Jerk May 2016 by Jerk Magazine

MAY 2016 VOL XX ISSUE XII • SYRACUSE NEW YORK • YOUR STUDENT FEE

CELEBRATE NATURE’S BOUNTY CRAZY BEST FRIENDS FOOD FUN RIDES GALORE AT THE ONE AND ONLY FAIR

Where Summer Saves Its Very Best For Last

SYRACUSE

AUGUST 25–SEPTEMBER 5, 2016 Visit nysfair.org

SAVE 40% ADVANCE-SALE TIX STARTING JULY 1, 2016

MUSIC / FOOD / BOOZE 7 DAYS A WEEK UNIVERSITY 727 S. CROUSE AVE #8 SYRACUSE, NY 13210

DOWNTOWN 313 CLINTON ST. SYRACUSE, NY 13210

PHOTOESSAY

22 Waging War on the Poor

But blaming the poor for America’s excess spending is pointing a finger in the wrong direction.

REWIND Cuba

ALTRUIST Forever 21

AMPLIFIED Pizza Party

SYNAPSE Fuck the System

SMUT FEATURES 30 10

CONTENTS MAY 2016 Sake Bomb 38 In this issue, we journey to Tokyo to showcase urban wear in Shinjuku lights. Hype brands, flashy graphics and loud accessories, Jerk brings you back to where it all started: the streets.

7 8 9 12

EDITOR'S LETTER FEEDBACK PEEPS CLICKBATE

JERK THIS What you should hit up and bitch about this month. 21+/Orange ya sad you're graduating?

TOTALLY UNSCIENTIFIC POLL Wet Hot Syracuse Summer

SEX Holy Hookups

Building Up & Breaking Down Female bodybuilders discuss the negative sides of achieving perfection. Whiskey Business The perfect place to drink away those post-graduation blues.

GAWK FASHION 46

FRAMED

Stripped Abolish gender.

APRIL 2016 VOL XIX ISSUE XI • SYRACUSE NEW YORK • YOUR STUDENT FEE

Between Sound and Silence 24

BITCH OPINIONS

For those living with hearing loss, finding one's identity can be difficult, and the debate within the deaf community about overcoming this challenge and the use of cochlear implants is not as clear-cut as it seems.

4 5.16

•

JERK

Tidal

Do you subscribe to Tidal? Yeah, me neither.

Near Westside Story 48 A five minute walk from Armory Square and just across bustling West Street lies La Casita. This venue demonstrates how one Syracuse group bridged the power of art and culture to transform the lives of youth in their community.

NOISE ARTS & MUSIC

Photography by Allen Chiu Cover Design by Diana Steinmetz

Shades of Race It's not black and white.

Birth Control Soon, birth control will be as easy to get as Tylenol. But access isn’t everything.

Jerk Awards These seven people will make you question if you’ve done anything important with your life.

BACK OF BOOK 62

DISCOVERSYR Up in the Air

SPEAKEASY Case Closed

OBITCHUARY Twitter: The blue bird has taken his last flight.

CLOSET CASE All Made Up

FORM AND FUNCTION How to Dress for a Hangover at Graduation

JERK

•

5.16 5

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

The World is Your Orange Gigi Antonelle EDITOR IN CHIEF

Eric King

Susanna Heller

Ensley Rivers

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

MANAGING EDITOR

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

EDITORIAL

Michaela Quigley ASST. FEATURES EDITOR Chelsea Portner ARTS AND MUSIC EDITOR Caley Wildermuth ASST. ARTS AND MUSIC EDITOR Caroline Schagrin OPINIONS EDITOR Julia Smith ASST. OPINIONS EDITOR Ben Farr STYLE EDITOR Lydia Chan ASST. STYLE EDITOR Trusha Bhatt ASST. STYLE EDITOR Hairol Ma RESEARCH EDITOR Bronte Schmit COPY EDITOR Hana Maeda FOB EDITOR Danny Yarnall FACT CHECKER Mary Caftalano FRESHMAN INTERN Divya Murthy FEATURES EDITOR

DESIGN

Diana Steinmetz Janela Mendl, Jordana Rubin, Carly Beck, Talley Larkin, Halie Bonfiglio DESIGN DIRECTOR DESIGNERS

ART

Madelyn Minicozzi Bridget Williams STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Lilly Stuecklen, Alexandra Moreo, Shelley Kendall, Fiona Lenz, Kasey Lanese, Laura Hegstetter ILLUSTRATORS Ryan Polgar, Autumn Wilson, Claudia Lewis ILLUSTRATION DIRECTOR

PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR

PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

WEB

Lianna Hursh Kelly O'Sullivan ASST. WEB EDITOR Cori Rosen ASST. WEB EDITOR Leah Strassburg ASST. WEB EDITOR Aidan Meyer WEB DESIGNER Brittany Isdith PHOTO EDITOR Erica Mack SOCIAL EDITOR Jordan Cramer DIGITAL INTERN Gabriela Robles DIGITAL DIRECTOR WEB EDITOR

Eric Chuang, Alaina

Galiano PR REPRESENTATIVES

Serena Sarch, Spencer

Bistricer BUSINESS

Esmeralda Murray Christina Tornetta AD REPRESENTATIVE Michelle Levitch PUBLISHER

AD DIRECTOR

CONTRIBUTORS Mellanie Perez, Rashika Jaipuria, Dan Watson, McKenna Moore,

MULTIMEDIA

Chris Sechler ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Adriana Ascencio MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Annie O'Sullivan, Eric Dunay, Rachel Blackman, AbbyLeigh Charbonneau, Nicole Engelman, Sawyer Cresap, Adriana Curto, Emma Baty, Dan Watson, Allen Chiu, Taylor Hicks, Carly Bova, Nicolas Christopher Rivera, Drew Osumi, Drew Shoup, Aleya Padilla, Brendan Germain, Erin Miller, Isabel Goss, Nathan McDowell, Ari Deng, Shanice Bland, Simon Abranowics

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 2016 by their respective creators. No content may be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the Jerk Editorial Board.

6 5.15 5.16

•

JERK

The best advice I ever received in college came to me en route to Graham dining hall my freshman year. It was a chilly Saturday morning in mid-October. In my camel-colored unisex slippers and an oil-stained sweatshirt that was big enough so I didn’t have to wear a bra, I embarked on my first journey through an unknown territory: the tunnel. The tunnel, which connects Flint to the dining hall, is creepy. There’s grossly-stained pipes, clunking from God knows what, and weird puddles everywhere. I speed-walked for two reasons: I didn’t want to be murdered and I needed greasy dining hall pizza and fries pronto to help cure my hangover. But there was a light toward the end of the tunnel, one better than the florescent bulbs that unsatisfactorily illuminate the narrow halls. There was a simple, beautiful mural painted with the words "The world is your orange, so squeeze it for all its worth.” I stopped to Snapchat it, obviously. Though the Snap may have only stayed on My Story for 24 hours, this message has stayed with me for my entire time here at Syracuse. Being Orange is more than just a color. It’s an indescribable feeling of being a part of something so much bigger than yourself. Its chanting “Go ‘Cuse” in the Dome surrounded by 14,000 of your best friends. It’s trudging through a blizzard so that you can finish a pitcher—or four—at Chuck’s. It’ s spending countless all-nighters in Newhouse finishing a magazine you love. From honoring outstanding individuals in the Syracuse community on page 52 to giving you some tips on how to dress for graduation on page 67, this issue of Jerk is sure to give you all the feels. So make the most of your time in this incredible place, and cherish every moment. But most of all, keep on Jerkin. Black clothes, Orange hearts, can't lose,

JERK

•

5.15 7

FEEDBACK

We may not always act on your feedback, but trust us: Whether you're a fan or a hater, a long-timer or a firsttimer, we always at least read it. Keep the compliments and jibes coming. Katie Agretelis, @swagretelis [April] @jerkmagazine Amazing issue minus the part where you told us to buy Chanel fanny packs L a c e y , @thisisdelaney [April 13] Thank you @jerkmagazine for highlighting mental illness and providing resources. APRIL 2016 VOL XIX ISSUE XI • SYRACUSE NEW YORK YOUR STUDENT FEE

slime co, @simonsays_11 [April 12] @jerkmagazine I saw Gigi at a bar once.

SHOW US SOME LOVE Jerk Magazine 126 Schine Student Center Syracuse, NY 13244 @jerkmagazine jerk@jerkmagazine.net jerkmagazine.net

Jerk contributors Photography by Bridget Williams and Kate Beckman

MELLANIE PEREZ / Graduate Student / Up in the Air If you spot someone looking like Mya the rapper, be prepared to be stunned by her extensive knowledge of grammar and syntax. Perez is a magazine, newspaper & online journalism graduate student who is preparing to get the hell out of Syracuse to go to Egypt preferablyas soon as May hits. Before she bolts to Africa, she makes one stop: getting super high at Skydive CNY on page 62.

DAN WATSON / Junior / Pizza Party Keep an ear—and an eye—out for Dan Watson, a particularly foul-mouthed, pants-hating junior/aspiring ATM machine. He can blow your socks off with what he can do with a golf ball and a garden hose, before he faints in fear of finding his parents on Pornhub. Witness this human temple delve into Pizza Party, a local Syracuse band on page 59.

DREW OSUMI / Senior / Sake Bomb You can find Drew Osumi behind slow-moving crowds making frenzied gestures at them to move faster. As a kid, Osumi wanted to be a pediatric physician — this was before he pondered the merits of being a full-time giraffe. On page 38, watch this senior photography major strike a pose for this month’s Gawk spread.

Our bad...In our April 2016 issue the photos for Believe in Syracuse were taken by Spencer Bodian FOLLOW, DON’T LEAD youtube.com/jerkmagazine

@jerkmagazine

facebook.com/jerkmagazine

vimeo.com/jerkmagazine

instagram.com/jerkmagazine

8 5. 16• JERK

RASHIKA JAIPURIAR / Freshman / Shades of Race Look out for Rashika Jaipuriar eating cherry tomatoes or any size tomato—she doesn’t discriminate. The freshman broadcast and digital journalism major’s spirit animal is Swedish Fish, and she dreamed of becoming a flight attendant as a child. You can see Kendall Jenner play her in her forthcoming biopic So Hip, So Cool: The Movie. She takes on the media's uneven coverage of minorities on page 16.

JERK

•

5.16 9

JERK THIS

HIT

Shit we like

The Idol May 6 American Idol may be over, but the story of one teen's journey to Arab Idol puts the now-retired reality show to shame.

Grace and Frankie May 6 Enjoy the return of the Netflix series featuring septuagenarians that get more action than you do.

End of Semester May 11 Whether you finished strong or crashed and burned, you can look forward to these precious months off from school. Don’t forget to talk nonstop about your internship—everyone’s super interested.

Modern Baseball's Holy Ghost May 13 Revel in your not-so-forgotten teen angst in your childhood bedroom all summer.

Syracuse Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival May 21 Enjoy more than 50 types of beer and 25 food trucks from around the Syracuse area. We are 100 percent there.

10 5. 5.16 16•• JERK JERK

21+/-

Netflix Raising Subscription Fees May Your binge watching comes at $2 more starting this month. Netflix is one step away from becoming Hulu if they keep this shit up.

Insane Clown Posse at Lost Horizon May 5 The lyrical geniuses who brought you lines such as. Fucking magnets, how do they work?

ORANGE YA SAD YOU'RE GRADUATING?

While all of your friends have big plans to go glamping in Europe, the only thing you have to look forward to is finishing Friends for the third time on your parents' counch. But look at the bright side: The weather is warm, you some how pulled off a D in your freshman-filled ETS class, and Tops is having a sick sale on oranges. So savor these final moments as a student by kicking back on your front porch and enjoying a beverage a little classier than a fishbowl from Lucy's. Photography by Bridget Williams

Angry Birds Movie May 20 Hollywood’s in a sad state if they think it’s a good idea to make a movie out of the app your annoying eight-year-old cousin is obsessed with.

Ariana Grande's New Album May 20 We're tired of this teeny bopper's high pitched vocal runs. The only thing this woman's dangerous to is our sense of taste.

Cats at the Oncenter May 13-21 One of the longest running shows on Broadway, but you can’t find anybody who knows the plot. Also it looks like furries jumping around on stage.

Shit we like to avoid

BITCH

Ingredients 1 lemon, sliced 1 lime, sliced 1 orange, sliced 1 1/2 cups gin 2 bottles dry white wine 1 cup orange juice 1/4 cup cranberry concentrate 1/2 cup tonic water

Arrange the lemon, lime,and orange slices in the bottom of a pitcher or punch bowl. Pour the gin over the fruit slices; cover. Refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, pour the wine, orange juice, cranberry concentrate, and tonic water, into the the gin; stir.

JERK

•

5.16 11

CLICKBATE

TOTALLY UNSCIENTIFIC POLL

WET HOT

What We're Getting Off To On The Web This Month

JERKMAGAZINE.NET We know you have it bookmarked, but just in case.

A Definitive Ranking of Every Questionable Swimsuit Trend

What People are Thinking When They Congratulate You on Your Internship

Whether it's working for little to no pay for the honor of a getting coffee or babysitting brats at a summer camp, JERK asked 100 students at Bird library to weigh in on summer employment.

DO YOU HAVE A SUMMER JOB OR INTERNSHIP? Yes, it's part of my 30-step plan to ruling the world. (80%) No, my ass and the couch have an unbreakable bond. (20%)

WHY DID YOU GET A SUMMER JOB OR INTERNSHIP? Experience so I can get a less shitty job or internship. (60%) The world is not meant to see your aunt in a thong bikini, but she went ahead and did it anyways. See where that horrific childhood scar falls on this list of awful swimwear fads.

What's behind that polite smile and congratulatory handshake when you announce you've landed that sweet gig with that firm in NYC? Let us decode each gesture and separate the shade form the sincere.

WHICH ANIMAL MATCHES YOUR WORK ETHIC?

WHILE YOU'RE CLICKING AROUND...

HOW DID YOU GET YOUR SUMMER JOB OR INTERNSHIP? I lied on my application (45%)

@DeepDrumpf

@tasteofstreep

The best thing to come out of MIT since Matt Damon, a Twitterbot uses parts of real Trump quotes to come up with fake ones.

The flawless Oscar winner may be an A-lister, but she’s also the star of this Instagram account featuring photoshopped pictures of the actress on various foods. Our favorite: Toaster Strudel Streep.

12 5. 16• JERK

WHAT DID YOU GET PAID?

35% Koala: sleep 18 hours of the day, eat during the rest. 10% Goldfish: forget the most important detail as soon as you leave your boss' office. 15% Ant: all work and no play makes me part of a disposable workforce. 40% Dog: loyal, dependable, and just wants a belly rub.

a. They can pay you?!?! 20% b. Minimum Wage: Next month I can splurge for a whole pack of gum. 15% c. Slightly above minimum wage: C.R.E.A.M, dolla dolla bill y'all. 55% d. Unmarked bills left at an undisclosed location. 10%

JERK

•

5.16 13

SEX

FRAMED

Holy Hookups We sought out our readers’ favorite deadly sin in these blasphemous boning tales.

Rock Bottom

I worked at a Christian YMCA camp for a few summers in high school and early college. The camp had an outdoor chapel on the lake and we had to sing grace before every meal. Toward the end of the summer our boss would always stop caring and things got weird—think Wet Hot American Summer. One night we thought having sex in the chapel would be a good idea. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t. The floor was gravel. Shit is not comfortable.

Unscrolled

I went to a Jewish high school where every afternoon we had a 45 minute period of optional prayer time. My boyfriend and I would frequently take the keys to the sound-proof private prayer areas and hook up. One day we were getting hot and heavy in our usual prayer room when he pointed out there was an open Torah scroll on the back table and hooking up in front of it was “really unkosher”. So I pushed him against the closed, empty arc and gave him head anyway. I’m going to hell.

Bleeding Love

My boyfriend and I belonged to the same synagogue in high school. During the high holidays, we would sneak out of services and hang out in one of the Hebrew school classrooms. Once during Yom Kippur services we were hooking up and my boyfriend started fingering me. Neither of us realized I had my period until after my boyfriend had already wiped his hands off on the hem of my white dress. I had to walk to back into the holiest day of services covered in the unholiest of blood.

Confessional

14 5.16

•

JERK

A group of my friends and I went up to a friend’s lake house for the weekend for your typical high school underage drinking festivities. After everyone was blackout, all the sexual frustration of being angsty, pimply teenagers went rampant. I pulled a friend of mine into a room, where he proceeded to barricade the door. It was public knowledge that he was going to go to school to be a priest. He lives in Rome now and is close to becoming a priest in the Roman Catholic Church. So in a few short years I can officially say, “A priest sucked my dick.”

ART IMAGE

Carly Bova

Sophomore, Art Photography "I've never really had a specific type of photography that I am solely dedicated to. I started with film and was trying to learn as much as I could without a teacher, just looking things up to try and understand. I switched to digital in high school and became really interested in retelling stories, specifically the Brothers Grimm fairytales. I worked for almost two years creating those kinds of photos and trying to find new ideas, modern themes, to tell the stories that everyone knew in a unique way. Photography has always been a way of expressing myself, especially when I was younger and didn't really know myself yet. Retelling stories was not only a way to learn photography, but also to bring two things that I'm interested in together." To showcase your work in "Framed," email art@jerkmagazine.net.

JERK

•

5.16 15

BITCH

TIDAL WAVE Waged with feeble management and rookie releases, Tidal is disintegrating.

By Rachel Blackman : Illustration by Claudia Lewis

When the streaming service Tidal was named, one would presume the team behind it was hoping that word would represent a powerful, universal force. What better imagery than a giant wave that can overtake the world in one fell swoop and bring everyone along for the ride? I highly doubt, however, that the executives were thinking of a tidal wave for what it truly is—a natural disaster. And yet, which meaning has proved most accurate for the company so far? I’ll give you a hint: All of those executives have either voluntarily left or been fired. Three times over. Before Tidal became Tidal, thanks to a modest $56 million out of Jay Z’s pocket in March 2015, it was a European tech company called Aspiro AB. Aspiro AB had produced a little known music streaming service called WiMP, which was exceptionally expensive because of the high quality audio it provided. This concept appealed to its niche audience of hardcore audiophiles who were willing to spend the extra bucks to listen to their music with better sound. This concept is also where Jay Z and company’s vision to turn little Aspiro AB into big Tidal went wrong. Aspiro AB worked in its niche because it was just that, a niche product. Assuming everyone in the world streaming music would 16 5. 16• JERK

be willing or able to pay the extra bucks for a sound quality that most people, frankly, wouldn’t even be able to tell the difference on was mistake number one. Mistake number two came in the marketing of the service. On March 30, 2015, a monster lineup of stars including Beyoncé, Kanye West, Jack White, and Daft Punk stood onstage in New York City to launch Tidal in a grand, powerful, and, honestly intimidating gesture. Among the topics discussed during this event was the higher price of the service. They claimed that the high price of $20 per month was for the purpose of providing musicians with more streaming royalties for their creations as well as the improved quality. All of this sounds fantastic—until the public is asked by some of the wealthiest artists in the world to pay the already rich and famous more money. Don’t get me wrong, songwriters and producers should be fairly compensated for their art. However, when the people in the world who need compensation the least are harping on it, the argument loses some steam. Besides, its foundational paradox is the actual functionality of the streaming service. In the first half of 2016 alone, Tidal was set to roll out two of the most highly anticipated

However, when the people in the world who need compensation the least are harping on it, the argument loses some steam. album releases of the last few years exclusively. And it violently torpedoed both of them. The first project to get bulldozed was Rihanna’s Anti. Her first album since 2012, the world was anxiously building towards its release. With stunning marketing campaigns and a successful first single “Work,” Anti was primed to have a massive drop until the people carrying it—Tidal—slipped on a proverbial banana peel. On the Wednesday before the release, Rihanna’s full album appeared on Tidal midday, and though it was taken down in 20 minutes, there was nothing to prevent people on the right page at the right time from ripping the album and sending it to everyone and their third cousin twice removed. Just like that, everything that had been in the works for months, even years, flew out of the sweaty hands of Tidal and into the shitstorm of the Internet. Then comes Kanye’s album. The Life of Pablo was to be made available to stream for subscribers, and for purchase for the general public at the steep price of $20 on Tidal only. For thousands of people, credit cards were charged, sometimes even charged twice for the album to never download onto their iTunes. For many of those who did not want to share their credit card information to subscribe to Tidal, as well those who did not receive the album they paid for, piracy quickly became a tempting option. The Life of Pablo

alone was pirated over 500,000 times by Feb. 16, two days after the album's release. Fundamental problems with key selling points set the company on a very shaky structure, one that has seen three CEOs since March of last year, with the first fired and second quitting. They have gone through complete revamping of high level employees and now, to make matters worse, Jay Z is suing the previous owners of Tidal for reportedly giving him “inflated subscriber numbers.” Initially thought to change the way we consume music, Tidal's got 99 problems to say the least. JM

JERK

•

4.16 17

BITCH

Shades Of

Race

Race isn’t black and white—but many Americans treat it that way. By Rashika Jaipuriar : Illustration by Taylor Hicks

“Hey I just met you, and this is crazy, but… represents “all 50 U.S. states and 123 there’s not a lot of brown people here?” countries.” Because of this emphasis on Most small talk starts out with the diversity and the worldliness associated weather or sports, but when you’re the with academia, one expects to see more only two Indians in the room, at a cultural enrichment and open-mindedness predominantly white private institution, on campuses. But that’s not always the you can’t help but dig into heavy topics case. like race and diversity right away. For instance, at the University of Seeing ongoing police brutality and Southern California last month, a racism on college campuses, our society sophomore from Hong Kong was egged is now more sensitive about discussions and called a “Ching chang chong surrounding race. But most of those motherfucker gay.” At the Oscars this year, conversations tend to focus only on black Chris Rock brought out three Asian children and white relations—and as a result, other dressed as accountants to thank the award minorities slip through the cracks. show’s accounting firm. Rock continued, This is especially true on college “If anybody’s upset about that joke, just campuses because universities use tweet about it on your phone that was also diversity as a marketing strategy. According made by these kids.” to the SU factbook, the university proudly Rock perpetuated a tired stereotype of proclaims that the student population the nerdy Asian, which is even more

18 5. 16• JERK

egregious considering the outrage with These issues are less likely to generate Hollywood for a lack of diversity and the public outrage because society doesn’t movement #OscarsSoWhite. Even if it’s a empathize as much with "alternative" “positive” trait like intelligence, these minorities—especially those who have generalizations are unfair and unjust recently immigrated to this country. As a because it invalidates an individual’s result, Asian, Middle Eastern, Latino, and identity. No one wants to be seen as a color Native Americans in the United States are first, human second. seen more as outsiders or “FOBs.” Just This lack of representation and this fall, ABC aired the show Fresh Off the awareness has a lot to do with history, Boat, capitalizing on new immigrant and racial politics, and the model minority “Tiger Mom” stereotypes. Not only are concept, says Yingyi Ma, Director of Asian/ these caricatures aggravating, they are so American Studies in the Maxwell School played out that they lack creativity. It is of Citizenship and Public Affairs. The model not about who has it worse or who is minority, according to Ma, is the idea that discriminated against more; it is simply Asian-Americans are accomplished, so they that race in America is only seen in don’t need help. “Because they’re depicted monochrome. as successful, they’re often times actually Not all minorities get equal media not given enough support and attention,” exposure. And when minorities do get Ma says. “I would say Asian-Americans media exposure, it often perpetuates have become this largely invisible group negative stereotypes, something actor Aziz in the media.” Ansari is fighting in his new show Master There’s valid reason to view Asian- of None. Americans as a model minority. A higher “Even though I’ve sold out Madison percentage of Asians attained bachelor's Square Garden as a standup comedian and degrees in 2014 than other minorities, have appeared in several films and a TV according to the National Center for series, when my phone rings, the roles I’m Education Statistics. Asians also had a offered are often defined by ethnicity and higher median household income often require accents,” Ansari says in a compared to other race groups, according New York Times piece. It’s sad that certain to a 2012 U.S. Census Bureau report. groups still face this kind of ignorance Despite the statistics, Ma argued these today, in such a globalized and accomplishments can overshadow other interconnected society. Why do some kinds struggles—especially the “Bamboo Ceiling” of prejudice face extreme backlash, while phenomenon, where despite an others—like the gas station or Tiger Mom overwhelming presence of Asian- stereotypes—are laughed at? Americans in industries like Silicon Valley, Every marginalized group in this country they are underrepresented in leadership faces unique struggles. It’s easy to forget positions. this living in a first-world country and “Success in education doesn’t really seeing stories of success with the “model mean success,” Ma says. “That’s actually minority.” At the end of the day though, their coping strategy to make it in the every race deserves visibility and equal country…education is their safety net.” voice in the conversation. JM

JERK

•

4.16 19

BITCH

Prescription Affliction

Birth control is about to have one less barrier.

By AbbyLeigh Charbonneau : Illustration by Autumn Wilson Imagine having a crushing headache. You go to the doctor’s office, sit in an uncomfortable room filled with shitty old copies of magazines like Golfer’s Digest and Arthritis Today, with your head throbbing. After waiting 15 minutes for your name to be called, you are poked, prodded, and asked personal questions about who you’re banging for another 10 before the doctor hands you a prescription for two Tylenol and tells you to come back soon to get your refill. It seems ridiculous, but this is a reality for innumerable women and girls across the country who want to access an even less harmful medicine: birth control. Some states are finally asking “but why?” and taking steps to make birth control more accessible. California and Oregon are the first states to pass bills making the oral contraceptive pill available without a prescription. Several other states are following suit, including Washington, Colorado, Missouri, Hawaii, South Carolina, and Tennessee. But why aren’t more states rushing to enforce this bill? It hurts the very people that it’s supposed to benefit: the customer. Besides the idea that over-the-counter birth control would be readily accessible and cut out the middleman— the doctor—it will actually raise the cost on the consumer because insurance companies won’t have to cover an over-the-counter medication. It comes down to saving time or money, but in this instance, neither would

20 5. 16• JERK

help the very women who need it the most: working class women and young women. This is one giant step forward with two steps back. The possibility of the pill as an over-thecounter medication has been debated for as long as the pill has been around, and is standard practice in more than 100 countries including China, India, and most of South and Central America. Only 45 countries—including the U.S., Canada, and Japan—require a prescription to obtain the pill. Removing barriers to accessing contraceptives is shown to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies—and, not coincidentally, the number of abortions. On top of that, 20 percent of low-income women would use the pill if it was available without a prescription, according to a study done at the University of California San Francisco’s Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health. For many women, the hassle of going to a doctor to receive a prescription for a statistically harmless oral contraceptive can be the difference between getting the pill or not. However, laws don’t address keeping out-of-pocket costs low for women, which could potentially make the competitive market prices rise and hurt women’s wallets if the pharmaceutical industry decides to take advantage of the over-the-counter bill. This would hurt the same vulnerable populations

that it could be benefiting, just swapping one barrier with a hopefully less restrictive one. If insurance companies decide to still cover over-the-counter birth control, it could make the process of obtaining the pill smoother and cheaper. Right now, women must call a doctor, stay on hold listening to terrible elevator music, get the prescription called in, pick up the script, and then wait in a never-ending line. If you’re thinking “ain’t nobody got time for that,” you’re not alone. Studies show that American women who take the pill are far more likely than their Mexican counterparts—who can buy birth control over the counter—to “drop-out,” or just stop taking the pill for reasons other than wanting to make a baby. Even women who are able to get on the pill often can’t keep up with the commitment of getting a prescription renewed every single time. If it sounds too good to be true, get ready for this: These laws are actually receiving bipartisan support, making it far more likely to be successfully enacted and upheld. It seems Republicans and Democrats alike are

ready to get birth control out of politics. Now it’s up to the government to decide who will ultimately pay the bill. As far as how safe it is to make the pill available directly over-the-counter, medications like Tylenol and Aleve have significantly higher and more likely risks than birth control, and no one disputes their over the counter availability. Pills like Plan B, the emergency contraceptive, are already available over-the-counter with the show of an ID. While this is an exciting step toward easier access, not everything is rainbows and sunshine for women. With every benefit women gain, they face another sacrifice. It’s a question of which sacrifices are worth making. JM JERK

•

5.16 21

BITCH

Waging war on the Poor

A member of the New York state Senate wants to police what people can buy with food stamps. By Eric Dunay : Illustration by Ryan Polgar

In an effort to wage a war on the poor, members of the New York State Senate want to cut out lobster and steak from lowincome families. New York State Sen. Patty Ritchie, from Oswegatchie, thinks that, “it is critically important that [we] help lowincome consumers make wise and healthy food choices.” News flash, Sen. Ritchie, just because someone makes less money than a state senator doesn’t mean they are any less of a human. Food stamp opponents suggest a new

22 5. 16• JERK

witch-hunt to eliminate excess: These lowincome Americans are using their food stamps to purchase high-end foods like lobster and steak. Fox News even went so far as to point out how atrocious it is that 99.6 percent of food stamp recipients own a refrigerator. Seriously? It’s 2016, not the Middle Ages. Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that the welfare program has done its work in eliminating drugs, like alcohol and cigarettes, but if the government were to create a list of banned foods, as the

New York state Senate bill suggests, then we’ll reach full-on book-burning censorship levels. Censoring what we put in our mouth screams overregulation. The lack of evolution of arguments by food stamp opponents seems alarming. For some time now, they have been pushing this lobster and steak narrative without numbers to back up their pathological claims; so why should we buy in? In a survey study of eating habits, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that only 3 percent of food stamp recipients reported eating shellfish the day before the survey was conducted, compared to 4.4 percent of poor people without food stamps and 3.9 percent of high-income Americans. The survey goes on to show that the only thing food stamp recipients are eating more of is often the foods that opponents claim the stamps should only be used for such as vegetables, grains, and breads. The point that low-income Americans are often subjected to less healthy food options has been stressed enough. Their neighborhoods often lack full-service grocery stores, and they have to rely on small convenience stores. Many families have one or no car, so their shopping is limited to what they can carry with them on public transportation or while walking. And, of course, lower food budgets focus more on filling foods with lower nutritional qualities simply because they are cheaper. With that in mind, it would make sense to focus on poor eating habits among lowincome Americans. However, wealthy Americans earning $75,000 or more are 51 percent more likely to eat fast food once a week than lower-income Americans. So, if all classes of people are eating fast food regularly, why do Sen. Ritchie and conservatives across the country feel the

need to sanction citizens using food stamps and Electronic Benefit Transfer cards? Is government assistance in place to humiliate and embarrass Americans who use it? Of course not, although some may suggest it should. Government waste isn’t a good thing. However, this outrage is displaced. Fox News projects that there is $3 billion wasted in food stamp abuse, waste insinuating the purchase of luxury foods. Let’s say this number is accurate. America’s welfare system, obviously, isn’t perfect and certain ideas regulating food stamps have begun to be put in place to fix that, such as minimum hours worked per week, enrollment in state job-training courses or volunteering requirements for able-bodied childless individuals. Many of these regulations were actually written into the 1996 federal welfare stature, however many of the provisions were waived during the recession. On paper they seem like good ideas, however, the endless variables and obstacles that can prevent adults from reentering the workforce have yet to be accounted for in these regulations, and to intentionally cause hunger because of technicalities is a blatant violation of human rights. Interestingly enough, Fox News also projects that $4 billion in government money is wasted covering corporate tax loopholes. We can continue to pretend that the root of welfare problems in America is the outrageous purchasing of lobster and steak. However, the longer this asinine argument is drawn out and the longer these irrational narratives are published, the poor and the hungry will continue to suffer. And one small list of acceptable foods should not define someone’s livelihood. JM

JERK

•

5.16 23

SMUT

BETWEEN SOUND AND SILENCE Although Rebecca Hegstetter and Kennedy Patlan have the same disability, the journeys surrounding their deafness have been drastically different. By Michaela Quigley : Photography Provided by Laura Hegstetter and Kennedy Patlan

As miles of the highway roads disappeared "Because I feel like my life is very confined in her rearview mirror, Rebecca Hegstetter and I saw this person so free, I wanted to pulled into a gas station to fill her tank. She escape the life I’m living right now," Rebecca was en route from New York to pick up her says. daughter, Laura Hegstetter, at North Carolina Rebecca was born deaf. Growing up with State University, where Laura was a freshman hearing parents, and surrounded by a world at the time. At the station, she noticed a man that is hearing-centric, she struggles with her with only two possessions: a backpack and identity and the feeling of being free versus a sign reading, "I’m walking across America." trapped. Rebecca began talking with the hitchhiker, Society is not fit for those with a disability. Tom, and thought the way he lived his life There are about 48 million people who have was unique. Their journeys south were hearing loss in one ear and about 30 million intersecting so Rebecca decided to give him who have hearing loss in both ears, according a ride and drop him off in Raleigh, North to a study done by Johns Hopkins Medicine Carolina. They conversed for a few hours and Department. To help these people cope with parted ways. Rebecca never saw him again, a society where you are expected to be but the ride with him was liberating. "normal" with the ability to hear and speak,

24 5.16

•

JERK

•

5.16 25

SMUT

people are turning to cochlear implants. A cochlear implant is a small, electronic device that acts as the damaged part of the inner ear allowing sound signals to be sent to the brain and resulting in the ability to hear. As of December 2012, 324 thousand devices have been implanted, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIDCD. Fifty-eight thousand adults and 38 thousand children have been implanted. For some, this device is a part of their identity, which allows them to succeed in society. There are two parts to a cochlear implant: an internal and external piece. Devices can be implanted in one or both ears. The internal piece is implanted under the skin, behind a person’s ear. The internal piece consists of a receiver, which is where the signals from the external piece are sent. The internal piece also consists of the electrode array, which is a group of electrodes that collect the impulses and sends them to the auditory nerve. The electrode array is placed in the cochlealocated in the inner ear. The external piece consists of a microphone that picks up sound and a speech processor that selects and arranges the sound heard over the microphone. Thesound is then sent to the transmitter, which then goes to the receiver in the internal piece. Cochlear implants are only effective when there is damage done to the cochlea, says Joseph Pellegrino, Audiology Clinic Director at the Syracuse University Gebbie Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic. The device replaces the damaged or nonexistent hair cells in the cochlea. This means that a cochlear implant will not help someone with broken bones in the middle of the ear, holes in the eardrum, or damage done by an ear infection. Rebecca was born deaf. Her older sister was also born deaf, but her parents were hearing. According to the Food and Drug

26 5.16

•

JERK

"If I got a cochlear implant, I’d have to start all over again. I wouldn’t know who I was, so it wouldn’t be good."

"I’ve always been confused about who I am because the school has a different philosophy, and I was thrown into a hearing world," Rebecca says. "I think it would have been better off if I went to a sign language school, and then mainstreamed." Kennedy Patlan, a sophomore advertising and citizenship and civic engagement major at Syracuse University, was born deaf. Her parents are also hearing. When she was born, she had a broken wing and high fever. The nurses gave her a concoction of drugs to help her survive. Patlan believes that because she was so heavily drugged, she went deaf.

Starting from 12 months old, people can be implanted. According to the FDA,in 1985 cochlear implants were approved for adults. In 1990, the implants were approved for children two years of age or older. As of 2000, the FDA approved cochlear implants for 12-month-olds. When Patlan was two years old, she went through the first procedure to get acochlear implant. She only received one implant because doing this procedure on young children in the late 1990s was still new. Patlan was the second child to be implanted in Texas. She learned how to hear out of one ear,

Administration, 90 percent of deaf children are born to hearing parents. Her parents did not know sign language socommunicating was difficult. She attended an oral speaking school, and did not learn much sign language.Rebecca was held to the same standard as her peers and was pushed to read and communicate at the same rate. JERK

•

5.16 27

SMUT

but as she grew older, she wanted to be like the rest of her classmates. When she was in fourth grade, she got her second cochlear implant. "It was for me very much a child’s reason because I was in school and being mainstreamed," Patlan says. "I would have to switch sides so someone could tell me a secret or play the game of telephone. I thought maybe it would be better or easier in my eight-year-old mind." The earlier the person gets implanted, the more successful the implant will be, Pellegrino says. The first three years of a person’s life are the most important in speech and language development, according to the NIDCD. "They call it the critical window for language acquisition," Pellegrino says. "The younger you are, the more wide open that window is, the more open the brain is to acquire that language. As we get older, we lose the ability to readily learn new language." So, if someone gets implanted at a very young age, their speech is more likely to develop at similar rates as those with "normal" hearing. For people who are older and decide to

28 5.16

•

JERK

get a cochlear implant, the process to adjusting to an implant can be difficult. If the person grew up hearing and lost their hearing when they were older, there will be difficulties since sounds will not be the same. Pellegrino says sounds seem more mechanical or robotic to people who could hear and got implanted later in life. If he or she did not grow up hearing and never learned sounds, the person implanted usually needs someone by their side to explain what the different sounds are. Rebecca has almost been implanted twice. She went through the pre-surgery meetings, but both times decided it wasn’t for her when the countdowns to the surgeries were diminishing. Some people who are hearing question why people who are deaf would not get an implant since they view hearing as the superior. Laura, who is now a junior television, radio and film major at Syracuse University after transferring, remembers her dad wondering why her mom would want to keep her disability if she could get rid of it. Rebecca says she’s always struggled with her identity. Her parents don’t sign. She was

in a hearing school. Her husband doesn’t sign. He doesn’t understand her. Her children are hearing. Her friend who is deaf rejected her. Her sister who is deaf lives in Washington, D.C. hours away. Hearing people surround her. "I didn’t know who I was, but finally it’s getting better. But, if I got a cochlear implant, I’d have to start all over again. I wouldn’t know who I was so it wouldn’t be good," Rebecca says. Although Rebecca has struggled with her identity, Laura has always accepted her mom. She says she usually doesn’t think about how her mom is deaf unless someone else draws attention to it. When she was younger, her mom taught her to sign. Although she can’t remember her first word, Laura remembers her first sign. She was on a hike with her mom and saw an airplane flying overhead. Laura made the motion of a plane soaring. While the implants do help people who are deaf hear again, that does not mean that all deaf people will want a cochlear implant. There is a huge culture surrounding deafness. "Being deaf for many is seen as a cultural identity. It’s a linguistic minority identity," says Diane Wiener, director of the Disability Cultural Center at Syracuse University. People who are deaf usually have their own community and communicate through American Sign Language. There is deaf music, deaf art, and deaf events. If someone receives a cochlear implant, they may be removed from this culture. "People who get cochlear implants are sometimes seen as traitors," Wiener says. There is also stipulation over parents who decide to put their children through the process of getting a cochlear implant. Some people believe that the choice to be implanted should be made by the child. Patlan, however, doesn’t blame her parents for deciding to go through with the process.

They just wanted what was best for her, and because they are hearing, they thought having the ability to hear would be best, she says. "I think that on both sides, if you’re an ASL child or a cochlear implant child, they want what’s best for their child. They see it differently because of their own experiences, and I think that’s fine," Patlan says. She does sometimes struggle to find her place in society since she does not feel fully accepted by the hearing community or deaf community. During the day, she wears her implants and has access to the hearing world. At night, however, Patlan takes the external part of the implant off and cannot hear. She becomes a part of the deaf community. Although they have the same disability, Patlan and Rebecca had different experiences growing up. With implants, Patlan has struggled to find her place in society, but is happy to be a part of both the hearing and deaf world. Rebecca has also struggled to find herself while being surrounded by people who are different than her. She says that if her children were deaf, she would have made the decision to implant them. With these different experiences, the two can agree that society needs to move toward becoming more inclusive and teaching others ASL. If children get access to both worlds through cochlear implants and ASL, people will be able to communicate more. "I’m seeing a change. There’s a shift now, and it’s a very beautiful shift in trying to make sure their kids get access to both," Patlan says. The day that Rebecca picked up the hitchhiker and talked with him for several hours, language wasn’t a barrier. The two exemplify that those who can hear and those that are deaf can communicate together in the world. Whether someone has a cochlear implant, uses ASL, or is deaf, communication doesn’t have to cease to exist. JM

JERK

•

5.16 29

SMUT

BUILDING UP & BREAKING DOWN

From getting gains to hitting macros, the female bodybuilding culture has taken the spotlight. However, the health hazards are often overlooked.

By McKenna Moore : Photography by Ally Moreo A nervous, bikini-clad woman steps on stage and is blinded by the harsh theater lights. Her hair is long, flowing, and perfectly coiffed. Her makeup is bright and bold, so the audience can see it clearly. Her body glistens with an artificial tan and oil to reflect the light off of her sculpted muscles. Eight judges sit in front of the stage, writing notes on every aspect of her appearance, grading her on the construction of her body. After months of constant preparation, weeks of bland dieting, and hundreds of hours in the gym, she only gets five minutes on stage. She flexes, the judges watch, and her time on stage is finished. The women competing in bikini bodybuilding competitions seem to be confident, healthy, and ripped beyond belief. As the warmer weather approaches and bathing suits become a wardrobe staple, everyday women may be looking to bodybuilders for inspiration. But behind all of that showmanship lies mental and physical 30 5.16

•

JERK

SMUT

duress. Eating disorders, loss of bone density, in Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. and decreased fertility are some of the many According to ANAD, which stands for the challenges that bodybuilders face in their National Association of Anorexia Nervosa sport. and Associated Disorders, 20 percent of elite “You’re sacrificing so much to literally get athletes suffer from eating disorders. on stage for five minutes to flex,” Peggy Females who are involved in aesthetic sports, Pappas, a senior communication and like bodybuilding, are the most at risk. rhetorical studies major at Syracuse When lean women fear becoming too fat, University explains. they will often turn to extreme eating Pappas has been bodybuilding for two practices like eliminating carbohydrates from years after being inspired by a family friend their diets, eating only protein, starvating, who trains bodybuilders. It has taken a toll or dehydrating themselves. Uzcategui says on her body and mind. She calls it exhausting that purging behaviors such as the use of since she had to begin eating completely laxatives or diuretics, vomiting, or excessive differently and depriving her body of sugar aerobic exercise are forms of eating while preparing for competition. These disorders as well. changes meant eating smaller meals with Pappas has seen women in her own little flavor more frequently and cutting circles of competition fall into disordered almost all sugar out of her diet to prevent eating. In her experience, most of these bloating. It caused her body to go into shock, issues arise after participating in competitions. which left her with little energy. This energy “Girls get so afraid to go back to what they loss is due to the diet change combined with were that they kind of get stuck in the ‘on the strenuous training involved in the sport season’ mode, which can take them down of bodybuilding. This is not the only negative mentally,” she says. effect of bodybuilding, though. Bodybuilder Kelsey Coughlin, a junior Disordered eating is a common risk television, radio and film major, has also associated with bodybuilding for women. seen the negative effects of eating disorders The loss of energy affecting many female in the sport. She has seen other women go athletes is usually a result of the rigidity with into preparation for competition eating 800 which bodybuilders eat, and it can lead to calories and doing several hours of cardio disordered eating, noted Jane Burrell each day. She felt that even her diet of 1,200 Uzcategui, registered dietitian and professor calories per day before beginning her

JERK

•

5.16 31

SMUT

training was not enough to sustain her rigorous workout schedule. With her training regimen for bodybuilding now, she must eat many more calories each day in order to fuel her body properly and healthily. In order to avoid falling into unhealthy eating habits, Coughlin follows a strict "If It Fits Your Macros” diet. This simply means that in the off-season, she can eat whatever she wants as long as it does not exceed the amount of macronutrients she is allowed each day. She explains that there are three macros that she counts each day: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Coughlin estimates that somewhere between 80 to 90 percent of her diet are whole foods. “It becomes a number game,” Coughlin says. “You want to fill your body with the best fuel possible.” She stressed that her sport is a lifestyle change, not a quick fix or a fad diet. When women do not fuel their bodies properly, they become susceptible to negative health effects. Coughlin’s recommendation to women in this position is to focus on eating well and abandon training until you are healthy again. The hardest part of eating this way, Pappas says, is that she doesn’t see change right away, which can be very discouraging. Because it can be difficult to stick to this type of diet, Pappas encourages other women to eat healthily and take care of their bodies, but would only suggest getting involved in the sport if they are ready to make sacrifices. Coughlin echoes Pappas’ sentiment, saying that women should not get involved

in bodybuilding as a way to get skinny, but rather as a way to satisfy an intrinsic need to set high goals and work for them. Due to these drastic lifestyle changes, female bodybuilders face the risk of amenorrhea, the loss of menstrual cycle, affecting fertility. In a study published by The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, it was found that this low energy availability is closely linked to amenorrhea. Uzcategui specifies that when women get down around the 12 to 15 percent body fat range, they may lose their cycle. The average woman has anywhere between 25 to 31 percent body fat, so a woman approaching the 12 to 15 percent range is approaching a

these three issues—disordered eating, amenorrhea, and low bone density with relation to energy loss—combined are known as the female athlete triad. 32 5.16

•

JERK

trying. “You are being judged, which can be hard,” Pappas says. “You’re very vulnerable and you have an eight- person panel of judges writing things down about you.” All of the stress associated with being judged on appearance can lead women in bodybuilding to turn to steroids. These increase testosterone in the body, Uzcategui says, which increase muscle production and the amount of muscle mass that you can obtain. Because of the extra testosterone, women taking steroids will start to develop male characteristics, such as facial hair, hair on the chest and back, deepening of their voice, and aggression. It also disrupts the ratio of hormones in the body, also affecting a woman’s fertility. “Steroids are kind of the elephant in the room, because they’ re frowned upon, but more than a handful of dangerously low level. With severe energy women use them,” Coughlin says. loss and a drop in body fat, the hypothalamus, Though the pressure may be high when which is the part of the brain that links the the lights are glaring on stage and all you nervous system to the endocrine system, can smell is your spray tan, it remains just cannot function properly. This dysfunction as intimidating when the lights go down. leads to reduced levels of gonadotropin- Coughlin runs a successful health Instagram, releasing hormone, GnRH, causing this named @healthy_kelsey with almost 9,000 condition. These women will also have lower followers earning roughly 300 to 400 likes estrogen levels, which lead to concerns about per post. Though Coughlin likes interacting bone density. With lower bone density comes with the health community on Instagram, more injuries and high risk of stress fractures. she feels she can’t stray from the image she These three issues—disordered eating, has created. “ It makes me more determined amenorrhea, and low bone density with toward my goals, but sometimes I feel the relation to energy loss—combined are known need to validate myself when I stray from as the female athlete triad, Uzcategui says. my health norms,” Coughlin says. “ I live According to the Handbook of Sports this lifestyle for myself and my motivation Medicine and Science: The Female Athlete is intrinsic, but that doesn’t mean I don’ t feel by Margo L. Mountjoy, the triad is most outward pressure.” commonly seen in women that participate For Coughlin it feels unnatural to justify in sports emphasizing leanness and every skipped workout and every cupcake, appearance. Both women said that they love which after working her ass off—literally—is their sport, but that being involved comes exactly what she deserves. JM with a lot of drawbacks.The mental challenges that come with bodybuilding are the most

JERK

•

5.16 33

SMUT

Whiskey Business

Whether you prefer it neat or on the rocks, Al’s Wine and Whiskey Bar offers stiff drinks and sophisticated atmosphere for when you want to pretend like you’re not about to spend the last $20 you have to your name. By Chelsea Portner : Photography by Kasey Lanese If you’re tired of walking out of DJ’s happy hour covered in freshmen sweat or embarrassed watching desperate sophomore attempt to get into Harry’s or Lucy’s, maybe it is time for a change of pace. Tucked away between Modern Malt and Funk N’ Waffles, Al’s Wine and Whiskey Bar is a hidden in Armory Square. This hidden gem will offer you relief from the frantic underage bar crowd found on campus Al’s, located at 321 S. Clinton Street, is a sliver of a room that stretches back into

34 5.16

•

JERK

darkness, inviting only those who are serious about their liquor. The wall behind the bar is lined with bottles the stretch from eye level to the ceiling. This library of liquors glistens, waiting for customers to explore its contents at their whim. Bartenders utilize sliding ladders, reaching for the bottles that range from local New York state vodka to absinthe to Irish blended whiskey, like librarians for your taste buds. The rest of the bar is covered in exposed brick and dark wood with leather couches.

JERK

•

5.16 35

SMUT

A glowing sign from the back of the bar reminds customers to “Just Bring an Honest Face.” Marissa Maggio, a junior international relations major, has been a regular at the bar since the fall. “ There's unique artwork on the walls, and the overall vibe is quirky without being too hipster,” Maggio says. “It's a cozy environment and a fun place to talk over drinks with friends or play a round—or two—of pool.” Monika England, a fourth-year architecture major, likes to head to the bar after having dinner in Armory. "I have to go back soon, because the last time we were there, my friend wrote down my number on one of the Jenga pieces and it says to call if you're looking for a cute guy,” England says. “Now I get random girls calling me past midnight. So I need to go back and scratch that thing off.”

36 5.16

•

JERK

Al’s started as a whiskey and cigar bar in the 90s with the name Awful Al’s, under the ownership of Jerry Wilson, who furnished the store with findings from his antique store. In 2006, new owners Dave Odinkirk and Carl Johnson reopened the bar under the new name, eliminating the Awful. They kept the décor, dropped the cigars, and began serving food. Now the bar stands as an Armory Square staple, offering live music and unique selections. “It's a little more grown-up and less 'college,' but not so grown-up that you feel unwelcome there,” says Maggio. “It's a great place to go if you're looking for a more intimate environment and to take a break from drinking amongst graffiti covered walls.” JM

JERK

•

5.16 37

GAWK

Inspired by the lights, sounds, and sights of Tokyo nightlife, we walk the streets in our favorite urban brands, accenting skatewear with trill hip hop vibes and a touch of attitude. As they say, street cred isn't earned, it's embodied. Special thanks to Better Skate Shop and J. Michael

38 5.16

•

JERK

STYLISTS: LY D I A C H A N , T R U S H A B H AT T

PHOTOGR APHERS: ALLEN CHIU

PROJECTIONS: JUSTIN AMOAFO

MODELS: D R E W O S U M I , A L E YA PA D I L L A , DREW SHOUP

b o

A S S I S TA N T: HAIROL MA ART DIRECTION: QUAL AGENCY

b ( Qual Squad x Better jacket, $40; Better tank, $18; Zara beanie, $15 ) JERK

•

5.16 39

GAWK

OSUMI Army Surplus jacket, $40 Amazon glasses, $8 Fomofuku mask, $25 #CHIUxCHIU shirt, $50 CPO shorts, $44 Straight Crooked bracelet, $30

PADILLA Alpha Industries bomber, $29 (JM) Star Wars shirt, $20 BDG skirt, $59

SHOUP The Quiet Life bomber, $160 Playboy tee, $28 Vans bucket hat, $30 (JM)

OSUMI I Feel Like Pablo shirt, $150 John Oliver HBO hat, $25

( Alpha Industries bomber, $129 (JM), Victoria's Secret, $60 )

David Yurman ring, $200

40 5.16

•

JERK

•

5.16 41

GAWK

Shopjeen hat, $17 Slime does Better hoodie, $35 ASOS socks, $6 Steve Madden shoes, $110

Etsy hat, $25 Amazon shirt, $20 Amazon choker, $8 Zara culottes, $20

( Better shirt, $20; Palace hat $48 ) 42 5.16

•

JERK

•

5.16 43

GAWK

( SHOUP Better hat, $40; Better shirt, $18; PADILLA Publish Heller Repair jacket, $80; Calvin Klein bralette, $28; Hello Kitty necklace, $80 (JM)

( Spitfire bomber, $40; Levi's jeans, $60 ) 44 4.16

•

JERK

•

5.16 45

STRIPPED

BLURRED LINES A style and a social movement, androgyny is officially in. Photography by Shelley Kendall

Androgynous fashion means one thing: fluidity. We no longer have the typical streamlined male silhouette and florals aren't only for women—everything’s up for grabs for everyone. We dissect the industry’s fascination with gender-bending looks and all things androgyny.

Today’s Trendsetters

Androgyny: Yes or No?

Jared Leto in a skirt, Jaden Smith in a dress, androgynous poster child and model-slashactress Ruby Rose—these celebrities are pushing the boundaries of unisex dressing and style.

Despite most seeing the trend as a reflection of society erasing the gender binary and embracing diversity, there are still the naysayers. Many believe that the trend is still one-sided, with more acceptance for women to dress masculine asopposed to the other way around. Some also see it as insulting to define androgyny as a trend, as opposed to a mindset or way of life.

Brands Paving the Way This past season, Gucci’s men’s collection had its models decked out in pussycat bow blouses and wide-leg pants, while Hood By Air featured both male and female models in basically the same clothes. The industry has proclaimed that fashion is no longer divided by gender, and the market has followed suit. High-street stores like Zara have released a gender-neutral collection and British department store Selfridges has experimented with a whole floor dedicated solely to gender-neutral lines.

What Jerk Says Androgyny is cool. Feel free to experiment with the look and you’d be surprised how easy it is to incorporate. Fashion is about taking risks and being a little ballsy, but androgyny is about being the look.

JERK

•

5.16 47

NOISE

Near Westside STORY La Casita and Arts' positively impacts the near westside.

Story and Illustration by Sawyer Cresap Crumbled papers fill the floor and dried, dead flowers line the walls. At first glance this myraid of colors and paper appear to be a mistake, but it is not. It's part of La Casita's current exhibit by Mexican-American artist Alexis Disselkoen. Turn the corner and your eyes are bombarded with color from bright, saturated paintings lining the walls, your ears filled with childern laughter. This place is alive. This place is La Casita. Giving back. Revitalization. Renewal. These words are used much too frequently in initiatives seeking to remedy the postindustrial poverty plaguing many of today American cities. Heard less frequently, however, is the meaning these terms truly hold, and the significance they have to the everyday lives of those who call these cities home. In Syracuse’s Near Westside neighborhood, these terms have been a staple in the local lexicon. As a multicultural area with large immigrant populations and a wide variety of

48 5.16

•

JERK

backgrounds, the concentrated poverty, drugs, and gang complications have long elicited promises with these exact words at the forefront. Yet, in the past five years, words like these have taken on true meaning through the loudest definition of all: action. Within the walls of the La Casita Cultural Center on Otisco Street, a chorus of different sounds is almost certain to be heard. On any given day the sounds of children laughing, musical instruments playing, Spanish and English cpnversations, and footsteps shuffling over papers in a recent art exhibit are all staples in the center’s space. As a physical space and hub for collaboration since 2011, La Casita seeks to weave together traditional and contemporary Latino culture into the daily life of the culturally diverse neighborhood. It serves as a gallery, a concert venue, a meeting and discussion space, and classroom setting that enables activities for all ages. It hosts after-

school educational programs, music lessons, and bilingual and literacy workshops for elementary and teenaged students as well as events open to the community at large. These programs allow kids to do anything from painting and drawing to building mosaics, learning how to play new instruments, and strengthening their ties to Hispanic tradition in new contemporary ways. More recently, La Casita has shared a commitment with the Smithsonian Institute to cultivate Latinofocused art, which it exhibits several times a year and furthers the local niche for Hispanic art on a local and national stage. La Casita connects community residents to contemporary Latino culture by broadening the impact of other organizations. In connection with groups like the Spanish Action League, which functions as a social service agency, La Casita uses the asset of physical meeting space to provide solutions through another lens. Alongside other organizations, it works to fill gaps in ways

that are meaningful and relevant to residents, continuously reaching to find new ways to meet those needs and desires. La Casita was founded as a component of Syracuse University through its Near Westside Initiative (NWSI), an umbrella organization that brings resources to help revitalize the Near Westside neighborhood. To this day, the university is an integral part in the NWSI’s ability to bring both financial and cultural assets into the community as well as opportunities for student engagement. While La Casita has benefited from the university’s strong financial resources, it is facilitated independently by its own staff with many unique backgrounds and actively works to preserve its reverence to culture, tradition, and art. Its university connections have also opened its accessibility to students who may serve to deepen their connection to the city and participate in a variety of engaged learning opportunities. While the NWSI has helped cultivate this

JERK

•

5.16 49

NOISE

Through the use of arts and culture to honor inclusivity, tradition, and growth, the Near Westside changes because people change— because people are part of the equation. resource, it was the community’s response means to drive commerce, recreation, and that made it successful, the Near Westside culture. Initiative Director Maarten Jacobs says. Since his ideas were published, art as "Community members have shown great a means for lifting a city up has also involvement and interest in ways that elicited critiques. All the way back to 1987, exceeded my initial expectations," he says. in his book Pollyanna in the Brier Patch: Through the NWSI’s genuine attempts to be The Community Arts Movement, Joseph both inclusive and responsive to the Golden said art has long been used as a community, the neighborhood has held a “savior of the city,” and too narrowly large role in assuming more autonomous focused in on quixotic small fixes while control and leadership, as opposed to serving largely ignoring glaring flaws in a city’s as a less participatory stakeholder. "Initial broaded and complex problems. criticism was present among many when the While Golden and many others believe initial ideas for La Casita and the Near “arts alone are not wonder drugs,” most Westside Initiative were first explored,” insist that with art as a member of “ a Jacobs says. “These early critiques of the collective effort, a city can be changed.” initiative and its work dissipated as plans This paradigm is the exact focus of moved to action and results were tangible in efforts of La Casita and the NWSI. When the community.” viewed in isolation, it is less likely these Today, La Casita’s cultural and artistic initiatives can incite sustainable and broad impact is often cited as a strong example for impacts of their own. “When combined the ways in which grassroots volunteerism with institutional changes such as can be successful when paired with inclusive increases in housing and commercial “creative placemaking” efforts to celebrate development, reinvestment in physical present culture and spur on conversation. infrastructure, and attention to community Yet, this use of art as a tool for placemaking health and safety initiatives,” Jacobs says. is hardly new. Attempts at using art for city “ They can and do make a real difference.” growth have been in vogue since urban Whether feasible or not on a national planner Richard Florida hoisted it high as a scale, an emphasis on rebuilding revitalization tool in his book The Rise of the framework for arts and culture has made Creative Class. To Florida, and the waves of undeniable impacts for individuals on the city experts that followed, art proves a concept Near Westside, and it has not operated in most people can support as a wholesome isolation. Rather, it has helped to fill the

50 5.16

•

JERK

gaps in providing certain support services as one level of many of engagement being built in the Near Westside. La Casita is one organization of many working to cultivate a unique network of creative frameworks, such as 601Tully, SALT Works, the Delevan building, and Talent Agency. The Talent Agency was started by two artists and professors in the School of Visual and Performing Arts, Dorian Quinn and Yvonne Buchanan, who found a way to use their skill sets to solve a problem in the Near Westside. The Talent Agency was founded to serve in a guidancecounseling role for talented city school students with no plans for college and no one to help them with their portfolio. Quinn and Buchanan used Talent Agency to help work with these students and help chart them on a course towards acceptance and success with art schools and programs across the state and nation. Since its founding, the Talent Agency, like La Casita, has received grants and funding from the university and the Chancellor’s office.“ This funding has been instrumental to the nonprofit’s sustainability and growth,” Quinn says. Since its inception in 2011, it has since expanded to host a six week pre-college program to help students transform their practice and develop skills in ways which will help them be successful in higher education and in careers. The services La Casita, Talent Agency, and other arts groups provide in the community are anything but art for art’s sake. Rather, they use art as a tool for examining problems in new ways in order to reach youth and families in the neighborhood vulnerable from poverty and crime. While poverty can create a culture of its own, these organizations

foster a different outlet for Near Westside students to facilitate and encourage building their skills to solve problems with their own creative talents. They create a kind of confidence in students they might not be able to grow elsewhere. “Once the inclusive infrastructure is developed, this arts-focused community really builds itself,” Quinn says. Just as art is not the sole solution, it is not an overnight fix either. Investment in arts and cultural programs are long-term initiatives through programs that must be maintained and supported over time. While it is undeniably attractive to cut ribbons, the work La Casita Cultural Center and its art cohorts facilitate are often less glamorous and a great deal more focused on follow-through, problem solving, and grit. As these programs sustain themselves through multiple funding and leadership partnerships, their value and potential grow. They speak through another voice heard less frequently in the mainstream, which encourages the tenant that who residents are and where they come from is special and has a place to be celebrated. Through the use of arts and culture to honor inclusivity, tradition, and growth, the Near Westside changes because people change—because people are part of the equation. As the virtues of “revitalization” are touted as ways to “bring people together” and arts are lauded and condemned in cities across the nation, efforts in the Near Westside remain. Through organizations like La Casita, the Talent Agency, SALT Works, and 601Tully Project among others, placemaking terminology finds its deepest resonance in action and true impact to individual lives. JM

JERK

•

5.16 51

NOISE

the 6th annual

Jerk Awards

From selfless philanthropists to innovative food scientists, the 6th Annual Jerk Awards are here to commemorate those in our community who have gone above and beyond to improve our beloved Syracuse. These seven fearless leaders will leave you inspired to make your own mark.

52 5.16

•

JERK

Community Activist of the Year Marilyn Higgins Professor Marilyn Higgins is a Syracuse native whose journey with the Near Westside Initiative (NWSI) began in 2007 after Chancellor Nancy Cantor convinced her to leave National Grid to work as the Vice President of Community Engagement and Economic Development at the University. Higgins’ love for the Westside began much earlier than that. Shortly after she began attending St. Lucy’s Church on Gifford Street, Higgins was diagnosed with cancer. She recalls the integrity and kindness they showed her in the face of huge struggles they were dealing with. Now in remission, Higgins has spent the past nine years with NWSI helping one of the most impoverished areas of the United States. Their “place-based” revitalization efforts have produced over $100 million in new investment in a place that has seen none in the past seven decades. She recalls the first moment that

she realized they could make a difference: “We invited the neighborhood to a holiday party celebrating the completion of our first warehouse renovation, The Lincoln Building. Two hundred people showed up, and when we lit the Christmas lights, everyone sang ‘Silver Bells.’ That told me we had gained the trust of the people there. We did what we said we would do.” Nine years later, the Near Westside Initiative under Higgins’ leaderhsip they’ve brought in millions in investment, opened up the first crosswalk into the Near Westside on West Street—a street originally coined as the Berlin Wall of Syracuse for the way it separated the Near Westside from Armory Square— and hosted multiple community events to create a sense of home within the community.

JERK

•

5.16 53

NOISE

Warrior of the Year

Mentor of the Year

Samantha Skaller

Bettie Graham

Samantha Skaller is one of 17 students on the country’s “It’s On Us” student advisory committee for the national campaign, and she’s making waves across the nation. The three-time survivor of sexual assault pursues her activism as a way to make voices heard in a way that her’s once wasn’t. In an effort to shift the way we think about sexual assault, Skaller has helped to bring not only

Carrie Betting-Lopez, the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, to the campus, but Vice President Joe Biden as well. When she’s not jetting off to D.C. for the “It’s On Us Champions of Change” event, you can find her working as the pit manager for FYP or as the social and promotion chair of Sigma Alpha Iota.

Bettie Graham starts her day before the sun rises at an unthinkable 5:15 a.m. Graham devotes her days to kids in the Syracuse community. She is the founder, CEO, and director of The Determination Center. The organization provides atrisk children, ages five to twelve, and teenagers with a safe place to come before and after school. Students receive tutoring sessions and mentors to look up to. Graham also cooks nutritious meals for the children and provides them with fun activities after their homework is completed. Children have the opportunity to perform their own original play, shoot hoops in the gym, or learn karate to release energy.

Graham was inspired to start The Determination Center because of her own childhood experiences. When she was eight years old, her father died, and hermother died just a year later. Her family was left in the hands of her older sister. “I just want to give back what my family gave me,” Graham says. Seeing the children become successful and productive members of the community is enough to fulfillher. “I want to give them something so they can spread their wings and achieve whatever they want to achieve,” Graham says. “I am just opening the doors and giving them the room to fly.”

Innovator of the Year Jezrel Sabaduquia If you thought plastic bottles, college applications and meeting Bill Clinton had nothing to do with each other, you were probably right in many ways, but not when it comes to Jezrel Sabaduquia. The information management and technology major founded Project S.C.I. with his two friends Janna Mizan and Mindy Zhu. Project S.C.I (Sustainability, Creativity and Innovation) was born when Sabaduquia attended the Clinton Global Initiative Conference in Miami in the midst of his college applications. Fusing profitable results with a non-profit base, Project S.C.I collects bottles and cans at residence halls, takes them to

54 5.16

•

JERK

local schools, and teaches children how tomake model airplanes. It not only focuses on waste management, but also on providing meaningful after-school activities for middle school children. Project S.C.I. was in the spotlight when Jezrel and his friends attended CGI at Berkeley earlier this year, and met Bill and Chelsea Clinton over three days of special-skills activities. Project S.C.I has blended waste management, education, and community service with amazing results: a community-wide movement Sabaduquia and his friends continue to grow.

Good Samaritan of the Year

Abby Rose Sugnet After reading about the campaign, “The World Needs More Love Letters,” Abby Rose Sugnet was inspired to get involved. Sugnet started a Campus Cursive chapter at Syracuse University this past January: a club dedicated to sending handwritten letters to strangers in need of

encouragement and support. Sugnet is a sophomore magazine major and says the most rewarding part of what she does is hearing the responses from the nominees. “It’s really eye-opening to see how much such a simple letter of encouragement from a stranger JERK

•

5.16 55

NOISE

NOISE can affect someone,” she says. “It makes me realize how easy it is to help someone.” Abby Rose’s chapter just became registered as a student organization. She will now be able to advertise her club more and encourage more people to write, which will in turn increase the amount of love letters they can send out. She is hoping Campus Cursive will

grow into a social movement and inspire the SU and ESF community to become more selfless overall. Campus Cursive is moving faster than Abby Rose could have ever imagined. As for the future, she is only hoping it continues to grow: “By the time I graduate in 2018, the movement will have just begun.”

When DeMay isn’t thinking about food, she’s writing about it. DeMay won the senior research award for her thesis on food policy and human rights and will present her paper on a panel in a

conference in Toronto this summer. To top off her resume, DeMay is the Food Studies graduation marshal for the first food studies undergrad class in the nation.

Discovery of the Year

Food Fighter of the Year

Lindsay DeMay Lindsay DeMay is more than just a foodie. She is an advocate for food justice sustainability and co-founded BrainFeeders, the first food studies organization in the nation, in April 2015. Since founding the sustainability and justice organization, DeMay started a community supported agriculture (CSA) food box program for SU students. Students can get fresh, locally sourced vegetables and fruits for nine weeks in the fall from farmers within the region. BrainFeeders also offers free transportation to the Saturday morning regional farmer’s market in Syracuse so

56 5.16

•

JERK

students aren’t tied down to Marshall Street and Tops. And if the newbie club couldn’t do any more, they hosted their first speaker this April, attracting 60 people. The next big move for DeMay and BrainFeeders? The club is working with food services to create a “Real Food Café” right in Schine this fall. “Were revamping it to highlight regional and organic sourced food,” DeMay says. “It will be better tasting food with better ingredients.” Taking in student opinion, the Real Food Café will feature macaroni and cheese, seasonal soups with bread bowls, Acai bowls, and a variety of pasta dishes.

Stefan Ballmer (pictured), Duncan Brown, & Peter Saulson Syracuse professors Stefan Ballmer, Duncan Brown, and Peter Saulson have put in a combined 56 years of effort into their collaboration Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). These years of theorizing and finetuning paid off this past September when the LIGO detectors in Hanford, Wash. and Livingston, La. picked up the existence of gravitational waves for the first time ever, adding the final piece to Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity 100 years after the theory was originally published. “We had expected to do some further tuning,” says Dr. Ballmer, an Associate Professor of Physics, “but apparently the thing was working just fine.” The strength of the signal also came a surprise, as anything from the crash of the ocean to the sound of traffic can throw off the Observatory’s measurements. “The signal was so beautiful and so clear, I

thought it was a test,” Dr. Brown, a Charles Brightman professor of Physics, says. The signal was caused by the ripples in spacetime from two black holes crashing into each other 1.3 billion light years away. This is a monumental discovery because it opens up a “whole new way of looking at the Universe,” Dr. Saulson explains, the senior member of the Syracuse group working on the project, which involves 83 institutions across 15 countries. The existence of gravitational waves can open up fields of inquiry from how the Big Bang occurred to why platinum and gold exist in such abundance in the Earth’s crust. Thanks in part to the work of 29 SU faculty and staff, graduate, and undergraduate students, we are closer than ever to understanding our universe and how it came to be.

JERK

•

5.16 57

ALTRUIST

REWIND

CUBA

FOREVER 21

50 years later and you might finally be able to legally

By Emma Baty : Illustration by Claudia Lewis

smoke a Cuban Cigar at your uncle's country club. By Adriana Curto : Illustration by Nikolas Christopher Rivera

Walking through the narrow streets of Havana, you enter a time warp, with sights you might find in some overpriced vintage warehouse in Brooklyn. Streets are filled with pre-embargo cars, the same ’56 Chevrolet model your grandpa probably drove to his factory job. There are no Western companies, chain stores, or recognizable brands. There is no free press in a country of ever-changing media that has been under the Castro regime for over 50 years. There's a reason for all of this. In a time of political outcry, the Bay of Pigs and the Cold War, Cuba became a communist country. The U.S. tried to assassinate Fidel Castro without looking guilty. In the middle of his 8:45 a.m. breakfast, President John F. Kennedy was told that the Soviets were generously aiming missiles at the U.S. We didn’t break into a nuclear war, but you can imagine his reaction— the U.S. instilled a policy of isolation and economic sanctions by restricting business and travel in Cuba, inevitably disrupting the country’s socioeconomic future. Hence, the 2014 announcement to reintroduce diplomatic relations for the first time in 50 years was a monumental decision. So when Mick Jagger says, "I think that

WE JUDGE

ALBUMS BY THEIR SINGLES. 58 5.16 • JERK

finally things have changed” to over 500,000 Cubans at a free concert in Havana, you sure as hell better believe it. Three days after President Barack Obama’s appearance, Cuba hosted the Rolling Stones on March 25, 2016. At the peak of communist rule in Cuba, from the 1960s to the 1980s, tasteful rock 'n' roll music was banned. Even if you snagged records off the black market, you could still be arrested for portraying an appearance even close to Mick Jagger’s super-shaggy hair and velvet jackets. The people of Cuba are living through change, potentially fading away from Russia’ s stronghold and moving towards a future of freedom guided by democratic opportunity. Maybe now is when hope begins. As Obama recognized the differences between governments, his visit highlighted the similarities between our people. Reciting a few one-liners in Spanish, the President kept repeating, creo en el pueblo cubano or [“I believe in the Cuban people.”] For us Americans, the island 90 miles from the U.S. shore is finally open for trade and travel—a great opportunity for both, especially your grandpa who misses his authentic Cuban cigars.JM

Artist

Album

Song

Release Date

Purity Ring

Another Eternity

"Begin Again"

March 3

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

Chasing Yesterday

"In The Heat of the Moment"

March 2

Wale

The Album About Nothing

"The Body" ft. Jeremih

March 31

Rating

THE DEAL: If you’ve been to an American shopping mall in the last 15 years, you’ve probably heard of Forever 21. It’s where 14-yearolds and 35-year-olds alike attempt to live vicariously through the clothes and styles of twentysomethings. The lure of Forever 21 is the combination of extremely low prices and clothes that capitalize on every trend that traipsed down the runway six months ago. But many times with low prices comes low quality—both in the physical clothes and the concept behind them. An example of this came in March of this year when Forever 21 released a men’s graphic tee that read “ Don’t say maybe if you want to say no.” THE ISSUE: This shirt is that it sends a confusing message about consent in a society that is plagued by rape culture. Unfortunately, fast fashion brands like Forever 21 are not strangers to controversy. In the past two years, Urban Outfitters came under fire for trying to sell what appeared to be a bloodstained Kent State University sweatshirt, a shirt that said “eat less,” and a crop top sporting the word “depression” in a kitschy font. Zara caused trouble after selling a children’s shirt featuring The Star of David and stripes because it was a blatant reference to the Holocaust. And five years ago, Forever 21 itself created a women’s shirt that said “allergic to algebra,” which seems relatively harmless until you realize they didn’t make the same shirt for men.

THE (LARGER) ISSUE: Many people don’t understand consent. They need elaborate videos featuring anecdotes about tea to really get it. The biggest problem is that the average Forever 21 shopper is a girl in her late teens or early 20s, and women in the 18-24 age range are three to four times more likely to be victims of sexual assault than other women. Forever 21 has hundreds of thousands of shoppers in the demographic where understanding consent is most important. This shirt blurs lines even further by basically saying “if you say maybe, you’re fair game.” Some designer sitting in an office somewhere does not get to decide what to add to the cultural conversation about this topic. This brings us backward. THE DEFENSE: As soon as customers started to raise questions about the shirt, Forever 21 took it down from its website and issued a formal apology. Ten years ago, people probably wouldn’t have said anything about this product. It would have been just another funny shirt that bros could laugh and bump fists at. But because of the progress society has made in recognizing that rape culture exists as a prevalent issue, people start to raise their eyebrows at commercial items that victim blame. But maybe this bad PR stunt will make Forever 21 think twice next time before green-lighting a sub-par graphic tee that negatively contributes to the conversation of sexual assault.JM

JERK

•

5.16 59

AMPLIFIED

SYNAPSE

FUCK THE SYSTEM We get it. You’re mad. That obnoxious, self-obsessed girl who sits next to you in class got the internship you’ve been obsessing over and you’re left to wait tables at your local Denny’s. It sucks, so Jerk is here to say fuck the system. Our bets are on you, because you'll probably make enough money to spend next spring break in Cancún. And here’s some rebellious media that raises a middle finger with us.

PIZZA PARTY

Members: Jesse Katzenstein (Guitar, Bass, Sax, Vocals), Will Skalmoski (Bass, Guitar, Lead Vocals), Will Taggart (Guitar, Vocals), Eric Zidar (Drums) | Began: 2012 in Booth Hall | What They Jerk To: Led Zeppelin, Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes. Sounds Like: Mumford & Sons and Sheppard By Dan Watson : Photography Provided by Pizza Party

Jerk Magazine: What does your band name mean and where did it come from? Jesse Katzenstein: We had a thinking session, thinking of names, spouting out names. I was sitting in the main room eating, and all of the sudden I thought of the common theme between all of us: We kinda all like pizza. We don’t all love pizza. I would say I’m the only person that loves pizza. Will Taggart: What? Pizza’s the easiest food to love.

JM: If you could describe your sound in three words what would they be? WT: Rock, fun, roll. Eric Zidar: Dynamic, cause we cover multiple styles. Will Skalmoski: Crowd, good times, crowd.

WS: I think collectively we can also say Steve Aoki is a really big influence. (Laughter)

JM: What has been the hardest part of being students and being in a band? Any advice for other bands on campus? JK: You've really got to want it. There were times last year when it was stagnant and we didn’t know what we wanted. There were a bunch of ideas that seemed really cool, but you’ve got to want it, and go out and execute it. Get that face time with people and kill it. JM: It’s a zombie apocalypse; where on campus do you go to hide and why? EZ: Belfer. Yeah, we go to Belfer because only 30, 40 odd people have access to that building on campus. WT: And it’s built into the side of a hill. We definitely know one of those people who can help us out and let us in. WS: Jesse probably knows the most about zombie apocalypses because he has now beaten the video game The Last Of Us three times.

JM: What are your musical and nonmusical influences? WS: For me, Kanye West for showmanship and kind of just grit. EZ: For me, I always listened to a lot of Led Zeppelin growing up; More recently, I’ve been really into Fugazi. I’m really into stuff right now that’s punk-influenced. See more of Pizza Party's interview and listen to thier music at jerkmagazine.net. 60 5.16 • JERK

MOVIE: Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising Nothing screams fuck the system quite like a group of sorority girls moving into a house in a family neighborhood to escape their college’s oh-so restrictive and sexist rules. On May 20 you can catch the feud that breaks out between young couple and unruly srat girl. So when you get sick of your parents, make like the Kappa Nu girls and move next door.

ALBUM: Head Wound City "A New Wave of Violence" Every rebel needs a soundtrack, and this new album packs a punch. A musical masterpiece from the gods, Head Wound City is a collaboration between well-known bands, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Blood Brothers. A New Wave of Violence is their first album in five years and is sure to start a riot with its fist-pumping, anger-inspiring beats when it drops May 13.

BOOK: The Fox Was Ever The Hunter Set in Romania during the last three months of the Ceausescu regime, The Fox Was Ever The Hunter, out May 10, tells the journey of four friends as they attempt to uncover the traitor within their group who is working for the secret police. If this book by Nobel Prize Winner Herta Müller doesn’t scream paranoia and insurgence, then we don’t know what does.

NETFLIX: Bloodline No family is perfect—except the Rayburns. But a look into the clan’s murky past and divisive sibling rivalries prove this perfection is nothing but a façade. Tune in to season 2 of the Netflix hit original series on May 27 to watch this family face their biggest demon of all: each other. Deceit and betrayal take the front seat in this ultimate F-you to the nuclear family. JERK

•

5.16 61

DISCOVERSYR

Up In The Air

If you’re looking for an adrenaline rush that doesn’t come from a Red Bull, head to Skydive CNY to get some not so cheap thrills.

By Mellanie Perez : Photography Provided by Mike Burgess This summer, pause the newest season of Game of Thrones, and dust off that bucket list you made with your freshman roommate who you don’t talk to anymore. Fulfill your desire to defy death, and take a quick 30-minute drive from campus to Skydive Central New York where they are pushing people out of their comfort zones and out of planes. Opened in Weedsport, N.Y. in 2010 by Mike Burgess, a full-time skydiving instructor, the business has since helped countless customers start living their lives on the edge. They are trained to provide an extraordinary skydiving experience to anyone, from firsttime divers to professionals. "We come to work and live life everyday," Burgess says. "For a lot of people the most exciting part of

62 5.16 • JERK

their day is going out to dinner and taking a picture of their food." Skydive CNY’s busiest times are the warm vacation days of July, August, and September. However, they are open from mid-April to mid-November. The cost ranges from $199 to $249 and students receive a discount. "The biggest thing I tell people is to not focus on the price of the skydive," Burgess says. "Do your research on the company you’re jumping with." The entire process of a dive only takes two to four hours, depending on what season you book your jump and what day of the week it is. As soon as you book your trip and travel to Whitfords Airport, you train that same day with an instructor at Skydive CNY. Once you’ve gotten the basics down, you head up

two miles into the sky. You jump out over the beautiful views of the Finger Lakes, Lake Ontario, and the Adirondacks. After a minute of free fall, the parachute opens and it’s all smooth sailing from there as you coast to the ground. "You can’t question the best part is the absolute adrenaline rush you get from it," Burgess says. "The thrill of it is the best part." Skydive CNY has seen thrill seekers from ages 18 to 92 take the jump. And it attracts a range of professions: janitors, rocket scientists, cancer survivors, and people who witnessed deaths in the family and realized how precious time is. "I’venever had anybody say they weren’t glad they did it at least once," Burgess says. So call up that rando you roomed with freshman year and see if they’re down.

JERK

•

5.16 63

SPEAKEASY

OBITCHUARY

Making a Murderer reporter and SU alumnus Aaron Keller reveals the truths behind a highly controversial court case made famous by Netflix. By Annie O’Sullivan + Photo Provided by Aaron Keller

CASE CLOSED Jerk Magazine: What was your role in the Steven Avery trials that Making a Murder is based off of? Aaron Keller: I was an evening news reporter and weekend anchor for the NBC affiliate in Green Bay, Wis. Though all of us covered the case in some way, I was one of the primary reporters who covered the case from the day Halbach was reported missing to the day Dassey was convicted. JM: Do you have a personal opinion about whether Steven Avery and even Brendan Dassey are guilty? AK: No. Edward R. Murrow once said that being on the radio makes a journalist no more intelligent than a drunk whose voice only reaches the end of a bar. Being a journalist taught me how to be observant and how to seek balance, but it did not make me a final arbiter of guilt or innocence. JM: What do you think this series and people’s reactions reveal about our society? AK: We use horrible real-life events as entertainment-like fuel for our outrage, and then we take only to the Internet to

64 5. 16• JERK

blow off steam. We do not engage in meaningful reform. We fail to realize that typing words into websites does nothing to ameliorate problems. Democracy, like the future, is malleable to those willing to lift the weight of forging something new. Work produces results; talk is cheap. JM: Have you personally watched the full series on Netflix? AK: I’ve watched it in doses, but I haven’t seen it all. As one of the people portrayed very, very, very prominently in the film told me, "Aaron, you can watch it, but you already lived it, and you probably won’t like it." That was not meant to say that the series was somehow bad. It was an acknowledgement that the scenes portrayed real-life events, which vexed and scarred most of us who actually lived through it. JM: On Twitter, people referred to you as "The Silver Fox." What are your thoughts on that? AK: I hope that those preoccupied with my hair color are also silently using other methods to judge my competence and credibility.

TWITTER

CAUSE OF DEATH: Instagram By Nicole Engleman : Illustration by Kara Sheplock “just setting up my twttr.” Twitter spoke his first words on March 21, 2006. From there, he evolved from an experimental media platform, to a thriving news outlet, and most recently, resting ground for thoughtless opinions. Twitter lived for 10 confusing years before meeting his unexpected death. He was born in San Francisco to a group of nerdy programmers working at a podcasting company called Odeo Inc. Drawing inspiration from a “series of chirps of birds,” the dweebs chose the name Twitter. Twitter started off as a shy microblogging platform, but still had dreams of becoming the next Facebook. He was desperate to be taken seriously, and his opportunity came on Jan. 15, 2009. After the US Airways plane crash into the Hudson River, the first photos from the scene were shared on Twitter, breaking the story before any major news outlet. In 140 beautiful little characters, Twitter began to change the way we consume news, pop culture, and unwanted opinions. As he began to draw more recognition, the fame went to his head. Twitter’s celebrity following grew. He soon came to project the brilliant musings of celebrities like Amanda Bynes, blessed us with insightful reflections like, “I want @drake to murder my vagina.” Twitter's ascent to stardom came crashing

down once news organizations and every retail company attempted to be young, cool, and hip like your uncle at Thanksgiving. And from there it only worsened, with teeny boppers using poor Twitter as toilet paper to write literal shit all day long on their feeds. Twitter became the New Jersey of social media. Loud, crowded, and full of pointless comments, there was no saving him. After months of misuse, Twitter could not take it. After Business Insider reported that the number of tweets per user had fallen nearly 50 percent since last August, he knew the worst had come. Much to his anguish, Instagram stole the affection of Twitter's friends and family. Instagram's sleek design kept users engaged for longer periods of time and viewers were utterly fascinated by all of the perfectly polished nails holding $5 Frappuccinos. Despite desperate attempts to resuscitate Twitter through talks of a new 10,000 character limit, Twitter died peacefully in his home and was not found for days due to his irrelevance. Internet trolls and self-promoting writers alike wept at his death. Twitter is survived by that one girl you went to high school with who treats Twitter like her diary, serving us a reminder that, comparatively, our own life isn't so bad. JM

JERK

•

5.16 65

FORM & FUNCTION

CLOSET CASE

Face Off "I started doing the thick eyeliner wing look around sophomore year of high school. It was originally supposed to be much thinner but I messed up so I decided to go with a thicker look. My eyeliner is sorta like a trademark on me, since most people associate the look to myself as a whole. My friends would often say "I did my eyeliner today and thought of you!" It’s part of my identity now as weird as it sounds."

—

ari deng

"I started doing this look when I got to college. I had really never worn makeup before so I began playing around with it and wearing it out to parties. I like to do looks like this if I am going out or want to match an outfit that I really love. Wearing makeup has made me less afraid to be who I am. It played a part in helping me realize that I am gender fluid and is one way that I feel I can express my identity andgive myself more confidence."

—

nathaneal mcdowell

How To Dress for a Hangover at Graduation These students show us that makeup can sometimes be a part of your make-up. Photography by Shelley Kendall

Handheld Fan: "It hasn't been this humid in here since Home to the Dome."

"I started doing this look when I realized I was pale as shit and could actually fix it without tanning. It’s inspired by my neverending love for the Kardashians who made it a thing. A trick I’ve picked up is to skip the blush if you’re going for a heavy contour, because too much pigment will make you look sun poisoned, not sun kissed. Also HIGHLIGHT! Highlight really ties the whole look together and gives it a dewy sun kissed feel.

—isabel

goss

Sunglasses: “To be honest, I still have my makeup on from last night.”

Hair of the Dog: “Drinking away my LiquidCocaineinduced headache.”

Cap and Gown: "Definitely a step up from my usual Derby Days shirt and Lulu's.”

Parents Shouting in the Audience: “Paid for four years of degenerate behavior and they don’t even know it.”

Model: Shanice Bland Stylist: Trusha Bhatt Photographer: Shelley Kendall

66 5.16• JERK

JERK

•

5.16 67