Fall Magazine 2023 (Extended) by theantlerette

The Antlerette Volume 98

Fall Magazine: Life in Scenes

Issue 3

The Advancement of America, the Radio Khang Pham, Staff A radio, who still uses that these days? In a car, a radio might be helpful, but in the twenty-first century people have apps like Apple Music and Spotify, along with Bluetooth. A radio is almost irrelevant. But barely fifty to seventy years ago, radio use was very widespread in homes, in cars, and pretty much everywhere. Barely a century ago the radio wasn't even used or invented yet, but with the rise of communication technology, the radio was soon to follow. First, the radio was used primarily in wars. Commonly used to communicate across long distances in World War I, the radio was a key technology piece in the victory of the US. As the radio was the first wireless communication service in the whole world, the radio was very sought after.

Then the radio was introduced in the US market, but only the wealthiest of Americans were allowed to buy. A couple of programs were on the radio, limited to simply election and music broadcasting. Fireside chats were also an important program on the radio. Fireside chats are a chatting session with US presidents every Friday night, which allows normal everyday American citizens to be incorporated and feel a deeper trust within their own government. But the influence of cultures and the “media” changed the way Americans got their entertainment from the radio. Music of different genres like jazz and rap began to be broadcast, which introduced white Americans to someone of African American culture, along with more foreign news. And it happened again, another World War, in which this time the radio was the main key to defeating the Nazis. The Americans, using their own radio, intercepted German intel to decipher the Germans’ plans. Finally, after World War II, the radio was available for every single American, regardless of their class. Different programs began to air on the radio: sports programs ranging from soccer, basketball, and football; regional weather forecasts; and regional news. The barrier that was the vast land of the United States was brought together by a little device that was in every American’s living room. The radio’s legacy didn’t stop there; following the radio was the massive invention of the TV. TV or television allowed Americans to only not hear what was happening but also see what was happening. Without the advancement of the radio, there would be no TV, there would be no media, and there would be no U.S. culture.

What is Black and White Photography and Why is it Still Important Today? Ava Xu, Staff For nearly 200 years, black and white photography has given us a timeless and nostalgic feeling that brings us back to the olden times. In 1826, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, a French inventor, took the very first black and white photograph from the view of his window with a camera obscura and using the technique he also invented called the heliography. Then in 1839, LouisJacques-Mandé Daguerre invented the daguerreotype, which creates a highly detailed image on a sheet of copper plated with a thin coat of silver without the use of a negative, which is photographic image that reproduces the bright portions of the photographed subject as dark and the dark parts as light areas. Black and white photography has drawn the attention of millions of people and teaches us the beauty of it, too.

Black and white photography has evolved over the years with tons of oldfashioned cameras still being used to this day to express love for black and white photography. This form of photography is capable of conveying emotions in ways colored images simply can’t. Taking photographs in black and white can help remove distracting colors in the image in order to draw the viewers’ attention to the main subject, texture, shape, line, pattern, and composition of the photo. Black and white photography is a unique form of photography that serves as a symbol of emotion. The art of black and white photography focuses on the composition that gets straight to the point and avoids any distractions that are caused by color. When colors show up on an image, it causes a distraction to the viewer when understanding the background. However, black and white photography is very appealing to the eye. It is very simple and easier to see to explain the main focus of the photograph. The beauty of this is minimal but simple, since it captures the images' emotions while creating a bit of dramatic effect that turns it into a work of art. Photographers would also have many creative possibilities to explore and capture the moments in ways that can’t be done in color photography. In the early 1900s to now, black and white photography has become the primary form of photography for both professional and new photographers. This is all because the materials for color photography are very expensive and hard to develop. The rise was also caused by the popularity of film cameras that can capture images in black and white better than the daguerreotype process. This would now allow photographers to capture more dynamic photos and explore many creative possibilities in photography.

Independent Productions: Generation Loss Kaitlyn McNally, Staff On May 24th, 26th and 28th of 2023, an interactive horror-comedy series called Generation Loss streamed its “Generation 1: The Social Experiments” on Twitch. It was created as a personal project by variety streamer RanbooLive, and grew into a full independent production with design teams, writers, film crew, and 38 sets, along with characters played by other creators. RanbooLive, typically called Ranboo or an assortment of nicknames, does “Just Chatting” streams and a variety of gameplays of several genres for his fanbase on Twitch, but they also have a few Youtube channels. Notable ones include: the original “Ranboo” that gets infrequent updates; “RanbooWasLive” that posts edited streams and clips in a shorter, more digestible format; and “RanbooVODS”, which posts full, minimally edited streams, as Twitch does not maintain recording of streams for more than 60 days.

Generation Loss, commonly referred to as GenLoss by its community, was funded almost entirely by Ranboo himself and their fans’ contributions through Twitch subscriptions, donations, and merchandise. It was filmed at the Galleria at White Plains in White Plains, New York, which closed roughly two months before the show was streamed. “The Social Experiments” is presented as a show created by Showfall Media, a fictional company that entertains the masses within the Generation Loss universe. Generation 1 contains three episodes: “The Spirit of The Cabin,” “The Mastermind of The Warehouse,” and “The Choice.” The first episode is mainly a comedy with a few concerning elements of “reality breaks” where the main character, Ranboo, played by Ranboo, notices something is wrong before the incident is dismissed. The second episode contains more of these “reality breaks,” such as when the feed would “glitch” and everything that had been the signature slime green was recolored to blood red, and light-hearted commentary was replaced by agonized screaming. The end of this episode reveals that the characters are people that have been mind controlled, and they are on a production set in a repurposed mall. In the third episode, Ranboo finds Charlie (who is also known as Slimecicle and played characters in both previous episodes) streaming from inside the mall as if it is his usual setup, and manages to bring him to his senses. They then try to escape, but ultimately fail.

“The Social Experiments” was just that - a social experiment, or perhaps more of a social commentary. They explored the lengths that creators will go to to satisfy audiences, how they are really at the mercy of their fanbase if they want to stay popular, and how the viewer’s choices and morals can be manipulated by the content they consume, as reflected in the final choice at the end of the third episode. Generation Loss content can be found on the “Generation Loss” Twitch channel, YouTube channel, and Twitter accounts “@Generationloss1” and “@generationloss2”, as well as the recorded Generation Loss panel that took place at Vidcon Anaheim 2023. There is also a website at generationloss.tv that contains merchandise and a game that provides a few clues about the world of Generation Loss. “Generation 0: The Story of Lostfield” is currently in production with no revealed release date, but is connected to a Twitter account “@TheChronicle0” that was intended to serve as an intermediate between the two major releases.

Evolution of Flash Photography Joanna Arteaga, Staff Before flash photography was invented, photographers had to use the natural sunlight or even a candle to get the perfect picture. At times, this natural light was not enough to develop the film - until 1839 when artificial light was rising in the photography industry. This artificial light consisted of calcium carbonate heated by a flame. The models being photographed often claimed that they appeared undefined in their pictures. This artificial light being used was so bright that it washed out their facial features. Over the years the technology of flashes increased. After artificial light became known scientists worked on improved inventions. Flash powder became more efficient, but it was still doing the same as calcium carbonate and fire until 1930, when the first flash bulbs were invented. A man named Johannes Ostermeier created this new way of flash photography. These light bulbs were big, and often would have a bright flash. It was a game changer. At the time, this modern way of taking pictures was greatly improved. Photography became more efficient. Over the years the bulb has become better. Now cameras have a light bulb built into them. They are smaller and can be adjusted when needed. Something that we see, as simple as light, comes from basic chemicals that have changed and improved over the years.

History of Asylums Olivia Miller, Staff We all have heard of the horror stories that have been known to happen in asylums, but are they real or fake? The upbringing began in the mid-1800s so that there was a better solution for the disabled than what was current. Mentally ill people had to be in the care of their families, which often left them poor or in workhouses or prisons. Public asylums were an option for some, but there are reports they had horrible conditions with torturous practices. The point of these was just to keep the mentally ill from disturbing society, and they did whatever it took. The most popular was in the Saint Mary of Bethlehem asylum, where people endured excruciating procedures and were exposed to the public as freaks. So in the Victorian era, London built the Middlesex Lunatic Asylum. The goal was to introduce a more humane approach to housing the mentally ill which was successful for a while, until disease and many other reasons caused them to fill up quickly. By the 1900s, it caused them to enforce their old practices. There were many reasons to be admitted, but most are things humans do on a daily basis. It could be because of “female disease,” grief, jealousy, laziness, asthma, or just because your husband said so.

The fact that humans didn't know a lot of how the human brain and body worked is really the reason for how things worked in these facilities. Experimental approaches were invented; such as, chemical shock therapy, psychosurgery, and electroconvulsive shock therapy. Looking at it now, doctors say it was a dangerous and distressing procedure that risked many complications such as heart failure or brain hemorrhage. The body isn't built to withstand these kinds of things and it clearly isn't curing anything. The most popular procedure was lobotomies, which proved to be the worst on patients. Even the doctors would admit that every surgery took something away from the patient. However, that wasn't a problem since they just wanted the patient to be easier to care for, disoriented, and childish. Aside from that, the conditions of these hospitals remained unsanitary and the staff was often abusive to the patients. By the 1970s, regulations were put in place after people discovered more about how to treat mental illness, and that these procedures won’t work. By this time many asylums for the insane in America were shut down due to overpopulation and neglect. In this generation, we are lucky it's not common to use experimental procedures that were very often life threatening.

Roman Empire Camila Avila, Staff The Roman Empire was a civilization that emerged from the city of Rome in ancient Italy. It was a small kingdom and eventually grew into an empire. The empire was at its peak in the second century, covering an area of around five million square kilometers. The success of the Roman Empire was its military. Rome’s army was very smart, strong, and organized, using many strategies to conquer new places. Through its military, they were known for their smart ideas. They created impressive large buildings and bridges, many of which still stand today. The Romans also made advancements in engineering and architecture, creating iconic structures like the Pantheon. The Roman Empire also had a rich culture. They brought traditions from various civilizations they encountered. Roman society was with emperors at the top and slaves at the bottom. They had a focus on law. With the development of the Roman legal system, the Roman Empire faced extreme challenges, including economic decline and invasions from tribes. It eventually fell in 476 C.E. marking the end of ancient Rome and the beginning of the Middle Ages. The Roman Empire left a great memory and legacy with us. Latin influenced many modern languages, and its legal and political systems served as a foundation for future societies and development.

Rocky Review KyRee Fultz, Staff Rocky Balboa, “The Italian Stallion,” “Philadelphia's Favorite Son,” ”Rocco.” Chances are you’ve probably heard of this character from the hit boxing movie from 1976 Rocky. Rocky follows the life of a poor thirty-year-old Italian man who is still striving to be a boxer in the cold and harsh streets of the city of brotherly love. Rocky starts off in this movie by fighting local boxers at the Cambria Fighting Club and taking oldball jobs such as being a brute for a shark boss. Rocky finally gets his chance to show the world he can be a world champion boxer when the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion, Apollo Creed, picks him as an underdog challenger to try to take his belt. Rocky goes through a treacherous journey of training to prove himself and all the people around who doubt him.

This movie sets up the underdog role for Rocky, while promoting a “if you keep getting back up enough times you can win” type attitude to the audience. This is easily seen in Rocky’s fighting style too as Rocky isn't a very good technician at all in fighting. His footwork is sloppy, his guard is low, and he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. Rocky's great strength lies in how he’s able to withstand his opponents’ blows. He takes shot after shot after shot to the face and gets knocked down but gets right back up. This causes a mental warfare in his opponent's mind who just wants to knock him out. This leads to his opponent getting tired and usually Rocky finishing them off with a crazy punch in the last round. Rocky was a revolutionary movie however, becoming the most famous boxing movie of all time and being a household name all over the world. The movie changed the film industry for sports and is still talked about in plenty of pop culture references today. Rocky even has his own statue in Philadelphia. Overall, this movie teaches us all to never give up.