THE LEXINGTON LINE A/w 20 • vol 7 • no 1
Editors’ Letter Student Style
THE USUALS 12
Artist Spotlight
CULTURE 24 Sleepless.
FASHION 22
Protection or Possession
LIFESTYLE 14 18
NEWS
Struck Numb The Fate of the Next Four Years
TABLE of contents
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The Lexington Line • a/w 20 • vol 7 • no 1
Amara Geddes Evelyn Mazza Justin (JT) Bell Victoria Villano Khayla Biscoe
Cagney Conner Jenesis Grullon Evelyn Peralta Zoe Phinazee
Francesca Gonzalez
Abigail (Abby) Johnson Jennifer Felder Magali Zoanetti Nya Williams Sian Jackson Sohl Garibaldo
Zoe Velasquez Julia Herrera Mala Desai Sheaylia Nickens SoHee (Sophie) Baek Trinity Wingo
Larissa Creighton
Milena Bennett
Victoria Montalti
Thea Pekarek
Michelle Brunson
Gabrielle Garry Khayla Biscoe Kally Compton
Editor in Chief Caitlyn Mae G. Araña
MANAGING EDITOR
DESIGNERS
Dani Brand
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Fallon Carey
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Styling assistants
ART DIRECTOR
PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR
MARKETING DIRECTOR
WEB DIRECTOR
FASHION DIRECTOR BEAUTY DIRECTOR
WEB EDITORS
Jenna Filingeri
STYLING DIRECTOR Kanika Talwar Tessa Aldridge Kally Compton Sam Morim Nicol Maciejewska Sofia Naranjo Clay Lute
Fashion Lifestyle Culture Music Features Accessories News
Ian Grafvonluxburg Rebecca Riggio Emily White Sabrina Stott ZeHao Chen Joshualyn Tibo
Fashion Beauty Lifestyle Culture Features Accessories
EDITORS
ASSISTANT EDITORS Samantha James Ziyu Xu
Assistant creative DIRECTORs Katlen Guzman Garrett Scott
masthead
Erica Fouts
ASSISTANT STYLING DIRECTORS
Tessa Aldridge Sofia Naranjo Stephanie Hagarty Kash Khemlani Juliana Jimenez
Marketing
Assistant Marketing Director Assistant Marketing Director Social Media Manager Social Media Manager Social Media Manager
Professor John Deming Professor Joseph P. Sgambati III
FACULTY ADVISORS
Dr. Daniel Chaskes
ARTS & SCIENCES DEPARTMENT CHAIR Sarah Albert • Christopher Barto • Morgan Boerum • Dave Brand Olivia Bronson • Laura Cioffi • Andrew Cotto • Michael Donohue Meredith Finnin • Professor Timothy Foran • Josh Frazier • Tiffany Fuentes • Mickey Herzing • Maranda Janky • Dr. Kenneth Kambara Professor Grailing King’s Exhibition and Set Design Class • Melissa Krantz • Eric Martin • Modern Litho • Professor Ata Moharreri Maurice Morency • Gail Nardin • Kristina Ortiz • Pheanny Phen Professor Donna Pulese-Murphy • Olga Raganelli • Travis Stephens Dr. Alex Symons • Sabrina Talbert • MT Teloki • Carolina S. Wojtowicz • The LIM College Bookstore • The LIM College faculty All contributors to The Lexington Line MANY THANKS
Lisa Springer, Provost • Michael Londrigan, Associate Professor & Advisor to the Provost Elizabeth Marcuse, President of LIM College • Frontline Workers in the COVID-19 Crisis The Lexington Line is a registered trademark of LIM College SPECIAL THANKS The Lexington Line • a/w 20 • vol 7 • no 1
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At the outset of 2020, we released an issue that was centered on the theme of celebration. Obviously, 2020 was not the roaring party that we imagined it to be. Chaos came in ranges and shades. Three months into the year, COVID-19 devastated the nation. Hospitals reached capacity, store shelves emptied, the economy plummeted into a deep recession, and as the months went on, millions of lives were lost around the world. Amid the devastation, we faced another tragedy—the murder of Geroge Floyd. This horrific loss, which was recorded by bystanders, stoked the embers of social justice. 2020 also presented us with one of the most unprecedented elections in American history. In “The Fate of the Next Four Years,” News Editor Clay Lute analyzes the magnitude of this decision and the newfound potential to progress forward with integrity and unity. Clay’s piece is in harmonic tandem with Web Director Thea Pekarek’s article about cultural desensitization to unjust Black deaths. Thea focuses on the traction-packed social justice movement Black Lives Matter. We see the A/W ‘20 issue as a time capsule. We hope that one day we’ll look back on it and remember all we endured as a generation and realize how much stronger we have become. However, while this administration pledges to allow BIPOC, LGBTQ+, women, and other marginalized groups the chance to breathe again, we are not yet out of the dark—the fight is not over, and there is plenty of work left to do.
editors’ Letter
Dear Readers,
—The Editors
Caitlyn Mae G. Araña
MANAGING EDITOR
Erica Fouts
Editor in Chief
Dani Brand
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
The Lexington Line • a/w 20 • vol 7 • no 1
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Samonya Copeland Class of 2022 The Lexington Line • a/w 20 • vol 7 • no 1
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Jane Biedermann class of 2024
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Naomi Golan class of 2024
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Jesly Cruz class of 2022
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Nya Williams class of 2024
T
he Knee-Hi’s are a Chicago-based band known for their vintage aesthetic. They believe that music is the soul of Chicago. “It really is an incredible scene. I love the strong jazz and blues presence here. It’s my favorite thing about Chicago!” says drummer/ vocalist Chris Goeken. “People here are so genuine. The history of the city holds such magic, and you can feel it when you are in certain venues, like the historic Green Mill,” says lead guitarist/vocalist Alice Strider. The Green Mill is one of their favorite places for a night of dancing and listening to jazz.
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uring quarantine, Fiona Silver recorded her new album at iconic Carriage House Studios in Connecticut. Here, she filmed her music video for “Love Potion No. 9,” a cover of The Clovers’ 1959 classic, featuring Dennis Dunaway of Alice Cooper. “It’s been an incredible experience working at Carriage House Studios. I’ve been afforded the chance to really spend time with my songs and get deeper into the process than ever before,” Silver says. Her music is a blend of Lady Day-era jazz, classic rock, and vintage soul. Through her voice, Silver hopes to inspire people to be fearless. She takes inspiration from artists like Hole,
During quarantine, The Knee-Hi’s released their first single, the ‘50s-style rock ballad “Darlin’ Darlin’,” along with a throwback school dancethemed video. Strider describes the response to this video with warmth. “We had an overwhelmingly positive response to the single. This has really driven us to put more music out. My favorite part about that song was probably recording it,” Strider says. Chris Goeken adds to Strider’s sentiments about the recording process, claiming that watching the song evolve over time, ultimately transforming into a new take on an old sound, was very special to him. “It was the wildest thing to create something with my best friends and then send it out into the universe,” rhythm guitarist/vocalist Ash Goeken says. “I honestly got tears in my eyes when we saw a girl do a spectacular cover of our song the same day it was released!”
Garbage, and Gwen Stefani in the era of Tragic Kingdom. “People usually describe my general style as Blondie meets Amy Winehouse,” she says. Silver has already had a number of memorable moments throughout her career. “Being on tour with Gary Clark Jr. was like a gift from God, and playing the Fillmore in San Francisco was probably the best of all the shows—on the fourth night, Carlos Santana came, and he was incredibly kind and inspiring. My only regret is that I was so nervous when he invited me on stage with him, and he just wanted me to let go and shine more. But hey, you live and learn!”
Artist Spotlight UP-AND-COMING Musicians on creating amid the pandemic By Nicol Maciejewska
Q
uarantine was the much-needed break that NYC-based rock band Pan Arcadia never anticipated needing. “In December, we were swimming in songs. The theme was using the quarantine period for construction, and now we have an album’s worth of songs. All that wouldn’t be possible with everyone’s schedules six months ago,” says manager Alex Segalman. The band chose to live together this year and renovated their basement into a studio, where they composed a new EP.
“Now [quarantine] is going to be wrapped up into the EP because we want it to be this escape—it’ll be a sound that the world needs right now,” says bassist Henry McGrath. Pan Arcadia wants to make music that reflects the time in which it was made. “What makes an album or a song [impactful] is if it serves as a window into a world, time, or place, and that’s what I want to do,” says singe/guitarist Eamon Rush.
During these turbulent times, their lyrics reflect exactly that. “I try not to write about anything too specific,” Rush says. “It’s about broad ideas. It’s about an American Dream and what kind of selfishness that could take to achieve.” Even though quarantine was an all-in-all good thing for the band, Pan Arcadia did encounter some hindrances. “I think it’s tempting when you’re alone during quarantine to write mellow, moody, and laid-back music, but I think everyone is itching to get out and get going. So we’re making something a little faster, more energetic,” Rush says. Their biggest challenge was constructing a studio in their basement. They had to excavate their basement, lay concrete, paint the whole room, and then waterproof—but in the end, it was wellworth the hassle. “Now we just chill out, have a good time, and make the music,” Rush says. The biggest downside to isolation is no longer being able to perform live. “I just miss the high after playing a gig. You always feel so good,” McGrath says. Pan Arcadia’s new EP is expected to drop in 2021.
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STRUCK NUMB The growing desensitization to Black Death in America
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By Thea Pekarek
espite being around police officers as a child and viewing them as his friends, Anthony Kelley quickly realized the color of his skin made him susceptible to racial violence. “I remember one instance during my rookie year with the Houston Astros—I was going to the ballpark,” Kelley recounts. “In the process of me jogging to the park, police pulled up on me, pulling guns on me, telling me to get up on the wall. They said someone had just robbed a store, and ‘you look suspicious of doing something like that.’ I told them that I just came from my house. I had to tell them who I was, but in the process, I’m being janked up, pressed up against the wall, guns drawn. I come to find out the store was a mile over on the other side of town from where I was. So, how do I look suspicious? It’s just certain things that happen to African Americans for no reason.” These situations are all too familiar within the Black community, and while Kelley’s encounter with the police is appalling, he felt a sense of relief since he lived to tell his story. He didn’t lose his life like countless other Black men and women. This endless list of names causes Black death to be normalized at an accelerating rate and is rooted in the dehumanization of Black people. The anticipation of another loss at the hands of the police is felt throughout the Black community. Police violence is expected, and it has serious consequences for the mental health of Black America. Kelley, who grew up on the west side of Chicago in the 1970s, has borne witness to the power and authority police violently project onto specific communities. After retiring from professional baseball, he became a mental health professional
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who now works with inmates as a mental health manager and as a therapist for foster kids and their families. Due to his background, Kelley is especially attuned to the mental and emotional damage police brutality inflicts. Psychologically, people form immunity against recurring trauma. This is why Black people live in a constant state of survival. “African Americans and POC—they learn to live with trauma,” Kelley says. “You learn to live with not having enough. POC deal with survival mode; others are just living. They’re living and have what they need. But when you’re dealing with POC, they’re in survival mode all the time.” According to a ProPublica analysis, young Black men are 21 times more likely to die from the use of deadly force by police than their white counterparts. Additionally, 60% of Black women killed by the police are unarmed. When you’re born Black, you become aware at a young age that Black lives are not valued like white lives are, and this naturally affects how you view yourself and your own life. Obbi Myrtil, a 2019 LIM graduate who obtained his MPS in Global Fashion Supply Chain Management, testifies to how his core identity has been impacted by recurring incidents—whether it be moments when he was targeted specifically or a looming sense of being surveilled—due to being Black. “I’m continuously reminded that technically, to these people, I’m not fully human,” Myrtil says. “I’m like subhuman. But I’m 99.9% like you. I fear, I think, I dream, I hope, I love. My fear shouldn’t have to include you every waking moment of the day.”
Living in Canada for several years as a young child caused Myrtil to initially perceive police officers as neighborhood heroes, but as he grew up in Long Island during his adolescence, his encounters with the police ranged from being pulled out of the car and interrogated when a white woman was driving to having five officers draw their guns on him. In contrast to Myrtil’s experiences with the police, Judiah Jackson, who graduated from Curry College earlier this year with a degree in Criminal Justice, explained how cops have been extremely vile and rude to him, but that he wouldn’t classify the occurrences as racially-motivated. Most of his encounters with racism have been with regular people, including three white coworkers who would say the n-word in front of him. Various forms of media, specifically television shows and news organizations, have embedded biased views of Black people and their communities into the minds of non-Black Americans. According to a Rutgers School of Public Health study published in Research in Race and Ethnic Relations, negative portrayals in the news media affect how the police treat Black men. It was also noted that Black masculinity is often associated with criminality.
questions that a lot of Black people have.” In a 2019 article published by Psychology & Cognitive Sciences Open Journal, Dr. Stephanie N. Williams and Dr. Annette V. Clark write, “The frequent exposure to the shootings of Black people can cause trauma. This trauma has been coined ‘race-based trauma,’ and it argues that people of color experience mental distress similar to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when viewing police violence against Black communities.” The trauma accumulated from being Black in America is continuously left untreated due to a lack of affordable mental health resources in Black communities, as well as stigmas around mental illnesses that are heavily reinforced culturally. In addition, African Americans are 2.5 times more likely to fear mental health treatment than their white counterparts, according to a report from the Surgeon General. The historical context of oppression and systemic racism also plays a factor in the exclusions Black people endure regarding primary and mental health care providers.
Black death has been a spectacle since the beginning of American history.
Jackson has witnessed traumatic events within his own community that further push the narrative of Black Americans being criminals and deemed dangerous. “Growing up in the hood, I’ve seen drug addicts and people get shot,” he explains. “I also had a lot of friends that were in the streets. I think everybody in the world views Black people as just ‘street,’ which is terrible. I’m just aware. I’m aware of what our identity in American society is.” Many Black people across this country, especially in inner cities, have become numb to the anguish that engulfs them. “If that’s all you know and you’ve always lived in that way, what is the alternative to that when you don’t see any way out?” Kelly asks. “And those are
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Due to high levels of untreated trauma, Black individuals begin to associate situations that would usually cause one to feel a deep sense of anguish as their own version of normalcy.
“It’s just common everyday occurrences that are traumatic events, but POC don’t see it like that,” Kelley explains. “It’s an everyday thing. Even with the George Floyd situation, that wasn’t unusual for five police officers to tackle someone in the neighborhood like that. What was unusual was for you to kill him right in front of me.” George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in May 2020 over the assumption that he used a counterfeit $20 bill. The murder, which bystanders caught on video, ignited protests around the world. Kelley continues, “And to kill me over something like that? Over these minor things? That’s where the problem is coming in.” The normalization of Black death at the hands of the police has resulted in the “deadening of
our collective senses,” according to The New Republic. Additionally, it leads to the numbing of our consciousness when consuming media covering another loss of Black life. Our reaction becomes less and less exasperated, and one begins to anticipate when another Black person will be killed by the police. It becomes expected. The systemic oppression and racism felt by the Black community are rooted in all aspects of society that have plagued generations extending from the time of enslavement. And yet, some would like to remain oblivious, and some even seek to delegitimize the issue. One tragedy that greatly affected Myrtil was the hunt and murder of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery by two white men in Brunswick, GA. Arbery was killed while jogging in a predominantly white neighborhood; Myrtil knows how easily it could have been him. “I run in neighborhoods that aren’t mine, at parks that aren’t mine,” he says. “Parks that have statues of men that are celebrated for killing, raping, and testing my grandmothers, my Black sisters. I’m always reminded of that, but then seeing something like that—seeing someone get away with that for as long as they did—for them to not get an adequate punishment for outright discrimatory murder, it was like watching modern-day Emmett Till.” Black death has been a public spectacle from the beginning of American history. White families would gather around and look in awe during public lynchings, and now viral videos of violence against Black men and women are reinforcing the same narrative. While the medium and intent may have changed, Black death is still being consumed by the masses. The result is that Black death has become a commodity. “For generations, they have desensitized Black men in America,” Jackson states. “It’s normal. I don’t mean normal in a good way, but we’ve been desensitized through movies; through music, through everything. We’ve been desensitized to Black killings; now it’s just on the forefront, and people have to deal with it.” It’s dehumanizing. It’s dehumanizing to see Black people shown on full display in the event of their tragic death. It’s dehumanizing to see
white people make excuses to justify why the police shot and killed another Black person. It’s dehumanizing that Black people have to scream at the top of their lungs that their lives matter and that they don’t deserve to be persecuted. Sharing and repeatedly viewing videos of police brutality retraumatizes Black people in a hope for a structural change that has yet to come. Kelley emphasizes that older Black people have been witnessing these murders for generations and that the viral videos are simply placing a spotlight on what’s already been happening for centuries. “This has been going on for years, but no one wants to believe this because it doesn’t happen in their neighborhoods,” Kelley explains. “Your mother has never been raped by massa, but my mother has, my grandmother, my great-greatgrandmothers have. Your mother has never been in the cotton fields, but my great-great-grandma and her mothers have.” Rage, frustration, and grief can consume the Black community to the point of despair. There is no time to process or comprehend what ensued before the next violent tragedy happens. Rather, institutions that were purposefully designed to exclude certain groups of marginalized people are still in effect, and structural transformation is needed to ensure minorities are not further oppressed. There is no one solution or easy fix. It requires dissecting systemic racism and the extensive history of law enforcement that upholds white supremacy. It requires asking why the police have a budget that accumulates to a far greater sum than the funding of education, housing, mental health resources, healthcare, and youth services in lower income communities. “Somebody has the resources, but not in my neighborhood,” Kelley says. “The playing field has to be level, and it’s not… [The police] don’t need what they brought out in Missouri, but who do you see them use that type of ammunition on? People of color. You’ve never seen protests or demonstrations with whites in there where they brought tanks out and held shotguns to their heads. Never seen it. But they do a great job of beating us down, kicking us, and we see it every day. We see it every day.”
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The Fate of the Next Four Years Biden must LEAD us beyond the new normal Beneath the facade of the red and white stripes, there stands a country tattered by political division, internal turmoil, and a broken American dream. The free world has been ravaged by a pandemic, natural disasters, and economic failure that has left hundreds of thousands of bodies and millions of dreams lying in its wake. This is the America of today, and all eyes are turned wayward as we search for a leader amidst the chaos.
By Clay Lute
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fter an election season like no other, Joe Biden has been elected as the 46th president of the United States. His election brings a glimmer of hope for some and a wave of fear for others. The Biden-Harris ticket garnered more votes than any other in American history. While the intervals of frivolity following the presidential announcement were a break from the density of political contention for the country, an underlying “what comes next” looms. What does the future hold for this country, and how can one man put a policy-powered Band-Aid on the wounds of America? The future is uncertain, but Biden promises that out of this year’s chaos, we will “Build Back Better.” The fate of the next four years starts with the first 100 days, and Biden has promised to waste no time by citing a long list of “day-one plans.” On July 7th, Biden vowed to start the process of mending severed relationships, tweeting, “On my first day as President, I will rejoin the @WHO and restore our leadership on the world stage.” Biden also assured his supporters that on “Day 1… I’m going to be on the phone with our NATO allies saying we’re back… [and] you can count on us again.” Repairing our global reputation is a direct erasure of Trump-era policies. Trump faced criticism for threatening to leave the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), citing pay discrepancies between American investments with other countries’ investments. If the United States left NATO, it would be one of the biggest shifts in global unity this century. Biden inherits a country devastated from COVID-19, so his “Build Back Better” plan is centered on relief. According to the Pew Research Center, 62% of voters polled said
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that the Coronavirus outbreak was very important to them in deciding who to vote for in 2020. The Biden administration claims it will implement stronger nationwide testing, construct a public health team, implement action plans for contact tracing, coordinate vaccine dispersion, and ensure production for medical PPE. Biden’s COVID-relief plan will require a hefty financial investment to give all necessary help to workers, families, and small businesses that have been hit hardest by the crisis, including increasing emergency paid leave, eliminating cost barriers for COVIDcare, and passing a stimulus bill to reinvigorate the economy. These are just two promises from the president-elect. Biden aims to end the background-check loophole for gun sales, create a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, eliminate tax cuts for wealthy corporations, provide a plan to end homelessness—the list goes on. While these promises sound nice, are they feasible? Are the answers to the problems plaguing this nation simple enough that they can be dissolved through an executive order? The short answer is no, and the long answer is also no, but it’s worth a shot. All of these actions require a Senate on Biden’s side, which is held in limbo by two run-off races in Georgia that will take place on January 5. Democrats currently hold 48 Senate seats to the GOP’s 50; two victories would even the score. If a tie-breaking vote is needed, it will go to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. But Democrats would also need to change the rules that control the chamber. There are filibuster rules that empower the minority party by allowing 41 Senators to halt a piece of legislation. Biden has expressed new openness to doing away with the filibuster, which could allow his “day one” plans to sweep through legislation and be turned into action. He can’t do it
alone, though—the new congressional members will be sworn in weeks before Biden, meaning they could begin passing legislation related to his proposed laws, regulations and plans to have ready for executive approval on his first day in office. This is not to say that Biden is up against impossible odds. In his victory speech, Biden enjoined the country, proclaiming, “Let this grim era of demonization in America begin to end…The refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another is not due to some mysterious force beyond our control—it’s a decision. It’s a choice we make…And I call on the Congress—Democrats and Republicans alike—to make that choice with me.” Biden has a history of working across party lines, and the hope of his voter base is that his bipartisanship could result in real action, regardless of Senate control. The fate of the nation is a lot to carry in one set of hands. Fortunately, there are two more hands joining the President in carrying the next four years: Kamala Harris’s. History’s eyes are on the vice president-elect; she is the first female vice president, as well as the first Black and South-Asian vice president. And Harris may have bigger things on the horizon. Biden has hinted that he may not seek reelection in 2024. A Biden campaign advisor told Politico, “He’s going into this thinking, ‘I want to find a running mate I can turn things over to after four years.’” While Biden has not publicly vowed to be a oneterm president, he will be 82 at the end of his first term, and at that age, it is unlikely that he would seek reelection. His election at 78 already makes him the oldest person to win the presidency. That leaves Harris at the forefront of the ticket for the Democratic nomination in 2024. While it is too early to speculate the results of future elections, Harris could be the first
female president and would likely open a path of progressive ideals for the country under her leadership. 2024 is years away, but a “President Harris” may not be. The last president who was unable to fulfill his duties was John F. Kennedy in 1963, but given Biden’s age and the spread of a deadly virus, the possibility certainly exists. As Generation Z rises to maturity, people between the ages of 18 and 49 now number 138.2 million, or 42.1% of the entire United States population, according to the Census Bureau. With this new-age mindset composing a large part of the voting demographic, a modernized perspective brings a new set of ideals to the political playing field. While the younger voices of America may feel unheard by their senior leaders, they still hold the power of democracy in their hands. “I think many young people today don’t realize that they are set to inherit the Democracy that current politicians leave behind,” a senior Senate staffer said in an email interview. “It’s becoming more apparent with the rise of political figures like AOC or Dan Crenshaw that politics is no longer an old man’s game and that the advent of social media has allowed for the younger generation to have their voices heard—something that previously could only be done by having your opinion published in your local paper.”
If young people want policies that better reflect their own ideals, they should consider running for office themselves, and not just on the national level. “Local elections are extremely important for shaping the way many towns and cities operate, and oftentimes, young people are drawn like a moth to the flame to national elections, without realizing that many of their problems stem from the local level and can be fixed faster.” Seeing that the balance of Senate control relies on the run-off elections, the importance of local elections has become more prominent in the minds of young voters. The key focus of local elections is direct action, so while voters may not see the immediate change from Biden’s election, they can focus on the steps needed to influence the changemakers in their local office. Even as elections around the country have come to an end, the work is not over; citizens cannot just be bystanders until the 2024 presidential election. If a person disagrees with the actions coming from the offices of their elected officials, they have the ability to make their opinions heard. Democracy does not work unless the people are active in their local political spaces.
“If a person isn’t interested in getting into politics, they can still do their part to make a political change by being diligent about doing their homework,” the senate staffer noted. “The number of people who call their representatives or senators demanding change that the member has no control over is staggering.” When people want to see change, but they don’t put in the work to learn the roots of a problem, this amounts to a form of willful ignorance, they said. “Most importantly, change is only going to come if people make their voices heard by voting. It’s imperative that young people vote because change will only occur when people come to the ballot and demand it.” As the smoke clears after this bewildering election, one thing is certain: America is on the precipice of change, and the next four years will be a cornerstone in deciding its future. Out of the wreckage of this year lies the opportunity to rebuild America into a stronger country for all people. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still.” Biden was elected to lead the way forward for this country. It is in all of our best interests to hope that this decision will result in a better America.
If young people want policies that better reflect their own ideals, they should consider running for office themselves, and not just on the national level.
Protection or possession
t h e pa r e n t t r a p
By Caitlyn Mae G. Arana
Parenthood is about supporting your children and preparing them for the world that they are about to be vaulted into. Childhood is about exploring, learning, and making mistakes. This dynamic often leads to no small amount of conflict between children and their parents. As children, we see that the things we are allowed to do, places we are allowed to be, and things we have to look out for differ depending on gender, and it can almost feel like an attack. It’s easy to feel like you’re not being treated equally, and once we discover the word sexism, it seems to fit the bill. We ask: Is my curfew different from my sibling’s? Do my parents only tell me to cover up before someone of the opposite sex comes over? Do I have to change what I’m wearing before I leave the house while they don’t? Do I get punished more than them? I conducted a survey solely for children, teens, and young adults, asking questions about the way that they were raised. Six respondents claimed that their curfews were different from that of their siblings of the opposite sex, and all six also responded that their male-identifying sibling always had later curfews than the femaleidentiying ones, regardless of age. As for sleepovers, I asked whether or not the respondents were allowed to sleep at their friends’ houses if the opposite gender were present. 37.5% of the respondents said that they weren’t allowed to. One respondent said, “I can sleepover if the mom is present but not at her dad’s house.”
Another one read, “My parents didn’t want me to sleep over at houses with men in them.” As for clothing, 62.5% of the respondents said that they have been told to cover up or change their clothes before going out. Within this response, all female-identifying respondents stated that it was either because their parents didn’t want them to be harassed, told them to dress modestly to avoid getting others’ attention, said that they’d attract creepy men, or just that they “shouldn’t dress like that in front of men.” A lot of these tendencies stem from protectiveness. I am the first to admit that daughters are more affected by this than sons due to the long history of women being harassed, assaulted, or raped by men. While men are victims of this as well, the majority affected are women. It would make sense that daughters are more affected by these double standards than sons. However, for many of us, it can be difficult to understand our parents’ rationale. Shannon Fouts (mom of our Editorin-Chief Erica Fouts), former Board Member of the Miami Chapter of Zonta International, a service organization dedicated to women helping women, commented on protective parenting. The Miami Chapter primarily focused on helping sex-trafficking victims. “I raised two daughters, partially in Mid-Coast Maine and partially in Miami,” she said. “Miami has a very serious sex-trafficking issue, and because I worked with trafficking victims, I know how suddenly young girls can get swept away or
manipulated into awful situations. This is why I explained to [my children] in middle school that, while they should be able to walk home alone in a mini skirt at 3 a.m., that’s just not the world we live in.” Many of us don’t know what it’s like to have a child going out into a world that is unfair, unkind, and unjust. Just because we want a world that isn’t racist or sexist or ableist or homophobic doesn’t mean that it isn’t. To believe so would be ignorant and dangerous. An example of this that we see far too often is racial bias. It shouldn’t exist, but it does. So, as a result, Black children are given “the talk” but not one about sex or sexuality. “The talk,” according to an NPR article, “A Black Mother Reflects on Giving Her 3 Sons ‘The Talk’... Again and Again,” requires a laundry list of things that they can and can’t do or things they should avoid. Without that knowledge, they would be in danger. So kids adjust. Parents adjust.
daughter, from the rest of the world— and to put it frankly—from men. They do this by imposing stricter rules on their daughters regarding the age that they can begin dating, where they are allowed to go, whether or not they can go away for college, and so much more. But at a certain point, protection becomes confused with control. It presents more as a denial of not only bodily control but control of their own lives.
This overprotection promotes a lack of trust and teaches daughters in particular to doubt themselves. It allows daughters to believe that they need a man in their lives because the world is scarier for them than it is for men. So, how can parents be protective in a way that isn’t detrimental? One way to start is by explaining why certain rules exist. For example, a study conducted by the Department of Justice found that “Females were at higher risk of stalking victimization than males. During the study period, females experienced 20 stalking victimizations per 1,000 females age 18 or older. The rate of stalking victimization for males was approximately 7 per 1,000 males age 18 or older.”
It would make sense that daughters are more affected by these double standards than sons. However, for many of us, it can be difficult to understand our parents’ rationale.
At what point do we cross the line, moving away from protectiveness and closer to distrust and sexism? How much is too much? Many answers to these questions are found in a Bustle article by Suzannah Weiss, “Why Overprotective Fathers Aren’t Cute.” While this article is rooted in the ideal of an overprotective father, its content can apply to any parent. Weiss discusses the overprotective father as one who wants to protect their child, more specifically their
This behavior affects children in ways that parents may not expect. It can impact the way that they see themselves in terms of identity and worth. When parents restrict their children, they can begin to view themselves as property. And when they finally challenge those restrictions, they may see themselves as damaged property. Weiss also writes, “In addition to propagating these messed-up ideas about what constitutes a woman’s identity and worth, the trope of the overprotective father perpetuates damaging stereotypes about men and women by espousing a view of heterosexual relationships as predatory.”
Understanding facts like these will help children understand that although the circumstances aren’t ideal, it doesn’t mean that they are not real. Instead of instilling fear in children, parents should instill understanding. This way, children can emerge as adults confidently because their parents taught them how to trust and protect themselves. One day, children are going to go out into the world and realize that they have this newfound freedom as adults. Parents can choose to either prepare them for it or try to shield them from it.
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SLEEPLESS. Milena Bennett Fallon Carey
PHOTOGRAPHY Jenna Filingeri
styling director Katlen Guzman Garret Scott
stylists
Fallon Carey
Creative Director Victoria Montalti
Fashion director Yailin Camilo Arien DeVeaux Farrah Christiansen
Models
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MODELS WEAR: Arien DeVaux—Outfit-Achawain; Boots-Dr. Martens Yailin Camilo—Blazer-Nu-In; Pants-Theory; Boots-Sophia De Grecia
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MODEL WEARS: Farrah Christiansen—Blazer-Achawain Jumpsuit-Topshop; Sneakers-Reebok
MODELS WEAR: Arien DeVaux—Achawain Yailin Camilo—Mesh Bodysuit-Leonor Aispuro; Pants-Theory; Leather Jacket-Silvano; Boots-Sophia De Grecia
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MODELS WEAR: Yailin Camilo—Bra & Garter-Florance Canonoy; Blazer & Skirt-Balmain Reworked; Boots-Demonia Farrah Christiansen—Leather Jacket-Silvano; Button-down-Vintage Dior; Hair Accessories-Urban Outfitters 32
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MODEL WEARS: Yailin Camilo—Bodysuit-Urban Outfitters; Pleated Skirt & Boots-ZARA 34
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MODEL WEARS: Farrah Christiansen—Dress & Mask-Inga Kovalerova; Boots-ZARA
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MODEL WEARS: Yailin Camilo—Bodysuit-Urban Outfitters Pants-Theory; Boots-Sophia De Gercia
MODELS WEAR: Yailin Camilo—Bodysuit-Urban Outfitters; Pleated Skirt-ZARA; Boots-Demonia Farrah Christiansen—Leather Jacket-Silvano; Button-down-Vintage Dior; Hair Accessories-Urban Outfitters; Sneakers-Reebok The Lexington Line • a/w 20 • vol 7 • no 1
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MODELS WEAR: Arien DeVeaux—Blazer & Shorts-Achawain; Boots-Dr. Martens Yailin Camilo—Cropped Blazer-Balmain; Reworked Bra-Florance Canonoy, Mask-LIM College VIST 4510 Students
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MODELS WEAR: Arien DeVeaux—Button-down-Vintage Dior Pants-Claiborne; Leather Jacket-Thrifted Farrah Christiansen—Blazer-Achawain Jumpsuit-Topshop; Boots-Dr. Martens
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