Voice Magazine November/December Issue

VO ICEMAG AZINE November/ December 2015

The International Uprising p. 15- 17 Has the Climate Changed? p. 18- 19

Feeding the Beast p. 23

TABLEO FCO NTENTS From the Editor

3

In Memorium

4 5-12

Events Features

14-18

Arts and Culture

20-21

Editorials

22-26

From Scarlet Knights to Scarlet Mourners

Has the Climate Changed?

17- 18

Latin Opening Ceremonies

24

International Uprising 14- 15

9

VIC MENSA TAKES RUTGERS

The Creative Wasteland

21 Take me to Church

11- 12

10

5

Indigenous and Queer39

Mr and Ms Africa

6

Indigenous and Queer

Anit a Dat ar, a 1995 Rut gers Col l ege graduat e, was kil l ed by t errorist s in t he at t ack at t he Radison Bl u Hot el in Bamako, Mal i, t hat t ook 21 l ives on Friday.

She was in t he Af rican nat ion on a mission f unded by US Agency f or Int ernat ional Devel opment (USAID) t o expand and improve publ ic heal t h.

inLO VINGmemoryof our fallenknights Ezra Schwart z, an 18-year-ol d resident of Sharon, Massachuset t s, who had accept ed admission t o Rut gers Business School and was t aking a gap year in Israel , died in an indiscriminat e at t ack t hat t ook t he l ives of t hree peopl e when a gunman opened f ire on a l ine of t raf f ic in t he West Bank on Thursday.

inLO VINGmemoryof our fallenknights

Events

ANDTHE

MRANDMRSAFRICA

And the winner is.... Anthony Ikotidem and Adeyemi 'Addie' Aladegbami were crowned Mr. and Ms. Africa at RU Wanawake's 2nd annual pageant on Sunday, November 22, 2015.It was Anthony's "confidence" an enthusiasm that helped him take the crown. With her name meaning "the crown fits me", Adeyami lived up to her name by winning the pageant.

The pageant opened up with rapper Joe O's rap entitled "The Motherland",that described his determination to uphold his Nigerian culture and values while still prospering in the music industry. Nigerian comedian Aphrican Ape hosted the pageant and threw in a couple jokes about the comedic "African struggle", including immigration, dealing with African parents, adjusting to the American lifestyle.Furthermore, DJ Flygerian dj?ed the event with a mix of African songs and popular American songs to keep the night going. In total, there were 8 contestants, representing 4 of Africa's most vibrant countries. The four girls were all sophomores: Erica Adjekpiyede (Gambia), Otandeka 'Oti' Laki (Uganda), Timnit 'Timmy' Afeworki (Eritrea) and Adeyemi Aladegbami (Nigeria). All the boys represented different states in Nigeria: Ogu'ike 'Ogu' Offoaro (Imo State) Anthony Ikotidem (Akwa Ibom State), Victor Ogbuehi (Abia State), and Abayomi 'Ab' Asokeji (Ondo State). Each contestant brought out each of their personalities throughout the pageant. From Victor?s ripped shirt to Oti?s feel-good performance of ?Put Your Records On? with her guitar, all of the contestants definitely represented some of Africa?s finest. Erica?s inspirational poem about being African portrayed her confidence and comfortability in her own skin. Both Timmy?s and Ab?s singing performances had the crowd in awe because of their incredible talent and passion.

While Ogu dj?ed the performance with the music he produced, he had a show in a show: rapping, dancing, and the audience participation. There were 5 sections in the pageant: the cultural event, swimwear, talent, and the question/ answer. In the cultural portion, the contestancts welcomed the audience in their native tongue. With their choreographed routine, Anthony and Addie danced together in their traditional African swimsuits. In the talent portion, Anthony played the violin to Drake's "Hotline Bling" and had the whole crowd singing along. However, Addie had the whole crowd dancing and praising for Sundayworship with her mashup of Nigerian gospel songs.

Through community service, they both expressed their love for their home country and their dedication to give back as much as they can. With great articulation, Anthony answered that his confidence set him apart from the other contestants, while Addie stated that Jesus Christ is her inspiration. pictures courtesy of RU Wanawakke

Events

We wanted it to be more fun than homework,? Grant expressed.

Thorne added that ?the WISO e-board wanted to make the pageant seem less like a competition this year, by stressing the importance of camaraderie amongst the contestants.? The pageant aimed to only heighten the sense of pride that the contestants have for their country. Having won the pageant, himself, in 2013, Grant stated that ?the pageant is a great way to express my culture. I even got a tattoo of my country to show how much pride I have in Trinidad.? Ultimately, after the judges finished deliberating the tremendous talent that was placed before them, Carbonell, Mr. Cuba, and Legrand, Mrs. Haiti were crowned Mr. and Mrs. Caribbean 2015.

The crowd roared as both winners were crowned. Both winners expressed their gratitude for WISO, the audience, the other contestants, and especially, their country for giving them a sense of identity and pride. Presenting their culture to the audience was one of the most rewarding experiences for both Carbonell and Legrand. ?As for presenting my culture to everyone, I love being able to "Cuban-ize" the masses. I love my culture and my country very much so any chance I get to represent them I make sure that I do my best,? stated Carbonell. ?Singing the song ?Here?s Where I Stand? allowed me show that even though Haiti has gone through things, we are still a nation that will continue to stand strong and grow,? added Legrand. There have been clear changes in the pageant from past to present, and the WISO e-board only hopes to improve in the coming years. Carbonell expressed how impressed he was with the poise and dedication that the e-board and his fellow contestants showed throughout the pageant preparation and the main event. Additionally, he hopes that people who wish to try out for the pageant go through with it. ?PLEASE do not ever think you are not capable of achieving whatever you have set in your mind. I was so nervous for this pageant because I wanted to perform as well as I possibly could and was practicing the whole time off stage, but the day came, the moment passed and I look back at it now like "That really was not as bad as I thought it would be". So please do not ever feel discourage and just keep pushing!?

If you would like to learn more about the Caribbean culture or its pageant, the West Indian Student Organization meets on Mondays at 9PM in the Paul Robeson Center.

Photography courtesy of TundĂŠ Adeyina Instagram: @thatkidtoon

LIBERATEDG O SPELCHO IRTAKESRUTG ERSTOCHURCH

by LaToya Dove On Sunday, November 8, t he Liberat ed Gospel Choir hel d t heir Fal l Concert , ?Living in t he Overf l ow?. This f ree concert was hel d at t he Busch Campus Cent er. Liberat ed Gospel Choir, al ong wit h Dancers of Liberat ed Praise, hol ds a concert at t he end of each semest er. This concert had t heir biggest t urn out yet .

About 450 peopl e crowded int o t he mul t ipurpose room in t he campus cent er. Abimbol a Adegbol a, a concert at t endee, said peopl e f il l ed t he room even an hour bef ore t he concert was supposed t o st art .

In addit ion t o perf ormances by Liberat ed Gospel Choir and Dancers of Liberat ed Praise, t here were guest choirs and dance minist ries, such as t he McCains, t hat perf ormed as wel l . The president of Liberat ed Gospel Choir, Jessie Davis, said t hey want ed t o invit e out side groups t o perf orm t o increase t he concert part icipat ion.

Bef ore t he show began, t he perf ormers got t oget her and prayed. Davis describes her f eel ings bef ore t he show as ?scared?. She says t here is t he pressure of want ing everyone t o enjoy t he show. Based on crowd react ion, many peopl e did seem t o enjoy t he concert . ?The at mosphere was l ivel y,? said Adegbol a. ?Once t he concert st art ed, it was just a f un and happy environment . You coul d t el l al l t he perf ormers were happy and excit ed about t he show.? Adegbol a at t ended t he concert t o support her f riend, Adeima Ibanga, who is a part of Dancers of Liberat ed Praise.

Jeanel LeBl anc is a Rut gers al umna who al so at t ended t he concert . During her t ime at Rut gers she part icipat ed in Liberat ed Gospel Choir as wel l . "There were mad peopl e at t his past concert . They pack out , l ike st anding room onl y," says LeBl anc. Guest s had t o st and on t he side aisl es because al l t he seat s were

f il l ed.

"Whil e I was in t he choir, it went t hrough a l ot of changes. The current LGC was a l it t l e more diverse," said LeBl anc. She is happy t o see t he t hat t he choir is st il l going st rong and t hat t he concert s are st il l being hel d in t he Busch Campus Cent er, t he same as when she was a part of t he choir.

Since t he concert is t he group?s onl y event each semest er, a l ot of preparat ion goes int o t he show. Bot h Liberat ed Gospel Choir and Dancers of Liberat ed Praise meet separat el y, t wice a week f or rehearsal s. They al so get invit ed t o do praise and worship at l ocal churches and communit y f unct ions. This is al l l eading up t o t he end of semest er concert .

Some peopl e however, might f eel t his is an excl usive concert based on it 's Christ ian premise. In response t o t hat President Davis says, "We embrace diversit y." She says t he concert is not church but you can "come t o l earn about t he hist ory of gospel music and it 's root s in t he bl ack church."

Davis al so encourages anyone t hat is int erest ed in t he choir or praise t eam t o join. "We need more mal es voices," she says "more mal e vibrat o."

Davis hopes t o grow t he choir as she l ooks f orward t o next semest er.

Events

beat s on t he banks

beat s on t he banks

Greek General St rike

Citizens of Greece take to the streets

Free Educat ion Prot est s American students around the country participated in the Million Student March on November 12th that demanded the cancellation of student debt, tuition free public colleges and the increase in wages for campus student employees.

Protests were seen in Boston, Chicago, and California, just to name a few. You can read more about the Million Student March via their Facebook page.

London students created NCAFC. National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, as a stand against the possibility of a loss in free education. Their goal is to show enough determination and resistance against the cuts of publicly funded colleges and fees for students so the government throws out the idea completely.

They have planned for a day of action across campuses on November 26th.

A massive general strike occurred throughout Greece on November greeted Modi on the way to a meeting 12th shutting down public voicing their opinions of his negligence services across the country. It was when it comes to racial disputes and estimated that 65% of the women abuse. citizens participated in the strike against the pension cuts and Turkish Ant i-Government Prot est increased taxes plaguing the Following the bombings during the country. Greece?s bailout program anti-war rally killing 95 people on has caused for severe instability October 10th, there was a massive in the financial system although protest against the Turkish government. the European Central Bank holds Thousands of people gathered the next firm that the country can day with the suspicion that the overcome this obstacle. Citizens government was behind the attack. The have contrasting views as Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu countless walked out of work that deflected the accusation and instead Thursday morning to join mostly pointed the finger at ISIS, PKK militants peaceful protests excluding the or another radical one held in group. As similar Athens that incidents resulted in petrol A heavy-handed response by transpired during bombs and securit y f orces not onl y the summer, teargas. recent events are viol at es t he prot est ers' right s Indian making the public t o f reedom of expression and rightfully Ant i-Modi peacef ul assembl y, but may frustrated with the Prot est level of security in enf l ame an al ready t ense Narendra Modi, the country. sit uat ion the current Sout h Korea Indian Prime Minister, a Ant i-Government Prot est decade ago was banned from Approximately 80,000 people protested America and several European against the South Korean president Park countries up until 2012 for failing Geun-hye on November 14th at the to intervene in anti-Muslim riots capital. Tensions sparked the protests as in Gujarat, India. Currently, the unemployment increases as well as country is seeing an increase in opposition of labor policies including religious violence and human layoffs. There is also opposition to the rights abuses which the public is new requirement of state-issued history blaming Modi. On November textbooks as some believe that past 12th, hundreds of protesters brutal dictatorships will be left out. The

greeted Modi on the way to a meeting voicing their opinions of his negligence when it comes to racial disputes and women abuse.

Turkish Ant i-Government Prot est Following the bombings during the anti-war rally killing 95 people on October 10th, there was a massive protest against the Turkish government.

Thousands of people gathered the next day with the suspicion that the government was behind the attack. The Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu deflected the accusation and instead pointed the finger at ISIS, PKK militants or another radical group. As similar incidents transpired during the summer, recent events are making the public rightfully frustrated with the level of security in the country.

Sout h Korea Ant i-Government Prot est Approximately 80,000 people protested against the South Korean president Park Geun-hye on November 14th at the capital. Tensions sparked the protests as unemployment increases as well as opposition of labor policies including layoffs. There is also opposition to the new requirement of state-issued history textbooks as some believe that past brutal dictatorships will be left out. The

FEATURES

hastheclimatechanged?

Article and Pictures by JoyTaylor Rutgers University celebrated 250 years of Revolutionary on the lawn of Old Queens as students for Shared Governance Coalition surprised the audience as they protested for a more revolutionary university.

The mood quickly changed as students came out with signs and tape over their mouths taking the attention away from Rutgers University?s birthday gift that now sits on the lawn. As they took the stage they shouted ?Equal Representation For All People!? Their signs displayed their thoughts for an ideal revolutionary university. The students individually took center stage and touched on topics that the university has silenced and got their points across as people gathered around and chanted with them.

Monica Torres, a Latino and Asian student at Rutgers University, states the low percentages of minorities in at the university, and asks ?Where Is The Representation?? Rutgers University, known for its diversity, is not following up when it comes to representation of all students attending the university. The students explain how learning about culture in the classroom conflicts academic scheduling making it less encouraged and accessible to the students. A protester shouted ?I want the university to be a safe place for all African Americans and people of color!?

Students also used their voices to defend their professors who barely acquire a living wage while ?Rutgers University accumulated a $36 million deficit, paid for with discretionary funds, which means tuition!? the group shouts. They speak for the equality of students

and professors who make up the university. The diversified group took a stance on issues they felt needed to be expressed to the public and recognized #Rutgers250 across the university.

The crowd shouted with them, ?The power of the people can never be defeated!?

The group also held signs that read, ?DIVEST!? referring to the university?s investments with oil companies.

Students are concerned and bothered with the university?s decision to support companies that are damaging to the environment. Josephine Parades, a member of the Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign at RU, was at the event protesting for a change. The campaign is trying to push the board of trustees to divest in oil companies and reinvest in a

ARTSANDCULTURE

The Cr eat ive Was t el and is Ment al Incar cer at ion t r avis henr y Creativity is the ?ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination.? This flight of imagination can sometimes be seen as a Utopia in the mind, but other times it can be seen as a falling dystopia. When we place ourselves in physical spaces that are boundless and inspiring, where is our mind? How are we feeling? How are we connecting to the world around us?

When we?re thinking about aesthetic principles, sadness comes to mind. Our emotions are directly connected to the capacity in which we express ourselves, whether that be poetry, graphic design, dance, or, classical instrumentation. We connect with that which brings up pain because it?s easier to connect with. We?re drawing on our morose experiences that bring us to our darkest moments. When creating, it?s easier to play on our sadder emotions, like pain, and depression where our thoughts seems to race and words come with no end in sight.

Tevin Reese cited in a magazine interview that ?when I?m happy, I don?t want to write. I want people to experience me being happy? which was the best way to describe it.

We're so inclined to relate to art that brings out sadness.

A conversation with Nicolette Molina revealed "those emotions are the hardest to deal with. I think when you have someone telling you I feel that too through their art, it's comforting. Pain brings people together more than happiness." Commercial success is a strong reflection of this.

Outliers like BeyoncĂŠ, Jay Z, and Rihanna somehow fall out of this category but musicians like Kanye West, Taylor Swift, and Adele exemplify this argument. Swift

skyrocketed to stardom by singing songs reminiscing her exes, something we can all relate to. Heartbreak is something relatable, as it is a common experience shared amongst us all at one point in time. Just like Swift, Adele's prominence came to light when she created the one of the greatest albums of all time, 21, an album filled with weariness and pain. However, with her newest album 25 released on November 20 under the label Columbia Records, mixed reviews came flying offering a drastic contrast to the unanimously well-liked predecessor; songs that expressed contempt and happiness and confidence weren't critiqued as well as the ones on the previous albums. "If she has to go through another life threatening breakup in order to make some bomb ass music, then so be it. I can't deal with this happy-go-lucky mess" said an Adele critic after listening to the latest album all the way through.

Lastly, Kanye West, the creative powerhouse himself- we enjoy his pain more than his happiness. The latter half of his musical career was plagued with dark moments: the tragic death of his mother, several romantic breakups, and denial to permeate cultural and artistic boundaries on his own timeline. We're still listening to 808s & Heartbreaks (hell, he gave a two-day concert for it in October), My Beautiful Dark a Twisted Fantasy (because Monster still stays) and Yeezus (because everyone loves a little bit of religious appropriation and social commentary). We thrive on his pain, and at this point he knows it. We're just waiting to see what his next album is going to be, but mainly the inspiration behind it.

Is it bad to love art that's rooted in pain? Are we sadistic for connecting so passionately to that which brings grief and solemn? I don't know, but the general consensus thinks it is wonderful.

HO WTORIDETHETHIRDW AVE

Georgia Bennet t

?Studies predict that if women stopped buying cosmetic products and services, every economy in the world would collapse overnight?. These are the words of Olivia Gatwood and Meghan Falley, two young women, who have taken the internet by storm, performing an array of hard-hitting and humorous poems intended to spark long overdue dialogues about feminism and its place in society in 2015. A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of watching them perform live at ?My Spoken Mark?, reading various pieces from their touring show ?Speak like a girl? which targets topics such as street harassment, body image, and sexual freedom. Though I was by large entertained by their work, I couldn?t help but notice the differences between the feminism that they spoke about, and the feminism that I had been exposed to through other outlets. However, this is not to take away from their message, I think as with most things, variety makes room for discussions, which makes room for change and change is something that all feminists are fighting for, only, my issue- is that certain forms of feminism are being held higher than others, and this is leading to an erasure of problems many groups face.

The term ?third- wave? feminism is seemingly a buzzword used both by those in support of feminism, and also those who oppose it, however with no real definition, many people are often left wondering what it means to be a young feminist in 2015. As the year draws to a close, we will soon undoubtedly be bombarded with images that summarise all the iconic moments of the past 12 months and I fear that these few images will underplay the achievements and on going battles of people who?s lives and stories aren?t quite as marketable as the likes of Caityln Jenner, and Miley Cyrus. Contrary to the images I am sure we will see of Miley?s various outlandish outfits, and Caityln?s Vogue covers, I am happy to know that greatest peak in feminist searches (according to google trend) this year came after Emma Watsons refreshing and candid speech at the UN. One particular part of the speech, paid homage to the initial and most important principle of feminism, one that has no doubt been somewhat obfuscated over the course of the past 3 waves of the movement. Watson noted ? If you stand for equality, then you?re a feminist. Sorry to tell you, you?re a feminist?. Though short, this one remark touched me for many reasons, because it touches on the fact that though most people agree with the principle ideas of feminism, many are ashamed to call themselves by that name.

In a time where, there are so many different people operating under the term of feminist for their own agenda?s, I like many other people have been left wondering if being a feminist is something I want to identify with anymore. Conversations about real equality I feel have often been hijacked, to talk about a brand of feminism that is profiting one particular group the most.

For example the VMA fracas, when Nicki Minaj, both courageously and articulately addressed the treatment of women of colour in the entertainment business, only to have Cyrus, dismiss and belittle the struggles that she and many others face as a black artist. Cyrus? nonchalant and quite frankly uninformed remarks went a little something like this: ?I know you can make it seem like, ?Oh I just don?t understand because I?m a white pop star.?? Cyrus continued. ?I know the statistics. I know what?s going on in the world? But to be honest, I don?t think MTV did that on purpose.?

Such words, really show exactly why I believe it is very irresponsible for us to give such a platform to a person who is clearly operating outside of their field.

Miley?s tone deaf comments and knee-jerk responses are an embodiment of the policing of minority voices, and the silencing of issues that affect those outside of a certain community.

Miley Cyrus is a singer at best, who has excelled to the top, on the back of her father?s career, and the fan base she accumulated during her Disney days. She has the privilege of being marketable to the masses as both as clean cut country singer, and also by contrast as the offthe rails rebel without any real cause.

And I do mean that, Miley doesn?t have any real cause, she may assert herself as a feminist, but she wears feminism as an accessory, and picks and chooses which part of the ideology suits her agenda at convenience. Naturally, we are not all perfect and the world is such that it would be hard what with social conditioning for any of us to call ourselves model feminists - but I take issue with the fact that the likes of Cyrus are being hailed as feminist icons for never really doing anything other than being glamorously controversial. There is no risk with Mileys activism, in stark contrast to people such as Malala Yousafzai, who at 18 years old has almost died for the cause she believes in.

Malala represents the other side of feminism- not quite consumable enough for everyday coverage. In a world where some women already have the freedom of speech, to talk about gender issues,

others are being denied an education, and I find the disparity between these fundamental agendas startling. I am beginning to become very cynical about this supposedly trickle down system, in which women in the most powerful and ?liberated? positions and countries start these movements, rallying on people from all over the world to back them and propagate their image, with the promise that everyone will see a fair share of the profit. When in fact what seems to be happening is that the groups that were the most powerful to begin with just seem to be getting more and more privileges on the backs the lives of under-represented and disenfranchised minorities. These minorities being ones we try to pacify by allowing a select few members of their community to thrivethus creating the farcical notion that ?everyone is on the same level playing field?

As highlighted by Viola Davis in her acceptance speech, whilst we may all be standing on that field, our abilities to play, come down to the opportunities we are given. 2015 has been a tremendous year for women, with the likes of Serena Williams well on her way to becoming the best tennis player of all time, the return of Adele, the re-emergence of Harper Lee, the success of the Shonda Rhimes franchise, and even Lady Gaga?s political activism with the song and video ?Till it happens to you?. But none of these feats would be possible if it were not for opportunity. As a society there is no doubt that we are improving, but we must be aware of red-herrings that are thrown in the mix and distract us from the real problems. The fact that being a feminist in 2015 is something that people may feel they have to hide, tells us that as a society we still have a problem with the acceptance of gender equality, but that we also have an issue with how we are representing it.

Feminism is a place for all people, both men and women, boys, girls, non-gender conforming, from all backgrounds and races and we must continue to do our best to recognise that there are issues that exist specific to each group, and use the privileges that we have to combat those things rather than just focusing on our own agendas. Though we have made some monumental changes there is still so much left to do in terms of bridging the gaps so now is not the time to lose focus and become distracted by the media circus. If we stand together once and for all for true equality we will be the generation that leave a world of peace in our wake for generations to come. Trust me this third wave is the one you want to ride.

EDITO RIALS

W Hat thehell doilooklike?

by Radcliffe Bent I am outside. A friend arrives and shoots me in the head.

With a camera.

I stare at the photos in dismay: ?Who is this abomination??

My preceding days had been spent reveling in my being appraised as ?aesthetically appealing? by total strangers. But here I stood, facing the camera. ?What the devil were these women looking at??

I stared at the photos. ?My natural color palette, my shirt -- it?s all off. Natural lighting?

This is gross man, this is 101. I stare at the photos in shock and horror. ?Am I hideous??

The above scene is an analogue for all intelligence or civility. Self-consciousness, in other words, is the image of all human progress. To explain, the possibility that we are hideous and have been confused our entire life is analogous to skepticism toward our most basic beliefs.

To clarify, we cannot see ourselves. Ever. We can, however, see representations of ourselves, reflections, and pictures. Both of which are filtered through lenses that are inequivalent to the human eye. As such, your pictures do not accurately represent you.

Your mirror flips the North and South poles, thus giving you an image where left is right.

Your mirror is skewed at the most elemental level. As such, you possess a gross, warped idea of your own person. Furthermore, we must consider lighting. Where is your primary mirror? The lighting around it can hardly represent the myriad types of lighting schema you will pass through in a day.

To the outside eye, you may be hideous. You, yes, you, have no idea what you look like.

Compounding our dismay, the science states we consider ourselves to be more attractive than we are to outside observers.

Our conception of our own selves, on a physical level, is deranged.

Now, the self-conscious mind most accurately reflects the above reality. The self-conscious are grossly unsure of themselves, to the point where they cannot function as does the average man.

The average man and his lack of self-doubt causes all terror, all barbarity, and all destruction. He is ?sure? of himself. If we are to be intelligent, we must refuse to be sure of anything, most of all ourselves. To give an example from authority, Ludwig Wittgenstein, arguably the most important philosopher of the twentieth century, doubted himself. So much so that he explicitly asked his mentor if he was fool. If we were, he continued, he?d consider doing astrophysics. He also had an extraordinary ego. It is impossible to be self-conscious without an extraordinary ego.

We must be the prime focus of our attentions. If we are to keep ourselves from vicious bias; wicked assumptions; and barbarous conduct, we must be obsessed with ourselves.

We must be keenly aware of our actions. The problem with being oneself is one tends to agree with oneself.

So, then, how do we know that what we are doing is, in fact, rape? To us, it is surely consensual. But is it?

We must consider the possibility that our ?surely? is delusion. We must consider the possibility that we are, beyond belief, wrong. We must doubt ourselves at the most elemental level. As the grossly self-conscious consider lighting, myriad perspectives, and camera quality, so must we consider context.

Context decides whether an act is sanctioned, or barbarous. Context defines whether one is pretty, or hideous. To explain, to us, we are giving a basic compliment. But what are we, in fact, saying? Nice legs? Okay. Legs for what?

Is there a possibility that your unconscious drive toward mating at all cost, is making you pester a woman? Wow, you?re eloquent. Eloquent? For what? A slur?

To contextualize is to think in the abstract. We, as a self-conscious man or woman, picture ourselves in the minds of others. This takes incredible effort.

We must be, in a word, self-conscious.

Self consciousness is the image of all human progress

W Hat thehell doilooklike?

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