Lennon Wall Fall 2022

Lennon Wall

Copyright December 2022

Courtesy of Lennon Wall at Anglo American University

Printed by Indigo Print

All photo rights reserved to original owner

Dear AAU students, faculty, friends, and family,

I wanted to celebrate the return to normalcy— my first (and last) year of college not interrupted by Covid-related online learning or faces hidden by masks. But truthfully we’re still so far from “normal.” Lennon Wall would be doing a disservice if we didn’t stand with and acknowledge those fighting injustices across the globe.

But, before I get into that, I want to celebrate the successes of the Lennon Wall staff and the progress we made this year. I also need to recognize the seven incredible women that made up the editorial board for their diligent work and strong ideas. We had the vision to rebuild the magazine from the ground up and have been successful in generating content and now have a surplus for both the print and website this semester. The group of writers that made up the staff this fall are motivated, talented, and willing to push the envelope.

Our staff is committed to the journalistic values of fairness, balance, and accuracy, and we will not be silenced while people around the world are oppressed. I applaud the members of our staff who tackled difficult subjects in their articles and stood for the values of democracy and self-expression.

This year began with Russia’s unsolicited and unjust invasion of Ukraine forcing over 7.8 million people to flee their homes and to endure countless human rights violations and war crimes. Then in June, we watched as women’s rights to bodily autonomy were stripped across the United States, further marginalizing women and denying a necessary form of healthcare. Not to mention, the Gun Violence Archive counted 599 mass shootings in the US this year alone, proving once again that Americans value their guns more than the lives of others. In Iran, the peaceful “Women, life, freedom” protests are being quashed by the government through death sentences with women, girls, and human rights defenders as the target.

The UN warned of a decline in media freedom and safety around the world this past July and we have an opportunity as journalists in Prague to be a voice for otherwise unheard stories. We can use the values that are the foundation of our magazine to be a trusted source of news, a watchdog, and to work in the interests of those we serve.

I hope Lennon Wall continues to serve the AAU community well. Happy Holidays, and we’ll see you next year.

Lennon Wall Editor in Chief

Kind Regards, Abigail Calandra

Abigail Calandra

Maegan

Rebeka

Veronica

Ekaterina

The Fall Of Roe: What’s Next?

By Sara A. Quintero

Enough is Enough: The World’s First Women’s Revolution

By Adriana Burger

Beneath The Microscope: Drawings Long and Small By Eryn Taylor-Freeme

All Of My Dreams

By Madison Codoner

Can I Sit Here?

By Ela Angevine

Changes in Czech Accreditation Environment Spark Panic Among Students

By Abigail Calandra and Antoinette Goldberg

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Something About The Last Time I Fell In Love

By Georgia Skerritt

The Wounded Deer, Your Favorite

By Violeta Zarate

Gen Z Hits the Polls During US Midterms

By Abigail Calandra

Taylor Swift: A White Feminist Icon

By Gabriella Burgess

Rose Dust By Violeta Zarate

Rupi Kaur: Problematic Poet By Violeta Zarate

Crowns and Masks: AAU’s 2022 Homecoming

By Ela Angevine

The Fall Of Roe: What’s Next?

By Sara A. Quintero

OnJune 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States of America handed down Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade, the case that had protected abortion as a constitutional right for nearly half a century. The decision not only divided the court along ideological lines but divided the nation.

Celebration and outcry alike erupted throughout the country, illustrating the divisive issue of abortion in the United States. Conservative individuals and groups viewed the decision as a protection of life. Progressives viewed the decision as a regressive loss of bodily and medical autonomy.

This news comes just over a month after Politico leaked a draft of the case, indicating time was running out for Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Protestors descended upon the gates of the Supreme Court just hours after news broke, and similar demonstrations took place throughout the country. However, this was not enough to save Roe. Justices rarely change their votes during the drafting process, even if they know their vote will be unpopular with the people of the United States.

In the aftermath of such a landmark decision, what does the future of reproductive rights in the United States hold?

It depends. Dobbs v. Jackson returned the regulation of abortions to the states. Abortion accessibility now rests entirely on individual states. However, varying restrictions on abortion have been in place for years now, technically going against the “supreme law of the land.”

In fact, the overturning of Roe v. Wade should not be a surprise. Conservative lawmakers have been chipping away at Roe v. Wade for years. It is evident by legislation and rhetoric that overturning Roe v. Wade was the ultimate goal, driven overwhelmingly by religious beliefs that are in contradiction with the nation’s supposed separation of church and state.

Currently, thirteen states have enacted total bans on abortions – Idaho, Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennesse, Kentucky and West Virginia. Georgia has a ban on abortions after six weeks of gestational age. Utah, Arizona, Florida and North Carolina enacted a ban after 15-20 weeks of gestational age.

For now, sweeping bans have been blocked in ten states - Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and South Carolina.

Abortions remain legal in the rest of the states with varying degrees of limitation. States that tend to lean towards the Democratic party to have more relaxed limitations on abortion access while estates that typically support Republican party overwhelmingly restrict abortion access.

The race to take away reproductive rights is not over. Three months after Dobbs v. Jackson was handed down, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced legislation for a nationwide abortion ban, Kevin Breuninger reports. This contradicts a common conservative talking point: Dobbs v. Jackson merely returned the right to set abortion laws to the states, it did not outlaw abortion outright across the country. However, Graham’s proposal has Democrats wondering just how far abortion restriction will go.

Another standout story to emerge from the overturning of Roe v. Wade is the unity of Kansas voters to keep their right to an abortion. On August 2, 2022, Kansas voters rejected a referendum that would remove abortion as a protected right from the state constitution. This produced shock waves across the country, as Kansas is a conservative state, but served as an invaluable demonstration of the will of the people. Voters spoke loud and clear: radical abortion bans would not be tolerated in their state. Moreover, this shows people across the country, and the world, that the people do have the power to be the change they wish to see within their government.

The midterm elections recently occurred in the United States. A third of Senate seats and all 435 seats of the House of Representatives were up for re-election, with the Republican party taking the House and the Senate. The fate of abortion access, made vulnerable by the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the sweeping abortion bans that followed, is now in the hands of these representatives of the people. If anti-abortion legislation triumphs in the coming months, we may see the right to reproductive rights wane even further.

The fate of abortion rights remain unknown across the world as well. The overwhelming majority of European countries allow abortion upon request, with some time constraints. Although, Poland, like the United States, has experienced a significant shift in abortion access. In 2020, a near-total ban took place,

Abortion access has been largely expanding in Latin America since the beginning of the twenty-first century. Historically, most countries in the region have limited abortions to cases of rape or risk to the mother’s life, with total abortion bans in the Dominican Republic and El Salvador still in place. Only Nicaragua and Honduras have rolled back access in recent years. Thousands people in Latin America took to the street on September 28, 2022, International Safe Abortion Day, to demand universal access to elective abortions, inspired by the legalization of the procedure in Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia in landmark court decisions.

In Asia, abortion access varies but has leaned towards the liberalization of access in recent years. The procedure is broadly legal in the most populous countries on the continent, China and India. Seventeen countries allow abortion with various degree of restriction but three countries do not allow the procedure for any reason. Social taboos and stigmas are present in many countries, where sexual and reproductive health issues are rarely discussed. While some countries like South Korea and Thailand has broadened their abortion access in recent years, the struggle for broader access continue.

In Africa, access to safe abortions vary acoss the continent’s 54 countries. The laws are highly restrictive, however, with an estimated 93% of reproductive-aged women under these restrictive laws. In 2021, Benin legalized abortions upon request in most circumstances and now has one of the most liberal abortion laws in the continent. Moreover, 42 out of the African Union’s 55 members have ratified the Maputo Protocol, which is an international human rights treaty outlining the rights of women, including health and reproductive rights.

There is no doubt that the world is watching as access to safe abortion is pulled between conservatives and progressives across government. It is hardly an isolated development but a part of a recent, broader shift towards conservatism in the United States and around the world. With the fall of Roe in the United States, the fate of abortion seems grim unless the people unite for their reproductive rights.

All of My Dreams

I think all of my dreams Are an amalgamation of places I’ve been Darkened hallways And crowded events The shapes people chase me through The mirror in which I see my own reflection

I think all of my dreams Are an amalgamation of feelings I’ve felt Tears passed on the bathroom floor And the heat of embarrassment The discomfort in which I bring upon myself The joy of newfound understanding

I think all of my dreams Are an amalgamation of where I want to go Over an ocean A cottage in the countryside Where the world reads my writing Towards the sunlight

I think all of my dreams are confusing And bring me the grief of having to choose at all

By Madison Codoner

Hadley Hyatt

Enough is Enough: The World’s First Women’s Revolution

By Adriana Burger

What is a hijab? In Iran, a hijab is a headscarf used to take away a woman’s right to her body. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, it became mandatory for all women, beginning at the age of 9, to wear a hijab covering the head and neck while concealing the hair.

“Hijab means veiling a woman, literally keeping them out of society. It’s not a religious thing, it’s about patriarchy: Islamic ideology is based on patriarchy, it’s the heart of the Islamic Republic. A father could kill his child and get away with it. The Iranian government is this father,” Sara, an Iranian student studying in Prague described. Over the decades, women have begun defying these oppressive laws put into place by an authoritative government of men. But, this has come with the price of women’s lives.

On September 17, 2022, a funeral was held for a 22-year-old Kurdish woman named Mahsa Jina Amini. She was visiting family in Iran’s capital city, Tehran, when she was arrested by the “Mortality Police” for wearing an inappropriate hijab. In reality this was an arbitrary arrest, leaving all women vulnerable to subjection by the police. Mahsa Amini was supposed to be taken to a reeducation center, but instead arrived at Kasra Hospital in a coma, dying 3 days later. She was beaten to death by the police.

The day of her funeral will be remembered as the beginning of the world’s first Women’s Revolution. Tens of thousands of women from all 31 of Iran’s provinces had gathered in their streets, burning their hijabs and cutting their hair. This revolution is spreading like wildfire, calling for an end to oppressive Islamic rule against women.

“Women, Life, Freedom,” “Death To The Dictator,” they chant.

“When you can’t choose what to wear, you can’t choose what to think. In Iran, a woman is half a man, half a witness. In Iran, women cannot sing. You do not see real women in Iran, a woman is a hijab,” Shojaei said.

As demonstrations in Iran continue, the more women, men and children give their lives for freedom. As of October 12, 2022, at least 200 protestors have been killed. There is no independent journalism. Internet access has been taken away.

Ambulances are used to make way in protests while government officials pose as civilians, spreading misinformation. Government officials destroy property and blame it on protestors. But the people of Iran are stronger than the government. The government doesn’t represent them, it isn’t theirs.

The government’s fear tactics are only making the people angrier, and more passionate for their right of freedom.

“We will not let go unless they cut our fucking hands off. We have seen women’s movements in history, but never women’s revolutions. Women have finally realized how much power they hold. There is no way to go back to the past, there is only forward. We want a new Iran,” says Soroush Sanaei, an Iranian student at AAU and organizer of the discussion.

The discussion brought to light Anti-Muslim sentiment in the West. As Russia began its attacks on Ukraine, the United States along with other Western countries rushed to help. But where is this help for Iran? Where are the voices of Western politicians stating their support? But this help does not exist for Iran and Western politicians remain silent.

“There are sanctions against Iran, but why? We didn’t attack any countries. The sanctions impact the people and not the government in the end. We are cut off from the world. We have no connection to the world. We cannot buy medicine for protestors beaten by the police because of the sanctions the United States has imposed on us,” said Mashroot, an Iranian man who moved to Prague after marrying a Czech woman.

Human rights should not be about politics; it is very black and white. As Western countries stay silent , they take away power from the people. These politicians believe the Iranian government is going to win the fight and defeat the revolutionaries. Nuclear negotiations will then be made with the same government that supports the Taliban, Putin, War in Syria and silencing the people’s voice: everything Western politicians claim to deplore.

Ela Angevine

By Ela Angevine

Can I Sit Here?

PRAGUE—Tram 22 heading in the direction of Holešovice market screech-

es to a halt, letting on another load of passengers on a buzzing day in October. I sit prepared for the 40-minute ride zoning out to the hustle and bustle when a woman jabs my shoulder. I turn around bewildered, and all I get is a sentence in Czech and a finger pointing at an older gentleman waiting patiently.

Though it is acceptable for everyone to sit on any chair in Czech public transportation when there are free seats, you should be conscious of people who may need a seat more than you, according to Prague locals.

My face flushed with embarrassment. While peacefully listening to music, the color of the chair under me had slipped my mind. I rip out my earphones, mumble an apology in broken Czech and stand to the opposite window. A mix of guilt and annoyance for the abrupt disturbance wash over me, though I was the one who neglected my surroundings.

“I’ve never been asked to give up my seat,” Prague Local, Annushka Litchie says, “but I have been stared at by old men when I don’t offer my seat to them. I rarely sit on public transport because I’d rather someone who needs to sit use the seat.”

For the remaining 30-minutes to Holešovice, I stand huddled between people.

In most trams there are two colours of seats: red intended as reserved seats for those who need them and gray for other passengers though in newer trams these distinctions are replaced by stickers on the walls. Upon first glance, the colours do not determine where or when the majority of people in Prague sit. When there is an op en chair, you take it. There is no rhyme or reason to the location of red seats. They are not mostly near the doors or all together but sporadically placed, yet there was a purpose for the separation; that is awareness.

“I had to spend over a year in Prague to realise the seat colours on the trams had a deeper and more practical meaning,” second-year Anglo-American University student, Lora Lukova says, “To me, this distinction is not very efficient since tourists or newcomers, like me, might get confused or misinterpret the intention behind the differently coloured seats. Strategies such as the stickers on the newer trams make it clearer but there’s more to be done for increasing the transparency around the issue.”

Similar to London or New York, it is expected that a person who is able to relinquish their seat to a person who is in need or asks. This is certainly the case in Prague as well. Colloquially this is sometimes called the 6-60 rule, meaning you should especially watch out for people below or above these ages to give a seat to. However, this is not always the case as people can have invisible disabilities or simply not look their age.

If you are sitting and are someone who can readily stand for your journey, the rule of thumb is to keep an eye and ear out for the people who need a seat, no matter what colour is under your tush.

Beneath the Microscope: Drawings Long and Small

By Eryn Taylor-Freeme

Art exhibitions naturally make you feel small. As you walk into the gallery you are humbled by the many pieces looming against white walls. You stand back and feel the artwork rush over you, consume you and you shrink, no matter the theme of the space. It is humbling in a different manner when you experience the opposite.

Anglo-American University professor Robert Horvitz pulls you into his work, submerging you in an infinite fluidity that juxtaposes its material size. His collection entitled, ‘Drawings Long and Small’, on display in Galerie Reunion, is not crass in its initial impression. It does not scream at you or aggressively parade its content demanding recognition. The collection is powerfully silent and the risk of surpassing its beauty with disinterest is high, establishing an intimacy endowed to very few. However, the energy it has once you take the time to draw near is not unlike the fascination of looking at an invisible world beneath a microscope. The collection requires attention, something easily dismissed with the size of most of the drawings, but when invested you are unable to peel your eye away from the everlasting sequence that appears confined to such a small space.

The drawings are entirely in black and white and require only two materials: white paper and black ink. Every creation is generated with an identical pen stroke: “I place the point on the paper and flick it,” Horvitz says, a technique that developed between 1968 and 1970 and he has remained loyal to for 50 years so that it has become a thoughtless extension of his hand.

“The first stroke, the first step into it, is always a sharp sensation: an eruption in the continuum, demanding repair. But once underway, I can only lose ground. Time passes. Choices are made. Tendencies compound themselves. Regions develop with unique local characteristics. Some are quite stable and expand into large areas, others dissipate quickly.”

Art by Robert Horvitz

Since the strokes are identical, he describes the paper as the material in motion: “a repetitive ground, finite and unstructured.” Each drawing unfolds in the moment, never using preliminary sketches to plan that would subsequently destroy the notion of free choice; thus, each piece has an assortment of futures with equal authenticity. “A fully constrained drawing, where the outcome is determined in advance, would not be worth executing,” Horvitz says.

On display Horvitz has a drawing entitled “Always Now”, which spans the length of a wall but extends in height no more than 8cm. It appears almost as a crack in the wall that is teeming with life upon inspection: a scratch beneath the visible surface. The drawing, which took six months to complete, is perhaps the most compelling piece on display as it morphs in waves across the space. It was important to Horvitz to take the time needed to ensure each section remained the main subject so as never to fall into the trap of creating only background noise, and so producing the dilemma of time occurring only in the now yet still possessing a past and future. The drawing is true to its artist’s intentions as each segment is distinctive— a fascinating experience to witness as they all originate from the same mark.

The rest of the collection is equally as impressive despite its size, the smallest only consuming a few centimetres as appears in his piece, “Small Bits of Matter Distributed in Space.” It initiates a cosmic experience as each particle, in its miniscule detail, appears in motion and sobers the viewer in its apparent possession of the laws of the universe.

There are several larger drawings whose compilation manifests on paper fashioned in circular form, a choice that encompasses the undying sequence of patterns and the eternity of the style while also abstaining from stealing the attention from the ink itself.

Horvitz admitted that he rarely sells his art or produces for commission, but choses only to gift a person with one of his drawings if the piece itself, upon completion, has a quality pertinent to them in particular. This decision maintains the dynamism in his drawings as their aesthetic appearance, desirable to any interior decorator, could banish them to a wall as merely an accessory glanced at and sucked dry of its meaning. He adds that the drawings are not intended to elicit any particular emotion or portray any specific idea because their purpose lies in his satisfaction during the process. This stance is refreshing as no intention is shoved down your throat in the obnoxious manner that often accompanies artwork.

Despite the freedom gifted to the viewer, the collection does possess a quality likened to the building blocks of the universe. It is celestial, biological, chemical and physical. Each piece appears plucked from the depths of everyday that are invisible to the human eye. It is a compilation that must be experienced in person and with patience.

Changes in Czech Accreditation Environment Spark Panic Among Students

By Abigail Calandra & Antoinette Goldberg

Despite rumors surrounding a loss of academic accreditation, the Journalism and Visual Arts programs at Anglo-American University still hold Czech accreditation for students graduating before the end of 2024.

Following recent updates to the AAU website, students on campus alleged that the university had lost its Czech accreditation and failed to inform students of the change. This resulted in feelings of panic and betrayal among students over visa status, the money spent during the nostrification process and the possible consequences of only graduating with an American diploma.

However, according to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, Miroslav Svoboda, this isn’t the case. The Journalism and Visual Arts incoming class of 2025 was informed upon acceptance to AAU of their sole American accreditation by the WASC Senior College and University Commission, in turn preventing incoming students from being eligible for student visas. Alternatively, students were given the option to study a substitutive program, such as political science or humanities, so that they could have Czech student status.

“We decided to only inform the affected students,” Svoboda said. “We don’t deliver this information to students who aren’t close to graduation [or graduating prior to 2024] because we don’t think it’s relevant to them because it could create a false impression on their side.”

The accreditation of the Journalism and Visual Arts programs changed following a revision in the accreditation environment over the last couple of years, moving authority from the Ministry of Education to the National Accreditation Bureau. All schools of study at AAU needed to be evaluated prior to being approved by the new accreditation. The Bureau determined that they were not satisfied with the structure of the Journalism and Visual Arts programs, specifically the internship portion.

Following evaluations of the Journalism program by the committee and two board members, one that focuses on professionally oriented programs and one that reviews the relevant field of education, “We got positive recommendations from the evaluation committee, positive evaluation from the professional board members, but negative evaluation from the last one,” Svoboda said.

The Bureau requested more documentation from both schools of study, resulting in alterations in internal staffing and program structure. Svoboda says that it’s common to need to provide further information and make minor modifications; this was determined in late August and the University submitted additional documents.

Yet, the Journalism program requires a professionally oriented program, a new requirement in Czech accreditation within the past few years. The new requirements demand an internship of a little less than 500 hours for both the business and journalism students. Luckily, both International Relations and Visual Arts students’ internships remain at 150 hours.

The Visual Arts accreditation application began in 2020 when the school received a mixed review of the teaching approach. Schools can either focus on professionally oriented or academically oriented studies. AAU decided to place the visual arts program strictly in an academically oriented school and resubmitted for accreditation after making this change. Though the school’s resubmission was submitted in November of 2021, AAU has not received a decision yet. The chairman failed to arrange a meeting with the committee members for a year, resulting in AAU filing a formal complaint in August.

Svoboda called the committee in September and was informed that a meeting took place to discuss the vote, but the vote hasn’t ensued. Following the vote, the accreditation application will be evaluated by board members who will write their individual recommendations.

AAU received a letter from the National Accreditation Bureau stating that a meeting would occur to decide the accreditation of the visual arts program. However, the convening of the board was delayed for a month with hopes of being revisited on October 20. The University requested to attend the gathering but was promptly denied. “Most likely because there were many new members including the chairman of the bureau. They didn’t want guests there,” Svoboda said.

The temporary confusion on campus reminds students of the history AAU has with transparency between administration and the student population. Svoboda admits that AAU did fail to properly inform students about nostrification issues in the past. It was originally marketed to many students as a simple internal exam, but it became a substantial issue between students, administration and the Ministry of Education.

The rejection of the visual arts and journalism accreditation would deny students the opportunity to go through the nostrification process. Nonetheless, Svoboda sounds hopeful that the accreditation process will allow students to receive the dual diploma, the inclination of many students applying from abroad.

By Georgia Skerritt

Something about the last time I fell in love prose structure inspired by Jamaica Kincaid’s Girl (1978)

Say hi; do you remember me?; give him his food order; make sure you add napkins to the bag; you look good, how have you been?; smile; say hi to your mom for me; sweep the kitchen; wipe the tables; finish the shift; it was nice to see you again tonight; when you clock out, respond to his text but not too soon; say yes when he asks to see you; plan for Monday; you’ll pick him up; tell him about school, but only the fun parts; ask him about work; ask him about his brother; ask him about his music; buy the cassette tape he picks out for you; choose an equally good one for him; pay for your own coffee, but you can let him pay for your food; chew with your mouth closed; smile with your eyes but not too much; invite him back to your place; my dad might be home it’s been so long, he’d love to see you; hug him goodbye; try not to linger; see him again; listen to his music; pay for the coffees this time; tell him he looks good in that jacket he wants to buy; take him to that spot on the canal that you love; play him your favorite song; if he leans closer, let him; can I kiss you?; say yes; hold his hand on the walk home; kiss him again in the car; text him when you get home; keep going to school; see him some more; keep going to work; reply to all his good night texts; mom’s cooking invite him over for dinner after work; let him stay the night; let him stay again; read him your favorite poem; go hiking in the mornings; go surfing on the weekends; take the scenic route home; listen to Sina by Djavan together; I think I love you; buy donuts together; help his mom with groceries; help his brother with homework; help cook at his family dinners, and invite him to yours; go to museums; go to the farmers market; play Bob Marley in the car together; get him a sweater for Christmas; say thank you for the little ring he gives you; New Years kiss; go sledding; study some more; find a routine; make sure his birthday gift is special; spend the day with him; on spring break, go to California; introduce him to your aunt; eat street tacos and swim in the sun; lay on beach at sunset and listen to him play guitar; what do you think will happen when I go back to school?; fly home; keep hiking; keep surfing; keep cooking and walking and sleeping over; finish up with school; talk about long distance; forget about it and have a lovely summer; ask to see him, but he’s busy; that’s fine – ask again; give it some time; give it a week; give it two; call him to talk; give it another week and then call him again; I think we should talk; after work one day, go to his place; hug; kiss; say goodbye; try to distract yourself; when you’re sad, listen to the voicemail you kept from him – I finally remembered that song I wanted to show you so call me when you’re off work, love you; pack for school; spend time with your family; don’t look at the old photos; try to think of something else; focus on classes; move on; delete the text conversations; go for a run; make more friends; kiss someone new; travel; get a job at the school coffee shop; call your parents; text your sister; pass the time; study hard; go home for the holidays; hug your dog; renew your passport; back to school; keep moving on; and, if you remember, feel free to wish him happy birthday at the end of March.

Hadley Hyatt

Taylor Swift: a White Feminist Icon

By Gabriella Burgess

Midnights, Taylor Swift’s tenth studio album, released on October 21, 2022, broke the internet and is setting monumental records. The album currently holds all top 10 songs on the Billboard music charts, making her the first artist to do so. Taylor Swift’s expansive fame creates space for scrutiny and other personal opinions. Drama and controversy are not unique to other musicians, and it’s also seen throughout Swift’s career history. As a swiftie myself, it is still important to acknowledge her problematic tendencies.

Her first time discussing politics in 2018 has led to social media posts and speeches that vary between political matters, from encouraging her fans to vote to denouncing Donald Trump and speaking for LGBTQ+ rights. The question is now: how much of Taylor is White Feminism? White feminism is not a new issue; it has plagued America since women protested for the right to vote. The term refers to women who are typically white and who narrowly define feminism within the boundaries of white, cis, thin, middle-class, able-bodied women. It essentially excludes the majority of women who need feminism the most. White feminists don’t include all women, which poses obvious issues.

Feminism isn’t feminism if it doesn’t include all women, no matter what. So how does Swift fit into this narrative? There are a couple of examples. 1989 Taylor is one of her most iconic and revolutionary eras. “Shake It Off”, the lead single off the album, became the pop song of the century, but the music video is where we can start to see the white feminist in action. While this is a step forward from her previous era of “You Belong with Me” and the “I’m not like other girls’ phenomenon,” it’s still incredibly tone-deaf.

She references different forms of dance throughout the video including ballet, modern, and hip-hop. The joke throughout this music video is that she can’t dance and doesn’t fit into any of these professional dance categories. The issue with this is the appropriation in these hip-hop scenes.

There is a clear objectification of black women and inappropriate use of black culture. Journalist Melissa Fabello states, “Because there’s a huge difference between appreciating and exchanging culture and straight-up trying it on for size and then shedding it at the end of the day when that benefits you. The latter is appropriative, and it is always, always, always harmful.”

This was in 2014 and since then she has made strides in including plus-size, noncis people in her music video, “You Need to Calm Down.” This music video created an influx of 13 US dollar donations to the GLAAD organization, which specializes in LGBTQ+ issues, as 13 is Taylor’s lucky number. She even wrote a statement to the governor in support of the Equality Act stating, “For American citizens to be denied jobs or housing based on who they love or how they identify, in my opinion, is un-American and cruel.”

But how much of an ally is she? Is she capitalizing on her activism or is she trying to be a part of a social justice trend? She has undoubtedly had a positive impact on important social issues. Her first political endorsement for a Democrat in Tennessee’s midterm elections created a surge of approximately 65,000 registered voters. In her Netflix documentary, she talks about her “brave” act of denouncing Republicans and inserting her personal political beliefs into the worldview. She highlights her version of an anti-feminist society working against her. While this rings true, one of the most searched questions about Taylor is how many men she has dated. She will never be able to understand the issues faced by women who aren’t white,straight, or financially secure, yet she acts as though she does. The way women are treated in the entertainment industry needs evaluation and reform, but that doesn’t mean Taylor Swift knows what it’s like to be a person of color or a part of the LGBTQ+ community as a woman.

Photo by Beth Garrabrant

The way women are treated in the entertainment industry needs evaluation and reform, but that doesn’t mean Taylor Swift knows what it’s like to be a person of color or a part of the LGBTQ+ community as a woman. Professor Joshua Badge at Deakin University explains, “If the criticism of her work previously is that she’s been too apolitical, releasing a gay pride song during Pride Month attached to a political petition to change laws well, that’s just an excellent business move, isn’t it?” referring to her infamous single, “You Need to Calm Down.” It’s become an issue of performative activism within her white feminist agenda.

Well, how can she win? How can she withdraw herself from white feminism and immerse herself in intersectional feminism? There are multiple examples of incredible feminists in the entertainment industry who are white but stay away from white feminism such as Lady Gaga and Emma Watson. These women have addressed the white privilege they possess and spoken up for those who can’t.

Taylor Swift has yet to mention or speak about countless women’s issues that span across the nation and the world, including the aftermath of the overturning of Roe V. Wade, the women’s rights violations taking place in Iran, or any other relevant issue that could be too controversial for her brand. Swift strays away from anything that’s not trendy and isn’t widely accepted. I hope we will see Taylor Swift expand her activism to reach and support all women instead of just what’s convenient for her.

By Violeta Zarate

The Wounded Deer, Your Favorite

querida madre siempre seré tu refugio seguro incluso cuando no puedes ser mía las lágrimas de tu niño interior en mis hombros por mi espalda ¿por qué son tan crueles contigo? tomaré las flechas por los dos venado solo soy un cervatillo toma mi mano

Frida Kahlo, The Wounded Deer

Rupi Kaur: Problematic Poet

By Violeta Zarate

Rupi Kaur is a Canadian poet who was originally born in India. She is notorious for her first published collection of poems Milk and Honey. Frequent themes in her writing are relationships, sex, abuse, trauma, feminity, and identity. It’s a possibility you’ve seen her work on Instagram this past decade since she is amongst the first of the “instapoets.” With the new release of her fourth book, Healing Through Words, comes a resurgence of criticism and attention to previous allegations. Kaur has been accused of stealing material from smaller creators, not properly advocating for women of color and criticized for being a surface level poet who produces mundane poetry.

The first accusations of plagiarism brewed when her first collection ‘Milk and Honey’ became popular. People were quick to spot similarities between Kaur’s work and another poet named Nayyirah Waheed’s material. Waheed released her first book Salt a year before the release of Milk and Honey so it could not be Waheed plagiarizing Kaur. Additionally, Waheed was a common user of the social media platform Tumblr where she posted more original content. The similarities spotted were the use of very simple phrases, short stanzas, almost no proper punctuation and even themes. The biggest ‘give away’ was the utilization of metaphors and similes that pertain to honey. The media frenzy caused such a storm that Waheed herself posted a written statement to Tumblr. Seemingly, the poet was in communications with Kaur in regards to plagiarism but Kaur dismisses the accusations. After several tries to gain transparency professionally, Rupi simply would not budge. Interestingly, Kaur had previously cited Waheed as one of her biggest inspirations.Many readers have done their own investigations by comparing line by line of both authors’ works (along with several other small poets) then decided for themselves that they’d no longer purchase any more of her books. Because of the minimalistic style of poetry, it is difficult to differentiate between inspiration and blatant plagiarism.

Not only have these allegations of plagiarism stunted her reputation as a poet but also the lack of proper representation for the South Asian experience.As opposed to describing her own personal trauma, she discusses it as more of a general topic. Consequently this could blend the line of individual and collective experience. Since she is presenting her experience in a generalized way it makes readers believe this is how the experience is for all south asian women. She has been criticized for taking away from the movement by romanticizing it some say. Unfortunately this silences other women or takes away from their experience. Moreover Kaur portrays herself in a way that lacks self awareness. She does not realize the western privilege she has in contrast with south asian in harm’s way. Not to say that her trauma is less valid, it means she does not speak for all south asian women. Others describe Kaur appealing to the white woman feminism troupe. Kaur creates generic poems with nothing that attempts to invoke bigger deeper thinking. This simple style of poetry has gained its own term ‘instapoetry’. This idea of contemporary poetry has been described to be surface level. Examples of this quick formula are from ‘Milk and Honey”: “You / are your own / soul mate.” (Poem from Milk and Honey) and, “I have / what I have / and I am happy / I’ve lost / what I’ve lost / and I am / still / happy” (Poem from Milk and Honey) The public have characterized Kaur’s poetry as predictable, mediocre phrases. The poetry is perceived as disingenuous and as a means to profit off the market of teenage girls and pretentious millennials.

Dougal MacArthur

A once popular and considered revolutionary, has been over the years reduced to a meme. Several Twitter tweets, Tiktok videos, and Instagram posts have been made mocking the superficiality in her poems. She is constantly being dissected by the Unfortunately, this is an opportunity for the ‘internet trolls’ to spew hateful racist and misogynistic comments. Of course she has many fans of today and there’s no doubt that she is a successful woman. This may be her downfall. Her new book has been released and no one is talking about it. Kaur’s work is easily accessible to readers and may serve as an introduction to poetry. It is simple to understand with universal topics. It is still being debated by many if instagram saved or ruined legitimate poetry. More importantly, can this be the demise of authentic poetry? First we may ask ourselves: what makes a good poet and a bad poet? There is truly no one to say. Truth is poetry.

Hadley Hyatt

Gen Z Hits the Polls During US Midterms

By Abigail Calandra

This year’s United States midterm elections were met with warnings of an impending “red wave” with Republicans seizing control of the House, and possibly the Senate. Midterm elections are rarely good for the party in power with firstterm presidents typically doing particularly poorly, so a blowout seemed reasonable in the weeks and months leading up to the elections. But as the returns came in on election night, it became apparent that the democrats were holding the line.

Democratic voters, especially young ones, showed up at the polls and were crucial in staving off several key races, while helping hold the Senate and minimize losses in the house. The fate of the Senate was determined by a crucial Democratic victory in Nevada, which followed the re-election of the Democratic Senator Mark Kelly in Arizona. Although that takes Democrats to 50 seats, a loss in the Georgia runoff in December would result in a 50-50 split, Vice President Kamala Harris serves as the tie-breaker so Democrats will maintain control.

While the Democratic win in the Senate is worth celebrating, the Democrats did not maintain control of the House of Representatives. President Biden announced during the G20 Summit that regardless of a Republican majority in the House the Democratic Party will uphold its stance on abortion preventing a ban from being codified.

Issues including the overturning of Roe v. Wade, gun control, student debt, and climate change appeal to younger voters resulting in the favor of Democratic candidates by a 28-point margin, according to CIRCLE. Some younger voters, 25 and below, came to the polls for the first time following Parkland, a shooting that left 17 dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The events that followed and the creation of March for Our Lives brought people into politics before they were 18, both as a defense against gun violence and against Trumpism.

Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, the director of the CIRCLE project observed that the youngest voters of the 18-29 range were eager to embrace politics differently than their elders, so much so the turnout gap between those under 25 and those under 30 shrank rapidly.

While young voters are motivated to drive political change, preliminary figures from CIRCLE project that youth voter turnout during this year’s midterms makes up a smaller percentage of the electorate than in 2018, only 12 percent. Not to mention, Blue Rose Research’s early polls indicate that young voters were actually not crucial to the Democrat’s success. Instead, Democrats simply managed to win crucial swing states by convincing Republican moderates and independent voters to choose the Democratic nominees.

In the wake of their lackluster performance, Republicans chose not to equate it with policy issues. Rather they claim the voting age is too low proving that the right would rather hold power over Gen Z than appeal to that portion of the electorate through legislation that supports their values.

Also it’s worth noting the role that claims of the illegitimacy of the 2020 election played. Candidates who are skeptical of Biden’s victory are polarizing. For some, it did help drum up favor among their Republican base, but for independents and moderates who don’t question the results it may have come across as juvenile or unprofessional. In competitive or statewide races Republicans claiming voter fraud during the 2020 election were not favored to win. Regardless, more than 180 skeptics were elected or re-elected to the House and over a dozen in the Senate. Trump announced his 2024 presidential bid on Wednesday, November 16, and many candidates who support him and his values captured seats in the races. Although the midterms are a small and slightly reassuring step in the right direction, it needs to be made clear that Trump could still win in 2024. The dangers of a second Trump presidency can not be overstated.

These midterms followed a slew of voter-suppression bills signed into law and we are still dealing with the consequences. The Democratic Party must do more to appeal to Black voters, creating a multi-racial, pro-democratic landscape differentiating from the one we have now.

If we want any chance against Trump in 2024 it’s also essential that we continue to encourage younger voters to stay active and to know that their vote matters. It may be cliche but we are the change we want to see and it starts in the voting booth.

Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images

Scott Olson/Getty Images

By Ela Angevine

Crowns and Masks: AAU’s 2022 Homecoming

Homecoming waltzed into November at the perfect time for a jolly reprieve from studies with prosecco, food, live performances, dancing, and AAU’s first gender-neutral Homecoming Court. The night was teeming with gowns, shirts, suits, and skirts, sneakers, sandals, boots, and heels. Both the outfits and the people came from all over, creating a truly international event.

The Student Council Events Manager Brooklyn Ferenc spearheaded the event with the help of Dan Padolsky, Karolina Holusova and volunteers. AAU’s Marketing team hired a photographer for the ball, documenting the record-breaking turn out.

“The tickets were sold out, and we had more interest than predicted. The event went very smoothly because we didn’t have too many performances planned, but everyone was committed to the masquerade theme and looked like they were having a great time!” Yunori Sarah, Student Council Member and dedicated prosecco server, said.

Around the middle of the night, after most guests had arrived and the live performances finished, the prosecco and snacks were devoured. However, the quick thinking of Student Council members reinvigorated the party-goers with wine as everyone gathered to hear the announcement of the Homecoming Court winners.

Simone Stansbury and Hunter Vaughan were crowned, and the whole AAU community gathered in room 2.06 cheered. The monarchy of the night paraded around with their tiaras for pictures and congratulations from friends while the DJ played throwbacks and head-bangers.

“This year the SC wanted to include the tradition of involving university students in voting for two students that have exceptional qualities that AAU values, like leadership, kindness, hard work, and contribute to the AAU community in a meaningful way. I am very proud of the four finalist nominations: Hannah Schermer, Zackary Stuck, Simone Stansburry, and Hunter Vaughan, who I believe all deserve the recognition of this achievement,” Ferenc said.

Empty plates and cups littered the room where a feast once stood. Student Council members and volunteers rushed about cleaning rubbish from the tables and chairs, but conversation and dancing reigned even as feet started to hurt and heels became decorations on the floor. The evening ended with chaos in the coat room and laughing ringing through the halls.

Rose Dust

Disheveled Disgruntled Disfigured man

I’ve watched you through the years with Rose colored glasses

I admire the shades of red, orange, pink Enamored My beautiful sunrise Sunset

I pray for the sun to rise again To gaze upon your magnificence

Dazzled

I staggered and the glasses Shattered Now I see the blue

I see the green You are no longer the same

By Violeta Zarate