The Buzz | Spring 2017

LEGALIZATION WEED GOES MAINSTREAM

FINDING COMMON GROUND

GENDER NEUTRALITY ON CAMPUS

ART & FASHION ARTISTIC EXPRESSION AS A CREATIVE FORCE

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ART & FASHION

EXPLORING THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN TWO BELOVED INDUSTRIES, THIS ISSUE’S SHOOT BOASTS BOLD PRIMARY COLORS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE CREATIVE ENERGY OF BOSTON’S SOWA ART DISTRICT. ON OLIVIA: STEVEN ALAN, COVE TOP IN RUSTIC RED, $198; GOLD EAR CUFF, STYLIST’S OWN

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contents S P R I N G

culture

8 TWENTY YEARS OF LOVE RENT’S IMPACT TODAY

2 0 1 7

fashion

58 FOR THE LONG HAUL

SUSTAINABLE FASHION TIPS AND TRICKS

12 LIFE IS ART

60 STYLE TO D.I.Y. FOR

travel

city

HOW WE CURATE EXPERIENCES

16 ON A MISSION

BU ALUM KATE CAMPBELL’S MISSION TRIP

ONE STUDENT’S TAKE ON REUSABLE FASHION

62 LEGALIZATION

MARIJUANA GOES MAINSTREAM

20 TAKE MEMORIES, NOT LIVES

66 BOSTON GOES GLOBAL

food

wellness

UNETHICAL SOUVENIRS TO BE AWARE OF

24 FARM-TO-TABLE DINING THE RISE OF SUSTAINABLE EATING

PLANNING FOR THE CITY’S FUTURE

70 FAKE FITNESS

WHAT CELEBRITIES ARE SELLING YOU

28 BOSTON: A FOOD CITY?

74 PRAYING FOR A WIN

campus

music

RECOGNIZING BOSTON’S CULINARY POTENTIAL

32 FINDING COMMON GROUND EXPLORING GENDER NEUTRALITY

38 SPEAKING OUT

STUDENT EXPERIENCES WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT

HOW SPORTS AND RELIGION INTERTWINE

78 MINT GREEN

LOCAL BAND DEBUTS THEIR UNIQUE SOUND

82 DEATH OF THE CD MUSIC IN THE MODERN AGE

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S P R I N G CALLIE AHLGRIM Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor ANNA BARRY Head Copy Editor NICOLE HOEY Creative Director JAMI RUBIN Art Director SAMANTHA WEST Publisher ANDREA VEGA Photography Director ANGELA WANG Online Design Director DEANNA KLIMA-RAJCHEL Web Manager LAVI ZHAO SECTION EDITORS Campus ARIANA QUIHUIZ City DANNY MCCARTHY Culture DANIELLE BOZZONE Fashion JULIA SEELIG Food KADY MATSUZAKI Music EMMA PARKINSON Travel ELAINE ANDERSON Wellness BRITTANY BELL PUBLISHING TEAM Marketing ANGELI RODRIGUEZ Events TALEEN SIMONIAN Social Media MARI ANDREATTA, SONIA KULKARNI PHOTOGRAPHY TEAM BRITTANY CHANG, ELLEN CLOUSE, MAE DAVIS, LAUREN FOGELSTRÖM, ASHLEY GRIFFIN, MAISIE MANSFIELD-GREENWALD, NOOR NASSER, DENI YACOOBIAN, ECE YAVUZ, MARISSA WU, RAYMOND ZHAO COPY EDITING TEAM JULIA DAKHLIA, PHILIPPA GONATAS, MEGAN MULLIGAN, JESSAMYN WALLACE

4 | masthead & contributors

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CREATIVE TEAM Designers IVAN ALEKSANDROV, MADELEINE ARCH, ASLI AYBAR, GABRIELLE DIPIETRO, KATIE HONG, DEANNA KLIMA-RAJCHEL, STEPHANIE SNOW, LUDI WANG, SHANNON YAU Illustrators JILLIAN APATOW, KATIE HONG, SHANNON YAU Online Designers SRANEE BAYAPUREDDY EDITORIAL TEAM Campus MARIANNE FARRELL, ASHLEY GRIFFIN, TONI-ANN MATTERA, MAYA REYES, PARINI SHAH, SARAH WU City MARIANNE FARRELL, DEFNE KARABUCAK, MARISSA WU Culture NOEMI ARELLANO-SUMMER, ROBERT DELANY, MARIANNE FARRELL, MEGAN MULLIGAN, NITI PATEL, MAYA REYES-SOLANO, PAUL STOKES Fashion FALAKNAZ CHRANYA, REBECCA GOLUB, MADELINE GRUBERT, YUNA HAN, JAZMYNE JACKSON, SONIA KULKARNI, ARIANA QUIHUIZ Food ATHENA ABDIEN, ANJALI BALAKRISHNA, ALEXLYN DUNDAS, RILEY SUGARMAN, SARAH WU Music BENJAMIN BONADIES, SARAH CRISTINE BURROLA, NICKI HYMOWITZ, GEORGIA KOTSINIS, KARISSA PERRY, DANIELA RIVERA, COLE SCHONEMAN, TALEEN SIMONIAN, PAUL STOKES, CLAIRE TRAN, MELODY YOU, RHODA YUN Travel ANJALI BALAKRISHNA, LAUREN FOGELSTRÖM, CHLOE HUDSON, MICHAELA JOHNSTON, MICHAELA PETTIGROW, ELIZA SULLIVAN, LUDI WANG, MEREDITH WILSHERE, SARAH WU Wellness EMILY CARSON, JESSICA CITRONBERG, CASEY DOUGLAS, SOPHIA LIPP, NICOLE WILKES

ON THE COVER: CASEY GUILLARD (COM ‘19) WEARS STEVEN ALAN’S DENIM MAPS JUMPSUIT OVER A BLACK TURTLENECK SHIRT, PAIRED WITH STEVEN ALAN’S TOUR COAT IN PAPRIKA, A GOLD EAR CUFF, AND BOLD PRIMARY YELLOW EYELINER IN STUDIO 314, OWNED BY PAUL PEDULLA AND PETER COHEN. ON ELINA (LEFT): STEVEN ALAN, SHORT SLEEVE POCKET TEE IN LIGHT MAUVE, $50; LF, VALERIA OVERALL BY CARMAR IN GLOMMA, $238; STATEMENT NECKLACE, STYLIST’S OWN ELLEN ROLLI, STUDIO 228

OUR SPRING 2017 ISSUE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE HELP OF MANY OUTSIDE STUDENTS AND PARTNERS WHO SHARED THEIR TALENTS, INSIGHTS AND TIME. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK EACH AND EVERY NEW AND EXISTING RELATIONSHIP, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP IN THE FUTURE. THIS ISSUE IS PARTIALLY FUNDED BY YOUR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT FEE.

STORES

LF 353 NEWBURY STREET BOSTON, MA 02115 (617) 236-1213 @LFBOSTON STEVEN ALAN 172 NEWBURY STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 (617) 398-2640 @STEVENALAN

SHOOT PHOTOGRAPHY NICK DELIETO NICKDELIETO.COM @ACTUALLYNICHOLAS

GALLERIES & STUDIOS SOWA BOSTON 530 HARRISON AVENUE BOSTON, MA 02118 (857) 362-SOWA SOWABOSTON.COM @SOWABOSTON

ARNIE CASAVANT MYSTIC RIVER GALLERY 450 HARRISON AVENUE, STUDIO 218 BOSTON, MA 02118 (617) 884-4129 ELLEN ROLLI 450 HARRISON AVENUE, STUDIO 228 BOSTON, MA 02118 (617) 930-7391 @ELLENROLLI M FINE ARTS GALERIE 61 THAYER STREET BOSTON, MA 02118 (617) 450-0700 @MFINEARTSGALERIE PAUL PEDULLA & PETER COHEN 450 HARRISON AVENUE, STUDIO 314 BOSTON, MA 02118 (617) 480-7364 @PAULPEDULLA & @PBRADCOHEN

SUPPORTERS

DEAN THOMAS FIEDLER ELISABETH SYMCZAK ALLIED MARKETING, BOSTON ALLOCATIONS BOARD, BOSTON UNIVERSITY INSOMNIA COOKIES, BOSTON THE PAINT BAR, BOSTON PINK AMBASSADORS, BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCOOZI, BOSTON STUDENT ACTIVITIES OFFICE, BOSTON UNIVERSITY STUDY ABROAD, BOSTON UNIVERSITY WARNER BROS. WTBU, BOSTON UNIVERSITY

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a

ny creative medium, any form that is given to a void, any chance you take to speak your mind can be considered artistic expression.

Whether you are splattering paint in a studio, throwing all your insecurities into a poem, getting dressed in the morning or curating the perfect Instagram feed, you are expressing yourself.

These are intellectual decisions whether we realize it or not. And anyone with an individual sense of self, anyone with an array of personal opinions, participates in that creation.

Dancer and choreographer Martha Graham, who impacted modern dance more profoundly than any other single figure, once said to a friend, “There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique…It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.”

Graham’s choreography was revolutionary. It spoke the language of protest, of opposition, of spectacular and conscious-altering emotion—not with words, but with movement.

The Buzz is dedicated to dialogue. This semester, we added an Opinions Section online to celebrate uniqueness and independent thought; we employed a diverse staff of students from varied cultures and backgrounds; we are, primarily, storytellers.

But the world of magazine journalism is not solely engaged in written discourse. In this issue, we highlight how each person’s story can be told on that person’s own terms. Our spring fashion shoot explores parallels between two industries that both thrive on outbursts of self-expression.

6 | letter from the editor

The Campus Section features individuals at BU who refuse to be defined by the traditional gender binary. In the newly-branded Wellness Section, writer Casey Douglas reminds us not to force ourselves to conform to other people’s ideas of “healthy” or “acceptable.”

The editors, writers, designers, photographers and all other collaborators who combined efforts to craft this issue serve as reminders that each person holds a valuable perspective.

We all have a voice, whether we decide to express it by writing lyrics (p.78), posting photos of food on social media (p.24), customizing vintage dresses (p.60) or speaking out about a systemic problem (p.38).

When we listen to one another, when we commit ourselves to dialogue—in all its forms—we embrace our humanness and respect the humanness of others.

There are infinitely more stories out there, and I am anxious to watch The Buzz continue to play a role in telling them.

CALLIE AHLGRIM, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

when we listen to one another, when we commit ourselves to dialogue— in all its forms—we embrace our humanness and respect the humanness of others. the buzz | 7

Revisiting Rent in 2017

BY DANIELLE BOZZONE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAYMOND ZHAO & MARISSA WU | DESIGN BY JAMI RUBIN

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culture

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I

t’s been 11,037,600 minutes since Rent first premiered on Broadway, but just as the protagonists sing out in “Seasons of Love,” measurements of love, laughter and strife seem more apt to evaluate the past two decades. Premiering at the tail end of the AIDS epidemic, Rent was groundbreaking for its portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community and those living with HIV/AIDS. 21 years later, it has not lost any of its political impact or meaning for members of marginalized communities.

In a 2017 interview with Variety, Tom Viola, the executive director of Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS, said, “If you’re not insured, if you don’t have access to health care, if you’ve just been thrown off your insurance by this Republican administration, trust me, it may as well be 1996. That is a very scary proposition. I think seeing Rent today will allow folks to come together to push back on that.”

Sammy Ferber, a company member in Rent’s 20th Anniversary Tour, also noted how the show has changed since its premiere.

“What I find fascinating is that Rent is now a period piece,” said Ferber. “The original production had a mission of ‘proudly showing the world the truth about AIDS and the devastation it brings’; now the show has a mission of ‘needing to remember our history.’”

While some of the musical’s main themes are undeniably political, Rent itself is not trying to be political per se. It is, above all else, a musical about the bohemian lifestyle and love. If, in the course of telling an authentic story about starving artists in the East Village in the ’90s, political talking points like HIV/AIDS appear, it is not because playwright Jonathan Larson or Puccini (whose La Bohème serves as the inspiration for Rent) are trying to make a point. Instead, they are telling a genuine and human story—especially if that means tackling the taboo.

Director of the Anniversary Tour Evan Ensign said in the aforementioned Variety piece, “I always say that AIDS is actually just a circumstance in the show. It’s about figuring out how we fit in, about how we create family, about acceptance.”

The millennial generation grew up with Rent. For Lee Condakes (COM ’16), the show first entered his life in sixth grade.

“The very first song I ever heard from Rent was ‘Seasons of Love,’ and it wasn’t lifechanging or anything, it was just catchy,” said Condakes. “I learned it on the piano and it has now been programmed into my fingers over the course of the last 11 years. I couldn’t forget those chord changes if I tried.”

However, Rent’s deeper meaning really began to resonate with Condakes as he matured. “It didn’t really hit me until I was older that I found the most similarities between myself and the

composer rather than any one of the characters,” said Condakes. “He showed me that being gay didn’t mean being marginalized for the rest of my life. He didn’t exactly make it mainstream, but it was probably the first time I had ever seen a gay person be considered important in something that has now become a staple of popular culture. That’s saying something.”

While the show’s avid fan base is wellknown, its concrete impact on those fans is sometimes forgotten. “[I’ve] met people who’ve seen the show over 100 times in various different forms,” said Ferber. “[These are] people who’ve met their spouses because of the show. People who came out to their families because of the show. I love being a part of something that actually matters.

I love having an impact.”

“I don’t think it has more meaning or more significance now than it did then,” said Max Cohen (COM ’17). “However, I do think it is more pressing now to tell stories like Rent.”

Now, during a new presidential era, one that has already seen increasing political activism from millenials, Rent has become resonant in new ways. It not only puts underrepresented communities (HIV positive individuals, LGBTQ+ persons, etc.) in the spotlight, but also showcases a historical period marked by activism.

“AIDS didn’t just get easier to manage over time; people fought and fought and fought and died to make real change in our country,” said Ferber. “In our current political climate, I think the activists of the AIDS era can be wonderful role models for how to create lasting change.”

Although undeniably powerful, limiting Rent’s direct impact to social issues or individuals is doing a disservice to the monumental impact of its artistic form and fan reception.

“It was the first show I’d seen that was

all music, which I thought was amazing,” said Cohen. “Plus, I had come from a place where musicals were all fantastical or melodramatic and this was something real, but not even close to mainstream.”

“Rent has always been one of my favorite musicals. It was revolutionary in so many ways, from unapologetically using a rock sound to staring into the face of AIDS,” said Ferber. “I’ve always admired the risks Jonathan Larson and the original creative team took to make Rent the show it is today.”

“It’s a lot like the Wicked effect; everyone hates to love [Rent],” said Shawna Michelle James (CFA ’18). “The show holds such significance in the musical theater cannon as an important entry point for young actors, a staple of (sometimes) representative theater and popularized a genre of theater that paved the way for musicals like American Idiot to be actualized.”

From its impact on the craft to the effect it has had on audiences for 20 years and counting, Rent’s influence remains tangible and its messages of love persist.

“This [show] is a passion project for all of us,” said Ferber. “It’s unbelievable that a show could last so long, still be loved by so many people [and] that a 20th Anniversary Tour would even be considered!”

Rent measured a year in love during a time when the HIV/AIDS diagnosis meant almostcertain death. Now over two decades later, the world has undoubtedly changed—for better and for worse. However, the one thing that has not changed­—that never will change—is love.

Practicing and spreading love, especially when it is hard to see it in the world, is a powerful thing; go forth and create the kind of world you want to live in. It won’t be easy, as the musical’s title track so masterfully encapsulates.

In the end, we will remember our years in love.

“The original production had a mission of ‘proudly showing the world the truth about AIDS and the devastation it brings’; now the show has a mission of ‘needing to remember our history.’” the buzz | 11

LIFE IS ART

op-ed: human beings are natural curators STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALLIE AHLGRIM | DESIGN BY JAMI RUBIN

12 | culture

A

week into my freshman year, I visited the Museum of Fine Arts for the first time. I was alone and overwhelmed and stumbled my way to the Contemporary Art wing, where I saw written in bright white script, buzzing and humming on the wall: With You I Breathe.

Tracey Emin has often used neon writing to communicate short, punchy phrases in her artwork. But these words in particular struck me. At the time, I read it as a love note­—but as I was drawn back to these words again and again, I felt a slight shift in my interpretation. It was so gradual I hardly even noticed it, but I began to see the sentiment as universal, not personal.

The “you” is left intentionally vague. Emin could be referring to a romantic partner, or she could be thinking of a friend. She could even be reaching out to a stranger.

Emin allows us to adopt this sentiment with a certain person in mind, but there’s always the implied nudge: everyone breathes. Every single person alive right now is breathing the same planet’s air.

And while every single person lives their own rich, colorful and individual life, our existences constantly overlap.

Since arriving at Boston University, art has played a major role in my understanding of the human experience. As a junior, returning to my

position as The Buzz’s Culture Editor, I wrote an op-ed reflecting on the phrase “NOT ART,” which is spray painted in unlikely locations throughout Boston.

“If we place ‘art’ in a box and allow it to only exist within museums or galleries, then we miss the entire purpose of it: finding a way to express yourself so that others can appreciate or understand your thoughts and emotions,” I wrote. “It’s about human connection.”

Indeed, artwork cannot exist without inspiration and synergism; the act of creation is informed by the creations of others.

A recent exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art, “The Artist’s Museum,” seeks to highlight this spirit of collaboration. A multitude of artists, working in a wide variety of different mediums, are put into intimate conversation: the same wooden cabinet hosts pieces by the likes of Christo and Jenny Holzer.

An installation by Pierre Leguillon is is set to an Amy Winehouse soundtrack.

In Christian Marclay’s “Shake Rattle and Roll (Fluxmix),” 16 old-school video monitors stand circled in a dark room. Each screen displays a pair of hands, encased in white gloves (like a museum curator? A surgeon?), handling an everyday object. The objects may be rattled, caressed, even knocked against a table. But each object, however ordinary, is now a part of a subversive art installation.

We are taught to treat great art with reverence—to gaze admiringly, but never touch.

But in “The Artist’s Museum,” the artists themselves are playing with other artists’ labors, despite obvious differences in method and meaning. They are throwing pieces back into the tides of innovation and energy; they are giving new life to what inspires them.

The exhibit’s description states, “The desire to collect objects and images of personal significance, and to make connections between them, is a nearly universal human experience.”

The way Marclay—and the exhibit as a whole—lionizes normality strikes a chord. To a certain extent, we all do this every day. Human beings are meaning-makers. We inject substance into our day-to-day surroundings, personally orchestrating our individual narratives.

Every morning, I turn on my teakettle, reach into my cabinet and pull out a mug. It’s white with flowers and a blue handle. It may feel mundane, but in the back of my mind, I remember the person who gave it to me. I subconsciously associate this mug with that birthday and my specific emotion upon receiving it.

By favoring this mug above my others, by keeping it at all, I am ostensibly endorsing that emotion. I am making a decision about how to conduct and define my own self.

This may seem like a stretch, but think of your saved ticket stubs; the postcards you

collected during your semester abroad; Christmas cards you never threw away; photos you print and tape to your wall. This is the very essence of art, of collaboration and creative interpretation.

This is your scrapbook, and all the fragments work together—as do the pieces in the exhibit— as “vital sources of inspiration and to create highly individualized models of [your] world.”

Emily Zilber, the curator of past MFA exhibit “Crafted: Objects in Flux,” explained that she chose the word “flux” because it indicated “a state of continuous change.”

Looking back at who I was four years ago as a freshman and realizing how much I’ve matured since then—that feels like art. Reflecting on the way my college experience has intertwined and symbiotically thrived with the experiences of friends I’ve made here—that feels like art, too.

We are all curators. We make decisions about how to create our own environments and collect memories. We carefully choose other people to collaborate with, to constantly affect and be affected by.

The wall above my bed, which is saturated with film photos and Beanpot tickets, thrums with reminiscence. As graduation looms, and I reflect on four years of creating artwork with the people around me, I can’t help but grow nostalgic about the exhibit we built.

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neighborhoods café

Neighborhoods Café in Fenway is not a museum, but it does feel like a time capsule. The café seems like a cottage in the woods or your grandmother’s apartment. The paisley wallpaper, the stacks of board games and the crêpes cooked right in front of your face are gentle, delicious distractions from final exams. Let the mantra “treat yo’self ” wash over you as you look at the ever-so-pricey bill for a latte and crêpe. Life is hard, and a little gift to yourself once in a while is a good way to become grounded amidst all the chaos.

artsemerson at emerson college

Snag a ticket to one of Emerson College’s student-produced plays, which are held in one of their campus theatres, and avoid your unfinished work by visiting another school. Productions this spring include “17 Border Crossings,” a performance about the “imaginary lines” (and maybe walls, who knows) between countries.

Tickets range on the pricier side, but as the government debates about whether or not to defund public arts, try to quell any nervous guilt you may feel by knowing you’re supporting collegiate arts—and a neighboring school!

places

to ignore

your problems

Boston Spots perfect for distraction & relaxation

BY MEGAN MULLIGAN | ILLUSTRATIONS AND DESIGN BY KATIE HONG

14 | culture

Boston Athenaeum

If you feel cramped studying in Mugar Library during finals, head to the Boston Athenaeum off Park Street for a change. Only a select few rooms are open to non-member visitors, so make sure you get there early. The reading rooms are members-only admittance (but let’s be real, reading rooms are best for naps anyway). Tours of the entire Athenaeum are open to non-members, but require reservations ahead of time. So while you’re holed up on the fourth floor of Mugar planning out your every breathing minute for the rest of your college career, you might as well pencil in some fun, too. Even if you’re just treating yourself to a new study environment or a change of scenery, a light walk around a museum stretches the muscles of the mind and the body.

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16 | travel

travel

ate Cam bell:

on a mission

A BU ALUM’S 11-MONTH MISSION TRIP AROUND THE WORLD

BY SARAH WU PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAUREN FOGELSTRÖM AND COURTESY OF KATE CAMPBELL DESIGN BY STEPHANIE SNOW

the buzz | 17

“If you really want to expand your worldview, The World Race is for you.

If you want to be challenged, The World Race is for you.”

M

ost graduates are job hunting or adventuring in their first year out of college—their last moments before “real life” sets in.

Kate Campbell, a Boston University alumna who graduated from the College of Communication in January 2016, managed to do both simultaneously. She took an 11-month trip around the world, and it resulted in a job.

Following her faith in God, she participated in The World Race, an 11-month Christian mission trip. According to Campbell, it’s an interdenominational Christian organization, so the organization works with a diverse group of people—those who are Catholic, Protestant, Methodist, Lutheran and Evangelical.

The trip draws you out of your comfort zone and gives you “exposure to what God is doing in the world before you commit to the American dream,” according to the official website.

“I think that there is a perception that you have to be a superstar Christian to do a mission trip like the World Race, but something I learned this year was that God isn’t looking for rock stars,” said Campbell. “He loves all of us ordinary people so much and He can’t wait to have us do His work in His kingdom.”

Campbell found out about the program when she was 18, right after she had completed her freshman year of college at BU. Her friend had participated in it before and recommended that Campbell look into the program. According to Campbell, it’s not something that’s plastered all over the Internet; interest in the program is garnered through word of mouth.

She had to be 21 in order to participate, so she decided to apply after she graduated from college.

18 | travel

Campbell graduated a semester ahead of her classmates and joined the January 2016 trip. After researching her options, she decided to choose the route that went through several South American countries in addition to Mozambique, Cambodia and South Africa, among others. She studied Spanish in college as well as photojournalism, so she used this as an opportunity to harness her language and media skills.

It was an in-depth process. The application asked questions about Campbell’s spiritual history and personal background to help understand her connections. Upon completion of the exhaustive application process, Campbell embarked on her race in January 2016.

In October, she met all of her 37 other “D Squad” members and five other team members, a sub-unit of the larger squad, at the orientation and training program. Over time, they would “figure out how to love each other and work together, live life together,” said Campbell.

Once on the trip, she visited a different country each month, working with the local ministries.

Although she has a handful of meaningful experiences and memories from each country, Cambodia was her favorite. She wasn’t sure if it was the time of the year she visited or the people she was with; each morning, she picked up children, bathed them, fed them, brought them to school and played with them after their school day ended. She learned about the culture and the country’s history, including the genocide that occurred in the ’70s.

In some places, the hosts would want to have the squad stay inside to keep them safe, but Campbell had much more freedom in Cambodia to roam around and interact with locals. She loved walking around the market and “talking to

the noodle man down the street.” These cultural interactions were small, she said, but they make up the life and experience there.

Although she spent college away from home, it wasn’t quite the same as leaving home for a full 11 months. Prior to this trip, Campbell had only been on one-week-long mission trips.

However, Campbell’s family supported her decision which made it all the easier.

Her mom called it an extension of her college education, since Campbell had graduated a semester early. Her boyfriend knew how much she loved things like The World Race, and was invested in the process throughout her journey.

He wanted to know the names of the people she was meeting, and the things she was doing each day. Campbell wrote regular blog posts for The World Race website—there’s even a guest post written by her boyfriend about what it’s like to date a world racer. Spoiler alert: it’s no easy feat.

The trip meant a lot to her spiritually. She wanted to share the love of Jesus with people, in a “tangible way to do exactly what Jesus commanded us—love God and love people. I want that to motivate everything I do.”

“Jesus’ last words to us before he left Earth was to go and make disciples of all nations—a lot of missionaries like to reference that, but it’s pretty simple and straightforward—people like to read too much into it,” she said. “He didn’t tell us where—we can pick whatever direction we want to go—that can be in America, that can be in Asia—that can be down the street. It doesn’t need to be complicated to do those two things, love God and love people.”

Campbell was the logistics leader on her particular trip. Her responsibilities included organizing transportation from one country to the next each month, among other duties. Not

surprisingly, she says she “got a lot of experience figuring it out in a foreign country.”

“I experienced things I never planned for or expected, from bucket showers and sleeping in tents to being asked to pray or heal somebody,” she said. “If you really want to expand your worldview, The World Race is for you. If you want to be challenged, The World Race is for you.”

When Campbell graduated in January 2016, she never imagined that she’d be moving to Georgia. After returning from the race, she applied to be a regional logistics coordinator for Central America, a region she has learned to love.

She has already worked with hosts there during her trips. She wants to work with people who are already there—build up their people instead of bringing in “their own thing.”

Fortunately, she landed the job and started in March. She’ll be on the move again from her native Virginia to Georgia. She will be responsible for connecting and coordinating groups that are going to be traveling to the area, calculating costs and making sure the groups understand what is expected of them. During the first few trips, it was all about finding people to work with. Many of these “hosts” have created a relationship with The World Race and have been hosting squads for five or six years. She’s excited to be part of the legacy.

“We as a culture highly value comfort and security, and the rest of the world doesn’t have that luxury, but when you put yourself in their place, you can learn a ton about yourself and God and about the world,” Campbell said.

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TAKE MEMORIES,

NOT LIVES YOU CAN HELP PREVENT THE TRADE OF ILLEGAL WILDLIFE PRODUCTS

BY CHLOË HUDSON | ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA WEST | DESIGN BY JAMI RUBIN

20 | travel

“IF YOU’RE IN DOUBT,

DON’T BUY IT.”

You may have negotiated the price of an elephant trinket at a floating Thai market like an expert, or sneakily broken a piece of coral off of the Great Barrier Reef for a unique souvenir.

Maybe a local explained the special healing powers of the rhino and you decided to purchase a piece of its horn.

But were you aware that you were perpetuating the world’s fifth most profitable illegal trade?

Not every product for sale is legal to bring home. In fact, incognizant travelers are at risk of facing unexpected fines and having their invaluable souvenirs confiscated at customs.

Although an individual can legally possess an animal product not protected by a national legislation, it is against the law to transport some of these products across international borders.

These regulations catch many travelers off-guard, as the average consumer has limited knowledge on the subject.

The global trading of illegal wildlife products—worth billions of dollars annually—is causing the current rate of species extinction to soar far higher than nature intended.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) found that populations of vertebrate species have declined by over 50 percent in the last 40 years. Wildlife crime is now the greatest threat to species of

elephants, rhinos and tigers. Thousands of animals are killed each year for their profitable parts, despite bans on the international trade of these products.

A recent study conducted by TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade-monitoring network, found that Boston had the fourth highest number of observed ivory products in the United States—188 items sold by 22 different vendors.

This contributes to the annual poaching of over 30,000 elephants worldwide.

In an effort to combat the epidemic, the U.S. recently revised its policies regarding elephant ivory in hopes that illegal trade within the U.S. will decline. The new regulations require a seller to provide buyers with the legality of the piece of ivory so tourists can more easily identify ethically sourced souvenirs.

China, considered a “wildlife trade hotspot,” is also making efforts to help end the unlawful ivory trade. The country has announced a ban on African ivory trade by the end of 2017. This could significantly help the remaining elephants, since 63 percent of ivory currently sold in China is illegal— despite the global ivory trade ban since 1989.

“An interesting challenge is how efficient the processes can be at stopping this illegal trade,” said Connor Mullen, a graduate student at the Boston University School of Law, and copresident of the BU Environmental and Energy Law Society. “Especially if a product is one that you can smuggle through customs easily. Ivory, for example, is highly regulated and carefully watched, but what about other products?”

Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), a federal law that protects endangered wildlife and plants, the term “wildlife” includes any part, product, egg, offspring, dead body or parts of the body of any member of the animal kingdom. Thus, the ESA protects the most popular illegal wildlife souvenirs: ivory; horns; sea turtles; furs and skins; corals and shells; medicinal ingredients; and caviar. Travelers should be cautious if considering the purchase of one of these types of products, especially if they are in a place where wildlife trade is particularly threatening. These locations include China, Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Mexico and the Caribbean.

“You can help save nature by asking basic questions and getting the facts before you buy something,” said Crawford Allan, the director of TRAFFIC North America. “The best piece of

advice I have for you is if you’re in doubt, don’t buy it.”

To help travelers make more conscious consumer decisions, WWF has composed a list of four critical questions an individual should be able to answer before they purchase a wildlife product regarding what the product is made of; where the product came from; whether the country you visited allows for the sale and export of the product; and whether or not you need documents or permits from that country in order to bring it home to the U.S. Not only does illegal wildlife trade directly harm the animals that it makes profitable products from, it also indirectly harms other species.

The process of hunting or poaching these endangered animals may result in the accidental killing of other species. Or an illegally imported species may be invasive or competitive with another country’s native species.

Moreover, the conservation of endangered wildlife is also critical for the direct protection of other dependent species. Coral reefs, for example, are home to 25 percent of all marine life—fish, turtles, sponges, algae and more. In fact, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest living thing on Earth. Many travelers purchase coral jewelry or home decor abroad, unaware that corals are living animals and that it takes decades for reef structures to grow.

The U.S. is the greatest overall consumer of coral organisms in the world, but only black coral from Hawaii is legal to harvest. Travelers should be cautious when purchasing red coral souvenirs overseas.

Rangers on the front lines actively help protect threatened species against poachers. But their commitment to doing so puts their own lives in danger. According to the Thin Green Line Foundation, 1,000 rangers were killed in the line of duty over the last 10 years. The illegal wildlife trade not only harms endangered animals, but also imperils the individuals who are devoted to saving them.

Ultimately, the consumer is just as much responsible for wildlife crime as the traders or poachers who respond to the demand for wildlife products.

Robbie Marsland, UK director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), puts it simply: “Tourists need to remember if they don’t buy, animals won’t die.”

the buzz | 21

22 | travel

beyond the sight of the london eye STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELIZA SULLIVAN | DESIGN BY ASLI AYBAR

S

tudying abroad is a quintessential aspect of the college experience—a compelling program that attracts droves of twenty-somethings to Europe every year to embark on adventures. London, with its wealth of programs and undeniable charm, is one of the most popular destinations.

Though it’s easy to begin dreaming of the different countries you will have the chance to visit while you’re abroad, exploring a different country every weekend isn’t always in the budget.

Even when it is, it’s important to get to know the country you are temporarily calling home. Here’s a compiled list of the greatest—and sometimes overlooked—local London destinations.

LESS THAN AN HOUR FROM LONDON

A BIT FARTHER

CAMBRIDGE: While a lot of Cambridge’s universities aren’t open to the public, wandering the winding streets or riding a punt down the River Cam offers beautiful views of the collegiate gothic architecture. Consider popping into Fitzbillies for tea and cakes after you get off the train at King’s Cross.

OXFORD: Cambridge’s competitive older brother, Oxford, is located a bit farther from London but offers its own unique experiences.

For Harry Potter fans, it’s home to the library used in the films; separate from its Hollywood history, the Bodleian Library is one of the largest and most iconic in the world.

WINDSOR: Just west of London sits Windsor Castle, a preferred residence of the Royal Family. The castle was originally built in the 11th Century, but centuries of updates have produced the structure we see today. Be sure to stop in at St. George’s Chapel, where many famous—and some infamous—royals are laid to rest.

DOVER: Dover is best known for its white cliffs; above these cliffs, however, its rich history has been unfolding since medieval times.

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON: As the birthplace of William Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon has taken unapologetic advantage of its legacy.

Visitors can tour Shakespeare’s homes and even his grave.

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24 | food

food

FARMTO-TABLE DINING AND THE RISE OF SUSTAINABLE EATING

BY KADY MATSUZAKI | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALLIE AHLGRIM | DESIGN BY GABRIELLE DIPIETRO

the buzz | 25

I

n the culinary world, green is the new black.

Because of its environmentally friendly connotation, farm-to-table has become an immensely popular buzzword; it promises sustainability, fresh flavors and high-quality ingredients. Chefs around the globe are creating entire menus around this concept. Their menus change seasonally, sometimes even weekly or daily, which challenges chefs to be creative.

The basic tenets of farm-to-table cooking include using locally sourced, environmentally friendly ingredients and humanely raised animals, as well as involving as many local vendors as possible. By fostering and maintaining connections with local farmers, as well as promoting their product on restaurant menus, chefs bring everyone involved in the industry closer together, while reducing their carbon footprints and food’s impact on the environment.

Green eating has many famous champions, but none more popular than Michelle Obama.

In 2009, Obama planted a 1,100-square foot organic vegetable garden on White House grounds. While Obama was a vocal proponent of sustainable food, the roots of the farm-to-table movement extend much farther back than her tenure in the White House.

In 1971, Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. It was the first restaurant of its kind in the United States, using only fresh produce from local farms. Influential eateries such as Herbfarm in Washington State and The Kitchen in Boulder, Colorado opened soon after, but it was not until the early 2000s that the movement began to gain traction in the culinary world.

Dan Barber opened revolutionary farm-totable restaurants Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York City in 2000. Through his activism and feature on the Netflix original docuseries Chef ’s Table in 2016, he placed farm-totable on the map as a major culinary movement.

Extensive media coverage such as this has created the expectation that a restaurant should now have some kind of connection with regional farmers and suppliers. While increased popularity of green eating is not necessarily bad, the integrity of the farm-to-table movement may have been compromised by its trendiness. Technically, for a restaurant to call itself sustainable or farm-totable, only a very select few ingredients have to be sourced locally and sustainably.

“There’s been some misuse as a marketing ploy, but the bottom line is if you make real connections with the farmers and you promote the work they do, it reflects in how your food tastes,” said Keith Garman, chef de cuisine at Alden & Harlow in Cambridge.

26 | food

A hallmark of farm-to-table cuisine is its simplicity. The idea is that the ingredients are so fresh and natural that they do not require extensive preparation in order to highlight their flavors. As Garman said, truly sustainable restaurants and ingredients speak for themselves in terms of taste and quality.

Farm-to-table chefs are combining a refined dining experience with food education. By showing customers the possibilities of a fresh beet, for example, beyond putting it in a salad, chefs like Garman hope to inspire people to take the experience of eating at a farm-to-table restaurant and put it in practice at home.

“Healthy, well-prepared food is a subtle way of teaching guests about the great things that are offered locally,” said Garman.

By playing up the natural flavors and textures of farm-fresh produce and meats, chefs are bridging the gap between finished plate and source, a distance that has been widening for the past several decades. A goal of the sustainable food movement is to close this gap, to remind consumers that farms still exist and to highlight that they are not simply a part of America’s agrarian past.

“There’s a Wendell Berry quote that goes, ‘eating is an agricultural act’ […],” said Sophia Hampton, a student at New York University and the mind behind the sustainable food Instagram account @farmtodorm. “It implies that food can’t be compartmentalized into stuff at a farm and stuff on a fork, but rather it’s all connected. This movement is getting people to think about the connections between their food choices and their environment.”

It may seem that a farm-to-table way of eating is inaccessible to the average college student. But this is not the case.

“Cooking for yourself is a rewarding way to make choices about where your food comes from,” said Hampton. “When you cook, you automatically become a more conscious eater because you’re responsible for everything that goes onto your plate.”

For BU students who live on campus, the weekly farmers market in front of George Sherman Union is the perfect opportunity to pick up fresh produce. There are also farmers markets in Copley Square, Allston and at the Boston Public Market. These run from the early summer to late fall, but that does not mean consumers have to give up sustainable produce in the off-season.

“Even if you don’t have a farmers market nearby where you can get ingredients, most grocery stores now sell organic or local produce,” said Hampton.

College students also have ample options to eat and drink sustainably off campus.

Restaurants such as Henrietta’s Table, which has been serving environmentally friendly cuisine for decades, and Alden & Harlow offer affordable small plates and drinks.

“When developing the concept of Henrietta’s, we wanted to grow this idea of getting the freshest, most responsibly grown product available,” said Peter Davis, head chef at Henrietta’s Table.

Therefore, at Henrietta’s, even alcohol is locally sourced. The drinks menu includes Cambridge Brewing Company seasonal beer and an extensive, entirely New England-produced martini list.

Copley Square also has several options, including its seasonal farmers market, national salad chain Sweetgreen and Dig Inn. “Dig Inn grew from the idea that good food should be available to everyone,” said Adam Eskin, Dig Inn’s CEO. “Our model aims to showcase incredible, seasonal produce, while

developing a business model that leaves the world a little better than we found it.”

Dig Inn and its counterparts prove that the sustainable food movement does not have to be restricted to white tablecloth restaurants.

Its farm-to-table-for-all ethos translates into affordable dishes heaped with locally grown produce and organic proteins.

It used to be the case that finding a genuine farm-to-table restaurant was the subject of extensive research. Now, a simple Google search will pull up a plethora of options for a variety of budgets and tastes. An increased demand for a greener option in the face of global warming and climate change appears to be the reason for a larger supply of farm-to-table restaurants.

“People are starting to get it, that we’re caretakers for the world,” said Steve Kurland, a partner and general manager at EVOO, a sustainable restaurant in Cambridge. “If you get a better product, you serve better tasting food […]

People believe that we’re doing the right thing.”

As the farm-to-table movement grows and gains momentum, environmentally conscious chefs are always looking to do more, to increase transparency between where food comes from and how it ends up on consumers’ plates.

“I think that in the future, the radius of how close the food is coming from is going to get smaller,” said Garman. “I wouldn’t be surprised to find more restaurants growing their own food. There will be more urban farming, with chefs adapting to the city while still getting the produce in the right way.”

It will no longer be unusual for chefs to have their own farms or rooftop gardens from which they source ingredients. Heightened awareness of where food comes from is becoming the heart of green eating. It will not be enough to know that the butter came from a farm 40 minutes outside of Boston; soon, more eateries will follow the standards of Menton in South Boston, which

informs customers of the name of the cow that produced the butter—in this case, Babette.

Food is ultimately a shared experience between the farmer, the chef and the consumer.

While it is helpful to eat sustainably, the community and college students in particular must also support and begin initiatives to increase sustainability in our food and agricultural systems.

“College students are integral to the movement towards sustainable cooking and eating—you’re at an educational milestone and required to think critically about the world around you,” Eskin said. “Good ideas and thoughtful actions should be cultivated, starting with a shared meal.”

Therefore, farm-to-table eating is simply a delicious call to action.

the buzz | 27

Boston: a food City?

Op-Ed: Why Boston Ought to be Recognized for Something Other Than its Clam Chowder

BY SARAH WU | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALLIE AHLGRIM | DESIGN BY MADELEINE ARCH

28 | food

B

oston, one of the most well-known historical cities, is more than just John Winthrop’s City Upon a Hill and the home of the Boston Tea Party. While places such as New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles have received significant press attention as food hubs in recent years, Boston has yet to be put in the spotlight.

Boston occasionally appears on some websites’ top 25 lists, yet these lists fail to explain what makes the city a force in the industry and brush it off as having good chowder, as if that is all this city is good for.

Boston strikes a balance between new and old. Visitors and Bostonians alike know of legends such as Union Oyster House and The Parker House Hotel—where the Boston cream pie was created—but only those who are lucky enough to call Boston home venture out to new spots in the Seaport District or Jamaica Plain.

Boston knows how to use its signature local ingredients, such as seafood, to create unique culinary experiences, while blending classics and new food.

Boston’s history does play into the city’s food fame—there’s a reason why it’s called Boston clam chowder. Yes, you will hear it called New England clam chowder in some places, but you know it’s because the chowder is so good, everyone else in New England wants to claim it as their own.

Admit out loud that you do not like lobster, and you will get a few glares. Seafood is a staple, bottom line. Make sure you wash it all down with a Sam Adams beer.

While New York’s population is over 8.4 million, Boston’s population falls at roughly 646,000: 13 times smaller. Despite this, Boston can say (if it could talk) that it has just about anything you could crave, just in a smaller areas accessible via the MBTA instead of the MTA. Allston has a large number of Korean restaurants; Latin American cuisine is particularly prevalent in East Boston.

The North End is dedicated to Italian cuisine and the Mike’s vs. Modern fight is legendary. A relaxed dinner conversation in the North End can quickly turn into a heated debate across the table when someone asks, “What’s for dessert?” even though we all know Mike’s is better.

Boston is also big on brunch—Aquitaine, Tatte, The Beehive and Deep Ellum are all famous for their quality food and atmospheres to match on a sleepy Sunday morning. The Beehive is famous because of its live jazz music throughout the day, and Tatte’s assortment of beautiful cakes, pastries and shakshuka is more than enough to keep you full until dinner.

Boston is also home to Joanne Chang, winner of the prestigious 2016 James Beard Award for Outstanding Baker. Chang’s Flour Bakery + Cafe boasts eight locations across Boston and Cambridge. She also opened Myers + Chang with her husband, Christopher Myers, in 2007.

Television host and owner of Blue Ginger, Ming Tsai, is also a legend in the area. Blue Ginger, located right outside the city, made Zagat’s “Best of the Best - Boston’s Most Popular” list.

Boston University has its very own

Gastronomy Master of Liberal Arts program, which was founded by Jacques Pépin and Julia Child, some of the most well-known names in the culinary industry.

Although Boston has plenty of stand-alone restaurants, you can easily find collaborative spaces throughout the city, such as the Boston Public Market, Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Eataly.

The Boston Public Market, located at the edge of the North End, is a year-round treasure.

There are nearly 40 vendors in the market on any given day; in the month of February, they held a “Root + Reboot Wellness Festival” in THE KITCHEN (a part of BPM) that featured guided meditation and a fitness Q&A, in addition to a sampling of seasonal cocktails.

Faneuil Hall is one of the most well-known places to eat and shop in Boston; both sides of the venue are lined with food stalls filled with salty, sweet and tasty creations. It draws crowds, both of locals and visitors, on the daily. It even has a Ghirardelli—yes, a San Franciscan and Californian import, but Boston is happy to acknowledge that other places have good food, too. Don’t worry, we have plenty of original restaurants to try.

In November 2016, Eataly opened in Boston, joining other locations such as those in Tokyo, Japan, Toscana, Italy and Istanbul, Turkey. Each of the several Eataly locations worldwide has a particular focus: the São Paulo outpost is dedicated to Italian immigrants; the one in Toscana is dedicated to the Renaissance.

What is unique about Boston’s location is that

it’s dedicated to seafood. There is an entire counter for fresh fish to take home, and Il Pesce, a seafood restaurant inside the venue, features local flavors. It also has a giant marketplace in the middle to buy fancy kitchen gadgets and the “essentials” like freshly made squid-ink pasta and a $105 cheese grater.

Clearly, Boston is not messing around.

When a 45,000 square-foot food hub is built smack in the middle of the huge Prudential Center to replace its original food court, you better bet they will be keeping the local cuisine in mind.

Boston could also be synonymous with the phrase “food truck success stories.” Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, Clover Food Labs, Mei Mei, Bon Me: the list goes on. These food establishments have had such profitable food trucks that they have opened brick-and-mortar restaurants for all of their hungry customers to stop by at any time. These and other businesses have continued to successfully run both their restaurants and trucks, allowing their loyal clientele to continue to enjoy eating in any environment they please—whether that be in a suit walking down Newbury Street, or in a Boston University sweatshirt on South Campus.

The mix of diversity, new and old age restaurants and opportunity for growth should put Boston on everyone’s food destination list. It has not made it there yet, but when it does, you heard it from The Buzz first.

the buzz | 29

BY RILEY SUGARMAN | ILLUSTRATIONS BY JILLIAN APATOW | DESIGN BY JAMI RUBIN

30 | food

your next morning meal, according to your school college of arts and sciences:

questrom school of business:

college of fine arts:

breakfast burrito

breakfast parfait

eggs benedict

The classic breakfast burrito tastes delicious with practically any ingredient, just as CAS students can pursue almost any major, graduate and gain a versatile degree.

Questrom students need a breakfast packed with energy to get them through management classes.

Yogurt parfaits have more than enough sugar and protein to keep these busy students focused.

Eggs Benedict is a classic American breakfast. CFA students would order a poached egg soaked in hollandaise sauce at Sunday brunch because they love capturing the drama of #yolkporn.

school of hospitality administration:

college of general studies:

college of engineering:

traditional croissant

stack of pancakes

banana

SHA students are known for their warm dispositions. Just as hospitality experts can make anyone feel at home, there’s something comforting about a fresh, flaky croissant; starting the morning with this Parisian pastry can brighten even the gloomiest day.

A stack of pancakes is the ultimate base for a creative breakfast because nearly any topping works.

CGS students start with a basic set of classes, but experiment until they find subjects––or toppings––that work for them.

college of communication:

sargent college:

school of education:

chicken & waffles

breakfast smoothie

cinnamon roll

Chicken and waffles may not seem like a good combination, but as many people know, it’s actually the perfect mix of sweet and salty.

“Both foods add different flavors to the plate, but they complement each other,” said Rhiannon Jeselonis (COM ’18). “COM students have a wide array of different interests but it makes for a very ‘delicious’ person.”

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and fruit smoothies contain enough fruits and veggies to please nutritionoriented Sargent students. “Sargent students are very health conscious, but they’re also very vibrant people,” said Ben Cerrato (SAR ’18, SPH ’19), “just like the smoothies they drink.”

SED students are arguably the nicest students on campus; they are the cinnamon rolls of BU because of their sweet personalities. “SED students are really upbeat and have a positive energy that puts anyone in a good mood, and cinnamon rolls can make anyone happy,” said Jenna Lanciani (SED ’19).

Students who spend their time in the hidden buildings on Cummington Mall—and soon in Comm. Ave.’s newest eye candy, the Center for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering—hardly have time for a seated breakfast. Grabbing some easy-to-eat yet nutritious brain food, like a banana, is perfect for these go-getters.

the buzz | 31

TAIRE MCCOBB (CFA ’19) TRANSGENDER MAN PRONOUNS: HE/HIM

32 | campus

campus

finding common ground a look into inclusivity and gender-neutral accommodations on campus

BY ARIANA QUIHUIZ | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALLIE AHLGRIM | DESIGN BY JAMI RUBIN Boston University often prides itself on being a university that promotes diversity and inclusivity of all students no matter race, gender or sexuality. Just walking around campus you can see the variety of people that attend BU and the ways in which we take a community of people who are very different and find common ground.

Despite the openness of the university to include students of all backgrounds, there is still the need to accommodate students with resources that make them feel safe to be who they are—whether that’s women, transgender, queer, non-binary or however a student may identify.

There’s a responsibility for not just the school as a whole, but also the faculty and the students to educate themselves and maintain an open mind.

“I think that we should create environments

that are safe and welcoming to all people regardless of background,” said Jamie Weinand (MED’17), who in recent years came out as a transgender man. “We are not prioritizing a certain group of people, rather we prioritize respect and safety as fundamental issues. It is unfortunate that certain communities may be discriminated against more than others, so then by default that may appear like certain groups need more services to reach the same mission of safety and respect for all.”

According to BU Today, BU took its first steps to increase inclusivity of students in 2013 when they introduced gender-neutral housing.

Gender-neutral housing allows students to have the choice to choose a roommate of the opposite sex. Although this option is a step in the right

the buzz | 33

“The act of centering myself in a society that refuses to center me is an inherently revolutionary act. I’m taking up space in a society that tells me not to, tells me to be small.” dev blair, cfa ’19 direction, gender-neutral housing is not open to freshmen and isn’t offered in Claflin, Rich or Sleeper Hall, Warren Towers, The Towers or Myles Annex. This option should be available for freshmen as it would provide a welcoming, comfortable environment when they first move on campus.

Most of the buildings on our campus are older, so they have traditional men and women restrooms. However, in 2015, a group of students in the Questrom School of Business started a project that advocated for the implementation of all-gender restrooms on the third floor of the college.

India Mazzarelli (Questrom ’17), one of the students who participated in the project, said that one of her group mates who was passionate about the issue suggested it as an idea for their project. At the outset, many of the group members, including Mazzarelli, didn’t understand the impact the project would have; changing the bathroom sign can seem simple, but it’s actually much deeper than that.

“I didn’t understand [the complexity] at first, but by the end of it, he [the student who proposed the project] explained that gender isn’t black and white; it’s a spectrum,” said Mazzarelli.

The addition of gender-neutral bathrooms is less about the changing of signs, but more about allowing people of all genders to feel that they are supported in struggles they may have with defining their gender identity.

Gender-neutral bathrooms should be implemented in every building and Mazzarelli believes that it’s the students who must take the

34 | campus

initiative and push for what they want. The fact that Questrom, a college that Mazzarelli notes as one of the more conservative schools on campus, converted restrooms to all-gender should be a precedent for other schools on campus and in the country to do the same.

“I think it had a bigger impact than you might think,” said Mazzarelli. “You don’t have to measure the impact for it to have an impact.”

Some students took initiative in another way by creating the student-run Center for Gender, Sexuality and Activism, formerly known as the Women’s Resource Center, which is located in the basement of George Sherman Union. According to Amber Petrig (CAS ’18), the Volunteer Coordinator at CGSA, the name was changed in an effort to be more inclusive and provide resources and a safe environment for more students than just women. The center provides a haven for marginalized groups, a place that they feel they can go and be themselves without judgement.

“I think it is important for BU to be inclusive of all students, and to make extra effort to ensure policies and communities are inclusive of students from marginalized groups, such as those in the LGBTQ community,” said Stacy Ulrich, the Director of the Office of Student Programs and Leadership and the faculty advisor for the Trans and Gender Variant Listening Circle. “The CGSA is one resource and community that provides a safer and welcoming space for LGBTQ students.”

The CGSA not only houses the Trans and

DEV BLAIR (CFA ’19) NON-BINARY FEMME PRONOUNS: THEY/THEM OR SHE/HER

the buzz | 35

JAMIE WEINAND (MED ’17) TRANSGENDER MAN PRONOUNS: HE/HIM

36 | campus

“It is unfortunate that certain communities may be discriminated against more than others, so then by default that may appear like certain groups need more services to reach the same mission of safety and respect for all.” jamie weinand, med ’17 Gender Variant Listening Circle, but also other student groups like Q, Feminist Collective, Students for Justice in Palestine and Alliance for Students With Disabilities.

When it comes to support, the experience varies. Some seek support in groups like the Trans and Variant Listening Circle, some get it from their peers and professors and others don’t feel like they have it at all. But, as a university, on both the main and medical campus, the faculty and students are working to make students feel welcome and accepted.

“I hope word gets out that BU Medical School is very accepting in respect to my own personal experience coming out as transgender,” said Weinand. “I had and have unwavering support from faculty and staff at all levels of administration and in all different departments.”

Support is key when trying to make students feel that they are included and should feel as though they have people to open up to.

But when you don’t hear or see something often it doesn’t resonate with you as much. These issues that marginalized groups face, especially within the LGBTQ community, need to be more directly addressed and the resources that they can utilize need to grow in accessibility and visibility.

“I would love to see a centralized digital resource (such as a webpage) for LGBTQ students, especially those who identify as trans or gender non-conforming,” said Ulrich. “This resource could advertise all of the gender-neutral bathrooms on campus, the processes for name changes at BU, how to access health services and how to best find housing accommodations that align with a student’s gender identity. It could also provide some education for faculty and staff about how to best support LGBTQ students.”

Educating ourselves about LGBTQ issues, racial issues, gender issues, etc. is significant because even if we feel that the issues don’t affect us personally, they do affect someone. By providing support and being knowledgeable about these issues, we create a safer environment for all students—not just some.

At a time when it is so easy to divide ourselves by the things that make us different, it’s a much better use of our time to embrace people from all walks of life and provide the support that everyone deserves as human beings. What we have done so far as a university for inclusivity is great, but there is always more to be done.

the buzz | 37

Speaking

Out

Students Express the Importance of Reporting Sexual Assault Cases

BY TONI-ANN MATTERA PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN BY MADELEINE ARCH

38 | campus

“One in five women and one in sixteen men are sexually assaulted while in college, and more than 90 percent of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report the assault,” according to the National Sexual Assault Resource Center.

90 percent does seem like a shocking statistic, but it is a reality.

“I think people don’t report assault because they are afraid of the consequences,” said Margaret Kemper (COM ’17). “I think woman often feel both victimized and isolated by reporting assault because of how cases have been handled in the past.”

Detective Lieutenant Peter DiDomenica of the Boston University Police Department explained that in his first four years here, the number of cases reported was low. But there has been a slight increase in the past two years.

“The increase is primarily due to awareness programs that the school provides,” said DiDomenica. “In the last two years we have had an average of eight serious rape cases per academic year.”

Those eight cases are part of the less-thanten-percent of cases reported. The low number of reported rape cases might be due to BU’s multi-step process that the BUPD and victim have to go through when a case is reported, according to DiDomenica.

There is an interview with the victim, as well as any witnesses, and the location is secured so that no one can contaminate any evidence.

Any evidence is sent into a lab for testing, and the victim is encouraged to be examined at a hospital by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.

Videotapes and swipe records are reviewed, and if a suspect is found they will be interviewed and arrested if there is enough evidence to prove him or her as guilty.

“The process could take several days to several months depending on difficulty in obtaining evidence,” said DiDomenica. “And if the assault did not happen on campus we will help the victim make contact with the Boston Police Department.”

Many students can vouch for the difficult process, or in some instances that their case was shut down after reporting it.

“I have close friends that have faced sexual assault at BU and after confronting the school, the President and Dean of Students dismissed their cases for not having enough evidence, despite rape kits and witness testimony,” said Kemper.

In two cases reported in 2014, two College of Fine Arts students reported they were sexually assaulted by a professor, CFA’s Eric Ruske, and felt that the process they went through was “frustrating and incredibly difficult.”

“I was sexually harassed by Eric Ruske in December 2013,” said Maria Currie (New England Conservatory ’16). “Ruske coached

“Sexual assault changes lives and I’m just lucky that I made it through to the other side.

Not everyone does.” my chamber music ensemble that semester and sat on the panel for my end-of-semester jury, a performance-based evaluation.”

Currie viewed Ruske as a mentor, and reached out to get his feedback on her jury. The two exchanged phone numbers and planned to meet in Ruske’s CFA office.

“During our meeting, Ruske told me that listening to my playing made him feel like, ‘I’m having sex with you, and you’re very beautiful, but you’re just lying there, you’re not doing anything.’ Shocked, I knew I needed to get out of his office, so I thanked him for his time and left,” said Currie. “Ruske continued to text me that afternoon, saying that he hoped Santa brought me ‘nice high heels’ and asking me for ‘pix.’” Currie attempted to make the conversation professional, but with no luck decided to stop responding to the messages.

The other victim, Erin Shyr (CAS/CFA ’17), shares a similar story, as she was responsible for coordinating rehearsals with Ruske. The initial exchange was purely class related, but quickly turned inappropriate.

“In his emails, he requested pictures and wrote, ‘you are amazing and do have something truly unique. Please don’t be offended by my honesty...as I think you already know, I am rather blunt,’” said Shyr, after she repeatedly tried to reinforce a professional boundary.

Both students felt unprotected by Boston University when they spoke out.

“I never felt supported by BU,” said Currie. She had reported Ruske’s harassment to several administrators, including Sarah Bellott, CFA’s student affairs liaison, but Bellot, whom Currie said was “visibly uncomfortable when I showed her Ruske’s texts,” never provided any assistance other than to say she should have asked him to stop.

Currie decided to speak with a more senior administrator and was eventually contacted

by Patricia Mitro, who’s responsible for CFA’s Title IX compliance. Currie met with Mitro and Eleanor Druckman, from BU’s Equal

Opportunity Office, where Mitro took notes as Currie described Ruske’s harassment. Mitro responded by saying that “Ruske, a married man with children, might ‘not understand that his actions were inappropriate’ due to his ‘vibrant personality.’” When pressed about disciplinary actions against Ruske they said “his right to privacy prevented them from disclosing BU’s disciplinary actions, an assertion that contradicts BU’s own guidelines on investigating allegations of sexual harassment.” Currie received no follow up information.

“Though it was clear that Ruske had harassed me multiple times, BU still allowed him to grade me as an instructor. I was speechless,” said Currie.

When Currie contacted Mitro about Ruske still being able to grade her, Mitro shockingly said, “Don’t you want an A? In my experience, faculty tends to overcompensate to show that they’re not retaliating in any way.”

“I didn’t want an A,” Currie said. “What I wanted was a fair grade from a professor who didn’t make sexual advances towards me.”

Boston University encourages students to speak up about sexual assault. However, when the 10 percent of students decide to come forward, it is rare that the university takes action against the aggressor. Sexual assault affects many people, yet it doesn’t seem to be taken as seriously as it should be.

“Here’s what sexual assault did to me: It took away my sense of adventure and freedom,” said a BU student who requested anonymity.

“It made me fear men smiling at me, even in a completely non-sexual way. I feared leaving the house. I feared becoming intimate with someone again. It made me bitter and sad. It made me depressed. Sexual assault changes lives and I’m just lucky that I made it through to the other side. Not everyone does. It made me turn to vices such as food and alcohol. It made me gain 20 pounds. It took away my sense of self. We need to change this for our future generations.”

the buzz | 39

mind THE GAP YEAR

BY MARIANNE FARRELL PHOTOGRAPHY BY DENI YACOOBIAN DESIGN BY DEANNA KLIMA-RAJCHEL As the college application process rolls around, there will be some high school seniors who have had a clear understanding of their goals for their entire lives. However, for some students around the globe, adulthood and the prospect of the future looms over their heads ominously.

“I, personally, would have felt very anxious about taking a gap year,” said Hannah Harn (COM ’20). “Growing up I was always encouraged to go straight to college.”

Many people believe gap years are for “lazy” students, and are an excuse to travel and run away from responsibilities for an entire year.

“I think people associate gap years with people who were left behind,” said Vivaan Bhalla (COM ’20), who took a gap year. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I worked with my dad, interned in an ad agency, volunteered for some NGO work and I taught underprivileged kids English.”

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Meanwhile, Ava Morrison (COM ’20) took a gap year in order to work and save money to attend BU. “I worked at ShopRite as a cashier, I tutored middle and elementary students in math and then I worked as a studio assistant for my friend’s mom.” Neither of these students slacked off on their responsibilities during their time off, and both of them said that the entire experience only helped them become better people.

“I took mine out of necessity, but during it I felt that it would be good for anyone,” said Morrison. “For me I had a year to figure stuff out and I feel like I matured a lot. I feel like I earned it more.”

Perhaps if more people knew about the real benefits that gap years could give college students, like preparing them for the hectic college lifestyle, then maybe such a harsh stigma would not be attached to the idea.

the beat of boston university 89.3 FM | 640 AM | BU CHANNEL 6 | WTBURADIO.ORG

the buzz | 41

art fashion exploring the love affair between two creative industries

STORY & STYLING BY JULIA SEELIG PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK DELIETO CREATIVE DIRECTION BY JAMI RUBIN ART DIRECTION BY SAMANTHA WEST

hat exactly is the difference between art and fashion? Maybe it is that fashion is the product of design and artistic vision. Or perhaps the definitions are more vague and more intertwined than we let on.

For years, people have pondered the relationship between the two as they have become increasingly interconnected. Their fusion over time has not only blurred the lines between what we consider art and what we consider fashion, but has also given the two industries and their leaders more creative flexibility.

In fact, We Heart magazine asked, “What is fashion if not wearable art?” in its article “Blurred Lines,” which discusses the history and evolution of the growing love affair and crossovers between the two fields.

While the undeniable connection between the two is not easily understood, there is a global consensus that art and fashion are both universal paragons of culture. Products of these industries are constantly at the forefront of cultural movements and are created and employed to make both social and political statements.

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In addition to making such statements, the appeal of art and fashion also lies in their unique and expressive nature; they are essential means of self-expression and individuality in our increasingly globalized world.

Although fashionistas are constantly trying to keep up with the latest trends, and aspiring artists may draw inspiration from their favorite pieces, both artistic forms allow people to find and express their individuality.

People are able to extend themselves and their thoughts through their style and through their art.

Art and fashion are omnipresent in their various forms and interpretations throughout the world. And perhaps that is what makes them so unique and difficult to define––how can you define something so personalized and varied in its presentation?

“To me, things are really plural in both art and fashion right now,” said aspiring artist and fashion fanatic Nic Etue (CFA ’18). “In both industries, you have people with entirely different stylistic goals operating at the forefront. What’s most interesting to me about art and fashion today is how much wiggle room we now have for what can be considered high art and high fashion.”

fashion

ON ELINA: STEVEN ALAN, COVE TOP IN BLUE JEAN, $198; STEVEN ALAN, MONROE PANT IN BLUE JEAN, $225; WHITE PLATFORM SNEAKERS, STYLIST’S OWN; GOLD EAR CUFF, STYLIST’S OWN PETER COHEN, STUDIO 314

the buzz | 43

ON CASEY: STEVEN ALAN, TOUR COAT IN PAPRIKA, $425; BLACK TURTLENECK, STYLIST’S OWN; GOLD EAR CUFF, STYLIST’S OWN

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Deconstructing the long-standing and deep-rooted relationship between art and fashion may help clarify their symbiotic relationship, which is becoming more obvious as runway shows are dominated by artistic influence and contemporary art movements are often motivated by fashion.

Some of the most overt examples of the industries’ proximity are the rising Miami Design District and Wynwood Walls. These two up-andcoming districts are the epitome of fashionable art and artistic fashion.

“These two districts blur the lines between art and fashion,” said Miami resident Sofia Pedroso (CAS ’18). “Dior, Celine and Prada’s storefronts are a work of art in themselves––impeccably crafted.”

With the Miami Design District established a little more than 15 years ago by Miami native Craig Robins, and the Wynwood walls conceived in 2009 by community revitalizer Tony Goldman, the two districts have become hot spots for tourists and residents alike.

“These stores are not only bringing in some of the most fashionable people in the world, but also groups of wealthy art collectors in the area,” said Pedroso.

Filled with stores and galleries, both districts represent the merge of art and fashion in their own ways. Their respective founders purposefully composed each area to show a unique combination of the two industries and how they compliment one another.

For instance, according to the Miami Design District website, Robins envisioned the district as a mixture of fashion and art that would “juxtapose design brands with internationally important art collections, phenomenal temporary and permanent art and design installations.”

In these districts, art and fashion have ultimately become one in the same. Fashionistas dress their best to take pictures for Instagram in front of the famous walls in Wynwood, while art collectors browse the high-end collections between Fendi and Dior in the Design District.

The two developments could not be more different, yet they both symbolize the influence that art and fashion continue to have on each other.

At Wynwood, renowned street art surrounds vintage and hipster clothing stores. Meanwhile, a stroll through the Design District means it’s time to channel your inner Anna Wintour and Francois Pinault––if only Karl Lagerfeld designed for free.

The impact of art on fashion, however, goes past the astonishing storefronts and impeccable window displays—it can be seen on the clothing itself. Fashion houses such as Dior and Fendi are well known for their histories of incorporating relevant art influences into their designs.

In fact, Christian Dior owned an art gallery before becoming a fashion

designer and kept a close friendship with renowned surrealist painter Salvador Dalí. Hence, it is not surprising that the Dior fashion house continues to generate lines inspired by art trends.

Fashion followers saw a lot of this influence in Dior’s Winter 2016 menswear collection (painted bombers, jeans, backpacks and shoes), as well as in the 2016 pop-up show that featured “a 10-piece line of limited-edition Lady Dior Art handbags and small accessories reimagined with orchid photo prints and petal textures by British artist Marc Quinn,” said Ingrid Schmidt of the Los AngelesTimes.

Additionally, Dior debuted a feminist statement t-shirt at the Spring 2017 shows reading, “WE SHOULD ALL BE FEMINISTS.” This piece carried over into the Pre-Fall 2017 collection as well and embodies the underlying force that art and fashion both share in pushing the boundaries for social and political change.

This message from Dior’s collection resonated with Boston University student Biz White (CFA ’19), who sees fashion as the perfect medium for generating female empowerment.

“A lot of fashion is feminist art,” said White. “It’s considered a woman’s medium, but it has become its own form.”

Karl Lagerfeld also shows a profound appreciation for art in his creative design for the Italian fashion house, Fendi. Full of abstract patterns and colorful graphics, Fendi’s Spring 2017 and Pre-Fall 2017 collections both embody a blend of art and fashion, pulling from the works of contemporary, abstract artists.

“A hundred years ago, each industry had their own aesthetics they were after, and their successes were determined on how well they tapped into those aesthetics,” said Etue. “The current trends in art and fashion right now are short circuiting a historic system that both perpetuated elitism and narrowed the possibilities for what could be done creatively in both industries.”

Tracking the evolution of art and fashion reveals a major shift in both audience and purpose. Originally, these mediums were restricted to pleasing the upper class. They were not created for the public eye. Today, however, these industries revolve around appealing to the public, giving the designers and artists a sense of creative freedom.

“Things are a lot more interesting and fun now because you can’t categorize or organize them into any traditional box,” said Etue. “Everyone’s working towards their own ideals instead of towards an invented cultural one. People and their interests are diverse, I think the model we are currently in is a lot more inclusive and respective of that idea. Overall, it’s just really great.”

the buzz | 45

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ON OLIVIA: LF, THERMAL VINTAGE TEE IN IVORY, $96; LF, KNIT UNDERTOP IN WHITE, $64; LAVENDER BRALETTE, STYLIST’S OWN; FLORAL EMBROIDERED JEANS, STYLIST’S OWN STUDIO 314

ON ADAM: STEVEN ALAN, JASPER SHIRT IN THIS EXTRA BLEACH, $198; STEVEN ALAN, LIGHT SEAMLESS SWEATER IN PINK, $225; GLASSES, MODEL’S OWN PAUL PEDULLA, STUDIO 314

the buzz | 47

ON OLIVIA: LF, THERMAL VINTAGE TEE IN IVORY, $96; LF, KNIT UNDERTOP IN WHITE, $64; LAVENDER BRALETTE, STYLIST’S OWN ELLEN ROLLI, STUDIO 228

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ON JAMESON: STEVEN ALAN, AERIEL BOMBER JACKET IN STONE KHAKI, $325; STEVEN ALAN, LIGHT SEAMLESS SWEATER IN GREY, $225; STEVEN ALAN, HORIZON SHIRT IN INK GREY TIE DYE, $188; STEVEN ALAN, WAVE PANT IN GRAPHITE OD, $198; STEVEN ALAN, STORM CAP IN DARK FATIGUE, $58 M FINE ARTS GALERIE

the buzz | 49

ON CASEY: STEVEN ALAN, TOUR COAT IN PAPRIKA, $425; STEVEN ALAN, MAPS JUMPSUIT IN INDIGO KNIT, $248; BLACK TURTLENECK, STYLIST’S OWN; BLACK BOOTIES, MODEL’S OWN PETER COHEN, STUDIO 314

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the buzz | 51

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ON ELINA: GOLD EAR CUFF, STYLIST’S OWN ELLEN ROLLI, STUDIO 228

ON ADAM: STEVEN ALAN, UNIVERSAL CREWNECK SWEATSHIRT IN MELON, $178; STEVEN ALAN, SHORT SLEEVE JASPER SHIRT IN PINK PURPLE TIE DYE, $178; STEVEN ALAN, MEN’S BYRD GLASSES IN BRUSHED DARK GUNMETAL, $225 ON CASEY: LF, VINTAGE TEE, $132; LF, KNIT UNDERTOP TANK IN WHITE, $54; LF, CRESSIDA JEANS BY CARMAR IN EPTE WASH, $248

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ON ELINA: STEVEN ALAN, COVE TOP IN BLUE JEAN, $198; STEVEN ALAN, MONROE PANT IN BLUE JEAN, $225 M FINE ARTS GALERIE

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ON JAMESON: STEVEN ALAN, AERIEL BOMBER JACKET IN STONE KHAKI, $325; STEVEN ALAN, LIGHT SEAMLESS SWEATER IN GREY, $225; STEVEN ALAN, HORIZON SHIRT IN INK GREY TIE DYE, $188; STEVEN ALAN, WAVE PANT IN GRAPHITE OD, $198; STEVEN ALAN, STORM CAP IN DARK FATIGUE, $58; SHOES, MODEL’S OWN STUDIO 314

the buzz | 55

ON ADAM: STEVEN ALAN, JASPER SHIRT IN THIS EXTRA BLEACH, $198; STEVEN ALAN, LIGHT SEAMLESS SWEATER IN PINK, $225; STEVEN ALAN, SLIM STRAIGHT JEAN IN THIS LIGHT BLEACH, $185 ON OLIVIA: STEVEN ALAN, COVE TOP IN RUSTIC RED, $198; STEVEN ALAN, MONROE PANT IN RUSTIC RED, $225 PAUL PEDULLA, STUDIO 314

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the buzz | 57

FOR THE

LONG HAUL A GUIDE TO DRESSING SUSTAINABLY

BY JAZMYNE JACKSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY NOUR ABDUL HADI HARB NASSER DESIGN BY IVAN ALEKASANDROV

I

t’s typical for the average American fashionista to have a closet full of rarely worn clothing––sometimes never worn. We pick our favorite items, wear them over and over again and shove our other options into dark closet corners.

Americans are purchasing more clothes than ever before––and at alarming rates.

Whether it’s because we desire to “Keep up with the Joneses” or simply because we like stuff, it is important to recognize the environmental consequences of this habit.

The Council for Textile Recycling reports that Americans recycle or donate only 15 percent of their used clothes. That means the remaining 85 percent end up in landfills. In fact, 10.5 million tons of clothes end up in landfills annually. Once a landfill is at maximum capacity, a new one is created, causing a continuous buildup of trash, air pollution and ground-water pollution. Although clothing is not the only thing we are adding to landfills, it is a portion of the waste we have control over.

If it isn’t the environmental impacts of overconsumption that draw your concern, let it be the working conditions of factory workers for fast-fashion brands. Brands such as Forever

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21 and GAP hire low-wage workers in poorer countries to create their lines. The documentary The True Cost highlights the problem of an industry where new styles and trends are produced weekly rather than seasonally.

Many of the employees making the clothes work arduous hours in poor conditions and make less than $5 a day. These are the working conditions of textile factory employees in Bangladesh, a leading clothing exporter to the United States. In 2012, there was a fire in a sweatshop in Bangladesh, killing over 100 people. In 2013, a different sweatshop in Bangladesh collapsed––though workers had complained about cracks in the walls.

Workers in such conditions produce clothing found in many American retail stores. And because these clothes are so cheap to make, they are cheap to sell. For instance, Forever 21 can sell clothes at an $11 price point because the clothing itself is produced for significantly less money.

This fast-fashion tactic amplifies the issue of overconsumption because of these affordable price points. After all, good shoppers always look for the best deals. It’s easy to buy an excess of clothes that are well-priced––people do it often.

Then, when those clothes rip or go out of style in

a month or two, the consumers are left to decide what to do with them.

“Overconsumption of clothing is a huge drain on the environment, as there is a heavy process and a lot of poor laborers that rely on pennies a day to make our clothes,” said Sanjin Ibrahimovic, activist and member of The People’s Lobby. “If we can cut down how much we are contributing that exploitative process, it is beneficial.”

However, the well-known companies to which we donate our clothes are not always ethical. The Salvation Army has a history of discriminatory behavior towards the LGBTQ+ community. The organization uses its religious founding as a basis for its prejudice. Goodwill is not biased, but the organization sells the clothing they receive. That means they are making 100 percent profit off of the selfless donations of their clients. This could also mean participants are funding the CEO’s $850,000 per year salary.

“The most ethical way to get rid of clothes, in my opinion, is to not have to,” said Ibrahimovic. However, Ibrahimovic understands that it is nearly impossible to not get rid of any clothes, so he suggested alternatives. Together, we came up with a researched list of effective clothing disposal.

LEARN TO SEW & REPAIR:

Our first instinct can be to toss a shirt or jeans when they rip. Instead, try to sew ripped clothing to make it usable again. This simple fix at least delays the process of clothing ending up in landfills.

GIVE CLOTHES HAND-MEDOWN STYLE:

For instance, give clothes to friends who want them before you turn to donating them.

This is mutually beneficial. If the clothes are beyond repair, try composting clothes before tossing them (if applicable). Composting in general is good for the environment. Some clothes, like socks and undergarments, are compostable, so check the facts and get composting!

DIY PROJECTS:

DIY projects are a great way to reuse and personalize clothing. Whether it is using old jeans to make throw pillows or cutting up various clothes to make new ones, the pieces that come out of these projects will be cute, customized and environmentally friendly!

Also, sewing patches, studs and other crafting supplies onto your old clothing is the perfect fix for anything you might otherwise have thrown out.

MAKE PACKS FOR HOMELESS:

Putting together packs with clothes and toiletries to personally deliver to homeless people is an incredibly rewarding way to discard clothing. You know they will use and appreciate anything you give them.

A corporation’s goal is to make a profit.

Corporations need money to stay in business.

Therefore, they are not the best-suited institutions to receive donations. If you must donate, for whatever reason, consider donating to a homeless shelter. Homeless shelters are accountable to their residents, not profits.

Overconsumption is not just the product of the consumer, but the supplier as well. However, especially in the world of fashion, producers only make what people are buying. It is important to recognize how your actions as a consumer impact the environment.

“I think it is both supply and demand,” said Ibrahimovic. “We need to hold ourselves accountable for the damage we do, and if we can’t buy a set of quality clothes, to delay the purchase of new clothes until we can, instead of giving into instant gratification. It is also our responsibility to hold corporations accountable for their actions, because they definitely won’t hold themselves accountable if given the choice.”

The best way to avoid having to get rid of clothes is to not buy more than you need. While it is challenging, because of the environmental damage your choices can create, it is important to try to minimize overconsumption in any way possible.

the buzz | 59

How One Student Gives Her Clothing Personality

BY SONIA KULKARNI | PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN BY SAMANTHA WEST Comm. Ave. is the perfect street to walk down if you want to get a grasp on Boston University students’ style. On campus, it is nearly impossible not to notice the students who express themselves through unique fashion.

Several students have taken their personal styles one step further by completely customizing their clothing. Students have added patches to their jackets or studs to their shoes––anything and everything to enhance their looks and make their clothes speak more to who they are.

Boston University sophomore Tallulah Kay’s (CAS ’19) style has always been one to stand out. From her newly dyed blonde hair to

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her light-up shoes with glow-in-the-dark laces, she has always strived be different. She finds that customizing her mother’s old clothes and thrifted shirts is the best way to express herself through fashion in a unique and affordable way.

“I love thrift shopping because it allows me to get things I could never otherwise justify buying,” Kay said.

Kay’s wardrobe is full of mismatched t-shirts and vintage finds that give off a slight ’90s edge––her go-to look. For instance, when she saw her mother’s olive green floor-length dress, she knew it was a needed addition to her wardrobe.

“I saw the dress and I thought it was really cool, and it matched my style,” she said. “Every time I wore it the ends would fray, so I continued cutting it ’till it became a t-shirt dress. It’s cool, because I now have items of clothing that no one else has. It’s also very comfortable during the warmer months.”

While it may only be a patch here or a stud there, the small details make all the difference.

Kay’s customizations redefine her clothing, giving them personality and showing a side of her that popular retailers have yet to grasp. Her inspiration is herself and that effortlessly shines through her wardrobe.

join THE BUZZ IS HIRING FOR FALL 2017! WE ARE LOOKING FOR DEDICATED AND EXPERIENCED STUDENTS TO JOIN OUR EDITORIAL, PHOTOGRAPHY, CREATIVE AND PUBLISHING TEAMS. EMAIL THE.BU.BUZZ@GMAIL.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE VARIETY OF AVAILABLE POSITIONS.

@thebubuzz thebubuzz.com the buzz | 61

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city

the legalization of weed in massachussetts and its effect on boston university students

BY MARIANNE FARRELL PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGELA WANG AND ANONYMOUS DESIGN BY IVAN ALEKSANDROV

the buzz | 63

n

ovember 8, 2016 was a historic day for the people of the United States of America. The biggest news was the political upset of Donald Trump being elected into the nation’s highest office. This election caused such uproar on a global spectrum that some people forgot that elections are more than just electing a new president. Local and state matters are taken into account as well, and one state matter that gripped Massachusetts was the legalization of marijuana.

The legalization struck a chord for many, but for others it offered a new hope for the future economy and happiness of the people in Boston. A great deal of students still do not fully understand what their future looks like with this new law and how it will affect them. Some are questioning the legitimacy of the law because the sale of marijuana in Massachusetts stores has been pushed to 2018.

Additionally, The New York Times specifies that people will only now be able to get licenses for cannabis clubs starting January 1, 2018.

Stephen S. Epstein, a lawyer from Georgetown, Mass. who has taken a particular interest in the sale of cannabis, said that the date has been pushed back even further, to July 1, 2018. It took Colorado around a year to fully adapt to the change in the system, but this delay in sales seems unnecessary.

The bill for the legalization of marijuana went live on December 15, and Massachusetts

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will instill a series of strict guidelines to regulate the drug. According to The Boston Globe, people over the age of 21 in Massachusetts will only be able to grow up to six mature plants per household. Adults will be able to possess roughly one ounce of marijuana outside and up to 10 ounces inside their place of residence. Marijuana can also be “gifted” to other people.

The new law does more than just assuage the anxieties of recreational smokers. By adding this billion-dollar industry to the economy of Massachusetts, Boston could receive similar benefits that Colorado felt in 2012. According to the Los Angeles Times, in 2015 pot retailers brought in $996 million in sales and over $135 million in taxes alone.

For Boston University students, it is important to understand impending policies concerning marijuana use at school. With any new development in recreational drug use comes a new set of rules.

Captain Robert Molloy of the Boston University Police Department explained that despite the legalization of marijuana in November, the policies at BU have not changed.

“Marijuana is not allowed on campus,” he said.

“It is not allowed for people to possess it. It is not allowed for people to smoke it.”

Despite its decriminalization, the usage and possession of weed is strictly prohibited on campus at all times. Captain Molloy pointed out that even “marijuana derivatives” are not allowed on campus, and students under the age of 21 will receive a citation if caught with it; students over 21 will be written up.

At freshman orientation, the orientation speakers and leaders make sure to scare students as much as possible. They claim that the odor can cause the BUPD to come and investigate, which Captain Molloy confirmed. While Molloy made sure to emphasize that marijuana is strictly prohibited on campus, he could not provide an exact reason for the suspicious pushback of the selling of marijuana. “I don’t think that the Commonwealth was prepared to have these businesses lined up,” said Molloy.

“It’s a lot for the city of Boston to grapple with.

They don’t want it near schools; they want to make sure it’s regulated properly; they want to make sure the hours are correct; there needs to be enough security. There’s so much to it that they needed another six months.”

BU students wanted a better reason. “It’s fishy because of the way it was passed,” said Jamal Fairbanks (CFA ’18). “The delay happened in secret, which outraged people.” Fairbanks strongly believed that the entire marijuana industry could greatly aid Massachusetts and the city of Boston. He explained that the multi-billion dollar industry would extend beyond just benefitting people smoking the drug. “You have countless individuals who get their scholarships revoked or get criminal records, have their lives ruined, because of pot,” said Fairbanks.

Still, many people are concerned with the effects of marijuana on students and adults around the country, no matter how positive the impacts of legalization. “It is an intoxicating

substance that should be approached carefully with full knowledge about its characteristics,” said Jim Borghesani, the communications director for the Tax and Regulate Massachusetts Campaign.

“The fear is really rooted in the reefer madness hysteria of the last hundred years.”

Borghesani expressed a similar opinion to Fairbanks’ when asked about the real reason behind the delay of the sale of marijuana. “Massachusetts is under the mistaken impression that the sales couldn’t begin until then without some form of legislative action,” said Borghesani. “They were wrong to think that. The legislature was given no role in our initiative and the market could have moved forward without any legislative action.”

Epstein also believed that there has been some miscommunication within the legislative department of Massachusetts. “As to why, I would only be speculating as to the motive of the 200 members of the 189th legislature,” said Epstein. “Some undoubtedly are looking for the opportunity to undermine the will of the people.”

For current BU students, the delay is not as dramatic as Epstein and Borghesani believe it to be. These students, rather, continue to question the safety of marijuana despite the legalization. “A lot of people over-dramatize the drug, but some people don’t think there are any repercussions,” said Matthew Katz (COM ’20).

“There are some, but I don’t think there are enough for it to be totally illegal.”

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration classifies marijuana as a

Schedule 1 drug, alongside heroin. This category encompasses “substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

Legalization lowers the amount of arrests for posessing the “Schedule 1 drug.”

“It needs to be more regulated, just like alcohol,” said Malloy.

Massachusetts is attempting to add some regulations about marijuana similar to regulations on alcohol. The Boston Globe pointed out that while driving with a blood alcohol level under 0.08 is legal, driving under the influence of any marijuana is highly illegal. Fairbanks stood by the belief that regulations should not just

extend to marijuana. “If you say marijuana is a gateway drug,” he said, “then you need to say the same for alcohol and opioids.”

There are still levels of uncertainty pertaining to the drug and policy implementation. While the legalization has numerous positive benefits, many students and adults are still unsure, and even wary, of the drug. The delay of the sale of marijuana has many questioning Massachusetts’s motives and reasoning, with some people calling out the Massachusetts legislature. For now, it is important that BU students stay aware of the status of the legalization, even though it does not seem like much will change for the majority of undergraduates.

“a lot of people overdramatize the drug, but some people don’t think there are any repercussions.” the buzz | 65

BOSTOn Goes global THE PROJECT THAT WILL LEAD BOSTON INTO THE FUTURE

BY DANNY MCCARTHY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ASHLEY GRIFFIN | DESIGN BY LUDI WANG

In 1965, Boston City Hall drafted a new city plan that was fully released in 1967. It was largely the work of Mayor John F. Collins, who was in office from 1960-68. He became mayor of a city in fiscal crisis, with property taxes in Boston almost double that of New York and Chicago. Mayor Collins emphasized urban planning and his administration oversaw the construction of the Prudential Center complex and Government Center.

Half a century later, Mayor Martin J. Walsh is introducing the first city plan since Mayor Collins’ time in office.

Beginning the project under a campaign called “Imagine Boston 2030,” Mayor Walsh and his team started in 2015. They interviewed 12,000 residents and posed 5,000 questions to understand what priorities Bostonians had and what they wanted to see implemented in their city by 2030—Boston’s 400th birthday. The final plan will be solidified and adopted by Summer 2017.

In addition to the auspicious fact that it’s been 50 years since a city plan has been released, Boston is pivoting itself towards the future for another reason: a grasp at global. According to a May 2016 Boston.com article, Boston ranked third “for the Global Cities Outlook study” and was “part of the Global Cities 2016 report.” This means that the report and study place Boston as one of the cities poised to become a global city.

According to Saskia Sassen, a professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago, who wrote the book The Global City: Introducing a Concept, a global city produces significant contributions that affect the globalized economy.

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James C. O’Connell, Ph.D., is a Community Planner at the Boston Office of the Northeast Region of the National Park Service and an adjunct professor in the City Planning and Urban Affairs department at the Boston University Metropolitan College.

Dr. O’Connell argued that, in many respects, Boston could already be considered a global city.

“Boston is the biotech capital of the world,” he said. As an education hub, “Boston is one of the great places in America bringing in foreign students,” investors and inventors. Global cities play into the global economy. Boston contributes to that global economy through its students and investors.

According to the opening pages of the new city plan, “Boston is uniquely positioned to guide growth and shape a thriving city for the next generation.” In his introduction, Mayor Walsh reaffirmed the “right now” momentum of a new plan.

“Boston is at a unique point in our history,” he wrote. “Our population is growing and becoming more diverse. Our economy is robust and dynamic.

We are rapidly changing the ways in which we interact with the city, and people, around us.”

Boston is already a hub of education.

According to the 2015 Boston Redevelopment Authority, the city is home to over 30 colleges and universities with an average of 137,000 students at these institutions. As a nexus of education and technology, Boston has an advantage towards achieving global city status.

The effort to increase Boston’s appeal and elevate it to levels similar to New York and San

Francisco started on a micro-level. Government Center, after undergoing a major revamp, is now the site of “Boston Seasons.” The year-round initiative aimed to revitalize the City Hall plaza by turning it into a multipurpose venue. The first stage was Boston “Winter,” an ice-skating rink cum winter wonderland marketplace, similar to New York City’s Bryant Park “Winter Village.”

The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy utilized its 15 acres of greenspace strung throughout the city for art expositions. In 2016, it hosted Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s bronze sculpture set “Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads.”

In 2017, the Conservancy introduced Chicagobased artist Matthew Hoffman’s artwork “MAY THIS NEVER END” and New American Public Art’s interactive “Color Commons” installation.

All art was designed and chosen to increase the interaction between the city and its residents.

The plan identified areas for development.

Some spots, like Sullivan Square and the Beacon Yards in Allston, are places with little “significant historical development,” according to O’Connell.

That method avoids impacting historical integrity, which is heavier in places like the South End, a designated Landmark District.

A large part of Walsh’s plan includes affordable housing. According to the first draft of the new city plan, Boston’s projected population by 2030 could be as high as 724,000. The current population hovers around 656,000 with an increase of 6 percent between 2010 and 2014.

As a part of the plan, and in conjunction with the Department of Neighborhood Development, Walsh intends to add 53,000 units of new

housing by 2030 to combat rising housing prices.

Those 53,000 units also support residents to be “economically dynamic” because they increase the amount of people able to live in, and therefore contribute to, Boston, according to O’Connell. The plan gets specific in its housing breakdowns: 44,000 units for the workforce; 5,000 units for senior citizens; and 4,000 units to “stabilize the market and bring rents and housing prices under control,” according to data provided by an article from the governmental website titled “Housing A Changing City: Boston 2030.”

The plan had a focus on climate change adaption, estimating that by the 2070s more than “$80 billion of property value” would be exposed to flooding. To combat the rising tides as the fourth most susceptible city to flooding in America, the city plans describes its response as “proactive climate planning.”

In the “Retrofitting Boston Buildings for Flooding: Potential Strategies” report, planning includes preparation for a “100-Year Flood.”

A 100-Year Flood is a “flood with a 1 percent annual chance of occurring or being exceeded,” and for Boston is “at least five feet of flooding above the average high tide.” With rising tides due to global warming, a 100-Year Flood had a 1 percent annual chance of occurring in 2000, but could have a 20 percent annual chance of occurring in 2050. It could become “as frequent as the twice-daily high tide by 2100,” according to the report. The report aimed to elucidate the ways that existing buildings could be “retrofitted” to prepare for potential high-flooding. Some possibilities were backup generators, renewable energy systems and enhancing buildings’ foundations to withstand flood trauma.

“One of the main adaptations for new construction is buildings without basements,” said Hillary Waite (CAS ’17), a student studying environmental analysis and policy, “where the electrical work is higher in the building in anticipation of flooding.”

Another goal is to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by half to achieve a goal of 80 percent emission reduction by 2050. That goal of emissions reduction is “mitigation as opposed to adaptation,” said Waite, “but it is legislated and planned.”

The city plan appeared ambitious but in actuality tied together projects already being undertaken in Boston. “Boston is trying to shape and channel private activity,” said O’Connell, by “enhancing existing development” and “activating places that are already good.” The idea of the plan is not to start from scratch but plays off the current situations.

“13 years is a good time frame, because if you’re working 20-30 years out, who knows where you’re going to be?” said O’Connell.

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independent bookstores go local to expand your world

BY MARISSA WU | ILLUSTRATION AND DESIGN BY SHANNON YAU

B

oston is packed with literary history.

According to the Boston Literary District, there are 88 locations in Boston with literary significance. For example, Beacon Hill is known for its writing geniuses like Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, who resided on 54 Pinckney Street. Louisa May Alcott, known for her novel Little Women, also lived on this street. With such a history, this city has a plethora of independent bookshops. These shops are a lovely tribute to Boston’s literary past and vessels that will carry it into the future. Here are three you can’t miss!

Trident Booksellers & Cafe, Newbury St.

A few steps away from the Hynes Convention Center T stop, Trident Booksellers & Café is one of the city’s beloved independent bookstores, housing two levels of interesting books in cozy, narrow rows. Wander around and find great editions of classic works or the latest releases. And, as a bonus, they have a café!

Come for the books (which range from fiction to nonfiction, contemporary and classics, art, gifts and magazines) and stay for the brunch (which includes fluffy pancakes and decadent desserts, along with sandwiches and comfort food).

Brookline Booksmith, PaperCuts, Brookline Jamaica Plain Across the street from the Coolidge Corner Theater, the Booksmith boasts two floors: a main floor for new books and a basement filled with used-book bargains. The layout is easy and welcoming, and the shelves are peppered with staff recommendations for those who are looking to expand their reading palate. “Brookline Booksmith has been in business since 1961 (originally as Paperback Booksmith), evolving and morphing over the decades since,” said coowner Dana Brigham. “We provide vibrant, comfortable places to encounter new ideas, lifelong education and people interested reading and talking about books.”

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Opened in 2014, Papercuts is new but don’t let this neophyte fool you. It is located on Green Street in a charmingly tiny and cozy brick structure, well-stocked with a variety of books. “Honestly, I woke up one day 3 years ago and had it in my head that I could open my very own bookstore in my neighborhood of Jamaica Plain,” said owner Kate Layte in a 2015 interview with Jill Saginario from Bookbuilders of Boston. “I had been obsessively collecting lists of my favorite books and asked my publishing friends to provide some of their favorite books in order to build a quality selection.”

the buzz | 69

OMG. LOOK AT HER BUTT.

THE CELEBRITY FITNESS SCAM

BY CASEY DOUGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAMANTHA WEST DESIGN BY DEANNA KLIMA-RAJCHEL

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wellness

the buzz | 71

I

n our global, ever-changing society, few fads rarely stand the test of time.

Such a notion is true for all aspects of life, even within the evolving and expanding health and fitness industry.

With each decade, new exercise routines or health kicks have inspired people to “get healthy.”

The 90s brought us dance-style fitness, while the 2000s provided specialized training, such as TRX and kettlebells-exclusive classes.

However, all of these time periods have one thing in common: celebrities, who are the key influencers of popular culture, leading the charge on how to get in shape, lose weight or eat nutritiously. Now, in the era of “fitspiration,” “transformation Tuesdays” and easy selfmarketing, the regimens and practices of these celebrities are particularly exacerbated by one modern, heavily prevalent factor: social media.

Social media gives everyday people the chance to follow their favorite celebrities on a new, more personal level than ever before. No longer are the brightest stars seen only on the red carpet, or in passing, chaotic glimpses upon entering and exiting their favorite Los Angeles coffee shops. Journalists don’t need to schedule exclusive interviews with the hottest supermodels to find out their daily routines; now, even the most “perfect” of celebrities giddily share their health secrets via their personal social media accounts, usually on Instagram and Snapchat.

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Sometimes, if you’re lucky, they will even blog about it.

“Fitness” is most typically thought of as a combination of a nutritious diet and consistent exercise regimen. Here’s a brief overview of some celebrity workout routines that seem a bit out of the ordinary.

Kim Kardashian endorses “waist trainers” as the key to fitness success.

Spice Girl Victoria Beckham has given up on traditional fitness in lieu of yoga designed specifically for your face.

Meanwhile, Matthew McConaughey does what Matthew McConaughey does best: be eccentric. The movie star is known to run around outside, breaking into random fits of pull-ups when he spots an unassuming tree branch. Though this could be viewed as some variety of parkour, it’s unlikely that such a lifestyle is applicable to the average person.

On the dieting front, the stories are just as bizarre. Apparently, Mariah Carey consumed only purple foods (think plums, grapes, purple potatoes, etc.) for three weeks, while Paris Hilton once survived on only Red Bull and water—a sans-food variety of “nutrition” that she claimed worked wonders for her figure. Meanwhile, Christian Bale ate only tuna and apples to get lean for his Batman franchise, and, for her big roles, Sarah Michelle Gellar occasionally survived only on cabbage soup. Delicious.

It all seems a bit far-fetched. Yes, these are the easier malpractices to spot: they’re extreme, odd and reek of instability and showmanship. It’s safe to say many would roll their eyes at anyone who suggested they eat only one color of food (everyone knows you need a colorful plate— that’s elementary school health class for you) or that you channel your inner Tarzan and go all parkour with no real training.

But not all celebrity fitness scams—and yes, they are scams—are so easy to spot. The problem is three-fold.

First, we have celebrities who want to share their lives with their fans. Additionally, these key influencers have an extensive reach through social media. They want to impress, inspire and sell to their fans. Though many stars truly appreciate their fans, “common folk” can be viewed as consumers. Sometimes the product they sell is their glamorous lifestyle, or a passing glimpse of

stardom. Other times, they sell a genuine product: a juice cleanse, a waist trainer or an endorsement to some high-intensity low-carb nonsense that will likely kill all your pre-existing good vibes.

Sometimes, these practices do work, and are worth checking out. Other times (most times) their success stories are a product of factor three: angles, lighting, better-fitting clothes and straight-up photoshop.

Additionally, even if said celebrity did have real results, that does not mean that you will have the same experience, for several reasons. You don’t know that the celebrity is being honest/not using aforementioned photo tricks, or that what they’re doing is safe. You also can’t be sure that their routine would even have the same effect on your body as it did on theirs.

Celebrities are not doctors, nutritionists or certified personal trainers. They are simply humans who have a large platform from which they can speak their beliefs. And that’s just fine—they are well within their rights to share their lives with their fans. But it’s not wise to look to these stars as health guides. They can look fabulous, amazing, “perfect,” but in reality, nobody is perfect, and following some unsustainable, fallible routine will likely lead to disappointment and negativity.

Instead of researching how Victoria’s Secret Angels eat, or educating yourself on the proper way to spin a hula-hoop for optimal caloric burn,

be kind to your body. Love and care for yourself, and always:

1. Set a goal. Don’t let that goal be a number. Resist clothing sizes, scales and measuring tapes.

You’re far more than digits. Your greatness is immeasurable.

2. Do your research—but not on Instagram. Look into what certified, qualified and educated people are saying. Fun fact: anyone can be a nutritionist. The term has no scientific weight. Look for “RDN” or “CTP” (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist or Certified Personal Trainer). Find information you can trust.

3. Most importantly, find a routine that works for you. Do you loathe kale? Don’t eat it! Indifferent to running? Try weight lifting.

Consistency and passion will only rise from finding as lifestyle that puts wind in your sails.

The purpose of this article is not to make you unfollow the Kardashians, or shut down your source of inspiration. You are 100 percent entitled to be motivated by whomever or whatever you please—having goals and working hard for results is good. For example, certain celebrities, such as Demi Lovato and Lady Gaga, preach body positivity and consistent, maintainable, healthy lifestyles. In other words, someone can inspire you without having to compare yourself negatively to them (they probably don’t even look like that in real life), wanting to follow in their footsteps or being their clone. But, establishing personal, individualized fitness goals, under a regimen that you enjoy, is far safer and more effective than drudging through so-and-so’s broccoli smoothies and ballet-hip-hop-only push-up style. The more you enjoy what you do, the more you will do it—every psychologist can agree on that, and consistency rewards itself.

Therefore, start your journey towards health your way—not anyone else’s. Set a goal that’s realistic, actively seek out healthy opportunities and strive for your own happiness. Celebrities will always be in the spotlight, and that’s just fine. But every human has vast potential to grow and exist happily and healthily—in mind, body and soul. By choosing your lifestyle over that of some celebrity’s, you place yourself steadfastly on the path to greatness.

CELEBRITIES ARE NOT DOCTORS, NUTRITIONISTS, OR CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINERS. the buzz | 73

praying for a win how sports and religion intertwine

BY SOPHIA LIPP | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALLIE AHLGRIM | DESIGN BY SHANNON YAU

T

he year is 2004. Bob Hohler, a sports reporter for The Boston Globe, has been covering his favorite team, the Boston Red Sox, for a few years now. While it would seem like a dream come true for any New England native, it was sweet torture for Hohler.

Why? Because the Red Sox were cursed.

“I grew up knowing, in my heart, that the Red Sox were predestined to fail,” said Hohler.

“My father grew up like that. His father grew up like that. We knew that, no matter how far they got, somehow they would find a way to lose.”

After selling Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox would be haunted by the “Curse of the Bambino” for 85 years.

While some called it a hoax and the result of fake superstition, others called it the work of God. “There is a great religiosity that came with being a Red Sox fan pre-2004,” said Hohler.

“Some people went to church every day; some people went to Fenway Park every day. Religion and faith were as common in the Red Sox’s baseball dugout as peanuts and crackerjacks were in the stands.”

But the passion that Red Sox fans felt for their cursed team was not unique. Many sports fans tiptoe back and forth between the line of fanhood and faith, barely distinguishing the difference between praying for a win and praying for world peace.

According to Boston University Religion Professor Yair Lior, there is something special about the way fans, specifically in America, embrace sports.

“In Europe, you definitely see young guys walking around in Messi and Ronaldo jerseys and maybe some other soccer paraphernalia, but you would never see an 88-year-old man in Europe wearing a jersey the way 88-year-old men in America wear baseball caps,” said Lior. “It’s a way of life here. And if you compare it to religion, you know, religion is all about symbolism and it’s no different in sports. People are drawn to the colors of their teams, the mascots, the players and what all of them represent. The deification of athletes, synchronization of chants at stadiums and feelings and sentiments of awe and reverence and ecstasy that come from sports certainly exhibit characteristics of religiosity.”

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Lior explained that the purpose of religion, from an evolutionary standpoint, is to bond individuals within communities through shared experiences, rituals and end goals. Its function is to put your faith into something intangible for a beneficial end result that transcends life itself.

While that viewpoint does seem a tad dramatic when applied to sports, it’s not necessarily incorrect.

For instance, take this year’s Super Bowl.

The Patriots were in a 25-point deficit and Martin Weissgerber (CGS ‘19) hung his head in defeat during the fourth quarter. But then, something miraculous happened—the Patriots scored. Curious to see if it would happen again, Weissgerber lowered his head once more and, low and behold, the Patriots scored again. Eventually, the Patriots went on to overcome their deficit and win; Weissgerber will argue to the death that his actions directly impacted the outcome of the Super Bowl.

“At that point, I was praying and swearing and crossing my fingers and hoping so much that I just couldn’t bear to look anymore,” said Weissgerber. “But as soon as they started scoring, I knew that I had been heard by someone or something, because the Pats started coming back.

I wasn’t about to risk changing anything about where I was in that moment, because something seemed to be working. You don’t mess with that kind of stuff when it’s working.”

Professor Lior, on the other hand, will argue that such thoughts are simply one thing: foolish.

“These people who partake in superstitious activities and believe that an impact is made are, in some ways, extremely self-centered. Who are you that you think keeping your head down made the Patriots win?” said Lior. “But that is the implicit belief behind faith—that there is some

kind of force here at work, and that if we can somehow tap into it and coerce it, it will benefit us. It’s not quite prayer and it’s not quite magic, but it’s something. It’s a collective activity that overwhelms and excites us and when everything turns out and we get that win, it only reinforces our ideas that yes, we make an impact as fans and viewers. What faith we have.”

But not all fans that led with blind faith lived to be rewarded by their teams. When the Red Sox beat the Curse of the Bambino in 2004, Hohler claims there was almost as much bitterness as there was happiness for the curse’s demise.

“The day after the Red Sox won, the Boston cemeteries were packed,” said Hohler. “People went and covered graves with Red Sox hats and gloves and baseball bats, because their family members had died living and wanting that moment so badly, and never got to see it. There were a lot of tears shed that day. Is that religious?

I’m not sure. But it sure as hell felt religious.”

Hohler explained that, while the argument against the glorification of sports is certainly valid, it is also static and bothersome.

“How can people say that there is no validity in being a sports fan? Sports is the fabric of fans’ lives as much as religion is for many,” said Lior. “Their holy relics are the team’s jerseys and gloves, and their holy ground is the ballpark. The reason people get so wrapped up in the game is the same reason others get wrapped up in things like the theatre and museums. They use sports as a sanctuary away from the evils of the real world, and isn’t that the same reason people go to church on a Sunday morning? It is an essential part of the human experience to direct your faith into something you can’t control—and for many, that faith is in sports.”

“The deification of athletes, synchronization of chants at stadiums and feelings and sentiments of awe and reverence and ecstasy that come from sports certainly exhibit characteristics of religiosity.”

the buzz | 75

most villainous player

BY BRITTANY BELL ILLUSTRATION AND DESIGN BY SAMANTHA WEST

We all know them; we all hate them.

NBA Draymond Green

NFL Michael Vick

So, without further ado, here are a few of the best villains from across the sports world...

From questionable behavior on the court (kicking players in the you-know-where!) to downright despicable behavior off the court (assaults and arrests), Draymond Green is the tragic sports villain. He’s a great player who plays alongside two-time MVP Steph Curry on the dynamic Golden State Warriors. If he can clean up his act, Draymond could potentially be a great turnaround story.

The guy may be retired now, but if you’re involved in dog fighting, you’ll forever be a villain. Actually, you may be equated with the devil. Don’t fight dogs. Plain and simple. It’s a great way to have the entire NFL fandom hating you for eternity.

MLB

Alex Rodriguez

NHL Brad Marchand

A-Rod. Oh, do us Bostonians hate this man. However, we are not alone—between his juicing scandal and womanizing habit, it’s pretty easy to find a reason not to like A-Rod. On top of that, this guy was a pretty formidable opponent. And let’s be real, a sports villain like this definitely deserves a punch in the face from Jason Varitek (courtesy of the 2004 ALCS).

Boston fans love him. Everyone else, well, hates him. Marchand is known to many as “the rat”—he’s a tiny guy, yet runs his mouth all across the ice. He gets guys pissed off and draws penalties from it, often capitalizing on the man advantage. This mixture of skill and annoyingness is what earns good ‘ole Brad a spot on this list.

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NCAA Grayson Allen Out of everyone on this list, Grayson Allen is the crème de la crème. This guy is just a straight up jerk. Trip someone one time? Ok, it happens.

But four times and counting!? Duke basketball and Coach K have their hands full with this one.

Sure, he’s a great player, but he’s also a dirty player who clearly doesn’t have the mental fortitude to withstand being benched. Grayson, get a hold of yourself. You’re not like the villains that people love to hate like Darth Vader and the Joker. You’re the type that everyone just hates.

THE BUZZ IS HIRING A NEW SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER, EVENTS COORDINATOR, AND MARKETING MANAGER FOR FALL 2017! WE ARE LOOKING FOR DEDICATED AND EXPERIENCED STUDENTS TO JOIN OUR PUBLISHING TEAM. EMAIL THE.BU.BUZZ@GMAIL.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE AVAILABLE POSITIONS.

@thebubuzz thebubuzz.com the buzz | 77

MINT GREEN Boston Band Talks Internet, Diversity and Debut Album Growth

BY EMMA PARKINSON | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MINT GREEN | DESIGN BY SAMANTHA WEST

78 | music

music

In a city as large as Boston, it takes hard work and determination to break into the music scene. For the four-piece, female-fronted group Mint Green, that means performing multiple times a month, doing interviews on Friday nights and recording an album: all at the same time.

Mint Green began to carve out a space in Boston’s punk world with debut album Growth, which was featured on the app Bandcamp in November 2016. Lead singer and guitarist Ronnica is joined by guitarist Frank Prile, drummer Daniel Huang and bassist Brandon Geeslin for the six-track record, which Ronnica wrote herself.

The group came together in a way that might be called typical of today: Craigslist and Reddit. Ronnica noted the band’s continued usage of the Internet for networking through email, YouTube videos and posts on the band’s Facebook page.

“I kind of already had the songs and stuff written, and I basically wanted to do all that I could to get musicians to make my dreams come

true,” Ronnica said in a phone interview. “I went on Craigslist and Reddit and just different music Facebook groups.”

She found Huang on Craigslist and added Prile when he attended a live show and wanted to join the group. Geeslin joined last, after finding the band on a Reddit thread.

“We can joke about meeting on the Internet because none of us have killed each other yet,” said Geeslin.

Mint Green released their debut EP Growth on Bandcamp in November 2016, because the group wanted to get the songs out quickly once they had solidified.

“I knew that I wanted the album to be completed within the same year and I didn’t want anything too wintery because I had been sitting on the songs since the previous summer,” she said. “So they all have a summery overtone to them, very nature and things like that.”

Before the band met, Ronnica spent time with her father on Anguilla, his home island in the Caribbean. The family visited ever year until

Ronnica entered high school, and this was her first time there without her mother or brother.

This time to reflect and be alone resulted in the creation of an abundance of songs.

“I was feeling a lot of growth,” she said.

“I wrote a lot of songs about leaving a city and escaping to this so-called paradise, you know.”

She remarked on tourists spending large sums of money to visit an island she’d naturally always had as a part of her life, sometimes taking that paradise for granted.

The artwork for Growth tried to reflect an appreciation for that place. Ronnica took a picture of a swing set in her grandmother’s backyard and had artist Katy Stringer do an interpretation of it.

“I thought that swing set kind of meant a lot of to me because that’s where my brother and my cousins would play when the adults were doing whatever, or after lunch and we would just explore back there,” she said. “Growth is not just about physical growth but emotional growth and thought patterns and relationships and how they

the buzz | 79

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grow over time.”

The EP itself is six tracks: “Pinky Swear,” “Wildflower,” “Timestamped,” “Curtains,” “Callie” and “u”. True to Ronnica’s word, each song is undoubtedly summery. Each band member also has a favorite track, a testament to the sound variety.

“I like ‘Callie’ because it’s a very dancy kind of song,” said Geeslin. “I love ‘u’ just because it’s like the opposite, it’s very mellow and I really connect with Ronnica’s lyrics.”

Prile’s favorite is “Timestamped,” a combination of heavy and mellow, showing off the band’s technical talent.

Huang, meanwhile, likes “Pinky Swear,” as he is able to show off his drum skills and just have a good time.

The process leading up to the release was anything but easy, despite putting all of it together in just a few months.

Before the album was created, even after finding the other three members and actually becoming Mint Green, there was a still lot of work to do. Ronnica contacted someone who could help them record, and the band completed the album while doing shows at the same time.

Like many so-called “up and coming” bands, Mint Green struggled to gain momentum, in part because they are not completely local. Prile is from Wakefield, MA, Huang from New York, Geeslin from Florida and Ronnica from Boston.

Despite this challenge, the unique composition makes the group stand out, and their comradery is evident in the mix of backgrounds and personal styles. The band’s Bandcamp description reads: “Summery, angsty, alt-rock with punk influence and catchy choruses. Capturing the things that everyone thinks and feels but never says.”

Individually, Huang grew up playing rock, then jazz, then pep band in college. Mint Green is his first punk project, and despite being a bit shy, he enjoys it, according to Ronnica.

Ronnica is self-taught, listening to artists like Paramore and Mitski to challenge her own playing and lyricism. As for Geeslin, his punk rock days started the day he heard Green Day for the first time.

“We’re two self-taught and two jazz musicians doing punk rock,” said Prile. Having local agency has helped when booking shows, but lacking a local background sometimes feels like a setback.

“A lot of the local bands are formed here, like they went to high school together, or college,” said Ronnica.

“Or they’ve know each other their whole lives,” added Geeslin.

Still, a band led by a female person of color is a standout, though Ronnica would rather see it become a standard.

“There’s been a bit of a rise of POC musicians, definitely not as much as I want, but I can see them popping up,” she said. “And female musicians as well, I know quite a few female bands, female-fronted bands that are killing the game right now.”

“I try to stay in a community that is pretty inclusive and fights for causes that have to do with diversity,” she said.

Even though she wants to see more frontwomen like herself, it’s not a role Ronnica ever coveted.

“This is my first project where I am the frontwoman, and everything else in high school I wanted to be strictly guitar and background vocals,” she said. “I write the songs, and I’m front and center, and it’s weird because when you see the audience reacting to you and dancing and singing along it’s like, ‘whoa they like me—they really like me.’”

Live performances showcase that feeling for the entire band.

“It’s one of those moments and it’s still kind of hard to believe that people actually like and listen to our stuff,” said Ronnica.

Geeslin feels the same way.

“My favorite part about performing is I feel like that’s the time when I feel 100 percent happiness,” he said. “It’s when you can express yourself, and it sounds kind of silly, but I think any performer can attest that it’s the one time when you don’t really care about anything but doing your music.”

“We’re all about audience participation. If you want to jump around, if you want to have a good time, come to a Mint Green show,” added Prile.

With countless shows and an EP under their belt, Mint Green has a bright future ahead of them, even though it means more hard work.

Moving on to a new project can even be a bit bittersweet, according to Ronnica.

“We have a lot of fun shows lined up which is great,” she said. “It’s like we are starting over, you know? Now we have to fill the months again.”

the buzz | 81

THE DEATH OF THE CD

BY TALEEN SIMONIAN | ILLUSTRATIONS BY KATIE HONG | DESIGN BY ASLI AYBAR

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I

n 2005, music lovers would wait until their favorite artist released a new album and, when the time came, rush to a local record store and purchase the latest CD to add to their evergrowing collection.

This physicality made fans feel close to their favorite musicians. Holding a CD, a result of months of producing and perfecting, meant so much more than just listening to new music.

It now seems this sacred ritual has been kicked to the curb as people turn to a new platform to satiate their music needs.

When the CD was introduced in 1981, people almost instantly ditched their cassettes and records. CDs brought clearer audio quality and were light, sleek and portable. They were cheaper to produce than records, and record labels capitalized on the blossoming platform.

CDs were a deal for everyone: they were profitable for record labels and fans had access to a modern form of portable music.

For Kellie Mardula, founder of the music blog “Lotus Play Beats,” receiving her first CD and experiencing the music firsthand with her family was the reason she became enchanted by music.

“We would all come around it and hear it together,” she said. “Music is literally all about having an experience where people lose their minds.”

For music lover and bassist Camille McDaniel (COM ’19), purchasing CDs was a way of expressing her love for an artist and their music.

“If I really love an album, I like to have a physical copy of it,” she said. “Something about being able to hold it in my hands and play it on my Barbie CD player makes it even more special.”

This all changed with the introduction of streaming, the new phenomenon that altered the music world in ways the CD could have never done.

The rise of the Internet brought the creation of music platforms like LimeWire, where users could instantly download their favorite songs onto their computers. This ability was the closest thing music-consumers had to magic and gave people every reason to toss their CD shelf aside to make room for a computer.

Apple’s iTunes Store launched in 2003, allowing users to purchase a seemingly limitless array of songs at 99¢ each and $9.99 for an entire digital album. Within the first week of opening to the public, more than one million songs were purchased on iTunes.

In 2000, at the peak of physical music sales,

Americans bought more than 943 million CDs. By 2007, when digital sales were becoming the end-all-be-all and generated 819 million sales, CD sales sunk to 500 million. CD sales have only decreased as streaming becomes the new norm for music fans. In 2015, paid subscription services like Apple Music and Tidal generated $1.2 billion in sales in the United States, crushing whatever hope was left for CD revenue.

This led to the shutdown of thousands of local and national music stores that found themselves in the red due to a lack of interest in physical copies of music.

For many, including Boston University Music Business Club member Lexi Herosian (COM ’19), streaming has been the best thing to happen in the music industry.

“Spotify allows you to explore and listen to so many new artists,” she said. “I discover a lot more music on Spotify versus on a CD that limits me to one album and one artist.”

While promoting local artists through the Music Business Club, Herosian thinks streaming is helping advance artist’s careers.

“Most of the promoting that we do is for music is on music streaming websites like SoundCloud, because it’s easier to share with a wider audience,” she said. “There’s just more of a community online for young artists with other musical artists and listeners.”

Mardula argued that something else was lost with the end of CD purchases.

“I think, culturally, [the music world] has shifted because artists now aren’t just focusing on a CD and making music, they have to focus on plans of how to keep the rights to their music,” she said. “Record labels are worried about losing the ability to distribute and get money, so now [artists] have to focus on making a hit to sell anything, because people don’t want to listen to your whole CD anymore.”

However, with the end of the CD and the rise of streaming services, something unexpected occurred: physical vinyl sales began to increase. For some time, vinyl was the hipsters’ best kept secret.

Today they’re mainstream, being sold at all major music shops and stores like Urban Outfitters. It’s only natural to question this resurrection when streaming is available at our fingertips.

For Alli Calfield (COM ’19), who adorns her room with a record player and an impressive vinyl collection, the comeback stems from a pure devotion to musicians.

“Something about being able to hold [a CD] in my hands and play it on my Barbie CD player makes it even more special.”

“To me, records are works of art,” she said.

“I have my collection on display in my room and will often just flip through it because having something tangible to show my love for the artists is really exciting to me.”

Mardula explained that vinyl revival is a kind of aesthetic, comparing them to “novels.”

Yet, she is certain that the CD will not enjoy the same revival as the vinyl.

“I don’t see people going back to CDs,” she said. “I understand [vinyl is] from a different time completely, and I think that the allure that vinyl has makes more sense to me than a CD.” In our current culture, some are yearning to bring back the physical CD, while others moved on and enjoy the speedy journey to an electronically fueled music world.

“I love my Walkman, but it’s just heavy,” Mardula said. “I can have a phone that has all of my music on there and I don’t feel like my [music] culture was stripped away from me in any capacity from this shift.”

While we are moving toward a new era of music, it can be hard for some to let go of the CD. They did their part in shifting music culture and were the final tangible pieces of music before the breakthrough of the Internet. If anything, they will hold onto that legacy and hope to provide good use before they become only a memory of what once was.

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RISE UP

For this issue, the music team decided to collaborate with all sections of The Buzz. The creative, photo and editorial teams chose a few songs that impel them to action; we’ve created this playlist to get you to think about what fills you with fire.

CURATED BY THE BUZZ | DESIGN BY SAMANTHA WEST

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meet the

staff

CALLIE AHLGRIM Editor-in-Chief

ANNA BARRY Managing Editor

NICOLE HOEY Head Copy Editor

JAMI RUBIN Creative Director

SAMANTHA WEST Art Director

ANDREA VEGA Publisher

ANGELI RODRIGUEZ Marketing Manager

TALEEN SIMONIAN Events Coordinator

MARI ANDREATTA Social Media Manager

SONIA KULKARNI Social Media Manager

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ARIANA QUIHUIZ Campus Section Editor

DANNY MCCARTHY City Section Editor

DANIELLE BOZZONE Culture Section Editor

JULIA SEELIG Fashion Section Editor

KADY MATSUZAKI Food Section Editor

EMMA PARKINSON Music Section Editor

BRITTANY BELL Wellness Section Editor

ELAINE ANDERSON Travel Section Editor

DEANNA KLIMA-RAJCHEL Online Design Director

LAVI ZHAO Web Manager

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