Incite Magazine

INC TE Late Fall

DIVERSE WO R L D

+BACK

FASHION pg.

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MY PRESIDENT IS

Your Campus Your ART

AFTER THE SMOKE’S

ANTHONY X2

See what this lyricist has to say about the success of his duo

C O N T E N T S

11 Diverse World Fashion FSU’s new authority in international fashion takes Tallahassee hostage.

16 AFTER THE SMOKE seeks to share their success with future generations.

16 Smoke Signals Interview with Anthony X2 of After the Smoke.

Sarah Aristil

20 Fractures 03 Letter from the Editor 04 Facing Forward

Looking at America’s (in)action when it comes to its suicide rate.

Eugene Butler, III

Discussion covering the “Fiscal Cliff” and Obama’s plans to fix it.

Ricardo Ledan

22 Let’s Talk About [Consentual] Sex, Baby

06 It’s Too Bad He’s Gay A few FSU students offer commentary on a controversial phrase.

Jodeci Richards

09 Ladies First Exploring the messages that female Hip Hop artists used to rap.

Daschielle Louis

Delving into rape culture and what it means for you.

Rebekah Gorbea

23 The Gallery Showcasing one of FSU’s own student artists.

24 The Anthology A presentation of creative writing collected from FSU students.

CONTRIBUTORS

Jodeci Richards--Editor

Sarah Aristil--Staff Writer Eugene Butler, III--Staff Writer Carlene Geffrard--Staff Writer Rebekah Gorbea--Staff Writer Ricardo Ledan--Staff Writer Daschielle Louis--Staff Writer

Jeffery McCain--Staff Writer Tatyana Trotman--Staff Writer Elston Brown, II--Graphics Cathy Charles--Graphics Kayla O’Neal--Graphics Khadijah Templier--Graphics

LETTER from the EDITOR

In looking back on the progress of this semester’s issue, I’ve come to appreciate people’s resiliency and help. Even when we know that things might not turn out the way we planned, we keep believing in what we’re doing and we keep working to be our best selves. We should all keep this in mind as we live during a season that epitomizes change; as we head into our finals; as some of us ogle at our capped heads and gowned bodies in the mirror. As cliché as it may seem, we shouldn’t forget that change is what makes us who we are. It makes us better. Whether it be for ourselves or for others.

Many of the articles you’ll read follow this idea. That change is what we need to better our lives. As people—as students—we have a duty to take what we learn and apply it to the things that we’re passionate about. And even if you don’t come out smelling like roses, never falter in your passion. Because it’s our passion that keeps us alive. And it’s our change that keeps us moving.

Incitefully yours,

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AP

FACING Ricardo Ledan After surviving the deepest recession in modern history, a partisan “Just Say No” Republican legislature, and the arduous fight for affordable health care amidst a crippled--but slowly recovering--economy, President Obama is again set to lead the United States for the next four years. But the hard-earned victory may be short lived. He must deal with a majority Republican House and an even worse impending fiscal crisis if both parties don’t find common ground by the end of this year.

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he media calls it the “Fiscal Cliff.” The point in which last year’s Budget Control Act will come into effect in potentially disastrous ways.

The Budget Control Act of 2011 was signed into law by Obama in response to the failure of Congress to come to a mutual agreement during the debt-ceiling crisis. A crisis that started when the U.S. government was fast approaching the maximum limit they could borrow on credit. The act raised the debt ceiling and implemented a set of automatic tax increases that would reduce our deficit by $1.2 trillion and avoided a situation that could have forced the United States to default and shut down.

But if Congress allows the current Budget Control Act to take effect in our present economic climate, the automatic tax increases and spending cuts will curtail the gains in the economy and sink us back into another recession. These are cuts that target government subsidies to programs like Social Security and Medicare, and especially subsidies essential to funding the health care system Obama fought to implement in his first term.

In order to combat the deficit, Obama’s goal (across the span of 10 fiscal years) is to raise $1.6 trillion in revenue by allowing the Bush tax cuts for Americans making over $250,000 to expire.

The rest of the revenue will come from limiting tax deductions. Despite the fiery partisan rhetoric, both parties want to quickly avert this crisis. The disagreement, however, comes from how the cuts take place.

Republicans find that raising taxes on the Americans making $250,000 and above (who they see as small business owners) would limit job growth and be far more detrimental to the economy.

They see the cuts to governmental programs as a more efficient means; these are cuts that include subsidies for education, health care, and other programs that they see as wasting the budget.

For FSU students and college students around the nation, some of President Obama’s campaign promises may be in jeopardy due to the various deal-making talks that will happen in the coming weeks between the parties. He’d promised to double the funding for Pell Grants and establish an expanded college tax credit that would reimburse families some of what they pay in tuition fees and other college-related expenses. These are two big subsidies that could prove hard to hold onto in the debates.

This is only the first test of his second term, and how Obama deals with this cliff will shape and define his presidency in the pages of history. n

s ’ t I > > > ff

O d n u So

ts . h g u o Th r u o Y n. o i t s e u was also about what a woman looked for in a One Q relationship, but felt they could more easily find

A

random thought struck me a couple of weeks ago while I was showering (as when all brilliant revelations occur):

Why do some women proclaim, “It’s too bad he’s gay”?

At first, I merely explored this question based on two things: celebrity and superficiality.

Why did it matter what team that silver fox on CNN played for? If he was straight, did it up the chances that he could readily pluck a girl from obscurity?

I mean, c’mon, he lives across the country. He doesn’t know who you are.

Personally, I couldn’t care less about whether or not the guy is gay. If he’s a handsome man, then that’s what he is. But it never occurred to me to consider the personal relationships between average women and average gay men.

And through interviewing some of FSU’s finest, I realized that there’s a deeper explanation for the exclamation than I’d conjured.

The women I interviewed who’d said or thought the phrase primarily said the same thing: it wasn’t necessarily about the attractiveness. It

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in a gay man.

“I feel like, as women, we expect our boyfriends and our husbands—our significant others (if they’re male)—to be on our level. … We want for them to indulge in the things that we love as women. A lot of flamboyantly gay men love these things. And because we can’t find them in a heterosexual male, when we find a homosexual male who’s hot— who loves all these things—the downside is he’s gay. And it’s not gay in a bad way. It’s that we can’t be with him.”

—Tatiana Daguillard

Y A G s ’ e

H D A B o

To

“I used to say it because, like many women, there’s a lot of good guys out there who [say], ‘ … He’s perfect for me.’ And then they found out he’s gay. It kind of brings our spirits down … . I feel there are good heterosexual men out there. … The thing is that, as females, we are not patient. So we don’t find them as quick as we want to. We get mad. Say, ‘Oh, if this man weren’t gay, he’d be perfect for me.’ When they’re not taking the time to look for [the good guy].”

—Danielle Pompey

“ … some women feel like if they find someone that’s attractive or somebody that they like being with and then they find out that he’s gay, it kind of upsets them a little bit. It’s like, ‘Why do you

have to be gay? Why can’t you be straight so we can be together?’”

—Keyva Wilkes

Of course, all these statements made sense to me. I mean, sure, I didn’t have those same reasons, but I could understand them. And then, I talked to someone who turned the idea on its head.

The above women gave reasons for why they appreciate the qualities of gay men, but in talking to a gay man about the same subject, he made me realize that those same traits are stereotypes. Yes, maybe some gay men do possess some effeminate characteristics. But that’s a very generalized version of homosexuality.

“I’ve heard the phrase ‘it’s too bad he’s gay.’ It’s been said about me. I just think that a lot of women have a certain idea about the way that gay men are.

Or are perceived to be. And a lot of times—because of the way gay men are portrayed in the media or popular culture—we kind of get put into this area of being an accessory or something. So it’s like, ‘Oh they’ll always be there to go shopping

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with us or pick us up when we cry.’ So it’s like this tokenized and idealized version of what a gay man is. But the reality of the situation is that we’re just like everybody else. … I think that the idea of a gay best friend is something that bothers me a little bit. Why can’t I just be your best friend? Why do I have to be your gay best friend? … I just get offended when gay men get confused for objects for straight women to kind of collect or play with.”

—Garrett Schlichte

Garrett went on to discuss a video that CollegeHumor recently released called, “Gay Men Will Marry Your Girlfriends.” I’d also seen it the night before and thought it was perfect for this piece. (If you haven’t seen it, go to collegehumor.com/video/6846855/gay-men-will-marryyour-girlfriends). The video is a satiric threat for straight men to get on the gay marriage bandwagon.

Gay men profess how they’d be perfect husbands for straight men’s girlfriends by listing (stereotypically feminine) activities that gay men enjoy and will gladly do with and for the women.

It’s these stereotypical views of gay men that create a double-edged sword for women and the phrase “It’s too bad he’s gay.” On the one side, women who are comfortable with homosexuality lament it because they’re not getting the same qualities from heterosexual men. But on the other side, not all gay men have those stereotypical characteristics to begin with.

So what about straight men’s qualities? Do they not mean anything any more? Well not at all.

Even straight men have heard, “It’s too bad he’s gay.” But some don’t have a problem with it.

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“ … Personally, I have no opinion on [whether or not a heterosexual female would wish for a homosexual male to be straight]. Just because of the fact that if the man is gay, [then] that means he’s gay. … He’s not going to change his preference just to please a woman. … I shouldn’t get offended because I feel like I bring everything to the table that a man should bring. Making a girl feel secure. Being a provider. And doing everything that the man needs to do to support, which— at the end of the day—is exactly what a man is supposed to do.

Support your woman in every single way.”

—Jacques Jean-Pierre

I was astounded by how open people were about the question I raised. No one looked at me like I had three heads. No one turned up his or her nose. No one said that they’d uttered the phrase out of pure distaste for homosexuality. But just because I didn’t run into those people doesn’t mean they don’t exist. And it surely doesn’t mean that there aren’t issues with some of the answers that I did hear.

A girl somewhere will have a reason for sobbing, “It’s too bad he’s gay,” and a gay guy somewhere will hear it whispered to him on some drunken (or sober) night. But it’s up to all men and women to realize that it doesn’t matter whether you innocently say it because you love somebody or don’t, it could still hurt to hear. Don’t lump someone into some category based purely on stereotypes. No one has ever progressed by doing that. So what, he’s gay? Love him anyway. n

Ladies First WHAT IT TRULY MEANT TO BE A FEMALE MC

Daschielle Louis

S

ociety has undermined black women’s worth since the moment Africans were put onto slave ships and transported to America. Seen as sex toys in a male-dominant world during slavery, society has deemed black women unfit to evolve past being sexual objects or child bearers. And has tried its best to keep them in that position. But as African Americans slowly began to build some level of respect in a white America, it was the disrespect from black men that caught the attention of aspiring female MCs like Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, and Eve. This led to the changing of Hip Hop’s lyrical content through the power of unity and strength.

Who You Calling A B*tch!

women. In Latifah’s “Ladies First” featuring Monie Love, the duo worked hard to prove that ladies truly do deserve the utmost respect:

Who said the ladies couldn’t make it, you must be blind If you don’t believe, well here, listen to this rhyme Ladies first, there’s no time to rehearse I’m divine and my mind Expands throughout the universe

After segregation occurred and the dust was appearing to settle in America, still being called “negro” by white people in the 1980s was the least of black women’s worries. It was black men spitting derogatory terms like “b*tch” and “h*e” that cut them the most. In order to regain some level of self-worth, female MCs used the power of rap to finally get their message across. And there was one unlike the rest.

Drawing from the motherland, Queen Latifah used her venomous rap skills to push towards equality. She laced her verses with images and evidence showing the strength lying in the minds, bodies, and souls of black

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Let’s Talk About Sex/Aids

During the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, many people were misinformed about the origins of the vicious disease and who it affected.

The first documented cases of the AIDS virus involved young homosexual males, thus creating the term the virus was then known by: GRID (Gay-Related Immune Deficiency). Many people ignorantly held the gay community accountable for spreading the HIV/AIDS virus to other Americans.

Because of these accusations, Hip Hop artists felt responsible to send out a message not only to the black community, but all of society. MCs promoted the idea that the HIV/AIDS virus didn’t discriminate against race, class, gender, or orientation.

Salt-N-Pepa, a lyrical trio from New York, set the tone for this realization when they decided to lend their hand to the sex education movement.

Songs like “Push It,” “Whatta Man,” and “Shoop” innovatively discussed sex through their lyrics. It was their 1989 hit “Let’s Talk About Sex/Aids” that forced the nation to really pay attention, discussing the presumptions of the origins of HIV/AIDS, abstinence, and the necessity for clear judgment.

Now, you don’t get AIDS from kisses, touches, mosquito bites Or huggin’, toilet seats, telephones, stop buggin’ You get it from sex or a dirty drug needle, anal or oral now People, women can give it to men and men mostly to women

Love Is Blind

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Artists like Tupac Shakur have exposed the exploitation of black women by opening up conversation about abuse—removing the sugar coating from the bruises and ill words spoken about African American women. But a notable female MC who sought to do the same in 1998 was the Ruff Ryders’ leading lady, Eve.

Eve took the rap game by storm with anthems like “Who’s That Girl” and her 2001 hit single with Gwen Stephani “Let Me Blow Ya Mind.” Despite Eve’s beast-like cadence, it was her song “Love Is Blind” that really captivated fans and listeners.

Eve engaged them in the tale of a girl willing to kill her friend’s abusive boyfriend. Not only does he use her as his personal sex toy, he’s also using her body as his personal punching bag.

As the song continues, the abuse worsens until he finally beats her to death. While the song gave a message to black women about the dangers of willing to stay in an abusive relationship, it also emphasized the inevitable end result.

She was in love and I’d ask her how? I mean why?

What kind of love from a n***a would black your eye?

What kind of love from a n***a every night make you cry?

What kind of love from a n***a make you wish he would die?

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n the past, female MCs rose above the sexist stereotypes and demeaning views of black women. By defeating adversity through lyrically speaking about social issues, they’ve done their best to uphold the notion that black women are equal to the rest of society. But we don’t see that same enthusiasm in female rappers today. Instead, they rap the same degrading lyrics that their male counterparts rap and conform to stereotypes that their predecessors fought so hard to diminish.

And we as women consumers are doing nothing but whole-heartedly accepting and supporting this kind of degradation.

The black female community should fight just as hard—if not harder—to defend a better image in the media in order to regain some kind of respect. If we don’t, our only representations will be plastic rappers touting how they’re “bad b*tches” and we’ll further subject ourselves to stereotypes that the women after us will have to work harder to escape. And what would happen if we keep digging this hole? Black women will always come last. As Queen Latifah lyricized: Some think that we can’t flow stereotypes, they got to go./I’m a mess around and flip the scene into reverse./ With what? With a little touch of ladies first. n

diverse world fashion

photography by

emmanuel sanchez Styling by

Antoine Jeremiah & Rayvon Joseph

STREET FASHION

STREET

PREP

smoke SIGNALS

By Sarah Aristil

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a

rtists of the sixties and seventies are immortalized for their manipulation of lyrics and sound to universalize the struggles, victories, and political and cultural revolutions in their era. Though not as prevalent, there are artists today who continue to tap into the power of music to convey these changes. Rising duo After the Smoke, incorporates different elements of sound not only to address today’s society, but also to create a whole new genre of expression. Incite met with Anthony X2 (aka Speek) to discuss the birth, present, and future of After the Smoke and the message behind their musical collaborations.

How long have you been involved in music?

I have always been involved in music to some degree. Since I was a child, I have been singing in the church—my mother was the pianist. In high school I played in a jazz band—the saxophone. My dad is an opera singer. I’ve always been surrounded by music. My sister plays the violin. I come from a very musical family, so it’s only natural.

Very diverse background. And I understand that After the Smoke is a duo?

Yes, it is a duo and it’s also a collective. Because we represent not only us, but our friends and the people that we associate ourselves with—like other producers and singers. It’s a duo but also a collection of talent.

Where did the name After the Smoke originate?

Initially, the name of the group was Militia. We were super militant and going hard. But the name

of our first project was “After the Smoke.” And after some time we ended up changing it to After the Smoke—it sounded cooler.

So is there anything symbolic about it?

It’s very much open to interpretation. I mean, “After the Smoke” could mean after you smoke, you get high. Or after the smoke clears, there’s a new beginning. So you can take it from whatever perspective.

Who are your major musical influences?

As far as me being a producer, I am influenced by classical music. I feel like there is such a thing as classical sass. Just look at different time periods; look at different artists that were able to sort of transcend to the pop realm. There’s a reason for that.

There’s something about music that really touches the essence of who we are as human beings and connects with a lot of people. I feel like that is the essence of pop music. So I try to study those

Anthony X2 and Whuzi

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artists. Especially the artists that represent truth, light, and that sort of thing. You know, taking people to the next level. So Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Tupac--all these people were trying to take us to another level, uplift our spirits, and give us confidence.

I notice that the people you mentioned were people whose music reflected the politics and cultural changes in their time. Do you feel like your lyrics are rooted in that?

As far as me as an individual artist, I am working on a project right now where I’ll be able to express myself more lyrically. I am coming from a background as a producer. I try to study from the musical aspect--from artists that did that with music, with notes, and with chord progression.

You have your Coltrane, Miles Davis, Felonious Monk and all these people that didn’t necessarily say but spoke through or articulated themselves through their instrument. That’s what I want to add to my production. And then add lyrics that represent what I have gone through, which I’m sure represents what a lot of people my age have also endured.

If you could describe your musical style, what would it be?

When it comes to music, I am very influenced by what happened in the sixties and seventies. And I try to bring that to our generation because I feel that there are some really important things— culturally and musically—that went down during that time period. I’m a fan of all different types of music. Having studied sociology, I’m really interested in how music sort of affects society and how it is reflected in music. They both influence each other. I want that to happen again. That’s what’s next: an uprising of artists. Rebelling.

So you’re rebelling?

Art is rebellious. To rebel against constructs and

reveal different perspectives.

What projects are you currently working on?

We have a project named Microwaves. I’m working on a project called Death Pop. I’m working with a bunch of different artists.

Why come to FSU and pursue an education first as opposed to just jumping into the music industry and recording mixtapes?

I mean it’s important to understand how society works. And studying different aspects of the world we live in is very important so that your music brings substance and produces change.

Where do you think ATS will be in five years?

I would hope that After the Smoke is a force to be reckoned with in the industry. I think it’s inevitable.

I feel like the generation before us lead the way as far as producing change in society and left something behind so that we could pick up where they left off. I want to pick up and keep that cycle going.

What would you like ATS to be known for?

Ambition. We are ambitious, more so than average.

Lastly, congratulations on being signed by the Warner Brothers Record label. What do you think sparked this flame of success?

Consistency. Consistent content.

And shout out to everyone supporting us and our dreams. Stay tuned!

Be sure to check out After the Smoke: • afterthesmoke.tumblr.com • Twitter: @afterthesmoke • Facebook.com/afterthesmoke • Youtube.com/afterthesmoke

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fractures

With focus surrounding the efforts in aiding the victims of Superstom Sandy, no one has questioned the resiliency of our nation. But what about our reaction to another issue occurring on more personal levels that we might be blind to?

Eugene Butler, III

hen distant generations of Americans sift through the monumental moments that represent distinct points on our timeline, they will find a commonality that manifests itself in each generation.

This chief characteristic is that—in the aftermath of tragedy—we as a country come together to support one another.

This was evident in 2001 after the horrific September 11th terrorist attacks and—more recently—in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which has devastated New Jersey and left areas of New York in shambles.

But while we as a people have demonstrated the capacity to reactively care for one another on a macro level, we as individuals should be shifting our focus to proactively caring for each other on a micro level. A September 24, 2012 Huffington Post article stated that suicide has surpassed car accidents to become the leading cause for injury related deaths in the US. Because of this, we as individuals must learn to recognize and reach out to those who are experiencing difficulty in their personal lives.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, there were 38,364 reported cases of suicide in the US in 2010, which represented a 3.9% increase from the previous year. This number is the highest suicide rate in 15 years.

Studies highlight a correlation between high unemployment rates and increases to the number of reported suicides. On August 24, 2012 the Washington Post cited a report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention stating that the number of suicides in the US rose during the Great Depression, the oil crisis in the 1970s, and the recession in the 1980s. This means that we all should’ve been aware of the likelihood that an increase during the current tough economic times would occur. The problem is that we’re not paying attention to one another.

Depression is a mental illness that also, many times, has physical and behavioral manifestations. But it’s not always the case that we can identify symptoms of suicidal thoughts in those that are considering it. Sometimes the symptoms are so subtle that even trained professionals can’t recognize them. But the difficulty in recognizing

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symptoms of suicidal thoughts is not an adequate excuse for us to not try to recognize them at all.

Most of the time (in hindsight) the loved ones of those who commits suicide think to themselves: how did we not see it coming? When the real question should’ve been, “Why didn’t we do anything about it when we saw the differences?”

The impact of someone taking their own life is not just confined to that person. It affects all of the people who knew them. Because suicide goes against the human nature of self-preservation, there is something naturally unsettling about it.

Consider a family whose parent has taken their own life. The psychological impact that the children experience is unimaginable. The surviving spouse’s heartbreak in knowing that the pain and torment their significant others suffered was enough for them to want to take their own life. But suicide also impacts the image of this society.

The mark of an advanced society is one that cares for the well-being of its members. There are ways in which America can address this growing crisis. Devoting time to communicate with one another is vital. It’s imperative that we let the people who surround us know that they matter—especially those who are experiencing difficult times. By taking the time to listen to each other we may be surprised at just how much we’re able to help. A lot of times, it’s simple contributions—like lending our ear—that can make all the difference.

If this country wants to see a reduction in our suicide rates, we as individuals are going to have to make it our responsibility to care for one another before horrible things happen. After Hurricane Sandy, many people in the devastated neighborhoods are helping each other any way they can because they recognize the pain that each person is going through. They cook for one another. They assist each other in clearing out the wreckage of what used to be their homes without having to be asked. They care for each other. If we as individuals can demonstrate this kind of care for those who are going through their own personal storms and apply macro-level care-giving skills to micro-level situations, then we could see a drastic reduction to the tragically high suicide rate. n

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Let’s Talk AboutCONSex, Baby L A U T N E S Rebekah Gorbea

Y

ou see them everywhere: on the bus, on the bulletin board, in classroom buildings.

Huge posters touting how “FSU MEN MEASURE UP” accompanied by a statistic showing that men at Florida State University are fantastic human beings because most of them don’t rape women.

But consider how—according to the US Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Surveys of 2006-2010—54% of rapes aren’t reported. Consider how the DOJ’s 2002 report on acquaintance rape stated that 25% of women “ … have been victims of rape or attempted rape since the age of 14” and 90% of the time it’s acquaintances that perpetrate those rapes. This shows that rape is still a huge problem that can’t be solved by stroking the male ego or equipping women with pepper spray. Rather, we can solve it by attacking rape culture.

Rape culture is a culture that normalizes sexual violence. We see images of sexual violence in movies, television, and in advertisements (like a 2007 Dolce & Gabbana ad that evoked ideas of gang rape). In some (if not most) of these images and portrayals, the victim is typically scrutinized rather than the perpetrator, an occurrence known as victim blaming, which

Tips to Prevent Sexual Assault • You must require consent each and every time you perform sexual activity.

• All parties must clearly understand the nature of the sexual activity.

• At any time and all times that the consent to sexual activity is withdrawn, all sexual activity must stop immediately.

• Silence, body movements, and moaning doesn’t constitute consent.

• Require consent regardless of prior sexual history, the parties’ relationship, or current activity (i.e. grinding isn’t consent).

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^

society also normalizes.

But how do we combat rape culture if it’s everywhere we look? One line of thinking suggests promoting consent and sex-positivity—a movement that works to de-stigmatize sex by getting people to recognize it as a natural event— rather than victim blaming and sex shaming. To be clear, sexual assault is any sexual activity that occurs in the absence of consent. Conversely, consent is defined as the act of willingly and verbally agreeing to engage in specific sexual conduct. The problem with consent is that it’s not so cut and dry.

Imagine plotting your daily interactions on a line from the most consensual (where no boundaries are crossed) to the least consensual (interactions labeled as sexual assault). Somewhere in the middle—between these extremes—would be varying degrees of boundaries and different ways of crossing them. Obviously, those degrees are different for everyone, making consent appear subjective. But this is why verbal communication is key to prevent sexual assault.

Below are tips to help you with understanding the best ways to communicate consent so that we can all proactively prevent rape and rape culture. n

• You can agree on forms of communication such as gestures or safe words, but all parties must discuss and verbally agree to them before sexual activity occurs.

• Each new level of sexual activity requires consent.

• A person cannot give consent while sleeping.

Tips to Fight Rape Culture • Make practicing consent a part of your sex life.

• Call out instances of rape culture. (All that “she deserved it” and emphasis on

what the victim is doing? Not cool.)

• Talk about sex.

• Be self-critical of internalized sexism and other remnants of rape culture.

• Provide safe spaces in your community for survivors of sexual assault.

• Organize community events to end rape and protect people of different sexes, races, and sexual preferences.

For more information, vistit: • www.consented.ca • www.rainn.org

The Gallery H.B.B.C. II by artist Abigail Lucien deals with the concept of finding truth in identity through the process of deterioration.

Abigail: The artwork is a representation of how society accepts an individual. Today’s society is determined by a white dominated culture and a patriarchal view of what is socially acceptable.

I was experimenting with the idea of shedding this identity. Instead of depicting an identity that is acceptable to a white patriarchal society I wanted to depict my own identity—being a woman of color—and my own composition. I am looking in the mirror and shedding that identity of patriarchal standards, accepting myself as a woman of color and not seeing myself as a lesser human being because of that.

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Tin Flowers Jermeny Avalos

Inside the sick room the candle wax is melting.

I watch you lie in gauze, entombed in bed sheets, my head resting in a palm, and I remember when we snuck into Katie Ellis’s backyard to get a view over the fence.

We took turns stepping on each other’s palms to see her tanning in her red bikini, and you said “a perfect ten.”

I look out the window. Streetlights illumine tin flowers—hyacinths and geraniums frozen as the mute evening takes its place under moonlight, breaking, stem by stem, as the light grasps lavender petals and carries them, tucked in its knuckles, skyward.

I watch the canvas of pointillistic angels.

The Anthology

A Sunday Afternoon Jeremy Avalos

After Sunday brunch and the reading of psalms he melts under red clouds—pours into the pores of a lilac and sinks, ripples blooming, calm— and the sky shakes, not knowing what for.

He’s safe in the silk net—gossamers, water, a city without skyscrapers. He lies in the shade of mountains eating the gritty earth, hearing the sighs of a preacher whom, upon asking “How’s brunch? How’s the weather?

What’ve you done? Where’s my son?” bites his nails for his boy’s sunk—no tether.

A ship with star-stained sails— steering, the boy roams dreams and sees what’s there: an Andalusian girl with black rivulets for hair.

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Money Hungry Tori Bedell

Sitting back.

Relaxed.

Staring at a blank screen wishing we had something to do and wondering why now you have to pay for entertainment.

Remember when having fun could be free?

Now America's taken over nature and put a dollar sign on it.

Posted prices that inflate like big balloons until they burst open and the natural beauty that was once treasured is now just a business.

America sits on the doorsteps of poverty and speaks of equality but doesnt stand by their word like the soaring of the mighty bald eagle we claim—but it’s really just a bird.

What are we missing?

We've got politicians insisting that America is where we want to be but Every night when I lay down to go to sleep I hear America groaning.

I hear her moaning in her own depths of dispair and there’s no way to repair her ‘cause she tells me she’s hungry She speaks of the beauty shes lost to the people who now own her. We feed ourselves but turn nature into an American waste land.

My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of Death, poverty, starvation—you name it, we got it.

America tells me she’s addicted.

She’s addicted to the food they’ve been feeding her since day one they stepped foot on her lively soil.

People of America, She is very much alive.

And because all she’s been given to survive Is money?

America is hungry.

Her tummy growls in anger causing earthquakes.

She cries and spits drops of pain onto our heads in raging whirlwinds begging for something to satisfy her emptiness.

Her hunger pangs feelings like tornados tossing everything around her just hoping somebody will hear her cries of exasperation somewhere in the nation and simply feed her.

Because we are selfish.

All America wants is her body to be loved and cherished.

America is hungry.

Feed her.

Passing of Time Tori Bedell

Time seems to have such control in our lives, Hugs and kisses that used to be high fives.

Remember when playing in the dirt with a stick was fun?

And when it didn’t matter what you played ‘cause everyody won.

Digging for worms just to make mud pies, Tricking everyone by telling them to examine their flies.

When friendships were the most complex things on the face of the earth, And you traded dimes for pennies ‘cause you didn’t know the worth.

You laughed and you played and you giggled and cried,

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You only ate things if you knew they were fried.

You were home before the street lights came on, And didn’t quite understand where Mr. Fluffy had gone?

When Mommy’s closet was the place for dress up, And you had lemonade stands at a quarter a cup, When the world around you was simply your home, And you weren’t afraid of the streets you’d roam?

When the passing of time meant nothing to you, And everyday had adventures that brought something new.

Using the easy bake oven to make cake for the dog, Using so much toilet paper that the toilet would clog, Never thinking twice about the things that you’d do, And then comes “This hurts me more than it hurts you!”

And with the flick of a wrist and the crack of a belt, You always remembered the pain you felt, And you didn’t understand how it could have hurt them, But you never snuck a cookie before dinner again.

Then as time would pass by, We would laugh, we would cry, We would wonder and question, begin to ask why.

We would grow into a phase, Where “I know” was a daily phrase.

From the popular kids to the nerds in school, You weren’t allowed to cuss so you called them a fool, Keeping up with the trends just to try to be cool, And lazy-day summers when you would chill by the pool.

Love poems by children who don’t know what love is, On cloud nine so high you feel above all this.

Taking the time to put someone before yourself, Old habits that you find being put on a shelf.

You open up to this person expecting the same, You think they understand you, so you feel no shame.

Embarrassment means nothing when they’re around, ‘Cause you know when you fall they’ll help you up off the ground.

You try your hardest to keep conversation flowing, With the pain of regret and the fear of not knowing.

What you think is “love” may just be an illusion, As a teenager this causes growing confusion.

Growning up is hard to do, We go through things we shouldn’t have to.

But time is passing and we can never go back, That’s why I choose to stay on track.

Make the right choices when you know you can.

Don’t be afraid to take a chance.

When it comes to being happy, it’s the little things, So embrace your life and all it brings, Time is unstoppable so don’t let it run out, Live and learn—what life is really about.

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