Bard Winter 2023

THE MENLO BARD self expression

from the editor Dear Reader, Whether it be through fashion or forms of speech, the way we express ourselves is constantly evolving. The change we undergo as individuals cannot be defined in an encompassing way; despite this, we still manage to find connections through the comfort of labels and categories.

Therefore, with this issue, we aim to explore some of these broad categories of self expression. This issue covers the ties between self expression and cultural and queer identities, as well as diving into some of the more tangible ways people choose to express themselves, like through tattoos or fashion.

But ultimately, the goal is not to define self expression; rather, through cultivating conversations around conversations, we hope to evoke self-reflection. At the end of the issue, we hope that you ask yourself: who am I, and how do I define myself?

That, and we hope you enjoy the issue.

Best regards & with love, Andrea Li Editor in Chief

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t’s impossible to put a single label on queer culture and self expression. The term “queer” covers a vast scope of identities that fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella– generalizing an entire population is not only difficult, but also diminishes the individuality of each person that makes the queer community the diverse space that it is. Yet, queer self expression in all its forms can still be a unifying factor for the community.

“There are certain traits that are associated with being a gay man or lesbian or being queer in general [...] that can help us kind of recognize each other and feel more safe,” freshman Kira Pande said.

Historically, these traits have included symbols used by queer people to identify other LGBTQ+ people, like the significance of lavender in the “gay power” movement or the handkerchief code utilized by gay men in the 1980s. Today, however, this signaling can take the form of fashion.

Junior Valentina Marinucci sees fashion as an important way of expressing queerness. “I think [queer self expression] is a way to unify the community [...] queer people can tell that other queer people are queer because of the way they dress and a lot of straight people can’t [tell],” Marinucci said. “I think it’s a kind of safe way to show to other people, ‘Hey, I’m here, I’m queer’ without outing yourself to people who might be homophobic.”

Identifying other queer people through outward forms of expression like fashion can also be comforting, according to senior AJ Dickerson. “Being self expressive in queer culture is important to be able to see that there’s people there for you,” Dickerson said. “[Fashion] can also be a way of identifying other people in our community [...] I know that I feel more comfortable seeing someone who I would assume to be queer in a space.”

Queer expression is also apparent at Menlo. “I’ve met a couple

freshmen I’ve just seen around campus, more people, either being queer or just expressing themselves [...] with more varied fashion and I’m really happy to see it,” Dickerson said.

Fashion is not just a form of expression for queer people, however – it also serves as a way to affirm one’s gender, particularly for transgender or nonbinary individuals. For Dickerson, gender plays a large part in how he personally chooses to express himself. “As someone who doesn’t [align with] the binary I find that having shorter hair [...] helps me feel more androgynous,” Dickerson said. “I try to mix men’s and women’s styles [...] although, my dressing does tend to [be] feminine because that is what I was socialized in and so it’s harder to actively pursue that masculine look.”

Gender also plays a role in self expression for junior Logan Wilson, who, like Dickerson, finds that their hair helps them express themself. “Queer people can look like anything [...] but I feel like the short hair is actually something that I’ve grown to really, really love and it helps me express my gender identity a little bit more,” Wilson said. “I felt like with long hair, I felt a little too feminine.”

Wilson’s gender identity also factors into how she chooses to dress. “I also like to switch a lot between wearing more feminine and more masculine clothes just based on how I feel that day,” Wilson said.

Junior Amory Healy agrees that their fashion isn’t constrained by a gender binary. “If I ever take a photo of what [fashion] I want to emulate, I don’t pick based on gender- I pick based on the clothing in itself [...] I feel that the way I dress sometimes is a visual label that I am queer,” Healy said. “I express my identity through everything I do, because my identity makes me who I am.”

Queer self expression is also associated with a higher degree of freedom for Healy. “One of the main pros of the queer community is the idea that everyone is truly themselves. Even just the process

“I express my identity through everything I do, because my identity makes me who I am.”

of coming out means presenting yourself as you are to your friends and family,” Healy said.

On the other hand, the stereotyping of queer self expression can also be harmful when done by outsiders to the queer community. “[Queer people] have basically always been associated with some sort of stereotype or stigma or whatever, when people have their preconceived notions of what a gay man looks like, or what a lesbian looks like,” Pande said. “And that just kind of goes against the whole idea of queerness being self expression and [defying] the norm because now, it almost puts us into a box.”

Freshman Lilla Halasz feels that stereotyping queer self expression can be helpful yet simultaneously, restrictive. “I think [stereotypes are] important for questioning folk to see and recognize stereotypes within themselves at the beginning of their journey to help

WHO ARE YOU? THE MENLO BARD

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“Queer people can look like anything.”

the community.”

them acknowledge their queer identity,” Halasz said.

“However, they restrict authentic self expression and can slow the process of truly figuring out your identity outside of a stereotype.”

Ultimately, queer self expression through fashion is a statement for Dickerson. “[Fashion] is fun.

Honestly, I like to put things together,” Dickerson said.

“But it’s also a nice way to make a statement and to show a little bit of who I am through what I wear.”

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eternal expression: tattoos & taboos

Annika Allison

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magine yourself walking into someone’s home to discover they have a large piece of art exhibited proudly on their walls. Do you immediately pester them with questions as to why they have decided to display such a piece on their lovely, clean walls? Do you feel they must indulge you in the meaning of why they decided to hang this specific piece?

Art is something admired. The deeper meaning is meant to be pondered, but its existence is not. However, there are contrasting reactions to tattoos compared to more traditional art pieces. A reaction to viewing a tattoo on someone is often questioning why someone would do such a thing to themselves. Upon deeper thinking, this proves to be an unorthodox way of thinking. Is a tattoo not just a piece of art placed upon the skin?

A misconception about this art form is that the idea of permanently marking skin is new when, in reality, tattooing dates back to 3100 BCE. Ink upon the skin is a concept that has been around for centuries, for medicinal purposes — like Ötzi the Iceman’s acupuncture-style tattoos — or for cultural purposes, like the indigenous ritual of tattooing. No matter the reason for tattooing, it has been around for an exceptionally long time.

However, the stigma around having tattoos is newer than tattoos themselves. This negativity surrounding body modification stems from a little before the 1900s. While tattoos were abundant in cultures worldwide, America had never seen them before. The U.S. got its introduction to tattoos through freak shows, which painted the narrative

that tattoos were something to be ogled from the start.

In the 1950s, tattoos began to pop up throughout society. Due to how American citizens were introduced to tattoos, being inked became associated with unruliness and disobedience. With this stigma, people with tattoos were looked down upon by other members of society. This way of thinking has continued in modern society as well, where tattoos are associated with impulsivity, and tattooed individuals are more likely to be seen as unreliable or incompetent.

But what do tattoos really represent? Do these stereotypes hold any truth? To the youth of this generation, tattoos are simply a means of self expression. According to the Pew Research center, a little over one-third of young adults and teenagers are tattooed. To put this in a more palpable perspective, let’s take the opinion of the tattooed senior Montse Contreras. Tattoos, she says, make her feel “confident and cool”, and states she has “zero regrets” about any of the ink she’s gotten.

Overall, tattoos are becoming increasingly popular while being integrated more into modern society. Parents that object to the idea of tattoos, in fear of their child lacking employment in the future, realize tattoos no longer hold the same stigma they once did. Inking has been around since the dawn of time and will continue to surge in popularity and grow as an art form.

dressed to feel best

self expression through fashion

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or a long time, clothes mainly served a practical purpose. Fashions came and went, but the average person didn’t have a lot of room for personalization since the clothes making process was both laborious and costly. However, with the increasing speed of global transportation and advanced machinery came greater access to clothing at lower cost.

Now with the internet and online shopping, fashion is more accessible than ever, providing many people with more ways to personalize their style. Sites like Pinterest, Instagram, and especially TikTok expose people of all ages – primarily teens – to countless niches.

Of course, having an expansive wardrobe with all the latest trends is quite expensive, but we still have far more variety available than people of the past. This allows people to mix and match what they like to form a style that resonates with their identity.

English teacher Lena Pressesky, when asked about her opinions of the connection between fashion and self expression, noted that “I always feel my best mentally when I feel like I look like myself.” She described her personal style as “bohemian eclectic,” and went on to explain that she enjoys exploring multiple different niches as well. “I don’t like to put myself in any boxes […] I like to be able to kind of pull from different genres,” she said. Choosing what makes us happy, regardless of fitting a specific box, is at the core of self expression.

Generation Z is especially keen on

Katie King

making choices that don’t limit us. Chloe Chao, a junior, thinks that fashion can show different aspects of yourself. “There’s the side of like, [being] comfortable and then also just using [fashion] to present yourself,” Chao said.

“I always feel my best mentally when I feel like I look like myself.”

On the other hand, Chao believes that some trends can be harmful. “[Fashion is] a cool way people found to express themselves […] At the same time, I do think that some trends can be like, harmful,” she said.

She went on to explain how online trends can sometimes “flex” certain physiques, with little representation for other body types. At the end of the day, the connection between fashion and self expression is about what makes you comfortable, but it’s important to keep in mind how your choices can affect others.

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cultural identity & self expression

Jacqueline Larsen & Ella Krane

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expression of one’s feelings, thoughts, or ideas, especially in writing, art, music, or dance.” At Menlo School, many people’s cultural heritage hen thinking about the affects the way they express themselves. topics of cultural identity and cultural heritage, Isabella Brosious, a sophomore at we normally think of the origins of our family, Menlo School, provided a perspective on how as well as the key factors that make us, us. The formal definition of cultural identity is “​a part of a her Hispanic cultural identity influences her self person’s identity, or their self-conception and self- expression. Her unique outlook on Hispanic heritage is influenced by her Basque traditions and perception, and is related to nationality, ethnicity, her Basque culture. When asked how she expresses religion, social class, generation, locality or any herself in relation to her cultural identity, she kind of social group that has its own distinct culture.” It stems from our ethnicity and nationality talked about how she participates in a lot of Basque but relates to how we present ourselves traditions. “When I was younger, every Sunday for two hours, I would learn and perform basque to our peers or our community.

Self expression dancing,” Brosious said.

Brosious makes sure to stay in touch is defined with her culture. “Even though a lot of people in as “the my community do not speak Basque, I learned the language when I was younger to stay connected to my culture,” Brosious said.

Food is another way she expresses her culture. “My mom and I make traditional basque salad and other traditional foods,” Brosious said.

When people come over to her house Brosious makes lots of Basque dishes to share.

Brosious feels comfortable expressing her cultural identity. “I cannot name a time when I was uncomfortable expressing my cultural identity.”

Brosious said,“When I participate in events from my culture, I am usually around those of the same cultural background as me.” She expresses herself by cooking traditional dishes with her extended family, Basque dancing in front of large crowds at the local community center, having a traditional get-together and feast, or visiting family in one

of Europe’s oldest and strongest cultures, Basque Country, in Northern Spain.

However, her cultural expression is limited by her community outside of her home.

“I do not express my cultural identity at school as much as I do at home, because not many people share my culture at school,” Brosious said.

Arthi Abhyanker, a member of the junior class at Menlo, also spoke about how her heritage influences her self expression.

Abhyanker has less familial ties to her culture than Brosious. “My parents didn’t teach me much about my heritage because they both grew up in the United States and didn’t know much,” Abhyanker said.

However, Arthi joined several affinity groups at Menlo in order to learn more about her culture: “I am a part of [the South Asian Affinity Alliance Group] and [Asian Affinity Alliance].”

Abhyanker’s religion has also affected the way she views her culture.“I converted to Christianity and feel out of touch with my heritage,” Abhyanker said. “[But I] enjoy celebrating different cultural events that happen throughout the year with friends and family.”

Abhyanker stated she feels comfortable expressing herself culturally. “I go to church, and sometimes express myself through jewelry,” Abhyanker said. Lastly, sophomore Arrianne Avila openly expresses her culture. “I am very public about the fact that I am Latina, because I am very proud of it,” Avila said. She also talked about how her Latina culture influences her personality, because that is what she grew up with. “If I talk to my sister, I will talk to her in Spanish. I will do my hair sometimes too.”

However, she mentioned that she mostly expresses herself at home, especially during certain times of the year. “I don’t really wear clothing [that reflects my culture] unless it’s a holiday,” Avila said. Avila’s cultural identity influences who she hangs out with. “I am part of the affinity group Latinas Unidos at Menlo and I hang out with them

a lot,” Avila said.

After interviewing multiple people, it is evident that cultural heritage is a very important part of a person’s life, but it doesn’t necessarily show up for them in their day to day life. Our interviewees will not go out of their way to express themselves culturally, unless they are doing it in some form of a group. Despite this, Isabella is part of Latinos Unidos and Mixed at Menlo, Arthi is part of both SAAG and AAA, and Arrianne is part of Latinos Unidos. This is where cultural heritage comes into play at school. Affinity groups at Menlo have provided students with the ability to connect deeply with their culture and with peers who share their same culture.

It appears that cultural expression is most common when a student is connected with their culture in the form of a group, whether the group is at Menlo or in their own families, instead of expressing themselves individually.

The Menlo Bard editor in chief page design Andrea Li creative director Chloe Lee contributors Annika Allison Ella Krane Jacqueline Larsen Katie King adviser Tripp Robbins