The Flash Issue

ATLAS ATLAS magazine magazine

The FLASh Issue

ATLAS magazine

Editor-in-Chief: Lindsey Paradis Managing Editor: Antonia DePace Creative Director: Samantha Harton

MARKETING Marketing Director: Joelle Lewis Marketing Team: Swetha Amaresa, Rebecca Bass, Georgia Helvadjian FASHION DIRECTOR Co-Fashion Directors: Emma Cox, Kristen Bruck DESIGN Design Team: Suchita Chadha, Esther Blanco PHOTO Photo Editor: Nora Wilby Photo Team: Jacob Cutler, Monika Davis, Hannah Choi, Morgan Sage, Meagan Leotta, Olivia Gerasole COPY EDITORS Head Copy Editor: Allyson Floridia Copy Editors: Alysen Smith, Caitlin Smith, Katrina Taylor, Jessica Morris, Maya Gandara CITY City Editor: Samantha Harton Assistant Editor: Jackie DeFusco City Writers: Jessica Filippone, Lindsay Simmons GLOBE Globe Editor: Suchita Chadha Assistant Editor: Lala Thaddeus Globe Writers: Megan Anderson, Amelia Channin STYLE Style Editor: Casey Tsamis Style Writers: Caitlin Smith, Melinda Fakuade, Karis Bedey HEALTH Health Editor: Alysen Smith Health Writers: Olivia Woollett, Madison McKeever, Elizabeth Hartel CAMPUS Writers: Shafaq Patel, Sarah Molloy, Giuliana Bruno BLOG Blog Editor: Lauren Lopez Blog Writers: Jessica Morris, Jennifer Wood, Margo Rometo Atlas Magazine | 4

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR The theme of this issue is "flash." When we brainstormed it, I wasn't completely sure what "flash" meant. Sure, we had our starting definition: a sudden brief burst of bright light or a sudden glint from a reflective surface. Something that occurs suddenly and within a brief period of time. But what did that mean to me?

What did that mean to my peers? What did that mean to Atlas?

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the second part of that definition: something that occurs suddenly.

Suddenly. What in my life has occurred suddenly? Nothing.

But certain things have felt very sudden, things that were actually through long stretches of time.

Like my pepe's passing. He was a man who lived beyond what I think most of my family members expected. Diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in April, he was gone by September. It was the day after I moved into my first apartment. I woke up to a missed call from my father and a text to call home.

I figured he wanted to know how my first night went. I made myself some breakfast, sat down in bed and called home. He told me what had happened. We hung up. I started crying. Full, body rocking sobs. I pushed my breakfast away, no longer hungry and sat alone in my apartment. My roommates were out. My friends and boyfriend hadn't moved back yet.

I had five months with him since his diagnosis. Almost half a year. It sounds long. But in that moment it felt like a flash of time.

A less depressing example would be my experience here at Emerson. I'm about to graduate this May and I'm stuck wondering where all my time went. There's no way I was here for four years, right? And I know some of you—probably freshman and sophomores who haven't started to think about graduation and haven't had that "oh shit" panic moment yet—are wondering how I could think school goes by fast. It feels, and often is, tiring, long and stressful. I've watched the second hand on the clock tick by in a lecture more than once.

I'll say this: in the short term it doesn't. Sometimes I wake up on Tuesday thinking it’s Thursday because it feels like the week has been long enough for it to be a Thursday. But long term, it seems to fly. We're about to go on winter break. The semester is over. Time flies even when you're not necessarily having fun.

I hope all of you have a little bit of suddenness in your life. Not necessarily these long drawn out experiences I've had. But happy ones. Moments of sudden travel. Of sudden love. Of sudden passion. Spontaneous flashes of something.

I also hope you enjoy this issue. Take your time. Read it fully— not in a flash. A lot of people have worked really hard on this and I really appreciate them. I get to write this letter, have my own page, put my name at the top of the masthead. When, really, they could've done this without me. But I couldn't have done it without them—the writers, editors, copyeditors, photographers, designers, styles, marketers.

LINDSEY PARADIS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BEST, LINDSEY

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ANTONIA DEPACE MANAGING EDITOR

SAMANTHA HARTON CREATIVE DIRECTOR, CITY EDITOR

MEET THE STAFF

JOELLE LEWIS MARKETING DIRECTOR

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ALLYSON FLORIDIA HEAD COPY EDITOR

NORA WILBY PHOTO EDITOR

ALYSEN SMITH HEALTH EDITOR

SUCHITA CHADHA GLOBE EDITOR

EMMA COX CO-FASHION DIRECTOR

CASEY TSAMIS STYLE EDITOR

LALA THADDEUS ASSISTANT GLOBE EDITOR

KRISTEN BRUCK CO-FASHION DIRECTOR

JACKIE DEFUSCO ASSISTANT CITY EDITOR

LAUREN LOPEZ BLOG EDITOR

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IN THIS ISSUE

pg. 18

pg. 40

pg. 30

CAMPUS

Talking Gender Inclusivity with Sylvia Spears pg. 10 We sat down with Gender and Inclusion Vice President Sylvia Spears to take a look into Emerson’s new gender-inclusive restrooms.

JUMP into Journalism pg. 12 Jump into this article as we sit down with mentor Angelina Salcedo to discuss Emerson’s new journalism mentor program.

The Salzburg Academy pg. 14 There’s many more study abroad options offered at Emerson than just the Kasteel Well program.

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CITY

GLOBE

Gathering music-lovers all over the United States, SoFar Sounds is redefining what it means to go to a concert.

Renting hotel rooms can be expensive. Next time your looking to visit somewhere new, go to non-traditional websites and places for a more elevated experience.

SoFar Sounds pg. 18

Urbanity: A Movement pg. 21 Join the dance movement with Urbanity, the largest contemporary dance company in Boston.

Not So Late Night pg. 24 Why did the MBTA decide to shut down the late night T in a city filled with colleges?

A New Way to Travel pg. 28

Insta Abroad pg. 30 Do you really have to document everything on social media? An article on traveling and what it really means to be “social media-obsessed.”

Frankly French pg. 32 Read through this article to explore Aix-en-Provence, France and a 20-year-old’s experience with culture shock, diet change and letting go.

FALL 2016

pg. 50

pg. 54

STYLE

HEALTH

Get rid of your classic red lipsticks and make room for a new unforgettable trend: metallic lips.

With today’s diet fads, it’s hard to tell why people become vegans. Read this article to explore the true reasons behind giving up animal products, and why it might be a good choice for you.

Spotlight on Shimmer pg. 38

Best of Both Worlds pg. 40 Looking for ways to dress for both work and school? No worries, we have you covered.

Tech Fashion pg. 46 Stand out, literally, with black light clothing and glow in the dark accessories as Tech Fashion takes the world by a storm.

Going Vegan pg. 50

Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You pg. 52 Having trouble getting sleep?

Bright screens from cell phones and computers might be your problem.

pg. 32

What’s the Deal with Succulents? pg. 54 Succulents have risen in popularity over the years, but why? Read this article to find out the reason for their increase in sales and why these “fat plants” make people so happy.

ABOVE PHOTOS: Nora Wilby, Jacob Cutler, Olivia Gerasol, Meagan Anderson, Hannah Choi,

COVER PHOTO: Nora Wilby

SECTION PHOTO: Samantha Harton, Monika Davis, Nora Wilby

STAFF PHOTOS: Nora Wilby

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CAMPUS Talking Gender Inclusivity with Sylvia Spears // pg. 10

JUMP into Journalism // pg. 12 The Salzburg Academy // pg. 14

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Talking Gender Inclusivity With

Sylvia Spears WRITER: Giuliana Bruno PHOTO: Hannah Choi

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Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Sylvia Spears had a key role in the inclusive restroom initiative at Emerson College. She discussed with us the process of placing the restrooms on campus and the impact the new feature has had on Emersonians.

What is your role as Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion here at Emerson?

My role is to advance diversity and inclusion efforts across the institution. Whether that relates to campus life and what students experience outside the classroom, as well as recruitment and who has access to the institution—staff, students and faculty—and whether our programs, policies and practices create a supportive environment for people to live, learn and do their work.

Tell me about the origins of the inclusive restrooms and how they were put into place.

It’s actually EAGLE (Emerson Alliance for Gays, Lesbians and Everyone) who deserves the credit. EAGLE did a lot of work in the spring semester doing an audit of what restrooms were on campus and identified high traffic areas. Areas that they thought, “Wow, if you are somebody who is genderqueer, gender non-conforming or trans, you could spend a whole day in some of our buildings and have to leave the building to comfortably use a restroom where you

feel safe.” So, they created a really fantastic proposal.

What did EAGLE do with that information?

They sent it to Tikesha Morgan, Director of Multicultural Student Affairs & LGBTQ Resources. Tikesha forwarded it to me and I said to President Pelton, “Students have done the work. We need to do this.” President Pelton called together a small group of people including Jim Hoppe, who is the new VP and Dean for Campus Life, and myself. President Pelton had the facilities folks conduct a similar audit, and, of course,

it confirmed everything the students had observed. We met again and we said, “Okay. It’s time.”

We convened a smaller group of people together that included the two leaders of EAGLE that had done a lot of work on it, me, James Hoppe and P. Carl. Together, we worked out the very language that went on every single sign.

What is the language on the sign and how was it decided upon?

You’ll notice on all the restrooms the sign that says, “Gender diversity is welcome at Emerson. We encourage you to use the restroom that best fits your gender identity.” So anyone that comes to Emerson knows they have the right to be comfortable. Anybody can use them however they want to.

Where are these restrooms located?

The major target areas were Walker, Ansin and the Paramount, which had no options for people of any gender identity to do anything but conform to the binary. Additional places are the ground floor of Piano Row and near the Cabaret in Little Building. Some additional signage has gone up in the Union Savings Bank Building.

What kind of impact has this made on campus, that you have seen?

There’s been overwhelming enthusiasm and support from faculty members, to students, even to alums. What I’ve heard so far with really limited exceptions is that it rolled out pretty easily. People make choices, and so far there hasn’t been any bumps along the way, which I think tells you that the campus was ready. Folks who don’t feel comfortable using gender inclusive restrooms have plenty options. The campus still has many more gender specific restrooms than gender inclusive, so there are options for everybody. Over time, hopefully we’ll see even more balance between gender inclusive and gender specific restrooms.

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P M JU

into journalism

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WRITER: Shafaq Patel PHOTO: Meagan Leotta Entering Emerson College and being surrounded by people who are passionate and know what they want to do can be intimidating, especially for journalism students. It can be difficult to find a direction when there are so many options available. And so, to assist incoming students, the Department of Journalism launched Journalism Undergraduate Mentorship Program ( JUMP).

After seeing the success of the performing arts mentor program, the Journalism department decided that they needed something similar, so they created JUMP. “From feedback and teaching freshman, incoming journalism students feel a little bit overwhelmed in their first couple of months at Emerson,” Tim Riley, founder of the program, says. “And that’s a very typical feeling for freshman, so we just wanted to give them upperclassmen who were willing to help.”

The JUMP program found 20 willing volunteers to mentor the incoming students and give them advice. Each of the mentors were assigned four to five mentees whom they met for the first time in September.

For Alicia Topolnycky, journalism ’20, this helped her because she was able to see a new direction she could take after meeting her mentor.

Topolnycky likes that there are people she can go to for help and can focus on adjusting to her surroundings. “JUMP was a good safety net to have here my first few days at Emerson because it made me feel like there was something to fall back on,” she says.

After their first organized meeting, Topolnycky met with her mentor again with some of the other mentees in the

library where they discussed life at Emerson and received tips on what to order in the dining hall.

She says, “I think I’ll definitely use her as a point of contact in the future, which is really nice to know because making connections with upperclassmen so quickly makes me feel more connected with the school in general.”

JUMP was designed so the students had full control. So some students like Topolnycky plan to keep their mentor as a contact and communicate over Facebook, but some mentees meet up with their mentors more often.

Mentor Angelina Salcedo, broadcast journalism ’17, explains that she maintains a close relationship with her mentees. She thinks having a mentor her freshman year would have been beneficial to her, so she makes herself available to her mentees. They reach out to her when they have auditions, for critiques on their resumes, for class and professor feedback, among other things.

Salcedo says she keeps in touch with her mentees through Facebook and they periodically meet face to face and she plans to hang out with them as well.

“Since most of them are new to the city, I asked what they wanted to do,” she says. “I’ll take them to something, like the movies or a duck tour.”

Overall, Salcedo thinks that this mentorship program really aids students.

She says, “I think that [ JUMP] is really going to help the Journalism department a lot. And it is giving support that I think the department didn’t really have before by having students that are proactive in younger students lives.”

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The Salzburg Academy WRITER: Sarah Molly PHOTO: Olivia Gerasole COURTESY PHOTO: Paul Mihailidis Professor Paul Mihailidis is more than one of the shining stars in Emerson’s Marketing Communication program. He is also the director of one of Emerson’s most unique study abroad opportunities: The Salzburg Academy, which occurs over the summer at the Von Trapp mansion in Austria.

What would you like people to know about the Salzburg Academy?

The Salzburg Academy is a life-changing opportunity for students who will have their ideas and values challenged. They will meet people from all over the world and will get to think about how we use media to impact social change in the world.

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What exactly is the Salzburg Academy Program?

The Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change is a unique three-week action research and critical making program that brings young media makers together from around the world to critique and create civic media for social change. We focus on developing media and digital literacies that can be applied to inform intractable issues that face us today.

How long ago did you get involved in this?

Ten years ago. When it was founded I was doing doctoral work at the University of Maryland, and one of the professors

there, her partner was taking this job for Global Nonprofit, and they were looking to found a project that would bring young people together to see if they could use technology and media to support social change. I was asked to help design and build this project and do some of the research for it, and I thought I would just be doing it for a year or two. When I finished my Ph.D. I was asked to direct it, and now, ten years later, I’m Director and Faculty Chair. It’s kind of crazy.

How can students get involved and how does that process work?

There are a bunch of ways that Emerson students can get involved. I mean, the most direct way is to come and participate, and we keep open anywhere between five and ten spaces [for Emerson students]. There are 75 students who come to Salzburg every summer, but they come from 30 countries around the world. They can apply and they can come for the month, and from there they join this network of young people around the world who are really interested in media and who do a lot of work. You can get credit for the program; that’s a new thing we’ve done. Another way is to come to the Engagement Lab to come and learn about the work we do with it.

What are some skills that participating students can gain from this experience?

The skills [students acquire] include global media literacy, digital and mobile storytelling, multimedia production and data visualization.

Do you have a favorite experience in doing this?

I really think, in a reflective moment, that the most amazing experiences are that the project is housed in a palace and at the end of this project people build technologies, they build practices. We like to say that this isn’t just another study abroad program. This past summer, there was a time where one student came from Syria, and his village was completely bombed, and there was a student from Texas and another student from China, and they built this really amazing visual narrative on migration that they presented. Seeing them come together—it really reinforces why we built the program and the power it can have. Every year, I see different, young, passionate people try to solve problems and they come together to do that.

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CITY SoFar Sounds // pg. 18

Urbanity: The Movement // pg. 21 Not So Late Night // pg. 24

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SoFar Sounds WRITER: Jackie DeFusco PHOTO: Jacob Cutler

The beaten, urban street is quiet. Bottles of wine and fresh, Italian bread in hand, a group of friends looks cautiously at the industrial building. A friendly face catches their eye, standing at the door with programs that read “SoFar Sounds.” Thick graffiti clutters the narrow hallway. Four flights up, a door is propped open. Anxious chatter and guitar strums fill the room.

The show is about to begin.

The venue is a loft style apartment. It is the home of a local artist, whose paintings line the walls. Pots, pans and plants hang from the ceiling. The audience spreads out on the furniture and floor. Rust-stained windows watch over the city’s skyline. The sun begins to set, flooding the room with brilliant colors and warm light as the host introduces the first performer.

SoFar Sounds, a movement that brings music lovers together by organizing exclusive, pop-up shows, began seven years ago in a London apartment building. Today, these

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performances are in over 260 cities worldwide, including Boston. Fans can apply for tickets to upcoming shows on SoFar Sound’s website. Guests are randomly selected to attend and are allowed a plus one. An email is sent out to those who are chosen. As there is usually a waiting list, applicants who receive this email must confirm their attendance to be officially put on the list of guests. A donation of any amount can be made in place of a ticket.

The location of the event is kept secret until the day of the performance. The performers, on the other hand, generally sit amongst the crowd and are kept under wraps until the moment that they step on stage.

Some cities, like New York and London, have multiple SoFar shows a night and over 70 shows a month. Others, like Boston, have only a few per month. Regardless of the quantity of performances, SoFar shows come with an expectation of quality that keeps fans coming back.

Though several artists apply to play at these events, a team of music-loving volunteers for the organization will hold a vote to decide on the most talented musicians. SoFar shows generally feature three acts that perform four songs each.

Dave Ash, intern for SoFar Sounds, has helped book shows in art galleries, an Italian kitchen showroom and even a recording studio. “You just never know where you are going to end up or who you are going to see,” he says. Ash first got involved with the organization after going to a SoFar show, where he spoke to the volunteers running the event. From that point on, he started volunteering whenever he could. In fact, most of the people who run the SoFar scene in Boston are unpaid. “Everyone is there because they frickin’ love it,” says Ash. “I love working for SoFar; it’s so fun.”

SoFar has shows world wide, which presents a unique opportunity for people working in the organization. “Anytime I go somewhere, there is always an opportunity to meet the local team,” says Ash. For this reason, working at SoFar has allowed him to expand his network of contacts, as many volunteers are in the music industry or are full-time artists themselves.

Ash has also performed in a SoFar show with his band, Truth of a Lyre. “From the artist's point of view there’s not much you have to do for it; it’s a guaranteed audience. That’s

probably the biggest draw of SoFar shows,” he says.

According to Ash, the organization started because the founders, Rafe Offer, Rocky Start and Dave Alexander, were tired of going to live shows where no one was paying attention to the music. They were frustrated by fans who would only show up for the headliner at the expense of the opening acts.

This is why, at SoFar shows, audience members are asked to arrive on time and stay for the entirety of the performance.

The secrecy surrounding SoFar shows also helps keep all of the artists on a level playing field, giving them equal opportunity for exposure.“The secrecy works for them because the shows have such a good reputation,” says Edward Williams, who recently played a SoFar show in Boston with his band, Whitherward.

Williams speaks to the intimate atmosphere of these events: “There’s an exclusivity element to the show. The audience acts privileged to be there.” Boston SoFar shows are often hosted in private homes or apartments buildings, adding to this sense of exclusivity. “A lot of people that host are just big music fans that want to be a part of it,” Ash says.

Whitherward describes their style as indie-folk, though they also incorporate elements of jazz, americana and rock.

At their Boston performance, they played four songs, all with completely different sounds. “It didn’t really seem to matter to

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the crowd what we played; they were hanging on every word,” says Whitherward member Ashley Norton.

The show Whitherward played in Boston featured an eclectic mix of artists. “When I’m booking acts, I want them to be, well, one: awesome; but I also want diversity,” Ash says. Of the shows Ash has booked, his favorite lineup featured a folk artist, beatboxers and a soul group. Some of the acts played original music whereas others played covers.

As the shows generally draw a younger crowd, artists tend to walk away with a few fresh followers. “It is really exciting to have people taking pictures of us at the shows and putting them on their social media,” says Norton. Fans, on the other hand, often walk away with a few new favorites. “It's a mutual exchange: we are giving art and they are giving attention,” Norton adds.

SoFar gives new bands a platform to make a name for them-

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selves in their community, and as the organization grows, many artists have had the opportunity to play in cities across the country. Whitherward has taken advantage of this music-loving network as they work to establish themselves touring full-time. They were initially confronted by a SoFar ambassador at an open mic in Phoenix, Arizona, where they would eventually play a show. In addition to Boston, they have also played in Chicago, Illinois.

“Artists shouldn't be afraid to be independent. There’s not a single way to be successful in the music industry and there’s not a single definition of success,” says Williams.

Norton emphasizes how fulfilling these shows are for artists just starting to pave their way in the music industry.

“Fans are out there,” she says. “SoFar shows that you don’t have to be a huge, famous artist to be validated in what you are doing.”

U R B A N I T Y A MOVEMENT WRITER: Jessica Filippone COURTESY PHOTO: Urbanity Dance Walking into one of the dance studio rooms, you are welcomed by large, bright green walls and floor-to-ceiling mirrors all around. The overall feeling in the large facility is brightness, both color- and personality-wise. Looking out the windows, you can admire the beautiful city of South Boston. Dance teachers and administrators welcome you with open arms to learn about the art of dance, and a little more about yourself in the process. Betsi Graves, founder and current director, smiles brightly as she walks you through and introduces you to fellow dancers. You feel welcomed.

“Urbanity comes from this idea of truly being inspired by the city, being inspired by Boston, realizing that dance is both a very internal art form, but is also meant to be shared and a collective experience. I think it’s one of the most human of all art forms,” Graves explains.

Known as the largest contemporary dance company in Boston, Urbanity Dance is a nonprofit organization committed to local growth in the dancing community. Urbanity Dance exists to engage, inspire and empower individuals and communities through the art of dance and movement.

Urbanity partners with Boston communities to bring new

and inspiring performances that showcase Boston’s diverse voices while creating dialogue for social change. This year, Urbanity is collaborating with organizations such as the Young Audiences, Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion, Museum of Fine Arts, ICA, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Children’s Museum to highlight the performing arts as a social platform to empower.

The company was announced Boston’s Best by the Improper Bostonian in 2013, Best of Boston by Boston Magazine in 2015 and was recently named a Top Ten Critics’ Pick by The Boston Globe. Founded in 2008 by Besti Graves, it is now Urbanity Dance’s ninth running season.

Graves received an English degree at Boston College and, after graduating, discovered her passion for teaching. She began teaching ages two to adult in ballet, jazz and contemporary genres at Harvard University, Boston College, Regis College and Boston Ballet. During this time, she performed as a modern dancer for Karen Murphy-Fitch’s Falling Flight Project and as a street performer for Theatre Mama and Cirque du Soleil’s “Kooza.” Graves founded Urbanity Dance in June 2008 out of a personal desire to create.

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“It really started out as a tiny nugget of an idea,” explained Graves. “I would never have thought nine seasons later that it’s morphed into an organization that can employ dancers and administrators.”

This “nugget” has since blossomed into a steam engine of an organization. Urbanity has their hands full with an abundance of class offerings every week. The organization offers regular adult and youth dance classes, both of which have a long wait list. The youth program consists of 350 students and the adult program, spanning from beginner to advanced, has about 150 students. Urbanity also produces five of their own shows every year, on top of a yearly recital for family and friends.

Graves was inspired by the city of Boston but felt that it was lacking abundance of dance culture. After being part of a modern company in Cambridge, Massachusetts she realized that there was something missing in the dance world in Boston.

“There was a gap in the Boston dance scene and room for a contemporary dance company. There were education programs in the community that were also lacking; there were some major gaping holes,” says Graves. “As a teacher, I felt very motivated to teach classes in the community that I didn’t feel existed.”

Now Urbanity hosts several programs for the city of Boston, including Urbanity Underground (UU), which is Urbanity's highly successful female company comprised of working professionals and grad students. There is also UrManity, Urbanity's project-based male pick-up company.

“It crazy to say it started out as a garage project...I didn't care if I was paid, I just had this insatiable hunger to want to create something I felt no other channel existed,” Graves explains. “Obviously, now Urbanity is paying teachers and I’m super proud of that.” Eventually, Graves hopes for Urbanity to be an organization that pays dancers and administrators fairly because she believes her staff is the best of the best.

Their dancers teach classes for children at Boston public schools through its Urban and World Dance program. There is also a Summer Intensive Program where students come from all over the country, and even some from all over the globe.

“They come here and stay in dorms in Boston. There’s about 100 students in that program,” she says.

The company also believes that anyone, regardless of health or physical capacity, can learn from dance. Urbanity holds free weekly classes for those with Parkinson’s Disease and works with incarcerated youth. Urbanity’s classes are part of a program developed by David Leventhal of Mark Morris Dance Group in conjunction with the Brooklyn Parkinson’s Group to help combat these symptoms. The curriculum operates under the theory that professional dancers are essentially experts on movement. Graves said her oldest student is 91 years old.

Their last performance was centered entirely around bullying, and was no different than their previous inspiring and engaging storytelling pieces portrayed through dance. This

performance was called “Call of Courage,” and it took place on November 18, 2016 at the Strand Theater in Dorchester, Massachusetts. A matinee performance was also offered for Boston public school students along with an evening perfor-

mance open to the community.

“We had about six stories from sixth graders and we dubbed their stories. We had a composer who mixed their stories into a soundtrack and then our dancers layer[ed] that with dance,” says Graves. Graves believes that “Call of Courage” was the most powerful production they have put on to date and has most looked forward to this production. The goal was to celebrate voices of courage and use dance as a platform to investigate themes of “empowerment and bystander intervention.”

Urbanity Dance partnered with Max Courage and Ryan Edwards to record personal narratives, including one that impacted many on the Urbanity Dance blog. Liana Joy Williams, a sixth grader, recounts the harassment she received in 3rd grade for being Chinese and adopted. Liana tells a story of standing up for herself and learning to love the differences

others aimed to bring her down with: “… it is bad enough to be self-conscious about physical differences, but to be outright teased about it makes you want to hide away in a hole and never show your face again.

I did not know it then, but somehow this incident made me stronger inside and in some subconscious part of my mind, I was determined to show both myself and the boys that they couldn’t, and wouldn’t, insult me or my heritage.”

Marketing/Communications Manager Michelle Thomas joined Urbanity this summer and was inspired by this particular production. She says, “We often forget what growing up is like, and by sharing these voices we can inspire us all to find courage and remind everyone that being open and vulnerable should be celebrated.”

“It’s just so important to talk about issues as important as these and to do so through the power of dance is even more spectacular,” says Graves. “As a student, just by reading about bullying, it may not have the impact that it would during a performance piece or a dance show; it has the potential to impact students in a whole new way.”

Currently, Urbanity Dance is working towards sustainability for the next few years to come, with the goal in mind to continue to engage and inspire community groups. Regarding pay, Graves hopes one day Urbanity will be up to the market of comparable contemporary companies across the country.

Graves is looking to highlight those who would benefit from dance (both individuals and community groups), and who might not be receiving dance or have access to dance.

“This isn’t just a nice thing to offer...it’s essential to developing well-rounded humans and educating the next generation of adults,” Graves explained. “I think we see every day that dance really can transform lives. It’s physical, emotional, spiritual, individual, it connect communities, it connects people that may have not connected otherwise.”

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Not So Late Night WRITER: Lindsay Simmons PHOTO: Monika Davis

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Boston’s bustling Commonwealth Avenue bursts with noise from the conversations of college students, honking of car horns and the incessant pounding of feet on pavement. What’s missing from this soundscape is the wail of an oncoming train partnered with its painfully screechy wheels. The night is relatively young for a city, just around one in the morning. Yet Boston’s public transportation, known as the T, has already sent out its final train car of the weekend night.

As of this past spring, the T’s late night hours have been shortened, closing at around 12:45 a.m. as opposed to its former weekend closing time at 2:00 a.m. The change in hours has spurred debate among many Bostonians and led college students in particular to communicate increased frustration with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), which runs the T system.

College campuses built into the Boston cityscape lack on-campus dorm space, such as that of Boston University and Emerson College. As a result, they have a plethora of students living in off-campus housing and commuting to main campus for classes and other activities.

Courtney Major, writing, literature and publishing ’17, calls a cozy Cambridge, Massachusetts apartment, which she shares with a fellow Emersonian, her school-time home.

Living off-campus has given her a renewed sense of freedom, not to mention unprecedented access to the city’s comparatively cozy shops and restaurants which had been somewhat of a trek to visit whilst living in Emerson dorms. Major finds herself riding the T at least 10 to 12 times a week as a mode of transportation to class. She also takes the T a minimum of three nights a week, usually more.

With shorter hours at night, and questionable service throughout the day, the T is “a hassle at best” to Major. She laments, “The fact that the T closes earlier than bars and even some restaurants has never made sense to me. Boston is supposed to be a great city, and at least my definition of a great city involves public transportation that stays up as late as the city itself.”

This criticism is one stated quite often by those opposed to the T’s shortened late night hours; however, the MBTA argues its business has not benefitted from extended hours into the night. According to its statistics, the T system does not service enough patrons in order to cover the cost of expanded hours, a representative tells WBUR News.

Over the past fifteen years or so, nightly T hours have been continually tweaked with by the MBTA. In 2001, there was the launch of a T Night Owl program with hours similar to

the late-night service that was just revoked in March 2016.

The Night Owl program utilized buses rather than trains of the T system, but still ran until 2:30 a.m. The program was cancelled in 2005 for the same reasons the late night train hours were cancelled in 2016: lower ridership than expected and budget problems.

The MBTA tells WBUR News that the initial scaling back of late night T service from 2014’s initial introduction to 2015 had to do with budgeting. The dismissal of the program altogether goes back once again to money. “The T’s control board has been looking for ways to cut a deficit for the next fiscal year,” says Zeninjor Enwemeka to WBUR News.

Low ridership and lack of income from the late night services are understandable reasons behind the discontinuation of the T’s late night service. But Boston-area college students and other beneficiaries of those service hours hope to inform a solution to these problems. Citizens who work odd-hour jobs, such as doctors and nurses at the city’s plethora of hospitals, frequent the T service, according to WBUR News.

“There are times when I am on campus late into the night and I have to decide between leaving my activities early to catch the final T ride or resorting to a Lyft ride later in the night,” says Major. She and others feel they are put in a difficult position wherein they must choose between staying fully committed to their Emerson clubs and organizations and paying a surge fee for ride services like Lyft and Uber, or leaving events early—potentially by a couple of hours—to save their sparse amount of money by taking the T. Boston University sophomore Aimee Aylward, like many others, would like the best of both worlds. She recognizes the T has to be profitable during extended late-night hours to make fiscal sense for the MBTA, but, as a student, finds herself in a financial dilemma. Without the T to turn to during the night and pricier car services acting as the only reasonable option, college students and others could be willing to compromise with the system.

She says, “I know that students and other late night T riders like myself would be willing to pay a slightly higher fee per T ride. If it meant the service would come back, and it was comparable to things like Uber, I know I’d spend the money.”

The relationship between the Boston T service and the city’s expansive collegiate and late night working population is constantly changing, along with the transport system’s fickle hours. Both parties are constantly adapting to these changes and would benefit from a new solution. In order to get there, they need to start talking.

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GLOBE A New Way to Travel // pg.28 Insta Abroad // pg. 30 Frankly French // pg. 32

29 | The Flash Issue

A NEw Way TO TRAVEL WRITER: Lala Thaddeus PHOTO: Nora Wilby

Traveling has become such a personalized experience that there is no longer a need to stick to the conventional hotel.

Students are instead opting for more customizable housing that suits their needs and budgets.

AIRBNB AirBnB is a “community marketplace” that allows users to list and rent short-term housing accommodations all around the world. Originally founded in 2008 in San Francisco, the company has grown to showcase over two million listings worldwide, with accommodations ranging from shared rooms to full houses and castles to bungalows.

AirBnB aims to make travelers step outside the cookie-cut mold of a “tourist's” experience, allowing them to discover a new city through the eyes of a local. By connecting travelers to locals, the former are able to experience the city at their own pace while the latter can share their expertise and give advice about the best spots in their town.

Jessica Shotorbani, broadcast journalism ’18, says she preferred staying in AirBnBs due to their flexibility in price

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and location. Shotorbani was drawn by the uniqueness that comes with staying at an AirBnB, saying that she “really liked the aspect of experiencing how people in a country actually live instead of being surrounded by other tourists at a hostel.”

She also valued the sense of safety that comes with this type of arrangement and says she “didn't have to worry about sharing a room with 10 random strangers at a hostel.” The process of finding, booking, paying for and communicating with the owner of the apartment is made easier through the AirBnB website, meaning that travelers experience a smooth transition once at their destination.

Mandy Seiner, writing, literature and publishing ’18, also appreciated the streamlined experience. Communication with the owner of her rented apartment in Berlin went smoothly and Seiner got to enjoy a “homey” place filled with books in multiple languages. The only drawback being that the place had no internet connection––a fact she missed out on because that bit of information was written in German on the website listing.

Despite the ease of using AirBnB, mishaps can occur if one isn’t careful. Kasteel Well Fall 2015 students Bella Mumma—visual and media arts ’18—Annie Makielski—political communication ’18—Erin Cook—visual and media arts ’17—and Lucie Pereira—writing, literature and publishing ’18—experienced the stuff of nightmares. As their first time traveling alone, the group found a listing on AirBnB in Stuttgart, Germany. “It looked beautiful on [the site]. It was advertised as a nice wedding venue,” says Pereira. But things started to go south when the listing redirected them to the host’s own website to pay. In hindsight, the group recognizes this as the first red flag, given that AirBnB prohibits off-site transactions.

At their destination in Stuttgart, the group took a difficult and long public transit journey to find the apartment, getting off the train in a highway in the middle of nowhere at nighttime. Armed with only an iPhone flashlight, the group, following a map Makielski had pulled up on her phone, began walking through dark woods for several minutes until finding the place they had rented. From a bathroom that easily flooded to curtainless windows of the six-person bedroom, the four young women were absolutely horrified. “We were so scared that all 4 of us slept in one bed while Erin read Harry Potter to us,” says Pereira. Meanwhile, Makielski stood guard at the curtainless windows. By morning, the four bolted out of the apartment and found housing elsewhere in the city. Despite their horrific first time, the group went on to successfully try other AirBnB accommodations, this time being more aware of which listings were legitimate and which were scams. “[It was] really the only bad experience I've had,” says Cook.

While AirBnB is a great option, prospective renters should keep in mind the fact that they need to thoroughly research an apartment before committing. If something doesn’t feel right or if it’s “too good to be true,” as Pereira thought, then there probably is something wrong with the listing and it’s best to avoid it.

HOSTELS Hostels, which have existed since the early 20th century, offer young travelers the opportunity to socialize with other globetrotters while still giving them the opportunity to ask staff members for help around the city. While hostels started off as student boarding, they have expanded to accommodate people of all ages as well as families. Some hostels, however, still have an age limit for guests.

While hostels aren’t all connected through one agency like AirBnB and Couchsurfing, a prospective guest could find and book a reservation through hostelworld.com, as well as read reviews and view images of the place. Guests can often choose to stay in a private two-person room (often the same price as a hotel room) or a 4-, 6- or 8-person room.

Certain hostels offer bedrooms that can accommodate 16 people at a time or more. Each guest gets their own twinsized bed (which are often bunked), a small locker, a light

and an electricity socket. Rooms are either all male, all female or co-ed.

She Wood, theatre education ’17, says, “Hostels tended to have better proximity to what I wanted to do” in comparison to AirBnBs. Allie Martinez, political communication ’18, agrees and says she chose to stay in hostels because “it makes you more independent. I wanted to be near the main attractions of the city because every city has different transportation so it would be easier to just be in walking distance.” AirBnBs tend to be located outside downtown areas whereas hostels capitalize on the prime real estate and open their doors in tourist-heavy areas.

COUCHSURFING Similarly to AirBnB, Couchsurfing is a means for travelers to stay in another’s home while in a new city. However, whereas you have the option of renting out an entire apartment for yourself on AirBnB, Couchsurfing always involves cohabitating with the host for the entire duration of the trip.

The biggest advantage is that, unlike any other form of travel, Couchsurfing is completely free. The company started in 2004 with the idea that people around the world want to share their homes to strangers (or, as the site calls it, “friends you haven’t met yet”) and is built around creating connections and fostering community in 200,000 cities around the world.

Ani Serobyan, 25, a tour guide living in Abovyan, Armenia, says she was looking for a way of having intercultural communication. “I wanted to improve my English and I found Couchsurfing among pages that help in it,” she explains.

Having only joined the Couchsurfing community this year, Serobyan has had the opportunity to host two guests so far.

Her first guest was a woman from the Phillipines who stayed with Serobyan for six days. “I saw her coming to Armenia and offered to show my city. I liked her and decided to host. As you can't know from the first sight what kind of person a Couchsurfer is, I think that it's better to see the person at least once and then welcome in your house.”

Serobyan says she enjoys having guests from other countries stay with her and her family. She says she likes “to learn about the country he/she comes from, about their way of living, customs and traditions.” Perhaps the biggest draw of Couchsurfing is that it allows for a meaningful cultural exchange.

Serobyan feels that she has become more open-minded since joining Couchsurfing, saying that it has helped her look at things from a different perspective. Hosting travelers also gives her the chance “to show the best of Armenia,” giving her the opportunity to utilize her degrees in Tourism and Intercultural Communication as well as practice speaking English.

Whether an experienced traveler or a first-timer using their brand new passport, traveling has never been as customizable as it is right now. Trips don’t have to be centered around the same old monuments––people are traveling to experience the food, theater and culture of others and finding new ways to make their trips memorable for a lifetime. On your next trip, ditch expensive, uniform hotels and explore the world of personalized accommodations across the globe!

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INSTA ABROAD

Connecting to our Friends or Disconnecting from our Experiences?

WRITER: Amelia Channin PHOTO: Olivia Gerasole The Anne Frank House, located on a street overlooking one of the beautiful canals of Amsterdam, was one of the museums I was most looking forward to visiting my first weekend abroad. Walking through the museum, I tried to put myself in Frank’s shoes, touching the walls and granite counters, feeling the smallness of the space around me. I was determined to feel connected to the moment.

Along with this need to connect was the desire to post on Instagram. I had this strange idea that it would be worthwhile to post a picture of the museum with a quote from Anne Frank, sharing with others this deep and intimate moment. To my somewhat disappointment, the Anne Frank House doesn’t let people take photos, as some visitors can get emotional. While this inability to post a picture annoyed me at first, it led me to question this desire to portray my travels on social media. Did my Instagram goal ruin my experience of the museum?

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What I was experiencing in this moment is similar to social media theorist Nathan Jurgenson’s concept of a “Facebook eye.” In an interview with The Guardian, Jurgenson explains that we are constantly thinking about what would make a good Facebook post. When we do activities or see new things, we can’t help but think about their potential on social media.

Hence the reason why, in the Anne Frank House, my brain was looking for a moment of my experience that could be well received—with comments and likes—on Instagram.

With the rise of photo-oriented social media, it’s quite likely that many travelers, like me, are experiencing the Facebook eye. While studying abroad, many students feel the need to post pictures of their travels so that their friends and family back home know that they are having a good time. Social media researcher Linda Henkel notes in an interview with BBC, “Many times people are taking photos—not to serve as

a later memory cue, but rather to say, ‘This is how I’m feeling right here, right now.’” With Snapchat and Instagram, students are able to constantly post a picture at any given moment.

And with the ability to post at any moment, a constant pressure to keep others updated is perceived. In his article published by The Guardian, social media researcher Jacob Silverman notes the mantra: “pics or it didn’t happen.” If students studying abroad don’t post pictures of the amazing places they travel to it can lead people to wonder: Did they go there at all? Are they not having fun? Why aren’t they sharing?

Jade Hebling studied abroad at Kasteel Well in 2016 and admits turning her time in Europe into a sort of social media project. She decided to post one Instagram picture for each of her 90 days abroad. Hebling saw it as a way to document her trip, choosing the best of the best photos. She explains that her process of picking photos was similar to making a real life photo album. “You wouldn’t print all 900 photos. You pick your favorites, not the best photo, but the most important memory,” she says.

Unlike a lot of people who experience minor anxiety about creating posts, Hebling continued her project with a laid-back attitude. She didn’t set out to take specific pictures for her Instagram, she just decided if she liked a photo enough to post it. She also didn’t spend too much time thinking about her captions, stating that she wrote, “Whatever comes to mind while posting it.”

She never sought out to get more followers or increase her popularity on Instagram. She says, “I post whatever I want. My following has just built naturally.” Some days she even forgot to post, so she just posted two photos the next day. Her laid-back attitude with regards to social media indicates that posting doesn’t cause her stress or anxiety.

However, Hebling did notice that her social media presence definitely increased while studying abroad. She does not post every day in Boston because she claims her life isn’t as exciting.

She also stresses that while this project was for herself, it was important to keep in touch with friends and family back home. The feedback she received was extremely positive. “One random girl from high school insta DM’d me asking about where I was.

People are intrigued,” she says.

Hebling also admitted that she never posted about if something went wrong during her travels.

Johnny Hermson, from

the Office of Student Affairs at Kasteel Well, also notices this phenomena in all students studying abroad at the castle.

“All anyone ever posts on Facebook is that ‘everything is the best ever,’” he says.

But he adds that considering the circumstances of students traveling around Europe for the first time, this is probably the case. However, he does note that this creates a false perception. For example, you would never guess that someone is struggling with loneliness or stress about traveling from their social media. The difficulties and low points of studying abroad are just as real, and sometimes just as prevalent, as the amazing experiences and thrills, even if people aren’t documenting and sharing them with others.

In the nine and a half years Johnny has worked at Kasteel Well, he has seen how social media has progressed in the lives of students. When he first started working here, he had never heard of Facebook. He says, “I thought that it was an Emerson thing, the students had to explain to me that it was for everyone to communicate.”

Students have their phones on them all the time. Johnny acknowledges that this does have its perks, in the sense of keeping in touch with friends and family, explaining that even he loves seeing pictures of his sister’s kids on Facebook and feels more connected to them in that sense. However, he recommends putting the phones away every once in awhile during trips.

Studying abroad can present students with many challenges such as culture shock, loneliness and now social media pressures. We are in a constant state of wanting recognition of our travels around the world and if we start to think about it too much, it can be a huge stress. Just like all other aspects of college, it is about finding a balance. If one is like me and lets the social media anxiety get in the way of living in the moment, taking a break every now and again can be a good thing.

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Frankly French WRITER: Megan Anderson COURTESY PHOTOS: Megan Anderson, Antonia DePace

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By the end of my first week in Aix-en-Provence, France, I felt like I had moderately assimilated to French culture. I was spending three weeks in the small, southern city with one of Emerson’s Global Pathways summer programs, and our focus was to learn the French language through classes and field trips while staying individually with our own host families. I was enjoying my time so far—I loved the food and the way people interacted, and I felt like my French language skills were flourishing in the environment.

My host family, however, seemed to disagree with me on my communication abilities. As I ate dinner with the two parents and their two children on that first Friday night, the mother abruptly interrupted our conversation to confront me.

“Tu parle comme un enfant,” she said. Translation: You speak like a baby.

She went on to express her concerns that I wasn’t trying hard enough to improve my French and that I wouldn’t learn anything from the experience if I always responded with one-word answers.

I sat at the table and stared at my plate, feeling everyone’s eyes burning into me. I was embarrassed and felt ashamed, but I was mostly shocked by my host mother’s remarks. Before the trip, my fellow students and I had been warned that the French can be very upfront, but was my host mother’s remark really part of this culture shock? Was she being cruel or was she truly trying to help? Was this just her personality or was this part of French culture?

“If you make a mistake and you’re talking to somebody that’s French, nine times out of 10, they’re going to say, ‘You should be saying this,’ which I think is great because it’s a way of learning the language,” says Jerry Lanson, Director of the Intercultural Communications program in France.

Lanson has been interested in French culture for most of his life and has been visiting the country since he was 16. Since then, he has spent two sabbaticals in Aix-en-Provence.

“I have a great deal of respect for the French, and am keenly aware of some of the very negative stereotypes that some Americans hold about them, which I think are fundamentally wrong,” he says.

I have noticed many of these stereotypes in my education of French culture throughout my life, whether they were dropped in my high school French class discussions or sprinkled into pop-culture depictions of Parisians in berets. Until I went to France, I had it in my mind that French people were a snooty and aloof species that only ate bread and cheese, but still somehow managed to remain as thin as a stick. They lived

in cafés—they never left—and only drank black coffee. But most of all, I believed that French people had a smoldering hatred, or at least strong dislike, towards Americans.

All these beliefs faded, though, as I walked around Aix-enProvence. There was a sort of warmth that radiated through the streets there that you wouldn’t feel walking around any city in the U.S. Store clerks were chatty and friendly, waiters didn’t pressure you to quickly leave your table and every environment I entered felt welcoming. But while I felt comfortable in this once-alien world, I was still thrown aback by my host mom’s honesty.

Lanson explains that French people can sometimes be “in your face” about matters that Americans would handle more delicately. This goes along with the notion of privacy, which Lanson believes is one of the biggest discrepancies between French and American culture. “[French] people are very cautious about giving you information,” Lanson says. “Getting that kind of private information is a very slow subject.”

This privacy can range from withholding family information to something as simple as where one went to school or one’s occupation. I didn’t know until two weeks into the trip that my host father was my host siblings’ stepfather—which isn’t vital information, but this is something that Americans would most likely blatantly share. More drastically, French people will also be hesitant to even tell you their first name, which is something Americans will do immediately during an initial meeting with someone new.

“We also are very private in ways the French are not. The French as a people are very steeped, I think, in history, in culture, in philosophy. They are, I think, proud of their intellectual abilities and abilities of rhetoric,” Lanson says.

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Bernard Cabrera grew up in Orléans, France and has lived in Boston since 1988. Residing in both countries has given him a strong grasp of both cultures.

“I think, in general, my opinion is that French people are more reserved… and more cautious about expressing their emotions,” Cabrera says.

Cabrera has lived his entire adult life in America and is now raising his family in the suburbs of the city. The French native has positive and negative points to make about both cultures. “[French people] can be more polite as well, but they can be abrupt,” he says. “On the other hand, if you become friends with someone they will open their door for you. In New England, you have people that seem kind, but they won’t necessarily invite you to their house.”

Cabrera believes that the relationship between parent and child also varies drastically between the two cultures. He used the example of American parents cheering on their elementary school kids during sports games, even when they’re terrible at it.

Cabrera says, “[French people] are more tamed in expressing their feedback, more sober in expressing their enthusiasm.”

He goes on to explain it as using fewer superlatives like “amazing,” “incredible” or “wonderful” in common conversation.

He says that of course French parents love their children just as much as American parents, but the love is “not always as pronounced.” This formal treatment continues into the school system, where teachers are very strict with their students.

“School can be an extremely harsh environment,” he says.

“It can be difficult for kids if you’re in a situation of failure.”

This helps me to understand my host mother’s mindset. In a reversed situation, an American host family would be more delicate with their guest about their progress with the language, but this may

ultimately end with the student not improving their English skills as much as they could have. French parents expect a lot from their children scholastically, and therefore it makes sense that my host mom also had high expectations for me.

“We often think the French are just like us. They speak a different language, but they more or less dress like us,” Lanson says. “They wear blue jeans; we wear blue jeans. They’re stylish, and we copy their styles. They copy our music; we appreciate their art; we watch each other’s cinema… But there are actually some very significant differences.”

Culture shock is inevitable when visiting another country, but in the end we’re all just human beings with unique personalities, emotions and beliefs. We may express our ideas differently, but that doesn’t make one way wrong. While my host family’s frankness caught me off guard and initially hurt my feelings, it ultimately pushed me to try harder and helped me to get more out of the experience.

Maybe this is just the opinion of an American girl intrigued by the novelty of the French language and their way of life, but I think we have a lot to learn from them. We should take the time to be frank with people—the truth can be harsh, but it’s important to hear. Because no one wants to talk like a baby for their entire life.

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STYLE Spotlight on Shimmer // pg. 38

The Best of Both Worlds // pg. 40 Tech Fashion // pg. 46

39 | The Flash Issue

Spotlight On Shimmer WRITER: Melinda Fakuade PHOTO: Meagan Leotta MODEL: Charlie Boyle

The age of Kylie mauves has to end at some point.

We’re sick of the classic Taylor reds, and Lorde-inspired deep plums can only last so long. Mattes have happened and worn out their welcome. But just when things were getting boring, the beauty industry produced a new spin on basic lips. Now, metallic lipsticks, lip toppers and glitter lips are illuminating the beauty scene.

Metallic lipsticks invite experimentation, especially with nighttime looks. They have an almost foiled appearance to them. Their reflective finish creates a unique sheen and adds striking dimension to an otherwise plain lip. Their appeal comes not only from the way they catch the light, but their versatility. They can be used on their own or you can swipe it on top of a matte product.

“I definitely think it is more of a nighttime thing, for parties or going out.” says Courtney Kaner, journalism ’18, who runs a makeup Youtube channel under the same name. “The foiled way about them and the possible overlaying require a little more effort than another lipstick.”

Anyone using a metallic lipstick should make sure to exfoliate their lips beforehand because the finish of the lipstick can accentuate fine lines. The easiest way to do this is to scrub a toothbrush across your mouth. After, wipe any dead skin away with a cloth and put on a little lip balm. Your metallic lipstick application will be way smoother that way.

To try out the look, beginners should try Colourpop Cosmetics. This brand is as close as

you can get to high-end level products, but for a better price.

The products can only be purchased online, but the effort is definitely worth it. They first became known for their Super Shock Shadows that come in many different finishes. These gorgeous eyeshadows enticed the beauty world with their crazy cream to powder formula. After expanding to produce almost all beauty products, they rolled out their latest lip line.

Their Ultra Metallic Lip range currently has 11 shades to choose from, each of which is only $6. “The lip color payoff in metallics isn’t as powerful with this brand, but it’s inexpensive and reliable,” says Kaner.

Another Youtuber, Madeline Kawalek, theatre ’17, has a more do-it-yourself method. As a theatre major with a concentration in makeup, a lot of practice has led her to come up with her own way to create a metallic lip.

“I already own Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams, which are super pigmented and waterproof. I just dab a little in the center of my pout and I get a metallic finish,” says Kawalek.

She uses this innovative trick to get more use out of the eye and cheek product without having to buy actual metallic lipsticks.

“So many brands are coming out with metallic lipsticks,” Kawalek says. “I think it’s a YouTube-produced trend, but it looks great on Instagram and for artistic purposes too.”

If metallic lipstick sounds a bit too dramatic for you, a lip topper might be a better choice. Lip toppers are reflective lip glosses, often with very tiny sparkles. You can use them alone for just a little bit of shimmer or on top of a lipstick for a glossier finish. In other words, lip toppers add a little more dazzle to plain, everyday lips.

Jouer is a brand that carries two of the most coveted lip toppers on the market right now. The shine is long-lasting and they’re enriched with coconut oil for extra hydration. The shade Skinny Dip is described as a “golden nude,” so it’ll be sure to stand out on even deeper skin tones. Tan Lines is a bronze tone that will bring some depth to your lip without coming off as too extreme. Darker tones like Tan Lines also fall in line with the obsession the beauty climate has been having with ’90s inspired lip trends.

They’re essentially highlighters for your lips. Makeup artist Nikki French, or better known on Instagram as @nikkifrenchmakeup, says that Skinny Dip is one of her favorite lip toppers.

“Everything is being highlighted these days. It’s a huge trend. It’s being implemented into everything,” says French.

“The Jouer formula is so different from any I’ve tried before.

It’s super shiny and thicker than a gloss almost. You even use it over another gloss.”

Not to mention, the shimmer will add extra dimension to your pout, making your lips look bigger. If that isn’t enough, try Buxom Full-On Lip Polishes. This

product has an added tingle that will physically plump your lips. But be careful with this kind of product; the chemicals could irritate your mouth. These come in three types of finishes that suit lip topper purposes: metallic, shimmer and one stunning silver glitter finish in the color Dominique. With over 50 colors to choose from, you’re sure to find your perfect match.

If the harshness of a lip plumper isn’t a road you’re willing to take, French has other recommendations that keep it simple.

She says, “Ofra Cosmetics has a metallic duochrome called Atlantis. It’s a rose tone, yet golden. All their duochromes are beautiful and perfect to use as lip toppers.” The color shift of shades like Atlantis add definition in the same way lip toppers do, although Atlantis is a metallic liquid lipstick. To ease into this trend, it’s best to just pat the lip topper in the center of your lips for a more low-key daytime look.

Glitter lips are the more extreme look in this genre and are not for the faint of heart. Unlike foil finish lipstick or shimmery gloss, glitter lips are full on and made up of more of the specks than the actual lipstick. For those looking to take risks, and are okay with shelling out over $20 for a product, Pat McGrath carries some of the most iconic lipsticks for this trend. McGrath lipsticks come in packaging full of sequins and luxurious makeup products. McGrath’s latest project, LUST 004, comes in singles and in kits. A single goes for $20, while a kit is $60. The kit only comes in three shades, but each one is stunning because of the loose glitter pigment that comes with it.

A kit is comprised of two lipsticks: a loose pigment and a microfine glitter. You can combine these items or use them alone for a more toned down look. McGrath’s line was seen on Naomi Campbell when she sported deep red glitter lips at the 2016 Video Music Awards, and it definitely made a statement.

Although it was rocked on the red carpet, it is still perfect for those with bolder tastes. If you aren’t comfortable, try it for an Instagram photoshoot or a costume party. And if you aren’t happy with the price tag, French has a way to get the same look for less.

“I love using Lit Cosmetics, because they have three different sizes of glitter. Their micro cut glitter is best. It’s important to have finely milled glitters because they adhere more easily on lips,” says French. “They also sell a liquid primer specifically for lips. I use it over my liquid lipstick before it dries and press on the glitter to get the perfect glitter lip.” You can follow Nikki on Snapchat under the name NikkiFrenchKiss for more DIY tips.

Not all fashion has to be editorial. Stepping out of your comfort zone is the basis of these trends. No matter how deep of a plunge you take, this look is sure to turn heads and make others pout in jealousy.

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The Best of Both Worlds WRITER: Caitlin Smith PHOTO: Nora Wilby MODEL: Michael Vinci, Charlotte Horan, Michelle Meneses STYLIST: Emma Cox, Kristen Bruck CLOTHES COURTESY OF PARIDAEZ

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43 | The Flash Issue

From early mornings in the job force to late afternoons in class, college students require clothing that is appropriate and stylish: the best of both worlds. The over-sized, wornin sweater and leggings look does not convey hard-working professionalism or a responsible, young adult working within a marketing agency or in a publishing house.

No one wants to be stuck in a pair of tight trousers and itchy fabric blouses through a two-hour lecture either. It’s not really the most attractive clothing to have a social life in. For many, carrying around a change of clothes seems to be the only solution; however, space is tight in a student’s backpack and swapping personas in a public bathroom stall isn’t very glamorous.

A necessity for overscheduled students is creating a wardrobe that is flexible, versatile and stylish. There are a couple of ways to shop, style and personalize looks while maintaining a certain level of appropriateness and keeping your personal style.

To start, focus on adding trends to your look instead of being trendy. For instance, try using certain accessories to change up your style, like layering the gold chain necklace from work with a simple black choker. It’s a quick transition that allows you to go from the friendly office associate to the edgy student in the third row of class. Literally let your hair down after work. Bring a hair clip that allows you to clip it all to one side for that old glamour look and you can easily pair that with a Hollywood-style red lip to wow your professor and classmates. Scarves are an easy transition as well, varying color schemes or patterns to match the environment without weighing down your bag.

Boston fashion blogger, Michelle Linnette’s biggest tip for students is adding comfortable cotton band tees under blazers. Blazers are a professional staple and come in a variety of lengths, compositions and colors, allowing you to flaunt your fashion while also being work-appropriate.

Another option is layering, especially during the colder weather. You never know if the next room you walk into will be overly heated or equates to the snow-covered temperament outside. Fitted sweaters will be your best friend for this category. The blazer comes into play here as well; it adds that extra touch of respectability while still adding that layer from the wind.

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Tracey Li, of the vastly popular Instagram account @ mysecretlookbook, uses two pieces of advice to stay comfortable from class to work without getting bored with her outfit choices, one being to succumb to the idea that building a versatile closet will take quite a bit of shopping. When coming across an article of clothing, she follows a simple rule to save her from making bad investments: “If you can’t see yourself pairing the item in three different ways then it probably isn’t the best investment to be making.”

Li tends to opt for classic choices instead of focusing on the trends. Classic pieces never go out of style and will always interplay with one another. If you have a closet full of classics, you have an endless potential for outfits between class, work and your budding social life. Color-wise, Li favors neutrals, such as blacks, whites, grays, rose pinks and tan. Be wary of styles and designs that could easily become dated in the next fashion year. So fitted sweaters, casual shirts and simple jackets will last longer in your closet than meme T-shirts or over-cutout dresses.

Building a versatile closet is a great excuse to go shopping as well. Linette suggests thrifting, as she’s able to find some great pieces without breaking the bank. For Li, LOFT, J. Crew, Nordstrom and H&M are her go-tos for timeless pieces.

Paridaez, an online clothing store, is also a great brand that creates clothing for women as versatile and demanding as their lives. The founder, Allison Daroie says on her website, “I really care about making chic and functional clothing that empowers women to take advantage of any opportunity that arises. As women we already play many roles. It’s about time our clothes do as well.”

Her pieces cost more than some students are willing to pay, but they are an investment. On average, one piece can transition between two to three outfits by easily switching how you wear the straps of a dress or what side of a tank faces forward, making carrying around a second outfit and getting changed in the bathroom stall a thing of the past.

Don’t simply buy throw away pieces. Invest in your wardrobe, simplify your closet and care for your pieces. It pays off.

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47 | The Flash Issue

Tech Fashion WRITER: Karis Bedey & Casey Tsamis COURTESY PHOTO: Steve Marsel Studio, Nervous System (nervo.us) Atlas Magazine | 48

Welcome to the era of Tech Fashion.

The world of fashion is dominated by trends. Every so often, however, the world arrives at a fashion movement which steers styles in a new direction altogether. In the 21st century, we are transcending into a new era of fashion which is coupling modern technology with trending styles—for both aesthetic and functional purposes. The Tech Fashion movement is working to bridge this gap between self-expression and functionality.

Laura Zapata, Editor of Fashion Digital Daily, defined this trend to thirdwavefashion.com in her own way. “In a broad sense, it’s when fashion (what we wear, what we aspire to be, how we present ourselves to society through clothing) meets technology (innovation, a digital presence, engaging online and mobile content). It’s fashion embracing a new, digital component to sell/present their business model.”

This movement has recently hit fashion shows all over, from Jason Wu to Project Runway. Black light is one of the components of tech fashion and makes clothing come to life.

Black light clothing can be used as an original outfit during the day and a nighttime look with its luminescent colors.

Other designers have also taken up the tech-savvy trend.

Rafael Rozenkranz, an industrial designer from Israel, created a jogging suit with a built-in MP3 player that is powered by the energy generated from the jog. In this way, the jogger can be pushed to the limit while still listening to music and being fashion-forward.

This past summer, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston showcased a modern collection of designer garments under the heading #techstyle, which incorporated cutting-edge technology into modern fashions. The mission of the exhibit was to demonstrate the potential relationships between technology and fashion.

Pamela Parmal, one of the curators of the past #techstyle exhibit, says, “Many of today’s designers actively seek out collaborations with scientists and engineers to apply new technologies in digital media, sustainability and even biotech to their work.

“At the same time, scientists and engineers have embraced fashion, pushing the boundaries of manufacturing and design.

It’s fitting that #techstyle is on view here in Boston, a crucible for technology and research.”

The exhibit featured nearly 60 garments from over 30 established or up-and-coming designers, including Alexander McQueen and Ralph Lauren. The development of the pieces for the exhibition was commissioned both internationally and locally, including the Somerville-based “Nervous System.”

Pieces incorporated elements of electricity, LED lights and movement-activated technologies. There were also a handful of 3-D-printed dresses, including the “Anthozoa 3-D Cape and Skirt,” which was first acquired by the museum in 2013.

The exhibit, which ultimately culminated into a fashion show, was divided between two central themes—Production and Performance. Production, which accentuated the applicable functions of technology in apparel, included exhibits such as the “Ricky Bag with Light”—a Ralph Lauren clutch that can actively charge your iPhone whenever it’s placed inside the bag—and a garment which, much like a mood ring, changes colors depending on the wearer’s pulse and body temperature.

The Performance section of the exhibit included two ink-coated leather capes created by T H E U N S E E N, a clothing brand in the U.K., which is now using technology as fashion. According to the Museum of Fine Arts, the capes “change in a rainbow spectrum in response to heat, light and air flow, reverting back to black in stasis.”

But the movement is not only confined to art galleries and fashion runways. Clothing stores, such as EXPRESS are now boasting lines of tech-savvy clothing. During the 2015 fall and winter seasons, EXPRESS Men released a line of outerwear, which included pieces such as a jackets with installed ear buds and touch screen-friendly gloves. Ralph Lauren’s “Ricky Bag with Light,” which is only one of several tech-fashion pieces developed by the designer, is now also commercially available. Technology in fashion is even expanding its reach into active wear—as brands such as Lume are marketing workout leggings with touch screen pockets for cell phones.

Exhibits like the MFA’s #techstyle serve as a taste of what is to come as the new era of Tech Fashion unfolds. With the marriage of practicality and aesthetics, Tech Fashion is surely the direction of style as we know it.

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HEALTH Going Vegan // pg. 50

Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You // pg. 52 What’s The Deal With Succulents? // pg. 54

51 | The Flash Issue

GOING VEGAN WRITER: Elizabeth Hartel PHOTO: Nora Wilby

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Two months ago, Sierra Ducey, marketing communication ’18, decided that she was going to start following a vegan diet, which meant cutting out all animal products. No meat, no eggs, no dairy.

A vegan diet also prohibits the consumption of less-obvious animal products, such as honey, gelatin and non-dairy coffee creamer, which contains sodium caseinate, a milk derivative.

The average American diet heavily depends on animalsourced foods like meat and dairy, and it includes a low intake of fruits and vegetables. Nonetheless, Ducey and many others are beginning to stray away from it. According to an article posted by the nursing website TopRNtoBSN, only 1 percent of the U.S. population was vegan in 2009. In 2016, this number has increased to approximately 2.5 percent.

Therefore, veganism is still a minority diet—but it’s gaining traction.

Following a vegan diet does not mean the same thing as living a vegan lifestyle. People who follow a vegan diet only abstain from consuming animal food products. In other words, they can still wear their favorite leather boots or silk nightgown. On the other hand, a vegan lifestyle means abstaining from animal products on every level; cruelty-free makeup, fake leather and silk substitutes like nylon and polyester are all part of living a completely vegan life.

Other alternative diets have helped contribute to the popularity of veganism. There has also been an increase in vegetarianism and “flexitarianism” in the United States. Vegetarians are people who don’t eat meat or fish, but who consume other animal products such as dairy and eggs. Flexitarians are people who follow a mostly animal product-free diet, but who occasionally consume meat products. Some people follow one of these diets before transitioning to a strictly vegan diet.

Ducey began following a vegan diet at the end of the summer of 2016, but says she slowly stopped consuming animal products over the course of three years.

“The only non-vegan things I was eating were fish and eggs, and I kinda just decided to make the leap and try [veganism] out,” says Ducey.

Cassia Enright, the business and artistry of cosmetics ’17, who was vegan for about a year and a half when she was in high school, also gradually made the transition to veganism.

“Prior to me choosing to go vegan, I had been a vegetarian for a few years,” she says.

Following a vegan diet used to primarily be associated with preserving animal welfare, but studies show more people have now adopted the diet for personal health reasons. Weight loss and natural, less-processed foods are two of the health benefits people seek from following a plant-based diet.

Ducey chose to follow a vegan diet for dietary concerns.

“I’m a big fan of trying different diets out—like I gave up gluten for a while,” says Ducey. “[I like to] see how different diets affect lifestyles because I’m interested in going into nutrition.”

On the other hand, Enright cites animal welfare as her main motivation to become a vegetarian and environmen-

tal concerns were the primary reason she became a vegan.

According to the Grace Communications Foundation, it takes 1,800 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef.

The immense amount of water used by the meat industry is a common problem that vegans look to improve through giving up animal products.

Social media and the vegan population

Another source of growth in the number of people following a vegan diet is social media. Vegans use platforms like YouTube and Instagram to spread the word about the diet. As their following grows, they reach larger audiences.

The DailyMail article “What’s behind the vegan revolution? It's a growing trend among teenage girls, but veganism raises serious health issues for young women,” written by Adriaane Pielou cites social media star, Deliciously Ella, as a strong influence in many young British women’s decision to turn to a vegan diet. The article tells the story of a teenage girl named Chloe and her desire to switch to veganism because of Ella’s online presence.

“If Chloe and her friends are contemplating copying Ella, you can guarantee thousands of other teenage girls are thinking the same. Such is the power of social media,” writes Pielou.

Pielou goes on to explain that while vegan meals are obviously healthier than “a burger and chips,” any “healthy-eating regime”—like veganism—can become restrictive, and therefore can negatively affect its followers.

Health issues are a real concern

Enright says health issues were the main reason she stopped following a vegan diet.

“Junior year [of high school] is when things get crazy with college applications and things like that,” says Enright, who followed a vegan diet in the midst of her busiest year of high school. “And without even knowing it, my health was not a priority [for me] at all.”

Enright admits that following a vegan diet requires paying extra attention to nutrition and that she could not commit the time to doing so.

“All of a sudden I was feeling really faint, I was bruising more easily and I just couldn’t get out of bed. So I got blood work done and my vitamin D, iron and hemoglobin [levels] were in the trash,” she says.

Enright’s health concerns may also affect many other vegans. In the DailyMail article, Pielou explains that although meat and dairy are not necessary parts of a person’s diet, they are strong sources of many nutrients vital to one’s health.

“A vegan diet can also lack omega-3 fatty acids—also necessary for the developing brain—plus zinc and vitamin B12,” writes Pielou. “Furthermore, cutting out dairy eliminates the best sources of calcium and iodine, putting bone density and thyroid hormone production at risk.”

While veganism can pose health concerns for many people, that doesn’t mean it’s a dangerous diet. Provided one pays attention to their nutrition, eating a plant-based diet could be beneficial to them and the environment. Veganism is spreading fast and if its followers stay on the right track, the diet’s popularity won’t likely die down anytime soon.

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The Negative Impact of Bright Screens on Health WRITER: Olivia Woollett PHOTO: Nora Wilby

All the research in the world: Sleep with your phone completely off ! Don't go on your electronics an hour before bed! Make sure your phone is out of sight when you're sleeping!

Me:*on my phone until I literally can't keep my eyes open* Me:*nestles phone on my pillow next to my head* goodnight my friend The quoted text above is from a post on Tumblr with more than 100,000 reblogs. Clearly, an attachment to cell phones is something people can relate to. Whether it’s scrolling through Twitter under the covers before bed or staying up to write a paper in the dark because a roommate is already asleep, college students spend a lot of time on computers and other mobile devices. But do these bright screens really affect the health of their users? Reading in the dark was thought to be bad for eyesight and that got debunked (turns out trying to read in the dark is comparable to smelling a very faint scent). Are bright screens just another health hoax?

Studies conducted by the SUNY College of Optometry, the University of Leicester and other institutions exploring the effects of bright screens on eyes concur that long periods of time spent looking at a screen can noticeably strain your eyes. The resulting condition is called computer vision syndrome and symptoms include eye fatigue, blurred vision and light sensitivity. According to the American Optometric Association, the people at the greatest risk of developing the vision syndrome are those who spend more than two hours a day looking at computer screens.

Alexis Ellis-Alvarez, stage and production management ’18, says that bright screens have a noticeable effect on her health. “Half the time, if I look at something too close to my face for a long time it messes with my eyes, so I have to wear reading glasses,” she says. “I can definitely notice a difference between when I lighten and darken the screen.”

Computer vision syndrome occurs situationally, and looking at, or reading from, bright screens for long periods of time is not associated with any long-term or permanent damage to

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eyesight. But there are some tips for holding screen-induced eye strain at bay, such as adjusting screen brightness and reading distance. Common advice also includes the “20-20-20 rule”—every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

In addition to eye fatigue, there is another way that bright screens could be disrupting your health: by altering your sleeping patterns.

Multiple studies support the conclusion that the blue light emitted by laptop screens, and particularly by tablets and mobile devices (since these screens are typically held closer to the face), affects levels of sleepiness and alertness in the evenings and suppresses melatonin levels. In one study conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 2014, participants who read on iPads before bed took longer to fall asleep, had poorer quality of sleep and were more tired the next day than participants who read printed books before bed.

Unlike computer vision syndrome, sleep deficiency does have potential long-term consequences. It has been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other health problems.

And the solution isn’t as simple as pausing every 20 minutes or so to look out the window.

Adjusting screen brightness and reading distance will diminish the light’s effect, the same as with eye fatigue, but the best advice is to avoid the use of light-emitting screens in the hours before falling asleep. For many people, however, this isn’t a feasible solution.

“Like a lot of people under the age of 30, my phone is the first thing I look at in the morning, the last thing I look at at night,” Mark Gartsbeyn, visual and media arts ’18, says.

If foregoing electronic devices before bed isn’t practical or preferable, there are some new technologies designed to filter out the blue light from screens, making them easier on the eyes and possibly alleviating their sleep-altering effects.

One such technology is a free computer program called f.lux. f.lux adjusts the color temperature of a display according to the sun’s position in the sky at the user’s geographic coordi-

nates. As stated on f.lux’s website, “During the day, computer screens look good—they’re designed to look like the sun. But, at 9 p.m., 10 p.m. or 3 a.m., you probably shouldn’t be looking at the sun.”

At sunset, f.lux slowly begins changing the color temperature of the device’s display screen to a warmer color. It claims that by filtering out the white-blue light emitted by our devices, the warmer light is less harmful to eyes and less likely to influence sleep patterns.

“You don’t notice it at first, the way it gradually transfers to the warmer light,” Ellis-Alvarez says. “But when it’s midnight or two o’clock in the morning, I actually have noticed that it helps with going to sleep.”

Although the program has not been scientifically tested, it has been widely and positively reviewed by users and tech journals like TekRevue and PC World. It has even led to some similar applications being developed for mobile devices.

Apple’s iOS 9.3 update introduced Night Shift mode, which

adjusts the color temperature of Apple devices in a way similar to f.lux and for Android users, an app called Twilight has been downloaded to more than a million devices.

“I don’t know what I’d do without it,” Gartsbeyn says. “I think it’s a great application. I’ve gotten to the point where if it has blue light on at night, it hurts my eyes. There’s this whole thing where you’re supposed to avoid screen time for like 30 minutes before bed, like what all these articles online tell you to do. But if you can’t do that, at least making it easier on your eyes is the next best thing.”

Technological advancement has completely changed the landscape of our daily lives, but that doesn’t mean our fundamental needs like regular, restful sleep should take a back seat.

Bright screens are only becoming more prevalent in daily society. Avoiding them completely is impossible, but as new research comes to light we may see a shift towards new technologies and other innovations which offset their negative attributes.

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What's The Deal With Succulents?

HOW YOU CAN BENEFIT FROM THESE UNLIKELY PLANTS’ RISE IN POPULARITY WRITER: Madison McKeever PHOTO: Hannah Choi

It’s 10 o’clock on a Saturday morning at Fresco Flowers in Back Bay, Boston, and Madeline Carpentiere is wielding a spritzer bottle. As she wanders up and down the aisles of the small flower shop tending to each pot and arrangement with care, she stops to linger in front of the windowsill. Prominently displayed in direct sunlight are her favorite plants: a small forest of succulents.

Succulents are a group of plants that store water in their leaves and are all the rage on social media and in households across the country. Their distinct shape and fleshy look is one that has earned the nickname “fat plants,” and the love of bloggers and college students alike.

Besides their aesthetic appeal, these chlorophyll-packed powerhouses have an inexhaustible list of health and lifestyle benefits; their plump leaves can help you breathe easier, relax quicker and study more efficiently. These vibrant, fibrous plants were once forgotten flora, deemed specialty items and relegated to the back shelves of floral shops. But in recent years, they have been popping up all over the place—from Instagram to Urban Outfitters to Pottery Barn. Their sudden ascent to the mainstream has left many gardeners and florists alike, including the staff at Fresco Flowers, wondering: Why the sudden interest in succulents?

Carpentiere, a floral designer at Fresco Flowers, has a few theories about their unforeseen popularity. Surrounded by a myriad of foliage and plant life every day, she sees everything from elaborately constructed rose bouquets to aloe vera plants, and isn’t at all surprised about the recent obsession with succulents.

She says, “People are happier when there are flowers around, and succulents are becoming a go-to starter plant.

They’re also pretty, and when you see one in your apartment it makes it seem cozy and homey.”

These compact plants, with their geometric shapes and kaleidoscopic hues, have been flying off the shelves of places like Fresco in recent years. Carpentiere attributes much of

this increased demand to sites like TreeHugger and NatureLife, both of which extol the beneficial properties of owning a succulent. Countless scientists and bloggers have reported that amidst the smog of city living, these tiny plants can offer a brief reprieve from the lack of greenery we so often encounter.

In 2005, writer and environmentalist Richard Louv coined the phrase, “Nature Deficit Disorder,” in reference to some of the problems he believed could develop from living in the city for an extended period of time. He famously said that it was “not meant to be a medical diagnosis, but rather to serve as a description of the human costs of alienation from the natural world.” His conclusion received acclaim and exposure, and people living in urban environments have been voraciously flocking to low-maintenance plants like succulents ever since.

Due to their small stature, easy adaptability and distinct look, succulents can be a perfect addition to any busy lifestyle.

One of the main attractions of these little plants is that they can live without much water for weeks on end, making them one of the easiest plants to care for. Occasional watering is all that’s necessary and they can propagate quickly. According to Carpentiere, “Because of their ability to thrive, they’re pretty hard to kill,” a trait that is appealing to many laissez faire plant owners.

“They’re really versatile and they can live in just about any environment. I’ve seen people put them in teacups, in wreaths, even in jewelry,” she says.

Not only are succulents a stress-free embellishment for your living space, but they also have an impressive list of mental health benefits.

Sal Privitera is a graduate psychology student at Salem State University and a proud owner of five different varieties of succulents. He says his background and experience in mental health studies have definitely influenced his decision to own a succulent. “Engaging in any type of caregiving or nurturing for any living thing has mental health benefits. A plant is a great, small responsibility to begin with, especially

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for a young person or someone who is looking for get back on their feet, but not ready to take on too much too quickly,” he says.

Privitera says that the act of caring for a living thing, no matter how small, provides a degree of stress relief similar to yoga or meditation. Tending to soil, water and light exposure can even resemble a meditative state, a sentiment which Privitera energetically defends. The deliberate intention behind caring for a living thing can help to break up the monotony of your everyday life, forcing you to carve out a place for mindfulness amongst your routine.

Besides the myriad of emotional benefits they can offer, succulents can positively impact your physical well being as well.

A recent Kansas State University study found that having plants in your living environment can actually have tangible effects on your immune system and ability to heal quickly. While observing surgical recovery patients, researchers found that ornamental plants provided “noninvasive, inexpensive and effective complementary medicine.”

The researchers also found that patients who had plants in their rooms had faster healing times, with lower systolic blood pressure and lower levels of pain, anxiety, fatigue and depression.

Many other studies echo this statement, concluding that your living or work environment can benefit from the presence of a plant in a variety of easily measurable ways.

According to the popular blog TreeHugger, succulents are one of the few plants that “breathe” in a process similar to our own during all hours of the day. All plants undergo photosynthesis during the sunlight hours, but many cease to exchange oxygen at night. Succulents are one of the few exceptions to this process. While you’re sleeping, your succulents are hard at work adding extra oxygen to the air. So in essence, succulents are a functional decoration, bringing increased oxygen to your environment and thus, your body.

In addition, researchers at NASA recently conducted a study on the topic and found that plants are able to purify the air you breathe. According to the study, “Both plant leaves and roots are utilized in removing trace levels of toxic vapors from inside tightly sealed buildings; low levels of chemicals such as carbon monoxide and formaldehyde can be removed from indoor environments by plant leaves alone.” Some of the most poignant and convincing research comes from a University of Michigan study, which found that having a plant in your work or study environment can improve memory retention, productivity and concentration by up to 20 percent.

It may seem like these little plants are purely ornamental, but scientists and horticulture experts will tell you otherwise. Being “under the influence of plants,” as Carpentiere says, has a multitude of health benefits that can improve your mental and physical well-being with little cost to you.

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FROM THE BLOG BLOG EDITOR: Lauren Lopez

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Get Ready With Me WRITER: Margo Rometo Lately I’ve been watching a lot of beauty and fashion icons on YouTube, specifically GRWM (Get Ready With Me) videos. They’re absolutely addicting and a great way to get tips, product recommendations, and general wellness inspiration! As somebody who may not be an expert but loves makeup and fashion I thought I would share with all of you my typical routine!

The first thing I do when I wake up is wash my face- I’ve read multiple places that switching up your skincare routine fairly often can yield much more desirable results- so I alternate between the St. Ives Green Tea Scrub and the Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Oil Free Acne Wash. For the sake of transparency, I don’t have difficult skin and could use nearly any face wash without problems, these are my favorites because they smell glorious and can be purchased anywhere. After drying my face I always apply plenty of moisturizer especially in the winter because my skin can get very dry. Because of this I splurge on a high end brand- my go to for years now has been the Dramatically Different by Clinique- it leaves your skin feeling nourished and light without any oily residue. A little goes a long way, but when I do run out I stop by the Clinique counter of my local Macy’s rather than paying for shipping from the Clinique website.

A Blended Family’s Weekend Trip WRITER: Jennifer Wood Interestingly enough, my parents met in a Japanese hospital. One of their mutual friends got in a car accident and even though my dad had a girlfriend at the time, their connection was instant. Shortly after that moment, they became a couple and after moving around southern Japan and around the east coast of the U.S., the pair settled in my dad’s hometown of Boston, Massachusetts. And that is

where I come in – as their last child and probably the one that eats the most food.

Considering that I am half Japanese and half European, I come from a family that is oh so obviously blended and I get to experience a distinctly unique culture and family dynamic. Most of the cool things about my family comes from the Japanese side, especially since a lot of the food we eat, the places we go to, our homeware, and our family traditions are based on my mom’s Japanese customs and culture.

An Open Letter To Clowns WRITER: Jessica Morris This past Wednesday night, two clowns were spotted on Emerson’s campus, loitering near the entrance to Colonial. My feelings when I first heard this were a mixture of disgust and disbelief. If Emerson’s campus isn’t safe from these clowns, where is? Then, I remembered that our campus is in downtown Boston, next to the Common — a location that probably makes Emerson prime clown

territory. We never had a chance.

Still, I was a bit disappointed when I learned clowns were been spotted on-campus and I had missed them. You might think I dodged a bullet, but knowing I was writing this blog post, I really, really wanted to see some clowns. But, I suppose there’s nothing funny about people dressing up to terrify the unsuspecting. We all need to realize that.

ATLAS magazine

FIND US ONLINE Blog : atlasmag.wordpress.com Facebook : facebook.com/atlasmagazine Twitter : @Atlas_Magazine Instagram : @atlas_mag Email : emersonatlasmag@gmail.com

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