U N D Rw E eb S I Ss s u e
T A B L O C E F O N T E N T S
Litmag Son of the Wind God In the Midst of Time The Promised Land
Scientia Implantable Brain Chips Undressing Trump’s Climate Policies How Social Media Undresses Society
Homines Armies of Trash Scultures Expose Environmental Waste Problem Are Vaccines Really Fair? The Inability of Working Class Citizens to Freely “Undress” the in American Capitalism
Litmag
Son of the Wind God
Layout: Jiyoon Lee Copy: Erin J. Choi
Back in Ragnarok, everyone knew who Breeze was. Breeze was the only mutant blessed with the superpower of speed. His expeditious ability alone was enough to fully convince the people of Ragnarok that he was the son of the wind God. Breeze was, without doubt, the hero of the town: he used his powers to rescue those in danger, and even help to solve the most perilous criminal cases. He was determined to live the rest of his life in Ragnarok, but little did he know this would all change in a single day… Breeze went to the coffee shop across his apartment every day. On one of these days, he slowly sipped his coffee, taking in the afternoon view outside the window. All of a sudden, he felt a wave of emotions wash over his mind and body. Breeze immediately knew that something was wrong, but he couldn’t pinpoint what was so odd. Just as he rose from his chair, a tsunami of bright light flooded the town, flashes of red striking here and there simultaneously. Buildings, houses, and trees collapsed like dominos, barricading every inch of the town. In the distance, echoes of screams and shouts ricocheted off the buildings. Breeze started to sprint towards the sounds, but for the first time, his movements felt unnaturally sluggish. His body began to burn, adrenaline coursing through his veins, but he was going nowhere. Gritting his teeth, Breeze tried again and again, but made no progress. When he attempted to make another dash, his legs froze, and he collapsed onto the floor. A blanket of unconsciousness embraced him at once. Breeze slowly woke up, unsure of how much time had passed. Groggily, he pried his eyes open as he looked around. He found himself lying on the pavement behind multiple buildings. “Where am I?” Breeze whispered. Dragging his legs towards what appeared to be the main street, he saw cars whiz past streets, humans walking past him—he was on planet Earth. How he had ended up here without notice seemed to be a mystery. Stuck
in a state of utter shock, he was determined to find an escape route. And to do it fast. Peering around, he noticed the crowd of people disperse, and tried to channel his powers. He was ready to feel the rush and rough palpitation in his heart as he flew through the streets; yet, the feeling never hit. He then he realized the horrid truth: his powers were gone. Bursting with anger and confusion, Breeze failed to understand how he had been stripped of his speed. Refusing to accept the truth, he attempted to run once more; however, it was only the rage pushing him forward, for he was merely running as fast as a normal human. Then, a girl caught his eye. She was around his age, with a pair of headphones wrapped around her ears. She smiled and bopped her head along to the song she was listening to as she crossed the street, completely oblivious to the incoming truck bound to hit her. Without thinking, Breeze’s instincts came to life. He raced to the car and immediately pushed her to the ground as hard as he could, flinging her body away from the incoming truck. The vehicle came to an abrupt screech, halting right beneath his eyes. As he regained his breath, Breeze looked over to the girl who was laying on the ground. She was bleeding on one leg, but she seemed to be completely safe. Breeze realized that he had saved a life without the help of his powers. Looking up, he was encircled by a crowd of people holding out their phones as they tried to film the heroic moment. Breeze, still hazy, felt the whole scene coming across as a giant blur, but he captured the murmuring words of “superhero” and “mutant” in the air. Laying on the ground, Breeze let out a chuckle, holding a hand to his face to conceal his smile. Despite his loss of superpowers, he was recognized as a hero on planet Earth. As much as he wished to relish in his momentary fame, Breeze knew he had to find a way back to Ragnarok. It appeared impossible, but if Breeze was capable of saving lives even without his powers, why shouldn’t he be able to find his way home?
In the Midst of Time
Layout: Minjae Chun Copy: Hanna Kim
It’s one of those summer nights. The air is still, unmoving with no breeze. Almost electric. In the corner of the room is the dim light of Eloise’s computer, blue light painting all four walls of her room like a hazy watercolor. A variety of chips lay askew across the floor, an empty pizza box hastily cast aside the trash can. A fan sits near the corner of the bed, lightly ruffling the sheet-like covers but doing little to nothing to combat the heat. Time has come to a standstill. That is, until Eloise speaks up and breaks the silence like a veil of cobwebs. “Can you believe it?” A pause. Almost methodical, planned, like a single beat on the metronome. Then the expected question, “Believe what?” “We’re graduating next year,” Eloise says. Caitlyn doesn’t reply. She knows the implications of that statement. Both of them do, and they have known for months. Within a year, they’ll be in completely different places with completely different people, both pursuing dreams of their own far from each other. It’s weird - it seemed hot not even a minute ago. She’s stripped to the lowest layer, the thin straps of her top exposing her bare shoulders, but Caitlyn finds herself pulling the covers over herself. The photos hung up in the corner of Eloise’s room remind Caitlyn of the last three years: how they’d passed by in a blink of an eye, but also seemed to go so slowly. It reminds her of the times at school, lying down on the couch as their other friends surrounded them, all of them quiet but simply comfortable in each other’s presence. It reminds her of the times they’d ridden the subway together, heads hung low with exhaustion and heavy backpacks tugging on their shoulders as they missed their stops. It reminds her of the times they’d gone to amusement parks, twin headbands tucked behind their ears as they posed in front of grandiose castles. She thinks of Eloise’s boyfriend, with his eye smile and down-to-earth demeanor. How he rarely smiled, but when he did, it seemed to light up Eloise’s world. He was so goal-orient
-ed, so submerged in his studies, but still managed to only have eyes for her, how Eloise smiled at him back, how their relationship made Caitlyn’s insides burn and writhe with envy no matter her efforts to suppress the feeling. He’s such a nice boy, and Eloise is equally as sweet: they’re perfect for each other. It was simply a wave of jealousy, something that had ebbed and flowed, but was no longer there. Perhaps it was because Caitlyn knew she wouldn’t be able to have something like he and Eloise had, at least not in the near future. He was down-to-earth and quiet. Caitlyn was bright and talkative. They couldn’t have been any more different. But whatever the reason, it didn’t matter anymore. Which is why Caitlyn finally brings it up, her insides trembling as she tells her the truth. Eloise is silent at first. Caitlyn feels her heart sink and her shoulders drop. “I knew,” Eloise finally confesses. “I quite obvious.” Caitlyn’s heart skips a beat, and she asks Eloise if she knows what she’s talking about to make sure they’re on the same page. Caitlyn nods and reassures her that it’s not the case. Eloise shrugs. “Either way, I don’t really care,” she says, giving her a reassuring squeeze before letting go. “You’re still one of my closest friends, and I don’t think that changes anything.” It’s silent again. It feels too hot in the middle of Eloise’s room, and Caitlyn uncovers the sheet-thin cover from her back, her bare shoulders exposed to the open air once again as she lies down against the mattress with a heavy heart. She heaves a sigh, staring up at the blue ceiling as she closes her eyes. It feels liberating, letting out a secret that she’d kept to herself for so long. Maybe our paths won’t be as different as I thought, Caitlyn thinks as time comes to a standstill again, the air growing static once more.
The Promised Land
Layout: Katie Kim Copy: Jeffrey You
The night cackled as David stood alone in the empty kitchen, soaked from head to toe like a wet dog. He looked up at the clock. It had been a whole day since his parents told him they would come home. The whole house shook as a white flash blinded him for a few seconds. Shortly after, a rumbling roar reverberated through his ears, echoing deep within him. Something told him that he wouldn’t see his parents for a long time. A very long time. The night raged on, but his parents, who had gone out for a walk, still hadn’t come back. The clock struck twelve. David was tired of waiting. As he rose from the crooked position that he had cowered in for hours, his joints cracked painfully. David peered out the window. It was pitch black. Once in a while, a bolt of lightning would illuminate the sky, uncovering the rows of chilling houses in his neighborhood. David opened the front door and took his first step into the dark streets. His coat dripped water as heavy rain attacked his body like artillery falling from the sky. With each step his feet grew heavier and heavier as though they were falling into quicksand. Did he have any idea where he was going? No. But he continued on. Did he know whether his parents were in the neighborhood? Or if they had run away? No. No. No. Nevertheless, David’s legs plowed through. As another lightning bolt struck, he caught a brief glimpse of the wispy silhouette of a man in black robes. David grinned. “Dad!” His smile faltered as he pondered where his mother could be. As he approached the figure, David noticed that his dad looked taller than normal. The rain fell like there was no tomorrow. It was as though the gates to hell had opened up. David approached his father and peered up into his face, only to find that it wasn’t one he knew. Shouting above the deafening noise of the storm, he asked, “Who… are you?” but only the sound of rain falling and thunder clapping responded. The man looked down to stare at David and before he knew it, David blacked out.
The repugnant smell caught him by surprise. The air around him felt suffocating to the point where he felt like he was getting choked. David’s feet brushed against the shallow layer of water echoing a rhythmic countermelody to the rain. He could barely see the end of his feet, but David was hopeful. In the distance, he could make out the outline of a bright door: so bright it almost burned his eyes, so bright he had to squint to see it, so bright he decided to go take a look… As he neared the door, a man appeared by his side. It wasn’t his father. Nor was it the person he had seen in the rain. Something was different about this man. His white robe, white beard, and serene stature exuded a soothing, welcoming tone. “Who are you, sir?” asked David hoarsely, but the mysterious man simply smiled. He reached into his pocket to reveal a large key and opened the white door, undressing a world—no, a paradise. A paradise full of joyful people celebrating and dancing. A paradise with bright colors that blessed his eyes. The ground was like a puffy cloud, soft like marshmallows. The sky’s beautiful hue of robin blue filled his vision. Everything was perfect. Holding the man’s warm hands, he felt a sensation that he had rarely felt in his life. David had never been able to afford fancy clothes. Nor did he ever have the luxury to have enough food to eat. Yet, he was here with all the commodities and clothes he could imagine. The feeling was truly eccentric and odd, but he wanted to hold onto it forever. The man gently came over to him and whispered into his ears, “They’re waiting.” David looked up. “Who’s they?” And there he saw whom the man was Upon waking up, he found himself in the referring to. His parents stood before him, sewers. Looking up, he could see that he grinning with tears rolling down their had fallen into a pipe. There was no way of cheeks. “We’re sorry. We’re so terribly going back up. No stairs, ladders, nothing. sorry.”
Scientia
In 2016, Elon Musk, tech billionaire and Tesla CEO, founded Neuralink — a corporation working towards developing high-tech brain implantable chips. Although brain implantable chips may seem synonymous with technology that appears in science fiction films, neurotechnology has recently become a rapidly developing sector in the medical field. When Neuralink first launched, Elon Musk unveiled the latest iteration of the implantable chip. The chip is intended to be planted within the human brain and is no bigger than a coin. This tiny device is made up of over 1,000 electrodes that connect to the inner and outer hemispheres of the brain. The latest generation of the brain implant is equipped with wireless technology, giving scientists the ability to transmit brain signals without the need of an extra cable. To ensure that the device was safe for human use, Elon Musk tested the chip on a group of selected pigs. One of the pigs, named Gertrude, had the chip implanted in the side of its brain, which was an area that controlled the activity of the snout. During the procedure, robots were used to gently place the chip to ensure a safe operation. The device was connected to the central cortex, which in turn signaled neural activity within the brain to an external monitor in an audible tone. When the pigs began to eat, neural activity increased dramatically, showing that the brain chip could successfully and accurately pick up signals. Following experimentation on the pigs, the implant was removed to demonstrate that removing the implants was as easy as inserting
them into the brain. This new technology has great potential. Being able to fix motor control problems within paralyzed patients, the device could be used to diagnose patients who suffer from brain related issues. Elon Musk aims to use this technology to solve spinal and brain injuries and wishes that the chip can be utilized by patients to help cope with disorders. Musk also hopes to solve other neurological problems such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. If this technology is able to perform the skills mentioned above, humanity will be one step closer to using artificial intelligence (AI) to cure illnesses. By using Neuralink technology, scientists can later use AI to enhance the accuracy of diagnosing diseases with information gathered through the brain implant. Though the chip is still in its early stages of development, Neuralink has already received $158 million to fund the project. Given that similar technology has already been used to treat patients with Parkinson’s disease, it is not hard to imagine brain implants as the next step of treatment for neurological disorders. Implantable brain chips will be able to also track patients’ roads to recovery using a computer to monitor neural activity, and as Elon Musk describes it, the device is essentially “a Fitbit in your skull with tiny wires.” Using this technology will not only help patients cope with their illnesses but will also open the medical field to new technologies that could be employed to ‘undress’ the human mind and access the brain in an unprecedented way. The way Nueralink can ‘undress’ the mind will further allow the technology to be used in other applications.
Lewis, Tanya. “Elon Musk’s Pig-Brain Implant Is Still a Long Way from ‘Solving Paralysis’.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 2 Sept. 2020, www.scientificamerican.com/article/elon-musks-pig-brain-implant-is-still-a-long-way-fromsolving-paralysis/.
Implantable Brain Chips
Layout: Jiyoon Lee Copy: Daniel Shin
Undressing Trump’s Climate Policies
Layout: Jacqueline Lee Copy: Jordan Kim
“Global warming is a total, and very expensive, hoax!” This inaccurate, misleading statement by former United States President Donald Trump essentially sums up his policies on climate change. Since Trump took office in 2016, the U.S.’s efforts to ameliorate the impacts of climate change and slow down the process of global warming came to a screeching halt. As President Joe Biden slowly approaches his first 100 days in office, a clear point of emphasis has been placed on undressing the numerous detrimental climate policies implemented under the Trump administration. Within days of taking office, Trump approved the controversial Keystone XL pipeline despite the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) advice against the approval. Shortly afterward, President Trump ordered the EPA to abolish the Clean Power Plan — a policy that limited carbon emissions from the power sector — and to replace the act with the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule. Under the Clean Power Plan, the EPA estimated that carbon emissions would decrease by 400 million tons by 2030. In stark contrast, the EPA only approximated an 11-million-ton reduction by 2030 under the ACE Rule. Moreover, under Trump’s administration, regulations on the amount of methane — a major potent greenhouse gas — emission permitted during gas and oil drillings were altered. As a result, the EPA estimated that an extra 850,000 tons of methane will be emitted by 2030. Considerably the most monumental of all of his policies, President Trump announced that the U.S. would leave the Paris Climate Agreement. As the only nation to formally withdraw from the landmark climate protection treaty, the U.S. demonstrated a strong will against climate preservation efforts under President Trump’s leadership. Taking a sharp U-turn from President Trump’s administration, President Joe Biden entered office with a clear vision to undress Trump’s major climate policies. Biden has not
only brought the largest group of climate experts in history to the White House, but he has also staffed numerous eminent climate experts — namely appointing Gina McCarthy, former administrator of the EPA under the Obama administration, as the head of the new White House Office of Climate Policy and Deb Haaland, co-sponsor of the far-reaching Green New Deal, as the Secretary of Interior; Biden has clearly shown his commitment to the issue. Within hours of entering office, Biden signed an executive order that had the U.S. rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. On the same day, Biden canceled permits needed for the Keystone XL pipeline. Yet, Biden’s most ambitious climate policies are to come in the near future. Biden seeks to implement his $2 trillion Climate Plan in which the government will provide jobs while taking significant steps toward protecting the climate. In addition, Biden has announced that a long-term goal for the U.S. will be to reach 100 percent clear energy by 2035 and complete net-zero emissions by 2050. Although experts contend that passing such bold bills and acts will require much compromise and bipartisan support, Biden and his administration continue to demonstrate unwavering dedication toward improving the climate. Since its industrialization in the 19th century, the U.S. has emitted more cumulative carbon dioxide than any other nation in the world. In essence, the U.S. has a responsibility to actively engage in climate preservation efforts. While the U.S. did take a step backward with President Trump in office, abolishing major climate acts and key agreements established during the Obama administration, President Biden gives hope that the U.S. will improve its efforts toward halting climate change, all of which starts with undressing the detrimental climate policies enacted under the Trump administration. Without reflecting on mistakes and making things right, there cannot be progress.
“Assessing Biden's Climate Plan.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Feb. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/podcasts/ the-daily/biden-climate-agenda.html. Glueck, Katie, and Lisa Friedman. “Biden Announces $2 Trillion Climate Plan.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 14 July 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/07/14/us/politics/biden-climate-plan.html. “Keystone XL Pipeline: Why Is It so Disputed?” BBC News, BBC, 21 Jan. 2021, www.bbc.com/news/world-uscanada-30103078. Nilsen, Ella. “Biden's ‘All of Government’ Plan for Climate, Explained.” Vox, Vox, 26 Jan. 2021, www.vox.com /22242572/biden-climate-change-plan-explained.
How Social Media Undresses Society
Layout: Jacqueline Lee Copy: Grace Lee
As the digital age continues to develop, more and more social media platforms are being created not just for entertainment but also for the function of sharing news and one’s opinion on them. Whether or not one agrees with the use of social networking sites as a political tool remains polemic, but politicians and activists on all sides are heavily utilizing it to their advantage. Trump, the former President of the United States, for example, relied on Twitter to share his thoughts on current events, and other accounts on other platforms such as Instagram have also begun to be used as a podium for news. Social media is not just slacktivism — take the #MeToo social movement, for example. It empowered women across different countries, classes, and jobs to speak out about their experiences of sexual harassment and assault. Not only did it expose several renowned people (famously Harvey Weinstein) in Hollywood, but other women around the world spoke out about the issues they had faced.
The advent of the digital age has given everyone the same floor to speak on, and the ability to do so has allowed minorities and the oppressed to feel validated with their experiences through connecting with others. Without the platform, their voices would not have been amplified. Without this technology, the social movement would never have been as successful as it was. But what does it reveal about society as a whole? Evidently, there are a myriad of social issues that need to be addressed. Similar social movements inspired by the success of the #MeToo movement have shed light on society’s array of problems. Without social media, we would not have been able to undress society to address the obstacles people face today. Therefore, we must continue to utilize social media to expose these flaws without being complacent to the impact social media has on our society and those that are utilizing it.
Ming, Yue. “The Philanthropic Meaning of the #MeToo Movement.” The Philanthropic Meaning of the #MeToo Movement | Learning to Give, www.learningtogive.org/resources/philanthropic-meaning-metoo-movement.
Homines
Armies of Trash Sculptures Expose Environmental Waste Problem
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On a warm sunny afternoon in front of the convent of St. Agostino, Italy, a sea of human sculptures and statues filled the Italian town. However, they were not the traditional Italian sculptures made of marble; they were, in fact, human figures molded out of a staggering array of trash ranging from crushed cans and bottles to computer parts. Hordes of colorful trash figures flooded the streets, filling every nook and cranny. In total, some 1000 trash sculptures filled the town, arousing awe with its sheer scale and shocking yet strangely intriguing beauty. The man behind this disturbing plethora of trash sculptures is HA Schult, a German conceptual artist and sculptor. He is known for his “action art,” a type of painting done with quick, strong strokes and splashes, which Schult uses to depict his criticism of the waste produced by the modern society, one of the most critical problems of the 21st century. Each year, the world generates a whopping 2.01 billion tons of waste annually, more than a quarter of which are carelessly managed and dumped straight into the natural environment. Much of this waste does not rot as they are made of plastic and metals, while some leak harmful chemicals into the ground causing soil pollution. Others drift into the oceans and clog the seas, depriving marine life of a clean, pollution-free habitat and decimating entire populations of species. Although burning of the waste is often used as a quick, convenient method to dispose of litter, it causes severe air pollution, harming our lungs. In essence, the poor disposal of waste is slowly eating away Earth itself, yet only a few people are aware of this harsh reality as trash disposals are often carried out in remote landfills, unbeknownst to most people, where they slowly build up and threaten the sanitary safety of the environment. HA Schult’s massive collection of trash sculptures is a materialized
picture of the sheer scale of waste he had warned about in his action art, exposing the deprecating reality of the massive trash that modern society’s consumer culture churns out. Having been an active environmentalist all his life, Schult had been working on exposing the environmental issues of waste long before such trash art or even the progressive idea of prioritizing environmental preservation became widespread. Starting out with organizing fashion shows atop trash depots in order to draw attention to the problem of waste debris, he gradually expanded his environmental message into the artistic sphere by adopting sculptures as a means to express his concerns about the stark environmental realities. Schult first assembled his trash sculptures in an amphitheater in the small German town of Xanten. Intrigued and encouraged by the attention with which the public received his sculptures, Schult was inspired to disseminate the powerful environmental message conveyed by his sculptures globally by organizing a world tour of his collection. Since its first assembly in Xanten, Schult’s colorful human trash sculptures have travelled through Asia, Europe, America, and Africa covering entire landscapes in famous locations such as the Great Wall of China, the Great Pyramids of Giza, and the Cologne Cathedral in Italy. Now approaching its 25th anniversary, the annual trash sculpture world tour is recognized as the first of the modern environmental art movement that strives to expose and raise public awareness of the sheer amounts of harmful waste emitted by today’s society. Schult famously said of the environmental waste crisis, “We produce trash, are born from trash, and will turn back into trash,”; the human trash figures are an effective literal embodiment of those trademark words.
Layout: Irene Nam Copy: Hugo Lee
Are Vaccines Really Fair?
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On Dec. 31 2019, a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, China has been detected. This was the start of COVID-19, at this time, this particular disease was not identified as Coronavirus, however. After a few weeks, COVID-19 started to spread outside of China, starting with Thailand. As the number of the cases started to increase in an uncontrollable rate, many blamed on Wuhan. For a quite a long time, the citizens suffered from the non-existence of the vaccine. Recently, “WHO and partners” launched a trial which aims to generate most effective treatment for COVID-19. Some claim vaccines in general are not ready yet with them while others assert that whether the vaccines are tested or not, stopping the spread of the pandemic is crucial than anything. When the vaccine for the pandemic was released, many countries raced to access them first. Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was first invented by scientists in Germany. While it is undeniably a good thing that. A vaccine was approved for this highly destructive disease, the health officials are in a great dilemma over who in which country is going to receive the vaccine
first. As the number of vaccines is limited, this type of issue is crucial. This boils down to a new factor to consider with the widely anticipated vaccines: fairness. Many countries are competing against each other to get the vaccine first, yet most of them do not have the power and wealth to easily access the vaccines like the US, hence creating a multinational dilemma. Furthermore, the current number of vaccinated people is quite low due to the limited vaccine supply. Therefore, vaccinating with the objective of fairness is mind, such as giving priority to the elderly and the health-caseworkers, is even more critical. However, in the United States, a country where everybody is equal, proposed the fairest solution which will make the citizens to wait until 330 million doses of COVID-19 are available so that everyone can be vaccinated whatsoever in the country. Unequal distributions of the vaccines during the pandemic crisis therefore reveal the injustice and the unfairness of the world. If we were to help, we can help by researching and spreading the news about the human rights of other countries.
Layout: Irene Nam Copy: Kris Son
The Inabiity of Working Class Citizens to Freely “Undress” in American Capitalism
Layout: Minjae Chun Copy: Kelly Sung
American capitalism is grounded in the “American Dream”—the principle that anyone with a pure heart and good work ethic is capable of climbing the socioeconomic ladder and attaining success in society. Although this sounds invigorating and motivational in principle, when applied to the real world, it is far from the truth. Referred to as a system of economy designed “for the rich’’, today’s capitalism further marginalizes individuals disenfranchised by the unfair system of the birth lottery. It hinders minorities from advancing in society, and the economic system disables them from being able to feel any sense of leisure. In other words, it prevents middle class individuals from “undressing”—loosening up and relaxing. Since these individuals are so often stuck in an inescapable cycle of the working class, they are never able to undress and truly enjoy their lives. As capitalism puts minimal regulations on the acquisition of wealth or property, particularly in the US, the benefits, which are the surplus labor produced by the working class citizens, all go to the elites at the top of the socioeconomic pyramid. Although the working class laborers give their utmost effort to their vocations, they are stuck in a never ending cycle of work without the ability to wallow in leisure for even a few days. Some might question: why do working class workers choose to put up with this? The answer is twofold. First, America is globally considered to be the country that is able to harness people’s talents and help them succeed by means of the American Dream—a vision in which merit and effort are fairly rewarded, allowing anybody to become wealthy if they chase it. However, the American Dream is now reduced to nothing more than a myth by the vast majority of society, as citizens are becoming more disillusioned by the day, especially seeing that costs have risen at a faster pace than wages that are insufficient to keep pace with inflation. COVID-19 has only exacerbated this. With the pandemic-driven implosion of the economy, more individuals are losing their jobs, watch-
ing their businesses shut down, and having to work harder to sustain their family. As people are exposed to this reality, they realize that simply having a benevolent heart and industrious work ethic are far from sufficient. It is now even said that if one is born into a low spot in the social hierarchy, they likely will never succeed. This is because not only are their chances of getting into a prestigious university are quashed by more affluent students who have more leisure to focus on academics than them, who are constantly encumbered with student loans and side jobs. Moreover, these individuals lack inspirational role models, which strips them of any hope of mobility to seek better opportunities in the future, and they are only stuck in the mentality of attending a university of their state flagship. However, these individuals have no choice but to stick with the system because despite the disillusionment, no other nation is said to provide more opportunities for an average class citizen than America. Even if there were, citizens are reluctant to engage in revolutionary behavior like protests, as they don’t have the mobility and leisure to move to another country and seek a better living there. Furthermore, those who are yet to be disillusioned by the system are living in a false consciousness. They still live in a lie without knowing such a fact, believing that the facade of freedom exerted by capitalism is the reality. Believing that one day they will receive their financial reward and opportunity to “undress,” these people simply adhere to the narrative woven by the government and large corporations. There is prevalent misinformation because citizens in the lower economic sphere do not have easy access to information that reveals the brute reality of capitalism. Because working class citizens never have the leisure time to “undress,” they are too politically apathetic to regularly read the news. Due to this and the difficulty of escaping one’s born economic class, the vicious cycle perpetuates itself, blocking working class citizens from ever undressing or self-actualizing.
Editors In Chief Rachel Lee - Website Hannah Son - Paper
Layout Katie Kim Rachel Yoon
Homines Jay Kim Irene Kim
Minjae Chun Jiyoon Lee Irene Nam Jacqueline Lee
Emily Sung Hugo Lee Kris Son Kelly Sung
Litmag Sarah Ju Bona Suh
Erin J. Choi Hanna Kim Jennifer You
Scientia Emily Oh Katelyn Oh
Daniel Shin Grace Lee Jordan Kim