IN 2017, ANYTHING GOES.
MARCH 2017 VOL XIV ISSUE IV SYRACUSE, NEW YORK Your student fee
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DOING THE MOST
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jerkmagazine.net
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RISK MANAGEMENT
CONTENTS MARCH 2017 MAKING PEACE 24 Eighteen years ago, Clifford Ryan lost his son to gun violence on the streets of Syracuse. Seeing the way that violence has impacted his life and the lives of those around him, Ryan patrols those same streets every day in an attempt to stop fights before they happen.
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EDITOR'S LETTER FEEDBACK PEEPS CLICKBATE
UNPRESIDENTED 38 Toss the boring monochrome separates and wear your heart on your sleeve—or iron one on. For this issue, like everything else in 2017, fashion has no rules: wear black with navy, mix every print, and throw on your favorite LBD over the button up you wore to work. .
JERK'S DECLASSIFIED
TRUMP SURVIVAL GUIDE 52 No one thought it would happen, but here we are: our country is being run by a meme and there's nothing we can do about it—or is there?
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Cover Design by Erin Reeves Photography by Alec Erlebacher
10 JERK THIS What you should hit up and bitch about this month. 11 21 +/Slam Drunk 13 TOTALLY UNSCIENTIFIC POLL Roommate Etiquette 14 SEX Smells Fishy
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War of the Words Explaining political correctness so simply, even Trump could understand it. Blacklisted Professors have the right to voice their own opinions, no matter their politics.
BITCH OPINIONS 16
Play Like a Girl
When it comes to gender inequality, Jerk cares about sports.
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Ain't No Sunshine Seasonal affective disorder, SAD!
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REWIND Beauty and the Beast
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NO JUDGMENT Buzzfeed
60
AMPLIFIED Malvinas
61
SYNAPSE Talking Heads
22 #NoFilter Think before you selfie
SMUT FEATURES 15 FRAMED #notokay
NOISE ARTS & MUSIC
30 Behind the Screens Learn how five SU students created their brands through social media. 34 So Far, So Good Get an inside look at Syracuse's first Sofar Sounds concert. .
GAWK FASHION 46 BAD X BOUJEE The Lady and the Tramp of brand collabs—at prices you still can't afford.
BACK OF BOOK 62
DISCOVERSYR Book Barn of the Finger Lake
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SPEAKEASY Aminatou Sow
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OBITCHUARY Tasty Videos
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CLOSET CASE What do you say to taking chances?
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FORM AND FUNCTION How to Dress Like Art Hoe
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Susanna Heller EDITOR IN CHIEF
Eric King
Chelsea Portner
Erin Reeves
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
MANAGING EDITOR
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
EDITORIAL FEATURES EDITOR
Caroline Schagrin ASST. FEATURES EDITOR Amber Raguna ARTS AND MUSIC EDITOR Danny Yarnall ASST. ARTS AND MUSIC EDITOR Deniz Sahinturk OPINIONS EDITOR Bronte Schmit ASST. OPINIONS EDITOR Megan Falk STYLE EDITOR Hairol Ma ASST. STYLE EDITOR Nick Della Sala ASST. STYLE EDITOR Tiffany Moran RESEARCH EDITOR Mary Catalfamo COPY EDITOR Sarah Feustle COPY EDITOR Jordan Muller FACT CHECKER Taylor Connors FACT CHECKER Joann Li FACT CHECKER Emily Kelleher FRESHMAN INTERN Victoria Patti WEB
DESIGN DESIGN DIRECTOR
Sarah Kim Hayley Schimmer, Jacqueline Akerley, Yuxin Xiong, Zifan Wany, Ting Peng DESIGNERS
ART ILLUSTRATION DIRECTOR
Claudia Lewis PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Fiona Lenz STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Claudia McCann, Samuel Lee, Minjung Kim ILLUSTRATORS Arielle Nagar, Ariel Dinero, Zoe Karikas PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Anagha Das Rachel Young, Hadassah Lai, Larry Stansbury, Olivia Berger, Brooke Tanner, Liam Keyek, McKenna Murtha, Kennedy Smith PR REPRESENTATIVES
DIGITAL DIRECTOR
Aidan Meyer WEB EDITOR Leah Strassburg ASST. WEB EDITOR Caroline Cakebread , Emmy Gnat, Olivia Bosar, Bridget Whitfield SOCIAL EDITOR Jensen Cannon, Jordan Cramer ASST. SOCIAL EDITOR Kate Kozuch WEB DESIGNER Jena Salvatore WEB DESIGNER Jena Salvatore PHOTO EDITOR Chaz Delgado DIGITAL INTERN Sam Berlin ADVISER
Melissa Chessher
MULTIMEDIA MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Laura Kellerman Matt Sacca ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Grace Crummett ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Adriana Ascencio ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
BUSINESS PUBLISHER
Esmeralda Murray Christina Tornetta
AD DIRECTOR
CONTRIBUTORS Ramona Yun, Noel Chisaka, Nikko, Alec Erlebacher, Trusha Bhatt, Giovanni Qualtrone, Xiang Wei, Gabby Salkin, Jackie Frere, Vanessa Rojas-Castillo, Natali Partigiano, Aline Martins, Allison McVey, Rachel Lockpart, Dana Cloud, Bredan Germain, Patty Terhune, Sarah Kulbersh, Kennedy Rose, Kate Kozuch, and Austin Wallace , Laura Mead, Bobby Davison, Ariel Dinero, Kimberly Truong
Through its content, Jerk is dedicated to enhancing insight through communication by providing an informal platform for the freedom of expression. The writing contained within this publication expresses the opinions of the individual writers. The ideas presented in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Jerk Editorial Board. Furthermore, Jerk will not be held responsible for the individual opinions expressed within. Submissions, suggestions, and opinions are welcomed and may be printed without contacting the writer. Jerk reserves the right to edit or refuse submissions at the discretion of its editors. Jerk Magazine is published monthly during the Syracuse University academic year. All contents of the publication are copyright 2017 by their respective creators. No content may be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the Jerk Editorial Board.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Ain't No Twitter In Heaven My Twitter is the most embarrassing thing about me. My close friends can unfortunately attest that I’m at my best when I’m hiding in the corner booth at Chuck’s, tweeting bad jokes about zoodles or Gilmore Girls. But lately, I try to avoid it. Every time I log in to drop a subpar one-liner about, like, snow, I somehow get sucked into the endless-scroll abyss of executive orders, small hand jokes, and memes. It doesn’t take much scrolling before I lose the will to go on and close out of the tab. I never thought that the crumbling of the republic would be a second screen experience that I could half -watch in realtime while listening to Rory and Dean get back together, but here we are. I might be spending more time offline, but I’m not disconnecting from what’s going on in America. Political discourse is so vital—but especially now and here in Syracuse. In case you didn’t know, Syracuse and the CNY area have always been a hub for refugees, art, activism, and progressive thought. That’s why Jerk is so dedicated to encouraging students to escape the University bubble. We came into this semester with a renewed commitment to jerking students out of their apathy. So whether you’re educating yourself on what it really means to be politically correct (18), learning about an OG against gang-related gun violence (24), or learning how to become more politically active—and we’re not just talking #slacktivism on Twitter (52), there are some really good, important reads ahead. We’re also getting ~political~ over on Jerkmagazine.net. You can still read the weekly Sexplained, but now it comes with a heaping side of our Trump Ticker, which tracks Trump’s first 100 days in office. This semester, we’re working hard to approach journalism and storytelling with a renewed dedication to telling the truth and doing whatever it takes to make people at this school give a damn. It will take more than 140 characters, but stick with us. It's a new year, and things are unprecedented. @ me next time,
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FEEDBACK
Hate MaIL Like those girls who go to Lucy's every weekend and Instagram mirror selfies on the reg, nobody really likes us except for us. Let us know if this is the content you crave—we won't know otherwise.
SHOW US SOME LOVE Jerk Magazine 126 Schine Student Center Syracuse, NY 13244 @jerkmagazine jerk@jerkmagazine.net jerkmagazine.net
Kathleen Krumbach, Dec. 5, 2016 / In reference to December's Totally Unscientific Poll The poll on page 13 was prefaced with a small intro about how feminism is a "divisive" issue on campus, and stated that Jerk targeted "meatheads" for participation in the poll. Though often used to describe muscular, jock-type men, the term, by definition, is a "stupid person". I first wonder how the meatheads were picked from a crowd in Schine. [...] I know this poll may likely not be "that serious" of a thing, but I think it's worth asking ourselves what good it does to approach the other side with a false welcoming of their opinions. Someone who identifies as a feminist might see this poll and feel empowered to patronize or laugh off those who do not quite understand feminism or whose thoughts do not align with theirs. As a future educator, this is something I've had to think a lot about and work really hard on myself. It takes strength, hard work, it takes biting our tongues for a moment, but a lot of us are really interested in hearing from those with different views because we want to know why they think that way and how we can work with them. Sincerely, Kathleen Krumbach
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PEEPS
contributors Photography by Fiona Lenz and Alec Erlebacher
Kennedy Rose / Sophomore/ Malvinas Do you like pissing off misogynists, spicy food, and Broadway showtunes? If so, you’ll probably get along well with Kennedy Rose. This sophomore newspaper and online journalism major hates toes, loves raw garlic, and is excited for the spring cliché of floral print clothing. Check out her story about the feminist punk band Malvinas on page 60.
Allison McVey /Senior / War of the Words Like most of us, McVey isn’t over Beyoncé’s Lemonade, and unlike most of us, she enjoys putting maple syrup on eggs. If McVey were president, she’d build a wall around our current commander in chief and would eliminate winged eyeliner once and for all. Check out this English and textual study major’ s thought provoking editorial about the freedom of speech of progressive professors, War of Words, on page 18.
Nikko / Graduate Student / Unpresidented Nikko has a self-diagnosed addiction to writing, with an impressive collection of over 70 journals dating back to 2006. A multi-faceted individual, this grad student studying public diplomacy dreamt of becoming either a runway model for Valentino or the P.O.T.U.S. While we don’t get to read Nikko’s middle school diaries, you can check her out in our Gawk feature on page 38.
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HIT Shit we like
Our People, Our Land, Our Images:
March 2-21 Head to the Picker Art Gallery for a chance to view indigenous people through the eyes of indigenous photographers from the United States, Canada, Peru, and New Zealand.
Feud: Bette and Joan
March 12 March 5 The third season of In a true nose dive into John Ridley's ABC Ryan Murphy's deep, drama focuses in on a dark id, here comes North Carolina farming another FX anthology community. Not exactly drama detailing the titillating, but we legendary feud between have to look at the big Hollywood divas picture: Sandra Oh's Bette Davis and Joan return to network TV! Crawford.
South and West: From a Notebook March 7 Joan Didion’s latest is unsurprisingly about death. Maybe your ETS professor will call in sick to read it!
BITCH Riverdance 20th Anniversary
March 1-2 How has it gone on for this long?
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National Everything You Do Is Right Day March 16 Take that, Mom.
The Knocks at Westcott March 22 Better than Flip Night? Probably.
Spring break
Shit we like to avoid
March 10 You may go to P.V., but you’ ll come back with HPV.
March Madness
you couldn’t get a part in your roommate’ s COM 117 production.
March 14 "Name one guy on the team who isn't white, Britney!"
Minecraft Unplugged
The Boss Baby
Interactive Mystery March 8 Dinner Theater This event is at the presents DEAD MEAT Liverpool Public March 2 Head on down to Spaghetti Warehouse if
American Crime
Library, where you can find all the snot-nosed kids you babysit in one place.
March 31 A movie about a baby who wears suits and is kind of a dick. A documentary of the early life of Donald Trump, perhaps?
21+/-
Slam drunk Our library's best-kept secret.
THE UNOFFICIAL MARCH MADNESS DRINKING GAME Will Syracuse make it to the March Madness Tournament? Will yet another girl get a concussion from a rogue, airborne beer bottle at Castle Court? Will there be riots in the streets? Does Syracuse have a basketball team? Who can say? That doesn’t mean we can't prepare to binge drink anyway. Join us in this mind and body-numbing experience as we all cheer on a team we picked using almost no criteria. Supplies needed: A case of your favorite shitty beer or a bucket of jungle juice that the FDA would never approve.
SIP YOUR DRINK • if you're watching in an apartment with more than one screen to watch more than one game. • when you see a hyper-masculine beer commercial • when a coach throws his jacket *cough, cough* Boeheim. • every time someone mentions their bracket being destroyed.
FINISH YOUR DRINK • if someone makes a “March Sadness” pun. • there’ s a buzzer-beater.
TAKE A DRINK • when someone tries to make a basket with their garbage and misses. Take two drinks if they also shout a player’s name as they take the shot. • every time someone mentions Ennis or Cooney, when you’ re done crying. • the band starts playing "Seven Nation Army."
• the camera zooms in on a bored celebrity in the audience. • if your team wins. • if your team loses.
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CLICKBATE What We're Getting Off To On The Web This Month
JERKMAGAZINE.NET The news isn't fake, but the people are.
Jerk 's Trump Ticker They say the first 100 days of a president's term are key indicators of how the next four years will play out. Since inauguration, Jerk has followed every tweet, executive order, and appointment rendered by President Trump. Jerk's Trump Ticker is your one stop shop for the Trump administration's decisions and how they could potentially affect your future.
Gawk: Behind-The-Scenes Video We take you behind the scenes of this issue's Gawk photo shoot where maximalism is the motto. In an era of being extra and doing the most, sometimes we need fashion to reflect such. When you're done flipping through, learn more about the Gawk team’s vision for this spread.
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What Happens to Frat Guys When They Graduate? Beers, boys, and bitches. Adorned in sweat pants, frat tanks, and boat shoes to boot, these boys will soon be reborn into the world, also known as graduation. This article examines frat boys post-grad and determines if certain workplaces—perhaps a Wall Street trading floor—are just annexes of the houses we know and love/ hate on Comstock.
Jerk on the "Chucks Closing" Our favorite beer 1dungeon is closing its doors this May. Jerk brings you a multimedia experience that will answer such questions as: “What will happen to the fried pickles?” “Where can I go to hear relevant Top 40 hits like ‘Sweet Caroline’ and ‘Come on Eileen,’” and even “Who is Chuck?”
TOTALLY UNSCIENTIFIC POLL
COLLEGE ROOMMATES: DEBUNKED WOULD YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF THE
“CLEAN” roommate?
A I am as clean and pure as a baby fawn. (22%)
BB
I'm pretty clean, but
C
D
I’m definitely not the
I am a hurricane
wouldn’t call myself
clean roommate, but I
scattering debris and
a neat freak. (42%)
know where shit is even
junk around the room
if it’s buried under a
with no discernable
layer of laundry. (32%)
pattern. (4%)
I'm pretty clean, but I I wouldn’t call myself
a neat freak. (42%)
HAVE YOU EVER LEFT A PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE NOTE FOR YOUR ROOMMATE TO FIND?
HAVE YOU EVER SEXILED YOUR ROOMMATE?
A. "Karen, if you don’t lock the door when
B. Maybe once or twice. (48%)
you leave one more time, I am going
C. I’m usually the one getting sexiled. Fuck
A. More than once. Not sorry about it. (18%)
to throw all your shit in the street since
you, Karen! (18%)
apparently you don’t care about it anyway.
D. They keep their handcuffs where I can’t
Thanks!!!” (10%)
see them, and I make sure I take the sex
B. Just once, but only because the dishes in
swing off the ceiling before they come home.
the sink were beginning to harbor life. (6%)
(16%)
C. Never, I would confront them in person if I really thought it was an issue. (82%) D. I usually am the one the notes are intended for. Whoops. (2%)
BIGGEST ROOMMATE PET PEEVE? A. Just change the FUCKING toilet paper roll. (6%) B. We are in a global recession and
WOULD YOU EVER SLEEP WITH A HOUSEMATE/ROOMMATE?
you’re leaving the light on when you
A. No, because that would be a tidal
cash? (8%)
wave of disaster. (32%)
C. Turn your phone sound off,
B. I don’t shit where I eat. (32%)
I don’t want to hear your Tinder
leave the room? Are you made of
C. I totally would if I knew it wouldn't
notifications every 5 seconds. (38%)
make things weird(er). (30%)
D. Throw out your old food, because
D. Would. Did. Loved it. Gonna do it
that is how we get ants. (48%)
again. (6%)
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SEX
Is your Tinder date not who they said they were? Did they use a picture from their high school glory days? Lied about their age? No one is immune to being Catfished. Not even you, Karen. Illustration by Ariel Dinero
Penguin Paramour
I met my first boyfriend on the sledding hill on Club Penguin. One thing led to another, and we ended up back at his igloo on the dance floor. That night, we planned times to meet up and log in at the same time in the same world. After five wonderful dates, and many recounts to my friends, one of my friends pulled me aside and told me it had been my friend Danielle masquerading as Soccerboy223. I was heartbroken for a month. Now, I am neither attracted to boys nor online penguins.
Young Catfish
"Josh" and I matched on Tinder in October. I was super into him, so I was excited when he asked me out on a date. He said he would meet me at Funk ‘ N Waffles in Armory Square. When I got there, a younger version of Josh sat at the table. We had a good time, but when dinner ended I assumed we would just go our separate ways. Then he offered to pay for a taxi back to my dorm. When we got there, I said goodbye and went in for a hug, and he tripped and fell. That's when his wallet fell out of his pocket, along with his high school ID and his learner’s permit. "What the fuck? YOU'RE 15?!" I screamed. He admitted to it, but said that didn't change the fact that he had a great time. I said, "THE LAW CHANGES THE FACT THAT WE HAD A GREAT TIME." Then I went to my room and he followed me. "I'm not in the mood to be arrested," I said. He said he just wanted to have sex with me. I called my RA, and she escorted him out. Before Josh left, I asked who it was in the Tinder photos. It was his older brother. Honestly a shookening experience.
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FRAMED
ART IMAGE
#notokay Zoe Hannah Stern Sophomore Painting I work under the impression of these ideas of femininity through sexuality and the human form. My work expresses the ideas of the relationship between masculinity and femininity. I express these ideas in threedimensional piped paintings using non-conventional material. I am currently working on expanding #notokay piece and plan to make a sculpture evolving all the panties I have painted.
To showcase your work in Framed, email art@jerkmagazine.net.
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PLAY LIKE A GIRL Even when they outplay men, women’s sports teams receive a fraction of the attention. By Caroline Cakebread : Illustration by Kim Truong
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When the Syracuse men’s basketball team
According to a 2015 study by professors
played the Final Four round of March Madness last year, hundreds of drunken students stumbled to Castle Court to do beer bongs instead of watching the game. When the women’s team made the championship game—a feat the men failed to accomplish—the SU community hardly batted an eye. According to the ACC, the women’s team averaged 649 fans per game, compared to 21,592 on the men’s side. This is pitiful—especially given tickets’ price differences. Tickets to the women’s games are free, yet “broke” college students shell out hundreds of dollars for season tickets to the men’s games. Women’s teams go unappreciated in college and the pros, with hardly a peep from sports TV networks, blogs, or
at The University of Alabama, women’s sports get only one percent of all airtime on ESPN’s SportsCenter and Fox Sports Live. That teeny-weeny slice of coverage is likely done by a group of well-groomed dudes, who deliver it with the enthusiasm of a math teacher, unless they find the athletes attractive. Take a look at the February 2015 list of “The 20 Hottest Women in Golf” from the eloquently sexist editors at Men’s Health as a disgusting example. Canadian Olympic runner Lanni Marchant also expressed her frustrations with these sexist attitudes in a 2009 issue of iRun magazine. In a photo that didn’t end up published, Marchant poses topless while holding a pair of shoes in front of her. Her point? A man in the same pose would be considered “shirtless,” but
the schools they represent. We live in a world where, availability of orange-tinted demagogues permitting, women are able to rise to a place of absolute power. Why doesn't anyone give a fuck about female
she is “half naked.” In coverage that doesn’t sexualize female athletes, the quality is far from equal. A 25-year study by researchers at Purdue University and the University of California
athletes beyond those clad in spandex? Perhaps this 1936 quote from sports writer Paul Gallico still holds true in many minds:
analyzed women’s sports coverage on ESPN and SportsCenter and concluded that the rare spots were delivered with an
“It’s a lady’s business to look beautiful, and there are hardly any sports in which she seems able to do it.”
obvious lack of enthusiasm. “Listening to commentators describe a women’s sports event was usually like hearing someone
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BITCH deliver a boring afterthought,” they wrote. Adam Betz, a senior newspaper and online journalism major, thinks women’s sports are just as worthwhile as men’s. “There’s a stigma that women’s sports are slower and not as exciting, and they don’t even want to give it a chance,” Betz says. Betz transferred to SU from a school in Connecticut and grew up watching the University of Connecticut women dominate on the courts. But he knows they are an anomaly and wasn’t surprised by the lack of enthusiasm he encountered at ‘Cuse. He was more surprised by the lack of a crowd in general, saying he mostly sees senior citizens and little kids show up. “Both genders put in the same amount of effort. The women deserve support, too,” Betz says. Betz thinks that SU could do more to promote the team after seeing the intense focus on men’s basketball and football.
Small things, like inviting groups to come for the type of tailgate that magically appears on game days for the men or just discounting Dome nachos, will get students’ attention. TV networks fall into a similar trap. According to Purdue’s study, ESPN played nine hours of men’s coverage and two hours of women’s during 2014 March Madness. Networks—with mostly male anchors—assume no one wants to tune into women’s games, so they don’t put them on, and people don’t tune in because the coverage isn’t there. To remedy this, we need more women anchors and the man needs to be taken out of the glorified man caves that are sports networks. According to Poynter, 90 percent of sports editors are men. Networks want viewers, and if the viewers—aka you—make a fuss about the lack of women anchors on Twitter and the blogosphere, more women will appear. Watch Fox News clips from ten years ago and try to spot a person of color, and you’ll know this works. Women still come second in society. The sports arena, just like the office, has a long way to go. Title IX, which mandated equal funding for women’s college sports and education, was created only 44 years ago. History proves that societal norms—especially when it comes to gender—change at a frustratingly slow rate. But it seems like things are looking up. Celebrities and college girls alike feel no shame at flaunting their feminism, and girls are growing up in a time when millions turn out to march for women’s rights. With a conscious effort from the media—looking at you, Newhouse kids— and sports lovers everywhere, Betz will cease to be the lone fan. JM
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WAR WORDS OF THE
Political Correctness won't destroy free speech—it might save it. By Kate Kozuch
WARNING This article contains language that wholly supports human decency. If respect offends you, you’re encouraged to stop reading now.
•
detrimental political incorrectness can be, and they don’t understand the term’s implications. “When people use the term as an insult, it has the implication that it’s ridiculous,” says Harriet Brown, a magazine professor and member of the Chancellor’s Workgroup on Diversity and Inclusion. Brown collaborated with a team of Syracuse University staff and students to publish a report suggesting changes on campus that would foster an inclusive environment. An aversion to political correctness undermines these inclusion efforts. Dismissing PC culture essentially says, “I don’t want to have to be thoughtful about the things that I’m saying. I’m going to blurt out whatever pops into my head— and I don’t want to consider whether it’s unfair, inaccurate, bigoted, or perpetuates negative stereotypes.”
The term “political correctness” gets tossed around in a range of intended meanings nowadays, completely blurring the raw definition of an already divisive concept. Let’s break it down, because the only way anyone seems to understand anything in Trump’s America is if it’s explained in the simplest way possible. Political correctness means not being a asshole, treating others with respect, being kind, understanding other people's perspectives, and—even sometimes—speaking out when something is wrong. You know, the things that elementary school students are better at doing than grown adults. For example, this means not calling someone a racial slur or not making assumptions based on stereotypes. While phrases like “that’s racist” and “that’s sexist” are commonly—and rightfully—used by our generation to shoot
This may remind you of a certain someone sitting in America’s Oval Office Googling “Bill of Rights??” at this very
down problematic and harmful statements, they might also come off as whiny or oversensitive. Though that is true to some extent,
moment. At the first primary debate, Donald Trump looked into the camera and declared that destroying political
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older folks casting a blanket of negative light over political correcteness is troubling. Most people don’t understand how
A POLITICALLY CORRECT CULTURE DOESN'T CALL FOR THE SACRIFICE OF FREE SPEECH.
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”
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BITCH
correctness was a forefront campaign issue. I guess no one informed the man in
murderous cult clowns and UFOs. A politically correct culture doesn't call
charge of our country that it’s impossible to destroy something intangible. President Trump has abused and misused the term political correctness as a cover for being
for the sacrifice of free speech. On the contrary, a politically correct environment encourages us to share our thoughts and ideas without the fear of being persecuted
outright insulting on too many occasions. But we’ll remind you of a few anyway. In 2011, he called his gay friends “fabulous.” In 2016, he kicked an African American man
for our identities. This does, however, require a degree of verbal respect. “The truth is that language is important and words are important,” Brown says. “They
out of one of his rallies and labeled him a "thug.” Trump identified Mexicans as “drug dealers,” “criminals,” and “rapists.” Then, of course, there was that time he said Hillary
affect how people feel and how we feel about them. What is hate speech? When does speech become offensive? Those are questions that people need to consider.”
Clinton—a woman, who had pneumonia at the time—“doesn’t have the stamina” to be president. Liberal college students have been conditioned to identify insulting statements like these as problematic and contributions to every “ism” and “phobia” in the book. That is why Trump’s election should concern us, the most politically aware and activism-oriented generation. Opponents maintain that the rise in PC culture minimizes the effectiveness of a college education, which is supposed to expose students to a wide range of viewpoints. They believe that political correctness has created an environment where people are hypersensitive, and buzzwords like “safe spaces” and “trigger warnings” thrust
In 2014, Cornell University researchers conducted a study in which two groups formulated business plans for an empty space on campus. One group worked under a pre-discussed “PC norm,” while the other didn’t. The researchers found that the group exposed to the politically correct norm went on to create more novel ideas for how to use the space than the group that hadn't discussed political correctness. Regardless of upbringing, understanding political correctness makes it easier for people to speak their minds, collaborate, and communicate. Students need to feel that they can share their ideas without being micro-aggressed upon for who they are, but rather respected based on the actual content of their opinions.
people into a panic over free speech. Yet, in a survey of 800 college professors, The National Coalition Against Censorship reported that 85 percent of the professors said that none of their students had ever
Syracuse University is essentially a playground of diversity—you’ll find people of every race, gender, sexuality, religion, and socioeconomic status here. It’s not like we should exist in a hand-holding bubble
requested a trigger warning or asked about trigger warnings. Suppose we can add trigger warnings to the list of nonexistent
while baking cakes made of unicorns and rainbows—yuck—but there’s an immense value in understanding of one another. And
phenomena we love to panic over, like
the first step is simply listening. JM
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#NoFilter
Snapchat filters create unrealistic—and problematic—beauty standards. By Aline Peres Martins
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I remember the day the “beauty” filter came out on Snapchat—the one that ever-
surpassed Twitter in daily usage. Snapchat users collectively watch over 10 billion
so-slightly retouches skin, narrows noses, and gives doe eyes. The filter just barely changed my appearance, but changed it enough for me to notice that I looked “better.” As I sat with some of my coworkers on lunch break, the females picked up their phones and tried the filter as well—sending out a combination of thirst traps and cute, funny selfies. But my male coworkers were unfazed. It was so hard to spot the changes, and after a while it felt normal to have the filter on. Gone were the days of using Snapchat to send ugly selfies. Now, we slave over the perfect, beautified selfie to post on our stories. But there’s something inherently troubling about normalizing this slightly retoutched reality. Snapchat is
videos per day—more than three times the amount in 2015—and is the most used social media platform among 12-24 year olds. According to the latest figures reported by The Wall Street Journal, about 70 percent of users are female. We don’t know if Snapchat filters like these were created with women in mind, but it’s hard to think otherwise. What facts do show, however, is that the people in the upper ranks of Snapchat are overwhelmingly male. In 2016, Business Insider published a list of the most influential people working at Snapchat, and of the 24 people on the list, only three were women. Furthermore, only three were people of color—and just one of the non-white executives was a woman. At press time, Snapchat is a closed-off
moving away from a silly photo app—its once-prized intimate, instantaneous nature morphed into yet another way for people to project their best lives. This is troubling, considering the ever-present, sometimes
company that does not publicly disclose employee information, lists like this are the best we can work with until it goes public. The gender and race disparity can be troubling, considering the majority of Snapchat users
racist, or gender-exclusive filters we use to alter our appearances. Snapchat's growth over the past
are female and many of them are using the “pretty filter,” reinforcing female beauty standards every time they snap a wide-eyed
few years has been extraordinary. Over 150 million people use Snapchat a day, according to Bloomberg. This past June, it
and contour-cheeked selfie. While these filters have become almost second nature to me, it seems that they
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weren't designed with people of color in mind. Jaye Michelle Harris, a senior magazine major, doesn’t like the “beauty"
problem since people were sending real, instant photos. Now, by adding filters that get rid of our blemishes with the swipe of a
filter. “I hate what it does to my face,” Harris says. “It doesn’t even look like me.” As a woman and a person of color, she says there are Snapchat filters that concern her.
finger, Snapchat makes it extremely easy to present a touched up version of ourselves to the digital world. Compared to Photoshop, a Snapchat filter is a breeze. Aileen Gallagher,
Harris once had a friend use a filter that made her skin completely white. It begs the question: Is this what Snapchat considers
anassociate magazine professor who has
beautiful? Arguably more disconcerting is that Harris says the Snapchat filters won’t even recognize her face—a problem she says affects many people of color. She has to find extremely bright lighting that effectively washes out her facial features in order for the face detection to work. Evidently, this feature wasn’t designed with people of her complexion in mind. Snapchat seems to consistently falter when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Just last August, Snapchat came under fire for creating an “Asian” filter that users considered racist and insensitive. It slimmed users’ eyes, superimposed an “Asian” caricature on users’ faces, and depicted “traditional” Chinese garb. This was the most obvious example of a racist or at least culturally appropriative Snapchat filter. And the fact that these filters keep cropping up isn’t surprising. Snapchat not picking up Harris’s face and the creation of the “Asian” filter, combined with the fact that only three of the people on Business Insider’s list were people of color, there must be a lack of diversity inSnapchat's upper ranks to lead to the creation of a product that is truly exclusionary. But there is another glaring issue outside of racism: Snapchat filters allow us to create a faux, online persona with ease. In the beginning, this wasn’t a big
Snapchat seems to consistently falter when it comes to diversity and inclusion.
studied Snapchat as a journalism tool, says the so-called "beauty" filter, in combination with the introduction of Snapchat stories, is shifting the way Snapchat is used as a social platform. “Originally, because [Snapchat] was instantaneous and short-lived, its value was its intimacy,” Gallagher says. “You would leave your best self for other social media platforms.” There are a lot of layers as to why we're beginning to think Snapchat is fucked up. People use Snapchat filters to not only alter their appearance, but also their perception of reality. And while no one actually looks better with the dog filter on, it is an unsettling thought that people really think they do. If our social media platforms are indeed a part of who we are inreality, then filters could very well be distorting how we see and present ourselves in real life. Is the face you want to show to the world actually the one with a doggy tongue and pink ears sticking out? If you answered yes, take a long look in an unfiltered mirror JM
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Liberal professors across the nation are being targeted for their politics—even at SU. By Allison McVey
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Lately, I dread logging in to Facebook. In this post-election world, social media seems like the premiere political battleground, with families, friends, and strangers alike duking it out via keyboard. However, an even more important political joust is taking place on college campuses—one that threatens professors’ First Amendment rights and the greater purpose of collegiate institutions. Though conservative media outlets dub collegiate classrooms as trigger warning friendly spaces that serve to coddle liberal "special snowflakes," the ability to engage in active political discussion on college campuses is not safeguarded. In a country that has become increasingly politically divided, progressive professors’ freedom of speech has come under fire on college campuses.
death threats and eventually had to briefly leave her position at the college and go into hiding. Online assailants called her a "libtard," "vile leftist filth," and a "satanic cult member," among other things, Cox told The Washington Post. The irony of the situation is palpable: Conservative assailants—champions of denouncing "political correctness" and upholding constitutional rights—hated what Cox had to say so much that they limited her freedom of speech by driving her out of town. Professors at Syracuse University are subject to speech policing, too. Turning Point USA, a conservative group which flags liberal professors in order to warn conservative students to avoid their classes, put Dana Cloud, a communication
Last December, a video that showed a psychology professor at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California criticizing
and rhetorical studies professor, on its "Professor Watchlist" last November. The Watchlist’s mission statement
Trump’s election victory during class went viral. In the video, which a student secretly filmed, Professor Olga Perez Stable Cox describes the election as "an act of terrorism" and expresses her apprehension
says the group intends to "fight for free speech and the right for professors to say whatever they wish," but it routinely used intimidation tactics to prevent progressive professors from expressing their political
toward the country's political divisiveness. Following the video’s release, Cox received
viewpoints. Cloud says this is deeply damaging to vulnerable professors like
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untenured instructors and those with marginalized identities, for instance, who
by demonstrating that "ideological echo chambers" are actually more prevalent in
might be at risk of losing their jobs if they teach controversial material. The development of watchlist sites and personal attacks on professors reflects an
conservative circles. Sixty-three percent of conservatives polled insisted most of their close friends shared their political views, while 49 percent of liberals shared the
urgency in conservative circles to stifle dominant, progressive ideology on college campuses. It reveals a frightful reality for the conservative party: universities hold a large demographic of voters, and on the ideological battleground, they are losing. A Daily Orange investigation into SU professors’ political donations revealed "nine times as many faculty, staff and administrators" have contributed to Democratic campaigns than Republican in the past 14 years. While this may appear to reflect a bias in the school’s hiring system, it has little bearing on how conservative students are treated in the classroom. Cloud, deemed one of the most "radical" professors on campus by the Watchlist, encourages all students to voice their viewpoints—
same sentiment. To say that liberals are more ideologically isolated appears to be a conservative "alternative fact." The polarizing nature of political discussions on campuses and the extreme intimidation tactics used by conservative outlets to police progressive speech demonstrates how divisive the current political atmosphere is. However, the purpose of college seems to be lost in the wake of post-election bipartisan bank. Colleges were designed to allow for debate, dissenting viewpoints, and inevitably, discomfort. Save for potentially violent speech, students and professors must be free to voice their opinions without the fear of intimidation or persecution. Bridging the gap in our country can only be done through increased discourse in the
regardless of political affiliation—and relies on an anonymous grading system to ensure that students share freely.
collegiate setting—particularly by engaging with voices far different from your own in situations that are often uncomfortable but
A study done by The Pew Research Center in 2014 also dispels the myth of a liberal "bubble" on university campuses
always valuable. For your own sake, though, stop fighting with your second cousin on Facebook. That's a lost cause. JM
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Making Peace Compelled by the fatal shooting of his son, Clifford Ryan patrols the streets of Syracuse stopping gun violence before it happens. By Gabby Salkin : Photographs Courtesy of Clifford Ryan
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On a chilly November afternoon, the sun casts a dark shadow on Valley Drive, a historically poor area in the South Side of Syracuse. Clifford Ryan stands at the corner of the West Seneca Turnpike and Valley Drive, holding a large poster with both hands when a truck pulls over and approaches him. The driver gets out and tells Ryan he needs to speak with him. The man had almost been robbed just moments before and planned to counterattack his assailants, guns locked and loaded in the vehicle. After a 15 minute conversation with Ryan, the man was on his way, his demeanor totally changed. Instead of seeking revenge, he went home to pray,
confronted the truck driver, a spot Ryan now frequently visits with his posters. His goal is to raise awareness about gun violence in Syracuse, honor his son's memory, and stop fights before they happen. Instead of fighting violence with his fists or a gun, he fights with words of encouragement and support. “When you’re dealing with an individual who can shoot somebody, your conduct has to be proper. My approach with that person is respectful, and then they trust me,” he says. Though it is below freezing on the 16-degree November afternoon, Ryan is wearing lightweight gray sweatpants and a black fleece, another shirt tucked in inside.
leaving Ryan alone. “Thanks, OG,” the man calls to Ryan as he drives away. In 2015, Ryan founded OGs Against Violence: an anti-gun-violence movement.
A rosary hangs from his neck and his long hair is slicked back in a tight ponytail. He is ready to spring into action. In the last two years, Ryan says he has stopped more than 35 acts of gun violence and ended over 100
On the streets, he's known as "OG," which stands for "original gangster." Though the movement is relatively young, Ryan
fights. He attributes his success to his days on the streets. “I was able to gain respect from the youth because they’ve never had
first thought about creating OGs Against Violence over 15 years ago. One July afternoon in 1999, Ryan’s son was shot and killed on that same corner where he
nobody in the streets reaching out to them,” he says. According to the FBI’s 2015 crime reports, Syracuse, N.Y. is only safer than
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Syracuse Against Gang Violence Local gangs commit around 75 percent of all homicides, and nearly 65 percent of all gun-related injuries in the city of Syracuse. Over the past 14 years, Syracuse decreased gang-related crime through criminal investigations, monetary incentives, and youth education. In 2003, the Syracuse Police Department formed the Gang Violence Task Force. Through a partnership with Onondaga County, New York State, U.S. prosecutors, and police, the task force convicted and arrested more than 100 gang members in the Syracuse area. Within the Task Force's first year of implementation, the city’s homicide rate plummeted 40 percent. More recently, Syracuse stepped up with a zero-tolerance policy for gang violence. Another Syracuse anti-gang-violence initiative launched in 2012 with $300,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Violent Gang and Gun Crime Reduction Program. Syracuse Truce offers gang members two choices: turn in their guns and receive money and professional assistance to rebuild their lives, or continue perpetuating violence and risk a stint in federal prison simply for membership in a violent gang. The program has another layer to it: After a gang-related homicide, Syracuse Truce boosts police presence in the impacted area. Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler says this “selective enforcement,” is due to the economic downturn of Syracuse. These sporadic Syracuse Truce initiatives ensure neighborhoods are left in good hands when the SPD moves on by forming neighborhood watch groups. The city of Syracuse is looking to improve its education system, too. Chief Fowler says the city is trying to focus more on the youngsters because Syracuse’s low high school graduation rate inevitably leads to high crime rates. Things are looking up: In June 2016, the Syracuse City School District’s graduation rate was 60.9 percent, the highest in ten years.
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nine percent of the cities in the U.S. The overall crime rate is 51 percent higher than the national average and 118 percent higher than the rest of New York. The occurrence of violent crimes in Syracuse is nearly 110 percent higher than all of New York. In an impoverished city with high crime rates, it’s difficult for the youth to seek positive role models, Ryan says. He hopes to change that. “What he’s doing is a great start for the village coming back, showing our children there is someone out there who cares,” says Stephanie Harris-Redfield, Ryan’s cousin. “There are people out there to help, you don’t have to walk alone.”
roams the school every morning from the 7:46 a.m. opening to the very last bell at 2:26 p.m. Walkie-talkie in hand, Ryan monitors the high school, patrolling the hallways and checking classrooms ensuring students are where they should be. His reassuring voice grows louder, “Everybody go to class!” he says to the students aimlessly wandering the halls. “I want to make sure they’re going to class, get them motivated, and make a difference in their lives: that’s my motivation for what you see me doing,” he says. The teachers at Corcoran have a lot on their plate, he says. “I fill in the blanks where the teachers can’t, that’s so important right
Ryan works with the Corcoran High School in order to alleviate violence in the local school district. At CHS, Ryan has
there because they get frustrated but I want to avoid that.” One time, Ryan stepped in during
the authority of a beloved teacher. Once he steps into the school, he’s in mentormode, aspiring to be a role model for the
an altercation with two male students. Ryan’s walkie-talkie summoned him to the principal’s office: a student was in trouble
high schoolers. “Hey, OG,” “Hey, mister!” the students call to Ryan in passing. Ryan
and the school wanted Ryan’s assistance. The boy was quiet as the principal asked
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him the details of the fight, but the boy wouldn't budge. Ryan jumped in, taking the role of a guidance counselor, asking all the right questions, being stern yet somehow
removed from violence, Ryan says he has turned his life around. Although OGs Against Violence started because of Ryan’s son, it has grown to be something more. “It
maintaining his father-like aura. “We have to stop the violence here before it spills into the streets,” Ryan says to the high school freshman. When asked if he has a favorite
was very important to [Ryan] that not only he reach out for our family members but to other family members who had to bury their children due to gun violence and senseless
student, Ryan shakes his head. He tries to learn all of their names so he can get to know them on a more personal level, in order to check up on them and make sure they’re
crimes,” Harris-Redfield says.
present in class and earning passing grades. He taps one student in a sea of bustling high schoolers racing to get to lunch. Ryan brings the student, Avanttay Robinson, over to talk and asks if he can see the grade Robinson received on a test. After shuffling through layers of crumpled loose-leaf paper in his backpack, the young man hands over a C+ exam. “He’s just what I need, this kind of person in my life,” Robinson says. “I like all my classes now.” Ryan, now 53, carries himself with a swagger that makes him a natural mentor on the streets. Talking people down from violence comes easy to Ryan—he knows exactly what to say to the person holding a gun because he used to be that person. Rachel George, a longtime friend, attributes his smooth talking abilities to his confidence. “He’s got this aura around him. You have no choice but to respect him and hear what his message stands for—no choice but to listen to him. He’s got that kind of power in the community that not a lot of people have,” George says. But before Ryan took to the streets to advocate against violence, he served prison time for domestic violence, something he’s not proud of. Now 35 years
Since Ryan began OGs Against Violence in 2015, he has stopped more than 100 fights.
Not everyone can live like OG, though. Ryan walks the entire city on foot every day; sometimes to the West Side, sometimes the South Side, and sometimes he just wanders. He rarely asks for a ride. However impactful, Ryan's demanding, daily schedule has its drawbacks: many are not up to the rigorous days, and he has struggled to grow a team. “It’s empowering to see him and to know he’s out there and
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he’s by himself,” George says. “He started with three or four other people, but they
owes a lot of his success to. Ryan stands at the corner of Butternut
drifted and that’s fine. It happens when you’re starting a movement.” Ryan’s actions have turned him into a citywide celebrity. In addition to his work
Street and a group of school-aged children walks by. “ Hey, mister!” the oldest girl exclaims when she sees Ryan. He recognizes her and asks her why she wasn’t in school
on the streets, Ryan was appointed to the Syracuse Citizen Review Board last November. Now, through the Board, he also works directly with the community
that day; she claims she was. He then asks them to take a photo with his signs for them to share on Facebook. Smiling, the students grab the signs and Ryan snaps a photo on
and the Syracuse Police Department. “We cannot be in every neighborhood at all times, so we need the eyes and ears of the public to let us know what is happening,” says Sargent Richard Helterline. Ryan has become an integral part to the safety of Syracuse in a short time. “He’s literally out on the streets, mediating issues between rivals—be they gang related or not,” says Mark Cass, the executive director of The Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse. “We also hear in his vision wanting to build broader and, in effect, change the community.” When OGs Against Violence started, Ryan went to his cousin Lanika Mabrey for help creating a poster. He started with a dainty, cardboard poster, but then realized that wouldn’t do the job. Ultimately, he
his phone. An hour later, the photo is on social media, garnering likes by the minute. The OG Against Violence Facebook page showcases an abundance of photos of fans holding his signs, ranging from babies to elders. Ryan has a heavy social media presence: the page has nearly 2,000 likes and is constantly being updated. Ryan wants to expand OGs Against Violence to cities comparable to Syracuse and is already in contact with people from Compton and Chicago. He points to a large white van, big enough to fit a small army. “You see that van right there? That’s what I’m gonna get and I’m gonna drive all over town,” he says. Ryan plans on spraypainting “OGs Against Violence” across the van and ride cross-country. “That’s what we need!" he says. "We’ve
asked Mabrey to make him one he could pin to the front and back of his body with “OGs Against Violence” scrawled across.
got a violent epidemic going on in our country with the young urban community that needs to be addressed because for our
Ryan’s signature sign stands out as he walks the streets. Everywhere he goes he carries his three-by-five foot sign and sometimes holds more than one. These signs are his brand, something he
community to grow and flourish we have to get rid of the violence.” As the colossal white van speeds down Salina Street, Ryan smiles. Soon enough, he will be the one behind the wheel. JM
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Though Ryan has a passion for protecting Syracuse, he hopes to expand OGs Against Violence in the coming years.
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Behind the screens Jerk touches base with three SU students to find out how they use their social media platforms to become media moguls. By Jackie Frere : Photographs provided Austin Henry Wallace knows his way around a photo studio. The 22-year-old graduate student pulls out a sheet of metal, locks it into four sturdy clamps, and sets a wooden stool in front of the shiny material. Wallace is a natural at portrait photography, even if his subjects aren’t; he makes them feel at ease with encouraging words and modeling tips. He strolls over to his phone, blasts a throwback Spotify hip-hop playlist, and immediately starts signing along to Soulja Boy’s “Kiss Me Through the Phone.” Wallace keeps his studio fun and calm—his subjects are his friends. As he shoots, his Instagram account racks up hundreds of likes and followers, and fan mail trickles into his email, because just a few weeks ago, he photographed controversial Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte in his Los Angeles hotel room. Photographing someone famous is becoming a habit for Wallace, and his 33,500 Instagram followers have
adults turn to social media for an average of 10 hours per day. A 2016 Pew Research Center study says 86 percent of Americans ages 18-29 use at least one social media site. Ten years ago, only 16 percent of young adults used social media to engage with others. Despite older generations still telling us to get off the phone over a decade later, millennials now use social media to their advantage. They’re creating their own platforms and quickly gaining a following. For some, this leads to partnerships with brands, making a major profit—popular YouTuber PewDiePie grossed $15 million last year—and reaching followers worldwide. Most influencers who have these platforms stick to YouTube and Instagram, despite Facebook dominating 84 percent of college students’ time online. It’s not uncommon for the social media moguls to showcase their brand on more than one
noticed. But, unlike many popular social media users, Wallace doesn’t call himself an influencer. He just has the opportunity to
medium. It’s fundamental to dedicate as much time possible to the craft in order to get thousands of views in mere minutes.
photograph the private lives of celebrities and give people a intimate look into their lives in the age of FOMO.
Social media isn’t just fun anymore—it’s a job. Take a deeper look into how three
In order to keep up with their friends, celebs, and the news around them, young
Syracuse students turned their social media use into careers. JM
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Austin Wallace Platform: Instagram Handle: @austinhenrywallace Followers: 33,500+ Wallace quit working at Chick-fil-A because he was sick of following their rules. “I had to change who I was,” he says. "My smile, my beard, the way I talked. I hated it.” Fast forward a few years later, the multimedia, photography, and design graduate student now displays a generous array of celebrity portraits on his Instagram thanks to his newfound passion for photography. Wallace grew up in Chino Hills, California, near social-media-turnedNetflix star Cameron Dallas. Before Dallas became a famous Vine personality, Wallace would photograph him whenever he could. Then when Dallas got big, Wallace’s career started to take off as well. He followed Dallas to MagCon, a traveling convention showcasing the latest young social media
concerts in Los Angles, Buffalo, Syracuse, and New York City. This lead to a personal relationship with Barker, and Wallace had the opportunity to work with other stars like Christy Carlson Romano of Even Stevens and Kim Possible. She reached out to him to take her pregnancy shots, and Wallace’s photos became an exclusive spread for People magazine. Since then, he’s photographed celebrities such as Zedd and Ryan Lochte. But despite his connections and beautiful portraits, Wallace believes he still has a lot to learn. “I don’t consider myself an influencer,” he says. “My Instagram is just a gallery of my best work.” Although his account is a professional portfolio, Wallace is humbled when young photographers reach out to him for
talent. There he photographed up-andcoming stars and met Alabama Barker, the daughter of Blink-182’s Travis Barker.
inspiration. He has many goals planned for his future. He wants to shoot a celebrity in every genre of entertainment—particularly
Through her he met her dad, and they became good friends. After photographing Barker and his family a few times, Wallace had the opportunity to shoot Blink-182’s
music—and he ultimately wants to become a photography professor when he is older. But the number one person he wants to take photographs of: Kanye West, of course.
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Jordyn Rosenberg Platform: YouTube Handle: jordynrebeccaXO Subscribers: 33,973
When Jordyn Rosenberg created her first YouTube videos on her MacBook in high school, she was too nervous to put them up. She didn’t upload her videos to YouTube until her mom found them on her computer and insisted Rosenberg create a channel—she knew her daughter had a talent for entertainment. Fifteen-year-old Rosenberg began creating beauty tutorials for her fans, and as she grew up, so did her content.
Her channel is something that sets her apart from most college students, and it has helped her achieve internships at E! Entertainment and partner with brands, like Ditto. But, Rosenberg says YouTube has changed dramatically since she first started posting videos. The best way to get noticed was by creating friends online and getting “shoutouts” in their videos. The YouTube community was smaller, so it was easier to get noticed, but now anyone can post
Now a senior, she says she loves talking about her college life and giving advice based off her personal life. “I think it’s so
anything, anytime thanks to smartphones. Rosenberg says that having a quality camera and consistently posting original,
cool to be there for someone who may not have a best friend or mom to talk to, and I do that in my videos,” Rosenberg says. Creating videos has not only honed her filming and editing skills, but also steered
relatable content is what will help a channel gain subscribers—which is the number one thing she struggles with in college. “It’s not easy,” Rosenberg says “there’s a reason why professional YouTubers don’t go to
her to become a television, radio, and film major.
school. But, it’s a way to practice things I love, and it’s my outlet.”
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Margot Lee Platform: YouTube Handle: margotleevlogs Subscribers: 121,202
Most people know Margot De Riemer as Margot Lee. The freshman broadcast and digital journalism major started creating YouTube videos with her best friends in middle school, and it just clicked. De Riemer says she came to SU with around 49,000 subscribers, but within her first semester she gained an additional 60,000 because college life is a popular topic. Because De Riemer has such a large fan base, she has the ability to make the channel whatever she wants. Her videos largely cover fashion and lifestyle, but
more obscure like Princess Polly Boutique and the more well known Thrive Market have reached out to De Riemer to partner with her and pay her for promoting their products or services on her channel. She makes up to $4,000 a video, but it’s a process, she says. The company takes a look at the videos first and can make editorial comments before she posts. She has realized it can be difficult to manage time and sponsorships while she’s at school. “Even though it’s a creative thing, YouTube, it’s a business thing,” De Riemer says. “I
she also uses it as a platform to talk about serious issues like environmental problems. Often she partners with her friends to talk about health topics like Lyme disease— something most of her followers may
have to know how much a video is worth.” The YouTuber is considering hiring a manager to be the middleman between her and the brands and manage the workload. However, De Riemer made it clear she
be uninformed about. Margot Lee posts about one video per week for fans, which occasionally includes a sponsored post.
doesn’t want to be a YouTuber after graduation. She’s not sure what she’ll do after she graduates, but for now her main
As her popularity has grown over the past few months, more advertisers, from the
goal for her channel is to inspire someone to make a positive change in their life. JM
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SOFAR, SO GOOD Dedicated to bringing intimacy back to live music, Sofar Sounds secret concert venues are every hipsters wet dream. By Vanessa Rojas-Castillo : Photography by Claudia McCan
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A small dimly lit room within Spark Contemporary Art Space on the corner of Crouse Avenue and E. Fayette St. buzzes on a Thursday night in January. Ticket holders
Sounds’ origin is Each show aims to music’s authenticity performance. Sofar
file in, one by one, and sit next to strangers blindly arriving to a performance so secret that they don’t even know the lineup. Looking around, there are about 40 other people in the audience. String lights held upbyan old hook shine the perfect amount of light onto the first act of the night. Guys who were audience members just minutes ago walk onto the carpet at the front of the room to begin the show. A 20-something-year-old wearing a flannel and a beanie introduces himself then starts to strum his guitar. Austin Bonk, from Clinton Corners, N.Y., captures the audience with his first song. The crowd is silent, listening to each instrument, and focusing on the sounds. A concert like this has never been done before in Syracuse. This is Sofar Sounds' inaugural show
raw emotion of the artist with minimal equipment, creating a very real and bare ambiance. Each month, all of Sofar’s 300 cities worldwide host a secret performance for an audience who must apply for a ticket before knowing where the concert is. Sofar has created a network of fans by forcing audience members to interact with each other and enjoy the experience with strangers who share the same appreciation for acoustic performances. “At a Sofar Sounds show, you really get to hear the music, since itis very stripped down. Everyone is here for the music which is really awesome,” says Neema Ya Mungu, a graduate student at SU. Neema has been to five Sofar Sounds shows throughout the world, including some in New York,
in the city. Jessica Berenson brought Sofar Sounds to Syracuse this January, and in turn, ushered in an age of exclusive yet
Canada, and London. She lists the newly established Syracuse chapter as Sofar’s latest accomplishment for its ability to
inclusive live music in the city. Departure from rowdy, loud basement shows, Sofar Sounds champions acoustic chill vibes. “Our mission isto bring people back to more genuine live performances,” Berenson says.
bring so many different types of audience members together. If you’re feeling up to the Sofar experience, the next concert in Syracuse is on March 25th. Jerk doesn’t know who is performing or where—you’ll
Founded in London in 2010, Sofar
exceptionally artistic. remind the crowd of through an intimate Sounds captures the
just have to wait and see.JM
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unpresidented GAWK
Fur Coat: Model’s Own Shirt: silence + noise $29.99 Pants: Lavish Alice $78 Choker: Free People $10 Chain Necklace: Zara $10
Helvetica and minimalism ruled 2016, but the first three months of the new year have been nothing short of a chaotic shitshow. If the facts are getting alternative, so will the clothes: we wear our hoodies backwards and flaunt metallics with earth tones. Wear sunglasses indoors, layer a men’s button-up under your favorite bodycon, and smear lipstick on your lids—we don’t know what’s going on in 2017, either.
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Stylists: Hairol Ma, Trusha Bhatt, Nick Della Sala, Ramona Yun Assistant: Tiffany Moran Hair: Giovanni Quattrone
Photographer: Alec Erlebacher Art Direction: Zifan Wang Illustrator: Bobby Davison Models: Noel Chisaka, Nikko
GAWK
GAWK FEATURE
Hoodie: Topman $60
unpresidented unpresidented
GAWK FEATURE chaos chaos chaos chaos chaos
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Overshirt: Topman $85 Pants: Zara $25 Shoes: Model’s own
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conform
ref Shirt: Nasty Gal $13.99 Dress: Rare London $28.00 Shoes: Zara $45.99 Hair Pick: Free People $12 Bobby Pin: Free People $10
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no sense no sense
Boots: T.U.K. $105 Blue Hoodie: silence + noise $59
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Left: Jacket: Bodega $120 Earrings: Nasty Gal $20 Right: Sweater: Model’s own Pants: Asos $61 Shoes: Zara $20
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Shirt: Vetememes $100 Pants: Zara $29.99 Rings: Model’s own Bangles: Model’s own Choker: Nasty Gal $16
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BAD Supreme x Louis Vuitton
Supreme “borrowing” the monogrammed Louis
Vuitton logo back in 2000 is water under the bridge with the brands’ new collection. Switching from lawsuits to tracksuits, Louis Vuitton and Supreme dream up trunks, apparel, and even skateboard decks. The merged LV monogram and Supreme box logo is obnoxious or iconic, but it’s clear that high fashion and street style are officially no longer mutually exclusive. WHAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD: NikeLab COMME des GARCONS, $290: shoes Key Ring,Dunk $340:HiItxonly makes sense to buy a key These ring that costs more than actual keys.but you get as many new looks as you have socks. mightyour be Dzinvisible,
Vetements x Champion The love story between anti-high-fashion, luxury brand Vetements and the ever-sporty Champion line begun in 2014, when the former used Champion’s logo without permission. However, Champion let it slide provided that they produce an authorized collection together.The capsule dropped in December 2016 and is still available in limited quantities on ssense.com, but we're suprised it took them so long. WHAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD: NikeLabShorts, Dunk Hi$590: x COMME deson GARCONS, $290: These shoes might Lounge Skip out next month’s rent to cop a pair of be elongated Dzinvisible,boxers. but you get as many new looks as you have funky socks.
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DX Illustration by Laura Mead
STRIPPED
Nike x COMME des GARÇONS
Japanese high-fashion house COMME des GARÇONS has a history of working with shoe companies, teaming up with both Converse and Timberland in 2015. However, the brand has moved on from canvas high-tops to see-through dunks in a new series of Nike footwear collaborations. With multiple shoes recently and soon-tobe released in the following m o n t h s , COMME des G A R Ç O N S serves a J a p a n e s e streetwear a e s t h e t i c and combines it with Nike’s thoughtful, responsive design, giving fans a spectrum of sneaks to choose from. WHAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD: NikeLab Dunk Hi x COMME des GARCONS, $290: These shoes might be Dzinvisible, but you get as many new looks as you have funky socks.
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Ain't No SuNshine
This winter, get the D you need—Vitamin D. Seasonal Affective Disorder dispraportionately effects students at colleges in the Northeast. By Brendan Germain We've all been there: It's the third week in March, you haven't seen the sun in exactly four months, all the snow on the ground is stained a pungent shade of mud and tar, and you've listened to Bright Eyes' discography on loop since your roommate introduced you to Conor Oberst's relatable, whiny voice. It’s easy to blame feeling down on the weather during the wet, grey months but shrugging off those "down days" may amount to something more serious: Seasonal affective disorder. SAD, as it's somewhat appropriately referred to is a form of depression that manifests itself around the same time every year based on changes in weather or the environment. In Syracuse, where the weather changes faster than the Marshall Street storefront that used to be Sliders, one thing is consistent: snow. During the 2015-2016 winter, the city of Syracuse saw 71.6 inches of snow making it the snowiest city in the country. Despite clocking in 29.4 inches shorter than the usual average of 100 inches of now, Syracuse is consistently snowy from October until May. There's a certain point where the near-constant snowfall is more oppressive than whimsical. SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES Symptoms of SAD include a loss of interest in activities, changes in your appetite or weight, and even suicidal thoughts, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. These symptoms are mostly caused by changes in sunlight.
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Even changes in sleep patterns can cause similar symptoms and offset the body’s levels of serotonin and melatonin—the hormones that regulate your sleep and appetite—causing a cycle of self-actualizing symptoms. At first glance it can be difficult to see patterns with SAD. Especially when you have a paper and two exams due in one week, you're semi-starved due to horrendous dining hall food, and the caffeine fails to do the trick anymore, it's hard to realize whether what you're feeling is due to stress or a more serious cause. It can take several weeks to recognize full symptoms and is often misdiagnosed as other conditions like hypoglycemia and mono. The main culprit for SAD is a lack of sunlight, and Central New York isn't exactly the land of sunshine. However, disordered behavior could also be correlated with latitude. The Center for Environmental Therapeutics (CET) reports fewer cases of SAD in southern areas with a rising trend moving north. But the curve stops at a certain point, reaching what has been called a "ceiling effect." The CET says whether you live in Kentucky, Colorado, Montana, or Maine you have the same chance of being affected by SAD since all those states lie in the same latitudinal bracket as this 'ceiling effect". Although there appears to be a trend between geographic location and SAD, Dr. Ronald Pies, Professor of Psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University has his
doubts. Pies notes, “North America has and if not done through the University, twice as many cases of SAD as Europe there would be an added expense for does.” From a study at the University students. Stigma surrounds those seeking Hospital Groningen in the Netherlands, treatment, especially at the Counseling Pies added that this “suggests that the Center. Students with depression or SAD lower light levels at more northerly symptoms remain hesitant to seek help or latitudes are not the only factor.” Pies counseling, worried they'll be perceived as included cultural stressors like poor social “just being lazy, being unmotivated, or for support or difficulties at work on top of cultural reasons” Wallack points out. geographic location as possible causes of Others might look for support through SAD. prescription medication. But the cost of For students in particular, it can be medical scripts runs high, and with light difficult to adequately diagnose the therapy delivering similar results to disorder based on behaviors alone. prescription meds, it is the most widely Academic stress and interpersonal used option. Mimicking outdoor light, the box contains fluorescent bulbs, which stimulate the brain’s level of the chemical melatonin, to improve body temperature, hormone levels, and sleep patterns. The box needs at least 10,000 lux of illumination to be effective. In a Columbia University study, researchers found that of the more than 100 patients treated with 30 minutes of this level of exposure, 75 percent showed major improvement of depressive symptoms. These lamps give off illuminations that can range anywhere from five to 20 times more intense than traditional incandescent bulbs. The varying degrees of emission from the boxes is key to both the time needed for exposure—among those using boxes with only 2,500 lux illuminations —and the potential effects per individual. This form of treatment is not regulated by the FDA, because it is not considered a form of “medication.” Without the FDA's approval, relationship concerns continue to be a it can be difficult for insurance companies source of difficulty and frustration. to cover the cost of the $350+ device. However, “those other struggles are the This form of treatment still produces result of the depressive feelings, not the some doubts. “There are certainly cause of them. It can be hard to separate significant numbers of students that are out sometimes,” notes Cory Wallack, still skeptical of seeking help,” Wallack says. director of SU’s Counseling Center. Especially if getting help means sitting in front of a box of lightbulbs. TREATMENT OPTIONS Marissa Mignatti, a student at Pace University, says her mood improved after Treatments for SAD include using a light therapy device. Given to her psychotherapy, prescription medications, as gift, the device costs around $200, she or light therapy. Individual therapy estimated, but it was not covered by her sessions are an added time commitment, insurance provider. Mignatti set up the box
"Students with depression or SAD symptoms remain hesitant to seek help or counseling, worried they'll be perceived as 'just being lazy, being unmotivated,' or for cultural reasons."
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75% of participants in one Columbia University study showed improvement with light therapy
40%
30%
of college students reported they felt Symptoms usu"so depressed that it ally present for was difficult to 40% of the year, funciton," according according to to the American ColAmerican Family lege Health AssociaPhysician Journal tion
5-13%
of people in the United States live with SAD, according to American Family Physician Journal
Women are four times more likely than men to experience SAD -American Family Physician Journal
SAD is most common at Northeastern colleges... like Syracuse -Bates College Health Center 50 3.17
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%
o
nal
in her dorm room and uses it after waking up in the morning, the optimal time for exposure. Sarah Lewis, an alumnus of the College of New Jersey, was diagnosed with depression but says she struggled in the winter months. Lewis was never formally diagnosed with SAD, but her psychiatrist suggested she begin light therapy, but as a result was doubtful insurance would pay for an light box. In the end the light boxes do not require a prescription. Lewis says a member of the family used an LT Box who had previously been treated for depression, and experienced a hypomanic episode. Researchers at Columbia found this side effect in a small minority of patients. Regulating light box use is usually monitored by professionals, but using them in more personal or communal settings has been more prevalent. Libraries and student centers on campuses at Millersville University and Ithaca College have already started installing fluorescent boxes in student study lounges. Pamela McLaughlin, Director of Communications and External Relations for the Syracuse University’s Libraries says that suggestions for lightboxes haven't come through their suggestion box or their social media channels. Terriruth Carrier, the Libraries’ Assistant Dean for Programs, Analytics and Facilities Management also noted she’s never been asked about these boxes being implemented. Campus climate remains the key issue for members of the SU community looking to bring these devices to the Hill, breaking the stigma and offering more accessible support. “I don’t think students would ask for these boxes,” notes Bridget Yule, Director of Student Centers and Programming Services (SCPS) at SU. In an ambiently lit office, Yule discussed how students looking to reap the benefits of them may be hesitant to ask the administration. Yule suggests that if the lightboxes are to be installed that they be inconspicuous. “I don’t want students to feel like they’re being ‘looked at’ for using them," she says. Yule suggests a less overt method, such as
dimmable desk or floor lamps that pack the same amount of energy as the typical light boxes. Yule is open to suggestions from students, and understands the stigma of seeking this form of assistance. "Walking to class, in the gray, on my way to an exam, feeling like crap… I don’t know that experience," she says, "but I think for now [the light boxes] are our best bet." If you or anybody you know is experiencing these symptoms, it's crucial that you seek out treatment. It might be easy to neglect warning signs now, but nothing's more important than your mental health. JM
Call the Counseling Center at 315-443-4715 to make an appointment.
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JERK'S DECLASSIFIED
TRUMP SURVIVAL GUIDE
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NOISE
So it actually happened, guys...
We at Jerk understand that in light of recent political turmoil and events that it would be easy to just quit politics and life altogether and go underground to live in a world filled with comfort food and endlessly stream the liberal fantasy known as The West Wing. Another option, especially for enraged, informed millennials—who now eclipse Baby Boomers as the largest voting bloc—is to combat this administration head on. And Jerk is here to help you navigate the murky waters of Trump’s America, avoid being a total cynical shell of human being, and maybe even enact actual change.
In Her Own Words On page 22 you met Dana Cloud, an openly liberal communications and rhetorical studies professor at SU. Even after being placed on a conservative group's watchlist for expressing her politics in the classroom, Cloud teaches us to resist. “There are so many appalling consequences of the Trump regime’s agenda that if people weren’t involved in activism before, they should be involved in activism now. Protests actually pressure elected officials and judges to take actions that they may not have taken the initiative to do before. Historically speaking, the most "changes for the better" in American society and around the
Protesting works. It is the only thing that has ever worked. Now is the time to be active, and we need everybody on board. We’re not just going to wave a sign and then go home, we can actually put enough pressure on the system that it would have to give in. The point isn’t to be constantly involved: it’s to be intelligently involved and to work with others so you don’t have to bear the burden of
world come under pressure from protest. My favorite examples come from the Nixon administration—he was forced to do a number
social change on your own shoulders. It’s such a relief. You realize that you’re not alone, and that other people are carrying that weight with
of very progressive things under his administration, because in the late 60's and early 70's the streets were awash in protests. Hundreds of thousands of women marched for abortion rights, for the freedom of choice, so
you. There can be a joy in that camaraderie and knowing that you made history with some other people. The only way to not to lose hope is to get involved, because otherwise you might not
his supreme court handed down Roe v. Wade which legalized abortion in the US.
know that people are fighting back.” As told to Jerk staff by Dana Cloud.
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NOISE
SLACKTIVISM
The news might be fake and the facts might be alternative, but your anger is real. That article has unleashed a digital blood thirst that can only be quenched in the comments section, but there's a better outlet. Being a keyboard warrior is the laziest and lowest form of political engagement there is. Here’s how you can tell if you’ve been letting all that rage go to waste in the Twittersphere.
When you see something that offends you on the internet do you... Rage into a 1,000-word, expletive-filled rant on making ad-hominem attacks on the poster, letting them know just how worthless they are for not having the same values as you.
OR
Move on with your life because you're attending a peaceful protest in a half hour.
When given the chance to take a big ol’ crack in the glass ceiling by electing an accomplished and competent woman to rule the free world do you... Rest on your laurels, believing there’s no way a meme can win the presidency when no major scandal has taken him out thus far.
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Get the fuck off your ass and vote.
NOISE When you are presented with the option to sign a petition or write your congressman do you... Think to yourself, "One voice can’t make a difference," before writing a Facebook post on how American politics is a total shit show that needs change NOW!
OR
Take the three goddamn seconds to sign the petition and 10 minutes to call your local representative because American politics is a total shit-show that needs change NOW!
When you see a protest on television do you...
OR
Complain that they’re a bunch of crybabies while sitting on the couch in your underwear.
Find a healthy and acceptable outlet to voice your opinions so that a respectful and informed dialogue can occur.
When you see that people are being systemically marginalized or discriminated against do you... Start a tweet, add a fist emoji, a hashtag and call it a day
OR
Go out and protest in support of or with that group, send money to advocacy groups, or talk to community leaders about it. Or literally anything requiring more effort than writing a tweet.
Pussy Power Sarah Kulbersh, a senior geography major, attended the Women's March on Washington with five of her close friends.
After the seven-hour drive from Syracuse, New York to Bethesda, Maryland, I woke up on Jan. 21 ready to hit the streets of Washington D.C. I pulled on my "Smash the Patriarchy" shirt and took the Metro downtown. I arrived at the March ay 9:30 a.m. with signs that read "GOP hands off me" and "This pussy grabs back." It was a beautiful sight with the Capitol as the backdrop. My friends and I stood in a sea of people watching speeches for about five hours. I could barely feel my feet by the end of it, but I was ready for the March. The March began around 3:30 p.m. and lasted until 6 p.m. The goal was to storm the White House and overflow the streets of Washington D.C. It felt amazing to be part of such an empowering, united front. I will never shake the passion I felt at the March.
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PROBLEMATIC FRIENDS THE KIDS ARE
-RIGHT
Have phrases like cuck, alternative facts, and bigly slipped into your friends’ vocabulary? Have they liked articles from Breitbart or shared memes featuring a certain Commander in Cheeto? Did they un-ironically buy Make America Great Again hats? Jerk has a guide on how approach your friends’ recent slip into white nationalism.
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1. IDENTIFY
What was that? Did someone just say that Muslims should go home and climate change is a myth created by the Chinese? Who could it be? And did Dave get a Bush-Reagan shirt with the xenophobia or separately?
2. CONFRONT
Don’t be aggressive and lecture them on how homophobia, racism, sexism, and plenty of other -isms are all kinds of messed up for a modern society. We’ll work up to that. Simply ask them if they said, "xyz," and if they meant it. If they respond using the phrases cuck or fake news, you can take that as a yes.
3. DISCUSS
Ask them questions to open up a dialogue about their ideas beliefs and why they believe other human beings should have fewer rights because of where they were born, what religion they practice, or any other arbitrary signifier. At least attempt to understand their side of things and try not to laugh if they quote Kellyanne Conway.
4. AVOID CONDESCENSION
Your three credits of PSC 121 don't make you God of Truth and Justice, and neither did your five-minute look at The Skimm during lunch before you went back to browsing Instagram. So take it easy there, and step off the soapbox for a second.
5. REMOVE FROM ECHO CHAMBER
Where they have Fox News, give them PBS Newshour. Where they read Breitbart, show them The New York Times. They’ll be bored to death, but maybe more reasonable when half asleep. If Trump can flip-flop on his policies in a matter of months, then maybe they can too.
6. ACCEPT
You’re not going to change everybody overnight and most people won’t change at all. Maybe you could give them a different perspective at least or open up a healthy dialogue between people of opposing views, which is more than Congress can say, so you’re already coming out ahead.
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REWIND
Beauty and the Beast Tale as old as time: white bitches coming out on top By Patty Terhune
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Growing up, my favorite Disney princess was unequivocally Belle. As if it could be anyone else. Where else could I find a white, brunette princess? Representation is so important. I viewed Belle as the only Disney princess who reads books, so the implicitly hegemonic, anti-feminist, and holier-thanthou child version of myself loved her. Belle made a little nerd who chose to stay in and read at recess instead of play with other students confident that she, too, could one day find love—if a monster imprisons her
connections and para-social interactions for monetary gain. Take my money so I can enjoy two hours of nostalgia and a new generation can enjoy the simple pleasures of plates dancing. Without implicating myself too much with sexual verbiage about soft, leatherbound books, I also really appreciated the strength she had in taking her father’s position as prisoner of her future lover. Belle took control of her destiny while locked in a cell—talk about girl power. I use the sarcasm to mask the fact that I
in his castle, of course. The scene at the beginning when she slides a ladder down a line of books still sends shivers down my spine. There were so many books. And this month, I will be able to watch the live action
really do love Belle. I’m sure it’s problematic, bu it was cool to see that girls could be smart and actively shape their future. Fortunately or unfortunately, 7-year-old me definitely thought that was feminist as hell. I guess
version of it—just like 50 Shades of Gray. Keeping with the common literary canon of the content seekers of today in
it's like when I cheered watching Hermione Granger slap Draco in Harry Potter. But, hey, feminism comes in all shapes and sizes. And
mind, it’s definitely not a coincidence that Emma Watson was cast for the new, liveaction movie. You can’t fool me, Hollywood, trying to capitalize on my subconscious
I will probably pay way too much money to watch some cheapened version of it on the big screens at Destiny USA.JM
JERK
BUZZFEED
NO JUDGMENT
THE DEAL: For those of you that no longer have to take news quizzes, Buzzfeed published a dossier on Jan. 10 alleging that Trump has deep ties to Russia that could lead to the manipulation of our government. The document, which contained 35 pages of unconfirmed information at the time of publication, resulted in Golden-Shower-Gate. The dossier states that Trump hired Russian prostitutes to piss on a bed where the Obamas had previously slept—an exponentially high level of pettiness—which sounds a lot like the Donald. THE ISSUE: Buzzfeed's attempts to become a full-fledged news outlet have been hampered by the fact that the site gained popularity over quizzes such as "How Trash are your Cheese Opinions?" The validity of the outlet, now backed by NBCUniversal, is questionable after these events. Buzzfeed’s CEO stated that they decided to publish the document so that “Americans can make up their own minds about the allegations about the president-elect that have circulated at the highest levels of the US government.” But it still begs the question as to why Buzzfeed thought it was a good idea to publish a document that even Mother Jones dropped because they couldn’t verify its facts. At press time, parts of the dossier were verfied—but not the most sensational details. THE (LARGER) ISSUE: Although the term “fake news” started with those bullshit-peddling clickbait articles your estranged aunt posts on Facebook, incidents of exaggeration have expanded this term to include reputable sources. Trump’s “call to action” against fake news is terrifyingly similar to the opening scene of V for Vendetta tweeting out on Feb. 6 that “Any negative polls are fake
towards every dystopian novel you ever read in high school. History has shown the dangers of publishing unverified news—see: Rolling Stone—and Buzzfeed should have known better. The month-late fact check does not erase Buzzfeed's initial, reckless editorial sense that led to the dossier's publication.
THE DEFENSE: Buzzfeed redefined the way our generation consumes media. Even big, bad Newhouse has become intertwined with the outlet, offering an entire class on Buzzfeed mean to “analyze the changing media landscape.” It mastered the idea of social sharing, raking in over 543 billion website visits globally per month, according to Quantcast. This statistic ranks them as the 11th most visited site in the U.S., which is no small feat. While its editors dropped the ball on this one, we have to give them credit for all they have accomplished: the site continues to publish high quality long form and powerful personal essays. Suffice it to say, they're doing the most. But maybe Buzzfeed teaches us a more important lesson: sometimes you just can't have it all. JM
news, just like the CNN, ABC, NBC polls in the election.” The media is the fourth estate, meant to keep the government in check and Buzzfeed is just feeding the fire of what Trump referred to as a “political witch hunt.” Calling the legitimacy of the media into question is the first step
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AMPLIFIED AMPLIFIED
MALVINAS Active since: 2014 | Sounds like: Vampire Weekend, Neutral Milk Hotel | What they Jerk to: Malvina Reynolds By Kennedy Rose : Photography by Austin Henry Wallace
Jerk Magazine: Why the name Malvinas? Andrea Buckvold：Malvinas comes from a folk singer in the 1960s named Malvina Reynolds, and she was a very radical lady. She was probably in her 60s or 70s when she came into folk music. She had been singing on her own but she kinda came to prominence when Woody Guthrie sang her songs. She’s relatively unknown, but a lot of her songs are well-known. All of us were interested in reviving women’s history and revive her name as this sort of radical woman. And so we originally started by taking some of her songs, sometimes just the melodies, and redoing them so they were punk/riot grrrl versions of her folk songs. JM: So how does one do punk with three ukuleles? AB: We’re very loud. And if you add in our bass, which is a steel pipe with a weedwhacker string, it makes for a very unusual sound when you get all of those in there together. JM: What exactly has Malvina Reynolds done to spark such an inspiration to make her your band name? AB: Joanna has a long list of women who are radical, intellectual women who fight for women’s rights, workers’ rights and
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all sorts of social justice issues that have been forgetten by history. She was just one of those people who kind of came late in life and blossomed into this amazing songwriter. Then when she died, her name died away as well. We want to create music that is emotive, but kind of radical social justice for women’s issues, racial issues, poverty, and throw it all into this basket of punk/riot grrrl/rage music for Syracuse. JM: How would you describe the band’s sound? Zeke Leonard: I feel like we, as a bandare there to support the vocalist and to support the words of the vocalist because it’s meant to be a political statement and a political band. JM: So how do three ukuleles fit into that picture? ZL: It’s the inclusiveness of it, and there’s a ridiculousness to the object that’s important. It implies a certain amount of questioning about what the hell you’re doing. “Why the hell am I playing this thing?" and "Why the hell are you playing this thing?" and "Why the hell are three of us playing this thing?” But then for the audience, it draws you in because you think, “What the hell am I even listening to here?”JM
SYNAPSE
TALKING HEADS Podcasts like Serial show that the medium can promote social awareness and change. Podcasts have grown as a platform for marginalized voices to find an audience , proving they are more than flash in the pan
PODCAST: Sooo Many White Guy Phoebe Robinson of "2 Dope Queens" spunoff with a podcast of her own this past June to highlight and talk with artists, comedians, TV personalities, and a bunch of other people who don’t fall into the category of “white dudes.” The title proves to be a bit of a misnomer for just one episode as comedian Mike Birbiglia is featured as a “token white guy." focused approach of "Sooo Many White Guys" leads to hilarious and poignant discussions on race, politics, and hair, among other topics.
PODCAST: The Linda Sarsour Show
PODCAST: No Totally
One of the leading organizers for the Women’s March on Washington, Linda Sarsour has the biggest political clout out of this group, but don’t mistake her for CSPAN. Sarsour provides some of the most entertaining and informative podcasts
Shaun Lau started his first podcast just talking about movies. He's described his program as “slightly less entertaining than the entertaining movie podcasts, and slightly less knowledgeable than the really smart movie podcasts.” As "No, Totally!"
around with episodes like “Name that Islamophobe” and “Make America Racist Again.” Sarsour is an important voice in the
evolves it features more politically active guests such as Muslim activist Laila Alawa and disability rights advocate Vilissa
crowd of podcasters that deserves to be amplified, even more so with the Trump administration’s increased efforts to target
Thompson, and discussed the importance of films and media beyond the screen. Lau gets particularly involved with
Muslim refugees.
representation of minorities and Hollywood. It's in these discussions that "No, Totally!" elevates itself from being just another film podcast. JM
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DISCOVERSYR
STACKS ON STACKS Located just 45 minutes off the Hill, you can find a restored circa-1805 barn that holds thousands of raggedy, rare, and new books behind its walls. By Natali Partigianoni : Photography Courtesy of Book Barn of the Finger Lakes
Tucked away down a gravel drive sits a red, rustic, 19th century barn in the rural village of Dryden, New York. Barren trees line either side of the road and give off an eerie vibe. Rather than emitting a pungent odor of manure and farm animals, the barn smells of aging paper. This is the Book Barn of the Finger Lakes, home
unusual home. The endless stretch of titles spans the store from floor to ceiling. There is room for just one person to walk through the aisles at a time. The collection of books is all eccentric in its own way, but not nearly as eccentric as the man who runs the show: Vladimir Dragan, a Cornell
to two and half miles worth of bookshelves stocked with over 364 categories of books. Scattered stacks of book surround the doorway,
University alum who studied architecture and bought the barn when he was a teenager. Dragan saved the barn, built in 1805, from
hinting at the thousands that hide inside. A set of rules hangs to the right of the red-stained door, urging customers to be gentle with the dated, fragile books. Several cats linger around the entrance, welcoming customers into their
demolition after he saw it had potential. Instead of demolishing the barn, Dragan opted to rebuild the structure with wood from the surrounding trees. His barn is his pride and joy. “My store is like a mine,” Dragan says.
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“It’s about finding that one book that you find interesting. You can’t do that on the internet. In here, you can look at the cover, read the book, and find surprises that you didn’t know about. I try to make the store fun for customers—it’s a lot of work for me, but I like making it fun for you.” The barn is located in one of New York’s greatest tourist attraction regions, customers travel from all over the country to browse the barn’s seemingly endless maze of books. Hundreds of respected authors also double as loyal customers, signing the doors in testament to this hidden sanctuary. The Book Barn of the Finger Lakes is a place to go when you need an escape from Syracuse’s constant bustle, where you can lose yourself in books you actually want to read, and easily spend an entire day exploring. JM
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SPEAKEASY
We caught up with Aminatou Sow, the co-founder of TechLadyMafia and co-host of the "Call Your Girlfriend" podcast, to talk resistance, how college students can stay informed, and why everyone should be following Chrissy Teigen on Twitter. By Caroline Schagrin Jerk Magazine: What issues are you most passionate about right now? Aminatou Sow: I am really, really, really, really, passionate about all issues that affect women because they're so intertwined and really affect a really large population. It makes me really enraged that we see very little progress at a time. Obviously things have changed leaps and bounds, but it's learning that women couldn't get credit cards in the 70s without their husband's permission and stuff that drives me crazy. JM: How do you suggest we fight against those issues, especially as college students? AS: I think that really staying informed and staying vigilant about how your rights are being curtailed is really, really important because a lot of people don't realize how incremental those shifts can be and I think
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now people are conflating a lot resistance with just very basic civic duties. There's not a new direction or something groundbreaking that is going to happen, but I think that we can learn a lot from what has happened in the past and this country has a really rich history of resistance and demonstration. JM: Who are three people everyone needs to be following on Twitter? AS: Zoe Kazan, who is an actor and activist and just a fantastic person. Jamelle Bouie, who is at Slate is a great writer and truth-teller. Garance Franke-Ruta, she is at Yahoo, and I read her feed everyday to stay on top of the news because she shares the most comprehensive here's everything you missed. Otherwise, everyone should just follow Chrissy Teigen.
that college campuses are really important places to learn activism and to really push boundaries on your involvement in that
JM: Just for fun, if you could bring any fictional character to life who would it be? AS: I want to talk to the girl that Drake sings
realm.
about in "Hotline Bling."
JM: What direction do you see activism going in the next four-to-eight years? AS: I don't want to make a big prediction
JM: What songs do you listen to when you're getting ready? AS: Anything by Lil Uzi Vert and also Migos,
about activism, but I think a lot of the tactics that worked during the Civil Rights Movement work just fine. I think that right
obviously. So probably right now "Bad and Boujee." The Migos are our Beatles, actually the Migos are better than the Beatles. JM
JERK
OBITCHUARY
TASTY VIDEOS CAUSE OF DEATH: Millennials, obviously.
By Rachel Lockhart Tasty Videos was born on a beautiful July day in 2015 to proud single mother, BuzzFeed. Her love for cooking blossomed at an early age, and when she took it upon
affection was only shallow, and that while they all shared her heart-eye-emoji-worthy brunch recipe with each other, none of them would ever actually make it.
herself to share that passion with the world, Tasty Videos rocketed to internet fame more quickly than anyone anticipated.With a bounty of unique and seemingly delicious recipes like “loaded cheese-stuffed mashed potato balls” and “tomato mozzarella garlic bread dippers,” she rapidly gained millions of fans. Tasty Videos made cooking look so quick and easy, that everyone wanted to try it. She traveled the world, expanding her palate and her personal franchise, and she began catering to a younger audience, hoping to get them in the kitchen at an early age. It was almost like she could be anyone you wanted her to be. Tasty Videos’ popularity sparked many copycats, newcomers on the food scene and cooking VIPs alike. But through it all, she reigned with humility—
Then, in 2016, millennials took a turn down a dark path and began an unprecedented killing spree, Tasty Videos had no reason to think they would turn on her. Even as the vicious millennials took down giants like Hotels, Running, and democracy, she felt secure. But the millennials weren't done yet. Though they loved the Instagrammable nature of her recipes, they grew increasingly frustrated by their inability to make them. Millennials almost never had extra cash in their grocery budget to splurge on the onetime-use ingredients often featured in Tasty Videos’ recipes. And when they did, they were more inclined to spend it on a meal out with friends than spend time in their already-packed day trying to cook—which they found boring anyway. As 2016 ended, the millennials came for
staying true to her roots and rarely daring to stray too far into gourmet cuisine. No one else could draw a crowd quite like Tasty.
her. Tasty Videos pleaded with them, trying to remind them of what they were capable of together, but it didn’t work. Millennials
Though Tasty Videos loved all of her fans dearly, she had a soft spot for millennials. They were always so supportive of her dreams—watching as many of her videos as they could, whenever they could. They
finished her, faster than a bottle of DogFish Head 120 Minute IPA. Tasty is survived by her mother, who misses her, and her fans who have already forgotten her, dearly. She will live on forever in the wistful sighs of
dropped everything to introduce her to all of their friends. Little did she know that their
bored college freshmen sitting in the back row of MAT 121. JM
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CLOSET CASE
RISK MANAGEMENT No Adidas Superstars allowed here. Photography by Fiona Lenz and Xiang Wei
“Ever since I was little, I have been envious of how effortlessly cool and chic 70's women were. It was the age of Joni Mitchell, Cher, and Iman. They served iconic looks whenever they stepped out of the house. I try to reflect this in my own wardrobe. These rose gold overalls and vintage black fur coat reminds me “My cousin always had the coolness of that beads in her hair when generation.” we were little, and I wanted them in mine. My hair was never long —DYLAN MYONES enough because my dad kept making me cut it. Finally, I found some beads at the mall and decided to put them on my braids when my hair got longer. Ever since then, people call me Lil Yachty.”
—PHILLP DENIALS
“At the end of a Disney movie, after the protagonist had been through hell, she would get her crown. For them, the crown was the physical representation of their achievements, and I guess that's what it is for me, too. Even though a lot of people perceive something like this to be childish, it lifts me up when I'm feeling down or just want to feel extra special and sparkly.”
—SERENA MALDONADO
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FORM & FUNCTION How To Dress Like an Art Hoe TERF bangs: My tumblr post critiquing modern beauty standards got over 100,000 reblogs, but it's so important to uphold these values in day-to-day life, too. I don't even know what TERF stands for!
Milk and Honey I only bought this to take 35 mm pictures of it in daisy petals + fresh, green grass.
Succulent This is my succulent baby, Skylar. It's so important to choose a gender neutral name.
Septum ring: My grandparents still make me take it off during Christmas dinner, an annual oppression of my creativity and individualism.
Soft smile: Self-love is so important (flower emoji heart emoji flower emoji), especially in a society that profits on your self-doubt.
Kanken backpack: Now that Urban stocks it, my Kanken backpack no longer feels like the safe space it once was.
Model: Ellie Bazurto Stylist: Hairol Ma Photographer: Fiona Lenz JERK
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