Lennon Wall Fall 2020

LENNON WALL

Fall 2020

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Double Standards of Promoting Sustainable Fashion Beauty is Embarrassing Students’ Mental Health in the Age of Covid On My White Priviledge I Despise the Rally’s Participants Night Exposition My Favorite AAU Memory 2020 Elections: What’s Next for the US? All For One: How “Afrika Kids” is building a community for your Africans in the Czech Republic The Cycle The Unexpected Silver Lining of AAU’s Nostrification Debacle December Blossoms “No Night So Dark” at Villa Winternitz The Boys in the Band: Shortly about why theatre should not be adopted for film more than once Sagebrush Smoke and Violets Violence Desensitization Through Film in Today’s World: Is there a connection between violent entertainment

and violence in real life?

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Editor-in-Chief Iryna Volkovska Section Editors Culture: Angelina Nikonova Opinion: Caelyn Carlson On Campus: Dominika Szapuova Creative Writing: Miranda Mercer Multimedia: Maegan Comer Website Editors Yaughenia Pachenina Valeriia Novitskaia Design Team Ani Avetisyan Nada Khozheiri Proofreaders Georgia Skerritt Kimberly Muguta Makenna Petersen Photographers Jack Weitman Saodat Khasanova Writers Constanza Utreras Iriarte Abigail Calandra Ansley Kunzer Saodat Khasanova Cover photo by Jack Weitman Layout Design by Iryna Volkovska

The Fall 2020 issue of Lennon Wall Magazine is a come back to the basics, where we celebrate the primal joys of life and morn what we lost this year; reminisce and speak our truth.

Needless to say, 2020 was a year none of us were prepared for. At times, it seemed like new blows never stopped coming. In a matter of days, the world became more closed down and afraid than many of us have seen in our lifetime. Everyday things became unsafe, facts turned into questions.

In some ways, however, 2020 has been a learning experience, which showed us things we might not have realized about ourselves, the people around us, and this world. We’ve seen how quickly everything can change, discovered the true value of being a part of a community, learned to cope in our own ways, and to treasure what we have — the lessons we hope to take with us into 2021 and the years to follow.

Although our community is still scattered around the world with no clear idea of when we may be able to reunite, we are stronger and more determined than ever to live, love, and be there for each other. This issue is a testament to that and we hope you enjoy it.

Iryna Volkovska, Editor-in-Chief

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Double Standard of Promoting Sustainable Fashion

by Kristyna Jandova PRAGUE - Apparel companies have taken over the term “sustainable,” targeting consumers’ concerns over large environmental costs. Focusing on contrasting aspects of sustainable fashion, labels, customers and other experts within the industry dispute over the concept that has been changing the world of fashion and business.

However, more awareness has now risen due to massive consumption over the past decade causing it to become a mainstream issue, yet most profitable apparel businesses are prioritizing the consumer’s clear conscience rather over ethical production.

The fashion industry bears enormous responsibility for environmental pollution. Moreover, fashion brands are held accountable for human rights abuses, referred to as “modern slavery.”

Charlie Lamento, J.D., 55, is an attorney specializing in Fashion and Luxury Goods Law who teaches Fashion Law at the Anglo-American University in Prague. As a former prosecutor in the US, he worked to stop human trafficking. “There are accordingly paid garment workers in developing countries that cannot play victims, but

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those people are taken advantage of,” he says.

There is a lack of transparency among apparel companies and untraceable, distant places of origin where manufacturers are located due to extremely low minimum wages that the companies pay to their workers. Lamento says that “the devil in the detail is when you hire one manufacturer to do a certain task that they can’t handle; they are going to outsource that business to another supplier, who you might not know about.”

An April 2020 study by Sewport, an online platform that connects brands and manufacturers, found that China is still a leading exporter of clothes and textiles. The wages for garment workers in Asia are growing rapidly, states the research, showing that between 2000 and 2014 wage grew by 285 percent. Yet in 2017, the minimum monthly wage still stands at $270 for apparel workers in China.

Growing consumer demands challenge the movement, which prioritizes the environment and ethical justice over business profits made within the $2.4

trillion industry that has, according to The McKinsey Global Fashion Index, shown 3.5 to 4.5 percent growth in the previous year. Inditex, operating eight brands (including Zara, Pull&Bear, or Bershka) and representing the business-focused model, made a $4.01 billion profit in 2017, according to “The State of Fashion 2019” report, illustrating the core problem - massive consumption. The resource scarcity is much more understood than it was a decade ago, causing an ethical dilemma for the fashion industry and its consumers.

“Sustainability is a very ambiguous word - what does it really mean?” asks Lamento. Fast fashion is criticized for causing a huge amount of waste and environmental damage while making fewer clothes takes people’s jobs away, that’s the main dilemma according to Lamento.

H&M, Orsay or some online stores,” says Souckova. “If it’s cheap and pretty, I cannot resist.”

According to the World WildLife Fund, it takes 2,700 liters of water to produce enough cotton for a single T-shirt, targeting the fashion industry’s culpability in water scarcity and water pollution; however, textiles play a part in other industries apart from fashion, such as furnishing.

Even though millions of tons of clothing ultimately ends up in landfill each year, pollution created by the fashion industry has not been proven to be larger than in several other industries such as the dominant Oil industry, Agriculture, Tourism, Road transport, Gas production, or Cement production.

The dilemma of sustainable fashion is that the term has many definitions and ultimately none are definite. According to the UN Alliance for sustainable Czech vegan YouTuber Josefina-Jana fashion, “sustainability encompasses Bielkova “TvojeFina”, 23, says that the social issues [...] as well as best option for sustainable fashion environmental ones, [...] and decreases is buying secondhand. “I personally in water pollution and contributions to prefer new clothes most of the time, but greenhouse gas emission,” There are I take time to do my research on each no regulations for the use of the term brand individually,” says Bielkova. “I as a marketing tool. Regulation of the am willing to pay more money if I know industry depends on the jurisdiction the quality is better. I look for organic where each company is located, said cotton and avoid any animal fibers like Lamento. silk or leather.”

“We need to have a clean place to live, Sabina Souckova, 27, is a Masters’ clean water and clean air. People talk degree graduate from the University big about sustainability, but in the end, of Economics and Business in Prague people are not doing what some of the and changes her business attire outfits groups are telling them to do because everyday. “I buy one to three pieces of they can’t afford it,” said Lamento. new clothing every week from Zara,

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BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING

by Angelina Nikonova

Wayne White, born in Alabama, USA, began to paint soon enough; talent and creativity could be traced from his early childhood. Upon entering university, White met people who shared his interests and desire to create. As the artist himself says, the university has become a very important place for him and a starting point; it became not only a platform for the embodiment of creative ideas, but also a place of carefree youth, where crazy parties took place.

The artist began his career with the children’s 6

television series “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” released in 1986. White created puppets for the show and received three Emmy awards for his work.

Nevertheless, having decided to expand his reach and explore other mediums, he later took up painting as well. He began buying lithographs in secondhand thrift stores, painting 3-D phrases on them, often containing profanity. Some carry the humorous hallmark message of White; as he says, “My mission is to bring humour into fine art. Not art world funny but real world funny.” Some, on the contrary, make you think, if they touch what is hidden deep inside. Whatever it is, he creates something new and stirs attention, discussion and laughter, making an invaluable contribution to the development of contemporary art.

There is also a place for love in this story. Mimi Pond is not only a famous American cartoonist and writer, but also the best friend, beloved

From “Beauty is Embarassing” (2012)

The 2012 documentary “Beauty is Embarrassing” observes the life of Wayne White, an American artist, art director, puppeteer, set designer, animator, cartoonist and illustrator. This is a film about a man who does what he likes, creates something new, surprising his audience, and at the same time disregards the opinions of others. This is a story that inspires and helps you remember what you like to do, not what you have to.

woman and constant supporter of White. They met when Mimi was already successful and famous, and Wayne had nothing. The financial gap between them and their different social status did not become an obstacle to true love. Mimi was sure White was a rising star. She was always there, supporting and inspiring him, saying “It will be alright.” Many close friends of White say in the film that Mimi plays a big role in how the artist’s career has been developing. “I think she affords him the ability to do what he does,” comments Jonathan Gribetz, a producer. White himself confirms, “I could not have done it without Mimi. She is like the grown-up in our relationship. ” Mimi and Wayne are now raising two children, Woodrow and Lulu, who are also artists.

The film, directed by Neil Berkeley, is more like a home video that immerses viewers in a warm and friendly atmosphere. The shooting took place mostly in White’s house, and therefore the film allows us to get to know him better not only as an artist, but also as an ordinary person.

Furthemore, not only White’s wife and children participated in the filming, but also his parents, friends and close acquaintances, all those who know the artist well enough, which allows us to hear different opinions about him and his work.

“That is a true person who is never satisfied, always

wants to know what is the next thing,” says Paul Reubens, an actor with whom they were working together in “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” show. “He is a hardworking motherfucker,” adds Mimi, and therefore we immediately realize that White is a tireless perfectionist.

The documentary is ideally filmed in order to get to know White as a person, to understand what inspires and makes the artist move forward, to know who supports and motivates him. This is not a dry statement of his biography; this is an opportunity to get to know him personally, even though through a screen.

“Follow your heart and your pleasure in art. Do not do what you think is going to be making you money, or what your parents want you to do, or what that beautiful girl or guy thinks you should be doing. Do what you love. It is going to lead to where you want to go. Go out there and make the world more beautiful. I know you can.” To be honest, I cannot find more convenient and inspiring words than these, said by Wayne White himself.

This statement is especially relevant now, at a time when each person has deeper thoughts and changes for the better. Let these words of White encourage people to do something they did not dare before, and after years, turning around, they will say, “Oh, yes, it really led me where I wanted to go.”

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Students’ Mental Health in the Age of Covid

by Dominika Szapuova When we first got the email announcing the university’s closure due to Covid-19 in March, most of usthought it was going to only be for a couple of weeks max a month. We soon realized our assumptions were very wrong when the Fall semester got cancelled just a couple of days before its awaited beginning.

It meant we would be stuck at home for almost a year forced to adapt for this new reality. The internet was full of tips on how to organize our study space, create a schedule to stay on track and remain productive during online learning, however, what was not discussed as much is mental health and how to stay sane even in times of uncertainty.

Many people’s mental health was greatly affected by the measures put in place during the pandemic. Studies indicate that college student’s mental health was especially vulnerable due to already increased stress levels related to school performance. University students reported increased anxiety, stress and depressive thoughts caused by disrupted sleeping schedules, difficulty concentrating and decreased social interactions.

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Despite the school’s effort to accommodate its students, many people from the AAU community reported experiencing the abovementioned anxiety and stress. “I feel very overwhelmed. I don’t have time to rest at all as it feels like I’m doing school work 24/7 especially with the Friday classes put in place.”, a Humanities student said.

Another student from The University of New York where they have the same restrictions as AAU said this: “My mental health has been affected a lot.

This whole year feels to be so long I have a hard time imagining going back to school in February. It gives me anxiety.”

The start of the Spring semester may be still very distant as many of us currently focus on preparing for the upcoming finals, however we should start thinking about how we feel with regards to going back to on-campus learning. After such a long time it might feel almost surreal to walk into a classroom and give an in-person presentation, therefore we should prepare ourselves so the transition will not be as stressful.

The notions towards going back to campus differ within the AAU community as a journalism student Kate Šíblová said: “I’d honestly love to go back and see everyone and finally be social.”, however another student who wished to remain anonymous expressed slight concerns: “I’m happy to go back and be with my friends again, but it also gives me a lot of stress, maybe because we’ve been at home for so long.”

If the virus gets under control and AAU reopens for the Spring semester, the school should take into account that some students may need time to adjust to in-person learning. In addition to that AAU should promote mental health consciousness and provide students with resources which would ensure that the comeback to campus will be as pleasant as possible.

Photo by Jack Weitman

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On My White Priviledge

by Caelyn Carlson

Introduction Throughout these article entries, I planned originally to reflect on my white privilege. However, while I tried doing that, I realized that I found a lot more racism than I expected in my heart, so instead of simply writing about how privileged I have been in my life, I have ended up confessing my racist thoughts and tendencies.

I am not in the best place to educate people about this. However, I want to provide reflections on my privilege and racism and in turn, research why I may do, say, or think in these ways.

These reflections are originally inspired by White Like Me, a memoir written by Tim Wise

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Convenient loss of colorblindness When I was young, I trained to be a ballet dancer. Although I was unaware of the racism in the ballet world, it did not prevent me from participating in it.

My biggest role model was Misty Copeland. Since she had more muscular legs than most, her success gave me hope that despite my own big legs, I could succeed too. However, I don’t remember noting that she was a Black woman, a rare sight in the ballet world.

On the other hand, I was able to recognize another girl’s skin color when I thought it would benefit me. In 2014, I went to the LINES Ballet Summer Intensive in San Francisco. The artistic director, Alonzo King, championed one of the most racially diverse ballet companies.

In the final week of nonstop dancing, each level showcased a well-rehearsed piece. Following the showcase, a full scholarship for another program would be given to one of the exceptional dancers.

As we waited apprehensively for the great reveal, I wondered if it could be me. When the MC announced another girl’s name, I saw a Black girl crying in joy as her level engulfed her in a hug.

“She was chosen because she was Black.” I did not say it out loud, but that thought weighs heavy in my mind now.

During that showcase, I noticed that she was an amazing dancer. She stuck out by using every ounce of her body and soul to create such beautiful movements. However, the only thing I could recognize was her skin color once she had stolen my opportunity.

A more nation-wide example would be the resentment of Affirmative Action, which aims to favor previously discriminated racial and gender minorities in employment and hiring and admissions to universities in the United States. In other words, certain institutions proactively hire minorities for more diverse representation.

A family member told me recently that underqualified Black people are hired over qualified white people for marketing a face of diversity. Although I cannot deny the merit fully from that statement because Affirmative Action has its flaws, this thought is detrimental to Black people, and I believe that it causes discrimination in the workplace under the assumption that hiring discrimination no longer exists. People have even accused universities of discriminating against white people.

In my colorblind state, I did not recognize that the Black girl probably had to prove herself more than me simply because of the color of her skin. Although I didn’t specifically say she took the scholarship from a more qualified white dancer, I thought she got it solely because she was Black. I only recognized her Blackness to my own advantage, which is why I assert that colorblindness is a lie.

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Societally seeing color “I do not see color, but when I see a Black person walking down the street, I suddenly realize that I need to check my surroundings.”

White people often “don’t see color” when they are friends with a Black person (or a person of any other race). In other words, race doesn’t define their friend’s character, but when they don’t know a Black person, they react accordingly because they feel threatened.

In 2017, I visited Paris with some family. Our way of getting around consisted mostly of visiting a monument or two, then wandering semi-aimlessly to get a better feel of the city.

One day, we turned a corner, suddenly fing ourselves the only white people on the sidewalk. After a few seconds of uncomfortably looking around, we turned around and left. I recall later saying, “We seemed to be on the wrong side of town, so we went back,” but I remember thinking that it was because everyone was Black. It felt like we had a silent agreement to not mention that we were uncomfortable because of the Black people.

A 2011 study showed that it was more common for older white girls to choose the white girl doll as their favorite while it was less common for Black girls to choose a Black girl doll. In a 2015 study on 3-7 year olds of different ori-

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gins and cultures, African-American children showed a lack of in-group preference as opposed to white children.

Growing up watching reality crime shows, I saw the overwhelmingly white police officers and overwhelmingly Black and Latino criminals. That can easily socialize a child of any race into associating non-whiteness with criminality.

In the US 2018 Consensus, 20.8% of Black people lived below the poverty line doubling the poverty of white people (10.1%). In impoverished communities that lack access to services, education, and opportunities, crime is more prevalent; therefore, more of the Black population will be represented as criminals.

This is not all. A 2014 study found that the media overrepresent Black people as suspects and white people as victims. When a population is underserved and overrepresented as criminals, people like me associate “non-whiteness” as dangerous, yet it is ridiculous to associate a certain phenotype, such as color of skin or texture of hair, with violence or aggression.

In essence, even though I have friends who are Black, I still sometimes have an internal reaction when I see a Black person whom I do not know. Therefore, I claim that unconditional colorblindness does not exist.

I DESPISE THE RALLY’S PARTICIPANTS

by Saodat Khasanova

The news about the rally spread at a breakneck pace. I couldn’t believe my eyes watching the online broadcast at the Old Times Square. How can people be so egoistic and irresponsible during the crisis time in the country?

Last Sunday, an odd mixture of sports hooligans and anti-mask citizens came to protest against the coronavirus restrictions in the Staromestke Namesti, Prague’s main square, at 2 PM. For the Czech Republic, protest is a common thing. Czech citizens like to organize rallies to show their civic position and discontent. However, yesterday’s event, namely the behaviour of the protestors is the height of recklessness. The worst part is the participants’ disregards for all hygiene precautions. The protesters posted videos on Instagram stories praising people not wearing masks and not keeping a safe distance. They equated protestors to the country’s heroes, but is it the truth?

According to official data, there are 100 995 active coronavirus cases in the Czech Republic, and the number is constantly growing. Every day the Czech Republic sets new records for the number of cases. Hospitals report the congestion of places and working hours of doctors. The state is obliged to construct a field hospital on Letnany due to the coronavirus ratings. The deterioration of the epidemiological situation forces the officials to implement new restrictions that affect

an increasing number of people.

While the authorities are trying to do real actions, the demonstrators show their interpritation of “coolness” by refusing to wear masks and keep a distance, which is a minimal contribution to the country’s aid.

It is not a secret that we are tired of the virus and its impact on our lives. There is no need for a psychologist to prove that the virus has suppressed people psychologically. Everyone wants their old life back. However, it does not mean that we should lose our minds and go against health care, making it worse for everyone around us.

Just imagine the danger those cool guys put us in. Although the exact number of demonstrators is not known, Icizinec’s page on Vkontakte (a Russian social network) says that around 3 600 people decided to participate in the rally. Based on the web cameras recordings, we can assume that about the same number participated in the ill-fated protest.

The countries experience has shown that the authorities’ timely response and citizens’ compliance with quarantine measures lead to good results. The Czech Republic was one of the first countries in Europe to ease quarantine restrictions during the first wave of coronavirus. Having passed a hard way, people again began to work, study and meet friends. We have to do it again!

Let’s follow hygiene precautions. This is the only way we can make it.

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Night Exposition

by Constanza Utreras Iriarte Sharon Williams was lost in her life. She began studying business at university, mostly because she did not know what to do. But, classes were boring and she couldn’t see any future for herself in the field. She spent a lot of time in the library to be sure that she had, at minimum, basic knowledge of what was required for her major. She was currently in the library. Her brain was about to become completely dry, due to all the cramming she had done that day, until the librarian came up to her to notify her that the library would close in ten minutes. She thanked him and gathered up her stationery.

It was eight o’clock and she was walking in the cold, a blue scarf covering her mouth. The wind was strong, so she decided to avoid her usual path home and take the longer way. Walking along, a building shielded her from the wind, and she could finally open up her eyes and look up. She had forgotten that there was an art museum near the library, and to her surprise, it had a night exposition that evening. She decided to go along with the unexpected, in hopes of adding some adrenaline to her night.

She entered the museum.

The inside was warm and bright. She had to leave her coat and scarf in the locker-room. Once she entered the exposition, she didn’t immediately take interest in the paintings. It was modern art; she did not understand it. Nothing was really moving for her or made any sense. She was so tired and it had been such a long day. She thought to herself, “maybe I should have just gone home”, but she already paid for the entrance, so she was going to continue until the end.

The colors were both bright and changing. She now felt that things were different. In a way she was not wrong, as the painting styles had suddenly changed. This current exposition had a variety of paintings, from the renaissance to installations of Yayoi Kusama. While she did not really understand what connected all of these pieces of art, the more she walked down the corridors, the more she felt drawn to them. Eventually, she needed a break. She sat down on a nearby bench.

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Her eyes were heavy, her back hurt a bit. Sharon’s breathing became slower over time. Her body was so hard to move. She closed her eyes, just for a second she thought.

Security woke her up. It was 6:50 AM, and the night exposition was about to close. They needed to clean the floors before the day exposition that started at 9:00 AM. She could not believe that she fell asleep in a museum! As the security guard walked away to another room, she got up and realized she smelled some warm bread.

There had to have been a bakery not too far from the museum, but the fragrance didn’t appear to come from the entrance. She followed the smell out of curiosity, and suddenly found herself stopped right in front of a painting. She was confused on why she felt such a strong connection.

The painting was of a kitchen in the morning setting. She could see a larger woman with tied up black hair taking bread out of her oven.

There was a table with some apples right behind her, and she could see a menacing silhouette looking at the woman from the window. She was feeling extremely uncomfortable.

Sharon now heard steps coming closer to her. She thought that the guard was coming to ask her to leave at once, so she took one last look at the painting. The silhouette was now missing. No. It was at the entrance of the door, right behind the baker, holding a knife. Anxiety filled her body. Her heart was beating faster by the second. Her muscles started

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to contract. She took two steps back and something stopped her at the waist. Something had fallen. Looking down, there were apples at her feet.

She looked back up quickly. The baker was against the table and the fruits on the floor. The silhouette was right behind the baker. Sharon was about to turn around when she felt something extremely cold in her throat, but as it began to warm up, she felt terrible pain. It was blood.

Her vision blurred until everything went dark and cold.

Security woke her up. It was 6:50 AM, the night exposition was about to close. They needed to clean the floors before the day exposition that started at 9:00 AM in the morning.

She could not believe it was all a dream. It had felt so real, but at the same time too crazy to be reality. She gathered up her things and started to leave. She wondered if the painting she had dreamt about was there. It was nowhere to be seen. It never even existed. She took her coat and blue scarf and decided to go to the bathroom before leaving. She had started to dress up in front of the mirror, but her scarf fell to the floor.

Her eyes widened. She got closer to the mirror. In the same place she had felt the knife in her dream, was a huge scar. She touched it. It was real.

She tied her scarf around her neck and left the museum in a rush.

It finally struck her. She went right to the university to drop her classes.

She was the one who would paint the baker. She was no longer lost.

My Favorite AAU Memory

by Caelyn Carlson My favorite memory comes from Halloween last year.

People would consider me very wholesome; for example, at the last AAU party in March, I danced as I drank ginger tea and went to bed at 11 pm. This night was my wildest night, but I’m sure that my wildest experience does not compare to others’.

That semester, I worked at the cafe. The week before the AAU Halloween party, I was very busy and completely forgot to make sure I wouldn’t work that night. To my dismay, Bill scheduled me from “19:00” to “???”, which meant I was definitely not going to be dancing, and I was NOT going to bed at 11 pm.

The day before, I had dyed my hair blue and pink (with permanent dye!). The day of, I organized my outfit and gathered whatever random makeup and pantyhose I needed for my Harley Quinn outfit. I even made a makeshift hammer with two plastic buckets covered in torn paper bags taped to each other on a staff that I bought that day at a Halloween store. I have to say, that outfit slapped, and I looked good.

That night was wild. There was a blonde guy who came for at least nine gin and tonic drinks and a short guy who came for approximately the same amount of tequila shots. My coworker, Diana, and I were feeling annoyed and exhausted by the demands of students and random people who sauntered into the party, but then we started doing cafe staff shots, and the night became way more enjoyable.

Around 5 am after the partiers mostly left (besides the ones who were doing laps in the courtyard... for some reason), Kieran finally told us to leave; we weren’t getting much work done anyway. Before Bill took a nap on the couch in the cafe, he told us he was making eggs at 7 am, thirty minutes before the cafe opened. Diana was very excited about that proposal. Being allergic to eggs, I wasn’t overly thrilled, but I decided I wanted to support

Diana and her excitement about 7 am eggs, so we bided our time at a Burger King across the bridge where we ate fries with friends. Two hours after leaving the cafe, we found ourselves back.

It was underwhelming. Bill thought I was insane for going there just to watch Diana eat eggs. But honestly, I believe it is about the journey, not the destination. My favorite moment of that whole experience, however, was waiting with Diana at the tram stop around 7:30 in the morning.

Naturally, at that time, normal people were going to work, and I noticed a lot of glances and barely concealed smiles from commuters. I was still in my getup: disheveled hair, makeup, and all. When I reminisce about that moment, I chuckle and think, “Man, those Czechs must have gotten a kick out of the sight of me.”

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2020 Elections:

What’s next for the US?

by Abigail Calandra The Donald Trump Presidency has come to an end. His foreign policy strategy best described as “America first,” has resulted in strained relationships with allied countries, the withdrawal from many international agreements and a scaled back global role comparative to the one the US has played for generations.

As of Saturday, November 7, Joe Biden was projected to be President-elect alongside his Vice President Kamala Harris. Many world leaders have taken a sigh of relief, and even celebrated this election in hopes that a more traditional US posture will be restored.

The new President-elect has been critical of the incumbent President’s foreign policy strategy, stating in a Foreign Affairs article, “For 70 years, the United States, under Democratic and Republican presidents, played a leading role in writing the rules, forging the agreements, and animating the institutions that guide relations among nations and advance collective security and prosperity — until Trump.”

Biden has advocated for restoring long standing alliances, a recommitment to international organizations and the return of a United States that is a dependable figure on the center of the global stage. Much has changed since Biden

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was last in the White House as Obama’s VP. Leaders of some of America’s alliances have been goaded by Trump, while rivals and dictators have been enabled by his presidency.

Notably, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, China’s President Xi Jinping, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and others have exploited Trump’s vanity and boosted his ego for their personal gain- some have even crowned themselves dictators for life.

The election of Biden, a veteran politician, symbolizes a dramatic shift in not only the American public’s political views, but also a shift in America’s attitude towards the rest of the world.

But, what exactly does this mean for America’s foreign policy stance and its role in the world?

Reconnecting with allies With Biden’s expansive foreign policy experience, his first move will likely be on the offensive, taking a diplomatic approach to patch up relations with allies- notably those in Europe.

During Trump’s Presidency, he frequently questioned the purpose of NATO, which provoked ill-will and tempted some European countries to question their reliance on the US and begin their search for alternatives.

Europe’s appraisal of American leadership has become increasingly cynical due to the flagrant and unpredictable behavior of the Trump Administration, and in no means will the Biden Administration be able to simply return to old patterns of liaison.

Biden has promised he will return to a foreign policy that is mainstream, familiar and reassuring to US allies. Writing in Foreign Affairs, “As president, I will do more than just restore our historic partnerships; I will lead the effort to reimagine them for the world we face today.”

International Agreements According to Trump the Paris climate accord places a burden on the US economy and the World Health Organization is controlled by China. There is little evidence to back these claims, and Biden plans to rejoin both during his presidency.

The rejoining of the Paris climate agreement will be a serious step towards the US regaining international trust. Biden has an ambitious climate plan with a goal to set the US on a path to be net-zero in carbon emissions by 2050; however, the US has a lot of catching up to do with major players like the EU and China.

During Biden’s time as VP, the US and other world powers signed the Iran nuclear deal in 2015. Trump unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018. Iran has since surpassed the limits of uranium enrichment that were placed on the nuclear program. The United States has imposed sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy which has only been damaged further by the pandemic.

Biden says, in his Foreign Affairs article, that Iran “must return to strict compliance with the deal. If it does so, I would rejoin the agreement and use our renewed commitment to diplomacy to work with our allies to strengthen and extend it.”

Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq Although Biden supported the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq during his time as a Senator, he has since called for “bring[ing]the vast majority of our troops home from the wars in Afghanistan and the Middle East and narrowly define our mission as defeating al-Qaida and the Islamic State” (Foreign Affairs).

A preliminary deal with the Taliban has called for the US to pull their 4,500 troops out of Afghanistan by May. This could be a difficult choice for Biden, considering the US and Afghanistan have long tried to form a permanent peace agreement with the extremist group, but violence is yet to end.

Clarifying a Stance on China By imposing tariffs on China that led to a trade war, Trump has heightened tensions with China leaving many to question where the Biden Administration plans to stand on areas of conflicting interest.

The Biden campaign has stated that they will pursue a strategy of both cooperation and competition. With the US military viewing China as a threat, Biden has said that he supports the efforts to strengthen security agreements and alliances within the region.

Biden is yet to share a clear roadmap on this issue, other than stating he will confront Beijing.

Regardless of what Biden does have planned for the next four years, it’s important to acknowledge the significant voter turnout for Trump during the election. America remains deeply divided, and allies of the US recognize it. Foreign policy success in the US goes further than regaining the trust of former allies and standing firm against its enemies. Biden must create international confidence in a united nation which will be no easy task.

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ALL FOR ONE: HOW “AFRIKA KIDS” IS BUILDING COMMUNITY FOR YOUG AFRICANS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

by Ify Nsoha

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As the world deals with the ever present reality of injustice and racial tensions, young Africans and biracial “Afro-Czechs’ living in both Czech Republic and Slovakia alike have created their community. This community, affectionately named “Africa Kids”, has the purpose of connecting with one another, celebrating their ethnic heritage and creating a place where they belong.

“I think the main thing is just for them to know that they are not alone,” said Samira, the founder. “One of the things things that I hear the most is that they, um, finally feel like they can be themselves.” On a semi regular basis, this community holds various events such as dinners and parties for the sole purpose of bonding with a mutual understanding.

The experience of blacks in the Czech Republic is different than in other countries.

It is not typical for the Czech Republic to see racially motivated violence and cases such as the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery or Breonna Taylor. While racially motivated violence does occur to minorities living in the Czech Republic (the attack on the first black MP, Dominik Feri, a year ago, and a mall attack last December 2) the experience of many is more of a passive/latent racism, a category in which the Czech Republic surpasses all other European countries, according to Harvard University’s “Project Implicit” survey 3. This essentially boils down to associating people of color with negative, rather than positive traits. Rather than a realized hatred, it appears as much more of a disdain for said people based on prejudice. One that is often internalized and detrimental to biracial, or “Afro-Czech”, people.

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“So [I started] thinking, how can we change this?” Samira said. “What can we do to make things better? And that’s one of the reasons why I do the Africa Kids [group]… Cause there was no point for me to just like be angry, like shouting at people, trying to make them understand.

[Instead], let me think of what I can actually do to make my people’s lives better and cheerful and more fun.”

It all started with an Instagram page that promotes and highlights the young Africans living in the Czech Republic.

When the group first met, things were a little awkward. Initially, the feedback was mixed. Samira said that, for some, “the first meetings were not really anything like valuable or anything like that anyway.” Eventually, the group was able to get past this and bond on a deeper level.

“It’s unique for me because it is the only

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place in Czech where there are black people around my age that aren’t my family,” said Ester, a member of the group. “We share our problems that others don’t understand and share our experiences.” The need to have such a community is shown in the struggles of living between two different worlds.

For many Afro-Czechs, having both African and Czech blood and growing up in the Czech Republic can be a little disorienting.

“Sometimes I didn’t feel welcome here.

People literally told me ‘you’re not welcome here’ I had to let it all sit in my head and think about it,” Phyl Ndiaye, who goes by “Phly G”, said. “Then I realized I’m the best of both worlds.”

From a young age he always struggled with understanding where exactly he belongs. Having a Senegalese father and a Czech mother, finding a sense of home had been difficult.

Others share that growing up in Central Europe did not affect their self-perception negatively and owe this largely to their family. Cassidy, a member of the group, said: “Growing up, from first to seventh grade I was regularly bullied. But it kind of stopped after that. Having my dad (a Nigerian) around meant I didn’t feel too insecure about my identity, but rather I felt kind of special.”

Ester, another member of the group, shares that she never felt the need to suppress her heritage. “I don’t even know what that means,” said Ester. “My mom always made sure I knew my value.”

Both Ester and Cassidy said that they felt that they became used to being different (with support from their African parents), while Samira and Phyl said that their parents are divorced, with both of their fathers (the African parent) being less involved in their lives. For Phyl and Samira they had to learn to embrace who they are individually, but for all of them, the group has helped create a space for sharing their lives and being supported.

Looking forward, the community hopes for a greater understanding and

therefore respect for those of an African background in the Czech Republic.

Samira, for instance, ties the issue to a lack of proper education about racial issues and understanding of their history among Czechs. “A lot of these teachers really are the problem, you know?” Samira said, “In history [class]I don’t remember anybody ever saying anything about like the civil rights or slavery or anything like that.”

The greatest value in having such a community is belonging. In times such as these, with social distancing and lockdowns, having a place to call your own and people you can rely on has never been more attractive. Before the virus allows us to return to our busy regularly scheduled program, it is important to remember that family and an authentic community is often what shapes us into people we are.

Afrika Kids gives us an example of the importance of a support system, of people who understand each other and want individuals to share their experiences with. Maybe, just maybe, it is important that we remember this as things slowly return to “normal”.

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by Jack Weitman

The Cycle

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When you drink alcohol, everything seems so black and white, simple almost.

But in reality, your judgement is blocked and the world is as complex as it always has been.

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The Unexpected Silver Lining of AAU’s Nostrification Debacle

by Iryna Volkovska It was Friday, October 2nd that the first few emails went out; the last afternoon of add/drop. AAU students, still shaken by the unfortunate switch to distance learning two weeks prior, were just coming to terms with their new academic realities for the semester and the added feeling of loneliness that comes with attending school online. Then the news broke: nostrification is back, there is a round of extra exams for near everyone and AAU will not be paying the tab.

At the time of the first informational meeting between AAU administration and the students affected by nostrification, on the morning of October 7th, we knew little about the full scope of the problem.

Never less, armed with frustration and hours worth of emotional comments, several seniors took the stage to ask some of the rhetorical questions that were on the mind of every student in that meeting: what is this new act that passed, why are we just hearing about it now and how are we expected to complete the process in half the time it normally takes? We soon realized we were not expected to.

Dissatisfied with this result, affected students immediately took their frustration to WhatsApp where they

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started a group and were swiftly joined by dozens of others. “Graduates cannot wait” said one of the founders of the chat “I believe that if we all write letters to the ministry they can make some changes, because what university did was unprofessional”. That was all it took to engage the community in a passionate discussion that has gone on for over a month now.

Wednesday the 7th ended with over 120 participants in the original group, several ‘spin-off’ WhatsApp chats, decisive action from on-campus organizations, official response from the administration, support from affected students’ Czech classmates and professors, and one question on everyone’s mind: did we finally figure out virtual university life?

Veteran students, now united in a separate chat on WhatsApp, have admitted to having heard about nostrification before, however were reportedly either told it had been completed on their behalf or was no longer required. The current freshmen, class of 2023 (gathered in a chat of the same name) as well found the term “nostrification” familiar, although were brutally surprised by its undisclosed severity. The nostrification issue was

Photo by Jack Weitman “unprecedented but not unforeseen” Lennon Wall reporters explained; let me tell you, that phrasing took some serious thought when the Editorial Board were plotting it in their brand new channel of communication: a WhatsApp group.

The “Nostrif*cation Info” WhatsApp group (the original chat, which remains the largest) has attracted some controversy and drama, however, has certainly had its achievements. In the following weeks, it has completed and gathered dozens of signatures on at least two official letters to AAU professors, administration and the Czech authorities; leaders of the chat along with the Student Council, have met with the AAU President, Štěpán Müller, to discuss solutions; lawyers have been consulted on the university’s Academic Codex and its implications; two meetings have been arranged, where students from different schools and years of study discussed acting as a unit in trying to evoke change. It was in the second of these meetings, which lasted an impressive two hours, late into the night and crossed into some unexpected topics,

that many realized what a push our shared nostrification dilemma has given the AAU community and how much social media — WhatsApp in particular — contributed to it.

Nostrification has, of course, not been the only issue our community had to face this fall. For me personally, the freshmen tragedy triggered particularly striking emotion. I just think anyone whose freshmen orientation ends with being told campus is closed and they are not to return until further notice deserves a bit of sympathy. In a fit of tenderness that took over me during the first Student Council meeting of the semester, I asked my freshmen fellow council members, “Do you have class together? Have you met?” The four exchanged disoriented looks, “We don’t have class together and we never met, but we know each other”.

I tilted my head and blinked a few times in confusion — here I thought I’d been around the block. Someone quickly elaborated for me, “Most of us are in different places…but we have a WhatsApp group now.”

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I was approaching a conclusion that made me feel warm inside: social media has transcended means of communication and become a source of unity; like it or not, our common hardships (nostrification, distance learning and more) contributed heavily. However, I was not sure if my classmates and friends got a similar idea, until a conversation that took place in a quick break from discussing legal terms in our university contracts.

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“You guys have really made me feel like a part of something” said one participant in a more informal, but equally effective Russian-language spin-off chat (the name of which should perhaps go unmentioned, due to its less than PG-13 implications).

“For the first time?” someone else noted with a smirking emoji. Silence was all that followed for a little while, but everyone in the group saw the elephant in our shared virtual ‘room’: we at AAU have not felt more like a community in a long time.

December Blossoms

by Caelyn Carlson

You look so hopeful, but it’s only December It seems like you don’t really remember The freezing pain that caused you to close The biting wind that scathingly blows The delicate call of lukewarm sunlight beckons you to loosen your buds, held so tight Too early for you, too early for me How could you know? You’re only a tree Your positivity is now your vulnerability For this new life will surely die.

Your tender petals bloom in glee for they know the branches, no longer lonely Will relish the sight of its adornment Even if it lasts for just a moment You were sad, alone; you wanted it to grow It looked like spring; you couldn’t say “no” But it’s a sorry attempt to improve your sanity For these buds, these flowers, it’s all just vanity

To unshackle yourself from your annual schedule Maybe this time it’ll work? Don’t be so gullible Climate change ain’t got that range For now, winter will last a little longer...

What a waste of all those nutrients The rain, soil, and sun’s coalescence Only to end in the winter’s cold ice Desire for the sun’s smile was your only vice Love for the laugh of the sun, beaming Trying to find life in the meaning He was warm, he was kind; you thought it was true The sun is gone now. What will you do?

I haven’t checked, but it has gotten colder So I know the blossoms won’t get much older Yet I know the waste of energy won’t kill you And in spring you’ll be as good as new In our endeavors, we’ll be okay; however, Our future new life has surely withered.

But you thought you were ready, in helpless bliss -K Stretching forth to conduct photosynPrague, 19.12.2020 thesis

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Photos by David Vaughan

“No Night So Dark” at Villa Winternitz

by Eliška Havlíčková

Exhibition “No Night So Dark” tells an In 2014, David Vaughan, the curator of the emotional story about the Holocaust and exhibition and a British radio journalist, a family’s treasure out of a black box. who has been living in the Czech Republic since 1991, met with Colin Wels in Prague.

In the midst of the illuminated space Born and raised in the UK, Colin is the son of a First Republic’s villa on top of a hill of a Czech Holocaust survivor, but much in Prague stands an open giant black of his father’s past had been kept secret box right next to a grand piano. With from him most of his life.

1930s music playing from a radio in the background, the exhibit “No Night So It was not until 1984 that Colin first found Dark” resonates in the ears of the visitors out about a family treasure in a cupboard when they enter. The Winternitz villa in nicknamed “the Black Elephant”. Inside Smíchov hosts the story of a Jewish family was a box left behind for decades full that ought to have been forgotten, but is of letters from the relatices, family now being remembered. photographs, children’s sketches and

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paintings, and including a hand-written book from 1919 “U Bernatů” by Colin’s greatgrandfather, Šimon Wels.

“I became fascinated by the story of [Colin’s] search for his family’s past,” said Vaughan who initially made a series of radio programmes based on the family story for the Czech Radio.

Colin only remembered the box when his father, Tomáš, was transported to a hospital to undergo a heart surgery. “I want to tell you about my past,” said Tomáš to Colin on his hospital bed, as David Vaughan reconstructs their conversation.

Three days later, Tomáš was hit by a strong stroke and never spoke again. The need to find and tell the story about a family that ought to have been forgotten began.

Tomáš Wels was born to a Jewish family in Czechoslovakia and was the only one of the Wels family to survive the horrors of World War II. Tomáš’s mother (Ida), father (Rudolf), and younger brother (Martin) were killed in the Auschwitz concentration camp.

“This is a story that the Nazis wanted to destroy. Martin, Ida and Rudolf, along with many other members of their broader family, were murdered,” said Vaughan. “They were silenced, so I felt it was important to tell their story, to give them a voice,” he said.

A true family gold The collection of photos and documents in the Black Elephant offered, according to Vaughan, not just an insight into one’s family life, but a historical and social context of the era too.

There was also a colourful book called “Sancta Familia” which Tomáš and Martin (as children) wrote and illustrated, depicting the everyday interwar lives of the Wels family.

“I felt that the wealth of material preserved in the family archive was of great value in its own right. For example, Šimon Wels’s U Bernatů has great literary qualities, and Sancta Familia is a unique and fascinating document. Its illustrations show the great potential that Martin Wels had as an artist,” said Vaughan.

The full title of the exhibition, “There is no night so dark, that it is not followed by the dawning of a new day,” is actually a quote taken from the book U Bernatů.

And so today, a symbolic model of the Black Elephant, much bigger in size, with duplicates of the family material stands in the living room of the Winternitz villa for visitors to see. It represents the chaos and enthusiasm Colin Wels and David Vaughan had to go through to bring the exhibition to life.

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“There is a huge amount of material – much of it handwritten – and even several years later, I am still coming across things (details in letters, notes scribbled on the back of photos) that I hadn’t noticed before,” said Vaughan.

“Under the present immigration laws, it is assumed that your turn might be reached within the next fiscal year, i.e. between July 1 1939 and June 30 1940. This estimation of your waiting time is given without any obligation,” the U.S. Embassy replied.

One of the most imposing parts of the story is Tomáš Wels’s fate. He managed to escape the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia in March 1939. Taking a route through the not-yet-invaded Poland, he got to the UK. He served in the Royal Air Force up until the end of the war and settled there for the rest of his life.

“All the so-called Western countries were guilty of not doing enough to help Jewish people in the face of the Nazi threat, not just the United States,” said Vaughan. “The language is bureaucratic, at first sight it seems neutral, but its consequences are tragic,” he said.

The Black Elephant was the last physical The fate of Tomáš’s family is bitterly ironic, memory Tomáš had about his family. After demonstrating the hopelessness of the finding out they had been killed by the time. Rudolf, Ida, and Martin applied for Nazis, he took the box with him back to American visas at the beginning of the Britain but never looked inside. war. The reply of the embassy is part of the exhibit.

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More than just a building Vaughan decided to house the exhibition in Prague’s Winternitz villa because of its connection to the Wels family.

“For a start, it is a wonderful building,” said Vaughan. “Secondly it has direct relevance to the story,” he said.

Before World War I, Tomáš’s father, Rudolf Wels, went to study architecture in Vienna. He was a student of Adolf Loos, one of the most influential architects at that time in Europe and the architect of the Winternitz villa.

In addition, Josef Winternitz, who originally commissioned the villa, also perished in Auschwitz, according to Vaughan.

The design and atmosphere of the villa further interlinks with the exhibition as it illustrates the era of the Czechoslovakian First Republic. The villa has two spacious terraces overlooking the Czech capital, a narrow staircase connecting four levels, and at the top, small rooms with period furniture intertwine chapters of the Wels’ story.

“In a sense the villa is part of the exhibition. It creates a particular ‘genius loci’,” said Vaughan.

Vaughan is also the author of several books so his next goal is to write a book about the rediscovery of the Wels’ family history.

“The exhibition tells only a very small part the family story and uses only a fraction my research,” he said. “I am also interested looking in greater depth at the significance the story from our own time,” he said.

of of in of

The “No Night So Dark” exhibition in the Winternitz villa ended prematurely due to the Covid shutdown. Visitors can hopefully see it in the future in Berlin, beginning February 2021, or in the Czech Centre in Munich sometime later in 2021.

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The Boys in the Band: Shortly about why theatre should not be adopted for film more than once

by Iryna Volkovska

It is important to know: I watched the 2019 Tony Awards live and I physically stood up and cheered with tears of happiness in my eyes when The Boys in the Band, complete with the cast of openly gay all-stars, took the Best Revival Tony home; I’m sure a lot of theatre fans did. However, if that was in any way interpreted as our need for a new film adaptation of this acclaimed play, I’m afraid I must differ, because no one asked for this.

The Boys in the Band (2020) has recently been released on Netflix. The movie was directed by Joe Mantello of theatre fame and stars Jim Parsons, Matt Bomer, Zachary Quinto and Andrew Rannells (to mention a few) who each appeared in the stage version in 2018. The basis of the movie, Mart Crowley’s play of the same name, which played 1001 performances off- Broadway during its first run in 1968, is a beloved New York classic and an important LGBTQ piece, that has influenced a wide variety of theatre and other art. The new movie also appears to

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have been decidedly inspired by the 1970 first ecranization of the play, directed by the astonishing William Freidkin and produced by Crowley himself.

As is traditional in a respectful stage to screen adaptation, the script saw little change -between the 1968 play, the 1970 adaptation and the 2020 remake. The famous lines, “One could murder you with very little effort” and such, were present and accented. The set was also a close recreation of the predecessor, although lacking in detail the original film had, including but not limited to Man Ray reproductions and Marlene Dietrich film posters, which were instead replaced by cliche 60s-esque furniture and art. Such close, yet unfortunately inconsiderate resemblance to the original poses a big question about the 2020 film: did we really need to see the same precise thing once again, especially being done so poorly in comparison?

The plot of The Boys in the Band takes place in just one evening: it’s Harold’s

(Zachary Quinto) birthday and Michael (Jim Parsons) is throwing him a big party with “six tired, screaming fairy queens and one anxious queer”. Unexpectedly, Michael’s old college roommate, Alan (Brian Hutchison), shows up to the party in distress; the timing is bad, as Alan is straight and not aware of Michael’s lifestyle. Michael and the colorful group of his friends must now cope with dramatic personal relationships, mutual history and each other’s prejudices as the evening progresses.

Jim Parsons and Matt Bomer as Michael and Donald on Broadway in 2018 Mantello’s direction can be described shortly as a (not particularly outstanding) imitation of Friedkin rather than any sort of an original take on the story. For instance, the 2020 film opens with a montage of characters’ errands prior to showing up to the party, same as its 1970 predecessor; only instead of exploring the characters at all, it serves, if anything, the purpose of making the viewer realize just how sick they are of all the fake 60s visuals modern day movies offer. The cast appear to follow not just Mantello’s direction, but his tendency to imitate the original as well, making for some unprecedentedly disappointing performances out of the acclaimed stars. In fact, the actors seem to have been cast based on

physical or stylistic resemblance to original players more so than their take on the characters.

Andrew Rannells, as just one example, gave a performance that stroke me as insightful, at least at first glance…only, Andrew Rannells had an excuse: he’s played almost that same role before, over 100 times, in Falsettos just two years prior.

Between that and his added benefit of playing opposite his real-life husband, one may feel the urge to reconsider whether Andrew Rannells was actually good — it is shocking how little pensiveness and consideration (which are both things the relative unknown, Keith Prentice had) he brought to his Larry, managing to turn a complex character into another entitled diva of the movie. Speaking of divas, Leonard Frey of the 1970 cast originated the dramatic entrance of the film as the first Harold; his glasses were pinker and his face was more scared, so how come it was clear Zachary Quinto was going to be a bigger diva even before he entered that door?

The same may be said for most of the cast: Bomer, who exhibited unexplainable overconfidence as the anxious Donald; Parsons, who was somehow cold even as the lead screaming fairy queen; and Hutchison who played the heterosexual Alan as purely a villain and a square.

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Upon watching the 2020 movie, I was made to feel very silly for having expected more of it — the original had a more outstanding director, was shot in an era that did not need to fake its resemblance to the late 60s and featured the cast who seemed like they were born to have this as the centerpiece of their resume. However, considering the new director and cast have their own proven talents, the whole ordeal begs a question: were they simply doomed to fail?

The script was identical, just as well as the set, everyone looked like their 1970 counterpart and was dressed the same — it had to either be much better or much worse. It would be a lie to say the 2020 version did not try to be much better; it did its best to keep the beloved elements and add onto them, going as far as adding extra dialogue, nudity and visual reenactments of what was originally spoken stories told by the characters throughout the film (which were all atrocious elements, but certainly not attributes of the lack of trying).

To try and determine, with any certainty, which of the two productions had more going for it would be senseless trouble, but, whatever the case, the 2020 The Boys in the Band clearly failed to become the much better version. Perhaps there are movies, especially among adaptations of theatre plays, that are meant to be made just once. Out of the two, the original is an easy pick.

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Sagebrush Smoke and Violets

by Polina V. Miaktinova & Nick Liashchevsky Photography by Jack Weitman Once upon a time, on the darkest nights of the summer, on the celebration of Kupala Night, a night when all the ancient and mysterious creatures that live on the Earth gain a tremendous power. On this night, these creatures gain an irrepressible desire to intervene into the lives of humans.

The youth gathered around the bonfire; once towering, now burning down, while small bright amber embers are reflecting in their eyes.. The celebration of Kupala’s Night in our times was no more than reason to gather in a good company.

Young people embraced the beauty of night forest, someone was trying to guess the chances to meet the dawn, not alone. Among all of them, the three young figures seemed to be the most nervous and uncertain - a girl with bright red hair that was hugging her shoulders and knees, using the warm fire blanket, glittering in amber light, Zorina. Sitting right in front of her, was a young boy, with sad dark green eyes nervously trembling hands, in which he held two wreaths, made of fresh sagebrush and some yellow and blue wildflowers, Aviv. Near him, laying right on the grass was a lady, with a dark black braid, the robe on her chest was open, and a small silver cross was moving up and down, following her breathing. On her face, she put a beautiful wreath, made of night violets and scarlet silk ribbons, Lily.

Among these youngsters, an old man was sitting on a stump; he was smoking the pipe and sipping the hot mead from a jar. He was telling them stories about the mysterious and magical past, about witches, werewolf that could alone kill a whole company of Polish horsemen; about Leshy, which once saved a young kossak, who fell into a bear’s trap. Then he stopped for a second, cleaned his pipe and continued: “And now, kids, I will tell you the story of what happened to the friends of my youth, their names are eaten by the memory, although their faces I still remember. They were a great couple, both people of unique beauty. They were engaged, and waiting for the deacon to return from the monastery to marry them.Therefore, on the Kupala night they did not sit with all the youngsters, but instead spent the whole night near the river, behind the birch forest.”

He stopped for a second, glanced at the bonfire, patted his beard and continued:

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“Well, they did not return by dawn, neither by the Morning Prayer. After a few hours of searches, we found only the girl; she was as pale as a ghost, trembling and did not understand a word.

her hair, fluttering by the fresh evening wind, imagined the smell of the grass from it and went after her.

The boy entered the forest. Aviv was walking through the woods, partly unconscious, almost meditatively, being guided by the feelings She smelled of river and ooze, her mouth was slit and covered with blood. Since speaking did inside his chest, his love. He was deep inside not work, we tried to give her a paper to draw this bright and silver night, lighted by the moon and small stars above his head. The tops what happened, she drew a birch and a tiny girl near it. A few days prior she went to the of the trees were burning with this magical forest at night, and just disappeared. Then, we metallic light. Their leaves were rustling, and all thought of Mavka, but no one said it, we all this sound, together with the screams of owls and bats, with the whisperings of that graceful just knew that a‌� summer wind was mixed in an inexpressible He looked at the people around, realized that vibrating wave, that was hitting all parts of no one was listening to him, murmured some- his body, making him feel that he was flying through the air. He entered the birch forest, thing filthy and went back to the village. he was hearing the noise which appeared to be The young people were disappearing one by everything, from a cry of a small baby to the one, couple by couple. A black haired lady laugh of the demons and witches, whose dancwoke up swiftly and went to the forest, haves around the bonfire he saw, or simply being glanced at the green eyed boy. Her wreath lieved to see between the silver white branches. she threw into the bonfire. The boy looked at

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He came to the end of the forest, to the river; the air around became purplish, and ocher fireflies started to fly out of the grass. Here, on the small hill over the river, was sitting his love, she was picking up the night violets, catching them with her thin long fingers between the leaves of fresh green grass. As she picked a small bouquet, she dangled her feet into the water and started to throw the flowers, one by one into the mysterious and charming mirror of the river.

The boy came closer, and sat right near her back. He spent a whole eternity, or just a few minutes, watching her hands, and the wet robe, through which he could see every vine on her chest. He then raised his trembling hand and nervously put it on her shoulder, Aviv saw how she smiled, and then he bent down and gently kissed the back of and simply fell on his back, as she turned to him and stretched her pale blue lips of a drowned in a non humane smile, showing the sharp fishy teeth. The boy could not make a single movement paralyzed by fear or by the charms of this terrible creature.

Suddenly, he heard a huge blast, and a cloud of dark grey smoke exploded near him, and redhead girl walked from it, the hem of her robe was burning, her hair was lighter than sun, she ran to him, reputedly whispering some curse under the smog of burning sagebrush, this burned Lily’s face to the bones. Possessed by the demon, Lily’s body remain unconsciously laying and burning on the grass. Aviv rushed to help, he picked up her body and fell into the river.

“The girl didn’t need to suffer”. – slay and quite voice, sound from the willow tree.

“Reveal Yourself!”

Through the shadows of trees appeared, her. Thin woman with translucent skin, and her hair -willow twigs, eyes as river streams, in the halo of green fog.

“You, witch!”, Mavka smelled the air. Zarina, started to tremendously but slowly step back, “I need a boy”, said Mavka.

“You could have him, now!” answered Zarina, vigorously. Suddenly, Mavka looked at the river, and entered it.

Aviv carried Lily’s body to the woods, and left her under the willow true. He turned back to find Zarina, no one was there. Instead, the charms of the river started to tantalize him, he stepped in the water, and saw Lily struggling under it. He swam under the water and drowned.

In the morning, fishermen found a strange picture: right in the middle of the glade was a burned circle, the air smelled like burnt sagebrush. They got scared and immediately ran to the village, for a deacon. No one saw the small silver cross, on the lonely birch, standing on the edge of the hill.

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Violence Desensitization Through Film in Today’s World: Is there a connection between violent entertainment and violence in real life?

by Ansley Kunzer In recent years, parents, guardians and experts have been concerned with the media becoming more and more gruesome and violent. Many believe that being excessively exposed to violence in films desensitizes audiences, which creates a more insensitive and perhaps dangerous (violent) world. On the contrary, though studies have shown that film has become more graphic (violent) over the past century, this has not led to more societal violence. According to a 2014 study, in the early and late 1900s, community violence declined despite violence appearing in movies whereas in the mid 1900s, community violence happened to increase. Therefore, there is no real correlation but only shifts in violence rates over time.

To further gain insight from others on whether film desensitizes us towards violence, I conducted a survey on social media and received responses from people who wanted to share their thoughts. When observing what others thought about the subject, I came to realize that many people think that violence desensitization through film is indeed an issue in today’s world: Brady McClean, a university student at Georgia Southern University explains,“I think, because of the popularity of action and horror movies… we end up seeing these sad stories and horrible acts as entertainment…

Also, I think by watching these movies, it normalizes violence in our minds (especially normalizing the idea of revenge).” McClean goes on to explain that the film industry uses violence and horror to make money, and that many people go to see violent movies and horror movies as a form of entertainment; this, in and of itself, is what is most bothersome.

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Fiona Ard-Kelly, also a student at Georgia Southern University says,“We see violence all the time; it’s super normalized, and we learn not to react.”

Experts from Frontiers [in Psychology]conducted an fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) study which focuses on empathy for pain. The conclusion of the study was that there was not a connection between violent video games and one becoming desensitized towards violence. Although this study concerned video games, one can correlate these findings to violence in films.

For more information on this study, please visit https://www. frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00650/full .

In my opinion, it depends on the person; everyone is different, and not everyone is as influenced or affected by the media. Personally, I am extremely sensitive towards violence in the media, and I hate watching disturbing and frightening films and shows. My partner, however, is the opposite; and it is not necessarily that he has been “exposed” to more violent situations in his life, but that we just have different personalities.

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