2021
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THE NEW SCHOOL FREE PRESS
www.newschoolfreepress.com | @nsfreepress
THE ROUNDUP
MCBRIDE & LIMA BOUDAKIAN: TWO VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE
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LIVE MUSIC IS BACK, BUT WILL IT LAST?
THREE CYCLES OF FRESHMAN-NESS
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UNIVERSITY’S PANDEMIC RESPONSE FALLS SHORT
TIKTOK STAR DAVIS BURLESON
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FASHION ON FIFTH
STOCKHOLM STREET
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MASTHEAD ALEXANDRA NAVA-BALTIMORE CHRISTIAN RICHEY Managing Editors RIE BOICE Deputy Editor DANIELLE HOPPENHEIM EMMA DONELLY-HIGGINS News Editors HARRY BATALINGAYA GILLANI PEETS KATIE PRUDEN Features Editors
KAREN ARROBO MIKAEL CHOUKROUN STEVIE ROWLEY SHIVAM SACHDEVA LAYNA M. WILLIAMS RACHEL D. OPERT JOHN RIEG MARIA JOSE KEDOO LIGHTBODY JOE GUZMAN OLIVE FAITH B Reporters
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CHELSEA SARABIA Creative Director NITYA KUMAR Art Director VALENTINA GRAZIOSI Design Editor, Print MIRANDA BUCIO Social Media Editor
ALLIE GRIFFIN ANDREW MEIER JESS NAUDZIUNAS Faculty Advisors
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resources and communication that they thought were at the forefront of The New School’s mission. We on the Free Press have been working to provide our readers with the truth, as we investigate, speak with students, administration and staff in order to ascertain the most accurate and complete information for all. We’re not only happy to be back ‘in-person,” but for the first time since March 2020, back in print as well. Just like the rest of the world, we’ve undergone some major changes and faced challenges over the past year and a half, but we’re proud to deliver to you the Free Press, Dec. 2021 issue. On behalf of the entire Free Press staff of reporters, editors, illustrators, photographers, and designers, we wish you happy holidays and look forward to delivering all the news you’ll need next semester.
Hi readers! Welcome to our latest issue of The New School Free Press. We hope we’ve been able to serve you this semester, as we’ve delivered stories on everything from a vote of no confidence against the dean of Parsons, to student fashion, and of course COVID-19 testing, with our readers. The Free Press staff is a team of reporters, editors and artists, collaborating to bring the news to you. No matter our individual roles, we at the Free Press strive to bring you the facts, and perspectives, however disparate, of our community. After 18 months of “learning” by Zoom, classes are finally back in-person, giving students and faculty the New School experience that we all longed for. Unfortunately, after so much change in our world and in our school, many students are feeling unsupported by everything from the school’s COVID testing (and its many failures), to its lack of financial resources and it’s weak (at best) mental health resources. At the ALEXANDRA NAVA-BALTIMORE Free Press we’ve heard student and & CHRISTIAN RICHEY, faculty frustration with the lack of Managing Editors
THE ROUNDUP
WRITTEN BY KATIE PRUDEN
ILLUSTRATIONS BY NITYA KUMAR
talents of the students and faculty who made the event happen despite challenges presented by the pandemic. Although the production process for the concert took a year to plan, students did not start practicing together until the start of the fall semester, just five weeks before the show. Mannes Sounds is an ongoing festival, and future events can be found on the College of Performing Arts Remote website. Originally reported by Alexandra Nava-Baltimore and Katie Pruden
Parsons Staff and Faculty Vote ‘No Confidence’ in Executive Dean New School Discourages Hybrid Learning In preparation for the return of most students and faculty to campus this fall, The New School set guidelines for who would and would not be allowed to attend classes in-person throughout the fall. However, there were no university-wide guidelines as to whether or not the university would add Zoom options to in-person classes — a hybrid learning style. While students were excited to be back on campus, many found themselves unable to participate in classes digitally when they could not physically be on campus due to COVID-19 restrictions. The New School’s initial lack of clear and open communication regarding its stance on hybrid learning left community members confused as to how to handle classes this semester. Originally reported by Stevie Rowley and Valentina Graziosi
One day after Parsons School of Design faculty and staff were notified of the departure of Nadine Bourgeois, Parsons’ dean of academic planning of 35 years, they voted “no confidence” in the leadership of Executive Dean Rachel Schreiber. At an unusually large and tense gathering on Oct. 20, 117 voted “no confidence,” 7 voted “confidence” and 11 abstained. Some faculty and staff feel that Schreiber forced Bourgeois’s resignation, adding that Schreiber lacked transparency and failed to consult faculty and staff in the process. Originally reported by Emma Donelly-Higgins
Thousands March from Washington Square Park to Union Square Park Oct. 2 in Nationwide Call for Reproductive Rights In response to the Texas law that effectively banned all abortions past six weeks of pregnancy, thousands of New Yorkers marched from Washington Square Park to Union Square Park Oct. 2. “This is the largest attack on Roe v. Wade ... since it was put into place,” march co-organizer Rose Baseil Massa told The New School Free Press. Students and faculty of The New School showed up in opposition to the ban and in solidarity with the people of Texas. Originally reported by Emma Donelly-Higgins
For First Time in 19 Months Mannes Sounds Returns to Stage Mannes Sounds, a festival by Pavlina Dokovska, had their first in-person show in 19 months at John L. Tishman Auditorium on Sept. 30. The show was titled “A Celebration of Renewal and Hope” to symbolize the
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THE CONVERSATION
PRESIDENT DWIGHT MCBRIDE AND STUDENT SENATE PRESIDENT NOOR LIMA BOUDAKIAN:
ONE AND A HALF YEARS since joining The New School in April 2020, President Dwight McBride has led the university throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, a tumultuous time for the university characterized by the same uncertainty, fear and financial difficulty across higher education in the U.S. nation. As The New School community has arrived back on campus — including many students here for the first time — a host of urgent questions remain about the implementation of COVID protocols this semester. Speaking with President McBride in his office located in the 12th St. Lang building, The New School Free Press entertained a range of issues: the university’s response to COVID, its financial health, and how he and his leadership team intend to support students who have come to New York City for in-person classes. We also discussed the way forward: McBride’s vision for the future of The New School. Can you tell us about your first year as president? What was it like starting during the pandemic, and then moving online?
TWO VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE MCBRIDE BY ALEXANDRA NAVABALTIMORE AND CHRISTIAN RICHEY
LIMA BOUDAKIAN BY STEVIE ROWLEY
For the perspective on President Dwight McBride, Co-Managing Editors Alexandra Nava-Baltimore and Christian Richey conducted an interview in person on Oct. 14, with university spokesperson Amy Malsin present. Additionally, reporter Stevie Rowley sat down with Student Senate President Noor Lima Boudakian to discuss their family’s legacy at The New School, how they balance their double major with their duties as Student Senate president and how they plan on amplifying the voices of students. To read the full interview with McBride, visit www.newschoolfreepress.com.
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In all honesty, it was a little scary and overwhelming. When you imagine what it might be like to become a university president, this was not at all what I think anyone imagines. We didn’t have a lot of information about this virus at the time. We didn’t really know what was happening. And so everyone started to feel helpless and powerless. But when you’re entering a role like this you have to be the person who is being as rational as you can be with the facts and information. How do we protect people? How do we keep them safe? How do we keep the educational mission moving forward? So that was the job in those early days. It wasn’t the job I thought I was going to be doing in those first three months. I thought I’d be out, meeting with students, meeting faculty, going to different schools and going to performances and getting to know the place. And none of that was possible. So that was strange, coming to a new university as a leader where you are reduced to having to meet everyone online. There was no playbook for that at all. I’d be lying if I said it was not one of the hardest years of my life too, and like everyone else, there was a certain amount of trauma about this experience that I also carry.
Since being back in person, have you had a chance to visit a classroom of students, or build a strong connection with any of the faculty? So far, we’ve been really focused on just getting the campus open, and the protocols holding. In this first part of the academic year I’m looking forward to more of those kinds of opportunities as this semester goes on. I had some of those in the first year, but all of them on Zoom.
EDITED BY DANIELLE HOPPENHEIM
But I’m really excited to be able to do some of that closer to the end of this semester.
How do you feel about the school’s response to COVID thus far? We’re doing really well. I think the really important thing is that this community responded well to the call to take care of each other at this moment. People are getting tested. People are doing it on the timetables that we need them to do it. People are wearing masks. 99% of our faculty and staff are vaccinated along with 97% of our students. And in fact, our numbers, I think compare more favorably than even some of our peer institutions in the area that I’ve been talking to, because we compare notes regularly as well.
The university’s finances and financial health grew significantly worse due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with several lay-offs and furloughs made to faculty and staff. Can you tell us about that difficult period from your perspective, and how the university has recovered financially since then? No new president or leader wants to walk into the kind of situation that I walked into. From a personal perspective, it was probably the hardest part about the job other than the isolation of being alone in an apartment, in a new city where you’re, you know, leading a new institution and not meeting anyone in person. The hardest thing was that you were also doing it at a time of financial pressure and crisis for the institution.
“I JUST WANT STUDENTS to be listened to and treated as whole people. We’re spoken of as an ‘incredibly intelligent, artistic, creative, academic student body’ and then we’re not treated as such. I want that shift to happen, and I don’t think it’s impossible.” Noor Lima Boudakian is determined to make New School student voices heard and their talents shared: They are currently serving their first term as Student Senate president. As a third-year student at Lang double majoring in global studies and economics, Lima Boudakian chose The New School because of their family legacy. Their grandfather attended the New School for Social Research in 1982, receiving a masters in international affairs, and their father studied at Lang and graduated with the class of 1984. With firsthand accounts of what The New School was like from family members, they pictured a diverse student body, small seminar-style classes and a tightknit community. After arriving on campus, Lima Boudakian saw their version of the university come to life.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHELSEA SARABIA AND KAREN ARROBO
The creativity of the student body inspired them, giving Lima Boudakian a sense of pride to be a New School student. Lima Boudakian soon began looking for ways to get involved with their new community. After searching for the right club to join, they eventually settled on running for The New School Student Senate. “I didn’t think I would be someone to join the Student Senate,” Lima Boudakian said. They’re first interaction with the organization was meeting its former chair, Claire Stevens, at an admissions event for the university. Lima Boudakian recalls Stevens as being sweet and enthusiastic about the Student Senate, and she eventually convinced Lima Boudakian to join as a general member in their second year. In their first year on the Senate, Lima Boudakian fell in love with the work they were doing even when it involved simple tasks like drafting emails. They quickly worked their way up to become director of staff and the co-chair of the Shared Governance Initiative. “I was just doing a lot of behind the scenes work to keep the Senate functioning,” Lima Boudakian said. After a year of assisting the sitting chair, Lima Boudakian decided it was time to sit in the presidential seat. They went into the election for the 2021-22 school year with a vision of what they wanted the Student Senate to do to help the student body and what the New School could become. “I think one of the ultimate frustrations of both students and senators at The New School is that we have very strong opinions, and are very well educated and solid in our activism,” Lima Boudakian said. “That’s not always reflected in how we’re listened to.” In an effort to create an open channel of communication between students and administrators, Lima Boudakian and the Student Senate’s advocacy committee are working on a series of “fireside chats,” brief informal conversations between university administrators and Student Senate leaders. Lima Boudakian is also trying to establish regular meetings with President Dwight McBride and Provost Renée T. White in order to discuss student concerns. Lima Boudakian is passionately working in collaboration with the American Association of University Professors and White to provide resources to students in order to alleviate the stress many students are feeling regarding financial holds. Lima Boudakian has worked with the AAUP to draft an email to university administration to bring the financial aid threshold — which can prevent students from registration if not paid on time — back down. They advocated either to bring it down permanently, or to wait until after registration, so that students do not have to worry about the possibility of not being able to enroll for the spring 2022 semester. (Continued on Page 13) Although White could not
EDITED BY KATIE PRUDEN
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THE VIEW
LIVE MUSIC IS BACK, BUT WILL IT LAST? WRITTEN BY JOHN RIEG
ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARIA JOSE
I CAN’T IMAGINE THAT another industry was impacted as deeply by the COVID-19 pandemic as the live performance industry was. Thousands upon thousands of performers, production specialists, venue owners and service workers who relied on live entertainment to support themselves suddenly found themselves out of work when complications from the pandemic prevented audiences and artists from gathering safely. As a long time musician, promoter and attendee of gigs, I was deeply affected; the void set in place by the absence of live music was at times unbearable. But if this pandemic has shown me anything, it’s that art is resilient. Despite the challenges set in place, art finds a way. And it did. Through chaos and madness, I witnessed beauty. Online communities popped up on Facebook, giving artists a platform to livestream their performances and generate revenue. Fundraisers to save venues and struggling musicians popped up left and right. New and exciting forms of expression were born out of the limitations set in place by the pandemic, like Joshua Gelb’s Theatre in Quarantine, a YouTube series that sees the actor/director performing theatrical works within the confines of his closet. Even though we were all out of work, alone and struggling, it felt like there was a sense of unity within our local music scene. And then after months of uncertainty, live music began to return to public venues as the weather got warmer. I was one of the first in my community of local musicians to begin performing again. A place called Claremont Distillery in Fairfield, NJ, had a wide-open outdoor space and warehouse that allowed for us to begin performing safely. Needless to say it was a success: folks came out in droves, starved of the energy and social interaction that a live performance offers, ready to feast on art. After a few well received performances, some involving myself, I realized that there wasn’t much else going on around me. Some venues had closed and many independent promoters in our communities had ceased operations, opting for a different career path in a post-COVID world. Artists were eager to perform and audiences were
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eager to get out, so I thought it a good idea to begin running some local showcases on a more consistent basis. So at the beginning of the year I bought a PA system, put out an open call for artists, and just like that “Johnny Knollwood Presents,” a venture of mine that seeks to provide an outlet for local musicians to perform, was born. At first, things went well, fans came out to support the artists, and artists delivered stellar performances weekend after weekend. But then, as restrictions were lifted and life became relatively normal again, the local music scene began to regress to a state potentially worse than the pre-pandemic days. Slowly, attendance numbers began to dwindle and there was less money in the tip bucket. Many bands were less gung-ho about promoting their gigs, showing up on time and putting on a good performance. Merch and bar sales also began to suffer. There are still great nights, they are just fewer and further between. I fear that we in the local artistic community have taken the live performance industry for granted. There is an oversaturation of artists, but less people willing to support art. Seeing the recent disconnect within the local scene can at times be disheartening, but it makes the good nights all the more worthwhile. I believe this should serve as a reminder to artists and patrons of the arts that we must be here for each other, to uplift one another, sister, brother and everyone in between. Go check out your friend’s act, stay for the rest of the bands, buy a CD or a T-shirt, schedule those weekly rehearsals, hand out flyers … take the extra step. At the end of the day, you only get out of your local music scene what you put into it. If you say to yourself “next time,” keep in mind that as technology advances and attitudes surrounding live performances continue to shift, one day there may not be a “next time.” We can’t just say we care about our scene, we have to show it.
EDITED BY CHRISTIAN RICHEY
MY THREE CYCLES OF FRESHMAN— NESS WRITTEN BY KATIE PRUDEN
ILLUSTRATIONS BY ISABELLA WANG
IT WAS ALMOST THE FIRST day of school. A big one, too. The first time back in-person. I picked out my outfit the night before and slept the night nervously, tossing with anticipation for what the next day would bring. In the morning, my roommate and I giddily woke up. We joked that maybe this time around it wouldn’t be so miserable. Let’s just say we were not the most actively motivated students when it came to living together in our apartment and doing online school. As an incoming junior, she hadn’t been on campus since the spring of her freshman year. For me, my high school in California was the last classroom I’d stepped foot in. I hadn’t really been on our college campus at all. We went to visit campus a few days prior to the first anything at our school. Thank you, college, for such a day of classes. By that I mean we went to the University warm welcome. You’ll be fine, my roommate said. You’ll get a hang Center to shove swabs up our nose, hopefully in enough time to be able to actually go to our first classes. (Though of it. And if not, just ask me or somebody. The last time a dozen weeks have gone by now, I still cannot seem to I had to ask somebody where my class was I was thirget into a non-frantic routine of taking these COVID teen and wearing knock-off Lululemon leggings! I never tests.) thought, as a sophomore in college, I would have to suffer My initial impression of campus left me feeling small the same embarrassment. and worried. I had walked by the Welcome Center and It’s been three semesters now of being a college stuParsons School of Design buildings a handful of times dent. But what it’s really felt like is three cycles of freshby chance of living here for the past eight months, but I’d man-ness. placed them in my mind as an afterthought. They were Once, I was a freshman living at my parents home, like a billboard, a reminder of what my personality trait waking up early for class because I lived in another timewas — a student in New York City. But their physicality zone and was doing class from my bed. Even online, evfelt shallow to me, and as a space they had served no one erything was new and exciting, and dreaming of moving in so many months. someday consumed me. So, as I fumbled to enter the automatic gate-things Then, I was a freshman living in the city I actually that let you into campus for the first time, my college went to school in, still doing classes in my bed because student reality suddenly felt all too real. And, as stu- my roommate was in the living room doing hers. I almost dents behind me waited awkwardly for me to figure out felt like a “real” student whose tuition money was worwhat I was doing so they could get through, I felt all too thy… but not quite. Now, I am sitting in my bed, writing this while I skip unprepared. What is Arnold Hall? I have TWO classes there. Why my first class of the day. Maybe I’ll go to the library later, are there TWO entrances to the Eugene Lang College to finish some other homework. Or, maybe I’ll go to the of Liberal Arts building? Where are the bathrooms in computer lab. I’m not sure yet, but at least now when I this place?! I bombarded my roommate with questions say I’m going to class it means getting up on my own two on our walk home, now realizing how little I knew about feet and walking out of the door.
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STUDENTS FRUSTRATED BY UNIVERSITY’S HANDLING OF PANDEMIC PROTOCOLS
WRITTEN BY SHIVAM SACHDEVA AND RACHEL D. OPERT
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIE LEE
THIS AUGUST, AS MORE THAN 10,00 members of the New School community — staff, students and faculty — returned to the main campus in New York City for the first time since 2020, they had to adapt to and accept new protocols and policies in place due to COVID-19. The university’s handling of pandemic protocols and safety measures, however, has left many students, staff and faculty frustrated by a lack of transparency, coherent messaging and repeated delays in the testing process. In interviews with The New School Free Press, students from all five divisions of the University spoke of confusion about testing, disappointment with the contact-tracing system and dissatisfaction with the continued lack of hybrid learning options. Students, above all, are concerned for both their physical well-being and academic success, and many also expressed mental distress as a result of what they see as the university’s mismanagement of its own protocols.
UNIVERSITY TESTING POLICY & CAMPUS ACCESS Students who spoke to the Free Press said they appreciate the school’s partnership with binx — a Boston-based COVID-19 self-administered testing kit company, formerly a specialist in testing for sexually-transmitted diseases. Successive testing delays, however, have caused 7
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students to miss classes. Further, despite university assurances, some students also question the accuracy of the binx tests. Fully vaccinated students are required to get tested — on or off campus — every 14 days to maintain campus access. Some students reported a good experience with the on-campus binx testing system, saying that it has made getting a COVID-19 test easy and efficient. The average turnaround time for the results of a binx PCR test is around 24-48 hours. Yet, in practice, the university’s protocols have been plagued by backups on multiple occasions, due to a lack of employees, weather disturbances and most notably, the need to send the tests to Georgia. These processing delays have caused students to lose campus access and miss classes. More than a dozen students told the Free Press that they, themselves or friends have been locked out of campus buildings due to delayed test results. Emily Quinn, a first-year at Parsons School of Design, said the university’s campus access protocols have negatively affected her academic experience and performance throughout the semester. “I have not been able to use promised studio spaces [in residence halls] because there is never availability,” Quinn said. As finals are approaching, she is unsure whether she will be able to complete classwork due to the capacity limitations. Some students have also expressed concerns with the university’s testing site and students self-administering tests. Several students, who wished to remain anony-
mous for fear of administrative reprisals, stated that school, with all the money it has, should have put video they are worried that self-administered tests like binx’s equipment in each classroom and teach professors how are less accurate than those administered by medical to engage with in-person and Zoom students so everyone professionals. “My biggest concern is the fact that [The can have an equal opportunity to learn in the classes New School is] prioritizing people using self-swabbed they pay for,” the same Parsons student said. tests like binx, because they may be less accurate than The official university messaging has evolved during other tests,” a third- year student at Mannes School of the fall term, and often left students more confused than Music said. clear about the current policies. New School students Second-year Lang student Ryan Minter said in general have received varied responses from professors around they are pleased with the testing policy, but problems hybrid class options, according to Free Press interviews. remain. “As someone who is immunocompromised, I’d “Professors are not prepared for students who have to rather be safe than sorry,” Minter said. While Minter stay home to quarantine or wait for test results,” one appreciates the two-week testing frequency, they ques- student said. tion the accuracy and reliability of Binx test. “I got a Additionally, a Lang student said that many professors false positive last year during spring semester and [the can not effectively manage teaching in-person classes university] would not accept my two negative PCR tests,” while operating Zoom at the same time. Another unMinter said. Minter worries if this reoccurs students will intended consequence of the ambiguous hybrid direchave to unnecessarily miss classes. However, another tives from the university is that many professors have student said they are more concerned about tests stu- removed Zoom options altogether. Students from Pardents take off campus. They are worried that students sons, Lang and Mannes shared that their professors have may be submitting false or altered test results. ended Zoom classes because some students would rather join the class virtually than attend in person despite havHYBRID CLASSES ing campus access, resulting in reduced class attendance. Students’ experiences with hybrid classes, which mix “I have a professor who opens Zoom on her laptop and in-person instruction with virtual instruction, vary carries it around the classroom,” one student told the largely from school to school and from professor to pro- Free Press. “I have another professor who uses a stand fessor. However, students said they want more — and with a camera so that online students can see those in better — hybrid options than are currently offered. The the classroom. He shares the presentation on Zoom so New School, meanwhile, has followed an official policy that everyone can view it. I have another professor who of advising faculty against offering Zoom options for makes us all log onto Zoom — regardless if you are in students who are isolating or in quarantine. person — when there is a guest lecture or even with her Students at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts crit- own presentation so that we can all see the presentation icized the lack of technology in classrooms to facilitate up close and the speaker can see us.” live streaming in-person lessons over Zoom. Although When a professor tests positive, their classes are the university did install webcams in all classrooms, au- forced to go online for 10 days under New School policy. dio within the classroom is not always clear over Zoom. Similarly, if a student tests positive, they must isolate Mannes students, meanwhile, said that their division for 10 days and inform their professors that they are in has more lenient rules regarding in-person attendance active quarantine. However, professors are not required policies, and that they have enjoyed more virtual options to broadcast in-person classes over Zoom for students for classes. Parsons students said that little to none of who are isolating. In fact, many report having been told their classes offered Zoom options, and that their pro- explicitly not to hold Zoom for any student unable to fessors take their attendance very seriously, which can attend class in person. The New School, instead, has put often hurt their grades. the burden on COVID-positive students to be commuMany students are frustrated to be locked-out of nicative with their faculty and peers, and to stay up to classes when they face delayed testing results, and oth- date on classwork and assignments. The lack of official ers said they would like the opportunity to participate guidance for hybrid classes has led to inconsistencies in digitally when they are locked out. Despite the high cost how professors address students who test positive. of the New School’s tuition, they noted that too many “Professors enforce and view the protocols differently,” classrooms and professors are not provided with ade- Zach Wassef, a first-year student at Parsons said. “One of quate audio-visual technology. “It’s out of your control mine refuses to hold Zoom classes even when students [when] you miss class because your binx test is taking are sick. Their reasoning was that students would not longer than expected because they have gotten backed learn the same.” Wassef said that another of his proup,” said a second-year Parsons student who asked to fessors holds Zoom classes, “but does not interact with remain anonymous. anyone on Zoom or count online attendance,” he said. Students would like to see the university allocate Wassef added that he believes students “should still be money to better equip classrooms with cameras and able to listen in” when they cannot attend physical class. recording devices so that professors can efficiently facialite hybrid classes in the spring semester. “I think the Read the full piece at newschoolfreepress.com. EDITED BY ALEXANDRA NAVA-BALTIMORE
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THE DOUBLE LIFE OF TIKTOK STAR DAVIS BURLESON WRITTEN BY DANIELLE HOPPENHEIM
PHOTOS BY SHIVAM SACHDEVA
Student by day, TikToker by night. News Editor Danielle Hoppenheim sits down with viral sensation Davis Burleson to talk about how he got his start in the public eye and balances being a student at the same time.
THE LIFE OF A COLLEGE student in New York City is chaotic and demanding as is, but for Davis Burleson, a second-year student at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School majoring in culture and media, it comes with the intense pressure of trying to live in a mixed reality of embracing student life and navigating a virtual world that is rapidly changing.
Burleson is not your average 19-year-old; he is one of the most recognized New York City-based TikTokers, whose fame has risen in meteoric fashion ever since he began to post a series of impressions of the infamous beauty You-Tuber Jeffree Star. Now his content ranges from lifestyle videos of a day in his life and entertaining opinions on his personal account, @davisburleson, to being the host of his own TikTok show “What’s Poppin? With Davis!” on TikTok as @whatspoppinshow. With 1.7 million followers across his two accounts, the Houston native is living the dream of many teenagers: social media fame, living in the most culturally combustible city and gaining entry to some of the most exclusive events. But how does he balance his double life? New School Free Press News Editor Danielle Hoppenheim managed to get Burleson to sit still for a moment on a bitterly cold afternoon recently in the Lang courtyard. Holding a can of Coca-Cola in one hand and his iPhone protected by a Casetify sponsored neon phone case in the other, he discussed what adventures and crazy turns the past year has brought him.
D. HOPPENHEIM Davis! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your schedule to sit down with me today. So let’s get right into it, you’re currently attending Lang, how’s that going so far? D. BURLESON I love it. It’s fun because I’m studying things I actually want to do for my job. I am taking a public radio class, and I’m learning about broadcasting, etc. In one class I learned what it was like to live host for an hour and the day before I did a whole TikTok live for one hour and I had to completely improvise. So I felt like in class I knew exactly what to do. DH It’s remarkable that what you’re learning in class is what you’re really doing for your job. Normally as students, you do not get to practice what you’re learning until after college. Now, you’re from Texas, how was the transition moving here to attend college?
Burleson (right) interviews a stranger in Washington Square Park. 9
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DB When I first got [to New York City] it was August 2020, so it was still considered peak COVID times. It was nothing like I expected when I arrived. I had nothing to do, I didn’t have many friends. I actually started at Parsons [School of Design] and not Lang, which ended up
Davis Burleson, second-year at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts majoring in Culture and Media, poses for the camera in Washington Square Park.
being too much. Not many people know this but I moved home in November of 2020 and [I] was maybe going to transfer colleges. I got a feeling a few months later that I needed to go back to New York and the offer of “What’s Poppin” came up from Fallen Media so I moved back to the city.
DH I find it surprising how people don’t always realize how overwhelming it is to first move to NYC. And thank god you came back, look where it led you to! Just to clarify, when did you start your personal TikTok account? DB I started my personal TikTok at the beginning of quarantine [March 2020] like everyone else. I really had nothing else to do so it became my full-time job. I’ve always wanted to be famous and I always wanted to be a YouTuber. So I said to myself that once I graduate college I’ll start a YouTube account. But since I was so bored in quarantine and started to see people blow up on that platform I decided not to care what anyone thought and I just started. But I didn’t start to get followers until August [2020]. DH I think the fear of embarrassment holds a lot of people back from putting themselves out there so it’s great to hear that you overcame that worry. Well, you’ve
gained a lot of success over the past few months. Was there a specific video you posted that drove a lot of traffic to your profile?
DB My Jeffree Star impressions were kind of what got the ball rolling, so I kept on just doing that and it kind of became my brand. I ended up getting about 150,000 followers just from doing that. People would even recognize me on the street as the “Jeffree Star Guy.” DH That’s incredible. Such a clearly effective niche that gained your popularity. I’m sure your move to New York increased your views as well. What is it like living in the city now? On your account, it looks like you live the dream life. Do you ever struggle with anything living in such a fast-paced city? DB There is constant pressure to feel like you always need to do something. The FOMO is real. College kids in New York I think [are] growing up a lot faster than those at schools in other states. DH I totally agree. New York is a chaotic and wonderful place to go to college. But I need to know, how do you balance it all? School, a social life, relationships? You have to keep up a public (Continued on Page 13) EDITED BY ALEXANDRA NAVA-BALTIMORE
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FASHION ON FIFTH WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY ALEXANDRA NAVA-BALTIMOR AND SHIVAM SACHDEVA Welcome to Fashion on Fifth, a beloved New School Free Press series showcasing New School students’ unique and wide-ranging style. After seeing how this creative community translated their personal looks to Zoom, our reporters took to the streets of Greenwich Village once again. This semester we brought you more in-depth profiles and thoughts from your peers about their style evolution throughout the pandemic and since being back on campus in New York City. Visit the Free Press website or scan the QR code to read the full articles for these students and many others! —RIE BOICE, Deputy Editor
Diego Ortega, @diegxrtega
Sophie Thomas, @jjparker630
Caitlin Du, @phantalism
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CoPA “I just felt that no one would accept what I wanted to wear in high school. But in college, you know, you grow up and realize ‘Oh, I’m my own person and people like that.’ Around the time when I started going to metal concerts with my mom — we were always going out to different metal and rock concerts or even pop and disco stuff. I started wearing baggy shirts and got my first leather jacket. I just felt like it was my vibe. I wanted to look like [that community] too.”
Parsons “I feel like putting out art [is] like putting on an outfit. It is saying something about my own personality. I draw myself really often. I am one of my characters, so I like dressing myself up — [it] is similar to drawing myself. It brings me joy. My wardrobe is how people see me. It’s like character design.”
Parsons “I want to show up for myself more, I want every outfit to continue to tell the story of who I am. The pandemic has made [me] realize how valuable life is and not to take it for granted. So I want to live life being my most authentic self. I love wearing black slacks, button-up shirts and dress shoes. Creating dressy outfits with simple pieces and unique elements.” EDITED BY RIE BOICE
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NOOR LIMA BOUDAKIAN (Continued from Page 4)
rescind the threshold increase, she informed Lima Boudakian that they are in the process of providing other relief efforts to lower the burden on students who have been affected by this. Another focus of Lima Boudakian is to make sure that students are having their talents showcased. The Student Senate is always looking to support New School student initiatives with the funding they have for things like clubs and projects. Additionally, the Senate’s anti-discrimination committee is currently producing a video that features femme artists of color from various parts of the university. “It’s modeled after Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty show, but it’s going to have a political message,” Lima Boudakian said. “A really cool thing is that we get to pay the artists for it.” The Student Senate is working on a future student activism series in which students would serve on panels and hold community discussions. Lima Boudakian wants students to know that they, along with the rest of the Student Senate, are working to try and fix the institutional problems that students face, while trying to make the New School a welcoming community. “We’re listening and we’re trying,” Lima Boudakian said. “We are very much students and just as frustrated on [with] every single issue that the student body is facing.” DAVIS BURLESON (Continued from Page 10)
persona while also having a personal life.
DH This is all so exciting. How do you come up with all the questions? Such as “What’s your opinion on public proposals?” “If you were canceled, what would you be canceled for?” They’re so creative. DB A lot of times it depends on the vibe of the person and I will look up random BuzzFeed questions to get inspiration. In the beginning, I had someone help me write questions but not really anymore. We would have meetings together and bounce off each other to come up with questions. Sometimes I would be so busy so I would have my writer write all of it for me. But then it was weird because these questions I have to feel personally attached to. I have to talk to somebody for one minute about the said question. I find that if I write my own now it’s just a lot more successful. DH There are over 220 episodes of “What’s Poppin” right now. What is one of your most memorable moments thus far? DB Probably when I first interviewed Michael. He’s the old man who I interviewed, he’s been on several times. He was my first viral video. I don’t have his number but I find him in the park and I’ve interviewed him like five times. DH That’s amazing, he’s such a character. Do you prioritize “What’s Poppin” or your personal TikTok more? DB Definitely “What’s Poppin.” I think it’s hard not to because I see the growth and see how successful the videos are. Once I started “What’s Poppin” I kind of lost my creative juices for my personal account. So now it’s just lifestyle, and I’m just sassy.
DH So Davis, where do you see yourself in five years? I prioritize. I made my schedule to only have morn- What are your short-term goals? ing classes so that I will be done by 12 p.m. Most of the time in the morning is prioritized towards school. In the DB I really want to host in general. I enjoy hosting afternoon I live my TikTok life. It’s kind of like a double and speaking to people so I want to progress into a modern-day Ryan Seacrest or Andy Cohen. But the diflife, like Hannah Montana. ference between them and me is that I don’t just want DH Ok, now we must address your most popular venture to be a host but have my own personal brand as well. so far which is your TikTok show, “What’s Poppin.” How did it begin? Who came up with the idea for the show? DH Kind of like a cross between Billy on the Street and Andy Cohen. I love it. So tell me, do you have any advice DB So Fallen Media [the company that produces “What’s for someone who may want to begin a TikTok career? Poppin”] approached me about the idea through an Instagram DM. They told me about this idea which was DB Just start. Make content that you want to personalkind of a game show vibe, truth or dare questions, or ly watch. Whatever you think you are good at or speak would you rather. I thought this would be amazing. So about, that’s the content you should make. we filmed the first episode in February. We eventually changed the content to asking more open-ended questions. DB
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THE INK
COMIC BY MIKAEL CHOUKROUN
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COVER BY NITYA KUMAR AND CHELSEA SARABIA