Delsol Magazine: Issue One

T E A M

Adorno Clarke Elizabeth Corral Acosta

Garcia Isabella Adriana

NarahiFernandezGomez

Sunny Suaya Sofia Rivera

Madhok

RusseAlbizu Myrka Dominguez Devon Mitchell Nuria Cancio

Adriana Vivas

Meet the team

Writers

Gabriella Sadowski

Isabella Corral

Adriana Vivas

Elias Benitez-Gadda

Arianna Savino

Brenne Sheehan

Bibiana Snyder

Ashley Rodriguez

Delia Rangel

Carlos Wade

Francesca Piccinini

Isabel Melendez

Isabella Corral

Jade Cort

Laura Verzegnassi

Myrka Dominguez

Sunny Ray Suaya

Sophia Maldonado

Ashley Rodriguez

Sarah Santiago Ruiz

Alexia Roisenvit

Larissa Sanchez

Sofia Georgallis

Hannah Gonzalez

Ana Eloisa Arredondo De Vega

Anabelle Canals Olivencia

Sofia Peralta

Zachary Ayala

Social Media Team

Anayancy Barajas

Ricardo A. Rodriguez Ramos

Adriana Acosta

Nuria Cancio Flores

Isabella Corral

Adriana Vivas

Amanda Salles

Ana Eloisa Arredondo De Vega

Catherine Ward

Christina Stathatos

Isabella Barone

Devon Mitchell

Laura Verzegnassi

Lucia Rios-Luy

Sarah Santiago Ruiz

Sunny Ray Suaya

Carmen Carrasquillo

Sofia Georgallis

Larissa Sanchez

Sophia Castro

Alexia Roisenvit

Stylists Team

Maia Lockhart

Adriana Vivas

Ana Eloisa Arredondo De Vega

Francesca Piccinini

Samantha Beltran

Meghavarshini Iska

Mel Lin

Shota Pinko

Lucia Rios-Luy

Francesca Piccinini

Catalina Bermudez

Carmen Carrasquillo

Makeup Team

Ana Eloisa Arredondo De Vega

Samantha Beltran

Erica Cheng

Brenne Sheehan

De’Lisia Adorno

Anat Anibaba

Vivian Baltzer

Mel Lin

Laura Verzegnassi

Catherine Ward

Elizabeth Garcia

Aree Clarke

Isabel Melendez-Rivera

Larissa Sanchez

President & Editor-In-Chief: Natalia Alejandra Ortiz Quiñones

PR Director: Mia Rodriguez

Social Media Team Director: Adriana Isabel Albizu Russe

Video & Photo Team Director: Carlos Javier Magdaleno Dominguez

Graphic Design Team Director: Sofia Rivera

Treasurer: Sara Sofia Silva Vazquez

Editors Team

Ricardo A. Rodriguez Ramos

Arianna Savino

Brenne Sheehan

Bibiana Snyder

Catherine Ward

De’Lisia Adorno

Gabriella Sadowski

Mel Lin

Myrka Dominguez

Sophia Maldonado

Sarah Santiago Ruiz

Ana Eloisa Arredondo De Vega

Shota Pinko

Narahí Gomez

Sofia Georgallis

Larissa Sanchez

Hannah Gonzalez

Anabelle Canals Olivencia

Madison Christiansen

Zachary Ayala

Graphic Design Team

Natalia Ortiz

Carlos Magdaleno

Sofia Rivera

Nuria Cancio Flores

Ana Eloisa Arredondo De Vega

Lucia Rios-Luy

Brenne Sheehan

Isabella Barone

Mahika Mor

Sunny Ray Suaya

Olivia Nguyen

Shota Pinkowski

Larissa Sanchez

Alexia Roisenvit

Photo & Video Team

Devon Mitchell

Mel Lin

Diana Garcia Varo

Brenne Sheehan

Carlos Wade

Christina Stathatos

Erica Cheng

Mahika Mor

Jade Cort

Olivia Nguyen

Sunny Ray Suaya

Samantha Beltran

Ana Eloisa Arredondo De Vega

Larissa Sanchez

Alexia Roisenvit

Isabella Flores

Madison Christiansen

Models Team

Ana Eloisa Arredondo De Vega

Francesca Piccinini

Izzy Growney

Myrka Dominguez

De’Lisia Adorno

Jade Cort

Anat Anibaba

Meghavarshini Iska

Sunny Ray Suaya

Maia Lockhart-Kraner

Shota Pinkowski

Julia Karasu

Justin Gomez

Bibiana Snyder

Elizabeth Garcia

Larissa Sanchez

Hannah Gonzalez

Sofia Peralta

Axel Vera

Madison Christiansen

Zachary Ayala

Founder’s

note

OfCON NTET S

Being born and raised in the chorus of coquíes in Puerto Rico, morning mountain fog at 7AM, the smell of fresh bakery bread brought by my abuelo every Sunday after misa, the sound of the crashing waves and echoes of “buen provecho” heard when eating out by anyone passing by. For most of my nineteen years of life, my manner of speech, along with my behaviors, have been accustomed to Puerto Rican slang, Caribbean customs, and Hispanic grammar. Despite this, within the past few months, this speech, hand-in-hand with my identity, has migrated to the American land where they’ve been battled, misunderstood, faced numerous identity crises, and most of all, experienced the sweet-old tale of culture shock. My everyday life as a Latinx student in Syracuse University has been an experience where I have felt pressured to adjust both my everyday manner of speech and behavior in order to satisfy a set of unspoken rules and expectations of dialogue and civility. Since August of 2021, from the minute I wake up to the sound of my annoying alarm, to the minute my bedroom lights are turned off, both my identity and speech have constantly played out their biggest acting roles yet.

The English language and I have never been enemies, but not friends either: I turn to her for survival, for acceptance. English has crept into my life ever since I was in my mother’s womb, imposed by colonialism, painted as a ticket for success. Yet, despite my familiarity with the language, enough to proudly describe myself as “bilingual” on resumes and job applications, I went from speaking Spanish freely every day, to simply short, fast whispers on the phone. Conversations that would only last around a few minutes a day, with someone always looking on, and having to adjust the way I speak every day to inhale another language, to adapt to its expectations and behaviors, to wake up every day with a programmed tongue, has not been an easy task.

Through my current and recent experiences being Latinx and a Hispanic speaker, I’ve realized that the mainland Americanized civic dialogue that is so respected and imposed within American citizens in all fields, from professional to academic, doesn’t truly cater and include t o all Americans.

Just a few days ago, almost every American TV was showing the 65th annual Grammy Awards Ceremony, where Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny performed one of the few Spanish opening acts the Grammys have presented. As a fellow proud Puerto Rican, and a vivid Bad Bunny fanatic, seeing my culture shown to millions was euphoric, yet my excitement watching the performance diminished. For the duration of the set, the live closed captions read:

“[SINGING IN NON-ENGLISH]” and “[SPEAKING NONENGLISH].”

Photographed and edited by Carlos Magdaleno @cjmagdal

Despite the availability of song lyrics being found in a matter of seconds with a simple Google Search, the Grammys and the media presented Bad Bunny’s voice as “non-English,” and some may even say, an uncivil way of speaking; considering when other English-speaking singers performed, their songs lyrics were easily shown. But is it truly uncivil? Or is it just uncivil in Americanized, mainland rhetoric and civic dialogue? Why not adapt it into American vernacular by normalizing Spanish, instead of the other way around?

In the essay “Uncivil Communication in Everyday Life: A Response to Benson’s ‘The Rhetoric of Civility’;” Shelley Lane, an Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education and Associate Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Texas in Dallas, and Helen McCourt, an Adjunct English Instructor at Collin College, present the concept and characterization of civility in the realms of not only politics, but everyday life, and the effects ethos and rhetorical norms have on what is considered civil and uncivil dialogue. Both professors emphasize and shape civility within civic discourse, or in my opinion, Americanized, mainland civic dialogue, as “…the result of a choice we make on behalf of others—disciplining our passions for the sake of cooperation and limiting our language to create c ommunity.” To a certain point, I see what both Lane and McCourt were trying to convey in shaping civility with this quote. Yet as an outsider, and as someone that sees it from a different point of view, this quote describes what me and many other ethnic communities in America go through and experience in terms of our language.

It makes me question, how is this fair? To have to cooperate and limit my language to fit what is considered Americanized civic conversation, to continuously have to mold my dialogue to fit what is “American.” How is disciplining and limiting our language fair to us? Yet, what is common American dialogue truly? And when we talk about this specific language that Lane and McCourt discuss, who do we include and exclude in that definition of “civic discourse”? Not every American,

Furthermore, within the scope of Americanized civic discourse, I am brought back to my freshman year of college, when meeting a friends I had connected with on Instagram during move-in week (someone who ethnically was also Latinx, but grew up in the states and didn’t speak a word of Spanish), where I vividly remember excitingly going in to greet this friend with a kiss on the cheek, yet being greeted back with a look of confusion, awkwardness, and almost fear. Lane and McCourt express how “the specific behaviors defined as appropriate in one culture, or even in different settings within the same culture, can be inappropriate in others. Because civility is based on cultural norms of appropriate behavior, the definition of civil and uncivil behavior shifts over time and place” (Lane and McCourt 26). I’ve lived and am living this statement, as within the last year, I’ve found myself shaping my vocabulary to adapt certain American expressions such as “bet,” “ayo,” “brb,” and “what’s up,” expressions which I consider far from civil, and refraining myself from greeting people in a way I consider civil, but they (most Americans) consider uncivil, or simply just weird or amorous. My freshman year interaction shows how the customs and expectations that come with being the adjustmen a bilingual student will have to make in America, in a place that truly cater or include all Americans, and how Americanized civic discourse should therefore not be expected to exist within the certain realms it currently does, as America is composed of far more than just “white culture.”

Written by Adriana

Artist S p o t

l i g h t Credit where credit is due.

Our inspiration behind this shoot came from an incredibly talented Puerto Rican photographer, Angelica Díaz. Díaz is also a videographer and set designer. She approaches all her creative endeavors with a unique perspective and direction, making all her work very distinctive. We were truly inspired by this series of self-portraits she created and we were blown away with excitment about being our inspiration. Angelica Díaz truly deserves all credit and recognition for the incredible art she makes.

Escrito en Las Estrellas

Escrito por Natalia Alejandra Ortiz Quiñones

Creemos lo que nos conviene, lo que nos calma y hace sentir que hasta las peores situaciones pasan por una razón. Hace casi tres años mi familia y yo perdimos a la mejor persona habida y por haber, la pega que nos aguantaba a todos juntos. Y por una coincidencia ridícula y francamente un poco cruel de la vida, la misma semana tuve que entregar un ensayo basado en la pregunta: “Is death bad for the person that dies?” para una clase de Filosofía. Así que allí estaba, sentada en el sofá de la casa donde crecí con alguien que ya no estaría con nosotros otra vez, pensando en mil y una maneras de poner en palabras una teoría que con todo mi corazón esperaba fuera realidad. “What We Don’t Know Can’t Hurt Us… Can It?” lo titulé. Al final, el ensayo terminó ayudándome, asegurándome que todo estaría bien, que ella estaría bien, durante un momento en el que me sentía inconsolable. Concluí que mia tia estaba bien, donde sea que estuviese.

Esto es un tema subjetivo, claro, casi todo en la vida lo es. Pero “El Principio de Razón Suficiente,” sugiere que todo lo que ocurre, tanto a nosotros como al mundo a nuestro alrededor, tiene una razón o causa detrás de cada suceso. Como humanos queremos creer que eventualmente, hasta los momentos más difíciles tendrán sentido e importancia. En la cara de decepciones e incertidumbre buscamos encontrarle sentido y/o solución. Enfrentados con desamor, pensamos en la “Teoría del Hilo Rojo,” la cual sugiere que todos estamos atados por nuestro dedo meñique con un hilo invisible de color rojo a nuestra alma gemela. Dándonos a entender que todo lo que pasa en nuestras vidas, al final, nos guía hacía ellos, porque estamos destinados a encontrarnos.

Tras ser desilusionados por X o Y razón, pensar que todo pasa por algo nos reafirma que estaremos bien. Mil veces me han dicho “lo que es para ti, está para ti, llegará a su tiempo.” Cien veces he escuchado “el universo sabe lo que hace y por qué lo hace así.” Es humano buscarle justificación hasta a las peores situaciones; asegurarnos que todo lo que nos está pasando tiene un propósito, aparte de hacernos sentir que el mundo se nos cae encima. Sinceramente, si todo lo que he pasado me ha llevado a donde estoy hoy en día, a quien soy y quien seré, no tengo razón alguna para pensar que no todo en la vida tiene propósito. Por esto cuando nos toca dejar ir, por más difícil y doloroso, nos ayuda a confiar en que es un cambio necesario en esta etapa de tu vida que dará paso a la siguiente, porque todo ocurre con un propósito, en mi humilde opinión. Todo lo que he aprendido sobre el amor, lo he aprendido de mi familia. He aprendido de las miles de historias que mis padres me cuentan casualmente, como si no sonaran idénticas a la trama de una película de romance, historias que podrían ser adaptadas a películas. Lo he aprendido de mi prima y su prometido, que se conocieron en la intermedia y han sido inseparables desde entonces, diez años después, y seré su dama de honor en Abril. Lo he aprendido de mis amistades, las que me mandan fotos del cielo estrellado por que pensaron en mí, y las que corren a mi rescate cuando se me derrumba el mundo. Las mismas personas que le han dado forma a mi manera de amar, y que francamente nunca dejaré de creer en el amor por ellos, y por cómo los amo yo. Porque es algo tan bonito amar, es tan lindo querer, es tan especial sentir que las personas a tu alrededor estaban destinadas a encontrarte por que no puedes imaginarte una vida sin ellos.

Mi papá y mi tia circa 1991

Throughout most of its history, the sound of reguetón has been dominated by the male voice celebrating sexual self-discovery, exploration and the ecstasy of youth. Reguetón artists often sing about their relationships with women, delving into themes of seduction, desire, heartbreak, and romantic experiences. Many Latinx people consider reguetón celebrates sensuality and breaks down societal taboos around discussing sex, so it becomes a tool of sexual empowerment. In recent years, artists have fought to make the genre more inclusive and welcoming to LGBTQ+ individuals. The rise of queer reguetón artists has amplified the narrative so a wider audience can now relate and feel empowered. In Latin countries and regions such as Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Mexico, LGBTQ+ artists are writing about their sexuality and identity.

In the past year, Villano Antillano made history when she collaborated with Argentine producer Bizarrap on the release of Villano Antillano: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 51. Born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Villano has become the first transfeminine, non-binary artist to reach the Top 50: Global on Spotify charts. Through her rap, Villano vocalizes a powerful message against machismo and homophobia present in reg uetón. “El rap se convierte en un arma,” she said in an interview with Rolling Stone. This is seen in one of her most iconic songs, Mujer, in which Villano asserts her agency and power as a woman holding a pencil.

Villano revolutionized the genre once again when she collaborated with Puerto Rican icon Young Miko in their song Vendetta. Miko climbed her way to the global scene as queer rapper and grew a fan base that she calls Mikosexuals. She has since released a number of collaborations that many Latinx queer peo ple consider to be anthems, such as Classy 101, Chulo pt.2, Lisa, Fina etc. In an interview with Billboard, Miko states “When I started writing music, I was like, ‘F–k it. People already know I’m gay, and why would I sing to men?’”

For many young people, Miko marks a transition in Puerto Rican music and culture, through which she empowers many who were previously without agen cy.

Written by Isabel Melendez

Alongside Villano and Miko, other emerging Latinx artists are making their mark in the music arena. Venezuelan singer La Cruz, who is openly gay, is one of these talented individuals. La Cruz’s visual and artistics representations of sexuality are unmatched. His music videos feature men as the objects of his desire and homoerotic boxing fights with men dancing and grinding on each other. “I’m an openly gay guy who goes to the studio to write songs based on my experience, I don’t feel bad about it,” he told El Colombiano. La Cruz celebrates himself and encourages others, “I am one of the first to achieve that visibility, and it fills me with pride… I hope that at some point, people will see it normally.”

Meanwhile in Mexico, Solomon Ray is one of the first gay rappers to ever be featured on the uncensored radio station with his career starting around 2008. Solomon Ray ventures into a variety of genres and explores diverse topics beyond LGBTQ+ , but now identifies best with reguetón.

LGBTQ Voices Lead the Sexual Revolution of Regueton

“Now that I am doing music in Spanish, it’s weird because people are so supportive,” said Ray in an interview with the It Gets Better Project. “I think they are hungry to see someone like me.” Ray is also the founder of SolRay Records who has collaborated with ManCandy, Mexican and openly-gay designer-artist. Genius describes ManCandy as a “multidisciplinary fearless artist who combines his career as a fashion designer and singer under the same label.” He is, hence, recognized as “a fundamental part of a contemporary culture movement in Mexico.” ManCandy and Ray come together in their hit Llama A Tu Novio, Ray and ManCandy in which they sing about a lover’s quarrel between gay men in a nightclub setting.

The evolution of reguetón, as illustrated by the experiences and contributions of artists like Villano Antillano, Young Miko, La Cruz, and Solomon Ray, has expanded the genre's boundaries and empowered a broader, more diverse audience. These LGBTQ+ artists have not only challenged traditional norms surrounding sexuality but have also become significant voices for those who previously lacked representation in reguetón.

Photos Shot by Samuel De León @svmypr

My hair, my pride

In middle school, my hairbrush served as my arch enemy. The morning turned into battlegrounds, with me armed with hair products. Glazing at my reflection in the mirror, my face swollen and flushed red due yet again to one of my operatic meltdowns, I am met with a cascade of curls, an unruly testament to my heritage. Forcefully gripping my hairbrush, I battled with the dense brunette curls glued to my head, fighting the urge to grab a straightening iron and scorch every last curl. I’ve sought solace in countless Youtube tutorials, hair masks, and extensive treatments, all in pursuit of the elusive straight, sleek look that seems to be the beauty ideal in some circles.

It's too frizzy, too poofy, and too ugly. Those were the qualities I used to describe my hair at age 13. Thrown into a side ponytail almost all 180 days of the school year, locking up my identity with a singular hair tie. My ethnic, curly Latin hair, a defining feature of my identity, has been a constant companion throughout my life. My personal relationship with my identity has been marked by a blend of frustration and shame. Wanting to look like all the other girls with perfect pin-straight hair, I did everything in my power to shun this chaos that was on top of my head. The desire to fit in and look like everyone else. My grandmother played a pivotal role in helping me love and appreciate my hair. She turned what I once saw as a source of insecurity into a symbol of pride and cultural connection. I inherited my hair from my Ecuadorian grandmother, and at the prime age of 75, I am still rocking a full head of lush curls. She would preach to me that people would pay thousands for a head of hair like this. She shared how women like us should wear these curls with pride, serving as a symbol of our heritage.

With the influence of my grandmother and, over time, learning how to care for my curls, I started to carry them with a little more pride. Letting go of the shunned hair tie that locked up my hair, I encountered individuals who admired and even envied my curls. A feature I once considered a flaw.

Gradually shifting into this perspective I reached a deeper understanding of my cultural heritage. I appreciated the significance of my Latin roots and realized my hair was a rich tapestry of diverse features that made me who I am. It was an essential component of my identity, not something to be altered or hidden.

My love-hate relationship with my curly hair is a microcosm of my border journey toward self-acceptance and self-love. Its story is filled with self-doubt and societal pressure, but it's also filled with personal growth and resilience. It's a love story that continues to evolve, a testament to the power of embracing who I am and the heritage I proudly carry with me in every curl.

Written

by

Gabriella Sadowski

Half of me is here

La otra mitad está en otro lugar

I speak English

Pero puedo hablar otro lenguaje también

My skin color says one thing, Sin embargo, mi identidad es más compleja

What do you think? ¿Soy Mexicana? ¿Italiana? ¿Americana? ¿Árabe?

No one questions it Eres Americana ¿Verdad?

But half of me is here

La otra mitad está en otro lugar

Where is the other half? No está perdida, solo escondida

Hidden behind a screen Que fue construida por mi

But it’s beginning to break, Estoy rompiendo la división

The one that divides the one identity De la otra

Until both identities, both sides Se conviertan en una

Half of me is not over here

Y la otra mitad no está allá

I am both Soy las dos

I am American. Soy Mexicana.

Double Identidad

By: Isabella Corral

He Wants Me, He Wants Me

Written by Arianna Savino

Eagerness, excitement, and exhilaration: the emotions going around the room as you get ready with friends for a typical night out in Syracuse. Smiles grow bigger as we wrap up some finishing touches.

"Does this look good?" "What color liptick should I wear?" "Does this perfume smell good?"

Throughout our whole lives, we are told and encouraged to savor our youth. Our parents look back on the days we are currently living. So why are you allowing someone to hijack your happiness at the time when you matter the most? Ok, so you met someone and developed feelings. All you were left with is a useless Snapchat handle, it’s a modern-day Cinderella story. Then on a particularly breezy morning, as you walk across campus you see them... ignoring you with their arm around someone else. This is a pretty accurate summary of the messy and complicated dynamic that is dating in college. Everything is fast-paced, and people are quickly coming and going, figuratively and literally...

You have never really seen them around before, but now for some reason, they’re everywhere. We have all experienced eye contact from across the dining hall, the tension, the nerves. They say, “look good, feel good.” Do not let anyone affect your mood, your day, or your nights. Even if it ended messily, the past is in the past. A quick meet-cute at a bar grew into a quick affair, but don’t doubt they’ve done this with other people and will continue to do so. Give yourself the peace of letting go of them knowing they’re nothing special. Do not stress, especially about the lack of effort.

Have a fun time– these years will go by quickly with no leeway for unneeded anxiety. Not receiving the amount of attention you are looking for can lead to overthinking. “Did I do something wrong? Why are they no longer interested?” “He’s probably with another girl.” Although thinking these things is inevitable, you cannot control how others act, only how you react. So, what if they’re posting but ghosting? When “they’re probably busy” turns into “I know they simply don’t care.” Confidence stems from within you, it’s in your head, it’s your mindset. Indifference always makes an impact; they say, “Fake it till you make it,” play the part until you truly are completely and utterly over them, and find the love you seek within yourself. Confidence and self-love are ultimately the most important.

NotConfidence plays a pivotal role in who you are, especially in a new environment with new challenges abounding, and where you have an opportunity to reinvent yourself. Your body language, the unique way you present yourself, and your

attitude are all essential factors in how you are perceived. In the social realm, a confident demeanor can lead to an overall better experience. Whether it is friendships, relationships, or any other encounter, it’s critical to be who you want to be and feel good in doing so. Self-assurance contributes significantly to personal growth and development. College is a transformative period where you can discover your strengths, interests, and values. Confidence helps in exploring aspects of campus life that may feel awkward at first, but that’s okay. It helps you step out of your comfort zone, try new experienes, and develop a sense of your identity.

He’s not your man... so why are you making sure he ate breakfast before class? Why are you thinking twice about someone who fails to see you in the same light? Being in a situationship is knowing everything yet nothing about a person. Although it can be easy to get blind-sighted under these circumstances, it is important to be real, like, why does he only want to hang out at night...? Remember your worth! Do not lower your standards so they meet them. You deserve better than the bare minimum.

Love bombing, or getting poured with affection to an overwhelming point, can lead to unhinged emotions. It is dangerously easy to get love-bombed in college! It is important you don’t change yourself to fit anyone else’s desires and wants. Never lose yourself. Kim K said, “I didn’t come this far just to come this far and not be happy.”

Remember all you did to get to this point in your life. These are your years to thrive. It is okay to be selfish and put yourself first. Your needs come first and doing what is best for you is always going to be the best option. Lastly, a man’s validation is NEVER essential. Do what you love to do and do it for yourself.

Messi: The LatinX Barbie

Written By Sunny Suaya

Barbie is not the only one wearing pink and getting millions of peoples attention.

Barbie has always been a worldwide sensation but as uproar surrounds the recent release of the Barbie movie, more and more fans arise. From toothbrushes to crocs Barbie collaborations seem to be taking form in everything. The movie has truly become the current talk of the town. Why, you ask? How can Barbie be such a big hit? Well, it's because Barbie inspires! The recently released pink filled movie is empowering and it continues to influence people all around the world. Yet, Barbie isn’t the only one wearing pink and driving in a sizable fandom…

While they both rep a pink uniform, this sensation is more popular for his quick feet and World Cup win. You guessed it! Lionel Messi. The Argentinian 2022 World Cup Winner has played for clubs in Argentina, Barcelona and France. Nevertheless, Messi currently plays for Inter Miami where he wears head to toe pink. This brilliant athlete could very well be considered the LatinX community’s very own Barbie.

¿Messi Y Barbie?

Considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time, Argentinians and people everywhere are not only amazed by Messi’s talent but in love with his persona. So much so that people have begun to refer to his influence as the “Messi Effect”.

I mean just take a look at his Instagram account! People are so intrigued to see what Messi has to share that he has become the second most followed person on Instagram with almost 490 million followers.

Now, thanks to his recent Inter Miami contract the Messi craze is extremely prevalent in Miami, Florida where about 70% of the population is Latin, according to demographic data. Due to Lionel Messi joining Inter Miami, the Messi Effect has become so extensive that Miami tourism could possibly get up to a $400 Million Boost. When his addition to the team was announced, Google searches for Inter Miami went up by 1,200% and they went from 1 million followers on Instagram to currently having 15.4 million.

Like the worlds reaction to Barbie being in theatres, Messi has all of Miami and more dressed in pink. Messi’s pink Inter Miami Adidas jersey now holds the highest sales on the Major League Soccer store. The Inter Miami stadium has never been packed, even with a rise in ticket prices. Numerous celebrities have also shown up to see Messi play for Inter Miami; such as Selena Gmez, Prince Harry, Will Ferrel, Leonardo DiCaprio, DJ Kahled, Camila Cabello and Kim Kardashian.

Additionally, Barbie isn’t the only one with a multitude of collaborations. Messi has been endorsed or partnered with brands like Starbucks, Gatorade, and Pepsi to Adidas and Turkish Airlines. Yet, enough about how Messi contributes to the monetary side of things. Messi truly is the Lantix version of Barbie. I mean, let’s not forget one of Messi’s best abilities and one of Barbie’s key pillars: teamwork.

On the field it is obvious that Messi’s movement, passing skills and leadership always has the best interest of his team. However, off the field Messi cherishes his team relations much like friendship is always usual with Barbie.Some of Messi’s closest friends are those who have played beside him like Dani Alves, Luis Suarez and Neymar, according to Bleacher Report.

Nevertheless, even when playing against them, Messi remains connected to his friends. Lastly, similarly to the Barbie Movie did for many groups, Messi’s fame offers representation to the LatinX community. His rise to the top, inspires fans not only trying to pursue a soccer career but Latin fans trying to pursue anything. Messi represents hard work, success and latins all around the world. His global influence shows those in and out of the LatinX community what they can achieve.

Anote from the author

Soccer has always been a part of my life. Growing up in Miami, around a prominently Latin community and being Argentinian, you were the odd man out if you did not have some slight connection to fútbol. Growing up repping an Argentinian flag, you can imagine my loyalty to Messi. Now that pride takes on a whole new level as Messi plays for my community’s soccer club, Inter Miami.

[Continue reading to hear my journey with soccer] Soccer is part of my culture.

This isn’t a statement I would usually just spit out. It isn’t something I’ve always known. However, as I wrote this article and reflected on my connection to Messi, I asked myself why? Why is it that I love Messi so much?

The answer is: My dad. My Argentinian dad is extremely connected to soccer (and Messi) like most Argentinians are.

As I try to locate when I picked up on this connection I am stuck on this one memory:

A summer day, in Miami, Florida, my home town. The sun was bright and my skin was sticky from a mixture of humidity and sweat. I was probably six or seven at the time and fixated on anything that held my attention. Well sure enough, my dad happened to bring home a new ‘toy’ that I would sway my focus to. A pink and white soccer ball. I remember excitedly grabbing the ball, running into the first open space I could find and with all my might trying to kick it. Well, I missed… and missed again. I was no soccer prodigy like Messi. Yet, as the ball I just missed went flying at my dad his foot instantly kicked out in front of him and stopped it. Without any hesitation, he started kicking the ball: side, front, left, right, back, behind, up, around.

“How did you do that?”

“How did you know how to do those crazy tricks?” I shouted out in shock. The answer seemed so simple to him. He smiled, eyes still on the ball and said “In Argentina everyone plays soccer at one point. It’s fun, growing up we all knew these tricks.”

That, that moment right there was the first time I realized the connection my dad had with this sport.

Skip to blurry memories of watching the World Cup with my family. Which meant moments of pride, tension, stress, happiness, tears, laughter, and most importantly lots of white and blue.

Or fast forward to the most recent World Cup, a more vivid memory. One of my favorite memories.

Watching Argentina play.

Watching Messi.

Watching my dad watch Argentina play.

Watching my dad watch Messi.

Or most importantly…

Watching Argentina win.

Watching Messi win.

Watching my dad watch Argentina win.

Watching my dad watch Messi win.

Watching my dad scream, cry, jump, hug, smile, laugh and collapse with so much joy.

So, when I ask myself why Messi? Why soccer (or better yet, futbol)?

That’s why.

That’s why it’s a part of my culture.

That’s why it’s a part of so many LatinX families’ culture. Not for the win. Not for the credit. Not for the fame.

For the joy. Or for the sadness.

For the unity. Or for the competition.

For the memories.

Pensamientos de Mi Padre

Argentino:

Side note: No le dije que estaba escribiendo este artículo. Solo le hice algunas preguntas rápidas y, como esperaba, lo que dijo coincidió perfectamente con lo que escribí. “En Argentina el fútbol es un deporte muy importante. También el fútbol es un deporte que uno lo vive, lo juega y lo defiende desde muy chiquito. Los niños juegan al fútbol y son aficionados desde los dos años. Lionel siendo el mejor jugador de fútbol en el mundo es un orgullo que vivimos todos los argentinos. Es como decir que Argentina es el líder de fútbol en el mundo.

Es un orgullo que todos nosotros lo disfrutamos y lo hablamos casi todos los días.

Lionel Messi me inspira en lo humilde que es siendo billonario. Vive muchas de las costumbres de los argentinos como tomar mate y comer asados.

Hablo en nombre de todos los Argentinos cuando digo: amamos a Messi. ” - David Suaya

This piece was drawn in response to the passing of Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico from a United States perspective. This work is a collage of objects taken from the catastrophic photographs that were circling the media at the time.The heavy stack of objects sinking the floating car under them becomes a metaphor, illustrating the weight of issues that further sink the island and the people within it.

Isla (2022) Charcoal on BFK

My name is María José Rodríguez-Rexach and I am from San Juan, Puerto Rico. I am currently a student at Syracuse University pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Studio Arts and a minor in Museum Studies.

It has always been art. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had an itch for creativity. When I was little I enjoyed drawing haunted houses, painting colorful dragons, and designing ballet costumes. I also consistently portrayed scenes of my family and I where I’d distinctively render my younger brother with a single lock of hair that would coil and swirl above his head.

All through elementary school I was very active in my school’s art program. At Academia María Reina is where I truly honed my skills as an artist. My senior year, I enrolled in Painting and 2-D Art/Design AP courses where I first got to apply all I had previously learned with intentionality and conceptualize topics that intrigued me. I worked on a series of portrait paintings that explored emotion through color idioms and a series of mixed media pieces that surveyed the meaning of dreams through surrealism.

My first semesters at Syracuse University, I was encouraged to explore different mediums and took the time to find what I wanted to say through my work. I quickly realized college was hard and I was in cultural shock. The workload was different, the language was different, the weather was different, the people were different. I was homesick. In an attempt to understand my distressing attachment to home, I rendered these emotions on a canvas and found an outlet through my practice. I slowly transitioned from the meticulous hyperrealistic approach to painting I developed in high school to a more intuitive abstract approach that felt more mature. Thus, in growing both personally and artistically, I discovered the question that continues to inspire my work today: what exactly makes home, home?

Working with these more introspective themes prompted a need to consider how my experiences differ from those of others or how others could otherwise relate to them. Through my current work, I combine abstraction and realism, the tangible and intangible, the personal and overt, to expressively discuss and challenge wider conversations about the Puerto Rican experience.

Overall, art has been and continues to be ever-present in my life. Art-making has fueled my aesthetic sensibility, attention to detail, resilience, sense of accomplishment, research, understanding of seemingly divergent fields, among others—the list is never-ending.

Beyond my undergraduate studies, I’d like to work in the Visual Arts Business, Administration, and Museum fields.

English & Me

Writen by Adriana Albizu Russe

The English language crept into my life at a young age, picked up from required English classes from first grade all the way through my senior year. Writer Gloria Anzaldúa expressed a feeling I know too well in her text “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”: “I want you to speak English. Pa’ hallar buen trabajo tienes que saber hablar el inglés bien. Que vale toda tu educación si todavía hablas inglés con un ‘accent’” (34). Ever since I can recall, I’ve always known I wanted to obtain my higher education in the United States, or in other words, I’ve known that my dad wanted me to leave the island because “Cualquier universidad en los Estados es mejor que quedarte aquí.”

As a result, I focused on excelling academically, a big part of my identity was “being a tryhard,” the friend who couldn’t stand getting an 89% on a test. Transcripts, a sea of A’s and 4.0’s, being valedictorian at my high school graduation. Even though I’m bilingual, the thought of studying in an English-speaking university and setting made me uncomfortable, when Spanish is my sanctuary. Yet, according to my high school English teacher, Janice Rivera, who always believed in and pushed me, I have a talent for writing, at least to her I do. When practicing writing college essays, I will always remember her commentary at the foot of my essay in blue ink, saying: “Whatever a cosmic writer has, you have it.” That one phrase, other than leading me to confidently apply to 23 colleges in the United States, made me more secure in my English literacy practices and use of language.

Attending a PWI university, I’ve noticed how different I actually am. I try but I still don’t, and will never, fit the cookie mold. Not when my thick accent makes me have to repeat myself to others when talking, or when the temperature gets too humid and my curls start coming out from the camouflage I’ve placed with my straightener. While reading Anzaldúa’s “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” at times I felt I was reading a copy of my own experiences. She captured perfectly how I constantly find myself at a crossroads when I mix my Latinx friends and my friends from the States, confused on if I talk mostly English, the Latinas would think I’m whitewashed or not Latina enough. But if I talk mostly Spanish, I would make my English-speaking friends uncomfortable. Like writer Trevor Noah said in his book Born a Crime: “My color didn’t change, but I could change your perception of my color.” I feel like I have to prove myself, my language, and therefore my identity, to others, to prove I am Latina enough, or colonized enough, to fit their definition of ‘American.’

The term ‘impostor syndrome’ has become familiar, a sister to me in the past years I’ve been at Syracuse. There are times when I feel like my complex identity is not fit or qualified to be here, that somehow, I snuck my way in and I’m just waiting to be caught. Here I’m known as the ‘Puerto Rican’ girl, back home, there’s nothing special about it. I see myself becoming a prime example of the topic touched on in class for the past weeks: the relationship between language and identity.

It manifests itself in my own experiences here. I understand how my language, tied with my writing, as well as my identity, are not made to fit a certain mold or criteria, they expand relatively based on my locations, situations, and company. I understand that my use of language and my literacy practices will be constantly challenged, not only socially but academically. How the Puerto Rican version and the Syracuse version of my identity are simply two sides of the same coin.

Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, said in a TEDTalk: “The danger of a single story: It is impossible to engage properly with a place or a person without engaging with all of the stories of that place and that person. The consequence of the single story is this: it robs people of dignity.” This made me realize how my life, along with my identity and language, are not a single story but a variation of them, composed of their different chapters and characters: my use of language and literacy reflect and shape different versions of my identity, and if I ever forget or seem to lose them, I can always look for the cosmic writer in blue ink in the footnotes of my life.

I've always wondered where everyone got their lucky syndrome from. From their parents? Friends? Connections. As time has gone I've realized that lucky syndrom isn't something that you are born with, It's something that you attract. But many people struggle with believing within themselves that they can actually attract what they want. Some people just assume that everyone that gets what they want is because they are just that lucky. This is not the case, In reality YOU are the person in control of your own life and how lucky you can actually be. Lets use my experience for example, Being born into a hispanic family has brought many advantages and disadvantages. Being able to speak Spanish has opened doors for many job opportunities and meeting many new amazing people, But there have been many times where I have been discriminated against due to my culture. But that has never stopped me in expressing where I truly came from and all the new amazing things I can do that many others can't. With that example fresh in your mind, The only real way you can experience lucky syndrome is allowing yourself to let go of all the negative and focus on everything that's positive about yourself. That's where the law of attraction comes into play where positive thoughts bring positive experiences and negative thoughts bring negative experiences. Bring light to everything that you're good at and never dwelling on the negative can have a great impact on your mentally and your aura. You'll get that job you wanted or that boy you've liked for sooo long. But it starts with you. How you preserve yourself and how out there you are willing to be to get what you want. Yes there will be times that no matter how positive, out there or perfect you are for any given situation, You won't get what you wanted. That's not because you don't have lucky syndrome. It's because it wasn't meant for you and there are better things coming your way.

youmeantWhat’sfor will find you.

If you take anything away from this piece let it be that you are worthy of so much more than what you give yourself credit for and everything has a right place and right time. All you have to do is think positively and work hard towards your goals and what needs to come to you will come to you.

Written by Myrka Dominguez