Barnard Bulletin, May 2016 by Barnard Bulletin

May 2016

MISOGYNY AT A WOMEN'S COLLEGE

Can Commencement 2016 Have It All? Inside Instagram Activism Summer Session: Fun Classes To Take Off Campus

Rebecca Deczynski '16 & Sarah Schreiber '16 Editors-in-Chief

Jordana Roat '16 Creative Director Rachel dunphy '16 Managing Editor FEATURES EDITOR Emma Yee Yick '19 ASSOCIATE EDITOR CLAUDIA LEVEY '19 SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR LETTY DILEO '18 SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS BRIGIT FLOM '18 EMILY WONG '18 EVENTS DIRECTOR JUDY LIU '19 ALUMNAE RELATIONS DIRECTOR DEMME DURRETT '19

POLITICS & OPINION EDITOR Sheli Frank '16 ASSOCIATE EDITOR JESSICA TSCHIDA '18 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR aiko suyemoto '16 NEW YORK CITY LIVING EDITOR Ariana Busby '18 ASSOCIATE EDITOR KATHERINE LEAK '19 HEALTH & STYLE EDITOR Amanda Breen '17 ASSOCIATE EDITOR Imani Randolph '18

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR SHARON WU '18 PHOTOSHOOT DIRECTOR CARINA HARDY '18 ART EDITORS SOFIA DAVIS '16 LAYOUT DESIGNER DEMME DURRETT '19 COPY EDITORS Alexandra Peebles '18

ONLINE EDITOR ALI MCQUEEN '18

Thank you to the ruth bayard smith '72 memorial fund for its support of the bulletin BARNARD BULLETIN 3009 Broadway New York, NY 10027 TheBarnardBulletin..Com LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: facebook.com/barnardbulletin FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: twitter.com/barnardbulletin Follow us on instagram: instagram.com/barnard_bulletin

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A Letter from the Editors

So, this is awkward. But then again, aren’t all endings? We’ll just get this out of the way. This is our last issue as co-editors-in-chief of this magazine, and let’s just say that it has been real. From late night editing sessions eating straight-out-of-the-oven challah to photo shoots in the Diana Center, the role of editor is simultaneously hectic and rewarding. More than anything, we’re grateful for our team that has unexpectedly yet serendipitously become a family. And for you, too—we couldn’t forget about our readers. When planning our final issue, we wanted our centerpiece to say something that really mattered—and to show how Barnard has taught us to be critical, even of the things we love. As we get ready to graduate, it’s important for us to acknowledge that not everything that glitters is gold, and that even our college on a hilltop isn’t immune to the discrimination and misogyny that pervades the world outside the gates. Barnard has taught us to major in unafraid—and part of that is facing society for what it is. That’s what brought us to observe how Barnard women are treated by their Columbia counterparts: in class, on campus, and at 1020. We have to be honest with you—it’s not always pretty, but when has that ever stopped us? Our goal when running the Bulletin has been to honestly showcase the unique voices on campus, provide a well-deserved break from piles of schoolwork, and to discuss the topics that are important to Barnard students. At the end of the day, for 115 years, this publication has simultaneously been an outlet and resource for students. We’re beyond grateful to have been a part of its legacy, and to be leaving it in equally passionate hands. Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. Rebecca & Sarah

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3 // Letter from the Editors 5 // Behind the Scenes 6 & 7 // Trending & Playlist

Health & Style 8 // Spring/Summer Lip Shades 9 // Beyond florals 10 // Artful Activists 11 // Met ball on my mind

Features 12 // First year, final thoughts 13 // Emojis: Decoded 14 // Centerpiece: misogyny at a women's college 20 // love, actually: dating up 21 // in her words: growing up plus Size 22 // Bulletin has a senior moment

Politics & Opinion 26 // women in politics: female heads of state 27 // the panama papers 28 // Can commencement have it all?

Arts & Entertainment 29 // beach reads 30 // a japenese constellation

New York City Living 32 // class off campus 33 // top 5 little known nature refuges 34 // bites outside the bubble 35 // barnard in the outer boroughs

Bonus 36 // Poetry pop-up

ehind he cenes

Middle Finger Pin Middle fingers up, put your hands high, Wave it in his face, tell him BOY BYE

Jeffrey Campbell Bitsie Cute shoes you can wear to your summer internship.

Floral Midi Skirts

Rose Hibiscus Coconut Water Hydrating Face Mist Tones, hydrates, and softens skin.

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Disclaimer: The Bulletin does not own any images on this page

Nothing says spring in the city like a floral midi skirt!

Levelmoney App Make sticking to your budget this summer easy.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 2 It's alive, damnit!

Bird's Eye

One Dance Drake

The National Parks

2. He Won't Knock

BeyoncĂŠ

Ezra Vine

Sorry

Medicine

Kiss It Better Rihanna

Broken Bells

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H&S

LiP SERViCE by Amanda Breen

NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Valparaiso, rich raspberry $28 A new take on a tried-and-true standby, this deep berry shade takes things to the

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick Pure Hollywood in Soft Lilac, pale violet $20 This shade offers a new twist on a botanical classic. While most spring lip colors stem from the traditional rose variety, aka lots of dewy pinks that glow, this shade’s unique purple undertone sets it apart. It works because it encompasses the best of both worlds; the bold violet color is tempered by the paleness of the hue, and the result is a stunning yet understated shade. As a liquid lipstick, this color goes on smooth and has some serious staying power.

of fashion and function.

Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipstick in Tilt, matte bright orange $22 For those who really want to try something different this season, this bright orange shade is worth a look. This lipstick’s dazzling hue—a rich and pure orange without a touch of red or pink to dilute it—is sure to add some flair to any style. Put this on and feel like a figure from Botticelli’s Primavera every time you walk by an orange tree in full bloom.

Yves Saint Laurent Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain in 9 Rouge Laque, true red $36

next level. Somewhere in between a dark red and subtle aubergine, this complex shade keeps any look, day or evening, interesting. This lipstick’s hydrating formula also makes it a great go-to for the transition from winter to spring; coat chapped lips with this color and reap the benefits

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If you want to start your spring off with some finesse without straying too far from the classics, check out this brilliant red. Unlike some reds that try to be red without fully committing, this lip stain goes all in with a bright shade that really pops. It might not get the kind of attention that Anastasia’s violet or Urban Decay’s orange do, but people will probably ask where you managed to find the most perfect red there ever was.

Illustration by Letty DiLeo

he arrival of spring means the arrival of spring colors, lighter shades associated with the warmer, flowery time of year. Lip colors are no exception. Many turn to lipsticks, glosses, and stains that fall somewhere on the nude to peach spectrum; light taupes and pastel pinks usually get a lot of love. But this season offers plenty of eye-catching colors, so your lips can scream “spring” in an unexpected way.

Beyond Florals by Imani Randolph

easonal trends, especially trends that have been around for a while, can be a snoozefest. We’ve decided to look beyond the fashion typical to deliver the unexpected, the off the cuff, the cutting edge. Below you’ll find three Bulletin approved spring trends—we promise, they’re better than florals.

will catch some glances and a nice breeze too, which is equally, if not more, important. An off-shoulder top, adorned with ruffles, especially in white, periwinkle, or red, will steal the show and you won’t have to break a sweat. Tie front tops are equally striking, often made of semi-sheer fabric, cropped, or accompanied with 70s inspired bell-sleeves; shop on Missguided to find the look. Both of these flowy numbers pair beautifully with light-wash denim, (high-waisted, flared, frayed, destroyed, etc), and a-line minis, giving you access to a fun daytime look or something flirty for a night out. Additionally, both blouse styles normally showcase a moderate amount of the decolletage, so definitely consider layering some necklaces or incorporating a delicate choker.

Fancy Footwork: Espadrilles & Strappy Flats

Photography by Jordana Roat

Going with the Flow: Airy Off-Shoulder Blouses & Tie Front Tops

Billowing statement tops are the easiest way to achieve a chic springtime look; you

Spring’s warm weather means it is time to let our feet get a little air—but don’t fret if you haven’t fallen into a proper pedicure routine yet. Enter espadrilles and strappy flats, the perfect footwear additions to your seasonal wardrobe. Espadrilles have been a classic for decades, but consider a platform pair or a pair with laces for a contemporary twist. As for strappy flats, who knew a shoe without a high heel could possess such sex appeal? This rendition on the rather overdone ballet flat often comes with a criss-cross lace-up detail

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or delicate ankle ties and can be found, for a reasonable price, at ASOS.

Cropped Hemlines: Culottes & Straight-Leg, Frayed Denim

Cropped pant-legs are perfect for showing off unique footwear, since they give you access to premium ankle real estate. Culottes work great when incorporated into minimalist, monochrome looks. Wear a crisp, black pair, (like the “Tie-Waist Culottes” at Urban Outfitters), with a mock-neck tank and strappy flats to assemble a sleek, geometric look. Meanwhile, straight-leg, frayed denim, best worn in a light or medium wash, is perfect for lax spring days. These relaxed-fit jeans offer the comfort of leggings while simultaneously providing you with an air of sophistication—the best of both worlds. Pair straight-leg, frayed denim with a nude ribbed tank and a pair of slide sandals to look effortlessly cool.

Artful Activists by Nectar Knuckles

which she feels it has been deprived of by war. Her pieces are sublime, unapologetic, and inspiring in their call for peace.

@feministthought bubble Feminist Thought Bubble is a collection of 20-year-old Molly Williams’ illustrations

@lauracallagha nillustration

@ruddyroye

Radcliffe Roye is a Brooklyn-based documentary photographer who seeks to share the experiences, tribulations, and victories of black people. Each of his photos is riveting and captivating enough to speak for themselves. Nonetheless, he goes beyond that. All of his images are accompanied by a thorough description, transcending the idea that a picture is worth a thousand words and allowing room for the subjects to speak for themselves.

@shamsiahassani

Shamsia Hassani is the first recognised female, Afghan graffiti street artist. She uses her artwork, which primarily showcases Afghan women, to influence positivity and bring vibrance back into her country,

films are both explicit and subtle, softened by layers of flowers, dreamy color schemes, and a sense of intimacy. While her work primarily features women, she does not ignore men’s struggle with beauty standards, which truly showcases her determination to offer body positivity sans restraint.

of “women who don’t buy into your casual sexist BS.” Her account features both fictional and real women, with thought bubbles expressing their thoughts on micro- and macro-aggressions that they face daily. The female experience varies in its intersections with race, class, and sexual orientation, and Williams’ thought bubbles caters to them all.

@high_creatives

Jacquie Ray is an L.A.-based photographer who focuses on body positivity seeking to allow people to find freedom and comfort in their natural forms. Her 35mm color THE BULLETIN -

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Laura Callaghan is an Irish illustrator based in South East London who uses watercolor, Indian ink, and isograph pen to create detailed, colourful works that depict women whose self-assurance and strength are both seductive and intimidating. The women in her pieces are drawn intricately, exhibiting multifaceted identities, demonstrated through the books they read, the women who inspire them, and their strong gazes and stances. Callaghan’s Instagram showcases the simplicity of what it means to be “carefree woman.” The women she creates care only about what’s worthy of their time and looking at them...you want to make the list.

@harinef

Hari Nef is a recent Columbia alumna who has been a prominent activist for the transgender community. She is a writer, actress, and model who has contributed to the progression of inclusive representation of trans and gender non-conforming people across social, political, and fashion platforms. Her Instagram features images of herself and her friends, creating her own platform to promote finding comfort in your self-determined identities.

Disclaimer: The Bulletin does not own any images on this page

f the rise of social media has given us anything in the last ten years, it is a platform. Activism has always concerned itself with how messages are being shared, focusing on what is being said, how it is being said, and to whom it is being said. Instagram has quickly become a space for activists to share their thoughts instantly, and further, it has created an aesthetic that did not exist before Instagram’s conception. Activists on Instagram are artists, musicians, models, and actors – they have always had their own platforms, be it blogs, galleries, albums, and so on. However, Instagram has given them a collective space, which is an aspect of activism that traditionally exists in person, not online. Here are some of Instagram’s most visually appealing social influencers:

Met Ball on my Mind by: Demme Durrett

Disclaimer: The Bulletin does not own any images on this page

he red carpets, flashing lights, and glamorous gowns of awards season have come and gone. These days, there are only the posh #tbt Instagrams of celebrities and bloggers to give us a taste of the awards high life. Luckily, Anna Wintour, ubiquitous Editor-inChief of Vogue, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art have delivered—year after year— the marvelous daydream that is the Met Ball. Revitalized in 1974, the Met Ball, (often synonymously referred to as the Met Gala), has served as part fundraiser for the Met and part “Who’s Who in Contemporary Culture”. The first Monday in May, (which was May 2 this year), is the regularly designated date for this culmination of A-Listers in fashion, art, entertainment, and even sports. This year’s soirée worked under the theme Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, which explored “the creative process and unravel[ed] how designers are reconciling the handmade with the machine-made in fashion.” The Met Ball is a night of unimaginable elegance, undoubtedly great food, and glamorous fashion, but it is also, first and foremost, a fundraiser for the Met’s Costume Institute. At a cost of roughly $25k per person, the 2015 Ball raised over 17.5 million dollars to put towards the “China: Through the Looking Glass” exhibit. While this is certainly an exorbitant amount of money, the excellence of “China” brought in over 815,992 people from May 2015 to August 2016 and earned the title of fifth most visited Met exhibit of all time. One of the best parts about the 2015 Met Ball and ensuing exhibit, however, is that it was captured as a documentary, “The First Monday in

May,” which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival this April. So, you aren’t Beyoncé and didn’t get an invite to the Ball last May? No problem. This movie documents the ins and outs of the planning for the biggest Met Gala in history, showcasing exclusive interviews with Anna Wintour, Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton, Baz Luhrmann, and exhibit di-

rector Wong Kar-wai. The most exciting few minutes of the movie might just be Rihanna, clothed in a canary yellow Guo Pei gown, bringing down the house with “Bitch Betta Have My Money.” While the Met Gala has become somewhat less elusive due to Vogue’s red carpet video interviews and the prevalence of celebrities on social media, the annual Costume Institute fundraiser has provided a plethora of memorable looks THE BULLETIN -

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since its inception in 1971. For example, throwback to 1974 when Bob Mackie designed a sheer bodysuit for Cher, adorned with feathers and rhinestones, to be worn to “The World of Balenciaga” themed Ball. In 1996, Princess Diana graced the Gala in a navy, silk chemise-esc Galliano for Dior gown, which perfectly accompanied the “House of Dior” theme. When “AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion” premiered in 2006, Sarah Jessica Parker was a showstopper in a tulle ball gown with a tartan kilt overlay, designed by the late Alexander McQueen. More recently, at the “Punk: Chaos to Couture” event in 2013, a pregnant Kim Kardashian donned the now infamous “couch dress,” with all its kitschy floral print glory. Luckily, Kim fully embraced this faux pas and re-wore the gown as a Halloween costume in 2015. With last year’s Ball bringing in a record-breaking amount of money for the Costume Institute and too many incredible looks to count, we turn our sights to the 2016 occasion. While the pieces to be exhibited are still a surprise, we can count on mega celebrities like Taylor Swift (who is co-hosting this year’s event with Wintour) and her squad of models friends to be catching tons of attention. Since so many ensembles drew from the “China” theme in incredible ways, such as Sarah Jessica Parker’s Cindy Chao headdress, we can expect this year’s tech themed ball to showcase innovative materials and silhouettes. Remember, the Met is only a 30-minute bus ride on the downtown M4, so why not celebrate the month of May with a major dose of glamour?

features First Year, Final Thoughts A s much as I hate to admit it, time always has a funny way of catching up with me, of showing me how truly powerful an intangible force can be. I’ve seen the NSOP week that seemed infinite seem like a figment of my imagination, seen the initial awkwardness of communal bathrooms and room sharing become routine, almost comforting facts of my everyday life, seen my newly inherited “free time” quickly turn into carefully planned out schedules of “eat-sleep-study-extracurriculars-repeat,” seen the awkward introductions and forced acquaintanceships melt into a thing of the past, and even better yet, seen some blossom into solid friendships. Craziest of all, however, I’ve watched my speculations, goals, hopes, and dreams for my first year of college become reality-slowly checked off, in an inherently Emma way, from my mental list titled “Freshman Year.”

1. NSOP week feels like summer camp: It’s fun and jam packed with activities, you meet a thousand people per day, and you are led around by orientation leaders who make life easier. College, is definitely not like summer camp and adulting (or faux-adulting) is not a walk in the park. Your life takes a complete 180, for better or for worse, but there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. That can either be terrifying or exhilarating and for me, I’d say it was a little of both. Between balancing jobs, bank accounts, bedtime, and school work all on your own, the re-

ality of your newfound situation hits. The best way to handle these emotions is to just run with them. (A little help from friends, advisors, and family doesn’t hurt either)

without driving myself insane. Avery has the best natural lighting, East Asian is the most aesthetically pleasing, and that a-library-that-shall-not-be-named is my secret spot.

2. It feels so satisfying to not be unsure anymore. I have successfully learned to navigate program filing, building locations, and most importantly dining halls

3. When I arrived on campus in the Fall, I feared the busyness of the city would overwhelm me; the pace of life was so much quicker than what I was used to in the Guatemala that was my home and the Minnesota of my childhood. New York, ironically enough, has been my saving grace. From time to time the stretch of blocks that make up our campus neighborhood seemed to suffocate me. Beyond what a nap or a walk in the park could relieve, it was a swipe of a metro card and a hop on the underrated 1 train that put my mind most at ease. With the exact destination of my journey unimportant, it was the mere act of bursting the 110th street bubble that brought me the most satisfaction and serenity. In the tenacity of the hustle and the excitement of the bustle, I found myself feeling--in the only word that could possibly describe my state--alive. (Not that being surrounded by college students 24/7 doesn’t keep a girl on her toes.) “You were wrong,” a little voice in my head whispers, and I give in, I accept my misconceptions. And as I sit here at a coffee shop, overlooking the busy streets of this concrete jungle, inspired by the very busyness that I feared, I can’t help but feel oh so very New Yorker. Here’s to the next three. See you in a quick minute, B.

and libraries. Believe me, perfecting the art of maximizing (or learning to live with) 19 meals a week and of choosing between all of the libraries is not easy. But now I know that at Sunday dinner at John Jay you see everyone and their mother, that Hewitt’s moment of brilliance is smoothie Thursdays and delicious pizza, that the Ferris staff are like my second family. I know that Butler is not as bad as people make it out to be, but that I can’t spend a whole week there THE BULLETIN -

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Illustration by Soofia Davis

by Emma Yee Yick

Emojis Decoded by: Briana Lee

T Photo Illustration by Art Board

here are hundreds of emojis out there, and sometimes deciphering what each of them means can be confusing. Here are a few that will that will help you navigate the complex world of emojis. Have you been in a situation where you wanted to have sex with someone, but you didn't quite know how to say it? Have no fear, I've got the answer. This mischievous little face perfectly captures everything you're feeling in that moment â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sexiness, enticement, and mystery. All you have to do is send this emoji to the person you're texting, and they'll practically be hearing you whisper "you know you want me" in their sweet little ear. There are a couple other emojis that will do the trick and let that special someone know you want to get with them tonight ( ), but nothing works quite like this little guy. As long as you've got this emoji handy, you'll never have to worry about finding the right words to entice that certain someone to come over ever again. You know when it's three o' clock

in the morning, and you're nowhere near close to finishing that paper that's due tomorrow? And as the clock ticks on to four o' clock, your eyes widen in fear after realizing that you have a reading quiz on Paradise Lost and you haven't read the last five books? The only face that can truly illustrate how f***** you truly are is this one. The upside down smiley face represents our internal struggle in understanding how we let this happen and how horrible the next 24 hours are going to be. It's the face you respond to your friends' text messages asking "Why are you still awake?" It is not a face to describe a situation where you, for example, don't understand your statistics homework and it's too late in the semester to request a tutor and you're feeling like a total failure to yourself, your teacher, and your family (that would be this emoji ). Instead, this emoji just lets others know that you screwed up a little bit and will be living off of Barnard's overpriced vending machine snacks until you get the job done. We all have that one friend who, even though we love them, consistently gets on our nerves. They either consistently make jokes that are never funny or just continuously ask irrelevant and obvious questions. After a while, words just can't articulate how annoyed you feel and you resort to using an emoji. The eye roll emoji is perfect THE BULLETIN -

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for letting your friends know that you're fed up with their stupidity for the day and that they need to take a seat and be quiet for a couple of hours. If your friends still aren't getting the picture, the eye roll emoji's companion is . When used together, that one friend will definitely get the message that they need to take a break from their corny jokes. Perhaps the most powerful of them all, this emoji embodies sass, confidence, and will let everyone you know that you are a queen. If you post a bomb selfie on Instagram and are in need of a caption, this emoji will do. If someone starts coming at you sideways and you need to shut them down, send this emoji and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get the picture. It won't take long for the haters to understand that you don't care and that you're going to keep doing you.

misogyny at a women’s college by Rebecca Deczynski, Sarah Schreiber, & Aiko Suyemoto

he question of a women’s college’s relevance in the 21st century is one that has been surprisingly pervasive in recent years. The closing (and subsequent re-opening) of Sweet Briar College in Virginia spurred a Vanity Fair feature article on the very topic. The question is even more common on Columbia and Barnard’s own campuses—a highly controversial op-ed in the Columbia Spectator asked in April 2013 if Barnard should just merge with Columbia, following in the steps of former women’s colleges like Radcliffe (the article did lead to its author becoming a punchline in the 119th Varsity Show). But relevance of women’s colleges aside, we’re inspecting the state of our college today, and how sexism may even pervade our beloved college on a hilltop. Women’s colleges most definitely have a place in the world today—but how is it that Barnard students face sexism and misogyny on their very own campus?

model / alisha bansal photographer / sharon wu creative direction / carina hardy assisant creative / judy liu

Academics //

“Backdoor.” It’s a word nearly every Barnard student has been faced with, in reference to their decision to apply to and attend the women’s college attached to Columbia University. With Barnard students permitted to take classes at Columbia and Columbia students allowed to do the same with Barnard, those who see Columbia as a superior institution can be quick to judge, stating that an application to Barnard is just a way to get into Columbia. Obviously, this belief is untrue: there are plenty of Barnard students who didn’t apply to Columbia, Columbia students who applied to both institutions and were rejected from Barnard, and Barnard students who were accepted to both schools, before ultimately choosing Barnard. It’s safe to say that the cut-throat college application process students must endure their senior year of high school leaves many in a holier-than-thou sense of smugness about their acceptances, even as they walk onto their selected col-

lege campus. It’s why freshman year, and NSOP in particular, is a time where the question “Which school do you go to?” is laced with presumptive judgment, as students can find themselves apologizing for their college of choice—oftentimes ”I didn’t apply to Columbia!” is blurted out immediately as a Barnard student reveals their identity, a preventative nonsequitur to dispel any remnants of the word “backdoor” from the questioner’s mind. But even beyond the first few weeks or even months of college, the judgment can continue in some pretty surprising forms. For some, the Columbia/Barnard divide shows up sharply in class schedules, as major classes require attendance on the relative “other side” of Broadway—making many question exactly how much Barnard can be considered a women’s college (answer: not a lot). Math and Statistics major Sarah Hanks, BC ‘16, has found herself mainly at Columbia during her undergraduate career. “Because there are so few Barnard professors in our departments, the majority of our classes are at Columbia. On one hand that means

we have access to even more incredible professors and courses, but on the other we usually miss out on the smaller class sizes, and in my experience it has never been the case that a class in my major has had more women than men, which I assume is different for people whose majors are mostly at Barnard.” Although Hanks points to Barnard math professor Daniela de Silva as one of her favorite undergraduate professors, the truth is that Columbia simply has more resources and therefore more professors in that department. Although Barnard students are lucky to have the advantage of a small liberal arts school and a large research university, Barnard’s efforts to encourage women into male-dominated fields seems to be stilted when the school itself does not house many of those fields. While many Barnard students embrace the opportunity to take classes with female professors (women make up over 60% of Barnard’s professors, compared to the national average of 46%), other students are simply not given that option based on their majors. While there is no obvious loss

from this disparity, this divide in majors between Columbia and Barnard helps to enforce some unnecessary and untrue stereotypes. Physics major Haley Fica, BC ‘17, encountered this experience as a first-year, attending a talk at Columbia by astronauts Drew Feustal and Mike Massimino, after being invited by her professor, astrophysicist Janna Levin. Fica was helping to clean up after the event when she was approached by a female administrator who asked her if she was a Columbia College or SEAS student. “I told her I went to Barnard, and she looked at me and said, ‘You’re not supposed to be here,’ in this passive-aggressive playful way. I was so surprised that it happened that I didn’t know what to say, so I laughed awkwardly.” Barnard is supposed to be a place where women belong anywhere they please—so why is it that just a few feet across Broadway they find themselves in situations where, even jokingly, they are made to feel unwanted? The way to fight against the discrimination in Columbia and Barnard classes is to make sure that Barnard stu-

dents do have their own space to exist and flourish. As Hanks notes, the increasing number of faculty members on Barnard’s campus in male-dominated fields points to the opportunity for all Barnard students to enjoy the smaller class sizes and female-dominated presence that they chose this school for. Some Barnard students are even fighting against discrimination with a swelling of school pride—a recent posting in Overheard At Barnard documents a Columbia student’s annoyance that Barnard classes “actually make you work.... the teachers want you to earn your grade.” The post received a whopping 323 likes. While Barnard students certainly grow to be even more bold, beautiful, and confident in their time at the school, there is also a need to stop discrimination across Columbia’s campus. After all, there is more than one “College” at our university.

Campus Life //

Unfortunately, misogyny exists on both the Barnard and Columbia campuses, as demonstrated by day-to-day

campus life. Although the discrimination is not necessarily blatant, its effects are still frustrating for Barnard students. Whether the administration realizes it or not, Barnard perpetuates slut shaming— ironic, as we are constantly told to develop healthy relationships, which will almost inevitably involve sex. The sign-in/ sign-out system in the dorms at Barnard has always been a headache for students. At Columbia, the dorm resident signs in his or her guest, and then the guest can leave on her own; she does not need to be accompanied by her host to reclaim her ID at the front desk. At Barnard, however, the guest must be with his host in order to get his ID back, subjecting students to a walk of shame that Columbia students do not have to experience. One could argue that it’s only a walk of shame if you’re embarrassed by your disheveled appearance and post-coitus glow. But the fact that you have to look a stranger in the eyes, give your room number and your friend’s last name is an embarrassing inconvenience. Not all access attendants judge, but many do

by the way they look at you after walking back inside after giving saying your goodbyes outside the building instead of doing it inside and putting on a display for the lobby. The process is infuriating to begin with, but compare that to the fact that the Columbia system does not put guests in that situation, and it’s even more so. No wonder Columbia guys often insist on having the girl spend the night at their place—I can’t say I blame them. The sign-in system is for security purposes, and we appreciate that. The sign-out system, on the other hand, is unnecessary. Personally, it makes me feel like a child with its unnecessary strictness, and at the same time it makes me feel like a tramp when I have to parade my latest conquest down to the front desk so he can get his ID. I should never have to feel that way at Barnard—I am a woman, and I can make my own decisions. Ironically, Columbia respects that, as it gives students the freedom to leave as they please, without subjecting them to awkward interactions after spending the night (or a couple hours) together. But the problems in terms campus life don’t stop there. Barnard students can no longer get into JJ’s. A couple of years ago, Barnard students could use their swipes to indulge in some chicken fingers and Jamba Juice--but that opportunity has since been retracted. In fact, next year Barnard students will be able to use swipes at JJ’s, but at the cost of almost $4,000, the increase in tuition. Columbia students have access to all of Barnard’s dining halls, so why can’t Barnard students use Columbia’s? In reality, Barnard students do not have access to all of Columbia’s resources, which is wrong since we are students of the university just as much as Columbia students are. Barnard students should have the same rights and privileges as Columbia students. But the fact of the matter is we are subjected to a different standard of rules in many instances, whether it’s the

sign out method, or a restriction of meal swipes.

Love, Sex, Dating //

Dating at Columbia engages, perhaps, the most explicit forms of misogyny on campus. Dating might be too strong a word—in a sea of hook ups, fuck buds, and fuccbois, Barnard students spend a lot of time wondering where they stand with the people they’re getting hot and heavy with. Sometimes I think about how much smarter I’d be if I hadn’t worried so much about my phone pinging. I actually have PTSD from the iPhone text tone “Bamboo,” because I associate it with a boy I used to text—or, more accurately, with a boy who used to text me on his own terms. And I know I’m not alone: regardless of where you identify on the vast spectrum that is sexual orientation (or if you’re doing your own thing, because sexual spectrums and labels aren’t for you), we’ve all felt this. If you identify as a woman, and if you prefer men, you’ve probably thought, “Wow, this guy is treating me like shit.” There is something to be said about men on one side of the street and a pool of women—a babe pool, if you will—on the other. This dynamic, bolstered and even fostered by the old boys versus girls rivalry, seeps into our dating culture, interjecting a type of primitive “tease her if you like her” mentality into the underdeveloped minds of Columbia’s alpha males. Except, “tease her if you like her” means “tease her if you want to fuck her” in college speak. I’ve seen this time and again, most recently with a friend of a friend. Strung along by the same guy for over a year, she’s had a difficult time identifying and recognizing the wonderful man that is now in her life. She has been haunted—quite literally, he lives on her

block—by ghosts of boyfriends past. The ex-boyfriend sees her, even now, I’m sure, as a relic, a relic that he uses to conjure up unshakeable memories; in this conjuring, he resummons his own power, as if to say “Look at what I can still do to you.” This haunting, or the refusal of the man to leave this lady be, is misogyny, plain and simple. A Barnard senior who wishes to remain anonymous echoes this notion of misogynistic haunting, stating that her freshman year ex-boyfriend has “haunted [her] college dating career up until [her] very last weeks at college.” This student assigns this residual relationship anxiety to the “institutionalized social and academic dichotomy that exists between Columbia and Barnard students.” “In high school, I was perceived as a highly accomplished, ‘over-achieving’ woman,” she says. “This Columbia boy, who would have been considered my equal in high school, now utilized his institutionally supported status as a Columbia student to prove to me that I, as a Barnard woman, was nothing more than a second-class student, second to Columbia women.” The positing of Barnard women against Columbia women revives that old saying, “Barnard to bed, Columbia to wed.” We know it well. The intense split between the Barnard woman and the Columbia woman is, in of itself, problematic—in a world that functions to shrink women, as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie so saliently asserts in We Should All Be Feminists, women do a pretty good job of bringing each other down. But, perhaps it is the complete separation of Barnard women on the south side of Broadway from Columbia men and women on the north side that constructs Barnard as a type of brothel, instead of the highly competitive, intellectually challenging institution that it is. In this light, it is hard not to wonder if Barnard, a land of women, can ever be free from misogyny at the hands of their romantic counterparts across the street.

Love, Actually:

Dating Up bought more drinks and started kissing me. I was, again, surprised, but totally into it. I was so unbelievably attracted to him I didn’t care what was going on around us, all I was thinking about was how he looked and felt. After about an hour or so of dancing/making out, we decided to leave. The problem was, his wife

was home – but I didn’t want to bring him to my dorm, which left us with very few options. We agreed we’d figure something out for next time, then he put me in a taxi back to campus. After a couple weeks of backand-forth flirting during WODs and texting at work, we met up for drinks in midtown. The conversation wasn’t awkward, even when we both acknowledged we were nervous. Then he revealed that a friend of his who was away for the weekend had an open place right down the street. Just as we were making our way over, his wife called, cutting short our rendezvous for the evening. The tension continued to build substantially over March break when some, ahem, extremely suggestive text messages were sent back and forth. So THE BULLETIN -

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when we saw each other the following week, we agreed to meet for drinks around campus. An hour and four vodka sodas later, I was signing him into my dorm. When he got into my suite, all my friends were waiting since I had provided them with a running commentary throughout the night. He introduced himself with a fake name, to which my no-bull friend responded, “We all know what your name is.” I’ll spare the gory details, but rest assured it was worth the wait. Experience and physical attraction do make up for size, that’s all I’m saying. Since then we’ve had a few more trysts, but he told me he’s started feeling guilty about it. He also admitted he doesn’t feel comfortable hanging out with me when he knows I’m seeing someone else – talk about a double standard. Interestingly enough, I enjoy the power I have in the situation almost as much as the sex: he keeps reiterating to me that he has way more to lose.With one simple Facebook message, I could destroy a four-year marriage and any chance of children they may have, (not that I ever would.) As a woman, I am so used to men perceiving me as the weaker of the two in a relationship, that it’s empowering to have this authority, as twisted as it may be. Though it may be considered immoral, I’ve found it all thrilling.

Illustration by Sofia Davis

hen I first got to college, having an affair was not on my list of must-dos. But who knew that I would have one with a guy 15 years my senior by age 22. A regular CrossFit attendee, I had noticed him in class within a few weeks of starting. I guessed, rather optimistically, that he was in his early thirties. He was in good shape and dressed well, which I duly noted every time he walked into the gym from work. So when we had a happy hour after class one Friday, I asked my girlfriends about him, intending to make a move. Not only did I find out he was 37, he was also married. Disheartened, I followed my friends to the bar, really looking forward to downing some half-priced drinks. To my surprise (and extreme elation), he came up to me at the bar about an hour into our festivities and started flirting with me. Eventually we both admitted we were extremely attracted to each other, and, despite the fact that he had a wife, we wanted to ‘consummate’ our mutual attraction, if you will. I was still skeptical about it all for the next week or so, until I got a text late Friday night asking me what I was doing. He got my number through our group CrossFit chat, and he said I should meet him at a club downtown. Semi-hysterical, I had my friend calm me down and got ready, donning my chicest all-black ensemble and a seductive red lip. Once I got there, he bought us drinks and we started talking, then he

by Anonymous

In Her Words: Growing Up Plus Size W by Juliana Kaplan

Illustration by Helen Guo

hat do you do when your biggest weakness is visible enough for everyone to see? When every time you exercise, no one sees your exertion, but just your stomach? When no one believes you when you say you’re a vegetarian, that you love to dance, that you work out several times a week? There are many worse problems to have, but the pain stays with you forever. I grew up in a loving, liberal house, in a privileged neighborhood, and with a great group of friends and peers. And yet, every time I walk with a group of men, I have to prove my intelligence and my humor to make up for the flat stomach I’ll never have. To be heard in classes, I have to articulate every point perfectly, to always compensate for my exterior. But still, I remember taking down a boy in sixth grade during an inclass debate, and the way he slithered up to me after class. He looked me up and down and raised his eyebrows. “You’re fat,” he whispered. “You’re fat.” You are fat, and nothing else. As much as we repost body positive post after body positive post, as much as we try and uplift fat folks,

our first reaction is still to see the fat and then everything else. Most people don’t even bother looking past the fat. So what does it mean to grow up fat in this day and age?

It means crying in dressing rooms while your friends come out in outfit after outfit. It means watching them load their clothes into a bag while you purchase a necklace. It means that I bought the first prom dress that fit. Luckily, it looked dope. It means that when I go to the gym, people assume that I’m there to “burn off,” and not to make my strong arms even stronger. It means that your body becomes public property, fit to be commented on by people on the street, THE BULLETIN -

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by “well-meaning family and friends,” by anyone who can see it. It means that the person who loves you will be seen as taking one for the team, for stifling the revulsion that seems to be attached to your body and seeped in your pores. It means watching yourself on TV being laughed at, desexualized, never allowed to live life as just a person and not a punchline. But it also means that all of your strength and power must come from inside of you, because you’re not going to get it anywhere else.You are resilient. You are stronger than any bodybuilder. It’s exhausting to have to challenge those who believe you are literally the elephant in the room, that you are not entitled to the space that you take up. It’s always going to be an uphill battle. But I believe that we will win. Everyday I strive to practice radical love from inside out, to love myself in the way that so many say I don’t deserve to be loved. So to all of my fat girls out there: you are beautiful. You are strong. You deserve to be loved. Most of all, you deserve to be loved by yourself.

the bulletin has a

senior moment

s senior Bulletin staff, it’s weird to be on the other side of the camera. But, as a last hurrah, we decided that it was time to dress up and horse around on campus, à la Gigi and Zayn in Vogue’s April Naples shoot—we left out the handstand, for safety purposes. Accompanying the shoot, we’ve asked all of our seniors to take a trip down memory lane. Below you’ll find the Bulletin’s graduating senior staff’s all time favorite Bulletin moments, spanning four years. It seems like a lot of time—but also, not quite enough.

photography by sharon wu THE BULLETIN -

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aiko suyemoto, arts & entertainment editor rebecca deczynski, co-editor-in-chief

I will always love my Bulletin family. We shared a lot of great stories and had a lot of laughsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;especially the last semester!

I joined the Bulletin my freshman year as a way to get my foot into the world of magazine journalism, starting off as a writer before becoming Arts & Entertainment Editor. My past two years as CoEditor-in-Chief have not just enabled me to take the helm of a monthly magazine and learn how to work as a team through collaboration and cooperation to create a beautiful product, but to meet some of the greatest people at Barnard. Thanks to the Bulletin, I learned how to become a better editor and a better person. And best of all, I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be happier to be leaving this magazine in equally passionate hands.

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sofia davis, art editor

I got involved in the Bulletin totally by chance, and it eventually became one of my most worthwhile experiences at Barnard. Creating illustrations and seeing them in a real magazine has been so rewarding, and I want to thank the whole staff for working so hard and putting out an amazing issue each month!

sheli paige frank, politics & opinion editor

My honorary big sister since high school, Hannah Miller, BC â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;15, introduced me to the Bulletin my freshman year. The Bulletinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been an integral part of my Barnard experience ever since. In my junior year abroad, I wrote for nearly every issue: from Oxford, the Bulletin was my connection to the Barnard community. Now this, my senior year, as P&O editor, has been such a rewarding culmination of my college years, not least because I found a wonderfully warm, welcoming family in my fellow editors and staff writers. Thank you, Barnard, and thank you, Bulletin. THE BULLETIN -

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sarah schreiber, co-editor-in-chief

When I found the Bulletin, I was a little lost. I hadn’t yet, as a sophomore, found a club on campus that resonated with me, that made me feel as if I could settle in with its specific crowd. It took a little time—I worked my way up from writer, to Features Editor, to Health & Style editor, to Co-Editor-in-Chief—but I can confidently say today that Bulletin has been, and remains to be, the best thing I did at Barnard. This multifaceted magazine, equal parts lighthearted and hard hitting, has encouraged me to explore everything that I am made of: my politics, my humor, my love for aesthetically pleasing things, my obsession with New York City, and my desire to work with and ultimately lead an unstoppable girl gang. The only thing left to say is thank you, Bulletin. Thank you for everything.

jordana roat, creative director

The Bulletin has changed my time at Barnard in ways that I never would have imagined coming in. I have grown as a leader, an artist, and as an ~aspiring member of the creative media industry.~ I have met talented, inspiring people who I will always look up to. Late nights in the Bulletin office, first with Mora and Rhea, then Rebecca and Sarah, are some of my best college memories. Thank you so much, Bulletin. I’ll miss you. THE BULLETIN -

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P&O Women in Politics: Female Heads of State W by Hadar Tanne

hen it comes to getting things done, the Bold, Beautiful Barnardians know that the oft-maligned “fairer sex” have considerable prowess, but throughout history their skills and abilities have often been ignored or overlooked for the comfort of the incumbent establishment, be it the monarchy, church, or modern governments. But every rule has its exceptions, and several remarkable women have managed to overcome these obstacles in order to rule (some of) the world. Here we discuss several such women, ordered according to date. Golda Meir (Israel, 17 March 1969 – 3 June 1974) Meir was dubbed the “Iron Lady” of Israeli politics well before the term was famously applied to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Her prominence in Israeli politics started well before her tenure as prime minister, from acting as the Jewish observer at the Evian conference (called by U.S President FDR to discuss Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution) to being one of two women to sign the Israeli Declaration of Independence. Among her many successes both domestically and internationally, Meir was known for her nononsense attitude – when asked to place a curfew on women to help end a series of rapes, Meir famously replied “But it is the men who are attacking the women. If there is to be a curfew, let the men stay at home.” Vigdís Finnbogadóttir (Iceland, 1 August 1980 – 1 August 1996) Finnbogadóttir was both Iceland’s and Europe’s first female president. With a presidency of precisely 16 years, she re-

mains the longest-serving elected female head of state of any country to date. After divorcing her husband, Finnbogadóttir adopted a daughter at the age of 41 – the first single woman allowed to adopt a child. In 1980, the women’s movement of Iceland focused on electing a woman, and convinced Finnbogadóttir to run against three male candidates. Finnbogadóttir was elected (albeit narrowly) as a divorced single mother, and was later reelected three times. In 1996, she became founding chair of the Council of Women World Leaders alongside Laura Liswood, Secretary General. The council is a network of current and former women prime ministers and presidents intended to mobilise the highest-level female leaders globally on issues pertinent to women. Of note, Iceland is number 1 in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index, ranking highest in female political empowerment, education and equality among workers.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia, 18 January 2006 – present) Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa. Sirleaf, along with Leymah Gbowee (Liberia) and Tawakkol Karman (Yemen), was awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for their nonviolent struggle for the safety and rights of women to fully participate in peacebuilding work. In 2014, Forbes listed her as the 70th most powerful woman in the world. A few days after Liberia’s 160th Independence Day celebrations, in July 2007, Sirleaf issued an Executive Order making education for all elementary-school-aged children free and compulsory. In 1999, there were 74 girls for every 100 boys in Liberian THE BULLETIN -

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primary schools. In 2007, that number surged to 94 girls. Honorable Mentions: Angela Merkel (22 November 2005-present, Chancellor of Germany) Aung San Suu Kyi (political prisoner from 1989-2010, assumed office 30 March 2016-present, State Counsellor of Myanmar) Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir (1 February 2009 – 23 May 2013, Iceland’s first openly gay female prime minister) Corazon Aquino (Philippines, February 25, 1986 – June 30, 1992, President of the Philippines) Margaret Thatcher (4 May 1979 – 28 November 1990, prime minister of the United Kingdom) Indira Priyadarshini Ghandi (14 January 1980 – 31 October 1984, prime minister of India) Helen Clark (10 December 1999 – 19 November 2008, prime minister of New Zealand)

eing a leader is never easy. Becoming a leader despite stacked odds, be it by background or gender, is even more difficult. What these women have accomplished will have a lasting impact, not only politically but ethically and socially, and not just in their own countries but the world around, as they prove that women are just as capable as leaders, statesmen, and politicians as their fathers, husbands and sons. From Africa to northern Europe, from Oceania to Asia, women are no longer satisfied with archaic gender roles, and are stepping up every day to take up more complex and complicated responsibilities in order to employ their fantastic potentials.

The Panama Papers A

ccording to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the Panama Papers are “likely the biggest leak of inside information in history.” Around the world, the revelations have inflamed the public and shamed heads of state. A year ago, an anonymous source sent 11 million encrypted files from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. Mossack Fonseca is one of the world’s biggest providers of offshore shell corporations — inactive companies without meaningful assets. Although neither offshore companies nor shell companies are necessarily illegal, their structures facilitate illegal activity. In other cases, they allow legal businesses to avoid taxes. The Panama Papers name 214,488 offshore companies and implicate public officials, executives, and celebrities. Here are some prominent leaders linked to dubious businesses: Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, Former Prime Minister of Iceland In 2007, Gunnlaugsson and his wife Anna Sigurlaug Pálsdóttir bought Wintris Inc. from Mossack Fonseca. They invested millions of dollars of Pálsdóttir’s inheritance into the shell company. Wintris held millions in bonds in Iceland’s three biggest banks. After the banks collapsed in 2008, Gunnlaugsson refused to bail them out. It’s hard to tell if his role in Wintris influenced his decision. Gunnlaugsson insists that his policies put national interest first and, in fact, hurt his investments. But the Panama Papers reveal that after the bank failure, Wintris sold a bond in one of the three banks to an Icelandic investor. Gunnlaugsson violated Iceland’s ethics rules by failing to disclose Wintris when he became prime minister. But it was his clumsiness in handling the fallout from the Panama Papers that led to his

by Uma Gonchigar

undoing. In an interview, Gunnlaugsson, jumpy and increasingly frustrated, denied knowledge about Wintris and then left abruptly. Since the interview was filmed, the world could see what was obvious: he felt guilty. Ten thousand—3% of Iceland’s entire population—protested outside parliament. On April 5, Gunnlaugsson resigned. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia Sergey Roldugin—cellist, conductor, and buddy of Vladimir Putin— fronted a network of Putin’s associates that moved $2 billion. Bank Rossiya, which Putin had long treated like his personal piggy bank, gave Putin’s associates generous loans for their offshore companies and transferred funds from state banks to the shell corporations. The Rotenberg brothers, Putin’s friends since childhood, in particular benefitted from their relationship to the prime minister. It seems that the government gave Arkady Rotenberg a contract for a $40 billion natural gas pipeline in exchange for Rotenberg transferring $231 million from his shadow companies to the network. Putin declared the details in the Panama Papers to be true yet insisted that he wasn’t involved. It’s true that Putin is never mentioned in the Panama Papers, but only because friends used pseudonyms or hand gestures to refer to him during dealings. After the release of the Papers, Putin accused journalists of trying to smear Russia. He claimed that Goldman Sachs owns Süddeuttsche Zeitung, a claim that the bank and the newspaper swiftly denied. Putin then apologized, saying that he had been misinformed by his aides. Ian Cameron, Father of British Prime Minister David Cameron Ian Cameron directed Blairmore Holdings Inc, an investment fund in Panama. To avoid paying taxes in the U.K., THE BULLETIN -

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Blairmore hired residents of the Bahamas to sign paperwork. Blairmore even advertised in promotional literature to investors that the company didn’t pay taxes. After a few days of evading questions about Blairmore, David Cameron admitted in an ITV interview that he had profited from involvement with his dad’s firm. Before he became prime minister, Cameron and his wife sold their shares in Blairmore for a profit of £19,000. Blairmore has been in the public knowledge for years. A 2012 Guardian article scrutinized Blairmore’s tax avoidance. Yet the Panama Papers have put the firm under the spotlight. Following the leak, Cameron’s approval rating dropped to the lowest level since July 2013, according to a YouGov poll. Protesters called for Cameron to resign. Then, Cameron released his public tax records, which showed that his mother helped him avoid paying inheritance tax on £200,000. Cameron finally admitted, “I could have handled this better.” He vowed to push for stricter laws to fight tax evasion.

he above are just 3 of the 140 politicians tied to suspicious dealings. Although many public leaders named in the Panama Papers never broke the law, all involved have lost in the court of public opinion. While business acumen is a useful trait in a president, it’s distressing to see how preoccupied public figures are with managing their wealth. At the least, leaders come across as out-of-touch with the public. As The Guardian reported in 2012, Blairmore is named after the Cameron family’s mansion. Wintris was created with money from Gunnlaugsson’s father-in-law, the only Toyota importer in Iceland. More seriously, The Wall Street Journal noted that officials may have used shell companies to circumvent sanctions, a crime that the U.S. has previously treated as a threat to national security.

Can Commencement Have It All? B

arnard’s Class of 2016 will soon be sent off with a keynote address delivered by Anne-Marie Slaughter but not everybody is happy to part ways this way. Slaughter is certainly an accomplished and distinguished woman; she is the president and CEO of the think tank New America, the Bert G. Kerstetter ‘66 University Professor Emerita of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University, and was even the first woman to hold the position of director of policy planning for the U.S. Department of State. As if that weren’t impressive enough, she has also written numerous books and scholarly articles and has paved the way for many discussions about women and family in America. The work she is perhaps most famous for, her 2012 article in The Atlantic, “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All”, not only shaped a debate about the possibility of female equality in modern society but even became the most read article in the magazine’s history. However, there is a problem: Slaughter was not mentioned in the list of speaker nominations compiled by the senior class and is yet another white woman occupying a similar position and worldview as 2015 speaker, Samantha Power.

As a result, many students called for a change in speaker. Some protested that Barnard should be giving more time instead to underrepresented voices like that of other commencement honoree

and acclaimed African writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. In fact, this call became so loud that over 200 students and 47 faculty members signed a petition that prompted a response from President Debora Spar. While Spar pointed out that the keynote speaker is usually not decided entirely by student input, she also agreed to consider ways that the three other honorees at commencement would be able THE BULLETIN -

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to be heard in addition to Slaughter. But still, other students have complained that Slaughter does not offer a fresh perspective, that her perspective itself is a poor choice for the occasion. After spending four years at an institution dedicated to empowering women, some feel that having a graduation speaker who believes that women still aren’t able to “fully make it” in today’s society is a bit of a disjuncture. The keynote address is a speech likely to be remembered by the graduating class, which means that the speaker should be chosen with great care. Anne-Marie Slaughter was undoubtedly chosen this year because of her expansive accomplishments and Barnard’s confidence in her ability to give a phenomenal speech. It’s almost certain that each member of the graduating class will walk away with at least some new insights before they head off into the real world. However, how useful these insights are will crucially depend on Barnard’s ability to provide a commencement experience that manages to also acknowledge a wide variety of other perspectives and experiences. Let’s hope this happens for future commencements.

Disclaimer: The Bulletin does not own any images on this page

by Jessica Tschida

Summer Beach Reads A&E W by Emma Yee Yick

ith summer so close we can taste it, our minds can’t help but stray to thoughts of sun, vacation adventures, and the free time ahead. In a life consumed by textbooks, scholarly articles, and syllabi, reading for pleasure has become but a figment of our adolescent imagination. A full three months without the pressures of college academia changes the game completely. Whether you are basking in the sun, curling up on the couch, or lounging at a (preferably outdoor) cafe, we think this list—made up of a little old and a little new, and based off your favorite classics— is the perfect recipe to a well-read summer.

If you liked The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin…. read Between the World and Me (2015) by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Photography by Katherine Hanson

In a Nutshell: “In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation’s history and current crisis.” Written in a series of letters to his young fifteen-year-old son, Coates attempts to answer some of the most difficult questions plaguing African-Americans in the United States. Coates uses revelatory experiences from his own life to explain the story of his awakening to his place in the world. Between the World and Me is heartwrenchingly candid and extremely necessary.

If you liked Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison…. read Bridget Jones’s Diary (1996) by Helen Fielding In a Nutshell: “Devastatingly self-aware, laugh-out-loud daily chronicle of Bridget’s permanent, doomed quest for self-improvement — a year in which she resolves to: reduce the circumference of each thigh by 1.5 inches, visit the gym three times a week not just to buy a sandwich, form a functional relationship with a responsible adult, and learn to program theVCR.” Well-written and utterly relatable, Bridget Jones’s Diary is THE BULLETIN -

the epitome of a fun-summer read.The charm of Fielding’s novel lies in the inner dialogue of Bridget, whose musings seem to be taken straight from the reader’s mind. Her insecurities and worries are ones that every human experiences. She handles them, however, with admirable optimism, grace, and wit. Easy to love, hard to put down.

If you liked The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger…. read The Assistants (2016) by Camille Perri In a Nutshell: “A wry and astute debut about a young Manhattanite whose embezzlement scam turns her into an unlikely advocate for the leagues of overeducated and underpaid assistants across the city.” What would you do if one day you came across a check worth enough to cover your student loans? This is the position in which we find, Tina Fontana, assistant to high-profile media mogul Robert Barlow. She uses her newfound power and turns herself into a modern-day Robin Hood in an unbelievable summer movie kind of way. The Assistants is humorous and sharp, hitting home for millennials who work demanding but underpaid jobs. We dare you to try not to read this in one sitting.

If you liked The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan…. read Dear Fang,With Love (2016) by Rufi Thorpe In a Nutshell: “From the acclaimed author of The Girls from Corona del Mar,a sprawling, ambitious new novel about a young father who takes his teenage daughter to Europe, hoping that an immersion in history might help them forget his past mistakes and her uncertain future.” Smart, original, and funny, Dear Fang,With Love tells the story of a tangled line of family mythology and the search for the truth. The novel take on the realities of mental illness and parental absence in their rawest forms. A large portion of the book being told through letters, emails, and other documents mixed with alternating viewpoints makes for an exhilarating read. Thorpe pulls at your heart-strings and taps your funny bone while maintaining an authentic and informative composition.

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gallery gallavanting

A Japanese Constellation: Toyo Ito, SANAA, and Beyond at the MOMA by Virginia Gresham Art Direction by Carina Hardy and Judy Liu Modeled by Madeleine Killough Photography by Claudia Levey THE BULLETIN -

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rom now until July 4, the Museum of Modern Art presents “A Japanese Constellation: Toyo Ito, SANAA, and Beyond.” The exhibit focuses on the work of Japanese architects as well as architecture around the world. Since the rise of postmodernism, architecture has developed an avant-gardism preoccupation with “wow” architecture. In this retrospective, curator Pedro Gadanho captures the collaborative spread of influence and ideas present in Japanese architecture. Rather than featuring one figure and many imitators, Japanese landscape demonstrates a constantly evolving discourse centered on shared modes of thinking, methods of design, and concerns for social responsibility. The wit of the exhibition’s characterization as a “constellation” is apparent, as MoMA presents a network of architects whose lineage of influence is dispersive rather than linear. Approaching the exhibition space from either of two entrances, the viewer faces a dark wall and an explanatory text. The title space also establishes Japan’s resistance to the individual-focused theme of architecture and introduces some of the thematic innovations and concerns of the exhibit’s three generations. Most clearly articulated in their works is an experimentation with light, a non-hierarchical spatial sensibility, and a concern for architecture’s congruence in the natural and built environment. These issues arise both in the work itself and in the curation of the exhibition, reinforcing collaboration and exchange. The exhibit begins down a hallway that opens into a bright room sec-

tioned with light, transparent curtains. The first section presents the work of Toyo Ito chronologically. Entering from the other side, the first work exhibited is that of Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa who both make up SANAA. SANAA and Ito – both awarded architecture’s highest honor, the Pritzker Prize – form a starting point in Japan’s contemporary architecture. These two adjacent sections present drawings, models, and projected images of contemporary architecture beginning in the late 1990s. Though the exhibit appears linear with long rectangular spaces, the path is less so. Representations of the architecture line both walls, but each project is not neatly grouped from a visual perspective. Instead, with the first project, Ito’s Sendai Mediatheque, drawings and descriptions on one wall face a large model and interior pictures on the other. The effect of this split is a roughly zig-zag pattern of movement, slipping from one project to the next. Traveling down the rough chronology of Ito’s most recent work, the viewer stops at the edge of multiple, loosely bound spaces. Back down to the right, SANAA’s display extends. Ahead smaller more square sections are divided – one for Fujimoto Sou, Hirata Akihisa, and Ishigami Junya. Breaks in the curtains suggest a sort of ambling walk through the space. Like in the thematic concerns of the architecture, no clear distinctions exist. The ambiguity of the exhibition’s spatial hierarchy diminishes the notion of a linear progression of ideas. Toyo Ito’s last featured project, the National Taichung Theater in Taiwan, THE BULLETIN -

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exemplifies both the architect’s and the curator’s emphases on the collective group, as opposed to the individual. The building emerges from a roughly geometric mass. Vertical truss walls throughout are curved, creating bulbous, vertical shafts of concrete. Within an overall conservative massing, these vertical expanses interrupt the grid’s glass facade. Typically, the top-down architectural plan determines the horizontal expanses of occupiable space. In Ito’s theater, however, these curving, convex and then concave spaces visually connect a space not necessarily traversable. On the human scale, the space is overwhelming and incomprehensible, but the rationale appears from a distanced view. Thus the curators use plans and models to represent the architecture from this perspective. Images of the human scale are projected onto the sheer curtain dividers, appearing faded and secondary. This privileging of distanced, encompassing representation emphasizes the perception of architecture on an urban scale.The emphasis of the exhibit is on the effect and the weight of the building as a whole, rather than on the individual experience. The tenor of this position resonates not only as a way to consider architecture’s role in the world, but also how the field or architecture might benefit from a collaborative, decentralized perspective. With an influence less transient and more affecting than say a single star, the constellation combines individual brilliance in an aggregation that together yields something greater than any one alone.

NYCL Classes Off Campus A by Katherine Leak

Salsa Instruction, Peridance Capezio Center 126 E 13th St: Become the life of the party with your newfound dance skills from the Baila Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s NY Salsa 101 class. Learn salsa rhythms and introductory footwork at the hour and a half long classes priced at $20 each (no partner necessary!). Classes are taught by professional instructors who have also been invited to perform across the city and around the world, but if you cannot make it to the actual classes, the Baila Society Online Dance Academy offers 24/7 access online to to instructional videos and workshops for a subscription of only $19.95 a month. Buti Yoga, Pearl Studios 500 8th Ave: Ramp up your workouts with this sexy

fusion class that blends yoga, cardio, and tribal dance to create a complete fullbody workout. For $20, attend a 50-minute sweaty session of booty shaking on either Saturday or Sunday. The practice was founded by Bizzie Gold, a celebrity trainer dedicated to female empowerment through the blend of a spiritual practice and raw physical movement.

Light Saber Choreography, 520 8th Ave: Embrace your inner nerd and learn how to combine film-fight choreography with martial arts with New York Jedi. Experienced martial artists and dancers help you to perfect your skills and prepare you for battle at two hour long sessions every Thursday for only $10. Macaron Baking, Macaron Parlour 500 Columbus Avenue: Although these classes are more on the pricey side, learn how to create your very own beautiful and delicious macarons to take home. Three hour long courses priced at $100 each offer tutorials and hands-on baking from members of the Parlourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pastry staff in a small, intimate environment to master the craft. Outdoor Yoga, Prospect Park: Enjoy a free vinyasa yoga session on the Long Meadow of Prospect Park provided by instructors from the Bend & Bloom

Brooklyn-based yoga studio. The studio, known for its commitment to green and organic products, uses this outdoor space as a way for practitioners to expand the spirituality of the practice and expand the sensory experience of yoga. Check the bendandbloom.com website for scheduling and times as they are released. Improvisation Basics, 115 MacDougal St: Learn the basics of character-based improv with the help of the Improvolution school, founded by Groundlings alumna Holly Mandel, which stresses the ideal that improv can be for anyone. Start with the $50 three hour Intro to Improv class, and if you want to continue your improv training, the school also offers a 12 week Fundamentals of Improvisation session, a six week Sceneworks Basics, and many more. Cooking Classes, 109 W 27th St: Learn how to craft your favorite meals at Taste Buds Kitchen, which offers everything from Handmade Pasta Tutorials to Sushi & Dumpling instruction. The classes range from $40-75, and many of them offer a BYOB option, making it the perfect excuse to hone your cooking skills while also enjoying time out with friends.

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fter a semester packed with lectures, midterms, and endless readings, going to class may be the last thing on your mind as summer approaches. However, summer classes in the city are anything but boring. With everything from dancing to baking, these alternative and varied options will satisfy your student tendencies without ever having to enter a lecture hall. Whether you are looking for a cheaper weekend option or a special event to celebrate with friends, this list offers a variety of options for different budgets.

Little-Known Nature Refuges W

ith the everyday, fast-paced lifestyle that comes with being students in the city – from managing five classes to internships to getting in weekly cardio sessions – our routines often leave us stressed and unwilling to venture outside MoHi. Many people rant about how they have no time to leave campus because they need to spend hours at Butler every day. But sometimes a break, not necessarily from work, but from your usual surroundings, is necessary for your mental productivity. So with the final rise in temperature and the beginnings of spring upon us, now is a great time to explore some nature refuges. Here are some cool green spaces to check out:

Photography by Sharon Wu

1. Prospect Park It is sometimes called the Central Park of Brooklyn (the two were designed by the same landscape artist, Frederick Law Olmsted), although Prospect Park is noticeably less crowded. This 585-acre public park is easily accessible from Park Slope (take the 2 or 3 to Grand Army Plaza station) and features an ice rink, a zoo, a carousel, and the well-known 90-acre Long Meadow. The Meadow, consisting of a long stretch of grass, makes for a perfect picnic spot and features a slightly older crowd than Manhattan’s Great Lawn – this is a plus if you would rather avoid pot-smoking New York City prep schoolers taking hundreds of selfies. Dogs, wine picnics, and games of frisbee can all be seen here. 2. Conservatory Garden You’ve probably been to the Central Park’s Great Lawn, Strawberry Fields, or

by Arianne Siegal

Alice in Wonderland statue, but the Conservatory Garden is an oft-forgotten gem. This 6-acre formal garden featuring Italian, French, and English gardening styles, sculptures, and beautifully maintained rows of flowers and plants. It is open to the public and has a unique noise-free zone, making for perfect moments of solitude – think meditation, finishing that essay your friends at Butler were distracting you from, or getting away from the loud noises of the city. If you prefer areas that are less crowded, you should definitely check this garden out, as there are few to little people. The park is located on Fifth avenue between 104th and 105th street, just north of museum mile, so you can head to the Met before or after. 3. The Cloisters Located in the Fort Tryon Park in Washington Heights, this Met-owned museum and accompanying gardens overlook the Hudson river and feature courtyards filled with flowers and trees. You can also get lost in the enchanting paths that lead from the entrance of the garden to the museum. This green space is good if you truly want to feel immersed in nature and avoid crowds. The Fort Tryon park – created by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in 1917 – features grassy areas to lounge on, several miles worth of paths for running, two playgrounds, volleyball courts, and even a dog gazebo. 4. Greenpoint-Williamsburg Waterfront This green space is probably the most reminiscent of California, with its laidback West Coast vibes. The crowd seems mellow and happy, and there’s often a mild smell of weed that fills the clear air THE BULLETIN -

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and open grass lawns. This place is good for evening snacks, solo reading, or group hangouts. You’ll find mostly 20-30-year olds here, although some families can be seen closer to the food area, and there’s more of a relaxed music festival feel than any type of rowdiness. Bonus perk: it’s located right next to the Smorgasburg food

festival, so you can enjoy some artisanal local food while you listen to music, get that perfect Instagram photo of the Manhattan view, or catch up on some reading. 5. Hudson River Park This waterside park stretches from West 59th street all the way to Battery Park. The second largest park in Manhattan after Central Park, the Hudson River Park features tennis courts, paths for pedestrians, cyclists, and runners, fishing, a playground, and even free kayaking at several different piers. You can walk or run on paths right along the water, or find sprawls of green grass for naps.You won’t find as many tourists topping every minute to take pictures, and but if you want to take your own pictures, the view of the Hudson River makes for a perfect location, especially during the early mornings or evenings.

d n th o y e e b lE

B i t es

Bub Tygershark a small opening in the plywood wooden shelving and you’ll find a lively food scene. The fusion of traditional, aromatic cooking with innovative, creative presentation is at the centerpiece of all Tygershark’s dishes. Though Tygershark has a limited menu, the restaurant frequently rotates its fresh offerings. The play on old and new continues, as traditional Korean staples are given a new spin. Think dried chili chicken congee (hearty rice porridge), clam and bulgogi soondubu (tofu stew), and scallop sashimi bap (tossed herb salad, grilled rice balls, tobiko, and a generous dosage of gochujang dressing). Follow this with jjamppong (spicy noodle soup featuring scallops, squid, mussels, jalapenos, mushrooms, and torn parsley), bone broth noodle soup (with smoked brisket, salmon roe, nori, scallions, and a dropped pickled egg), and an upscale take on the street food shrimp baos (sa-

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vory buns). Tygershark offers a unique palette for unexpected complex flavors. This eclectic joint also has a full bar with drinks equally as bold as their food menu. Their most popular cocktail is “Charlie Don’t Surf,” best described as a savory sweet orange creme soda with a dash of sesame oil over ice. “Bitches Brew” is a seasonal fall drink with mulled cider, persimmon served up in an elegant gold bowl. Tygershark also has a good selection of beers, wine, and sojus. Whenever in Prospect Heights, Tygershark is a must-try. Tygershark is open for dinner Tuesdays through Sundays from 5:30 PM to 11 PM. Their coffee and retail is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 8 AM to 5:30 PM and Saturdays through Sundays from 9 AM to 5:30 PM. Tygershark is open for brunch on the weekends from noon to 3:30 PM. 581 Vanderbilt Ave Brooklyn, NY 11238

Photo Illustration by Art Board

ygershark’s glassy exterior stands out on Vanderbilt Avenue, a trendy anomaly from its block of whimsical neighbors. This recentlyopened Korean seafood eatery is two blocks south of Atlantic Avenue in Prospect Heights, offering modern twists to traditional favorites. At first glance, to the unknowning passerby, it’s not completely clear as to what Tygershark really is. Coffeeshop? Surf shack bar? Korean seafood restaurant? Well, all three. Walking into Tygershark’s clean, minimalist interior, a barista behind the bar welcomes you into the space. The small enclave is powered by beans from Concave Coffee Roasters, a small-batch roaster based in Philadelphia. Tygershark’s play with quirky juxtapositions continue, as you can sip on your silky smooth cortado while admiring the laidback decorum of surf boards, casual apparel, and variety of hard waxes. But walk past the front coffee bar through

by Aimee Li

Barnard in the Outer Boroughs:

Long Island City F by Aimee Li

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or those seeking to escape the campus bubble, Long Island City is the perfect getaway for a weekend day trip. Located right off of the 7 from Times Square, L.I.C. is a waterfront neighborhood in Queens. Its mix of artists and Wall Street bankers brings a quirky, eclectic vibe to this residential and commercial neighborhood. From the rusted gantries to repurposed warehouses, the neighborhood’s old industrial roots are well-kept remnants. The rich history weaves itself beautifully into the now modern neighborhood. Begin your weekend itinerary by hopping on the 1 train down to Times Square, and transfer to a Queens-bound 7 train to the Vernon Boulevard/ Jackson Avenue station. You may be a bit sleepy from the early morning train ride, so grab a cup o’ joe at Sweetleaf. This small coffee shop on Jackson Ave features an in-house bakery, laptop room, and old velveteen couches to lounge in. Sweetleaf was one of the first purveyors of the third-wave coffee scene in the Queens borough. Third-wave coffee is artisanal: brewed from high-quality, ethically sourced beans. Sweetleaf’s philosophy is dedicated to making coffee as consistently and precisely as possible. And boy, is it a mean cuppa! Kick off the day with brunch at LIC Market. This popular rustic-chic brunch spot is open for weekend brunch with tasty menu options such as “Dirty Rice” Frittata, “Bullseye” Egg, and Buttermilk Pancakes. LIC Market as offers a fresh selection of salads and cheeses. In

beautiful weather, enjoy the meal outside in their outdoor seating patio! Amble down Jackson Avenue to MoMA PS1, the Museum of Modern Art’s sister site. The museum is the place to view some of the most experimental contemporary art on exhibition. MoMa PS1 actively engages both the artist and the audience, encouraging discourse and discussion with art as a medium. Enter

the gallery space and view some of the most thought-provoking exhibitions on view now: Lionel Maunz’s dystopian figurative sculptures, Rodney McMillian’s Landscape Paintings on bedsheets, and Cao Fei’s political commentary on the changing Chinese culture. After viewing the radical installations at PS1, enjoy ice cream from Sam’s Fried Ice Cream on 46th Ave. Fried ice cream seems like an impossible endeavor, but the crispy fried outside perfectly complements the soft, sweet ice cream center. Started as a stand at the Hester Street Fair, Sam’s Fried Ice Cream seasonally takes a new twist on loved flavors. Take your cold treat on a stroll through the Socrates THE BULLETIN -

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Sculpture Park, a public park dedicated to outdoor installations. Spot the Living Pyramid installation and and enjoy the outdoor cinema. The park also offers free fitness classes and kayaking in warmer weather. Walk a block from the Socrates Sculpture Park to the intersection of Vernon Boulevard and Broadway where you’ll find the Noguchi Museum, a sculpture museum designed and created by Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi. After all that walking, return back to Vernon Boulevard for dinner at Tuk Tuk. This modern Thai restaurant is named after the three-wheeled taxi often seen in Bangkok. This welcoming joint offers warm, flavorful options. Some of the must tries at Tuk Tuk are the massaman curry and drunken noodles. But if Thai food isn’t quite your thing, Mu Ramen and Jora Restaurant & Bar are also great choices. The former is a the creation of Michelin Star restaurant veteran and the latter an elegant Peruvian eatery. End your evening with a stroll through Gantry State Park, enjoy the grassy waterfront view and the four old gantries, reminders of LIC’s industrial past. Watch the ducks swimming through the pond and an outdoor yoga class take place. Remember to leave some room for dessert and antiques at the seasonal LIC Flea & Food, a seasonal marketplace in Gantry State Park for vendors and buyers alike.

poetry portraits

untitled

by Caroline Strauss “All my words are a treasure.” She boasts, scribbling and styling with pleasure. “I’m witty and swift as a fox!” Then rain came and washed out her endeavors For the genius had written in chalk.

History by Michelle Xu

by the way i read the poem taped on top of the sink, & washed my hands before touching the earth again. it did not crumble this time & i had to tug at it from between my toes.

run

i talked on the phone with my mother & she reminded

by Olivia McCall me of my first dig. it was white & shone like something singing. I just cannot know what it is that I want. I have fought for so long for something just outside of my grasp. the further I reach, the more it slips away. how can I know where I am going when the path is never clear? I have been walking along for miles, months, years – yet I do not wish to give up. no, not now. maybe the problem is that I need to stop walking and begin to run.

i did not remember did not remember & the line filled up with water from the lie.

in the summer we stood next to each other together eternal flames the sun painted dew on our sunglasses it was like a terrible old movie we took the ferry across the river looked over the edge watched the waters turn to ice saw the meadows burn under our feet it has been a year and we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t speak but i see fourth-degree burns on the insides of my eyelids my best friend, was there battery acid hidden in the undulation of the tides did i mistake winter for august when you were holding me was i a fish on the edge of a hook glistening over hot coals

unburnings by Ellie Botoman

you signed your name with a blush along my shoulders blistering and hot to the touch you were time spent too long in the sun fading into scars before i even knew it

Verdure/Ardor by Zoe Miller

Tipsy with the surfeit taffy of sunbeams, we prance around public parks proud as egrets in our summertime guises. All appears verdant in the sweetness of this heat-licked haze. We exchange kisses that dapple like dewdropped leaves and centuries, half-heartedly ardent on iridescent days.

over crinkled noses and peeling cheeks you couldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve freckled in sequins across my face but you chose to sear into my skin instead