Beyond Beauty, March, 2020

Over a Century of Service to CCNY & the Harlem Community

IS IT A LITTLE TOO LATE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS? BREAKING GENDER NORMS THROUGH NAIL TRENDS

MARCH 2020

BEYOND BEAUTY: A PROFILE OF SARA ELKHODARY AND SAMIA ABDULRAHMAN

03/20 In This Issue

MAGAZINE STAFF Editor-in-Chief: Aspasia Celia Tsampas

“Beauty Beyond: A profile of Sara Elkhodary and Samia Abdulrahman”

Managing Editor: Ania Wojas

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News Editor: Eric Bilach Feature Editor: Jana Makki Opinion Editor: Matthew Romano Lifestyle Editor: Sarah Logan Sports Editor: Anu Shetty Copy Editor: Joey Russo Staff Writers: Clark Adomaitis, Hebh Ja-

mal, Jada Gordon, Sayra Ilyas, Jaquelin Bautista

Art Director: Chriscel Halili

NEWS

LIFESTYLE

CITY COLLEGE GENERATED $2 BILLION FOR NEW YORK‘S ECONOMY IN 2017[3]

BREAKING GENDER NORMS THROUGH NAIL TRENDS [11]

FEATURE

POLITICS

THE WORD GAP: 30,000, 000 [4] EQUAL RIGHTS AMMENDMENT [5]

WHO‘S LEFT? A LOOK AT DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES [10]

BEYOND BEAUTY [8-9]

Designers: Justin Gordon, Lauren Pires,

OPINION

Business Manager: Raquel Palumbo

GIVE ME BACK MY STORY, GIVE ME BACK MY POWER [6] WHEN CANCELLING IS CANELLED [7]

Riya Mehta

SPORTS MLB CHEATING SCANDAL [12]

Distribution Coordinator: Clark Adomaitis

Cover Photo By: Aspasia Celia Tsampas

Editor’s Note Happy Herstory Month!!!!

ADVERTISE WITH US

CONTACT US North Academic Center 1/119 CCNYCampusnews@gmail.com CCNYCampus.org

In honor of Women’s History Month, we have chosen to honor CCNY students Sara Elkhodary and Samia Abdulrahman. On page 8 and 9, you can find a profile on these two and their experiences and choices to wear the niqab in “Beauty Beyond.” Additionally, Sayra Ilyas covered the updates on the standstill Equal Rights Amendment act and whether it is too late for women. We at The Campus hope you read these articles closely and celebrate the brave women who have fought for basic rights of free expression and gender equality.

In news, Joseph Russo analyzes the newly released Emsi document which analyzes City College’s revenue for NY economy. Matthew Romano discusses the word gap in children’s education, and Nate Izzo gives you the rundown on the democratic primaries before the vote in April.

In opinion, Jaquelin Bautista discusses “Trauma Porn” and the circulation of one’s suffering to generate buzz in “Give Me Back My Story, Give Me Back My Power.”

Additionally, Jada Gordon discusses the cancellation of cancel culture. Next up in lifestyle, Sarah Logan explores breaking gender norms through nails! And Clark Adomaitis is back again with another review, this time of the beautiful vista views CCNY has to offer—with accompanying audio sounds, which you can check out by scanning the QR code!

The Campus @CCNYCampus @CCNYCampus

Always,

City College Generated $2 Billion for New York‘s Economy in 2017

By Joseph Russo The City College of New York has just been reviewed by Emsi, a labor market analytics firm that compiles data to analyze public institutions’ impact on students, taxpayers, and society as a whole. In their review of City College, they discovered something truly mind-blowing: in 2017, 1.9 billion dollars were added to New York’s economy solely thanks to The City College of New York.

They broke down the $1.9 billion into six distinctive categories, the first being the “Operations Spending Impact,” which includes the staff‘s payroll. This statistic is meant to represent how much money fulltime and part-time staff earned collectively.

That number also includes how the staff spends that money in their communities, such as by dining out, buying groceries, going to sporting events, and many other moneyspending activities. With 2,518 full-time and part-time faculty, City College added 288.3 million dollars to the region’s economy.

The “Research Spending Impact” generated about $31.9 million for the local economy and included the payroll that supports scientific research, and even the necessary equipment needed to assist postgraduate research efforts.

Even though the campus was seemingly under construction, which strained students and forced them to reroute their commute to classes, it generated revenue for New York’s economy as well. The “Construction Spending Impact” generated approximately $18.3 million for construction companies and their workers.

Whether it is gasoline, groceries, transportation, or other household expenses, relocated students and retained students -those that live within the five boroughs of New York City -- added $50.9 million into the commercial areas located outside of the main campus. Their families, visitors, and

The report even discusses the benefits to taxpayers as well. Since City College students are poised to earn lots of money, their investment results in a greater tax gain for state and local governments. in the local economies and are less likely to be involved with receiving unemployment benefits or welfare, as well as interacting with the criminal justice system. All three reasons reduce stress on taxpayers. Emsi states that an average taxpayer will receive $3.00 back for every $1.00 invested into the school.

Our society, specifically New York City, benefits from the school in many ways.

Primarily, City College students collectively

What does all this data mean for current City College students? other individuals generated $57.4 million on lodging, food, and other personal expenses due to City College-related activities. The activities include traveling to athletic events and attending student graduation ceremonies.

impact the state’s economy. Since students that graduate here increase business output and earn more money than other school’s alumni, the school raises economic prosperity in New York.

The biggest chunk of the revenue comes from the amount of money that is generated by City College’s many graduated alumni. Most City College graduates are full-time employees in the healthcare and technical service fields, so it is no surprise that graduates generated a total of $1.5 billion for their New York-based companies.

Emsi determined that The City College of New York is a great investment for everyone involved. Students, taxpayers, and our society can all feel the impact that the school has had over the region.

$$ According to their calculations, the benefit-tocost ratio is 6.7, which means that every $1.00 invested by a City College student will translate into a cumulative average of $6.70 over their careers. $$

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The Word Gap: 30,000,000

By Matthew Romano

30,000,000. That is how many fewer words children born into low-income or impoverished families will hear by the time of their third birthday as compared to their peers of higher socioeconomic status. In a 1995 study conducted by Betty Hart and Todd Risley, titled “The Early Catastrophe,” they studied the dinner conversations of 42 families, ranging in race, education, and socioeconomic status, for one hour, every month, for two and a half years. Their findings would launch what has been dubbed the “word gap” from the apathy of education research and policy and into public consciousness.

The “word gap” has since found support in neuroscience research (85% of a child’s brain develops in the first three years of life); been affirmed by several subsequent studies (with other estimates of the contested size of the gap); become the subject of many community initiatives (continue reading for more information); stimulated political attention (The Clinton Foundation’s Too Small to Fail initiative and former President Barack Obama’s plead to #CloseTheWordGap); and has even found its way into mainstream pop-culture (in the colorfully poignant words of Yael Stone’s Orange is the New Black character Lorna Morello, “There’s all these studies that say that if you don’t talk to the baby they end up, like, f**ked up by the time they’re five.”

Mrs. Morello hit the nail on the head with this one. It has been proven that children who fall victim to the word gap enter schooling with “severe delays in language processing, speech production, and vocabulary.” This is most concerning as it maps an exacerbation of the word gap to the reading gap, (one disproportionately affecting students of color, ELL’s, Students with Disabilities, and students with Free or Reduced-Price Lunch). The critical 3rd grade reading gap has been touted as the biggest predictor of future success. In fact, one in six children who are not reading proficiently in third grade do not graduate from high school on time.

When considering the word gap alongside Read Across America Day, which commen4

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ced in 2003 as a commemoration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday and celebration of the joys and benefits of reading, the two form an almost oxymoronic clash that epitomizes the struggle over the seeming unbridgeable word gap and the transformative power of literature and language, even and especially in the earliest ages.

But reading and being read to is just one part of the equation. To conclude that the solution is simply reading would be a fallacious un-

Narrate activities: Everyday activities like cooking, cleaning, shopping, traveling, etc. can be narrated to young children through word or song.

Hit the first serve: In other words, provoke response from your child, even if it is incoherent, through questioning, repeating, counting, or Simon-Says & Monkey-See-Monkey-Do. Babbling, laughing, and even silent gesturing are all crucial to the speech development process.

Read to your child: Kelsie McGrath, a senior Education student at CCNY, recalls listening to audio tapes, sounding out words, manual finger-pointing, high pitch sounds, intonation, questioning, and physical response, as part of her earliest experiences with reading and being read to by her mother, (who also happened to be a teacher).

derestimation of the gravity of the situation.

Since socioeconomic inequality does not exist in a vacuum, neither does the word gap. It is reasonable then that there exists no panacea to be found for this population of our youngest minds. Rather, this chronic pandemic in early education and child development requires a multifaceted approach with early intervention at all levels of society, from parents to politicians.

Parents: Parents are undeniably one of the most crucial cogs in a, yet to be perfected, wheel rolling towards a world without a word gap. The frequency, tone, quality, complexity, and length of a parent and child’s interactions are a primary determinant of the child’s future success. With this fact in mind, here are a few practices and approaches that parents can make to engage their young child in conversation. (Some are taken from The New Yorker’s Margaret Talbot’s inspirational article “The Talking Cure,” while others are based on anecdote and experience.)

Unfortunately, these practices are often extremely challenging, if not entirely unattainable, for the parents of the students who need it the most. Parents living below the poverty line often have to work multiple jobs just to provide basic needs for their children; they have to then cook dinner, eat, clean, bathe their children, and get them to bed on time. This grueling mundanity is what leads Richard Weissbourd to suggest, “Maybe what we have to do is come in and bring dinner and help with laundry and free up a parent to engage in more play with their child.”

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Is it a little too late for Equal Rights?

By Sayra Ilyas One of the hardest things to do in America is to amend the Constitution, which probably explains why in its 243-year lifetime there have only been 17 amendments. Going back in time to AP USH class, the amending of the Constitution is a two-step process. First, a proposed amendment must pass through majority vote in both the House and Senate. Afterward, it must be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures. Today, because of such a polarized political climate, most proposals fail to pass the first stage. The Equal Rights Amendment, however, was proposed almost a century ago to Congress and was passed in 1972 by the Senate to the states for ratification. Now, almost 50 years later, Virginia has become the 38th state to pass the Equal Rights Amendment.

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) reads that “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” This statement was a celebration for American women who were finally being seen as equal in the eyes of the law! On that note, the time to commemorate may have to be curtailed; it turns out that it might be too late for the legislation of the ERA because the deadline for ratification was 1982. The government seems to be a bigger procrastinator than college students, but can it place a deadline on women’s rights?

The answer seems to be yes. However, bills have been introduced in the House of Representatives to remove the deadline and start a whole new ratification process. Julie C. Suk, who is a professor at the CUNY Graduate Center and is currently writing a book about the ERA called We the Women: The Forgotten Mothers of the Equal Rights Amendment, exclaimed that “Once you have 38 states ratifying plus action from Congress on the deadline, it’s very clear that the amendment is

effective, in my opinion.” She also advocates for the ratification of the original amendment to preserve the continuity of women activists over the years, as well as to recognize the transgenerational struggle for equal rights.

motivated violence in federal courts. This decision was justified by Congress as not being within the jurisdiction to enforce the 14th Amendment.

“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

Despite being proposed in the 1970s, the ERA addresses issues that persist today. One example is how childbearing and childrearing have become burdensome for women in the workplace. The ERA would provide preventive measures to protect pregnant women from discrimination, which is not seen in the current Equal Protection Clause under the 14th Amendment. Additionally, the ERA would remedy violence against women. In 2000, the Supreme Court had struck down a portion of the Violence Against Women Act, which had allowed women to sue perpetrators of gender-

It seems America remains stuck in the 1920s.

Although there are laws that promote gender equality, they are susceptible to change. The fact of the matter is that amendments are permanent and could be used in courts as tools to challenge discriminatory practices ranging from unequal pay to abortions. The momentum from the 1970s is still there, it is just a matter of making Congress aware of it.

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Give Me Back My Story Give Me Back My Power

By Jaquelin Bautista

It’s important to share people’s experiences to raise awareness about the obstacles they face. However, some argue that there is a point at which the circulation of stories desensitizes the public to the true suffering they depict. This pivotal point specifically concerns communities of color that have limited opportunity to share their stories and often have their journey told by outsiders, filtered through an Anglo perspective, and thus, effectively whitewashed. These conversations are being had now regarding the circulation of stories depicting suffering in the media to benefit off adversity and generate buzz and social media attention, otherwise known as “Trauma Porn.”

Trauma porn is told and sold in many different mediums: books, news, movies, television,speeches, and advertisements. A contemporary example is seen in the 2020 novel American Dirt, a story about Mexican migrants fleeing the cartel, which has author Jeanine Cummins in the hot seat.

The book caused controversy following the revelation that Cummins was, in fact, a white author, attempting to tell an authentic immigrant narrative (emphasis on ‘attempting’).

The outrage begot a discussion of who is and is not allowed to tell whose stories? Even Oprah, who not long before had proudly announced American Dirt as the next book for her book club, has come out and publicly stated that while she would not change her selection, she would instead take the opportunity to have a meaningful discussion of ownership and agency in storytelling, especially as it pertains to the story of minority populations.

Similarly, the Netflix original Living Undocumented, produced by Selena Gomez, Aaron Saidman, and Eli Holzman, has come under fire. The series, which aimed to return humanity to the debate on immigration, has been revealed as another situation of trauma porn.

The undocumented community depicted in the series came out and blasphemed the injustice the series was doing by telling the stories of undocumented people without including them in the process.

Medium subsequently published “An Open Letter from Undocumented Filmmakers to the Producers of Living Undocumented and the Broader Media Industry”, which showcased messages exchanged between producers of Living Undocumented and the undoc6 OO P I I N NI OI NO

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umented immigrants who were not asked to participate.

In one particular conversation, in which producers were asked to consider an undocumented filmmaker for the project, the response was pretty blatant: “As for your question about hiring an undocumented filmmaker, I don’t think that is an option for this project.”

Often, the journeys and stories of undocumented immigrants are shared by members outside of the community. That is not to say there are not undocumented producers or filmmakers putting out work that is authentic and just as captivating. Look no further than Armando Ibañez’s Undocumented Tales and documentaries such as Tam Tran.

The unfortunate reality though, is that there are still limited outlets that undocumented immigrants are permitted to invest their talents, and when they do produce their work, they garner exponentially less media attention and public praise in comparison to the big names and the white noise.

Even films such as The Color Purple by Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown are examples of other black stories told by non-black producers and filmmakers.

So, the question remains, who gets to tell these stories?

Cummins had recognized that her book was not her story to tell. She stated, “I worried that, as a non-migrant and non-Mexican, I had no business writing a book set almost entirely in Mexico, set entirely among migrants.

I wished someone slightly browner than me would write it.”

She continues, “But then, I thought, if you’re a person who has the capacity to be a bridge, why not be a bridge?”

Though Cummins brings up an interesting perspective on writing this particular narrative and the many hours she spent researching both sides of the border is applaudable, this response is still constructed, at its foundation, using a white savior ideology.

Furthermore, it denies the existence of a mul-

titude of books and other media about the immigrant journey written by actual Latinx individuals. Unknown thus far as they, like many others, remain stuck in the shadows and left behind the curtains in favor of books such as Cummins’ and because of responses such as her own above. Again, the problem is not the lack of content but the lack of publicity for these same pieces of work.

These conversations begin to gain complexity as one begins to discuss representation.

Youtuber, “Bowties and Books” describes her experience growing up with a limited number of stories told from a black perspective, stating that she either had to read adult books (which were too mature for her to understand) just to be provided with a black narrative, or stick to reading the children’s books, which only depicted white kids. This point continues to be brought up in Hollywood as seen in the controversy that seems to constantly surround the Oscars’ consistent lack of representation and recognition for black filmmakers and storytellers.

In 2020 however, there is hope that progress is being made with “Hair Love” receiving an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film, which not only stands as an honor to a black artist, Matthew A. Cherry, the writer, and director but also provides children with the narratives they deserve.

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CANCELLED CANCELLED CANCELLED

By Jada Gordon

When Cancelling is Cancelled: The Fascinating State of Cancel Culture

“F**k reputation. Hindsight is a gift. Stop wasting my time!”

Protested Hannah Gadsby in her 2018 Netflix comedy special, Nanette. In this evocative live performance, Gadsby dives into the details and inner workings of our culture's obsession with men and their legacies.

This idolization is often despite nefarious and insidious words or actions, and with no statute of limitations -- they could be from 3 weeks or 30 years ago. In the past decade, we have observed the most prominent of cultural figures and institutions be challenged, tested, and, in the most extreme cases, completely and utterly destroyed.

In return, left with the exposed remnants of what was dismantled, we have had to reexamine their place in our lives and experiences, again both past and present. It is a painful, yet necessary task to hold a mirror up to the figures who have influenced our lives and our culture; however, Pandora’s box has long been open, and we cannot un-see what we have found.

“Cancel culture” is an internet theory taken where an individual does or says something offensive or insensitive to other people. In return, the individual is criticized and considered “canceled.” It is a signifier of the technological age that we live in: we now see fans and critics alike as, somehow, closely and intimately connected with famous people situated hundreds of miles away, in both geographical distance and social class.

Celebrity icons who were once seen as inaccessible before social media, we now see daily and make them more a part of our everyday lives than ever before. Of course, with this proximity comes a fair share of danger and consequences as we are granted an up close and personal examination of celebrities’ every move, word, and deed.

While many have, or inevitably one day will,

endure their fair share of criticism on social media, being canceled, for a public figure, is to have their legacy wrapped in a tight and unforgiving knot of controversy and pain. Bill Cosby, for example, is a casualty of cancel culture. His history of drugging and sexually assaulting women, while simultaneously being “America’s Dad” has exposed him as an abuser, rapist, and overall liar, thus leaving him canceled.

Other notable casualties of cancel culture include R. Kelly, Roseanne Barr, and WoodyAllen. While these members of cancel culture are seemingly obvious and clear cut, many cancelations have sparked a more nuanced and controversial debate. Cancel culture has, at times, become so restrictive towards the dissenting opinion that it is increasingly partisan, biased, and political, overtaken by groupthink ideology.

Subjectively polarizing artists like Kanye West and Taylor Swift, both of whom have made public statements regarding each other, is a paired example of two celebrities who have been subjected to cancel culture yet remain surprisingly unscathed. Kanye West’s support of President Trump was divisive and the artist lost fans just about as quickly as he gained them. Despite this moment in time, West’s voice, music, and public image are far from diminished. In a similar situation, Taylor Swift’s public persona and various missteps are scrutinized often, yet she is still highly influential.

Are we seeing a case of picking and choosing artists to cancel? Are people not allowed to have different opinions and beliefs without being attacked?

The dividing line between mortality and survival of cancel culture is razor-thin. Despite this fact, there is a seemingly endless sea of

gray area that leaves those caught in cancel culture in a wide net of confusion. Any one person, at any given time, can be seen straddling the sides ofcompletely canceled, problematic, unproblematic, and all degrees in between. As humans, wetend to be layered and full of nuance. However, there is a method to the madness and reasons for why we believe in what we do. Cancel culture cannot be the scale on which one measures another’s humanity, both tied in a destiny knot that cannot be undone. Just because there is cognitive dissonance, does not mean a voice should be silenced. Voices are to be discussed and challenged, not attacked and shut out.

Unforgivable offenses, such as sexual assault, racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc., are grounds for canceling, however, if a person wants to unlearn those habits, they should be allowed to do so. People can always grow from their mistakes; it is when they do not learn from their experiences that canceling should commence. When people learn from, instead of attack, each other, growing can, likewise, commence. Change is possible and it is a choice whether a person wants to unlearn toxic habits or not.

Cancel culture strenuously exercises subjective personal limits and walks the line of public opinion and acceptability. A balance must be restored when participating in cancel culture because it is this balance that provides the necessary degree of nuance. So now, with cancel culture receiving backlash from social media, the tides may be turning, allowing healthier dialogue to occur, increasing accountability, and promoting the harder task of actually learningfrom public other’s missteps in our personal lives, rather than passively canceling them andproceeding having learned nothing.

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BEAUTY BEYOND:

A Profile of Sara Elkhodary and Samia Abdulrahman

By Hebh Jamal

“You were forced to wear that?”

“How will I know it’s you?”

“It’s unnecessary, you’re just doing this for attention.”

For women who wear the niqab—a veil that covers the face, leaving only the eyes uncovered— such questions are a part of daily life.

The niqab provokes great curiosity and anxiety not only as a signifier of Islamic practice but because of how it differs from the conventional headscarf worn by many Muslim women, which covers only the hair. This, however, does not seem to bother Sara Elkhodary and Samia Abdulrahman, two students at The City College of New York who wear the niqab.

Although it is not uncommon to encounter a Muslim woman who wears a niqab, for many, even within the Muslim community, some question why some Muslim women choose to wear the niqab today.

Given our post 9/11 climate of Islamophobia—exemplified most clearly by tragedies like the Christchurch Mosque shooting in New Zealand, the most recent stabbing in London Central Mosque, and Muslim-targeting shootings in Hanau, Germany just a few days ago—one would think the niqab renders a Muslim woman particularly vulnerable to violence. Although the hijab has become a common sight in many societies and diverse sites, City College, the niqab solicits many more stares and intrigue.

Sara Elkhodary, a junior majoring in English 8

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literature and minoring in biology, and Samia Abdulrahman, an undecided sophomore, sat with The Campus to discuss their experiences as niqabi students.

When did you decide to wear the niqab and, why?

Sara Elkhodary: I came to New York when I was 12 from Egypt. I wasn’t a niqabi when I first came, yet it was almost a year after at 13. I feel every person has her own purpose and for me, I realized it felt like a big barrier that I finally overcame, and it felt like an extra step I was taking to be closer to my religion. I also wanted the extra responsibility that came with the niqab, and because it is an extra step it came with certain responsibility that opened doors for me to learn more about Islam. It gave me an extra level of spirituality, an extra motivation, an extra reminder and with that, an extra responsibility to present myself in a way that embodied what Islam was about.

Samia Abdulrahman: For me, it was a year ago exactly on August 27th, and I wore the niqab for similar reasons. Honestly, I just liked it. When my face, body, and hair are covered, all my interactions are people trying to understand my thoughts and intellect. Beauty is really nothing except what’s in my head. I never felt the hijab was anything but normal to me. Everyone in my family wears a hijab, and in my community, and I never felt challenged by it. But with the niqab, I felt like I was also taking an extra step to get closer to God. It felt

like an achievement to me.

In a culture where we are programmed to take the easy way out of everything, it shocked me to learn you both wanted to wear the niqab because you want to take your faith to another level that transcends social norms. Given that within our lifetimes we have witnessed countless Islamaphobic attacks, do you fear that the niqab might solicit violent reactions?

Sara: After such a horrific tragedy in New Zealand we all felt a sense of alertness. But this hate was never directed just towards the niqab only, it was towards Islam in general.

I felt the same fear as any other girl who wore the hijab or anyone who identified as a Muslim in general. But even if I were to feel more cautious, I wouldn’t erase my identity or change the way I want to live my life because of this chain of violence and abuse. Of course, it’s much more difficult and complicated and there are many that would take it off to eliminate further discrimination from the outside and that is completely understandable. But it doesn’t change anything for me, just because there is hate that lies deep within people who are not willing to accept our differences.

Samia: I am afraid, but I know that Allah is the protector. And if my time has come, it‘ll be anytime and anywhere. Of course, as a reaction to this violence, I would sometimes stand from the train tracks afraid someone might push me down, but I never would change how

I believe in my faith because of fear.

How were the reactions of those around you when you first started wearing the niqab?

Sara: When I first wore it everyone was against me. My whole family said no, as it is not really in our culture to wear it, let alone the niqab. My parents knew the struggles that accompanied the niqab and were flat out against it. It was a big fight. People may think those who were niqab are oppressed and it’s forced onto them, but for me, it really was a choice that I stuck by.

Samia: In a conservative Yemeni community, people immediately thought the worst. When people see me they think I have no knowledge.

When I read a book on the train, people get surprised. The most disappointing though is the reaction from my own community. I was interning at an organization that works with the Yemeni community, and one of the workers wanted to take a picture which he then posted on Facebook. Nobody focused on the work we got done, or on the other women, but only on my niqab. The comments were filled with hate from Arabs and Muslims. “Why is

she oppressed?” they asked.

It’s insane that the mainstream opinion is thatwomen are forced to wear the niqab. For you, Samia, what’s even more disappointing is the internalized hatred from people you expect to understand you best.

Samia: The niqab represents me as a Muslim and Yemenya. With the hijab, I can be anyone, but with the niqab and the style in which I do it, I become even more proud of my faith and

where I’m from. Just because I live in America, does not mean I would lose my spirituality, instead, I wanted to enhance it here.

Sara: For me, the reactions I got from the Arab and Muslim communities were different.

I went to a private Islamic high school and I felt people understood more about the niqab.

It was my first interaction in college where I felt there was more curiosity, and that’s one hundred percent okay. You’re surrounded by people by different cultures and different religions and you see something it’s normal to feel curious. When people come to me, I get happy, because people want to understand and understand that people are different. The other reaction is they don’t really want to understand but just ask to mock me. My first interaction was as a freshman, I went to my class, it was FIQWS (Freshman Writing), and I sat down the first day. Some people were curious and that was okay. But then the professor was like “how do I know you won’t bring someone else every day to my class? How do I know that it’s you?” I told him if you have an issue you can talk to me after class. I understand sometimes it can be a concern, but you did not need to talk about it in class. I felt like he just wanted to mock it.

Don’t you both feel sick of the constant questions sometimes? Or do you feel this is a 24/7 responsibility you need to stay committed to?

Sara: Sometimes I do feel pressured especially if the person does not feel satisfied with my answer, and when the person isn‘t looking to understand, rather his purpose is to argue only. But to be honest, I rather get someone who asks instead of someone who attacks. Sometimes it feels like I have to justify myself, but I rather answer your question instead of

not.

Samia: It can get annoying. Every single person I met has asked me, and I understand it at first because I wore it so suddenly, but then some don’t believe me. They think because I am engaged, my fiance is forcing me- even though there’s not even a ring yet! Despite that though, I am willing to speak to anyone who wants to learn more.

Congrats Samia on your patience and engagement! My last question is can you describe why a niqab is empowering to you?

Sara: I think for me it’s because it’s a choice that has helped me grow into the type of person I want to be. I saw something that gave me relief. I know that for some this might be kind of weird for most, but you have to understand the meaning behind it is an empowering one.

Samia: A choice is empowering. Wearing a niqab makes me feel more responsible over myself, and a method to get closer to my faith.

It’s empowering to have people try to understand how you think and feel instead of how you look.

Sara: Yeah, for every girl it’s different, and I know my answer is not a representation of all niqabis. It may not make sense to some, but it makes sense to me.

The niqab is not solely a means of worship, but a tool of empowerment. Transcending their obstacles, women dedicated to the niqab administer a resilient beauty beyond physical appearance. Sara and Samia do not speak for all niqabis, yet have shown that their challenges in life do not include what you think of them.

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WHO‘S LEFT? A Look at the Leading Democratic Candidates

By Nate Izzo With two states’ primary elections completed at the time of this writing, voters everywhere are starting to make their final decisions on who to choose as the Democratic nominee.

Here you will find a basic rundown of the current leading candidates and some of their positions. New York’s primary elections will be held on the 28th of April, 2020.

(In order of New Hampshire Primary Results) Bernie Sanders BERNIE SANDERS After making a huge splash in the 2016 primary race, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has found even greater success in 2020. While he did not win the most delegates in Iowa, he did win the most individual votes. In New Hampshire, he won both the most votes and delegates. These numbers make him the frontrunner in the race so far, but there are still 48 states to go. He represents a shift among younger voters who have more left-leaning positions and more engagement than ever before.

With the campaign slogan “Not me. Us,” Sanders promotes a mindset of unity. Sanders tends to go all-in with his policies, taking the spot as the most progressive of the candidates. As a self-described Democratic Socialist, he supports strong public programs such as Medicare for All and free tuition for public colleges. He is the only candidate who seeks to cancel all student debt. He also prioritizes climate policy with support for the Green New Deal.

Pete Buttigieg PETER BUTTIGIEG Pete Buttigieg is the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana. He has also found success so far, winning the most delegates in Iowa and coming in second in New Hampshire. He is the youngest candidate and would be the youngest president in U.S. history if elected.

He is also openly gay and married, making 10

P O L I T I C S

him the first LGBTQ+ candidate to win delegates in an American presidential race.

Buttigieg has worked to connect with rural, traditionally conservative, parts of America.

Buttigieg is one of the more moderate options in this primary. While he supports the more general democratic platforms, such as raising the federal minimum wage to $15 and lowering income inequality, he does not move very far left in other areas. He opposes Medicare for All in favor of a public option. He also wants to cancel some — but not all — student debt and lower the cost of college, but not make it free.

Elizabeth Warren ELIZABETH WARREN The other more liberal candidate in this race is Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Warren was a law professor for over 30 years before serving as Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel during the 2008 financial crisis. So far, she has had a middle-of-the-pack performance, winning third and fourth place in Iowa and New Hampshire, respectively.

Warren focuses on fighting for middle-class Americans.

Warren is closely aligned with Sanders as one of the more left-leaning candidates. One of Warren’s catchphrases is “I’ve got a plan for that,” and she is not kidding; Warren has released numerous detailed policy proposals over the course of her campaign. Her flagship policy is a tax on the wealthy that would pay for the social programs she also proposes.

While she is one of the most progressive candidates by far, her policies are not quite as far left as Sanders’.

Amy Klobuchar AMY KLOBUCHAR Amy Klobuchar is a senator from Minnesota, and her career and campaign have been focused on bipartisan cooperation. As a senator,

she focuses on issues with bipartisan support, and as a candidate, she does the same, with focus on her base in the Midwest — the Heartland. While she fell behind in Iowa, she surged up to third place in the New Hampshire primary.

Klobuchar is another moderate choice for the democratic candidate. Many of her policy proposals focus on expanding existing programs, which includes expanding Medicare only as a public option and seeking to expand debt relief programs without canceling debt outright.

Her tendency to reach across the aisle makes her popular among voters looking for a “realistic” candidate and puts her close to the center of the political spectrum.

Joe Biden

JOE BIDEN

Joe Biden was Obama’s vice president, and a senator from Delaware before that, making him the most experienced candidate in the race. Biden’s popularity surged before the primaries as he led in polls, however, he underperformed in the actual primary votes, only reaching fourth and fifth place in Iowa and New Hampshire, respectively. Still, he has significant support from moderate Democrats and Republicans who do not want to vote for Trump.

Biden is arguably the most centrist candidate.

While he also supports key Democrat tenets, such as a $15 per hour minimum wage and increased gun control, he differs from many of the other candidates with some of his policies, such as boosting military spending and decriminalizing, but not legalizing, marijuana.

It is easy to draw similarities between Biden and Klobuchar in their policies on student debt, college costs, and expanding Medicaid without making it universal.

Breaking Gender Norms Through Nail Trends

By Sarah Logan

Orange & Neon

Bright colors like orange, neon pink, and neon green are sure to catch the attention of fellow nail polish lovers. They are a premonition to all the fun and excitement for the approaching summer season. Plus, they are totally “in” this upcoming season. My favorite fun color for the season is O.P.I.’s “Live.Love.Carnaval.”

On The Dot

This style, first featured by the nail polish brand JinSoon, is a great option for minimalistic fashion lovers. You can try this look yourself by first applying a dark shade like navy or black to your nail and then plopping a dot to the middle of your nail nearest the cuticle bed. You can attempt this look by using a black color like Essie’s“Licorice” as a base and a light blue color like Essie’s “Bikini So Teeny” for the dot.

Do not be afraid to step outside the box when

it comes to nail creativity. Taking inspiration

from others is always a valuable way to try

new looks and styles. However, it is possible to create your own trends and new styles for

the season as well! Venturing outside of your comfort zone will almost always lead to new and exciting experiences.

When I spoke to Kainoa Presbitero, a sophomore film major/photography minor and

avid nail polish wearer, we discussed some new nail polish styles that he wanted to try in

the new season. “I’d like to try a starry night themed look in the future,” how cool is that idea?! He also added that he would like to attempt a stripe and swirl look.

In addition to discussing the latest nail trends

of 2020, we talked about what inspired him to begin painting his nails. “I was inspired by my own desires to break traditional gender

norms,” he told me, “I grew up in a family

where there was a significant difference between feminine and masculine traits… I began to paint my nails because I subconsciously disagreed with that idea.”

Kainoa and I also talked about the impact of this form of self-expression on the rest of his

life. We delved into the different prejudices he would face at home compared to the accep-

tance and love he finds here in NYC; “Living in New York City, the impact isn’t as great

compared to where my family lives. Men face

With the entrance of Spring this month comes the introduction of new nail trends in New York City’s fashion world.

Spring is the season for growth and new life; a season to reinvent one’s style.

I have researched some of the hottest nail trends and colors from New York Fashion Week that should be tried this spring semester.

Miminalist

Just like the first nail style, Paintbox’s creative director Mabelyn Martin utilizes a minimal amount of nail polish to compliment the nail’s natural color. She has created this look by outlining the nail with a stripe of nail polish beginning at the nail cuticle and ending at the middle of the top of the nail. This style looks best with dark colors like brown, dark purple, and navy blue. Apply a clear nail Kainoa also expressed the fact that his actions inspire him to promote self-confidence, saying, “It’s important for people to be comfort-

able in their own skin. A lot of times, people suffer from mental illness because they can’t properly express themselves.”

Having the ability to express oneself is important for personal growth and mental wellbeing. Thankfully, living in an area like NYC

provides more freedom to properly express oneself and one’s interests than some oth-

prejudice from the simple act of painting their nails at my hometown.” He spoke about the stark contrast between the support he receives

at school compared to at home. “I’ve received support and love from my friends in NYC. However, I hide this part of myself from people that I’m afraid of offending -- like my grandparents -- at home.”

L GI F L EOS T B YAL E L

11

Vista Tour of C

By Clard Adomantis

Need a place to study? Chill? Vibe? Relax?

Eat? Meditate? Experience white noise?

Hangout with friends? Look out into the sunset or skyline of Manhattan? I explored CCNY’s unique campus and found some great roofs, lawns, and outdoor spaces to vibe. I also recorded some high-quality audio at each location so you could feel like you were really there. The audio will add a third dimension to the reading to help you vibe.

Here are the best spots on campus with great views and auditorily pleasing white noise.

Scan the QR code with your phone’s camera app. It will link you to the recorded ambient audio from each spot!

1

NAC ROOF After what seems like an endless march up ten flights of stairs, I approach a “STOP, Authorized Personnel Only Beyond This Point, Violators Subject to Prosecution” sign. How frightening! I continue through the door and I am hit with a breath of fresh air. The NAC stairwell behind me seems to breathe as well.

A grand spectacle encompasses me. This roof, on the largest building on campus, feels like it spans more than 360 degrees. The roof has corners and spots to roam and explore, making the vista more interactive. I can see various nooks and crannies of campus as well. To the north, I can see abandoned tennis courts on the second floor of Marshak, the Shepard field, and the skyline of Queens behind it all.

Shepard Hall’s architecture and jagged corner molds look even more magnificent from this aerial vantage point. To the south, the view of midtown Manhattan is picture perfect. To the west, I can see the Hudson River with New 12

LIFESTYLE

Jersey behind it. Tight.

This roof is a great place to get some fresh air and take in the beauty of our school’s location. This spot helps to get your mind off daily troubles and instead reminds you of the grandeur of the buildings we study in. If you feel anxious from the small fear of being caught by public safety… think, “who can see up that high?” I know I can’t…

Audio: Listen for some loud white noise and machine hum from mechanical rooms right below the roof. Wind is present but not unbearable.

enjoy the roof. It has a magnificent view of the two glass buildings on South Campus and the skyline of midtown Manhattan behind it.

However, the view is not as great as the NAC roof’s because the NAC is taller.

Audio: The white noise is quiet here. Airplane sounds audible, street sounds are minimal.

Very calm and chill overall.

8/10

9.8/10

2

ARCHITECTURE BUILDING ROOF This roof is full of life. It has a greenhouse, numerous entrances, and a seating area where 212 people can fit! This roof is the only one on campus where students are encouraged to

3

QUAD

Campus

[A U D I O

This roof is full of life. It has a greenhouse, numerous entrances, and a seating area where 212 people can fit! This roof is the only one

The Quadrilateral is the central area where the Wingate Fitness Center, Harris Hall, Compton & Goethals Building, and Shepard Hall converge. The gothic architecture engulfs me at every location in the quad, making my 360 degree view full of brown and creme beauty.

The quad experiences packed and bustling moments during pleasant weather times as it is a large, open space for congregation. Stone benches, picnic benches, and metal chairs make finding a seat here easy. The ample seats make this spot more welcoming Audio: Gentle and calm white noise fill this track. The quad is not as packed as other seasons because it is a drizzly and dreary day outside. Super relaxing and chill vibes.

7/10

4

SHEPARD HALL ROOF

INCLUDED

]

5

ADVANCE SCIENCE RESEARCH CENTER LAW There is no grand vista of campus or the city from this roof because it is surrounded by walls. On the plus side, it makes the spot quiet and relaxing. There is even an old chair for me to sit on. Looking up, I see bone-colored gargoyles and spooky wall moldings that are specific to Shepard Hall. I feel peaceful up here because of the lack of a “do not enter� sign. Inside the walls of the roof are metal ladders that lead up to a grand view of Harlem.

The view is wonderful, but I wish I did not have to climb a dirty ladder in a dark crevice to access it.

Audio: Listen to the flag flapping in the wind, a plastic bag dancing, and quiet white noise.

Horns from street level are audible.

6/10

Spacious lawns surround the two glass buildings on South Campus. During a break between classes, this area is a good space to frolic or meditate. Looking up, the sky is large because it is not obstructed by many large buildings as it is in other parts of the city. However, while the view of the glass buildings and the sky is nice, there is not much else to look at. The experience is kind of boring. Some dormitory residents walk to and from the Towers, making the space less lonely. Still, this area is one of the least populated places on campus.

Audio: The gentle white sounds of wind fill my ears. Car rumblings from busier streets float around quietly, providing a pleasant backdrop for this city lawn.

5/10 L GI F L EOS T B YAL E L

13

MLB Cheating Scandal

By Eric Bilach

What comprises a championship Major League Baseball team? An elite pitching rotation? A lineup of sluggers that can rack up runs with a few swings of the bat? An intelligent field manager and business savvy general manager? A passionate, devoted fan base?

The Houston Astros seemingly possessed all of these winning elements en route to their first World Series title back in 2017. After a decade of floundering, the Astros’ luck began to trend upward during the 2015 season. Even in defeat to eventual Word Series champions, the Kansas City Royals, in the 2015 AL Division Series, the Astros solidified themselves as a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

By 2017, the Astros found themselves armed with an explosive, homegrown batting order (including 2015 Rookie of the Year Carlos Correa and 2017 Most Valuable Player José Altuve), a lights-out pitching staff (including Cy Young Award winners Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander), and one of the most analytical baseball minds in recent memory (manager A. J. Hinch).

After finishing the 2017 campaign with a record of 101-61 -- leading their division by a staggering 21 games -- the Astros went on to win a pair of seven-game series in the playoffs against the New York Yankees and NL champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Mere months after Hurricane Harvey ravaged much of southeast Texas, the city of Houston was bestowed with its first World Series title in history. Amidst all the carnage of Harvey in August 2017, the Astros shone like beacons of heroic composure on their way to victory.

Despite the Astros’ triumphant win, revelations that have surfaced in recent months regarding the “secret” to the team’s success in 2017 feel like a massive punch to the proverbial gut for the vast majority of MLB fans.

In a tell-all interview with The Athletic in November 2019, former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers revealed that the team used a video camera set up in center field to steal opposing 14

S P O R T S

teams’ signs while playing at home in Minute Maid Park.

Sign stealing, the practice of observing, decoding, and relaying non-verbal gestures (signs) given by opposing catchers to pitchers, has been a routine practice throughout MLB history. While perfectly legal under normal circumstances, MLB strictly prohibits the use of electronic equipment to steal signs.

The Astros’ complicated and convoluted signstealing operation (referred to as the “dark arts” by members of the front office) transpired as follows: 1. Live feed of opposing catchers and pitchers was captured by a center-field camera, then transferred to monitors located in the tunnel connected to the Astros’ dugout in Minute Maid Park.

2. A member of the Astros organization (usually a staff person) analyzed and deciphered the signs being used by opposing teams via the monitors.

3. The team member in the tunnel banged on a trash can a specific number of times to communicate to the Astros player at bat which pitch was likely to be thrown next by the opposing pitcher.

The advantage this strategy granted the Astros was practically insurmountable for any opposing team. As of this issue of The Campus, it is uncertain which Astros players directly participated and benefited from the scheme, or which ones were even aware of the operation’s existence to begin with. What is known is that likely as a result of the center-field camera, the Astros transformed into an offensive juggernBatting Stat Category

aut between their 2016 and 2017 campaigns (see table below) while retaining most of their core roster during the offseason.

In speaking with City College senior Sadaab Rahman, Rahman revealed that the punishments levied by the MLB against the Astros organization are, especially when considering the gravity of the scandal, more or less “lenient.” Rahman said: Losing four future top draft picks in the next two drafts seems like a blow to the Astros’ future, but it really wouldn’t be…I’m pretty sure if you polled all 29 other teams, they would say they’d happily give up picks if it meant they had a championship. The $5 million fine is the most that can be enacted on a team and is a complete slap on the wrist…the team is worth $1.7 billion.

When discussing with Rahman the potential positive outcomes of this scandal -- perhaps a boost in viewership similar to MLB’s infamous “steroid era” during the 1990s -- he noted: This is a permanent black mark on baseball…

Those who watch with love and interest will feel conflicted thinking about whether what we see is real and the results legitimate…

Once the Mitchell Report [a written investigation published in 2017 about the use of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone in the MLB] came out is when I would say America and the media started losing interest in baseball…When people start sensing that the product is tainted with juiced balls, it’s not good.

2016 Astros

2017 Astros

Batting average (AVG)

.274 (24th in MLB)

.282 (1st in MLB)

On-base percentage (OPG)

.319 (T-18th in MLB)

.346 (1st in MLB)

Slugging percentages (SLG)

.417 (T-15th in MLB)

.478 (1st in MLB)

Home runs (HR)

198 (14th in MLB)

238 (2nd in MLB)

Runs scored (R)

724 (15th in MLB)

896 (1st in MLB)

CCNY ATHLETICS CALENDAR SUNDAY

TUESDAY

MONDAY

WEDNESDAY

2

1 BSB at Hood College, Frederick, MD 12:00 PM

3

4

THURSDAY

5

MVB at Lehman College Bronx, NY 7:00 PM

BSB at Hood College Frederick, MD 2:30 PM

FRIDAY

6

8

9

10

MVB vs Brooklyn College New York, NY 7:00 PM

BSB at Mount Saint Mary College (NY) Newburgh, NY 4:00 PM

11

12

MVB vs Bard College New York, NY 7:00 PM

BSB at McDaniel College Westminster, MD 12:00 PM

BSB at Centenary University Hackettstown, NJ 12:00 PM

15

7

WITRACK vs ECAC Indoor Championships Boston, MA

WITRACK vs ECAC Indoor Championships Boston, MA

MITRACK at ECAC Indoor Championships Boston, MA

MITRACK at ECAC Indoor Championships Boston, MA

MITRACK at CUNYAC Indoor Championships New York, NY

WFENCE at NCAA Northeast Regional Championships Ithaca, NY

SATURDAY

13

MVB at Baruch College CUNYAC Tri-Match @ Baruch New York, NY 10:00 AM

14

MITRACK at NCAA Indoor Championships Winston-Salem, NC

MITRACK at NCAA Indoor Championships Winston-Salem, NC

WITRACK at NCAA Indoor Championships Winston-Salem, NC

WITRACK at NCAA Indoor Championships Winston-Salem, NC BSB at St. Joseph's College - Brooklyn Brooklyn, NY TBA

16

17

18

19

WFENCE at NCAA Championships Detroit, MI

20

21

WFENCE at NCAA Championships Detroit, MI BSB at College of Staten Island Staten Island, NY 12:00 PM BSB at College of Staten Island Staten Island, NY 3:00 PM

BSB at Centenary University Hackettstown, NJ 3:00 PM

22

23 WFENCE at NCAA Championships Detroit, MI

WFENCE at NCAA Championships Detroit, M

24 MVB at Hunter College New York, NY 6:00 PM

BSB vs College of Staten Island New Rochelle, NY 12:00 PM

29

30

25 BSB at Yeshiva University New York, NY 5:00PM MVB at York College (NY) Jamaica, NY 7:00 PM

26

27

28 GEN vs Beaver Bowl Charity Challenge TBA TBA BSB vs SUNY Poly New Rochelle, NY 1:00 PM BSB vs SUNY Poly New Rochelle, NY 4:00 PM

31

MVB at John Jay College New York, NY 7:00 PM

S P O R T S 15