10.23.19

October 23, 2019 | 34st.com

peace a certain

latter–day saints at penn discuss their relationship with the church

october23 23,,2019 OCTOBER 3 WORD ON THE STREET

What Happened to Me Wasn't Like the Movies

4 EGO

EOTW: Justin Iannacone, Emily Wilson

Annabelle Williams, Editor–in–Chief Dalton DeStefano, Managing Editor Daniel Bulpitt, Audience Engagement Director Lily Snider, Assignments Editor Ethan Wu, Media Director

Chelsey Zhu, Katie Bontje, Isabella Simonetti, Denali Sagner, Chris Schiller

Amanda Shen, Sudeep Bhargava, Adrianna Brusie, Kelly Chen, Eli Cohen

Style Beats: Diya Sethi, Karin Hananel, Sofia Heller, Mark Pino, Hannah Lonser, Hannah Gross

Video Staff: Sam Lee, Megan Kyne, Morgan Jones, Mikayla Golub

Sophie Burkholder, Special Issues Editor Allison Wu, Long–Term Features Editor Ryan McLaughlin, Word on the Street Editor Katie Bontje, Ego Editor Sam Kesler, Music Editor Srinidhi Ramakrishna, Developing Features Editor Bea Forman, Style Editor Shannon Zhang, Film & TV Editor Sophia DuRose, Arts Editor Sophia Dai & Eleanor Shemtov, Photo Editors Tahira Islam & Katie Steele, Copy Editors Kira Horowitz & Sarah Poss: Copy Editors

Film & TV Beats: Shriya Beesam, Samantha Sanders, Anna Collins, Jonah Charlton, Aashray Khanna, Deren Alanay

Copy Associates: Kate Poole, Serena Miniter, Erin Liebenberg, Lexie Shah, Carmina Hachenburg, Luisa Healey, Agatha Advincula

Arts Beats: Rema Hort, Sarah Yoon, Tsemone Ogbemi

Audience Engagment Associates: McKay Norton, Rachel Markowitz, Kat Ulich, Brittany Levy, Jessica Bachner, Maya Berardi, Stephanie Nam

Dean Jones & Jackson Parli, Video Editors Alice Heyeh, Print Director

6 MUSIC

Head and the Heart, Songs for Dancing on Your Own, Harry Styles

9 STYLE

Philly Fashion District, Guy Fieri, Flower Roundup

LOL

12 FEATURE LDS at Penn

LOL 17 FILM & TV

Movie Trailers, Disney LGBT Characters, Philly Film Fest, "At the Heart of Gold" Interview

22 ARTS

West Philly Artists Yard Sale

LOL 23 OVERHEARDS 2

Ego Beats: Amanpreet Singh, Sonali Deliwala, Katie Farrell, Amy Xiang, Ananya Muthukrishnan, Margaret Dunn, Fernanda Brizuela Music Beats: Mehek Boparai, Melannie Jay, Teresa Xie, Petyon Toups, Julia Davies, Keely Douglas Features Staff: Zoe Young, Hailey Noh, Katrina Janco,

Design Editors: Gillian Diebold, Lucy Ferry, Jess Tan, Tamsyn Brann Design Associates: Isabel Liang, Ava Cruz, Joy Lee, Sofia Heller, Gebran Abulhai, Sudeep Bhargava Staff Writers: Ana Hallman, Arjun Swaminathan, Tara OʼBrien, Hannah Yusuf, Sophia Schulz-Rusnacko, Jordan Waschman, Jessica Bao, Quinn Robinson, Layla Murphy, Anya Tullan, Hannah Sanders, Julia Esposito, Avery Johnston, Harshita Gupta Illustrators: Brad Hong, Catherine Liang, Jake Lem, Saranya Sampath, Christopher Kwok, Diane Lin, Jacqueline Lou, Isabel Liang, Sammie Yoon Staff Photographers: Hoyt Gong, Sophia Zhu, Diya Sethi, Adiel Izilov, Sally Chen, Mona Lee, Emma Boey,

Cover Shot by Ethan Wu "People are also obsessed with being, like, cool."

Contacting 34th Street Magazine: If you have questions, comments, complaints or letters to the editor, email Annabelle Williams, Editor–in–Chief, at williams@34st.com. You can also call us at (215) 422–4640. www.34st.com ©2019 34th Street Magazine, The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. No part may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express, written consent of the editors (but I bet we will give you the a–okay.) All rights reserved. 34th Street Magazine is published by The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc., 4015 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa., 19104, every Wednesday.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR A

s I write this, I’m toggling back and forth between Penn Course Plan, Penn InTouch, and the English Department’s homepage, because — and I can’t believe I’m writing this — I’m planning out what my last semester at Penn is going to look like.

However my classes shake out, I know one thing: it’s going to be a lot less busy. In a month and change, 34th Street will put out its last issue of 2019, and my team and I will close out our tenures as Street’s board. I’ll have 40 extra hours in a week and no idea what to fill them with. Maybe this is the semester I take the mural class, finally, or I try my hand at sign language. I know I’ll have a thesis to work on and hopefully some friends to see and job interviews, but I’m coming face–to–face with the fact that my life is about to change pretty drastically.

I’ll no longer have to use en and em dashes (though I probably still will). I won’t have to come up with increasingly random topics for these letters from the editor. I will spend less time in a windowless office and a burgundy chair, wrapped in a Snuggie and listening to Charli XCX. I’ll have to take some

3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E O C T O B E R 2 3 , 2 01 9

Autumn Powell

of my decorations down to make space for the next person.

Pretty soon, for seniors like me, life will change even more. I won’t have to deal with the mice in my apartment or haul my ass to Fisher-Bennett every day.

And I have the sneaking suspicion that I’ll probably miss it all.

WORD ON THE STREET

What Happened to Me Wasn't Like the Movies ANONYMOUS

I'm left imagining other worlds where my sexual assault experience never occurred.

Content warning: The following text describes sexual assault and can be disturbing and/ or triggering for some readers.

Please find resources listed at the bottom of the article.

The sunlight seeped through the leaves and into my eyes, just bright enough to blind my sight.

By the time my eyes adjusted, the reflection of light in his eyes was a mixture of a twinkle and a fire alarm, caging me in and leaving me searching for an exit.

It was not how it was in the movies—with traces of alcohol laced in my breath and my body beaten and bruised in a dark alleyway. It was tickles on the green next to the river that—before I noticed—turned into a tight grip on my waist. It was the weight of his entire body pushing me onto my back. It was me realizing exactly what was about to happen, but still clutching onto the last strand of hope that our friendship would stop him from following through the act. It was me staring into his eyes, searching for some trace of care or remorse, only to be met by his signature wolfish gleam that I once found playful and charming. It was me watching cars drive by, hoping they’d stop and pull him off of me, only to watch as they speed past us. It was me pushing his chest as hard as I could, but his strength pinning my arms down to the sides of my head as I lay bare under him. It was me squirming under his tight grip, only for my muscles to slowly give way to his strength.

It was me opening my mouth to scream, only to be silenced as his lips clasped on mine. It was the combination of his moans and my trembling breath.

Then, I heard the high–pitched zip of his pants. I looked around and took in the empty green and the tranquil river. The wind continued to breeze through the grass.

The cars continued to speed by.

The ducks continued to paddle down the steady stream with their little family. The watch on my left wrist continued its steady tick– tocks. The sunlight continued its flicker as it seeped through the leaves. It was quiet except for the pounding of my heart and the repeated "no, no, no" echoing in my head.

I always knew that rape was traumatic, but I didn’t realize it would feel like this. I didn’t realize rape could be carried out by a friend. I didn’t realize it could happen in broad daylight at such a peaceful place. I didn’t realize the world would keep tick-tocking on as my world shook. I didn’t realize he could return to our friend circle and act as if nothing had happened, while my sense of trust and friendship was undone from the inside out. I didn’t realize I could still feel his grip on my arms and the heavy weight on my body whenever I allowed my mind to travel back to that day.

I didn’t realize that I would still be able to recall every detail as I write this.

I didn’t realize that even the PTSD would be different from the movies. See, movies taught me that PTSD was impromptu flashbacks. TV shows taught me it was everyday objects turning into triggers. News and mass media taught me it was depressive episodes and panic attacks.

Books taught me that PTSD was waking up, screaming in the middle of the night with my pajamas and bed sheets soaked in sweat. In truth, PTSD is so much more complex than what the media portrays it to be—on top of that, every survivor’s experience with PTSD varies.

For me, PTSD isn’t dissociating when I think about what happened; rather, PTSD is my body temperature dropping below 94°F (34.5°C) every time my mind wanders toward the

rape. PTSD is impulsively hooking up with strangers, yet being unable to stand intimacy with boyfriends. It’s volunteering information about myself or making up excuses to justify my decisions so that my friends won't question why I pumped the brakes on a developing relationship. It’s joining mental health clubs on campus, but not being able to bring myself to attend Take Back The Night. It’s friends who are also survivors talking to me about their experience, how sexual assault affected them, and their PTSD symptoms, but not being able to tell them: “I feel you. You’re not alone.” It’s deciding to not tell anyone about the assault, yet writing poems and prose about the aftermath. It’s living with a mind that has been transformed into a battleground filled with constant arguments about trust and trauma, vindications of what led to the rape, or why I still allow myself to be mistreated, and the crippling backand-forth between standing with immense confidence and acting out of the fear of abandonment and betrayal. It’s grabbing onto the most trivial hints and drawing illogical spectrums of assumptions. It’s jumping to conclusions feet first and landing on the wrong side of consequence.

It’s finding rationale in irrationality. It’s overthinking everything.

But, more often than anything else, the aftermath of my rape exists in this form: me constantly entertaining the idea of alternate universes. I imagine there is an alternate universe where I wouldn’t have developed the habit of working on the riverside greens. One where the sun wouldn’t have blinded my sight. I would have seen the treacherous twinkle in his eye. The cars would have stopped and helped. I would have been strong enough to push him off.

The ducks, the wind, the river,

Isabel Liang | Illustrator

Campus Resources: The HELP Line: 215-898-HELP: A 24–hour–a– day phone number for members of the Penn community who seek help in navigating Penn's resources for health and wellness.

Counseling and Psychological Services: 215898-7021: The counseling center for the University of Pennsylvania.

Reach–A–Peer Hotline: 215-573-2727: A peer hotline to provide peer support, information, and referrals to Penn students.

Penn Violence Prevention: 215-746-2642: Malik Washington (Interim Director of Penn Violence Prevention) malikw@upenn.edu, Read the Penn Violence Prevention resource guide.

Sexual Trauma Treatment Outreach and Prevention Team: A multidisciplinary team at CAPS dedicated to supporting students who have experienced sexual trauma.

Public Safety Special Services: Trained personnel offer crisis intervention, accompaniment to legal and medical proceedings, options counseling and advocacy, and linkages to other community resources.

Penn Women's Center: pwc@pbox.upenn. edu: PWC provides confidential crisis and options counseling. and the tranquility that surrounded us would have heard both times his pants screeched its highpitched zips. I imagine there is another alternate universe where my body temperature wouldn’t give away where my mind went, and my poetry and my art wouldn’t be a blatant sign that screams “I’m broken.” Sometimes, I even imag-

ine an alternate universe in which I was never raped.

In that particular universe, I wouldn’t have the material to write this piece.

The Word On The Street editor wouldn’t have received this piece in his email.

And you wouldn’t be reading this.

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EGO

Ego of the Week: Justin Iannacone Justin shares his love for social impact, Penn for Youth Debate, and his desire to learn to teleport.

Katie Farrell How did you get involved in all of those activities?

It really depends. Some of them I joined, like GPA, coming in my freshman year. I always knew I wanted to do political science because I’ve always been interested in politics and government.

So joining the political groups on campus was sort of a natural step for me. More so like advocacy groups, MARS and SCUE I joined as a sophomore. I was looking for ways to get involved in campus that weren't, I guess, I was frustrated with some aspects of Penn’s campus that I saw as a freshman. So, I wanted to join groups that made an actual difference. Especially in MARS, just recognizing that I would have a very different experience than the typical, typical at colleges I was used to, coming from Florida, the big party school state school, I wanted Penn to be definitely more egalitarian and more inclusive than I thought it would be.

And I saw that the same problems of harassment and assault and inequality were rampant on Penn’s campus, so I decided to do something to make a difference.

What is the greatest accomplishment that you’ve seen or hope to see in these activities?

We’ve seen the conversation in my four years shift a lot regarding sexual assault. I think coming as a freshman and recognizing the first experiences that I’ve had. I don’t know if people even remember this but the "Oz Letter" and the response that got. Basically, an off–campus frat wrote this very derogatory, vulgar email targeting incoming freshman women, basically, inviting them to be prey at their parties. It got tremendous push–back. There were articles in the DP about it, there were 4

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida Studying: Political Science, Concentration in International Relations Activities: President of Men against Rape and Sexual Assault, Vice President of Penn for Youth Debate, Perry World House Fellow, Civic Engagement Chair for Student Committee on Undergraduate Education, Penn Democrats, and Penn Appétit

protests on campus, they were printing out the email and flyering it everywhere. I think we have come a long way, where these conversations about sexual assault and harassment have been changing. At the student level and the staff level, too. I hope we can push our administration to make the substantive changes they feel are necessary.

What about in SCUE? I’ve focused on civic engagement among other issues on campus, mostly for education policy, so in terms of sexual assault and campus health, there is a new initiative that a SCUE member just started, trying to reform the required training coming in.

Like, you remember Thrive at Penn? No one pays attention. You can just scroll through it and be done if you have to. We are trying to make it more engaging and fun and have it be a longer education process. On my end in SCUE, we are pushing for better resources and use of ABSC courses. We think that studying in public service is a bigger issue here. Any field could benefit from community learning and the resources that Penn has to make Philadelphia most trustful of the Penn community and recognize us as an outsider power, rather than a place where they are helping their communities. Everyone from business to English majors can benefit from this learning. We have the opportunity to do something and more people should take advantage of it.

How has your experience been in Perry World House?

One of the best aspects of my time at Penn. The main part of it is year-long policy projects, we form policy teams among the fel-

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lows, spending a year researching a current event or issue. We meet faculty and experts and present our material at the end of the year.

So, being able to talk to the former Secretary of Energy, and Senior Officials in the State Department, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees—people taking those ideas seriously. Right now I am working on International Migrants, supporting the families they left behind through a process called remittances. Beyond the research, it’s about opening doors to some of the smartest people on campus who are doing all International Affairs so we get to meet with all the fellows. We also have trips, like I’m going to New York next week, and we go to DC in the Spring. We both represent Penn but also get to meet with NGOs, non–profits, government officials.

What is your favorite part of Penn for Youth Debate?

An awesome organization— some of my closest friends are in PFYD. What I’m volunteering for is what I’m looking forward to most in the week. I really valued the education of it. It’s this perfect middle ground to recognizing abilities from communication to argumentation skills. I ran the fall tournament before, which is a free tournament for Philadelphia public schools, high school debate is super expensive and travel exclusive, so setting up the tournament to do that and giving them access to qualified coaches who can give good feedback, and then just interacting with students.

What is your favorite story or experience from PFYD? Running the tournaments is always an adventure. We will be

up from like 5:45 a.m., just running a tournament until 11:00 o’clock at night, that just brings board together really closely. It can be really frustrating because we are running around and really tired. Because we are a non–profit we don't stack up the judges like Harvard and Princeton, where Harvard is really well funded and can finance this and use it for revenue. Whereas we are trying to fund the money to give back to the community—everyone is juggling a lot of balls at once.

You are in the middle of doing all these things, then someone who you talked to semesters ago comes up to you and wants to talk and you’re like this is crazy this is great but I gotta go put out this fire over there.

What inspires you?

Probably my parents. My parents always have this faith in me, not a pressure. I was really for-

Sally Chen | Photographer

tunate that they always believed in me. My dad in particular, he’s always supported me without undue pressure. My dad is the most selfless, hard working person I know. He is the kind of person who will always put other people and helping them over himself.

From a really young age that rubbed off on my brother or me.

No matter what we did or career path we chose, that level of diligence and trustworthiness, where people know you are going to do the right thing because that is what they expect from you.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

LIGHTNING ROUND Top Song?

Steve Lacy on rotate. "Some" or "N side" are good songs. Anything Steve Lacy.

Favorite Show?

'The Wire' You are at your five-year reunion. Someone you met freshman year sees you for the first time since then.

What is the biggest surprise?

If anyone who met me saw me in Corporate Banking or working at J.P. Morgan they’d be like, "what happened to you, are you okay?"

Favorite Class at Penn?

War Strategy and Politics with Professor Horowitz. I don’t think I will go into conflict studies or defense, but it pushed harder than most classes here and changed the way I thought.

There are two types of people at Penn…

People who really like getting off campus and people who don't.

EGO

Emily Wilson: Not the First Woman to Translate 'The Odyssey' The MacArthur fellow is not the first woman to translate Homer’s Odyssey, but she is the first woman to do so in English.

Jessica Bao Two years ago, Penn’s Classical Studies professor Emily Wilson rose to prominence as the first woman to translate Homer’s The Odyssey into English. Last month, she once again received worldwide recognition after being awarded the prestigious MacArthur “Genius” Grant, formally known as the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. But on Twitter, where Wilson has been active since December 2017, her bio includes “Writer, professor, translator. NOT the first woman to publish a translation of the Odyssey.”

Indeed, in almost all news coverage of Wilson before and after the Grant—including a New York Times profile written when her Odyssey translation was first published—her position as “the first woman” has been featured prominently.

However, during our conversation, Wilson points out her complicated relationship with the “the first woman” headline.

To begin with, while Wilson is the first woman to translate The Odyssey into English, she worries that the emphasis on her role as a “first” eclipses the fact that there are already multiple translations of The Odyssey by women in modern languages, such as Turkish and Italian. As the media focuses on Wilson as the “first female translator,” there is also the issue of tokenism, where one female translator may somehow represent all of them. “I worry about the way that it can potentially erase all the women,” Wilson says. “I personally have learned a huge amount from other female classicists, other Homerists; I don’t want it to be presented that I’m the only classicist that matters who’s female.”

Finally, the popular media depiction surrounding Wilson—although inspirational on the surface—perpetuates the

notion that a person's work may be entirely characterized by their gender. “Almost all of [the interviewers] ask how does being a woman affect your work? And of course, people never ask that of male writers,” Wilson says.

Nevertheless, Wilson believes that are still upsides to how her work has been presented.

By focusing on the translator’s background, it opens a conversation into how social and gender roles can affect the interpretation of classics, and

many similar interpretations, Wilson wanted to produce a responsible yet new reading, with various unique choices. These choices—described as “small… but radical” by The New York Times—include using iambic pentameter to echo the original meter, the same number of lines as the original to reflect its quick pacing, and a clearer and more modern language. Wilson also paid deliberate attention to the many different points of view in The Odyssey, from the enslaved

Today, Wilson is working on several different projects, including a translation of Homer’s Iliad and a book about translation itself, titled Faithful. Although she has already finished several books of the Iliad, it has been a unique project. “The whole mood of the poem is totally different from the mood of The Odyssey,” Wilson explains, “It took quite some time to get my head around how I'm going to do this.” Meanwhile, Faithful will delve into the field of

Ethan Wu | Media Director

how individual experiences may inform translation—a practice far more complex than what Google Translate may suggest.

In fact, Wilson hopes that her translation brings attention to broader issues facing the field today, “The field of Greco–Roman translation into English is far more male–dominant than you might expect, given that there are lots of female classicists, and female translators, and female translators of those texts into other languages."

So, aside from the focus on her gender, how is Wilson’s English translation of The Odyssey different from the over 60 translations that came before it? Describing her work as “re–translating” a poem that has seen

women, to the lost soldiers, to the Cyclops Polyphemus—portrayed as a villain of the story even though Odysseus is the one who invades his home.

When I first flipped through Wilson’s Odyssey, I was struck by how easy it was to read. There is no confusing syntax or archaic language—just sharp, metrical lines flowing into each other, creating a compelling world. “I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t making it harder to understand than the original is,” Wilson says. "If you know Greek, the original is not so difficult.” In fact, while Wilson didn't write her translation for a specific age group, she wanted it to be engaging for anyone ranging from 18 to 80.

translation and the questions brought up by Wilson’s recent work: why is the field so male– dominant, and how might we change it?

When Wilson first got the call about the MacArthur Grant— about three weeks before it was announced to the public—it was a complete surprise. “I thought for the first few minutes of the call that it was a terrible prank,” Wilson says. “I still don’t feel that it has fully sunk in.”

While she doesn’t know yet how the Grant will affect her future works, she hopes that—like the attention around her translation of The Odyssey—the Grant can bring more attention to the field itself. Translation has traditionally been undervalued in the

academic world of classics—as well as in our culture at large— and the MacArthur Grant can help address that.

For students who are interested in translation, Wilson urges them to take language classes at Penn. “One shouldn’t think of just passing the language requirement as a duty,” Wilson says. “It’s a wonderful opportunity, especially while you have a young and formable brain.”

What’s more, for students who may want to read The Odyssey now, Wilson tells us not to be scared. “I wrote a very long introduction … but if you don’t want to read the very long introduction, you don’t have to,” Wilson says. “It’s not as difficult as you might think.”

Students can dive in without a wealth of knowledge, and underneath all the unique culture and myths, The Odyssey is a universal, human story. “In a way, it’s the perfect story for college students, because it’s about being away from home,” Wilson posits, “and that question of: am I the same person in a different place? … I think everybody at that age between 18 and 24 is grappling with some version of that, of how do I form my own self—is that going to be different from the self I was back home, that other home?”

As we move through college, we may sometimes feel adrift without family or old friends. At these times, it can be comforting to discover pieces of ourselves in ancient, metrical texts, and thoughtful, modern translators like Emily Wilson allow us to do just that. Soon after her version of The Odyssey was published, Wilson joined Twitter to engage with classicists. If you have a second, she just posted a thread relating the canceling of her flight to the traveling in The Odyssey.

See if your life can be found in the timeworn words, too.

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MUSIC

Spo rts

itor Ed oto Ph

The Head and the Heart Brought Community to The Met

Alec D rugg an |

Even in sadder, softer moments, a sense of comfort prevailed between entertainer and audience.

Melannie Jay The Head and the Heart is one of those bands that, appropriately, stay in the back of your head and keep a place in your heart. Existing within the same vein as The Decemberists or Iron & Wine, the Seattle–based band has been a staple of the folk revival, with flannel shirts, acoustic guitars, and music both melancholic and cathartic. After headlining the Radio 104.5 Block Party at Xfinity Live! in August, the band returned to Philly on Oct. 8 for more music and fellowship.

Rather than an outdoor venue like Xfinity Live!, The Head and the Heart performed at The Met, a renovated opera house that has attracted bands from Bob Dylan to Social Distortion since it reopened late last year. Apart from a small pit, most of the audience had assigned seats, which they remained dutifully in until the headliners came on. A few small children would periodically run down the aisles to be closer to the music before being held back by their guardian, who encouraged 6

them to sing and dance in place instead.

Opening band Illiterate Light was a fantastic, but unusual, choice. Rather than the softer indie rock played by The Head and the Heart, the Virginia–based duo performed mostly blues and garage rock in the vein of other famous duos like Black Pistol Fire and The Blue Stones. A brief acoustic interlude appealed more to the softer, folkish music of the headliners, and towards the end of their set, they explained that they had known The Head and the Heart for about three years before being invited to come along on this tour.

A strong beginning with “Living Mirage” was quickly supplanted by confusion and concern as crowd members in the pit tried to flag down security guards and band members alike. Someone had fainted in the pit, and lead singer Jonathan Russell jumped off the stage to examine the scene. The band decided to vacate the stage while the woman in question was taken out of the

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pit. Once things had settled from the audience side, they returned to boisterous applause and, effectively, a second opening with “All We Ever Knew.”

Over the course of the next hour and a half, The Head and the Heart performed eighteen songs across all four of their albums. They spoke very little between songs, preferring seamless musical transitions. The introduction to “Ghosts,” featuring a solo piano riff from keys player Kenny Hensley, received particularly strong applause. Normally, the absence of anecdotes or other spoken transitions can be irksome, but it felt right at home here: the band was letting the songs speak for themselves, rather than giving a canonical account of the meaning of each one.

A place like The Met, a largely seated venue, is the perfect setting for a band in The Head and the Heart’s vein. The audience preferred gentle swaying and soft singing to enthusiastic dancing or shouting the lyrics back to the band, who were care-

full y a r ranged on raised platforms to take up most of the stage. Acoustically, although many band members switched instruments over the course of the evening, the vocals and instruments all sounded crisp, and the levels well–adjusted.

The Head and the Heart make comfort music. The instrumentation is balanced between electric guitar, acoustic, and keys to appeal to fans of folk, country, indie rock, and all surrounding genres; about the only thing that can make each individual member’s vocals more pleasing is when the other band members harmonize with them. Even in the lyrically sadder songs, there is a sense of camaraderie exemplified in a live setting: no

matt e r what each individual audience member may be going through, they are not alone.

Unlike many bands that choose to end their encore with a rousing crowd–pleaser, The Head and the Heart took the more subdued path with “Rivers and Roads,” a sleeper hit off of their self–titled debut album that describes the physical separation of two friends.

As Russell and co–vocalist Charity Rose Thielen repeated the refrain, “Rivers and roads / Rivers and roads / Rivers til I reach you,” the instruments began to drop out until all that could be heard was the surprisingly– in–tune harmony of vocalists and audience members singing together in unison.

MUSIC

Songs for Dancing On Your Own A playlist fit for both house parties and for time alone.

Peyton Toups This is a playlist for both late afternoon strolls on Locust Walk and nights out at a party. Dancing On My Own is beholden to no particular genre, though it primarily draws from the contemporary techno scenes with the occasional avant–pop song sprinkled in. It is an idiosyncratic ode to self–love, just like its title track.

Aphex Twin: "Xtal" The song is a hypnotizing, intoxicating mix of airy hi–hats, thumping beats, and an implacable off–beat vocal sample that never gets old with repeated listens. "Xtal," like most of the other songs on this playlist, manages to be both danceable and introspective.

Björk: "Arisen My Senses (Kelly Lee Owens Remix)" For the remixes of the first song from her 2017 studio effort, Utopia, Björk tapped just three producers. One of them was the iconoclastic Welsh singer and producer Kelly Lee Owens. In her hands, "Arisen My Senses" becomes a sweaty and cathartic club banger that uses little details from the original song to great effect.

Charli XCX: "I Got It (feat.

Brooke Candy, CupcakKe, and Pablo Vittar)" On the raunchy and raucous banger, Charli and her crew exchange ribald boasts about their bodies and their men with equal amounts of confidence and lechery. It's a hell of a track for a hell of a night.

Chris Kwok | Illustrator

Hannah Diamond & Danny L Harle: "Part of Me" This September, Hannah Diamond released "Part of Me," a collaboration with fellow label–mate Danny L Harle. Described in a press release as an "EDM lullaby," the song is an ecstatic late night affair, bedazzled with kitschy twilight sparkles and an almost child–like innocence.

Grimes & i_o: "Violence" Dealing with everything from her tumultuous relationship with Elon Musk (and the public's reaction to it) to tension with her label, Grimes has had a lot on her plate as she prepares to release her new concept album, Miss_Anthrop0cene. The song is a hypnotic mix of distorted vocals and club–ready beats, new territory for an idiosyncratic artist who used to be so keen on producing all her own work, and a reminder that we've yet to hear the last from Grimes.

Robyn: "Dancing On My Own" The hit single from Robyn's 2010 album Body Talk and the title track of this playlist, "Dancing On My Own" is a wrenching, pulsating ode to self–love that has soundtracked so many single people's nights alone. It perfectly encapsulates the M.O. of this playlist: these are songs you can play anywhere–at a party or on a walk–to lift you up. "Dancing On My Own" is a radical act of self-empowerment.

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MUSIC

Harry Styles is Completely Free in His New Music Video for 'Lights Up' The British pop idol channels glam rock and Gen Z pop in his latest release.

Allison Chen | Illustrator

Julia Davies Since July 2018, the end of his first solo tour, Harry Styles has been very quiet. His social media pages became inactive and he wasn’t releasing any new music. Then, surprising fans around the world, on Oct. 11 Harry Styles released his second album's lead single, “Lights Up” and its accompanying music

video. Harry Styles has managed to propel his comeback just as swiftly as he kicked off his solo career.

The release of his first solo single, “Sign of the Times,” back in April 2017 was an ambitious statement song at nearly six minutes long. Styles, one of the biggest stars from Gen Z's most

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popular boy band, One Direction, shocked listeners by releasing music that feels like a revival of British glam rock.

His latest single, “Lights Up,” is also a statement piece, but for very different reasons. While “Sign of the Times” was long, dramatic, and rock–inspired, “Lights Up” is uniquely short, synth–y, and much less over– the–top. Simple lyrics are layered over top a small back–up choir and piano notes. Its simplicity and brevity is what makes the track so interesting. For a lead single, it leaves the listener waiting and anticipating what's to come next from the artist.

The video for “Lights Up” features the solo artist shirtless

being caressed by a crowd of men and women with intermittent scenes of him riding on the back of a motorcycle. Each dreamy yet fleeting scene is eye– catching. Captured in this short video is a feeling of complete freedom and self–expression.

As the lyrics, “Lights up and they know who you are/know who you are/do you know who you are” play, the camera zooms in to the singer as he wades in the water wearing a sequined jacket. It then cuts to the next scene where he’s now fully immersed, floating in the waves.

With these lines and scenes, Harry Styles seems to be in the process of losing and finding himself. Drowning into the

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crowd and into the water, he becomes anonymous, but in the last scene of the video we finally see the lights go up and the artist’s smiling face is clearly exposed.

While enigmatic the video shows that Harry Styles is ready to express himself in his upcoming music. There’s a softness and soul to his new single that’s refreshing from this former pop boy–band member. It’s hard to know exactly where he’ll go next, but it’s clear that he’s ready to be completely unrestrained.

This song and music video prove that Harry Styles is a rock star at heart who isn't afraid to defy conventions and be a free spirit.

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ST YLE

Philly's New Fashion District Mall: A Shiny New Getaway in Center City Replacing the Gallery mall, the chic Fashion District spans over three blocks, offering high– end retail, dining, and entertainment.

Layla Murphy The Fashion District Philadelphia officially opened in Center City last month, offering Philly residents a luxurious retail and dining experience in the heart of downtown. The multi–floor, multi–block complex was erected in place of the Gallery Mall that had occupied the space since the late seventies. Just a few SEPTA stops from campus, the brand new mall’s suburban feel provides Penn students and the entire Philadelphia community a break from the hustle and bustle of city life. The real estate companies responsible for the venture, PREIT and Macerich, invested over $400 million dollars and four years of work in the project. On Sept. 19, they officially cut the ribbon and opened the mall to the public.

The floor–to–ceiling windows of the grand entryway give pedestrians on the street a look at the opulent world inside. Indoors, the mall boasts wide, open spaces, bright lights, and colorful decor. Friends Lindsey Goldberg and Rachel Harrison— two young professionals who have been living in the city for the past eight years— wander through the grand space. As they attempt to decode the map located on the second floor, Goldberg notes

that “[the mall is] definitely trying, what with the colors and the pattern...they’re definitely trying to be hip and relatable.” Although the mall is not yet at full occupancy, even the LED “Coming Soon” signs are visually attractive. What will soon become Sephora’s storefront is currently a wall covered in vivid sequins, inviting shoppers to touch, feel, and engage with the space.

Many people who had previously frequented the Gallery Mall had different things to say about the new center.

George Thomas, owner and operator of the Creative Silver shop at the Fashion District, had worked at the Gallery Mall since 1985. To him, the space is personal. “I’ve seen everything but Jesus in this place,” he said. “I liked the Gallery, and I like the Fashion District. It’s home for me. This is where I started out.” He predicts that, as occupation rises, the mall will do very well. While he concedes that parking remains an issue, Thomas has high hopes for the gigantic shopping center.

But Rachel had a more sobering view of the whole experience. “The Gallery Mall was very beloved by many Philadelphians,” she said.

“They’re transforming this

Adrianna Brusie | Photographer

whole area into 'the Fashion District' and it’s all very corporate...It would be nice to see more local businesses and more affordable stuff.”

Lindsey agreed, adding “I mean, Armani Exchange— why?” Despite this, the two shoppers did appreciate the appearance and accessibility

of the new establishment.

Overall, the atmosphere in the mall was exciting. Customers strolled gleefully, and children smiled as parents window shopped and enjoyed the amenities of the space. Eventually, the mall will include a bowling alley, a movie theater, and an array

of chain eateries like Starbucks and Auntie Anne’s.

For Penn students who are still adjusting to University City life, the growing Fashion District could provide an exciting off–campus getaway. “And you never know,” said George Thomas, “you might even run into Jesus.”

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ST YLE

Eat Like Guy Fieri at These Philly Diners, Drive–Ins and Dives Welcome to Flavortown.

Hannah Lonser

Dog Burger. This restaurant is also a must for everyone with a special spot in their hearts for puppies. Photos of man’s best friend line the walls of Good Dog Bar, and the Good Dog’s Adoption Spotlight helps Philly's rescue pups find forever homes.

Location: 224 S. 15th St.

Brandon Li | Illustrator

It’s no secret that Philly has a stellar food scene. So when it comes time to pick a new restaurant to hit up, the abundance of options can become overwhelming. But lucky for us, celebrity restaurateur Guy Fieri has already picked out some of Philly’s finest diners, drive–ins, and dives on his hit Food Network show. So next time you’re looking for another fun restaurant to try here in the City of Brotherly Love, take a page from Guy’s book and hit up one of these eccentric spots.

Jamaican Jerk Hut Chowing down on some authentic Caribbean food from Jamaican Jerk Hut is sure to leave you feeling like

you’re on vacation. Featured on the “Timeless Traditions” episode of Diners, Drive–Ins and Dives, Guy stopped by to sample some of their “melt– in–your–mouth” jerk chicken, topped with a sauce made with Scotch bonnet peppers.

But their jerk chicken isn’t their only claim to fame— their oxtail and fried plantains are also local favorites.

Location: 1436 South St. Memphis Taproom Memphis Taproom’s menu has it all, from the classics we all know and love, like a decadently crunchy fried chicken, to adventurous offerings for the more daring diner, like cheesesteak pierogis. And to top it all off, their

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menu is vegan–friendly. The Taproom’s vegan Smoked Coconut Club left Guy, a diehard carnivore, impressed.

So impressed, in fact, that he dubbed head chef Jesse Kimball “outstanding.”

Location: 2331 E. Cumberland St. Honey’s Sit N Eat Since 2005, Honey’s Sit N Eat has been serving up Southern classics with a Jewish twist. For the college students out there currently living off of dining hall food and instant noodles, Honey’s is the place to be when you’re craving a home–cooked meal. Even before Diners, Drive–Ins and Dives thrust this local joint into the spot-

light, Honey’s Sit N Eat was famous throughout Philly for its generous meal portions, friendly staff, great food (especially their Matzo Ball Soup), and never–ending supply of coffee.

Locations: Center City | 2101 South St. Northern Liberties | 800 N. 4th St. Good Dog Bar Good Dog Bar is known for putting an upscale spin on everyone’s favorite comfort foods. Their Truffle Cheesesteak Empanadas wowed Guy and made viewers’ mouths water. And if you're searching for one of the best burgers in Philly, look no further than the stuffed Good

South Philadelphia Tap Room Take a note from Guy Fieri and try this South Philly bar’s fresh take on the classic PB&J. Breaded in Frosted Flakes and deep–fried, this PB&J is nothing like the ones you used to eat on the playground. But the fun dishes served by South Philadelphia Tap Room don’t stop there; Guy also sampled some of their delicious ricotta donuts and outrageous Wild Boar Tacos.

Location: 1509 Mifflin St. You may never be able to pull off bleached tips, flame– patterned button–ups, and flashy sunglasses like Guy does, but you can still eat at some of his favorite joints here in Philly. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to roll out to one of Philly’s greatest diners, drive–ins, and dives.

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F E AT U R E

F E AT U R E

e p ace a certain

Though Mika Graviet (N’21) grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints, the first time she’d ever read the Book of Mormon and prayed with a “sincere heart” was during her freshman year at Penn.

She remembers reading a particular verse—Esther 12:4.

“Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God,” Mika recites.

As a freshman, she read this verse in her dorm room and started “crying, crying, crying.”

Mika—a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter– day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon Church—grew up in Emmett, Idaho, a town with a population of around seven thousand, 18.5 percent of whom are also members of the Church. Many Latter–day Saints also come to Philadelphia from Utah and Idaho, states in which Church members respectively make up 67 and 26 percent of the population.

In this way, Mika admits, coming to Penn was particularly difficult. “Hearing about the Jewish religion and how they didn’t actually believe Jesus Christ was the savior of the world” challenged her faith. She’d never met people from so many different backgrounds.

“Was I just brainwashed by my parents? Did I just grow up in this podunk town?” Mika laughs. “I’d never known anything else.”

Freshman year, she personally rededicated herself to the faith.

This moment—reading Esther 12:4 in her dorm room— marked a “turnaround point,” one where she felt “so much faith and peace and hope,” specifically the “hope for a better world and a better situation.”

For Mika, coming to Penn has not only led to her affirm1 2 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E O C T O B E R 2 3 , 2 01 9

ing her personal faith, but also allowed her to experience the diversity inherent to the University, Philadelphia, and the UPenn Latter–day Saints Student Association (LDSSA)—an undergraduate group made up of around 10 to 12 students on campus.

This diversity deviates tremendously from that of her hometown, which has prevalent culture in which people marry “really young, all the stereotypes. You have a lot of kids—they're all white, too. We're all kind of educated, but not really liberal; everyone's super conservative,” she states. “People's—even mine when I was growing up—their perspectives are very limited.”

When she moved to Philadelphia, Mika’s world opened up.

“I met LDS people on the East Coast who were very liberal and who believed in a lot of different things, but we all shared a common faith in God,” she emphasizes.

The faith of Latter–day Saints on campus is personal, but it’s showcased in the ways they live their lives—from traveling abroad for missionary work to embracing spirituality on a campus with a proportionately small Church population. Ultimately, their relationship with the Church boils down to one thing: they trust God to uphold and uplift them, even when the answers are unclear.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints was founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith, who “was given a divine mission as a prophet of God” to restore the “gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church to the earth,” according to the Church’s website.

Members of the Church, which make up a total of around two percent of the U.S. population, follow scriptures of the Bible along with the Book of Mormon, which is described as “another testament of Jesus Christ” in the Americas. The Book, written by Smith himself, details God’s dealings with the ancient people of the Americas.

Currently, the Church is still upheld and led by a living prophet, Russell M. Nelson, who’s perceived as the “prophet,

seer, and revelator—the only person on the earth who receives revelation to guide the entire Church,” according to the Church’s website. The website warns against ignoring the words of the prophet.

Latter–day Saints on campus, however, haven’t always had an uncomplicated relationship with faith. Logan Flake (W’21), who was also born in Idaho and raised in the Church, recounts how issues with his family resulted in doubts early on in life.

“I just had a lot of questions and I kind of rebelled against the teachings and church, everything,” he says.

His girlfriend, Caitlyn Pearson, experienced a similar “faith crisis.” Caitlyn—a 26–year–old therapist who completed her undergraduate degree at Brigham Young University and master’s degree in family and marriage therapy at Drexel University—grew up in the Church in Los Angeles, where there aren’t many Latter–day Saints. Ironically, she took a break from the Church for a few years after starting college at BYU, a university that’s owned by the Church itself.

wasn't real just to see if I could do that,” she says. “I just couldn’t fully buy into it, as hard as I tried—and I did try pretty hard.”

But when both Logan and Caitlyn reread the Book of Mormon, the peace they experienced inspired them to return to the faith.

Logan recalls feeling “sensations that logically didn't make sense.” To him, God was the only explanation for those emotions; otherwise, there’d be “no reason why, if I was reading the words of some dead guy from a thousand years ago, that I would feel a certain peace.”

For Logan and many others, this newfound passion prompted him to serve on a mission in Arizona, something he didn’t originally want to do. “I could not not go and help serve people and give them an opportunity to learn about this, cause it's changed my life in such a drastic way.”

He was called to serve in May of his senior year of high school, after which he deferred admission to Penn for two years. “I left three days after I graduated high school,” he says casually.

It’s very common within the Church go on a mission in order to proselytize and do service work—over 65,000 missionaries are currently serving across the world. Men generally receive their mission calls around the age of 18 and serve for two years, while women receive their calls around the age of 19 and serve for 18 months, according to the Church. The Church particularly encourages men to serve.

Mika, who served as a missionary in Japan after her sophomore fall, says “it was the most joyful experience of my life,” though she acknowledges its tradeoffs. The work was unpaid, Since most students at BYU were also members of the she couldn’t access phones, books, or any form of media beChurch, Caitlyn wanted some distance from it. “I think just sides the scriptures, and she didn’t see her family and friends for feeling like I was in such a homogenous community made me almost two years. Still, Mika doesn’t express any regret serving. kind of freak out a little bit.”

In Japan, Mika spread the gospel by building off upon simiDuring this period, she “attempted to believe that God larities between her culture and Japanese culture, specifically

"We have questions and we have doubts, too.

Abosolutely. But doesn't everyone in every faith?

Ethan Wu | Media Director

by allison wu

latter–day saints at penn discuss their relationship with the church.

beliefs in receiving protection and guidance from their ancestors. “I mean, they have a different name for [God], but a lot of those elementary principals are the same, right?”

While Mika didn’t experience outward backlash in Japan, others had different experiences. Caitlyn, who served a mission in Montreal, notes that since missionaries wear badges with the Church’s name on it, citizens often weren’t receptive. “Someone once spit on the ground next to me,” she recalls.

Kimerly Biesinger (E’24), who’s from Salt Lake City, feels that people don’t seem to understand the urgency of her mission calling at Penn and in Philadelphia, where there aren’t many Latter–day Saints. When Kimerly told her advisor she was taking a leave of absence to do missionary work, her advisor responded by saying, “can’t you just wait until you graduate?”

Though Kimerly says the Penn community has mostly been receptive to her faith, she feels that some students don’t understand her deep desire to become a parent.

“I feel like my call—more important than maybe even work—is to be a stay–at–home parent, just because of the vitality of raising good children and contributing people into the world,” she says. She adds that Penn’s competitive and career– O C T O B E R 2 3 , 2 01 9 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E 1 3

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focused culture likely incites criticism against this viewpoint. some fundamentalist groups still exercise polygamous relationships, though Given the prioritization of family within the faith, there’s a strong dating these groups are unaffiliated with the Church. culture within the Church, Logan and Caitlyn say.

Nonetheless, Logan says people mix up the Church of Jesus Christ of “Less here, but there’s a big culture out West. People go on dates, like a Latter–day Saints with these fundamentalist groups all the time. Caitlyn lot,” Logan says. “And it's more about getting to know somebody instead of echoes this experience, recounting that people will still ask if she believes in just having someone to hookup, because that's not really something that's polygamy. available,” due to the Church’s law of chastity, which prohibits sexual relaKimerly believes that certain instances of polygamy in the past were autions before marriage. thorized by God, but she’s not sure why. “I have enough faith in Him to In fact, Logan and Caitlyn met at their church’s own young adult congre- really believe that's the truth.” gation soon after they both moved to Philadelphia.

As with other religions, LGBTQ+ rights within the Church has been “There was a dance activity,” Caitlyn says. Logan interrupts her, “and she contentious. In 2015, it adopted a policy that denied children of same–sex thought I was strong.” couples admission into the Church until they turned 18. The policy also “Oh my gosh,” Caitlyn rolls her eyes. “I did. It was a swing dance activ- dictated that these children needed to leave their parents’ home and disavow ity and so people were doing flips and lifts and stuff, and I was like, all same–sex relationships. ‘whoa, this is intense.’”

Mika says, “one of my very best friends here, who came Despite their lightheartedness, Logan says the eternal with me, actually from Idaho, turned out to be gay and importance of families truthfully puts a lot of preshe shared that with me while he was here.” They sure on dating, “because it has such long–lasting were both Latter–day Saints. consequences.”

“I became very empathetic towards people Considering the relative sparsity of Latwho identify as gay or lesbian or queer,” she ter–day Saints on campus, some members says. “I discovered that you can be liberal feel like they have to be a representative for and LDS, you can be gay and LDS.” This their entire faith. Kimerly says, “I’ve expemarked a pivotal point for her—especially rienced an incredible pressure to be a persince she grew up thinking that “being gay fect example and reflection of my belief as was bad.”

I live and share things … I might be the Last April, the Church rolled back the only Latter–day Saint any of these people policy, allowing children of same–sex couever meet.” ples to be baptized. Kimerly admits it’s hard In the same vein, Logan says he’s noticed to fully understand “the struggle about gay how some people feel self–conscious around marriage.” But, as she’s grappled with it, she Logan Flake & Caitlyn pearson him, so he doesn’t tend to showcase his faith. says, “I've been able to find peace in knowing “I'm a big advocate for just living what you believe that the direction [LGBTQ+ people] are walking is quietly.” still okay and that further light is going to come, even if Though members of the Church follow a law of health, it's not now.” which requires they abstain from substances like coffee, alcohol, tobacResponding to the ways in which the Church has dealt more negaco, and drugs, Logan is careful about not broadcasting it to everyone else. tively with the LGBTQ+ population, Mika says, “I see the church as full of “Sometimes I worry when I'm at parties … that people think my like lack imperfect people who are trying their best to follow the gospel in the ways of drinking or my behaviors means that I'm judging them,” Logan says. that they can.”

Over the years, the Church has been subject to many controversies. Their Mika remains hopeful that the Church will change and progress. “I've “worthiness” interviews, in which Church leaders interview children as seen that even the way the organization approaches sexuality has broadyoung as eight years old to discuss their commitment to the faith, have ened,” she pauses. “And I'm so grateful that my best friend was able to help been criticized for involving sexually explicit questioning. Racism within open my heart. And I hope people can keep opening my heart.” the Church—which only began admitting black men to the priesthood in In times of unrest and ambiguity, Mika looks to the power of personal 1978—has also been highlighted, as has the role of women, who cannot be revelation, which she says is something that’s encouraged by Nelson, their ordained as priests. Logan and Caitlyn emphasize how the low concentra- current prophet. “We have questions and we have doubts, too. Absolutely. tion of Latter–day Saints in Philadelphia has led to misconceptions regard- But doesn't everyone in every faith?” ing their beliefs—specifically their ties to polygamy.

She is hopeful that people at Penn and beyond will remain open minded In 1840, Joseph Smith instituted polygamy within the Church—Smith about her faith—and about different religions too. himself had up to 40 wives. The practice ended in 1890, in adherence with “I just wish everyone could feel the same sense of love and belonging toU.S. law. Currently, polygamy is forbidden in the Church, though the wards God that I feel in whatever way that they need to, because everyone's Church affirms that “the faithfulness of those who practiced plural mar- different and the way that they find spirituality is different,” Mika says. “But riage continues to benefit the Church in innumerable ways.” Moreover, I would hope that everyone, in some way, can feel a spiritual peace.”

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Where To Buy Your Next Bouquet: A Philly Flower Round–Up The old, the French, and the modern—here are some of the most unique florists in the city.

Avery Johnston One of the best ways to add some life to a dorm room or brighten a friend’s day is with a well–arranged bouquet of flowers, and Philly certainly has no lack of options.

Petit Jardin en Ville French charm—that's the only way to describe this Parisian florist and garden designer.

The shop has a genuine foundation in French culture—the owners, Vincent and Claudia Roux, spend much of their lives in France. The storefront display and store layout present their selection of flowers beautifully, and the shopping experience is intimate. Although you may not be taking a trip to Paris any time soon, Petit Jardin en Ville can provide glamorous arrangements that will bring Paris to you.

Pricing: $$$ Location: 134 N 3rd St. Philadelphia, PA. 19106 Flowers and Company The florists at this shop are unparalleled in their friendliness and evident love for their jobs. The storefront presents a seasonal display, with pumpkins, gourds, and mums welcoming customers into the shop. The flowers are exceptionally fresh, as they’re stored in a walk–in cooler. This delightful shop is the place to go if you’re on the lookout for the freedom to either make your own bouquet or purchase a beautiful arrangement made on the spot.

Pricing: $$ Location: 119 S. 19th St. Philadelphia, PA 19103 Triple Tree Flowers Run by Amish florists, these floral stands appear at the Clark

Park and Rittenhouse Square farmers’ markets every week.

Bouquets are made on the spot, and they’re beautiful. The selection is incredible, especially given the fact that this is a stand rather than a physical store, and the florists allow you to either make your own bouquet from their freshly picked flowers or select one of their own creations.

Pricing: $ Location: Rittenhouse Square and Clark Park farmers’ markets Nature’s Gallery Florist Nature’s Gallery is undeniably classy. The store is almost Victorian, with multiple teardrop chandeliers, a fireplace topped with bonsai trees, and a simple sign on the storefront. The selection of plants and flowers is idiosyncratic. The shop provides wedding and special occasion bouquets that have an air of liveliness and sharpness. If elegance is your style, this is the florist for you.

Pricing: $$$ Location: 2124 Walnut St. Philadelphia, PA. 19103 Pure Design This small shop’s modern ambiance and hip selection of house plants, pots, and vases set the scene for the florist’s contemporary, polished arrangements.

The staff do not intrude on your shopping (which, depending on the shopper, could be either a deal breaker or a positive addition to the experience). This is the place to go if you’re looking for hip, elegant floral arrangements at a middle–of–the–field price.

Pricing: $$ Location: 500 S. 22nd St. Philadelphia, PA. 19146

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FILM & TV

The Art of

the

Movie Trailer

Anna Collins

Are movies getting worse or are trailers getting better?

Anna Collins Trailers are the most unpredictable form of advertising, and likely one of the most important ones. Often, trailers are created by companies that are not associated with the film and are responsible for crafting the 3–minute videos without full knowledge of the film itself. Generally, trailer–making begins before principal photography is completed. This art form is precarious, because it must straddle the line between teasing the film for those who have already been anticipating it, and advertising it to those who have never heard of it.

For this balancing act, trailers often fall flat because they fail to accurately represent the source material—take Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or Batman Begins, whose trailers don't accurately represent their movies.

However, 2019 was a year of very good trailers for very subpar movies. Both Joker and The Goldfinch, which presuppose themselves to be Oscar contenders, released fantastic trailers in the late summer. In reality, both of those films were subpar at best. In fact, if they had been as good as their trailers, perhaps they might actually receive the Academy Awards that they set themselves up to reach. What went so right with their trailers, and why is there such a dichotomy between the trailers and and their films?

It's important to note how these trailers are different than those of the past. An important moment in trailer history was the phasing out of the voice–

over. Looking at examples from the early 2000s, most are overwhelmed by a narrator.

This style delivered exposition, and even elements of the plot, within a short timeframe, introducing characters, locations, and early plot developments.

The most famous ones began with "In a world…” or “Meet [insert name],” the quirky main character of a rom–com. This was not a style reserved for low–brow pieces of cinema either—even The Silence of the Lambs features a voiceover telling its audience exactly who these people are and what’s going to happen.

Meanwhile, Joker, The Goldfinch, and any other anticipated releases have trailers that do not care as much about informing the audience of the films' exact plots. The trailer for A24’s upcoming film The Lighthouse does very little to tell its audience about what’s going to happen in the movie that they’re signing up for—in fact, it solely sets up the atmosphere. This shift to aestheticism—rather than plot and narrative focused trailers—shows a greater change in what an audience wants in a trailer—they do not want to necessarily know what’s going to happen, but rather how it's going to feel.

This change may have something to do with how people receive information about films.

Looking back, there appears to be an element of condescension in the voice–over trailers, as though a viewer wouldn't be able to parse out the plot by themselves. It’s important

to consider that these types of trailers were made before the era of the internet and social media, and the only way to learn about a movie was through watching it in the theaters. Now, the trailer for Parasite does not need to explicitly spell out what’s going to happen, because anybody who's confused can just Google it and find a write–up of the movie on Wikipedia.

Now, the once vital element, the voice–over, is replaced with the soundtrack. Often, the songs chosen for use in a trailer are those that are used in the

Allison Chen | Illustrator

film. The Goldfinch’s “Terrible Love” and Joker’s “Just Smile,” while two very different songs, are both used accurately and for powerful impact. The Goldfinch calls upon a modern–day loneliness, angst, and fear. Joker invokes old–timey nostalgia that rings darkly, and humor and joy left on a sour, frightening note. These song choices do absolutely nothing to spell out the plot of the movies. Instead, they're chosen purely for the feeling they invoke.

A film trailer can still have a strong aesthetic and a good movie to match with it, though.

The Social Network has a beautifully scored trailer that realizes the movie’s main draw—its dialogue—while still remaining pretty, with an opening shot of Facebook in its early stages.

And Roma’s trailer is haunting and tender, accurately representing the source material.

This is not to say that the aesthetic–based trailers are easier to make—it just means that movie trailer companies are getting better at making them.

The films they accompany, though, should also maintain this same level of artistry and consistency in editing.

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FILM & TV

Disney Needs More Children's Characters

LGBTQ

All children deserve positive LGBTQ representation in film and television. Who are the major players in the industry now, and who needs to step up?

Harshita Gupta In 2012, Laika Films released ParaNorman. I remember watching it when it came out—I was eleven years old and nearly missed the throwaway line at the very end confirming that the character Mitch, a stereotypical “dumb jock,” had a boyfriend. Even at that age I recognized how novel it was for any of the characters to be in a same–sex relationship.

It was the first mainstream animated film with a gay main character.

In 2014, Nickelodeon’s The Legend of Korra continued as the first western children’s animated show to have an LGBTQ protagonist. Shows such as Nickelodeon’s The Loud House and Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time have also integrated LGBT representation, showing same–sex parenting and bisexual representation, respectively. PBS made headlines this very year after one of the main characters in its long running series Arthur, Mr. Ratburn, married his partner Patrick.

Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe broke barriers with its LGBTQ representation.

When its main characters, the gems, fuse together, they go by non–binary or gender– fluid pronouns. Most of the gems are also female–identifying, and the show celebrates a variety of same–sex relationships. The creator of Steven Universe, Rebecca Sugar, who identifies as bisexual and non– binary herself, has spoken repeatedly about her goal to create an LGBTQ show geared

toward younger audiences.

Netflix’s She–Ra and the Princesses of Power continues in this female–centric, unabashedly queer storytelling vein. She–Ra and the Princesses of Power is not only a princess show but a superhero show, and it shows children that queer identity can be celebrated in both of these genres. The show will also be introducing a non–binary character in its fourth season.

It's definitely heartening to see the diverse array of LGBTQ representation in children’s television, especially when it usually comes hand–in–hand with other forms of diversity. Yet, with all this progress made, there is still one big name company that is lagging behind: Disney.

Disney, despite being a juggernaut in media production, has hardly made a dent in LGBTQ representation within its original children’s content.

When Finding Dory released a trailer in 2016 showing two women with a toddler, many assumed this would be a lesbian couple, a groundbreaking achievement for Disney. The creative team behind the film did not confirm or deny this assumption, letting it remain ambiguous. Disney repeatedly continues this pattern with its LGBTQ representation, leaving it as ambiguous, brief, and noncommittal as possible.

There’s a confirmed same–sex couple in Zootopia and a canonical gay character in How to Train Your Dragon 3, both extremely popular films. But you probably didn't know it,

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Felicity Yick | Illustrator

because each of these characters' LGBTQ identities was confirmed retroactively and they were hardly on–screen.

LeFou, from the 2017 live– action remake of Beauty and the Beast was supposed to be Disney’s first “openly” gay character, but there was nothing in the actual film confirming his identity. Every time Disney has supposedly included a queer character, any evidence of said queer identity was easily missed or misconstrued.

Disney uses LGBTQ representation to drum up interest, but ultimately forces its audiences to draw its own conclusions.

This trend is doubly hurtful because Disney is such a beloved part of so many of our childhoods. For so many years, audiences have had to mine Disney films for any queer subtext, thinking of Li Shang in Mulan as bisexual or seeing Timon and Pumba from The Lion King as a same–sex couple.

That’s not to say there isn’t hope for Disney entertainment—in 2017, the live–ac-

tion Disney channel show Andi Mack had a celebrated coming out storyline for one of its main protagonists. But as amazing as such representation is, it is hardly groundbreaking.

Despite its influence, Disney refuses to take risks when it comes to positive LGBTQ representation (much can be said on how queer–coded Disney villains continue perpetuating negative stereotypes). If ParaNorman could get it done with just one line, it should not be that difficult for Disney to do better.

And better means LGBTQ representation done correctly for the sake of the young children watching.

LGBTQ representation in children's media should be unabashedly positive. It should never fall back on LGBTQ stereotypes or homophobic and transphobic punchlines. Characters meant for the enjoyment of children should not suffer for their identities, because young children are watching what may be their first encounter with queer identity. A

character's LGBTQ identity should be integrated as a casual part of the show's world and a small part of a character's greater story arc or identity— not as a vehicle for conflict.

LGBTQ characters should also have meaningful story arcs important to the overall narrative. Showing a same–sex couple on screen for one second to get representation brownie points is not good representation. If I can replace any character with a lamp, they're not well–written. Finally, LGBTQ representation needs to be clear and confirmed on–screen.

Children aren't following these shows or films off–screen, nor are they analyzing their media for its underlying subtext.

Think of the queer kid growing up watching this content, and think of what even one LGBTQ character could mean for that child. If you're writing LGBTQ media in good faith, helping that child should be your ultimate goal, and nothing should stop you from achieving it. Disney should be no exception.

Halloween is for isbeer Halloween for beer FILM & TV

A Conversation with Andrew Greenblatt at the Opening of the Philadelphia Film Festival The Festival—which includes 120 different films from all over the world —will continue through October 27.

Quinn Robinson The Philadelphia Film Festival opened Oct. 17 at the Philadelphia Film Center and will continue through Oct. 27, showing over 120 movies ranging from locally–produced films to Oscar contenders.

The Festival is in its 28th year of showings, which will play at a variety of theaters and hotels around the downtown Philadelphia area.

Andrew Greenblatt, the director of the Festival, began his career as an independent film producer for Film 101 Productions before becoming the CEO and Executive Director of the Philadelphia Film Society, which puts on the annual festival.

Greenblatt, a Philadelphia native, left Film 101 in 2008 to return to his home city. His move back was motivated, in part, by a desire to find out: “What does film in Philadelphia look like? Do I want to be an independent producer?

Or, do I want to look for a job?" Soon enough, some of these questions were naturally answered. "[The Executive Director] position was open," he said, "and it struck me that producing a festival isn’t that different from producing a film.”

In the process of curating films and organizing the Festival, Greenblatt has tried to be as inclusive as possible to the Philadelphia population.

The festival has a free ticketing program called PFS On Us,

he explained, that “lets anyone claim tickets to two different categories: the nonfiction documentary category and the ‘Made in USA’ category. So we take down the whole barrier to beer entry, so that the people can rewishes you a springfield ally come in and see what it’s all distributor happy Halloween about.” In addition, they focus on Philadelphia specific films.

22 & Washington ave | (215) 546-7301 | We deliver The red carpet opening, which took place between two too hard? of the most anticipated screenings—Bong Joon–Ho’s Parasite and Destin Daniel Cretton’s Just Mercy—featured some of the cast members of Just Mercy, along with Bryan Stevenson, whose work the movie is based upon. Stevenson is the director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit whose missionWE DELIVER! Corner of 27th and South St. (215) 546-7301 is “ending mass incarcerationDIRECTIONS: East on Chestnut, springfieldbeer.net right on 23rd, right on Lombard and excessive punishment in 2206 Washington ave, Philadelphia (215) 546-7301 the United States, challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting basic human rights.” Besides Parasite and Just Mercy, though, Greenblatt recommends that potential movieEnjoy a night of singing goers read the program to find which movies might be most with full bar & menu options worthwhile. “One hundred and in any of our large private rooms. fifteen [out of 120] are Philadelphia premieres. Never seen be(Accommodates up to 40 people) fore in this city. And they span a wide gamut," Greenblatt said.

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FILM & TV

A Conversation With Producer David Ulich About At Heart of Gold

'

'

the

The film—which was screened at Penn on Thursday, Oct. 17—delves into the USA gymnastics sex abuse scandal.

Tara O'Brien

At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal is a heartbreaking, moving, and empowering documentary that exposes the systematic and institutionalized abuse of hundreds of young girls.

This powerful HBO documentary—which is already available for streaming on HBO Go—was screened at Penn’s Annenberg Public Policy Center on Oct. 17 at 5:15 p.m. Immediately following the screening, there will be a Q&A session with executive producers David Ulich and Dr. Steven Ungerleider, gymnast and survivor Trinea Gonczar, and the CEO of CHILD USA Marci Hamilton.

Ulich, co–producer of the film, is also an attorney and the president of the Foundation for Global Sports Development.

This foundation encourages at– risk youth to embrace teamwork, fair play, and drug–free sports.

Moreover, Ulich was a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee board and has worked with the International Olympic Committee and other sports federations.

Ulich has been long interested in athletic justice and storytelling. He worked with the International Olympic Committee to help create a memorial surrounding the killing of Israeli athletes that occurred in Munich in 1972. After the project, in 2016 Ulich and Ungerleider produced a 30–minute documentary, Munich ’72 and Beyond. After this film received an Emmy nomination and other awards, Ulich and Ungerleider started to set up

film subsidiaries and began creating educational documentaries.

However, Ulich is not just the filmmaker here—he has been immersed in the sports community for years. “Because of our ties with the U.S. Olympic Committee, we actually went to the president of the U.S. Olympic Committee, and we said, you know, this thing’s out of control. You need to get ahead of it and do something about it and protect these athletes," Ulich explained. "And the president of the Olympic Committee, Scott Blackmun, who is actually mentioned in the film, basically put his head down and said no, you know, my lawyers are telling me to be quiet and not say anything."

It became too much for Ulich—"Finally, we decided that we had to do something on our own, so we broke our ties with the U.S. Olympic Committee and decided to make the film to expose the whole story.”

The production of At the Heart of Gold had already begun before the Larry Nassar scandal broke. “We just grabbed our camera crew and raced over to the Michigan courthouse and started filming it,” Ulich comments. The news of the Nassar scandal did change the directiaon of the film a little bit, as parts of the documentary are now dedicated to the survivors telling their own stories.

These survivors’ stories are incredibly important. Ulich emphasizes, “This is the story of young, female gymnasts who nobody listened to. There are

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countless stories now, looking back, where there were red flags, you know. They would complain to their coaches. They would complain to the schools.

They would tell their parents.

And the schools or parents and the administrators at the schools basically didn’t do anything, which is the sad part. I mean this could have been stopped 20 years ago.” The testimonies of the survivors highlight how sexual abuse became systematic and institutionalized when it could have been stopped.

At the Heart of Gold aims to teach people about these pertinent issues. This film exposes an environment where kids were often on their own, where parents weren’t allowed. Even when there is parental oversight, Ulich explained, “The parents frankly themselves sometimes are blinded by the potential of athletic success for their kids.”

Ulich explained that the hardest part of making this film was cutting it down to just 90 minutes. After creating many versions of the film—including a three– hour one—the team had to make decisions about what to cut out.

One especially powerful scene shows one of the fathers of the survivors trying to physically attack Nassar in court. A debate arose about this scene when cutting down the film about whether or not to include it in the final cut—the argument being that that film should highlight the women coming forward as opposed to the men. “We ended up putting it in there," Ulich

Photo courtesy of Brooke Lusk (Global Sports)

said, "and I think it’s one of the most powerful scenes. The bottom line is, you know, women alone aren’t going to solve this problem. It has to be a joint effort by men and women.”

Ulich’s most recent endeavor involves funding a program

called Courage First. This online program teaches kids and parents about these issues that have the potential to arise in sports. The Penn screening is just one of the many efforts being taken to promote awareness and education across the nation.

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ARTS

The West Philly Artists Yard Sale Returns to Black Hound Clay Studio This month, WPAYS will connect artists cleaning out their studios and locals seeking affordable art for the third time.

Hannah Lonser Bethany Rusen—founder and director of Black Hound Clay Studio—knows the struggle of having excessive clutter and a lack of studio space all too well. “All of my friends are artists, and we all run into the issue that as an artist you are making a lot of work,” Bethany said. “You have a lot of pieces that didn’t go quite right. Something’s a little bit damaged. Something’s just a little bit off. So as an artist you have this buildup of inventory that you can’t really sell at full price."

It was this dilemma that inspired Bethany to put on the first West Philly Artists Yard

Sale in July 2018. "I thought, 'Let’s have an artists yard sale' because every artist I know has this problem," Bethany said.

But the event doesn't just benefit vendors. WPAYS is a great opportunity for members of the community to purchase artwork for an affordable price.

“I think that a lot of people are interested in buying art and are interested in collecting art and maybe don’t have the budget yet to invest in very expensive pieces. But [the sale] is a way to get functional, beautiful art without paying a lot of money," Bethany said.

The event has flourished since its humble beginnings

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Photo courtesy of Black Hound Clay Studio

as a small affair put on by Bethany and her friends. The upcoming WPAYS, set to take place on Oct. 27 in the parking lot and patio Black Hound Clay Studio, is expected to attract approximately 40 vendors ranging from local small–time crafters to established artists.

“There are people who do this for a living, who make art and do craft shows, and who sell in stores and online,” Bethany said. “And then it runs the gamut to people who just do it as a hobby.”

As the event itself has grown, so has the variety of items for sale. From pottery and jewelry to art prints and clothing, at the WPAYS, there is no shortage of eccentric pieces up for grabs. “It’s going to be a wide variety of media,” Bethany said.

“We have a lot of random and interesting things."

In addition to slightly flawed pieces looking for a second chance, attendees can expect to

find discontinued items at the sale. Makers come to WPAYS to sell art from older lines that don’t fit with their current work at a discounted price. “My friend Kelly Anne used to do a lot of jewelry with gemstones and she doesn’t really anymore, so she’ll bring all of that jewelry that she doesn’t make anymore,” Bethany said.

Visitors can also look forward to picking up experimental pieces as well. Past sales have seen out–of–the–box offerings like wooden model boats put on display, and the upcoming WPAYS is no exception. Bethany noted a couple of examples of quirky items that vendors will bring to the sale, mentioning that, “There’s one guy who makes a lot of buttons, and my friend Ben is bringing candles.”

If you’re looking to make art of your own, the WPAYS will also have art supplies and equipment available for purchase. “I have a lot of old hard-

ware that I’m bringing,” Bethany said, adding that the sale is a great way for visitors to pick up “miscellaneous things” that artists are looking to clear out of their studios.

If you are planning on attending the sale, Bethany advises you to come early. “I think there’s going to be a lot of people,” she said. “It’s crazy because I started it as this really small thing and it’s kind of grown into this huge event.”

Make sure to add paying a visit to the West Philly Artists Yard Sale to your list of weekend plans. Pick up some artwork for your room or some holiday gifts all while benefiting local artists.

West Philly Artists Yard Sale Location: 715 South St. Hours: 12 p.m. — 4 p.m.

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