Skin Deep Oct. 1, 2015
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Dearest reader, Our skin is the largest organ in our body. It comes in an infinite number of shades and colors. We begin anew every month, shedding and replacing our entire body’s skin in only 27 days. Despite these marvels of our skin we all share, the outer appearance of skin has always had a large impact on how others view us— people in history and even today use the color of our skin to discriminate and treat each individual differently; many cover up blemishes on their skin with makeup products. They say “beauty is only skin deep”, that beauty comes from within, yet more than ever we see an omnipresent preoccupation with aesthetics through means like makeup to
cover up our flaws and to feel comfortable in our own skin. In this issue, we have taken a look at the various aspects of “skin deep,” from the meaning behind tattoos to the way makeup enhances different characters onstage. We have explored the question of post-racial America, rare skin conditions, animal-rights activists, the inner battle with outer scars and stigmas against pageants. Despite the inevitability of perceiving others through the lens of their outward appearances, the real human stories are more than skin deep. -Stephanie Zhang, editor in chief
hi@chsacumen.com | chsacumen.com | facebook.com/chsacumen | @chsacumen
EDITOR IN CHIEF: STEPHANIE ZHANG stephaniezhang@chsacumen.com
ASSOCIATE EDITORS:
Selena Qian, selenaqian@chsacumen.com Annika Wolff, annikawolff@chsacumen.com SKIN DEEP | 03
REPORTERS: Christine Fernando, christinefernando@chsacumen.com Danny Goldberg, dannygoldberg@chsacumen.com Jasmine Lam, jasminelam@chsacumen.com Katie Long, katielong@chsacumen.com Laxmi Palde, laxmipalde@chsacumen.com Ellen Peng, ellenpeng@chsacumen.com Sitha Vallabhaneni, sithavallabhaneni@chsacumen.com NON-STAFF CONTRIBUTORS:
Alina Husain, ahusain@hilite.org Natalia Chaudhry, nchaudhry@hilite.org
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Divya Annamalai, divyaannamalai@chsacumen.com Kyle Crawford, kylecrawford@chsacumen.com Sarah Liu, sarahliu@chsacumen.com Swetha Nakshatri, swethanakshatri@chsacumen.com Sara Yung, sarayung@chsacumen.com GRAPHICS ARTISTS: Matthew Han, matthewhan@chsacumen.com Akshar Patel, aksharpatel@chsacumen.com Tiffany Xie, tiffanyxie@chsacumen.com < COVERS AND PG 2-3 PHOTOS AND DESIGNS // STEPHANIE ZHANG
IN THIS ISSUE 06
Q&A // Beauty Pageants
08 Tale of Two Skins 14
Makeupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Purpose
16 Tattoos 22
Student Models
24
On the Stage
26
Post-racial America
30
Opinions
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STEPHANIE ZHANG // DESIGN PHOTO CREDIT // DEVIN MAZZA
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PHOTO CREDIT // STEPHANIE ZHANG
Q&A
RACHEL BERRY | PAGEANTS
Senior Rachel Berry participates in scholarship pageants and has won four titles since she began competing in September 2014. QUESTIONS | CHRISTINE FERNANDO PHOTO | STEPHANIE ZHANG What pageants have you competed in? I have competed in five pageants (six by November): Miss Hoosier High was my first one, Miss Indianapolis, USA National Miss State and Nationals, Miss American Coed (MAC) State and Nationals in November. What awards and/or honors have you won? I am honored to say that I have the current titles of Miss Carmel High, Miss Teen Indianapolis, USA National Miss Indiana Teen and Miss Indiana American Teen. I have also won the community service/volunteer award at two pageants and also the personality award at MAC State. What are the stages of the competition? A competition consists of usually three or four different areas. One
Do you think pageants are more than just “skin deep?” I do think pageants are way more than just “skin deep.” Pageants have helped me grow my everyday confidence and how I present myself. They have helped me see who I really am, what I believe in and how I see beauty. When you tell people that you are involved in pageants, do you think they realize exactly how much goes into it besides superficial beauty? When I tell people that I am involved in pageants, I have received many different responses. I have had some that think that it is so cool and others who judge right when I say the word “pageants.” To me, I am involved in a scholarship pageant, not a beauty pageant. I have earned a lot of college scholarship money from all my experiences, which is another one of the main reasons I am involved in them. Why do you think there is some stigma against pageants? I think there is some stigma against pageants because people only see the beauty aspect of them. When watching the competitions on TV, viewers only see how the girls look and how they present themselves in front of the
10.01 is the interview, which is where the judge(s) truly find out who you are. Another is evening wear and on-stage question. Those two go hand-in-hand. Swimsuit is another part which is where the judges see how well you take care of your body, not how skinny you are.
camera, which can often seem very fake and unintelligent. I think people also see the fake side of the pageant world, also known as the famous “Honey Boo Boo.” There are pageants like that, but those are called glitz pageants, not beauty pageants, and are for young girls, which I am totally against.
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STEPHANIE ZHANG // DESIGN
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A TALE OF
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STEPHANIE ZHANG // DESIGN
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Skin comes in various colors, types and conditions. However, whether chocolatebrown or ivory, oily or dry, there is more to a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skin than meets the eye.
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WORDS | ELLEN PENG PHOTOS | STEPHANIE ZHANG
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ost days, senior Jwala Rejimon goes about her day as most other CHS students do by taking a quick glimpse in the mirror while getting ready for school, walking from class to class and participating in extracurricular activities. There are times after school, though, when she tans herself under an intense lamp to even out her skin tone. However, this tanning is not for vanity— Rejimon has a skin disease called vitiligo. “(Vitiligo) basically destroys the pigmentation in your skin cells. Some people just have it,” Rejimon said. This condition is likely genetic, as her father also has vitiligo. According to a November 2014 article from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), the true cause of vitiligo is unknown, though it may be an autoimmune disease that can form at any age. Rejimon said she first began to notice her skin condition when she was around 5 years old.
began to notice the differences between herself and other children as she got older. “As I got older, I realized, ‘Oh, okay. Not everyone has this.’ And…people in this country don’t really react badly at all,” she said. “Nowadays, people just sometimes… ask questions and sometimes they may just kind of glance for a while.” Freshman Abigael Mullens faced similar situations in middle school with a skin condition she used to have on her back: acne. “It started when I was in the sixth grade, I think, and it just progressively got worse,” Mullens said. Part of the cause, she said, was likely her participation in swimming, particularly due to the chlorine in the water. To Mullens, it was uncomfortable seeing her condition in comparison to others. Describing a situation she encountered, she said, “It would be before swim practice, and I would see it on my back and be like, ‘Ugh.’ And then I would go to swim practice, and people would, like, point it out, and I would be like, ‘I know. It’s really bad.’”
She said, “When I was really young, like five or six, I didn’t really know that I was any different. So, I only noticed when other people started asking me what it was. So I was like, ‘Oh, it’s just, you know, I’ve always just kind of had it.’” According to Rejimon, having the condition as a child was not particularly troubling as she was not completely aware of her situation. She said she had been taking medication from a young age, but only truly
However, acne is a common skin disease. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, acne is the most common skin problem in the United States and affects 40 to 50 million Americans every year, many of whom are teenagers. Mullens said her take on the reasons behind the stigma of having acne is that people want to avoid imperfection. She said, “We don’t want to feel imperfect, and that acne kind (of ) makes people feel imperfect.”
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STEPHANIE ZHANG // DESIGN
Senior Jwala Rejimon has a skin condition called vitiligo. Considering coming to terms with her condition, she said, “Maybe one day it’ll be…a lot worse than it is now, and I’ll still have to have people accept me, just like they accepted Michael Jackson.”
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Rejimon said adapting to a skin condition that makes her different from others has never been easy. In middle school and at the beginning of high school, she felt especially conscious of her physical difference from most other students. “(I) was really self-conscious about what I would wear, and I really hated people asking me questions—even (with people) looking, I would get really self-conscious,” Rejimon said. Both Mullens and Rejimon sought treatment for their conditions from medical professionals. For Mullens, she said a doctor prescribed her Epiduo, an acne medication, and certain pills to remove the scars. These prescriptions allowed her to feel more confident. Rather than having to avoid wearing T-shirts that were low in the back and wearing her hair down to cover her acne, she said it made her “feel a lot better because (she) knew that it would go away.” In Rejimon’s case, she said she has tried several medications and treatments; however, she said, “the hard thing is that there’s no actual cure for it…because it’s autoimmune.” Currently, Rejimon’s tanning sessions are a part of a treatment she and her parents found on the Internet called light therapy. According to Rejimon, the therapy consists of applying a special oil to her affected skin areas and sitting in front of a lamp, which works to tan the spots of the skin covered by the oil.
I can pretend to be a normal person. And, you know, out of sight, out of mind,” she said. Such feelings have led to difficulties for Rejimon in her home country of India and in dancing, one of her passions. “(In) India, people are very much more (conservative). They look down upon (vitiligo), so I have to be more careful about what I wear… in India,” Rejimon said. She said some of the challenges brought upon by conservative Indian opinions are seen in her participation with Indian cultural dance. She must often perform on stage in front of an audience, some of whom may hold these conservative views. “I recently did a big dance performance, and Indians in general, especially old-fashioned Indians, tend to look down upon (my skin spots), so I had my parents (who) were discussing whether or not I should…use makeup to cover up the spots,” Rejimon said. Rejimon said she has made efforts to accept her condition, trying to move beyond other opinions, and she believes “one day (she’ll) be able to be as confident as anyone else.” For those who are suffering from similar skin conditions as hers, as well as those who are not, Rejimon said, “Cosmetic beauty is not the only standard of beauty, and the cliché line, that beauty lies within, is only really cliché because there’s some truth to it. So, I just think that, although it may be hard, and I’m still struggling
However, Rejimon said she does not enjoy going through her various medical curatives. “I really neglect my medicines. I don’t know why. Most people would want to take them to get better, but I feel like if I don’t take my medicine,
with this, it’s good to convince yourself (to not) worry so much about your appearances and what people perceive you as just because you may look different—in the end, people are more accepting than you think they are.” A
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STEPHANIE ZHANG // DESIGN
SOURCE: NIH.GOV
(MORE)
MATTHEW HAN, AKSHAR PATEL // GRAPHICS
SKIN CONDITIONS MELANOMA
VITILIGO
a malignant tumor of melanin-forming cells associated with severe skin cancer
a condition in which the pigment is lost from areas of the skin, causing lighter patches, often with no obvious cause
ALBINISM
ECZeMA
a condition in which a person or animal has an absence of pigment in the skin and hair, causing them to appear white, and in the eyes, making them pink
a type of rash in which patches of the skin become itchy, rough and inflamed, sometimes resulting from a reaction to irritation
IMPETIGO
ROSACEA
a condition with frequent flushing of the face, small red lines under the skin, inflamed eyes and eyelids, a swollen nose and thicker skin
starts when bacteria get into a break in the skin, such as a cut, scratch or insect bite; these sores usually occur on the face, arms and legs SKIN DEEP | 13
SKIN CANCER BY THE NUMBERS MILLION
2.8
MILLION
13
white non-Hispanics living in the United States had at least one nonmelanoma skin cancer, typically diagnosed as basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer. Approximately
people are diagnosed annually in the United States.
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer. An estimated
700,000 CASES
of SCC are diagnosed each year in the United States.
SELENA QIAN // DESIGN
MAKEUP IS CONFIDENCE
Some see makeup as a mask to hide behind while others think of it as a confidence booster.
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or sophomore Olivia Price, makeup is something that has been around throughout her entire life. “Ever since I was little, I always wanted to put on my mom’s lipstick and her heels that were too big for me,” Price said. She said her interest in makeup has continued throughout her life, and she still wears makeup on a regular basis. However, wearing makeup everyday is not always everybody’s cup of tea. Senior Mariam Bari said, “Putting makeup on is a pretty low priority for me. I think getting dressed is slightly more important because I only have about two minutes to do that, and I still have to manage to catch the bus.” The level of importance that makeup holds can differ. According to Price, one of her biggest motives for applying cosmetics on a daily basis is the extra confidence it can give. “I think makeup makes me feel more confident because it just gives you a little something extra throughout your day,” Price said. “It just puts a bit of pep in my step knowing that I don’t look like an ogre.” While some, like Price, believe makeup can be a self-esteem booster, others say it can just as easily be the opposite. Junior Ashley Yang said wearing makeup would cause her to be more selfconscious. Yang said she has never really worn makeup and does not know very much about it, so she fears that if she started wearing makeup, it would draw more attention to her. Price agrees. “I do think that makeup changes the way that people perceive you because if you wear makeup everyday, and then one day you decide not to wear makeup, then people are a little confused. But
10.01 also for people who don’t wear makeup, if they go to a school dance or something, and they show up with really nice makeup on, people are really shocked,” she said. According to Bari, finding a middle ground between wearing makeup and being barefaced can often be difficult. Although she does not wear makeup on a day-to-day basis, Bari will
Sophomore Olivia Price
SIKPSAUMEAKAM
WORDS | ALINA HUSAIN PHOTOS | SELENA QIAN
occasionally put on concealer to cover up a pimple or wear eyeliner on a day when she needs a bit of extra confidence. “Makeup’s more just for yourself so that you stand up a little bit straighter,” Bari said. “When you’re not wearing it, you just have to remind yourself to stand up a little bit straighter, whereas when your eyeliner is winged, you just want to stand up straighter.” According to senior Jumanah Anwar, makeup in general can also be a mask for people to hide what they do not like about themselves. Others, like Megan Logsdon, freelance makeup artist based in central Indiana, would only somewhat agree, with the stipulation that makeup can be used in different ways. Logsdon said via email, “Makeup, if applied incorrectly, can most definitely act as a mask. Now, with so many Instagram artists and the like, it can be very difficult to discern what’s natural and what’s not. My main goal as an artist is to first and foremost enhance the natural beauty that’s already there, not to cover it and create something that’s never been there.” According to Anwar, makeup is used in varying ways by different people. She said ultimately, whether or not people wear makeup and how they use it is completely up to them. On one hand, makeup has the power to make people more certain of themselves throughout the day. Logsdon said, “Makeup, when applied correctly, brings out the best features in each individual.” On the other hand, makeup can cover up a person’s natural beauty as well. According to Bari, she feels the most organic
SKIN DEEP | 15 when she is barefaced because she has no makeup to hide behind. Bari said, “I think makeup is something that is unique to yourself, and you should wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. You should do what makes you the best version of yourself.” A
Senior Mariam Bari
FEATURED
THE MEANINGS BEHIND
TATTOOS Words | Laxmi Palde Photos | Stephanie Zhang and Kyle Crawford 10.01
STEPHANIE ZHANG // DESIGN AND PHOTO
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FEATURED
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ENIOR HAYLEY HAMBY WAITED patiently, excited, as the tattoo artist permanently etched two arrows on the side of her rib cage. One had a longer arrow head; that one represented her father. The other, with a more petite arrow head, was for her sister. Hamby lost both her father and sister last year within mere months of each other. To commemorate her loved ones, she decided to get the tattoos. “They were such prominent figures in my life; I feel like I almost owed it to them. The commitment is scary, but the fact that I had such a deep meaning behind it and it just meant a lot to me, it didn’t scare me,” she said. “A piece of them is always with me.”
According to Michelle Yager-French, co-owner of Carmel Tattoo INK, the small business has tattooed customers from the ages of 13 to 90, each of whom have had reasons for their body art, ranging from medical alert tattoos, to celebratory ones, to tattoos commemorating the loss of loved ones much like Hamby’s. Yager-French said, “(Most) people have a story to go with their tattoo. I feel like people feel like they have to have a story or need to get a tattoo sometimes. And you know what, there is every reason in the world to get a tattoo. There are so many reasons people get tattoos, it’s crazy.” Co-owner and artist Adam French said oftentimes the tattoo designs customers pick are symbolic of their stories and experiences.
STEPHANIE ZHANG // DESIGN AND GRAPHIC | KYLE CRAWFORD // PHOTO
SOURCE: HEALTH.HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM
EPIDERMIS
The outer layer of skin
DERMIS
A thick layer of skin beneath the epidermis. Cells in the dermis are more stable than those in the epidermis, which ensures the ink will stay in place with minimal fading and dispersion.
TATTOO MACHINE
Electricallypowered machine moves the needle up and down, puncturing the skin by about a millimeter and deposits a drop of ink into the skin.
INK
Insoluble ink deposited by the needle into the dermis. This ink in the dermis is still visible through the epidermis.
THE TATTOOING PROCESS SKIN DEEP | 19 French said an interesting aspect of his job is that many people come in with their stories and feel free to open up their hearts and minds. “We meet a lot of different people. I feel like I get satisfaction out of knowing that I do something so meaningful for people,” he said. For Hamby, the symbol of the arrows wasn’t just representing her father and sister. It had a deeper meaning: that one must shoot forward when pulled back in life. “Pain is inevitable. Everybody goes through pain. Not the same kind of pain, but everyone relates to the feeling of pain. You’ve had your pains, and I’ve had my pains, and it might not be the same pain, but it’s still pain. That’s where the first
tattoo comes in. Life does not stop, for anyone or anything. You have no choice but to move on and keep going,” she said. Both French and Yager-French said they enjoy being part of such a big step in each customer’s life and find it rewarding. “(A tattoo is) permanent, and it becomes part of (the person’s) life, and a lot of people say to us, ‘This tattoo is for me; it’s not for anyone else.’ So I feel like we provide peace of mind to people, motivation, whatever the case may be. So if we improve their life in that little minor way, it’s fine with me. It’s cool.” Physics teacher Jeremy Stacy got the last of his three tattoos seven years ago. He got his first one, a Catholic rosary, when he was 18 years old.
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(Left) Aldo Rodriguez, tattoo artist for Carmel Tattoo INK, draws a tattoo on a customer’s ankle. (Right) The work space of a tattoo artist at Carmel Tattoo INK.
“That was the craze in the ’90s. Tattoos were getting pretty hot. Earrings were on the way out and long hair was out,” Stacy said. His next tattoo was a cross, which he got after college. However, it is the final one that is the most important to him. It is of his daughter’s handprint and his son’s footprint, the pictures taken directly from the hospital’s record prints. “When you have kids, they are the most important thing in your life. (The prints)
She said, “(When) 16-year-olds come in and want a tattoo, we are going to be much more strict (about) where we’ll allow them to put the tattoo versus someone that comes in in their 50s.” With regards to how tattoos are viewed in society, Yager-French said she does believe there is a stigma attached to having a tattoo and that it will not change much in the short run. “But I mean, to each his own. I’m not mad at people who don’t like tattoos. I think your
were just so my kids were always with me,” he said. “The other two (tattoos) were young and dumb mistakes. Can’t change it.” French said people of all ages do sometimes make errors in tattoo selection, primarily because of misinformation on websites like Pinterest where certain designs are photoshopped and not realistically possible. Yager-French said to make sure customers, especially younger ones, don’t regret their decisions later on, the artists and owners often discuss the design and placement of the tattoo with them.
opinion is your opinion. I don’t think you should be bashing people to have tattoos. It’s a form of art,” she said. Stacy said he thinks that rather than to the tattoo itself, there is a stigma attached to the number and location of tattoos some have. “I still do think we pigeonhole people when we see somebody with tattoos in places that we don’t view as acceptable—on the necks, on the face, things like that. I think our society tends to pigeonhole those people before we really even know them,” he said.
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STEPHANIE ZHANG // DESIGN AND PHOTOS
However, he said he thinks there is some change in the prevalence of tattoos and, consequently, with the way society views them. “I do think that tattoos are starting to become the norm for mothers, fathers, teenagers. They are getting things that they cherish and putting them in what they feel are appropriate places,” Stacy said. Hamby said although she hasn’t experienced any stereotyping based on her tattoos, because they are not in a visible place,
“When my family members died, I didn’t know how to react to that, and I rebelled. A lot. I felt like the world was out to get me, that it wasn’t fair. I just got myself into a bunch of trouble at one point in time,” she said. “My mom was so disappointed. The death of our family members affected her so much as is, and when I was rebelling, it was even more added stress. I didn’t want to become a stressor in my mom’s life. I realized that I couldn’t keep doing this. So I worked really SKIN DEEP | 21
she does feel there is a stigma associated with tattoos in general. “I feel like in general, people see tattoos, and they are frowned upon, especially from the older generations like our parents, grandparents,” she said. “But not a lot of people take the time to ask, ‘Hey, why’d you get that tattoo? What’s the story behind that?’” Hamby said she currently plans to get another tattoo in a couple months to symbolize what she personally went through after her family members passed away.
hard to get myself out of that trouble, made new friends, stayed away from the negatives,” she said. Hamby said she wants her next tattoo to represent how she turned her life around. She said, at one point, she felt she was going to stray down the wrong path but is very proud that she came back from it. “My next tattoo, the meaning behind it is that people can change,” Hamby said. “It represents the overcoming of a struggle to become a new person.” A
MODEL WORDS | JASMINE LAM PHOTOS | SARA YUNG
From the Stage When senior Megan Megremis attended Creekside Middle School, she enjoyed being on stage and performing in musicals such as “Annie Jr.” and “Seussical Jr.” in seventh grade and “Peter Pan” in eighth grade. For her, the chance to collaborate with other cast members to convey a message through musical and theatrical plays was very rewarding with the hard work and dedication she put into each performance. From there, her interest in modeling sparked when she began to convey the same messages through photos. Megremis said, “I really enjoy being in front of the camera. I was always in performances in middle school, and I really like being in front of people on stage and things. Once I got introduced to the modeling industry, I just really enjoyed it and took with it.” To the Runway In November of 2013, Megremis signed herself to the Helen Wells Agency, a local modeling and talent agency. Throughout the next two years, she met other models and photographers, traveling around Indianapolis for photo shoots
10.01 through which she continued to show her passion for acting. “(Modeling) is a lot of acting and expression. It’s not
Megan Megremis >Senior works with Forward Fashion magazine as well as MAZZAmodels and Helen Wells agencies. She said she started modeling because she enjoys being in front of the camera.
SELENA QIAN // DESIGN
Matthew George works with >Senior Forward Fashion magazine and MAZZAmodels Agency. He said he has gained confidence and opportunities from his experiences. just standing up there and posing. You have to put yourself in the moment and just be present there. You have to express what the photographers want and be sure to be giving them good shots,” she said. Seeing the results of her photoshoots, Megremis said the photos reflect her long preparation to become a model. She acknowledges her efforts and perseverance to look past the misconceptions and expectations people have for models. “I’m not like what you think a typical model would be. Just being short is something that a lot of people don’t take seriously,” Megremis said. “Just finding people who are willing to work with me and have an interest in me is really awesome because sometimes my height limits what I can do, but I’m really serious about (modeling) and finding people who recognize that is really special.” Moving Forward About two years ago, fashion photographer Devin Mazza contacted Megremis through social media to collaborate with senior Matthew George, a model Megremis met during her sophomore year. They spent the next two years modeling together. George introduced her to more modeling opportunities and people in the business, including Selani Thomas, founder and CEO of Forward Fashion Magazine L.L.C. They continue to model together for Forward Fashion magazine, a clothing catalog designed to draw high school and college students into fashion and inspire students to pursue their goals. After modeling for Thomas’s magazine, Megremis, who is 5 feet, 3 inches, said she became more confident and now accepts her height. Thomas said the purpose of modeling
particularly since she founded Forward Fashion magazine as a high school student. “A model is not just a pretty face, pretty body, whatever usually comes to mind when you think ‘model.’ To me, being a model takes an extreme amount of skill. They are artists in their craft. They have to be unique and know their bodies. Be comfortable with who they are no matter height or size. That all doesn’t matter,” Thomas said via email. “I truly believe that a model just needs three skills: confidence in his or her body, the ability to network within the industry and the ability to not take ‘no’ for an answer.” Like Megremis, George said his interest in modeling stems from being in front of cameras and taking photos. “While growing up, I always loved being involved in anything that I can take pictures in, like for families or friends…just because I always wanted to represent something else that someone else worked for,” George said. “I modeled because I enjoy representing people’s clothing and people’s designs.” For Forward Fashion magazine, George and Megremis model clothes designed by young
Thomas said, “Never in life up until this moment have I realized the importance of creating leaders. Once you truly believe in someone, and you open the door, it’s like saying, ‘Welcome to the best version of yourself, and that’s beautiful to see.’” With the guidance of and collaboration with Thomas, Megremis and George said they learned to become more confident and encouraged others to feel self-assured. “I’ve had to deal with intimidation from other models and had to put myself out of my comfort zone to be able to fulfill and create opportunities,” George said. “Modeling has given me more courage to do things and go out of my comfort zone. It has given me opportunities to grow within myself…and it just helps
SKIN DEEP | 23 is not simply to pose for photographers, but for models to feel confident in their own skin. Thomas said she understands the pressures students encounter regarding their imperfections
entrepreneurs who wish to pursue a career in fashion. Thomas said by representing other people’s clothing, she seeks to remove models of their insecurities and encourage them to reassure others in the process.
me find and secure more of who I am. It helped me find more confidence in myself, and it has helped me motivate people.” A
MATTERS
MAKING UP A CHARAC Makeup on stage can tell a story and play a role of its own. WORDS | SITHA VALLABHANENI PHOTO | DIVYA ANNAMALAI
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t took Charlotte Seidensticker, makeup artist and sophomore, one hour to transform Duncan Moran ‘15 into Zoltar from “Big.” She had to carefully hand draw the beard on Moran, making sure the whole beard was perfectly symmetrical. Using inspiration from the character Seneca Crane in “The Hunger Games,” she made the beard unique to Moran’s Zoltar. Many people, when looking at a character on stage for the first time, do not acknowledge that they notice the character’s appearance first. However, those people also usually don’t take notice that there are makeup artists backstage that have worked for weeks to try to perfect a character’s look.
Behind the Scenes Watching makeup tutorials on YouTube sparked Seidensticker’s interest in joining the makeup crew. Seidensticker said she wanted to be involved in theater, so being on makeup crew was something she was excited about. Starting as a newcomer, Seidensticker worked her way up in a year. She is now the cohead of makeup for the Studio One Acts with junior Erika Bowling. While still doing makeup for the production, the cohead steers the 11-member makeup crew in the right direction.
or her face. She also said that makeup artists do not get much recognition for theater productions. Seidensticker said, “It’s definitely difficult because you put so much work, effort and hours slaving over someone’s face, and no one notices it. But I think it’s your job as the artist and as a crew member to put your work into the show because even if you might think that no one will notice it, it still registers in their brain (as) something different. It’s your job as a makeup artist to tell the story, and I feel that makeup, even if it’s not recognized, still tells a story. The makeup artist and the actor have to work together a lot, too, so I think that you kind of go hand-in-hand. You help the actor, and the actor helps you. I feel like you’re kind on the stage with them in a way.” In the Spotlight Junior Jessica “Jessie” Ballard has been in many CHS theater productions. She has had experience with different looks for each character she played, from Lady Bountiful in
10.01 Seidensticker said, “For shows that I’m already familiar with, like “Big,” I feel like I had a stock stereotypical idea in my mind. But I definitely like to talk to the actor about what they think, and their perception of their character. I feel like you can only do so much with makeup, and you have to kind of rely on each other.” Makeup used in theater, known as stage makeup, can enhance an actor’s features to show the personality and characterization of his or her character. For example, if a character has angular features, that can mean he or she is an angry or straightforward character. If the makeup is soft and blended, it can mean the character is nice and sweet. Seidensticker believes makeup itself tells a story as people can perceive a character’s social class or personality just by looking at his
“Beaux’ Stratagem” to Mrs. Gloop in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” She is currently portraying an interpreter for an Arabian woman and an American man in one of the Studio One Acts Plays. “I had old age makeup for ‘Beaux’ Stratagem,’ last year’s fall play. They put a bunch of dark lines where my wrinkles will eventually be. And they highlighted and contoured to make it look natural,” Ballard said. Jim Peterson, Director of Theatre and Film, said makeup was originally used to combat the
SELENA QIAN // DESIGN
CTER Seidensticker, >Charlotte Studio One Acts makeup cohead and sophomore, applies makeup to a fellow member of the crew after school to demonstrate basic makeup techniques. Seidensticker said she joined makeup crew to become more involved in theater.
bright lights shining down on the actors by concealing the reflection of oil on a person’s face. When Peterson was in
my character is being this sickly, angry and secluded guard. I used a lot of sallow on my cheeks, and it made me look a little thinner, a little gaunter, a little more scary and distraught.
regular everyday makeup. This is due to the fact that lights will be shining on the actors, so they need thicker and darker makeup to not look washed out and oily.
SKIN DEEP | 25 college, he said he used makeup to help create his character as a guard in “The Assassination and Persecution of Jean Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade.” Peterson said, “There’s this color called sallow, and it makes you look pale and sick. I did this whole thing where
So, (makeup) can add character, it can add age, it can add a lot of things to the production. But it was really brought about in the first place to combat that really tough harsh light.” For creating a character’s look, the makeup artist talks to the director and creates a vision for what the character and makeup should look like. The makeup artist will then test the makeup on the actor’s face and perfect the makeup until a desired look is reached, and they will repeat that look for the rest of the time the actor has to perform. Stage makeup is a lot thicker than
Ballard said, “I think that in theater, when you are playing another character, that character is a portrayal through yourself. I think that makeup just kind of accentuates things about you that are also seen in the character, so it helps highlight the parts of you that are also seen in the character, while also making a new character. The makeup is more of a highlighter than a cover up. The actual manifestation of you through the makeup and the costume really brings to light that they are someone else that you kind of are playing into. And you kind of realize that the look you have on is what your character sees in the mirror every day.” A
IS A P RAC AMERICA 10.01
WORDS | NATALIA CHAUDHRY PHOTOS | SWETHA NAKSHATRI
A
LL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, but not all receive equal treatment. The second half of this statement is usually tacked on through experience in the real world, but is still overlooked by many. African-American senior Hallie Watson said she affirms this statement, as she realizes racial prejudice is still an often ignored issue in today’s world. “Everyone faces their prejudices. I know I do as an AfricanAmerican because I get stereotyped. Like, the other day, someone expected that I smoke weed just because I’m black,” Watson said.
“There’s just ridiculous things like that. … Same thing with Muslim (and) Arab people; that prejudice is that they’re all terrorists.” According to a study published by Pew Research Center in August 2015, a test found that “about three-quarters of respondents in each of the five racial groups, including those who are biracial, demonstrated some degree of implicit racial bias.” Watson said, “History does play a role in the perception of race. The whole major civil rights movement is in the past, but it’s still happening. I will argue with you that I don’t have the same civil rights as a white person. Racial prejudice still exists even at this school. That’s why I have to do a lot better than a lot of the other students here at this majority white school. Because I have to do
STEPHANIE ZHANG // DESIGN
POSTCIAL A HERE? SKIN DEEP | 27 better than them grade-wise, I have to act better, I have to talk better because they expect me to act a certain way. If I want to get into a certain school, I have to be ten times better than everyone else to be respected, and I’m sure any other person of color can say the same thing.” Caucasian senior Chad Mann said while he agrees that racial prejudice is still an issue overall, he does not see it as a problem at CHS. He said race as a concept is defined differently across the nation, as some individuals use it to stereotype while others see it as nothing more than an objective classification of skin color. According to the 2010 census conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, Carmel’s racial composition is 85.4 percent White, 8.9 percent Asian, 3.0
percent African-American, 2.5 percent Hispanic or Latino, 1.8 percent two or more races, 0.2 percent Native American, and 0.7 percent other races. “I believe that everyone should be equal. Obviously, that is not always the case. In a lot of places, people are judged by the color of their skin, which is terrible,” Mann said. “At Carmel High School, I do not believe there is any racial prejudice that I am aware of. Obviously, there are stereotypes and things of that nature, but I do not ever see one race/group of people being treated better than others.” Kenneth Browner, African-American social studies teacher, shares the same perspective as Mann to an extent, but said the influence of racial prejudice has been constant throughout history.
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“Racial prejudice is still an issue today, as you can see with the police violence and other issues that are going on, such as the … incarceration rates of African-Americans and Hispanics. Especially in American history, it’s been extremely relevant if we go back to slavery, going through the amendments with the voting rights acts playing a part in getting AfricanAmericans to be legal citizens,” Browner said. “I do not see it that much at CHS. I think Carmel in general is more about classism as compared to racism. … It’s just putting yourself in a social class and setting yourself apart that way.” President Barack Obama visited a federal prison on July 16, the first sitting president to do so, where he urged reform in the prison system. Flaws in the system are reflected in the incarceration rate as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People reports “five times as many Whites are using drugs as African-Americans, yet AfricanAmericans are sent to prison for drug offenses at 10 times the rate of Whites” and, generally, “AfricanAmericans are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of Whites.” Despite these statistics, Browner said the media tends to ignore racial prejudice in today’s society, forcing people to act out in rage. “The media … they’ve kind of (swept) the issue under the rug. … They just see it as ‘Oh, here they are using racism as an issue.’
Puerto Rican sophomore Christian Rivera Negron also acknowledged the effects of media on racial prejudice but said he does not experience the personalization of the issue through victimization. “In the media … the Latino person, for example, is often shown as the drug dealer or gardener, so now a lot of people may perceive the Latino race as drug dealers or gardeners. So the media has made bigger stereotypes or kind of expanded on it,” Rivera Negron said. “My skin color doesn’t make things harder. Even
PERCENTAGE OF AMERICANS WHO SEE NO UNFAIR TREATMENT OF BLACKS 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
TOTAL WHITE BLACK HISPANIC
PERCENTAGE OF AMERICANS’ VIEWS ON THE PROBLEM OF RACISM OVER TIME 50%
Big Problem
40%
Somewhat a Problem
30%
20%
Small Problem
10%
Not a Problem 0% 1995
2009 2010
2015
if (people) do look at me differently because of my skin color, I really don’t care. I’ve never been treated differently because of it, though.” Undergoing contrasting encounters, Watson said her skin color elicits treatment from others that puts her at a disadvantage. She said the media is not the only cause of such “judgment,” for people of all races are delineated a certain way to the masses. Evidence from Pew Research Center supports Watson’s experiences as it relays that individuals were found to manifest a preference toward their own race, as this bias was evident in Caucasian and African-American groups. However, single-race Asians demonstrated a “more evenly divided … subconscious preference.” “I’m going to, of course, try (to) reach my goals regardless of my color, but I’m going to have to work harder at it than I would have to if I was white. Mainly, it’s the media that construes race … construes African-Americans to be the loud, funny person in your group and the Asians to be the smart, nerdy, quiet kids and so forth. Just like how even white people (have) construed them to be … the normal kids, the social norm is the white kid and fair skin sort of thing … the social norm of our community has made it so that people of color are unattractive, and that’s not always the case, but it does play a factor,” Watson said. “I do think some people who fulfill the stereotype are hurting progress, but if it’s unconscious then they can’t help
10.01 They don’t see the bigger part of it,” Browner said. “As you can see throughout history, rioting, it’s all kind of the same deal. It’s just unequal treatment and people becoming dissatisfied with the system and deciding they’re going to take a stance, even though riots aren’t the way to go, but it’s just the way history has played itself out. It’s the last resort like, ‘You’re not listening to us, so we’re going to force you to listen.’”
PERCENTAGE OF AMERICANS’ VIEWS ON WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ACHIEVE RACIAL EQUALITY ALL
49%
WHITES
31%
44%
BLACKS
35% 79%
HISPANICS
20%
A LOT STEPHANIE ZHANG // GRAPHICS
17% 12%
48% 0%
16%
29% 40%
60%
SOME
8%
15% 80%
100%
A LITTLE SOURCE: PEWRESEARCH.ORG
that, like if it’s who you are it’s who you are, but if you’re trying to be like that because you think people expect you to be like that … that’s not who they actually are.” Mann, however, disagrees with Watson’s view. He said, “I do not necessarily think that ‘white privilege’ is prevalent in all areas. On the other hand, there are some places that I would have to agree that Caucasian people have more advantages, which
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DESIGN BY STEPHANIE STEPHANIE ZHANG // DESIGN ZHANG
is a very sad thing. I do not feel like that is the case in today’s world. You can see that there are plenty of people of color who have equal opportunities with everyone else. As a Caucasian individual, I have not felt the pain of stereotyping or being discriminated against. I feel that there are more stereotypes towards white people rather than being discriminated against, such as not being smart, eating a lot of fast food, being fat, being self-absorbed or having money.”
appropriates and treats another culture as a costume, and they’re able to take it off because they don’t have to face the stereotypes that come with it once they take it off or even when they have it on … or white people here love saying the n-word when nobody should be saying it. It’s a really derogatory (word).” Looking forward to a solution, Browner said even though “historically, people are ashamed of what happened … that’s the whole issue of it, the shame of
Senior Hallie Watson said she believes racial discrimination is still a prevalent issue, even at CHS. Watson said, “(People
SKIN DEEP | 29 Watson said she attributes the opinion of some Caucasian individuals, such as Mann, who do not think racial prejudice is an issue specifically in Carmel, to their experiences in the city and school. “I’ve spent my childhood growing up here in Carmel, but what I’ve seen so far (here) is (people are) not socially aware of what’s going on in the world or they’re in denial that racial prejudice is still an issue, or it still exists because it’s hard for people, mainly white people to relate to a topic they’ve never experienced so they deny it,” Watson said. “For example, some races have a specific culture. There’s an issue here with cultural appropriation. When anybody culturally
it … and they don’t want to address it and bring it to the forefront,” and instead suggests “once you begin discussing and have open forums and doing things … then people start making resolutions about what can be done better.” Watson said, “I just hope that people as time goes on become more socially aware, that they know what to say and what not to say and what to wear and what not to wear, and if you don’t, it’s okay to ask, and if someone calls you out, you don’t need to set the world on fire. Just try and understand even if you don’t agree with it, just acknowledge the other person, just have empathy.” A
in Carmel are) not socially aware … that racial prejudice is still an issue, or it still exists.”
SIGNS OF BETRAYAL Removing scars can remove emotional pain. WORDS | ANGELA SUN
O
ne-year-old Angela was a happy creature; she was living in China, and she loved her grandparents, who were her caretakers at the time. However, curiosity dominated her early childhood. One day, when her grandmother was preparing dinner in a large pot, baby Angela couldn’t control herself; she had to take a look at what deliciousness was in the metal pot. When her grandmother left, she stepped on a slippery and unbalanced stool to look into the pot. However, due to her lack of balance, baby Angela knocked over the pot and caught her fall with her arm in a roaring stove fire. The rest was history. Even though I neither remember exactly what happened nor do I remember the pain in the aftermath of the event, I can still feel the effects of that incident. For almost my entire lifetime, I have lived with a permanent symbol of what had happened to me so long ago: my third-
removing something that seemed to be a part of my identity never popped into my mind, even when pity from others became very irritating. Yet, I somehow reached the point where I made the decision to remove my scar surgically. Unlike most burn victims, I didn’t feel emotional pain from the incident immediately. I became ashamed of my scar at the end of sixth grade when I found out what events transpired in the aftermath of the incident. As I mentioned, I was under the care of my grandparents when I burned myself. According to an article from the World Health Organization about common post-burn protocol, the most important actions to take are to transport burn victims immediately to the nearest hospital and to leave the wound exposed for at least six hours in order to let the tissue damage decrease naturally; my grandmother did neither of those things. According to my mother, who delivered the news to me at the end of my sixth grade year, my grandmother neither wanted to spend
rest of my existence. Since my scar reminded me of the incident that changed how I viewed someone who I had thought actually cared about my well being, I decided to have it removed during the summer before seventh grade. Due to the size of my scar, the surgeon who was operating on my arm decided it was impossible to remove the entire scar in one procedure. The removal of my scar took three separate procedures: the first in the summer before seventh grade, the second in the winter break of eighth grade and the third in the winter of freshman year. Even though each surgery was painful and required the extensive use of anesthetics, I don’t regret my decision for a second because it represents to me the ultimate separation from the damage that my grandmother caused. While the last procedure resulted in the removal of the most of the scar tissue, my scar is not completely gone due to the amount of time the skin takes to stretch out completely. I decided to remove my scar for emotional
a significant amount of money on the hospital bill nor wanted to let any of her peers, including my grandfather, know what happened, so she wrapped my wound up in gauze. Due to her actions, my wound became infected, and my scar ended up wrapping around my entire arm rather than just a portion of my forearm. My grandfather eventually found out what was going on three days later, and he consequently sent me to the hospital. Because of my grandmother’s selfishness, I suffered even more than I had to. From that point on, I have felt betrayed by her and have wanted nothing to do with her for the
reasons exclusively; this personal decision came to me relatively late in life. For me, the removal of the scar seemed to be the only way to somehow get over what my grandmother had done, even though our relationship could never return to what it was before I found out how she handled the incident. While our relationship has been permanently damaged, at least I don’t have to look at a reminder A of her betrayal for the rest of my life.
10.01 degree burn scar. Since I have lived with it nearly my entire life, I am used to the moments when people stare at my arm and ask what happened. According to an article from PubMed, it is estimated that 8 to 45 percent of burn patients suffer from some effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, I never really felt those types of effects during my childhood. The thought of
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the views of the Acumen or the Acumen staff. You may reach Angela Sun at asun@hilite.org.
W
e are all beautiful.” “Everyone is beautiful, no matter what.” “You don’t know how beautiful you are.” Sound familiar? Phrases like these have been spreading like wildfire all over Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter and even in everyday life. But as lovely as these phrases may seem, they aren’t true. Not everyone is beautiful. Not all of us have a perfect figure, an amazing complexion or a pretty face. Not all of us have natural beauty. In fact, according to Do Something, a social change group for teens, only 5 percent of women naturally have a body type that is considered “beautiful” in mainstream media. So why are these phrases becoming so popular if they are blatantly false? Some people choose to believe that “beautiful” means something entirely different in this case. When used in this context, according to some people, “beautiful” essentially takes on the same meaning as “worthwhile” or “valuable.” But does it really? Can the word “beauty” really be used to
mean that? Beauty is defined in Google Definitions as “a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.” This definition says nothing of a person’s personality, kindness or sense of humor. It says absolutely nothing about the things that really matter, the qualities that make us who we are and the attributes that make us valuable. The definition of beauty shows that the word is truly all about looks and appearances. Therefore, a word praising appearances can’t possibly have the same meaning as a word praising people’s value. So what happens when we spread these phrases? What happens is a negative underlying meaning spreads. By replacing the words “valuable” or “worthwhile” with “beautiful,” we equate these concepts to each other. Basically, these phrases end up implying beauty equals value. This puts pressure on women to try to look better because it tells them that if they aren’t beautiful, they aren’t valuable. And that’s just wrong. That’s
ANNIKA WOLFF // DESIGN | STEPHANIE ZHANG // PHOTOS
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the kind of message that causes negative body image, which can lead to far more serious issues, including low self-esteem, depression and eating disorders. It may seem like an exaggeration to say these phrases can have so much influence over people, but when they are constantly pushed at us by society, appearing on every social media multiple times a day, they can deeply affect us. According to Do Something, 91 percent of women are unhappy with their bodies and have resorted to dieting in order to obtain a more ideal weight. In addition, the website states that one in every 12 people will have an eating disorder at some point in his or her life in an attempt to obtain the body shape he or she wants. Clearly, the pressure is on for people to be beautiful, and these phrases that equate beauty to value are certainly not helping. It is time to abolish these phrases. It is time to recognize that every human being, regardless of his or her beauty, is inherently valuable and absolutely worthwhile. Don’t say “Everyone is beautiful.” Say “Everyone is valuable,” or “Everyone is worthwhile,” or “Everyone is good enough to deserve love.” Don’t mention beauty. Beauty is nothing. Beauty does not define us. Beauty does not determine our value. And it’s high time we show society that we are more than just our looks. It’s time for society to recognize that our bodies are only vessels to carry the A valuable, unique people inside of us.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the views of the Acumen or the Acumen staff. You may reach Emily Worrell at emilyworrell@chsacumen.com.
WORDS | EMILY WORRELL SKIN DEEP | 31
BEAUTY IN THE EYE OF SOCIETY
A tattoo artist at Carmel Tattoo INK injects color into a customer’s tattoo.
IN THIS ISSUE: - The tattooing process - Two color skins on one body - Post-racial America - Removing scars Watch the “Skin Deep” issue video at chsacumen.com