Introduction from the Editor Highliner Zine Issue III, Winter 2020 Hello everyone, my name is Belle Fraser and I am one of the current Co Editors-in-Chief of The Highliner alongside Didi Jin. I am so excited to welcome you to our second zine of the school year: the GenZine. The idea behind this smaller publication is to share content that surrounds a distinct focus while highlighting different perspectives of the given topic. For the past couple of months our team has been determined to further understand the world of pop culture, and more specifically, Gen Z’s place in all of it. Turn the page and you will find work that ranges from the evolution of an artist’s purpose, to the origin of “ok boomer,” from comments on body expectations, to technology’s effect on Gen Z’s interactions with society. We hope you enjoy! Belle Fraser '20
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TABLE OF CONTENTS COVER BY NINA CUTLER
Gen Z
Music
Ok Boomer
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4
Style
Art
Bodies Reimagined
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Where's Waldo: Avenues Edition By Frost Martin
By Emily Hazim By Mercer Meeks 13
20 By 20 V ale
nti
na
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Vis io D ou
ker i
s
10 By Daniel Khazanov
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r/avenues senioritis By Daniel Khazanov By Jaden Schapiro
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the SCALLION By Dylan Jackaway
our way with the world
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Meaning Behind the Music By Frost Martin
By Belle Fraser
who is the art for? by mel douer
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avenues' cursed images by mercer meeks
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Bodies Reimagined By Emily Hazim
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Art by Nina Cutler
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’m 99.9% positive that everyone has heard a 2020 self-love mantra such as “every body is a beach body,” or “your weight does not define your worth.” Social media actually makes it hard not to. We are constantly bombarded by unrealistic bodies so we see any other as “wrong.” Meanwhile, we are told to love ourselves regardless of what we look like. How can we advertise happiness in our own skin if all signs around us point to the need for change? In the day and age where social media holds unfathomable value, teenagers are constantly pressured to become people they are not. This is especially true for teenage girls. They compare themselves to people like Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid and label them as their idols. However, they have to go to extremes to look like them. Their tiny waists and rounded hips are virtually unattainable given genetic predisposition and various health factors. As a matter of fact, some celebrities even go through the trouble of editing their photos to fake these qualities. This goes to show just how unrealistic body standards are in social media and beyond. We now try to convince people that we are part of such a small group of people. Coincidentally, the next post we scroll through is most likely an ad for a detox tea. As most people know, our phones record our interests and show us ads that align with those things. So, when Instagram sees that we are engrossed in this idea that models’ bodies are what we should strive for, they try to “help out.” They begin to post ads for detox plans and diet teas we should order to “shred inches off that waist” and “lose the dreaded muffin top.” Recently, Instagram has banned this kind of marketing to users under the age of 18 which, logically, is sound. They are making an effort to coddle kids for as long as possible and prevent them from succumbing to the pressures of the expectations the
world they live in has created. However, this is problematic in and of itself. We are shielding our children from understanding how judgemental people are and just how mean they can be when someone is putting themselves in a place of vulnerability. Hate exists even in the face of love. For those who do not view social media as an integral element in their lives, they will still hear about the latest trends in person. Avenues junior, Vanessa Bye says, “It is less social media and more of how others react to it. If everybody is talking about this one thing from social media, I am more likely to get involved.” Even if we try to distance ourselves from the negativity that exists in our virtual world, it carries over into the real world, where the problems and judgement are even more unavoidable. There are those, though, that don’t follow this status quo. Celebrities and influencers like Lizzo and Victoria Garrick don’t make us feel subconscious self-hatred, and encourage us to eat what we want and live how we wish without fear of not fitting in. After being brainwashed by our culture, these types of people are the ones who can teach us what it means to love ourselves the way we are. If people decide to diet of their own volition and for their own reasons, we can’t say that what they are doing is wrong. If people decide to diet because someone has made them feel as if they aren’t enough, it becomes the community’s responsibility to build them back up again. Nonetheless, this line often becomes blurred. People say that they choose to diet for themselves but the only reason they want to is because everyone around them makes them feel as though they should. People should not make each other feel as though something within them is calling for change. Instead, we should help others in moments like these and let them remember just how beautiful they are. • 5
Art by Mel Douer
! R E M O O OK B
By Mercer Meeks
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O
k boomer. Where does the phrase come from, what does it mean, and why is it so controversial? Most sources say the first utterance of “OK boomer” appeared on Twitter in 2018. This would appear to make sense, foreshadowing the phrase’s widespread and seemingly worldwide use in 2019. However, is this accurate? It’s not. In fact, nine uses of the phrase “OK Boomer” were recorded on various Reddit message threads dating all the way back to 2009, 10 years before its more modern implementation. In 2019, however, “OK boomer,” well, exploded; Google Trends shows us that from October 26 to November 3, there was a nearly 5000% increase in search of the two-word phrase. People have made hoodies, t-shirts, and baseball hats all proudly displaying “OK boomer” in homemade photoshopped designs of fridge magnets or repeating text. Some shirts even read, “OK BOOMER. Have A Terrible Day,” and are available for purchase on sites such as Amazon, Etsy, and Redbubble. Now, “OK boomer” is in memes, text messages, and everything in between. “OK boomer” seems, rather obviously, in reference to “boomers,” or the Baby Boomer generation. This generation encompasses anyone born between 1946 and 1964, following the Silent generation and preceding Generation X. “OK boomer” is meant as a sharp, quick dismissal of whatever the person on the receiving end is saying. Such a dismissal infers that the Baby Boomer generation is simply too old or caught in the past to even have relevant input. It represents Millenial and Generation Z disinterest in criticism directed toward them; through the fetishization of avocado toast, the blame of the “failed” economy, and the “ruining” of a myriad of things from dinner dates to running (yes, running), they’re fed up—and rightfully so. Having navigated confused, blatantly incorrect accusations and overwhelming over-generalizations, Millennials and Generation Z have decided to give Boomers a taste of their own medicine. Many people, such as Bob Lonsberry have taken “OK boomer” as an ageist phrase. However, this misunderstanding of its true meaning feeds directly into the meme—boomers not understanding “OK boomer”—and is precisely why the phrase is so commonly used. With these clarifications, we can confirm that “OK boomer” is in fact not offensive, but instead was born out of a different wave of insults, directed at a different generation. Yes, “OK boomer” may be derogatory to the Baby Boomer generation, but it does not mark the end of friendly generational interactions—it merely follows suit in a sea of many. • 7
Where's Waldo: Avenues Edition By Frost Martin
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2020 Vision twenty things you can look forward to this year By Valentina Doukeris
1. Classic Blue Laurie Press, the Pantone Color Institute’s vice president, announced Classic Blue as the color of the year.
2. Year of the Rat 2020 is the Lunar Year of the Rat. Congrats if you are born in 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, or 1960!
3. Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics The host city for this year’s summer Olympic Games shifts from Rio de Janeiro (in 2016) to Tokyo, Japan.
4. February 29th - Leap Year! For those who don’t know, leap year exists to synchronise our calendar year with the solar year, because it takes 365¼ days to orbit the sun.
5. 70's Fashion Be prepared for a blast to the past in 2020: The new decade is starting with classic 70s statement pieces, like disco collars, polka dots, and neon colors.
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6. Roaring 20's The calendar has come around to the 20s again, and Roaring 20s-themed parties and celebrations are all the rage.
7. Winter Love Island & Rupaul’s Drag Race Binge-worthy reality TV classics return this year. Love Island is set to air its first winter season, and RuPaul graces television with four new seasons of Drag Race.
8. New Superhero Movies Get ready for Wonder Woman 1984, Birds of Prey, Venom 2, Black Widow, Mobius, and Eternals—among possible others.
9. And... Live Action Mulan Disney is releasing another live-action remake of a classic. This time, Mulan, without music.
10. The Presidential Election The United States faces an important political decision again. A new generation of voters is stepping up to make changes in the country’s future.
11. Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Nintendo Switch The classic franchise joins the Nintendo Switch lineup on March 20th.
12. New Music and Tours
13. A Total Solar Eclipse You’ll have to wait until December 14th, but the year is going to draw to a close with a total solar eclipse.
Selena Gomez, Halsey, Tame Impala, The 1975, Cardi B, Dua Lipa, Lana Del Rey, Megan Thee Stallion, Niall Horan, Sam Smith, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, Elton John, Billie Eilish, BTS… and more.
Art by Belle Fraser
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14. Senior Play Cydney Dean is putting her blood, sweat, and tears into the senior class’s production of Grease, coming to you this May.
15. Agora
16. Fighting Climate Change As climate change takes center stage in talks and plans for the future, it’s bound to become a hot topic during the year.
Seniors Isabel Mudannayake and Jaden Schapiro recently went to the São Paulo campus to launch a new cross-campus, multimedia publication, Agora.
17. Friday the 13th If you’re superstitious, be warned about March 13th and November 13th. Watch out for cracks in the sidewalk, search for four-leaf clovers, and put an acorn in your pocket if you need some extra luck.
18. World Expo in Dubai The World Expo, an event which features 190 participating countries and celebrates culture, cooperation, and innovation, takes place in Dubai this year.
19. Mars 2020 Space nerds around the world (and out of it) rejoice! The Mars rover mission by NASA’s Mars Exploration Program has a planned launch date of July 17th.
20. Class of 2020: GRADUATION! It’s finally time for the class of 2020 to throw on our graduation caps and collect our diplomas. In autumn we begin an exciting but slightly frightening chapter of our lives—college. Good luck seniors!
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Avenues dress code
If you see something say something
Join the cause: email us at tigerteam@avenues.org
with details
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our way with the world By Belle Fraser
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Art by Belle Fraser
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e are dubbed the kids who grew up with iPads in our hands instead of books, raised by the internet instead of human connection. We are unique in the fact that technology has existed as long as we have been alive, we can’t imagine a world without it. How this influences our interactions with those around us carries its pros and cons. How it prepares us for the future, to confront conflict, to move humanity forward, is something that should be thought about, talked about. So, I sat down with Avenues Senior Ella Price to do just that. We started out by thinking about social media’s effect on Gen Z’s understanding of society. Apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and now TikTok, take up all the screen time on our phones, acting as our outlet to the rest of the world. It’s where we get a majority of our information and it’s where our opinions are formed. “I think that oftentimes big pieces of news just travel much faster on social media because people are on them a lot more than say logging onto the New York Times website. Social media allows us to get information faster, whether that information is correct is questionable,” Price pointed out. What we do with this content is another thing. Like many others, social media allows Price to “feel more connected to social and political issues because [she] I can see it with my own eyes.” We are exposed to events all around the globe, but we still have the choice to get involved or not. It can be hard to feel connected to something when it’s far away and Price acknowledged that, “I think that screens are tricky because if I see something that I don’t relate to or don’t understand, I can just turn it off and forget about it.” So is it all going over our heads? Memes and funny videos occupy much of the space on social media and this transcends into how Gen Z confronts aspects of their lives, “I think that humor definitely is a big part of how Gen Z reacts to things, especially because so many of us are active on social media which really values humor,” Price said. We use humor as a defense mechanism to talk about both serious and superficial topics. It gives us the lux
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ury to put a symbolic “lol” after everything we say and protects us from being too vulnerable. When joking about everything, though, subjects lose significance and we tend to turn a blind eye to what’s truly important. A prime example of this is when news broke that Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani was killed by a U.S. airstrike. Talk of world war three scoured the internet resulting in an abundance of humorous content. Among other things, Tweets, TikToks, and Instagram posts mostly poked fun at Gen Z getting drafted and how we would cope with war. They were funny, I will admit, but while circulating, the political event was having broader and more serious implications around the globe. U.S. Soldiers were getting deployed and citizens in Iran and Iraq were living with the fear of an explosive falling from the sky at any moment. These are real people, real emotions, and real conflict that were all being neglected due to hashtags and memes. Maybe it is because we didn’t want to confront the issues at hand, maybe it is because we didn’t know how to. Either way, we are going to be the group that people turn to for answers in the future––whether we are ready for that or not is unclear. Ella Price had an optimistic view on this uncertainty, “In my personal experience I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard of youth being this active in the larger world than right now,” she said. It’s true, we have turned into a self motivated generation. There are marches constantly happening on an array of topics, and we are showing up. We are not only talking, but participating in social movements. We are invested in the politics that build up our country. In the end, Price and ultimately I believe that even if we make jokes out of some things, having this awareness is something that is important and will benefit our role in the future.“Gen Z, with the use of technology and social media––we do tend to make things light hearted so that it’s easier to talk about––but when it’s necessary to actually stand up and do something I think we really can,” she said. Pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts, she finished with, “I think that Gen Z is going to rule the world someday, I really have faith in us.” Let’s prove her right. • 16
Senioritis Also called: Senior Fever ABOUT
SYMPTOMS
TREATMENTS
An extremeley contagious airborne viral infection.
Very common More than 4 million US cases per year
E
Energy
Spreads easily
Hp
Usually not self-treatable
Da
Long-term: resolves within a few months
Physical Health
Data Analysis
Symptoms of a severe senioritis victim may include sudden lack of motivation, stiff neck, a sense of unwavering lethargy, increased appetite, inability to do homework, and drowsiness. Victims of senioritis should look out for the warning signs. These signs (often appearing in the end of Junior year all the way through the rest of senior year) include: inability to focus, excuses, tardiness or skipping of activities, and “dubbing.� Senioritis can be onset by a variety of causes, including but not limited to exposure to the Common App website. Senioritis, an extremely contagious airborne virus that creates a sense of lethargy and a lack of motivation. Victims tend to experience a drop in their GPAs.
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WTB/WTS exeter math notebooks, annotated books, lost IDs, process journals, etc. MEGATHREAD 45 Comments
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Smh why is this real:
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BY MEL DOUER
who is the art for? 20
Artists don’t invent zeitgeists, they re-
spond to it….” said Hannah Gadsby in
the Netflix comedy special, Nanette, when
discussing the common misinterpretation that
Vincent Van Gogh was ahead of his time.
“He was a post-impressionist painter,
painting at the peak of post-impressionism,”
said Gadsby. This common thread of turning an
“
artist into a tortured genius is passé. This generation has watched as this cliche has completely shifted. Artists are not strange, detached entities. They are very much a part of this world. It is about how artists handle their—and their world’s—situations and how that translates into art. In the digital economy we live in today, you often encounter aesthetic-focused art installations. The selling point of many exhibitions is now their “Instagrammable” appeal; masses flock to galleries and museums to get this one deliverable: the perfect picture. This may be a turnoff to other spectators who are trying to be present in the space and think that taking photographs of work ruins the experience. But this also makes high art more accessible and available to the public. Having a presence in social media platforms is a smart way to promote an exhibition whether you like it or not. It brings new people into the art world, slowly chipping away at its
Art by Mel Douer
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O T elitist history. This digitization doesn’t replace one’s personal experience, but it does alter it. There has been a sudden paradigm shift in the way that art is treated and presented. When you walk into Yayoi’s exhibit at David Zwirner, the first thing you notice are all the other people sharing the space with you. You know immediately how you are supposed to engage with the medium, and the act of viewing art becomes almost like a performance— you become an active participant in conformity. Yayoi is a pre-Instagram sensation whose audience has recently been expanded by different social media platforms. She was at the right place at the right time—not ahead of her time. Her compelling biography and work can be appreciated by anyone and is far from corporate. She has never begged to be liked by the public. Her infinity room just happens to look good on our feeds. As we move into the future, being popular online is more important than ever, and there’s recently been an influx of artists who change how they work or present themselves to fit the Instagram standard. If something works for their followers, they’ll mass produce it. These artists have a clear vision of what the people want and when they want it. Whether that moves modern art into a more promising direction or not, I’ll leave it to you to decide. •
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s
the SCALLION By Dylan Jackaway
NEWS IN BRIEF
Gen Z-ers Rate Internet Access As Higher Priority Than Clean Water Yesterday 7:00PM
NEW YORK, NY–– In light of the Democratic primaries picking up steam nationwide, a recent poll conducted by The Scallion asked 10,000 registered people born in 2004 (except February 29th) which hot-button issues would be the most important to them if they could vote. The results are in, and they come as a surprise to no one: 45% of respondents said that what mattered to them most was high-speed internet, followed by the ability to legally leave class after fifteen minutes at 22%, with potable water coming in third at only 17%. When asked how these results illustrate the wide gap between today’s middle and high schoolers and their elders, our senior Boomer correspondent Karen McShane told The Scallion, “I think this really goes to show the skewed priorities of kids these days. Back in my day, we had to interact with each other face-to-face and we had to like it––[indecipherable due to Skype static]––those damn phones––[more static]––and that’s why I’m running for the Board of Education in Groveland, California.” Many pundits are wondering what this will mean for the ballot box once these future voters exercise their democratic rights for the first time in a few short years. We can only hope they learn a few civics dances on TikTok. SHARE THIS STORY
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Art by Mel Douer
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T
he other day, I was sitting in the 9th-floor commons and observed an interaction between two freshman boys that went a little something like this: The boy walked by a friend who was playing ping-pong and said, “Meet me at The London.” Friend said, “Ayyyyyyyeeee.” The London, by Travis Scott, is a popular pop/rap song among youth culture. As an influential artist right now, Travis Scott is often glorified by teens for his music, cereal boxes, clothing, and lifestyle. He is known to use excessive autotune in his songs and has made the deep robotic voice his own signature style. But do the majority of us actually understand the lyrics of his songs? Travis’s total streams surpassed 1 billion by 2017. According to Global Music Rights, ASTROWORLD has crossed over 2.1 billion streams worldwide to date, clearly attracting popularity over many fans and music listeners. This interaction I overheard made me think: do you know what Travis Scott is referring to? Because saying, “meet me at The London,” must mean that you know that The London is a luxury hotel off Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, California where exclusive guests get to enjoy the rooftop pool while eating $50 New York strip steak and sipping on a glass of none-other than $350 cognac. Do you believe is it as an iconic line—a concept of status and age—or just a catchy phrase? Or, do you genuinely believe Travis Scott is inviting you to the United Kingdom? Do you understand what you are listening to? "They don't know what they're listening to, what instruments are being played." Mr. Dolan, head of the music department said, "Most of the United States only knows when it is on or off. Like walking into a store or restaurant, they don't listen to the music for if it's good or not, they just know on or off." Although at first lyrics may come across as simple (and maybe my Travis Scott lyrics aren’t that great of
an example, yet they are amusing to think about), it’s important to contextualize the intent of the artists and our relation to the content in order to better understand what we listen to. As a generation born into technology, its influence is greater than ever. If a song is popular, people are bound to sing it, but my question is, are we being influenced by the right things, by music that is moving us forward? “Music is moving forward stylistically in many ways. It depends on how you interpret that music. Music can tell a story regardless if it has lyrics or not,” Alex Solton, a music student and junior at Avenues said, continuing with, “Music is subjective. Whatever you like to listen to, it doesn’t matter that much as long as you enjoy the feeling you get when hearing something you enjoy.” So maybe we don’t need a direct connection to a song to place it at the top of our queues. There are songs, “bops” as we now refer to, that are simple in meaning and relatable across all areas. I would, however, think sensitively about singing potentially derogatory, degrading, or offensive lyrics, or songs produced by artists with questionable pasts, or who are somewhat controversial. We get to choose what music gains traction. The power is within our hands, within our phones. I would argue that we need more opinions, more artistic diversification, more awareness about artists and the good and the bad they can cause. We need to chew, swallow, and digest our music, rather than let it mush in our mouths and spit it out once we have finished with it. Do you understand what you are listening to? What fills your head when hitting the gym, or allows thoughts to flow while sitting under a dim table light doing your homework? When listening to your favorite song, do the lyrics make sense to you? We would be gaining more from our music if we could answer those questions with confidence. • 25
avenues cursed images
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hat are cursed images? Cursed images are a form of abstract humor, known particularly among the youth of today. Cursed images are memes, yes, but contain no punchline or additional information. The punchline in a cursed image is, well, the image. When viewing a cursed image, it is important to recognize the viewer’s aloneness—the lack of text shapes the narrative or explanation one mentally constructs. The abstractness of cursed images makes them simultaneously the most accessible form of humor for Gen Z while also inaccessible to certain members of older generations. The Avenues cursed image gallery is a celebration of the school’s abstract and strange humor, accessible to both students and faculty.•
curated by mercer meeks 26
Forbidden Munch
27
Bookus Watchus 28
Limbus Confusus 29
Hominus Levitatus 30
Forbidden Cereal 31