Atlas Magazine: The Royal Issue

Fall 2018 The Royal Issue

To our readers, I’ve been struggling to come up with one declarative statement that incorporates everything that comes to mind when I think of royalty, the terminology, not the family. I think of luxury and finesse. And extravagance and privilege. And I think of dominance and influence.

To be royal, one must have the attitude to be royal. The belief that they are, in some and every way, better than those around them. That this is the be-all-end-all of what life could be. One must be infamous and powerful. Wield influence and knowledge. And one must have some form of unfair advantage above everyone and everything else.

Within our royal issue, Atlas Magazine explores the benefits and detriments of hierarchies in day-to-day life, from the preference of objects to pay gaps, and we adjust the definition accordingly. We accept our own royalty as it comes to us as privileged students of Emerson College, we accept our power in fields we may or may not be accepted within, and we declare our expertise as no one will hand it to us otherwise. We are royal from the power that we absorb and the influence that we hold. We are royal in so many senses of the word.

As this is my last semester as the editor for Atlas, I can only hope that the staff moves into the future issues with the royalty they’ve all crowned themselves with during the creation of this edition. For the photographers that re-imagined shoots after they had already done them, for the creative and art teams that persuaded a bridal shop to loan us their dresses, for the copy editors that are surely experts in their fields, and for our writers and editors that always push past the kingdoms front steps, you all should know how incredibly powerful you all are. And when push comes to shove, everyone will have to bow down to the glory of your DIY crowns. To the entire staff, I can’t wait to see how you all shape the Emerson kingdom and world at large, good luck!

THE QUEEN SPEAKS 2 | Atlas

Atlas Editor-in-Chief Caitlin Smith

IN THIS ISSUE FALL 2018 CITY

INVADING THE MUSIC KINGDOM Pg. 8 Carissa Dunlap YOUR NEIGHBORS Pg. 10 Harriette Chan A KINGDOM OF INEQUALITIES Pg. 12 Cassandre Coyer

CAMPUS

RULING THEIR CRAFT Pg. 18 Anna Hamre EXPANDING THE EMERSON EMPIRE Pg. 20 Lilian Cohen RULING FROM THE UNDERGROUND Pg. 22 Andrea Williams

GLOBE

FINDING MY KIN Pg. 27 Charlie Boyle BORDERLINE NOBILITY Pg. 28 Abbrianna MacGregor CASTLE LIVING Pg. 30 Emily Cristobal

HEALTH

RISING & FALLING Pg. 34 Dana Gerber THE CROWN JUUL Pg. 35 Jamie Molnar LOSING LEGENDS Pg. 36 Grace Galarraga

STYLE

FASHIONABLE DISTRACTIONS Pg. 44 Grace Griffin WORKING WITH BRANDS Pg. 46

Lily Hartman SELLING A PERSONA Pg. 47 Diti Kohli

EDITORIALS WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS Pg. 13 REINA Pg. 40 LET ME LIVE THAT FANTASY Pg. 48

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OUR STAFF FALL 2018

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Editor-in-Chief: Caitlin Smith Managing Editor: Allie Digennaro Creative Director: Emma Cox Faculty Advisor: Gian Lombardo CREATIVE Design Director: Kristen Cawog Fashion Direcor: Elise Sanchez Art Director: Rachel Scalera Art Team: Reg Onoratu, Lilian Cohen CITY Editor: Carly Thompson Writers: Harriet Chan, Cassandre Coyer, Carissa Dunlap CAMPUS Editor: Hannah Ebanks Writers: Lillian Cohen, Anna Hamre, Andrea Williams GLOBE Editor: Shafaq Patel Writers: Abbrianna MacGregor, Charlie Boyale, Emily Lourdes Cristobal HEALTH Editor: Monica Petrucci Writers: Grace Galaragga, Dana Gerber, Jamie Molnar STYLE Editor: Lily Bump Writers: Grace Griffin, Lily Hartman, Diti Kohli PHOTO Director: Stella Drews-Sheldon Photograpers: Haley Mendoza, Abigail Gutowski, Polin Bilidirici MARKETING Director: Victoria D’Angelo Staff: Molly Goodrich, Olivia Louisi, Lauren Quan COPYEDITING Head: Tara McDonough Editors: Amanda O’Connor, Audrey Iocca, Zenebou Sylla, Anna Moon, Lily Hartman, Minah Thomas BLOG Editor: Victoria Stewe Bloggers: Emma Lopez, Lily Doolin, Emma Goodwin, Zenebou Sylla

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Monica Petrucci

Lily Bump

Style Editor

Blog Editor

Health Editor

City Editor

Carly Thompson

Photography Director

Victoria Steuewe

Design Director

Stella Drews-Sheldon

Kristen Cawog

Globe Editor

Shafaq Patel

Campus Editor

Hannah Ebanks

Fashion Director

Elise Sanchez

Marketing Director

Victoria D’Angelo

Head Copyeditor

Tara McDonough

Art Director

Rachel Scalera

Managing Editor

Allie Digennaro

Editor-in-Chief

Caitlin Smith

Creative Director

Emma Cox

CITY

Invading the Music Kingdom // 8 Your Neighbors, the Kennedy’s // 10 Boston, A Kingdom of Inequalities // 12

KINGDOM

INVADINg THE MUSIC 8 | Atlas

T By: Carissa Dunlap Photo: Stella Drews-Sheldon Middle East Resturant and Nightclub in Cambridge, Massachusetts

he city of Boston has long been associated with a vibrant and rich music scene. Artists such as Aerosmith, Donna Summer, Boston, New Kids on the Block, James Taylor, and the Pixies all have at some point in time graced the stage of local Boston music venues. Although iconic venues like T.T’s the Bear’s Place, Johnny D’s and Beachcomber, have been lost to the perpetual change of cities, there are definitely venues that have survived to this day that any college student can enjoy.

The Beachcomber, a beloved Irish bar and venue on the South Shore, where hometown favorites like the Dropkick Murphys played, closed after 40 years. T.T the Bear’s Place shuttered its doors in Cambridge Central Square after 31 years. And the respected Somerville roots-music haven Johnny D’s suffered a similar fate after 46 years in business. The clubs all closed within a span of one year mainly due to a lack of profit as tickets go to more than just the artist and the venue. It also goes to the workers, the equipment, the promoter, the marketing budget, tax laws, and so many other things that add up. Ultimately the issue for these venues wasn’t that people weren’t coming to shows, but that the costs of staying open heavily outweighed the difficulty of signing bands to performances.

Many wondered if the Boston music scene was losing out to larger venues such as TD Garden.

The thing is TD Garden can be unreasonable for many people. Concert-goers either are or are not

willing to pay around $200 for a ticket and decent seat to see a popular musician. And either way the high prices of decent tickets can make it more difficult for college students on a budget to see certain shows. The benefit of more intimate venues is the affordability. While it has many high-profile performers such as (insert names here), there’s a lack of diversity in featuring local or smaller artists. And it often signs popular bands that many people just don’t care to see.

“I do think that while Boston has such great access to live music. But it can get so expensive, and sometimes I feel like I’m spending half of my paycheck just to go see someone [either] like Maggie Rogers or like Bruno Mars,” said junior Emerson College student Gabriella Saavedra. “There are definitely cheap venue [options], but it’s honestly knowing where to find them for certain musicians.”

In an effort to make music the communal experience it once was and as accessible as possible, SoFar Sounds, a relatively new venue company, makes use of people’s local residences to host smaller artists in numerous cities such as Boston.

“Speaking with artists, other managers and booking agents in the city, some of the first things I heard was that there are so many artists and not enough venues, not enough spaces, not enough opportunities,” Matt Brooks said, who is the Boston Director of SoFar Sounds.

SoFar came to Boston in 2013, and has since grown to become a staple in the city’s music scene. Just this year, SoFar Boston has jumped from doing one or two shows per month to over 18 shows each month. According to Matt Brooks, they’ve been able to produce more shows frequently because of the demand for a SoFar show. Many were looking for an intimate community of music lovers, looking to move away from common distractions at larger music venues, such as the crowd talking over the performers, a slightly distorted sound system, and people in front of you on their phones the entire time. When you typically go to a show you know who is opening, who is headlining, what to expect, and where to go. It gives someone the opportunity to either go in late, leave early, or not pay attention to a certain artist. SoFar eliminates that by not releasing who is performing that night.

“On the guest side, sometimes they are potential fans who don’t know where to go to see where artists play. And it’s sometimes because there’s not enough ven-

ues for them to play at,” Brooks said.

He also thinks SoFar doesn’t compete with any other show or venue because they don’tW promote the event with the artists name.

“That’s what makes it possible [for an artist] to do a SoFar the night before Great Scott.

Because even if you have a clause in a contract or something that says you can’t have a promoted show, it’s secret. It doesn’t take away from any ticket sales that Great Scott would have,” Brooks said. A SoFar show creates opportunities to test out new material, new ways to organize their instrumentation, or set up.

The intimate setting allows for artists to play in front of a willing crowd of pure music lovers.

There’s something a small music venue does that’s so simple and so magical. It’s a space for music. It’s a spot for local musicians to redefine and to restructure their sound. It’s a space that empowers and expands audiences’ musical

“there are so many

artists and not enough venues, not enough spaces, not enough opportunities” minds. And that one experience could drastically change their perceptions of music. It gives communities a hub, one where music can bind them.

“For me, it’s a home. A place for exploration, comfort, rebellion, and a source of happiness.

It’s also a way for me to avoid responsibilities too,” laughs junior Emerson College student, Gabriella Saavedra, who often frequents local Boston venues like the Royale and Sinclair.

What Gabriella loves about living in Boston is that there is always something for everyone.

“One day I could be seeing June Divided at The Middle East, and then the next day I could be seeing Alessia Cara on the Harber,” Saavedra said. “What makes the Boston music scene so special is that seeing a live show could just mean I’m watching an acapella group at Faneuil Hall. It’s so much more than just watching my favorite band play at a club.”

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Your Neighbors

The Kennedy’s By: Harriette Chan Graphic: Stella Drews-Sheldon

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A

t the peak of John F. Kennedy’s presidency, the Kennedy family was adored by Americans. As a young, handsome and charismatic politician, he won the people over with his flashy smile and innovative ideas. This, accompanied with his beautiful, elegant wife, Jackie, and their adorable kids, made them royalty in the eyes of Americans. Other Kennedys, like JFK’s brother, Robert Kennedy, were also famous politicians. This, according to Jackie Kennedy, was the era of Camelot, a time of dreams and innovation.

Generations later, the Kennedy family still produces prominent politicians and humanitarians. It seems like wealth, power, and prestige just flow through the bloodline. Maybe it does, but to find out we need to look at the roots of this family, which are firmly planted right here in Boston.

JFK was born and raised in a suburb of Brookline, MA. His birthplace is a small gray house with green shutters, humble in comparison to the grandeur of his legacy. Jason Atsales, Lead Park Ranger at the John Fitzgerald National Historic Site, explains that growing up, “he was very smart, he was mischievous as a child…a little bit rebellious, a little free spirited.” This rebellious child became our youngest elected President at the age of 43 in 1961.

Even before his rise to notoriety, JFK’s family had been influencing Boston politics for generations. On his mother’s side, Honey Fitzgerald was a two time mayor of Boston and an early benefactor of the Boston Red Sox. On his father’s side Patrick Kennedy was a Massachusetts senator. His father, Joseph Kennedy, even held three political positions under FDR. So, the Kennedys were a powerhouse family in politics, but that’s all in the past. Why does Boston still care about them? According to Emerson professor, Gregory Payne, the Kennedys were more than just a political family. He explains that ,“The Kennedy’s are politics in Boston… when you say Boston you think of the Kennedys”.

We don’t have to look far to see where the family intertwines with the city. The Rose Kennedy Greenway is one of several places in Boston named after a Kennedy. A statue of JFK stands at the Massachusetts State House. Next door in Cambridge, Harvard named their school of business after JFK, a Harvard alum. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is only a 20 minute drive (or a $10 Uber) from Emerson, and the president’s own birthplace is only a 15 minute drive. The Kennedys, while internationally famous, are still proudly claimed by the city of Boston.

Payne himself was deeply affected by the Kennedy family.

“I was the president of young Republicans of the University of Illinois”, recounts Payne.

“We went down to the Indiana University to hear Robert Kennedy speak, we used to refer to him as the Antichrist. When I went back everyone in the car was still very conservative and anti-Kennedy but I found myself saying he was really inspirational. I changed overnight and I took a semester off of school and campaigned with him in Nebraska and Indiana. I was there when he was assassinated, which was very traumatic.”

Payne points out his favorite picture of Robert Kennedy

on his office wall, a picture of the young senator smiling downwards.

“He continues to inspire me even though he was killed fifty years ago.The Kennedys inspire, thats why some people hate them. Even in death they inspire...They are champions of the poor, advocates since the beginning for universal health reform”, says Payne.

Payne is just one of the many people who find inspiration from the Kennedys. The family was full of dreamers, innovators, and leaders.

“They’re the closest thing we have to a royal family”, muses Payne.

Now, there is a new generation of Kennedys. Robert Kennedy’s grandson, Joe Kennedy III, is one of Massachusetts’ representatives. He notably delivered the Democratic response to Trump’s State of the Union address. Jackie and JFK’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, was the US ambassador to Japan. This next generation bears the legacy of their iconic family. While the family’s new generation is still politically present and active in local and national politics, they don’t inspire the same kind of awe that the Camelot era Kennedys did.

Despite the rich history of the Kennedy’s, most college students are not as affected as the previous generations.

While most of us have an idea as to why the Kennedys were important, the details are not common knowledge.

But to be fair, we are not a part of the generation that lived through the Golden Age of the Kennedys. Perhaps the high emotion following the the tragic assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy simply don’t translate to our generation anymore. Maybe we have moved on.

When asked on the matter, an 18 year old Boston native said, “honestly, I don’t know anything about them other than the fact they’re a [beautiful] family.”

Boston is my home, and I share it with one of America’s most famous historic families. When we live in this city we are surrounded by history; this is something that we should take advantage of. JFK made his first ever speech at eleven years old at the Omni Parker House in Boston; legend has it that he also asked Jackie to marry him at that very same spot. The headquarters for his 1960 presidential run and 1946 congressional run were both on Tremont Street, a single block away from Piano Row. On the way to CVS we are walking on historic streets. In 1961, JFK gave a speech in Boston where he said, “For 43 years, whether I was in London, or in Washington, or in the South Pacific, or elsewhere — this has been my home. And, God willing, wherever I serve, this shall remain my home.”

The Kennedys are just one of the many chapters in Boston’s rich history, but what a beautiful chapter they were—the dreamers who wanted to put a man on the moon and bring America into the future. The storytellers who sang a tale of Camelot. The speakers who could reach the hearts of the oppressed. Perhaps the golden age of the Kennedys has passed, after all there will never be another Camelot, but looking back at our history we still have something to learn from these people, this royal family of Boston that carved its place into the heart of our historic city. The legacy lives on and it lives right here.

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BOSTON A KINGDOM OF INEQUALITIES By: Cassandre Coyer

W

hile searching for an apartment is a stressful phase that most students will go through in their lives, the inaccessibility of affordable housing and the unequal wealth and power distribution are much broader and serious problems for students in the city of Boston.

According to The Boston Globe, in 2016, Boston was ranked the most unequal big city in America.

Most students with limited financial resources are, or soon will be, realizing that the comfortable days of living 2 minutes away from class are long gone. For many Emerson students, trying to find affordable housing close to class, in a nice student-friendly neighborhood and near public transportation is easier said than done.

Most students scatter across the city. From East Boston to Jamaica Plain, Mission Hill, to Allston, even in the South End, students are forced to realize the true expense of the city.

According to a Brookings Institution report, in 2016, Boston’s highest-earning households, meaning those at the 95th percentile of Boston’s income distribution, made 15 times what households in the 20th percentile earned. Households in the bottom 20 percent had an income of $17,734.

This number is close to what someone would earn working the minimum hour requirement for a full time job in Massachusetts at the current minimum wage of $11 an hour. This is what most students tend to be paid if they have time outside college to work full time.

Junior Journalism major Maximiliano Reyes is living in his first apartment in East Boston. He explained he has to balance his days between 40 hours of work at Whole Foods, 5-hour internship and three classes each week. His monthly expenses comprise the $825 of rent, $400 of tuition, the varying charges of utilities and food.

Boston’s inequalities appear so visible and striking because they are walking distance from one another. On the West side of the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain, the median household income is $169,291 while on the more eastern side of the arboretum, in Forest Hills, the household income drops to $34,366, according to the Wealth Divides research.

Even though Reyes explained he has to be careful financially and suffers from the high rent prices

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in Boston, he also realizes that as a college student, he is part of the problem.

“The problem is gentrification in Boston is such a widespread issue and it’s derived from so many economic factors that college students are obviously contributing to it. But to just be in Boston requires you, in some way, to interact with that system,” Reyes said.

Colleges do play a big part in the gentrification of Boston’s neighborhoods. Mayor Martin Walsh demanded in 2014 that colleges provide more on-campus housing options to cut the number of off-campus students in half by 2030. Emerson now guarantees on-campus housing for the first 3 years of a student’s academic life.

However, while students participate in the gentrification of Boston’s neighborhoods, they also do not have the financial capacity to avoid it. The low income and high rent combination does not leave many options for students coming out of the dorms.

Jeff Morris, Assistant Director of Off Campus Services, and his office helps students’ moving into their first apartment be as stress free and successful as possible. He explained students often have misconceptions about the housing market in Boston.

Indeed, while apartment prices are high, students can easily find housing for cheaper than what they would pay living on campus. While living off campus requires more careful budget planning, it is not necessarily more expensive.

Students should not be intimated to live off campus. Morris explained Emerson students tend to be reluctant to leave the “Boylston Bubble.” He said the 80 percent of the residents living on top of Starbucks at 62 Boylston Street are Emerson students.

Leaving campus, students are presented with different living opportunities. While a lot of systematic forces are at play, students’ living choices will not affect the market as much as they think, and they need to explore and discover their city.

Students should take advantage of living in diverse neighborhoods to interact and learn more about these cultures.

Boston’s inequality problem is rooted in the city’s foundation, and here we are today observing and suffering from its legacy.

We’ll Never Be Royals

Makeup - Target (because we’re banned from Sephora)

Bra - The only one actually my size

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Face Mask - Found in the bottom of my drawer (probably expired) Bedazzled Heart Clip - Stolen off a drunk girl’s head. She needed a pony tail anyways

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Ruling Their Craft // 18 Expanding the Emerson Empire // 20 Ruling From the Underground // 22

CAMPUS

Ruling Their Craft

By: Anna Hamre Photo: Sarah Tesh

How Two Women are Using Their Majors to Break Into “Boys’ Clubs” “WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE

WHEN YOU GROW UP?” This is a question children are asked from a young age. When it is first asked it carries little weight, a possible outlet for children to express their hopes for the future. However, the significance grows as children face adulthood.

For those who attend college and selecting a major is a stepping stone to answer that question. In a 2018 report, “Drawing The Future”, by the Education and Employers foundation and the UCL Institution of Education (IOE), it was noted that gender stereotyping in the workplace is typically implemented in children by the age of 7. Director of IOE, Professor Becky Barnes, found that many people on an individual level are still having their ambition and promise capped by prospects narrowed by gender stereotypes. Professor Barnes stated that in order to negate these tendencies, educators must play a role in challenging gender stereotypes.

Emerson College is a school that specializes in communication and the arts. Several of the majors offered are industries that are predominantly male. The women of Emerson, however, have shown time and time again that fear of the unknown and systematic hurdles truly mean nothing. Whether it be in film, journalism, political science, journalism, or marketing, these women don’t allow anything to come between them and their passions.

Music has played a major role for most of Jamie Groele’s life, whether playing the piano or listening to her favorite songs. She knew that she wanted to make music a part of her future, but was unsure what form that would take.

Now, Groele, is a junior at Emerson, studying visual and media arts with a focus in audio

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production.

“I found that there were so many classes I didn’t even knew existed for audio and sound.

I started working for WERS, and now I’m learning how to become a sound engineer for music and film.”

Groele, while finding a path to a career where she can showcase her musical and creative talent, has been continually confronted with the reality that her profession is essentially androcentric. Women were only 17 percent of the Billboard 2018 Power 100 List, which showcases the leaders in tech, recording, and management, and only three were women of color. This was an increase from last year’s list, which had 10 women and two women of color.

While the industry is beginning to open up to women, men generally hold the majority of the top positions in music production and sound technology.

When asked whether she had encountered any kind of sexism or misogyny in the field, Groele quickly responded, “Oh 100 percent, it happens to me at WERS pretty frequently.”

Reflecting on a situation where she and another female Live Mix Assistant at Emerson’s radio station, WERS, were undermined by their male peers despite their experience, Groele said that she has “learned not to allow myself to be intimidated by that kind of behavior” and has taken strides to learn more about her industry in order to make it impossible to detract from her accomplishments.

While explaining that she had been previously apprehensive of becoming a sound technician due to the perception that there is a limited amount of space for women in the industry, Groele took a moment to acknowledge her pride in the shift in her demeanor.

“I really try to stand up for myself and my work, I’ve been working on trusting myself and knowing that I’m good enough.”

After recently working with alternative rock group Hippo Campus during late October in a WERS live recording, Groele was officially deemed a Live Mix Engineer at Emerson’s popular broadcasting station.

While Groele is still deciding whether or not she wants to continue into the music business, or enter film production after college, she is sure that her main goal is to create.

“I want to be able to really make something I’m proud of. I want to be able to look at my work and say ‘I did that on my own.’”

Groele spent a few moments quietly thinking after she was asked to share advice for aspiring female producers and technicians.

“It doesn’t matter what other people think or see, it’s your life, and I know it sounds corny but do what makes you happy. Do what you want to do and work for it no matter what, because you will be so much happier in the end knowing that you tried.”

Despite Emerson being primarily focused on the arts, its political communications program has produced many aspiring political leaders, diplomats, officers, and lawyers. Kelley Guerra, an Emerson senior, boasts a long list of experience working with prominent figures in local government.

Although her physical involvement in politics didn’t begin until 2015, Guerra always knew that she had a place in the courtroom.

She describes herself as outspoken and a natural performer.

“The mixture of what I love doing, which is performing, social change, and being incredibly well-read and intelligent really drew me to it [law]”.

The spring of her freshman year, Guerra landed her first job working on a campaign for Jay Livingstone during his run for State Senate. Although she had admitted she had “no idea” what she doing at the time, Guerra found that she was meant to work in politics. She continued on to work with Jetpac, a nonprofit organization that focused on the creation of a vast network of Muslim elected officials across the country at the local, state, and federal level. {3} Guerra noted how important her work with the nonprofit group was to her, and her desire to expand the amount of diversity in the United States’ democracy. She recognizes that this can start with the way potential young voters view politics and takes pride in her work with Generation Citizen - an ‘action organization’ that promotes the education of students in America on civics and encourages them to become future voters.

Guerra went on to explain that there is a significant deficiency in representation of women and people of color in politics.

“How can we say there’s representation in our government when it virtually doesn’t exist. Politics and law are so exclusionary. Even just applying to law school eliminates any low income household, so a lot of people coming out of these programs and entering our political system are coming from a place of incredible privilege.”

Data from the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University shows that as of 2018, 23 percent of U.S. Senators, 19 percent of House Representatives, and 25 percent of State Legislatures are made up of women. The recent midterm elections this November recorded a historical number of women running

for office in the United States. Of 277 female candidates running for positions in Congress and as governor, 36 were elected into the House and 13 into the Senate. This is the highest recorded number of women working in high ranking political positions in American history.

Describing politics as a “boys club”, Guerra stated that in order to be successful in this industry “[you] can’t allow anyone to put you in

a box or categorize you as something that you aren’t,”and the “combination of both confident and humble” is unexpected and makes you nearly unstoppable.

“The last thing they [men in politics] expect is for you to be confident, they assume you will roll over on everything, so immediately coming in with assertiveness is a game changer.”

Over the summer following her junior year, Guerra earned a spot working on the speech writing team of Boston Mayor Martin Walsh. Over the course of two months, Guerra worked with other interns to produce numerous speeches to be presented by the mayor in his appearances across Boston. Her own speech was chosen to be recited by Walsh at the grand re-opening of Colonial Theatre, and was quoted in Emerson’s official press release of the event.

“It was such a huge accomplishment for me, I thought it was so crazy that I got to see something I wrote presented at such a prestigious event”.

Following her graduation in May 2019, Guerra is planning on attending law school, and hopes to eventually work as a lawyer for the Judge Advocate Corps, the legal branch of the United States Navy. She hopes to use this position to simultaneously see the world and serve the country. “I think it’s a great opportunity to serve my country and travel.”

Both Guerra and Groele are a representation of the strength and will that the women of Emerson so frequently exhibit. With a female population of 63 percent, and several 2018 top rankings for their visual media arts, communications, and production programs, Emerson is contributing to the growing wave of female excellence in today’s workforce.

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F

By: Lilian Cohen Photo: Stella Drews-Sheldon

rom the Back Bay area to the Boston Common, real estate involving Emerson College has changed a lot throughout the years, but it’s recent expansions that are rubbing students the wrong way.

“It looks like a bunch of wasted money when there are other pressing concerns that could benefit from that funding,” Emerson College student Ethan Underhill said. “I get that the college needs to grow, but it’s only going to grow if it’s built on a solid foundation.”

Protests demanding increased financial aid and diversity expansion and support erupted on campus last year and two years prior, led by POWER, a group on campus pushing for similar agenda points. Bull horns and students of color and allies lined the dining hall shouting for progress, a march took off down Boylston St. after a rally in Boylston Pl. And yet the administration said that the money they had was already being used for such. The Ad-Hoc Committee at Emerson, created to create such programs out of similar frustration, held a meeting for the public to create and implement programs as such, without strenuous budgets that the administration claimed they could not afford. But, then they bought another building, 171-172 Tremont St. Members of the administration from Emerson College declined to

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comment.

64% of Emerson College students come from the top 20%, an article in The New York Times found. It showed that statistics on diversity within the college are also just as skewed, even more so for faculty members.

The Dining Center and 2 Boylston Pl. residence hall were remodeled and opened for the Fall 2017 semester. A reconstruction and renovation of The Little Building starting after that is projected to be finished by the Fall 2019 semester. 12 Hemenway St. has also been leased for residency during the renovations, for sophomore students only.

With ever-growing admissions and students interested in on-campus housing, that same November President M. Lee Pelton announced through an email to students that he had purchased 171-172 Tremont St. for $24 million. But, the message showed no specific proposal for the purchase at the time, reading that “While Emerson had no plans to expand its downtown footprint… the purchase assures that no other future development takes place at this location, which is footsteps away from other campus buildings.” There was an open forum for students to suggest what to use it for. And only a few months later, 134-136 Boylston St. was also purchased by the college, with no long-term plan of its use announced at the time.

EXPANDING THE EMERSON EMPIRE

Student Aaron Foster says that when he went to a Town Hall meeting for the college last year, regarding the increasing real-estate persona, his answers were danced around and not answered. He believes “It’s the system of treating college like a business,” not being as transparent with students as many would like.

But Emerson isn’t just expanding here in Boston, it’s been going global. The college has some of the fewest study abroad programs of all private institutions within the US. Although Emerson owns a castle in the Netherlands and has various extracurricular summer programs in numerous countries through Global Pathways, Emerson has still limited what experiences students can receive. Domestic programs extend to Los Angeles and Washington D.C. This July, Emerson College announced the launch of international portals in Lugano, Switzerland and Paris for next year, so that students in those countries can access online courses while living there independently from the college. President Pelton told the Boston Herald that similar plans are in the works for Hong Kong and Sydney for 2020.

The lead of that article was “the sun will never set on the Emerson empire.” This upset many students on campus, hitting home on the issue of diversity for many Emerson students who voiced their opinions online and in class by what many saw as glorifying colonialism.

“That’s the thing about going to a small school,” Emerson College student Jonah Puskar said. “You know people and they’re vocal people.”

The phrase bothers him because of the colonialism and racism associated with it, as with many other students, and comment pages for the college flooded with memes and rants on the subject only hours after the article’s publication.

“I’ll say that the Boston Herald article about Emerson’s new global portals presented Lee [President Pelton] in a kind of cartoony-evil-imperial-tyrant way and I bet it was an exaggeration,” Emerson College student, Sarah Fristoe, said, “but you can tell he cares more about how the college looks than the needs of his students, especially low income students.”

And yet, Emerson is still finding more lands to conquer just outside the door. The college is seeking approval to widen the sidewalk along Boylston Street by taking over the parking lane, the Boston Globe reported last November. “The school believes this will make its urban ‘front lawn’ more inviting, with a row of trees and benches.” An official from the city confirmed that the City of Boston is interested in the idea, but specifics are still being discussed.

Students feel neglected by the college, properties being bought before establishing their proposed use while students beg for money to go elsewhere.

“It’s always hard for me knowing… that they care more about their image than us,” Puskar says.

Pictures of Emerson protests against the administration, asking for more diversity and increased financial aid for those in need, appear on the website as a testament for how active Emerson students are. They use it as publicity for the college itself; to show how progressive its students are, bettering their image despite the content of student unrest.

“This is a great and unique school and there’s a reason it sustains what it does,” he continues. But that “Emerson should be what it pretends to be… without all the nonsense.”

Every kingdom rises and falls. History is evidence of that. It evolves or dies. But, the question remains, with the continued conquest, is it time to look inside or continue to expand? Is Emerson College a rising power or already on the decline?

Substituting Diversity For Academic Distinction

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RULING FROM THE UNDERGROUND By: Andrea Williams Photo: Stella Drews-Sheldon

EVEN THOUGH JAZZ is not topping the charts with a new hit single every month it is one of the most important and influential styles of American pop music but also embedded in American culture.

Jazz was integrated into American culture in the early 1920s. Soon after, jazz was one of the most popular types of music in America . Since its peak, jazz has perpetually dwindled in popularity. Between 2009 and 2010, jazz saw a decrease of twenty-five percent in record sales, as recorded by the Nielsen music report published in 2010. In 2017, the Nielsen company also reported that jazz only made up 2.1 percent of the total record sales in the United States.

Even though jazz doesn’t seem to be playing a major role today, it has played a major role in America’s history. In the late 19th century, jazz stemmed from two major genres: ragtime and the blues. Much like everything else in America at this time, jazz artists and audiences were segregated.

Williams Beuttler, Emerson professor and former writer for the Boston Globe, promotes jazz as one of the greatest art forms to be born in America. Beuttler also said the lack of recognition for the art form is outrageous.

While a new jazz song playing on the radio nowadays is unlikely, there are many times jazz was incorporated into the background tracks of famous and popular songs. “A lot of the early hip-hop was sample jazz albums. People were taking little snippets of classic jazz from the 50’s and 60’s and building songs around them,” Beuttler explained.

This practice of sampling jazz music into a more modern music style can be seen from artists’ work such as Ludacris with his song “Number One Spot” taking a sample from a Quincy Jones song. It can also been seen in a song by Busta Rhymes with his song “Intro” sampling the trumpets from a song by Herb Alpert.

Beuttler also pointed out that jazz and hip-hop don’t only meet when an artist wants to integrate the two, but they also come together on stage. Many times jazz musicians and hip-hop artist will perform together to get a better live sound. Beuttler referred to the group August Greene which features both Common and the musicians Robert Glasper and Karriem Riggins. With this group, it is obvious to see the two styles of music coming together and continuing to make music to this day. While it’s inevitable for the music industry to perpetually change it’s important to think about where all of our current music started: jazz.

At its peak, jazz was influential and a staple in American culture. Beuttler said that jazz was “is really important to diversity because jazz comes out of African rhythms and African drums combined with European harmonies and European instruments.”

Whether artists are incorporating jazz in its live glory or rebelling against traditional music rules, jazz lives strongly in our culture and history.

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GLOBE Finding My Kin // 27 Borderline Nobility // 28 Castle Living: the Past and Present of Kasteel Well // 30

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Finding My Kin By: Charlie Boyle Photo: Stella Drews-Sheldon

L

ast summer I chased after my past and searched for two names that were familiar to me. While the names felt like home, they were still distant and seemingly unreachable.

First I went to Ireland, hoping to find remnants of my last name somewhere in the narrow streets of Dublin or in the green valleys of the countryside. Upon arrival, I realized the people didn’t really look like me—short with small features. Nor did I feel some sort of instant spiritual connection to the land. Even the locals remarked on how non-Irish I was in spite of my very Irish name, instead saying I looked Baltic or some other Northeastern European country.

It was only in my last week there did I find what I was looking for in a museum database. There, I found my ancestor who emigrated to the United States from Ireland in the 1700s. My father, sister, and I were ecstatic, but my mother found no such relief. She wouldn’t find such a connection until we reached Scotland.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived in Scotland. The country brings tall mountains, rugged men with swords, kilts, and hidden monsters in lakes to mind. Images I had seen in Braveheart or Outlander. I, of course, knew such things were inaccurate or romanticized, so how much did I really know about my mother’s homeland and the Stewart name she held?

In Gaelic, the word clann means “children” or loosely “family”. Going through Scotland, we found this feeling of family everywhere. While in Edinburgh, we found two brothers also from the United States who were traveling to a clan convention in the Highlands, where they would meet with far-distant relations and participate in the Highland Games. They were a part of Clan McPherson (or MacPherson), and had only recently connected with their Scottish roots.

One of the brothers, Christopher, explained that clans were built up of descendants of the chief, however distant, septs, or non-related families, and any other who desired to be under the clan’s protection. He said that the clan system was the main political system in Scotland for centuries, up until 1746 and the Battle of Culloden where the Jacobites were defeated. During this time, large scores of Scots fled to

the United States to escape the strict rule of the English, who took away their right to wear the kilt and banned them from speaking Gaelic, among other things.

This is when their ancestors emigrated, and none of their family had been to Scotland since. I asked him later about his clan meeting experience, to which he said, “We were greeted like long lost cousins. I befriended many of the Scots our own age and are planning to visit them next Spring.”

His brother Brennan also only had positive experiences from the meeting, “I cannot speak more highly of the welcome my brother and I received. It may have been more because we were young and not as many young people come searching for their roots, but every person we chatted with was so welcoming and warm. We swam in the River Spey, and hiked around the countryside together. It was an awesome experience I will not soon forget and I cannot wait to see them again next year.”

I was fascinated by the idea that you could have claims to a long lost family. I didn’t think I could ever feel apart of a clan, of this land I knew nothing about. All I had were the words of another American and scenes from movies and television. How could I go into a clan meeting and claim to be apart of something so ancient and important? The more I thought about it, the more it bothered me. I worried that I was just looking at Scotland through the lense of the media, and not really seeing the history and traditions that go into daily life.

Wondering more about this, I asked the brothers if they thought that our presence, the presence of outsiders, would dilute the culture. Their response brought clarity, “Clan just means family. All that has taken place by adding people from around the world is expanding a family… It doesn’t matter whether you have an American accent, or an extremely heavy Scottish accents, or even an Australian accent, when we were all gathered together sharing an experience like that, we truly were a family.”

Although I left Scotland without attending a clan meeting, I came back to the United States with a sense of pride in my mother’s last name, a part of myself I had never explored before. My last name is Irish, but that is not all of who I am, it is not the only family, or clan, I belong to.

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Borderline Nobility By: Abbrianna MacGregor Photo: Abbrianna MacGregor

O

bserving juxtaposing neighborhoods in El Paso, Texas feels like dancing in a vibrantly patterned kaleidoscope. From the historic and artful El Segundo Barrio area to the city’s increasingly gentrified downtown, every nook and cranny has some token of history, culture or modernist development nestled in it. On one street corner, one might encounter a street vendor donned in a straw hat advertising a sign for cheap elote with a radio blaring Spanish music in tow. On another, one might see a group of children wearing school uniforms clamoring to their after-class destinations in camaraderie.

The city’s jovial vibe begins to null only when one ventures into its southern territory. Here, one may stumble upon a sight that is commonplace for El Paso’s constituents but jarring for those who are not accustomed to life amidst a major entryway to the U.S. Armed border patrol agents sprinkled across the periphery of the U.S. and Mexico border project a hawkish, predatory air. Snapshots of life in one of the United States’ largest, most densely populated border communities present a testament to El Paso’s stark uniqueness. In its suspension amidst competing American and Latino influences, this culture gains its distinction. The city’s atmosphere is permeated by a daunting, militaristic force.

The city’s flat landscape is illuminated by the grandiosity of the Franklin Mountains that encircle it. El Paso County has a population of approximately 833,600, a figure broadcast by the results of an American Community Survey for 2012-16. A United States Census Bureau report from July 2017 revealed that 83 percent of the city’s total population identify as Hispanic or Latino. The waters of the Rio Grande, along with our nation’s physical border—a towering, iron fence— constitute the city’s southern limits. In the gaps between the fence’s diamond-patterned lattices, passersby glimpse Ciudad Juarez, one of Mexico’s largest cities. Though mere feet away, the Mexican metropolis is rendered strangely distant and intangible. The imposing iron fortress and armed guards partner to form a menacing blockade; it is a signifier of one nation’s ending and another’s beginning.

These arbitrary borderlines are rendered even more peculiar when one considers the implications of being on one side as opposed to the other. Despite their close proximity, the cities of Juarez and El Paso stand in stark contrast to each other. If someone were to visit this border region with an awareness of only Juarez’s history of crime, they may quickly associate El Paso with violence of an equally high calibre.

I will admit, before I visited El Paso myself, I also viewed it under a skeptic lens. Contrary to initial assumptions, El Paso is actually one of the safest cities to live in the country. U.S. News and World Report listed El Paso as “one of the 10 best U.S. cities in which to live for quality of life in 2016.” In contrast, an article entitled “Juarez among the 50 most dangerous cities in the world,” published in July 2018 by El Paso Times, elucidates Juarez’s steep crime rates stemming from the presence of drug cartels and street-level crime.

According to another El Paso Times article entitled “Murders in Mexico Border City of Juarez Continue to Rise as Deaths Top 160 in June Alone,” crime rates in Juarez are on the steady rise despite already disproportionately high numbers. [18] The fatalities that have occurred in recent times are a direct result of fighting between drug cartels and an ongoing conflict between the La Linea and Barrio Azteca crime

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organizations. [20] The article goes on to state that in stark contrast, El Paso only had 19 murders total in 2017. Considering these statistics, it is easy to see what appeal lies in crossing the border from Mexico to the U.S. With that said, Juarez’s violence has led to an influx of Mexicans seeking asylum in the U.S. to keep their families safe—or attempt to at least. Due to President Trump’s polarizing and criminalizing stance towards immigration, America is also, unfortunately, far from an ideal safe haven for these peace-seeking immigrants and refugees. Confronting border patrol agents at their point of arrival is anxiety-inducing and often sends asylum seekers back in the direction they came.

It takes many years for someone without any aids or benefits such as wealth, education or desired skills to legally become a U.S. citizen.

Often times there are wait lists in place due to the high volume of green card applications, further prolonging the process. An article published in September 2017 by The Atlantic entitled “What the Waiting List for Legal Residency Actually Looks Like” highlights the example of a U.S. permanent resident’s unmarried son or daughter who is 21 years of age or older attempting to apply for a visa. The article goes on to say that

this category of visa applicants from Mexico face a wait of 21 years to file an immigrant visa application due to historically high demand.

As if wait times are not discouraging enough, the tenuous application procedures also carry financial obligations that many individuals coming from Mexico simply cannot afford, especially considering the decreased value of the peso to U.S. currency. The current fee for naturalization totals $725, and according to an ABC News report from July 2018, immigration lawyers charge between $5,000 to $7,500 on average to assist clients through green card applications. A large fraction of refugees and immigrants often work hard jobs for minimum wage or less and have families to support. Legal immigration often proves more difficult than immigrating via illegal methods. For thousands of families, the risk of illegal immigration is safer than not immigrating at all.

This “Catch 22” situation became even more complicated when visiting the borderline. One U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent’s parents had immigrated from Mexico, but he had been born in the U.S. Since he is bilingual, border patrol is one of the better jobs available to him, seeing as he would receive the benefits and perks of upholding a government position. When questioned about this, he insisted that he was only trying to ensure that people were safe since so many of the emigrants travel more incredible distances than Juarez, exposing themselves to the harsh desert elements when attempting their long-distance trek to “the land of opportunity.” This elicited images of history’s corrupt kings distributing false information to palace visitors.

Whether that was actually the case here or not, it was hard for one not to be skeptical. In carefully selected words, he recounted the story of a person they had found dead approximately a mile into the desert a few months ago. The casual manner in which he conveyed this tragedy, insinuating that such a thing was not a rare occurrence, is horrifying for anyone to recall to memory.

Madison Null, a junior Communication Sciences and Disorders major at Emerson College, visited El Paso with Emerson College’s Al-

ternative Spring Break program last March. She detailed her experiences speaking with a border patrol agent whose mother and father had immigrated from Mexico to the U.S. before he was born.

“We were on the border talking to the agent, and there were kids on the other side of the fence, and we ended up talking to them and their families, she says. “And it was kind of crazy because the border patrol agent told us to stay away from the kids cause they threw rocks at them sometimes. We went up and talked to them, and they were so sweet and really nice.”

She says these kids appeared to be around ages 6-11. Out of all of them, only one child was going to school because the family could only afford to provide a single child of theirs with an education.

Although those on the opposite side of the fence seem amiable enough, stories of ostracization such as this are ever common in a culture that is so widely affected by the seemingly omniscient presence of border patrol. In our current political climate in which immigration policy seems to become increasingly tighter as the months under Trump progress, this sense of askew power dynamics has steeply intensified.

Border patrol agents serve as the security guards protecting the fortress that is America. Though, maybe this surveillance is not as necessary as some make it out to be. Or, at least these daunting embodiments of United States privilege and exclusivity could strike up a lighthearted conversation with the children on the other side of the wall, especially if they claim to be motivated by upstanding intentions. It is, after all, friendship and understanding that can help us to ultimately demolish these physical barriers.

The stories communicated by El Paso’s natives and those who have visited paint a picture of a friendly, unique community in which two cultures collide. There is a lot we can learn from the places that sit on the edge of our nation’s southern border, but in order to do so, we must collectively open ourselves, and our laws, up to them.

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A

cross the flat grasslands and rolling hills of the Netherlands, is a castle hidden in the small village of Well, Limburg. The castle known as Kasteel Well was built in 1275 A.D. With its red brick exterior and its rising towers, the castle stands as two structures, Main Castle and the Voorburcht, or outer castle. It is surrounded by two moats which was once used for protection. But now, about 80 student shuffle through the royal gates casually every semester.

The castle provides a unique lifestyle, being surrounded by both history and nature. Maysoon Khan, a journalism major currently studying at the castle this fall says her first month felt like paradise.

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“Waking up to such a beautiful view, and walking through this 13th century castle to get to classes really left me in awe every time. I felt like royalty or something,” Khan says.

The castle, located near the southeast corner of the Netherlands, is about a ten minute drive or an hour walk to the border of Germany.

One could say the castle is kind of in the middle of nowhere with the village consisting of a butcher, a bakery, a community center, two bars and a small store ironically named “everything under one roof.”

Surrounded by what seems to be endless fields and nature reserves, people of Well bike around the neighborhood or tend to their

Castle Living:

the Past and Present of Kasteel Well By: Emily Cristobal Photo: Rachel Scalera

gardens. Well, a quiet town with a population about 2,500 people, has a peaceful picturesque vibe and the image is complete with Kasteel Well’s history that dates back to the 13th century.

Although Kasteel Well is now home to about 80 Emerson students who come and go for either the fall or spring semesters, the castle was once home to a number of regal families. The first known lord of castle Well is the guardian of Straelen, Arnold, who calls himself Lord of Well and Bergen.

Before the entire castle existed, the first structure that was built was the watchtower in 975 A.D. The rest of the castle was constructed

around the watchtower through the creative vision of the Duke Geldern of Germany. With his design, he enclosed the structure within the walls of the courtyard and dug moats. The castle’s design was inspired by the Crusades and the duke envisioned the castle as “a place of sanctuary, a place of inspiration and a place of vision,” according to the Emerson website.

Emerson purchased Kasteel Well in 1988. It was originally headed by John Barbetta and his wife, who founded Emerson College’s European program in Kasteel Well. The program is now under the leadership of Dulcia Meijers, who is the Program Director and is assisted by Rob Duckers and Chester Lee who are Assistant Directors.

In order to accommodate the new purpose of this 13th century castle, Main Castle and Voorburcht have been converted into a variety of bedrooms, living spaces, and classrooms for the Emerson students that study there during the semester. A New Wing has also been constructed, adding more space like classrooms, dorm rooms, and a computer lab.

If you aren’t looking closely at the castle, it is easy to miss the history behind the castle walls.

There are secret closets with stairways that often lead nowhere and faint intricate paintings hidden behind chipped off plaster walls. Some of the doors and metal beams are still original to when the castle was made. There is even a cabinet in the Vigil Room, a small living room, that encloses artifacts that were found when they were renovating the castle. These artifacts include an old pair of glasses, bullets, and old photographs from World War II. Little details like these really point to the history of what this castle once was.

Students who attend the castle program often find it hard to believe that they are given the rare chance to say they live in an actual castle.

Antonio Camasmie, a visual and media arts major currently studying at the castle says, “It’s been over two months, but when I walk out into the courtyard, I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that I live in a castle. It’s crazy beautiful here and is without a doubt the most picturesque place I’ve ever lived.”

Although some students felt like they were living in a fairytale, Kaylee Mattoon, a theater and performing arts major felt humbled to live in a castle that contained so much history.

“It is interesting to me how living in a Castle has made me feel anything but royal,” Mattoon said.

“In fact, I feel as though it has humbled me. Living in such a grand structure, built centuries before I was even thought of, has made me realize how grateful I am as one of the few individuals to have this unique opportunity.”

Furthermore, Samuel Willinger, a visual and media arts major, explains that living in the castle and being part of this program teaches you not only about “how the world works but also about yourself and what you want and need.”

Although the castle—a National Monument in the Netherlands and featured in paintings in famous museums—was once foreign to these students, it became a place of study and one they called home.

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HEALTH

Rising & Falling // 34 The Crown Juul // 35 Losing Legends: How We Cope With Fallen Stars // 36

RISING & ONE OF THE STRANGEST sights to see when walking into a gym is people falling from great heights, disappointed that they did not fall from higher ones. But such is the life of rock climbers. Indoor rock climbing gyms have sprouted up all over the country, offering everyone a chance to experience one of the most exhilarating, primal and versatile workouts available.

When I first went rock climbing only a year and a half ago, I could hardly finish the introductory climbs. Even still, it was not intimidating like other workouts. I never felt judged or pressured by those around me. I developed muscles, confidence, and a love for a physical activity that running or playing a sport had never spurred in me.

Climbing is a welcoming community regardless of your starting point. Anybody can be a climber, even if they do not think they fit the physical image. Evyn Hoon, a climber in Maryland who has done several 14,000-foot peaks and primarily participates in outdoor climbing, asserts that “everyone has a different niche that will make them a good climber.” Strong legs or arms are just as important as a strong core, for instance. Nine-year-old climbers can fly up walls that stump jacked weightlifters. It is all about how you use the strength you have, not about coming in with a six-pack.

In addition to its physical benefits, Hoon also highlights its mental advantages. “I went the day after the election and I forgot for two hours,” she reveals. She refers to climbing as a sort of “moving meditation,” where focus is redirected to the problem immediately at hand.

Nelson Klein — a long-term itinerant climber and employee at Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville, Massachusetts — also stresses this spiritual effect. He similarly views climbing as meditative, forcing you “to pay close attention to your balance and the sensations in your toes and your fingertips, and really sit with your sense of fear.” Climbing forces us back to a primal state, and Klein finds this especially important. “We live in a society where danger, and difficulty, and discomfort and all these [other] things— we try to get them out of our lives. So to have something where a lot of that stuff is kind of part of the design is really uncommon.” Rock climbing — especially indoor rock climbing — is a safe way to expose yourself to this ancient fight-or-flight response that we are deprived of in modern society.

Beyond the simple physical and mental benefits, climbing is a goal-oriented activity at its core. “Having that goal suddenly gives you this structure to persevere,” Klein notes, emphasizing climbing’s focus on developing your skills, rather than flawless natural talent. A good workout should not just test your mind and body, it should transform them. “The exercise is almost accidental,” Klein says. My favorite part of climbing is that it is a mental puzzle that your body has to keep up with, not simply a test of brute strength. “It’s changed my life,” Klein admits, and it has changed mine.

If you want to try rock climbing, go with a friend to have someone to ‘belay’ you (the person at the bottom handling your ropes). Many gyms will rent you gear, and you should try getting a day pass to see if you like it. I recommend checking out one of these lovely Boston gyms:

BROOKLYN BOULDERS Somerville, Mass.

ROCK SPOT CLIMBING Boston, Mass.

FITNESS AND RECREATION CENTER Boston Universiry

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F

A L L I N G

By: Dana Gerber

The Crown Juul By: Jamie Molnar Photo: Rachel Scalara

W

alk into any college party and you’ll see a Juul getting passed around the room. Many students take part in “casual Juuling”, where they don’t own a Juul or regularly partake in the trend, but when it’s around they’ll join in.

Juuls are becoming a trademark of teens throughout the United States. “It’s kind of like an oral fixation,” says Emily Kramer*, a regular user of the Juul. “It’s the act of smoking that makes it so attractive.”

Although the aesthetic of the Juul may seem appealing, the health consequences are not. “Vaping is a big issue and has been declared a youth epidemic by the FDA” says Laura Owens, the Associate Director at the Center for Health and Wellness at Emerson College.

According to the FDA, approximately 2.2 million middle and high school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2016. Out of those 2.2 million, 53.4% said that they only use rechargeable or refillable e-cigarettes, such as the Juul. That is approximately 1.2 million teenagers using the Juul or similar devices.

According to the Surgeon General’s report on the use of e-cigarettes among youth and young people, “Young smokers tend to affiliate with other young smokers, and both selection (of friends) and socialization (influences of friends) likely contribute to homogeneity in

tobacco use among groups of friends.”

Kramer agrees with this statement. She says that a good chunk of her friends smoke cigarettes and are always down to take a hit from a Juul. “I’ve become so desensitized, especially going to this school where it’s super normalized,” she says.

Many young cigarette users believe that e-cigarettes aren’t harmful like regular cigarettes. However, that is not the case. “Vapes — Juul is the most popular brand — have a strong concentration of nicotine, ‘nicotine salts’, that are highly addictive and detrimental to the developing brain and body which can lead to years of addiction,” says Owens.

E-cigarettes, like the Juul, were originally created to help cigarette smokers quit. Before she used the Juul, Kramer read several articles on how Juuls don’t actually help cigarette smokers to quit. “If it was a cessation aid, there would actually be a plan for you to stop using Juuls eventually,” says Kramer. “But there’s no such thing, you just keep wanting to buy pods.”

A cessation aid is something that helps smokers quit cigarettes such as the patch.

Owens explains that vaping is considered less harmful than smoking regular cigarettes because smokers aren’t exposed to as many of the carcinogens or toxins as traditional cigarettes. “A Juul pod is the equivalent of about 20 cigarettes and have many negative health

consequences including severe lung damage and [a] weakening immune system,” she says.

“You’re also 4x more likely to start smoking cigarettes if you vape — it is a slippery slope.”

According to the same Surgeon General’s report, the brain continues to develop until a person’s mid-twenties. When nicotine is introduced to a developing brain there may be disruptions in the growth of brain circuits that regulate attention, learning, and susceptibility to addiction.

Kramer believes that she is addicted to the Juul. “Sometimes I’ll just sit there and hit [the Juul] like ten times in a row without even breathing,” she says. “And then I’ll start coughing and then go right back to hitting it.”

Despite the health consequences, young people are still choosing to pick up the bad habit. Kramer justifies her use of the Juul by the apparent lack of obvious physical consequences. “Because I can’t really see it because it’s a Juul, I’m just like what’s the harm?” she says.

Organizations such as the Truth Initiative, a non-profit tobacco control organization, and the FDA are working towards educating the public on the harm of devices such as the Juul.

For now, however, the Juul still reigns supreme. *pseudonym

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LOSING LEGENDS:

How We Cope With Fallen Stars By: Grace Galarraga Graphic: Stella Drews-Sheldon

O

n January 10th, 2016, David Bowie’s songs echoed around the earth. People wept over the loss of the voice of a generation and the creator of beautiful music. The man made of stardust was dead, and no one could believe it.

When David Bowie died, the world couldn’t help but stand still.

It was a time when people came together to celebrate his life and of course, mourn over his untimely death. His face was painted on a wall in London and his music was played on every radio station around the globe. It was clear that David Bowie was loved by many. This obviously includes his immediate family and friends, but also, it includes his fans. Millions upon millions of people who never actually met Bowie were still heavily impacted by his loss.

Ethan Brant, an Emerson College student and devoted David

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Bowie fan, recalls the moment when he first heard about Bowie’s death. “I had a science exam… I received a text from a friend that David Bowie had died. The rest of the day was just a blur. I remember I drove home and listened to the Ziggy Stardust album and I just… cried.”

This emotional feeling that follows a celebrity’s death is different than any other loss. Fans adore celebrities in a way that cannot really be explained.

Most fans don’t love Bowie as a brother or as a cousin; Bowie is loved solely based on who he is and what he did. It’s an odd and pure sort of love. A love that thrives off of a fascination for someone who fans have never met, based on their music, writing, acting, mannerisms and personalities.

Celebrities have always been seen as larger than life. To most of the world, they are seen as how they want to be seen. David Bowie had a number of personas throughout the years.

He started out as Davy Jones and quickly switched during the early 1970s into Ziggy Stardust, the jumpsuit-wearing, bisexual alien that we all knew and loved. Four years later, Thin White Duke was born from Ziggy’s ashes and rose to fame.

In comparison to today, this can also be seen with celebrities like Lady Gaga, who has been known to have “eras” or “phases.” These personas are something that fans live for, but it’s also something that separates the celebrity from the person. Bowie’s personas separated him from David Jones: the person who he really was under all the face makeup and hair dye.

Ty Burr, a film critic for the Boston Globe, explains why we are so drawn to these celebrities.

“They seem like they’re not real.

Today we see them on screens, we see them perform and we also see them adhere to personas. They seem larger than life because they’re not sitting in front of us. They act out dramas whether they’re in movies or living their real life.”

Burr is very clear that he believes that celebrities and gods are one and the same. “We use the stories we follow from tabloids to tell us things about ourselves. 3,000 years ago, we used Gods.” 2007 leads us to an example of tabloid drama. While most people weren’t necessarily fans of Britney Spears’ at the time, people still found themselves deeply involved with her every move. Celebrities are in tabloids everywhere and for some reason, we are obsessed.

Then comes the question as to why we feel so sad and hurt when a celebrity dies. Burr explains that it’s all in the persona. “The persona is not supposed to die. In a way, they are still immortal. Bowie’s still around. We confuse the persona for the actual person.”

This explains why, two years later, David Bowie is still talked about and admired even after his death. Michael Jackson, nearly a decade after his death, is still credited on songs and still has a running twitter account. This may seem a bit haunting but it proves that “Michael Jackson” is not truly dead. Earlier this year, Drake released his album Scorpion, which included a song featuring Michael Jackson. The song is called “Don’t Matter To Me,” and it makes it seem like everything is just as it was in 2009, when Michael Jackson was still alive. It’s both terrifying and relieving.

These are people we’ve never met once. These are people we will most likely never meet ever. These are the people who live in front of screens or on a stage, performing for their audience. These people are untouchable to us and yet these are the people we admire and love. From their extravagant costumes to their boisterous attitudes, these are the people we wish we could call our friends and these are the people that have changed our lives for the better. These people don’t really die- they just move on to the next stage in their lives: they become legends.

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STYLE

Fashionable Distractions // 44 Athleisure: Working With Brands // 46 High End Fashion: Selling A Persona // 47

Reina

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Fashionable Distractions

By: Grace Griffin Photo: Sarah Tesh

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t’s not surprising that women in the spotlight are constantly under scrutiny for how they dress. However, there’s a big difference between the red carpet of an award show and the stage of a political debate.

Former First Lady, Michelle Obama, was persistently analyzed for what she wore. At President Obama’s addresses to Congress in 2009, for example, Michelle wore an elegant sleeveless dress that fell below her knee. Countless articles were then published as a result about that dress, on platforms from Fox News to the New York Times. The majority of articles published criticized Obama’s bare arms.

Even after the Obamas left office, Michelle’s clothing still remained a subject of public analysis. In 2017, Michelle was spotted boarding a yacht in Spain in a crop top and maxi skirt with a high slit. Pictures of the outfit were plastered on practically every social media and online news site. Some praised her look while others tore it apart. The number of articles written on Michelle’s attire rivals the amount published on the work she has done since becoming First Lady.

Annie Noel, a former intern on Rachel Rollins’ campaign for Massachusetts district attorney during the summer of 2018, witnessed this scrutiny firsthand. Noel said her coworkers would comment on her dress more than her job performance.

“I was going through Elizabeth Warren’s Instagram today and ended up realizing she has, like, five jackets. They’re different colored jackets that she wears on top of black slacks and a black shirt,” Noel said. “I think that she has chosen to dress that way because she’s found this look that works for her and is not offensive and has decided to stick to it and not take any risks because she doesn’t want that to be another thing she can be attacked for. No one should have to wear the same five jackets to just do their job.”

Much of what is considered to be “professional” female clothing parallels the fit and style of classic mens’ suits, but women are even criticized for wearing these. Hillary Clinton’s infamous pantsuit was often the butt of jokes from conservatives throughout her 2016 campaign.

“Because politics is a male dominated field, people use dress as a way to distract from what women are saying and what they’re standing up for because it’s an easy target,” Rebecca Brubaker. former Clinton campaign associate said.

When Clinton lost the 2016 presidential election, many house democratic women wore white pantsuits in solidarity with her. North Dakota congressman Kevin Cramer, among numerous other male politicians, criticized these females for their style choice. “By the way, did you notice how poorly several of them were dressed as well? It is a syndrome. There is no question. There is a disease associated with the notion that a bunch of women would wear bad-looking white pantsuits in solidarity with Hillary Clinton to celebrate her loss,” said Cramer.

Aside from professionalism, this hyperfocus on what women in the political spotlight wear often distracts from what they are actually doing. Brubaker said that while some media outlets did praise Clinton’s trademark pantsuit, that

coverage still took away the focus from Clinton’s campaign.

“I do think the rules that are in place in politics are particularly strict because they were created in a time that was male dominated and women weren’t included in the table. I do think this is an issue that spans beyond one field,” Brubaker said. “It’s one thing to ask women to dress professionally, it’s another thing to put all these restrictions on their dress.”

This issue goes farther than pantsuits and dresses. It’s an issue of sexism in the workplace that interferes with women being able to do their job.

“I think that especially for young women just getting into politics, it reinforces this really negative stereotype that you are only as much as you appear to be,” Noel said.

While men can throw on the same suit to go to meeting after meeting, women are constantly and deliberately making fashion choices in order to be taken seriously in the field. In order to truly equalize the playing ground in politics, the media and coworkers alike must stop commenting on women’s clothing choices and let them do their jobs.

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Reign of the Athleisure: Working With Brands By: Lily Hartman Insta: Elise Sanchez Sports bras, leggings, cropped hoodies, joggers- you name it. Athletic apparel has become a popular brand for millennials to wear, and it is seen on many social media platforms, especially Instagram and Facebook. Athletic brands will hire brand ambassadors to market their apparel on the ambassadors’ profile accounts, in hope that their followers will take interest in it .

No matter the form of athleticism; whether it is yoga, powerlifting, bodybuilding, running, boxing, crossfit, and so on, these brands are targeted toward anyone who aims to live a healthy lifestyle. The fitness trend has allowed athletic brands to increase their saleability, and brand ambassadors have helped these brands gain popularity through skillful promoting tactics.

Ambassadors who carry a positive attitude have inspired many of their followers to purchase the apparel they promote. Whitney Simmons (@whitneyysimmons), for example, promotes Gymshark: an athletic brand that has become one of the biggest growing trends in the industry, and is worn and advertised by ambassadors all over social media. Simmons, who has an audience of over two million Instagram followers, constantly posts videos of her lifting in Gymshark apparel (sports bras, leggings, long sleeves, crop tops, and more).

The positive attitude she carries on her followers sparks her followers’ interest in the brand. She will often write “It’s a beautiful day to be alive!” on her Instagram captions.

Jenn Canniff, a brand ambassador for Love Fitness Apparel, carries a positive attitude and flaunts her confidence while marketing this brand’s super cute tank tops and “squat proof ” high-waisted leggings, Canniff claimed. Canniff helps increase this company’s sales due to her true love for the brand’s attire. “I wanted to find a brand that I truly liked,” Canniff said. Her love for this companies sweet and simple apparel, which includes pineapple-printed workout bottoms and

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logo tops that say catchy lines like “will squat for pizza”, shines on her instagram.

Canniff ’s style of promoting inspires her followers to buy Love Fitness Apparel attire, who use her promo code at purchase.

Charity Grace Leblanc (@charity.grace on Instagram), who is a brand ambassador

for a variety of companies, such as Women’s Best and Mika Yoga Wear, promotes the apparel she wears by using her creative entity.

“I like anything with a unique pattern or design,” Leblanc described. Leblanc’s passion

for these brands shows through the glamourous attitude she portrays while marketing them, which helps her gain insight on her profile. Like Canniff, Leblanc offers a discount code, but instead for Women’s Best.

Ambassadors show their audience that the apparel that are promoting will make you “feel good” while working out. “If you feel like you look good, I really feel like it makes a difference on how you do,” Leblanc argued. Such ambassadors discuss how they feel much more motivated to workout if they are comfortable in what they are wearing. Canniff discussed how “it was really nice, comfy clothes they they had,” when talking about Love Fitness Apparel, and that it is harder to sell if you do not look like you genuinely enjoy wearing the product being marketed.

Ambassadors mainly flaunt apparel through pictures and videos. Leblanc promotes Women’s Best and Mika Yoga Wear by posting videos of herself doing workouts and “ninja warrior” moves. Leblanc’s videos of her yoga posing in Mika Yoga Wear is to show her hundreds of thousands of followers what it actually looks like to be in action while wearing this brand.“I want people to enjoy being active,” Leblanc said as she described her posts.

Canniff posts pictures of herself wearing Love Fitness Apparel while doing exercises like pushups and split squats, and writes captions such as “It’s time to PUSH a little harder. It’s time to BE a little stronger. It’s time to go a little FURTHER,” in order to show her audience that she feels confident in her outfit.

Athletic brands are becoming more and more popular worldwide as the fitness industry continues to grow, and a major reason is because of the brand ambassadors on social media who influence people to purchase the apparel they promote.

Influencer High End Fashion: Selling a Persona By: Diti Kohli

W

hen consumers shell out the money to accommodate luxury brands’ price tags, they leave the store with more than the physical item they’ve purchased. People would rather pay for the image high-end brands sell through a number of calculated strategies implemented in their business model.

The beauty of the crisp-golden buckles on Louis Vuitton satchels, the stitched patchwork on Coach backpacks, and the sharpness of Louboutin soles are details that require skill and time to create. Because of this, a portion of the price for such luxury products can be explained; however, the less-than transparent portion of the price is a marketing tactic that makes their products pined after and alluring.

Isabella Scaffadi (@scaffids), a small fashion influencer on Instagram, models for companies such as Nike and Yeezy. “The high prices are because of the limited supply and the intense creative process behind literally every design,” said Scaffadi.

The price also accounts for brands’ commitment to the durability and timeliness of their goods. Luxury leather makers often offer lifetime warranties on their products and designers make sure their highly-valued goods fit lasting trends.

But some of the world’s most influential designer brands, like Estee Lauder and Louis Vuitton, are public companies that report charging consumers 60 percent more than the actual cost of production. These high prices allow luxury brands to retain exclusivity which reinforces the elite character that brands profit off of.

Aside from price, high-end designers equate their brands with opulence and elitism by presenting their products as art rather than simply as clothing. Large-scale runway shows are a method through which luxury brands advertise their products like da Vinci paintings.

Chanel has always been remarked upon for topping runway shows in terms of extravagance. For example, in March 2017, Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld showcased a towering rocket behind models as they strutted down the runway in the space-theme collection at Paris Fashion Week.

Aside from these creative, elaborate themes, brands also use runway shows as a place to showcase products that few can afford and that are usually not even planned to make it onto the rack for the regular consumer. Marc Jacobs displayed a variety of voluminous, multi-colored coats complete with ruffles and feathers at 2018 New York Fashion Week, but these are not set out to adorn the shelves of any stores at any time.

“Shows are there merely to sell a dream that at the end of the day will sell a perfume or a wallet in a duty-free store,” said Guram Gvasalia, CEO of Vetements, to Quartz in an article published on their website, qz.com.

But stylish middle -class buyers and broke college students cannot always afford these costly pieces. So they turn to entry-level purchases when their wallets can support it.

These purchases include smaller, relatively more inexpensive designer goods, like Dior lipsticks, YSL perfumes, and Gucci shoes. Although smaller and more insignificant, they still achieve the same opulent and transcending identity change the consumer seeks.

Buyers can also turn to secondhand purchases. Sabine Waldeck, a journalism major, said that you can sometimes thrift luxury. “I once found some Saks Fifth Avenue pants that are really cool from the 80s.”

This dilemma of trying to emulate luxury fashion pieces is also driving the knockoff market. Counterfeit fashion, a nearly 500 billion dollar industry, is comprised of products that are imitations of luxury goods, manufactured with the intention of being passed off as genuine.

Second-hand and knock-off purchases prove that fashion is an outlet for self-expression that cannot be completely hindered by price tags and personas, but consumers of luxury fashion, rich and poor alike, must accept that they are choosing to encapsulate the wealthy, status-driven identity the brand of their choice has worked to create when they purchase these items.

Ultimately, however, each consumer is responsible for creating their own, unique persona.

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Let Me Live That Fantasy

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i’m in love with being queen

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MEET THE BLOG ATLASMAG.WORDPRESS.COM

VICTORIA STUEWE is a junior IDIP major at Emerson College. She created her own major by combining Journalism and Media Studies into one called Entertainment Journalism. Coming from sunny Southern California to Boston was a drastic change, but she doesn’t regret it in the slightest.

Movies, classic rock, books, and coffee are her four passions in life and her love for them will never cease. Her goal and dream job is to be a journalist at an entertainment magazine so that she can write movies for a career. She is also the Movies Editor at Emerson’s Emertainment Monthly.

EMMA GOODWIN is a book nerd, cookie addict, and nefarious plotter who always writes in the same tone. She prefers to write about what she best likes doing: reading, eating desserts, and complaining.

LILY DOOLIN is a freshman Writing, Literature and Publishing major at Emerson College. She’s from Lynn, Massachusetts, which is right next to historic Salem (no, she’s not a witch, though she is a Slytherin). While her dream job is to be a Jedi, she’ll settle for being an author, or an Avenger. She is so excited to share her posts with you!

ZENEBOU SYLLA is a female journalism major.

She loves the color purple and her favorite thing to do is eat, mostly Chinese takeout. She’s a YouTube fanatic and is a New Yorker currently in Boston, hoping that one day her career will allow her to travel the world.

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Credits & Acknowledgements REINA

CARL STEWART Photographer REINA GARCIA Model I DO WEDDING Dress DAYSIA TOLENTINO Makeup

CITY

STELLA DREWS-SHELDON Photographer

CAMPUS

STELLA DREWS-SHELDON Photographer SELANE DEHEAUX DARLING Christopher Henderson-West Model

GLOBE

LILLIAN COHEN STEPHANIE CUTLER Photographers VASANTHA SAMBAMURTI Model I DO WEDDING

Dress

HEALTH

RACHEL SCALERA Photographer

FASHIONABLE DISTRACTIONS SARAH TESH Photographer

SOMARI DAVIS MICHAEL COSTANTINI Models

WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS &

LET ME LIVE THAT FANTASY RACHEL SCALERA Photographer

CHARLOTTE HORAN KATRINA “CHAPPIE” CHAPUT DESTINI STEWART Models CAM KINGDON Gaffer STEVE KINGDON Dog CLEM KELLY-SAMBAMURTI Cat

STAFF PHOTOS POLIN BILDIRICI

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