Volume 40 | Issue 2 | 2021-2022

THEN TO NOW

4

There’s a comforting certainty to how we will continue to make art and write literature amongst the absurdity

METROSPHERE

40 [2]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

the world continues to throw at us.

VOLUME 40 - ISSUE 2

letter from the editor

Every edition of Metrosphere, there’s one thing I always struggle with.

It’s the letter from the editor. However, despite my own challenges with writing it, I am grateful for the opportunity for reflection that it provides, which is especially fitting considering our theme.

“Then to Now” refers to our desire to better understand our own current relationship with the past. And upon reflecting both our time producing the second issue of volume 40 and my term as editor-inchief overall, it becomes insanely clear that the world is strange.

It has always been a strange place though, hasn’t it? Perhaps that gives more reason as to why Metrosphere exists. There’s a comforting certainty to how we will continue to make art and write literature amongst the absurdity the world continues to throw at us.

Our work at Metrosphere is then archival in a sense. The work featured in these pages offers us insight into the creative work and thoughts of others whom we may not have interacted with at all despite having shared however many years within the same university.

Thank you to those who contributed to and supported the creation of this issue along with everyone who took part in Metrosphere history in one way or another. It has been a hell of a ride, and we couldn’t have gotten here without you.

Take care and keep creating,

Julia Nguyen Editor-in-Chief

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METROSPHERE STAFF

JULIA NGUYEN PHOEBE NGUYEN OLIVIA RUFFE NOELLE BETKOWSKI NATHAN DE MONNIN MARIANA ORTEGA RIVERA • JONATHAN HIDALGO MEGAN ANTHONY • TIFFANI HERNANDEZ • ALEX ERTEL • CHÈNA WILLIAMS editor-in-chief

creative director

managing editor

art director

graphic designer

photographers

BEHIND THE MAGAZINE

writers

ALFONZO PORTER KATHLEEN JEWBY PETER BERGMAN KELLY MONICO MEHER NOORULAMIN ALEXANDRA FABRIZIO met media associate director

metrosphere advisor

metrosphere advisor

metrosphere creative consultant

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met media office manager

40th anniversary event coordinator

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©2022. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this publication may be used or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior permission of Met Media, except in the context of reviews. The opinions expressed within are not necessarily those of the University and/or members of the University.

archives

THEN TO NOW

ARCHIVE 1

10

IMAGES paulina salais moncada – sara martin – joshua glenn ARCHIVE 2

24

WORDS

zac wright – bryan rustad – mackenzie dean walters-hooey emma rebecca maxfield – samuel karl – sean murphy – tamesha morris ARCHIVE 3

46

PEOPLE

dr. christine sheikh – dr. kimberly klimek – dr. pamela troyer ARCHIVE 4

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MEMENTOS ARCHIVE 5 5 ARCHIVE

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THOUGHTS chèna williams – tiffani hernandez – alex ertel

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© IMAGES: Pexels

40 [2] ARCHIVE ONE

IMAGES 8

VOLUME 40 - ISSUE 2

metrosphere

The warmth of a lamp. The squeak of a cabinet. The flip of a page. Welcome to the archives we’ve collected over the years.

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illustrations

NOELLE BETKOWSKI & PHOEBE NGUYEN

Memories are thought to be stored within cell assemblies in our brain. These groups of

neurons

fire

together

after a triggered stimulus.

IMAGES

For memories to be stored long-term, recalled be

they

enough

engrained

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ARCHIVE ONE

neuron groups.

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FEATURING 12

paulina salais moncada

14

sara martin

21

joshua glenn

must

be

times

to

within

their

the

interpretations

of

memory

and

nostalgia

THEN TO NOW

This is our first flip through interpretations of memory and nostalgia. Here in the IMAGES archive we will explore artistic works, comprising of sculpture, photography, and dance, that creatives have given us the opportunity to view.

ARCHIVE ONE LOADING FILES 11

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ART SUBMISSION PAULINA SALAIS MONCADA

Jardin De Rosas was inspired after my grandmothers, mi Abuelita Rosa y mi Abuelita Tencha. “Rosa” means “rose,” and “Tencha” is short for “Hortencia,” which comes from the Roman word “hortus” meaning “garden.” Apart from the literal meaning, my grandmothers both have beautiful gardens at their homes, and mi Abuelita Tencha had all sorts of beautiful ornaments and decorations at her home. Jardin De Rosas is a handheld object, fitting nicely in the palm of the hand. The out of polymer clay and painted with acrylic paint.

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ARCHIVE ONE

IMAGES

frame of this piece is made out of copper, and the flowers are made

JARDIN DE

SCULPTURE

paulina salais moncada

13

METROSPHERE

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IMAGES IMAGES

ART SUBMISSION SARA MARTIN

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PHOTOGRAPHY SUBMISSION TITLE

sara martin author name

Pacific Tenderness is a collection of photos captured along the California and Oregon coast. In a summer vacation along the 101 highway, the images captured can reflect the contrast between warmth and volatility of infrastructure and nature.

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METROSPHERE

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ARCHIVE ONE

IMAGES 16

PHOTOGRAPHY SUBMISSION TITLE

sara martin author name

17

METROSPHERE

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ARCHIVE ONE

IMAGES 18

PHOTOGRAPHY SUBMISSION TITLE

sara martin author name

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METROSPHERE

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IMAGES IMAGES 20

DANCE

joshua glenn

ART SUBMISSION JOSHUA GLENN

© IMAGES: Pexels 21

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ARCHIVE ONE

IMAGES

euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric.

My name is Joshua. I’m pursuing a degree in journalism with a minor in biology. I started to find an interest in dancing way back in 2007. It wasn’t until 2010 that I’d realized I’d found something I was truly passionate about. The connection between music and body creates a feeling that is

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nothing short of euphoric. Eleven years of practice later, this art form has taken me further than I ever anticipated. With some of my closest friends, I’ve been in countless competitions and performances around the country.

I’ve been fortunate enough to share what I love with people around the world and am elated to be sharing these with you!

DANCE

Scan to watch the full performance.

joshua glenn

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euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric. euphoric.

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Here,

we

will

WORDS—along

witness with

how

rhythm,

voice, tone, and plot—act as tools for writers to arrive at a better

understanding

of

the

importance of a near, distant, and metaphorical time gone by.

WOR along

with

rhythm,

S voice,

tone,

and

plot

METROSPHERE METROSPHERE

40 [2] [2] 40

ARCHIVE TWO TWO ARCHIVE

WORDS WORDS

ARCHIVE TWO LOADING FILES

THEN TO NOW

illustrations

NOELLE BETKOWSKI & PHOEBE NGUYEN

FEATURING

Memory

26

zac wright

28

bryan rustad

32

mackenzie dean walters-hooey

is

38

emma rebecca maxfield

40

samuel karl

42

sean murphy

44

tamesha morris

more

malleable

than we think. Recent studies show that each time we recall a memory, we are really recalling the last time we experienced the memory. Therefore, every time that

something memory

malleable

as

is it

is

recalled,

temporarily must

be

reconsolidated in the brain.

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TO WEFT FROM THE WARP LITERARY SUBMISSION ZAC WRIGHT

WORDS

ILLUSTRATION METROSPHERE

I’ve seen this once before, as if in a dream.

The fraying of fabric woven strong wearing thin the threads spun with song.

A gossamer balance, variations on the theme.

Tightly knit even when life began to call

ARCHIVE TWO

interlacing freedoms with our duty.

Warping uncertainties into sonic beauty.

Generating heat from the inspiration of it all.

The footlights illuminate one wefted thread of many where the fibers were once blood and sound.

But dusk tapered with a regnant silence all around

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No fault acknowledged, nor missteps exposed if any.

Regret and remorse are not welcome into what was woven But humble, salt eyed gratitude for the loom that still keeps moving

POETRY

zac wright

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Part I

Für Elise, Blue Danube Waltz, Cristofori’s Dream, a Celtic Dream, and the theme of a show I love to watch, echo in the silent chamber, dancing off of wooden keys, played by me for You. nicely dressed and somber, tears forming in their eyes, hearts split open, and then together, we all sing for You. Next, there are speeches, I cry the loudest, as they talk about Humor, Stubbornness, Love, Compassion, special moments, they talk about You. Outside we watch, trumpets play ‘Taps,’ gunfire fills the air after.

Your service, though long over, will never be forgotten and everyone will remember You.

ILLUSTRATION METROSPHERE

LITERARY SUBMISSION BRYAN RUSTAD

O GRANDFATHER MINE

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ARCHIVE TWO

WORDS

While silently they watch,

Some time later, here in Colorado, with the dirt and rocks, bark and leaves, where Dad and Grandma placed the ashes, underneath a tree I can find You, O Grandfather Mine.

POETRY

bryan rustad

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Part II

You knew the stars and their shapes, the difference between Venus and Mars, and you told me, as we slept under their watchful gaze; a gaze that now has one more light, and oh, how I miss you.

You usually smelled like wood, sometimes burning, smokey, searing art into planks, carving or crafting useful tools and train tracks like those that still line my walls, and oh, how I miss you.

You and your quirky hobbies: feeding the racoons and squirrels, one with octopus, the other with nuts; listening to the emergency services’

WORDS

radio, especially when we could see smoke over the ridge and helicopters flew overhead with buckets; and those pancakes, warm, soft, melting in our mouths along with the butter and syrup,

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ARCHIVE TWO

and oh, how I miss you, O Grandfather mine.

POETRY

bryan rustad

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my hands have learned to chime LITERARY SUBMISSION

WORDS

MACKENZIE DEAN WALTERS-HOOEY

I grew up with one mother but it often felt like two and I had nicknames for the both of them; the shell and the lioness. They were tied together comes from growing up beautiful but scared. The lioness birthed me, 19 hours of painful labor and she doesn’t regret a thing. She once drank a

ARCHIVE TWO

whole handle of tequila, all fifty nine point two ounces, over the course of two blue blooded summer nights and convinced herself she was the next great jazz star. She pressed the ivory of the old piano, licking the dust off her fingertips. She knew two chords, G and C minor, and the piano was out of tune from us cutting the strings to floss our teeth. But she played and clanged and sang in Portuguese, her tongue forming the words like it was something perverse. The lioness was bountiful and

40 [2]

always painted me and my sister’s room when we asked, splattering yellow on the ceiling and acted like it would burn the damn house down if we were lucky enough to find a match. She used to hang the laundry out on the pine trees in the back, letting the fabric get caught in the bristles, cutting her elbows as she carried them back in. She would rub

METROSPHERE

vanilla behind her ears and hang dried lavender from every window and watch it swing during hazy storms. We would sit with blankets around our bare shoulders and one left sock on when the lightning raced the light. She would chant for snowstorms when she went through her Wiccan phase, because she could talk to the weather and it would sometimes lend an ear.

© IMAGES: Unsplash

by their lungs, beautiful hands, straight nose and the soft smile that

PROSE

mackenzie dean walters-hooey

The shell moved in when I was twelve, she had the

shell got so dried out she forgot me and my sister’s

same nose as the lioness and I was angry most of

name and tried to steal the stop sign at the end of the

the time and only drank orange juice and ate plain

street. She wanted to march with it for the world to

toast. She would burn it on purpose to teach me about

see, and then lay down somewhere soft for a while.

grief. I would yell as I stood on the kitchen table that I

She used to play this game where she would empty

had given birth to myself so many times I lost count

the orange bottle down her throat and whisper that

and she had nothing to do with it. She nodded her

death is a man’s game and she only knows how to

head and then threw the glass cup she was holding

roll the dice. We spent a lot of nights in hard chairs

at my head. It shattered. The shell moved me and

with sirens lulling us to sleep, but still we ticked on.

my sister into the upstairs room with one bed and a flowered rug, and told us how pretty the view

I learned to entertain myself on the days I had no

was. The room didn’t have a window and she would

mothers. I had lost them to the sheets, the bathtub,

stare at the wall as she sat naked and put lotion on,

the dull razors under the bathroom sink. I became

a soft smile playing at her lips. She made a cocoon

a ghost, dead but still standing, and I would float

of her bed and told sad jokes about how she was

down the stairs, and then through myself. Our living

almost something big and now she is just almost.

room had no furniture anymore, I could echo myself

Sometimes she would cry and say she never meant

against the walls and slide around in my socks. I

to have me but she thinks I am beautiful and asked

became a gust of wind and I wasn’t scared anymore.

when I would bring a boy home. There were days

I pushed the pine tree onto the roof of our house,

when I wished the phone would ring with bad news

crushing the single bed and flowered rug. I moved

so she would get used to the crying. Sometimes the

into the basement and my sister moved away. She tied double knots and didn’t look back. I ticked on.

I grew up with one mother but it often felt like two and I had nicknames for the both of them; the shell

33

and the lioness.

34

I remember Christmas when I was fourteen, the whole family was over, their pale long faces and oversized coats on. We gathered around the Christmas tree that me and the lioness had cut down, a skinny thing that couldn’t hold the laundry.

We had tried. We had hiked up that damn mountain, the one with the eye on the top and we sawed with such a vengeance! My hands bled and she wrapped her violet hair ribbon around my fingertips, it was frayed at both ends. I kept it in my pocket and when she asked if she could have it back, blowing her baby hairs from her face, I just shook my head and pretended it had been left in the snow. I hung it from the attic door in my room and wrote letters to it. Blood became beautiful and then just blue. The shell came to Christmas that year, sat next to the the tree that wasn’t hers and put a Christmas record WORDS

on. The shell couldn’t play the piano and I didn’t ask. Our family would smile without teeth and ask the shell questions with hushed voices, pushing small words from their cheeks. They would reach out and grab my hands, say I was such a pretty girl.

I was such a smart girl, a heart of silver. They were

ARCHIVE TWO

so proud of me for growing out of my skin and into something that was armored.

The shell also came to Easter, and I cried when I pulled her from inside the plastic egg in my basket.

I wanted chocolate or the currency of love or really anything useful and not breakable. I had stopped

40 [2]

looking for her, I had prayed for the lioness and her loud tongue. It was the only day I believed in a God.

I was weightless and had hair METROSPHERE

me and everything was soft.

I learned to hold my breath for six whole minutes and I

didn’t tell a soul.

© IMAGES: Pexels & Unsplash

that stretched out behind

PROSE

mackenzie dean walters-hooey

She used to play this game where

she would empty the orange bottle down

her throat and whisper that death is a man’s game and she only knows how to roll the dice.

I began hiding secrets in the cupboards or under the refrigerator for the lioness to find, wings from blackbirds or a pair of binoculars that only saw backwards. Things she would like. The shell never cleaned, the piano keys stayed dusty and the lioness seldom came around anymore, except for the few days after I went to the pharmacy for her. I peddled back on a bike that was far too small, with a basket on the front that leaned to the left. In her mind I was still a child, my eyes didn’t look as dull in pictures and I showed my teeth when I roared.

When I was fifteen our house flooded midsummer, in June I think, starting from a leak in the basement window. I shoved the ribbon in the crack and then pulled it out when I realized I didn’t have to tiptoe anymore. I was weightless and had hair that stretched out behind me and everything was soft. I learned to hold my breath for six whole minutes and I didn’t tell a soul. I learned then that drowning was only dignified when it was purposeful and I fashioned myself a pair of concrete boots. They took three weeks to mold correctly and I didn’t sleep once. I made waterlogged oars from my night stand and paddled my way upstairs into the shell’s cocoon and pulled her in with me. She became heavy and sunk to the carpet and I didn’t even cry because my face was already wet and she had been on the ground since I could remember. I kicked down and put her back to bed, pressed my lips into 35

her forehead and closed the door.

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I brought a boy home that same summer and I also learned to be afraid of the dark. He would come over most nights, we would make dinner and he would always cut the tomatoes wrong, slicing towards himself.

I would still get on my knees and lick the blood from his wrists, wiping my mouth as I stood up and smoothed my skirt. We would run into the basement, I was always one step ahead of him until I wasn’t. I learned to moan through my cries and bite my cheek and how to use a screwdriver to shimmy a lock. And then shimmy into my upper thigh.

I would make us crackers with peanut butter spread over them before he left, it would get stuck on the roof of my mouth so I didn’t have to speak. I would close the front door and burn myself in the shower after. I never slept with the lights off after he came over, I bought a cheap chandelier to swing from. I had rings under my eyes and on my ribcage and I thought I loved him. He had big hands that covered the circumference of my throat and I learned to stop biting my nails.

The lioness would come down after, socks wet from the carpet and

WORDS

ask if he came from a good family. I would smile and say yes, and she would brush through my hair and kiss my shoulders. She told me to remember to look at the moon, count its faces and try to replicate them with my own. The shell would come down some nights instead, and I would brush her hair and kiss her shoulders and ask her if she thought our family would grow away from the tree out front. She said she

© IMAGES: Pexels & Unsplash

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ARCHIVE TWO

thought we already did.

PROSE

mackenzie dean walters-hooey

We lost my sister in June of the next summer, I was sixteen. She broke her bones into cries, into howls, into wolves. She came back to us after two minutes, one hundred and twenty seconds, but it felt like my entire lifetime and one more piled on top of that. Her eyes didn’t stop searching the ceiling like a lost dog for four days, three hundred and forty five thousand and a handful more seconds. I couldn’t break my eyes from her and the snake that had moved into her mouth. The lioness was there the whole time, steadfast like a towboat. She opened the curtains and told us stories about the time she ran through the dunes for sixteen days just to prove her lungs had the capacity. She tried to saw them from her body after. My sister’s hands stopped touching things the right way and I had to wear gloves when I saw her so she didn’t see the tremor. We walked home in two gowns, one mundane and one for surviving, counted cracks between cars and stared at the women in the shops. We began to put honey on our eyelids at night and watched it drip down our navel and to our toes and out the front door and to the stop sign.

I lost myself and most of the shell the next March.

I said no to death every time he wandered onto my porch, but one day I invited him in for some tea and he never left. I got so heavy I couldn’t pick the backs of my hands from the pavement, so I let them drag.

I had to wrap bandages around them and I wished

I said no to death every

time he wandered onto

two daughters and half of her womb and most of her hair. She got back one daughter and the casing of another, tied with a bow, tied with a rock on her feet. I felt the hands of the grandfather clock become my own and I couldn’t reach the time well enough to turn it off. I ticked backwards and then not at all.

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my porch, but one day I invited him in for some tea and he never left.

more than anything it was a ribbon. The shell lost

38 WORDS

Blue.

LITERARY SUBMISSION EMMA REBECCA MAXFIELD

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ARCHIVE TWO

PATTERN METROSPHERE

POETRY

emma rebecca maxfield

I can recall the first time I heard you sing. I was researching Carole King and you appeared before my tired eye and reignited my snoozing vocal folds with a fire that tasted like fresh air.

Never heard anything like you ladies.

You were my mantra, guiding all thought to places filled with beautiful fools like me.

I know it, too. I, the dreamer, head lost in futures bright, dancing with sanity and holding tight to my song. Was it your tune I stole? I can’t seem to remember the words.

Titled with color stretched into feelings that can’t exist again because Joni can’t sing anymore.

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LIKE SO MANY PATROCLUS’, CLORINDA’S AND TULLIA’S LITERARY SUBMISSION SAMUEL KARL COLLAGE METROSPHERE

Achilles, Tancred and Cicero cried on their beloved’s death: WORDS

“Alas! O! Today the Sun seems now to weep his gilded rays, While I gaze up and stare, amazed, with a contented breath.

The Moon, her beams, she cries as well in turn, like we bereaved; and leaves fall not in grace but instead play Aminta in their daze,”

“and bitter is that cloud which no longer drifts but is forever heaved from one despair to another, like a wheel of unrest: lacking a grave while I gaze up and stare, awestruck, with a contented breath.

© IMAGES: Pexels

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40 [2]

ARCHIVE TWO

spoke Achilles, Tancred and Cicero on their beloved’s death;

samuel karl

POETRY

Seeds seem not like birth but as so many cesareans of casualty; and sprouting, not in joy, they’re reared in a bitter fruit lave,” uttered Achilles, Tancred and Cicero on their beloved’s death; “and the rose does not flower but bleeds off its petals casually, relishing that pain as penance for a weak stem and constitution, while I gaze up and stare alarmedly, with a contented breath.”

Where does the lily look when it sees not one joy in all that suffereth?

It does not turn away, but peacefully it perceives that grand profusion, like Achilles, Tancred and Cicero crying on their beloved’s death: who gazed up and stared, amazed, with a contented breath.

where does the lily look? where does the lily look? where does the lily look? where does the lily look? where does the lily look? where does the lily look? where does the lily look? where does the lily look? where does the lily look? where does the lily look? where does the lily look? where does the lily look?

where does the lily look? where does the lily look? where does the lily look?

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where does the lily look?

where does the lily look? where does the lily look? where does the lily look?

42 WORDS

Sometimes Science aligns with the lyrical.

ARCHIVE TWO

A capacity to see beyond the visible.

When we carefully attend to the world’s workings We can sometime tune to its rhythms and rhymes.

Revealed in the meter of reality itself.

Poets need only recognize that nature’s wonder is evident.

Our precise knowledge of the decoded man.

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The enigmas that emerge from new discoveries.

Delicate petals are metamorphosed stardust.

Our gaze does not wilt the rose.

Art, love and life are manifestations.

METROSPHERE

Of a vital minds machinations.

There is no trick of perception, This is a real physical operation.

To fill life with vital permutations.

POETRY

sean murphy

PETALS and STARDUST LITERARY SUBMISSION SEAN MURPHY PHOTOGRAPHY METROSPHERE

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44

I once sat under an oak tree, where many of my ancestors were hung and set free, our Amerikkka, I don’t understand, equal rights for a Black man, not in the land of red, white, and blue, a nation riddled with chaos but never the truth,

LITERARY SUBMISSION TAMESHA MORRIS

THE OAK TREE

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40 [2]

ARCHIVE TWO

WORDS

destined to fall beneath its means, to be rendered useless, to endlessly scream, plunging into the depths of darkness, disregarding our chances to live, to constantly take but never to give, blessed with the gift of being Black and free, while still fighting stereotypes of inferiority, struggling to ignore my ancestors’ cries, erasing the looks of terror in their eyes, remembering promises never to come, Amerikkka’s reign has just begun, time for murder and madness and sinister thoughts, time for rapes and robberies and innocence lost, time for anger and vengeance to creep through the night, time for greed and envy causing massive plight, we’ve accomplished so much, but in contrast so less, and we’re fastly approaching the ultimate test, of using courage and honor to restore peace on Earth, while stopping the violence and ending the hurt, I can hear voices screaming “go back where you came from,” but whose land did you land on, oh, say can you see, in my eyes, I see the end of mankind, creeping up in disguise and catching us by surprise,

POETRY

tamesha morris

and the home of the brave, that was back in the day, before we walked astray and integrity paved the way, we’re all Gods placed here for a purpose, and conversing with me merely scratches the surface, how can you judge when you don’t know, how can you help this nation grow, do you have the strength to go the extra mile, to keep the faith in the eyes of the Black child? would you rather die for a cause, or die because you paused? in mid-decision over right and wrong, and oops! you took too long, you sat idly by and watched Amerikkka stumble, and you in the end were the one in trouble, can you lay to rest prejudices and ill-will towards man, can you persevere in your struggles to execute positive plans, what have you done to lend a helping hand, are you causing us to fall, or aiding in our stand, throughout the brutal and endless ride, we’ve still managed to keep our strong, Black pride, to hold our heads high and weather each storm, but without the aid of others our nation is forever torn, between good and evil and self-destruction, how can we fight to end this corruption.

Oh! Remember that oak tree that caused so much pain?

It was tormented by thunder then raped by the rain.

Finally, a positive change.

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46 PEOPLE

THEN TO NOW

P

OPLE &

writers

to

tattoo

artists

&

students

alike

ARCHIVE THREE

professors

Here, we will encounter all sorts

40 [2]

of

PEOPLE,

from

authors

to

scholars. These individuals have something

pertinent

to

say

about the impactful history and

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evolution of their fields along with the effects on us as individuals and as a society.

ARCHIVE THREE LOADING FILES

illustrations

NOELLE BETKOWSKI & PHOEBE NGUYEN

FEATURING 48

dr. christine sheikh

54

dr. kimberly klimek & dr. pamela troyer

A study conducted by Harvard and Dartmouth found that our ability

to

identify

faces

and

pair them with a name begins to decline after age 35. In our 70s, we can typically recognize around 75% of people.

47

48

the beauty

PARADOX

ARCHIVE THREE

PEOPLE

with Dr. Christine Sheikh

INTERVIEW MEGAN ANTHONY 40 [2]

ILLUSTRATION METROSPHERE

How Social Media and a World-Wide Pandemic Have © IMAGES: Pexels & Unsplash

METROSPHERE

Redefined Beauty Standards

megan anthony

INTERVIEW

While it is not a surprise that trends heavily influ-

thoughts and beauty practices were reshaped

ence the concept of beauty, we have now stepped into

by COVID-19.

the realm where a pandemic has also begun to affect the ways in which we interact with this construct.

While our interactions with coworkers and classmates were confined to the internet, the limitations on how

Staying at home and working online meant different

we were allowed to dress expanded. People were

things to different people. For some, it meant forgoing

given more freedom in how they were able to present

to get dressed, doing hair, and putting on makeup to

themselves because of the parameters of a screen.

opt for a version of themselves that departed from beauty routines that they had once followed. Then,

For those who chose to abandon their typical routine,

there were others who turned to makeup and fashion

a new social and personal experiment presented itself

to make their day feel special, despite being stuck at

in which they were allowed to more safely assess what

home. It became an artistic escape.

it meant to abstain from the beauty standards that society had once placed on them. On the other hand, the groups that maintained their routines found a

reflections of the ways that our own personal

connection with fashion and makeup that meant

49

Both choices existed for a reason, and they became

50

more than conforming to society; it meant taking

Despite all the ways that people have pushed the

back the power of these tools and using them for

boundaries of beauty through makeup, Dr. Sheikh

self-expression and exploration.

pointed out that “we still face strict standards when it comes to [face] makeup and skin complexion.”

To get a better understanding of this shift, I sat down

While we applaud self-expression through the

to talk with Dr. Christine Sheikh, a professor in the

aforementioned ways, greater society still expects to

Gender, Women, and Sexualities department here at

see smooth, contoured complexions within a certain

Metropolitan State University of Denver.

skin-tone range.

We discussed the possible evolution of the use of

This was just the first paradox of many that we

makeup and came to a very interesting conclusion.

encountered when discussing how beauty cultures

It became apparent that we both had experienced

have simultaneously expanded and reinforced

varying degrees of change when it came to how we

certain seemingly inescapable standards.

PEOPLE

have started to interact or seen others interacting with makeup. The changes that we experienced

Dr. Sheikh addressed this paradox, mentioning that

were centered around how makeup as an art form

there are so many layers to the concept of beauty

expanded the parameters of beauty.

and how we approach it that there will never be one way to “correctly” deal with this issue. “There’s no

While makeup has long been seen to conform to

one narrative…” she stated, “[makeup] can be part of

Eurocentric beauty standards, it is becoming a

the path to authenticity or an act of putting on body

new form of self-expression. From the way people

armor and protecting yourself from the world.”

draw their eyebrows to eye makeup trends, we can see a shift from makeup being used as a tool for ARCHIVE THREE

conformity to a tool that highlights personal style.

We are facing an

expanded model of beauty but

revolutionized one.

© IMAGES: Pexels & Unsplash

METROSPHERE

40 [2]

not a completely

megan anthony

INTERVIEW

Moving forward to today, I couldn’t help but wonder

Our conversation diverged, and we began discussing

if our mindset during the school and work “closures”

the ways that social media affects the way we view

managed to seep into how we interact with beauty

beauty and self-expression, and how the platform is

cultures in a world that is now trying to get back

both detrimental and beneficial to the psyche.

to “normal.”

Social media opens new worlds for those who need to Yes and no. We have seen the benefits of a world

find an escape from their own. When someone feels

without daily beauty pressures that monitor our

as if they do not fit in to the space that they occupy,

self-expression but returning to school and work

seeing representation that reflects who they are can

means returning to a capitalist society in which

give them the hope they need to find that connection

“maintaining the self” is a strategy implemented

in real life.

to keep the system functioning.

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52 PEOPLE ARCHIVE THREE 40 [2]

In 2021, the New York Times published an article

surprise there). Social media exists in a space that

titled, “Who Gets to Be Beautiful Now? Anyone

thrives off trends. This begs the question—are the

Who Believes Themselves to Be So.” When I read

trends of body inclusivity and broadened beauty

this title, my first reaction was supportive. However,

standards another passing fad?

upon finishing the article, I felt dissatisfied with the content. Here was a major publication praising

Further, can they truly be an accurate depiction of

beauty icons that didn’t fit into the Eurocentric

what is happening on the ground? As Dr. Sheikh

mold… to a certain extent. Or as Sheikh put, the

asked, “while there’s a handful of people doing

article represented “superficial forms of diversity.”

interesting things on social media, how much does that trickle down to everyday life?” Is the online

Everyone featured in this article was beautiful—

world a place that applauds proud fat, BIPOC,

there is no denying that. But, while they gave the

queer bodies only to push them aside in real life?

spotlight to people who were not white, tall, blonde,

© IMAGES: Pexels & Unsplash

METROSPHERE

However, social media also has many flaws. (No

INTERVIEW

megan anthony

and skinny, they didn’t focus on the entire scope of

While this sense of frustration can be overwhelming,

beauty. While I applaud them for at least including

it is an emotion that require acknowledgement. Dr.

a wide array of skin colors, everyone had a perfect

Sheikh shared with me that even as a feminist with

complexion, expensive clothes, salon styled hair, no

a PhD, it is difficult not to fall into these traps. She

cellulite, and no body hair visible. In the words of Dr.

discussed how “we can have all of the intellectual

Sheikh, “we are facing an expanded model of beauty

tools and still struggle.” This is a systemic issue that

but not a completely revolutionized one.”

individuals face daily, and some more than others.

While we hope that these small steps towards body

What does this do to our fight to end a standardized

inclusivity grow stronger with the years to come, we

view of beauty? It tells us that it is ok to inhabit spaces

also need to be aware of now.

as a person who does not fit into the hegemonic beauty standards as long as you do so stylishly.

This dichotomy is frustrating because we need representation, but it becomes detrimental when the only representation that is socially accepted occurs in social media and in terms that are seen as trendy.

. . . it meant taking

back the power of these tools and using them for

53

self-expression and exploration.

54 METROSPHERE

40 [2]

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PEOPLE

Opening the Door

with Dr. Kimberly Klimek and Dr. Pamela L. Troyer

to a Global Past

INTERVIEW

olivia ruffe

INTERVIEW OLIVIA RUFFE IMAGES METROSPHERE

We tend to think of the world today, with the invention of the internet, as a new global society that shares and trades ideas and culture, where the past remained culturally isolated. Though the World Wide Web has expedited the process, globalization has been present throughout human history. And as we exist today, we remain embedded in a history of cultural exchange that constantly influences our present realities from our language, literature, food, music, traditions, art, and beyond. Yet though the past is all around us, it is also sheltered from us based upon the dominant narratives embedded within our education. The tradition and curriculum of Western education has historically washed over a complex and global past with Eurocentric narratives.

Metropolitan State University of Denver history professor Dr. Kimberly Klimek and English professor Dr. Pamela L. Troyer sought to reexamine this history in their textbook Global Medieval Contexts 500-1500: Connections and Comparisons, with coauthors Dr. Sarah Davis-Secord and Dr. Bryan C. Keene. In an interview with Klimek and Troyer, they explained the motivations behind their text from initial ideas, goals, struggles, and the content they chose to include. “We subtitled the book ‘Connections and Comparisons’ because initially we saw many connections across Eurasia,” Troyer said in researching the textbook, explaining that “historically, there have been a lot of 55

global connections in history.” As a professor, she

56

contextualized that “the books that we had available

the multitude of historical information, Troyer

to us and the way we had been trained was to focus

emphasized that much of their work was student-

primarily and, in fact, almost exclusively on Europe.”

driven. “[Klimek] and I teach these kinds of courses

Klimek and Troyer sought to highlight the vast

all the time at a general studies level where we under-

network of global connections within this 1,000-year

stand that it may be the only class that a student

period to create an equitable history, acknowledging

has in arts and humanities, and the only class where

that there is no one exclusive way through which we

they’re going to get history and literature and art.”

may explore the past. In a postmodern lens, then, they

Global Medieval Contexts is used within Troyer and

seek to reexplore this past through postcolonial study,

Klimek’s general studies courses, such as Troyer’s

feminism, gender and queer studies, environmental

Medieval Mythologies, and so they sought to doc-

studies, and beyond.

ument major highlights in their research that could be explored within a single semester. This type

Here at MSU Denver, Klimek and Troyer were more

of textbook is the first of its kind for the under-

broadly aware of how students in the classroom

graduate, general studies level.

PEOPLE

have not always been able to see themselves within a Eurocentric past. “We really wanted to reach students,

Yet, in covering such an expansive period, there

and we were going to have to do it in a global way,”

comes a major hurdle that has put off academics

Klimek explained. “We were going to have to make

from taking such a venture. “In order to really study

connections that our students would be able to see

this period,” Troyer explained, “and especially on a

themselves in, whether that’s the Mayan Empire, the

global level, you would have to know hundreds of

African Empire, the Chinese Empires, the Russian or

languages, you would have to have spent a lifetime

the Polish or the French Empire.”

studying in each of one-hundred different topics.

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ARCHIVE THREE

And we just decided to have a very humble attitude.”

With such a multicultural past, how does one cover so much complexity within the span of 1,000 years?

By professors dismissing what they are not experts

“Some of it you just know,” Klimek explained as

in, students may miss the one chance they have in

a historian. The rest, she described, came through

studying these histories. Both Troyer and Klimek

what the authors could find and, ultimately, what

decided against this. “If we don’t, with our know-

interested them, from Indian and Oceanic art to

ledge, offer something for a week about, say, India,”

several shipwrecks explored throughout the book.

Troyer said, “then no student would ever go forward

“We agreed early on that there was no way you could

from our classes and decide that’s going to be their

ever cover everything” Troyer added. To overcome

interest in their life.”

METROSPHERE

We were going to have to make connections

that our students would be able to see themselves in, whether that’s the Mayan Empire, the

African Empire, the Chinese Empires, the Russian or the Polish or the French Empire.

INTERVIEW

olivia ruffe

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METROSPHERE

40 [2]

ARCHIVE THREE

PEOPLE

olivia ruffe

INTERVIEW

And this teaching of diverse pasts in the classroom

history. “I hope our students find themselves more

does make a direct impact on students’ educational

connected to the people in the past, and therefore

and personal lives, and how they further connect to

more connected to the people around them,” Klimek

their own heritage. Klimek shared a story in which

shared regarding her and Troyer’s hopeful outcome

one of her own students connected to the text:

for their book.

“We were talking about the Aztecs, and I mentioned

With the help of two other scholars, Klimek and

the Nahuatl people and the Nahuatl language. And a

Troyer undertook this project examining 1,000 years

student comes back to me a week later […] and says

of history to ultimately create a foundational work

she was telling her parents about this. And her dad

that opens the door for students to explore their

was super excited because her dad spoke Nahuatl.

own past and the pasts of each other. In doing so,

She didn’t have but a couple of words, but for her

these professors encourage us to see ourselves as

father, it was his native language. And he was really

the makers of meaning in a complex, global world.

excited that a professor, someone who had a PhD, had mentioned his language in a college classroom.”

By professors dismissing

This story emphasized Klimek and Troyer’s overall

what they are not experts

purpose of their book knowing that, despite their lack

in, students may miss the

of expertise in every field, acknowledging such topics enables students to fill in the rest and make their own connections. As Troyer put, “you want to open the door as far as you can, and then have you guys [students] open it farther.” To do so, Klimek furthered, professors have to push themselves out of their own learned boundaries within their professions. “We have changed so much as our field has changed,” she

one chance they have in studying these histories.

Professors have to push themselves out of their own learned boundaries within their professions.

said, “and this has taught me that I can make these big changes in a profession I already love and start effecting real change.”

From the Garima Gospels and the ethicality of moving human remains to the Chaco Canyon and the hygiene habits of medieval people, Klimek and Troyer’s work is intricate, expansive, and yet tightly woven into an interconnected past that shares in all of our historical complexities.

Global Medieval Contexts 500-1500 examines only one section of history, but as Klimek and Troyer acknow59

ledge, this is one tiny piece of an elaborate, global

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40 [2]

ARCHIVE THREE

PEOPLE 60

INTERVIEW

olivia ruffe

I hope our students find themselves more connected to the people in the

past, and therefore more connected to

the people around them.

61

62

illustrations

NOELLE BETKOWSKI & PHOEBE NGUYEN

FEATURING

The handwritten responses from various members of the MSU Denver Community—

ARCHIVE FOUR

MEMENTOS

thank you all for participating!

Scent is our greatest memory

40 [2]

trigger. The olfactory nerve, responsible for our sense of smell, is close to the amygdala and hippocampus, the areas

METROSPHERE

of the brain associated with emotion and memory.

ARCHIVE FOUR LOADING FILES

THEN TO NOW

This is where we will discover the different MEMENTOS our community has held onto over the years, including our first films, kind

nostalgic words

scents,

we’ve

and

received.

These keepsakes continue to resonate with us throughout the years.

MEM continue

to

resonate

throughout

the

years

63

memories

NTOS

64 MEMENTOS

WHAT WAS THE FIRST MOVIE YOU REMEMBER WATCHING?

Experiencing films is communal in some sense. We often associate them with people— whether that be a beloved character we relate to or our parents who introduced us to a cinematic masterpiece. Watching movies

METROSPHERE

more personal story that bonds us with other individuals. Various members of our community flashed back and told us about the first film they ever saw. © IMAGES: Pexels & Walt Disney Pictures & Pixar Animation Studio

40 [2]

ARCHIVE FOUR

gives us the opportunity to form another

65

66 MEMENTOS ARCHIVE FOUR 40 [2]

from our other senses. For one, it is closely tied to memory. And two, unlike the other senses, smell is constant. Tiny invisible particles flow around

METROSPHERE

us and into us. Scents are able to transport us through time, allowing us to revisit the past as well as create moments in the present for our future selves to return to one day.

© IMAGES: Pexels & Unsplash

There are two things that differentiate smell

67

WHAT SMELL DO YOU ASSOCIATE WITH A FOND MEMORY?

68

RECEIVED

COMPLIMENT THAT

HAVE

YOU

SURPRISED

YOU?

METROSPHERE

© IMAGES: Pexels & Unsplash

40 [2]

ARCHIVE FOUR

MEMENTOS

WHAT

A CORNER Hilarious, awkward, sweet—regardless of how you would characterize them, there are certain compliments we have received that now live in a little corner of our minds. These memorable words may often seem to come out of nowhere.

Regardless of their origins, they remind us that no matter what our relationship with those around us looks like, what we say has a lasting impact on each other.

69

70

illustrations

NOELLE BETKOWSKI & PHOEBE NGUYEN

Want to strengthen your memory retention?

Experts

have

some

tips: exercise, mental stimulation,

THOUGHTS THOUGHTS

decreased

stress,

and

healthy

sleep cycles are linked to higher memory

retention.

It

is

even

thought that our loss of memory with

age

can

be

mitigated

by

40 40 [2] [2]

ARCHIVE ARCHIVE FIVE FIVE

healthy lifestyle choices.

METROSPHERE METROSPHERE

FEATURING 72

chèna williams

75

tiffani hernandez

82

alex ertel

THOUG past

pivotal

moments,

patterns,

TS and

developments

This is THOUGHTS. This is where we, the editorial staff of

Metrosphere,

and

contemplate

reminisce on

past

pivotal moments, patterns, and

developments

that

continue to play significant roles in our lives today.

ARCHIVE FIVE LOADING FILES 71

72

honey,

I’M SAVING THE BEES!

WORDS CHÈNA WILLIAMS

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THOUGHTS

ILLUSTRATION METROSPHERE

40 [2]

Have you ever been walking through a woodland area and seen a bunch of little fat, fuzzy, yellow bugs bouncing back and forth between a bush of lavender? How about sitting at a picnic table METROSPHERE

with your friends, enjoying an iced tea, when one of those little buggers with a stinger came up challenging you for the next sip of your drink?

Who are these little guys, really, and what do they do for us?

COMMENTARY

chèna williams

They’re just trying to survive and figure

out the world. Isn’t that what we’re all

trying to do anyway?

Let’s first ponder the origin story of these critters. Bees first came into existence about one-hundred-and-thirty million years ago, very shortly after the emergence of flowers. The first flowers can be described as plain. Simple and pale but housing a ton of nutrient-filled pollen. Pollen, the male reproductive organ of flowers, has to make its way to the pistil, the female reproductive organ, in order to make more seeds and in turn, more flowers.

The first bees, upon inspection of these flowers, found out they were able to obtain protein by dipping their tongues into the nectar at the center of the flowers, enjoying a quick afternoon drink, before promptly moving on to the next flower. The pollen at the center of the flowers would stick to the bees’ hairy bodies and be transferred to the next flower’s pistil, creating opportunities for new flowers to grow. This is cross pollination. It’s like bar hopping for insects, except instead of making an absolute fool of themselves in front of twenty-somethings on a Friday night, they leave behind entirely new forests.

Besides flora, some bees also make honey! After processing flower nectar in their stomachs, bees expel the nectar back out and put it in honeycombs to nibble on through the winter. Yes, honey is bee spit, and yes, humans love it. We drizzle it on cake, we put it in medicine, and we make skincare masks out of it.

Today there are more than 20,000 bee species, bumbling about, pollinating plants, and making honey. Some bees even have specialties that make them perfect for certain jobs. For example, the pollen of tomato flowers is tightly packed in the center so the small bodies of honeybees make them ineffective pollinators, but the extra fat and fluffy bodies of bumblebees are able to shake this pollen loose and make them exceptionally effective pollinators for this flower. A lot of the plants we’ve come to know and love only exist because of bees.

Crops like pumpkins, almonds, and cherries entirely depend on bee 73

pollination to survive.

74

Bees were on top of the world. The best pollinators for millions of years. Unfortunately, these adorable apoidea have been in decline recently due to climate change. Imagine you go to your kitchen to make dinner but when you open your fridge, every single thing is rotten or expired because your fridge suddenly stopped working in the middle of the night. That’s what bees experience when they come out of hibernation only to find there’s still snow on the ground in May and none of the flowers have bloomed yet, and so they end up starving.

This, along with big business destroying bee habitats, has resulted in their scarcity in recent years.

Richard Playfair, author of School of Bees, notes that the rusty-patched bumblebee, which looks like a chunky little black and yellow pompom and is native to the Eastern and Midwest United States, has decreased in population by 87% in the past 20 years due to climate change. YellowTHOUGHTS

faced bee species, which are native to Hawaii, are endangered because of natural disasters, such as wildfires, and constant change in land usage caused by tourism and over development.

Making sure bees thrive is important to our ecosystem, food production, and normal way of life, and there are a few small steps you can do at home to preserve them. First, form an apiary! Not interested in that

ARCHIVE FIVE

much commitment? You can always shop at your local beekeeper’s wares. Apiarists are dedicated to the livelihood of bees and supporting them supports bees. You can also form a small garden that contains some plants that pollinators are attracted to like lavender or globe thistle. Not only do those plants thrive in Colorado, but bees LOVE that stuff. And most importantly, don’t swat them. Let them sniff your rose smelling perfume, let them have that sip of your iced tea. They’re just

40 [2]

trying to survive and figure out the world. Isn’t that what we’re all trying to do anyway?

METROSPHERE

It’s like bar hopping for insects , except instead of making an absolute fool of themselves in front of twenty-

somethings on a Friday night, they

leave behind entirely new forests.

A brief HISTORY OF video GAMES

WORDS TIFFANI HERNANDEZ 75

COLLAGE METROSPHERE

76

As technology improves at a rapid pace, the lines between real life and the virtual world have begun to blur. For a lot of people, gaming has always been a part of their lives, and recent studies have shown that 75% of United States households have at least one gamer.

Video games have gone through many changes and the constant competition has taken the industry to new heights. As gaming goes from 8-bit table tennis to the brink of Ernest Clines’ OASIS, it’s important to remember how we got from then to now to fully

THOUGHTS

appreciate how far we’ve come.

1940s-1960s: The Start

into the scene with a fresh take on Steve Russell’s

While the 40s don’t scream technological advance-

classic in Asteroids. At the start of the 80s, Midway

ement, the first traces of electronic gaming came

released Pac-Man. The little yellow puck monster

in 1947. Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle R. Mann

became an instant hit; it was the first time a char-

created the Cathode-Ray Tube Amusement Device.

acter was taking center stage in a game. Many other

The straightforward machine used simple analog

companies would soon follow suit and release their

electronics with overlays to complete the visuals.

cast of unforgettable faces. 1981 saw the release of

British computer scientist Christopher Strachey

Nintendo’s Donkey Kong game, introducing two huge

programmed the Nimrod computer to play checkers

characters to the industry through gaming’s first-

in 1951; a year later, as part of his doctoral disser-

ever storyline.

tation, British professor Alexander Shafto Douglas ARCHIVE FIVE

created a game of tic-tac-toe that was ported to the EDSAC computer.

In 1962, MIT student Steve Russell invented what is assumed to be the first wide-release computer based video game, Spacewar! The space combat game featured a dogfight between two spaceships while 40 [2]

a gravity well in the center of the screen. The game was only available in laboratories at universities.

It costed $120,000 at the time, so it wasn’t easy to access for the public.

the Brown Box (1967), were pulled out in 1972 for the first home gaming console, The Magnavox Odyssey, which would be discontinued only three years later.

The home console industry then started to crash due to the oversaturation of inferior quality games. This included what would be considered by many to be the worst video game of all time–Atari’s video game adaptation of the popular Steven Spielberg film E.T. The game was a major flop and would be a leading factor in the company’s downfall and a near wipeout of the American market.

stat—something that fueled comradery and comp-

The little yellow puck monster became an instant hit; it was the first time a character was

etitiveness between friends. Then in 1979, Atari broke

taking center stage.

Arcades would become the hot spot for many teens in the late 70s and 80s. 1978’s Space Invaders was the first arcade game to show off a high-score

© IMAGES: Pexels

METROSPHERE

1970s-1990: The Boom of Social Gaming

The blueprints for a home console prototype, named

TIMELINE

tiffani hernandez

77

78

It didn’t take long for the industry to bounce right back.

2000s: Simulating Everyday Life & Moving Forward

Nintendo’s release of the Nintendo Entertainment

In 2000, Sony followed up its successful first

System (NES) was an enormous success for home

console with what is still the best-selling console of

consoles and introduced classics like Super Mario Bros,

all time—PlayStation 2 featuring amazing titles

Mega Man, and Legend of Zelda. Part of what made

like Metal Gear Solid 2, Kingdom Hearts, and God of War.

Nintendo so successful is its determination to learn

Sony would also take a crack at the handheld console

from the failed American market and implementation

game releasing the PlayStation Portable (PSP) in 2005

of its “Seal of Quality.” Their strict licensing guidelines—such as a yearly limit of games a licensee may produce for Nintendo—helped prevent the same over-saturation that contributed to the crash of 1983.

Sports gaming was also beginning to make waves with Electronic Arts’ (EA) first sports computer game

THOUGHTS

John Madden Football in 1988. This was the first in a long lineage. The end of the decade would introduce Nintendo’s handheld gaming device The Game Boy. Its better graphics and portable capabilities would make Nintendo the go-to company for gaming on the go.

1990s-2000: Gaming Gets Immersive The 90s saw the explosion of home gaming. There ARCHIVE FIVE

was a transition from sprite-based graphics to full-blown 3D graphics along with the expansion of several genres. Nintendo released two home consoles this decade with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and the Nintendo 64

graphic capabilities in portable gaming allowing it to be a media player, with which one could play movies and access the internet.

Sega would give up on the home console, but the console wars would have another contender as Microsoft, the popular PC developer, released the original Xbox. This new platform would popularize online co-op gaming, additional downloadable content for an already released game, and at launch featured titles like Halo: Combat Evolved and Dead or Alive 3.

PC gaming was thriving with the 2004 Blizzard Entertainment release, World of Warcraft, the massive multiplayer online role-playing game. At its peak in 2010, the game has amassed an impressive 12 million subscribers and has grossed over $9.23 billion in revenue. The Sims released by Electronic Arts in 2000 would also become a huge hit for years to come. The life simulator is still one of the best-

of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Super Mario 64. In 1995

selling computer games of all time, releasing tons

Sony Computer Entertainment—a small fry in

of expansions and spinoffs.

the game compared to Nintendo—released the original PlayStation. The latter featured games

Nintendo held on to its top spot for handheld gaming

like Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VIII, and Silent

devices releasing the Nintendo DS in 2004 and then

Hill, which incorporated extensive cutscenes and

the Wii in 2006. The latter was innovative to gaming

recorded dialogue, giving games the ability to tell

for its use of motion sensors to track the movements

deep expressive stories like films. Sega would also

of the user, making the games far more interactive

introduce the popular speedy blue hedgehog, Sonic,

than the traditional controller.

along with several console attempts, thus, beginning the console wars.

© IMAGES: Pexels

METROSPHERE

40 [2]

along with classic games like Star Fox, The Legend

in the U.S. At the time the PSP had the most advanced

TIMELINE

tiffani hernandez

Other console companies like Sony and Microsoft

upgrading their systems but also pushing the limits of their game were

designers, focusing on

immersive storytelling with games like The Last of Us, the Batman Arkham Series, and Final Fantasy 15.

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80

2010s: Gaming Enters the Third Dimension

technology and a phone’s camera to display game

The most formative years in the development of

characters as if they were in front of players.

video games took place in this decade. After another successful handheld release with the 3DS, Nintendo released the Nintendo Switch in 2017. This new system could not only hook up to the TV but was also portable. Other console companies like Sony and Microsoft were upgrading their systems but also pushing the limits of their game designers, focusing on immersive storytelling with games like The Last of

METROSPHERE

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ARCHIVE FIVE

THOUGHTS

Us, the Batman Arkham Series, and Final Fantasy 15.

Video streaming platforms became filled with a new social media celebrity. Let’s Players like PewDiePie and Markiplier built their YouTube channels using their charisma and humor to hook audiences into watching them play a video game online. Twitch.tv has been the leading service for live streams; the service allows viewers to interact with other streamers’ content in real-time, sharing comments, suggestions, or donations. Streaming has brought interactive gaming

This decade also gave rise to tablet and mobile

to every type of gamer—from the most hardcore

gaming. With the Great Recession of 2008, much

gamer to those that just like to watch. The ability to

of the gaming industry was seen as a luxury. In 2016,

live stream games placed a spotlight on indie games

Niantic teamed up with Nintendo to create Pokémon

like Rocket League, Undertale, or Stardew Valley.

Go, an augmented reality mobile game that uses GPS

tiffani hernandez

TIMELINE

2020s: The Pandemic Brings Us Back Home

Where Are We Now?

The global pandemic forced many to stay indoors,

As of today, the video game industry is worth an

and video games were one of the biggest ways that

estimated $100 billion globally. In 2021, it was

people connected during the lockdown. According

estimated that there are 2.81 billion gamers world-

to research from SuperData, roughly 27% of U.S.

wide making up 40% of the population. From

residents used video games to stay in touch with

hardcore speedrunners to the casual cozy gamer,

people in 2020. With the growing popularity of

whether on console or mobile, the horizons of

streaming, many gamers were watching games as

gaming are bright.

much as they were playing them. Games like Fortnite, Among Us, and Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout not only brought in waves of fresh players but viewers as well. Music artists like Travis Scott and Lil Nas X even hosted virtual concerts inside popular games.

We even saw politicians, such as Alexandria OcasioCortez, play video games to encourage younger demographics to vote.

We even saw politicians,

such as Alexandria OcasioCortez, play video games to encourage younger demographics to vote.

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METROSPHERE

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ARCHIVE FIVE

THOUGHTS 82

Power in

Zines

COMMENTARY

alex ertel

WORDS ALEX ERTEL ILLUSTRATION METROSPHERE

Zine culture is a different type of beast. Working independently from the demands of mainstream media, it is not about how much money or fame an individual can earn, nor is it meant for mass consumption in general. Instead, it works as a way to promote marginalized and silenced voices by creating unique intentional art for an intended audience, typically being made up of people within a subculture themselves.

Although zines feel like a new form of media, introduced within the last two or three decades, they have existed for almost a century. The University of Texas states that the original zine, “emerged as early as the 1930s among fans of science fiction” and “was referred to as a ‘Fanzine.’” But what is a zine?

The University of Texas defines zines as anything that “encompasses any self-published unique work of minority interest, usually reproduced via photocopier.” Zine culture has catered to underrepresented and the marginalized voices within society by offering a means to express selfhood and also to see oneself represented on the page and in literature.

It works as a way to promote marginalized

and silenced voices by

creating unique intentional art for an intended audience,

typically being made up of people within a 83

subculture themselves.

84 METROSPHERE

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ARCHIVE FIVE

THOUGHTS

GiviNg the PowEr Back to the Artist

While many underrepresented people have had

altogether absent in popular media and literature.

their voices removed from mainstream media, zines

It offers a field of creativity totally within the control

allow open and unlimited access. They subvert

of the creator, removing the agency of publishing

mainstream printing and publications and they can

companies and giving the power back to the artist.

be read by anyone and everyone. Laura Van Leuven

How liberating in a society that demands monetary

described zine manu-facturing as “non-commercial,

gain and fame from every art or passion, right?

and are printed in small numbers, circulating only through specific networks. They are underground

The significance of zines within counterculture has

publications that tend to have niche audiences.”

always been prominent from their beginnings as

These niche audiences allow for zines to engage and

science-fiction fanfic. In the 1980s, with the growth

represent voices that are often misrepresented or

of punk, zines found a new home representing those

alex ertel

COMMENTARY

who rejected traditional society and social constructs.

expression through the work, the punk subculture

Van Leuven observed the advent of the variety of

was able to readily establish their own voices within

countercultures, “the riot grrrl movement grew out of

the zine community. The foundations set in the 80s

the punk subculture and developed a zine culture of

and 90s are prevalent today. Evelyn McDonnel and

its own, focusing on feminism, sex, and chaos.”

Elisabeth Vincentelli of The New York Times reported in 2019, “Politically, riot grrrl blasted feminism into the

The riot grrrl zine reveals the ranging discourse

future: Centering the needs of a new generation via

apparent within the counterculture that is punk

direct-action strategies, witty mantras and slogans…

music. Punk is not merely a music genre, but an

it became one of the most visible branches of what

environment where the traditional means of what

was dubbed third wave feminism.”

society constitutes as “normal” or “appropriate” are disrupted by artistic expression. Punk culture is

Despite the subjugation of marginalized people

inclusive and seeks to uplift the voices of people who

in the media, zines allowed for the discourse to

have been forcibly removed from the conversation.

be reconstructed and the voices of the people, previously excluded from the public conversation,

Since zines already cater to subcultures as a way to

to become the forefront of the conversation.

create without limiting the meaning, intention, or

Punk is not merely a music genre, but

the traditional means of what society constitutes as “normal” or “appropriate” are disrupted an environment where

by artistic expression.

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RESOURCES ACCESS CENTER

CENTER FOR MULTICULTURAL

accesscenter@msudenver.edu

ENGAGEMENT AND INCLUSION

Ensures access and inclusion for all students with

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Supports students’ sense of belonging in college

access to students with either temporary medical

and affirms their identities by building community

conditions or permanent physical, health, learning,

through participation.

sensory or mental health disabilities.

CENTER FOR VISUAL ART AURARIA EARLY LEARNING CENTER

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Offers diverse high-quality art experiences that

Provides full- and part-time programs for children

brings local and international artists, MSU Denver

12-months to 5-years-old and summer camp for

students, and the broader community together to

children through age 8.

advance the global urban dialogue.

AURARIA LIBRARY

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MIGRANT PROGRAM

Assists in research help, retrieval of library

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materials, as well as copying and scanning.

Supports the completion of the first year of college

METROSPHERE

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RESOURCES

of eligible migrant and seasonal farmworkers and AURARIA POLICE DEPARTMENT

their children by providing comprehensive outreach

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Provides student support with an emphasis on

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Investigates allegations of discrimination, discrim-

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meaningful relationships, as well as prepares them in attaining competitive employment.

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puter? IT Services Help Desk provides technological

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experience and leadership skills.

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SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION

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CREATIVE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

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Promotes, supports, and celebrates MSU Denver

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faculty and student engagement in undergraduate

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the course).

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In the Navy, you have the chance to sail the seven

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them with academic recourses. Available for those

military and veterans with a variety of needs.

who meet at least one of the following identities: limited income, first-generation, or have a disability.

WRITING CENTER

METROSPHERE

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RESOURCES

ekleinfe@msudenver.edu TUTORING CENTER

Helps students become stronger and more confident

tutoring@msudenver.edu

writers by developing healthy writing processes,

Find the derivative of f(x)=6x3−9x+4... or just visit the

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disciplines for students.

write well!