SIR Magazine 2018 The Future is Upon Us

THE QUEEN HAS BEEN CROWNED,

THE FUTURE IS UPON US...

“MOST WOULD WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN, YET FEW ARE WILLING TO DIE.”

SPRING 2018 ISSUE 12

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF BRANDON”B13” SPENCER

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L etter F rom the E ditor

LETTER F RO M THE EDITOR

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TO THE READERS OF THIS ISSUE, S I R M AGA Z I N E

What you have in your hands is much more than just a fashion magazine ran and produced by students. But a story commonly untold to us. This issue is a glimpse into the future. Not a future that we can easily understand or even obtain. Rather showcasing the future that we simply deserve.

A wise man once said, “Most would want to go to heaven, yet few are willing to die.”. Sometimes when you are trying to rise to the highest point of light, you must dive to the deepest point of the abyss to truly understand its power. Within the magazine, we have arranged the lookbook into 3 parts to not only express the current movement of our society as it goes forward to the realm of uncertainty. But also expanding upon the diaspora of SIR Magazine as a whole. Ensuring that as you flip through the pages and ponder over the images you get a sense of tonality that presents our apologue.

I present to you a gift that has been given to me and urbanely polished with the work of my amazing directors alongside their teams.

Allowing this semester’s tagline ‘The future is upon us’ to flourish and declare relevance within our 12th issue as it speaks to a plethora of audiences. While continuing SIR’s purpose to provide a voice for those commonly unheard. So it was great honor an titillation as I present this semester’s issue of SIR to campus.

THE FUTURE HAS NOW ARRIVED,

DIRECTORS TREASURER

DIRECTOR OF CASTING

LYNETTE KWAW-MENSAH

GRAPHICS TEAM

COOPER MARTIN

• Kira Mann • Helen Barton • Oni Wright • • Kyrene Carter • Tuyen Le • Kasturi Carter •

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D irectors

MARAYA LAWSON

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EDITORIAL TEAM

TERRIANA HICKS

• Julius Buckner • Joe Swilley • Nikia Watson •

FASHION TEAM S I R M AGA Z I N E

ANNEBELLE SCHOEFIELD

CRISTAL DAVENPORT

• Nana Kyeibaff • Jenna Debaker • Kelly Dietzenbach • Carlee Horn • • Reagan Nerving • Christian Nassif • Alexandria Willis • Oddessey Witaker • Timothy Cooke • Madelyn Bunn • Cierra Dunn • Paula Rotger •

PHOTOGRAPHY TEAM

IZABELLA VARELA MÓRAN • Awase Asor • Taylor Cummings • Anna Hall • • Christion Barnes • Tré Moore • Jenna Debaker •

CONTENTS PA RT 1 : PA RT 2 : Lookbook.....................................................................32 Metal Parts (Poem).............................................. 42

PA RT 3 : Lookbook.................................................................... 46 Shots Fired (Poem)................................................58

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C ontents

Giant Interlude (Poem)....................................... 10 Lookbook.......................................................................11 On the Shoulders of Giants (Essay).............23

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EwayENT Presents: S I R M AGA Z I N E

Audio Athletes

HIT SINGLES: FLEXIN AND FINESSIN & SHAKE THAT A** MUSIC AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR MUSIC OUTLETS “YOU DON’T HAVE AN OPTION WHEN PAPì AND TAZ RUNNIN THE BLITZ” @AUDIOATHLETES

PART 1.

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W e L ived

WE LIVED

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GIANT I N T E R LU D E BY: JULIUS BUCKNER The innovators of the future never forget where they came from they’re the ones that know their history the best they remember spirituals once sung, now mumbled, jigs once jug but now stumbled and half remembered

the “you out your damn mind” niggas They remember the George Clintons and Malcom X’s, they remember boom boxes and Rolodexes For the past is a tool A wise, old friend And the future’s a gift of an unfolded plan

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the “ahead of their time” niggas

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Written By: Julius Buckner

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ON THE S H O U L DE R S O F GIANTS

G

eorge Santayana once said “Those

struggles have been navigated before, and

who cannot remember the past are

their emotions have been felt thousands

condemned to repeat it”, but what about those

of times over. A well done throwback like

that remember the past, and repeat it on

Kanye West’s Gold Digger or the revival

purpose? Artists and creative minds use the art

of white converses is bound to be a

of those before them as a point of reference for

smash hit with the people, but what will

expressing themselves, especially when their

throwbacks look like decades from now?

To figure out how the future will

international affairs the U.S. took part

throw it back to our time, we got

in, you could draw political parallels

to know how throwbacks work in

to the 60s, 70s and early 80s all day.

general. How does a culture choose what to remember? It’s all about two things: relevance, and novelty.

Right now, attempting to establish healthcare as a basic human right, close the wage gap, and combat white

When the political atmospheres of

supremacy and police brutality are

different time periods heavily overlap,

intensely hot button topics, but at the

cultural elements from the past have

same time intensely familiar ones.

a sturdy bridge to cross to the present,

These same issues stormed the 60s and

and, become relevant once more.

70s, with the revolution spearheaded

For example, the fashion staples and musical styles from the 60s, 70s, and 80s that made a return in the 2010s

organizations like the Black Panther Party, the Young Patriots, and the iconic Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr.

are all based around the young,

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broke working class. Why? Because

On top of that, we’ve had swelling

they sprung back to life along with

criticisms of the American

the relevance of the working class in

government’s international affairs, with

American politics today. The housing

President Trump, the overthrow of the

market crash of 2009 and skyrocketing

Libyan government, support of Israel,

tuition costs refocused the need

and various acts of neo-imperialism

for things to be more economically

all piling up and inciting divisiveness

accessible to the people. With this

and outrage, strong parallels can

combined with anti-establishment

be made to the aforementioned

sentiments after questionable

decades once more. President Nixon,

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by nationwide intersectional

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the overthrow of the Guatemalan

that are as meticulously put

government, support of authoritarian

together as they are rebellious.

rulers in Latin America, and other acts of imperialism (the Vietnam War, for example) all generated just as much if not more disdain for the “establishment” than we are feeling now, and even for similar reasons.

One artist to nail that balance was Childish Gambino with his recent project “Awaken, My Love”. It’s stacked with commentary on police brutality, corruption and non-traditional love stories, topics that were also covered in

This working class renaissance and

Funkadelic’s “America Eats its Young”

political divisiveness manifests

in 1972 which grandfathers not only the

itself in the culture the same way

same messages, but also the wailing

as before, with music and fashion

guitars and funk infused bass lines found on Gambino’s 2016 release. This throwback was an absolute smash hit because of its returning political relevance and new the face Donald Glover gave a legendary wave of music aged to the point of novelty.

Kendrick Lamar is another artist to give the same slap happy grooves and blooming trumpets a face lift,

“...BUT WHAT TORCHES WILL WE PASS

FORWARD?”

Pimp A Butterfly”, moved critics and

heavy distressing have all made a

fans alike with uplifting working class

huge comeback recently with some

spirituals and direct references to the

modern twists. New details that identify

civil rights activists who started the

members of the working class have

battle we’re still fighting today, and for

been added to these staples to make

the sound to pair with it, he had the

the millennial wardrobe, such as sun

mastermind behind Funkadelic, George

bleached colors and oversized, hand-

Clinton, actually featured on the album.

me-down fits, both of which give new tools for people to play with at

But it wasn’t just music that migrated across time, our clothes, rooted in

the cost of loose change and some diligence while thrift store hunting.

attitudes once felt before, have as well.

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Pushing denim to its limits, rocking

With this mixing of the old with the

cutthroat biker jackets, suede and

new, it becomes kind of obvious

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through this decade. This album, “To

nearly mastering the style only halfway

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and Kali Uchis. While that list isn’t even

to us...but what torches will we pass

close to complete, these artists have

forward? It’s all in what’s going to

dropped banger upon banger that

continue to be relevant politically, and

challenge gender roles and look at the

what’s going to become novelty like

intersection of their varying sexualities

millennials buying vinyls in 2018.

and ethnicities, all while dominating the charts at the same time. There is a

One major political movement that is going to stay relevant for a while is intersectionality, rethinking identity as layers of ethnicities and gender

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identities rather than being composed of separate fractions of them. The belief that your struggle is the only relevant one, be it women’s rights or racial conflicts, is an obsolete and withering

clear audience here begging for more stories to be shared, and much like funk or black rock from the 60s and 70s, this revolutionary sound might be almost inescapable for the next 5 to 10 years, and such a profound, and enchanting musical style is bound to be relevant once more and brought back to life decades down the line.

one, with swelling behemoths like Afropunk pushing for the advancement

More fluid gender expression is

of as many struggles as possible and

going to decadently dominate the

breaking down how these different

decades to come, and with that comes

identities interact with each other.

dressing more androgynously and cleverly mixing the masculine with

One way this movement manifests itself culturally is in our music, more specifically with the reclined and intimate R&B grooves from artists like Frank Ocean, SZA, Tyler the Creator,

the feminine. Right now, wearing makeup, crop tops, and shaving your head or wearing combat boots are becoming anyone’s game, especially as people move further away from

grinding your skin and burning your

those are. As Western cultures finally

eyes. Right now, there is a slightly

start to learn from other ones, this

underground wave of fashion called

sense of gender fluidity will only

techwear that is composed of exactly

be amplified with the new tools to

that; anorak jackets, waterproof joggers,

express it, such as African-style face

tactical face coverings and pockets all

paint or the elegant sweeping shirts

over, it’s a style the future might have

of middle-eastern and Asian cultures.

to throw it back to out of necessity.

With attraction and gender expression

So we’ve covered relevance, but what

being on one side of fashion, the flip

about novelty? Buying vinyl records,

side is utility, and that element could

writing letters, and using polaroid

truly be put to the test by post-climate

cameras is a popular phenomenon

change, radicalized weather. Rip stop,

right now, and a whimsical one at that.

rubber, and leather would be your

There’s just something about seeing

guardian angels, flooding pants and

how far we’ve come, and simply doing

bucket hats will have a more literal

something in the name of sentiment

meaning, and a light grey jacket will

rather than efficiency that captivates a

be worn on the days you’re feeling

lot of us, but what will that look like in

colorful. Black is the color of utility,

the not-too-distant future? Manually

the color of John Wick’s tactical suits

driving our own cars to impress our

and the infinite racks of guns in The

dates? Learning a friend’s native

Matrix, and might end up bleaching

language instead of talking through

your entire wardrobe because of all

an AI translator? Who knows.

the ponchos, buckles, and goggles you’ll need to keep the elements from

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traditional American values, whatever

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AT THE END OF IT ALL, WE STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS, BUT WE TEND TO FORGET THAT ONE DAY AFTER YEARS OF REACHING FOR STARS, WE’LL BE THE GIANTS, WHEN THE FUTURE IS UPON US.

PART 2.

ST RU G G L E D , Y E T C O N Q U E R E D

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W e Struggled , Y et C onquered

WE

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M E TA L PA RT S

JOE SWILEY

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IN THE FUTURE, I PREDICT THAT OUR LIVES WILL BE DICTATED BY ELECTRIC PULSES. ANGRY MOBS WILL ALL SIMULTANEOUSLY BE SILENCED BY THE PUSH OF A BUTTON. TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS WIPED OUT BY EMPS AND I SEE IT ALL BEING ADVERTISED AS SOMETHING WONDERFUL. SOMETHING WE’VE BEEN MISSING OUR WHOLE LIVES.

IN THE FUTURE I PREDICT THAT I’M LOOKING AT YOU BUT NOT SEEING YOU. I’M PROCESSING YOU, I’M FOLLOWING A CODE. EVERYTHING IS STRUCTURED, SPONTANEITY HAS BECOME EXTINCT. THE

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MUNDANE IS NOW THE BIGGEST TREND OF THE DECADE BECAUSE IT MATCHES ALL OF THE ALGORITHMS IBM MADE FOR US.

IN TERMS OF SOCIETY THERE WILL BE NO SUCH THING AS A FILTER. EVERYONE WILL SAY EXACTLY WHAT’S ON THEIR MINDS AND ANY RESULTING CONFRONTATION IS MORE THAN LIKELY THE RESULT OF A GLITCH. HERE, IN THIS PLUSH BODY FULL OF METAL PARTS FEELING EMPTY DOESN’T BOTHER ME ANYMORE. I COULD PROBABLY PICK MY RACE SIEMPRE ME HAN GUSTADO LOS BORINQUEÑOS I CAN TRANSLATE EVERY LANGUAGE, MY BRAIN IS FUCKING GOOGLE.

HERE, IN THIS PLUSH BODY FULL OF METAL PARTS MY MIND REMAINS INTACT WHILE MY SOUL VOMITS FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING DOWN. WATCHING, AS THE WORLD BEGINS TO CRUMPLE, WITH NO-ONE PROGRAMMED TO CARE. BIOSYNTHETIC LUNGS MADE TO BREATHE POISON OUR FACES UNCHANGED TO THE TURMOIL....

WE HAVE CEASED TO LIVE…EVERYONE JUST WAITS

BUFFERING

PART 3.

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S hots F ired

BY: NIKIA WATSON

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SHOTS FIRED

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Slavery and discrimination led to mass incarceration like the wire They put our black men in blue Now they beat them black and blue They say the system ain’t racist but the system is fucking PROOF. It really bothers me You know, how we went from being property To 3/5 of a person Then they claim they set us free But stuck us right into poverty So of course, the crime rates got high Wouldn’t give us jobs so niggas who needed money started to supply To niggas that got high Started gangs to feel safe cause the police don’t protect us The police don’t respect us But the police sure suspects us

SHOTS FIRED

Will they gun me down next?

When asked to exit the vehicle, Should I say yes?

When I reach for the sky Will they aim at my chest?

Will they say I lunged at them? so, they lay me to rest Will FOX news pick the worst picture of me?

Like with a bottle in my hand while I’m throwing up GD? In the description, will they tell the whole world that I smoke weed?

Just to justify the officer that got paid leave.

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Black.

Female.

It’s scary that’s what I have to think about day by day Act like they don’t get the picture like a play by play But the same shit is happening State by state

Hey, that’s the average day in AmeriK-K-K A beautiful nation Besides the fact I have no voice or representation And the irony kills me because the country was built by slaves And all lives matter unless your Black Hispanic Asian or gay

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But don’t get me wrong Not all racism is blatant Not all cops are bad Not all white people are Satan But why boycott Beyoncé or even cause debate?

When what she sings about is the same shit y’all culture appropriate It’s just hair It’s a style It’s a fad Well if our hair is so nasty why do you want to touch it so bad?

And if you call it nappy Why copy our curls?

Like they LOVE black features But they HATE black girls If our dark skin disgusts you Why continue to tan?

Inject your bodies to be thicker To appeal to our men You think we’re violent But you sing our songs and do our dances They’ve been taking from us since we’ve been taken from our land

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Hours: Monday-Friday 12-6 Saturday 12-4

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“A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE” TO BE CONTINUED...