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SUMMER 2022
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HAVING LEAH JEFFRIES PLAYING ANNABETH CHASE IN THE UPCOMING DISNEY+ ADAPTATION OF PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS SERIES
Lauren Bellamy (8/26/22)
Like I’m sure most Percy Jackson fans have been feeling lately, the news of the new show had me anxious after the movies that shall not be discussed, but when I found out that Rick Riordan was extremely involved in the making of it, I started to have a lot of hope for the show. Throughout the past few months, we have been learning more and more information about when the show will be filmed, as well as who could potentially be playing our favorite characters, with Walker Scobell confirmed to be playing Percy, and just last week at the time I’m writing this, Leah Sava Jeffries confirmed to be playing Annabeth, and Aryan Simhadri as Grover. After seeing the adorable picture of our trio together along with the news of their official casting as some of my favorite characters of all time, I was absolutely ecstatic, but more so because I saw a Black girl playing a character that I have related to ever since I read the books for the first time.
So a little information about Leah. She has so far been in 7 projects and is currently 12 years old, meaning she is already fitting the age of Annabeth at the beginning of the series. Rick Riordan, the author of this amazing series,described her as “smart, strong and courageous, a true daughter of Athena who has zero patience for the foolishness of a certain Seaweed Brain,” simply showing that she is the epitome of who Annabeth is. Thus, sis is absolutely qualified to play our favorite Wise Girl.
But aside from her qualifications to play Annabeth, there is bigger significance with Leah’s casting. Annabeth is known to be extremely strategic and intelligent, as well as very independent. Having a young Black girl play this character strengthens that fact by showing no matter what race you are, you can be resourceful, smart, driven and the hero, no matter what, but especially for young Black girls when we’ve had to constantly fight against stereotypes that depict us as not that. How I wish this show came out when I was in middle school for that reassurance as young Black girl who was very much like Annabeth, but to know that the young Black girls growing up now who love Percy Jackson just as much as I do get to have Leah as their representation of Annabeth, is such a blessing and makes me so unbelievably happy.
Though the original series lacked much diversity, to see that the show is already trying to rectify that by casting an extremely talented young Black actress to interpret Annabeth shows the importance of representation but also the importance of what it means to be seen. Leah Sava Jeffries is going to absolutely slay this role, and she already has a huge supporter in me.
PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: ORIGINAL SIN IS THE SPINOFF WE DESERVED (SOME SPOILERS)
Lauren Bellamy (8/26/22)
TW: Mentions suicide
Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin is the second spin-off from the original ABC Family/Freeform show Pretty Little Liars that premiered on HBO Max. I had been really excited for this show as soon as I started hearing information about it, and as soon as it came out, my sister Amber and I binge-watched the first three episodes, and by the end of it, we were absolutely ruined and ready for more. The storyline, the characters, the vibes, complete chef’s kiss in Roshini’s terms. As the show has finished airing as of last Thursday at the time I am writing this, I think it best to make a review article on this amazing show.
As you already know, I’m horrible with summaries, so here’s the description of the show on Google: “Twenty years ago, a series of tragic events almost ripped the blue-collar town of Millwood apart; now, in the present day, a group of disparate teen girls, a brand-new set of Little Liars, find themselves tormented by an unknown 'A'ssailant.” With that, let me introduce our Liars: Imogen, Tabitha (Tabby), Noa, Minnie (Mouse), and Faran, who are the daughters of the ladies who committed the “original sin.” The remainder of the show has the main Liars trying to figure this out as “A” is coming after them with a vengeance. Though all five of the Liars are as important as the other, everything tends to center around Imogen, as her mother’s death by suicide begins the main conflict of the show in reference to “A” and their future actions. But let’s get to the point of this article to acknowledge how awesome this show is, while also comparing it to the OG PLL.
The Plot is Dark and Twisted yet Immaculate
Now the biggest difference between these shows is the background information and the plot itself, though they both have the edge-of-your-seat suspense aspect very prominently in their adaptations. The creators continuously said that we would not be able to find direct correlations between the two shows, but the suspense in both was real. I will say that though Original Sin’s first season was only 10 episodes, each about 50 minutes and some change long, compared to PLL’s 22 episodes in the first season, the amount of storyline in Original Sin would’ve been enough to fill 2 whole seasons. There were so many different plot points that at one point, I think around episode 7, I was like, “Okay, maybe we’re trying to figure out too much in one season,” but by the end of it, everything made sense. Original Sin was very ambitious, but within that comes each character’s arc throughout the season, and finding a way to tie them all together by the end in order to get to the final reveal of “A” and the original sin for why they had to go through this in the first place. There was a certain substantive edge with this plot, as the different conflicts that each of our Liars had to face either had to do with identity or self-related struggles that forced them to grow in the future. Within that growth, I also want to add, showed that their conflicts would not be solved so easily, even with “A” running around and doing their job of trying to do so.
The Cast’s Diversity is Top-Notch, and The Characters Truly Steal The Show
While I love the OG PLL, I had to take many points from them for their lack of diversity. Shay Mitchell was the only actress of color in the main cast, out of the five Liars, which was a serious problem. Sure, there were some love interests that were people of color like Emily’s first girlfriend Maya, and Nate, but both characters were eventually killed off after only being on the show for a season and a half or one season in total. Original Sin is the complete opposite. There are technically six Liars in total, but the main five, Imogen, Tabby, Mouse, Faran and Mouse represent one of the most diverse casts I have seen in a long time. Bailee Madison (Imogen) is white, Chandler Kinney and Zaria (Tabby and Faran) are Black, Malia Pyles (Minnie “Mouse”) is Filipina, and Maia Reffico (Noa) is Latina. The actresses that play the original Liars in the show also represent this diversity. There is also more LGBTQ+ representation. Mouse has two moms, who are also women of color (Lea Salonga as Elodie is Filipina, and Kim Berrios Lin as Shirley is Puerto Rican and Taiwanese). Mouse’s boyfriend is a transgender man, played by Jordan Gonzalez who is also a man of color.
The fact that the cast is this diverse just shows that they acknowledge the importance of representation, and they stay true to that through the entirety of the show, especially with the Black actresses Chandler Kinney (Tabby) and Zaria (Faran). Tabby is a movie buff and hopes to create movies of her own one day, but is constantly seen wearing shirts of films made by Black directors, especially Spike Lee. Her character is also someone who is constantly trying to use her art as a form to protest the injustice against women and Black individuals as a whole, which I truly appreciated because it shows that you’re not just trying to check off a box, but to show what is important. Faran is no exception. As a ballerina, Faran is constantly having to defend herself against the racist insults from Karen, the first villain introduced but is eventually murdered in the second episode by “A”, as well as her ballet teacher, Madame Giry, and to simply prove herself as a capable and talented dancer, though she is one of the best dancers in the room. She’s not afraid to speak up for herself, and will not allow the racist opinions of her naysayers define her, and I am so appreciative to the writers and creators of this show for creating Faran like this. It just really shows that this show is striving to do better and create a show with substance and depth, and having a cast filled with actors of color tell their stories in different ways. So kudos to you, Original Sin.
I just truly appreciate the time spent in Original Sin to create a suspenseful, deep, twisted, and thoughtful show, while also keeping the essence of what made me love the original Pretty Little Liars, but also changing it for a different generation, and focusing on topics that are extremely important. I hope this show gets renewed for many more seasons, and potentially has as long of a run or a longer run than its predecessor.
A YOUNG ADULT PERSPECTIVE ON WHY WORKING RETAIL FULL-TIME SHOULD BE A NECESSARY EXPERIENCE FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
Elizabeth S. (8/26/22)
This summer I worked a job in a department store: its main focus was clothing (particularly women’s), though it had men’s, home, accessories, and jewelry departments. I won’t mention the company name here, though it was a southern-specific chain store, one that does very well and brings in a ton of money.
To preface: I’ve worked a few other jobs before, but they allowed me to stay at home and work on my computer, which was great. The job I worked this summer, however, forced me to drive about twenty minutes total (there and back), and I had a set schedule made by a woman at HR (I didn’t choose my shifts). I worked forty hours a week. There were morning shifts as early as 8AM (pre-opening), and night shifts (closing) that went as late as 9:15PM.
Since this was my first retail job, or basically my first “out in the world” job, I literally didn’t know what I was doing. At all. I didn’t know how to work a cash register, what was required to maintain a clothing or home department, how to act around coworkers and managers, what I should wear, how to handle crises, or even how to interact with people as a purported “ambassador” for customer service. I was nervous, and rightfully so. But I’ll explain with listed reasons why this experience was so formative, and how it will be something relevant to my daily life and future career, no matter it will be.
The interview. I had only ever interviewed for one position before, and it was a non-paying library job. My other two jobs were gotten through people I know (get those connections), so I hadn’t had to ever seriously interview. Like, with real money on the line. When I applied for B Store (that’s what I’ll call it), it was actually my “throwaway” interview. It was the job I thought I was least likely to pick, so it was my first of five interviews that day. I was asked to fill out an application, which asked questions about my past job experience, people who might recommend me (yep, even for retail they ask that), and my education history. I also interviewed with one of the store managers, and she asked me simple questions about availability, experience, etc. This interview, and the act of going in to even ask for an interview, showed me the workplace culture of B Store, allowed me to see how I’d interact with other employees (basically if they were nice or not), and helped me discern what questions an interested company might have for a prospective employee.
The coworkers. I chose to work at B Store partially because of the workplace atmosphere, which was surprisingly positive for a department store. Everyone I met was really nice and willing to help me, and I never had any problems getting along with them (which I hear is rare). I will say that in retail, the employees can be a rougher crowd: these people have had to deal with a lot of very real problems. Even so, they still came to work and put on the necessary façade of customer service, every time. Getting to know employees, their struggles and how they’ve ended up working retail, and developing bonds with them, was a really great part of my job. My mentor in particular (she taught me literally everything) was protective of me and stepped up to help me whenever I ever had any issues with transactions or difficult customers. It was honestly worth working retail to just get exposure to a more realistic, working-class world, since all I’ve ever known is school and a college future.
The restrictions. In retail, you are restricted in almost every way. Your schedule is pre-set. Who you work with is pre-set. What department they choose to put you in is pre-set. You have to make certain quotas, like asking customers for their emails, opening credit cards, and getting app downloads. Having to submit to these rules was really important to the store. I also found that I really respected employees who showed up when they were supposed to, actually tried to meet these quotas, and didn’t slack off. Developing discipline and initiative through retail was something I came to understand was extremely valuable.
The knowledge. I knew everything after working at B Store for three months: which exact part of that one rack in the store that a specific shirt came from, how to take off a few types of security sensors, which shirt tables would need to be folded each morning, which extension to call for different unsolvable customer cases, how to fully operate a register (doing returns, accepting payments from people wanting to pay their B Store credit card bill, how to open credit cards, how to adjust prices and give discounts as necessary, etc.). I knew everything. This kind of knowledge comes with time and experience. It took a whole month for me to know where to do “go backs” (putting away returned/unbought items), and even longer to understand exactly when to clean out dressing rooms, change the receipt tape, and open/close registers. This knowledge will certainly help me in the future when shopping at any department store, now that I’m intricately familiar with their layouts, and if I ever work retail again.
The customers. Here we go. There’s that famous saying, the customer is always right. We dealt with some seriously awful people in B Store. They bought stuff and immediately returned it without trying any of it on, and they didn’t bring their receipt or the card they purchased the stuff on, and still expected a full refund. They trashed the store and stole items in the dressing rooms. They yelled at employees for not giving more discounts on top of coupons we scanned. They got mad when what they weren’t looking for wasn’t in the store, and we couldn’t help them. Customers got mad every day. And it sucked, a lot. But you get used to it. You figure out how to calm someone down and at least compromise (usually adjusting prices with a manager’s permission), and you learn when to step back because the situation might only get worse. I almost didn’t come back on my second day of work. Why? I’d dealt with some horrible people who were impatient with someone learning how to work a register, and they said some of the meanest things you can say to someone you’ve just met. I actually think I got home and cried after my first day (LMAO). But by the end of the summer, I had a strong BS detector and knew when someone was trying to get free stuff, I had a thick skin and could handle the “karens” who really just wanted to start drama, and I developed a sense of justice in that I understood how to solve problems fairly to the store and to the customer. The rude customers were by far the worst part about working at B Store, but like most jobs, you just had to deal with it and try not to let it affect you.
The job layout and rewards. I hadn’t ever gotten paid by a big company before, so I didn’t know how it would work. Getting biweekly deposits into my bank account was surprisingly gratifying, and so was the commission-based fee we received when opening new B Store credit cards for customers. I also got an employee discount, so that alone was worth working for. Just experiencing workplace infrastructure like that was something I thought was interesting.
The lowest lows. Inventory week. I showed up at B Store at 5AM, four days in a row, and scanned every item on each rack in the store for five hours. Then, I worked the register for the rest of the day. IT. WAS. AGONY. For someone like me who likes to be challenged intellectually, likes solving problems and having new interactions, inventory week was like my own personal form of brain-dead torture. It was physically taxing: imagine waking up at 3:45 AM and having to actually scan stuff, some of which was heavy or hard to hold in your hands, keeping a mind-numbing count of items in your head when the scanner prompted for manual entry each time you did a rack, and just standing in the same place for so many hours. Inventory week might actually have been the most painful experience of my life, just because it was so drawn out. But now, looking back, I’m proud I showed up every day (unlike my coworkers, cough cough), I’m proud I didn’t get any of my manual counts wrong because I kept focus despite lack of sleep, and I’m proud I worked every single inventory shift that the store had. It completely sucked, but I showed up and I did what I was supposed to do. It doesn’t sound like much, but at the time, it was everything.
Time management. I worked in three different departments: men’s clothing, women’s clothing, and the home department. The women’s department was by far the hardest—you had to clean out the dressing room nearly every half hour because we were so busy and people didn't put away their crap after trying it on (you should see the state of the dressing rooms at busy hours; there were literally piles of stuff on the floor. You’d be surprised how many people treat department stores like their own bedrooms.). You also had to maintain the displays, fold shirts and hang stuff properly, which took a lot of time (especially when just one customer can come in and completely destroy all the fifty shirts on a table you just folded). You also had to do the “go backs,” AKA putting away all the clothes not already on racks—from returns, people who just decided not to buy anything, from the dressing rooms, etc.…AND you had to work the register, all at the same time! It was honestly way too much to do, for the two people who worked in each department. But you eventually figured out a balance, and developing this balance demonstrates clear time management capabilities and the ability to prioritize responsibilities.
Whew, that was a lot. Most of my days just felt like suffering, standing for eight hours and dealing with angry customers. There were days when the line never stopped, for hours at a time, your coworkers were on lunch break, and you felt like you were literally running the store yourself. One customer with a problem, and the line got even longer. There were certainly times when working was fun, though: when I got to work with some of my favorite coworkers, when I got to fold shirts during lapses in checking out customers, and when I actually met nice customers who respected employees.
This brings me to my biggest takeaway from retail, though, and the reason I think everyone needs to work in it: retail employees deserve your respect. Of course, I’ve always been polite to workers when I’m out buying stuff, but I felt like I didn’t really “see” them most of the time. Cashiers and those people you ask for help kind of faded into the background of my experience in a store, and I just expected them to help you with whatever I needed. It’s easy to forget that these people are there all day, working long shifts without sitting down, and have dealt with really tough situations.
They’re also not just there because they didn’t want to go to college and wanted an “easy” job. Retail isn’t easy, not by a long stretch. I had this misconception before I started: “I’ll just be working at a register, scanning items and processing payments. It’s not hard.” I was so wrong. The job was physically, mentally, and socially draining, and I’ve never felt as tired as I did after a full day at B Store.
I’ll end this article here. But just know, especially if you have a cushy future ahead of you, and you’ll be getting a job straight from college: you really are lucky to be where you are. I think you can only truly understand this if you’ve worked a blue-collar job, which I believe everyone should. You need to be the punching bag of some terrible customers. You need to learn how to submit to a workplace that tells you exactly what to do. You need to realize that these store helpers aren’t there because they’re less intelligent or didn’t try hard enough in school—because it actually takes a lot of quick-thinking and problem solving skills to work retail. All of these realizations will make you tougher, more socially-minded, and more appreciative of what you have.
GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK
Dani Copeland (8/26/22)
Ah. You finally made it. No more deadlines, essays, exams, projects, and etc. You finally graduated and get to start your life. Post grad life is basically your life after college. Whether you are going to further your education or travel the world, it’s a time where many people find their path. I graduated in May of 2022 and even though it’s been only a few months, I have noticed a lot of changes that I never noticed before. Starting off, I have realized there’s more time for you. Depending on how you made your schedule, you did have free time in college but post grad free time is different. This new free time allows you to really focus on yourself. I realized that I started taking care of myself more often. Back in college, I would take care of myself on all levels as much as I could before focusing back on my grades. So while I tried to give myself days off, it really wasn’t a day off because I would be stressed. Now I get to focus on some of my hobbies and even master them. I have realized this new freedom allows myself to really enjoy life a little bit more. Being able to wake up and do whatever you want without worrying about an essay due at 11:59pm is a great feeling.
Even though I have found this new freedom, that doesn’t mean I don’t worry about my future. I get worried that I have too much time to myself and should instead focus on getting my career started. When I see some of my friends already starting their careers, it makes me worry that I’m running out of time. That all of this free time doesn’t look good. Sometimes I think that my time has already run out like there is a 3 month window to get a career after college. It’s a lot of emotions to deal with at once. On one end, I’m glad I’m taking time for myself but on the other, society makes me feel bad for doing so. It feels like I’m secretly getting judged especially when I get asked questions about what I plan to do. I work through these emotions and sometimes I get scared but deep down, I know this rest is well deserved.
My advice to rising seniors and just about anyone who is about to enter their post grad life, take a break only if you are in the position to. You worked so hard for so long. You have accomplished so much. Endless nights studying, pushing yourself to pass your finals, doing all nighters, and etc. Your body needs a break. Know that there is more to life than just your career and academics. Go out and discover parts of yourself that you didn’t even know existed. Always put your needs first. You can travel the world, meet new people, or discover new talents. If you haven’t painted in awhile, pick it back up! Want to go to Spain? Book the ticket! There is no deadline to life. I know people say that you don’t have much time or that time runs out quickly but I believe you’ll always have time for yourself. Would you prefer sleeping in or working 40+ hours a week? Sleeping in does no harm. If you aren’t in the position to take a break, don’t push yourself too hard. Still find time for yourself. Even if it’s just 30 minutes. Don’t try to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Value yourself and your time.
FRIENDSHIP AND FINDING YOUR PEOPLE
Aneesha Naik (8/26/22)
Friendship seems like it always falls last amongst all the other types of relationships. Romantic relationships are the epitome, and family is considered important, but I think our society doesn’t always talk about how truly amazing friendship is.
Personally though, friends are at the top of my list. Instead of romanticizing a man who I haven’t even met yet, I romanticize my friendships. And I think, we should all treasure the unique bonds we have with our friends, giving it the same importance that other relationships so easily seem to get. My closest friends know me down to my core. They know the embarrassing, hilarious, painful things about me that I cannot even tell my family. The best part about them is that they never judge me. Whether I’m singing my favorite Taylor Swift song while taking a walk together or having a complete emotional crisis, they are always there, supporting and guiding, but never ever judging. I can be who I truly am with them, and people like that feel like a second home.
This wasn’t always the case, though. Back in high school, and even college, I was absolutely terrified of losing people and being alone. I did everything, and I mean, literally EVERYTHING, so that they would love me more, see me as one of their best friends, and most importantly, not leave me. My friends constantly put me down to make themselves feel better? That’s okay, at least they want to hang out with me! My friends keep bringing up my past mistakes from years ago, even after I’ve apologized? That’s alright, I probably deserve it! My friend couldn’t buy snacks at the convenience store? I’ll pay! (Even though I was pretty broke myself). My friend wanted me to “stop acting weird” so I wouldn’t embarrass her? I’ll act how you want me to, just don’t leave me!
I used to think that having friend break-ups meant that you were a bad person, someone who couldn’t get along with anybody. I wanted to be liked by everyone, because then, everyone would see me as a good, friendly person, and that meant everything to me. I was pretty depressed during this time, and constantly exhausted from doing everything for everyone else but myself.
And then one day, I decided to just stop. I was too exhausted from living for everyone but myself. My worst fears came true. The toxic friendships I left reared their ugly head. My ex-friends said awful things to me, and about me, to everyone. In my small college, I could feel people’s endless stares, looking at me like I was the most horrible person for ending these friendships and hurting these people. I was lonely, like I knew I would be, and I cried almost every day. But I never once felt as lonely as I felt when I was with those people. What I have learned from this experience is that it’s okay if people don’t like you because you don’t bend over backwards for them. It’s okay not to be liked by others, because the only thing that matters is your opinion of yourself. And your opinion of yourself can never be good if you are surrounded by people who are constantly putting you down.
It's hard being alone, but it’s even worse being with someone who always picks your flaws apart with bright red ink, like picking apart grammar mistakes in an essay, until it gets to the point that when you look in the mirror at yourself, all you see is the red ink all across your face. In your life, you are the most important person in the world, and if the cost of keeping a friendship, or any relationship, is your mental health, the cost is too high.
Our friendships make us who we are. When I was friends with toxic people, I was toxic myself. I was angry, depressed, and I truly hated myself. Now, with people who celebrate me, I have learned to celebrate myself, and my toxic patterns have eroded away. My friends respect my boundaries, and I respect theirs. We communicate whenever there is a problem, because preserving our friendship is the most important thing in the world to us. We point out the things we love about each other, instead of nitpicking each other’s flaws.
When you remove toxic people from your life, you are only making room for the good people to come in. The transition might be excruciatingly difficult, but it will help you find and love yourself, and that will mean everything. A few months ago, I was uncontrollably sobbing because I didn’t want to be alone, and last night, I cried tears of happiness because I’m so excited to take myself out on a date over the weekend. I promise you will be okay.
We all deserve those friendships that keep us up late at night with endless conversation. The friendships that make you laugh even when everything is falling apart. Friends who love you without any conditions. We deserve kindness, and understanding from the people we call our friends, not anger and ultimatums. There is no timeline to find these friendships. People say that you meet your best friends in high school or college, but if that’s not true for you, it’s completely okay. Just don’t settle for less, because you will eventually find your people. Invest the time you spend finding romantic relationships into finding genuine friendships. I promise you won’t regret it.
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2021
EVERYTHING IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS: EXAMINING MEDIA & PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
Jamie C. Hill (12/4/21)
***Warning: mention of rape.
As I begin writing this on Virginia’s Election Day, I am extremely annoyed by the dramatics. If you’ve experienced any election from 2016 and after, you should know what I mean. High and mighty politicians afloat from corporate money, high and mighty voters and non-voters refusing to think critically about their decisions, and out-of-state observers speaking on s--t they know nothing about. You know the vibes.
With that said, I want you to do one thing: Stop taking information at face value. PLEASE.
Sure, everybody says, “look at the data!” but have you looked into that data? Have you considered who is spreading the information? Have you considered funding, sponsors, and profits gained from emotional responses? Because if you did, you might not be so quick to accept that information as is.
For example, you may have heard about the rape of a woman on the Philadelphia SEPTA subway car, which police said was watched and filmed by passengers without intervening, not even calling the police. However, this report was soon disputed by the Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer, who reasoned that people were leaving and boarding the car at every stop, meaning they were not processing the situation. Furthermore, NBC 10 Philadelphia paraphrases him, stating: “Two people may have recorded video of the attack on their cellphone, one of whom ‘probably’ alerted SEPTA of the attack.”
Those are two separate stories: the first gathered from SEPTA officials’ statement to the police, the second gathered from surveillance and witness footage examined by the DA. There was only a few days-difference between the narrative, but that is long enough for public attention to shift. The amount of people who still believe the initial report is enough to influence public perception.
If you knew about the story beforehand, how did it make you feel? Hopeless and angered, most likely. You may have lost faith in humanity. If you know about the story now, how do you feel? Skeptical of the police, SEPTA officials, possibly even the DA and the media. Framing matters, and reporting matters. The most important action, though, is to present the truth for the sake of the woman. Oftentimes, we forget that there are real humans behind these narratives. She was a victim, but she is a survivor, and she deserves diligent workers bringing her justice.
Let’s look at another case: smoking. If you have watched TV sometime in the past twenty years, you might recall those scary ass commercials warning you against smoking. Not everybody who smokes is going to end up with a hole in their throat, and nobody is going to end up a deflated piece of flesh. But it is true that 80 to 90% of lung cancer deaths are associated with cigarette smoking, according to the CDC. The same source also states that the risk for lung cancer increases 15 to 30 times more for cigarette smokers compared to non-smokers—and lung cancer isn’t even the only disease that can result from cigarette smoking! In this case, there is a clear reason why the ads are so provocative.
If that isn’t enough to dissuade you, consider the amount tobacco companies spend marketing—$8.2 billion for cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in 2019 (CDC). It’s not like their tactics are unsuccessful; smoking is virtually a staple in American society. Joseph DiFranza, MD, a specialist in adolescent tobacco utilization conducted research on the profits of tobacco sales to children, in which he found that nearly half of profits ($3.3 billion a year) come from people who have had nicotine addictions since childhood. These companies are accruing money off of their products knowing that they are the source of sickness and death. Even though smoking seems normal, it doesn’t mean that it won’t hurt you.
I am not telling you what to believe, but I am telling you to question what you see. Ironically, I learned this from being brought up on the Internet for over a decade. With so much information readily available to us, it is important to realize that not all of it is true. Majority of the people on social media are not experts at what they talk about, and sadly even some of the “experts” are using information for manipulation instead of truth. Do you think a makeup influencer is going to say that the product they are getting paid thousands to sponsor doesn’t work? No. People have their own priorities (which are often money-related) and will reject good values to sustain themselves.
One way they do this is by exploiting parasocial interactions with their followers. A parasocial interaction or relationship is basically a one-sided relationship, but sometimes the other party might not even know who you are. The Internet gives us an avenue to experience people we’ve never met in an unusually intimate manner. We see records of all the opinions they share, all the posts they like, and even the friends they have. When reframing it that way, it’s pretty weird. It seems like you could know a stranger just as well as a friend just from their posts alone, and that’s concerning. Especially considering how many people an Internet user follows, are we adjusted to being that knowledgeable about random people’s lives? Probably not, but that’s the way the world is at the moment.
Let’s center on an example of parasocial interactions. Many people were gripped to the news as the 2016 U.S. presidential elections unfolded. Due to the political divisiveness of this election in particular, voters would stick to the news sources that aligned closest to their views. For most people, these were either CNN or Fox News. From personal experience, I saw people become consumed by the news (which is why I wrote “Neophobia” in August 2021) and grow attached to commentators as if they were a second skin. Sure, relatability is beneficial for understanding what someone is telling you, but it is not beneficial when you need to know whether the information is actually accurate. I don’t even think it’s that so many people in America are media-illiterate, but rather that the fanning of flaming emotions catch people at their most vulnerable for manipulation. If you are so focused on the presentation instead of information, you are bound to fall into traps of hysteria and hypocrisy. It’s mind-numbing and in part responsible for the outright rejection of nuanced thinking.
Sorry, that wasn’t exactly pertaining to the Internet. Still relevant when it is the method of conveying information, though. Moreover, political commentators are further able to manipulate through their humanization on social media. Social media allows them to disseminate information faster while bringing the personal elements of their life to the forefront, if they so choose. These parasocial relationships are the most dangerous to me, as they are very influential to our thought process in the first place. We desire to fit in somewhere, and political circles are an easy route to doing so. Mix that with the validation of your opinions, and you’ve become part of an in-group where it is more tempting to support individuals rather than the truth.
(That honestly sounds like I hate all these people and think they’re all liars or something. I don’t. I simply do not like the exploitation of power and influence, so I’m going to put a disclaimer that there are good journalists and political commentators. They are the ones who spread information that is transparently supported by facts. They may be charismatic, but ultimately their work speaks for them. With that said, carry on.)
If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! You’ve successfully finished one of my longer-than-necessary-for-something-I-don’t-get-paid-for articles. For your patience, you get a virtual high-five. In all seriousness, though, please listen to me. Why put such a large amount of yourself into something you aren’t willing to face head-on? Why put such a large amount of yourself into people who either don’t know you exist or will forget about you in a day? Why remove your individuality for the sake of conformity? There is so much more that matters: work needs to be done, messages need to be sent, lives need to be changed. You may feel that validating your emotions and opinions are enough to appease you. But are you doing it for yourself, or are you doing it to conform?
Y’ALL HAVE BEEN SLEEPING ON K-DRAMAS
Lauren Bellamy (12/4/21)
So, I’m already starting off sounding like I’m going to roast you for not watching a K-drama yet (South Korean drama/comedy/dramedy, you get the point), but that’s not at all what this is about. Okay, maybe a tad, but seriously, if your first Korean drama was Squid Game, I’m worried about you, because you’ve been missing out on prime television. I will also say that there are plenty of shows that span across Asian and European countries that are made in languages that aren’t English (I mean, I literally just reviewed Young Royals a couple issues ago), and you can find many of them on Netflix. I have mentioned my love for K-dramas a few times in the magazine, but never made a full article about them, so I think it’s about time I do. I will basically just acknowledge why I tend to watch K-dramas a lot more than American shows nowadays, as well as give some ultimate recommendations for what you should watch if Squid Game, in fact, was your first drama. Let’s get into it.
The Time Commitment
Though this is kind of a lie considering how invested I tend to get in my dramas, as well as many fans around the world, K-dramas take a lot less commitment to watch. Yes, the episodes usually run about an hour, some an hour and half, but they’re done after 16 episodes in most situations. There are a few exceptions to this as I hinted at; for example, Vincenzo, a Netflix K-drama, has 20 episodes rather than the standard 16. Another example are dramas that are 32 episodes like I Am Not a Robot, though these episodes are only about thirty minutes. So it varies, but anyway, it can be difficult to binge straight through due to the duration of episodes because of whatever it is you may be doing, like I don’t know, going to class every day because you’re a full-time college student like me lol. But, I will also say that almost every drama that I have watched has been binge-worthy due to an excessive amount of cliffhangers, plot twists, and seriously adorable romantic happenings that may occur. So while at first this may seem daunting, you tend to make time to watch these incredible shows.
Plot
Now, K-dramas can literally be the combination of multiple genres, one or so many that you can’t truly define it. Most of the time, though, you can usually put them in either romance, comedy, dramedy, drama or action because they all usually mainly deal with these plots. There is a formula in some cases for specific genres, or really tropes, in which some can be kind of predictable (i.e. you know who the main female love interest is going to end up with by the end of the first episode if there happens to be a hint of a love triangle lol) but at the same time, like I said before, there are so many plot twists that you can’t narrow down exactly how the story will play out, which is what I appreciate about it. I will just say that, at least in terms of romance within these shows, you will go through some pain, but good pain. There’s angst, but it’s good angst. Like yes, you may have to wait 12 episodes before you get a kiss between the two main love interests, but trust me, it’s so freaking worth it. Prime example is Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon starring Park Bo-Young and Park Hyung-sik, as we had to wait for episode 12, but the anticipation leading up to the kiss was so perfect.
The Non-Stop Amount of Good-Looking Actors and Actresses
Lmao, this is a short tidbit, but necessary. Can we just talk about how attractive these guys are?!?!? Oh wait, you wouldn’t know because you haven’t watched K-dramas yet. What cracked me up the most during the Squid Game situation was how obsessed people got with how beautiful the actors were. But the thing is, it’s rare when an actor or actress isn’t attractive in a K-drama. Seriously. I’m trying to think of one show in which I did not have an obsession with the obsessively hot guy behind one of my favorite characters, lol. But yeah, it’s a thing, so while you watch, you’re getting blessed all the while.
The Characters
I kind of touched on this in the plot section, but I explain it further here. Though we only usually know these characters for sixteen to 18 and a half hours (that math is definitely not correct, but I could care less lol), we feel that we need to protect them. When you’re having to sit for an hour plus per episode, there has to be some sort of substance to these characters, and that’s where K-dramas take the cake. For example, in the drama Crash Landing on You, and even though I haven’t finished it at the moment I’m writing this part of the article, I have probably cried close to six times throughout the entirety of the show, and I remember the first time being in the fourth episode. There’s a reason for that aside from my attachment to most romantic entertainment. It’s the acting. It’s the storyline. It's the chemistry between the actors on screen. All of these things put together help to create dynamic characters that you can’t help but cheer on and cry for when something good or bad happens to them. Some people think I may be dramatic, but seriously, you try watching Crash Landing on You and see how far you get without crying. As someone who usually watches a show for how much I enjoy the characters, the people bringing the show’s plot to fruition on screen, it makes sense for me to be so attached to these characters. I think about how obsessed I got with Song Joong-ki after watching him as Vincenzo in Vincenzo and as Yoo Si-jin in Descendants of the Sun. I think about how much I loved Kim Da-mi as Jo Yi-Seo in Itaewon Class. I think about how freaking obsessed I am with Hyun Bin’s Ri Jeong Hyeok in Crash Landing on You, and how I’ve come down to the conclusion that I will never find my own Ri Jeong Hyeok, lol but also crap, because of how these characters are written and portrayed. I swear, if you don’t watch a K-drama after this, I will scream because you’re truly missing out.
K-dramas are literally my main source of television entertainment nowadays, alongside Black sitcoms and anime. They’re my source of romance, and pain, and laughter, and excitement because every time I watch a new one, I become even more dedicated and devoted than before. It’s crazy really, but true. I love them so much, and will probably watch them for the rest of my life lol (p.s. I apologize for how much I have said “lol” and “lmao” during the course of this article, lol (omg stoppp)). I strongly encourage you to check out a K-drama soon, and especially over this break because this is the perfect time to do so. To help you get started, I’ll give you a list of my favs below ;):
Crash Landing on You (YOU WILL LOSE YOUR MIND OVER THIS DRAMA!!! MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE DRAMA COUPLE and probably entertainment couple hands down!!! P.S. the actors that play Ri Jeong Hyeok and Yoon Se-Ri, Hyun Bin and Son Ye-Jin, are actually dating and may even be engaged now but that’s yet to be confirmed, but still!)
I Am Not a Robot
Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon
Itaewon Class (One of the first, if not the first, drama to feature a Black side character!!!)
Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth (THE MEN IN THIS SHOW ARE TOO FREAKING HOT, and my bae Tae (V) from BTS plays in it, alongside Minho from SHINee, and Park Hyung-Sik from ZE:A, though I knew him from Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon, and one of my favorite Drama actors, Park Seo-Jun)
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (Usually referred to as Goblin in case you find that title. The main character is played by the beautiful Gong Yoo, aka the Salesman from Squid Game lol)
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
Vincenzo
What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim
My Strange Hero
Her Private Life
So Not Worth It (There are multiple different nationalities represented on this show, yet everyone speaks Korean, which is really cool. It’s also a sitcom style show, so fairly different from everything else I recommended, but I loved it!)
And obviously Squid Game if you haven’t watched it yet ;)
OCTOBER 2021
WHICH DISNEY VILLAINS ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST?
Lauren Bellamy (10/15/21)
Happy spooky season, readers!!! To be honest, I had no idea what to write until eleven something the night before everything was due for this issue (lol, reference to my poem “Crossing the Threshold”). Okay, that’s slightly a lie, considering I got the inspiration for this article whilst listening to my spooky season tunes playlist, and with majority of the songs being from Disney movies, and specifically Disney villains, I thought it may be fun to run down the top Disney villains in my book, or at least my favs.
5. Ursula
Now, Ursula is probably one of the top favorites among us Disney fans, due to her savage nature and the fact that she’s just downright messy. Though this is the case, we have to admire the fact that she stays to her word, and never sways. The only thing is that she may throw a couple wrenches into the plan (I mean, taking Ariel’s voice and then creating a whole new persona to make Ariel’s job to win Eric’s heart that much more difficult), but at the same time, Ariel did sign away her soul basically. So, how messy is Ursula really? A tad, simply because she didn’t have to do that to Ariel, but again, Ariel made her bed and now she had to lie in it. Second point, Ursula’s song is just iconic. “Poor Unfortunate Souls” lays down the groundwork of everything Ariel and the audience needs to know, while also slaying us with how much of a bop it is. It gets kind of scary close to the end in terms of the video sequence, but Ursula didn’t catch Ariel or us off-guard. With that, while Ursula is pretty darn evil, she is not necessarily the worst, because she doesn’t really do any underhanded stuff.
4. Dr. Facilier
The well-dressed ultimate villain in my favorite Disney movie, Disney Princess movie and just overall favorite movie, The Princess and the Frog. The thing about Dr. Facilier is that he is cunning, he is dressed to the nines, and he is the epitome of how evil money really is. He’s also a star symbol for being careful what you wish for, which makes his character fairly amazing, and makes his villainous efforts pretty powerful. While he is not the worst villain, he definitely comes close due to the fact that he will not stop at any length to get what he wants. Whether it be lying to every person he encounters, hogging everything for himself, or I don’t know, KILLING A FIREFLY NAMED RAY THAT WAS MINDING HIS BUSINESS, Dr. Facilier is a mastermind. He’s very meticulous in his plans, and when anything thwarts that plan, he goes off on whatever or whoever messes it up, and then acknowledges how it harms him. He’s selfish, peeps! One of the strongest attributes of any good villain, and he is probably one of the most selfish characters in existence, lol. I’m being dramatic, but you get the point.
3. Jafar
Now, Jafar is just downright smart. Yes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer! He got that down pat. He’s also a ruthless liar; he can keep up appearances, and really have everyone fooled. He would’ve had everyone fooled until he took over Agrabah, if it wasn’t for Aladdin being just as smart. He’s also the definition of power-hungry, and as we saw, will do anything in order to get the highest level of superiority. Thankfully, Genie and Aladdin stopped that from happening by swindling him, but either way, Jafar is messy as heck.
2. Mother Gothel
Aside from having an iconic song and reprise to match, Mother Gothel is one twisted person. First, she wanted to keep a magical flower that can automatically restore a person’s younger self’s attributes to herself. Second, when the King’s guards found the flower and brought it back to Rapunzel’s mother to heal her, hence giving Rapunzel her long, golden hair, sis literally went and stole the child like the thief in the night she was. Then when Rapunzel would ask her about the real world, proceeded to lie and lie again saying that the world was, and I quote, “full of horrible and selfish people,” yet, YET, she was literally describing herself! LMAO. Anyway, yeah, Mother Gothel is the queen of manipulation as well. Poor Rapunzel, indeed. Like seriously. “Mother Knows Best” is full of manipulative contradictions in which she completely insults Rapunzel continuously, then tries to hurry up and fix it with the fact that she loves Rapunzel (tuh). And then later on, when singing the reprise, Gothel literally is so shady and petty that she now sings, “Rapunzel knows best. Rapunzel’s so mature now. Such a clever grown-up miss” then proceeds to pat Rapunzel on the head, belittling her. But the funny thing is, that’s not even the worst part. The worst part comes from the intro to the song in which Gothel replies in song to Rapunzel thinking Eugene likes her. She sings:
Likes you? Please, Rapunzel, that's demented
This is why you never should have left
Dear, this whole romance that you've invented
Just proves you're too naive to be here
Why would he like you? Come on now, really!
Look at you, you think that he's impressed?
Don't be a dummy
~ “Mother Knows Best (Reprise)”
And the rest of the song continues. What type of mother is she? Obviously not one, as she’s not, because WHO WOULD SAY THAT TO HER CHILD?!?! Anyway, Rapunzel, girl, you should’ve known that something was up all those years, especially when that fine mans named Eugene a.k.a Flynn Rider stumbled upon your tower, but that’s another story for another day. But anyway, Mother Gothel is probably the worst female villain in the whole Disney franchise.
1. Scar
Okay, last one. Scar, is just, *chef’s kiss in Roshini’s voice,* in terms of how to be a ruthless villain. He is definitely one of the most despicable characters to exist in cinematic history, and we love him for it. Though The Lion King is based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which means Scar is basically based on Claudius, who is Hamlet’s uncle, I’m only focusing on the movie and not comparing the two. Anyway, Scar is shady as heck, and does the most in order to get what he wants, including manipulating his young nephew into thinking that his father died because of him, and furthermore, that Simba basically killed Mufasa. Poor Simba actually believes this and runs away from the pridelands, at Scar’s request, and of course, Scar gets what he wants: to be king. Of course that doesn’t last, thank GOD, but when Simba comes back and challenges Scar for the throne, Scar continues to twist lies into everyone’s minds, almost making Simba believe it again, but then Scar secretly tells Simba the truth, and of course, we know what happens after that. Scar is actually sick, but again, I love him for it. Thankfully the hyenas gave him what he deserved though.
So, while this does not in any way, actually sum up all of the wicked Disney villains, these are my top 5. I hope you enjoyed my craziness and love of Disney. Until next time, readers!
FORMATIVE HALLOWEEN MEMORIES THAT I THINK ARE KINDA FUNNY LOL
Elizabeth S. (10/15/21)
Ok guys this is gonna be a very chill article about some memories I associate with past Halloweens. It’s weird, the kind of things we remember when we sit and think about the past!
1. “The Green Ribbon” story from In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories
Honestly I don’t know if anyone else read books like this when they were younger, but In a Dark, Dark Room was a collection of short horror stories for children (honestly, why is this kind of book even allowed for like six-year-old children…). I distinctly remember reading this one story in the book, called “The Green Ribbon” which pretty much messed me up for awhile lol. It was about this girl who wore a green ribbon around her neck all the time, and when she found a boy she liked and they eventually got married, she kept the ribbon around her neck and refused to tell him why. Once they grew old together, she let her husband take the ribbon off her neck, but then her head fell off. This story honestly scarred me, HAHA. I don’t know why it had such a profound effect on me! I remember thinking anyone wearing necklaces was suspicious for a while…childhood really is something.
2. That one neighbor…
We all know those neighbors. Usually they’re one neighborhood over and are a middle-aged couple who usually keeps to themselves. For me, when I was around ten or so years old, I went to these neighbors on Halloween to collect my candy dues. As I climbed the steps to their porch, I noticed some really cool scarecrows sitting on rocking chairs. There was a large cauldron of candy on one of their laps. I reached over, and the scarecrows launched forward! Yeah, the couple had dressed in full scarecrow attire with makeup, and I got fooled and consequently jumpscared out of my mind. I believe I might’ve actually fallen off the porch and cut my arm or something LOL. Now that I think about it, it’s a pretty funny joke (I’m pretty sure my dad was laughing at me too…). But at the time, I pretty much almost had a heart attack.
3. My “extra” Halloween costumes
Halloween was my second favorite holiday growing up (of course, Christmas gifts took precedence for a child). For some reason, I really loved “extreme” costumes—these costumes could be very funny, or just require a lot of effort. I remember my most unique costume was probably a box of French fries…I think I wore that costume for like three years in a row HAHA. (And I was a kid who literally hated French fries…). I also loved wearing “scary” costumes (honestly they’re not that scary LOL but I thought I was so extra at the time…). Honestly, wearing costumes that stand out is an amazing strategy to get more candy. This might be the number one motivator for me to wear such costumes. I’ve added some pictures below this article for your viewing pleasure.
4. Reject pumpkins
I love carving pumpkins with my family. It’s a yearly tradition that we break out the stencils, carving knives, and pumpkin-guts-scoopers. You’d think that if it’s a yearly tradition, we’d have the process down pretty good. Well, that’s not exactly true. Over the years we’ve kind of “fallen off” on our structure. We used to actually go all the way to the pumpkin patch, spend the day there picking out just the right ones and making a real experience of it, but by the time I was about 13 we started losing track of time. A new tradition developed—my dad and I, usually on the 31st, would drive about five minutes to our local church, and look at the discounted pumpkins they had. Since it was usually on Halloween that we were doing this, the sellers were pretty desperate to get all these pumpkins off their hands. I can’t even count the number of free pumpkins we got, just from showing up at the right time. Sometimes, they would even give away those funky gourds for free too—and nothing is cooler for a kid than a funky gourd.
5. Scary movie night
My family used to host a “movie night” for the whole neighborhood each October. Honestly, I don’t know what happened to us! We used to do hayrides with our tractor-trailer on Halloween too, but now we’re the quiet neighbors….anyways, back to movie night. My dad, my sister and I would spend an entire day stringing up bedsheets over the front of our house, setting up the projector and extension cables out front, and cleaning up the yard so neighbors could bring chairs and blankets. We’d usually put on a happy movie for the kids early on at like 8 o’clock one night, and then at about 11 or so, we’d have a movie for the older kids and parents. I remember always pouting because my mom would only let me stay out for the happy movies. Finally, one year, I was allowed to stay out with my friends for the scary movie. I was about eleven, I think, and we watched World War Z. I was traumatized, and I don’t think I slept for that whole week.
Anyway, those are just a few funny Halloween memories I still think about. They’re just small, forgettable details in retrospect, but I think it’s nice to remember the traditions and reflect on the memories that “stick” with us even when we get older. I’d love to hear some of your own formative Halloween memories!
Now, for the best part: the “extra” costumes… (Editor's Note: see gallery below this article for images of costumes.)
2010 (and probably at least two other years…)—French fries costume. We got this one at a yard sale sponsored by my gymnastics gym. It came in a set with the hamburger, worn by my best friend at the time. These costumes were Pottery Barn brand, so probably extremely expensive—however, since they were at this sale, I think they only cost like $15 total. What a steal! (Also, a total candy magnet since the parents thought I was cute LOL.)
2013 – handmade “head on a platter” costume. We went to the dollar store and splurged on the “dining” section: cheap tablecloths, plates, silverware, napkins, fake fruit, the whole shabang. My mom was a real MVP with her hot glue gun, and she pretty much put the whole thing together. We also made the knife-headband (I remember her being quite proud of that one). The makeup was uncomfortable and the duct-taped-edge platter cut at my neck, but this is probably the best costume I ever had. It probably cost under $20 too!
2014—headless horseman costume. I freaking love this costume, but I remember it being SO UNCOMFORTABLE! I wear glasses, and I couldn’t wear them with the “neck” headpiece, so I was basically stumbling around blind all night (which I suppose adds to the immersion LOL). My dad had to help me walk around and go up any stairs, but I think that year I got my largest candy haul. I remember scaring my sister to death when she came home from school and I was trying it on, too—definitely worth it.
JAMIE HILL'S HORROR THRILLS!
(10/15/21)
I’m not sure if you all know this, but I love horror. Like a lot. So for this spooky month, I’m going to give you a lot of recommendations. You’ll hear about my favorite films, books, games, and in true HHS fashion, favorite female leads and antagonists. Spoilers for Doctor Sleep (2019), Audition (1999), and Jennifer’s Body (2009) under FEMALE ANTAGONISTS. Enjoy!
FILMS
SCREAM (1996, Wes Craven)
Okay, y’all gotta know that Scream is a classic. One of the most iconic opening scenes in movie history. Charming characters. An intrusive reporter getting punched. Fire character arcs. A simple, but amazing killer costume. A serial killer that I will baselessly claim to be the instigator of teenage girls’ obsessions with psychos. (Not me, though. I love it in fiction, not real life. Get some help.) Horror reference galore. And it’s directed by Wes Craven, the CEO of horror classics! Scream sparked the hilarious horror comedy franchise Scary Movie initiated by director Keenen Ivory Wayans, an indisputable win for Black creators in horror.
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY’S REVENGE (1985, Jack Sholder)
Now ANoES (1984) is one of my favorites, but 1) I already put a Craven classic on here and 2) I actually prefer the sequel. It is very underappreciated due to homophobia, the breaking of Freddy Krueger dream laws, and generally the sharp divergence it takes from the original. However, I feel that it’s an amazing commentary on masculinity and sexuality during adolescence. Many people think that protagonist Jesse Walsh (Mark Patton) can’t be taken seriously. Considering the pressure Patton endured with depicting this character around the onset of the HIV epidemic and fast rising homophobia though, I think he did fantastic. It is an obnoxious film, but the dramatics offset the terrifying scenes. Overall, a heavy story, but worth the watch.
CORALINE (2009, Henry Selick)
I’m a sucker for doppelganger plotlines, and that was likely initiated by this very film. How scary is it to be trapped in a world with your “other” parents who want to trap your soul? With buttons sewn over your eyes? It’s horrifying. The animation, however, is phenomenal. The twists and turns and colors and effects are consistently surreal and beautiful. That is what attracts Coraline to the Other world after all, but everything that glitters is not gold. Thrills are the allure of childhood, and it is often difficult to avoid the temptation to pursue them. Yet they may be where the real-life monsters lie in wait, just like the Other Mother.
BOOKS
R.L. Stine’s GOOSEBUMPS
I know somebody here remembers the Goosebumps series. Although they were a staple at the Scholastic Book Fair, I was getting them from the library. Reading Night of the Living Dummy with a doll seance of a bedroom was not the best decision for my sanity. And The Haunted Mask (not me actually relating to the theme) was just scary af for no reason, not to mention the other iconic characters that left me shook. And the opening theme of the show adaptation? Yeah, that joint hit. Watch it on Netflix and buy the books so R.L. Stine can get his coins.
Alvin Schwartz’s SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and its sequels formed a banger collection. What keeps this in our memory are Stephen Gammell’s creepy illustrations of the characters. However, the stories are nothing to scoff at. Despite never seeing a real scarecrow in my life, Harold got me. A couple years ago, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark was given the film adaptation treatment. Not really my cup of tea, but props to the creators for the costuming, special effects, and original storyline.
Junji Ito’s UZUMAKI
Uzumaki is probably the most iconic of Junji Ito’s work for good reason. You might be wondering, “What is Uzumaki?” Well, it is a manga series about swirls. Not like ice cream swirls, but the metamorphosis of daily life into both a literal and metaphorical spiral of chaos. Throughout the story, you witness humans, objects, and even nature itself become consumed by the spiral. What stands out in Uzumaki is the suspense that builds up to heartstopping artwork when the final form is revealed. I was first introduced to the series a few years ago when watching audio narrations of it by Horror Show Mickey. Unfortunately, they were taken down due to copyright issues, but you can buy the book from Barnes & Noble.
GAMES
DANGANRONPA
If you aren’t watching high schoolers die in a killing game, what are you doing?! This is my all-time favorite game. It is a murder mystery visual novel that is relentless in slaughtering your favorite characters. It has pink blood! Talented weirdos! Conflict! A crazy robot bear! Thrills! Chills! Kills! What more could you want?!
FRAN BOW
On a more serious note, this is an excellent and underappreciated point-and-click commentary on mental illness in the eyes of a young girl, Fran Bow. I believe it is the first thing I played that really delved into the chaos of schizophrenia, mental asylums, and pharmacotherapy. It is a wild experience of shattering the barriers of reality and imagination through the mind of a child. A must-play.
THE WALKING DEAD
You thought the show was tough? This choice-based game is brutal. As Berleezy says, you get immersed by playing as and with the main characters in a zombie apocalypse. This game turns a young Clementine into one of the greatest characters of all time through her ability to overcome the worst possible situations. It is really hard to watch, but absolutely worth the agony.
FEMALE LEADS
Jamie Lee Curtis’ LAURIE STRODE, HALLOWEEN FRANCHISE
Thee scream queen is Jamie Lee Curtis, and I can’t help but adore her most iconic role as Laurie Strode, the fierce opponent of Michael Myers. Laurie has been the main girl for over forty years. Sure, she hasn’t been in all the films, but we still get to witness her evolution. It is rare to see an actress age with a role, and it is a gem that Laurie becomes even more badass over time. Out of all the OG final girls, her determination makes her a stand-out character. Fighting Michael all that time is not for no average chick. Halloween Kills comes out when this article is published, so y’all better support my name twin.
Kyleigh Curran’s ABRA STONE, DOCTOR SLEEP (2019, Mike Flanagan)
Abra is literally who I wanted to be as a kid. She is the magician that her name suggests and the superhero that we all deserve. She holds such extreme power and control from childhood, which is honed even more when we see her as a pre-teen in Doctor Sleep. Moreover, Abra is fearless. In the worst possible situations (i.e. graphic soul-eating), she refuses to run away from the enemy even if no one else is on her side. Quite literally, Abra is that girl. PERIOD. (And a Black heroine is not common at all in horror, so super plus!)
Lupita Nyong’o’s ADELAIDE/RED, US (2019, Jordan Peele)
It is extremely difficult to play two opposing characters that both take up a significant amount of time in one film, but Lupita Nyong’o does it excellently. While Adelaide is a woman with a happy family, Red serves as her double with a less-than-ideal life in the sewers, along with many other “Tethereds.” Her motivation and distinction from the others, being a speaking and sharp-thinking figure, made her the leader of a plot to overthrow their doppelgangers above ground, so naturally Adelaide has to combat her. Their confrontations are well-acted, but the plot twist is ultimately what seals the deal for them being my favorites. (Also more Black characters >>>)
FEMALE ANTAGONISTS
Rebecca Ferguson’s ROSE THE HAT, DOCTOR SLEEP (2019, Mike Flanagan)
This chick is PURE EVIL. From the jump, she is established as a soul-eating manipulative monster who craves steam (AKA shine), which is most prominent in children. Yes, shine as in The Shining which precedes this film. But while Kubrick’s film feels more surreal, Doctor Sleep drags you into the reality of children being tortured for the survival of “immortal” beings. I had to break the rule of one movie appearing twice on the list because Rose is just so demented. Her conflict with Abra and Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) creates a relentlessly terrifying story that would make a win for our heroes not just a happy ending, but one necessary for their survival.
Eihi Shiina’s ASAMI YAMAZAKI, AUDITION (1999, Takashi Miike)
Okay, I have to admit I was rooting for her. Basically, she auditions for a role that is actually intended to land the sleazy producer another partner. But he messed with the wrong one. Asami was abused as a child and developed a deranged craving for love, which led her to torture and murder men who betray her. What makes her stand out is the torture scene at the end of the film. Along with the suspenseful atmosphere, Asami’s psychotic behavior makes her an iconic villain.
Megan Fox’s JENNIFER CHECK, JENNIFER’S BODY (2009, Karyn Kusama)
At this point, Jennifer is the face of hot demons and bisexuality. But Jennifer’s Body was slightly traumatizing for me as a kid. Like, this girl gets brutally sacrificed for the success of some wack band. Now I’m not saying that her victims deserved to die, but it’s very easy to enjoy her going on a murder spree while having strong romantic tension with her best “friend.” And special shout out to Karyn Kusama for being the only female director on this list! There are relatively few in the horror genre in general, so I have to give props when I can.
That’s all, folks! I honestly have too many favorites to include so this is only a fraction of my actual taste. And they’re MINE so don’t come at me acting all goofy. With that said, if you want to see more of me rambling about horror, you can go to my Instagram (@shanyaorjamie) and check out my Black Women in Horror stories. They’re, uh, not finished but they are informative about Black women’s contributions to the genre. Stay spooky~
SEPTEMBER 2021
WHY ARE WE SO OBSESSED WITH THE PROBLEMATIC, QUIET, BROODING GUYS IN YA NOVELS? (A COMEDIC RANT AND ANALYSIS)
Lauren Bellamy (9/10/21)
Okay, yes, this is mostly me thinking out loud...or just writing out my thoughts, but whatever. In almost every single contemporary YA Romance novel as well as our favorite Wattpad novels that consists of a love triangle (yes, this is an exaggeration), there are two guys that our female main character can choose. Her two options are usually a sweet, caring guy and an obnoxious, rude yet somehow misunderstood dude. Sigh. We know we should be team sweet, caring guy, but of course, we never are team sweet guy because the rude and misunderstood guy is just “perfect” and “needs sympathy.” We really need to stop, but we continue to be team problematic time and time again. But why? Let’s talk about it.
So, the staff and I just binge-watched the entire Twilight saga (something I do every summer for some unknown reason), and while we were watching the first movie, this idea came into play. I mean, I also realized that Jacob’s just as problematic, so Stephanie Meyer didn’t really give us much variation anyway. Anyway, with Edward, he’s obviously the absolute worst option, considering the only thing that drew him toward Bella in the first place was the aroma of her blood. Aside from that disturbance, Edward was what? Quiet? Mysterious? Brooding? Bingo. And who did Bella end up with? Exactly. And the thing is that pretty much everyone who read the books and watched the movies, including me, are Team Edward. Exhibit A complete, because Edward is crazy problematic, yet we still ship him with Bella, and of course, they end up together and be cute, little vampires at the end of the saga. It’s crazy to think, but it’s true. Also, for why I think Jacob is problematic...the dude is hella manipulative, and forgive the slight curse word, but it’s true! I really noticed it when I was watching the movies because for example, literally all of Eclipse, he’s demanding Bella to do this or to do that, and just expects her to follow through. Then, he always try to make her feel bad for her life choices, and I’m just like, “DUDE!!! IT WAS NEVER GOING TO BE YOU, LIVE WITH THAT!!!!” Seriously, the dude has a problem, and at least, Edward wasn’t manipulative or controlling in that aspect. But anyway, they both suck.
Let’s look at another example. I’m currently reading The Summer I Turned Pretty series by Jenny Han, and it is a wonderful representation of a love triangle. This is a series that consists of brothers as the love interests, both polar opposites: Jeremiah, the younger brother, who’s kind, caring and charismatic, and then Conrad, the older brother who is quiet, nonchalant, and troubled, for lack of a better term. Our female main character, Belly (nickname for Isabel) has known both of them all her life, but has always been drawn to Conrad. And though he’s been dismissive of her and outright rude to her, she still loves him and always will, and we as the fans are in the same boat. Now, since I still have one book left, I don’t know how this will play out, but considering for the first two books it’s only been about her love for Conrad, I’m pretty sure it will end the exact same way. I’m laughing though writing this because I was just talking to one of my fellow staff members, Elizabeth, about this and we both were acknowledging how problematic Conrad is, yet we always worry about him and want him to be okay. Darn these “helpless” boys!!!
It’s just a funny thought, but seriously, what is it about these guys that we can’t help loving so much? They aren’t good guys, like whatsoever, yet they still find a way to pull at our heartstrings. Maybe it’s because we love drama or maybe it’s because we love things that aren’t “perfect” (quotation marks present because nothing nor anyone is perfect). It may connect to the fact that we always love the underdog too, though, it would be nice if the underdogs in this situation were unproblematic. Bottom line here is we need to have some better characters in the world like my dude Nikolai from The Grisha Chronicles, because we do not deserve him whatsoever. Okay, rant over lol.
WHAT I LOOK FOR IN A GOOD BOOK: “REREADABILITY”
Elizabeth (9/10/21)
I’ll be honest. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve had a chance to just sit down and open up one of my favorite books, preferably one I’ve read seven or eight times over already. I blame both college and manga for my declining attention span. But anyways, that’s not important—what I wanted to bring to the table today is my list of qualities I look for in a book that contribute to its “rereadability,” a term I use to refer to how many times I am willing to re-immerse myself in a plot and fictive world.
But why do I prefer rereading instead of finding new books, anyways?
Laziness.
Yeah, that’s actually the reason. I could find a new book and love it, and perhaps I admittedly am missing out on this experience. But…looking for another “masterpiece” (in my eyes, at least) gives me expectations that are way too high and honestly quite tiring to search for. I am not a very picky person, but when it comes to books, my inner librarian emerges (and yes, I actually did work in a library as a volunteer, thank you very much. Let’s not talk about the part where I got fired though).
Ok fine. If you want some more valid reasons for why I advocate for rereading, here they are.
Distance from fandom culture – most often, I reread stories when I start to feel distanced from the fandom. Even if it’s a series you’ve grown up with, or loved for many years (looking at you, Harry Potter), it’s impossible to remember every detail of a series or book forever. And what are fandoms sticklers for? Details. (See my “Fandoms” article about why fanwars in comment sections are so scary). Sometimes I just want to be able to view the work in a new light, too (cough cough, not me looking for new ships). Maybe it’s just me, but when I start to feel less knowledgeable about a series I was once obsessed with, I get a sense of guilt and a feeling of obligation to re-immerse myself into what I was once so devoted to.
Bad memory – My memory literally sucks. In elementary and middle school, I would reread Percy Jackson (five books) and Heroes of Olympus (also five books, but each was longer)…guess. Once every few years? Once every summer? NO. Once every three or four MONTHS. I literally LOVE these series so much; Rick Riordan is actually a true genius and comedian. The jokes would always hit their marks, no matter how many times I reread the series. I would always savor moments of reveal, even though I had read them every time. I guess part of this “bad memory” has a basis in the writer’s quality. When a writer can pull trick-plots out of nowhere and bring so many world-building details to the table, it’s easy to forget each individual impact. Rereading ceaselessly provides a wonderful shock-factor.
Emotional attachment – Let’s be honest: we all simp for certain fictional characters. Or, we want to pretend certain characters are our friends. HECK, these books are like my friends. After you’ve experienced a truly amazing story, you start feeling proud of it. You are in a niche of people who have also experienced this amazing work, and there is a certain exclusivity attached with being part of such a group. I, for one, feel possessive over my book collection. But maybe that’s just me.
Inspiration – sometimes I just want to re-experience an author’s style. How they develop characters, the words they use, the directional arc the plot takes…all of this is useful information when trying to become inspired to write a poem or just doing some creative writing.
There are my reasons. Happy now?
Now, to the actual point of this article (see what you did? Stop distracting me!).
Things I look for in books: qualities for “rereadability”:
Humor. I absolutely LOVE anything to do with comedy, whether it’s in my anime, self-written articles (yeah I went there), YouTube recommendations, ANYTHING. So when I find a character or idea that is genuinely funny, I latch on like a freaking leach. This doesn’t mean my favorite characters can’t take themselves seriously—quite the contrary. A usually-serious character dropping a one-liner is one of my favorite things. But certain characters that just add comedic value, or when the author is clever enough to be able to weave longstanding jokes throughout the whole story, really add to my enjoyability. (I know I keep talking about Percy Jackson but when they went to the Hoover Dam and kept making “dam jokes” is one of my favorite things ever.)
Sense of atmosphere. I love stories with really clear world-building. I want to be able to visualize the environment, not have to grasp for unknowns that somehow emerge as relevant to the plot, and I want to be able to gain a sense of the main character’s “vibe.” You can’t tell me that Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn’t have a certain vibe to their friend group—they were often serious, but still frequently complained about workload, and had inside jokes. It was a group I felt I could have joined (*sighhhh* I wish I was a witch).
Big reveals. I hate mystery novels, but I love when there’s a big, unexpected reveal after an author has set enough groundwork to prepare an innocent reader for emotional impact. Stories where my jaw drops, or when I feel tears coming to my eyes—those feelings for me signify a “big reveal.” This reveal can come in the form of a speech, battle scene, or self-realization.
Uniqueness and up-front-ness in context. This goes hand in hand with the sense of atmosphere. I like stories that have well-defined spots in the timeline of humanity. In one of my favorite books, Grave Mercy, the story is centered around fifteenth-century Brittany, and there is a clearly explained monarchical system. Just from those details alone I already feel like I have enough background for the plot to flow easily in my understanding, instead of that annoying feeling when you have to wait as a setting’s details are gradually revealed.
Inherited pride and strength from reading. This one is kinda weird to explain. Sometimes there are just scenes in a book where you can feel a smirk coming to your face, when you just feel so smug about a character revealing his/her abilities, or finally standing up to a villain. During these moments, you feel like you could passionately shout along to what the character is doing, and your heart starts pumping so hard as your inner competitiveness arises and you can vicariously live through—ok, fine, it’s just me, I get it. But like—in The Selection Series, when America Singer gives the royal jewels to the man accused of a life-sentence crime (which was just stealing food btw) instead of placing them at the foot of the tyrannical king and thus liberates the “criminal” publicly in accordance with her values—well, you just had to read it and experience it. But those who did read it—how could you not feel a fiery sense of pride and justice when reading such an amazing scene?
Some kind of outwitting or stakes. And no, I don’t mean the kind of stakes that you stick in the ground, dummy. I mean like, a life-or-death competition. Fighting for a cure for your loved one, like in the Fire and Flood series by Victoria Scott (where’s book three, Victoria??). Outsmarting a corrupt ruler, like in The Winner’s Series by Marie Rutkoski. Fighting your way out of kidnapping and then finding out the real villain was someone you trusted all along, like in Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick. You know what I’m talking about.
Generally-favored tropes (according to my own standards). These are basically brownie points. Enemies to lovers. Dystopian society or laid-back beach vibes. Some kind of competitive aspect. Someone snarky and sassy I can fangirl over. Incredible diction/poetic writing style that isn’t cringe. Allusions to Greek mythology or fairytales.
And now, I present to you, my list of endlessly rereadable books. I mentioned most of them throughout this article, but I will still list them here. These are all books that I actually own copies of, if that signifies anything to you. (Note: I will leave out manga in favor of traditional literature.)
- First, the obvious series: Harry Potter by JK Rowling; Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan.
- The Selection by Kiera Cass (but not the second series about her daughter…)
- Fire and Flood and Salt and Stone by Victoria Scott
- Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick
- Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
- Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
- The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy by Jenny Han
- Just Listen (amongst other books by this author) by Sarah Dessen
- Flawed duology by Cecilia Ahern
- The Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski
- Often rereadable (but not top picks): The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (didn’t make the list because of Mockingjay LOL); the Fallen series by Lauren Kate; Lucky T by Kate Brian
Sorry I didn’t include the Twilight series, guys! (LOL) I hope you can forgive this betrayal… But anyways, I more-so hope that this article proved informative. Try out these stories! I promise I have read each of them at least four times…I can vouch for their quality.
SO...I’M KIND OF OBSESSED WITH YOUNG ROYALS
Lauren Bellamy (9/10/21)
While I was late to the party (only a few weeks this time), I finally watched the glorious spectacle that is Young Royals, a new Swedish drama on Netflix. Let me just start off by saying that this show...Y’ALL. Sorry, I needed the emphasis, because, SIS! Aside from the beautiful love story that’s the center of it all, I just want to say that this show is so freaking perfect, and I don’t use that lightly. From the truly fantastic representation, to the relatability with the characters, to just an actually honest image of how teenagers are with just a little drama. I fell in love with this show almost automatically once Wilhelm (our MC) got in a fight almost as soon as the show started, especially since the fight perfectly illustrated what a fight looks like between highschoolers. It’s not perfectly choreographed (though, I’m pretty sure that scene was choreographed, but that’s not the point) and it’s realistic. In this article, I will be fangirling while also acknowledging that Young Royals is one of the best shows to turn to when wondering what it's like being a teenager in this day and age.
The Plot:
I am awful at writing summaries because I never know what’s too much and what’s too little, so I’m just going to cite the show’s description on Netflix. It says, “Prince Wilhelm adjusts to life at his prestigious new boarding school, but following his heart proves more challenging than anticipated.” Yep, basically. So, in connection to what I was saying earlier in reference to the fight, that fight occurred at a club with Wilhelm’s former classmates at his former school before Hillerska, the boarding school the synopsis discusses. He was the victim in it, but his family made him apologize and then made him go to Hillerska without any say. Not that it turned out bad (BECAUSE HE FOUND A BEAUTIFUL MANS NAMED SIMON), but I will get to that. To be honest, as I actually sit and write this, I realize that the plot is pretty typical or at least predictable, exceptttt, because of the fact that the writers, casting directors, producers, etc. actually gave a crap about what they were discussing with this show, the predictable plot is actually relatable and something that we see on a day-to-day basis because of the diverse representation.
That Representation Tho…
So, when I first heard about this show, I did not think I would see the diversity that I did. I ignorantly assumed that Sweden was homogenous, but while there’s a majority group, there are people from all different backgrounds there, and this show showed that. What I loved in Young Royals is the fact that both of Wilhelm’s potential love interests were people of color. That’s a genuine first in a while, aside from shows whose MC is a person of color, though we know that showrunners find a way to mess that up too, but anyway. Having Simon and Felice as main characters in the whole scheme of things helped to showcase two different cultural backgrounds upfront and personal. While I wish we could have seen a little more into Felice’s cultural/racial identity, I loved how they made her the “it girl” if you will, and that made me even more happy considering that she’s Black, plus-size and has acne!!! I know, a weird thing to be happy about, but it shows that most teenagers encounter acne or just overall skin conditions as they’re growing up, and the fact that the “it girl” had it made me feel all fuzzy inside. I sound strange, but I’m hoping you’re understanding what I’m saying. It also made me excited that Felice was closer to my size, which I rarely ever see on teen shows.
And that love story, y’all
Don’t even get me started on Wilhelm and Simon, because...I’m literally swooning while writing this sentence. For real, these two were just…(taking a quick moment to take a page from Roshini’s book) *chef’s kiss*. Anyway, I think what was so adorable about these two was the fact that they didn’t have all of the answers. They were just rolling with it. And of course, there were some dramatic moments of disconnect and honestly not understanding what they should do, but I think that’s what made it even more sweet and heartwarming. Plus, it started EARLY, boo. Like literally, Wilhelm was staring hard at our dude Simon, and I was here for it lol. And then Simon was feeling him too, so I was like, “AWWW, THEY’RE TOO CUTE!!!!” Plus, I don’t think that the directors/producers did too much nastiness with them. Like yes, they had a *ahem* scene, but it wasn’t overly raunchy or really raunchy at all. I also think that it was unnecessary for them too, because there were actual feelings involved in the sense that you could tell how much they both liked one another and wanted to just be with one another. It wasn’t like their attraction was just lust, it was actual potential love involved, so I was glad that the directors/producers/writers didn’t make it only about lust. Another reason why I appreciate this show so much is because I’m like, this is what I would think teenagers are like. Most teenagers don’t know what they’re doing in relationships, and I think that Wilhelm and Simon represent that and still give us all of the feels at the same time, because they don’t know. It’s genuinely endearing.
Oh, wait, *QUICK SPOILER ALERT* so I advise if you haven’t watched the show, go do so now, because I need to get this off my chest. So, if you know how the first season ends, basically with Wilhelm having to go home because everyone finds about him and Simon (he also lied to the country saying that he and Simon were not together in that video), and now, he has to really take the reins of being Crown Prince, he and Simon have to part ways. What’s unfortunate is that Simon is still really upset with Wilhelm, and to be honest, he has every right to be, though anyway. They hug one another, and when they do, Wilhelm whispers that he loves Simon, and though Simon doesn’t say it back, there’s this moment of understanding that that’s enough for the moment, instead of forcing both of them to say it. I think it shows relatability and honesty because in most shows, the creators get so caught up in believing they know what the audience wants, but to be honest, at least in my opinion, the audience wants authenticity. There’s a reason we’re obsessed with Wilhelm and Simon, and it’s not only because the actors that play them are crazy hot (like geez), but because the characters are reasonably normal and themselves. They’re not trying to put up a front as if everything’s okay, because it’s not. That’s why I appreciate this couple, and Simon not saying “I love you” back because he was hurt and he was not going to allow Wilhelm pulling at his heartstrings to make him back down.
Absolute perfection, I tell you.
Overall, this show was genuinely one of the best shows that has graced Netflix, and that’s saying a lot. I don’t think it’s appropriately rated yet, because I don’t think y’all realize you’re sleeping on this phenomenal show, and hopefully, after reading this review, you will change your mind. Anyway, I obviously give this show 6 out of 5 stars because it’s just that fantastic, and I probably will retwatch it soon. But please check it out!
IF YOU FEEL LIKE DYING
National Suicide Awareness Month - Jamie C. Hill (9/10/21)
You might think that you have no meaning left because the person most important to you has passed. You might think that you can’t live in a situation anymore, whether that be prison, a hospital, poverty, or a relationship. You might think that you don’t deserve to live after committing a crime. You might not even know why you’re thinking about suicide but the idea keeps returning. You’re probably thinking other things, too: You hate yourself. You don’t know what to do. You’re crazy. You’re ashamed.
Well, your thoughts aren’t facts. Unlike death, they aren’t permanent. Perhaps their fluctuation is what brings you stress and may be the very thing to turn you to death. But you will never be able to have agency; you will never be able to have a grip over your life when it is gone. Your life is real, and it can change. In fact, you can change it, but you don’t have to take it away to do so.
You are valuable no matter where you are, what you do, and how you live. I wish that I could have a definite answer that could cure the pain, and reform the systems, and eradicate the stigmas, but I don’t. I wish that everyone had the community to feel safe and loved, but they don’t. If you can just keep taking those little steps second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, then you are making progress. You have gotten this far, and you can keep going. I believe in you.
Where to learn more and find help
National Suicide Prevention Line: 1-800-273-8255
Psychology Today is something I always link. It is an easy source to find a therapist in your area, and it also allows you to select your preferences, like what insurance the provider takes, what issues you want to discuss, what ethnicities they serve, and more.
Mental Health America is also something I typically link. It has virtually everything you can think of concerning mental health. You can take screenings to see if you have symptoms of or are at risk for a mental illness. They also provide resources for “warmlines,” which are where you are not in crisis but just need someone to talk to.
Friendship Line is a crisis line for older adults aged 60+. In addition to providing active suicide intervention, they also have services for elder abuse reporting and grief support.
The Trevor Project provides resources for LGBTQ+ youth. They also have a hotline, chat, and support center for suicidal youth.
Suicide_Prevention_Resource_Guide_2.pdf was a pamphlet I found from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care. It provides information for mental health professionals to treat incarcerated individuals who suffer from suicidality. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything that was addressing incarcerated individuals rather than physicians.
Black Men Heal is an organization that centers on care for men of color founded by Black therapists, counselors, and mental health and social justice advocates. In the linktree in their bio, there is a source to connect to a provider.
Depressed While Black is a non-profit organization founded by Imadé Nibokun Borha, a Black woman who suffers from chronic suicidality. As I write this (9/7/21), their program “Help Me Find a Black Therapist” is on hiatus. However, I still recommend reading Imadé’s words to think more about incarceration, mental illness, chronic illness, and race.
Native American Counseling and Healing Collective (NACAHC) is a resource I found with Native American counselors. They offer cognitive-behavioral therapy through both individual and group counseling.
Behavioral Health - Native American Health Center (nativehealth.org) is another resource I found that was created by Native Americans that focuses on overall health and well-being.
Suicide Prevention Resources | SAMHSA is a page that has compiled more resources specifically for Native Americans.
Therapy for Latinx has a member directory that lists Latinx mental health professionals.
National Alliance for Hispanic Health offers resources that contribute to the well-being of Latinx communities. They also have a helpline: 1-866-783-2645
Asian LifeNet Hotline (offers Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, and Fujianese): 1-877-990-8585
Asian Mental Health Collective has provided a directory for finding Asian mental health professionals.
AUGUST 2021
WHAT BLACK GIRLS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR HAIR JOURNEY
Jamie C. Hill (8/6/21)
For Black Girls, hair is a crucial part of development. It is the subject of alienation and objectification, but it is also the source of pride and power. How we present our hair is often a reflection of who we are as people, which has its pros and cons. But the most important part of this journey is how you go through it, so let me offer some of my own ongoing thoughts about it.
1. Wear it how you want
Somebody will always say something about your hair. When it’s straight, you look grown. When it’s kinky, you’re nappy-headed. Too early to color it when you’re young, too kiddy when you’re older. Unprofessional. Fast. Attention-seeking. You’re never going to get it right to society, so you might as well do what you want. Get the colorful braids; rock the fro; put on the wigs; shave it off if you want to! Whatever makes you happy is the best for you.
2. Research your stylists
Do NOT go to a stylist without looking at their work. Most stylists have some sort of promotion whether that be through Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. It’s not that they are bad per se, but they might have their specialties. Wig installers and makers may not be good braiders. Great braiders may not be good with relaxers. However! Know your standards. Anyone who isn’t comfortable with Black hair is out (same applies with skin, culture, and other things in accordance to related professions). If they have a ton of expectations before you even set an appointment AND charge high prices, look another way. You’re performing services on yourself even though you’re paying for somebody else to do it. That’s goofy as hell.
3. Research your styles
To get the most out of your hairstyle, you need to make sure that you know what you are getting into. Micro braids are beautiful, but they take forever to take out and can cause hair loss if you remove them wrong. Starting your loc journey requires a lot of maintenance in the beginning. Relaxers can burn a lot, and bleaching hair can dry it out. Please research wig installation before getting a lace front so your hairline doesn’t get damaged. And definitely consult other people to gauge a reasonable price for the style.
4. Try working on it yourself
It can be really exhausting to experiment with your hair yourself, especially with short hair. The first few times I tried cornrowing my pretttty short hair during quarantine, it did not turn out well. Then I tried installing weave to do box braids and I couldn’t grip at all. With practice, it became easier for me to cornrow (though I haven’t attempted box braids again). I also did some other styles, including:
Puffs
Bantu knots
Curly ponytail add-on
Bantu knots + curly ponytail add-on
Bantu knots + puffs
Crocheted locs
Braid-outs and twist-outs
As you can see, there are options, and I’m sure you’re creative enough to come up with some as you go. From my experience, bantu knots are probably the most effective protective hairstyles for beginners. Uneven length? Kinky? Can’t braid? Don’t want to constantly comb or pick it out? Want a unique look? No problem! However, no shame if you feel lazy. Scarves and wigs are very clutch. Use whatever is handy.
5. Listen to your hair
I know there are a lot of articles and videos about having a specific wash day routine that takes x amount of hours and you have to do this and this and this to maintain it before washing it again. To be honest, a lot of it is cap. Many of these hair techs and brands feed on the desire to have “good” hair. That means that they know what girls and women want: length, manageability, and shine (in brief). They advertise oils that make your hair grow; they say that fruit concoctions make it more nourished; they tell you how often to moisturize and you have to use the LOC method and you can’t use heat so that it looks shiny.
Yes, I’ve been there. Yes, it’s stressful. But you really just have to listen to your hair. When I stopped flat ironing and curling every day, it was rough to transition. I had no idea where to go from there, so I was watching those natural hair videos from 2017 to early 2020, which was founded on the misinformation coming from new stylists earlier in the decade. Meanwhile, the natural hair elders who endured similar beauty standard struggles were not in these mainstream conversations, and they weren’t advising all that. If I had just made some simple changes (wore protective styles, received regular trims, used a good shampoo), then I wouldn’t have wasted so much time and money on useless methods. There were other things that I couldn’t (and still can’t) control which prevented my hair from being consistently healthy: stress, poor diet, and a neat little disorder called trichotillomania. However, trusting your hair-stincts when they tell you to wash, trim, and wrap will serve you far better than draining your bank account.
If you want more information or need some advice, feel free to send a message to my Instagram @shanyaorjamie.
COVID-19: HOW A PANDEMIC IS PRESENTED & HOW IT AFFECTS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US
Jamie C. Hill (8/6/21)
Scared about the pandemic? Scared about the vaccine? Scared about the government? Feel like no one understands you? Feel like no one is listening to you? Uncertain? You should read this article. It is crucial to understanding why you, me, and the rest of the world behaves the way they do. This is a long one, so feel free to stop and come back later. However, I need you to read the entire thing, even when you may come to some painful conclusions. So, let’s talk about COVID-19.
1. Data & Its Evolution
There is a concerning lack of consideration that science changes occurring alongside a lack of consideration that people change, too. It is miraculous how much scientists got done in that first year, and it is realistic that the data was evolving during that time period. All things considered, that we have vaccines at all is a feat, and their distribution was undoubtedly sped up due to the urgency of the pandemic.
That is not to say that the vaccine was rushed. In fact, the development of a coronavirus vaccine was already being developed years ago, as stated by my fellow writer, Vaishnavi, in her mythbusting article. It gives a little insight on how researchers and research-followers treated the vaccine as it was in the early stages of distribution. Because her article talks specifically about vaccination myths, I won’t go into that much detail about what she already said, so check it out!
Now, back to data. You should know by now that masking, social distancing, hand washing, and efficient ventilation are in conjunction the best preventive measures against COVID-19. That is consistently true, and legitimate news outlets reinforced that. However, the availability and distribution of the vaccine has made people much more lax with these measures. Not even 50% of the U.S. population was vaccinated before the CDC allowed for looser restrictions for fully vaccinated people on May 3, 2021. We still haven’t reached 50%, and it’s August 5th as I’m writing this. The vaccine is still not available to children under 12 years old in Virginia. But many are acting like everything is back to normal and genuinely believing it. So when there began talks of variants, that fear heightened, especially with the more contagious Delta variant.
This should not be surprising. Although many took the opportunity to seize the vaccine when it became available, a significant proportion did not. Keep in mind that a lot of people were also disregarding masks, social distancing, and small gatherings, so it is unreasonable to think that everything would just go away. Certain people believed that would be the case due to “herd immunity” without acknowledging that viruses mutate anyway and that the coronavirus can have debilitating effects, especially on the immunocompromised. The more these viruses mutate, the less effective the vaccines can become. This does not mean that it is pointless to get them. You still are less likely to have severe symptoms and be hospitalized. But if we aren’t collectively and consistently vigilant (which we aren’t), then we are going to continue this cycle of vaccination-decreased cases-relaxation-increased cases-panic mode. Get vaccinated, keep masking, social distance, and stay in places with good ventilation if possible.
I will say that I don’t think the CDC is untrustworthy. They are very thorough with their research and studies. If you look on their site for the coronavirus, you can find just about anything related to it. And, as aforementioned, science changes. However, their decisions are not matching up to that research and the implications it has. Because they were reactive, knowing that the Delta variant was spreading in India but backing more lax regulations, super-spreader events were able to return (perhaps temporarily, depending on state and federal government). So while they understand that Americans are itching to have some semblance of normalcy, they should have known that public health is the utmost priority.
2. Motivations
COVID-19 messaging is primarily failing because of fear, one of the most primitive motivators humans have. I don't think these institutions know how to handle fear, especially on a national scale. People will run with information that feeds into their biases. Even some healthcare folks are pushing anti-vaxx propaganda. Being a doctor doesn’t magically remove bias. Plenty are still racist, still sexist, still elitist—traits that have harmed many marginalized people. From the way healthcare ignores their behavior, it is no surprise that bias emerging out of fear would consume others’ feelings as well.
Think about the vaccine. The cost-benefit analysis of getting the vaccine versus getting COVID-19 is quite clear. The likelihood of catching the virus, the symptoms, and the understudied “long COVID” effects have much greater potential to be an awful experience than getting the shot. It is very, very, extremely unlikely that you will end up in the hospital due to the vaccine. But certain perceptions (i.e. misinformation, government distrust, the fear of needles and new medicine) make it sound so much worse.
Every human experiences fear, and thus every human is susceptible to panic. The category of anti-vaxx is too broad to apply to everyone who is skeptical about the vaccine. (Again), as aforementioned, people change. People who were originally fine with receiving the vaccine may have seen an effect that scared them. The changes in the CDC’s recommendations have made many feel that it is unreliable. Therefore, not everyone is going to respond to the same methods in the same way. You can look at the science behind everything, but an adverse experience may make you hesitate anyway. Other people may not understand much about the virus, but they will take the vaccine because their community has overwhelmingly positive messaging.
The motivations for your average Joe are different from those for politicians. Most people behave in a way that is self-serving. For example, I prefer to stay in the house because I would not want to risk contracting the disease and spreading it to my immunocompromised mother. Compare that to another student that lives in a dorm. They have a lower risk of being harmed by COVID personally, so they would be more likely to go out. Switch that perspective to a politician that is weighing the options of hundreds to thousands to millions of individuals.
I don’t think politicians should not look at the different perspectives of all their constituents, but I certainly believe that in a public health crisis they should prioritize public health. That is, they should be taking actions that prevent disease spread rather than react to it. When they choose to prioritize the economy, if not their own interests, it should not be unexpected that the public will lose trust in their government. And when they lose trust in the government, they lose trust in what the government tells them. When that happens, they won’t take precautions or vaccines, which is bad for all of us. Suffice to say, reopening and “returning to normal” is not a logical decision at this point in time, but the influence of politics motivates the government’s actions differently from a regular person.
3. Racial and Political Context
On multiple domains, there is a racial and political context to the pandemic. Anti-Chinese sentiments permeate many aspects. The racist idea that Chinese people are “cooking dogs” coincided with the same type of racism emerging when the first story about the origin of COVID-19 was said to be in a wet market from a bat. Then it was said to be a lab leak. Then it was said to be from a bat to another animal to humans. Another was said to be cold-chain food products. However, according to a draft report of a World Health Organization-China joint study, it appears that the virus was most likely transferred from a bat to another animal to humans.
Quite frankly, I don’t expect to fully understand the origins of the virus because it is so political. China and the USA are not in a friendly relationship, which is the result of communism v. capitalism and an ongoing battle for militial power. If there was any chance for the US government to demonize China, it would be over the past year, and they certainly seized that opportunity. Similarly, I don’t think China would be too fond of being blamed for a global pandemic.
Regardless, I never expected to understand the origins anyway. It is difficult in general to find the exact source of a virus. As a mere American student, there is nothing I could say or do that would change the course of how international governments and organizations study the origins of a virus. Nor is it a priority for me, either. I would simply like to see decisions made that prioritize the welfare of my community rather than play political games.
So, that was a very global perspective of racial and political context. Let’s center on that within America. Anti-Chinese sentiments basically mean anti-Asian sentiments, not because they are the same, but because Americans have a very generalized viewpoint of Asia. This led to Asians being ostracized and collectively blamed for the pandemic. During 2020, there was a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, which was partly incited by the president at the time, Donald Trump, but also by inherent white nationalism.
The pandemic also highlighted the health disparities for Black, Native American, and Hispanic or Latino people. According to reports posted by the CDC, there are disparities in COVID-19 cases. As of July 16, 2021, African Americans and Latinos were 2.8x more likely and Native Americans were 3.4x more likely to be hospitalized than Whites. Native Americans were 2.4x more likely to die from COVID-19 compared to Whites—2.0x more for African Americans and 2.3x more for Latinos. Race and ethnicity are not the causes, but they signal underlying problems with society. Spanish-speaking people may face language barriers when trying to receive care. African Americans may receive worse healthcare from racist perceptions. Native Americans may have limited access to resources. Underlying conditions that are more prominent in these racial/ethnic groups can also make them more likely to be hospitalized or die from COVID-19.
I am pointing this out because education tends to use historical context instead of modern context when it comes to health disparities and why racial/ethnic groups don’t or can’t receive proper treatment. These problems are happening in real time. Adjust your thinking.
4. Disability
Let’s dive more into disability, too. There has consistently been a focus on deaths and on hospitalizations, but what about how the virus results in disabilities? How does it affect people who already have them? Long term effects of COVID (also known as “long COVID”) can include severe damage to organs, a very visible symptom. However, it can also lead to brain fog, which is a more psychological symptom. People often underestimate psychological problems because they aren’t taught to consider them as actual issues. This means that people with psychological disorders are forced to work and are viewed as incompetent while being held to the same standards as abled people. Even with more visible disabilities, society still may think they aren’t trying hard enough to adapt to their situation when it is society that should be adapting to theirs. Doctors may say they are exaggerating their problems (an issue especially common for Black female patients) and obstruct the treatment process themselves. Since this happens in normal times, imagine how much worse it was when hospitals were overwhelmed with patients and equipped with poor knowledge of treatments.
Which is why it is particularly important that every individual must consider the effect of COVID-19 on disabled people in the first place. Even though it may not affect you, even if you are vaccinated, you need to think about the fact that you can pass it on to someone else and subsequently worsen their situation. For the immunocompromised, there is limited research on the effectiveness of the vaccine because they weren’t really included in the trials. This does not mean that the vaccine may be harmful to the patient, but that it just might not work, making them more at-risk for contracting more severe COVID symptoms. Keeping this in mind, immunocompromised children are set to go to school in-person for the fall semester. They should not be an afterthought when schools and lawmakers decide on requirements versus recommendations. Although it is rare for children to become hospitalized or die from COVID-19, they can still spread the virus, and for their immunocompromised peers, that can be debilitating.
I do wonder how many people have witnessed or experienced the struggles of disability; how many have feared their loved one was going to die; how many have waited in hospitals and gone to doctor after doctor to find the source of their problem; how many understand how complicated it is for healthcare professionals to collectively work together to give the best care. If they did, then maybe they would understand how serious this pandemic is. Perhaps they do, but they would rather choose convenience. Maybe culminating fear and distrust override their choice to get vaccinated. But these are just my musings, so carry on.
5. Conspiracy
There are two sides to anti-vaxx, anti-mask, COVID denial conspiracies (as in: “the government is trying to manipulate us” conspiracies). The most discussed side is that people are inadvertently drawn to the scariest, but least reasonable explanation. Because they are scared, they aren’t willing to accept any actual information at face value. This is different from being skeptical. Skepticism is hesitating in case the vaccine produces any troublesome side effects. Skepticism is wondering if there are more cases than reported (which is very likely since most get tested when they have symptoms or have been exposed). However, skepticism is not believing the least likely conclusion over logic. Don’t be so scared that you can’t connect facts.
The other side is that people are purposefully seeking and distributing false information. The first side implies that certain conspiracists fall prey to fear, but this side addresses that others are consciously aware of what they are doing. These actors have agendas; they have no intentions of changing their mind. Though there is a focus on politicians as the main villains—who have even taken the vaccine themselves despite what they tell their base—this also applies to regular people. The media likes to paint people as victims, but it is important to recognize that humanity is nuanced. Regular people, from blue-collar to white-, also spread misinformation with total awareness. They aren’t victims, and this is something yet to be properly confronted by the media. Victimize? Demonize? Ostracize? They don’t know, and that is how misinformation is able to flourish.
6. What is lacking?
First of all, we can already assume there is underreporting. Asymptomatic spread is not really incorporated into decisions by politicians. In 2020, you had to show symptoms or be exposed to receive a COVID test. This was so that the supply of tests would not run completely out, but that means asymptomatic cases were not being reported. Even now on the Virginia Department of Health’s website, it denotes that “[f]ully vaccinated people, and people who tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 3 months and recovered, do not need to get tested after exposure as long as they do not have symptoms.” If fully vaccinated people have a lower chance of getting severe symptoms, what does that say about asymptomatic spread? Especially considering the more contagious Delta variant, it makes more sense to follow the CDC’s advice and get tested after exposure to COVID. While asymptomatic cases may not result in serious issues for the individual, it is dangerous for the rest of the community, as discussed in the “Disability” section.
Second, contact tracing. Though contact tracing is a good achievement, its application has not been as effective as it was broadcasted to be. One, people do not keep track of everyone on their own. Two, how do you contact trace from a super-spreader event like Rolling Loud or Lollapalooza? You will have to look at every individual who went (meaning people from all across the country), get in touch with them, get in touch with the individuals they encountered after the event (and maybe before if they contracted COVID before going), and so forth. Most importantly, you have to get them to isolate when they find out they have the virus. By that time, days could have already passed. The same people who are attending super-spreader events probably aren’t the same people who would isolate after that event to take precautions. Even then, you’re taking a chance on the fact that people will self-isolate after they know they have it instead of taking the convenient route of doing what they want. The more the virus spreads, the more opportunities it has to mutate, which is why the previous requirements should have never been lifted. Contract tracing technology is efficient, but without human honesty, consistent tracking, and efficient workers, it will continue to fall short.
Lastly, we need community messaging and support. There is a significant amount of research that provides information about the coronavirus, but that won’t matter if people don’t understand it. People who can translate the information in regular, but thorough language are necessary to convey the gravity of this situation. Additionally, we need people to vouch for safety measures instead of solely expressing their fears. Unfortunately, with heightened fear and lower social interaction, people may not feel that they are as connected to their community. I am lucky enough to have internet, which allows me to maintain social interactions and stay updated about COVID-19 in my city very easily. Another shortcoming is poor handling of resulting issues because of the virus. For example, it is a major hassle to receive unemployment in Virginia, and the ability to get tested has been difficult if you aren’t showing symptoms. To be more accessible, these other aspects of community need to be functional, too.
7. Social Obligation V. Self-Interest
The last factor I want to discuss is social obligation. American society is individualistic, meaning that every person strives to behave in a way that benefits themselves. Unfortunately, this means that many people have a weak sense of social obligation and act in a way that does not serve the welfare of everyone else. This obviously contributes to the pandemic in the U.S., and it is not solely due to political tension. No matter who is in office, there are certain features that won’t change:
The government lies. I’m not saying that it is completely unreliable, but it has let its constituents down enough times for you to understand why so many people don’t trust it. This isn’t just historical; the government is actively and passively harming people. If the government doesn’t show social obligation, what makes you think the people would? For that reason, it is easier for people to believe ulterior motives about the coronavirus. Those who haven’t experienced this harm might think it’s far-fetched and automatically dub anyone who believes it as crazy, but you don’t have to be crazy to distrust the government. I admit that its urgency to reopen bothered me tremendously. Because of this, many people just won’t believe the messaging regardless if it comes from the White House. Communities need to make an effort to spread the right information among each other.
Exceptionalism. White society teaches us that we are somehow above the rest of the world and that recurring societal flaws are not core to our nation’s framework. Even while we suffer, we must maintain that we are superior, for that is the one social duty of Americans. Not to tangibly change our suffering, but to accept the creators of that suffering as normal. So Americans don’t understand social duty—not even self-preservation, apparently—but only self-interest. Instead of being inconvenienced by a face covering and distance, some would rather formulate an entire narrative and subsequently spread a deadly disease to justify their actions. This sense of exceptionalism also obscures our international outlook, and it may have led officials to underestimate the effect of COVID-19’s initial spread and the Delta variant.
Everything is politicized. Every issue you could possibly encounter is politicized. Race? Housing? Infrastructure? Health? All of them require politicians. Politicians have their own agendas and their own stakeholders, which may veer them away from representing their constituents. I’m not even using agendas and stakeholders in a nefarious way—there are just certain priorities everyone has. But when they are nefarious and selfish, usually driven by money, they are dangerous. Even without agendas at play, constituents have their own conflicting ideas about what needs to be done. We can’t even agree to wear a mask. Anyways, because everything is politicized, even apolitical organizations like the CDC are able to be influenced by public perception and political thought. Because America acts in self-interest and cannot prioritize social obligation in a public health crisis, the subconscious compromises reflect in the messaging of those organizations.
8. Conclusion
Do I have a solution to combating conspiracies? No, the best I can propose is availability of testing and vaccines, efficient handling of testing and vaccines, and community messaging—but with the politicization of the virus, the last is unlikely even with federal intervention. However, I’m confident enough to understand my observations.
If you’ve reached the end of this article, you a) are concerned about COVID, b) are curious about COVID, c) are very bored, and/or d) have a crush on me. Whatever the reason, I hope this article, though heavy, has brought you some peace of mind. The most straightforward advice I can give is to limit your time around people to prevent yourself from getting and spreading the virus. The most profound advice I can give is that there are many things that we can’t control in life. Some people will always be in denial, even if it hits them personally. What you can control, do so to protect your peace.
On that note, I want you to know about legitimate research instead of relying on what circulates. Actually read the links I referenced. Look for some more if you want. Moreover, ask your doctor(s) about the vaccine. I know that not all of us have primary care physicians that can give us information at the drop of a dime, but there are some credible doctors and researchers on the internet that have been helpful.
JULY 2021
UNDERSTANDING YOUR AUDIENCE
Jamie C. Hill (7/9/21)
If you have read any of my works, you can probably tell that I am a critical person. What distinguishes me from other critical people, though, is that I’m not really a fan of ratings as a judgment for quality. There are a lot of reasons why—incomparable scales, unexplanatory, easy to skew, etc.— but the general answer is: They are reductive. Ratings reduce the experiences of tens to hundreds to thousands to millions and maybe billions of people. With such a large potential audience, it is important to know who you are talking to and how to navigate your way through criticism. So, let’s discuss understanding your audience!
***Who are you talking to?***
This is the bare minimum of public-facing work. You aren’t obligated to talk to everyone. The best example of this is demonstrated within the films from the L.A. Rebellion, a group of Black UCLA filmmaking students from the late 1960s to the late ‘80s. Directors like Billy Woodberry, Julie Dash, and Charles Burnett paint a visual with their works that speaks distinctly to Black people. The entire experience feels so authentic that it becomes divine.
However, be wary of making such a general categorization. People do have preferences, after all. For instance, horror! Brutal, bloody giallo films may not resonate well with eerie, slow-paced folk horror fans. You can combine the genres, but it would be reasonable to expect mixed feelings.
There are various types of people within your audience, too. Here are some examples:
Professional Critics: Professional critics are usually knowledgeable in your field, but a few who aren’t may slip through the cracks. They will be observing your work with a keen eye. If there is a flaw, they will see it. If there is not a flaw, they will be looking for it. They can usually describe your piece in an easily translatable way. However, their personal feelings can influence their judgment. If critics universally rate your work very high, you might not be a real person.
Scholars: Scholars basically write about your work professionally. They may or may not be creators themselves, but they will employ the most critical analysis and (preferably) the least bias. Scholars will have the least translatable way of describing your work, so it will look pretty on paper, but if you showed their work to the average person, they would have no idea what you are talking about.
Stans: Stans are dedicated fans of you, though you may come across them by proxy of creating something within a certain category. They can be just as (if not more) daunting as critics. Stans somehow have really high and really low expectations of you. If one of your pieces was really fire, they might drag you for not reaching that same potential. However, they will ruthlessly defend you from criticism outside of your base.
Casuals: Casuals take in your work for casual pleasure. They aren’t actively picking apart your work, and they don’t really care about any flaws as long as the overall piece is still enjoyable. If you are creating something just because, they are the least likely to take it personally and drag you for it. When you need heavy critique, though, it wouldn’t be wise to go to these folks.
Other creators: Having other creators in your audience is so fun! A lot of us have similar inspirations, and this means they can catch some of the references and techniques that non-creators can’t. Really cool creators tend to give you recommendations, too, so your worldview can expand tremendously by interacting with them. Even the ones who don’t have the same role as you can provide some unique perspectives on your work. Definitely listen to them.
***What do they know?***
The easiest way to understand what an audience knows is by branding your work. Categorizing it by genre, making the title unique, and promoting it in certain cliques are all ways you can do this. If you are notable enough, then your name may be a brand in and of itself, and you may have gained a following that already knows your style.
Of course, you can always choose to subvert expectations by branding it a certain way, but that is definitely a risky option. Even if you’re established, don’t be afraid to change it up, though! Ultimately, it is your choice to create what you want.
On the other hand, you can take advantage of what they don’t know. Even when kids are the audience, they don’t have to understand everything. Just look at how many adult jokes and references are in Spongebob. Did they make the show less entertaining? No! In fact, retrospective realization makes it even more iconic.
Regardless of what methods you employ, remember that they are not dense. You don’t have to validate your message by spoon feeding it to them. It can feel out-of-touch. Films and television that are intended for “representation” often do this. Characters become one-dimensional because the writers use all their focus on a message instead of substantiating it with characterization.
Why doesn’t this hit? Because it isn’t authentic. People are multi-faceted. Barry Jenkins’s 2021 limited series The Underground Railroad invigorates Colson Whitehead’s book of the same name by creating a complex world through complex characters. Ridgeway, the slave-catcher played by Joel Edgerton, is not just a despicable being—he is dynamic. His emotions, motivations, and behaviors fluctuate in a way that makes sense for a human being. When you have “bad” characters, you might want to elevate your piece by following this model.
***Where are you speaking in relation to your audience?***
For them: As a creator and human, you are innately speaking for something, but it may not be your audience. Being a minority in the creator position means you are often categorized as the representative and a token of said minority. DO NOT FALL FOR THAT. When you speak for your audience, you are assuming a generalization that will be shown to people other than your intended audience. That will in turn warp their perception of your audience. How much would they appreciate that?
With them: Speaking for the audience is much different than speaking with the audience. When you have a diverse and complex cast, with characters that convey dynamic humanity, you are speaking with them. These varying experiences show that you are not centering yourself, but accepting that different members of your audience will see themselves in your work. Usually, you would speak with the audience if you want to make an impact. You can’t create an impact with one experience; you make it with collective ones instead. Think: What are the types of things you like, the things you don’t like, the things you don’t care about either way? When you give value to what you cannot personally relate to, you can successfully speak with your audience.
To them: Speaking to the audience is quite a broad category, but there are some general things to go by. Can they generally understand it? If you are talking to a universal audience, facial expressions are probably the most universal thing you can use. Gestures like lingering touches are also widely understood unless they are culturally significant. Does it cater to their wants and needs? Of course, you don’t have to do everything the way they like it (i.e. subversion), but there are certain deal-breakers that would let them know you are intentionally doing it for them. If you are writing a murder mystery, your audience needs surprises, suspense, and story. Don’t fall short in developing them!
Against them: To speak against the audience, you definitely have to reframe your personal perspective. You have to work with their preconceptions and their knowledge or else they will be more resistant to understanding your work. When you have their perspective developed, make a bold statement, something that may completely shatter what they thought they knew. You can’t do that without substantiating that statement, either, so use evidence based on what your audience values. Family, individuality, liberation, factual information are all things you may consult to make your point.
There is likely going to be more than one place from which you are speaking relative to your audience, and you will probably find that the above examples aren’t even all the options. It will become intuitive the more you create, so pleaseeee don’t lose your mind trying to follow a rigid structure using this.
***How do you want them to react? How do they actually react?***
Consider it a success if your audience applauds your work. Consider it a major success if different audiences applaud your work. People are hard to please, and when you don’t have full creative control, it is even more difficult to please them.
Your overall vision may be changed, and the audiences may attribute those differences to you even if you didn’t want them. Justice League (2017) was originally directed by Zack Snyder, but Joss Whedon took over after production ended when Snyder left due to his daughter’s death. You may or may not recall that this film was dragged for appearing underdeveloped upon release. But when Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) came out, his complete vision, audiences loved it. As both creator and audience, just be aware that not every work is the sole result of one person.
If they don’t like it, sometimes it is what it is. Some styles just don’t mesh with certain people. Some people won’t agree with your message no matter how well executed it is. You don’t have to change yourself for your audience because, again, not everybody is going to enjoy it. Other times you do have pitfalls in your work. Inconsistent storyline, struggling translation to the audience, and poor technique are the general things that need to be done better. Even though it will already be exposed to the public, you can fix them for yourself and maybe even re-release it, but that’s pretty rare.
We commonly see a negative reaction with adaptations. The secondary creator may have different intentions than the initial creator, so the audience may expect certain features of the original to be preserved, but the secondary creator may remove or diminish them to preserve their vision. For example, when Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation of The Shining was released in 1980, a lot of people were not pleased, including the book’s original writer Stephen King. However, years later critics (and audiences) reevaluated the film and it is now regarded as a masterpiece.
The worst thing for me is a “meh.” “Meh” means that it doesn’t resonate at all. If they absolutely hate it, you can at least know why. If you get that “meh,” there is something wrong. It is unrealistic to expect an extravagant piece every time, especially if you are constantly being forced to produce something. But if this is something you expected to hit and it didn’t even garner a reaction, it’s going to hurt.
Creativity is supposed to generate conversation, so something may be lacking or missing in your work. Your techniques/message may not have aligned with what the audience knows or wants; they might not have understood it; who knows? The only way you can is by listening to them. Re-evaluate your work from that lens and re-imagine how it could be different. Sometimes you’ll like it; sometimes you won’t. It all depends on how you and the audience align.
***Conclusion***
Intention is everything. You may not think of the audience when you initially start creating, but it is especially important to do so when you are editing. This is not to say that you should just do what they want. In fact, I encourage you to challenge them! Exceeding expectations is the best way to get them to adore you, and what would be more effective at exceeding expectations than challenging the audience (and yourself)? Don’t be depressed if there are some misunderstandings, though. It’s okay. Acquiring the skill of understanding them takes time, thought, and trial. Just keep pushing, and you’ll get it.
POST-PRIDE PONDERINGS
Jamie C. Hill (7/9/21)
So. Last month I wrote a poem that I was going to publish in the magazine for Pride Month. Then that poem turned into an essay. And that essay was very personal. It was so personal that I didn’t even try to edit anything out for publication; I just let it stay in my little Drive folder for only my eyes to see. Initially, I started writing it for adolescents who were struggling with their identities (always relevant), but by the end I realized I was really writing it for myself. Even though there is always an element of personal choice in my works, they are intentionally centered around enlightening others. I don’t want to deconstruct myself for the sake of other people. I’m worth so much more than that.
The lesson: Don’t share everything.
I know you may feel some social obligation to make people feel seen or give them hope, but the world won’t end if you don’t. You don’t have to come out. You don’t have to be seen. You don’t have to be a role model. Your growth and identity isn’t public; it’s personal.
When you share your business, for some reason people think it’s their business, too. I don’t have the patience to say something that I don’t feel like arguing over, and what I’m not going to argue over is my identity. Your identity is sacred. Some parts of it last forever; other parts are molded over the course of a lifetime.
People--not only your enemies, but anybody who might encounter you--will pick apart everything you are until you find nothing valuable in yourself anymore. Perhaps you have done the same to somebody yourself--a relative, a friend, a stranger, a celebrity. If you have, then you might recognize feeling morally superior and righteous. But at the end of the day, does what you do actually have an impact? On either the inflicting or receiving end, even by proxy, you will ultimately feel drained. If you can’t handle that feeling, don’t even bother sharing. It will only bring you more exhaustion than catharsis.
In an adjacent vein, not everything you do has to be commodified. This is the main reason why I don’t share explicitly personal works. I’ve seen enough money made off of grief and joy to not want to do it to myself. It can prime you to associate the value of your work to profit, and that is pure trickery. Instead, money can actually devalue the beauty of having something integral to yourself.
For the adolescents whom I originally wanted to address, here is a message: Your private growth is more valuable than any degree of social acceptance you are trying to achieve. Everything seems so immediately consequential at the moment, but most of it becomes insignificant over time. Stop binding yourself to social ideals. You are worth more than that.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LISTENING AND HEARING: HOW TO BE AN ALLY WITHOUT OVERSTEPPING
Lauren Bellamy (7/9/21)
For probably my whole life, my mom has always told me to listen to people before I respond, and make sure that I’m actually paying attention to what they are saying. This means staying quiet and not only focusing on your point, so that you can understand where they are coming from. As we continue to have these uncomfortable conversations about race and identity, whether it be racial identity, gender identity or even your sexual orientation, it is insanely important that we talk only about what we know, and be quiet when we don’t know something. This article could be read as a “standalone” but it also connects a lot to my article “It’s Okay to Not Always Know the Right Thing to Say,” so if you want to check that out before reading this article, have at it.
Okay, so I think the biggest problem that people have when trying to be allies is the fact that they misunderstand really what an ally is. Personally, I define allyship, at least in this situation, as the act of someone actively sticking by either a person, a group of people, and or a cause in order to voice their support and belief in said person or cause. According to Merriam-Webster, an ally is “a person or group that provides assistance and support in an ongoing effort, activity, or struggle -- often now used specifically of a person who is not a member of a marginalized or mistreated group but who expresses or gives support to that group,” which is perfect for what exactly I’m discussing right now. As the conversation of awareness of social issues rose last year because of the Black Lives Matter movement and the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Rayshard Brooks, the idea of an ally was brought to the forefront to see who truly cared about these issues and who were just voicing their support as a “publicity stunt” and or to trend alongside the hashtags. But the problem that arose during this dealt with allies kind of forgetting what being an ally meant, which means they became such an ally, they found themselves in situations of gaslighting and or speaking for the marginalized community. While many allies probably don’t intend for this to occur, it’s important to acknowledge that you should think before you speak, and hear out the person whom the injustice affects talk.
For example, let’s say there’s a person who claims to be an ally in a conversation with a person from a marginalized community. When the person from the marginalized community is trying to tell their story, the ally steps in and uses all of their education to explain the situation in a different way to help everyone else instead of just allowing the person from the marginalized community to tell their story uninterrupted. Remember when I said that it’s important for people to educate themselves about these injustices? That’s still applicable, but the problem here is that the person who wants to tell their story can’t do that because the ally believes they’re doing what they should according to that ideal, which means the ally isn’t actively listening. Yes, you should educate yourself, but when a person from a marginalized community is discussing their experience, you should sit and listen to what they’re saying. Truly listen, though. By the time they’re finished, ask some questions or thank them for being transparent and or brave.
It’s hard sometimes to talk about our experiences, but it’s easier when the people we’re telling them to genuinely hear us out and then ask questions showing that they were paying attention. The thing is, it’s going to be a long time before all of us know exactly what we should do in these situations, but until we do, let’s all make strides to make our spaces comfortable and open for stories to be told.
WHERE AI AND CREATIVITY INTERCEPT: IS TECHNOLOGY A RESOURCE OR A THREAT IN ARTISTIC FIELDS?
Elizabeth Shull (7/9/21)
Technology is pretty intimidating.
If Artificial Intelligence possesses the capabilities to basically reprogram its own brain whenever the need arises, doesn’t that mean that humans are automatically outclassed by AI’s ability to infinitely learn? But first of all, how does AI even work?
I’m glad you asked. AI, or Artificial Intelligence, describes machine-based, or man-made forms of intelligence. In this case, “intelligence” refers to one’s adaptability—being able to apply past experiences (data) and draw conclusions based on them. By forming such understandings of how to reason, solve problems, and reflect on them, AI can learn, much like humans do when following the scientific method.
The applications of AI are practically endless. We’ve seen AI win against two of the most respected Jeopardy! champions of all time, create art selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars, invent new languages, and create Nobel prize-worthy breakthroughs in areas like chemistry by modeling proteins in hours (versus the established method, crystallography, which takes months). It’s truly frightening. With endless reserves of data, Artificial Intelligence can quickly analyze situations, find optimal answers or outcomes, and test them. It’s almost like they’re human…or superhuman.
Now I bet you’re worried a machine might replace you at your own workplace! Well, you should be. Almost any tactile job can be learned, perfected, and performed at high speeds by a robot. Anyone working in data analysis should also be quaking in their boots.
But there is one unique outcome that might come from the technology wave sweeping the Earth: the “creative” things that humans can do, like self-expression through art, appreciation of beauty in music and visual forms, the ability to force emotional connections through movement—basically, any art field, sport, or task involving the chance to evoke empathy or resound with another human—AI might never be able to fully compete with humans in these domains.
Of course, I did mention that an AI has made art selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is still true—the AI in question, named Obvious, even signed its high-earning portrait with an algorithm. But such new images created through Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), drawing inspiration from a repertoire of other images humans like and then spitting out something “original,” what purpose do they even serve?
If we compare Obvious’ work to the development of any visual artist: where was the struggle to become a better creator, the trials of different mediums, the emotions and experiences that shaped the muse? There’s the aesthetic side of art, as in being able to appreciate what something looks like at face value; however, the true value of art is its ability to reflect aspects of humanity. The melancholy a viewer feels looking at a painting of an artist’s hometown, a dance expressing sorrow or joy, a melody that makes you cry—how we experience art and empathize with the creator is far more significant than this aesthetic face value.
There is definitely a counterargument that art “created” by AI does reflect the current state of humanity. And I agree that this kind of art is relevant now and marks our evolution as humans. I just don’t think that AI art will ever truly “replace” art created by living, breathing artists, and that this new “form” of art can stand on its own in the long-term.
I think that there truly is only one solution: we must limit how far we’re willing to rely on technology and Artificial Intelligence. Humans are inherently selfish anyways, so this shouldn’t be a problem—even if AI replaces data-based or repetitive tactile jobs, what would it mean for humanity if we couldn’t even say we’re best at being creative?
Application: Technology in Architecture
I think one field that demonstrates this convergence and necessary coexistence of technology and creativity is architecture. Artificial Intelligence can be used to remove some of the tedium that comes from repetitive calculations, modelmaking, and analysis of the environment—this way, architects can focus more on the innovative and creative aspects of design.
One example of the coexistence of technology and design is Virginia Tech’s FutureHAUS (https://www.futurehaus.tech/). The tiny house design is quite sustainable—it includes consideration of energy saving features that reduce water consumption, rely on solar power, etc. Many of the installations have dual purposes or integrate technology in such a way that they can be transformed to give the rooms more space. Even areas like the bathroom have built-in features like fall detection, Bluetooth and TV interfaces, and self-cleaning abilities! One of the coolest things about FutureHAUS is that the house is pre-fabricated (built in factories or 3D printed) and then can be quickly assembled on-site! The house’s design truly demonstrates how seamlessly technology can be integrated to make construction and quality of life more optimal.
What do you think about technology and AI? Do they pose more of a threat or present themselves as a resource?
Sources:
https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-ai-everything-you-need-to-know-about-artificial-intelligence/
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20181210-art-made-by-ai-is-selling-for-thousands-is-it-any-good
MENTAL HEALTH IS TABOO FOR SOUTH ASIAN AMERICANS AND IT NEEDS TO STOP
Vaishnavi Srirama (7/9/21)
In honor of National Minority Mental Health Month being in July, I wanted to take the time to talk about South Asian mental health in particular. As a member of the South Asian community myself, it gives me a sense of empowerment and hope when I see other South Asians opening up about their experiences with mental health. For me, these stories help me see the light in situations which I can relate to, and also help me recognize and be more empathetic to my fellow SA members who go through difficult situations.
P.S. for the entirety of the article I’ll be referring to South Asians as SA, but what I really mean is South Asian Americans (SAA). I really don’t know about South Asians as a whole to be speaking on the mental health issues, and I think the culture and lifestyle may be different when you are brought up as an SAA with SA immigrant parents/relatives. Just know that when I say SA from now on, I mean SAA.
I just want to preface this by saying I am in no way qualified to give mental health advice or anything of the sort. I am not a licensed psychiatrist or therapist; I am simply speaking out about some of the information I have researched in my own time and my own experiences with mental health. If you are experiencing any issues with mental health or suicidal thoughts, please reach out to someone you trust or the national suicide prevention hotline at 800-273-8255. Please know that even if it may seem like it, you are not alone and help is always available for anyone struggling through mental health issues.
“Log kya kahenge?”
‘Log kya kahenge’, or ‘what will others say’ is a very common phrase older generations say to younger ones whenever we do something that is “untraditional”. Are you wearing a crop top that shows your midriff? You’ll get hit with the “what will others say when they see you?” Are you getting bad grades in school? What will others say when they find out? Do you not have 3 part-time jobs while helping your parents out while getting all As in school while spending time with the family while following every rule your parents tell you while staying in shape and eating as much as you can at the same time and also participating in brown parties and staying active within the community while also doing 15 extracurriculars and working towards an Ivy League university? “Log kya kahenge”. Now I’m definitely not trying to generalize all SA people into this category, but the phrase is repeated enough for it to be a persistent problem within the community. Like come on, they even make bollywood movies about this very issue (Taare Zameen Par) and the phrase’ log kya kahenge’ is repeated in a million South Asian movies. It is EXPECTED that you take into consideration what other people think of and want from you, and cater to their needs at every step of your life. It’s a lot of pressure, I know, and keeping up with all the expectations is basically an obligation. The SA community puts so much emphasis on pleasing your neighbors, your entire extended family, your friends, etc, that you lose sight of what matters to you and what keeps you happy. It needs to stop.
In the end, it is your life that you are living. Your dreams, your hopes, your education, your happiness, your extracurriculars, you. And working towards loving yourself and your life is what should be your number one priority in life, not trying to please others. Trust me, it took me forever to realize this and break out of that shell. Once you start truly giving yourself the attention you deserve, everything else just slowly falls into place. As your fellow SA best friend now, I just want to see you happy and live out your life according to your terms, not anyone else’s.
Weakness
SO. MANY. SA parents think mental health issues are a sign of weakness and that it’s all in the head. They say this to their daughters, telling them they should be strong so one day they can carry a whole family on your back. And then repeat it to their sons, telling them they won’t make it in the world if they can’t toughen up and get past their feelings of “sadness”. In all honesty, I don’t think SA parents understand the depth of many mental health issues. Sadness is sadness, not depression. Depression is so much more than sadness and can present itself in a thousand different ways. Shyness is shyness, not anxiety. Being hungry is different than bulimia. Being organized is not OCD. The list goes on and on.
For so many people, this is the reason why they don’t reach out to parents or friends about their feelings. Since they are turned away by parents, they don’t think it's worth it to tell anyone else. Or they think their parents are right and that their mental health issues are just a phase or less than what they actually are. That is NOT true. At all. Not even a bit. Your issues are valid, and you should seek help if you truly believe you need it.
If nobody else will listen to you, I hope reading this gives you a sense of comfort knowing that I understand. I love you, and if you ever need to talk to someone, please email us and we will listen to you and try to help.
I think in general, bringing more awareness to mental health amongst SA groups, education, and providing strong support teams is the best way that we, as a community, can help push back against this issue. I hope to help bring awareness to this issue and continue to do so as I learn more about this topic myself. Again, please know there are many resources out there to help you (us being one of them!), and please love yourself, give yourself the attention you need, and take care of yourself. You are important to me and to everyone else at the Hear Her Speak Magazine team, and we want to see you living your best life, healthy, and happy.
Below are some resources and hotlines for Asian Americans and South Asian Americans to reach out to if ever needed:
https://aapaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/South-Asian-Orgs-List_August-2018.pdf
JUNE 2021
RAINBOW RUMINATIONS
Roshini Adunoor (6/11/21)
Now assuming you don’t live under a rock (please don’t take offense Patrick you're an icon), I’m sure you know that the month of June is Pride Month! That’s right, 30 wonderful days dedicated to celebrating all the wonderful members that are a part of the alphabet mafia. In addition to that, this month is also meant to honor the history behind Pride Month and to acknowledge the incredible members of this community who worked tirelessly to help our nation get to where it is today.
As we all know, while America could still definitely be more accepting of the LGBTQIA+ community, a lot of progress has been made in comparison to past years. For the longest time, homosexuality had been criminalized by the nation and many people who were a part of the gay community would meet secretly in bars where they could be safe from public harm and scrutiny. There were a few efforts in the early 1900s to help encourage acceptance of the gay community, but many feel that the Stonewall Riots that happened in the 1970s were what started this social revolution. The name originated from the first riot that happened outside of a gay bar called Stonewall Inn in 1969. Policemen had raided the bar and arrested the employees for not carrying an alcohol license. In addition to that, they arrested many members in the bar under a New York criminal statute that stated any person not wearing at least three articles of clothing considered “gender- appropriate,” would receive punishment. However, in comparison to other times where these events were viewed with veiled sadness, this time no one silently watched on. As the name might suggest, they rioted.
Some key figures to mention who both helped instigate these “riots” and helped the movement tremendously are Marsha P. Johnson, an African American transgender woman, and Sylvia Rivera, a Latina American drag queen. Marsha P. Johnson was known to be a fierce and bold woman who was also the main instigator of the Stonewall Riots. Along with that, she co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with Sylvia Rivera. Both are prominent figures in LGBTQIA+ history and were advocates for the cause. During this month, along with pride festivities, we need to reflect on the history and honor these awe-inspiring people for all that they’ve done. Also, fun fact, Pride Month was chosen to be in June to commemorate the Stonewall Riots. Another fun fact that’s slightly off topic, the pride flag doesn’t use rainbow colors simply because Gilbert Baker, the creator of the flag and bless his heart, liked rainbows and thought they looked fruity. In reality, all the colors have meaning to them. Red represents life, orange is healing, yellow is sunlight, green is nature, blue is harmony, and violet represents spirit. While this isn’t the original pride flag that Baker created (his had more colors), this is what the current version we’re used to seeing represents.
Whether or not you were aware of the history before reading this article, always remember that Pride Month has actual history and meaning behind it and it's not just pretty colors and dancing. Happy Pride Month!
IT’S OKAY TO NOT ALWAYS KNOW THE RIGHT THING TO SAY
Lauren Bellamy (6/11/21)
I think that this past year has been probably the hardest we have had in all of human existence. It’s been a time of reckoning, accountability, justice and education. As someone who strives to educate those who may not know about the injustices that exist in this country, I have found myself learning more and more, almost every day, about things that I personally don’t have the answer to. So, in this article, I will be discussing the importance of realizing that it’s okay if you don’t have the perfect answer to a difficult question.
Remember that saying, think before you say something? This is the basis of my argument. Like I said before, I genuinely always want to be the person who has all the answers, though I’m not all-knowing. I guess it just comes with my want to always impress and please people (extreme people pleaser over here), but sometimes, when someone asks me something that does not particularly connect to my experience or my knowledge, I start to stumble for the right thing to say, but realize I don’t know. And then I feel embarrassed, but at the same time, I shouldn’t feel embarrassed. I’m literally only nineteen years old, just shy of two decades. Yes, I’ve grown up in a time in which we are actually discussing how we feel about the disgusting nature of our systemic discriminatory government, country and genuinely world, but there are so many bits and pieces that go into understanding that history that I’m personally still learning myself, as aforementioned.
The problem here is everyone wants to be woke, and if you don’t know what to say or how to respond, for some reason, there are many people who will downgrade your “wokeness,” and that’s utterly unfair. I mean, yes, there are some people who don’t even know the basics, which is problematic, but for someone who doesn’t know every single example of a certain discriminatory tactic (i.e. gaslighting and microaggressions), it’s not fair to come at them. Coming from someone who just realized how I’ve been gaslighted so many times, and at the time they happened, didn’t say anything because again, I had no idea how awful the person who gaslighted me genuinely was, nor did I want to believe they were that awful. I now think about whether my peers who were in the same situation as me or at least in a similar situation as me during those instances, were disappointed that I didn’t stick up for us or for simply myself. But then again, I didn’t know; but now I’m trying to rectify that by educating myself more so if someone tries it again, I will tell them that they’re wrong and tell them why. Maybe you’ve heard about this idea, especially in the past year, but at my college, there’s been this exercise used called “Ouch, then educate,” which is basically acknowledging if someone says an insensitive and or ignorant comment, the person who this affects negatively, can say “ouch,” and then explain why what the person in the wrong said was wrong and why it hurt that person. It’s one of the best ways to stop discriminatory behavior from happening right in the moment, and will help the person on the receiving end get some closure and the ability to defend themselves in the long run.
I think this also stems from our caring so much of the perception of ourselves from others that we forget that life is not a competition or based on how many acts of kindness we do. It’s also not based off of how fast you can prove if you’re an ally for a cause or not, because though in the past, I would call out someone who wouldn’t automatically post for a certain cause or movement (i.e. throw shade at one of my followers for not posting anything about BLM), but then realize I would prefer them not posting at all if they don’t truly believe in the cause or if they genuinely don’t understand the cause. I also don’t want it to be a situation in which they’re simply posting because BLM is trending at that moment. This is why we all need to sit and remember why we are posting what we are posting and or what we are saying in the heat of an argument that is sensitive to us. When we just do something just to do it, the meaning is lost and sometimes, there will be more damage than there would’ve been if you just acknowledged you didn’t know the right answer or just didn’t have anything to say at that moment.
It is okay to take the time to educate yourself before automatically responding, and it’s okay to acknowledge you don’t know what’s right at that moment. That doesn’t mean that you’re automatically not woke or unknowledgeable, because guess what? There is NO actual measurement of how woke someone is or how much knowledge someone has (I know there’s the level of IQ, but knowledge is not objective; it’s a mixture of subjectiveness and objectiveness). So take your time, and just say, “I don’t know” when you genuinely don’t know. Everything will work out in the end; you just have to know in your heart that you’re doing enough and don’t worry so much about what someone else has to say.
BIGGISH BLURB: PLEASE WATCH SHE-RA AND THE PRINCESSES OF POWER ON NETFLIX
Suhayla A. (6/11/21)
At this point, we shouldn’t be strangers to LGBTQ+ representation in the media. Is it at its best? Of course not. Plus, shows typically put in one or two characters from the community for diversity points – not because they genuinely want to represent the community. Don’t even get me started on the stereotypes.
However, some shows DELIVER. The 2018 Netflix reboot of She-Ra: Princess of Power is a prime example of what LGBTQ+ representation should be. The fact that it was all done in a kid’s show makes it even better. Kids should learn early on that they should never be ashamed of who they are. I commend Noelle Stevenson, the show’s creator, for pushing for such representation. It’s hard to do when it opens an avenue for homophobic parents to accuse you of “forcing an agenda” on children.
The representation in this show showed that you don’t have to express yourself in a certain way to fit a certain part of the community. Not all gay men have to be extremely feminine, and not all gay women are mean and masculine :’). Moreover, it portrayed different sexualities and different gender identities as normal. No one batted an eye when there was same-sex attraction or use of they/them pronouns. In a society where you literally have to “come out” when you’re anything other than straight and/or cisgender, it was refreshing. While I appreciate media that portrays the struggles of LGBTQ+ people, sometimes I just want to see these people having fun and embracing who they are. Gay means happy, after all!
A beautiful facet of kids’ shows is that they aim to teach lessons about kindness and love. I wish adult shows did the same thing since adults are always so mean and sad. Like what the hell is Joe Goldberg gonna teach you? BLEH okay I digress. She-Ra’s characters all bring a different lesson to the table. The protagonist, Adora (who is adorable – LOL GET IT? I’M SO FUNNY okay I digress again), teaches us that we are worth more than what we do for others (Noah Centineo who?). We aren’t obligated to just give love – we deserve to receive it too. We learn from another main character, Glimmer, to not give up when things seem hopeless. Many other characters teach us to not let our past hinder us from becoming better people (that’s redemption, baby). These lessons may be primarily for kids, but I think everyone can learn something when they watch She-Ra.
In honor of pride month, y’all should definitely consider this show, :P Personally, it made me feel a sense of nostalgia that was so strange and beautiful. Maybe the bright colors reminded me of my bright childhood. Maybe the adventures the characters went on reminded me of the quests I took during elementary school recess. Whatever it was, it compelled me.
Now, if you’re on summer break, that’s perfect. I recommend binging the show. Okay, maybe don’t do that because of health reasons or whatever. BUT(T) I binge-watched the show on Netflix over the course of three-ish days. I enjoyed every second of it. I cried pretty much every episode. It was intense. It was amazing.
Anywaypleasewatchthisshowkthanksbye.
THE IMPORTANCE OF REMEMBERING THE GOOD IN LIFE, EVEN WHEN IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE
Lauren Bellamy (6/11/21)
Especially in this period of time, we’re all going through a fairly taxing time. It’s very painful, stressful, frustrating, and uncomfortable. Someone I met over the weekend talked about the fact that Gen Z is probably the generation that suffers the most burnout, and I completely agreed with them. I think considering we have grown up in a time period in which we have social media and see up close how much work goes into whatever, we tend to also strive to get to certain levels all the time as well as always wanting to stay relevant and pay attention to everything going on. But we are also causing much of the stress that we put ourselves in, and then combining that with those who suffer from seeing people in their communities being hurt and or killed on a day to day basis?
It’s too freaking much.
In the midst of all the chaos, we forget that we are human, which means we need to rest. We need to laugh. We need to smile. We need to be freaking teenagers and young adults, which means not getting everything right or answering every single call. We’re at a point in our lives where we genuinely should be living life to the fullest, yet, we are so caught up by what someone else is doing or so frustrated with the injustices of the world, that we forget to live. Coming from someone who constantly overthinks and yells in anger and frustration at how not everyone thinks the way my friends and I do, I rarely take the time to just sit and breathe. I genuinely need to for my sanity and overall physical health, but I get too flustered, as many of my friends and peers do. I think with us getting so caught up in the heat of everything, we forget that if we don’t stop and chill, we won’t be able to do anything because the consequences from burnout will be too great and would cause to have to sit on the sidelines for even longer, rather than a shorter period if we rested for a bit.
Whenever I’m having a bad day or a rough time because of something bad or draining going on in the world, I usually have to stay away from watching/reading the news as well as take a social media hiatus. I tend to get worked up easily with anything because I’m über emotional, but also because I simply think about the families that lost loved ones way too soon. It’s a lot to have to keep seeing the same awful things occurring time and time again, with no breaks in between. I remember at the beginning of last summer, I was posting fifteen to twenty things a day about all of the murders of Black Americans by police, but as I kept doing that for months on end, my mental health was in a literal deep hole that made me feel I could never get out of it. So, I got off of social media, and stopped watching the news, and would write for the magazine, or watch a K-Drama on Netflix. Sometimes, I would put on a playlist with my favorite songs and just dance in my room to them, or go clean up the house. I felt bad at first, but also realized that everything going on was traumatic, and if I kept seeing my people being killed over and over by those who were supposed to protect us, I would genuinely lose it, and that was not okay. I have to be able to live my life peacefully, but that doesn’t mean I just stop my mission of educating the uninformed; it just means I need to also take a break because I’m not some knowledgeable machine who knows everything and anything about social justice. I remember the calls for those who weren’t Black or in marginalized communities to do the work themselves rather than rely on us to educate them because it’s draining, upsetting and frustrating for us to have to keep reliving the same thing just to simply educate those who it doesn’t affect. In order for all of us to have peace, we all have to do our work, but also realize we need to take a break as well for our mental health and for our overall well being.
Whether it’s by hanging out with your besties, binging some show, writing a novel or listening to some music, all of these things can bring you peace and joy. I love being able to sit with my family, and catch up on Rupaul’s Drag Race, Married at First Sight, or one of the many spin offs within the 90 Day Fiance franchise. Basically shows that are simply about love or competition. It’s extremely important to put your health first in your journey of being an activist, no matter how big or small your contribution is to the cause, and remembering that you are living your life, and you gotta make sure to do some fun and relaxing things to make it worthwhile as well.
APPRECIATING COURAGE THE COWARDLY DOG: A RETROSPECTIVE LOOK AT “THE CHILD”
Jamie C. Hill (6/11/21)
***Content includes mentions of child abuse and neglect.
Childhood is a fragile state, one that is shaped by even the most minuscule actions. Just one unsettling experience, evoking a strong emotional response, can be ingrained in the memory of a child, and I have found these easier to recall than the positive experiences. Because of these experiences, I seek a better understanding of how unsettlement manifests in the human mind. And to child me, nothing was more distinctly unsettling than Courage the Cowardly Dog.
Courage the Cowardly Dog is a cartoon show created by John R. Dilworth that ran its course from 1999 to 2002. It centers around a perpetually anxious dog named Courage who has to save his elderly owners, the sweetly oblivious Muriel and the gratingly antagonistic Eustace. My most accessible childhood memories of this show are in the late 2000s at my grandmother’s house. As she fixed my brother and I lunch, I would stand right in front of the tiny television in the kitchen, craning my head up to watch reruns of Courage on Channel 52—Cartoon Network. She always told me to “get back from that TV!” so I wouldn’t lose my vision. (I actually couldn’t see anyway, which was why I stood there in the first place.) I was fixated to the screen, much like how Muriel and Eustace ritualistically sit in front of their own box set. I became immersed in the show, and such an immersion led to an unconscious identification with Courage himself.
Courage is a dog constrained by many factors in the eyes of his owners. Though he can speak coherently to the audience, his communication is rendered to senseless babbling and remarkable charade impersonations of looming threats to Muriel and Eustace. It makes enough sense to us through the screen, but his owners either misinterpret (Muriel) or reject (Eustace) his warnings until it is too late. Children frequently experience this barrier. They try to convey a serious danger, but it is considered nonsensical, merely the delusions of a scared kid. While some fears are relatively harmless, like the inability to confront darkness in your house, others can seriously harm kids if disregarded. A common fear is the creepy relative who you never want to be alone with. In episode 4 of season 1, Freaky Fred, Muriel’s nephew, comes over to visit her and he takes a special interest in Courage because he has an ample amount of fur available to shave. When they are trapped in the bathroom together, Freaky Fred shaves all of Courage’s hair off against his will, and the dog is only saved when he calls the Nowhere-equivalent of the cops on his terrorizer. This situation is jarringly reflective of the abuse children face when family members do not respect their choices and protect their abusive relatives.
This sense of helplessness is a sickening contrast to the responsibility Courage bears. Though Muriel and Eustace are physically able as elderly folks, they both harbor major flaws that prevent them from successfully defending themselves against their (sometimes misunderstood) enemies. Muriel is too naive to recognize their danger, and Eustace is too stubborn to just be courteous to somebody who could pose a potential threat. This forces Courage to directly confront the villains, even though he is the representation of a child. At this age, he is taking on the roles of strategist, mediator, and fighter—all roles that require a remarkable amount of intelligence and, dare I say it, courage. Impressive, but indicative of something clearly wrong within the family. Not only does Courage bear the brunt of the enemy conflict, but also a familial conflict. The dynamics of the Bagge family are...peculiar, to say the least. The center of this conflict is typically Eustace, who projects his misery onto nearly everyone. He is unsupportive of Muriel and holds stereotypical views of gender roles, not even attempting to fix his own food when his wife falls ill in “The Magic Tree of Nowhere." What is worse, though, is how abusive he is towards Courage. Hitting him, scaring him, abandoning him—you name it, he did it. Eustace is so terrible that leaving him to suffer is not an unusual act by Courage and Muriel. In a broader context, Courage is literally in the middle of Nowhere, meaning that he is isolated in his struggles. The only friends he makes are sympathetic enemies like Robot Randy, and still they eventually leave. There is no permanent figure he can befriend, no one to fight beside him, no one to ever understand his problems. Imagine the trauma of constantly having to confront your issues. Many do not have to, as they have experienced or are experiencing it in real time. It is not the burden a child should bear, yet numerous children are forced into the position of growing up faster than they understand. Mediating conflict between their parents, becoming a caretaker to an ill family member, and suffering from abuse are not what they should handle at such a young age, but like Courage, it is what they must do to adapt to their situation.
These are absurd responsibilities, but the show teaches children valuable lessons. Some morals include empathy, respect, and boundaries, but courage is clearly the most prominent. Dilworth’s strategy behind this is very admirable to me. Courage will always try his hardest to get the job done (even as he’s screaming his lungs out). By using a twenty-minute, two-part episode design, kids, who are notorious for short attention spans, do not have to sit through a long storyline and find interest elsewhere. Moreover, the two parts add to the total number of stories told, which further reinforces its message to children. Let’s say you watch one episode every day. In one week, you’ve been exposed to fourteen stories that reinforce courage. That’s about fifty-six times you see it in a month. And this is just a rough estimation; shows can run back to back in one day, so it may be even more exposure to the dedicated fan. Such tactics make for incredible positive reinforcement, something that is vital to the developing mind of the child.
The show’s strategy is transferred most overtly through its gripping visuals. To child me, the imagery was borderline terrifying. First, there is Courage’s alarming shriek. The jaw-stretching, teeth-enlarged shout never failed to send my soul out of my skin. Perfectly attention-grabbing. Never gets old. Second, there is the scenery. In every episode, a rich variety of color and patterns prepare the audience for a different tale to show. Even the house itself has a wonderful design that reminds me of my grandparents’ home in rural Halifax, VA. Lastly, the stylistic changes are completely absurd. In its natural form, Courage is animated with the typical 2D format, but the aforementioned color and pattern variety give it an extra lift in quality. Alongside that, there are numerous types of characters who are drawn monstrously, anthropomorphically, and everything between. However, the shifts from basic animated 2D to hyper-realism steal the show. The most notable one across the board for fans is the hyper-realistic, fetus-like dream character telling Courage “[he isn’t] perfect” in the final episode. Had this image not appeared, the scene and episode would not be so memorable for fans, and that would be a major problem. This episode (“Perfect”) is the best way to finish off a show for children: an abusive, old-school teacher melting when you realize that you are perfect just the way you are. Such a terrifying image makes the episode memorable by default, and the lesson learned from it can improve self-concept in children.
Emotional experiences can make a lasting imprint on a child’s mind, but when you repeat those experiences, they are much more likely to shape behavior. Because Courage is so distinctive, the imprinted aversive responses may subliminally work in tandem with its lessons to make its values stick. Of course, other experiences like family environment, peer groups, genetics, and overall social pressures may detract from the impact one show has, but we should never underestimate the effect media has on the young mind. Aligning this media to reinforce positive values on children, even when it depends on the disturbed, will help them strive for their highest potential for the rest of their lives.
Works Cited*
*As aforementioned, episodes are divided into two segments, which are both in the same title (i.e. “The Magic Tree of Nowhere/Robot Randy”). Because each segment may have different writers, I am citing them individually for the sake of consistency.
“Freaky Fred.” Courage the Cowardly Dog, written by David Steven Cohen and Bill Marsilii, directed by John R. Dilworth. Warner Brothers, 1999.
“The Magic Tree of Nowhere.” Courage the Cowardly Dog, written and directed by John R. Dilworth, Warner Brothers, 2000.
“Perfect.” Courage the Cowardly Dog, written by Billy Aronson, directed by John R. Dilworth, Warner Brothers, 2002.
“Robot Randy.” Courage the Cowardly Dog, written and directed by John R. Dilworth, Warner Brothers, 2000.
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH THE ANIME CAROLE AND TUESDAY (NOT ME CRYING WHILE WRITING THIS)
Elizabeth S. (6/11/21)
Ok ok ok. We all know why we’re here today. Not even gonna beat around the bush: I found a new show to obsess over, and I’m using my position as a writer for Hear Her Speak Magazine as an excuse to write another passion rant.
Well the topic on the table today is the Netflix original anime Carole and Tuesday.
I started watching the show a loooooooong time ago and just never finished it for some reason. I got like five episodes in and then stopped. I actually didn’t plan on finishing it, because everything just seemed so over-emotional and slow-paced.
Haha, isn’t that a good start to a passion rant? Naming all the things I didn’t like about the show—what a good strategy!
Anyways, a few weeks ago I was home alone and bored and I decided I wanted to watch something. For some reason, when I opened up Netflix on my TV, the first show recommended at the top of my screen was—you guessed it—Hannibal.
(Just kidding. It was Carole and Tuesday. I bet I surprised you though.)
I decided to give the show another chance, because what did I have to lose?
Well actually I lost quite a few things while binging the show’s 24 episodes over the course of two days—my mind, my capability to move on, etc. This show really did have a big impact on my emotional state. It restored my faith in humanity, made me feel a deep connection with the current state of global events, and had a bangin’ soundtrack that I’m currently listening to as I write this.
Alright, you know how it goes. I’m going to explain why I like the show based on my made-up standards; these standards include the art style, character development, overall plot and moral takeaways, and my personal attachment to aspects of the show.
Art Style
This anime didn’t have the most unique art style, but it still was extremely beautiful and clean. All characters were portrayed with more realistic facial and bodily proportions than in stereotypical anime, which is a plus in my eyes. There was actually very nice character diversity as well, which is necessary in this day and time. Each character had a unique fashion style, and their outfits weren’t repeated too often—for me, this attention to detail was something that endeared me quite a bit and helped me get a feel for the characters.
The landscapes were also very beautiful. I guess it’s worth mentioning that the show’s setting is on Mars, in a futuristic cityscape known as Alba City. As an incoming architecture major, I absolutely adored the modern designs incorporated into C&T.
In terms of art style and creative vision, I think Carole & Tuesday more than delivers. Though the actual lineart for the characters isn’t too unique, the color palettes and detail really set the show apart. Each main character (and trust me, there are a lot) really has their own unique attributes. The vibe I got from the show was refreshing and bright, which is one reason I chose to give it another chance.
I guess another cool thing about the art is that the singing/dancing moments were based on actual filmed singers and dancers. This explains the precision of some performance scenes, which is kinda awesome. You can see an example of this here, in the first performance of “The Loneliest Girl.”
Character Development
Carole is an independent girl with a talent for keyboard and melody creation. She works any part-time jobs she can find in Alba City, and busks her music on a bridge whenever she can. Tuesday is another girl around the same age as Carole, but her life is very different—she was raised with her mother and brother, whereas Carole is an orphan; also, her mother is a relatively well-known politician, so she grew up privileged and in a nice house. Tuesday appears to have a perfect life from the outside, but having to hide her passion for music (specifically, singing and guitar) pushes her to run away to Alba City.
Alba City is a bustling area full of competition and promise. Tuesday happens to meet Carole while Carole is on the bridge busking, and has an emotional connection to Carole’s melody. By certain circumstances, the two get to know each other better and Carole offers to let Tuesday stay with her temporarily. What they didn’t expect (but what everyone watching DOES expect, haha) is that they will become a musical duo, which is where the story really picks up.
Now here’s how the show’s roadmap is laid out: episodes 1-6 are mostly background/establishing the characters; 7-12 are when Carole & Tuesday compete in a music talent show and really develop names for themselves; 13-16 are more focused on sub-main characters; 17-20 set up the climax of the show; and 21-24 is when all the drama unleashes.
This is an important thing to know about the show—the first half is almost completely lighthearted, but by the end of the second season you will have cried, reflected on your place in society, felt the pits of despair and loss, and felt the glow of companionship and change. That’s a lot of emotions. But honestly, the last four episodes had me more on the edge of my seat than anything else I’ve watched this year.
What I wanted to mention most in this section is the development of the sub-main characters. For example, there’s a character named Angela, kind of like a rival to Carole & Tuesday, who acts as a foil to them. Everything goes right for her since the beginning and her ascension to fame is easy, but then at a critical moment she has to learn to stand on her feet and face true struggle and pain. The opposite happens for our two protagonists—throughout the early episodes they must learn to make a name for themselves and work desperately to be noticed amongst the other rising stars of Alba City—but later on they eventually reach a point where they almost don’t even need to develop anymore since their route to fame is assured.
There are other characters who are mentioned in episodes 13-16, each with beautifully heart-wrenching stories and accompanying music that you may cry for that whole section of the show.
I guess I’ll explain what I mean by “the drama unleashes” in my next section.
Overall Plot and Moral Takeaways
I’m going to make a bold leap here and say that Carole & Tuesday’s attempts to secure stardom is at best, a subplot. That might surprise you, especially if you’ve watched the first season of the show.
It was so strange to see the real plot develop. At the beginning it’s almost like a slice-of-life anime, where the two protagonists are introduced and are shown in their daily lives, working towards a goal still far away. But in the middle/end, the show really becomes about politics and hints at the true purpose of music. Carole, an immigrant, comes to realize Tuesday’s mother supports an anti-immigrant agenda which could threaten her life on Mars should Tuesday’s mother become president. There is political manipulation, and many ties to a certain orange president who is thankfully no longer in charge of the US, in reference to dealings with foreigners. Carole and Tuesday must decide how far they want to go in putting messages into their music, and have the potential to lead a musical counter-campaign to what Tuesday’s mother is promoting. Through some developed sub-main characters, the true meaning of music is expounded upon, and narratives of pain and falls from grace emphasize the struggles of fame.
If I’m being honest, I’d say I only became truly immersed in the show from episode 7 onwards, because that’s when more characters were introduced and the plot began to thicken.
Personal Attachment to Aspects of the Show
AHHHHH now I can talk about the best part of the show—THE MUSIC. I swear, every song in this anime could be a single performed by an actual star; the quality of the melodies and lyrics blew me away. Once you hear songs like “The Loneliest Girl,” “After the Fire,” and “Mother,” alongside their animation at critical plot moments, you will truly feel the emotional impact of these masterpieces. (Don’t watch/listen to them now because it will spoil the moment if you plan on watching the anime!) The sheer number of musical performances crammed into 24 episodes, each with an incredibly well-thought-out song and animation, is astounding. No other musical fiction anime I’ve seen even comes close to the soundtrack of Carole and Tuesday.
I also would love to mention the amazing dubs for the anime. Honestly I had the toughest time deciding whether to watch with Japanese or English audio—some of my favorite voice actors were in both. I love the English voice actor Zach Aguilar from his roles in Genshin Impact, and I recognized a few other Genshin voices in the show as well, which made me attached to the English dub. But then again, the Japanese dub had Mamoru Miyano, who has my favorite voice in probably all the universe (AKA the voice of Light in Death Note, Rin in Free!, Tamaki in OHSHC, Miya Atsumu in Haikyuu!!, Amai Mask in One Punch Man, Ichinose in Uta no Prince Sama, Zero Kiryuu in Vampire Knight, JJ in Yuri!!! On Ice, Shoutarou in Skip Beat!…ok, I’ll stop now). I found myself constantly changing the audio language when characters whose voice actors I knew would come onscreen! But for the most part I recommend watching in Japanese, since then you can hear Dahlia pronounce “Mr. Tao” as “Meestah Taou” because I was dying laughing each time that happened.
And lastly—I’ll say it. I cried through most of the last few episodes. Everything just fell apart and came together again so quickly, I felt such a full range of emotions that I couldn’t just sit and watch with a straight face. I’m not too emotional when watching shows, so I was honestly really surprised with myself. I was even more surprised with the connection I felt emotionally to some of the characters, to the point that their joys and struggles felt like my own.
So anyways, please watch the show if you want to feel emotionally drained and reevaluate the society we live in. But also, watch the show if you want a cute slice of life with an amazing soundtrack. Yep, that sounds confusing—I feel the same way. But I swear, once you leap the hurdle to get immersed in the plot like I did, you definitely won’t regret it.
about your philosophy or your journey and define your distinguishing qualities.
MAY 2021
HOW TO NAVIGATE COLLEGE
Vaishnavi Srirama (5/14/21)
HAVE A PLAN:
This can help a TON when trying to figure out what clubs you want to be a part of, organizations you may want to do service at, etc. If you don’t know, that's totally fine! But if you do have a good idea of what you want to do once you get to college, it would reaaaaaaaaaaally benefit you to do that research before joining campus. I felt that I had no idea of the things I wanted to do once I got to campus so I joined literally everything that sounded remotely interesting to me and then was bombarded with emails and meeting IDs (covid... yay) for stuff I didn’t really have time for in the first place.
TALK. TO. UPPERCLASSMEN:
CANNOT tell you how useful this one is especially when you're choosing classes and professors to take. Upperclassmen have been through it all and offer some of the realest advice that is usually more than what an academic advisor or someone can offer. I’ve been told a million times throughout my college journey that no matter how easy the class is, the professor is the person that makes your grade. Make sure you talk to upperclassmen to know who those GOOD professors are so you’re not spending the entire semester putting in 10x more work for the same grade than the kid with another professor.
Be Prepared to WORK:
Sorry to break it to you, but high school is way different than college. College is hard. Really hard. The test weightage goes from 30-40% to 70-80% (at least in my experience), little to no homework, lecture style classes, etc. Tests are significantly harder (in my experience), and professors are way less willing to help out after the test for extra credit/curves/retakes/reschedule. Granted, I am in mostly “weed-out” stem classes like gen chem 2 and gen bio 2 where the professors high-key want a certain percentage of the class to fail, so this may just be my experience. No matter what major you are in college though, be prepared to work. It is different and you will have to adjust to it.
Study Buddies!!!!!!!!!!!!
Study groups and study friends can seriously help so much, no matter what type of studier you are. I personally will not focus on my studies if there is even another person in the room, but being able to work through difficult problems in a group or just knowing how other people are studying can really help calm nerves before a test. Plus free friends.
You don’t.
NO, I'M SERIOUS ABOUT THIS ONE! There’s really no specific way you should go about college because I promise you everyone is as lost and confused as you think you are and especially ESP when you’re a freshman; we’re all just trying to get by. Don’t worry because as someone who is thiiiiiiis close to finishing out her freshman year, it will all work out in the end. I promise you that you will be okay. There is no reason to worry or to compare yourself to others (please don’t do this one) because YOU WILL BE OKAY. There are a multitude of resources available to you online and part of your college as well that are more than willing to help every student adjust to the experience and reach all their educational and personal goals. You can do it, and everyone on the Hear Her Speak Magazine board believes in you!
HEAVEN OFFICIAL’S BLESSING REVIEW
Elizabeth Shull (5/14/21)
It’s that time of year again.
I’ve watched another animated show that’s had an emotional impact on me, and now I’ve written a love letter review for the show because it’s that good.
When I consider whether an animated show is “good,” I look at a few things: the art style, character development, context and overall plot, and my personal attachment to aspects of the show. The anime (or donghua, since the show is in Mandarin) that I’m going to review today is Heaven Official’s Blessing, adapted from the webnovel by Mò Xiāng Tóngxiù. Let me preface this review by saying I’ve only seen the thirteen donghua episodes released and have not read either the webnovel or manhua (yet).
This show is a masterpiece. And I mean that.
The Art Style
The art is stunning.
The opening sequence is just one way to judge a show, and Heaven Official’s Blessing’s opening doesn’t disappoint. The landscapes are especially beautiful in this show, and the color schemes and cityscapes quite honestly had me gasping.
Not to mention how drop-dead beautiful every main character is.
With their long, flowing hair and ethereal attire, literally every character is worth simping obsessing over. The animations are crisp and clean, and I was mesmerized by every new face.
If I’m being honest, the first few episodes didn’t grab my attention in terms of plot. I’m not too knowledgeable about ancient Chinese history or religion, and for a while everything felt like a lore-dump. This story is complex, and in some parts you have to use all your brain cells to keep up. The animation was the initial reason why I persevered. But after about three or four episodes, the plot and my love for the characters had me hooked.
Character Development
Xie Lian is the main character of the donghua. He’s introduced kind of awkwardly, so I wasn’t quite sure how to react to him. It seems like he’s disliked by many and has caused extreme problems for a certain city in the past, but he’s somehow a princely deity. What’s his story?
I didn’t really like Xie Lian for a while. He just wasn’t relatable, since he seemed to have such a strong sense of justice that I felt he was putting on a front. But the more I “got to know” him, I realized Xie Lian is just blunt: he speaks his mind and does have valid opinions on justice based on his past experiences. He’s selfless, but he’s had his own past issues that have shaped him to be that way. He’s serious but sometimes so oblivious that it’s comedic.
What I loved most about Xie Lian is that he’s hundreds of years old but is as clueless about certain things as the viewer. With characters who have lived so long within their respective fictional worlds, I usually feel left behind, like I can’t catch up with their pasts fast enough. With Xie Lian, I felt like I was learning about the world with him, given enough glimpses of his past to keep me invested, and was able to respect him for his abilities as they were gradually revealed.
There are many other main characters who come and go, but the other main character I will talk about is San Lang. OH MY GOD, IS HE AMAZING.
I fell in love with San Lang from the start. He’s mysterious, but will answer any question you ask him straightforwardly. He’s so no-nonsense that even though his past is seemingly problematic, you can’t help but love him. He’s also extremely hilarious, and his one-liners and cute banter with Xie Lian had me constantly laughing out loud.
San Lang is my favorite character in the show for many reasons. One, comedic characters are my favorite part of any show. Two, when I feel that relationships between characters produce “golden” moments of revelation or hilarity, I become strongly attached to those characters. And finally, his expressions are just either extremely funny or just plain hot (there’s no getting around how beautiful this man is).
Context and Overall Plot
There’s too much to cover about the plot without giving anything away. What I can say simply is this: Xie Lian is a prince who has ascended to heaven three times. To make up for a debt, he goes to the mortal realm to help solve some problems concerning rogue ghosts. He has two “deputy gods” at his side to help, alongside the mysterious San Lang, whom he meets during his travels. Across the thirteen donghua episodes, they investigate about three or four large (arc-like) situations.
Each arc-like situation is developed beautifully. Usually, the characters travel to a unique region, which provides a welcome change in scenery, and then we meet the ghost causing problems, get some background on the area, and watch as the characters follow rather methodical approaches to subduing the ghosts.
I love the different settings within the donghua. It really feels like the viewer goes on a journey with Xie Lian. What I love most is that none of the resolutions to any of the situations feel too out of place or forced. We learn more about the characters’ abilities as they solve the problems, but the contextual reality isn’t too far stretched when a character uses an out-of-the-box approach.
I will say that in my experience, Chinese fantasy works (dramas, video games, manhua, donghua) have very complex plots. They reference Chinese religions, history, and other cultural knowledge. Usually I feel like I don’t have enough knowledge to fully appreciate the media, and that I’m missing something. Sometimes even the way the stories are told make me feel like I’m already starting out with a disadvantage in competence. With Heaven Official’s Blessing, though, I felt like my comprehension was being stretched, but the stretch was welcome. I was learning, but it wasn’t so tough that I constantly wanted to give up. This show made me think and actually reflect on the cultural details that I had seen. I wanted to give up once or twice at the beginning from being overwhelmed, but after pushing through, I realized the background I was given was actually a necessary foundation to an entire culture.
Another notable feature of the plot is the relationship between Xie Lian and San Lang. The show is classified as containing homosexual elements. And it’s not always subtle, despite the romance being more of a strand of the plot than the only focus. Their relationship is not graphic, but it’s definitely present later on in the show. You can feel the development in how they look at each other, or the way their interactions bring them closer (AKA there’s romantic tension). I’m planning on reading the webnovel before the second season (which is confirmed) releases, but I have a hunch that the romantic relationship between Xie Lian and San Lang will only become more prevalent in the coming episodes. Personally, I love their relationship and believe the development is not only reasonable but needed. But for those who aren’t as accepting, it is something to be mindful of.
Personal Attachment to Aspects of the Show
You can probably tell how attached I am to this show. I love Xie Lian, I love San Lang, I love their interactions, I love the animation, and I love the way the plot develops as small chunks of background knowledge are granted to the viewer. The pacing in the show is just fantastic, and you feel like something is always going on. I’m invested in this show enough to write this article, and to seek out the webnovel for more of an escape into this story. What more proof do you need?
I could rant about this amazing piece of art for an even longer time, but I’ll spare you. PLEASE GIVE THE SHOW A CHANCE! I swear you won’t regret it, and soon you’ll feel the same love for the characters that I do. By the end you will have laughed, cried, and had your brain expanded in so many ways that you feel an emotional attachment to this incredible fantasy world. And when you do finish this show, come find me so we can cry together over how beautiful it all is.
HOW TO WRITE AN (UNTIMED) ESSAY
Jamie C. Hill (5/14/21)
The short answer: there isn’t one tried and true way to write an untimed essay. In middle and high school, you may have been taught to write an outline, a rough draft, and then a final. To be blunt, that did not work at all for me. It is physically impossible for me to stick to an outline, and whenever I write, I do so with the intention of it being the final product with minimal edits. So, let me offer some advice on what I know as a still-learning writer.
Don’t Limit Yourself
Deleting and erasing is tempting when you want everything to be perfect for the first go, but it is quite limiting. You may change your mind on what you want to write about, and those scrapped points would be unformed or forgotten. Those ideas could also help to make your essay more substantive even if you stick to the same argument. One idea can lead to another and that one to another and so on. I personally leave my unused ideas in bullet points on a planning document in case I want to return to them.
Ask Yourself Questions
In college, my writing classes have used questions and prompts to prepare us for the essay. Answering those prompts like I am already writing the essay makes the process of integration so much easier. Many parts are still left unsaid, and some of those responses may be scrapped anyway. So, in the rough and final drafts, continue asking questions as you write. What does this add to the paper? Have I already said this? What makes this stand out? Those are just a few that I have asked myself, and depending on the topic, others may be more specific.
Find the Organization
Organization is not exclusively a predetermined outline. As aforementioned, I am not really that kind of person, so instead I write how I feel and then restructure based on how it looks to me. This can be through thematic similarities, an increasingly broad idea, an increasingly specific idea, and the general flow of the essay. I am a big fan of thematic transitions, as they make it so that you don’t have to “also,” “additionally,” and “another” your way into oblivion. For example, in the excerpt below from one of my papers, I transition through the discussion of Black death from Eula Biss’s essay “Time and Distance Overcome” to my own personal experience.
“Towards the end, she makes a fantastic contrast between two stories in 1921, one retelling the Tulsa Race Massacre that ruined and took away the lives of Black residents, and another stating the grand achievement that a white innovator ‘had lived’ to make (Biss 541). These two stories are the essence of her essay--the life of white people and death of Black people as told by racism--which is why it is so exhausting to me that she chooses to finish the essay so hopefully.
Reading line after line of Black death in ‘Time and Distance Overcome’ feels like hearing ambulance sirens every day; it feels like seeing police cars at every corner; it feels like discovering a new death every hour. It is draining, but it is what I am familiar with” (Hill 5).
Write About Your Passion
Often, how and what you write are out of your control in the secondary level of education. However, if you do have the option, write about your passion, something that brings out a strong reaction. When you are able to feel, it is usually easier to convey your message. This is because you have a motivation, and that motivation can sustain you longer than with a boring topic assigned to you. Let your feelings seep into the paper, but find a balance using information, too. If you already have knowledge at your disposal, then that’s a bonus.
Don’t Worry About Time
Since I’m talking about untimed essays, I can freely say this. (To be honest, timed essays are still the bane of my existence.) It takes me forever to write anything, even this little article. Being slow does not make you any worse or any better. Sometimes the words take their time coming to you; sometimes you have to return later and figure out what you want to say. Nobody is going to bully you if you are outside of class spending five hours on two pages. Time is a social construct anyway.
You Aren’t A Bad Writer
Writing a mindblowing essay is hard. Many of us struggle to reach the word count or reel ourselves back to it. Filling gaps in logic and connecting it all together was difficult for me. Introductions and conclusions are still agonizing. You may even find yourself having the same issues over and over again. If you aren’t familiar with the topic, you can be especially prone to those problems. It’s not uncommon to not get it right the first time, or the second, or the third. Even professional writers get their work sent back multiple times. It’s okay.
Don’t Compare Yourself
A prompt that is easy to answer for your peers may not be easy to answer for you. Seriously. I went to Maggie Walker Governor’s School, and I didn’t learn how to write the “standardized” way until being thrown to the wolves. I felt that some of my peers were much better than me. It did ruin my hope that I could be a writer…until I stopped caring about what I thought they cared about and found my sense of expression senior year. Your own sense of expression will guide you--the topics you love, the styles you adopt, the hard things you don’t want to say. All of them are a part of who you are and ultimately how you will write.
Hill, Jamie. “Get Uncomfortable.” 12 March 2021. HONR 250 Expository Writing, Virginia Commonwealth University, student paper.
PROTECT TRANS PEOPLE: WHAT SOCIETY NEEDS TO STOP DOING
Jamie C. Hill (5/14/21)
***Content includes mentions of transphobia, violence, and abuse and statistics for suicide.
On April 6, 2021, Arkansas passed the Arkansas Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act that denies puberty blockers to trans youth under 18. To be precise, on that day, the Republican-controlled House and Senate overrode Governor Asa Hutchinson’s veto on the bill after it initially passed through the state legislature in March.
Although I usually do research on counterarguments, this time I will strictly stick to the issues at hand. This is not a matter of pros and cons--this is a matter of identity. Transphobic politicians are making these laws because they hate trans people. There are so many in government and in society that trans rights are seen as political. They are seen as a debate, but I’m not about to treat somebody’s existence like an argument. So, let’s talk about what can be done to stop transphobia and respect trans people.
Stop blocking gender affirming care. Gender dysphoria is a legitimate condition in which “the feeling of discomfort or distress [...] might occur in people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth or sex-related physical characteristics,” as stated by Mayo Clinic. In a study by Elena Garcia-Vega et al. published in PubMed, it was reported that out of 151 participants with gender dysphoria, nearly half thought about suicide and just under a quarter attempted suicide. The treatment for gender dysphoria is gender affirming care. Because lawmakers are denying this care to minors, they are letting children suffer from gender dysphoria, and instead of “protecting” them from making a “regrettable” decision, they are actually worsening their mental state. It could drive trans people to suicide, or it could prolong their suffering throughout their lifetime.
Stop deadnaming and misgendering in articles and obituaries. To those who don’t know, deadnaming is the act of using someone’s pre-transition name rather than their new one. Cis people tend to place value in assigned characteristics from birth (i.e. name and gender), but this is incredibly harmful to trans people. Media Matters for America found that in at least 139 reports, sources misgendered or deadnamed 23 out of 37 trans people who were murdered in 2020. Keep in mind that there is naturally higher underreporting for trans people in any category for many reasons, including misgendering by sources, a lack of research including trans people, and fear for their own safety. This means there is likely a higher rate of trans people who were misgendered by outlets and who were killed in the first place. With that established, stop deadnaming and misgendering. It disrespects their true identity, and it is even worse when they aren’t alive to vouch for themselves.
Stop criminalizing sex work. Trans people are already heavily stigmatized, but trans sex workers (TSW) face even greater danger. Whorephobia (the fear and hate of sex workers) and criminalization prevent strides from being made to protect TSW. The Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) explains the immediate danger they face, which includes transphobic hate crimes, incarceration when reporting violence, abuse by police, and exclusion from more regulated sex work environments. This is compounded by the housing, employment, and health care discrimination they experience. Sex work is not human trafficking, but law enforcement uses the danger and fear stemming from human trafficking to target sex work anyway. Because TSW are unprotected, the autonomy they should have is removed from them, which puts them at greater risk for violence.
Stop inherently criminalizing trans people. Tell me: what makes genital inspections of students justifiable? Because fairness of women’s sports trumps the abuse trans children face? When you get to the point of treating trans children as inherently criminal, you can no longer claim to hold moral superiority. And you can’t forget the hypocrisy of preventing trans people from using the bathroom because they are allegedly sexual predators and voyeurs. Meanwhile, according to Vox in 2018, there haven’t been any cases of this behavior after allowing trans people into bathrooms matching their gender. Notice that most of the hysteria stems from the desire to “protect” women. Where are these people when coaches abuse female players? Where are they when their friends are beating on their wives? Where are they when their sons are harassing their classmates? They are the ones claiming that “there are two sides” or that “it wasn’t that serious,” but apparently the existence of trans people is too much to bear. What I am saying is that the so-called protection of women is being weaponized against trans people, and it needs to go.
WHAT EVEN IS A THESIS STATEMENT??? IDEAS TO HELP YOU CRAFT YOUR ARGUMENT IN AN ENGLISH ESSAY
Elizabeth S. (5/14/21)
Thesis sentences are the backbone to an argument. But what even makes a thesis statement complete? First, you have the authorial choice that you’re going to analyze. Next comes the two or three topic points you want to discuss through the lens of the authorial choice. The last part contains the outcomes these details have on your comprehension, AKA the message or impact of the story. By the end of the thesis the reader should have a clear idea of what stance you’re taking, so it’s pretty important that you yourself actually know what you’re trying to say before completing your essay.
An example thesis? I’m gonna give you one I did for my IB English essay on the book The Stranger, and then I’ll break it down.
“Through his purposefully vague writing style, Camus emphasizes not only Meursault’s Absurdist mindset but also the eccentricity of his character within Algerian society. This writing style helps with characterizing and understanding Meursault as an informed reader can rationalize an Absurdist’s actions in a fictional and hypothetical context.”
In this thesis, I set up a few things: a device, two topics, and an outcome.
I think it might surprise you, but coming up with your outcomes is the most important part. Anyone can analyze a story, but to apply its meanings to your own understanding of the world is a completely different thing. These outcomes should take you out of the story and into the real world. What does that mean? You won’t be claiming that something occurs within the story—instead, you’re talking about the book’s impact on your understanding of real-life concepts.
Being able to “rationalize an Absurdist’s actions in a fictional and hypothetical context” is the main outcome I focused on for my essay. How did I come up with that? I thought about what I learned from The Stranger. My thought process was like so: “Meursault is a really weird guy. I wonder why he always seems so emotionless in the book. I wonder if the author is expressing his own personality through Meursault. Does the author have any weird beliefs? [insert research] oh it looks like Camus was an Absurdist, which means that he believed life is inherently absurd has no meaning. Maybe that’s why Meursault is so reckless and doesn’t believe in religion or relationships. But to go so far as to kill someone? Why would Meursault do that? Hmm, y’know maybe Meursault isn’t as emotionless as I thought…can I prove that he’s shown to have emotions? Well, the writing style IS kind of vague…you have to infer that he’s feeling a certain way, but it would be easy to say Meursault doesn’t have emotions since as a reader I’ve been taught that authors explicitly demonstrate a character’s emotional state, and Camus certainly doesn’t give specifics. Maybe reading through the LENS of Absurdism, how Meursault is MEANT TO BE PORTRAYED, I can finally rationalize WHY he did the things he did…” Stuff like that, just asking yourself questions about the book, can lead you to a breakthrough. Try to consider the larger underlying themes of a work. Why are some characters understood as good or evil? Are there repeated character traits that the author is trying to get you to associate with something? Reflecting on questions like this can show a grader that you’ve carefully thought through the purpose of a story.
The device—how the outcome(s) you’re arguing for is/are produced. By naming a device, you hone in on what evidence you will present in your argument. In my case, the device is “Camus’s purposefully vague writing style,” so in my body paragraphs, each quotation I pick from The Stranger must be written in a purposefully vague manner.
In English essays, the “device” is an authorial choice. It can be the tone, writing style, presence of literary devices, etc. It’s like a tool that an author uses to show something to you. The presence of the device alone doesn’t mean anything; it’s in the way it is used that meaning is derived.
You not only have to argue the impact of the device but prove that it exists as well. You do this through providing quotations as evidence, and then analyzing why you believe these quotations are examples of the device. Literally, this means my first body paragraph after the thesis begins with “Since Camus describes Meursault’s emotions and thoughts in a limited way, one must look to the tone and make inferences from Camus’s descriptions to characterize Meursault.” That whole paragraph is only about me showing the reader that Camus writes in a purposefully vague style. I’m not introducing my opinions on this style yet or even mentioning my topics yet; I’m just demonstrating that it is present. Only after you’ve proved to the reader that you know what you’re talking about do you deserve to have an opinion on the subject.
The topics—these are the focuses of your body paragraphs. Usually, topics are like the halfway point between your device and your outcomes. You kind of have one foot in the story and one foot in the real world; your topics are about aspects of the book that you notice as a reader, but these aspects are tangible (not broad concepts like your outcomes).
For brownie points, in English essays, I usually choose a topic that involves some level of research. “Absurdist mindset” and “Algerian society”? Do you think I knew anything about these random topics before doing research? NO. But explaining new knowledge and applying it to the work you’re analyzing not only adds to your word count but provides a stronger argument.
How are topics like halfway points? They need to be arguable. “Meursault is an Absurdist.” This claim is arguably true, and can be supported with quotations. “Meursault is eccentric compared to everyone else in Algerian society.” Also arguable. There are still broad underlying concepts (finding your place in society, how our decisions reflect our moral alignments), but these topics are more like small claims that emphasize my chosen outcome.
I know why you’re really here though. You want a template. Of course you do. Well, fine.
Thesis template: “In [book], [author] uses [device] to show that [topic 1] and [topic 2]. By doing this, a reader learns/understands [outcome].”
One final example:
“In Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Rushdie’s repeated characterization of Khattam-Shud and Mr. Sengupta as boring yet powerful antagonists demonstrates that lack of originality is what enforces the strength of inflicted fear. Furthermore, this identical characterization of the two characters causes the reader to assume they are the same person and thus promotes the idea that unoriginality is generally what makes evil powerful and dangerous.”
I hope you’ve been able to learn at least one thing from this article. Writing a good thesis really depends on how much attention you’ve paid to the story, what messages you took away from the book, and how much you’ve annotated for repeated elements within the story. Once you have that down, you can basically argue anything you want as long as there’s enough evidence. Well, good luck, fellow writers!
FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE DOWN: WHAT I HAVE LEARNED
Lauren Bellamy (5/14/21)
Okay, so as I enter into my last week of instruction of my freshman year of college before heading into finals week, I have become fairly pensive. When I first started college last August, it was the complete opposite of what I had imagined for my freshman year. I thought I would be on campus, hanging out in my dorm with my roommate, probably checking out a couple parties and anticipating the rigorous courses that I had heard about all through high school. Except, that didn’t happen. Instead, like many students across the world, I attended my first class virtually, and not even at a Zoom meeting. I had an asynchronous assignment to do, and then a meeting later in the day, but after that, I just walked around my house as if it was still a typical summer afternoon. I say this to say that my freshman year was definitely special. Not in a typically special way but not in a negatively special way either. It was just different, and the thing is, that’s what college is. Of course, it was going to be different from what I was used to, even if I was attending in-person. But, did that make it less worthwhile because I was at home? Not necessarily. I mean, yes, I do wish I could have attended a couple football games or go to a party or just simply eat in the dining hall with some new friends. But at the same time, I have still had a successful year.
Considering I participated tremendously in class discussions and what not, I have gotten numerous opportunities. I’ve gotten nominated for multiple things. Who’s to say that if this school year was “normal,” I would have been able to stand out as much? As an extroverted introvert, I tend to thrive on Zoom because I’m not as shy to talk or worried if I’m wrong or not. I don’t know why but it may help that teachers/professors are fairly understanding and just glad people are participating. But then again, with the courses I have taken, I’ve genuinely enjoyed what I have learned and the conversations that I have had with my classmates and professors. I have been able to thrive because even though in high school I was able to do the same thing; in college, there’s a new sense of excitement and interest that is simply being with like-minded individuals rather than students who are being forced to take the course with no say whatsoever. It’s definitely a nice feeling that has made me enjoy college tremendously more than high school, aside from the one to two students that aren’t intrigued by what we learn about.
I’ve learned a lot about who I am a person through this first year, and expect to learn even more in the future. Most people refer to college as the best four years of their life because of the newfound freedom and opportunity to experience many things that they hadn’t before. Of course, my true college journey has been mainly through a computer but I still see why people believe this to be true. I’ve really enjoyed being able to take charge of my education in a way that I hadn’t done before, even though at first I was terrified of doing so. I remember in my first advising meeting how my advisor was just listening to what I wanted to do, and asked my opinion on what I should take based on that. That was so nerve-wracking to me because in the past, I only had to select from the classes pre-selected for me based on the diploma I was receiving, but in college, you have so much more freedom in what you can take whether it’s for your major or not. It was nice to be able to truly have a say for once instead of just going with the options I had because that opened the realm for such many more opportunities to learn about subjects that I always wanted to learn more about but never had the space in my schedule to do so. Being a college student has given me the ability to stick up for what I want and do what’s best for me in a way that I never thought possible until now, and that is a beautiful feeling.
In the end, my first year of college was a success. I took some classes for my major as well as discovered some new interests along the way. I got multiple job offers at my college and joined a sorority. Who would’ve thought I would be able to do all of this and more while learning from home? It makes you realize how much can get done without even having to be in-person, though I do look forward to when I can be on campus. But my first year was not a loss, far from it, actually, and I’m so glad that I hung in there and kept a positive attitude. It’s always important to be open-minded and ready to take on anything because it will prepare you for so many things in life.
APRIL 2021
WHAT THE BACHELOR NATION CONTROVERSY HAS TAUGHT US
Lauren Bellamy (4/9/21)
If you have been paying attention to the news in the past couple of months, or specifically entertainment news, a story that emerged within the Bachelor franchise most likely is familiar to you. What I’m talking about is the racially insensitive pictures resurfacing of Rachael Kirkconnell, the girl that Matt James, the first Black bachelor, chose in the end (he didn’t propose, but she was the winner). Even more controversy circulated the situation when the longtime host of all of the shows in Bachelor Nation, Chris Harrison, attempted to defend Kirkconnell while in a heated debate with Rachel Lindsay, the franchise’s first Black bachelorette. Now, personally, I rarely even watch The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, or even Bachelor in Paradise, so I want to put that disclaimer out there before I delve into this. Also, I won’t be going into my personal feelings about the matter; I will be looking at this through an objective lens instead. Let’s get started, shall we?
So basically, to explain the situation a little further, Rachael Kirkconnell was under fire after pictures of her attending an Old South Antebellum party in 2018, as well as some of her former classmates' comments about alleged racist behavior while in grade school. The problem with this is the fact that the Antebellum period marks the period of time before the Civil War, which means the time of slavery here in America. The fact that Rachael participated in this is extremely racially insensitive and hurtful, because it brings so much pain for Black Americans. Rachael eventually put out an apology on Instagram, and also put out a video calling out those who were trying to defend her. But before we get to that, I want to acknowledge the problem with Chris Harrison. Saying what he did was wrong is an absolute understatement. But what it showed is how much we need to do in terms of education. Because with both Chris Harrison and Rachael Kirkconnell, we can see that there was a lack of education of race, but as we keep seeing with all of these resurfacing tweets and pictures, there was always a lack of education to begin with.
I want to talk about something that Emmanuel Acho and Matt James discussed during the “After the Final Rose” special in reference to the fact that Matt broke up with Rachael after everything happened. Emmanuel wanted to make the point that what Rachael had done was, in fact, three years ago and that she could definitely be a different person in 2021 than 2018. But Matt made the point of saying plantations weren’t that long ago but the meaning of them never left. While I personally agree in change, Matt does have a point. I think the even more frustrating part about all this is the fact that when Emmanuel asked Rachael if she had ever worried about that picture getting out, she upfront said “no.” I mean, I guess I appreciate that fact, but still. This emphasizes my point of the importance of educating people about the systemic racism in this country. But how do we do that?
I would like to make the motion that we need cultural studies education as early as kindergarten or at least elementary school because this can’t keep happening. The same situations, the same controversies; it’s getting old. It could’ve been avoided if proper education had been implemented as early as elementary school. We also need to make sure that if we personally have children, that we don’t stray away from these topics either. There needs to be accountability and the acknowledgement of the fact that while we all should live in harmony, we don’t because of systemic racism and that there’s an ugly history because of it. Of course, I learned about the ugly truth at a young age because I’m a part of the group that it affects on a day-to-day basis. But for those who aren’t people of color, it’s even more imperative to take the time to educate your children, friends, families and yourselves about the injustices that plague minorities. Nothing works if it’s only one group doing it, so everyone needs to take the initiative to do so. What happened with Bachelor Nation truly happens every day. We just may not know about it because it’s not publicized in the nature this was, but that doesn’t make it less important in any sense of the word. Let’s all work together to make our world a more inclusive one.
BEAUTY OF THE BEEP BOOP – HOW SOMETIMES TAKING A LEAP OF FAITH WORKS
Suhayla A. (4/9/21)
At the end of senior year, I was faced with a difficult choice – what major would I want to pursue when going into college? I had matriculated to a college where I put math as my intended major. However, I realized that, as much as I liked math, I wasn’t sure I loved it, ya know. So I went with something completely different that I didn’t know much about – Computer Science!
My biggest fear when coming to college would be that I would end up not enjoying the major I would pursue. I thought I would end up realizing that I only liked the idea of it rather than actually doing it. I barely had any experience with coding, having only done block-style coding with a little bit of Python back in high school.
However, the euphoria I felt from computer programming was unlike any other. I used to enjoy doing math problems in high school (back when I actually understood math), but I never looked into the real world applications with that subject. I believe this is what made me start struggling more with math in college.
However, programming made me excited about what I could do for the world. Even when I was making little Python games in my first semester, I had a strangely optimistic feeling about my future career. Am I certain about what my future career entails? No :P. However, I’m certain that I’ll be enjoying it.
Granted, going into a major with barely any experience was not always a breeze. Sometimes I would wrestle with Python or Java, frustrated that my code wasn’t printing the right output. Other times I’d spend hours doing J-unit tests, aching to reach over a 90% coverage so that I’d pass the autograder and be done for the day.
By no means is coding easy, but giirrlll is it fun.
Now, you may be wondering, “How is this relevant to anything at all? Are you just trying to indoctrinate me into computer science?”
The answer is yes. Just kidding! I wanted to talk about my experience with my major to tell anyone reading this one thing: If you’re at that time in your life where you’re expected to know what you want to do in life, it’s completely fine to not have any clue. However, if you see beauty (hehe our theme of the month) in a certain subject and you want to pursue it, I would say to go ahead! If you find out it’s not right for you, then you can move on. But if you realize you really enjoy it, that’s amazing. Sorry if this paragraph sounded too optimistic. We usually leave Roshini to doing the Positive Message of the Month but I guess I had to ride on her wave for a little bit back there.
Anyway, go forth and follow your passion or your I-don’t-know-if-this-is-a-passion-yet-but-it-sounds-cool!
STOP ASIAN HATE.
Roshini Adunoor (4/9/21)
Delaina Ashely Yaun. Paul Andre Michels. Xiaojie Yan. Daoyou Feng. Julie Park. Hyeon Jeong. These innocent individuals were victims of a single man having a “bad day.” They were shot, killed, and terrorized because according to the police, the murderer had a sex addiction and they were a “temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate.” Ah yes, the age old narrative of placing the blame on the victims instead of the attacker. Hate crimes against the Asian community have increased by 150% since the beginning of 2020 and it took a mass shooting to finally bring it to big news stations across the country. That wasn’t even the only incident. Many Asians are being refused service and attacked unprovokedly, both physically and verbally. So many Asians are being forced to live in fear because of mindless attacks filled with senseless anger. There have been so many other crimes too, mainly against the Asian elderly, because it’s more difficult for them to defend themselves which in turn makes them easier victims. Ever since the coronavirus started spreading to other countries, an unjust prejudiced hatred has been pushed onto the Asian community. Terms like the “Chinese virus” became popular and people deemed it acceptable to take their hatred out on innocent individuals. Clearly, this is not okay.
What we need to do is to continue to show our support and stand with the Asian community. Staying silent is not going to get this to stop. In Manhattan, a 65 year old Asian woman was brutally beat outside of an apartment building. Security footage caught the attack happening and the attacker was also heard spewing racial slurs. In addition to that, staff members and security guards from the apartment complex were seen just watching it all happen. Not reporting it, not stopping it, just standing there and watching. U.S. Representative Grace Meng, who is of Taiwanese descent, commented on this horrific event by stating, “We’ve gone from being invisible to being seen as subhuman. We just want to be seen as American like everyone else.”
While it is highly impossible to change people’s mindset overnight, there are still actions we can take to help the Asian community. For instance, attending protests. On April 4th, a rally was held in NYC to “Stop Asian Hate.” Of course, do this in a covid safe manner and preferably if you are vaccinated. However, if you feel like you cannot attend protests due to covid, you can always sign petitions or donate to the cause. In addition to that, simply talking about what’s happening and spreading awareness can help. After the horrifying events that happened in Atlanta, President Biden met with the Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) amongst other leaders and announced that safety measures will be put in place to make America safer for these communities. Honestly, it is heartbreaking that it took the death of six Asians to bring national attention to this issue, to bring the government’s attention to it. Regardless of Biden’s promises, we still need to do our part and stand up for Asians. It’s wonderful that this issue is being taken seriously by the government, but it definitely won’t be enough. We must keep the movement going. Stop Asian Hate.
Petitions to sign/donate and resources to look at:
https://www.napawf.org/stopasianhate
https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/
References:
https://www.fox5ny.com/news/hundreds-march-to-stop-asian-hate-in-manhattan
BEAUTY THROUGH THE EYES OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Elizabeth S. (4/9/21)
Beauty is many things—it is the prospect of love, the splendor of perfectly crafted art, the birth of a child, or the face of one’s beloved.
But even beauty has its vice.
In beauty there is corruption, conflict, and sorrow. In beauty there is loneliness and hardship; in beauty there is pain.
The evidence lies in old tales, ancient stories, past beliefs: Greek mythology.
Beauty is Dangerous and Greedy.
A mortal named Paris was asked to choose the fairest amongst the goddesses Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera. Each desired the praise, so each offered Paris incentive. Crafty Athena would provide endless knowledge; Hera would bestow power and status; and Aphrodite, goddess of love, would offer the most beautiful woman in all the land.
Unbelievably, Paris chose love.
And isn’t that the most selfless act of all?
But the competition amongst these three goddesses was organized by Eris, goddess of discord and strife. Paris was given Helen, the most beautiful woman in the known world, but Helen was already married to Menelaus of Sparta. When Paris brought Helen back to Troy, a war was fought in her name.
Helen lived on, but Paris was slain.
Beauty is Jealous and Bitter
Most have heard the tale of Athena and Arachne.
Athena was goddess of the loom, among other things, and she had heard tale of a notable weaver supposedly on par with a goddess.
So Athena went forward and challenged Arachne to a weaving contest. Arachne was proud and taunted Athena, even despite knowing she was a goddess. The two soon finished their pieces: Athena, a wonderful tapestry of Mount Olympus, and Arachne, a less flattering depiction of the gods.
Where Athena wove divine beauty and power, Arachne stitched a mocking truth.
Even Athena could find no fault with Arachne’s work, to her utter dismay. But out of arrogance and pride, the goddess destroyed the extraordinary, offensive tapestry.
As a final punishment, she transformed the maiden Arachne into the first spider, forever cursed to live in darkness and without the power to showcase her art any longer.
Beauty is Cruel and Haughty
One account describes Hera’s casting of Hephaestus off Mount Olympus as such:
The god of smithing was born deformed, unfit to be a son of a godly couple. His own mother rejected him, solely based on his appearance. Tossed from the home of the gods, Hephaestus was left to live on Earth.
But Hephaestus had skill. Even if his looks left anything to be desired, he had the ability to create beautiful things. He made jewelry for the nymphs and the nereids, even as a young boy.
When the nereid Thetis came to Olympus, Hera noticed the necklace she wore. It was dazzling and unlike anything she had seen. She asked who had made it, and, hearing the answer, brought Hephaestus home.
Even a godly parent can act so cruelly, abandoning what she does not like to look upon, and coddling it when it suits her needs.
Beauty is a Curse
And lastly, most have heard the name Narcissus in regard to beauty.
Narcissus was a mortal with the physical form of a god. He shunned those who courted him, causing some so much suffering that they ended their own lives.
But such action does not go unpunished by the gods.
Nemesis, goddess of revenge and retribution, appeared before Narcissus. An eye for an eye was only suitable punishment given from such a deity. Nemesis cursed Narcissus to fall in love with his own reflection, gazing upon his face each day in a shallow stream.
For once, he could understand his suitors’ unrequited love.
So entranced was he in his own visage, that he died in sorrow. The last glimpse of the living world was his own lovely reflection, his cursed magnificence denying him the possibility of a tomorrow.
And from these tales, one can see: beauty is not all it is expected to be.
Beauty is many things—it is the prospect of love, the splendor of perfectly crafted art, the birth of a child, or the face of one’s beloved.
But even beauty has its vice.
Love can cause conflict; art can inspire malevolence; birth may lead to exile; a beautiful face may cause you to waste away.
In all these stories there is one constant thread: with streaks of arrogance and manipulation, beauty is tainted.
Only in selflessness and humility can one truly know
That beauty is not simply a dazzling glow:
It comes with wisdom and the ability to see
That beneath an exterior there is striking vibrancy.
The knowledge that to be loved, one must give love in return,
Or the concept that radiant flames do not forever burn,
Beauty is appreciation of what may be fleeting—
It’s the unconditional gift of a heart’s quick beating.
Only in our vulnerability can we see
The imperfection of our world earnestly:
Humans seek to possess beauty—
It is idealized as a commodity.
With the knowledge that beauty is a trait and not a thing,
Or the concept that its definition can apply to anything,
Hopefully one day we’ll see that in faults there is singularity,
And in singularity, one can find all clarity.
ED2-F50.8. NIGHT EATING SYNDROME
Jamie C. Hill (4/9/21)
For the next feature of the eating disorder series, I would like to present Night Eating Syndrome (NES). Night eating syndrome can be found in the DSM-5 under “Other Specified or Eating Disorder” (APA 354). This is not to be confused with the sleepwalking disorder, Night Eating Syndrome, which falls under “Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Arousal Disorders” (APA 403). With that established, let’s get into it!
Symptoms
There is no universal way to diagnose NES. However, GenPsych has provided the criteria outlined from the First International Night Eating Symposium in 2008, which states the following:
The daily pattern of eating demonstrates a significantly increased intake in the evening and/or nighttime, as manifested by one or both of the following:
At least 25% of food intake is consumed after the evening meal
At least two episodes of nocturnal eating per week
Awareness and recall of evening and nocturnal eating episodes are present.
The clinical picture is characterized by at least three of the following features:
Lack of desire to eat in the morning and/or breakfast is omitted on four or more mornings per week
Presence of a strong urge to eat between dinner and sleep onset and/or during the night
Sleep onset and/or sleep maintenance insomnia are present four or more nights per week
Presence of a belief that one must eat in order to initiate or return to sleep
Mood is frequently depressed and/or mood worsens in the evening
The disorder is associated with significant distress or impairment in functioning.
The disordered pattern of eating has been maintained for at least 3 months.
The disorder is not secondary to substance abuse or dependence, medical disorder, medication, or another psychiatric disorder.
These symptoms are more detailed than the basic description in the DSM-5, so a diagnosis may be given even if it doesn’t meet this criteria exactly. To be precise, the DSM-5 recognizes excessive consumption after waking up at night or eating dinner, but it is not defined to be over 25% of food intake. What the symposium included in “the clinical picture” is not mentioned at all either.
Risk Factors
Depressive symptoms, obesity, and additional eating disorders are commonly associated with NES (GenPsych, WebMD). Although it is found that substance abuse, depression, and anxiety are more common in those with NES (WebMD), the DSM-5 says that it cannot be “better explained” by said disorders. There is a possibility that a defect in the gene PER1, which may be involved with the circadian rhythms, may lead to NES, but there are relatively few studies on this (WebMD).
Treatments
Medication: There is conflicting information on the efficacy of medications in treating NES. WebMD states that antidepressants may improve the patient’s condition, and although GenPsych agrees, they argue that the symptoms may not subside with this treatment. Obviously, consult a doctor and psychiatrist if you want to try a prescription.
Relaxation: Relaxation techniques, particularly progressive muscle relaxation, were shown to have positive effects in one study, but there is limited research on its efficacy on a larger sample for a longer duration (Allison & Tarves).
Light Therapy: Light therapy was also shown to have positive results, but again, there are more studies needed to confirm that it is an effective treatment (Allison & Tarves).
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Finally, cognitive behavioral therapy has similar findings as the rest of these treatments. It did help to alleviate symptoms, but it would be beneficial to do more research (Allison & Tarves).
Here are some resources available to find help:
Takeaways
Night Eating Syndrome is an incredibly understudied disorder. The lack of research has led to tentative reliability in any of the treatments. Another shortcoming is that its symptoms are not clearly defined. There may be varying interpretations of the disorder depending on who diagnoses it, and I am curious as to if this has caused NES to be overlooked in certain patients. Because of these limitations, I strongly encourage those with NES or who suspect they have NES to really establish a relationship with a professional. With someone trustworthy and attentive to your needs, the process of understanding and alleviating your symptoms will go smoother.
References
Allison, Kelly C, and Ellen P Tarves. “Treatment of night eating syndrome.” The Psychiatric clinics of North America vol. 34,4 (2011): 785-96. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2011.08.002
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association, 2013, pp. 354, 403. Print.
Night Eating Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments. GenPsych, 17 Oct. 2020, https://www.genpsych.com/post/night-eating-syndrome-causes-symptoms-and-treatments. Accessed 5 Apr. 2021.
What Is Night Eating Syndrome? WebMD, 7 May 2019, https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/eating-disorders/binge-eating-disorder/what-is-night-eating-syndrome. Accessed 5 Apr. 2021.
MARCH 2021
ED1-F50.8. AVOIDANT/RESTRICTIVE FOOD INTAKE DISORDER
Jamie Hill (3/12/21)
The first eating disorder I would like to bring attention to is a pretty unknown one called Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). It goes under the radar for a few reasons:
It does not include psychological distress about weight and body shape.
It is much more common in children. And subsequently:
It can be confused with general picky eating.
Manifestations
There are three main ways that ARFID manifests: “apparent lack of interest in eating or food; avoidance based on the sensory characteristics of food; concern about aversive consequences of eating” (APA 334).
Lack of interest: In this case individuals are just not interested in eating. One symptom of this is feeling full even if they do not consume much food. This is alarming because hunger and satiety signals tell you when your body needs food. If they aren’t working, then the individual will not know how nourished their body is.
Sensory concerns: Here individuals fear or are averse to certain sensory characteristics of food. If the food feels, smells, or looks unpleasant to them, then they will refuse to eat. For example, the smell of school lunch could turn a child with ARFID away from eating.
Concern about consequences: individuals fear the results that would come from eating. This is typically associated with an incident that was experienced personally or observed by the individual. The triggering incident can range from a number of things—choking, suffocating, vomiting, seeing someone vomit, medical conditions.
Symptoms (APA 334)
To be diagnosed with ARFID, an individual must have one or more of these symptoms that would be associated with an eating or feeding disturbance (the manifestations mentioned above):
Significant weight loss; failure to achieve expected weight gain; or faltering growth in children
Significant nutritional deficiency
Dependence on enteral feeding or oral nutritional supplements
Marked interference with psychosocial functioning
It is important to note that these symptoms cannot be explained by a lack of food available or cultural practices, nor can it be better explained by a comorbid* medical condition including other psychological disorders. This means that an individual would not be diagnosed with ARFID if they experience the symptoms under anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. And again, there is no notable concern about body shape or image.
*Comorbid, adjective of comorbidity: This refers to a condition that is also present with another one. i.e. ARFID is one condition and anxiety may be a comorbidity.
Risk Factors (APA 336)
Having disorders that affect temperament (i.e. anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder) do increase the risk for having traits of ARFID. Environmental factors, such as a guardian with an eating disorder, also are a risk factor. Additionally, a history of medical conditions that concern eating and feeding are associated with ARFID.
Treatments
In general, ARFID has pretty universal methods of treating patients, mainly consisting of:
Nutritional counseling: The patient will likely have a nutritionist or dietitian to counsel them to have more consistent, wholesome eating habits. Individuals with ARFID tend to stick to the same foods, so they will need direction on eating, say, more vegetables.
Meal supervision: One specific feature of nutritional counseling may be meal supervision. Obviously, this is more common for children, but it would also occur in a hospital, in-patient setting. Basically their meal supervisors would observe the way they eat. If they are struggling, their supervisor would encourage them, not pressure them to eat.
Therapy programs (Kurotori et al.)
Supportive psychotherapy: In Kurotori et al.’s study, clinicians used supportive psychotherapy to alleviate the patient’s fear of eating. By building an encouraging, supportive relationship with the patient, they would diminish this fear.
Cognitive behavioral therapy: This is intertwined with supportive psychotherapy. Clinicians work to change the mindset of the patient essentially by rationalization. Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors all work together to create that fear of eating, if applicable. What drives that fear is not very likely to affect them every time they eat, so if the fear can be alleviated, the behaviors can be confronted and changed.
Behavioral management: Changing behaviors is the key to treating ARFID. Since the core issue is nutritional health, fixing those eating habits, whether it be driven by fear or disinterest, is crucial. Getting patients to eat on a regular basis, to consume the amount of the food they need, and to receive nourishing meals will ultimately improve their overall health.
Prescription medication for comorbidities: If the patient has comorbidities like anxiety or gastrointestinal problems, then clearly they will need medication. This will involve interactions between primary care physicians, psychiatrists, pediatricians, and/or nutritionists depending on the issue. It is important for the patient and/or their guardians to be aware of what their insurance provides.
If you feel you need to be assessed or treated for ARFID, here are a few resources available:
Takeaways
ARFID is notably different from more known eating disorders in that it does not concern body weight or shape. However, that does not mean that it should be taken less seriously. Considering how common picky eating is, parents should pay close attention to their children’s eating habits and actual nutritional health. A trait like lack of interest in food could fly under the radar because it may not be as visible as something like an obvious aversion to vegetables. Furthermore, psychosocial effects may still occur in the form of discomfort during mealtime. If you think about someone with ARFID who grew up watching a parent experience eating disorders, or who experienced a choking incident personally, you can imagine how uncomfortable it would be to hear “just eat.” In short, do not brush aside this eating disorder, as you could clearly see how it can be just as severe as any other.
References
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association, 2013, pp. 334-338. Print.
Kurotori I, Shioda K, Abe T, Kato R, Ishikawa S, Suda S. “An Inpatient Observational Study: Characteristics And Outcomes Of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) In Children And Adolescents In Japan.” Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat, vol. 15, Nov 2019, pp. 3313-3321. Dove Press, https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S218354. Accessed March 6, 2021.
WRITE A BETTER RESUME: WAYS YOU CAN GET NOTICED FOR THE RIGHT THINGS AND AVOID THE WRONG
Elizabeth Shull
Disclaimer: this article is targeted towards young adults who would use a resume for academics/internships/smaller paid positions.
What is the line between bragging and being proud of your accomplishments? Does volunteering count as “work experience”? Can I still include hobbies of mine that I’ve spent lots of time on but aren’t as “impressive”? There are so many aspects of writing a resume that seem like they’re gray areas; often, people write off these questions as common sense and don’t explain the basics of what to include, leaving you confused about the boundary between necessary and unnecessary. From my experience, and after input from the working adults in my life, I have learned some tricks that might be helpful in crafting a resume with just the right amount of detail and confidence.
1. Keep it under a page. I don’t care if you have achievements for days; who doesn’t, in this world of competition? It’s not like your employer wants to annotate your resume for detail—they want to see some good stats, be able to recognize your personality, and move on. Think about it: if 10 other people applied for that same job on the day you handed in your resume, would they spend the time to read pages of boring achievements for someone they might not hire? NO. Often, it’s a first impression that matters the most. And hitting that “sweet spot” between too much and not enough is quite a good impression for many.
→ KEEP IT UNDER A PAGE!!! I don’t care if you have font size eight or eighty, but having that one crisp page in your hands makes a more powerful statement.
→ Keep a balance between detailed and cluttered. You should leave a line of space between each large bullet point, and no space between each header and the first bullet points.
2. Make the important info bold or large. Your name and contact info should be in the page’s header, and likely at least one font size larger than everything else. You don’t want the employer to be like “yeah, they’re a good candidate, let me just find their name…hmm…and now I’ll search for their email…”. They should be able to immediately know how to contact you just by skimming the page!
→ Choose a straightforward/well-known font like Times New Roman or Arial.
3. Include only THE MOST RELEVANT information. You don’t need to embellish anything; remember, you only have one page! This is an example format for a volunteer opportunity:
→ Salvation Army Angel Tree Volunteer
Worked 12+ hours each December 2013-2018
Involved distributing “angels” and answering questions in a booth at the mall
Just from this example, you learn a few things about formatting: bold the activity, isolate the duration of the activity so it’s easy to find (I usually have a column of dates on the right of the page), include the number of hours/unit of time you do the activity per session, and write a really quick description of what you did.
These quick descriptions don’t need to be full sentences ending in periods.
If the activity is well-known, like how many people know about the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree, you don’t have to give too much background about what the task entails. If the employee is curious, he/she will ask you a question in the interview or make a quick Google search.
4. Break info into large sections. This is another instance of finding the “sweet spot.” I would recommend having about six headers, and under each header, 3-10 items listed.
→ It’s hard to know what headers you should have and how to prioritize them. This is what I do, and what order I put it in: Education, Awards and Scholarships, Work Experience, Related Experience (Volunteer Positions), Leadership Positions and Extracurricular (Interest) List, Languages.
Education: If you’re in high school, include your school’s name, what type of diploma(s) you received/are receiving (Standard/Advanced/IB/AP/etc.), any long-term academic program you participated in and the duration (ex. “Participated in International Baccalaureate (IB) Program in middle and high school (7 years)”), your GPA (unweighted and weighted), and your class rank. If you’re in college, include all of the previous info for high school as well as your university’s name, your major(s)/minor(s), and any special circumstances (such as exclusive dorm programs).
Awards and Scholarships: you ONLY NEED the name of the accolade and the date received!! If it’s related to a long-term achievement (such as an immersion camp, month-long special class, etc.), you can add a single bullet point description.
Work Experience: this is your paid work. Write the job title (should fit on one line), and a 1-3 line description of what you did. Stick to competences and outcomes. What do I mean by that? Competences—marketable skills, like knowing how to use a certain software; Outcomes—specifically, numbers. How many items did you produce, did you affect the company’s sales, etc.
Related Experience (Volunteer Positions): I’d only include about three of these at most. They should be LONG-TERM ACTIVITIES and/or activities that IMPACTED YOUR LIFE. Volunteering is about making a difference on others, but it can truly change the life of a volunteer if they experience hardship, empathize with others, or dedicate enough time into a task. For example, in my resume I included my library volunteer position where I worked over 200 hours over the course of 4 years (no pay), my annual summer position as an Art Camp Counselor for the church my family goes to, and the Salvation Army Volunteer position that I have worked Decembers consistently at for six years. These examples show dedication, initiative/leadership, and patience, and each provide insight into my personality (ex. I like libraries and art).
Leadership Positions and Extracurricular (Interest) List: I’d have 1-3 major leadership positions where you helped make important decisions or was in charge of something, and then a bullet point with your other involvements. The leadership positions can usually be described in 1-3 lines; only explain aspects of the role that you performed regularly or went above and beyond to do. The extra involvement bullet point is just a list where you should document your other interests (clubs, sports) and their duration.
Languages: Have a bullet point for each language you speak, include how long you’ve learned each language, and your level of proficiency (proficiency charts can be found here).
5. Spelling and double-checks are EXTREMELY important!! You should always get a friend, family member, mentor/teacher, or someone with eyes to read over your resume. Simple spelling errors can become invisible to any writer after enough time, so a fresh viewpoint can help spot such mistakes. Getting someone to take a critical look at your resume can also provide a source of feedback and let you know if anything feels out of place. If your employer is older or is just a stickler for grammar, poor demonstration of syntax can get you discounted as careless in a pinch!
Now that you have some knowledge of how to write a proper resume, here’s an example template for you! (Beware, though, it’s extremely barebones.) I would be happy to share my personal resume as well for a better example; just contact me through the Hear Her Speak Magazine website or through the Magazine’s social media.
Your Name Here
full home address | phone number | email address
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDUCATION
College Name
Major: _____ | Minors: _______ 20XX-20XX
Accepted into the ______ dorm (or any other program)
High School Name
List your diploma(s) here 20XX-20XX
Participated in _____ Program (_ years)
GPA: ___ (unweighted); ___ (weighted) | Class Rank: ___ of ___
AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS (1-10 of these)
This is where you write the award name Awarded [day, 20XX]
Example of a long-term award that needs to be explained with a bullet point [Month] – [month], 20XX
This is where you explain the duration of the event, how you were selected, # of participants, etc.
WORK EXPERIENCE (1-3 of these)
Name/brief title of your paid job 20XX
Used [software/skill] to produce/improve [thing]
RELATED EXPERIENCE (VOLUNTEER POSITIONS) (1-3 of these)
Volunteer position name
Worked ____ hours doing _____ 20XX-20XX
LEADERSHIP POSITIONS AND EXTRACURRICULAR (INTEREST) LIST (1-3 of these + Other)
Club/organization [your position title] 20XX-20XX
Background: the [club/organization] worked to ______. As the _____, my role was to _____.
.
Other Extracurricular Involvement: ___ Club (20XX-20XX); National ____ Honor Society (20XX-20XX); [etc.]
LANGUAGES (1-3 of these)
[Your native language] – native language
GOING AT YOUR OWN PACE IN A FAST-PACED, NON-STOP WORLD
Lauren Bellamy (3/12/21)
One of the biggest things that I hated during my time in high school was the constant competition. Whether it was grades or extracurricular opportunities, I just felt that I could never catch a break. As someone who hates competition, of course I despised this environment with a passion because it put unnecessary stress on me as well as my peers. It caused a lack of self-motivation and lack of interest in things that made us happy which is awful. I say all of this to make the point that not everyone should be held at a standard that seems impossible for them to do just simply because everyone else is doing it. We all need to get in the mindset that going at your own pace is good, and to be completely honest, healthy. Here are my reasons why all of us should start going at our own pace, rather than the pace set by a world that tends to only support one group of people.
One of the biggest things that I want to stress is someone else’s pace is not your own pace. As we come to hopefully love ourselves and accept ourselves, we have to learn about ourselves. In order to do that, you will have to come to understand things about yourself at your own speed and in your own time. For example, romantic relationships. As I’ve mentioned in a previous article before, there was a time in my life when I could have had a boyfriend. The reason I say could have had, is because I decided against it, simply because 1) I didn’t think I was ready for a relationship, and 2) I wasn’t ready for a relationship. There’s two different mentalities at play in this example because like I said for the first reason in terms of not thinking I was ready, I personally thought at that moment that I wasn’t ready for a relationship. Everything was happening so suddenly, and I was so confused as to why. So I decided to pump the brakes and admit that I wasn’t ready for a relationship yet. But even past that, as I reflect back on it as a more mature Lauren, I also realized that I was in no place to like someone and or invest myself in a relationship because I was nowhere near liking or loving myself the way I needed to. In the words of Mama Ru, “if you can’t love yourself, how in the [heck] are you going to love somebody else? Can I get an amen up in here?” Amen, Mama Ru. I bring this to the forefront of this argument because I think when we are constantly trying to do things at the speed of someone else, we forget that we are all different people. The amount of time it takes me to do something is going to vary from the next person on to the next, because there is no one-size-fits-all, no matter how much someone tries to dictate that to you.
This also relates to being ready to take on tasks that you may not be ready to take on yet, or even deciding that something is not for you. For instance, the concept of college. For so long, I remember that pretty much the only option that was available to me according to my parents and teachers after graduating high school was college. It was no question that’s what I was going to do in my life, because it had basically been drilled into my skull. And even when it came to the time of actually applying to colleges, I applied to many different schools in hopes to be able to eventually go to college. Though that was my situation and desire, listening so much to what my parents said and what others said, I hadn’t realized that there were other options like going into the military or going to a community college. While going to the military is pretty laughable for a person like me (simply because I hate violence with a passion and am not physically coordinated whatsoever), it may be the best option for someone else. I guess my point here is to encourage you to make the decision for yourself instead of allowing other people to tell you what to do. It’s the same sentiment as my previous point with the relationship.
In order to get to where we want to go, our journey has to line up with us in the sense of doing what we think is right and in the way we think it is right. We also have to respect people’s decisions and be careful not to push our own experiences onto them in an attempt to get them to do what we want. We all have to value people’s independence and stop trying to make everything a race because, to be honest, that does tremendously more harm than good. So make sure to remember to just take one step at a time, and do you, boo.
FINDING DRIVE WHEN GRIEVING: A LOOK INTO JULIE AND THE PHANTOMS
Suhayla Ahmed (03/12/21)
Art surely does imitate life. However, I find that many important life lessons are present within art itself. Julie and the Phantoms, a Netflix show from 2020, is no exception.
I am hoping that the people reading this are past the idea that kids’ media can’t be poignant (I mean, have you seen the Avatar franchise?). If not, then I hope you can at least try to understand that this show is an exception to whatever preconceived notions you have of ‘children’s’ entertainment.
Julie and the Phantoms doesn’t view ambition through a superficial lens. The main character, Julie, does have a drive to be a musician. However, what hinders her is the fact that she is grieving the death of her mother. When she tries to even touch the piano, the memories of her loss are too painful.
This perspective on ambition is important as it shows that even if one is truly passionate about something, life events can still get in the way. For Julie, this is a death in her family. I find it very important that the show starts off with Julie grieving rather than being ready to perform. While it seems obvious that her passion will somehow reignite (it is a kids’ show after all), I like that the focus is initially on Julie’s emotions rather than the fact that she is destined to become a rock star.
Now, what makes this arc even more interesting is that Julie rekindles her passion for music not through shutting away her grief, but through facing it head-on. In fact, her mother’s memory is what keeps her going. The first song that Julie performs is written by her mother (“Wake Up”). This detail shows us that sometimes what causes us the most pain also brings out our best parts.
While Julie’s struggle with grief is the most obvious and most explored one, it is also important to note that she is not the only one coping with loss. The three bandmates Luke, Reggie, and Alex, all cope with the pain of realizing they’ve been dead for 25 years. They’ve lost the connections they made when they were alive. While Season 1 did not go into too much detail about Reggie’s and Alex’s families, it did touch upon Luke’s relationship with his parents.
Unlike Julie, Luke does not start off the show being explicit about this grief. Instead, his feelings reveal themselves much later. At first, we see Luke as a happy-go-lucky guy with major golden retriever vibes and a passion for music. While there’s nothing wrong with this portrayal, it was superficial (perhaps to let Julie’s story shine more). When we get to know Luke better, we see a layer of him that isn’t like his usual cheery personality – it’s his state of grieving.
Similar to Julie, Luke lost connection to his mother as well as his father. However, he is able to see what his parents do as a ghost. He knows that they miss him because they still celebrate his birthday 25 years after his death. He hence grieves in a different way – he knows his parents are alright but can’t communicate with them. However, this is changed when Julie visits his parents and shows them the song he wrote about his mother after he ran away from home (“Unsaid Emily”).
What we can see from this song is that Luke used his ambition, music, to help cope with his feelings of grief. All of those negative feelings actually fueled his drive to write and sing music. This is completely different from Julie’s (initial) navigation through her grief. Both Julie’s and Luke’s forms of grieving are equally valid and show that grief is not black and white – people will deal with their losses in different ways.
Hence, Julie and the Phantoms shows how grief can either snuff out or reignite the flame of someone’s drive. It’s a wonderful, poignant form of media that I highly recommend watching, especially if you love music and are driven towards it. It offers insight into how ambition manifests itself in different people and how that ambition can change through life experiences. It’s a perfect manifestation of our theme of the month!
FEBRUARY 2021
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MY REVIEW OF THE ANIME GREAT PRETENDER BASED ON (MADE-UP STANDARDS OF) CONTENT, PRESENTATION, AND ENJOYABILITY
Elizabeth S. (2/1/21)
When I think of the words “Netflix original anime,” some pretty nice names come to mind. Shows like Kakegurui, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. (Reawakened), Carole and Tuesday, and Violet Evergarden with beautiful animation and fast-paced stories that keep my interest. Buuut, these shows all have one thing in common: usually, they’re praised for a short while…but don’t get the recognition they deserve because they were trapped in “Netflix jail” for so long.
A quick explanation, before I move on—when I say “Netflix jail,” I mean that anime owned by Netflix is usually first released in Japan through Netflix Japan or just on live TV, and instead of immediately being simulcasted around the world on the platform, usually Netflix waits a few months before global release. Since so many people want to watch these newly releasing anime while people are still talking about the shows, usually the episodes are pirated/watched illegally or just forgotten about entirely by the time the show is put on Netflix. This is exactly the case with the 2020 anime Great Pretender. This is such an amazing, powerful, and aesthetically pleasing anime, but not many people I speak to have seen it (or even heard about it). I first watched the show a few months ago, but had completely no idea that it was even being released this past year.
But anyways, onto my real review. Why did I say (and I quote: ) “This is such an amazing, powerful, and aesthetically pleasing anime”? Here’s the answer—this anime was everything I hoped for and more, reminded me of everything I liked about a few of my previous favorite animes, tackled real-world issues, and did so with a freakin’ awesome art style.
Now, if you haven’t heard of Great Pretender (join the club, along with everyone else who owns Netflix), I’ll give a short summary. Edamura Makoto AKA “Edamame” is a swindler in Japan who tries to scam a visiting tourist. Ironically, that tourist too is a scam artist (named Laurent), and he is able to trick Makoto into joining him in a few heist-style crimes. As the show progresses, Edamame and Laurent develop an uneasy partner-relationship and travel to various countries with a few other unique characters and they all work together to perform huge-scale scams. (Like I’m talking several-million-dollar scams.)
The coolest part about the show is that the characters travel all over the place. Like in just two seasons, they visit Japan, America, France, Singapore, England, the UAE, and China! As someone who just loves learning about languages, I was extremely happy and impressed that most times characters from other countries spoke their native tongue, a different language was actually used. No overly-exaggerated accents clumsily worked into Japanese, just a conversation in a different language, with a new voice actor. This might seem like a small thing, but with the diversity within this show, the language-switching really added to the immersion and quality overall.
Speaking of diversity, Great Pretender is literally insane with how many nationalities and ethnicities it represents. The main characters are Japanese, French, British, and Iraqi, for goodness’ sake! And this isn’t some cheap attempt at “diversity,” like “oh, look at that, how nice. Netflix threw in two people of color. (Too bad they only show up once, though).” This anime is actually pretty realistic in how it represents diversity, focusing more on skin tone and dress than on exaggerating certain facial features as seen in many other anime. Each person’s nationality and race seemed natural, but not stereotypical. And, best of all, all characters made regular appearances as a normal cast, not as some strategically-choreographed racial grab by Netflix to claim that they did something right. This show did what everyone has been asking for for so long—it showed a cast of diverse characters just living their lives, not overemphasizing each person’s differences, but instead normalizing that people of all appearances can live and work in the same world.
Oh, and the women in this show were just amazing, too. One of them (no spoilers) grew up as a child soldier, and in this show was able to (1) pilot a plane, (2) fight in a boxing match, (3) fake her own death multiple times, and do some even more outrageous things. The other lead female worked temporarily as a chief of a police department, used her stunning feminine good looks to her advantage when going undercover to scam others, and took a strong lead over some of the heists. Despite each of their past traumas, the women in this show frankly seemed more reliable (and even more cutthroat) than the leading men.
This anime tackled some real-world issues very gracefully, as well. War and trauma (PTSD), racism, ulterior motives held by American celebrities and police, child trafficking, gender expectations…the list goes on. Simple one-liners or remarks coupled with gut-wrenching animation made the presence of each issue seem subtle enough, but blatantly obvious to a mature audience.
Comfortingly, this show reminds me of some of my favorite animes. There are just so many threads waiting to be woven together in this story, and times when Edamame and Laurent try to outdo each other’s heists that remind me of the dynamic between L and Light in Death Note. There are so many trick endings and life-and-death choices that demonstrate struggles of morality that I’m reminded of Death Parade (see a pattern here?) as well. I just love shows that temporarily rewire your way of thinking and make you certain of an outcome, and then pull a trick plot out of left field. Shows full of tension, where when a main character outwits their adversary, it feels just as good as when they punch them in the face. Shows that make you feel pity, or revulsion, or make you have to go back and rewatch the last four episodes because you think you must’ve missed a single critical moment that shifted a whole dynamic.
And lastly (did you think it was over?) the animation style is TO DIE FOR. Great Pretender might just be one of the most beautiful pieces of art I have ever seen. Each color palette was meticulously chosen for the situation, the details were impeccable, and the bright and carefree animation style contrasted magnificently with all the sketchy crimes that were being committed.
Anyways, I hope I’ve convinced at least one of you to watch this anime. It is criminally underrated. As my top anime for 2020, you should definitely give Great Pretender a try.
DISPELLING MYTHS ABOUT YOUR BODY, STARRING EATING DISORDERS
Jamie C. Hill (2/1/21)
Everyone I have ever met has held some form of dissatisfaction about their body, whether it is about shape or weight. Therefore, I wanted to start a series about eating disorders to spread awareness for those who may not even realize that they might have one or more. To begin, I feel that it is important to talk in general about taking care of your body with a special look at eating disorders, so here are a few things to understand:
Eating disorders are not body disorders
Eating disorders are not usually a problem with what you eat, and they are certainly not a problem with what you weigh and how your body looks. They are the resulting eating habits that affect the way you function in day-to-day life. For example, anorexia nervosa. This disorder is marked by a fear of gaining weight and a distorted view of your body. People with anorexia view themselves as being larger than what they actually are, which leads to severe malnutrition for the sake of becoming skinnier. But first and foremost this is a psychological issue—your opinion of your body is just that, an opinion. No matter how sharply your bones protrude or how much fat sits at your stomach, it is your body so you should cherish it.
There is no weight floor or ceiling
Continuing on to the discussion of anorexia, eating disorders are not limited to a certain weight range. Zoey Jordan Salsbury’s article phenomenally details her experience as a “fat person with anorexia.” What Salsbury explains is atypical anorexia, in which an individual weighs too much to meet the criteria of anorexia. In the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, this would fall under the category of “other specified feeding or eating disorders,” meaning that it doesn’t fit the standards of a named eating disorder in the manual. On the opposite end of the spectrum, thinner people can also experience eating disorders that are usually attributed to overweight individuals, such as binge eating disorder (BED). BED involves cycles of overeating and guilt, so it may go undetected in those with lesser weight, which leads to my next point.
Appearances aren’t everything
Your version of others is never going to be their version of themselves. You don’t know what somebody else is going through, so please refrain from giving someone unsolicited advice based on what they look like. Thinner people don’t always need to eat more just as thicker people don’t always need to eat less. Seriously, it can trigger an episode of fasting or overeating. Stop it.
Another take, perhaps unpopular, is that celebrities struggle with body image issues just as bad as or worse than you. Given their hypervisibility in the media, they are subject to severe, nonsensical criticism from strangers who could be their own fans, especially on their body. Lizzo, for instance, is always the subject of scrutiny just for existing by both haters and fans. If you look at any trend about her, you will see harsh jokes about her weight. But in December, when she decided to do a smoothie cleanse, she was dogpiled with guilt trips by people who saw her choice as a let-down. First of all, you aren’t entitled to anyone’s body. Second of all, idolizing celebrities—particularly to the extent of viewing yourself in them—will disappoint you. They’re still humans who use their own judgment, not a projection of your interests.
In short, mind your business.
Dieting isn’t always the answer
I will be upfront: I hate diets. As someone who has starved herself, I hate them. As an intern under a behavioral therapist in the nutrition field, I hate them even more. I learned from this therapist that moderation is key. Although diets can successfully result in weight loss, there is the risk of weight regain and the development of eating disorders. When people restrict their intake, they become more susceptible to a reversal of overeating. If overeating occurs more regularly and brings about an emotional toll, it transforms into binge eating. Binge eating occurs in anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and its own separate binge eating disorder. Essentially, dieting can lead to eating disorders, so balance your diet instead of limiting yourself.
Eating disorders are hard to handle
Balancing your diet is hard, I know. There will be pitfalls in the process. One of my most crushing moments was a few years ago. I ate a large bowl of pasta, kept eating and eating even when it was too much. I wanted to gain weight as quickly as possible, completely disregarding the fact that binging was unsustainable for weight gain. Predictably, that did not end well. I vomited all of it into the toilet immediately afterwards. It was only later, after I cried in defeat, that the binging and purging episode set in. Following that event, I became more acutely aware of my body—the size of my stomach, the hunger-induced migraines, the loss of appetite. This wasn’t for the better; in fact, it made me hyperfocus on the worst parts of myself, but I realized the worst parts of me are not all of me. So, that is my message to you: you are not limited to the worst parts of you. You might fall hard, and that disappointment might last for a really long time, but it still doesn’t define you. Give yourself grace, give yourself time, and give yourself love.
DEAR FUTURE SELF
Anonymous (2/1/21)
I know. I know how you are feeling. I know the ache that pressed down on your back after a day of work and I know the exhaustion that comes with every new day being a replica of the last. It has been such a long year; I know. You’ve been through so much.
It is currently around 10:30 am and even though that’s a pretty late time to start the day, it’s still early for you. I know you would rather cuddle up with blankets and go back to bed instead of writing this, but I also know the ache in your heart. You want to be remembered for something special and unique. Perhaps more importantly, you want to make a difference. If you are anything like the person I envision you to be, I know you are a force. A leader and an advocate all in one.
I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am to have seen you endure heartbreak, pain, and so much more. In just this past year alone, you have lost much, but also have gained. You have learned your worth. You have learned that the people who have left you do not define who you are. The people who have stayed in support for you, however, speak volumes for you and your values. You have learned to stop blaming yourself for the small things.
You’re curious; a natural thinker. You like to ask questions about what you do not understand. You have big dreams for yourself and you’ll never be tired of how the world changes or the future that lies ahead of you. But if there is one piece of advice I could give you, I hope whenever you do read this again you have learned to love yourself.
It’s pretty crazy to me how badly you crave that. Self-love, I mean. I have no idea how to give it to you now, but I am trying my best. It’s okay that I’m not quite there yet. I know there is still time. It might not even be tomorrow or maybe even a year from now. But I know in my heart it will come. When it does, I know it will be the most beautiful realization. You are where you are meant to be. You are exactly who you want to be. You matter. You are amazing. You are loved.
Until then, I will always remind myself of my dreams for you. Of the fact that you are your own home and your own support. I hope you are not too different from who I am now. Hopefully you have grown into someone that I am proud of with every inch of my heart. For now, here’s a short message for you:
I hope you always remember how much your eyes sparkle and how easy it is for you to laugh. Your sarcasm, your corny humor, and your heart. I hope you remember how you gaze at the sunsets in wonder and how you bundle yourself up with blankets when you're cold. I hope you always remember your mother’s warmth and your father’s pride for you. Be yourself, it's okay. It’s okay if this takes time. I just want you to always know that the time that this journey will take is worth it, simply because you are also worth it. I hope you always remember how uniquely beautiful you are.
Love,
Me 😊
BEING A BLACK GIRL WHO LOVES K-POP
Lauren Bellamy (2/1/21)
So, I love K-pop. The funny thing about that is the fact that I’ve only been into K-pop two years and counting, all thanks to BTS or Bangtan as I refer to them when I’m with my sister. Another funny thing is prior to falling down the K-pop hole, I never in a million years thought I would like it. I don’t know why, exactly. I just didn’t think it was my scene. I wasn’t impressed with “Gangnam Style” by PSY. Not even throwing shade, it was just not my thing. Even though my friends in high school (two of them are a part of the magazine lol) fangirled over their biases and the latest gossip in the K-pop world that at that time I thought possessed them, I didn’t bite. I didn’t even want to bite when my sister fell down the BTS hole, but I guess it was inevitable for me to fall in love with the phenomenon known as K-pop and everything a part of Hallyu (the Korean wave). In this article, I will be discussing my journey to becoming a K-pop stan while also dissecting the struggles I have had on the journey.
Why I Fell in Love with K-Pop
I think after my love for reading and writing, music comes next. I usually can turn up to anything if I’m in the mood, and while it took me a bit to get into the groove of some K-pop songs, I really started liking them. The coolest thing about K-pop is that there is no true K-pop “sound”. I thought there was when I first was introduced to it, but as I have fallen further and further down the hole, I’ve realized that K-pop genuinely sounds like a lot of pop music in the west, with the exception of blending multiple genres together in a successful manner. For instance, BTS’ Most Beautiful Moment in Life Part 1 and Part 2. If you look up the genres that it has, you will find that there are five different genres used: R&B, Hip Hop, Pop, Dance-pop, and EDM. If you look at their next full studio album Wings, you will find that there are seven genres utilized. You see? K-pop is not one genre, it’s a blend of pretty much everything (well, except country, and thank God for that). The thing about K-pop is that even though I may have heard a sound or beat before, they do something different to give the song a different vibe. Whether it is by combining Korean and English into the lyrics or having catchy hooks, K-pop always can turn a bad day into a good day.
I also love the innovative music videos and insane yet top-notch choreography. As an ARMY, whenever BTS comes out with a new video that showcases choreography, I find myself trying to learn it, even though I get exhausted not even a minute after starting. I love the girl groups’ and the aegyo that both boy bands and girl groups do because it just adds another touch of cuteness to the extremely attractive idols. Like seriously. How is it that Korea can find all of these beautiful people and put so many of them in these groups? Talk about eye-candy.
But anyway, weirdness aside, there’s something cool about the group dynamic in K-pop. After years of seeing western groups fall apart after only a few years, there’s something refreshing about seeing K-pop groups last for a long time. Maybe it’s because of the intense training they have to do behind the scenes, or the seven year contracts that keep them intact (this used to be about 13 years of being an idol (not including trainee days) before the TVXQ incident. You can Google it, but the gist of the story is SM Entertainment got way too carried away with their management and in the end, there was a law to change the contract time). I think another reason why I love K-pop so much is because I’ve seen the hard work and dedication these idols put into their craft. Some idols may be in it for the fame, but others truly take their time to learn the choreography, learn different languages, and practice proper etiquette to become as good as they possibly can be. I recommend you look up on YouTube some short documentaries about the life of a K-pop trainee. Some shows that tackle the same thing are the Nizi Project on YouTube and I-Land on VIKI.
“But You Can’t Understand What They’re Saying”
I don’t want to make a generalization but one of the biggest things that I have experienced as a K-pop stan as well as prior to getting into K-pop is the question: “why would you like something that you can’t understand?” Glad you asked. There’s this thing called translations, and it works wonders. Okay, sarcasm aside, to be honest, it really is not much different than when I look up the lyrics for a song in English. I turn to colorcodedlyrics.com majority of the time, or watch the videos on YouTube because then you can know who’s singing/rapping because of their according color. It’s really cool. Plus, sometimes it’s nice not to know what they’re not saying at first because when I listen to songs in English, I tend to get turned off if they’re singing about something that is weird or gross. Also, to those people who always say that you can’t understand what they’re saying, weren’t you turning up to “Despacito," a song almost fully in Spanish? Right. Make it make sense. It truly shows the closed-mindedness there, though. If you’re so hung up about the language of the lyrics, you gotta do some soul-searching and realize there may be some racism and xenophobia there. Saying you don’t like a song simply because you don’t know what they’re saying and are obviously lazy to not look up the lyrics, is genuinely pitiful. So don’t come for me or my fellow K-pop stans.
Being a Black K-pop Fan
Okay, so as someone who has experienced racism from pretty much everyone, including Black people, I expected some backlash when I decided to become a fan of K-pop. The reason I did is because unfortunately the relationship between Black individuals and Asian individuals is fairly sub-par. While I personally haven’t had any dramatically awful issues with Asian-Americans, one incident that is still fresh in many Black Americans’ minds is the awful murder of Latasha Harlins, a Black teenage girl, by a Korean-American female store owner during the ‘92 LA riots. The store owner thought that Latasha was stealing and proceeded to shoot her and ended up killing her. This resulted in looting taking place in Koreatown in Los Angeles. Also, considering the colorist beauty standards of favoring fairer skin over darker skin, it puts the thought of discrimination in a Black person’s mind when they go to an Asian country or even if they encounter an Asian person.
It’s really sad, but bringing that into perspective, considering the tensions between us, my mom and dad were not that excited about my sister and I being obsessed with a genre that’s origins were in South Korea. Though that was the case, we helped them and others who thought liking K-pop was a bad idea that you can’t allow a few bad eggs to dictate how you feel about a whole people/culture. We all have to learn to move on, and while those unfortunate things may be in our minds, acknowledge that we can still remember them and be cautious while continuing on in the endeavor. Plus, we also have to acknowledge that K-pop takes a lot of inspiration from Black music and Black culture, so that says a lot right there. Also, not to toot my own horn or anything, but my favorite K-pop group, BTS, donated a million dollars to Black Lives Matter in a quiet manner in early June 2020, which both Black Lives Matter and BigHit confirmed. Then, ARMY and I matched that donation with another million dollars for Black Lives Matter, though I had contributed a lot before then as well. I also know that many K-pop idols spoke up in favor of Black Lives Matter, like three out of four MAMAMOO members (Hwa Sa, Whee-in, and Moonbyul) as well as Monsta X. While we all still got some work to do, seeing that there are some idols who use their platform to speak out against injustice towards Black people really makes you feel good, and makes you less worried about the connotations of being a Black person who likes K-pop.
Fandom = Community
What comes to your mind when you think of K-pop fans? I asked the staff of Hear Her Speak Magazine prior to writing this article, and while the majority of us like K-pop and would consider ourselves fans/stans, I got a few “crazy but in a good way”s, “insane”s and “dedicated''s. Personally, prior to becoming ARMY and an overall K-pop stan, I thought K-pop fans were fairly intense considering when I watched the BBMAs in 2017 and 2018, when BTS were there, ARMYs including my sister in 2018 were screaming at the top of the lungs just at the sight of the group. Now, I do the exact same thing considering my love for BTS is very, VERY strong. Also, I don’t remember what my life was like before “stan”-ing them, so I mean, that says a lot. I think why we fans tend to get a little excited when we see our favorite groups/solo artists is because we genuinely love them (i.e. us coming for you hard if you come for our favorite idols :)). But anyway, within that, is a community. Aside from the toxic fans like saesangs (stalker fans) and akgaes (rude fans who only stan one or two members so much that they’re awful to other members), we’re a very tight-knit group who ban together to scream out fan chants during the performances of our favorite idols. We also ban together to stream music videos and albums when new ones debut. We stand by each other, and when we find a fellow fan, we automatically ask, “Who’s your bias and bias wrecker?!?!”
One thing I wished I knew prior to falling down the metaphorical K-pop hole is the time commitment. Like, at times it feels like a full-time job, though you enjoy what you’re doing, but sometimes, it can get quite hectic. For instance, I have V-Live, an app for K-pop stans all over the world to get exclusive content for their favorite idols and can ever see them do live Q&As and chats, as well as Weverse, an app that was originally made for BigHit idols but now many idols are getting in on the action. With these apps, I tend to check them constantly because there are so many notifications for various things (i.e. if a BTS member makes a post on Weverse lol). While it can be time-consuming, it is one of the reasons why I continue to stan K-pop. There are so many opportunities for you to be able to truly see your favorite idols, and there’s rarely toxic hate towards them like in regular social media.
In conclusion, being a Black K-pop stan can be challenging at times, but in the end, I couldn’t care less because of how much I’ve fallen in love with this quirky genre. From the amazing choreography, the sweet and insanely talented idols, to the awesome community amongst fans all over the world, you genuinely couldn’t ask for anything else. I’m a proud K-pop stan, and I will proudly shout it from the rooftop any day.
![WhyLoveTrianglesSuck.PNG](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a13310_727bdbee55744d90bbffb196ce8fadbf~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_980,h_386,al_c,lg_1,q_90,enc_auto/a13310_727bdbee55744d90bbffb196ce8fadbf~mv2.png)
WHY LOVE TRIANGLES SUCK (AND NEED A NEW NAME)
Suhayla A.
(2/1/21)
God, Enough With This Trope
If you’ve consumed any type of fictional media, you’re no stranger to the love triangle trope. In fact, love triangles were even mentioned in this issue earlier! Wow, small world! Or small magazine? Did I perhaps piggyback off of someone? Yes <3.
Anyway, love triangles are everywhere! Whether it be Hunger Games, Twilight, True Beauty, or even the show Never Have I Ever, you can’t really escape them. And that’s the problem.
I’ll never comprehend why love triangles are so prolific. The way I see it, the common love triangle goes like this: two men pine for one woman and the story makes it so that she has to choose one of them. There’s absolutely no way she can just ditch both of them and be happily single, because I guess that would piss off all the rampant shippers in the fandom.
But but buuut, why does the woman have to choose between two subpar men? Is this the US presidential election?
Moreover, if someone sees multiple instances of this common trope, they receive this underlying message: a woman can’t be alone and happy – she’s better off living with any man. I know, I know. That may not be the intention of most writers of this trope. But those are the vibes.
I only see this underlying message with love triangles. If the woman has only one love interest, she has two options: be alone or with that person. If the woman has two love interests, she still has two options. To no one’s surprise, the option to be alone is gone! Weird how that works, huh? If more than one person likes you, you suddenly have no right to stay a single pringle.
Some Examples of This Junk
Now, if the men truly have good qualities that would make a woman like them, then that’s not as bad (though choosing to be alone should still be a valid option). The thing is, I rarely see love triangles like that. It’s usually like choosing the lesser of two evils (flashbacks again to the presidential election). If you take a look at the K-drama The Heirs, both of the female lead’s options suck. What they share in common is that they’re two bratty rich boys. Where they differ is that one is a bully towards low-income people and the other is a bystander. I disliked both boys, so I paid more attention to the (far superior) side couples.
Let’s look at another example. In the much loved Hunger Games series, both of Katniss’s love interests leave a lot to be desired. However, one of them did kill her sister, so the other option must have looked that much better in comparison. That guy also baked bread, and I love bread. Nevertheless, it’s difficult to see much chemistry between Katniss and Mr. Bread-Baker. Sigh. Granted, this series is by no means in the romance genre. I just think that if you want to incorporate romance, it should be done well. Katniss having no love interest at all would have made sense in the storyline. She had a whole country to save!
What’s With The Name?
Let’s consider the name: love triangle. Tumblr first brought this to my attention, but love “triangles” aren’t really triangles. They’re more like love corners.
Let me explain. If we are talking about the common love triangle, there’s two guys pining for one girl. That means that their feelings make up one side of the triangle. That means two sides of the triangle are complete, for the two guys’ interest in the girl. Here’s a visual representation I drew in Paint (and a confirmation that I’m not a cover artist for this magazine). (Editor's note: see "Love Corner" image at the top of this article.)
The girl is the circle and the guys are the rectangles. Do you see what’s missing here? If this were truly a love triangle, there would be some sort of attraction between the two guys (or an unrequited attraction, at least). Let me show you a drawing of this, even though it’s probably already in your head (I just love flexing my inability to draw). (Editor's note: see "Love Triangle" image at the top of this article.)
Thinking about this, the common love triangle should be called a love corner. Geometry aside, the name is just more fitting because it perfectly depicts the nature of a love triangle. A poor girl is backed into a corner by two guys, forced to choose one for the sake of upholding a crappy romance storyline.
Now, if the love triangle were truly a triangle, that means that there is some WLW or MLM attraction, no matter the genders of the three characters. That always is approved by me :P. And it would immediately up my interest in a piece of fiction.
Love corners still have got to go. (Anyway, to make sure I don’t confuse anyone, I’ll still call love corners love triangles for the rest of this article unless I actually distinguish between the two again.)
Oh, but can’t love triangles (err… corners) be good?
No.
Just kidding, of course there are always exceptions. But the first exception I will talk about isn’t like the love triangles I talked about before. And there’s some magic involved.
I’m not much of a Shakespeare buff, but I think A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a great depiction of the sort of “love entanglements” so common in literature. Helena pines for one man, but said man pines for Hermia. Hermia pines for another man (who loves her back!). Then magic happens and now both men fall in love with Helena. I won’t attempt to draw the shape for this (too complex) but you can see how messy it gets. Shakespeare does an amazing job at the comedic elements in this play. It almost seems ahead of its time in the way that it pokes fun at love triangles.
Another exception that I’m not really sure is an exception fits the common love triangle. In Never Have I Ever, Devi has two love interests. With one of them, she has a sort of enemies-to-lovers thing (a chef’s kiss for my favorite trope ever). With the other guy, she has more of an acquaintances-to-lovers thing (it’s honestly hard to describe). What makes this different from other love triangles I’ve seen is that there’s a guy I’m actually rooting for because I love the complexity of their relationship. When writers add depth to the mini relationships in a love triangle, it’s way more interesting than some useless pining. Maybe I’m just saying that because I love enemies-to-lovers. But anyway, the reason why I can’t tell if this love triangle is an exception to the “all love triangles suck” rule is because I still dislike that it’s even in the show. I think the other acquaintances-to-lovers thing is virtually useless and just adds a part to the show that I want to skip when rewatching. Nevertheless, I included this example because it impressed me.
So… what?
I’ll always hate love triangles, that’s for sure. I’ll hate the underlying misogyny and the idea that loving a girl is a literal competition.
Granted, I won’t drop a novel or series just because I see a love triangle in it. I will just feel pain in my heart, knowing that there will be at least one component of this story that I probably won’t eat up (no es hora de comer :’().
However, I do say probably because I like to think I have an open mind. If there is any time where I find another love triangle that I like (or an actual love triangle that’s not just a stupid love corner), I will report back to y’all.
ROMANTIC TROPES: LOVE OR HATE? (ROASTING AND PRAISING 5 COMMON TROPES)
Elizabeth, AKA the ultimate judge of cringey content™
(2/1/21)
As a self-proclaimed fangirl, I have seen many a romantic trope in my time. And since it is the month of love, it’s the perfect time to dish out on when some tropes work, when they don’t, and rate them for cringiness (1 is physical cringe reaction, code blue, and 10 is “eyyy maybe this is cute”). Let me know if you want to see more (brutal beat-downs of overused tropes) balanced opinions on romantic patterns.
1. Enemies to Lovers: Ahh, a timeless trope. When the leading lady hates the man she has to work with, because she’s a “city girl,” and he’s just a small-town carpenter, until he happens to sweep her off her feet, just when she’s supposed to demolish his workshop so her company can put up a shopping mall…and then they both fall in love and Christmas is saved, and hallelujah! the Hallmark credits are rolling. Oops, guess I just got a bit carried away. Honestly, this trope is SO overdone that it kills me. But every now and then…this trope can be executed perfectly. Like in Tangled, or Beauty and the Beast, Shrek (lol), or, if you have a bit more culture, The Princess Diaries: 2 or Ella Enchanted. If the trope is butchered (looking at you, Hallmark), the cringe level is through the roof. But if it works? 10/10.
2. Love Triangle: I. hate. love. triangles!!!! I have only seen maybe three or four times EVER that a love triangle was successful. Usually, from the start it’s extremely obvious one guy (or girl) has a clear advantage. Take Twilight, for instance (yep, we just love that book at Hear Her Speak…). Did you really think Jacob stood a chance? Edward is a freaking VAMPIRE! The book is about VAMPIRES! Bella goes to Italy from her dumpy town in Washington just to tell Edward, an immortal vampire, not to commit suicide! (like, who does that) I know we all liked Jacob because for some reason he’s less problematic (?) than sparkle boy, but honestly. You think Edward’s face would be on the cover of that stupid book if he wasn’t endgame material? Yeah, this trope is a 2/10. It’s a cheap way of making one guy seem like he’s working harder for his love (or her, depending on the story’s gender layout), making the other guy look bad, and then being like “aww yeah! The main character™ made a real hard decision there, but they all tried their best. So heartwarming *cries in rainbows*.” The only time I can think of, off the top of my head, where this trope works, is the movie Sweet Home Alabama. But I give credit where credit is due, and Patrick Dempsey is a worthy contender for any romantic protagonist.
3. Friends to Lovers: I think this trope is just kind of boring. I guess if you know the full story of the friendship, you can track it and be like “aw, that’s sweet I guess,” and maaaybe the ending will make you shed a tear or two. I guess I’ll confess that seeing Ron and Hermione end up together, after so many years of awkward-but-loyal friend dynamic, just seemed right. (I mean, I don’t ship it, but it just seems to fit.) My main problem with this trope is if the backstory lasts like 10 seconds. Like, if I don’t know exactly what color your fifth-grade friendship bracelet is, then spare me the mushy romance that you pretend had a solid foundation. 6/10, depending on execution.
4. Fake Relationship: Ooooh boy. I just LOVE a good ‘ole fake relationship. Maybe it’s because one of my all-time favorite books is Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, where Ismae Rienne (an assassin) must fake a relationship to Gavriel Duval, the dead duke’s illegal son, in order to prevent a possible coup of Brittany’s royal house and ensure the young duchess’s safety. (IT’S AMAZING.) I just think the circumstances of fake relationships are so hilarious, and I’m a huge fan of intentional cringiness. Usually these relationships are built on Enemies-to-Lovers interactions, which can make the repulsion between two future lovers seem overexaggerated, but I just love the slow realization of mutual love (oh great, now I’m the cringey one). 10/10. (The main fake relationship that I hate is Katniss and Peeta. I just…didn’t feel a connection, like ever, oop)
5. I Met You While Trying To Spite Him: I don’t know if this trope has a name, but god, I love it. Remember Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, deciding to apply to Harvard just because Warner said she wasn’t smart? And then as she had her plan to make Warner regret what he’d said about her so he’d genuinely love her again (and she could have a delectable moment of revenge while crushing his aspirations), she met Emmett, who actually respected her and took her at face value? Brilliant. And in The Selection by Kiera Cass, where America Singer met Maxon literally in the most beautifully awkward way and asked if she could stay at the castle just to get away from her destitute ex-boyfriend Aspen (who had too much pride and couldn’t accept that America might actually be a breadwinner, thus causing him to break up with her though she truly loved him…like, ok, go off toxic masculinity, go off.). And when Aspen finally came to his senses and asked for her back, America realized that maybe this whole Selection thing isn’t so bad after all and marrying a cute prince wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world? These stories are both so heart-wrenching, but at least the protagonists have a motive to change a toxic situation. Usually, I see romance for the sake of romance. But accidental love while on the path to self-fulfillment? That’s the most beautiful and realistic thing I could imagine. 10/10.
SPEAKING OUT: THE INSURRECTION ON JANUARY 6, 2021
Lauren Bellamy
(2/1/21)
I wish I could say that I’m surprised, but I don’t like lying. No, Hear Her Speak does not endorse any candidate. But in terms of what happened on January 6th, 2021 (NOT EVEN A WEEK INTO THE NEW YEAR), terrorists that were prompted by the former president to wreak havoc on one of the most sacred traditions of our country. These terrorists came to the Capitol at the words of the former president. And no, I will not say his name because I’m tired of even having to dignify that person with the title of president as it is. The biggest feeling I had from this outrageous attack on our flawed democracy was frustration. Frustration that when people were protesting for Black Lives Matter, they were attacked, thrown to the ground, some even killed for speaking up about something that has plagued our society since the nation’s beginning. But when terrorists/anarchists literally busted through windows and doors, trying to screw up the electoral college count because they were upset the person they voted for didn’t win, they were not attacked half as much as Black Lives Matter protesters. Coming back to how I started this, I was not in the least surprised, because as this insurrection showed, we still are nowhere near where we need to be in terms of progress. This country claims to be an equal, democratic nation yet we miss the mark by an insane margin time and time again. It continues to happen. Yet, YET, consequences still have not been handed out. My frustration is with our leaders and our citizens (more so the individuals who voted for the person who caused all of this) because we should never have allowed someone who represented all that is wrong with America to be our president. Again, we do not endorse anyone in the magazine, but if you are a true American, and someone who values what we claim to value, electing someone who caused so much strife and division shouldn’t have been an option in the first place.
What January 6, 2021 proved to us is the fact that America is in dire need of help. Unity. Compassion. Love. I know the majority of America feels this way; the election results proved that. But what took place on January 6th shows how much progress we still have to make. It’s one of the reasons I started the magazine in the first place-- to make sure women’s voices were uplifted--because while we are making progress in terms of women’s rights, it’s nowhere near enough. Prior to the 2016 election, I would like to think that we were getting to a point in our nation’s life in which we wanted to truly fight for the fruition of what we stand for, but then all of that progress was stripped away, one day at a time. I refuse to believe that our country is this shallow because of the fact that I, a Black woman, am able to sit here and write for a magazine that I created with my diverse group of friends. I refuse to allow some idiots/terrorists/anarchists ruin the progress that we have made in this country. Even though there are times I genuinely dislike my country because of these terrorists, it is still my home. It is the place where my ancestors, even though they were forcefully brought here as slaves, made a life for themselves once they were declared free. It’s where my grandparents worked their butts off for my parents to be able to make something of themselves, even with all the obstacles thrown their way. It is where my parents raised my sister and me to believe that we can do anything despite the institutions of this country trying to silence our creativity and power. I refuse to allow the people who live by those archaic institutions to ruin our country because while it is not perfect, it is still my favorite place in the world. I would not want to live anywhere else, even with all its flaws because in the end, nobody nor anything is perfect. We cannot allow what occurred on January 6th to stop us from marching on and persevering because of this setback of idiocy. We have to look at what makes America beautiful and good: the diversity; the people; the different ideas; the right to freedom of speech, religion, and individuality. And when we find that, we can truly make an America we’re proud of.
DECEMBER 2020 / JANUARY 2021
CREATING YOUR OWN FEMINIST NARRATIVE
Lauren Bellamy (Dec. 2020/ Jan. 2021)
I am officially done with my first semester of college. I learned a lot in the past three months, whether it was from learning something new or enhancing my knowledge on common ideas. Like I said in my College Do’s and Don’ts article from the September issue, my college instituted two seven-week sessions for the fall semester, and in the first session, I had a class called Introduction Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Prior to the class, I had known that I was a feminist, and an intersectional feminist to be specific. I even called myself a womanist, which is another term for a Black feminist or someone who fights against oppression instituted within the Black community and minority communities as a whole. So basically, I thought I knew pretty much everything there was to be about being a feminist. But this class taught me so much more, to the extent of being able to create my own image of what feminism is to me and how others should look at it as well. With that, I hope I can inspire you to create your own feminist narrative.
There were a few terms that I picked up from this class that helps one really figure out where feminist theory comes from; all stemming from the main textbook that we read called Gendered Lives: Intersectional Perspectives by Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey. From this reading, I learned terms like “Standpoint Theory” and “Subjugated Knowledge”, which are ways that knowledge is created in order to teach one ideal and help the comprehension come through in a more relatable manner. For instance, as a Black woman, I know how the set-up of present institutions such as the justice system, education system and even social systems affect people in the Black community because of subjugated knowledge, knowledge that comes from a position of oppression. And I know how it affects people of color as a whole because of situated knowledge, which again comes from my experience as a person of color but also because of experiences that have been shared over the years. But think about it. How do present systems and institutions affect you and others? That’s how people know where they fall on the political spectrum majority of the time. So it makes sense that we use this philosophy when trying to create feminist theory because in order to truly create equality amongst all individuals in the world, we have to acknowledge all of the potential inequalities faced by all individuals, or at least groups of individuals.
Which leads me to you being able to creating your own feminist theory. Prior to my class, I thought that I had to fit in with the idea of an intersectionalist feminist, but the cool thing is even within in that definition, I can create specific things I stand for and want to promote awareness for. So can you. For instance, I started this magazine in order to uplift and inspire young women to make change in their lives by being able to hear perspectives that have consistently been pushed to the backburner or silenced. The greatest thing about the feminist movement is that it is constantly evolving, and, as aforementioned, there are no rules. But don’t try to silence someone else’s struggle because we take all we can get. Also, it is important to know that when thinking of intersectional feminism, it is not only thinking of women but all individuals in the world. It is about tackling patriarchal, racist, heteronormative, and sexist systems that only truly benefit straight white men. At the end of the day, as aforementioned, when people call themselves feminists, they are wanting true equality for ALL individuals, not just themselves. I hope that this article can give you the motive to create your narrative of what feminism means to you.
IS LEARNING ART THROUGH DIGITAL DRAWING AS WORTHWHILE AS LEARNING THROUGH TACTILE MEDIUMS?
Elizabeth S. (December 2020)
I’ve recently been experimenting with the Procreate app on one of the more recent iPad models. The app costs $10, a one-time purchase, and is meant to be used with the Apple Pencil.
The app completely blew my mind.
As someone who has only used Adobe art applications, usually on a computer, or has entirely worked in hands-on art, I had little proficiency with Procreate right away. I immediately tested out the different brushes, opacities, brush sizes, grids and assisted drawing, and editing capabilities. The first thing I noticed was how intuitive Procreate really was; just drawing a straight line has always been a challenge for me (an artist of at least 16 years), and with Procreate all you have to do is drag the pencil along, keep applying pressure with the pencil once you’ve decided the stopping point, and the line will autocorrect to be straight! The same thing happens with curves, as well, easily making any stroke smooth and perfect.
My normal drawing process involves finding a reference image, drawing while looking at the image, completing at least 3-4 revisions of my sketch (usually once for size, proportion, accuracy to the reference, and overall style), and a transfer of my sketch onto artist’s paper using a light box before going over my lines again and adding color. With Procreate, so many of those steps are made easier—like Adobe’s Photoshop, you can create layers and masks so any section of your drawing can be shown or hidden, protected from erasing, reshaped, etc. You can make a sketch in one layer, keep it visible so as to fix your sketch in a higher layer, and then delete the first easily! In a lot of ways, Procreate is extremely similar to Photoshop, but I’d say it takes MUCH LESS training to use Procreate. I even think that someone who has extremely little experience in art could make something decent in Procreate.
I am versed in acrylic, oil paint, watercolor, charcoal, oil pastel, colored pencil, alcohol marker, sculpture, you name it. I love trying out every medium I can. Obviously, I think viewing the artistic process from every possible angle will only deepen your skill; for example, even coming back to my preferred medium (watercolor) I can apply knowledge I’ve gained through using charcoal or acrylic. I’ve spent so many years just trying to find which medium suits me, learning to draw from reference images, and trying to build the technical knowledge required to be good at art. Now, though, I’ve started to branch out into trying different aesthetics/styles, limiting my use of references, and trying to create something that I can honestly call “original.” Of course, it’s been hard to make this adjustment, having only used references for most of my life, but it’s a work in progress.
Unfortunately, I don’t think digital drawing is helping me much to improve my technique. When you draw digitally, it’s like every mistake can be fixed: a new layer can always be made, the eraser tool can be used, or simply, the “undo” button can be clicked. When I make a sketch and then realize one portion isn’t properly aligned, I can just select that section and adjust it in less than a minute. When you draw on real paper, fixing mistakes can be costly—you can smudge your pristine surface, leave eraser marks, or accidentally mess up other sections that were already considered finished. It’s much harder to fix your mistakes on paper, but you always remember them. People grow from mistakes, and when they can be glossed over through digital means like editing, is there really any learning accomplished? If you drew horribly on the iPad and then fixed everything to look perfect through free-transforming and warping, and repeated this process for months, when you suddenly wanted to draw on paper, your technique still might not have improved!
For a while, drawing on the iPad was a little discouraging, too. I would see how close some of the textures were on Procreate to other tactile mediums, and think, you know, I can make an oil painting on this iPad with much less clean-up and struggle than actually using oil paint! Just because you get a desired result, it doesn’t mean you should always take the easy route. For me, I learned to limit my time spent drawing digitally so I didn’t forget how much fun it is to use a real brush, blend a section perfectly using colors I spent time mixing, or go back to add highlights using a white gel pen. I was always happy with my digital art, but I wasn’t fulfilled like I was when using a tactile medium.
The main skill I’ve gained from digital art is a critical eye. Learning which edits I most frequently use to fix a wonky section of my digital canvas is making me aware of areas to improve. If I always have to go back and warp one part of my drawing (usually hands), I know that I’m using the wrong approach with that section and try something new next time to avoid making that mistake.
I can understand why some professionals would use the Procreate app; if you must repeatedly draw a character, like a manga or cartoon artist does, this app would save so much time. Some artists have also just completely dominated digital art, creating unique styles that are aesthetically pleasing and probably sell well. And while the price of an iPad is still unbelievably high, maybe it is cheaper to buy the iPad and Procreate rather than invest in paints, paper, and brushes. IN NO WAY AM I SAYING PROCREATE IS BAD OR SHOULDN’T BE USED. I just think that, if you want to be a true artist, wouldn’t you want to try out every medium offered instead of conforming to a trend? If you draw digitally, shouldn’t you focus equally on drawing with a pencil and paper?
In fact, I think this would be quite an interesting discussion: do you think that digital art will take over tactile art? Now that art has become so accessible, (if you own an iPad, all it costs is $10 to use a professional app) who has the right to call themselves an artist?
INCLUSION
Vaishnavi Srirama (December 2020)
Just imagine.
A society that is not compromised of divisions and stereotypes which inspire distaste and abhorrence. Rather, one which allows people to have all their voices heard. Their ideas acknowledged. Without judgement. Without hate.
Imagine.
A place where people’s minds can roam free. A place where their imagination acts as paint and creates masterpieces that surpass the beauty of a sunset over water. A place that bears the beauty of morning dew on a bright pink rose. A place where people are able to practice the freedom of expression.
A place where people are not judged for being who they are. A society in which a friend means someone who understands and will be there through thick and thin. A place which accepts that imperfections are what make life go on. A place which understands that five uneven fingers make one hand. A place which comprehends our mistakes and struggles and understands that they are the sources of our greatest discoveries.
It sounds ideal, and I have been told one too many times that ideal is impossible.
No.
Humans have exceeded the expectations of impossible countless times. We created language when there was none. We created fire when there was endless darkness. We created love when we were surrounded by hate. We hear the inaudible, think the unimaginable, do the impossible.
So I am certain that we can create ideal. Because humanity is capable of completing all the endless possibilities of impossible. We can create a society of expression and ideas. A place that transcends our expectations of humanity. A safe-haven where people belong.
That is the true definition of togetherness. Of Involvement.
Of inclusion.
ARE YOU SAD: SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER
*Content contains mentions of suicide.
As we descend into the hiemal months, we must keep a close eye on mental health. One particular issue that arises during this time is seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which many refer to as seasonal depression. SAD is a form of depression that occurs in paired seasonal cycles — so during the more frequent fall and winter months or the less common spring and summer months. In the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), SAD is the same as “Major Depressive Disorder with Seasonal Pattern.”
Risk Factors and Causes
The main factors that contribute to this disorder are reduced sunlight and seasonal changes. These changes can interfere with your circadian rhythm (which regulates sleep), cause a drop in serotonin levels (which regulate mood), and disturb melatonin levels (which regulate both sleep and mood). Increased risk factors occur in those who have a family history of SAD, have a background of major depression or bipolar disorder, and live further from the equator (Mayo Clinic). Other factors that lead to signs of SAD such as houselessness or death of a loved one does not mean someone has the disorder given that the symptoms are an “expectable response” (American Psychological Association 54). However, I believe that individuals with these symptoms will still benefit from this article.
Signs and Symptoms (Mayo Clinic)
Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day
Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
Having low energy
Having problems with sleeping
Experiencing changes in your appetite or weight
Feeling sluggish or agitated
Having difficulty concentrating
Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty
Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide
During Fall/Winter
Oversleeping
Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
Weight gain
Tiredness or low energy
During Spring/Summer
Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
Poor appetite
Weight loss
Agitation or anxiety
Myths and Misconceptions
Seasonal depression and major depressive disorder (MDD) are separate: I have noticed people who are depressed all year mention offhandedly during the winter that they are having seasonal depression. As you may be able to tell by now, SAD and MDD are different, mainly being that SAD is a subset of MDD. Ashley Abramson’s article in Allure explains the differences quite well. SAD is caused by seasonal changes, whereas MDD is more general. If you notice signs of depression worsening around a certain season (unrelated to a clearly depressing experience during the time), then you may have seasonal depression. But if you are experiencing these symptoms year-round, then it would more likely be major depression.
Seasonal depression is not less significant: To follow up on that, just because SAD is a subset of MDD does not mean that it is only a minor form of depression. It is major and its symptoms should be treated with the same gravity as one would for MDD. The disorder may not occur as often, but it is still very much important to care for. Please seek treatment for it if you suffer from those symptoms.
Suicide rate is lowest in December: You may have heard that suicides surge during the holiday season, or around Christmas, specifically. But according to Johns Hopkins assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences professor Adam Kaplin, that notion is false. In fact, suicide rates are actually the lowest in December and the highest in April, May, and June. Kaplin states that this may be influenced by seasonal allergies, which are shown to exacerbate depression, as well as residual feelings of depression contrasted against the jovial nature of brighter months. By presenting this, I hope that it can lift any sort of pressure off of those suffering from suicidal thoughts/tendencies.
Treatment
In the current context of a pandemic that further isolates us, we need to ensure that individuals with SAD or simply the same depressive symptoms get the proper care they deserve. Many will not be able to see their loved ones, who may be far away, sick, or even deceased. As such, they may not receive the usual support from relationships. Support can be sought out in the form of therapy, which has made a large transfer over to telehealth. This means that a therapy session can be held over the computer or phone. If it is serious, such as suicidal thoughts, then some therapists offer the option of coming into their office for an appointment as well. Another form of therapy usually associated with SAD is light therapy. Mayo Clinic advises using a light box (though I use a lamp) that exposes you to brightness, which can create changes in mood. Doctors can also prescribe you with antidepressants. Finally, you can take initiative in your life using other means. Meditation, herbal remedies, socializing, and lifestyle changes like exercise (hard, I know) may be beneficial in relieving those symptoms. With all that said, to all struggling with SADness, I wish you the best of love and life in your journey.
MYTHBUSTERS: COVID-19 EDITION
Vaishnavi Srirama (December 2020)
This year has been absolutely crazy. I never thought I would have to live through a global pandemic and experience lockdowns, political turmoil, and many other events that have made this year historic. Since I am such a science/medicine nerd, I understand that all scientists and medical workers were greatly tested this year. With the recent approval of a few types of coronavirus vaccine, the limits and expectations of all researchers and scientists were exceeded. I can’t begin to say how proud and happy I am to see an effective vaccine developed in under a year (though that may sound concerning at first), and to finally have hope after so long. It seems, however, that so many people are skeptical about the vaccine for no other reason except that it has been “rushed”. Sooo after being on the “sciencetok” side of TikTok for the past few months, I wanted to spread what I know about the vaccine and why it you should get it. Let’s debunk some vaccine myths 😊 HUGE disclaimer here that all of the information below is from my own understanding of various tiktoks that have come up on me feed, but I will link some sources at the end of the article if you would like to do some further reading!
Myth #1: The vaccine was rushed:
The short answer is no; it was not rushed at all. The long answer is that the vaccine was a product of YEARS of research of other similar viruses and infectious diseases. The vaccines themselves were developed in a matter of under 1 year, yes, but that is partly due to practically unlimited funding by the government. The safety and efficacy trials of the vaccine, or the clinical trials, were not rushed at all. With science and medicine, safety is emphasized more than anything, so you can trust that it was not compromised in any way.
There is no need to be afraid of the general timeline of the vaccine’s development. Yes, I can understand that it sounds a little scary that the vaccine was made in under a year, but I think that is SO cool. Like our science has advanced so much to allow that to occur; and to participate in quite literally the greatest science feat of this year by taking the vaccine could not make me prouder and happier.
Myth #2: You can get infected with COVID-19 from the vaccine:
Nah. When people hear “vaccine”, they typically think of a vaccine with part of the virus in it, but the COVID-19 vaccine that was developed is an mRNA vaccine. This means that the vaccine doesn’t have any live virus in it, it’s just the mRNA of a spike protein that is on the virus. The spike protein is what the virus uses to enter your cells and infect you, so if your immune system is able to inactivate the virus by fighting off the spike protein, you can’t get infected with coronavirus. That’s exactly how the mRNA vaccine works; mRNA enters the cytoplasm of cells; ribosomes create the spike protein; the protein is excreted from the cell and the mRNA is recycled in the body; and then your immune system creates antibodies for the spike protein. Cool, right?
Myth #3: You don’t need to take the vaccine if you have already been infected with COVID-19.
No actually; please still take the vaccine. Since the virus is quite new, there is no saying what the rate of reinfection is or how long natural immunity against the virus lasts. The vaccine will give you much better protection than what you already have from being infected with the virus. Plus, there are new strains of COVID evolving, and the vaccine is proven to likely be effective against all new strains of it. This is because with every mutation of COVID, the spike protein stays the same (unlike the flu for example, which changes on a yearly basis). Please get vaccinated!!
Myth #4: There are long-term side effects we haven’t seen yet.
Nope. If scientists haven’t seen any side effects with the vaccine yet, it is almost certain that we won’t see any down the road. This is because, again, scientists have years of research done with past viruses similar to COVID-19 that we have made vaccines for and that are effective. No worries with this one; the side effects you will experience happen with nearly every vaccine (muscle soreness, fatigue, etc), and are already documented.
To me, this is also a risk/benefit question. Even if you survive the actual infection, you are so much more prone to other health conditions later on in the road. Just avoid any of that by taking the vaccine 😊
Myth #5 (last one, I promise): Once I get vaccinated, I don’t have to follow safety guidelines anymore:
This is 10000% false. There is a specific amount of people that should take the vaccine in order for the virus to be minimally infective. Even if 100% of the population gets vaccinated, the vaccine itself is not 100% effective. The approved vaccines we have now are around 94-96% effective with multiple doses, so we would still have around 4-6% of the population still unprotected from the vaccine. What’s important to remember about this is that this is still the best case scenario, because not everyone will choose to take the vaccine. Please still social distance, wear masks, and listen to scientists and doctors to know when it is okay to transition back to what we know as “normal” life.
I hope this helped clear up any skepticism or doubt you may have had about the vaccine. If not, I hope at least you learned something new! This year has been a whole bunch of crazy, but with the pandemic itself, the vaccine provides a huge window of hope and opportunity for future scientists and researchers. But anyways, please push through because the current situation may start to turn around. Be kind to yourself and others and get vaccinated!
BTW, I’ll remind all readers again that all the information was written based off of my own understanding of different tiktoks. Make sure you don’t JUST take my word for it because science with the COVID vaccine is constantly changing. Although I am confident that what I mention above is accurate, please do additional reading to validate any concerns and further questions you may have.
Here are some sources you can use:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.html
https://www.dukehealth.org/clinical-trials/covid-vaccine-trials-faq
Thank you again for reading!
WHAT 2020 HAS TAUGHT US
Lauren Bellamy (December 2020)
I’m going to be blunt: 2020 sucked. Not even going to sugarcoat it. A centennial pandemic took the world by storm in a way that no one could ever expect. At the time of writing this (starting December 9, 2020), we have lost over 1.57 million people worldwide, and nearing 70 million cases around the world. Every time I see those numbers increase daily, I get choked up every time. It really humbles you, and makes you realize how valuable being healthy and being alive really is. It also makes you realize how important living in the moment is, and keeping your loved ones close. I’m already extremely close to my family, but during the pandemic, we’ve grown even closer. I never want to be away from them as it is, but going through a time in which there is a constant reminder that not every day is promised, every moment I get with my family is precious. Every moment I get to speak with my friends via Skype (the magazine staff), I cherish it. With that, let me discuss in more detail what 2020 has taught us.
Keep your Friends as Close as Possible
Personally, I tend to be less affectionate. I mean, I’ll hug someone, especially my family, but it’s like I have to be in a certain mood in order to do it willingly. During quarantine, I’ve missed my friends an insane amount. I have talked to at least one of them once every single day, and have called many of them during this time just to hear their voice. It’s funny though. There are some people that I genuinely miss from high school that I never thought I would miss but when you’re in a situation in which you can’t have any contact with them because of present circumstances, you tend to miss them even more. During this time, I’ve realized how important it is to keep in contact with them, and to be honest, when you graduate from high school or any institution, you should try to keep in contact with the people that you’re close to because soon days turn into months and months turn into years with no contact, and you could end up losing a valuable friendship. I mean, look at me. I started a magazine with my close friends and now, they’ll never get rid of me ;). But anyway, remember to check on your friends and say hi, and keep up that relationship.
Keep Your Family Even Closer
On the fourteenth of December, I lost a family member who was my cousin but like an aunt. She was like my mother’s big sister. We also lost a matriarch in our family earlier this year, so two big blows in a matter of a few months. Family has always been a big part of me, but in a time when so many people have lost loved ones, it has made me highly aware of how much my family means to me. This time has caused us to spend probably more time than usual with our families, and while my family and I usually are always together, I have enjoyed spending this extra time with them. Make sure to keep your loved ones near, and tell them you love them, because not every day is guaranteed.
Live with No Regrets
I’m pretty sure you’ve heard the phrase “you only live once” or “live life to the fullest” or even “live today like it’s your last day”. All of these statements have become things that I truly understand and agree with because you genuinely don’t know what may happen in the blink of an eye. It’s kind of sad dwelling on the fact that we’re all going to pass on one day, but that’s why it is even more imperative to truly live your life. You can’t sit around and keep thinking “what if?” because if you keep wondering, you’ll never really know for yourself. It could be scary actually doing some of the things that you may want to, but after you do it, I feel that you’ll be more fulfilled and happy that you did it. I promise I will take my own advice once quarantine is over, but I hope you can too.
Count Your Blessings instead of Complaining
During this quarantine, I’ve truly become even more appreciative for my family, our livelihood and all that God has blessed us with. I tend to take some things for granted like always having food to eat, air conditioning, the means to be able to go to college even in the midst of a pandemic. Some of these things have been hard to have/do for many families during this pandemic all over the world. So when I see people crying over not having the new iPhone 12 or not having many followers on TikTok, I tend to roll my eyes and tell them to shut up, because let me be frank. Who the heck cares? If you have a phone, you should be grateful because there are many people who may need a phone, or a laptop, or even internet in order to do their work either for school or their job and they don’t have the means to get it. Yet, there are people who are crying over not having a million followers on TikTok or losing that much. It is very selfish for people to be crying on trivial things when many people are suffering and losing their loved ones or their lives during a pandemic that won’t quit. So, count your blessings and be thankful. Complaining and crying over nothing won’t help you.
Even though 2020 has been a fairly hard year for pretty much the whole world, it has taught us a lot. We genuinely need to be thankful for what we have instead of asking for more and for what is necessary. We need to say “I love you” a little more, and to show how much we appreciate each other. We need to live life to the fullest with no regrets and enjoy the moment. While in quarantine, just remember and appreciate the simple aspects of life because not every day is promised.
LISTING THE BEST OF 2020 ENTERTAINMENT
Magazine Staff Collaboration (December 2020)
*Note: this list was created by the Hear Her Speak Magazine staff, so it is heavily biased by what each member has enjoyed/vouched for this year! It is by no means influenced by actual statistics or measures of popularity as judged by consumers. Just a fun list from us!
Best Songs
"Criminal" by Taemin
"Don’t Start Now" by Dua Lipa
"Dynamite" by BTS
"positions" by Ariana Grande
"pov" by Ariana Grande
"WAP" by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion
"Savage" Remix by Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyonce
"Maria" by Hwa Sa
"Cry for Me" by TWICE
"The Other Side of Hollywood" from Julie and the Phantoms, plus literally the entire soundtrack to Julie and the Phantoms
"Sweet Melody" by Little Mix
Best Movies
Onward
SOUL
The Trial of Chicago 7
Hamilton
Birds of Prey
Sylvie’s Love
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Best Shows
Never Have I Ever
Julie and the Phantoms
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
Itaewon Class
Blood of Zeus
Avatar bc it is timeless
Great Pretender
Haikyuu!! (Season 4)
The Queen’s Gambit
Love, Victor
Best Games
Genshin Impact !!!!!!!! (aka voted the best apple and android game of the year)
Among Us
Cyberpunk 2077
Best Novels
Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi
Yes, No, Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
All The Things We Never Knew by Liara Tamani
Love, Creekwood by Becky Albertalli
NOVEMBER 2020
WHY THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG IS THE BEST DISNEY PRINCESS MOVIE (IN MY OPINION)
Lauren Bellamy (11/30/20)
So, most people have this conversation at least once a year or once every couple of years because it seems that there is a new Disney Princess movie out in that time period. Circa 2009, a movie came out on December 11th, and being the extreme Disney fan that I was at seven years old, my parents took my little sister and I to see The Princess and the Frog. The first Disney Princess movie that’s main character was a Black woman. Of course, I was ecstatic when the news broke earlier that year and heartbroken when I headed to Disney in June that year because Princess Tiana wasn’t there yet, but I digress. This movie represented so much more than just being another movie to add to the Disney Princess franchise. It was a movie that made a statement. A powerful one. And even though I have my problems with it (for instance, they just had to make the first movie with a Black main character an amphibian for the majority of the movie), it still is my favorite Disney Princess movie because it was the first movie that I saw me on the screen. It’s also because Tiana goes through so much during the entire film in terms of racism and sexism that you can’t help but cheer her on and be happy that in the end, not only does she get her restaurant, but she gets to marry a cool guy and become princess. Hence why, in my opinion, The Princess and the Frog should be considered as the best Disney Princess Movie.
Okay, let’s talk about this a little further. Considering it took 72 years for the Disney fandom to get a movie that featured not only a prominent Black character but multiple, shows that times in which Disney pretended that Black people didn’t exist were far gone. No, I’m not going to discuss Song of the South because if you don’t already realize how problematic that movie is, then search it up on YouTube. Seriously, there are many videos discussing it. But anyway, this movie had serious anticipation for its arrival, and from the awesome Rotten Tomatoes score of 85%, it shows that it was a really good movie, aside from my personal opinion. The Princess and the Frog shows the struggles that Black people face on a daily basis as well as tackling the amount of work that Black women have to do because of discriminatory structures. Tiana going through the fear of almost losing her restaurant simply because she was a Black woman resembles what Black women go through all the time whenever we want to do something and the rocks that hurdled toward us as if it’s something wrong. That is something that is rarely seen in Disney Princess movies, aside from Pocahontas, Aladdin and Mulan, except with The Princess and the Frog, it is because of her the racism that plagues American society. Though I say this, Tiana does face issues from other Black characters, but not in a racist sense, just a workaholic sense. But again, this is what sets The Princess and the Frog apart from other Disney Princess movies. This struggle has unfortunately existed since the beginning of time in reference to Black individuals in American society; always having to one up or work harder than their more privileged or majority of time, white, and specifically white male counterparts. Sorry if that was too harsh for you, but it’s true. Yes, I love Tiana because she looks like me, but also because her story genuinely means something. She actually has to work to get her happy ending and goes through a lot in order to be able to do so. Her struggle isn’t something trivial as just crying about wanting to be a human or get married to a prince. It is about creating something that started off as her and her father’s dream, in which she had to work multiple jobs, be turned into a frog then back into a human in order to do so, all the while having to tackle racism from her white male loan officers and a crazy money-hungry voodoo scam artist.
Yes, we look at these Disney Princess movies to immerse ourselves in music-filled, imaginary, fantasy worlds; however, when we are able to combine that with a true message, that is more meaningful and exciting because not only are you looking at something for entertainment, you are also learning something and truly rooting for someone who is an underdog. The Princess and the Frog is that, and whenever I watch this movie, I get all the feels as I did when I was a seven year old girl in the movie theater watching Tiana go through literally everything in order to get her restaurant, and get a bae, and become a princess. Oh, also, she actually becomes a princess, for the people who want to be politically correct about if all Disney Princesses are princesses or not. The Princess and the Frog is one of the movies that I always smile at the end of because not only am I happy to see my girl Princess Tiana succeed, I’m just happy to see a Black woman slay like the queen she is. Hence why, in my opinion, The Princess and the Frog is the best Disney Princess movie, and why it should be in your opinion too.
THE TRUE POWER OF PRIVILEGE
Lauren Bellamy (11/30/20)
Let’s play a quick game. Put a finger down if you’ve never had to be on welfare. Put a finger down if you have private health insurance. Put a finger down if you don’t have to come out to your parents. Put a finger down if you’ve always lived in the suburbs. Finally, put a finger down if you’ve never been discriminated against because of your religious faith. I put my finger down on all of these and you may have too. But why am I making you think about this? The point of this game is to realize privilege, which is something that has been talked a lot about recently due to the conversation of the racism that has been instituted into America’s foundation and society. As someone who knows firsthand the power of privilege in terms of race and gender because I tend to be a victim of it, not until eighth grade and high school did I realize that I had privilege. Okay, yes, I acknowledge that I sound extremely arrogant and ignorant, but let’s face it: have you ever thought about it? Yes, I am Black and a woman; however, I also am a Christian, have private healthcare, and have always lived in nice, safe neighborhoods and a two story home, one even having a basement. All of these things that I rarely think about are things that show privilege. I am fairly fortunate that I am or have all of these things, but at the same time, I shouldn’t have to sit and list things that I have and others don’t have in order to say that I wouldn’t face discrimination because of said things. because unfortunately we live in a society that tries to discriminate against people because of religion and class, because I fit in with the religion that most identify America as having (even though we are a country of immigrants and a multitude of religious beliefs, hence why this shouldn’t even be a thing) and I am apart of the middle class, I would not be discriminated against because of said things. Though if someone is Jewish or Muslim, or lower middle class or lower class, they would be.
What the absolute heck?
It is upsetting to think that because one believes something, there is a possibility that someone can try to separate them from everyone else as if to make themselves feel better or cause them trouble. It is also upsetting that someone who separates you simply based on how much money is coming into your household and uses that to say you are “less than”. That’s the thing about privilege and the world focusing on materialistic things rather than just people’s contributions to society in reference to good works or intelligence or just straight up kindness. It is a sickening thought, yet, isn’t that the root of our problems? People trying to have influence over others because they have a nice house, are Christian and are well off? But where does that mentality come from? Yes, it still deals with the origins of what our country was founded on. Racism and sexism. As a feminist theorist and literal queen, bell hooks, said, our country was founded on “white supremacist capitalist patriarchy”, which is basically acknowledging the discrimination that people face because of systemic racism, systemic sexist oppression with the mentality of men being the dominant group and how capitalism only truly benefits those who have more money and are in a position to have said money. I mean, let’s think about it. Who is the most wealthy person in the world? Jeff Bezos. And what is he? A white man. hooks’ is not far off at all, considering if you look at most billionaires, many of them are men, and mainly white men. In America alone, there are only seven Black billionaires, and only one of them is a woman (Oprah).
It’s okay to be disgusted because I’m fighting back obscenities as I sit and write this.
Now to why I wrote this. Even though I’m someone who has privilege in reference to religion and class and health resources, as a woman and a Black woman, the people who are the majority in everything, have still found ways to discriminate against my family and I. For example, a white police officer literally followed my family as we were going to check out the progress on the house that we bought and were building at the time. I kid you not, a white MALE police officer followed us because one) he noticed our car, which was also really nice, and two) because we were going to a predominantly white and wealthy neighborhood. Pitiful, I know. Upon us asking him what we did wrong, as we didn’t do anything wrong because there are always cops around that area, he literally said, he was just “checking on us and to see if we were lost”. Uh huh, sure. You just happened to follow us until we parked outside our house then got out to ask us if we were lost? Okay, the crack in your poker face is showing. When my mom told him that we were literally checking on the progress of our house, his face showed utter confusion as he looked at the house with a look of realization set in. His response, “Oh, awesome. Wow, congratulations. It’s a really nice house.” My mom is sweet and didn’t respond sarcastically as I would’ve done but she said, “Yes, it’s a blessing. You should check out the rest of the neighborhood, there are still many lots around.” He nodded and said he would, and he actually did! But anyway, the moral of the story is: even with our blessing from God to be able to build our dream home in a very nice neighborhood, because of the systemic racism that is instituted in this fantastic country of America, that is seen as a problem. Because of privilege. Because some people with ultimate privilege feel that they can dictate how everyone who is different from them should live their lives by pretending they have some God-ordained power to do so, even though we’re all human beings trying to live our lives for however long we’re on this earth. Because of privilege, those with the ultimate privilege use their power to make themselves feel that they’re kings and queens and everyone who doesn’t fit that mold, are paupers and peasants.
How do we fix this?
Stop freaking abusing the fact that you have privilege, or stop pretending that you don’t have it when you know you have access to things that others don’t unless you are trying to fix that problem. Everyone should be able to live their lives in peace, so we all need to work together to fix the system to not only benefit those with different levels of privilege in order to leave out those who don’t. It’s not that difficult. Just be kind and observant to call out those who use their privilege to hurt others.
LOSS: AN INTERPRETATION OF MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL SLAVERY
Jamie C. Hill (11/30/20)
No Formation World Tour DVD? Great! Let’s pass the time, four years later, to analyze one particular interlude — LOSS.
BACKGROUND
The Formation World Tour was Beyonce’s concert tour and an outgrowth of her visual album, Lemonade. Lemonade is commonly praised to be one of the greatest albums to come out of the 21st century. It blends Beyoncé’s own turbulent crisis of love with the Black American experience.
What is less paid attention to, however, are these elements of love and Blackness presented in the Formation World Tour. Her team captured certain visuals from the film to use in the tour, and this is most notably seen in the interludes. LOSS, in particular, takes the poetry and visuals from the “Emptiness” chapter of Lemonade with one line coming from “Resurrection.” Beyoncé uses this segment to focus on one aspect of the film: slavery.
Despite the release of a new album, Beyoncé chose different songs to relay this message. Her song, “I Care”, is isolated to be read with poetry in the beginning, but “Ghost” by her and “New Slaves” by Kanye West serve to intensify the emotion. Other than being incredible songs to cover, “Ghost” and “New Slaves” hold the common theme of slavery -- slaves to love, slaves to corporations, slaves to society. Although all of those topics are noteworthy, for the time being, I will go in-depth on how LOSS portrays the concept of love through mental and emotional slavery.
INTERLUDE
“You are terrifying, and strange, and beautiful.”
In Lemonade’s context, Beyoncé is a slave to her lover. She is compelled to this man. She is helpless. She is hopeless. The monolith depicts Beyonce trapped in a box, not struggling to leave, but rather drawing the camera’s focus to her. A motion follows with her solemnly lying beneath a translucent covering. In the auditory realm, two voices create a back-and-forth contrast between her feelings. Her primary voice - resigned to a tragedy she can’t help -- never wavers as she reads the poetry. Her secondary voice -- begging for his love through her song “I Care” -- tragically echoes.
A final moment of a subdued, black-and-white Beyoncé, until a brief eruption that presents a significantly darker, crimson-hued setting. Both voices fade out, and the guitar solo kicks in with the hook of “Ghost”.
“What goes up, ghost around...ghost around, around, around, around.”
A dimly glowing red room with Beyoncé stoically swinging a lamp around her head, and a group of women stoically sitting. Perhaps they are her “whoadies” there to support her as she enacts vengeance; perhaps they are other lovers wronged and prepared to enact their own. It is casual, yet only a prelude to the violence soon to come.
And soon it does. Arising with the echoed “around” riff is the iconic instrumental of Kanye West’s "New Slaves". A new shot follows someone walking (at first glance Beyoncé, but a hat was actually atop the head of one of the sitting women, though the figure is still obscure). The visual of Beyoncé swinging the lamp becomes more threatening with the synchronized songs. From the walking woman’s viewpoint we see her destination, the end of a hallway.
“Ghost” cuts out, and we are left with "New Slaves". There is a chaotic visual of a man dancing, the representation of a woman’s inner turmoil. The woman walks towards the end of the hallway, and it suddenly erupts into flames to the start of “Ghost”’s instrumental breakdown, revealing a set of doors. The viewpoint switches, and we see Beyoncé walking away from the burning endpoint back down the hallway in white, lacy garb.
LOSS flashes on the monolith.
MEANING
“Ain’t nobody tell me this is love
When you’re immune to all my pain
I need you to tell me this is love
You don’t care?
Well that’s okay”
What we see in the beginning with “I Care” is a conflict — recognition that he is the problem, but internalizing his ineptitude. This represents the formation of her cognitive dissonance. She accepts his treatment of her with dedicated, hollow admiration. At the same time, she protests his neglect with agonized, expressive pleas. The color scheme is black and white, but also grey. Grey is the uncertainty, the expansive middle ground between two ends of a psychological spectrum. We hear her two sides while implicitly understanding how muddled her mental state is from his torment. By creating this division of self, he has mentally and emotionally enslaved her.
“I’m climbing up the walls ‘cause all the s--t I hear is boring
All the s--t I do is boring
All these record labels boring
I don’t trust these record labels, I’m torn”
Slavery, as portrayed in the duration of “Ghost”, is the suppression of expression, to be who you are and what you feel. Her lover has broken apart her self, bringing an unrelenting confusion to her mind. She has endured suffering and has become a shell. Still, righteous indignation bubbles underneath, inevitably rising to the surface. From this point forward, she regains a stoic form of control. A literal grip on the lamp cord. Solidarity, instead of solitude, with other women. Most importantly, though, is the color: red — the signal for anger and danger. This crimson world is her own wrath-filled reality. Although she outwardly remains stoic, she is reclaiming her rage.
“Y’all ‘bout to turn s--t up
I’m ‘bout to tear s--t down
I’m ‘bout to air s--t out
Now what the f--k they gon’ say now?”
And what better way is there to reclaim rage than to evoke that of the Yeezus era Kanye West? West and "New Slaves", contrary to Beyoncé’s cool demeanor, are unapologetically furious. Flames erupt without a clear action to precede them, but we can assume Beyonce, who returns from the scene, started the fire. Under the presumption that this is her world, it may be her sheer will that is the source, her internal fury finally taking a physical manifestation. Her rage also manifests into action. In contrast to a still, grey scene, we see jarringly red scenes, a man dancing chaotically, Beyoncé swinging the lamp, and at last the end of the hallway catching fire. These actions are her breakaway from the slavery enacted by her lover. By controlling her emotions, her actions, her world, she has reclaimed her sense of self from the man who stole it from her.
From LOSS, we gather the importance of self-reclamation in order to recognize and counter mental and emotional slavery. While Beyoncé’s world appears to be largely metaphorical, the emotions that generate and arise from it are very much real. However, they may not feel valid to someone trapped in a manipulative relationship. Any relationship may require great sacrifices, but a complete disregard of your well-being should not be one of them. This indifference can extend from the disrespect associated with cheating to the violence created by domestic abuse, any of which can make you lose your mind. That, losing your mind in reaction to losing someone, is what I feel encapsulates the message behind this interlude. Don’t lose sight of who you are and what you can be — when you realize that, you can reject this form of slavery.
CLIMATE CHANGE: WHY YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT IT
Roshini Adunoor (11/30/20)
Temperatures are drastically rising. Wildfires are more frequent and hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters seem to be happening every other day. As the years go on, we miss more and more opportunities to turn this around, or to at least slow the progression of climate change. The goal is to keep the world below 2℃, or hopefully even 1.5℃(worldwildlife). However, we are very close to reaching that limit. 2019 had even been reported as the second hottest year on record and it has been shown that while the temperature was increasing “at an average rate of 0.07℃ per decade since 1880,” it has double post 1981 and is drastically rising (Dahlman and Lindsey). If this doesn’t sound terrifying, it should, because there are very dire consequences the earth itself, and in turn, we will have to face. Here are just some of the overall consequences of climate change:
1. Death of Coral Reefs
If the temperature reaches 1.5℃, around 70% of the coral reefs are estimated to die and by the time we get to 2℃, all of them will most likely be gone. This is absolutely devastating and should be important to us because coral reefs are known to “protect coastlines from storms and erosion” and they are also “a source of food and new medicines” (NOAA). Around a half a billion people rely on coral reefs for “food, income, and protection” (NOAA). They are also extremely important to local businesses around the areas where coral reefs are prominent and it is said that the “net economic value of the world’s coral reefs is estimated to be nearly tens of billions” (NOAA).
2. The Ice Caps are Melting
This is another factor that would greatly contribute to excessive flooding. If there are no changes, it is possible that all glaciers and sea ice, in all parts of the world, could melt during the summers due to a drastic increase in temperatures (worldwildlife).
3. Sea Level Rising
It is estimated that by 2050, the sea level would rise drastically enough to impact at least 1 billion people. As the years go on, the consequences would be even more dire (worldwildlife).
4. Heat Waves
As aforementioned, temperatures are drastically rising. In many areas of the world, winter does not feel like winter and that is becoming a noticeable problem. If nothing changes, billions of people will be affected by “frequent and severe” heat waves that could be devastating to the environment and to the people themselves (worldwildlife).
5. Wildlife
Sadly, if the world is slowly dying, so will the wildlife and their habitats. Many species have gone extinct, some due to natural selection, but some because of manmade influences harming them and forcing them into extinction. The rate of extinction of various species will only increase as time goes on (worldwildlife).
These are all terrifying possibilities that while difficult to think about, are slowly becoming a reality that must be acknowledged. If nothing is done soon, eventually it will be too late to undo the effects of climate change. That’s why, acting now is even more important than ever. Of course, it is impossible to single-handedly change climate change by yourself, but if everyone just becomes more mindful and makes small changes to their day, it could make a huge difference. For example, properly recycling anything that can be recycled. Landfills contribute to a great portion of air pollution with the burning fumes, and recycling can help reduce this. Switching to cleaner energy sources is another method. While this is not economically feasible for everyone to do, fossil fuels contribute to an enormous amount of the world’s pollution so this would also be very beneficial. And if it is not possible to do so, maybe consider driving less, or carpooling with other people. You can start looking into how you get your food, go with less processed foods and foods with less plastic packaging. These are just a few suggestions, but it is very easy to get creative with ways to help save energy on a day to day basis. It’s daunting to think about everything that could happen in the future, especially considering how close those possibilities are. However, change needs to happen, and no matter how cheesy this is, if everyone does their part, there are guaranteed to be changes for the better.
Citations
“Coral Reef Ecosystems.” Coral Reef Ecosystems | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/marine-life/coral-reef-ecosystems.
Dahlman, LuAnn, and Rebecca Lindsey. “Climate Change: Global Temperature: NOAA Climate.gov.” Climate
Change: Global Temperature | NOAA Climate.gov, 14 Aug. 2020, www.climate.gov/news-
features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-temperature.
“Our Planet Is Warming. Here's What's at Stake If We Don't Act Now.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund,
www.worldwildlife.org/stories/our-planet-is-warming-here-s-what-s-at-stake-if-we-don-t-act-now.
WHY HOLIDAY SEASON SUCKS AS AN ADULT (AND WHY IT SHOULDN'T!)
Vaishnavi Srirama (11/30/20)
If you are anything like me, you get VERY excited when the holiday season comes around because of all the missed days from school, the food, the parties, just… everything. But now that magical feeling of rushing down the staircase on Christmas morning is gone. The smell of baked cookies and milk doesn’t have the same effect it did before. Diwali obviously still has the same hype (if you’re brown like me hehe) but things just... aren’t the same anymore. Why?
For me, one of the biggest reasons for why the holidays don’t feel the same anymore is because of school. My family never really celebrated holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving, but my schools always had the BEST events planned for these holidays. I remember looking forward to all the winter activities, food, and parties that my friends would throw in honor of these holidays, and more so the festivities my schools would hold. Now, in college, there are WAY too many people to have school wide holiday parties for, so there are only certain clubs that have holiday festivities. But now even THOSE are gone because of the pandemic. In my opinion, it doesn’t even feel like the holiday season. The question remains: what can I do to revive the holiday cheer?
Things to Do
So I came back from college last week, and my life is just so uneventful now. Everything is back to normal, and even my room did not change one bit (It’s just every bit as messy as it was before). I hate this consistency though, and needed to think of some new ways to make the holidays, especially my winter break, more exciting. First of all, spend some time with your family. I never realized this before, but college is the start of a new life. You will probably never be a full-time resident in your parents’ home again, go to school the way you did before, and so much more. Once you graduate college, the pressure is ON to find a job and move out ASAP. So enjoy the time you have now. I hate that it took me this long to realize I took my family for granted, but I do know how important it is now so trust me on that.
There are so many activities you can do with your family to bond and spend time with each other. Game night is such a fun activity to do because it lets everyone get rid of a little stress and brings a ton of laughter. Personally, I watch a bunch of movies with my dad, irritate my brother (idk that’s just how our relationship is), and help my mom cook and clean the house. As a family, we watch movies together, have meals together, and sometimes decorate the house together. Lighting up the Christmas tree and hanging up lights outside the house could be a way you and your family bond together! They will also be appreciative of the extra help around the house so win-win situation right there.
You could also cook and bake holiday treats 😊 Whenever Christmas comes around, it’s a time where I personally always gain at least 2 lbs because of all the food I am given or all the food I make myself. I’m an awful baker myself, but I’ve always wanted to make Christmas cookies or cake pops or something. There are just so many ways you can customize your food for the holidays, and it makes the experience that much more fun and enjoyable.
Also making Christmas themed crafts is also such a fun way to pass the time and get excited for the holidays. You could always do this with your family too for some extra bonding time. Michaels is one of my favorite craft stores, and they always have so many materials to make your own DIY Christmas ornaments, gifts, etc.
Learn!!!
Finally, because I’m such a big nerd, a good way to spend break and the holidays is to pick up a new skill! Personally, I am trying to learn to code during the break, so I can take a few computer oriented classes in college and also get more involved in the research I am doing. TRUST ME it sounds so boring (who wants to LEARN during the holidays) but if you want to pick up a new skill, it will help you so much in your future. You could try to learn a new language (I’m currently trying to learn Hindi by bingeing Bollywood movies nonstop… It’s actually pretty helpful), learn how to photoshop (I’ve always wanted to learn to do this), learn a new coding language (there are so many to choose from), learn a new instrument (I DEFINITELY need to polish up my violin skills), and literally so much more you can choose from. Literally look at the list below and see if any of the ones I mention interest you.
Skills to learn during quarantine:
- Photoshop
- Coding
- Cooking
- Baking
- Making jewelry
- Making homemade soaps
- Starting a new business/company
- Starting a new podcast
- Write in a journal (quarantine diary?… hm sounds fun)
- Gardening
- Hair styling (if you do learn this, teach me because I’m so untalented with hair)
- Nails
- Henna (one of my personal favorite pass-time activities)
- Coding
- Learn a new language
- Adopt a new healthcare routine/fitness schedule
- SLEEP IN and take care of yourself
- Study skills (you could always do more school hahaha)
- Instrument
- Writing (so important!!!)
- And so so so much more!
So, even though the holidays may not be the same as it was before because of the pandemic, there are still a million ways you can stay at home and be safe! I hope you all have a fantastic holiday season and remember that we are always here for you 😊
Authors note:
Hiiii everyone! I hope you are enjoying November and getting ready to start the holiday season! I just wanted to put a quick disclaimer that even though the holidays are coming up right around the corner, it is still SO important we take care of the community and others by following COVID guidelines. That means wearing masks to go outside, staying 6-ft apart from each other, and not planning any huge events where people will be so close to each other. There are still so many people being affected by COVID 19 and the cases are only rising. The reason I wrote this article was not to encourage having parties outside or spending time with so many people, it was to show you how you can have fun during the holidays while still being socially distant and at home! Also, if you did test negative recently that doesn’t give you a pass to just live life like normal. You can test negative one day and test positive the next day. It is so important that we stay vigilant in keeping ourselves and others safe. Please please push through this year and stay safe and hopefully, if the vaccines pull through, everything will start going back to normal by next year :)
THE BLESSINGS AND CURSES OF AUTUMN
Elizabeth Shull (11/30/20)
The life-altering events in my family always seem to occur sometime in autumn.
1. Leaves Falling into Place
Third grade. My sister was in 8th, since she’s 5 years older. She was applying to high school “specialty centers,” where students can get a head-start in a particular discipline like teaching, global studies, technology, language, etc. My sister did well in school, and she thought she could get into any of these centers. My mom had less faith, since other kids in our neighborhood whom we thought were pretty smart had been rejected from many in the past. My sister was so confident that she and my mom agreed on a bet: if she got into 1 center, no chores for a week. 2 centers, no chores for a month, and she could go out to her favorite restaurant. 3 centers, and she could take some of her friends to an amusement park and still get out of chores for a month. 4 was pushing it; no chores for 2 months, and she could choose what we ate for a week straight. But 5, the total number she applied to, was the supreme prize: we could get a dog.
Nearing the two-thirds mark of the year, she got her application results. Acceptance into every center, legibly printed on five crisp, white letters.
Maybe a few weeks later, my dad was reading the newspaper on our back porch. There was an ad for collie puppies. They were just so adorable! My parents agreed to go “look at the puppies,” but honestly, there’s no such thing. Once you see those cute little noses and calf-brown eyes, you’re addicted. We came back to the breeder a week later after making the necessary arrangements, and brought home our beautiful girl, Sammie. She’s now between 8 and 9 years old, and arguably my best friend.
2. Bolts of Autumn Thunder
Flash forward to the end of elementary school. When I was in fifth grade, I was obsessed with gymnastics. I competed in a few competitions each year, and obsessively practiced my routines at home.
I had just learned to do a back-handspring a month earlier, and the move was in my floor routine. At my first gymnastics meet of the year, I was feeling good, and I was ready to break my past high score. I ran the approach for my first floor tumbling pass, and did a quick round-off to gain momentum before arcing backwards in the back-handspring. I was perfectly in time with the music. The air whipped against me as I turned, suspended above ground in a twist. Everything was amazing. But something was off. I had twisted my shoulders just a bit as my hands hit the ground, a millisecond of error. One foot came down before the other and bore my entire weight. Think about how fast I was going; an injury was imminent. Strangely enough, it didn’t hurt too much immediately. I actually was able to finish my routine (luckily, my last event of the competition that day). I didn’t even fall from the back-handspring; it was more of a stumble.
I had a stress fracture, which is technically an ankle break. It was only when I stood in a certain way that it felt like a knife was being pushed upwards into my ankle. I’ve always been told that breaking a bone is excruciating, but it was actually pretty bearable most of the time. So much so that I didn’t even think I was injured, just that I had pulled a muscle. This is where the story gets kind of funny. Two or three weeks passed after the competition. I had told my mom by this point that I thought something was wrong with my ankle. She shrugged it off as “a kid complaining to get out of doing work.” More weeks passed. I was playing during school recess. The wind rattled with the choked breath of fall. Everything was dry and cold to the touch. I decided to take a turn down the slide at the playground. The moment I descended is etched into my memory. The rubbery sole of my left shoe caught against the slide. Pain raced up my ankle into my leg, and I couldn’t help crying, though I’d never cried in front of other students before. My teacher had to wheel me across the playground in a wheelchair, then down to the nurse’s office. My mom picked me up early that day, since I could hardly walk. We went to an orthopedic office downtown that same day, got x-rays, and from that day on I had to wear a medical boot.
No more gymnastics competitions that year. The potential for needing surgery to undo a bone fuse. Moping around with a clunky, ugly gray boot that I had to wear 24/7. It was world-shattering for my fifth-grade self. But the x-rays showed I was fine a week before Christmas Day, and that’s really all that really matters to a kid.
3. The Horn of Plenty
This story starts in March of 2019.
My dad had been having some problems for a while. Chronic itching, yellowing skin, tiredness. We learned he had an autoimmune liver disease and needed a transplant ASAP. He was put on the transplant list by the end of the summer (which is actually pretty impressive, since there’s a lot of paperwork and legal obligations to get your name on the list).
We are lucky to live so near our local hospital; because of this, he was often called for “backup” or “second choice,” when an unexpectedly acquired liver quickly needed to be transplanted. By mid-autumn, my dad had been called in a few times to be the second choice recipient in case something happened to the first person (If the first person was certified “not healthy enough” to receive the transplant, took too long to arrive, etc.). None of the occurrences were fruitful. A day before we planned to leave for our annual weekend trip to Shenandoah National Park, he got a call saying he was the second choice again. My mom drove him there, and yet again this attempt wasn’t successful. By the way, preparing for a liver transplant is an arduous process. You need to get x-rays that same day, wash down the “transplant area” with special solutions, take endless medical tests, not eat anything while waiting, the list goes on. By the time my dad was told he wouldn’t be getting this liver, he hadn’t eaten for probably around 8 or 9 hours, and anxiety had caused him to not sleep during the night. He and my mom were definitely ready to head home.
But then, a miracle happened: right as my dad was getting ready to change out of the hospital gown and go home, a doctor came in and said there was an opportunity to be a backup right at that moment. Hungry and tired, and knowing they had to drive to Shenandoah in a few hours, my dad almost declined. But my mom said that this could be the one, and since he was already prepared for the transplant, they should wait.
They were brought into a hospital room divided by a curtain. This is where the narrative gets disturbing: on the other side of the curtain was the first choice to receive the transplant. Apparently, he only spoke Spanish and had to communicate with the doctor through a translator he’d called on the phone. My parents listened as the doctor told this man that his just-taken tests came back and he wasn’t healthy enough to receive the transplant that day. Allegedly, he was an alcoholic who had said he’d quit drinking a long time ago, but the doctors found traces of alcohol in his system. A nurse discreetly came in on my parents’ side of the curtain and wrote a note on a napkin asking them to come out into the hall after she left. They did so, and then were asked if my dad would like to proceed with the transplant.
Of course, he said yes, and immediately went to sign the necessary paperwork before the surgery began. The surgery lasted many hours, but everything seemed to go fine. My sister and I waited anxiously at home for my mom’s update texts from the hospital. Eventually, we learned my dad was in stable condition and the transplant was a success. We all breathed a sigh of relief.
He made a miraculous recovery. Usually, liver transplant patients spend a few days in the ICU and then at least a week recovering in the hospital. My dad came home from the hospital within a week of the surgery. My guess is that since his disease was autoimmune, he was in almost perfect health anyways (since normal liver transplant patients have problems with drugs or alcohol and usually have other health problems). The “accidental” liver transplant changed everything for our family. We are so thankful that my parents waited by chance for a little longer that night; now, a year later, my dad is in nearly perfect health and is living normally. We just celebrated his “liver-versary,” coincidentally.
4. The Harsh Winds of Early Winter
The timing of the universe really is strange.
The same day my dad got his transplant, my mother’s brother died. Later that same week, my great-aunt (on my mom’s side) also died.
My mom now had a huge burden to bear. Her younger brother and her mother’s sister were gone. She had to take care of a recent-transplant-receiving husband, make arrangements for two funerals, and soothe my devastated grandmother. My mom is always such a pillar of strength for all of us. I tried to help the best I could, but I know a large piece of her changed that day, seeing her brother’s life end on the same day my father’s recovery began.
Death is so hard to cope with, even in normal circumstances. But we have started to move on, and we have grown to be thankful for the people who are still with us. In many ways, all of us are healing.
5. No Trees Ever Drop the Same Leaves
And back to today. Even with COVID-19 still prevalent across the globe, of course I can find ways to be thankful. It’s so easy to feel down about whatever’s going on in your life, but it’s much harder to think about how someone else’s pain might be worse in that same moment. I haven’t endured as much as many others, and I am extremely thankful for that. Every fall I remember all the events that have shaped me across the years, all the people that have supported me or other members of my family, and I appreciate just how much we all have to sacrifice in order to just live and move on.
With Thanksgiving approaching, I just want to pose a reminder: please be thankful for what you have. I’ve shared some of my best and worst life-changing fall moments, but I am sure you all have many of your own. Take this time to reflect on who and what has caused you to grow into the person you are today. Oftentimes, there are many people who have a hand in shaping you; be sure to thank them and acknowledge how hard they work to provide you with a good life.
OCTOBER 2020
WHY WE’RE TIRED OF THE LOVE STORIES THAT DON’T FEATURE TRUE DIVERSITY
Lauren Bellamy (10/30/20)
Okay, lovelies. We’ve read them all. The Fault in Our Stars. The Hunger Games. If I Stay. One of the overarching thematic ideas within these novels is the concept of swoon-worthy love stories. But they also have something else in common. No diversity whatsoever with the couple that stole our heart. Now, some of these stories may have characters of color, but only in the recent past, have we finally started to see that not only white cisgender straight characters have heart-warming love stories? Shouldn’t we get to the point of normalizing love stories that feature people of color as well stories that don’t center around heterosexual couples?
First, let’s break down the importance of showing love stories featuring main characters that are ethnically diverse. Now, as a writer and a Black woman, every single story that I have written has featured a Black female protagonist/main character and her love interests have been white, Black, Asian and Latinx. Notice the diversity there? Now, why the heck is it difficult to do that? I used to love The Fault in Our Stars but now, I’m just like, “Was it really that hard to have a person of color?” The answer is no, yet, YET, it continues to happen. I’ve been frustrated about this for so long that I’ve become obsessed with novels like The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon and Jackpot by Nic Stone. Both of these stories feature interracial love, which is something becoming more and more evident all over the world, hence why we need to read these stories because it’s illustrating the makeup of society rather than the twisted image that excludes diverse characters. Both of these particular stories are also written by women of color, which is an added plus. I say all of this to say that it is about time that we start paying for novels that demonstrate what the world actually looks like. And don’t get me wrong, I do not hate the stories that don’t feature main characters of color, but I do get tired of reading about the same thing. It’s about time I read stories that I may live instead of ones that I have no connection to whatsoever.
Another problem we have with YA romance is the constant heteronormative love story. Similar to the lack of ethnic diversity, while the hetero stories are sweet, it’s also awesome to read stories of people in the LGBTQ+ community because their stories almost always tackle more than just the norm of what has been deemed a relationship. For example, Becky Albertalli’s Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Leah on the Offbeat tackle Simon and Leah’s struggle to be able to come out to their family and friends as well as figure out their identity. I also love Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston because it’s a cute story and deals with politics which is something that I particularly pay a lot attention to. Plus the main characters, Alex and Henry, are so funny and a perfect pair. And the cool thing about all of these novels are that also they feature interracial couples! See? Don’t you notice how the stories that feature true diversity are painting a beautiful and realistic picture? Even though LGBTQ+ stories may not be my particular story, they are stories that I can see some of my friends in, hence creating a more realistic view of the world. So with that, I think it is extremely important to read stories that deal with identity and sexual orientation because we’re thankfully in a time where heteronormativity is slowly ceasing to exist, which is a step in the right direction and a breath of fresh air.
Reading stories that feature true diversity will actually teach us something and make us see that everyone in the world deserves to have their love stories represented in literature and art. Thankfully as I was saying earlier, novels with diverse main characters and love stories are becoming more prominent, so make sure to read novels with diverse main characters. Heck, write your own. I think it’s extremely rewarding to be able to write your own story because then you’re more likely to tell the story you want to hear, so if you get tired of the lack of diversity, rewrite the narrative.
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WHY MIHOYO’S GENSHIN IMPACT IS SHAPING UP TO BE MY FAVORITE GAME OF THE YEAR (SPOILER: IT’S OPEN-WORLD, FREE…AND MAYBE EVEN BETTER THAN BREATH OF THE WILD )
Elizabeth S. (10/30/20)
Image source: official game art from MiHoYo
Part 1: I would never play a Zelda clone!
I have obsessively played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild ever since I got myself a Nintendo Switch for Christmas a few years ago. I have eked every drop of content possible from the game, have been immersed in the fandom making art and surrounding myself with memes, and have replayed the game so many times that I feel like I should have paid Nintendo double the original price for all the time I’ve spent in Hyrule. This game quite literally defined my past two to three years’ entertainment.
So when I watched the announcement trailer for a game called Genshin Impact in June of 2019, I was contradictorily excited for yet prepared to detest the game. Many people made comparisons of Genshin and Breath of the Wild early on for obvious reasons: the color scheme was similar; the “hilichurls” of Genshin resembled the attitudes of Breath of the Wild’s bokoblins to a T; Genshin characters had practically the same paraglider mechanism to get around the map as was used in Zelda; there were underground shrine-like buildings; heck, even the opening scene of Genshin had the same panoramic effect as after Link woke up and exited the Shrine of Resurrection. I hated the similarities because it is completely against my morals to support “copied” work, but also I had that feeling in my gut, that fervent desire to explore an open world that was somewhat similar to what I knew, but still held its own mystery.
Part 2: Downloading the game (against my better judgment)
Everyone on the Internet had downloaded Genshin Impact by the time I’d gotten around to it, in about mid-October. By this point, I still was monitoring the release of the game obsessively, watching Youtubers play it, practically doing everything except downloading the game for myself.
I gave in eventually, and did a quick Google search. I planned to play the game on Switch, but it hadn’t been released yet; I’m no pro at gaming in “PC-style,” having only played Undertale and The Sims 4 on my PC. I was resolved not to buy it yet, but one thing gave me pause: Genshin Impact was completely free.
No matter if the game was a copy, or not worth my time, IT WAS FREE. And that’s as good a reason as any to download it.
So I got the game, opened it up, and began my adventure in the world of Teyvat.
Part 3: But what made me change my perception?
First off, let me say that Genshin Impact has possibly the best graphics I have ever seen in an open-world game. The game developers really went all out on this one. Exploring the city of Mondstadt, I was stunned. I was so stunned, in fact, that I didn’t even speak to any of the NPCs, I didn’t try to find out what my quest was, I just kept walking. And that walk took me to Springvale, and Wolvendom, and then Liyue, which was even MORE beautiful. On exploration, this game gets a 10/10.
The actual content of the game is supremely rich. I’d say you can approach almost any NPC, and they will have dialogue prepared that really helps with world-building. Like any open-world game, there are multiple quests available at once, so you always have something to do. I’ve been playing for pretty much a week straight, around 6-8 hours a day, and every time I decided to log off I literally had to drag myself away from the computer. (Image source: screenshot within Liyue from my own Genshin game)
I’ve never played a “gacha,” or gambling-style game, and I was already decently happy with my 4-character lineup. I had failed against some difficult enemies (there is a nice variety of enemies, by the way), but I figured I would “beef up” my fighters and then go back to face them. I figured I would try out one of the in-game-currency Wishing events to try to get a new character, anyhow. What I ended up with after some (obsessive) gambling was SIX new characters. And these were characters who were decently powerful, like Noelle and Xiangling; I was pretty impressed. I actually think I like the gacha system, though I probably wouldn’t put any real money into it—it gives you a goal, something to make the time-consuming slaughter of hundreds of enemies worth it (gotta grind for those primogems!).
Many of the characters are likeable, too. I personally am very partial to Kaeya (he reminds me a bit of Breath of the Wild’s Revali), Diluc (he’s not in my roster yet, but who doesn’t like Diluc??), Venti, and I surprisingly even find Paimon to be quite funny at times. The game’s music score is amazing and vast like the game itself, and each region’s ambient music really fits the atmosphere. There is also a co-op feature where players can work together to complete quests and fight monsters, though I haven’t experimented with that much as I prefer to play solo.
Part 4: But really…it’s a Breath of the Wild clone, right?
No. The game is NOT a clone of Breath of the Wild. There are some striking similarities, especially in the variety of enemies and in the way certain characters move, but Genshin Impact is a game that can genuinely stand on its own.
Why do I think this game is so powerful? And why did I already say it is my favorite game of the year? Especially when Nintendo’s own Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Ubisoft’s Immortals: Fenyx Rising, and other amazing-sounding games are scheduled to release this year?
Genshin Impact has a lot of potential. Like, I think we’ve only seen a VERY SMALL percentage of what the game is capable of. New characters and content are constantly being announced, and currently, only two of the seven areas on the map are accessible (and those areas are extremely large). With a free game like this, since content just keeps coming because those who spend money on gacha are giving developers steady income, you can basically play it forever (or at least until the updates stop). I don’t have an approximation for how many hours can be spent in each area of the map, but let’s just say I think I may be able to play every day for at least another month and still find new things to do, even with just the two areas available on the map.
Now, here’s the brutal part: Right now, I actually kind of favor this game over Breath of the Wild. BOTW was an amazing game, groundbreaking in its genre, with hundreds of hours of possible gameplay and high-quality graphics; also, since Genshin Impact came out nearly THREE YEARS after Breath of the Wild, I know it’s not a completely fair comparison. Comparing the games objectively, I think Genshin Impact’s quests and enemy variety have more depth, though I enjoyed Breath of the Wild’s puzzles more. In Zelda, all a player could fight seriously were the bokoblins, moblins, lizalfos, stal enemies, hinoxes, lynels, wizzrobes, yiga clan members, blights, guardians, Maz Koshia, and Ganon himself. You can almost count the enemy variety on one hand. I still have yet to see the full variety of Genshin Impact’s enemies, but it is definitely more than BOTW’s. Genshin tends to give away solutions to puzzles less hesitantly, but to balance it out, the enemies are much harder to defeat than Breath of the Wild’s. Breath of the Wild’s world layout seems much more thoughtful than Genshin Impact’s, but I am more excited exploring Teyvat’s cities than I was exploring Hyrule’s.
In Genshin Impact, there is no weapon breakage, and you can climb in the rain (my point is made). Characters, weapons, and artifacts reach “levels,” that unlock stronger offensive, defensive, and healing properties and there is an overall “Adventure Rank” as you explore the game, whereas in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild you can only find better weapons in the world (which eventually break) and never know if you’re actually improving. Genshin Impact ’s fighting style is flashier than BOTW’s, and there is much more potential to create unique (elemental) combos based on your roster. I think that because you can only play as Link in Breath of the Wild, it might not be possible to reach a fair judgement, but in terms of gameplay overall, I side with Genshin Impact on this one.
WHY BELLA AND EDWARD’S RELATIONSHIP IS PROBLEMATIC (ASIDE FROM THE OBVIOUS)
Lauren Bellamy (10/30/20)
Twi-hards, I know you’ve been thinking it and I’ve been thinking it since I got into the fandom five years ago. The Twilight saga is that series that everyone hates to love because of its cringe-worthy yet addictive romance between Bella and her vampire boyfriend and future husband, Edward. (Sorry, if you didn’t know, but c’mon.) I think we all knew because circa the beginning of the last decade, whenever one turned on the television or went to the movies, the love triangle unfolded before us. Whether you were Team Jacob or Team Edward; whether you read the books or watched the movies or did both, Twilight’s plot was one that most people knew if you were just the slightest in the know of the pop culture climate. But anyway, with the craze of the vampire meets werewolf meets human meets love story, the relationship at the center of it all was Bella and Edward’s strange yet intriguing one. Even if you are Team Edward (I personally was Team Jacob before I sat and watched the movies and read the books, but when I finally read the books, I became Team Edward), there is a strong toxicity evident in their relationship, and yes, I’m thinking of this through a feminist lens and not just on an ick factor spectrum. So, let’s take a little trip down memory lane and break it down.
For one, in the first book, Twilight, Bella and Edward’s first full encounter is one of the most awkward scenes in the book and the movie (okay, the whole entire movie is uncomfortable to watch, but that’s another topic for another article). It’s mainly awkward due to the fact that Edward is literally about to kill Bella because her blood “smells good”. Yuck, I know, but the fact that their relationship or his fascination with her started with this, and then led to him not being able to read her mind is highly problematic. Oh my gosh, God forbid a vampire not being able to read a girl’s mind. I kid you not, Edward literally says “I feel very protective of you” in the film but why does he feel the need to protect her? Plus, how can he protect her, when she should defend herself against a vampire for crying out loud? I think my issue with this is how Bella is totally fine with Edward’s overprotectiveness, and even gets to the point of having this sense of a co-dependency with him because she can’t tolerate not being around him. Which leads me to the main point of this article. Considering this series was written in the middle of the first decade of the 21st century, a time period in which gender equality and the idea that women can and should always have been able to take care of themselves were becoming more prominent, it just bothers me that Bella does not do that.
Now, to the topic of Eclipse. So, with the story about the chief and his wife’s sacrifice to help him defeat the vampire, I understand the inclusion of it. I do, and yay for Bella remembering it when Edward needed to defeat Victoria and Riley, but let’s be honest. This scene just re-emphasizes the fact that if it wasn’t for Edward, Bella would not be constantly thrust into danger. And yes, I understand this is a fantasy/fictional franchise, but still. The fact that Bella is okay with being thrust into danger is just messed up. Like seriously. It is one of the things I dislike the most about this series as well as most fans. I personally feel that especially in this time period, having a young woman get to a point of co-dependency is so backwards, and that’s why it’s hard for me to like Bella as a character or like her and Edward’s relationship because of that message. There is nothing sweet about a girl having to rely on a man for her sanity whatsoever, so the fact that there was even an obsession with the series in reference to said relationship is simply sad.
With all of that said, I am not trying to diss the entire Twilight franchise, because it is my guilty pleasure. Even though it is my guilty pleasure, I’m just acknowledging that if we are supposed to enjoy literary characters’ stories, they should not relate to an ideal that is so old and redundant, and if I’m being completely transparent, disgusting and insulting. I would get it if the series was written around the time Edward was still human but considering it was in the early 2000s, it’s safe to say that this concept is unacceptable. Bella and Edward are problematic as heck, and to a further extent this lack of feminism and female empowerment is the worst part about the relationship.
HALLOWEEN CHILLS: REVISITING ONE OF THE STRANGEST MYSTERY MURDERS
Vaishnavi Srirama (10/30/20)
Author’s note: Hey everyone! In the spirit of Halloween, I wanted to write about a creepy story that I first found watching BuzzFeed Unsolved’s Youtube channel. I honestly thought this episode in particular was one of the scariest ones they have on their channel, but there are so many more that are equally as fun and thrilling to watch. I definitely recommend watching their videos if you want to get in the spirit of Halloween; just don’t watch them at 1am like me! Also, just a quick disclaimer that this story is allegedly true and we, as a magazine, do not own any of it.
The story of the murder in room 1046 is one that is both chilling and strange to hear about. It started on January 2nd, 1935, when sometime around the afternoon, a man going by Roland T. Owen checked into a hotel in Kansas City. He was described to be someone aged between 20-35 years old, with brown hair, and well-dressed. He was said to have only packed a brush, comb, and toothpaste. It seems odd to me that someone would check into a hotel room with only three items, but we’ll get into that later.
Hotels usually have maid services come and clean the room, replace towels, straighten out the bed, etc. It was no different in this scenario. Owen allowed the maid to clean the room while he was still in the room, and asked the maid to leave the door unlocked on the way out because he had a friend who was about to visit. While the maid was cleaning his room, she took note of a preference Owen had that struck her as odd. She noticed he did not have any lights or windows open, with the exception of one small desk lamp. Weird how someone prefers to be in that environment even during the day. The maid also said that Owen seemed to be nervous or afraid about something, which was apparent in the way he spoke to her. When the maid returned a little later with fresh towels, she said that Owen was laying on the bed, completely dressed, the door unlocked, and still almost completely in the dark. She saw a note on a desk in his room that read “Don, I will be back in fifteen minutes. Wait.” …strange.
The next day, the maid came back to clean Owen’s room, and noticed that the door was locked from the outside. Since this story happened a while ago, I assume each hotel room had one lock on the outside and one on the inside. She assumed that Owen locked the room on his way out, which makes sense because I wouldn’t want anyone going into my room after I left it. When she opened the door, however, she saw Owen… sitting fully dressed on his bed… with only one lamp on… and literally doing nothing. That means that someone else locked Owen’s room from the outside while he was still in it, trapping him in his own room. He apparently answered a phone call while the maid was still in the room, saying “No, Don I don’t want to eat. I am not hungry. I just had breakfast,” and then repeated “No, I am not hungry.”
The maid again returned to the room to deliver fresh towels, and heard two male voices from inside the room. When she knocked on the door, she heard a rough voice say “Who is it?” She responded saying she was the maid and that she had fresh towels for Owen, but the man replied saying “We don’t need any.” The maid knew that there were no towels left in the room.
To make everything creepier, let’s move on to the events of the next day. During the early morning hours on January 4th, the hotel’s bellboy went up to his room because he noticed that Owen’s phone was off the hook and not in use for many hours. He got up to the room and saw that the door handle had a do not disturb sign on it. Despite seeing this, the bellboy knocked a few times and heard a low voice saying “come in.. turn on the lights.” The door was locked, however, and whoever was in that room was not getting up to let him in. After knocking repeatedly, the bellboy left and just shouted “Put the phone back on the hook!” Around 8:30 am, the phone was still off the hook, so the hotel staff sent another bellboy to room 1046 to put it back on. The door was still locked, so he let himself into the room with a pass key. Upon entering, he saw that Owen was lying on the bed face down, naked, and seemingly drunk, and that the bedding was darkened around the spot he was lying in. He also saw that the phone stand was kicked over, so he fixed it back upright and put the phone in its receiver.
Around 2 hours later, the hotel staff noticed that the phone was once again, not in its receiver. The hotel sent the original bellboy to go up and fix the issue. Okay, and here’s the scary part. When he opened the door to the room, he saw “this man within two feet of the door on his knees and elbows, holding his head in his hands. [The bellboy] noticed blood on his head. [The bellboy] then turned the light on, and saw blood on the walls, on the bed, and in the bathroom.” The bellboy was too scared to enter the room, so he immediately left the room and went back downstairs.
Owen was discovered to have injuries from being tied up around his neck, wrists and ankles. He seemed to have been strangled and beaten badly, as blood was even on the walls and the ceiling of the hotel. He was said to have suffered a skull fracture from being hit repeatedly on the head, and also had multiple stab wounds. To add onto the list, he had a fractured lung and bruising around his throat from being strangled. Surprisingly, Owen was still alive. When he was questioned about whether there was someone else in the room, he responded saying that there was nobody else with him in the room. He said that all his injuries and scars were the result of falling against the bathtub. Yeah… that’s very likely.
When detectives later investigated the room, they found no weapons of any of Owen’s original belongings in the room, ruling out a suicide. They were also unable to find any record of a Roland T. Owen in the LA directory, which was where he said he was from. When nobody was able to identify Owen as their missing family member/friend, they announced that he would be buried in a potter's field. An anonymous call came later from a man saying that he would send the money needed to provide Owen with a proper funeral. Funeral flowers were arranged with a letter saying “Love forever, Louise.”
A call came in around 1 year later from a mother who claimed that Owen was her son. She said that Owen’s real name was Artemus Ogletree, and that he was actually only 17 years old. She also said that she received three letters from Artemus in the previous year, which were all typed. She found this especially suspicious, however, because Artemus didn’t know how to type, and said that all the letters sounded “unfamiliar” to her.
And there we go. Those are all the main details of the case. When I first read about this case, there were so many parts of it that I just couldn’t piece together. First of all, who brings literally 3 items to a hotel room? I would at least bring a few articles of clothing with me… unless I didn’t intend to stay for long. Something about Ogletree’s demeanor and belongings made me think that he knew what was coming for him. Secondly, it’s striking that he was obediently sitting in the dark, waiting for a “friend” of some sorts. Like WHO DOES THAT?!?! And then there’s the question of who is Louise and Don? Are they the people that the maid heard in Ogletree’s room that one day? Were they the ones who locked him in his room? Were they the ones who anonymously sent money and flowers to give him a proper burial? The details surrounding this case are scary and horrifying to picture in my head. There are so many theories and suggestions for what actually happened to Artemus, but I will let you choose to explore on your own and make your own decision for what actually happened that day. Happy reading, and happy Halloween!
BuzzFeed Video: https://youtu.be/lDeFSOUHdH4
THE IMPORTANCE OF BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
Lauren Bellamy (10/30/20)
October is always a hard month for my family and I. Especially my mother. It is the annual reminder that we’ve lost her mother from breast cancer. October, as you should be aware of, is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to breastcancer.org, 1 in 8 women could potentially suffer from invasive (abnormal growths found in healthy tissues) breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. That’s twelve percent of the entire female population in the United States, and that is an alarming rate. Breast cancer also affects men as well, and in 2020 alone, about 2,640 men could potentially be diagnosed. Another upsetting statistic is that 42,170 women could potentially die from cancer this year. As someone who has experienced not just one family member but a few family members and friends either dying or suffering from the awful disease, I urge you to make yourself aware of the symptoms and causes of this disease because it is our job to minimize the risk so that future generations don’t have to suffer from such high numbers. So please look down below to check out some of the warning signs to let you know that you need to go to the doctor according to Susan G. Komen organization:
If your breast(s) look(s) or feel(s) different that normal (especially if you feel a lump/knot in your breast)
If your nipple(s) look(s) or feel(s) different that normal
If you have discharge coming from your nipple
If your breasts have changed in size or shape
If you experience swelling, warmth, redness or darkening with your breasts
Go to the links below for more potential warning signs as well as some organizations that’s main purpose is breast cancer awareness. Thank you for reading this.
Sources and Links to Breast Cancer Awareness Organizations
https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-facts
RELIEVING STRESS: WHY JOINING A FANDOM MAY SOLVE 70% OF YOUR PROBLEMS--A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS
(THIS STATISTIC WILL NEVER BE VALIDATED)
Elizabeth Shull (10/30/20)
Do any of the following categories describe you?
- Feeling like you don’t belong or don’t have any friends
- Having a critical need to de-stress from school or work
- Lacking a hobby, distraction, or source for entertainment
- Needing a new creative outlet
- Having excess time (like during a global pandemic? Idk)
- Desiring to understand pop culture
- Wanting to meet people but having social anxiety or some other social obstacle
- Being in a sick or injured state
- Being a perfectionist who always wants to complete tasks fully
Well, then YOU SHOULD JOIN A FANDOM!!! Here’s your formal invitation (go on, taKE IT. *begins chanting* one of us, oNe oF uS, ONE OF US)
OK, but What Even IS a Fandom??
There’s no answer that can fully encompass everything within fandoms; I’d just say that you are in a fandom if you really like (are a fan of) characters from a book/movie/series/group or any kind of franchise.
Being a “fan” luckily doesn’t require much effort. As long as you read or watch something from a series or franchise, decide if you like it, and then devote your life to speaking, reading, and learning all about it, you are a fan. Ok, that sounds a little extreme—but HONESTLY: You can be in a “fandom” just by having conversations about a series with your friend, searching up memes about that one oblivious character, making art of any kind, or reading fan-created media.
There are so many types of fandoms. You can be in the music side (K-Pop is a big one, though many western people/groups have fandoms, like Swifties or Directioners), or in the animation side (anime or animated film/series), or maybe in the TV side (like if you just finished Friends and still want content, or if you’re watching some amazing Asian drama and need memes) or literature side (so what if I want to know more about someone’s headcannon of Pandora Lovegood’s backstory? Also, mAnGA iS lITerATurE), or in a big movie franchise’s fandom (MARVEL, etc.) or video game fandom (they’re everywhere). The fandom possibilities are limitless.
Fandoms are like subcultures; some people are really good at doing one thing (like making art) and only do that one thing. Others are extremely devoted and want to explore all aspects of the original creative piece. How involved you are is up to you. If you just want to listen to that iconic soundtrack 50 times, or want to explore the horrifying world of fanfiction, it’s all your decision.
I Don’t Know How to Join a Fandom, Though?
You’ve definitely come to the right place.
Here are some easy ways to join a fandom:
Watch YouTube videos on your fandom topic and make/read/respond to comments.
Go on a social media platform like Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, etc. and start following people with similar interests.
Publish something—there are so many websites to publish art, writing, videos, memes, or recordings. For writing, there’s always Archive Of Our Own (AO3), Wattpad, Fanfiction.net, and Tumblr. For art, there’s DeviantArt, Pinterest, or basically any social media. Videos and memes usually end up on Tumblr, Reddit, Twitter, or YouTube eventually.
Reach out to someone. If someone you know has a similar interest, just talk to them (chances are, they might secretly be an obsessive fan who can guide you into the fandom). Join a club. If face-to-face communication isn’t your style, join a Discord group or message people online.
How do I stay involved in the fandom? What should I be wary of or avoid?
Usually, most people have trouble staying in their fandom. Some people (like me) are at like Fandom Level 2,000 and are in tens or hundreds of fandoms. A lot of fans have a “comfort range” of around 1-5 fandoms that they stay constantly involved with.
Follow an official social media account to be aware of new content (who makes your fandom possible? The writer/illustrator, or the company who owns the creative work, etc.?)
Go at your own pace. Depending on what you like to do or how much content is in your fandom, there might be a lot to explore. Watch/read/listen to the original creative work carefully so you are “in the know,” and then choose a direction to head in (ex. Which social media to spend time on, do you want to read or look at art or memes, etc.). Joining a fandom with a lot of content and many defensive fans (cough cough K-Pop) will require patience—you’ll want to make sure you have watched/read every piece of original content possible before publicly challenging another fan (ex. saying in a YouTube comment that you think a fan is wrong about something).
Avoid new or dead fandoms. This one’s extremely subjective, but I think that new fandoms need to age, like a fine wine. It’s good to be knowledgeable of the original creative piece(s) from the start of its release or debut, but avoid social media accounts that may contain spoilers (ex. If the anime that’s just coming out is based on a long-running manga), and be aware that there might not be much fan-created content for a while. Dead fandoms should also be avoided—sometimes you can’t help it if you want to experience something amazing, even if nobody talks about it anymore, but you’ll need to recognize that most people have moved on and there may never be more updates. (“Dead” in this case implies that either the fans have given up making content, or the original creator has gone on hiatus or has stopped making content. Some people may call this time period a “content desert” if there’s a possibility of the fandom being reawakened.)
Try to interact with others constantly. Interaction doesn’t only mean talking, it means that you know what’s up for debate within the fandom, maybe even feel so defensive about or support a topic so much that you want to speak/write about it, or just want feedback on something you made.
Beware of toxic fandoms. Sometimes you just want to experience the content or fan-created content but don’t want to deal with any fan versus fan drama. In that case, know if you’re in/joining a toxic fandom. You can watch the meme compilations, look at the art—but just don’t read the comments. Blissfully unaware!
Beware of “shipping”: some fans are very enthusiastic about or believe that certain characters/people have a (theoretical) relationship. These fans may get very defensive if you try to emphasize that there is little or no romantic relationship between the characters/people. Shipping is fun but it can also be embarrassing/perceived as rude by real people if they are aware of their fandom’s activity; it is usually less problematic to “ship” fictional characters together.
Conclusion: Why does participating in a fandom relieve stress?
It is always nice to share interests with others. When a person likes (or obsesses over, in my case) certain creative pieces, there is often a fire within that urges him or her to discover all possible aspects of that piece. There is also a feeling of wanting to “fit in”; anthropologically, if fandoms are like subcultures, then to be part of the “in crowd” you need to surpass the knowledge or language barrier to be able to participate and gain acceptance. When you do reach a holistic level of knowledge, you will not only feel smarter, but you will also feel fulfilled and proud of whatever creative piece you are supporting.
Fandoms provide creative outlets for artists, musicians, self-proclaimed “memelords,” and everyone in between. Any new content provided to the fans (who are often ravenous for more) is usually accepted so long as it’s not too weird or outrageous. Fandoms offer distractions or sources for enjoyment if you need to de-stress or just need to fill your time during an injury/sickness, since exploring interests solo or with internet friends makes time pass quickly and easily.
I strongly believe I’ve strengthened my friendships through fandoms. Once you learn a sibling or friend also shares an interest in anime, music, movies, etc., you not only have more things to talk about, but you will also have a person to celebrate new developments with. Sometimes there is also a need to understand pop culture more deeply as well—when you see someone wearing a shirt with the My Hero Academia cast on it, or glimpse someone’s keychain bearing a lesser-known symbol from Harry Potter, making that instant realization or recognition can boost your mood and make you feel like you have something in common even with a stranger.
So go join a fandom, and enjoy yourself! Admission is free and they are (mostly) accepting, so you have nothing to lose. All that’s required is a little effort, but the payback is extremely gratifying.
SEPTEMBER 2020
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OUR HERO, OUR “BLACK PANTHER”, OUR KING: CHADWICK BOSEMAN
Lauren Bellamy (9/30/2020)
The news broke late August 28th, around 10 something that night. My mom, sister and I were just sitting in the family room, completely unaware that our world had just changed and would be changed for the rest of our lives. I laughed at whatever was on the television, smiling at my family members, then unlocked my phone and logged into my instagram. The first thing I saw was there was a post under the account name of @chadwickboseman. I saw his beautiful face in black and white, his smile gleaming and him looking as handsome as ever.
I didn’t look at the caption yet, not even realizing what I was about to read. I showed the picture to my mom, and said, “Look at that. Thank you God for blessing us with this beautiful man.” She smiled and agreed, as did my sister Amber. I continued scrolling down to the caption with a smile on my face, wondering what our King T’Challa had to say. The smile slowly disappeared from my face as I read the words, “It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman,” followed by the fact that dear Chadwick had been suffering for the past four years from colon cancer, and had been having chemotherapy and multiple surgeries in order to help him get better. This had to be a nightmare, I thought, as I exited out of the app, and looked up Chadwick’s name on google. This can’t be happening. Not Chadwick. No. Not Chadwick. But my fear had been confirmed. I felt my heart drop as I swallowed hard and said aloud, “Chadwick passed away.” My mother and sister stopped focusing on the television and whipped their heads in my direction. “What?”
“Chadwick passed away,” I repeated, barely louder than a whisper, not wanting to believe the words that just came out of my mouth. “He had cancer.”
Then my sister and mother repeated my inner thoughts aloud, and the pain felt as if it was suffocating me. I cried and cried, leaning into my mother for support as did my little sister. My mom started crying too. Not Chadwick. Not the man who was only forty-three and had so much more life ahead of him. This had to be some twisted nightmare that was far from reality. But it was true. Our living legend had left us after suffering in private for the past four years.
How do you honor someone that did so much and made such a large impact in the span of seven years? How do you celebrate the story of a real-life hero? Of a person who brought not one, not two, but three powerful Black-American figures to the big screen in a way that made you forget that he wasn’t actually those people, then brought life to a fictional character in a way that only he could, and built a legacy based off of that performance? A person who fought for equality for Black people and supported children who were suffering from the same disease that he was suffering from, and never once let his humility be broken by arrogance? There aren’t enough words to discuss every single thing that Mr. Boseman did, nor enough words to appreciate all he did. I’m getting choked up once again as I try to, but know that it is impossible. As so many of his fellow actors said, Chadwick was such a good and pure soul. He was carefree and powerful. He was so talented and inspired his co-stars to bring their A-game in their performances. Though now, to know that he was suffering so much behind the cameras, makes us be that more in awe of his performances. He gave his all, and did it to the point that whenever we looked at Chadwick, we would call him by his characters’ names. We all love cinema and television, but there are only a few artists that we acknowledge as ones that we see as leaders in their craft’s field. Chadwick was one of those leaders. Hence why we call him a king, a legend, and one of the best to do it.
Our hearts are with Chadwick’s wife, family, friends, co-stars and fans. We’re all mourning his loss and feeling “his absence” as Oprah said when asked about the shocking and heartbreaking loss of our beloved King T’Challa. But just know, Chadwick, you will be painfully missed and we will do our best in making sure that no one forgets you or your legacy. Rest eternally in peace and power, Mr. Boseman.
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FIGHTING THE EQUAL FIGHT: NOTORIOUS RBG, JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG
Lauren Bellamy (9/30/2020)
It is with a heavy heart that I have to write this, and especially with this issue celebrating the life of Chadwick Boseman, and our first issue celebrating Congressman Lewis. Justice Ginsburg was truly one of a kind. She was an icon, a fighter, a boss lady, and a queen. From an early point in her career, she strived to fight for gender equality and even went before her future bench to argue that discrimination against someone based on their sex was unconstitutional. Justice Ginsburg was a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, a Rutgers and Columbia law professor, and mother to two children. She was also the second woman to be sworn in as a United States Supreme Court Justice, and was a consistent liberal voice on the Supreme Court Bench.
Justice Ginsburg was known for her tenacity and grit, earning the nickname of “Notorious RBG” because of it. As someone who admired her work, and learned more about her importance in eleventh grade, it hurts so much to know that Justice Ginsburg unfortunately lost her battle against pancreatic cancer. She had fought for many years from different cancers, but always came out stronger and never stepped down, continuing to serve on the Supreme Court till she passed away. The things she accomplished as a lawyer and judge and what she fought for acknowledges why her passing is so heartbreaking. She never allowed male-dominated and corrupted institutions to stop her from fighting for what she believed was important to. She not only fought for gender equality, but equal rights for ALL people. As we navigate how to move forward, we cannot allow all of Justice Ginsburg’s hard work to go to waste. We all need to fight to make sure every single individual in this world can use their voice without ridicule or fear of being silenced. We have every right to do what we want, say we want, and live our life the way we want to. We should not let that fight be placed on the backburner because Justice Ginsburg passed away with her being one of the only people who fought for us on the Supreme Court. She wouldn’t want us to do that, because then her work would have been in vain. We have to continue her fight so that all the young women that come after us will not have to break the glass ceiling in order to live their lives peacefully without discrimination or inequality. Rest eternally in peace and power, Justice Ginsburg. Our hearts are with your family, but just know, that we will continue your fight and uphold your legacy with grace and determination, just like you did.
Sources
Justice Ginsburg Picture: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Ruth_Bader_Ginsburg_2016_portrait.jpg
Some more facts about the life of Justice Ginsburg:
https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/07/us/ruth-bader-ginsburg-fast-facts/index.html
COLLEGE CHRONICLES: DO’S AND DON’TS
Lauren Bellamy (9/30/2020)
Alright, so at the time I’m writing this, I have only experienced four weeks of college. BUT in those four weeks, I’ve already learned a lot. Grab some popcorn or something to drink; time to take some notes!
AVOID PROCRASTINATION AT ALL COSTS
So the first thing that I have learned is I HAVE SO MUCH TIME! The institution that I’m attending has separated the semester into two seven-week sessions, so I only have two courses at the moment and both of them are online. To a further extent, I am going to college remotely the entire semester, so the amount of free time I have is going to be different from a typical college student’s during a normal year (STUPID CORONA). I also have this college 101 course, but with all of that, I only meet about four times a week, my longest meetings being only an hour and ten minutes. But with that free time, it is easy to overestimate the time one has; sometimes, to the extent that he or she possibly procrastinates and runs into turning things in late or worse, cheating to get it done. PLEASE DON’T DO THAT! I think the best way to make sure you stay on top of your work and even possibly stay ahead, is to give yourself incentives for getting stuff done. For instance, sometimes when I have some reading to do for both of my courses and I want to continue binge-watching Legend of Korra, I force myself to do the reading and complete the work that goes along with it in order to do what I want to. This week I actually completed all of my homework ahead of time so I could actually rest during my weekend. Having a thinking ahead mentality is one of the best things that a college student can do because with all the free time, you will never get to the point of feeling overly stressed and or flustered.
2. I’M SO FREAKING BORED
Okay...so you do all of your work ahead of schedule and now, you really have no idea of how to take up time in your schedule. During my bouts of boredness, I have turned to reading novels (I’ve actually finished a novel within this time period! I rarely did that during high school!), watched Netflix, makeup videos on YouTube, and exercised. I’ve also been trying to spend time with my sister when she’s not in class because she just started her junior year of high school. Sometimes, I’ve even taken a nap. This is when getting involved comes in handy. Now, of course, that’s near impossible when you are going to school remotely. But because of the present time, at least at my institution, I’m able to attend events virtually. Yesterday, I was able to do virtual bingo, which at first I wasn’t sure about, but it ended up being a lot of fun. You could also do some things with your friends virtually. I mean, my friends and I started a whole magazine (lol), but there are so many things to do. If you’re still unsure, I can direct you to my one of my articles in the August issue called “Some Fun Things to Do During Quarantine Before School Starts Back Up Again” because even though I specified quarantine, pretty much all of the activities can be done in any climate.
3. I WANT FRIENDS, HELP!!!
The funny thing about how I’ve made friends during this strange period of time is by following everyone who has my school’s abbreviation in their bio and ‘24 with it. And even though I haven’t talked to over half of them, some of those people are in my college 101 group, in my classes or just people that I come into contact with. It’s been really great to be able to get to know these people, and find out that even though we may come from completely different areas, how much we have in common. So, if you find yourself missing out on social interaction, try to hit some of your classmates or schoolmates up on social media. I know it can be nerve-wracking (queen of anti-social interaction), but believe it when I say a person who may reach out to you first is just as nervous. Try to break the tension with a chill icebreaker or a question like, “What’s your favorite song?” or “Have you watched A:TLA on Netflix yet?” (p.s. I’m sorry for the constant references to A:TLA and Legend of Korra, the staff and I literally are obsessed). Good luck!
4. I need to ask my professor something, but I’m scared it’s going to be awkward
I’ve literally had so many moments of having to ask a professor something, and being terrified of them throwing shade at me for asking such an obvious question. Though I had those fears, I still took the leap of faith and sent them an email. In every instance, my professors have actually said “Great question(s)!”, so I was definitely being paranoid for no reason. With that being said, no question is a stupid question. Seriously. I know literally everyone says that, but it’s true. Especially in college where that quick question could be the difference of not having any plagiarism issues or having to face the integrity council. NEVER ASSUME! Assuming never does anyone good, so please ask. If you don’t feel comfortable asking the professor, ask the tutor for that class or if there’s a teacher’s assistant, ask them. It also helps to try to create a good relationship with the professor, so when you’re in class, talk to them and participate rather than stay quiet. It will help, I promise!
Okay, I think that’s all I got for now. Hopefully, your college experience is running smoothly so far, and I also hope that this advice will help it be even more successful.
TONI MORRISON & GENERATIONAL TRAUMA OF BLACK WOMEN
Jamie C. Hill (9/30/2020)
Content warning: pedophilia, child marriage, rape, abuse.
Let’s go way back, before Trayvon, before Katrina, before Rodney, before Rosa. Our female ancestors lived in a society where they were seen as extensions to men. In Toni Morrison’s Love, the heart of the tale centers around hotel owner Bill Cosey and his influence on women for generations. After he dies, Heed Cosey, née Johnson, and Christine Cosey are left to fight over possession of his property, specifically the hotel itself. Later in life, Heed, his second wife, hires a troubled girl, Junior, to forge a menu that could grant Heed ownership. Christine, his granddaughter, suspects what Heed is up to because she helps Heed around her house. As the tension boils, it is revealed how far back their rivalry goes, inflamed by Christine’s mother and Bill’s daughter-in-law, May. When Christine encounters Junior and Heed in the act of forgery, Junior takes advantage of the situation to injure Christine and hastily depart, leaving the two elderly women to talk with each other peacefully. The final revelation is that Heed and Christine were childhood friends until Bill sexually assaulted and married Heed — who was 11 years old. What encompasses this influence is an interconnected generational trauma that reflects the origins of toxicity, the dismissal of trauma, and the solidification of unaccountability.
Origins and Intricacies of Toxicity
In the novel, older women push standards they learned onto young women. The most extreme case, in my opinion, is Junior’s mother teaching 19-year-old Junior to tolerate violence. On Junior’s first attempt to escape from home as a young girl, her uncle tries to run her over and permanently deforms her toe in the process. Her mother tells her to accept this treatment, so Junior once again runs away, this time successfully. But with that sort of baggage, no one comes out unscathed. From being taught to tolerate violence, she ends up being obsessed with it — through sexual pleasure. Nothing is wrong with extreme consensual sex, but something is wrong when young teenagers are brought into the mix. 14-year-old Romen captures her attention due to his stature. They have a relationship that can be described as nothing less than dangerous, with which Romen feels uncomfortable as told to his grandfather, Sandler. However, in the heat of the moment his emotions of lust overcome his discomfort.
What we learn from this is that toxic relationships are not always explicitly defined. Junior is attracted to his masculinity and believes him to be “sixteen at least, maybe more,” meaning she does not completely disregard his age (Morrison 62). She does not seem to deliberately want to hurt him, yet she is one of the factors responsible for traumatizing his childhood. Another factor influencing Romen is his friends, who attack him for stopping their gang rape of a girl. They contribute to a culture of toxic masculinity from youth that escalates into criminal behavior. This pressure to fit in may subconsciously affect Romen to pursue sex, but the warnings of Sandler prevent him from irreversibly turning away from his true self.
Junior, nevertheless, loses her identity in the midst of embracing violence in reverence of “the Good Man,” otherwise known as her projection of Bill Cosey. At various points in time, she appears to be guided by his spirit. His direction obfuscates what she really desires, both in our eyes and hers. This, like with all the other Cosey women, is part of the torment that Bill inflicts postmortem. What further obscures her identity is her connection to the past. Heed and L, Bill’s cook, see her akin to his mistress, Celestial. Her resemblance to the mystical, mythical sex worker creates doubt on our end as to who Junior really is. Despite our uncertainty of her identity, by the end we can tell that Junior is looking for what she cannot verbalize: Love. Her life has been a whirlpool of rejection since childhood. In her arduous search for a love that she has never known, she is led astray by subconsciously attributing sexual attention and violent trauma to love.
Dismissal of Trauma
Trauma is present in our parents, our grandparents, and ancestors beyond. However, historic distrust created by medical experiments, lack of representation in mental health professionals, and dismissal has led to some Black Americans adamantly refusing professional therapy. Naturally, if that trauma goes unresolved, it will pass down generation by generation. This includes self-hate, as seen with May. May judges her daughter for protesting in the Civil Rights Movement. She sees integration as an obstacle rather than a goalpoint, instead reminiscing over the good ol’ days when Black people were just having fun. If it is not obvious, she is someone who has lived off of relative privilege and become disconnected with the community. To further elaborate, May believes Christine has something she doesn’t — placement. At this point, Christine has a husband and a community while May is widowed and desperate for Bill’s attention. She projects this insecurity onto her daughter and Heed, denigrating them for inanities. With more conditioning of this negativity, the chances of it transferring to descendants greatly increase.
Morrison’s storytelling amplifies generational trauma through a scattered timeline. In my experience, the answers to many mysteries are clear as day by the middle of the story, but they are the ones we refuse to accept. We don’t want it to be intrafamilial abuse or rape or murder, so we do all we can to avoid the truth. This is reflected in the characters, who reference flashbacks — “rememories” in the words of Sethe from Beloved. Heed and Christine only address the full origin of their traumatic history at the end, which results from the constant repression reinforced by adultification of children. As teenagers, Christine is being sent away from her home by her mother because Heed is being abused and responding aggressively in kind. They both are expected to accept this...why? Why should young women be expected to take their mistreatments with no complaint? This society forced our predecessors to compromise, to be quiet when they had no power over the oppressor. And when they spoke up, they were ‘Crazy.’ ‘Crazy’ when they thought differently; ‘Crazy’ when they screamed in pain; ‘Crazy’ when they set buildings ablaze; ‘Crazy’ when they finally killed.
‘Crazy’ reduces mental illness just as it obscures the concept of normalcy. The idea that everyone will follow the same set of values is unrealistic. If you develop in an environment filled with violence, there are two interlaced responses: escape and embrace. Escaping may be empowering, but it is not clear-cut. You can physically remove yourself from a situation, but you will remain mentally stuck. Junior, for instance, leaves both her home and the Correctional yet still continues to care about how her actions only impact herself. This is clearly a survival tactic learned from numerous aggressions. In an effort to change, it is possible to end up reverting to learned behaviors — which can unfortunately include abuse as well. Moreover, the desire to escape may be paired with an aversion to anything associated with the situation. Part of the reason why Christine hates Heed for so long is because Heed is an extension of Bill and May, who are directly responsible for ruining her youth. Heed is also their victim, though, but falls on the receiving end of hatred. Retaining and inflicting that violence is a variation of embracing. We may see this in rappers who emerge from the projects to Hollywood. They have achieved a considerable level of fame, being known within their community if not without, only to be imprisoned for any degree of charges, from weapons to drugs to abuse to murder. Environment shapes a person, but it does not remove agency from an abled individual when they are blatantly wrong.
Solidification of Unaccountability
Among Black Power movements, male figures may sweep cases of sexual assault under the rug. Christine partakes in one of these movements with her leader lover, Fruit. They are referred to as a pair: “Chris ‘n Fruit” or “Fruit ‘n Chris” interchangeably. This counters the patriarchal structure that is commonly formed among protesting groups, particularly during the Civil Rights Movement. A woman actually stands at the forefront of the demonstration next to men, holding a title just as powerful as him. Angela Davis immediately comes to mind; someone openly admired by the movement and given a platform to speak whatever she feels. You would think that this demonstrates a respect for women in this group — but it doesn’t. One of the members rapes a 17-year-old girl, who begs for Christine not to tell. She breaks the promise and informs Fruit, who vows along with the other members to confront the assailant. What do you suppose happens? Not a damn thing. In a movement so central to unity, women may withhold from calling out abusers of the same race for fear of their life. Bringing up any internal issues is seen as trying to detract or destroy the movement, when in reality, these are the problems that vindicate the community in itself. Instead of listening and confronting, there is complete avoidance of the problem. The ones who have the most power in these circumstances are the elite, such as the main man himself.
Nothing can match the power of Bill Cosey. Despite being loathed by Black people, he is not brought down by anything but poison. His proximity to oppression certainly adds to his sustained success. The generational wealth he inherits is soaked in the blood of betrayal by his father, who works in line with the cops to covertly arrest people. There is also a dispute of why he does not sell the land to local people using his excess money, which leads in part to housing degradation after he dies. He contributes a space for creativity and joy through his hotel, yet he disregards the very lives that it symbolizes through exploitation. It is important to realize that Black is not synonymous with social activism. Active, meaning one has to devote themselves to fighting for change. Does everyone have the time, resources, and mentality to do that — when they thrive in an environment laced with drugs, poverty, and violence? Does everyone hope for this world to change — when they make it out of the streets and into the corporations that are founded on exploiting these communities? Does everyone care — when they are so used to living without justice that they would rather pursue the “American Dream,” a materialistic, money-based, carefree success, than overturn structures that hinge on their dependency to make money for them? No, they don't, and it would be a comedy to say that a man who hates women as strongly as Bill Cosey would be concerned with such affairs.
Still, women attack one another in his name. Rather than protect their daughters, they would sooner defend the man that treats them like they are worthless. In Love, Bill molests then marries 11-year-old Heed. For decades she is bashed by his admirers, most notably May and Vida. May, a prime witness to the crimes that occur, has the consciousness and ability to stop him from further abusing Heed given that she lives in the house. However, her fear for Christine’s welfare and envy for Bill’s attention drives her to become complicit in his abuse. Vida, on the other hand, is an outsider. All of what she spews about Heed is envious gossip. She refuses to mention the fact that the man she respects so much is an abuser. The irony of it all is that her husband— Sandler, remember him? — respects Heed. With all the dangers of patriarchy shifted to the forefront, Morrison characterizes a man as the rational adult, placing him as the figure least deluded by Cosey’s charm. In a return to non-fiction, women may direct blame to another woman (or girl) in order to capture the attention of men. They postulate themselves as having the curvier shape, the lighter skin, the sexier voice, the higher education, the greater independence; and that somehow makes them better than a woman without, better than whom they would consider to be trashiest female on the planet. All of your greatness means nothing to a man who only wants a victim.
Acceptance
In spite of all this shredding pain, this boiling hatred, this mindless conflict, we still have love. Heed and Christine reconcile their founded resentment towards themselves and each other, finally reaching the point of accepting their trauma in old age. Some things in life will stab you in the heart mercilessly. You will not cause this; you will not be to blame. To thrive, we must accept what is out of our control and change what is within it. We can inflict pain just as much as we feel it, so it is important that we take accountability for our own wrongdoings, that we swallow our pride to mend broken relationships. We are capable of erring, but we are also capable of so much more. Our bodies, minds, and spirits have been placed with superpowers into this plane of existence. These superpowers are the unique traits and experiences, the truths, we have to transform our world. Your truth can only be sung by you.
To all the women who are reading this, young and old; cis and trans; soft and bold; you are not a man’s gaze. You are a being worthy of your own love, not to be defined by any standards conscripting you to the expectations of society. Move at your own pace, with your own stride, through your own path. You deserve the life bestowed upon you, along with all the potential you desire it to be. Your voice is a choir & your presence is a congregation. Use them to exude your spirit, and you will reach the highest self that you can be.
THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTING
Lauren Bellamy (9/30/2020)
As we quickly approach November 3rd, there is one thing that should be in all Americans’ who are eighteen or older minds. Voting. If anything has been clear in the past four years, it is instituting the ideal of voting as a sense of being able to speak one’s voice. When we vote, we are choosing candidates who best represent what we want for the country, state and county we live in. If everyone in this country that was able to vote voted, I’m fairly sure we would’ve had a completely different result than what we did in 2016. Now, I promise that I am NOT telling you who to vote for, but am trying to explain why you should vote.
Like in Jamie and I’s article celebrating John Lewis’ legacy, we emphasized how John Lewis’ main goal was to make sure everyone in this country were able to execute the right to vote for who they wanted to. He and so many others were beaten, thrown in jail and spat on just for wanting to have the same right as non-people of color, and even when the Civil Rights Act of 1965 was passed, the country still found ways to stop BIPOC from voting. Because of their plight, there should not be a debate if you go vote or not, because at the end of the day, you are able to. You are able to put that little piece of yourself into America’s history by voting for the next president, senator, governor or representative. You then get the right to be disappointed if the person you voted for doesn’t win and be irritated if the person who was elected is not doing a good job. But what bothers me is when people talk trash about our leaders, yet, they didn’t execute their right to vote. They had the right to make sure that the person that won didn’t win, but they didn’t follow through. So is it really fair to be angry when you didn’t do your duty in the first place?
I make all of these points to demonstrate how extremely important and critical it is to vote. My parents have instilled the importance of our right to vote in my sister and I when we were little, so much so that as soon as I received my letter to register, I filled out all of my information and ran to put it in the mailbox in a matter of ten minutes. I voted for the primaries, and have voted early for the general election for our next president as well as my senator and representative. As a Black woman, it is especially important for me to vote because I’m not allowing those who tried to silence my fellow BIPOC and I’s voices to be successful. People of color have fought too hard for that right, some even dying for it. If I don’t use my voice, then their deaths were in vain, and the pain they went through was for nothing. I refuse to let that be the case. Use your voice. Vote absentee. Vote in-person early (I did this Monday) or on the day of. All of our voices matter, so use your right to vote.
Check your voter registration by going to iwillvote.com and finding your state through there.
GROWTH IN A:TLA: WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM SOKKA
Suhayla Ahmed (9/30/2020)
Warning: spoilers (but please watch the show if you haven’t… seriously)
When Avatar: The Last Airbender came to Netflix in May, old fans like I were overjoyed. The show had been a fundamental part of my childhood, and it helped me grow into the person I am today. The show has important themes that are seldom touched upon in children’s shows, one of which is character growth.
Anyone who has watched the show knows about Zuko’s journey, which is arguably one of the best written redemption arcs in television. However, a character arc that is seldom talked about is Sokka’s. In one way or another, all the main characters are dynamic in some sort of way. While all of them develop in terms of bending and/or fighting, I believe that Sokka develops the most (aside from Zuko) in terms of his character.
The show starts off with Sokka being a sexist POS (we love him now, but yikes). One of his first lines in the show is a justification of gender roles, saying that girls are better at cooking and cleaning while guys are better at fighting. Talk about a first impression. Side note though – I love how Katara getting mad at Sokka and being a cute little feminist was what ended up getting Aang out of that iceberg.
However, even though he is sexist at this stage, there is still hope for growth. Aside from the fact that he is on the Avatar’s side, we see his redeeming traits from the beginning. He is protective of his sister and an aspiring warrior. We can also see an explanation for his sexism – the gender roles within the Water Tribe. Katara is the only waterbender left in the South Pole, and the boys are, by tradition, trained to be warriors. That’s why Sokka has to venture out to truly combat his sexism.
And that brings us to Kyoshi Island. Sokka is PRESSED when he found out that the Kyoshi Warriors who were able to take him, Aang, and Katara out were all females. So that brings us to another possible reason for Sokka’s sexism – his self-esteem issues. He has felt unconfident in his own warrior abilities, wanting to be like his father. The fact that people, WOMEN, who Sokka considered cooks and cleaners, were able to take him out was terrible for his ego.
Luckily, Suki’s badassery came in clutch even when Sokka came to the Kyoshi Warriors thinking he could take them out. When Suki took Sokka out while barely batting an eyelash, that was the key for Sokka to become better. (Side note #2 – I love the whole aesthetic and dynamic of the Kyoshi Warriors! Paying homage to one of the most badass Avatars out there and showing that femininity doesn’t detract from the ability to fight? Hell yeah!).
Sokka coming back to the warriors apologizing for his clownery was honestly such a great message. Not only did it show how he had learned a valuable lesson, but it showed to kids that sexism can’t be tolerated, even if the heroes themselves are sexist. His apology to the warriors was sincere, as was his desire to learn from them how to fight! Love, love, LOVE IT! And later in the episode, he tells Suki that he is sorry for seeing her as a girl when he should have seen her as a warrior. Suki’s response was THE CHERRY ON TOP. It was what everyone needed to hear to know that you can be a warrior and a girl, not a warrior despite being a girl. Sokka definitely took some additional notes from that line too, because we saw for the rest of the series that when he saw badass women, he wasn’t nearly as surprised and was even encouraging.
Later in the series, when the Gaang met Toph, Sokka had many instances where he was amazed by her abilities. However, he never remarked that they were amazing because she was a 12 year old blind girl. They were just amazing abilities, PERIOD. When Toph was metalbending the shit out of them fire navy ships in the finale, he hyped her up real good. I loved it!
Beyond Sokka’s far more open mind, let’s not forget how much he improved his fighting skills. This was especially great since his lack of confidence in these skills exacerbated his sexism earlier on. However, he proved himself in the rest of the series to be an amazing wartime planner and swordmaster (that episode was one of my favorites!). He’s definitely one of the most intelligent characters in the show, and he is absolutely indispensable to the plot. What is so magical about his character development, though, is that he develops all these skills while still maintaining his goofy, sarcastic personality.
We can learn a multitude of things from Sokka’s character development. Beyond the obvious - that people are capable of growth – we can also learn that growth doesn’t mean you lose the parts of you that make you yourself. Sokka’s mentality and skills may have improved, but that wasn’t at the expense of his jokes and sheer willpower to protect others. Also, it shows that even if you’re a ‘good’ person, there are always ways in which you can improve. Sokka, unlike Zuko, was always on the ‘good side’ in Avatar. It would have been easy to write off his sexism as some sort of twisted comic relief rather than an actual issue, but I’m so glad the writers took the latter route. In this regard, I believe Sokka is an extremely relatable character. We always like to see ourselves as good people, but we should always work on educating ourselves to become better. We might find that it helps us in more ways than one, like how it did for Sokka.
THE RIGHTS AND WRONGS OF HIGH SCHOOL "COMING OF AGE" FILMS
Roshini Adunoor (9/30/2020)
Now that I am a mature, wise adult (barely 18 and lets just disregard the fact that I still don’t know what a 401K is), I feel like I've passed all that self discovery, coming of age, running dramatically off into the distance stuff we see in movies. Specifically, the kind of movies where 20- something year old actors play high school kids experiencing their first high school party, a magical night at prom, their first kiss, etc. We’ve seen all these movies that center around the same theme of growing up and many of the movies are so similar, sometimes all but having the exact same plotline (i.e. The Kissing Booth and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before). Granted not all coming of age movies accidentally turn into a trashy teen rom-com. There are movies like Clueless and Mean Girls that might be a bit old, but showcase self-discovery and growth that doesn’t end up completely centered around the main love interest. Rather, they tend to use romance to influence the main character’s growth instead of overpowering it. Somehow, I’ve managed to find a special place in my heart for all of them, well at least the good ones, but even the crappy ones (only a little bit though). They’re all meant to be relatable in some sense and seeing characters on the screen spend an hour and a half, or months in movie time, to get their life together makes me feel empathetic towards the main character. Granted, just because I feel empathetic or inspired or whatever the movie wanted me to feel, doesn’t mean that I don’t have some issues with these movies. I feel good things towards these movies, but I also got some beef (I don’t eat beef) to hash out with them.
Movies that have ‘coming of age’ as the central theme always end in the main character having a seemingly perfect life. The main character gets together with their love interest, has the perfect life, and somehow got into an Ivy League school because they were “not like other girls”. The main character always seems to have their life together and that’s great, go them. But for most people, that’s not the most relatable scenario and honestly, that’s okay. I feel like a lot of these movies make it seem like we need to have our whole life together before we leave high school and quite frankly, we should normalize the main character not knowing what the waffle is going on even at the end of the movie (excuse my language). I had never really thought about this until the whole “Are You the Main Character?” thing became a trend on Tik Tok and for a good few months, it seemed like everyone wanted to be the main character. I mean, same; no one wants to be told they aren’t the main character in the grand scheme of things, but people stopped caring as much when everyone came to the general realization that even if they aren’t the main character, everyone tends to like the side characters more anyway. But the trend listed a certain set of characteristics that I think is just kind of dumb since it was very specific and centered around things we see in movies. Like, “do you walk on the grass when you are with your friends or do you get the privilege of the sidewalk?” or “do you live a crazy life where you just be yourself and don’t care about other people’s opinions?”. Um, no, I don't. I have strict parents, thank you very much. And even if I didn’t live a crazy life and just chose to live out my life hibernating, I say I would still very much be the main character cause I will not let someone tell me some chick named Sally (I have nothing against Sally’s, it’s just the first name to pop into my head) is the main character in my own life. Because we’re all our own main characters and we just need to come to terms with that.
In the end, we need more diverse and relatable ‘coming of age’ movies. Like the movie Lemonade Mouth. It’s a timeless movie and we have a variety of main characters to relate to whether it be the bookish nerd with social anxiety or a POC character facing struggles with strict parents who don’t want her to pursue a path that won’t ensure success. Now I’m not saying we shouldn’t have ‘coming of age’ movies or shows that tend to focus on romance. They’re fun to watch, although they can quickly make us cringe if not done correctly. I’m saying we stop idealizing the notion that we have to have the perfect boyfriend or girlfriend in high school and that we absolutely need to go to crazy high school parties to be the main character or have a good time. It’s just not true and it’s a bit overhyped. If you want to live that life, go for it! If you don’t, that’s fine too! Everyone’s the main character, we all deserve to run off dramatically into the sunset, and honestly, prom kind of sucks anyway and I’m speaking from experience as I’ve been to a total of zero proms.
MY SPICY PAST SELF CAUSED ME TO REEVALUATE MY PRIORITIES (SPOILER: CHANGE ISN’T HARD, IT JUST REQUIRES SOME EFFORT)
Elizabeth Shull (9/30/2020)
Preface: The Letter
I recently received a letter telling me all of my weaknesses—I am not popular, I still don’t have my driver’s license, I am supremely lazy, I’m not fit, the list goes on. Normally if you got a letter like that you would probably (1) feel embarrassed as heck, and (2) want to punch the sender into oblivion.
Coincidentally, in the event of (2), the face receiving that steady (but not strong, you literally just heard me say I’m not fit) punch would have been my own. Unfortunately, that letter I received contained my name and address in both the sender’s and receiver’s section of the envelope. You guessed it—this was one of those letters teachers make their students write so the student can receive it around 5 years later and reevaluate his or her life’s choices.
Apparently, my past self had some lofty ambitions. I thought I would be some sort of bubbly cheerleader type, with a few relationships under my belt, maybe have a well-paying job, be in a friend group with just the right amount of angst, and wear clothes from Forever 21 every day. Basically, I externalized every movie cliché I had ever seen at the ripe age of 13. I pictured myself in a way I knew wasn’t me, but that I thought I could still be by some fluke of luck.
In truth, at 18 years old, I don’t go outside (even before COVID), I’m not great at socializing, the only job I’ve ever had is working on my parents’ farm, and I indeed cannot yet drive. (Let’s not even mention the fashion sense and laziness) By my own impossible 13-year-old standards, I am a complete failure. So what went wrong?
Realization: Meteor Shower
I have always had an incorrect view of maturity, and I knew it. For me, being “mature” was just delaying the inevitable. I associated maturity with an age, AKA age 18, when I would just magically change into an “adult.” In actuality I just didn’t want to acknowledge my weaknesses and try to change them. I remained stagnant, practically with a child’s mindset, until I actually did turn 18. At that point, I think I realized I had made a big mistake.
Members of my family often tell me I’m pretty contradictory—I can be the most determined, selfless person you’ll ever know when I’m working for a goal I’m truly passionate about, but at the same time I am extremely lazy and make sure to avoid work at all times. (The truth is brutal sometimes) I’ve deflected chores, hidden in my room, made sure not to agree to too many social interactions, and basically stayed in my comfort zone since I was born. I was raised in a good family with enough money to let me remain sedentary, which explains why I have extraordinarily few life skills.
This year I was hit with a few meteorites (metaphorically). Some bore the name “family medical problems,” or “deaths,” but the one I want to talk about today is called “Coronavirus.” As I’ve mentioned, I’m a lazy pig. I do, however, have some good qualities, like my work ethic and artistic passion, which have led me to secure a spot in a competitive university architecture program. I was all set to leave home in August, make some memories with my new roommates, maybe begin to “mature” (you see, I’ve kept pushing back “maturity” to a later date because change would involve effort). But then, BOOM!!! METEORITE APPROACHING, PREPARE FOR IMPACT: ‘RONA. Because of the other aforementioned family medical problems, I decided I couldn’t go to college, contracting COVID-19, and then putting into question the safety of the immunocompromised members of my family when I came home. There were other reasons, too, but they’re irrelevant to this article.
The final solution, the answer to all of my prayers, the...ok, I’m out of adjectives...whatever, I got a gap year. I’m taking online community college classes for credit while deferring from my university of choice, and I’m sticking to a strict self-made schedule five days a week. So far, about five weeks in, I’ve already made many changes. For one, I started exercising regularly for the first time since middle school. I’m learning to cook, I do my own laundry and clean bathrooms, I’ve started long-term projects relevant to my architecture career path, etc. I work 20 hours a week as a farmhand (simply put, I put down mulch, cut pastures with a bush hog, and do a lot of unpleasant things outside). I have my driver’s test in November. So many things that I’ve avoided for so long, I’ve just started in the past five weeks. Maybe my idea that maturity happens quickly wasn’t so far off.
Introspection: Forest Fires
Actually, when reflecting on this past month or so, I’ve realized a few things about maturity: it’s not about the actual skills you possess or the situation you’re in, but the mentality that you have. Technically, “change” and “maturity” aren’t all that difficult. If you consciously decide to change yourself for the better, can make a healthy routine and stick to it, or are at a place even your past self might be satisfied with, you demonstrate maturity. There is also no set criteria to measure yourself against—what works for me, for example, learning to offer my help instead of being forced to oblige, may not work for those who have grown up already doing it. I’ve always read that people should “take charge of their future” and whatever, but I always thought it was a bunch of nonsense, and that everything should be planned out years in advance without the aggression of “taking charge.” Adaptability and moving on from disappointment have been my strongest allies these past few weeks. To “take charge” doesn’t necessarily mean you need to constantly reevaluate your situation, it means you should stick to your path and do what you need to succeed, but then be flexible enough to change later should you decide to.
Change is scary, especially when the change involves a global pandemic, but if you think about it, change is healthy. Some forest fires help the ecosystem reset itself and allow newer and healthier trees to grow; in our case, some aspects of the pandemic may have allowed us to realize things about our lifestyles that are unhealthy, lonely, or just plain ineffective. If you’re rooted too deeply in the ground, you may eventually get swept up. Times that challenge us let us demonstrate our true strength: being able to reflect on what we could do better next time, and having the willingness to make the changes we have resisted for so long.
AUGUST 2020
![BeautyIsWithin_edited.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a13310_3af73016141a476ab0f17fd246d721f7~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_892,h_420,al_c,lg_1,q_85,enc_auto/a13310_3af73016141a476ab0f17fd246d721f7~mv2.jpg)
BEAUTY IS WITHIN
Vaishnavi Srirama (8/21/20)
Author’s Note: Hey everyone! I wanted to provide a brief overview of my inspiration for writing this essay. Bharatanatyam is a form of South Indian dance originating from Tamil Nadu, and I have been actively involved in it for around 8 years now. I wrote this essay because when I was younger, I always found that Bharatanatyam was an activity that allowed me to truly express who I was and my artistic vision. As I grew older, I started to perform in various concerts and realized this wasn’t exactly the case. Bharatanatyam forced me to wear a mask in order to reflect the characteristics which Indian culture believes to be beautiful. It eventually ended up making me far more self-conscious about some of my natural traits :( This essay highlights some of my experiences with this issue and reflects on how I overcame the feeling. Thanks so much for reading!
Life without beauty: all the emotion, romance, and humanity vanishes into thin air. It’s how I picture my life without dance, as beauty has always been my subtle expression of love and the strong footwork that comes with it.
Beauty. For an all-encompassing word describing such a powerful essence, the connoted meaning is undoubtedly skewed when it comes to the dance I practice. Bharatanatyam had become so pervasive in my weekly routine that it hardly retained the intense passion and appreciation I had for it when I first started in fourth grade. In the beginning, I found that ideals of beauty resonated with Bharatanatyam, now I feel it has become an activity that opposed my physical features.
Being a dark-skinned Indian girl, I had always felt mocked by the heavy makeup and the tight Bharatanatyam costumes that pressed against my not-so-flattering-waist. Whenever I got ready for a dance performance, putting makeup on was an excruciatingly tiresome process. What seemed to be an army of people danced around me with bottles of makeup and brushes. It started with a thick layer of oak-colored foundation masking the vibrant color of my natural deep-brown skin. Then came the sweep of black eyeliner that stretched halfway to my hairline and eventually the subtle pink that was brushed onto my cheeks and my eyelids. Finally, the ripe, apple red lipstick stained my smile.
On one of those seemingly endless nights, I spun my chair around and stared directly at my reflection in the mirror. That evening, I whispered my dissatisfaction at the stranger who stared back at me. My unhappiness seemed to be ineffective, met with only the resounding “you are SO beautiful” that came from everyone around me. When I looked at the girl on the other side of the mirror, I struggled to understand why she was the image of beauty. She had pale skin, long hair down to her waist, and big eyes that held the world. I guess the real me did not have those characteristics, but I never understood why I was not considered beautiful in Indian culture. Bharatanatyam had taken my defining features and made me believe they were my biggest flaws.
Whenever I expressed my dissatisfaction with my makeup to my mother, it was always met with a few awkward blinks and an “are you crazy?” expression. I felt isolated in my struggle. I wanted Bharatanatyam to be something where I was not limited by a beauty barrier. It took time for me to discover a truth that minimized the regret I had from covering my natural traits. I learned that dancing was something I could make beautiful if I pushed focus onto my expressions and my footwork. Beauty was no longer about who Bharatanatyam made me to be or the mask it forced me to wear; it was about what I controlled and the skill and prowess I displayed on stage. Beauty stopped being just about my physical appearance, but about the true me inside and out. When I saw beauty in dance, I saw beauty in myself. And with time, I understood that there is always beauty for those who have the courage to search for it.
As I reflect on nearly eight years performing in countless dance concerts, I don’t feel a gaping hole that should’ve come with the pressure to live up to a specific standard of beauty. Bharatanatyam has become a reminder to myself of my own beauty, always imprinted in layered expressions and hidden meanings. I look back to my firm footwork and hands telling the tale of God on Earth. My bhavam conveys emotion which is profound and captivating. I am no longer limited by the constrictive view of Indian beauty that I was pressured to believe in for years. I have learned, through stronger footwork, through more pronounced expressions, the sensation of true elegance and refinement. And, if that’s not something Indians call beauty, then I don’t know what “beauty” is.
BLACK GIRLS LOVE ANIME: AN OUTLOOK ON REPRESENTATION
Jamie C. Hill (8/21/20)
My identity was shaped by the late 2000s to early 2010s as an avid fan of the Sonic franchise, which resulted in me falling down the rabbit hole of Youtube videos that somehow led to Naruto AMVs. Now I had watched Dragon Ball Z on Saturdays, but something about it was not gripping enough to hold my interest. A spiky-haired hero with plot armor battling overpowered aliens alongside an arrogant rival—okay. If you have the barest knowledge of anime, then you are staring at this in outrage and preparing to flame me because substituting one word formulates the plot of Naruto and plenty of other shounen anime. However, this was before I knew the cultural impact of that show on the genre, and really, before I knew what shounen even was.
Shounen was not designed for people like me, whose skin glows caramel, whose hair resembles wool, whose figure curves subtly rather than shapely. But I still loved it, and I was not the only one.
A tall Black girl hastily befriended me in middle school chorus class when she discovered our mutual love for anime. There was an unmistakable coolness to her, taking everything in stride. She made playful quips to all her friends, showed kindness to anyone, and rambled about Fairy Tail and Hunter X Hunter. While I had other friends who watched anime as well, she was the only one who could view it through the same lens as me. The importance of having a friend like her lies in the psychology of representation. You have friends who are Black boys, who can push aside the mischaracterization and objectification of women; and you have friends who are white girls, who fail to notice the lack of brown-skin characters and the resulting stereotyping that may occur. It causes us to retreat into isolation because we are overpowered by a lack of positive reinforcement. We rarely see these characters on the screen, and we rarely see ourselves in real life, so the presence of just one person who understands does wonders to self-esteem. It is why we become ecstatic over the appearance of brown-skin, learning to accept them even if the portrayal leans into a territory of misrepresentation and sometimes even racism.
A common reference to a Black anime character is Canary from HXH, an apprentice butler of the Zoldyck estate and one of the few butlers to support the rebellious heir Killua’s personal decisions. The modern depiction (2011) of Canary is widely regarded as a beautiful representation of a Black girl in anime, with dark skin, brown lips, thick hair, and an individual personality. However, she was not always portrayed this way.
The original 1999 airing of HXH showed a starkly different Canary. Her hair was still thick, previously brown at the roots, and red for the rest. The real problem, though, lied with inconsistency. At times, her features, particularly the eyes, were elongated horizontally, giving off the strange appearance used in the wiki. If you watched the full duration of episodes 33-36, you might not have had such a negative reaction to her depiction given that the look was not always there. Her coloring, which did not come from the manga, also was somewhat static. Her upper lip was hued pink instead of a light brown, clashing with the red of her hair, and her eyes were blue. Before she was moved by Killua’s friends, the lack of emotion created a bland appearance. Afterwards, emotions began to shine in her eyes, likening her invigorated spirit to that of the main characters. This sparkle combined with their placement centering formed a renewed appearance by the end of episode 34, which is fully dedicated to her and Gon’s group. Therefore, I believe that the initial portrayal was not intended to be that widely circulated look, but instead was attributed to inexperience in adapting Black features.
Alternatively, some depictions can be an overkill, such as in The Promised Neverland. This is by far one of my favorites in the category of modern releases. The manga was released in 2016 and the anime in 2019, which I then watched. Despite my love for this series, I was disappointed to see that its portrayal of Black women feeds into racist stereotypes. The first jab comes in the form of a name: Jemima. That made me wince, but I was able to brush it aside, associating it with genuine ignorance to the fact that it has stereotypical undertones. I do not know the degree that Japanese people are acquainted with the history of American slavery, but I do know that Krone overtly ties into caricatures, more specifically in the manga. Her features are highly exaggerated—lips, nose, expressions, stature. She plays into the Sapphire stereotype, an Angry Black Woman who is aggressive and intimidating to the point of appearing manly. She has spectacular athleticism in addition to a muscular frame. Most importantly, her attitude toward the children is manipulative but simultaneously justifiable. Her backstory, which is not introduced until later, gives a broader understanding to both her actions and the system as a whole. The problem is: we are looking through the lens of the children, who reasonably do not trust her to help them for altruistic purposes. This amplifies their/our terror toward her, especially because of her dramatized expressions.
In an interview with the artists Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu, Shirai stated that he “considered the option of making Krone white” but she was ultimately chosen to be Black, which Demizu said was “to make her easy to tell apart, since she wears exactly the same clothes as Isabella.” From this interview, it appears as though the intention was to distinguish Krone from Isabella to be an apparently menacing character regardless of race. The anime also appeared to lessen the caricatural nature of Krone’s appearance. Therefore, I am inclined to believe that this dilemma emerges from the perspective of Japanese people on Black people.
This problem emerges more as an issue of representation than that of danger. As shown from the Youtube vlogging channel “Black Experience Japan” and the documentary “Black in Japan,” Black people in Japan report a lack of race-based violence there. For those who come from other countries, they even say that they feel freer in Japan than their own communities. In an era marked by a stunning surge in protests against racism, police brutality and injustice have been brought to the forefront of American society. This threat is amplified by the systemic racism Black people face through education, hiring, incarceration, socioeconomic status, and healthcare. In Japan, they do not even report facing discrimination in relation to speaking their minds without being silenced, instead being encouraged to do so. Black Lives Matter protests have circulated to the streets of Tokyo and other urban hotspots. Still, this does not mean that Black people live carefree in the country. “Black Experience Japan” and “Black in Japan” both recount stories of absent-minded stereotyping, including comments on body shape, hair touching, and caricatural depictions of both characters and people. These actions are founded in the perception of foreignness, a prospect that is thought to be founded in admiration. Unfortunately, it also perpetuates the stigmatization of Black people who are Japanese. They are outcasts in their own society as foreigners, constantly fighting to assimilate into the very place they were born. The color of their skin determines their degree of Japanese, how can that be? Representation, that is how.
The heart of misrepresentation in Japanese media ultimately comes from misrepresentation in Western media. Black people are presented as different in the wrong ways, either adoration or denigration. We need spaces to relate to these experiences, and luckily there are some available. On Instagram, some comfort zones for Black people include @blackgirlsanime, a page on Anime news and content, and @urbananimelounge, a page showcasing cosplayers and memes. These spaces are essential for establishing a community where we are represented. What the general public must understand is we are nothing more than humans, capable of having strengths and weaknesses just as any other person.
References
https://yakusokunoneverland.fandom.com/wiki/Interviews
NEVER HAVE I EVER AND THE PORTRAYAL OF MINORITIES IN POP CULTURE
Suhayla Ahmed (8/21/20)
Back in April of this year, a new show hit Netflix. It was praised by the general public for its diverse cast and portrayal of Indian-Americans. This was Mindy Kaling’s Never Have I Ever.
I’ll be honest, the show surprised me in many ways. I watched the trailer and thought it would be another show about a girl trying to lose her virginity, with the only portrayal of ‘Indian culture’ being that the girl was Indian. I made way too many judgments of the show from the beginning, thinking that Mindy Kaling just wrote a normal teen drama and flip-flopped the main character’s race. Boy, was I wrong (and I’m glad I was). I was intrigued by the show’s depth and the topics it tackled, and I wasn’t the only one who ended up enjoying the show. It currently has a 96% Rotten Tomatoes rating, and Indian-American celebrities ranging from Hasan Minhaj to Deepica Mutyala have praised the show.
In short, Never Have I Ever has broken boundaries in terms of diverse representation. An Indian girl as the main character being #1 in the US? That’s something people only dreamed of five years ago.
Though the show’s response was mainly positive, it was subject to harsh criticism - not by racists or sexists, but widely by members of the community it portrayed - the Indian diaspora. While many Indians resonated with the show’s themes, many scrutinized the show for its stereotypical portrayals.
To be clear, any feelings toward this show, whether positive or negative, are valid. By no means do I think this show is perfect. Sometimes, the dialogue was extremely difficult to listen to (seriously, what was the reason for that Priyanka Chopra line? I’m barfing just thinking about it). Furthermore, the main character, Devi, annoyed me most of the time.
However, some of the criticism is based on the fact that these people personally cannot relate to Devi’s story. It must be said that there cannot be one show portraying a certain group that will appeal to ALL members of that group. This show has still touched the hearts of many people, and that fact will not change.
Devi’s inability to accept her culture, though exasperating to view on screen, is a phenomenon many second-generation immigrants relate to. I mean, that’s one of the reasons why I found her so annoying. I related to that a lot, since I grew up struggling to accept my own Bangladeshi heritage. Unfortunately, I’m not the only one. Many second-generation immigrants feel disconnected from their parents’ culture. That’s a result of being raised in a society that hasn’t been welcoming to diversity.
The fact that the show discusses these feelings is highly commendable because it’s an issue that isn’t discussed nearly enough. Sure, people will talk about racism from people of other races, but they rarely talk about internalized racism, or internalized culturism. Some people mistake Devi’s internalized feelings as a jab at Indian/Hindu culture. I believe it’s clear that these are just Devi’s sentiments, and they’re not written to make fun of such a beautiful culture. In fact, Devi has an enlightening conversation with an elder friend in Episode 4 of the show. He harbored many of her sentiments towards Indian culture until he went to college and realized how much he missed it. Conversations like these are never thrown in a storyline (at least, one with good writing) for nothing. Clearly, this foreshadows that Devi will go through some sort of metamorphosis come Season 2, where she will realize the beauty within her Indian culture and learn to reconcile it with her American culture. Truthfully, the main conflict in Season 1 didn’t have to do with Devi and her culture, but rather her coping with loss (being vague here so I don’t spoil anything).
Like I said before, it’s natural that not everyone in the Indian diaspora would resonate with Devi’s experiences. There are definitely people who haven’t felt the disconnection with their culture that Devi has felt. To these people, I salute you! Additionally, there are people who probably have not related to the show’s stereotypical portrayals of harsh brown parents and toxic aunties. However, these experiences shouldn’t mean that we disregard this show as some sort of culturally inaccurate piece - that just disregards the many Indian-Americans who deeply resonate with the show. Instead, we should accept this show as it is and push for more minority representation. If we push for more representation rather than reject the representation we already have, everyone will eventually find pieces of pop culture that they resonate with. In due time, I’m sure there will be diverse shows that Indian-Americans who didn’t like Never Have I Ever may really enjoy. History is being made in front of us, guys!
Sources:
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/never_have_i_ever/s01
CANCEL CULTURE: VALID OR INVALID?
Lauren Bellamy (8/21/20)
Living in the here and now, there are some typical norms that everyone who pays attention to the social climate acknowledges--the constant debates of left- and right-wing ideals, learning the new TikTok challenge or obsessing over the new Netflix craze. All these subjects are smack dab in the middle of pop culture; however, there is one subject that tends to bring all these things together: Cancel culture. In most instances, an influencer may post something out of turn, delete it later and try to forget it, but that one impulsive post seems to always come back and bite them right in the butt. When those words or actions come to light, there is a huge debate if that person or subject matter should be “cancelled”, which means the person who made the mistake will lose all support and/or be avoided. Numerous influencers over the past couple of months have been “cancelled” for past remarks or actions, and there have been arguments as to whether it is fair for them to be “cancelled” or not. Well friends, I have my own opinion on the matter, so let’s break it down.
Personally, I think “cancel culture” has its pros and cons. Sometimes, a person, thing, challenge, company, etc. needs to be held accountable due to continuous mishaps. For instance, say a person frequently makes bad decisions that offend a certain group or particular person, and this leads them to make numerous apologies yet still not learn from their actions. Seeing this, a cancellation argument is reasonably supported by his/her unchanging actions. If you were said person doing said things, no matter your level of fame, your character would be called into question, wouldn’t it? So, again, in situations such as these, cancellation or loss of support may be in order.
Sometimes, however, when I hear about those who are potentially about to be “cancelled” or have already been, especially in a situation in which racism is involved, I’m usually not shocked. Sometimes I even say it was a matter of time because there have been small hints of it in past behavior. Especially looking at the present time, it seems that many people that could be considered influencers have made mistakes. So, are every single one of them “cancelled”? To be honest, that wouldn’t be fair. Would you want someone to stop supporting you because you misspoke or said something accidentally without thinking? No, you would not, especially if you know you have changed since you made that one comment or post all those years ago. But should all of us, especially influencers, be held to a certain standard to do better and be better? Yes, we should. With everything going on right now, it is important for us to realize that we live in a modern society that praises revelation and accountability. For those individuals whom we look up to that have been called out on continuous poor behavior, the thing is: this behavior didn’t just start happening. It has been going on for years, decades, centuries--certainly, in times before social media influencers. Legit, coming from a young Black woman who has experienced racism for most of her life, as well as coming from a history of it, none of this new. We should have been holding people accountable for a long time, yet everyone continues to turn a blind eye.
So, what should we do?
Have the conversation. For example, many of my friends and peers have asked me what I think about the Black Lives Matter movement and how certain people that I admire as well as my friends/peers have been silent during this time, and I have had numerous outlooks. At first, I was angry if someone I looked up to or a friend of mine did not say anything regarding the matter, but at the same time, do I know about what is happening in their homes? The conversations, the uncomfortable arguments, the “Man in the Mirror” moments that to be honest, all of us should be having? Have I “cancelled” said people? No. Because even if I inherently want those whom I respect and are close with to speak up for me and my fellow BIPOC, there are some non-people of color who come from a history of hatred and racism. I just hope that they do learn and one day are able to come to a place in which they can speak up.
In retrospect, I have been one to be quick to reach judgment and to stop supporting others for their poor actions/comments. Of course, sometimes, I feel as if I need to “cancel” someone because they, in a sense, “betrayed” me and my peers. But at the same time, I know that I have also said some things in the past that could have been seen as “cancel”-worthy, and I would hate for those past mistakes to be continuously unearthed and used to define who I am now. I have worked too hard and learned too much for that to happen. So, back to the question the title asks. Is “Cancel Culture” valid or invalid? Considering we have all made mistakes and are most certainly going to keep making mistakes, we should not try to “cancel” someone over just one lapse in judgement. Now, if said person keeps making the same mistakes, then maybe a loss of support will make them realize that they really need to be better. Each person needs to be able to recognize his or her faults and find a way to at least strive to be better. In the end, nobody’s perfect, but we all need to be held accountable for our actions and learn from our mistakes so that cancellation or loss of support doesn’t have to happen as often and as widespread as is happening currently. Learn and grow, people.
SOME FUN THINGS TO DO DURING QUARANTINE BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS BACK UP AGAIN
Lauren Bellamy (8/21/20)
Believe it or not, summer is dwindling down to a close. Most of our writers are going to be starting college in just a couple days, but there’s shockingly some things that we still haven’t done during our five month quarantine. Whether it’s from binging a show to finding a new talent, hopefully this piece helps you figure out what else there is to do during the next couple weeks or days before you have to get back to the books.
Venture into a new genre (Television Genre)
During quarantine, I have binged many, MANY shows (probably at least a dozen). Have they all been American shows? No. Have they all been international shows? No. Have they been shows that I just needed to catch up? Ha, no. But I think what has gotten me through this whole process has been trying new things. I’ve gotten into anime, which has been a fun journey as to know all the different bits and pieces that go into the Japanese animated phenomenon (dub versus sub; romantic anime versus slice of life versus action. SO MANY THINGS). It’s definitely been a fun adventure down the rabbit hole. I’ve also binged Elite, a show that takes place in Spain, and it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made in reference to picking a show to watch. Korean dramas have also been my best friend during quarantine (early in August, I binged two dramas back to back with only an hour break in between). Early during quarantine, I fell in love with On My Block as well as the 90 Day Fiance franchise, and thank God that 90 Day has had so many spinoffs, it has really made quarantine so much better. Here’s a list of some more shows that I watched (some not necessarily during quarantine, but still good binges), and think that you should too.
PLL: The Perfectionists - Hulu
Never Have I Ever - Netflix
Family Matters - Hulu
Once Upon a Time - Netflix
Quantico - Netflix
Glee (Rest in Peace, Naya) - Netflix
Family Reunion - Netflix
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series - Disney+
Self-Made - Netflix
Love is Blind - Netflix
Dear White People - Netflix
You - Netflix
Avatar: The Last Airbender - Netflix
The Legend of Korra - Netflix
2. Can I get active without having to do full on cardio workouts?
Of course you can, sis. I myself have told myself at least fifty thousand times that I need to get myself up and do some exercise, but I also don’t want to be aching for days afterward. So, how can I exercise in a fun way that I wouldn’t mind sweating a little bit and actually show some progress in my “getting fit” journey. Why not try learning the choreography for your favorite bops? I have spent a couple days learning the choreography to some of my favorite girl groups, and am actually proud of my progress. Whether it’s learning the first part of the chorus choreo from “Make You Happy” by Niziu or “Feel Special” by TWICE. I’ve even tried learning some of the dances from Queen Bey’s HOMECOMING. It’s a hard but cool way to be able to exercise. You should try it, or try learning a Tik Tok dance to start off.
3. Time to Bake
Now this activity is really entertaining. While you may make a mess or have to attempt to make your cookies or brownies a couple times to make sure the consistency is good, making a delicious treat could bring a smile to your face. I actually made some butter cookies a little while ago and while the process was long, the finished product was worth it. Try looking up a good recipe to make, and get to baking. Good luck!
Did you realize that reading is the best way to cure your quarantine blues?
Looking back on my goodreads account, I have read ten novels throughout the duration of quarantine. Considering it’s been five months since the start of lockdown, that’s about two books per month, even though there were pauses in between that time period. All of the novels I read were from different genres and had different intentions, but all were extremely interesting and entertaining. Most I finished in a couple or a few days. Reading is a good way to pass the time as well as learn some vocabulary that you may not have known. Reading can also give you more insight on the present time, and learn more about cultures that you didn’t know about before. If you need some ideas of where to start, check out some of these titles…
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton
Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
Without Merit by Colleen Hoover
How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather
Haunting the Deep by Adriana Mather
Alex and Eliza by Melissa De La Cruz
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory
Well, that’s all I got. Hopefully in whatever time period you may have before school starts, you can try to do some of these ideas and enjoy them as much as I did.
JOHN LEWIS: A HERO, A PATRIOT, A CIVIL RIGHTS ICON, AND A “GOOD TROUBLE”-MAKER
Lauren Bellamy and Jamie Hill (8/21/20)
On July 17, 2020, we lost a giant. John Lewis, in a few words, was someone who fought for everyone. For Black individuals, women, people in the LGBTQ+ community as well as immigrants. He worked tirelessly till the day he died fighting for us, and as two young Black women, we owe so much to him and found it necessary to honor him with this article. We hope you enjoy our words celebrating and honoring the legacy of Congressman John Robert Lewis.
Congressman Lewis was born on February 21, 1940 in a small town of Alabama. He started his fight for equal rights when he was just 21 years old by becoming a part of the Freedom Rides of 1961, and went on to become one of the “Big Six” leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, fighting alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He fought hard for the right to vote for all Black people and still did when he eventually became a congressman and also made strides to promote equality for all, and was one of the only people of Congress to stand up for same-sex marriage after former President Clinton signed a bill to make it illegal during his presidential terms (Niland). He never excluded anyone, even when others tried their hardest to exclude him.
Lewis was the one who recommended that the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, have a woman of color as his vice president in April of 2020. This action led to the VP candidate pool being composed of only women, four of whom Black and one Latina as well. He also called out the erasure of women in the Civil Rights Movement, crediting teacher Jo Ann Robinson for the idea of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Lewis co-sponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act (HR7), which would modify the shortcomings of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. This gave further protections to women against workplace and pay discrimination.
In an essay New York Times published per his request in the wake of his funeral, Lewis makes a suggestion for us: “Though I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe.” He blazed the trail that we walk, jailed numerous times as a young man for taking a seat at a table that believed the color of skin, the origin of your people, determined the value of your life. When we look around us, we see an eerie reflection of the world he grew up in through the violence and injustice created by humanity toward humanity. But we also see the hope that blooms in the power of people—of all races, ethnicities, ages, genders, sexualities—against the oppression of society. We had the fortune of seeing his dreams come to fruition, enacted by his own work and enforced by his own truth. Now it is our turn to follow in his footsteps to do the same.
Rest in Peace and Power, Congressman Lewis. We hope we can make you proud.
References:
www.cbsnews.com/news/joe-biden-john-lewis-woman-of-color-running-mate-vice-president/.
www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/opinion/john-lewis-civil-rights-america.html.
www.biography.com/political-figure/john-lewis.
www.buzzfeednews.com/article/olivianiland/rep-john-lewis-lgbtq-civil-rights-doma.