GRAND CENTRAL MAGAZINE
Threads Designers A Year in Review SPRING MOVIES Music Festival Fashion Guide
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GRAND CENTRAL MAGAZINE Editor-in-Chief: Tessa Harvey
Managing Editor: Jordan Price
Food & Wellness Editor:
Style & Beauty Editor:
Arts & Entertainment Editor:
Chanda Crenshaw
Hailee Kaske
Juliana Kampf
Photo Editors:
Video Director:
PR Director:
Xavier-Thomas Mendoza Kayde Hambaum
Zachary Newhouse
Samantha Cuneo
Video Assistant:
PR Assistant:
Dylan Flanigan
Margaret Mcdougall
Art Director:
Adviser:
Megan Moomey
Steve Coon
Student Lifestyle Editor: Clarissa Kell
Grand Central Magazine captures the unique lifestyle experiences of the students at Central Michigan University. We’re about what makes college and life worthwhile, expressed through content you won’t see elsewhere.
Letter From The Editor The spring (or, in Michigan, the lack thereof) has always brought new beginnings. We saw it as children, watching our caterpillars become butterflies. We saw it as angsty teenagers, when the warm weather just barely managed to put smiles on our faces. And we see it in college, when the semester comes to a close and graduation draws near. Whether for the summer or the looming approach of adulthood, we say goodbye to our closest friends. We lock our apartments and dorms for the last time, pack our bags and move on.
But it’s also the start of the first printed issue Grand Central Magazine has ever created. It’s the production of hard work, talent and a little bit of procrastination (just the right amount). Its pages are filled with the living, breathing culture of our campus. So now, though this might be my ending, this, just the eleventh year, is still Grand Central’s beginning. This is our spring — and I look forward to so many more.
Beginnings are a funny thing. They look a lot like endings. This is the last letter from the editor I’ll write as editor in chief of Grand Central Magazine. In a few short weeks, I’ll close the office door for the last time, I’ll turn in my key and I’ll look to the new EIC in anticipation. This bittersweet moment is the culmination of four years spent working at this magazine, learning and growing with the people behind the scenes, and hearing so many of your stories. It’s the slow, whispered goodbye to an old and true friend.
Sincerely, Tessa Harvey Editor in chief, 2017-18
WHATS INSIDE
Art of Ascension: CODA The Taste of Spring Break Threads Designers Your Spring/Summer 2018 Music Festival Fashion Guide Spring Look Book Here’s a Maddy Who: People of Central A Year In Review Cmu Students Go To Wakanda MHTV Rally Cap The Truth About Depression in College Revenge Makeovers Dreams Come Ture With The Disney College Program No Place Like Home Athleisure Photo Story
The Art of Ascension:
Coda
Story by Juliana Kampf Photos by Rickey Portis, and courtesy of Aaron Johnson From a young age, Central Michigan University senior Aaron Johnson’s soul and passions have been deeply ingrained in music. He attributes that passion for music to his mother, Darlynn Johnson. Darlynn, who is a professional gospel singer, and Aaron’s father who works for General Motors, raised him along with his six other siblings. Aaron Johnson stands to the left with blue earmuffs. They moved around a lot throughout his life, but everywhere he and his family went, they always attended non-denominational churches. Johnson and all of his siblings participated in the church
choirs and music while their mother participated in the praise teams. At age four, he began playing the drums. At nine years old, Johnson was playing the drums in his band until he was 12. Since then, he’s performed as a drummer in front of crowds as large as a few thousand people. When he was a senior in high school, Johnson was a part of a student rap group called “Christians in Paris,” but he soon realized that going out on his own was the right way to go for his music career. “I realized they weren’t all as serious about it as I was and so I kind of thought to myself, ‘I wonder why they aren’t taking this seriously?’ I
just realized that it wasn’t just for fun to me…” Johnson said. From that moment, Johnson has been writing, rapping and producing his music on his own. His sophomore year at CMU was when he began seriously pursuing the rap scene, and at the same time Johnson had begun teaching himself how to play the piano as well. He decided against having outside help for his rap career due to finances and personal creative reward. “I decided I’d rather spend money on myself than conform to a label right out of the gate and risk giving away the rights to my music,” Johnson said. Losing the rights to music and creative freedom is a serious worry for many artists today. Binding
contracts with record labels signed in order to get their music heard by larger audiences can sometimes cost more than just regular currency. But on March 17, 2017 Johnson released his first full-length album, “Break Strain” as CODA, his artist pseudonym—without the help of a record label. Johnson based his pseudonym CODA on the common symbol found in classical art song sheet music. “[Coda] essentially means ‘the end of the piece is coming up.’ My desire is to put an end to the commercial nature of things that are societally stagnant or things that keep people from progressing and growing themselves. So since I desire to put an end to certain things, it seemed fitting for my name to be CODA with the slogan, ‘this is where it ends,’” Johnson said. He even uses that same ideal as the title of the last song in his first album. The album is set up as an epic tale portrayed through the use of motivational samples, dramatic soundtracks, and conscious hip hop/ rap lyrics. All of it is produced and performed to awakening perfection. “Break Strain” was recorded on CMU’s campus in the Moore Media Records recording studio, but now Johnson also records at studios in Southfield or in his room. Stylistically, Johnson views his music and message similar to that of artists like American rapper Kendrick Lamar, Lecrae and Lupe Fiasco.
“I decided I’d rather spend money on myself than conform to a label right out of the gate and risk giving away the rights to my music,” Johnson said.
While many attribute their inspirations to other artists, Johnson finds inspiration within himself and his own creativity. When Johnson graduates from CMU this spring with a degree in Music and Entrepreneurship, he’ll be moving to Southfield to start his full-time job as the Worship Director for Highland Park Baptist Church’s youth program. He’ll also be continuing to pursue his personal career as a rapper. “Essentially the worship leader gig is a five-day-a-week job that involves me chillin’ in my office some of those days and being available and running rehearsals once or twice a week plus Sunday service. I kind of plan to use my nights to work on my personal music and production and what not so I can keep them separate, but growing at a healthy rate as well,” Johnson said. Johnson is most excited to have the chance to be leading and teaching high school students.
“She alwa my music… passion fr
ays says she loves … I kind of got the rom her,”
As a Christian, Johnson enjoys Highland Park Baptist Church’s non-denominational environment because that’s the type of church his family has always gravitated toward. Despite his background and roots in gospel music, he doesn’t really listen to it that much. However, at this year’s fashion show put on by the Organization for Black Unity Johnson gave the final performance for the event with the help of powerful vocals provided by the CMU gospel choir called Christ Central Choir, “C3,” in front of hundreds of people. It was one of his biggest crowds as a rapper so far. Utilizing the choir for his performance was an idea that he had been thinking about since he began writing the song. He wanted the song to have a soulful feel to it. “I would say that her [his mother’s] influence is probably the reason I was more inclined towards that style, but as I grow older I see the impact it has on people and I like that more than commercial rap,” Johnson said. Johnson sang an original song called “LeveL,” from the album he’s working on currently. While this next album isn’t set to release until summer 2018, we already know it’s the first installment of a mix tape series. “I can’t reveal the name of the project just yet, but I can say that it will be a 10-track project with all high energy summertime bangers to vibe to. It’s a much more personal look into my mind as an artist and human being trying to make sense of different situations I live through and putting them to music!” Johnson’s mother is proud of his rapping career. “She always says she loves my music… I kind of got the passion from her,” Johnson said.
The Taste of Spring Break By Dan Delgado
Zack Caudell Greece
Ryan Reveley Toronto, Canada
The Mediterranean is home to one of the most lively and personified flavors in the food world. From pita bread to feta, the dishes bring the best of the culture with a “feel good” feeling after. A typical dinner setting explained by Caudell would start with appetizers usually the famous pita bread and tomato sauce (dipping encouraged). Entrees depending on what you ordered seem to have the same bases: beef and chicken with some common encounters of lamb in the Greek’s diet. The lamb in this case used a creamy lemony sauce in his words. A custom in Greece that Zack picked up on is that of an Aperitif, which helps digestion. On the drinks topic, most consisted of house wine and Ouzo, a very popular drink in Greece. One entrée to reflect this experience would be: Lamb Kleftiko Photo Courtesy of Zack Caudell
Oh Canada! Ohhh Canada! Our upstairs neighbor has a good approach to what tastes good and what doesn’t. example of that: The Poutine. It’s a drunk food masterpiece and is a heaven for the palate. Creamy brown gravy and cheese curds on fries? Who would’ve known. But the trip doesn’t end there, visiting microbrewery’s in the area come to the realization that beer has a lot more to it than something to shotgun. Raspberry wheat beer, beer that tastes like a chocolate milkshake (Granville Rotator) and blends of Guinness and Smithwicks had a great approach to the beer life in Canada. Photo Courtesy: Ryan Reveley
Camrin Gutekunst South Padre, TX Everything is bigger in Texas, and its appetite this time around. If not on the beach and soaking in the sun the best pass time down south is good old barbeque. The taste of Texas is the Beef short ribs. This calls for a commitment to the flavors. The concept of this Texas style cooking is the Low and Slow, slow cooking is a demanding practice, but the tender and flavorful ribs make it all worth the wait. Spices and seasonings make the meal, but it is up to the secret ingredients to really break the curve in this barbeque land.
Dan Delgado St. Louis, MO It may not be the most ideal place to spend a day outside due to the bitter cold this time around but that has no effect on the great flavors you’ll find here. Native to the land would be a dish that defines the city. Creative and traditional, the opposites meet here with the Toasted Ravioli. This eye opening, “no way” inducing appetizer makes any event. Depending on the insides, the creaminess of the ravioli pairs well with tomato sauce and again, reflects on the best of the city.
Jackson, Klamt Appalachian Mountains, NC & VA Now this piece is a little different from the rest, this entrée doesn’t define a location but more of an experience. An experience of mini horses (they’re awesome. Look them up), hiking and introducing myself to nature. As unforgettable as the experience is, there is a food to define this. A college hiking trip can’t be left out without the essentials. A mix of ramen, hot dogs, instant oatmeal and lots and lots of trial mix was on the menu for this trip. Photo courtesy of Jackson Klamt
Threads Designers Story and Photos by Jenna Boulter Threads is a student run fashion show consisting of talented designers of fashion students. Students have the opportunity to design, produce, and model for the fashion show. We asked a few Threads designers about their collections and what it is like to be a designer. Analiese Zaleski Analiese is a junior at CMU majoring in fashion design and minoring in visual merchandising. This will be her first year designing for Threads. Zaleski named her collection European Horizon. Q: What inspired your collection? A: My collection is inspired by my study abroad trip to Paris. While I was there I studied haute couture, mainly focusing on Balenciaga. I traveled around to eight different countries while I was over in Europe and I loved how every time you looked out a window, you could see the whole city and I loved how open everything was. The ocean in Spain, specifically Geteria which is Balenciaga’s home town, is what I was also inspired by. Q: What do you want your designs to convey? A: I want designs to convey a sense of flowyness and openness like the horizon on an ocean in Spain. Q: What is your favorite part about your designs? A: My favorite part of the design process was shibori dying my fabric. This is a technique I learned in Paris and was by far my favorite thing I learned during my study abroad. Holly Bazarewski Holly is a Junior at CMU double majoring in fashion design and fashion merchandising and minoring in marketing. Q: Where did you get your design inspiration for your collection? A: I was inspired by the grunge trend from the 90’s, and taking basic womens clothing and adding a twist to it by applying
grommets and lacing. I was also inspired by the “Bad Blood� music video by Taylor Swift and used that mood to explore my designs. Q: What are you most excited about for Threads this year? A: I am most excited to see my designs walk down the runway. It will be really cool to see how they transform from my paper sketches to the actual garments at the show. Q: What does your design process look like? A: My design process begins once I am exposed to something that inspires me. This year, it was the trend lacing up grommets. Once I am inspired, I start visualizing my collection and plan out my sketches. After sketching, I make paper patterns, and then make a mock-up version of the garment. I then have the models come and try on the mock-up and make adjustments from there and move on to the final piece. When the final piece is done, I have the models come in for one last fitting to ensure that everything looks right before it is judged.
YOUR SPRING/SUMMER 2018 MUSIC FESTIVAL FASHION GUIDE
Story and Photos by: Alexis Thompson With the weather getting warmer, music festival season is about to begin. There are many different looks the people wear to music festivals to show their own personal style and personality. Some looks include body suits, two pieces, animal onesies, hippie pants, floral or metallic materials, bralettes, rhinestones and many other styles, too.
Angela Ngyuen, junior, says she likes to wear something bold but also comfortable at the many music festivals she attends, and she gets her inspiration from rave websites. “The EDM community is unbelievable, you’ll never feel more loved than in front of a flashing stage with a thousand new friends moving to the music of your favorite DJ,” said Ngyuen. Music festivals like Electric Forest and Okeechobee are more EDM and metallic styles while Coachella and LollaPalooza are more floral. Jenna Boulter, junior, said, “Music festivals are a great way to express yourself in a different way, it’s an escape and a way to let all my stress out through music.” These are just a few of the festivals that allow people to express themselves through not only the music but fashion, too.
“The EDM community is unbelievable, you’ll never feel more loved than in front of a flashing stage with a thousand new friends moving to the music of your favorite DJ,”
Photos by: Kayde Hambaum Story by: Amanda Braudus
Here’s a Maddy Who: Story and Photos by: Collin Salata Eating disorders are what many consider a feminine disorder, but in actuality, it affects both genders and all ages. Thirty million Americans face an eating disorder in the United States, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. Unlike depression and anxiety, which is widely accepted by society, eating disorders are not. People with eating disorders often refrain from speaking out, especially with it being so personal. Central Michigan University senior. Maddy McConnon from Lake Linden, MI, a small town in the Upper Peninsula, is one of the 30 million people who faced an eating disorder. McConnon wants to break the stigma and shares her story through her social media’s growing fan base with hopes of making an impact and inspiring other individuals. She wants others to not feel ashamed and know they’re not alone in this battle. Senior year was a tough year for McConnon as this was when she began battling her eating disorder. The most troubling part of McConnon’s disorder was that her insecurities all began because of one person who made her doubt herself. McConnon’s eating disorder quickly began to take over her life and ultimately caused life-threatening effects on her health.
At one point, McConnon was anemic, 103 pounds and had to have iron infusions as she was physically that weak. She did not have the stamina to workout or the energy to do activities like hang out with friends. Usually, when she did hang out, it would often involve food and since she was purging she would start staying in. McConnon began to isolate herself a lot and did not like talking to anyone because she was extremely irritable. After a while, peers began perceiving her moody and crabby behavior as simply her personality. McConnon’s family and friends knew the type of person she was and noticed something was wrong when this new behavior began and she ended up sitting in her room all the time. McConnon was in denial at the time and thought her behavior was normal. McConnon’s childhood best friend, Elizabeth Sundblad was one of the few concerned for Maddy. Sundblad would be at the McConnon’s residence often, hanging out with Maddy’s twin sister, Abby, but Maddy would be locked up in her room. Sundblad noticed if a group of friends went out bowling or out to eat, McConnon would not be present. Previously, McConnon had been so outgoing, happy and goofy, but one day Sundblad noticed it was just gone. This was before the significant weight loss too, which Sundblad thought was perhaps stress related, but it kept going on. Soon, McConnon was looking worse and worse and had frequent visits to the hospital for low iron. Three years later McConnon began to see herself in a different way. She realized that she was not healthy. She was still going through agony and tough mental issues, but was trying to figure things out and wanted to begin changing her life. The first step of the recovering process was building up the courage to be open about her disorder to her family. McConnon had a very emotional conversation with her father who was the first to hear of his daughter’s’ eating disorder,
“McConnon was in denial at the time and thought her behavior was normal”
but it wasn’t surprising to him as he suspected his daughter had been dealing with it. In fact, McConnon’s whole family knew but it was not a topic of discussion since McConnon was not ready to discuss it. The news had a bigger effect on McConnon’s mother, sister and brothers who she was not as close to. This sort of disorder is very emotional time to go through alone and it was hard for her to tell her family, but once she did, her family helped McConnon recognize her disorder. McConnon, now a senior at CMU, has been recovering since her sophomore year. McConnon’s father has always been the biggest supporter of
“We’re not just black and white, we have so many dimensions and we shouldn’t just focus on how we look because that’s only the small part of it,” said McConnon. Her goal is for people to realize what they are worth and she hopes to achieve that through the power of her social media. McConnon has an extensive following on social media and receives a lot of random comments while walking through campus. People will often say, “hey, you’re the person I follow on Twitter and I really appreciate what you do” or how they’re so amazed by McConnon’s honesty.
McConnon and the one who helped her realize her worth. Mr. McConnon gave his best advice on how she can feel better about herself. “Try not to focus on yourself, but look how you can give to others and appreciate the life you were given.” Recovery is one the most challenging aspects and not something one can overcome right away. Knowing this, McConnon took her father’s advice and understood she needed to stop focusing on herself so much. Once she came to that realization, McConnon knew she wanted to help others feel better about themselves. McConnon predominantly uses Twitter to help and inspire students at Central Michigan University who have struggled with eating disorders. The majority of McConnon’s tweets are personal experiences she went through. She continues to speak out about her past demons and how she coped with her recovery. McConnon wants people to realize that it’s okay to talk about how she struggled with an eating disorder and anxiety and we need to talk about it. Some might not understand why McConnon posts real personal information about herself online, but as soon as she saw how her posts were actually helping people it made her want to continue.
Over the years, McConnon has helped countless people and people tell her, “thank you for this, I needed this,” or that her posts have impacted them to improve themselves. She receives nothing but great messages and praise for her posts. She knows how hard it is for people to recover and wants to prove anyone can get through it. McConnon does not reach out to people who struggle herself, but people do reach out to her with similar stories. Recently, McConnon connected with a girl who has been in recovery for over a year battling anorexia, which she still struggles with. McConnon understands this feeling and is a person others can confide in and seek support and guidance from.
“It’s kind of crazy that so many people know me from social media. How did this happen? All of my friends say to me, “how are you so Twitter famous?” and I don’t know! It just happened.” McConnon understands why so many people live their whole lives afraid of talking about these issues as it can be scary talking to people who are close to you, McConnon however, urges people to do this as it will change your world to just have that team behind you and supporting you. After McConnon spoke to her family she is much closer to them and it has helped their relationship. Building a support system is vital when battling any type of mental illness and not a battle one should go through alone. “Relapse is so easy when you feel all alone. A lot of times you feel you’re the only person going through it, but the people in your life want to help you just have to tell them.” McConnon faced her eating disorder for three straight years and she was the one to stop it. Friends and family saw signs and speculated, but were afraid to say anything since they didn’t know how to. At times, Sundblad was almost angry with McConnon as she didn’t understand. “In my head, I thought “Maddy, just EAT.” But she couldn’t,” said Sundblad. Sundblad didn’t understand that this was a mental battle McConnon was having with herself. McConnon saw the signs but didn’t know what to do. Looking back, Sundblad still feels remorse not helping her best friend. She regrets not intervening when she could have. Sundblad too knew what McConnon was going through, yet at the same time was not 100 percent positive what it was so nothing was said. Sundblad wishes she would have tried to figure out what McConnon was going through. She wishes she would have
“Relapse is so easy when you feel all alone. A lot of times you feel you’re the only person going through it, but the people in your life want to help you just have to tell them.”
done her research to better understand the disease. Most of all, Sundblad wished she would have approached her about it. “I wish I told her how much I loved her, cared about her, and how beautiful she was,” said Sundblad. There isn’t a day that goes by though where Sundblad doesn’t get mad at herself for how she handled the situation, and a day does not go by where Sundblad doesn’t thank God that McConnon was able to get help and is still be here after everything she went through. Abby McConnon was even perplexed how to help her twin sister. “It sucked, I honestly didn’t know how to help. All I could do to help was stay positive and help her eat,” Abby McConnon said. It can be difficult to know when a person needs help. Majority of the time, one will not come out with their problems. Other times a person might not even know they have a problem. Seeing her sister go through this made Abby realize how easy it is to be a person with an eating disorder. “We all have to keep an eye out for our loved ones, because they might need our help and might not even know it,” said Abby. Being able to finally come to terms with her issues and realizing what she had gone through (and still goes through) McConnon would still not change what she experienced as she values the struggle and happy to overcome it. She’s been able to see herself grow as a person since then and has learned so much through her
experiences. People cannot recover if they can’t talk about it. As cliche as it might sound it helped her become a stronger person mentally and physically. Mental illnesses are often viewed negatively and hopeless but can be a valuable lesson to go through and conquer. It can give us stories and experiences to carry with us for the rest of one’s lives and McConnon feels our experiences are what makes us who we are. “So many people spend so much of their life doubting themselves or disliking themselves and that’s wasting so much of the life you’re given and all that one can do with their life,” McConnon said. When most people are facing depression or adisorder often people think they need to find a significant other to fill that void to make them feel whole. For McConnon though, she met Billy Lowney after she came to terms with herself and felt whole. McConnon and Lowney have been dating for eight months and her relationship has been more than a positive influence on her. McConnon describes it as once you come to terms with yourself then everything else will fall into place. When she was going through her eating disorder she felt as if she’d never find anyone and be alone forever which made it even worse, but once she started loving herself Lowney came into her life. Lowney finds it incredible how inspiring McConnon has been to people. It was one of the reasons why he started talking to her, she was the kind of person he wanted in his life. “I think you have to feel comfortable with yourself first or else you’re never going to be happy in your relationship, even if you have an amazing significant other because if you’re not happy with yourself you can’t appreciate everything else,” McConnon said. Since putting her personal problems out into the public everyone in McConnon’s life has been super supportive. McConnon is in her last year at CMU and is happy with herself again. She is excited to broaden her horizons and embark on her new journey in exercise science and hopes of being a PA someday.
“I feel like I am living my life now instead of letting my fears hold me back, It’s super nice.”
PEOPLE OF CEN Emily Cyccone,
Sterling Heights,
MI
What she is looking forward to for Sophomore year: “I am definitely looking forward to having my own apartment. It will be a nice change of pace for me.” Dominic Perales
Rachael Selzer, Troy, MI “I often find myself just trying to get through a class, the day, the month, or the year. I am always looking forward to the next thing that will happen in my life. I never seem to be living in the moment and enjoying things while they’re happening. Instead, I am always looking forward. I hope I learn how to do this as I leave CMU.” Madeleine Garhsch
NTRAL
Lauren Nowosatka, Saginaw, MI “The things that make me happy are good music, a good sense of humour and good people.” Rickey Portis
Alex Cesal, Grand Blanc, MI “Each year we vote for positions at the end of the year and I was voted in to be the player coach for club baseball. I’ve been playing baseball all my life and each year I’ve been learning more and more about the game. By college, I’ve almost seen it all so it’s cool to be able to use my experience throughout my life, in baseball, to help out the team. It’s a little different to experience the coaching side. As a player all you worry about is playing and kind of showing up and leaving. As a coach, every situation you have to be thinking about: If I bunt, if I steal. And even getting the team to where they’re at. So down in Florida, we had to plan everything out, making sure we’re on time, and getting everywhere, things like that.” Xaiver Mendoza
A Year In Review (in photos)
Two students pose in front of the crowd to portray a message during the Organization for Black Unity’s annual fashion show. Photo by Rickey Portis
Four Central Michigan University students pose together as they explain how they help each other out during break ups for the “Breakup Remedies” photoshoot. Photo by Elliott Walda
Two Central Michigan University students pet a dog during a Humane Society event. The event was hosted by CMU a Recreation, Parks and Leisure (RPL) class at the former Dreamer Coffee Shop. Photo by Kayde Hambaum
From left: Sterling Heights junior, Brian Ross, and Romeo junior, Andy Smilnak, take a photo together as they talk about their friendship during the “CMU Friendships” photoshoot. Photo by Aubry Healy
The Mount Pleasant community joins together in downtown Mount Pleasant during a cold winter day for the Martin Luther King Day march. Photo by Rickey Portis
Four Central Michigan University students pose for a picture during the tailgate for one of CMU’s home football games behind the Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Photo by Tristan Hagenstein
Engineering students compete in the annual Cardboard Boat Race at Rose Ponds during the 2017 homecoming event. Photo by Tristan Hagenstein
Two Central Michigan students pose during the “Denim Daze” lookbook photoshoot. Lookbook by Kayde Hambaum & Dominic Perales
Fowler graduate student Holly Conner works on her designs during the feature story that GC staff covered about her called, “A day in the life of a fashion student.” Photo by Dominic Perales
The view that photo staff, Madeleine Garlisch experienced during her trip to Guatemala. This photo was used for the “Photo Staff Spring Break Recap” post.
This was during the national class walkout event hosted by College Democrats of CMU. The event held 17 minutes of silence to honor those who died during the Parkland shooting incident in Florida. Photo by Xavier-Thomas Mendoza
Cmu Students Go to wakanda Story and Photos by Juliana Kampf
“Black Panther” is the highest grossing superhero film in U.S. history. The film’s initial explosion into the box office in February has continued to break records as it reached the number three spot in the top 10 highest grossing movies in the U.S.; it even surpassed “Titanic.” The film is still playing regularly at theaters across America almost two months after it was first released. The movie takes place in the fictional African country of Wakanda, which is made up of four united African tribes. After the King of Wakanda is killed, his son T’Challa takes the
throne as the rightful heir and becomes the Black Panther. However, an unlikely Wakandan, Killmonger, betrays their country in hopes of helping those who have suffered at the hands of slave owners and institutional racism in present day America. This Marvel superhero was the first major mainstream hero of African descent within the Marvel universe and comic books. The storyline and almost entirely African American cast of the “Black Panther” movie was not lost on African American audiences as their driving viewership lead the movie to an unprecedented opening weekend and beyond. Prominent supporters of the movie’s ceiling-breaking success bought out entire theaters for underprivileged communities and children to view the film during its opening weekend. Central Michigan University’s Program Board put on a free showing of the movie on campus and the Eta Rho chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi gave out free tickets to see “Black Panther” at Celebration Cinema during their Kappa Week. Grand Central Magazine recently did a “Black Panther”-inspired photoshoot with CMU students. Dressed in traditional dashikis, Africanesque inspired clothes, all black outfits, faces painted, and bumps applied, 10 models posed for our cameras and took us through their thoughts about the “Black Panther” movie.
MHTV Story and photos by Bianca Jenkins
Moore Hall Television, also known as MHTV, is a student run television production in the School of Broadcast and Cinematics arts. Taking place in Moore Hall the program is made up of multiple student run shows that are broadcasted via cable on CMU’s campus and in Mount Pleasant. Most of the shows provided by the station are aired biweekly, and all of it is created by students here at CMU.
“It is a little hard with time management but at the end of the day you just make it work,” Bittick said. “Personally, I always make sure that my school work gets done. I am the kind of person where I don’t like doing anything less than my best. I also think that being so passionate about making my show helps. I’m basically doing what I want as a career here at school. In many ways, the show is what I do with my free time.”
Josh Bittick a Clarkston senior, said, “I’m a Producer for MHTV. I created a show, “Down Time, which is about video games and anime. As producer, I collect all the information that will be talked about on each episode, check out equipment, schedule shoots and meetings and put together the final edit of the show. I also host the show so I on camera during out shoots.”
MHTV has been the awarded College Television Station of the year from 2001-2016 by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. Hours are put in to make MHTV the awarding winning station that it is. If it were not for students who are dedicated and passionate about the station none of it would be possible.
Since MHTV is student led, that means these are still young adults who balance a school schedule and a TV show. Producing a tv series takes up a lot of time, however like any student that is involved with other things on campus it just takes planning, and time management.
Bittick said, “MHTV is such a wonderful opportunity for students who want to get involved with all types of visual media. For anyone who is willing to put in the work, it is amazing. I have learned so much by being a producer of a show. It has allowed me to gain so much confidence in my skills and prepared more to leave CMU than anything else I’ve done during my time here.”
RallyCap
Story and photos by Bianca Jenkins
Central Michigan University has a new RSO on campus and while it may be small now, the program has been quite successful its first year here on campus. Grand Central had the opportunity to talk with members of the organization called RallyCap. RallyCap is a program where kids with disabilities from the community can come to learn and play different sports. Each season the CMU students that volunteer teach the kids different sports; in the fall, it was soccer, winter basketball, and in the spring, they will be doing kickball. Jessie Walters, the RallyCap president said, “RallyCap was built on three main goals, inclusion, healthy living, and self-confidence. We give the opportunity of a recreational sports program to kids who may not have gotten the experience otherwise. Our team of volunteers gets to pair up one on one with a kid of ranging abilities to play a sport and overall just have fun.” Walters said RallyCap started by her simply just looking for a summer job that focused on her passion with working with kids with disabilities. When searching, she found the organization called RallyCap and wanted a RallyCap Chapter here at CMU. After being contacted by the nation director and asked to start the chapter, Walters said she was a little overwhelmed, but felt with the help of her friends, and her passion for the program she could make RallyCap CMU successful. “RallyCap has allowed me to meet some amazing people and get a head start on what I am passionate about, which is working with people with disabilities,” Walters said. “I think being part of a sports team offers amazing benefits to a kid, and I wanted to give that opportunity to everyone. RallyCap has helped open my eyes to the many abilities of a person who is labeled disabled.”
RallyCap is still a small organization on campus, however anyone who is interested is encouraged to join. “Join,” Walters said. “We are small right now because we are just starting out, but we have created an amazing community of volunteers and players alike. We always have fun and you get so much enjoyment out of helping other people.” Colleen Haley, a Grand Rapids sophomore, and a special education major is a member of RallyCap. This is her first-year volunteering, and she loves it. Haley said, “RallyCap is a really fun experience and a great way to meet people interested in the same things as you. If you want to join just be yourself, be outgoing, and encouraging towards all the participants.” RallyCap is a great environment for not only the kids, but the students that volunteer as well. They can build relationships with one another, lift each other up, and encourage one another. The kids who come to play these sports every week genuinely look up to the CMU students who volunteer. They have confidence and opportunity that they may have not had without the RallyCap chapter at CMU.
Fiv e Upcoming Mov ies to Look For w ard to This Spr ing
Story by Sarah Wright Spring is usually the time when the blockbuster movies start getting released in anticipation for summer. Here are some of the top movies that have everyone excited:
Isle of Dogs (March 23) This movie is another stop-motion animated film made by Wes Anderson (“Moonrise Kingdom,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel”). The film takes place in a dystopian Japan where, due to a “canine flu”, dogs are quarantined to a remote island. Resident dogs of the island soon find a young boy who is looking to find his own dog, and they decide to help while evading authorities. The cinematic style is notably different from Anderson’s usual aesthetic— old fashioned style, yet still appears to hold the hipster charm that the director is known for. The film also features the voice acting talents of Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray and Jeff Goldblum (all of whom have previously worked with Anderson) among many other big names. “Isle of Dogs” is slated to be another great add on to Anderson’s ever-popular filmography.
Avengers: Infinity Wars (April 27) The next chapter in the expanding Marvel Universe, “Avengers: Infinity War” is likely going to be another box office success along with its predecessors. The movie takes place after “Captain America: Civil War” where the currently torn-apart Avengers must face the arrival of Thanos, an alien Titan who is seeking to collect infinity stones from earth in order to gain the power to bend reality to his will. The Avengers must reform and team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy as well as Dr. Strange, Spider-Man, Black Panther, his Wakandan army and a newly cured Bucky Barnes. This movie marks the first time that the entirety of Marvel’s cinematic universe (minus the TV shows) will be coming together which has fans super excited for the end result.
Deadpool 2 (May 18) After the popularity of the first movie, the favorite “merch with the mouth” returns. This time Wade Wilson aka Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is forced to protect a mutant child from a time traveling solider named Cable (Josh Brolin) with the help of the X-Force— a team of mutants formed by Deadpool. Fans are particularly excited for this movie as it will feature prominent characters that are well-known from the comics like Domino (Zazie Beetz), a mutant mercenary who can manipulate luck, and Cable, the mutant cybernetic solider as well as the return of fan favorite characters like Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), Weasel (T.J. Miller), and Blind Al (Leslie Uggams). The fourth wall breaking trailers already have the fans hyped which leaves no doubt that this movie could potentially surpass the first.
Solo: A Star Wars Love Story (May 25) This movie is the origin story of the iconic smuggler, Han Solo. The film features the acting talents of Alden Ehrenreich (“Hail, Caesar!”) as Han Solo, Donald Glover (Childish Gambino, “Community”,“Atlanta”) as Lando Calrissian, Woody Harrelson (“The Hunger Games,” “Natural Born Killers”) as Tobias Beckett a criminal mentor to Solo, Emilia Clark (Game of Thrones) as Han’s partner in crime Qi’ra, and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo). While not a lot is know about the upcoming movie, it’s likely to be a crime space western that takes place before long before “A New Hope” and will add on to the story of “Star Wars” in a similar way that “Rogue One” did. Regardless, fans are excited to see these classic characters once again, in a new light.
The Incredibles 2 (June 15) The long awaited sequel to the beloved Pixar movie returns after years of waiting. The film takes place right after the first film where Mr. Incredible or Bob Parr struggles to care for his super family while his wife Elastigirl or Helen Parr begins to fight crime again and campaign for the return of heroes after heroes were previously banned by the government. During this time, Mr. Incredible discovers that his youngest child Jack-Jack has begun to manifest powers while the threat the Underminer, as seen at the end of the first movie, looms over the family. The film also brings back the talents of Samuel L. Jackson as Frozone and Brad Bird as Edna Mode and has fans completely excited for the return of the favorite superhero family. These spring movies are notable for the popular hype amongst fans of each genre and will likely generate an impressive box office success.
The Truth About
Depression in College Story by Chanda Crenshaw
Before being shipped off to college, every student has been told “these next four years will be the best moments of your life.” We as students are never told the reality of college. College is stressful. There’s a vast transitional period in which students undergo in such a short period of time. A young high school student to an independent college student. One second your living at home with your parents and the next you’re in a foreign community of people, where you are told to make friends with. It’s important to know the difference between common healthy stress from the pressures of juggling school and a social life versus the possibility of undergoing a mental illness such as depression. Throughout the course of a semester you might feel depressed from an overload homework and projects, however that doesn’t necessarily qualify as depression. As a student we can pinpoint where the stress is coming from at a particular time, whereas students who suffer from depression cannot. There’s a negative stance when it comes to mental health within our society and culture. The outlook them some have is that depression is a form of weakness that only affects a small percentage of people, when in fact it’s more common than most may think. According to the survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, roughly 40 percent of college students suffer from depression which has ultimately affected their college performance negatively. Furthermore, within their survey, majority of students who feel depressed, do not seek help.
Symptoms: Symptoms of depression is different for every person who struggles with depression. There is not a list that can pinpoint every symptom of depression, yet there are some similarities in people who suffer from the mental illness.
Dramatic changes within physical activity:
The most common sign within depression is wanting to do absolutely nothing. This can be displayed by oversleeping and overeating, or on the opposite end of the spectrum, not sleeping and barely eating. Everyone deserves a break every now and again. However, a dramatic change in never wanting to do anything can be sign of depression.
Not forgiving yourself for making mistakes:
Everyone makes mistakes, remember that. For the first-time students are making decisions on their own. Some in which we find out wasn’t the right one. Fortunately, college is a place for trial and error. It’s important for students to not allow past failures to consume their lives.
Decline in being social:
Sheltering themselves off from any contact of friends and family. The person may not want to be alone necessarily, yet they do not know how to channel their energy elsewhere. Depression can be crippling to one’s everyday life, it’s better to surround oneself with loved ones rather than be alone.
Elasticity of sadness:
Everyone will experience traumatic moments in their life where they will have a deep feeling of sadness, it’s a normal emotion. With that being said, they are just “moments.” If you’re experiencing a sadness within your life that is lasting more than two weeks is where you should look into seeking help, whether it’s with friends or professional.
Identifying better ways to take care of yourself mentally is always a good idea. When a person is in a good mental state it is easier to achieve all set goals and take on any challenges that life may throw your way. If you experience any or all of these symptoms in a way that affects your daily life, you should look into mental health guidance.
REVENGE makeovers
Breakups can be tough. The loneliness thereafter is soon supplemented with heaping amounts of ice cream, watching rom-coms with your besties until you cry, and drinking wine filled to the top of the glass. There are few women who find liberation in changing themselves after the breakup, physically and mentally. Those who find peace by embodying a “new me” mentality after leaving a relationship often find themselves dying their hair, or embracing a new style.
New hair, new you.
1.
One way to revitalize your look is to give yourself a new color. Box dyes can be intimidating, but if you’re on a college budget they are perfect to work with. There are so many colors to choose from, and you can achieve salon-quality results with just a couple steps. Simply lightening or darkening your natural hair color can freshen up your look and make you feel fabulous. If you’re feeling adventurous, take your hair to the next level by doing a pastel pink or bold blue. This hair revival will be sure to make you feel confident and fabulous.
2.
Makeup
Even though natural beauty is the best beauty, there is no denying a little bit of makeup can make a girl feel on top of the world. Just by adding your favorite lipstick, your look can be transformed and make you into the confidence queen you are. If you want to get bolder, buy a colored lipstick or eyeshadow that you wouldn’t normally gravitate towards. Odds are it looks amazing on you, and stepping out of your comfort zone is something that can be beneficial when trying to create a “new you” after a breakup.
Treat yourself spa night Skincare is essential to feeling your best. Face masks and bubble baths can help you refresh and revitalize. Face masks can be made from items found in your kitchen. A hydrating mask can be made by combining avocado, plain yogurt, and honey. If you’re looking to clear your pores, try mixing egg whites, orange juice, and turmeric powder. Spa night wouldn’t be completed without a hair mask, try cracking an egg and dispersing from the roots of your hair to the ends, then shampoo and condition. This will rebuild proteins and make your hair silky smooth. One important part of spa night that is frequently neglected is nails. Simply adding nail polish can elevate your look and give you the confidence you need. Deep reds and neutrals are so in for the winter, so painting your nails these delicious colors will add to your look. If you want to go DIY with your nails, purchase a nail kit from Amazon or Sally’s and do it yourself. Press on nails or DIY acrylic nails are cheaper than the salon and look just the same.
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Wardrobe makeover Feeling the need for a wardrobe re-up? There’s no need to hit the mall to embody a new style, go through your closet and remove clothes you never wear anymore. Revamp your wardrobe by having a clothes swap with your friends. Swap old accessories, clothes, shoes and more and leave with a brand-new outfit that is sure to make you feel confident. Try out looks that you wouldn’t normally try and step out of your comfort zone. “I’m all about self-improvement, and changes are internal rather than external for me. People do a complete 180 because they are in a rut and they have a momentary identity crisis.” -Rilley Schill, Junior “After a breakup or people shutting me down, I spent time trying to convince myself I wasn’t worthless. I did self-evaluation and spent more time with my friends, or went out to my favorite dinner to distract myself. Makeup is relaxing, when you look at yourself afterword’s and you realize that your old relationship is not important. When you are with that person, you become that person and you need to reinvent yourself after a breakup. Who am I without them? That’s why you need to reevaluate yourself.” -Mackenzie Schill, Junior “Revenge makeovers are trying to prove you’re better off without them, making yourself feel the best you can. With other situations, I can relate. Like having a shitty day I treat myself with my favorite food or buy a new outfit. If I’m feeling down about myself I’ll wear more makeup. It’s an extra boost of confidence I need. Putting makeup on is meditative for me, it’s the best.” -Kyra Denton, Junior
D
m a e r
u r e T . . . e m o sC with the
Disney College Program
Story by Brittany Andrade Photos Courtesy of Brianna Wildey, Michelle Mayfield, and Devin Bosche
Disney is in the business of making dreams come true for people of all ages, all over the world. Many Central Michigan University students have their dreams come true when they receive letters accepting them into the Disney College Program (DCP). The DCP is a program where college students can work and take classes at Walt Disney World or Disneyland. As the DCP application came to a close last Thursday, October 19, students who participated reflect on their time in the program. Co-President of the Friends of Disney Alumni Association Brianna Wildey, 22, applied twice before being accepted into the DCP.
“I remember practicing a lot just to make sure I would sound okay over the phone during my interview. I heard back about two weeks after the interview that I got accepted,” Wildey said. “When I found out I was doing the program I was at home, and I jumped up and screamed. I went and told my mom and brother and just started happy crying. It was an amazing experience.” The application process consists of three phases. The first is a basic demographic and interest application that hopeful participants fill out. The second phase, participants complete a web interview about working in the Disney environment and how they would react in certain scenarios. The final stage is the
phone interview with a recruiter who asks questions about former work experience, interests, gives ‘what would you do’ scenarios, and gets to know the participant. After the phone interview, participants play the waiting game until they receive an email that could change their life.
I extended it into the spring. I really liked the program. I would definitely do it again in a heartbeat.” Aside from being a college student when you apply for the program, Disney doesn’t require applicants to major in any specific field, which was a relief for recently accepted biology major Alexandra Couch.
“This experience is once in a lifetime, twice in a lifetime for a few,” Devin Bosch, Co-President of FDAA said. “It’s about more than just going to get credit or to put Disney on your resume. It’s about the experience and really taking everything in.”
“I’m training to become an optometrist, which may seem like a far stretch for being in the program,” Couch said. “Doing this is going to help me when it comes to working with people
from all over the world and all different cultures, backgrounds and ages.” For Couch, and many of the people that applied for the DCP, working for Disney is an absolute dream come true. “I’ve been there [Walt Disney World] 10 times, and Disney has become my happy place,” Couch said. “I’m really excited to make people happy and help create those magic moments for people. —I’m just so excited to go and work for the Mouse!”
DCP participants are assigned to a certain role, ranging from jobs in merchandise to character performance. “I was Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and 11 other roles,” elementary education major Michelle Mayfield, 22, said. “My program was in the fall and
“This experience is once in a lifetime, twice in a lifetime for a few.”
-Devin Bosch
No Place Like
home
Story by Brittany Andrade Photos Courtesy of ACO, Ahmed Almoudi, and Jobin George Varghese
Imagine the first day of class: the anticipation of meeting new people, exploring campus for the first time, or maybe the second if you went to an on-campus tour earlier. This is how the first year at Central Michigan University started for so me students. For others, their year started by getting off a plane from another country, or even continent. The college experience is pretty universal. No matter where someone is from, college helps to guide the course of your
life. For most, college is full of life changing moments, new opportunities and experiences that will ultimately help those students fulfill their dreams. One of the newer, and most exciting parts of coming to college for most students is independence. For Hung Chan Tran, a Vietnamese junior majoring in mechanical engineering and who goes by the name Max on campus, coming to CMU to have some of that independence was one of, if not the most important factor in his decision to come to the US. “My parents gave me the option to come to the U.S. and I took it,” Tran said. “I wanted to experience what it was like to be on my own and to see what the education system was like in the U.S. I wanted to try living apart from my parents; I’ve been living here since the beginning of 2013 now. The main difference is that I speak English every day and not my mother tongue, but otherwise it’s all pretty chill.” Tran came to the U.S. by himself, but he has found a community where he feels like he belongs and has found a sense of independence. “I do everything on my own now; that’s the biggest first step for me to start my own mature life. I am a part of the Asian Cultural
Organization, and I like it. I have friends here on campus, and even though we’re all over the place, I would say I have found a home here.” Tran said. For international students taking the step to travel to a completely different continent can sometimes be jarring when you’re by yourself, but sometimes even more if you’re not alone.
the most about home is manageable in comparison to what he and his family have in mind for the future. “I miss my family a lot; family is important to me,” Alamoudi said. “But I honestly love it here in Mount Pleasant, and I am hoping to find an internship soon so I can continue to learn. My wife’s mother is living with us—and my mother is coming so she can spend more time “My wife and I moved here one with the babies. My wife is month after we were married in planning to get her Ph.D. as 2012,” said Ahmed Alamoudi, a well—we have built our lives BCA student from Saudi Arabia. here, we have a sense of “I have a diploma in IT work, belonging. This is our home.” but I decided that’s not what I wanted to do. Too much sitting While some families are in an office does not appeal to supportive of studying abroad, me. We got a scholarship and other families are not, at least came here to CMU. We have not entirely. been here ever since.” “I didn’t know that I was Five years later, with a 3-yearcoming to study in the U.S. until old daughter and another 10 days before school started,” baby on the way, Alamoudi has found that what he misses
said Jobin George Varghese, an Indian sophomore studying psychology and communication disorders. “I arrived at Central on Sunday, and classes started Monday. Some of my family members were supportive, but others…they felt like it was too far away. It made it difficult to make a decision on whether or not to come here.” And while high school students in the U.S. have the standardized ACT and SAT tests before college, international students add at least 11 more documents to that list of paperwork according to the Homeland Security “Study in the States” site. “It took forever, because on top of filling out the standardized tests you all have in the U.S., I had to apply for a Visa, renew my passport, make sure I had paperwork to work, filling out the college applications—it definitely took the whole summer for me to complete.” Bundled up in a black pea coat and a scarf, Varghese admitted that life at CMU, and in Michigan has taken some getting used to, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle. “I’m sure on the first day of classes, probably the entire first month of classes, I looked so lost walking around because I had never been here before. The weather was definitely the biggest adjustment though; the cold is the worst and I had never seen snow before I came to Michigan,” Varghese
laughed. “But I’ve met so many new people from everywhere, Korea, Singapore, Brazil—I feel like I found a place here, a community. I’m a part of Lunch Buddies on campus and I want to apply
to be a Multicultural Advisor, and I’m hoping to be a speech pathologist one day. Even though I miss home and don’t get to go back very often, I really like CMU. It’s become a home for me too, ya know?”
“I feel like I found a place here, a community.� -Jobin George Varghese
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Photos by Xavier Mendoza
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Millennials are known for being the “Wellness Generation,” and as a result, athletic wear has become more common. More than likely, you’ll see at least one person a day wearing an athletic brand. These three models show how the “athleisure” style looks between classes.
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