Spring 2022: The Icon Issue

spring 2022

Spring 2019

The human effect

the

PEACOCK

How will we shape our experiences through technology?

icon issue

Volume 11.2

ICONIC ICONOSCOPE ICONOCLASM ICONOLOGY ICONOGRAPHY ICONICITY ICONICAL ICONOGRAPHIC ICONOLATRY ICONICALLY ICONOSTASIS ICONOGRAPHER ICONOCLAST ICON.

ie Bistronom e audacieus Tout fait maison Produits exigeants

13 bis avenue Parmentier 75011 Paris achi-paris.fr @achiparis11

SPRING 2022 / VOLUME 11.2 A MAGAZINE ON THE CULTURE AND ASPIRATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL YOUTH Editor-in-Chief Isabella Sibble Deputy Editor Leigh Lucaßen Art Director Abby Wright Photography Director Sofia Rose Managing Editor Erin Flanagan Communications Manager Alyssa Gauk Editorial Advisor Marc Feustel Illustrators Hannah Landon Stella Richman Kira Winter Andrea Wright

Photographers Quinntin Cappa Celia Goodman Louis Mack Lola Mansell Janosch Raabe Arianna Razavi Sofia Rose Madita Schrott Cristian Simic Mia Stein Fidan Sultanova Lia Whitman Abby Wright Staff Writers Christina Alvarez-Correa Jeanne Azoulay Elizabeth Corbitt Natasha Hersman Leigh Lucaßen Oscar Padula Madita Schrott Claire Schwartz Jordyn Staff Lauren Viggiani Contributing Writers Marteena Mendelssohn Jacob Shropshire

Cover photographs by Louis Mack Modeled by Leigh Lucaßen, Sofia Rose, Isabella Sibble and Abby Wright This magazine is printed by Tanghe Printing, Belgium in 2022.

table of contents

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Letter from the Editor

8-12

Film Forever Why analog is still thriving in the digital age

by Madita Schrott

13-15

The Hero Behind the Screen Zelenskyy’s journey from actor to the front lines

by Jacob Shropshire

16-17

High Stakes and Low Coverage The eerily silent culture of the French election

by Christina Alvarez-Correa

18-23

West Obsessed A history of France’s obsession with cowboy culture

by Jeanne Azoulay

24-27

Oh Captain, My Captain Reminiscing on the teachers and mentors of 90s movies

by Leigh Lucaßen

28-30

Bonding in a Seven Block Radius The challenges of making and keeping friends at AUP

by Christina Alvarez-Correa

31-35

Selling on Shakedown Street The Grateful Dead’s enduring material legacy

by Jordyn Staff

36-41

Do You See What I See? How does the swastika’s complex history interact with modern media?

by Leigh Lucaßen

42-47

Paris for Sale Highlighting the Parisian newsstand and its place in history

by Celia Goodman & Lia Whitman

48-50

Do You Know Fumo?

Meet AUP’s first and last mascot

by Oscar Padula

51-57

Nineties Nostalgia The 90s icons whose looks have come back

by Natasha Hersman

58-61

Looking Back at Anti-Vax Contextualizing France’s anti-vax movement in the rich history of protest

by Lauren Viggiani

62-70

Fearing What’s Real Psychological horror’s terrifying realities

by Marteena Mendelssohn

71-76

The Rise of Creative Direction How is artistry expanding in unexpected industries?

by Claire Schwartz

77-81

In My Bag Who we are as defined by what we carry

by Sofia Rose & Abby Wright

82-83

Repainting the Rainbow Nation Addressing the most common stereotypes of South Africa

by Elizabeth Corbett

84-86

The Case for the Cross Why churches are worth preserving in a secular world

by Madita Schrott

87-88

Where She Was From A journalist’s ode to Joan Didion

by Oscar Padula

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I

cons, like anything, are relative. Our banks of reference and memory are indisputably tied to the environments in which they were built. Yet, whether by fault or triumph of evolution, we can as groups identify certain elements of history and culture that are well-known, important and enduring. When we learn such things is unclear, but we cannot forget them, as if they were simply intuited rather than taught. Somehow they unite us; they allow us to better understand the present which has been constructed for us, a sort of lens through which we can access an intertwined past.

The past two years are perhaps the strongest, shared memory the world has ever experienced.

No country was left untouched by the Covid19 pandemic. We were viscerally reminded that in this world of infinite possibilities, we are only human; there are threats we cannot hide from. In the suffering, however, there was solace in knowing others, too, were isolated, afraid and grieving.

Today’s question, in the words of Axl Rose, is “where do we go now?”

This issue delves into complex moments, movements and media seeking answers beyond “that’s just the way it is.” We have considered icons both established and in the making; Jordyn Staff looks back on the Grateful Dead’s wildly successful material culture and enduring legacy in her piece “Selling on Shakedown Street,” and Jacob Shropshire highlights Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s brave leadership and bold strokes as Russia wages its brutal war. In each of this issue’s pieces there is new light shed whether it be a perspective or a history. Leigh Lucaßen’s piece explores the challenging history and cultural relativism of one of the most familiar, notorious symbols in history. Marteena Mendelssohn brilliantly analyzes the film genre of psychological horror, decoding the reasons for its haunting effect on our minds. In a

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nod to France’s rich history, Madita Schrott writes “The Case for the Cross”: a piece on the importance of historical churches to their communities and the need for preserving these buildings even in a secular world. An insightful look at Parisian newsstands by Celia Goodman brings our attention back to place and form in a stunning photo essay. Icons are never made alone, and I am so grateful to have created this issue alongside so many talented and fearless individuals.

I want to thank Marc Feustel for his wit and dedication; he is the man behind the Peacock curtain.

I am indebted to Abby Wright, art director of this issue, for her artistry, ability and advice. Photo director, Sofia Rose’s perspective and sheer talent have made this magazine better than I could have ever imagined. Thank you to Leigh Lucaßen, deputy editor, for showing up week after week and working through countless challenges to achieve something truly miraculous. To the entire Peacock team, thank you for believing in the importance not only of magazine journalism but also of its place on this campus.

To our readers, let the icon issue be both a celebration and a remembrance; a reminder and a warning; a reflection of who we are, what we cherish and how we react. Choose your icons wisely. It’s up to you to take it from here.

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Film Forever Why analog is still thriving in the digital age

by Madita Schrott collage by Sofia Rose photographs by Quinntin Cappa, Lola Mansell, Janosch Raabe, Arianna Razavi, Sofia Rose, Cristian Simic, Mia Stein, Fidan Sultanova and Abby Wright

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nalog photography is back, not just among teenagers armed with Fujifilm instax cameras but also in the professional arena. While photography mogul Nikon thought it would have to close their gates forever just a few years ago, analog photography has taken over an established niche in the wide field of photography that was only recently completely dominated by digital photography. While many factors like high prices or hard to get film rolls should put analog photography at a disadvantage, some photographers still swear by the old school method.

Many professional photographers agree that film is invaluable even in a digitally dominated age. I spoke with three artists, Cristian Simic, Fidan Sultanova and Janosch Raabe, who reveal the special role film photography plays for them.

Cristian Simic is a Paris-based photographer from Romania. He professionally learned the craft in his home country and has been photographing for over eleven years. While he mainly shoots on a digital camera now, his true passion lies in analog photography.

Fidan Sultanova went to an art school in New York, where she focused on photography for two years. She especially loves to shoot portraits.

Janosch Raabe is a visual artist from Cologne, Germany, who used photography as his main medium for a long time. He first picked up one of his father’s cameras in 2015 and has since worked in London and Berlin among other places.

WHAT MADE YOU START SHOOTING ON FILM? “At first it was really superficial what pulled me to film, it was more the body of the camera,” says Raabe. His story continues, “One day I found my dad’s old film cameras. They looked different and beautiful, very different from the digital camera I was using,” he notes. As his career developed, Raabe’s reliance on film photography grew; “the analog camera talked to the aesthetic and nostalgic factor that increasingly got more important to me in my photography, in my style.”

For Sultanova, film photography offers something unique; she finds that film “can express the emotion 10 times better that a digital camera could,

no matter how fine the lens is, or how up to date the lens.” Raabe agrees. He “always used analog on the side for more aesthetic shots, for moments that I spend with people close to me. If I have personal, pretty plans I always make sure to bring it, when I’m experiencing things with friends.”

IS FILM PHOTOGRAPHY ACCESSIBLE? “In Cologne I can’t find color film anywhere, it’s all bought up by the people who can afford it,” admits Raabe. For him, “there can’t be a mainstream comeback because of the prices, it’s too expensive.” In a world of mass production and consumption, film photography is unique in its limited accessibility. The field remains a luxury, a privilege in the eyes of Raabe, which is a problem. While for him “film photography offers an option that’s different,” Raabe is wary of the media’s future: “If it becomes a privilege of the wealthy, that’s scary.” he remarked.

Simic, however, disagrees. He believes that “film is accessible, but it has to be fought for more.” Professionals who shoot on film “need a side job to 9

afford all the costs for film and for developing,” he acknowledges. Unfortunately, the coopting of the analog trend by amateur artists has kept costs high. Those left behind are the artists. As Simic tells me, “artists aren’t always poor, but they’re rarely rich. I know so many photographers who love to shoot analog so much, but it’s not always doable for them.”

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SHOOTING ON FILM VERSUS DIGITALLY? All three photographers find that the very practice of shooting on film gives them a new perspective.

For Raabe, “[Photography] is more concentrated, it is more intimate, more oriented to the goal;” this sentiment is echoed by Sultanova who told me, “I’m more precise, I’m more concentrated, I take my time and I take things slower when it comes to analog.” For Simic, a similar phenomenon takes place: “I pay so much more attention than when I shoot digitally where you can just take one picture after the other. With analog photography on the other hand, you’re more careful so you don’t waste a shot,” he finds. Though the instant gratification of digital photography was once attractive, for some photographers it has become lackluster.

Film’s unpredictable nature and limited availability provides a unique challenge for photographers.

“There is just something so personal about analog photography,” argues Simic. What film lacks in pixel clarity it seems to make up for in charm.

Unlike with digital, Simic told me about his expe12

rience shooting an entire exhibition on film; “sociologically I got really attached to all the subjects, and we ended up with walls filled with people’s portraits accompanied by philosophical questions about their life goals.” This kind of introspective questioning through photo is a unique quality of film, something Simic calls the “intimateness of shooting on analog.” This quality is what sets the less accessible, more expensive media apart from its digital counterpart.

Sultanova, too, is entranced by the way film photography makes her slow down. “When I’m shooting digital,” she reflects, “it would typically be really fast, because of this momentum I catch on, it’s sort of like a hamster running on a wheel.” With film, however, the photographer is forced to slow down. To Sultanova, “that makes it so much more intimate; you can get much closer to the subject like that.”

For Raabe, film photography’s visual qualities set the media apart. According to him, the “quality is not the best, but we like that.” This love of film seems also to be a rejection of digital photography’s strengths; “we are over the HD, the incredible resolution,” he tells me, even though striving for such clarity has been the focus of photographic technology for decades. Film photography has a wistful quality that is lost when shooting in digital.

A photographer who has always had access to digital photography, Raabe says: “in all this amount of technology [I’m] looking for something more emotional...” he is “searching for the heart of photography that got lost on the way to the perfection of pictures.” So, he turns to film.

Each of these photographers use film in different ways. But the reasoning as to why film prevails in a digitally dominant world can be summed up perfectly by Sultanova who notes “the difference between digital and analog in portraits is the genuineness that you can capture. It feels like a sort of memento of a piece of time. It’s all about this raw aspect, that makes memories much more vivid.”

Zelenskyy’s journey from actor to the front lines

by Jacob Shropshire 13

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ong before Volodymyr Zelenskyy was President of Ukraine and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of its military, before he was making a virtual tour of the world to tug on the heartstrings of local histories, and before he was uniting the West in a way that hadn’t been seen since the end of the Second World War, he was a different kind of icon altogether–he was an actor and a comedian.

Those in Ukraine and Russia knew him from a collection of movies and TV shows, most notably Love in the Big City, and Servant of the People (where he played the role of a high-school teacher that was unexpectedly catapulted into the presidency after an impassioned speech in class).

He rose to power in a bizarre and highly unusual campaign for the newly founded Servant of the People party. Instead of political campaigns, he held comedy shows; instead of TV media hits, he posted videos on social media. His platform was sparing

Less than two weeks later, everything changed.

Russia invaded multiple regions of Ukraine, defying international law and personifying the assault on liberal democracy from authoritarian dictatorship.

For much - if not all - of the West, a unified front seemed the only way to remain strong in such a stark division in the world.

That need was met by a uniquely well-prepared Zelenskyy. His ability to lead militarily was impressive though it certainly didn’t hurt that millions of Ukrainians, many of them civilians, vowed to hold their ground and fight for their country. Where Zelenskyy stands out is in his ability to lead his country and its allies through conflict using a combination of courageous action and inspiring rhetoric. His bravery and commitment to Ukraine during this time has made a clear mark in history, notably with virtual speeches to the governing bodies of the world, which invoked the moving words of Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King, to his dedication

After a four-month campaign, he was elected with more than 70% of the second-round vote. in specifics about policy ideas or positions, with the one main exception of taking down corruption in the Ukraine, which had been riddled with it for years.

After a four-month campaign, in April 2019 he was elected with more than 70% of the second-round vote.

Before the Russian invasion in February 2022, President Zelenskyy’s track record was hit and miss.

He had some major losses on proposals to change the way elections were run and efforts to make certain kinds of enrichment with parliamentary funds illegal. However, he also had some wins, most notably an early one that removed immunity from diplomats, judges and members of Parliament.

But amid some scandals and bad press, Zelenskyy was not a broadly popular figure in Ukraine. A poll published in mid-February 2022 showed that only 30% of Ukrainians wanted him to run for President again, and only 24% said they would vote for him.

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to both staying in Ukraine and defending the country’s borders. Without needing to say it explicitly, Zelenskyy has made it clear to the world that the Russian invasion of Ukraine will go down in history as a catastrophe.

His internal messaging to the people of Ukraine has bolstered this message to the world. He has regularly appeared in videos on social media where he exits the relative safety of the Presidential Palace in Kyiv to interact with the people fighting on the front lines of the war. Instead of just making formal addresses from his office, he has grieved with the families of those who died in the conflict.

As we uncover the atrocities committed by Russia in this conflict, much of the West has been willing to provide ammunition to the courageous Ukrainians that are fighting back against autocracy.

More importantly though, there is an imminent sense that this conflict, whatever anyone does to cushion its impacts and however it ends, will

Zelenskyy has proven himself to be the leader that the world needs in this moment of conflict. change the world forever.

Zelenskyy has proven himself to be the leader that the world needs in this moment of conflict. His message to the world is perhaps best articulated by the frank response he gave to the U.S. at the offer to sneak him and his family out of the country towards the beginning of the war: “The war is here. I need ammunition, not a ride.”

Most striking about his leadership during this war is that Zelenskyy is not behaving like a politician but instead like a person; he is a true patriot and an upstanding Ukrainian.

HIGH STAKES & LOW COVERAGE

T H E E E R I LY S I LE NT CULTURE OF THE FRENCH ELECTIO N

by Chri s ti n a A l va re z-Cor re a

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ooking back at this year’s French election, in a nation that has been equally affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the international duties of the UN and EU, and the increase in uproar for social change, the limited and mundane discourse surrounding the presidential election is surprising as an American. Between my own country’s election culture and that of France, the main differences are respect for the electoral process, personal political privacy and the candidates themselves. As an American who has been living in France for three years without French citizenship, the relative silence of the election here is baffling.

Leading up to the April 24 election day, there appeared to be no inflated language among Parisians, no popularized items of clothing attributed to a specific candidate and no signs dangling from the iron balconies. Election Sunday was a still day, and Parisians were largely unphased by the undecided future of their country.

Part of this culture of low alarm is due to France’s status as a unitary state with a semi-presidential system with both a Prime Minister and President, equalizing the power of leadership. The presidential electoral process is also different from the United States. France has a two-round election, the first to 16

LEADING UP TO THE APRIL 24 ELECTION DAY, THERE APPEARED TO BE NO INFLATED LANGUAGE AMONG PARISIANS, NO POPULARIZED ITEMS OF CLOTHING ATTRIBUTED TO A SPECIFIC CANDIDATE AND NO SIGNS DANGLING FROM THE IRON BALCONIES. give the opportunity to one of the 12 candidates to cement the absolute majority. If they do not, the second round is held between the two frontrunners. In this year’s election, Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen were the final two candidates, the same as in the 2017 election.

Another defining difference is in the restricting of media coverage. France has set several restrictions on election coverage in order to ensure the fairness and propriety of the process. Although these restrictions are in place, the stakes of the selecting of a president is an event that demands consistent and plentiful reporting. American presidential elections, however, are a media spectacle from start to finish. They are some of the most globally anticipated events, with the future of the country apparently riding on the backs of a few charismatic politicians with nothing nice to say about one another.

The heated debates, the digging up of the candidates’ dirty pasts and the detailed vision of the future each candidate provides are all facets that grab the attention of viewers and voters across the globe.

Though the 2022 French election has been one with low coverage, the stakes were as high as ever.

Reconciliation of an increasingly divided nation and reversal of some of the turbulent events of the past five years - the damage done by the pandemic and the deep divide between the left and the right took center stage.

Far-right politicians have come into increasing popularity and influence in this election. In the first round, Macron faced two far right candidates: Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour. Le Pen, the successful candidate is president of the far-right political party the Front National. As France’s most comparable figure to Donald Trump, she hoped to privatize many of the socialized services of France, nationalize the French economy, change the structure of the European Union, and restrict access to same-sex marriage and abortion (which have both been legalized for many years). As a candidate, she was a threat to the advancement of French society, economics and international relations, but as a president, her policies had the potential to threaten the very security of France and Europe as a whole.

In the final round of elections, Le Pen faced France’s incumbent president, Emmanuel Macron.

Macron, the center-left leader of the La République En Marche! (The Republic on the Move!) party, ran on a platform of continuity and security. As opposed to Le Pen’s hard right views, Macron was the candidate for normalcy, and he was successful.

The state of politics in France and America alike has become increasingly more fragile and divided in recent years. Outcry for social change, opposing views on international relations and an ever-gloomier view on the future has instilled crippling fears among both nations’s citizens.

In France, this phenomenon was clear in the electoral result. The public was pushed into feeling one of two ways, with no in-between. In the margins of Macron’s election and reelection lay the evidence for France’s deepening division. In 2017, Macron won 66.1% of the runoff against Marine Le Pen. This time around, the margins were slimmer, with Macron

THE STATE OF POLITICS IN FRANCE AND AMERICA ALIKE HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY MORE FRAGILE AND DIVIDED IN RECENT YEARS. gaining just 58.5% of the vote. Le Pen’s increasing support shows a stark shift in the general dispersal of French political views. “If Ms. Le Pen looks more mainstream now, it’s because the mainstream looks more like her,” wrote Sameer Al-Doumy of the New York Times in an article published just days before the April 24 election.

A looming election brings an unfamiliar silence surrounding the subject; we all know what’s coming but struggle to address it. Unlike American election seasons, where the possible candidates and impending outcomes are discussed years out from the actual election, the French prioritize civility even in a season of potential political unrest. Even though the France’s presidential election had high stakes, I felt less fearful of the outcome, as I had not been inundated with terrifying threats or hateful rhetoric.

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WEST

A history of France’s obsession with cowboy culture

ob sess ed

by Jeanne Azoulay photography by Sofia Rose

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very year, the somewhat sleepy town of Craponne-sur-Arzon is roused by the unusual sounds of twangy guitars and stomping cowboy boots. The Country Rendez-Vous, a threeday event which takes place in the heavy heat of late July, is a western-themed festival bringing in around 20,000 enthusiasts from France and beyond to enjoy music, dancing and cultural activities straight out of a John Wayne film. Though one of the largest of its kind, Country Rendez-Vous is not the only festival of this nature. Just a month after the Country Rendez-Vous, another 25,000 head to France’s Rhône-Alpes region for the EquiBlues Rodeo.

Past fliers for the event depicted a Levi’s-wearing cowboy crested on his horse with a bold, bright, American flag behind him. The event, which has been held since 1996, is undeniably an homage to the rodeo scene of Wyoming, Texas, Arizona, and Nevada. Over the course of four days, EquiBlues serves its patrons a combination of rodeos, horsemounted gun shooting, line dancing, and country music with the aim of immersing the French into

a lost culture they seem to love. In fact, dozens of other events from line-dancing competitions to rodeos have cropped up across the country, despite being both thousands of miles and decades away from the era upon which they call.

These tiny towns swell to 10 times their population for each of these festivals; the events are enormous, popular, and important. But why? France’s breathtaking historical structures, chic manners and indulgent gastronomy are a far cry from the coarse and audacious American West, yet something about the rugged Americana of country music and western fanfare is undeniably attractive to the otherwise poised French.

Surprisingly, many French children grow up surrounded by media seeking to recreate cowboy culture, such as the Lucky Luke comic series. The titular character, Luke, is dressed as the epitome of cowboy chic. His overdrawn, goofy figure is flanked by a piece of straw dangling out of his mouth, a bandana tied around his neck, and a tilted cowboy hat perched atop his head. Lucky Luke’s adven19

tures, too, have a western flair, with titles such as Canyon Apache (Apache Canyon), Ruée sur Oklahoma (The Oklahoma Land Rush), and Le Bandit Manchot (The One-Armed Bandit). Just as these comics capture the look of America’s romanticized Wild West, so too do they refer to the poorly aging themes of the time. Delivering a history of the land theft, reckless warfare and brazen behavior that made the Wild West, Lucky Luke both complicates and deepens France’s connection to the American West. The popularity of the Lucky Luke comic and its influence on France’s continued love of the American West cannot be undersold. As Norimitsu

as popular, attracting over 350,000 visitors in 2018, generating over nine million euros in profit.

Outside of childhood, heavy western symbolism can be found all over France. Famous restaurant chains throughout the country such as Buffalo Grill and Indiana Café maintain a steady presence of cowboy culture in their logos, marketing and menus. On the streets, cowboy hats appear to have replaced the beret as the quintessential French headwear. The cowboy hat, popularized by John B. Stetson in 1865 after a trip to the American West, was designed to protect farmers and ranchers from the harsh climate. His hat being both practi-

But France’s love of the American West is not limited to material fascination; there exists also a moral connection.

Onishi of the New York Times notes, the series, “for generations, had been an integral part of growing up in France.” The success and relevance of Lucky Luke, along with other western-inspired tales such as Tintin en Amerique (Tintin in America), Les Aventures de Chick Bill (The Adventures of Chick Bill) and Willy Boy, show a clear pattern of Franco-western obsession beginning in childhood.

These stories, too, are often enhanced through experience. Popular amusement parks such as the Jardin d’Acclimatation further sow an interest in cowboy culture with activities such as western-themed shooting games and on-theme rides.

Head a bit further north to Ermenonville, and you will find Mer de Sable. This theme park is designed entirely around three American landscapes: La Vallée du Mississippi (The Valley of Mississippi), Le Canyon du Colorado (The Canyon of Colorado), and Le Désert de Nouveau-Mexique (The New Mexican Desert). The many western-themed rides are accompanied by shows set in saloons and displays of horsemanship. Founded in 1963, La Mer de Sable is one of France’s longest continually operating theme parks. Today, its Western theme is just 20

cal and boldly stylish gained popularity among the original figures of the West, such as Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley. The hat was revived on television screens across America in the 1950s due to the wildly popular Lone Ranger cartoon and then brought overseas via comic series and spaghetti westerns. In the past 5 years, various fashion houses have brought the cowboy hat back into the French fashion zeitgeist. Dior and Chloé in 2018, Louis Vuitton in 2019, and Yves Saint Laurent in 2021 all released high end cowboy hats as part of their collection. The styles have, of course, been repopularized in accessible fashion as well.

But France’s love of the American West is not limited to material fascination; there exists also a moral connection. Liberty is a value held in high regard by the French, dating back to the French Revolution, ultimately producing the nation’s motto: “Liberté, égalité, fraternité.” While freedom is the most evident shared trait between the American West and France, equality and fraternity are just as prevalent in cowboy culture. The harsh landscape of the Wild West can be considered the great equalizer among self-made cowboys. Such natural equality is

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a quality longed for by those confined to France’s less dramatic terrain. Further, the brotherhoods of cowboys are central to any film or book, conjuring a rugged and necessary masculinity in order to survive the hostile environment. While liberty, equality and fraternity may be the guiding internal principles of France, they are also clear practices of the American West. Phillip Lafont, founder of EquiBlues, believes that “the image of a cowboy is free, close to nature, outside society, but in a romantic way. It’s a popular idea, which draws people in.”

France’s love of the American West is another example of the familiar aphorism, opposites attract. Though vastly different in ideology, culture and geography, the American West is the embodiment of French values. It is proof that, even in our differences, we may find ideas and expressions which excite us. Coupled with the inundation of French childhood with cowboy-themed media, the long-lasting Franco-cowboy love affair promises to carry on into the future.

France’s love of the American West is another example of the familiar aphorism, opposites attract. Though vastly different in ideology, culture and geography, the American West is the embodiment of French values.

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“Carpe Diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”

oh captain, my captain Reminiscing on the teachers and mentors of ‘90s movies

by Leigh Lucaßen illustrations by Stella Richman 24

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cademic pressure, difficult home lives, the need for conformity – people are shaped by negative experiences during the formative years of their adolescence. For decades, films and literature have explored how young people may escape the detrimental pressures imposed on them by authority figures. During the ‘80s and ‘90s, a trope emerged in American entertainment media; an inspiring figure, a beacon of light to guide the youth towards individuality and self-determination.

The message is clear: the system is flawed and must be resisted.

The trope has been executed in different ways.

Movies such as Dead Poets Society and Good Will Hunting introduce a new authority figure in the young peoples’ lives, who guides them by unconventional means, pointing out the flaws in their environments and encouraging them to reflect on their experiences. The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off take a different approach. Author-

ity figures are disregarded or even ridiculed, and it is the young people who inspire each other. Above all, the trope highlights the importance of resistance to the oppressive force of a negative authority.

GOOD WILL HUNTING

“PEOPLE CALL THESE THINGS IMPERFECTIONS, BUT THEY’RE NOT, THAT’S THE GOOD STUFF. AND THEN WE GET TO CHOOSE WHO WE LET INTO OUR WEIRD LITTLE WORLDS.” Good Will Hunting (1997) addresses how, under the influence of poverty and an abusive environment, genius can go unnoticed and potential wasted. It is about the lack of aspirations Will Hunting, played by Matt Damon, has as a result of an inadequate education and a difficult home life.

The story is character-driven; it follows Will and his relationships with his therapist, his friends and

"You think I know the first thing about how hard your life has been, how you feel, who you are, because I read Oliver Twist?"

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the girl he loves as he learns to lead a self-determined life.

In this movie, Sean Maguire, played by Robin Williams, is representative of the inspiring mentor trope. Will leads a life of poverty and violence, as it is all he has ever known. By mirroring Will’s foul-mouthed behavior, but also by showing him patience and understanding, Sean manages to break through Will’s exterior and finally insists that he is simply a victim of his circumstances, that nothing that has happened to him was his own fault. Will’s problems do not magically resolve themselves, but nonetheless the inspiring mentor succeeds by making Will realize his own potential.

DEAD POETS SOCIETY

“CARPE DIEM. SEIZE THE DAY, BOYS. MAKE YOUR LIVES EXTRAORDINARY.” Perhaps antithetical to Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society (1989) is about a group of boys at a prestigious boarding school in the United States.

Faced with academic pressure and parental expectations, they go about their lives in a boring, monotonous fashion, until their new English teacher, John Keating, once again played by Robin Williams, teaches them to “seize the day” and make the most of their lives. The seeds of rebellion already have already been planted in the boys – smoking in their dorm rooms and insulting their teachers in private – but it is Keating who makes them sprout. Through the revival of the Dead Poets Society, they begin to appreciate art and poetry and ultimately begin to think further than the plans their parents have laid out for them. But in a system where non-conformity is seen as dangerous; their actions have harsh consequences as the reality of their position comes crashing down on them once again. The inspiring mentor fails.

But if the mentor fails, how is this movie a good example of the trope? In Dead Poets Society, the trope is so effective precisely because the teacher fails. The “inspiring mentor” archetype is a way of pointing out the flaws in a system – a way of critiquing it. (A former boarding school kid myself, I know how the academic pressure and competitive nature of these environments can be soul crushing.) No 26

matter how good your teacher is at making you resist the conformities you are expected to submit to, there remains an authority that you will not be able to escape. The message of Dead Poets Society is not that you must do what you can to resist the system, but rather that no matter what you do, so long as the system doesn’t change, you will not escape it. It is a critique of the circumstances that make non-conformity impossible.

THE BREAKFAST CLUB

“EACH ONE OF US IS A BRAIN, AN ATHLETE, A BASKET CASE, A PRINCESS AND A CRIMINAL.” As a pioneer of this variation, The Breakfast Club (1985) brings together five students from different walks of life. It points out the harm of biases and stereotypes towards members of specific social groups while also highlighting the battles each one must fight on their own. As such, it addresses parental neglect, child abuse, academic and peer pressure and the pressure to succeed.

The Breakfast Club represents the precise opposite of the inspiring mentor trope. The only teacher in the movie stands in as the oppressive force in the protagonists’ lives and every caregiver in the show is said to be neglectful or abusive; so, it falls to the students to learn the lesson through their fateful encounter with one another. In just a few hours, the five teenagers learn to open up and confront their own biases. They draw mutual inspiration, despite knowing that their ways will part again once they

“How could I possibly be expected to handle school on a day like this?”

leave the library. Here too, the students learn that it is the system and the ways in which they fit or do not fit into it that puts them at a disadvantage, rather than their identities themselves.

FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF

“LIFE MOVES PRETTY FAST. IF YOU DON’T STOP AND LOOK AROUND ONCE IN A WHILE, YOU COULD MISS IT.” In Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), the subject is treated a little more lightly. Mostly, it is about taking it easy every now and then to avoid missing out on the beautiful things in life. The more serious notes are carried by Ferris’s best friend Cameron, who is terrified of his father’s judgment, and his sister Jeanie, who experiences intense jealousy over her brother’s endeavors and fails to enjoy her own life. By the end of the movie, Cameron resolves to finally stand up to his father, and Jeanie

abandons her jealousy to help Ferris get away with his lies.

Through his consistent fourth wall breaks, Ferris Bueller teaches not only his friends but also the audience about the value of enjoying life. The protagonist has already learned the lesson of the movie – that life is too short to waste time – and now teaches his friends and the viewer. As in The Breakfast Club, the teacher and parents represent an oppressive force to be escaped, and the students learn from each other instead of an authoritative figure. As the only comedy among these four movies, it does so through humor and an over-thetop representation of the adolescent experience, but without losing the value of its message. Whatever the method, the bottom line of these films is the same: We all need something to inspire us.

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bonding

by Christina Alvarez-Correa

I

t’s August. You’re entering a foreign environment surrounded by other 18-year-olds with the same meek, intimidated expression on their faces. Excited, yet tearful parents ready to send their children off stand behind them, mingling with each other. Looking around, you take in the place where you will spend the next four years, already feeling the weight of the stories you have yet to create on your shoulders. You reflect on all the stories you’ve been told by the adults you’ve ever had an exchange with – the long study nights, the endless laughs, whimsical nights out and the lifelong friendships that have supported them since their “college days.” You realize it is your time for this, the time when you will create these friendships, share those laughs and have those tiring study nights partnered with the comfort of companionship.

This moment, supposedly a thrilling incitement of the next four years seems nothing other than a moment of immeasurable strain.

Optimistic about the academic journey you are about to take on, you feel the looming pressure to make friends and assimilate to the social standard and culture you are surrounded by. You text your friends from home and realize they’re feeling the same daunting demands to form a support system, to acquire the friend

they’ll go to when things are difficult, the group they’ll go out to events with, and those college friends that last for life. These friends are the ones that will follow you throughout all eras of your life.

Forming friendships is one of the core experiences of being a college student. It is the time when some of the most important and influential characters will appear in your timeline of life.

Many variables can affect who, when, where and how these bonds take shape, but the environment in which they do is on the top of that list. The environment of a college campus lends itself to molding not only the individual, but their relationships as well. It serves as the foundation for all the associations and experiences that we create.

With the pressure of finding these people who will one day reminisce on all seasons of your lives with you, having the environment that will provide these people is crucial.

It left me wondering: what is the relationship between campus structure and bonding?

Many university campuses foster a community from the ground up through a tight-knit formation of buildings. From an academic quad to dorm buildings, the classic, American college campus is perfectly conducive to giving students a personal sanctuary of familiar faces and places. This struc-

With the pressure of finding these people who will one day reminisce on all seasons of your lives with you, having the environment that will provide these people is crucial. It left me wondering: what is the relationship between campus structure and bonding?

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The challenges of making and keeping friends at AUP

radius

Pagano struggled to integrate into the community. She believes that unlike AUP, “a traditional campus is designed for this purpose: to allow students to navigate life in a bubble.”

Having one’s needs entirely met by a campus’s services and amenities limits the stress places on students outside of the classroom. “In contrast,” Pagano continued, “AUP feels like it’s been designed to stretch the student population as far as possible.” Whether intentional or not, AUP pushes students physically away from one another. The building are neither designed nor able to serve all of AUP’s population at once; the very design of the school’s buildings is transactional. Under these conditions, Pagano holds that “the real trouble is finding your people.”

There appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel, however. Pagano noted, “Once I managed to overcome that initial adversity, it became strength. I had felt that ebb and flow between pain and joy.” The experience of such deep isolation at first reinforces the necessity of friendship and encourages students to make deeper connections with one another.

This intentionality in forming bonds and friendships with other students is unique in comparison to other university campuses.

AUP may see itself as a place of starry-eyed nomads bonding through the experience of navigating new environments with a harmonious blend of academia and friendship, but making and keeping friends can quickly become another chore on students’ already busy schedules. This obligation to seek friendship, rather than simply coming across it, also highlights the lack of culture or school spirit at AUP. The detachment of friend groups as Pagano remarked, leads to the ambiguous nature of what culture means at this university.

Universities that are centered in the hearts of cities typically resemble the structure of

block

ture tends to set the foundation for students to create solid, lifelong friendships.

The American University of Paris began its journey in 1962 as a university in the basement of the American Church, located on Quai d’Orsay. Throughout the years, the school has been able to expand through acquiring buildings within a seven-block radius. AUP’s campus - if we can even call it that - imposes a different community setup. As all of AUP’s buildings are contained within a neighborhood, there is potential for that insulated feel, but the reality is that AUP exists in shared spaces. Students navigate a maze composed of little streets, bustling businesses and local residents. The variety of neighborhood life is wonderful, but for students these distractions can lead to both a lack of closeness to the school and a failure to create community.

With a relatively small student body of 1,000 undergraduate students, unity and closeness would seem to be a given, yet the student body of AUP is full of dispersal. With no concentrated pillar for school spirit, no residential community and limited student space, AUP students struggle to create and expand social circles. Compared to other universities, where variables such as linguistic and cultural diversity, student body size and limited academic offerings are just as present, unity amongst the student body still prevails; the independent variable, therefore, is the amorphous, non-student centered structure of AUP’s campus.

Sitting down with Madeline Pagano, a fouryear student from the class of 2021, she provided an interesting take on the trials and tribulations of finding friendship at AUP. She opened by recalling her earliest days at AUP: “I remember my first week on campus being terrified and feeling so alone. No one was there to guide me.” Like many AUP students,

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AUP, notwithstanding a few outliers. This is inevitable when curating a campus throughout busy streets and highly demanded real estate. On the other hand, some students feel like the intentionality in seeking out friendship lends itself to form stronger bonds.

Sacha Walt, a former AUP student who transferred to New York University - a school with a similar campus structure to AUP - two years ago claims that she made and continues to make strong friendships throughout the scattered buildings. “I made a lot of strong friendships during my time at AUP. Most of them were visiting students so we have all since left the school, but we keep in touch. At NYU, I have made friends that I am incredibly close with and see as lifelong friends. I think the structure of the campus actually pushed me harder to pursue friendships and make more of an effort to keep in touch with people.”

In fact, many have embraced the barriers that the city campus structure administers. The barriers are subjective in nature and can be viewed as liberating factors in the eyes of some. For Walt, “If you’re going to go to a school that is located in a city, you cannot expect the same ease in making friends as on a ‘traditional’ campus.”

While some feel that the city campus structure is an inconvenience and a barrier to overcome in achieving some semblance of a traditional college experience, others find it an inherent factor in choosing the city lifestyle and are therefore indifferent and welcoming of the subsequent challenges that the structure may bring. As Walt suggested, the “challenges” the structure of AUP’s campus brings are completely subjective and dependent on mindset. Some may be inviting and expecting of them, while others may feel defeated due to the circumstances.

AUP is known for its cosmopolitan and at times, precocious student body. The sophistication and worldliness of its students certainly creates pockets of inherent community through shared nationality, language and lifestyle. Although this may be contrasting to other universities who share bonds over school spirit and culture, it has created an identity for AUP that is all its own. As developing, lost adults, the hunger for friendship prevails through any per30

ceived restraints and the variables that cater to forming friendships are personal.

It’s not that having spread-out buildings make it insurmountably difficult to make friends, but rather for incoming students, the lack of campus and community is one more challenge to overcome.

For most students - who are already faced with an

“I remember my first week on campus being absolutely terrified and feeling so alone. No one was there to guide me.” international move and a new level of academic challenge - the lack of a strong, campus culture can feel like the straw that breaks the proverbial camel’s back.

The Grateful Dead’s enduring material legacy

by Jordyn Staff

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B

eing at a Dead Show had a cultural community shared experience about it. There was a connectivity throughout the crowd. Everyone was a part of and fed off the band’s and each other’s energy.” You guessed it, my dad is a Deadhead.

Watching the cars pass by on the Long Island Expressway, the city fading behind me as I moved eastward into the suburbs, you could hear two little girls belting the lyrics: “Driving that train, high on cocaine, Casey Jones, you better watch your speed.”

If it wasn’t the Grateful Dead, then it was the Beatles’s “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” or “Strawberry Fields Forever.” My childhood was surrounded by music about love, drugs and sex and I was gloriously ignorant.

When discussing some of his concert experiences with me, my dad recalls: “Every show was different, they never played the same show twice. They covered great artists, had great people play with them.

When you did hear them play the same song, they played the songs in unique ways that make you remember that version, that night, where you were, who you were with.”

The Grateful Dead has played to more people than any other band in history, estimated at around 25 million people. They also achieved an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1998 for “most rock concerts ever performed”. They became the second-highest grossing band of the decade in 1990, making a total revenue of $285 million from their tours. Second only to the Rolling Stones. But beyond the band’s profitability, they were pioneers of culture and sound.

If you ever saw me, my parents and my sister in a room together you would notice that our phone cases are all variations of the iconic symbols of the Grateful Dead. The band’s cultural identity which started with tie-dye t-shirts and the steal-your-face skull in the mid 1960s managed to outlast every stylistic shift American culture has seen since and has kept the band’s legacy just as prevalent today.

When asking my dad, a self-confessed Deadhead why he thought the Dead’s influence was so prevalent today he jokingly responded by saying “because you have the coolest parents,” which is true for my personal infatuation with Deadhead culture, but I can’t say the same for the rest of the world.

My childhood was surrounded by music about love, drugs and sex and I was gloriously ignorant.

What made the Dead so culturally significant was their innovation of concert sound and culture. As band manager Rock Scully himself described in an interview with Rolling Stone published August 23, 1969: “‘No middlemen, no bullshit, we did it all, posters, tickets, promo, setting up the halls. All the things promoters say you can’t do, we did, man, and ’cause we weren’t dependent, we felt free and everybody did. That told us that however hard it gets, it can be done, you don’t have to go along.”

This mentality spread like wildfire among Deadheads, who were constantly innovating; selling merch, food, drugs and whatever else they could to score enough cash and follow the band to their next location. My dad vividly recalls when the Dead first allowed fans to tape their concerts – one of the first bands to do so.This created an economy among the Deadheads who would, buy, sell and trade tapes of the concerts in order to potentially do so at the next one. No two performances were ever alike. Even though drugs and the Grateful Dead went hand in hand during the mid and late ‘60s, even a sober mind could appreciate the inventiveness of their music and see the creative spark they set aflame: one that still burns in modern music and artistic culture today.

The Grateful Dead’s influence on fashion culture developed alongside the counterculture move33

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ments of the 1960s, in particular those linked to psychedelic drug use. Their looks are Bohemian, utilizing unique textiles, colors and patterns, especially tie dye, which were still popular with Deadheads in the following decades. Deadheads also became creative in making their own unofficial band merch, which they sold outside of concerts. This act was encouraged by the band itself, setting the Grateful Dead apart from other bands. The parking lots where this bootleg merchandise was sold became known as “Shakedown Street”, named after a Grateful Dead song of the same name. Allowing the sale of self-made merch helped the culture to grow, as well as allowing Deadheads to contribute to the global aesthetic of the Grateful Dead.

What the Dead foresaw was the need to have an accessible brand. They didn’t stomp out bootleg efforts to spread tour merch or concert videos; instead, the embraced the idea that all publicity is good publicity… and they were right. Because a piece of the brand was so well within reach for the public, the number of fans grew drastically. From the tightknit roadies who followed the band for miles to those who bought concert tapes to watch alone in 34

u sed,

their room, the band’s legacy spiraled out into the world like the pattern on their famous tie-die shirts.

By popularizing their iconography as much as their music, the Dead created a bank of visual indicators for fans, giving them yet another way to be a part of the Deadhead culture.

It comes as no surprise, then, that the band’s famous logos have been revived legendary in a wave of posthumous collaborations. From Levi’s and Crocs to Gucci and Stella McCartney and even pints of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream, the Dead’s grasp on consumer goods is as strong as ever. Whether you were an original roadie or have never listened to their music, it’s hard to deny that there’s something uniquely alluring about the Dead’s designs.

For fans of the music, the attraction runs deeper.

When asking my dad about his experience at the concerts he emphasized, “another unique thing about The Dead was the parking lot experience.

People follow the band as they toured across the country, living out of their cars… Selling and trading food, clothing, tapes, tickets…the parking lot was a party, circus, carnival all in one.”

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Some Shakedown Street sellers, such as Not Fade Away Graphics Inc., Grateful Graphics and Club Dead, were eventually engaged by the band to design official goods. Dead & Company, the Grateful Dead cover band (which includes John Mayer) recently made a similar step when they teamed up with Online Ceramics, a streetwear brand noted for its Grateful Dead-inspired creations.

For listeners who never camped out in the lot, how can the Dead maintain their relevance? I asked another Gen Z Deadhead, Gavin Lieberman, why he thinks the culture is so apparent and influential today. His opinion is that “in addition to their music just being timeless in…there was also a huge culture around it, and you are still able to see that culture when you go to Dead shows.” Essentially, the Grateful Dead’s marketing is a self-fulfilling prophecy. The efforts they made to cultivate a determined following in their golden years has invigorated younger generations to share in such passion. Combined with easily recognizable merchandise, becoming a Dead fan is not only attractive to younger generations, but also easy. The tapes – once a pioneering policy – become the perfect avenue for today’s

fans to share in the sentiment so strongly felt by original fans.

Unlike other bands from the ‘70s and ‘80s, the Dead never once marketed themselves as exclusive; they never gatekept fans who wanted to share their love of the band by creating merchandise or selling recorded versions of concerts.

The success of the cover band Dead & Company has been another accelerator in spreading the culture to the younger generations; it’s a bridge into our parents’ past. Being able to see a version of the original band live in concert “brought on a whole new generation of new listeners and people who started going to these concerts which kind of acted as a sort of revival for the younger generation” Lieberman opines. For me, standing in the crowd of tie dye t-shirts outside of Citi Field in the summer with John Mayer belting “Friend of the Devil,” surrounded by Deadheads, old and new was nearly transcendental. But the best part is that when the concert is over, the Shakedown Street sellers are still there, incense and all, almost as if they are frozen in time, unfazed by anything but the iconic music and timeless vibes.

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I

Do You See What I See?

n mid-November I began watching the anime Tokyo Revengers.

The first season, comprised of twenty-four episodes, aired between April and September of 2021 and quickly gained popularity, mostly for its unique character designs and the high stakes of major character deaths. The series is based on a manga written and illustrated

by Ken Wakui, first published in 2017 and currently nearing its conclusion. The plot follows twenty-six-year-old Hanagaki Takemichi who travels twelve years back in time and joins a gang to prevent the death of his girlfriend.

At the conclusion of the first season, I was eager to continue the story, so I picked up the manga and started reading where the anime left off. A few chapters in, however, I recoiled at the insignia shown on the main character’s jacket: the Swastika.

In the anime, the character’s jacket notably lacked the symbol, so it was entirely jolting seeing this disturbing, added detail. To reassure myself that I hadn’t simply missed it when watching the show I went back and checked. Indeed, in the subtitled version that I had watched, the swastika had been edited out, leaving a black gap where the symbol would have been.

It would not have been the first time that Japan has gained attention for references to Nazi Germany in recent years. The hugely popular anime Attack on Titan, for example, has become subject to criticisms for its holocaust narrative, which features many of the antisemitic elements of Nazi Germany in the 1930s to mid-1940s.

More recently, in 2021, a Nazi-themed bar opened in Osaka. While it was eventually shut down after an intense backlash, the fact that the bar could even open is entirely shocking to most Europeans. These instances, in fact, are part of a larger aesthetic movement called “Nazi chic,” which has grown popular across East and Southeast Asia, born out of an unawareness of the European perspective on the events of World War II and legacy of Nazi insignia.

Concerned by the nonchalant inclusion of such a loaded symbol, I decided to look up whether the manga showed any noticeable patterns of anti-Semitism or pro-Fascist sentiments. My Google search came up with nothing, and I was relieved that I was not knowingly 36

How does the swastika’s complex history interact with modern media?

by Leigh Lucaßen

37

supporting a piece of fascist media. Though put at ease knowing that there was no esoteric, pro-Nazi theme in the manga, I realized that in my attempt to be culturally sensitive, I walked right into the trap

respective religions and culture.

“I think that what is interesting about living in India is that your daily life is your cultural life. You may or may not be a hardcore religious person, but

I realized that in my attempt to be culturally sensitive, I walked right into the trap of assuming that my understanding of the swastika must equate to everybody else's. of assuming that my understanding of the swastika must equate to everybody else’s.

Before being appropriated by the Nazis, the swastika had been in active use for thousands of years by various cultures across the globe. The word itself originated from Sanskrit and means “good fortune” or “well-being.” As such, it was, and still is today, a sacred symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism and has both ceremonial and decorative purposes.

In India, Thailand, Indonesia and other countries in the region, the swastika can be found on temples, houses and tattoos. In these geographies, the meaning is both completely detached from the Western association and deeply relevant to their

the religious symbols circulate in cultural ways,” says AUP professor Sneharika Roy. “My contact with the swastika is lived rather than learned. It’s what you see at the beginning of balance sheets, at the beginning of notebooks, at the beginning of ceremonies. It is an auspicious sign of good beginnings.”

When Buddhism traveled to China, Japan and Korea around two thousand years ago, the symbol migrated as well, retaining its positive connotations.

In Japan, the left-facing swastika became known as the manji. However, the use of the swastika had never been confined to the East. Among some southwestern Native American tribes, the symbol represented health and well-being. It was most

commonly used in Navajo culture, known under the name Whirling Log and originating from a tale of the same name. It can be found on rugs, blankets, baskets and jewellery, either left- or right-facing. It was also a common motif for sandpaintings in healing ceremonies. In 1940 the Navajo, Hopi, Papago and Apache tribes resolved that the Whirling Log motif would no longer be used for any purpose, in reaction to the appropriation of the swastika by the Nazis.

Even in Europe, the earliest decorative swastika pattern was found near the Russian border and was carbon dated to fifteen thousand years ago. The more infamous single swastika had been used for different purposes from as far back as seven thousand years ago. In Greece, it had been used for decoration, in architecture and in art often associated with the Gods or mythological creatures, but also people and animals. In Germanic cultures, the swastika had been repeatedly carved into stone during the Bronze Age and was commonly associated with good fortune and protection. There was even a religious connection to the symbol, which was often linked to Thor: the Norse god of lightning and thunder.

Later during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many countries in Europe associated the symbol with good fortune, but it was around this time when the swastika’s reputation took a turn for the worst. As a variety of völkische Gruppen (folkish groups), which spread antisemitic sentiment in German-speaking countries, grew, they began using the symbol to promote their racist and supremacist ideals. This development found its origin in the discovery of the ancient city of Troy by Heinrich Schliemann. During his excavations at the site in present-day Turkey, Schliemann came across multiple variations of the swastika on the artefacts he uncovered.

From these findings, archeologists held that there must have been a shared culture between Europe and India. These discoveries corroborated an existing sentiment and interest in the similarities between Sanskrit, Latin and the Germanic languages. This combination of factors began manifesting a belief among German nationalists that the German people were the “master race” from which all cultural development originated. From the links the nationalists drew between themselves and the Indo-Aryan people, came the adoption of the term

“To me it has always meant hate.”

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“It’s like a totalitarian reading of a symbol, which at some level becomes a totalitarian reading of a culture. This symbol can only mean this one thing to this one culture.”

“Aryan” to describe the blond-haired, blue-eyed ideal these groups envisioned.

It was from these groups that Adolf Hitler drew inspiration for his flag, the Hakenkreuz: a skewed, right-facing swastika that would permanently change the way much of the world views the symbol today.

Naturally, Germany is the country with the most restrictions on public use of the swastika . Alongside other Nazi symbolism, illegal public display of the Hakenkreuz, the associated flag or other forms of Nazi memorabilia is prohibited and inappropriate use may be fined or punished by up to three years in jail. According to the German criminal code, the restrictions do not apply when it is used for “civil enlightenment, to avert unconstitutional aims, to promote art or science, research or teaching, reporting about current historical events or similar purposes.” Movies also seem to be exempt, as the Hakenkreuz has been left uncensored in the German release of Hollywood films such as Inglorious Basterds and Jojo Rabbit. Germany itself has made movies which display Nazi symbolism, slogans and gestures, such as the satire Look Who’s Back.

The German ban on the swastika does not, by law, extend to the use of the symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, as well as other religions or cultures. Nonetheless, active use of the traditional swastika will likely never be possible in the German public, which is likely why, as a German, I was so taken aback by the seemingly nonchalant manner in which the symbol was included in Wakui’s manga.

Controversies surrounding public use of the swastika are nothing new. Recently, fast fashion brand Shein faced a backlash after using the Buddhist swastika for a necklace design. The outrage was twofold: those unaware of the religious ori-

gins of the swastika claimed that it was antisemitic, those from a Buddhist, Hindu or Jain background called Shein out on cultural appropriation.

Cases like this show that ignorance towards other cultures can lead to misunderstandings, but are also representative of the power symbols and their associations all around the globe.

“What is worrying about these kinds of debates is the extent to which a symbol can mean one thing so powerfully,” Roy says. “It’s like a totalitarian reading of a symbol, which at some level becomes a totalitarian reading of a culture. This symbol can only mean this one thing to this one culture.”

I do not believe that my response to the use of the swastika, or manji, in Tokyo Revengers was unreasonable, given the context of my upbringing. Having been born, raised and socialized in Germany for most of my life, my reaction to seeing Nazi symbolism in any context in ingrained. A German education includes multiple years of classes on German World War II history. Attending German public school often entails classmates drawing the Hakenkreuz on bathroom stalls and imitating the Hitler salute. My only contact with the swastika had come in relation to its appropriation by the Nazis.

To me it has always meant hate.

There will never be a time when seeing the swastika will not make me uneasy, regardless of the version or the context in which it is used. However, it is not within my right, or anyone else’s, to demand of others to remove the symbol from their religious practice or cultural expression. So long as we retain a notion of cultural relativism towards that which we do not understand and approach it with curiosity rather than aversion we can avoid misconceptions and promote a culture of mutual respect and understanding.

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Highlighting the Parisian newsstand and its place in history

Paris for Sale 42

by Celia Goodman & Lia Whitman

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illustration by Kira Winter

Meet AUP’s first and last mascot

by Oscar Padula

illustration by Hannah Landon

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t’s a solemn day for us all.” These were the words spoken by the Student Body President, Andrew Callaghan to a weeping crowd of students and faculty. “We must remember and cherish what we lost and never forget what we had,” Andrew continued, before breaking down in tears. That day, I stood in the back of the room watching professors and fellow students mourn a dream passed. A dream of the first - and last - university mascot.

Two weeks prior, at the mascot’s unveiling, President Callaghan was smiling with anticipation as he brought out the American University of Paris’s new icon. Dressed in a scarf and holding a bottle of wine, Fumo was immediately met with thunderous applause. “Ladies and gentlemen,” boomed Callaghan, “I give to you Fumo, the used cigarette.”

A few were skeptical about whether the mascot was fitting for our university, but the majority were enamored. One professor dropped to the floor and started bowing to him like an ancient god.

Emma Sacayan, the artist who came up with the concept, simply beamed with pride at her accomplishment. When creating the mascot, Emma said the challenge was not the design, but rather figuring out what AUP’s identity was. Her process was not initially easy, as she explained, “The main problem seemed to be that there were so many types

of students, yet many recurring themes.” Emma pulled out some of her preliminary sketches of a USC guy in a hoodie, a trust fund kid with his driver parked outside of Combes, and a girl who sits in the Amex reading 120 Days of Sodom while sipping a chai latte.

“It seemed like it was impossible, as if there was no shared culture of identity… until I found the unifier.” Emma continued to describe the moment when she was passing outside of the Grenelle building and saw all kinds of students doing one thing: smoking. She turned to her first sketch of Fumo and said, “I thought AUP would laugh at me, but I guess I was wrong.”

When Emma pitched her idea the Student Government Association gave her a fifteen-minute standing ovation. “The applause finally died,” Emma recalled, “but then I tried to say something, and it started again for another fifteen minutes.”

President Callaghan remarked that “the school has struggled with the concept of a mascot for a long time, but the idea of Fumo was not only profound, it resonated with each student and professor on a visceral level.”

Professor John Milfred, of the Latin aviation department, had only good things to say about Fumo, “I’m not sure if there is a higher entity, a god 49

of some sort, but if there is, I’m sure it resembles Fumo. I love Fumo.”

When Fumo would go to the Amex Café, students would cheer and some would even bow and bless him. One student at the time declared that, “Fumo is bigger than Jesus” which now seems to be the first warning sign of this Icarus tale.

“Fumo was supposed to be a character, but soon he became real,” Emma told me, still holding her protype sketch with a smiling face. “It still doesn’t make sense.”

A week after the unveiling, Fumo became a real characte when Allen Blackwell, a senior and self-identified actor, was asked to become the mascot.

“They told me to walk around campus maybe twice as a promotion, but I was so engulfed in the project and character I never stopped,” Allen said with tears in his eyes, “Y’all know I didn’t want to hurt anybody, but Fumo got in my mind and told me to do things.” Within the following days, Fumo would hold prayer circles in school and put-up shrines with his autographed portrait.

Two weeks after Fumo’s release, on a quiet Wednesday morning, a riot occurred in the Combes Lobby. Fumo, adorned in robes and a crown came in with a group of self-proclaimed “disciples” and announced that the university would be annexed and become “Fumo-ville.” Crowds of students from the Quai building and the Amex gathered around to watch security fail to throw Fumo out of the building for ensuing violence in the halls, and even directing students to attack staff.

“I was in my office when I got an urgent text telling me that the Fumo Coup was headed for the administration, so I immediately locked the door,” President Callaghan recounted. Pictures came out of Fumo’s disciples congregating in offices including the health department and drawing graffiti on the walls.

“I unlocked the beast,” Allen said. “When I saw classrooms locking doors, I knew it all went too far.”

Allen then described taking off the Fumo costume and casting it out of the fifth floor. “Students outside saw it and assumed Fumo cracked under the pressure and leapt, it was crazy.” Followers of the deceased mascot gathered around the empty cos50

tume and mourned. “We all forgot the recent atrocities that Fumo committed. Even Fumo’s victims gathered around his body.”

When reaching out to university administration, they responded with an email stating “Fumo never tried to overthrow the university,” and that he was actually a Sciences Po infiltrator trying to wreak havoc.” Sciences Po has since fervently denied the allegation, however.

After witnessing the violence directed by Fumo, even his creator took a stand against him. Emma is still unsure why students remain attached to the mascot. “Fumo is not a symbol of hope, not after he tried to overthrow our school, and it makes no sense that we all need to attend the funeral. I tried to write an opinion piece about the incident for the Peacock Plume and was denied by the editors because it apparently was ‘punching down’ at Fumo.”

Emma’s distaste for Fumo has led her to be blacklisted by most students and faculty; one teacher even gave her a failing grade for a class she excelled in. Aside from Emma, there have been no public voices speaking out against Fumo.

At Fumo’s lighter-lit vigil, many students reflected on the mascot’s wonderful deeds, even comedian Larry David stopped by to grieve (athough he had no comment for the Peacock Plume).

“Fumo was our identity, our symbol,” Andrew shouted. A professor then dropped to the ground wailing and screaming, “Why God, why?!”

Students, now left without a mascot, are once again confused on what it means to be part of the American University of Paris. Visiting students will have the chance to celebrate their mascots for their universities, but for those who remain, it seems as if Fumo will never be replaced. Students are now left uncertain on their identity as members of the AUP community. What will unite us? What is our source of comraderie? These pertinent questions remain unanswered. However, there is rumor that AUP may purchase a space laser in an effort to bring people together.

by Natasha Hersman photography by Lola Mansell

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he ‘90s have made a dramatic comeback recently, with artists like Dr. Dre, Mary J Blige, and Snoop Dogg performing at the Super Bowl halftime show; the long-awaited reunions of both Friends and Sex and the City; and of course the renaissance of ‘90s fashion. Beyond Jordans, acid wash jeans, and leather trench coats, fashion today is taking inspiration from some of the ‘90s most influential figures. From models Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell, to artists like Lauryn Hill, Kurt Cobain, and Tupac Shakur and even from the late people’s princess, herself, Diana. Here’s a look back at their iconic styles and how they’ve been revived.

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indy Crawford took the world by storm in the 90s; her face adorned with a perfect, famous mole was everywhere, from the most unforgettable Pepsi commercial to modeling for Gianni Versace - she was the fashion industry’s darling.

The denim shorts, tie-front white shirt and silver hoop earrings Cindy Crawford wore in her Super Bowl Pepsi advert in 1992 is arguably her most iconic look. Though simple, she was a vision of Americana, evoking a timeless, simple, but undoubted beauty.

While the mom jeans with a black roll-neck and a tied blazer have now been seen much too often, whether its in the workplace or at the bar, Cindy Crawford was the first to pull the look off. When it comes to her most dazzling looks that stunned the world, several classic moments come to mind, such as the first time she wore a mini red dress and carried it off better than anyone ever did. Cindy revealed this at a the Revlon Unforgettable Women Party in 1991, when she was dressed in her second favorite style, the little red dress, after the LBD.

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aomi Campbell was scouted by Beth Boldt, head of the Synchro model agency, while she was window shopping in Covent Garden in the heart of London. The model began her career in 1986 and it quickly took off when she appeared on the cover of British Elle at sixteen.

Naomi Campbell became Azzedine Alaïa’s biggest muse, whom she affectionately referred to as “Papa.” It was at his 1991 fashion show that she wore one of her most memorable runway looks: a sheer leopard-print catsuit with ruffle cuffs.

She starred in American television shows and films such as The Cosby Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Ugly Betty. Even though she had some turbulent years, Naomi Campbell proved her never ending dedication to always looking fabulous by wearing a Dolce & Gabbana gown to her final day of community service.

When Naomi Campbell attended the MTV Video Music Awards in 1997, she was photographed wearing a glittery Versace short dress that highlighted her statuesque figure. Since then the look has been copied by model Paris Hilton for her 21st birthday in 2002 and countless teenagers hoping to get a little bit of Naomi’s untouchable sparkle.

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rincess Diana made fashion statements that are still in use today. When she appeared in a flawless black gown at a dinner in Kensington, she became the inventor of the “revenge dress.” The gown has been interpreted as being worn in retaliation for her husband, Charles, Prince of Wales, after he confessed to his adultery with Camilla.

The huge success of The Crown series has reintroduced Diana’s iconic looks into the cultural zeitgeist. Of the famous looks recreated on the show, her red sheep-covered sweater stands out. This 1983 look featured a red, knitted sweater covered in rows of white sheep and a single black one. Aside from the timeless cuteness of the sweater, this look was a jarring reminder of Diana’s place in the royal family.

In the years following, the sweater was widely available, but production ceased in 1994. Upon the release of the most recent season of The Crown, however, Rowing Blazers - a high end, American brand - has rereleased this design in the original red as well as green, sky blue and pink.

Outside of replicating her exact items, Diana’s general style has come back. Her classic biker shorts and oversized sweatshirts took the ‘90s by storm.

As the people’s princess, Diana’s embodiment of this casual and cool energy brought her closer to the public. While this look’s popularity faded after her tragic death, it has since been brought back by the likes of models and actresses such as Hailey Bieber, who recreated Diana’s off-duty look for Vogue in 2019.

The accessibility of Diana’s fashion makes her looks both easy and enjoyable to recreate today.

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he Hip Hop heyday of the 1990s produced some of the most memorable music and styles of the time. One such cultural icon was the notable - but certainly not notorious - Tupac Shakur, whose legacy continues in both his ingenious discography and incredibly cool looks.

Tupac’s style was always bold: ranging from a double-print army uniform to a knitted suit. Even without the bling and high-end accessories, Tupac made waves in the fashion industry. One of his most famous looks comes from the 1994 premier of I Like It Like That, where Tupac appeared wearing an oversized beige unbuttoned sweater vest with a matching blazer over a paisley shirt, with his signature bandana across his forehead. His unique ability to blend more tailored, EastCoast style with flowy, laid-back California fashion made Tupac’s looks appealing to fans from all over.

At the Minority Motion Picture Awards in 1993, Tupac’s friend, the streetwear designer Karl Kani, made workwear popular in hiphop and rap music: dark wash denim, chore jackets, Carhartt, Dickies and more. At the ceremony the rapper was seen wearing a pair of Dickies overalls worn with a rugby polo and a denim cap worn backwards. Dickies and Carhartt are two very popular brands that are seen in everyday life and are worn by many celebrities and influencers today.

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auryn Hill found success after joining hip hop group The Fugees during the mid-’90s. Hill matched the masculine silhouettes of her group, while experimenting with color and texture. Her loose-fitting denim overalls made effortlessly chic with the addition of bangles and a silk scarf brought in a new, more comfortable version of 90s women’s fashion.

Among her most memorable outfits was the stunning green maxi skirt and black crop top she wore to the 1999 Grammy’s; the silhouette of which is almost identical to Taylor Swift’s more recent 2016 Grammy’s look.

Another of her iconic looks was when she was photographed at the MTV Music Awards in 1996 wearing a wide-leg, white suit. In her music video for “Ex-Factor,” released two years later, Hill donned another white suit set; this time trading the blazer for a halter top.

Oversized women’s suits have shot back up into contemporary style, with influencers like Matilda Djerf embracing the flowy styles originally made popular by Hill.

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ock and roll legend Kurt Cobain was not short on signature looks. From Christian Roth sunglasses to oversized sweaters paired with distressed jeans, Cobain brought Seattle grunge to the mainstream.

His signature, understated look of flannel shirts, long sleeve thermals, ripped jeans and Converse sneakers is as popular today as it was in the ‘90s. From the wet and cold of western Washington, Cobain probably wore these layered, textured looks for practical reasons, but his unshakeable cool aesthetic inspired grunge fans all over the world to adopt this style.

Cobain, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic wore vibrant colorful clothing for a Nirvana photoshoot in 1993 for French magazine Mademoiselle. The musicians wore graphic Gene Meyer silk scarves as skirts, while Cobain wore a pink skirt with a red Dries Van Noten sweater and his own white socks. Such genderbending fashion and flowing, silky fabrics have only taken off in popularity as the years went on.

Like many other fashion icons of the ‘90s, Cobain represents an unapologetic embracing of the unknown, which he pulled off effortlessly. While their styles may be different from one another, each of these ‘90s icons have had a lasting impression on the fashion industry and youth culture as a whole.

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Contextualizing France's anti-vax movement in the rich history of protest

by Lauren Viggiani collage by Abby Wright

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wo years after the first outbreak of Covid19 people are now able to travel into France without a Covid test, nightlife is making a comeback and the mask mandate has been lifted.

By December 2021, over 50 million French residents had been vaccinated. However, the vaccine did not come as a relief to everyone. Starting on August 8th, 2021, proof of vaccination was required to enter restaurants, non-essential stores and many other interior public spaces. Many people became enraged at the limitations to their movement and activity and the pass sanitaire caused mass protests

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across France. However, in March 2022, the restrictions imposed by the vaccine and sanitation pass were lifted, and public spaces no longer require proof of vaccination to enter.

Protests against the Covid vaccine started growing once a negative Covid test was not enough to enter a public space and proof of vaccination was also required. A protest of 18,000 people marched across Paris on January 8, with protesters airing their feelings towards the sanitation pass. Signs reading “it’s not the virus they want control of, it’s you” were carried through the streets and people chanted

“the government must go.” In an interview with Le Parisien, French president Emmanuel Macron was quoted as saying, “the unvaccinated, I really want to piss them off. And so, we’re going to continue doing so until the end. That’s the strategy.” Macron intended to make life more difficult for the unvaccinated, so that they were essentially given no choice but to receive the vaccine to return to a normal lifestyle.

This interview enraged the unvaccinated citizens of France and sparked many marches in protest of the health pass.

After months of controversy and protests, on March 14, 2022, the French government lifted Covid regulations such as the pass, and mandatory wearing of face masks in enclosed public spaces. Allowing the unvaccinated citizens of France to enter them too once again.

Once I understood how many individuals in France protested and expressed negative feelings regarding the vaccine, I was curious to find the reasonings behind this. Many of the expressions on the signs during the protests showed negative attitudes towards the government and citizens were concerned with their freedom. I wanted to speak with individuals who shared the opinions of the protesters. Specifically interviewing a French antivaxxer felt like the most authentic way to access these individuals’ reasoning and understand the ramifications of their decisions.

Facebook has been one of the most popular meeting points for anti-vaxxers from many nations.

Upon joining a few of these groups, I was able to speak to many individuals willing to express their feelings and reasoning as to why they are against the Covid-19 vaccine. Out of respect for their privacy, their last names have not been included. The first woman I spoke with, Tara, had interesting viewpoints on the Covid vaccine and had received all of her previous shots as a child. She is not from an anti-vax family and has recently been formulating her opinions regarding the rejection of vaccines.

She told me that she got her information about the Covid vaccine through Facebook groups that shared

informa tion on vaccine injuries. She feels that the Covid vaccine does not have to do with government control and that many people are in need of it. However, she does not personally feel that she wants or needs the Covid vaccine.

I also interviewed a man named Hugo, who has been living in Paris for 10 years and is originally from Annecy, France. In addition to being personally against the Covid vaccine, his strong opinions were key in accessing the lines of reasoning behind anti-vaxxers in France. During our exchange, he told me, “I am more than happy to educate you on why the Covid-19 vaccine is an abomination.” Hugo, who has never been vaccinated against anything, comes from a family who puts high value on natural immunity and remedies. With pride, he told me, “I never even saw a doctor as a child. My mom always took care of me when I was sick.”

Since 2018, France has maintained a law requiring children to have 11 vaccines upon entering the school system. Unlike the United States, where homeschooling remains largely unregulated, there is no such scapegoat option in France, and children from families like Hugo’s are due to face ideological challenges once their children reach school age.

The required vaccines are contained to the most devastating childhood illnesses such as polio, tetanus, hepatitis B, and the flu. The measles vaccine was also added to the list, due to a 2017 outbreak which killed more than 20 children across France.

France’s Health minister at the time, Agnes Buzyn, said of the new law, “I do not like to impose obligations, it goes against my character, but with vacci-

on anti-vax

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Though he did not grow up untouched by disease, it is necessary to recognize that Hugo has not faced any of the more deadly viruses that have been effectively eradicated thanks to massive vaccination efforts.

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nations it is justified.”

But people like Hugo disagree. He believes that it’s good and normal for children to catch these diseases. Reflecting on his own experience, he told me about how he got “the chicken pox when I was younger, but what’s wrong with that? My body fought it off and now I have natural immunity without injecting my body with poison.” While there is nothing that could be considered poisonous in the chicken pox vaccine, Hugo’s opinion remains strong. Though he did not grow up untouched by disease, it is necessary to recognize that Hugo has not faced any of the more deadly viruses that have been effectively eradicated thanks to massive vaccination efforts.

When it comes to the Covid vaccine specifically, Hugo’s stance is strongest. “I think all vaccines are bad but one that was made so fast must be so much worse than the ones that were more carefully created,” he says. While most are grateful for the efficient prioritized development of the Covid vaccine, the timeline is a red flag for Hugo and other anti-vaxxers. He is also skeptical about the doses; “After how many boosters are people going to start to question the safety of this? 4 boosters? 10 boosters? 20 boosters?”

Hugo’s disdain for the vaccine is not just limited to its alleged medical risks; he is frustrated with the entire process by which it was imposed on citizens. He claims that, “the whole thing is out of hand” and that “the government [is] taking away human rights.” Efforts to encourage vaccination are not only personally offensive to Hugo, but he also sees them as a detriment to society. He is clear in his claim that vaccination rollout efforts are a way for the government to gain control and limit personal freedom. “What is the best way for governments to gain control over their people?” he asked, rhetorically. His answer: “By turning them against each other and to break them down.

Now there is a huge divide between those who are vaccinated and those who reject the vaccine.”

According to Hugo, there is something more sinister still.

He hinted at the depth of his belief, telling me: “I think the governments have a whole plan using Covid as a tactic of control. I won’t get into that, but I assure you it is not over.”

This pandemic is the first time in generations that a vaccine has taken center stage in public discourse. Low scale rejection of vaccines for eradicated diseases like measles and polio do not, in reality, affect the safety of a population, but for there to be such strong anti-vaccine pushback during a global pandemic that has killed millions in front of our own eyes is another thing entirely.

Hugo is not unaware of this shift. He notes: “I have been anti-vaccination my whole life but since so many people fear

Covid, I have lost friends over my refusal to get it.”

For those who have been affected by the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, severing ties with people who refuse the vaccination is necessary for personal health and mental wellbeing. On the other hand, for those like Hugo, such measures are “a blatant form of discrimination.”

The message that comes through many of Hugo’s responses seems to stem from a lack of control: something we have all experienced during the pandemic. His decision to reject the vaccine is something he can choose; it’s something he can take a stance on, perhaps for the first time in a while.

According to the most recent data from the New York Times Covid-19 tracking system, more than 146,000 people have died of Coronavirus in France.

Conversely, there have been no reports of death linked directly to the vaccine. Nearly 80% of French residents have received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, with just under 60% having also received a third booster shot. Hugo is not alone in his rejection of the vaccine, but he is certainly in the minority.

The subversion of medical trust is not an entirely new phenomenon, however; the Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly exacerbated this phenom-

enon in France and across the globe. Controversy over the safety and efficacy of the vaccine are disruptive, for they blur the light at the Covid tunnel that we all so strongly desire. The fact remains that Europe’s regulations for releasing a vaccine are incredibly rigid, and it has been proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Covid-19 vaccine is not dangerous, certainly not more than a raging, global pandemic. Though it is very French to hold space for all opinions, the fact remains that those who abstain from the Covid vaccination care more for their own beliefs than for the public’s health at large.

d n a ,” ts.” d an righ h of an t u um o s i yh g a n i w h ga t e ol akin h w s] t e h t [i t “ n t, e a h t rnm s m ove i a cl he g e H t, “t tha 61

Psychological horror’s terrifying realities

FEARING WHAT’S REAL

by Marteena Mendelssohn photography by Louis Mack

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orror movies stimulate the senses and enable one to experience intense feelings of excitement, anxiety, and terror. Whether they leave an individual on the edge of their seat or cowering in fright, most horror films hope to get audience members to fear what could pop up on the screen next. There is one horror film genre that has become more popular than ever: psychological horror. While most horror movies will utilize jump scares and intense music shifts, the psychological horror genre lets tension build with a strong storyline and mystery creating a sense of disorientation and a looming fear that something bad is going to happen. With elements of surrealism - the manipulation of the conscious and unconscious mind - psychological horror uncovers the dark side of the human condition and renders the subconscious itself as the true nightmare.

Classic horror films such as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) or Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) have one thing in common: a clear villain with a strong motive. Conventional horror movies highlight a clear “other” and aim to instill fear in us by villainizing those who attack “normal” people. When the bad guy pops up the screen, audiences know that something terrifying is about to happen. But what happens when there is no clear “other”? How do we feel when the evil scapegoat is replaced by an unsure looming quality? Something the viewer doesn’t notice until it’s made clear? Psychological horror holds that the ultimate fear is not knowing what’s coming, but rather, being kept in the dark.

The intuitive feeling that something bad is going to happen is accomplished in more subtle ways in psychological horror films; inconsistency in characters, character thoughts, and the way they affect a watcher’s own subconscious cause discomfort and confusion. Our greatest fear is realized when the monster is unseen, unheard, unknown, but always ready to strike.

Psychological horror focuses on the deconstruction of the mental, physical and emotional states of a character, showing the disturbing reality of how a human can morph into a being that is evil and unrecognizable. The Shining (1980), a formative and famous psychological horror film, popularized the genre and inspired many others to engage

with the psyche as a lens through which to induce fear. The main character, Jack Torrance, begins the film as a loving husband and caring father. However, after being employed as a caretaker at a remote hotel, Jack’s mind slowly deteriorates as he is overtaken by “the shining,” or simply, insanity. He becomes bloodthirsty, eager to kill his wife and his son, Danny. A character who was once an average man, transforms into something not human at all.

PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR FOCUSES ON THE DECONSTRUCTION OF THE MENTAL, PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL STATES OF A CHARACTER, SHOWING THE DISTURBING REALITY OF HOW A HUMAN CAN MORPH INTO A BEING THAT IS EVIL AND UNRECOGNIZABLE. Another approach to psychological horror is following a character that appears human, but is not.

A construct that directly builds upon the discussed perceptions and therefore inherits most of their conceptual complexity is anthropomorphism: the adopting of human characteristics by non-humans.

These non-human entities contribute to the feelings evoked when watching a horror film, and they also play a key role in the distortion of reality and destruction of the mind. They move like a normal person, talk like a normal person, yet it is clear to the viewer that this being is not their kin. The term for this phenomenon, coined by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori, is the uncanny valley. According to Mori, “as robots appear more humanlike, our sense of their familiarity increases until we come to a valley,” meaning humans do not fear creatures 63

who roughly resemble the human form, but when the lines between real and fake are hard to discern, we become terrified and feel endangered. As Shensheng Wang writes, “the uncanny valley may also account partly for the widespread clinical phenomena of coulrophobia (fear of clowns) and pediophobia (fear of dolls) given that clowns and dolls often appear quasi human.” This quasi humanity is what elicits the greatest reaction in the fear sections of our brains; we are wired to recognize faces, and when a face is just slightly off, it triggers a survival instinct. When viewing something that falls within the uncanny valley, two parts of the mind are at conflict: the space is supposed to be safe, but for some reason you feel uneasy. Even worse, it becomes increasingly harder to indicate the cause of this discomfort, so one’s trust of their surroundings begins to crumble. This feeling in the uncanniness is a type of cognitive dissonance.

So how is the uncanny valley used in film? Take Henry Selick’s 2009 film Coraline, for example; the story follows a girl who walks through a door that appears to lead to her house. Coraline is comfortable at first, because the surroundings feel familiar.

As the story progresses, and both Coraline and the audience are coerced into believing something that isn’t human is human, a looming eeriness develops.

Eventually, Coraline uncovers the secrets of her “other mother” and “other father,” and she is faced with either becoming a part of the parallel universe - by sewing buttons onto her eyes - or going back to a home that has not been comforting but is known.

Known in this instance means truely “human” not just “human like” as in the alternate family Coraline has stumbled upon.

The terrifying offspring of psychological horror is surrealist horror, which seeks to capitalize on our greatest unknown: the subconscious. While psychological horror concentrates on the idea that humanity in our current reality can be broken down to a point where human ethics and morals are corrupted, surrealism aims to convince the viewer that pushing against reality into madness is the only way to understand the mind and to see reality for what it truly is: a nightmare. Surrealism as it relates to horror can be understood as a “psychic automatism in its pure state, by which one proposes to 64

express - verbally, by means of the written word, or in any other manner - the actual functioning of thought. Dictated by the thought, in the absence of any control exercised by reason, exempt from any aesthetic or moral concern” in the words of leading surrealist André Breton. Surrealism is the idea of pushing past the boundaries of reality. Setting up the film’s narrative requires no chronological order, nor a “cohesive” narrative that unfolds on its own. This film genre interweaves scenes and stories together that seem like they are unrelated, but in the end come together to form a reality that is more terrifying than a dream. Surrealist horror films explore the idea of a waking nightmare: the inability to distinguish fantasy from reality.

Mulholland Drive (2001) sets up reality and fantasy again, but instead of the main character believing the fantasy, it’s the audience that believes it.

As viewers, we expect to have all the information handed to us and to believe a reality that the directors have created, no matter how bizarre the scenario is. David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive begins with a character getting into a car crash, losing her memory and walking into a stranger’s house.

She then meets Betty who we learn is staying at her aunt’s place and the two form an attachment while trying to find the strange girl’s identity. However, near the end, we learn that Betty is actually a girl named Diane. The entire beginning was the delusion of Betty and her reality was terrifying. Her strange lover is in fact a movie star, Camille. The horror was not in the plot, but in the psychological delusion and absurdity of reality. As Breton writes, “Let me come back again to the waking state. I have no choice but to consider it a phenomenon of interference. Not only does the mind display, in this state, a strange tendency to lose its bearings (as evidenced by the slips and mistakes the secrets of which are just beginning to be revealed to us), but, what is more, it does not appear that, when the mind is functioning normally, it really responds to anything but the suggestions which come to it from the depths of that dark night to which I commend it.” Pushed into disorientation and met with false realities, surrealist horror puts the mind and body into a state of disarray. The mind slips into a state that makes an individual see what they want to

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see. According to Breton, the waking state is just the static disconnection between dreams. Existence is a continuation and falsification of dreams not yet conceived.

Through David Lynch and the genre of surrealist horror, an individual finds themselves terrified of their own humanity, but their own reality.

Our biggest fear as humans is not that we are in a fantasy world, but that we cannot discern what world is real. Psychological horror reminds us that humans can become their own worst enemy, and surrealist horror hopes to prove that fear and terror is a reflection of one’s waking and dreaming state. This subsect of the horror

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genre is not about monsters, ghouls or zombies ready to destroy; instead it pulls on the more subtle discomforts of the human experience such as the absurdity and irrationality of our own mental state. These movies instill a fear that is realistic, and there is nothing more terrifying than being convinced your trusted reality could crumble at any moment. These films make it eerily clear that the line between sanity and insanity, human and non-human, and reality and dystopia is remarkably thin.

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of C n o i reativ t c e r i eD How is artistry expanding in unexpected industries?

by Claire Schwartz illustrations by Andrea Wright

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creative director is defined as a role assigned to someone that can make high-level creative decisions for a brand. They oversee the creative output and decision making for the brand such as advertisements, products, events and logos.

Essentially, creative directors set and execute the direction of a brand’s identity.

While the role was generally limited to the fashion and advertising sectors, as the world is becoming more technologically advanced, more industries today see an increasing need for creative direction.

The need for creative directors will only grow more with time and soon there will be a creative need in almost every industry.

Fahion has always had a need for design and art.

Two of the industry’s most notable creative directors were Karl Lagerfeld and Virgil Abloh. Lagerfeld, who served in the role at Chanel from 1983 until his death in 2019, is considered to be the figure who reinvented Chanel. In the documentary Lagerfeld Confidential, he describes the experience of rebranding Chanel as “reviving a dead woman,” as the brand had grown stiff and matronly. He is credited with reviving the brand’s looks and reputation.

Fashion has always had a need for design and art.

Virgil Abloh was an American fashion designer and entrepreneur. Abloh was the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection from 2018 until his premature death in 2021. During his tenure, he reconstructed the idea of a fashion designer, merging streetwear, music and high fashion. Following Abloh’s appointment, Edward Enniful, the Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue at the time wrote, “Virgil is one of the few designers who truly 72

marries street culture with high fashion – and the first black designer to be given such a position in the gilded halls of LVMH.” He was aware that this brand was very expensive and not affordable to the demographic he was trying to inspire, however he claimed that in doing this he was trying to motivate and inspire a younger generation to work hard enough to create something better than Off White.

Abloh’s global success and multi-industry influence changed the face and importance of creative direction. Many industries have followed in Lagerfeld’s and Abloh’s footsteps and the need for creative directors has risen a substantial amount in recent years, especially in sports and music.

In 2020, the Cleveland Cavaliers became first professional sports team to hire a creative director when they appointed Daniel Arsham. Arsham, an American artist born in Cleveland, Ohio, was hired to help with the team’s brand direction. He has since spearheaded the design of both jerseys for the players and merchandise for the fans. His mission is to curate everything from sneakers to the home court to the team’s social media presence.

He is also focused on collaborating with Cleveland-based artists and other groups in the community in order to keep the team relevant and popular outside of the basketball season. When discussing his new position in an interview with Artnet News, Arsham said that he aspires to make the Cavs as “international as the Yankees.” Arsham aims to turn the Cavaliers – and more broadly the sport of basketball – into an art form.

The genius of the Cavs’s move was quickly noticed; almost immediately after they hired Arsham, the Detroit Pistons announced their own creative director: rapper Big Sean, stating that he would “help guide the franchise’s cultural aesthetics both on and off the court from merchandise design to in-game experiences to community involvement.” Like Arsham, Big Sean will be an integral part in connecting the team to the community, partnering with projects serving the local community, such as the Sean Anderson Foundation.

But it isn’t just sports teams who see new importance in strong branding and curated merchandise; many bands and artists have found hiring creative directors to be a worthwhile risk. An article by

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Amber Horsburgh of Medium writes that “creative directors [for musicians] take the audible message of the song and create imagery that conveys the emotion and message of the song.” Much like music can be categorized into genres, so to can artist’s images. From pop divas such as Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande to iconic rock and roll bands like Led Zepplin and Pink Floyd, each musician needs a look and a personality in addition to their signature sound. Some artists, like Coldplay and Rihanna, have had a creative director since the inception of their careers. Most, however, choose different creative directors for different projects.

That firms such as OKCO have emerged in the past decade shows a clear trend towards and emphasis on the creative output of artists.

For huge stars like Billie Eilish a new creative director is hired for each album, tour and music video.

Keeping the brand fresh and updated is paramount to the success of an artist.

Behind artists like Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga sits one creative direction firm, OKCO, and one man, Gavin Taylor.

From Katy Perry’s 2012 hit album Teenage Dream to Mary J Blige’s Strength of a Woman, Taylor has overseen the rise, fall and redemption of our favorite A-listers. His team is credited with designing and directing dozens of famous albums and producing some of the most memorable logos. Most recently, OKCO brought out Doja Cat’s 2021 record Planet Her, which landed four songs in the top 15 of the Billboard charts. OKCO collaborated with Brett Alan Nelson, Doja Cat’s personal stylist and creative director, to produce her most successful album yet.

That firms such as OKCO have emerged in the past decade shows a clear trend towards and emphasis on the creative output of artists.

Phil Harvey, executive producer and creative director of Coldplay, is widely considered to be the band’s fifth member. In 2020, the band collaborated with K-pop royalty BTS, releasing a sci-fi inspired track and music video for their song, “My Universe.”

Harvey, the mastermind behind the high-profile collab, told fans in a tweet that “I mentioned to Chris that some members of [BTS] had said they were into our band, and I’d heard a rumour they might like to collaborate.” Being able to pursue such opportunities is an enormous benefit of having a creative director on a band or artist’s team. In another stroke of genius, in 2021, Coldplay announced that their plans for an eco-friendly tour. The first of its kind, Coldplay’s tour will be partially powered by the fans’ kinetic energy. Additionally, the 2022 tour has greatly reduced reliance on nonenvironmental fuel sources, developed an app aiming to help fans attend the concert with low emissions and utilized recycles and low-waste materials as set dressing.

Harvey’s exact role in pushing for a more environmental tour - and brand image - is unknown, but such well-articulated strategy is inextricably linked to having a creative director.

Rihanna has trusted the advice of her creative directors since the beginning of her career. In 2007, she hired Ciarra Pardo as an art director, but in 2011, she rose to creative director of Rihanna’s team. Pardo has been in charge for setting the tone of Rihanna’s entire persona. She led the team for 75

Sports is no longer just about how good a team is, and music is not only about creating good sound. album visuals, world tours and music videos. And in 2017, when Fenty Beauty was launched, Pardo became creative director of all of Rihanna’s incorporated companies. Fenty Beauty’s rapid and enduring success is largely due to appealing marketing, clear branding and standout inclusivity. Just a month after the launch of the brand, Fenty Beauty was valued at over €67 million. Rihanna is valuable; beyond her music, she is something people want to buy into. Her brand has evolved, grown and rarely faltered. Credit for such a seamless expansion of fame can be attribute in part to Pardo, who has seen Rihanna’s career through since the beginning.

Billie Eilish is another artist whose quick rise in fame can be attributed to intelligent creative direction. Her original team consisting of Erik Anderson and Gordon Droitcour was hired in 2017. In an article published by PRG Production on Eilish’s rapid success, Anderson states “the first tour we sent Billie on was with one of our automated systems and her dad was setting up the lighting because there was no [Lighting Director] to operate anything. Now she’s doing seven trucks. That’s happened in a 12-month period.” Such rapid growth is dependent

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upon many factors, and Eilish’s talent cannot be undersold, but it is clear that the strategic implementation of creative direction has helped her career immeasurably.

Having an identifiable brand has become necessary for nearly every industry’s contemporary success. To put it plainly: sports is no longer just about how good a team is, and music is not only about creating good sound. To succeed in the world of social media, brand deals and modern technology, industries need to sell us a brand. Creative directors are the arbiters of this phenomenon and as such act as both accelerators to fame and modernizers of brands in these industries.

In My Bag

Who we are as defined by what we carry

by Sofia Rose & Abby Wright

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Quinntin Cappa

Mia Stein 78

Arianna Razavi

Lineo Tseppe 79

Abby Wright

Mehana Placeres 80

Valeria Berghinz

Sofia Rose 81

REPAINTING THE R Addressing the most common stereotypes of South Africa

​​O

n the way down the promenade to buy an ice cream during the festive season, the sun shone, dagga - a colloquial term for marijuana - wafted through the air, seaweed caught in the barrel of the waves filled the ocean. A man approached me holding two cardboard boxes lined with rows of sunglasses; already having a pair perched on my nose I kindly declined. Ahead of me, a group of people dressed in traditional Zulu clothing danced and sang around the marimbas, a song familiar to my ears, “Ndihamba Nawe.” This is my home.

On the other side of the world, the ambulance sirens broke the silence startling my hold on the coffee cup. The coffee trickled down my arm. I sat in a quiet café in the alcove of Saint-Germain-desPrés, waiting for my friend to arrive and introduce me to her new friends.

The introduction started as normal, the surprised expressions when they hear someone from South Africa living in Europe. Sitting at a table with people who are not South African includes the usual rundown of questions, and the curious eyes of the girl asking me “Do you speak African?”

This question reminded me of the distant relationship that people from other countries have with South Africa and its inhabitants.

There is a stigma towards South Africa in the Western world. The ideas that circulate about South Africa create a sense of alienation. To break down these false ideas and stereotypes, here are some answers to common questions and assumptions that people have about South Africa.

“DON’T SOUTH AFRICANS LIVE WITH LIONS?” Firstly, although South Africa is not classified as a “developed” country, this does not mean that there is no infrastructure, and that people live in the wilderness. South Africa has a high unemployment 82

and poverty rate, and most people live in informal housing. Although these informal settlements might be close to game reserves, by no means do people have lions living in their backyard. The informal settlements consist of smaller homes typically made from mud and more than likely have a conical thatched roof. The formal settlements in South Africa are characterized by large homes with tall gates surrounding the front of the house, however most people who can afford to prefer to live in gated communities for the sake of safety. The wildlife in South Africa is one of the main tourist attractions, where one can visit national parks like the Kruger National Park, where you will be sure to see the wildlife home to South Africa.

“DON’T YOU SPEAK AFRICAN?” There are eleven official languages in South Africa, and “African” isn’t one of them - there is no such thing. While the native language changes from region to region, the most common languages are isiZulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English. Preserving the diversity of language holds importance in South Africa, as during the oppressive years of Apartheid, Afrikaans was viewed as the language of the oppressor. The Afrikaans Medium Decree in 1974, enforced that all schools had to either be taught in Afrikaans or English. During this time, the language of Afrikaans was associated with the apartheid regime and acted as a language of oppression for Black and Indian students. The enforcement of Afrikaans as the required language led to the Soweto Uprising, where students protested having to learn Afrikaans in school.

The Soweto Uprising was a protest led by students in Soweto, that was with police brutality resulting in hundreds of students being killed or gravely injured. In remembrance of this day and the fatalities which occurred, June 16 is a public holiday known as Youth Day in South Africa. Today in the

RAINBOW NATION

by Elizabeth Corbett

country, Afrikaans is no longer forced by the educational system as a compulsory language. Now children in schools must learn one home language as their first language, and then they are required to learn a national South African language according to their region. For example, in KwaZulu-Natal, a

“A RAINBOW NATION AT PEACE WITH ITSELF AND THE WORLD.” province in the eastern part of the country bordering the Indian Ocean, the additional languages are Afrikaans or isiZulu. However, in Pretoria, a province landlocked in the northern part of the country, the additional language is Xhosa or Afrikaans in schools.

As a result of the diversity of languages and cultures in the country, the school system honors the multiplicity of languages by teaching the regionally specific language of each province.

“WHY IS SOUTH AFRICA CALLED THE RAINBOW NATION?” It was Nelson Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid political leader, also the first black president of South Africa, who emphasized the importance of the Rainbow Nation during his first month in office when he said, “Each of us is as intimately attached to the soil of this beautiful country as are the famous jacaranda tree of Pretoria and the mimosa trees of the bushveld...a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.” The “rainbow nation” is a term first

used by Desmond Tutu, the former Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town and Noble Peace Prize winner who used this term to describe South Africa as a country after the first democratic elections. The people of South Africa have suffered years of pain and inequality; however, after the democratic elections, South Africa became a place of freedom. The term “rainbow nation” essentially conveys the solidarity of the multiple cultures of a nation that were once suppressed under a strict law of segregation among Black and white people in South Africa.

“ISN’T SOUTH AFRICA STILL SEGREGATED?” Like many other nations, South Africa still struggles with a racist past and the effects of segregation. Wealth disparities brought on by the stratified class system are another challenge faced by many citizens of South Africa today. The post-apartheid government has struggled to narrow the significant gap between the rich and the poor as evidenced by the excessive unemployment and poverty rates. There has been improvement in the country’s investment in the social wage package which includes social grants, healthcare, basic services and education, which have served in limiting the poverty rates. Although there is still an immense amount of poverty, there are governmental programs in place that aim to alleviate poverty.

In addressing these misunderstood assumptions about South Africa, the real rainbow nation is revealed: a place with many challenges ahead but also a country that has worked hard for the change and progress that has been made.

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by Madita Schrott

Why churches are worth preserving in a secular world

THE CASE FOR THE CROSS

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P

erched on the edge of the dramatic cliffs of the Côte d’Albâtre, sits Saint Valery: a small church that has been looking over the English Channel since the 11th century. The jewel of the quaint coastal town of Varengeville sur Mer, Saint Valery has been the subject of paintings by both Claude Monet and Edgar Degas. The harsh, Norman weather and eroding, cliffside location, however, have put the historical church at risk and in urgent need for restoration. Despite Saint Valery’s rich history and architectural significance, the church, like many others across France, has received little support from the local government. Saint Valery relied mostly on donations for its conservation, but its future is as unstable as the crumbling rocks upon which it stands.

France’s famous laïcité law which separates church and state, holds all churches built before 1905 belong to the state, and they do not need to be declared monuments to be considered for funding. While parishes and private organizations often try to raise funds by themself, the responsibility finally lies with the church’s owner: the state. But even monumental churches like Saint Valery, often wait for restoration for years, their local governments unable to finance the works.

Out of the roughly 32,000 churches and 6,000 chapels in France, only about 15,000 sites are officially protected as historical monuments, unlike France’s 87 cathedrals, which are declared monuments and, therefore, more likely to be cared for by the state.

While cracks in facades, peeling off paint and leaking water have become the standard in many churches across the country, others are being loaded with funding, like the cathedral of Chartres with approximately 17 million euros, or Notre-Dame after its fire in 2019. “Unfortunately it seems like the way the French state has decided to move forward is too much of an all or nothing situation”, says Anna Russakoff, Department Chair of the Art History & Fine Arts department at AUP. She believes it is unfair how the state seems to care so much about some, and so little about other churches, because “so many churches do have really artistic treasures in them or things about them that are really interesting.” She does not think that the reason for the

unequal distribution is a lack of care for religious heritage, but rather the national importance of the places. The cathedral of Chartres is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. “It is hard to say what should get a priority for funding,” she says.

Some support the relocation of devotional objects to museums, where they are protected from their dangerous original locations. Others say that they can’t be ripped away from their context. “A lot of the objects in the medieval section in the Louvre came from the treasury of the basilica of Saint Denis,” Russakoff says. While she sees benefits to both sides, “as an art historian I’d like to go there and see things the way it used to be.”

“Unfortunately it seems like the way the French state has decided to move forward is too much of an all or nothing situation” Because of the large amounts of money needed, and the little money invested by the French state to support smaller, less relevant churches, many parishes have taken matters into their own hands. The community of Varengeville sur Mer works extrodinarily hard to protect their beloved Saint Valery and its cemetery. According to Jean Pierre Rousseau, the president and founder of l’Association des Amis de l’Église de Varengeville sur Mer, “since 1905 the Mairies have had to finance the work. But for a small Mairie like Varengeville it’s hard to get the funding, so that’s why we started the association to help them.” The native born Varengevillais recollects a close family connection to the place and is “really touched by the beauty of the site”. And he is not the only one: the French cubist George Braque chose the cemetery surrounding Saint Valery and the stunning view over the coast as his eventual final destination for his endless sleep. It also attracts around 50,000 visitors every year, partially for his decorated grave and a blue stained glass window made by him, inspired by the palette of the area.

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The beautiful location is however a blessing and a curse at the same time. “The church is definitely going to fall,” says Rousseau. “When it was built, it

“There is so much work that has been done, but we know that in a few centuries there won’t be a church anymore.” was 400 meters away from the cliff, today it is at 40.”

While relocating the church was an option at some point, it is off the table now, according to Rousseau, for the loss of both the view and the historic cemetery would be too great. “A lot of the beauty of the church is the landscape, the view, and if we move it further back it would lose some of its attraction” argues Rousseau. In addition to the loss of the view and theexpensive costs, the cemetery, which is one of few in France to be declared a mon-

ument, could not be moved along with it. “Unfortunately, we have to let it go at some point, but it’s not happening tomorrow morning. We might have 20 to 40 years, but we can’t do anything now to slow down the process.”

Despite the inevitable fate of Saint Valery, the community continues to celebrate it. In the past two years, the Mairie has spent more than one million euros to sustain the building, restoring the structure and the inside. “We have to look at it now, it is so magnificent!” says Rousseau, “There is so much work that has been done, but we know that in a few centuries there won’t be a church anymore.”

The church of Saint Valery is one of a number of beautiful, decaying churches across France. Each of these buildings has a history and an importance to its community, but nearly all of them are at risk. As the devotion of the people of Varengeville towards Saint Valery shows, even in a secular world, churches are worth supporting.

Where She Was From A journalist’s ode to Joan Didion

by Oscar Padula 87

S

itting behind my desk, I imagined how I would begin to write about Joan Didion, a trailblazing, American writer who shaped the contemporary fields of both fiction and journalism.

Seamlessly blending of novelistic and investigative writing, Joan Didion had a profound influence on writers and readers alike. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery, and as a journalist writing the memorial to another, it only feels appropriate to honor her unique style.

To begin, all I had were miscellaneous quotes and a vague idea for a story. After a thirty-minute unproductive breakdown, the fear kicked in, and I began to read many of the countless articles on Didion. A New York Times article cited an interview with the writer Katie Rophie who said “Didion managed to channel the spirit of the 1960s and ’70s through her own highly idiosyncratic and personal–that is, seemingly personal–writing. She was perfectly

Looking at a picture of her online I decided she had face that looked like the ’60s. matched to the times, with her slightly paranoid, slightly hysterical, high-strung sensibility. It was a perfect conjunction of the writer with the moment.”

Looking at a picture of her online I decided she had face that looked like the ‘60s. The article further cited her early magazine work in Vogue, Life Magazine and the Saturday Evening Post, offering the example of Slouching Towards Bethlehem. I tapped on my keyboard to a new window to read the essay.

Published in 1967, the essay revealed the dark underbelly of the Haight-Ashbury summer of love through the personal account of Didion. Instead of presenting the events in a neutral tone, she describes the process of waiting for the interview, talking to a man with needle marks up and down his arm, and her interaction in full depth, “The room is overheated and the girl on the floor is sick. Deadeye says she has been sleeping for 24 hours. ‘Lemme ask you something,’ he says. ‘You want some grass?’I say I have to be moving on.”

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I read this sentence on a blurred phone screen on a packed metro, pressed against a man, jamming his arm in my shoulder and rubbing his belly like a proud king - that’s a detail she would have liked. I wrote some notes on a pad, collecting my thoughts.

Didion’s first person account elevated the journalism by presenting stories of her encounters.

Of course, every piece must tell a story, from the Wall Street Journal to The Onion, but what Didion achieved, uniquely, was an ability to make every aspect of the piece a story even from the process of writing. She writes in the beginning of Slouching Towards Bethlehem, “When I first went to San Francisco, I did not even know what I wanted to find out, and so I just stayed around awhile and made a few friends.”

An old man with a guitar hops on the train and begins to sing a Spanish song out of key. I realize that I’ve accidentally written this down and try to work it in the story. I pull up an excerpt from Mark Z. Muggli’s Poetics of Joan Didion’s Journalism, who describes the seemingly pedantic details in her story, arguing that “the detail, tied to an historical moment and an objective place, carries rhetorical weight as documentation precisely because it does not illustrate any of the story’s arguments,” and instead offers a historical account as if the interactions were filmed.

In the AUP library I finished the final touches. I began to doubt my style. Was it clever to remember Joan Didion’s writing by emulating it within this piece, or should I have written a standard obituary recalling her life and work? Self-doubt overwhelmed me, until I had an epiphany: Didion’s style of journalism did not merely deliver a story in an appealing way but added another dimension. Didion innovated the ability for a piece to convey mood in an impactful way, and perhaps if she had the courage to deliver a journalistic piece by uniquely being herself, I could summon the courage to take a chance, and honor her catalogue of work through an homage.

With a minute before my submission, I sent in my chaotic piece, hoping for a good response. There I sat in the library another hour to kill for my next class wishing I had Joan Didion a few hours earlier to write this for me.

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