FANSHIP Magazine: Issue la Femme (January 2019)

TM

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_ Interview

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with Filmmaker Linda Burns

Issue One Volume Two PAGE 1

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Contents Letter From The Editorpg...7 Heroes Fans The Spice Girls: Friendship Never Ends.....pg 10

The Women of Progress.....pg 88

Artists

Independents

Blanca Bustamante.....pg 22 @ildraws_.....pg 26 Jaley Bozeman.....pg 30 @ylnast.....pg 34 Jacquilyn Simmons.....pg 38 @_andyca_.....pg 42 Amora Kennedy.....pg 46 @poopikat.....pg 50 Art Contest winners: @aliexxiarb.....pg 54 @rhamanpapo.....pg 55

Monica Frazier.....pg 96 Katrina Weakley.....pg 100

Spotlight Artist: Linda Burns.....pg 58

Nerds Femme: The Past, Present, and Future of STEM.....pg 72

Shippers Karamel VS SuperCorp.....pg 80 FANSHIP Magazine-Copyright L.D. Scott 2019 PAGE 6

Performers Nicole Rivera.....pg 108 Allyson Hillis.....pg 112 Jocelyn Eris .....pg 116 Contributing Artists: Will Costa Neil Mcinnen Alexia RB @lexierbart (Twitter) @Rhamanpapo (Instagram) @Thunder_Kate (Instagram) @Viaanki @Luca_Fantasia (Instagram) FANSHIP Contributors: Christina Brown Ty’Hiela Gray

All images used are either owned by FANSHIP Magazine/L.D. Scott, have been used with expressed permission of the copyright holders, or fall under the category of "fair use" for the purposes of review or commentary..

Letter From the Editor

Behind every amazing woman is a complex mix of wonderful and heartbreaking experiences that molded her into her final form. Roads worth travelling are seldom smooth and free of mishaps.

Each bump in the road serves to shape the metaphorical tires of character in order to create a multi-dimensional personality.

Be not the soul who wonders what they may have missed out on. Instead, travel that difficult road that excites your nerves. It could benefit you in ways you would ever have conceived. You’re guaranteed to find comfort and lifelong companionship with the wonderful person you’ll meet on the other side- your true self.

XOXO,

LD

Because of these hardships, these particular kinds of roads are less-often travelled.

But few who have ever wandered down them have found themselves regretful for having done so. On the contrary, those who often take the easy path usually wonder what they may have missed out on had they taken that seemingly barren and hostile path.

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Friendship Never Ends!!!

By: LD Scott

Scary, Baby, Ginger, Posh, and Sporty: “Girl Power”-embodying nicknames that are familiar to every youngster who grew up in the 1990s and early 2000s. These are of course the nicknames of the Spice Girls, the most iconic and successful girl band in history.

With a staggering 85 million records sold, a cult-favorite movie, Spice World, which grossed $151 million worldwide at the box office, and advertising campaigns selling everything from deodorant to chocolate to video games, the PAGE 10

Spice Girls solidified their place in the history of pop culture for all time.

The band was created when Heart Management advertised a call for auditions for females aged 18-23 who were “Streetwise, Outgoing, Ambitious, and Dedicated”. Melanie Chisholm, Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, and Victoria Adams all appeared at the initial auditions. Originally, a singer named Michelle Stephenson was a member of the group but was later replaced with Emma Bunton. Victoria Adams similarly

Art By: @_willcosta on Instagram

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The Spice Girls Promo Photo for their single ‘Headlines”.

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replaced another singer named Melanie Laccohee. Having missed the initial audition, Geri Halliwell was added to the group later.

Despite popular belief, The Spice Girls didn’t start out with their nicknames. In fact, they didn’t even start out as the Spice Girls; the band was originally called Touch. The girls were given their nicknames by Peter Loraine, who at the time was the editor of the British magazine, Top of the Pops. The ladies just decided to keep the eponyms which so reflected their personalities.

In an appearance on The Tonight Show with Stephen Colbert, Melanie Brown explained how Loraine “...couldn’t be bothered to remember all of our names and just gave us like nicknames. Like ‘oh yeah that one’s a bit Scary, that one is a bit Posh, that one’s a bit Sporty, that one’s a bit Baby’ and they just kind of stuck.”

From then on, the girls were mostly known to the world as “Scary Spice” aka Mel B, “Baby Spice” aka Emma Bunton, “Ginger Spice” aka Geri Horner neé Halliwell, “Posh Spice” aka Vic-

Art By: @coolbritaniaart on Instagram

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Art By: @coolbritaniaart on Instagram

The Spice Girls on the set of Spice World (Columbia Pictures)

toria Beckham neé Adams, and “Sporty Spice” aka Melanie C.

The Spice Girls conquered the globe seemingly overnight.

The group’s first single, “Wannabe” from their debut album, Spice, went straight to number one on the UK charts and shot the Spice Girls to superstardom.

What came next was the unanticipated whirlwind of Spice fever.

The group went on to break record after record, sell album after album, and promote product after product. Their mega success

eventually led them to the silver screen with Spice World, which became a mega smash at the box office in 1997. One month before the movie premiered, the Spice Girls also released their album of the same name, which was recorded as the movie was filmed.

With movie deals, number one singles and albums, and advertising campaigns with the likes of Domino Sugar, Cadbury Chocolate, Lewis Galoob Toys, Pepsi, and Polaroid, to name a few, the Spice Girls were on top of the world as they went on their first

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Art By: @coolbritaniaart on Instagram

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world tour in 1998.

After Halliwell’s departure that same year, the four remaining girls continued to work on their third studio album, Forever and achieved number ones with their songs “Holler”/ “Let Love Lead the Way” and “Goodbye”.

It was also during this time that each of the girls began working on their own solo projects and collaborations. Each member went on to garner success in their own ways in the following years after their official split in 2000.

But this wasn’t the last time the world would hear of the Spice Girls.

In 2007, nearly ten years after Halliwell’s departure, all five Spice Girls reunited and toured after releasing their Greatest Hits album. The Spice Force 5 members reunited again in 2012 when they performed at the Summer Olympics which were hosted in Great Britain that year. In 2018, years of rumors were finally put to rest and the fans’ minds were put at ease. It was officially announced and confirmed that the Spice Girls would indeed reunite once more for a UK tour in 2019 sans Victoria Beckham.

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The Spice Girls will tour the UK from May 24, 2019 until June 15, 2019 and they will be performing at no less than eight stadiums, including Wembley Stadium.

Though the group will be performing their UK shows without a single appearance from Posh Spice (as far as we know *fingers crossed that she’ll make at least one appearance*), one thing is for sure, they’re guaranteed to Spice Up Your Life!

Art By: @coolbritaniaart on Instagram

Art By: @coolbritaniaart on Instagram

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Blanca Bustamane aka “Dismorphic BB”

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@dismorphicbb on Instagram

Blanca Bustamante is a painter of the young Spanish mind. She, the youngest of four siblings, was born to a Spanish mother, Gregoria Sanchez, and a Mexican father, Celfo Bustamante in Mexico City, Mexico. She was raised in Atlanta, Georgia, which she still calls home today.

Bustamante began painting about two years ago, with no knowledge of where it would take her or how it would change her life. But it was definitely changed for the better.

She fell in love with painting at first brushstroke. She became completely enamoured with the process and the way that it made her feel. After that first experience, Bustamante had no doubt that it was something she wanted to do forever.

Bustamante describes painting as something that makes her feel free. It allows her to fully express her true self through colors and images. She likes to think of her art as pages of her diary.

She portrays the symbolism that PAGE 23

inhabits the thin line between the body and art. Bustamante paints her life experiences as what they are, what they have been, and what they will be.

Her ultimate goals are to go on tours and have her art showcased at different art galleries around the world. She just wants to inspire people everywhere!

She wants people to feel, get inspired by, and relate to her art so that they may follow their dreams and do what they love.

Fun facts: Bustamante likes to model and do creative photo shoots. Her favorite color is white and her favorite animal is the white tiger.

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Art By: @ on Inst PAGE 26

@ildraws tagram PAGE 27

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Art By: @i on Inst

ildrawsv tagram

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Jaley Bozeman

Jaley Bozeman was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. She grew up with three brothers and parents who are soulmates.

At the age of 18, Bozeman went out into the world on her own in pursuit of making her own

choices and having her own experiences in life. This led to her moving to Savannah, GA where she attended Savannah State University. Bozeman recently completed her post-secondary education in 2016 with a degree in PAGE 31

Behavioral Analysis.

Bozeman has been painting since she was three years old. She grew up reading Archie comics and she filled out dozens of coloring books as a kid. She finds that the most satisfying aspect of painting is the art of mixing colors. She enjoys the way that colors can be mixed and tweaked in order to make different hues, shades, and tones.

Bozeman hopes to someday

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paint large, colorful, creative, and inspiring murals. She would also like to create her very own customized children’s books. She is also currently looking into teaching art classes to children with special needs.

Fun facts: Bozeman enjoys watching documentaries and conspiracy videos. She can eat ice cream any time of day. She also believes that reading and nature walks are good for the soul.

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Art By: @ on Inst

@ylnast tagram

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@ylnast tagram PAGE 37

@pufffactor on Instagram

Jacquilyn Simmons aka “PuFF”

Jacquilyn Simmons’ artistic beginnings began with her aspirations to follow in her big sister’s footsteps. Even as a youth, Simmons was competitive and wanted to both achieve and exceed the level of talent as her older sister, Morgan Jones.

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Her art was so well-received that when she was just in elementary school, her parents and teachers would enter her work into art contests, unbeknownst to Simmons. She was even awarded top prizes for some of them.

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As she got older, Simmons’ talents grew and she received some help along the way from her teachers. Most notably, among the teachers who influenced her, were Tracy Hill and John Brandhorst. Hill assisted her by giving Simmons time and room to grow, enhance, and learn her own style.

Brandhorst helped to refine Simmons’ skills by teaching her how to take time with her art and he expressed the importance of paying attention to details.

creates.

Martial arts also has a strong hand in influencing Simmons’ artwork. She has trained in the fierce, yet graceful, art of Hung Gar Kung Fu. She sees a kind of poetry in it and can connect with what unspoken words are being expressed with each movement.

Single Dragon Leaves The Sea and Tiger Stares at Sun and Moon are two such pieces of Simmons’ art that were inspired by her love for Kung Fu.

Attention to details continues to be a main point of focus for Simmons. She like to emphasize on that with each piece that she

Another theme that Simmons puts into her art is a blend of distorted and gruesome innocence. This is displayed in her

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collected works know as the Grim Bear series. In this series, she takes the innately innocent image of a teddy bear and morphs it into something more grotesque. Doing this displays a sort of visual social commentary on how society has a much easier time swallowing cruelty and gore when it is disguised or watered-down with a subtext that is far easier to swallow. She likes to change the perception of the art by placing rose-colored glasses onto it.

Simmons goals are to build her brand, PuFF Factor Graphix and achieve wide distribution and recognition. She also wants to collaborate with other artists via art shows.

Fun facts: Simmons loves chocolate chip cookies and she has been training in Hun Gar Kung Fu for 21 years. She received the nickname “PuFF� because of her hair.

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Art By: @_ on Inst

_andyca_ tagram

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Art By: @_ on Inst

_andyca_ tagram

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@_blakparis on Instagram PAGE 46

Amora Kennedy aka “Blak Paris”

Amora Kennedy aka “Blak Paris” is a 22 year old abstract artist from Newark, New Jersey.

Kennedy sees the artful beauty in all things in life and that is part of what inspires her.

Her unbounded art is a direct result of the free-range of her creatively abstract mind. This allows Kennedy to fully immerse herself in her art when she paints.

With each brushstroke that she applies to her canvas, Kennedy feels as though she finds herself in a brand-new dimension.

She is able to be her true self, in her most honest form, when she utilizes her creative outlet. It becomes a spiritual expression of her soul’s journey. She paints her subjects as she sees them in her otherworldly inner eyes, not as they appear to her physical eyes.

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Kennedy’s ultimate goal is to be recognized internationally and to own galleries all over the globe.

She wants to leave her mark on the world through her art so that people may have a glimpse of the life she lived. Kennedy also wants to use her artistic influence to make the world a better place PAGE 48

and inspire future generations for millennia to come.

Fun facts: Kennedy’s favorite food is loaded baked potatoes, she gets inspired by nature, especially trees, and her favorite book is The Alchemist

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Art By: @p on Inst PAGE 50

poopikat tagram PAGE 51

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Art By: Alexia RB 54 @lexierbart on Twitter PAGE

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Linda Burns on the set of The Atlanta Film Festival 40th Anniversary video shoot

Filmmaker Linda Burns By: LD Scott

L

inda Burns is a badass.

This was the exact thought I had when I first met her at the Atlanta Film Festival in 2015. Despite her brightly-colored hair and her overall seemingly non-intimidating appearance, I found the opposite to be true. She was a force to be reckoned with and unapologetically spoke her mind. And the people around her minded her when she spoke.

I soon learned that the Michigan-born filmmaker’s initially

intimidating prowess is merely her deep-seated passion being expressed on the surface. Linda Burns is serious about what she does. This, of course, has led to her having a successful and inspiring 25-year career.

In short, Linda Burns encompasses the exact kind of dedication that I want to showcase in FANSHIP Magazine. So, I typed out an email and hit the send button. What followed was a gracious acceptance of my invitation to answer some of my questions: PAGE 59

LS: Have you always wanted to be in film or did you want to pursue another career when you were a child? If so, what was the career?

webisodes and infomercials, corporate and live events, documentaries and recreations, and music videos to name a few types of projects.

LB: I thought I would be a clothing designer, then a archeologist, then a lawyer, but I graduated from college with no clue what I would do with my life. I NEVER imagined I’d have a 25-year career in the film business.

LS: What was your favorite project that you ever worked on?

LS: What was your first job in film and how did you come by it?

LB: That’s a long story, but I met a grip in the industry when he was hanging out with a radio station manager who was a new friend, and we traded info when he asked me if I’d be interested in working in film. He called a few weeks later with a volunteer opportunity and it all started from that gig.

LS: How many projects have you been a part of?

LB: I’ve never counted, but lots and lots. I’ve done TV shows and pilots, studio and indie features, commercials and industrials, PAGE 60

LB: There are so many I don’t think I could pick one. But I’m working on two things currently that I’m really enjoying. A documentary on commercial fishing in the panhandle which I’m really loving entitled Faces of the Forgotten Coast. And I’ve mentored a group of writers these last few years and created the first writers room in ATL. We’re developing a TV series set in North Florida, and it’s really fulfilling to create something like this from scratch with a bunch of young creatives.

LS: What is your favorite part of filmmaking?

LB: Development and WRAP! LS: Do you prefer indie or big budget productions?

LB: I like both. Having no money and making movies as a labor of

Director Linda Burns shooting Faces of The Forgotten Coast Photo: Nicole Zema/ The Wakulla News

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Linda Burns production managing the Academy Awards © for TNTLA PAGE- live from the Red Carpet.

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love can be incredibly rewarding.

But having money to toss at problems can also be rewarding!

LS: How many film departments have you worked in and which was your favorite?

LB: If I was gonna start over again, I would do the same thing.

Produce, line produce and production manage. I like being the boss, and am good at problem solving. I started as a PA, worked as a 2nd AD, but really thrived once I moved into production management.

LS: What was your best experience on a set?

LB: Again, there are so many ‘best’ experiences, but I’d say the Dodge commercial that shot for 9 days near Macon. It was a crazy hard job, but we had an amazing budget which allowed for a wild wrap party. We shot off fireworks that would rival any town’s 4th of July celebration.

LS: What is the most interesting job that you have ever done?

LB: They are ALL interesting in

some way. If you aren’t intellectually curious, and love to learn new things, this is the wrong business for you.

LS: What was your least favorite task that you have ever had to do for a film?

LB: I picked up cow patties without a shovel or gloves, but it actually wasn’t that bad. I think I would say making the crew work long hours. It’s unsafe, and I hate having to argue with the producer or director about how unsafe it is to keep people long hours.

LS: How long have you worked with the Atlanta Film Festival and how did you get involved?

LB: I joined as a member when I first moved to ATL. Eventually I produced a short film that screened as part of the festival, and shortly after that I decided I wanted to be on the board of the festival and petitioned them.

I’ve been involved as a member, a filmmaker, a board member, and now as a member of the staff programming the Creative Conference.

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LS: How long have you been running the PA Academy?

seeing problems as challenges to overcome.

LB: For almost a decade. I was asked to speak at the first one, saw the potential, then begged to take it over. We celebrate 10 years in 2019.

LS: What creates a bad atmosphere on a set?

LS: How did the PA Academy start and why?

LS: Q: What is it like being a woman in the film industry?

LB:It was about the time the incentives were going to pass, and everyone knew we would need some great entry level people to take these position. Mark at PC&E and the board of GPP worked together to put on the first one.

LB: No different than being a man. Everyone on this planet has some sort of challenge to overcome, but it’s how we deal with them that matters. Are there times I wasn’t hired because I am female and they thought maybe I couldn’t carry heavy things?

Probably. But I’m sure there are times I was hired because I’m female too. Discrimination exists everywhere, and the film industry is no different, but I can’t sit around complaining because I have a job to do. We have a long way to go still to get to gender parity in certain departments especially key and above-the-line positions - but sexism, racism, ageism… I can’t change someone else’s heart and mind. All I can do is show them how capable I am at my job and give others that

LS: What is the worst thing that a PA can do on a set?

LB: There isn’t a ‘worst’ thing, but having a bad attitude is contagious and PAs represent production.

LS: What creates a good atmosphere on set?

LB: Setting the right tone comes from the top. Treating people well, having a good attitude, and PAGE 64

LB: Assholes. Bad attitudes. Producers who treat people like crap.

Linda Burns producing the indie feature, The Little Death

Director Linda Burns shooting Faces of The Forgotten Coast Photo: Nicole Zema/ ThePAGE Wakulla News

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same opportunity to shine, make space for new and different faces, and mentor them. Work hard. Do your job. Show people what excellent skills you have. With respect, comes opportunity.

LS: Who are some of your favorite filmmakers and why?

LB: I don’t really have a list, but I respect filmmakers who take creative risks and create things outside the studio system. Anyone who is telling unique stories in unique ways.

LS: What is/are your favorite movie(s) and why?

LB: My favorite comedy is the original BeDazzled starring Dudley Moore and Peter Cook. It’s brilliantly done. They were fantastic writers and comedic actors.

My favorite horror film is Alice Sweet Alice. It’s just so creepy and odd, and you couldn’t make it today. I love well told stories.

LS: What is your best advice about pitching a film to get it made and funded?

LB: Make sure you have a real PAGE 66

business plan in addition to giving a short and passionate pitch, and make sure you have other ideas on the back burner in case they hate what you pitch.

LS: What advice would you give to someone looking to get into the film industry?

LB: If you are in it to be rich and

famous, don’t bother with the film industry. You have to love it or you’ll never make it.

LS: What are some fun facts about yourself?

man and love to toss a net for shrimp, bait, mullet, whatever.

I travelled to the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan and taught monks and indie filmmakers how to make movies.

LB: I’m an excellent chef and love to try most anything - I’m currently into canning fish and smoked meat, and dehydrating foods. I’m an avid fisher“ I’ve worked with butterflies, penguins, dogs, maggots, horses, cats, flies, a taxidermy molded shark, babies, kids, entourages, difficult clients, movie stars, musicians, politicians, pro-athletes, strippers, crack addicts, prostitutes, thieves and murderers. I’ve shot, stabbed, and set people on fire, decapitated heads, drilled holes in arms, and smashed in skulls. I’ve shut down busy roads and highways to create an accident on I-85, raced a NASCAR car down Peachtree Street, faked a hurricane evacuation in Miami. I’ve shot 100 spots in 15 days with only an Arriflex and a Milo MoCo, and taught Himalayan monks and grade-school kids how to make movies.

I do film and I love it.” ~Linda Burns, Filmmaker

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Linda Burns casting a shrimp net

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Femme: The Past, Present, and Future of STEM By: LD Scott

Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson is responsible for caller ID and call waiting. Stephanie Kwolek is responsible for bulletproof vests.

Dr. Fiona Wood is responsible for the creation of “spray-on skin” that helps burn victims.

Mary Anderson is responsible for windshield wipers. Dr. Katharine Burr Blodgett is responsible for non-reflective glass. And Hedy Lamarr is responsible for one of the modern world’s most precious PAGE 72

scientific resources: Wi-Fi.

Women have always been at the forefront of the world’s greatest innovations and achievements in every field, in every area, in every part of the world. Though they may not have always been given their due credit, women have always been there.

One happenstance of this lack of due credit is exampled in

Letitia Wright as Princess Shuri Marvel Comics’ Black Panther

the 2016 film, Hidden Figures, based on the true story of how three African American women, Katherine Goble (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), were directly responsible for sending John Glenn (Glen Powell), into outer space.

These were women whose major contributions to the scientific world went largely unknown and uncredited for many years. This is a neglectful trend that can also be exampled with the likes of Jocelyn Bell Burnell and her discovery

of pulsars, Nettie Stevens and her chromosomal research, and Rosalind Franklin and her discovery of DNA’s double helix, to name a short few.

Whether in the light or in the shadows, women have continuously contributed to the innovations of the modern age and the discoveries that have led to life as we know it today. Though the numbers are low, there are plenty of women in the STEM fields.

Here are a few statistics from the National Girls Collaborative ProjPAGE 73

Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak DC Comics’ and The CW’s Arrow

ect’s website:

neers are women.

• 35.2% of chemists are women; • 11.1% of physicists and astronomers are women; • 33.8% of environmental engineers are women; • 22.7% of chemical engineers are women; • 17.5% of civil, architectural, and sanitary engineers are women; • 17.1% of industrial engineers are women; • 10.7% of electrical or computer hardware engineers are women; and • 7.9% of mechanical engi-

The number of girls and women interested and pursuing careers in STEM fields has also increased due to an influence from pop culture. This is largely due to the cinematic success of Marvel Comic’s 2018 Black Panther film. The film stars Letitia Wright as Princess Shuri, the young tech genius responsible for many of Wakanda’s innovative technologies, machines, weapons, and operating systems. The field of computer science specifically has seen an increase in interest among young woman and girls thanks to DC Comics and

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The CW’s character of Felicity Smoak, portrayed by Emily Bett Rickards, in Arrow. In much the same way, years ago, when Pauley Perrette’s gothically adorkable character of Abby Sciuto from CBS’ NCIS gained popularity, the field of forensic science also saw an increase in female interest.

There are dozens more examples of these inspirational characters across pop culture.

As the world as we know it continues to change and shift,

we can only hope that intelligent women continue to increase their presence in these fields. It is often the knowledge, curiosity, and enthusiasm of newcomers that provides fresh insight to the way we are able to expand and grow. Our ability to shift into the wings of technological, medical, architectural, and mathematical modernity relies on them . And it is women like those in the aforementioned examples who will be there every step of the way.

Pauley Perrette as Abby Sciuto from CBS’ NCIS

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Karamel VS

SuperCorp By: LD Scott

Karamel (Kara and Mon-El) and SuperCorp (Kara and Lena Luthor) shippers have been at odds from the very beginning of season two of DC Comics and The CW’s hit series, Supergirl.

In episode one of season two, Supergirl picks up where it left off in season one. The main cast’s celebration gets interrupted by a mysterious Kryptonian pod as it crashes down to Earth. Kara Danvers/Zor-El aka Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) and J’onn J’onzz aka Martian Manhunter (David Harewood) chase down the pod to stop it from causing destruction as it PAGE 80

lands. When they finally stop the pod, it opens and inside is an unconscious alien. The alien is later introduced as Mon-El, Prince of Daxam.

In that same season premiere, Kara also meets Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath), the younger sister of the notoriously infamous villain, Lex Luthor.

This encounter takes place when Venture, the first commercial spacecraft designed for suborbital transportation, blows an engine during its first launch. After Supergirl, with a special assist from her cousin Superman aka Clark

Art By: @luca_fantasia on Instagram

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Art By: @viaanki on Instagram

Kent/ Kal-El (Tyler Hoechlin) save the aircraft from crashing, it is revealed that Lena Luthor was supposed to be on-board but she was absent. Kara and Clark visit Lena at her office and discover that she is nothing like her brother. In fact, she is the complete opposite and she wants to help people.

The Supergirl fandom is largely split between Karamel shippers, SuperCorp shippers, and GuardianCorp shippers (the latter of which is another ship for another issue). Karamel shippers feel wronged because Mon-El’s full story arc was never completed and he was essentially written off after one season and when he returned in season three, he was little more than a character of derived angst. SuperCorp shippers feel wronged because the writers and executives of Supergirl refuse to make the pair a couple canonically despite their chemistry and demand for it. The fact that Sanvers, Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh) and Maggie Sawyer (Floriana Lima), the only LGBT couple on the show ended, also leaves a void for LGBT ships on the show.

Some amongst the fandom believe that Karamel was a toxic relationship. Though Kara and Mon-El clearly loved each other, there were serious kinks in their relationship. Kara herself expresses this in a cathartic rage induced by psychic alien energy in episode fifteen of season three:

“You’re right, we have been through a lot together. Like that time you promised you wouldn’t leave the DEO and instead you ran off [and] you got wasted.

You were reckless, selfish, you lied, and you didn’t apologize.

And then there was the time I got you a job at CatCo. I vouched for you at my place of employment and then you had Eve do all of your work for you and then you screwed her in the closet. You didn’t apologize for that. And shocker, I apologized to you for trying to make you into a better person!”

Kara then continues with:

“I don’t think you get that I gave my heart to a lying jackass who was unaware of his behavior towards me! Who disrespected me at every turn! And now is PAGE 83

this reformed person, who what?

Wants to reminisce about the good times?”

This is not to say that Kara and Lena’s friendship is without hiccups. In season three, Lena and Kara’s friendship continues and we are introduced to Sam Arias (Odette Annable). Sam turns out to be what is known as a Worldkiller, one of three Kryptonians with dormant powers who were sent to Earth to destroy it.

Lena discovers that Sam is the lead Worldkiller, Reign. So, Lena takes her to a secret facility and begins doing experiments to try and cure her.

When Kara finds out that Lena has been keeping such a huge secret from her, she loses a degree of trust in Lena. This causes Kara, as Supergirl, to ask James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks), newly dating Lena, to go behind Lena’s back and look through her secret vault. James does not go through with because he wants to trust Lena. James does, however, tell Lena, what Supergirl asked him to do. Lena has no idea that Kara and Supergirl are one and the same.

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This causes a major shift in trust between Lena and Supergirl.

Lena no longer has any respect or trust in Supergirl, which hurts Kara’s feelings. Lena’s relationship with Kara remains in tact but her relationship with Supergirl is fractured. This seems mostly repaired, however, at the beginning of season four with both Lena and Kara in a good place in their friendship as well as Lena and Supergirl.

No matter which ship the fans support, the love for each is understandable. Kara’s relationship with Mon-El is the first time the audience really has been afforded the opportunity to see Kara grow and flourish in a relationship. In that same vein, Kara’s relationship with Lena shows levels of emotional vulnerability that had never been revealed in either character. Both ships allowed room for Kara’s growth and development as a character, a woman, a hero, a friend, and a sentient being capable of complex and multi-layered actions and emotions. Both ships express just one facet of what really makes Kara Danvers, “Supergirl”.

Art By: @thunder_kate on Instagram

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The Women of Progress By: LD Scott

The world as we know it has been in a swiftly-changing whirlwind ever since January 1, 2016.

I call out that very specific date because from beginning to end, 2016 was a tough year to swallow.

It was the last full-year term of service for President Barack Obama. It was the year that numerous legendary and influential persons passed away, one right after the other. It was the year that the unapologetically full sweep of the #MeToo Movement began to get endorsed traction.

There were a higher-than-usual number of mass shootings, including the one at Pulse, a LGBT

nightclub. It was the beginning of Brexit. It was the year of the Standing Rock and Dakota Pipeline protests. It was also the year that the world saw Donald Trump elected into the highest office in the United States.

2016 was a historical turning point in our history as human beings.

The aftermath of the bitter seeds planted in 2016, saw dusted-off socio-political movements revived as all-too-historically-familiar hate crimes began becoming commonplace. Nazis rallied openly, causing outrage.

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Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest member of Congress in US History Photo Scott Eisen/Getty Images

Women marched. People of Color marched. The LGBTQIAP+ community marched. Children marched. The new Commander-in-Chief sought to place the violence on “both sides�. Innocent people died. Complacent people died. Children died.

It was a brand-new world and yet it was exactly the same.

The only thing that had truly changed was time.

If there has ever been anything historically accurate, it is this: courage and bravery reveal and expand themselves, not out of want, need, or desire, but out of necessity. And that push PAGE 90

of necessity is what has always brought out the best in us as a species.

It was out of necessity that the likes of Tarana Burke, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ruth Bader-Ginsburg, Amanda Nguyen, Nancy Pelosi, Malala Yousafzai, Harriet Tubman, Ayanna Pressley, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Mother Teresa, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Deb Haaland, Sharice Davids, Madame Marie Curie, Ellen DeGeneres, Michelle Obama, and countless other women, both known and unknown throughout history, arose to the occasion when all seemed lost and there were no other options but to get

up and fight back because it was a necessity.

The world has seldom known the likes of people influential enough to change how the world turns and how we view our fellow humans. Those individuals are rare. But the overwhelming tides that began to shift in 2016 have made the inspiration of change available to every woman, man, non-binary, and child who dares to dream of a better future.

Those who had never sought to have any sort of impact on the world felt a fire ignited under them that was impossible to ignore. Those who were once meek and mild-mannered have found a voice they never knew how to use all because of the horrible events happening all around them.

The “Heroes� section of this issue is dedicated to the women of progress. To the women who paved the way. To the women who continue to make strides

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford swears in to give her testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee PAGE Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

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Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo Movement Photo : David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/ SCNG

Deb Haaland, one of the first two Native Americans ever elected to Congress Photo: Deb Haaland campaign

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Malala Yousafzai , Civil Rights Activist and the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize

against all odds. To the women who continue to hope in the darkest and most hopeless of times. To the women who fight to speak out against sexual and domestic abuse and violence.

To the women who believe in intersectionality. To the women who fight for the right to love whomever you love, regardless of gender, race, class, ethnicity, or any other self-defining traits.

To the women who continue to fight the centuries-long battle against racism without pause.

To the women who believe that education should universal and equal. To the women who will do everything in their power to make sure that the future is brighter than the grim world we have known. This issue is dedicated to the women who will bring us true progress as a society.

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Monica Frazier

Monica Frazier is just a small town girl with big city dreams.

The Hopkinsville, Kentucky native has always had a dream to work for herself. Frazier’s aunt, who is also her pastor, and her two doting mentors encouraged Frazier to finally follow her dream of owning her own business.

Frazier has always had a love and passion for kitchenware, thanks PAGE 96

to her love of cooking, entertaining, and just even being in the kitchen. She is also an avid collector of unique mugs. Her mug collection is what inspired her to design her very own line of fun and vibrant mugs. This way, she could create mugs that could read any words she wanted, in whatever color she wanted, in whatever design she wanted! Thus, Pretty Sippin’ was born!

@pretty_sippinllc on Instagram

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Pretty Sippin’ is Frazier’s line of bedazzled and custom-designed drinkware. She learned how to model her business and build it from the ground up by doing her own self-guided research. She watched YouTube videos, read articles, and gained knowledge on how to start her own business.

Frazier’s plans for the future are to have a large warehouse where she can manufacture her prod-

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ucts on a larger scale. This way, she can widely and easily distribute her products in major department stores such as Macy’s, Dillard’s, JCPenney, and more! Most importantly, she wants to leave a legacy for her children to inherit.

Fun facts: Frazier loves baking and donuts. She has three daughters, 24-year old twins and an 18year old.

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@heytrinak on Instagram

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Katrina Weakley aka “Trina K�

Katrina Weakley aka Trina K. is a Personal Success Advocate (PSA), a Coach, and an expressive spoken word artist. She was raised by her beautiful mother in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Weakley takes great pride in her loving family and her home state!

Weakley is a strong believer that no matter what cards a person is dealt in life, that they can

rise above any adversity as long as they are persistent and have a plan. She has always rooted for and believed in the underdog .

Faith in the Lord is very, very important to Weakley. She journeys through life with absolute belief that she will encounter experiences that have been predetermined by the Lord.

Weakley performs spoken PAGE 101

word for an expressive and artistic release. She would love to someday perform at a large event, such as ‘Black Girls Rock” or at a major award show.

She is currently building a LifeStyle Personal Development brand called, “Like My LifeStyle”.

She also creates and promotes personal development events and will be offering some courses in

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the future.

Fun facts: Weakley’s favorite dessert is banana pudding and her favorite book is The Maxwell Daily Reader By: Jon C. Maxwell.

She also knows without a doubt that her mom is the coolest person she has ever had the pleasure of meeting.

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Ten Toes Down

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Nicole Rivera aka “Slyyyyy Fox”

Nicole Damiana Rivera aka “Slyyyyy Fox” is a Puerto Rican American female rapper who hails from New Brunswick, New Jersey. She now lives and practices her craft in Atlanta, GA.

Because of her chaotic childhood, writing poetry became Rivera’s most expressive and comforting outlet. However, she kept her growing talent hidden because she was very shy.

Throughout the years, she was influenced by the many rappers and musicians she was surPAGE 108

rounded by. She frequented music studios and learned the ropes of the business. She supported others in their music careers while she secretly longed to have her own platform on which to showcase her rapping abilities.

It was in Atlanta that Rivera decided to emerge from her shell and share her talents with the world. In 2016, she began recording her music professionally.

She proclaimed herself as a “spiritista with a temper” and describes her music as somewhere

@slyyyyyfox on Instagram

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between “spiritual” and “street”.

She learned how to balance the duality of high vibration and managed to temper the waters of “woke” and “reckless”.

Through her music, she wants to let her listeners know that they never have to give up their power or their voices in order to achieve their best level of

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elevation.

As a lyricist, she aims to resurrect the verbal prowess of the rapper, Big Pun and remind the world that Latinas are forces to be reckoned with in the world of hip hop. She also wants to continue to breathe life into the art and craft of pure, piercing lyricism.

Rivera breathes life into head-whirling bars that are laced with switch flow pivots, double and triple entendres, and relentless punchlines.

Rivera is currently finishing her first EP entitled, Crystals & Pistols, which is set for release later in 2019. Her ultimate goals are to build a platform large enough for her influence to touch

others who can relate to her path, spirit, and/or lyrical bars.

Fun facts: Rivera has a passionate love for crystals of all shapes, colors, and sizes. She believes that people have a responsibility to be stewards of the Earth and to show our planet respect. She is also a huge advocate of recycling and encourages others to do the same.

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Allyson Hillis

Allyson Hillis had her heart set on being a dance studio owner since the moment she put on her first pair of dance shoes at the tender age of seven.

Hillis has been dancing for sixteen years. She has been trained in ballet, modern, jazz, contemporary, and hip-hop.

She began participating in dance competitions when she was nine years old. Since then, she has competed in local, regional, and national competitions. In 2011, she earned a national title for a solo routine she performed.

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She furthered her knowledge of dance by taking courses throughout her high school career. During that time, she was involved with her school’s Step Team and competed in multiple competitions there as well.

After graduating from high school, Hillis took a break from school in lieu of gaining some real-life experience. When she finally returned to dance, she began taking ballroom lessons.

In 2016, she became a professional Ballroom dancer and instructor. She is now the

@smoothdancestudio on Instagram

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CEO, co-owner, and manager of Smooth Dance Studio.

Her ultimate goal is to build a successful business while helping others find their love for dance. Hillis wants her studio to be a place where people feel safe and at home. She wants to help students gain strength, courage, and confidence with every experience they have on the dance floor.

Her plans for the future are to become the very best version of herself so that she can give her absolute all to her students.

She wants to continue educating people on dance and managing her studio. She also wants to become a mentor and have people of all ages look up to her so that she may inspire them to follow their destined path to their own dreams.

Fun facts: Hillis has a crazy obsession with cats. She has a beautiful daughter, Aralyn, who inherited her love for dance. And Halloween is Hillis’ favorite holiday.

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@_jocelyneris_ on Instagram

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Jocelyn McGarrah aka “Jocelyn Eris”

Jocelyn McGarrah is from Palmetto, GA. She fell in love with rap music in the year 2000 thanks to Shad “Lil’ Bow Wow” Moss’ album entitled, Beware of the Dog.

McGarrah began writing her own rhymes in high school but it was not until college that she began to actually perform.

In 2013, she performed at Valdosta State University’s very first live cypher battle, a contest where rappers compare each others style and lyrical abilities.

After college, McGarrah be-

gan making her own music. Due to her very Christian upbringing, she always wanted to make sure that her music reflected her faith in God.

Though she admits to being a sinner herself, McGarrah, wants people to listen to her music and know that her faith and belief in God is strong. She also wants to make positive and influential music because she wants to be a good influence on her niece and nephew.

McGarrah writes for the little girl who lives inside of her.

She bases her music on her life PAGE 117

experiences, her thoughts, her emotions, her bad habits, her sexuality, and the insecurities associated with being an African American woman.

She believes that these qualities are what gives her music substance and makes her stand out from other rappers.

McGarrah’s ultimate career goals are to attain financial stability so that she may take care of herself and her family. Though she does not think of them as requirements to be happy, she would also like to receive recognition and accolades for her work.

Her future plans are to further her education and continue to hone her craft.

She also wants to continue to make strides in the industry.

Fun facts: McGarrah’s favorite color is purple. She attended a private Christian high school. She dislikes onions because she finds the crunch of them to be off-putting.

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In Loving Memory

Griselle Grizzy “ ” Rodriguez

08/ 08/ 1986 - 01/ 22/ 2018 PAGE 124