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RIT ARGE
UMASS BOSTON SPRING 2017
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2
4 OUR OVERLOOKED RELATIONSHIP by Elizabeth Grover
6 THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA by Jessica Perez
8 MY LOVER TRAUMA by Kaitlyn Solares
CONTENTS
10 TRANS EXPERIENCES: BODY, SELF, AND OTHERS by Bina Li
12 BOOKS OVER BOMBS by Matthew Finnerty
14 THE RUSH TO SAVE AFRICA by Timothy Musoke
16 ON WHAT HOME IS by Charlotte Burlingame
18 HIJAB: EMPOWERMENT WITH A CHALLENGE by Remona Kanyat
20 THE INDIAN PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP by Jithin Jacob
22 READ 12:23 AM by Nina Roxo
24 FEMINISM: REBRANDED & RELEVANT by Wyndham Juneau and Michelle Stuart
26 GROWING IN THE CRACKS: AN INTERVIEW
by Samuel O’Neill
30 DAY JOBS AND DAY DREAMS by Meiqi Li
32 FRIENDSHIP: INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE U.S. by Mohammad Hassan
34 COST OF CONSUMERISM by Laura Saucier
36 THE OTHER SIDE OF ALZHEIMER’S by Jade Chu
38 SMOKING THROUGH COGNITIVE DISSONANCE by Luana Padua
40 TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL?
by Santino Simms
42 MENDING BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS by Kacy Granitsas
44 THE IMPORTANCE OF OPEN COMMUNICATION by Margaret Gillis
46 FALLING IN LOVE WITH A SCREEN by Lucie Lass
48 CORRECT THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM
by Sarah Dupont
50 TRANSITIONS OF LOVE by Mackenzie Joyce
52 THE ROOTS by Drew Oakley
Copyeditors Roberta Cappa Aimee Chan
Special Thanks
Editor-in-Chief Kellie Ruccolo
Johannah Cronin Matthew Finnerty Jithin Jacob
Natalia Mirabito
Managing Editor Samuel O’Neill
Jessica Perez
Kahrim Wade Diana Luong Jason Roush
Contact editor@writlargemag.org
Emmanuella Nei Kelly O’Donnell
Michael Metzger Deanna Elliot
Angelika Katsinis Karolina Krason
Donna Neal
Rajini Srikanth Welina Farah Christina Bobel
Theme Reality of Relationships
Laura Saucier
Aaron Devine Honors College Professional & New Media Writing
Writ Large would like to sincerely thank Kahrim Wade, manager of Quinn Graphics, who created both the front and back covers for this edition of the magazine. We would also like to thank his assistant, Diana Luong, everyone who participated in the photoshoot on campus, and everyone who submitted pictures to be used for the front cover.
Letter from the Editor Relationships are an interesting concept. There are so many different types of personal relationships—romantic, familial, platonic—but relationships can also be so much more. It is sometimes a difficult concept to wrap your head around, but we have a relationship with everything around us. It is important that we are cognizant of these relationships so that we may understand the world we live in. Understanding people and the differences in people is one of the most important things that we can do so that we can accept and love the things that make us so diverse. Understanding our relationship with the world around us is equally as important so that we can work to make our environment and world a better place to live. The basis of all relationships, whether between two people or between a person and virtually anything else, is love. If we do not have love, we cannot have a world that lives in peace. We need to have love in our hearts in order to understand the reality of relationships.
THE INTRICACY OF RELATIONSHIPS by Burooj Mushtaq Illustrated by Adam Langton
look inside your heart just one piece of the puzzle you are all you need
make a connection the walls breaks down just this once come close, fall apart
crashed reality drown your faith, drown your sorrow waves refuse to cease
war is not over battered, bruised, you rise again war has not begun
blood is thicker than water—but water runs deeper careful, you may sink
OUR OVERLOOKED RELATIONSHIP by Elizabeth Grover Illustrated by Rixy Fernandez
When you hear the word “relationship,” you likely think of couples, dating, and your significant other (if you have one). Friends and family will also come to mind. However, one of the most important relationships we all have is frequently overlooked—our relationship with ourselves. We neglect to develop a strong, healthy bond with our inner selves because we are too busy putting ourselves down and pushing ourselves past our limitations. We should be kind to ourselves, as if our inner self was a lifelong best friend or a loving, supportive mom. But most of us aren’t. Why is that? One of the very first relationships you develop in your life is the one with yourself. In psychology, it would be described as your self-image. By definition, self-image includes what a person thinks they look like, how a person sees their own personality, what kind of person an individual thinks they are, what a person thinks other people think of them, how much a person likes themselves, and how a person sees themselves in the world around them.1 From a very young age, an individual starts to develop these opinions from the influences that surround them. Your mom telling you that you’re beautiful and your dad telling you that you’re smart are examples. Unfortunately, our parents and the people who love us are not the only ones shaping our relationships with ourselves. The media, childhood bullies, and many other uncontrollable factors shift our perspectives on ourselves. How do you feel about the way you look? This is one of the most outwardly observable
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aspects of an individual’s self-image. Despite whether or not if that relationship is healthy, it influences our daily lives. This is because our behavior is largely influenced by how we see ourselves. Our feelings about our looks are
reflected through our physical presentation of ourselves to the world. The clothes we choose to wear, the way we stand and carry ourselves, and even our daily routine illustrates our feelings toward our appearance. This presentation of ourselves creates a dialogue with the world around us. It’s important not only because it can be an indicator of how we perceive ourselves, but it can also influence
others perceptions of us. The world judges based on looks; it is a harsh fact of life. A person that appears to take care of themselves is likely going to be treated better than someone who looks like they do not care. This is where the dialogue aspect comes in—if I feel good about myself, I dress up a little bit and a stranger might compliment the outfit I put together. On the other hand, if I’m too tired, I don’t do my hair and makeup and one of my friends might ask me if I’m sick. If this was someone with a negative view of themselves, they may take the comments, even concerned ones from friends, as insults. These comments influence their relationship with themselves. However, there are varying degrees of the relationship between a person’s outward appearance and their inner feelings. For example, a person that looks tired, depressed, and walks around slouching their shoulders may be suffering from a negative self-image, or they could simply be having a bad day. The way we present ourselves may not be a direct translation of our inner feelings, but elements of our self-worth are reflected through the image we project to the world. Psychologists have also linked positive or negative selfimages to trends in different types of behavior. For example, a person that has a negative self-image or low self-esteem would be less motivated to take care of themselves and be more inclined to stay up late, to neglect to follow an exercise routine, to abuse substances, or to engage in disordered eating.2 Psychologists have also studied more long-term effects that our selfimage or self-esteem have on our development. Some psychologists speculate that low selfesteem leads to mental health disorders like
depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. Psychology is a very complex science, as every human and every mind is different. In the case of our appearances, what came first: the chicken or the egg? Or rather, what came first: dressing a certain way because of how we feel or feeling a certain way because of how we dress? It is a complicated answer which I am sure will never be definitively answered. What this question does prove, however, is the importance of self-love and self-care, despite what image the world projects on you. If we dress in a way that we choose, we will feel more confident and comfortable in our own skin. This contrasts with a person who dresses in a way they feel they have to. When this person is not dressed up to what they perceive to be the standard of society, they feel uncomfortable and less confident. An iceberg is one analogy which the author of a psychology blog uses to describe the effects of low confidence on your life. If a person with low self-confidence is the iceberg itself, the parts of the ice showing above the water are the talents and personality the individual shows. The ice hidden beneath the water is all the aspects about the person which the individual is insecure about—all the talents and skills they never show the world because they do not have the confidence to push themselves.3 This analogy illustrates how low selfconfidence can inhibit an individual from reaching their true potential. Throughout life, it is easy so see how low self-confidence can affect someone. For example, a teenager with low confidence may not opt for advanced math courses because they doubt their mathematical abilities. Or, an adult in the workplace might be apprehensive about asking for a promotion because they feel as if they do not deserve it. On the other side, when a person embraces the talents they have, they can live happier and more fulfilled lives. For example, if a person was very interested in theater and wanted to pursue it, they might be told not to because the acting industry is hard to get into without connections. However, confidence in their abilities would propel them to follow their dreams and pursue a career on the Broadway stage in New York City or on the silver screen in Hollywood. Although they know the reality of how difficult it would be to achieve the full scope of their dreams, their confidence and their passion would push them forward. Even with less extreme aspirations, our confidence can motivate us in our careers or push us to follow career paths which might 1 2 3 4
be riskier. Let’s say someone is passionate about fixing up houses. The housing market is unpredictable and such a job may not provide a steady and reliable income. A person who is confident and secure in their abilities to remodel houses might choose this path anyway, regardless of the risks involved. They may even live a happier life because they chose a career they are truly passionate about. The culture that we live in and the expectations that society holds us to also impact our everyday lives, our behaviors, and our decisions. In America, the idea of achieving “success” is heavily emphasized. Our society has more or less defined “success” as having a wellpaying job, getting married, having children, living in an expensive house, and filling it with expensive things. This standard for success also influences young adults to follow a particular life path to achieve this narrow but culturally acceptable vision of achievement. Teenagers are expected to do well in high school so that they can go to a good college, and then, they are expected to do well in college so that they can land a good position in their field. Although it is true that not all young adults think this way and not all young adults have formulated their futures following this model, the societal expectation still exists and still drives certain individuals to shape their decisions around particular expectations. We must acknowledge that our relationship with ourselves is a little taboo. Only recently, mental health disorders have been taken and treated more seriously in society. Still today, many people are ashamed if they are confronted with the idea of going to therapy. They would rather face their problems on their own than present them to a stranger who will help them work through their issues. It is in this way that we do not acknowledge ourselves—we ignore and avoid our feelings. Even those who do not suffer from mental health problems push these emotions aside or bottle them up. For example, after a breakup, a person might feel like they were not good enough or perhaps embarrassed that someone broke up with them, so they play up the wrong things their partner did, or they go out with their friends and forget about them. But they never actually confront their own feelings after the breakup. Society often expects people to bounce back from these problems—being broken up with, failing an important test, or being fired from a job—with full confidence, as if they were unfazed.
These unrealistic expectations begin to build up in our minds. We would never have these expectations for our best friends. Our relationship with ourselves encompasses all of our inner thoughts, feelings, and motivations. Yet, we do not acknowledge these things as aspects of a relationship that we have to work on. I presume it is because all of these things— that we will probably fail that test, that the girl at work does not like us, that we worked really hard on that essay, and that our hair looks nice today—are always on our minds. The relationship with ourselves is not cultivated in the same way as relationships with other people. We do not formally meet ourselves or make plans to catch up over coffee. The relationship with ourselves is developed through what those in the psychology world call selfcare, an activity that a person voluntarily does to maintain physical, emotional, or mental health.4 Taking time for yourself is loving yourself. The importance of self-care has recently been getting more media attention as activities like journaling, yoga, and meditation have become more mainstream. However, these are not the only activities in which a person is engaging in self-care. Even activities as simple as brushing your teeth and brushing your hair can be considered self-care. Self-care is important because it is the way in which our relationship with ourselves is developed. Through the practice of self-care, we become more in tune with how we feel about our looks, for example, by relishing in a skin care routine. We also develop a realistic sense of our limitations rather than holding ourselves to unrealistic expectations. For example, running to de-stress ourselves. Rather than overworking ourselves on a project, we take time out to run and forget about the details of the project clouding our mind. A healthy relationship with our inner selves, built on the foundation of selfcare, gives us the motivation and strength we need to take on our responsibilities and face the day. We cannot get away from ourselves, unlike our relationships with other people. We are constantly interacting with our own thoughts and emotions, which can make it feel like it is just a fact of life and not exactly an interaction. It is important to think of our thoughts as interactions with ourselves, however. Negative feelings toward yourself can have drastic negative effects on your life. It is important to remember to be as patient with yourself as you would be with your mom or your best friend.
“Creating A Positive Body-Image Information.” Cleveland Clinic. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 4 Nov. 2013. Web. Venzin, Elizabeth. “How Does Low Self-Esteem Negatively Affect You?” Psych Central. World of Psychology, 28 Feb. 2014. Web. Moscowitz, Edith. “What Is Self Confidence and How Does a Lack of It Affect Your Life?” Vortex-Success. Vortex-Success, 14 Jan. 2015. Web. “What Is Self-care?” ReachOut.com. Reach Out, 12 Aug. 2015. Web.
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THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA by Jessica Perez Illustrated by Alaina Millard
There is no doubt that in the twentyfirst century, social media has a thriving presence. With the simple touch of a few icons on any smartphone, we have access to a world of information. From forming connections with friends, family, or even strangers, social media has forever changed the scope of human interaction. There is a plethora of social media platforms that are widely used today. Defined as websites and applications that allow users to participate in the social networking pool by creating and sharing content, social media has become popular enough to reach new levels of worldwide use.1 News and personal information has never been more easily shared than it is now. So, what does this mean in the grand scheme of things? Why is our relationship to social media so addicting? There are many positive aspects when it
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comes to the Internet. First and foremost, social media is a method of distributing and displaying content. Whether that be global news, personal news, cute kitty videos, or pictures from your last vacation in the Caribbean, social media has proven to be the fastest way to show everyone else a story you want to be told. That is what makes our readiness to use it so high. We can give out whatever, whenever, and to whomever. One of the most successful sites to enter the game of information connection is Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg, its creator, has established a global kingdom where at the click of a button, you can make a friend. One new person added is a new person who can view your profile and potentially like, comment, or share what you post. With that, the reason why we find our relationship to Facebook so addicting is because we strive for others to like what we are posting. It’s nice having the validation that others are
approving what you think, do, or say. It is a confidence booster because we are attributing the amount of approval we receive to our selfworth. Another social media platform that has risen to the top of the game is Instagram. Founded back in 2010, this online photo/video sharing app has enabled users worldwide to publicly or privately share any content that they deem worthy of showing. Similar to our continuous relationship with Facebook, Instagram is another outlet that poses as a means of validation. By sharing the photos and videos that we want, each user eagerly awaits to get their post liked. In a study conducted by the Association for Psychological Science entitled “The Power of the Like in Adolescence,” researchers found that the likes received on social media impact a teen’s brain and behavior. The concluding results being that “the same brain circuits that
are activated by eating chocolate and winning money are activated when teenagers see large numbers of ‘likes’ on their own photos or the photos of peers in a social network.”2 With just two of the most influential and powering social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, it’s easy to see that social media can be a form of empowerment. The amount of praise we get on our content relates to how good we start to feel. Not only is social media a powerful tool for connecting with others and promoting self-empowerment, but it has also served as a fantastic tool to get news across. Twitter is one app that has proven itself worthy of such a claim. As an online social networking service, users are able to communicate with each other and post messages restricted to 140 characters. Twitter is most famous for one thing, which is the “trending topics” list. Every day, the list is updated to display the most prominent subjects on the platform. With that, users are able to read and learn about what is going on around them. As platforms such as Twitter continue to propagate, the access to worldwide news is in our hands. From phones to computers, worldwide news is easily accessible and with that, you don’t need a subscription to anything. You don’t have to order newspapers or even wait for the scheduled news stations to broadcast information. Everything is a click of an app away. That’s why we continue to develop a connection with social media: it’s easy. Despite our continuous relationship with the digital world, it comes at a cost to the human connection we have with each other. Yes, social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and many others have given us a way to connect with friends. However, these connections cross over a digital landscape and cannot be translated properly. On social media, you are dishing out how you want to be perceived by others but that doesn’t necessarily mean your connections are going to understand it in the same way. You aren’t getting the face value reactions and emotions you would get if you were speaking to someone face-to-face. Many of the things being posted aren’t understood in the same way for everyone. With so much information about people’s lives accessible over social media, many have found comfort hiding behind a laptop or cell phone. Communication is not the same. Within the confinement of a screen, we are now able to not only write about how we feel or what we think, but we can also add images or emojis to further the idea. However, the addition of those
things only gets the message so far. According to Forbes magazine, various studies have shown that seven percent of human communication is based off the written or verbal word, whereas ninety-three percent is based off of nonverbal body language.3 Whether or not these numbers remain true to the exact percentage, what a lot of people don’t consider when they think of communication is the nonverbal aspect of it. Take for example the words “I’m okay.” If you were to receive those words in a text, there would be confusion as to whether someone is actually okay or if they are downplaying the words. Over a screen, the tone of voice is not available. If you were to take those same words and hear them from a person who looks like a mess with a slumped posture, then you would know that the meaning behind those words is something entirely different. With social media, yes, it is a way to stay connected with everyone, but it hurts the way in which things are being translated. The more time spent behind a screen, the less aware you become to social cues when face-to-face with someone. Despite social media being a digital landscape for global interaction, there’s only so much that can be interpreted. Another major reason why our relationship to social media has been such a concern is because a lot of times, the things shared by the users are unrealistic. Social platforms like Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook allow anyone to be in control of their own online appearance. From your own personal profile to what you upload, or even what you share, you are allowing others to glimpse at a basic or even false perception of your lifestyle. The goal is to portray your life in the best light possible. With this, there’s usually a high price to pay. As everyone tries to put their best self online, social media becomes a competition. From who has the best photos, to who is the most outspoken or funny, what you do or say can in small ways affect how others perceive their own lives. For many individuals, it causes a mood swing that isn’t necessarily positive. “The exposure to ‘highly idealized representations of peers on social media elicits feelings of envy and the distorted belief that others lead happier, more successful lives.’”4 We attribute who has the better social profiles to success, and by doing that, we reflect on our own lives. If we are not portraying the same type of viewership or popularity, we automatically assume that we aren’t living the same cool lives as others are. We question our self-worth in a pool of millions of platform users that portray unrealistic standards. No one wants
to share the embarrassing or “boring” news they have with others. As the use and development of social media continues to grow, everyone should be more cautious. Social media is one aspect of the Internet that can in some ways be permanent. For many people today, there are constant reminders that the Internet is forever. Once something is posted online, it can’t be easily deleted. That’s what makes our relationship to social media questionable. Somewhere, our posts about politics, sports, work, or even photos are stored on servers that constantly collect data and back it up. Not only can that information be stored, but nowadays, with smartphones, it’s so easy to take screenshots of anything and save it. In a way, with the vast amounts of information that are circulating on social platforms, it’s easy to view these platforms as a sort of library. With information saved for years, it’s easy to find a time and select all the information that was collected. You can look up any data from any year. This makes things interesting. Being able to look up and check out any information is amazing, but at the same time, it emphasizes the power social media has over us. Anyone can check out any information posted as quick as checking out a library book. As a person who has, for many years, used various social media platforms, I have experienced the pros and cons of an online profile. From posting my own photos and adventures online, I know what it’s like to see the likes and comments add up. It’s nice to know that a friend somewhere is viewing my posts and are liking what they see. I like being able to scroll through my phone in the morning and find out what news has been uncovered and shared. From breaking news to opinion, I like being able to see and join in on the conversation. On the other hand, I know that it doesn’t feel good when I see others posting amazing photos when I’m at home sitting on my sofa. It makes me feel as though I should also take part in some grand adventure. Despite the many positives and negatives that come with social media, my relationship with it is still strong because I want to know any and all information relevant to my life. I want to know what topics are trending and I want to stay updated with friends and family. Not everyone’s relationship to social media is the same, and that’s okay. The social media game is always changing and because of that, I just want to be one of the many users who can keep up.
“Social Media.” English Oxford Living Dictionaries. Sherman, Lauren, Ashley Payton, Leanna Hernandez, Patricia Greenfield, and Mirella Dapretto. “The Power of the Like in Adolescence.” The Power of the Like in Adolescence 27.7 (2016): 1027-035. Association for Psychological Science. Psychological Science, 31 May 2016. Web. 3 Tardanico, Susan. “Is Social Media Sabotaging Real Communication?” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 15 Apr. 2014. Web. 4 Chowdhry, Amit. “Research Links Heavy Facebook And Social Media Usage To Depression.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 30 Apr. 2016. Web. 1 2
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MY LOVER TRAUMA by Kaitlyn Solares Illustrated by Kelsey Hale
If a woman does not shower for seventy-two hours after someone commits an act of sexual violence against her, she can go to the hospital and undergo a forensic exam more commonly referred to as a “rape kit.”1 Sexual assault is a unique case in which the scene of the crime is the woman’s body. Evidence can be compiled from the bed or the car or wherever the assault may have taken place, but the most important evidence is found on her body. It is why the rape kit exists in the first place. A nurse will check her for any immediate injuries, clean any cuts or stop any bleeding. Then the nurse will ask questions about her medical history before beginning the second invasion of her body. Her hair will be combed, they will take samples of her blood and urine, and take a cotton swab to the spots that she was violated. Sometimes they scrape underneath her fingernails, hoping to get the dead skin cells she scratched off her abuser in desperate defense. They test her for STIs. She goes home, and they store the kit in the event that she decides to go to the police. If she decides to tell the police, she sits in a small, quiet room while a detective uses their kindest voice to ask her questions about what happened. They fumble over uncomfortable words and allude to invasive questions, hoping that she will provide the details they need without being prodded. Sometimes, the detective is cold and callous. Sometimes, the detective does not believe her. If she is lucky, they are kind and do not keep eye contact with her when she forces herself to intimately describe the ways in which she has been violated, recounting them in detail as if they have not been tattooed to the insides of her eyelids, forcing her to relive it over and over and over again every time her eyes close. The waiting is what comes next. Sometimes it goes by quickly, and sometimes it lasts years. In the meantime, she learns to live with the trauma that looms over her shoulder. It follows her to work, to school, to the gym, to eat, on dates, with her friends. At night, it rests its head on the pillow next to hers and sings her a lullaby that is already written in invisible ink
all over her body, one that only two people in the whole world know the tune to. She slowly learns what her triggers are—which scents, certain sounds, which words, which songs, the way that she no longer likes to be touched. She meets other people and slowly feels them out, trying to determine if she feels safe alone with them. She weighs the pros and cons of laughing at certain jokes, not wanting to be seen only as a victim, but not wanting to go home and scrub the imaginary dirt off again until she’s raw red. She goes to the pound and adopts the first aggressive male dog she finds, and she brings it
when the trial begins, avoiding eye contact with all of the lawyers in the office that know why she is here. They call her brave, but she wishes they would not call her anything. She wishes she could blend into the tacky floral wallpaper behind her. Her body could stay in her seat, but her spirit could leave. It is not the first time she has wished to escape her body. She is walked into the courtroom, and she sees her abuser for the first time since they took their long iron and brandished her. Her lawyer whispers not to make eye contact, to only look at the attorneys and the judge when she speaks. Do not look at him, do not look at him, do not look at him. She speaks with a lead tongue, and all of the practice in front of the mirror does not prepare her for telling the judge, the lawyers, the jury, the other women testifying, and her mother sitting in the bench in the back all of what they did to her. It comes out like a secret whispered in confession to a priest, as if she had something to be ashamed of this whole time, as if she was repenting for her own sins instead of naming theirs. Sometimes they go to jail, and sometimes they walk free. Ninety percent of adult rape victims are female, and one in six American women have been the victim of sexual assault. Thirty-three percent of women who have experienced rape contemplate suicide, and thirteen percent actually attempt to end their own lives. Only six out of every 1,000 perpetrators of sexual assault serve jail time.2 In many states, cases of rape and other acts of sexual violence are tried similarly to theft. The logic is made that the abuser should be punished because they have taken something from someone else. In these cases, nothing is noted about a victim’s bodily autonomy or the grief they carry with them for the rest of their lives. All that matters is that something of value has been taken, as commonplace as a thief being charged for stealing money. It has to be put into an analogy for the legal system, judges, and juries to be able to understand the loss that has incurred.
Only six out of every 1,000 perpetrators of sexual assault serve jail time.
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everywhere. She sits on the ground in front her full length mirror, looking herself in the eye and trying to muster up the courage to say to herself what she said to the nurse and detective and friend and therapist that her mother made her see. She continues to choke on the words. When the waiting is over, she drives to a small office and sits across the table from lawyers that want to help her. They go over the case, and they tell her that they want to prepare her for what will happen in court if she wants to testify. They tell her the questions that they will be asking, which are patient and compassionate. They apologize before telling her the questions that the other lawyer will ask, which are abrupt and blameful and sting like the needle that tattooed that invisible ink all over her in the first place. She takes the rest of the day off. But it is nothing compared to the way that she feels sitting in the District Attorney’s office
In December 2016, Casey Affleck took the stage of Saturday Night Live and hosted the prolific sketch show. In February 2017, Casey Affleck took the stage at the eighty-ninth Academy Awards and accepted the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role. In 2010, two women accused Affleck of sexual harassment, including intimidation, physical force, fostering an unsafe work environment, refusing to award them their creative credits, and verbal harassment. Until Affleck’s work in Manchester by the Sea spurred talks of Oscar nominations, these women and their story were hushed footnotes at the bottom of Affleck’s Wikipedia page.3 In 2004, fourteen women came together to accuse actorcomedian Bill Cosby of rape. The case went nowhere quickly, and it was only in 2014 when another male comedian told a bit about Cosby being an abuser that the accusations became widely known. Since then, forty-six women have come forward to accuse Cosby of either rape or sexual assault. Cosby was known to invite young women to his house under the premise of mentoring them, only to slip Quaaludes into their drinks and assault them. He went on for years with an untarnished reputation as a black icon and America’s lovable, sweater-wearing father.4 In 1988, a twenty-four year old Rob Lowe recorded himself having sex with two sixteen year olds. At the time, the age of consent in Georgia was only fourteen, but the tapes leaked regardless, putting his career at risk for only a short amount of time. It was only in August 2016 that Lowe was honored with a Comedy Central roast, in which he was told that he’s so good looking, he puts the “statue in statutory rape.” Lowe went on to star in two iconic roles in The West Wing and Parks and Recreation.5 Donald Trump was the front runner of the Republican party throughout the entire 2016 election. A man with no experience rose to the top of the pack on the backs of the disenfranchised, ultimately culminating in a
leaked audio of a conversation between himself and entertainment reporter Billy Bush. In the audio, Trump described his relationship to women, boasting that once a man becomes as famous as he is, they can do whatever they want. He described how he takes what he wants by simply “[grabbing] them by the pussy.” In November of that same year, Donald Trump was elected the forty-fifth president of the United States. It is difficult for us as a society to tell women
that we stand with them when they are assaulted when the leader of our country has admitted to
sexually assaulting women indiscriminately. It is difficult when we continue to award men for their abusive, misogynistic behavior—they may have made mistakes in the past, but America loves a good comeback story (everyone deserves a second chance, right?). It is difficult when we barely dole out punishments for assault, insisting that anything too harsh would ruin a young man’s potential. This is, of course, not to say that women do not commit acts of sexual violence or that men do not experience sexual violence. In fact, the further one strays away from cisgender and the gender binary, the higher the chances that they will experience sexual violence in their lifetime. One in two transgender individuals are sexually assaulted or abused in their lifetime.6 But this is to speak to on the relationship between the United States and its survivors of assault. This is to speak on the relationship between survivors and their trauma. This is to speak on the relationship between survivors and their abusers. This is to speak on the relationship between survivors and the legal system. So, it is difficult when we ask women what they were wearing when they were assaulted. It is difficult when we call them liars, sluts, and whores. It is difficult when, in some states, assault committed by a partner is legally considered consensual. It is difficult when we tell them that they were asking for it. It is difficult when we teach girls not to get raped instead of teaching people not to rape. It is shameful to tell women that we stand with them when we allow their abusers to walk alongside them. And then we wonder why they try to kill themselves, why they do not report, why they will not to walk alone at night, why they refuse to testify, why they isolate themselves and marry their trauma. They marry their trauma because it is familiar, and their vows are already written in that invisible ink all over their body.
“What Is a Rape Kit? | RAINN.” What Is a Rape Kit? | RAINN. RAINN, Web. “Victims of Sexual Violence: Statistics | RAINN.” Victims of Sexual Violence: Statistics | RAINN. RAINN, Web. Zimmerman, Amy. “Casey Affleck’s Dark Secret: The Disturbing Allegations Against the Oscar Hopeful.” The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast Company, 23 Nov. 2016. Web 4 Malone, Noreen, and Amanda Demme. “’I’m No Longer Afraid’: 35 Women Tell Their Stories About Being Assaulted by Bill Cosby, and the Culture That Wouldn’t Listen.” The Cut. 26 July 2015. Web. 5 Graham, Ruth. “The Jokes About Rob Lowe’s 16-Year-Old Sex Partner at His Comedy Central Roast Were Kind of Gross.” Slate Magazine. 06 Sept. 2016. Web. 6 Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). “Sexual Assault: The Numbers | Responding to Transgender Victims of Sexual Assault.” Sexual Assault: The Numbers | Responding to Transgender Victims of Sexual Assault. Web. “Perpetrators of Sexual Violence: Statistics | RAINN.” Perpetrators of Sexual Violence: Statistics | RAINN. RAINN, Web. 1 2 3
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TRANS EXPERIENCES: BODY, SELF, AND OTHERS by Bina Li Illustrated by Joseph Absi
When I first discovered I was a trans woman, I had thought that by simply transitioning, my life would automatically become better. Well, I certainly wasn’t wrong, as it was the most liberating decision I have ever made for myself, but what I could not have known at the time was the incredible complexity and sometimes paradoxical experience that awaited me. Somewhere in the twilight between societal interpretation of gender and personal image, kinship and envy, satisfaction with change and misery in stagnation lies the overshadowed and often misunderstood being of the trans woman. In exploring the trans woman’s relationships with both her own body and others, there will hopefully be a better awareness and appreciation of the plights and pleasures of the trans woman. To start, it would only be appropriate to first provide a brief explanation on the being of a trans woman. In today’s society, there are countless ways people choose to describe what a “trans woman” is, but there is the commonly accepted definition that a trans woman is one “who was born male but whose gender identity is female.”1 Personally, I prefer “one who has always been a woman, just not commonly accepted as one,” because I feel that definition is more appropriate. But either way, it is clear that for trans women, there is a major discrepancy between our bodies and what is generally accepted to be a “woman’s body,” and it is as a result of this discrepancy that we tend to experience a phenomenon called “gender dysphoria.” It is well known in our Western contemporary society what a “woman” is meant to be in terms of biology: having a certain voice, having a certain body type, having wider pelvic bones and narrower shoulders, having breasts that are soft, mammary glands that lactate, a vagina that babies emerge from, a uterus that menstruates monthly. A “woman” is defined to be a person who possesses such biological features and functions as far as others are concerned. Without such features, trans women are most often mistaken, expected, or harshly rebuked to be
“men,” and unfortunately most of these physical features and functions are either difficult or expensive–in some cases, entirely impossible with foreseeable technology–to obtain. This narrow and unfortunately unyielding definition of the physical being of a woman is what gives rise to dysphoria. Many trans women experience gender dysphoria, an intense emotional and psychological distress with one’s body that often leads to other problems in our lives. It has to be kept in mind that no two trans women experience dysphoria the same way, even if our experiences may be similar. Out of
any real coping methods. Regardless of how they deal with gender dysphoria, an alarming amount of respondents exhibit symptoms of depression and other mental illnesses, such as excessive sleeping, crying, or even dissociating.2 Gender dysphoria is a dangerous and difficult thing for trans women to live through, and it is unfortunately an often inevitable part of our lives. One would be tempted to believe that with the technology that exists today, dysphoria might be easily combatted with transformation of one’s physical body, but it simply is not the case. The easier–but still very difficult–option for trans women to begin their transition is the hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This is a treatment, as described by the Fenway Health “Informed Consent for Feminizing Hormone Therapy” form that patients are required to read and sign before starting HRT at Fenway Health, that involves regularly taking estradiol and spironolactone pills to adjust testosterone and estrogen levels in the body.3 This leads to changes such as breast growth, redistribution of fat in the body, reduction in testicular activity, and in the ability to get an erection, which for most are positive changes. Unfortunately, HRT does nothing to alter the skeletal structure of our face or body, and does not raise the pitch of our voice either. The alteration of the skeletal structure and of the voice would require other surgeries that are both difficult and expensive, and sometimes can even be risky to one’s health. As for obtaining a functional and fertile uterus that ovulates and menstruates, it is simply not yet a viable option for trans women because of both its expenses and the fact that such transplant is entirely experimental as of right now. While roughly4 twenty percent of the trans women surveyed have expressed that they do not feel the need to undergo surgery, eighteen (37.5 percent) feel like surgery is essential to their transition, and twenty (41.7 percent) feel that while surgery is a pleasant thought, they would realistically probably not go through with it, even though thirty-six (75 percent) of the people surveyed are currently on HRT, or
It has to be kept in mind that no two trans women experience dysphoria in the same way, even if our experiences may be similar.
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the sample of forty-eight trans women surveyed for the sake of this article, twenty-two (45.8 percent) expressed that they experience intense gender dysphoria, seventeen (35.4 percent) expressed that they experience it to some degree, six (12.5 percent) said they experience dysphoria occasionally, and only three (6.3 percent) said they do not experience dysphoria that much. This is a clear indication of how gender dysphoria can rank anywhere from barely being a problem to something that has an overwhelming presence in a trans woman’s life. It also indicates that such a large percentage of us find dysphoria to be a problem. There is no set symptom for dysphoria aside from the distress it causes us, but it does often lead to significant issues in our lives. While a number of trans women sampled have developed healthy and safe methods to cope with gender dysphoria, quite a few rely on drugs and alcohol to cope, and even more are entirely without
expect to be in the near future. While HRT does indeed help make dysphoria more manageable, it’s clear that being able to obtain other parts of “societal womanhood” is still a significant desire of many trans women, however expensive and near-impossible that may be. This desire to be “fully female,” in addition to how incredibly difficult the desire is to fulfill is what makes gender dysphoria a truly agonizing experience. This complex issue of dysphoria causing many trans women to feel dissatisfaction and sometimes even disgust with their bodies creates an interesting and complex dynamic for interactions with each other, and the survey makes it quite transparent. There is no doubt that amongst the community, there is a certain sense of camaraderie, with fourteen out of fortyeight (roughly 29 percent) of the respondents explicitly stating that they feel more trust toward other trans women on a question regarding how differently they experience attraction toward trans and cis gender people. Nineteen out of fortyeight (roughly 40 percent) state that they do indeed feel more attraction toward other trans people over cisgender people (someone whose gender is the same as the one assigned at birth) on a question on whether or not they have this kind of preference. Even beyond that, though, it is clear that dysphoria, something that causes anguish, can also draw many (sixteen out of forty-eight surveyed, or 34 percent) trans women closer together. From experience in the trans woman community, it is not uncommon for trans women to find a newfound sense of appreciation for each other’s bodies out of their own dysphoria and come to be more attracted to each other. By the same token dysphoria could also be a source of repulsion for other trans women (eight out of forty-eight surveyed, or 17 percent) because of how much it reminds one of their own “lack of womanliness.” These kinds of feelings only become even more complex as HRT is taken into account; thirty-six (75 percent) of the respondents are
currently either on HRT or expect to be in the near future, and twelve (25 percent) people responded that they either aren’t on HRT or are unsure of whether or not they are going to be on HRT. Even then, twenty-five people (roughly 52 percent of all respondents) responded to the next question regarding envy toward trans women who are on HRT–eight (roughly 17 percent) experiencing great envy toward others who are on HRT, six (roughly 13 percent) experiencing a considerable amount of envy, six (roughly 13 percent) experiencing some envy, and only five experiencing not that much envy. Some trans women are unable to pursue HRT due to financial reasons, or personal safety reasons, and as a result feel a great deal of envy for trans women who are able to begin sooner, but even for some trans women who are already on it, they feel envy toward those farther ahead in the process and who “pass better as a woman.”
This can sometimes strain relations between two trans women, or at least make things awkward, and is a misfortune that can bring us apart, despite our common sympathies. In the end, how every trans women experiences dysphoria and their relations with other trans women is entirely individual, however many feelings we might share with one another. If trans women’s feelings toward one another seem complicated enough, it is only so much more so toward cis people. Cis people do not experience gender dysphoria, many trans women are envious of this. That is not to say that there are not all sorts of problems with the way society treats cis women’s bodies, but having to feel agonizing misery over not being born with XY chromosomes instead of XX chromosomes, with a penis instead of a vagina, with high
levels of testosterone instead of estrogen and progesterone is a plight many trans women wish they didn’t face, even in spite of the oppressive societal wrongs cis women face. After all, the very source of gender dysphoria is the societal definition of a female body being that of a cis woman’s, so there is no surprise that forty-five (roughly 94 percent) of the trans women who have taken the survey, regardless of whether or not they are sexually attracted to women, are envious of cis women they find attractive. It is due to this envy, that it is common for trans women to experience greater gender dysphoria when they are around cis women, especially those they find to be particularly attractive. It is really unfortunate, but it is because of this that nineteen (roughly 40 percent) of the respondents feel less attracted to or have unfavorable feelings toward cis women. For many, gender dysphoria is something that generates such unpleasant feelings toward cis women, that it causes an inevitable rift. Even though dysphoria causes problems, that is not to say that trans women can not have a normal relationship with cis women. Gender dysphoria, even if it causes unfavorable feelings or self-loathing, is not something that dictates all of our relationships, and certainly does not always prevent us from living our lives to the fullest. In fact, out of the forty-eight surveyed, while eleven (roughly 28 percent) have a trans woman as a romantic partner, twelve (roughly 30 percent) have a cis woman as a romantic partner. For all the pain we experience with our bodies not being “correct,” it still does not necessarily prevent us from having friends or significant others who are cis women, even if many of us may still feel envy. After all, there is no one way to experience and handle gender dysphoria, and everyone’s experiences are ultimately different, even with our commonalities. For all the complexities we experience, every trans women’s lives are colored by their own personal experiences and their own environments. The sum of our diversity colors the community just as vibrant as the pride flag itself.
“Trans woman”, Dictionary.com. Accessed 16 March 2017. This is gathered from the forty-eight responses on the survey. Respondents have not given explicit consent for personal information to be public, so no further confidential details can be divulged. This can be found on the FenwayHealth.org website, regardless of whether or not one is undergoing HRT. 4 “Roughly,” because not all respondents in this category are certain about not needing surgery. Excluding uncertain responses would yield eight correspondents (16.7 percent) not feeling the need for surgery. 1 2 3
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BOOKS OVER BOMBS by Matthew Finnerty Illustrated by Mohammed Uddin
The twenty-first century can be the century humanity realizes the true costs of war and nationalism. It is puzzling to consider the United States government’s endless flow of capital which is used to destroy lives, while education, healthcare, and welfare programs suffer at home. Education must be one of the top priorities of our government. The future will require investments in textbooks and teachers, rather than tanks and technology devoid of humanity. Our country has a way of misrepresenting the harsh reality of war. Our conception of war does not account for every citizen of the world affected by U.S. foreign policy. Female soldiers are left out of the traditional wartime narrative, as Americans debate the role of women in a “man’s world.” Our stories of war also exclude conversations of wartime rape and sexual violence against women. Instead, we push forward in our support, ignoring the annihilation of civil societies across the globe, praying that someday, we might destroy this evil that surrounds us. War is universally destructive for all people involved. We take pride in welcoming our troops home at the airport with a handshake, we place yellow ribbons on our cars, and we stand for our national anthem because we respect our soldiers. But, we
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rarely pay attention to the universal destruction of war. Supporting our troops only applies to sending them off to fight the good fight. How often are we confronted with the most grotesque aspects of war? We mourn the losses of lives but seldom console those who are left living with the deepest scars. It is easy to calculate how much money is required to rebuild the infrastructure of a city, but nobody can accurately measure psychological destruction left by bombs. If our society truly valued the lives and labor of our loved ones in the military, it is time that we make a concerted effort to adequately fund the Department of Veterans Affairs. If we can pay to train our soldiers to fight, we must also pay for the readjustments necessary for a civilian life. Healthcare and education must be at the forefront of their transition back home. Whether it is an updated nuclear arsenal or a new fleet of ships, we seem to be at war with the world and my generation has witnessed the advent of American’s longest conflict. Our national security interests are aligned with our economic interests. Militarization is profitable for a select few, but it destroys the fabric of civil society and the bonds of humanity for anyone else. Instead of funding a continual war, it is important to create an effort to push for global
disarmament and begin funding programs that will build, and rebuild, the world around us. This includes a sustained effort for free public higher education. College is still widely regarded as a privilege, something frivolously purchased with the hope of securing an individual’s future income. It is seen as a mere stepping stone, rather than an opportunity for self-transformation. Cultural and gender studies are marginalized as majors without purpose. A lack of appreciation for the humanities has left the world praising only those who can fulfill a role, rather than transform the system. Higher education must be seen as more than just a factory manufacturing workers, whose sole purpose is to fill in the missing cogs. Our society only values the appearance of “being educated.” Memorization and regurgitation has replaced critical thinking. We want those who are educated to reassure our unique American reality. But education must be focused on critical analysis and the development of consciousness. It must act as another branch of checks and balances. We must keep in mind that knowledge is inherently political, and an education will serve the development of human understanding and collective goals. Higher education’s purpose must extend beyond the
development of good workers; it must develop an understanding of what it means to be human. American exceptionalism has been hardwired into the brains of children for several generations, if not every generation. We are the self-proclaimed heirs of civilization, believing that our interests are the best interests. The U.S. can do no wrong. And it is irreverent to think otherwise. In 1967, Noam Chomsky, “the father of modern linguistics,” as some call him, wrote a piece titled The Responsibility of Intellectuals in which he puts forth a call to arms of sorts for academics across the United States. This paper has sparked numerous and important philosophical and pedagogical debates, but his focus remains on the bizarre nature of America’s unwillingness to be critical of its own foreign policy. Chomsky’s analysis eerily lingers as we witness the world’s largest refugee crisis and the tenure of a highly unqualified president.1 With hate-inspired rhetoric fueling the “us versus them” mentality, it is time to reexamine Chomsky’s critique of American academics. Our quest for global domination takes benign forms at home. The deceptive reality of wartime rhetoric creates divisions among neighbors and countrymen. Calls to “support our troops” and claims that “freedom isn’t free” are difficult things to navigate because they evoke such powerful emotions. Think about it: how many Americans have, or at least know people who have, a loved one in the military? Chomsky calls for academics to be the vanguard against these practices, although many are stopped by their fear of labels. It is almost sacrilegious to doubt the use of military intervention. To do so would land someone with the label as unpatriotic, or worse, antiAmerican. It is through wartime rhetoric and unquestioning patriotism that Americans divide themselves between “an article of faith that American motives are pure.”2 Since academics in the United States enjoy a certain amount of free speech, it is a moral obligation to research, write, and speak out against the hidden motives of powerful people and institutions. Americans love to doubt the official rhetorical of foreign governments such as Russia, Turkey, or China, but we lack the capability of applying these same standards of skepticism to our own use of force. We question, even parade, the oppressive nature of regimes around the world as a testament to our good nature. But it seems that war has not truly touched us. Boston does not look like Aleppo or Baghdad; the only planes
which fly over the University of Massachusetts, Boston are peaceful ones landing at Logan, not dropping lethal bombs. We ignore the capabilities of our high-tech weapon systems. Chomsky’s article illuminates the need for more adequate funding of public higher education. As Boston’s only public university, UMass Boston has a mission of providing an education for the urban and surrounding suburban populations. Although U.S. News and Report recently ranked Massachusetts as the number one state in the country, there must also be a consideration of the segregated nature of this city.3 UMass Boston is a beacon of promise for those who cannot afford the plethora of private universities in the area. Written on the University’s website for prospective students, the claim of “a diverse public research university at one of the best values in higher education” is blasted to all willing to listen.4 In fact, just last year, UMass Boston was one of three universities in the Bay State to be honored with the HEED Award, one that is given to universities that place an extra emphasis on inclusion to “a broad spectrum of people across all races, ethnicities, ages, and sexual orientations.”5 As Boston’s only public university, UMass Boston has an important role in providing a comprehensive and affordable education to the residents of Massachusetts. Cuts in funding for public higher education across Massachusetts have the potential to devastate current and future students. Rising tuition costs are met with less course selections and the elimination of vital programs. The plight of part-time professors affects all students as they are asked to do more with less. The pressure of producing students with twenty-first century skills results in the underfunding of marginalized programs such as the Africana Studies department and research databases which disproportionally affect the humanities. These cuts demonstrate a profound underappreciation for a humanities-based education. Science and technology degrees are seen as the only majors with jobs waiting for them. The argument against humanities-based education quickly points out that the economy has no use for gender or Africana studies degrees. But, as universities look to the future with new buildings and marketing techniques while cuts decay vital departments and programs within the institutions that affect the local community, one is left wondering about the future state of the humanities. A humanities-based education is imperative
for a comprehensive understanding of the world. Adequate public higher education in Massachusetts will boost the pace of learning and build a better world. Classes in gender studies will challenge the dominant narrative of war while Africana studies will help us understand the lasting impact of colonization. I reject the notion that students should only major in degrees with obvious job listings postgraduation. It undermines the transformative nature of knowledge by making an education another prerequisite for pre-existing economic opportunities. Higher education will play a major role in the building of a better tomorrow. But this will only occur if society learns to appreciate differing types of knowledge. Our world needs the perspective of women in the conversation of war. We must confront the endless cycle of violence before us with critical analysis, which includes a biological, as well as historical and psychosocial, perspective. We cannot base our entire understanding of the world on numbers and computers; we must also understand it through the eyes of others. It is difficult to imagine a world without war. It seems to me that we should add it to our list of unavoidables, along with death and taxes. But we must remember that we are not without choices. The power structure will always resist against change and attempt to maintain the status quo, all while carefully paying attention to the flow of the masses, insisting they are but giving us what we want. In closing, we must consider one final reflection of Chomsky’s article. He writes, “The question, ‘What have I done?’ is one that we may well ask ourselves, as we read each day of fresh atrocities…as we create, or mouth, or tolerate the deceptions that will be used to justify the next defense of freedom.”2 We are bombarded with common sense understandings of the world in our daily lives, mostly presented in binary systems that categorize and divide us: nationality, race, religion, gender, rich, poor, good, evil, among others. We must let go of our American identity and recognize a common humanity which exists within each individual. We do not have to participate in this universal destruction, but before we do, we must first not be afraid of leaving behind this inconsistent American identity. Our cherished values of justice, liberty, and freedom will always be held in contempt by our quest for global military dominance. We can choose to invest in books over bombs. We can choose another way.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. “Global Forced Displacement Hits Record High.” UNHCR. United Nations, Web. “The Responsibility of Intellectuals.” The Responsibility of Intellectuals. New York Book Review, Web. 3 “Massachusetts Is the Best State in America.” U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report, Web. 4 “Admissions & Financial Aid.” University of Massachusetts Boston | Admissions & Financial Aid - University of Massachusetts Boston. University of Massachusetts Boston, Web. 5 “UMass Boston News.” Magazine Honors UMass Boston for Focus on Diversity. University of Massachusetts Boston, Web. 1 2
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THE RUSH TO SAVE AFRICA by Timothy Musoke Illustrated by Sophia Dudkin
Say you are watching the latest episode of your favorite TV show and during one of the commercial breaks, a rather unusual, yet common, commercial plays. Unlike the popular commercials promoting shampoo, deodorants, cars, or cellphone plans with the familiar upbeat background music, this commercial starts off very somber. On comes that emotionally gripping scene with malnourished dark-skinned children whose sunken brown eyes invoke a
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rather startling sense of pity. “With only $5, you can make a difference in these poor children’s lives. Donate today and help to stop hunger in Africa!” says the narrator. What comes to mind as an audience member of a commercial soliciting donations to help solve issues affecting African communities? Maybe pity for those helpless children. Maybe a sense of indifference due to your privilege. Maybe a feeling of helplessness because of the
unfair treatment many globally marginalized communities are subjected to. Maybe cynicism because of the ridiculousness of reducing children’s plight to salvation to a mere $5. Maybe a firm resolve to participate in efforts to make a difference in the lives of children and communities in developing countries. Or maybe, apathy—after all, the fact that good people out there made a video about these children’s situation implies that someone is
engaged in efforts to solve the issue. But, are such campaigns for donations actually helping? It is quite evident that making a video documenting poverty or hunger in an African country presents an image of a non-profit organization standing in solidarity with seemingly voiceless Africans. The motivation behind such humanitarian endeavors cannot be ignored. However, any form of media which suggests that problems in African countries can be solved by donating money, food, or clothing is oversimplifying these problems. In doing so, the media is avoiding the problem’s inherent complexity. Such campaigns are simply not telling the whole story. Over time, the media has elegantly created and perpetuated the story of Africa as the continent plagued with all kinds of issues— poverty, disease outbreaks, wars, corruption, and more. However, if we think about America, similar issues also exist: there are many communities grappling with poverty, corruption is present in many institutions, and race relations remain a significant issue. When individuals and groups travel to African countries with a goal to solve the problems in these communities, they essentially have to understand that creating any sustainable change relies on obtaining a deeper understanding of the complexity of these issues. Once this is achieved, the story of these issues must be framed comprehensively, not reductively. By framing the story of African communities as pitiful and not nearly doing the same for American communities, is it not a vast oversimplification of the issues faced by these African communities? Imagine a commercial running on Ugandan TV: “By signing a simple petition, you can end racism in America!” I’m wondering how the Ugandan folks might perceive this message. It is therefore important to recognize that the differences in circumstances, cultures, and privileges influence how we, as a community in a developed country, might respond to issues affecting people in less fortunate circumstances. As Gary White, co-founder (with Matt Damon) of water.org, noted about his experiences improving access to clean water in Asian and African communities, idealism can only go so far, as pragmatism is necessary for the implementation of change in a cultural environment vastly different from that to which
you are accustomed. Hence, an individual or group from the developed world going to Africa to engage in sustainable development would have to understand that issues in African communities cannot be fixed by thinking about them in the perspective of an American experience. There has to be an integration of perspectives. In order to understand why there is hunger in an African community, one has to ask questions which will lead to an awareness that the complexity of the issue goes beyond a mere lack of food or famine. For example, those malnourished children being displayed on YouTube or on TV might be refugees that fled from a civil war in their home country and have now been settled in an area where it is difficult to grow crops. Maybe the food rations they are being given by non-profits do not have all the necessary nutrients for them to live a healthy
whose high hopes are destroyed after he is told that his education will be sponsored until he can attend a university, and then, when he is ready to get his university education, he is told that there is no more donor funding available. Rather than wasting money in cycles of what global economist and author Dambisa Moyo calls “dead aid”—through which so much money is spent in the developing world (particularly Africa)—with minimal sustainable change, more sustainable processes can be established through the use of cultural integration.1 The principle of this process depends on agents of change from the developed world listening to the perspective of the communities in the developing countries they look to aid in order to understand which key areas require outsider support. This way, support from benevolent people in developed countries—whether through donations, skills, knowledge, or experiences—can be leveraged to solve issues in less privileged communities. Instead of an educator from the U.S. teaching students in a remote village using an accent and teaching style the students might not fully comprehend, this teacher should work with a colleague native to this community to exchange perspectives, and ultimately, improve the way these students learn. Instead of shipping and dumping sacks of old clothes into these communities, mission workers could work with community leaders to provide education about the importance of maintaining clothes by washing them. The communities can also be taught soapmaking skills so that they can start making their own soap with the resources they might have available, such as ingredients derived from crops. Instead of dumping sacks of expired or soon-toexpire food in communities, non-profit groups can purchase seeds and empower communities to grow their own crops by working with them to provide a range of agricultural expertise. The next time you see that commercial asking for a donation to help save that child or community in a less privileged country, think about whether or not it might just join the “dead aid” cycle. Maybe the next commercial you see like this might prompt you to question what exactly the charity does with donations and whether it engages the communities in which it works to create the so-desired sustainable change.
However, any form of media which suggests that problems in African countries can be solved by donating money, food, or clothing is oversimplifying these problems. life. Or maybe the traumatic experiences from fleeing a war prevent these children from eating properly because they are scared that they might get attacked again. When an understanding of this level of complexity is reached only then can one realize that it’s not just about donating $5 to save children from hunger. Similarly, we have to realize that sustainability cannot be established by simply donating goods such as food, clothing, and money. Imagine what happens when clothing is donated to “poor” communities with limited access to water or soap. This clothing might not last as long as the donors hoped for and soon, these communities will not have any more clothing. Imagine what happens to “poor” communities that have to rely on rations because they do not have enough food when the supply from donors runs out. Or that little boy in the community,
Moyo, Dambisa. Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is Another Way for Africa. London: Penguin, 2010. Print. Bornstein, David. “The Real Future of Clean Water.” Editorial. New York Times 21 Aug. 2013: n. pag. Print. Martin, Courtney. “The “Third World” Is Not Your Classroom.” The Development Set. N.p., 7 May 2016. Web. 1
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ON WHAT HOME IS by Charlotte Burlingame Illustrated by Kelly McCann
We think it’s something tangible, but it isn’t. I first noticed I was out of touch with the town I grew up in when I drove toward my house on a Saturday morning. I checked the clock on the dash to see what time I would arrive when I realized I didn’t know if the clock was still four minutes fast. Similar things have happened: restaurant menus have changed, new streets have appeared, neighbor’s pets have died, and employees I knew no longer work at stores I’ve been going to for years. I am at an in between; my family, childhood, and memories are in Upton, Massachusetts, but I am living and growing in Boston. What, then, is home? I asked this question to four college students who have had different relationships with every place they have lived. These people agreed that home, although ambiguous, is where your roots are and that memories and relationships play the largest role in determining what feels like a home. To hear from a wide variety of experience, I talked to someone who has moved within the state of Massachusetts, someone who has moved across state borders, and two people who have lived in more than one country. Among other questions, I asked everyone of all the places they have lived what they considered home to be, how they feel about where they currently live, and what they thought defines a home. When I asked where they considered their homes to be, each person responded with the place they grew up. Home generally seems to be where you were raised. Carlos Perez, who has moved most notably from Raleigh, North Carolina to Boston, Massachusetts, agreed that despite being born in Miami, Florida, Raleigh feels most like home because he grew up there. He summed this sentiment up by stating that home is where “you feel like you belong, it’s where your roots are. You don’t just pick up all your roots when you move.” Another person I interviewed, Alexandra Blaze, who has moved from Upton to Westford, Massachusetts, agreed. “Upton was where I grew up for sixteen years,” she said, “so that will always feel like home to me. Westford never felt like a home; it was just a temporary housing until I got to leave.” Despite moving from Upton more than three years ago, her roots are there and as Carlos said, the memories and relationships that exist there did not just move when she did. The longer a person spends in a place, the more it feels like a
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home because their time is spent creating a bond with the location; learning the intricacies of the streets, the best or cheapest places to eat, and the perfect places to see the stars or the sunset or the city. This bond that is created through time spent in a place is what defines the roots that Carlos mentioned. Although everyone agreed that home was where they grew up, the locations were either specific or general. Carlos said that his home is as definite as his first hometown, Raleigh, while Marshall Seserman, who has lived in both Canada and Massachusetts said that his home was just Canada as a whole. Marshall was born in Montreal, Canada, moved to Upton, Massachusetts in fourth grade, and currently attends Ryerson University in Toronto. When I asked him where home is, he responded with, “Honestly, right now, I feel like Toronto feels the most like home. But when I was living in Upton, I would say Montreal felt that way.” I asked if it has always been Canada, despite living in Upton for most of his life, and he said yes. This response is not surprising, for Canada is not only where Marshall was born and raised, but also what was associated with his character when he lived in Massachusetts. There is an incongruity with Marshall’s response, for it contradicts the idea that home has to be where a person spends the longest amount of time. Pride in one’s origins plays a larger role for Marshall than time. For Alexandra and Carlos, relationships and memories together played the largest role in determining what home was. Alexandra expressed that the majority of her experiences occurred in Upton so she had a much closer bond with that town but she had multiple, immediate transformative experiences where she goes to school at the University of New Hampshire, which made college feel more at home than Westford. She elaborated by saying, “I would say the more important and memorable experiences one has in a place helps make it more of a home,” which is similar to what Carlos said about North Carolina. Carlos took Alexandra’s interpretation farther, stating, “The compiled general area of where all [my happy memories] and milestones occurred, associated with [the] locations [where they occurred], is what will make a place feel like home for me because I can look around and remember those times and feel happy.” Memories create both a
sense of belonging among those who share these same experiences and a feeling of community among loved ones. At first, I thought this was a logical conclusion: the greatest determinant in a home is the relationships a person has there. Once I interviewed Marshall, however, a level of complexity had to supplement that claim. The greatest variation in response was between the two people who have lived within the U.S. and the two people who have moved internationally. Marshall and David Floyd, who grew up in London, England, and moved to Watertown, Massachusetts added complexity to the meaning of home. When I asked what role relationships and experiences played in what home meant to them, both Marshall and David said that for them, there are two different feelings of home: feeling at home around people and feeling at home in a particular place. “Feeling at home around people is 100 percent about experiences, but I would say if you were to pick a place it would be from a memory like ‘[I remember this] I’m from here,’” Marshall said in an effort to distinguish the difference in feelings of home. “If I were to give a place my home now it would be Toronto, but talking about people it’d be Upton.” David validated Marshall’s assertion that home is more complex than where your relationships are when he said “England is vastly different from the U.S., [so] it’s not as simple as where the people you love are. The environment is different.” These two different feelings of home are interesting because they were only distinguished when I spoke to Marshall and David. David agreed, though, that “memories are definitely a huge factor in home,” which was a consistent reply among everyone I interviewed. Among people who lived in different nations, there was a more distinguished pride in the country that they grew up in, which held great weight in determining home. This pride is essential to understanding the importance of feeling not only at home, but also at peace. After establishing what home meant to everyone I talked to, I wanted to know the everyone’s relationship with where they are currently living. This is perhaps where I received the most variety in response for a single question. For many, college seems to be a place to grow and learn about themselves. Carlos told me that he “definitely wouldn’t call Boston home, but it
is a place for [him] to grow. You always think about people moving to the city to grow.” I asked him, in that case, what he wanted to get out of living so far away from and in an environment so different from his hometown. He said he wanted to be in Boston so he “can find a middle ground for who [he] wants to be between the cultures of North Carolina and Boston.” Alexandra also described college, where she currently feels at home, to be a transitional period in her life. She said UNH is “also a stepping stone [because] I won’t be there forever. I think it’s just very different [from my relationship with Westford] because it’s finally a place that is my own.” Although Carlos doesn’t feel where he currently lives is his home and Alexandra does, they share a similar experience in that they are living in a place that allows them to grow. Is it possible, then, that home is not a place to grow? It seems to be instead a place to return to for comfort, to seek refuge, and to belong. Some people have found their homes since moving away from their families. After hearing Alexandra and Carlos describe college as a stepping stone, I asked David and Marshall if they felt that way specifically about where they are living now. David answered by saying, “I love Boston, and [although] I moved to Watertown, most of my time has been spent in Boston. It’s my home now but nothing can really replace London.” David validated my initial thought about the concept of home: there are obviously ambiguous feelings about what home is, even if a place feels like it must be your home. Since Marshall grew up in Canada, I asked what his relationship was with Toronto. I
expected a complex answer since he was born in Montreal and currently lives in a different province, but he said all of Canada just feels like home and that “[Toronto is] becoming more comfortable every day.” He shared a recent memory with me: “It was just me in the center of the city coming out of work and there was a moment of feeling really good to be here.” Marshall also mentioned that because of this, he plans to stay in Toronto post-university.
So why does it matter? Why should we spend time pondering the specifics of an abstract noun? It is important to feel at home because home, for everyone who was interviewed, is where a person can belong among their loved ones and feel at peace. Where his or her presence feels validated. As humans, we need a certain degree of validation. Feeling at home gives this to us, even if the feeling is temporary, even if it is with
people rather than a place, even if it is driving alone through old familiar roads. Feeling at home is essential because from these feelings, pride in one’s roots emerges, which is how some people stay in touch with their culture. Because pride, peace, comfort, and belonging are precious emotions, the abstract concept of home is worth exploring. I asked everyone I interviewed if home is one place or if it could be multiple places. Everyone agreed that home can be multiple places because you can have meaningful relationships with people in different places, because you can spend time in many places long enough to discover their intricacies, and because you can have significant, yet distinct, relationships with different places. To those I interviewed, these factors make a home. As for me, I have found another home in Boston. I am still at an in between, but I have always felt a proximity with this city and if I have learned anything from discussing the concept of home, it is that the more time I spend here, the more like home it will feel. Although I was raised among pine trees and country stores, the deserted Red Line and energy of Tremont Street have become equally as enchanting. Everyone I spoke to may not be in the same position as I am, but we are all in transition, exploring our experience with each place we live, trying to put ourselves in places of comfort and discomfort until we find what’s right. I think that we each, at least right now, have multiple places that resonate with us and we are trying to combine and consolidate them into a single, eventual home. It may not exist now, but it will come.
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HIJAB: EMPOWERMENT WITH A CHALLENGE by Remona Kanyat Illustrated by Remona Kanyat
What is that scarf called that Muslim women wear around their head? Why do they wear it? Are they being forced to wear it? Are they all meant to stay at home and be housewives? Should we be suspicious of them? These are questions Americans may have and may never take the chance to ask someone about. They may never ask a Muslim woman about herself, about her headscarf, or about her experiences so she may share her own truth. Instead, many believe the bias and prejudice that is often spread by the media. The media most often spreads fear and misinformation about minorities in the United States by plastering negative and generalized images of them on the news. This allows for many Americans to come to their own preconceived
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notions about minorities. Often times, this leads to judgment when they come across minorities in real life. As a country made up of many people from different parts of the world who carry around with them cultures and religions, what can we do? We can learn about who these immigrants truly are by listening to their stories and talking to them about their backgrounds. We cannot be apprehensive toward the unknown. So, what is the hijab? The hijab is a covering that Muslim women, followers of Islam, wear around their head. The hijab is often paired with loose and long clothing covering the body. The hijab is intended to conceal a woman’s outer beauty from those that are not in her family. It is so that she may be appreciated and valued
for her intellect and mind rather than her appearance. The privilege of seeing her hair and body is only meant for whoever she wishes to marry, a person who is meant to earn her love and to always treat her with dignity and respect. In a society where a woman’s worth is reduced to her appearance and a man’s opinion of it, the hijab forces society to judge a woman only by her personality, her intelligence, her abilities, and her moral character. The hijab brings empowerment to all women who wear it. But, the hijab is more than just a physical covering of a woman’s hair and body—it is also a guide and reminder on how she should act and behave. The hijab helps a woman be more aware of herself. It is a physical representation of Islam, so women like myself, who wear the hijab, are
reminded to always represent the religion in the best way possible. The great qualities that Islam encourages its followers to have must be embodied so that people may learn just by observing a Muslim in their daily life. The hijab reminds me to act with humility, kindness, patience, care, and compassion with those around me. It reminds me to go out of my way to help anyone that I can in any opportunity that I find. It reminds me to speak up against injustice. I am mindful of these qualities because Islam teaches me to own them. My hijab reminds me to embody it daily in order to spread a positive message, especially in a time and place where Islam is looked down upon. The hijab also encourages me to improve any bad characteristics I have. The hijab is meant to be a reminder to myself, first and foremost, but it can also be a message for the world to understand. The world cannot understand the message of the hijab if everyone continues to believe the misinformation around it. This is because of the abundant amount of present misconceptions. People think that women who wear the hijab must be forced to wear it by male members of their families or that they are oppressed within their homes and communities by not being able to do what they want. Although this may be an occurrence in families around the world, it is not what Islam encourages and it is wrong. A woman is not meant to be forced to wear the hijab; it should be her choice. A woman is also not meant to be held back from what she wishes to do; she can choose to pursue an education or a career. Islam does not condone or support these practices of force or oppression. In fact, women are highly regarded in Islam and have many rights allotted to them—rights that the Western world took years to give women. Some examples of these rights include being politically active with the right to vote and hold leadership roles, the right to own property and wealth, and the right to an education and to a career.1 A religion that started 1,400 years ago gave women these rights before the Western world did. Another misconception is that women do not have the right to choose a husband. Islam gives women the right to do so, and their consent is actually required for the marriage to be valid— they cannot be forced to marry anyone.
Along with these rights, a woman has the right to wear a hijab only if she wants to, a decision she makes full heartedly and by her own will. There are many Muslim women who wear the hijab by choice, just like myself. Another unknown fact about the hijab is that Muslim women are not the only ones who wear some sort of religious head coverings; Christian and Jewish women have worn them for centuries and still do. Head coverings and veils for women are mentioned in both the Old and New Testament. We see classical depictions of Mary, the mother of Jesus, with a head covering. We see Catholic nuns covering their head as well. Judaism also has rules for women to cover their hair in different ways.2 If these facts were better known, Muslim women who wear a hijab would
in 2006. The group reported that 154 cases of discrimination and harassment involved a hijab as the cause that prompted the incident. The most common reason for these complaints, counting forty-four incidents, was a Muslim woman being prohibited from wearing the hijab. An expert found that sixty-nine percent of Muslim women who wear the hijab reported an incident of discrimination, compared to twentynine percent of Muslim women who do not wear hijab.3 These findings are important because discrimination will affect Muslim women from achieving their goals and having a fair chance to be successful, just as everyone should. This is something I fear as a hijab-wearing woman in college. Will I have a fair chance in the work field when I graduate? We cannot forget that discrimination is often paired with harassment. There is a constant fear of facing verbal and physical assault when going out in the hijab. Misconceptions may just sound like ignorance, but it is tied with harsh realities for those who are affected. I made the decision to wear the hijab when I was eighteen, but I had the intention to wear it since I was thirteen and I waited until I felt ready. I was inspired to wear it because I associated honor, respect, self-empowerment, and a way of developing who I wanted to be. No one in my family asked me to, but they supported my decision. It has helped me develop into the person I am today and it is still helping me to make myself into the type of person I want to be in the future. To some people in this country, I may only be seen as a woman who wears a headscarf that oppresses and limits me. I am not limited to a stereotype of the hijab; it allows me to be and do much more than people may think. It allows me to strive and break through barriers. It may give me harder challenges, but the results are much more rewarding. It is easy to fall into the fear that I may not be able to reach my goals, that the walls of discrimination will keep me back. Even with this fear, I choose to believe that people have open minds and are willing to learn, to change their inaccurate views of who I am and what I represent. I choose to help in this mission of clearing misconceptions with patience. I believe there can be a change in order for our society to be more accepting of differences.
A woman is not meant to be forced to wear the hijab; it should be her choice. A woman is also not meant to be held back from what she wishes to do; she can choose to pursue an education or a career.
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not have to face the judgments and alienation associated with something that gives us much respect and honor. Some people may hold the belief that women who wear the hijab are conservative and traditional, which may also imply that they are voiceless. Muslim women have made many advances in our society and around the world throughout history. But these misconceptions have a great cost because they hold back Muslim women who do wear the hijab and affect them negatively. Women who wear the hijab may not be given all of the opportunities that others have because we are visibly Muslim. Muslim women have been denied job opportunities, have been asked to take off their hijab in workplaces to remain working there, and have even been fired from jobs. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) reported that civil rights complaint filings by one Muslim advocacy group had increased from 366 in 2000 to 2,467 complaints
Mic. “Believe It Or Not, Islam Has Actually Extended and Protected Women’s Rights.” Mic. Mic Network Inc., 26 Oct. 2015. Web. Muslim Girl. “Muslims Aren’t the Only Ones Who Wear Hijab.” Muslim Girl. 27 Aug. 2016. Web. “Discrimination Against Muslim Women - Fact Sheet.” American Civil Liberties Union. Web.
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THE INDIAN PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP by Jithin Jacob Illustrated by Max Lamenza-Naylor
Family. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word? Parents who can be frustrating sometimes? Siblings who annoy you to death? Or parents who love you and support you? Siblings who are there whenever you need them? Most likely, it will be a mashup of the above or in some cases, both of these things. All families are the same as well as different. Paradoxical, ain’t it? A family defines who we are and makes us who we are, but there are exceptions. And although the general structure of a family remains the same (for example, most often, a family contains at least one parent and at least one child), the roles and responsibilities that each member has varies from culture to culture. According to Hofstede, a psychologist widely known for his work on “cross-cultural groups and organizations,” different cultures can be classified based on five cultural dimensions.1,2 One of the five dimensions is individualism/ collectivism. This refers to the extent to which people organize themselves into groups and the roles and responsibilities that they have. The common feature of collectivistic cultures is the fact that the need of the whole collective group (family, community, religious group, among others) is placed above the needs of the individual.3 India, where I’m from, is a collectivistic society whereas, the United States is an individualistic society.4 Many non-white ethnicities are collectivistic in nature. They place emphasis on the welfare of other members of the family. For example, black populations practice communalism, which means involving loved ones in daily life decisions. In Hispanic communities, familism is one of the main cultural values, which means holding the wishes and needs of one’s family above one’s own needs. Among many Asian cultures, filial piety is one of the main tenets. Filial piety is the expectation that the younger generation will take care of the older generation as they age.4 In India, family is very important and no important decisions, especially marriage, are taken without consulting the rest of the family, including extended family such as aunts and uncles.
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In India, parents are the ones who decide who their children should marry. Who their child marries is a matter of social standing for the family and so, the parents look at the financial status, reputation, and other social factors of the prospective suitor. Also, in India, religion is very important, and there are many religions that Indians practice, so the first thing that matters is whether the couple is from the same religion. In most cases, inter-religious marriages aren’t just something that are frowned upon, they are considered a betrayal of their respective religions and relatives will vehemently oppose them, and sometimes even local political groups get involved. In rural parts of India, anyone who does marry, or even says that they want to marry, someone of their choice or from a different religion is harassed, attacked or even killed in so-called honor killings.5 But even though this might seem unfair and dictatorial, we are used to it because that’s how we were raised. The current youth does not particularly like this system, but we know that our marriage is important to our parents as much as it is important to us, so we don’t want to end up hurting them. That doesn’t mean that we don’t date; we do, but it’s just that we do it in secret, and dating someone doesn’t necessarily mean that we end up getting married. There are people who date for years and when it’s time for one of them to get married, they part ways amicably. There are also those who elope and may or may not return to the family a few years later. Some couples tell their respective parents about their relationship and the families agree to their marriage. But that mostly happens when both are from the same religion, although inter-religious marriages do happen sometimes. More often than not, parents don’t agree and the couple elopes, breaks up, or sometimes, tragically take their own lives.6 Getting your children married is the duty and responsibility of Indian parents, and it is one that they take pride in. Getting their children married is the last responsibility of parents toward their children and after that, their job as a parent is technically over. The parents are the ones who fix, arrange, and pay for the wedding. They buy wedding clothes for
the extended family as well. It’s also the duty of the parents to invite everyone in the family, even distant relatives. Even inviting the neighbors is important. Neglecting to invite any of the above is a sign of disrespect. Being a collectivistic society, a marriage in one family is an event for everyone related and everyone nearby. In some parts of India, a marriage is a week-long celebration, where everyone is invited. Dating is a concept that Indian parents oppose. Other than the social implications of who their son or daughter dates, parents consider dating disrespectful to the family and, in particular, it supposedly “tarnishes” a woman’s honor. Dating is strongly opposed in rural communities, with children having no choice but to obey their parents’ wishes. But in this day and age, with almost everyone having access to the Internet and smartphones, Indian youth get exposed to dating, with movies being the most common medium. The youth want a change, but due to societal pressure, they often give in to their parents’ wishes. I feel like it’s time that parents stop forcing their wishes on their children, and start listening to their children’s needs and wishes instead. Like in the United States, people should be allowed to marry who they want and not who their parents want them to marry. All human beings fall in love and it’s not fair that we can’t spend our lives with someone that we want just because of the culture we were born into. With my impending marriage in a few years, I’m probably going to end up agreeing to an arranged marriage. It’s not because I agree with it or want to, but it’s just that I don’t want to end up hurting my parents. I am someone who was raised outside the U.S. but grew up watching U.S. TV shows and movies. I’m all for finding the “one,” but I know it’s not going to be realistic in my case. The reason why my family wants an arranged marriage for me is religion. They want me to marry someone from my own church. For reasons hard to explain here, dating is not allowed in our church. So, I am going to end up marrying someone picked out for me by my family. But I do not have to marry their first choice. Let me briefly explain how a marriage
is arranged. The man or woman is shown photographs of a number of suitors. If they like the person in the photograph, a meeting is arranged so the two families can meet. It is a ceremony where the prospective groom and his family go to the house of the prospective bride, with the extended family of both families present. After all the niceties and small talk, the prospective bride and groom are allowed to step away and have a chat. Then after everything, each can decide whether they want to get married or not. If not, the search is on again and the process repeats until both agree. With social media and matrimonial websites (equivalent of dating sites but used by parents to search for a suitor for their child), everything before the meeting is done online. This doesn’t make the whole process any less awkward, not to mention nerve-racking for the couple-to-be. The part I’m dreading the most is the chat that I’m going to have with my prospective “wife” when our families meet. I am so not looking forward to that. I know that this whole process can be surprising and even ridiculous, but those from collectivistic societies can relate. And if you’re wondering how we can come to love someone picked for us, the answer is we learn. For us, dating comes after marriage, and there’s no option of breaking up; we just accept each other’s faults and continue. After marriage, the adult children are expected to take care of their parents as they grow older, with the son having the main responsibility.4 That’s because once the daughter(s) are married off, they move into their husband’s home and their priority is their husband’s family. They visit their own home only occasionally. In the case that there is more than
one son, the responsibility goes to the eldest and in the case of no sons, the responsibility goes to the eldest daughter (or the responsibility is shared if there is more than one daughter). Once the parents and adult children reach a certain age, the parents sign over all of their wealth and property to their children, with the expectation that the parents will be taken care of. The eldest son usually moves into the parent’s home with his family to take care of them. But as time goes on, all things change. In India, the educated middle and higher classes now have started to, albeit reluctantly, accept the concept of dating and allow their children
to marry who they want. There’s also an increase in the number of inter-religious marriages. But there are still the constraints of social status and parents are still the ones in charge of everything. The uneducated and the lower classes, predominantly found in rural areas, still hang onto the traditional practices, with some
communities from other classes also doing the same. But with the good, also comes the bad. There are cases now where adult children ignore their aging parents and consider them burdens, citing the current busy lifestyle as an excuse. And because parents have come to depend on their children for support, they often have no place to go and get passed from one child to another. Because it is expected that the adult children will take care of their parents, retirement communities like the ones in the U.S., are almost nonexistent. The parents are therefore placed in Indian versions of old-age homes, which are basically “orphanages” for parents. In some cases, parents end up on the street with no means to look after themselves. In truth, there are things from individualistic cultures that need to be incorporated into collectivistic cultures for betterment of the society. Likewise, there also might be features of collectivistic cultures that individualistic cultures could incorporate in order to better their society. We all have our cultures and countries to which we belong. Cultural pride is important but first and foremost, we are all human beings. So, we should be willing to recognize our cultural faults and be open to change and embrace other cultures and other people because in these times of turmoil and violence in the world, we all need to come together in order to progress as a species and make the world a better place. It was George Bernard Shaw who said it best: “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their mind cannot change anything.”
“Geert Hofstede.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 09 Mar. 2017. Web. Hofstede, G. (1984). Culture’s consequences: International differences in work-related values (Vol. 5). Sage. Seth J. Schwartz, Eric A. Hurley, Irene J. K. Park, Robert S. Weisskirch, Byron L. Zamboanga, Su Yeong Kim Anthony D. Greene. (2010). Communalism, Familism, and Filial Piety: Are They Birds of a Collectivist Feather? Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 16(4), 548–560. 4 Santoro, M. S., Van Liew, C., Holloway, B., McKinnon, S., Little, T., & Cronan, T. A. (2016). Honor thy parents: An ethnic multigroup analysis of filial responsibility, health perceptions, and caregiving decisions. Research on Aging, 38(6), 665–688. 5 Jazeera, Al. “India Sees Huge Spike in ‘honour’ Killings.” India News | Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera, 07 Dec. 2016. Web. 6 NewIndianXpress. “Family’s Objection Pushes Young Couple to Commit Suicide.” The New Indian Express. Web. 1 2 3
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READ 12:23 AM by Nina Roxo Illustrated by Laura Saucier
Online dating platforms are skyrocketing in popularity with the increase of cellular use and the decrease of free time to date in more conventional ways, especially for young adults. According to the Pew Research Center, more than fifteen percent of all Americans used online dating as a way to meet potential partners in 2016. Twenty-seven percent of those
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using online dating sites are between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four, which is a huge spike in growth from a mere ten percent in 2003. Apps and sites like Tinder and OkCupid are most widely used among younger people and sites like Match and eHarmony are used mostly among older adults looking for serious, longterm, and even lifelong romantic relationships.
Many young people searching for serious, longterm, and sometimes lifelong relationships in places like Tinder or OkCupid are often immensely disappointed with what they find, whether it be “frat bros” looking for brief, onetime hook-ups, or the seemingly “too good to be true” girl you probably realize is a catfish once you put two and two together. While dating sites
often help people find meaningful relationships, they can also do a lot of damage to a person’s relationship with themselves. Nobody wants to think of themselves as undesirable. Even though online dating sites can sometimes work to increase self-esteem, what if you spend hours crafting the perfect introduction text and planning what you’re going to say to a person, only to receive no contact in return? What if you swipe on Tinder every night, only to find that you’ve matched with no one, and if you do match with someone, they un-match you before you even had the chance to say hello? This is a reality for many, and it has significant effects on a person, more than one may think. Our dopamine loops are affected in part by signals we receive, and in the case of online dating, these signals are phone notifications letting us know we have been contacted by someone. Dopamine is one of the main neurotransmitters associated with desire, leading us to pursue what might give us pleasure. Research has been done on the psychological effects of processing message notifications, which says that our dopaminergic (reward-seeking) pathways are affected when we think we see something we’ve been waiting for. It’s safe to say that almost everyone has experienced the feeling of receiving a notification, hoping it’s from a certain person, but being disappointed to see that the notification was from a parent, sibling, or annoying friend. It’s not that you don’t appreciate the contact with those people (maybe you don’t in the case of the annoying friend), it’s just not what you really wanted in that instance. What’s physiologically happening is the increase of dopamine upon anticipation of receiving what you really want (that contact from a certain someone), then the letdown of not getting that specific gratification. This is one of the reasons online dating has the potential to have a negative effect on people who don’t do as well as they had hoped. The effects it has are beyond just that of how a person thinks. Online dating is especially hard for those who do not like what they see when they look in the mirror, and many people use dating sites to gauge where they stand in the dating pool. My experiences with online dating had sent me on a roller coaster of emotions, something that may be very common among millennials looking for connections via dating sites. In order to use the dating apps, I had alienated myself from my friends in favor of lying in my bed alone, swiping
to gain contact with people that I hoped would find me desirable in any way. It wasn’t until I saw a decrease in matches that I was able to pinpoint the change in how I saw myself. After hearing from peers who also use dating sites, it seems to be very common to feel discouraged when feedback received is not positive, or worse, when no feedback is received at all. I found that I had become emotionally dependent on Tinder and that my feelings of self-worth were directly correlated to the feedback I was getting on the app. One study shows that, when in a situation where a person has access to many different potential partners via online dating profiles, there is a tendency to commodify the individuals behind the screen, meaning that a person is less considered for their personal value and more seen as an easily replaceable object.1 The act of commodifying is bound to have negative effects
already established, but instead, was focusing on beginning new ones for which the premise was physical attraction. The first thing I really learned from stepping back and taking a break from online dating was that placing my happiness in the hands of anyone not myself was one of the unhealthiest things I could do. Even worse, depending on the virtual “like” of an individual is not healthy. It is of paramount importance to acknowledge that the relationship you have with yourself is what counts, so it needs to be the best and most fulfilling relationship you’ve ever had. You can look for meaningful romantic relationships using whatever medium you choose, but the most important relationship to be had in your life is the one with yourself. First, when dealing with feelings concerning your place in the dating world, it is important to acknowledge your worth far beyond physical appearance. We have so much more to offer than just a face and body. If someone you want, in whatever way, does not have that interest in you, it’s going to have to be okay. Using online media to cure feelings of loneliness will almost never lead to any constructive or positive end result. What will lead to a positive end result is focusing on cultivating the relationships you have in front of you, including the relationship with yourself. I don’t know if I was alone in thinking I was a failure if I was not found attractive by everybody to whom I was attracted, but leaving those feelings behind is one of the healthiest things I have ever been able to do for myself. If you’re struggling in the romantic realm, the best advice I have to give is that it’s okay to be alone sometimes. It doesn’t always mean you’re lonely. If you find that you’re feeling lonely, I suggest you pick up a book, go for a walk, or call a friend. It may sound like horrible advice to someone who is struggling with feeling lonely, but knowing that there are options independent of contact with other people can sometimes be helpful. You don’t have to resort to fabricating relationships with people whose reasons for online dating are different from yours. If you’re struggling with feelings of self-worth stemming from a lack of positive feedback from potential romantic partners, the best advice I have is don’t let it bother you. Of course, it is so much easier said than done, but once you realize you cannot yield a “super-like” from everyone, you’ll be so much easier on yourself. Hopefully, it will lead you to a self-loving relationship.
The first thing I really learned from stepping back and taking a break from online dating was that placing my happiness in the hands of anyone not myself was one of the unhealthiest things I could do.
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on feelings of self-worth. Being a young adult in and of itself poses threats to any feelings of self-worth one might have, especially since there is so much uncertainty: college degrees, job searches, letting go of old friends, and a love life. Any combination of these almost inevitable uncertainties is bound to take a shot at any feelings of self-worth a young adult may have, and unfortunately, for many, there is more weight placed on the security felt in a fulfilling love life. It’s hard to put the desire for a successful love life on the back burner while you suffer through young adulthood because complete security in that field can sometimes help make these years more bearable. Now, reflecting on everything I’d been thinking and feeling throughout an extreme Tinder phase, my initial thought is that I was living my life with severe myopia and shortsightedness. I only saw what was in front of me: the screen of my phone. I was not focusing on nurturing the real-life relationships I had
Finkel, Eli J., and Paul W. Eastwick. “Online Dating: A Critical Analysis from the Perspective of Psychological Science.” Association for Psychological Science, 7 Mar. 2012. Web.
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FEMINISM: REBRANDED & RELEVANT by Wyndham Juneau and Michelle Stuart
“A male co-worker found any excuse to find me in any tight space so he could ‘brush’ past me. I started my professional career in 1985. I was the token woman. All other women in the office were secretaries. Many of the men believed I was there only because they were forced to hire a woman. It took a long time to get most of them to recognize my intelligence and value.”1 “Several years after my return to work after a one-year maternity leave, I was told by my department chair that he had never thought to consider planning for my career advancement because the person who was chair when I went on maternity leave had told his successor: ‘Don’t worry about her, I know what it’s like for women who have twins, we’ll never see her again.’”2 These powerful testimonies reveal the diverse struggles that women face within an oppressive patriarchal society. Throughout history, women have been treated as second-class citizens. Their oppression resulted in an ideaturned-movement: feminism. The importance of feminism lies within its long and arduous history. The movement itself is an animate being that has evolved throughout generations. Feminism was conceived based on the ideology that women deserve the same economic, political, and social rights, along with opportunities, as men. Since then, the movement has grown into an intersectional collective which encompasses the rights of not only women, but the LGBTQ+ community as well. It recognizes the diverse struggles that individuals face based on the issues of racism, classism, and sexism. The feminist movement has brought to light realistic injustices that people once felt they had to suffer through in silence, thus making the personal political and demanding overall reform of the systemic control over women’s bodies. Feminism: n. the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. Though seemingly simple in definition and theory, the history of feminism is a long and winding path that highlights a myriad of changes. What it means to be a feminist has continuously evolved throughout the years to
serve the goals of the women at the time. Starting from its inauguration in the late nineteenth century, a timeline of feminism appears as three distinct movements that have each solidified around specific ideas. The first wave primarily focused on gaining equal rights for women. Women during this era fought to change laws that prohibited them from owning property and allowed for them to be treated as the physical property of the men in their lives. Feminists were also focusing on women having rights to their children, which at the time belonged solely to their husband. Throughout the decades, the suffrage movement spanned;
the word itself gained popularity, began in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. If you have heard the term “women’s liberation,” this is where it came from. Coinciding with the Civil Rights Movement, ending discrimination was at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Informed and fueled by the social, cultural, and political climate of the decade, women were encouraged to reflect upon aspects of their lives limited by a sexist power structure: reproductive health care (including access to abortions), contraception, prenatal care, and equality in the workplace were some of the issues at hand. It is in this period that women began to see cultural and political inequalities of their lives inextricably linked together. The third and most current wave of feminism, which started in the 1990s and continues to the present, elaborates and confronts the perceived failures of the first two waves. Taking into account class and racial differences, the third wave seeks to challenge and avoid the overemphasized experiences of white upper-class woman and make feminism—wait for it— intersectional. Over the last twenty-five years, feminist activists have continued to campaign for legal rights (protection from domestic violence, sexual harassment, and rape) as well as workplace rights (maternity/paternity leave and equal pay). They have also been fighting for the end of misogyny and gender-specific discrimination. These all fall under a wide umbrella that includes all people. At its core, feminism is the belief in equality between the sexes. It is about allowing people the same opportunities, regardless of their perceived gender. Yet, the ignorance about history and the reality of oppression is widely ignored, disregarded, or stereotyped in today’s world. ACCESSIBLE HEALTH CARE & REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS The fight for reproductive justice and health care was truly adopted during the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1960s. Women were essentially being forced to have children based on the illegality of birth control and abortion. Society reduced women to sexualized objects
Feminism: n. the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of politics, social and economic equality to men.
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society expected women to maintain their proper roles as mothers, housekeepers, and wives. Women were consistently denied rights that would empower them to function as fully participating adult individuals. The Suffrage Movement, the fight for a woman’s right to vote, overlapped with the Abolitionist Movement, which legally ended slavery in the United States. Though many women who did not experience discrimination based on skin color lent their voices to the Abolitionist cause, eventually a divide was created between those who wanted to include the issues women of color were facing and those that felt that by dividing their focus, they would weaken the suffrage movement. Ultimately, issues specific to women of color came second to the women’s vote, creating a divergence between the Abolitionist and Suffrage Movement. Those leading the first wave of feminism failed to realize that many women of color would also be affected by both issues. The second wave of feminism, and where
for men. The media even commonly portrayed rape as a crime of passion, which conveyed the message that women’s bodies were merely tools to satisfy the needs of men. However, if women were to become pregnant, it was a personal problem that they were expected to deal with on their own. Becoming a mother became an inevitable role that every woman was expected to fulfill, thus only perpetuating the ideology that women belonged in the home to provide free labor. Feminist activists hit the streets hard: they protested, advocated, and lobbied for bills that gave women accessible health care and the right to decide what they did with their own bodies. The fight was fruitful. By 1965, the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional for the government to prohibit married couples from using birth control. And in 1973, the famous Roe v. Wade case brought about the landmark decision that the right to an abortion was a part of a woman’s right to privacy. These major achievements in the fight for women’s rights did not come about from a systematic desire to change, but rather, from the personal determination of a collective movement of badass feminists. They took power over their lives and rejected the naturalization of gender roles. This ongoing battle for one’s own agency did not die with Roe v. Wade. Since then, feminists have been fighting for accessible and affordable health care, comprehensive childcare, and to keep the rights they fought too hard to lose. Freedom is a moving target and every generation has new opportunities to take women’s justice further. INTERSECTIONALITY: SAY IT AGAIN FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK The issue of sexism is one angle within a multidimensional perspective of oppression. Every individual exists with a certain level of privilege as well as oppression. These opposing experiences are contextual and intersect across race, class, and gender. Intersectionality addresses the advantages and disadvantages that people experience based on the diversity that makes up their identity, and it addresses how certain aspects of one’s identity may be exploited or subjugated by social hierarchies or institutions. A person oppressed by sexism may also be oppressed by racism and classism. Therefore, it is critical to understand that one voice cannot speak for all people, but that people have the
right to define their own differences. Historically, feminism hasn’t always represented the struggle of diverse identities. However, the evolution of feminism has fostered an intersectional lens in which there is a greater understanding and respect for individual experiences of subjugation. Oppression is pervasive. It permeates cross-sectionally and affects the life of every person in one way or another. Being a man, for example, does not mean that you are inherently free from the issues of gender. Gender roles dictate the lives of women and men by restricting their human identities and forcing them into dichotomous gender performances, thus causing physical and psychological damage. When someone is in a position of privilege, their privilege tends to conceal the reality of these issues on a systematic level. By understanding how race, class, gender, and sexuality intersect, we can start to unravel the damage caused by institutional oppression. More so, we begin to see that despite our seemingly separate individual experiences, we are connected by
to accept. There seems to be a disconnection between the brand and the ideology. So let’s clear the air on the stigma that exists around the label compared to what feminism actually advocates for. Feminism is about liberation—the freedom to choose what you do with your body—and more importantly, the fundamental understanding that your physiology does not define your value in any context. This ideology is based on social, economic, and political equality for both sexes and all gender identities. Feminism is a collective movement comprised of people from all cultural walks of life which celebrates each individual’s right to human equality and their agency of selfexpression and embodied resistance. Fear of the label exists inside and outside the movement. Within, there is a certain pressure that comes with assuming the title of a feminist. People may feel the need to live up to unrealistic expectations, embodying the essence of what it means to be a feminist activist, therefore strictly rejecting other views or content. However, the idea of identifying oneself using a strict label and its associations is in direct contradiction to feminism’s own ideology. Reality check: the perfect feminist does not exist. We are complex beings balancing multiple identities. It does not benefit the movement if we’re all wasting our energy dissecting the legitimacy of one another. Rather, the progression of feminism has been a more inclusive one. Let’s embrace, not disgrace! Feminism today is not just about women. It is about people and equality. It is an inclusive movement that aims to empower all who have been disenfranchised by the social system. The umbrella of feminism includes all genders, races, classes, faiths, sexualities, environments, and places in the world where systematic oppression based on gender stereotypes still exists. It doesn’t mean feminists think these people are weak, victims, or oppressed, or that they are manhaters. Furthermore, there is no “one-size-fitsall feminism.” Feminism is contextual. What it means to identify as a feminist today and what it means to our parents, grandparents, or what it will mean to our children all depends on the time, the place, and the cause. It can be different—it will be different—and that’s good. The importance of feminism is that it allows one to be liberated from social constructs that otherwise strip us from our own autonomy. Feminism will never stop being an inherited movement, making it continuously relevant.
The issue of sexism is one angle within a multidimensional perspective of oppression.
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our collective struggles. Therefore, no one can truly default from these issues because they all intersect. It is our personal responsibility as humans existing together to find our place within these battles, to understand how we benefit from each issue, in order to become assets for those who don’t. We simultaneously need to understand where our disadvantages are so that we may fight for our right to equity and justice. We need to recognize how and why the feminist movement has failed in the past, and what we can do fix it. MODERN FEMINISM A stigma still exists around feminism. Some stereotypes have permeated throughout the different waves of feminism which have tainted the label and turned it into an accusation. When equality is proposed, people generally agree. However, when equality is proposed through the framework of feminism, people are hesitant
Weiss, Suzannah. “14 Women Share The Most Sexist Things They’ve Experienced In The Workplace.” Bustle. Bustle, 15 Feb. 2016. Web. Shaw, Claire. “Stories of Sexism in Science: ‘sorry about All the Women in This Laboratory’.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 12 June 2015. Web.
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GROWING IN THE CRACKS: AN INTERVIEW Interview with Aaron Devine by Samuel O’Neill Illustrated by Elizabeth Grover
Aaron Devine is a Professor in the Honors College and CAPS ESL at UMass Boston. He works as an Artist in Residence at Boston Children’s Hospital. He also co-created Write on the DOT. He is my former professor, and I sat down with him to discuss art, illness, and how they interact.
Can you tell me about your views on the relationship between art and illness? How they relate to each other, how they impact each other, how that relationship manifests in the real world? Where to begin with that question, that’s a big question. I’ll begin with yesterday. I was at [Boston] Children’s Hospital working with a patient, and her schedule is very strict. Doctors and nurses coming in at all hours of the day with their agendas for what they need. They need to
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do vital checks; they need to have her follow her schedule of when she’s eating, what she’s eating; they need to do their psych exams, all the agenda of a hospital. And when I come there, I get to offer something totally different, which is the chance to engage in something that’s healthy for her. To express herself through words, through telling a story, through writing a poem. Really what the Creative Arts Program does at the Children’s Hospital is to cater to what’s healthy in the kids, which is just their desire to be a kid. To bring out their personality and to give them the tools to do that, whether it’s a paintbrush or a pen.
We started with a free-write, and I kind of invited her to follow it and not worry about where it wound up. She started writing about flowers. She started writing about Christmas flowers. She was trying to remember the name of these red flowers that her family puts in the window at Christmas. We had to Google those—and they’re poinsettias—and from there we followed the creative process. That’s what was most interesting to her in her writing. And she started writing about memories of Christmas with her family, and pushing her to put down the details I said, “We’re really just trying to get a piece of you onto the page, for you to recognize yourself in the words.” She did that, and at the end she asked, “What do I do next?” And I said, “Well, what’s one wish that you have for yourself right now as you’re doing this writing?” And she said, “I wish for the next Christmas to be the same.” And that really kind of lingered in my ear because, here she is, at a point in her life when things are really out of balance and up in the air. So I went and I typed up what she had written and I brought it back to her and I asked her, “Did we get a piece of you on the page?” and she said yeah. I think that art, and creative writing, is a way of recognizing yourself and finding those surprising ways of expression, those surprising ways of finding yourself again. And reading is
often finding yourself in others, the feeling of not being alone. Illness breeds such solitude, especially in societies that are still learning how to talk about illness, how to treat illness, how to give healthcare in ways that don’t just deal with the diagnosis, but deal with the patient as a whole. This idea of holistic medicine is not anything new, it’s not anything revolutionary, this is as ancient as humankind itself and our interaction with each other. Why do we make art if not to capture a piece of our experience, to try to understand it better and to try to feel less alone? It took me a while to get there, but that’s what as I see as the symbiosis between art and illness. It’s another way of finding that expression and finding that connection with others. And that’s healing, because illness doesn’t ever go away entirely.
So, you think that art plays a role in the healing process? Do you think it has a role besides allowing someone who suffers with illness to capture themselves in a moment where they feel solitude? Yeah, it brings others into their process. If we write something, often the patients want to share [it] with their family members, want to share it with their medical staff. Whenever we can involve them in the process, if we’re playing a game, or if we’re changing the lyrics to a song, and we can ask one of the nurses for one of the words or get an idea from one of the doctors, or the patient has a roommate that they don’t talk to, but maybe this brings them together. The art that we do gives a focus that’s not the hospital’s focus. It gives the patients a chance to connect to their surroundings in another way. Also, I think writing, especially creative writing, is a lot of just asking good questions. A lot of being open to the unknown. You face that blank page and you don’t know where it’s going to go. You get your diagnosis of illness and you don’t know where that’s going to go. So I think there’s almost a meditative practice in sustaining and enduring that unknown. If you’re practicing facing it on the page, you’re better equipped to face it in the hospital. Now, if I’m in there with a seven-year-old, and we’re writing about dinosaurs, I’m not thinking in my head we’re facing the unknown together and we don’t know if the dinosaur is going to eat the human or just give him a ride on his back, but I think that’s part of it.
You’ve spoken about your training as a clown before, and
how that training taught you the importance of control for kids that struggle with illness. Can you talk about that training and the importance of control? I did a Clown Workshop in Caracas, Venezuela, led by Wendy Ramos of the Bolaroja Hospital Clowns of Peru, who had studied under Patch Adams, which may be a more familiar name. One of the first lessons that she had us do was roleplay as patients and roleplay as clowns coming to the door. She emphasized the importance of the doorway, and that it’s a portal that the patients typically don’t have control over. They don’t have control over who or what comes through that door, and so she stressed, “You will not enter this door until you’ve earned the patient’s trust, and you will not come to this door until your energy and heart is in the right place.” And we practiced just walking up to the door and making those first connections with someone, and that’s something I’ve carried forward into my practice as an Artist in Residence, and that was part of what germinated the idea of the Language of Illness course [at UMass Boston]. The observation of all the different agendas there are in a hospital with the way that doctors speak and the way that nurses speak and even patients and their families. I hear a lot of patients take care of their parents with “I’m fine” or “It’s okay, don’t worry about me right now.” There are a lot of energies of need, and how do you give authority back to the patients and their voice? How does creative writing create a different kind of space for that authority, for that authorship of self? When you write, you have total control over every decision that you make, which [can be] terrifying. [My job is to make the process playful and inviting, which is another skill we honed in the clown workshop in Venezuela.]
So, we’ve been talking about your job as an Artist in Residence at Boston Children’s Hospital. Can you talk a little bit about the basics of that job, what you, and your fellow Artists in Residence, do for the kids? We each have a satchel, or a cart with materials. We have two visual artists, we have a cartoonist, we have a videographer, and we have music therapists who carry their instruments, and myself doing creative writing. We get a list from the child-life specialist, their job is to “normalize” the patient’s experience at the
hospital, and I’m using air quotes because it’s certainly not normal. But their job is to bring toys, bring games, bring attention to the child’s healthy energies, help them coordinate their schedule, help them transition to what it’s like being in the hospital. And again, some of these floors are outpatient, the patients are only there for a short amount of time, sometimes one day, and I have a couple of those floors. But then some of them are longer term stays, and I have a couple of those floors. So, we get a list of patients from the child-life specialist with who might be interested in having us visit and who would be age appropriate to the activities. Then we go door to door and we invite the kids to do a project together, and if they are interested, great, and if they’re not, then that’s their authority, that they get to say, “Nope, this is one thing that I don’t want.” I have a bunch of journals that I’m able to give away, and if they don’t want to write at that moment, then I can leave that with them or leave some prompts with them to give them some ideas to get inspired. Each of the artists, our job is to go in there and make a creation with the patients, and maybe teach them a new skill or give them a new thought that they can play around with. It’s all designed to be fun. Some of the projects can be really quick, ten or fifteen minutes, do some free-writing and that’s all we really have time for. We get interrupted all the time, and certainly other hospital protocol takes priority, so we sort of grow up in the cracks of the routine.
Are there any experiences that you’ve had working as an Artist in Residence that really stand out to you? One of my favorite projects was with a patient who was getting dialysis treatment, and really loved the musical “Rent.” So, we re-wrote the song “Seasons of Love” to “Seasons of Dialysis,” and the original song is all about counting and how you measure a life, so we talked about how you measure your time being in the hospital. We had some fun with it, she incorporated a rap into it, we recorded it with the music therapist and made a short music video of it. We had a lot of fun with that project, and she got to express who she was through that project. But she also got to express a little bit about what it’s like to be hooked up to a machine three hours a day, three days a week. My favorite experiences are when I get a patient who doesn’t have a lot of experience with writing, or isn’t quite sure if they want to do the writing project but they’d like a visitor, or they’d like to do something different. I get to
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involve them in something new and something that’s a different kind of challenge than they’re used to. And sometimes they write something that surprises them, because they see themselves recognized on the page or something from their experience expressed, or just never thought that they were going to complete a whole story in a fifteen-minute writing project.
Can you recognize the effects that exposure and access to art has on the kids? That’s a great question, and that’s a question that our program is actively interested in. Trying to measure and quantify the effects. We have done patient experience surveys, both with our patients and with their family members, to try and quantify that. One of the ways that we do it is we talk about pain levels, did their assessment of their own pain level go down while they were participating in the art-making? Our program is housed in the hospital but our funding is not guaranteed for the long term. It’s in the hospital’s interest to endorse and fund opportunities that have this quantitative impact, so we use the surveys to try to measure anxiety levels, to try to measure feelings of connection to the hospital, confidence in the services that they’re provided, things like that. To me, the proof is in the pudding, it’s in the stories that the families tell us about their experiences, it’s much more in the moment.
So, there’s the physical aspect of illness, but there’s also the mental aspect. Do you see differences or similarities in the effects that art has on a patient’s mental health versus their physical health? That was something that you were interested in our [Language of Illness] class as well, right? How did that question yield for you in the class?
What I would usually recognize is that changes in mental health led to an impact on physical health, whether it was a psychosomatic effect or not. But a brightening of one’s outlook definitely seems to have an effect on a person’s physical well-being. I couldn’t agree more. Just in terms of any one of us and our abilities to express our true language. To find a cohesion for the various languages that we possess. If we are unable to do
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that, it has its toll. I’ve been thinking a lot about how we divide our attentions these days, and what our inputs and outputs are. Our mentor Askold Melnyczuk often quoted Ezra Pound saying, “Literature is news that stays news.” Rather than the social media news that’s here and gone in the blink of an eye, what endures, and do we have a voice in what endures? I’ve worked with patients on the psych unit as well, and this is an interesting time because there has been an increase in the industry of art therapy and in the organization of art therapists around the country. You can get a Master’s Degree at Lesley University in art therapy. There are professional trained art therapists who work on-staff in the psych unit. I’m not a trained art therapist and I don’t know the medical side of the arts, but every time I go into the rooms I see the therapeutic qualities of art. And even classes here at UMass Boston, whether it’s The Language of Illness or The Art of Storytelling, the community building that creative writing or that art making together provides is so rare. We always need more of that.
I wanted to ask about your experience and perspective as an educator. How do you see the effects on students when they’re exposed to the lack of language we have to discuss illness? Sometimes I think it’s a little far out there, especially in the beginning. I think that education is a lot of just drawing attention. I did a workshop in Steve Ackerman’s Baseball and Physics class last semester and we just looked at clichés. We get a lot of great clichés from baseball lingo that have filtered their way into our language, but we use those to take notice, or to pay attention to clichés in our own speech, and the recycled language that we fall back on day to day. One of the books that we read in The Language of Illness is “The Fault in Our Stars,” and for Hazel, the main character, this language used to talk about her illness just feels empty to her. Instead of expressing what she feels about being sick, the language covers it up. Aleksandar Hemon’s essay “The Aquarium” argues that these kinds of empty platitudes are what build a wall between the healthy and the sick. I think that even for students who maybe haven’t had the experience themselves with being sick in a way that felt significant, being able to draw their attentions to the ways in which our language can better serve us is important. My training is as a writer, and so it’s really bringing attention back to the words, and if we are really saying what we want to say. It’s incredible how empowering
it is to be able to say what you mean, and to communicate it in a way that someone else can hear. We keep seeing the value of that over and over again at this conflux of two eternities where we find ourselves.
That brings up the topic of the relationship between art and communication. We find ourselves in a time where communication is fairly lacking. We’re communicating relentlessly actually.
Substantive communication maybe? Yeah, and so how do you define that? Where do you draw that line? In The Art of Storytelling class, we talked about how a story creates a space where there’s not really an agenda. We’re not trying to convince you or persuade you of something, sell you anything. You tell a story because it’s a good story, and it takes you into an unknown space, and that’s something that everybody can enter. And that’s a human space, it’s a space filled with the five senses, filled with memory, filled with imagination, and that’s restorative, to find that reflected in someone else and to find your own journey shared with someone else, that’s empathic.
Do you view art as being a thing that creates a neutral zone for all people to interact in? I don’t think about it as neutral. When I write, I’m trying to figure something out. I start with something that I’ve noticed, or something that’s worrying me, or something that I want to know better. So the word “neutral” doesn’t strike me right, because there’s a drive there. Art acts as another space, or an outside space, from some of the other spaces that we occupy, in our job, or in our classroom, and things like that. It’s a place for questioning. And sometimes that’s a good class, if we’ve just created a space for questioning. Not to deliver the answers, but to find better questions.
Do you see that role of art, as being a medium through which to question, being played out in your job as an Artist in Residence? Yeah, because I never know what we’re going to make when I go in there. There’s a lot of diving right into the blank page. And then
when we don’t know what to write, we go and we look at what’s been written. So I always have some of my favorite poems or some poems that patients have really responded to in the past to be able to share. And that’s what I do when I get stuck or I’m searching for the next thing, or I feel overwhelmed and my attentions run out, I go back to reading the news that has stayed news. I try not to get too lost in the noise.
Do you see patients at the Children’s Hospital questioning through their art? Do you see them acting out questions that they have about their future in the art that they do?
I think about seeing this idea of seeing yourself reflected back on the page. It’s a struggle for our society to reflect our vast spectrums of individualities and identities back to those individualities. The author Junot Diaz gave a talk where he said, “You know how vampires can’t see themselves reflected in the mirror?” When he was growing up, a skinny Dominican-American kid in New Jersey, he never saw himself reflected back in the movies and the TV shows, in the popular culture. He said that’s what our society does, we make these monsters by not featuring them. It was so exciting to see “Moonlight” win the best picture award this year. In my own reading life, I constantly find myself turning to voices, trying to find voices, trying to learn from voices of people whose groups or identities have been marginalized, haven’t filled the bookstore shelves, haven’t filled the limelight. I think it’s a responsibility of all of us to highlight and share stories that expand our ways of thinking.
with the MFA program. So, we started Write on the DOT to bridge the two communities in order to facilitate that sharing. There are so many wonderful stories and voices already here, and from those kids at 826Boston. The creative writing workshops there and at Write on the DOT in Dorchester are platforms to amplify those voices, and to bring us all together. That is one small step toward healing some of that lack of reflection in society, people not feeling seen, not feeling heard.
Do you have anything else you’d like to say about art and illness or art’s role in society?
It’s tough. It started as a question for me and I’m still asking the questions, and asking a lot of questions, and trying to write about it myself. I’d like to write an essay about my experience at the hospital. I’ve been living it more in my own life. My father has been in and out of various surgeries over the last few years and I hear it from him. I hear him say, “When people hear about me or see me the first thing they do is ask ‘How’re you feeling?’ or ‘Are you getting better?’” It’s a face of concern that he’s met with and he feels that it’s taken over his identity in other people’s minds. I’ve tried to get him to sit down and write with me, and it’s hard. But for him it’s feeling of the illness taking over who he is and he feels he has so much more healthy energy to share. He and I have started doing StoryCorps recordings. He used to work in the music business a long time ago and we have a lot of records in the basement. So I’ll just pull out a bunch of records and hold A retired staff member at UMass Boston creates these notepad covers from fabric and delivers them to patients who are them up in front of them and being treated for cancer. These bring comfort and happiness to the patients, much in the same way Artists in Residence we’ll turn the recorder on and bring joy to the children at Boston Children’s Hospital. I just say, “Tell me your first thought,” or, “What do you Having worked with Walt Whitman’s idea of what it means to be remember when you look at this?” And he just underprivileged communities American was “I’m vast, I contain multitudes.” kind of riffs on the records, and in doing so, he in Dorchester and Roxbury, I moved to Dorchester in 2010 and I think that tells me things about his life growing up, about with Write on the DOT and writers aren’t alone in their writing, they’re his career, about people in his life that he knew, 826Boston respectively, how part of a community and, again, there’s a about the community where he was at the time do you view the relationship responsibility to engage with that community that record came out. And I think through that, between, not illness and art, but in a way that’s nutritive. I wanted our MFA we’re kind of finding his language of illness just wellness and art? program at UMass Boston to connect more with which is an expression of who he is outside of Dorchester, and Dorchester to connect more where he is right now and dealing with that. Yeah, all the time. I had one patient who after she finished her writing said, “I knew I had those thoughts, but it’s something else to see them written down.”
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DAY JOBS AND DAY DREAMS by Meiqi Li Illustrated by Sabrina Sainte
In the modern world, most of us realize the importance of being educated. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 68.4 percent of students enroll in college immediately following the completion of high school. In the fall of 2016, 20.5 million students were expected to attend American colleges and universities. Many college students choose their major during their sophomore year, but many choose even earlier. Picking one’s major can have serious impacts on a person’s life both in terms of their career and their personal life, which makes the choosing of a major an extremely important and anxiety inducing aspect of college life. But it’s important to look at the factors and influences that go into choosing one’s major. Do you listen to your friends? Your family? And what stake do they have in what you choose as your major? When picking a major, most students get plenty of suggestions¬ from their family and friends, most of which are focused on “choosing what you like.” But, many times, “choose what you like,” in parents’ opinions, is the same as “choose what I think you should like.” For some
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parents, they believe that they can make the best choice for their kids as they are older and have more experience. Nevertheless, if you ask your friends’ opinion about what to choose for your major, most of them will encourage you to follow your dream because that’s what you truly like. The reasons for them to suggest that you to follow your dream are not only because they are your friends who want you to have the ideal life you want, but also they are the same age as you and don’t have the same perspective on your career path as your parents. Your friends suggest you focus on your dream instead of the reality because they might not know the importance of living in reality. So the complexities of choosing one’s major are revealed. Does a young student entering college have the right to decide for themselves where their life will go? Can encouragement from friends or family help them succeed? Do parents know better because of their own life experiences? And how strong an influence do parents have on the decisions of their children in college? But here lies the real question: When
students have a different opinion about their major in college than their parents, who has the right to make the final decision? What’s more, do students have a clear mind about what they really love? If they do, how many of them dare to go against their parents? Some people are idealists and optimists who believe that you should overcome societal pressure to follow your dream. They may not understand, though, how hard it will be to face the challenges of overcoming the pressure of societal views on pursuing one’s dream. A stereotype is defined as “a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.” For example, society largely views the pursuit of a career in the arts as a foolish one, usually without providing any reasons other than stereotypes. This kind of negativity can deter someone from following their dream, as they too will feel uncertain as to their future. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie explains the danger of stereotypes in her TED talk “The Danger of a Single Story” using her personal experience. In her TED talk, Adichie
mentioned a boy named Fide in her childhood. Because of the single story she was told, Adichie believed that Fide’s family had nothing because they were poor. But actually, in Fide’s home, Adichie saw a beautifully patterned basket made of dyed raffia, which shocked of her. The same thing can be seen when someone pursues a career as an artist, as the “single story” of artists being failures permeates throughout our society and scares people. Moreover, this stigma against artists comes from another societal view, that making money automatically means success. And many times, I must say, this stereotype is true. Sometimes following your dream will result in a career that does not make a lot of money. Focusing on your dream without caring about the realities of life could be a bad decision because even when you’re pursuing your dream, you still live in reality and must respond to its needs. Even though your parents may try to shape your dream and career, what they truly want is for you to have a great future. In this situation, when faced with the choice between reality and your dream, some students would put their dream second, despite the pain of doing so. Nevertheless, choosing to focus on reality instead of your dream does not mean you must abandon your dream. If a person is smart and flexible, he or she will find a way of making money while achieving their dream. For example, in the book, “Real Artists Have Day Jobs,” author Sara Benincasa encourages people to follow their dream and become an artist in their spare time. Benincasa uses the term “artist,” though for our purposes, we can assume an artist is someone who followed their dream. Like I mentioned before, artists contend with stereotypes of being marked as “losers,” and can therefore act as a appropriate symbol for following one’s dream despite societal pressure not to. Benincasa says, “Real artists have day jobs, and night jobs, and afternoon jobs. Real artists make things other than art, and then they make time to make art because art is screaming to get out from inside them. Screaming or begging, or gently whispering.” This means people can balance their dream and day job. In Benincasa’s opinion, people choose a day job to make a living and achieve their dream in their spare time, which could be regarded as a win-win. Student K did not choose a major she likes. However, she does have a minor in writing, which she truly wanted. When she enrolled in college, her major was undecided. Later, she chose communication as her major and minored in writing because she loved writing. Her choice in major is reflective of her belief in Benincasa’s opinion, which says to achieve your
dream in your spare time. Even though Student K was not able to get the major that she truly enjoyed, she is still doing something she loves. Another student, Student M, seems to have totally abandoned her the very idea of having dreams. Student M, who majors in accounting, explained her opinion of the conflicts between reality and dreams, saying that reality is more important than her dream because people live in the real world. In one of her major courses, her professor once posed the question: “What are you going to do after you graduate?” In a college of management course, all of the answers were related to management and finance. However, Student M told her professor that she did not care about what she would do in the future; she cared about how much she would earn, that she would probably choose a boring, busy, but high income career. Student M also has no idea about what she truly wants. She chose to major in accounting because she was good at math, which makes accounting easy for her. The reason she chose reality instead of her dream was that she understood the importance of money and she knew she could still achieve her dream while working. Does she seem unhappy? Not at all; she has a high GPA, which makes both her mother and her happy. But, does she feel happy? Actually, I do not think so because she is still worrying about her plans for the future. What else does she do besides go to class? She has no idea. However, she can say that if she needs to make a choice between dreams and reality, she will focus on the reality because she knows that she loves money. Some people care more about whether their career is connected with their major, but some other people will focus more on their income. Nevertheless, if a person focuses completely on money when choosing their career, they will eventually feel the consequences of that. If a person does not do what they like, they will be suffering in different ways: they could be upset and anxious about the future and they will have little to no interest in what they do. Because on that limited interest, the person will have limited motivation to do the work. It is because of this that we must focus not only on money, but also on what we like to do. But sometimes, according to Young-ha Kim, when you start to pursue your dream, which may be plagued by stereotype, the people who care about you will start to work against you. In Kim’s TED talk “Be an artist, right now!” he says the people who are against others becoming artists can be looked at like a devil. He said, “It’s not the hundreds of reasons why one can’t be an artist, but rather, the one reason one must be that makes us artists. Why we cannot
be something,that is not important. Most artists become artists because of one reason. When we put the devil in our heart to sleep and start our own art, enemies appear on the outside. Mostly, they have the faces of our parents. Sometimes they look like our spouses, but they are not your parents or spouses. They are devils. Devils. They came to Earth briefly transformed to stop you from being artistic, from becoming artists.” Furthermore, Kim encourages people to follow their dreams and their hearts. If you are discouraged from your dream, you might start to doubt yourself. Self-doubt will undermine talent when you are young. When Kim was a child, as he mentioned in his TED talk, he only used the color black for his drawings, which his teacher criticized him for, calling him a “rascal.” Kim was laughed at by his classmates, and he mentioned that “none of [his] explanations or excuses were heard.” His teacher made him really upset and he started to doubt himself as an artist. Luckily, he overcame his doubt and became a professional writer. Sometimes, it is not only our own logic and rationalism that keeps us from pursuing our dreams for more secure ventures, but instead is the pressure placed on us by society. One of my professors, who has written at least ten novels and is teaching a writing course, agrees with Kim. The professor told me that learning what I do not like would ruin my life. After discovering that my dream is to write novels, he mentioned that some artists teach, including him, in order to make a living. In other words, he points out that being a writer is a hard career. In real life, most artists find it hard to make money if they do not teach, even though some get lucky and become rich, like J.K. Rowling, one of the richest women in the world. However, there are so many writers, and J.K. Rowling is only one. My professor faced the reality that it’s hard to make money as an artist, so he adapted to that reality by becoming a teacher. Since all of us are living in the real world, sometimes, we are forced to face reality. Dreams are difficult to achieve, but not impossible to achieve. The major that we choose might not be what we truly want to do, but in our spare time, we can do what we truly want, even though parents and society might be against you. If you enjoy playing an instrument, you can do it during the weekend. If you enjoy painting, you can do it during the break time between classes. You don’t have to become world renowned and professional to be an artist. You can face reality, you can have a job and make money and follow your dream at the same time, because “real artists have day jobs.”
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FRIENDSHIP: INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE U.S. by Mohammad Hassan Illustrated by Cullen Bryant
INTRODUCTION I am inspired by President Barack Obama’s eight-year presidency, although many Americans may disagree with me. That is not to say Obama’s administration fulfilled all its objectives, but the former administration was beloved by the nation. But whether we agree on its success, President Obama’s administration created a gap in global power dynamics; that is, American power is absent in some parts of the world. By the time Obama entered office, America’s reactionary military operations following the 9/11 attacks had significantly damaged the United States’ image abroad. Therefore, it made sense for president Obama to decrease the presence of the U.S. military abroad, which also allowed him to reinvigorate the domestic economy. As the Obama administration created a power gap in world affairs, the new administration is attempting to fill it. As a result of those attempts, many Americans have criticized President Donald Trump’s many executive orders, not necessarily because his decisions are the wrong ones to make, but because he is trying to fill that power gap in ways that do not satisfy the nation. But rather than denouncing Presidents Obama or Trump, I argue that the actions of both presidents, and the impact those actions have had on each other, have led to closer bonds between the American people, and people around the world. As these people stand together against actions that dissatisfy them, they create a new type of nationalism supported not by race, religion, language, or gender, but by friendship. CHALLENGES OF AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY Loch K. Johnson, a professor in the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia, wrote a notable book examining seven sins committed by U.S. foreign policy throughout history that have not only subverted the influence of American values abroad, but have also injured America’s domestic economy. The Seven Sins of American Foreign Policy, according to Johnson are: ignorance, executive branch dominance, executive emphasis on the military, unilateralism, isolationism, lack of empathy, and arrogance.1
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The first sin Johnson maintains is ignorance, which is not only found in ordinary people, but in the state as well. That is, the public’s lack of understanding of foreign nations’ cultures, languages, or religions has, indeed, led to the state’s tendency to make poor and harmful decisions. During the Iraq War in 2003, for example, a National Geographic Society International survey noted that only thirteen percent of American youth could recognize “Iraq, Iran, and Israel on a world map.” In fact, this public ignorance on foreign nations allows the executive branch to have such dominance over the government. The second sin, the executive branch dominance over the government, has also led to the third sin, the executive emphasis on the military. Due to ordinary citizens’ lack of “knowledge” about foreign nations, the president has been treated as a “superhero,” Johnson insists. This superhero perception, subsequently, leads to greater chances of the executive entering into wars and making “secret agreements” that on one hand, contradict American values, and on the other, injure the domestic economy. Accordingly, under G.W. Bush, the defense budget increased dramatically: “In the aftermath of the 2001 attacks against the U.S…President George W. Bush proposed a $379 billion defense budget in 2002, an increase of $48 billion over the previous year. By 2005, the Pentagon budget had reached $444 billion…” Not only did this vast defense budget injure the domestic economy, it also reflects America’s “go at it alone” attitude of the time. This attitude represents America’s attempt “to exist apart from other nations,” Johnson insists, and, consequently, leads to the third and fourth sins of American foreign policy, unilateralism and isolationism. While the Iraq War of 2003, for example, led to American isolationism and was preceded and maintained by American unilateralism, it also degraded the rule of “diplomacy and commerce.” Conversely, as Thomas Jefferson prescribed in his first inaugural address, “peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations…” Poor or misguided foreign policy decisions
provide “peace nor commerce,” but rather lead to the commission of the sixth and seventh sins— that foreign nations will see Americans as a people and a nation who lack empathy and have an arrogant government. That is not to say the U.S. has no credibility with other nations in the context of foreign policy, because it is the world superpower. However, the world looks down on the U.S. because of its unwillingness to give aid to poor countries due to the lack of economic returns America would see. Given that America has such immense global influence, it could, and should, provide poor and developing countries with helpful resources. This perception has allowed America’s enemies abroad to unify. President Donald Trump has made several executive orders and proposals that have recommitted these seven detrimental sins of U.S. foreign policy. Yet, unlike Bush’s era, I argue that today’s sins have not only negative outcomes, but positive ones for the nation as well—America’s friendships inside and outside the U.S., for example. FRIENDSHIP INSIDE THE U.S. Trump’s Travel Ban reflects executive dominance, isolationism, a lack of empathy and an arrogant foreign policy, if we follow Johnson. On the other hand, per Reuters, on January 29, “immigration lawyers, human rights groups and some U.S. senators have sharply criticized the order, which already faces legal challenges.” The executive order has, ironically, unified American communities with Muslims to confront the order. Although most citizens of the seven countries affected by the ban are facing temporarily negative outcomes, numerous Muslims who live in the U.S. are experiencing social benefits because of this ban. In any case, a poll by Reuters taken on January 30-31 stated: “Roughly one in two Americans backed the ban…Some thirty-one percent of people said the ban made them feel ‘more safe,’ while twenty-six percent said it made them feel ‘less safe.’ Another thirty-three percent said it would not make any difference and the rest said they don’t know.” This variety of percentages shows that a great deal of Americans had sided with the Muslim community in America. What is more, social
pressure has been exerted on the top levels of government, as a major number of people have confronted the order. That is why President Trump “fired top federal government lawyer Sally Yates after she…refused to defend new travel restrictions targeting seven Muslimmajority nations.”2 The ban, though, has been denied legally, as, according to Reuters on February 4, a “Seattle judge [granted a] nationwide temporary restraining order on [the] Trump immigration ban.” Americans have not only sided with Muslim communities in the U.S., but they have also developed closer relationships with Latinos after the Mexican wall proposal. Ioan Grillo writes in the New York Times on February 2 that President Trump’s administration “demanded $12 billion to $15 billion to pay for a border wall…that he will force Mexico to pay…[in] un-owed money through coercion.” America’s lack of empathy, its arrogance, and its trend toward isolationism have been confronted by President Enrique Peña Nieto, when he “had no choice but to cancel his meeting in Washington, money aside, it became a question of national humiliation.” It is notable today how almost all American minorities and majorities have sided with not only Mexicans, but all Latinos to confront the wall proposal. The seven sins of American foreign policy don’t always have negative consequences, because as we have observed, those sins—unlike during the G.W. Bush era—have unified Americans [via domestic friendship] and somewhat liberated them from their ethnic, language, religious, and gender barriers, constructing a new type of nationalism. FRIENDSHIP OUTSIDE THE U.S. Comparatively, while the nation has seen a great social unity because of the seven sins, Americans still have great difficulties in establishing friendships outside the U.S. Americans have a limited number of options, as a result of executive dominance over the government, to resolve America’s unilateralism and isolationism. America’s relationships with both Asia and Europe has been undermined by the U.S. withdrawal from Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations (TPP). In fact, America’s withdrawal will not only alter geopolitical order in Asia, but it will also
give a message to the EU and NATO that the U.S. is “protectionist.” Thereby damaging U.S.European relations, and consequently damaging relations between some of America’s closest allies. On January 23, the White House declared that the U.S. was to withdraw from the TPP, and the reason behind the order was, “[to protect] American workers, and to create fair and economically beneficial trade deals that serve their interests…to deal directly with individual countries on a one-on-one (or bilateral) basis in negotiating future trade deals.”3 The TPP is not only a critical global trade deal, but also a valuable political constraint to China’s geopolitical influences in Asia. Pankaj Ghemawat of the New York University Stern
School of Business, writes in the Harvard Business Review that China will be the “best winner” if the U.S. abandons the TPP. He argues that soon the U.S. “would be less and less [a part] of old alliances,” because the world map “might collapse into [an] economic one,” thus resulting positively for China in a geopolitical context. Moreover, the American geopolitical decline in Asia is reflective of an expected shrink of Western influence in all world affairs. Essentially, because of the “unilateralism” of the United States, the world order—as it had been set by the West after WWII—is arguable to be headed toward decay. Therefore, President Francois Hollande of France, “warned U.S. President Donald Trump against taking a protectionist approach, which he said would
have economic and political consequences.”4 In other words, the America’s unilateralism might lead to the unification of other nations— including enemies—against American interests and values. That is why, France’s Hollande also informed the southern European leaders in a meeting at Lisbon that, “the new U.S. government was encouraging ‘populism and even extremism’ and that Europe should stick together.” FRIENDSHIP INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE U.S. As many Americans, regardless of their ethnicity, race, language, or religion, have experienced relative cohesion with most minority groups in the U.S., a new chapter in American history is written. One in which the Trump administration led Americans toward a great social transition, when the white majority no longer represented so great an obstacle for America’s minority communities. What’s more, this transition has impacted the top levels of the government, as ordinary people disrupt the machinations of the top of the hierarchy. From the presidency of G.W. Bush all the way to the current administration, Americans have moved toward social transition and the strengthening of American “democracy” and friendship. I am not concerned about the negative consequences of the aforementioned seven sins, nor do I fear for minorities in the U.S. because “ordinary people” have already created a “disruptive power” that has successfully challenged the president himself.5 If American democracy was not functioning properly, the travel ban could not to be “reversed” legally.6 This form of social power is a “new strategy of power,” or repertoire, as Charles Tilly puts it, that would benefit “all” who belong to the low levels of America’s hierarchy. Accordingly, the public body of the U.S. has been strengthened by the nation’s social ties on one hand, and might one day gain a political voice that could reach out and resolve the foreign policy, on the other hand. In one way or another, Americans are creating their own type of nationalism. But if America’s diversity creates a new type of nationalism, will it reflect the end of the current Liberal order, as that nationalism has been such a great enemy of Western Liberalism?
Johnson, Loch K. Seven Sins of American Foreign Policy. New York: Pearson Longman, 2006. Print. Rampton, Roberta, and Julia Edwards Ainsley. “Fired: Trump dumps top lawyer who defied immigration order.” Reuters, 31 Jan. 2017. Web. Trump, Donald. “Presidential memorandum regarding withdrawal of the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations and agreement.” Whitehouse.Gov, 23 Jan. 2017. Web. 4 Rose. Michel, and Reuter’s editorials. “France’s Hollande warns trump against protectionism.” Reuters, 28 Jan. 2017. Web. 5 Piven, Frances Fox. “The Nature of Disruptive power.” Challenging Authority: How Ordinary People Change America. United States: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2006. Print. 19-35. 6 Barnes, Robert, et al. “State Dept. Reverses Visa Revocations, Allows Barred Travelers to Enter U.S.” Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2017. Web. 1 2 3
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COST OF CONSUMERISM by Laura Saucier Illustrated by Brianna Nguyen
All of my fondest memories begin or end with being outside. Whether it be fishing with my dad on a lake in New Hampshire on quiet misty mornings where the clouds are not quite brave enough to lay a kiss on the water, or sitting
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around a crackling campfire with my cousins eating sticky hot marshmallows. Although it may seem that I have an intimate connection to nature because of where or how I like to spend my time, you also have a connection whether
you think so or not. That doesn’t mean that you have to go camping all the time or hug a lot of trees, but it does mean that almost all of your daily mindless decisions have an impact on the environment. This may come as a surprise to
you, but you are currently in a relationship with the environment. In today’s society, we are aware of climate change and the negative effects of greenhouse gases on the environment. All of the environmental problems are explained by the common culprits, like burning fossil fuels in your car engines, or the plastic bags that supermarkets use to hold your groceries, or recycling the plastic bottles your orange juice comes packaged in, but what if there were other issues that are environmentally damaging that aren’t readily made known to the public? Two of the most undetected and damaging industries to the environment are the clothing industry and the livestock industry. This means that some of the most personal products that you buy, like what you wear and what you eat, cause an astounding amount of damage to our earth. Your daily decisions can have a tremendous impact. In the last 100 years, agriculture has changed tremendously. What used to be a local and sustainable practice has become a global and massproduced industry. People used to have an intimate relationship with the food that they were eating, whether it came from their backyard or local farm, but now, there is a disconnect between the food people eat and where it comes from. Instead of seeing all of the work and resources that go into raising livestock or growing food crops, people now see alluring packaging and competitive pricing in their supermarkets. But how could something as simple as farming cause damage to the environment? Although agriculture itself is not the culprit, due to its commercialization and industrialization, it has become one of the leading causes of climate change. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), agriculture accounts for nine percent of the global greenhouse gas production.1 That may not seem like a lot of gas emissions, but due to globalization and the spread of Western culture, now more people are consuming an American diet consisting of mostly animal products. Industrial livestock is increasing at a rate twice as fast as “traditional mixed farming systems and six times the rate of production based on grazing.” This means that the industrial livestock industry is becoming more popular than traditional farming or grazing, which means that there will be more
concentrated methane and nitrogen oxide pollution going into the atmosphere. It is more concentrated because of the mass production of animals and their products, which usually confines them to smaller spaces. Their waste products are also concentrated instead of being diluted by lots of grazing land. In addition, it implies that there will be a larger demand for animal feed, usually soy or corn, which need a lot of land to grow for such a large-scale production. In a lot of places around the world, deforestation is taking place due to the need for more land to convert into agricultural farmland to use for livestock raising “which may emit 2.4 billion metric tons of CO2 annually.”² That is the equivalent to carbon dioxide emissions from 506,960,569 passenger vehicles driven for one year each.3 This is a significant number that may be shocking to some people, but agriculture is a real cause of climate change, although it may not be discussed as one amongst the public.
disposable. If they don’t sell in thrift stores, they usually get sold by the pound to be down cycled into rags or textiles used by industries, which also doesn’t give the clothes a long lifespan. After a few uses, they will probably end up in the garbage. The fabrics and resources used to make fast fashion clothing also contribute to the health of the environment. Synthetic or man-made materials such as polyester are extremely toxic. They are made from petroleum and “require large amounts of crude oil and release emissions.”4 Not only is this detrimental to the environment, but it can also be extremely dangerous for the people who have to work in these textile mills as they can develop respiratory issues due to the emissions. Not only are man-made materials dangerous, but more natural textiles like cotton are just as hazardous. Although cotton doesn’t go through the rigorous chemicals that polyester is made with, it is still one of the “most water and pesticide dependent crops.”4 Pesticides are dangerous because they can kill untargeted living organisms in the area if sprayed into the air and could potentially contaminate the local groundwater. With the globalization of Western markets and cultures, it is important now more than ever to be a conscious and ethical consumer. When making your way through the aisles of the supermarket or mall, you should think about the effect your purchase is making. Is it supporting industries that are systematically taking advantage of underprivileged people and destroying the health of our one and only known livable planet? If the answer is yes, then please leave it at the store. It is our responsibility to take care of our planet, if not for our generation, then for all generations to come. Easy ways to make your relationship with the planet a healthy one are to cut back on the animal products you consume and try to purchase them locally instead of from industrialized agriculture, eat more fruits and vegetables (yes, they’re good for you!), try shopping at a secondhand clothing store, avoid the mall, recycle your old clothes, donate them instead of throwing them away, go for a walk to see the glorious planet we are trying to protect, plant a tree, or even hug one. You do have a relationship with the environment: make it a positive one.
Your daily decisions can
have a tremendous impact.
Fashion changes as quickly as people eat cheeseburgers. With every new trend and latest runway, there are previous trends that are now “old,” “unfashionable,” or “outdated.” All the stores that keep up with trends are constantly cycling through clothes that are no longer trendy or fashionable. What happens to all of those clothes that aren’t in style anymore? Although clothes can be donated or recycled, a large portion still ends up in landfills. It is estimated by the EPA that the average American “throw[s] away sixty-eight pounds of clothing and textiles per year.”4 Secondhand clothing stores resell a lot of donated goods, but even they can’t keep up with the constant disposal of unwanted clothing. In addition, a lot of affordable fast fashion brands like Forever 21, H&M, Target, or other mall brands don’t resell because they aren’t made to last for a long time; they are made to be
“Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 14 Feb. 2017. Web. Koneswaran, Gowri, and Danielle Nierenberg. “Global Farm Animal Production and Global Warming: Impacting and Mitigating Climate Change.” Environmental Health Perspectives 116.5 (2008): 578–582. PMC. Web. “Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 24 Jan. 2017. Web. 4 Claudio, Luz. “Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry.” Environmental Health Perspectives 115.9 (2007): A449–A454. Print. 1 2 3
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THE OTHER SIDE OF ALZHEIMER’S by Jade Chu Illustrated by Jess DoSouto
A feeble woman with a jumbled mind, my 4 foot 7 grandma suffers from stage six of Alzheimer’s disease. Memory loss caused by Alzheimer’s disease does not only affect the person with the disorder, but also the entire family. Aside from my grandmother, my family consists of my grandpa, my aunt, and myself. In our efforts to meet the increasing needs of my grandmother with successive memory impairment, we are often overburdened by numerous physical and emotional challenges. My grandfather, who is an intelligent and courteous eighty-six year old man, oftentimes gets frustrated when interacting with my grandma. My grandpa’s impatience and indignation toward my grandma are not because of how my grandma is, but rather because of the Alzheimer’s disease itself. After sixty years of marriage, my grandpa finds it difficult to deal with his wife’s illness. On the other hand, my aunt, who is a nurse, understands Alzheimer’s disease and feels a great sense of sympathy toward my grandma. When my aunt takes care of my grandma, she is calm and coolly unconcerned. I can close my eyes and vividly remember the details of a conversation between my aunt and my grandmother. It is about one o’clock in the afternoon, the sun is glaring outside the windows. In our kitchen, a warm and cozy space, the early afternoon sun falls, slanting through the blinds. My aunt and my grandma are sitting opposite each other at the wooden table. “Are we going grocery shopping?” asks my grandma. I can see the way my grandma eagerly asks for her permission to go grocery shopping— she leans forward on the kitchen table, her eyes flutter, her mouth still full of rice. On the other side, I notice my aunt’s relaxed face, her eyes thinking, the way she nonchalantly answers my
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grandma only to repeat the same answers the next minute. “Maybe. If you finish your meal,” replies my aunt.
“If I finish my meal you will let me come with you?” reaffirms my grandma. “Yes. But you need to finish it quickly.” “Are we going grocery shopping?” repeats my grandma. Living with my grandmother has been a blessing rather than a curse. My grandmother, although lacking some mental function and intellectual ability, enlivens the house, and has become the most respected and beloved member of my family. I first moved in with my grandmother when she was seventy-nine years old and I was
fourteen years old. Unlike many others who live with an Alzheimer’s diagnosed patient, I did not know my grandma before the disease took over her life. I do not have bittersweet memories with my grandma, and I do not feel hurt when she doesn’t remember my name. I came into my grandmother’s life when she was already declining in mental health—she already had problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. Sometimes I think lucky me, that I didn’t know my grandmother sooner. However, watching my already ill grandmother fall deeper into Alzheimer’s disease became extremely difficult to bear. To many others that are caregivers for Alzheimer’s diagnosed patients, I can only imagine that watching a healthy family member suddenly being withered by a brain disorder is nothing but forlorn. Because of that, my story will not overwhelm you with sadness. Instead, I will tell you my most cherished memories of my grandma. From walking around the backyard ten times a day and humming the same song all evening to re-organizing furniture and household items multiple times within a few hours, my grandma has a unique enthusiasm for life. My grandma and other Alzheimer’s diagnosed individuals at stage six typically lose the ability to perform daily activities such as dressing, eating, going to the bathroom, and showering. They are also easily agitated and like to wander.1 Patients at this stage, in fact, can’t remember close family members, but know they are familiar.2 These are definitely disadvantages of Alzheimer’s disease, and it seems that the vast majority of society fails to recognize the unique and interesting side of the illness. However, my grandma is living proof that such an irreversible and ugly disease can be quite beautiful.
Despite the chronic neurodegenerative disease that my grandma faces, she has a peerless zeal for life.3 Every day, regardless of the weather and time, I often find my grandma ambling around the backyard. One time at midnight, I found her standing outside in the harsh night air. There was no breathtaking view or unique wildlife to draw my grandma to her backyard adventure; perhaps it was the sound of the freezing snow and piercing cold air that excited her core. Conceivably, it might have been her own test of recklessness, standing outside proves that she was not afraid of nature. When I called out her name to tell her to come back inside the house, my grandma leisurely walked toward me. There was no guilt in her face; she merely smiled and said, “It’s cold.” My grandma won’t remember the stories I tell or the songs I play for her because Alzheimer’s disease worsens the ability to remember new information.4 For example, when I play her music, not only will she not remember the melody, but she will also get grumpy and overstimulated by noises. Furthermore, my grandma dislikes big family gatherings and finds them unnecessary. Indeed, being in large crowds or encircled by strangers, even within our own home, can be too hectic for people with Alzheimer’s disease.5 That is why my grandma likes to find herself in a quiet and still environment. It is interesting because despite the illness, lack of memories, and often peevish personality caused by Alzheimer’s disease, my grandma tends to create her own sense of tranquility in that bedlam. She does this by withdrawing herself from other people and humming a distinct melody all day. The melody is unfamiliar to our family members, but it is the same melody that my grandma has been humming for years. It is possible that it’s a song that she learned in her childhood. According to the National Institute on Aging, individuals with Alzheimer’s disease “may remember every detail of a childhood event but are unable to recall something that happened yesterday or an hour ago.” It is rather calming for my family to have a stressful day and come home to our cheerful grandma who is joyfully humming to an unknown song. Without her knowing, my grandma has an irresistible aroma—a sanguine and insouciant attitude, so contagious that everyone that surrounds her becomes illuminated. My grandma likes to move around a lot, perhaps too much and too often. Her favorite activity to do every day is reorganize household 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
items and furniture. Only my grandma thinks that she is reorganizing the house. More accurately, my grandma puts things in unusual places without knowing, which most people with Alzheimer’s do.6 For example, it is common in my house to see frying pans in the living room, jewelry in a sugar bowl, or overly spotted bananas in a bookshelf. Oftentimes, I find my old notebooks or high school essays being tucked neatly in her underwear drawer. Similarly, it is ordinary to see backyard chairs and tables being turned upside down, or living room pillows—all fifteen of them—being stacked in one neat pile. My grandmother’s activities seem bizarre to a lot of visitors who come to my house, but my family has luckily come to a point where we think that her behavior is absolutely normal. In fact, I think it’s quite fun—my house has so many mysterious things in obscure places that it almost replicates the Room of Hidden Things in Harry Potter. My living experience and relationship with my Alzheimer’s diagnosed grandmother has taught me the importance of patience and compassion. It took me a long time to readjust my lifestyle and mental wellness for I was stressed and overwhelmed by my grandmother’s actions. When I first moved in with my grandma, I did not understand her midnight backyard adventures. I found it whimsical when my grandma repetitively hummed a song, or when she sporadically placed items around the house. In short, I found her actions utterly senseless and almost crazy. I was so angry to find my essays go missing, my earrings disappear, or my study chair being flipped upside down. However, as time went on, I started to question my reactions and feelings toward my grandma. I realized that all of them didn’t make sense—I was angry at a disease that could not be cured. I began to accept my grandmother’s disease and faced the impossibility of improvement. For that reason, I stopped asking for my grandmother to change and started to make changes within myself. Albert Einstein observed that “the significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” In other words, my grandmother’s illness, indeed, was not a problem. It was only a problem because I saw it as one. I was distressed and annoyed because I allowed myself to feel like that. Thus, I transformed my perspective because it affected the very way I saw my grandma, as well as the way I treated her. When I altered the way I saw my grandma,
I began to incorporate different tactics so that my grandmother could continue to do what she pleased and I could live contently. I learned to keep my essays in a secured folder instead of having them laying around. I learned to enjoy the way my grandmother hums her melody instead of getting annoyed by it. I learned to laugh at the upside-down chairs, and I learned to view jewelry-finding as a fun, everyday to-do. More importantly, I learned to understand my grandmother and treat her with fortitude and patience, without complaint, anger, or the like. I started seeing the positive sides of Alzheimer’s Disease right after I altered my perceptions. However, it took time and practice to learn to be fully content with my grandmother’s disease. In fact, studies have shown that “Alzheimer’s family caregivers suffer from psychological and physical morbidity associated with the care of the Alzheimer’s patient.”7 These challenges were hard to deal with, but nonetheless, learning how to cope with Alzheimer’s disease has been one of the most valuable experiences of my life. On that account, I believe that with a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, and with the ability to suppress restlessness and annoyance, Alzheimer’s caregivers can live a happier life. My grandma’s disease is a towering sentiment—one that I try in earnest to express. Alzheimer’s has been a challenge for my family; it has affected different family members in different ways. I think I’m fortunate to not know my grandma before she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease because I believe it would have been too difficult for me to witness the disease transform her. The gravity of that sorrow would have bred gratuitous wonders. Why does my grandma have to have Alzheimer’s? Why is there no cure? Has my grandmother taught her children enough about what it means to be a Chu? Nonetheless, my life has become a procession of ordinary pleasures since living with my grandmother. I found myself appreciating life more viscerally. Every Alzheimer’s related behavior of my grandma has become beautiful and idiosyncratic. My beloved grandma, who is currently eighty-four years old, has a unique zeal for life, through the way she wanders the backyard, hums a song, or arranges household items. As Alzheimer’s disease seals her memories over time, my grandma continues to wither with grace.
“Alzheimer’s Disease.” Alzheimer’s Disease: Your Guide to Alzheimer’s Symptoms, Stages, Diagnosis, and Coping Tips. Web. “New Research Illuminates Memory Loss and Early Dementia.” National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Web. “What Is Neurodegenerative Diseases?” JPND. Web. Thies, William, and Laura Blieler. “2013 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures.” The Alzheimer’s Association, Web. Hamilton L, Fay S, Rockwood K. “Misplacing objects in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease: a descriptive analysis from the VISTA clinical trial”. JNNP. March 16, 2009. “Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease.” A WorkLife4You Guide. LifeCare. 2011. Gonzalez-Salvador M, Arango C, Lyketsos C, Barba A. “The stress and psychological morbidity of the Alzheimer patient caregiver”. Geriatric Psychiatry. Wiley Online Library. 8 September 1999.
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SMOKING THROUGH COGNITIVE DISSONANCE by Luana Padua Illustrated by Caitlin Towle
Let’s start with some baseline information. Smoking is the act of inhaling smoke produced by the burning of tobacco from a “nicotine delivery device.”1 Common side effects of
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smoking, usually prominent after long-term use, fall in the range of mild to extreme severity. Some of the less serious, although still unhealthy, side effects include the yellowing of teeth, nails, and
the whites of eyes, as well as tooth decay. Some of the side effects that fall on the more serious side of the spectrum include muscular degeneration, the risk of stroke, brain damage, and cancer.
These side effects are just some examples of the health implications that are caused by smoking; there are a variety of others in addition to those mentioned. The link between lung disease, or cancer, and smoking could have been suspected as early as the 1920s, as can be seen in Sinclair Lewis’ novel “Main Street,” in which a character refers to his risk of getting cancer if he didn’t quit cigarettes. According to Robert N. Proctor in “The History of the Discovery of the Cigarette–Lung Cancer Link: Evidentiary Traditions, Corporate Denial, Global Toll,” it was only in the 1940s and 1950s that cigarettes were officially identified as the source of the lung disease and cancer epidemic of the time. He also states that “as late as 1960, only one-third of U.S. doctors believed that the case against cigarettes had been established.” In 1964, the Surgeon General came out and introduced widespread advertisements. As per the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics, “only fifteen percent of U.S. adults smoke now.”2 Due to combining factors of anti-smoking advertisements and growing widespread societal and medical disapproval, smoking is at an all-time low in the U.S. However, there is still that fifteen percent who, despite it all, persist. They are the percentage that is truly intriguing to think about. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes cognitive dissonance as a “psychological conflict resulting from incongruous beliefs and attitudes held simultaneously.” Examples of cognitive dissonance can be found in everyday life at varying levels of intensity. For example, take someone who believes that the right thing to do the night before a test is to go to sleep early, but instead, they stay up late. Their belief is that they should sleep early, but their actions do not agree with their beliefs, causing an internal conflict. Other examples may be having the belief that stealing is wrong, but still taking a coworker’s lunch from the break room fridge. An even greater example is the action of smoking cigarettes, with the knowledge that it damages your health and that it can eventually become lethal. A study titled “Cognitive Dissonance in Tobacco Smokers” conducted by the University of Newcastle in 1991 stated that “smokers may experience cognitive dissonance as a result of using tobacco despite its well-publicized ill effects, and it may be that interventions targeting rationalizations for smoking will be useful in smoking cessation.” Another study, the “Effect of Smoking Characteristics on 1 2 3 4
Cognitive Dissonance in Current and Former Smokers” done by M.T. Halpern in 1994, stated that “heavier current smokers (those smoking greater than or equal to twenty cigarettes per day) were more likely to exhibit cognitive dissonance over smoking-related health beliefs than were lighter smokers.” There are more studies like these that can be found with a simple Google search that rephrase and restate the same general idea: that cognitive dissonance is strong among heavy smokers and that they tend to use rationalizations to ease the strain of internal conflict. To understand more about the relationship between smoking and cognitive dissonance, I talked to a good friend, who I’ll call Jane for this piece, about her experiences smoking. She started smoking two years ago as a casual smoker. As her stress levels increased, she began smoking more frequently and began relying on cigarettes for stress relief. I asked Jane what the pros and cons of smoking were, if the pros outweighed the cons, and if they didn’t, what motivated her to continue. In response, she said that the cons were more but that she continued due to her body’s addiction to nicotine and the fact that cigarettes were cheaper than marijuana. Jane shared with me her experience with antismoking advertisements and widespread societal disapproval saying, “I would be smoking and an ad would come on TV and my friends would all look at me and I’d be embarrassed, but there was nothing I could ever say cause it’s all true; it’s all bad for you, and I know that.” It may be hard at first for a non-smoker to understand how a person can continue smoking despite knowing how damaging it can be. However, cognitive dissonance and the factors that can perpetuate it are complex and perhaps not as simple as many of us may believe. There are biological and psychological factors that allow cognitive dissonance to be ignored or slightly diminished. These include mentalities such as “I can quit anytime I want” or “I’m the exception.” People may even alter their beliefs to avoid feeling conflicted about smoking with the use of defense mechanisms like denial or rationalization. The use of defense mechanisms is a tricky aspect when analyzing rationalizations and reasons why people continue to smoke, and this is because they can “operate at an unconscious level.”2 So, we must stop ourselves and think before passing judgment. We must understand how much of this is being consciously done and how much the smoker in question even realizes
what they are doing. Biologically, smoking is engineered to make you feel good and act as a de-stressor. “Nicotine acts on these receptors to facilitate neurotransmitter release (dopamine and others), producing pleasure and mood modulation.”3 Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is associated with happiness, and so the introduction of more dopamine into your system would result in lower stress.4 That alone doesn’t sound like an unhealthy coping mechanism until the health risks are examined. An addiction to smoking, alongside many psychological factors, is highly biological. The CDC states in “Nicotine Addiction: Past and Present” that “nicotine is the drug in tobacco that causes addiction,” and can create a nicotine dependence, which as the body builds a tolerance to it, the amount used typically increases. Psychologically, and biologically, to quit smoking is a challenge, withdrawal is tough, and there’s no longer that comfort blanket to destress and calm you. I like to think of cognitive dissonance as the little flashing engine light in the car, warning that something’s not quite right; it’s a useful and uncomfortable awareness tool. However, cognitive dissonance, just like that flashing engine light, can be ignored with the use of rationalizations even unconsciously. So how can cognitive dissonance be identified, accessed, and resolved? Like the common expression goes, “it’s true what they say”: admitting it is the first step. Self-examination can identify cognitive dissonance and the rationalizations that decrease the discomfort of it. Once those rationalizations have been identified, it will be easier to dissolve or alter them, even to grow in disbelief of them. It must be a conscious effort to acknowledge the rationalizations and tend to them. Overall, it’s an uncomfortable process; it’s a cycle of admitting the lies made to oneself. This includes a lot of convincing and persuasion, one way or another. I like to think of it in this way, and I hope others will too: the discomfort of withdrawal and overcoming the denial of cognitive dissonance are just temporary stops on the road to recovery, while the discomfort of cognitive dissonance and endless rationalizations is a permanent stop in smoking. The choice boils down to whether you can acknowledge your cognitive dissonance and make a change. Like Charles Darwin once said, “Tis not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
“Smoking.” The Free Dictionary. Farlex, Web. McLeod, Saul. “Saul McLeod.” Simply Psychology. 01 Jan. 1970. Web. Jiloha, R. C. “Biological Basis of Tobacco Addiction: Implications for Smoking-Cessation Treatment.” Indian Journal of Psychiatry 52.4 (2010): 301–307. PMC. Web. DFARHUD, Dariush, Maryam MALMIR, and Mohammad KHANAHMADI. “Happiness & Health: The Biological Factors- Systematic Review Article.” Iranian Journal of Public Health 43.11 (2014): 1468–1477. Print.
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TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL? by Santino Simms Illustrated by Natalia Mirabito
On the morning of March 1, 2011, if someone would have told me my five years in the United States Air Force were just about done, I would have laughed. According to my higher-ups—which included my supervisors, my commanders, my colonels, and my overall installation generals—I unfortunately only had a couple months to prepare for my inevitable discharge in the middle of 2011. I was determined to fight and defend my case for staying longer, but because of downsizing in my career field and bureaucratic adjustments, my time in the service would come to an abrupt halt. It was out of my control and everyone in my career field could not do a thing about it. I had to buckle down and come to the realization that my world was going to be flipped upside down, regardless of whatever plans I thought I had for myself in serving for the next fifteen or twenty years in the military. That was no longer an option. I relocated from New Mexico to Florida, not because I was called there and not because I was pursuing a career. I uprooted and packed everything I had (or at least what could fit in my Mazda 3 sedan) and began to start my new life as a civilian. I moved to Florida to fully commit myself to my then girlfriend, now wife, Jasmine. I promised myself I would always love her and continue to love her, despite my own demise. It was that leap of faith that led me into my own pursuit of happiness. Sometimes you have to take drastic measures to be with the people you love, and I knew my mind was made up and I was never going to look back. The first thing I needed to do was find a place to live and figure how long I could sustain myself financially before things would get tight; I didn’t
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think things would get tight so quickly. After six months living in my new apartment just outside of Orlando, Florida, I was forced to relocate. I was at risk for eviction because whatever little savings I had was depleted. I was unable to pay my bills. I was so worried that I began to have panic attacks. I have never felt a
sense of insecurity and fear like that. What was I to do? Where was I going to live? I had already rolled the dice and moved away from New Mexico. I thought I could take care of myself. How was I supposed to know that all my hard work of moving from New Mexico to Florida, driving thirty plus hours, would become a mere afterthought?
I had about $50 to my name and was this close to homelessness. I was going to be another veteran from rags to riches back down to rags quicker than anyone could say Yankee Doodle. According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, there were an estimated 49,933 homeless veterans on a single night in January 2014 in the United States, a ten percent decline since 2013 and a thirty-three percent decline since 2010.1 I thought I was going to be a part of a very daunting statistic. Desperation knocked on my door before my landlord would, and I started to panic. I had miniature anxiety attacks and at that point, I knew what the other side of an at-risk suicidal looked like. According to a report by ABC News in 2014, an average of twenty veterans commit suicide every day.2 I could see why suicide would be an easier route than facing homelessness or living life insufficiently overall. My insecurity began to manifest itself inside me; I was beginning to think irrationally. My parents could only do so much. There was no one that could help me. The same night I was packing what little things I had, I prayed. I mean, I literally got on my knees and prayed to God that I could get out of this situation. I called and texted and Facebooked anybody who I thought might be able to help me. Some did, but I knew I needed more than just a couple hundred dollars here and there—I needed a place to live. Miraculously, my now mother-in-law saved me and took me in. She shed some light on my very dark time. I was going to move once again, but this time, from Orlando to Bonita Springs, an intra-state three-hour trek worth taking. I got a job after a couple of months of living
with “Momma Dukes.” Things were looking up. Although I had some substantial debt from my previous relocation and back pay of late rent that I really had no clue how to even begin to chisel at, at the end of the day, I had a place to sleep and a roof over my head. My basic needs were met. I transferred some of the skills I learned in the military to real-world applications: team organization, the ability to communicate proficiently, and of course, a serious work ethic. But I knew, deep down, that education was my only key for any success, where ever I was. I tried to prove myself as much as possible, but a seasonal job in Florida was the only thing I could find. I had those educational benefits from my time in the military service that I was entitled to, but I also had a massive amount of debt, too. I knew my first priority was paying my debtors, but I was also working on my relationship with my now wife, Jasmine. She was just about done with college and encouraged me to register for a couple of classes at any junior college, to try my luck at something. I thanked her for giving me the benefit of the doubt, for encouraging me to become someone who could pursue an education, but somehow, I let my insecurity manifest itself once again, and I gave up before even trying. This happened a few times. I was completely lost, but Jasmine would be my compass, no matter what. She saw me and my potential when I couldn’t. Why couldn’t I see what she saw? At the time, I felt that doubting myself was easier than believing in myself— there’s no room for disappointment. I worked a few more odd jobs (mainly seasonal, usually from October to April) and started to build up a savings account. Every day that would go by was another reminder that I was not in school when I should have been. I squandered my self-worth and my education simultaneously because I lost faith in myself. I was a NASCAR driver with no pit crew, thinking I could go far with no help until I would cause a pileup—a pileup in my relationship and a pileup in own self-destruction. Jasmine graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2012 with her Bachelor’s in health science and a minor in management. No one was prouder than me, well, maybe except her dad. I was smiling from ear to ear, knowing she succeeded and that I was at least associated. I could find solace in knowing that I helped her, right? I hoped so. Watching her walk across the stage unfortunately just reminded me of all the stages I could only dream of standing on, let alone walk across. I was hopeless on my own carousel of unworthiness. 1 2 3
I could not help but think that after this day, Jasmine’s day, she would go on to do great things and seek better job opportunities, but I would still be frying chicken and cleaning bakeries. At that point in my life, despite how far I had come, that was all I was good for. Jasmine and I were always together, but I knew deep down she always wanted more for me. I wanted more for me too, but I needed to find some traction. I needed to catch a break. It would take a couple of years, but I was finally able to enroll at a community college with the veteran benefits I earned and begin my path to education. It was my turn to finally hop off that carousel and look forward to walking across a stage of my own for once. In the fall of 2014, I registered for four classes. I thought I could put my best foot forward, now that I was in school, but instead, I realized I was walking with two left feet. I could not, for the life of me, find the right mindset to be a student and acknowledge that I was actually taking classes now. That concept never clicked for some reason. I felt pressured and I was ill-prepared. Jasmine was proud of me for just having a class schedule, but it did not feel like a victory to me. It felt forced, it felt weird, and I was in school with prima donna teenagers who weren’t even able to meet me for a beer after school. Who knew being young could be a bad thing? I was getting rightfully reimbursed for my classes, books, and supplies, thanks to the GI Bill. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the GI Bill is a way to pay for higher education for veterans enrolled in college who have been honorably discharged from the military.3 I finally had access to the designated resources that were specifically available for student veterans like me, such as the Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill (most popular and what I used), Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill, and Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation. Vocational rehabilitation is specifically for veterans who served and were honorably discharged with a service-connected disability, which determines the percentage of how much disability you receive. What else could I have asked for? Everything was there for me on a silver platter. I found a theme in myself after my very first semester at college, especially after Jasmine asked about my grades: a lack of effort. I think I received two B’s, one C, and one F, and that F was in English, of all classes. What a bust! Was this what I really thought of myself? I was supposed to be the comeback kid; I was supposed to gain the educational traction I had been searching for in the past few years. Everyone around me
was counting on me. Who was I kidding—I was counting on myself. So, what happened? Your guess is as good as mine. I lost confidence in myself, thought maybe college just wasn’t for me. I had joined the military straight out of high school at the age of eighteen and had never really experienced a “college” environment. My approach to school in general was easygoing and free spirited. I think what made it so difficult for me to transition into a college student was an unwillingness to change my perspective on life. I thought I could coast by and everything would work itself out, but after weeks upon weeks of lackadaisically trying, the scholar inside me was still not ready to come out. I knew I had to keep my head up and try again next semester. I had to use this opportunity to dip my feet in the water, to keep crawling before I could walk. I had to gain a newfound confidence, and so I did. I approached the next semester with a new hope. Spring semester of 2015 at Florida Southwestern State College was not quite a repeat of my previous semester there, but I could sense that I still was not giving it my all. I enrolled in four classes again (one being a condensed course). I knew I could do better this time. I gave myself that second chance because I knew I needed to do great things for me and only me. It was paramount that I perform better than before. As the semester came to a close, we found out that Jasmine was accepted to Suffolk Law School in Boston. I knew our lives would have to change; relocating from the South to the Northeast was foreseeable and imperative. We picked up what we had and moved for her education specifically, but I knew I had to find motivation for mine. I had to find a school for me to continue my journey. I searched for community colleges near Boston and decided that Bunker Hill Community College would be my next endeavor. If someone would have told me six years ago that I would graduate from Bunker Hill Community College with my Associates of Arts in Education and continue my education at UMass Boston, I would have laughed. Who knew I would now be majoring in English with a minor in teaching? Why? Because I know I have a story to tell. I have the potential to teach others about what I endured and shed light on what I had to do for myself. I have a newfound respect for school and education overall. The key to my success was going back to school and learning new things about myself I never knew. This begs the question: am I too cool for school? Ask me next time you see me.
Fargo, J., Metraux, S., Byrne, T., Munley, E., Montgomery, A.E., Jones, H., Sheldon, G., Kane, V., & Culhane, D. Prevalence and Risk of Homelessness Among US Veterans. 2012. McLaughlin, Elizabeth. “VA Releases Results of Largest Analysis of Veteran Suicide Rates.” ABC News. ABC News Network, Web. “Education and Training.” Education and Training Home. Web.
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MENDING BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS by Kacy Granitsas Illustrated by Mohammed Uddin
There is a division between the church and the LGBTQ+ community. It has existed for a very long time in many different forms, and very likely will continue to exist, unless something can bridge the gap between the two communities. Communication is vital to ending all conflicts, and, as I argue, communication is the only way to heal the divide between the church and the LGBTQ+ community. To gain a better understanding of this division on an individual level, I conducted a survey, which contained a series of questions regarding the gap between the church and LGBTQ+ community. The survey was conducted among UMass Boston students, who tend to be more liberal. Granted, this liberal tendency may have skewed the results of the survey; however, all participants came from different religious and societal backgrounds, and I feel they provided a good baseline for my understanding and analysis of the divide between the church and the LGBTQ+ community. The following is one of the questions I asked:
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“Based on what you read in public media, what would you say you view the church as?” Three of the fourteen participants said they thought the church was close minded. For a few churches, I will not disagree that the present mindset may be sheepish, or even close minded. But the same can be said for any human being. For example, if Person A hates Person B, then Person A will look at all the faults in Person B, and that’s all they will ever see. In other words, Person A will fail to see any redeeming qualities in Person B because of their hatred for them. We would all like to deny that we do this, but most of us can’t, even if we don’t necessarily see it in ourselves. I think, many times, the same phenomenon can be seen in how the church is perceived. It is easy to find faults in a person who is not yourself. No one wants to inherently believe that they are a terrible human being, but it is easy for us to see other people as terrible, especially if those people hold a view different than our own. Pastor Nick Granitsas from the First Congregational Church of Revere often
says, “We see public enemy number one every day. We see it when we look in the mirror.” The point being that the one person that causes most of our problems is ourselves. And often times, when we recognize faults in ourselves, we refuse to accept them and simply point out the same flaws in other people. This protects us from accepting our own faults, but also causes divides amongst all people. Of course, from a religious standpoint this makes sense, since classic Christian Theology revolves around every individual person being terrible. There is the classic saying, “don’t point fingers at anyone since you have four other fingers pointing right back at you.” We must first create a place of harmony instead of pointing fingers; we must point the fingers at ourselves first before we put the blame elsewhere. As Christian doctrine points out, the ability to bring light to the darkness lies within the communication of accountability. The idea is that instead of simply pointing out flaws in others, we must discuss the root of these flaws in an open way, and facilitate
an understanding of these flaws. Both the church and the LGBTQ+ community view each other through the same lens, and that is one of fear, fear due to a lack of understanding. There needs to be a foundation of communication if the two groups are going to coexist with one another peacefully. The two groups need to be able to come together to discuss their problems with one another, while respectfully addressing their own issues. Of course it doesn’t help that, for both sides, there is a stigma of the other. Not every church is accepting, but there actually are churches that accept the LGBTQ+ community. However, it is easier to avoid conflict than it is to place yourself in the middle of it, so many who are not religious or LGBTQ+ avoid those communities all together to avoid the conflict associated with them. To avoid church confrontations, avoid churches, but I do not advise this. By avoiding the conflict all together, you are actually playing a role in the continuation of that conflict because communication is the key to ending it. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America of Denver, Colorado, is run by Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber, and is a perfect example of how the church can have a more accepting atmosphere. This church creates conversations in the community and opens their doors. Another such example would be the First Congregational Church of Revere, where a modest number of actively going members are gay, lesbian, or bisexual. This church is an example of one that does not point fingers at anyone, but opens dialogue. The latter church has a more conservative output, and there are differences between the Revere and Denver congregations. The ones in Denver are merely talking, and not necessarily doing anything regarding their doctrine; it has become more of a club. The one in Revere however, seeks to be a place of healing for all people, members of the LGBTQ+ community included. Unfortunately, not every Christian shares this view, and as a result, churches like these are few and far between. Even my own associate pastor, Timothy Bogertman said, “It does a good thing, it opens the door for conversation, but it limits the gospel.” Bogertman admits it’s a hard thing to talk about, because anything he says can be interpreted in a way he didn’t intend. While Bogertman likes the idea that the church
in Denver is making a safe haven for members of the LGBTQ+ community, his fear is that this practice may dilute the word of the Gospel. To avoid that, he believes that cooperation between the two parties should continue to be balanced so that no one’s personal beliefs are compromised. A substantial portion of the college students I interviewed want the church to do away with the old way of things and embrace the new secular way of thinking. As a Christian, I don’t believe that this is even necessarily possible with the church as a whole any time soon. Though some sects of Christianity and certain churches are willing to embrace the LGBTQ+ community, there are just too many sects of Christianity for change to happen systematically. Certain groups will never cede their beliefs, and so to ask the church to change as a whole may be impossible.
a lack of communication. She later received a letter from the pastor of Syracuse Reformed Presbyterian Church, Ken Smith, which asked these questions in response to her article: “How did you arrive at your interpretations? How do you know you are right? Do you believe in God?”¹ The two eventually got together to talk, and her motives initially were purely academic, as she mentioned in the article. Champagne-Butterfield arrived at the meeting prepared for the fire and brimstone attacks voiced by Biblical verse that she was so familiar with. However, when she met Ken Smith, all expectations were tossed out the window, as she received anything but fire and brimstone. She describes her experience, “He did not mock. He engaged.”¹ ChampagneButterfield experienced what it’s like to be with a Christian who authentically wanted to learn and teach, and discovered that not all Christians are inherently judgmental. With communication, friendship was possible, and consequently they reached a mutual understanding of what the other was thinking. After her encounter with Ken Smith, Champagne-Butterfield later adopted the Christian faith. “I did not want to lose everything that I loved. But the voice of God sang a sanguine love song in the rubble of my world. I weakly believed that if Jesus could conquer death, he could make right my world.”¹ But that is obviously not always going to be the case. So then, do we continue to allow the Church and LGBTQ+ community to be separate from one another? Or do we have the communities engage with one another? Due to the strife we see in the news, to continue down the path we are currently walking, it is only a matter of time before the unfinished bridge eventually collapses and becomes irreparable. Of course communication, rather substantive communication, is hard to find. So then, how do we get the two groups to come together, to talk about what they believe, and in doing so, mend the unfinished bridge which has been left unfinished for a very long time? Of course, there needs to be a time and a place in which both parties can cooperate. But first, we must start with the mere sharing and understanding of opposing ideas, which can only take place if someone reaches out.
There needs to be a foundation of communication if the two groups are going to coexist with one another peacefully.
1
So then, do we accept that the church and the LGBTQ+ community are at an impasse? That is simply not acceptable, given that such an impasse would prevent neighbors from speaking to neighbors, friends from speaking to friends, and family speaking to family. Communication makes everything more tolerable, and sometimes, even makes things markedly better. Rosaria ChampagneButterfield, a leftist former professor, talks about how much she hated the Christian community. She writes, “I began researching the religious right, and their politics of hatred against queers like me. To do this, I would need to read the one book that had, in my estimation, gotten so many people off track: the Bible. While on the lookout for some Bible scholar to aid me in my research, I launched my first attack on the unholy trinity of Jesus, Republican politics, and patriarchy.”¹ But where did Champagne-Butterfield get this preconceived notion of hate? It was from
Butterfield, Rosaria Champagne. “My Train Wreck Conversion.” ChristianityToday.com. Web.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF OPEN COMMUNICATION by Margaret Gillis Illustrated by Margaret Gillis
With this past election, it seems that our country is as divided as ever. In terms of the popular vote, Hillary won 48.2 percent of the vote and Trump won 46.1 percent, meaning there was only a 2.1 percent difference between them.1
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Hillary won the majority of the popular vote, but due to the Electoral College, Trump won the presidency. This polarizing election caused a rift between American citizens-millions even questioned the process of presidential election.
However, do not confuse this with an article that will deride the Electoral College, or even either candidate. This article is purely meant to introduce an important topic in political discourse: open communication.
What do I mean by this? Too often we divide ourselves into groups: Republican versus Democrat, millennial versus baby boomer, white versus black, cis versus transgender, among many other dichotomies. Then, we trick ourselves into thinking that we have more in common with the people within our groups than with those outside our groups. This is the ingroup/outgroup effect, also called the social identity theory, popularized by Polish psychologist Henri Tajfel.2 This type of thinking naturally flows into politics. In fact, most issues in politics are simply disagreements between two groups. Abortion, always an important topic in politics, is mostly a battle between those who agree with the prochoice ideology (usually those concerned with a woman’s autonomy) and those who agree with the pro-life ideology (usually religious groups concerned with a loss of life). Immigration, an already hot topic made even hotter with Trump’s presidency, is a struggle between those who believe in welcoming foreigners into our country with little to no vetting, and those who believe in extreme vetting for immigrants or even a ban keeping immigrants from entering America. Is it so bad to belong to a group and share ideals with this group? Certainly not. This is how we form societies, communities, parties, churches, and clubs. The issue is not with the groups themselves, but with group intercommunication. When we join groups, there is a natural temptation to isolate ourselves within our group. As Tajfel explained, we view those not in our group as outsiders, the “outgroup.”2 Alienating those whose opinions differ from ours is natural, but also dangerous. Limiting our input limits our ability to make informed decisions. In order to make more informed decisions, we must seek those out whose beliefs differ from ours. If you are Democrat, take the time to research opinion-based articles written by Republicans and vice versa. This may not be the most pleasing activity, but if nothing else, it gives an alternative perspective. My grandfather, the owner of a small garbage truck business, used to say, ”Understanding someone is the first step to working with them.” He meant that in order to work with someone efficiently, you must look at things from their perspective, and know where they are coming from. You do not necessarily have to be friendly with them, or even agree with their points of view, but in respecting them and their 1 2 3 4 5
experiences, you can better accomplish your shared goals. For example, you might have a friend on Facebook (let’s call him Joe) who regularly posts articles that lean toward nationalism and respect for policemen. You, yourself, might be fed up with police brutality and institutional racism in America, and might feel inclined to “unfriend” Joe so that you no longer have to see his posts. But, in cutting communication with Joe, you could be losing an important political perspective. Perhaps Joe’s brother is on the force, and it is for this reason that he feels so emotionally tied to this institution. Many Americans have brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, or other family members who are policemen, and therefore they might have the same opinion as Joe. By cutting Joe and his opinions from your life, you are cutting the opinions of millions of other Americans from your life, narrowing your political scope. And the more you ignore the opinions of those you disagree with, the less you will understand them and be able to work with them. Moreover, your political scope will begin to hold only opinions that are true to you. A danger of limiting your input to solely members of your group is that groupthink, a psychological phenomenon, might influence you. Groupthink occurs when a group of likeminded people are isolated from outside opinions, and they become more convinced of their shared opinion and begin to lose their ability to make clear, rational decisions regarding that opinion.3 A historical example of this is the “Bay of Pigs” fiasco, in which the Kennedy administration planned an attack against Cuba during the Cold War that turned out to be an avoidable disaster. This attack was not well considered due to groupthink. Kennedy’s advisors did not speak out against the attack, as they did not want to “rock the boat” and go against the attitude of the group. In fact, many military blunders, such as the Korean War and the escalation of the Vietnam War, are also attributed to groupthink.3 Another danger of limiting your political scope is that you might fall prey to confirmation bias. As described by Raymond S. Nickerson in his article “Confirmation Bias: A Ubiquitous Phenomenon in Many Guises,” confirmation bias “connotes the seeking or interpreting of evidence in ways that are partial to existing beliefs.”4 To better illustrate confirmation bias, here is an example. I have a friend who is very much a Democrat, who only follows liberal
media outlets, some of which are fairly radical. Unfortunately, many radical media outlets (either liberal or conservative) warp and misconstrue data to prove their points. Because my friend limits what she reads to mostly radical left-wing articles, she trusts the data from these articles, which, let’s say are sometimes very inaccurate and biased, and therefore makes a misinformed decision about the issue. If she then comes across a right-wing article with conflicting data (that might be more accurate than the data from the left-wing article), she will most likely choose to ignore it according to confirmation bias. Consequently, ignoring this accurate data will cause her to become even more convinced of her misinformed point of view, and less trusting of Republican reporters’ truthfulness. Media outlets reporting inaccurate data, or injecting bias into their reporting is another issue in today’s political climate. Politifact, an online fact checker for statements made by politicians and news outlets, claims that 38 percent of the statements made on air by “Fox, Fox News, [and] Fox Business personalities” were false.5 Politifact also found that eighteen percent of the statements made on air by CNN personalities and their guests are false. How do we know if we can trust the news? Furthermore, the truth can be hard to find when various social media outlets (like Twitter and Facebook) can spread falsities and fake reports to millions of people in the matter of hours. How are we supposed to make informed decisions about issues in our country if we are not informed? When searching for political truth in the media, it is important to look at as many articles regarding an issue as possible. If we search for Democratic and Republican views on issues, we have a better chance of finding out the truth by comparing the data from the two. Furthermore, if we broaden our political scopes, either by reading articles from parties and groups outside our own, or simply by talking politics with someone whose opinion differs from our own, we are less likely to fall prey to psychological phenomena like groupthink and confirmation bias. In this way, we can avoid being misinformed and making decisions that lead to foolish mistakes. Most important of all of these, broadening our political scopes can allow us to better understand our fellow Americans. And because understanding is the first step to cooperation, we will all be able to reach compromises more easily, solve prevalent issues, and work toward uniting this divided country.
Wasserman, David. “2016 National Popular Vote Tracker.” Google Docs. Cook Political Report, Web. Davey K., “Social Identity Theory (Tajfel, Turner),” in Learning Theories, December 15, 2015. Janis, Irving L. “Victims of groupthink: a psychological study of foreign-policy decisions and fiascoes.” (1972). Nickerson, Raymond S. “Confirmation bias: A ubiquitous phenomenon in many guises.” Review of general psychology 2.2 (1998): 175. “FOX’s File.” FOX’s File: | PunditFact. Tampa Bay Times, n.d. Web.
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FALLING IN LOVE WITH A SCREEN by Lucie Lass Illustrated by Lucie Lass
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The first time a boy ever told me he loved me was over Facebook Messenger. I was beyond thrilled and ran to my mother to tell her. The first thing to come out of her mouth was, “Why couldn’t he pick up the phone and call you?” This was the first time that I saw the ways in which love has evolved over time. Elements of the dating process such as expectations, definitions, and identification of different stages have changed over time.1 This notion explains why I was very happy to see the written words of “I love you” across my screen but my mother was less than thrilled. Looking across the generations of my own family, it is clear that dating practices have transformed. My grandfather courted my grandmother by showing up at her house every day until she said “yes” to a date with him. My mother gave her phone number to my father at a bar and waited for him to call her. My brother met his girlfriend at a gaming convention discussion forum. Even by examining my own family, one can see the generational differences and the influence that technology has on the creation of relationships. Looking at these three different examples, it seems that my grandmother’s generation went through a lot more effort. As a whole, we have a tendency as to romanticize the “good old days” when a guy or a girl would physically have to come see you. The idea that my brother met his girlfriend online really makes my grandfather uncomfortable. However, I’m pretty sure that if a guy showed up at my apartment everyday, like my grandfather did, I would call the cops and maybe file a restraining order. Beyond courting, the labeling of what the relationship is meant to be has changed. In my grandmother and mother’s generation, the term “going steady” is what they used to define that they were in an exclusive relationship. I think the aspect of defining a relationship is where past generations and my generation differs the most. According to Mark Knapp, “the labels we use to describe our relationships with others (lover, friend, pal, etc.) play a central role in the way these relationships develop.”2 The labels of past generations made where you stand with your counterpart very clear and
explicit. You were either, dating, going steady, or single. In my generation, the terms are very confusing and I do not understand what most of them mean. My favorite term my friends use is that they are going to “see where it goes.” I think what they mean is whether or not it will turn into a serious relationship. However, some of my friend have been trying to “see where it goes” for a very long time. I cannot help but wonder if people use this term to take away the pressure of creating a label. The vagueness of this term can cause individuals to question where they stand in their unlabeled relationship. This concept is like they are taking the label and throwing it to a place that either ends in a committed relationship or nothing at all. This then leads to the question: if your relationship lands in the “nothing” pile, then how do you justify your feelings of disappointment for a connection that had no real label?
with a text that says, “What does this mean?” The creation of these platforms gives us the opportunity to analyze our relationships much more than previous generations. I can log into my Facebook account at any time and show my friends what my first boyfriend looks like and attempt to justify that he used to be very dreamy. My mother claims this is an aspect of our current generation that she wishes she had access to. She used to play events over and over in her head to try and find at what point the relationship took a turn for the worst. However, she claims if she had Facebook, then she would have been able to see what her ex-partner was doing and move on from that relationship. She had the opportunity to burn a photo and it would disappear forever. In my generation, thanks to the creation of iCloud, I can never fully get rid of that picture, no matter how badly I want to. My mother can replay moments in her head and I can pull up my Facebook Messenger history and find the first time my ex-boyfriend said, “I love you.” There may be a lack of face-to-face interaction but this is replaced with a surplus of communication. Despite our tendency to criticize the behaviors of those who came before us or after, each generation has its own benefits and difficulties. Looking across generations, there are numerous differences between the practice of courting, the forming of a relationship, and the ending of one. With the evolution of technology, we have the possibility of falling in love with someone who we might have otherwise not even met. On the other hand, we lose certain nuances, like the look on someone’s face when you first tell them that you love them. The relationship terminology may be more vague in our generation, but we also have the ability to send our ex-partner’s calls to voicemail. Voltaire once wrote, “Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination.” This quote illuminates the notion that love, like nature, is a constantly evolving force. Each generation will create unique nuances and potential challenges. While relationship practices may change over time, the fundamental importance of connection in our lives will stay the same.
My mother can replay moments in her head and I can pull up
my Facebook Messenger history and find the first time my exboyfriend said, “I love you.” The dissolution of a relationship is another aspect where actions have changed over the course of generations. My grandmother and mother’s generation had to break up with people either in person or over the phone. They would have to hope that every time they picked up the phone, it was not their ex-partner crying on the other end. Now at the end of a relationship, we check our ex’s social media accounts repeatedly and post photos of us having fun to ensure that we are “so over it.” My mother claims that the biggest difference is that when you broke up, you rarely knew what the other person was doing. However, with social media we can monitor our ex-partner’s actions until we drive ourselves crazy. I have had friends send me screenshots of their ex’s posting a photo of their dog, following
A Three Generation Study of Relational Development.” The Evolution of Love. Web. Mark L. Knapp, Donald G. Ellis, and Barbara A. Williams, “Perceptions of communication behavior associated with relationship terms,” Communication Monographs 47, no. 4 (1980)
1 “ 2
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CORRECT THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM by Sarah Dupont Illustrated by Natalia Mirabito
The correctional system in America is a bit of an oxymoron. Let’s start with the phrase “correctional system.” In theory, this system teaches offenders that their actions were wrong and that their behavior needs correcting. Based on its purpose, one would think that
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the correctional system is there to rehabilitate criminals’ behavior so that they can then lead better lives once released from prison. That is not the case. In America, we prefer to punish, to sentence harshly, and to leave criminals by the wayside, never giving them a second chance at
life. This is where America is wrong. I’m not going to pretend that prisoners shouldn’t face some repercussions for their crimes, but I feel that we, as a society, have a responsibility to help individuals lead the best lives they can. I feel that it’s more important to
teach and assist people rather than locking them up and throwing away the key. People deserve to be given the tools to better themselves, to feel that they matter, but sadly, all anyone ever sees is the criminal record on paper. The public doesn’t try to understand the person behind the record because it’s easier to ignore the thought that they are more than a criminal—they are someone’s brother or sister, someone’s son or daughter, that they have a life and a family. The U.S. believed in rehabilitation prior to the 1970s, when the country shifted to a “get tough on crime” stance.1 This reputation of being tough on crime is praised because we’ve equated imprisonment with safety and reincarceration with a successful justice system. Personally, I believe that our high reincarceration rate reflects that we are doing something fundamentally wrong. Statistically, the United States imprisons 707 out of 100,000 people and has one of the highest reincarceration rates within five years of release (76.6 percent). These statistics don’t reflect a safer nation but rather a broken system where prisoners are often set up for failure by not being prepared for life on the outside. Prisoners aren’t given enough opportunities to successfully readjust to civilian life—some need assistance in finding jobs and homes, some need help improving or gaining the skills to control their anger, and some need education. By ignoring that the system is broken, we are perpetuating this culture that promotes criminals as less than human and that they don’t deserve help. Not only does the correctional system fail inmates during the transition process, but it also fails them within prison walls. About fifteen to twenty percent of prisoners suffer from mental illness.2 Unfortunately, these prisoners are not receiving the care they need. Last November, the Spotlight team at the Boston Globe released an in-depth profile on how inmates with mental illness are treated within the confines of prisons in Massachusetts. This report profiled the experiences of Nick Lynch, an inmate diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Lynch was never given proper access to anti-depressants and antianxiety medications or any of the mental
health treatment he needed. While in prison, the medical professionals only believed that he needed medication for his well-documented bipolar disorder after he attempted suicide. The Massachusetts correctional system did not prepare Lynch for his transition back into civilian life. He was riddled with anxiety— he feared people would be afraid of him, he was scared to see his extended family, he even walked out of his community college placement test because of the anxiety he felt trying to use a computer he didn’t understand. Worse, he was not given transitional guidance to continue his mental health treatment outside of prison and because of this he no longer received his necessary medications. The correctional system failed Lynch; he ended up back in prison 103 days after his release over a drug deal that went south. Lynch probably would not have been
of prison—there are no bars on the windows and the inmates have access to kitchens with all necessary supplies, including knives, because the country feels that temporarily losing your freedom is the real punishment.1. The American and Norwegian correctional systems also differ in the length of their prison sentences. In Norway, no one is sentenced longer than twenty-one years because the government wants criminals to be rehabilitated and to have a second chance.1 There is a caveat: an additional five years can be tacked on to any sentence if the courts feel that the inmate has not been rehabilitated.1 America could benefit from adopting some of Norway’s policies, at the least in respect to the preparation for the prisoner’s transition back into society. The correctional system in America is failing inmates and civilians alike. The lack of transitional preparation compounds the stigma against those who have committed crimes, have mental illness, and/or those who struggle with addiction. These are all commonalities amongst those released from prison, with the latter two usually intensified or brought on behind bars. There are too many inmates and not enough doctors to properly treat addiction and mental illness within prisons. This correlates with the fundamentally long sentences and lack of funding for medical—especially psychiatric—care for inmates. By hiding prisoners behind bars, we have detached them from the rest of society and subsequently have made it far too easy to forget that they have needs too. As a society, we have dehumanized criminals. It’s time for America to start treating inmates like people and to start tending to their needs. When inmates receive the necessary medical care and education, they are much more likely to lead successful lives upon release. This, in turn, creates a more successful, healthy, and safe society, which should be the end goal. Our correctional system is outdated; it is failing our prisoners and in doing so is failing our society. We need to remember that prisoners are people. We need to remember that rehabilitation and redemption are worthy causes. We are in desperate need of prison reform. It’s time to correct the U.S. correctional system.
It’s time for America to start treating inmates like people and to start tending to their needs.
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reincarcerated had he been given the medical treatment he needed. We allowed Lynch to become another statistic because, according to the Globe, thirty-seven percent of mentally ill inmates return to prison within three years. The culture of our correctional system is highly contrasted by those in Europe, where they focus more on rehabilitation. One prime example of a rehabilitation-focused correctional system is in Norway. There, they have a twenty percent reincarceration rate, which is practically a quarter of the rate in America, meaning that this country is successfully rehabilitating its inmates and preparing them for their transition back into society.1 Norway does this is by offering “vocational programs” to help inmates build the skills to find themselves jobs upon their release. Their prisons are set up to mimic life outside
Sterbenz, Christina. “Why Norway’s Prison System Is so Successful.” Business Insider. Business Insider, 11 Dec. 2014. Web. Benson, Etienne. “Rehabilitate or Punish?” American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association, July-Aug. 2003. Web.
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TRANSITIONS OF LOVE by Mackenzie Joyce Illustrated by Lucie Lass
To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow. –Maya Angelou, 1970 --My mom and I are nineteen years apart. To have a mother so close in age to me is like having the total package: a sympathetic friend and a tough disciplinarian. We have been described as twins, but we are mother and daughter first and foremost; an unstoppable force. As renowned psychologist Mary Briner stated, “The motherdaughter relationship is one of the most vital of all human relationships, resolving itself into the relationship each woman has not only to her mother, but also to her own feminine psyche.”1 The mother-daughter relationship is one of the toughest to navigate, yet the most rewarding. I remember growing up and seeing my mom’s law career flourishing. She would take me to work every now and then and I would play on the computer and walk up and down the aisles of the library, fascinated at the otherworldly workings of a law firm. I was proud. As a child, I was adorably shy, or so I’d like to remember. I was terrified of strangers and suspicious of monotonous conversation. You could find me clutching my mom’s leg, lips shut, observing the world. My mom would make sure I was okay, but always encouraged me to speak out and be sociable. She was my go-to. My mom and I had a great relationship when I was in elementary and middle school. In seventh grade, we moved to Milton from Dorchester. She stretched herself thin, making sacrifices to ensure I could have a quality education. In a desperate attempt to make friends, I tried to fit in any way possible, even if it meant being inauthentic. I got along with everyone, until I didn’t, and then I had to be exceptionally cool to make up for it. I had friends in various groups, but I was never fully embraced by any of them. It was awkward and tiresome. But my mom was always there. I was more established as high school rolled around. I had good friends, but I still struggled to be myself. I was hungry to be popular and desperate to please others. I put friends and strangers above everything else. My mom and I started to slowly drift apart as I acted out and deliberately defied her orders. I violated her trust again and again. As a daughter, I felt like
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a failure, but I believed my social status was essential in being happy. Our mother-daughter relationship took a turn for the worse during my high school years. I was hell-bent on being the cool kid, and for that, our relationship suffered. I felt all alone and failed to realize that my mom was the truest friend I could have. During my junior year of high school, my mom began dating Brian, my friend’s dad. I was mortified. I begged her to date someone— anyone—else. But what did she owe me after the four-year bender I just put her through? She dated him anyway. In school, I pretended like I didn’t know they were dating. I was so afraid I would lose friends and be judged for something that was out of my control. For this, I resented my mom. In citing J.C. Rheingold, psychologist Phyllis Magrab writes, “Even the most wholesome relationship between mother and daughter may turn to strife in a short time during this [adolescent] period; adolescence usually is a time of great estrangement between the two.”2 I crawled through high school. When my peers began applying to college, I tried to invoke excitement within myself, knowing my grades were severely underqualified. I applied to four colleges and received four rejection letters. It crushed me. Determined to pick myself up and figure out a plan B, I visited my guidance counselor to explore my options. He told me I would not get accepted to a four year school with the GPA I had. I was embarrassed and ashamed. I drove myself mad plotting out all the different ways I could go to university and be amongst my high school friends. I eventually came to terms with the fact that I wouldn’t. I had to save face. The looming future felt like a heavy package I couldn’t put down. I was so lost and felt invisible. As my friends began finalizing their four-year plans, I had to find a new place that would accept me. I felt like I was starting over with nothing to show for my crazy, wild, fun high school years. It was a harsh reality check. Looking back, this was probably what I needed. As Briner puts it, “Each one of us has to experiment, seeking our own path.”3 I stopped confiding in my mom well before my high school graduation date. I didn’t want to burden her with my fears about the future, so I kept to myself. I knew she was disappointed
and it devastated me. I resolved to prove I could do well in school. Above all else, I wanted to succeed this time. I was accepted to Massasoit Community College in 2012. I had no clue what I wanted to study; I didn’t even know what I was good at. I gravitated toward English and decided to pursue a Liberal Arts degree. I worked part-time and went to school full-time, fulfilling all of my general education requirements and making friends along the way. I wasn’t happy to be at Massasoit, but I was working toward a greater purpose. My mom and Brian were going strong. They grew close and I knew I was losing her. Seeking independence, I began distancing myself as she gravitated towards him. Magrab argues, “In adolescence, girls turn away from their mothers. It is a natural part of the separation process.”4 Despite having driven her away in high school, I needed and wanted my mom. And despite it being a natural process as Magrab claims, being distant from my mom felt unnatural. It just made sense to me to have her by my side. Briner so elegantly put my feelings into words: “The first psychological state in a woman’s life is identification with her mother.”5 My mom and Brian were married. I had to come to terms with my mom having a new best friend, someone I did not get along with. Between the stresses of work and school, I had no choice but to find peace with the situation. My mom and I drifted even further apart. Brian and my mom went everywhere together. I had to ask my mom to spend time with me, and even then, it was limited. I had lost my grocery shopping buddy. After a while, I had given up on spending time with her. We were never on the same page anymore. Fortunately, I had distractions. I did my best in school and maintained my position at work. I felt like things were looking up for me. I never lost the desire to make her proud. I spent two and a half years at Massasoit before applying to the University of Massachusetts at Boston. A few days before Christmas, I received my acceptance letter to UMass Boston for the spring of 2015. The acceptance letter remains the greatest gift I have received to date. I was so proud and I knew my mom was, too. I was determined to keep moving upward. I was enrolled in a Human Genetics class
while at Massasoit and earned my first A in a college course. When I applied to UMass Boston, I did so as a biology major, thinking I had found my calling. I liked biology but struggled every day to maintain a C average. Over time, I became miserable. I wanted to go back to my roots, to pursue what I had always had a knack for: writing. I struggled to accept this because I felt like I was letting everyone down. I wanted to prove to myself I could succeed in biology, but I wasn’t happy. I had to talk to my mom. I told my mom how I was feeling. I explained that I was, at first, inspired to explore biology but my passion was English. The fire went out and I had no wick left. She wholeheartedly supported my decision to switch my major back. It was refreshing. I later cried tears of happiness to myself. I am grateful, every day, for the opportunity to pursue an education at UMass Boston. But I am also grateful for my mom, who supports me u nc ond it i ona l ly as I navigate a sometimes terrifying world. Even when we are not close, I feel connected to her through unwavering love. In May of 2016, Brian was diagnosed with a heart condition. His doctors had him on a few pills to regulate and stabilize his condition. In an unbelievable series of events, my maternal uncle suffered a stroke in September. He was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for thirty days, and upon his discharge from the hospital, Brian went to the hospital for painful symptoms. It was in these thirty days, and the days that followed, that I witnessed my mom’s resilience. I was in awe at her ability to take whatever was being handed to her. My mom was on the road—all day, every day—caring for my uncle and Brian. She would go back and forth every day from Dracut to Boston, operating on less than ideal hours of sleep, functioning on insanity and hope. I was so
wrapped up in school and work that I would go hours or days without seeing her. From the beginning of October to the end of November, Brian remained in the hospital. Doctors and nurses struggled to find a balance of medication for Brian that would allow him to be stable and go home. My mom was by his side. At home alone one night, I got a text from my mom stating that Brian’s doctors had done all they could. They told him he had days to months. I was immediately dazed; I felt my
throat constrict and my palms sweat. What was happening? I cried for her. And for him. Brian came home the next day to be in hospice. Brian, being a Boston cop, had a jawdropping escort home. I hadn’t seen him in weeks, and immediately cried at the sight of him. After years of him and I disagreeing and hardly speaking, we looked at one another and our eyes said forgiveness.
Despite what I was feeling, I tried to remain strong for my mom. I was nearing the end of my fall semester and I grappled with deadlines and tying up loose ends for school and work. For the first few days at home, Brian was alert and functioning in spite of the news from his doctors. I gave him and his family the space to connect, to plan, and to grieve, but I remained present for my mom. About a week later, Brian passed away. I was comforted knowing he had gone on his own terms, in his home, surrounded by family. I tried to remind myself of these facts over the next few days, weeks, and months. I said my goodbye and made peace with Brian’s passing. For the sake of my mom, I compartmentalized my feelings because I wanted to be her rock. I was yet again reminded of her resilience throughout this time. In what felt like a haze, we finalized plans for Brian and carried out his services. My mom was inundated with love and support from friends, family, and strangers. I never left her side. Throughout Brian’s illness, my mom displayed a tenacity which should be feared. She is a resolute being with the ability to always pick herself up and move forward. In the days since Brian’s passing, her and I have come together and supported one another in unfathomable ways. We have become harmonious and even synchronized, reminding me of the old days. At its worst, our mother-daughter relationship was riddled with tension and lack of communication. We have come full circle in the understanding that life is too short. She has taught me that I can overcome anything through love. Now, our relationship is stronger than ever. Because of her, I know the sun will rise. In the graceful words of Mary Briner, I was no longer just a daughter. I had become a woman.6
Briner, Mary. “Mother and Daughter Relationships.” Mother/Father. Wilmette, Illinois: Chiron Publications (1990): 109. Magrab, Phyllis R. “Becoming Female: Perspectives on Development. Volume 2 of Women in Context.” Springer Science & Business Media (2013): 120. Briner, Mary. “Mother and Daughter Relationships.” Mother/Father. Wilmette, Illinois: Chiron Publications (1990): 110. 4 Magrab, Phyllis R. “Becoming Female: Perspectives on Development. Volume 2 of Women in Context.” Springer Science & Business Media (2013): 122. 5 Briner, Mary. “Mother and Daughter Relationships.” Mother/Father. Wilmette, Illinois: Chiron Publications (1990): 113. 6 Briner, Mary. “Mother and Daughter Relationships.” Mother/Father. Wilmette, Illinois: Chiron Publications (1990): 128. 1 2 3
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THE ROOTS
by Drew Oakley Photographed by Caleb Snyder DiCesare We often enjoy the beautiful parts of life, like our loved ones and nature. What allows connections with loved ones or blooms of flowers to grow? Seeds and roots. Roots grow deeper from the seeds of those we love as we learn more about them, just like a seed spreading its roots into the soil. With these deeper roots and connections, we grow attached while expanding our knowledge of what life is to us. This existence only goes as far as we can think. We only know what our senses allow and what our imagination is capable of thinking because our reality is unique to our own thoughts. In this world, the youth are the seeds. Their roots grow when they are taught about people, experiences, and life. John Lennon told us to imagine a certain type of world. Just for a moment, a world where everyone is just living for today. People do not fight over imaginary borders, there is nothing to kill or die for, and everyone lives in peace. Lennon asks if we can imagine a world without possessions, without a need for greed and hunger, where everyone lives in brotherhood as one. The world has many issues. It has only been about fifty years since we stopped segregating people based on skin color, based on a human adaptation to protect skin from strong sunlight. And only recently have we given both sexes almost equal rights. There has been war and slavery our whole existence. This is the environment that we feed. We feed militaries and fighting. We are a product of our environment. Our thoughts are too, which also shape our society. We should be taught from a young age that all lives are equal. But instead we start by learning that animals matter less than us. Then, that some animals’ lives matter; then that only some human lives matter and others don’t. Countries don’t trust their neighbors because no one knows each other. No one knows all the reasons why people love their husbands and wives and kids. No one from another part of the world knows anything about your way of living and all that’s good about you. No one is taught about other
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people. If we saw their love for their families, we would know that they love, too. They feel, too. Besides a flag, they aren’t different. If we learned to enjoy and love things about other people and cultures, we could all get along. Everyone wants to be happy and to live without fear, just like the rest of us. Love is needed, and love starts with actually caring about people and the world—a world where violence isn’t needed because 14 billion hands are working together. What are you going to do after reading this? Are you going to be momentarily affected but really do nothing? Or are you going to start trying to build up your community? Are you going to care enough
about the world that you live in for your friends and family? Do you care enough to at least do it for you? In America, we are cutting education, cutting environmental protection, and putting up walls, both literally and figuratively, between people. If we cut education that teaches the next generation about our mistakes and allows them to spread their roots into different aspects of life, will it help the environment for those seeds to grow? If we cut funding for food for our children in schools, will that help the seeds grow? If we give them a physical environment full of pollutants, chemicals, unhealthy food, and dirty water, will that help them grow? Will creating walls of ignorance and hate help them grow? What will become of those seeds, and what will they do to the environment they are in with these unhealthy minds and bodies?
We need to get to the roots of our society’s issues. The roots belong to the youth. Children need to be exposed to many cultures and taught from a young age how to get along. School should not be about memorizing facts and figures, but learning about ourselves. We need to practice mindfulness so that we understand who we are and why we feel the way we do. We need to practice empathy and learn how to handle social situations instead of completing assignments and being taught to work and not talk. From a young age, we should be taught all the bad that has happened in the world. The founding fathers were not perfect, but in fact slave owners who meant only certain groups of men are free and equal. We should be taught the truth. This way, we can learn that the world has been very bad at times and that we must treat each other well. We should be taught about all the other cultures and groups when we are young so that we are not afraid or judgmental of what we do not know or understand. Fear and ignorance lead to hate. We need to have a society where the next generation is taught how to get along and how to be a good person. Then maybe, we can save the world from our cycle of bad habits. We need to protect our seeds and their environments instead of cutting all funding to them. Ask any farmer whether he would have a good harvest if he cut all effort and funding to the seeds and environment of his garden. We must learn while we are young. Just like plants in a garden, you will grow. If you water the garden, it will grow. If you water certain spots more than others, those will blossom more. If you don’t weed the garden, the weeds will take over what was there first. The same goes for the mind. Plant thoughts that are happy or sad, nice or angry, loving or indifferent, and they will grow hope or fear. Whichever you water will grow and whichever you don’t will die. Try to grow a garden of positivity, love, and compassion.
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