Spring 2020: The Decade Disrupted Issue

The DECADE DISRUPTED issue

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* This magazine was made during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020

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SPRING 2020 / VOLUME 9.2

A MAGAZINE ON THE CULTURE AND ASPIRATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL YOUTH Editor-in-Chief Lauren Williams Art and Photography Director Stella Richman Deputy Editor Amy Thorpe Editorial Advisor Marc Feustel Illustrators Matt Massara Katia Novak Stella Richman Haley Tippmann Photographers Regina Romo Andrade Lucia Cordero Gabriela Herman Katie Zambrano

Staff Writers Adriana Alonso Lauren Camerer Jillian Campbell Chloe Gavalas Caitlin Kelly Sofia Quintero Veronica Reyes Emilyn Snyder Amy Thorpe Paulina Trigos Shandiin Vandervere Linnea Wingerup Contributing Writers A’mari Bing-Way Chloe Fearey Kathleen Sharp Karen Thomas

This magazine is printed on Amber Graphic 140 gsm FSC-certified paper

by Arctic Paper

table of content

6-7 Letter from the Editor

8-13 Playlist Power

by Lauren Camerer

March of the Decade

by Chloe Gavalas

14-19 Don’t Touch My Hair!

by A’mari Bing-Way

Global Slang

by Adriana Alonso

20-25 A Contemplative Quarantine

by Kathleen Sharp

Trends That Defined a Decade

by Veronica Reyes

26-33 Star Gazing

by Linnea Wingerup

Tweeting for Healing

by Veronica Reyes

34-39 Cheers to Being Queer (On the Internet)!

by Linnea Wingerup

Reimagining Religion

by Amy Thorpe

40-48 Eat Your Greens

by Chloe Fearey

A Digital Space of Their Own

by Shandiin Vandervere

49-58 Before and After

by Katie Zambrano

23 and We

by Emilyn Snyder

59-65 Revoluciรณn 2.0

by Adriana Alonso

For Our Lives

by Chloe Gavalas

66-69 #VIVALATINO

by Sofia Quintero

70-75

Confessions of a Retired Undergraduate

by Karen Thomas

Streaming Wars

by Paulina Trigos

76-80 Bernie Sanders’ French Revolution

by Caitlin Kelly

Health Climate Crisis

by Jillian Campbell

letter from the editor

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n Ancient Babylon, the new year was in March. Marked by the day with an equal amount of sun and darkness, a massive festival would commence and continue for 11 days. Unlike the Babylonians, I rang in the new decade at a shitty bar on the Lower East Side in New York City. It had all the works: sticky floors, way-too expensive glasses of champagne, and a DJ who yelled, “Y’all ready for the new decade?!” every twenty minutes on the dot. Four millennia later, you would think the holiday would amount to more than drinking too much and making half-resolutions. But the end of the Earth’s pilgrimage around the sun, at least in the West, is inseparable from an obsession with often-unrealistic expectations for the year to come. We make promises to call our moms more and get gym memberships just to make the first of January seem like a fresh start.

This year, however, felt different. It was not just the turnover of a year, but an entire decade. We were approaching what felt like a new frontier, the decade my generation would spend their adulthood in. We wanted this issue

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of the Peacock to feel like a New Year’s Eve party, a celebration of the end of the decade that our peers were raised in and a warm welcome for the years that lie ahead.

When we started making this magazine, it was exciting. We had a chance to reflect and project into the future. However, a few months into the New Year, everything changed. An unseeable, mutating enemy of the human body was spreading and stealing lives. Day by day, it inched closer until it became pervasive. Human lives are being sacrificed because of inadequate leadership, livelihoods have been ripped away and entire industries are quivering under the pressure of indefinite closings.

Though the specifics are unclear as of now, we will undoubtedly feel aftershocks of this global crisis throughout the decade ahead. It no longer felt appropriate to have this magazine act as a celebration.

As we tried to reshape the magazine remotely, from our studio apartments and childhood rooms, we began to see themes that we didn’t recognize before.

Under the surface of many of these articles is a feeling of disruption, even in triumph. This decade, Instagram altered our human experiences, as Linnea Wingerup explains “In redefining the means to build a community, online spaces are redefining the concept of community itself, resulting in groups of people who may never see each other in person.” Social media has completely remodeled the way we view one another and process our realities.

One of these realities is women’s rights.

Veronica Reyes points out the recent overhaul of attitudes around women speaking up about their lived experiences while Adriana Alonso reflects on the feminist revolution that has taken on a new form in Mexico City, exactly 100 years after the end of the Mexican Revolution.

Even centuries-old religious practices were not safe from a disruption in the last decade. “From young people of various backgrounds, Generation Z’s influence on our world’s religious landscape has stirred up a variety of reactions,” Amy Thorpe explains in her investigation of what faith means to Generation Z. Disruptions in music, film and art pop

up in this issue, but the most pervasive of them all is the current pandemic. Jill Campbell considers our reaction to COVID-19 to explore human behavior in the face of imminent danger and how it will affect the way we move forward in dealing with the climate crisis. Katie Zambrano provides a visual representation of Paris before and after lockdown measures were put in place. Kathleen Sharp sums up our hopes for the new decade by saying, “Despite it all, I have a feeling that the bodily awareness that social distancing has taught us will render us more present.”

This year, along with the class of 2020 all around the globe, I will graduate on Zoom and step into a world that looks nothing like the one that we came into this decade with. We will grin and bear it.

This generation used tragedy to create the biggest gun reform movement in history, joined grassroots movements pushing for progressive policy in the face of widening inequality and staged worldwide school walkouts to demand more sustainable behavior from corporations and governments. Sure, there will be frustration and sadness that arise from the uncertainty of what lies ahead, yet I am certain that we will forge new paths because we have done it before.

I want to extend a special thank you to everyone who contributed to and supported the making of the first (and hopefully, only) issue of the Peacock made almost entirely remotely. I have the utmost gratitude for Stella Richman, our art director who had to figure out how to design a magazine with virtually no photography, and Amy Thorpe, this issue’s Deputy Editor, who is one of the sharpest copy-editors I have ever met. I hope that reading the Decade Disrupted issue feels as special as it was to put together.

With love,

Lauren Williams

Editor-in-Chief

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PLAYLIST POWER Is streaming hurting modern music more than it’s helping spread the song?

By Lauren Camerer A new wave of technology hit us one day in 2001 when an innovative startup called Rhapsody (now known as Napster) proposed the world’s first music streaming service. For a small monthly fee, subscribers had access to millions of songs on a single platform. Now, listeners who used to buy CDs and vinyl, or pirate music and create their own mixtapes, could have access to millions of songs right at their fingertips. Since then, music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora have become inseparable from our listening experiences.

With the creation of these streaming sites came a debate on whether artists were being paid fairly for their work. Paula Mejía writes for National Public Radio, “In parallel to the promise of ‘music for everyone’ (as Spotify’s tagline goes), a harsh truth has emerged: countless working artists in the United States can’t feasibly make a decent living in this new world.” On the other hand, streaming does provide artists with a sea of listeners ready to find their new favorite song. While this debate gets constantly rehashed, no one seems to be asking one important question: how does streaming affect modern songwriting?

An artist’s focus used to be solely on creating a compelling album that their fans could connect with. Now, musicians face the task of writing good music while keeping our short-attention-spanned generation entertained long enough before hitting the “skip” button. Musicians don’t get paid by these 10

streaming services until listeners stick around for at least 30 seconds of their song, so keeping the listener’s attention is crucial.

Modern music has also changed the way albums are listened to. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, artists strived to create a single hit record, while in the ‘70s and ‘80s, musicians wanted to create a whole concept album. Listeners used to get their hands on an album and listen from front to back all in one sitting. Now, artists are creating longer albums with shorter songs, heightening the chances that more of their songs will be streamed, which leads to more money. Take Drake’s fifth studio album, Scorpion, for example. The record has 25 songs on it, most of which are three minutes long or less. On its first day of release, Scor-

pion broke Spotify’s one-day global record for album streams with over 132 million streams.

This advancement in technology has brought five key changes to songwriting today—song structure, shorter songs, social relevance, diversity, and an increase in song collaborations.

1. SONG STRUCTURE

The parts that make up a song predominantly fell into the same sequence in the past: ABABCB (verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus). This is the same song structure that we have heard for ages. Take “Tell Me That It Isn’t True” by Bob Dylan, for example. The familiar arrangement of songs that use the ABABCB sequence make the newer song

2. SONGS ARE GETTING SHORTER

If you pay attention to the new albums being released, you might notice there are not many seven-minute songs to be found. Before streaming, and especially with vinyl, an album was to be experienced in its entirety. When music lovers bought a vinyl record, they would listen to it from front to back, making a point to listen to every song because they bought it with their hard-earned money.

Now that we have more songs available through streaming than we know what to do with, the point of many modern albums has shifted to giving people a little taste of everything- so that they fall in love with at least one song. Casting a wide net when creating an album is something that can enhance an artist’s recognition in the long run on streaming platforms.

According to Fortune magazine, “The average song length on the Billboard Hot 100 chart is now 20 seconds shorter than it was five years ago, clocking in at three minutes, 30 seconds.” Kendrick Lamar’s most recent album, DAMN., won a 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, and the average song length is three minutes and 57 seconds.

3. A SOCIAL SPIN ON SONGWRITING

structure, BABABCB (chorus, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus), sound different without it being obvious what exactly has changed. The reason that more musicians are kicking off their songs with the chorus is to grab the listener’s attention right out of the gate.

Instead of the long, beautiful orchestral intros like the one in “Expecting to Fly” by Buffalo Springfield, we now have startling choruses that demand our attention from the moment we press play. Take the song “Sugar”

by Maroon 5 as a counterexample; it immediately gets to the point rather than building up to it, and plays into the feeling of instant gratification listeners are searching for in new music.

Now that we have social media, artists can connect with their audience more intimately rather than just being interviewed for magazines or appearing on a talk show. Musicians can personally share parts of their lives, allowing people to feel closer to their favorite artists beyond their craft. According to a study done by MusicWatch, 90% of social media users take part in some form of music or artist-related activity on social platforms. This shift in the ability to share more is arguably visibly impacting modern songwriting. in his most recent album, Harry Styles wrote about his experience of trying to get over a particularly tough break up in his song, “Cherry.” At the very end of the song, you hear an audio clip of his ex talking on the phone in the key of the song’s melody. It is a beautiful addition to the songwriting, and it gave the hit a more emotional feel due to the added level of vulnerability.

“Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X was the biggest song of 2019 so far. The young artist first created viral comedy videos on Facebook

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before migrating over to Twitter to increase his following. Lil Nas X initially saw his song as a meme, but as soon as it made its way onto TikTok, it blew up- and made him an overnight sensation. “Old Town Road” is now a record-holding hit with a number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 17 weeks in a row.

4. MORE DIVERSE SONGS

Along with the benefit of being able to find artists from all over the world through streaming, musicians can cherry-pick sounds and styles from all genres to create original songs.

Before this generation, artists focused on one specific audience. Now, thanks to the digitization of music, genre-bending songs can bring in multiple audiences. “Old Town Road” is the perfect testament to genre-expansion; the song’s blend of hip-hop, rap and country attracted audiences from all these genres.

In the article “11 Rising Artists Who Defy Genre,” by Jacob Moore and Alex Gardner of Complex, TeaMarrr is interviewed about her take on the concept of genre. “I used to say I wanna be genre-less,” the Los-Angeles-based artist says. “Like stop calling me an R&B artist. Then it dawned on me that I’m pretty genreful—you guys just haven’t heard all of me yet, and that’s cool. I love a good plot twist. I appreciate a long wait, musically speaking. I’m bringing all of that to the table, just wait.”

5. MORE SONG COLLABORATIONS

Streaming has put major pressure on artists to consistently crank out groundbreaking songs. To keep up with all of this work and stay ahead of the trends, musicians are collaborating with other artists more than ever.

DJ Khaled’s “I’m the One” features a striking lists of guests: Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne. Not only is this a great tactic to quickly drop a single that could possibly become a hit, but it’s also another way for smaller artists to get recognition and potentially gain new supporters.

Additionally, most big musicians are choosing to go all-hands-on-deck to release new music quickly. Cardi B’s “Be Careful” has no less than 17 writing credits.

A significant portion of these collaborations happen remotely—another side-effect of the digital age. Though musicians can make 12

music quicker by never even meeting face-toface, this process may come across as impersonal, and could potentially be reflected in their music.

6. PLAYLIST VS. ALBUM

Instead of buying a new album just for the sake of listening to a few songs, we have the option to customize a playlist that contains any artist and sound. Though it hasn’t always been as easy as it is now, there have been versions of playlists for decades. In the ‘50s, there were top-40 radio formats. The ‘80s and ‘90s introduced cassette tapes that could contain a range of songs to fit a particular mood. Those mixtapes revolutionized the way we pick and choose what we listen to now. In 1983, the first compilation CDs that contained all of the biggest pop hits, Now That’s What I Call Music, also contributed to the shift to playlists. The CDs especially impacted Gen Z, whose impression of music was in its infancy as playlists rose to the top of peoples’ listening preferences.

Take a look at Drake’s fifth album Scorpion again. Though the songs on the album broke records on both Spotify and Apple Music, the physical album itself only sold 29,000 copies during its last chart week, according to Music Business Worldwide. In the Hypebot article, “Proof The Album Is Almost Dead,” Bobby Owsinski wrote that, “In other words, 99.991% of the population didn’t buy it, and that’s for the #1 album in the country.”

“Despacito” by Luis Fonsi is another example of how songwriting has changed for playlists; the song was released in 2017 and became the biggest song of the year. There were at least six different versions, marking a clear effort to get on as many playlists as possible. There is the original version with Daddy Yankee, the most popular follow-up featuring Justin Bieber, a salsa version, a Portuguese version, an “urban” version, and a pop version, and numerous other remixes.

The “Despacito” music video made history for becoming the most-viewed YouTube video of all time, raking in almost seven billion views.

According to the Wired article, “The Secret Hit-Making Power of the Spotify Playlist” by David Pierce, Spotify listeners now spend about half of their time listening to playlists, either of their own creation or curated by Spotify’s editors. Because of algorithmically

generated Discover Weekly and Daily Mix playlists, listeners get new tunes regularly that are tailored specifically to their tastes.

With customization on a platform with tens of millions of song options, it makes sense that there is a gravitational pull towards a feature that puts in the work for you. As Pierce states, “If you’ll like it, it’ll find you. Spotify makes sure of that.”

Regardless of whether or not streaming is bad for artists and good for listeners, this massive overhaul of music-making is unique to any other time in history. Every time we discover a new song on our Daily Mix playlists on Spotify, we are witnessing the music industry’s transformation right in front of our eyes (or ears, rather). So, sit back and listen.

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ME TOO AND TIME’S UP

DREAMERS

On March 11, 2020, Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison for sex crimes after six women testified against him. In the past decade, the mistreatment and sexual assault that women have been facing for centuries was brought onto the global stage. The #MeToo hashtag spread across the internet and blew up in October of 2017 after various sexual assault allegations arose against Weinstein. Alternative hashtags surfaced all around the world: #BalanceTonPorc was posted by French citizens to encourage victims to “rat out your pig,” while Italians posted #QuellaVoltaChe to proclaim that it’s “that time.”

During the Obama era in 2012, a bill named the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was introduced, allowing undocumented people who were brought to the U.S. as children the temporary right to live, study and work in America. The Trump administration decided to end the program in 2017. This move could lead to the deportation of thousands of innocent young people and the separation of countless families. Dreamers, as the young people affected by DACA are known, began protesting in the early 2000s, but in recent years their activism has made it onto both national and international stages.

Through staging sit-ins and peaceful protests around the country, the Dreamers are making a case for protection in the only country that many of them have ever known.

IDLE NO MORE In 2012, one of the largest Indigenous mass movements, ‘Idle No More’ was created in Canada to advocate for the Indigenous people who have lost their land, resources, and rights due to colonial destruction and extraction.

Idle No More was created in resistance to the legislative attacks on indigenous sovereignty and environmental protections by Stephen Harper, the former Prime Minister of Canada. Activists have strived to enact legislation that will protect their nations from continuing environmental collapse, including the repeal of Bill C-45, and the right for Indigenous people to reject developments on their land. The movement began as a resistance to harmful legislation and has expanded to focus on the broader issues of decolonization and allyship.

UMBRELLA MOVEMENT The British took over Hong Kong in the 1840s on a 99-year treaty that was set to expire in 1997. Britain returned the territory to China on July 1, 1997, under an agreement that China would give Hong Kong a “high degree of autonomy” until 2047. Hong Kong became a “special administrative region of China,”, allowing it to maintain economic and trade policies, as well as judicial, executive, and legislative powers. Despite those arrangements, the autonomy of Hong Kong has become increasingly threatened.

In 2014, citizens of Hong Kong began protesting to block reforms that would allow them to have direct elections of candidates only pre-screened by Beijing.

These protests became known as “the Umbrella Movement” due to the methods of protection citizens had to use against the police’s tear gas. Last year, two leaders of the movement were sentenced to 16 months in prison, and nine others were convicted of conspiracy to commit public nuisance, yet the fight for agency continues. Protestors have filled the streets of Hong Kong since June 9, 2019, with seemingly no end in sight.

LEBANESE PROTESTS

BLACK LIVES MATTER

On October 17, 2019, tens of thousands of people took to the streets all across Lebanon. The government’s plans to impose a series of new taxes on commodities such as tobacco, gasoline- and certain social media platforms was the boiling point for a country with longstanding tensions between the people and the political elite. The country’s electricity and water shortages, as well as the government’s failure to manage the country’s waste and economic crises, further inflamed the situation. People from all over Lebanon came together calling for economic reform, along with an end to the system that has institutionalized corruption in the country. On the thirteenth day of protest, Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation. However, the protests are still happening nearly five months later, and will continue as long as the widening gap between the ruling class and everyone else remains.

Given the repeated pattern of state-sanctioned violence against people of color, a campaign was founded on July 13, 2013, with a mission to “build local power and to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities.”

After the death of African-American 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012, and then Michael Brown and Eric Garner in 2014, the movement began to be nationally recognized through the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. This movement sparked conversation around the world and has inspired people from all walks of life to fight for the cause. “What Matters 2020” is the new slogan meant to maximize influence alongside Campaign Zero, an initiative created by BLM activists in 2015 to check the police. Minor adjustments have been made to the policing system, though people of color continue to suffer abuse from officers all across America.

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM

LGBTQ+ ACTIVISM

The “tipping point” that was introduced 20 years ago by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is now a reality. Species are slowly dying out, the polar ice caps are melting, and our world is beginning to catch on fire.

There have been two major People’s Climate Marches, in 2014 and 2017, that sought to show the world how at threat our environment is. The People’s Climate Movement is an initiative composed of environmental and religious organizations, trade unions- and social justice groups who share the goal of advocating for the environment and enacting an era of change. On April 29, 2017, at Washington, D.C.’s National Mall, and 300 other locations, people from all over the world gathered to bring attention to the climate crisis.

Fridays for Future was introduced after Greta Thunberg sat with a sign that read “School strike for the climate” outside of her school, leading to an international movement of school students who took time off from class on Fridays to demand legislative action from political leaders.

From coming-out campaigns to pop culture representation, people in the LGBTQ+ community are finally being seen. In 2010, for the first time in America’s history, more people approved of equal marriage than opposed it.

Beyond the expansion of civil rights, like the right to marry and the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” in the American military, society has become more aware of the gender spectrum and its distinction from sexual orientation.

Pride was celebrated in nations all over the world, with Brazil and Russia introducing the first gay pride events to their countries. Even in Pakistan, where same-sex relationships are illegal, citizens held a pride parade.

However, even with the positive developments around the LGBTQ+ community throughout the decade, progress did not come without losses. The U.S. Department of Education has reduced protections for LGBTQ+ students and people all over the world are still criminalized and killed for their sexual orientation and gender expression.

MARCH OF THE DECADE The past decade has seen the emergence of major social and protest movements around the world. Here are a few of the most important from the past 10 years.

By Chloe Gavalas Illustrations by Stella Richman

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DON’T

TOUCH

my

HAIR!

The decade women returned to their roots

By A’mari Bing-Way Illustrations by Katia Novak

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I

was sitting in front of the mirror with my hair freshly washed, conditioned and blow-dried. After straining my neck over the kitchen sink while my mother scrubbed my scalp, I dreaded the possibility of shampoo getting in my eyes.

As I looked at my reflection, I admired the length of my hair. The shrinkage had disappeared. I was happy. My fantasies of having free-flowing, golden tresses blowing in the breeze were about to come true.

Having long, straight hair meant that I was pretty, and that I would look like all of the other girls in my class.

Looking at my straightened hair, I did what I saw in all of the TV shows and movies: brush it. I tried to make the brush pass through my straightened coils, but it wouldn’t. “What are you doing?” my mom exclaimed. “This is not meant for your hair. You can’t brush your hair.”

“Oh,” I said, devastated. I wanted to emulate my favorite scene from The Princess Diaries. Mia Thermopolis’ iconic makeover was the epitome of what straight long hair represented—confidence, beauty, and best of all, becoming a princess. Through the efforts of her eccentric stylist, Paulo, Mia’s curly hair was tamed. My love for the movie, Mia Thermopolis, and wanting to be a princess superseded my reality. The reality was that as an eight-year-old black girl, the only thing my hair had in common with Mia’s was that our hair could break a comb or brush.

Having straight hair was a symbol for who I thought I was supposed to be. I imagined a fair-skinned girl with long, straight hair in place of my reflection. I always saw girls like this at school, on TV and in movies, magazines and books. So, for me, wearing my hair straight was one step closer to being someone who I was told was socially acceptable.

The representation of black women was limited in the early 2010s and representation of a black woman’s relationship with her hair was non-existent, especially for my hair texture: 4C, which is kinky and coily; imagine the shape of a spring. It has been notoriously deemed as the most unmanageable, unattractive, and as the last on the scale, the most neglected.

As a young black American girl, this story is not unique. Deanna Clarke-Campbell, a Jamaican-American junior at Boston Univer-

sity, shares a similar sentiment about her hair.

“Growing up, my hair was always straight,” she says, “I always internalized the feeling that my hair was too difficult to manage.”

Having straight hair was a symbol for who I thought I was supposed to be.

Like her, I wasn’t taught to appreciate my hair. I believed that managing my curls only caused unnecessary struggles of arm soreness, broken combs, time management and mental distress. The process of getting my hair done was never something to look forward to. It was essentially a form of torture.

The sound of hair grease sizzling against your scalp as the hot metal comb passes through your hair while you anxiously pray that it avoids your ears, the feeling of nails digging into your scalp as your hair is being tightly pulled to form fresh cornrows, the burning sensation of a perm radiating all over your scalp, and the struggles of falling asleep at a certain angle so not to mess up your new hairstyle (only to wake up with a crick in your neck) are all-too-familiar memories.

Ironically, we use the term hair care when we have not been taught to treat our hair, let alone ourselves, with care. However, despite the pain, black women are dedicated to our crowns. Our hair holds our confidence, culture, history and personal stories that are vital to who we are. Unfortunately, it takes many of us years to recognize this, Clarke-Campbell admitted, “I think I started loving my hair when I was 16.”

Lauren McDonald, a American, revealed, “I didn’t truly embrace my hair until freshman year of college.”

From the Tignon Laws of 1800s Louisiana to the last decade, where black girls were still being banned

Beyonce (illustrated left) Zendaya

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from wearing natural hairstyles at school, the Willow policing of Smith black hair has lasted for centuries. Despite that, the past decade has been a modern-day resurgence of the natural hair movement (the first coinciding with the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s). Social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube and Twitter have afforded black people a new sense of agency over how we are represented inside and outside of the black community.

The first time I saw a black girl on TV wearing her braids with confidence was in 2010, when Willow Smith encouraged us to whip our hair.

On the surface, the resurgence is met with positive feedback for being a positive, inspirational social movement that encourages black people to embrace their natural features. Yet, the natural hair movement has also reinforced some dangerous “isms” within the community. Colorism, racism, fetishism and exoticism have continuously riddled the visual representations of black women. Despite the trend of self-acceptance, these ideas did not go away in the last decade.

Some of these “isms” have become internalized to the point where one version of black hair is seen as socially acceptable in the community. To Clarke-Campbell, the natural hair movement has caused frustration. “When they mean natural hair, they mean natural hair on people with lighter skin. I just wish I saw more diversity in hair textures,” she says.

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Platforms like Twitter and Instagram have placed pressure on how the narrative surrounding black hair needs to change. “I grew up in predominantly white places, so my introduction to the black hair community was through Twitter and black Twitter,” said Mushtaaq Ali, a Muslim black American junior at Harvard University.

Thanks to users exchanging stories of hair discrimination in their workplace, school environment, or other places, legal policies like the CROWN (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) Act were passed in several states in the U.S. Strides to make any form of natural black hair illegal were essentially useless as each time black women reacted in three forms: discover loopholes in the policy, confront the discrimination, or simply ignore them. In the 2010s, black women used social media to publicize these reactions.

From the start of the decade, black female celebrities used their platforms to celebrate black beauty. The first time I saw a black girl on TV wearing her braids with confidence was in 2010 when Willow Smith encouraged us to whip our hair. Lupita Nyong’ o represented the TWA (teenie weenie afro) community during her Oscars debut in 2013.

Now, “whenever she’s on the red carpet, her hair always reflects the natural state of her hair or African hairstyles,” said Ali. The year 2015 was about confronting cultural appropriation: Amandla Stenberg confronted the Kardashian-Jenners for wearing cornrows, and Zendaya educated the public on the history of locs after entertainment reporter, Giuliana Rancic, commented that Zendaya looked like she smelled of “patchouli oil and weed.”

Fortunately, both these moments created conversations on the difference between appreciation and appropriation.

The following year was pivotal in the natural hair movement. Beyoncé and Solange embodied the black experience in their respective albums, Lemonade and A Seat at The Solange Knowles

Table. The sisters proudly wore natural and protective hairstyles that influenced how black women and men embraced Lupita our history and Nyong’o natural features.

Because of black female celebrities’ choice to express their blackness so openly, black male celebrities “are more ambitious with their hairstyles,” Ali continues, “like Jay-Z growing his hair, Lil Yachty wearing braids and beads and The Weeknd wearing locs.”

The decision to grow out one’s hair may seem simple, but for black men, it is an act of challenging the stereotypes that they face. As a young black woman, I was happy to see my male counterparts using their hair to express themselves. Clarke-Campbell noticed that after the Marvel film, she saw more black men wearing similar styles to the characters.

“I think it may have made back men prouder of their hair,” she says.

Hashtag movements also helped the empowerment of the black community. In 2013 #BlackGirlMagic took off, a movement initiated by Cashawn Thompson, who believed that it was time for black women to unabashedly celebrate their accomplishments. In the same year, Zeba Blay dubbed #CarefreeBlackgirls on Tumblr, where she called on black girls to embrace their individuality and reject stereotypes. Both hashtags developed into pop culture phenomenons and even songs, like “Black Girl Magic” by Che Lingo. Because the movements mobilized so quickly, it felt like social media feeds were being flooded with images of young black women taking advantage of the viral nature of social media to debunk ridiculous hair myths. Assertions that darker-skinned women can’t wear blond hair, kinky hair is unattractive, black women are bald-headed, black girls don’t have long hair, and only lighter-skinned women have curly hair were all counteracted by pictures black people of all colors confidently rocking a plethora of

hairstyles.

In 2016, more myths were debunked after Chance The Rapper tweeted #Blackboyjoy and sparked a revolution. This one tweet gave reason for black boys and men to express their happiness fully. This continued into 2018 when #wavecheck went viral, eventually leading to the creation of Durag Fest in North Carolina, where black men and women would take off layers of durags to revealing smooth, glistening waves of hair. Through hashtags, black people were able to access immediate proof of the diversity and beauty within the community.

Age difference plays a vital role in this movement. Because the natural hair movement has fully resurged, the youngest generation today has the luxury of loving their hair while many black women my age and older are still trying to unlearn the myths about theirs. “Embracing our natural hair is definitely paving the way for the next generation to understand how to take care of their hair,” explains McDonald.

The movement is about more than hair. It has operated as an educational tool for those like Ali, who recounts, “Once I took my hijab off, I realized that I didn’t know how to take care of my hair.” It has served as a mediator for Clarke-Campbell, who feels her hair has become a “loveable frustration,” and as a “necessary step into greater self-love” for McDonald.

The last decade has laid the foundation for a new perspective on black hair, and it’s only fitting that we started the new decade with the short film Hair Love winning an Oscar. For black people, our hair is one of many attributes that often speak before we do, but this decade has shown us that it does not have to be a bad thing.

Michael B. Jordan

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portuguese (brazil) someone beautiful french to eat

italian if only

english to be affected by something

GLOBAL SLANG

BY ADRIANA ALONSO ILLUSTRATIONS BY STELLA RICHMAN

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spanish (mexico) cool

spanish (spain) nice

english targets you want to reach in life or relationships

english to do something really well

spanish (mexico) beer

EACH NEW GENERATION FINDS NEW WAYS TO DESCRIBE THE WORLD THEY INHABIT. SOME WORDS REMAIN WHILE OTHERS ONLY TREND FOR A FEW DAYS. HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR SLANG WORDS OF THE PAST DECADE.

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Š Matt Masara

A Contemplative

Quarantine IF THIS PANDEMIC IS A SHIPWRECK, WE WILL ALL SINK, OR SWIM, TOGETHER

I

By Katherine Sharp

t’s March, and, damn. Just a week and a half ago, I abruptly left behind my friends, my school, and Paris, my home of three years. I didn’t imagine that a last-minute, panicked flight back to the United States would be the culmination of my senior year, of an entire education.

The adjustment period after arriving at my family home in the United States has me thinking a lot. Overthinking, really. Biding time in quarantine, I have my thoughts to keep me company. Them, and the notifications of breaking news that details death tolls, handwashing, unemployment, and supply shortages ad nauseam. I must have heard the word “unprecedented” more times in the past two weeks than ever before. I spent my third day home writing eleven postcards.

They served as a palliative, only partially soothing the symptoms of “unprecedented” lonesomeness and boredom, which seem to seep into the house from every corner. I’m cycling through an assortment of feelings: grief, apathy, denial, anger, fear, boredom.

These waves of emotion are not unique to me, of course. Millions around the world are in the same uncomfortable boat, pushing steadily into uncharted and increasingly troubled waters. Without a schedule, the days melt together, and it’s hard to distin-

guish what happened yesterday from the day before. The future seems so unknowable.

With talks of fatalities and the slipping economy, it’s as if we’re all awaiting our shipwreck, frantically trying to figure out who has priority for life vests, highlighting the disparities in our society. I feel selfish for being disappointed that our classes are canceled and graduation is postponed. Stories circulate online of an uninsured woman’s $35,000 medical bill after coronavirus testing and treatment, overworked and understaffed nurses, and domestic abuse victims at increased risk. I know the daily boredom I feel is a point of privilege, ranking pretty low on the list of uncomfortable quarantines.

There’s a strange paradox going on, though. I’m noticing that amid morbid debates over the dilemma of “reopening” the floundering economy and facing an unparalleled loss of life, the world is growing more connected than ever before. The common enemy of coronavirus unites us as it attacks blindly, ignoring the differences we let divide and define us. Suddenly, stories about incarcerated people are showing up on my news feed. Before this, I had yet to think about how disease travels in prisons. I read about how Native American communities are particularly vulnerable to the pandemic because of

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the extreme infrastructure disparities on reservations. I saw a post that families who use food stamps can only redeem them on certain products at the grocery store, and that by avoiding purchasing them, I leave those items in stock for those who need them.

Every day, I’m discovering more about the challenges faced by people beyond my immediate periphery. Perhaps it’s naive, but I’m hopeful that others are paying attention to these same stories, culling them from the din of reported death tolls and headlines that directly impact them. I’m hopeful that post-pandemic, a newly forged sense of community will remain long after daily life resumes.

Will we walk the produce aisle, board the metro, or shake hands without anxious second thoughts?

Just as leaders, health experts and international organizations are forming a unified front, we laymen lucky enough to work from home are trying out digital interconnectedness. It’s the heyday of Zoom, Skype, Facetime and Teams. Until now, I had never paid attention to how many remote conferencing services have cropped up over time.

In this moment, they serve as a channel for us to bridge the physical barriers separating us from our peers, colleagues, and families.

It’s as easy as hitting “Join Meeting” to be together. Seeing the face of our loved ones adds a level of intimacy to digital communi-

cation, and it softens the blow of social distancing—a phrase that, pre-internet, would’ve been a complete oxymoron.

I attempt to imagine the day that the lockdowns lift, and social distancing is no longer necessary. Will we walk the produce aisle, board the metro, or shake hands without anxious second thoughts? It’ll probably be a while. Maybe we’ll take years to rebuild the sense of security we once had, collective trauma haunting us in the wake of global tragedy. Despite it all, I have a feeling that the bodily awareness that social distancing has taught us will render us more present. We’ll

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treasure the freedom to embrace our loved ones, hug our friends. No longer behind a screen, being together will be about being truly together.

Such circumstances have me thinking a lot about how closure and closeness relate.

About how you can be with someone all the time and then not at all. How a normal month can pivot without warning. I don’t know when I’ll be back to Paris next. I don’t know when I’ll see the people who have made an immeasurable impact on me during these formative collegiate years. It hurts, and it’s emotional.

I’m thinking about what connection means

the deceivingly simple act of staying inside, and hang onto my fellow passengers by all means necessary.

I’m thinking about what connection means across time and distance, and how you can’t really ever sever the ties you have to the people you have loved. across time and distance, and how you can’t really ever sever the ties you have to the people you have loved. That’s what it means to créer les liens. In the past three years spent abroad, I’ve made a few of these ties, and now I’m feeling tugged to all corners of the world.

I’m coming to terms with the circumstances of my final semester. While this isn’t the ending I wish I could have had, it’s the ending I got. Until we’re through the storm, I’ll hold fast to the oars, bearing my weight by

© Youssef Naddam / Unsplashed.com

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Trends

1. THE BODY CON DRESS

The decade of the 2010s was also known as the decade of Kardashians. The Kardashians have started nameless fashion trends, but one that they can call their own is the bodycon look. Due to their overwhelming presence in fashion and social media, once Kim was spotted wearing a skin-tight, body-hugging dress, people began following in her footsteps. Over the years, it has become fashionable to dress down a bodycon with the help of an oversized jean jacket and some sneakers.

If you’re aiming for a classier look, pair the dress with strappy heeled sandals and a clutch, and your outfit will look on point.

2. ATHLEISURE

Athleisure wear came to life in the late 2010s, and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

The idea behind athleisure is to be able to wear something comfortable, sporty and chic all at the same time.

The style can be anything from tracksuits, track pants, or shorts to dad sneakers and Gucci slides. Designers such as Gucci, Fendi and Dior have picked up this trend and put their own spin on it. This ensemble is sported by celebrities on social media who create even more hype around the trend. Figures like Billie Elish, Ariana Grande, Kylie Jenner and Gigi Hadid have been spotted wearing designer athleisure wear, adding to the global sensation and popularity of this style.

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3. BLACK ON BLACK ON LEATHER In the early 2000s, wearing all black may have been considered goth, but now it’s a look people can not get enough of. Wearing black from head to toe is effortlessly cool, and it gives off a put-together feel without really trying at all. All black has always been around, but it was never really popular in the mainstream. However, sometime in the past ten years, the look that was once considered goth or bad boy transformed into one that is sleek and sophisticated.

4. NEON

Dreading wearing drab, dark colors during the winter months? Well, never fear, neon is here! Many of the pieces that went into the neon trend looked as if they came straight out of a 1985 aerobics class with products ranging from bike shorts to leggings, crop tops and dresses. In his 2018 winter collection for New York Fashion Week, Brandon Maxwell showed the world that there’s no reason you can’t look like you’re going to a summer party on a cold winter’s day. He sent models down the runway in unconventional winter colors such as coral, pink and bright yellow. Maxwell’s striking collection showed the world that colors have no boundaries, and going against the norms of seasonal fashion is not something people should be afraid of.

Lady Gaga showed up to the 2010 MTV awards in a dress made entirely of raw meat, creating one of the decade’s first viral ensembles. The last ten years have been a whirlwind for fashion. Boundaries were pushed, and trends emerged that no one could have seen coming. The fashion industry has also gained some help along the way from celebrities who encouraged us to think outside the box. Here are a few trends that helped define a decade.

THAT DEFINED 5. OVERSIZED EVERYTHING

People have been moving away from form-fitting clothing and opting for oversized garments. Wearing overly baggy clothing took off in the last decade, and seems to be here to stay. The popularity of this trend can be backed up by merely opening your “For You” page on Instagram. A typical look on an influencer’s pages is baggy trousers with an oversized sweater and chunky Filas. The loose attire is a breath of fresh air to those who are tired of wearing fitted clothes. It allows you to wear whatever makes you feel most comfortable in your skin.

6. AN OLDIE BUT A GOODIE

This past decade we’ve dug up and brought back low rise jeans, tracksuits, shell necklaces, button-up cardigans and barrettes. Now buttoned cardigans are being paired with checkered skirts and low rise jeans are worn with a cropped sweatshirt. The famous velvet Juicy Couture tracksuits are back but in different styles.

What once said “Juicy” on the back now says, “Gucci.”

Variations of Cher’s iconic plaid yellow look from the 1995 blockbuster movie Clueless have come up time and time again as a nod to a bygone era. Along with short plaid skirts, the fanny pack has been reintroduced in the last few years. It’s the belted bag you never knew you needed (or wanted).

A DECADE

By Veronica Reyes Illustrations by Stella Richman

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StarGazing

Is astrology the new religion for the digital age?

By Linnea Wingerup Illustrations by Stella Richman 28

T

he mug I clutch in my hands steams with English-Breakfast goodness as I set it down on the table where I plan to sip tea and check my phone for the first time that morning.

Gently easing myself into a chair and as the soft light filters through the window, I pick up my phone only to be greeted with what can generously be described as a blunt notification: “You should probably go see a movie by yourself today.”

This message was not a friend attempting to give me a bit of brutally honest advice.

Rather, but from Co-Star, an astrology app designed to bring you your daily horoscope.

Just as someone would read the news or check in on loved ones, it’s become a habit of mine to check my horoscope every morning when I wake up.

Astrology has found its place in the younger generations. Television, websites, apps like Instagram have embraced the trend, allowing for astrology to be more accessible than ever to a much wider audience. The stress of our fast-paced, modern world has given young people a reason to look to the stars, and they’re doing so on their devices.

Modern-day astrology, as we know it in the West, began in 1930s England with an astrologer by the name of R.H. Naylow who rose to fame after a few vital predictions about the royal family at the time. He proclaimed that something unusual would occur around the time of Princess Margaret’s seventh birthday and that later she would grow up to have a “scorn of restraint.” Both turned out to be true. Her uncle’s abdication of the throne fell on her seventh birthday, and she caused quite a stir when she took an extended vacation to the Caribbean with a friend, therefore neglecting her royal duties.

The Sunday Express newspaper gave Naylor a regular column and he began providing more general predictions to the public according to the date on which they were born.

Flash-forward to the late 1960s and early ‘70s, a time of counterculture movements, hippies and general social upheaval. Linda Goodman’s best-selling astrology book Sun Signs began to take over the “Age of Aquarius” with force. Proclaiming that astrology

could tell you everything about your personality, who you were best compatible with platonically and romantically and what paths were best to take in your future, Sun Signs proved a massive success that aligned with the dawn of New Age thinking. The book inspired other media, including television, radio and other books detailing how the key to making decisions was in the stars.

Astrology continued to reign in the ‘70s yet fell out of social prominence in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Although it remained present in books, television and radio programs, the cultural impact of astrology decreased. In a National Science Foundation survey from 1999, only 12 percent of Americans would check their horoscope daily, compared to a more recent study by the American Federation of Astrologers, which cites 23 percent.

The stress of our fastpaced, modern world has given young people a reason to look to the stars, and they’re doing so on their devices.

When asked about how she first got into astrology, Emily King, a 19-year-old undergrad at AUP and proud Aries, mentioned that her sources remained mainly offline. “I used magazines for sure. I also had a little calendar in middle school that gave you your horoscope for the day.” Jessica Cruz, a 20-yearold AUP student, and Scorpio, recalls reading The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need

by Joanne Martine Woolfolk and watching television segments by Walter Mercado, a Latino astrologist from Puerto Rico, with her grandma. “He would talk about each sign and also do horoscopes for the New Year,” she recounted. “He was such a crazy guy in my eyes, and I loved watching him talk, so when I got older and stopped watching his segments, I did my own research and became even more obsessed.” These kinds of experiences were only the beginning of a new awakening in the world of astrology.

This brings us to the most modern way to interact with, consume and learn about the practice today: the internet. In the early to

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mid-2000s, online communities congregating in internet chat rooms turned to astrology and mapped birth charts to analyze compatibility between signs and found out about their own characteristics.

In the early to mid2000s, online communities congregating in internet chat rooms turned to astrology.

I vividly remember mapping out my birth chart on CafeAstrology.com for the first time on my cousin’s fluffy carpeted flooring in her bedroom and being pestered with questions about my exact birth time and place, which would later determine my astrological fate.

After a few boxes on the site were dutifully filled in, a chart of tiny symbols and attached meanings was conceived on the pastel pink and green background, forever wrapping me into the world of what it meant to be a sun Sagittarius with my moon in Virgo. Long, elaborate descriptions of the different facets of my personality came up, each seemingly more accurate than the next to my 13-yearold self. It was as though a world of explanations and answers had opened up.

CafeAstrology.com, a site dedicated to mapping birth charts and providing personalized knowledge about the stars, was founded in 2002 by a woman named Annie Heese.

On the site, Heese whimsically describes its creation by saying, “Both the idea of creating this website and its name were conceived one sunny, breezy afternoon over cups of steaming coffee. The Sun was in Aries, which is generally considered a good time for starting anything new.” The site, according to Cafe Astrology itself, belongs to “anyone interested in astrology, whether that interest is a casual or compelling one.”

The site is just one of many that drove audiences of all ages to tap into the world of astrology through the convenience of a digital platform. Many young adults today can remember where their early introductions to astrology on the internet. For Lea Zipstein, a 20-year-old Laguna Beach native and Sagit30

tarius, is no different. “Tumblr or anything I could find on Google,” she recalled.

As Zipstein experienced, communities formed and grew on the internet with the common goal of spreading and better understanding astrology. It was not necessarily that astrology was becoming more popular—it was the fact that it could now reach an enormous audience with ease.

Online journalism outlets quickly caught on to this digitization of astrology and worked in regular horoscope columnists for their readers. The New York Times notes, “seemingly every cool-girl online brand — including Lenny, Bustle, Broadly, Girlboss and The Cut — features its own astrology column.”

Astrologer Madame Clairvoyant, for instance, writes weekly horoscopes for fashion and culture online platform The Cut, with her stories garnering 150 percent more clicks and engagement in 2017 than 2016. Her ethereal writing style and the allure of astrology itself appeals to The Cut audience. Each astrologer columnist seamlessly adapts their voice to that of the publication, in order for the writing to be familiar to intended audiences. In a weekly Sagittarius horoscope published in March, for instance, Madame Clairvoyant predicts, “what you’re really doing when you connect with others is creating the conditions for magic, and this week, nothing else will work quite as well.” Meanwhile, at Man Repeller, a notably witty and whimsical fashion platform, Sarah Panlibuton Barnes writes, “If your appe-

tite is whetted for more scenic astrological fodder, read on for more specific and less vague metaphor-based guidance on how to best join the astrological tango that February has in store for us all,” in an introduction to her February horoscope.

The rise of the internet horoscope inspired a budding phase of astrology apps and social media. Astrology accounts have notably cropped up on Twitter, some like Astro Poets amassing just under 600k followers. Their updates include weekly horoscopes, which are obligated to follow the character limit of Twitter itself, as well as various astrology and star sign-specific memes.

These memes have made their way onto dedicated Instagram accounts, also appealing to and amassing a large audience.

AUP undergrad and 22-year-old Libra Sophia Scalzo notes that astrology tends to show up in her everyday life. “I use Co-Star. I have my notifications on, so it sends me my horoscope every day,” she explained. “I also follow Libra and astrology meme accounts on Instagram.” While she doesn’t check them on a regular basis, she enjoys having them on her feed. This kind of integrated content naturally lends itself to immediate and everyday use, whether a user is actively searching out horoscopes and astrology or not. Apps allow for an immediacy in astrology, and the daily presence of horoscopes through notifications compels user interactivity, allowing for astrology to be worked into everyday life.

Founded by the self-proclaimed “very Scorpio” Banu Guler, Co-Star is the astrology app and topic of conversation throughout the digital world of astrology. With just under 500,000 monthly downloads, in an interview with Cosmopolitan Guler details the roots of the invention of the app and further explains where it fits in the context of the loud, attention-grabbing age of the internet. “Anxiety, loneliness, despair ... all of those things are on the up-and-up,” Banu notes, “and social media is accelerating all of that.” The app’s memorable and blunt daily notifications, like the one I received that morning months ago, draw the users back in and ground astrology in the quick-witted language of younger generations.

Each daily notification, however, is not created by humans, but by an algorithm.

On the Co-Star website, a statement reads: “Our powerful natural-language engine uses NASA data, coupled with the methods of professional astrologers, to algorithmically generate insights about your personality and your future.” A fusion of technology and a very much human-created phenomenon of astrology is thus married in a single app.

Apps allow for an immediacy in astrology, and the daily presence of horoscopes through notifications compels user interactivity, allowing for astrology to be worked into everyday life.

Banu further notes that the app is created in the presence of a “meme culture, and the idea of creating your own knowledge base and democratizing astrology is something that the internet created in a lot of ways.”

Its clean-cut black and white aesthetic simplifies the app’s use and brings in a distinct element of calm and centeredness. Co-Star and astrology itself are there for users “not to predict the future” but rather “to explain and create the present.”

But why are younger generations so inclined to follow these astrology accounts on their various social media feeds anyway?

What kind of answers do they provide, and what purpose do they serve in this digital age, backed by science and ever-evolving technologies? “Maybe young people are turning away from religion, and woo woo spirituality is filling the gap. Or maybe the unpredictable results of the last election have encouraged us to throw out traditional scientific methods and look to the stars,” notes Amanda Hess for The New York Times.

Young generations, much like teenagers of the ‘60s and ‘70s that came before them, are looking for direction, wherever they may find it, and astrology is there to provide just enough of a whimsical guide.

Katie Taylor, a 20-year old AUP undergrad and Capricorn, states that astrology can help with this indecisiveness and uncertainty of the modern age. “I definitely think

The act of stargazing and looking to the cosmos for meaning may be an ancient practice, but there is a distinctly human need for direction and guidance in this crazy-loud world we have created . nowadays there’s a lot of displacement in where younger generations find faith and find a sense of relating themselves to this cold, dark, universe.” She laughed and went on to note that “the idea of astrology helps you, sort of, find meaning in something where there’s no meaning.”

According to TIME, younger generations are facing more stress, anxiety and depression than their older counterparts. “Gun violence seemed to be a particularly large source of stress for the school-aged generation, with 75 percent of those in Gen Z calling mass shootings a significant source of stress,” as well as issues of sexual assault, suicide rates and family separations. In each category of stress, Gen Z was reported to be about 10 percent more stressed than older generations.

The general sentiments toward astrology of many young people, however, remain curious and upbeat, an energy akin to the trend-focused, fast-paced content-driven attitude that circulates in digital culture. “I think astrology is really fun even if you don’t believe in it,” notes Scalzo. “It’s become a way for people to bond over similar sign traits or a mutual dislike over a different sign.” Zipstein adds that astrology exists to be “just that: a way of inspecting the natural patterns of life and assuaging some anxiety.”

The act of stargazing and looking to the cosmos for meaning may be an ancient practice, but there is a distinctly human need for direction and guidance in this crazy-loud world we have created. As Zipstein says, “almost everything in our lives is cyclical and interconnected. And I think now that more than ever, we’re immersed in a digital world— it’s nice to be reminded once in a while to look at the moon.” Young people continue to look to websites like CafeAstrology.com or apps like Co-Star, as they can easily find 32

solace and comfort in the information that is both in and beyond their control. Sometimes, all it takes is for someone else to tell you that you’re going to be just fine for you to actually believe it.

I cannot say that I genuinely believe in the notion that the stars and movement of the planets dictate my personality, actions and everyday occurrences. However, I can say with absolute faith that something does not have to be real to be helpful. If my horoscope is telling me that I need to look out for others today and be kind to myself in times of turbulence and difficulty, then who am I to reject the advice on the basis that it doesn’t come from anywhere scientifically backed?

Tweeting for Healing Social media has provided a way for survivors of sexual assault to make their voices heard, the first step to a long road ahead

By Veronica Reyes

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Š Haley Tippmann

I

n recent years, an outpouring of posts from people sharing their experiences with sexual assault broke down stigmas and raised awareness for an issue that has historically been brushed under the rug. However, mobilization against rape and sexual assault is not new. Awareness around sexual assault became more prominent alongside the feminist movements of the 1960s and 1970s. The goals laid out by women’s rights organizations were similar to those of today: to reform both the laws dealing with rape and the culture reinforced by those laws. The difference that has made conversations stick is the internet.

Equipped with new technology, women in the 2010s used social media to create platforms for sexual assault survivors to come forward with their stories. On Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, survivors risked vulnerability to join supportive virtual communities.

Helena Rhodes, a sophomore at Pace University and a member of the Peer Advocates Against Sexual Assaults organization, believes social media has benefited survivors of sexual assault. “It helps people feel less alone and has made resources on how to stay safe more accessible,” she explained. Rhodes reiterated that seeing people her age come forward online helps others feel more comfortable doing the same.

Indeed, power comes in numbers. Standing alone is scary, but if you have people by your side, it’s much easier to get through something difficult. The viral nature of social media has been especially important in providing survivors with a support system they otherwise might not have had. It allows connections to be made quickly, reaching people far away and bringing massive amounts of awareness in such a short amount of time.

The #MeToo movement was one of the most influential campaigns for sexual assault survivors last decade, and it continues to remain relevant today. It all began when advocate and sexual assault survivor Tarana Burke created a space online that allowed survivors to feel safe in coming forward with stories of abuse. Burke founded the organization in October of 2006, originally specifically geared towards women of color who experienced sexual assault. However, it did not receive the widespread attention it deserved until 2017, when celebrities began using the 34

hashtag. As more stars began to come forward online, so did the general public, creating a groundbreaking movement.

Actress Alyssa Milano helped get the ball rolling by tweeting, “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted, write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” Her tweet received 55,000 responses, and #MeToo became the number one trending hashtag.

Rhodes made a point of mentioning that celebrities who speak out help others come forward. People in their teens and twenties look up to celebrities, and if they see their favorite singer using their platform to share their story of abuse, it could make them feel more comfortable telling their own.

In October of 2018, journalist Talia Lakritz interviewed fifteen different women for Insider.com, asking them how the #MeToo movement has impacted their lives. All fifteen women gave remarkably similar answers, explaining that hearing other women’s stories was empowering, and that it gave them a voice.

Women who come forward with stories of sexual abuse are often met with many obstacles.

Some women shared that it wasn’t until they saw other women’s stories of abuse that they realized they too were being abused, and others admitted that if it wasn’t for the hashtag, they probably would have never felt comfortable enough to come forward. When survivor Jenna Kreider was asked to share how #MeToo had affected her, she stated, “The #MeToo campaign really helped me to vocalize that with other people who I know have also gone through the same experience which is really great.”

The head of Sexual wellness at Pace University, Juliette Verrengia, explained how #MeToo has helped survivors, specifically in a college setting where the topic of sexual assault is often considered taboo due to students fearing that assault will not be taken seriously or could be covered up by the school. In agreement with the women who spoke out for Insider, Verrengea feels that the more we talk about the issue, the more likely people will feel less alone. This topic

has become unavoidable due to the amount of awareness social media has provided.

Feeling alone and unprotected is one of the main reasons survivors do not come forward, and thankfully #MeToo has been able to help some people conquer that fear.

“Do whatever makes you feel good. If the thought of coming forward brings you hope that might be a weight off your shoulders, that might be worth considering. If anxiety, fear, and vulnerability of coming forward feels completely overwhelming, then maybe right now isn’t the time for you,” says Verrengia to college students.

The past decade was a huge step in the right direction for women, but we still have a long way to go. Despite all the hard work women have put into spreading awareness, people continue to push them down. Women who come forward with stories of sexual abuse are often met with many obstacles.

It’s not uncommon for survivors to take their case to court and end with an unsatisfying result. It can take years for women to come forward, and when they do, the defense may try to shatter their credibility. After reporting, many are asked every question from whether or not they had friendly contact with their attacker to why they didn’t fight back.

Not only is this extremely upsetting for the person in question, but it also discourages others from coming forward due to fear that they too will not be believed.

Sharing your story is just the first step. Hurdles survivors may have to face after reporting an assault include reliving the trauma, feeling humiliated, being forced to disclose intimate details about the attack, facing your attacker in court, and having a rape kit performed. Women are asked demeaning questions about how much they were drinking when the assault occurred, what they were wearing, and if they made suggestive comments towards the perpetrator.

One would hope that social media would be nothing but a positive space for women to share their stories. However, posts on social media have the potential to make the prosecution of a sexual assault extremely complicated. With resources remaining insufficient for survivors, the process that comes after the assault can be the hardest part. Women reaching out for help online should not have to compromise on receiving justice.

Women reaching out for help online should not have to compromise on receiving justice.

Survivors have done a fantastic job paving the way for the future over the past ten years, but there is still a lot of work to be done on a structural level. Caitlin Moscatello summarized this idea for The Cut, “If the deluge of women coming forward proved anything, it is that we have had it — had it with men trying to shrug away sexual assault, had it with a system that punishes rapists based on their status instead of their crime, and had it with a society that often trusts the words of men over the words (and sometimes cuts and bruises) of women.”

According to America’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, RAINN, an American is sexually assaulted every 73 seconds, and only five out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison. While it is a win that movements like #MeToo allow people to find strength in community, it is crucial that we take a step back and ask ourselves how we can keep assaults from happening, and how we can help push forward legislation that protects survivors.

Feminist movements have been fighting to get an honest conversation around sexual assault started for decades, but with social media, these movements were able to acquire more visibility that reached more people. Although sharing stories of assault can be liberating, it is by no means the solution to this ongoing issue. While social media allows for survivors to be seen and heard, we need to be at a place where there are fewer stories of sexual assault altogether, and in the cases where it does happen, to ensure that survivors are not only believed but protected by the law.

If you or someone you know has experienced assault and you want confidential support, call the sexual assault hotline at 800-656-HOPE (US), +33 01 45 88 19 00 (FR) or visit online.rainn.org.

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CHEERS TO BEING QUEER (on the internet)!

AUP students on finding community online

By Linnea Wingerup Illustration by Stella Richman

Whether it be pride parades, gay bars, or drag balls, the representation of community within the LGBTQ+ space has historically been in places of physical gathering. But as of the last few decades, the internat has become a vital point of communication and connection in the queer community. Online spaces are redefining the concept of community itself, resulting in groups of people who may never see each other in person but maintain a bond through support and interests, digitally. I reached out to some people within the AUP community to get their stories about connections they have formed in the the LGBTQ+ community online.

Stella Guan, 20, They/Them Do you have a digital space in which you are most comfortable being queer?

I feel the safest being queer on Instagram because I feel like that’s where I have made the most connections within the community.

Sure, I’ve used Tinder and set it to “women, ”but I feel like it’s so much more passive, and also, way too selective. I like how on Instagram, I’ve connected with people in my community outside of their queerness as well. I’ve made connections with people over art, fashion, music, and other things.

How and when did you find it, and how has it impacted your life?

I think I had Instagram when I was like 11 or something. I got the app because I wanted to fit in and post cringe-y selfies and whatever. I think at first it was really toxic in my life—I think 36

that social media in general still is really toxic.

It wasn’t until I got to high school and finally came out that I realized Instagram could serve a more positive and unique function for me.

Looking up hashtags for lesbians and whatever made me feel less alone because I was the token gay kid at my school, and I hadn’t told my family yet. It also helped me a lot with my art and discovering my professional goals. I always knew tattooing existed, but I completely underestimated the art form. If it weren’t for Instagram, I wouldn’t have even stopped to think about that.

Have you had any funny moments or made any interesting connections in these spaces?

Meeting my current girlfriend was interesting. Not that it’s a crazy story or anything, but we met on Tinder and then moved to Instagram. I remember just being like “Yo, come to Paris,” as a joke. She lives in Belgium. An hour later, I check my DMs, and it’s a hotel and train confirmation that she’s coming to Paris before Christmas of 2018. That was a huge WTF moment for me. Now we’ve been dating for over a year and a half. I feel like if we stayed talking on Tinder, things would be different.

Aaron Sallan, 23, He/Him Do you have a digital space or platform in which you are most comfortable being queer?

I’d say I have two spaces. One I’ve had for years (Twitter) and one I’ve only discovered

recently (Ru-Paul’s Drag Race). With Twitter, my friends and I created private accounts back in high school. We used the accounts almost like personal diaries, similar to Instagram Close Friends now. Today, most of my friends are off of Twitter, but I still held on to my account. I don’t post anything anymore, but I pretty much exclusively follow my favorite celebs or funny gays. It’s where I can keep up with what’s popular and what’s going on in the community. I always knew about RuPaul, but never gave it a shot before someone gave me a handy little guide as to where to start if you’ve never seen it (skip season one, go straight to season six).

It’s such a cultural touchstone for the LGBTQ+ community, and it’s fun to keep up with.

Sam Miller, 20, They/Them Do you have a digital space or platform in which you are most comfortable being queer?

This January, a couple of my friends from AUP encouraged me to get involved in “bookstagram.” It’s where very aesthetic literature and book-loving Instagrammers post about their favorite novels, current reads and interact with authors and publishers. I found a community of queer bookstagrammers who post mostly about queer books and literature. In the comments and DMs, we’ve had in-depth conversations about queer lit, supported one another’s accounts through mentions and story posts, and engaged in “read-a-thons.”

Being a part of this community has been so much fun, and it has given me so much joy to be in conversation with a diverse queer community who love and dedicate themselves to queer stories. Bookstagram has also married my two areas of study and interest: gender studies and creative writing. It has given me a public platform where I can discuss and support queer narratives, and it has encouraged me to be as open and unapologetic about my own queerness in physical public spaces.

Have you had any funny moments or made any interesting connections in these spaces?

I was pleasantly surprised by how immediately warm and welcoming all the other bookstagrammers were of my account. I received several mentions and comments, especially from queer accounts, welcoming me to bookstagram and saying how cool it is to have more queer and non-binary bookstagrammers.

Stefan Levchenko, 19, He/Him Do you have a digital space in which you are most comfortable being queer?

The digital platform where I feel most comfortable being queer is definitely Instagram.

It’s the most youthful platform that inspires me to create a sort of glossy cover of who I am. Seeing what other queer people post on Instagram makes me want to stay inventive and entertaining for my audience—however small it may be. I feel like Facebook is a little bit outdated and is excessively used by my relatives. Even if they know about my sexuality, I feel uncomfortable showing my flamboyant side there. I posted some pictures in drag on Instagram, and God, so many people loved them. I then came out to my mother and other relatives step-by-step by gradually posting pictures in drag. The level of approval only inspired me to show more of my queer side on Instagram.

Have you had any funny moments or made any interesting connections in these spaces?

It was a rainy day in Istanbul, and I was really pissed at everything in the world. I opened Tinder, and I found a drag performer named Salomé. She said that they were having a drag ball tomorrow and that I should come to cheer myself up. So, I went, met all these amazing queens, and wrote a post about them on my Instagram. We followed each other, and now I’m finishing up edits of my documentary on their lives. Sometimes, the internet can be a blessing.

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Gene ration Z is p how t e hey p ractic rsonalizing e faith

By Am I llustra

y tions b Thorpe y Stell a Rich

man

G

eneration Z is the least religious generation to date. Over one-third of those born between 1995 and 2012 are irreligious, a significant amount compared to 23 percent of Generation X, 17 percent of Baby Boomers, and 11 percent of the Silent Generation.

“I’ve accepted the fact that there is going to be nothing past this life, and that’s it,” says AUP junior Madison Coakley, once a Christian but now an atheist. “After my first year of college, I was still going to church regularly and participating in community events. Then, I started traveling and having more conversations about religion, and that exposed me to some different viewpoints.”

Although Christianity is still the dominant religion in the West, its presence in the United States is waning. In its place, irreligion is on the rise. In her article “Religion, Irreligion and the Difference Place Makes,” researcher Tina Block defines irreligion as “behaviors, actions, and discourses that counter, in passive or active ways, specifically religious orderings.”

Block goes on to say that it “includes, but does not equate to, atheism.” Indeed, some individuals consider themselves non-religious while still maintaining a nominal or cultural attachment to religion. For example, “passive” Christians might celebrate Christmas without ever having prayed or been to church. Atheism, on the other hand, relates to the “active” opposition to religion, which 13 percent of Generation Z identifies with.

For many, spirituality has become an alternative to traditional religion.

Agnosticism, which AUP senior Ali Benzerara has practiced since leaving the Mormon Church several years ago, asserts that it is impossible for human beings to know the origins of the universe definitively or whether a divine being exists. He became agnostic after 16 years as a Mormon .

Benzerara says that the misalignment between the church’s values and actions was what made him leave. “They’d talk about

[things] such as accepting everybody as God’s child, treating everyone as thy brother or thy neighbor, but then there was still so much judgment within the church. I’m not saying that about every aspect or everyone that was in the church, but to me. I just felt like it wasn’t as inclusive as they preached,” he says.

As the most racially, religiously and ethnically diverse generation, inclusivity is deeply important to Generation Z. Social issues like gay marriage, gender equality, and justice for ethnic minorities have dominated the political scene for the past decade—largely thanks to the passion of young people. However, they have received significant pushback from traditional religious groups such as Evangelical Christians, who constitute a fourth of the U.S.’s population and helped to push conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump to victory in 2016. Such conflicts between traditional and progressive standpoints strengthen the perception that, as Coakley explained, inclusivity and Christianity have not always gone together.

“You have this community of people who love you, and you have God who loves you the most. When you’re in a trying time, it’s like, ‘You know what? It’s all right because God loves me,’ and I think that’s a really nice thing to remember,” Coakley says. However, one of the things she struggles with is how Christianity can become selective. “I have a lot of friends that will say they’re Christian,” she says, “but then there are things that they don’t believe and others that they do that are conflicting and completely against the Bible.”

For many, spirituality has become an alternative to traditional religion. While religion operates through organization and connects masses of people, spirituality is more introspective and focuses on a person’s path to self-discovery. The two work together but the latter can still thrive by itself. Approximately one-third of young Americans view themselves as spiritual but not religious, according to Pew Research. The root of spirituality lies in introspection, which for many manifests into practices like yoga, meditation, following astrology, or connecting with nature.

“I practice spiritu-

39

ality as often as I can,” says Benzerara.

“I believe in things like karma, energy and the law of attraction—basic, good morals. I see a lot of people around our age who don’t necessarily follow religion in the sense of how their parents would. I see people keeping in mind what they’ve learned as they were growing up in religion, but being more spiritual rather than religious.”

“What we see are almost new designer religions in this generation,” reiterated researcher Mark Gray to Reuters. “People are kind of picking and choosing different religious and spiritual beliefs and piecing together their own belief systems.”

That’s not to say there is not still a significant amount of young people who draw guidance predominantly from one religion. Some members of Generation Z are observers of the trend occurring in their generation as opposed to participants. AUP junior Zeina Makarem, for instance, has been a Muslim her whole life.

“My family, they’re very good with praying and the five pillars. So, I think it would be such a shame if I didn’t continue it because I always think that if God gives me so many good things, why would I not give back? I try to be as perfect as I can to reach a goal, but it’s a journey and everyone’s going to struggle,” she says.

Islam has played a role in helping Makarem through hard times, as it has done for many believers around the world. “It’s just that when things happen in life, and you return to the Qur’an, it helps you, and it guides you. I think it’s a very beautiful thing.”

Similarly devoted, AUP junior and Let’s Talk About GOD founder and president Baer Lanfried grew up in Christianity and had turned to agnosticism by the end of high school. Seeking to become a better person, psychedelics and fasting left him feeling out of touch with reality before his friend handed him a Bible and recommended he repent.

Lanfried recalls, “I went outside, opened up the Bible, and just got hit 40

with, I don’t know, what I call God. I just encountered the Lord and I was on my face crying and laughing with joy. That was the most terror I’ve ever had in my life, and that was the most joy I’ve ever had in my life.”

Since then, Lanfried’s dedication to non-denominational Christianity has only strengthened, especially as far as spirituality is concerned.

“People are kind of picking and choosing different religious and spiritual beliefs and piecing together their own belief systems.”

“In the Western hemisphere, we’ve really skewed religion and reduced it down to this thing that’s just entirely void of the understanding of what it actually should be,” Lanfried explained. “I think if anybody grew up in Christianity and didn’t understand what it truly means, it’d make sense to leave. Don’t just follow these beliefs because they’re fed to you. It’s not right; it’s not what we’re made for, you know? I think many people are falling away because they’ve been fed something void of what religion actually is: the shell of Christianity without any substance.”

Compared to other religions like Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, Christianity has a particularly low retention rate among young people. Organizations like Church Clarity, a crowdsourced database of local congregations that volunteers score based on transparency, have made efforts to diminish the secrecy in churches that led to scandals like the recent slew of reports on sexual abuse in the church.

Still, there is an apparent disconnect between religion and the youth. In a survey done by Barna, 37 percent of Generation Z stated they believe it is not possible to know if God is real, and 29 percent said they have a hard time understanding why a good God would allow so much suffering in the world.

Science also comes into question as nearly half of teens say their beliefs need to be supported by factual evidence, something many struggle to find in the religious texts.

“We’re getting smarter,” Coakley reasoned bluntly.

In the digital age, our understanding of the workings of our world has advanced significantly, but not necessarily in a way that aligns with traditional religious teachings. “In contrast to the methods of science, religion adjudicates truth not empirically, but via dogma, scripture and authority,” expanded Professor Jerry Coyne for The Conversation.

“Gen Z kids have access to many more resources, so if their parents are preaching one religion to them, they have the ability to fact check it and find its flaws,” notes Haley Bartel, a sophomore at The New School who practices Judaism. “They also have the ability to find communities of their own online, something previous generations haven’t necessarily been able to do.”

The internet has been particularly instrumental in allowing Generation Z to explore belief systems that may be out of their reach in their hometowns. Research reveals that social media in particular has been fundamental in helping atheists break away from religiously conservative communities to find other like-minded young people. As Makarem points out, though, there are some significant downsides to our culture-driven tendency to be online all the time.

“It’s an interesting time because if you look at history, a lot of decisions were made throughout the world because of religious influence, so I think it’ll be interesting to see what happens when Generation Z comes to power.”

“Not that it distances someone [from God] on purpose or anything, it’s just that you get distracted,” she explained. “To be a religious person or to be associated with one specific religion, you have to really connect. We may not need to reduce the time we spend on social media, but we should at least find some time in between to practice and alone with God.” Some religious leaders, like pastor Judah Smith, have been trying to adapt to Generation Z’s tech-savviness. Many of his sermons are available to view online or through his

app Churchome, described as a “community-based platform that brings the totality of the church experience to people around the world via their mobile devices.” Young Muslims are also encouraging inter-faith and inter-sect dialogue, pushing the boundaries of Islam’s interpretations.

The result is social media accounts like @ queermuslims that promote equal rights and dating apps like Muzmatch that help single Muslims meet. Evolution is key to the survival of religions, even if they grow less recognizable to the traditional adherents.

For better or for worse, Generation Z’s shift away from traditional religion is not likely to slow down any time soon. “It’s an interesting time because if you look at history, a lot of decisions were made throughout the world because of religious influence, so I think it’ll be interesting to see what happens when Generation Z comes to power,” explains Benzerara.

From young people of various backgrounds, Generation Z’s influence on our world’s religious landscape has stirred up a variety of reactions. “I’ll say it concerns me to see this generation drifting away from religion because at some point they’ll need it,” Makarem says. Some like Bartel counter that, saying, “It’s a beneficial thing because it encourages independent thinking.” And still others, like Lanfried, believe that either way, “there’s a God that’s got this figured out.”

Generation Z is proving that the age-old conflict between religion and irreligion does not have to be so pronounced as in the past.

Instead, they have found a way to practice faith without necessarily adhering to catagories, personalizing the belief systems they find most appealing. Gen Z’s break from tradition signifies a reimagination of the role religion plays in our lives, if any.

“Different faiths are all continuations of each other, and they’re all guiding you to be a good person,” summarizes Makarem, poignantly. In the end, regardless of labels, perhaps this commonality is something we can all appreciate.

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A plant-based diet may be the key to preserving the Earth

By Chloe Fearey Illustrations by Stella Richman

I

n 2020, headline after headline warns us of the impending doom of the climate crisis. As natural disasters are rampant and Amazon deforestation advances, virtually no countries are on track to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Many of us are left feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed by the sense of helplessness of it all. There are countless things, trivial and significant, that distract us from a crisis that requires our undivided attention.

When we do want to do something, it’s hard to resist feeling hopeless as our governments fail to take action and corporations continue mass-polluting. However, there is an opportunity for change to be found in something we all take part in every day: eating.

Despite the temptation to reduce “doing your part” to an annual appearance at a climate march, the real impact of individual action in your daily life is an invaluable consideration. One lifestyle and form of environmental action that has risen in popularity in the past decade is veganism, or the omission of all animal products from one’s life.

Despite the temptation to reduce “doing your part” to an annual appearance at a climate march, the real impact of individual action in your daily life is an invaluable consideration.

Between 2014 and 2017, vegans in the U.S. jumped from 1% to 6% of the population—a 600 percent increase. By now, many accept that veganism is the best diet for the planet. Particularly by removing beef and dairy products from our diets and buying local, we can have an enormous aggregate impact.

Chloe Lyons, president of AUP’s Vegan Club, argues that the impacts of eating a vegan diet on the planet are undeniable.

“At this point, it’s not a matter of believing whether or not veganism is the most sustainable diet, it is. The question draws strik-

ing similarity to: ‘Do you believe in climate change?’ We have the data, and it shows time and time again that it will be near impossible to reach a healthy future for our planet without a large shift towards a plant-based way of life,” she notes.

Lyon’s conclusion is supported by the findings of Joseph Poore, a researcher at Oxford University, in his study “Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers.” He found that, “a vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use.” Food is such a crucial part of the solution to the climate crisis because it involves all forms of environmental degradation. The amount of resources and land that go into the production of animal products, as well as the harmful byproducts like methane, make the standard Western diet much more damaging to the Earth than a plant-based one.

One of the most urgent forms of environmental degradation that meat consumption causes is deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. The Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies has reported that animal agriculture, particularly making room for cows to graze and to grow soy for their feed, was the cause of 80% of the deforestation taking place in the Amazon Rainforest. When American and European restaurant chains purchase this product from Brazil, they augment the incentive for deforestation.

We must all, then, consider our individual roles in creating a global demand for beef, something that is doing permanent damage to biodiversity, oxygen production and wildlife. However, it’s not just cow products that are doing severe damage. While beef is by far the worst choice to make for the environment, other animal products like pork, dairy and fish also create harmful greenhouse gases. They require far more resources than plant alternatives to be farmed (even in relative terms of how many calories or the amount of protein they yield).

It is possible that meat could become more environmentally friendly, but that reality is far away from our current moment.

The New York Times recently reported that advances in animal breeding, feed quality and grazing systems are helping to lessen

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the climate footprint of livestock operations all over the world. However, while these measures will be useful in the future, they are not yet comprehensive enough to have a considerable impact on the climate crisis.

Poverty-ridden communities, primarily made up of minorities, will be disproportionately affected and the most vulnerable to climate change.

While most of us have the agency and access to become vegan, a significant number of Americans live in food deserts. These are areas in which there is little to no access to affordable fresh food. In the U.S., they take up large portions of cities and rural areas that are typically made up of low-income and minority residents. If people that live in these areas do not have cars or access to public transportation, it becomes impossible to access the produce necessary to go vegan in a healthy way.

In 2009, there were at least 2.3 million Americans living in these conditions.

This food crisis can provide even more of a reason to become more plant-based for those of us who have the privilege to do so. Poor communities, primarily made up of minorities, will be disproportionately affected by climate change. When we have the option to be vegan, we should do it for those who are unable to do so.

An important, yet less commonly discussed point, is that vegans should be more involved in this fight for food justice. There are simple ways to do this, such as helping neighborhoods start community gardens and lobbying local government officials to support programs that subsidize and provide fresh food and produce.

Due to this structural food problem in the United States, putting pressure on governments and voting is an indispensable part of 44

the solution. While some countries such as Denmark have considered taxing meat due to the environmental harm it does, the U.S. government encourages the over-consumption of animal products by maintaining the cheapness of fast food. The nation spends $38 billion to subsidize the meat and fastfood industries every year. This money, if redirected towards plant foods and food empowerment projects, would make it easier to eat more sustainably.

On an individual level, even those of us with access face challenges when becoming vegan. It takes bravery to tell your family you won’t be eating a meal that is part of a family tradition. It is not easy to change your habits or settle for something your taste buds have become used to finding less delicious or indulgent. In my experience, exposing yourself to media that causes complete heartbrokenness for what our planet loses every day can be quite mobilizing (I recommend watching the Our Planet documentary series).

Though it’s challenging to do, the reality of the situation is that we cannot continue consuming the same food in the ways that we have in the past. Poore emphasized that our current way of life is a dead end. He concluded, “With current diets and production practices, feeding 7.6 billion people is degrading terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, depleting water resources, and driving climate change.”

The severity of the current climate crisis makes it clear that we have to make a pretty radical shift from what we have been doing that got us to where we are today. This shift can be gradual and start with giving up some more harmful habits or tastes –such as ordering a hamburger or getting cow’s milk in a latte. If going vegan or even vegetarian is not possible for you at this point, opt for the chicken option rather than beef: chicken’s impact on the planet is around five times less than beef or dairy.

Through making informed and responsible purchases, we can collectively have an impact on which industries are successful and which will not be able to continue in the often destructive manners that they have for the last century. The first step is realizing the real price of the consumer convenience we have become so comfortable in, and taking steps to lower our impact. Environmentally

irresponsible industries will always prioritize profit over people; that’s why it is so crucial to take action on our own.

If you are considering going vegan, AUP student Alex Lane points out that the transition may not be as big of a leap as it seems. “Think about your staples.

Think about what people are buying now to stock up their kitchens—it’s vegan stuff like beans, rice, lentils, pasta,” she says. “I recommend focusing on vegetables and making them the centerpiece.” By making meals centered around whole, natural foods rather than some of the vegan mock products, adopting a more earthfriendly diet can help to improve upon previously established eating habits.

Though it’s challenging to do, the reality of the situation is that we cannot continue consuming the same food in the ways that we have in the past.

Making a decision that may at first reduce your immediate gratification or satisfaction will be well worth it in the long run. We are all concerned for the planet and our collective future, so eating more sustainably is a way to align your lifestyle with these convictions and concerns.

As a plus to having real environmental benefits, eating more plant-based food can also help with feelings of “eco-anxiety,”: the dread of looming environmental demise. Eating a plant-based diet is a lifestyle worth working towards, that will make a massive difference in our environmental impact.

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Women of Bolivian and Andean descent by Jennifer Albarracin.

A Navajo tradition inspired a group of university students to bring minority artists into the spotlight.

By Shandiin Vandervere

Woman of Bolivian and Andean descent by Jennifer Albarracin Moya.

Photography and illustration by members of the Changing Womxn Collective

I

n the first world, there were four oceans.

In the center was a small island surrounded by darkness. From this world of solitude, First Man and First Woman climbed through the second or Blue World, and then the Yellow World.

Finally, they came to our current Fourth World, known as the Glittering World. So goes the traditional Navajo creation story told to grandchildren by respected elders.

The two characters are said to have found a baby girl wrapped in a cloud atop one of the four sacred mountains surrounding the Navajo reservation and raised her as their own. She was named Asdzáá Nádleehé, now known as Changing Woman, and grew up to create the earth and the sky within the Glittering World. A powerful woman, she restored order to the once chaotic world. As Changing Woman grew and passed through puberty, she was given the first kinaałdá ceremony, a coming of age celebration. Once fully grown, she gave birth to the first humans by bathing herself and rubbing skin off from her arms, breast, and back. From each section of her body came one of the four sacred Navajo clans.

Changing Woman has since played an integral role in many parts of Diné culture, and young womxn in the culture have been able to look to her for inspiration and strength. Changing Woman is widely known by the Navajo people for balance, beauty, power, transformation. In today’s rendering of a kinaałdá ceremony, Navajo girls officially become women after their first menstrual cycle. With this responsibility also comes Changing Woman’s strength, fertility, power and authority as they take on a more significant role in their community.

The Changing Womxn Collective, a digital space for all womxn of color to have their voices heard, was created as an homage to Asdzáá Nádleehé, the main womxn in Navajo creation stories. The collective was founded

by Kinsale Hueston, a 19-year-old Diné woman who grew up hearing oral stories, like Changing Woman’s life story, from her grandmother. Managed by a group of young womxn of color currently in college at Yale University, the collective operates primarily as an online literary magazine that publishes art, poetry, prose, and op-eds from indigenous, Black, Latinx and Brown creators.

Portrait by Taylor Wang.

The collective’s art and photography platform, The Visual, allows community members to experience visual art and photography created by womxn and femmes of color on thier own terms.

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Navajo culture, like many other indigenous tribes, is matrilineal and bases power and heritage off of the women within each family.

Changing Woman’s position as a leader goes against the ideology of many groups in power today, which have been historically led by older white males. However, just because this story originated centuries ago in one native culture doesn’t mean it can’t be applied to other cultures in the modern context.

The collective’s decision to use the word “womxn” rather than “woman” in their platform’s name was an important decision for the group. Some of the masthead members say it’s a way to “decentralize men” in the space and “deliberately makes the space one that creates more opportunities for marginalized voices and for those who are specifically marginalized based on their gender.” Others simply like how powerful a statement is made by a single letter. “On the one hand, it’s x-ing out the man, literally. It also symbolizes creating our own path. It’s a powerful statement,” says one of their members.

The collective’s decision to use the word “womxn” rather than “woman” in their platform’s name was an important decision for the group.

One of the creators of the world wide web, Tim Berners-Lee, has admitted it is not working for womxn and girls. In early internet days, there were hopes that it would be a place where people could connect and spread ideas on a level playing field. However, in a letter celebrating the 31st anniversary of the internet, Berners-Lee said, “I am seriously concerned that online harms facing women and girls – especially those of color, from LGBTQ+ communities and other marginalized groups – threaten that progress.”

In a survey created by the Berners-Lee Web Foundation, more than half of young women were found to have experienced violence online, including sexual harassment, threatening messages, and having private images shared without consent.

A new comprehensive study by Amnesty 48

International of social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, confirms that “Black women were 84 percent more likely than white women to be disproportionately targeted.” The study also found that Latinx women are more likely to get threats of physical violence, Asian women faced more ethnic, racial and religious slurs, and mixed-race women faced abuse across all categories including sexism, racism, physical and sexual threats.

One of the first major hurdles to get over is finding online spaces in which minority voices can be heard, and in turn, have their experiences listened to. One of the Changing Womxn Collective’s main goals is to honor the importance of Brown and Black perspectives by carving their own digital space on the internet. “There’s a lot of young people out there who were like me at one point, marginalized voices who were denied the platform.

I want to give them that,” Hueston says in an interview with Youth to the People.

The idea in Changing Woman’s story of womxn’s identity as ever-evolving stood out for Mariko Fujimoto Rooks, the platform’s lead interviewer. “The idea of change and the idea that womxn as a concept are constantly changing speaks to me,” she explains.

Among the many resources for their readers to use, the collective creates a unique spotlight of individual womxn artists of color in each of their issues through interviews, simple conversations and personal moments or anecdotes in a series called The Glow.

Rooks feels this particular resource, “allows people to see why people are doing the work they are doing.

I think it really humanizes the access that we have, especially since so much of the work we have is personalized.”

While the collective helps raise voices from traditionally underrepresented populations, the idea of story- Kinsale Hueston, the founder of the Changing Womxn Collective.

telling within these communities is not new. Many have traditions of cultural exchange in oral history that goes back hundreds of years. Both Rooks and Kinsale have found a healing through creating a space for these stories to be recorded forever.

themselves to take up more space than they think they should.

Karen Li, one of the platform’s lead columnists, says, “I want our followers to recognize they’re strong and pow-

“The idea of change and the idea that womxn as a concept are constantly changing speaks to me” Motivated by Changing Woman’s creative power, the Changing Womxn Collective hopes their group will be able to empower womxn of color’s narratives, to connect young leaders, and to inspire the next generation of artists. One of Rook’s main goals is “giving people the opportunity to have their voices heard.” By distributing workshop lesson plans and prompts made by their masthead, the collective hopes to push young womxn to question society’s rules and empower

Nanticoke Lenni Lanape by Kaylin Webster.

Nanticoke Lenni Lanape by Kaylin Webster.

erful on their own despite a history of their perspectives being sidelined.”

On the collective’s Instagram, there is a continuous flow of “opportunities” highlights that update their followers on job and internship opportunities in media and creative arts fields. Li says she, “feels like this shows what motivates people. I see that as motivation for myself, as well.”

The Changing Womxn Collective advises women who are interested in creating similar groups to use zines as a way to exercise their leadership skills and support their group’s voices.

Used as a tool to document the counterculture experience long before the internet was created, zines gave marginalized authors control over publication and broke free from mainstream media’s rules. From the Beat culture of the ‘50s to the punk and feminist

movements of the ‘80s, zines have created networks of ideas and art throughout history.

Outlets like Facebook and Instagram are used by the Changing Womxn Collective to promote their message to a broader audience. Even though the collective uses social media platforms that don’t share their goals of highlighting a range of diverse voices, to them, getting their message out to as many people as possible is the most important thing.

As Facebook has recently come under fire for their collection of their users’ private data, some question whether these platforms should even be used. Li addresses the importance of their reach. “I acknowledge that Facebook is so powerful because it reaches so many people. Especially people who might not take the initiative to seek out publications and platforms like ours.” For the collective, the contradiction does not outweigh the importance of the platform’s potential to reach millions of people.

“We’re constantly criticizing Yale for what it has done in its past and what it continues to do, but we’re there. We’re making our own paths, and we’re changing Yale at the same time.”

Li compares an inner conflict she has with her own university to put it into perspective.

Most of the collective’s masthead attend Yale University, one of the oldest and elite universities in the U.S. Li explains, “Being at Yale University is an internal conflict for all of us at the same time. We’re constantly criticizing Yale for what it has done in its past and what it continues to do, but we’re there. We’re making our own paths, and we’re changing Yale at the same time.”

The collective’s ultimate goal is to make a lasting impact on women who may feel like society does not give them a seat at the table. The group strives to achieve a balance of power. The beauty of empowering womxn to raise their own voices and create their own spaces in the face of adversity is unparalleled.

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Navajo culture strives for hózh̨​̨ó, which has no direct translation to English. However, the combination of the English words, “balance,” “beauty,” and “harmony” encapsulate the significance of living a life of hózh̨​̨ó. The changing womxn collective believes that by centering artistic expression and the voices of those from traditionally underrepresented communities, the world can get closer to embodying the ideals of balance and harmony.

before

BEFORE AND AFTER Every summer since moving to Paris, I briefly return home. Banking on saving plenty of time left in the city, I would tell myself, “I’ll conquer my to-do’s when I return.” Little did I know that this year, the world would change overnight, and I would have to board a flight home with tasks unfinished and loose ends untied... for good. Although the Paris that I left behind looks skeletal in comparison to the city that I moved to at 17, I’ll always remember it as the lively place that shaped the person I am today. These are some photo-memories from life before lockdown and life after. photography by katie zambrano

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after

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By Emilyn Snyder Illustrations by Stella Richman

You walk into an interview, your palms sweating. You arrive in a room filled with other individuals waiting to be questioned, pasts and presents dissected for the opportunity to work. Finally, your name is called. Walking into the room, you perch on the edge of your seat, facing the interviewer. In your hand, you clutch a file of papers filled with personal information. Tentatively, you hand it across the desk. The interviewer opens the file and scans quickly through the documents, pausing upon a sheet filled with genetic information. They then politely hand back your file, and after conducting the interview, they inform you that you do not qualify. Despite your answers, your genetic information spoke for you.

Could this be our new reality? The key to our very being exists inside every one of us. It is trapped within a spiral of coded parts, tangled up in every nucleus of our cells. Genetic testing has increased in popularity over the past couple of years. By merely sending in a tube of saliva, scientists can determine where your family originates from, what races make up your heritage and, if allowed to probe further, can determine what diseases you may be at risk for. Initially, genetic testing was offered as a public service for people to resolve their lineage and possible health-related issues.

However, its rise in popularity has led to the results being used only for entertainment.

This growth in awareness, combined with its ease of use has led to increased risk for all involved, no matter how conscientious.

Tracing your ancestry has never been easier, but what happens to your DNA afterward is anything but black and white By putting your genetic information out into the world, you may be putting yourself and others at risk.

The human genome was first sequenced in its entirety in 2003, and since then, scientists have been able to understand more about the secrets of the human body. The ability to have individual DNA tested followed soon after in 2006. Decoding your genome has the potential to spur a healthier life for thousands of people around the world who are suffering from inherited genetic conditions.

Diagnostic testing is often done when an individual is exhibiting signs of gene mutation, and the results can diagnose a disease such as cystic fibrosis or Huntington’s.

Another type of testing, called “predictive testing,� is done as a preventative measure to screen for potential inherited diseases, such as certain types of cancer.

and

WE

Allowing scientists to read your genetic code can enable them to pinpoint specific genetic markers, thus allowing for more accurate medical assistance. Francis Collins, past director of the National Human Genome

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Research Institute, noted the value of having one’s DNA decoded. Collins states, “[the decoded human genome] is a transformative textbook of medicine, with insights that will give health care providers immense new powers to treat, prevent and cure disease.” Essentially, creating a map of your genetic history to better your health.

However, people have discovered uses for DNA beyond personal medical and heritage tests. Voluntarily giving away DNA has helped identify certain criminals if the police are allowed to put DNA samples through extensive database services. Fairly recently, the infamous Golden State Killer was found thanks to DNA evidence, after more than thirty years of escaping arrest. Yet, the benefits for society go beyond catching faceless criminals.

“DNA is just another form of a commodity that can be bought and sold over the internet.”

Imagine a world where, once everything is known about your body, diets and exercise plans can be tailored to fit individuals. With healthier lifestyles, obesity and heart disease rates could go down. Of course, this all depends on the cooperation and coordination of various companies that manage DNA databases to make sure that this information is used fairly and legally with the complete understanding of its owners. Even in beneficial cases, DNA-testing companies are fighting to keep their databases from being used to solve crimes, as this way may infringe upon personal freedoms.

Susan Perry is a professor at AUP who began her work on privacy concerns with Claudia Roda in 2011. Roda is a fellow professor at AUP and teaches courses on Computer 58

Science and Global Communications.

In a recently published a book titled Human Rights and Digital Technology: Digital Tightrope, they analyze how to protect human rights as technology con© 23 and Me / Unsplashed.com tinues to advance and develop. Now, with a budget of over one million dollars, Perry and Roda seek to improve privacy designs for software engineers around the world.

Perry explains that there are various ways to use DNA. “DNA is just another form of a commodity that can be bought and sold over the internet,” she says. This commodification takes the individual out of the equation, making the data less personal. This distancing from one’s own data can lead to an indifferent mindset, which can increase the risk that data will be stolen.

In 2008, a law called the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act, or GINA, was passed to ensure that employers or insurance companies could not discriminate based on a person’s genetic makeup. For example, an individual at risk of early-onset Alzheimer’s should be just as likely to get a job as an individual with no such indicators. Additionally, an insurance company would not be able to refuse an individual their services if the customer shows a high probability of getting a rare disease. However, despite the passing of these laws, they have proven difficult to enforce when personal genetic information can be made public. “All the laws we will ever need to protect DNA privacy are already in place,” says Perry, “but they need to be applied properly to the digital world. GINA is a terrific idea in theory, but how do you know discrimination will be based on DNA?” The first name that pops into the mind of many when it comes to DNA testing is 23andMe, the company that pioneered the first public affordable service. Founded in 2006, 23andMe received a large amount of money from Google, and in 2007, started offering the first commercially available ancestral DNA testing. Later, they started offering a more in-depth test that looks at

an individual’s possible medical future. As of 2020, 23andMe has sold more than 10 million DNA tests, the majority in the U.S. However, the peak of these sales was in 2017 and 2018, and lately the market has lulled due to an increase in privacy concerns.

Other companies have entered this market, allowing for alternative testing options. Ancestry DNA and My Heritage DNA both began developing tests and competing commercially with 23andMe in 2012 and 2016, respectively.

With such a rapidly expanding field, it has proven more challenging to contain information in a way that does not breach a person’s privacy or cause harm. One major concern was racial profiling, whether purposefully or subconsciously. In July of 2015, an app was made available on GitHub dubbed Genetic Access Control. This app was programmed to use information based on an available 23andMe profile to limit the user’s access to specific sites based on their genetic information. Genetic Access Control could disallow access on specifications ranging from race to disease. 23andMe took immediate action, and only three individuals were ever able to use the app. What shocked users was that the coder legally accessed this data based on the company’s open API possibilities, meaning that all of the users who allowed their information to be part of API were open to use by public developers. This breach revealed a weakness in public information access to personal DNA beyond just 23andMe. Anyone with enough

knowledge of computers could gain access and use, in a negative way, public information that tied to an individual. More than ever, this case shows that genetic privacy laws need to be better applied to the digital world.

Perry herself took a DNA test through the National Geographic DNA Ancestry Kit, and finalized the process with their privacy lawyers to ensure that her information would not be shared without her permission. Perry asked only for genealogical data on where she came from, so her DNA would not undergo medical tests. When requesting that her DNA swab be destroyed immediately after testing, the only guarantee she received was that it would be done after five years.

“Of course, that’s no guarantee against hacking,” she concluded with a slight shrug.

The more valuable the data is, the more likely it will become a target. Personal information is especially susceptible because it is a hot commodity for anyone willing to use it for monetary gain, with blackmail as a major concern. If someone were to gather enough information and then threaten to tell that individual’s boss, family, or friends, that individual could be forced to pay a large sum of money to keep their information private. No matter what the genetic information may be, it belongs to the individual, and the only way to protect it is to stay safe and vigilant online.

Perry highly recommended that all individuals who have any number of passwords should use a password manager such as Keepass. A password manager allows you to store all your passwords in a secure database that can only be accessed by a master key.

Despite the fact Perry commissioned a DNA test, she would not recommend it to the general public. “Unless one has no idea of their antecedents, [like in the case of orphans or those who have been adopted], one has some knowledge of inherited medical probabilities and should base any medical decisions on that knowledge, not what you would find in a DNA test.” Perry insisted that what your doctor would know, based on their knowledge and your medical history, would be enough to let you be aware of any foreseeable health risks. Perry believes that the risks associated with sharing your DNA online are too high, and the results won’t necessarily give you a definitive answer.

“If you were to test your DNA, do so with

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a reputable company and make sure you can pull your sample and data; and make sure that it is guaranteed,” Perry continues, “If you want to determine if a company has good privacy policies, attempt to contact them, if they respond, then they probably care about your privacy.” While 23andMe’s privacy policy states that they “will not​provide any person’s data (genetic or non-genetic) to an ​insurance company​or ​ employer​ ,” MyHeritage says that they “will never sell or license such information to insurance companies under any circumstances.” Privacy policies can be worded very differently, and it is the consumer’s responsibility to be aware of what those policies could imply.

For those who would be willing to share their DNA for the greater good, consider the Personal Genome Project, founded in 2005. It is the coalition of several projects around the world, including researchers in the United States, Canada and Austria. Its goal is to create a unified source of data to help further discover more about human genes and health in general. As far as how the information is shared, their website clearly states that their approach is to invite willing participants to publicly share their data for the benefit of the project. They are not vague about what it means to share one’s data either. Not only does an individual go through an eligibility screening, but they also receive a study guide with understandable information on all the protocols as well as the risks and possibilities of them occurring. One possible threat that is mentioned is that a criminal may reproduce a participant’s synthetic DNA at a crime scene to frame the individual. To ensure that participants are motivated only by their willingness to benefit science, they are told under Article VII of their consent form, labeled “Benefits,” that “You are not likely to benefit in any way as a result of your

participation in the PGP.” While building up a database of genetic information can lead to medical breakthroughs and new discoveries, there is a dark side to having a lot of information on a large dataset of people.

While building up a database of genetic information can lead to medical breakthroughs and new discoveries, there is a dark side to having a lot of information on a large dataset of people.

DNA usage may grow to such an extent that entire populations will have their personal information connected to their DNA profiles. Already in China, organizations are using their citizens’ DNA for tracking and controlling purposes. Digital and physical lives are being monitored by the government and other organizations, which could allow them to manipulate their populations. This is only one possibility in the future of DNA sharing worldwide. However, many professionals of human privacy and freedom are working in their companies to ensure that a scenario such as this is not implemented.

You walk into an interview. Your palms are sweating. Perhaps due to a combination of nerves and caffeine. Sitting among the other individuals waiting to be interviewed, you tell yourself that you should be confident.

The door opens and your name is called.

You perch on the edge of your seat, file in hand, and then pass your papers over. The interviewer scans through them and looks up, giving you a bright smile. The interview passes without any problems, and perhaps you even make the interviewer chuckle. In the end, they tell you that they will be in touch, and you know they saw you as an individual, not a bunch of data on a sheet. Your DNA is not for anyone to see but yourself.

Women’s Rights March 2020 in Mexico City © Regina Romo Andrade

Revolución 2.0

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unday, March 8, 2020.

Over 80,000 women took to Reforma, Mexico City’s main avenue, to march for their rights. Purple shirts and green bandanas flooded the Plaza de la República, the square that holds the monument commemorating the Mexican Revolution. This plaza is often the starting point for protests in Mexico’s capital. Perhaps this is in part because of its large size, but most likely because of the plaza’s significance in representing a 10-year-long fight that ended in 1920, precisely 100 years before.

The numbers paint a bleak picture. From 2015 to 2020, femicides grew by 137% in the country. In 2019 alone, 976 were registered. However, considering many murders are not classified as “femicides’’ by the authorities and many others go unreported, that number is likely larger. Some 77% of women report not feeling safe in Mexico.

Ten women are murdered each day. Gender-motivated crimes against women see an impunity rate of 95%.

Machismo, arguably a root cause of this problem, has been a recorded part of Mexican culture since Aztecs ruled the land.

Machismo is the concept of extreme masculinity and refers to a man’s role as the protector and provider in both the family and in society. The idea of the “perfect war-

100 years after the Mexican Revolution, a second, feminist Revolution has begun By Adriana Alonso

rior” established certain expectations for males. When the Spanish came to conquer and added religion to the mix, machismo was reinforced. However, the stereotype of the macho Mexicano really took hold during the Mexican Revolution. Machismo is so ingrained in Mexican culture that even therapy groups have surged in recent years to help men work through their macho attitudes.

Today, gender roles and machista culture are deep-rooted in Mexican and His-

Women’s Rights March 2020 in Mexico City © Regina Romo Andrade

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Women’s Rights March 2020 in Mexico City © Regina Romo Andrade

panic communities and have even become accepted characteristics. They are imposed on people from a very young age and are reinforced by movies, telenovelas, religion, work-life and family dynamics. This normalized behavior has caused years of inequality for women and its repercussions can still be seen to this day. Just as men are expected to provide and protect, women are expected to serve and obey.

I’ve lived this first hand. A year ago, I decided to transfer from my university in Mexico City to AUP. The Parisian experience and a chance for a better education were obvious motivators of my decision. However, the rising violence in the country since Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexico’s current president, took office was also a determining factor. The country’s first leftist president in 70 years, who was initially seen as a beacon of hope for the people, is now the same man who brushed off the murder of 25-year-old Ingrid Escamilla when questioned during a press conference. He replied, “I don’t want the femicides to overshadow the raffle,” referring to his plans to sell tickets for a lottery of Mexico’s presidential airplane.

When I go back to Mexico City, my parents don’t allow me to be out after 1:30 a.m.

I am not allowed to take an Uber, much less a taxi. I am often told I should never have a 62

drink from the bar if I’m unable to see the bottle being opened in front of me. My parents require me to let them know whenever I leave a place and when I get to my next destination.

These measures may sound extreme to anyone who grew up in Europe or the United States. But it is the least I can do to give my parents peace of mind in a country where a woman’s stabbed, burned or mutilated body becomes nothing but part of a rapidly increasing statistic. Mexico has become a country where I know my friends take better care of me than the authorities do—a message from them asking me if I got home safely has become the usual way to end a conversation. This situation, which is even worse for millions of women, is the reason why women’s rights movements are growing and evolving.

Even though the Women’s Day march this year received extensive media coverage, women decided marching was not enough anymore. They have marched year after year demanding basic human rights and nothing has changed. If anything, things have gotten worse. The day after this year’s march, women who live in Mexico, but do not have the privilege to leave the country as I did, decided to take a different approach to their fight.

On Monday, March 9, 2020, a feminist movement known as El 9 Nadie Se Mueve (Nobody Moves on the 9th) took place in which women decided to disappear throughout Mexico to show men what it would be like to live in a world without women. The usually busy roads were empty; there was no traffic.

Most chairs sat vacant in schools and offices.

All girls and women were encouraged not to buy anything, provide services or spend money, and miss school and work. Many even decided to disappear from social media.

A hundred years before this new feminist protest began, the Mexican Revolution was coming to an end. The main objective of this decade-long revolution was to overthrow Porifio Díaz’s dictatorship, which had lasted for more than 30 years. Social inequality, lack of labor laws, repression, violence and a need for freedom of speech were only some of the problems of Diaz’s government that motivated people to join the fight.

There are no official figures as to how many women participated in the revolution,

but it is estimated that several hundred thousand women died. Soldaderas, or female soldiers, were allowed to participate mostly because of necessity. Sometimes it was the only way to stay close to their husbands, which is where they felt the safest. Others did it in order to gain access to weapons so they could protect themselves. Some had no other option but to fight when their villages were under attack. There were even women who were kidnapped from their homes to serve, often as prostitutes. These women collectively gave birth to one figure: Adelita. Adelita is a revolutionary character who became an emblem for all women who participated in the revolution. She represented the bravery of the soldaderas, but also their youth and beauty, presenting them as an object of desire. Although Adelita embodied all the strong women who participated in the fight, her name also impedes the individual recognition of participants.

Whether they participated by choice or not, women were not allowed to hold a military charge. They were primarily spies, couriers, and propagandists. Either way, they still had to fulfill what were (and in some cases still are) considered tasks only for women.

They had to provide soldiers with food, clean clothes and sex. Unfortunately, women who fought amongst men were looked down upon by the general population since they were seen as stepping out of their roles. The government barely acknowledged their participation in the battle to avoid giving them the monetary aid male soldiers received.

During the revolutionary period, there was a surge in higher education for women, which led to more visible feminist movements as the revolution came to an end. In 1916, the first women’s rights congress took place in Mérida, Yucatán. Even though around 700 delegates attended the congress, it resulted in no lasting changes. The new constitution of 1917 included equal pay laws for women, but suffrage was not granted until 1953. Progress was forced to take other forms, like the publishing of Mujer Moderna (Modern Woman), the first-ever feminist magazine in Mexico.

Today, the Mexican Constitution offers equal rights to men and women. Unfortunately, in society, this couldn’t be from the truth. “Men will never understand what it is like to be scared of an empty parking lot, or

of walking two blocks alone, in the dark,” said 24-year-old student Paola Von Bertrab, who participated in both the women’s march and the national strike. She added, “They believe we enjoy equal rights, but that’s because they never have and never will endure the hardships of being a woman. Especially in a country like Mexico.” Women have to deal with countless fears during their everyday activities, ranging from getting cat-called or harassed on public transportation to getting raped and murdered on their way home. They are also faced with issues like the obvious wage-gap, lack of opportunity in the labor sector and limited accessibility to education and health services.

“Men will never understand what it is like to be scared of an empty parking lot, or of walking two blocks alone, in the dark.”

Despite the yearly marches, the worsening circumstances for women have resulted in mounting rage. In the last couple of years, the built-up anger has led some women to

Women’s Rights March 2020 in Mexico City © Lucia Cordero

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vandalize Mexican monuments with graffiti, break windows and burn things in the street.

A big portion of the media coverage the marches have received was about the vandalism and violence, instead of the actual movement. In response, some women complained about the damage, pointing out that it was only a small group of women who interrupted what was meant to be a peaceful demonstration. On the other hand, some women started the hashtag #FuimosTodas (it was all of us) on Twitter to make the argument that all women are in this fight together. By pointing fingers, the women behind the hashtag felt that unnecessary division was created.

Historically, at least in Mexico, social changes never happen quietly. This does not mean there has to be extreme violence in order for women to be safe, but there has been a growing feeling that marching peacefully is not enough.

“Never in my life do I want to re-experience my invisibility. From this day on, I will be louder and more visible than ever.”

Although not physically violent, the more radical movement of #El9NadieSeMueve had to take place. Las Brujas del Mar (The Witches of the Sea), a feminist collective from Veracruz, invited the whole country through social media to partake in this activity with the goal of reflecting on the situation. Las Brujas del Mar, who have accumulated more than 174,000 likes on Facebook, became the intellectual authors of a movement that will go down in history. The strike was quickly supported by many universities and schools.

Women in government also participated.

Big companies like Walmart, Volkswagen, Audi, Sony, HSBC and many others vocally supported the movement and the absence of women on March 9. An estimated 60% of Mexican women participated in the movement. The impact it had on the economy was a loss of approximately 30-37 billion Mexican pesos (1.2–1.5 billion U.S. dollars).

Most of the population seemed to agree with the movement. Manuel Alonso, a 65-year-old Mexican man who employs 34 64

people at a public relations agency, believes the strike will create an impact in people’s minds. “There were only eight of us at the office that day,” he said. “The rest are women.

We got nothing done. Their absence was so heavy because we realized how inefficiently we were working. Apart from work, the office simply felt sad. I am still surprised by the unsettling feeling of having no women in the office.” Alonso hopes this drill will inspire a change in Mexico’s machista mentality.

Women tried to teach men a lesson, but many feel simulating their disappearance was not rewarding. “If I learned something from this, it is that I never want to be quiet again,” said 24-year-old Andrea Meyer. “I hope this strike had an impact on men because it should never happen again. Never in my life do I want to re-experience my invisibility.

From this day on, I will be louder and more visible than ever,” says Meyer.

The strike may have been a learning experience for some, but not for all. A number of private schools were exposed on Twitter for not taking the day seriously. On the day of the demonstration, male teachers were supposed to educate their male students on gender issues and invite them all to reflect.

However, videos surfaced showing male students playing dodgeball and singing while their teachers danced. Although the demonstration was not perfect, the movement showed what women in Mexico are capable of if united. The global media coverage of #El9NadieSeMueve proves its success.

Too much anger, sadness and impotence have accumulated in the bodies of millions of Mexican women. All of those feelings have finally exploded. We will not let our president pretend that femicide is not a problem. We will not let rapists and murderers live comfortably in our society. We will fight for Fátima, Ingrid, Minerva, Dulce Ivanna, Janeth and every single girl and woman whom we have to lend our voices to because they don’t have one anymore. We will fight as we did during the Mexican Revolution. But this time, we won’t do it stealthily or under anyone’s rules.

This time, it is our revolution, and we will be louder than ever.

Ni una mas. Not one more.

For Our Lives

Š Natalie Cheney / Unsplashed.com

The generation who grew up alongside 180 school shootings has had enough

By Chloe Gavalas

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he smell of gun smoke filled the air and screams washed over Newtown, Connecticut, as 20 children and six staff members lay lifeless in the presumed sanctuary of Sandy Hook Elementary School.

On December 14, 2012, the nation mourned the lives of the young children who left us and prayed for the families who had loved ones in the school on that horrific day. The world stopped as President Barack Obama sang “Amazing Grace” through tears while addressing the nation on the devastation that transpired. We never saw this travesty coming. In a nation with 120 guns for every 100 people, we naively thought that it would never happen again.

Since Sandy Hook, there have been 2,430 mass shootings, at least 180 school shootings, and nearly 3,000 deaths from mass shootings in the United States. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there was a mass shooting nearly every day from 2015 to 2018.

Firearms are the leading cause of death for American children and teens, and by the end of the year, the number of children who died from gun violence is on track to double the amount of deaths of children with cancer.

On February 14, 2018, Americans heard the too-familiar news that someone had opened fire in a school. The mass shooting left 17 students dead and another 17 injured.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) High School in Parkland, Florida, experienced one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history after a 19-year-old former student opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle. On that day, a new era of anti-gun violence advocacy was born.

The students who were affected by the tragic event chose to take their grief and use it to generate one of the most powerful protests in United States history. On March 24,

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2018, Emma Gonzalez, a student from MSD, stood up in front of millions of activists and gave one of the most emotional and memorable tributes to her fallen classmates. “No one could believe that there were bodies in that building waiting to be identified for over a day. No one knew that the people who were missing had stopped breathing long before any of us had even known that a code red had been called. No one could comprehend the devastating aftermath, or how far this would reach, or where this would go,” she proclaimed. Then she stood silently for six minutes and 20 seconds to emphasize the amount of time it took for one human being to rip away the lives of 17 others.

MSD was not alone in 2018 as the nation hit a record high for gun violence in schools with 116 incidents. In the worst ever decade of mass shootings in U.S history, the students came together to kick-start a revolution against the possession of firearms. The march in Washington D.C. was followed by 880 sibling events aiming to raise awareness of the national emergency that is gun violence.

Now, March for Our Lives has become one of the largest international movements striving to use its power to target gun legislation.

At 6 p.m. on February 11, 2020, students filled the top floor of the Quai d’Orsay to hear one of the students from MSD and co-founder of the March For Our Lives organization, Delaney Tarr, give a remote Q&A at AUP. She discussed the progress that the organization has made and its future goals.

“After the march, we weren’t willing to sit back and let the cameras capitalize on our grief without doing something,” Tarr pronounced. Speaking to us from her new college dorm room, we realized that the survivors of the Parkland shooting might have graduated from high school, but they are no less dedicated to saving future students from tragedy. The students of MSD have used the march as a way to build their organization, which focuses on lobbying Congress to pass common-sense legislation that will curb the epidemic of gun violence.

However, the goal of the organization is not to completely rid Americans of their right to bear arms. People may still have the right to hunt and participate in hobbies involving firearms, they just won’t be able to purchase a rifle or military-grade weapon in Costco with-

out any restrictions. March For Our Lives is moving to raise the bar on legislation around gun ownership through a federal system of gun licensing. If guns are harder to buy, then it is harder for people to use them with the intention to harm others.

The organization has developed a clear set of objectives outlined in the C.H.A.N.G.E. peace plan; change the standards of gun ownership, halve the rate of gun deaths in 10 years, increase accountability for the gun lobby and industry, name a Director of Gun Violence Prevention, generate community-based solutions and empower the next generation.

Not only did the March For Our Lives activists contribute to the historic youth turnout and the 47% increase of voters in the 2018 midterm elections, but they also stood alongside chair and house speaker Nancy Pelosi to pass the Bipartisan Background Checks Act through the House on February 27, 2018.

This was the first piece of gun safety legislation to pass in over a decade. It banned the production and distribution of bump stocks, or accessories to firearms that turn them into semi-automatic weapons.

March For Our Lives made it their mission for the upcoming decade to draw attention to the 2020 election. “It has been two years, two crazy years of successes and failures and strife, but also passion and change and something so amazing,” Tarr recounted. Activists have been committed to raising awareness on the issue of gun violence through rallies, protests, and organized events, in hopes of changing gun ownership laws.

“After the march, we weren’t willing to sit back and let the cameras capitalize on our grief without doing something” In November of 2019, the organization hosted a gun safety forum that featured the 10 Democratic candidates of the 2020 presidential election, including the now democratic front-runner Joe Biden. The forum was centered around the Democratic candidates, because of their previous debates and statements focused on tackling gun legislation.

While Republican politicians, including

the current president, Donald Trump, have mentioned gun control reforms, many of their statements remain empty promises. On February 27, 2019, the House passed a bill that proposed requiring federal criminal background checks on all firearms sales—though Trump announced that he would veto the bill if it was sent to him. The NRA has made it their mission to “strengthen Americans’ Second Amendment freedom to defend themselves, their families and their communities,” and stand with the Republican party because of their lenient attitude towards gun control.

Joe Biden is now the leading Democratic presidential candidate, hoping to enact change and progress regarding gun possession. The former Vice President has planned and promised for higher restrictions on gun purchasers and a ban on assault weapons.

However, Bernie Sanders was originally the candidate supported by March For Our Lives. On February 20, 2020, co-founders of the organization released a video endorsing Sanders. Although no longer a presidential contender, Sanders developed a comprehensive gun law reform plan that included expanding background checks, banning assault weapons and ending loopholes that allow for domestic abusers to buy firearms.

The clear support of the Democratic candidates for safer gun control has the organization rooting for a Democratic win. If a Republican candidate is to win the election, the organization will not give up advocating for new laws, though it will be less likely to see their efforts materialize.

Targeting the laws of firearm possession is an essential goal for many, as limiting gun ownership is believed to also diminish connected crimes of domestic violence, mental health, and police brutality. As of now, a mere four months into the new decade, 96 lives have been lost and 352 people have been wounded in 88 mass shootings. The youth are marching for their lives, but the finish line is miles away.

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HOW LATIN URBAN MUSIC HAS TAKEN OVER THE WORLD

By Sofia Quintero Illustrations by Katia Novak

Bad Bunny 68

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ou can feel the energy waves and the mood of the crowd when you enter a Latin club.

In one corner, you may see a group of amigos taking tequila shots, screaming “pa’ arriba, pa’ abajo, pal centro, pa’ dentro!” On the other, maybe a couple will be dancing to cumbia or reggaeton. If you stand still and look around, everyone will be moving their hips to the rhythm, as Latinos do. Today people from all over the world have become Spanish music enthusiasts, and even if they do not speak the language, they learn the lyrics and move their hips along with the rest.

Antonia Mardones, an AUP student from Chile, was the only Spanish speaker out of her group of friends at Lollapalooza in Paris last year. They promised they would go with her to see Bad Bunny on stage, but little did they know that the entire audience was there to see the Puerto Rican star. “It was absolutely incredible, I turned around for one second, and there were waves and waves of people— everyone rushed over to see him perform,” she says. Her surprise of seeing a massive, diverse crowd form around the artist is understandable, but over the past decade, Latin music has spread worldwide in ways never seen before.

Outside of Spanish speaking countries, Latin music had never been extraordinarily successful or considered mainstream. Back in the ‘90s, a Spanish track would occasionaly make the American Billboard charts. Latin music at that time consisted primarily of traditional music or regional music. The best example is Selena Quintanilla, who is remembered as the queen of Tejano music. Tejano is a genre of traditional Mexican music, including a mix of folk, Mexican cumbia, and mariachi. Quintanilla changed the music industry by being the first incredibly successful female Tejano singer. Her legacy blazed a path for Latina singers by proving that Hispanic women can also take over the charts.

With over 60 awards, she was the first Latin American singer to truly leave a mark with her music in the United States. She brought something different, introduced Mexican music in the United States and was able to reach the success levels of other American artists at the time.

Daddy Yankee Before the rise of Urban Latin Music, there was more uniformity in Spanish music.

Depending on where you lived, you listened to different genres. For instance, Mexico is known for its rancheras, while Colombia is the country of vallenato music. Although rancheras and vallenato are two completely different styles, they still fall under the category of Latin music.

Modern Latin music has no boundaries. It combines styles from all over Latin America, regardless of country or culture. The genre of reggaeton first originated in the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, as the music of the streets. The style itself is already a hybrid, consisting of a mix between reggae, rap, hip-hop, and beats from different Caribbean music genres including salsa, merengue, and soca. Modern Latin Urban music is considered by many as a crossover style combining reggaeton and hip-hop. As Leila Cobo, the executive director of Latin Content at Billboard, said, “reggaeton is so universally danceable, it really has helped the music travel.”

Mardones agrees, saying, “Latin music is incredibly mixed and to some degree, relatable to everyone. It’s about having a good time, dancing, singing, and living in the moment, or at least that is how it makes me feel.”

One of the most influential artists in the genre, Ramón Luis Ayala, better known as

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J Balvin Daddy Yankee, is from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. He was born in 1977 and grew up in the neighborhood of Villa Kennedy Housing Projects. Daddy Yankee recalled to New York Times that his home was a part of “a collection of three-story apartment buildings tucked away from the main street of the city center.”

As a teenager, he wanted to become a professional baseball player, but after being shot in the leg in the 1990s, his life changed for-

Modern Latin music has no boundaries. It combines styles from all over Latin America, regardless of the country they are from or their culture. ever. He decided to leave his baseball dream to pursue a career in music. Little did he know that fifteen years later, he would become one of the first artists to introduce reggaeton music on a global scale. Today, he is not only known as a pioneer of the genre but as the King of Urban Latin music. From J Balvin to Ozuna, Daddy Yankee has been named as one of several artists’ greatest inspirations. He has won over 125 awards, including Billboard Latin Music Awards, Latin Grammy Awards and American Music Awards. Unquestionably, 70

the last decade changed Daddy Yankee’s life forever. However, more than that, he changed Urban Latin music and created a space for the style to take-off worldwide.

Since Daddy Yankee’s success, more Latino artists have made their debuts on the world stage and been wildly successful. “I felt so represented and proud to be Latina,” Mardones explains about the day Bad Bunny, an artist in the Urban Latin space, won his first Grammy. “It was the first time I realized how impactful this genre is, and how much weight it has in the industry,” she says.

Urban Latin music is so unique because of its diversity of rhythms and tempos. In the late 1980s, the dembow rhythm, which consists of a kick drum, snare drum, and timbal, was created in Jamaica. This rhythm is still the foundation of Latin music today. It was hard to categorize at first because it was not established as a genre. However, as more and more artists emerged, the term Urban became the official term to describe this hybrid, considering the broad umbrella of subcategories that exist, including trap, reggaeton and bachata.

Alongside Daddy Yankee, other artists that pioneered the genre included Wisin & Yandel, Zion & Lennox, Calle 13, Don Omar and Tito el Bambino. They are all considered some of the first artists to have originated what today is known as Urban Latin music.

The genre first began to gain popularity and relevance back in the summer of 2014, after Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias released his viral single “Bailando.” The hit song gave Iglesias three Latin Grammy awards, one of them being Song of the Year. “Bailando” remained in the top 15 songs on the American Billboard charts for 21 weeks straight. A couple of months later, a Spanglish version featuring Sean Paul, a Jamaican artist, was released. This sensation created a trend, and various Latin artists started to record singles featuring English speaking singers.

After “Bailando,” the next big hit that shook the music charts was “Despacito” in 2017.

Performed by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, the single exploded worldwide. Two-hundred days after its release, the music video broke the record as the most viewed video on YouTube. Just as “Bailando,” the hit song won many awards, including four Latin Grammys, six Billboard Music Awards and many others.

A Spanglish version was also made, featuring

“Bailando” remained in the top 15 songs on the American Billboard charts for 21 weeks straight.

one of the world’s most successful recording artists, Justin Bieber.

Following the release of the bilingual song, it was only a matter of time before the style became a trend. Some artists that mixed the two languages were Ed Sheeran with reggaeton duo Wisin y Yandel, Tyga with J Balvin and Camila Cabello with Daddy Yankee.

These mixes built a bridge between Spanish and English speakers, connecting people through music, and rhythm. This hybrid became so popular that Spanglish tracks by non-Latin artists are now standard.

Santiago Rodriguez, an AUP student from Costa Rica, opened up about the sentimental attachment he has towards Latin music.

“Whenever I am in a non-Spanish speaking country and hear music in Spanish, whether it is at a club, a bar or a restaurant, I get very happy, and a lot of memories flow through my mind. I get extremely nostalgic. Sometimes I even call my friends back home,” he says.

Rodriguez feels that Latin music creates a curiosity in those who are not part of the culture. “It is important to feature Latin music everywhere because it gives those listening to it a curiosity towards our culture. If they end up liking the song, they might memorize the lyrics, and even learn some words in Spanish.

That is what it is all about.”

Luis Fonsi

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© Wolf Zim

Confessions of a Retired Undergraduate This art history student is approaching her fifth college degree with one goal in mind—to learn on her own terms

By Karen Thomas

With Paris on my mind, I retired from the charter school I founded and sold my 4-bedroom, 2,000 square foot home. I gave nearly everything away except for my art collection, packed what was left into three suitcases, notified my Facebook friends, and enrolled at the American University of Paris to study art history. I boarded the plane the day before my birthday, and by the time I landed, I had officially lived through six decades and four turns around the sun.

Reflecting from the fifth-floor terrace of my 20 square meter apartment, I had a brief moment of pause, “What have I done?” The answer came quickly and clearly, “Stepped into your fullest life.”

I approached the first day of orientation at AUP with some anxiety, not as my usual assured, confident self that had been a marketing executive, CEO, college professor and parent. This time, I was a student who was decades older than my counterparts. I was met with lots of questioning, uncomfortable looks. I felt like Ralph Ellison’s Bigger Thomas in his novel The Invisible Man. People asked me the expected questions, whether I was a 72

parent, a professor, or some other school faculty. When I checked no to all of those boxes, there was hesitation, and then the look of a raised eyebrow suggesting an unasked question: “What the heck are you doing here?”

Little did they know, I was also asking myself.

I grew up without the internet, a cell phone or cable television. This is not because my family was poor, but because George Orwell had only predicted those things in 1984. Well, 1984 has come and gone in my lifetime. I now have WiFi, an iPhone, over 1,000 channels on cable TV, 5,000 Facebook followers and I am living my best life in Paris.

I never imagined as I lived through the space age, twelve presidents, three impeachments, 9/11, raising two children, the birth of four grandchildren, four college degrees and two successful, fulfilling careers that I would again be a student, pursuing my repressed dream to study art in museums like the Louvre.

The impact that childhood fantasies can have on our future is mindblowing. I was first exposed to French at the age of nine in the private school I attended. Every Wednesday, after two hours of recess, I took an imaginary

trip to France. Our foreign language teacher, Madame Trouhertz, with her mesmerizing French accent and a scarf around her neck, would sweep us away in a study of the language of amour. As we sang enchanting lyrical words to “Sur le Pont d’Avignon,” I imagined myself dancing on a bridge in France. Little did I know that a seed was being planted and that 50 years later, it would bloom.

I grew up in Newark, New Jersey, a city where children were not often exposed to experiences that made them dream about faraway places. It was my visionary parents who instilled in me a love of art, education and travel. Each summer, we took a family vacation to places like Virginia, Chicago, Florida and Martha’s Vineyard. My first trip outside of the U.S. was to the Bahamas with my mother and years later, I spent my 40th birthday traveling in Japan with my Dad. My interest in art subliminally developed through the framed Gauguin reproductions on the walls of my childhood home. There were no empty walls in our house. As an undergraduate student, my roommate, and now lifelong friend, Julee was a fine arts major studying at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

At the time, I was partying in a circle of wellknown African American artists like Charles White, Tom Feelings and Paul Goodnight who encouraged me to begin my own collection before leaving college. While art was never my profession, through engagement with my friends, it became my passion. Yet another seed was planted in my soul, where it would idle for years until it was met with the right moment to bloom.

From 1980 to 2000, I was the director of marketing at Essence magazine. There was no internet. You had to travel to transact business. For over 20 years, I never unpacked my suitcase. Every week, I moved between New York, Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles. I was also responsible for projects like The Essence Music Festival in New Orleans and a cultural exchange in Brazil that kept me on the road for weeks at a time.

The job market my young colleagues are entering is daunting. Many of the former interim safety nets, such as government jobs, no longer exist. The realization that they have a degree for which there may be no job opportunities is frightening. I was able to utilize my communications degree and my

strengths to create a career path. In 40 years, I enjoyed what I did so much that it never felt like work. With the changing employment landscape, the likelihood of that is unlikely for many of them. It will take thinking about the world and work differently for this generation to reach their goals.

In 2000, as a commitment to pay it forward, I left my position at Essence and returned to Newark to start a charter school. Central to the school’s mission was exposure for our 2,000 scholars to experiences similar to the one I had as a child in my weekly French class.

I would encourage my younger colleagues to think about a problem that needs to be solved. That is where you will find both work and personal satisfaction. Opening my school did that for me.

Through work and personal travel, I have visited 48 of the 50 states and been to every continent except Australia and Antarctica.

However, it was my first visit to Paris, just a few weeks before the countdown clock on the Eiffel Tower rang in 2000, and the 21st century, that changed my life. As a first-timer, I did all the touristy things like dinner at the top of the Tower, the can-can at the Moulin Rouge, Mona Lisa at the Louvre and buyingart in Montmartre. But the night I danced on a bridge over the Seine, I fell hopelessly in love.

That first visit taught me that Paris is a very jealous lover. It never lets you go.

Karen during her first visit to Paris.

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No one quite knew what to make of me as I matriculated through orientation at AUP, mingling with graduate millennials, Gen Z undergrads and faculty (many of whom were also a generation or two removed from myself).

I must admit that I added my own phobias around age, gender and race to this inebriating cocktail. After all, I was different. I have been both the only back person and woman, but never before an immigrant or “that old lady” in class. To borrow a phrase from my hero, Nell Painter, I, too, was old in art school.

Despite it all, I was determined not to let it hinder or slow me down. I would do this with the same ferocity and determination of spirit I had in every other chapter of my life.

I see the world as my oyster. I have found that people are the pearl.

It was an unfamiliar and rocky transition. I was accustomed to working, and the only way I knew how to work was hard. But at this point, my sole purpose was to enjoy every moment and every experience. I had to resist doing anything that felt remotely like work for my own mental health. I had done enough of that during my career.

The City of Lights is a place for both finding yourself and losing yourself. Since being here, I have felt the sparks of creative energy that must have ignited the creative brilliance of great black minds who sought refuge from the United States, a place that stifled them.

Geniuses like Baldwin, Bearden and Baker were celebrated and inspired to new levels in Paris. I, too, have felt that freedom and stimulation. In eight short months, I have filled over a dozen journals, writing with an urgency to capture and convey every amazing experience and moment. I want evidence, if only for myself, that my dreams became a reality.

Over champagne with Monique Callendar, a persuasive and talented AUP graduate student, I agreed to co-host a podcast. I completely stepped outside of my comfort zone.

The show, “Snapchat with my Younger Self,” is an intergenerational program providing wisdom for the ages. This newfangled platform of edutainment has taught me many new things about technology, my younger self, and 74

Karen now with the Eiffel Tower.

life. It has made me look at subjects from a younger-self point of view.

In one episode, we discussed relationships and concluded that being single at 25 or 65 is not all that different. I learned that Tinder is not for marinating steak, but a dating app, whereby swiping through pictures, you create a potential dating pool. Who knew? I am learning as much, if not more, from my younger self as I could ever teach her.

For the first time in my life, I have experienced diversity without being the diversity.

There is no status quo at AUP. I have met students from all over the world who bring a celebration of different cultures that they openly share. Students who are Arab, gay, African, European, white, Jewish, French, pink hair, no hair, even black people from Alaska and Russia make up the AUP Village. I have come a long way from that kid in Newark. I see the world as my oyster. I have found that people are the pearl. New friends and experiences have taught me the difference between vacations, which are about places whereas travel is about experiencing people.

I took a trip with AUP to Ghana that brought my life full circle. We visited El Mirna, the slave castle that imprisoned the kings and queens of my African ancestry. I thought back to my great grandmother, whose parents had been slaves.

She was able to read and helped her church to start a school for black children. Perhaps this was another deep-rooted seed in my childhood memory that gave me the motivation to start the Marion P. Thomas Charter School.

I was fulfilling my family legacy. These castles were a reminder of the privilege it was for me to attend that private school in fourth grade to study French, go on to college, have exposure to fine art, and now, to live my dream in Paris.

streaming wars

The proliferation of streaming platforms has changed the entertainment landscape for good

By Paulina Trigos

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treets that once bubbled with effervescence have indefinitely emptied. Now, leaves and the occasional disposable glove charge through the streets resembling the iconic tumbleweeds that pervade classic Western films. Theaters have closed their doors to the public, and the shared joy of watching that new movie release is gone. However, with the impossibility of attending the cinema and the growing accessibility to online streaming, various platforms are now growing more than ever.

Millions of people around the world find themselves quarantined, and in this “new normal” brought forth by the coronavirus, binge-watching and surfing the endless content offered on these services has become a universal coping mechanism.

“There is a change in how we consume content. We have the luxury to watch whatever we want whenever we want, as long as we have an internet connection.

Television is on-demand which helps even out the playing field,” says Evan Floyd, AUP’s Student Senate Film Representative. In this new technology-driven era, consumers have the opportunity to view their desired content through various platforms such as traditional cable TV, YouTube and the ever-evolving streaming services. This transformation has been primarily motivated by the rise of a single company: Netflix.

Anyone born after the ‘90s has grown up with Netflix and watched its evolution.

This transformation has been primarily motivated by the rise of a single company: Netflix.

Since its beginning in 1997, Netflix has gone from being a DVD rental service to an online streaming platform. Today it has become one of the top content producers of our time.

Currently, subscriptions are growing, and the platform has around 167.1 million mem-

© Gabriela Herman

bers worldwide. The figures are expected to keep rising. Netflix’s success can be attributed to their willingness to change, and cable services have started to take note. Many have now realized that a change in distribution must be made if they wish to thrive in the new environment of media consumerism.

This shift in distribution began in 2013 with the release of Netflix’s first original series, House of Cards, later followed by the launch

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of their first original film, Beasts of No Nation, in 2015. Since Netflix started to produce content, the result has been several nominations in leading events such as the Emmy Awards, the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.

Since receiving recognition from Hollywood’s Old Guard, Netflix’s focus has been centered around the Oscars and winning awards that could bring them prestige, as well as an increase in subscribers.

According to CNBC, for the first time in the Academy’s history, an online streaming platform surpassed other media companies in nominations. Selected for 24 Academy Awards this year, Netflix further demonstrated its ability to innovate and evolve, differentiating itself from the competition. In 2020, many of the company’s original movies were big contenders for Academy Awards including Scorsese’s The Irishman, Marriage Story and The Two Popes, among others.

Interestingly, the company’s goal is not to monetize these films but to focus on subscriptions. However, they spend millions of dollars producing their content. “I think Netflix has done a responsible job of funding and advancing important films which were having trouble getting funding elsewhere.

Orson Welles’ posthumous film The Other Side of the Wind and Scorsese’s The Irishman are recent prime examples. It has also done a lot with funding New Black Hollywood, and these are all laudable,” comments Alice Craven, a member of AUP’s faculty in the English and Comparative Literature and Film Studies departments.

Typically, other studios would hope to gain double or triple the amount of money spent on the production, but Netflix works differently. Their focus is on subscription revenue. This means that the service does not sell or reproduce their content in the same ways as regular studios do. Rather, the company focuses primarily on the online streaming system.

Netflix is beginning to face serious competition from other platforms, including new competitors such as Disney+, HBO Max and Apple TV, in addition to the established services like Amazon Prime and Hulu. Disney+, which became available in November 2019, has gathered about 10 million subscribers, becoming a fierce competitor in the streaming wars.

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With the rise of these platforms, companies have been incentivized to remove movies that they own rights to from competing streaming services. Companies like Disney, HBO, NBC and CBS have all taken films off of Netflix, thus prompting more original content production. Setting them apart, the decision to create original content puts Netflix in the middle of the streaming wars and in conflict with traditional studios.

Setting them apart, the decision to create original content not only puts Netflix in the middle of the streaming wars, but also in conflict with traditional studios.

“In general, I think that people don’t want a million channels or a million different ways to buy films, so I would assume there will be more consolidation in the future. One of the challenges that arises when you have consolidated movie studios, lower distribution of movies in theaters and only a few powerful content providers like Amazon Prime, Hulu or Netflix [is that] you get a reduction of the kinds of things that are made because it’s simpler and financially efficient. I am concened about consolidation- I worry for all the diverse voices and forms outside of the mainstream that will get lost.” says Marie Regan, Chair of the Film Department and an Associate Professor of Film at AUP. The world of online streaming offers independent filmmakers the opportunity to produce valuable and diverse content. However, if we have more consolidation in the future, the quality and multiplicity of subjects could decrease.

The current global lockdown is going to have a considerable impact on how these streaming wars play out in the future. “With the current pandemic and quarantine, streaming will rise, there’s no doubt about that,” Regan states. Consequently, to support the high level of demand, both Netflix and YouTube have decided to lower the streaming quality to support the usage of their services.

Amidst the coronavirus outbreak, movie and TV productions have been postponed,

which means users will begin browsing and streaming content for as long as confinement lasts. “One of the things we’re learning from the coronavirus and all of us being quarantined is that people are able to consume film from all over the world in a way that they couldn’t theatrically,” says Regan.

“I’m curious about how the reopening of theaters after this pandemic will impact the popularity of streaming platforms, but for the time being, streaming will be essential in entertainment,” comments Floyd. In a post-quarantine time, when theaters open their doors once again, many will possess contradictory beliefs. Even though some of us would like to attend cinemas for movie premiers, there will be many that still have an ongoing fear of mass gatherings, which could be detrimental to theaters.

As of now, the majority of theaters are closed until further notice and have already begun to suffer from this loss. However, some small theaters aided by distributors such as Magnolia Pictures have taken the initiative of offering virtual screenings to lessen the impact. Although some theaters have resorted to this alternative, the reality is that most will still prefer an online streaming service where they could watch dozens of films for the same price that they would pay for these screenings.

Until the day arrives where we can once again communally appreciate films, we will privately enjoy them from the comfort of our homes, almost as if we were watching a movie through Edison’s Kinetograph.

Back in the 1890s, Thomas Edison and his colleagues developed a movie camera called the Kinetograph with which one could, through a viewfinder, watch motion pictures for in-house experiments. Years later, the Lumière brothers were inspired to develop their own video camera alongside a projector, allowing large audiences to view films.

Until the day arrives where we can once again communally appreciate films, we will privately enjoy them from the comfort of our homes, almost as if we were watching a movie through Edison’s Kinetograph.

“That story of sitting in the dark together watching a moving picture, there is something about that experience that is really interesting, and I wouldn’t want it to disappear, but there’s also a pleasure in the Edison version of seeing things privately and letting them speak to you,” says Regan. Today, we are at a crossroads with how we consume films, and only time will tell how the so-called streaming wars will affect how we watch movies in the future.

Bernie Sanders’ French Revolution

© Visuals / Unsplashed.com

How the candidate deemed too radical for America amassed a wave of support across the Atlantic

By Caitlin Kelly Illustrations by Stella Richman

Bernie Sanders is the only American politician to have gained a firm and devoted following in France, among non-Americans. After becoming known as the anti-establishment candidate, there was a moment when Sanders’ White House seemed plausible. However, in the weeks following Super Tuesday, he suspended his campaign and decided to endorse Joe Biden. Before that decision, he was leading one of the most progressive movements to the political front lines.

While he seemed to be American youth’s great hope, his influence stretched far beyond the Atlantic. Upon attending events organized by France for Bernie, an organization dedicated to working towards Sanders’ success, and meeting other Bernie supporters, I found that a large portion of the attendees were not American. People from places including France, Bosnia, India, and the Middle East were brought together under the curious circumstance of an American presidential election.

Rohan Patil, a consultant originally from India, says, “I think someone with Bernie’s combination of authenticity and humility could unite the French left by bringing back those that abandoned the socialists in favor of Macron or Mélenchon.” Sentiments of this 78

kind were common within meetings for Sanders in France. The notion that he might be too radical or too far to the left to have a shot at the presidency did not phase his French supporters.

Bernie Sanders is a democratic socialist. In his own words, “Democratic socialism means that we must reform a political system that is corrupt, that we must create an economy that works for all, not just the very wealthy.” This means that by definition, social democracy is a socialist government put in place by a democracy. Citizens would have a say in how the government is run through voting while maintaining a socialist system, in which the means of production is regulated through the community.

When Americans hear socialism, they get scared. To some, the phrase carries echoes of corruption; to others, it reminds them of communism. An increase in government interference invokes fear of a hindrance to the liberty that allows citizens to start businesses, buy guns and houses, and own private property— ideas that have been pounded into American brains as individual rights from youth. All of these things are possible within a social democracy, but the reputation socialism has in America is threatening.

The reason why a social democracy seems so shocking to the American public can be explained through the country’s history. After the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, fear of communism in the U.S. was at an all-time high.

In the years following, the United States had its first brush with the phenomenon known as the “Red Scare,” a period of widespread fear that communists were infiltrating the United States. Despite this, in the 1930s and ‘40s, there was a small but active Communist Party in the United States that actively supported civil and worker’s rights.

However, after WWII, panic around the possible loss of democracy once again gripped the nation. Throughout the following decade, hundreds of people were fired from jobs, blacklisted from academia and Hollywood, and even deported for having suspected ties to the Communist Party.

Known as McCarthyism, the attempts of purging communism from American society turned into the most extreme episode of political repression in the nation’s history.

Remnants of this period, a fear of any political ideals remotely linked to anti-democratic regimes, still exist in American society today.

With historical context, it seems that the U.S. problem with Sanders is not soley him as a candidate. Instead, it may be the country’s stagnant political ideologies that prevent profound societal changes from taking place.

On the contrary, in 1946, 29 percent of France’s Assemblée Nationale (the lower house of the French parliament) was communist. These days, it is more common for the French government to elect politicians with diverse political backgrounds. For example, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a candidate running for president in France in 2017, was communist. Running for any elected office with beliefs anywhere near Mélenchon’s is virtually unheard of in America. Although he did not win, the country has a robust multi-party system that allowed him to be taken seriously as a candidate. Because of this political environment, Sanders’ ideas were much less shocking in France.

Patil notes, “[Sanders is] the kinda guy that can attract the center by being electable, and the extreme left by reorienting the socialist party away from neoliberal policies.”

Sanders’ policies include Medicare for All, a plan to ensure that all Americans can

receive the healthcare they need, no matter their income, free tuition, and the elimination of crushing student debt in America. Many Americans actually supported what Sanders stands for. Still, some voted for Biden because they believed his traditionalist, blue dog democrat policies make him more electable in the current political climate.

To French people, Sanders’ democratic socialism is far from radical. The policies Sanders campaigned on are present in most social democracies, the standard system in many Western European countries. In general, French people feel that access to healthcare is a human right and that higher education should be affordable for all.

The main reasoning behind why a social democracy seems so shocking to the American public can be explained through the country’s history.

Celi Folch, a French film student and member of France for Bernie 2020, expands on the topic of Sanders in France. “The way Bernie talks makes him more relatable for people from the working class,” he says, “most of the politicians I agree within France lack this essential quality. So, yes, I think he would do well if he were to run in France.”

The sense of community among the members in the France for Bernie coalition was the most prominent component of the coalition.

At the beginning of many meetings, each person would describe why they are interested in the campaign. The answers ranged from healthcare, student debt, and climate change, to responses like, “I don’t think poor people should die for being poor.” However, the most common answer among those who are not American is, “I support Bernie because I believe whatever happens in America affects the rest of the world.”

Although Sanders is not the Democratic nominee, his campaign transcended cultural differences and language barriers through a desire to live in a more progressive world.

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health

ver the course of the last decade, sustainability has officially gone mainstream, barring those who dismiss climate science as a hoax. The realization that something needs to be done to rectify the compromised state of our Earth and climate has shaken society.

And yet, this awareness does not often translate into action.

If we know that some of our behaviors are hurting the Earth, why aren’t we stopping them? Why are fossil fuel emissions still skyrocketing despite our awareness of their devastating effects on our planet? Why isn’t every household that votes in favor of environmental reform letting their lawn go brown and utilizing their city-provided compost bin?

Why are institutions and individuals alike falling short on their sustainability pledges?

Our belief that we must make monumental changes translates nicely into pledging, which entails deferring our course of action into the future.

On a purely rational level, the failure to stop behaviors that intensify a known threat makes no sense. But we are endlessly complex beings, so our actions and decisions are not purely rational. Instead, what we choose to do is often driven by a unique combination of circumstances, motivations and social conditioning. While our current track record in 80

regards to saving the planet is devastatingly poor, perhaps something about the current experience of a global lockdown can aid us in our fight to slow climate change.

An issue as colossal as the climate crisis has no easy fix. It is possible that people equate the problem’s solution to the magnitude of the problem itself. In other words, to make a difference, we must exert a considerable amount of time and effort to make a change. Our belief that we must make monumental changes translates nicely into pledging, which entails deferring our course of action into the future. The phenomenon of

pledging, that is, making an ambitious promise to become carbon-neutral, net-zero waste or any of the commitments that fall under the category of “going green,” is one that a growing number of institutions and individuals are partaking in.

On a governmental level, we can remember the Kyoto Protocol of 1992, where 37 industrialized nations pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 5 percent over a period of 20 years.

More recently, there was the Paris Agreement of 2015, where 55 nations agreed to contain the increase in average global temperature to under 2 degrees Celcius, and to attempt limiting the increase to 1.5 degress Celcius. Cor-

climate crisis Will COVID-19 affect our attitudes to climate change?

By Jillian Campbell porate giants have also come out with comprehensive sustainability pledges in recent years; Delta pledges to be carbon-neutral by March 1, 2020, Amazon promises to make half of all shipments carbon neutral by 2030 and Microsoft vows to become carbon negative by 2050. On the individual level, people are proudly displaying their commitment to sustainability through #meatlessmonday Instagram posts or switching their default browser to Ecosia, a Microsoft-owned search engine that donates a large share of its profits to planting trees.

Not only do we not have enough time to be pushing our sustainability accomplishments into the distance, but perhaps there is something inherently wrong with the pledging approach. Dr. Martin Dege, a professor of psychology at AUP, thinks the logic behind sustainability pledge-making is problematic at its outset. What it does, according to Dege, is serve as a response to “some imperative that says we have to be whole and coherent as people. We are never coherent. We have ideals, and it’s a good thing that we have them and defend them, but we screw up all the time. We do one thing, say another, and believe both at the same time.”

Pledges are an idealized form of sustainable values. Should we uphold and defend

these values? Of course. But it is a stretch to assume that any individual, let alone an institution composed of many individuals, will always carry out the things it says it will.

According to Professor Dege, we cannot hold ourselves to the idealized standards of behavior that pledges create for us. When asked how our values influence our actions, Dege responded, “They don’t. It’s two different realms, and they hardly ever meet.”

In the context of climate change, we are united in awareness of a danger that will boil over in the near future. When exactly this will happen is unknown, giving the problem some distance from our everyday lives. At this point, most of us know what kind of behavior is sustainable and what is not.

Yet, many continue on with the latter, despite the risk.

Even when we are faced with the immediate threat of coronavirus and expert advice saturates our society, we still find it challenging to change our behavior.

Even after the French people were urged to stay inside, Parisian parks were overflow-

Even when we are faced with an immediate and profoundly disrupting virus that threatens our lives, and expert advice saturates our society, we still find it challenging to change our behavior.

© Amelie Niklas / Unsplashed.com

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ing the very last weekend before the start of mandatory confinement. The Tokyo Olympics originally scheduled for this summer weren’t canceled until late March, well after we figured out that the coronavirus pandemic would not be letting up anytime soon. When it comes to national responses, let’s just say some were made with more haste than others. In sum, it is extremely difficult for us to reorganize our lives, regardless of the clarity of an imminent threat.

At the time of writing, most of the world’s population is in lockdown, following the orders of nations, who, in doing so, are committing economic suicide. People are settling into their disruption. What could help us get through the crisis? For Dege, the answer is more solidarity.

A discourse of solidarity can make us change our behavior in a way that political mandates cannot: by giving people agency.

By coming together, we can come up with different practices that will help us solve the collective problems we share. This doesn’t have to stay at the individual level, either. It can be on the state level, or even in a university class. We can develop a foundational understanding that may inspire us to do our part in ending a crisis—be it the coronavirus pandemic or climate change. Dege says the effects of solidarity “are behavioral, cognitive; they touch the whole of the affective system.

In contrast to the notion of ‘I have to conform to this, and I have to do that’, it’s a choice, we have to try to give people agency to decide their own behavior.”

Dege notices that society is leaning on rituals like wearing a mask and staying 2 meters apart as a way to affirm our participation in society. In certain parts of the globe, going into a supermarket without a mask can get you seriously shamed, if not thrown out. As it stands right now, we are united by a major disturbance in our daily lives, which is difficult for us to handle and causes us to look for reassurance. But the insecurity we feel right now is not all bad, says Dege. “We’re united in insecurity, and united in this crisis. Rationalization helps us to cope with our fundamental insecurity. Interestingly, this insecurity is also the starting point for new forms of solidarity,” he explains.

Though we cannot gauge the time when coronavirus will cease to touch our everyday 82

Many behaviors that the average consumer has been forced to acquire, or relinquish, throughout the global pandemic are beneficial for climate change. lives, once the shelter-in-place orders lift, we will surely feel a sense of newfound freedom. However, after a period of accelerated change and disruption, life in the aftermath of the virus will not be the same as before.

Many behaviors that the average consumer has been forced to acquire, or relinquish, throughout the global pandemic are beneficial for climate change. When we make it to the other side, the momentum behind many old habits will be gone, giving us a fresh start.

Upon re-entering society, we will have two options. We can say good riddance, try to get as close to “normal” as we possibly can and abandon all of the habits we built up over the past few months out of solidarity. Or, we could go about building a new normal, using the lessons learned in this crisis. We don’t have to make a rigid or ambitious pledge; it is unrealistic to expect everyone to give up air travel for good or continue cooking ourselves spaghetti once a day for the rest of our lives. Will we choose to tread lightly with new understandings or barrel ahead, as usual, leaving the planet in our wake?