The Lexington Line_Spring 2023

S/S 23 • vol 9 • no 2

THE LEXINGTON LINE

FRONT COVER

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Masthead Editors’ Letter Color Pages Runway Report Beauty Buys Editors' Picks Student Style

THE USUALS 06 22 28

Love Lost Stage Fright Is My Body On Trend?

CULTURE & NEWS 14 38 86

La Plus Belle Soie Playback Nuyorican State of Mind

FASHION 32 82

Duped by Dopamine One Sister Have I

LIFESTYLE 18 84 88

BEAUTY

Is Bush Back in Office?

Million Dollar Mouth Pump Up the Glam

TABLE of contents

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CREATIVE DIRECTION: THE COSMETICS CLUB MODELS & PHOTOGRAPHERS: EMILY CORRAR & OLIVIA VALENTINO MUA: OLIVIA VALENTION ART DIRECTOR: HANNAH SITTON

B CLU S C ETI

OSM

MC @LI

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& OLIVIA.VALENTINO@LIMCOLLEGE.EDU FOR MORE INFORMATION ThePLEASE LexingtonCONTACT Line • s/s 23EMILY.CORRAR@LIMCOLLEGE.EDU • vol 9 • no 2

Selena Garcez Juni Finkler Lola Spring Graphic Designers

Lauren Smelker Managing Editor

Nicalina Del Rosario Photography Director

Elara Montana Editorial Director

Jaedyn Frasnelli Carly Gabriel P h o t o g r a p h y a s s i s ta n t s

Dezire Pestano C r e at i v e D i r e c t o r Katlen Guzman W e b C r e at i v e D I R E C T O R

Ragini Bishnoi Brianna Cacioppo Carly Gabriel S T Y L I N G A S S I S TA N T S

Meghan Mattina Marketing Director

Julia (Lolo) Herrera Rachel Pina Marte

Abigail Hennessey Web Director

Ashanty Rivera FA S H I O N D i r e c t o r

Kristine Bakker Shelby Leeming Thomas McCaffery Web Editor

Emma DeFelice beaut y Director Sohl Garibaldo St yling Director Isabella Ortiz Sian Jackson Katherine Schroeder Mia Sherman Violeta Romanyuk Editors

Chloe Padilla Amanda Thompson

Beauty Culture Fashion Lifestyle Assistant Lifestyle

Raquael Hines Production Director Sian Jackson A s s i s ta n t c r e at i v e D I R E C T O R Kaylyn Montgomery A S S I S TA N T S T Y L I N G D I R E C T O R Michael Londrigan, Associate Professor & Chair of Business Elizabeth Marcuse, President of LIM College SPECIAL THANKS

masthead

Emily White Editor in Chief

Kendra Deangelis Meghan Mattina Marketing & Social Media Kashish Khemlani social media director Professor John Deming Professor Joseph P. Sgambati III Fa c u lt y A d v i s o r s Dr. Daniel Chaskes A r t s & s c i e n c e s D e pa r t m e n t C h a i r Sarah Albert • Natessa Aldridge • Caitlyn Mae Araña • Christopher Barto Khayla Biscoe • Amie Blumberg • Dani Brand • Laura Cioffi • Kally Compton • Michael Donohue • Meredith Finnin • Professor Timothy Foran • Erica Fouts • Tiffany Fuentes • Jamie Gerardi • Professor Gavin Goldstein • Mondo Guerra • Laura Healy • Curtis Hoover • Samantha James • Maranda Janky • Dr. Kenneth Kambara • Professor Grailing King Professor Laurel Lueders • Eric Martin • Michael Meyer • Maurice Morency • Gail Nardin • Edwin Ortiz • Kristina Ortiz • Schuyler Osgood Pheanny Phen • Professor Donna Pulese-Murphy • Olga Raganelli • Monica Rakocy • Gilbert Stack • Travis Stephens • Professor Liz Sweibel Dr. Alex Symons • Sabrina Talbert • All LIM College Faculty All contributors to The Lexington Line MANY THANKS

The Lexington Line is a registered trademark of LIM College

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This semester, we were able to get back in full swing and take advantage of in-person facilities while still taking advantage of the virtual methods we developed during the pandemic. The mix of old and new practices served as inspiration for the 18th issue of The Lexington Line.

As times change, we look to the past for salvation. With the emergence of crypto, artificial intelligence, and inflation, we reflect on the fantasies other generations had about the era we live in now. Many of our articles explore problems of the present such as cultural influences on fashion and beauty, concert etiquette, body expectations, and a widening empathy gap.

In our new photo studio, we created a time capsule that explores the technology and styles of the 1980s and early 1990s. For our fashion editorial, our styling team pulled bright and bold pieces such as bulky blazers, colorful tights, and hand gloves, and garments with playful prints.

We tied in tech through our accessories and sets which featured early computers, cassette tapes, and box TVs. Our beauty editorial captures the aesthetics of the time period, focusing on the glamor of ‘80s cosmetics advertisements. The combination of voluminous hair, neon blush, and iconic beauty staples will transport you to an ‘80s powder room.

editors’ Letter

Dear Readers,

In the 1980s, people’s idea of the future included floating cars and hoverboards. While some of their expectations have yet to be met, society is evolving in ways no one could have predicted. Though in this issue we looked “back to the future,” we continue to move forward for a better tomorrow.

And with that, we hope you enjoy the latest issue of The Lexington Line.

Always,

Emily White

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Lauren Smelker

MANAGING EDITOR

Dezire Pestano

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Elara Montana

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

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Love Los

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nW Ca

ap ?

By Emily White

eC G n los o i s e So s ciety's Compa

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H

ave you ever felt anxious or upset and tried to explain it to someone who is not anxious or upset? Their response might have been “don’t be upset” or “it’s not that big of a deal.”

It is nearly impossible to understand what someone else is going through without going through it yourself. Unconsciously, your mind generates biases that might prevent you from being empathetic.

“Tis not unreasonable for me to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of my finger,” wrote 18th-century Scottish philosopher David Hume.

However, Hume felt imagination can drive empathy; if you can imagine someone else’s pain and suffering, you can begin to experience it yourself. This leads to becoming a more compassionate person.

In a world that is plagued by racism, gender discrimination, religious inequality, and political strife—all while being completely digitized—we are facing a measurable decline in empathy.

“It’s fair to conclude we have a serious empathy deficit,” says Washington Post Op-ed writer Jennifer Rubin. “[We have] a collective inability (or refusal) to see the world from others’ perspectives, to understand people’s fears and hopes and our shared humanity.”

In 2010, University of Michigan students conducted a study concluding that American people have become far less empathetic than they were 30 years prior.

Coincidentally, Instagram launched in 2010, and just a few years earlier in 2006, so did Twitter—significantly contributing to the decline in empathy.

Regarding the lack of empathy and compassion in the world, Reverend

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Monsignor James Vlaun asks society: “Where did it go?!”

Monsignor Vlaun is the President of the Emmy-winning Catholic Faith Network and host of the Religion and Rock podcast.

He performs services for the Diocese of Rockville Centre.

“It results in an individualized lifestyle that barely cares about the other, be they close and known or far and unknown,” says Monsignor Vlaun.

The term “compassion gap” was coined by New York Times writer Nicholas Kristoff in 2014 when he published an op-ed article calling attention to the need for early childhood intervention.

“Plenty of successful people see a picture of a needy child and their first impulse is not to help but to reproach,” he writes. “To break cycles of poverty, we have the tools to improve high school graduation rates, reduce teen pregnancies and increase employment.

What we lack is the will to do so.”

Monsignor Vlaun says that the compassion gap exists in all areas of life, and can be changed if we all learn to feel.

It might seem like the obvious answer is to throw your money into charities or donate your old clothing to your local Goodwill every few months. But performing small acts of service is not the same thing as having compassion. Real compassion requires a changed mindset—and how do you change the minds of those who, preoccupied by their own suffering, are willing to trust their own assumptions about people whose lives are nothing like theirs?

Empathy is a precursor to compassion, according to Dr. Jacinta Jimenez, an awardwinning psychologist and public speaker.

“Empathy is our feeling of awareness toward other people's emotions and an attempt to understand how they feel,” she writes in an article for Better Up. “Compassion is an emotional response to empathy or sympathy and creates a desire to help.”

worry the person might have a drug or alcohol addiction.

“If the emotional costs are deemed too high, such as when individuals feel overly threatened, insecure, or not personally accountable for offering help, they will be far less inclined to exhibit adaptive helping behavior,” reveals Psychology Today.

A compassion gap, therefore, suggests an empathy gap.

“The empathy gap is not only a bias that makes us unable to predict our own behavior but also makes us less likely to understand the behavior of others who are in a different visceral state,” says The Decision Lab.

The notion that someone might have a drug, alcohol, or another type of addiction can cause bypassers anxiety.

Monsignor Vlaun feels that these unconscious biases sound something like this: “What matters is me and my circle, the rest of creation is on its own.”

Nearly every day I walk by people in New York City who are vulnerable and begging for someone to be compassionate.

And every day, I think to myself: “Why are you still walking? Wouldn’t you want someone to take a chance on you? Wouldn’t you want someone to help you?”

This might sound like the case of a guilty conscience, and maybe it is. But I also think that many people who consider themselves empathetic or compassionate also continue to walk by.

So, I asked some.

I surveyed 103 people via email, social media and text and included people of various races, genders, ages and sexual orientations to better understand why society has become less empathetic.

65.5% of the surveyed group said that they rarely offer help to those in need on the street.

13.8% of the respondents said they never help and 20.7% answered that they do often.

The ratio of those who do not offer help to homeless people on the street to those that do sometimes is overwhelmingly significant.

But why?

Tied at 48.5%, the respondents said that they either don’t have anything to give or that they

“We hesitate to help when we believe the person in distress could have prevented the problem through a proactive and decisive action of his or her own (Batson, 2010),” reports Psychology Today.

Assumption leads quickly to opinion, and people often mistake hasty opinions for real knowledge. This type of self-deception prohibits people from taking actions that could lead to small, incremental change.

During his commencement speech at San Francisco University High School in 2007, educator Bill Bullard expounded on the relationship between opinion and empathy.

“Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge; it requires no accountability, no understanding,” Bullard said. “The highest form of knowledge, according to George Eliot, is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound, purpose-larger-than-the-self kind of understanding.”

But people fail to help for reasons that go beyond implicit faith in their own biases.

Another 12.5% of the surveyed group responded that they are less inclined to help someone in need based on their appearance.

It is no secret that everyone makes assumptions about others based on the way that they look. It happens in every rom-com; the dashing football player realizes that underneath the glasses and braces, the nerdy girl is actually really cool. Though films like this can be charming, they are mostly fantasy.

It’s all too common for people to mistake their own snap judgments for real knowledge,

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feeding the cycle of indifference and decline in empathy.

“Social traits tend to be related to emotions, they are connected to how people display their emotions and respond to others’ emotions,” says Psychology Today.

So if we see someone that looks angry or in distress, we might make the assumption that they somehow brought it on themselves and are not worthy of our help—and continue going about our day.

We live in a world that has become overrun by appearance. It is the main focus of every brand and influencer on social media. This largely contributes to “cancel culture” and racial and gender inequality.

Earlier this year, Seattle Public Schools filed a lawsuit against tech giants such as TikTok and Instagram due to their impact on its students' mental health.

“It blames them for worsening mental health and behavioral disorders including anxiety, depression, disordered eating, and cyberbullying, making it more difficult to educate students,” reports NPR, “and forcing schools to take steps such as hiring additional mental health professionals, developing lesson plans about the effects of social media, and providing additional training to teachers.”

People of color and those who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community are at a higher risk for mental health issues. Without empathy, compassion, and action, generations to come are more likely to suffer from disorders such as anxiety and depression.

The ways companies choose to present themselves on social media can also lead to distrust and disappointment.

69% of the surveyed group felt that brands that claim to host philanthropic events or give back to those in poverty, disabled persons, and indigenous peoples are doing so only to keep up appearances.

And while it’s true that some companies only practice performative help, another problem

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lies within the cynical assumption that all acts of compassion serve an individualistic purpose.

Therefore, society has become as desensitized to true displays of suffering as it has to the effectiveness of any compassionate response.

Monsignor Vlaun gives the example of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“The lack of empathy and compassion [in the world] allows us to be distant and unengaged in a situation where death and destruction of history are happening,” he says. “Then to our very homes, where we don’t connect as much as we could with our loved ones, and so a distance forms that keep us relatively uninvolved with our friends and families.”

So every day, the gap widens a bit more.

There might not be a “quick fix” to this issue.

However, it all starts with awareness; if we are aware that our society is suffering from a loss of empathy, we can open our minds to who, and what needs help.

Compassion might look different for everyone.

Maybe it’s carrying an extra granola bar to work just in case someone is hungry. Maybe it’s leaving positive comments on someone’s Instagram post. Or maybe, it’s donating $100,000 dollars to a charity that promotes racial equality.

The world is in dire need of compassion and empathy. So, whatever you can give, please do.

When coining the term compassion gap, Kristoff was suggesting that learning to be empathetic should start during one’s childhood—and we need more resources to teach it.

These same resources can apply to the adult world as well; Rubin suggests that we can educate adults through workshops in the workplace.

What we need is not only a willingness to teach but a willingness to learn as well.

Whether you’re five or fifty, if we open our minds a little bit more, the world can become a more compassionate place.

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la plus belle soie

The Enduring Influence of Silk Weavers in Lyon Photos and words By Lauren Smelker

I followed the narrow cobblestone streets of Lyon, France’s CroixRousse neighborhood, which led the way to what used to be the silk weaving district. The compact buildings evinced early 1900s architecture, and the large windows accentuated the absence of the tall looms that used to stand behind them.

Turning down alleys and discrete deliverer passageways, I found the door to Mattelon’s Workshop, one of the last remaining silk workshops in Lyon. The loom’s rhythms echoed down the two-story walk-up, with blank plaster and wood beam walls almost whispering the stories of the previous and current weavers— Georges Mattelon and his son, Jacques.

These days, Mattelon’s Workshop serves as an example of what the silk industry used to be. With the expansion of mechanical looms, the decline of traditional artisanship began in the early 20th century—stripping weavers of their generational heritage.

“There’s the loss of passing down the tradition,” says Professor Hilda Alfonso, who teaches textiles at LIM

The city gained popularity from other industries and a growing population. Weavers were also given patterns from artists and fashion designers to create beautiful silk textiles to supply the new mass market and industry demand, including the demand of France’s Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte.

The French Revolution halted all industry work in 1789, however, and skilled laborers disappeared to protect their patterns and textiles, fearing that they would be burned or guillotined.

Opposite and Above: A variety of historical looms on view at a local museum

College and has worked for both E.S. Sutton Inc. and Bentex Group. “So [weavers] lost a form of creativity.”

Lyon first became associated with silk weaving in the 15th century, when Italians settled in Croix-Rousse and new inventions were created that could produce highly intricate patterns only found in Lyon. The Croix-Rousse district was nicknamed “the hill that works” due to its many busy silk weavers, or what the French call “Canuts.”

Lyon’s silk industry revived itself in 1801 when the Jacquard loom gave the weavers a sense of familiarity. The new technology set a precedent for weaving because it only required one weaver instead of the traditional three and helped quicken the process.

During the 19th century, the streets are said to have hummed with the continuous vibrations of the looms.

The architecture of this area attests to the labor of the Canuts, with each building exhibiting high ceilings and dozens of windows to let in natural light so that they could work long hours.

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From left: A back alley in Croix-Rousse with a preserved deliverer passageway; An older loom in Mattelon’s workshop no longer in use; One of the many looms inside Mattelon’s Workshop showcasing a current project.

The rising Industrial Revolution enabled Lyon to earn its claim to fame because all silk entering France made its first stop in the city.

Canuts mastered the art of weaving on mechanical looms. Yet, as the years progressed and technology expanded, mechanical looms no longer needed weavers, and Canuts became sparse. The new technology increased efficiency and caused a decline in traditional weavers, who simply could not keep up.

“Weaving employed a great deal of people, and it changed this part of the world,” says Professor Alfonso.

“There was a loss of that kind of skilled labor and workforce. The powered loom could do so much more and faster.”

Weavers moved on to use their skills for historical textile preservation and other fabric specialties, and silk weaving in Lyon was left to massproduced mechanical looms.

La Manufacture Prelle is the last silk company preserving and recreating textiles by weaving them by hand for museum or castle clientele internationally. Their New York Showroom’s Manager, Diego

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Castro, claims that Prelle is the only company able to replicate original patterns from their archives.

“It’s how we keep our history alive,” he says. “Our treasures. It’s how we know previous orders and how we recreate past patterns and colorations. It tells us our history.”

Prelle has continued its heritage for five generations by expanding to couture designers and historical replications, but it is one of the few companies able to survive the decline of traditional Canuts.

The stories of the original weavers also live on through Jacques Mattelon. He continues his father’s legacy and has rehabilitated the last silk workshop in Lyon. When I toured, he shared the heritage of the Canuts and expressed his passion for the textile. He also shared his knowledge of each loom, demonstrating his use of them from his years weaving simple textiles for the local museum.

After moving to the Croix-Rousse neighborhood in the late 1920s, Jacques’ father Georges Mattelon put all of his time and effort into

studying the art of silk weaving and worked tiring hours, sending his shuttle back and forth to create only mere centimeters of the woven fabric. But it did not discourage him; instead, he found solace in his work and continued weaving through the second World War. His son would eventually have his workshop claimed as a historical landmark of Lyon.

In 2004, Georges Mattelon passed from a sudden heart attack. Jacques allows his family’s workshop to be toured by the local silk museum and other tourist groups. In a testimony to the French website Philianova, Jacques explained his continued efforts to keep his legacy alive. He still teaches everything he knows, “because weaving, among Mattelon, must be a dominant gene.”

Silk weaving is the heart and lungs of Lyon, and the art form still breathes life into all aspects of the city.

Technology may have disrupted the tradition that so many generations had passed down, but their contributions will always serve as the foundation for Lyon.

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Is bush back in office? body hair becomes less subversive

By Emma defelice To shave or not to shave?

“We’ve seen [younger consumers] embrace body hair as a form of self-expression that can both signal what they are feeling on the inside, but also push back against the norm,” Georgia Gooley told The Zoe Report last year.

Gooley is co-founder of Billie, a brand that sells women’s shaving products. Billie’s advertisements feature women of all shapes and sizes showing off their body hair, suggesting that femininity and beauty are not dependent on one’s decision to keep or remove their hair.

All trends are cyclical, and body hair is no exception.

In the ‘80s, full bush filled Playboy centerfolds. In the ‘90s, body hair started to fade away, and in the early 2000s, bald was all the rage.

Even as the pendulum swings back in favor of body hair, stereotypes abound. In recent years, celebrities like Miley Cyrus have posted images on social media that vocalize a preference against razors.

In 2015, Cyrus posted an image revealing a bit of underarm hair, sending the internet into a tailspin.

One comment even read: “Don’t care how feminist/hippy you are, having armpit hair like Miley Cyrus is a no.”

Why does anyone care what other people do with their body hair?

It doesn’t come as a surprise that most beauty standards are based on the desire to look youthful. There is a whole market dedicated to preventing aging naturally. We dye our hair to hide the grays, get botox to fill in the lines and wrinkles, and use hyaluronic acid to keep our skin looking plump and supple.

Obviously, the appearance of body hair must be minimal too, right?

The cult of eternal youth has affected how we view our bodies in their most natural form.

After dealing with the trauma of ubiquitous social media body shaming, a new wave of young adults has begun to preach acceptance. On TikTok, body hair positive influencers are breaking the stigma that connects body hair to femininity.

In December of 2022, TikToker Joanna Kenny posted a video with a quote that read, “you’re not hairy like a man, you’re hairy like a human.”

Does body hair insecurity stem from a need to cater to the male gaze or from a more generalized generational trend?

“I think it is both. I think people associate body hair with being sanitary when that is not necessarily the case,” says Olivia Gallo, store director of Sugared and Bronzed, a sugar waxing and spray tan salon in Manhattan.“I think it started off as catering to the male gaze, then it morphed into wanting to remove

hair for myself and not for a man’s validation.”

At the end of the day, she doesn’t really care, she says.

“I bet you most guys will say the same. Obviously I am sure they will have a preference, but at the end of the day, they don’t really care,” she says.

When the Covid-19 pandemic took over the world, most people put their beauty maintenance on hold—it didn’t feel necessary. Some resorted to at-home waxing, while others decided to just go natural.

Getting rid of body hair wasn’t much of a priority anymore.

A lot of the stigma surrounding body hair stems from millennials and Gen-X internalizing beauty standards from when body hair was seen as unacceptable and repulsive.

A 2021 YouGov survey found that 46% of Americans between the ages of 16 and 34 have little to no preference on whether women should get rid of their armpit hair.

54% of Americans aged 35 to 54 years agreed.

“Does body hair insecurity stem from a need to cater to the male gaze, or is it simply a response to generational trends?

Beauty standards are ever-changing, but self acceptance should remain a constant. Your decisions about your body hair should come from a place of your own wants not because of what someone else may think.

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runway report '90s Nostalgia ‘90s influence on the S/S 2023 runway was perfectly executed in shows like Bottega Veneta and Coach. From baggy and loose-fitting denim to grunge-era motifs and gaudy jewelry, ‘90s nostalgic pieces were everywhere this season. Dolce & Gabbana went full-on grunge with this trend, bringing all the black sheer pieces and statement cross necklaces they could dig up.

Versace displayed ‘90s-inspired chunky platforms and all leather looks from their S/S collection.

Textured SILHOUETTES Silhouettes change with every season, but this S/S season, almost every textured silhouette could be seen on the runway. Bubble hems, fringe, asymmetric cuts, floral appliqués, and popcorn-style tops and dresses are just some of the silhouettes that are trending this season. Dauphinette showcased an eccentric cut-out red bubble mini dress that proved the bubble hem trend is totally back.

Balenciaga channeled Chet Lo with a fluffy popcorn-style dress fit for any S/S look.

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SHEER Sheer has been a prominent trend on the runway for years but only continues to rise in popularity. The most popular sheer pieces on the runway this season are midi dresses and catsuits intended to accentuate and flaunt the wearer’s natural body type. Valentino presented several sheer looks that varied in silhouette for their S/S collection, many of them notably exposing the model's nipple. Whether you wear it alone or as a layering piece, sheer is sure to give your outfit an ethereal look this season.

Low-Rise From the depths of the late ‘90s and early 2000s, low-rise waists have reemerged. Creating a lean look, low-rise waists make the torso look longer especially when paired with its dynamic counterpart—the crop top. Stella McCartney unveiled a pair of bedazzled low-rise pants in her S/S collection including extra cutouts on the waist for maximum midriff exposure. Proenza Schouler expanded on this trend with a low-waisted leather skirt featuring an asymmetric hem for some extra drama.

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THE 3 BIGGEST ISSUES WITH with contemporary concert culture

By Sian JAckson

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W

hen was the last time you went to a concert? The last six months? A year?

And how was it? Was purchasing the tickets, dealing with crowds, and hearing an artist for less than two hours worth the stress and anxiety?

When venues reopened and artists embarked on international tours, most music fans felt a spark. Then it was time to deal with everything and everyone else.

Concerts I’ve attended and seen posted online have confirmed there are three very specific issues with contemporary concert culture: ticket availability, safety, and crowd etiquette.  TICKETS  There’s ample discourse on social media about upcoming concerts and the cost of tickets. The demand for concert tickets inflates prices, and you pay for more than the event itself. There are service fees, order processing fees, resale service fees, delivery fees, facility fees, and everyone's favorite—taxes.

The real problem lies within the corporations that profit from live music. Ticketmaster and Live Nation are the top two offenders.

In 2010, they merged to form Live Nation Entertainment, a global entertainment company that promotes, operates, and manages ticket sales for live shows locally and internationally.

The Justice Department began investigating Live Nation Entertainment last year after a 33-page lawsuit was filed by Taylor Swift fans—“Swifties”—for the careless handling of a presale for Swift’s “Eras” tour. They are accusing the company of price fixing, fraud, and antitrust violations, which falls under two

categories: agreement to restrain competition and efforts to acquire a monopoly.

If they want to take 10% of the revenue and call it a ‘facility fee,’ they can. And have.”

In late January, Live Nation President and Chief Financial Officer Joe Berchtold testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee to defend the company from accusations that Live Nation has been using its market dominance to charge high fees and blackball venues who don’t want Ticketmaster for their events.

Robyn Busan, a student at LIM College, has attended roughly 30 shows in the last year. She has also been a witness to the drastic rise in entertainment expenses.

During the hearing, singersongwriter Clyde Lawrence broke down exactly how Ticketmaster’s monopoly power exploits artists.

“Most of the issues we face stem from the fact that Live Nation/ Ticketmaster often acts as three things at the same time: the promoter, the venue, and ticketing company,” he stated. “Let’s imagine we just played a sold out show at a venue Live Nation owns and operates. When an artist plays these venues, they’re required to use Live Nation as the promoter.”

As promoter, Live Nation pays upfront costs like renting and staffing a venue and finalizing a deal with the performer.

“We should be true partners, aligned in our incentives—keep costs low while ensuring the best fan experience,” he revealed.

But according to Lawrence, Live Nation complicates these incentives by acting not only as the promoter, but the owner and/or operator of the venue.

“At the end of the show, costs will have eaten into most of the money made that evening,” he said. ”Due to Live Nation’s control across the industry, we have practically no leverage in negotiating with them.

“Over the past few years, I’ve seen a significant raise in ticket prices,” she says. Face value rates are up, “but when they are purchased and sold as resale tickets, that’s when the ticket price rises dramatically.”

Resale tickets for Swift’s tour currently range from $550-$9,000, while Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” Tour is breaking the bank at $200-$12,000.

It’s ridiculous. No person should be spending over twelve grand for a concert, and no reseller should be pricing tickets at that rate.

In early February, a federal appeals court rejected the Swifties’ antitrust lawsuit, ruling that the concertgoers forfeited their right to sue when they bought their tickets.

Even though this is an unfortunate ruling, a similar lawsuit against Live Nation is still pending in a lower federal court, and the Department of Justice is actively investigating them for antitrust violations, so the fight is far from over.  SAFETY  After emptying your pockets for tickets, the next problem is safety and security. At venues, there have been many accounts of unconsciousness, dehydration, overheating, and sadly, casualties.

Ten people died from compression asphyxia following a crowd surge at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival

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in November 2021, reigniting discussions around concert safety.

But just last month, three people were killed after a violent stampede at a GloRilla concert in New York.

“I’ve had a few experiences where I felt completely unsafe, and others where I felt like my safety was everyone’s top priority,” Robyn says.

“It is always nice to be at a show where I feel like I have protection no matter the situation.”

Event Safety Alliance (ESA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting “Life Safety First'' throughout all phases of event production and execution, and its Vice President, Steven A. Adelman, says he’s devoted to making change.

“The ESA’s express goal is to change the culture among event professionals from ‘the show must go on’ to ‘life safety first,’” he states.

“It’s as simple as that.

Culture change.”

Understaffed and overcrowded venues are ESA’s primary concerns. Staffing is a global problem, according to Adelman, because many event production and security jobs are at the lower end of the wage scale.

“There is no magic answer,” he says.

“It is, however, important to stick by what one believes to be proper staffing levels rather than to justify what the market bears and say it’s good enough.”

Overcrowding, he says, is never acceptable.

“For indoor venues, occupancy limits are set by the fire marshal; for outdoor areas, density may vary substantially from one part of a site to another,” Adelman reveals.

“The key is to monitor the crowd’s movements and activity level and deploy security and guest services staff to help manage them.”

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Public criticism online is varied, aimed at both those who organize and secure the events and those who attend and perform at them.

With so many components and mixed discourse, the question becomes: who is most responsible for crowd safety?

“Everyone, to varying degrees,” Adelman says. “Most directly, the security and guest services professionals have eyes and hands on the crowd. But they should work closely with the event producer and public safety officials. Larger events will have remote video access to help. Responsibility is a legal issue, and in a crowd-related lawsuit, everyone with money gets sued.”

change the culture among event professionals from ‘the show must go on’ to ‘life safety first.’ It’s as simple as that.

Suing has been a popular response to concert tragedies. After Astroworld, nearly 5,000 claims were filed against Live Nation, Travis Scott, and other festival organizers. A year and a half later, many are still in litigation.

To prevent tragedies, many venues and performers have taken precautions and kept a close eye, monitoring crowds and prioritizing safety and accessibility. But movements like these are known for becoming trendy quickly and then vanishing from public view at the same speed. For companies like ESA, this is nothing new.

“The people I know took crowd safety seriously before Astroworld, and they may be even more sensitive

now,” Adelman claims. “I don’t know anyone for whom safety is merely performative— the stakes are too high, and the public reaction is strongly against people perceived to have cut corners or acted maliciously.”

One of the biggest problems is that promoters often see crowd safety as a line item on a budget that reduces profit when it ought to be considered as vital as quality audio and lighting.

“We spend a lot of time explaining why even small safety measures can make a big difference so the people in charge of spending money don’t feel that they have to buy every safety measure all at once to have successful events,” he says. “It is a worthy goal to do better than the day before.”  ETIQUETTE  Social etiquette is the final problem with contemporary concert culture.

Whether you’re attending a formal dinner or a football game, every public setting calls for different behavior. At live concerts, it’s always best to remain collected and kind. Unfortunately, anticipation and a competitive spirit can unleash the worst in some people.

Busan says that “common decency” has evolved for the better since she started attending concerts but acknowledges there is still work to be done.

“What I think happens is that people forget to have decency because we are at a show,” she shares. “I know most people go to concerts to see an artist they like and escape reality for a few hours, but in some situations, I notice that people forget how to treat others with respect.”

CONSCIENTIOUS CONCERTGOING Five ways to look out for your peers Help others. If you are aware of any medical issues afflicting a fellow concertgoer, offer some assistance or make security aware of the situation.

Don't yell weird things. It makes the performer and crowd uncomfortable, and now you’ve ruined the vibe.

Don’t shove. It's a concert, so there will always be individuals pushing to get to the front, but restrain yourself from being rude about it or pushing further than is reasonable.

Make sure you are physically well. Eat well and hydrate yourself before a concert to keep your energy up.

Don’t record everything: Live in the moment and have fun.

Dance! The performer will feed off your energy and create a more lively experience.

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By: Elara Montana 28

The Lexington Line • s/s 23 • vol 9 • no 2

The societal cycle of the female form

As

women, we are taught to keep tabs on the shapes of our bodies.

We are meant to ruminate on each lump and bump and search for different techniques to shave off and shape what society deems unpleasant in an effort to match the trending body aesthetics.

While the image of the “ideal female form” may change from decade to decade, continual pressure on women to fit into one mold feeds a vicious cycle that significantly harms our mental health.

The body positivity trend still hasn't erased the decades of harm and anguish.

Though every decade has taken its own liberties when defining the specifics of how a female body should look, there tends to be a vacillation between two general shapes, according to fashion historian Summer Anne Lee. “There is sort of a pendulum swing— maybe it swings kind of slowly—back and forth between the idealized female figure being extremely curvaceous and thin,” she says.

Lee, who is the social media coordinator for the Underpinnings Museum as well as a professor at Wagner College, notes how this gradual, yet dramatic transition can have a tremendous impact on women’s self-image within their lifetime.

“If you look at these historical periods into the 20th century, and you think of one woman from the age of 18 to however long she lived to, what was it like living through all these different body trends?” she asks.

From the full figured look of the ‘50s, to the heroin chic look of the ‘90s, the female has long been subjected to society’s whims. With each passing decade, the expectation to conform to a certain shape forces women to become a bit more crafty in their efforts.

“Shapewear was very, very important to achieving that figure,” Lee says of its origins. “Even women who were thin would still wear pretty heavy duty [undergarments] compared to

what we would think of today. Like undergarments, girdles and also bras.”

While women’s bodies were still held to a certain standard, the use of constructive undergarments in the early 1900s allowed more room for figures to vary, as the many modest layers helped create the illusion of a figure without actually having it.

This would not last long, as clothes became smaller and the expectation of perfection persisted moving into the ‘80s.

As athletic, muscular yet curvaceous and feminine bodies became the new standard, women could no longer contort their bodies and were left to alter them.

“If we're looking at the 1890s, you can fake that figure; you can fake the small waist, and you can wear bosom pads to pad out their chest, and they weren't showing cleavage necessarily, so you wouldn't know. But it becomes impossible to fake this ideal figure, and you have to internalize it,” Lee says.

As fashions changed, women had no choice but to find ways to morph their bodies, no matter the cost. From plastic surgery—which hit its peak popularity during this transition—to crash diets and drug use, women everywhere were left suffering both mentally and physically at the hands of beauty standards.

The concerning methods that women turned to would continue into the 2000s, when the internet became saturated women with more and more messages about the way they should look.

According to Forbes, “a study in 2016 found that even brief exposure to media messages portraying an ‘ideal physique’ was linked to increased body image concerns and increased eating disorder symptoms.”

As the internet took over and social media hit the websphere, a surplus of information and imagery became available to everyone. While this came with advantages, it also opened the doors The Lexington Line • s/s 23 • vol 9 • no 2

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for women to be subjected to even more harmful images and oppressive speech regarding their bodies.

“I was a teenager during some of the best times of the internet. Tumblr was basically my whole life but there was definitely a darker side to it, especially when it came to body image,” says 27-year-old grad student Leah Anderson.

“There were a lot of really toxic trends going on like the #proana [pro-anorexia] and heroin chic—just a lot of really terrible messaging overall.”

With the internet exacerbating the problem, many young women, including Leah, took extreme measures to fit into the ideal body of the time.

“I always struggled with my body image and often hated the way I looked back then. Seeing all of these pro-eating disorder posts and just the way weight was talked about then, I think it was almost inevitable for me to get an eating disorder,” she shares.

After battling bulimia and binge eating for five years, Leah entered into rehab where she eventually overcame her condition.

“It was an extremely long road to recovery for me and will still be something that I struggle with for the rest of my life,” Leah says.

While Leah’s story is one that would likely resonate with millions of women all over the world, she believes that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

“Though I still see Instagram posts or TikTok trends that can be triggering, I think that there has been a huge shift towards acceptance, especially with the body positivity movement,” she says.

“The internet has a lot of bad, but it also has allowed for so many women to speak up and fight against societal beauty standards.”

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Within the past few years, #bodypositivity has been a trending topic in any space of the internet.

This movement advocates for the normalization and societal acceptance for all bodies regardless of their shapes and sizes. Body positivity has given many hope for the end of the body trend cycle.

“People aren’t afraid to call out these [fashion] brands or influencers for not being inclusive, and I think that’s what will ultimately change society,” Leah says.

While many view the movement as a step in the right direction, some are still skeptical.

“As a fat person, I still face a lot of struggles because of the way that I look,” says 20-year-old Mia Perez.

Doctors dismiss her by blaming every medical symptom that arises on her weight.

“People tell me that I would look pretty if I just ‘lost a few pounds’ or that I’m ‘unhealthy’—mind you, I’m vegan and work out five times a week,” Mia says.

“While I want to believe that society is evolving towards a more tolerant future, it's honestly hard to believe.”

While there has been a lot of progress when it comes to body image, there is still a long way to go. Lee believes that with enough effort, the eradication of the idealized female form is possible. Self acceptance is the first and most crucial step towards that change.

“History proves that body trends come and go, so we need to make peace with that; make peace with ourselves and be kind to ourselves and be accepting of the way our bodies look right now,” Lee says.

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DUPED BY DOPAMINE how a decade of Swiping on tinder has changed Gen z's Approach to relationships

by mia sherman

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hen wondering ten years ago how you would meet your soulmate, did swiping right on their selfie come to mind?

“Most definitely not,” says Mary, a 20-year-old Rhode Island college student. “It’s crazy that technology has evolved to the point of trying to find love based on a thirst trap.”

Last September, the renowned dating app Tinder turned ten, establishing a full decade of dating habits that have forever altered the landscape of love and relationships.

Although some platforms are intended to help users find committed relationships, Tinder is the app of choice for Gen Z. Tinder’s objective is to take the stress and seriousness out of dating to the point where it’s been coined “the hookup app.” It is no surprise that constant immersion in hookup culture has skewed ideas not only about love, but self-worth.

Tinder was founded in late 2012 by 27-year-old Sean Rad and co-founders Justin Mateen and Jonathan Badeen. They agreed that smartphones were the future and wanted to develop a mobile app that allowed people to meet virtually. Initially, the app was designed to emphasize profile information over photos and used buttons rather than swipes to navigate potential matches.

“Using the buttons to move the cards felt clunky, I wanted more fluidity,” Badeen said in a 2017 interview with CNBC. “Finding and selecting the appropriate button felt deliberate and sluggish, whereas in a real-world scenario, the decisions we make are quick, subconscious.”

While the change may seem logical, there was one major flaw—this was not a real-world scenario.

While Tinder users are obviously “real” people, the online dating pool exists on a much larger scale than we would ever experience otherwise. That has its benefits, but the rapid-fire nature of these “quick, subconscious” decisions has led to burnout and a general shift in attitude towards dating. Users are exposed to and converse with so many different people every day that they risk seeing their matches as disposable and interchangeable.

“There is evidence that people are using dating apps to keep up with ‘backburner’ relationships,” according to an article in The Conversation. “This is when someone on a dating app maintains contact with another person in the hope of someday pursuing something romantic or sexual.”

For Gen Z, these backburner relationships have evolved into something referred to as a “roster,” which is a metaphorical lineup of partners to choose from whenever the need arises. Members of these rosters are typically unaware they belong to a group of others who are in the same situation.

Imaan, a 19-year-old New York City college student, argues that there are benefits to having a broad array of choices before committing.

“I don’t think it’s all bad,” she says.

“Having options before committing can ensure you end up with the right person for you.”

Mary disagrees.

“Hookup culture has really ruined the definition of what a relationship is because now there is such a thin line between being in a relationship and being used for sex,” she explains. “Imagine talking to someone romantically for months, and you find out you’re just one of many. Naturally,

you would probably feel worthless, discouraged, and honestly—just like shit.”

Rosters are not the only phenomenon resulting from online dating and hookup culture.

“Ghosting” occurs when a person completely cuts off contact with someone without providing them with an explanation or closure.

Although this can happen in the “real” world, the chances of it happening online are proven to be significantly higher.

“Ghosting can be a dehumanizing, psychologically damaging mental health experience,” according to psychologist Dr. Brad Brenner.

Ghosting as a form of rejection can leave a person feeling uncertain.

“I was talking to this guy for a while, and things like that never usually go anywhere, but I actually liked him and we were planning to meet up,” recalls Tyler, a 19-year-old New York City college student. “Then, he just randomly stopped responding.

Honestly, it left me questioning myself a little bit. I was like, ‘Oh, I thought he was really interested in me, but he’s not. I wonder what I could have done differently.’ It’s an incredibly demoralizing thing.”

A study conducted by Psychology Today shows that Tyler’s response was not unusual: most of those surveyed reported experiencing feelings of “self-blame, confusion, low self-worth, and decreased self-esteem.”

Imaan has also experienced the effects of being ghosted. She had been talking with a guy for months, she says, when she started feeling strongly about him, thinking it had potential to last.

“We spent so much quality time together, and it was amazing, but

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as soon as things got sexual, he never spoke to me again,” she says.

“I was so stressed and emotionally damaged that I felt sick to my stomach all the time and couldn’t move for days. Being ghosted literally made me unable to walk down my own stairs.”

Dr. Jessica Strübel of the University of Rhode Island conducted a survey of 437 online dating users and found that Tinder “induces anxiety, causes distress, and lowers self-image and confidence daily compared to nonusers.”

There are other indirect psychological effects of using Tinder.

Tyler claims that the language used on Tinder has significantly impacted his self-esteem. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, he recalls frequently coming across many profiles that list offensive requirements from potential matches.

“Something that is really common to see in gay culture is ‘no fats, no femmes, no people of color,’” he says. “As a plus-size Mexican American, I have been exposed to a lot of hurtful language, but it really hurts when it’s someone in your own community saying those things.”

In addition to damaging his selfesteem, Tyler says, this language has caused him to experience dating anxiety because he never knows who is a safe match.

Mary says that the language used on Tinder also has an effect on her—but in a different way.

“A lot of the messages I receive are lewd,” she says. “It’s hard to even keep a normal conversation going because it all leads back to sex.

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After so long, it starts to feel like you’re worthless and only enough to be used as an object, which obviously isn’t true, but it’s hard to think otherwise.”

According to the National Library of Medicine, “Tinder users show greater sociosexuality than nonusers, as well as increased dissatisfaction with their sex life and sexual preoccupation.”

While it may seem like these consequences would prevent users from persisting with the app, Psychology Today reports that the dopamine increase Tinder users experience ropes them into swiping again.

But there are several ways to combat swiping addiction. An article published in Time suggests using affirmations before entering the app. For example, tell yourself, “they’re going to evaluate me, but that doesn’t define who I am.” This may help to subconsciously reverse impacts on self-esteem and worthiness.

Imaan, Mary, and Tyler suggest taking time away from Tinder when it starts to feel overwhelming or addicting.

“I know it can be really hard to do because you can override the alert, but setting a time limit directly on the app may help,” Imaan says.

Although Tinder has many possible psychological effects attached, there are also many beautiful relationships that have stemmed from the app.

Clementine, a 19-year-old New York City college student, shared her story with online dating, which perfectly exemplifies how to utilize Tinder in the best way possible.

“I was on dating apps for a while and met up with a few different people, but there was never a spark,” she explains. “It started to take a toll on me so I decided to get off of all dating apps for a while, but I randomly got back on Tinder and ended up matching with the love of my life.”

Clementine claims it was not love at first sight. However, she notes that her now girlfriend made it clear on her profile that she was looking for a committed relationship, which made it easier for Clementine to approach the situation.

“A big issue for me was the fact that everyone I was meeting up with were not looking for the same things as I was, and I always left the dates feeling disappointed,” she says. “But knowing that my girlfriend was mature and interested in more than just a hookup made me think, ‘Wow, this could actually go somewhere.’”

A recent survey conducted by Statista revealed that Bumble has surpassed Tinder in the number of paying customers. Although both apps are free, they offer paid services that are meant to increase the likelihood of finding the right match.

Bumble encourages women to make the first move and claims to be “where people go to learn how to establish and maintain healthier connections.” Considering Bumble has more of an intentional and mature demeanor than Tinder, Statista’s findings might suggest exhaustion with hookup culture— a little hope that Clementine’s desire for communication and maturity in a partner could slowly become the norm.

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MODEL LEFT WEARS: Les Miss—Earrings; Emma Altman—Dress; Stylist's Own—Shoes MODEL RIGHT WEARS: Emma Altman—Earrings; Stylist's—Jacket, Top, Skirt

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"One sister have I..." the value of female friendship By abigail hennessey “One Sister have I in our house— And one a hedge away.

There's only one recorded, But both belong to me.”

—Emily Dickinson As a child, I slept on my sister Olivia’s trundle bed most nights. Falling asleep in her presence comforted me.

The four blue and pink striped walls enclosed us in a sanctuary of sisterhood. There was a poster above her bed displaying sayings like “Friends 4 Life” and peace signs in various colors, the epitome of pictures you'd find in most young girls' bedrooms in 2010. We used it to play “I Spy.” “I spy something purple,” Olivia would say.

I would guess until we drifted off to sleep.

Now I find myself lying in my roommates’ beds spying their paintings and the outlandish number of trinkets they've collected. Sisters, whether they share blood or not, shape us. They are critical to every chapter of a woman's life—and there's nothing quite like them.

The pressure of the patriarchy can evaporate in the presence of another woman.

“When I am in a room with men,” Olivia shares, “I often have altered my appearance from when I first woke up, I watch the way I speak—the way I hold myself in the room.”

“Never once have I felt that pressure around my sisters, rarely around close female friends. It is a breath of fresh air and has been since we used to play ‘I Spy’ and dance around restaurants playing live music without a care,” she claims.

In an interview with The Daily Mail, Tony Cassidy, professor of Child and Family Health at Ulster University, says that emotional expression is key to psychological health.

“Having sisters promotes this in families,” he says.

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In January, I surveyed 100 women via social media to get a sense for how they value friendships with other women. I asked about how women support each other and what sometimes keeps them from doing so.

validation. At a young age, girls are shown that there isn’t much room in our world for powerful women. We are fed the drama of female feuds, only reinstating the idea that the climb to the top is closer to a fight.

Multiple women between 18 and 25 spoke about crying on the shoulders of female friends through various struggles.

When asked about common triggers for jealousy, more than 70% of respondents mentioned “boys” or “men,” with one specifying “healthy romantic relationships.”

“I’ve gone through an eating disorder, and no one but my two girl best friends were able to help me through it,” a 19-year-old woman—who requests to remain anonymous—shares. “They made me want to live my life not in a haze and not thinking about food all of the time.”

The idea that jealousy between women is borne from competition for male validation has come to be known as “internalized misogyny.” In a 2004 article for The Journal of Sex Research, psychologist Anne Campbell investigated its roots.

As a woman, the times various female figures stood up for you are hard to forget. At age 51, an anonymous woman in my survey recounted a horrifying experience from her childhood.

“I was raped at age 14,” she says. “A girl I felt was mean befriended me and told me to hold my head up, that I wasn't dirty or guilty.”

These are the parts of female friendships we remember for the rest of our lives and that sustain us at pivotal moments. During pregnancy and motherhood, this means the need to seek out women who “love your children and include them in your friendship,” according to my survey.

My mother, Candice Hennessey, tells me, “the evolution of friendships grows as your children do, and the lasting friendships are those that show grace and support without question.”

The only connection between these friends might be that they had children at the same time, according to clinical psychologist Dr. Alexis E. Menken.

“And yet these relationships are powerfully supportive and provide pragmatic ways for women to come together with a problem-solving mentality,” she says.

In a time where women are supporting women loudly and publicly, we are consistently still pitted against one another in competition for looks, material, and male

“Girls, it is argued, come to ‘ventriloquise’ patriarchal male attitudes about appropriate female appearance and behavior,” she says.

Studies on inevitable jealousy in female friendships can be heavy on the heart. But these jealousies don’t last forever. As women grow older, the need to envy and compare lightens.

“I have no jealousy of my friends,” a 51-year-old woman answered in my survey. “After cancers, deaths, and other losses, we are grateful for the time we have left together.”

There is much to learn from the wiser. In this case, there is an urgency to appreciate the female friendships you have in each stage of life—for they all serve a purpose.

You may be a mother. A sister. A friend. A role model.

An aunt, cousin, grandmother, great-grandmother, or someone else. Wherever you fall, I can only hope that you have laughed the hardest and cried the longest alongside your sisters, and when need be, sat still by each other's sides. You know the precious value of those women from every phase of your life—even if they only taught you a lesson in how not to treat others.

So please remember it is not the fight you were taught it should be. You are never alone in the company of memories or current moments of female friendship.

As a woman graciously said in my survey, “we are not alone … we are all just walking each other home - xo.”

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MILLION DOLLAR MOUTH

Are Tooth Gems Worth It?

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How far would you go for an aesthetic?

wanting tooth gems quickly and easily.

eight months,” she says.

For Ali, it was worth it.

“Somebody used a very cheap bond—probably a bond that wasn’t even supposed to be put on the inside of a mouth —and it started to brown,” Susie Juray told The New York Times in 2019.

When done right, they can make your smile look like a million dollars.

“It was really fun. I think if I wasn't wearing makeup or I was dressed down it looked a little off but I got so many compliments on it when I had it so I felt like it really heightened my confidence for the time that I did have it on,” she says.

Juray rushed the woman to a dentist to remove the material.

“Some of it did come off. Some of it didn’t, and so there was damage to her tooth,” she states.

Juray is the founder of Tooth Kandy, a Los Angeles based tooth gem retailer. Tooth gems—small, delicate jewels that can be bonded to your front teeth to create a unique, attention-grabbing look— have seen a resurgence in popularity over the last two years after gaining attention on Pinterest and TikTok. Yet Juray has witnessed many mishaps regarding self-application tooth gems, begging the question: is looking cool worth potentially ruining your teeth?

In 2022, Pinterest’s annual report on trends, “Pinterest Predicts,” reported that searches for “tooth gems” had increased 85% over the previous year. In 2021, the hashtag ‘tooth gems' reached 130.4 million on Pinterest. But many young people have taken the application into their own hands and have bought kits online, increasing the risk of permanent damage.

“If you’ve got worn-away enamel from grinding your teeth or eating too many acidic foods, there will likely be sensitivity,” Dentist Michael Apa tells Allure.

Although it is not recommended by many dentists to not apply tooth gems at home, many young people are going to fall into the desire of

“I noticed tooth gems on social media. It was coming up a lot within different reels and TikTok’s or just posts from influencers I followed,” says Ali Reed, a 20 year LIM College student. “The peak was around quarantine, and I decided to get mine in September of 2021 and loved it.”

No doubt, tooth gems can look cool, but they shouldn’t be taken lightly because they pose a threat to tooth enamel.The adhesive that is used to apply the gem can cause the enamel to wear away and increase the chances of tooth decay.

According to Miracle Smile Dentistry, tooth gems are designed to last anywhere from six months to a year. This is a long time to leave a foreign object covering a tooth, making it impossible to brush properly.

When Ali got her tooth gem at Tooth Charm in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, she found the procedure to be quick and easy. The glue is the same used to apply fillings or a crown, which made it a more familiar experience.

“You pick your gem and then they put dental glue on it,” she says.

“They put the blue light on your tooth, and you have to hold open with a mouth guard and sit for 30 seconds and then you're good to go.”

Ali only experienced a minor complication.

“The only problem I ever had with mine was whenever I'd go to where my retainer would not fit anymore, so I'd end up getting bloody gums or I couldn't wear my retainer for those

There are two types of tooth gem applications: semi-permanent and permanent. The semi-permanent application involves no drilling. The application is similar to applying braces: an acidic solution also known as etching gel is applied to the tooth’s surface which roughens the enamel microscopically.

The gem is then bonded using an adhesive and a curing lamp. The procedure is painless and only takes up to a few minutes if they are being bonded to healthy teeth. The removal process is quite simple; they will fall out in time.

Permanent tooth gems require drilling a hole into the tooth and the gem is placed inside.

New trends will always find their way into media culture, so finding ways to balance what is harmful to your well-being is key.

Places like Tooth Kandy offer “a certification process for potential employees, also known as ‘tooth fairies.’ For $3,500, the customer receives a one-on-one training session which includes company guidelines, safety protocol, marketing tips and a complete tooth gem starter kit.”

Though the “add to cart” option on Amazon is always enticing, if you’re curius about tooth gems, make sure you work with a professional.

Is ‘Prime’ shipping worth your smile?

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Nuyorican State of Mind Puerto Rican influence on New York style Words By Ashanty Rivera Photos by Edwin ortiz Jr

As a woman of Puerto Rican descent, I treasure countless aspects of my culture—from the food to the music to our keen sense of style. My parents are both from Brooklyn, so I have had opportunities to relive some of their experiences as a Nuyorican (a Puerto Rican from New York). Puerto Rican culture is ubiquitous in New York City, and everything down to the graffitied buildings and bustling streets is soaked in it.

I had the fortune to inherit a little taste of that New York culture from my parents. When discovering my style, I always tried to push the envelope while embracing my eclectic culture. Puerto Ricans are known to be clamorous, assertive, and carefree. While this can be seen in our attitudes, our style shows it off the best.

My parents grew up in the era of Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane, Eric B. & Rakim, Doug E. Fresh, Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, and Biggie Smalls. Salsa artists such as Hector Lavoe and Willie Colon still ran through their veins, but hip-hop played a big part in influencing their style, as it has influenced me tenfold.

Growing up, I watched my father dress in baggy clothes and New York Yankees fitteds in different colors. I remember the first time I wore a pair of 3X jeans to school with my Butters on (Timberlands). While other students were baffled and found humor in my oversized looks, I was proud to embrace the fashion that was passed down from the culture.

My mother adorned her Afro-Latina skin with a brownglazed lip and gold bamboo door knockers that were just as ostentatious as the nameplate necklaces I wore as a child and still wear today. I was always trying to implement any of the styles and trends that I saw on my parents and in the street.

I became obsessed with shopping on 5th Ave in Brooklyn because of my godmother. Spending almost every summer with her in Red Hook was the highlight of my childhood. Her Puerto Rican light radiated through countless blocks from Hicks St. & Mill St. and beyond. Back then, I did not have an idea of how my personal style would evolve, but I could feel those Red Hook summers playing a critical role.

It is safe to say that my culture is easy to identify in New York. You can see us in your local bodegas and swimming pools, and the taste of our food lives in every borough. “Before I am anything, I am a Puerto Rican,” photographer and Nuyorican Edwin Ortiz Jr. states on his Instagram. “These are my people. This is our culture.” Capturing the hypnotic allure of Nuyorican culture is hard to do with just a single picture, but photographer and fellow Nuyorican Edwin Ortiz Jr. excels at it. Looking at his photos you can get a sense of how proud we are to stand for and express our culture in one of the toughest cities in the world, and how it ultimately coaxes our style.

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pump up the glam Emma DeFelice Nicalina Del Rosario

Amaya Kapaona Lola Spring Amaya Thomas

Photographer

Models

Beauty Director & MUA

Jaedyn Frasnelli Claudine Lorico

makeup & hair

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West Side Story Even though I can’t live without several movies, this one did a great job of displaying and representing my culture. Rita Moreno serves as a role model for Latina women in mass media. West Side Story depicts the challenges those Latino immigrants faced, but it also makes several references to Puerto Rican stereotypes. The love story and the songs also revealed something in me as a young girl that I had never seen before.

Editors’ Picks

Dezire Pestano or t c e ir D e iv t a e r C

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Letters To A Young Poet While I have many. I find inspiration in this book. A young poet asks a well-known poet for help and details his life. Rilke elaborates on the idea of cultivating a full inner existence and provides an enlightening viewpoint on the process of producing art.

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Etta James, At Last!

Although it’s not my favorite, I listen to this every other day because it makes me smile the most. The title song from Etta James’ debut album At Last! was recorded in 1960, and in 1993, James was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Beyoncé and Celine Dion most recently achieved chart success with Etta’s signature song.

The NYX Brown Slim Lip Pencil Over the past couple of years, this lip liner and clear gloss have been my go-to lip products. I don’t think this trend will ever go out of style because it has been extremely popular for years.

Maison Margiela’s Black Tabis These unique boots are one of my favorite fashion items. I’m able to convey my style in a way I never would have imagined before. To put it simply, tabi means “foot bag.” The big toe and the other toes are divided in Tabi shoes to encourage flexibility and add security, comfort, and stability.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days I love romance in novels, but I love it in movies even more. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days has always been one of my favorite movies to watch with my mom. Who doesn’t love Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey?

Rare Beauty Liquid Blush in Happy I discovered Rare Beauty last year, and its products have become my go-to’s ever since.

However, its Liquid Blush in shade Happy has to be my favorite. I love how it gives a natural, flushed look to the skin.

Wolf Grey Pure Platinum Dunks There is nothing I love more than a good pair of sneakers. The Wolf Grey Pure Platinum Dunks are a staple in my wardrobe. I wear them almost daily because they are seasonless and match anything.

This Old Dog by Mac Demarco I’ll admit, picking my favorite album was extremely hard, but This Old Dog has been a consistent mustlisten for years. I still remember how I felt the first time I listened to these songs; it was like they were an escape from everyday life.

Emiily Whi te Editor in Ch ief

Editors’ Picks

Love & Other Words

by Christina Lauren I’m a sucker for a good romance novel. Love & Other Words is a book that makes you forget you’re reading. Not only do I love this book, but so does my sister, and sharing that love makes it even more special.

Cosmopolitan Magazine As much as I love actual literature, magazines have always been my go-to read.

Specifically, Cosmopolitan.

This publication gives you everything and more. I have always seen myself writing for this publication, so reading every single issue is the next best thing at the moment.

Editors’ Picks

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“Try Again” by Aaliyah Aaliyah was such an amazing and inspirational artist. Her music can lift you up, can make you want to dance, and reminisce at the same time.

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Vintage New York Yankees Bomber Jacket I am a New Yorker at heart (even though my birth certificate says Rhode Island). Repping my favorite state and my favorite baseball team is always a must. My dad’s 2XL vintage New York Yankees bomber jacket is always in my wardrobe rotation

Pink Y Project x Melissa Mules These Y Project x Melissa mules could be placed next to the dictionary definition for “fun.” The moment I saw these, I knew that they had to be mine, and I have loved them ever since.

My “Fashion Duh” Pinterest Board Pinterest is the only stress reliever I have besides coffee. You can find the recipe for my personal style on my “Fashion Duh” board. It is all over the place and ever-changing.

Edward Scissorhands Any Tim Burton film can be considered a comfort movie for me, but Edward Scissorhands will always be my absolute holy grail.

Milk & Honey By: Rupi Kaur My all-time favorite. I have always been inspired to read poems and thoughts by writers that can portray positivity and happiness.

The metaphors used in this book provide insight into strength and resilience.

Supergoop!

Unseen Sunscreen Whether it’s rain or shine in NYC, the Unscreen Sunscreen by Supergoop! is always a staple in my makeup bag. The sunscreen has the perfect texture for any skin type for a glowy and clean look.

“Innerbloom,” Rufus Du Sol Rufus Du Sol distill art and music into one feeling. Their deep house beats can bring instant happiness.

Editors’ Picks

We Are Your Friends I love movies starring Zac Efron and Emily Ratajakowski, and this film’s blend of music and art is inspiring. The story of a young DJ and his love for electronic music brings the audience to dig deep into the art of music

Aritzia Babaton Basic Scult Knit Tank Tops The basic Babaton sculpt knit tank top from Aritzia is definitely my go-to. The simple, yet classy top can be worn on a daily basis or on a night out to dress it up.

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student style

faith anderson class of 2024

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gwendolyn mingo class of 2023

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