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President David Van Zandt looks back on ten years, p. 2
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David Van Zandt looks back at ten years
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@nsfreepress newschoolfreepress.com Editor-in-Chief Sammi Fisher Creative Director Nico Chilla Standards Editor Ryanne Salzano
The student health insurance crisis
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The Cheer Squad
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Art Director Olivia Heller News Editor Michael Izquierdo Arts & Culture Editors Kurt Burger Marissa Matozzo
InQluded Magazine
Andrés Volkov
Medium Rare Art
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Opinions Editor Martin Kaff Social Media Editor Jihan Basyah Photo Editor Lauren Hoffman
House Lives Matter
Decolonizing food
Why I kept my gender identity secret
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Healthy relationships in sex-ed
Climate change with with doubtful parents
I don’t even sound Chinese: Typecasting in animation
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New Schoolers’ stylish sixth sense: guess the school by their fashion
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Cover by Nico Chilla
Reporters and Staff Kleigh Balugo Haley Bartel Claire Boudour Gabriella De Gracia Georgia Dodd Mia Fonte Sam Ford Allison Foster Daniela Garcia-Arce Mila Greenberg Sadie Hechkoff Maya Kass Nitya Kumar Sophie Lee Kevin Martinez Hannah Miller Gio Osterman Emily Pavis India Roby Ella Snyder Michaela Zee Faculty Advisors Irwin Chen Allison Lichter Joseph Vivyan Tran
DAVID VAN ZANDT
Looks Back at Ten Years President David Van Zandt’s ten years at The New School will be coming to an end in May 2020. We met with Van Zandt and a member of the university’s Marketing and Communication department in his office at 66 W. 12th Street to talk about his time as president of The New School, what he believes sets it apart from other institutions and his hopes for its future. an interview with RYANNE SALZANO, MARTIN KAFF and HALEY BARTEL
Van Zandt seated in his eighth-floor office, which overlooks 12th Street
Photos by Lauren Hoffman
Van Zandt started as president in 2011, serving as The New bias against the second part, and you’ll talk to faculty at some School’s eighth president, after Senator Bob Kerrey. The university of the great liberal arts colleges and they’re appalled by the idea was scattered around Manhattan when he came into office, with that students think so much about jobs — but they come from Mannes School of Music on 80th Street, Parsons in the Garment my generation when they didn’t have to worry about that. In an District on 40th Street, and the School of Drama on the west side, art and design school you’re basically learning a lot of technical on Bank Street. He will step down near the end of this academic skills, but your liberal arts training is anemic. The people who go year, and Dr. Dwight A. McBride will begin his term as president to conservatories, music conservatories, arts and design schools in April 2020. McBride is currently provost and executive vice — their liberal arts are music history, art history, you know, five president of academic affairs at Emory University. times over. They don’t do social sciences, and they don’t do broader literature kinds of things the way we can here at The Q: In the last 30 to 40 years, it seems that college has become less New School. It has to be that mix, and I think we’re in a great about getting a classic liberal arts experience and more about position to deliver that to students. being prepared to enter the workforce. Where does The New School stand in that conversation? Where should it stand? Q: How do you see the role of president of The New School? A: When I went to college, I had a standard liberal arts kind of education — we didn’t even think about jobs. We just sort of expected we’d come out and we’d do something. [Today] you need to be able to communicate in a way that a liberal arts education does, you need to have an understanding of human beings. One thing for all our students would be not only to have that great Lang education, but also a particular technological skill set, whether it’s web design or it’s some kind of coding, because that’s what gets you your first job. Over your career, it’s going to change dramatically. The world is going to change. Technology is going to be different. The New School has a great advantage over a traditional liberal arts college, because, in a traditional liberal arts college, you only get the first part. It’s almost a neurological
A: Different presidents are going to see their role differently. Very traditional presidents — again, this is a generational thing — were really just about keeping the faculty happy, keeping the students from boiling over, and raising money. I think, today, it’s a far more difficult job, and I sort of view it as basically setting the direction of the university, working with people, and then pushing the institution as much as you can. That means caring about every little last bit of [the institution], from the admissions process, to how students are served, to even the facilities. I walk around [school] picking up stuff because I think I need to have (as much as possible) an attractive looking place, but at the end of the day it’s about the direction of the university, and it goes back to what is going to advance your students’ futures.
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Van Zandt sat down for an hour-long interview with editors Ryanne Salzano and Martin Kaff. Reporter Haley Bartel is not pictured.
Q: What are you the proudest of, looking back on your time here? A: In today’s world, you’ve got to be broadly educated. To have a competitive edge, whether you’re a Parsons student or a Lang student or a CoPA student. Because just being a straight liberal arts student is different today, just being a straight art and design student or a performing arts student… it’s a different world. We probably couldn’t have done that unless we put the campus together physically. Moving fashion down from 40th street was a big deal. Moving Mannes down was gigantic. The University Center, which was built during this time, was spectacular. The other thing I think, if I look back, is really focusing on the kind of student we have here. I think it was always kind of implicit but we began to more aggressively try to recruit students of a particular kind. Whether you’re at Lang or Parsons or CoPA, the group of students we get here are very creative people. They’re very socially engaged because they want to do something with that creativity. They’re coming here, whether they know it or not, to develop that creativity so they can actually have an impact on the world. We get some people who want to either play well or draw pretty things, but I think most students have a social mission behind how they use their talents. Q: With that social justice focus in mind, what do you think about The New School’s history of student mobilizations and various occupations? What do you think it says about the type of student here? A: I think it reflects what The New School is, why people come here, and who the people are who do come here. I describe them as creative people who use that creativity to make a difference — to be socially engaged. That’s exactly what you would expect. There is a balance there, trying to be sure one doesn’t overtake another. But to me, that’s all part and parcel of what this place is
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“They’re very socially engaged because they want to do something with that creativity. They’re coming here, whether they know it or not, to develop that creativity so they can actually have an impact on the world.”
about. You can go to another institution where the students all want to be fine artists and want to sit in their studios, which is perfectly fine. But that’s not what our students are about, or what the institution has ever been about. Q: How do you feel about students targeting you in protests? A: That’s part of the job. I’m not sure it’s the best thing for an individual student to have that kind of anger, but I recognize people do, and you’re probably going to get more of that at The New School than you may at some other place. With youth, there’s more of an urgency to get going — you see what’s wrong in the world around you, and you want to push very hard to try to do something about that. Sometimes, it gets pretty extreme. Q: What are the biggest news events of your presidency? A: Well, Occupy Wall Street. I think The New School in particular was impacted by that. One major reason was just where we were
— close to Union Square. People came marching down 16th Street, turned down Fifth Avenue, and decided it would be a great idea to occupy our student center, which we had to deal with for over a week. [During] Hurricane Sandy the following year, all the lights and electricity below 34th Street were knocked out in the city for a week. We did have a generator in the Arnhold Hall building, so we put a lot of students there, mostly New School, but some from NYU and others, and that was sort of a challenge. Lastly, probably the biggest event was Trump’s election, because that’s had such an impact on the way people feel and what they think and how they talk. I think that’s something, and I don’t think we’re alone in that. It’s something that’s impacted all of New York City, all or most universities around the country, and people all over the country, often in different ways. Q: 2020 presidential candidates Senator Bernie Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren have proposed forgiving all student loan debt. What are your thoughts on those proposals? A: I think they’re well meaning, but I very much fear it’s just replicating inequalities in society. The kinds of stuff that Sanders or Warren or some other candidates are talking about is across the board. It’s either forgiving the debt of even wealthy people, or providing free tuition to wealthy people. First of all, I don’t like the inequality of it. I think it ought to be, at least, means-tested. The second thing is, we have to realize, a part of the cost of going to university, particularly in New York City, is the living expenses. It’s so much bigger than just tuition. If you don’t cover [student] living expenses or help them, it’s not a viable option. Q: How do you see The New School moving forward? A: We have to figure out how to make it accessible, because we’re getting to the point where, in terms of costs, it’s becoming more and more prohibitive. So I think that’s going to be the biggest challenge for the next president and for presidents down the road. I wish I had an easy answer to that. It’s also got to play to its strengths. It’s all in the students, it’s in creativity and social engagement. Those are the two things — the kind of student we get here, that makes this a different place than NYU, a small liberal arts college someplace, or even RISD or Eastman School of Music. It’s the nature of the student we have here. We have to play to that strength and keep getting those people, not trying to be plain vanilla or trying to be like everybody else. If you try to be like everybody else, in today’s world, you’re lost. You’re lost.
Q: How have you grown in your ten years as president of The New School? A: I’ve learned a lot more about higher education, certainly. I’ve learned a lot about art and design, which I didn’t know before. I had a very abstract view — I knew liberal arts, because I’d sort of grown up in that kind of culture. It’s the first time in years that I had dealt with undergraduate students, because I was always dealing with graduate students for most of my career. Q: You said you won’t give a speech at graduation because it should be focused entirely on the students. If you were to say something to students as a parting message, what would you say? You’re living in a very difficult time, but you’re also living in a time of probably far more opportunity than anybody else, particularly if you do have a good education. Take advantage of that. Don’t lock yourself into one particular thing — be very flexible, your career will be much better if you do a bunch of different things. Follow that passion, that project, which is being very creative and wanting to be socially engaged. If you continue that sort of theme through your life, you’ll have a very satisfying life. And the last thing I would say is stay connected with people you meet here. I still go out places with my college friends, in a way I don’t necessarily with friends that I met in different stages of life. It’s very important. Q: What will you miss about The New School? A: [I’ll miss] being around the energy of the place and the students. I think I’m going to look back and say I didn’t spend enough time sort of just bathing in that, sitting in the middle of the University Center, or something like that. That’s probably what I’m going to miss the most — day to day activity. I’ll be able to live a little bit through my wife [Lisa Huestis, a professor in Lang’s politics department] because she’s going to keep teaching at Lang as long as Lang will have her. We’re going to live in the city, and I can’t come around too much because I don’t want to get in Dwight’s way, but I certainly will be around.
“What are we here for? If you read our mission statement, it’s all about preparing students. It’s not about having great faculty or having nice facilities, it’s all about the students.” Q: What advice would you give to the future president of The New School? A: Well I think you’re sort of staring at it right there*. It’s very common in the university world for people to not be focused on that, to be be more worried about research. But the reality here is: What are we here for? If you read our mission statement, it’s all about preparing students. It’s not about having great faculty or having nice facilities, it’s all about the students. I think any president in the future has to focus on: Why is this good for students? *Refer to image to right.
A mock road sign on the wall of Van Zandt’s office.
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“If I Miss Treatment, I Could Die”
In the months following The New School’s choice to change insurance providers, students are having problems accessing the care they need and are looking for answers. by CLAIRE BOUDOUR and LAUREN HOFFMAN
Katie Gruszecki was diagnosed with breast cancer in August of 2018. Ten months later, The New School announced that they would be switching health insurance providers from Aetna to UnitedHealthcare. The New School selected a third party brokerage firm, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co, to process student insurance waiver requests. When Gruszecki submitted a waiver application in order to stay on Medicaid and continue to afford her treatments, she was denied. Students across the university have faced problems since the switch, which was announced via email in June 2019. From the waiving process and unclear eligibility requirements, to inconsistent denials of plans, student organizers are calling for transparency from the university and autonomy in their healthcare decisions. Gruszecki felt like her only option was to disclose her medical condition to members of The New School’s administration. After that, her waiver was approved. “I had gone to the dean’s office, and I won’t say who from the dean’s office I spoke to, but somebody at the dean’s office had told me you need to express the urgency in regards to your medical condition,” said Gruszecki, who is 29 and a master’s student in philosophy at NSSR. “And that I need to CC the dean and then I need to tell them the urgency of this and have the waiver processed immediately.”
fix my case. I felt it was just to silence me,” she said. “And then I received a waiver but it said that it was a one-time-exception only, and my health insurance plan was not ACA compliant. I feel they just did it to make me stop complaining about it.” Minopoli said she wished The New School had been more transparent with the eligibility requirements, as well as being up front with what they expected students to provide.
“I’ve been emailing so many people. I think in the end someone just told them to fix my case. I felt it was just to silence me.”
“We recognize that the transition to the new student health insurance plan posed a number of challenges for our students. In response to your feedback, the university and Gallagher are working together to provide better, faster, and more tailored service,” wrote university spokesperson Amy Malsin in a statement provided to the New School Free Press. The university said they would streamline the waiver request form, as well as growing and retraining Gallagher’s call center. The University Student Senate (USS), which receives its funding from The New School, hosted a Health Insurance Town Hall on Oct. 28 to elicit student responses. During the hour-long event, students voiced their concerns about In her email to the former associate vice the new insurance fees, waivers, lack of president of Student Success, Monique coverage, and demanded transparency Rinere, she stated, “If I miss treatment, from administration. I could die. This is not just financial.” Following the town hall, the USS shared The New School Free Press was unable an anonymous online survey for students to reach Rinere for comment as she is to explain the problems they’ve been no longer employed by The New School facing since the switch. In the first week as of September 2019, according to her the survey was available, which the USS LinkedIn profile. said collected more than 300 responses. Luisa Minopoli, 29, an international The survey is still available, but the USS student also in the philosophy department, compiled results after one week in a report had her waiver request denied. Minopoli that will be delivered to Kevin Williams, was forced to enroll in UnitedHealthcare’s the dean of students. insurance, instead of retaining her Danish “Everybody seems to mention one. She started her appeal process Sept. transparency. We all are asking ourselves, 7, but did not receive approval from how much of an understanding did the Gallagher until Oct. 9. administration have that the waiving “I’ve been emailing so many people. I process was going to be this difficult?,” think in the end someone just told them to said Gus Sampaio, a co-chair of the USS.
“If I miss treatment, I could die. This is not just financial.”
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“I would say that it was a decision that in no way took equity into account.” Students’ complaints ranged in subject matter from financial issues to difficulty accessing providers, and according to the USS, the largest trend seen was a request for accountability from the school. Sampaio mentioned the possibility of more events like the town hall taking place in the future, so students have a space in which to ask questions and receive real answers. “I do see a real effort and wanting on the part of the administration to address the issue, which is great,” Sampaio said. “How that’s going to look, however, I don’t know. I don’t know what the contract looks like with UnitedHealthcare, so I don’t know what the possibilities are.” Not every student is as hopeful as student senators that The New School will take their concerns seriously.
“These town halls are a total farce. It’s just an excuse to be able to say that they’ve listened to us.” “These town halls are a total farce. It’s just an excuse to be able to say that they’ve listened to us. But even saying that they need a town hall just proves that they have not been listening to us, because we’ve been in communication with them since the very beginning,” Gruszecki said. Gruszecki, as well as several other outof-state and international students, have brought their concerns to a number of
administrators: Williams, the dean of students, as well as Tracy Robin, assistant vice president of Student Health Services and Gale Lynch, senior director of International Student and Scholar Success (ISSS). They feel that their complaints have fallen on deaf ears. “The health and wellbeing of our students is our top priority,” wrote Malsin. “We understand that students would like to participate in decisions that affect their time at The New School. To encourage student participation in the dialogue surrounding issues that impact the campus community, we recently formed the Student Leadership Team (SLT) as a new opportunity to gain feedback.” A PhD student at NSSR, who asked to be kept anonymous for safety reasons, felt similar frustrations when looking for more clarity in the waiver process. The student was enrolled in a Dutch insurance plan and got their waiver denied. The student decided not to appeal directly to UnitedHealthcare. They emailed Rinere, the administrator who no longer works at The New School, to inquire about whether there was additional financial assistance that they could be given to cover the cost of UnitedHealthcare, knowing other students had emailed and worked something out. The PhD student said Rinere told them that their existing scholarship would be more than enough to cover the health insurance costs, and that the financial situations of other students could not be commented on. “I didn’t even know what A C A compliance was before this ordeal,” they said. “I tried to avoid going to every hospital [on UnitedHealthcare]. I don’t understand anything regarding American insurance, I feel more comfortable with my Dutch one.”
“I wasn’t sure I’d be able to re-enroll. If I get [my reimbursement] in a month I consider myself lucky.”
Illustration by Olivia Heller
A Gallagher representative reached out to this student and the situation has since been resolved, but not without detriment. “I was uncovered for a week,” they said, explaining how they had to unenroll from the Dutch plan, then cancel and re-enroll when their waiver grant went through. “I wasn’t sure I’d be able to re-enroll. If I get [my reimbursement] in a month I consider myself lucky.” This student said they never spoke with anyone from the university face-to-face. On Sept. 5, four days before the waiver deadline, international students received an email from ISSS stating an
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important update on the “Public Charge Rule” enacted Aug. 14 by the Trump administration. This rule stated that noncitizens who are enrolled in public health benefits like Medicaid or food stamps could potentially be denied visa renewal or permanent residency in the future, as they would be deemed dependent on public services reserved for United States citizens. The email stated: “If you have hopes of pursuing another US visa status in the future, we advise you to take this Public Charge rule into account. We are also aware that the deadline to waive the 2019-2020 student health insurance plan is approaching next week, September 9, 2019, and we thought this information would be important in thinking through whether or not to waive the student health insurance plan. ” The policy was set to be ruled on in October, which the email stated. When Minopoli emailed to ask if the waiver deadline could be extended until after a decision was reached by several US District Courts, she did not receive a response back from Lynch until after the waiver deadline. An injunction was filed on Oct. 11, and the rule change is not currently in effect. Miguel Paley, another student in NSSR’s philosophy program, has been at The New School since 2011. Paley has faced a series of issues with his insurance coverage in the last six months. In June of this year, Paley had knee surgery that was covered under the school’s previous provider, Aetna. When the transition from Aetna to UnitedHealthcare was announced, Paley chose to enroll in Medicaid and submit an insurance waiver to Gallagher. Paley’s waiver application was approved, and he continued attending post-surgical physical therapy with a therapist covered under his supplemental Medicaid insurance. People on Medicaid also enroll in a supplemental insurance, which covers initial costs.
“I don’t know if it was Gallagher, United, or The New School who reported this, but it was a lie, and it seems to me that whoever said it lied to a government agency.” “About a few weeks ago, somebody reported to the New York State Board of Health that I was enrolled with Gallagher/UnitedHealthcare, which is not true,” Paley said. “I don’t know if it was Gallagher, United, or The New School who reported this, but it was a lie, and it seems to me that whoever said it lied to a government agency.”
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There are many reasons for why the insurance change happened, but none of those reasons have anything to do with students.” Because of this false report, Paley was unenrolled from his supplemental insurance provider. Paley said that after spending hours on the phone with the New York State Board of Health, he was told to reach out to Gallagher and UnitedHealthcare and get a letter confirming he is not enrolled in their insurance plans. Multiple attempts to procure this letter from Gallagher and UnitedHealthcare’s customer service failed, so Paley turned to a different route for support. “I didn’t know what to do, so then I emailed a bunch of people at The New
School Student Health Services and Student Success, and I said, ‘Gallagher has refused to give me a letter. I’ve done everything by the rules, I’m in the middle of post-surgical care and I need my therapy,’” said Paley. “Pretty quickly after that, somebody contacted United and somehow got them to send me a letter saying I am not enrolled.” Now that he’s received the letter, Paley has been re-enrolled with his supplemental provider. However, his coverage won’t be activated until Dec. 1, meaning that it is unclear how or whether he will be able to afford this month’s therapy. Paley, along with many students, is confused as to how The New School went about making decisions related to the insurance transition when it has resulted in problems for so many students. “The concern often seems to be money or logistics. There are many reasons for why the insurance change happened, but none of those reasons have anything to do with students,” Paley said. Contributed reporting by India Roby
Was your waiver denied? Below are the two rubrics Gallagher uses in evaluating competing insurance plans, as outlined by the Affordable Care Act. Basic requirements for coverage, according to the ACA 1. Hospitalization
6. Prescription drugs
2. Ambulatory services (visits to doctors and other healthcare professionals and outpatient hospital care)
7. Lab tests
3. Emergency services
8. Chronic disease management, “well” services and preventive services recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force
4. Maternity and newborn care
9. Pediatric services for children
5. Mental health and substance abuse treatment
10. Rehabilitative and “habilitative” services
What comprehensive coverage entails, according to the ACA 1. An insurance plan that is an unlimited policy maximum 2. No waiting periods for pre-existing conditions 3. No internal dollar limits on MEC (minimum essential coverages) which are: a. Hospitalization b. Surgery c. Diagnostic lab and x-ray d. Office visits e. Prescriptions f. Behavioral health g. Preventative Care
4. Reasonable exclusions (each state has set allowable exclusions that follow along with the ACA mandates. 5. Consumer protections for appeals, grievances and advocacy for claim disputes 6. Underwriting guidelines that require companies to price based on approved formulas 7. State approval for what a USA based insurance company files for a plan design and pricing development for its rate filing.
Founding memers Kate Justin, Keaton Bullen, and Juliette Fann. Photo by Lauren Hoffman
The New School Cheer Squad: The First in New School History by JIHAN BASYAH There was stomping, clapping and swaying on Oct. 31 as students danced along to the vibrant beats of Lizzo and Missy Elliott’s “Tempo” as part of their cheer practice in the fitness center at L2 of the University Center. At a school where team sports are few and far between, a new cheer squad hopes to boost school spirit. The New School Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI) announced on their Instagram page the arrival of the university’s first known cheerleading team, The New School Cheer Squad, on Oct. 8. The New School Cheer Squad was created by three students: Juliette Fann, a second-year undecided student at Lang,
Kate Justin, a third-year strategic design and management major, and Keaton Bullen, a third-year interior design major. “Juliette and I were talking about how in high school we wanted to be cheerleaders, but both our moms were a little [too] conservative for that,” Justin said. “Then we told Keaton about it and he was his high school’s cheer squad choreographer. When it all came together, we realized we could really do it.” Fann, Justin and Bullen proposed the idea to SLI and were approved within a few days the club. “It is my understanding that this is the first New School Cheer Squad,” said Megan Kielty, director of SLI. “However,
The New School has such a vibrant 100 years of history that I can’t confirm there wasn’t one in the past.” Though The New School is less known for its athletic department, the founders believed the cheer squad could encourage a stronger sense of community within the university. “We thought it’d be fun because we do have some sports that no one knows about,” Fann said. “It’d be cool to go to the games and bring some more school spirit. When you go to the school, it’s almost a little disconnected and [the cheer squad] would be great for school spirit and to meet new people.” Marissa Martinez, a first-year at Lang, has been joining in the cheer practices since its first day of operation and believes that she has found her sense of community. “It’s what I look forward to every week,” she said. “It’s nice to have other people to work out with you, because otherwise I honestly wouldn’t. Also, dancing is really fun; just being part of something as a group with people who love it as much as you do.” The cheer squad practice includes warm-ups, stretches, ab workouts, and stunt choreography. “It usually goes for about an hour,” said Bullen, the cheer squad’s choreographer. According to the cheer squad’s roster, there are about 18 people registered for the team, but others are welcome to join. “Every other week, [we’re] pretty much switching off between doing the workouts and little dances,” Justin said. “And then we’re also going to get a professional stunt coach soon.” Members of the cheer squad include former high school cheerleaders, as well as students who are newcomers to the practice. The founders of the club encourage newcomers to practice with them and join the team. “We definitely want to create a club that is inclusive of everyone. Any sports, including cheerleading, are involved in exclusivity and we wanted to make something where there are no tryouts,” Bullen said. “You could just come, have fun, be a part of it, meet people and not have to stress about if you’re good enough or anything.” “I think living or going to this school can be lonely since it’s a city college. There’s no campus; it is hard to find somewhere to go and talk to people,” Justin said. “Know that [we’re] going to be nice to you. “The cheer squad is a good place for people to come and say, ‘hey, I want to make friends. I want to join them,’” she said. This semester, The New School Cheer Squad have their weekly practice every Thursday from 2-3 p.m. at the Fitness Center, room L205 of the University Center.
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Logo courtesy of InQluded
Safe Spaces and InQlusivity New School MFA Creative Writing candidate medina creates InQluded, an online publication to uplift the voices of queer people of color. by KEVIN MARTINEZ Creating a safe space can be a challenge. Being the creator of that space is even more challenging. medina, who does not use a last name, has spearheaded that effort with a new literary magazine, InQluded. InQluded is an online publication that focuses on illuminating the voices of queer people of color through art and writing. “InQluded isn’t really about highlighting “issues” that affect our community, but rather it exists to normalize our queerness, our blackness or brownness and showcase fabulous work from our queer family. Our art is our resistance,” medina, who is also the editor-in-chief of InQluded, said. medina is a second-year MFA Creative Writing candidate at The New School with a concentration in writing for children and young adults. medina began creating the publication when they became an Impact Entrepreneur Fellow. This fellowship is a two-year cohort experience offered at The New School for “high-potential leaders from diverse backgrounds who are committed
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to creating social impact through entrepreneurship while pursuing a master’s degree,” according to The New School website. It was through this fellowship that medina realized that in the publishing world, queer people of color are undermined by their white, cisgenderheterosexual counterparts, and they sought to change this. “The publishing world is whitewashed and profoundly cis-hetero, maledominated and there are not enough opportunities for QTIBIPoC (queer, trans, intersex, black, indigenous, people of color) to be recognized for their talent,” medina said. “Our stories are vast and beautiful. We deserve to thrive in a world that honors and respects who we are.”
“The publishing world is whitewashed and profoundly cis-hetero, male-dominated and there are not enough opportunities for QTIBIPoC (queer, trans, intersex, black, indigenous, people of color) to be recognized for their talent.” InQluded’s mission statement is “to create a youth-led safe space that honors and celebrates the narratives of underrepresented voices of QTIBIPoC youth and to empower, inspire, and cultivate new generations of creatives.” InQluded has a variety of avenues to
choose from in terms of submitting original work, whether you’re a writer or an artist. InQluded serves as a community and as a safe space for queer people of color. It encourages you to submit your best work. “We are a platform for QTIBIPoC youth (queer, trans & intersex Black, Indigenous & persons of color), therefore we only publish work by youth and people in the QTIBIPoC community,” according to their submission guidelines. Stephanie Gaitan, a former contributor, was immediately drawn to InQluded because of its strong message of promoting the voices of queer people of color. “I love InQluded’s name. Love the clever use of the ‘Q;’ InQluded is special in how it not only amplifies QTPOC voices but in its strive to identify and define the structures that are oppressing QTPOC,” Gaitan said. So far, InQluded has published three issues, which are all available for purchase on their website. Each issue focuses on a different theme, with an array of artwork to represent the common theme. In past issues, InQluded has focused on themes such as “Home,” “Here to Stay,” and “Break Binaries.” Like many publications, there are hurdles that contributors and editors at InQluded have had to overcome. Whether it be securing funding or selecting which works will be featured, InQluded ultimately prides itself on their openminded selection process. “Like any literary magazine, we have an editorial team that accepts or declines work. We run issues thematically and quarterly so the editorial process from prepublication to publication happens rather quickly,” medina said. The most important thing when deciding what gets published, according to Jasmine Respess, the poetry editor of InQluded, is to amplify voices such as those who identify as Black or Indigenous, voices that traditionally don’t get a space in the publishing world. “These are the voices we want to bring to the forefront. And we hope that if you are one of these people of color you’re with it; it’s more of prioritization of works by certain groups of color whose work tends to be pushed back more than others,” Respess said. InQluded aims to be a safe space for queer people of color who traditionally don’t have access to a common safe space. The publication is a playground for people with a common identity to come together and build a community where their voices can be heard and celebrated, medina said. “I think through various forms of writing or art, we give ourselves permission to exist beyond this preconceived notion that queerness equals trauma,” medina said. “Humanhood has trauma, but we are more than our trauma.”
Andrés Volkov: New Schooler Taking on the Music Industry, One Single at a Time The independent musician discussed life at CoPA and balancing an upand-coming music career with his numerous responsibilities. by ELLA SNYDER
Photo by Ella Snyder
From balancing an independent music The most important part of Volkov’s has a hidden negative side. You’re putting career to completing schoolwork as a creative practice is writing lyrics. “I want your music out there and nobody will ever CoPA and Lang student, singer-songwriter lyrics to not necessarily send a message, listen to it. Their editorial playlists, if you Andrés Volkov is immersed in almost every but to be creative. That kind of thing may get put into one of those, you’re done. You creative facet of The New School. be cheesy, but it feels honest, and like you will get a shit ton of money. Getting into Volkov, 22, is working towards a tried to say it in the most creative way the algorithm though? I have no idea how bachelor’s degree in anthropology at instead of, ‘roses are red.’ I’m looking for that works. One of my songs is on one and Lang and a fine arts degree in jazz voice creative language.” Volkov said that he can I still don’t understand how it happened, or at the College of Performing Arts, all trace all of his songs back to specific events, how to make it happen again. It feels like on top of playing for The New School’s because he pulls from personal experiences walking in darkness, hoping that people Club Soccer team, being a Director of when writing. will listen to me.” Student Advocacy & Engagement on the Volkov said one of the many benefits of His most popular song, “Con Cuidatito,” University Student Senate, and consistently moving his artistic practice to New York has over 100,000 listens on Spotify, but releasing new music for his growing and The New School is that it’s been much Volkov said that it’s only generated $200 international fan base. easier for him to find places to perform. over the past year. This, he shared, doesn’t Volkov is in his second year at the “Back home, I had a lot of trouble finding even cover the costs of producing and New School, and at the core of his many places to play. I’d sign contracts that said I releasing his upcoming 9-song E.P. “I’ll responsibilities is his passion for music. would get paid 2000 pesos. I never received take it, but it doesn’t even out,” he said. The Mexico City native participated in a cent. I’ve only had one nice relationship While the current dynamics of the music children’s orchestras as a kid, learned with a bar back home and it’s the only one industry may leave other independent to play guitar at eight years old, and at that I play in. Here in New York, I feel like musicians feeling hopeless, Volkov stays fourteen began writing his own music. the scene is friendlier. It’s very easy to get a hopeful through the support of his loyal “I mostly write [music] in Spanish,” he gig, I also play a lot in parks. I go busking, fanbase. “I think the most affirming said. “When I started, I wrote songs in that’s very fun. This city is very friendly to and coolest thing that’s happened to me English, because I had a high school rock musicians in a way. There are like 20-25 is having people from Spain, Peru or band and we’d just write whatever. After places I could name that are letting 18-22- Colombia, Spanish-speaking countries high school, I realized that I had to explore. year olds come in and play.” that I haven’t been to, where I don’t know I also went through a break up and I was Volkov is constantly releasing new music many people, have messaged me saying really sad. I used music as catharsis. I — covers on his social media and original ‘Oh I love this song! Thank you so much started writing a lot and tried to explore songs on streaming services like Spotify, for writing it.’ People have even messaged many genres.” which he is very vocal about his feelings me saying they made covers of my songs,” Volkov’s music merges Latin rock with on. Last semester, he gave a presentation Volkov said. various genres, from bossa nova to folk. about streaming at the Dean’s Honor Volkov is releasing an E.P. titled “There’s probably ten songs up on my Symposium, which he was selected to “Conflicto de Interés” in three weeks. In the Spotify right now, but I have so many more give due to his presence and popularity on meantime, you can watch the music video than that. It just takes so much time to streaming services. for his latest song, “Conflicto de Interés,” produce and release, but I like to explore a “I see the benefits of streaming services listen to his music on Spotify, or catch a combination of funk or funky sounds and for sure, an endless library of music and performance at the Lunchtime Concert Latin american genres.” you can just put your stuff there, it also Series at the Glassbox Theater.
Arts & Culture 10
MEDIUM RARE: A Student-run Selling Platform for Emerging Artists by SAM FORD and HALEY BARTEL For the starving artist, selling work is a sign of success, but getting into a brick and mortar gallery isn’t as achievable as it may seem. This is where Medium Rare comes in. Created by Parsons seniors Samantha Ratiner and Charles Royle, Medium Rare is a platform where emerging young artists can sell their works. Ratiner and Royle, who launched the platform earlier this year, explained their inspirations, motivations, and future plans. “We want to be this middle market while also helping students and emerging artists to be able to start a career for themselves. Both of us had problems with the art industry and then looked introspectively at it and came out with one solution,” said Royle, a Fashion Design major. The pricing of the artwork sold online ranges from $100 to the ten-thousands depending on the medium. Framed prints go for about $125, while bigger paintings are typically sold for anywhere from $1,000 to $12,000. “We’re investing in the artist[s] as people and the buyers are investing in the artist as well as value. So that price point is really important to get exactly right,” said
Ratiner. “But we like we like to keep a huge range, too. That allows us to be more accessible as a company for the consumer, to be able to go in an art gallery and feel like they can buy something and not be excluded from an industry that they find really exclusive.”
“We’re investing in the artist[s] as people and the buyers are investing in the artist as well as value.” The name Medium Rare, while out of the ordinary, is more than just a catchy play on words. There are a few deeper meanings behind the name. “One for example, is that we are the medium between an artist and a consumer, just between the terms of retail,” said Royle. Another comparison he brought up was Medium Rare meaning undercooked, meaning the platform is still “cooking,” or growing, in non-metaphorical terms. Royle also connected the name to different artistic mediums, “I think it just kind of spelled out and as we just kept throwing
the middle of a preteen nightmare than now I’m just embracing Painting on sale for $1200.00 by Lydia Crouse, MFA Candidate in fine art at Parsons
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around names, that was the one that just really stuck.” Though Royle coined the name, it was Ratiner who originally got the idea for Medium Rare. “When I moved into my apartment… my walls were empty. I wanted to start my own art collection.” Ratiner said. “I started asking kids from my classes to make art for me and I started collecting all these pieces. After months, I basically had a secured student gallery in my apartment. Then I came to Charles and I was like, I’m basically representing these artists already, these people have never had an opportunity like this and we should really help them. Then it kind of started from there.” In addition to providing a means for young artists to sell their art, Royle thought it was necessary to include the buyer’s needs in the vision. “We thought, well, why don’t we do this in a way that helps the consumer be able to buy art, that’s not a reproduction, that’s not from Ikea and isn’t $20,000 sitting in a gallery,” Royle said. They want emerging artists to know that their work will be considered, regardless of previous experience. “I’ve actually talked to a lot of people who heard about our company and thought, ‘Oh, no, I’m not good enough or I’m not big enough’,” Royle said. “We’re a new company, too, so we definitely want to encourage as many different people as possible to send their work.” With Medium Rare already off to a fast start since its beginnings in early 2019, both Ratiner and Royle are ambitious to continue its growth and impact. “We’re a new company, and we represent new creatives, so we’re also growing as they are. As our artists get bigger, the opportunities that we get to work on are also bigger,” Royle said. “I want people to look at emerging artists the same way they do at regular artists. I want our artists to grow exponentially,” Ratiner said. “I want our artists to be the biggest artists and then one day they’ll say come to this platform Medium Rare if you’re a struggling student artist, go there and they will help you succeed because they believe in you. And with their help, they will help you get to where you want to be as an artist.”
Charles Royle and Samantha Ratiner Photo by Leah Slossburg
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House Lives Matter: Walking Their Way Into a Bigger and Brighter Future How the Ballroom Scene is Raising Awareness for its Community this Holiday Season. by MILA GREENBERG “Ride Wit Me” by Nelly blasted through the speakers of a lively studio in Brooklyn filled with ballroom stars in shiny wigs getting their makeup done and singing along to the lyrics of the song. The reason for this studio take-over? House Lives Matter is producing a calendar for 2020, which will feature a different ballroom icon serving their best look of 2019. House Lives Matter was created for and by the house-ballroom community, and is comprised of LGBTQIA+ people of color. Their mission is to improve health, build alliances, get back to their roots and take direct action for social change in order to create a world where everyone can live in peace, love, and positivity. The calendar is set to release around Dec. 1 on Etsy. Jennie Livingston’s 1990 documentary “Paris is Burning” introduced people to ball culture. Ballroom legend Jack Mizrahi, founder of the House of Mizrahi and consultant on HBO’s Pose, said the documentary did more harm than good. “Our community locked our doors on the rest of the world after ‘Paris is Burning’ came out. Although not everyone in it knew how documentaries could work, they got the short end of the stick. Paris ended up dying penniless. Misrepresented;
that’s how the community felt after ‘Paris is Burning.’ Now we’ve been accepted by everyone, now everybody wants to know more.”
“This is such a family affair. We all have different last names, we all have such history, but we all come from the same tree.” Mizrahi spoke about how he loves how open ball culture is now. “I love it. The world now knows about the vampires and now we can walk in the sun freely,” he said. Mizrahi will be featured in June, which is themed “Tradition.” Mizrahi will wear a custom Gucci outfit designed by Dapper Dan. “This is such a family affair. We all have different last names, we all have such history, but we all come from the same tree,” Mizrahi said. “Ballrom has expanded. It started in New York City for the need of expression. But now it’s become globally accepted, from Paris to Japan and Russia and Italy and even China, we’re growing,” Mizrahi said. Honey LaBeija is a rising star in the
ballroom scene, part of the Royal House of LaBeija. LaBeija is a trained professional dancer who was introduced to vogue by his ballet teacher.“I just fell in love with the art, I fell in love with the shade, the queerness, all of it was amazing I wanted to be a part of something bigger because the way I lived my life before, I didn’t see the world how I see it now. Before it was just so underground, I didn’t know that many people that were just like me.” Although he would rather be part of August, his birth month, LaBeija will be featured in July, which is themed “Empower.” The mastermind behind the entire operation is Gorgeous Jarrell Gucci, who just joined the recently created Gorgeous House of Gucci. He has been in the ballroom scene since 2004 and fell in love with it immediately. “It allowed me to express my creativity and become someone different that I couldn’t be in my normal life, so over the years I’ve been able to walk and excel to a level almost like stardom,” Gucci said.
“It allowed me to express my creativity and become someone different that I couldn’t be in my normal life, so over the years I’ve been able to walk and excel to a level almost like stardom.” Gucci thought it was time to give back to his community. “Instead of having holidays like Memorial Day, the calendar will have the dates of balls and people can pay to put their ball in my calendar. It’s a way to raise money for HIV awareness for the community. It also gives people who have worked hard [a chance] to have a spotlight on the runway.” Although the house-ballroom scene has expanded and finally opened its doors to the rest of the world, according to Jack Mizrahi, the power is still kept within the community. “This energy is contagious, this creativity is contagious, the vernacular is contagious. And it’s organic, this is who we are and what we are,” he said.
Zoliy Miyake-Mugler getting ready for his calendar close-up with face paint on. Photo by Mila Greenberg
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How to Decolonize Your Diet, Just in Time for Thanksgiving A diet that cuts out post colonial ingredients is gaining attention in social justice circles. To the right find out how to make Pastel en Hoja, a holiday staple in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. More recipes can be found on our website: newschoolfreepress.com by GABRIELLA DE GRACIA Every Thanksgiving season, children in the U.S. are taught the same story in their classrooms, nationwide. A group of pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, and learned to live off the land with the help of Native Americans. At the end of the harvest season, they all shared a big feast and gave thanks. This idyllic version of the first Thanksgiving only started circulating after the first World War, and after textbooks became mass marketed in schools across the country. In reality, the first Thanksgiving was a meal in celebration of the safe return of the colonial soldiers who had left to hunt down and murder 700 Pequot Indians around Mystic, CT, according to an essay by Aine Cain, a retail reporter for business insider.
What if there was a way to keep the tradition of gratitude alive, while subverting colonialist practices and history? Despite all of the associations with family and gratitude, the holiday’s grim history still haunts dining rooms across America. What if there was a way to keep the tradition of gratitude alive, while subverting colonialist practices and history? The ‘decolonized diet’ as a term was coined by Devon Abbott Mihesuah in the 2003 book, “Recovering our Ancestors’ Gardens.” The diet consists of eating the way Indigenous people would have eaten before colonialism. That means cutting out beef, pork, sugar, wheat, dairy and any other types of food that would have been brought over by colonizers. For different cultures, the restrictions may vary depending on what types of food are native to a specific region. Eugene Lang alum Talia Moore created a transmedia project called “Heartfed” as part of her senior capstone project. “Heartfed” focused on the intergenerational roots of food and its role in dealing with
intergenerational trauma, migration, home and more. “Food is culture because it’s essential to the way that everyone lives and survives,” said Moore. “Cooking is so influential to who I am as a person. The food that I’m feeding myself with is very ancestrally driven.” Many people start decolonizing their diet as a way to get in touch with their roots. The lifestyle change may also be linked to health benefits. Dr. Luz Calvo, the author of the 2015 book, “Decolonize Your Diet: Plant-Based Mexican-American Recipes for Health and Healing,” credits the diet with being part of her recovery after a 2006 breast cancer diagnosis. Miracle Baker is a third-year global studies major at Lang who only eats indigenous fruits, vegetables and grains. According to Baker, the diet helped with their anemia and fatigue. “I have an extreme amount of energy,” Baker said. “I have to work out at night to be able to go to sleep, that’s how much energy I have.” The diet trend is also a part of a larger conversation about rejecting capitalism and colonialism, especially among social justice circles. Dr. Sandpito Dasgupta is a Professor at The New School for Social Research who specializes in the political theory of empire, decolonization, and postcolonialism. According to Dasgupta, getting close to a fully decolonized diet is not as easy as cutting out certain ingredients. “Capitalism is an extraordinarily global enterprise, against which it is very hard for us to find a point of escape,” said Dasgupta. While expecting larger systemic change from a diet seems unrealistic, Dasgupta says that these types of consumption choices aren’t entirely futile. “Our historical facts shape our world, fundamentally. We often see it. I think it’s important to acknowledge that these are ways in which you can make the invisible visible. That itself is a very important political role,” Dasgupta said. “People think food is food, it’s just taste. It’s not just taste. Food has history, food has power linked to it so it is important for us to acknowledge that and make that visible.”
Pastel en Hoja Ingredients: For the Filling: 1 pound textured soy protein or meat substitute of your choice 1 Cubanelle Pepper 1 Red onion Pepper Salt ¼ Cup Oil Tomato sauce For the Masa: 2 Plantains 1 pound yautía 2 pounds pumpkin 1 pound yam Adobo ¼ cup non-dairy milk alternative Paprika For the Wrap: Cooking twine Plantain leaves Instructions: The filling: 1. Dice the onion and cubanelle pepper into small cubes 2. Pour oil into the saucepan 3. Add the meat substitute, cubanelle pepper, and onion to a saucepan and cook over medium and high heat 4. Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat, slowly add water by the tablespoon, add tomato sauce 5. Mix and let simmer on low heat for five minutes, or until liquid evaporates 6. Remove from heat and set to the side The Masa: 1. Peel and grate the plantain, yautia, yam and auyama 2. Add milk, adobo, and salt 3. Mix until it reaches an even consistency Assembly: 4. Cut the plantain leaves into 6in x 6in squares 5. Take a handful of masa and place the mixture in the center of the plantain leaf, flatten it down 6. Place meat filling in the center of the masa 7. Cover the filling with more masa 8. Fold the plantain leaf in the shape of an envelope and wrap it with cooking twine 9. Repeat until you run out of filling 10. Freeze for at least 3 hours Final Preparation: 1. Add salt to a deep pot of water 2. Boil for 20 minutes over medium heat.
Arts & Culture 14
Why I Kept my Gender Identity a Secret as an Internet Celebrity by ELLA SNYDER
I am publicly coming out as transgender to an audience of 100,000 YouTube subscribers. In my 2018 profile with The New School Free Press, I alluded to my transgender identity, telling my interviewer, “I don’t share every detail of my life online right now. There are some things, I want to talk about when the time is ready.” One year later, I am publicly coming out as transgender to an audience of 100,000 YouTube subscribers. I remember filming my first YouTube video, a comedy skit I created with my best friend at the time, after coming home from spirit day in eighth grade. We spent the whole afternoon working on it, filming around my house, using whatever we could find as props. At that time, I had no idea what my YouTube channel would turn into. I didn’t even know if it was something I could commit myself to doing as a hobby; and yet, here I am, seven years later, still making videos and using it as my main source of income. That video is now long-gone, archived along with hundreds of other embarrassing videos I have created over the span of my internet career, along with many failed attempts at coming out videos. Keeping my trans identity a secret was never really an option for me growing up. My mother worked for Boston’s Public School System and I went to school with the same people basically up until I graduated high school and went to college. The same kids who knew me as Max Snyder, who watched me bring my barbies to school every day of kindergarten, were the same people I went to middle school with as Ella Snyder. For a lot of them, that made sense, and for the ones who it didn’t they made sure to make my life as difficult as possible. Very quickly, YouTube became the safest space I had to share my voice, it was my escape. On the internet, I existed solely as Ella Snyder, with little to no trace of my pre-transition self. I could
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Illustration by Nico Chilla
The young woman I was becoming, both on and off-screen, was much more confident. I was no longer afraid to hold back parts of my femininity in fear that it might scare people, I relished in the new-found feeling of normalcy.
my identity a secret. I began to feel like I was lying to the world. This guilt led me into situations that I didn’t feel comfortable in. I filmed many coming out videos, uploaded as unlisted content, that were never seen by the public. I volunteered to be a subject of a BBC2 documentary on transgender children in 2017. I even let myself be a human guinea pig, letting my endocrinologist use me as a living example in lectures at Harvard Medical School. Very quickly, I reverted back into feeling like some kind of a freak. When I moved to New York for university, and started school at Parsons, being transgender felt like a very short chapter in my book of life. It was no longer something that I felt I was defined by. I had the privilege of passing in a new environment with thousands of new people who could affirm my womanhood without having to know I was assigned male at birth. It was bliss. Today, I am the happiest I’ve ever been. Now a junior at Parsons, be whoever I wanted to be, and none of my suscribers knew that, not only have I found my place within the university (and at risk off-screen, I was going to doctors’ appointments and meetings of sounding cliche) but I am living my dream. My YouTube with my therapist, working hard to get to a place where I would channel has reached 100,000 subscribers, I’m booking major be happy with my body, while being constantly bullied, threatened modeling jobs with clients who assume I’m a cis-woman, I am in and abused at school. the healthiest and happiest relationship I have ever been, and my When I transferred schools in ninth grade to a high school for boyfriend just so happens to also be trans. the visual and performing arts, a lot of the bullying stopped. My No longer burdened by the tormenting and discrimination I new school was a lot more progressive and liberal, with a student faced while I grew into myself, it only felt natural to come out now. body far more diverse than the last and not as many people knew This past summer I started binge-watching FX’s Pose. The transme there. With a new-found ability to live life as a “normal girl,” centric show set in the late 1980s changed my life. Seeing trans I began to flourish. The young woman I was becoming, both on women on television and in a new context that celebrated them and off-screen, was much more confident. I was no longer afraid instead of ostracizing them, was the first time I’ve ever felt proud to hold back parts of my femininity in fear that it might scare to be trans. This summer, HBO released the first season of their people, I relished in the new-found feeling of normalcy. hit show Euphoria, which featured a trans character portrayed by As my channel grew, and my audience became larger and larger, Hunter Schafer. You don’t realize how important representation is so did the sense of guilt that I had for keeping such a large part of until you see it and realize you haven’t had it once your entire life.
Opinion 16
The Birds and the Bees? How About ‘No,’ ‘Yes’ and ‘Please’
Unfortunately, she is not the only one. I have seen variations of the same theme, whether more or less subtle, more times than I can count. Without a sex education cirriculum that includes interpersonal relationship guidance, we cannot expect children to grow up with the appropriate knoweldge needed to foster strong and fair relational bonds. In order to fill in the missing spaces of the sex-ed syllabus, it is essential to hear what the very people who have been robbed of a proper sex education wish that they had learned. Jesse Menza, a business major at Syracuse University, wishes she had learned what behavior is considered emotionally abusive and how to grapple with relationship anxiety in a healthy way. Oriella St. Louis, a film studies major at Brooklyn College, says that she wishes that she had learned how to have a healthy relationship with herself — how to learn what she, as an individual, values and how to set healthy boundaries around that. Nanako Chung, a computer science student at NYU, would have wanted to learn what a healthy relationship looks like between not only a romantic couple, but between any two people in life including family and friends. On top of this, Chung also believes that the intricacies of the female reproductive system should be taught to both men and women, leading to a greater understanding of, and respect for, women. Most of what real people wish that they had learned in sex-ed is centered around identifying unhealthy relationship behaviors, having healthy communication, and creating healthy boundaries. For a sufficient sex-ed course, these three facets of a relationship should be taught extensively with hands-on, role-play activities followed by student-centered discussions — according to award winning teacher, Nancy Barile, these methods of teaching have proven to be the most effective. Though, yes, we have been shortchanged, I do not believe that we are all doomed to a fate of terrible, abusive relationships. After all, I am your textbook hopeless romantic. I love love. I love the idea of a relationship — having someone who is there for you not only when you are shining your brightest, but also when the lights go dark. This ideal relationship, based on mutual trust and honesty and support, should be empowering for both parties. Naturally, learning how to have these sorts of relationships is the first step in actually being able to have them. A plentiful sexual education should not only be focused on “the birds and the bees,” but also the interpersonal relationship between bird and bee.
by SADIE HECHKOFF I was in eighth grade when my homeroom teacher rolled out a prehistoric television set for the classic two day lecture formally known as “sex-ed” (A.K.A. learning what an STD was amidst snickers from my classmates). Though at the time, it all seemed like pretty standard stuff, I realize today how much the curriculum was truly lacking. The topic of mental health, which is just as important as physical health, was entirely glossed over. Where was the discussion of what constitutes a healthy relationship — of how to respect and treat one another? Where was the teaching of how to set boundaries? Where was the conversation about consent? The list goes on and on. This is a missed opportunity to educate youth at a critical time, when they are absorbing knowledge and should be creating healthy habits. An oversight such as this one can and oftentimes does have detrimental, lifelong effects.
This is a missed opportunity to educate youth at a critical time, when they are absorbing knowledge and should be creating healthy habits. My freshman-year college roommate, Izzy, has been waking up with panic attacks for months. At the crack of dawn, she wakes up with her heart racing, nauseous, and runs to the toilet to vomit. When she went in for an appointment with her psychiatrist, she was diagnosed with PTSD due to a toxic relationship she had been in during high school. Her boyfriend did not let her change in front of the girls on her dance team because he didn’t trust her (or them) and made her sell her clothes because they were too “slutty.” For years, she lived under his cruel jeers and lurking manipulation. You are fat, you are ugly, you are worthless… by the time she had started to believe it, she didn’t remember a time where she had ever not. Izzy’s stress response has literally been rewired because of the trauma that she endured from this unhealthy relationship.
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Illustration by Olivia Heller
A Beginner’s Guide: Getting Your Parents to Believe in Climate Change by SAM FORD My coming of age involved two fathers— one biological and one step-father. They’re business-minded guys with moderate takes on politics (they don’t support Trump yet wouldn’t vote for Bernie either), but both are on the fence about climate change being a man-made phenomena. The debates I have with them constantly leave me frustrated, with my mom, who’s on my side, reminding me that yelling at them about climate change won’t sway their opinions. But how else can my generation get through to the people closest to us who don’t seem to care that our futures are at stake? If you’re like me, with people close to you still skeptical about the climate crisis, having unheated, mature conversations with them is the best place to start. It took me roughly two years to reach a point where I could communicate effectively with my fathers and not storm away in anger at our disagreements. My failed conversations with them went something like this: Step-dad: “In the ‘70s we were told there was going to be another Ice Age, which never happened. Why should we believe that the climate is drastically changing now when they were wrong before?” Me: “Because it’s actually happening now! I don’t get what’s not to believe, scientists are telling us this is a crisis with serious effects on the planet!” Step-dad: “Aren’t there scientists who say it’s not real though? What about them?” Me: “This is so stupid!” Then I most likely mumbled something mean under my breath and walked out of the room making sure the entire house heard my door slam. Nowadays, I realize if I handle the dialogue calmly rather than with vexation, it would have gone something like this: Dad: “I grew up in California, there’s always been fires there. Even when people didn’t live there hundreds and hundreds of years ago there were huge fires in the forests.” Me: “Forests are naturally meant to burn so they can regenerate certain plants like
pine but with climate change, California is seeing more droughts make the state incredibly dry. The fires in California are expected to powerfully increase and make the areas affected unlivable.” Dad: “Ah, I see. That makes more sense. I guess only time will tell, then.” It’s not the answer I would have liked—a complete acknowledgment and believe of the facts—but it’s certainly a start that the conversation didn’t end in chaos. It’s also important to let them know this is a cause that you—someone they love— care about and led you to make a change to your everyday life. Whether it’s riding a bike more frequently instead of driving or going full-on vegan, take the time to fully explain your choices so they have a better understanding of why you’re doing it.
It’s also important to let them know this is a cause that you—someone they love—care about and led you to make a change to your everyday life. Both my fathers have been busting my chops about my diet since I gave up meat, which used to end up like this: Dad: “When you come over for dinner tonight, I’m not sure what you’ll eat since we’re barbequing. I can go pull up some grass from the backyard, that’s usually what you vegans eat, right?” Me: “I haven’t eaten meat for five years
now. These jokes aren’t funny anymore and you’re annoying me, so I literally just won’t come to dinner.” Dad: “Sam I was only kidding, it’s not that big of a deal.” And while I can usually take a joke with no problem, I could’ve curbed that awkward phone call with my dad like this: Step-dad: “I can understand being vegetarian, that’s no problem. But vegan? It just seems too challenging and what can you even eat anyways?” Me: “Yeah you’re right, it is hard at times because so many foods have dairy and eggs. But I’ve found a lot of alternatives and I think what I’m doing is contributing in a good way, which is much more important to me than a cheesy omelet. The climate crisis is something that weighs on my mind a lot, and if I can do even just a tiny part in slowing it down, then I will.” Step-dad: “Then props to you! Whatever makes you happy.” While my fathers will always make snide comments about my diet, filling them in on the impact it’s had on me allowed them to stop thinking I was just crazy. Conversing with older generations about anything political can be frustrating given their view of the world usually differs from ours. With strengthened dialogue around the issues, especially with people like my father and step-father, we’ll see a wider awareness of what’s been coined as the greatest threat to humanity. It’s up to us to decide if we’ll let politics get in the way of a stable planet and healthy future for generations to come.
Illustration by Sophie Lee
Opinion 18
I Don’t Even Sound Chinese Typecasting in Animation
by MICHAELA ZEE
I am an American-born Chinese (ABC) from Southern California. I grew up with a Valley Girl accent instead of a Chinese one. The only Mandarin I recalled were foods, colors and nursery rhymes.
I’ve worked as a minority actor in television up with a Valley Girl accent instead of a since the age of 10. Being a woman of Chinese one. The only Mandarin I recalled Chinese descent, I am proud of my Asian were foods, colors and nursery rhymes. ethnicity. However, a pattern ensued “These are the kinds of skills you need within my characters’ physical attributes, to learn if you want to be an actor,” and no one could even see my face. my mother said. She wrote down the Top cable scripted roles only represented translations in Pinyin (the conversion of 3 percent of Asian Americans during the Chinese characters into letters from the 2016-2017 season, according to UCLA’s English alphabet) with an array of strokes Hollywood Diversity Report 2019. The over the vowels on my audition sheet. I had research concluded that, “Despite notable to enunciate the sounds of each syllable gains for the group since the previous since Mandarin requires a precise tone. report (particularly in television), people Instead of saying mā (mom), one could of color remained underrepresented on accidentally call their mother a mă (horse). every industry employment front in 2016These aren’t the skills all famous actors 2017.” Underrepresentation is apparently had to learn, I thought to myself. They’re not enough. In the animation industry, the ones I need to have in order to make it where the actor’s appearance is concealed, as a Chinese actor. minorities often must yield to two options: a character on their show. The directors From Disney Channel Original Movie, either be typecast or whitewashed. of “Sofia the First” referenced me to voice “Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior,” to As a newcomer to voice acting, I the character, and I eventually received an Jonathan Ke Quan’s character Data in auditioned for multiple projects and was offer for the part. My agent informed me “The Goonies,” I grew up with these Asian — t o my disappointment — persistently that I would be portraying a Fireside Girl stereotypes depicted in films and television. rejected. Sometimes I received a callback, named Ginger Hirano. She was a preteen The doctor, the geek, the marching band but I never heard from the casting agents Asian girl with straight, jet black hair and performer and the most notable, the kickafterwards (my initial introduction to olive skin. During one of my episodes titled ass martial artist and warrior. If an Asian ghosting). I did not land a recurring role ‘Bee Day/Bee Story,’ Ginger expressed her actor somehow managed to weave out of until I was around 12 years old. affections towards one of the only other these categories, he or she were usually Asian characters named Baljeet, and she unable to surpass the most significant later rapped about bee communication. barrier: their skin color. My parents drove me to the animation studios in Los Angeles whenever these directors needed my voice. Upon arrival, an assistant would hand me the finalized script. I rehearsed the lines in my cartoon voice; my American accent remained the same, just a few octaves higher for the characters. The recording process became customary to me: say the line three times, stop, move onto the next one and repeat. “You booked the job on ‘Sofia the First!’” As these shows wrapped their season My father announced. A euphoric jitter finales, I returned to auditioning for pilot The animation industry equally overwhelmed me — I’m going to be a season when I was about 14. Although I contributes to this continual dilemma Disney Princess, I thought. My character’s was fond of the experiences at Disney, I of typecasting, yet these matters tend to name was Princess Jun. She was a fair- wanted to perform as a complex character remain disregarded. Ming-Na Wen, the skinned Asian princess dressed in a yellow with a mature voice — I was a “full-fledged” voice of Disney’s Mulan and my mother, kimono, jade earrings and a floral barrette teenager in high school now. However, still endures off-screen typecasting during clipped near her bun. The industry allured the only challenge these potential roles her career that spans over three decades. me — I craved more. possessed were their requirements to either “Oftentimes than not, I don’t get considered A few months later, the creators for speak with a Chinese accent and/or fluent for other roles in animation unless it is another Disney series, “Phineas and Ferb,” Mandarin. I am an American-born Chinese an Asian character,” Wen said. “Aside were in search of a replacement actor for (ABC) from Southern California. I grew from ‘Adventure Time,’ where I voiced
My character’s name was Princess Jun. She was a fair-skinned Asian princess dressed in a yellow kimono, jade earrings and a floral barrette clipped near her bun.
19 Opinion
These aren’t the skills all famous actors had to learn, I thought to myself. They’re the ones I need to have in order to make it as a Chinese actor.
Illustration by Nitya Kumar
Finn’s Mom, I’ve only voiced one other the South Asian role. White actors receive more open-minded casting when it comes character that is not an Asian role. It offers for Asian cartoon characters, but to animated characters, not less,” Wen said. was in ‘Parallel Man: Infinite Pursuit,’ an rarely does this occur vice-versa. Frustrated and discouraged in learning animated short. Well, I did voice Hala in “When ‘Mulan’ came along, I was at the an Asian dialect, I ultimately declined ‘Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors’ and Phyla- right place at the right time. I felt it was many of these auditions. I requested for Vell in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ But they right and important that the producers fewer parts that needed this technique, were aliens, so that can’t be part of this and director of ‘Mulan’ looked to cast an but the outcome was little to no audition conversation.” Asian to voice Mulan. Of course, not all opportunities. My name and past With recent animations such as DreamWorks’ “Abominable” and Pixar’s “Bao,” Hollywood only sheds an inch of light on Asian-led projects as long as they linger within the bounds of Asian culture. The 2018 film “Crazy Rich Asians” may have led to more recognition of Asians within the industry, but it failed to the parts went that way. But sometimes, roles dubbed me a diversity card; an relinquish Asian clichés. it is important to find the right voice for Asian masquerading as other Asians in However, at least these particular the role, which worked out fine because cartoon format. animation films cast Asian (or half-Asian) there was a conscious effort to cast as Why should the talent of Asian actors be actors, including Chloe Bennet as Yi and many Asians for the film as possible. That limited to only voicing similar characters of Tsai Chin as Nai Nai in “Abominable.” wasn’t a consideration in finding voice color, especially if their actual faces aren’t Several shows still permit white actors to actors for ‘Aladdin,’ which came a few on-screen? The purpose of animation is to voice POC characters, including Netflix’s years before ‘Mulan.’ All the lead roles wander through the realm of imagination acclaimed series “BoJack Horseman” went to white actors and no one thought — to transform into a new identity. With starring Alison Brie as Diane Nguyen, a much about it back in 1992. Back then, this in mind, the animation industry Vietnamese writer. Apu on “The Simpsons” whitewashing was not even an issue. Not should grant minority actors the respect is another ideal case of whitewashing in like it is now. What’s interesting is that the they deserve and offer the same objective animation. The voice actor of Apu, Hank same blind casting doesn’t apply to actors approach — the one handed to white Azaria, mimics a stereotypical accent for of color. You would think that there’d be actors with ease — towards future roles.
“You would think that there’d be more open-minded casting when it comes to animated characters, not less.”
Opinion 20
New School Stud Stylish Sixth Sen Can You Guess What School They Go To Just by Their Style?
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by SOPHIE LEE and NITYA KUMAR Photos by Nitya Kumar
Unlike other universities, you won’t see many New School students wearing school apparel. If anything, students carry the classic black New School tote bags with the school’s logo in white and red. The lack of students wearing spirit clothing is because New School students have their own expressive style and unique aesthetic, which is conveyed through their fashion. The New School is made up of five colleges: Parsons, Eugene Lang, the College of Performing Arts, the School of Public Engagement, and The New School for Social Research. Even though there are many subschools, New School students have no problem pointing out who goes where.
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From left to right: Aine Pearson, Max Faigen, Jim Bates, Truman Evans
21 Fashion
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From left to right: Millie Kerr, Chloe Goldstein,
dents’ nse
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From left to right: Safa Ishmel-Muhammad, Zhane Taylor-Watsons
1: “Well, I think that Lang is definitely more 4: like functional fashion, and just like ‘I want to be comfortable and something classy” rather than ‘I want to catch the eye of everyone around me.’” - Aidan Peterson, second-year liberal arts major at Lang 2: “Mannes is more professional.” - Safa Ishmel-Muhammad, third-year vocal performance major at CoPA (Mannes)
“I guess a big part of jazz fashion is just carrying your ax (instrument) around. I just have the one, so everything’s got to look good with it.” -Aine Pearson, second-year guitar major at CoPA (The School of Jazz)
5: “The style’s like granola-y, like the hippie style and artsy-fartsy but not like streetwear artsy.” - Libby Markham, first-year at Lang
3: “Everyone has such different personalities. Like my friends would wear all black, and I would wear a lot of colors. There’s no one thing because we are an art school, and I think we express ourselves through clothes.” - Jayin Xu, fourth-year strategic design and management major at Parsons Libby Markham, Remy Grimm
Fashion 22
THE NEW DARKNESS, SCHOO L Andrés Volkov on streaming services, full profile p. 10
“I still don ’t un or howdteorstand how it hap It feels likmake it happen apened, e walking gain. in hoping tha listen to mt people will e.”
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open-minded casting when it comes to animated characters, not less.”
Typecas animatioting in n, p. 19
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