GenZine Issue 3: Summer

This Issue's Contributors Adali Schell Andrea Garcia Audrey Keelin Camilla Ffrench Caroline McDonald Chiara Gabellini Franz Harling (Kiran, Glori Dei, LĂŠoh, Will) Isabella Englert (Sabel) James Vaughn Laila Aissaoui Lola Madeleine Miller Maxine Bell Maya Willliams Nathaniel Hylton Nick Madruga ZoĂŤ Casdin created by

Victoria Brooks Spotify

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by madeleine miller

by adali schell

Modern Transcenden I spent most of this summer living on my grandmother's farm in rural Vermont and working at a small children's camp at one of the neighboring farms. As my time up here is drawing to a close, I've thought a lot about what's made it so special. Yes, I enjoyed my work. Yes, I enjoyed being in nature. Yes, yes, yes. But what made it so different from all of the other time I've spent up here?

What Is Transcendentalism?

Transcendentalism, a philosophical movement of the late 1820s and 1830s, was a reaction to the Industrial Revolution and a rising feeling of great modernization. It was an intellectual and spiritual movement; one of its most famed participants was Henry David Thoreau, who penned Walden and Civil Disobedience.

According to Google, the word transcendental means "relating to a spiritual or nonphysical realm," and the term transcendence means climbing or going beyond. The term is also used in philosophy. Immanuel Kant, in his theory of knowledge, defined "transcendental" as the condition of the possibility of knowledge itself. Jean-Paul Sartre, however, believed that transcendence describes the relation between the self and the object-oriented world, as well as our concrete relations with others.

Henry David Thoreau I first learned about Thoreau in 10th grade when I took American Literature. One of the parts of Walden that I remember the most vividly is the section

in which he shares his

*plentiful* thoughts on

railroads and telegraphs, some of the latest technology of his time secluded in the woods around Walden Pond. Addison County, Vermont is certainly different from Concord Mass, and 2019 from 1846, but as I made my way through the woods on my way home from work I wondered what Thoreau might make of this world we're living in.

What would he think of a time when people might be more likely to download a tree app than see a forest from their window?

ntalism

e's r e H

y M

Take

My transcendentalism is grounded in the transcendence of boundaries. Take words like "human" or "earthly." To have human or earthly tendencies you could either be shallow, materialistic, mortal, etc. or you could be humble, grounded, compassionate. For me, transcendentalism is the shedding of the first batch of adjectives and honing in on the latter set of words. Focusing less on earthly woes and appreciating the natural beauty of our planet. Connecting with people because of our humanity, not letting it divide us. Allowing yourself to feel your feet on the ground and your head in the clouds.

Close your eyes, hold your breath, open your eyes, breathe.

This modern transcendentalism can be cathartic, meditative, dialectical, multifaceted.

My transcendental summer was a time of celebrating, of family and friends, of dreaming, fairy houses and river songs, of haying and raspberries...

By living by this code of transcendentalism, I've allowed myself the time to wander and imagine, to accept the chaos of my mind, get lost in it, but not force myself to make sense of it; to prepare myself for unchartered waters.

Victoria Brooks – Lincoln, VT

art by andrea garcia

5 of Summer's Must-See Movies

by Caroline McDonald Toy Story 4 This beautiful end to the Toy Story series that has spanned over a decade is a testament to how modern animation can showcase its development without sacrificing originality or nostalgia.

Release date: June 21

Spider-Man: Far From Home The Spider-Man sequel provides a sense of much-needed containment for a movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with a surprisingly strong plot and creative, inspiring use of graphics.

Release date: July 2

The Art of Self Defense An R-rated unique comedy that “balances off-kilter humor with an unexpectedly thrillersequel undercurrent” says Variety reviewer Peter Debruge. This movie stars Jesse Eisenberg, the Oscar-nominated actor known for his role in The Social Network (2010).

Release date: July 12

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film received a 7-minute standing ovation after its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

Release date: July 26

It: Chapter 2 After It (2017), this sequel introduces an adult cast while keeping their original child-centered cast as a core part of the story, promising a fulfilling continuation of the first film without alienating the audience from what attracted them to It in the first place.

Release date: September 6

Artist Spotlight:

Maxine Bell

Maxine Bell creates celebratory works for herself and those who connect to them by reminding herself that she does not need to create for a White audience. Bell, in her third year in the dual degree program at Tufts University and the SMFA, has taken classes in printmaking, oil painting, small metals, and ceramics.

"During my first semester at college I took an eye-, mind-, and heart-opening class called Asian America. I made the following series of paintings after taking this class to share my frustration that I never learned any Asian American history before turning 18. I tried to connect the paintings by using a limited palette of blue, purple, and yellow, but for the viewer also to be confused and not know how to connect the three images, so confused in fact that they might do some research on their own.

I aimed to connect the paintings visually by using a limited pallet of blue, purple, and yellow. Then conceptually, the three paintings come together in that they are all missing something.

What these pieces are missing is the individual grounding in what is behind them and how they connect. This grounding is the history of Asian America. I hope the viewer questions why they have been shielded from that narrative and who shields it."

Protest is meant to trigger a lot of questions.

What is she writing? Why is she writing?

Protest? Asian American protest?

Riot depicts a woman in a convinience store. Many riots and protests took place in Korean and Korean American owned convenience stores across the US. The famous LA Riots highlight Asian vs. Black violence in the States and call attention to how minority groups are pitted against each other, taking pressure off of White supremacy.

The First and Only Asians in America is meant to make the viewer reflect on their high school US history class and the infrequent mentions of Asian Americans in that narrative. All I learned about were the Chinese immigrants who “helped build the railroad.�

the artist herself

: k r o w 's e in x a M f o e r o m r fo @Maxinearts

Music Spotlight:

Sabel bega n studying piano at ag e 4, picked up a guitar in 8 th grade, a nd graduated from Univ ersity of Miami’s Fr ost School this past Sp of Music ring.

eclectic Influenced by an f genres and combination o pertoire is a artists, Sabel's re p, heartfelt balmixture of dee -good songs, lads, sweet, feel ternative rock and powerful al e a personal jams – each on in rich and journey, voiced varied textures.

neration Z "I think Ge t of shit, is dealt a lo in the growing up nology. age of tech

"The firs t album knew fr o n t to back I ever LeAnn R was Blu imes, fu eb I was pr n n i l y enough. y obably s I think ev I unders tood the en. That was th e fir co their ow n songs ncept of an arti st time st s or just for them. I songs that were inging became say that obsessed crafted t h i s a an l

up my e bum was what o d I’d yes to th e music pened world."

Check out Sabel’s debut EP “Mirth Drive” out now!

we’re We’re told nough, not smart e ted p ec but also ex owerful to have a p voice."

a form s i c i s , mu you "To me sion. Even if ng,

expres uments or si f l e s f o o r ny inst sic is a way t a y a l p u ss ,m don’t tening re and expre s i l y b just o you a thers." h w e r o expl lf to o yourse

Out now on Spotify, Apple Music, & More!

Sabel’s Picks: In Rainbows – Radiohead

This album is just fucking weird. It shocked and intrigued me. I listened to it every single day driving to school Junior year.

For Emma Long Ago – Bon Iver

‘Cause I’m a basic songwriter who was inspired

by Bon Iver. There’s a reason we all love him, Justin Vernon; he’s insane.

Masseduction – St Vincent

She’s just crazy and so insanely talented. Her guitar playing is super unique and basically a voice on its own.

Rubber Soul – The Beatles

I think that anyone who wants to learn about songwriting should study this album. All of its songs are perfection, and short! They’re all under 3 minutes, with the exception of one song, and really pack a punch. The lyrics and melodies are just so good.

sabelmusic.com @sabelmusic

Culture Spotlight:

So

es I etim 'll cat ch m t

he

Skate Bug

boarding, te a k s d n u fo I When nged everything cha for the better.

There's definitely a distinct skateboarding culture. I know a lot of skaters who are also artists and singers; there are so many skaters who have multiple passions for things and infuse their skating mentality into their different activities.

whe re all I'll wann a do is ska te all the time

nick madruga

@n1ckmadr

Skate style is now trendy, like vans and skater jeans and stuff like that, but you can tell a real skater from a poser as soon as they step on a board.

painting by andrea garcia

by chiara gabellini

by chiara gabellini

Franz Harling

g n i l r a h z n a r f @

they/them or he/him

I feel as if going to all-girls school was less dysphoria inducing than attending a coed school would have been. Because we were never asked to separate by gender, I never had to choose whether to go with the boys or the girls. I think that single-sex education was one of the reasons I didn’t realize a lot of things about my gender identity until I left high school and entered the more binary world.

The story behind my Trans Portrait Series this summer is actually, funnily enough, just that I was looking for a creative outlet and wanted to meet young trans identifying people also living in NYC. That’s honestly why I started it; there was no deep message behind it. That being said, however, I do think it’s really important to get young trans voices and faces out into the world for people to see.

Trans people are so often othered, silenced, and kept invisible, so I wanted to do my part in combating that.

I definitely think identifying as LGBTQ+ is becoming more widely accepted, allowing more and more people to realize their identities and subsequently come out as LGBTQ+. That being said, there is still a lot of work to do in and for the LGBTQ+ community and I hope our generation steps up to the plate.

Flip for some of Franz’s portraits

“We were there in the hospital for twelve hours. Which is a really long time! Except I was asleep for most of it. The doctor called me before it all happened and said, ‘The day of top surgery is your big day and you should be super excited but on that day you don’t have to do anything. You just lie there and go to sleep and it all just happens.’ After the surgery, sitting up was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life.

I couldn’t even walk. I just fell over. It’s so cool! It was so fun. It was a really, really good day. Everyday I am thankful that I’ve had top surgery.”

- Kiran

“It was last summer actually. So it’s been about a year since I’ve fully realized my gender identity. I was home in Iowa, just standing in my dad’s kitchen, home alone.

I was playing a boy in a show at the time and also in the process of recovering from an eating disorder. Standing there, in the kitchen, trying on different ‘male’ clothing and a binder for the show, I kind of had this click moment where I was like, ‘I think where all of my issues with my body and my appearance have come from is that I don’t feel like a girl’. I remembered being really young and going to women’s rights marches and always feeling that yes, I’m fully here for this cause but something about this doesn’t feel like it’s for me. I feel like I’m marching for others. It just hit me.

I don’t think I’m a girl. It definitely gave me this huge sense of relief. Ever since then I’ve been very sure about it.“ - Glori Dei

“I grew up in a place where everything was this exclusive thing. I grew up in a Trump county.

Everything was exclusive from your body type to your hair to the lunch box you brought to school.

[Not intersectional or fluid.] If it wasn’t one certain thing and it wasn’t the same as everyone else, you weren’t a person. That feeds into this binary construct of man and woman. I think it stems from humans being wildly insecure and latching on to these boxes. A lot of being gender nonconforming means that all of the stupid constructs that are assigned to masculine and feminine feel like they don’t have anything to do with me. I just naturally don’t conform to these things. Being gender nonconforming and looking the way that I look is hard because people see me and they think, ‘she/her, cis woman, straight woman.’ I often find myself having to live in a chosen reality.

I surround myself with people who validate me.

I need to do that. We need to do that for each other. If you’re grabbing and reaching for safety and you can’t find it, you create your own. I think the cool thing about being trans is that you can look like anything and say that you are anything and if that’s how you feel, you will find someone who will tell you that’s the truth.

- Léoh

“The process of questioning, for me, has been a lot of reframing memories from my childhood and narratives that I've told myself about myself.

It’s been trying to figure out what my past has to tell me about myself and what the way I think about my future has to tell me about myself.

One of the most telling moments is when I was talking to my older sister and I made some remark about how I couldn’t imagine myself growing up and being a dad or a man or a grandfather. All of those feel very alien to me. If I ever have kids I want them to call me mom. I feel like a lot of figuring out your gender, at least for me, is about not being able to see yourself as something you’re expected to be. A lot of it is figuring things out by negation."

- Will

The Unfair Wages of the World Cup

by Maya Williams

Unofficially recognized as the fastest growing sport in the world, soccer has statistically gained more and more traction as time has gone by. Although there are people around the world leading drastically different lives, the game of soccer, or football as most countries call it, is universal. The FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup began as a male only competition, the Women’s World Cup began in 1991 and is steadily gaining popularity. In fact, a survey conducted by Net World Sports showed that there has been a 64% increase in people watching the Women’s World Cup since the previous one in 2015.

Despite this increase, women’s sports teams across the globe are fighting to be paid wages equal to those of their male counterparts. What is specifically shocking is that the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) is currently the best in the world, but is paid less than the Men’s Team which is far more lowly ranked. The USWNT has earned four straight World Cup wins (1991, 1999, 2015, 2019) and four Olympic gold medals (1996, 2004, 2008, 2012), and the US Men’s National Team’s best result ever was 3rd Place at the World Cup in 1930.

In March of 2016, the USWNT accused US Soccer of wage discrimination, stating that female professional soccer players only make four tenths of what male pro soccer players do. Per SportingNews, the salary of a professional female soccer player in the United States can get as low as $16,538. To put this in perspective, a year of working full-time (40 hours a week) being paid federal minimum wage ($7.25/hr) adds up to $15,080.

Moreover, FIFA offers more prize money to the male players than female players. When Germany’s male national team won the World Cup in 2014, they were given $35 million, whereas the US women’s national team was given $2 million from FIFA, which amounts to less than six cents per female athlete for every dollar made by a male athlete.

It would be remiss not to mention the lack of media coverage of women’s professional sports, which perpetuates sports fans’ preference of men’s professional sports because of its accessibility. The ratio of articles written about male soccer players to female soccer players is about twenty to one.

When female players are shown on television, they often face criticism for behaviors that would be acceptable during a men’s competition, like a celebration after a goal or a play as well as visible frustration like Serena Williams at last year’s US Open.

If you were to ask a child soccer fan who’s their favorite player, your most likely going to hear Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, or Michael Bradley. Though these are rightly three of the best players in the world, they have controversial pasts, including rape allegations, which may be overlooked not only because of their fame but because of their sex. On the contrary, many female soccer players can be seen working with children in youth outreach programs, which are admirable qualities of true role models; why aren’t these women more recognized for their positive contributions to society?

However since the USWNT’s recent World Cup win, I hope we'll hear names like Megan Rapinoe, Julie Ertz, and Alex Morgan. And I hope that not so far in the future female soccer stars like these will receive the pay they deserve.

Digital Illustration by Victoria Brooks

Baseball Halfway

American League

A Mid-Season Report by James Vaughn

AL EAST The New York Yankees: The lineup is 12 deep. DJ Lamahieu, of all people, is an MVP candidate.

The bullpen is absolutely redonkulous. Their starters are awful and will get in the way of a World Series Bottom Line: They’re good.

The Tampa Bay (for now) Rays: Somehow, they're winning with just three starting pitchers, but their bullpen is filled with dudes throwing 95+.

I can’t think of what they need simply because their analytics acronyms are all 8-letters of confusing. And the Rays have threatened to move away once again, but all three of their fans won’t miss them during the half season in Montréal.

Bottom Line: They Tamp-ontréal Rays decidedly ain't it chief, but this year's team's looking good.

The Boston Red Sox: Their lineup hole is JBJ, and he wins 10 games a year with his glove alone.

Rafael Devers can’t stop hitting doubles. But pitching is a venti-sized issue for the Sox; not only is their bullpen a straight-up landfill, but their alleged big-boy rotation is now subpar.

Chris Sale's not a 7 innings, 2 run robot. And Andrew Cashner? More like Andrew Trashner.

Bottom Line: The Pats open against Pittsburgh.

The Toronto Blue Jays: They’re bad, but they have a future. Vladdy Jr. cannot hit anything under a 300mph exit velo. Lourdes Gurriel hits and fields.

Ken Giles has not punched himself recently. Cavan Biggio will be good. “Flow” Bichette is a god in training. There is a future.

Bottom Line: Good Baseball Soon Come.

The Baltimore Orioles: Oh god.

Bottom Line: (see: above)

AL CENTRAL The Minnesota Twins: The Twins have arisen from the Depths of Meh to become a very good team.

Their lineup just hits. When you have Miguel Sano in your 7-hole, you better have a good reason, and the Twins have it. Eddie Rosario has turned the corner, finding gaps and peppering them with doubles. Byron Buxton's become a good hitter to go along with his fiber-optics type speed. And, to top it off, Jose Berrios is one of the best pitchers in the league.

Bottom Line: Very good team with potential to get even better.

The Cleveland Indians: They seemed to have traded pla with the Twins in the Depths of Meh. Their lineup, o filled with absolute studs, is the baseball equivalent o Democratic presidential race: there are 3 or 4 people heard of and, well, a bunch of others. Essentially, the wasting Lindor. Clevinger's been absolutely great, tho along with The Biebs, but otherwise the bullpen is lit bootycheeks. But, they fought their way back into the Central Race, and can very well win it.

Bottom Line: Still the Indians The Chicago White Sox: While this is not their year, they will be good for years to come. Lucas Giolito has cut down on walks and become the pitcher everyone predicted. Jose Abreu can hit anything.

Yoan Moncada is really developing and Eloy Jimenez is a tremendous young talent. Also, he hits Dingers. James McCan has become one of the best all-around catchers in the league.

Bottom Line: 2024 World Series Champs.

The Kansas City Royals: ...are very bad. Whit Merrifie and Hunter Dozier are the only players who can act That's it. The end.

Bottom Line: Remember when the Mets lost to them i I'm still salty.

The Detroit Tigers: Bruh. They trash.

Bottom Line: 2042 World Series Champs.

aces once of the e you’ve ey’re ough, teral e AL

eld, Jorge Soler, tually baseball.

in 2015? I do, and

AL WEST The Houston Astros: The Astros are boringly good.

We all expected them to be very good. There are no surprises. Alex Bregman, George Springer, Carlos Correa, Justin Verlander, Jose Altuve, the lineup is lethal. New FA signing Michael Brantley is hitting around of .330 and Yuli Gurriel doesn’t do outs. Their bullpen is the weak link, but the AL is still a wrap.

Bottom Line: Verlander, Cole, Greinke, Miley, Sanchez. Call the season. Aaron Sanchez will win a Cy Young in 2 years thanks to the pitching lab.

The Oakland Athletics: They somehow keep on winning.

Matt Chapman leveled up to full time wizard, and Matt Olson has one of the sweetest lefty swings in the game.

Mike Fiers and Brett Anderson have headed a rotation that somehow keeps doing its job even though there are only 4 "SP"s on baseball-reference.com.

Fun Fac This year t: is th of profes e 150th season sion The Cinc al baseball! in the first o atti Red Stocking s, p enly all baseball team, wa -salaried pro s founde d in 1869 .

Bottom Line: They deserve a real stadium.

The Texas Rangers: Nobody saw this coming. They're a real team.

Ronald Guzman has been absolutely great; Joey Gallo still puts baseballs into orbit, while cutting down slightly on the Ks this year; Rougned Odor has been consistently good. Many people have said that the Rangers’ renaissance has been thanks to the resurgence of Napoleon Dynamite (Hunter Pence). Mike Minor has been a Cy Young contender. There is no one else in the staff.

Bottom Line: Should have dealt Minor at the deadline The Los Angeles Angels: The award for world’s nothingest team goes to the Angels. Mike Trout is still a 14-tool player with a WAR on the season around 700.6 or whatever. He’s already an all-time great.

It’s still really exciting to watch the Shohei Show, but the Angles are so nothing that their mere existence derailed the Ohtani Hype Train. Tyler Skaggs’s passing shook the Angels. He was a member of the family and it’s hard to recover from that. Pitching-wise, he was also really beginning to hit his stride, becoming the leader of a very young staff. His passing is truly unfortunate and the baseball community misses him.

Bottom Line: Mike Trout for all-time MVP The Seattle Mariners: There’s nothing new to say about this team. They are bad. They could have been good. Instead they aren’t. The end.

Bottom Line: bad.

National League

NL CENTRAL NL EAST

The Atlanta Braves: This is the year they were supposed to be good; they are good. Dansby Swanson’s hitting is getting to be as smooth as his glove. Like Daamn Dansby. Ronald Acuña is a top 20 player; Ozzie Albies earned every bit of his ASG bid; Freddie Freeman is once again killing it and not getting the credit he deserves. The Donaldson contract looks pretty good now #legkicknation. The Braves addressed their needs at the deadline, but the ‘pen additions need to do better.

The St Louis Cardinals: Even in their “rebuilding” y Paul De Jong has flown under the radar as one o Paul Goldschmidt has obviously been a good ad hitting the shelf, was absolutely pissing all over b Hicks is undergoing repairs on his bionic arm.

Bottom Line: Nobody is really sure how they are winning, but they sure as hell are.

Bottom Line: Contenders. (Love you, Mike Soroka) The Philadelphia Phillies: While Harper’s OPS is over .800, he’s hitting south of .250 (see: Jeff McNeil). His perfor mance is simply not worth his Forever Contract™ paying him 1/3rd of the National Treasury. The rotation has been average, with Nola coming down from last season. Basically, the Phillies are super mediocre. They addressed all their needs at the deadline and still nothing changed.

Bottom Line: Play better.

The Cubs: They are atop or near the top of a surprisingly good division. Javy Baez. Even strikeouts look good. He’s so goshdarn sm Anyway... Kris Bryant is officially back and hitting dingers. Wilson Contreras had bec a all-around great catcher up until his rece injury. Jason Heyward has shown himself a veteran leader. Although they objectively that Quintana trade, the rotation is good, h up by Hamels, Lester, Darvish, and Kyle H Bottom Line: We’ll see

The Washington Nationals: They lost Bryce Harper and they just got better. Anthony Rendon hits like 6 doubles a day; Juan Soto is a baller; Trea Turner has become a solid leadoff and shortstop. The rotation is comparable to the Dodgers: Scherzer, Corbin, Strasburg, and a sneaky, elderly Annibal Sanchez. If nothing else, the Nats have a real future.

The Milwaukee Brewers: They've shown tha year was not a fluke. Christian Yelich, Sh look-alike, has proven for good that he c nukes. Ryan Braun has experienced a res and anchored their lineup. Yasmani Gran has been a solid addition. Their bullpen very good but it’s not as good as last year leading them to lean on Hader too much

Bottom Line: keep doin it.

Bottom Line: Yelich needs to get healthy.

The New York Mets: Pete Alonso is not only the HR Derby Champ, but likely NL rookie of the year and definitely mustache MVP of the first half. He will not stop hitting homers. Jeff McNeil is hands down one of the best players in the league, and is still batting for average (take that Bryce Harper). DeGrom had a tough stretch, but he’s still DeGoat--it’s the closers that have a problem (@ed-lose diaz). All in all, they’re finally turning their season around.

The Cincinnati Reds: The Reds are an exc Suarez has continued to be a very goo Senzel has been a tremendous rookie of the future. The rotation, led by Luis the bullpen has followed.

Bottom Line: Go rewatch the Amir Gare

The Miami Marlins: Their young rotation shows promise. Other than that, Lord Jesus help this team. They get fewer fans than Mississippi State baseball. Their mailing address is in the Caribbean so that they pay fewer taxes on the money they don’t make (true story).

The Pittsburgh Pirates: This young team can r just cannot stop; Colin Moran has found a unfortunately not the actor, was supposed hitting around .330. And Josh Bell. He’ll ta put it in the Allegheny. Unfortunately, their Archer's been giving up the long ball left an

Bottom Line: #TrustTheProcess

Bottom Line: They'll be good soon.

Bottom Line: Maybe? Shout out to Gary, Keith, & Ron <3

years they're winning 85 games. of the better players in the league. ddition. Marcel Ozuna, before baseballs. Unfortunately Jordan

n his mooth. d come ent to be y lost headed Hendricks.

at last heen can hit surgence ndal is still r, h.

NL WEST

GenZ MLB Players Juan Soto Bryse Wilson Ronald Acuna Jr. Victor Robles Ozzie Albies Gleyber Torres

The Los Angeles Dodgers: This team has no negatives. They’ve drop kicked every team they’ve faced. I could spend time on a few studs like Cody Bellinger, but that wouldn’t do their lineup justice. What makes this team so good is their versatility.

The entire lineup can, on any given day, play at least two positions. Their bench is just a rotation of resting players. And we haven’t even gotten to their rotation. Walker Buehler has become elite. Hyun-Jin Ryu has been ridiculously good, with a sub-2 ERA Think about how good your rotation has to be for Rich Hill and Clayton Kershaw, 3-time Cy Young winner, to be "the other guys."

Bottom Line: They are in good shape.

The Arizona Diamondbacks: Arizona is mediocre. The offense, led by Ketel Marte's power surge and whatever a (checks notes) Carson Kelly is. Like the Rockies, who are just as mediocre, the pitching is real bad.

Bottom Line: Not this year.

The San Francisco Giants: They are also in the NL Wild Card race somehow. Nobody knows how, but there they sit.

Bottom Line: Cool.

citing young team. Eugenio od hitter. Former Vol Nick and looks to be a large piece s Castillo, has been solid, and

ett fight

really hit: Rookie Kevin Newman groove; Ryan Reynolds, though to be a stopgap, but is instead ake anything you throw him and r pitching is garbage. Chris nd right.

The San Diego Padres: The Padres are more exciting than most teams in the division.

For the first time since the Protestant Reformation, they have a future. They have an undeniably exciting young core, led by Fernando Tatis Jr., who hits nukes and throws 94 across the diamond. They have a future on the bump too, with Chris Paddack, who has undeniably electric stuff, his fastball sitting in the mid-to-upper 90s and a devastating breaking ball and changeup.

Bottom Line: The Friars will be good for years to come.

The Colorado Rockies: Their offense has been a traditional Coors Field offense filled with .750+ OPSs. This is, of course, led

by Nolan Arrenado. He’s just so good. That off-balance back hand play down the line is as routine as a pitcher throwing a 3-0 fastball for a strike. Charlie Blackmon has somehow gotten even better with hit after hit. Trevor Story and Ian Desmond “round out” the top four. The Rockies’ problem is the pitching. Everyone has taken at least 2 steps back. It’s real bad.

Go see for yourself.

Bottom Line: Okay.

by zoë casdin

Artist Spotlight:

Camilla Ffrench, a 17 year old living in New York City, is a young photographer and recent graduate of the yearlong Imagemakers program at the International Center

of Photography (ICP). She spends her time working in the darkroom and shooting personal projects,

including â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but not limited to â&#x20AC;&#x201C; her work at Polo and Fomo, a creative group that works with the band LAUNDRY DAY,

and work with her mom's business The Upstate Table.

"As I near the end of high school, I find myself in a state of contemplation and speculation. Who I am and want to be.

An integral part of this reflection is the house where I grew up.

Nestled in a valley in the Catskill Mountains, it is a time capsule of my childhood, colored with the recent changes in my life.

Memories of endless summers playing in the stream and winters by the fire live in each tree of my backyard and corner in my house. Now, when I look at the chair where my older sister, who is now in college, used to sit for dinner; I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think about when we played as kids, but about last Christmas when she attempted suicide in her room upstairs. With my lens, I capture my parents in the rituals of family, the absence of my older sister as an invisible force alongside them."

This photo is part of Camilla's Personal Vision project, a body of work for the ICP Imagemakers program, a year-long photography intensive for high school juniors and seniors.

More of this series on CamillaFfrench.com

Do You Need me….Still?

Prediction: You won’t let me leave.

by Nathaniel Hylton

As a boy I controlled the block.

A shorty too swift to catch, too brown to wear a crown but I’d always be down for the block.

As a black teen,

I preferred grades to gangs,

books to crooks holding signs crooked to the left or crooked to the right

fighting for a bigger plot,

a block to catch and mark with the blood of men who were taught

no better way than to sag their jeans and be down or around for whatever.

But still, I’m stuck here.

These blocks,

they are stuck here.

These men,

they are stuck too.

Moving white and green

moving crack and weed

trapped in the Trap, trapped in a trap locked in a cemented prison block,

a prison on this block

no magic key,

the cell is forever locked.

They cannot leave without the heat,

a constant look over the shoulder.

It’s impossible to live without the heat, a warmth that should come from your constant heartbeat.

But You, You don’t have one.

Why am I here?

Why do You insist I stay?

Why do You need me?

What do You want from me?

Sometimes I wake from my sleep screaming let me leave!

Let me leave!

Let me leave!

But You don’t.

Featured Poet I don’t like it I don’t love it.

I want out, I’m tired I’m tired I’m tired I don’t like it here I’m tired of your jokes I’m tired of your broken promises I’m tired of your unfinished sentences—life without parole You tell my people to go back home, And yet when we try to leave, You shoot us down.

What did I do wrong?

Be born?

Believe?

Dream?

Meet You?

I did not build your oars, Your sails, Your boats, Your ships, Your chains, Your guns, Your drugs, Your guns Your drugs Your we did not build Your prisons. we did not ask to be of Your AmeriKKKa Though are we not “African-American”?

I tried to love You BUT it’s taken my mother’s and my father’s time, My grandma’s time My papa’s time My uncle’s time My aunty’s time My sister’s time My brother’s time My homie’s time

My people’s time how much time will it take for your progress?

we are not worthy.

How much longer must I wait until You tell me until You let me know

why You keep me trapped here.

Trapped in a cycle.

Tell me the purpose.

Give me purpose OR Shoot me down too: End my sentence End my life NO, it’s yours.

End my fight for the right to fight. #itsneverending we have no purpose here

but Prediction: You still won’t let me leave.

.

Summer Film Photo Edit

photo by Lola

photo by madeleine miller

by madeleine miller

zoĂŤ casdin

laila aissaoui

chiara gabellini

lin e e k y audre

camilla ffrench

Carefree

A playlist by Victoria Brooks

also on the GenZine Spotify!

Instagram @Generation_Zine

Summer Streams MUSIC Ride Your Bike, Maude Latour's most recent release, is a must-stream end of Summer jam.

Just know you won't be able to get it out of your head. It's like a modern Bicycle by Queen.

TV Dear White People's third volume (season) premiered August 2nd. If you haven't watched it, you should. Go watch it.

MOVIE Though Call Me By Your Name takes place in the summer of '83, it captures the timeless feeling of summer. Let yourself get lost in the colors and the characters.

by zoë casdin

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