The Buzz | Fall 2015

PROCEED WITH

CAUTION

ASKING FOR A

NAVIGATING BU’S UNEVEN TERRAIN

sign

ASTROLOGY’S CULTURAL CRAZE

indulgence THE ART OF

DECADENT THE BUZZ | FALL 2015 FASHION + TEXTURES

2015

FALL

19

7

on OUR cover

Our fashion shoot features four Boston University students. TOP PHOTO: Jay Patruno (SAR ‘18), Jordan Fessehaie (SHA ‘18) // BOTTOM PHOTO: Calvin Chen (Questrom ‘17), Claire Jennings (COM ‘18).

Cover shot by Cara DiFabio

CAMPUS // 7 PROCEED WITH CAUTION Navigating BU’s uneven terrain

MUSIC // 28 WHAT’S UP BILLY? An introduction to Too Far Gone Records

12 SECURITY GUARD TALES Appreciating our campus safe-keepers

30 ROTATION FOR DAYS Mmmmaven serves up modern music education

CITY // 13 PAINT THE TOWN WHITE Gentrification and the Seaport District’s rebirth

FOOD // 38 365 DAYS OF FRESH The Boston Public Market brings the farm to the city

18 CULTURE IN BOSTON A look into Boston’s neighborhood niches

40 TOP SECRET Must-try menu hacks for your favorite restaurant chains

40

72 FASHION // 52 CULTURED KICKS Boston ties together the sneaker community

TRAVEL // 63 THE GRECIAN CRISIS An ex-patriot’s reflection on a destitute economy

THE CULTURE OF 54 MAN-REPELLING STYLE Empowering women through fashion

66 OUT OF FOCUS The narcissistic mindset of the righteous volunteer

28

SPORTS // 57 LIKE A GIRL The new era of women in sports

CULTURE // 72 IF BU WALKED INTO DETENTION...

BU’s Breakfast Club manifesto

60 THE [NOT SO] WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS America’s distinction in global athletics

74 ASKING FOR A SIGN Astrology as a cultural craze

63 38

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR PUBLISHER CREATIVE DIRECTOR ART DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR ONLINE PHOTO DIRECTOR PHOTO EDITOR HEAD COPY EDITOR SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR FINANCIAL MANAGER BUSINESS MANAGER EDITORS

EVENT COORDINATOR PR COORDINATOR AD COORDINATOR COPY EDITING TEAM

ASHLI MOLINA & GIANNA FISCHER SARAH WU SAMANTHA BLANK ERICA MAYBAUM EDEN WEINBERG ALEENA QAZI CARA DIFABIO STEPHEN VOCATURO CAT YU STEVIE SNOW BILLY LEPAGE MATTHEW D’AMICO ALY GALVIN CALLIE AHLGRIM, Culture JONAH EATMAN, City GRACE GULINO AND GRACE WEINSTEIN, Campus SAM PETERS, Fashion ELISHA MACHADO, Food VICTORIA WASYLAK, Music BRITTANY BELL, Sports SAMANTHA ANDERS, Travel ELIZA SULLIVAN JESSI MITROVICH ANA DELLIEN DANIELLE BOZZONE, PHILIPPA GONATAS, NICOLE HOEY, MEGAN MULLIGAN, ISABELLA SHAW, ANN SINGER, ELIZABETH VANDERAU, JESSAMYN WALLACE, AMY YI, REBECCA YOUNG

PHOTOGRAPHY TEAM

MADELEINE ARCH, POLLY BAINBRIDGE, ROMINA BERBERI, BRENTON BOCKUS, KELSEY CRONIN, NICK DELIETO, MICHAEL IVINS, MICHAELA JOHNSTON, SOPHIA KAPREILIAN, DEANNA KLIMA-RAJCHEL, RYAN LIM, JOHNNY LIU, LICHUAN MA, KELLY MARKUS, DAVID O’DONAHUE, GIANCARLO RODRIGUEZ, MIKE SCHWARZ, CAMILLA STEJSKAL, AMANDA SWINHART, KARAM YANG

DESIGNERS

JESSY AHN, KATIE BARRY, EMMA CSENGE, DORIAN DREYFUSS, DEANNA KLIMA-RAJCHEL, NAMHEE KWAK, IVANNA LINALEENA QAZI, JESS RICHARDS, JAMI RUBIN, MAIA SKLAROV, MARIAM SYED, MARTINELLI VALCIN, SHANNON YAU, KARAM YANG, CAT YU

ILLUSTRATORS ADVERTISING TEAM

JILLIAN APATOW, DORIAN DREYFUSS, SAMANTHA WEST ASHLEY CHU, IVORINE DO, PAIGE HENDERSON, ANGELA LIN, CAROLINE PEARSON, JESSAMYN WALLACE

EVENTS TEAM PUBLIC RELATIONS

ALEX CREED, MIRANDA MANCINI, KARA ROWLAND, OLIVIA STATILE DANIELLE BOZZONE, SYDNEY HUFFMAN, GRACE KAUFMAN, AVA LIU, REGINA RAPHAEL, EMILY RIZZO, ANGELI RODRIGUEZ, NICOLE TOPPINO

WRITERS

CAMPUS: MAGGIE BUNZEL, JONAH EATMAN, GRACE GULINO, EDEN MARCUS, JULIA METJIAN, SARAH WU // CITY: NICHOLE KULIKOWSKI, EDEN MARCUS, JAIMIE POTTERS, SASHA PARODI, KENNY RAMOS, ANGELI RODRIGUEZ, DANI SEGELBAUM, GRACE WEINSTEIN // CULTURE: JACKIE BOWES, DANIELLE BOZZONE, JACQUELYN BUSICK, RIVAH CLEMONS, SYDNEY FOY, KRISTIE EVANS FRANCO, GRACE GULINO, ALLIE MILLER, MEGAN MULLIGAN, KAYLIE PIECUCH, MARIA POPOVA, EZGI TOPER, ANDREA VEGA // FASHION: AELISH BENJAMIN-BROWN, ARA BUTLER, SYDNEY COLLIER, BRIELLE FARRUGGIO, EMILY GOLDMAN, CONNOR LENAHAN, KADY MATSUZAKI, NATALIE ODRICH, BRITTANY PONTBRIAND, TARA RUDOMANSKI // FOOD: AELISH BROWN, JACQUELINE BUSICK, SYDNEY COLLIER, GIANNA DUDA, KELSEY KING, CONNOR LENAHAN ELISHA MACHADO, CORINA PINTADO, KENNETH RAMOS, RILEY SUGARMAN, ELIZA SULLIVAN, JESSAMYN WALLACE, SARAH WU, KIMBERLY ZAR // MUSIC: CALLIE AHLGRIM, MARIEL CARIKER, DEANNA KLIMA-RAJCHEL, EMMA PARKINSON, SASHA PARODI, KENNETH RAMOS, ERIN SCHROETER, TALEEN SIMONIAN, TIFFANY TOPOR // SPORTS: GIANNA DUDA , CONNOR LENAHAN, SOPHIA LIPP // TRAVEL: MAURA BARRETT, ROMINA BERBERIAMY BIGGART, ANNIE CHERNICH, DEVRA GELMAN, KAROLINA KENNEY, SARI KLEIN, SUPRIYA MANOT, ANJALI OBEROI, ANDY SLOAN, NICOLE STEVENSON, KIMBERLY ZAR

CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS CINEMATOGRAPHER PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

JADA MONTEMARANO & ALISON ORTIZ BRONSEN BLOOM SOPHIA LIPP, ANGELI RODRIGUEZ

CONTRIBUTORS STORES

SUPPORTERS

American Apparel 330 Newbury St. 617-236-1636 @americanapparelusa

Boston University Faculty Professor Safoura Rafeizadeh Dean Thomas Fiedler Elisabeth Symczak Dean John Battaglino

Ball and Buck 144-B Newbury St. 617-262-1776 @ballandbuck

College of Communication Undergraduate Program, Boston University

Crush Boutique 264 Newbury St. #2 617-424-0010 @CrushBoutique

College of Communication Graduate Program, Boston University Student Activities Office, Boston University

Jack Wills 179 Newbury St. 857-753-4524 @jackwillsusa

Allocations Board, Boston University

LF 353 Newbury St. 617-236-1213 @lfstores

Insomnia Cookies, Catharine Gatlin, Marketing Manager

Lou Lou 222A Newbury St. 857-265-3952 @loulouboutiques Marimekko 140 Newbury St. 617-247-2500 @marimekkodesignhouse No Rest For Bridget 220 Newbury St. (617) 236-5650 @norestforbridget Steven Alan 172 Newbury St. 617-398-2640 @stevenalan

Study Abroad, Boston University

Steven Alan, Newbury St. Hair Styling Elisha Machado (COM ‘17) 707-631-9659 Aleena Qazi (CFA ‘18) 310-525-9270 Makeup Styling Katie Barry (COM ‘17) 978-604-8686

THANKS OUR FALL 2015 ISSUE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE HELP OF MANY OUTSIDE STUDENTS AND PARTNERS WHO SHARE THEIR TALENTS, INSIGHTS AND TIME. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK EACH AND EVERY NEW AND EXISTING RELATIONSHIP, AND LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP IN THE FUTURE. THIS ISSUE WAS PARTIALLY FUNDED BY YOUR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT FEE.

HAVE YOU HEARD? >> DAILY STORIES thebubuzz.com >> WEEKLY VIDEOS youtube.com/the weeklybubuzz >> SPECIAL EVENTS >> THE MAGAZINE

/#@THEBUBUZZ

Editor’s Note

AS STUDENTS TRAINED TO STRIVE FOR PERFECTION, WE FORGET THAT OUR AMBITIOUS EXPECTATIONS SOMETIMES DO NOT MEET REALITY. As a matter of fact, a lot of things fell short of our expectations this semester.

Between InDesign crashes, a glitchy website and getting lost during a three-hour drive, there were times we felt we would never reach the end.

We also did not expect to give a voice to those on campus whose voices are rarely heard, to grow our staff by 55 percent, or to eat 18 pounds of Swedish Fish in the process.

The months spent producing this issue were marked by multiple hiccups and seemingly impassable roadblocks, but as we close the magazine, we realize it didn’t have to be perfect to be a work of art. Many don’t consider magazinemaking an art, but as Culture Editor Callie Ahlgrim said, the purpose of art is “to find a way to express yourself so that others can appreciate or understand it. It’s about human connection.”

Human connection, imperfections included, is at the core of our brand and our values—it’s why the stories we share and the designs and photography we create are compelling and relatable.

So as a magazine we’re appreciative for when the process is smooth and we embrace the stubborn challenges we face along the way. The culmination of these events is what drives us to continue doing what we love.

For the two of us, the end that seemed so far away just three months ago has now arrived.

I, Ashli, joined the Buzz four years ago as a break from my non-creative science classes. Instead, I found a reason to part with my pre-med dream. And I, Gianna, joined to build the Buzz’s voice on campus, but I didn’t expect it to become my own. The staff has provided us with a family and the magazine with a home, and although we won’t physically be here, these are two valuable parts of our identities we will never let go of. We’re proud of the role we’ve played in the development, growth and overall kickass-ness of the Buzz.

We’re confident to leave it in the hands of a team that is arguably more kickass than even we are. The rising Editor-in-Chief, Elisha Machado, will continue to make this magazine about its people, overcome any hurdles and embrace its flaws. Expect her to raise the standard not only for the magazine but also for individuals on campus—she has already done that for us.

Take this issue for what it is: a reminder that a wealth of talent exists on our 1.7 mile-long campus, and that you are a part of it. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again (Ashli whispers in your ear, “because we mean it,” as Gianna rolls her eyes), life is better #buzzed.

- Gianna Fischer and Ashli Molina EDITORS-IN-CHIEF 6

CAMPUS

H T I W D E E C O PR AIN R R E T N E V E N U 'S N AV I G AT I N G B U IN TEIN NSTE EINS WEI ACEE W GRAC D GR AND AN AN TMAN EATM H EA NAH JONA

BY JO D BY OP -ED OP-E AL SKAL EJSK STEJ A ST ILLA MILL CAM

BY CA PHYY BY RAPH OGRA PH OTOG PHOT

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

, T F E L " T H G I R N E TH T F E L " N I A G A 8

“Look both ways before you cross the street,” your mother always warned you.

“Left, right, then left again,” your driving instructor taught you.

College is the culmination of these lessons—for the first time, it puts them to the test. Every step you take, every move you make is a testament to what you have been taught, or in the case of many young college minds, a testament to what you choose to forget. At Boston University, the extent to which these lessons are retained is determined by a student’s ability to avoid getting hit by various forms of transportation.

Though it is a non-traditional campus in nearly every sense, BU is pretty easy to navigate, as almost every school building is housed on a 1.7-mile stretch along Commonwealth Avenue. Indeed, getting around is simple: to cross the street, simply look both ways for the Maserati grossly exceeding the speed limit, tenuously step off the curb, ensure that no bicyclists or motorists stand in your path and proceed.

Congratulations! You’re halfway there.

NEXT, LISTEN FOR THE SOUND OF IMMINENT CARNAGE, BUT DON’T FRET—

that’s just the T advising you to clear its trajectory because it will not stop though it is moving at a seemingly glacial pace. And to finally finish the task at hand, simply fold your body into an L-shape, peer onto the road and watch for oncoming vehicles. If your path is clear, begin to cross, but again, watch for rogue bicyclists— they often do not wear helmets, and local legislature mandates that all cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, bicycles, unicycles and Radio Flyer wagons share the road. In other words, if a bicyclist mauls you in transit, you will be held responsible (speculation

not verified by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority).

DID YOU MAKE IT? GREAT! You’ve made it home to your Warren Towers solitary confinement unit!

Crossing the street is only a fraction of your worries as you march from West to East and back again. Contrary to popular belief, the iron patches that lie along the BU Bridge are not for structural fortitude but rather an interactive installation intended to see how many suckers will struggle with wobbliness in the event of rain or snow. If you claim you have not fallen predator to its slippery, slimy jowls, we know you are lying. Still, this is no reason to feel unsafe, as BU Emergency Alert offers up-todate information on campus safety.

Of course, nothing screams “safety” like a series of out-of-order text messages warning of police activity on Cummington Mall!

It is not just BU that poses constant threats to the livelihood of mankind, but the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a whole.

Indeed, residents of this great state are frequently referred to as “Massholes” for their outspokenness and their aggression on the road.

In a recent Allstate poll of 200 American cities least likely to experience collisions, Boston ranked dead last. Vehicular incompetence and an abounding temper problem—a lethal combination.

As such, walking down the street, particularly at BU, is so much more than a nice saunter down the sidewalk. It is a quest for survival.

risk forced inhalation of cigarette smoke outside of Questrom School of Business and exhibitionism in the form of the people trying to hug you FOR FREE in front of Marsh Chapel­—is anyone paying for hugs these days?

Sophie Levy (CGS ’17) recounts the harrowing reality of her daily commute.

“I was crossing the street with my headphones in and I was standing near the T tracks,” Levy said. “All of a sudden I heard this violent honking noise, and then I looked up and the T was coming towards me.”

Indeed, such is the norm when walking to class at BU. The transitstudent relationship is so rocky that there is a rumor around campus that BU will pay the rest of a student’s tuition if there were to be a collision.

But BU is about so much more than just transportation.

Commonwealth Avenue reaches its peak foot traffic 100 percent of every hour of the school day. Students can never really know what perils they face as they start their hajj to Bay State. Let’s say it’s raining. If you’ve successfully made it over the BU Bridge, you know your fate.

We have already lost three students due to puncture wounds from opening umbrellas outside

CAS. The wind tunnel that is BU’s campus will whoosh through your umbrella, turning it inside out and turning you into the latest comedy production on campus as you try to tame the beast it has become.

As we all know from Game of Thrones or living in Massachusetts, winter is coming. As the snow arrives, or as soon as the temperature drops below a chilling 50 degrees, the geese change their flight patterns and take up their home for the winter outside of the George Sherman Union.

They come in all different sizes and colors, from the classic black or gray, all the way to the surprising pink.

Commonwealth Avenue becomes a testament to the power of the price tag. A Canada Goose jacket costs you upwards of $500, but getting lost in the flock of geese comes free.

DESPITE THE RISKS,

it seems that BU students fare pretty well, except for the occasional freshman that gets swept away by the wind never to be seen again. As winter approaches, be wary of goose attacks, slipping, falling, breaking a limb, getting hit or any of the other dangers you could have avoided by going to school back home. Unless you’re a Masshole—then you’re stuck here with your Bean boots and Vineyard Vines.

TO LEAVE THE COMFORT OF THE BU DORMS IS TO ENTER A WARZONE

so gruesome only God herself can determine one’s fate. To walk down Commonwealth Avenue is to

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

on the

OTHER of the SIDEcoin

BY BUZZ EDITORS / DESIGN BY JAMI RUBIN

the challenege beyond the $60,000 price tag 10

“We pay $60,000 for this _______”—fill in the blank for the phrase every Boston University student knows too well. However, the price tag attached to an education at BU bears a different weight on every student.

According to U.S. News and World Report, 38.9 percent of the 3,200 incoming full-time undergraduate students at BU receive financial aid. After acceptance, financing the cost is just the first step.

Maintaining a lifestyle on par with the norm of the city and our university— think study abroad— only prolongs the economic stress throughout college.

“Once I learned about our school’s relatively high tuition cost, I knew for sure it would be quite the hurdle to jump,” said Martinelli Valcin (CAS ’18). “The worst part of it was having my parents tell me they wouldn’t be able to afford sending me here without financial aid.”

Though receiving aid mostly resolves the issue of not being able to attend college, many students face another set of concerns when they start their lives on campus.

Despite growing up just outside the city limits, Gabriel Montresor (CAS ’17) felt that BU

was not within reach. Upon acceptance, he had to make the transition from an underachieving high school in a low-income area to a prestigious institution with abundant resources where different backgrounds come together.

“I battle with the idea that I deserve these resources. I know I do, but I also have a little bit of survivor’s guilt. It’s not really 100 percent fair that I get all these resources while people back home are still stuck in the same spot,” Montresor said. “I try to take advantage of everything, but I also like to give back.”

To keep his head above water, Montresor works as a food runner on Newbury Street 30 hours a week. He actively saves up his paychecks to be able to say yes to his acceptance to the Madrid study abroad program.

Similar to Montresor, Colleen Wong (CAS ’16) is no stranger to living life on a budget in order to not put stress on her family’s bank account. The penny-pinching she practiced during her first years of college hindered spending money on dinners in the city and traditional Boston must-sees.

Wong now has a wellpaying research job at BU and has eased up on herself when it comes to spending wisely.

“I realized if I spend a little bit of

I battle with the idea that I deserve these resources. I know I do, but I also have a little built of survivor’s guilt.

money and learn to enjoy life a little, life is way less stressful that way. You don’t need to count pennies—a penny won’t make a huge difference,” Wong said. “That’s when I started to understand how much easier life can be when you don’t have to stress the little costs.”

Statistics from USA Today reflect that of the 15 million students enrolled in higher education institutions in 2011, nearly 30 percent are lowincome, first-generation students.

Being the first in a family to go to college poses one of these concerns for some students.

According to BU Today, about 15 percent of students entering the university for the 2013-14 year were first generation students.

These students are fortunate to have access to financial aid, but it also takes a student with their drive to make his or her experience at BU just as fulfilling.

“There are times I feel resentment toward the privileged and their blindness to that privilege,” said Montresor, a first gen student. “But then when I go home or go to work, it’s a bunch of Brazilians and a bunch of other Latinos who work two jobs, 40 hours a week each in a kitchen.

When I go to these places it kind of grounds me.

It can be intimidating or disenchanting [to be at BU], but I’m here on a mission.”

Students like Valcin, Wong and Montresor are the reality behind a $60,000 price tag and the struggle to maintain the BU lifestyle.

“I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices. That’s all I can do,” Montresor said.

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

security guard tales

appreciating our campus safekeepers

BY EDEN MARCUS ILLUSTRATIONS BY JILLIAN APATOW DESIGN BY EMMA CSENGE

It seems college security guards have an extra pair of eyes, or perhaps they just have the prime location for spotting the start—and the often embarrassing end—of students’ nights out.

Students tend to overlook the presence of security guards—until a guard has to interfere or clearly witnesses their shenanigans. We spoke with security guards and students in various dorms on campus to get the scoop on the most outrageous things they’ve experienced at the security desk.

A StuVi2 guard witnessed a strange altercation one Friday night.

A student claiming he was a professional wrestler struggled to swipe in as blood trickled down from his broken nose.

“One Halloween, a young girl came in holding her chest, just in her underwear, at 4 a.m.,” said another StuVi2 security guard. “She said that people had stolen her clothes when she passed out at a party.”

He told her to just keep going.

When asked about the craziest items

12

they have seen carried up to dorm rooms, security guards mentioned traffic cones, road signs, hubcaps and even a life-sized cardboard sculpture of a human head.

“During finals period my friend came to visit me and we had forgotten the no-overnight guest policy,” said Nicole Zubata (COM ’16).

“She didn’t feel like booking a hotel room so she spent a night in the lobby of my dorm building. She talked to a guard for hours and I just let it all happen.”

The tales are endless, and give us a reason to appreciate our security guards and their generally good-natured outlook. Try not to disregard them next time—after all, we are their source of entertainment during their late-night shifts.

Clearly, someone is always watching.

CITY

paint the town

white

BY JONAH EATMAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAELA JOHNSTON | DESIGN BY IVANNA LIN

GENTRIfiCATION AND THE SEAPORT DISTRICT’S REBIRTH today’s urban neighborhoods, the primary In marker of imminent change is the arrival of a Whole Foods. These changes are structural, physical and socioeconomic, and no city is exempt—Boston included.

Such development is the product of gentrification, widely understood as a phenomenon in which lower-income, predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods, become increasingly higherincome and White. Many Boston neighborhoods, including Somerville, the South End and Jamaica Plain, are the products of gentrification, and the

Seaport District, or the “Innovation District,” as dubbed by the late Mayor Thomas Menino, is in the midst of historic renewal.

South Boston, widely known as “Southie,” is an example of gentrification on a massive scale—brand new buildings house chic shops and restaurants and serve as venues for social and economic momentum, a far cry from traditional notions of the area.

Historically home to a large blue-collar Irish Catholic community and rampant crime, Whitey Bulger’s former stomping grounds is now leading

the pack in Boston’s redevelopment boom.

Southie is now a cultural epicenter, home to the Institute of Contemporary Art and a brandnew convention center. A contained effort of the Boston Redevelopment Authority and Mayor Menino, South Boston and the Waterfront have a total of 64 major projects that have been recently approved, under construction or completed, reports Boston.com. David Bates, Boston real estate agent and BatesRealEstateReport.com blogger, attributes much of the Seaport’s growth to its abundance of restaurants.

“When folks started to eat at the newly built Legal Sea Foods, Del Frisco’s and Jerry Remy’s, enthusiasm for the area broke out at epidemic proportions and the Seaport’s new future started to be written,” Bates said.

The traditional narrative of gentrification paints a picture of displacement of the low-income at the hands of the wealthy.

Gentrification’s proponents see it as a positive trend benefitting the local economy and infrastructure, while its opponents view it as the infiltration of lower-class neighborhoods by rich White “yuppies” (young urban professionals) looking to build trendy coffee shops with free Wi-Fi and exposed brick. Amidst worries about this cycle, the BRA quells concerns with data, showing that diversity has risen with the Seaport’s reinvention. According to the BRA’s website, South Boston’s Black population grew 47.9 percent between 2000 and 2010, changing

the demographics of the neighborhood.

Japonica Brown-Saracino, Boston University sociology professor, has studied gentrification extensively. In her 2004 article “Social Preservationists and the quest for Authentic Community,” she enumerates and analyzes both sides of this debate, subdividing those who redevelop neighborhoods into two ideological categories: “gentrifiers,” who seek to revitalize neighborhoods for the sake of infrastructure, and “social preservationists,” who strive for improvement along with the protection of “old-timers.” While gentrification has long carried a negative stigma, new evidence suggests it leans toward the conservationist end of the spectrum.

Research shows that neighborhoods benefit from gentrification. In January 2015, Slate published an exposé asserting that gentrification is a “myth,” citing numerous studies that

found very little evidence of displacement or socioeconomic divide. However, popular examples such as Chicago’s Wicker Park, Manhattan’s Harlem and Chelsea and Brooklyn’s Williamsburg tell a different tale—one of young, affluent Whites armed with artisanal cheese plates chasing out their less affluent neighbors.

Indeed, low-income people move away from gentrifying and non-gentrifying neighborhoods alike. The Slate article cites a 2002 University of Washington study focusing specifically on Boston from 1974 to 1997, a period of mass gentrification. The study concluded that lowincome residents were less likely to move out of gentrifying neighborhoods.

The restoration of the Seaport District represents unprecedented urban renewal for Boston. As such, Bates foresees a twofold spike in the local economy through job creation and the establishment of a second major retail destination.

“Creating a location for conventioneers, tourists and others to easily spend money on restaurants and retail should also have a positive impact on the local economy,” Bates said.

Despite this progress, Bates acknowledges a primary pillar of anti-gentrification rhetoric: an influx of wealth. With condominiums in the area selling for $2,500 per square foot and twobedroom apartments renting as much as $6,000 per month, housing in the area is anything but affordable, thus impeding diversity.

“I don’t think you will see much diversity in the demographic profile of the people who live there,” Bates said. “Wealth, whether large or small, new or old, commercial or residential, might be the key feature of any person or entity residing in the Seaport.”

Still, Bates notes the city of Boston mandates approximately 13 percent of homes built be allotted to lower-income families, slightly offsetting potential displacement.

The Seaport’s high-priced real estate gives merit to arguments that gentrification induces displacement. Many longtime residents find themselves driven out of their neighborhoods due to higher living costs. Developers offering financial incentives to landlords often trumps

loyalty to existing tenants, resulting in power abuse. It is for this reason that low-income residents are displaced: they lack the resources to fight the questionable tactics used against them, tenants are forced out of their homes—before they become yoga studios.

The Atlantic highlights numerous instances of gentrification gone awry, citing examples of landlords intentionally damaging units during routine “repairs,” rendering them “unlivable.”

Additionally, a 2014 report conducted by the Office of the Comptroller of New York City observed a correlation between the influx of mid- to high-income residents in given neighborhoods and the disappearance of over 400,000 affordable apartments—those renting under $1,000 per month—between 2000-12 (notable however, is that the report makes no indication that decreased availability of affordable housing is a direct result of gentrification). Ultimately, it is difficult to pinpoint the cause and effect dynamics of gentrification because improvement and displacement often take place concurrently.

“Few, if any cities, have truly protected residents from gentrification-induced displacement, but some do this better than others,” BrownSaracino said. “In those places, longstanding and protected affordable housing is key.”

Affordable housing allows for the infrastructural benefits of gentrification while reducing or eliminating the massexodus of old-timers. For gentrification to be truly successful, gentrifiers must spare longtime residents from displacement.

Of course, affordable housing is scarce in gentrifying areas—the fundamental problem with urban renewal.

“Opportunities to remain are all the more meaningful when longtime residents are sheltered from displacement from cultural, political and social venues,” Brown-Saracino said. “Institutions matter.”

The 1,000-acre, LEED-certified stretch on the South Boston Waterfront is large and imposing rather than intimate and familiar.

Additionally, the area lacks history or a distinct

local identity—with no original residents, there is no culture to preserve. Perhaps the biggest impediment to the Seaport’s identity is its lack of schools, the centerpiece of communities. No schools means no families, suggesting no longterm residents. With its nightlife and sky-high real estate prices, it takes a certain type of person to live in the Seaport—young and well-off.

As such, the Seaport’s residential core remains perpetually in flux.

Today, gentrification is a given in urban life.

Within the current system, displacement is still a problem, though its prevalence is debatable. Still, Brown-Saracino notes that social preservation is pervasive, with many gentrified communities embracing their multicultural residents.

“Social preservation is alive and well, with efforts to celebrate, market and hold onto some longtime residents and their communities and traditions,” Brown-Saracino said. “Social preservation cannot fully halt displacement in a context of advancing gentrification, but some gentrifiers’ impulse to save the ‘old’ neighborhood and related practices are nonetheless worthy of our attention.”

An Environment for

BY GRACE WEINSTEIN PHOTOGRAPHY BY SOPHIA KAPREILIAN DESIGN BY JESS RICHARDS

F

eeling stressed? Business plan not coming together?

Start-up idea just not taking shape in Somerville? Just take a climb on the 22-foot rock climbing wall located conveniently across from your desk.

Somerville’s Brooklyn Boulders is one of many coworking establishments popping up around the country.

Establishments like Boulders offer members a space to foster creative thinking and collaboration in hopes of scoring big on their next projects.

Co-op spaces are the corporate offices of the 21st century, each one offering different hallmark traits.

Brooklyn Boulders’ massive expanse contains office spaces, conference rooms and yes, even a towering rock wall. If this does not give hungry, young minds enough of an environment in which to produce and develop, they are more than welcome to take a break with any of the calorieburning, heart-rate-pumping activities. The rock wall, fitness equipment and classes provide detoxes from the stresses of work. Exercise activates endorphins; endorphins encourage productivity.

Co-working spaces come in forms ranging from free

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spaces powered by endless refills of coffee to rentable cubicles and even “think tanks.” Think tanks and idea incubators offer feedback on work and ideas from people ranging from start-up leaders to venture capitalists.

The creation culture that is hitting its stride in the U.S. has found a nesting ground in Boston. This college city and its many eager residents are jumping on the bandwagon fast. Downtown Boston’s Innovation District is home to a growing creative society. Take a walk down its streets and you’ll stumble upon the aptly named District Hall. The sleek, modern building stands as a testament to the strength and growing power of innovation.

Hannah Huke, the marketing director of Gather and Brew at District Hall, lauds the atmosphere of her workplace.

“There is so much good, positive energy in the space,” Huke said. “And I always love popping into Gather for the chicken and waffle bites.”

With offerings of gourmet coffee and good conversation, it is likely that co-op spaces will continue their fast expansion.

The very motto of Brew—”Fueling Innovation”—supports this idea as well. Huke and her team are massive proponents of giving “guests the tools they need to innovate and be productive.”

District Hall defines itself as a “collaborative publicprivate partnership” allowing the public, various sponsors and amenities to create a comfortable, productive workspace. As Colin Edmeade, restaurant manager at District Hall, said, it is comparable to “an overgrown Starbucks.” Still, he is quick to add that it is much more than just that.

“It’s a free public space where anyone could come, use the free internet, exchange ideas, refine ideas [and] make new ideas,” he said.

This represents a significant shift in regards to the comfort and efficiency of workspaces.

“That anyone’s office is mobile now means that you can work anywhere—and workspaces like these encourage connections that move our economy forward in ways like never before,” Huke said.

Forward-thinking is the hallmark trait of this budding industry. The Hall partnered with huge companies such as Bose

the co-op trend in Boston sparks innovation

and Microsoft to engineer the ideal suitable studio to support maximum brainpower. It includes multiple variations of workspaces, classrooms, auditoriums and more. District Hall is rented out for conferences, meetings or even special events.

The virtual tour on the website lands the viewer right in the middle of the action.

Still, the rise of non-traditional workspaces speaks to a larger trend of today’s workforce as a whole.

This sudden influx of co-working spaces can speak to the constant redefinition of work culture. Edmeade attributes it to the “need to interact on a more human level.”

“While it’s great to be online, intermingling and exchanging ideas face-to-face (sometimes via our whiteboard walls), it can be more fulfilling and productive,” he said.

Per usual, this influx directly points to the millennial generation. It seems that millennials are always associated with the idea of the inability to focus and the lack of drive, but the growing popularity of co-working spaces proves otherwise.

This upward trend speaks directly to new attention and dedication to innovation. Here’s the thing to remember about the under-30 population in America: they are innovators by nature who grew up in a society that surprisingly is not everpresent, but ever-forward looking. Think Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook or Evan Spiegel of Snapchat. So much of the technology and ideas that have driven this country forward in the past decade came from young minds working together.

According to District Hall’s manifesto, think tanks and co-working spaces are gaining traction because of their ability to “trigger creativity, inspire innovation, motivate entrepreneurship, catalyze action, expand interdisciplinary collaboration, solve problems and create the relationships.”

To college students and newly minted professionals alike, the space where the idea is created is just as important as the idea itself, which Huke sees on a daily basis.

“I’m continually blown away by how many people I meet when I work in District Hall,” she said.

Who knows—maybe the next Uber–esque phenomenon will be created right here in Boston.

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

Culture in Boston

a look into Boston’s neighborhood niches

BY SASHA PARODI / ILLUSTRATION AND DESIGN BY SHANNON YAU

The North End

Known for its cannoli competition between Mike’s Pastry and Modern Pastry, delectable Italian cuisine and charmingly narrow streets, Boston’s historic North End comprises numerous cultural environments—including the JewishAmerican community.

Preceding the bustling restaurant district, the impactful New England Holocaust Memorial stands as a reverent reminder of the invaluable lives lost. It also represents the Jewish culture and community that continues to invigorate areas of Boston.

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A

day spent in our backyard celebrates the diverse and vibrant ethos of our community. While paper does not do Boston justice, here is a small taste of what our city has to offer.

Coolidge Corner

Coolidge Corner in Brookline is another culturally Jewish hub. Staple establishments, such as Kupel’s Bakery (kosher and voted “Best Boston Bagels”), Temple Sinai (one of many synagogues in the area) and the Israel Book Shop create a cultural niche.

The district is also home to one of Boston’s few independent movie theaters.

Coolidge Corner Theatre specializes in themed nights and unique showcases, like weeklong focuses on specific directors, genres or topics.

Jamaica Plain

Jamaica Plain, a poignant example of a cultural mix, celebrates its diversity with an annual summer event called Porchfest.

Local businesses and homes open their porches and outdoor spaces to feature everything from samba dancers to countryrock music groups to spoken word artists.

Indeed, Boston is a melting pot with many places to go and people to see.

This eclectically noisy and energetic day represents a taste of the many ways Boston cultures intertwine to shape this city and community.

massachusetts’ up-and-coming craft brewery

BY SARAH WU / PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARA DIFABIO / ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA WEST THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

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FOUNDERS ROB BURNS, MICHAEL O’MARA AND MICHAEL OXTON’s ideology of producing beers “with energy, with inspiration and with world-class standards always in mind” led to creations like the Viva Habanera, a rye ale made with agave nectar and habanero peppers.

The company’s signature owl design stems from the trio’s beginnings at 103 Josephine Ave. in Somerville in 2007.

The founders were self-proclaimed “desk workers by day, homebrewers by night,” regularly brewing past midnight several days per week, contributing to the aptly named brewery.

The group turned the hobby into a business by setting up shop at 3 Charlton St. in March 2012. Roughly two years were spent at the 3,000 square foot location in Everett before the brewery shifted to its current, 30,000 square foot location at 87 Santilli Hwy. Night Shift has become a staple to the Massachusetts craft brewing industry, earning a reputation that reaches far beyond state lines.

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THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

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MUSIC

A new wave

of indie pop

joywave brings a breath of fresh air to the music INDUSTRY

BY CARA DIFABIO PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID O’DONAHUE, COURTESEY OF HOLLYWOOD RECORDS DESIGN BY KATIE BARRY They have played at South by Southwest and Lollapalooza, toured with the Killers and signed with Hollywood Records. Is there anything Joywave has not done yet?

Well, yes—they have not moved out of their parents’ basements. At least, lead singer Daniel Armbruster has not.

Hailing from Rochester, Joywave is made up of Armbruster, Sean Donnelly, Paul Brenner, Joseph Morinelli and Benjamin Bailey. As the band gears up for the fall tour for its recently released album How Do You Feel Now?, they are slowly but surely gaining deserved recognition.

They set themselves apart in an industry of monotony by not taking themselves, or their music, too seriously.

Rochester seems to be Joywave’s little nook of the world—it is where it all started. The five band members met in high school and have been

recording music there ever since. Though they have toured the United States multiple times and performed at countless music festivals, they never forget the town they call home and its influence on them. They even partnered with a local Rochester coffee shop to create their own coffee blend, aptly named “Joewave.”

“Making music in Rochester is nice because there’s not a million other bands trying to do the same thing, as opposed to a huge scene where bands are trying to compete with one another and copy each other,” Armbruster said.

Maybe that separation is how they have stuck to their roots, quite unapologetically, and brought hometown experiences to life in their music. How Do You Feel Now? was recorded and produced in a small Rochester cottage comparable to “a weird Soviet dentist’s office,” according to Armbruster. The album is a personal reflection based on the disappointment of having high hopes for the future but dealing with the reality of living a sort of stagnant life—a situation many 20-somethings can relate to.

“This album has been completely inspired

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

by the idea of wasting away at home and watching your life fly by,” Armbruster said.

Nonetheless, the band crafted an album that smoothly spans different genres, includes unexpected sound elements (can you pick up on those noises from a JetBlue plane?) and truly highlights their musical strengths.

From the more upbeat “Carry Me” to the slower nostalgic tune, ‘Traveling at the Speed of Light,” it is almost as if they reinvent their sound with each coming song, but it still blends into one coherent album. They are doing just fine with their mélange of techno-alt-indie beats.

In sticking with their not-so-serious disposition, the band sampled clips from Disney classic movies on How Do You Feel Now? and is the first band ever to do so.

“When we were deciding what label to sign with, one of the things that we talked about with Hollywood and being a Disney owned company was maybe if we made a really good record and asked really nicely, they would let us sample the Disney classic films,” Armbruster said.

Snippets from movies like Bambi and Fantasia made their way onto the album, tucked away in various songs.

“We started working our way through the Disney

classics and certain things just fit so well,” Armbruster said. “When we were watching Peter Pan and the crocodile part came on we were like, ‘This is almost exactly the same as the bass riff in ‘Somebody New,’ which blew our minds. So at the end of the album’s last song, ‘BadDreams’ is that crocodile clip, then it loops back to [the first song on the album] ‘Somebody New.’” The song “Tongues” is best described as random vocal tones and sounds—trumpets, keyboard, even xylophone—weaved together to create a mesmerizing tune you cannot help but bump your head to. The music video for the song was directed by duo The Daniels, who have worked with big names such as Lil Jon, Passion Pit and Foster the People. “[The Daniels] got so big from doing the ‘Tongues’ video that now they’re doing short films,” Armbruster said.

The “Tongues” video features a clan of naked individuals in the forest being hunted by the members of the band, who are armed with guns that shoot clothes onto them. The video is a satire of the indie music industry and the predominant elements that many music video had in common at the time it came out—such as

the face-painted “free-spirit.” Their prevalent satirical nature differentiates them from other indie artists in the industry today.

“A lot of people are afraid of irritating someone, and I don’t think they should be. No one should take themselves too seriously,” Armbruster said of the band’s eccentric nature.

In addition to the “Tongues” video, another claim to fame for the band is their collaboration with Brooklyn-based artist Big Data on the song “Dangerous.” The music video for this essentially follows an ad agency as they plan a shoe commercial, but it would not have that Joywave touch if it did not come with some weird, unexpected element—in this case, that is exploding heads and lots of blood due to the “Big Data Shoes” that turn people reckless.

Armbruster said, “When Alan [of Big Data] and I were recording that song, we actually had the idea for the video before the song was finished. We were like, ‘Doesn’t this kind of sound like a shoe commercial?’”— and the rest is history.

It is clear that the band takes advantage of any opportunity to poke fun at the music industry and

their fans. They posted a free version of their album on Facebook—only it was not really their album.

“Basically it’s just 52 minutes of AOL ads from 1996 and like 10 second spurts of our record here and there,” Armbruster said. “So we posted it like ‘Hey everyone, we understand you don’t want to pay for music, that’s fine, here’s a free version of our record.’

There would be 15 comments like ‘Oh my god that’s cool thank you guys so much for posting it for free!’ and one person would be like ‘Oh my god none of these people listened.’”

He said their label laughed hysterically and sent it around to everyone. It is refreshing to see a band that is not predominantly focused on getting big and making millions. Joywave continues to stay true to who they are in an industry that easily molds bands into genres or even people they are not. Though they may dabble in different sounds and try out new music, that underlying authenticity—their candidness and ability to laugh at themselves—is why fans will stick around.

WHAT’S UP BILLY? an introduction to too far gone records

BY KENNY RAMOS PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE SCHWARZ DESIGN BY CAT YU Frustrated by being merely a spectator in the music scene, Billy Philhower founded Too Far Gone Records in April 2013, an independent label he runs himself. The Boston College senior studies business, and saw an opportunity to utilize those skills by forming a record label. While we all enjoy the music, it is easy to overlook the collaborative effort between artists and labels that makes the finished product possible.

“Obviously, it’s a huge time crunch.

Anything and everything that has to get done has to be done by me and I’m working with a 24-hour day and school-related commitments,” said Philhower. “Also there are things that I’m inherently not good at, such as anything falling under the umbrella of art or design, so I’m forced to teach myself how to do things on the fly.”

Philhower meticulously budgets his time by keeping several lists in order to stay on top of schoolwork, class projects and label happenings.

He is realistic with himself, and understands that patience is paramount when you are balancing two things you equally value.

Overall, the merits of DIY outweigh its challenges—it really does require an extraordinary level of commitment. Too Far Gone Records is constantly working on releasing vinyl and cassettes for the artists it works with.

“I think people enjoy buying them because there’s a certain feel to them that is lost on digital files,” said Philhower. “Obviously, cassettes aren’t for audiophiles but they offer a sound and a feel to an album that you can’t get from iTunes. With

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vinyl, there’s a lot of debate [over] whether or not it sounds better, but I personally feel like it does sound a little bit warmer or fuller. There’s also a ton of collectable value for these mediums.”

It is uncommon to find a label that can still maintain close relations both personally and professionally with artists. Labels often get the bad reputation for being all about the money, or for being a barrier that keeps artists from truly being themselves. Fortunately, Philhower prefers to work with talented and like-minded artists that he can form a long lasting partnership with.

His process for finding new acts is pretty simple yet he does have certain criteria in mind.

PATIENCE IS PARAMOUNT WHEN YOU ARE BALANCING TWO THINGS YOU EQUALLY VALUE. “It’s usually some combination of wordof-mouth from my friends and browsing the Internet. I get a lot of emails and Facebook messages from people sending me their demo or new album and it gets very overwhelming. I am very selective with whom I work with and don’t want to work with anyone who perpetuates sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia or any shitty behavior at all,” said Philhower.

It is pretty powerful that a small local label can still conduct business on its own terms instead of caving in by collaborating with as many acts as possible to gain a reputation.

Ideally shows intend to be equally enjoyed by all in attendance, and this is why people like going to them. Unfortunately, many show spaces become unsafe for attendees rather than

being all-inclusive. It is important that labels, music spaces and other bystanders call out this unacceptable behavior. Too Far Gone Records sticks to its guns by refusing to work with those who perpetuate these attitudes.

Many of the bands hail from around the area. The only band actually from Boston is a ska band called Poor Jeremy, which recently released its full debut album. Bands like Street Sity Surf and Holy Shadow come from Maine, and Loner Chic and Lady Queen Paradise are based out of Connecticut, to name a few. Philhower mixes it up by putting out a variety of folk, punk and indie pop releases.

Too Far Gone Records remains firm, and has recently released a substantial amount of new music while simultaneously working on new upcoming releases.

“I put out a bunch of new things over the summer. I Hate Sex is an incredible screamo band from Canada that everyone should check out. I put out a super great split between Blood Orphans and Cat Be Damned, five awesome songs each.

Void Boys from California were nice enough to let me put out their LP this summer as well. I also had a hand in releasing a split between indie rockers Museum Mouth and Naked Naps (who I had previously worked with). I’m putting out a new EP soon from the incredible Holy Shadow and a 7” by Street Sity Surf. There are a few other things that are in the works as well that I’m super excited for,” said Philhower.

Too Far Gone Records has accomplished so much despite being a one-man operation. With a bevy of new releases and endeavors coming up this year, it is not surprising that everyone is waiting in anticipation to see what he will deliver next.

mmmmaven serves up Modern Music Education

BY VICTORIA WASYLAK PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHNNY LIU DESIGN BY NAMHEE KWAK

Rotation for

Days

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Tucked between a liquor store and a Dunkin’ Donuts in Central Square’s strip of Massachusetts Avenue sits one of Cambridge’s lesser-known institutions of higher learning. Weasel your way through two vaultlike doors and a narrow set of stairs, and you will find yourself at Mmmmaven, Cambridge’s Electronic Music Production & DJ School.

“What you can teach yourself in three years, you can learn here in two months,” said Mmmmaven’s managing director, Sarah Hoffman.

With DJ and production schools on the upand-up the past few years, Mmmmaven remains one of the area’s only modern music schools. It hosts six classes at a time and limits each class to seven students per instructor.

Mmmmaven’s state-of-the-art DJing studio comes equipped with seven stations, each complete with the full setup for any starting DJ: two turntables, Pioneer 2-channel mixers, a Serato SL2 software box, an Akai Box and of course, a Mac. A

map left behind from the previous owners now serves as a brag board for visiting DJs to mark their home turf, ranging from the nearly-covered speck of London to Sudan and Japan.

Mmmmaven initially sprouted from the software company Ableton’s part in the “Together Boston” festival, featuring a music technology component during the day and live local performances at night. After offering classes at the May festival a few years ago, it became apparent that the city needed a permanent place to teach students modern music skills.

“Ten, 15 years ago, DJ schools didn’t exist, so DJs would teach themselves how to DJ,” Hoffman said, explaining the novelty of school.

Now entering its third year, the school helps to shape the Boston EDM scene by teaching students of all ages how to spin and mix music professionally.

From beat matching to mixing styles, the DJing course builds upon basic skills, and culminates with each student’s “recital” at a local venue.

For newbies, the first class is free, along with a smattering of other one-time-offer workshops by full-time DJs who have been in the industry for 15-plus years.

“We offer the free [first] DJing lesson because a lot of people aren’t sure what DJing really is, and what goes into it, and being able to get that handson experience gives them a better idea of where DJing can take them,” Hoffman said.

From that first lesson, students can take a 50-hour course over the span of two months, learning everything from how to use Serato, the

industry standard for DJing, to how to maneuver ye-olde turntable.

Students gain an appreciation for the staples of modern DJing, including vinyl records.

They are not just for jazz enthusiasts and classic rockers—using records during live performances is essential to modern DJing. With the use of control vinyl—a vinyl record with no sound on it—students can use any music from their MP3 files to practice DJing with actual records.

there is so much that you have to pay attention to while DJing that there is no time for other nonsense to cloud your mind. It was almost meditative.

“If you learn to DJ on the control vinyl, the skills are transferable to all other types of hardware, so learning on this is a good way to get a feel for everything,” Hoffman said.

For those interested in production, Mmmmaven’s music production classes allow students to make one completely original digital song by the end of the course. For hungry audiophiles who desire the total package, there is a master program that incorporates all of Mmmmaven’s classes.

Marci Wolfish (COM ’16) stumbled upon Mmmmaven a few years ago, equipped with nothing but a flash drive of music to mix and a desire to spin. She took the two-month course and

capped off her experience with her own DJ set.

“The classes were very different from any college class I’ve taken,” Wolfish said. “[They] always went by quickly, they were fun and there is so much that you have to pay attention to while DJing that there is no time for other nonsense to cloud your mind. It was almost meditative.”

With little opportunity to study modern music to this extent at BU, the Central Square school may be the go-to place for students who want to expand their musical careers, or just want to immerse themselves in Boston’s nightlife.

The price tag is hefty—$1,500 for 50 hours of DJ 101 and DJ 102—but the all-encompassing classes equip students with the skills and connections they need to succeed.

“We learned everything from beat matching and music theory to how to brand ourselves and by the end of the class we had not only made our own mix, but we were given the opportunity to perform a 30-minute set at the Middlesex Lounge in Cambridge,” she said. “From that performance, I was able to meet other DJs and was given other opportunities to spin at other bars.”

Forget chords and keys—Mmmmaven specializes in creating digital music with synths and turntables. DJing could even be the new piano lesson, as the school has two 10-year-old alumni who have already performed at festivals alongside seasoned adult artists.

“You sit [students] in front of a computer and it gives them this opportunity to create something.

It has made so many new artists who have a unique approach to composing music, to performing.

That’s why electronic music never feels stagnant,” said Paulina Starobinets, Mmmmaven’s director of marketing and communications.

Creating digital music requires an ear for catchy beats, but not necessarily a gifted hand, making digital music a viable option for aspiring musicians who struggle with physically playing instruments.

“The office space and the people who work here are very representative of what their time would be like as a student here,” Starobinets said. “I think it’s about finding like-minded individuals. When we meet these people who are passionate about music, no matter what that music is, they usually have a good time here.”

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

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FOOD

FAST furious AND

THE LIFE OF A FOOD TRUCKER AT BON ME

BY KENNY RAMOS PHOTOGRAPHY BY GIANCARLO RODRIGUEZ

you have frequented the Boston and If Cambridge areas on any given day chances are you have seen them: brightly colored Bon Me food trucks roaming around bringing “bold, fresh and fun” Vietnamese-inspired cuisine. In addition to the trucks there are brick and mortar locations in Kendall Square, Fort Point, Fresh Pond and a stand at the new Boston Public Market.

Husband and wife duo Allison Fong and Patrick Lynch founded Bon Me in 2011 and it has since grown into a respected local establishment. Besides Bon Me, other honorable mentions in Boston’s strong food truck scene include Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, Clover Food Lab and Lilo’s Plates, to name a few. With other tasty options bidding for the same public approval, Bon Me distinguishes itself with its vibrantly colored fleet of trucks and deliciously filling food priced at a good value. Loyal patrons happily return for more sandwiches, rice and noodle bowls and house-made beverages.

This would not be possible, however, without a well-maintained staff both in the kitchens and on the trucks. Not everyone is cut out for it, and

potential truckers are placed on a one-month preliminary trial before being fully brought on board or turned down for the position.

I have been a trucker at Bon Me since May 2015 and the best advice I can offer is to be able to work fast, manage stress well and have a willingness to learn something new.

For me, it all started when I saw a Facebook post in a BU Jobs and Internships group advertising an opportunity to work for the company. I have prior food service experience and figured applying would be a safe option for me.

I knew nothing about the company—but I had enjoyed a rice bowl from them earlier that year.

After filling out application questions such as which one of their homemade sauces describes me the best—spicy peanut for sure—I got the job.

Since then, my time spent on the trucks has been sweaty, sometimes stressful, tasty and a pleasure—occasional gripes notwithstanding.

On each truck there are one or two ordertakers, someone on starches handling rice, bread and noodles, truckers on the vegetables and protein tables and someone working on drinks

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

“I have been a trucker at Bon Me since May 2015 and the best advice I can offer is to be able to work fast, manage stress well and have a willingness to learn something new.” and expo—a restaurant term for expediting orders. Speed and accuracy are crucial along with constant communication, especially when service gets slammed with a rush.

During one of my first shifts on Blossom Street at Massachusetts General Hospital, I kept misreading ticket modifications and constantly lost track of orders. Mismatched piles of poorly portioned sandwiches and rice bowls were the products of my inability to keep up the pace,

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resulting in a nightmarish shift.

Still, my horror story may not be the worst thing to happen on the job. Current trucker Barrett Kowalsky (CAS ’16) experienced a different kind of mishap.

“When I was working at Harvard a couple weeks ago, I ran to the bathroom and when I came back and stepped up onto the truck, my shorts ripped right in half,” Kowalsky said.

Although Bon Me does not require truckers to wear a uniform, it is important to dress appropriately. The best options to wear on a truck that has a steam table and a 450-degree oven are a hat, shirt, durable bottoms and sneakers. Even with the best preparation, the nature of the job is unpredictable.

From the experiences of Brian McNally, a supervisor on the trucks, freak accidents do happen.

“While I was hammering out sandwich orders on the line, a bottle of spicy peanut dressing was clogged,” McNally said. “I squeezed it, and my eyes caught a splash of the peanut paste and pepper flake blend. It was a temporarily blinding experience.”

Although the beloved dressing is one of the most popular sauces offered, it can be pretty unforgiving on the eyes and should be kept exclusively on the entrées.

Despite the occasional woes of the foodtrucking world, they do not take away from good days on the job.

When I first started, I noticed that all of the good food trucks in Boston have a loyal following. Although Bon Me can crank out well over 500 tickets during a SOWA shift alone, superb quality and service matters.

“The pride that comes from great work is the best,” supervisor Han Lee said. He says that completing a large amount of orders during a busy service is hugely satisfying.

Bon Me guarantees patrons that it will modify any dish to their liking while also delivering meals at a rapid fire pace. This dedication to providing customer satisfaction has yielded the company a Twitter following of well over 8,000 along with winding queues at busier stops like Dewey Square—located just outside of South Station—on a weekly basis.

“It’s a good feeling making [someone’s] day, especially the regulars,” manager Judd Mitchell said.

In addition to Bon Me’s quality service, its culture is one of my favorite things about working for the company. Bon Me’s staff consists of young, college-aged employees who prefer to work in a fast-paced, high-energy environment.

Over time colleagues become friends, and being scheduled with good company can make a shift something to look forward to.

“Having a crew you [can] vibe with to the point where you feel like you’re hanging out is rare,” Boston Public Market Bon Me supervisor Derek Dawson said.

Food trucking is not a line of work I would recommend to every college student looking for a part–time job. There are no comfy ergonomic chairs or air conditioning here. Instead, the workplace is a steel box on wheels loaded with propane. There is an upside, however, since truckers do have access to free food not just from Bon Me, but also from trading meals with other food trucks as well. The company sometimes even vends at events such as ball games at Fenway Park, Boston Calling and Lawn on D. Working here has dragged me out to parts of Boston I probably would not have ventured to on my own time.

If you are not afraid to put your hands to work and are a punctual individual with a good attitude, then you might just be cut out for the job.

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

3 6 5 DAY S o f

fr e s h

T h e B o s t o n P u b l i c Ma rk e t B ri n g s t h e Fa rm t o t h e C i t y

BY ELISHA MACHADO PHOTOGRAPHY BY MADELEINE ARCH DESIGN BY DORIAN DREYFUSS Amidst the congested roads, cramped buildings and constant bustling grew the Boston Public Market—a small green leaf with great potential in the middle of a densely populated metropolis.

It breaks the boundaries between country and urban development by bringing the farm directly into the city.

With the food industry constantly shifting toward cheaper, faster products, artificial enhancements and injections have become the norm, and people are often unaware of where their food comes from. People used to pick apples from their backyards, but now turn to convenient grocery stores where apples are coated with wax and modified to look better rather than taste better. The farmers at the Boston Public Market hope to change that by showing people fresh is better.

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For farmers like Kate Stillman of Stillman’s Farm and Stillman Quality Meats, this means commuting more than 70 miles to bring fresh meat and produce to the market.

“You can’t get the farmer at Shaw’s, you just can’t,” said Stillman. “So even if my corn at times is 10 or 20 cents higher, you have no idea when the corn was picked in the grocery store. I can tell you, these two hands got up this morning and picked it.”

A common misconception among consumers is that local produce is often unaffordable, but Stillman hopes to show them otherwise.

“I know people are in slight sticker shock when they come to see my meat,” said Stillman.

“Tyson and Perdue and some of these big companies have done such a good job at screwing up the system. Pork is so cheap in the stores but that animal was raised in a cage, hasn’t seen daylight, hasn’t had a chance to turn around. You pay a price for that with cheap pork chops.”

Fast food restaurants are even starting to catch onto the farm-to-table trend in response to consumer requests. McDonald’s is transitioning to use cage-free eggs in its breakfast sandwiches and Panera Bread changed its menu to take out artificial ingredients earlier this year.

Farmers at the Boston Public Market are passionate about bringing awareness to the benefits of locally sourced food, especially as many have enjoyed the farm-to-table experience since childhood.

“I grew up eating this stuff,” said Stillman. “I thought tomatoes only grew from June to October. I didn’t even know what a strawberry in January was until I walked off the farm and joined the rest of the world. I still don’t believe strawberries should exist out of season. I think strawberries should be [available] in June and that’s it.”

For Stillman, bringing produce to the market is not just about profit, but also

connecting with her customers.

Simply picking up a head of lettuce can spark a conversation, allowing Stillman to find out what customers like or dislike about her products. Stillman can also offer suggestions for ways to prepare the produce from recipes for dressings to complimentary additions.

One of the main goals of the Boston Public Market is to offer fresh, local food year round—a difficult feat to accomplish. Vendor Corner Stalk Farm has a way to solve that problem, and it is as local as it gets. They grow produce in East Boston by turning recycled freight containers into greenhouses.

Corner Stalk Farm works with Freight Farms, a company that specializes in controlled environment agriculture, to grow leafy produce and lettuces. This process uses red and blue LED lights to replace daylight.

The Freight Farms’ containers also have a recirculating water system that gathers the plants’ excess water and recycles it for the next watering.

The water is stored in a tank that ensures all of the minerals and nutrients are at the correct levels. Water is also gathered from the humidity of the air when the plants transpire.

With Freight Farms, Corner Stalk Farm aims to make city farming as efficient as possible.

The process actually reverses day and night for the plants. Lights are turned on in the evening to avoid extra heat in the daytime and make more warmth at night. The temperature is kept between 68 and 70 degrees during the plants’ daytime and 60 to 62 during the plants’ nighttime.

“It allows farmers like ourselves to grow in spaces of land that would be too expensive to use for ground farming or would be impossible to grow on,” said Corner Stalk Farm’s founder Shawn Cooney. “The reason is because we can grow a number of plants per square foot that makes it financially possible so we basically grow about two plants per square foot and we can do that once a month, year round.”

When Cooney first started the company, finding land proved to be more difficult than expected.

“It was a challenge finding a place where you could farm close enough to the city to have an impact,” said Cooney. “There’s lots of land potentially available, but it’s always tied up in something—someone’s waiting for the next hotel or they want to rent you a building and the land... there’s plenty of land but it might not always be as easily available as we’d like.”

In 2010, the late Boston mayor, Thomas Menino, launched the Urban Agriculture Initiative that would change all of that. Before

this, people were only allowed to grow produce in their own gardens, but not for sale. The initiative established zoning that made larger farming possible within the city, and has promise to economically uplift its population.

“I think we stand a chance of becoming a fairly decent employer in a neighborhood that needs one,” said Cooney. “We’re in a new immigrant neighborhood and everyone works hard and there are a lot of people who still need jobs that are living there. If everything does work out and we do expand, then we could become a decent generator of jobs for that part of the city.”

With farms like Corner Stalk Farm and Stillman’s Farm, the Boston Public Market could help change perceptions of locally sourced food.

“We have a long ways to go to make local the main avenue in this county,” said Stillman.

“Here’s what were doing here at the Public Market—we are gaining, it’s inches, it’s not feet, it’s not miles, but we’re building. It’s getting way better and I don’t think we’ll ever knock strawberries in January. It’s a reality. I just want people to know the difference and appreciate the difference.”

top secret Must-try menu hacks for your favorite restaurant chains

BY JACQUELYN BUSICK PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN VOCATURO DESIGN BY DEANNA KLIMA-RAJCHEL

Y

ou may be a creature of habit, or you may have exhausted the menu options, but your devotion to your favorite Commonwealth Avenue restaurant chains does not have to end with repeat orders. Starbucks, Jamba Juice, Chipotle and even Shake Shack—and many other fast food chains—have secret menus with dozens of new delectable possibilities. Here are some must-have secret menu items and how to order them.

STARBUCKS

Butterbeer Frappuccino Make your study snack a little more magical with Starbucks’ twist on a Harry Potter classic.

Ask your barista if he or she knows how to make a Butterbeer Frappuccino from the secret menu. If not, just order a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino with one to two pumps of caramel syrup, one to two pumps of toffee nut syrup and a caramel drizzle on top.

JAMBA JUICE

Peaches and Cream Ask for the Peach Pleasure smoothie with frozen yogurt and soy milk instead of the orange sherbet for a creamy version of your fruity favorite.

SHAKE SHACK

Peanut Butter and Bacon ShackBurger Strange, but possibly life-changing. Order a ShackBurger with added bacon and request a side of their peanut butter spread. Add the peanut butter spread yourself and enjoy your secret delicacy.

CHIPOTLE

Nachos Surprisingly, Chipotle does not offer nachos on its regular menu, but they can make them if you ask. Just order a burrito bowl with chips as the base instead of rice and start piling on the toppings!

FASHION

THE ART OF

indulgence THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

JAY: JACK WILLS, BELGRAVE BLAZER, $329; JACK WILLS, BUCKINGHAM WOOL SUIT TROUSER, $159; JACK WILLS, SALCOMBE DOBBY TEXTURE SHIRT, $98.50; ALDO, SANTRY LOAFERS, $55 CLAIRE: CRUSH BOUTIQUE, RORY BECA/LEVI DRESS, $228; LOU LOU, ECI RHINESTONE/PEARL NECKLACE, $28; LOU LOU, STO RING IN BLUE, $18; SHOES, STYLIST'S OWN

IN FASHION, THERE IS A FINE LINE BETWEEN

DECADENT

AND GAUDY.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARA DIFABIO AND STEPHEN VOCATURO, EDITED BY CAT YU // ART DIRECTION

BY ERICA MAYBAUM AND EDEN WEINBERG // STYLING BY SAM PETERS High society style calls for a statement, but the key is to strive for elegance. Contrasting rich textures creates an eye-catching appeal, while brilliant jewel tones are the epitome of opulence and sophistication.

Like icing on a cake, layers of gemstones and mixed metals add the perfect finishing touch to any posh ensemble. The picturesque backdrop of the Berkshires highlights this sumptuous blend of fabric, color and shine for looks as lavish as their price tags.

COVER // JORDAN: AMERICAN APPAREL, RYDER DRESS, $44; LF, MIEEION VEST, $128; NO REST FOR BRIDGET, FRINGE AND JEWEL NECKLACE, $18.99; EARRINGS, STYLIST’S OWN; SHOES, STYLIST’S OWN // CLAIRE: MARIMEKKO, MYSTI SILK DRESS, $415; MARIMEKKO, MOLLIS COAT, $725; LOU LOU, JCR JET STONE EARRING, $22; SHOES, STYLIST’S OWN LEFT // CLAIRE: LOU LOU, STO RING IN PURPLE, $18; LOU LOU, STO RING IN BLUE, $18; LOU LOU COT BRACELET, $20; LOU LOU, LEE EMERALD BRACELET, $24; LOU LOU, JAI TWO TONE BANGLE, $20; LOU LOU LAR RING, $15; LOU LOU LAU FASHION RING, $18; LOU LOU IDC RINGS (ONLY GOLD RING FEATURED), $20 RIGHT // CLAIRE: NO REST FOR BRIDGET, OLIVACEOUS TOP IN BLACK, $52.99; JACK WILLS, DOWSON EMBROIDERED SKIRT, $159; LOU LOU, JCR NECKLACE, $30; LOU LOU, IDE BRACELET, $20; SHOES, STYLIST’S OWN // CALVIN: AMERICAN APPAREL, FISHERMAN’S PULLOVER IN DARK SAGE, $78; AMERICAN APPAREL, ATHLETIC INTERLOCK PANT $72; SHOES, STYLIST’S OWN

44

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

JORDAN: AMERICAN APPAREL, CALI SUN & FUN/FUZZY CROPPED SWEATER, $65; NO REST FOR BRIDGET, HONEY PUNCH SHORTS, $39.99; LOU LOU, NYB NECKLACE, $28; SHOES, STYLIST’S OWN // JAY: STEVEN ALAN, COPER TURTLE SWEATER, $385; STEVEN ALAN, TREKKER PANT IN UNIFORM KHAKI, $198; ALDO, ALPEN SHOES, $150; WATCH, STYLIST’S OWN

46

JAY: BALL AND BUCK, STRIPED OXFORD HUNTER’S SHIRT, RIVER BLUE, $148; BALL AND BUCK TIE SP14, PAISLEY BLUE, $82; BLAZER, STYLIST’S OWN; BALL AND BUCK, 8 POINT DUCK COTTON PANT IN CARAMEL, $148; H&M SNEAKERS, $19.99 // CLAIRE: LF FAITH IN LOVE DRESS, $148; NECKLACE, STYLIST’S OWN; SHOES, STYLIST’S OWN

“STYLE IS WEARING AN EVENING DRESS TO MCDONALD’S, WEARING HEELS TO PLAY FOOTBALL. IT IS PERSONALITY,

CONFIDENCE

AND SEDUCTION.” -JOHN GALLIANO JORDAN: AMERICAN APPAREL, VELVET UNDERWIRE BUSTIER SKATER DRESS, $68; LOU LOU, CHA NECKLACE, $48; EARRINGS, STYLIST’S OWN CLAIRE: MARIMEKKO, WOLLE SHIRT, $195; MARIMEKKO, HURRIKAANI PANTS, $295; LOU LOU FIE SCARF NECKLACE, $45; LOU LOU, JCR TEAR DROP STATEMENT EARRING, $20; H&M, LOAFERS, $14.99

48

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

JORDAN: LF, RUMOR BOUTIQUE DRESS, $164; EARRINGS, STYLIST’S OWN; SHOES,STYLIST’S OWN

50

cultured kicks boston ties together the sneaker community

BY CONNOR LENAHAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN VOCATURO DESIGN BY EDEN WEINBERG

Sneakers have gained a foothold in culture with brands like Jordan, Nike, Adidas, New BaLance and Reebok, setting the stage for new styles, and Boston University students are no exception to the trend.

52

Limited-edition sneakers are up and down Commonwealth Avenue. It has become an unspoken competition to see who can rock the best look. Gone are the days that a quick trip to Foot Locker will suffice. Now, guys looking to turn the heads of fellow sneaker aficionados will have to look high and low for something exclusive.

Sneaker boutiques—shops that sell footwear, but also their own clothing lines and the latest in streetwear—are becoming more popular, and Boston boasts two of the most notable in the country.

On Clarendon Street is a nondescript storefront with no signage and no markings aside from sun-bleached detergent boxes and other household items.

But around the corner is Bodega, the world-renowned sportswear brand and boutique.

What sets Bodega apart from any other sneaker store in Boston—and the country—is its secrecy. While those that follow the sneaker world know Bodega as one of the top names in the game, others are unaware of the illustrious

sneaker shop behind the brown steel door. Behind it is a dilapidated convenience store with writing on the walls, broken tiles and seemingly decades-expired cleaning supplies. But if you try to get a soda from the Snapple machine in the back, you enter the underground glory that is Bodega.

Sneaker collector Arie Orchanian is a fan of the storefront.

“I’ve never bought anything there, but I’m a huge fan of the concept,” said Orchanian (Questrom ’16). “It’s an experience; it’s somewhere that you bring your friends from out of town.”

The sneaker wonderland is a frequent collaborator with many brands, including New Balance and Adidas. But the former’s storefront on Boylston Street would never carry the limited edition Bodega X New Balance pairs that come out sporadically every year.

Beyond collaborations, Bodega specializes in limited-edition pairs from major brands. The latest retro Jordan releases are found in store.

Looking for the shoes that Kobe Bryant wore on the court last night?

Bodega likely has them next to what Kevin Durant wore.

Despite its hidden allure and unique inventory, Bodega is not the only sneaker spot in the Boston area. Across the river in Harvard Square is Concepts, Boston’s second heavy hitter in the sneaker world.

Unlike Bodega, Concepts sits in plain view and the storefront is markedly smaller—but what they

lack in floor space they make up in originality. Concepts is also notable for collaborating with major brands on limited edition sneakers, but their releases tend to be more frequent and further reaching across brands.

Concepts is regularly praised for its expansive merchandise by Complex, Nice Kicks, Kicks on Fire and other sports websites.

Concepts’ kicks are some of the most coveted in the world.

Within minutes of release, online or in-store, every pair finds a buyer.

“A couple of years ago I wanted to get one of Concepts collaborations with New Balance,” said Orchanian. “It was a pink, white and gray pair that was already pretty hard to come by. I couldn’t end up getting them, but I really liked their design.”

This is another defining feature of sneaker culture. There is a strong likelihood that if you strolled past Concepts or Bodega at 5 a.m. on a Saturday, you would find ambitious sneakerheads camped out, waiting to further improve their footwear repertoire. Tent villages pop up in the hopes of scoring the newest Nikes or retro Reeboks.

The sneaker-head that needs sleep and skips the early morning lines is seemingly the one that misses out on the fun—at least

in theory. Major collaborators like Bodega and Concepts host resale markets where users can buy and sell sneakers, especially highly coveted limited edition pairs. While students might not have the time to camp out for that pair of Jordans, they can still find their desired pair, although they may have quite the markup.

Kixify, the world’s largest online sneaker marketplace, specializes in helping collectors fill their closets with whatever their hearts desire. For many, this is the preferred option. When Air Jordans are released around the holidays, waiting outside before dawn in freezing temperatures is not ideal. For a premium, the Concord 11’s can be yours— without the hypothermia.

Customers may be dissuaded from purchasing online, as knockoff designs are prevalent on sites like eBay. In response to this, Boston houses a dedicated resale shop on Massachusetts Avenue that checks for authenticity.

Laced, the trendy, minimalist Boston boutique, specializes in high-end sneaker consignment.

While Bodega and Concepts regularly compete for the latest trends, Laced gives you access to the past trends to find exactly what you want. They predominantly feature Jordans, but do not discriminate against other brands.

While quickly growing in popularity, sneakers are not for everyone. Although respect and the hobby aspect draw many in, the evergrowing price tag pushes them away.

“I’ve got my running shoes and the rest are mainly boat shoes,” said Patrick Ayer (SAR ’17). “[That’s because] boat shoes don’t cost $180 per pair. It’s just too expensive overall.”

Even sneaker-heads like Orchanian find some price points ridiculous.

“I stopped buying Jordans for that exact reason,” said Orchanian.

“They’re nice, but I’m a college student. I can’t keep spending that

much on them when there are cheaper options.”

Others simply avoid the issue altogether.

“I’m pretty much an ‘anykind-of-shoe’ guy,” said Wagner Tong (Questrom ’16). “If they don’t give me blisters and don’t fall apart on me, I’m okay with them. I don’t need anything fancy.”

Sneaker collecting is far from a universal hobby. Many find themselves less than enthralled with the hard work and high prices that go into finding new pairs. Even collectors sometimes struggle to reconcile their sneaker obsession with their budget. But there is a growing population that loves to head to the store and own something exclusive.

For those looking to turn heads on Commonwealth Avenue and beyond, Bodega, Concepts and Laced all firmly place Boston as the center of the sneaker world in the United States.

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

the culture of man-repelling e m p o w e r i n g w o m e n t h r o u g h fa s h i o n

BY SAM PETERS PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRENTON BOCKUS DESIGN BY KATIE BARRY

54

For many women, fashion is something that feeds the soul. Like any art form, it is a means of expression—not only of taste but also a statement of agency and individuality. With ever-changing trends and expanded notions of equality, fashion has become more than a mere passion; it has evolved to carry its own unique social implications. Cue the man-repelling clothes.

A mix of stylistically driven choices and feminist fervor, “man-repelling” fashion has recently gained significant clout in the fashion world.

Simply defined, man-repelling clothes are garments that are typically seen as unappealing to the opposite sex. These items include everything from shoulder pads to harem pants and boyfriend jeans to overalls.

The reason men seem repelled by these clothing options is because they fail to enhance the feminine form or tend to appear masculine. Take for example the harem pants trend. These drop crotch pants are baggy in the back and thighs and become tighter from the knee down, creating a slouchier silhouette.

While they may be optimal for comfort and movement, there is nothing like loose fabric to hide any semblance of curves, and especially leave ambiguity about anatomical differences. Men typically bemoan that these pants do nothing for a woman’s rear end and have even gone so far as to liken the look to a full diaper.

“I think when it comes to women’s clothing, men are more interested in clothing that makes women look good, and women are more interested in clothing that makes them feel good,” said Giovanna Figueroa, a former employee of the retail chain Zara.

The list of women’s clothing that men find “unappealing” does not stop at harem pants.

In a survey conducted by RedBook Magazine in which men were asked to rate various women’s trends and explain how they felt about them, 85 percent of men agreed that women should not wear jumpsuits. When asked why, responses to the survey varied: Mark G., 44, said, “What are you

style trying to hide?” and Jake M., 24, commented that these pieces are “neither sexy nor professional.”

However, the reasoning behind men’s aversion to other types of clothing may be less clear-cut. Many men also see gladiator sandals— the chic, strappy shoes permeating runways and nostalgic summer wardrobes—as an undesirable fashion trend. It could be that the perceived “chaotic-ness” of the shoe seems too overwhelming to be considered aesthetically pleasing, but in reality, there is no truly plausible explanation.

Despite male aversion to these popular trends, women love them. The avant-garde, edgy quality that is synonymous with high fashion often translates into these looks. High-end companies like Stella McCartney, Marc Jacobs and Saint Laurent have been known to emphasize cross-gender and androgynous looks in their collections, a clear nod to this man-repelling style and its growing visibility.

“Man-repelling clothes make a huge statement,” said Helen Peña, creator of the fashion blog Creative Thirst. “Not everyone has the mindset to understand the sartorial power of manrepelling pieces or the confidence to rock them.

I would say a good 80 percent don’t, so when someone does understand it and rocks it, they most definitely stand out.”

Beyond their fashion-forward appeal, these man-repelling clothes are linked to empowering notions for women, including self-respect. The clothes are worn in a satirically offensive manner, meaning that they are supposed to draw attention to the fact that a woman dresses for herself and not the opposite sex.

Of course, the permeation of this style and its social implications could have never been realized without the work of one particular individual. Leandra Medine, the iconic founder of the blog Man Repeller, first coined the term and escalated the aesthetic to a full-blown trend. A self-proclaimed “desperately single” female at the start of her career, Medine was inspired to create her blog based on common societal pressures that

emphasize the “importance” of women’s desirability to men. As fashion magazines continue to bombard women with content like “Five Things You Need to Get the Guy” or “What to Wear to Make Him Notice,” Medine’s man-repelling style appeals to a large demographic. Her brand not only celebrates the idea that women should wear whatever they want, but also embraces the unique fashion choices that can allow women to gain power over their single status.

With over 10 million page views on the Man Repeller site each month and over 1 million followers on Instagram, the popularity of this style is evident. Since the blog’s conception nearly five years ago, Medine was featured as one of Time magazine’s “most influential trendsetters” in 2012 and has been seen donning her quirky and iconic aesthetic at various New York Fashion Week events.

Man-repelling style is not a new idea, however. Medine admits she merely propelled it forward, as it has been a concept that probably dates back to ancient Greek and Roman eras.

“That’s what’s interesting is that it’s a social condition that predated the web,” said Medine in a 2015 interview with TechCrunch.com. “I just gave it a term.”

Throughout time, fashion has predominantly been considered a women’s playing field. Whether the reason for this lies in a psychological difference between women’s and men’s interests or is simply a social construct, fashion has maintained a considerable allure among women. Although this may appear to be a sexist generalization, it may not be such a bad thing. Women can now use fashion to their advantage, changing perceptions of what it means to be “sexy” and the idea that women should dress in a certain way in order to attract men.

“I think a part of that is feminism and independence, that women don’t have to wear what men want or expect them to wear,” said Airi Shibayama (SHA ’16). “I think it’s a way of expressing that women can do what they want through fashion.”

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

STREET

BY SAM PETERS PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY MARKUS DESIGN BY KARAM YANG

Vivian Li

Ebru Kir

Tal Chesed

COM ‘16 Instagram: @ebruuukir

SHA ‘17 Instagram: @talchesed

Long Waistcoat: Zara Jeans: J Brand Necklace: Francesca’s Bracelets: Alex and Ani Bag: Vince Camuto

Shirt: Brandy Melville Pants: Thrifted Levi’s Boots: Zara Sunglasses: ASOS Rings: Thrifted

Denim Jacket: American Apparel Hoodie: H&M Jeans: Topman Shoes: Vintage Freeman Bead Bracelet: Urban Outfitters

WHY WE LOVE THIS LOOK:

WHY WE LOVE THIS LOOK: The

WHY WE LOVE THIS LOOK: Rich

QUESTROM ‘17 Instagram: @vivzli

Sophistication of the sleeveless, tailored waistcoat—perfect for warmer Fall days 56

relaxed aesthetic of the distressed boyfriend jean

texture combination of denim and cotton layered jackets

SPORTS

700

375,681

High school girls playing soccer in 1971 vs. 2015

1,000,000+ The number of women hockey players in the US as of the 2014 season

19 58

The number of women who competed in the 1900 Olympics

“You throw like a girl.”

“What does a woman know about football? Women don’t play football.”

“How could a woman coach a team full of men?”

Although there are still people who think women cannot keep up with men in athletics, a new era of sports has emerged. Female athletes are proving to be as equally skilled and talented as their male counterparts. The sports savvy females of this new generation are a sending a powerful message for gender equality.

Similar to stories of Major League Baseball and National Football League, women’s sports have rich histories that date back to the turn of the 20th century. In the late 1800s, it was feared that if women participated in sports and competition they would become less feminine.

Despite this, plenty of women pioneered the sports sphere for generations of females to come. In 1900, 19 women became the first females to compete in the modern Olympic Games, with participation in just three sports: tennis, golf and croquet.

The mid-1900s saw more women interested in sports with the formation of various women’s professional leagues across the United States.

Women even played baseball in place of men who left to fight during World War II. “In the decades between 1920 and 1970, American education administrators largely viewed women’s competitive sports as abnormal and suspicious,” said Professor Anne Blaschke, a visiting assistant professor at College of the Holy Cross who specializes in 20th century female athletes. “For the majority of American girls who still wished they could play sports, being an athlete was a real challenge because of the social stigma against both winning in sports competition

and pushing one’s body to its physical limit.”

While women were getting the chance to play sports, they still did not have equal opportunity or funding. It was not until 1972 that the U.S. Congress passed Title IX to foster more equitable federal financial aid to women’s sports programs. This kick-started a new generation of females playing sports with guaranteed opportunities for both high school and collegelevel female athletes. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, following Title IX the amount of girls playing high school soccer increased drastically, from 700 girls

Just getting younger girls to say ‘Well if she can do it, I can do it too’ and to get exposure in any kind of atmosphere is great. in 1971 to 375,681 girls in 2015.

“Title IX revolutionized access to sport[s] for women and girls. The law really opened the door to [women] for the first time by mandating that any educational institution receiving federal funding could not discriminate on the basis of sex,” said Blaschke. “Adolescents and teen girls who wanted to play sports had been largely locked out of speed and strength-based sports like track and field, soccer, basketball and hockey, and precious little funding existed for girls’

athletics. Title IX compelled school districts nationwide to offer girls the opportunity to compete.”

The rise in female athletes at the high school and college levels left more of them wanting to continue, leading to the formation of professional leagues. Today there are numerous women’s professional sports organizations in North America, the most popular being the Women’s Association and the National Women’s Soccer League. Following the 2015 birth of the National Women’s Hockey League, the last remaining women’s sports without a professional team are football and baseball. Though these leagues do not receive the same recognition as their male counterparts, they are rapidly growing in size and popularity. Much of this can be contributed to the growth of girls’ youth sports programs around the country.

According to USA Hockey, girls’ and women’s hockey is the most rapidly growing portion of the entire sport. As of the 2014-15 season, there were over 1 million female hockey players in the U.S. alone. Krista Patronick, the general manager of the Boston Blades, a women’s professional ice hockey team in the College Women’s Hockey League, believes that these increasing numbers are helping the competition in women’s hockey.

“It’s so great to see that a lot of youth programs are branching out. For a lot of girls on my team, when they were growing up they didn’t have programs of their own and they had to play with the boys,” said Patronick.

Professional female athletes are becoming more influential and are breaking down gender barriers in sports. Carli Lloyd of the U.S. Women’s World Cup Champion Soccer team and Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Ronda Rousey are becoming advocates for women in the sports world. Lloyd skillfully earned a hat trick in the World Championship game, with impressive goals that awed men and women alike. She and her teammates are among the first generation of female soccer players to be featured in the video game, FIFA ’16.

Rousey has recently made waves challenging

the undefeated Floyd Mayweather to a fight, claiming she can beat him. Her confidence in her fighting abilities inspires young generations of girls, proving that they too can compete with the boys.

“Anything that happens where there’s a lot of exposure is great for women’s sports,” said Professor Frank Shorr, who teaches Broadcast Sports at BU’s College of Communication. “Just getting younger girls to say ‘Well if she can do it, I can do it too’ and to get exposure in any kind of atmosphere is great.”

Women are expanding not only on the playing side of sports, but also in the coaching, officiating and business sides as well.

Last summer, the San Antonio Spurs hired WNBA veteran Becky Hammon as an assistant coach, making her the first full-time, paid female assistant on an NBA coaching staff. This past July, Jen Welter became the first female NFL coach after being hired by the Arizona Cardinals for training during the preseason.

The NFL also recently appointed Sarah Thomas as the first full-time female official. On the broadcasting side, U.S. softball Olympic medalist Jessica Mendoza became ESPN’s first female baseball game analyst.

Although women are starting to earn roles in a historically male-dominated world, it does not mean that it has become easy yet.

“There [are] always going to be barriers when you have more men in power than women in general. When you look at who’s holding positions of power in franchises, it’s all men,” said Patronick.

The road to prevalence and relevancy in the sports world lies in the hands of the women who are looking to enter it. With professionalism and knowledge, females have the opportunity to continue to enter the sports sphere. The women of this new generation are well prepared to take the reins and continue to promote women’s sports across the nation.

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

AMERICA’S DISTINCTION IN GLOBAL ATHLETICS

BY ELIZA SULLIVAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN VOCATURO DESIGN BY JAMI RUBIN

60

Flip on your TV any Sunday from now until Feb. 7, and you will be hard-pressed to come across anything but a football game. Visit nearly any other country in the world and you’ll see American football is much more difficult to find. For many Americans, the “wide world of sports” is not really that wide: it is constricted to our nation, our pastimes and our favorite teams.

Even within the U.S., sports are regionalized, with team allegiance most profoundly based on where people are from.

Somewhere along the way, Americans went their own way in the sports world to make football the most popular sport in the country.

Last year’s Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks broke television records with an average of 114.4 million viewers, according to CNN. And while according to the International Business Times, the game was broadcast to 180 countries in 25 languages, the population percentage of viewers in those countries was lower.

“When you talk about football, it’s kind of foreign because they don’t play it anywhere else,” said Frank Shorr, College of Communication professor and BU Sports Institute director.

There have been attempts to take American football abroad. In 1991, the World League of American Football compiled 10 teams that competed in Europe and America. The league was on hiatus from 1993-94, and the returning teams were solely European. By 2007, the league collapsed. Today there are NFL games played in the United Kingdom each year, but the audience is largely made up of American transplants looking for a piece of home.

While attempts to make football global have failed, other traditional “American pastimes” have taken a hold abroad. In fact, baseball has become quite the phenomenon in certain areas of the globe.

“You couldn’t field a Major League Baseball team without Dominicans and Latinos and Cubans,” Shorr said.

In recent years, basketball has moved in the same direction. The National Basketball Association used to have nearly entirely homegrown American athletes, but now that has changed.

“Ten years ago the NBA had one player, [if even] one player per team from outside the U.S. Now everybody’s got two or three,” Shorr said.

And just as other nations have adopted American athletics, so too have Americans adopted sports from other nations. While it is still largely associated with Canada, the National Hockey League only has seven Canadian teams in play, compared to just over three times as many teams in the United States.

In fact, the global sports arena follows sports that are significantly less popular in the U.S. The rest of the world cares more about games like soccer, cricket and rugby. Sports like golf and tennis are popular here and abroad, but nowhere near the level of football and baseball.

America’s distinction in taste is a strange paradox, while in many other ways it is a global leader.

YOU GET THAT HUE AND CRY ‘SOCCER IS COMING TO THE UNITED STATES AND IT’S GONNA BE BIG.’ IT’S JUST NOT GONNA HAPPEN. THERE’S TOO MUCH ELSE. The tides of sports are changing—in Vancouver, Canada, on July 5, 2015, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team made history.

They became the first country to win three FIFA Women’s World Cups, and the match became the most watched soccer match in American history. It was considered a victory for soccer and for women’s sports, both of which have been neglected in the United States. The popularity of soccer in the United States has seen an increase in the past few years, through events such as the World Cup and athletes like David Beckham making a dramatic impact on its perception this side of the Atlantic. The real question is whether or not the fascination will hold.

“You get that hue and cry ‘soccer is coming to

the United States and it’s gonna be big.’ It’s just not gonna happen,” Shorr said. “There’s too much else.”

With the U.S. sports market so saturated with “American” sports, there may not be room for another major league to break onto the scene—but that does not mean that soccer will not be popular.

The global community is thriving, so it would make sense that Americans would start tuning into the rest of the world.

“Although I was born in the U.S., my parents are from Portugal, and sometimes their lives literally revolve around [soccer],” Brian Gomes (CAS ’17) said. “Whenever a game was on, it became a mini family event and we’d all sit and watch, even if sometimes we had no idea who was playing.”

In American sports culture, focus is often on teams rather than the sports themselves. Fans watch their teams and rarely any others, because they love the competition.

Boston is a notorious sports city, known for its intense, and sometimes borderline vicious, fans. Living in the heart of the “City of Champions” makes it hard to avoid the sports-mania.

Flaminio Pavesi (CAS ’18) experienced Boston fans firsthand.

“I’ve been following the NBA [for] a little bit because a lot of my friends watch it, and I like basketball even though I never watched it before when I was in Italy,” he said.

Living in such a saturated American sports market means that there is even less of an opportunity to take note of international sports.

With social media and streaming, it would have engaged a global, uniting conversation. The power of sports connecting people is displayed every Olympic Games, which pits nation against nation, but still manage to create a sense of unity.

We generally choose our sports loyalties based on where we are from, based on local television— but streaming is changing that. This critical shift could play catalyst in making the “wide world of sports” a reality, where fans are spread far across countries, rather than just across cities.

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

HANDS of the GREEN MONSTER the man keeping score at Fenway Park

BY CONNOR LENAHAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMANDA SWINHART AND MICHAEL IVANS

A

Red Sox ball game at the legendary Fenway Park is a favorite pastime of Boston University students and Bostonians alike—they can enjoy one of the best and most historical stadiums in all of sports while cheering on the home team. Fenway Park has hosted the Red Sox for 103 years, and has earned eight World Series championships.

Fans wonder what happens behind the scenes to make the games run so smoothly. As the team’s official score and timekeeper, BU professor Andy Anders is a big part of the Red Sox operations. The Buzz asked Anders more about his role behind the Red Sox scoreboard, the Green Monster—the league’s last remaining manually operated scoreboard.

Q A Q A Q A Q A Q A

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WHAT DO YOU DO FOR THE RED SOX? I actually work for MLB, and I work about half the games at Fenway in various capacities. The scorekeeping job involves recording [the game’s events] to generate the box score...and record data for real-time applications like ESPN Gamecast and MLB.com Gameday.

WHICH GAME WAS YOUR FAVORITE TO WORK? Game 6 of the 2013 World Series. The Red Sox had not won a World Series [at] Fenway Park since 1918!

DO YOU APPLY ANY OF YOUR WORK TO YOUR BU COURSES? It has helped [with] research I have done in Sabermetrics. It also has created great baseball stories that I can tell during my teaching.

HOW HARD IS IT TO KEEP TRACK OF EVERYTHING HAPPENING IN A GAME? This job is very challenging. You must [be focused] on the events of the game, know baseball well, be very facile with a computer and stay calm when the plays get complicated, or [something] crashes on you.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE RED SOX PLAYER? Tough to choose between Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz. I also love watching Dustin Pedroia play.

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

SO THIS IS THE MAIN SQUARE. THIS IS WHERE WE GO OUT FOR DRINKS, FOR FOOD, FOR COMPANY.”

It is a nostalgic sight. Ari is gesturing down a wide cobblestone boulevard lined with shops. The majority of the buildings are dilapidated, with only every fourth or fifth building in operation. My cousin shrugs away the grimace I give him.

“It was bustling two years ago.”

It is June 9 and I have just arrived in Greece after spending a semester reveling in the indulgence that is Paris.

My uncle’s family welcomes me into their humble home in Perissa, a small village on the outskirts of Athens. Ari coaxes me out of my travel fatigue with the promise of sangria and gyros. This square is his hangout, a place he and his friends know like the backs of their hands. He occasionally points to an empty shop and reminisces about the excellent souvlaki or the fresh baklava that once summoned hordes of clientele.

“This place…the guy went bankrupt. And then he hung himself in here.”

Ari’s voice is alarmingly nonchalant as he recounts each locale’s sad demise. The bar where we order is vast and posh. A large outdoor seating deck with twinkling lights and blaring music surrounds us as we sip on a chalice of wine and munch on the complimentary french fries. Considering it is a weeknight, there are a surprising number of people at this bar, nursing glasses of iced cappuccino or ouzo. The gyro restaurant is even more packed.

I spent two weeks fully immersed in the routine of a middle class family living in Greece. We had discussed the nation’s swift decline in economic and social standing in my European Union course just a month prior. The gravity with which the subject was

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discussed both in class and in daily conversation in Paris had led me to anticipate walking into an inexorably desperate, decrepit state of life. What I had forgotten to account for was Greece’s customary Southern European devotion to its quality of living.

Cappuccino breaks, conversation and siestas still do, and always will, hold precedence. Despite how blaringly aware of the nation’s financial trouble its citizens may be, life goes on.

My younger cousin, Julia, continues her third year— futilely—studying engineering at a university in Larissa.

“It’s not about learning. My professors purposefully fail students multiple times just to profit from their successive payments to retake the final exams,” she said. “At this point, I’m just trying to make it through. I don’t even know or want to think about how I’ll apply this to finding a job [in Greece] once I finish [school].”

Ari committed to a contract that required him to take two months of intensive German language courses and then live for an allotted time in Germany, working an array of relatively low-skill jobs. He was tremendously determined to move out of Greece, despite the meager promise of any sort of success abroad.

His parents are equally lacking in optimism. My uncle works through the week, between 12 and 16 hours every day, at a local bakery. He is not lacking money, but the fear of an impending cash deficiency forces him into these obsessive work habits.

“I’m the only one [my boss] has, but I am not indispensable.

If I decide I want to take a day off to go to the beach he can very easily say ‘go to the beach and don’t come back. I’ve got a line of jobless folks ready to take over your job,’” he said.

My uncle’s wife is unofficially jobless. Once or twice a week she may receive a request to clean someone’s house or to mop the stairs of a municipal building in the town center or to cut someone’s hair.

“We’re the only ones struggling here,” she said, referring to working class Greeks. “The ones who were rich once are rich still; they’re never going to suffer because they worked their way around the system from the beginning. You can’t tax them. You can’t find their money. It’s all under their mattresses in their vacation homes. Austerity for whom? The ones who already earn dust and crumbs?”

Greece currently suffers an unemployment rate of over 25 percent, doubling since the introduction of the austerity program in 2010. Among youth, this rate skyrockets to 50 percent. State pensions are being slashed by more than half. Thirty percent of the Greek population lives at or below the poverty line. Of that, 40 percent are children. Former middle class professionals now flood the lines of local soup kitchens. People who resided in lavish apartments just a year ago now comprise the startlingly welleducated and once-successful homeless population. The suicide rate has risen by 45 percent. As young citizens like Ari sprint to other European nations in search of work, Greece’s population has fallen by 400,000 in five years.

Another uncle of mine in Thessaloniki has been struggling to find work as a construction worker and carpenter for the past three years. Having been evicted from his apartment three times as a result of failure to pay rent, he sometimes spends a full month working diligently at a new job opportunity, only to be told in the end that funds are nonexistent. He is not the only active member of the work force who is owed months upon months of salary.

“I might as well move back to Albania. Funny that I ever considered this as an upgrade from the meager opportunities over there,” he said.

Despite the daunting symptoms of economic failure in the country, the essence of Greece’s unique culture remains

unscathed. Julia spent the summer working as a hostess in Ios, one of the country’s most prominent island destinations among college-aged tourists. Even while CNN was exploding with panicked reports of Greece’s bank outage this summer, Julia was assisting unrelenting crowds of tourists in making the most of their vacations.

There is something to be said about a nation that is celebrated as one of the world’s most coveted vacation destinations, even in the midst of a financial crisis comparable to the American Great Depression. Greece fosters a spirit of leisure and indulgence that persists even in the face of economic demolition, a characteristic that is openly abhorred by more conservative labor systems, such as that in Germany.

This crisis shows, however, that Greece must focus on eliminating the extreme corruptive forces that drove the nation into its current state of disarray. Newly proposed austerity regulations do not address the underlying issue of Greece’s leisure-driven system as directly as they should. As a result, the Greek working class responds with the profound resentment and resistance that has stalled resolutions for so long.

As a native-born Greek resident, I can attest that Greece is not what it used to be. Conditions have plummeted across domains to such an extent that the country resembles a third-world country more than anything else. At the same time, Greek citizens have an unyielding commitment to their customary lifestyle. To witness such a unique culture compromised in the face of such strict and unforgiving economic restructuring is highly dreaded, but also tremendously doubtful.

The underlying narcissism and superiority complex that exists in voluntourism OP-ED BY AND PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ASHLI MOLINA

It’s a trend—more so than that, it’s an admirable thing to do.

Students and young adults are trading weeklong vacations at all-inclusive resorts for volunteer trips to developing countries like Ghana and Nicaragua. These short-term, “altruistic” trips are called voluntourism—volunteer tourism. And while this is something to be applauded, the reality of voluntourism is more than meets the eye.

I have experienced the reality of this through visiting two communities in Honduras—Santa Rosa and Sartenejas—on two separate occasions with Global Medical Brigades, an organization with the goal of implementing sustainable change and empowerment. While my experiences with GMB were not “voluntourism” because we volunteered for 95 percent of our time (meaning we didn’t actually sightsee or explore), I did encounter some of the same issues found in voluntourism.

I am guilty of what I’m about to “shame.”

I was at Sociedad Amigos de los Niños orphanage in Honduras when I asked my friend to snap a picture of me playing with the children—I had an Instagram post in mind, and thought nothing wrong of it. That night I laid in my twin-sized bed, protected by a mosquito net and kept cool by a fan. I thought about the people of Honduras—what breakfast looked like, what their work and culture were like and whether they enjoyed their humble lives amidst poverty. That moment juxtaposed my prior Instagram moment— at the orphanage, those sweet kids had been the means to the end of my experience, of my desire to look like a good person. So far, the trip had been

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subconsciously about myself. That’s problem one.

Voluntourism is often rooted in narcissism.

While we happily pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to visit developing countries to make a difference in people’s lives, we also go with the intention to take hundreds of photos to later post on social media.

Much of my time in Honduras was spent with my iPhone in hand, taking photos of friends, locals and myself. I had premeditated which photo would get the most likes on Instagram and what photo could become my next profile picture—my Instagram photo was one with two little orphan girls and my profile picture became one that showed me helping build a medical clinic. I support the idea of capturing memories, but in doing so I detracted from our purpose and sent a message to my audience.

A photo of us in medical scrubs with smiling kids says a lot: we are the admirable people making a positive impact, there to help those who are terribly poor and suffering. Inevitably, a message of pity and suffering oozes from that type of photo.

In those photos, locals’ beaming smiles reveal their often-rotten teeth and raggedy clothes. Not all of Honduras is suffering or poor, and not all Hondurans look the same. Some are fairer skinned than others, some are blonde, some are tan with dark hair and most have different styles. In the same way, the landscape of Honduras portrayed in those photos represents a mere community not reflective of the country’s entire population.

And I wonder how long some volunteers interacted with the kids or locals, if they just asked for the photo or did so after a worthwhile

conversation, if language barriers inhibit engagement, if some know the names of those in the photo or if anyone asked for permission.

Beyond the ethics of photography, there is the saviour complex, a feeling of heroism, resulting from our efforts to fix a suffering country in need.

But we’re not. Honduras has a culture we must respect and uphold. Many Americans believe the Western way is the right way, but our way is not the only way.

Teju Cole wrote in a tweet—later embedded in his Atlantic article—that “The White Saviour Industrial Complex is not about justice. It is about having a big emotional experience that validates privilege.”

Americans’ job is not to ride in on a white horse and resolve a problem we sometimes know little about. We volunteer and in doing so feel good about ourselves and the privilege we are lucky to have. Our doctors, resources and medical practices are better, and we believe we are there to teach others that. But then we part ways with the people in our photos and the communities we visited, and often forget to

continue working toward our goal after a few days back home. Our work may have had a longlasting impression, but we wouldn’t really know.

For us to preach our practices and lifestyles to locals in a foreign country is to also disregard their world and their cultural norms. I sincerely believe many locals in rural communities want to be helped, not fixed. They want education, quality infrastructure and local medical clinics, but I think a good percent are content with their rural lives marked by religious traditions, tight-knit communities and agricultural work.

With this said, I do not believe people volunteer with malicious intent, but it shows that volunteering abroad is not always mindless. We should be thinking and striving to do better.

I hope to not detract from the significance of volunteering abroad. I know people are eternally grateful for our efforts, and I know the change we make is felt and sustainable. I also don’t speak for every volunteer, but I voice an opinion held by many to present the real issues with volunteering abroad. I simply hope to open people’s minds.

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

HAVE YOU HEARD? Lesser-known bu study abroad programs

BY SAMANTHA ANDERS PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICOLE STEVENSON AND KAROLINA KENNEY DESIGN BY JESSY AHN

NO STRANGERS TO STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS, BU STUDENTS FREQUENTLY JET OFF AROUND THE WORLD TO STUDY, LIVE AND LEARN IN NEW ENVIRONMENTS. The most talked about programs include popular locales like Paris, London and Sydney, but the university offers more than just these programs.

ECUADOR TROPICAL ECOLOGY PROGRAM QUITO, ECUADOR

BOGAZIÇI UNIVERSITY EXCHANGE ISTANBUL, TURKEY

This semester-long program provides biology and environmental science students the chance to do ecology field research and intensive Spanish studies.

Directly enrolled with the prestigious Bogaziçi University, students take classes taught in English right near the shores of the Black Sea.

“[Students] are able to research, explore and learn in a unique environment brimming with biodiversity and further indulge [their] scientific passions,” said program participant Nicole Stevenson (CAS ’17, SED ’17).

“It was catered to people who want an immersive experience where they attend classes with other full-time Turkish students,” Karolina Kenney (CAS ’16) said. “I felt like I was able to fully integrate into the Istanbul community through university life.”

SEA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

SWAHILI LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN EAST AFRICA ZANZIBAR, TANZANIA

With four weeks on shore and six weeks in the ocean, this program gives students, particularly those interested in marine biology, the chance to do hands-on research projects.

“We’re all working towards the same thing: making this ship run and collecting data in a place that we’ve never been and never experienced,” participant Vincent van Mierlo (CAS ’16) said.

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This summer program involves intensive Swahili language courses while also covering social issues such as race, ethnicity, slavery, colonial expansion and Tanzania’s unique history.

CULTURE THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

The grimy details of Bootstrap Bill’s barnacled face, weathered panels of a pirate ship and a regal colonial mansion filled with curly-haired men—all against the backdrop of the crystal blue Caribbean waters.

The world of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is so real you can almost smell the filthy Captain Jack Sparrow—for that you have Rick Heinrichs to thank.

Heinrichs has been a production designer in Hollywood for more than 21 years, and has worked with directors such as Tim Burton and the Coen brothers.

It is not the glitz and glam of the Hollywood life that excites Heinrichs, but instead the hard work required in doing his job.

“To be a [visual] storyteller is just a great thing to do,” he said.

A production designer’s work gives the audience the backstory of the characters and the story itself; these key players are responsible for the details that make the cinematic world feel real. “[I am] the person who, with the director and cinematographer, comes up with the look and feel of the visual environments [of a movie],” Heinrichs said.

Production design is a subtle but crucial element of movies. When done well, the film gains a relatable element that is awe-inspiring and unfamiliar, yet understandable to its viewers. “[The audience] definitely recognize[s] when it is very successful. They get a feeling about it—when it just feels true,” Heinrichs said.

Maybe even truer than life for some super-fans, the movie world of Star Wars represents a successful production design. Heinrichs is currently working on the next Star Wars movie, Episode VIII, set for release in 2017.

“It was one of the lucky situations where everything came together,” he said of the original Star Wars films.

Heinrichs indicates there is a fine line movie creators must walk when crafting new material for a franchise like Star Wars—the world needs to be recognizable to those familiar with the originals, but simultaneously new.

“We want to take even the old audience to a new place with it,” Heinrichs said.

The cinematic world is not something you can simply re-create and sell. Heinrichs prefers to treat the world like a phenomenon to be explored; he thinks of himself as a “visual historian” whose job is to explore each project from the ground up.

So, even for a movie with as strong of a foundation as Star Wars, Heinrichs and his team took this investigative approach when designing.

Unlike an artist in another medium, Heinrichs does not like to carry his personal artistic style with him from project to project as he feels that it is important to bring something different each time.

During the making of a movie, Heinrichs is “constantly in a state of reformulating [his] process and expectations in order to fit into a larger process that will ultimately produce [a] film.”

Being just one part of a much larger picture is one of the aspects of his job that excites him the most.

Although he has worked on other high-profile movies such as Captain America, he considers working with the Coen brothers and with award-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki as two of his career highlights. (Lubezki was the cinematographer for Burton’s Sleepy Hollow, the movie that won Heinrichs an Oscar.) He attributes these standout experiences to the teams’ dedication to theatrical production and incorporation of the emotional impact of light.

“That’s what makes the best designer[s]—people who can take things in and swish them around and recast them in an interesting and peculiar way,” he said.

As a sculpture major at BU—College of Fine Arts class of 1976—Heinrichs got the artistic grounding that, most importantly, taught him how to think creatively. “[This] liberal fine arts approach [gave me] a good basis in how [to] think in order to create environments [for the movies],” Heinrichs said.

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He began his career in the 1980s in cel animation, a traditional form of hand-drawn animation. He found his way to live action set design, art direction and finally production design by the mid ’90s.

College-aged Heinrichs was not aware that production design or art direction careers even existed, but when he heard about them he was eager to learn more.

“I’m glad I went about my education in my own way,” Heinrichs said.

While studying sculpture in CFA, he was also enrolled in film classes in BU’s College of Communication—School of Public Communications at the time—and in animation classes at the Orson Welles Film School in Cambridge. Post-BU, Heinrichs attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City from 1977-78, where he studied cartooning and animation.

It was there that Heinrichs impressed professors such as Harvey Kurtzman and Will Eisner, both famous cartoonists, and thus where he started getting serious. He moved to Los Angeles to study at the California School of the Arts and has been in LA ever since.

Heinrichs believes that both experience and education are important in order to get where you want to be in your career.

“You develop the skills you realize you will be needing as you refine your goals,” he said.

It was at CalArts that Heinrichs and other big names from behind the scenes in Hollywood got a taste for the business.

In the late ’70s Brad Bird, Henry Selick and Tim Burton were in Heinrichs’ program—an era at CalArts that Vanity Fair has deemed responsible for “the great renaissance of animation.”

Heinrichs and his contemporaries moved from CalArts to the Disney Studio, where he worked from 1979-84. There, Heinrichs began to dabble in design and collaborate on projects with Burton.

In this industry, it is not enough to simply be very good at what you do.

“It’s one thing to be a talented art director or designer, [but] filmmaking is more than anything a collaborative process,” Heinrichs said. “[To succeed in the industry] you need to develop people skills [and] a sense of expectations.”

He even admits that success demands “an ability to persuade if not downright manipulate people.”

A career in the arts requires the tenacity to keep building and the belief that what you have created is true. But it also requires the motivation to tear that creation down and start all over again.

Even more than this artistic determination, Heinrichs emphasizes mastering the art of curiosity.

“Get yourself a broad education so that you’re curious, and you develop the discipline,”THE he said.

BUZZ | FALL 2015 To Heinrichs, curiosity is an engaged response and enthusiasm for something. For him, that something is visual storytelling—and he loves it.

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The Colleges of BU Manifest Themselves as The Breakfast Club Characters

BY SYDNEY FOY PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARAM YANG ILLUSTRATIONS BY JILLIAN APATOW An immediate identifying factor for Boston University students, mentioned in all introductions, is what school they are enrolled in. We all feel that our school signifies something special about us. It helps students explain to others who they are.

The 30th anniversary of the iconic movie The Breakfast Club reminds us of the stillrelevant issues dealing with stereotypes and the self-identification of young people everywhere.

The movie has set the tone for three decades of what it is really like to grow up in America.

While The Breakfast Club is great entertainment, the movie also sends a message about judgment and stereotypes.

There is no better feeling than seeing John Bender’s satisfaction as he walks across the football field throwing his fist in the air after Claire gave him her diamond earring—you can practically hear “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” playing in your head. This particular scene is a symbol of the importance of what happened in detention and the deeper meaning of the connections the characters made that day— connections that transcend cliques.

There is more significance to the detention than smoking pot and dancing on bookcases.

They all discovered the truth behind the masks they put on for school. No one had the perfect family or life that was imagined when they first walked in the door. The stereotypes were broken down until they found the real people beneath the exterior.

The identifiable stereotypes that appear in The Breakfast Club live on in everyone’s reality, even after high school graduation. Each school’s identity at BU is on display based on the student body’s grouping of attributes and skills into distinct colleges.

“I think the stereotypes are pretty visible,” said Gabriela Hopkins (Questrom ’19). “I find that people like to believe that once you get to college all of that fades away, but you look around and you still see the cliques and typical groups you were surrounded by in high school.”

College of Fine Arts (“The Basket Case”) Going to University to study the arts is something only few people can really understand.

The students of CFA come to BU ready to take their passion beyond the hobby level. It usually takes a quirky personality and an overwhelming

sense of devotion to dedicate an entire four years to the arts. These students are empowered by their creative innovation and desire to express themselves in unique ways.

College of Communication (“The Rebel”) Most people don’t, in truth, understand what it is the students of COM are studying or what use it has in the real world. Journalism is a dying field in the minds of many people, so what is the point of getting the degree? COM students are ready to kick ass just like Zoe Barnes in “House of Cards,” not caring what the consequences might be. These students are well-spoken and prepared to run their fields come graduation.

College of Engineering (“The Brain”) Engineering students, the people who designate virtually all of their free time to schoolwork, are naturally the brain of BU. They have an entire new facility—Engineering Product Innovation Center—designated to create advanced and exciting new gadgets. These students spend more time in class than any other group on campus. Just like Brian from The Breakfast Club, these individuals are hardworking and dedicated to everything they do.

“Engineering is definitely the brain because we are nerdy and spend a lot of time studying, but we like to show that we have heart too,” said Andrew Dellechiaie (ENG ’19).

Questrom School of Business (“The Princess”) Fifty million dollars can buy you an ego. Questrom students are expected to be professional and intelligent entrepreneurs. Like the princess of The Breakfast Club, Questrom students have high expectations both inside and outside of the classroom. They find themselves wearing suits to class and networking with professionals from companies with the power to influence entire industries.

“I think that of The Breakfast Club characters, Questrom students are most accurately represented by the princess, even though no one likes to admit it,” said Darcy Black (Questrom ’19). “I think we represent her because we can be a little bit snobby and we follow the expectations that society has for us, but we are also very good leaders and still have a mind of our own.”

Sargent College (“The Jock”) The majors and philosophy of Sargent College are centered on healthy living and athletics. Characteristically, this attracts the athletes of BU. Most feel the same pressures that Andy struggled to achieve: trying to manage a life of athletics and health along with a social life and strong academics. Stacey Gouker strongly identifies with this struggle, as she is a fulltime student while also on the USA team for synchronized skating.

“I think that the jock does portray the students of Sargent College because we want to be involved in as many things as we can,” said Gouker (SAR ’19). “We face pressures from all of our school work and athletics which holds us back from doing all the other things we want to do.”

Although all the schools are very different in their nature, they all come together as Terriers.

We will have the same moment as in The Breakfast Club when they all go their separate ways. We will follow our own paths across the country and world, but never forget what we learned during our experience here.

“Although as freshmen we think our college defines us, we still find a sense of unity as BU students,” said Black. “We become friends with people from so many different disciplines, each one offering a new perspective that helps us grow as individuals.”

ASKING FOR A SIGN: ASTROLOGY AS A CULTURAL CRAZE

BY CALLIE ALGHRIM PHOTOGRAPHY BY POLLY BAINBRIDGE DESIGN BY ALEENA QAZI

I

t has a mysterious, magical and unexplainable connection with the universe—and our obsession with it is almost as perplexing.

“Astrology” is a broad yet popular term, loosely defined as the study of celestial bodies and the interpretation of their influence on human affairs.

Craving astrological interpretation and cosmic prediction has saturated current popular culture, particularly in online communities—astrology posts flood Tumblr dashboards, and BuzzFeed has a prolific tag devoted to it.

Astrology is by no means an exact science, and it has no verifiable basis—but for some cosmic reason, it has exploded

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onto the scene like a supernova and our culture is feeding on it.

“I don’t know why, it doesn’t make any sense to me why, but I really do see myself in my zodiac sign,” said Alex Hebard (CAS ’17). “Honestly, I’m a Capricorn, so I’m not supposed to believe in any of this.”

There are plenty of things that we, as humans, cannot explain. Most belief systems are based around the concept of faith: believing without seeing.

But there are things we can explain, like the first law of thermodynamics: energy is neither created nor destroyed. Following this rule, all the energy in the world—

including the energy within people— has been around since the Big Bang. In fact, when stars explode, they create the elements that we find inside our bodies.

When you look at it this way, perhaps these online communities are onto something.

Astrology could be a way to delve deeper into ourselves—even if it is just taking the quiz, “Which Celeb Should Be Your BFF Based On Your Zodiac Sign?” on BuzzFeed. In a way, resonating with your astrological chart is comforting and introspective.

As the astrophysicist Carl Sagan famously said: “We are made of star stuff.”

STUDY ABROAD WORLD-CLASS INTERNSHIP AND STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS.

/BUabroad

bu.edu/abroad

@BUabroad

See individual program descriptions at bu.edu/abroad for details.

An equal opportunity, affirmative action institution.

THE BUZZ | FALL 2015

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