ATLAS magazine
THE
TRANSFORMATION ISSUE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Caroline Cassard CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Anna Buckley MANAGING EDITOR: Marlo Jappen STYLE Editor | Erin Kayata Writers | Michelle Ciccarelli, Lindsey Paradis CITY Editors | Miriam Riad Writers | Aubrey Gemmell-Nunez, Samantha Harton HEALTH Editor | Erin Corrigan Writers | Annette Choi, Courtney Major, Mimi Walker GLOBE Globe Editor | Mehak Anwar Assistant Globe Editor | Chantelle Bacigalupo Writers | Pimploy Phongsirivech, Ruhi Radke, Sabrina Thulander COPY EDITORS Head Copy Editor | Lauren Milne Copy Editors | Megan Cathey, Paulina Pascual, Lucy Wildman PHOTOGRAPHY Photo Editor | Paola Camargo Photographers | Catherine Gessner, Jenni Heller, Nora Wilby, Monique Woo DESIGN Designer | Anna Buckley Illustrator | Holly Kirkman MARKETING TEAM Marketing Director | Alexis Clemons Marketing team | Mikayla Belson, Lili Clement, Paulina Pascual ATLAS ONLINE Blog Editor | Charlotte Slota Bloggers | Shannon Bushee, Lauren Lopez, Julia Roberto ATLAS MODELS Ella Brooks, Danielle Davies, Morgan Sung, Mike Vinci 1 | ATLAS MAGAZINE
IN THE MEANTIME: ANNA’S & CAROLINE’S ROUTINE FAVORITES
ENROLL:
READ:
Arcade Fire “Reflektor” The Canadian band’s live performance solidified the soul-soothing effect that their Haitian-inspired music has on me. Though the album was released last year, it still sets the pace of my walk to work.
Fictions of Effect with William Donoghue In the funkiest class I’ve taken thus far at Emerson, Professor Donoghue’s selection of unconventional films and novels will have you questioning what art should do, and what art even is.
Blue Plate Special by Kate Christensen Novelist Kate Christensen narrates her unconventional coming-of-age story across the U.S. and in Europe, as she tries to locate a sense of home and self through the foods she eats.
Allah-Las “Worship the Sun” The LA based band released their latest album in September, and maybe it’s the Californian in me, but their garage rock sound tinged with psychedelic pop will keep me thinking warm, happy thoughts.
The Arab Uprisings with Yasser Munif When he’s not spending the weekend at a conference in Lebanon, Professor Munif will change the way you view a revolution, your own culture and an entire region of the globe in this course.
Nine Short Stories by J.D. Salinger Though I finished this collection this past summer, the emotional impact from the last story in particular, entitled “Teddy,” still has me in emotional upheaval and re-evaluating my world view.
LISTEN:
STREAM:
EXPLORE:
STUDY:
Radiolab Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, this public radio podcast broadcasts personality and particularity thought-provoking discussions that are perfect for a long T ride.
Reservoir The reservoir at Cleveland Circle might seem foreign, but a walk or run around the forest-lined loop with Boston College’s castle-like campus in the distance feels like an escape from the city.
Green T Coffee Shop It’s quiet and quiant, it’s independently owned and operated, the flavors are unique and delicious—and it’s the perfect place to get some reading done before class.
Joy the Baker Podcast In what feels like hanging out with your best friend, two food bloggers from San Francisco and New Orleans converse about “totally important, unimportant things.”
Commonwealth Avenue Mall There is nothing more peaceful than walking underneath a blanket of trees while still feeling like I’m amidst the pulse of the city. Also, you’re bound to run into at least 12 cute dogs.
Render Coffee The daily special pourover, a warm goat cheese and spinach quiche and a seat in the back under a glass ceiling can turn an average study session into a cozy afternoon. 2 | TRANSFORMATION
MEET THE STAFF: SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE
CAROLINE CASSARD
ANNA BUCKLEY
MARLO JAPPEN
EDITOR IN CHIEF
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
MANAGING EDITOR
“I still prefer to make dessert plans before tackling breakfast.”
“Florals, forests, and family, forever.”
“I always march to the beat of a different drum.”
MIRIAM RIAD
PAOLA CAMARGO
CHARLOTTE SLAVIN
“I still can’t stand still for a picture.”
“Still rocking the Ray-Bans, but I’ve replaced my sand for snow.”
CITY EDITOR
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PHOTO EDITOR
BLOG EDITOR
“I still spend summers in the Ocean State with the sun, sand & waves.”
ASSISTANT GLOBE EDITOR
MARKETING DIRECTOR
ALEXIS CLEMONS
ERIN KAYATA
“My favorite colors with my eightyeight favorite sounds.”
“My love for animals has stayed strong.”
“I still want to be a princess.”
MEHAK ANWAR
ERIN CORRIGAN
LAUREN MILNE
“I may be a tiny bit larger but I still smile way too hard.”
“I can’t rock a bow like I did back then, but I’m still steering my ship toward adventure.”
“I may not wear much pink anymore, but I can still never have enough floral in my wardrobe.”
CHANTELLE BACIGALUPO
GLOBE EDITOR
HEALTH EDITOR
STYLE EDITOR
HEAD COPYEDITOR
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR This past autumn, our staff wanted to create a people-focused issue about game-changers, innovators, and mind-opening experiences. Alden Jones’ memoir, The Blind Masseuse, launched the “Transformation” discussion, with essays about travel, culture, growing up, and learning to see the world—and yourself—in a new way. We drew inspiration from courses and professors that surprised us,
and those who strive for change in Boston’s communities beyond our campus. From Darrin Korte’s Cambridge-based organization, The Hip Hop Transformation (p. 29), to Northeastern students’ startup, Fresh Truck (p. 35), local leaders are changing Boston’s culture. This semester, Atlas signed the Coalition of Lions in Action with Workers (CLAW), and we are excited to celebrate Emerson Sodexo
employees’ recent unionization with Unite Here Local 26. In the same spirit, we showcase other campus employees: the hardworking facilities workers who keep our campus running (page 11). In our most versatile issue yet, we highlight transformations big and small. From the Kosovo kingdom’s cultural changes in a post-warzone to students’ evolving personal styles (p. 20) and a new look at the emo-
tional benefits of cozy comfort foods (p. 39), our staff tackled topics with refreshing perspectives. As we’ve discovered, so many standout, forward-thinking individuals are right here, in our own community. All you have to do is stop to talk.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CAROLINE CASSARD
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INTHIS ISSUE pg. 35
pg. 39
pg. 52 pg. 11
CAMPUS
STYLE
Let’s Talk Travel Alden Jones discusses travel, tourism, and the craft of writing
Transformation of Style Staples An exploration of classic style pieces that have stood the test of time
An Inside Look At Emerson Murray Schwartz sheds light on strained inner-relations of Emerson’s past
Style Metamorphosis Stand-out students share how they emerged into their own distinct styles
Community Spotlight Faces of facilities management
Naturally Fashionable As the world focuses on creating a culture of sustainability, the fashion community evolves in the same direction
Q&A with Lauren Shaw Lauren Shaw shares her insight on how the art is changing
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CITY
Rewriting a Genre Cambridge-based arts organization, The Hip-Hop Transformation, gives a positive spin to the meaning of rap Coffee Buzz The changing role of coffee shops in the bustling city of Boston A Refreshing Solution Underneath Boston’s surface lies the issue of food deserts in lower income neighborhoods—a problem The Fresh Truck works to change
FALL 2014 pg. 32
pg. 47
pg. 24
HEALTH
The Comfort of Comfort Foods Revealing the benefits of foods that make you feel at home. Cuckoo for Coconut Oil From sunscreen to mouthwash, coconuts open the door to versatile health care products. Breathe Deeply A look at how meditation and yoga can cure college stress
pg. 43
GLOBE
Ocean Pioneers Professional surfing’s latest improvements on the web and at the beach influence the sport’s ever-changing culture Humble Abodes The deceivingly simple concept of “home” for people who have lived in multiple cities, countries and continents The Kosovo Paradox Witnessing the beauty of a region in unrest
A New Direction Female directors past and present make their mark in a male-dominated realm.
Above photos | Paola Camargo, Jenni Heller, Catherine Gessner, and Monique Woo Section photos | Nora Wilby, Monique Woo, Paola Camargo, Anna Buckley Cover art | Anna Buckley
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LET’S TALK TRAVEL WRITING, LITERATURE, AND PUBLISHING PROFESSOR ALDEN JONES DISCUSSES TRAVEL, TOURISM, AND THE CRAFT OF WRITING
TEXT | CAROLINE CASSARD PHOTOGRAPHY | KATE BONSIGNORE
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Emerson literature and creative writing professor, Alden Jones, has traveled and photographed the world by studying abroad, leading trips for students, and teaching on Semester at Sea. In the past few years, she not only gave birth to her two children, but she also published two books in 2013 alone: The Blind Masseuse, a memoir of travel essays, and Unaccompanied Minors, a book of short stories. We caught up with her in Jamaica Plain for her insight on all things travel, writing and photography.
ing on Semester at Sea. Don’t limit yourself. If you think a place is inaccessible, just figure out a way to get there. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR A WRITER TO KNOW ANOTHER LANGUAGE? DO YOU THINK KNOWING ONLY ONE LANGUAGE LIMITS A WRITER? I think only knowing six languages limits you in some ways. When you get your Ph.D. in literature, you’re required to know, at least on a reading level, two foreign languages. But I think more, it’s about perspective. When you’re forced to speak another language and participate in a culture that’s not your own language, you see the world in a more objective way. You start to understand that your perspective is only one perspective, and your culture is not the only culture out there.
BOTH OF YOUR BOOKS, THE BLIND MASSEUSE AND UNACCOMPANIED MINORS, DELVE INTO TOPICS OF YOUTH, TRAVEL AND A NEED TO EXPLORE. WHAT DRAWS YOU TO THIS FOCUS? The Blind Masseuse spans about 15 years. It’s really an exploration – Publishers Weekly actually said it’s less about travel and more about ALTHOUGH EMERSON IS A COMMUNICATIONS SCHOOL, IT DOESN’T OFFER ADVANCED a young woman coming into herself. So partially it is about growing LANGUAGE PROGRAMS. DO YOU THINK THIS LIMITS STUDENTS? up and travel being the metaphor for, “How I don’t even think that the best way to learn lanmuch can you cling to youth and how much guage is to study it in college. My parents actually “I came home in Janudo you actually have to grow up?” With Unwere very discouraging of me studying Spanish and accompanied Minors, it was much more sub- ary and all of a sudden the French in college because they thought I was taking conscious. I was looking over 15 years of work too much of my class time in something I could learn and I asked myself, “What are the strongest world made no sense to me. someplace besides college. They were like, you could stories?” And they all had to do with young I was like, ‘Why did humans be taking anthropology, you could be taking history, people being in some kind of trouble. It was and you could take Spanish at a Spanish school in never an intentional theme. Then I came up settle in this godforsaken Guatemala in the summer. Or you can go to France with the title, and it seemed to work. and work there if you want to. So I kind of agree with frozen tundra?’ The babies them a little bit. I think it would be nice if you could HOW DO YOU NAVIGATE SETTING WHEN SHAPING A carried in strollers covered have the option. But I think you do have the option of STORY? studying abroad, and I would highly recommend that in plastic, and the money everybody does that. Everybody. Just to get a chance It’s come up a lot with Unaccompanied Minors, my book of short stories. I had started to see life outside of your own world. people spent on stupid almost every time with location and setting. [For example], I was compelled by this idea of things—it just seemed very HOW WOULD YOU ADVISE ANYONE INTERESTED IN WORKING ON the homeless shelter. It was a homeless shelA WRITING OR PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT WHILE TRAVELING? ter I had been to under very different circum- weird to me to be home and Write down the details that you think you’re going stances than my characters – who were kind of to remember but that you’re going to forget. What’s to not have noticed how obnoxious people – and was like, What would the unit of money, how much does something cost, strange life was.” happen if I put these characters in this setting? what are the names of the streets, what are the names For each essay in The Blind Masseuse, first I of the people you meet – write all of that down. Bechose the setting, then I wrote the essay. But sometimes I wanted to cause when you want to access them later, you need as many of those write about a setting really badly, and nothing had happened in that details as you can. Don’t try to write about the place while you’re there setting that was good enough to form into an essay. I went to France – just take notes. and I was there for five weeks, and I thought, “How can I write an esAnd for photographers, if you’re going to take pictures of people, insay about my time there?” It just wasn’t coming to me, so there was no teract with them and become friends with them instead of seeing them France in the book. as objects to photograph. Because I think that happens a lot, and it certainly happened to me. When I would see a photogenic moment, it was THERE’S DEFINITELY A FEELING THAT YOU HAVE TO CAPTURE EVERYTHING WHEN YOU’RE very tempting to just take the picture and run. The best photographers TRAVELING. DO YOU ASSOCIATE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY MORE WITH TRAVELING RATHER that I met abroad are the ones who would go into a new environment THAN YOUR LIFE AT HOME? and really get to know the people there and play with the kids, talk to the I definitely want to take pictures more when I’m traveling, just be- grown-ups, and let the subjects be participants in the process. cause I think it’s the whole exoticism thing. When you’re seeing something new, you’re more excited about the visual experience and you want IN THE BLIND MASSEUSE, YOU TOUCH A LITTLE ON CULTURE SHOCK. WHAT WAS THE to capture it. There’s an anxiety to capture the travel experience through BIGGEST CULTURE SHOCK YOU’VE EXPERIENCED? photography that I definitely fall into sometimes. One of the biggest culture shocks I’ve had is coming home from Costa Rica after a year. I came home in January and all of a sudden the IN YOUR BOOK OF TRAVEL ESSAYS, THE BLIND MASSEUSE, YOU EXPLORE THE RELATION- world made no sense to me. I was like, “Why did humans settle in this SHIP BETWEEN A TRAVELER AND A TOURIST. HOW DO THESE TWO EXPERIENCES DIFFER? godforsaken frozen tundra?” The babies carried in strollers covered in The “tourist versus the traveler” is something that I first heard men- plastic, and the money people spent on stupid things – it just seemed tion of when I was a student going to Spain with a company called Put- very weird to me to be home and to not have noticed how strange life ney Student Travel. I really believed in what they stood for, which was was. going into a culture to not just skim the surface, ride a bus through the But I think in terms of the biggest culture shock countrywise, probmajor areas, and see the big monuments and say you’ve been there. But ably Burma. I felt very overwhelmed by Burma because I was only there to actually participate in the culture and get to know people and make for five days, and I knew that there was this oppressive government. yourself a little uncomfortable and be willing to look stupid and try the The ethical thing to do was not support it, but I didn’t know how to suplanguage if it’s something you don’t speak fluidly. A tourist is someone port the citizens without supporting the government. I would love to go who is always thinking about going home, and always has home as a back there now that I’ve had some time to know what kinds of questions point of reference. A traveler is someone who really tries to integrate to ask. I’ve actually always been that kind of traveler – I’m much better at into the culture or really investigate the culture on some level. researching the country after I’ve spent a little bit of time there. IS THERE A SPECIFIC PART OF THE WORLD THAT YOU WOULD ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO EXPLORE? I felt that I had to go to Latin America or Spain because I spoke Spanish and I’m very glad that I did it that way. But I always felt that Asia was inaccessible because I had this idea that if I didn’t speak the language, then I shouldn’t go there. And that was ridiculous. I really loved going to Asia, and I was only able to go there because I was work-
HOW CAN A TRAVELER MAINTAIN A GLOBAL MINDSET WHEN READJUSTING TO COMFORTABLE LIFE AT HOME? That’s the great thing about traveling somewhere for a long time. There’s no way you’re going to forget that experience. Even though you do readjust and you do start to think it’s normal to spend $3 on a cup of coffee again, you don’t forget that there are places where other people don’t live this way. I think that that’s one of the main benefits of travel.
8 | TRANSFORMATION
AN INSIDE LOOK
AT EMERSON
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WRITING, LITERATURE AND PUBLISHING PROFESSOR MURRAY SCHWARTZ SHEDS LIGHT ON STRAINED INNER-RELATIONS OF EMERSON’S PAST TEXT | ERIN CORRIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY | ANNA BUCKLEY
Much of Emerson’s recent news is centered around the co- Jacqueline Weis Liebergott – but for the better. “There were lossal, monumental work of art that is the Los Angeles center. several votes of no confidence,” he says, maintaining his softFrom its flaring, silver and glass siding to its prime location spoken, though assured, tone. “And the result of that protracton Sunset Boulevard, the expansion is a concrete – or rather, ed antagonism was actually positive in the sense that the faculty aluminum – mark of how the school is transforming. But more agreed to a different kind of organization,” making room for prominent advancements like LA are products of less publi- more direct communication and relations. cized – though still momentous – changes in the college’s inner Last year, under the direction of Amy Ansell, dean of the workings. Institute for Liberal Arts and InterdisWriting, literature and publishing prociplinary Studies, tenure and tenurefessor Murray Schwartz has experienced track appointments were moved to the “It’s changing, mainly Institute. This key move, as Schwartz Emerson’s modifications since 1997, when he first served as vice president of Acaallows faculty from differbecause the organiza- explains, demic Affairs. Looking out at a bleak Bosent departments to “engage in closer ton Common through his rain-spattered, and collaboration in creating tion of the college has dialogue ninth floor office window, Schwartz deinterdisciplinary courses and minor scribes one of Emerson’s greatest acts as “a made it not just easier, programs.” transformation, to put it in its most generThis move, along with the addious terms, of the relationship between the tion of new full-time, tenure track and but encouraging to be faculty and the administration.” adjunct faculty members, shaped a When Schwartz arrived, most faculty creative and productively cooperative innovative.” matters were negotiated through a conenvironment. Even now, Schwartz sees tract between the college and a faculty continuous overall improvements. “It’s union. Schwartz says nearly everything changing, mainly because the organizawas dealt with this way, including number of faculty, course tion of the college has made it not just easier, but encouraging load expectations, pay scale and parking regulations. “It was to be innovative.” a very cumbersome way to operate,” Schwartz calmly recalls. And although Schwartz is retiring at the end of this year, “It was, by its very nature, antagonistic: administration on one one of his current projects proves that he’s got a strong grasp side, faculty on the other.” on the innovation Emerson strives for. He is developing a coAttempting to reach agreements through mediators re- operative program between Emerson and the Boston Psychoquired an elaborate process and usually resulted in only short- analytic Society and Institute (BPSI), which will offer a minor term contracts. But due to rising tensions and his desire to get in psychoanalysis, the arts and society. Emerson students will back in the classroom, Schwartz left his administrative role and gain access to resources at the BPSI, including lectures, conjoined the faculty in 2000. “I didn’t want my job to be on the op- ferences, library resources and research facilities. “It’s another posite side of the table from the faculty,” he says. example of the types of transformations going on,” Schwartz A few years after his switch, Schwartz saw that tension cul- says. “Emerson is in a whole new place from where it was 15 minate with conflict between the faculty and then President years ago.”
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THE
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT FACES OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT ON EMERSON’S CAMPUS TEXT | CAROLINE CASSARD PHOTOGRAPHY | PAOLA CAMARGO
This semester, Atlas signed the CLAW Petition to support Emerson Sodexo workers’ unionization. Emerson P.R.I.D.E. recently reformed their mission statement to encompass all campus workers, stating that everyone subcontracted and directly hired is part of the Emerson community. In light of this development, we’re excited to recognize some of the people who help Emerson thrive.
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MARVIN MOLINA
ANA CARMEN CRUZ
RAMIRO SOTO
MARIO ERNESTO OSORIO 12 | TRANSFORMATION
Q&A
WITH LAUREN SHAW PHOTOGRAPHY PROFESSOR LAUREN SHAW SHARES HER EXPERIENCE STUDYING THE ART FORM UNDER HARRY CALLAHAN & HER PAST 40 YEARS AT EMERSON
TEXT | ANNA BUCKLEY PHOTOGRAPHY | COURTESY OF LAUREN SHAW
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“I learned history of photography, but I never had a formal course. I just devoured books. I’ve always been outrageously curious. It’s what keeps me going. I went to every lecture—everybody that I could hear that I heard was in town. I heard Brassaï speak, I heard Kertész speak, Walker Evans – they were all alive. And you could go and visit them – you could get in the car and go up to Abbot Village, Maine and see Berenice Abbott, and I could go and meet Ansel Adams in Monterey if I wanted to, which I did. Those were the days. You learned from each other, and my entire identity was photography. Out of that, I came right into Emerson. So my love life, my personal life, my working life, was totally photography.”
work to someone that you respect, is that you really have something to offer them too. You’re there to show them your work in a nascent stage and you’re not just taking from them or are there for the sensationalism of being near someone great. It’s just a whole new world of networking. Maybe online you find a mentor, or you go to a photo review and you connect with someone. But it’s never going to come to you. Never. It’s not. You have to reach out; you have to humble yourself.
IN THE TRANSITION OF FILM INTO DIGITAL, HOW DID YOUR WORK CHANGE AS A PHOTOGRAPHER? My work changed exponentially because of the Canon DSLR. It could shoot video, so I got into film. It was very WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A PHOTOGRAPHY STUDENT AT THE clear to me, not because I thought film was cool, but beRHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN (RISD)? cause I really wanted to hear the voices of my portraits. I I chose RISD because of Harry Callahan, who was wanted to see them move, and I wanted to know what that there. I had a very romantic idea that I needed to go and would look like. I’ve always loved storytelling, and I think be in the presence of somebody great. Almost like [the way] it’s harder to do it with one photograph. Michelangelo worked initially as an apprentice under some In 2003, I was working on “Maine Women: Living on great sculptor. My interest has always been documentary. the Land.” I realized that I needed to hear these women’s It was really about the people, and learning how to tell a stories, and my audience needed to hear them. And that’s story. My two years of graduate work at RISD I spent when I made the leap over. And now, I’ve done my first feaphotographing in my neighborhood and the Cape Verdean ture documentary, and I’m longing to go back and make community. still pictures, and I would love to shoot [The project] came about after film. I have a darkroom in my studio, meeting Robert Frank the first and it’s so nostalgic. I go in there and “Those were the days. see this beautiful sink, and yet I haven’t night at Harry’s house. We go in, and there’s Robert Frank in Harry’s printed in years. I love digital printing. living room. I thought I’d died and You learned from each I love silver printing, but it’s limited. gone to heaven. We showed him our if it’s in the negative, you can other, and my entire Even portfolios, and then it came time for only go so far. In Photoshop, I can go me to show him mine, which were so much further. pictures I’d done in France of lace identity was photograThe state of the art of photography and beds and fields. They were very phy. Out of that, I came right now is in a really good place. The romantic – they were printed well darkroom will go, eventually. Analog but they were pictures of objects. right into Emerson. So will be a boutique practice in the next Robert looked at me and said, “Don’t five years. I think as long as film stays you know anybody?” He said, “Go my love life, my personal around, there’ll be a hybrid between and shoot people,” and he pushed shooting film and scanning. the portfolio into my stomach, which life, my working life, was I’ll never forget. So the next day, I HOW HAVE YOU SEEN EMERSON’S PHOtotally photography.” TOGRAPHY PROGRAM TRANSFORM DURING walked out of my little attic apartment at RISD and I just said to a THE PAST 40 YEARS THAT YOU’VE TAUGHT HERE? neighbor, “Where would you go toI was really young when I came to day if you had a camera?” and he said, Emerson – in my early 20s – and I just “I’d go down to the docks and shoot grew up here. There were five enlargmy friends.” And that’s where I went. That project taught ers, and the class was 20 students. We had to break it down me about the ethics and morality of photography, and what into groups of five students. The classes were two hours it means to bring a camera up to your eye. long, so we had to do five students every 30 minutes, and we did it for years that way. It was a tiny program. There HOW DOES TODAY’S PHOTOGRAPHY WORLD DIFFER FROM A TIME were two of us teaching, and we had a ton of Photo I and WHEN YOU COULD CASUALLY HANG OUT WITH ANSEL ADAMS? Photo II [students]. We were in a darkroom down near First of all, the accessibility through digital has allowed Beacon Hill in the back part on Brimmer Street. The tides so many more photographers the access to make really would come in twice a day and back up the sinks, so we good images. From Instagram to every website that you had palettes on the floor so students wouldn’t get shocked, can put pictures on, there’s just an enormous amount of because water would come up from the floor. It was crazy. work out there. So, in some ways, the community is not Somehow, we ended up starting out in a fine arts dephysical. It’s not necessarily in real time, and that to me is partment – it was just photography, some painting and the biggest change. And I don’t think there’s the desire, or drawing, and a lot of art history. It got to the point where the need, or the accessibility to go and seek out someone the students wanted so much that I set up the history of famous. We did do that, and other generations have done photography and did that, built up the slide collection, and that too – like the Beat Generation, the Abstract Expres- then it started to expand with more students. It was just sionists – that was just part of the zeitgeist of being an art- me and adjuncts for, I want to say, 30 years. We had some ist. You’d be in New York, you’d hang out at someone’s loft. great part-timers. Two years ago, I finally got a photo track That’s just what happened. It still goes on in New York. – a tenure track – so we could hire someone, and we hired But for students, I don’t think there’s the culture for it. But Camilo [Ramirez] after going through a huge search. The I do think there are so many accessible, young photogra- darkroom is what it is, and we have this brilliant photo lab. phers that are starting to teach. It will just get better and better, beyond the years that I’ll The main thing is that if you want to go show your be here.
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STYLE CLASSICAL, TRANSITIONAL, PERSONAL • STYLE STAPLES, PG. 17 • STYLE METAMORPHOSIS, PG. 20 • NATURALLY FASHIONABLE, PG. 24
THE TRANSFORMATION OF
STYLE
STAPLES AN EXPLORATION OF CLASSIC STYLE PIECES THAT HAVE STOOD THE TEST OF TIME TEXT | LINDSEY PARADIS ILLUSTRATIONS | HOLLY KIRKMAN
HIGH HEELS Louis XIV of France originally made high heels fashionable for men in the 1660s, and women adopted the accessory shortly after. French men initially wore heels to create an illusion of height. The heel also showed elevated status, as one of noble blood was literally elevated over others. Louis XIV declared red heels could only be worn by nobility at court, as they too were a sign of higher rank. When the French Revolution occurred, heels fell from fashion in order to keep with the new democratic view that everyone was equal. Not until the 1850s were heels reintroduced for women. A significant transformation for high heels came about in 1947, as Christian Dior introduced his spring/summer collection, the “New Look,” which showcased a slim and elegant high heel. This was the first version of the now well-known
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stiletto. However, stilettos were impractical and slowly fell out of fashion in the early 1960s, only to make a comeback in the 1980s. It was then that stilettos became a symbol of sexual power and dominance as working women started a movement called “power dressing.” Business women power dressed by wearing tailored suits with padded shoulders, high heels, and sleek makeup and hair. “When you put on a pair of high heels it’s a power thing,” says Kristen Bousquet, a fashion blogger for StyleCaster and Stylish in Sequins. “You just feel confident when you’re wearing a pair of stilettos.” Since its reintroduction, the high heel has never faded from style. Whether worn as a constant day-to-day accessory or for only special occasions, high heels are a staple of women’s fashion.
THE TIE Neckwear became a distinct feature of Western men’s style in 1650. Yet, it was in the 19th century that four main styles of neckwear emerged: the bow tie, the neckerchief, the ascot, and the long tie. While neckerchiefs and ascots have relatively gone out of style, we still find the bow tie and long tie to be staples of the modern man’s wardrobe. By the end of the 19th century, the bow tie resembled two dominant shapes: the butterfly and the bat’s wing. The latter is a slim bow that is cut straight, while the butterfly has a large bow with more volume. Both are similar to the shape and style of the bow tie that men still wear today. Early versions of the tie were rectangular strips of fabric with identical square ends. It was in the early 20th century that
Jesse Langsdorf created the traditional shape of ties today as he cut them diagonally. This set a standard shape and dimension for ties and allowed them to be mass-produced. The focus of ties after that became the use of color, patterns and fabric. The tie became less popular in the late 20th century as newer generations adapted a style of more casual dress. Yet the tie’s style adapts to maintain a spot in the modern man’s closet. “It’s definitely still a staple in a lot of guys’ wardrobes. They just make it look a little bit more casual,” says Bousquet. “They’ll put on jeans and a little-button up shirt with a tie. It doesn’t look dressy but it’s still a tie.” Even in today’s societal shift to casual dress, the tie seems to find its place in that sphere with styles such as the skinny “mod” tie, while still holding onto its roots of formal attire.
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THE LBD By definition, black is the absence of color. However, stylewise, black is the definition of chic, elegance, class and sophistication. Think Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” throwing on a sophisticated yet simple little black dress, affectionately referred to as the LBD. Yet women’s cocktail dress of choice hasn’t always been the little black dress. In the early 1900s black dresses were sold in department stores, but they were still classified as “widow’s weeds” for mourning. It wasn’t until 1926 that the little black dress was born, all thanks to the the iconic Coco Chanel. Chanel was nauseated by the recent output of fashion with vibrant colors. Instead, she favored neutrals, such as black. “Coco Chanel’s little black dress is what is known in fashion lexicon as a ‘classic,’” says Mary Harkins, Emerson professor and head of the Theatre Design/Technology program. “Classics are those styles that, once they are introduced, continue to be popular over an extended period of time.” The little black dress popped up everywhere, from fashion
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magazines to designer collections, positioning itself as a versatile staple for women. Christian Dior was one of these designers. “You can wear black at any time,” Dior stated in 1954. “You can wear black at any age. You may wear it on almost any occasion. A little black frock is essential to a woman’s wardrobe.” The 1960s focused on youthful and fun colors instead of sophistication, and master designers of the little black frock started to retire; consequently, the LBD faded into the background. The revival of the little black dress came in late 1970s and early 1980s, as a new generation of designers once again made it a staple for the modern woman by adding edge to the LBD. Leather and other fabrics were incorporated into the garment, shapes and hemlines were altered, and fashion photographers once again emphasized the diversity of the little black dress. The little black dress has survived decades of fashion because it can transform, adapting to the cut and style of any time period. Its’ simplicity allows for versatility.
STYLE
METAMORPHOSIS STANDOUT STUDENTS SHARE HOW THEY EMERGED INTO THEIR OWN DISTINCT STYLES TEXT | ERIN KAYATA PHOTOGRAPHY | CATHERINE GESSNER
ANTHONY BETANCES Anthony Betances walks into the student lounge with a suit flung over his shoulder. It’s wrapped in plastic, as he intends to take it to a tailor later. “I like having a fit,” he says. “I cannot stand a badly tailored suit.” He intends to wear the suit to Revolt, a music and media conference in Miami Beach. Betances, communication studies ’16, says getting his suit tailored is part of a growing focus on the fit and simplicity of his clothing. All this is part of a greater fashion transformation that he’s undergone since coming to college. Raised in Boston and a graduate of the rigorous Boston Latin Academy, Betances says his daily uniform in high school consisted of jeans, sneakers, a hat, and a T-shirt from his favorite local brand, Johnny Cupcakes. “What made me stick out from everyone else were these Johnny Cupcakes T-shirts,” he says. “Everyone knew I was part of this core [brand] community.” Betances says that wearing these T-shirts became his signature, as well as a way for him to express himself against the landscape of his intensive high school. Now, with half his college career behind him, Betances is looking to expand and polish up his younger look. “I still like some of that stuff,” he says of his T-shirt-loving days. “But it’s not me all the time. I’m too grown. I don’t want to look fifteen anymore. I’m being held back,” he says of his old wardrobe. Not only is Betances changing in attitude, but in his views of fashion as well. Now, he is trying to expand his style to reflect his newfound maturity and growing mindset. A wardrobe once filled with logo tees is now being replaced by classic pieces like long-sleeved Tshirts, tank tops and jeans that fit just right. All this is part of Betances’ growing view of style, which is about building an outfit from perfect basics. Some people cringe at the thought of a closet of basics, fearing that a simplistic style would cause them to blend in, especially at a school with such a mix of creative personal styles. But Betances shrugs away such fears. “I’m not really for the fit in-stand out life. I’m about doing what I want to do and just enjoying that and inserting myself into the conversation, but making sure I’m not another brush stroke on the wall of all the same color,” he says. Instead of looking to others to shape his style, Betances looks ahead at what is in the future for himself and his style. “If Kanye had a baby with your closet,” he says, when asked about his dream wardrobe. Recently, he put up his signature T-shirts for sale to raise money to attend Revolt. This is symbolic of how Betances is ready to shed his younger self and to embrace a more professional, mature version of himself.
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DANA NURSE Imagine going to a high school that was a living fashion show, where people gathered at the exit of your school every day just to watch you leave. This was a reality for Dana Nurse, writing, literature and publishing ’15, as a graduate of the High School of Fashion Industries in Manhattan. “Everyone had the most amazing style,” the Brooklyn native says of her high school experience. “Even at 15, 16 years old. And everyone knew what their style was.” Starting out, Nurse did not fall into that category. As a fashion major, she devoted four hours a day to sitting at a sewing machine. She ran track after school, so she began to wear T-shirts and sweatshirts regularly. It wasn’t until Nurse’s junior year of high school that her style really developed. Around this time, she began going to local businesses in Manhattan for her classes and realized she could not get by in the professional world wearing sweatpants. So her style emerged, changing from that of an average high school kid to something unique. “I started getting into what I wanted to look like,” she says. “And that was more like grunge, ’80s, ripped jeans, all black all the time. That was my look.” Nurse eventually graduated with a degree in visual arts – she switched majors halfway through – and then came to Emerson as a writing, literature and publishing major, after a high school teacher sparked her interest in poetry during her senior year. Many students who come to Emerson and Boston find the style transition jarring due to a more high style nature. Nurse found the change shocking for another reason – people weren’t dressing up enough. “People do not take fashion as seriously here,” she says of Boston. “I was coming from somewhere where people held fashion to this incredible level and it was very important to them. Coming to a place that didn’t have a fashion design major, you had your pockets of people who really loved fashion and style, but it wasn’t a majority.” However, Emerson’s overall professional vibe still played a role in Nurse’s college style update. “We are gogetters at heart,” she says of the Emerson community. “And it has a lot to do with how much Emerson students pack into their day. I don’t really have a downtime. So if I’m busy – it doesn’t matter what I’m doing – I want to be able to look appropriate throughout the entire day.” That includes being interview ready at all times. After having an on the spot interview and not being prepared, Nurse tries to always look top-notch. While she once veered toward a more casual look, her outfits matured with high-waisted pants, button-downs and heels, always. However, she keeps her grunge spirit by wearing lots of black and sporting a partially shaved head. Nurse’s more professional style reflects a major shift in her life as she prepares to graduate. Her plan now is to become an English teacher, like the one who inspired her to write in high school. She doesn’t plan to look like a typical teacher though. She aims to maintain her style, wherever she goes.
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PILAR DURALDE Most people wore store-bought dresses to their high school prom, reflecting the season’s hottest trends. Pilar Duralde, on the other hand, opted for a self-made rainbow-colored dress, topped with a purple wig. Duralde, writing for film and television ’17, spent her high school years in a conservative private school near her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. With this private school came a uniform with strict regulations. Duralde wore a white or navy polo and khaki skort every day, usually with tights underneath. Shoes had to be brown and closed-toe, earrings could not be dangly, and hair could only be natural colors. Even scarves and rain boots had to be in muted colors. Duralde did the best she could to let her style shine under such restrictive conditions. “I tried to make it work. I’d have a fun time with scarves and things, but on the weekends, I’d go crazy,” she says. “I’d try to wear almost everything cool in my closet at once.” This often meant a colorful shirt, Dr. Martens, and a fruit-patterned scarf. For Duralde, showing this kooky side was not only about expressing herself, but about distinguishing herself from her peers as well. She describes her goal as “being as out-there as I could and showing everyone I was so not them.” However, things changed when she came to Emerson. When classes started her freshman year, she noticed that Emerson students dress to impress. “I realized that people were looking good for 8 a.m.,” she says. “So I could be more careful and selective about everyday outfits.” Gradually, from freshman year to now, Duralde’s look has transformed from a self-described “quirky throw-up” to something a little more polished. “I think what’s interesting is even though I was anti-prep in high school, my style has kind of evolved into a preppy sophistication,” she says. “But I still have a lot of weird stuff that I like to throw in and my own touches and twists. I still like to wear things that I make. But I definitely think that it’s become more professional.” Now Duralde’s uniform consists of more refined and stylish pieces, such as her favorite high-waisted jeans or a camouflage-patterned pencil skirt. She goes for statement necklaces, rather than her old scarves. “I think in high school, I was very determined to stand out all the time,” she says. “Now, because Emerson is such a creative place and I’m really with my peers, I don’t feel like I have to compete with them. I feel like every day I wake up and I choose who I want to be that day and it’s just as simple as that.”
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naturally FASHIONABLE AS THE WORLD FOCUSES ON CREATING A CULTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY, THE FASHION COMMUNITY EVOLVES IN THE SAME DIRECTION. TEXT | MICHELLE CICCARELLI PHOTOGRAPHY | MONIQUE WOO mooth, handcrafted, triangular earrings placed meticulously on a repurposed wooden table. Soft, pastel sweatshirts created from hemp displayed on hangers made of bamboo. Colorful, tightly woven clutches made out of recycled magazines. These are just a few of the pieces of environmentally conscious fashion. The world of fashion is always evolving, yet the eco-friendly trend has grown rapidly throughout the last decade, and shows no signs of stopping.
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Various companies are committing to methods that will lessen their ecological footprint by using hemp and other sustainable materials, recycling used clothes, or using recycled materials such as plastic to produce new clothing and accessories. However, many shoppers who want to be eco-friendly in their fashion choices do not know which companies are taking ecofriendly steps and which are not. In a 2012 Greenpeace study entitled “Toxic Threads: The Big Fashion Stitch-Up,” testers sampled products from various brands for different types of chemical content, with shocking results. High levels of damaging chemicals were identified in the dyes used by companies such as Calvin Klein, Zara, Levi’s, and Victoria’s Secret. Zara’s clothing in particular posed high risks because it contained both NPEs and phthalates, two carcinogenic chemicals, while other companies’ clothing only contained one or the other. These chemicals harm the environment, especially aquatic life, and negatively affect the body’s hormone levels. Greenpeace urged these companies to adopt
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zero discharge goals for the future. Some companies, such as Victoria’s Secret, agreed and adopted this policy, while others, such as Zara, merely added vague claims about saving energy and recycling to their mission statements. Some popular brands, however, have stepped up to the plate to inform their customers that they are changing their clothing for the better. Stella McCartney, Freedom of Animals and Clare Vivier are brands known for using sustainable or even vegan materials to fight against animal cruelty. Others, such as The Hempest, a New England-based brand, have built their company on the notion of using sustainable material. H&M, a brand known for its affordable fashion, recently adopted initiatives to become a greener company under pressure from consumers. The company announced that it will adopt a closed loop recycling method, in which customers are encouraged to bring in unwanted clothing from any brand to create new clothing, therefore keeping discarded clothing from ending up in landfills.
However, smaller companies often have the greenest initiatives. Alex and Ani is a local New England jewelry company that prides itself on having an eco-conscious culture. All of the jewelry is handcrafted in America in a factory in Rhode Island. Alex and Ani uses recycled materials for its bags, and the floors of many of its stores are constructed from bamboo. Ore Jewelry by Sophie Hughes creates eco-friendly accessories even closer to home, in the Back Bay area of Boston. Hughes, who graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2008, knew that she wanted to design with her personal value of sustainability in mind. “We have one Earth, one chance; I don’t need to make the situation worse,” Hughes says. The silver, gold and platinum used in Hughes’ delicate yet durable jewelry is recycled. The company buys from a middleman who uses larger suppliers, such as from Cash for Gold and estate jewelry companies, to process the reclaimed jewelry. “It ends up looking brand new, but it’s all
recycled,” Hughes says. Even some of the display tables in her shop are made of repurposed wood. An eco-friendly business foundation allows Hughes and her production manager, Bess Morin, to be more creative in the process. They use recycled mine cut diamonds from the 1800s, which have a unique shape and shine that modern diamonds do not. The company uses hammers and anvils, which are also repurposed, to give its jewelry a one-of-a-kind texture that cannot be replicated in factories. Pressure from consumers to be green is pushing many companies to make a change for our planet’s future. Although smaller, local companies like Alex and Ani are making the largest shifts in sustainable fashion, big companies like H&M are beginning to incorporate eco-friendly policies into their businesses. And with its thin ombre hoop earrings, delicate golden chains and simple yet stunning bangles, Ore Jewelry is proof that the sustainable future of fashion looks bright.
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CITY STORIES OF BOSTON • REWRITING A GENRE, PG. 29 • COFFEE BUZZ, PG. 32 • A REFRESHING SOLUTION, PG. 35
REWRITING A
GENRE
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CAMBRIDGE-BASED ARTS ORGANIZATION, THE HIP-HOP TRANSFORMATION, GIVES A POSITIVE SPIN TO THE MEANING OF RAP TEXT | SAMANTHA HARTON PHOTOGRAPHY | NORA WILBY ip-hop gets a bad rap. Older generations see as a whole: to make “real rap” more accessible so true hiptheir children listening to artists like 2 Chainz hop does not just have to live underground. Korte and his and Ace Hood rap about sex, drugs and alco- artists seek to create art and educate the public on the inhol, and wonder where the artistry is. Many justices that the music industry has performed on hip-hop members of the younger generations that the culture, as well as the difference between “gangster rap” and genre tends to appeal to even recognize today’s “real rap,” so that more people will recognize the merit in rappers’ immoral and vulgar messages, yet hip-hop music that tells the truth about the artist. can’t resist the killer basslines and catchy lyrics. The rap But when Lewis first came to THHT, he did not undergenre has an inherently negative connotation, and implies stand this distinction so well. Korte’s program is not just a a style of music full of profanity and immorality. Darrin vehicle for kids to come in and record music. Before they Korte, founder of The Hip-Hop Transformation, wants to can even get into the studio, Korte educates them on hipchange that. hop culture by giving them a series of lectures about the hisKorte started The Hip-Hop Transformation (THHT) tory of hip-hop, the culture of hip-hop today, and the music two years ago, when he realized industry in general. For instance, in one the Cambridge Community of the lectures, Korte spoke about the Center was doing great things control that big record companies take for the youth of Cambridge, but “I’m just a firm believer in over their artists, creating a music industhat youths develop different inin which artists get paid big money to meeting kids where their try terests with age. Having worked make music that they don’t have much at the Center since 2009, Korte passions already are, so we control over. He says that this lecture anfounded THHT in order to cregered his students, especially Lewis, who developed a program to ate more teen programs. “I’m just chose to turn his emotion into creativity a firm believer in meeting kids by immediately writing the lyrics to “Pupmeet their needs.” where their passions already are,” pets,” a song containing lyrics like “they says Korte, “so we developed a give me a deal / I don’t trust it / the only program to meet their needs.” goal is to turn us to puppets.” -Darrin Korte THHT’s ultimate goal is to Korte not only wants to encourage change the face of hip-hop by cre(Founder of The Hip-Hop creativity in his artists, but also the apating rap that can be perceived in propriate kind of creativity. He doesn’t Transformation) a positive light. Korte explains allow his artists to use foul language or that the music industry has apdegrade women is their music, which are propriated hip-hop culture and two elements that are characteristic to a used it to turn a profit, degrading large portion of the hip-hop genre. He the culture in the process. Today’s made the rule prohibiting swear words rap creates a negative image of the woman or the black so that THHT’s music would be accessible to all age male that reinforces false stereotypes. He sees artists put- groups. These limits are actually liberating for the artists, ting on a facade as people that live perfect lives with all the as it challenges them to consider every word they say and sex and money that listeners could only dream of, instead how it contributes to making what Lewis calls a “real song.” of portraying themselves in an honest light. Korte wants He says, “Whenever I write songs, I try to speak the truth his artists to be “ambassadors” to a different type of rap that first,” which is exactly what Korte is trying to instill in his tells the truth about the artist and about the world in order students. to help the genre become “a more respected art form.” Although the program seeks to change the hip-hop One of his ambassadors, 18-year-old Brandon Lewis, genre in Cambridge and beyond, it is also changing lives says that mainstream rap is a “delusion that portrays an within its own studio walls. When asked where he would image of the artist that is false and glorifies it.” He insists, be without Darrin Korte and THHT, Lewis replies, “In “that’s not music,” an idea that THHT has worked hard to the streets probably, not doing what I’m supposed to do.” ingrain within its artists. Although he is certain as to what He says that he still battles with various temptations, but “real rap” is not, he has a much more difficult time defin- with his rising career as a rapper that THHT has helped ing what it is. “I don’t feel like I can categorize it,” he says, him develop, he finally has something to be passionate but describes underground hip-hop and his own music as about. Lewis admits that without having a serious talk “real rap.” When asked about where he’s taking his own with Darrin about the path he is taking, he might be in jail. music, he takes a long pause to consider, and finally says, Now, instead of creating trouble, he’s creating music, al“I’m trying to fill the gap.” This simple, six word sentence lowing his past to influence him positively and creatively. embodies not only Lewis’ primary goal, but that of THHT
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“‘I don’t feel like I can categorize it,’ he says, but describes underground hip-hop and his own music as ‘real rap.’ When asked about where he’s taking his own music, he takes a long pause to consider, and finally says, ‘I’m trying to fill the gap.’”
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E F F O C
Z Z U B E E BUST
IN TH S P O H S EE
N THE CHA
COFF F O E L O GING R
IRIAM
RIAD
ER
ESSN
TEXT | MATHERINE G C RAPHY | PHOTOG
STON
Y OF BO LING CIT
tudents hunching in front of their laptops, cupping a latte with an extra shot of espresso as they squint at their latest homework assignment. Old friends reuniting after years apart, catching up on all the news. Professors exchanging ideas over mugs of frothy cappuccinos. These are the everyday happenings that occur in Boston’s coffee shops. With over 100 colleges and thousands of students who depend heavily on caffeine to pull all-nighters before exams and deadlines, Boston is the perfect setting for a thriving coffee culture. Cambridge’s 1369 Coffee House has been around the Boston area since 1993 and has seen a lot of change and growth in the coffee scene in the past 21 years. Kelley Foley is COO of the company. In her seven years with the coffee shop, Foley has noted many trends. Foley spent some time on the West Coast, and she notes that Boston’s scene has a distinct flavor. “It’s slow coffee over there,” says Foley. “People here want their coffee and they want it fast.” 1369’s customers tend to take their coffee to go on their way to work. Foley has noticed that people have become more excited about coffee in the past few years. “It’s grown in a
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different way nationwide – it’s more speciality coffee.” Specialty coffee ecompasses coffee that is grown in microclimates, producing a very specific flavor and quality. Americans spend18 billion dollars yearly on specialty coffee. Ellen Blanchette, manager of Pavement Coffeehouse’s Newbury Street location, also notes Boston’s brewing excitement about specialty coffee. “People are opting for quality over the cheapest cup they can find,” she says. “Education about coffee is a huge part of that.” Blanchette says that the more customers learn about how coffee is sourced, the more they want to buy speciality coffee. Pavement, with five locations and looking to open a sixth in the Fenway neighborhood, has been in Boston for 10 years – although it used to be called Espresso Royale Café – and is found on several of the “top coffee” lists and was named one of the “Top 10 Coolest Cafes in America” by Travel + Leisure. In the past few years, over a dozen independent coffee shops have sprung up. Often, customers will stroll into a cafe and have a hard time finding a place to sit. While there has been an increase of coffee shops in Beantown, Jake Robinson of Counter Culture Coffee in Somerville
thinks there is still room for growth. “It might be the least developed coffee market in the United States,” says Robinson, who has observed the coffee scene in Boston since 2011. “New York, Providence and Seattle have a much higher amount of contemporary coffee shops than Boston does.” While Seattle has 35 coffee shops per 100,000 residents, Boston provides a mere nine. Blanchette attributes Boston’s smaller specialty coffee scene to the presence of Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts and Bostonians’ diehard loyalty to these familiar brands. Despite the small number, Robinson says that Boston is home to some of the best coffee in the country. He’s not alone in his opinion. A handful of Boston coffee shops, including Render, Thinking Cup and Pavement, have made it into lists by The Daily Meal, USA Today, Boston.com, Food & Wine and more. In Robinson’s perspective, coffee has long been a driver of innovation, and this is true for Boston’s caffeine scene as well. “People visit coffee shops to be open to new ideas,” Robinson says. There is a lot of innovation on how baristas prepare coffee and how they serve the beverage, such as what type of espresso machine is used, explains Robinson. As America’s college town, Boston is the perfect place for these hubs of
intellectual conversation and social connection. “Caffeine makes people talk, and makes people open up a little bit more,” Robinson says. Foley also agrees that coffee shops create community in a city. “Coffee houses are the third place,” she says, referring to the Starbucks model, the third place between home and work. “People come every day, it’s like their office – people from all different walks of life,” says Foley of their regulars. From professors to the homeless, 1369 has become a hub for the whole community. Blanchette comments on the transformation in Boston’s coffee scene, saying that people are shifting their mindset from viewing coffee as a “64 ounce.” beverage to a smaller, simpler and better quality experience. “It’s not about size, it’s about the coffee you’re drinking,” she says. Slowly but surely, Boston is embracing coffee. As specialty coffee streams into the city and more consumers are educated, a few more shops open up every year and become hubs of socializing and studying. “Bostonians are cautious in taking on new trends,” says Robinson. “They want to make sure it’s the real thing before they dive in. That being said, it has all the ingredients for a vibrant coffee culture.”
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A REFRESHING
SOLUTION FOOD DESERTS IN LOWER INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS ARE WHAT THE FRESH TRUCK AIMS TO CHANGE
TEXT | AUBREY GEMMELL-NUNEZ PHOTOGRAPHY | PAOLA CAMARGO
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F
ruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains may be at the fingertips of many Bostonians, but for certain neighborhoods in the city, access to basic nutrition is limited. Last year, a retrofitted school bus driven by the vision of a healthier Boston – carrying 30 different varieties of produce – decided to change that. The side of the bus reads “Fresh Truck,” and the inside displays their simple, yet luscious, array of food hanging in metal baskets. Options range from mushrooms, to kale, to cucumbers. Founded by recent Northeastern graduates Josh Trautwein and Daniel Clark, the idea of bringing affordable and nutritious groceries to neighborhoods without access took shape last year as the Fresh Truck bus began its pilot route of Boston neighborhoods. Annika Morgan, a junior entrepreneurial student and the marketing director of Fresh Truck, helped to make the pilot a success. “It all started when Josh was working at a health center in Charlestown. There are lots of people living there, there is just not a lot of groceries,” said Morgan. The neighborhoods Morgan refers to are food deserts – areas where access to grocery stores are limited and income is low. These include areas such as Charlestown, MA, where the idea for Fresh Truck first sprouted. The bus launched its pilot operation in July of 2013 and ended it in October of that year when the Fresh Truck team decided to stop and reevaluate the needs of the company and concentrate on expanding their success. During the operation the bus made weekly stops at neighborhoods ranging from Charlestown, to Mattapan, to Dorchester, reaching 1,120 families and selling 17,541 pounds of food. The majority of the produce carried by the Fresh Truck comes from the wholesaler Chelsea Market. Fresh Truck sold the produce at about 20 percent less than stores such as Stop & Shop and Shaws, and 40 percent less than Whole Foods Market, which is also supplied by Chelsea Market. In the areas Fresh Truck targeted during the pilot, median income is $48,057 in data collected by City Data Boston from 2001–2011 and the reported population density is 14,350 people per square mile. Compared to a more affluent Boston neighborhood such as Back Bay, where the average income is $84,375 as of 2008, areas such as Dorchester have a much lower average income, which lends to the already existing problem of food disparity. The issue of food disparity has many underlying causes, but natural food stores with a high-end feel and price tags like those at Whole Foods Market do not help the problem. Whole Foods “is very expensive for these families and brings in a foodie culture that they cannot be a part of. It takes the whole healthy living aspect and puts a bad vibe on it,” says Morgan. Fresh Truck aims to expand from the one bus they have now to a second bus launch which will help to cultivate local communities where fresh food is a staple, not a luxury. With two buses, the Fresh Truck company will be able to focus equal energy on weekly routes as well as community events that they already support, such as Lawrence School in Brookline and Neponset Health Center.
To foster this evolvement, the Fresh Truck team has temporarily taken its bus off the weekly routes. The company plans to fundraise and create a bus model that will sustain itself throughout the seasons, including the addition of better air conditioning features. The issue of climate control on the bus is only one of the many obstacles the company faces as a traveling business. “The original idea was if we were there, people would show up,” says Morgan. Coming into a community as a new business and developing a loyal customer base, though, is not that simple. To help cultivate the community, Fresh Truck offers volunteer opportunities for youth in the Greater Boston area. “We hope to provide a great experience so that people share it and feel that they can depend on us and want to come back to share with their friends and family,” Morgan says. Morgan recalls one faithful customer, a young child who came onto the Fresh Truck bus every week without fail during the pilot operation. “He will eat whatever he picks out,” she says. “This kid is really excited and he takes ownership in the decision making and learning about something new.” Reaching into these communities is not as easy as it seems, and although impactful connections are made, the bus’s design still lacks the permanent presence a regular grocery store would provide. The bus only stays in each neighborhood for two hours at a time. The concept of the grocery store on wheels is a realistic alternative to setting up permanent grocery stores in a city where space is limited. Erin Anderson, program manager for Future Boston Alliance, feels that organizations like Fresh Truck are the first innovative steps toward solving the food desert problem. Future Boston Alliance supports start-up entrepreneurial creative businesses and encourages Bostonians to take part in the conversation regarding the city’s future. Through her experience with Future Boston Alliance and with her extensive knowledge of the city’s needs, Anderson sees food deserts as a “very real issue,” and believes businesses like Fresh Truck can only help address the problem. “What they are doing is necessary and needed,” says Anderson. “I think it’s great to come into communities and feed people. With this limited access to space, folks have had to get creative.” Anderson believes that Fresh Truck may be the first step in changing the city’s food dynamic, but it is certainly not the last. “We need to go in and completely change our food system and structure,” she says. “We need to build systems that think seven generations from now.” Morgan and Fresh Truck are thinking about the future, but their start-up company and its mobile operation lack the concrete effect a permanent location would provide. Likewise, Anderson emphasizes that in order to cause community change, there has to be a place where the community can come together. “The model is cool and unique and trendy,” says Morgan of Fresh Truck’s business style. “It gets people’s attention regardless of where they are from or what their backgrounds are.” Perhaps this idea can dissolve boundaries to form a city-wide culture of healthy eating. Fresh Truck has the power of mobility, but its catalyzing potential to evolve Boston’s food culture will grow as the project moves into the future.
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HEAL
LTH
COMFORT, COCONUTS & CALM • COMFORT OF COMFORT FOODS, PG. 39 • CUCKOO FOR COCONUT OIL, PG. 41 • BREATHE DEEPLY, PG. 43
THE COMFORT OF
COMFORT FOODS REVEALING THE BENEFITS OF FOODS THAT MAKE YOU FEEL AT HOME TEXT | ANNETTE CHOI PHOTOGRAPHY | ANNA BUCKLEY
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ou’re finally home. Utterly exhausted, you My aunt makes really nice chocolate chip cookies. throw yourself on the couch with absolutely They have just the right amount of salt.” Interestingly no intention of getting back up. It’s been a enough, when asked how she feels after consuming long, tiring day. Your feet are aching and these cookies, Laura says that she feels guilty. “All the your brain is steaming, radiating indeterminable lev- time. Every single time.” However, Cafasso also menels of stress. All you want to do is snuggle up in a cozy tions that despite the regret that she feels after eating blanket in front of the TV with a big plate of home- the cookies, “in the moment, it’s absolutely worth it!” made (fill in the blank). For some people, it might be On the other hand, Pat Timmons, marketing ’18, mac and cheese with extra cheesy sauce. For others, reveals the emotion he feels whenever he eats steak it might be buttery chocolate chip cookies fresh from or mac and cheese, his preferred comfort foods. “I feel the oven, baked to perfection, just warm enough to very satisfied. I feel very comforted. I feel like I’m at fall apart in your mouth in gooey goodness. home. Just good feelings.” Comfort foods are loosely defined as foods that Timmons’ feelings correlate with the idea that each individual associates with home and wholesome certain foods boost an individual’s morale and mood. feelings. Emma Brockes, a New While there has been an overYork-based feature writer for The whelming debate about this Guardian’s Weekend Magazine, concept, Karina Martinezshares that “comfort food is really “Females preferred sweet Mayorga, Ph.D., shares that just a route back into memory.” when the mood-lifting chemiOftentimes, an individual will and sugary foods, such as ice cals found in foods are comcrave a comfort food in the specific cream, while males favored bined with healthy lifestyles fashion and form that he or she reand conditions, significant savory foods, such as steak. mood boosts can take place. members from the past. Kathy DeGregorio, a chef that are two neurotransmitAlso, women admitted to There has served in the school food serters that connect our brains vice for over 14 years, believes that feeling guilty after consum- and bodies with moods: ex“food is the center of the universe.” citatory and inhibitory neuing these comfort foods, She says, “Food is not just for rotransmitters. Excitatory sustainability, it’s part of our evwhile men felt a sense of neurotransmitters stimulate eryday life and culture. It affects our bodies and minds, while being rewarded.” our moods because as an adult it inhibitory neurotransmitters brings you back to childhood, to calm them. Comfort foods, family, to memories.” such as chocolate, trigger Depending on gender, the endorphins and serotonin, comfort foods that an individual desires and associ- which are chemicals that elicit good feelings and ates with consolation differ tremendously. In 2005, moods. These comfort foods are not only delicious, Cornell University surveyed 277 individuals to ana- but also psychologically positive and beneficial. lyze the difference in preferences. Results showed Whenever those cravings for some good energy that females preferred sweet and sugary foods, such and homey goodness come along, don’t hold back! as ice cream, while males favored savory foods, such Devour that plate of steaming mashed potatoes or as steak. Also, women admitted to feeling guilty af- that mountain of creamy chocolate ice cream with abter consuming these comfort foods, while men felt a solute confidence. Despite prior doubts about the acsense of being rewarded. curacy of the impact comfort foods can have, comfort Laura Cafasso, writing, literature and publishing foods are an important aspect in getting that boost of ’18, shares that her favorite comfort food is chocolate energy. And as Chef DeGregorio shares, “it brings us chip cookies. “They soothe me when I’m stressed. back to a place in our lives that is better.”
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cuckoo for COCONUT OIL FROM SUNSCREEN TO MOUTHWASH, COCONUTS OPEN THE DOOR TO VERSATILE HEALTH CARE PRODUCTS TEXT | MIMI WALKER ILLUSTRATION | HOLLY KIRKMAN
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h, the coconut. The glorious brown shell filled with pearly, meaty fruit has been around since the dawn of time. Its purposes are endless – coconut water has tons of electrolytes, coconut milk is great for the lactose-intolerant, and the fruit itself is yummy on its own or in a cake. However, the real essence – or blood – of the fruit is its oil. Even though it was only introduced to grocery stores at the beginning of this decade, the product has caught on rapidly – and with good reason. This smooth oil has endless capabilities. It is even possible to make guilt-free french fries with it! NaturalNews reported in February 2014 that adding two tablespoons of coconut oil to cooking helped participants reduce midsection bloat in three months. Molly Robson, a certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant, explains, “Coconut oil is a naturally occurring saturated fat (rather than a hydrogenated or processed one, such as margarine or shortening), comprised of 50 percent medium chain fatty acids and 50 percent lauric acid, which is antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and antimicrobial. It is very easily digested, so it can be cooked or baked with, but it can also be absorbed through the skin, making it a superior topical moisturizer.” The body does not store lauric acid as fat. Rather, it goes directly to work cleansing the liver. Additionally, it kills protozoan bacteria in the gut, which is known to cause gas and ulcers, and rebuilds tissue damaged by inflammation. Robson says, “The lauric acid content in coconut oil challenges a great number of health conditions, such as athlete’s foot, candida, HPV, chronic acne, and can even benefit those suffering from Crohn’s Disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and HIV.” Women in India have historically used coconut oil as an overnight hair mask or pre-conditioning treatment. This is useful for people with dry, brittle or thin hair. The oil improves protein levels by penetrating deep into the hair shaft, due to the oil’s fattiness, low molecular weight and straight linear chain. Coconut oil has been used as a sunblock and general moisturizer for many eras in countries with an abundance of coconut. Ghana News Agency reported the women of Ghana have used it for centuries as a preventative measure against stretch marks during pregnancies. Additionally, coconut oil contains a good percentage of vitamin E, which fades scars. People of the Philippines have long used the oil as bath lotion and as a lice repellant. In a clinical study published by GreenMedInfo in 2010, coconut oil mixed with star anise essence worked to
significantly reduce the amount of lice present in patients’ hair. This is due to the fatty content of the oil, which smothers nits and loosens the grip of a fully grown louse. Perhaps the most unusual and interesting approach to utilizing coconut oil is how it works as a tasty mouthwash. The process is called oil pulling. The National Center for Biotechnology Information states that it has been practiced in Indian medicine, or Ayurveda, for several consecutive eras. All you have to do is spoon out a small amount of oil from the jar after brushing your teeth, and swish it around your mouth for about 15–20 minutes. The timing is crucial – during those minutes, the oil pulls out bacteria within the tongue and dissolves the plaque on teeth. As it turns out, plaque is fat-soluble. It is extremely important not to swallow the oil and to spit it out directly into the trash bin – not into the sink. Over time, the tongue’s gray matter will slowly revert back to pink and teeth will become whiter. The oil also kills bacteria that cause strep throat. Additional benefits include well-nourished lips, rejuvenated gum lines and reduction of cankers. Coconut oil is also used as an alternative to traditional store-bought sunscreen. Brand name sunscreens contain substances which can cause endocrine disruption and are known carcinogens and eye irritants. These ingredients can break down rapidly when mixed with water and expose the body to free radicals, which oxidize the skin and cause sun sores. Hence, the need for constant and tiresome reapplication. In essence, so many lotions are pumped with preservatives that they work against vitamin D production. There are two sun rays: UVA and UVB. UVA, as we know, are the intense ones – the ones that burn you and leave you red and crying. UVB, however, work to promote vitamin D production throughout the body. Heavy-duty sunscreens filled with fragrance can block both UVA and UVB, or, in cases where toxins are absorbed into the body, allow only strong UVA rays to come through. The trick for swapping generic sunblock for the nutty stuff? Stay out in the sun for 20 minutes without anything on your skin. Then, slather the oil all over your body. Relax for another 30–60 minutes in the sun. The skin on your body will temporarily turn red – don’t panic. You are not burning, you are sulfating, or absorbing vitamin D-3 directly from ultraviolet rays. The other bonus? The constant use of the oil gives softer, smoother skin and a much cleaner shave. Points for healthy fat that smells like a tropical vacation!
HEALTHY TIP: WHEN SEARCHING FOR A SPECIFIC BRAND OF OIL TO PURCHASE, GO WITH COLD-PRESSED. THE REASON? WHEN ELECTRIC HEATERS ARE HOOKED UP TO THE NUT PRESS IN AN OIL FACTORY, IT IS REALLY MORE OUT OF CONVENIENCE – THE HEAT PUSHES THE OIL OUT OF THE SEEDS QUICKER, BUT THE NUTRITIONAL CONTENT IS COMPROMISED SLIGHTLY AS IT IS BEING PREHEATED. PRE-PREHEATED, IF YOU WILL. WHEN SEEDS ARE PUT IN A SOLITARY PRESS, THE SCREWS INSIDE WORK TO GRIND THE SEEDS DOWN AND COLLECT THE OIL IN A FILTER AT THE BOTTOM. IT IS A LONGER PROCESS, AND PERHAPS A FEW CENTS UP FROM THE REGULAR BRANDS, BUT COLD-PRESSED OIL CAN PROTECT SKIN FROM SUN EXPOSURE FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME.
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BREATHE DEEPLY
A LOOK AT HOW MEDITATION AND YOGA CAN CURE COLLEGE STRESS TEXT | COURTNEY MAJOR PHOTOGRAPHY | CATHERINE GESSNER
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hether it is an upcoming test, an encroaching deep breathing.” deadline or an ever-growing workload, there is Stress outwardly manifests itself differently in each always something that can lead to that anxious individual, but on a biological level it raises the level of feeling in the pit of your stomach. When Greg the hormone cortisol in the body. Too much cortisol for Wayne, animation ’16, is faced with feelings of stress he a prolonged period of time leads to weight gain, loss of turns to meditation as a way to settle his busy mind. He memory and a harder time encoding new information. A takes out his Tibetan singing bowl, a type of brass bell, simple way to battle this stress: learning to breathe deeply rings it once, and allows his mind to focus on the rever- and care for yourself. Kate Heffernan, a yoga instructor berating noise until his thoughts drift away. He closes of five years, says, “I can be aware that there is stuff I still his eyes after sitting someplace silent and allows both his need to do, but instead use this time as self-care. Use mind and body to quiet as he puts his responsibilities into this time to be in my breath and in my body. Because it’s perspective. when you are really in that present moment you start to Wayne, who has practiced meditation for five years, actively relax.” Heffernan has been teaching at the Down finds internal balance with his growing responsibilities Under Yoga Studio in Brookline and Newtonville for the when meditating, and often realizes that his workload past two and a half years. Her Relax N’ Renew class is and commitments aren’t as terrifying as he thought prior recommended for managing stress, centering around reto meditation. He is able to look at storative poses to open the body. his work as what it is: manageable She tells her students to focus on individual tasks rather than one enor- “WHEN STUDENTS GET the movement of the poses and be mous, looming assignment. After fully present in their body. ConSTRESSED, IT IS IMmeditating, Wayne realizes that “the centrating on the count of their PORTANT FOR THEM size of your problems are an illusion breaths helps to momentarily forbased on perspective.” He explains get stress, which in turn quiets TO HAVE WAYS TO REthat meditation is “like dipping your the sympathetic nervous system head into a warm bath. It makes me responsible for the body’s overproLAX. PEOPLE HAVE feel like I’ve got just the right amount of cortisol. INDIVIDUAL WAYS TO duction of sleep.” Meditation allows Wayne At first, yoga is a way for stuto wake up feeling refreshed and REDUCE STRESS BUT dents to distract themselves for a clearheaded, with a renewed focus. short period of time, but this selfSOME IDEAS WOULD Mentally, increasing stress acticare of learning to calm yourself vates the sympathetic nervous sysand learning to breathe will bleed BE EXERCISE, YOGA, tem, which causes your muscles to into your everyday life. “When you subconsciously tense, your breath MEDITATION AND DEEP get really depleted, your stress to shorten, and your body to go into levels rise, your cortisol rises, and BREATHING.” fight-or-flight mode. Without realas a result your adrenal glands izing it, your body is on edge. Erin just can’t handle it anymore,” says Tetler, a family nurse practitioner in Boston, says, “Often, Heffernan. When this happens, she advises her students when a student feels overworked about something, those to remember self-care, active relaxation and deep breathstressors come first, and taking care of their mind and ing. This will help to keep the body from going into overbody becomes a secondary concern.” This poses a prob- drive. lem because the long-term side effects of stress include Stress is a disease to the body and mind, but everyone stomachaches, irritability, trouble sleeping and even can find a way to calm and center themselves, whether it decreased concentration. “I feel that all college students is through meditation or yoga, or something as simple as suffer from varying degrees of stress. However, learning just breathing into your entire body. One thing is certain, to manage that is a part of life,” Tetler says. “When stu- as yoga instructor Heffernan says, “It’s not one size fits all. dents get stressed, it is important for them to have ways Especially when you are trying to relax yourself, it’s a practo relax. People have individual ways to reduce stress but tice of self-study. There is a style and a teacher out there some ideas would be exercise, yoga, meditation [and] for everyone.”
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GLOBE AROUND THE WORLD IN 3,720 WORDS • OCEAN PIONEERS, PG. 47 • HUMBLE ABODES, PG.59 • THE KOSOVO PARADOX, PG. 52 • A NEW DIRECTION, PG. 55
OCEAN PIONEERS PROFESSIONAL SURFING’S LATEST IMPROVEMENTS ON THE WEB AND AT THE BEACH INFLUENCE THE SPORT’S EVER-CHANGING CULTURE TEXT | CHANTELLE BACIGALUPO PHOTOGRAPHY | COURTESY OF RYAN MCMANUS ILLUSTRATION | HOLLY KIRKMAN
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Never turn your back on the ocean – the number one rule for any marine newbie. The ocean is its own being with an undeniable allure just as dangerous as it is charismatic. It’s a mysterious frontier. Maybe it’s the gravitational dance with the moon, or its mass coverage of over 70 percent of the planet, or maybe it is that less than 5 percent has been explored. Surfers are the pioneers that dare to intimately connect with such a presence. Their easygoing attitude has inspired them to take hold of nature’s hand in an area where two opposing forces meet – land and sea. Formally known as point breaks, these waves are considered a violent feature of the abyss. But these men and women fortified with wetsuits, athleticism and a freeing, salty mist innovated their way toward the blend of human plus wave. By the 1980s, these forerunners had created an activity and lifestyle that became synonymous with youth culture and surf companies. However, surfing as a professional sport flowed just like the waves of the sea, experiencing highs and lows in both popularity and business. Although radiating potential since its birth, it is not until the recent two-year transformation of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) that the activity has aimed to achieve the same commercial force as any other mainstream sport. The ASP’s efforts toward this transformation include improved webcasting, a new ownership group, gender parity and the core embrace of surf culture. During the mid-1990s, some visionaries transported the sport away from metropolitan venues to commit to quality waves and locations. Remote beaches and unpredictable swell did not mix well with traditional blocks of time on broadcast television. Webcasting became the dominant interface for fans to connect with the sport because of its flexibility. The ASP created aspworldtour.com as the singular home for professional surfing, which results in minimal clicks to access all 11 events – a significant improvement from the multiple links needed to access various events in previous competitions. They also launched their new webcast streaming through YouTube, which has given the ability to track accurate viewing numbers. YouTube doubtfully estimated a total of 350,000 hours watched per event. But to much surprise, the Tahiti surf competition generated a total of 2 million hours watched. The ASP is a cutting edge example of what can be done with a professional sport via Wi-Fi. But the ASP also carried over the centralized home from online to offline. As opposed to the previous fifty-fifty ownership split between athletes and surf brands (including Billabong, Quiksilver, and Rip Curl), the ASP is now a privately owned company. Vice President of Communications Dave Prodan says, “The ownership model – but also the structure of the organization this year and in future years – I think benefits all stakeholders of the sport, whether it’s the surfers, or the partners, or the employees, or the fans.” Despite the growing popularity and success so far, the underrated sport still faces competition. After all, Sunday nights with beer and football have been long a tradition.
Strategically, the new ownership group and senior management blended a small group of individuals with institutional knowledge about the ASP with a large group from industries like Time Inc., NFL, ESPN, and FOX Sports to work together and provide sport insight. Prodan says, “I think the blending of cultures has been very important to our ownership and management team. And that’s really contributed to our success so far.” But the success has transcended strictly business. For all the feminists out there, this might just become a sport held close to the heart. Deputy Commissioner Jessi Miley-Dyer, who also once held the World Junior Title, says, “I think the women have been the biggest winners in the [company] change.” This is the first time that management has been committed to focusing on and rebuilding the women’s world tour. For the 18 women competing, management increased their total prize money from $120,000 to $250,000. The increase has created complete parity amongst the men and women. In an equal ratio, the men’s world tour has 36 competitors and a total of $500,000 in prize money. Trestles, Maui and Fiji have also been added to the list of events for women. New management believed that if the women were provided with quality waves, their performances would progress significantly. As the events have proved, Prodan says, “Their performances have shattered every expectation.” Miley-Dyer hopes that professional women surfers will continue to grow in status. She says, “It would be really gratifying if people knew [a professional women’s surfer] just from her face. Just like any other big time athlete.” The ASP hopes to reach the masses not only for business purposes, but also to share the culture and transformative experience of surfing with those who have not been exposed to it. Hawaiian resident Jordan Matayoshi, acting ’15, says, “It is very much a community. You go out with a lot of your friends and surf all day.” Whether you’re getting pushed into waves, being the competition fanatic, or sporting salt encrusted hair, the surf community remains. It’s all about location. Matayoshi says, “You hang out and end up talking to a lot of people out in the ocean.” For inlanders, surfing may seem out of reach, but all it really takes is one time to get hooked. Miley-Dyer explains the obsession, saying, “People talk about being bitten by the surfing bug. You end up being obsessed with it a little bit.” But how can you not? A wooden tablet is the only thing between your bare feet and mystical nature. Ryan McManus, visual and media arts ’17, describes the experience of standing on a gliding surfboard as “second to none.” He says, “I think it is like a dance almost. There has to be an aspect to it that you have to repeat and rehearse over and over again. I think it’s a lot like an art form.” Surfing means something different to each person. It’s like the body of a newly carved surfboard waiting to be uniquely designed. Miley-Dyer says, “No matter what kind of day I’ve had or who I’ve been fighting with, it just feels like it’s just been washed away once I get in the ocean.”
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HUMBLE
ABODES TEXT | PIMPLOY PHONGSIRIVECH PHOTOGRAPHY | MONIQUE WOO
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THE DECEIVINGLY SIMPLE CONCEPT OF “HOME” FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED IN MULTIPLE CITIES, COUNTRIES AND CONTINENTS Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines home as “one’s fer to a location. It means family. Kadim says, “Things kept place of residence.” Urban Dictionary defines it as “where changing, we’d get new furniture, new homes, new schools, your Wi-Fi connects automatically.” One usually thinks of new friends, but my family was always the constant.” a location when the word “home” is mentioned, but it isn’t Caitlin Combe, visual and media arts ’17, agrees. Home always that straightforward. is never one place for her, but if she had to pick a location The word “home” is like a boggart – a shape-shifting it would be wherever her family is. She says, “I’ve realized nonbeing that appears in stories like “Harry Potter.” But over the years that [home] is more my mom, my dad and my instead of transforming into one’s worst fears, this type of brother because we’ve moved around so much. So wherevboggart embodies one’s interpretation of home, shifting er they are is home.” For the first decade of her life, Combe from one entity to another. Home can mean a whole spec- moved to over four different countries on three different trum of things, whether it’s a street, a corner or a neighbor- continents. Her parents are from Ireland, she was born hood playground. Home could be the nostalgia inspired by in Singapore and later moved to Venezuela, Sri Lanka, a specific scent; the clammy smell of the subway could insti- Vietnam, Indonesia, England, back to Singapore and now gate the feeling of home to a person as much as the aroma of Boston. grandma’s French onion soup could to the next. Combe also says that smells are, for her, intricately But what happens if home takes linked with memories of home. She the form of a suitcase? What does But what happens if says, “The other day [I] picked up this home mean to people who have candle. And I recognized the smell. moved to so many cities, countries home takes the form of I couldn’t tell you what it was, but I and continents that they’ve lost track? a suitcase? What does knew exactly what country I associatThese people are often dubbed ed with it. I knew it was a smell [from] Third Culture Kids (TCKs). Ruth home mean to people Sri Lanka.” Van Reken, coauthor of “Third Van Reken, who has studied TCKs who have moved to Culture Kids: Growing Up Among and multicultural topics for decades, Worlds,” defines the term TCK as “a similar mixed feelings about definso many cities, coun- has person who was raised for a signifiing home. She says that she struggles cant portion of their childhood outtries and continents to find a definite answer, and that she side their parents’ culture.” She is ofhas multiple homes. Each of these ten asked how to identify TCKs, to that they’ve lost track? homes is related to different feelings which she responds, “I suppose the These people are often and memories. Her Nigerian home minute someone can’t answer where reminds her of her childhood, her they [come] from properly, then you dubbed Third Culture Chicago one of her grandmother and know you have something.” her high school years, and finally, her Kids. Van Reken has firsthand expeIndianapolis one – the current one – of rience, being a TCK herself. Her her children and grandchildren. parents are both American citizens, but she was born and Perhaps you don’t have to have a definite answer, and raised in Kano, Nigeria. She moved back to the U.S. when maybe you belong in several places. An individual doesn’t she was 13, and struggled to find a straightforward answer have to belong in one home, but multiple, and as Combe to the simple question. She says, “In school they used to says, “Everywhere I’ve been I’ve called home at one point.” ask, ‘Where are you from?’ I said, ‘Nigeria.’ They said, ‘No, TCKs may find it harder to pinpoint a specific location you don’t look like you’re from Nigeria,’ so I said, ‘Okay, I’m when answering a question, having grown up immersed in from Chicago.’” Now, Van Reken says she merely answers diverse cultures in several locations, but you don’t have to with “I live in Indianapolis” to avoid the question entirely. be a TCK to have no solid answer to where or what your Inbal Kadim, visual and media arts ’18, is in the same home is. boat as Van Reken. She was born in Israel but has lived in And perhaps there isn’t an answer to what constitutes Athens, London and Vienna, and now lives in Boston. For home. You might be able to recite the exact longitude and Kadim, the answer to the question “where are you from?” latitude of home. Or maybe home remains to you a concept elicits an exhaustive explanation. To her, home doesn’t re- as impalpable as a boggart.
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“TCKs may find it harder to pinpoint a specific location when answering a question, having grown up immersed in diverse cultures in several locations, but you don’t have to be a TCK to have no solid answer to where or what your home is. “
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THE
KOSOVO PARADOX WITNESSING THE BEAUTY OF A REGION IN UNREST TEXT | SABRINA THULANDER PHOTOGRAPHY | SABRINA THULANDER
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xplaining to my friends and family that I would be travelling to Kosovo over the summer produced two reactions; “I’ve never heard of that,” and “Why would you want to go there,” accompanied by an inquisitive raise of the eyebrow. But I was going to Kosovo to study peaceful conflict resolution, ethnic conflicts, and international security, so in my mind there is almost no place better to go.
Explaining to my friends and family that I would be traveling to begging for change. One mother even came up to the car and stuck her Kosovo over the summer produced two reactions: “I’ve never heard baby through my open window. She hissed something at me in Albaof that,” and “Why would you want to go there?” accompanied by an nian, but I couldn’t make it out. inquisitive raise of the eyebrow. But I was going to Kosovo to study Arriving downtown, things did not change. Even my hotel, the peaceful conflict resolution, ethnic conflicts and historic Grand Hotel Prishtina, had an entire “Handprints in blood and international security, so in my mind there is alfloor with no walls or windows. You could walk most no place better to go. Kosovo has a poorly dust are scattered about the straight up to the edge and jump if you wanted to. functioning government, crime and unemployUpon researching, several friends and I discovwalls and skeletons of dead ered that this place was once home to the Kosovo ment rates are exponentially high, and ethnic tensions between Albanians and Serbians remain Liberation Army during the war years. Torture, birds sit in corners beside taut 15 years after the end of the war. rape and organ harvesting were among the atrocipiles of concrete rubble. Prishtina International Airport, Kosovo’s bigties performed here. The areas in which these hapgest airport, only has four gates. After riding down Bombs truly went off here.” pened were not blocked off, but instead were open the only escalator and grabbing my suitcase from for exploration. Most hallways looked like those the only baggage claim, my initial, modest impressions of Kosovo were of a psychiatric hospital: all white walls and doors, with heavy padlocks completely dashed. Standing 360 degrees around me were the peaks of on some, as if to hide the hotel’s secrets. Handprints in blood and dust the North Albanian Alps, some poking into the clouds. were scattered about the walls and skeletons of dead birds sat in corners There couldn’t have been more than 30 cars in the parking lot, or even beside piles of concrete rubble. Bombs truly went off here, and no one 30 houses scattered around the valley. With the exception of the skel- bothered to clean up afterward. eton of the old airport set off to the side, the valley floor was nearly flat. Following the end of the war in 1999, Kosovo finally declared its Looking around, I saw the valley had a look of emptiness, like looking independence from Serbia in 2008. The remains of the region were out at the open ocean. Not only that, but echoing in my ears was a dull neglected. No one built a sound infrastructure or a functioning governroar like the passing of waves, which lacked an obvious source. ment. Kosovo still lacks industry, economy and solutions. Its natural On the drive from the airport to downtown Prishtina, it became clear resource potential remains untapped, and the country currently relies that this is a developing nation. Crumbled buildings without doors or on inefficient and unwanted brown coal. Most people here work in food windows stood amongst dozens of Roma with babies in their arms, service or on farms, because there is nearly nothing else.
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Prizren and Mitrovica account for two of the few other cities in Germany and the United States. A “peace garden” rests at the center of Kosovo. Prizren, to the south, resembles a Western European city. The the bridge. This just seems to be a face saver, because the only time the entire city is made out of red and white brick and, of course, surrounded peace is kept is when no one is crossing the bridge. by mountains. Coffee shops and bakeries are on every street corner in But Kosovo’s Mirusha Falls feels untouched by outside struggles. Prizren, and a full day’s meals will cost less than 10 Euros. Meals usu- Mirusha itself is small, but its crystal clear lake is a breath of fresh air. ally consist of burek, a traditional Albanian pastry Entering the basin from the trails, the falls “Ethnic tensions still run filled with meat or cheese, and a Peja, Kosovo’s own feel like an ethereal paradise after trudging brew. The Sinan Pasha Mosque in central Prizren high in this city, so much so through a District 12 type of hell. Granite walls welcomes visitors. The 17th century mosque is stunand clear skies tower above the pooling water, that an albanian will truly ningly ornate. The muezzin calls in a pained but adorand gazing across the shallows of the lake you ing tone, as if he is still singing of the pain caused by fear for their life should they can see bright blue dragonflies flutter everywar. The mosque itself is painted in deep cerulean where. There are several picnic tables and a have to cross the bridge.” blue and burnt orange, and the floor is blanketed in little concession stand, complete with Peja rugs of the same colors. Scripture, painted in black and potato chips in every imaginable flavor. and blue, is painted on in interior of the dome, and stands in stark conOf all that I have seen and experienced in Kosovo, the only way I can trast to the stone ceiling. A steep climb to the Prizren Fortress reveals a think to describe it is paradoxical. There is clearly so much struggle and breathtaking view of the rooftops below and of the surrounding Sharr so much need, but there is so much beauty as well. In some moments, Mountains. the stark contrast between the developed and the developing parts of Compared to Prizren, Mitrovica has less charm. Mitrovica is the Kosovo is what makes it such a fascinating place. Walking through the northernmost city in Kosovo, closest to the Serbian border. There, streets, stepping over rubble from collapsing buildings, and watching a the city is split down the middle by a river. Kosovar Serbians live to developmentally disabled Roma girl being physically pushed away and the north, and Kosovar Albanians to the south. There are, of course, avoided by her mother are experiences that will always remind me of bridges over the river. But they are rarely crossed. Ethnic tensions still the many problems in Kosovo that remain unsolved. Interacting with run high in this city, so much so that Albanians will truly fear for their knowledge-hungry Kosovar students and encountering the one-of-alives should they have to cross the bridge. The bridge is guarded by both kind culture of Kosovo, however, will always remind me that the disItalian military forces and Kosovar police, a duty the Italians share with tinctiveness of this small nation is enough to make me visit again.
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A NEW DIRECTION FEMALE DIRECTORS PAST AND PRESENT MAKE THEIR MARK IN A MALEDOMINATED REALM
TEXT | RUHI RADKE ILLUSTRATION | HOLLY KIRKMAN
It’s dusk. Men are working on set, with bright lights glaring down on them. Some raise their hands to wipe the sweat from their foreheads as they face the hard work ahead. A large metal door swings open and a woman stands by the entrance. She walks in with a handful of papers in one hand and a light meter in the other. A throng of men gravitate to her, but she walks past them. The woman walks on to her set, sits on her chair, and calmly says,
“Action!”
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FRANCE
INDIA
The first female director in cinema dates back to 1896 when French filmmaker Alice Guy-Blaché directed “La Fée aux choux,” which translates to “The Cabbage Fairy.” Guy-Blaché worked her way into the film industry as a secretary to a successful film director. For a legacy that now shines so important, many have hardly heard her name. As a director, Guy-Blaché worked in France and the United States and founded a production company called Solax that was based in New York, and later, New Jersey. Guy-Blaché is credited for innovations such as synced sound, special effects and naturalism on screen. These innovations changed cinema in her time and the way we view it today. When we think of Hollywood we think of old men in dark, vintage suits smoking Cuban cigars and creating magic. This Hollywood stereotype flourishes because many female directors go unrecognized. There are films around the world that have been directed by women and have created waves at festivals. Cinema is one of those rare things that can bring people around the world together, regardless of language, culture or religion. In countries worldwide, women have broken the mold.
Film made its journey into India in 1913 with the silent film “Raja Harishchandra.” Thirteen years later, Fatma Begum became the first female director in India with her film “Bulbul-E-Paristan.” Begum, a famous actor, did not have the patience to simply wait around to be directed. She grabbed a camera and made her own films. Similarly, Aparna Sen is an actor who directed her first film, “36 Chowringhee Lane,” in 1981, which won the Grand Prix at the Manila International Film Festival. Sen’s films mark the country’s indie genre with topics such as identity in India after independence, as well as religious strife in the world acclaimed “Mr. and Mrs. Iyer.” Aparna Sen handles topics like these with sensitivity and respect.
SAUDIA ARABIA In 2012, Haifaa Al Mansour made history when she directed “Wadjda,” a film about a 10-year-old girl who wants to buy a bike. Set in Riyadh, the film shines light on the complexities of a conservative society through the eyes of a strong willed girl. In a country that has no film industry and has banned cinema halls, Al Mansour stands tall as the first female director and the only filmmaker in Saudi Arabia to shoot an entire feature film there. “Wadjda” was sent to the Oscars as Saudi Arabia’s first official entry. It was nominated at the BAFTA Awards and won awards at the Venice Film Festival. Saudi Arabia has strict social laws limiting women’s movement on the streets and stating that they can’t speak to men they aren’t related to. This was a problem for Al Mansour, who had to direct from a van with a walkie-talkie and a monitor.
BRAZIL Today, Alfonso Cuarón is one of the best-known directors of Latin American cinema, but Brazilian director Suzana Amaral is equally important. After giving birth to eight children, Amaral wanted to try her hand at filmmaking, so at age 37 she enrolled in the University of São Paulo film school. At the age of 54 she directed her feature film, “Hour of the Star,” which follows a young woman’s journey in Brazil amidst socioeconomic barriers. The film was Brazil’s official selection to contend for the Oscars’ 1986 Foreign Language Film award.
UNITED STATES Women comprised 6 percent of all directors working on the top 250 films of 2013 in Hollywood. 93 percent of the films produced by Hollywood were directed entirely by men. In 2010 Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win an Oscar for the direction of her film “The Hurt Locker,” which also won Best Picture. In Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass,” the Red Queen offers Alice wise advice. “It takes all the running YOU can do, to keep in the same place,” she says. “If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!” Smart female filmmakers run as fast as they can to overcome the industry’s bleak statistics. The rest of the world is catching up.
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ATLAS ONLINE: CONFESSIONS OF A HOMEBODY BY SHANNON BUSHEE
I’m pretty much the textbook definition of an introvert: there is nothing I like more than hanging out in my own head. But sometimes, even though I’m perfectly content with what I’m doing at home, there is still a small, raw, gnawing feeling in the back of my mind that I could be doing something more, or that I am missing out on a life-changing moment by staying in on the weekends. This sense of FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out, has plagued me my whole college career. You’d think that I would’ve gotten over this, now that I’m graduating in seven months, but nope. Every once in a while, I’ll get hit with this sense that by not going out every weekend, I’m somehow not being a “real” college student. I’ve seen the movies, after all: college means crazy adventures and frat parties. If I’m not having the time of my life, I’m doing it wrong, right? There is a very small distinction between staying home because I want to stay home and staying home because I don’t want to go out. But that’s a distinction that I’ve tried to keep in mind when, as a self-confessed couch potato, I decide how to spend my time. This is a tough balance I’ve tried to achieve: on the one hand, I need to be willing to take more chances, but on the other hand, why should I do things I don’t want to do just to prove that I have a life to people who aren’t even part of it?
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS BY JULIA ROBERTO
Think of middle school. Try not to cringe. There were braces and Hollister T-shirts that were so simple and boring but cost a fortune. There were crushes, AIM profiles and giggles exchanged next to vending machines—attempts to talk to cute boys from class. There were angsty pop-punk lyrics written in your math notebook and Jonas Brothers posters hanging in your locker. (Maybe this was just me, but humor me here.) We were all navigating “teenage years” and constantly changing social hierarchies. We were coming to terms with our bodies as “adults” and feeling more emotions than we thought possible at such a young age. Life was starting to become real, at times too real, which is why we whispered to our friends over a bag of Doritos at 4 a.m. on Friday nights. And I think there’s something so inherently beautiful in that. The friends I cried on the bathroom floor with when I was 13 over a bad report card became the people I turned to when I had my first broken heart. They were the first people to call me out when I lied about being okay, because they had seen me in middle school when absolutely nothing was ever okay.
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FROM THE BLOG HOLIDAY CHEER BY LAUREN LOPEZ
By November, you’d expect stores to clear out their stock of candy and start selling things for Thanksgiving. It’s the next major holiday, after all. Wrong. The sleigh bells are jingling and the stores are stocked with holiday merchandise. Every radio station plays “White Christmas” and “Home for the Holidays,” and you know if you hear the word “snow” one more time you might just go insane. When is it too early to start? Is all of this excessive? It’s not even Thanksgiving and the holiday season is already in full swing. Should they wait until after November to officially start the holiday cheer? I suppose I’m not really the best person to offer an answer to this question. I, for one, spread the holiday cheer whenever the mood strikes me. My friends often complain, “It’s completely inappropriate to be singing ‘Jingle Bells’ in July.” What can I say? If it’s stuck in my head, I just sing it.
HOMESICKNESS ABROAD BY CHARLOTTE SLOTA
I’m from Rhode Island, so when I was starting the first few months of my freshman year at Emerson College, I was lucky enough to only be an hour bus ride away from home. Fast-forward a year and I am currently enjoying the amazing opportunity of studying abroad at Emerson’s European Center at Kasteel Well in the Netherlands. I’m also having the not-as-amazing opportunity of experiencing homesickness for the first time. The program here is designed to be fast-paced. We’re constantly going and going and going, never really having a chance to take a break and breathe. During the week we go to class and study, and then, come Friday morning, we’re up early, ready to take on a new European city and adventure. We are surrounded by so much overwhelming beauty and culture, trying to take both physical and mental photographs, while forcing ourselves to realize that this is actually real life. There really shouldn’t be any time to be sad or homesick. Yet, there are still moments here where by some sort of miracle you may actually have the dorm room to yourself. Or maybe you are surrounded by people in the dining hall when your mind drifts back to what your friends in Boston are doing. Maybe it’s noon and you so desperately want to talk to that one particular person back home, but it’s 6 a.m. there, or maybe it’s 3 a.m., or maybe it’s one in the afternoon and he or she is just as busy as you are.
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