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Contents Page:
SCAN MAGAZINE
Kavya Sridhar
FALL 2023
Modernizing a Millennium
4
Staff Page
12
6
Bad Fortune
16 Y2K Nightmares
The worst day of 2001 through the lens of a fourth grader
Unearthing the Y2K Icons Who Established a New Age of Fashion
What us made us scream in the early 2000s?
18 Neighbors
Photo Essay: How it feels to be a kid
SCAN is the quarterly student print magazine of the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta. All editorial content is determined by the student editors. Opinions expressed in SCAN are not necessarily those of the college. ©2023 SCAN Magazine. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher. Visit us at scadscan.com for all previous issues and more.
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24 A-Z of Emo
An alphabet of Scene Queens to MySpace Dreams
40 Big Yellow Slide
The boys I loved in Ms. Grienke’s fifth grade class
28 Living in the Magic
Learning to Live in the America Disney and Nickelodeon Created
44 Sisters
“She’s My Built In Best Friend”
32 Cringemageddon
Seven fandom moments the internet pretends to forget about
48 Arts Corner Time Capsule
Ever Happened To 36 What The Strong Silent Type? Remembering the Golden Age of TV
In this issue of SCAN, we’re turning back the clock to explore the wild world of growing up in the early 2000s. We’re talking about those epic fashion choices, the rollercoaster of emotions tied to world events, and of course, the simple joys of being a kid. So, crank up your iPod, smear on some guyliner and lets dive back into the start of this millenia. - Eva Erhardt
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SCAN MAGAZINE FALL 2023
BAD FORTUNE
THE WORST DAY OF 2001 THROUGH THE LENS OF A FOURTH GRADER
I was in Mrs. Garrison’s fourth grade classroom.
“Pink.”
We were working on a morning math warm-up in groups—or at least we were supposed to be. Courtney and Ashley were making a fortune teller with notebook paper and Mr. Sketch scented markers. The smell of watermelon still makes my stomach hurt.
“P-I-N-K,” she spelled, moving the fortune teller like a puppet with her fingers. Inside, she’d written random numbers on the flaps of the paper. “Pick a number.” “Hmm… six.”
“Okay Court, pick a color,” Ashley said. “You can’t pick six,” Mikey said. He was always
butting in when he wasn’t supposed to.
“Come on. Pick a color.”
“I can pick whatever number I want,” Courtney said, rolling her eyes.
Before I could even say “blue,” I saw Mrs. Garrison’s face turn green. Her and Mrs. Rogers, the other fourth grade teacher from down the hall, were talking in whispers at the front of the classroom. Something was wrong.
“Don’t you want a GOOD fortune? My grandma says that six is an evil number. It’s the devil’s number.” “Too late Mikey, she already picked it,” Ashley said. “1-2-3-4-5-6.” The fortune teller moved so much quicker that time. “Don’t I have to pick another number now anyway?” Courtney asked. “Yep. Whatever number you pick now will have your fortune on it.” “Okay. Three.” Ashley lifted the flap on number three. Her jaw dropped, but then it turned into a grin. “Oh my gosh, he’s a psychic! It literally says you’re going to have bad luck.” “What?!” Courtney shrieked. “You’re lying. Let me see it.” And sure enough, there it was written in purple gel pen, “You will have bad luck!” complete with two tiny hearts dotted over the “i” and under the exclamation point. Courtney’s mouth hung wide open. “I knew it!” Mikey said. “Haha!” “Okay, Ellen,” Ashley said, turning to me. “Your turn.” “Heck no,” I told her. “I don’t trust that thing.”
“Mrs. Garrison? Can I go to the bathroom?” Mikey asked, his hand shooting straight up. He always raised his hand after asking the question. “Is it an emergency?” Mrs. Garrison said. She never asked that. Usually if someone needed to go to the bathroom, she’d just tell us to take the hall pass and go. “Hey, I’ll walk with him,” Mrs. Rogers said to her. “They’ll probably call us all to the auditorium soon. Stay with your class.” I remember Mrs. Rogers squeezing Mrs. Garrison’s hand. Mrs. Garrison squeezed it back. “Okay. Yeah. Mikey, go with Mrs. Rogers,” Mrs. Garrison said. “Best behavior, please. And come straight back.” That’s when my stomach really started to twist and turn. The auditorium? For what? Did something happen? I wanted to ask, but it seemed bad. Maybe it was so bad that asking about it would make it worse. The intercom jingle started playing, then we heard the scratchy voice of the school secretary from the little box near the ceiling. “Teachers, please bring your students to the
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auditorium at this time.” “Do we have an assembly today?” someone behind me asked. “Um, not exactly,” Mrs. Garrison said. “We’re having an early release day from school today. We’re all going to watch a movie in the auditorium until your parents can come pick you up.” “Why?” okay?”
Courtney
asked.
“Is
everything
“Must be that bad luck,” Ashley whispered. “Everything’s going to be okay, Courtney,” Mrs. Garrison said. “There was an accident in the city this morning, but everything is going to be okay. We’re just sending you guys home a little early today to make sure that everyone is safe, okay?” “Where in the city?” a girl named Destiny asked. “My dad works in the city. Can I call him? Is he okay?” “Can everyone line up for me, please?” Mrs. Garrison said. It was the quickest single-file line that we formed all year. “Destiny, come up front for me. Everything’s okay. We’re all going to the auditorium, and I’ll help you find a phone once the movie starts, okay?” The hallways were jam packed. Teachers were trying to get everyone to the auditorium, all at once, but there were so many of us that it was almost hard to move. All I could see were JanSport and L.L. Bean backpacks in front of me—blue and orange and purple and red—I
don’t think I’d ever seen that many at one time before, not even on the first day of school. As we pushed our way to the auditorium, everything felt weird. Some teachers were whispering. Some kids were crying. Once the auditorium was filled, our principal rolled in a TV and popped Toy Story into the VHS. The teachers were all huddled behind another TV in the back, watching something else. I couldn’t really hear Toy Story from where I was sitting; but I saw my younger sister, Avery, sitting in the second row with her kindergarten class. Mom put her long blonde hair into two braids that morning. I tried to get her attention to wave at her, but she couldn’t see me. Her eyes were glued on Buzz Lightyear. Mikey slipped into the empty seat beside me. “Ellen,” he whispered. “This is so much worse than bad luck. This is horrible luck.” “Do you know what happened in the city?” I whispered back. “There was a plane crash,” he told me. “Or two, I don’t know. Some kids from Mr. Reed’s class said they saw the whole thing from the window. It sounded pretty scary.” My heart sank. “From the window? What window?” “The window in their classroom, I guess?” “No, I know,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Is it the window that looks out at the playground? Like, can they see the playground from Mr. Reed’s class?”
“Yeah, I think so.” “Oh my god.” I felt like I was going to throw up. “This is bad.”
back. She’s my little sister.” “Daddy,” I heard Evie whine from the living room. “No more American TV, Daddy.”
“I know. I can’t believe some kids actually saw it—”
I looked up. Dad’s eyes wouldn’t pull away from the news. He was watching an American flag wave in the wind.
“Mikey, the kindergartners saw it. My sister can see the playground from her classroom, too.” *** The second that we got back home, I actually wished I was back at school. I didn’t think that things could get any worse, but they did. Dad picked us up as soon as he could. He’d already picked up Evie, our baby sister, from preschool. She was all strapped up in her car seat, kicking her chunky little legs back and forth. On the drive back, Dad told us that something bad happened, and that Mommy was really upset. The TV was on when we got home. Dad always made sure that it was turned off when no one was watching it, so that we could save electricity. But he didn’t want to miss even a second of the news coverage that day. The news wasn’t the first thing that I heard when I walked in the front door. It was Mom, sobbing in the kitchen. I think she was trying to hide from us so that we wouldn’t worry. The landline was hung up on the wall, but the spiral telephone cord trailing underneath the pantry door showed us exactly where she was. “Her name is Bethany Carter,” I heard her cry into the phone. “She has short blonde hair and green eyes… I think she’s 5-foot-4… if you find her—if you hear anything—please call me
“Daddy,” she said again, tugging on his khakis. “Blue’s Clues. I wanna watch Blue’s Clues!” She started to cry. I wished she wouldn’t. I liked seeing the American flag on TV. I didn’t like seeing the planes hit the Twin Towers over and over and over again. “Hey, shhh,” he told Evie, picking her up and carrying her to her crib. “I think it’s nap time, okay?”
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Evie SCAN screamed MAGAZINE and cried and kicked her FALL 2023 chunky little legs even harder. I looked for Avery, but she’d already disappeared into our bedroom.
today?” I said, reaching into the big pocket of my hoodie.
So, I did what I do best. I pulled out the big plastic box of Barbie stuff from our closet and just dumped it on the floor. Avery smiled. Our spotless beige carpet soon turned into a sea of pink tulle dresses, tiny doll shoes, and matted blonde hair. We sat criss cross applesauce in
“Close your eyes.”
“What? What is it?”
She closed them, and I placed a Cosmic Brownie, her favorite, in her lap. “Okay Ave, open them.”
the middle of it all. “I wanna play with Stacy 2!” Avery told me, picking up a blonde doll in a yellow dress. We had too many Barbie dolls, but not enough names. There were 5 Stacys, 3 Katies, 2 Kens— and, of course, 8 Barbie dolls named Barbie. “Hey, guess what I saved from my lunchbox
It was the first real smile—from her or from anyone—that I’d seen that day. I think that’s why it stood out to me so much. It was such a hard day to smile, and Avery still found a reason to. “Ellen! Thank you!” “You’re welcome. I know it was kind of a crazy day today, huh?”
“Yeah,” Avery said, unwrapping the brownie and taking a bite. “Super crazy.”
drown.” “So, we have to take the Barbie Jet?”
“Like, I need a vacation after a day like today,” I said. “Oh, yeah. A vacation!”
“I think. Or we have to wait until Christmas to see if Santa will bring us the Barbie Dream Boat.”
“What if we took the Barbies on a vacation away from New York? Where should we go?”
Avery stared at the brownie in her lap. “Ellen, I don’t want to go to Hawaii anymore.”
“The beach,” Avery said. “The beach sounds way better than here.”
“What? Come on. Hawaii will be fun!”
“Do you see any Barbie bathing suits where you’re sitting?” “Here’s a pink one!” she said, tossing a tiny bikini set towards my foot. “Let’s bring Barbie, Stacy 2, and one of the Kens.” “Which Barbie?” I asked, reaching for one with a scrunchie in her hair. “I think she’s Barbie 4? 5?” “She’s Barbie 5. She can come to the beach with us! We can come back for Barbie 4 later.”
She was quiet for a minute. “Will the Barbies die if they go on the plane?” she asked me. I wanted to give her an answer. I wanted to tell her that she had nothing to worry about, that we had nothing to worry about, that Americans had nothing to worry about. I wanted to mean it. I wasn’t sure. Avery was only 5. She thought that I had all the answers—she still thinks that sometimes—but I was only 9. I’d never even been on a plane before. How was I supposed to know? “The Barbies will be okay, Ave,” I told her. “And one day, we’ll be okay, too.”
“We have to figure out which beach to go to,” I told her as I pulled a pair of purple swim trunks over Ken’s legs. “There are so many. There’s Malibu, there’s Florida, there’s Hawaii…” “Ooo, Hawaii! Let’s go to Hawaii!” Avery said. She found the Barbie Jeep, stuck Stacy 2 in the driver’s seat, and pushed it to me so that I could load up Ken and Barbie 5. “You can’t drive to Hawaii, silly,” I said. “You’ll
WRITTEN BY STEPHANIE DEJAK ILLUSTRATED BY YOKIZ XI
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SCAN MAGAZINE FALL 2023
MODERNIZING A MILLENNIUM Unearthing the Y2K Icons Who Established a New Age of Fashion Step into a time machine and transport yourself back to the turn of the millennium, when the world was abuzz with Y2K panic and technological uncertainty. As the year 2000 approached, the “Y2K” phenomenon captivated the masses, giving rise to a distinctive aesthetic that blended futuristic elements with nostalgic nods to the past. From shimmering metallic fabrics, bold neon hues, and low rise denim, the fashion icons of the 00’s era emerged as trendsetters who pushed boundaries and redefined what it meant to be fashionable in the new millennium.
PARIS HILTON: Before touch screens, “going viral” came from being a muse in the public eye but it wasn’t as easy as likes and comments. Before “influencer” was even a term, Paris Hilton was the “it girl” and can be held responsible for the decade of baby tees, low rise bottoms, and bedazzled accessories. Some consider this icon as the first influencer to ever exist because of her less than obvious career path and over the top fashion that ricocheted through early 2000’s red carpet and paparazzi photos. One of her most iconic looks, the silver chainmail Julien Macdonald minidress she wore to celebrate her 21st birthday in 2002. This dress has been recreated and revived many times since, most notably by Kendall Jenner in 2017. It’s safe to say she will forever wear the tiara of “Y2K Queen.”
AVRIL LAVIGNE: In the early 2000’s, buried beneath a 5 ‘1 Canadian teenager, was a catalyst for young punk girls to express their ‘sk8r’ fantasies. Avril Lavigne was just the girlfriend to initiate skater punk rock style within young girls through both her iconic looks and edgy teenage music. Instead of juicy tracksuits, kitten wedges, and mini skirts, she walked red carpets in baggy cargo pants, plain tanks, boxer briefs and a whole lot of eyeliner like her most acclaimed look from the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards. The notable men’s tie with a Canadian flag safety pinned to the front and embellishment in studded bands became her most recognized and recreated looks of her career. Her style polarized preppy fashion while simultaneously popularizing the embrace of teen angst. More importantly, Lavigne pioneered a new approach to being a feminist which encouraged young girls in the 00’s to embrace their masculinity and relinquish the gender conforming stereotypes pushed on women to be pretty, prissy and pink.
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SISQO: While Y2K menswear were still growing out frosted tips and drawing from 90’s silhouettes, one musician leaned into the nuances of women’s Y2K glam and applied it to his suave R&B palette. Sisqo, known for his infamous “Thong Song,” was the fashionista of male icons in early 2000’s. Combining 90’s hip hop style with feminine styling choices, he created a modern and now iconic look for masculine red carpet walkers. With an effervescent color palette and his famous platinum Cesar cut, Sisqo dressed to turn heads (which, he did). He was a man of bling, exposed torsos and ever changing hairstyles. One of the many extravagant looks of his was from the 14th Annual Soul Train Music Award, which consisted of a large fur coat with bedazzled sleeves and matching baggy trousers. Between his biker gloves made from the same fabrics and embellishments as his pants, the icy blue contacts and crisp white sneakers, his exhibitionist style continuously dominated any carpet he walked.
JENNIFER LOPEZ: “JLo” emerged as a fashion icon in the early 2000s, captivating with her bold and glamorous style. She fearlessly pushed boundaries with daring red carpet choices, including the now-iconic green Versace dress. Created by Donatella Versace, this particular ensemble was crafted from delicate silk chiffon, featuring an intricate pattern depicting tropical leaves and bamboo. To enhance its exotic allure, touches of blue were incorporated into the design. Notably, the dress boasted a daringly low-cut neckline that extended several inches below the navel. It is loosely fastened with a dazzling brooch, creating an alluring opening before elegantly draping down towards the legs, reminiscent of a luxurious bathrobe. As the dress cascaded behind her, it gracefully exposed her back while leaving the midriff on display. The dress was an unexpected global success, credited to being the turning point of Donatella Versace’s career as creative director after the death of her brother. And afterwards, influence extended to popularizing trends like velour tracksuits and hoop earrings, inspiring women worldwide to embrace their individuality through fashion.
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JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE AND BRITNEY SPEARS: Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake’s all-denim look had a profound influence and cultural shift on Y2K fashion. The coordinated ensembles, featuring a denim gown for Spears and a denim suit for Timberlake, symbolized the bold and audacious spirit of the era. Their “double denim” or “denim couple” trend surged in popularity, capturing the attention of the fashion industry and fans alike, and became a defining symbol of early 2000s fashion. Britney’s signature look at the time was a fusion of sexy and sporty elements, often incorporating midriff-baring tops, low-rise jeans, and crop tops. Her outfits exuded a youthful and energetic vibe, resonating with her fan base and inspiring countless young women to embrace their own personal style. Meanwhile, Justin seamlessly blended elements of pop, R&B, and hip-hop into his fashion choices, creating a unique and memorable look. He often sported oversized denim jackets, graphic t-shirts, and baggy jeans, showcasing a laid-back yet stylish aesthetic. Justin’s hairstyle, particularly his signature ramen noodle curls, became a massive trend among young men at the time and hopefully, never again.
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MARIAH CAREY: In Y2K, being a diva was a byproduct that came with fame, especially for a Popstar princess like Mariah Carey. Her musical debut in the 90’s was only the beginning of her influence on the art world. Her whistle notes, Christmas chimes, and catchy love songs brought her to fame in the 90’s but her fashion during the 00’s established her as a muse. The butterfly top, a revived trend from Y2K, now has Gen Z obsessed because of its cheeky and feminine silhouette. The first to set the trend being none other than Ms. Mimi, during the “VH1’s Divas 2000: A Tribute to Diana Ross.” The singer was known for liking the butterfly motifs after she released her album ‘Butterfly’ in 1997 and often referenced it in her style. Her figure-flattering dresses, plunging necklines, and body-conscious silhouettes showcased her confidence and femininity. Carey embraced playful elements with crop tops, low-rise jeans, and trendy accessories. Her hairstyles, including cascading curls and sleek ponytails, became popular trends for the girls that wanted to embrace their sassy and glamorous attitude. Carey’s love for luxury and embellishments was evident through her sparkling jewelry and accessories. Her impact on Y2K fashion empowered individuals to embrace the diva style and solidified her status as a timeless fashion icon.
WRITTEN BY CRISTINA CRUZ ILLUSTRATION BY CAIT JAYME
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ys 118 surve s) cs from gle Form o (Statisti o G g in s u d te conduc
As children, our imagination is at its most unhinged state. Dreams and nightmares take a drastic toll on our perception of the world and reality. Everything from movies, to amusement parks and even other humans will influence our level of fear. As adults we often reconcile these fears and are able to view them objectively. However, we never truly forget what has scared us the most in our lifetime.
30.8%
5.2%
37.6% 17.9% 8.5%
Car with full tank of gas Gun with 2 rounds of bullets Bible and cross Machete $100,000
Many studies show that more than half of people generally do not fear death. But according to this infographic, almost 75% of people feared death as a child.
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“I saw a spirit in my room. It seemed to be plundering through my things.” “Nearly drowning at age 3” “Watching the Exorcist with my family” “Jeepers Creepers creeped me out for days on end.”
DATA RECORDED BY STEPHEN FORD
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PA HOTO SE SAY
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C - C U LT
FALL 2023
THE A-Z
OF EMO
E T OF AN ALPHAB NS TO SC ENE QUEE REAMS MYSPAC E D
D - D.C.
A - ANGST ound 40 years g (AKA, just ar reed In the beginnin s born, a crossb usic genre wa etry, ago), a new m po l d confessiona core music an rd ha n ee d tw be less whining an e between aim dl id m e th in stuck style both a music . Emo, which is types artistic genius eo er st looming marked by it’s and and lifestyle, is e, yl grabbing st tion, attentionna ie al al ci so spise of t. Love it or de teenage angs of ts lo , se ur age of co lture, intenet us through pop cu it, it’s ripples y. e still felt toda and fandom ar
B - THE BEACH BOY
Mail published reputable Daily ys wa al e th lt , In 2008 the sinister cu ild is safe from ch no hy “W the article re and as ” as a subcultu ing that “emo, th of of Emo,” claim child down a pa uld lead your wo e, nr ge ic ter the us af am e. Two weeks course, suicid of d an x, ce se drugs, emical Roman le, 300 My Ch tic ar is th of n publicatio headquarters, e Daily Mail’s Th e id ts ou d fans proteste ge. ainst the messa protesting ag
S
doing e Beach Boys … what are th Wait a second iconic out that their t emos? Turns ou ab t lis e a on idered to be th metimes cons so is ” ds un ted “Pet So ing very separa m, despite be e at first “emo” albu ci so we now as d and aesthetic d an from the soun n out isolatio With themes ab e. en sc e o, th em with me spirit of unds has the sa So t Pe y, ol ch melan sional n their confes risons betwee drawing compa the on screaming t having much t. But writing withou no e? Obviously sound the sam ey th Do . that ck tra ings in a way ys in their feel Bo h ac Be e th were Yes! done before? hadn’t yet been
e 1980s, n’s capital in th from our Natio d ge er em o e. What Em g and Embrac Rites of Sprin nd ba e th e by lead core-punk scen er to the hard sw an an ly al in and was orig nature lyricism ed into the sig s a thriving quickly morph ld day, D.C. still ho To y. da to ow ewing at delivery we kn e what was br but nothing lik e, en sc re co hard 20th Century. the end of the
E - “ E M O T IO N A L ”
? o” came from the word “em re he w er nd y Ever wo core,” or simpl motional hard “e as ed in co Originally g the sensitive known for bein s wa e nr ge e “emocore,” th rics and e vulnerable ly usic, with mor m nk pu ns of e sid Now emo mea l” vocal style. na io ss fe on “c the a more separate from y, completely el tir en se el something e. hardcore scen
F - FA S H IO N
shion is music, emo fa portant as the Perhaps as im dyed hair, s, dark colors, by skinny jean ed riz te ac ar ch oard Vans were iner. Checkerb yl gu , se ur co and of pular stomping Topic was a po t Ho d an l, ia an essent hool knew one at your sc ’t matter if no ve their ground. It didn ha was sure to nd, Hot Topic ba e rit vo fa ur yo a shirt. reenprinted on gaudy logo sc
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G - GOT H Although to the untrained eye they may seem similar,
a religion for the lonely ragdolls of the world?
emo and goth are not to be confused. As South Park’s
Eventually, it became the “live, laugh, love” of emo culture,
“Dawn of the Posers” episode puts it: “A goth believes
inspiring tattoos, generations of costumes, and several lines
that deep down, the world is totally f*cked up. But an
in Blink-182’s “I Miss You.” “We can live like Jack and Sally if
emo thinks that deep down, they are totally f*cked up.”
you want…”
Still confused? Most people were too, and continue to be today. Just know that they are completely different, and not at all similar, even though it totally looks like they are.
K - KER RAN G! Kerrang! is one of many rock music magazines that were popular during this era, along with Alternative Press and
H - HEA RTT HRO BS
countless online sources. If your favorite band made the cover of Kerrang!, that’s how you know they made it (or
With rock music came sex symbols, and the early 2000’s
that they were on their way to becoming the dreaded
emo scene were no different. Although there were many
“poser.”)
favorites scattered across blogs and message boards, the holy trinity of skinny jeans were Pete Wentz, Gerard Way, and Brendon Urie.
L - LYR ICS
Move aside Zac Efron and Jonas Brothers, guys with
Emo lyrics are probably the most recognizable aspect of
fringe and makeup were taking your spot on teen
the genre, maybe besides that classic vocal whine. If you
magazine covers. Articles ranged from hilariously
were a true emo kid, you had your favorite The Academy
entertaining to downright bizarre, swooning over guys
Is… or New Found Glory lyric posted up as your MySpace
that would have been weirdos at your local high school.
status for all to see.
And oh boy, the fans couldn’t wait to snatch up that special edition of J-14 all about Pete Wentz, with the headline that read, “I felt like such a dork!”
M - MAI NST REA M Emo was built on being an alternative to punk music, but
I - INT ERN ET
ended up becoming more popular in the early 2000s. Thanks to the “mall emo” subgenre, lead by bands like Hawthorne Heights and Paramore, an offshoot of an
Without the internet, there would be no emo as we know
underground scene was now on the radio. Naturally, some
it. Some of the most popular bands of the era, like Panic!
fans pushed back against these bands, claiming that real
At the Disco and Bring Me The Horizon, were discovered
emo was only considered of bands you’ve “never heard of.”
online, with music labels dipping their toes in to the world wide web for the first time.
N - NEW JER SEY Although emo was “born” in Washington D.C., many
J - JAC K SKE LLIN GTO N
associate with subculture with the East Coast, and New Jersey in particular. My Chemical Romance, Thursday,
The Nightmare Before Christmas and emo kids go
Armor for Sleep, and Saves the Day were all apart of this
together like bread and butter. For good reason too…
roster. Some have attributed this phenomenon to the
how would Disney put out a movie about the living
popular house show scene, and others pointing towards the
embodiment of Halloween, and not expect it to turn into
wake of 9/11.
WRITTEN BY EVA ERHARDT GRAPHICS BY CAIT JAYME
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O - OVE REX POS ED
MySpace-curated looks, with razored bangs and expert
Here’s a guide to taking the perfect “emo selfie.” First,
“Scene Queens” shallow, being emo not for the music,
consider the outfit and hair. If your hair is looking
but for the subculture (because God forbid a woman like
perfectly teased and your eyeliner flawlessly smudged,
anything!).
eyeliner. While teenage girls were clamoring to look like these original influencers, many men in the scene found
you’re ready to go. Take out your digital camera, make sure the flash is on, and crane your arm out as far as it can go. And 3, 2, 1… click! Check it out, make sure it
R - RAW R
fits the criteria. Do you look moody enough? Can you already hear the song that you’re planning to use as a
“Rawr means I love you in dinosaur” was the peak of emo
caption? And most of all… is the photo so overexposed
phrases, and the dawn of the baby-talk meme language.
that you can only see your eyes and hair? If so, it’s ready
Was also abbreviated to “RAWR XD” on t-shirts and text
for all 45 of your MySpace friends to see.
messages on flip phones.
P - PRE PS AND POS ERS
S - SUB GEN RES
Poser, noun. Easiest put by Urban Dictionary user “Hi,”
Even though emo was originally a derivative of post-
in February 2005: “Someone whos acts like someone
hardcore, it went on to grow a spiderweb of it’s own
they’re not, but not realizing that they’re being fake.
subgenres. Emo pop is the most popular, followed by
Basically a loser trying to fit in.” In other words, if you
Midwest emo, which is marked by American Football’s
were trying to be emo and failing, you were a total freak.
math-rock guitar riffs. Other subgenres include “sass,” emo
Don’t listen to the popular emo music, and don’t wear
rap, and screamo.
expensive emo clothes. That’s a one way ticket to be taunted all over your Livejournal. There was only one thing worse, however… introducing
T - TEE NAG ERS
the dreaded “prep.” Here’s another excerpt from an
Although emo adults have always existed, the image of
early 2000’s Urban Dictonary: “A prep is a person that
an “emo” has always been that of a teenager, constantly
is totally brainwashed by the media. They make fun of
tortured by the perils of high school. When Googling “emo
people who aren’t afraid to be themselves, otherwise
kid,” one of the first results is from a parenting website,
known as individuals.” As the “popular kids” at school,
with the headline “Approaching your kid’s emo phase with
preps were known for liking “mainstream music” and
love and understanding.” “All teenagers are trying to figure
shopping at Abercrombie and Hollister. If you want to
out who they are and what they’re passionate about,” reads
be a true emo, prepare to turn your back on everything
the article from Moms.com. “Going through an emo phase
pink, pretty, and likeable.
is just apart of that identity.”
Q - QUE EN
U - UND ERD OGS
Scene Queens, like Audrey Kitching and Kiki Kannibal,
Emo bands were the always dark horses when it came
were equally praised as they were criticized for their
to music awards, often making nominations, but never quite taking home any big awards. When it comes to the
nt band Green Day has Grammys, only emo-adjace k album, but Bring Me been awarded with best roc nescene, and Fall Out the Horizon, Blink-182, Eva inations across the Boy have also received nom show.
V - VAN ’S WA RPE D TOU R rped Tour was a traveling Starting in 1995, Van’s Wa the largest music rock tour, and is considered sible for bringing a festival in America. Respon artists like Blink-182, platform to once-unknown Warped Tour was a Paramore and Katy Perry, chella is popular now, cultural phenomenon. If Coa t was bigger, badder, imagine an emo sister tha across the US. The last and happened to travel all Warped Tour was in 2019.
W - WAV ES gorized into four waves. Emo as we know it is cate e in the mid-to-late First wave, which took plac e to the hardcore music, 80s, was in direct respons ed to the “Midwest” while the second is attribut tball and Sunny Day variants, like American Foo e was when emo jumped Real Estate. The third wav scenes to full radio from pockets of alternative al Romance and Fall domination, with My Chemic pop divas and boy bands. Out Boy charting next to the early 2010s with a Fourth wave took place in flair, stepping into the return to the midwestern hardcore and pop indie scene and further from erting the fifth wave, music. We are only now ent iration from the third with pop music taking insp fifteen years ago. wave that emerged almost
X - STR AIG HT EDG E sXe, or signified as just Commonly abbreviated to involves abstaining X, the straight edge lifestyle recreational drugs. or from any alcohol, tobacco, cided with Emos, with The movement often coin in the scene with it being common to find kids hands. Sharpie X’s drawn on their
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Y - YEA RS n emo emerged, it’s not Most people can agree whe From the year 2000 on, entirely sure when it “died.” it could be, being found in emo was as mainstream as blogpages across the United school hallways, malls and ted of the aughts, the light star States. But at the tailend or nd, sou the ning abando to fade, with classic bands . irely ent up g just breakin
Z - GEN -Z emo died in the 2010s, it’s Although many claim that among the social media now finding a cozy home young adults are given the generation. Now, teens and music, history and fashion opportunity to explore emo did almost 20 years ago. in the same way millennials on Instagram and TikTok Although they’re doing it Journal, the music, the instead of MySpace and Live emotions, are all the same. trends, and of course, the r day. Emo stands to live anothe
LIVING IN THE MAGIC:
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Learning to Live in the World Disney and Nickelodeon Created
WRITTEN BY VRISHTI SAVALANI ILLUSTRATION BY FON LIMSONWONG I can recall many Sunday afternoons where my Dad would take me and my older sister to what we called “Hidden DVD Shop.” It was a small little closet hidden in the underground parking deck of an office building at the heart of the bustling
Guangzhou, China, where a middle-aged Chinese lady would sell DVDs of every movie and TV show you could possibly think of. The plastic cases would be lined inside cardboard boxes, and my sister and I would flip through the stacks like we were purists flicking through vinyl at a record shop. Despite the sharp edges of the plastic scraping my arms as I tiptoed to peer into the box, I would continue flicking over and over again, taking out one case at a time and adding it to the pile that built in my hands. When we’d get home, my sister and I would unbox our new presents and begin to organize them in our DVD cases — making sure the TV shows were in one case and the movies were in the other, all of them organized first in alphabetical order and then in chronological if it was a sequel or later season. After our hard work, we’d reward ourselves by picking out one of our new finds, sitting with a packet of microwave popcorn and indulge in our gateway to the land of the free — America. Before my first visit to America at 18 years old, I had pieced together a version of the country from what I had seen on Disney and Nickelodeon. Even though everything I’m experiencing now is far from that world I once saw, there’s something endearing
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about how nice it was to escape into it when I was younger. Looking back as an adult, I find it funny that I thought life would be just as picturesque as Disney painted it out to be, or as colorful as Nickelodeon made it feel for their characters. Even though I was smart enough to know I wouldn’t be best friends with a family of wizards in the heart of New York City, at least there were other parts of the world they built that felt magical to me. Every kid’s world starts in their bedroom. The way they build it and customize everything from floor to ceiling and look back with regret years later only to restyle it. To say that my room was far from customized was an understatement. I shared a room with my grandma and sister. This was a small room in an apartment building, and you would never be able to tell two kids spent most of their time in that room. Most of the room was some variation of beige or brown, just like all the other rooms in the house — it was a way of keeping everything unified and clean. But when I’d look into that screen, I would escape into a completely different room. One that was the size of an entire loft, with a gummy bear light suspended from the ceiling and an ice cream sandwich couch at the foot of my bed. The browns and beiges would turn
into purples and pinks, and it would feel like a space built just for me. Outside of this room, I’d be with my family. The family I grew up with was your average Indian family. We weren’t immigrant parents who moved to the city and opened a sandwich shop under our apartment. Sure, we were an immigrant family in the city, but my dad simply worked in a business while my mom was a teacher. My parents were quite traditional. As I got older, I learned to accept the culture that came with tradition, but when I was younger, I wanted that same freedom and
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independence a lot of these characters seem to have. Where the parents were just characters on the side to guide you, but this was your story where you could make mistakes and do crazy things with little to no consequences from them. I’d never been grounded, but that didn’t mean I didn’t get yelled at or in trouble for doing stupid things. I never had the profound speech from my dad on our porch if I made a mistake, or the heart-to-heart with my mom after my first break up. From what I remember, the conversations would always be an intense yelling that led up to an “I told you so” and me crying. I’d compare it more to an Indian soap opera than a show by Dan Schneider. My sisters wouldn’t embody the stereotypical personas these characters had — the popular one or the nerd — we just existed in our own little world and didn’t really have much of a role in anyone else’s. We did argue just like your average Zack and Cody or Drake and Josh, and our antics never led to
any good. But even now I can say we have a special bond that was built off those moments of mischief. The transition music wouldn’t play as I ended up in school the next day. I went to an international school where your usual stereotypes didn’t seem to exist. We didn’t exactly have your typical cliques with the jocks and the obvious bullies beating up the smaller quiet nerds. I would exist somewhere in the middle of that hierarchy, but I was still crushing on the star athlete. Thinking back about my high school, everything seemed cold with the grays and blues that were my school’s colors, and I wouldn’t walk down the warmly lit hallways that always seemed to have random objects flying back and forth from kids messing around. My best friend and I wouldn’t be talking by the lockers… if anything, I can’t even remember using mine. When I moved here, none of those moments on screen came to life. I moved here as an adult in the
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middle of the pandemic, so my first impressions of this country were far from the magic I would see on TV. However, the more I’ve settled in and created a world for myself, the more I’ve found that same comfort and excitement from what I’d see on TV. So, my bedroom doesn’t have a gummy bear light hanging from the ceiling and colorful pieces of furniture, and instead I’m surrounded by unfolded
laundry and posters that haven’t made their way into frames yet. Those heart-to-hearts with my parents now happen over Facetime, and I go to an art school where I don’t have to deal with the social hierarchy and everyone is just there to do what they love. It’s exciting to see that I still have that independence all those characters had, and what I yearned for. Even if my life isn’t as picturesque as they made it out to be, I can always escape back into it with the click of a button.
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CRINGEMAGEDDON
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Seven fandom moments the internet pretends to forget about
As people, it is inevitable that we’ll grow into new phases of life. And we’ll continue growing until we swing back around and must revisit our past selves. For some that will be fun memories of playing outside, family vacations and maybe even the blossoming of first romances. But for others, those of us who live in fear, all that lays ahead is a forgotten avalanche of compulsive fangirling, angst and blossoming romance with fictional men. This is that avalanche, this is that cringe, this is nine fandom moments the internet pretends to forget about.
Twilight Mania When identifying who is responsible for the practices and rituals that are now viewed as common in fandom, no other name but “Twilight” comes to mind. While “Star Trek” is responsible for the birth of this behavior, and “Harry Potter” is
responsible for spreading it, but the fans of Twilight were the ones who perfected the modern “crazy fangirl.” They were the first group to stop traffic to stalk actors from the airport to their hotels. The first to cling to the idea of retelling moments of the original stories from the love interest perspective. And most importantly, they were the first to make the “teen paranormal” genre look tantalizing to investors. You don’t get “Hunger Games” without Twilight fans publicly going buck wild every time Edward moans or Bella looks confused. Twilight is mother, Twilight is love, Twilight is life. Time to move to Forks.
Sonichu We often have conversations about removing the art from the artist, but phenomenon like Sonichu adds a chicken or the egg element to the arena. Starting in 2004, and lasting up until 2019, the comic explores the adventures of the titular Sonichu, a hybrid of Sonic and Pikachu who must protect the residence of Station Square from the Perfect Chaos Monster and other evil.
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However, its fanbase is less invested in the story itself, but rather the author behind it: Christine Weston Chandler, better known as Chris Chan. For almost 20 years she has been studied, questioned, poked, prodded, doxed, coerced and enamored by a group who calls themselves “Christorians.” Christorians have been around long enough to be praised, receive backlash, rise from the backlash and then be lambasted again. To on lookers, it is genuinely unclear if the Chris Chan situation is a group of internet knights fighting against a harmful predator, or if a trans woman has been experiencing mass hate for the crimes of liking cartoon creatures. Either way, if you recognize the name, you’ve definitely spent too much time on the internet.
My Immortal Ebony Dark’ness Dementia Raven Way is most likely the most favorite self-insert that will ever exist. Even if you don’t know who she is, you’ve probably heard the name. She comes from the Fanfiction. net darling “My Immortal,” a reimagining of Harry Potter where everyone is a now a vampire and madly in love with Ms. Raven Way (and yes, her last name is taken from My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way). Perhaps the largest allure to her story is that to this day no one knows who she’s a self-insert of. Archaeologist have scoured the depths of the internet, and there have been a few theories, but no concrete proven authors. All we have is a name: Tara Gilesbie. A name that truly will forever be memorialized in the Emo Fangirl Hall of Fame.
The Yaoi Boom In the 2000s fandom and fan spaces was one of the safest regions of the internet for queer folk. Most members either identified as queer themselves or as allies, and actively wanted LGBT rep in their media. And though this was obviously true of the 2010s as well, the fervor and passion went from a light boil to hibachi grill very quickly. Enter stage left: Yaoi. Yaoi is Japanese media centered around gay anime boys marketed to and made by women and girls. From 2008 to 2015, there was no part of Beyonce’s internet you could go to escape the Yaoi.
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Harry Potter Shipping Wars There has never been an internet war as great as the HP Shipping Wars of 2001-2007. To the North was Sugar Quill, a Yahoo fansite that had iron clad rules against shipping non canon ships and writing anything above a PG-13 rating. And to the South was Fiction Alley, started by a then unknown Cassandra Clare, who would go on to write The “Mortal Instuments” series. There were doxxings, there was tons of hateful language and at one point Clare entered her Karen bag and called the cops for no reason. The aftermath somewhat ruined the relationship between Griffydor Towers and Sugar Quil as they felt Sugar Quill did nothing to help. The girls were tethered. It would take a year almost three years for trust between the factions to be rebuilt. Said trust coincided with downfall of famed lair Ms Scribe, which literally could be and has been a 10 page research paper in and off itself.
Wattpad Wattpad. The place where dreams go to bloom, and smut goes to thrive. What started as an ernest desire to give a voice to young writers and fans of literature, quickly turned into the breeding ground for all halfback ideas. Usually centering around romance. Wattpad in no doubt was responsible for a lot of late-night epiphanies, and none of which was stranger than the One Direction Purge Universe. The trend started as the classic “MY PARENTS SOLD ME TO ONE DIRECTION!” imagines, but following the announcement of the 2013 film, it transformed into “MY PARENTS SOLD ME TO ONE DIRECTION DURING THE PURGE!!” Another notable trend were imagines. Also occasionally referred to as one shots, Imagines are best identified as the tequila shots of the fanfic world. To be clear, these aren’t long-spanding adventures that have to age like wine, or plots that completely rework the characters you know and love like a blended cocktail. Its quick, to the point, and meant to make you tingly inside. For example: “Imagine you are waiting in line at Starbucks and as a joke you tell the cashier your name is Matty B, but then when they call to pick up the order the REAL Matty B picks it up and winks at you.” Oh my God, do you remember Matty B?
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Deviant Art If Wattpad is where smut goes to thrive, then Deviant Art is where trash goes to prosper. Similar to Wattpad, there are some genuinely talented artists who use it more as a designed link to hold all of their portfolio. But there’s a larger subset that uses it as an excuse to visualize any ship, fetish or morbid interest they can conjure. If you have ever thought “no, there’s no way that exists,” trust, there is definitely someone who drew that and posted it in 2005. And it looks even worse than you imagined.
WRITTEN BY DJ SHAW ILLUSTRATION BY EVIAN LE
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WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE STRONG SILENT TYPE?
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Remembering the Golden Age of TV It’s Sunday evening. You just finished cleaning the house and preparing for the next grueling work week at your desk job. You choose not to cook but instead order a pizza to be delivered. You make sure to order it early because it has to be here before 9 PM, because, well, that’s when “The Sopranos” comes on. It’s 8:57. You grab a slice of pizza, fill up a glass and plop yourself onto the couch. Grab the remote, flip through the channels till you hit HBO. Hear the familiar opening lyrics of “Woke Up This Morning” by Alabama 3. This is what you and the entire nation have been waiting for all week, even if it’s a newer experience. Afterall, TV wasn’t always an event that you’d look forward to like it was a big Hollywood movie. This was new. This is different. This is the Golden Age. The Golden Age of Television or as many critics call it, Prestige Television, can be defined as a period in cable television where multiple critically and commercially successful shows were running concurrently. This period is usually labeled as beginning in the late 90s with The Sopranos, peaking in the mid-2000s with shows like “Mad Men,” “The Wire” and “Breaking Bad” premiering and ending in the late 2000s.
“Mad Men,” “The Sopranos,” “The Wire,” “Breaking Bad.” These are some of the biggest and most influential cable television shows in history. But why this period? What made these shows so special? The characters? The writers and directors behind them? For us to find out we’d have to go back to the beginning. Before the Golden Age of television, TV was mainly dominated by three free-to-air broadcast networks, which they called the Big Three: ABC, CBS and NBC. But during the 1980s and 1990s, many cable television networks were created and began to become
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popular, leading to the deterioration of the Big Three. These paid cable channels offered more varied shows with better production values. While television shows such as “Friends” and actors like Jerry Seinfeld became household names, there was never much crossover between movies and television. Movie actors who appeared on television were seen as taking a huge step down in status and television actors rarely got the chance to even break through in cinema. Overall, society saw television as a cheaper, shorter entertainment medium compared to the movies on the big screen. That is until “The Sopranos” aired.
“The Sopranos” was the first of its kind in many respects. It was one of the first television shows to shoot on location instead of in prebuilt sets. It was one of the first shows to use multiple actors that had first appeared in movies such as Michael Imperioli, Lorraine Bracco, and later on Steve Buscemi. Not to mention all of the big-name celebrity cameos that appeared in later seasons such as Ben Kingsley and Jon Favreau. But one of its biggest innovations was that it started the trend of television shows airing hour-long episodes instead of the typical 30-minute time slot other shows had. This gave writers more time to develop characters and stories and gave audiences the impression that they were watching a short film every week instead of a typical program. With this, writers began putting more thought into characters and their arcs. Storylines began developing that would span over the course of multiple seasons, which all lead to a more engaging and immersive experience for viewers. Now you’re talking with your coworkers about how you’d survive the zombie apocalypse in “The Walking Dead” or how you couldn’t believe they killed off your favorite character in “Game of Thrones.” But none of these can hold up to the most important element introduced to television by “The Sopranos.” That element would instead go to the idea of the anti-hero. Don Draper from “Mad Men.” Walter White from “Breaking Bad.” Omar Little from “The Wire.” The idea of the anti-hero isn’t a new one as they’ve been featured in movies and television throughout the years. But none have been written as well and have been as beloved as Tony Soprano.
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“The Sopranos” episode “College,” the fifth episode of the first season, was a big turning point not just in the series but in television history. In the episode, mob boss Tony Soprano is on a college visit with his daughter Meadow. All is well until Tony spots a snitch from his past. Throughout the episode, Meadow is constantly asking her father whether he works for the mob or not. She pleads for his honesty but he continues to lie to her. At the episode’s end, Tony brutally murders the snitch who was just trying to move on with his life and leave his mob ties behind. Viewers will forever remember the iconic shot of Tony staring up at the sky as a flock of geese flies away, a sign of him losing his innocence. Studio executives pleaded with series creator David Chase to change the ending to this episode, claiming it would ruin Tony’s character and make him totally unlikeable. Chase, however, stuck to his guns and went with the ending anyway and it paid off. The greatest anti-hero in television history was born and a legacy that influenced almost every single Golden Era television show after was created. “Mad Men” creator Mattew Weiner, who wrote for “The Sopranos,” said that his vision for “Mad Men” and the way it handled its characters changed after working with David Chase. After James Gandolfini, the actor who portrayed Tony, died in 2013, “Breaking Bad” creator, Vince Gilligan, claimed that without Tony Soprano there would be no Walter White. Serialized shows are what kept viewers coming back week after week to see what would happen next to their favorite characters. It’s what took TV from a smallbox past-time to true artistry. Hour-long episodes raised the prestige around shows and made them commitments instead of something you turn on in the background while you did your laundry and washed dishes. Dramatic storylines and deep, well-written characters made fans become
emotionally invested in each episode. Explicit subject matter like sex, violence and drugs made everything feel more adult and important. And with the introduction of streaming, all of this was now at the tip of your fingers. This age, although over 20 years ago at this point, is still felt today, ushering in a new era of binge-watching, watercooler conversations, and shared experiences, connecting people
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across borders and generations. As we continue to witness this remarkable era unfold, it becomes even more-so evident that the golden age of TV has indelibly shaped our culture, leaving an enduring legacy that will resonate for years to come. Long live Tony Soprano!
WRITTEN BY DARREN OKAFOR ILLUSTRATION BY GAB K DE JESUS
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BIG YELLOW SLIDE THE BOYS I LOVED IN MS.GRIENKE’S FIFTH GRADE CLASS
WRITTEN BY AMARA HOLLAND ILLUSTRATED BY RILEY SULLIVAN At the ripened age of ten, I went through a series of lovers (of sorts). I had spent each school year in a different school, in a different state, and although it made me a rather cultured fifth grader, I was also incredibly alone. My best friend was my one-eyed male goldfish, Cameron Diaz. I read in J-14 magazine that Cameron Diaz, the actress, and I have the same birthday. And since Cameron Diaz, the goldfish, was a pity gift from my parents for my 10th birthday, I thought the name was fitting. He lost his eye on the road trip from our last home to our new one. I thought I had figured out the best system to transport Cameron Diaz safely on the ride but somehow his eye erupted. The disappointment I had internalized from making my best and only friend’s eye explode made me question my own selfworth. So, when I entered Ms. Greinke’s fifthgrade class and saw the brown-skinned boy with long curly hair and a Pull-up sticking out of his khakis, I figured he could be an answer for me.
His name was Musiq and he would cry at the end of every school day because he didn’t want to go home with his Grandma. I never saw his mother or father or even an aunt or uncle. And I didn’t blame him for crying either. His Grandma was a surly old woman whose face hung in a permanent scowl. She was always dressed in heavy, jewel-toned fabrics, maintained a fresh silk press and unchipped bright red nail polish. I thought they were rich but she looked too sad to be a rich woman. Everyone made fun of him for being a baby and looking like a girl, especially one boy in our class, Jaiden. But something about his babyish nature and girlish appearance intrigued me. And we both loved Pokemon. I would bring my pink Nintendo DS to recess and we would spend the entire time playing the Pokemon games underneath the big twisty slide. We were shielded from the mean kids’ judgment by the biggest, yellowest, twistiest slide I had ever seen. Little rubber chips from the playground floor would embed themselves into the skin on our legs and it would hurt but at least our spot stayed dry even when it rained, and was cool even on the hottest days and most importantly, it was ours. One day, under the big twisty slide, Musiq pursed his lips tight and touched them to mine. My eyes shot wide and my heart flew around my chest like a moth trapped inside a light. I held his sticky little hand in my
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“NO, WE TRIPLE, QUADRUPLEDUPLE DARE YOU!” sticky little hand and we both smiled until our cheeks felt numb. And we would touch our lips together quickly, hold hands and take turns playing on my Nintendo DS every day until Musiq stopped coming to school. Something had happened with his Grandmother and he needed to move away. I was sad at recess for a long time. I would sit underneath the slide, imagining that Musiq was sitting beside me. I began reading huge chapter books at recess. And I guess my reclusiveness and early intellectualism made the other kids underestimate my athletic capabilities, despite being tall for my age and pretty spry. Because one day, amongst the normal recess chaos, I heard a group of boys throw my name around in the distance. “Jaiden, I bet you won’t go up to her and ask
her to race you.” A boy said. “Yeah! We double dog dare you!” “No, we triple, quadruple-duple dare you!” All the boys laughed and a few moments later Jaiden approached me under the slide. Without moving, I looked up at him over my book. His big green eyes looked back at me, his short hair spiky with sweat, and cheeks flushed from playing in the sun. “Wanna race?” He said, trying to sound tough. He looked back at his friends for approval and cracked a smile. He wiped the smile off his face, along with some sweat, as he turned back around to me.
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“Race?” I said, still only looking over my book. “Yeah,” He said. And with that, I stood up, dusted the rubber shards from my legs, and emerged from under the big twisty slide. “Let’s go over there.” Jaiden said, pointing to the stretch of asphalt that led to the classroom trailers on the other side of the playground. I felt determined to beat Jaiden to avenge my friend. I had to win for all the times they made Musiq cry or forced him to hide away from our small world. I reached the finish line, where the asphalt ended and the grass began again, with Jaiden crossing seconds after me. His friends directed the viciousness they usually spew to others, right back at him. He hung his head and walked back to the playground, and sat on the furthest bench away from everyone. All the girls cheered for me, blew raspberries at the boys and threw their L-shaped hands on their foreheads. I slipped through the crowd, evading the binary bickering and found Jaiden. I sat next to him and he scooched away from me a bit, head still hung in defeat.
“I GOT THIS FOR YOU.” HE SAID. HE WAS LOOKING DOWN AT HIS FEET, HOLDING HIS HAND OUT. THE BIG BEAUTY HERSELF SAT GLISTENING IN HIS PALM. “Good race,” I said, offering my hand to him. “Leave me alone.” He said, brooding. I put my hand down but continued to sit there with him, in complete silence until the bell rang and it was time to go back to class. There was an obvious distance between Jaiden and I for about a week after that. Until one particular Friday. On Fridays, anyone who didn’t get a demerit during the week got to pick out of Ms. Greinke’s treasure box filled with all the typical delights. Candy, Slinkies, Silly Bands, bouncy balls and gaudy toy rings. Each week girls crossed all toes and fingers in hopes that their crush would give them a promise ring just as flimsy as the promise itself. I was bewildered when, on this particular Friday, Jaiden stood up and walked towards Ms. G’s treasure chest. I watched, convinced he
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was attempting larceny. Instead, he showed Ms. G his empty demerit card, reached in and pulled out a chunky silver ring with a shiny red plastic jewel in the center. And I was even more shocked when in the line to lunch, he gave this ring to me. “I got this for you.” He said. He was looking down at his feet, holding his hand out. The big beauty herself sat glistening in his palm. “Thank you.” I said, taking the ring out of his hand and putting it on my finger. And rather than the claps and congrats of a typical public proposal, we were met with snickers and whispers. Among the gossips were Amiya and Kenedi, the most recent to couple up. Kenedi proposed to Amiya while walking to the busses at the end of the school day. The rest of the day went as normal, even with Jaiden and I. At recess, I sat under the slide and read while he rough-housed with his friends. I wished he would sit with me. And that’s when someone sat down next to me, Kenedi. “Whatcha reading?” He asked. “A book, duh.” I said without looking up. “Look at the new Silly Bands I got today,” He said, holding out three oddly shaped, brightcolored rubber bands. There was a black horse, a blue one that was supposed to be SpongeBob and a green heart. “You can have this one.” And he handed me the green heart. I took the gift and turned away, smiling into my sweaty shoulder. Kenedi was the cutest
boy in our grade and he wanted me to have his rubbery green heart. I looked over at Jaiden, then back at Kenedi, and down at the green band on my wrist. And just as Musiq had done to me, I balled my lips up as tight as possible and touched them to Kenedi’s cheek. My lips stuck to his skin just a little bit and were salty when I licked them. He froze in place and when he turned his head to look at me, he burst into tears and ran to tell Ms. Greinke that I kissed him under the slide. I got a demerit and got recess revoked for three days. I sat on the bench, watching all the kids play without me for three days straight, stewing in my shame. All I could think about was Cameron Diaz, the fish, and how I can refine my system for him next time we move and leave this season of embarrassment behind me forever.
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SISTERS: PHOTO SERIES
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She’s my built-in best friend.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALITA SWANSON MODELS: MAGGIE AND ZOEY SUTTER
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ARTS CORNER
TIME CAPSULE Emma Brown - B.F.A. Painting
“THE LOLLIPOP GIRL” “I love to rediscover old memories through candid photos. Whether it’s from my life or others, there’s always an endearing story behind each one that I want to explore. Through the use of charcoal, I captured this moment from my childhood, one Halloween night. With me in focus and the background blurred out, the eyes are drawn to the clothes I wear and the position I stand in. My compositions are quiet yet full of life and this piece does just that.”
“SOFIA IN CHALKIDIKI” “I take photographs of my sisters to make up for the fact that I am missing out on so much that is happening in their lives. In a weird way I am also turning to them hoping they will teach me how to live [better] and grow taller.”
Marianna Asimakopoulou B.F.A. Photography
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Ashley Dunkin -B.F.A. Painting
“THE CHEROKEE PRINCESS” “Most my life I have withheld my Cherokee identity from people out of fear that I wouldn’t be accepted as such, even though I am an enrolled member in my tribe. Recently, there seems to have been a rise in people falsely claiming Native roots and Cherokee is what people claimed most. With people doing so, it only made me more insecure to say I am Cherokee even though I can point out my lineage on paper. This piece is for those who falsely claim to be Cherokee by saying that their grandmother was a Cherokee princess. This now infamous statement is entirely wrong as very few Natives had princesses and the Cherokees certainly never did. More often than not, there is never any Native ancestry in their family. So, here is their princess.”
“THE BOY” “This body of work is the first set of photographs in an ongoing series of my little brother titled “The Boy”. His entire life, I have called him “The Boy” because he is one of the few we have in our family. As a sibling, you have to develop a personal connection with your younger siblings. In an effort to learn more about him and understanding, I asked him to write down words that would describe him. He immediately replied with “like adjectives?” I told him yes and he began to write. After giving him some time, I looked up to see he had drawn a web with his name in the middle. At the time, it didn’t shock me to see him struggling to come up with words. However, considering I had not told him the concept for the photo project, the first three words he wrote down shocked me: They were brown, fun, and boy. In that order.
Taylor Edgerton B.F.A. Photography
SCAN MAGAZINE FALL 2023
Andrea Caballero - BFA Painting
“VALLE DE ÁNGELES” For this painting I worked with photographs from when I was around three years old at Valle de Ángeles, a little town forty-five minutes away from where I grew up. We would drive here every other Sunday with my parents to have lunch, and the restaurant we used to go to had a huge playground. A couple years ago the restaurant unfortunately closed down. Through this work I wanted to commemorate this place, and preserve all the childhood memories of playing and running around while waiting for the food to be ready. Despite the restaurant no longer existing, I will always remember being there in that bright pink tracksuit. This painting allowed me to memorialize a small moment, when I was scared to go down the big blue slide, and honor a place where I made so many memories as a child with my family.
“CHILDHOOD MEMORY” “I like to paint large colorful paintings. I start with a vision and create as I paint. For this painting I utilized my skills from color theory to create a vision of a childhood memory. While creating, I focus on my purpose of my work, hopefully the audience will feel and vision my feelings on the canvas. On this piece the colors aide in re-creating a picture taken in a earlier time in life. Memories immediately are given life through my vision. I used knowledge from studying colors from my painting major to present a moment of joy and my fashion design minor to show some expression by hand sewing.”
Allen Jaion Powell - B.F.A. Painting
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“TROUBADOUR” “I’m a childrenswear designer who’s really bad at art history. But there’s this one corner in art history that I’ve become obsessed with and thats medieval manuscripts. More specifically, the bizarre, nonsensical illustrations on the margins. My collection takes inspiration from the illustrations of these manuscripts to create prints and embroideries. My dresses are inspired by the boundless imagination of kids and the way they see things in a larger-than-life perspective. Oversized, poofy silhouettes not only feel very dreamy to me but help my desire to create childrens clothes with longer lifespans and take longer to grow out of. That’s also why I try to incorporate adjustability, such as with the bow straps. My goal for the collection was to give the feeling of one of these manuscripts as if a little girl wrote it today. I want it to inspire kids to write their own stories and not care about whether it makes sense to other people or not.“
Juliet Soto B.F.A. Fashion Design, B.F.A. Graphic Design
PHOTOS BY: TIANA ROSE
“MUTT” “This body of work is dedicated to Ha Ja Hong, my grandmother. I have always been driven to capture genuine images of people that I find myself to be heavily emotionally connected to, and my grandmother is one of those people that I felt a sudden urge of responsibility to narrate and reflect her life through my camera. The works go beyond documenting literal representations and creating more emotionally evocative images through symbolic and abstract imagery to reflect the subject’s inner self. They are intimate reflections of her past, including her childhood and traumatic memories, as well as her lost dreams and desires.”
Jee Su Kim B.F.A. Photography
SCAN MAGAZINE FALL 2023
COVER PAGE
Design: C ait
Jayme Additiona Crim, Ind l Graphics: Mich Enaiho, Myah Earls, Angelaelle Leaver, D aite Escobar, Ma aniel McC d onnell ison
