W27 May 2021 by W27 Newspaper

Spring 2021

W27

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Issue 01

sam aut repre mos aut molo dolorepro et fuga. Nam rem volo eatesti quam vere nulparum se preium faccum inci volupta tumenia quid quo dolupicte nos autest, core magnaturio et est omnim enducienia qui rem res sequamus simagnimpos ad quae estio test, ommoluptat dolo molorerio. Namentia idessunt molorem eius posam hil illoratur maximus dolute dolupicipis abor sum quodis accatur, ut magnatio volent la volo ducid quidel ipsae enecatatiur, omnis exerspici quiam, secab ilibus a ipsant officto mi, in rerro beatur, simpero temperio quae et apelicim fuga. Ebis am, od quis demporatur mo et, sum, sit, utatus sam rehendi aute qui resti tecte nonet, quat evenia quae pores dolupitet, am liteculpa aut unt opturis dolor ant lam laccum dolorum sum quias simini rem liquam ut atin es estionsequi temporp oreribera quae por ariae vollatio. Imilit volorest odi dolestiis doloritatur alia con peria peribus re soluptatasit quatur repro core essinci tincius volupiendes exernatet aut ut ut fugiatet optate nonsedi quae sum num assi cullat quid ut quatemo lorest, omnis idunto cum facerum dolorem as dolora nimil minvernatio. Nihil eos ut etur? Eriscipita nonsequist, quis nonsequia cum faccatemos in rectiorest, suntore accaepe rcidelis maionse rnatem in eossi cones dolut quamus modignis archita atur aut ent fuga. Nem iur si ut alist, ipsapid enditate num quis et ommoluptiis dis suntibeatur sitecae caborem

Spring 2021

Issue 02

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Editor In Chief and President

Contributors

Charlotte Spaid

Assistant Editor in Chief and Vice President

Prerna Chaudhary Art Directors

Kathleen Nolan Jennie Keating Social Media Director

Lonnie Brown

Graphic Design

Jennie Keating Kathleen Nolan Alejandra Batista Claire Jung Alezzandra Tesorio Donna Hellberg Raelen Todd Jake Valliere

Charlotte Spaid Prerna Chaudhary Kathleen Nolan Jennie Keating Alejandra Batista Claire Jung Raelen Todd Jake Valliere Lauren Hudson Brenden John Abigail Zwirecki Ashley Lawson Ethan Sawyer Jennifer Poon Isabella Sottile Grethel Estrellajura Kelly Reed Pamela Valdez Faculty Editorial Advisors

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Ellen Davidson Alexandra Mann

Issue 01

Cover Design

Jennie Keating

Spring 2021

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Table of Contents TO THE 2021 SENIORS By Charlotte Spaid

Seniors 2021

Jake’s Declassified School Survival guide By Jake Valliere

I wrote this in the shower By Jennie Keating

FIT: A look back By Brenden John

Being the cool girl: The rise of Filmsis Cinema By Jennifer Poon

Ru Paul’S Drag Race: Lessons on CUlture, Gender & Feminity 17 By Alejandra Batista 30,000 to 8,400,000 By Abigail Zwirecki

Fashion’s SUperbowl Returns & a look back on past met galas By Ashley Lawson

Album Review: Fearless Taylor’s Version By Claire Jung

A guide to not so basic, Basics By Pamela Valdez

Alone at 49th Street Station: Viewing nyc’s Revival 25 By Isabella Sottile Hope for the future of the fashion industry By Lauren Hudson

“How to lose a guy in 10 days” Contains its nostalgic magic 27 By Raelen Todd A call for hope: A testimony of fit students glowing up in dark times 28 By Grethel Estrella Jurado Playing with politics: THe powers & problems of newsgames 31 By Ethan Sawyer

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TO THE 2021 SENIORS

Issue 02

CHARLOTTE SPAID , FASHION BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, “21 As I sat down on my couch to write this I struggled, at first, with the right words to say to our seniors. Our year was and is so many things...we’ve gone through and overcome so much. How do I document this graduating feeling? What do I say to resonate with everyone? But the first thing I am going to say is: We did it! Celebrate yourself for a moment for graduating from THE Fashion Institute of Technology!!!

Graduating this spring virtually, amidst one of the craziest year and a half we all had, probably seems unreal. Though it’s most certainly not ideal, we are all still extraordinary. I’m sure you might have people telling you so, but our graduating class is even more remarkable for surviving this school year-think of this as an even greater accomplishment. Some of us may not feel the same part of FIT since we aren’t physically there, but we are even more a part of the body of FIT for being so resilient. What we did was not easy, to say the least, but because of this, I hope we can get through anything.

Even though our ending wasn’t as we anticipated, I still take with me the memories I had at FIT. From my first day of classes,

late-night shenanigans with my friends,

seeing 27th street full of beautiful people on a warm day, I’m sure you can picture the rest. I recently went to campus to shoot some graduation photos. It had been my first time on campus since March 2020. Once I stepped on 27th street, nostalgia came rushing in. It almost didn’t feel real. I had all of these warm memories popping up in my head, joyous memories. As my sister was taking photos of me, the street was quiet and sunny, people would walk by and say congratulations. As we were walking away, my sister asked how I felt, and honestly I let out a few tears. I had missed our campus life, my heart ached for everything. But my mom reminded me to not feel sorrowful, but to feel accomplished, to for once feel proud of myself for everything I have done. Through the grief, I remember these moments, and I recall our resilience.

In my mind, I keep saying that after this, after we graduate, after the world opens up more, it’ll be a new form of the roaring ‘20s. I have so much hope not only for us but a vivid life again. Seeing New York City lively again in the blooming spring made my heart so warm and even more faithful.

I know for certain that after all of this, our journey

at FIT, we will all move mountains in our life. Cheers to us, celebrate yourself today, and always.

Spring 2021

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SENIORS 2021

ASHLEY VARGAS

ABRIL BATISTA

Illustration

FASHION BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

@art.ley

“YHLQMDLG”

“My favorite memory was starting Spotlight FIT with William Mun and other Presidential Scholars. My work with Spotlight encouraged me to reach out to people and organizations on campus. These connections often grew into friendships with so many inspirational creatives. In short, step out of your major and collab with cool people!”

ADESEWA ADEKOYA Illustration

ANA RODRIGUEZ

“Don’t change your style or art just so it can be more palatable to others.”

Fine Arts @anascanvas_ “At FIT I was able to branch out and learn so many new ways to be creative. I have also been able to make great friends. Friends that I still talk to this day even though we are miles apart.”

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AUDREY MARTIANDY Textile/Surface Design @byaudreymartiandy “Four years ago I left to New York from Indonesia. I’m going to miss my freshman year spending hours in the classroom up until 3 AM to make it to our 9 AM critique class. I am also going to miss going to Starbucks and a little stroll to the vending machine in between 10 minute breaks. And Lastly The only thing I’m going to miss from the dining hall is the gyro wrap.”

CHARLOTTE SPAID Fashion Business Management

BRIANNA RODRIGUEZ

“Even though it sounds clichE, live in the moment. Some of my favorite memories

Visual Presentation & Exhibition Design

were inspired by spontaneity and letting

“My last memory on campus was install-

loose. Miss that class, go to that par-

ing a window display on 7th Ave with

ty, see your friends, go to an art museum,

my friends until 10 pm because we just

get off your phone, and people-watch in

got told we’re going remote and had to

the park. Feel every waking moment to the

leave campus. It was a very chaotic and

fullest!”

fun night. Although none of us thought it would truly be our last time on campus, it was a great last memory.”

CRISTA CAMP Fabric Styling @christa.camp “My time at FIT has been very special. I still pinch myself at the fact that I’ve been able to study what I wanted at my dream school. I’m so thankful for the valuable friendships and connections made at the school. One of my fondest memories was putting on Runway 27’s Artistry fashion show. Thank you Professor Cober, Professor Oster, Professor Luke, and Professor Massaro. I’m so thankful to have been able to learn from such amazing women.”

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CORINNE SOUTHERLAND Illustration @cori456_joyce “I really enjoy being a part of zine club and illustrate ny club,

I learned new ways to express

myself, and reminded to have fun drawing.”

IZABELLA ITALIANO Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing

JENNIE KEATING

“Always make the most of any opportunity you have. Going to FIT means you get

FABRIC STYLING

to experience one of the greatest cities

“Try really hard to get out of your

in the world, but you have to be the one

comfort zone. Like really hard because

to make it great. Don’t be afraid to

the times that I have gone totally out of

speak up, allow your personality and

my comfort zone have been the most re-

your passions to thrive as you grow and

warding. Having an open mind and heart

learn. That is one of the biggest lessons

is just as important as having a good

I have learned from my time at FIT.”

one. Don’t be afraid to let people in and share your life with them. That’s all I gotta say about that. “

Spring 2021

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JESSY OSBORN

KATHLEEN NOLAN

Textile Development and Marketing “Grateful for all the friends and

Graphic Design

memories I’ve made at FIT!”

“Talk to everyone. These are the people who will last you a lifetime and may even be your bosses one day… or vice versa. Without even realizing it, your interactions, both academic and social, will shape you into the person you are today. The 4 years breeze by you, don’t take a single moment for granted.”

LAUREN THOMAS Fashion Business Management @Laurenthomas.official “I’m the Secretary of Runway27 and have modeled in our shows! Being on the

MAVOURNEEN DOOLEY

Exec Board has been so rewarding and this club has made my experience at FIT

Photography

even better:)”

“The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn’t understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had.” -Eric Schmidt

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Jake’s

Issue 02

DECLASSIFIED

VAL I V R U S L O O H C S

Guide

by Jake Valliere Footwear and Accessories Design '21 In a college full of bullies (not really), insane teachers (true) and gross school lunches (depends on the day), Jake Valliere, that’s me, and my best friends try to do the impossible - create a guide that will help you not only survive but thrive at FIT." Here are some tips, advice and guidance while you’re still at FIT: Carve your name into a desk or all your desks; When the fitness class is running down 27th street drop your things and tag along. Talk to a person you think is cute (complimenting their outfit is a great start). Steal an apple from the dining hall, fuck it steal a whole meal (just walk out the entrance). Do dining hall trivia. If you’re in the dorms go knock on your neighbor’s door and ask to hang out with them (you wouldn’t believe how many friendships start this way). Join at least one club (like the newspaper club, or the feminist club or the archery club, or whatever butters your gluten-free biscuit). Explore the school. Eat outside behind the Starbucks. Go to the 7th floor and play pool or air hockey whatever tickles your fancy. Stay on campus until everyone goes in for their 6:30 classes. Go to the block party at the end of the year (don’t steal the cardboard cutouts). Cook your own meals in the dorms. Don’t rush to find an apartment you have the rest of your life for that. You can only be in a dorm full of your peers during your time at FIT. Take elective classes that you are interested in even if you don’t need the credit. Sit outside when it’s nice out between classes. Buy flowers for your friends. 9

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Get a massage at health services (maybe get acupuncture too). Schedule your massage at health services on the first day of the semester otherwise, your appointment is gonna be months later. Go to the library and explore (the library really has so much to offer, so make the most of it!) In the basement of the library, there is a place called the special collections where they have archived fashion magazines from like the 1800s! They are super cool I highly recommend making an appointment to check them out. Take computer paper from the printers, they make you pay for printing not for the paper. If you’re in the dorms go play pool in the coed basement. Go to RA events, they are doing that for you! (There is also usually free stuff like food). Utilize the shuttle and sit shotgun because no one else will. Make small talk with the shuttle drivers. Become friends with your professors! Texting a professor is much easier than emailing. It’s also not as weird as it seems. Compliment another person’s outfit in the elevator when it’s dead quiet. Smoke a cigarette as close to the school as you can before getting kicked to the curb. Taco Bandito. When the calm city van is on 27th go in there it will be the best 15 minutes of your day. Go to museums and galleries. Go to student events. Go to the pier. Go to the Highline and walk the whole thing. If you live in the dorms don’t always go back home after class, stay on campus as long as you can unless it’s brick then go home. Leave 27th St and explore Manhattan it’s literally New York fucking City. Go to Buffalo Exchange on 26th St (tell them Jake sent you). Always make an appointment with the academic counseling center before you make your next semester’s schedule. Use the same academic counselor when making your schedule (Scott’s my boy). Understand DARS. Use Career and Internship Services ASAP. Invite a classmate to go to the cafeteria with you after class. Share your meal plan. Make an honest effort to become friends with your roommate. Don’t waste a single weekend. Stop vaping. Hug your friends. 10

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Issue 02

If you have time in between classes do your homework, your future self will thank your past self. Collaborate with other students. Go sit with a random friend group in the dining hall. Listen to Araya @arayaworld. Use all the free resources FIT gives to you! If you live in Nagler and they still don’t have AC buy a fan or put your feet in buckets of ice water (this is a tested method and it works). Dance. Go to the free concerts. Go to the formal. Take a free yoga class. Bake vegan and gluten-free goodies for your floor so everyone can eat. Keep in touch with your old roommates (I’m guilty of not being the best with this and I highly regret it). Dye your hair. Let someone on your floor dye or cut your hair. Have fun with your style “wearing what makes you happy is the best form of personal style" - me. Always carry a notebook and a pen. Get yourself a reusable water bottle and always keep it strapped. The cafeteria is not that bad; you just have to figure out what’s best for you. Dress up on Halloween. Don’t be afraid to look at other degree programs for your bachelor’s. Your 20-year-old self may have a better idea of what you want to do in life rather than what your 18-year-old self did. Download and learn the Adobe Suite it’s free while you’re at FIT and is used for so many things! Ask questions. When someone you barely know makes an Instagram story asking to break their arm write a contract and then make them sign it. Don’t actually break their arm but I’m sure they will turn into a lifelong friend. Turn your closet into a recording studio. Talk to the person you think is cute in your illustrator class. Have one of your non-skater friends direct 27th St traffic so you and your skater friends can skate. 11

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Issue 02

Listen to the Grateful Dead. Try to work in the DTech lab (this is an awesome opportunity that will further your career!) If you’re thinking about going home - don’t, even if it’s close. You’ve spent your whole life there, it’s time for the next chapter. Sneak a puppy into your dorm room. Sneak a puppy out of your dorm room. Sit in the lounges and do work, read or nap between classes. Invest in a good umbrella. If you want a tattoo, get one, it will always be a memory. Support your friends. If you live in an apartment, throw a party for the homies in the dorms. If you live in the dorms you can throw a party too just don’t get caught. Build as many friendships with as many people as you can even if you’re not all in the same circle. Utilize movie Tuesdays at the 34th St theater it’s definitely not like any movie theater you’ve been to in the suburbs. Johnnys Luncheonette (My go-to is a sloppy Johnny). If you find a chair on the street, bring it back to 27th and see how long it lasts on campus (my record is 3 days). Make friends with people in your gen ed classes you’re gonna need someone to tell you what the homework is. Study abroad. Play basketball on 26th St. First floor of the D building is a single-use bathroom for all genders, same for the 5th floor C building. Fill the dining hall food boxes with the utensils from the dining hall dispensers, also napkins, take all their napkins. The fifth floor and above the entire school including the library is connected. Cherish every moment at FIT, you never know when a pandemic will hit and send you home for your final year and a half of school. Truly, cherish it all. The fashion, the people, the togetherness of the community. FIT really is such a special place to so many people. I speak for myself and countless others when I say I would not be the person I am today without FIT. Your professors really do care about you and your future and all they want is for you to succeed. FIT has truly changed my life and hopefully, it will change yours. I met my greatest friends, amazing professors and the love of my life at FIT. So please cherish it. 12

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si in th e sh ow e r

Issue 02

I wrote t h

Spring 2021

Last night I was on Jimmy Fallon. Jason Bateman was there too. We were both guest stars and they were asking me questions about my debut movie and all about how I was just your average human strolling the streets of Manhattan (specifically Madison Square Park) and Greta Gerwig offered me the lead in her latest film. I was exactly what she was looking for. Obviously, I accepted and jumped on a flight to California fast forward I was the hottest newest thing in Hollywood blah blah blah. Jason was really funny and Jimmy was really sweet, we all bonded over our love for Joni Mitchell. By the way, this is all entirely made up in my head. I like to imagine myself charming and alive on talk shows and interviews. It pacifies my mind. Is this normal? It’s not just in the context of fame that I imagine myself speaking, it’s often just speaking in general. I think this is normal. When I get the chance, I’m going to get my pilot’s license. I don’t think it could be that complicated. And it’d be pretty cool to have. I know nothing about it including the price to embark on such an accomplishment but I’m gonna do it. Right after I get my doctorate in 1960’s literature. Massive life achievements seem easily achievable to me sometimes even though there is nothing in the blueprint of who I am as a person that says I can/would want to do any of it. Is this normal? I will google what it takes to become a highly trained masseuse and contemplate how I would manage to fit that into my schedule. I think this is normal.

J E N N I E K E A T I N G F A B R I C S T Y L I N G ‘2 1

Sometimes when I’m with people, I often picture them having sex or touching each other. Even when I really don’t want to. Is this normal? Also, I think of it not in a really seductive weird way more in a primal way. Which is also I guess weird. I just more so think of the fact that people have sex and you have no idea if they had sex five minutes ago or if they themselves are also thinking about sex? I think this is normal. I worry that I don’t have what it takes to show others that I love them. Loving sometimes feels like processed food but for the soul- tastes good but it’s artificial and not sustainable for the body. Is this normal? I am engrossed with love and have a plethora of loving people around me at all times and always have. I ooze with love. But there are times I feel it is not a characteristic I hold. I think this is normal. I’m the world’s greatest gift and biggest abomination. Both thoughts fester in different corners of my brain. Typically, they mind their own business wallowing in their triumph and grief and leave me be, but there are times one of them will be bold enough to encroach on my easy living. Those bastards. They can commonly be found lurking around social media platforms. I know this is nomal. What is normal and who is to judge what its definition is? Merriam-Webster better not come after me for saying that I believe no one is at liberty to assign it one. In regards to our social, political and environmental climate, we have entered a phase where the phrase “a new normal” is following us like a toddler. I think we should refuse to accept anything as normal and live in terms of what is right, fair, and equal. Accepting something as normal is boring and leads to overthinking, and over judging, both on ourselves and each other. It feeds on the arrogance and ignorance embedded in our world. So forget the idea of normalcy and the latest form of it, and judge accurately and justly.

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Issue 02

FIT: A Look Back By Brenden John (Film and Media, ‘21) In November of 2016 I made a stop to my local bank. I had been having some trouble with my debit card and wanted to figure out what was wrong. The woman who saw me sat me down at her desk and as we made small talk, I told her that I was interested in studying film and had not yet committed to a place. The woman told me that her daughters were both going to a relatively affordable state school called FIT situated in the middle of Manhattan. I had never heard of it. Curious, she looked to see if FIT had a film program — it did. Being the cheapest option of the schools I was accepted to and a ticket out of my rural suburb town, I decided to attend. While FIT could identifiably be considered left leaning it became clear that it was an institution of hypocrisy. As mentioned, I went into FIT as a neoliberal. I owned Obama socks and would heavily identify as a democrat. My annoyances with aspects of the school helped push me further left. FIT after all is a school rooted in consumerism. Coming from a middle-class background with parents who had frugal spending habits this was a large change for me. Many of the people I spoke to were shills for brands. I remember listening to a mutual friend lament that his mom wouldn’t buy him RAF pants. These brands even held an unconscious hold on students. Some who I spoke with explained that it was “just what they thought looked cool.” Coincidentally what “looked cool” was nearly always of an expensive highly commercialized brand. While not everyone who dressed this way acted the same, it wasn’t uncommon for these students to look down on others who didn’t dress this way. A former friend of mine remarked on how a classmate wore Ugg’s and sweatpants to class. The obvious annoyance in something that did not affect him was off-putting. It would have been worth considering that the student simply did not have the buying power to impress their annoyed classmate or simply wanted to be comfortable. This event wasn’t an anomaly. There were more than a few times I was overlooked as a person because of the way I dressed. I’ve always been fairly eco-minded with my long-standing love for animals, but I found sustainability at FIT wasn’t all I hoped for. According to the U.N., Fashion is the second most polluting industry. With a new awareness of the existential threat posed by environmental collapse this proved to be a challenge for new fashion students. There certainly is good work and ideas created by FIT students with this in mind. Recycled material is a good way to cut down on waste and sustainable materials being included in projects is important as well. What struck me was the number of empty platitudes said by the school then echoed by students. “Shop sustainable!” “Don’t buy fast fashion!” Both of these are good ideas but neglect reality. Fast fashion is often extremely cheap compared to the more expensive designers that the fast fashion copies. This makes it a go-to for anyone on a budget. Telling someone who works minimum wage or lives on a fixed budget not to shop fast fashion really ignores the economic issues at hand. This is further worsened by ever-changing trends that consumers in a heavily commercialized world strive to keep up with. Thrift stores are another answer I often hear to the question of sustainability. I agree — buying secondhand clothing is a good way to cut down on the need for new garments to be made. Over the past decade thrift stores have become further commercialized. Affluent Gen Zers and Millennials gut the affordable thrift stores of trendy garments only to be displayed on a YouTube channel with middling viewership under the title “Thrift Haul”. This leaves the unwanted garments to be left for those who truly need them.

FIT seemed to be diverse in class. Many of my friends received a high amount of financial aid, some of which even attended the school for free on aid-based scholarships. This was contrasted with the students coming from obvious wealth. In a writing class I took, a student wrote about how difficult it was to lose her family’s beach house in the 2008 recession. This felt so far from the reality so many lived. Of course, her story ended with her family recuperating and buying the beach house back. I was once called “FIT poor” by a friend. I would consider myself middle class as both of my parents are college educated professionals. We lived in a medium sized house and my parents drove cars that would not be considered flashy. I didn’t consider myself poor but to my peer I was a less than. Maybe she was right. I hadn’t had the opportunity to really travel, I didn’t get a car in high school, and I didn’t shop designer. Even so, why did this distinction matter? While being very critical of FIT I must note that for better or worse it was my home from 2017 up until the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. Although it took time I met some incredible friends and have been afforded some very interesting opportunities. Going forward, how can the core spirit of a fashion school change to be more inclusive? How can an institution so rooted in consumerism change? It’s tough to say.

Spring 2021

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Issue 02

By Jennifer Poon (Advertising and Marketing Communications, ‘22)

This article contains descriptions of sexual violence, as well as spoilers for “Midsommar” and “Promising Young Woman.”

siasts and women working within the film industry have continually been subject to belittlement or obscurity.

Filmbros. We all know one or more of them. The guys who sit back adjusting their beanie, discussing the complexities of “Inception” unwarranted or desperately explaining why Quentin Tarantino absolutely just NEEDS to use those racial slurs. If they’re really highbrow, they’ll brag about how many Criterions they have (“Breathless,” “8 ½,” “The 400 Blows,” maybe “Seven Samurai” for a little diversity). They’ll explain that “Lady Bird” is too boring, too slow, the protagonist is too unlikeable — and then praise “Boyhood” in the next sentence. Filmbros have been around for a while, and they seem to have multiplied tenfold due to their access to film discourse on social media platforms. Perhaps the most notable of these platforms is Letterboxd, a social networking website intended for cinephiles. The influence of Letterboxd is evident; over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the website has seen an increase from 1.7 million members to now over 3 million.

In recent years, however, there has been increased fanfare around quite a specific type of female character in film. She is often acerbic, intimidating — sometimes deadly. She is an emblem of powerful femininity, joining together the forces of womanhood and formidableness, forces that are often perceived to be separate. A film’s narrative may demand that she suffers persistently, but she often comes out the other end stronger. Ultimately, she gets what she wants. With the growth of the online cinephile community, the enthusiasm of younger film fans can more likely be validated. This type of character often appeals to a niche segment of younger audiences, whose support for her is elevated by her identity as a woman. And what type of film fan might be at the forefront of this segment…

While men have long enjoyed expressing their film-related opinions and fanatic behaviors, women have often been limited in the cinematic sector. The limitations placed upon women in film have sparked many discussions and analyses throughout the decades, including the now-outdated Bechdel test, which questions the presence and individuality of women in works of art. Since the late 1980s, the term “chick-flick” has been used to define films that involve themes of romance or feature female protagonists. The term has also been habitually used in order to degrade women’s tastes or participation in the film community. Female film enthu-

Enter the filmsis. The filmsis enjoys watching women in film own their femininity as well as their menacing qualities. The filmsis may admire characters like Miranda Priestly or Jennifer Check, perhaps in the same manner a filmbro would worship Tyler Durden or Travis Bickle. Their admiration can be justified — women have been perpetually ridiculed for being crazy or hysterical. It makes sense that when a female character seems to lose her mind without shame or restraint, audiences of women can resonate with them more personally. However, the filmsis can also have a habit of defending a female protagonist’s actions without considering the circumstances in which she is functioning. One film that has erupted within the filmsis community is

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Ari Aster’s 2019 folk horror “Midsommar”, which focuses on an unhealthy relationship between protagonist Dani and her boyfriend. Throughout the film, Dani endures the pains of having an emotionally distant partner — which is why her eventual retaliation at the end may be satisfying to viewers. Some fans of the film, however, concentrate on the supposedly triumphant ending and applaud Dani’s actions without considering the film’s themes of grief, disorientation, and abuse. Additionally, it is often overlooked that her boyfriend also experiences cruelties that no one deserves, even if he is portrayed as an unlikable character — the most prominent of these cruelties being that he is drugged and raped. This occurrence is seen by many “Midsommar” fans to be mere fuel for Dani’s revenge. The perception of the film is distorted by girlboss culture, by the desire to idealize a female protagonist regardless of the magnitude of the situation.

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woman, Cassie. Cassie has a surly, sarcastic bite that reflects the Cool Girl persona. The film revolves around her condemning predatory men, in order to avenge the rape and subsequent death of her best friend. The flaw with the film lies within its treatment of the subject matter and its failure to sufficiently develop its protagonist. Cassie continuously confronts the men who attempt to take advantage of her, lectures them on their wrongdoings, and then…leaves. The film does not make it a priority to show sufficient retribution towards these men. Rather, it seems to focus more on emphasizing Cassie’s humor and cleverness instead of demonstrating the significance of the central friendship or showing sympathy towards the topic of sexual violence. It appears that the film wants to present this witty girlboss character in a context that responds to the ongoing Me Too movement, yet doesn’t do much in terms of exposing the true impact of sexual assault within the patriarchy.

Another film that explores a highly flawed relationship and has cemented itself as a staple in filmsis cinema is David Fincher’s 2014 adaptation of “Gone Girl”. At the center of the film is Amy Dunne, an extremely meticulous woman who seeks revenge on her husband for cheating. At a crucial point in the film, Amy gives an extended narration contemplating what it means to be a likable woman in a patriarchal society, stating that a woman must be nonchalant and partake in masculine activities, yet also remain attractive and subservient. This scornful narration has become widely recognized as the Cool Girl monologue, and has been praised by film fans for serving as a feminist manifesto of sorts. However, admirers of “Gone Girl” can also tend to neglect the extent of the toxicity that occurs within the film’s main relationship — which is arguably perpetuated by both parties, not only Amy’s husband. A filmsis receives the wrong impression when they heroize Amy.

It should also be recognized that a bulk of these films are praised for presenting strong female protagonists, yet they are usually white, conventionally attractive, and overall socially privileged. This is not to suggest that stories involving such women should not be told or do not have any value. However, it should not be lost on anyone that marginalized women continue to be disregarded or pushed aside, and that the film industry remains sheepish in diversifying central characters. Indeed, marginalized women experience the same hardships explored in these films — likely in even greater volumes. “Promising Young Woman” features Laverne Cox, a Black transgender woman, in a role where she is presented as a sidekick to the white female protagonist. It is clear that the industry continues to find marketability in portraying white main characters, with minorities fulfilling the roles of less significant, underdeveloped companions.

The most recent popular film to portray this type of modern femme fatale is Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman,” which has picked up several award nominations during the 2020-2021 season and has had a polarizing effect on audiences. I remember when I was first made aware of “Promising Young Woman”; I saw the trailer for the film when I was seeing “Uncut Gems” in theatres during a December night in 2019. I recall thinking, this one could be something really special. The film’s approach to the subject matter seemed especially intriguing, and perhaps the thundering echoes and striking violin sounds amplified by the theatre’s speakers contributed to the trailer’s impact. Flash forward over a year later — I’m watching the movie on a television in my parents’ home. Nevertheless, films have the potential to leave an impression regardless of how they are viewed. Therefore, I allowed the film to affect me in ways positive and negative, despite the more confined presentation.

It also seems that many of these films attempt to appeal to women through their titles — “Promising Young Woman,” “Gone Girl,” as well as other movies adored by filmsises like “Mean Girls” and “Girl, Interrupted.” The mention of femininity suggests that to feature female characters or to explore themes of womanhood is an act of rebellion and must be highlighted. For some reason, I am reminded of Organicgirl, a produce brand whose products are seemingly stocked at every grocery store. Upon seeing their products, I always think, how funny is it to genderize vegetables. Perhaps these films can be similarly understood as gendered commodities, within an industry that markets its products deliberately to sell to the audience of the moment. I myself am not immune to filmsis cinema. After all, Julia Docournau’s 2016 thriller “Raw” is one of my favorite films. The film’s poster hangs above my bed; every morning, I awake under the image of a dead-eyed Garance Marillier, blood coursing out of her nostril. The aforementioned films all have their individual merits. Simply, films involving women and themes that affect them should be multifaceted in how they present these themes and their female characters. Viewers and enthusiasts of these films should also consider all of the films’ aspects and their understanding of the characters. Hollow female characters as well as hollow interpretations of them only harm efforts in embracing women within the film industry.

“Promising Young Woman” opens with a slow-motion montage of men dancing in a nightclub, close-up shots of their torsos moving to the music. Blaring over the scene is “Boys” by Charli XCX, an anthem that celebrates men (and even attempts to objectify them in its accompanying video). Watching this, I could not help but immediately recall the opening scene of Brian De Palma’s “Carrie”, which depicts teenage girls cavorting around in a locker room while naked, also in slow motion. From the beginning, it is clear that the film is attempting to flip the construction of the male gaze on its head, making the majority of the male characters appear pathetic in contrast to the intimidating leading

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Lessons on Culture, Gender & Feminity How the hit show taught me to embrace myself and others.

By Alejandra Batista (Advertising and Marketing Communications, ‘21)

h ange l

a at A S n 2009, a reality St ar is B e competition series or n P re m i e r centered on finding “America’s next drag superstar,” was released. The show, in which drag queens compete for the title, is known as RuPaul’s Drag Race (RPDR). 13 seasons in, and it’s undeniable that the show has taken the world by storm, with millions of viewers and an assortment of spinoffs around the world. Several Drag Race competitors have since gone on to work in film, fashion and S entertainment alongside industry amir H uss ein stars such as Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and Marc Jacobs. Clearly, viewers have responded positively to RPDR (and I’m one of them), but why?

over-the-top female persona primarily to entertain. Truly an act of performance art, this performance is inherently an act of rebellion on prescribed gender roles, which becomes further strengthened in how drag queens transform gender. But we’ll dig deeper into that later.

“Why do you like this show so much?” is a question I’ve often gotten from both friends and family in my time as an RPDR fan. Only recently, however, have I begun to seek a comprehensive answer to this question. Sure, the obvious answer is that RPDR is entertaining, due in part due to the artistry and the absurd humor, but so are a lot of other shows I don’t watch, making this answer a simplified one. In exploring my own perception of RPDR, my eyes have been opened to how my culture and upbringing actually led me to find a sense of belonging and empowerment vis a vis Drag Race competitors and what they represent.

Having grown up in a relatively traditional household as the oldest and only sister to two younger brothers, I knew firsthand what it was like to be restricted simply for existing as I did. From a young age, I was expected to be an educated and independent woman, while also ensuring I would make a great housewife to my future husband. On the other hand, my brothers could be their own people outside of anyone else. They got personal freedom as a birthright, while I got to watch them explore it. The blatantly unjust nature of these restrictions only made me realize how arbitrary they were at their core. Where did my parents (and every other adult I’d interacted with, for that matter), come to know that boys are to do one thing while girls are to do another? This is a question I’d go on to ponder and ask out loud often (in my subtle rebellion) during my childhood. Never did I get a satisfactory response, or at the very least, one that didn’t cite biological sex as the basis.

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In all honesty, despite my now fervent love for the world of drag, my first reaction to it wasn’t all that different from anyone who’d grown up in a heteronormative society. Only a child when I first started to watch RPDR, I was initially shocked to see men proudly personifying women. While for many, this sense of shock can quickly transform into a deep fear and resulting rejection of the unknown, I had the opposite reaction - I was intrigued by it. And when I think about my upbringing, & Kimchi by @ omi dra Na g .n I now know that my curiosity .d regarding this strange and exciting world was just a reaction to the highly limited world that’d been previously offered to me.

For the uninitiated, it might be important to first understand what a drag queen is and what they do. Typically, drag queens are cis/nonbinary gay men and trans women who don an 18 17

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Because drag queens aren’t aiming to “be” women, they can take the characteristics that are often used to define, sexualize, and demonize them, and wield them in a way that most of us who identify as women cannot. In the world of drag, these traits aren’t just adopted, they are embraced and exaggerated to a point the audience is confronted by them. For example, in our world, women are often sexualized, but what happens when a woman chooses to lead with that part of themselves? The truth is, we jump to judge them. Don’t believe me? Think about the last time you or someone you know criticized the Kardashians for becoming famous off of their sex appeal, rather than considering that a massive market consumes their content, helping them build and maintain what is now an empire. Women should care et r e about their appearance, Ch e acki qu , S7E3: Shakes but too much, and now they’re vain or “bimbos.” Women who are successful and care about their careers

are cold and uncooperative. Drag queens take all of this (and more) and use it as a platform to stand on and elevate their performance.

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Thus, when I finally came across RPDR, and saw men of all sizes, colors, and shapes proudly flaunting who they were, rather than who they were supposed to be, I came to better understand that my ideas of gender weren’t wrong, they were just different. Furthermore, it helped me see that my secret hypothesis could be right: all the rules and expectations set around each sex are not a function of biology, but rather one of the collective imagination. The queens I’d seen on RPDR completely broke all the rules of gender as I knew it, proving this hypothesis even further.

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Of course, we also see men embracing “feminine” traits that they are not traditionally supposed to portray. On RPDR, being patient, vulnerable, nurturing and emotional makes you resilient and powerful, not weak. Take, for example, Brian Firkus, a competitor on season 7 of RPDR who adopted the nickname “Trixie,” which his stepdad had originally used to bully him when he acted “feminine.” Firkus further added Mattel and took on the look of Barbie dolls because the doll was his #1 inspiration. Trixie Mattel was created by Firkus as a way to love and empower the part of himself he was told he should hate. On RPDR, it is clear that those who embrace their vulnerabilities are the strongest competitors because they are best able to use those vulnerabilities to their advantage. Ultimately, I think this is the greatest power of RPDR. As RuPaul often exclaims “we’re all born naked and the rest is drag.” In other words, we create who we want to be - this is the foundation of drag. Ignoring sex and gender, it’s an act of rebellion to be proud of your insecurities - especially when they are used to oppress you. In doing so, RPDR competitors display that there is no such thing as “feminine” or “masculine” traits; they are human traits, which all of us express in our own way. RPDR is where I first understood this, and this message is really what has kept me watching season after season.

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8,400,000 By Abigail Zwirecki (Advertising and Marketing Communications, ‘24)

t takes some getting used to, but it’s everything I wanted after all: to move to New York City. After being home for my whole first semester, this is what I really needed. I needed a whole change of scenery. And let me tell you, this scenery was unlike my small town of around 30,000 people, 360 miles away where mostly everyone knows somebody somehow. Saying “Hi!” to anyone who looks kind is quite uncommon here, I’ve learned. The awkwardness after the fact isn’t great.

I want to be vulnerable. I’ve lived with my parents all of my life, and being 19, having my own place was a big change. Time flies when you have your own “house” to take care of on top of class and schoolwork. Timing and planning are everything and there’s always something to do. I’m in the “city that never sleeps,” after all. I’m proud to say that I’ve familiarized myself with an everyday schedule that I’m comfortable with regarding school, friends and fun, all while staying safe during COVID-19. I’m becoming more and more adept with the ins and outs of NYC, even if that’s little by little. This familiarization may come at a slow pace, but I have all the time in the world. This is also my first time away from home and family for this long, and it’s quite the transition. I’m so used to waking up, walking downstairs to drink coffee with my parents and giving my dog the longest cuddles. I am certainly making great use of Facetime now.

Moving to New York is the definition of living in the “real world”. Not that my hometown isn’t the real world too, but you witness a wide variety of occurrences and every walk of life is present. I may not be in favor of some aspects, but I do appreciate them. This is so one day I can tell my future kids (or dog) that “one time I stood in line for an hour and a half at the Central Park bathroom”.

Although I do miss home, I’m so grateful for the semester I spent at FIT and will cherish the many to come. The various museums, parks, landmarks, restaurants, music, people and experiences are all what makes New York City so great. From 3,200 to 8,400,00, I’ve seen so much in such little time and am ready for plenty more.

From smiling faces to snarky remarks from randoms, getting catcalled, blooming flowers and shit in the streets — everything imaginable is covered. I’ve seen so many characters including aspiring singers performing in Times Square, wannabe night-life promoters, skater boys, addicts, photographers snapping candids, etc. — a whole range of personalities. And I love it. It’s almost like living in one big encyclopedia book or turning on the Discovery Channel. Every day is a new page of that book or episode on that channel, and I’m learning and witnessing something different each turn or flick of a switch. I find myself saying, “well, that’s new” daily, just about. That’s what’s so great about the city. Dorming at FIT has brought me so many great friends. We love spending nights watching movies, doing makeup and goofing around together. We often find ourselves making fun of and comparing each other’s accents, bringing us endless laughs. Some days I find myself uttering the word “coffee” with a thick Long Island accent. Thanks, Liberty! Never would I have thought to have my WNY accent mimicked so terribly, either. It’s also so refreshing to sit outside in the courtyard with friends next to the fresh flowers as the sun hits our faces all while in the comfort of our new home. I can’t imagine what it’s like with everyone present. Although my whole first year was online, I’m so thankful I got to spend some of that time here at FIT with my friends. I was thrilled when I received the email about FIT planning for an in-person setting next school year. I cannot wait to see so many new faces, even though masked, and fabulous fits while enjoying real classroom engagement. I’m not sure I can sit in this wooden dorm chair any longer. But, I can say that I did enjoy the time I’ve had with fellow students and professors this year. We can all relate in that everyone longs for some sort of connection after this pandemic. I regret all those years of me complaining about going to school not even wanting to step foot in any kind of educational building. This past year it hit me, and I told myself I will never take any academic learning that I receive for granted anymore, because it truly is a blessing and a privilege to have such opportunities.

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Fashion’s Superbowl Returns and a Look Back on Past Met Galas By Ashley Lawson (Advertising and Marketing Communications, ‘23)

The one night of the year that fashion enthusiasts nationwide look forward to has finally announced its return. As fashion’s “superbowl” date gets closer to premiering, let’s take a look back at the past five Met Gala themes that defined this magical night and my opinions on each of them.

2016: “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology”

This theme focused on the future of technology in its relationship with fashion. It specifically connected the ability to make clothing pieces with machines with homemade techniques. Most looks on the red carpet were characterized by looks either representing the manus or machina theme. Looks were recognized as manus by detailed embellishments while machina looks often were silver. A couple of my personal favorite looks from this night on the red carpet were Nicole Kidman in Alexander McQueen and Kylie Jenner in Balmain. I liked this theme because I think the integration between technology and fashion is something that becomes more prevalent every year. The creativity of the looks on the red carpet was also something that I greatly enjoyed.

2017: “Rei Kawakubo/Commes des Garcons: Art of the In-Between”

This theme applauded Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo and his influential impact on the fashion industry. The looks he curated for Commes des Garcons were placed in the Met’s exhibit for showing. For the looks on the runway, they either were inspired by Kawakubo’s work or were other interpretations of the theme. I was a bit disappointed in the looks for this theme because of the difficuvlty in matching looks with a theme dedicated to a designer. If I had not researched more about the theme, I would have been unable to see a commonality between looks of the night.

2018: “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” This theme focused on the integration between fashion and religion. The long history of Catholicism was infused into the many works of art that designers created for guests of the Met Gala. 20

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ALBUM REVIEW:

FEARLESS taylor‘s version By: Claire Jung Communication Design ‘24

“Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” is a time machine transporting you to the ups and downs of high school (and elementary school

not old enough to know the kind of love that she sings about, but Machine Label Group, and according to Rolling Stone, her contract gave the company ownership of her master recordings and control over how the music was used. For a young woman just breaking into the music industry, a deal like that is huge despite the ownership stipulations. Since then, she’s had undeniable success in her career from being named best new artist at the Country Music Awards in 2007 to winning a Grammy for album of the year in 2021. negotiate ownership over all of her future masters when she signed with Republic Records and Universal Music Group. Still, BMLG has retained ownership of her six earlier albums, and in 2019 her recordings were sold to Scooter

heartbreaks, unrequited loves, friendships and everything in self-titled album, you’re just now falling in love with her, or with anyone. She sings the same lyrics but this time there’s a an article for People she said, “we really did go in and try to create a 'the same but better' version. We kept all the same parts that I initially dreamed up for these songs. But if there was any way that we could improve upon the sonic quality, we did.” Taylor’s Version is just a more polished version than the original with the only tweaks being subtle note changes, (Taylor’s Version)” that speaks to how much she’s grown up, and the fact that this time all the songs belong to her.

York Times, Big Machine and from performing her own work.

demonstrating again that the way that her mind works is unmatched. Does the amount of times she sings “Mr.” perhaps relate to the 27 seconds Joe Jonas took to break up

was not able to get ownership over her original recordings. But she has never been the type to go down quietly.

qualities of classics like “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me,” and I for one can’t believe we’ve been deprived of such a masterpiece for 13 years. Despite telling a story

rerecord her early music to devalue the ones she doesn’t the money involved, it was about the importance of the artist having control over their own art.

with the lyric, “Now I’m Miss ‘Gonna be alright someday.’” Vault)” brings you the ultimate Country Taylor fantasy of summer love with a boy that drives you around in his pickup truck. She sings, “No one could touch the way we laughed in the dark/ Talkin’ ‘bout your daddy’s farm / And you were gonna marry me,” evoking the bittersweet, all-American, diaristic writing from her

On April 9, 2021, Taylor her rerecorded studio albums, “Fearless (Taylor’s Version).” According to Billboard, the album has already debuted at No. 1 on the new ARIA

melody of “Don’t You (Taylor’s Version) (From

Charts puts her as the No. 1 country artist in

be so well-versed in the trials and tribulations of love at just 18 years old.

week. Photo by: Getty / Jason Kempin

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Photo by: Beth Garrabrant

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A Guide To Not So Basic, Basics! By Pamela Valdez (Fashion Business Management, ‘24)

e have all had moments before heading out with friends when we’re throwing jeans on our bed, you’ve tried on a dozen tops, there’s sneakers and heels everywhere and you’re even contemplating if you should go out because there is nothing in your closet for you to wear. Some would think that the solution to this is to just buy more outfits but in reality, you should be buying classic pieces that are not only basic, but can be worn in many different styles! You can also purchase these basic pieces in multiple different colors and styles so they’re easily able to be worn for any season during the year and you won’t have to panic before going out with your friends. There’s eight basic pieces that everybody should always have in their wardrobe, and the first one is a trench coat! The styles, colors, and variety of trench coats that I’ve seen from different stores such as H&M, Express, and Zara are endless. Burberry is famously known for their trench coats but you don’t have to pay that price tag to stay stylish, cozy and classy no matter the occasion. Trench coats also come in different materials such as leather, cotton, twill, and poplin! They are all for different seasons so you can wear it in the Spring when going out for lunch, or the Winter if you’re going to be in the cold and layer up with a scarf.

Switching over to shoes, everyone needs a pair of white or black sneakers! You don’t need to get an expensive pair either because Nike offers their Air Force ones for a more chunky look, and Adidas has their Stan Smith pair which is more for everyday with jeans or leggings for casual wear. The best part is that white sneakers are also very inexpensive and will go with any outfit. If you ever want to make something a bit more casual, throw on a pair of sneakers and you’re good to go. They’re durable for any season too! Back to clothing, having a great pair of slacks that aren’t jeans are perfect for dressing up and down! I’ve seen so much inspiration for this not only on Pinterest, but also many fashion influencers as well bringing slacks from out of the office, and into a comfy everyday look. I personally love the minimalist, business woman look because it looks so motivating and inspiring to get work done so I would invest in a pair of these pants. Plus, you never know what you may need them for such as a last minute job interview that you had applied for months ago. Everyone needs a plain black or white t-shirt as well. These can be long sleeves and short sleeves. The amount of t-shirts that I have

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“You don’t need to spend a whole check on looking stylish, chic, and put together.” in my closet is honestly too much to count but it’s perfect because a lot of them don’t have any patterns or designs and are very basic. They can be worn all year round and once again, can be dressed up or down. If you just want to go on a run, throw on a basic t-shirt. If you want to have some jeans with sneakers, a bag and sunglasses, throw on the t-shirt again. Everything will look good with this and if you are panicking on what to wear for a day out, you don’t even have to put much thought into it because you just grab and go. A tote bag or plain purse no matter where you go is always an essential! If you are going to grab brunch, heading out with friends to shop, need to go to work, or just have to run a couple errands, a tote bag is perfect to fit everything you need. Some affordable places would be H&M, Everlane, Uniqlo, L.L. Bean and Ssense. Even if you’re going to the beach you find great cheap tote bags that are not leather but canvas material as well which is something I’ve been obsessed with for the Spring. Button up shirts are the way to go for any season. I just recently saw a lot of fashion influencers styling Poplin shirts and they make it look so chic and classy, when it’s simply just a button up top! They can also be perfect for the summer and are so versatile not just for wearing with jeans, but as a cover up in the summer over your bathing suit at the beach.

great to throw on with leggings, jeans, or shorts. The amount of colors you can find sweatshirts in that are plain with no patterns are endless and inexpensive! You can find them at H&M, Zara and Uniqlo too for affordable prices and pretty good quality to last you. Lastly, is a pair of gold hoops! I was never into hoops and always have loved stud earrings or something that isn’t too flashy, but I’ve realized that accessories are key to any outfit and can really elevate anything you’re wearing into something much more chic. I’ve seen a ton of good dupes on Amazon for gold hoops that don’t tarnish and look just as good as an expensive pair too. You don’t need to spend a whole check either on looking stylish, chic, and put together. There’s much more out there that you can get to build up your wardrobe with basics, but for now these are perfect to get started and you can get everything all in one shopping trip because they’re very easy to find as well at the mall or even online. Never worry again about what you have to wear when your friends send that text for you to go out with them.

Hoodies and sweatshirts are always a necessity because you never know if you are going to want to keep it extra casual and layer up in the winter, or if you are really looking for extra comfort, they’re

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Alone at 49th Street Station:

Viewing Revival

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By Isabella Sottile (Art History and Museum Professions, ‘23)

As I stood on the platform at 49th Street station waiting for the R train on a frigid Sunday morning just this past January, I glanced around to see if I could catch any interesting characters or inspiring outfits — I love to watch people, especially in the subway, and I am sure you can relate. But as I scanned the platform I realized there was not a single soul standing there waiting for the train with me. Nor was there anyone waiting on the other side of the tracks for the uptown train. Now, it was a Sunday morning, and it was very cold, but it’s not as if 49th Street is a lonely place. Standing there alone that morning after just having moved back to the city that I had fallen in love with last year, I felt the massive toll, of what was the beginning of the pandemic, hit the city like a punch to the stomach. As I stood in a place that was typically filled with so much life, the loneliness of 2020 crept in through the city, around the world and in my mind. Flash-forward to today, as I walked down the platform, I passed dozens of people waiting for the trains. This was the New York I knew before, a city bursting with vivacity. My joy at seeing New Yorkers ride the packed subway cars again easily outweighed what used to be discomfort and disdain for the R train. Right before hopping on that crowded subway, I had been in Central Park, where the crowds of people having picnics and celebrations, walking with their dogs, riding bikes, skateboarding and rollerblading through the park was astonishing. Just a couple of months ago, a walk in the park had been a somewhat lonely occasion. Of course, we have not only the vaccine but also the spring weather to thank for this resurgence of life in the park. Seeing the multitudes of people gathered under the cherry blossoms there was truly uplifting. I strolled past performers and musicians surrounded by audiences and hot dog stands with lines of customers waiting eagerly behind. To see the 25

lawns so packed that not an inch of grass was left to spare is a testament to the strength of the city that had been tried by the pandemic over the past year. The long winter is finally letting up — the winter season and the much longer winter of the pandemic. Though COVID may have alleviated the notorious New York queues for some time as the city was drained of students, visitors and even natives, I can tell you with certainty that they have returned. Just over a year ago, running to pick up a coffee at my favorite shop meant waiting in line for at least 20 minutes and worrying all the while if I’d make it back to campus in time for my next class. Walking to get in line for my coffee now, a sort of happiness accompanies my annoyance. I never would have known that I could have missed the lines — not particularly the lines themselves, but rather what they represent: the city’s resurgence. At my new apartment in the city, I have the extraordinary honor of living near Times Square. An honor that I have of course come to despise, but it has given me plenty of time to despair over emptied theaters and abandoned sidewalks usually densely packed with tourists. However, the deserted sidewalks which I walked in January are no longer. The tourists have begun to march, or rather meander quite slowly through Midtown, eyes glued to their phone screens searching for directions to the next stop on their list of sights to see in the marvelous Big Apple. Being stopped in your tracks by a family from Wyoming who’ve taken it upon themselves to block the entire sidewalk as they try to make sense of what’s uptown and downtown is still infuriating, but I am grateful for their physical reemergence nonetheless. Though the city became silent for a time during the tragedy of the pandemic, its remarkable strengths have borne it through some of the roughest seas, and it is sailing towards calmer waters. Only for New York, calmer waters means raucous traffic, swarms of people and packed subway cars — but I would rather be surrounded by people packed into the underground veins that run through the city than stand in an empty subway station any day.

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Issue 02

Hope for the Future of the Fashion Industry By Lauren Hudson (Advertising and Marketing Communications, ‘22)

The fashion industry produces 10% of the world’s carbon emissions and is the second largest polluting industry in the world. It takes about 650 gallons of water to produce one new cotton shirt, and about 2,000 gallons of water to produce one new pair of jeans. It’s no secret that the fashion industry is bad for the environment and notoriously unsustainable. However, clothing is a necessity to all and a hobby and desire to many, so fortunately there are actions we as consumers can take to combat this until further action is taken by the industry as a whole. Overall, consuming less and having a conscious mindset is key, and when you do shop, either buy second hand or from sustainably produced brands if you are capable. Although the fashion industry currently is not sustainable, there are many brands doing their best to make a difference and create ethically produced pieces such as MNTN Co, a sustainable apparel and lifestyle brand.

gal is largely because of the benefits and rights ensured to the people who are working there for us,” said Kristian. “We follow all the fair trade standards; which ensures that every person along the supply train is treated well, paid fairly, and provided with benefits such as healthcare, break, and vacation days,” he continued. At MNTN Co, environmental sustainability is equally important as social sustainability, which is something that should be remembered in discussions on sustainable fashion. Consuming fashion will never truly be ethical or sustainable in nature, but MNTN Co is doing everything they can to work with this. “Our entire business plan from the beginning has been ‘how can we harness the power of consumerism to do good?’, because consumerism is one of the strongest forces in the world and is not going anywhere,” Kristian said. “So, we are figuring out how we can utilize that power to create a by-product that is positive instead of negative,” he continued. In addition to selling sustainably made products and donating the proceeds to endangered animal conservation, they also have a variety of other projects such as the MNTN Foundation, the MNTN Internship Program, Project PLNT and their new daily media platform, Human.

Founded by Kristian Hansen and Jake Robitaille in 2018, MNTN Co’s goal and mission is planet over profit. Launching in mid-May, their first edition of sustainably and ethically produced t-shirts feature elephants and will support elephant conservation efforts in Thailand. The shirts are truly sustainably made; they offset twice as much carbon as it takes to produce them and are made utilizing recycled water botMNTN Co is a start-up and a tles. MNTN Co’s packaging is small business, founded and plastic free and biodegradable, made up of environmentalists and the shirts are made in small and earth-lovers from around batches so there is less waste. the world. While the fashion Their shirts are themed around Kristian Hansen & Jake Robitaille; Co-founders of MNTN Co industry as a whole may be noand will support various entoriously unsustainable, unethdangered species, starting with the elephant. “There are animals and ical and the 2nd biggest polluter in the world, there are small brands species that are going extinct; their populations are decreasing at an and people working tirelessly and passionately to make a change. alarming rate; and people just don’t know about it,” said Jake, Chief When choosing where to shop, if you are able, choose small and susCommunications Officer and co-founder of MNTN Co. “So what we tainable brands like MNTN Co. Although it is the large corporations are doing is trying to support those animals that do need the help and and brands at fault for the pollution and unsustainable habits, there the awareness.” In the future, they hope to do a collection dedicated are still actions we can take as the consumer. It is always better to do to sharks, as the finning industry is increasingly popular, killing about something, and to try and make even a small change, than to do noth100 million sharks a year. ing because you think it will not matter. In every level of the fashion industry, from fast fashion to luxury and high-end, there are ongoing MNTN Co is transparent about their practices and supply chain, unethical practices that are detrimental to the environment and the and Kristian, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer has personally people in it. Supporting smaller and transparent brands like MNTN visited all their manufacturing facilities which are located in Portugal. Co will potentially create a shift in the industry and overall work to Portugal is one of the best countries for ethical manufacturing, as they promote more positive habits and outcomes. All in all, as an individuhave strict environmental and labor laws, making it a very sustainable al consumer, the best thing we can do is stay educated, consume less, option for production. “One of the reasons we manufacture in Portu- and consciously be mindful of where our clothing is coming from.

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Issue 02

“HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS”

Contains its Nostalgic Magic

By Raelen Todd (Advertising & Marketing Communications, ‘24)

s I was sitting at home at the beginning of quarantine, alone in my bed, scrolling through Netflix shows, I stumbled upon “Gilmore Girls.” A show which was created before my time and ended before it as well. I was born in 2002 but that doesn’t exactly mean I was up to date on y2k. On-demand was still a weird concept for me to grasp. I watched “Gilmore Girls: and was instantly sucked into the magic of late 90’s television. Suddenly I hated Ultra 4k HD and despised slow monologues. When I finished “Gilmore Girls,” I’d realized no other show would fill my “almost 90’s baby” heart except for Dawson’s Creek. Suffice to say, I was hooked. So, as quarantine progressed, I began to gravitate towards “older” tv. They don’t make masterpieces like ‘The Devil Wears Prada,” Sci-Fi shows like “Heroes” or rom-coms like “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” anymore.

friends reveal to Andie that it was all a game in order for him to get the deal. Then, Andie’s boss spills to Benjamin how it was all for her article ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.’ This wouldn’t have been a huge deal, but Benjamin had invited Andie to his hometown to spend time with his parents a few days before this party. The couple had started to see each other for who they really were while bonding with Benjamin’s family. You can imagine the heartache they both felt when they learned the truth. However, the two do end up together after Benjamin chases down Andie’s cab on his motorcycle before she has the opportunity to move to Washington, DC. While it was fun to watch the couple play out their games and eventually realize they’re a match made in heaven, the fashion in this film was an element of its own (which makes sense since Composure, Andie’s magazine company, was all about fashion and gossip.) Although it was no Runway or Chanel ensemble, Andie’s yellow Carolina Herrera dress quickly became an iconic piece in the fashion world. It’s easy for us to now feel a part of Andie’s world, with y2k back in style since the start of COVID-19 in March 2020, it’s safe to say that we all would like to be Andie Anderson in New York City with a very attractive Benjamin Barry pining for our love and affection.

“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson is a hilarious portrayal of mixing business with pleasure, telling the story of how sometimes, pleasure wins. The film immediately transports us back to the days of magazines and innovative advertising. With the COVID-19 quarantine, we all have been desperately craving the escapism that this film provides. The film follows Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) and Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey) through a week full of challenges. Andie has to do everything in her power to make Benjamin break up with her for an article at the gossip magazine she works at while Benjamin has to make Andie fall in love with him in a week in order to win an advertising deal with the country’s largest diamond sellers. The two start off on a great path, but as time progresses Andie turns Benjamin’s life into a living hell all the while he’s doing everything in his power to keep her happy. When the two arrive at the launch party for the new advertising deal at the end of the week, Benjamin’s

If there is any lesson to take away from this brilliant, entertaining movie, it’s that no matter what, your soulmate will find you. Even if it’s in the most ridiculous way possible. This is the reason why during quarantine, so many people are revisiting the film. We’re all longing for physical touch and emotional affection. Even if it is with someone we are actively trying to push away, or in Benjamin’s case, love.

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A CALL FOR HOPE

A testimony of FIT students glowing up in dark times By Grethel Estrella Jurado - AAS Fashion Design ‘22

2020 was for sure one of the most chaotic and overwhelming years for most of us. Covid-19 came and got stronger each day and due to other events a lot of tabu topics were finally open to discussion.

GE: How was graduating from FIT in this online mode? NA: It was hard to not have my graduation. To finish my program even worse. The professors were not ready for this situation, no one was. So at the beginning it was kind of a mess but then It was okay, but you know is not the same as in person.

ow in 2021, things have improved; however, for most of college seniors in the whole world, the dream to hold their diploma in front of their classmates and family will be just a dream and instead, they will need to hold it in their bedroom while they hear a speech over a zoom or google call. Even though sometimes we think that things cannot become better, here in this article we will prove to you that even if the world can sometimes look like it is against us, we can always try to become better people and even achieve our dreams if we propose, but it will not be easy.

FASHION IS SOMETHING THAT MOSTLY CAN’T BE LEARNED VIA A ZOOM CALL!

Here you will see two interviews with one alumni from the class 2020 at FIT as well as one student who had suffered just like us his first two-semesters via this online mode, but what do these two have in common? They have been able to accept what is going on in the world.

About my graduation, I didn’t get the chance to do it in Radio City Hall as other seniors did in the past which sucked because one of the reasons why I went to FIT was to say that, I graduated at Radio City Hall in NYC because who can say that!? No one can say it! And I can’t say that either because I didn’t get to do it!” -she laughs ironically .But ignoring that, we tried to do our best- she finished with a sad but hopeful tone.

NATALIA TREVINO AMARO

(ALUMNI FROM THE CLASS ’20) BEING A FASHION ENTREPRENEUR IN PANDEMIC TIMES

“EVERYONE TELLS YOU THAT YOU ARE NOT GONNA GET A JOB, THAT YOU ARE GONNA BE A STARVING ARTIST, WHICH IS VERY UNTRUE! THE FASHION INDUSTRY HAS MANY JOBS. YOU ARE NOT GONNA BE JOBLESS, BUT ANYONE TELLS YOU THAT!”

AAS-2 Year program / Fashion Design https://www.nataliatrevinoamaro.com IG: @Nataliatrevino

he is a Fashion designer established in Indiana who has her own fashion label with the main focus on sustainability. Also, Natalia is a YouTuber who has almost 55k subscribers and 21.3k in her business Instagram account. Grethel Estrella: Let’s start from the beginning Natalia. Would you like to introduce yourself, because we would love to know more about you! Natalia Amaro: I’m Natalia Trevino. I’m 21. I’m a fashion designer, YouTuber, and somewhat of an influencer. As a random hobby, I like to play the piano and also do journaling.

GE: I know that you launched your brand in June 2020, just one month after you graduated from FIT, how has that been? NA: It has been great! But at the beginning I felt that I didn’t have a choice because Covid arrived and plans like to live in NYC and work with another company were not on my list anymore. I had just two options; get a normal job to just get money, and be an adult, or just start a brand and wait for the best, and I decided to go for the hoping for the best option rather than the sad life working in a store alternative.

GE: Where did your passion for Fashion design come from? Did you have any doubts? NA: Since I was a child, I have always been really into Fashion but it was not until in my freshman year in high school when I took a sewing class at my school and my professor told me, “hey, you are really good. Don’t you wanna study fashion as a career?” There and then I realized that fashion was a real thing to study. And about if I was unsure, of course, I was! As the first member of my family who got into the design side, I didn’t know what to expect from it. Everyone tells you that you are not gonna get a job, you are gonna be a starving artist, which is very untrue! The fashion industry has many jobs. You are not gonna be jobless, but ANYONE TELLS YOU THAT!

GE: What kind of challenges have you encountered while making your brand? I’m sure Covid must have been one of them. NA: I feel like I have been doing this my whole life! I grew pretty fast, so that amazed me. You know this was my dream since I was little but first I wanted to finish my degree and work to get experience and then do my brand but again Covid changed all my plans which in a way forced me to just go ahead and jump to the pool which I feel grateful for because now I do what I truly love. 28

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GE: What are your current goals with your brand? Maybe to expand it or to keep it small? NA: I wanna expand but keep it small at the same time. I’m currently testing two people to work with me that I have not yet announced. So, yes to expand but not too much because to not have much fabric waste is gonna always be my goal.

GE: Where did your passion for fashion and biomolecular science come from? For most people, these two could not work together, but for you, do you consider that these two have kind of a connection? GT: Since I was a kid I’ve always been into doing laboratory things, but I always loved to do art and draw creative things too. I think that the reason why these two areas work well for me is because for science you do research, you experiment to see if they work or not and that is the same approach I have with my art! There is a lot of trial and error in what I do, just like any experiment.

GE: What advice would you have given to yourself at the beginning of your journey? Like when you were studying at FIT, what would you have loved to hear in that period of your life? NA: That I would be okay- she laughs. I feel like I was stressed all the time because realistically I never wanted to work for others. My personality has not been made to be in such a rude and hard industry like it is in the big fashion companies. I’m too soft and compassionate for that! - she said laughing hard. GE: Do you have any tips for students who will be graduating this spring that would like to follow your path? NA: My advice is to follow what your heart tells you to do. I know that it sounds cheesy but it’s true! Especially if you want to do something like I’m doing that is your brand. Try to market yourself through social media, be patient and don’ be scare to put yourself out. I know It’s hard to let yourself out, to share your designs. I know how all that feels especially because I continue having that problem but we need to just do it! You can do it. Don’t be afraid, and never let other make you doubt about what you are capable of.

GE: I know that you used to be a student at NYU before being at FIT. Tell us how it was? And why did you end up transferring? GT: Being a student at NYU was a great experience, I learned a lot but the tuition wasn’t really affordable and I wanted to pursue my passions more than “FOR SCIENCE YOU DO ever so I RESEARCH, YOU started looking into fash- EXPERIMENT TO SEE IF IT ion schools. WORKS OR NOT AND THAT IS What truly got me to go THE SAME to FIT was APPROACH I HAVE WITH MY that I had many friends ART! THERE IS A LOT OF TRIthat go there, AL AND ERROR IN WHAT I DO, so they showed me JUST LIKE ANY EXPERIMENT.” the school and I loved it. Plus, many people always thought that I was going to FIT! which was weird because I was at NYU at the time but I think that it was kind of a sign.

GUSTAVO TOLEDO

(CURRENT STUDENT FROM THE CLASS ‘24) BREAKING THE RULES OF FASHION IN SECOND SEMESTER AAS-2- Year program / Fashion Design https://gutoledow.com/ IG: @gutoledow

e is a current international Fashion Design student from Brazil who is now living in Brooklyn, New York City. He attends FIT but was previously studying biomolecular science at NYU. He has become known in social media due to his original and creative 3D Printed garments and collaboration with celebrities.

GE: I know that the main current resource of your art is your 3d printing machine. How did you end up learning to do that? GT: When I was 14 I learned to do 3D modeling from YouTube videos. Then, when I was going to NYU, they had a place called the “NYU MakerSpace” where they had all these machines, 3D printers, laser cutters and sewing machines. I was looking for a job, so I applied to work as an assistant there. Finally, I ended

Grethel Estrella: Hi Gustavo. Would you like to introduce yourself? Gustavo Toledo: Yes of course! I’m Gustavo Toledo, a Brazilian Fashion Design student at FIT. I came to NY to study biomolecular science at NYU , but then I just fell in love with art and fashion, and here we are. Now I do my own research combining 3D printing and other types of technologies in fashion.

up officially learning how to use the machines and even how to fix them! 29

“MANY PEOPLE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT I WAS GOING TO FIT! WHICH WAS WEIRD BECAUSE I WAS AT NYU AT THE TIME BUT I THINK THAT IT WAS KIND OF A SIGN.”

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GE: Personal goals? GT: To discover myself and my art. Keep experimenting with 3d and to learn more techniques. However, what I really want to do is help people and show them that they can do what they love. I’m from Brazil and I receive many dm’s from there as fashion isn’t well seen there, people always text me saying that I have inspired them to do what they love. Those texts are what remind me why I love to do this. To Inspire and teach others that you can do what makes you

Last summer I worked with the Guggenheim and was offered a stipend and with the money, I decided to buy my own 3D printer and having the machine in my bedroom 24/7 I use it a lot and that’s when I really got to learn more in-depth about it. GE: For you, how has Covid affected your life? Was it bad or good? GT: That’s funny because right after covid started I told myself that I wanted to do design for three big artists, and I have kind of already accomplished that. I had Doja Cat wear glasses I 3D printed in the Grammys and had her wear a 3D printed top in her new music video with SZA. , and also I have made other things for people that I can’t say yet because they have not GA: Working with Doja? How was that? GT: It was just a coincidence because I have a friend, Brooke, who is working for Chris Habana who works for Brett, Doja’s stylist, and at that moment I was looking for more artists to collaborate with, so my friend presented me to Chris and he loved what I was doing we talked and then we started working together. I will always be grateful for meeting Brooke and Chris and for having this amazing opportunity. Networking is always the answer! – he laughs. GA: Something interesting that you got from this project? GT: Well while I was working on the glasses I was sent a 3D scan of Doja Cat’s body- he looked at me and as he could not believe himself he said- Yes, I have Doja’s body on my computer… her body! That’s crazy, but really fun at the same time. GE: Which advice would you give to young FIT students who are finding problems to get inspired or to network due to this pandemic mode? GT: Really get to know yourself. Find the things that you love and make you happy, understand who you are. Also keep creating, even if you feel uninspired because just “TO INSPIRE AND in that way you will start making progress. Keep Trying, exploring, TEACH OTHERS and doing your best because that is THAT YOU CAN DO already a huge thing. GE: And about networking? GT: Put yourself out and each time that you present say what you do because thanks to networking I had all this opportunity. So yes, always present yourself .

ast year was not easy, and even though we do not know yet how will be the outcome of this one. Testimonies of people who could assure us that we may be okay is comforting. I had just started my first semester at FIT and as all of you I have also been in this online mode from my born country, Peru. I did not enjoy my first college day, dorming, making friends and other millions of things that the first day or the last day as a student that college gives us, and sadly just once in life. Nothing is sure these times but if there is something that I am kind of sure is that LET’S MANIFESTE THAT THIS YEAR this year canCANNOT BE WORSE. PLEASE, 2021 not be worse AND 2022 BE than 2020-

WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY, IS WHAT WOULD TRULY MAKE ME HAPPY”

hopefully.

GENTLE WITH ALL OF US AND -ESPECIALLY WITH THESE SENIORS - CONGRATS CLASS ‘21 YOU DID IT AND ALL THE FIT COMMUNITY IS SO PROUD OF YOU!!

THE W27 NEWSPAPER WISH YOU THE BEST!!

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Issue 02

Playing with Politics: The Powers and Problems of Newsgames Ethan Sawyer Advertising Marketing Communications 21’

It’s September 11th, 2001. Gonzalo Frasca is currently on a plane. The situation is...slightly chaotic. Within this turmoil Frasca’s mind races with thoughts of terrorism. The news blasts a story: “American supply drops crush afghani civilians’’. The horror exists, but equally so does the absurd irony of assistance being dropped so carelessly that it ends up killing people. Even in such a dire moment, Frasca chuckles at the subversion of expectations. A few hours pass, safety settles in the air, and a moment of peace sinks into the plane’s passengers. However, for Frasca, this wasn’t a time of rest, it was the beginning of a marathon. His encounter with the supply drop kerfuffle exploded into a simple game titled Kabul Kaboom, where a figure from Picasso’s Guernica collects falling hamburgers while avoiding missile drops. It saw comparative success for a Flash game in 2002, inspiring Frasca to found the game studio Powerful Robot Games, which became the producer for his next exploration of interactive political commentary: September 12th. September 12th asked the player to shoot bombs into a bustling desert city. Terrorists were the target. Civilians must be spared. Reality hits the player when they realize the bombs have delayed launches, always destroy buildings, and almost always kill civilians instead of the terrorists. As more civilians die, more terrorists fill the screen, and the game only ends when the player gives up. While not the first game about news, September 12th is widely accepted as the first in a new genre of games known as newsgames. The term was first coined by Frasca after the game’s release in 2003, and since then it’s become a niche but revolutionary field of journalism. As the information age booms, rapidly-expanding audience minds become harder and harder to contain with passive pictures and simple text. This, combined with a new wave of global connections facilitated by the internet, has driven news outlets toward quickly consumable data visualizations and interactive simulations of the latest stories (the complete opposite of what you’re currently reading). But newsgames have yet to become a reliable way of producing daily news. Despite almost 20 years of newsgame innovation alongside the video game industry’s 50-year lifetime, the teams and resources used to make such experiences have yet to become a mainstay within newsrooms. But times are changing, and mainstream news as we know it is quickly realizing how much more impactful a fully simulated experience can be. In the following sections, I aim to explain what the advantages of newsgames are over traditional media, and the disadvantages that have been holding the genre back. The major advantage newsgames have over current interactive news stems from their immersive quality. Think about an article that needs to explain how to tune a guitar to the reader. The way I see it, this article can be created in 4 ways. First, a simple word-based article. Second, a word-based article with pictures and possibly some video Third, an interactive article that allows you to play a virtual guitar alongside the written explanation Fourth, a playable experience where you put on a VR headset, pickup a 3D guitar, and tune it with your entire hand while a user interface gives unwritten instructions. The lack of written words in option four is a key detail, highlighting the concept of ludic literacy proposed by Jacob Euteneuer. Ludic literacy, as defined in Euteneuer’s article on the topic, “allows for a greater understanding of how play engages limits and conditions to create

a specific message.” The opening line of Euteneuer’s article explains “With the rise in popularity of video games and gamification, it is more necessary than ever to establish how play creates meaning and shapes persuasive and expressive thought.” Euteneuer goes on to explain that the rules and imagery of games can open up new worlds of thought for players, revealing complex truths through simple mechanical systems rather than a 5-page essay. Unlike an interactive article that presents the user with simple responsive button clicks, newsgames aim to reshape the user’s world for a moment, utilizing complete immersion to connect players to a message on the deepest level of their subconscious. Engaging a reader through the language of play rather than traditional communication opens up new information to the illiterate, can quickly solidify concepts for the well educated, and ties down the attention spans of our overstimulated societies. As stated by Lindsay Grace, an interactive media researcher at the University of Miami, “We did a playable system for the Miami Herald...and I think such approaches are really useful in helping people understand complexity that might require 10+ news articles.” Grace presents an unparalleled strength of newsgames in their use as system explainers. In Grace’s opinion, an ideal newsgame uses a set of systems to allow people to come to their own conclusions about the ideas presented. September 12th had a simple duality to the gameplay: your bombs either kill terrorists, or create more terrorists. Wordlessly, the game’s systems explain a situation and present multiple reasons for that situation, all with only a few mouse clicks. It’s explanation, while some might argue is slightly explicit, is much more of a subconscious form of messaging than a news article that literally spells out the issues. According to the Social Science Research Network, most humans are much more receptive to quick visual experiences over the written word. Articles must explicitly explain, while games can present unspoken, directive experiences. Even within an interactive article, it’s still an article, falling to the constraints of the medium. Newsgames offer that previously unobtainable level of immersive interactivity. So if newsgames have the potential to magically absorb a player into the journalist’s message, why are there so few of them? It comes down to a few simple but damning issues: serious games aren’t widely accepted, ludic literacy is still a developing topic, newsgames can’t be created fast enough, and the current journalistic workflow wasn’t designed around creating video games. First, the issue of games being taken as a serious medium. In an email correspondence I had with Grace, he explained that video games are still a relatively new and unrefined type of media, despite what many younger people tend to believe, and while their separation from other media is their greatest strength, this attribute also separates them from the comfortable standards established by TV, radio, and theater. As he explained, “Games have not become the socially pervasive assumed media among some groups, and I think that’s where the tension arises. For some people it’s totally reasonable to ask what you’re playing these days, for others, not at all”. First, the issue of games being taken as a serious medium. In an email correspondence I had with Grace, he explained that video games are still a relatively new and unrefined type of media, despite what many younger people tend to believe, and while their separation from other media is their greatest strength, this attribute also separates them from the comfortable standards established by TV, radio, and the31

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ater. As he explained, “Games have not become the socially pervasive assumed media among some groups, and I think that’s where the tension arises. For some people it’s totally reasonable to ask what you’re playing these days, for others, not at all”. Grace elaborates by pointing out the continued controversy surrounding news comedy, showing that the cultural expectations of entertainment dictate how people receive the message. Comedy is expected to be funny, so it shouldn’t be allowed to cover racial unrest. But as younger generations grow up with shows like The Daily Show and Last Week Tonight, the expectation that comedy news can’t cover serious topics has been slowly fading away as a new generation normalizes this style of coverage. However, going back to the previous paragraph, games aren’t related enough to the media of old, so for the cultural understanding of “games as serious commentary” to be accepted, people must change their mind about an entirely new medium, as well as their expectations for the genres within that medium. Unlike the general TV culture established by older generations, where an entire nation watched the same TV program on the same night, modern entertainment is much more fragmented. The gap between population segments has also become much wider due to social media’s evolution during the 2010s. In TV culture, people spoke the same refined visual language, correlating rapid cuts with danger and understanding that an establishing shot defines the space of a following scene. Games haven’t reached this level of polish yet, and ludology (the study of video games) is still an extremely new idea, only dating back to 1999 when Frasca first formalized it. This lack of a common established “game language” not only affects people playing newsgames, but also affects the speed of newsgame development. While some people may argue that ludology’s infancy and lack of proven psychological tricks is good for creativity, this greatly reduces the speed at which a developer can create an intended experience. Musicians have defined chord progressions based on millions of social and psychological studies that can be instantly called upon to elicit emotions. Filmmakers have proven subliminal audio techniques, and extensive research into the ultra-sensory nature of a closeup shot. Anyone that studies these fields will tell you that understanding these psychological and cultural perceptions greatly speeds up production, and leads to a much more cohesive end product. Games don’t have these hard and fast rules. Theories born from 1980s hotel loyalty programs are applicable, but not directly scalable to the 21st century. It may be hard to believe, but gamification as a formal concept is only 19 years old, just barely old enough to consent to the lustful glances seasoned marketers constantly throw at it. Euteneuer’s article that I’ve been referencing was only written 4 years ago, a mere 6 years after the first Gamification Summit. The articles he references don’t extend backwards past the 2010s. While the come-and-go nature of online media may be a valuable piece of the ludology puzzle, this rapid evolution also makes it easy to throw out the textbooks when new revelations inevitably arise every 6 months, adding to the snowball of chaos that has become modern game theory. In addition to the lack of solid game theory structure, the process of creating a newsgame is often software-limited. In part due to the wobbly foundation of modern game theory, the software used to create newsgames is either too general-purpose, or nonexistent. Game engines like Unity3D and graphics libraries like OpenGL have the correct features to make a newsgame, but due to their general nature, a deep understanding of the tool is needed for fast development, and even then many systems will still need to be built from the groundup. Internal developers within newsrooms can create any tool the journalists desire, but it’s still a question of time, and the answer is usually “give me 5 more hours” Running parallel to the topic of internal developers, we’ve reached the final major issue with newsgame creation: the infrastructure doesn’t exist. Major news rooms are just coming off of costly reorganizations to adapt to the internet age, and their fancy new publishing systems only accommodate the major tools that existed in the early to mid 2010s. Newsgames were significantly less developed than interactive data analysis at the time, so immersive simulations got sacked in favor of hover-activated pie charts. A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of interviewing Mat Conlen, a graphics editor at the New York Times and a Ph.D student at the University of Washington studying computer science. He also created the fantastic tool Idyll, a markup language designed to be a foundation for interactive news articles, removing the slow/mundane tasks

Issue 02

associated with creating such stories. Idyll and tools like it speed up production by allowing journalists and internal devs to spend time on the new stuff, not the repetitive setup generally associated with web publishing. Unfortunately, despite Idyll’s long-term benefits, the issue of infrastructure still exists. In addition to that, as Conlen explains, “journalists are hilariously busy, and don’t have time to learn new things”. However, Conlen holds hope. As he puts it, “if you’re a local news outlet or a smaller newsroom who hasn’t spent all that time, or...didn’t have the resources...then I think Idyll’s a really good potential solution”. In addition to smaller newsrooms, Conlen has also seen success in the education space, with some journalism schools adopting Idyll as a part of their curriculum. As the world becomes more digital, and as audiences demand more data-driven content, Conlen believes tools like his are necessary for continued evolution, and it’s my belief that the effective adoption of these revolutionary tools lies at the educational level, not the professional level. Journalists default to what they know, and if they’re taught to be futurists in school with tools that will revolutionize their industry, the professional world will better adapt to an ever-shifting internet ecosystem. Combine this with the ever-growing pool of small news outlets thanks to the internet, and you have a recipe for an Idyll-friendly revolution! Due to Idyll’s focus on interactive articles, it’s newsgame functionalities are limited, but that’s because it wasn’t designed for newsgames, it was designed for interactive publishing. The mere existence of Idyll, and especially the acceptance of it into schools and upcoming news outlets, shows a promising path for similar newsgame tools to be created and adopted into the educational space, hopefully at a future point in time when the market demands it as much as they demand data-driven articles. With all that said, the pros and cons laid bare, what’s the future of newsgames? When I started researching this topic, my goal was to discover a solution that would make video games viable as a replacement for articles. Instead, as happens with knowledge, I discovered a lifetime’s worth of questions with no clear line of sight toward any of the answers. Simply put, it will always be more time consuming and more expensive to create unique interactive experiences, even with the amazing tools available to us. Every researcher I spoke to replied with almost the same answer to the question “will the tools used to create newsgames be able to create multiple polished experiences every day”. They all agree that the technology either already exists or will exist soon, but the thing holding us back is humanity, specifically our creativity. One of the hardest human traits to replicate with a machine is our imagination, and while this may stall the robot overlords, it also means there are limits to our productivity in creatively complex projects like video games. Now, don’t misquote me, I’m not saying my vision for the future is impossible. Motion capture and the increasing abstraction of code is making it easier and faster to create games, and The Metaverse (aka reality 2.0) just got $1 billion of funding, meaning the humans of 2326 will most likely be living in unimaginable holographic space luxury. But for now, we exist in a tangible reality, and I believe my point is best summed up by the following quote from Conlen: “Even if you imagine that you had a tool that could take all the raw materials for a story as input, create a beautiful dynamic interactive experience in like a matter of seconds, there’s always gonna be that limiting factor of, like, what is that raw material for input, what are the stories, who are the sources, what are the datasets that you’re building on...I think that that is probably the most important thing... at the core there just has to be a good story, or else it’s just...empty polish.”