Re: 05 - The Yearbook Issue

The YEARBOOK Issue Editor-in-chief Aaron Bernstein Art Director Danielle Raynal News Director Taylor Block Business Manager Katherine Moore Fashion Editor Perri Rothenberg Social Media Manager Taylor Kigar Assistant News Manager Shelby Katz Assistant BUSINESS MANAGER Kaleigh Ryan Events Coordinator Alison Wild Production Assistant Abbey Eilermann Fashion Associate Elizabeth Riden Fashion Associate Kathleen Sayler Fashion Assistant Chanelle Bertelsen Fashion Assistant Carmela Osorio Lugo Advisor Stefani Joseph Writing Contributors Jonathan Edward Buckley, Matthew Dicken, Robert Gifford, Andrea McCarrel, Tamara Omazic, Emilie Sobel

Visual Contributors Alexandra Arnold, Chase Baltz, Pat Bombard, Kris Buhidar, Thomas Burns, Alison Bushor, Claire Buyens, Rebekah Campbell, Brett Doonan, Weston Doty, Janee Hartman, Tucker Klein, Andrew Lyman, Jillian Ricciardi, Morrigan Richardson, Nick Sadek, Dylan Shaw, Kat Weiss, Jake William

Letter from THE NEWS MANAGER When I first met Aaron Bernstein, it was the first day of classes, 8 A.M., freshman year in college. With tired eyes and dark classrooms, and charcoal all over our hands and faces, we became friends instantly. Then, one day while on a break in our 2D Design class, Aaron told me he wanted to start a fashion magazine at SCAD. The next thing I knew, Re: Magazine came to life. We began holding staff meetings, designing the layout and format, writing content lists, gathering contributors, setting up photo shoots and setting deadlines. What began as a close-knit group of friends expressing their creativity at an art school in the South, branched out to become a remarkable anthology of work that will fill our portfolios and our bookshelves for years to come. Re: Magazine was never just a school project, but something everyone involved was (and still is) truly passionate about. All five issues have been nothing but collaboration, which is essentially what fashion really is. Photographers, models, stylists, makeup artists, set designers, writers and more all came together to create five unbelievable magazines, full of stories, both visual and verbal.

I have built such strong relationships with everyone involved and I couldn’t be more grateful for all of those opportunities. This is such a bittersweet moment, and I am sad to see the end. But this issue is an incredible collection of collaboration; its theme is so fitting for this particular time in our lives, as we are all so young and fresh, beginning to take steps into the “real world.” I am so proud of all the hard work that has gone into this issue, along with the past four, and I cannot wait to see where all of our creative genius goes next.

I want to personally thank Taylor Block (my partner in crime) and all of our contributors. Working with each and every one of you has taught me so much, and I’ve absolutely loved reading all your articles and witnessing your growth, creativity and imagination.

And as for our Editor-In-Chief, Aaron Bernstein: You are a true mastermind and you’ve created not only a series of amazing magazines, but an extensive list of memories we all will surely never forget. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you!

The last couple of years have been wonderful and I have absolutely adored being a part of the Re: Magazine team.

SHELBY KATZ Assistant NEWS MANAGER

LETTER FROM THE NEWS DIRECTOR They say some of the best lessons are learned outside the classroom. For me, Re: Magazine was a true testament to that statement. I still remember when Editor-in-chief Aaron Bernstein told me in passing our freshman year that he wanted to start a publication. I nodded enthusiastically but thought nothing of it. A year later I found myself in front of him, in an interview for an editor’s position on his publication. I had my reservations. How would the magazine progress? Would it be successful? I’m not sure even Aaron knew the answer to those questions at the time.

But life is inherently full of risk and taking chances. Roman philosopher Seneca said, “It’s not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It’s because we dare not venture that they are difficult.” The risk I took in Re: Magazine ended up being one of the greatest ventures of my college career.

What started as a small staff of a dozen or so SCAD students grew into an inspiring force I personally could’ve never dreamed of. In my opinion, Re: Magazine represents the best and brightest of youth culture. The publication showcases some of the most talented young writers, photographers, illustrators, and designers currently pursuing a college education. It gave so many students from all

over the country an outlet for their creativity. It showcased young minds that may never have been broadcasted had it not be for the magazine. Yes, college can provide that for students as well but Re: Magazine posed no limits. In the classroom I learned the power of memorization and the importance of not having more than 4 absences. With Re: Magazine I learned how to manage a staff of writers, how to create and conceptualize a content list, and how to coordinate large production events and photo shoots.

Most importantly, I learned the power of collaboration. No one person can be credited for the success of Re: Magazine. It’s thrived because of the successful workings of a collection of people. Learning to work with people of different majors and even people across the country was one of the most valuable things Re: Magazine taught me.

It’s a skill that can’t be understood from a textbook but only through real world application.

Re: Magazine has been my real world application. I’m so proud to be part of such a driven, talented pool of artists and thinkers. Though our magazine draws to a close, our personal talents will no doubt continue to flourish.

Remember the names on the masthead; they’re not to be forgotten.

TAYLOR BLOCK NEWS DIRECTOR

Letter from THE ART DIRECTOR When the idea arose to create the Yearbook Issue as the farewell chapter of Re: Magazine, I was admittedly hesitant. My primary concern was that with only two years under our belts, turning the focus inward with a theme that is inherently self-referential would fail to maintain the dynamic quality of work we strive to publish each quarter. But then I took a moment to consider just how momentous these last two years have been.

The earliest inklings of Re: Magazine have grown from fodder for dinner conversation to a fully functioning digital publication, showcasing outstanding work from artists and designers worldwide. This was by no means an accident; it has been my privilege to serve as art director, now looking back with immense pride on what we have collaboratively achieved. With each subsequent issue, I saw more creativity and enthusiasm brought forth from contributors across a wide span of disciplines, and somewhere along the way, we seemed to figure out how to run a magazine. Pitch meetings, image selections, weekend photoshoots­—it all became so engrained into our daily routines that it’s almost impossible to imagine our years at SCAD without it.

The Yearbook Issue is much more than an exploration of the schooling experience; this issue, just like each one before it, serves as an extension of who we are and the incredible places the last two years have brought us. I want to personally thank each of our collaborators for the enthusiasm and creativity you brought to the Re: team, balancing classwork with this crazy, fascinating project of ours. I was continually amazed at your willingness to meet deadlines and producing outstanding work, then return for more with each following issue. I hope you all had as much fun as we have.

And lastly, I would like to share my deepest admiration and appreciation for the creative leadership of our fearless editor-in-chief, Aaron Bernstein. Despite the wildest obstacles and heaviest workloads, we have achieved something truly special, and you were at the forefront leading us infallibly onward. All I can say is thank you for trusting me with a project so close to your heart; I cannot imagine going through this process with anyone else, and I’m so glad to have shared it with you.

DANIELLE RAYNAL ART DIRECTOR

Letter from THE EDITOR Choosing a theme for the final issue of Re: was no easy task.

After throwing around idea after idea for what seemed like months, the idea to do The Yearbook Issue was first given to me when chatting with Re: veteran An Le back in February. I don’t think that we could have made a better decision.

Three covers, thirteen photoshoots and 194 pages later, The Yearbook Issue has proven to be the most exhausting yet rewarding issue to produce. Creating such an extensive issue has allowed us to feature some of our favorite past contributors as well as highlight the up-and-coming talent of the Savannah art scene. Feature editorials and covers from photographers Alison Bushor, Dylan Shaw, and Jake William are just a few of the stories that take us back to our high school days. Newcomers Weston Doty and Andrew Lyman tackle the theme with a fine art approach with their stories “Freaks and Geeks” and “Star-crossed,” respectively. Articles focus on the power of youth and creative education, paying tribute to the rising talent in Savannah as well as trends and movements worldwide. Rounding out the issue, I had the pleasure of shooting and interviewing our favorite models in “Women of Re:.”

It’s hard to believe that the magazine is ending after only two years, but what a long and telling two years it has been. I will never forget the first time it clicked that Re: was actually going to work. It was on set for our first cover and feature editorial shoot, “Fleur de la Nuit” with An Le in February of 2012. Today, I can recall an innumerable amount of similar times that have kept our team going, fueling an overwhelming sense of gratification and excitement that we were contributing to something that would not be soon forgotten. The sixteen foot python, roasting the dead pig head, bringing horses into the wild, planning a monumental fashion show, arranging 20+ models for one image, setting off fire alarms, carrying over fifty pounds of sand from the beach, lifting 500+ pound concrete pillars, driving hours to shoot at farms and historic military forts, creating mechanical babies, exploring local high schools—these are the memories that make every all-nighter I’ve pulled worth it; these are the memories that have made Re: a unique experience for everyone involved.

Re: Magazine was founded on the grounds of improving and evolving collaborative efforts within the SCAD community.

Five issues later, involvements from other schools have re-

focused Re: as a national publication. Deciding to end the magazine after The Yearbook Issue was not an easy decision, especially as it feels like we are just starting to figure things out. Re: Magazine serves as a marker of exciting change and potential for the Savannah area, as well as an important step in the careers of every contributor and editorial board member. These last five issues will serve as an anchor for everyone to hold onto, preserving our talents and efforts while simultaneously predicting and paving the ways to our futures.

I am only a small part of the process in creating each issue.

This publication would not be anywhere without the supportive, committed team that I have the pleasure of being surrounded by on a daily basis. I would be remiss without thanking the key players what made Re: Magazine the experience of a lifetime.

Family: Thank you for constant (sometimes monetary) support from the very beginning and for coming down to Savannah for every Re: event that we’ve held. Though I may not always like to explain or say much, know that your constant questioning and care always makes me feel like I am doing something right. For that, I am forever grateful. Thank you for always being my biggest fans.

Hair and make-up artists: Thank you for the countless hours that you spent with us on set, the time and effort you put into each look, and for working with us to help perfect your craft. I could not be more indebt to Katherine Taylor, who has always been free for us at the drop of a hat. Thank you for endlessly bringing your all to sets; your can-do attitude and giving nature is one other make-up artists can only look up to in order to be as professional and helpful as you have been over the last year.

Models: I know we’ve put you through a lot, and I hope that you had just as much fun as we did. I need to especially thank Kathleen Sayler, the only model to grace a Re: cover more than once. Thank you for trusting me at the very start.

From letting the snake crawl over you while blind and topless to crawling in marshes and stealing mechanical babies, you have been nothing but a trooper and I hope you still will be as our photographers only continue to be transfixed by your look issue after issue.

Stefani Joseph: Without your initial trust, Re: Magazine would never be where it is today. Thank you for signing onto the project and supporting us the whole way through.

Your constant praise and constructive critiques have helped shaped Re: into a publication I am proud to share both of our names on.

Editorial Board: Reviewing your applications and interviewing you in the library feels like just the other day. To all of our board members, old and new, thank you for taking that initial leap and helping to assemble a team of strong reinforcement that made Re: possible.

Writing and visual contributors: Thank you for all of your hard work in creating the strongest possible content for each issue. Tucker Klein, thank you for supporting the project from the beginning and providing great illustrations for all of our opinion articles. I am especially grateful for the photographers, who let us into their creative process and allowed us to produce their shoots. Dylan Shaw and Jake William, you both have especially produced a great deal of editorial stories for the issues since the beginning and I cannot wait to see where you both go from here. Special thanks to An Le, who accepted tackling the first cover and feature editorial that set the standard for all of the following issues. Thank you for being still being a constant system of support even after your graduated last year. I cannot wait to see your name up in lights soon, as you are already well on your way.

Taylor Kigar: Without you, our social media presence would be nowhere. Thank you for sticking with us through all of our website changes and constantly updating technology that I can’t even come up with. On top of your job as Social Media Manager, I cannot even begin to tell you how much I enjoy reading your articles that you’ve written. I will always regard them as some of my favorite.

Abbey Eilermann: Thank you for being the best team player ever. Your ability to literally jump into almost any position this past issue just goes to show the vast array of talents you have and great potential for the future. I am so glad that we got to feature one of your beautiful designs on a cover for The Cinematic Issue. I could not be more appreciative of the support and friendship that you have given me over the past year and cannot wait to see where you go from here.

Alison Wild: Thank you for being my greatest springboard and for listening and walking me through my craziest ideas last summer in the city. You have always been my crutch (with Taco Bell in hand) when it got most stressful, and for that I cannot thank you enough. I know that the fashion show that we worked on together is just the beginning of a long career of runways, clothes, lights, music and models to come.

Shelby Katz: I still remember pitching the idea of a magazine to you within the first few weeks of classes freshman year, and I am so glad that you were able to come on the ride with me. Without your professionalism and loyalty towards Re:, I don’t think that we’d have as many well-written and well thought out articles that we do without you. Now that you won’t have the magazine to work on next year, finish up your schoolwork and hurry up and graduate so that we can take New York by storm!

Taylor Block: You will always be my favorite Re: caterer. From the endless hours we spent brainstorming story ideas to endless emails we sent out requesting interviews (and demanding final drafts), I knew that you were the perfect person to ensure that every job got done. You have been nothing but endless support since the very beginning and I could not be happier to have someone like you on our team. I hope that you got as much from the experience as you put in. I cannot wait to tackle the real world with you and see what happens from here. Thank you for always being as passionate as I was about this project.

Danielle Raynal: Growing and learning with you over these past three years has been the biggest highlight of my college career. Though we must now enter our separate working fields, the collaborative work that we did over these past five issues will always have a special place in my heart. Words cannot even begin to describe my appreciation for the long hours, commitment, and creativity you poured into this project; nobody could have designed the magazine’s layout as well or consistently as you. As treacherous and toiling as all of those all-nighters may have seemed, it is always a delight to look back at the issues with you and see how much we have accomplished in such a short amount of time. I am so proud that we have shared the same vision since day one and have carried it through to the very end. Thank you for taking a chance on this project with me. You are my best friend, my rock, my everything. If there’s anybody that made each issue happen, it’s you.

We did it.

AARON BERNSTEIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Table of contents 10

College Fashionista

112

The Power of Youth

13

Internships: The Bottom Rung

114

Sweet Beginnings An Interview with Adam Turoni

17

Ticking Time Bomb Diary of a Last-Semester Senior

124

See Food

By Aaron Bernstein

19

Regaining Sanity Live A Little After College

134

Chemistry

By Alexandra Arnold

20

Most Likely To Succeed

By Rebekah Campbell

146

Rebel Rebel

By Alison Bushor

32

Somewhere

By Janee Hartman

158

Luck of the Irish An Interview with Rejjie Snow

46

Stepford High

By Jake William

162

Degree, Or Not For Me?

66

Women Of Re:

By Aaron Bernstein

164

Hooky

By Pat Bombard

94

Band Camp

by Dylan Shaw

176

Star Crossed

By Andrew Lyman

110

Dear Diary Book Review

184

Freaks and Geeks

By Weston Doty

111

Only The Good Peak Young

192

Who Run The World?

The Role of Art Majors

COLLEGE FASHIONISTAS by liz riden With a focus on young entrepreneurship, there is no one who fits this issue quite like Amy Levin. Levin is the stylish force behind College Fashionista, the increasingly popular source for collegiate fashion. Featuring daily articles written by students and for students, College Fashionista has taken dressing for class to a whole new level.

Levin started College Fashionista in 2009 from the inspiration of her peers at Indiana University, wanting to showcase their fashion and feature tips on how other college students could imitate those looks. What started as a small showcase of five campuses has expanded to well over 300 college campuses worldwide, and now is branching out to high schools as well. College Fashionista is unique in that it uses students known as Style Gurus to do all of the reporting and photography for each campus.

So why college fashion? Amy notes, “College is such an experimental time in your life. You are experimenting with who you are, what you want and naturally this comes out through your fashion choices. My fashion was so different each year of college and reflective of how I was feeling and who I was during those four years. No matter if you go to school in Bloomington, Indiana or London, college is college and there are changes all twenty year olds are going through.”

As the popularity of street style blogs has expanded over the last few years, College Fashionista has stood out from the crowd, inviting students to participate in design contests, hosting nationwide events, and showing off what makes their campus style unique.

Levin’s success starting fresh out of college and leaping into a risky, tough industry really is what the power of young entrepreneurship is all about today. Young entrepreneurs have to be ahead of the curve with fresh new ideas, and persistent in making those ideas come to life.

The startup of College Fashionista is the proof of this.

When asked why young entrepreneurship is important, RE: MAGAZINE

Amy explains, “Being an entrepreneur is about starting something. Taking a risk on an idea and actually seeing it through. I know tons of people who have great ideas but never have time or make excuses as to why they can’t start their own business. An entrepreneur is about someone willing to take that risk and to starting something from nothing.”

BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR IS ABOUT STARTING SOMETHING. TAKING A RISK ON AN IDEA AND ACTUALLY SEEING IT THROUGH.” Amy credits her favorite parts of running her own company to the ability to implement creative ideas and see them come to life, and seeing the optimism in college individuals about the future. The heart and soul of College Fashionista is really just that. It’s a place for youth to make a statement, get inspired, and spread Amy’s optimistic vision for fashion media.

As a final word of encouragement to young entrepreneurs, Amy’s advice is this: “Stay focused, stay passionate, and don’t get distracted by what others are doing.”

College Fashionista is all about highlighting individual style and personality. We had the pleasure of interviewing three Style Gurus across the south about their own style, personal favorites, and career plans.

ALWAYS REMEMBER TO BE CONFIDENT IN WHAT YOU WEAR. IT IS AS SIMPLE AS THAT.” JF: For the past year, I have been obsessing over the Peplum trend… tops, dresses, skirts. The peplum has been around for quite a while now; it was popular during the ‘40s, ‘80s and I could not be happier to see it back on the racks in my favorite stores.

RE: What would you like to be doing in 5 years?

Joscelyne Felix Hometown: Nogales, AZ Current University: University of Arizona Major: Retailing and Consumer Sciences

JF: I will be graduating college in December 2014. After that, I plan to move to New York to obtain a master’s degree at a fashion school. That being done, I will see where my life will take me. I am keeping my options open as to what I want to do. I believe it is important to have a life plan ready without closing any doors. It’s great to have a specific dream/goal but in order to get there, it is usually necessary to explore the different career paths you can take. Doing so might make you realize that your initial plan will not work because you are now interested in something else, or you may also stick to your original plan. Who knows what I will end up doing… I guess I will find out in a few years.

RE: What started your interest in fashion/style?

RE: What is your best advice to our readers about developing your own personal style?

JF: Being the youngest of three girls for seven years, (before the younger two siblings were born) I was always caught in a “playing -dress-up” situation, except ... I was the one being played with, by my older sisters and mother.

As much as I hated being dressed in whatever outfits they had chosen for me, I would play along with it. Then one day it just hit me... Why can’t I be the one playing dress up with myself, and others?! ... And then I had that moment, a discovery of fabrics and beautiful colors. Outfits that had once seemed dull were now vibrant and exciting.

The possibilities were endless. Mixing and matching and going through my mother’s closet was just the beginning of my love for fashion. I do not remember myself always being fashionable though; I, like everyone else, went through a why-in-the-world-did-I-wear-that phase.

JF: I have met many people that believe to not know what their style is. What I always tell them is that the point of having a personal style is not to look a certain way but to feel good in what they wear. Confidence is everything.

Wearing something that you do not feel comfortable in is the worst thing you can do. It does not matter if you bought yourself one of those amazing asymmetrical Prada skirts from the Fall 2013 collection–if you don’t feel confident wearing it, you will actually not look good in it. In order to develop a personal style, you will have to experiment a little and discover what it is that makes you feel best. Once you find that perfect dress that makes you feel like yourself, you will know what I am talking about.

Always remember to be confident in what you wear. It is as simple as that.

RE: What is your favorite current trend?

11

ing music scene. I also love going to the Farmers’ Market for organic food and flowers. After fashion, my biggest passion is cooking!

RE: What is your best advice to our readers about developing your own personal style?

LM: Never be afraid to mix it up. Everyone has their favorite, go-to pieces, but experiment with a pair of edgy, spiked loafers or a glamorous hat. I love mixing unexpected outfits together, but if you’re unsure about something, take it for a test run first to a Starbucks or grocery store.

Going somewhere low-key will let you know how you feel about an outfit.

LIZ MCLEAN Hometown: McRae, GA Current University: University of Georgia Major: English and Italian RE: What started your interest in fashion/style?

LM: My mom bought my first issue of Teen Vogue when I was in eighth grade. I became obsessed with the editorials and never looked back. Since moving to Athens and working with CollegeFashionista, my interest has only intensified. People in general, but particularly on students on campus, exude their personalities through their fashion choices and I love being able to document that.

RE: Where do you like to shop?

LM: That’s a tough one. Everywhere! H&M, Anthropologie, Madewell and J.Crew are definitely musts on a shopping trip, but I also love browsing local boutiques in Athens and vintage shops. Finding unique pieces no one else will have is so exciting.

RE: What is your favorite weekend activity?

LM: Going to concerts downtown. Athens has an amazRE: MAGAZINE

RONIT JOSELEVITZ Hometown: Houston, TX Current University: University of Texas at Austin Major: Textiles and Apparel RE: How to do you define your personal style?

RJ: Very layered, like I’m always ready for a music festival.

RE: What is your favorite wardrobe essential?

RJ: A good statement jacket. My favorite right now is my oxblood leather bomber jacket.

RE: What would you like to be doing in 5 years?

RJ: Working as a stylist for Nylon Mexico or working for Proenza Schouler.

RE: What is your favorite current trend?

RJ: Colored denim.

INTERNSHIPS: THE BOTTOM RUNG

by TAYLOR BLOCK ILLUSTRATION BY THOMAS BURNS Unless you live under a rock, chances are as a college student, you’re probably familiar with internships. You’ve either had one, applied to dozens, or are tired of the girl sitting next to you in class telling you how fabulous her internship this summer is bound to be. Chances are it’s a combination of the three.

As the economy slowed, jobs became scarcer than ever before and internships became more and more on trend.

They’re a way to beef up resumes, gain one of a kind exposure to an intended industry, and network. The ultimate goal is a full time job and for many, internships are the gateway. But at what cost? It’s no secret that being an intern puts you at the bottom of the food chain, and you’re often reminded of it. Is it worth the long hours and countless coffee runs, only to be called “Sweetie”? (We all know it’s not a term of endearment. Your boss just didn’t take the time to learn your name.)

In the end, are internships truly worth the trouble?

At the root of controversy behind internships is money, or lack thereof. According to Ross Perlin, author of Intern Nation: How to Earn Nothing and Learn Little in the Brave New Economy, there are 1.5 million internships offered each year, more than half of which are unpaid. “The notion of the traditional entry-level job is disappearing,” said Mr. Perlin. With the nation still in recession, companies have

looked to cut costs. One of the first and easiest things to budget was their internship programs. Some companies have cancelled programs altogether. Others have taken advantage of the ability to profit off free labor.

Within the internship sphere, competition is fierce. Applicants are metaphorically (and possibly literally) willing to bite each other’s heads off to work for free. Let that one soak in for a second. For free. I can tell you, personally, I wouldn’t do any sort of labor for free and yet I’m an intern veteran. What makes internships the exception?

The Obama administration has taken strides to crackdown on companies and their policies on unpaid internships.

The issue, however, is that interns are so desperate to get a foot on the bottom rung of the corporate latter that they’re reluctant to complain about working conditions.

It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What many fail to take into account is that not only are internships unpaid, they’re actually costing interns (or their parents) money, and lots of it. Take, for example, a general unpaid internship in New York. The cost of living in Manhattan is extremely high. When you add up rent for two to three months, food bills, and transportation, this so called “one of a kind experience” is extremely costly. An added expense is if a company requires that their internship be for school credit. In this case, interns pay all of the above 13

and then an additional bill to their college or university because the internship is considered a class. The reality is internships favor those who can afford to work for free.

So knowing all this, is it still worth it? It’s really in the eye of the beholder. As an intern, you’re a salmon swimming upstream. You have to be hungry for it. One intern who worked at Shmaltz Brewing Company in New York City described the internship saying, “The pay was nothing, the hours were miserable, but the experience was amazing and the resume credentials invaluable.” If you can financially and mentally stomach it, in the end you’re the one with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

fit for the company before committing to a salaried offer.

Lastly there’s the power of networking. Working for a company allows interns to interact with other employees; ones that may be a resource later when applying for a job.

It’s not just who you know, but who knows you.

But even if interns do all this--sacrifice their summer living in a cramped New York University dorm and work long hours for no pay--does it guarantee to yield the results it should? Once a short-term commitment at most, internships have become practically obligatory. But each comes with a caveat. There is no guarantee of permanent hire

IF YOU CAN FINANCIALLY AND MENTALLY STOMACH IT, in the end you’re the one with nothing to lose and everythiNG TO GAIN.” When it comes time to apply for an entry-level position, companies now expect industry experience. Ever thought to yourself, Well I can’t get a job because I don’t have experience, but I can’t get any experience if I don’t have a job? Internships are the way to break that cynical cycle.

They give young adults exposure and industry experience that is ideal on a resume.

Internships are also a wonderful opportunity for interns to assess a job or industry and similarly for a future employer to assess you. It’s a way to test out the waters and truly determine if this is the field you want to pursue as a full time career. Likewise, employers can determine if you are a right

once the internship ends. Lucy Schiller, 24 is what Mr. Perlin would categorize as a “serial intern.” Ms. Schiller bounced from internship to internship with prospects that never panned out. She was often told there was a possibility of pay later that never materialized.

Where does that leave hopeful college students? Possibly a little disheartened but hopefully prepared for the weary road ahead. As the song goes, “It’s got to get bad before it gets good.” So suffer through those Easy Mac dinners and blisters from your heels with the knowledge that you’ll definitely, maybe, one day, hopefully land a full time job.

15

Ticking time bomb diary of a last-semester senior seeking employment by tamara omazic illustrated by tucker klein

January 16th, 2013 January 16th marks the first day of my last semester in college, a mere 117 days until my May 12th graduation date. For the next 117 days, the pressure of a ticking clock will reside somewhere in my temples, eventually causing headaches, panic attacks and general persistent discomfort.

When I chose Emerson College, a small, urban school for communication and the arts, I had some concept of the lack of security a $50,000 bachelors degree in Writing, Literature and Publishing would offer in the dwindling economic climate. And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to sacrifice my passion for a security blanket of a menial, uninteresting existence—no matter how well it would pay post-grad.

Thirty three percent of Emerson undergrads study some form of communications or journalism, another twenty eight percent study visual and performing arts, and eighteen percent study writing and English like me. There are few that don’t study something under the humanities or liberal arts umbrella. But unlike many schools with similar majors, Emerson has a course offering that renders the institution as some sort of trade school for the communicative arts. And for that reason, though my generation entered college at a time of severe economic uncertainty, the possibility of a career right out of college seemed like a no brainer.

Back in my dorm room, I made a bee-line for the wall calendar above my desk. I felt both an impending challenge but also a sense of comfort as I marked each square with a numeral for how many days until graduation. The job hunt was upon me, but it didn’t seem insurmountable.

When the clock struck past midnight and my roommates and I slowly turned in for the night, I took a black marker and crossed off day 117.

March 6th, 2013 I’m spending part of my spring break in New York City.

With the help of my internship supervisors in Boston and some ballsy cold emails, I’ve managed to finagle a few informational interviews with editorial staff at coveted national magazines. In between interviews, I catch my breath on a bench in Bryant Park. The sun’s warmth is a welcome distraction from my pulsing nerves and

RE: MAGAZINE

the ticking clock. In my head the previous interviews all blur together echoing the same sentiment: if you want to succeed, you’ve got to get in quick. Those words are the drumbeats I march to as I traverse midtown to Hearst Towers. I’ve got high hopes for my final interview with a young blonde at Food Network Magazine. She broke into the New York scene as a post-grad intern for the same magazine that employed her four months earlier. Though she’s encouraging, her parting advice is the same as everyone else’s, with the added refrain, “even if it means interning more after graduation.”

The term perma-intern has become a staple of any young twentysomething in the magazine industry, and has extended to other fields such as film and politics. In February, The Washingtonian Magazine published a piece on the growing trend of post-grads flocking to the political capitol of the nation only to bounce from one internship to the next. The article opens with a 25-year-old Ivy League educated woman lamenting over her one and a half years of unpaid internships. No one wants to get stuck in the “internship vortex,” as the young woman calls it, a black hole where hope of stability and a career path dies and rots.

ply, I can’t afford to. That one grand I’d need for a plane ticket is better off going towards paying interest on my loans or as a down payment on an apartment in the city I’d like to live and work in. The economy may not be as bad as it was when my generation entered college, but it still isn’t good enough to not worry about financial stability. Coming of age during a recession should make us all more financially attuned to counting every dollar and cent and smarter about spending.

I also know that as time passes, a post-grad without recent and reputable experience is a less and less appealing applicant. Fielding interview questions about a gap on a resume is naturally unpleasant and can compromise an otherwise worthy application. We grew up during a time when youth moved at hyper-speed in many realms of experience, but especially higher education and career pursuits. I can’t say I like it, but I also know that it’s an undeniable truth. So my job hunt continues as I cross off yet another day from my calendar—25 and counting.

April 16th, 2013 My drive has turned into desperation. Each night after the work of the day has been done, I open a line of tabs in my Safari window and methodically scour job sites for new postings, prioritizing by how long posts have been up and specified closing dates. I tweak my cover letter for each application, occasionally rewriting one entirely to fit a different desired skill set. The steady drum of my fingertips against the keyboard syncs with the ticking of my inner clock. As I type furiously, I think of the friends that graduated a semester or year earlier than me that are still jobless. The calendar above my wooden desk tells me I’ve got 26 more days to piece it all together. The bottom line is that the competition is stiff for those looking for entry-level positions, no matter the industry. Pickings are slim to start, and many job postings expire within a week or two—each passing day is an opportunity lost.

Friends and family ask my why I don’t take those six months off to travel or visit relatives in Europe. Quite sim-

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REGAINing SANITY Live a little after college by taylor kigar illustrated by tucker klein

When you ask your grandpa the one thing he regrets in his life his answer will never be I wish I had worked more.

When you grow old, you won’t entertain your grandchildren with thrilling stories of how you stayed at the office until 3 am to reach that 8 am deadline. The body craves adventure and new skies, but most of the population is stuck in the route from the house to the workplace with nothing but the kitschy painting of the fruit basket opposite their desk burned into their brains. The first half of our lives are centered around school, and after those grueling 16 or so years are finally done, we can be free. So why do so many people immediately run head first into the first desk they can find?

I understand the stress of student loans. I understand the dialogue that a college education and a steady job is the only thing that makes you a human has been hammered into our heads since high school. They have molded us into creatures that are terrified to take time for ourselves. We feel we must graduate and throw ourselves into the rat race for no reason other than that is what we’re supposed to do. Taking a brief hiatus after college can really calm the mind; finally all the fog of sixteen years of academic distress will disappear. There are options after college that is not a full time job. Ever considered volunteering?

Some loan companies even give deferment periods while you’re volunteering, so take the opportunity to join the Peace Corps and travel to another country while helping the world and building up some great lifetime experiences. Even if you’re not volunteering most student loan companies grant a six-month grace period, and six months is a long time. Use that time to travel and feel that real freedom. Of course, you may need to work a small job to keep basic living expenses, so a trip to Italy may not be your answer, but a trip a few states over to a warm coast is definitely still possible.

While traveling, some people may decide in this hiatus that they want to go back to grad school or study some-

RE: MAGAZINE

thing new altogether. When students enter college, many feel pressured to declare a major too quickly. After the first year and so many courses have passed by they feel it’s too late to even consider switching. Even if a graduate is still distinctly set on what they want to do, this hiatus can be vital for renewed creativity and rest. Take the time to find a new hobby. Find something that can be a relieving outlet for when the stress of a career returns later.

Start painting, learn how to play the piano, start baking cakes or walking dogs. Some of these hobbies can even turn into fun ways to make money and still keep your sanity. So many young career-oriented individuals jump into entry-level jobs and burn out only years later because they didn’t take the time to breathe after graduation. They stay up all night making the same amount of money they could make at a side job, with increased responsibility and no time for themselves—and often once these routines start, everything else seems to fall into place. Before they know it they have a stressful job, a house, a family, and no time to focus on themselves.

So take a break after college. Regain your sanity. Take the opportunity to be young with true freedom, with no deadlines, no assignments, no worries and no commitments.

Sixteen years of hard work should not be “rewarded” with more work. Give yourself a rest; give yourself the time to process the years and years worth of knowledge that has been accumulating. Remember what you learned about sedimentary rocks in 7th grade science class; remember the constant sexual habits of bonobo monkeys that you learned in freshman anthropology. Rehash your memories, catch up with old friends, take your life back from the establishments of higher education, and get in touch with everything you have left, because once the ball gets rolling—job, family, bills, commitments—you may never get the chance to again.

I don’t want anyone to think I’m here to villainize wanting a family, because having one is surely incredible and a great part of being human, but we all know it leaves very little time for personal reflection—and personal reflection is not selfish! In the long run, it’s really for your future family’s benefit. You don’t want to start at a fancy new job a week after graduation, marry a beautiful man or woman, have three sweet children with big brown eyes and lips that are always covered in chocolate only to realize that you hate everything about your job and you live in a state that you can’t stand the sight of.

So take this hiatus to travel around your country and find the place you want to settle. Find a state or a city that matches your speed, with museums that satiate your love of art or landscapes that fill your capacity for adventure.

Find your home first, and then find the job in the area that fits your lifestyle—not the other way around. Job offers should not run your life.

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most likely to succeed photography REBEKAH CAMPBELL photo assistant ANDREW LYMAN stylist CLAIRE BUYENS hair + makeup KATHERINE TAYLOR talent KATLYN LAMONT (RISE Model Mgmt), MADISON BILDAHL, + MEGHAN OTIS (Click)

on her, left top H&M skirt STYLIST’S OWN socks J.CREW necklace MADEWELL on her, right top CLAIRE BUYENS skirt 3.1 PHILLIP LIM necklace URBAN OUTFITTERS

on her, left bag URBAN OUTFITTERS top STYLIST’S OWN cardigan H&M shorts AMERICAN APPAREL on her, middle jacket FOREVER 21 top, skirt AMERICAN APPAREL bag MARC BY MARC JACOBS on her, right bow AMERICAN APPAREL blazer, skirt STYLIST’S OWN bag COACH

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photography J A N E E H A R T M A N in collaboration with O L I L A T I N O V I C H from t he s eries “I’m Not Always Raspberry Pancakes But I Am I Am I Am All The Time”

stepford hi photography JAKE WILLIAM styling AARON BERNSTEIN

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on her, previous spread far left top, jacket, skirt MADHOUSE VINTAGE on her, previous spread left dress VINTAGE on her, previous spread right top MADHOUSE VINTAGE skirt J. CREW on her, previous spread far right top CHRIS BENZ pants ANTONIO MELANI on her dress SABRINA SPANTA gloves VINTAGE

on her, left shirt ASOS dress MODEL’S OWN on her, right dress Brittany Short top ASOS bracelet Corrina Guotos skirt BROOKE ATWOOD opposite on her, nextpage spread left dress RIDEN Short dressLIZ Brittany

on her, left dress HOPE WALLACE on her, center skirt LIZ RIDEN on her, right skirt VINTAGE next spread jacket VINTAGE top BB DAKOTA skirt BROOKE ATWOOD

on her, left dress CHRISTIAN DIOR VINTAGE clutch NOEL MARTIN on her, center dress MADHOUSE VINTAGE on her, right dress VINTAGE clutch NOEL MARTIN

hair & makeup KATHERINE TAYLOR styling assistant KALEIGH RYAN hair and make-up assistant MOLLIE TAYLOR talent EVELYN ROWELL, MADISEN TAYLOR (RISE MODEL MGMT), KATHLEEN SAYLER, KATHERINE TAYLOR, NIKITA JANSEN (TUCKER MODEL MGMT) special thanks to SAVANNAH ARTS ACADEMY

photography AARON BERNSTEIN styling JILLIAN RICCIARDI hair + makeup MARIE JILSON, MEGAN MATEO, KATHERINE TAYLOR

From posing with sixteen foot snakes to wrangling horses or holding a cooked pigs head, working with Re: is not necessarily an easy feat. While they range in age, background, and experience, these women have all graced our pages numerous times and are quickly rising to the top of the modeling world.

LARA LILL RE: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

LL: I currently reside in Beaufort, South Carolina with my amazing husband, Alex Lill, our two pups and horse, Sanjay. We operate The Lills Design (our web, graphic and video production company) from our home and enjoy filling our time building a beautiful life, being creative and adventurous.

RE: What initially drew you to modeling? How did you get your start?

Growing up hearing my mother’s Wilhelmina modeling stories definitely drew me to modeling and I became utterly fascinated with fashion when I lived in NYC. When I was there I modeled and today continue to find great joy being in front of the camera.

RE: What has been your favorite Re: shoot to be a part of?

LL: My favorite Re: Magazine shoot was “Basic Training” where I was transformed into an alien-esque queen bee, surrounded by a fleet of male minions. My horse Sanjay modeled alongside me, which made for a killer shoot!

RE: Who is your style icon?

LL: Not to sound cliché, but I love me some Marilyn.

RE: What is your favorite food to eat on set?

LL: I like to have a small something before shoots and drink water throughout the day to stay hydrated. My hubby carries straws on him as he knows when on set, I don’t like to mess up the makeup!

RE: What are your thoughts on the Savannah area modeling community?

LL: Savannah and our modeling community is still young, but has amazing potential.

As national client’s start to see the production value in this location, I truly feel we will see some major modeling and fashion opportunities here over the next few years.

RE: What has been the highlight of your modeling career thus far?

LL: Seeing my face looking back at me in the magazines! Crazy fun.

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MARIE SANDERS RE: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

MS: My name is Marie Sanders, I am 20 years old and originally from Tennessee. I attend Armstrong Atlantic State University and majoring in Liberal Studies. In my free time I love modeling, swimming and just hanging with friends. I have been modeling for about a year now and it has been a great experience so far. The Agency I model for is Tucker Model Talent and they have been wonderful throughout my new journey of starting my modeling career.

RE: What initially drew you to modeling? How did you get your start?

MS: I really never thought much of it when I was younger but as I got older I gradually realized this was something I would love to do. Over a year ago I took professional pictures to start a portfolio. The photographer knew Jennifer Tucker, the owner of my agency Tucker Model Talent. She referred me to Jennifer and I contacted her and that’s where it all began.

RE: Any embarrassing or memorable modeling experiences you can share?

MS: An embarrassing moment for me was at my first fashion show...I had to walk in shoes a size and a half bigger than mine. I had to stuff some tissue paper in the back of my heel and as I walked down the runway the tissue paper was coming out of my shoe. I thought I was doing well towards the end of the runway when I was so close to being out of public view, but then I stumbled off. Other than the minor mishaps the show was a success!

RE: What has been your favorite Re: shoot to be a part of?

MS: My favorite Re: shoot has to be “And Then There Were None”. The whole concept and overall look was very different and interesting. I also loved my hair and wardrobe!

RE: If you could model for any brand or company, which would it be and why?

MS: I would love to model for Elite Models, H&M, and Victoria’s Secret. I have always been interested in those brands and companies. H&M has a nice clothing line and has a different and unique style that I would love to wear. Elite Models are gorgeous and what girl wouldn’t want to be a Victoria’s Secret Model!

RE: What is your favorite food to eat on set?

MS: M&M’s, Lays chips, maybe some Gummy bears and Gatorade.

RE: What do you want to be when you grow up?

MS: I originally wanted to be a pediatrician but recently changed my major. I will probably still want to do something in medical field, just not sure what.

CHRISTINA ADAMS RE: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

CA: I’m nineteen and I am with RISE Model Management in Savannah, GA and Heffner Management in Seattle, WA. I’m actually not going to school right now. I graduated from high school almost two years ago and I didn’t know what I would want to major in for college, so I took time to figure out what I wanted to do.

RE: Any embarrassing or memorable modeling experiences you can share?

CA: Yes! I was doing a shoot for some handbags and it was a nude shoot in Bergen Hall, SCAD’s photography building. People were walking by and no one seemed to pay attention. Even some guys walked by our room and they didn’t look into the room or anything, but then two girls noticed and it was pretty awkward. Then a little while later, someone walked into the wrong room by accident and my makeup artist freaked out! It was pretty embarrassing, but it was really funny to think about afterwards.

RE: What has been your favorite Re: shoot to be a part of?

CA: My favorite so far was working on “Band Camp” with Dylan Shaw for this issue of Re:. I had so much fun! I can’t wait to see how the photos turn out!

RE: Who is your style icon?

CA: I love Rachel Zoe! She’s amazing. Like her, I would wear maxi skirts and maxi dresses all day, every day.

RE: Is there a model you admire and aspire to be like?

I adore Kate Moss. I love all of the work she’s done and I want to be known like she is and have young girls aspire to be like me. She’s shorter like I am and I mean, she’s Kate Moss. Who doesn’t love her?

RE: What has been the highlight of your modeling career thus far?

CA: I loved working in Seattle with Heffner Management. I got to see what it was like to work with Amazon.com and actually work with a huge agency on the West Coast. I plan to go back pretty soon!

MELANIE BLANKENSHIP RE: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

MB: I’m 22 years old and currently attending Montgomery College in Maryland. I plan on graduating this year and then pursuing a four year degree next year at University of Maryland Baltimore County. I like to meet new people, freelance model, hang out with friends, and go on adventures. My local agency is Modelogic Wilhelmina in Richmond, my mother agent is OMG Model Management in LA, and my agency overseas is Delphoss International Model Agency in Spain.

RE: What initially drew you to modeling? How did you get your start?

MB: One of my best friends, Stephen Archer, got me into modeling. He would encourage me to do shoots with him a lot during high school to so he could build his portfolio to submit to colleges. Stephen interned for a Baltimore-based photographer and got me a paid job with the photographer for my first studio shoot. From there I reached out to people and finally started to do a lot of freelance modeling.

RE: Any embarrassing or memorable modeling experiences you can share?

I’m not sure that I should share some of them, but there have definitely been some embarrassing moments. Some experiences were memorable because the team was really fun and I really loved the concept or idea of the shoot. Then there’s other experiences where I’ve had to do things that were uncomfortable, like times when modeling in the winter, having on practically no clothes, with cold water being poured on my hair to give it ‘the wet look.’

RE: What has been your favorite Re: shoot to be a part of?

MB: “The Rose Bone” shoot by photographer An Le. I took a train down from MD to shoot in Savannah and it was two full days of really cool sets, styling, and amazing people. I had a ton of fun and really enjoyed the style of the shoot. At one point I held a roasted pigs head on a tray for about an hour for the cover. Another scene I had a snake crawling out from my dress for the shot, which was one of the highlights from the two days of shooting.

RE: How would you define your personal style?

MB: Comfortable. Lots of black. Jeans. Casual. Laid back. Impetuous.

RE: Who is your style icon?

MB: Chloe Nørgaard and Charlotte Free.

RE: What do you want to be when you grow up?

MB: I don’t want to grow up but if I do I want to do something that involves getting to be creative.

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NIKITA JANSEN RE: Tell us a little bit about yourself?

NJ: My name is Nikita Jansen, I’m fifteen years old, and I’m with Tucker Model Management. I’m currently a freshman at the Hilton Head Island High School.

RE: What initially drew you to modeling? How did you get your start?

NJ: I grew up watching shows like Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model, which spun countless ideas into my already crazy head. My bedroom flooded with fashion sketches, model drawings and pieces of fabric I’d attempted to put together.

I had always been the awkward and thin. I was always the tallest girl in my grade. I truly felt like I never fit in, and got bullied for it. My current mother agent discovered me at a summer camp at age 11, and it is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I felt like I finally belonged somewhere, a place where girls like me who enjoyed the same passions as I did could all be my friends. Since then, I’ve expanded my opportunities through my fashion photography business, freelance makeup artist work and fashion design.

RE: Is there a model you admire and aspire to be like?

NJ: I have many models I look up to, but my current favorite is Magdalena Frackowiak (not just because I’m Polish)! I watch almost every fashion week online, and she always makes whatever show she is walking in elegant and classy. She can’t ever take a bad photo, which I envy! I mostly look up to Karlie Kloss as my role model. She started at around my age and was able to balance schoolwork and her passions to create a successful career! She’s also my personal favorite runway model…she is the epitome of fierce! She’s also around the same freakishly tall height as me, which makes me feel better about myself!

RE: What do you want to be when you grow up?

As much as I love modeling, I’m realistic. I plan to go to an arts school, whether it is SCAD or a college in New York City. Fashion design has been a lifelong passion, and I would love to pursue it. A secret passion of mine is astronomy! Working for NASA would be incredible.

RE: What are your thoughts on the Savannah area modeling community?

NJ: I’m in love with it. Some of my closest friends go to SCAD. Savannah is a beautiful town. It’s so inspirational. The photographers and designers are so down-toearth, young and creative. Seeing all the success from the young students in this area, Savannah makes me look forward to my future in this industry.

BRIANNA DILLON RE: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

BD: At this moment, my biggest accomplishment is that I’ve just finished my Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Armstrong Atlantic State University. Savannah has been my home for all 23 years of my life. I am currently with RISE Model Management. As far as hobbies go, I like to stay busy while outside, and running is my thing.

RE: What initially drew you to modeling?

BD: Growing up people would always make comments about my long legs and my ‘different look’; they would tell me I should model. This is what initially got the wheels turning in my head.

RE: What’s been one of the biggest learning experiences for you that’s come from modeling?

BD: Be kind and stay in your own little world.

RE: Any embarrassing or memorable modeling experiences you can share?

BD: Well, the first time I ever met Miss J, he told me I was Demi Moore and Michelle Pfeiffer’s lovechild, and that I belong on TV. That notion of ‘belonging on TV’ never occurred to me–it definitely left an impression.

RE: If you could model for any brand or company, which would it be and why?

BD: I’ve always loved Ralph Lauren. Growing up, I would see Ralph Lauren ads and really like their look, it was aesthetically pleasing to me for some reason.

RE: How would you define your personal style?

BD: Eclectic with a Bohemian twist. I don’t like trendy clothes, which makes shopping a bit frustrating at times. I like timeless fashion.

RE: What is your favorite food to eat on set?

BD: Dried fruit, particularly cherries.

RE: What do you want to be when you grow up?

BD: I want a career that will allow me to do the most good for our world, whether it’s in nursing or modeling.

RE: What has been the highlight of your modeling career thus far?

BD: Meeting all the extraordinary people I’ve had the honor of working with and making lifelong friends.

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Nikita M’Bouroukounda RE: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

NM: I am a senior at SCAD for accessory design which means I spend most of my time making shoes and handbags. I’m also a model with RISE Model Management.

RE: What initially drew you to modeling? How did you get your start?

NM: I first started modeling when I was in high school. I was on dance team and I was scouted to model in a catalog for Sugar and Bruno Dancewear.

RE: What’s been one of the biggest learning experiences for you that’s come from modeling?

NM: I’m naturally a very shy person and I’ve noticed that through my years of modeling I have come out of my shell.

RE: Any embarrassing or memorable modeling experiences you can share?

NM: One of the my most embarrassing moments of modeling happened during the Re: Magazine fashion show last Spring when I tripped and almost fell...that was the worst!

RE: How would you define your personal style?

NM: I’m kind of all over the place with my personal style but lately I’ve aired on the side of sporty and I’ve been wearing sneakers and backpacks with everything.

RE: Who is your style icon?

NM: I’m loving Cara Delevigne right now. I don’t really dress like her, but I think her style is so cool.

RE: Is there a model you admire and aspire to be like?

NM: Joan Smalls RE: What is your favorite food to eat on set?

NM: Jimmy Johns! The Pepe with no mayo, add dijon.

RE: What has been the highlight of your modeling career thus far?

NM: Every year I look forward to the SCAD Fashion show. I was a model in the show for three years and I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many talented student designers and people from the fashion world. The models of the fashion show are also a sort of family and I’ve loved getting back together with them every year to rock the runway together. Oh and also, we get to work with the lovely Miss J!

MADISEN TAYLOR RE: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

MT: I am 20 years old and a rising senior at SCAD studying Fashion Design. I am originally from a small town in Virginia but I consider myself a city girl at heart ever since I moved to New York City when I was nine. During my time in New York I was signed with Ford Models which consumed my life until SCAD. I wish I could say I have more hobbies but my work is my hobby...if you love what you do, it isn’t work.

RE: What initially drew you to modeling? How did you get your start?

MT: I also used to always love looking at clothes and refused to let anyone dress me at a very young age. So my parents saw this trend and one day heard on the radio about this open model call. The company, Manhattan Model Search, chose about 1030 people to go to Cincinnati for the big one to be seen by the top modeling agencies in New York. I was asked to come to NYC for a personal interview. It came down to deciding between FORD and Wilhelmina. I ended up choosing FORD, and the summer following the end of my 4th grade year I moved to New York and never came home.

RE: What has been your favorite Re: shoot to be a part of?

MT: All Re: shoots are amazing. I admire the professionalism and the teams ability to make it up there with some of the top fashion magazines. Just because it is a college magazine doesn’t restrain the limits. They are always pushing the boundaries with fashion and the concepts. The shoots always make you feel like you can be weird and create this dream world which is nice to escape to for a few days of chaos!

RE: How would you define your personal style?

MT: Oh if only I could put it into words...recently someone said ‘campy’? (Is that a compliment?) I love mixing and matching things that everyone hates. Basically Barbie vomit. I also have had my style described as ‘a stripper in the day time,’ which I love!

I love mixing patterns and prints and oversized garments but sexing it up a bit with little cropped bra-lets, sheers, or thigh highs to keep it feminine.

RE: What is your favorite food to eat on set?

MT: Bagels and coffee, and then of course I have to have my Diet Coke.

RE: What has been the highlight of your modeling career thus far?

MT: Ah! Goodness I don’t know, everything was so great! I really did have the best time growing up around the business and I think that in itself is enough. Seeing yourself plastered on billboards or in magazines was always so weird but cool because it made my family happy and that makes me happy. You really get to see the positive outcome of modeling when it works out and I am very grateful for that!

MAKENNA REEDER RE: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

MR: I am originally from Charlotte, NC and moved to Hilton Head in 2010 where I began modeling about three years ago. It didn’t become serious about it until a year and a half ago when I signed with RISE. Growing up I was a competitive swimmer, but as I got busier with modeling, I began focusing more on it. I live on the beach so I will never pass up a good beach day when I have the time!

RE: What initially drew you to modeling? How did you get your start?

MR: I was about ten or so when I found out my dad was a model and started to pursue it quite seriously. After hearing about all of the fun things he got to do, it got me really interested in it. That was when I became more in tune with the fashion world and slowly but surely began my career.

RE: Any embarrassing or memorable modeling experiences you can share?

MR: I try to be as normal as possible on set, so I don’t have too many embarrassing moments, but one of the most memorable ones would have been a shoot I did back in 2011 in Malibu; the scenery was unbelievable and definitely unforgettable!

RE: Who is your style icon?

MR: With so many designers to choose from, I feel like a person with style that I admire would be Cara Delevigne. She seems to incorporate the same things I love… but she has a much bigger budget!

RE: What do you want to be when you grow up?

MR: Growing up I had always been interested in fashion whether it be in the design or photography fields. Now that I’m in the modeling business I would really like to pursue it as long as I can!

RE: What are your thoughts on the Savannah area modeling community?

MR: Not only is the modeling community growing within Savannah, but it seems to get better and better each year. Models come from all different cities in Georgia and South Carolina, and it’s great seeing a model empire start to form. I think that with time, Savannah could be the new Miami or Chicago for modeling.

RE: What has been the highlight of your modeling career thus far?

MR: The highlight of my career so far has been walking in Charleston Fashion Week, and being the winner of the Rock the Runway model competition for Charleston Fashion week. I met so many great people and was put in front of so many important people in the modeling world.

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KATHLEEN SAYLER RE: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

KS: I’m a fashion design major at SCAD. When I’m not slaving away in the fashion building, I enjoy taking dance classes, reading in the park and hanging out with my friends.

RE: What initially drew you to modeling? How did you get your start?

KS: Aaron Bernstein made me.

RE: What’s been one of the biggest learning experiences for you that’s come from modeling?

KS: There’s always going to be someone skinnier and prettier than you. There’s no point in comparing yourself to anyone.

RE: Any embarrassing or memorable modeling experiences you can share?

KS: I did a shoot on the beach in January. It was really cold and windy and I was pretty much standing naked on the beach while changing looks. There were couples just walked on the beach. I was mortified! I also did a video shoot with An Le running around in a bra covered in flour inside a box...sometimes art school can get a little weird.

RE: If you could model for any brand or company, which would it be and why?

KS: Alexander Wang has such a cool aesthetic. I’ve been following him since the start of his career. If I ever had the opportunity to work with him I’d actually die.

RE: How would you define your personal style?

KS: Very much borrowed from the boys. I like mixing hand-me-downs from my notso-little little brothers with classic, feminine pieces. I like to make clothes from chain stores my own by switching out buttons or dying them.

RE: Who is your style icon?

KS: Alexa Chung is perfection in human form.

RE: Is there a model you admire and aspire to be like?

KS: I just want be Naomi Campbell so I can throw phones and be a diva. But seriously, Lara Stone is someone who’s career I really admire. She’s not a stick and doesn’t apologize for it.

RE: What has been the highlight of your modeling career thus far?

KS: Meeting with agencies in NYC this past fall. Exciting things to come!

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camp photography styling makeup hair talent

DYLAN SHAW ABBEY EILERMANN ALISON WILD TIFFANY REEDER CHRISTINA ADAMS, MAKENNA REEDER, OWEN DEVALK (RISE MODEL MGMT) special thanks to the Savannah Arts Academy

on her, previous spread sweater WILDFOX dress MARC JACOBS on her, left pants JUICY COUTURE shirt, sweater J. CREW hair clip STYLIST’S OWN on her, right dress NORDSTROM shirt ANTHROPOLOGIE poms BAN.DO jewelry BETSEY JOHNSON on him shirt STYLIST’S OWN shorts TARGET

dress Brittany Short bracelet Corrina Guotos opposite page dress Brittany Short

on her, left pants SONIA RYKIEL shirt WILDFOX shorts ALICE AND OLIVIA on him pants, shirt, jacket VINTAGE on her, right skirt JIL SANDERS shirt WILDFOX jewelry STYLIST

on her, right headband STYLIST jacket AMERICAN EAGLE top MARC JACOBS bracelet JUICY COUTURE on her, next spread left dress ANTHROPOLOGIE belt FREE PEOPLE on her, next spread right hat LAZY OAF shirt ANTHROPOLOGIE skirt VINTAGE on him, next spread shirt MAISON MAISON MARGIELA for H&M shorts TARGET

on her, previous spread left romper MARC JACOBS headband POMS jewelry JUICY COUTURE on her, previous spread right romper VINTAGE, JLIN SNIDER glasses CLAIRE’S on him, previous spread shirt WILDFOX shorts URBAN OUTFITTERS hat STYLIST’S OWN on her, left and right ANGELIQUE MATTHEWS

DEAR DIARY by jonathan edward buckley

“This book is dedicated to my parents, please don’t read it.” This was the first line I read when I first picked up Lesley Arfin’s Dear Diary at the Urban Outfitters in Harvard Square. I was a junior in high school and my parents were visiting my sister, who was a junior in college studying abroad in Bath, England. I went home that night and read the whole book in my bathtub, while my friend and her boyfriend drank in my sister’s bedroom. Since then, my sister has graduated college, gotten a job and during the same time I have graduated high school and I have studied abroad twice. Now, near the end of my junior year at college, and four years having passed since first reading Dear Diary, picking it up once again, something still resonates.

Maybe not as it did then, but that is expected in a book that consists of Lesley Arfin’s diary entries from the ages of 12-25. Her column for Vice Magazine started in 2002 and later brought about the book. Along with the entries are reflections, and also interviews, from the people who are in the entries i.e. ex-boyfriends and “frenemies.”

These interviews ask the questions that at 21 years old, even I would like to go back and ask. For example, Arfin, based on an entry from her junior year of high school, found and asked a girl she was once close with, “Why did we stop being friends?”If you’ve read any Vice Magazine then you should know what you’re getting into. Drugs, sex and irony—like they totally get irony and counter culture at Vice, but this is Vice seen through a girl’s diary. When you first get it you look past the girl with the bloody nose on the cover and the pink fake handwriting and get inside to the writing. Before the book begins, there is an introduction by actress Chloë Sevigny in which she highlights why Dear Diary, although silly or scary at parts, is still relevant. “Just because I wasn’t a teen anymore didn’t mean I didn’t tap into some of the same unwritten rules and fears that linger today.” Clearly, even out of high school or middle school, for many years or even just a year, the past still affects the present. It doesn’t matter whether you are RE: MAGAZINE

Sevigny, Arfin, boy or girl; everyone’s pasts are a little similar—maybe not everyone has had a problem with heroin like Arfin, but everyone has skeletons. I think this book resonates with me because I never had a diary or kept up a journal and now I can’t recall certain types of events that Arfin has records of. For example, in an entry from 6th grade, she recalls how a group of girls wrote “BARFIN ARFIN” in the bathroom. Maybe I don’t want to remember and maybe no one ever wrote “FUCKLEY BUCKLEY” on any type of surface, but there is something unnervingly comforting about having those times recorded. We are not alone in our adolescent pitfalls. Even as the book shifts from silly teen melodramas to dabbling in drugs and then to a full-blown heroin addiction, it is shown that it may be better to know the past than to ignore it.

Today, we record our memories in social media outlets: Facebook, Vine, Instagram, Tumblr, etc. I looked back to 2009 on my Facebook timeline and came across something peculiar an old friend had posted on my wall, “I’ve called every police department in mass!!! WHERE THE FUCKING HELL ARE YOU KID!!? I’m worried.” After a moment, I realized that it was from when I was hit by a car in Harvard Square and went to the hospital. Arfin’s Dear Diary is filled with moments that would be forgotten unless they are recorded, and they are almost even hard to believe. Arfin explains how she got mugged in New York and chased after the guy to get back the heroin that was in her purse. With the constant obsession of youth culture and teens behaving badly (most recently shown in Harmony Korine’s film Spring Breakers, and also in Sophia Coppola’s upcoming film Bling Ring, based on a real group of teens who broke in to celebrity homes and stole from them) Arfin’s book shows a personal account of misguided teen and youth culture. But, instead of glamorizing drugs, partying and being very young, Arfin simply states her own truth, which is far more sobering than stories that embellish the past.

ONLY THE GOOD PEAK YOUNG

BY ANDREA MCCARREL Here we are, attending design school in our early twenties, studying the greats and imagining ourselves among them someday. We picture ourselves leaving our university in the dust for one of many amazing job offers that will surely be earned by attending university and putting in the late hours at the fashion building. Maybe we feel so entitled because we won scholarships or awards. Perhaps that amazing summer internship has jolted our confidence so high that we see our future in lights. The cold, hard reality still faces us after graduation: if we don’t take the crowded lines for fashion jobs seriously, we will never gain a pass to the front. Peaking too early is a concern of many, especially in creative industries. However, in the fashion industry, sometimes it is best to peak early than not at all.

Of course, there are some that have survived the wrath of the fashion industry. But what sets those apart from the rest? How can we feel assured graduating in our early twenties and being thrust into a world of Lagerfeld and Armani? It seems, in fact, that the reigning generation of fashion influencers wants us to succeed. The amount of contests and competitions for emerging fashion designers is immense. Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) have teamed up to select three fashion designers per year to mentor, educate, and provide funds for the launch of these designers’ independent lines. Most are familiar with the different reality shows that are currently popular which function with the intent of pushing aspiring designers into the limelight. Project Runway and the new NBC show Fashion Star respectively engage creativity and business connections. Even for fashion models, The Face exists as a reality show in which three already famous models mentor aspiring models toward becoming

if we don’t take the crowded lines for fashion jObs seriously, we will ever gain a pass to the front.

the face of Ulta Beauty. Of course, nineteen seasons in, viewers are familiar with America’s Next Top Model and Tyra Banks. These competitions present incredible opportunities for up-and-coming talent. But after most of them, we are left with the same question: Have these competitions helped or hindered them?

When viewing the fashion industry from the standpoint of Generation Y, it is seemingly difficult to pinpoint designers with which we can associate. Designers who became successful upon entry into the industry usually have a level of fame already associated with them. Still, there are some very influential, young, and seemingly nameless designers stepping into the large shoes of their predecessors.

After graduation from Parsons, Jason Wu racked up quite the amount of awards such as the Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award and was nominated for the CFDA Emerging Talent Award for Ready to Wear. Now, his designs are worn by style icons everywhere. His mainly noted client, of course, is Michelle Obama. She helped put him on the map when she wore his dress on the night of President Obama’s first term inauguration. Since then, she’s sported his designs not only on the cover of Vogue, but also commonly throughout her travels. Recently, Mrs. Obama wore a Jason Wu design to President Obama’s second term Inaugural Ball.

Leading up to our careers, the concept of self-marketing and branding is highly emphasized, but most still look past it. Take, for example, Project Runway contestants. Season four winner Christian Siriano has shown us all how to take a success story and make it all the more victorious. After his on-screen win in 2008, he launched himself into many different venues so quickly that no one had time to forget his name. His collection was released on Bluefly just after his Project Runway win, following much anticipation by style fans. Then within the next few years, he released a book (of course, with a foreword by Tim Gunn). On top of that are collections every season, and a Payless shoe collection. His mere existence in the fashion industry is still rather strong because of his branding. Like it or not, the term “fierce” gained immense popularity during his run on Project Runway. His book titled Fierce Style is filled with his personal lingo and was publicized with many book signings. Siriano may or may not be the most talented designer on the show, but so far he is the best self-promoter.

As hard as it is for fashion people to imagine a world without Alber Elbaz or Marc Jacobs, it will be a reality one day.

There is and will always be room for younger, fresher talent. Newer labels like Prabal Gurung or Proenza Schouler could be the future household names. Just as fashion trends work in cycles, so must the great designers.

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THE POWER OF YOUTH

by Robert Gifford illustration by KAT WEISS Young people like to complain. I mean this as a complement.

Dissatisfaction is a powerful thing. Without discontent – loud, in-your-face, annoying discontent – how would the world ever change? Progress is never affected by those who benefit from the status quo; it’s those that are fed up with the way of the world and are willing to do something about it that push society forward, into the future. And, fortunately, young people love to get fed up.

Thomas Jefferson famously wrote, “God forbid we should ever be twenty years without a rebellion.” His idea was that society should never be allowed to ossify, that institutions must grow and change with changing times. I don’t think it’s a coincidence, however, that twenty years is the length of a generation – the time it takes for one youthful wave to swell, crash against the old order, recede, and, finally, allow the next wave to have its moment.

And where would we be if we didn’t make the effort to radically reinvent society every few decades? Progress fuels growth, and youth fuels progress. It’s young people – people who are just starting out and don’t yet have a vested interest in the old way – who are willing to push reform. That’s why so many outsider movements, be it the civil rights movement or the occupy crowd, are driven by the young and restless – they don’t have a stake in the old order, so it’s easier to throw it out in favor of the new and improved.

Change never comes from within the system; it’s always forced on it by the masses just outside the gates. Big, bureaucratic organizations such as the government and major corporations are always the slowest to adapt to changing times, because they have major financial and po-

litical stakes in existing ways of doing business. Progress doesn’t come from middle-aged men in corner offices, it comes from young people with too much time and not enough money.

That’s not to vilify middle-aged men in corner offices, it’s just to recognize that the old and well established are usually too tied down by mortgages, families and pensions to gamble on fresh but risky ideas. They have to hedge their bets. It’s the people who are just starting out and don’t have much to lose – in other words, young people – who have the freedom to go all-in on some crazy idea that just might turn out to be the next big thing.

That’s why young people tend to be more politically liberal and accepting of social groups that may have been ostracized in the past. For example, nearly 70% of people born since 1980 (“Millennials”) support the legalization of same-sex marriage, while no other age groups tops 50%, according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center.

Similarly, in the 1960s, the youthful baby boomer generation was much quicker to accept racial integration and the loosening of social mores (including women’s lib, sexual liberalization and, for better or for worse, casual drug use) than the “greatest generation” that preceded them.

But it’s not just political change that young people can affect. Young people are quicker to adapt to, master, and monetize new technologies than the old fuddy-duddies who don’t know a hard drive from a floppy disk. It’s no coincidence that the youngest billionaire in the world, Mark Zuckerberg, is chairman of a social media website. The founders of most successful computer and information technology companies have all been young people. Steve Jobs was barely twenty when Apple released its first computer; Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google while they were still students at Stanford. Youth isn’t just powerful, it’s lucrative.

Everyone’s heard jokes about old people who can’t figure out how to work their computers – it’s an old and hoary trope at this point – but there’s a kernel of truth to it, and not just for this generation. Decades ago, there were probably legions of gray-haired men and women unable to adapt to typewriters after years of using nothing but pen and paper. And decades from now, our children will make fun of our inability to drive a flying car – or whatever the next big innovation is. Because the anarchic, unfocused power of youth inevitably gives way to the complacent expertise of adulthood. And, twenty years from now, the next revolution will come and wash away our own anachronisms.

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an interview with Adam Turoni interview by Shelby Katz photography Morrigan Richardson styling by Chanelle Bertelsen and Carmela Osorio Lugo hair, makeup by Rebecca Wash talent Blair Barba, Nikita M’Bouroukounda (RISE Model Management) set decoration by Alexandra Trujillo de Taylor, HRH The Duchess of State

ADAM TURONI, at the delicate but audacious age of 23, has had an incredible career in the world of pastry, and it has only just begun.

Adam Turoni, at the delicate but audacious age of 23, has had an incredible career in the world of pastry, and it has only just begun. His passion stems from long nights in the kitchen with his grandmother before he was even eye level with the countertops. When he was just a senior in high school, he was promoted to head pastry chef at a restaurant in his hometown. This led to a scholarship to the CIA (Culinary Institute of America), and eventually internships with some of the most prestigious in the industry. Today, he owns Chocolat by Adam Turoni, a shop in the heart of downtown Savannah, Georgia, with a décor reminiscent of Marie Antoinette or Alice in Wonderland, featuring gilded gold trays, decadent chocolates and the smell of sweetness in the air.

I sat down with Adam at his favorite café and place of inspiration, The Paris Market. I would soon discover that this chocolatier, spinning his own version of Wonderland in the heart of the South, was just like the rest of us: a twenty-something, following his dream, and figuring it out as he goes along.

RE: Let’s start off with the basics. Why chocolate?

AT: It was unlike any other baking I had done. It was so intimate and quiet. It was fast-paced, but still so slow. It was all these different things I had never seen before. I was used to working on a pastry line, which is so fast paced. This was unlike anything I’d ever done before. It was coming early in the morning, and me and my chef would talk about what we were doing that day and have a whole class on learning the chemistry behind it. And then we’d do research and development and test out recipes. I knew I liked chocolates after his class and I wanted to get more before I graduated. So I asked him if I could help.

We’d go in in the mornings and the baking was just silent.

We’d have a cup of coffee and play Pandora and we’d just RE: MAGAZINE

talk. It was so inspiring and to actually understand it and get it... a light bulb just clicked. The rest has just been my own mistakes, learning and trying new things.

RE: What was your formal education like?

AT: I went to the CIA and studied baking and pastry. I’m not a school person and that’s why I fit into this so well, working in a kitchen. It doesn’t feel like work to me. It’s when you know you got it right. You know you got it right when you can’t believe you get paid for it. You need the discipline first, though. Then you can experiment and have fun. I wasn’t scared, either. That’s the greatest thing, when you’re not scared and you feel so confident and you’re like, “Yeah, of course I can do it.” That’s always a really good point, when you don’t second guess yourself and you just do it. That real life experience that I got in the kitchen really helped me get 1) confidence and 2) kind of made me grow up.

RE: So what brought you to Savannah, Georgia?

AT: I didn’t hear about Savannah until a good friend of mine told me about it when I was getting ready to graduate. He said, “I really think you should come down here.

There’s no chocolatier... there’s an art school, people will get it and there’s tourists, so business is prosperous.” So I just packed up my car and just came down.

I always say that Pennsylvania was where I was bred, New York was where I was disciplined, San Francisco was where I got my self-discovery, and Savannah was my destiny. I’ve found that for Savannah it’s a balance of trying... they like things sweeter down in the south. I’ve had so many truffles that are more bitter and they just don’t work down here. I’ve noticed the right balance is 72 percent dark chocolate. It’s a good way to get them on the train to dark chocolate. Its like drinking wine... you know, you start off with your sweeter wines when you’re younger, then start going into your whites and you get into the chardonnays which are super oaky and then you’re like, I want to try red now and now you’re drinking a very full body red.

RE: How do you feel about all of your success at only 23 years old? What was that journey like for you?

AT: It was terrible; I struggled so much. I’ve tried to be liked. “If you just set out to be liked, you will be prepared to compromise on anything at anytime, and would achieve nothing.” It’s one of my favorite quotes by Margaret Thatcher and I read that quote every time I think about the negativity that I get about what I was trying to do. There comes a point where you have to stand up for yourself. A lot of people feel entitled to your creativity. All these things I’ve been given, I don’t take them for

granted. I just do it. And if I mess up, I mess up. That’s what your 20s are for. If I’ve been learning anything, it’s make all your mistakes in your 20s because in your 30s and 40s, people aren’t so willing to forgive or help you. It’s scary, but make all the mistakes you can make now. Try everything. Just do it. In San Francisco, I slept in a laundry room and I paid $500 a month to sleep next to a washing machine in a cot. It’s not glamorous, it’s not fun and you think your life is going to be like that forever, but it’s not.

And the hard work pays off. I’ve never met anyone who has gotten to the top without hard work.

RE: How do you feel about all the press you’ve been getting and the rapid growth of your business?

AT: Well, I’ve found with all the press that it’s taking me out of the kitchen more, which makes me really upset. I love doing it, but I’ve now found that my job isn’t making chocolate anymore. It’s my job now to instill what I know to the people that work for me so that they can create and have the same experience that I do. So we have classes once a week, just like at school. It’s a good way for me to remember, too. We sit down and have class and do a chapter at a time. So they get something out of it. You

need to understand the ingredients in order to understand what you’re doing. It’s nice to see other people get so excited. And now one of the girls that interned with me at the start, two years ago, just got accepted to the CIA so she’s going to be going there. It’s cool I can kind of pass that on cause that’s how I got started; it was a CIA chef that trained me.

RE: What do you think is they key to success?

AT: You can’t stop learning. I think, as a person, you die if you stop learning, stop wanting to learn and stop listening. When people get to a certain level of success, they stop listening to other people and I think that’s the worst mistake you could ever make. Just take it all in and learn from it.

RE: Do you ever come to a creative block?

AT: I leave sometimes and don’t let anyone know where I’m going. I turn off my phone and just leave. Sometimes we’re so reliant on technology, we feel like we need to be attached to it all the time and people always need to be able to get a hold of us and I think that sucks us in and makes us overwhelmed and eventually blocks us. And a good cry never hurt! And every now and then, it’s good to break a dish. You know, just throw something and break it and scream and yell. You have to do that and you get it all out, and then you’re like, “Ok, what’s next?”

RE: Do you think youth is a favorable factor for success in today’s society? Or is it an obstacle?

It’s scary so scary for us right now, you know, with the economy. We’re graduating with all these loans and yet we’re still working retail jobs? Right out of school I was working and getting paid $7.50 an hour. It’s scary to see that the career that you went for doesn’t pay that well, but there’s something about it... I feel like no matter what it pays, if you have hard work and you love it, you will get paid for it. And I mean, I never thought I’d have a shop.

Especially when I was working minimum wage, how was I ever going to do it? But you know, more and more, you just get this confidence and you just get real world experience and you just go for it. And how sad for somebody that could work a job they don’t love everyday? What does that create? It’s just this ongoing cycle of being unhappy.

I’d rather be making ten cents an hour as long as I was doing something that I love. And eventually you’ll find a way. Depending on the type of person that you are, with hard work, you’ll find a way.

RE: What’s next for you?

It’s one of the weirdest things to think about... I opened a store and it’s doing well. One of the biggest goals I reached for has happened. Now that I’ve hit this point, I can see... it’s almost like perfecting. Now I want to perfect everything. I want to perfect how I run the kitchen, I want to perfect, you know, the people that work for me and how to teach them. I could put my time into doing those classes and teaching them the proper way. And things are never perfect. And once I feel I’m in a really good place, I think the next thing that I want to do is, you know, another store. But another store in a place that, just like Savannah, has inspired me so I can share my inspirations with those people somewhere else, like San Francisco. I still have a soft spot in my heart and, of course, of all the places, San Francisco is one of the most competitive in chocolate. You can’t let that stop you, there’s a reason why it’s working because you create a good product and experience and it can relate to anybody. And so competition is great, you know. So that’s the next goal. But I want to make sure it’s the same experience you’re getting here.

RE: What would you tell someone at 20 or 21 years old, figuring out what steps to take towards their future?

AT: Surround yourself with inspiring people. I’ve found that if you’re a creative person, you have to surround yourself with creative people. It’s all about how much you want this; how bad do you want it. It’s a whole recipe that you need of things. It’s not just one thing that you need to be successful. I’m sure there are a ton of people who could bake a cake and it be delicious, but how do you let everybody know about it and how do you get the funding to start a business and, you know, your reputation, and where do you make it? There are so many elements; more than just, “Oh, I really like doing this.” You need to have all the ingredients to make one really great recipe. People always say, “Are you blown away that you’re 23 years old and you’re doing all of this?” I say, “It is kind of fabulous, not going to lie,” but I say no. Honestly, I worked too hard and I struggled too much and I’m way too tired to not be at this point, this point of having a business. There’d be something wrong if I wasn’t at this point right now.

RE: What is the most important thing you’ve learned?

AT: Pick and choose where you want to put your effort.

And that’s how I found my close group of friends. I always used to be friends with everybody. But in the end, when I needed help with something or had a really bad day, those people usually weren’t around. So it’s finding where to put your energy, and people that invest it in you,

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you can invest it in them. And those friends are really hard to come by, but when you find them you can’t let them go. And don’t let people take advantage of you. They do.

It’s really easy and you won’t know it. But I guess if I had to say it was one true thing, it’s just love what you do. Love what you do, above all. And you’ll find that support and you’ll find that inspiration, you’ll get those mistakes that are surprising and actually help you, even though, at the time, you think they’ll hurt you.

photography AARON BERNSTEIN hair + makeup MARIE JILSON talent MELANIE BLANKENSHIP (OMG MODEL MGMT) all garments ABBEY EILERMANN

CHEM ISTRY photography ALEXANDRA ARNOLD styling AARON BERNSTEIN hair + makeup KATHERINE TAYLOR styling assistant ABBEY EILERMANN talent MAKENNA REEDER, DUSTON ROGERS (RISE MODEL MGMT) special thanks to Technical College of the Lowcountry

opening spread, on him top ZAC HOWELL pants PHILLIP HERROLD opening spread, on her top, skirt ANGEL MUKTAN on her dress KAMON SATAYAPHANITKUL on him shirt, pants STYLIST’S OWN top EMILY SMITH

on her top BROOKE ATWOOD pants FOREVER 21 on him top ASOS pants PHILLIP HERROLD

on her top BROOKE ATWOOD skirt ASOS on him pants PHILLIP HERROLD on her, right dress EMILY SMITH

on her dress EMILY SMITH

photographer ALISON BUSHOR assistant PAT BOMBARD talent MEGAN MCCULLOUGH, KENDALL GREGORY (RISE MODEL MGMT), ELIZABETH CARA, DEVIN PREJEAN makeup artist KAILI BARANOWSKI stylist JAKE WILLIAM title lettering KRIS BUHIDAR

on him, opening spread harness KIERRA CORRIGAN pants PHILLIP HERROLD on her, left top CLAIRE BUYENS belt STYLIST’S OWN skirt NATZ FLORES on her, right dress NOEL MARTIN

on him jacket MARC BY MARC JACOBS on her jacket NOEL MARTIN corset STYLIST’S OWN bag RENAE ESPELAND

on her, left vest, skirt NOEL MARTIN on her, right cape T BY ALEXANDER WANG shoes RENAE ESPELAND on him top PHILLIP HERROLD pants UNIQLO

on her, left cardigan NASTY GAL skirt NOEL MARTIN bathing suit HOT TOPIC hat STYLIST’S OWN

on her, left vest STYLIST’S OWN skirt NATZ FLORES crochet bra CLAIRE BUYENS on her, middle sweater STYLIST’S OWN bag RENAE ESPELAND skirt NOEL MARTIN shoes STYLIST’S OWN on her, right cape LAUREN FERMOILLE skirt NATZ FLORES shoes, dress STYLIST’S OWN vest STYLIST’S OWN harness KIERRA CORRIGAN pants PHILLIP HERROLD

LUCK OF THE IRISH an interview with rejjie snow interview ANDREA MCCARREL photography BRETT DOONAN styling JILLIAN RICCIARDI

Alex Beckford is a film major at Savannah College of Art and Design with a passion for jazz music. What sets him aside from any other nineteen-year-old SCAD freshman?

He’s also an Irish rapper signed with Elton John’s management company, Rocket Music Management. With just a simple YouTube video (and certainly a bit of the luck of the Irish), Beckford launched his career two years ago under the name of Lecs Luther. Now, the name he has claimed till death (his words) is Rejjie Snow. And write that down, because you will surely be hearing it in the future.

RE: What would you consider your genre? What drew you to your style of rap?

RS: It’s kind of like experimental jazz, kind of hip-hop. Way before I got into music, I used to do graffiti. My best friend taught me about rap and stuff. He’d always have new songs and be like “check this out”.

RE: How did you decide to get your start in music, specifically with rap?

RS: Two years ago, I had an epiphany. I was always into rap and I could always rap…but then I started to take it seriously. I went to a studio and recorded one song and shot a video for the song. And that video got like 400,000 hits on YouTube. It’s gone off YouTube since all of that. It 159

was called Dia Dhuit, which is Irish for “God be with you.”

It got mad hits and there was all this hype. All of these record labels took interest, and ever since then I’ve just been doing music.

RE: What is your karaoke song?

RS: Careless Whisperer- George Michael (laughs).

RE: When did you get signed and how has your career changed ever since?

RS: I didn’t get signed by a record label. I got signed

by Elton John’s management agency. It’s different in my case because I’ve been in school, in college, so it’s weird.

I signed with the management agency and they took me in and gave me studio time. They got me my first shows… my first ever show was in Paris. It was a festival in Paris… so that was crazy. I was so nervous, but we killed it. Ever since then I’ve just been releasing songs here and there.

I’m trying to find myself as a musician. Two months ago I signed with XL Recordings- that’s an independent label.

I have my first release coming out in June. It’s finished.

This is the one.

RE: Since being signed, have you noticed a change in the people who are paying attention to your music?

RS: The interest just goes way up. You kind of see a lot of fake people. When you start doing music, everybody just wants to be your best friend. Just like… girls.

RE: What’s the coolest part of heading into what is looking to be a successful music career? Have you met anyone who you feel is really monumental?

RS: Meeting Elton John was sick. Also, I got to do a show with MF Doom and Kendrick Lamar. That was cool, yeah.

It’s weird how I listened to them before and then we did a show.

RE: Speaking of, which musicians do you really appreciate or look up to?

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RS: Real talk, I listen to jazz. I don’t really listen to hip-hop.

If I do, it’s like Schoolboy Q or Kendrick [Lamar]. I listen to Chet Baker and Gregory Isaacs… He’s a Jamaican musician. He’s real emotional. It’s music for when you’re in different moods.

RE: Have you done any shows in the United States?

RS: No, only in Europe. I was supposed to do festivals this summer, but we’re going to wait until next year because of school and timing.

RE: Have you had any negative performance experiences?

RS: No, actually. When I get on stage, I get way more confident. I’m kind of shy, as it is. When I’m on stage I just don’t give a shit.

RE: I know you grew up in Ireland. How is the adjustment so far in moving to the US? RS: I’ve been here before, like for holidays. Obviously the culture is different. Just like that age, like 18 and 21.

Where I’m from everything is eighteen. So, when someone says “no” I’m like “what?” I think here, everyone is friendlier.

RE: When does your album come out?

RS: I don’t know the exact date yet. But it comes out this summer. It’s called Rejovich.

This summer, Rejjie Snow plans to visit Greece with his friends. He will also be playing shows throughout Europe, hitting Paris and Belgium. After our interview, Snow asked to be dropped off near a shop where he could acquire gold teeth. He sang along to “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis on the way, saying “It’s just so catchy!” Then, after his explanation of the molding and creation process of gold teeth, he assured me “It’s just what I’m into.”

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DEGREE, OR NOT FOR ME?

by MATTHEW DICKEN ILLUSTRATION by CHASE BALTZ

What does the college degree mean today?

That question seems to be ringing across the nation from many quarters. It seems an important question for this magazine to be asking, and it begs many others.

As a 21-year old able-bodied white male who will soon be entering my fourth and final year at a small, private liberal arts college in the eastern United States, I embody many of the identity classifications that have been over-represented throughout the history of the higher education system in this country.

Why does that matter? Well, I’m interested in what happens to us when a society makes college an assumption. Who loses? Does anyone win?

Somewhere in my mind, there’s a deeply entrenched mantra that makes me shiver. I don’t know where I heard it first; maybe that’s what makes it have such jarring staying power. Even the thought of typing it now makes me considerably queasy. Here goes:

For many American youth of a certain socio-economic status, college is just that--the assumed next step. But have the tides changed? Depending whom you ask, earning a college degree might be absolutely necessary or it might not be worth it.

Grow up. Graduate high school. Go to college. Get a job.

Find a wife. Get promoted. Have a baby. Raise the baby.

Get the kid through high school. Help pay your kid’s way through college. Kid gets a job. Kid finds a wife. Kid gets promoted, has a baby...

It’s a complicated picture. The economy continues to recover from 2009’s significant dip, and the news reeks of unemployment. The college degree might look like an intellectual suit of arms, ready to prepare and protect students as they ride nimbly through the competitive workforce. Yet, that’s not the reality for a lot of deserving laborers--college-educated or not.

In some book, at some theatre, watching some film, that (arguably) elitist and heteronormative vision of life’s shape entered my psyche. And I’m not alone. Remnants of a false but powerful “American Dream” still haunt our popular and media cultures from all angles. I hesitate to bring up a phenomenon so profoundly not in touch with our nation, plagued as it is with social inequities, but at the same time perhaps it’s important to say something before we complicate it. It’s an appealing idea, and we’ve all encountered it: “If you work hard enough, you can achieve anything.” For a long time, where did the highest ideals of this ideology come to fruition?

College.

The magazine you are reading was created by students pursuing college degrees; nearly all of its editors, visual artists, and writers (including this one) have contributed creative work they made while themselves living out this pursuit. You may or may not be a college student.

You may or may not have a college degree. Certainly, many of the issues and events featured in Re: are relevant to a particular pocket of American individuals–a pocket privileged by their access to education, things deemed culture (usually with the prefix “high”), and an understanding of commercial visual patterns.

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THE COLLEGE DEGREE MIGHT LOOK LIKE AN INTELLECTUAL SUIT OF ARMS, READY TO PREPARE and protect STUDENTS.” Some studies will proclaim that the higher pay, extra benefits, or stronger job security that might be garnered make a college degree worthwhile. Looking somewhere else, though, you could just as easily read of graduates who just can’t catch a break, or, if they have, needed to take a job for which they were overqualified just to sneak their foot in the door.

At the same time, prerequisite qualifications have been inflated in recent decades. Entry-level career work that might previously have been accessible after a hard-working high school track record now flashes a bachelor’s degree in the sticker price that opens negotiations. What does that mean for youth in the United States trying to make their way into what we’ve so readily constructed as “adulthood”?

We can take a different perspective and ground this conversation at a different point of social transformation: the first year of college. If you buy my notion of college as an American assumption, chew on this next question. When incoming college students have always assumed they would be in this position, does it change their perception about the journey they are beginning?

Perhaps college is no longer seen as an opportunity to be cherished, but gets a bad rap as just another set of teachers dictating assignments that students don’t find motivation within themselves to complete.

Others have reacted against the socio-normative post-high school track, preferring to forge a different path. These youth seek alternative experiences that might give them a unique set of life experiences as they enter the workforce or enroll a few years after the majority of their peers. They

might take “time off” from the lifestyle of studenthood, perhaps working to pay their way or leaving the country to experience another culture during their gap year.

It is difficult to quantify how the college degree’s social efficacy might have changed. Nevertheless, many different groups are trying to do so. Some active voices have challenged a perceived sense of entitlement among the current college-age. In recent years, major publications, such as the New York Times, have published articles in which professors speak about what it means that their students’ entitlement leads them to assume not only that they’ll go to college--but also that they’ll do well, without necessarily working harder than they did in high school.

So, what does the college degree mean today? I don’t have the answer. At this point, I’ve made a weary (but invigorating) decision to push ahead for a final year of identity questioning, idealistic ideas, and cranial expansion. The past twelve months have left me with many doubts, not the least of which has everything to do with my privileged position as a college student in the United States. I’m happy to have the chance to learn more and take advantage of this life path. I only want to ensure I’m not assuming it.

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WHO RUN THE WORLD THE ROLE OF ART MAJORS IN An evolving JOB MARKET

by TAYLOR KIGAR ILLUSTRATION by NICK SADEK Every student studying in an art related major has sat through the same lecture from some authority figure in a choking black tie. They say art school is waste of time.

They say stop kidding yourself and go out and get a real job. Go be a doctor, go be a lawyer. (Because the job market for lawyers isn’t over-saturated, right?) These critics blame creative minded people for feeding off the hard working American tax dollars, tell them they’re the cause of the dismal unemployment rates, and insist that the new youth culture is lazy because they refuse to learn any actual trade. But these critics are forgetting half of our country’s entire economic spectrum. They are nothing but negative, pessimistic materialists who fail to realize that it’s the art majors that are pushing today’s economy forward, and revitalizing our communities with a new coat of paint.

Numbers don’t lie, and according to many economic specialists we’ve entered a new age: The Age of the Creative Class. According to research done by Richard Florida, an economic development professor at Carnegie Mellon University, the creative class now makes up about 30% of the entire U.S. workforce—up from 10% in 2000 and less than 20% in 1980. And these workers aren’t just peddling side jobs for meager pay either. These are individuals with real careers earning average salaries of nearly $50,000, compared to a working class member earning only $28,000 on average. As a result of these careers, the cities undergoing the most economic growth like Madison, Wisconsin, Boston, Massachusetts, and Austin, Texas,

are the cities that have the highest concentration of these creative minded individuals. But still, most skeptics will look at these numbers and refuse to believe that a bunch of kids with paint stained pants and tattooed forearms can earn any money at all. The most basic answer lies in the most basic practice of all art courses, and the most basic role in any creative work—the ability to solve problems.

MOST SKEPTICS REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT A BUNCH OF KIDS WITH PAINT STAINED PANTS AND TATTOOED FOREARMS CAN EARN ANY MONEY AT ALL. In college, whether the course is graphic design, ceramics, weaving or writing, art students are always constantly solving problems in new and inventive ways. They are putting the shoe on the other hand, stepping outside of the hexagon and among all other things they are always learning how to learn in different perspectives. Creative 185

individuals are constantly creating, inventing, and thinking, and it is through these new ideas that they are powering our economy.

Art majors are also shoe-ins for any job that will better the economy because they are flexible. They know how to jump from area to area because they were taught how to approach situations from different angles. Their basic foundation courses made them practice how to see, think and learn in twenty different ways, and these are skills that are valuable anywhere, in any field. Not only do creative minds think differently, they work differently too. The majority of this class is unmarried and young, so they are ready to work harder, longer and are more committed to their goals than ever before. Most importantly, they are not afraid to take the risks necessary to really take a project to where it needs to go.

Want to better a product? Hire an art major to streamline the design. Want to sell that product? Hire an advertising team made up of art majors to attract the right audience. For some reason, the critics of the creative forget that jobs for technical minds are only valuable because of the creative minds that complement them. From video games to makeup to movies, there is an art major at work bettering and selling that product to earn profit. According to Richard Florida, many companies are trying to recruit without “recruiting”, wining and dining and taking extremely talented young people out to parties on yachts in order to get them to join their company. Pittsburgh is also one of the many places attempting to revitalize their community from “industry to high technology” in order to bring the creative people back. The corporate world is changing to accommodate the creative class. These are solid facts.

But art majors don’t only better the economy through their jobs, they better the economy by being involved in their

A GReAT CITY DOESN’t ATTRACT CREATIVE MINDS; the creative minds build the city themselves. own neighborhoods too. Ever noticed how cities with so many creative minds always look and feel like such nice places to live? It’s no coincidence. A great city doesn’t attract creative minds; the creative minds build the great city themselves. The creative individuals better the lives of their neighbors and stimulate the economy by preserving parks, paving cycling paths, building museums, renovating historical buildings and reviving dead art and music scenes. Creative people all over the world are starting community gardens; Portland Oregon in particular has been completely turned around since their Community Gardens program started in 1975. Not only do these actions create jobs and generate income, they make healthier families, keep kids out of trouble, and draw in more creative individuals to start the cycle all over again.

So the next time some windbag in a suit tells you you’re wasting your time if you go to school for painting, show them the facts. Tell them that the flashy logo on his formulaic company is what makes them widely recognized by the world, and the cutting edge products were designed by the brilliant minds from the same school you attend.

The creative class is on the rise, and they won’t stop until the world looks like a work of art.

THE CORPORATE WORLD IS CHANGING TO ACCOMMODATE THE CREATIVE CLASS. THESE ARE SOLID FACTS.

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