WINTER ‘17
WASH. U.’S PREMIER JUSTICE & DESIGN MAG
issues 26 days of winter break
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Letter from the Editor President
Emily Caroline King
Editor-in-Chief Emma LaPlante
Design Editor Yena Jeong
Senior Editors Eleni Andris Swetha Nakshatri Lauryn McSpadden
Public Relations
Alicia Zhang
Treasurer Alicia Yang
Social Chair
Lauryn McSpadden
Winter Issue 1 December 2017 Washington University in St. Louis
Cover Illustration “Snow Angels” by Ruoyi Gan
Dear thoughtful readers, We at ISSUES are thrilled to present our holiday issue, The 26 Days of Winter Break. This has been a labor of love, holiday cheer, and a healthy amount of irreverence for that season we all know so well. In this issue, we celebrate the winter holidays, the snow, and a First Amendment that allows us to write slapstick parodies of revered Christmas carols and publish illustrations of vibrators. We try to look back on 2017, the year that just wouldn’t quit, with keen eyes and a clear head. As we look forward to 2018, we try to do the same. You can read this issue any way you like, but it is designed so that there’s something new for you to peruse each day of Wash. U.’s winter break, beginning on December 21 and going to January 15. Each day you will find a poem, article, illustration, or group of photographs that relates, in one way or another, to the holiday season or the year in review. Read it all at once, or read it day by day. This is our Advent calendar to you. The holidays are a time to be thankful and festive, but they are also a time to make plans. If you are searching for ideas for New Year’s Resolutions, here is mine: Do something small every day for my community. My community is my family, my school, the friends I live with, and the people I seek to stand in solidarity with through my words and actions. Your communities may look different from mine, but they need you now more than ever. Here at ISSUES, we are grateful for our readers, for each other, and for the opportunity to create together. We hope to continue creating for many holiday seasons to come. — Emma LaPlante
02 Hanukkah Blessings by Maisie Heine 04 Hanukkah Illustration by Anna Lin-Schweitzer 06 The 12 Days of Feminist Christmas by Emma LaPlante 09 Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, Did You Know? by Emma LaPlante 12 The Trump Administration’s First Noel by Emma LaPlante 14 9 Ways to Practice Self-Care this Holiday Season by Ashley Holder 15 Low-Key Holiday Baking Recommendations by Emily Alpert 16 Snaps by Yena Jeong 17 Winter Break in the Woods by Ruoyi Gan 18 Protest Photographs by Rachel Roberts 22 New Year’s Resolutions by Emily Alpert 24 12 Events to Celebrate in 2018 by Anna Lin-Schweitzer 26 Treat Yourself by Yena Jeong 27 35 Afro-Latina Content Producers by Emily Caroline King 32 Illustrations by Ruoyi Gan 34 The Snow Queen by Anna Konradi 38 In Praise of JDs by Emma LaPlante 42 A Taste of Korea by Yena Jeong 46 Actions to Take Against Rape Culture by Alicia Yang 49 Unity by Alicia Zhang 50 Calling Congress in 4 Easy Steps by Emma LaPlante 52 Just a Daily Reminder by Emily Caroline King 53 Humanitarian by Emma LaPlante
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ISSUE
0 0 2 — Day 1, December 21
Hanukkah Blessings
Written by Maisie Heine
Day 1, December 21 — 0 0 3
If you grew up Jewish, you know that the reason Hanukkah gets so much attention is because we use it to make Jewish kids feel included in the midst of all the Christmas hullabaloo. Indeed, Hanukkah is less a holiday about religious observance than it is a celebration of communal victory. Judah Maccabee and his brothers are often presented as the first tough Jews, able to protect their community against some of the many oppressors that have threatened the Jewish people throughout history. The celebration of Hanukkah is a testament to the Jewish people’s ability to endure any obstacle. While it is a more secular holiday than Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, it testifies to the Jewish spirit of togetherness.
As Hanukkah approaches this year, I reflect on how its message of faith and commitment is especially relevant in today’s political climate. Following a year that saw anti-Semitism rear its ugly head, Jewish perseverance is more vital now than ever. Lighting the candles on the menorah may seem like a simple act but it is an act of solidarity. In lighting the menorah, we celebrate the determination of the Jewish people, and we reflect on the value of our commitment to community during challenging times.
0 0 4 — Day 2, December 22
Day 2, December 22 — 0 0 5
Illustration by Anna Lin-Schweitzer
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me: A Constitution pocket copy
Modern Christmas Carols: The 12 Days of Feminist Christmas
Written & Illustrated by Emma LaPlante
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me: 2 vintage zines and a Constitution pocket copy On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me: 3 woke hats 2 vintage zines and a Constitution pocket copy On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me: 4 bell hooks books 3 woke hats 2 vintage zines and a Constitution pocket copy On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me: 5 uninterrupting men 4 bell hooks books 3 woke hats 2 vintage zines and a Constitution pocket copy On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me: 6 RBG pins 5 uninterrupting men 4 bell hooks books 3 woke hats 2 vintage zines and a Constitution pocket copy On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me: 7 Broad City stickers 6 RBG pins 5 uninterrupting men 4 bell hooks books
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me: 8 shoes for marching 7 Broad City stickers 6 RBG pins 5 uninterrupting men 4 bell hooks books 3 woke hats 2 vintage zines and a Constitution pocket copy On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me: 9 manifestos for reading 8 shoes for marching 7 Broad City stickers 6 RBG pins 5 uninterrupting men 4 bell hooks books 3 woke hats 2 vintage zines and a Constitution pocket copy On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me: 10 podcasts for listening 9 manifestos for reading 8 shoes for marching 7 Broad City stickers 6 RBG pins 5 uninterrupting men 4 bell hooks books 3 woke hats 2 vintage zines and a Constitution pocket copy On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me: 11 girl bands rocking 10 podcasts for listening 9 manifestos for reading
Day 3, December 23 — 0 0 7
3 woke hats 2 vintage zines and a Constitution pocket copy
0 0 8 — Day 3, December 23
8 shoes for marching 7 Broad City stickers 6 RBG pins 5 uninterrupting men 4 bell hooks books 3 woke hats 2 vintage zines and a Constitution pocket copy On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me: 12 vibrators vibrating 11 girl bands rocking 10 podcasts for listening 9 manifestos for reading 8 shoes for marching 7 Broad City stickers 6 RBG pins 5 uninterrupting men 4 bell hooks books 3 woke hats 2 vintage zines and a Constitution pocket copy
Modern Christmas Carols: Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, Did You Know?
Written by Emma LaPlante
0 1 0 — Day 4, December 24
Mary, did you know that your baby boy will blame His Puerto Rico response on “water, big water, ocean water”? Mary, did you know that your baby boy will nepotize His sons and daughters? Did you know that your baby boy has come to divide us anew? This child that you’ve delivered will soon deport you Mary, did you know that your baby boy will mock a disabled man? Mary, did you know that your baby boy will rouse neo-Nazis with His hand? Did you know that your baby boy will walk where Victoria’s Secret Angels trod? And when you kiss your little baby you have kissed the face of Fraud Mary, did you know, Mary, did you know, Mary, did you know? The blind will almost lose insurance, the deaf will almost lose insurance the dead will vote again (according to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity)
Day 4, December 24 — 0 1 1
Sean Spicer will leap (behind bushes), Steve Bannon will speak the praises of the Lamb: “If people in this country take a knee, they should take a knee at night, every night, and thank God that Donald J. Trump is president of the United States.” … Anyway Mary, did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all supporters of creationism? Mary, did you know that your baby boy will espouse half-baked, spurious nationalism? Did you know that your baby boy is Fox & Friends’s perfect Lamb? This sleeping child you’re holding is the great “I am (the only one that matters)” Mary, did you know? Mary, did you know? Mary, how could you not have known?
0 1 2 — Day 5, December 25
Modern Christmas Carols: The Trump Administration’s First Noel
Written by Emma LaPlante
The First Noel the Angels did say, Was to certain executives in Goldman Sachs as they lay; In Goldman Sachs as they lay, counting tax breaks like sheep, On a warm winter’s night—climate change cuts deep. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Elected was the weirdly anti-Semitic ally of Israel. They looked up and saw a TV star, Building towers in Manhattan, Mar-a-Lago, and far; And to the Earth the towers gave great light, From the pollution they generated, both day and night. And by the light of that same TV star, Wise rich men came from careers bizarre; To kiss His ass was their intent newfound, And to follow Him blindly, though He was Hell-bound. This star drew nigh to the southeast, O’er crooked D.C. His campaign ceased; And there He did both stop and wave, Right as George Washington rolled in his grave. Then entered in those wise men wealthy, Full reverently upon their spineless knees; And offered in the star’s gilded pad, Their Russian connections, their Sergeis and Vlads. Then let us all with one accord, Sing praises to our slovenly Lord; Who will make Heaven and Earth of naught, If He keeps slighting world leaders like a broke Twitterbot. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Elected was the brute incarnation of Trump Hotels. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Such is the new normal in this corruption cartel.
Day 6, December 26 Written & Illustrated by Ashley Holder
Day 7, December 27 — 0 1 5
Low-key Holiday Baking Recommendations for Those Without the Time or Talent Written by Emily Alpert
Brownies and slutty brownies from Ghirardelli’s Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix
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Sugar cookies with sprinkles on top from Betty Crocker
Cake batter cookies from Betty Crocker’s Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix
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Brownies in mugs from Ghirardelli’s Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix (sprinkle chocolate chips on top as soon as you remove the mugs from the microwave!)
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Cookies from refrigerated Nestlé cookie dough
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Cake pops from the Starbucks’s Cake Pop Kit
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Corn muffins from Jiffy’s Corn Muffin Mix
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0 1 6 — Day 8, December 28
Snaps Photographed by Yena Jeong
Day 9, December 29 Illustrated by Ruoyi Gan
Photographed by Rachel Roberts
0 2 0 — Day 10, December 30
Day 10, December 30 — 0 2 1
New Year’s Resolutions
Written by Emily Alpert
?
2 Learn more about a social movement in which I have never participated
1 Try a new food
3 Go on an adventure throughout Saint Louis
4 Attend a protest or rally
6 Become more aware of politics in my community
9 Take more time for myself
11 Become more involved on campus
Day 11, December 31 — 0 2 3
!
5 Knit a scarf
7 Volunteer at an animal shelter
8 Vote in the 2018 elections
10 Reach out to my political representatives
12 Be happy
JANUARY 1
FEBRUARY 9-25
The airing and streaming of all 8 Harry Potter films on HBO
The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea
MARCH 11
APRIL 23-24
The 200th anniversary of the first publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
The annual St. Louis Earth Day Festival in Forest Park
MAY
JUNE 24
The release of Reese’s “Outrageous Bar”: creamy peanut butter filling surrounded by caramel and crunchy Reese’s Pieces, covered in milk chocolate
The official enactment of the recent decree announcing that Saudi Arabia will allow women to drive
JULY 27
AUGUST 26-27
The Perihelic Opposition of Mars, in which Mars will be the closest it has been to both Earth and the sun since 2003
St. Louis’s annual Festival of Nations in Tower Grove Park
Written by Anna Lin-Schweitzer
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER 9-10
Apple’s release of the next iPhone
The 34th World Fashion Convention in Maastricht, the Netherlands
NOVEMBER 11
DECEMBER
The 100th anniversary of the World War I Armistice
The finalization of the rulebook about implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change
Day 12, January 01 — 0 2 5
12 Events to Celebrate in 2018
0 2 6 — Day 13, January 02
Treat yourself; eat delicious desserts, find a favorite book, or just explore.
Day 14, January 03 — 0 2 7
35 Afro-Latina Content Producers to Check Out this Break
Written by Emily Caroline King
0 2 8 — Day 14, January 03
MUSIC 01 06
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Nitty Scott Cardi B Princess Nokia Ibeyi Celia Cruz Alexandra Cabrera de La Cruz Karol G MC Soffia Kelis Bianca Landrau (BIA) Esperanza Spalding Pearls Negras Sheila E. Danay Suarez Maluca
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POETRY
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Ariana Brown Elizabeth Acevedo Aja Monet Venessa Marco Mayda del Valle
0 3 0 — Day 14, January 03
FILM/ TELEVISION 01
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Dascha Polanco La La Anthony Rosie Perez Tatyana Ali Gina Torres Soledad O’Brien Tessa Thompson Rosario Dawson Judy Reyes Selenis Leyva China Shavers
MODELING/ FASHION
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Lineisy Montero Joan Smalls Yaya DaCosta Arlenis Sosa
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Day 15, January 04 Illustrated by Ruoyi Gan
0 3 4 — Days 16-17, January 05-06
The Snow Queen
Written by Anna Konradi Illustration by Emma LaPlante
Helena sat too close to the fire. Her dress was only a foot from the flame, yet she shifted her body closer to it still. She heard at once both the creaking of footsteps and the creaking of firewood as it splintered and glowed: her little boy was behind her. Helena tilted her head toward the boy, a beckon to come close. He shuffled to Helena and took her hands (paper-thin and shaking from the cold inside her) in his own (impossibly small but strong, still). The boy raised her hands to his cheeks. Helena’s fingers brushed swiftly over the planes of his face, hummingbird wings. They paused at the corners of his eyes, which were swollen and damp. “Was it a dream, Kolya?” Helena asked. She felt him nod in her hands. “You’re safe with me, Rabbit. Tomorrow you can play and forget what you saw tonight.” Her son’s dreams were often plagued with beasts. This was the price of his overeager imagination, for the faraway worlds they fantasized about in the daylight. Helena touched the boy’s lashes and round cheeks, which had dried in the heat of the fire. “Will you play for me, Kolya?” The little boy played piano magnificently; his father had been a great musician. The piano was one of the few things Helena had taken to her second husband’s house in Italy. Her old life in Saint Petersburg didn’t seem so far away when Kolya played. His fingers ran like water over the keys. When Helena heard his fingers slow, she stood to go to him, pausing first to
let the heat dance across her face. Helena carried him to bed. Already she could feel a chill sweeping through her; she held Kolya’s head close to her heart and felt the heat from his sleeping form. She lay him in bed and imagined what she must look like: a crown of white hair braided around an unmoving face, hands fluttering like dreams around the head of a sleeping child. Her pale eyes, two milky orbs, unseeing. Still, she knew every detail of the boy. Helena made a promise as she left the room: “Someday I’ll take you to see the snow, Rabbit.” The boy had been small and new when Helena scooped him up along with a few precious things (the piano, a letter from Kolya’s father tucked in a book of fairytales, a blue ribbon once woven through Helena’s hair) and moved them from Saint Petersburg. She missed the snow there—the kind that promised a blinding white light through the curtains every morning. Even then Helena’s vision had been gone for many years, but she had sworn she could see Saint Petersburg’s brilliant snow. Snow fell on the new house in the height of winter, but it was sparse, and it melted into the soot when it hit the ground. Helena longed for the snow as she longed for Kolya when he was not near; it was a part of her. Hours later, Helena heard the front door swing sleepily open. She listened to blundering footsteps, the clumsy rattle of keys. Thomas
was home, and he was drunk. Helena met Thomas six months after the death of Kolya’s father. He was a charming businessman, come to Saint Petersburg in pursuit of the next great deal. He found Helena instead. Thomas didn’t mind Helena’s blindness, nor did he mind the little shadow, Kolya, that followed her around. Helena was a regal beauty. She was calm and kind—all the things a lady should be—but Thomas knew that she was also very strong; men often believe that they want strong women. He drank her in like he would a once-in-a-lifetime whiskey. Thomas gave Helena things she thought she could never have again. He took her to operas and to symphonies, and as music filled her Helena convinced herself she could love him. Piano in tow, Helena and Kolya left Saint Petersburg. By then Thomas had won her. Helena suspected she had been a lesser challenge than Thomas imagined upon first encountering her pale beauty, and she guessed that he hated her for it. He was for nothing if not for the chase. “Thomas?” Helena called from her place by the fire. Thomas emerged with a glass of dark liquid. He took her face in his hands, settling his fingers at the base of her throat. Helena kept still. Thomas took her chin and brought his face close to hers. His breath was hot and putrid. Helena flinched. Thomas let out a barreling laugh. His grip on Helena
tightened. “You’re scared of me?” he said. “Serves me right. Gone dawn to dusk. We’re strangers.” Helena’s jaw was beginning to ache. “We’re not strangers,” she said. “You’re right,” said Thomas. “We’re much more than strangers.” He brought his lips down on hers. Taking her body into his arms, he allowed his hands to roam over her. Helena gently pushed against his chest. He kissed her again, more forcefully this time. “Thomas,” she whispered. “Kolya is sleeping.” A sound of disgust rose in his throat and he shoved her. Helena grasped for anything that could catch her fall. Her fingers grazed the corner of the piano, and the highest keys of the instrument sounded, shrill—like breaking glass—and all at once. Helena landed like a broken doll. She felt her blindness for the cage it was. “Mama?” Helena’s heart sank: Kolya was awake. She reached for the piano. Her skirt was twisted around her ankles, and when she tried to stand she fell in a crumpled heap. She turned her face from the doorway where Kolya stood. He called for her again. Thomas strode over to Kolya. “Come on, now,” he said. “Back to bed.” “Don’t touch him,” Helena whispered into the fire. “Don’t touch him.” The bitter cold of winter settled over her, through her. She turned toward Thomas. In the light of the fire, she was a great and terrible beauty. When she
Days 16-17, January 05-06 — 0 3 7
spoke, her voice was cutting. “Do not touch him,” said Helena. The room grew ferociously cold. In that moment, she could almost see her husband. Thomas was quiet for a moment then stepped away from Kolya. Helena only exhaled once he picked up his glass and left the room. She took Kolya in her arms and carried him back to bed. The boy was shaking. “You’re safe with me, Rabbit. Tomorrow you can play and forget what you saw tonight.” The next morning, after Thomas left for the day, Helena sent Kolya to play. She gathered their things and waited by the fire
for Kolya to come home. “Rabbit,” she said when he skipped through the door. “Will you play for me?” She clung to every note as Kolya’s fingers danced over the keys. When the music stopped, she took his hand and led him from the house. They walked until they reached the train station. The high-speed railroad cars delighted Kolya. He asked one question after the next, never pausing for an answer. His eagerness calmed Helena. On the way to Saint Petersburg, they imagined all the faraway places they would soon see. As Kolya drifted to sleep in her arms, Helena told him about the snow.
0 3 8 — Day 18, January 07
In Praise of JDs
Written by Emma LaPlante
If you are looking for a reason to attend law school, here is a good one: time and again, 2017 proved to us that the people most likely to save America from itself are lawyers. Artists have been bold (who can forget, for better or worse, Eminem’s freestyle Trump takedown?). Journalists, attacked nearly every day by the Trump administration, have been brave. Activists have organized on a scale the country has not seen for half a century. And certain legislators have, nevertheless, persisted. But when push has come to shove, lawyers and judges have been the ones with the power and the nerve to stop Trump’s agenda in its tracks, especially regarding the travel ban. People with JDs were the fiercest defenders of democracy in 2017. I am not a lawyer, but I am a part-time haiku writer.
Sally Yates received her law degree from the University of Georgia in 1986 and was appointed to U.S. Deputy Attorney General by President Obama in 2015. She became Acting Attorney General when President Trump took office. On January 30, 2017, she ordered the Department of Justice not to defend Trump’s executive order banning entry into the U.S. for travelers from certain Muslim countries. She was immediately fired for “betraying” the DOJ.
She said: I owe you nothing— I took an oath against that Type of tyranny— I won’t defend this. Go on, POTUS, fire her. She’ll hold her head high.
Day 18, January 07 — 0 3 9
Sally Yates (Former U.S. Acting Attorney General)
0 4 0 — Day 18, January 07
Judge Derrick K. Watson (Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii)
Derrick Watson was a member of President Obama’s graduating class at Harvard Law School. Obama appointed Watson to the federal bench in 2012, and when Watson was confirmed in 2013 he became the fourth Native Hawaiian in history to serve as a federal judge. On March 15, 2017, he issued a temporary restraining order blocking Trump’s revised travel ban. He did so again with an updated version of the ban this past October.
Civics 101: Does his race kill you? This is what the courts are for: Checking your power. You malign him, but You can’t dismiss him—and yes, Hawaii’s a state.
On January 25, 2017, two days before Trump officially signed his first travel ban, lawyers at the International Refugee Assistance Project realized that the ban would go into effect while many international travelers were in the air en route to the U.S. They issued an emergency call to action for lawyers to offer legal services pro bono to affected travelers. Thousands of volunteers responded, inundating international airports all over the country.
At the Airport A site of immense Chaos turns to a refuge. Protests flood the streets. “For the public good.” Thank God good citizens do What our White House won’t.
Day 18, January 07 — 0 4 1
International Refugee Assistance Project lawyers (and beyond)
0 4 2 — Day 19, January 08
A Taste of Korea Photographed by Yena Jeong
Day 19, January 08 — 0 4 3
0 4 4 — Day 19, January 08
Day 19, January 08 — 0 4 5
0 4 6 — Day 20, January 09
To Do in 2018: Progressively Harder Actions to Take Against Rape Culture
Written by Alicia Yang
1. Believe people who say they have been raped. a. There is literally nothing to be gained from lying, and accusations more often destroy the accuser’s reputation than the accused’s. b. Skepticism is not a form of neutrality; it is a way of silencing victims, minimizing crimes, and questioning the character of victims rather than that of rapists. 2. Realize that rape culture and rape apologism are the norms. a. All feminist movements and Title IX regulations are compensatory measures against a dominant framework. b. You must actively unlearn cultural expectations in order to not succumb to these norms. 3. Understand that language and passive actions have moral value. a. Seemingly small acts, like asking a “hypothetical question” or making a “joke,” still hold weight and can have damaging effects. b. For instance, it is wrong to ask why a victim didn’t come forward earlier or to imply that they are jumping on a bandwagon. Most people cannot fathom the true magnitude of rape, so people are less likely to believe individual accusers
as more people come forward. 4. Challenge your own biases. Ask yourself: if your favorite artist or best friend were accused, would you believe the accuser, and would you change the way you interact with the accused? a. When people we like are accused of sexual assault, we have a reflexive desire to believe them. Realize that the people you would never expect to commit violence can be assaulters, especially since they know they are the most likely to be believed. b. Conversely, victims who are less likely to be believed— women of color, men, and less conventionally attractive people, for instance—are more vulnerable because they tend to receive less support. 5. Take personal responsibility. a. It is amazing to call out other people on their rape apologism, but it is equally important to examine the ways in which you have been conditioned to contribute to rape culture. Work to undo those conditionings. b. Being progressive is not just about expecting others to align with your values; it is also about actively progressing in your own views and actions.
0 4 8 — Day 20, January 09
6. Call out all forms of slutshaming. a. One of the most insidious consequences of slutshaming is that it implies that certain people always want to have sex, indiscriminately. It also suggests that some victims deserve to suffer because of their sexual choices. b. Call out “rape culture,” not “hookup culture.” They are not synonymous. 7. Stand up to people who romanticize rape culture or who talk about women in an objectifying way. a. A common theme among men who rape is having friend circles that openly degrade women. Do your part to make this behavior socially unacceptable. b. If these people are your friends, they should be open to constructive criticism. 8. Confront not just rapists but rape apologists.
a. Shockingly, rapists are often unaware that they are actually committing rape, even if they admit to engaging in nonconsensual sex. Make it clear that nonconsensual sex is rape. b. If you don’t see it happening, then you aren’t looking hard enough, or you don’t know what to look for. Once you look for rape culture, you will see it everywhere. 9. Be willing to lose friends over rape. a. However, do not blame victims if they choose to remain friends with their abusers. Rape victims deserve the same unconditional support that most rapists receive from their friends and families. b. One of the strongest control mechanisms used against victims is social shame. Actively redirect this shame toward rapists.
Written by Alicia Zhang
Until the end of days Even against a firestorm of Hatred Fear Evil My hand will be interwoven with yours Feet stamping power Fists clenching justice Lips shouting soul
Day 21, January 10 — 0 4 9
Unity
0 5 0 — Days 22-23, January 11-12
To Do Today: Calling Congress in 4 Easy Steps Written by Emma LaPlante
You care about issues. There are probably some issues that you care about a lot, but it can feel like there is little you can do about them. The good news is that you live in a democracy with myriad ways to raise your voice. One of the easiest ways to make your voice heard is to call your representatives in Congress, but this can feel intimidating or awkward at first. We are here to help you get started. 1. Pick an issue you care about. It can be a local, national, or international issue. For nationwide issues, you can browse by subject area at GovTrack.us, where you can also find information on legislative bills that are being considered in Congress. Take note of relevant bill numbers (e.g. “H.R. 1058” or “S. 1024”) if you find any. 2. Find your representatives. At GovTrack, type in your home or school address to find the names and office phone numbers of your reps in the House and the Senate. It is important to know who exactly represents you, as many offices will not log your comments unless you live or attend school in their state or district.
3. Call your reps, which really means call your reps’ voicemails or staffers. If a staffer answers, don’t worry; they are typically very friendly, and they will not ask you to defend your beliefs. Tell them what you care about, and mention any relevant bill numbers if you know them. Make sure to provide your full name and address, even if they do not ask for it. For a sample script, check the next page. 4. Add your reps’ phone numbers to your contacts. Make it a habit to call them on a regular basis (perhaps every Friday on your walk to class), even if you have nothing new to say. Take five minutes today and follow the steps above. You may not feel like you are making a difference, but most big-picture change is the accumulation of small, insistent acts performed many times by many people. Representatives change their minds on bills and issues all the time due to pressure they receive from constituents like you.
Sample Script Staffer: Hello! How can I help you? You: I’m a constituent calling to log my opinion on a legislative issue. My name is (name) and my address is (school/home address). Staffer: Great! What can I write down for you? You: I care deeply about (issue). I believe that (beliefs). If it comes to a vote, I would like (senator/representative’s name) to vote (YES/NO) on (legislative bill number). Tip: You can be as detailed as you like with your beliefs on the issue, but if you are in a rush, it is only necessary to state the issue you care about and your stance on it. Staffer: Is there anything else I can do for you? You: No, thank you. Have a good day.
0 5 2 — Day 24, January 13
Just a Daily Reminder that the System’s Not Broken
Written by Emily Caroline King
This house didn’t just appear You built it The doors aren’t locked by accident There’s a reason you won’t let us in No, we don’t want to stay in the shed We ‘bouta tear your shit down Build us our own damn house
Written by Emma LaPlante
A man she does not know approaches her and says ‘Smile honey you’re so much prettier when you smile’ ‘My smile calms hurricanes it ends wars it cures cancer and because I am a humanitarian I give it away for free but you sir just lost your privileges’
Day 25, January 14 — 0 5 3
Humanitarian (What Not to Say to Women in 2018)
Our Mission: Issues Magazine seeks to raise awareness of the intrinsic link that exist between art, design, and social issues. The spaces we inhabit each day mold our experiences, both by fostering interaction and by building barrier. Using the city of St. Louis as our primary lens, Issues Magazine will draw connections between both tangible and intangible aspects of the social environment. With both a print and an online version of the publication, Issues Magazine will reach out to a diverse readership, including students of Washington University and residents of the St. Louis region. By utilizing a wide spectrum of media, Issues hopes to inspire action as well as awareness about the intersection of design and social justice.
Contributors: Emily Alpert Ruoyi Gan Maisie Heine Ashley Holder Yena Jeong Emily Caroline King Anna Konradi Emma LaPlante Anna Lin-Schweitzer Rachel Roberts Alicia Zhang
Stay in Touch with us: contact us issues.mag.washu@gmail.com read our articles online issuu.com/issuesmagazinewashu @issues.mag.washu