OPENWIDE v14.1

OPENWIDEZINE.COM

FIMS’ ALTERNATIVE STUDENT PUBLICATION

THE POWER OF THE PEN REVOLUTION CULTURAL MAVERICKS

Few things compare to a good roast beef. The following are crucial to my recipe: a good raw cut, a hot sear, and plenty of freshly ground spices. Your alternative student publication combines the same ingredients but produces an even juicier result. OPENWIDE slow roasts everything relevant to you: culture, consumerism, politics, and the state of media. All of this takes place over the course of bi-monthly issues. The secret? Combine uncut, raw perspective with heated discussion. Keep it flavourful by adding fresh voices to each issue, and reduce it to the most pertinent socio-political issues, both on and off of campus. Spice it up by straying from mainstream and deconstructing what you usually digest. Serve with a dash of wit, a heaping of analysis, and a pinch of humour.

Bon appetit.

Chris Ling Editor-in-Chef

IN THE KITCHEN

Madeline Marmor

Graphics | Photography: Erin Hofmann Design: Chris Ling

entrées guest writer | Jenn Spence | 2 presidential address | Jordan Pearson | 4 fims in the field | 6 Western Life into the woods we go | Travis Welowszky | 8 daring to defy | Travis Welowszky | 12 Arts/Entertainment i’d kill to be famous | Jenna Taylor | 14 summer in review | 16 World you say you want a revolution? | Marwa Hassan | 18 world in review | 20

Disclaimer: The sole responsibility of this publication lies with its authors. Contents do not reflect the opinions of the University Students Council of the University of Western Ontario (“USC”). The USC assumes no responsibility or liability for any error, inaccuracy, omission or comment contained in this publication or for any use that may be made of such information by the reader.

“The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword” Words | Jenn Spence

As a first-year student at Western, you're going to notice a lot of changes between here and the high school you left behind. The biggest difference: freedom. The freedom to read and think and speak and write more critically than ever before. University is the time for intellectual exploration, for taking chances, for engaging with new issues in new ways. You may have been afraid to step out of line in highschool, but now different is good. Yes, I realize the irony of this statement after you’ve been subjected to the herdmentality brainwashing event known as O-Week. But stay with me here.

FIMS is going to blow your mind.

Over the next eight months, you're going to grapple with issues as diverse as why "the truth" and "the news" are not the same thing, why the never-ending pursuit of progress can actually send society backwards, and why Facebook can be accurately described as both a communication revelation and a postFordist hellscape of surveillance and exploitation. There are going to be issues — political, social — that will challenge your beliefs and give you a whole new way of looking at the world. You’ll encounter feminist theory, queer theory, critical race theory. There will be debate. What you say may not always make The Powers That Be very happy.

This is what Immanuel Kant means by “freedom of the pen.” The ability to freely discuss and write about everything, the use of reason “as a scholar before the entire public of the world of readers”.

2

Immanuel Kant was an Enlightment-era German thinker whose impact on the past 200 years of Western philosophy, science, and mathematics is hard to overstate. His work influenced everyone from Albert Einstein to Noam Chomsky; if Kant were a musician, he'd be The Beatles (all of them, even Ringo).He wrote that we have a moral duty to others, that a true objective reality is unknowable, and that philosophy should involve self-criticism. Further proof these ideas had merit: Ayn Rand considered him a "manhating monster" and "the chief destroyer of the modern world." So clearly he was a pretty cool dude.

Kant held that the only innate human right is political freedom, or "independence from being constrained by another's choice." He saw the state as a preserver of freedom, not a repressive force; any and all state actions should maintain, not reduce, the greatest amount of identical freedoms for all. Accordingly, he believed that the "freedom of the pen is the only safeguard of the rights of the people." Freedom of speech serves as a check on the abuse of government power.

Leaders can make mistakes, and citizens should be empowered to inform and critique them without fear of censorship or punishment.

It’s the public aspect of “the pen” that’s key for Kant. Sure, you’re free to think whatever you want in the privacy of your own brain, but it’s only by sharing these thoughts— whether through rousing speeches or thoughtful op-eds—that a society will ever achieve true enlightenment.

Despite the radical implications of his philosophy, Kant’s view had some problems. Even though the freedom of the pen seems like it’s a liberty independent of—even against— the will of a leader and their laws, Kant believed that independent and public thought should never be used in a way that makes a government uncomfortable. Ultimately, the pen must be wielded freely but responsibly; the opinions of citizens must be heard, but must never under any circumstances, inspire disobedience or resistance. His bottom line: It’s the government’s responsibility to make laws according to the will of the people, but if they abuse their power, then we’re out of luck. Hey Kant: that’s messed up.

As a first-year student, you are entering FIMS after "The Summer of the Whistleblower," in a time when Bassem Youssef can be arrested for hosting a satirical Egyptian news show and Vladimir Putin can sign a law banning “homosexual propaganda,” in the era of Bradley Manning and Wikileaks.

Kant championed some great ideas about free speech, but they didn’t go far enough: the pen — or the blog, or the Twitter, or the MIT 1200 essay — shouldn’t run out of ink at the first sign of government worry. The pen can inform as well as criticize, can incite change and inspire revolution. Take advantage of this during your time at university; you’re going to be immersed in a campus of curious, intelligent and passionate folks just like yourself. FIMS is going to challenge you and expand your mind. You Kant argue with that.

3

A short walk through campus exposes us to a myriad of media spectacles and distractions; tendrils of an economic system snaking their way even into the hidden alcoves of our lives, at first slowly and nearly unnoticed, until they are synonymous with previously unbranded parts of life. A Starbucks and its accompanying sign in the University Community Centre remind us that during the long nights and early mornings spent studying and in class, Starbucks is there to keep us company like an old friend. Immense ads for corporate partners look down at health-conscious students working on their bi’s and tri’s in the campus recreation centre and communicate a certain benevolence. The UCC is a shopping mall, and representatives of banks put up signage at our orientation week to announce that credit and lifelong debt are integral aspects of the university experience.

The reach of these deceivingly unexceptional, and indeed self-effacing, media intruders extends into spaces hailed as bastions of free speech on campus. Some campus publications (i.e. the Gazette) do try, but they are beholden to advertiser dollars. Advertisers don’t take kindly to negative press from a business they’re bankrolling, and promoters can’t be antagonized with a negative review lest the paper’s privileged status and access to free tickets and plus-ones be revoked. So, in this seemingly closed ecosystem of corporate branded media, is there a space for alternative voices? Questioning, critiquing, and dissenting?

You’re holding it.

OPENWIDE is a publication with freedom and dissent in its blood. It takes up the mantle of that historically subversive medium of counterculture: the zine. Thirteen years ago, beset by a media landscape saturated with corporate-sponsored messages and a strictly defined spectrum of acceptable speech, the FIMS Students’ Council (FIMSSC) decided to carve out a space for ourselves (that is, students); one that is free of institutional pressure, whether by explicit censorship or its subtler cohort, the dollar. In it, we seek to critique the media we are totally submerged in through the lens of the media theorist, the political economist, the radical, the critical thinker, and most importantly the curious, and turn it all on its head.

It’s on the cover: FIMS’ alternative student publication. The question then is, alternative to what?

For me, walking past an OPENWIDE stand is like catching a clear signal bursting through the static as I twist the dial of the chaotic media spectrum I drift through at Western. It’s a refuge from other media institutionally set up to avoid the questions its team of editors and contributors ask, and demand answers to. It’s also an incubator—one of many—for a vibrant community, and the dangerous ideas that can eventually change things.

I like to think that the spirit of OPENWIDE permeates most of what we do at the FIMSSC, including Street Team, our fantastic sophs, and many of our other initiatives this year. So, send an email and attend a writers’ meeting. Talk to an editor. Talk to me or another member of council. Definitely talk to your friends. Get involved with OPENWIDE and the FIMSSC, and keep updated on our upcoming events, because this thing’s about to go off.

In Solidarity, Jordan Pearson FIMSSC President The FIMS Students’ Council (FIMSSC) is a collective of students responsible for advocating for FIMS students’ needs to the USC and university administration. We also run events and initiatives both academic and social, including OPENWIDE. Get in touch, and check out how you can get involved.

Contact: Website: www.fimssc.ca Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mitmtpmpi Twitter: @fimssc 4

5

6

FIMS in the Field Getting in on internships Urban TImes | Vitrace Maddie Marmor For the past two summers, I have been an intern. This means that I have worked extremely hard, for free.

My first internship was at Urban Times Ltm., which is an international, online magazine. Their main offices are located in England, so writers and editors work from around the world in an online, collaborative community.

My work for Urban was opinionated and passionate – I was able to write about my city, my political beliefs, and my interests. I was responsible for one article a week, 500 to 750 words each. The word count helped me to develop my writing style so by the end of the summer, incorporating the necessary information as well as Urban’s loosely- required optimistism became enjoyable and rewarding. I was part of the Canadian team and our editor was situated in Scarborough. We met twice face-to-face and had a few skype meetings. The relationship between writer and editor relies on detailed, personalized communication and trust; two aspects that were difficult to formulate through emails and skype chat.

Overall, it really was a fantastic experience. Each article involved interviewing interesting people, researching different local media, and trekking about the city to find the perfect café to finalize the conclusions.

My second internship was at Virtace Inc., a business-consulting firm. My weekly tasks included generating copy (content) for client’s websites, creating OnePagers and writing blog posts for client’s professional blogs.

My experience at Virtace mirrored many at Urban, mainly because I spent a second summer

writing from home and cafes causing the same online miscommunication issues that email correspondence seems to breed.

Some differences? Writing a blog post in someone else’s voice while attempting to stifle one’s own opinion for that of a clients is a challenge. By the time you finish an article, you have an attachment to it. In my case, the product ends up with someone else’s name.

The idealist in me wishes for the ultimate freelance gig, writing for non-profit publications and living that hipster life but this internship, more so than my first, has taught me to get over myself and just write. It has been a major reality check.

E-Talk | Sarah Stockall Cracking open a bag of cool ranch doritos and watching Etalk at 7:30pm has been a nightly ritual of mine since middle school.

Now, many years and appointments with Susan Weekes later, I have achieved my dream of becoming an intern for Etalk.

The MIT program gave me the competitive edge that helped me stand out from the crowd of other celebrity junkies. Although my internship is tragically unpaid, I am receiving an academic credit and some invaluable work experience that will set me apart. Working behind the scenes has made me appreciate the passion that goes into making Etalk a success.

Yes, I’ve done the grunt work, but I’ve also had the opportunity to do brag worthy stuff like work the MMVA’s and meet celebrities like Patrick J. Adams from Suits.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much responsibility I received as an intern. Above all, I admire the people at Etalk who share my obsession for celebrity

culture and make me hungry to work in their fast paced environment. Thankfully, the reality of working at Etalk has lived up to the fantasy. My answer to that annoying security question which asks “What is your dream job?” has remained the same after being an intern: to work at Etalk Post City Magazine | Kevin Chao This summer I had the opportunity to do an internship at Post City Magazines in Toronto. Post City is a hyperlocal publication that issues seven regional magazines each month, in neighbourhoods such as North Toronto and Thornhill.

My internship at Post City was a great experience that allowed me to get a real feel for the work environment. Far from the stereotypical coffee runs and grunt work, I played an actual role in the editorial team and worked alongside editors. My primary task was research, which included emailing local business owners, conducting phone interviews, and finding information online – whether it was to find a qualified local doctor or searching for the best ribs in the 905. The internship also included writing two regular columns in which I contacted, interviewed, and wrote about notable Torontonians ranging from architects to athletes.

I would highly recommend internships for any students hoping to one day write for a career.

Not only do internships look great on resumes, but working within an editorial team provides skills that writers need in a work environment. As well, any internship gives students a taste of the career they are pursuing, and informed interns can then decide what they want their future to look like.

7

THE WOODS

Into the Woods We Go: Hidden Destinations in the Forest City Words | Travis Welowszky The sprawling Western University campus is virtually a city within a city. The infrastructure is set to accommodate the needs and wants of most students. However, the best memories of your undergraduate years may come from venturing the roads less travelled. Embrace this new beginning and engage with London’s cultural community, be unafraid to explore beyond the gates and become immersed in a city that will soon become your second home. To start you off, OPENWIDE has compiled five Forest City hotspots for you to discover, all of which are accessible via a single bus ride from the heart of campus.

Grooves Records | 353 Clarence Street Faced with the challenges of the modern digital landscape, the resiliency of the record store stands as a testament to the tangible strength of the music community. Approaching its tenth anniversary under owner Troy Hutchinson, Grooves Records has become a pivotal hub for local music in London. The store provides a wealthy, eclectic stock of new and used records and CDs that range from independent Canadian releases to underground hip-hop, classic jazz, and hardcore punk.

The epicenter for musicians locally and abroad, Grooves is the source for band posters, show listings, tickets, promotions for local acts, and a frequent host to intimate in-store performances.

Couple that with its offering of paints and supplies for the local street art community and you never know who you will meet within the friendly confines of the city’s finest record store.

The Sentimentalist | 394½ Richmond Street Melinda Steffler, owner of The Sentimentalist Vintage Clothing, noted that in every major city she has visited the best vintage shops are always tightly tucked away, making a good find all the more worthwhile. Her store is no exception, located in an upstairs loft accessible from Richmond Street. Specializing in high quality vintage pieces for men and women ranging from the 1920s to the modern era, the Sentimentalist captures a warm, nostalgic love for the past. The rising interest in the thrifting mentality is indeed for the sentimental type, providing an opportunity to reuse and refashion, as well as combat the nature of a disposable culture. This hidden gem on London’s main drag is helping revive the romance of the past.

10

Western Life

City Lights Bookshop | 356 Richmond Street In 1992, Jim Capel and Teresa Tarasewicz purchased City Lights from cannabis policy advocate Mark Emery. Today, the shop remains a London landmark, housing an expansive collection within a two-story labyrinth of ceiling high bookshelves stacked to the brim. While secondhand books have always been the primary commodity, the peripheral outlook has expanded. The diverse offerings include everything from classic literature and modern fiction to philosophy, poetry, records, sheet music, postcards, magazines and memorabilia.

You may discover a great writer, a lost record, or an inspired article that may never make it to the local retail stores. An exploratory afternoon in the cultural collage of City Lights is well worth a trip downtown.

Covent Garden Market | 130 King Street

The APK | 347 Clarence Street

The long standing Covent Garden Market had its humble beginnings in the mid-1800s as a community center located in the heart of London.

Today, it is home to various cultural events, a variety of busking musicians, theater performances, antique vendors, food festivals, outdoor farmer’s markets, and a wintertime skating rink. The food selection ranges from homemade soups and sandwiches, Thai, Mediterranean, French, Greek, Indian, Italian and Chinese cuisines to bistros, fair trade coffee shops, bakeries, delis, and fresh dairy and produce at the ready for a welcome break from the common dining experience.

The London music community works tirelessly to keep the scene alive, and the recently relocated APK has become one of the city’s prime venues for local and touring talent. As a stage for diverse entertainment, weekly concerts, fundraisers, events, and DJ sets, the APK provides the opportunity to draw in London residents of all kinds to a welcoming, inclusive environment. Enjoy a handsome selection of regional craft brews on the open patio with an in-house dinner special while the warm weather permits. Be sure to keep a close eye on the event calendar to come out and support your next favourite local act.

11

Daring to Defy: The Role of Cultural Mavericks Words | Travis Welowszky

“Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul.” – Edward Abbey I do not care for the feeling of being born in the middle of a game. Arriving amidst the death throes of late-capitalism, and conservatism, and liberalism, and consumerism, and fetishism, and spiritualism, and sensationalism, and populism; they are all in full swing. We are the kids who were dropped off late and must scramble to find a team that can still make room to give us the prosperous future we were assured we could have.

12

At this point, I imagine you thinking, “that’s all well and good, but as someone who is just months removed from my high school prom what the hell does any of this have to do with me?” It has everything to do with you.

You’re arriving at university in a critical juncture.

The young minds of this generation will need to spearhead the movement to reevaluate the toll humanity is levying on the earth and on each other. Picking up humanity’s bill is not a role we must fill by choice, but by necessity.

There are two ways to approach your coming studies: You can bypass the next four years on cruise control to a diploma you undoubtedly sold your soul to pay for, crossing your fingers for a job prospect come graduation. You can ignore the warning signs of a dying paradigm and abide by the status quo. Or you can resist. You can be a disruptor, you can communicate, and you can be a provocateur. You can raise some hell while you still can.

The world is experiencing widespread economic and environmental freefall. Forests are being clear-cut, carbon emissions continuously punch holes in the ozone, and mining for resources hollows the very ground beneath our feet. Modern modes of hyper-production are supplying a market far exceeding its own demands, hurling us into a downward spiral. And yet, for the most part, we sit back, comfortable and complacent in a consumer-driven culture that promises salvation through the shopping mall. This accelerating culture is flailing and it’s time to admit our beliefs are killing us. By all accounts, we have reached peak humanity.

The term “culture jamming” has been used since the 1980s, significantly popularized by Kalle Lasn, founder of Adbusters magazine.

However, the roots of its sentiment extend back as far as the avant-garde movements of the early 20th century. At this time, radical artists adopted sociopolitical concerns as their primary focus, directing their work towards challenging the notions of what art was institutionally believed to be. Influenced by Surrealist and Dadaist artists who sought to challenge the status quo, Situationalist International arose out of Europe in the 1950s, lead by social theorist Guy Debord. A major concept arising from this time

Western Life

period was called “détournement,” meaning the act of recontextualizing an art piece and repurposing it with a new meaning.

Through the lifespan of Adbusters, Lasn has heavily drawn from this concept from the Situationalists. He explains that culture jamming is, at its root, “just a metaphor for stopping the flow of spectacle long enough to adjust your set. Stopping the flow relies on an element of surprise.” The primary focus of Adbusters is the desublimation of major advertising campaigns, often revealing the hidden environmental and economic impacts of a product or ideology that as consumers we would unknowingly perpetuate. Culture jamming is a means to subvert consumer culture by imposing transparency.

Consider The Truman Show. In the film, a corporation adopts Truman Burbank at birth and creates a fabricated existence around him, broadcasting his life 24 hours a day. All aspects of Truman’s life are mediated, from rehearsed social interactions and product placements to artificial media reports emphasizing the dangers of the outside world and the safety in complacency. It is only when the curtains are pulled back and the scripted nature of his life is revealed that Truman finds his salvation, through his rupture of the managed order.

As we are bombarded with slogans and advertisements and logos we are being attracted to a system that has massive repercussions on

the world we live in. Technological advancements have made immediate satisfaction essential - we have less time to slow down and to think. This is why culture jamming is a potent instigator for discussion. Like Truman, we can only be spurred to urgency when we catch a glimpse of something we were not meant to see, when we notice something amiss. What was the initial advertisement? How has the message been altered? What is being exposed? What dialogue needs to be opened?

To believe these larger serious modern ills can be cured through discussion alone is certainly blind utopianism, yet it begins small.

And it begins with us – instigating principled discourse amongst our peers, engaging in course content inside and out of the faculty, challenging the course content and trying to apply critical thinking to our daily routines.

Everything takes time. Understanding who you are and what you’re learning will be a gradual process, but it begins here. From the moment you step into your first lecture you’ll enter a new era in your intellectual development.

While much of your first couple of years will be spent gaining a foothold in the content and being exposed to some inconvenient truths, the attitudes adopted early on will weigh heavily on your influence going forward. It’s your opportunity to find a voice and speak up, to write passionately, to find a purpose to communicate and to stand for it. It may be a small stage, but it’s yours nonetheless.

13

I’d KILL to be FAMOUS: Violence and Celebrity Culture Words | Jenna Taylor

At first glance, fans of Doors’ frontman Jim Morrison may have been inebriated with nostalgia when seeing August 3rd’s issue of Rolling Stone.

However, the man plastered on the cover and across North American newsstands is far from a rock n’ roll legend. The Stone made the decision to feature a headshot of the suspected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, in which he resembles Jim Morrison in a similar shot from an issue decades ago. The controversial image of an alleged murderer on the cover of the widely-read publication resulted in nearly a doubling of its monthly sales. Rolling Stone has frequently produced risqué images for its covers, but when did the blatant commodification of violence make for an appropriate form of shock value?

Rolling Stone defended their cover choice, stating, “The cover story we are publishing this week falls within the traditions of journalism and Rolling Stone’s long-standing commitment to serious and thoughtful coverage of the most important political and cultural issues of our day.” Where were these standards when the magazine christened Justin Bieber as “Super Boy?” Gracing the cover of Rolling Stone is symbolic of status. If your face is featured, you’ve reached the top of the star system hierarchy. The magazine markets “cool” by capitalizing on these celebrities’ careers. Previously Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson, Madonna and Keith Richards have all been featured on the cover - but unlike the talents of these individuals, Tsarnaev’s fame comes from something much more cruel. Tsarnaev isn’t the first non-traditional celebrity to make it onto the cover. In 1970, massmurderer Charles Manson was pictured with the accompanying headline: “The Incredible Story of the Most Dangerous Man Alive.” Such stories continuously blur the line between murderer and celebrity, violence and entertainment.

Since the rise of the Hollywood system in the 1920s, the term celebrity has succumbed to much distortion. Celebrities are no longer just stars on the red carpet or talented musicians. Because of the nature of publications like Rolling Stone; whoever catches the attention of the public eye is a celebrity. For instance, politicians can acquire celebrity status because they share the same media stomping grounds with actors and musicians.

Apparently, the same goes for murderers like Charles Manson and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Celebrities, by definition, are individuals who deserve to be celebrated. So why do we place murderers on such pedestals?

14

A/E

Whether or not we are consciously aware of it, this serial killer culture is a growing guilty pleasure. One of Showtime’s most popular shows is Dexter, a show following a “loveable” murderer who kills other killers. The show managed to draw in 3.2 million viewers for its season eight premiere this summer.

Clearly it’s hard to resist Dexter Morgan’s charm, and he’s not the only one. There are a wide range of television shows, whether fictional or based on real-life events, that center around killers.

Critical theorist Richard Dyer argues that the process of loving a star boils down to the simple matter of authenticity. Media dissects celebrity lives, making them seem more ordinary and relatable. The subheading that accompanies Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s image in Rolling Stone is, “How a popular, promising student was failed by his family, fell into radical Islam, and became a monster.” This portrayal makes the reader empathetic to Tsarnaev’s struggles. There’s a level of identification and understanding that follows when we are shown the killer’s background.

Oliver Stone’s 1994 film, Natural Born Killers explores the spectacle of violence in media in a similar manner. The film focuses on Mickey and Mallory Knox, serial killers whose sprees are embellished by television.The Knox’s are loved because there is something so real and authentic about them, something that draws people in. The film does a great job in pointing out this absurd and twisted obsession with the mass-murder.

The cover of Rolling Stone is one of many examples proving we live in a state of media that revels in the celebration of violence. But can we recognize when we’ve gone too far? Serial killers are presented to the world via news stories, documentaries, books and television shows that both sensationalize and glamorize their actions. Unless we consciously change the way we consume media, we may get caught in a cycle where the serial killer is the star and everyone’s looking to be the next big hit.

15

Summer in Review Bad Girls Do It Well I Kevin Hurren The summer of 2013 quickly became one to remember as good girls went bad – in film at least. With the release of first Spring Breakers and then The Bling Ring, previously wholesome actresses got in touch with their inner badass and took to the big screen with no regrets.

This was especially the case with stars like Se-

lena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens.

These Disney Princesses broke their PG image while breaking some laws in Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers.

Though not as graphic as the spring break epic, Sophia Coppola’s The Bling Ring also featured young actresses getting into trouble – the most famous of which was the charming Emma Watson. Though the films re-

The Tragic Death of Cory Monteith | Erin Levitsky Heath Ledger, 28. Amy Winehouse, 27. Brittany Murphy, 32.

Sadly, this summer another name has been added to the list of performers who were taken too soon: Corey Monteith. On July 13, the 31-year-old Glee star was found dead in his Vancouver hotel room.

The cause of death was a drug overdose—more specifically a fatal mixture of heroin and alcohol.

Hide your kids, hide your wife, and wait— did you invest in that high-tech security system? If you don’t already feel anxious about the future, Universal’s The Purge may have pushed your paranoia over home invasion and into overdrive.

With a budget of $3 million, the summer horror/thriller flick raked in $78 million at the box office after it was released on June 7th. The film is set in a “re-born” America (circa 2022), where crime and unemployment rates are at an all-time low— an idealized utopia we all dream of.

So, what’s the catch?

Once a year, there is a 12-hour “purge” A/E

address how popular culture shapes our relationship with violence, sex, intimacy, and identity. It’s not a stretch to say that the films’ protagonists were heavily influenced by entertainment and celebrity culture. The problem arises when you can’t tell the difference between reality and an MTV music video.

Also, both Spring Breakers and The Bling Ring

Monteith had struggled with drug abuse for almost two decades, and though he appeared healthy and average to spectators of Glee, those closest to him understood this darkness that would eventually lead to his demise.

Fellow Glee cast members and co-workers even convinced Monteith to complete a month-long stint in rehab this past March.

Among the concerned was longterm girlfriend Lea Michelle, who plays Rachel Berry on the show.

Michelle’s character also happens to be the on-screen girlfriend of

The Purge | Jenna Taylor

16

ceived only modest success, they did spark some interesting discussions. Many were about the roles women play in film. With as much trouble as these ladies get into, they can be commended for one thing seeing what they want and taking it for themselves. This version of female independence still lacks even in many modern films.

Monteith’s character, Finn Hudson.

Numerous reports following Monteith’s death focus on the fate of Glee. Will Lea Michele leave the show? How will creators write off Monteith’s character? Other accounts focus on the heartbreak surrounding this tragic event, turning it into a precautionary tale for the next generation of young starlets.

period, allowing for any illegal activity without consequence. With all emergency services—medical, police, and fire—suspended, it’s a game of survival of the fittest.

More than just thrills, the film deals with issues of money, power and technology. Focusing on an upper-class family, anxieties surrounding social ranking and the economic order can be spotted while watching. In their modern world, a debate rages on. Does the purge allow us to thrive because we can release our inner frustration? Or do we prosper because we are erasing the poor, those who are inevitably out of luck as security comes with a price.

Orange is the New Black I Erin Levitsky Netflix’s original series, Orange is the New Black, launched this summer and is undeniable proof that cable television is so last year. If you haven’t seen it yet, there’s a good chance you’ve overheard a discussion on the latest episode.

Other Netflix originals like House of Cards, Hemlock Grove, and the latest season of Arrested Development have already been drawing viewers away from tradi-

tional channel surfing, but OITNB is the straw that broke the camel’s back. Besides Taylor Schilling (who plays series protagonist Piper Chapman) rocking the orange jumpsuit, the show’s witty writing and powerful social commentary have created quite the buzz.

The predominantly female cast tackles issues of sexuality and racial segregation, separating OITNB from the average network television show.

What’s more, with all 10 episodes of the first season released simultane-

Shark Week Fail: Megalodon I Erin Levitsky Teachers might have to think twice before screening Discovery Channel programs to students after this summer’s Shark Week flop. The “educational” channel aired a documentary-style program about the apparent existence of the Megalodon shark, only for viewers to discover the content to be entirely false.

Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives was the program chosen by executives at The Discovery Channel to open this summer’s uber-popular Shark Week.

ously, viewers were given the opportunity to truly indulge, satisfying the universal guilty pleasure of binge-watching our favourite shows.

Based on the true story of Piper Kerman’s incarceration—and her memoir of the same title—the series follows a white, upper-middle class woman as she navigates her way through prison, having got there for being an accomplice to a crime ten years prior.

Show creator Jenji Kohan is also responsible for the Showtime hit Weeds, which lasted a

Though the program gained record-breaking ratings, they did this at the expense of something important for a science-based station—credibility. Audiences were, over the course of 120 minutes, lead to believe in the existence of the Megalodon shark, when in reality the species has been extinct for millions of years.

While the program suggested that factual information would be presented, the disclaimer –conveniently placed at the end of the show—indicated otherwise.

lengthy 8 seasons—a hopeful hint at the fate of Orange is the New Black.

While the script may be refreshingly new, the cast is fully stocked with familiar faces. Laura Prepon, best remembered as Donna from That 70’s Show, plays Piper’s ex-girlfriend, while Jason Biggs of the American Pie films plays Piper’s fiancée.

Tempted to watch now?

Go ahead, you’ll be addicted before Regina Spektor’s haunting theme song is over.

this clause upon its conclusion: “None of the institutions or agencies that appear in the film are affiliated with it in any way, nor have approved its contents.”

What’s disappointing is the apparent formula for bringing in ratings and profits. Shock value plus a dash of horror equals a sensationalized Shark Week, as if that were even possible. Next up on The Discovery Channel, Arctic Voyage: One Man’s Dangerous Journey to Find Santa’s Workshop.

Those who watched the entirety of the show might have noticed

5 17

5

you say you want a revolution?

Words | Marwa Hassan

Rev·o·lu·tion \re-və-ˈlü-shən\ (n.): 1. A fundamental change in political organization; especially: the overthrow or renunciation of one government or ruler and the substitution of another by the governed.

2. What has taken place in Egypt twice in the past three years.

3. No easy feat.

In January 2011, Egyptians young and old, Christian and Muslim, decided the three decades of dictator Hosni Mubarak’s oppressive rule had been enough. The world watched as millions of Egyptians took to Cairo’s downtown Tahrir (Arabic for ‘liberation’) Square and demanded Mubarak’s immediate resignation. In a show of profound solidarity, Egyptian expatriates began peaceful demonstrations in front of Egyptian embassies worldwide, as well as the United Nations Headquarters, attracting global media coverage. Following eighteen days of gruesome clashes between police and protesters, Tahrir Square erupted in ear-splitting celebration as Mubarak’s announcement to step down was finally made. In the months following, hopes soared as the country geared up for the first free presidential election in Egyptian history.

June 2012 saw an unprecedented electoral race between Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood and independent leader Ahmed Shafik. Ironically, Shafik was the former Mubarak-appointed Prime Minister. A divided nation looked on. Half of the population feared that if Morsi was put into power, Egypt would become an extremist Islamic state predominantly governed by the Muslim Brotherhood. The other half was reluctant to vote for a candidate with such close ties to Mubarak. Although both leaders’ visions for Egypt’s future lacked foresight, the people had to elect one man to set their country back on its feet.

18

World

In theory, the new government would fulfill the needs and wants of the millions of citizens who fueled the 2011 revolution and ousted Mubarak. However, in practice, the countrycontinued to see a worsening (more specific) of the economy; food and gasoline shortages; the restriction of opposition media; plummeting tourism; and nationwide infrastructure collapses. Disheartened by the rapidly crumbling state of their nation, the Egyptian people began preparations for Revolution 2.0.

A call for such drastic reformation over the course of one short year might seem an unlikely prospect, as Waleed Ali, a 39-year-old Egyptian teacher, told the BBC: “I voted for President Morsi, but I regret it… I will not protest against him though... Even if we want to judge him, we need to give him a proper chance. Honestly, one year is not enough to fix what 30 years of corruption have left behind.” However, 41year-old business administrator Amira Saleh’s comments to BBC reporters reflected a different opinion. “Morsi's time is up. I will not wait for another three years. The country is going down…

And people are fighting everywhere...

Nothing he promised has changed.”

The majority thought the latter, and 2013 saw a second revolution. On April 28th, Morsi’s opposition spearheaded a movement called Tamarod (Arabic for ‘rebellion’). The movement’s aim was to collect enough signatures – close to 15 million – to force Morsi into stepping down by June 30th, the year anniversary of his inauguration. According to Egypt Independent, the petition gathered over 22 million supporters. The faces of these signatures formed the crowds of Egyptians who returned not only to Tahrir Square, but to public squares across the nation. Simultaneously, Morsi supporters of the opposing Tagarrod ( ‘impartiality’) movement held large demonstrations in other public areas.

On July 1st, the Egyptian Armed Forces issued an ultimatum. Morsi was given until the evening of July 3rd to meet the people’s demands or he faced the certainty of military intervention. The next day, Morsi appeared on the air to publicly reject the demands.

The following day, General Abdul Fatah el-Sisi of the Armed Forces announced that he had been removed from power and that Egypt now had an interim president, Chairman of the Supreme Constitutional Court Adly Mansour, who has no affiliation to any political party. Immediately, news channels developed an interest in what had happened, capturing global interest in Egypt’s political state yet again.

International networks continue to closely monitor what happens in the streets post-protest.

As the world once again turns its eyes on Egypt, we can learn something from the revolutionary events of the past two years. The simple power of unified voices had the capability to incite radical change in a country so long entrenched in oppressive regime.

Keeping this in mind, incoming students should dare to speak out with intelligence and passion. Use your voice for more than just rooting for the Mustangs, for more than yelling at your roommates over the obnoxious Taylor Swift songs they’re blasting at 5 in the morning. Use your voice to initiate positive change, to bring attention to important issues, to defend causes you believe in, and to stand against those you don’t. Don’t ever silence yourself out of fear of being knocked down.

Your voice, now more than ever, has global reach. For all you know, yours could be the next one to end a dictator’s regime. Your voice, your call. Welcome to FIMS.

19

World in Review Does public awareness of government surveillance change the problem at all? What role does racial profiling play in developed society, and how do media - both news and entertainment - affect it? What sort of cultural shifts have led to Russian lawmakers taking a step backwards in tolerance in a time of worldwide connection? How will the socioeconomic decline of a major American city impact local production and North America as a whole? And what does the sensationalization of an intimate family affair suggest about the 24-hour news cycle, audiences’ expectations, and the current state of our media? These are questions we ask ourselves as we take a look at the top stories from this summer.

Snowden | Kevin Chao Anyone with eyes, ears, and Internet access knows that Edward Snowden has been a hot topic this summer. The whistleblower from the National Security Agency (NSA) has made headlines across the world, and has sparked global conversations regarding the government’s surveillance of its citizens.

To recap, on June 5th the Guardian reported that the NSA was collecting millions of Verizon customers telephone records, as well as customers from other involved phone companies. Four days later, Snowden – who had recently arrived in Hong Kong – identified himself as the source of the disclosures, claiming that his

“sole motive is to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them.” Bold move, Edward.

Since revealing himself, Snowden’s quest for asylum has caused a stir between nations. While the United Kingdom refused receive Snowden and the governments of Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Bolivia offered to welcome him, Russia eventually agreed to grant Snowden asylum for one year. Many American politicians including President Obama have expressed disappointment in Russia’s decision, and we will have to watch and see how the Snowden dilemma affects American-Russian relations and government surveillance as a whole.

Zimmerman Case | Patrick Wiltse On February 26th, 2012 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was spotted by a 28-year-old male, George Zimmerman, walking in a gated community in Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman observed Martin acting in a way which he deemed suspicious and proceeded to follow his protocol as neighborhood watch coordinator, reporting to local law enforcement with the whereabouts of Martin. Noticing Zimmerman doing so, Martin confronted him. Martin attacked Zimmerman, taking him down to the ground and punching his face repeatedly. Zimmerman, purportedly being unable to defend himself and fearing for his safety, fired a single shot with a handgun, striking Martin through the heart and killing him.

On the day of the shooting, police declared that Zimmerman had exercised his legal right to self defense and was guilty of no crime (a decision which was reinforced in court). This decision triggered a media frenzy, the outpour of which was a ferocious national outcry against racial injustice in the legal system. Zimmerman’s actions brought attention to issues of racial profiling and race fears that are still a large part of not only the North American legal system but Western culture in general. On July 13th, a Florida jury found Zimmerman not guilty.

Russia’s Homophobic Headlines | Ryan Binhammer On June 11th, Russia’s parliament unanimously passed a bill that bans any information about homosexuality to be given to children, a decision that has been largely criticized. In Russia, Homosexuality was decriminalized in 1993, and many view this new legislation as a large step backwards for the nation. The new propaganda law is receiving worldwide condemnation as many fear the social implications it may have, including the fueling of hate crimes. This became apparent during the Pride parade in St. Petersburg on June 29th, when participants were attacked by a hostile crowd before being arrested.

The Russian ban has resulted in a call to boycott the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. In addition to boycotting, many bars worldwide have stopped serving 20 World

Russian vodka as a form of protest. Many fear what the Russian stance will mean for homosexual athletes and visitors. Russian sports minister Vitali Mutko protested that the constitution still guarantees all citizens privacy, and the law exists solely to prevent the promotion of homosexual relations in younger generations.

The International Olympic Committee has stated that the Russian government has provided assurances that homosexual visitors will not be affected. Concerns grow however as four Dutch citizens filming a documentary on gay life in Russia were detained on July 22nd, becoming the first foreigners arrested under suspicion of promoting homosexual relationships among minors.

Concern and criticism continue to grow as this is an increasingly defining time for equality and freedom within Russia.

The Royal Baby | Kevin Chao Prince George of Cambridge, born George Alexander Louis and third in line to the throne, was born July 22 2013 to Prince William and his wife Kate. The extensive coverage of the pregnancy and eventual birth set a new precedent as to the extent the media will go to entertain and distract its audiences.

Detroit Declares Bankruptcy | Kevin Chao When the going gets tough, the tough get going. The phrase has taken on a literal meaning in the decaying city of Detroit, which declared bankruptcy on July 18 after years of rough economic and societal decline. While city officials have been tirelessly attempting to pull the city up by its bootstraps, citizens of Detroit have fled. Since its heyday in the mid-twentieth century, during which Detroit’s auto industry boomed and led industrial manufacturing, the municipal population has dwindled from roughly

1.8 million to 700,000. Roughly 78,000 city structures have been abandoned, 100 schools have been closed since 2004, and the city has the nation’s highest unemployment rates. As some reporters have (perhaps insensitively) described it, “the motor city has run out of gas”.

Detroit’s downfall has been the subject of commentary for years, and under Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr’s plan the city has become the largest municipality in US history to file bankruptcy. Detroit’s debts are estimated at $18 billion, and pensioners may pay the price.

Some critics have blamed the fall of

Detroit on manufacturing jobs going overseas, yet vulnerable working class retirees, public sector employees, and union workers could feel the repercussions hardest.

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina ruled that Detroit’s bankruptcy filing violated the Michigan Constitution, however state Attorney General Bill Schuette said he would appeal the decisions. October 23 has been proposed as the start date for a trial on potential objections of Detroit’s eligibility to file for bankruptcy. No matter how Detroit proceeds, the rest of the United States and the world will be watching to see how the nation’s toughest city will go on.

21

vl.14 issue 1 2013