Try not to be salty, but we can't sugarcoat it. NOVEMBER 2017 VOL XV ISSUE II SYRACUSE NEW YORK Your student fee
If he comes through with Jerk, like, homeboy is gonna...
get it.
SWEET TALK
CONTENTS November 2017 Size Matters 24 The fashion industry tends to favor extremely small sizes and ignore those who don’t fit into the typical model category but Syracuse University is attempting to combat this with their “Fashion Without Limits” program.
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EDITOR'S LETTER FEEDBACK PEEPS CLICKBATE
Bling Bling, Bitch 38 This November, we match fine and tacky, bougie and classy. We don the minimalist necklace we got for graduation with plastic gems reminiscent of when Limited Too was our shit. Pat on that glittery pink eyeshadow and dig up that PVC bag from second grade or bust out the Louis Vuitton. You don’t need to choose between Paris Hilton or Kate Middleton—you’re a kween either way.
Minimalism 48 Minimalism may not seem like an elitist trend at first glance, but this new craze of owning less is actually only doable for the privileged.
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Cover Design by Chelsea Portner Illustration/Photography by Cassie Zhang
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JERK THIS What you should hit up and bitch about this month.
NOISE ARTS & MUSIC 52
Jerk's Ultimate Piercing Guide We'll stick it to ya.
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21 +/Swallow Wit
13
TOTALLY UNSCIENTIFIC POLL Cyberstalking
58
REWIND Buffy the Vampire Slayer
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SEX Wax On, Wax Off
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NO JUDGEMENT Open Relationships
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FRAMED XXX XXXXX
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AMPLIFIED Fraternal Twin
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SYNAPSE Comedy of Despair
BITCH OPINIONS 16
20
22
30
Sex Appeal
You're hard. Don't make life harder.
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SMUT FEATURES
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The Great Immitator Lyme Disease is on the rise in upstate New York. Skin and Bones It's what's inside that counts.
Head in the Clouds We get it. You vape.
High Stakes Incarceration just isn't the answer. True Match Beauty is more than black and white
GAWK FASHION 46
STRIPPED You can't spell hippy without hip!
BACK OF BOOK 62
DISCOVERSYR Sweet Praxis
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SPEAKEASY T.J. Miller
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OBITCHUARY The Corner Store
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CLOSET CASE Family Heirlooms
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FORM AND FUNCTION How to Dress like an Instagram Influencer
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Chelsea Portner EDITOR IN CHIEF
Caroline Schagrin
Alex Erdekian
Jacob Marcus
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
MANAGING EDITOR
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
EDITORIAL
Alex Archambault ASST. FEATURES EDITOR Caroline Blair ARTS AND MUSIC EDITOR Deniz Sahinturk ASST. ARTS AND MUSIC EDITOR Jake Smith OPINIONS EDITOR Bronte Schmit ASST. OPINIONS EDITOR Audrey Lee STYLE EDITOR Hairol Ma ASST. STYLE EDITOR Nick Della Sala ASST. STYLE EDITOR Hayley Greason FRONT OF BOOK EDITOR McKenna Moore RESEARCH EDITOR Callie Chute COPY EDITOR Jacqui Meuser, Matti Gellman, Sophia Jactel FACT CHECKER Taylor Connors, Emily Kelleher, Madison Snyder FRESHMAN INTERN Vivian Whitney, Katherine Flynn, Emily Lewis FEATURES EDITOR
WEB
Tiffany Moran Kate Kozuch ASST. WEB EDITOR Emily Gnat, Joann Li WEB DESIGNER Becky Savoia PHOTO EDITOR Alyssa Smith WEB INTERN Tiffany Huang DIGITAL DIRECTOR
DESIGN
Sarah Whaley Sam Adams, Ilana Shire, Jennifer Sachs, Vivian Whitney, Kateri Gemperlein-Schirm
DESIGN DIRECTOR DESIGNERS
ART
Maddi Minicozzi Kasey Lanese STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Sam Lane, Leigh Ann Rodgers, Kali Bowden, Zoey Peck, Molly Colletta ILLUSTRATORS Emily Bruder, Maddie Ligenza, Rachel Gee, Chloe Crookall ILLUSTRATION DIRECTOR
PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR
PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Sydney Stein
PR REPRESENTATIVES Lillee Bellia, Julia Susskind,
Georgiana Volturo, Alana Smolinksy, Hadassah Lai PR DESIGNER Olivia Sharf
WEB EDITOR
MULTIMEDIA
Laura Kellerman ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Grace Crummett, Matt Sacca ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Lauren Burrell SOCIAL EDITOR Jordan Cramer SOCIAL EDITOR Alexis EauClaire ASST. SOCIAL EDITOR Sarah Prosser MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
BUSINESS
Catie Anderson Caitlin Shewbrooks AD REPRESENTATIVE Ellen Greene PUBLISHER
AD DIRECTOR
CONTRIBUTORS Caroline Fokos, Caroline Blair, Staci Soslowitz, Meredith Clark, Rachel Day, Hayley Greason, Singdhi Sokpo, Emily Magnifico, Cassie Zhang, Caroline Colvin, Krystal Silfa , Julia Catalano, Kasey Lanese, Stephanie Peter, Yoori Jee, AJ Krappman, Samantha Lane, Codie Yan, Maddie Ligenza, Emily Bruder, Ciara Bethel, Tori Thomas
Melissa Chessher ADVISER Through its content, Jerk is dedicated to enhancing insight through communication by providing an informal platform for the freedom of expression. The writing contained within this publication expresses the opinions of the individual writers. The ideas presented in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Jerk Editorial Board. Furthermore, Jerk will not be held responsible for the individual opinions expressed within. Submissions, suggestions, and opinions are welcomed and may be printed without contacting the writer. Jerk reserves the right to edit or refuse submissions at the discretion of its editors. Jerk Magazine is published monthly during the Syracuse University academic year. All contents of the publication are copyright 2014 by their respective creators. No content may be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the Jerk Editorial Board.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
A NOT SO COOL CUCUMBER I do not handle stress well. My go-to reaction is to shut down, turn on Netflix, close the blinds and pretend like the world doesn't exist outside my room. I love ignoring emails and not answering texts; there are 115 unanswered messages on my phone right this minute. And my stress stems from school, internships, THE FUTURE, my friends and wondering if my shoes match my outfit. So when it comes down it, my anxieties all originate from the good things in my life—I am lucky to have them. This issue we took at look some problems that are not so easily dismissed. On page 30, learn about how sometimes treatments for Lyme Disease is not a fail-safe option—and why here in central New York this matters. Or take a look at why sometimes less, costs more in the elitist nature of minimalistic living on page 48. And how hard expressing yourself can be when the fashion industry tells you that your size doesn't matter on page 24. Can't sugarcoat these, dear readers. These problems are all going to take more than a day of binge-watching Arrested Development to solve. So don't worry about why that dude never texted you back, it's not worth your stress. Stay chill,
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FEEDBACK
PREVIOUS COVER HERE. NOW.
Hate Mail Don't worry, we talk about you behind your back, too.
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Jerk contributors Photography by Kasey Lanese
Cassie Zhung / Senior / Bling Bling, Bitch If Cassie could be any animal for a day, she would be her roommate's cat, PP. She longs for a life of catlike leisure. If her life were a movie it would be called “Life of Pie.” Clever, huh? Check out her photography on page 46
Julia Catalano / Freshman / Fraternal Twin This Syracuse newbie is terrified of everything from drawing bad Scrabble letters to dehydration. When she was younger, she wanted to be a celebrity hairstylist, but that dream died when she realized hairstyling wasn't her thing. Want more from Julia? Head to page 60 to read her Amplified feature.
Caroline Fokos / Senior / The Great Imitator Caroline hates Canadian tuxedos and takes forever to parallel park, although this could have something to do with the fact that she likes to apply eyeliner in the car. She would love to write for Cosmopolitan one day, but for now, she’s writing for Jerk. Check out her feature on Lyme Disease on page 30.
Rachel Day / Junior / Sex Appeal She’s SCUBA certified and would marry her water bottle if she could. She’s afraid of Nancy Drew video games and loves that stupid Complex video of Bella Hadid sounding stupid in a shoe store. To read more of Rachel’s funky opinions, turn to page 16 for her take on portrayals of unprotected sex in media.
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JERK THIS
HIT
Sam Smith: The Thrill of It All November 3 We'vemissedSam andhismusic that is perfect to scream-sing in the car while pretending we're heartbroken over boyfriends we don't have.
Syracuse Wine and Chocolate Festival November 25 Name a better duo—we'll wait. Spend the night getting drunk, complaining, and drowning your sorrows in chocolate.
Shameless Season 8 November 5 The Gallaghers are back and ready to stress you out (in a good way) with their messy-ass lives.
StayHomeBecauseYou're Well Day November 30 College is the last time you'll be able to shirk your responsibilitiesjustbecause,so take a day off. You deserve it.
Shit we like
BITCH Shit we like to avoid
Taylor Swift: Redemption November 10 Uh! Look what you made me do! Vomit due to bad music.
National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day November 15 The worst chore ever. Catch us leaving a tupperware of moldy rice in that bitch for months.
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How I Met Your Mother Leaves Netflix November 13 Another bites the dust. Where else will we get our fill of white dudes complaining about not getting laid? .
Thanksgiving November 23 Can't wait to discuss Trump's first 10 months in office with our extended family!
Black Friday November 24 Waking up early and fighting off middle aged women for a half-pricedmicrowavewillreally make you lose faith in humanity.
21+/-
Swallow Wit Alcohol by Volume: 4.8%
Do you love Blue Moon but hate capitalism? Then Swallow Wit is the beer for you! This is a wheat beer brewed in the Belgian style–honestly, who even knows what that means–by Middle Ages Brewing Company, the longest running full-production brewery in the city of Syracuse. Light and crisp, this beer has subtle orange and coriander (read: cilantro) notes. It’s the perfect porch beer if you’re too classy for Natty Light but don’t want to support “the man” by buying an international brand like Shock Top. This refreshing brew is one of the few beers that tastes as good in the bottle as it does on tap. It isn’t too expensive, either. At $10 per six pack, this beer will make you feel like an adult for sipping out of a bottle but won't break your pre-employment bank account.
CLICKBATE What We're Getting Off To On The Web This Month
JERKMAGAZINE.NET First of all, AirOrangeX isn't working on my new phone.
Jerk Staff Wants You to Swallow Wit
DIY Drunk Food
Curious about the beer chosen for 21 +/-? We recorded a video of staff reviewing Swallow Wit. Our taste buds, usually drowning in Natty, are more than qualified.
We dedicated the whole month of November to fulfilling our drunchies' dreams, from cheese smothered to spiked. Check out a new drunk food recipe video every week, because who needs GrubHub?
Things You Should Know Before Getting Your First Tattoo
Your Weekly Shopping Sprees are Killing the Planet
If you're inspired by our guide to all things piercings this issue and feel like sticking more needles into your body for fun, take a look at our article on getting tatted up.
Looking to stay ~woke~ about the sustainability of your clothes? Read up on the dangers of fast fashion and what brands are working to stay green.
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TOTALLY UNSCIENTIFIC POLL
Cyberstalking We’ve all done it. We dare you to find one brunch table of millennials in America that isn’t doing it as they sip mimosas. Cyberstalking is the new norm whether we like it or not (we do). This month, we got down and dirty with our readers about when, how, and why they lurk. Why do you cyberstalk? - Tinder matches — I have to feel safe before I go have unprotected sex with a stranger I met online (15.9%) - Exes — How dare you start dating someone else so soon? We’ve only been broken up for three years! (36.2%) - My friends’ moms — What can I say? I love Minion memes! (5.8%) - The dude I hooked up with at SigChi last night — I found him knowing just his middle name and his high school’s mascot. (42%) When do you cyberstalk? - Before a first date (10%) - The morning after at brunch (7.1%) - 24/7/365 (51.4%) - When I’m poopin’ (31.4%) How do you cyberstalk? - Facebook (69.6%) - Instagram (24.6%) - Twitter (2.9%) - The Yellow Pages (1.4%) - LinkedIn (1.4%) How does cyberstalking make you feel? - Alive (49.3%) - Powerful (31.9%) - Jealous (13%) - It gives me FOMO to the extreme (5.8%)
What’s the weirdest way you’ve tracked someone down? - Venmo (40.9%) - Reverse Image Search (21.2%) - Their street address (16.7%) - Honorable mentions IP Address Zillow Their High School Yearbook Emailed the professor for a class list What is the least amount of info you’ve had to track someone down? - The school they went to (63.8%) - Dorm room number (14.5%) - Mother’s maiden name (10.1%) - Honorable mentions: A single snapchat photo “I just knew that their last name meant ‘wise’ in Italian”
Have you ever been caught cyberstalking? -No, I’m one stealthy bitch (47.8%) -I am very open and upfront about my crimes (43.5%) -I did 5 years in the clink for lurking (8.7%)
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SEX
Listen, we’re not sure why wax is sexy; it just is. Glamour called it “an accessible way to bring some kink to your sex life” and Brad from Lambda Psi called it “fuckin’ hot, bro.” And apparently, quite a few SU students have had some sexy run-ins with hot wax—here are the most notable.
Romance Gone Wrong
My boyfriend and I were having a romantic night in and decided to get a little kinky. We were both virgins and wanted to explore our ~sensuality~. In theory, my hot boyfriend dripping hot wax on my naked body is, well, super hot. In practice, not so much. He dropped the candle on my stomach making a painful mess. To try to make up for it, he dripped hot wax on his own stomach but I knocked it out of his hand to get my revenge, which just hurt him. We didn’t bring the candles out again after that.
Blow Out the Candle
I sent my boyfriend a dick pic for his birthday with a flame photoshopped over the head of my penis. The picture had the caption “the only candle you’re blowing tonight.” When I went to dinner with his family that night to celebrate, we took a ton of cute group pictures. When he AirDropped those to his family, he accidentally included the candle peen. Luckily, his parents thought it was hilarious and creative. Weird to say the least.
Enter Here
It was the perfect day to get my first bikini wax—the day before senior prom. I went to this janky place that my mom would be absolutely appalled to see me at, and the wax was only $25. The woman waxing me started getting creepy with the questions she was asking me and I finally spilled the beans that I was planning on losing my virginity on prom night. She was very excited and got straight to work. When she was done, she gave me a mirror to inspect her pubic masterpiece and all I saw was a huge arrow pointing to my vagina. I was so taken aback that I just accepted it and left. The dude I went to prom with didn’t even laugh about it when we had sex. Fuck you, Tyler.
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FRAMED
ART IMAGE
Untitled Elayna Milano Senior, Communications Design "Beyond the obvious awkwardness of staring at a naked stranger for 4 hours, drawing a human body is actually really hard. This was one of the first drawings I did in my nude drawling class where my final product actually looked like my model — it takes a lot of edits. I like drawing things that I can tell if its right or wrong so I’m glad I learned how to do it but don’t feel the need to continue drawing nudes for the rest of my life. "
To showcase your work on "Framed," email jerk@jerkmagazine.net. JERK
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It's time to wrap up the conversation on unprotected sex. By Rachel Day : Illustration by Maddie Ligenza and Vivian Whitney Regrets and college go together like vodka and Redbull. Ask any college student, regardless of lifestyle, and they’ll tell you about some of their poorer choices. From not studying enough for an exam to making out with an average looking guy from English class at a bar, students do stupid shit. We mess up, laugh about it with our friends, and move on. Still, some choices come with more consequences, even if the actions may have seemed as small as a tiny piece of latex. Sex is synonymous with university culture. Social media has arguably begun a second sexual revolution and hookup culture reigns supreme on campuses. But there’s something within this liberated lifestyle of multiple partners that doesn’t get talked about enough: protection. The taboo of sex in media has been fairly constant as the idea of promiscuity continues to change. Up until the mid-1980s, condom advertisements were banned and then the AIDS epidemic broke. Meredith Grey and Dr. McDreamy go at it with no mention of protection over the soft music playing in season 2 of Grey’s Anatomy, which aired in 2006. Earlier this year, HBO’s Insecure came under fire for, unsurprisingly per the network’s MO, sex displayed during
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scenes in the show. But for once, the uproar wasn’t about a lack of decency or appropriateness, but the seemingly absent use of protection throughout episodes, specifically when one male character didn’t appear to use a condom in a scene featuring a threesome. While it might initially seem inconsequential, that’s not the case. The problem isn’t that unprotected sex is abnormal, the problem is that it is very normal. The normalization of unprotected sex in television shows, movies, and porn is extremely poignant for societal ideals as a whole. A thin layer of latex or polyurethane is, for some reason, considered to heavily influence how enjoyable sex is. It’s less of a debate and more of a crutch for men to say how uncomfortable they are. One man in a survey compared it to “showering in a plastic jumpsuit.” Perhaps it’s a reflection of how garbage American sex education is. The federal government funds abstinenceonly programs through Title V regulations and according to a survey of 4,000 middle school to high school teachers by the Alan Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit health research organization, 23 percent of sex education in America is abstinence-only. A lack of sexual education leads to kids
BITCH remaining clueless through adulthood and being able to see their actions mimicked in entertainment adds to the problem. Insecure’s lack of condom usage may not seem dangerous, but it becomes a part of a much larger social rhetoric. In 2016, California failed to pass Proposition 60, a state law that would make it required for all adult film actors to use condoms. Michael Weinstein, creator of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, supported the measure, saying, “I don’t want young people to be educated that the only kind of sex that’s hot is unsafe sex.” A national sex study in Indiana found that one in four sexual encounters with vaginal intercourse are condom protected, and that’s with an increase in usage over the past few years. In a survey of 2,000 people internationally, 68 percent said they never asked a partner to get tested before sleeping with them. But the situation begs the question: What makes people so willing to take the risk of being unprotected? The main reason seems pretty apparent: men frequently complain of not being able to finish with a condom. To this, I point out that most women with men rarely finish in general. I asked a friend about how often he used protection when having sex. Ryan, a junior from Syracuse, says unless he was in a long-term relationship, he generally did because he worried about the girl getting pregnant. STD protection was important,
but secondary. When I ask my female friend, Maggie, a senior from Mercyhurst University, the same question, she says she normally tried to use one, but sometimes it just didn’t happen. When I ask how often she got tested, she says once a year. For some reason, the fear surrounding the idea of contracting an STI is significant enough to cause worry, but not significant enough to always pause for protection or to get tested when you have a new partner. One in two sexually active people will contract an STI by age 25. According to the Center for Disease Control, 2016 saw the highest reports for cases of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. And yes, shit happens, condoms break, but the blatant lack of protection being used by people, especially young adults, is a huge part of the issue. When you have entertainment centered around hookup culture, it is imperative to do better about explicitly mentioning protection. I understand that shows are meant to be plotted, fantastic versions of reality that entertain and don’t muck around in the details, but shows based around hookup culture could stand to be a little more specific in sexual plot points. Shower sex is incredibly difficult, lasting for five hours is just exhausting, and yes, you need to use condoms. Don’t let the media make you think otherwise. JM
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Head In The Clouds Hardly a safe alternative to cigarette. By Hayley Greason : Illustration by Maddie Ligenza I can barely hear my friends talking amidst the noises of yelling, music, and glass bottles smashing on the parking lot. A string of girls shove past me as if they’re heading somewhere important. Directly above the buzzing sea of orange-clad, drunk college students I see multiple clouds of vapor dissipating as quickly as they appear. “What’s that?” I ask, pointing to the small, black e-cigarette a tailgater is clutching in his hand as if it’s his lifeline. I’m immediately offered a hit, and I politely decline. “It’s like a Juul, but cheaper,” he says. What surprisingly stuck with me long after that brief conversation on a sunny day
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at a ‘Cuse tailgate, was that he assumed I knew what a Juul was. It was the first time I realized this product had become a part of everyday college lingo and life. In other words, if you don’t know what a Juul is as a young adult, you must be living under a rock. E-cigarettes in general have increased in popularity among young people. The Center for Disease Control published that about 11.3 percent of high school students used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days—an increase from 1.5 percent in 2011. The Juul specifically seems to be leading the new craze. It was released in 2015 as the first “attractive alternative to
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cigarettes” by two industrial designers in the past 30 days—a decrease from 15.8 and smokers named James Monsees and percent in 2011. The cause of this decline Adam Bowen. Reviews dubbed the Juul could be because of the rise in popularity of “the Apple of e-cigs” with its revolutionary e-cigs. design and user-friendly interface. From Everyone agrees that tobacco is bad the start, the Juul had a clear marketing for you; it’s scientifically proven to contain code: for adult smokers trying to quit. This carcinogens and have addictive qualities. isn’t something to applaud or appreciate, Liquid nicotine, however, can't be deemed because regardless of its meticulously as “healthier” or better, and that is simply careful marketing code, the product clearly because there is very little science and caters and appeals to non-smoking youth. research out there about liquid nicotine, For starters, it looks like a damn USB and especially Juul pods. thumb drive. A kid can walk into his or her Wired’s product review of Juul when it high school classroom, Juul in hand, and first came out in 2015 explained how the put it on his or her desk, without one word nicotine in Juul pods were supposedly from the teacher. And even if adults realize “better.” Research and development what it is, it’s sleekness and evaporating engineer for Juul Ari Atkins says, "In the vapor allow teens to sneak a quick hit, say, tobacco plant, there are these organic acids in the sleeve of their hoodies on a bathroom that occur naturally. And they help stabilize break. the nicotine in such a way that makes it And then there’s the Juul’s pods’— appropriate for inhalation.” Apparently, which come in wonderful yummy flavors these acids usually get destroyed in the that the company calls “juice”: mango, cool making of liquid nicotine, which makes mint, Virginia tobacco, fruit medley, and the inhaling the vapor incomparable to the creme brûlée. The goal in the design of the experience of smoking. Juul has claimed to Juul, like any marketing tactic, is to show a preserve these organic, naturally-occurring product that is cool to own and use. acids to make the hit similar to that of a For those who say they only vape when cigarette, and they call them “nicotine salts.” they’re drunk, you’ll be surprised to know Sounds great, right? that vaping exists outside of the college Well I hate to be a buzzkill, but the Juul party scene. Bird Library has the occasional isn’t all the hype it’s made out to be. Instead ‘vaper’ that uses the buzz to stay calm, focus of weaning generations off of tobacco, and get shit done. Those people most likely e-cigs are turning them toward it. It might started vaping at parties, too. be “the Apple of e-cigs,” but it’s still an Maybe nicotine vapor is a healthier e-cig. Jury’s still out on whether or not it’s alternative to cigarettes, which have been actually a better alternative to cigarettes on the decline in recent years. In 2016, the like they’re marketed to be. The next time CDC report stated that eight percent of high you’re at a tailgate and you’re about to take school students said they smoked cigarettes a hit, keep that in mind. JM JERK
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HIGH STAKES Safe Injection Sites can be a safe haven and recovery resource for addicts. By Singdhi Sokpo : Illustration by Yoori Jee In the last few years, the opioid epidemic in America has become so severe it has finally forced us to realize that what we’ve been doing to combat the issue isn’t working and never really has. Why is it only now that we choose to acknowledge addiction as a matter of public health, and who thought incarceration was the right idea to fixing it? According to a study by the Center for Disease Control, the number of drugrelated overdose deaths reached a record high in 2016 of roughly 64,000 deaths. Unfortunately, the data doesn’t seem to indicate any change in that trend for the coming year. Thanks to a new approach to drug treatment, however, we just might see these tides take a turn. Known as Safe Injection Sites, these facilities allow injection drug users a safe space to shoot up by providing clean needles and the supervision of healthcare professionals to avoid overdose deaths. While SISs might be new to the US, European nations have been using them to fight drug addiction for decades. The first North American site popped up in Vancouver circa 2003, while the first US site opened its doors in Seattle earlier this year.
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Essentially, the goal of SISs is to reduce the number of overdose deaths, prevent the spread of disease, and eventually— hopefully—wean addicts off of their substances for good. So far, all of these case studies have yielded positive results. Yet, they are still met with a great deal of opposition. Syracuse public health professor Dessa Bergen-Cico specializes in addiction studies and is a fierce advocate of SISs. “I think one of the main reasons for opposition is people tend to think it’s like a bar,” she says with a laugh. “That’s not what they’re about. They’re for people who are chronically addicted, and either not yet ready for treatment or treatment has failed them in the past.” America is known for its use of punitive measures, and where SISs don’t exist, incarceration is used as drug treatment. Drug addicts are arrested, criminalized, returned to the same streets, and ultimately isolated. We shouldn’t punish addicts for their addictions because many of them can’t help it and it benefits no one. Instead, we should try to rehabilitate and help them feel like they’re part of our society, not an
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outsider to it. As I see it, there are only a few reasons why people are against SISs. They are rooted in a serious lack of compassion. No, it’s not a bad use of taxpayer money to care for our greater community by funding SISs. The sites reduce incarceration rates and the spread of diseases like HIV, saving millions in potential taxpayer dollars that would go toward these expenses. Many addicts end up homeless and without close personal relationships as consequences of their addiction. When people are worried about their next meal, they aren’t concerned about their quality of life. Drug users often lack a support system, and when it feels like no one cares, there is no incentive to seek treatment. SISs as establishments communicate to drug users that people do care about them, giving them access to basic healthcare and a chance to connect with people going through similar situations. Instead of promoting addicts to continue using, SISs encourage users to seek help. SIS opposers exist because we are looking at the problem with the wrong framework: addiction is not a moral issue; it’s a biological one. If you choose to see it through a moral lens, it’s easy to turn a blind eye or turn your nose up to drug users. But if you choose to see it from a scientific basis, you feel an obligation to treat addiction like another serious physical illness. As a society, we fail to recognize the importance of community and to realize the interconnectedness of our world and how others’ lives affect our own. It’s because of that, we
have an opioid epidemic on our hands. “People tend to think that—drug addicts— are not people worthy of help or not people they feel a connection to,” Bergen-Cico said. Yes, drug addicts are people, too. We shouldn’t be so quick to forget that or to feel better than them because they happened to fall into a situation we’ve happened to avoid. A situation that no one is necessarily immune to being ensnared by. A situation that relies on a level of humanity to overcome. But in the face of the opioid epidemic that has touched almost everyone in one way or another, the public health expert is optimistic about a positive shift in attitudes toward addiction. “People now have an understanding that they maybe didn’t have before, that these people aren’t so distant from them, aren’t so different.” SISs aren’t something that will show immediate results because that’s the nature of addiction. SISs aren’t drug parties where junkies get to hang out on the government’s tab. They are respites of hope for people at their lowest who are looking for the slightest glimmering reminder that, yes, they are human, too. JM
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True Match Queen Ri throws shade—in the best way possible—on the beauty industry. By Emily Magnifico : Illustration by Emily Bruder In case you missed it, Rihanna just added another title to her already long list of accolades—songstress extraordinaire, fashion queen, and now beauty mogul. Her new cosmetics line, Fenty Beauty, has been making serious waves ever since its release in September, and has instantly become an international hit. But Fenty Beauty isn’t just your average celebrity-backed makeup venture—with her Pro Filt’r Foundation boasting a range of 40 shades, Rihanna is offering her audience the diversity they deserve. It’s certainly a change that’s long overdue. While Fenty Beauty isn’t the only diverse makeup range on the market, it’s one of the few actually doing it the right way. Unlike other cosmetics companies that merely throw a few one-dimensional shades on either end of the spectrum, Fenty has provided a product with an inclusive range that actually caters to the multitonality of all skin colors, from the lightest to the richest hues. Unfortunately, it’s 2017 and this kind of dialogue should no longer be necessary. Including shades for every skin tone
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shouldn’t be a special consideration, it should be a no-brainer—especially when you take into account that as of 2015, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 50.2 percent of America’s babies were non-white. For a country that’s becoming progressively more polychromatic, the pervasive insistence on monochromatic products lining our beauty counters is increasingly disconcerting. While vendors have consistently cited a lack of demand, and so-called “difficulties” in the formulation stage when mixing different types of pigment for darker skin tones, these egregious oversights are merely cop-outs for the racism that has long plagued the beauty industry in the United States. The reality is twofold: first, women of color spend an average of $7.5 billion annually on makeup products—that’s a hefty chunk of the market share—and second, the people behind the labs creating the products are and have always been predominantly white. These issues are not easily solvable, but the path of recompense should be fairly clear. The first starts with getting the right people in the labs and diversifying
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the hands who are creating the products themselves. This is where partnerships can play such a hefty role, like the joint venture between beauty blogger Jackie Aina and high-end cosmetics company Too Face. If brands want to accurately represent women of color, then those same women should be the ones who have a hand in what’s being produced. The second starts with adding diversity to campaigns—brands are increasingly electing more women of color as their cover girls, which is a good thing, but unless they’re also producing their shade of makeup then these marketing ploys are little more than superficial. Third, the conversation around issues of diversification in the beauty industry needs to veer away from the concept of commodifying under represented groups in the marketplace. Adding diversity to lines is not a trend—it’s the appropriate thing to do in an equality-minded society in which all populations deserve to be represented in all aspects of life. When Huda Kattan, founder of the eponymous Huda Beauty, released her #FauxFilter Foundation line—complete with a range of 30 shades—a month after the international release of Fenty Beauty, the
Internet was quick to accuse her of copying Fenty’s foundation in both name and shade range. The names are similar, no doubt, but the likelihood of any intentional plagiarism is slim. The problem is that even if you want to get behind the argument that Huda Beauty copped a similar name, chastising the brand for copying Fenty’s shade range is highly counterproductive. Not only does it perpetuate the cycle of women cutting each other down, but it positions inclusion as a trend to be copied, and one with negative social backlash. Surely inclusion shouldn’t be a competition, but if we’re going to make it one in this regard then the goal should be one up each other as much as possible. Fortunately, these ideals are slowly being adopted by the contenders of mainstream beauty—both high end and drugstore brands from Dior to Maybelline have been increasingly adding shades to their collections. It’s a perpetually slow start, but at least the market is clearly changing for the better—Fenty isn’t the first, and certainly won’t be the last to make strides forward in beauty inclusivity. It’s just a shame that it took this long to get here. JM
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SIZE MATTERS Body diversity and inclusion in fashion is taking center stage at Syracuse University and on social media; now, it’s time for the fashion industry to follow. By Hayley Greason : Illustration by Sam Adams Adams
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hirteen-year-old Jaime Raines stepped out of the brightly lit dressing room at Lane Bryant with a pained look on her face. Dressed in a plain, button-down shirt and grey slacks that her mother had picked out for her, she hardly felt like herself. In typical teenage girl fashion, Raines told her mom she hated the outfit and stormed back into the stall, only to sit down on the floor and stare at the clothes hung up on the walls. She didn’t like anything else enough to even try it on. This wasn’t just a normal teenage tantrum. At Raines’ local mall, Destiny USA in Syracuse, NY, Lane Bryant is the only store for women sizes 14 to 28. Unfortunately, their styles do not cater to her taste.
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Since then, Raines has refused to let the no supply for the demand,” she says. industry dictate what she can and can’t wear. So Emme decided to make an impact, At age 15, she decided that she wanted to starting with education. In 2014, she started design her own clothing. “I wanted to make “Fashion Without Limits” at Syracuse garments for myself that I actually wanted to University, a program that added size 14–22 wear. If I didn’t, I’d have to wear old granny dress forms for fashion design students to clothing,” she says. “The clothes were too learn with. Illustration, pattern making, and bland and the styles were too bland.” Last draping classes are now taught for sizes 0–22, year, Raines, a Syracuse University graduate not just sizes 0–8. of the class of 2017, created the first plus-size Raines remembers being ecstatic when the senior fashion line the school has ever seen. program began her sophomore year. Almost Raines’ emphasis in school on plus-size immediately, she came up with the idea to fashion is a part of a revolution in the fashion do her senior fashion line all in plus-size. She industry. Up until now, plus-size has been remembers hoping and praying that no one an afterthought, or an extension, of fashion would take the idea before her. “Luckily I design. If a woman doesn’t fit into sizes 0 to caught it before someone else,” she says. At 10, the fashion industry doesn’t pay attention first, she wanted to do her line in knit, because to her. She’s an outsider, stigmatized to the it easily fits to various body shapes. Instead, point where she isn’t considered appropriate she decided that she really wanted to have for fashionable clothing. Surprisingly, a her style embodied in her line. Raines is majority of women in the United States fall African American and loves interesting prints into this category. According to a study done in textiles, so she decided to include African in April 2016 in the International Journal of prints in her designs. “It’s harder for a garment Fashion Design, Technology and Education, to look more flattering on a plus-size figure,” the average size of American women is 16. she says, “because of all the curves and other Plus-size model and body positivity things that you want to enhance and hide.” advocate Emme, like Raines, also deals Despite this, Raines is determined to use the with and recognizes this problem. “Millions skills she learned through “Fashion Without of women in our country are over a size 12 Limits” to design clothes that are stylish and and they can’t find clothing options suitable flattering for plus-size women. She’s happy to their personality or to their lifestyle. It that she is the first to take what she learned in doesn’t make any sense,” she says. At 26 Emme’s program and run with it. years old, she became a plus-size model. Raines hopes to run even further and use Describing herself as a “healthy, Amazonian- what she’s done at SU to help progress the type woman,” she is roughly a size 14 and industry; however, when it comes to her continues to struggle with finding clothes that future, she has reservations. “The fashion fit her body. For example, she says that she industry is extremely competitive,” she says, would often walk into a department store to “and I’m not sure that I can find a job without find that the only size 14 garments they had any connections.” Currently she is working as available were out of stock. “There’s simply a costume designer at Redhouse Arts Center JERK
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extremely competitive,” she said, “and I’m not sure that I can find a job without any connections.” Her fallbacks are to either look for jobs in the textile industry, or freelance her own plus size lines and see if they gain any ground. She knows that the fashion industry isn’t completely accepting of plus size fashion design quite yet, but she still sticks with it. “I know I’m only one person but I try and push the idea,” she said. Her doubts aren’t misplaced; the fashion industry has its reasons for avoiding plus size lines. Laura Zapata, a professional celebrity stylist and past stylist for clothing company Top Shop, deals with the challenges of styling plus size celebrities but understands the fashion industry’s pushback. Just recently, she styled Dascha Polanco, a celebrity actress, for the Emmy’s, who publically spoke out against designers’ reluctance to create a red carpet dress for her. Zapata knows that sometimes it can simply be a cost issue. Trendy, mainstream fashionable clothing companies only have one or two sample sizes on hand for celebrities to try on, and they don’t want to spend the money to make more unless they know that it will be bought. She knows it also simply costs more to use more fabric in the making of a larger garment. When Zapata worked as a stylist for Top
Shop, she participated in the expansion from England to the United States. She recalls a conversation about the addition of plus size to the line and how it was ultimately turned down. “It’s all about personal branding,” she said, “once a company starts a plus size line, the branding and marketing changes. Most companies don’t want that.” Zapata describes Top Shop’s clothing as “offduty model staples”. “Fashion is aspirational, and it’s a sad reality that the aspired lifestyle is to be thin. So I think when these fashion brands are trying to establish themselves they want to attain to the highest fashion level, and that means catering to women who are thin,” she said. She has faith that the industry is slowly but surely changing. In the beginning of her career, Zapata remembers getting shipments in from Lane Bryant for clients and being shocked. “The plus size clothing that used to come in was so disgusting. I refused to use it for any of my clients.” Now, she has an array of brands to choose from, all of which have their own styles and cater to women of various sizes. These small, young startups rely on the social media community that actively fights against the negative associations with being plus size. A strong social media movement allows there to be a conversation about empowering all sizes of women. JERK
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5 Body Positivity Instagramers That Are Changing The Fashion World 1.) Gabi Fresh a. b. c.
Gabi is not afraid to get naked and show off her real, true body. In 2012 she started the #fatkini movement to help women feel comfortable in their own skin. Instagram: @gabifresh Blog: www.gabifresh.com
2.) Isha Reid
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Isha’s boldly stated “There are so many ridiculous rule us plus size ladies are told. We can’t wear this and we cant wear that, but guess what? We can wear whatever we like!” Instagram: @pic_pixie Blog: www.an-autumnsgrace.com
3.) Hayley Herms a. b. c.
Hayley is killing the game of plus sized fashion and is on top of every trend. She is not only a plus sized model but also a songwriter, singer, actress and en trepreneur. Instagram: @hayleyhermsofficial Website: www.hayleyherms.com
4.) Margot Meanie a. b. c.
Margot is unapologetically herself. On her Instagram she identifies as “plus size life + style… with a dark twist.” She is also a YouTube personality and a per sonal shopper for a business she started called Al ternative Curves. Instagram: margotmeanie Blog: www.margotmeanie.com
5.) Courtney Mina a. b. c.
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Mina proves plus sized models can pull of any style t hey want to be it black and gothic to pretty pastels as seen on her Instagram. (She also has an adorable daughter who is often featured.) Instagram: @khaleesidelrey Blog: www.theglitterthread.com
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are fighting for body inclusivity. Hayley Herms, a plus size model, posts pictures on Instagram in trendy outfits at photo shoots and just in everyday life. “When social media became a thing, I started getting messages from women whether they were skinny, fat, curvy, thin, whatever. And they would message me and say things like ‘your confidence inspires me’. I’d even have guys contact me saying ‘I wore a tank top because you gave me confidence with a shirt you wore once’ and I was like oh my gosh, I think I’ve found my calling,” she said. One of Herms’ favorite places to shop for outifts is “boohoo”, an online brand that has fashion-forward affordable clothing for plus size women. On Instagram, “boohoo” has one and a half million followers, and posts women of all shapes and sizes wearing their clothing. This community has fostered an acceptance of larger women and positive body image. Growing up, Raines never considered
herself “fat”, she just saw herself as big chested. Herms doesn’t have a problem with using the word fat, and can’t wait to see ideas like Raines’ come to fruition in the mainstream fashion industry. “Girl you know, the plus size industry, we are taking over,” she said, “Fat is the new black, honey.” Raines completed her final sketches for her senior fashion line last spring. “I’m really excited to do this and take on this challenge. This is a field that the fashion industry just doesn’t understand and I’d love to change that,” she said. At the end of the day after Jamie’s gone home, bright lights illuminated the open floor of the warehouse where the Syracuse University School of Fashion Design is housed. Raines’ large desk was cluttered with scraps of brightly patterned fabric, notebooks, water bottles and eraser shavings. Off to the right, a clean, size 14 dress form stamped “Emme Style” stood tall over her workspace. JM JERK
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THE GREAT IMMITATOR Lyme Disease often goes unnoticed and unknown, but it has massive impacts on an individual's life. By Carly Fokos : Photography by AJ Krappman Teddi Landis stares up at the ceiling, her eyes aimed to raise awareness of the disease and its wide, as she recalls the first moment she was symptoms as well as encourage the community introduced to the disease that would alter her life. to take preventative measures. Lyme disease is Landis has lived in upstate New York for an infection that, when contracted, can affect a more than 50 years. One day, she went to a number of different organs—it has been dubbed homeopathic doctor in her hometown, Saratoga “The Great Imitator” due to its ability to mimic Springs, shortly after she began noticing odd many other deteriorating diseases. sensations of discomfort in her ears, armpits, “The thing about Lyme disease is that anyone and feet. Initially, she credited the symptoms to can get it: kids, adults, and patients as old as lack of sleep, but once rashy red circles appeared they come. If you’re outside and you get bit by all over her body, she began to think it was a tick, you can be infected,” says Dr. Kristopher something more serious—a hunch that proved Paolino, infectious disease physician and clinical correct. researcher at SUNY Upstate Medical University. She looks back at me and clears her throat. The bacteria that causes Lyme disease can be “The doctor looked at me and said, ‘I think you transmitted to humans through the bite of a deer have Lyme disease.’ And I said ‘What? No—I tick. New York is one of three states that report can’t have Lyme disease,’ and at first I completely the highest number of Lyme disease cases in dismissed it,” Landis says. The tendency to think the country, according to the most recent data of ourselves as invincible is human nature—we from the Center for Disease Control. This is a deem ourselves immune. But the somewhat particular problem for rural upstate, where the unfortunate reality is: invincibility is a falsity and risk of exposure to ticks carrying the bacteria is this is what Landis was going to have to come higher. The result is a growing influx of people to terms with. going to the emergency room with symptoms New York State Senator John DeFrancisco that are consistent with Lyme disease. held a press conference this past July to Paolino describes the range of Lyme disease inform the public of the growing Lyme disease symptoms as a spectrum. On the epidemic in upstate New York. The conference
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lower end of the spectrum there is the classic “bulls-eye” rash which rightfully earns its nickname from its ring-like appearance, flu-like symptoms, fevers, and fatigue. Further up on the spectrum, there is risk of joint swelling, persisting headaches, neck pain, neurological issues, Lyme meningitis, heart complications, and electrical abnormalities, among others. Colleen Cassidy, a senior at Syracuse University, contracted Lyme disease following her freshman year while working at an outdoor summer camp. She recalls noticing a rash, but it was not the typical bulls-eye connected with Lyme disease. She ignored it until she woke up one morning with severe neck pain inhibiting her from moving her head. Soon after, her face began to swell. Upon going to the emergency room, she was tested for Lyme disease and given antibiotics almost immediately. Cassidy says that although the antibiotics alleviated her symptoms, they made her nauseous, which impeded her ability to work while she was recovering. Paolino estimates that only 20 to 30 percent of people who are diagnosed with Lyme disease actually get the noticeable bulls-eye rash. The absence of this rather obvious indication of Lyme leads to many cases being falsely diagnosed or left undiagnosed. This could be especially relevant within a college climate where we tend to brush off physical symptoms as insignificant and, quite literally, push through the pain to keep up with our daily responsibilities. Meredith Harmison, a Syracuse University sophomore, was diagnosed with Lyme disease as a child. One day, she woke up with an extremely swollen knee for which she had no explanation. Upon going to the emergency room, a blood
Since undergoing treatment, Cassidy has not experienced any relapse or chronic symptoms of Lyme disease
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relatively easily with antibiotics over the course of a few days or weeks. When treated quickly, there is low risk of experiencing complications in the future or the relapse of any symptoms. But, chronic Lyme disease symptoms can develop over time in some cases, especially those who received treatment after having it for a long time. The unpredictability and inconsistency of symptoms is part of what makes Lyme disease so scary. It can be easily misattributed because of its impacts on a variety of organs. It can be hard to diagnose; the bacteria that causes Lyme disease is not as abundant in comparison to other bacteria. Due to Lyme disease’s ambiguous progression and limited testing methods, many cases of Lyme go undiagnosed. “It grows slowly and hides,” says Paolino. False negatives are not uncommon; in many cases, if you test negative for Lyme despite the presence of deteriorating symptoms, insurance does not cover the antibiotics necessary for recovery. This puts the test confirmed that Harmison had Lyme financial burden of treatment in the hands of the disease. She received medication intravenously patient. “There were grown men crying about through a PICC line for three months and how Lyme disease had devastated their entire underwent two surgeries on her knee to eradicate lives, and that there was nothing they could do the joint swelling, as well as physical therapy. because they had continuously tested negative, Before the swelling of her joints, Harmison had despite symptoms,” Landis says, after attending no rash or other symptoms at all. a support group for those affected by Lyme “The doctors think I had Lyme for months disease. “It was then when I understood what the before I was diagnosed,” Harmison says. “That’s doctors had meant when they said I was lucky to why it got so bad, how the symptoms got so have tested positive.” serious. I just didn’t know it.” Soon after her own She received three months of treatment recovery, Harmison’s younger sister contracted after a recurrent episode, which halted the main Lyme disease as well. Unlike Meredith, the bulls- symptoms, leaving Landis to cope with the eye rash was easily identifiable and treatment residual effects on her own. “You’re not going to was quick and effective. eradicate it—you just want to control it,” Landis If caught early, Lyme disease can be treated explained. “You have to learn to live with it.” 32 11.17
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"You’re not going to eradicate it— you just want to control it."
Even after two rounds of antibiotics, Landis frequently gets headaches, which was uncharacteristic of her prior to contracting Lyme. Her feet continue to tingle and feel strange— almost numb. She says that whenever she is outside, Lyme disease is always on her mind. “Oh man, there’s just ticks everywhere! I used to go barefoot all the time while I gardened. Not anymore. Whenever I’m around grass I’m honestly just a little scared,” Landis says. As for the future, Landis is one of many who have turned to homeopathic treatments for relief when her symptoms flare up. She says she makes herbal pills and tinctures using various ingredients including cat’s claws and dandelion. According to Landis, these natural remedies help alleviate discomfort when they complement a healthy diet and lots of sleep. Homeopathic treatments appeal to many people because there are few FDA approved products that are effective long term, Paolino explains. “When these symptoms come and don’t go away, people get desperate, especially when nobody knows how to treat the pain symptoms effectively.” Until more research is done, those who have been affected by Lyme disease will continue to cope. Those who haven’t should continue to be cautious, and everybody should make an effort to be informed and raise awareness. Lyme disease isn’t going anywhere, but with the right steps, we can work toward managing it better. JM
Harmison lived in an extremely rural town and spent most of her days outside at the time of her diagnosis.
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Local taxidermist and ESF professor discusses his modern-day practice of stuffing dead animals for teaching purposes.. By Caroline Blair : Photography by Kasey Lanese While most 12-year-olds played with stuffed collectors to expand the diversity. Occasionally, animals, Ronald Giegerich was busy stuffing he takes his students to trap animals, themselves. dead animals. For over 40 years, Giegerich, the Once collected, Giegerich says the time varies collections manager for the Roosevelt Wild Life for how long the process of taxidermy takes. Collection for SUNY: College of Environmental This includes tagging it, skinning it, identifying it, Science and Forestry, has been a vertebrae and all the miniscule steps in between. For small biologist. He practices scientific preparation birds, it will take him no longer than an hour, but working with animal skeletons and skins. “The with large marine mammals, it can take him up hobby turned into the avocation. This is the to five weeks. But to Giegerich, all this time and hobby that became the job,” Giegerich says. effort is worth it for his students. “One of the Although Giegerich is considered a professor biggest reasons we continue to acquire things his pride and joy revolves around thousands of is to educate the students,” Giegerich says. specimens he has collected and prepared. As he “Instead of a picture or a great video, there’s walks around his collection’s facility, his smile nothing like in-hand, up-close. You can visualize gets wider and wider with each drawer he opens. it, you can see it in 3D, and you can get a better These cabinets contain drawers with various feel for how big something is.” stuffed birds, beavers, and even a kangaroo Giegerich is hopeful to pass on his hobby to skin. As he cradles a stuffed otter, he commands students. Each spring he teaches a class for 10 that I smell it to prove his point: it doesn’t even students called “Vertebrae Museum Techniques.” smell like a washed up wild otter. Giegerich Here, he gives students hands on experience spends his days either teaching his students or with specimens, taking them from limp corpses preparing various specimens for the collection, to museum ready. When asked about the future, which originated in 1919 and has over 10,000 Giegerich says he is most excited about a new catalogued vertebrae items, dating back to the 5,000 square-foot museum in the Gateway ESF 1870s. While this may seem a drab life to some, building coming next year. “After all these years for Giegerich, it is all he needs. Although many being here and acquiring and preparing all these of the specimens come from upstate New York, specimens, I want to see that they get housed Giegerich notes they do make trades with other properly in a new facility and that they all get universities, acquire some specimens from other catalogued and taken care of. It’s my legacy.” JM
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PHOTO ESSAY
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GAWK We’ve all been through that phase where we purged our jewelry boxes of bedazzled knick knacks from Claire’s and swore to never touch rhinestones again. This issue we mix our dainty chains with kitschy baubles and multicolored barrettes. So go ahead, blast Hilary Duff and fork over the cash for that Hello Kitty bling from Chinatown. It’ll go with your Tiffany necklace—we promise.
Stylists: Hairol Ma, Nick Della Sala, Hayley Greason
Photographer: Cassie Zhang Makeup Artist: Jessica Oh
Models: Siara Ramirez, Rob Bellman, Taylore Ratsep, Austin Tagnani
Designer: Ciara Bethel
For a behind–the–scenes look, check out our video at jerkmagazine.net.
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Choker: Free People $12.99 Shirt: Taiwan $10.00 Jacket: Guess $20.00 Bag: UO $8.99 Earrings: LoveRocks London $40.00 Barrettes: Amazon $7.00 Clips: Asos $13.00
Bling Bling, Bitch JERK
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B&W striped shirt: American Apparel $40 Green choker: Zara $15.99 Star earrings: $8.99 Star choker: Zara $15.99
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Shirt: Asos $17.00 Clutch: UO $10.99 Choker: Cashmere Studio $20.00 Charm Necklace: Model’s own Rings: Monki $8.00 Puka Necklace: Ron Jon $10.00
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Hoodie: Dolls Kill $32.50 Necklace: Taiwan $2.00 Earrings: UO $18.00
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Beret: UO $30.00 Jacket: Thrift $10.00 Necklace: Etsy $25.00 Shirt: UO $9.99 // Shirt: Kostas Seremetis x Marvel $8.99 Choker: UO $2.99 Necklace: Amazon $20.00 Spoon Ring: Earthfest $16.00 Earrings: Asos $16.00
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Cheetah print shirt: Thrifted $5.00 Crystal Necklace: Amazon44 $26.00 11.17
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Jacket: Morocco $50 Earrings: Nastygal $20 Gem Clips: Asos $9.50 Necklace: eBay $2
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Fair & Square Ever feel guilty about the probably grueling and unethical labor practices that go into the making of your entire closet? Yeah, us too. And if not, maybe you’ve thought about the ecological impact of the fashion industry, considering it’s the third largest industry in the world. Fairtrade fashion is out there, and it’s more than just tie-dye maxi skirts and crunchy peace tees. Illustrations by Bethany Wolfe
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Everlane If you’re feeling the pressure to start dressing like a functioning adult, check out Everlane—the master of simple and classy while staying well above the international standards of production. Dubbed “radical transparency”, their manifesto involves revealing all of the costs and means that go into making the clothes. Unlike your favorite fastfashion shops, Everlane invests time and energy into making sure their factories produce fair fashion. They review every factory for working environment, hours, wages, and more.
Osei-Duro Based in Los Angeles and Ghana, Osei-Duro aims to protect traditional textile practices around the world and give locals safe and fair job opportunities. The processes for creating the vibrant colors and prints in their fabrics are outlined step-by-step on their site, almost explicitly enough to start a new DIY project at home. Honestly though, the artisans from Peru, India, and Ghana do a better job than we ever could.
Reformation The hip and trendy Reformation has been around for almost a decade, but we don’t see them slowing down any time soon. Just last month they released their even more sustainable sister line, Reformation Jeans. You might feel down to earth in your ripped denim, but producing the textile is one of the worst practices for the environment. Somehow, Ref managed to make it greener. Don’t expect to buy your own pair anytime soon though, there’s a waitlist for every single item.
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Not So Simple Minimalism isn't always black and white—there's a lot of grey area when it comes to the lifestyle movement. By Caroline Colvin
When you hear the word “minimalism,” I’m sure a few key things come to mind — chic white button-downs and black slacks, fresh Stan Smith Adidas that make for good contrast against concrete, grid-patterned bags from ASOS, the sparsely decorated but still luxurious high-rise apartments of your wildest Pinterest dreams. But for a lot of people, minimalism isn’t about things, it’s about getting rid of them.
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Apart from characterizing art, the term “minimalism” is used to describe the practice of living simply. This involves purging your house of unneeded goods and carefully considering what it is you truly need in life. Joshua Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, who run an eponymous blog and podcast called “The Minimalists,” consider minimalism “a tool that can assist you in finding freedom.” Their belief is that minimalism can free us from “the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve built our lives around.”
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Regina Wong, a London contemporary of Millburn and Nicodemus, says there are many ways to be a minimalist. “It’s a way of life where you focus on what’s really important and what adds value, and getting rid of the rest of the stuff,” Wong said. “And by ‘the stuff,’ one can mean physical possessions, mindsets, behaviors, habits, relationships, commitments.” This is something Wong explores on her blog, Live Well With Less, and in her book, “Make Space: A Minimalist’s Guide to the Good and Extraordinary” which serves as a starting point for budding practitioners. Wong’s journey started about three years ago when she came across the quote, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or to believe to be beautiful.” This set a months-long process in motion for Wong. She realized she was unhappy with her job, then came across a TV program about hoarders. “That was like, ‘Oh my God!’” Wong explained. “Looking at my old place, it wasn’t anything like that. But that got me looking around my rooms. ‘Oh my God, what can I chuck out?’” She then started reading the work of minimalist thinkers such as Leo Babuta, which led to her first major declutter session. “I got rid of loads of my possessions. And I think that was the first one. Ever since then —it was about three years ago — I’ve had several million declutters, so on and so forth.” Since then, Wong has become a leader in the community. When The Minimalists went on tour
a few years back, Millburn and Nicodemus wanted to leave something tangible behind in each city. Wong was the Londoner who organized the London Minimalists meet-up group. The goal is to bring people together with screenings, activities, and support. Minimalist trends have also weaved their way into the U.S.-- Naomi Schware, a photographer and videographer based in Syracuse, New York, settled for something different. After being released from active duty in the military, Schware started living out of her truck. It was during her service that she gained a perspective on life outside “our Western bubble.” “It made me realize that material objects just don’t matter,” Schware said in an email. For the past four years, she's been living as a minimalist. While the lives of her friends and family look very different from her own, Schware said they are supportive. Everything Schware owns fits in her truck. More than anything, she says, being a minimalist is beneficial for her life. “Being a photographer, I can pack up and move to any location at any time. I also save a lot of money because I spend money on experiences, not things.” When it comes to backlash, Schware said people have questioned her life choices and thought she was crazy. They also have met her under some less-than-flattering pre-conceived notions. “People just assume that I’m super dirty because I live in a tent. But then they meet me and realize that I don’t smell bad and are JERK
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surprised,” Schware explained. “For the most part, they just shrug their shoulders and see it as an adventure.” It’s hard to peg when the minimalist lifestyle started to gain popularity. As always, analysts are quick to pin the trend on millennials. But the term itself, however different the connotations are today, has been around since the 1920s. It came into use in the 1950s primarily to describe emerging forms of art. Somewhere between now and then, minimalism became what it is today. It’s not hard to figure out what emerging, global, 20th century force —rhymes with “apitalism”— drove people to this point. When asked about the differences between American and British minimalism, Wong said there aren’t many. It’s really a matter of urban life versus rural. “You’re talking about life in the cities, where the majority of the population is quite taken by a very consumption-driven mentality. Where it’s common to have the best, the brightest, the shiniest. Loads of stuff to keep one happy.
The only point of difference Wong could point to was the tiny house phenomenon. It’s not that they aren’t a thing in London. To the contrary, a 290-square-foot tiny house in London’s Chelsea neighborhood was up for sale this year. The asking price? £600,000. That’s $780,000. In the same borough, 10-bedroom houses cost £450,000 or $585,000. The tiny house ended up being bought for a little over £713,000. Wong said, “I think for most Brits, it’s not such a big step out to go live in a tiny house. We have small houses, anyway. For Americans, it’s a big jump.” While many find comfort and peace in minimalism, others are calling bullshit. Business journalist Stephanie Land recalls for the New York Times how she used to clean houses to fund her college education and support her daughter. The experience made her understand why people, especially middle- and upper-class Americans, are so keen to declutter. And one could even say she was practicing minimalism because she had to learn how to be happy with less in that period of her life.
“You see people, you know, going to Primark, But she didn’t want to be happy living with less. and carting out bags and bags of stuff,” Wong Downsizing to a 400-square-foot apartment says for example. Primark is a one-stop shop —the average American apartment is around 990 retailer in London that's a bit like Forever 21 square feet— wasn’t a decision she made with meets HomeGoods. glee. Neither was getting rid of most of her clothes and childhood nicknacks. Neither was “And you think, ‘Do they actually need all that trashing cherished books or artwork she had stuff?’ It’s probably not that good quality any- done over the years. way. It’s part of the disposable culture we’re currently going through.” Land puts her point best when she says, “Mini50 11.17
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malism is a virtue only when it’s a choice.” She didn’t get rid of her stuff because she wanted to free herself. She did so with no options left.
Minimalism simply allows you to make these decisions more consciously, more deliberately.
The premise of minimalism is problematic to begin with, because there’s an assumption there. The audience that is being spoken to has to be middle to upper class. They’re the ones with enough stuff to give.
The Minimalists have responded to this sort of backlash, writing that anti-materialist attitudes can go hand-in-hand with some consumerism. The issue is with the value assigned to things. “Want to own a car or a house? Great, have at it! Want to raise a family and have a career? If these things are important to you, then that’s wonderful,” the Minimalists write. “Minimalism simply allows you to make these decisions more consciously, more deliberately.” When asked about whether living a minimalist lifestyle is a mark of privilege or way to reject consumerism, Schware agreed it is both. On a personal level, Schware recognizes her privilege. “As a white woman in our contemporary society, I am blessed by the imbalance of being able to feel as if, no matter what, I will find work somehow somewhere, even if it's washing dishes or flipping burgers,” Schware said. She maintains this belief while also strongly rejecting
anti-consumerism. Wong has tackled the myths about minimalism before. The main point Wong drives home is that minimalism isn’t about deprivation, but joy. For Wong, minimalism is about mindful consumption. And more than that, it’s about mindset. She explained how the members of her London minimalist groups come from all backgrounds: different demographics, ages and professions. Some of them, she says, probably wouldn’t be considered “well-off.” In the same way, you can say a range in consumption habits across class in greater society.
“You’ve got [Mark] Zuckerberg wearing the same thing every day and he’s a billionaire! And then you’ve got a lot of poor people trying to keep up with the Joneses, really maxing their credit cards to make sure they look good,” Wong pointed out. Buying what makes you happy and minimalism can co-exist, Wong believes. Again, it’s about joy. “I think it’s down to the individual at the end of day how you want to live your life and how you want to define minimalism,” Wong said. “On your terms.” JM
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Jerk's Ultimate Piercing Guide Piercings have been around for a while – the first dating back to almost 500 years ago. Piercings are especially popular in tribal cultures. From spiritual to cultural to decorative, there are countless reasons and places to get pierced. It can be a little daunting at first, but don’t worry–Jerk has you covered. By Jerk Staff : Illustration by Jacob Marcus
It's not a phase!
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Helix Daith Your badass high school crush probably had one of these. Located on the innermost cartilage fold of your ear, this piercing is a great way to show that you have the balls to try something risky.
These piercings go through the upper cartilage of the ear. The most common ones circle the lip of your ear and are often double or triple piercings; however, you can also get studs or bars if you’re looking to do a bit smaller. Helix piercings are among the easiest to customize.
Conch Anti-tragus Tragus piercings are boring—but you don't have to be. This trendy statement piece located just above your earlobe is a newer way to add jewelry to your ear. Anti-tragus hoops, horseshoes, and curved barbells add something unique to your look.
A style that has gained popularity in the last few years, conch piercings go through the cartilage of the ear as rings, bars, and studs. You can go minimal and wear a single conch earring or go big and get a few. Be careful, though, because this one will hurt and take a while to heal.
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Body Party Bridge A barbell fits perfectly where your nose meets your forehead, acting as a striking statement piece. You can be subtle with a tiny, metallic bar or you can be loud with a vertical, curved barbell directly between your eyebrows—but we don't recommend the latter.
Medusa If you’re looking to make people turn into snakes, this might be the way to go. Medusa piercings go through the philtrum, the dip directly below the septum of the nose and above the upper lip. The studs initially became popular in the 1990s, so they’re on-trend for this season.
Clitoral Yes, that really is a thing. Only for the bravest of heart, clitoral piercings can be either horizontal or vertical. Contrary to popular belief, they are not less painful than another body piercing, and do not take longer to heal. They also do not penetrate the clitoris itself, only the skin on top of it. Good luck with this one!
Penis Of course you can get your penis pierced, too. This piercing is achieved by piercing just the tip, through the urethra and back out. It also helps increase pleasure for the partner during sexual intercourse—so, worth a shot?
Corset Occasionally used as part of BDSM, corset piercings are are body piercings that are pierced multiple times mostly side to side to look like a corset being laced up the body. As they're quite risky, most corset piercings are only temporary.
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1. Piercings are expensive Before you break the bank on a piercing, you should know that most piercings range in price from $20 to $65, depending on the method and type of piercing you’ve chosen. A tragus piercing can cost around $20, while a daith will cost $60 minimum, so do your research before.
2. Piercing holes never go away It'll take time for the hole to heal, but it definitely will heal. Depending on the type of piercing it is, the healing time will differ. If you decide that you're done with your piercing, just take the jewelry out and your body will naturally close the hole. You might end up with a scar, but at least you'll have a great story.
3. Nipple piercings increase sensitivity Like most things in life, this depends on the person. There’s no way to determine how the process will affect you until you actually do it, so be ready to live with the consequences. But hey, hopefully it works out. ;)
Rumor Mill 4. Tongue piercings can be fatal This is totally unsubstantiated. Until someone can prove that a piercing in the wrong spot can kill you, go pierce to your mouth’s desire. It will make every meal an adventure.
5. Belly button piercings can interfere with pregnancy Okay, so this is kind of true. Certain piercings can cause discomfort during pregnancy, but it’s nothing you can’t recover from. You can get around this by using soft jewelry made specifically for pregnancy to safely keep your piercing from closing.
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How should you take care of a new piercing? Taking care of a piercing may seem hard, but it’s really quite easy if you follow a few rules. Make sure to keep your piercing clean, avoid friction from clothes, prevent bodily fluids from touching your piercing while it’s healing—wait a bit to get kinky—and resist the urge to pick at it. But ask your piercer, to be sure—every piercing has a unique regimen.
What should you use to clean piercings? You have several options to use when cleaning your piercing. Sterile saline solution made for wound care is a great go-to option. You can also use fragrance-free liquid soap or a mixture of ¼ cup iodine-free sea salt with a glass of warm water. Again, ask your piercer, they know best.
What shouldn’t you use to clean piercings? Don’t use pierced ear care solutions, rubbing alcohol, betadine, hibiclens, ointments, or stronglyscented soaps. That shit is gross.
How should you clean your piercing? No matter what you use to clean your piercing, the first step is to wash your hands—you don’t want any bacteria finding its way onto your new jewelry. Can piercings contract the mumps? You don't want to find out. If you’re using a saline solution, seal a cup of warm solution over the piercing for five minutes once or twice a day. If you’re using soap, wash your piercing at least once a day. Afterward, rinse thoroughly and dry gently with a paper towel. You got this.
Holy-er Than Thou Some helpful tips: »» »» »» »»
Wearing natural fibers like cotton will help your piercing breathe and thus help it heal quicker. There is such a thing as cleaning too much. Showers are safer than baths while your piercing is healing. Limit your intake of caffeine, alcohol and nicotine while your piercing is healing, as all of these can cause increased inflammation and bleeding.
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Jerk Recommends: Halo Tattoos - 171 Marshall St, Syracuse, NY
In business for 20 years, Halo Tattoos has two locations. You can get piercings and tattoos at both, in case you want to kill two birds with one stone.
Resurrected Tattoo - 125 W Fayette St, Syracuse, NY
Located in Armory Square, this tattoo parlor with a 1940s vibe, is famous for its sailor-style tattoos. Their piercings are also an excuse to get off the hill and take a trip downtown.
Scarab Body Arts - 215 Walton St, Syracuse, NY
Scarabs are mythological Egyptian beetles symbolizing change, and Scarab Body Arts embodies this quality. They treat getting a piercing like starting a journey, and they make it a good one.
Black Sea Tattoo and Piercing - 131 W Manlius St, East Syracuse, NY
For almost 15 years, Black Sea Tattoo and Piercing has offered affordable piercings. Make sure to ask for Mona, the resident piercing expert.
Carmelo’s Ink City - 419 Hiawatha Blvd E, Syracuse, NY
RuthlesSs, a.k.a. Ruth Silva, offers a wide range of piercings at Carmelo’s. You can even get your clit pierced—if you’re into that.
Angry Banana - 602 S Main St, Syracuse, NY
You really can’t go wrong with a store that’s been around for two decades. A staff favorite here at Jerk, Angry Banana has two piercing artists to help you, and it’s cheap, too!
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REWIND
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Twenty years after its premiere, the charm of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's feminism no longer rings true. By Chelsea Portner : Illustration by Tori Thomas I watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer's pilot when I was 15. I remember being transfixed by Sarah Michelle Geller’s steely portrayal of Buffy Summers—and her ability to run in platform boots. This fall marks 20 years since the second season of BtVS premiered; its first episode airing just months before on March 10, 1997. The show was the brainchild of Joss Whedon who acted as the creator, executive producer, show runner, head writer and director until its final season in 2003. The show follows Buffy Summers, who appears to be the antithesis of a typical hero; she is petite, blond and conventionally attractive. Hailed as a feminist milestone, the entire show was structured around turning the horror genre on its head. Whedon took the typical damsel in distress and put her in power, allowing the horror genre to be told from the female perspective. Buffy is mercurial, shifting from peppy cheerleader to doting daughter to depressed teenager. There are major shifts and growth in every female character, which paved the way for the female driven dramas we see today. Willow Rosenberg’s—Buffy’s closest confident—lesbian relationship was one of the healthy portrayal of a LGBTQ+ characters on TV; setting the precedent for shows like Will and Grace in following years. Subverting genre and characters 58 11.17 • JERK
archetypes, the show flies through seasons melding from teen soap to musical to campy horror. Because of its chameleon tendencies, the show has inspired academia, studies of the shows, the language used in it and it’s structure. At Newhouse you can even take a class entitled “Diversity and Whedon's Women”. The show often gets nostalgically gilded as a cult classic, but at the two decade anniversary it is a good time to reflect on the good and not so great parts of Whedon’s creation. Revolutionary and hyper-feminist by nineties standards, in 2017 it is time to reevaluate the show and see what could be improved. It’s okay to love the show for the nostalgic themes and badass characters, but it is important to consume it critically and with open eyes. A number of the villains portrayed on the show were not just monsters, but rather issues that still permeate the fabric of the television we tune into today—rape, domestic abuse, sexual identity, and a startling white casting. Story arcs like Buffy’s torrid and abusive relationship with Spike would cause outrage on Twitter today. It’s been 20 years, but it is beginning to look like these problems are timeless. But at the very least, it is still better than Twilight. JM
NO JUDGEMENT
PODOpen Relationships By Krystal Silfa : Illustration by Emily Bruder
The Deal: A relationship can be defined by many factors, and believe it or not, exclusivity is not always one of them. Even if it may seem like some strange wild construct never put into practice, there is such a thing as an open relationship. Its definition fluctuates from couple to couple. For some, open relationships mean that you’re in a romantic relationship with someone, but can still hook up with other people. For others, it can mean that you can have several romantic partners at once. The only real common thread is that open relationships are defined by lack of monogamy. The Issue: Taboo surrounds polyamorous romance. Most people don’t consider an open relationship an actual relationship at all, since there appears to be no commitment. Some may argue that an open relationship enables cheating or the use of sex for validation. Relationships are unpredictable; especially, when boundaries are not clearly defined. Jealously and emotional attachment are part of human nature and can get in the way.
The Bigger Issue: Once you start thinking about today’s hookup culture, it is no surprise that open relationships exist. Hookup culture has promoted playing the field and sex without emotional attachment, and open relationships can act as an extension of that. After all, they allow you to partake in casual sex. But, this isn’t necessarily a good thing, since there are many flaws within hookup culture. The Defense: Take a look at open relationships from a feminist point of view. Open relationships are progressive and don’t follow standard expectations of how a relationship should be. Which means that women don’t have to follow standard expectations of their role in relationships either. Sure, there are examples of open relationships that are problematic, but not every open relationships follows that path. As long as everyone is happy and on the same page, all is well in an open relationship. Monogamy doesn’t work for everyone and that’s okay, so there is no need to try to fit yourself into a specific kind of relationship just because that’s what society expects. JM
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AMPLIFIED
FRATERNAL TWIN Active since: 2013 | Members: Tom Christie, Amelia Pritcherella, and Shannon Moore | Sounds like: Spencer Radcliffe, Turnover | What they Jerk to: Moses Sumney, Jay Som, Land of Talk By Julia Catalano : Photo provided by Fraternal Twin Jerk Magazine: When did you start playing music and how did Fraternal Twin form? Tom Christie: I started playing music a lot in New Paltz, where I went to school. I played a lot of shows out there, moved around a bit. I started Fraternal Twin back in 2013. I’ve been playing under my own name for a while just in some other bands. Then I moved around to New Jersey, got involved in other music scenes: New Brunswick, Philly, NYC. I lived in Jersey City last year, but now I’m settled back in upstate New York. JM: How does performing at house shows compare to playing at venues? Which one do you prefer? TC: They’re definitely different animals; house shows are more unpredictable. They can be more community-based and there’s a built-in crowd of a lot of excited young people. I still go to house shows and I remember that being a huge part of my life in school. It’s hard to pick a preference. I do like getting everything to sound as good as possible, but limits are great to work with, too.
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JM: Do you have a favorite song you like to perform? TC: We usually play “Fingers” at the end of every set, and we’ve changed it up a lot of times live, just to work with the format of a three-piece. It’s great to see the songs change in a live way and get a little more adventurous with the guitar playing and stuff. JM: What do you find inspires you most when you’re writing music? TC: It's definitely changed over time. I fixate on new things all the time because I used to write just acoustic guitar-based music and now I’m exploring what the guitar can do sonically. So I guess the music is having an effect on the words more but without trying to zone in on any particular aesthetic that might limit the scope of the songs. JM: What’s next for Fraternal Twin? TC: We’re pretty quiet right now, just working on the album. We’re demoing what I think is gonna be the new album. We’re rehearsing these new songs and getting to know them, which is really exciting. JM
SYNAPSE
COMEDY OF DESPAIR A healthy dose of tragic events and grief-stricken characters in any TV show will make you cry. But making you laugh with the same recipe, now that is hard—and here at Jerk respect intricate humor. From a talking anthropomorphic horse to a rodeo performer who used to be a classically trained clown, here are three of our favorite depressing comedies.
BoJack Horseman Back in the 1990s, he was the young star of a popular sitcom. Now he is largely forgotten and living on a concoction of alcohol and pills in his LA mansion—also, he's an anthropomorphic horse. The critically acclaimed Netflix original might be the most tragically beautiful show around. BoJack is a washed up actor living in Hollywood. Through a series of loosely connected misadventures, he struggles to fix the mistakes haunting his past, come to terms with his broken relationship with his mother, and find something to fill the gaping hole inside him—all while making you laugh.
Fleabag Fleabag follows a depressed, self-destructive woman who cannot relate to her family, hates her stepmother, and is recovering from mysterious death of her best friend. It may not sound like it at first, but it is one of the funniest shows on TV. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the star and creator, is the shows its beating heart. Slowly revealing just how broken her character—a sex addict plagued by bad habits and narcissism named Fleabag— truly is. More than a comedy, Fleabag is also a powerful depiction of depression and regret. It sneaks up on you, using comedy and tragedy to create something uniquely its own.
Baskets Sad, bizarre, and surreal elements mix with dark humor in Baskets—a show that owes more to David Lynch than Chuck Lorre. Chip Baskets, a classically trained clown brought to life by Zach Galifianakis, becomes a rodeo performer and desperately attempts win back the affections of his mother. The show has an acerbic, dry sense of humor that builds into something spectacular. You never get a sense that the show is making fun of Baskets or his mother, instead functioning as a delicate character study of two flawed people, which also happens to be fucking hilarious. It’s kind of perfect that a sad clown finally got a show that can make you laugh and cry in the span of 22 minutes. JM
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DISCOVERSYR
Sweet Talk
Baking is a science, but the owners of Sweet Praxis bakery have turned their
sugary creations into works of art.
By Staci Soslowitz : Photography by Codi Yan Syracuse foodies, rejoice! Sweet Praxis, a bakery in downtown Syracuse, is ready to keep the city trendy with an elaborate, mouthwatering menu. Besides basic bakery items you can find in any run-of-the-mill bake shop, Sweet Praxis offers items like quiche and tartines straight from NYC joints. They just added an espresso machine, so coffee-lovers have no excuse not to hit up this bakery—and soon full cafe. Because Sweet Praxis is no ordinary bakery, its owners have no ordinary story. Owners Jennifer Walls and Natalie Evans were working in architecture together and enjoyed bringing in homemade treats to their coworkers. They quickly realized their local farmers market was missing a hip, organic baked goods stand and decided to take their pastime and spin it into a side job in 2011. Early on, they realized their side gig was their future and began planning their storefront—a dream which came true a year ago. Walls and Evans hope to keep their menu up to date with the seasons and pride themselves on accommodating a slew of allergies. “We go fresh always, organic whenever possible, and local whenever possible. We like to partner with local vendors too,
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like Freedom of Espresso, and we want everyone to feel like there is an option for them,” Evans says. For their autumn menu, they chose to feature the “Flavors of Fall” like maple and cinnamon. One current specialty is a handmade pretzel stuffed with pumpkin and cream cheese and served with maple cinnamon butter—I know, I am drooling too. Every month they have a different flavor macaron—a fun project for Walls and Evans. For October, the flavors were Pumpkin Pie and Café Au Lait, but the November flavors are still top secret, so you might have to go and check it out yourself. Walls and Evans spend 14 to 16 hours a day in their store concocting new recipes and making sure everything is baked to perfection, and while this may seem like a burden, they love it. Evans says that they do a lot of research on food trends around the world in order to keep their menu up to date and enticing. The location strives to separate itself from other bakeries in the area by having a catering menu and also holding personal events like tea time and a separate Sunday brunch menu. Tickets for afternoon tea can be purchased on their website. JM
DISCOVERSYR
Every month a new flavor of macaron is crafted up by Walls and Evans.
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SPEAKEASY
Funny Business We spoke with comedian T.J. Miller about work ethic , seventies soft-rock, and creating comedic
DEK in DIN Light 10/13.
magic.
By Meredith Clark : Photography by Jennifer Barrett Jerk Magagzine: Many people would describe you
Jerk: Can you learn to be funny on stage?
as having “no filter.”
TM: Let’s hope so, for God’s sake! I think anything
T.J. Miller: Fuck you!
that you do over and over you get better at, always, including listening to a soft-rock seventies
JM: Do you think that that’s an accurate
song or watching a movie over and over. Some
description, and has it played to your advantage
people are like, “Well, you’re just born funny,” or
at all?
something like that. Anybody can be anything they
TM: I just think a lot of people don’t know what
want. That’s the Nietzschean thing. If you want to
to do make of me. And I think that what I realized
learn to do something and you have the work
is that authenticity is much more important than
ethic, almost always you can achieve that thing.
a carefully calculated statement or persona or public appearance. I’m starting to understand that
JM: You seem to embrace audience interaction a
whatever we thought was a filter before doesn’t
little more than other comedians. How important
apply anymore.
is that to your set and how do you craft those moments?
JM: What advice would you give to a college
TM: There’s nothing better than an audience
student that wants to pursue standup comedy in
knowing that performance was just for them. If
the future?
anything, I’d like everybody to leave thinking,
TM: Work harder than anyone else around you.
“He’s never done that before. I’ve never seen a
That’s it. And when I say work harder than anyone
show like that before.” That’s what you’re paying
else that you see around you, they’re like, “okay,”
for, you know? Audience interaction is huge. That’s
and then they don’t. But I’m not more talented
also why people like improv. You can’t believe
than my friends, I just work harder than them.
that’s happening spontaneously. You can’t believe
Welcome to America.
that this is the first time this has happened.And that’s like magic, you know? JM
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OBITCHUARY
THE CORNER STORE By Jake Smith : Illustration by Chelsea Portner
The Corner Store died a slow and agonizing death following a hit-and-run by GoPuff, the new delivery service on campus. After months of gradually losing business to its cooler, quicker competitor, the institution finally perished this year, still clutching a Four Loko and a pack of Swishers in its sticky hands. Just last year, Corner Stores were still enjoying success, at least in Syracuse. Despite some trouble in bigger cities, our one-stop shops were going strong, just like the local taxi industry. Oh, how things change. GoPuff, a service offering necessities delivered in 30 minutes or less, arrived last year in a blitz of promotions, free lighters, and coupon codes, but it took a while for students to catch on. Once people started using it though, the shame and hassle of going to the store to buy rolling papers and sex paraphernalia disappeared. Suddenly, all it took to avoid teen—or twenty-something—
pregnancy was a credit card and a phone— and yes, they offer Plan B. There’s something kind of beautiful about The Corner Store that GoPuff will never be able to replicate—the sketchy vibes, the truly unique smell, the little area for students to stuff six packs of beer into their backpacks. This collegiate rite of passage is now lost to time. Future college students will never be battle-hardened by having to make eye contact with a clerk as they buy glow-in-thedark condoms and lube. GoPuff finally finished the job when they started offering beer. Who would choose to schlep to the store to buy a 30 pack of shitty beer when they could just have the same shitty beer delivered to their door? Thankfully for Orange Hill, there’s no wine and liquor offered just yet, but liquor stores should watch their backs—it only takes 30 minutes to deliver a death blow. JM
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CLOSET CASE
Family Business There’s more than just genes that run in the family. Photos by Kasey Lanese
"This gold chain belonged to my great grandfather, grandfather, and father. My father passed it on to me after my high school graduation. My great grandfather wore it during World War II when he served in the French army. Apparently, he kept it for good luck to remind him of his family. For me, it represents the same thing." —Axel Corlobe Freshman
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" This is a Pentax film camera that belonged to my grandfather. From my grandfather, to my father, to me, photography has been in our blood and a part of our lives. To me, it means being handed a tool to continue that legacy. My grandfather also has a log of all the places he went to shoot and I want to make it a point to go and shoot at the same places he did." —Sophia Faram Sophomore
" Being in a sorority was never a do-or-die thing for me. However, since my grandma was in Theta and she gave me this pin, it gave us a connection. It has the year she was initiated, which I think is really special. I know Theta meant the world to her and I think she’s looking forward to me having a similar experience with the chapter." —Hannah Juliano Sophomore
How To Dress Like an Instagram Influencer
Nails: Ugh, my manicure chipped. Think my iPhone X camera is gonna pick that up?
Glossier: I wrote them 17 emails saying I’d love to partner with them, but they have yet to respond. Maybe if the lighting is nice enough they’ll regram it.
Leggings: These leggings can only be on the gram if it’s for a cozy #coffee photo in bed. Good thing this #ootd isn’t going to be in the photo.
FORM & FUNCTION
Phone: How many periods do I have to put in my caption to hide my hashtags again? I don’t want to seem desperate, but I need the exposure.
Flowers: They’re fake just like the persona I’ve wasted five years of my life creating.
Kubal: I already posted my Starbucks PSL for the week…my audience needs to see my diverse palate. Support local businesses!
Daniel Wellington Watch: Enter my code FOLLOW-4-FOLLOWfor 15% off!
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