Volume 50
Issue 2
November 2017
MASTHEAD Andrea Navarro Daniel Nissim Editors-in-Chief
W27
A LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
Kayla Renshaw Treasurer
EDITORS Mason Auman Shani Hashemi
ART Victoria Houman Art Director Lara de la Torre Photo Editor Alexander Lopez-Guevara Thuy Anh Dang Designers PHOTO COURTESY SPENCER LEVY
CONTRIBUTORS Alexander Lopez-Guevara Anushree Sheth Lara de la Torre Ayesha Wahid Grace Kranz Adam Har Shemesh Richard Smith Mary Zaki Carmen Li
Ellen Davidson Alexandra Mann Faculty Editorial Advisors
Professor Albert Romano Faculty Advertising Advisor
Dear readers,
the mystery of who she is. We’d like to thank Dr. Brown for taking the time to share her With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we story with our readers. Our cover feature want to take a step back and consider what this month belongs to Fine Arts Major Marie we’re thankful for. Yes, the “we are thankful Saint-Cyr, who we think embodies both the for” bit is overplayed, but we are lucky to be FIT artistic sensibility and the New York City studying at a school like FIT. Walking through business hustle. Make sure to take a look at these halls, you can see the evidence of our her fantastic abstract work. talented student body everywhere — from the work they produce for their majors to In FIT Speaks, we explore the recent string of their club activities and hobbies. Having the shootings and attacks in America. We’ve seen opportunity to print this paper allows us to several disturbing attacks, including one in properly highlight what you, the students, are New York during Halloween, so we’d thought doing. We are very thankful for that. we should reflect on these events. We are also thankful for our writers, photographers and designers who make this paper a reality with their hard work and enthusiasm. Special thanks to our two new editors, Mason Auman and Shani Hashemi. We are happy to have you on our team.
Finally, to get you in that Thanksgiving mood, here’s a relatable quote from Charlie Brown: “I can’t cook a Thanksgiving dinner. All I can make is cold cereal and maybe toast.” Enjoy,
Dr. Joyce F. Brown sat down with W27 to discuss her role as the president of FIT. There are many who wonder what her position entails and even more who are intrigued by
Andrea Navarro & Daniel Nissim Editors-in-Chief
W27 Newspaper
ON THE COVER: @W27 Newspaper Artwork by Marie Saint-Cyr @W27 Newspaper
www.w27newspaper.org www.issuu.com/w27newspaper
FIT
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HAUTE CULTURE
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Getting Things Done: How FIT’s President, Dr. Joyce F. Brown, Has Built a Lasting Legacy
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Saga: Challenging the Standards of Conventional Comic Book Censorship
Upgrades in the Illustration Department
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Once More Unto the Breach: “Stranger Things 2” Reboot-y and the Beast
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Diwali at FIT Feels Like Home Seizing the Chance to Study Abroad Student Spotlight: Carolyn Castagna Rediscovers her Passion Get To Know The Anime & Sci-Fi Club: There’s More To Them Than Meets The Eye
FEATURES
Concert Review: Lana del Rey at Terminal 5 “Justice League”: I’m Still Looking for a Hero
MONTH IN REVIEW How The Harvey Weinstein Scandal 20 #MeToo: Became the Spark to Light a Movement 21 Las Vegas Massacre
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Death by Filter: A Satire
FIT SPEAKS
Uncompromising: Marie Saint-Cyr Commitment to Profitable Art
22 How YouTube Replaces Television
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Diary of an Intern: My Life as an Interior Design Intern
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5 Activities To Stuff Your Turkey Day
How My Numbness to Violence Has Started to Scare Me
HOFIT
STYLE ON 27
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24 Style on 27
Humans of Fashion Institute of Technology The Gallery
W27 IS PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER. PLEASE RECYCLE AFTER READING. A FIT STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION.
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Getting Things Done: How FIT President Dr. Joyce F. Brown Has Built a Lasting Legacy BY ANDREA NAVARRO
Dr. Joyce Brown was appointed the Fashion Institute of Technology’s sixth president in 1998 and now, almost 20 years later, her legacy can be tracked by the innovations she has implemented. As the first African-American and first woman president in a college were 85% of students are female, Dr. Brown has made diversity, sustainability, globalization and innovation the focal points of her tenure and strategic planning for FIT. And yet for some reason, after all these years, she remains as a mystery for a large part of the students and faculty of this institution. I sat with her in her office (delightfully decorated with row after row of the confections made by the unique Toy Design major, which she feels particularly proud of) to get a sense of who she is and what she truly cares about. What I discovered is someone that is deeply passionate about education, the future, and most of all, her students (if you go to her refreshingly colloquial FIT blog, On My Mind, you’ll see that her most used tag is, unsurprisingly, ‘students’). Keep reading for more of her thoughts.
Andrea Navarro: I understand that next year marks 20 years since you became president of FIT. Do you consider that was a goal or an opportunity? And when I say opportunity, I mean that many students start their careers here thinking they know what they want to be and then graduate deciding on a completely different path. How was it for you? Dr. Joyce Brown: To tell you the truth I didn’t think about how long I would be here. I just thought about getting things done while I was here. What I saw was a lot of opportunity for growth and for change and that’s kind of the path that we set on. Each year we did something big, and that kind of makes time go fast, you know? You have a big project every year and that kind of builds into next year’s project and then one day I looked up and all this time had passed! So we continue to identify what the next step is for the strategic direction and the goals of the institution, while also taking into account how so many things in the world are changing— we have to figure out a way to be a part of those changes. AN: So innovation is important to you? JB: Yeah. I think there are many things happening in the world that will impact what happens with our graduates and we need to prepare the students for those things. Innovation is just a word until you start to figure out how to apply it to your day to day life. So we need to be innovative in our curriculum, in how we teach, in how we prepare students for a changing industry and market. All those things are innovation. And then you take a look at what are the threats that really impact how the industry is going to be. Technology is a big one, but technology doesn’t stand alone. So how does it integrate with how we position the college to interact with the world? Another thing is sustainability. It’s a very big issue in the world. But it certainly has been a very big issue from the point of view of the students. A big portion of them want to work on these things. So if you combine sustainability and innovation with a forward-thinking direction you start to think about what are some of the ways in which we can impact the world and protect the planet and still send our students out in the industry to put to use their expertise and knowledge so we can began to shape the next generation of leaders. So it’s about being current and energized by what the currency of the day is; we have to master that in order to prepare our students for what’s coming.
PHOTO COURTESY RICHIE DIFRISCO
“Innovation is just a word until you start to figure out how to apply it to your day to day life.” AN: You speak about change, and I’m thinking about how rapidly the world is wchanging and all the things that are happening. Terrorist attacks, DACA, travel bans, etc. As students and faculty we look up to you for encouragement, for the right words to say in hard times, but I imagine that must be a lot of pressure. How do you find what to say on these situations?
FIT JB: I think what’s difficult is living through these times where all the boundaries are getting pushed back. One of the things we talk a lot about here is civility—the impact of words and language and behavior. So it’s not difficult finding the right words, what’s difficult is living through these times. And I think we have a particular responsibility as educators, intelligent people, and as the place which is sending out the next generation of leaders—whether that’s on politics or industry or education. We are all very privileged to be in this environment and we need to use what tools we have to send a message and hopefully make a difference. We can make a difference with 10,000 students if 10,000 students listen. There’s a responsibility and an opportunity to really make an impact on people’s lives. AN: You were talking about how time passes and how every year there is a project that has inspired a new project. In those terms, what keeps you inspired? Why do you want to continue doing the work you do? JB: Because it’s exciting! Every year we are very fortunate to get a new class of students who are motivated and aspirational and excited about having the opportunity to get prepared to make their impact on the world. What better opportunity than to be able to turn dreams into real life possibilities? I guess the answer is that I really love what I do. I say it often— the best part of my day are the students. I love seeing their excitement and their drive. They are never stopped by people telling them they can’t do something. Students believe they can and then they do it. And there’s nothing quite like that enthusiasm. You are right, in what you said earlier— students come in thinking they know what they are doing for the rest of their lives and then they get here and see there’s so many possibilities to impact with their own talents and creativity and they learn new ways in which they can apply them. So you don’t ever really know what that road is going to be, where life will take you. AN: Along those lines, how do you think the students have changed in the past 20 years? What would you say is the main differences with students when you began your work here as opposed to now? JB: First, I want to say what I think hasn’t changed about the FIT students. I think they (FIT Students) are creative, artistic and very aspirational—they really want to change the world by creating beautiful things. And I think that’s true for the business students as well as for the art and design students. Everyone here has a contribution that they want to develop and put into the world in a soft-edged sort of way, you know? I think what has changed is the prism in which you see the world. I think young people see the world differently today than they did 20 years ago. I think it has changed in terms of your expectations— technology has a big impact; everything has to be instant, everything is at your fingertips. And you want to see results pretty fast. There’s a diminution of patience for letting something evolve, students want to see results now. And they want to take that and apply it to something else, see what happens next. I mean, we have students now that are in Art & Design working with Science students to develop projects such as an all-
“I think [ FIT Students] are creative, artistic and very aspirational — they really want to change the world by creating beautiful things.”
natural (algae and fungi) yarn that could be used to create garments for any kind of industry. So that impacts everything! It’s Art & Design, Liberal Arts and Science students, and also Marketing students who will ultimately advertise this new technology. So I think a big thing that has changed is that people think in a more interconnected and multi-disciplinary way. We see the world more holistically and globally and I think there’s a greater understanding of the importance and the impact of other cultures, and how diverse points of view should be incorporated in what we do. So all those things have changed and I absolutely think it’s for the better. AN: So you consider that making FIT a more international place has been one of your goals in the last years? JB: Yes, it really has been. All kinds of things happen when you get exposed to multiple perspectives, which I think is very valuable in the classroom, people who come from different cultures can really enrich the conversation which
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will also be valuable when you go to find work. Also, we introduced having minors—before people would come in to a major and you could spend your entire career with the same cohort of students. But now, we have around 24 minors that really expand the areas for exploration and knowledge.
“What better opportunity than to be able to turn dreams into real life possibilities?” AN: How do you feel about creating a sense of community inside of FIT? JB: Well, one of our chief goals in our strategic plan has been to work exactly on that. I think we have come a long way. One of our main goals has been to create a more cohesive community and empower the students in a way that makes them feel like they are a vital part of their community, we want the students to feel a part of something larger than even just the FIT community. We have community service projects which had gotten a lot of recognition. We try building research opportunities for interdisciplinary activities so the students can work together. We have a Design & Tech lab which I think can really create opportunities for students to be involved not only on FIT projects but also an industry that could expand their circle of influence. And I think we just have to really build communication with our alumni so current students can see that there’s a whole network of people out there who went through what they are currently going through and they can end up becoming really successful people. I also think our students work really hard. They work really hard on their academic programs and then outside of FIT, because they are so motivated and they are so inspirational. So unless they are involved in clubs or organizations with people of like-minded interests, it’s easy to become isolated. So we have to keep trying to create enough activities and opportunities that are interesting enough for students that they will go beyond their regular activities to try to become more involved with the community. AN: I know you are a Psychology major, but if you could choose one major offered by FIT, which one would you choose? JB: Oh, wow, that’s so funny! (Laughs) Well, first of all, I’m not blessed with the same talent that FIT students are. I mean, I could never be an artist. But I’d love to do something with textiles. I went to see how they do the silkscreening and that was fun; also, the weaving— all the textile stuff, I love it. And interestingly, I think it’s going on an important direction for the world because there’s so much you can do with textiles. I think the whole interaction of Design & Business and Design & Science is really going to see the manifestation of those innovations. There’s a lot of research that has been done and we have a lot of faculty that are involved in terms of using textiles for other industries such as healthcare, where you can embed medications in fabric so they are time-released or for diabetics, when the body interacts with the fabric letting it know when it’s time for medication. You know, there’s so many possibilities. AN: Clearly, I imagine that fashion is important to you. If it is, how would you describe your style? JB: I think the most important thing is that you feel comfortable with what you end up evoking as your style. I have friends who I think look really cool with the way they put themselves together, yet I think I would look ridiculous if I wore what they are wearing. So I think I’ll just tell you what’s important to me. First, the line has to flatter and go with the body type. Then, the fabric, which I love to touch and feel the texture of. Lastly, the finishing— I have friends that laugh at me because I won’t buy something if I don’t like the buttons. It’s how the garment is put together. Obviously, jewelry is important and how you accessorize as well.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Upgrades in the Illustration Department BY ALEXANDER LOPEZ-GUEVARA What’s the most important skill that a working illustrator should have? “The ability to problem solve,” says Professor Ed Soyka, the Illustration department chair. With the consistent rise of digital media, now more than ever, it’s important for illustrators to make themselves versatile while honing their craft to present a unique identity within the field of commercial art.
will be right at their fingertips. He wanted to reinvent the curriculum with a strong focus on learning advanced problem-solving skills since the illustrator’s job is to create visual solutions to visual problems — whether it’s through research, brainstorming or decision-making. Given this new tool, digital media will inform the students’ creative process along with traditional methods.
As a junior in illustration, the essentials of a formal education rely on the traditional masters — Caravaggio’s handling of light and shade, Michelangelo’s detailing of anatomy, Seurat’s useage of color or Vermeer’s compelling compositions. As a class, we push the limitations of ink and charcoal on countless sheets of newsprint paper. We spend hours practicing and mastering the fast-drying acrylic paints and their opposites: the oil paints. We also make room for a medium that’s new in the art world – digital. We finish the semester with the tools necessary to create a piece that demands our ability to problem solve and our current skillsets for any client that comes our way.
“All of the factors were embedded into the program,” he says. With this new tool, he hopes students can think objectively and appreciate the Cintiq tablet as a tool that provides much more competition and opportunity with the introduction of digital media. He hopes they understand that traditional media will always compose the most essential parts of the major, but that the mastery of another tool gives the students something to use in the expanding technological world.
Professor Soyka recently introduced a new tool for the illustration students in the form of Cintiq tablets in the illustration wing, which means not having to leave the Art & Design building to use them. Everything the illustrator needs
an outstanding visual solution for whatever assignment comes their way; hopefully preparing them for the professional world that awaits young artists. Above all, Soyka hopes that the students learn from each other as they ease their way into a new form of education that puts just as much emphasis on digital media as it does on traditional media, with the goal of of honing visual problem solving.
With the Cintiq labs in place, students can sketch out designs, whether it’s on paper or Photoshop, scan them, look up references, create compositions and define color palettes. Ultimately, students will have the ability to create
Attention all writers and artists! WANT TO SEE YOUR WORK IMMORTALIZED IN PRINT AND DISTRIBUTED ACROSS CAMPUS?
W27 is open to featuring your work in our next issue Please submit samples of your work to w27_newspaper@fitnyc.edu
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DIWALI at FIT BY ANUSHREE SHETH
Diwali is a Hindu festival that celebrates the homecoming of Lord Ram from a long exile to the forest. It signifies the defeat of evil over good and the prevalence of light. Homes are decorated with lights, colourful sand art and flowers. Families come together dressed in their traditional best and eat a lot of great food. The Indian Cultural Society celebrated Diwali on Oct. 19 in the Great Hall, and as a first-year student at FIT, I was very excited for it. I was especially looking forward to the hot samosas that I haven’t eaten in months. So, walking in almost 45 minutes late into a two-hour party, I was surprised to see that the people who were populating an otherwise empty room were primarily the student volunteers working the check-in desk and henna stations. I was even more surprised to find that the appetisers and desserts I had been promised were gone and all that was left was a small box of sweets. Apparently, all the food had been consumed in under 23 minutes.
Shortly after, the Society heads arrived and the real celebrations began. There were some great dance performances. One by a group from New York University, NYU Dillagi, who danced to a selection of Bollywood songs and another by FIT student Vishwa Shah, who performed a traditional Indian dance. The DJ took over after and the crowd didn’t stop until it was time to end the celebration.
consumption of food. It was a memorable night of celebration and making new friends, and it made me feel right at home, which is all I could have asked for.
The Henna station which was busy throughout the night sent people home with some great temporary tattoos on their hands. Meanwhile, the photo booth, which seems like a celebrationstaple now, was only unoccupied when there was an exceptionally great song playing. The Great Hall was decorated, phenomenally, with coloured lights and wall decorations. At the height of the night when everybody was dancing I realised that there wasn’t a lack of attendees, the hall just made it seem so because of its considerable size. Which explains the speedy
Feels like HOME Seizing the Chance to Study Abroad
This was the first successful sentence I used in Japan and, consequently, the phrase that saved me from being stranded on a small island in Naha, Okinawa. It translates to “Please take me to the Takara bank parking lot.” While studying abroad in Japan, my friend and I decided to take a weekend trip to Okinawa, an island two thousand kilometers south of Tokyo. We thought of it as an island getaway, an adventure of sorts. But we soon discovered that this journey would be a lot more difficult than we anticipated. After wandering around for about two hours, with my anxiety exponentially rising, I finally attempted to use my intermediate Japanese knowledge to find our hotel in Naha. This experience taught me one of the most important skills that I have taken into my current life – taking initiative in difficult situations. All of this came about because of the Gilman Scholarship, which gives international experiences and opportunities to students who would otherwise not receive them. I am so thankful to have received this experience and learned these important lessons that I will apply going forward in my life. I believe that other students would benefit from opportunities like this in the future.
Studying abroad has been proven to be extremely beneficial to students’ academic experiences. Traveling, in general, expands the minds of most individuals and gives them a more global perspective of society. This is an outlook they can use in all facets of life – from careers to classrooms and even interpersonal relationships. However, many students do not have access to this opportunity due to financial issues. Fourth year student, Lauren Vitale commented, “I honestly wish I could have studied abroad throughout my college career – I see the pictures my friends post and the stories they tell me of their amazing adventures, and I can’t help but feel like I missed out on something really valuable.” My corporate communications professor agrees, and offers a solution, asserting that “students shouldn’t let money stand in the way of studying abroad. There are so many scholarships available – through your home college, government and civic organizations, non-profit organizations, churches, community organizations like Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs, etc. The list is limitless,” Says Professor Linda Finnerty of the AMC Department. “although some scholarships are based on a student’s grades, many are based on heritage, ethnicity, religion, college major, etc.”
Without the Gilman Scholarship, I would not have had access to this opportunity. I am a first generation American, and while my parents have worked tirelessly to make sure I have many opportunities, studying abroad was not one of them. Luckily, I learned about the Gilman Scholarship and was given a privilege that I am immensely thankful for. After volunteering at FIT’s Study Abroad Fair and speaking with others, I learned that many students are not even aware of the opportunities these scholarships can provide. I believe that in order for the Gilman Scholarship and other programs like it to reach the students in need, we must set up more proactive programs that reach out directly to underserved students at FIT. This way, more students can leave FIT with the well-rounded education and rich experience that I received.
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BY LARA DE LA TORRE
Carolyn Castagna is a dreamer with an open and imaginative mind. She is a first-year Illustration major at FIT, as well as an aspiring children’s book author and illustrator. Growing up, she was constantly using her hands. Whether she was coloring in her favorite coloring books or sewing little dolls for herself, her hands were always in motion. At six years old, while being watched by her grandparents, she began to copy an illustration from her favorite children’s book–Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina. Once she had finished, she went over to show her grandparents who were shocked by what their little granddaughter had been able to do. Through their encouragement, Carolyn was given the push she needed to continue to practice her drawing skills. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff were all books that contained illustrations that Carolyn used as inspiration for her own work. By observing others’ uses of their own imaginations, she was able to begin to developing her own.
As an AP art student in high school, Carolyn won multiple awards for her artwork, with the winning pieces often being displayed around her school to be viewed by all of her peers and teachers. It was through this recognition that she began to realize it wasn’t the feeling of winning that was most satisfying, it was watching others respond to her work. She found that responses were more rewarding and motivational to her than any prize or trophy. So, for her AP art class final exam, Carolyn decided to create pieces that would truly reflect her love of sharing art with others. This idea inspired her senior project: to write and illustrate her own children’s book. So, The Parisian Adventures of Darcy and Iris was born. The story follows the adventures of a little girl named Darcy and her best friend, a stuffed koala named Iris. The characters explore Carolyn’s favorite city in the world–Paris. Through their travels, Darcy learns that the most important and impactful adventures a person can go on, are with the ones you love. Once she had completed the book, Carolyn immediately began testing her project’s success by reading it first to her class, and then her family. Both parties were united in their reactions. The book had put a smile on everyone’s faces. To be able to share her imagination with others in such a personal yet still public way, was a dream come true for Carolyn. While applying to colleges, however, she began to believe that a career in fashion design would
prove itself to be a happy medium between providing a more financially stable future and offering opportunities to be creative enough to keep her inner-artist alive. After spending her first year at FIT in the Fashion Design major, Carolyn realized how truly unhappy she had become. She had lost sight of what she’d been working towards all her life because of the ageold “starving artist” mentality that has chased many people who seek to support themselves through their creative work. After finishing her first semester, Carolyn was able to see how unfulfilled mentally, emotionally and creatively she would always be if she continued to pursue a future in fashion. Ultimately, these negative feelings only became a confirmation as to what she’d always wanted to pursue in her future, illustration. While growing up, Whenever she was asked what she wanted to be when she got older, her response would always be, “happy.” Her journey as an artist has been able to make her see that, as long as she’s able to find a way to have the freedom to create what’s in her heart and mind, she will have reached the goal she set for herself as a child. Currently, Carolyn is in the process of getting The Parisian Adventures of Darcy and Iris published while still balancing her school work. She also has a number of illustrations coming out in a poetry book by the poet Dolores Cinquemani that will be sold through Amazon. If you want to follow Carolyn and view more of her work, you can visit her Instagram illustrations page @starry_carrie.
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PHOTO COURTESY ADAM HAR SHEMESH
GET TO KNOW THE ANIME & SCI-FI CLUB THERE’S MORE TO THEM THAN MEETS THE EYE BY SHANI HASHEMI & ADAM HAR SHEMESH
There has been a general perception of anime and comic lovers that FIT’s own Anime & Sci-Fi Club has been working to change. No, they are not greasy or creepy or like to be confined in a dark basement playing video games all day. They are people like you and me. According to members Angela Lee Hye and Jennifer Guzman, the club is a group of “people looking to share common interests” and for the past two years, they have challenged that stigma and made the distinction known. With about 25 to 30 students involved every semester, they have successfully created a safe environment to express themselves artistically and discuss their passions. So what happens during a regular meeting? The members get together and talk about the newest and most current anime, comic, or video game out there. They also debate controversial topics in the anime sphere. This friendly ambiance helps them mature as a club and therefore, they are able to make fun of themselves without feeling insecure. Each year the club grows and diversifies, which makes them a big hit at the club fair. A majority of the students approach them with the assumption that they are weird and uninteresting; however, the Anime & Sci-Fi Club takes pride in their table and works to make it look like the most inviting one on campus. With the help of the student government, the club has been able to have bake sales and is working hard to hold a festival. In the past they have had movie showings such as “Alien,” “Erased,” and “Evangelion 2.0.”
PHOTO COURTESY ADAM HAR SHEMESH
As you might guess, dressing up in costume is a big part of the club’s activities. The heads of the group will host a free workshop for their members on how to create a costume on a budget, a very helpful advice for college students. The importance of costume raises a question about how cosplay and anime are connected. When asked, members Hye and Guzman responded that the two go hand in hand. Cosplay, for those who don’t know, is the practice of dressing up as a character from a movie, book, or video game. It can work for every genre and anime is just one of the most populars subcategories of it. Because of this, New York Comic Con is hugely popular among many of the members. Although there is no organized trip to the convention — it’s difficult to get the budget to gain passes for all members — a small group of those interested individually go each year. Additionally, a party is usually thrown for those who cannot attend to make everyone feel included. This year Angela Lee Hye will be going as a character from the video game Final Fantasy. Surprisingly, Halloween is not a big holiday for the Anime & Sci-Fi Club. They believe it’s more mainstream than other comic conventions and the date does not always work with their school schedules. Also, anime cosplay is not always recognizable to the general public, so usually their costumes go unappreciated. The Anime & Sci-Fi Club is open to everyone and anyone who is interested. Whether you are intensely into it or just have a slight curiosity, the club welcomes you. They meet on Thursdays from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm in room B819. So if you want to be a part of this “multi-cultural nerd group” the only requirement is to be yourself. PHOTO COURTESY: ADAM HAR SHEMESH
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1) Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Let’s get this one out of the way first, the iconic Thanksgiving Day parade. It is a must to include on the list because who doesn't want to see Flo Rida and Olaf from Disney’s “Frozen” on the same day? The famed event is celebrating its 91st anniversary this year and will take place on Nov. 23rd, Thanksgiving Day. Beginning at 77th st. and Park West at 9AM and ending at 34th st. and 7th ave around noon, this historical parade is a fun and memorable way to spend your day.
2) The Nutcracker Rouge Get started with the Christmas season early by going to see the “Nutcracker Rouge” – a burlesque re-imagination of the original holiday classic “The Nutcracker” by Tchaikovsky. The ballet, directed by award-winning director/ choreographer Austin McCormick and performed by the dance company XIV, combines traditional dance, NYC theatre, music, circus-like performances, opera and high fashion costuming. This one-of-a-kind show begins playing Nov. 9th and ends January 15th. Be sure to grab some tickets soon so you don’t miss out on this unique experience.
3) Union Square Holiday Market Another holiday season classic, the Union Square Holiday Market will be back in NYC beginning November 16th and ending December 24th. Foodies and shopaholics alike are huge fans of this annual event because of the variety of stalls that are to be featured. From hand crafted candles and artisan made jewelry to gourmet crepes and rich hot chocolate, there is something for everyone to enjoy and explore.
4) Louis Vuitton Exhibition
Activities To Stuff Your Turkey Day BY LARA DE LA TORRE As the Thanksgiving season approaches and the semester begins to come to its close, there is always the same question for many students here at FIT: what am I supposed to do with myself over break if I can’t make it home for the holiday? W27 did a little research so you wouldn't have to and found what exactly can be done with one’s free days besides sleeping and binge-watching Netflix (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Read on if this sounds like it could very possibly be applicable to you and your Thanksgiving-break fate.
Held at the American Stock Exchange building, Louis Vuitton presents “Volez, Voguez, Voyagez–Louis Vuitton.” Curated by Olivier Saillard, this fashion focused exhibition retraces the famed brand’s steps from when it began in 1854 to present day. The show is divided into ten different sections, each representing a different chapter in the brand’s legacy. Opening with the iconic traveling trunks that started it all and closing with a display dedicated to the artisans currently working at the fashion house, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey through 163 years of one of modern fashion’s most important brands with the most staying power.
5) The Meatball Shop Thanksgiving Dinner Anyone that considers themselves an NYC foodie and has a Facebook account will have already heard about The Meatball Shop. Obviously famous for their meatballs, the restaurant offers an affordable dinner to carnivores who might not want to cook at home. For $25 a person, an entire meal includes three turkey meatballs, one stuffing meatball, cranberry sauce, gravy, roasted brussel sprouts, mashed potatoes and a glass of house red wine. With multiple locations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, anyone wanting to step outside their kitchen on Thanksgiving evening and splurge a little might want to consider giving this restaurant a try.
VECTOR ART COURTESY BSGSTUDIO
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DEATH BY FILTER A satirical take on the “Basic Bitch on Instagram” attitude that everyone has embodied on one occasion or two. Keep reading if you are in for a wild ride.
BY GRACE KRANZ Margot leaned against the wall of her dorm as she scrolled through her instagram feed. Her eyes moved robotically up and down the screen one time before she flicked to the next picture. Her small fingers clasped her phone as if it was the most valuable object in her life. Margot smacked her bubble gum loudly and her red lipstick seemed to be smeared from the amount of saliva she was spraying everywhere. She swiftly tucked her chocolate colored hair behind her ear so it wasn’t in the way of her phone screen. Her eyebrows furled with envy whenever she passed a well-edited picture of somebody she followed. She thought to herself: Oh my GAWD why can’t my pictures look like that? That’s it. I’m not leaving this room until I find the perfect filter for my next post. Margot kicked her boots off and began to pace the length of her room, her eyes never leaving the bright glow of her phone screen. She felt like she was in a trance. Every move she made felt foreign. She couldn’t focus on her physical movements because she was focusing all of her mental energy on the most important thing in her life: Instagram. She hurriedly changed into her Juicy Couture sweatsuit and plopped onto her pink duvet cover. The velocity at which she smacked her gum increased and became louder, signalling her mind being kicked into overdrive. She downloaded VSCOCam and Snapseed. Inhaling a deep breath, Margot mentally prepared herself for a long night. Unfortunately, that deep breath caused her to inhale her gum and choke. By now, her red lipstick was completely smeared and her hands quickly rushed to her throat. Her eyes squeezed shut due to the force of her coughs until finally the pink wad of gum flew across the dorm like a bullet. Unfazed by her near-death experience, Margot started her search for the perfect filter. Five hours later, Margot’s roommate Nancy walks in. “Margot? Are you okay?” she asked. Nancy pushed her glass up the bridge of her nose to get a better look at the… thing in front of her. Margot lay curled into a ball on her bed, barely recognizable. Her brown locks were skewered in all different directions and her red lipstick was all over her face along with her mascara. Her eyes didn’t blink once the entire time Nancy was examining her. “Margot?” “Go,” Margot mumbled without looking up. “Excuse me?” Nancy replied. “YOU DEVIL-SENT DISTRACTION GET OUT!” Margot screamed. Nancy took a step back, shocked at Margot’s behavior. Margot was sitting on her knees now and her arms were waving frantically over her head. Nancy thought she looked like a possessed gorilla, which scared the crap out of her. “O-okay. I don’t know what’s gotten into you. I’ll be at Becky’s,” Nancy stuttered as she grabbed an overnight bag and got out of there as fast as she could.
Margot tapped the Valencia filter on Instagram, adjusted the exposure and highlight settings and thought that just maybe she had found the perfect filter. She started to write a caption but angrily clicked out of the app. It had been 19 hours since she started her voyage for the perfect filter and approximately 25 hours since she had last ate or drank anything. Food and water is for people who deserve it, you see, and with an Instagram page as terribly edited as hers, she did not deserve it. Nancy never came home but sent a text saying she would be staying at her friend Becky’s for a few nights. When Margot got the text, she cursed Nancy for distracting her from her editing. Her fingers clicked between filters, adjusting the shadows and highlights to +0.2 and -0.3. She thought about how perfect a picture of her and her Starbucks would look with the E5 filter on VSCOCam, but then again, how beautiful would a picture of her wearing her Victoria’s Secret leggings look with a Snapseed filter. Margot felt like she was in the middle of her largest existential crisis. Who am I? This filter will shape my identity. It will influence the amount of likes I get, the amount of followers I’ll gain, control my entire social life.
fingers ached and her eyes began to roll back into her head searching for sleep. Feeling triumphant with the filter she chose, Margot began to write a caption. Nancy walked into her dorm room after staying at Becky’s apartment for four days. She kept her eyes on the floor as she turned around and shut the door. The first thing she noticed was the stench of B.O. that filled her lungs. The second thing was Margot’s body. If she wasn’t mistaken, it looked like she hadn’t moved since the last time she saw her. She was still curled up in a ball, clutching her phone. She looked ghostly pale and her makeup was spread all across her face. Nancy shook her but Margot didn’t move. Nancy repeated her name and continued to shake her. Nancy cried when she realized that Margot would never wake up and she grabbed Margot’s phone to call the police. What she saw was an unpublished Instagram post that consisted of Margot posing by an apple tree in her Uggs, clutching a cup of Starbucks in one hand and pointing at the apple tree with the other. The caption read: “Omg i just LUV falling in luv with fall!”
Margot felt her eyes start to close. She lost track of time; however, time was irrelevant when it came to choosing the perfect filter. Margot couldn’t feel it but her body was shutting down. She had been filtering various pictures for over 36 hours with no food or water. Her iPhone beckoned to her like lip injections beckon Kylie Jenner; she just couldn’t resist it. Margot felt her limbs going numb. She was so close to the finish line. She smiled a little, but stopped when she smelt her awful breath. Her
Nancy shook her head as she called the police. She could have at least put a better filter on the photo.
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W27
FEATURES
Uncompromising:
Marie Saint-Cyr’s Commitment to Profitable Art BY ANDREA NAVARRO ARTWORK BY MARIE SAINT-CYR
For Senior Fine Arts student Marie Saint-Cyr, artistic sensibility should always be paired with a business vision — the perfect encapsulation of the FIT spirit and its typical students. We sat in the studio to chat about the effects of the international perspective, art as a drug, realism VS. abstractionism and how a project involving garbage almost made her stop painting but ultimately changed her art’s direction. Andrea Navarro: What are you working on now and how do you feel it has changed since you were a Freshman? Marie Saint-Cyr: As a Freshman I wanted to do realistic paintings, I was never introduced to abstract work. So when I had to do it [abstractionism] I hated it, I didn’t really see the point of it. I think the breakthrough that I had was last Fall, when I had to create a painting from looking at garbage and I just couldn’t process creating by painting actual garbage (laughs). That was the painting that almost made me want to stop creating, but it also opened up my eyes to abstract painting. So right now my work is mainly abstract expressionism with a focus on the subconscious and how it affects the process of how I create my art. Sometimes I’m painting and I have the same image or symbol popping up so I have to stop to think about it and figure out why that is, and sometimes I create raw paintings where I let my subconscious just guide the gestures and movements of my hands and I don’t think too much about it. Most times those are my favorites. AN: You talk about images and symbolism. What are some of the symbols that you like or feel attracted to the most? MSC: Right now it’s not an image, it’s a color that I keep coming back to. It’s a shade of yellow that’s basically in all my paintings — I’m not sure why, but I have a very strong pull to it and I’m very attracted to it. I’m very focused on color relationships and how to place them together and make them work to compliment each other, so even though my painting looks chaotic there’s a kind of structure to it—you are still able to look at it, understand it and appreciate it.
AN: There’s this whole idea that art should mean something — but when we talk about meaning, it can be so many different things to so many different people. I’m curious if it’s important to you that people “get” or understand what they are seeing when they see your work or if it’s more about you enjoying the process of creating what you want to create? MSC: Definitely the process. Because I create my art for me, it helps me deal with life. I say that art is my drug because whenever I need to get at peace with myself I do it — I get jitters when I want to paint and I can’t. I would like my art to affect people not on a conscious level but a subconscious one, where it affects them emotionally and I’m able to rely what I was feeling in that moment to them so we can connect through that piece. But, again, I don’t solely focus on how the people are going to view it, it’s mainly about the process of creating and how I’m viewing the piece. But I do provide clues or structure so that viewers can be able to look at it and understand it. Because there is a line that can be easily crossed when a painting is just too chaotic and you can’t even look at it and appreciate it. So as long as I feel like I can get respect and appreciation, I’m fine — you don’t have to like my work, but I think you can appreciate it. AN: Considering that most of your work is abstract, I’m curious. What inspires you? MSC: Most of what inspires me comes from repressed memories. Through the process of creating some memories slowly start to come back and I kind of have to make sense of them through the painting. Right now in one of my paintings a lot of boats keep popping up, I’m not sure why. I think it might have something to do when I was a little girl in Haiti, because a lot of people in my family used to be fishermen. So with time, I’ll figure it out, but it’s interesting to me to be able to work it out.
FIT
NOVEMBER 2017
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AN: In which ways do you think that your international background has impacted your art? MSC: I’m from Haiti, I’ve been living here and I’ve also traveled across Europe seeing different types of art. I would say that the very bright and bold colors in my paintings are inspired by Haitian art — I didn’t plan it, but as I reflect on it, I realize they are related to traditional Haitian art. But I don’t know, I think having different experiences, traveling and just meeting new people has inspired it too. So seeing how art is seen in a third world country like Haiti and then across Europe where it looks much more ‘royal,’ I’m able to feel more humble about my work and understand that it’s a process that I need to embrace as well as the challenges that come with it. So I feel like having these experiences I’ve learned how to take risks that pay off. AN: Do you think artists should also have a businessoriented mind? MSC: Well, I have a business mindset and I don’t think I have to compromise what I want to create for the sake of having to make a living. I think art is a great tool to create various sources of income because you can apply it to many different things as long as you are smart about it and understand how to approach people and show them its benefits. A lot of people say that you can’t be on the business side to be a true artist but I believe that’s a very weird mindset, because you are sort of stopping yourself from reaching a whole new level of people. You could have your art impact the whole world if you do it right and you are able to have a lot more freedom to do what you actually want to do. I think I’m able to reach many more people from a position of financial stability as opposed to if I were just struggling.
TENSION, MARIE E. SAINT-CYR
“Art is my drug because whenever I need to get at peace with myself I do it — I get jitters when I want to paint and I can’t.” AN: Any last comments you want to share with the FIT students? MSC: For the Fine Art students, I would say that whatever you make in your Freshman and Sophomore years— save it. Even if you don’t want to do a project, just do it. You have free studios that you can use now, so make the most use out of those spaces. And just remember that art is different for everyone, and not everyone is going to like the same things. So try to find the people who like what you are making and reach out to them and maybe ask them ‘why?’ and ‘what’s working?’. Also, remember that there will always be people who don’t understand it, which is also fine because it’s not your job to try to make other people like your work. You are doing the work because you feel pulled to do it. So reflect on why you are making what you are making and make it into a personal journey because you are putting a lot of effort into it — so you might as well understand why.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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FEATURES
W27
n r e t n I n a f o Diary
MY LIFE AS AN INTERIOR DESIGN INTERN
Do you want to submit a page out of your intern diary? Send us an email to w27_newspaper@fitnyc.edu for a chance to have your story featured in our next issue.
BY AYESHA WAHID Hello! My name is Ayesha and I am a senior at FIT studying Interior Design. At the end of last semester, the fear of graduating with a bleak resumé hit me with full force and I decided to spend the summer in the city and find an internship instead of going home like I usually do. Before this, I had only ever had two internships, both at the same architecture and design firm in Mumbai. In this firm, I worked on projects that had more to do with product design than spatial design, so I knew it was time to get some more relevant work experience on my CV. After months of searching and interviewing, I finally decided on a small high-end residential design firm on the Upper East Side, which I found through FIT’s Internship Center. While I was there, I worked as Design Intern and Assistant from June to August. This is what a day at the studio looked like: 8:45 a.m.: Commuting from Brooklyn has made me so much more conscious about time than I was when I lived in the dorms, which means that once again I am too early and have nothing to do. Luckily, my internship is right next to the Metropolitan museum. It took me awhile to get used to, but I recommend being ridiculously early than even just a little late. So I grab a bagel with cream cheese from a breakfast cart outside the subway stop and sit on the steps of the museum as I eat. I am an avid people-watcher, and the steps of the Met are the perfect place for this — the tourists look so thrilled by the things we take for granted in the city. 8:55 a.m.: I walk over to the studio and ring the bell to be buzzed in. Immediately, I can hear the two office dogs barking, and the second I walk in the door they are all over me and I am reminded that there is good in the world. Sure, finding an internship that will offer you a great experience is important, but you also need to ask the most important question of all: Does the office has a dog? I strongly suggest that the FIT database add this as one of the criteria on the search bar. Anyway, today I came in a little earlier than usual since my boss asked me to help her with a photoshoot for a house she worked on in Long Island. I jumped at the opportunity — who would say no to running around a rich person’s house all day? 9:30 a.m.: After loading all the props for the photoshoot (magazines, potted plants, a million types of flowers, vases, etc.) into the car, we are finally on the road! Before we leave the city, my boss decides she needs coffee and we stop at Starbucks. She asks me if I would like something. Imagine that! A boss asking an intern if they would
like coffee. Do NOT settle for an internship where you have to do daily coffee runs, you and your skillset are worth so much more than that. 11 a.m.: After a car ride that was not as awkward as I thought it would be, we make it to the house and meet the high-end photographer that my boss hired for the shoot. I try to remain as professional as possible, but it’s hard considering I had never been in such a gorgeous house before. Who knew people needed this much space? In my own small Bushwick apartment things get ugly between my three roommates (and their boyfriends) and I when it comes to who gets to use the bathroom in the morning. We walk around the palace — which has around seven different living rooms — as my boss gets reacquainted with the space and explains the project to me. 3 p.m.: What I thought was going to take maybe an hour and a half, took about four. We worked out a system where we would go into each room and prepare it for the photo before the photographer came in. In my head, we would simply plop down a few magazines, throw some flowers in a vase and call it a day. Not the case. I found out that there is a science to these things, that seven lemons in a bowl look better than six, that the towels in the bathrooms should be folded with the trim showing and that any signs of living in the master bedroom need to be hidden away. These things seem trivial and a little irksome, but when the pictures came
out I knew it was all worth it. 3:30 pm: The client finally comes home and is happy to see the way everything is arranged for the photoshoot. She can’t contain her excitement when she sees my boss, but when she is introduced to me, she barely looks my way. This is the first time someone’s been rude to me in a professional setting due to my status as a mere intern. I was shocked, to say the least! It was hard, but I remained polite since it would have reflected badly on my boss if I acted otherwise. There are going to be people who do not take you seriously because you are just starting out in your field and because they think you don’t have a lot to offer. I suggest taking the high road by being courteous and remembering your worth, even if they don’t see it yet. Someday, they will. 4 pm: After putting back everything in its place (I took pictures before the shoot to help myself remember where everything goes) we pack up our props and load the car up again. The photographer is nice enough to show us what he has so far, but really, he needs another week to make tweaks and edit the pictures so they can be magazine-worthy. My boss bids farewell to the client (who once again snubs me) and we get back on the road to head home to a city where people can only dream of homes that have more living rooms than they have mice.
FIT
NOVEMBER 2017
HoFIT HUMANS OF FIT
BY ADAM HAR SHEMESH
Brandon Otero Advertising and Marketing Communications Is there a book or a movie that you feel changed you?
Hunger Games and movies like that.”
“I don’t think there’s a movie that changed me per say but there’s a lot of movies that opened me up to more perspectives of life and there’s obviously a lot of movies that I personally love like futuristic movies and dystopian. I think the dystopian ones definitely helped me with my own design, so I guess like The
If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would do with the money? “I was always told to send the ticket to my grandma so she can accept it and give me the rest, but I’d probably help my family out in Puerto Rico to be honest and also help my family out in Morocco as well.”
Angela Germain - Pyram Fashion Business Management Is there a book or a movie that you feel changed you? “A book that really changed me was “None of the above”, It’s about this girl who just realized that she was a hermaphrodite and it’s just her experience, going through that in high school. It really helped me realize that everybody really does have their
own problems and that everybody does go through a lot sometimes so it made me realize just to be considerate when dealing with other people.” If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would do with the money?
“Kill me, I’d go shopping”.
Nasim Lahbichi Interior Design Is there a book or a movie that you feel changed you?
“The Pursuit of Happiness with Will Smith is my favorite movie. It always motivates me to give it my best, give it 100%, because no matter how low you’re at life, there’s always that opportunity to bring yourself back up. I think that’s extremely relevant to anyone and everyone.”
If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would do with the money?
“I’ll definitely invest and donate to a nonprofit organization I work for, Kings County Tennis League, which is a tennis program for young kids in housing developments. I would get it known and out there.”
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THE GALLERY
W27 Each month, we feature artwork from FIT students. Whether it’s something you’re pursuing professionally or just trying to have fun with, nothing is too big or too small for The Gallery.
THE GALLERY Shóna Neary, Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design
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Plants have been the focus of my work as of late. I usually go through different phases of what influences my work, and I think I’ve been focusing on plants and line work because I think it’s interesting to create the contrast between digital line work and something completely nature driven- like the shape of leaves
See more of Shóna’s work on Instagram @shona.designs.
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Richie DiFrisco, Photography
There is fashion all around us in everything we see. It is our job to capture it.
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See more of Richie’s work on Instagram @richie_difrisco.
Would you like to see your artwork featured in The Gallery? Send us an email to w27_newspaper@fitnyc.edu for a chance to have your work featured in our next issue.
FIT
NOVEMBER 2017
17
SAGA
Challenging the Standards of Conventional Comic Book Censorship BY MASON AUMAN
“Star Wars for perverts.” That’s how Brian K. Vaughan, writer and creator of “Saga,” has described his award-winning comic book series. Within the first collected volume, readers are introduced to a vast world of fantastical characters. But while they appear to exist as utter fantasy, they have proven to be some of the most potent and relatable characters in comics. Vaughan says that the world which he’s built in “Saga” has been forming in his head since he was a child. It’s a marriage of science fiction and fantasy, where “normal” is anything but. The protagonists are a sort-of Romeo and Juliet pairing of a woman from the planet “Landfall,” and a man from its orbiting moon, “Wreath.” The planets are locked in a ferocious war which spans the galaxy. Alana is a soldier from Landfall, who is assigned to monitor Marko, a prisoner-of-war from Wreath. Naturally, they fall madly in love and run away together. Further problems arise when they accidently create a child. Baby Hazel is being birthed on the first page of issue #1, as alluded to by Alana, screaming: “Am I shitting?! It feels like I’m shitting!” Hazel goes on to narrate the series, as her family is on the run from both Landfall and Wreath. Both factions want the newborn PR disaster murdered along with her parents.
The expansive and imaginative nature of “Saga” leads it into a territory muddied with controversy and public outrage. In many cases, controversies are cultivated due to the series’ artwork, created by Fiona Staples. Otherworldly beings are shown in a manner that prohibits any type of live-action adaptation, yet the characters are every bit as emotive as the people one might see in this galaxy. So, how do these vivid characters create controversy? In many cases, their “realness” is the exact cause for alarm from critics of the series. It began before the first issue of “Saga” was even released, in 2012. Prior to the day of release, the cover-art for issue #1 was revealed – showing Alana and Marko standing proudly, weapons in hand. Alana is cradling and breastfeeding the child. This is a sore spot for critics. Many found the breastfeeding-image to be obscene and offensive. Dave Dorman, a painter, vehemently indicted the work on his personal blog, saying: “It seems that in today’s desperatefor-sales comic book market, nothing is sacred.” Fiona Staples, herself, responded to the criticism with the following comment: “I find it a little hard to fathom why anyone would object to a depiction of breastfeeding, even if it were on a kids’ comic, which it isn’t”. Staples is referring to Dorman’s claim that the cover is egregiously offensive because it is the cover of a “kids’ comic,” which it isn't. The cover of every “Saga” book specifies, clearly, that it contains mature content. Even if, however, it was a kids’ comic, why should that make breastfeeding an affront on morality? After Staples’ retort, Dorman made another statement, apologizing for his misperception about the book’s audience. But his apology was undermined by his final words, which mockingly suggested that the next “Saga” cover should feature the act of conception. This shines a light on what is possibly the root of this specific issue. Dorman perceives that an image containing breasts is inherently sexual. This perception is the reason that Dorman likened breastfeeding to conception, even though one is categorically different than the other. It’s cases like this that thrust “Saga” into the spotlight, and allow it to raise questions about what we consider to be forbidden, and why. Even before issue #1 hit the shelves, Saga’s artwork was challenging ideas about what shouldn’t be depicted in a comic book. However, the series was just getting started. In 2013, we saw the release of issue #12, at least, on some platforms. Apple ostensibly decided not to make this issue available for download on iPad or iPhone. Why? After all, the company made the previous 11 issues available for download.
According to Brian K. Vaughan, it was due to “two postage-sized images of gay sex.” Vaughan is referring to a scene in the book in which a character, Prince Robot IV, is having a flashback to his days on the battlefield. It should be noted that Prince Robot IV, and all members of the Robot Royal Family, have television screens for heads, while the rest of their bodies resemble those of humans. Occasionally, the screens feature images that may or may not correspond to certain emotions a character is having. In this instance, while IV is receiving medical attention on the battlefield, two images of gay sex are splayed across his face. The reason for this display is unclear, and it’s not explained if it means something specific to Prince Robot IV, or not. But ultimately, it doesn’t matter what the reason is, or even if there is one. What matters is that the images have the same validity as anything else does. So why did Apple decide to omit the book? The explanation was that Comixology, the iOS app which sells comic books in the App store, independently interpreted Apple’s guidelines and decided not to submit issue #12 to the company, to be reviewed and cleared for sale. Therefore, it was Comixology who stunted the distribution of issue #12. And they did so on the basis that the images were “too graphic.” But if Comixology was worried about graphic content, it was certainly using an odd metric. During the rise of the controversy, NPR took the liberty of publishing an article, featuring an itemized list of instances in each preceding issue, which apparently weren’t as graphic as gay sex. These instances, to name only a portion, include the following: Marko biting off his daughter’s umbilical cord, several decapitations, a disembowelment, explicit heterosexual sex, ghosts of murdered children with intestines spilling out of their bodies, an orgy with (all female) oral sex, a man’s head exploding between another man’s hands, giant space-ogre genitalia, and more heterosexual sex. Yet, none of these images warranted any hesitation from Comixology. After a considerable amount of uproar, issue #12 was made available for download. Again, “Saga” proved to be a leader in the fight against the standards of conventional comic book censorship. Sex happens, involving every imaginable combination of individuals. There is nothing imaginary or, frankly, “graphic” about it. So, the liberation of this imagery within comic books is essential to creating relatable worlds and characters. The comic book medium exists in order to tell stories with a combination of written word and art. So, any type of muzzle on half of the medium’s formula is a threat to the industry. For this reason, creators like Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, particularly, are needed in order to preserve, and progress the quality of storytelling in comic books.
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HAUTE CULTURE
W27
Once More Unto the Breach: “Stranger Things 2” BY DANIEL NISSIM Last year’s release of “Stranger Things” came out of nowhere for many fans. Created by the unknown Duffer Brothers, with a cast of pre-teens with only a handful of credits to their names, “Stranger Things” was a surprise success with its 80s nostalgia and Amblin Films vibe. With much anticipation, Netflix released “Stranger Things 2” (Season Two) on Oct. 27.
– jokingly referred to as “Emo Mike” by the cast. This season we get to see Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) grow as characters, meet their families and see them deal with preadolescent love. A highlight of the season is when Lucas asks his father for some relationship advice at the breakfast table – clueless, much?
Personally, I didn’t think the first season of “Stranger Things” lived up to all of the hype. It had its moments, but it’s soso special effects had a B-movie vibe. Thankfully, Season Two is a major departure from last year’s story arc. The big bad this season has a greater, more ominous presence compared to last year’s campy Demogorgon. The gang faces a truly evil baddy. The second season begins one year after the group’s success in saving Will (Noah Schnapp) from the Upside Down and Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) disappearance. The “party” is back together, but things are not the same. Will, last season’s MacGuffin, is back, but he hasn’t quite escaped without any side effects from his time in the Upside Down. Mike (Finn Wolfhard), last season’s leader, has not taken Eleven’s disappearance with grace. Throughout most of the season he is a moody jerk
There are several new characters this season. Sean Astin, of “The Goonies” fame, is a highlight among the new group. He portrays Bob Newby, Joyce Byers’ (Winona Ryder) new boyfriend. Bob is a huge nerd and as lovable as they come. Sadie Sink and Dacre Montgomery join the cast as Max Mayfield and Billy Hargrove, respectively – stepsiblings with a less than positive relationship. Max serves as Dustin and Lucas’ love interest as well as a new addition to the party, whereas Billy is one of this season’s antagonists. The dude’s a huge jerk, but he sure has a sweet ride and rocks the denim on denim look like a pro. Another important addition to the cast is Brett Gelman, who portrays Murry Bauman. Bauman, along with Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton), finally get some #JusticeForBarb. I won’t spoil how they did it, but rest assured that we get it.
Eleven goes through her own journey this season. I liked how we get to see more of her backstory, but overall, I was disappointed with her story arc. However, her interactions with Chief Hopper (David Harbour) were some of the best scenes of the season, and I gotta say that her reunion with the group was badass – going from scary science project to real 80s punk-rock girl. And yeah, girl still loves her Eggos.
Ultimately, this season stands out because of character growth. There are also some great pairings this time around. Watch out for Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) and an unlikely ally. I won’t divulge any secrets, but all I can say is we finally get the secret to Steve’s slick hairdo. We get a satisfying conclusion with an ominous nod to Season Three’s plans for Hawkins, In. Who will the Upside Down claim next?
REBOOT-Y & THE BEAST BY RICHARD SMITH One of the most frequent criticisms about the entertainment industry within the last few years is that there are too few original ideas; too many sequels, reboots and rehashes and not enough variety and diversity. Why is this? Well, here’s a look at several potential reasons. One reason is, obviously, money. Over the past few years, we have been seeing a nostalgia craze the likes of which haven’t been seen for quite some time. The demand to make fondly remembered movies and TV shows more available and even remake or continue them is reaching new heights. What new way to answer or exploit that demand and make reboots for money, especially with so many new avenues in producing and distributing entertainment? Another thing to remember is that, now more than ever, an original idea is hard to sell because you have something that has never been proven to click with audiences and critics. After all, why waste time and money on something different when you can have something that already has a built-in audience, especially if it’s something that’s been consistently popular for many years? However, some of those pop culture mainstays, like “Star Wars” and “Back to the Future,” are original ideas that were predicted to flop but ended up becoming some of the most successful movies ever made.
Another reason for restarting older franchises is to make them more appealing to a contemporary audience or improve upon their shortcomings. Tim Burton’s 2001 take on “Planet of the Apes” helped popularize the term “reimagining,” which means to take a different approach to a familiar idea. Those can either be done well or done badly depending on what the people behind them did with them. Some recent retellings like “The Jungle Book” and “DuckTales” have received acclaim for taking what were considered the best qualities of the originals and adding a new depth and edge to create a bestof-both-worlds atmosphere. Inversely, the recent takes on “The Powerpuff Girls” and “Ghostbusters” received extremely polarized reception due the creators trying to make them more “current”– taking cues from cultural aesthetics as meme culture, the recent arguments over political correctness and the liberal backlash towards neoconservatism. Other reimaginings, like “Beauty and the Beast,” were criticized for not straying far enough from the source materials to the point of being seen as corny near-copies. Finally, especially in the TV side of things, there is the chance to see just what the characters we know and love have been up to since we last met them. Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” and the new “Goodbye Christopher Robin” depict child characters all grown up and rediscovering the
fantastical figures of their childhoods. Forthcoming TV movies based on “Hey Arnold!” and “Rocko’s Modern Life” are being produced with their respective creators, casts and crews at the helm. In fact, the former has been in development for more than a decade. And limited series based on “Twin Peaks” and “Roseanne” are bringing us home to familiar personalities taking on currentday aesthetics and issues, which just opens the door to more interesting situations. Even other mediums like comic books have set the stage for older franchises like “Rugrats,” “Invader Zim” and “Dexter’s Laboratory” to live again. The attitude towards reboots all comes down to how many are coming out and whether or not you asked for it. As far as quality is concerned, in my opinion, how good a reboot is depends on how far or close it is from the source and how well the new team accomplishes making something old feel new again. But, as with many other fads, this nostalgia craze will settle down eventually and companies will try to make money off of something else. Still, as time goes on and more things will start to be called “classics,” there will always be a chance for somebody to dust off an old franchise and maybe do something new with it again.
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Concert Review:
Lana del Rey at Terminal 5 BY ANDREA NAVARRO
Recently, Lana del Rey finally came to her hometown for a couple of shows — one on Monday, Oct. 23 and the next one the following day, Tuesday, Oct. 24. Besides a one-hour set on Governor’s Ball music festival in 2015, this occasion marked the first time del Rey played in New York City in more than 5 years. The shows were some of the first she’s played since announcing a world tour promoting her newest record, “Lust for Life”, and for her loyal legion of New Yorker fans the occasion felt monumental. I arrived at the Tuesday concert at around 5 p.m (doors were supposed to open at 7 p.m, but everyone actually ended up going inside one hour later) and the line to get inside was already huge — which is to be expected, considering that this was a general admission show. Once inside, we waited an extra hour, with no opening act, until Del Rey finally came out at around 9:15 p.m. Her performance was lovely, a nicely curated mix of all her albums that relied heavily on fan favorites from “Born to Die” (her first and most mainstream record) like “Video Games,” “Blue Jeans,” “Ride,” “Summertime Sadness,” “Off to the Races” and even “Diet Mountain Dew”, a wink to her New York roots (“Diet Mountain Dew, baby, New York City / Never was there ever a girl so pretty / Do you think we'll be in love forever?”) but also had
some surprises, such as her fantastic rendition of “Chelsea Hotel #2” by Leonard Cohen and even the live debut of “Pretty When You Cry”, the first time that the track from “Ultraviolence”, her sophomore album, has ever been played live. From her newest album, she chose to play singles “Love,” “Lust for Life” and “White Mustang”, slow ballads “13 Beaches” and “Change”, and even a seductive choreography set for “Cherry,” arguably the best track of her newest album.
So if that’s you, here’s my advice: don’t be that person. You will have so much more fun if you actually interact with people — after all, literally everyone in the venue likes the same artist, so that’s something you all have in common — or you know, don’t talk to anyone, but remain civil. Also, some advice for Del Rey: you’ve made it! Even if it’s two dates, you are way too famous to book Terminal 5. Next time, choose a bigger venue, please.
Now, let’s take a moment to talk about concert etiquette. When you go see a band play live, so much of the performance is reduced to the crowd. For someone as delightful as Del Rey, it’s baffling to see that some of her fans are so rude: from intentionally blocking the view to pushing, cursing, and screaming at one another, many attendants seemed to take joy in making the show as miserable as possible for others. No matter how great a performance is, this obviously takes a toll on the overall experience.
“Justice League” I’m Still Looking for a Hero BY DANIEL NISSIM While Marvel Studios has raked in billions through its superhero films, Warner Bros., which is to say, DC Comics, has yet to find any traction. There have been some successes with Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight Trilogy” and most recently, Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman,” but its other forays into DC’s Extended Universe (DCEU) have been poorly received with mild box office success. “Justice League,” unfortunately, is not the answer to Warner Bros.’ prayers. First, I’d like to say that I enjoyed the movie. I’m a major comic book nerd, and a DC fan as well, so the experience of seeing the Justice League on the silver screen was a dream come true. There were some scattered moments of success, but ultimately, “Justice League” was a poor try at a comic book film. Steppenwolf, the villain, was a bad choice as well as his CGI portrayal — a repeat of the studio’s mistake with Ares in “Wonder Woman.” The plot was derivative, and the film felt more like an introduction to members of the Justice League rather than their unifying, such as in Marvel’s “The Avengers.” It’s important to note that director Joss Whedon was brought on to finish the film as the film’s original director, Zack Snyder, stepped away in May for personal reasons. Along with this change in directors came a major tonal shift. “Wonder Woman’s” success at the box office turned some heads at Warner Bros., and “Justice League” underwent significant reshoots estimated at around $20 million. The result: a confused
combination of light and dark — Snyder’s moody style and Whedon’s whit and humor. “Justice League” also failed in portraying its characters accurately. Ben Affleck’s Batman was a little too humorous. Ezra Miller’s The Flash was
way too humorous. I believe they added a lot of one-liners for him which ended up making him annoyingly dorky. Cyborg (Ray Fischer) showed some promise, but I have neither praise nor criticism for him. Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) was poorly handled — she ended up becoming the sexual object of the film with multiple shots focusing on her non-heroic assets. They played into her “beacon of hope” angle at the end of film, but her character was ill-used throughout. The biggest surprise was Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, which came off as a bit of a hard surfer brah in the trailer, but was actually more of a tortured bro. At times he
was cheesy, but his Aquaman is a major departure from the character’s depiction in comics. I’m really looking forward to his solo film. Henry Cavill’s Superman was most obviously affected by Whedon’s reshoots. I won’t delve into the nature of his role in the film, but most, if not all, of his scenes were taken from the reshot film. This is obvious because Whedon had to edit out Cavill’s moustache in post-production. At the time of the reshoots, Cavill was working on “Mission: Impossible 6” and was contractually obligated to maintain his moustache. This was all covered in the eponymous “Moustache Gate.” As a result, Warner Bros. spent a significant amount of money to produce CGI shots of his mouth minus the moustache. It’s hard not to cringe every time Cavill is on screen, but in defense of the reshoots, Whedon was able to get Superman back on track. Snyder’s original brooding take on the iconic superhero was depressing. I mean, seriously, Superman was moodier than Batman. While “Justice League” failed both critically and at the box office, bringing in a meager $94 million over its opening weekend domestically, Warner Bros. is heading in the right direction. Although it veered a little too much on the side of levity, the film could have been much worse. Things are a bit uncertain as to Warner Bros. upcoming slate of DCEU films. Variety reported that the success of this film would determine whether future projects, such as “Flashpoint,” will be produced. With Warner Bros. looking to take a major hit financially with “Justice League’s” failure at the box office, this fanboy can only hope that someone will come save the day and give DC’s superheroes the films they deserve.
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PHOTO COURTESY GETTY IMAGES
#MeToo: How The Harvey Weinstein Scandal Became the Spark to Light a Movement BY ANUSHREE SHETH Today, Tarana Burke is a social activist and the program director of the Brooklyn-based Girls for Gender Equity, which goal is to empower young women of color. But in 1996, she was a camp director where she had an encounter with a young girl who was a victim of sexual abuse. Burke and the girl were having a private discussion where she began describing the horrific manner in which her mother’s boyfriend was taking advantage of her young body. In that moment Burke failed to help the girl in any manner. She failed to tell her, “Me Too. This has happened to me too.” That was the inception of the movement #MeToo. It was a bold declarative statement to the world, from one survivor to another, to let them know that they were not alone. The movement gained waves of popularity, but none as widespread as when actress Alyssa Milano tweeted on Oct. 15, crediting Burke: “If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me Too’ as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.” The tweet got an overwhelming response and #MeToo was used 825,000 times within the next 24 hours, according to Twitter. Facebook reported that in less than 24 hours, 4.7 million people around the world had engaged in the ‘Me Too’ conversation, with more than 12 million posts, comments and reactions. According to Facebook, more than 45% of people in the United States were friends with someone who had posted a message with the words 'Me Too.' The numbers only grew in the days following. A large number of Hollywood celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Gabrielle Union, Anna Paquin, Patricia Arquette and Evan Rachel Wood also opened up about their own experiences using the hashtag. The uprise of this movement was due to the many women who accused Hollywood big-shot Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. Weinstein was a prominent movie executive and cofounder of the production-and-distribution companies Miramax and the Weinstein Company. And while few have been as successful in the industry as Weinstein, rumours of sexual harassment and assault circled him for two decades. Ultimately, on Oct. 5, the New York Times revealed multiple allegations of sexual harassment against Weinstein, an article that led to the resignation of four members of the Weinstein Company’s all-male board, and to Weinstein’s firing. On Oct. 10, the New Yorker published an article following a 10-month investigation that included
several detailed instances on which Weinstein made unwanted advances, demanded sexual favours and in some cases, raped women. After this point, an appallingly large number of women, including many famous actresses, accused Weinstein of sexual harassment or assault. To date, 78 women, according to USA Today, have accused him of inappropriate behaviour. Lupita Nyong’o wrote an essay for The New York Times detailing two encounters with Weinstein in which he made inappropriate advances and tried to get her to drink before the release of her first big movie , “12 Years a Slave”. Kate Beckinsale posted a picture of herself as a teenager stating that Weinstein arranged a meeting with her at his hotel room. “He opened the door in his bathrobe. I was incredibly naive and young and it did not cross my mind that this older, unattractive man would expect me to have any sexual interest in him,” she wrote. “After declining alcohol and announcing that I had school in the morning I left, uneasy but unscathed.” Italian actress and director Asia Argento told the New Yorker that in 1997 she attended what was supposed to be a Miramax party at a French Hotel, only to find Weinstein alone in a room. He allegedly appeared with a bottle of lotion and asked for a massage. She reluctantly gave him one, and then he forcibly performed oral sex on her. Angelina Jolie claimed that Weinstein made unwanted advances towards her in the 90s during the release of “Playing by Heart”. In an email to the Times she said, “I had a bad experience with Harvey Weinstein in my youth, and as a result, chose never to work with him again and warn others when they did. This behaviour towards women in any field, any country, is unacceptable.” For nearly three decades Harvey Weinstein has taken advantage of women, most of whom were between the ages of 17 to 30. He did it so many times that he almost had a set method to it. He lured them into private spaces under the pretext of professional meetings, with women present before and after the meetings, and made the would-be victims feel obligated to comply. He made it seem like this was a common practice in the industry and that their careers would not be successful if they did not do as he said. He had his way with them with muted threats and other industry members looking the other way if not condoning it. All the women that he targeted kept silent for decades because they were afraid of what he could do to their careers and lives. Those that spoke up were besmirched and out-
casted by the industry, which only further discouraged the other victims. It was a blatant abuse of power by a man with complete disregard for consent. Weinstein has unequivocally denied all these allegations and is currently seeking treatment for his “condition” while the police conducts an investigation. Unfortunately, this seems to be a trend in Hollywood. On Oct. 29, Buzzfeed News reported that “House of Cards” actor and producer Kevin Spacey made sexual advances towards actor Anthony Rapp when he was only 14 years-old, 30 years earlier.. Following this, there were 8 other similar claims made against Spacey resulting in Netflix to stop production of the last season of “House of Cards” for now. Spacey is also currently seeking unspecified “evaluation and treatment. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), released by the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), there were 346,830 rapes and sexual assaults reported in the United states in 2012 and 431,840 in 2015, which was when the last report was issued. While awareness for sexual assault and rape has increased, the number of incidents have not decreased. This begs the questions, “are we really making the world a safer place?” If not, then how can we start? Maybe by being a part of the conversation, giving a voice to the voiceless. What started off as one person confronting her assailant led to 77 others coming forward with her. Inspiring thousands worldwide to do the same with just two simple words: Me Too.
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PHOTO COURTESY GETTY IMAGES
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BY SHANI HASHEMI Oct. 1 marked the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. More than 22,000 people came to see Jason Aldean, a country music singer, perform at Route 91 Harvest, an annual Las Vegas music festival, completely unsuspecting what was to occur. The Washington Post reports that at about 10:08 p.m. the shooter began to open fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino into the concert venue across the street. The crowd was hysterical, running for their lives into restaurants and hotels to escape the scene. Many were trampled in the process and calls were sent to the police force. No one is exactly sure when the shooting stopped but the estimate is after about ten to fifteen minutes. Finally, at 10:27 p.m., a SWAT team stormed the room only to find the body of the shooter, 23 guns and sufficient evidence of the carefully planned attack. 59 people were killed and over 500 were injured. The attack was carried out by Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old white male from Mesquite, Nev., near Las Vegas. Police chief Lombardo said Paddock’s run-ins with Las Vegas police consisted only of one citation several years ago. He was living with girlfriend, Marilou Danley – currently a “person of interest” for the police (although they don’t seem to think she was involved in the shooting). The police have not yet determined Paddock’s motive and have not yet decided whether the shooting constitutes as an act of terrorism, a term that normally is used to describe an attack on civilians to intimidate or coerce society for political purposes. Paddock had been at the Mandalay Bay hotel since Sep. 28 and hotel employees who had been in his room prior to the shooting did not notice anything amiss. Upon further investigation, Lombardo says several pounds of ammonium nitrate, a material used to make explosives, were found in Paddock’s car. Authorities also searched Paddock’s home in Mesquite and found at least 19 more firearms, as well as explosives, several thousand rounds of ammunition, and some electronic devices. A law enforcement official told CNN that the shooter had bought – apparently legally – multiple firearms, several of them in California. The suspicion, based on initial reports, is that at least one of the rifles used was altered in order to function as an automatic weapon. Paddock was a retired accountant and real estate investor who owned several apartments and houses. His brother, Eric Paddock, said to CNN that his brother had never shown violent tendencies, and had no affiliations with any terror or hate group. He says he’s still in the dark on why his brother would do this. A revolting act like this makes one think seriously
about what breeds a killer? Someone could be born into an average family, with no trauma from the past and still have the capability to cause so much damage. There are stories about people with mental illness or an abusive past that drove them to be bitter, revengeful killers who want to inflict pain on the world that hurt them. Although, his father was a wanted bank robber, Paddock and his brother were in little touch with him before he died in prison. This background does not fit one who decided to kill and injure so many people. Learning about this event was shocking and sad – yet another mass shooting that took so many lives. Did the concert goers deserve their fate? No one has the moral or legal right to end someone’s life. What was supposed to be an enjoyable evening turned into a gunshot shower. A similar thing happened in Manchester before this and soon concerts may be deemed too dangerous to attend. The people of our country can no longer relax and feel safe as they used to. Traveling is dangerous, concerts are dangerous, movie theaters are dangerous and even going to church has become dangerous. It seems that there are those who are extremely discontent with life and wish to cause harm on people who had nothing to do with their pain in any way. When will it end? How can this be stopped? What can heal the loss of a loved one? So many questions and not nearly enough answers. It’s scary to think that someone could own so many weapons without raising any red flags. The question of whether or not we should have more gun control laws comes up. The Second Amendment of the US constitution states that all men have the right to bare arms. Many will say that it is outdated for our times, that although this law was necessary back then as an insurance against a possibly corrupt government, it really isn’t now. But the “McDonald v. City of Chicago” ruling in 2010 stated that the Second Amendment is an individual right just like freedom of speech. Some people feel safer when they have a way to protect themselves, and it is said that gun control laws infringe upon the right to self-defense and deny people a sense of safety. Guns are also used for hunting and sport. Relatively few people are killed by gunfire – more people die from car accidents and drowning than by firearm. It would be a crime itself to disallow citizens the right to safety, but are guns really the only way to protect oneself? Stricter gun control laws would reduce gun deaths and a majority of adults, including gun owners, support common-sense gun control such as background checks, bans on assault weapons and bans on high-capacity magazines. If there were a record on the amount of firearms one bought, then it would be possible to put limits on mass purchasing. Maybe then people like Paddock wouldn’t have the materials to cause so much damage on such a short amount of time.
There’s an argument that the presence of a gun makes a conflict more likely to become violent, and also, that armed civilians are more likely to make a dangerous situation – such as mass shooting – even more deadly with a weapon. But 95% of all US gun owners believe that people should be educated about gun safety to prevent violence. Guns don’t kill people; people kill people, they say. People need more gun education and more mental illness screenings should be done to prevent massacres. A fatal example of someone with a mental illness who had gun access happened recently. On Nov. 5, another brutal event occurred. Devin Patrick Kelley killed 26 people, including an unborn child, in a small Texas church after escaping from Peak Behavioral Health Systems in New Mexico 5 years ago. He was sent there after abusing his ex-wife and child and making threats to his commanders at the US Air Force base. Kelley was reported missing at his mental health facility until her turned up at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs. He had gone in the past but was not welcome again because of his volatile attitude. On the morning of the attack, he threatened his mother-in-law via text message and looked for her in the church with the intention to kill her. He was armed with an assault rifle, 15 loaded magazines and his obsessive anger about a family dispute. Kelley was later found dead in his vehicle with a bullet in his head, placed there by himself. He had also been shot in the leg and torso by an armed citizen. According to CNN, The US Air Force acknowledged it did not relay information about Kelley’s court martial conviction for domestic assault to civilian law enforcement, something that could have prevented him from purchasing the firearms used in the shooting. The Air Force and Department of Defense are investigating how records of his domestic violence conviction were handled. Screenings and background check are very controversial in terms of how effective they actually are. People against gun control say that gun control laws will not prevent criminals from obtaining guns or breaking laws. And yet, 49 out of 62 mass shootings in the US between 1982 and 2012 were committed with legally obtained guns. Stephan Paddock had a clean history and obtained his guns legally in California. Devin Kelley’s history was never reported to officials. The government cannot guess what these firearms will be used for nor can they stop people who seem completely sane from committing completely insane crimes. Our country has suffered too many massacres and so far there is no solution to this epidemic. The best we can do is help the victims’ families, advocate for gun control and new laws, educate children and try to teach them the right values and hold strong in the face of disaster.
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HOW YOUTUBE REPLACES TELEVISION BY MASON AUMAN
When I think of Generation Z, I think of YouTube. AdWeek reports that 95% of Generation Z uses YouTube and 50% say that they can’t live without it. The online video service, now owned by Google, began as a platform for people to upload videos for their families or make idiosyncratic cartoons and skits. It has since evolved into a media giant which I predict will bring the demise of cable television more than Netflix, Hulu or any other streaming sites ever could. While these subscription services offer both regular TV shows and original content, YouTube has grown into the most organic and categorically unique source of competition for cable TV. Perhaps the most prominent point of difference between YouTube and cable – and even Netflix – is that the former’s free. The site does operate a subscription service of its own, YouTube Red, but this service provides, quite frankly, unessential content. This means that anybody with internet access can experience YouTube to its fullest, free of charge – certainly a major draw for those in Generation Z. The oldest portion of Gen Z (born 1995 to 2012) are only just now beginning to become independent and earn an income. According to a study conducted by Defy Media, 40% of consumers who don’t have television opted out in the interest of cheaper options, while 24% reported that the content on TV simply isn’t relevant to them. This idea of TV being outdated cracks open the door to a broader point, which is that YouTube programming is more suited for young consumers who have grown up in the digital age. The site has birthed a genre of videos called “vlogs,” short for video-blogs, which only require a camera, an interesting environment or experience, and a fair amount of hard work. If you have all of these, you can also become a respected – and sometimes revered– creator on YouTube. In addition to guerilla-style content like vlogs, video channels that offer recurring segments (echoing the kind found on TV) and follow weekly programming schedules are quite popular. A viewer can use YouTube to watch video podcasts, learn about academic and pop culture topics, watch film and television reviews, or engage in any imaginable fandom. It’s this malleability, and seemingly infinite source of unique content, that props YouTube into a position ahead of cable TV.
And this isn’t just a hunch – a Defy Media study found that 85% of Generation Z watches YouTube regularly, while only 66% watches Netflix and 62% watches cable TV. The reason that people watch YouTube has indeed shifted from staying in touch with family to experiencing authentic small-screen “shows.” Only 14% of viewers report to specifically use YouTube to watch videos from friends and family. The site is most commonly used to get tech-advice, watch reviews of popular products like makeup and cosmetics, or learn how to do something. The people who make these videos have become self-made “TV” stars and, in many cases, celebrities. One YouTuber named Jeremy Jahns operates a movie-reviewing channel that, at the time of this writing, has 1.3 million subscribers. That’s 1.3 million viewers who watch Jeremy’s videos no differently than one would watch The Walking Dead or E! News. People watch his videos to learn about the newest films and gauge whether they should go see them or not – which highlights an air of practicality that can be found in many YouTube videos. He, and many other YouTubers, make videos as a full-time job, for which they are paid handsomely by YouTube and through advertising revenue. The mere existence of advertisements on YouTube proves the idea that it has become a source of digital consumption on par with TV. As we progress further and further into the digital age, the prevalence of YouTube will only grow. As it grows, traditional television may continue to fade. The reality is that one can receive the entirety of a cable TV experience without actually
having cable TV. Of course, YouTube isn’t the only reason for this – it works in tandem with previously mentioned services like Netflix and Hulu, which feature serialized fiction shows that still aren’t found in abundance on YouTube. Though, in the coming years, that may change. As it stands, the generations that precede Generation Z still have an affinity for cable. But the majority of Generation Z isn’t even old enough to face the prospect of paying for or opting out of cable television. As they age and begin to face this decision, we will see just how far down the ladder of media outlets cable television has fallen. By my estimate, it will only have sunken deeper. Ultimately, I feel that this is beneficial to consumers. Television, in comparison to the alternative outlets, is cumbersome. Why would a consumer want to fiddle with cable boxes or even buy a TV monitor when all they really require is a device with internet access? Programming on YouTube and major streaming services is, in fact, more exciting than standard television fare anyway. I can’t even remember the last time I flipped through TV channels in hopes of being entertained. That’s not to say that YouTube is made up of solely quality content. Naturally, there’s a hefty amount of unexceptional and even poor video fodder. But the difference between YouTube’s low quality content and what’s found on TV is that you never have to filter through the garbage when there’s a search box at the top of the page. I can’t imagine that the interface is going to regress any time soon, meaning that we will only see improvements to YouTube in the future. Television’s future doesn’t seem quite so certain.
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How My Numbness to Violence Has Started to Scare Me BY DANIEL NISSIM
In an ideal world, neighbors respect their neighbors and we all exist harmoniously. There would be no need for violence because we are all created equally and celebrate our differences. But this is not an ideal world, and the threat of violence, be it a shooting or some other mass casualty event, is our daily reality. When I learned that a man drove over in Manhattan and killed eight people on Oct. 31, my initial reaction was no reaction. The event was neither surprising nor out of sync with the consistent pattern of violence that’s been going on lately. That is when I stopped and realized that I had become numb to all kinds of violence. It was not that I didn’t care — I just didn’t feel anything.
in Texas with 26 fatalities, this terrorist attack in New York City with eight fatalities and spreekilling in California on Nov. 14 with six fatalities. Individually, each of these attacks is a tragedy filled with the personal stories of the victims. But, as a whole, this is just usual business. What sort of country are we living in where this is something that can be expected at any given time? I spent some time in Israel during a birthright trip a few years ago. Israel is an interesting country regarding that its entire adult population are trained as soldiers. The country is prepared for any sort of action. They have cities equipped with
I was nine years-old when the Twin Towers fell on 9/11. Living in Westchester County, NY, there were many people in my town directly affected by the events of that day. All I can remember is being sent home from school and my disbelief while watching the Twin Towers burn down on live television. I was too young to remember the Oklahoma City Bombing, but this example of sheer chaos is my first memory of massive violence. After the United States’ wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, multiple conflicts throughout the Middle East and around the world (and their continual foreign and domestic responses), mass attacks are no longer shocking. I didn’t learn about this most recent attack until I got an email from FIT which explained the issue. I was heading to the subway on my way out of work, and the words held no initial meaning to me. Here I was, on a beautiful Halloween evening with many kids milling about in their costumes, I’m reading this terrible news — and I feel nothing. I stopped walking on the sidewalk, pulled up the news and then reality set in. I spent the rest of my trip home contemplating how I had become so indifferent. Over the last two months there was a shooting in Las Vegas with 59 fatalities, a shooting at a church
We cannot accept this escalation of violence to become the norm. I’m not trying to sell you a “Let’s Save the World Together” pitch. Individually, or in groups, you can get involved in gun control or mental health outreach or take up some other cause. That’s on you. However, something that we can all do at home, with little effort, is to devote some time to read the personal stories of the victims of these attacks. We must bear witness or else these victims will be lost in the wake of these heinous acts, and this violent cycle will continue to be considered normal. We need to start to think of them as individuals, people who had lives — who mattered — instead of just a pool of anonymous casualties relating to the horrific events that have been going on in the world.
Darren Drake, 33, from New Jersey. Enjoyed riding Citi bikes. Nicholas Cleves, 23, from the West Village. A software engineer. Ann-Laure Decadt, 31, from Belgium. A mother of two visiting relatives in New York City. Diego Enrique Angelini, Ariel Erlij, Hernán Ferruchi, Hernan Diego Mendoza and Alejandro Damián Pagnucco from Argentina. A group of friends celebrating the 30th anniversary of their graduation from technical school.
missile defense systems and warning sirens. I was in Jerusalem while they were testing their siren system, and it was difficult for me to imagine living in a place where a trip to the market could be my last. But isn’t that what life has always been like? Now, I don’t mean to be negative or alarmist. If you don’t factor in shootings and other mass casualty attacks, accidents can happen. They always have, and they always will — that’s life. I can sit inside and let these sorts of attacks stop me from living my life or I can move forward and eventually move on.
These attacks are not to be considered weekly staples in the news cycle. We cannot see them as one continuous blur of violence. These victims have families — their stories matter. Our growing indifference is a disservice to their memory, and as a society we must be brave enough to face these horrors head on.
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STYLE ON 27 BY CARMEN LI
AMY FRANZ, ACCESSORY DESIGN
This beret is my favorite. Any kind of hat will be perfect when you’re too lazy and can’t bother doing your hair, especially during exams.
SAI YIN WONG, FASHION DESIGN
What’s your go-to item on rainy days?
KAYLA HIGGINS, FASHION DESIGN
Well. It hasn’t rained that hard in the city, so I don’t usually keep an umbrella with me. It just another thing that needs to be carried and I’m always carrying stuff in the city. I’ll just say a hoodie jacket, but I don’t even have one of those today. I kind of just run through the rain.
ERIKA RELYEA, FASHION DESIGN
My high heels, because they can I’m severely under prepared for protect you from the puddles on the rain, but I guess a pair of wathe street. terproof shoes that aren’t made of leather. These that I’m wearing are! Let’s go with a duster jacket. I think that’s a good thing to have on a rainy day.
RENEE MONACO, ACCESSORY DESIGN
Leather is good to wear. Don’t wear anything like cotton, it’ll get soaked. Don’t wear fur even though I am doing it today.
GRACE PENDLETON, PHOTOGRAPHY
I guess either a good coat or rain boots. I don’t like to bring around an umbrella a lot. I like to bring a reusable bag, so my leather bag doesn’t get wet. Try to waterproof everything.
JOY MARICONDA, FASHION BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
A leather jacket. I wear Chelsea boots, rain boots, or Timberland boots. My rain boots are sparkly. I got them on a Black Friday sale for $30.
CRIESTE ANDAVEDREOS, INTERIOR DESIGN
I don’t really know. I think it will be my trench coat.