fighting against guardian laws. Loujain al-Hathloul is currently imprisoned for protesting against the Kingdom’s ban on women driving, with her charges being treason against Saudi Arabia.

Along with activism, Saudi women have been making strides in getting elected to office. Since 2015, women have been able to run for municipal councils, which hold limited authority on local issues, such as trash collection and street maintenance. Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi was the first elected woman politician in Saudi Arabia, when she won a municipal seat for Madrakah, a region in the holy city of Mecca. According to PBS, in the December 2015 election, twenty women were elected to municipal seats. Women in Saudi Arabia have also been allowed to join the Shura Council, which is an unelected council that advises Salman of Saudi Arabia on national policy. Women have thirty seats on the council, but must go through separate doors as men, pray in separate areas as men, sit in seats reserved for women only, and can only share their opinions with men on the council through selected times. Saudi activist and co-founder of the Association for the Protection and Defense of Women’s Rights in Saudi Arabia Wajeha al-Huwaider, stated in an interview that this was “great news’” and that “women’s voices will finally be heard.”

Huwaider is an activist that has been recognized internationally for her strides in feminst activism in Saudi Arabia. She has been banned from publishing in Saudi Arabia, was arrested for holding up a sign that read “Give women their rights,” has been detained by the Saudi government, and has been banned from traveling outside of Saudi Arabia. The travel ban has since been lifted. She advocated for women who attempted to cross borders without male guardians in protest of the country’s guardianship laws that prohibit women from going anywhere without a male present. She has been refused travel in each instance, but still goes to show her resistance. With the ban on travel for women being lifted, she now advocates for those who have been imprisoned to be released. Additionally, she was charged for kidnapping and for attempting a separation between husband and wife when she attempted to help a woman named Nathalie Morin to escape to the Canadian embassy and leave her abusive husband. Huwaider was sentenced to prison for ten months, and received a two-year travel ban. Nathalie Morin still lives with her husband and told Huffington Post that her and her four children are abused physically and psychologically everyday.

Even though many strides are being made globally in regards to women’s rights, women are still being forced into child marriages and refused an education, and sanctions are still being placed on women to prevent

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“Women demonstrate political leadership by working across party lines through parliamentary women’s caucuses—even in the most politically combative environments”

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them from voting. Huwaider has equated this treatment of women to slavery. In this case, it’s slavery to men. These violations have to do with the toxic narrative that a woman’s use is only for the pleasure of men. One woman in particular who has been fighting to erase this narrative, is Malala Yousafzai.

Malala was forced out of an education when the Taliban took control over her town in Pakistan. She was twelve years old. When she spoke out against this injustice, she was shot in the head. Malala says that she shares her story “not because it’s unique, but because it’s the story of many girls.” The Malala Fund works to create a future where every woman will have a chance to get an education. Their website states that they focus on prioritizing women’s education, instead of prioritizing marriage. Many stories shared through the Malala Fund are of girls who want to be educated and have strong aspirations, but were forced out of school to be married to a man they don’t know or don’t want at an extremely young age. Malala is the youngest person to win a Nobel Peace Prize and is currently studying at Oxford University.

Activism is a common place to start before deciding to get into politics. I interviewed Jehan Ayesha, an Emerson international student from Malaysia, about her goals in the political realm. Ayesha is maylay-chinese-javanese and minang, coming from multiethnic parents. Her first language is English, but is also fluent in Malay, Mandarin and Indonesion. When I asked her what she wanted to do in the field of politics and activism, she said, “I don’t want to become a politician unless it aligns with my goals and plans to advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights and eradicate academic elitism in the country, and the latter stems from racism.” As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Ayesha admitted that she’s only recently come to terms with her sexuality since the community is not recognized by most Malaysians, especially the government.

Ayehsa informed me that engaging in sexual activity with a person of the same gender is a serious crime, same-sex marriage is prohibited, and gender and sex are binary categories according to the Malaysian government.

Another issue that Ayesha is extremely passionate about is the issue of academic elitism in Malaysia. When asked to elaborate more, Ayesha explained, “I’m on the privileged side of the problem. In public schools, you are sorted into classes based on your class ranking. At the societal level, if you are in the ‘top’ or ‘golden’ class, you are automatically deemed as smart and important even though intellect is actually hard to quantify. At the school level, those top/golden classes are prioritized and invested in the most, sometimes even far more than the second-best class. For example, if a teacher for the top class were absent, another teacher from the lower classes would have to leave their class to substitute the first teacher.” She explained that this academic elitism

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is also race-based, since “There is a kind-of affirmative action for Malays. I didn’t have to get grades nearly as good as the top class students to be sorted into the class because there weren’t enough Malays.” Ayehsa told me that she had a difficult time navigating her social life at school due to the erasure of discussing and advocating for indigenous groups in class. She said, “For me, I had a hard time finding ‘my people’ and I don’t want that for others. It may seem a little thing but as a child growing up, your social life at school is a really formative experience.”

As for the future in politics, Ayehsa is hopeful for Malaysia. “Women in politics is more normalized in Malaysia, especially in recent years!” she says. “As far as I know, among my generation, we have no issues with women getting political.

But there still aren’t nearly enough women getting elected to positions of power despite all the work they’re doing. I know way more female activists than I know male activists.” Ayesha went further to say, “I was a little hopeful that we were going to finally have our first female prime minister because our last one resigned and his deputy was a woman, but the Agong appointed another man instead. The point that I’m trying to make is that even though people say that they don’t have a problem with women in politics, the fact is they’re not being recognized for the work they’re doing.”

The interview between Ayesha and I ended on her future goals and aspirations in activism.

When asked, Ayesha stated, “Personally, pursuing politics would be a challenge for me. I’m not ‘fully’ Malay, Malay is not my first language, and I don’t sound like a natural speaker and those will really affect my reputation. Like the United States, politics in Malaysia is not taken seriously

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enough. I think that comes from privilege, from not being heavily affected by the politics put in place. People genuinely believe that politics is just a matter of opinion instead of an actual governance of life.” Even though the road to political equality is difficult, Ayesha is hopeful for the future. She is pursuing an education in Boston with the goal of securing a job for at least a couple of years. After that, Ayesha said she hopes to “earn enough money and build a decent resume, so that when I go home, I can invest in activism AND be taken seriously. Hopefully.”

There’s evidence that electing women candidates improves the political decision making process. The UN states that “Women demonstrate political leadership by working across party lines through parliamentary women’s caucuses—even in the most politically combative environments—and by championing issues of gender equality, such as the elimination of gender-based violence, parental leave and childcare, pensions, gender-equality laws, and electoral reform.” The UN has proved that diverse politicians are beneficial because they work to be representative of everyone. According to the UNESCO’s World Report on Investing in Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Dialogue, “Culture is the very substratum of all human activities, which derive their meaning and value from it. The acknowledgement of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue help to defuse the tensions that can arise in multicultural societies when a majority and minority confront each other over recognition of their rights. What favours cultural diversity, which is in no way opposed to the universality of human rights, is a governance of reconciliation, which is the surest guarantee of peace.”

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V Violence, Voices, and Virtue in an

Anti-War Age

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V

By Kaitlyn E. Joyner “I WAS A SENIOR IN COLLEGE WHEN GEORGE BUSH DECLARED WAR ON IRAQ,” Emerson Professor Mneesha Gellman recalls. “I went to Bard University in New York. I remember taking the train to New York City to participate in a huge protest, feeling a sense of outrage, alongside a sense of optimism—our voices mattered. I was jaded when I began to realize that the people in power were able to ignore our voices. People have to be moved to care, they have to step out of their comfort zones.”

Almost two decades later, war in the Middle East is still a point of tension for many people around the globe. Only a few days into the new year of 2020, United States President Donald Trump authorized a drone strike at Baghdad International Airport in Iran — without the approval of Congress. Trump’s goal was to assassinate General Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp. There were ten casualties as a result of the airstrike, with Suleimani among them. Trump’s actions greatly escalated U.S. conflict with Iran and led to concerns about continued U.S. involvement in the Middle East and the possible loss of innocent lives.

Iran retaliated against the assassination by launching missile strikes on Iraqi bases hosting U.S. troops.

Though there were no recorded casualties, the incident succeeded in eliciting a reaction from Americans.

Trump took to Twitter, where he threatened to bomb Iranian cultural sites and left the nation shocked by his public willingness to commit a war crime.

Trump was not the only person to post about the conflict, nor was he the only person to receive criticisms. Many individuals saw the events as an opportunity for war-related memes to go viral, while others expressed disapproval towards those making light of the news and attempted to reshift the focus towards the well-being of civilians in Iran and Iraq. Protests against war with Iran took place in more than 80 cities across the country. But the protests did not garner the same numbers as the Women’s March or the widespread protests against war in Iraq in 2002-2003, such as the one Professor Gellman attended in New York, according to AP News.

Protests against war in Vietnam swept across the nation in 1964, and lasted nearly a decade. The broad social reach of the Vietnam war

“Is it possible that modern day technology has made tragedy but a blip on the radar of many people, nothing but a fleeting cause?”

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protests and the turnout of the protests against war in Iraq have not since been emulated. Is it possible that modern day technology has made tragedy but a blip on the radar of many people, nothing but a fleeting cause? What does it mean to be anti-war in today’s world?

Neeka Boroumandi, a freshman BCE student at Emerson with family in Iran, believes there is a lack of empathy for people involved in tragedies that do not take place on American soil. “Social media is making it acceptable to make everything into a joke,” Boroumandi says. “Most of my family lives in Iran, and it’s a scary feeling with all this happening.

It made me angry that people who won’t be affected by this can make jokes about it when I actually have family there who would be in danger.”

Social media is valuable as an organizing and educative tool, Gellman says, but there is danger in “clicktivism,” which leads people to believe they are participating in meaningful action by liking a post. “Clicktivism is a pacifier for political dissent,” Gellman says. She also stresses the importance of recognizing the need for both extra-institutional change and institutional change. For Emerson students, art can be a means of extra-institutional change, whether it takes on the form of songwriting, murals, short films, photos, or writing. “There is a whole range of extra-institutional ways to affect change outside of traditional means,” Gellman adds. “Unsanctioned art can promote critique amongst people that may themselves not be directly involved, and through that, ideas can spread. However, extra-institutional work must be complemented by institutional work, or reform from within the system, in order to affect true change.”

As long as most college students have been alive, there has been ongoing U.S. involvement in the Middle East. It began in the early ’90s, but expanded rapidly in the following years. “The people that would be affected by such war would be Iranians and those who live under American terrorism,” Boroumandi says. She stresses that the reality of U.S. involvement in Iran is that most American citizens would remain isolated from the conflict, as they have for years.

“People are shockingly good at othering,” Gellman says.

“They are good at distancing themselves from the realities faced by others. If people in positions of power had to put themselves in the shoes of the people that they wage war on, we would have far fewer acts of war. War is completely devastating, from the physical impact, to its impact on food and water supply, to people’s sense of human dignity, community and purpose.”

She stresses that with war in the Middle East comes violence, poverty, and missile strikes. This is nothing new, but according to Gellman, this is not something people should allow themselves to become desensitized to.

In the age of the hashtag, Emerson junior and creative writing major Liz Zarb found reason to evaluate the power of her own voice, as well as her duty to lift the voices of others. When it comes to showing up for Iranian people and those at risk of yet another wave of violence and political turmoil, Zarb expresses her belief that the power to make change lies in consistent peaceful protest. “Change happens when more and more people begin to back a cause,” Zarb says. “We have to be dedicated and diligent. One march, one

“Clicktivism is a pacifier for political dissent”

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protest a year isn’t enough. One weekend isn’t going to change the world. We have to keep the conversation going, to make our voices seen and heard consistently.”

Manal Aldaaysi is a freshman international student at Suffolk University from the Kingdom of Bahrain, a sovereign state which was part of Iran until 1971, when it officially gained its independence. Though Bahrain is 490 miles away from Iran, the possibility of nearby war looms over the heads of many residents. Bahrain’s government has engaged in the repression of activists since a series of anti-government protests known as the Arab Springs started in 2011.

“Americans must use their voices to protest the unjustifiable actions of their government and president. They need to stand against the threats made to Irananian people and their cultural and religious sites,” Aldaaysi says. “After all, Americans, unlike people in some parts of the world, have the advantage of their right to practice the freedom of speech.”

When the actions of the government do not align with the will of the people, Gellman maintains that it is necessary to commit to speaking out and taking action. “Fear of engagement with others paralyzes us,” Gellman says. “We need to figure out how to help people break out of that paralysis. War is always counterproductive. Dialogue is very productive, but it requires two or more parties to actually engage with one another and to recognize each other as worthy of dignity.”

“Americans must use their voices to protest the unjustifiable actions of their government and president”

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HEA

Photos: Graham Wheeler-Nelson Models: Leyla Said Joey Polvere

ALTH

The

Pharmaceutical Paradigm: Does It Hold Up in 2020?

PRESCRIBING MEDICATION TO TREAT MENTAL ILLNESS IS not always the best way to construct an effective treatment plan. There was no prescription that would give me the ability to combat my eating disorder.

Therapy sessions—both talk and group styles—were barely effective enough to understand my symptoms, let alone help curb them.

Mental healthcare is a section of healthcare that, within my personal experiences, draws more complications than answers with prescription-based treatments. There is continuous debate surrounding prescription medication, like pharmaceutical companies being sued for their active roles within the opioid crisis, and prescription medications being challenged by patients told to use them.

Medication is often used in treatment plans of patients who suffer from mental illnesses in efforts to curb the symptoms and irregular behavioral patterns that are side effects of these illnesses. With a majority of treatment plans, the prescriptions are essential for effective treatment, as Dr. Audrey Ryan, a licensed counselor in the Boston area, explains. Patients are often suffering from intense symptoms of their illness, and they are unable to ease the symptoms with therapy alone.

“Sometimes patients can treat it with their own will, but sometimes their OCD, eating disorder, or anxiety prohibits them from doing so, which is

By Faith Bugenhagen Art: Natasha Arnowitz

when the requirement for medication comes into treatment plans,” Ryan says.

As a recovered anorexic, I had the ability to treat my symptoms with talk therapy and other specific coping techniques around eating disorder treatment. I was never prescribed a medication for any of the other side effects that came along with my anorexia, like my anxiety or stress. I had the privilege of blocking out the symptoms and focusing on positive coping mechanisms that were taught to me through my years of therapy. I also had the privilege of using my own will to combat this illness that once plagued me.

However, many patients do not have this same privilege or ability, as mental illness comes in a variety of conditions, impacting each individual differently from the other.

The important thing to note is that even when these prescriptions are effective, and they have the potential to be, they don’t detract from the central route of the problem that is fostering the mental illness Ryan says. Just because symptoms subside does not mean that the illness itself, or what triggered it, goes away.

Ryan is not licensed to prescribe medications to her patients, so she

“Even when these prescriptions are effective...they don’t detract from the central route of the problem that is fostering the mental illness”

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refers her patients to medical healthcare professionals. But she still stresses that these referrals can only fix part of the problem.

“I see both sides of it, and I definitely see where we [healthcare providers] are being lazy and in result are allowing the pharmaceutical industry to profit and benefit off of this,” she says.

Ryan worries that patients who often shift to a reliance on a drug have the potential to let the true root of their issue slip between the cracks of acknowledgement. “Medication can function as a band-aid, not allowing healthcare providers to get to the root of the problem of their patients,” Ryan says.

Ryan also addresses the experimentation behind prescribing effective medication. Doctors often follow a trial-and-error practice, not truthfully knowing the variations of effects that the selected prescription will have on each individual patient.

“Patients are left feeling like guinea pigs when they are prescribed medications, because a lot of the treatment is just guessing what could work,” she says.

This is true of mental healthcare techniques in general, and does not fall at the faults of mental healthcare providers. It is complicated to understand each way that an individual patient func-

“Patients are left feeling like guinea pigs when they are prescribed medications, because a lot of the treatment is just guessing what could work”

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tions when they all share the same illness, but can have such different symptoms.

Reflecting on my time in eating disorder treatment, I saw patients who were like me, easy and moderate within symptom presence. They would leave treatment almost immediately after they got there. But I also saw patients who, unlike me, had little ability to be fully functional, their eating disorder consuming them and provoking life-threatening symptoms.

Ryan emphasizes this wheel of diversity within a patient’s symptoms and conditions, agreeing that there was no one way to treat a case. “There is a whole trajectory of why things are the way they are,” Ryan says.

Laura Okin, PsyD, is a practicing psychologist located in the Boston area who focuses on psychodynamic therapy, or the practice of recognizing the illness beyond the symptoms that it manifests. She agrees with Ryan’s thoughts regarding the variations within patients’ present symptoms.

But she also finds fault within the process of labeling the collection of symptoms, and reaching a diagnosis.

“I don’t think a diagnosis gives me much information, I am much more interested in what the symptoms represent,” Okin says. “I want to get to the origin of the symptom and how it came to be.”

Like Ryan, Okin strives to place the concentration on the why of the

“Wanting to fix the issue, yet keep intact the idea that the patient is not a culmination of all their symptoms, is a slippery slope to navigate.”

symptoms, rather than trying to get them to subside.

And she believes that this is where mistakes are commonly made in treatment plans.

“I think [healthcare providers] are just treating the symptoms, and they are trying to manage the system,” Okin says.

“When we are doing that, we are not getting to the underlying issue.”

Okin encourages psychologists to take a step back and first acknowledge that the patients they are attempting to treat are full-fledged individuals, who are more than their diagnoses.

“If someone is coming in and compulsively eating, I don’t go into my DSM [Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders] and look for what eating disorder it is, rather I look at what this action fulfills. I ask myself, ‘does this action take you away from your feelings?’ and I go from there,” she says.

Looking back to my individualized treatment, I wish more of my medical care providers saw me past the symptoms of my eating disorder. However, I now understand the difficulty it took to pinpoint and tackle the problems of my illness, even at the moderate level that I was at.

Wanting to fix the issue, yet keep intact the idea that the patient is not a culmination of all their symptoms, is a slippery slope to navigate. A slope that the entire world of mental healthcare must navigate on a day-to-day basis, while also attempting to produce the best and most effective treatment. This is not a simple undertaking, and there is no one answer to correct all of the underlying issues.

But solutions can be found. I was able to overcome my eating disorder by being patient within treatment, coming to the understanding that it was not worth it to live a life constantly constrained by concerns over caloric intake. Coming to this revelation was in no means dictated by an average treatment plan, it was a treatment plan that took time to construct and time to be effective.

Although mental health treatment can appear as though no solution will ever truly be reached, it’s proven to be possible. There is hope present; these illnesses can be treated effectively and permanently,both with and without medication.

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Fads Food in

Past, Present , and Future

By Paige Shapiro Art: Natasha Arnowitz

SOUTH BEACH DIET. STILLMAN DIET. Subway Diet. Soft Diet. SC Diet. Superfood Diet.

Salisbury Diet. Sugar Busters Diet. Scarsdale Medical Diet. Slim Fast Diet. Semi-vegetarianism Diet.

Shangri-La Diet. Slimming World Diet. SlowCarb Diet. Smart For Life Diet. Sonoma Diet.

SparkPeople Diet.

And those are just the S’s. It’s 2020, and to say there are quite a few diet trends stumbling around would be the understatement of the decade. They range from the more subtle elimination diet–– where you remove just one bad food item from your daily repertoire––to the heinous Marlex patch, where dieters sew a painful patch of plastic to their tongues to dissuade them from eating any solid foods. Seem unhealthy? It is.

But unfortunately, countless people had no qualms with going to the extreme to achieve a state of pseudo-healthy. And one after the other, time proves these types of diets both ineffective and dangerous. So what is effective?

I spoke with Janet Helm, a registered dietitian and nutritionist who was recently named one of the top 20 nutrition influencers, to answer this question.

To Helm, food is no two-dimensional subject.

As Chief Food and Nutrition Strategist for We-

And one after the other, time proves these types of diets both ineffective and dangerous.”

“Countless people had no qualms with going to the extreme to achieve a state of pseudo-healthy. ber Shandwick, a global public relations firm, she markets foods by utilizing her expertise in advertising to bring food from producer to consumer.

From mangoes and milk, to lobster and pecans, it is safe to say that Helm knows what she’s talking about when she gives us her take on the latest fads in nutrition.

“Food trends often start with chefs; nutrition trends often start with celebrities,” she reveals.

“Often the latest diet trend is what a celebrity will start talking about, sharing on social media, or featured in a magazine.” Food trends such as 2014’s obsession with avocado toast came from chefs at Australian Avocados, but 2015’s fixation on avocado as a post-workout refill? We can credit that to Gwenyth Paltrow and her own obsession with clean eating––or at least, her obsession with posting about it.

As put by Hannah Goldfield, a food writer for the New Yorker, the most successful food trends reflect what’s going on in society at a given time.

“Artisanal toast, one might posit, represents our intensifying obsession with and fetishization of food.

Every meal is special [and should be] broadcast— even something as pedestrian as toast,” she writes.

And Helm agrees. We can thank the immense presence of social media in our daily lives for the

Swapping It Out

fast-spreading diet trends we see today, but this is not always a good thing. The “eat like me, look like me” phenomena is so popularly received by the everyday American, and it is this mindset that often leads to demise, says Helm. “I think people either give certain foods or ingredients magical qualities [like how it can] burn fat, rev up my metabolism, etc. or they think it’s toxic. There are such extremes when it comes to thoughts about food.”

But ultimately, there is no one food that can magically tone your abs or make you always feel well-rested. And even with trends like the ketogenic diet, it is difficult to achieve your goals in a completely foolproof way. When you pile on fats, meats, and dairy, and almost entirely avoid fruits, beans, and whole grains, you are bound for disaster. “Any trend that eliminates foods and only allows a very narrow range of foods is not good,” reaffirms Helm. Instead, she suggests more circular diets that incorporate healthy foods, like the Mediterranean diet or the flexitarian diet, which can allow you to enjoy your favorite sweets and cheats in moderate amounts. Ketogenic diets might show you results the quickest, but it certainly is not something sustainable for your future. “[I] do not believe the ketogenic diet is healthy. My hope is that the fad diets will be in the past. We know now from a scientific standpoint on what is truly a healthy diet,” Helm says, predicting that in this new decade people will begin to realize that it doesn’t take an extreme regime to stay healthy.

So if elimination diets are no good and ketogenic doesn’t make the cut, how exactly can you keep healthy and meet your 2020 goals? Helm poses some very simple advice: plan ahead.

“Know what your week looks like and what your day looks like for food,” she says. “Write down what you eat so you know what you’re actually consuming in a day. It’s not something you need to do every day, but it can help reveal certain patterns that could be improved.”

And of course, not any body or mind is the same. While one person may function well on a certain diet, another might become miserably fatigued on the same diet. The trick is to take the time to figure out the best foods for you to stay happy and healthy. But there is no guarantee that it will be easy. Helm assures us that it takes time and effort to stay healthy. “There’s no magic pill, and no magic way to eat.”

Some healthy alternatives to popular health myths

“There’s no magic pill, and no magic way to eat.”

Protein from meat:

While meat may seem like an attractive fuel for your brand new muscles, red meat tends to be high in saturated fat or sodium, which can dehydrate your body. But try swapping out your T-Bone steak for a roasted chicken breast or a handful of almonds, both of which can feed your body all it needs in protein. (Also: eggs, oats, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, fish, quinoa, hummus, and broccoli.)

Gatorade after workout: Although you replenish your electrolytes naturally, Gatorade and other similar brightly colored sports drinks can help to restore the electrolytes and fluids you lost during your workout in a speedy manner. But they’re not neon for no reason. Gatorade is chock full of added sugar and artificial dyes, which actually work to reverse the progress you’ve made via workout by increasing inflammation and overall muscle pain and damage.

Instead, stick to water and maybe an extra swig of your favorite electrolyte drink (coconut water, watermelon or orange juice, and even milk).

Counting calories:

Juice cleanses:

Solid foods take longer to digest, so your body is able to take all the nutrients that it needs from the food you’ve consumed. But when all you’re consuming is fruit and veggie juice, you are starving your body of essential nutrients and fiber. Juice is a supplement to a well-balanced diet, not an entree. But if you want to skip solids for a meal or two a week, trade in your juicer for a blender. That way, the fiber and pulp will be combined into your daily meal too, which is the most important part of a fruit or veggie anyway.

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It’s an easy habit to fall into, but do your very best to not get obsessed with tracking your second-to-second food and fitness choices.

With apps like MyPlate and Fitocracy, scanning and logging your diet is easier than ever.

But give yourself some room to breathe. If you focus and keep your goal in mind, you should find no need to go crazy over calories.

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Lights, Camera, Action Meet the professionals giving a whole BROWSE THE SELECTIONS ON NETFLIX, HULU, OR AMAZON Prime (probably not Disney+) and you’re likely to come across some pretty new meaning to racy scenes. Tame ones might include a tender make-out session, and the more raunchy ones might go all the way to… well, all the way. To make these Netflix and Chill. scenes safer and steamier, intimacy coordinators are changing the sex scene game as we move into the post-#MeToo era, and are determined to put consensual-yet-still-steamy action into lights, camera, action.

Intimacy coordinators and intimacy directors, positions that are rapidly picking up speed since the #MeToo movement, are professional facilitators of simulated sex and nudity in theater and film, according to a recent New York Times article. Directors deal with theater, while coordinators handle film. The job of these professionals is to come into a performance space to work with actors and directors to choreograph sex scenes, right down to minute hand movements or the vocal quality of moans.

“Your right hand is going to go behind his left shoulder. And you’re going to give him a squeeze for five seconds while looking into his eyes and taking a long, slow inhale,” intimacy director Sarah Scanlon gives as an example of how she might advise actors. “It’s that specific.”

For decades, the abuses of power exposed in #MeToo weren’t just hidden behind the cameras or curtains, they were displayed to audiences in scenes where actors felt like they couldn’t say no to a direction of intimacy they felt uncomfortable with. Even if an actor’s experience is simply awkward and not traumatic, it still takes an emotional toll. So what does a responsible depiction of intimacy look like on the stage or screen and how can intimacy professionals make sure these scenes are handled with the care they deserve?

“It has been a gaping hole for a long time in our profession,” says Jill Carlson, an intimacy director based in Greenville, North Carolina. “There hasn’t been a codified process for doing those scenes, like there is for stage combat. We fundamentally understand that if

By Dana Gerber Art: Natasha Arnowitz

“Intimacy coordinators [are] positions that are rapidly picking up speed since the #MeToo movement”

we’re playing with swords that that needs to be carefully choreographed so that no one gets hurt. But we weren’t giving the same consideration to scenes of intimacy.”

Even if they have the best of intentions, directors and other crew members aren’t always prepared or trained to communicate with their actors on what they’re comfortable doing on camera and, in worst-case scenarios, directors don’t care about the boundaries of their performers. “Because of the power structures inherent in theater, actors have not been very empowered to be able to speak up,” Carlson explains. “There’s always been this old adage of, ‘Well, if you don’t want to do something, there’s twenty people in the hall waiting to take your place.’”

This, precisely, is the role of intimacy coordinators.Basically, they serve as a liaison between actors’ boundaries and directors’ artistic intentions, finding compromises between the two to craft intentional and consent-driven sex scenes that still make audiences’ heart rates rise and palms sweat.

“We are there, primarily, first and foremost, as advocates for the actors,” Carlson says. “We are also there to serve the story. We are also there to get the director what they want from the storytelling. But we are there to make sure that the actors are confident, and that they have been empowered to set boundaries, and that they are participating in a scene with full, enthusiastic consent.”

According to a guide created by Intimacy Directors International (IDI), the main player in the intimacy direction and coordination industry, the job of an intimacy coordinator is five-pronged: understand the context of the sex scene within the larger narrative, foster communication between all cast and crew involved with the scene so everybody’s expectations align, ensure consent at every step of the filming process, choreograph the scene itself, and encourage closure for the actors at the end of every take to return back from their work.

“Because art is meant to heal, not to harm,” says Scanlon. It is an intimacy director or coordinator’s

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mission to tell a story of intimacy without violating the storytellers. By acting as what she calls a “movement detective,” Scanlon can determine physical ways for actors to communicate intimacy in whatever parameters they’ve consented to. And this detection, she says, leads to a “much deeper analysis of the script and the character and of the text.” The possibilities that result? Endless. “Boundaries are gifts,” she explains.

“Now you know the exact things that you can’t do.

And then there’s thousands of things that you can.”

To learn how to enact and discover these possibilities in a responsible way, there are intensive workshops and lots of training necessary to become an intimacy director or coordinator. Scanlon says they include implicit bias training, mental health first aid, conflict resolution classes, and trauma response and prevention training. “We’re not there as the touch police,” Scanlon says.

“We’re not there to be a therapist. But we are there to ensure that everyone is on the same page about the story that is being told with the moments of intimacy that are indicated in the script, and that everyone is enthusiastically consenting to the way that that story is being told.”

The job doesn’t always stop here, though. Some intimacy coordinators provide protective gear and garments for actors to wear during scenes to minimize genital contact. Training in emotional or mental health support for actors following, especially traumatic scenes, is also standard. Others are LGBTQIA+ specialized, or specifically work with performers of color.

Teniece Divya Johnson, a New York City-based intimacy coordinator who recently worked on the shows Pose and Succession, understands the importance of the person of color and queer identities in their work.

“I’m for any other. I get where you’re coming from. I understand,” they say.

“One of the things I’m learning is that it can be challenging when you have an all-black cast, and we are asking them to be naked, vulnerable in these simulated sex positions, and then they are othered by their intimacy

coordinator not looking like them.”

No matter what, Johnson says, it’s paramount that intimacy coordinators and directors are prepared for whatever environment they’re put in, which can often mean having the personal background to inform their work. “You need to have the resources to support whoever’s in that room,” they say.

And, as Scanlon emphasizes, one of the biggest parts of intimacy direction and coordination is the closure aspect, where all performers return from the make-believe of their characters to the reality of themselves. Especially in scenes of intimacy, the line between character and self can feel particularly murky. “Your body thinks that it’s real, but I’m here to tell you, it’s not real,” Scanlon explains to her actors. “I am telling you to do this. I am making this happen. It is not real. And we’re going to continue to practice emotional hygiene around that.”

Despite its early premise and invaluable contributions to the industry, intimacy coordination and direction is still a nascent field. Tonia Sina, Siobhan Richardson, and Alicia Rodis founded IDI only in 2016 (Rodis and Richardson parlayed into intimacy coordination from their jobs as stunt coordinators). As of January, there are fewer than 50 official intimacy coordinators in the U.S., Canada, and Britain. However, considering the job was basically unheard of until then, it is growing as quickly as the demand is.

Part of the reason why the field is growing so quickly? Intimacy coordinators have the expertise to make the hottest sex scenes even hotter. They know what grunts and sighs will sound best on playback, and which Twister-worthy positioning of limbs will look realistic on screen. It may sound counterintuitive, but careful planning of a sex scene makes it look infinitely more authentic. And what’s sexier than authenticity?

“The nature of this work is that it’s detailed and specific, and that leads to better storytelling,” Carlson describes. “In no way is intimacy direction or intimacy coordination about censoring stories of human sexuality. We are not trying to sanitize anything.”

Scanlon agrees that the intentionality behind intimacy direction and coordination makes for a stronger audience reaction. “What do we want the audience to feel? Let’s talk about it. Do we want the audience to be sweating right now? Because let’s do it. Let’s make that happen. And here’s how we’re going to do it,” Scanlon says she asks her cast and crew.

And Hollywood is catching on to the well-deserved hype. In 2018, HBO began requiring intimacy coordinators on any set involving simulated sex or nudity, and Netflix’s Sex Education employed one for their second season.

Broadway shows are catching on as well, and even college programs like Yale School of Drama and Juilliard are starting to include intimacy coordination into their curriculums. The Screen Actors Guild recently released official standards and protocols for intimacy coordinators, and endorsed their use.

While Scanlon says some professionals were initially hesitant to work with intimacy coordinators, the industry is becoming more and more accepting and trusting of them. “Once someone realizes that I’m not there to police them, that I’m not there to squelch their impulses,” Scanlon explains, “that’s when the collaboration really shines.” And this acceptance is especially satisfying than when it comes from an actor, suddenly realizing the empowerment of having an ally. “The most rewarding part is when an actor goes, ‘Wow, that felt different,’” Scanlon says.

Intimacy coordinators may have earned headlines because of #MeToo, but it’s become so much more than that. They represent a cinematic revolution, allowing for actors to safely portray some of the most difficult scenes of their careers without choosing between a passionate performance and personal safety.

Intimacy coordinators take the intimidation out of intimacy, and nobody is looking back.

“There is an army of people now who are not going to punish you for saying no,” Scanlon says.

“And the army is growing.”

“It is an intimacy director or coordinator’s mission to tell a story of intimacy without violating the storytellers”

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Photos: Sophie Droster Models: Amaury Basora Daniela Hoyos Chloe Weisberg

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ITY

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Lead the Way

Boston’s Tribute to Women of History

By Abigail Amato Art: Natasha Arnowitz WHEN ABIGAIL ADAMS FAMOUSLY PENNED THE words “remember the ladies” to her husband John in 1776, the fight for women’s accomplishments to remain in the footnotes of history books was only just the beginning.

Here in Boston, the Boston Women’s Heritage Trail (BWHT) is devoted to ensuring that women are not lost in Boston’s rich and complicated history. The organization began in 1989 when a group of educators, students, and librarians dreamed up the BWHT as an alternative to the male-centric history trails in the Boston area.

Over thirty years later, the BWHT has thirteen walks throughout Boston, honoring more than 200 women for their contributions in Boston.

Mary Smoyer, a board member and one of the original founders of the BWHT says that the formation of the group came from several educators within the Boston Public School System. “The idea was to create a trail similar to the Freedom Trail,” says Smoyer. “The Freedom Trail is the first and most famous walking trail in this country and it doesn’t tell anything about women.”

Smoyer acknowledges that this is mostly due to the fact that the trail is based on the Revolutionary War, but she still feels that there are stories of women that could be included. Similarly, Boston’s Black Heritage Trail, which came about in the 1960s and ’70s, is an example as it includes very few stories of women.

“When you see an advertisement for Boston, you see Paul Revere on a horse.

And when you go on the Freedom Trail, or Black Heritage Trail, you don’t hear the women’s stories,” Smoyer says. “So if you come to town as a tourist, you don’t get the full story.”

Smoyer says that the group’s other board members and volunteers—all of which are women—brainstorm new ideas for trails and events then work to create them. Unlike The Freedom Trail and Boston’s Black Heritage Trail, the BWHT is not funded by the National Park Service and relies on volunteers and donations.

In collaboration with Boston Public Schools (BPS), the BWHT works to include women in social studies curriculums by sponsoring teach workshops, institutes and

“The Boston Women’s Heritage Trail is devoted to ensuring that women are not lost in Boston’s history.”

showcases, helping to create neighborhood mini-trails for students, and offering free tours to students and educators.

Since retiring as a BPS educator, Smoyer says recent changes to the education system and the omission of social studies on The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) have hindered the collaboration with BPS. “There’s no social studies on the MCAS, so this kind of learning where students would leave the building and interview people and make trails was very much encouraged in the 90s when we started but has slowly been discouraged through various pressures from the testing,” Smoyer says.

According to Smoyer, though they have seen a significant drop in student engagement since the shift, they continue working with educators to maintain student involvement with the organization.

Maria D’Itria, another retired educator with BPS who began teaching in 1967, has continued to make women more known for their accomplishments in school curriculums ever since.

“I was hooked from the very beginning because at the time I had a classroom of very ambitious young ladies that wanted to know why there were so many men and men’s biographies that we talked about in the classroom but very few about women,” D’Itria says.

She recalls one female student decided to begin research herself due to a particular interest in Emily Dickinson, and from there, students began taking the research of notable women upon themselves. From the educator’s perspective, D’Itria said they began weaving the stories of women into the curriculum wherever they could.

Like Smoyer, D’Itria has been with the BWHT since its founding and even in retirement, continues working with students at Harvard-Kent Elementary school in Charlestown through enrichment programs. She has witnessed first hand the effects of standardized testing on student’s engagement in

local history. “Back in those days we were free to adjust the curriculum,” D’Itria says, referencing the early years of the BWHT. “The teachers and the students weren’t pressured to focus on this test.”

Even with the drop in out-of-classroom engagement, D’Itria, along with other educators, continue working to include notable women in the student’s curriculum. According to D’Itria, efforts have included after-school programs to revise historical trails in Charlestown to include more women, presentations for students, and informational posters hung around the school by D’Itria for students to engage with.

Even with it missing from much of the curriculum, D’Itria says students still come to her with a high level of interest in women’s history, often coming to her with examples of women they’re interested in learning about.

With self-guided and student-designed tours all across the Boston area, it’s safe to say that several of the women included on the trails wouldn’t be known even by most adults, making the mission of educators involved with the BWHT all the more important.

Smoyer feels that giving both boys and girls a background of women’s history can bolster sensitivities for women’s rights campaigns, such as the Me Too movement. “We can’t just think that George Washington and Ulysses Grant are the heroes and not fit in our story,” Smoyer says. “It gives you a lot more respect if you know what these women have accomplished. And it’s amazing what they accomplished. I mean, it took 75 active years of campaigning, to just get the right to vote, which is really not a very big request, right?”

What Abigail Adams may not have realized when writing her plea to her husband is that ladies themselves are the strongest tool in ensuring that they are not forgotten in the grand scheme of history.

“Giving both boys and girls a background of women’s history can bolster sensitivities for women’s rights campaigns.”

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Is the MBTA Putting the “T” in Trials and Tribulations?

By: Meghan MacPherson AS ONE OF THE MOST HISTORIC CITIES in the United States, Boston has had an incredible evolution over the years and is still evolving. There are changes happening all over, from building construction, to the unveiling of new businesses, and even the physical landscape among Boston’s neighborhoods. This trend will likely continue for many years to come as the population steadily grows.

Boston is the birthplace of many different things, from the American Revolution, to the first public park, but it is often unknown that the country’s first subway tunnels originated underneath the Boston Common and are still in use today.

In the late 19th century, Boston’s Tremont Street became very crowded with pedestrians, and something needed to be done about all of the congestion.

After the governor of Massachusetts and the mayor of Boston ordered that the issue be looked into, the Tremont Street subway opened 16 years later in 1897, which was the first of its kind in North America.

As the “T” started to become more popular and serve an increasingly large number of daily riders, expansion needed to take place. The Federal Transit Administration provided the initial funding for the Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority’s (MBTA) major expansion projects, such as Copley, Prudential, Government Center, and many more.

Over a century later, the same subway that was built underneath Tremont Street is still used today.

The MBTA is one of the largest public transit systems in the country.

With more than one million daily riders on the subway, bus, ferry, and commuter rail according to the official MBTA website, many

Bostonians rely on this form of public transit as their way of commuting.

Recently, however, T riders have been facing some difficulties as each of the subway lines are being expanded and worked on, which is part of an $8 billion plan that will likely finish in 2021. This means that there have already been some significant changes that have held up commuters while construction continues.

Lisa Kenney is a Long Island native who recently moved to Boston with her family after accepting a new job. Although she’s been living in the area for about two years, and has become very accustomed to her new home, Kenney recognizes that there is still so much that she hasn’t seen, especially when it comes to public transit.

“I still consider myself new to the Boston area, but on my walk to work each day, I am always passing something new that I hadn’t seen before or looking at construction, which feels very frequent since it’s very common for something new to be built.”

Kenney continued on to say, “Unless it is nice enough to walk, I use the T almost every single day to get to and from work efficiently. The E line, however, has recently been experiencing some

“The country’s first subway tunnels originated underneath the Boston Common and are still in use today.”

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“T riders have been facing some difficulties as each of the subway lines are being expanded and worked on, which is part of an $8 billion plan that will likely finish in 2021.�

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renovations and malfunctions that have held people up, including myself…It’s very frustrating at times.”

She also remains curious about what the future will hold, especially in the area that she and her family live in.

“All around our complex, there is change happening constantly. Something I wonder about is how the construction impacts citizens, because it sometimes disrupts traffic or impacts other businesses, especially with new housing and this recurring public transportation issue.”

The MBTA expansion effort has had a big impact on rider Mila Davis, who depends on the T, not only for herself, but also to get her children home safe.

“There have been several instances where shutdowns on the green line during their construction projects have impacted my trip home in a negative way,” Davis explains. “Our family has a nanny who picks up my kids from school and brings them home on the T, so when there is an issue with the ride, their schedules become backed up, which worries me as a mother.”

Kenney also has some questions about what is to come in the future. She explains, “My biggest wonder is when this is going to be finished as well as how the city could be doing better to assist riders when the construction means that we won’t be able to take our normal route.”

Davis and Kenney alike have their concerns about many of the city’s changes, but also appreciate the efforts to make Boston a safer place and provide an improved mode of transportation for the many people who ride each day. Both said that they haven’t left Boston because neither has been given a reason to not enjoy living in the area, despite all of the construction and modifications.

While many people that use the T have come to know the tribulations that come with the public transportation system, it is what makes Boston so accessible and has become a part of the daily lives of countless Bostonians. And even with the numerous changes Boston goes through on a daily basis, Boston will forever be the city that holds so much history and the subject of so many stories from people around the world.

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Bright Lights, Big City: What Does Boston Bring to the Table?

By Engel Williams Art: Micaela Dix

What does Boston look like?

WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE, THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST questions I had. I didn’t mean the architecture, or really any physical aspect of the city, but all the shared experiences that the people here have. I wondered, what would a typical day in Boston look like for me? What would my interaction with the locals be, and what were the things that made Boston Boston?

I won’t lie and pull a typical New York statement and say, “only in Boston will this thing happen, even though it happens in every other major city.” But there is something about being in this city for a prolonged amount of time that convinces me that there is something truly unique happening here.

After a few months of living here, Boston feels like its own little town while also being plugged into the world outside. Lia Kim, a senior at Emerson, sums it up perfectly. “It’s small enough to feel like I can really conquer it, but big enough to make every adventure into a pleasant surprise.” Every single one of us living amongst the brick, ivy, and streets full of reckless drivers is different.

But we are all linked together by this one place.

There are 35 schools in Boston consisting of community colleges, colleges, and universities. There are over 138,000 undergraduate and graduate students, and an additional 16,000 attending community colleges. While Boston only consists of about 10% of the state’s population, it has 34% of the state’s total college enrollment.

On campus alone, we have Suffolk University right across the Boston Common and a building that’s a part of Endicott College right around the corner.

Every day, we pass by fellow students going about their day-to-day activities.

Boston is a college city with lots of opportunities for young people and it’s obvious when colleges are in session. Boylston and Tremont Street sidewalks get very active, and the amount of students hurriedly crossing the street is a stark contrast to the amount of pedestrians on a holiday or weekend.

One of Kim’s main takeaways from her experience here is the student aspect of Boston and its impact on the city. She mentions that the management of

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“There is something about being in this city that convinces me that there is something truly unique happening here.” businesses is directly related to the high population of students. Many have noticed that there aren’t a lot of places open past midnight, which is very strange for a city. Sophomore Andrea Cruz Ibarra explains that “It’s the kind of city that closes at 9 pm, but you aren’t mad about it until you want a cheeseburger at three in the morning.”

There’s an article written by the New York Times that explores the reason for the lack of nightlife. In it, a Bostonian talks about the impact of this on a city filled with so many college students. They also compare the city to “a small-little-town-type city.”

Boston is also a place full of strange encounters. There are many stories about people witnessing strangers shooting up on the sidewalk, searching for cannolis at midnight in the middle of a blizzard, or nearly being sex trafficked on their way off the T. A lot of the people I’ve run into and sparked a conversation with have been around the same age as me. They all mentioned trying to get a grip on Boston as a city. I remember walking back to campus and hearing offhand comments like, “That’s Boston for you.”

One of the most hard-to-miss characteristics of Bostonians is their obsession with sports teams. I’ve seen beanies on everyone from infants to elderly, and an insane amount of sports memorabilia. There are carts in the Common and in Downtown Crossing full of hockey and football jerseys, beanies, keychains, etc. Most adults follow some kind of sports team, whether it be casually or seriously. I interviewed my father since he has lived in Boston for many years and is an avid sports fan (although he supports the Broncos and not the Patriots!). “The sports culture here is very strong. The teams are all over competitive. We’ve had the most championships combined more than any of the other cities. Everyone here expects their favorites to win, so when there’s an upset, it’s huge.”

There’s this stereotype that Bostonians are rude (cue the Masshole jokes).

However, I haven’t really gotten that impression. I think it’s more fitting that people in Boston are loud and usually unapologetic about that loudness. I’ve walked around and seen people launch into spontaneous dance parties, or compliment my makeup or clothes, or even help me and my friends find the right T-stop.

As a city, Boston is unique, quaint, and bustling all at the same time. Full of history and stories, Boston has no shortage of opportunities the minute you step foot in the city. As undergraduate students, we only spend four years in Boston, but in those four years, we all gain another place to call home. With the limited time we have in this historic city, we should all promise ourselves to take advantage of the special things Boston has to offer.

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Photos: Elaine Tantra Models: Kayla Campbell Miles Schuman Anna Hamre Mara Tatevosian Jamal Thompson Jay Zimmer

YLE

You Can Sit With Us

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Opening Up

the Fashion and Beauty

THE FASHION AND BEAUTY INDUSTRY HAS always been an outlet for creative expression. However, they have also been enforcers of toxic gender roles, body shaming, and cultural appropriation. As we move forward to the next decade of fashion and aesthetics, it’s important to acknowledge their insensitive mistakes while also pushing for representation in both industries by including models of all shapes and sizes, races, ethnicities, and genders, and by opening up to the faces and bodies that defy the norm.

Beauty and fashion have traditionally been gendered, but with the rise of unisex clothing and celebrity influencers like Billy Porter, Billie Eilish, and Young Thug, who question what it means to be “masculine” or “feminine,” these terms have become blurred.

Amaury Basora, a freshman journalism major at Emerson College, is a member of the styling team for Index Magazine (Emerson Fashion Society). Basora boldly defies fashion expectations by disregarding what a man is expected to wear; he often wears sweatpants, sneakers, and cargo pants paired with lip gloss, jewelry, and a nice crop top. While Basora admits that he feels confident in his sexuality and how he dresses, he also admits that it was difficult to find the comfort he has now. “Growing up for most of my life...if you wore pink, if you liked to wear dresses, if you liked to wear skirts: you were a girl. And considering that gender is a social construct, it doesn’t make sense to make those exclusive and so rigid.” We see the rigidity of gender in fashion in our daily habits. When we shop in stores—and especially online—we are forced to go to either the men’s or women’s section. We are constantly shown what is acceptable for men and women to wear and what is off-limits.

Although, some brands are pushing for gender fluidity in fashion and beauty.

In 2016, Covergirl presented James Charles as the first male model for the cosmetics brand, and Maybelline followed shortly after in

Industries

by Mattie Holloway

2017 with Manny Gutierrez as the face of a new ad campaign. Beyond these major companies, celebrities like Harry Styles and A$AP Rocky are also challenging the idea that men can’t wear makeup. Rocky often posts his detailed manicures on Instagram and Styles has been quick to show off his pastel-painted nails on red carpets. While these individuals cannot carry the weight of the entire beauty industry alone, the impact of seeing celebrities and ad campaigns defying the strict gendering in fashion and beauty helps to normalize looking outside of what has been historically “masculine” or “feminine.”

“I think it’s making slow advances,” says Naomi Jones, ’21, a creative writing major involved with several organizations at Emerson including EBONI, Zeta Phi Eta, and the Emerson Treble Makers. “The initial beauty standard [was] of a white cis-gendered woman who fit a certain body type, and BMI.” And although several brands still linger on this idea of what an ideal woman is, there are many brands and campaigns that try to break these traditional boundaries, such as #AerieREAL, Fenty Beauty, and Savage X Fenty.

In an interview with Extra TV, Rihanna— the founder of the Fenty empire—claims, “I want women to feel confident no matter what size they are, no matter what shade they are, no

“We see the rigidity of gender in fashion in our daily habits”

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matter what their personality is, no matter what their race is, their religion is. I want women to feel confident and sexy because that’s who we are and we deserve to feel like that.” Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty fashion show defied the expectations of what a lingerie runway could look like. Aside from the show featuring live performances and dance routines, the show was one of the most diverse runway shows yet. Unlike Victoria’s Secret, who has stuck with European beauty standards and strict requirements for their models’ bodies since the 1970s, Savage X Fenty included models of a variety of races, body types, and genders like Laverne Cox, Bella Hadid, and 21 Savage.

Similar to the lingerie line, Fenty Beauty, which was founded in September of 2017, has had a major impact on diversity and inclusion in the beauty industry. The cosmetic brand currently includes 50 shades of foundation appealing to a large pool of consumers, helping people with different skin types and tones to find a shade for them, unlike other cosmetic brands like Glossier and IT Cosmetics who both offer less than 15 shades overall.

Inclusivity is something that the fashion industry needs to strive for, but in their pursuit, they must be cautious of when and how much to include. Jones and I discussed cultural appropriation, and I asked her how we can collectively move forward. “A lot of people will define it in different ways,” she said. A problem arises however when people try to define cultural appropriation for cultures they don’t identify with. “That is a form of erasure and oppression in itself,” she says, “because then you’re not letting someone who may not take offense to something feel like they now have to take offense to something.”

Universally, however, Jones says “there is a certain level of respect that you are undoubtedly needing to give to other people and needing to give to cultures you don’t identify as.” And while you can be an ally to these other cultures and identities, it is important not to let your privileged voice silence the voices of those who are members of these cultures. “I don’t identify as queer,” says Jones, and although she is an ally to the LGBTQ community, she acknowledges that her “cis-genderedness makes her voice more heard” than the individuals who do identify with the community.

Fashion can be used as a tool to express our voices, but Jones emphasizes that it’s important to know which voices need to be heard the most. “Sometimes we don’t all need to occupy space all at the same time—sometimes the greatest leader is one who knows who needs to occupy that space.”

The strongest brands right now are the ones that push for inclusivity and diversity: respecting the cultures of others, defying gendered fashion, and hiring models that represent every consumer. And although there is still much work to be done in beauty and fashion, the progressions made within the last decade make the future look promising.

“Fashion can be used as a tool to express our voices but...it’s important to know which voices need to be heard the most.”

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Let “E” Happen

By Meredith Stisser Art:Sophie Droster

“E” CULTURE COMES AS A DEPARTURE FROM THE IDEA that “looks aren’t everything” and asserts a new notion that “looks aren’t everything, but they can be”. To elaborate, the recent upsurge in “e-girl” and “e-boy” trends have opened up a new world of aesthetics. The style draws from the early 2000s emo/goth culture. However, with any resurgence of a fashion era, there are, of course, the addition of modern accents. These adaptations include exaggerated rosy cheeks, pouty and impossibly glossy lips, and the adornment of tiny paintings on faces: hearts, clouds, and fruits.

The cultural phenomenon of TikTok has popularized the looks and boasts guaranteed increased clout levels for all those who participate. There are even sub-categories of e-girls: artists, soft girls, VSCO girls, baddies, the categorizations go on. This new era of hyper-specific and amply-detailed fashion is an exciting avenue to explore and paves a shiny new road into a movement born of digital fashion.

As a college student at a media and arts-centric university, there are very few internet trends, memes, apps, or viral challenges that I miss. However, on a massive scale, young and internet savvy individuals feel as though they are falling behind the cultural curve as a result of the TikTok app.

TikTok is the first app that everyone has, that I do not. TikTok references are the first references I have had to have people explain to me because I am unfamiliar with them. What is foreign to me is second nature to those only two years younger than myself. It has become a daily ritual in which I see some of the coolest freshmen I have ever seen in my life (definitely not wearing lanyards, definitely noticing my staring) float cooly out of the Little Building. They smell like success, Depop, and clear skin. Their relevance and accuracy of trend appli

“Looks aren’t everything, but they can be.”

cation is mesmerizing. Big pants, little top, perfectly cinched belt. Perfectly messy bangs, tiny gold accent pieces dress their hands, ears, and necks. Students once walked through campuses in branded sweatpants and high school field hockey half zips, but no longer.

Young people on the cutting edge of fashion are committed to integrating artistry into every aspect of their self-expression. Obviously fashion choices are at the center of that self-expression. E-culture and E-fashion not only established new “looks” but also a new philosophy of prioritizing looking good.

Many TikToks exist simply to showcase how “hot” someone is, or how nice their car is, or how big their house is, or how well they can “throw it back”- and that is wholly accepted. I watched a TikTok called “rich friend check”. It featured different shots of someone’s mansion to boast their wealth—no punch line, no caveat, nothing but an assertion of pure aestheticism. The looks were everything. In other cases, some of the most attractive people I have ever seen, in beautiful spaces, would be doing beautiful things like painting pictures or making jokes.

They seemed to exist in perfect worlds. In those cases, looks aren’t everything, because there was some sort of redemption in the form of art or music or imagery. But they very well could have been the only element of the post and it would still fit the loose formula of the platform. E-culture in the coming years will continue to trend towards aesthetic excellence and

“ Young people on the cutting edge of fashion are committed to integrating artistry into every aspect of their self-expression.”

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“This powerful vanity, paired with the relevancy of e-culture, introduced me to a stylized world that I would no longer reject.” promote the normalization of extremely stylized spaces.

This powerful vanity, paired with the relevancy of e-culture, introduced me to a stylized world that I would no longer reject. I would download TikTok, I would wear turtlenecks under my graphic tees, I would pile on blush and draw on freckles. I want to embrace this new age of “e-culture” and fashion, and to watch the way it develops over the next decade.

E-culture is the counterculture of the digital age. These people are assumed to only exist online, yet unapologetically walk through the streets, through high school hallways, and through our campus. We are all a part of E-culture, whether we are choosing to actively participate or not. They are us and we are them, born in the generation of iPhones and digital cameras, we are all E. The emphasis on this being a rebranded version of “goth” is a telling argument. Goth culture is born of apocalyptic/mystical undertones and considering the crisis of climate and politics facing modern youth, it seems only logical that there be a resurgence of those attitudes and symbolism.

These trends curated by e-girls and e-boys are litmus tests of the socio-political landscape. I dare not adopt the emblem of the old and out of style, which would be to reject, critique, and look down on this internet revolution. E-culture is here and whether or not it is accepted, it is here to stay. Pass me the blush.

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Photos: Somari Davis Art: Micaela Dix Models: Rosana Pena Mariama Conde Jaeden Boatwright

Cam

mpus

Toil and

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The reality

of ‘witchiness’

at Emerson College

WECB.FM’S VERY OWN JAZZ BY THE Decade drifts through the stuffy room, the heat blasting as the wind wisps around outside. The sun has come out for the first time in days, and the sunlight is streaming into the room through the tall glass windows on the fourth floor of 172 Tremont.

In the meeting room of the Emerson College Cultural Center, five students sit in a lopsided circle on the orange and red couches. Almost everyone has a marker in their hand, and they color zodiac coloring pages to match this meeting’s theme—astrology.

This is Emerson’s Mystic, a rather new organization for Emerson’s alternate identities.

Founded by creative writing junior Kyle Eber, also known as the “boy with the cat who will also cleanse your room,” and Lia Kim, communication sciences and disorders junior, Emerson’s Mystic aims to “bring a community of Emerson students together who are all interested/believe in things that fall under the category of ‘witchy’.”

Today the topic that falls under the category of ‘witchy,’ is all things astrology. Before the learning begins, Bia Andrade, a freshman visual media arts major and Vice President of Mystic, starts Rose, Bud, Thorn. A mindfulness game of

By Karigan Wright Art: Sophie Droster sorts, where you name something good (rose), something with potential (bud), and something negative (thorn).

After each member shares their ‘somethings,’ Andrade sits in one part of the circle with her MacBook Pro on her lap as she presents the first slide to the PowerPoint she made, titled “Astrology 101.” From the qualities of the zodiac to natal charts, the goal of this meeting is to learn more than you could ever need to know about astrology. There’s even a slide on the zodiac signs as Emerson buildings: Aries for Ansin, Cancer for Colonial, Pisces for the Union Bank building, and so on.

The idea of Mystic first came to be as Eber and Kim spoke at the start of the 2018 spring semester during orientation leader training.

Though Kim didn’t practice Paganism or witchcraft, she was intrigued when Eber shared his idea of creating a “witchy” club at Emerson. Ac

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cording to Eber, they decided “right there and then” that they’d start the club in the fall.

Through the next several months, they worked with Harrison Blum, who was the director of Religious and Spiritual Life at the time. In the fall, they received 52 sign-ups and continued to work, eventually deciding on the name, icon, color scheme, and style sheet you see today.

Eber has personal experiences with things considered “witchy” as he is a polytheist Pagan, following both Hellenic and Norse gods. Growing up as an Orthodox Jew, he says he probably makes his Hebrew school teachers weep. However, after a traumatic experience, he decided to be agnostic instead.

“I realized that God, singular with a capital G, was a giant asshole who wanted me to suffer,” says Eber.

At 16, Eber discovered himself as a Pagan after meeting his friend, Solaris, in a line at a concert. They met up for lunch soon after and discussed reincarnation, ghosts, crystals, whatever they could come up with. Through his conversations with Solaris, Eber has dedicated himself to the Greek pantheon and identifies as a patron of Hermes.

Mystic is full of special people like Solaris, all of whom share some common interests. Eber stresses that Mystic is a place for

“Eber has dedicated himself to the Greek pantheon and identifies as a patron of Hermes. “ Campus | 88

“Mystic is a place for nearly everyone, Pagans, Wiccans, people who love astrology or tarot cards, and those in between.” nearly everyone, Pagans, Wiccans, people who love astrology or tarot cards, and those in between. Emerson’s Mystic was made for sharing perspectives and practices.

“Everyone in Mystic is different, comes from different backgrounds, and believes in different things, and that’s what makes us such a strong group,” Eber says. “We share our different perspectives, teach each other, and practice with each other.”

Mystic’s activities in the meetings vary. The “active practice” meetings involve holding someone’s practice together as a group, which could be tarot, sigil making, crystal, astrology, manifestation, or group meditation. The “community building” meetings, on the other hand, are more ordinary. They may watch a movie or throw a Samhain party, which is essentially the celebration of the dead on October 31st that may include communion with the dead, music, and dancing.

Regardless of the type of meetings and activities Mystic holds, and whether or not you’re knowledgeable or experienced in these practices, you are still welcome. Even if tarot cards or crystals aren’t your thing, there are a plethora of new ideas you may become accustomed to after a meeting. Who knows, maybe you’ll find that sigil making or astrology are right for you.

The possibilities are endless.

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Are Emerson Expansions Exceeding Expectations?

By Grace Rispoli Art: Micaela Dix

BY THE TIME I ARRIVED AT EMERSON COLLEGE, the recent editions of the school were commonalities to me.

However, there was a time before I arrived when the Dining Center was not squished next to Walker, the Lion’s Den and 2 Boylston Place (2B) did not exist, and the renovated Little Building (LB) was not renovated or housing the entirety of the freshman class.

And there was a time before Emerson College students called this block of Boylston Street their home.

Apple Maps, Google Maps, and street signs will show you that Emerson College resides across from the Boston Common and spreads throughout the downtown area. But that has not always been the case. President Lee Pelton acknowledged that Emerson’s block on Boylston Street did not exist prior to 1992, as the college began its move from Beacon Street to Boylston Street.

“It took Emerson 18 years to complete the move from Beacon Street here, so it started in 1992, and it was completed in 2010 with the Paramount Center,” said Pelton.

He continued on, saying that during the 2010s, Emerson ushered in its newest additions, primarily prompted by the need to renovate LB. “This campus is less than three decades old.

So, while this may appear new to the people just

arriving on campus, the renovations are actually a continuation of a move that began in 1992.”

According to James Hoppe, the vice president and dean of Campus Life, the remaining projects will soon take place in LB and Piano Row. In the basement of LB, a student performance center is in the works and will have many more features than there was prior to renovations; it is set to be completed by May 2020.

The second floor of LB is nonresidential and will soon have common spaces. The first floor will house restaurants such as El Jefe’s Taqueria and Tatte Bakery and Café. The last project to be completed—referred to as “the last piece” by Hoppe—will be the gym, predicted to come to Piano Row in the fall of 2022.

Yet, of all the new additions, there is an overarching proj

“It took Emerson 18 years to complete the move from Beacon Street [to Boylston].”

ect—the sidewalk expansion—that impacts all students and is predicted to be finished by next September. To Hoppe, the most exciting aspect of this extension is the social one.

“You can’t stop to have a conversation [on the sidewalk] because you’re going to be in the way,” said Hoppe. “So we’re going to double the space, [giving people] the ability to stop and have a conversation, to walk along and talk to somebody.”

But after all these completions of LB, the sidewalks, and the gym, what is next for Emerson’s campus?

In Pelton’s eyes, that is it. By that time, the thirty year move from Beacon Street to Boylston Street will be completed, and will allow the Emerson community to grow and thrive within its new campus.

“This is the last phase of this three decade building campaign. And so, the hope for the future is that once this is established, it will create this ‘sense of place’ that will last for decades and generations to come.”

Hoppe, who has been at Emerson for four years, has already seen the community of Emerson change within his time here.

“When I first got here, you never saw anyone wearing anything that said ‘Emerson.’ And that’s been a change just in the last couple of years. School pride shows up differently here, we’re not a Big 10, we’re not the University of Illinois,” said Hoppe. “But that’s okay, we’re figuring out how to make the Emerson version of being proud of your institution, and I think that’s pretty cool.”

With the addition of a larger residential capacity from LB and 2B, as well as new community spaces such as the Lion’s Den, the common rooms in LB, and the ability to stop and talk on the sidewalk, Hoppe thinks this sense of community will only progress in this next decade.

And with this sense of community, Hoppe sees an explosion of creativity coming to campus.

“There’s a critical mass of people living here, there’s gonna be better places to do things.

This is an idea-filled place, and I think you’re gonna have a conversation in the dining center that’s gonna turn into a project late at night in the student performance center,” said Hoppe.

“And then it’s produced and displayed in a gallery some place. I think it’s going to be easier to come together, create, and do what you came here for.”

Senior Jonah Puskar, double majoring in writing, literature, and publishing, as well as political communications, has noticed changes during his time at Emerson. He said that he has seen students raise their voices to create social changes within the college, such as fellow students creating First Gen E-M, an organization that aims to provide resources to first generation college, first generation American, and low income students at the college. He has witnessed Emerson students produce art and projects that are reflective of the diversity on campus, however he knows there should be more.

“I think...Emerson students [make] beautiful art and great things that we see in all different mediums,” said Puskar. “I just think it needs to be done with a more conscious mind of how are

“This is the last phase of this three decade building campaign.”

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we changing as a community, and how can we best reflect that in the art we create.”

With more communal spaces, such as the reopening of LB, 172 Tremont, the Lion’s Den, and the projects that come next, Puskar hopes to see this kind of creativity increase, similar to Hoppe.

“I’m hoping we see a wave of change ripping out from this new class of first year students,” said Puskar. “Cause you’re having more people from different backgrounds and majors and what not mingling in these sort of common spaces.”

As Puskar graduates this year, he knows that Emerson has grown since he first stepped foot on campus. But Puskar also noted that Emerson, no different than any other school or community, has room to grow, and hopes to see it.

“I wanna be able to look back at Emerson 10 years out and see a real positive change from where I left it,” said Puskar.

The alumni who graduated from Emerson prior to 1992 do not know this campus, nor did they know the community that inhabits the college today. Their campus, their college, does not live where it once did. If they could have imagined what Emerson College might have looked like a decade after they left—what it would look like when their kids were applying to schools— they might not have been able to predict how Emerson would grow into the college it is today.

And while not all of us are graduating, with no specific plans left in Pelton’s mind, we too are left wondering what Emerson College will look like at the end of this decade.

“We’re figuring out how to make the Emerson version of being proud of your institution.”

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Photos: Stella Drews-Sheldon Art: Natasha Arnowitz

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Look Behind The Scenes

A behind the scenes look at what goes into producing an Atlas editorial. Our beauty, photography, social media, fashion, editorial, and online teams all work together to pull off the shoot and give you this sneak peak.

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Photos by Joe Cuccio

Atlas’ online team more than doubled in size this year, meaning we were able to give you more online content and insight into what it takes to execute a shoot.

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Online Staff Asst. Online Director: Olivia Cigliano Online Copy Head: Katherine Healy Online Art Director: Natasha Arnowitz Online Fashion Director: Faith Bugenhagen

Staff Writers: Alexia Brown, Noah Schulte, Andrea Mendez, Sydney Taylor, Angelee Gonzalez, Zenebou Sylla, Clarah Grossman, Grace Rispoli, Taylor Ernzen, Meredith Stisser, Engel Williams, Claire Fairtlough

Photo: Joe Cuccio, Chloe Leung, Thaler Bishop, Olivia Strauss, Vanshita Agrawal Video: Haley Apicella, Jocelyn Lee, Lexi Cai, Toby Lichtenwalter, Cynthia Wang Poetry: Will Percarpio, Athena Nassar, Caja Leshinger Editorial: Will Percarpio, Jordyn Vasquez, Bellamy Suter, Charlotte Drummond Styling: Serge Ganthier, Zenebou Sylla Beauty: Lijing Dai, Damica Rodriguez, Angelee Gonzalez

visit atlas online: atlasmagemerson.com