Your Magazine Vol. 2 Issue 4: December 2012

december

Emily’s Favorite Instagram:

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LETTER from the EDITORS

hew. Another semester over... and not to brag or anything, but

we think it’s been our best so far. We’ve pushed our writers, copyeditors, and designers to go above and beyond to revamp our style and aesthetic. We’ve challenged our photographers, models, and stylists to push the envelope and create some of our most daring and complex editorial photoshoots.

YourMagTV not only launched, but put out some amazing

“Hang in there.”

Claudia’s Favorite Blog Post: Androgyny

Katie’s Favorite Your Mag TV Feature: Interview with Melanie Lynx

videos, from interviews with famous fashion designers, to local musicians, and a few random people on the Common here and there.

Fundraising was a huge focus behind-the-scenes this semester, but we definitely tried to find ways to make it more like fun-raising!

We had the privilege of highlighting some local Emerson talent at the YourStage Open Mic Night, giving you some one-on-one time with our skilled stylists at the Your Girl’s Night nail event, and spreading the love with our Turkey Grams Thanksgiving Drawing.

The reason we’re bragging?

Well, if it weren’t for the hard work of our incredible staff members, we wouldn’t be where we are today--resting in your hands as our first print issue of the 2012-13 school year. We have every department to thank for that.

Great job this semester, guys! You killed it.

Love Always, Kilian Webster and Emily Tannenbaum

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YOUR introduction

featured 8

Love... But Actually How to face the reality that your lover might not always meet Ryan Gosling or Megan Fox status.

18

Guys Take on Fashion Two guys embark on the difficult mission of putting together 3 different outfits for a girl.

24

YOUR Holiday Gift Guide Need a quick and creative gift for a loved one? Look no further.

40

Film: Zero Dark Thirty On the eve of the release of Kathryn Bigelow’s telling of the Bin Laden raid, Hunter examines the portrayals of the Middle East in Western Culture and Bigelow’s influence upon them.

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Editor-in-Chief Kilian Webster asst. editor emily Tannenbaum creative director Pete Ivanecky MANAGING EDITOR Olivia Jacobini BUSINESS DIRECTOR Elijah Clark-Ginsberg DESIGN EDITOR Katie Lohman PHOTO DIRECTOR Stephanie Fishbein HEAD STYLIST Emily Lacroix MARKETING MANAGER Reed Van Dyck YMtv DIRECTOR Lyndsay Cannon

romance Writers Daniel LeMar Ashley Juranich Kristine Ustas Jenny Hannigan Hannah Perrin Shannon Dwyer Mollie Coyne Shantal Erlich Sydney Lester Nathalie Nelles

Fashion Writers Elijah Clark-Ginsberg Haile Lidow Andrew Favorito Dinesh Mohnani Samantha Dupler Mika Nakano Ian Mofford Megan Kay Lola Bitton Victoria Hulbert Kelsey Drain Jennifer Ortakales Mollie Coyne Emily Lacroix

FASHION EDITOR Valeria Navarro FEATURES EDITOR Christina Jedra Asst. Features Editor Nancy Valev A&E Editor Nick Johnston

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Devan Norman Caitlyn Budnick Olivia Jacobini Morgan Metz Janella Angeles Megan Tripp Kelsey Perkins Alexia Kyriakopoulou

Photographers Alex Fierro-Clarke Brian Annis Mimi Vecchione Hope Kauffman David Galinato Meredith Cohen Kathleen Collins Brian Lynch Zeynep Abes Alicia Carroll Carolina Chau Lauren Foley Michael Thorpe Maddie Rain

STYLISTS

features Writers Beth Treffeisen Emily Labes Gina Brindisi Julia Higgins Anna Rose Pingeton Lindgren Matthew Mullen

MARKETING

ROMANCE EDITOR Claudia Mak

Copy editors

Maria Vivas Elise Mesa Jamie Iannace Melanie McFadyen Megan Nicholson Virginia Johnson Jacob Greene

EVENTS COORDINATOR Melanie McFadyen

Layout design Claudia Mak Jacqueline Thomas Bekah Skopil David Galinato Adam Reynoso Megan Tripp Teresa Garigen Madison Fishman Tanya Wlodarczyk

Bonnie Ong Audrey Geiger Tubao Nguyen Kristen Brice Megan Nicholson Andrew Favorito Yu Qu Dinesh Mohnani Rhianna Reinmuth Alexis Cervantes Nikki Frangella Shannon Dwyer Jennifer Ortakales

a&e Writers Miles Bowe Regina Mogilevskaya Jackson Birnbaum Caroline Cassard Hunter Harris Charles Nash Cedrine Sterit

Yourmag tv

Amanda Gomez Lindsay Gualtieri Ashley Juranich Hannah Perrin Terrena Scannell Chen Xu Virginia Johnson

YOUR introduction

romance 6 7 8 9 10

Chivalry is Not Dead Can’t Touch This Love... But Actually How to Keep Things Hot in the Winter Before the World Ends, Will I Find an OK Cupid?

fashion 12 17 18 20 22 24 25

EDITORIAL - “Death & the Maidens” Men’s Coats Guys Take on Fashion Business Profile DIY: Holiday Edition Sneakers EDITORIAL - “Once Upon A Time”

31 32 34 35 36 38

How to Snag a Spring Internship Feed People, Not Dumpsters YOUR Holiday Gift Guide The Apocalypse Making Spirits Bright: Mental Health at Emerson G(love)less: Love with a Punch

arts&entertainment 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47

Zero Dark Thirty The Hobbit The Fifth Element at the Coolidge The Art Forger An Elevated View Japandroids: The Redeem Team Twin Sister/School of Seven Bells The Playlist: Humpy Holidays

contents

features

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chivalry is NOT DEAD

Text // Sydney Lester and Jennifer Hannigan

Boy holding dooor for girl

Photography // Meredith Cohen Models // Mahesh Harwani and Camra Godwin Chivalry is not dead, contrary to popular belief. People who believe that chivalry is dead are too caught up in their own daily routine to notice that it happens all the time. There’s that friend who always carries your bags even when you tell them that they are too heavy, and that you live too far away to be easy for them to help you. That woman who lets you pass her in line at Shaw’s because she has a few more items in her cart than you. Most importantly, the one you care about the most is that one person of interest who never ceases to be your knight in shining armor, even if they just pick up your pen when it falls on the floor in class.

Anyone in your life can be chivalrous. But, spreading good chivalry-karma starts with you. Chivalry isn’t just about following the dating-world’s gender roles. It’s more about being considerate.

The best reason to perform a small act of kindness for someone is just because you feel like it. The motivation behind the chivalrous action is just as important as the action itself. The same goes for a girl who thinks it is cheesy to buy a guy gifts. It doesn’t have to be! Give gifts and do favors with the intent of spreading kindness and happiness. If that is your motivation, any misinterpretation is the fault of the recipient.

A simple kind act can blossom a relationship. Your “person of interest” may very well be someone you never thought much of, that is, until they started behaving like a modern day Charlemagne, making your life easier with their little acts of chivalry. This person has begun to walk around you wearing a glittering halo, and you can’t

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handle it. The crucial question presents itself at this point in the situation: what does that mean for you, to be the one who receives these acts of chivalry?

Does it mean that you hold the power in every encounter, or is there room for either of you to step in, depending on each separate situation?

The answer is that both of you can, and should, take initiative during different situations. It’s only being considerate.

If you are carrying something heavy, let your person of interest help you out.

Trust that there will be a chance in the near future to prove your inner knight.

Soon enough, your partner in chivalry will be in need of a service, and you will be ready to contribute your time and effort. The most important thing to remember is that there is no need to feel less powerful or more powerful based on chivalry. Make sure that every action you take towards another person comes from a place of kindness, not judgment based on gender. Relax, and know that chivalry goes both ways, and giving or receiving it makes you neither masculine nor feminine. The best part about courtesy and chivalry is that anyone can spread good karma.

Many people have a problem with letting others help them; they think that it makes them seem weak, but that idea only exists inside their mind. Being able to receive kind acts, and knowing when it is appropriate to return them is what makes you a well rounded and mature person. It doesn’t matter if you’re single or in a relationship. There is no limit to chivalry, and no limit on who practices it.

Both of them happy

Girl holding dooor for boy

YOUR romance

can’t touch This Text // Shannon Dwyer & Kristine Ustas

We all want what we can’t have: high end designer clothes, perfect looks, stellar grades, and the greatest accessory- the perfect man. Men who are off-limits are the Chanel of all romantic pursuits. While we might not look twice at the same bag without the label, the branding makes it exclusive and creates a desire to own it. The same goes for men, when they are available we easily shrug them off because they are available to everyone, but the off-limits man is exclusive and thus utterly desirable.

Let’s look at some of the different types of off-limit love interests.

People In Relationships It’s happened to all of us; that person who is perfect for you in every way except they already have someone else on their arm. Wanting someone who is in a relationship is extremely common for many reasons. When we see a taken man we see how well he treats his lover.. He’s holding doors open, kissing his girlfriend, and sending cute messages that make her smile during class. That’s what we want! The devil on our shoulder says ‘a little flirting won’t hurt,’ while the angel is telling us that if we were his girlfriend we would want everyone to back off. So what are the limits? As a rule of thumb, look as much as you want but don’t touch. At the end of the day, coming on to someone who’s taken can only lead to someone getting hurt. If he stays with his lady then you wind up exposed and alone. However, if he ditches the old and gets with the new, it reflects his personality and how he might end up treating you in the future.

Curious to see hear the opinions of taken men, we asked Chris, a sophomore in a long term relationship, who explained that because he’s in a serious relationship there is little temptation to cheat, but it’s flattering to know that people are still into him.

But of course everyone’s temptations vary, so it’s better to stay out of someone else's relationship drama and keep the taken men at an arms distance.

Your Friend’s Ex The question lingering in everyone's minds; is the friend’s ex off limits?

As expected, it’s a case-by-case situation. Oftentimes when we have strong enough feelings for a friend’s ex the rules can shift in your favor.

But this depends on how long the relationship was, how it ended, and more importantly what your friendship is like. If you are really good friends, most people would steer clear and put the ‘bros before hoes’/ ‘chicks before dicks’ code in place. On the other hand, some people, like sophomore Jennifer Ortakales, draw the line at hooking up with guys her friends have slept with. “If she just like made out with him I wouldn’t have an issue, but if she had sex with him I don’t think I would hook up with him. It would be too weird for me.”

Is it selfish to keep someone from your past off-limits to your friends, or is it wrong of your friend to even think about touching someone you’ve had any history with? Kayla Marie agrees that it all depends on the situation, “Like, if it was a drunken hook-up at a random party three years ago, then your friend shouldn’t even have to ask your permission. If it was a guy you casually dated for a couple weeks, your friend should at least give you a heads up so you don’t feel shocked when you run into them together or see pics of them making out at a party on Facebook.”

Nobody wants his or her relationships to be ‘awkward,’ regardless if it’s friendly or romantic. So when the line is blurred, the best way to go about this is by talking to your friend and getting the okay before making your move. It shows that you value your relationship and is more likely to work out in your favor. And if your friend says no, take it with grain of salt and find someone that you can start things off right with. Whatever you do, just don’t pull a Stephanie Pratt and hide your actions from your friends. You’ll just end up regretting it and maybe ruining your friendship.

Bosses, Teachers, etc.

We live in a world of temptation. When it comes to romance we often think that certain people are off-limits; professors, bosses, co-workers, etc. But is that stigma only creating more appeal and desire? Getting with an off-limits lady is not just “cool, its better, actually its top notch” says Will Mutchnick. What makes hooking up with an authority figure, like your boss, attractive? Student Amanda who is currently “seeing” her boss, explained her reasoning for hooking up. “People who are off-limits are usually older. Older people have more experience, which makes them more fun to hook up with,” says Amanda. “I mean, obviously I wouldn’t hook up with my boss if he was old and ugly, but if he’s hot I don’t see the issue.

He’s just another guy. People make a big deal about it, but if it’s consensual it’s fine.”

So why the stigma? When we polled our friends on dating a coworker, the overwhelming majority of the responses were simply, “Don’t.” It seems like everyone has a cautionary tale of a relationship in a workplace that went terribly, terribly wrong. Dating a coworker or boss can lead to unbearable awkwardness, a tarnished professional reputation, and even job-loss. The work grapevine is all-seeing and works at roughly light-speed.

Expect whispering behind your back, furtive glances and the assumption that you're getting preferential treatment. I think we can all agree that forbidden relationships, like the one between Ezra and Aria in Pretty Little Liars, are hot, but it’s important to weigh the pro’s and con’s before jumping into anything you may regret.

your OPINIONS

People In Relationships “You wouldn’t try on someone’s shirt when they’re wearing it, so why would you attempt to ‘try on’ someone’s significant other”Kinsey “Taken men are like the pandas in the zoo. So cute that you want to take one home, but you don’t because the police will arrest you” Lindsey

YOUR FRIEND’S EX “Why would you do that, wouldn’t you be picturing them the entire time… ew” Erin “I don’t think I would. There are way too many emotions to deal with and it’ll be awkward having your friend always see a guy she liked enough to be in a relationship with. It would be messed up.” Asta “If it works, it works. So who’s to judge? Just be respectful about it” Jason

BOSSES, TEACHERS, ETC “It’s kinda hot but I’d never do it. Its more of a fantasy” Alisha “It’s not even pedophilia, its just really cool” Zach “That’s so hot! I’ve always wanted to hook up on a desk!” Meredith “Trés kinky!” Emily

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LOVE ...but actually Text // Danny LeMar Photography // Kathleen Collins Models // Graham Finley, Beth Treffeisen, and Christine Clayton

vs

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I have often accredited Julia Roberts for ruining love for me. Whether she was a hooker with a heart of gold or a runaway bride, all she had to do was flash that toothy smile at any guy and he was hers. They shared witty banter, had passionate sex, and ultimately brought about the obligatory, orchestra-swelling, audience-awing, kneesweakening, film-concluding kiss. And for a movie, that’s great. But where in real life do we get the happily-ever-after that Julia Roberts has gotten so many times onscreen?

Movies are a great escape from reality.

It’s easy to shift perspective into a fictional character’s and live vicariously through his or her story. However, these tales are just that – fictional. Someone intent on having a cinematic love can spend his or her life being sleepless in Seattle, waiting for an officer and a gentleman or a princess bride, clueless to realistic possibilities. The danger in believing in romantic conventions of cinema is that movies, while portraying a familiar world, can ruin the great expectations of potential relationships.

The myth of movie love dates further back than Julia Roberts, however, to the age of innocence, when we enjoyed animated fairytales and the catchy musical numbers of Disney. In the end, the handsome prince slayed the villain and rode off into the sunset with his princess, living happily ever after.

“Everything is just too perfect in Disney,” sophomore Paul Almeida says.

“There’s always a happy ending and the guy always gets the girl. It’s great, but that’s not how real life works.”

“I do think that films set false expectations for romance,” says sophomore Erin Connolly. “Real life should be filled with things that make you happy. People think that they need a fairytale and one person to make them happy, but that’s just a fairytale.”

It was seductive to think that one person would come and save us from our ordinary lives and the story would end there. As one grows older, however, life becomes frustratingly more continuous and reality becomes harder to avoid. With maturity comes cynicism, as we undergo an awakening to the actuality of crazy, stupid love.

Sophomore Liz Gillis can tell the difference between reality and fiction, yet can still value what film romances represent: “It’s not real life, however I do believe that there’s a place for perpetuating idealistic romance to a certain extent.” When asked about her own love life, Gillis noted her personal evolution, remaining a romantic at heart: “I definitely believed in the magic of those movies when I was a little girl, but when I started dating, things changed. If it weren’t for those movies, though, I have to wonder if my integrity as a woman looking for a mutualistic relationship would have suffered.”

Sophomores Gabby Tyson and Megan Tripp see their relationship as anything but a romantic-dramedy. “It’s actually a lot more like a reality show and the prize at the end is getting through it all,” Tripp said. When asked about movies and their impact on romantic expectations, Tyson said, “In high school, it’s easy to wish love was like that, but I think that now, in college, I know that stuff doesn’t happen like that.”

“I think it’s perfectly okay to enjoy those movies and I don’t judge people who like them,” says sophomore Ben Storey, “but I do believe that those movies are responsible for creating an overly sanitized portrayal of romance. Someone might see a Julia Roberts movie and think, ‘That’s what love is,’ and then wait for that to happen.

That’s the problem.”

“I’m a realist,” sophomore Rebecca Contreras says. “Those kinds of things are all make-believe. I’m more concerned with what’s going to happen in real life.”

Like many others, Contreras doesn’t let media influence her rational expectations.

Being enchanted by fictionalized affairs to remember might cause a hopeful romantic to become a blue valentine.

So perhaps Julia Roberts did not ruin love, but instead created a false sense of what it should ideally be. Love can be a many-splendored thing, but its portrayal in films is something borrowed from an intensified, illusory universe. Real life romance is stranger than fiction and exciting than anything Hollywood could create, so make the script your own. Become the leading role in your own movie; it’s how you succeed in romance without really trying.

YOUR romance

HOW TO keep warm IN THE WINTER Text // Hannah Perrin & Shantal Elrich

Models // Darian Carpenter & Julia Libani

Photography // Brian Lynch

As the cold weather begins in Boston, many relationships seem to follow suit and also go cold. We have developed a list of the top ten ways to keep your relationship hot during the colder months. We want to give hope to all the men out there and let you guys know there are ways to keep the romance alive.

10 Cuddle up to watch a movie

There is nothing better to fight the cold wintery nights, than a cuddly movie marathon. So grab your lover, stock on the popcorn, and prepare your fluffiest blankets. You can set the tone for this holiday season with a selection of the best Christmas movies, from something cute and funny, like How The Grinch Stole Christmas, to the classics, like It’s a Wonder ful Life, or the always appealing Christmas love story, my personal favorite, Love Actually. And for the real romantics out there that are looking to keep the romance alive and hot, surprise your partner with a classic love story to melt his/her heart. I’m sure The Notebook or Shakespeare in Love will do the trick.

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Soak up the sights

With every holiday season comes decorations. Can’t you imagine holding that special person’s hand and walking down the streets of Beacon Hill admiring the decorations? From Christmas lights to blow up snowmen, the holiday season is always great for admiring houses and the tacky, irresistible decorations.

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Have a romantic night by a fire

What better to keep your relationship hot than adding some fire?

If you can, try going outside and making a romantic campsite. Make a bonfire and cuddle with some blankets for a while, make some hot chocolate with some marshmallows, and bring your iPod so you can listen to your favorite music under the stars. I know it is not always easy to make a bonfire, so be creative! Use candles, Christmas lights, or whatever comes to mind to make a memorable experience. If you can’t go into nature, make nature come to you. There’s no excuse not to, when it comes to being romantic!

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Stay warm...with body heat

Sure, the weather outside may be frightful. But inside, you can have all the fun you want. Even if your roommate is determined to keep the thermostat at exactly 65 degrees, the best way to keep warm is body heat. Don’t we all shed a tear at the end of Charlie St. Cloud when the dreamy Zac Efron saves the girl’s life with body heat? Try giving your special someone a massage, or better yet, have him or her give you one.

The more you touch, the warmer you get. Where it stops, only you can know.

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Cook dinner together

Ever heard of this famous saying that the way into a man’s heart is through his stomach? With that in mind, there is no way you can go wrong if you cook for your partner. So, pick a cold winter night and make it a bonding experience. Go to the grocery store together and head to the kitchen. No matter what the result is, you will enjoy every minute of it!

Remember that food is meant to bring people together and a full stomach makes to a happy heart.

PS: keep in mind that a lot of foods have aphrodisiac qualities. Take them into account when deciding on your special recipe. The most

common ones are chocolate, bananas, almonds, avocado, oysters, honey, and asparagus.

5 Go on a stroll

Even during the cold days of winter, Boston is a beautiful city.

Emerson is in prime location with the Boston Common right across the street. Go window shopping down Newbury and stop by Max Brenner for hot chocolate. It would be super romantic to take your partner on a walk through the Boston Common after the tree lighting festival or maybe even a carriage ride through the city. If they start to get cold, don’t give them your jacket, but rather snuggle up together to stay warm.

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Ice skating

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Game night!

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Fun in the snow

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Pretend you’re snowed in

Make the most of the cold winter weather with some romantic date ideas, reserved exclusively for this snowy season. You can always find the bright side of the cold, and face it for some one-on-one outdoor activities.

Ice-skating has always been a winter tradition for lovers, so don’t miss on the experience! No matter what your budget is, ice-skating is available all around Boston. The 3 closest locations to Emerson are the Common’s Frog Pond, the rink in Prudential Center, and the Faneuil Hall rink. Each is less than $10 per person and open until March.

Every relationship needs a little competition to keep things hot. If you don’t want to go outside, try having a game night inside. But, of course, we challenge you to raise the stakes. Try taking an innocent game, say Candy Land, and making it more grown up. Every color that you pass that is the same color as your piece, you have to take off an article of clothing. If you draw a double color card of your color you have to take off two articles of clothing. If you get a card that makes you go forward or backwards to the candy places, like Candy Cane Forest, you have to put all articles back on.

All couples could use a little excitement every now and then, so consider sledding or snowball fighting. Flagstaff Hill on Boston Common, near the baseball diamond, is a good place to bring your sled and your man or woman for some snowy action. To make it a little hotter, make a sexy bet, and have the loser pay up! And always keep the romance alive with some hot chocolate to warm up afterwards.

Who doesn’t like to play pretend? Even if there is no snow outside, pretend you are stuck inside with your significant other. This will force you to find things to do, even if it wasn’t one of our suggestions from above. You can live Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” and build a fort out of sheets. Play some strip poker or watch a movie. Whatever you do, you’ll be together having fun and keeping things hot and happening in your relationship. Maybe throw in some dress up too!

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Before the World Ends,

will i find an ok cupid?

Text // Ashley Juranich

The countdown to the end of the world has begun. According to the Mayan calendar, the world will end on December 21st of this year. That means that I only have twenty days left to find the love of my life. Though I don’t really know if the world is going to end or not, I want to make sure that I spend it with someone special and that they can protect me by fighting off the zombies.

I’ve been on this hunt for a while now and I haven’t had the best luck with guys. Having multiple “flings” throughout this past year that ended badly, I needed to have more choices in mates, especially since I was moving home for the summer. I started brainstorming different ways, until a friend started telling me about this online dating website she had just signed up for called, OkCupid.com.

This was exactly what I needed, except for the fact that it was definitely a sketchy idea to me. After much convincing by friends that used the website, I finally decided I had nothing to lose. I started to create my profile with the thought of creepy old balding men trying to find young lively girls that would be desperate enough to date them.

Within the first hour of my profile being live, I had a dozen or more messages waiting for my response. I never had that many guys interested in me, and at the same time I was interested in talking to all of them even if they weren’t my type. These guys weren’t just strangers I was talking to, but potential boyfriends that I could fall in love for and be with with when the world ends.

Some people ask me why I’ve decided to online date because they think it’s not normal to meet someone through a computer screen. But, in today’s world online dating is really common. For instance, young professionals don’t have all the time in the world to sex themselves up and head to the bars. That makes online dating a perfect fit for their lives. It’s easy to meet different people online and to get to know them before going on a date. It helps you filter out the weirdos you could potentially end up with and saves you potentially wasted time.

Another common reason people online date is when they’re new to an area. It’s not only the perfect opportunity to find someone to date, but to make friends as well. Some people would say that online dating is creepy or a desperate way of finding someone. However, it’s not desperate at all. Some are shy and have a hard time approaching someone they find attractive, but with online dating everyone is on the site for the same reason. Once you start talking to someone and eventually plan on meeting them and going on a date, make sure your smart about your choices. Even though you’ve been talking to them and you feel like you’ve known them for a while, you never know when someone is lying.

Think of safe public places to meet. Meet for dinner at a popular restaurant, go to a museum, and just plan a date where there will be a lot of people around. DO NOT go to their house or somewhere that is more private. Be safe and make smart decisions!

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There are a lot of horror stories that revolve around online dating and even though I’ve experienced some weird things on OkCupid, there have been good stories too. After a month of being on the site, I had talked to a few guys and had great conversations that led to nothing. Even though I was about to give up, I decided to not delete my profile in hopes that my prince charming would eventually message me. Thank god I did not delete my profile because a few days later I opened my inbox finding a cute short message from someone.

He definitely caught my attention and I proceeded to look at his profile to learn a little bit more about him. I found out that he is 6’2”, fit, has brown hair, brown eyes, and plays hockey. This was enough for me to know about him to message him back and start a conversation.

He ended up answering me a few hours later, putting a smile on my face once I read his reply. We went back and forth asking each other generic questions. I soon found myself on my computer all the time awaiting his response.

He was interesting and consistently asked me questions, proving he was pretty into me. After a week of endless messaging, he gave me his number and told me to text him. I was extremely happy, thinking of only the positives that could come out of this. We texted all the time talking about different things, which allowed us to get to know each other on a different level then before. He eventually added me on Facebook and we continued to talk everyday, until I was on my way to the airport to go to Europe.

Once I told him that we probably couldn’t talk until I got back from vacation he seemed completely bummed. I started to have my doubts, convincing myself that he would meet another girl within the time I was gone.

After a ten hour flight, landing in Venice, Italy I arrived at the hotel with my family. I turned on my phone and there was a message waiting for me from him. It was the cutest message ever, making sure that my flight was okay and to have a great time. After receiving that message I realized that I had a crush on him and it was a big possibility that he had one on me too.

Unbelievably enough it’s been exactly four months since we started talking. I eventually expressed my feelings to him in hopes that he would feel the same way. He responded back well, which was the response that I wanted to hear. I don’t know what’s going to happen between us, but I hope he’s the one I spend my last day with when the world ends. I would have never met him if I didn’t sign up for OkCupid so I am extremely thankful that I decided to online date.

OkCupid is the perfect site for college students to meet potential friends and boyfriends or girlfriends. Anyone can sign up for free, and I recommend at least trying it once. You never know who you will meet.

Online dating has given me the hope of finding someone by December 21st. The only thing I can say is I hope I have a boyfriend before the world ends.

YOUR romance

what about the other cupids?!

Emersonians share why they joined OK Cupid, their best and worst experiences with the site, and how it can be used as a tool for college students to branch out.

Text // Claudia Mak TJ Ohler

Username: tjlivelaughlove Downright Creepy: “Well, there was this guy who messaged me and said, “Bet you have a nice cock,” and I replied, “Yes, I do. Its nickname’s Jaws. I’ll let you ponder why.” But he didn’t get I was trying to tell him to twizzle his dick somewhere else. Oh stupid, guys.”

Taylor Kiss

Username: TayDawg24 Best Experience: “My best experience on the site was meeting my first real love, and my first serious boyfriend. I met him after having the site for a week and after less than a week of talking we both deleted our accounts since we had no use for them anymore. Had it not been for OKCupid, I would have never met the love of my life. I never had any negative experiences on the site thankfully.”

Peter Dolan

Username: goodnight_peter Helpful? “I think absolutely it can be helpful, particularly for people who have previously unexplored romantic interests. I feel like the world at large has tended to look down its nose at people who participate in Internet dating, and now that seems to be changing. And I can’t say for sure why that is, but I think it’s a situation of people becoming more comfortable with technology, while also becoming less comfortable with face-to-face interaction that isn’t mediated by technology. People will do what is most comfortable for them, and I think the non-committal air that OK Cupid has is definitely a comfort to people who haven’t previously been a part of the dating world. Or that may just be me.”

Malcom Korey Meyer

Username: korey_meyer Downright Creepy: “I have been signed up since September and have yet to really find someone. However, my best/ weirdest story of online dating is the response I received from one of my first matches. On her profile, under the question “what is the most private thing you’re willing to admit?” she said, “you’ll have to ask me.” So I did. The response was “When I was 13 I killed a stray dog, by stomping it.”

Ivanna Humpalot*

Username: hump_me_gently Downright Creepy: “I have gotten some interesting messages. People kept asking me to be in threesomes because my profile mentioned I’m bisexual, so once I put “PLEASE DO NOT MESSAGE ME ASKING TO BE IN A THREESOME”, I received a message not even a week later saying “I’m not looking for a threesome, just a hot girl to do my bf lol” and that’s when I officially quit the site for the first time. At the start of this year I put a different profile up for fun. I’ve checked it like twice, but I received some prime messages. One guy asked me if I needed help buying a house or a car, and one person whose username was “AgeIsJustANumber” (aged 54) wrote to me and told me even though he was old, he makes a good lover. Keep in mind, I have on my profile these exact words: “I HAVE A BOYFRIEND I AM NOT LOOKING FOR A BOYFRIEND/SUGAR DADDY/HOOK UP. PLEASE DO NOT MESSAGE ME ASKING FOR THREESOMES/HOOK UPS/ETC; I JUST WANT TO MAKE FRIENDS.” But apparently some people just don’t like reading! One person even told me if he were my boyfriend he’d slap the shit out of me.”

Brian Zanghi

Username: fcu007 Why? “I signed up for OK Cupid because for two reasons. The first is that I live in an area where the gay community is virtually nonexistent, so it is very difficult to meet any other gay men. The second reason I signed up is because I am the type of person people always assume is straight until I tell them otherwise, and so aside from being in a gay bar or club I know that no gay man is going to approach me.”

Messed Up: “I really haven’t had all that much experience with the site and now that I am back in Boston I have stopped using it. However, I did end up going on one date with someone I met on OK Cupid. We talked for a bit, exchanged numbers, texted for a few weeks, and eventually made plans to hang out. The date itself was pretty below average (we went out to lunch at a Friendly’s) and afterwards he said that he didn’t feel any chemistry between the two of us, which I couldn’t really disagree with. I did get one memorable quote out of the experience, though.

We were talking about where we go to school and I said that I go to Emerson, and he said something along the lines of “Emerson’s a breeding ground for gay people. I couldn’t stand it there. I hate most gay people.”

That was a decently sized red flag for me.”

Liza Anne*

Username: emersongirl33 Lesson: “I think that OK Cupid has opened my eyes as a college student trying to date. I expected dating to be easy which is part of the allure of OK Cupid. You just make a profile and then you’re contacted. I quickly became disillusioned with the sight though. It made me realize that I should try harder to pursue relationships with the people around me that I’ve talked to and am interested in. I’ve decided I’m not going to retreat to a passive dating site that seems questionable but instead focus on the guys here that I want to get to know more.”

Elizabeth Allen*

Username: immabananna Worst Experience? “As I approach the crowded stairs of the museum I saw a plaid clad guy sitting on the stairs alone. I walked up with an inviting smile and asked, “Hey, are you Colin?” considering his whole face wasn’t shown in any of the pictures. He looked at me with a blank stare and then went back to texting. I stood there in shock. He finished his message, got up, and walked toward the entrance. I had the right guy but knew right away he was the wrong fit. His procrastination worked in my favor as our short encounter was filled with flat chatter about art and attempts at common interests-there were few. No job, no car, no education- basically every girls dream. Thank god the museum was free or I may have been stuck paying for both of us!

Anyway we left and I promptly declared I had a meeting, which he thought was insinuating I wanted an escort? Who knows? Our painfully long T ride revealed a wicken star carved into his forearm (YIKES!) and his love for death metal… Despite my need to take a shower to cleanse the awkward feeling he must have been digging it because I’ll get sporadic texts about hanging out, life, and one time an invitation to make out. Weird I didn’t take him up on that.”

Helpful? “OK Cupid is helpful for college students who in the words of The Situation “want to get it in,” but so are frat parties. Not sure which is less creepy.” *Name changed to protect anonymity

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photography BY Alicia Carroll

Katie Lohman {12}

Celine Allende Fatou Sylla Sydnie Lopolito

YOUR fashion

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Earrings by Celine Allende

Earrings by Celine Allende

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YOUR fashion

Studded jean jacket

by Victoria Hulbert

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YOUR fashion

men’s coats

Text // Kelsey Drain

Photography // Maddie Rain

When choosing winter coats there are many different factors to consider before stepping out to Boylston Street. One: Will I be warm enough? Two: Have I worn this too much? Three: Will I be fashionable enough? For guys there are many great options this winter that will fit all of the criteria.

A classic style of men’s outerwear is the varsity jacket. These are making their way back into the wardrobes of college students. If you didn’t keep your embroidered band jacket from high school, you’re lucky that H&M and Urban Outfitters sell these vintage-inspired pieces. A simple jacket will not protect you from the Boston cold and wind but they are great for layering. Pairing a varsity jacket with a flannel shirt or sweater always looks cool while keeping you warm. Be aware of the textures you are layering and make sure it doesn’t look too busy. Textures are a great

Be aware, these juxtaposed jackets are a bit trendy so try to stay in budget.

The best option if you’re only concerned with staying warm is a puffy ski/snowboard/sledding/marshmallow jacket. The same one that you had when you were nine except a few sizes bigger. It is very difficult to make these jackets fashionable, but it is possible (this is best achieved through a 90’s Fresh Prince of Bel Air ensemble.) Having one of these jackets in your wardrobe gives you a great option for those below-freezing days on the common. Unfortunately, there are not as many options for men’s jackets.

way to add spice to an outfit but they can be done very wrong.

Many local stores are also selling jackets that mix texture for you. The body is made of a neutral fabric, like denim or khaki, while the sleeves and other accents are constructed out of leather. These are best paired with a basic knit sweater or shirt. Jackets like this are generally a little heavier and can be worn on the colder days without much layering. Pairing this with a solid or textured scarf will keep you warm and chic.

This gives the opportunity to invest in a few basic, high-quality staples to wear through the New England winter.

The jacket itself should make a statement and compliment whatever it is paired with. Even jackets that are not too heavy can be worn in the colder months when layering is utilized. If you aren’t in the mood for a jacket, a puffy vest could keep you warm. Denim vests are also a great piece to layer while adding another texture to an outfit.

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guys take on fashion Text // Mollie Coyne & Jennifer Ortakales

F

Model // Christina Kirkman

ashion magazines are always asking women about their style, what they are shopping for, and which trends they like, but they forget all about one important opinion: that of the males. Half of the time women get dressed they consider how males will view their clothes, but do we really understand what guys are thinking? YourMag decided the only way to really understand the male perspective on women’s fashion is to ask a couple men themselves. So we took two Emerson guys to Forever 21 and challenged them to create three looks for a girl – a work outfit, a casual outfit, and a party outfit. They taught us a lot about clothes that us girls would never think of!

Henry Krause For Emerson freshman Henry Krause, the idea of shopping for a girl was intriguing, and he was more than ready to take on the challenge. Until, that is, he stepped into Forever 21 for the first time. Henry quickly learned that shopping in a girl’s world was certainly an acquired skill.

“I was excited going into this until I actually stepped into the store. It was unorganized and too busy,” says Henry, a political communications major. “I don’t understand how girls can do this. For guys, we just go to a store for a t-shirt and we leave with a t-shirt. We don’t just go shopping to go shopping.”

Though the entire experience was quite overwhelming for Henry, he found most of his stress came in picking out the casual outfit, an outfit that he previously thought would be the easiest.

“There were just so many options; it was hard to decide on just one combination. I was constantly second guessing my choices.” This was made obvious by the various tops, jackets, and pants that were thrown into his bag after just going through the first floor of the store Though after seeing his final decisions on our model, Sophomore Christina Kirkman, Henry was quite proud of the choices he made. He even impressed Christina, so much so that she ended up purchasing the top he chose for her casual outfit at the end of the shoot.

Henry’s favorite outfit was one that he had the least issues picking out.

“I loved how the professional outfit turned out. She looks sexy but professional.” says Henry. His choice of a simple white and black dress with a black blazer fit Christina perfectly, and she was pleased with his choice as well.

Overall, Henry’s outfit choices paralleled with his opinions of style.

Simplicity is best Henry believes, preferring when girls wear outfits that are more classic and subtle.

“I chose my three outfits because for the most part they were simple.

They were classy, elegant, but still stylish.” Henry said. “She looks good, but not like she is trying too hard.”

Now even though Henry wouldn’t say he finds enjoyment in shopping, he does have a few stores in which he wouldn’t mind having an endless amount of money for, including Cole Haan, Calvin Klein, and American Apparel. He describes his own style as relaxed and chill, but not “gross and hoboish”. And though he has never turned to magazines such as GQ for fashion advice before, he admits he may start having to.

At the end of the day, Henry left with much insight into the world of women’s fashion, though he can’t see himself stepping foot in a store like Forever 21 ever again.

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this experience,” concludes Henry, “it’s that I’ll never become a transvestite, just to avoid shopping in women’s stores.”

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Photography // Zeynep Abes

YOUR fashion

Andy Cahill

The Model’s Critique “At first I was a little bit nervous because I usually have a hard time finding clothes that fit me well, but I was so relieved to see how well the clothes ended up fitting! I think the boys did a fantastic job at picking out clothes that not everyone, especially girls, would pick up and pair together or even think to try on. They not only picked out great clothes but were also able to make inferences about what clothes would look best on my body type….

Sometimes as girls we seem to look ‘too put together’ or try too hard to make a look come off relaxed, but both casual outfits were something I would totally wear out and feel comfortable and a bit edgy.”

Andy Cahill, a junior film major, was a bit nervous when faced with shopping for a girl and the unexpected size of the store didn’t help. He never thought there would be so many clothes to choose from but he paced himself by taking the first ten minutes to scope out his options. Given under an hour to put together three complete outfits, he was satisfied with his selections, however he felt that his outfits could have been better with more time.

For his work/internship outfit, he was inspired by the basics of a professional men’s outfit with a feminine touch, picking a black blazer with a sequin collar. He paired it with a striped, pullover sweater he said was cute but not revealing, as well as a black skirt to add femininity. The skirt wasn’t as fitted on the model as he had hoped, but was the right concept he was going for.

Andy wanted his casual outfit to be versatile and comfortable. As soon as he saw a purple, motorcycle jacket, he knew he would use it as the cornerstone of the whole outfit. “It was risk in my head because it’s a purple leather jacket, you knowit’s not exactly something you see on the street every day,” he said. He chose a grey and black sweater and skinny jeans because they are two of his favorite things on girls. “I love when girls wear skinny jeans, especially when they’re just chillin’,” he said. Christina liked the jeans just as much and later bought the pair he picked out for her.

When searching for his last look, Andy asked himself, “Would I talk to a girl wearing this at a party?” He chose a strapless dress that wasn’t too short, he didn’t want the model to look like a Gypsy Bar goer, but still showed off the parts of a girl’s body that guys look at.

From what he has observed about fashion, Andy knew it was important to add accessories, scarves being one of his favorite on girls. He carefully picked jewelry and shoes for each outfit which were later not allowed in the dressing rooms to be photographed. “I had awesome accessories, but we weren’t able to take pictures of them. They would’ve brought the whole thing together, made it look a lot more high fashion,” he said.

Black heels were the only shoes the model managed to get into the fitting rooms and he thought they were the best option, but said a pair of flats he originally picked would have worked too. He isn’t picky about most women’s footwear styles, but heels are his favorite. “A heel is designed to do two things – elongate a girl’s legs and make their butt look really good.

However, I hate it when girls complain about wearing heels,” he said. He doesn’t expect girls to wear sneakers all the time but wants them to be comfortable, listing flats and boots with low heels as good alternatives.

When listing shoes he hates on girls, bulky “club foot” heels, masculine shoes, and combat boots were at the top. He strongly voiced his opinion on the latter saying, “Are you going to war? No? Alright, take your fucking boots off!”

He couldn’t think of any specific clothing trends that he is opposed to. “Of the girls I know who are very trendy, they look good all the time.

Nothing stands out as being ugly or anything like that,” he said.

When girls are dressing to go out, Andy likes to see originality. “I like it when a girl can rock something that’s not a dress,” he said. “You’re always going to see girls in dresses, but it’s the girl who still looks hot when she’s wearing jeans and a top that is more impressive.” To him, this means they are more versatile and stand out not “because they’re showing off their whole ass,” but because they’re attractive.

Andy has experience working in retail at various clothing stores and said there’s a huge difference from when girls go shopping to when guys shop.“Guys don’t shop. Guys buy stuff,” he said. Most guys only go shopping when they need something specifc, while girls go shopping just for fun.

So the next time any of you girls are out shopping and are looking for a second opinion, turn to your guy friends! Henry and Andy proved that no matter how clueless guys may seem about women’s fashion, they actually do know a thing or two about putting together a stylish outfit. Just don’t expect them to willingly go to Forever 21 with you any time soon.

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the AMERICAN DREAM After working for over a decade in the fashion industry for classic American brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Juliette Bench starts fresh with her own shoe line, Cape Cod Shoe Supply Co.

Q&A

Text // Megan Kay Photography // Alex Clarke

megan kay: how long have you worked in the fashion industry and who have your worked for?

Juliette Bench: I’ve worked in the fashion industry for about 15 years. My first job was a summer internship at Anne Klein during college- designing umbrellas of all things! Since then I’ve designed accessories and footwear for Kate Spade, Vivienne Tam, Rampage, Tommy Hilfiger and Sperry Top-Sider.

tell us a little about your company. what do you make?

My company, Cape Cod Shoe Supply Co, makes really soft, braided flip-flops based on the “sailor’s knot” bracelets. We’ve been in business for about 6 months, but the design is something I’ve been perfecting for the past two years.

what made you want to start designing shoes?

I’ve wanted to design shoes for as long as I can remember. When I was really little I would crouch down in church so I could see everyone’s shoes as they walked up the aisle. I went to Boston Latin School, and I was always sketching in my notebooks and filling up the margins with pictures of shoes. However, I didn’t really think of it as an actual profession until I attended Cornell for undergrad- they have a fashion program and I was able to take a few classes in illustration and design.

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YOUR fashion

Quick Questions Favorite Designer?

Right now Tomas Maier from Bottega Veneta

Favorite Pandora Station?

The Black Kids

Style Icon?

Almost anyone in a Slim Aarons photo! I wish I could wear a bikini with 15 necklaces and look chic.

Favorite Shoe Brand?

Bottega Veneta

Best Eats in Boston?

Hamersley’s or Island Creek

Favorite Store?

Mr. Flynn- great jewelry!

Favorite Vacation Destination?

Cape Cod of course!

Favorite Trend of the Moment?

Stacked bangles and stacked rings in different metals and textures.

Role Model?

My uncle- he’s been really successful but is still really down to earth.

what inspires you when you’re designing?

Many things! It really depends on what type of brand I am designing for. For example, at Kate Spade, I would love looking at vintage costume jewelry from the 50’s and 60’s for inspiration. My line is a departure in the sense that it’s really more relaxed and inspired by summer, vacation, and being on the beach and out on the water. It’s preppy, but more on the nautical side of things. The idea of prep, to me, is more about crafting a look based on experiences versus just having items. That’s what I love about the rope bracelet I reference in my designs. It immediately makes people think of childhood, the beach, and summer.

what is the process like for starting your own business?

My process was a little stop-and-start. I moved to Boston from New York to start the company, but life got busy! I was consulting for other companies, and the product wasn’t quite right in the beginning, so I had to delay my launch by a year. I’ve learned a lot and have had to push myself out of my comfort zone. For example, I’ve had to become more of a salesman. If I design the best flip-flops in the world, and there’s no one to sell them to, what good is that?

what advice would you give to those wanting to start their own business?

I think a lot of people think starting your own business is something to do when you’re young and hungry, right out of school. That’s worked really well for some people, but not for everyone. I learned so much from working for other, larger companies for over ten years. I learned the actual craft of design, and have had many mentors along the way. I think I would say go with your gut- there’s a fine line between being a little nervous and not feeling ready. If you’re not feeling ready yet, don’t do it, because you won’t have the motivation- and you need to be self-motivated. If you are dying to get started, but are a little nervous, that’s different- then you have to go for it!

where do you see your line going in the future? any plans for expansion?

We’re going to concentrate on the flip-flop for the next year, to really see how the wider market reacts to the brand. The flip-flops are doing well locally but I’d like to get into a few more stores. I have so many ideas in the pipeline! Definitely bags and some small accessories will be coming soon.

To purchase shoes from Cape Cod Shoe Supply Co., go to capecodshoesupply.com

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HOW TO

diyourmag: make your own headband here’s what you need: About two yards stretchy fabric

Gilded headband – the gold hues around your face will brighten your eyes and give your cheeks a warm glow – all while keeping your head warm! It is winter, after all!

1. Pick a strip of fabric. It can be as thick or thin as necessary depending on the weight of the fabric. Make sure it is long enough to wrap around your head twice.

About a yard.

ALL THAT

glitters

Text // Emy LaCroix Photography // Emy LaCroix

2. Bringing the fabric from around the back of your head, crisscross the ends in front of you, then switch hands and bring them around to the back of your head once again

3. Cut off the excess and sew the two free ends to the back of the headband. Your headband should have a knot in the front and a seam at the back. You’re all done!

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Gold is the go-to Holiday accent; for your gifts, your home, and you! Around the holidays you see gold everywhere from the bows on your bushes to your menorah and to the star on top of your tree. Gold is actually more than just a good way to add some sparkle to your outfit; it has meaning to many cultures at this time of year.

One example is gelt at Hanukkah. Now played with gold foil wrapped chocolate, it began with real gold coins. Children would pay dreidel, and win gelt which would be put in a box and given to the poor so that they could afford to buy candles for their menorah. It also has meaning in the Christian faith, which believes that Jesus was presented with gold, frankincense and myrrh by three prophets upon his birth. They believed that the prophets were lead to Jesus by the North Star, which is often is depicted as a gold symbol atop Christmas trees.

But why let trees and windowsills have all the fun? The color gold looks good on everyone, adding a soft warm glow around the face, or a bit of sparkle to an ordinary outfit. One little accessory can take regular formalwear to holiday-party-ready. If you don’t have any gold in your closet, it’s easy to make some simple accessories in a pinch – no last minute shopping!

I’ll show you how.

The great thing about both of these projects is that by simply using different colors, you can make a clutch or headband for any time of the year! Better yet, you can take them from casual to chic. A black lace headband is perfect for a no-fuss look on the weekends, and a black clutch with silver beads is the perfect party accessory all year round. But don’t forget: The most wonderful time of the year deserves the most wonderful accessories, and gold is the perfect way to do it.

YOUR fashion

HOW TO

make your own clutch

here’s what you need: About one square foot of fabric, one zipper, jewelry glue and beads.

Beaded Clutch – you can buy a plain clutch and add the beads, but I’ll teach you to make your own in case you’re feeling crafty.

1

2

Cut a rectangle that’s a bit longer than your zipper. It can be any size. I like to use a fabric with some texture, and for Christmas I like white – it goes with anything!

With your right sides facing each other, sew your zipper on first at the open long side, then sew up the two ends and flip right side out – you now have a basic clutch! Feel free to add a small loop of fabric where the zipper closes to make it a wristlet, or across the entire top for a purse.

3

4

Now smear some jeweler’s glue on both ends and sprinkle gold seed beads on both ends, very close together at the farthest parts, and then more sparse towards the middle. This will give you a hombre effect. Don’t touch them with your fingers, they will stick and come off. Instead use an index card to press the beads into the fabric, and then let it dry for a few hours.

Dump off the excess beads then you’re ready to go!

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Sneakerheads: the new breed of fashionistas Text // Dinesh Mohnani Photography // David Galinato

In the midst of the fashion week street scene (sky high stilettos and monk strap dress shoes), a new breed of fashionistas was spotted: the sneakerheads. Those obsessed with both comfort and aesthetics.

For both men and women, sneakers are a staple. However, there seems to be a misconception that those who wear them outside the gym don’t care about style. If that’s true, how do you explain the latest athletic-inspired collections from high fashion designers? What about collaborations between McQueen and Puma or Missoni and Converse? Sneakers are becoming the new statement piece, and designers are coming on board. If you’re tired of the same old polished loafer or ballet flat, sneakers are a more fresh and youthful alternative.

Emerson sneakerhead Jayme Pounders gave us an inside look at his sneaker collection. He says, “with my style, I try to reflect that I care about how I look and what I’m wearing, and I’m not just throwing things on, but I’m also a laid back guy: I don’t think I could express that with a pair of wing-tip boots or Sperrys” Jayme’s favorite pair is the grey one from the Rollins collection for Clae because he “ can wear them with literally anything.”

Women, too, can pull off sneakers. At the Buzzer, a specialty sneaker store in Allston has a great collection of sneakers that women can wear. You can dress them up, or wear them down.

There is something alluring about the nonchalant persona of sneakers. It gives you elegance and swagger; polish and cool; maturity and youth.

“sneaker culture can be the cool thing to do.”

- jayme pounders

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In the collection: (from bottom, left to right) “Do The Right Things,” Joran 3 , “Chompers,” A Bathing Ape & KAWS collaborative, Russel Collection, Clae, “Monk & Mindy’s,” Nike Dunk Hi, Varsity Reds, Jordan 6, “Pure Moneys,” Jordan 4, Russel Collection, Clae, “Japan Taxis,” Nike SB Dunk Low , “Black Levi’s,” Nike SB Dunk Low, Rollins Collection, Clae, “Fukuko Camo,” A Bathing Ape, Rollins Collection, Clae, “UN11’s,” A Bathing Ape

In the collection: (from left to right) Dunk High Pro SB Unheaven’s, Dunk Low SB Ms Pacman, Air Force 1, 2007, Air Force 1 Premium, Air Force 1 Premium , Blazer 1 Premium

YOUR fashion

1

Once upon a time.

Images inspired by familiar fairy tales.

Quotes pulled from original translated text.

Sequined dress, All Saints.

Fur cape

by Alice and Olivia, Scoop.

Bridget Morowski as

Snow White photo by Hope Kauffman designed/edited by Pete Ivanecky

Are you afraid of poison?’ said the old woman; ‘look, I will cut the apple

in two pieces; you eat the red cheek, and I will eat the white.’”

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Patrick Lynch as

Pinocchio

photo by Brian Annis

Jacket and pants, All Saints.

Most unfortunately, in the lives of puppets there is always

a ‘but’ that spoils everything.”

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Shannon Dwyer as

Red Riding Hood

YOUR fashion photo by Stephanie Fishbein

Red sweater dress

by Derek Lam, Scoop.

Cape jacket, All Saints.

The wolf thought to himself, ‘What a tender young creature! what a nice plump

mouthful—she will be better to eat than the old woman.’”

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Sara Graybill as

Cinderella

photo by Brian Annis

Sequined dress

by Wren, Scoop.

She danced till it was evening, and then she wanted to go home.� {28}

Ellen Brown as

Sleeping Beauty

YOUR fashion photo by Hope Kauffman

Teal and black dress, All Saints

And, in the very moment when she felt the prick,

she fell down upon the bed that stood there, and lay in a deep sleep.�

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Alex Clark & Megan Kay as

Hansel and Gretel

photo by Brian Annis

No, wife,” said the man, “I will not do that, how can I bear to leave my children {30}

alone in the forest?—the wild animals would soon come and tear them to pieces.”

YOUR features

how to snag a SPRING INTERNSHIP Text // Emily Labes

What do you want to be when you grow up? As the frighteningly wonderful prospect of “the real world” looms closer, you’ve probably begun to start attaching new weight to the already loaded question. Answering that question can be tricky, but the Career Services office can help you get the internship you need to figure out what you want.

Career Services is a resource that’s accessible to students and alumni.

“We’re basically here to help with everything career-related along the way,” says Marissa Shallcross, an Assistant Director of Career Services, Internship Coordinator and Liaison to Communication Studies Department.

The office offers a variety of materials like career guides for each major and sample cover letters and resumes, as well as services like career counseling sessions, and mock interviews. Emerson students and alums also have access to eHire (and assistance in learning how to use it). eHire is an online job and internship database, where students can search for jobs and internships. The site has archives of sample cover letters,

choosing the right internship for you The most important thing to ask yourself when considering an internship is: What am I hoping to gain from this internship? According to Shallcross, the primary purpose of having an internship is to gain new skills and learn new information.

Once you know what you’re looking for, gather plenty of background information. Research postings on eHire, and learn about the company. If you get an interview, be sure to ask plenty of questions. “The questions that you ask during the interview are just as – if not more – important than the questions they ask,” says Shallcross, “The more you know going in, the better.”

crafting an excellent resume “Your resume shouldn’t be a list of everything you’ve ever done,” says Shallcross. A resume is the best way to portray relevant experience. Tailor your resume to fit its audience. Think about accomplishments of which you’re particularly proud. Of course, your resume should include some general work experience, but make sure that it’s pertinent. Ideally, it should be one page.

writing a killer cover letter Keep your cover letters short – three to four paragraphs. The letter should be targeted to the company and the specific job. Open by explaining what position you’re seeking. Use the body of your letter to illustrate

Photography // Maddie Rain

resumes, interview tips, and more - and there’s a resource library for each industry.

Employers from “Boston and beyond,” as Shallcross says, who are interested in hiring Emerson students, post listings on the site, and Career Services reviews all of the listings first. Students can search for specific employers, but a company won’t be on the database unless they’ve posted before, or hired an Emerson student.

If the company you’re looking for isn’t there, don’t worry! Shallcross says, “We’ve got more internship postings than students who can fill the positions!”

Internships are a great way to learn about your field, yourself, and the professional environment. “I would say the two big things are networking and experience,” Shallcross says.

Of course, getting an internship requires work. But Career Services is here to help; and while it would be beneficial for every student to receive individualized assistance, here are a few tips on how to get the right start!

why you’re the best fit for their company. Give specific examples of things you’ve done that relate to the position (past jobs or internships, class projects, etc.). In closing, tell the reader how you’d like to be reached, thank him/her, and politely request an interview. It’s important to express genuine interest in the company. “Include something – even one sentence – about why you want to work there, so they know you understand the company,” Shallcross says.

nailing the interview All the classic rules of professionalism apply: dress professionally, bring copies of any documents you might need (resume, references, samples etc.), and arrive 5-10 minutes early. “Shake hands and make eye contact,” Shallcross says, “This may sound intuitive, but it can be difficult. Practice with everyone.”

The work you do before the interview is equally as important. Research the company. Brainstorm ideas about skills and strengths you have that relate to the position, and challenges you’ve overcome. “The more you prepare in advance, the easier the interview will feel,” she says.

Before you leave, get a business card from your interviewer, so you can send a follow-up thank you note. While some prefer handwritten letters, Shallcross feels that emails are acceptable because of their immediacy.

The letter should be sent within 24-48 hours after the interview, and should show that you’re really serious about the position for which you’re applying. Reference the interview itself, and mention that you really hope to hear from them.

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feed people, NOT DUMPSTERS Text // Julia Higgins Photography // AP Images

D

uring walks down Boylston Street and throughout much of Boston, it’s common to encounter homeless people. They meagerly hold up signs and cups, asking for money as pedestrians stroll by. If denied change, many give a “God bless,” and continue on to the next person, hoping for a handout somewhere along the line.

According to the Boston Public Health Commission, the homeless population in Boston totaled 6,647 men, women, and children as of December 2011. Though this is a 2.4% decrease from 2010, the number remains high. Of these 6,647 people, 181 live on the street. These people are looking for money and maybe a job, searching for shelter, and in need of food. Over the years, Emerson College has slowly developed ways to give back to this homeless community through its students.

Emerson Peace & Social Justice (EPSJ), an SGA-recognized group on campus, has made several efforts to aid the homeless, whether it be providing food or volunteering at homeless shelters in the Boston area.

“Aside from a few advocacy and outreach events we’ve done in the past to shed light on the issue of hunger and homelessness in Boston and beyond, EPSJ has set up volunteer opportunities for its members and anyone else who wants to volunteer at the St. Francis House,” says EPSJ president Dylan Manderlink. “Last year, we had many members dedicating their early mornings to serving food to the homeless.”

Apart from encouraging students to volunteer, EPSJ also promotes bringing about changes in policy within Emerson.

“One of our big ideas about two years ago was to start donating the food that Aramark just throws out at the end of the day to the homeless community around Emerson’s campus,” says Manderlink. This idea, however, proved to be a difficult undertaking for Manderlink and EPSJ.

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“I’ve asked many professors for their advice concerning an endeavor like this, and unfortunately, it’s not as simple and straight forward of a process as we would hope,” explains Manderlink. Since Aramark is a company separate from Emerson College, giving it a different set of rules and regulations, EPSJ would have to discuss making changes to policy with Aramark as opposed to Emerson officials.

“I would love to see EPSJ carry through with a campaign like this, but it will take a lot of support from the Emerson community if they’d like to see this happen,” says Manderlink.

Jon Honea, a professor of Energy and Sustainability classes at Emerson, encouraged his students to find answers to questions like those asked

by EPSJ. Honea’s students enrolled in his class during the Spring 2012 semester took on projects that revolved around developing methods of using food and other resources more efficiently, in order to fully utilize the food.

“There was one project that developed a Twitter account,” says Honea.

“People could use [the Twitter] if they had meetings and had leftover food, and students could then know where the food was, and what it was.”

Since these students left Honea’s class, however, the Twitter account and any potential success have figuratively left as well.

“That account really needs somebody to own it, like Earth Emerson or maybe Emerson Peace & Social Justice,” says Honea.

Another of Honea’s student-run projects involved looking into the dining hall food, just as Emerson Peace & Social Justice had previously done. This project, though by no means a failure, also met a stumbling block when the students discovered that Aramark attempts to put its food resources to full use.

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“[The students] learned that we don’t really have much food leftover because the whole point is really not to make too much food; the leftovers that [the DH] does have, they turn into new meals, or it gets composted,” explained Honea. “The students discovered that there’s just not enough leftover food to make the effort to deliver somewhere. The food banks told [the students] that a few sandwiches are probably not going to help out much.”

Though Emerson has four separate dining facilities on campus, all of which provide a variety of food, these places only benefit those who can pay for it. Homeless shelters and food banks do not have access to meals from the college, as the college has the ability to portion out meals accordingly, making only enough to feed student’s needs.

“Our chefs have been trained on different techniques to monitor and reduce food waste,” says Christine Leal, director of dining services for Aramark at Emerson. “One of the most important steps to minimize food waste is to efficiently forecast how much to purchase and produce.”

This “efficient forecasting” involves a computerized menu management system, in which the amount of food required for a menu is accurately calculated. This reduces food waste, and ultimately the amount of food needed over the course of the school year. In the end, this minimizes the amount of unused food, which enables the school to stay economical and environmentally friendly. This limited food waste, however, also limits the school’s ability to contribute to the homeless community.

Outside of Emerson’s boundaries, there are hundreds of eating venues, for both fine dining and fast food. There are Dunkin Donuts on nearly every street corner, and for each Dunkin Donuts, there is a Starbucks to match it. Fluorescent golden arches frequent many streets, and the number

of restaurants and bars seems to multiply by day. With many of these dining venues, however, wasteful policies are employed.

Corey Catanese, a junior marketing major at Emerson, has become familiar with the sometimes-wasteful policies of the restaurant and food industries after working in one of Boston’s cafés.

“Every morning, [the café] bakes new muffins and pastries, and so we have to throw out the old food,” says Catanese, who didn’t want to identify her workplace. “Sometimes people will come in and get bread to feed the birds or something, but other than that, what isn’t taken goes in the garbage.” This is not unfamiliar activity in many restaurants and small cafés; food made on the day, or the day before, is often thrown out, though it could potentially be given to homeless shelters or homeless people.

“I remember the third week after I started working, I brought up the question, ‘Why do we throw the food away?’ to a coworker, but they didn’t really have an answer,” says Catanese. “I’ve always known the restaurant industry isn’t practical when it comes to this stuff, but why throw it out when there are people that need the food? There are people that need to eat; why just let it rot, when it could be given to homeless shelters or homeless people?” says Catanese.

Catanese is asking a question that many before her have asked, and what organizations like EPSJ work to answer. Just like EPSJ and students in Professor Honea’s class discovered, however, the road to answering questions like these is long, and often wrought with difficulty. But for a student in agreement with what groups like EPSJ strive to do, there are many opportunities to help in the future, and potentially reform policy, all to benefit the homeless.

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DIYour gift guide Text // Gina Brindisi

Photography // Stephanie Fishbein As the holiday season comes creeping upon us, students are reminded of one thing: we are stuck in a four-year war with our bank accounts. Unfortunately, the holiday season is a time of giving and spending. It’s expected of us to purchase gifts for our friends, roommates, family members and those nearest and dearest to our hearts. So we often fall in the battle with our finances during these months; we spend too much on gifts in an attempt to spread the holiday cheer. Luckily, with some time, effort, and a sprinkle of love, DIY gifts will seem like simple store bought items. So bust out your hot glue gun and your craft box because I have five easy DIY gifts for the season that are sure to bring smiles to those closest to you.

1 Feather Earrings This holiday season, you no longer need to spend extra cash on gifts like coasters. You can make your own easily on a low budget.

All you need is scrapbook paper, 4x4 ceramic tiles, Mod Podge (an all-in-one glue, sealer and finish), polyurethane, a paintbrush and felt circles.

1.

Pick out your paper! This is a fun and creative way to personalize the gift. You can go with holiday patterns to reel in the holiday spirit, or something that represents the person who is receiving the gift. This your opportunity to be artistic and imaginative.

2.

With the paper of your choice, trace the outline of the tile. Then, cut only slightly inside the cut out.

3 French Memo Board {34}

Every girl adores opening a tiny box to find a necklace or a pair of earrings. Unfortunately, purchasing beautiful Tiffany’s earrings may not be an option. But with jewelry hooks, peacock feathers, scissors, earring hooks, crimp ends and a bit of patience, you can give a fashionable Christmas gift without having to bust the bank.

Here’s how to make the stylish gift of feather earrings: 1.

Pick out two matching feathers.

The feathers should be of similar size, shape, pattern and color. These can be purchased at a local craft store.

2.

You will need to pluck the feathers and trim them to your ideal shape. You will want to strip the upper feathers and leave the eyes of the feathers untainted.

3.

Using scissors, you must remove the majority of the stem, leaving a quarter of an inch remaining.

3.

Brush the Mod Podge onto the tile and proceed to press the paper onto the tile, starting from the middle to avoid bubbles. Tip: Use the edge of the paintbrush to push along the edge of the tile. This will prevent the paper from peeling in the future.

4.

Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes.

5.

Apply about three more coats of Mod Podge to the tile, letting the tile sit for about 10 minutes in between coats.

6. Brush a layer of polyurethane, which will act as a seal, over the tile. Let it sit overnight.

7.

To prevent your new coaster from scratching your furniture, add felt circles to the bottom.

4.

With the feather face down (eye towards the surface), fold it into the crimp ends. You should fold down both ends of the crimp end, which will result in the flat side facing up, towards you. Tip: Try smashing the stem of feather so it lies flat if the feather won’t stay in place during this step.

5.

With pliers, fold down each side of the crimp ends. The feather should be tightly secured in the crimp ends.

6.

Use the pliers and slide the ring, which is attached to the feather, onto the lower hook.

7.

You need to place the ring, which is on the end of the crimp, onto the earring hook.

The longer end of the hook should be on the same side as the back of the feather so you can wear the earrings correctly.

8.

Using your jewelry pliers, squeeze the hook closed.

2

In college it sometimes becomes hard to stay organized during the hectic week. If you’re struggling to find that perfect gift for your suitemate, a DIY French memo board may be the perfect gift to surprise them with. With a little bit of fabric, a canvas, some buttons, ribbons and a staple gun, you can complete this gift in no time.

1.

Have a ball at the fabric store. Pick fabrics out that represent your friend to give an extra kick to the gift.

2.

Cut the fabric out to fit the canvas.

It should extend onto the sides and back of the canvas. Use the staple gun to secure the fabric onto the canvas.

Patterned Coasters

3.

After deciding the arrangement of the ribbon, you will need to cut the ribbon a few inches longer than it sits on the board.

4.

Wrap one end of the ribbon to the back of the board and then staple it in place.

You will then need to tightly pull the ribbon in the opposite direction, wrap it around the back of the board and staple it in place.

5.

You will have to repeat step four for each ribbon.

6. Once ribbons are in place, you have two options to secure the ribbons at the ribbon intersection point. You can either sew on your buttons or use a staple at the ribbon intersection point and then, with a hot glue gun, glue the button over the staple.

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Apocalypse

Text // Beth Treffeisen Photography // AP

Q &

A

What would you do if the world were going to end?

1. “Skydiving…that’s just what I would want to do.”

- Blake Byrd, Freshman 2. “I would try to go to every continent if possible. It probably wouldn’t be possible because they won’t let me leave the states if the world were going to end.”

- Kelsey Gilmore, a Sophomore 3. “I would go kayaking down the Grand Canyon immediately.”

- Julianna Fultineer, Senior 4. “I would want to sky dive for sure.

That would be awesome.”

- Kelley DuBois, Junior 5. “I would want to ride an elephant before the world ended.”

- Hannah Woolley, Freshman 6. “I would go hiking in the White Mountains.”

- Dean White, Senior 7. “I would probably just cry a bunch and not be able to anything.”

- Ben Kling, Senior 8. “I would sky dive off the tallest building in the world.”

- Sam Smith, Freshman

2012

An earthquake on the West Coast, a tsunami in Hawaii and Hurricane Sandy devastating the East Coast: signs of the end of the world, or just bad luck? For the past few years, myths and legends have warned people about something big on Dec. 21, 2012. But exactly what will happen on that day (or if anything will happen at all) is still debated throughout the world.

One of the major reasons people believe doomsday is going to happen on Dec. 21, 2012 is that the Mayan calendar used in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica ends on that specific date.

According to Discovery News, the hieroglyphics found in Guatemala marking the calendar’s end date included no reference to doomsday.

Instead, the final day simply represented an end of a cycle.

The earth experiences natural disasters all the time. These natural disasters occur in predictable places, such as earthquakes and volcanoes. Other times, they can be tracked, as with hurricanes.

Professor William Wyatt Oswald, an environmental scientist at Emerson College, believes that if something were to end humanity it would be an asteroid.

“If one were to come along, that unlikely were to have the right trajectory, it could cause humanity serious problems,” said Oswald.

There is evidence of asteroids hitting the earth before with the crater in Mexico. The crater is about 65 million years old and lines up with the end of the dinosaur era, according to Oswald.

But there are other theories about what is going to happen. David Morrison, an astrophysicist at NASA, answers e-mails sent to their website, Ask an Astrobiologist. In the past few years, Morrison has received e-mails asking whether or not the world really will end in 2012. Three of the most popular theories that people bring up are the unknown planet of Nibiru crashing into the Earth, a major solar flare and gravitational poles switching.

The theory of Nibiru dates back to the Sumerians living in Mesopotamia around 3,800 B.C.E. According to scholar Zecharia Sitchin, the Sumerians discovered a 12th planet, Nibiru, that he believes will crash into the planet ending civilization.

Oswald said that scientists pay attention to these sorts of things. If something were going to crash into the planet, we would know about it more than two months in advance.

“The earth gets hit by stuff all the time,” said Oswald.

There is proof of this “stuff” hitting Earth; images from space show craters on the earth where things have crashed into the planet in the past.

Next, there is the theory about solar flares. Solar flares are sudden and intense variations in the brightness of the sun that occurs when the magnetic energy built up in the sun’s atmosphere is suddenly released according to NASA. Frequency of solar flares matches up with the sun’s 11-year cycle. When the sun reaches its maximum part of a cycle, there is more of a chance of a solar flare happening. NASA believes that the next solar maximum will be in the year 2013.

Oswald believes that the long-term increase of solar activity that happens towards the end of the sun cycle is probably linked to climate change. He also believes that the sun couldn’t cause solar outbursts that would end civilization.

Another major theory about the earth’s demise is that its magnetic poles are going to switch. Holding a compass at the time of the supposed shift, the needle previously pointing North would then begin to point South. This has happened before in the Earth’s history.

According to Oswald, volcanic rock that has magnetic iron minerals orients itself toward the poles.

Various dating techniques reveal the magnetic poles have switched in the past. Oswald says that the poles switch irregularly and don’t seem to match up with any extinction events.

There have been other times when people have predicted the end of the world. Harold Camping, an American Christian radio broadcaster made one of the most recent predictions. He prophesied that on May 21, 2011 the Rapture and a devastating earthquake would occur. He also believed that God would take 3% of the world’s population into heaven and the rest would be left in a hell-like world until Oct. 21, when the world would officially end.

Although this didn’t happen, people have their own theories about what is going to end humanity.

Esther Glasionov, a sophomore at Emerson College says, “I don’t believe in the world ending in 2012 or a zombie apocalypse happening. But if a zombie apocalypse were to happen, it’d probably be because of something going wrong with the meat in the food processing industry. It would get diseased and not be recalled in time, like the E. coli outbreak, causing a zombie apocalypse.”

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new clubs offerEMPATHY ENLIGHTENMENT

&

Photography // Alex Fierro Text // Matt Mullen

W

ith the Holidays around the corner and the prospect of returning home on the horizon, December can be a happy month here in Boston. But even among all the cheer, many of us can feel overwhelmed, anxious, and even depressed during the holiday season. Here to lend a hand are two new mental health awareness clubs on campus, SPILL and Active Minds. Hoping to inform and illuminate the student body about mental health and mental health stigmas, both clubs have already made big impacts in their short time in the Emerson community.

“As a nation, negative stigmas surrounding mental health cause people to not discuss it.

Emerson College isn’t an exception,” says freshman marketing major Ashley Cunningham, founder of the Emerson chapter of Active Minds, a national mental health organization. It is the goal of Active Minds, and SPILL, to change this.

Sarah Benkendorf, a junior Writing, Literature, and Publishing major decided to start an Emerson Chapter of SPILL last fall as an outlet for her peers, who she noticed were struggling.

SPILL, a national organization, describes itself as a confidential peer support network where college students can receive anonymous feedback and guidance on a multitude of mental health issues, ranging from depression and anxiety to substance abuse and relationship problems. Benkendorf originally heard about the organization on HerCampus.com, and was attracted to the club’s goals. She contacted the organization, created the Emerson chapter, and is currently the president.

“We want to be a reliable source of information about mental health and a safe haven for students who are initially embarrassed or afraid to speak with someone face to face or are struggling with issues late at night when few resources are available,” says Benkendorf.

Students may anonymously email a “spill,” which can be any emotional problem a student is facing, to a specially trained SPILL student supporter who will respond within 48 hours with advice and guidance. The online training to be a SPILL “responder” involves filling out a past struggles inventory, which allows the service to pair students with similar issues to a specific responder. Being a responder is an act of freelance community service, as there are no meetings or events they need to attend.

“We receive a lot of spills regarding romantic relationships, roommate problems, and friendship issues,” says Benkendorf. “But we answer anything that comes our way.”

An anonymous freshman Theatre Education major, (we’ll call her Kate) recently “spilled” to SPILL. Kate claims she has had a long history with mental illness, specifically depression and anxiety.

Feeling anxious about the newness of college, on her second week here, she emailed a “spill.”

“If I had to describe it in one word, it would be ‘cathartic,’” says Kate. “And that was before I even got my responses.”

Within 24 hours she received two email responses, which, according to her, were “rational and compassionate.”

“It was truly comforting to have sent a ‘spill.’ Knowing that the people who helped me go to my school made it even better,” says Kate.

While helping Emerson students, SPILL is also fostering healthy discussion about mental health issues.

Liliana Parra, a Junior Film Production major, is the Vice President of Mental Health

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Awareness and Programming for SPILL. “SPILL student supporters want to show other students that mental health is just as important and potentially harmful as physical health and that sometimes it is beneficial to seek professional help,” says Parra.

In additional to SPILL, Active Minds has joined the Emerson spectrum this fall, hoping to encourage change in mental health perceptions.

“I don’t think students realize that, statistically, 25% of their student body might be dealing with a mental health disorder,” says Cunningham, president of Active Minds.

Twenty-five percent is the national average for adults with mental illness, as indicated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to Cunningham, Emerson, a microcosm itself, is no different.

“Emerson College is known to be an open environment, which is why I think that once we make these issues more visible, the student body will take notice,” she says.

According to Cunningham, the goals of Active Minds include “creating a safe environment for an open dialogue, education on mental health disorders, being a connection to the Counseling Center, and reducing negative stigmas.”

Cunningham emphasized the easiest way to understand mental health is simply to be open to the experiences of others. To encourage this, the club held its first event on Oct. 9th called The Day Without Stigma. “With Active Minds on campus, our events can be a great way to understand mental health,” said Cunningham. The Day Without Stigma event gathered an estimated 45 attendees to discuss mental illness related issues and help gain the club exposure.

“The mental health situation here at Emerson is reflective of the entire nation; these issues have been put in the dark for so long and it’s likely that Emerson has major potential for improvement to learn and be an enlightened community,” says Cunningham.

Both SPILL and Active Mind are continuing to work to impact the campus environment and our collective perception. It is the goal of both groups to reach out to students and bring them out of the shadows and into the light of understanding.

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“G(love)LESS”: S

leepless nights, empty stomachs, equipment struggles - it sounds like the formula of an Emerson film student’s perfect challenge. Throw one more thing into that mix: Boxing.

Matt Tompkins, a sophomore Film Production major with a focus in Cinematography, shares his ultimate fear of putting together his short student film G(love)less. “At a few moments, I really thought we weren’t going to make it,” he says. But if the core message of the film has taught Tompkins anything, it’s the importance of going with your gut and pushing through.

One of the most interesting things about the film’s plot? There is no specific storyline.

The cast describes G(love)less as more of a “visually-driven, non-narrative poetic piece about a boxer.” The title itself signifies that it is about more than just boxing, but rather, a battle for love and acceptance.

The film, directed by Kevin Tung, follows a male protagonist on a non-linear journey through boxing matches and his family history. Throughout his challenges, it seems as though nothing amounts to enough and the pressure becomes too much to bear. He is finally pushed past his breaking point in pursuit of achieving a goal that was not even his to begin with. It presents life’s all-toofamiliar situation of allowing others to put their aspirations onto us, even if they do not comply with our own desires and wellbeing.

As the Director of Photography and cowriter of the film, Tompkins came up with the concept as something strongly stemming from his personal life.

He says, “I’ve always been told to write about what [I] know. I built the characters and their relationships out of personal experiences. A lot of this is about myself and my Dad-- just exaggerated and more theatrical.”

The G(love)less crew began work on the film almost a year ago in what amounted to be a long, laborious, yet invigorating process. Joshua Waterman, a sophomore Film Production major at Emerson and the film’s Key Grip (in charge of rigging lights) says, “It all goes back to Matt’s passion for the project. He deeply cares about the film, and went to great lengths to make sure it came together. He found a beautiful boxing gym, [Nontantum Boxing Club] in Newton, Mass., an incredible cast, some of whom traveled from New York for the shooting weekend, and oversaw the whole production.”

The project was finally in full swing after it went through about eight different drafts before being put into action. There were shifts in location and in the casting, as they had to go through three different lead actors and story lines until settling on the final product that made its way into postproduction.

As the nightmare of filmmakers goes, Tompkins thought the most stressful part of the process would be financing. Much to his and his crewmembers’ surprise, this was not the case. Through six months of

“

crowd funding using Indiegogo.com, they raised a total of $3,500 to fund the project. The success of the G(love)less crew’s crowd funding has been a humbling process that has overwhelmed them with gratitude for all of the donors as every penny of their budget was used.

What actually turned out to be the most challenging aspect of making the film was the production process itself. The crew

I’ve always been told to write about what [I] know. I built the characters and their relationships out of personal experiences...

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”

encountered some technical difficulties. A particular “steadicam” that they used was not up to the standards it had promised, which changed a lot of the shots. Tompkins now looks at these obstacles as conflicts that allowed for greater solutions for an even better outcome.

Problems also arose with feeding the crew - which, as insignificant as it may seem - Tompkins asserts could be the end of a lot of projects.

Luckily, he had a solid crew backing him. Janine Moody, a sophomore Writing for Film and Television major, and Co-Producer of the film was there to the rescue with grilled cheese sandwiches. She jokes, “Matt owes me forever for hand feeding him during the set because he was ‘too busy’ to eat.”

Yet Tompkins let no good deed go unrecognized on set. He reflects, “I couldn’t have asked for anything else. We had a total of 27 crewmembers who all excelled in their positions, and were really stellar.

I’m positive that if I had any other crew, G(love)less most certainly would not be what it is now.”

Waterman describes that the gym itself was a challenge to shoot in, as it was not built for that purpose. Transporting equipment out to Newton, up a tiny set of stairs into the location, and finding the most effective way to take advantage of the space only added to the difficulty.

Despite these setbacks, Waterman credits the crew he worked with as a hard-working one that managed to pull it off.

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Text // Nancy Valez Photography // Nikki Frangella

LOVE with a PUNCH Waterman says, “Matt Tompkins has a very specific, ambitious view for his films, and that’s why I love him to death and would always work with him, though it can make for a challenge. I respect his talent not only as a cinematographer, but also as a collaborator.”

Waterman stresses the importance of film as a collaborative art, which is something that the entire crew agrees has stemmed from the bonding between them while working on the project. “I would suggest something to Matt, a certain way I could rig a light out of frame, a particular camera move, and he would trust me to pull it off. If he hadn’t granted me that freedom, I wouldn’t have been able to fully realize the artistic and technical potential we achieved on this,” says Waterman.

This has not only been Tompkins’s major stepping-stone; much of the crew shares his experience with this being their first majorly successful project they have worked on.

“This has been the largest production I’ve ever headed before, so it was a huge step for me,” says Conor Doolin, a sophomore Television Production major and Co-Producer of G(love)less.

Partnered with Moody, he outlines the entire process of crowd funding, finding the necessary crew and cast, equipment, location, craft services, supervising production, managing the budget and getting through paperwork as a huge learning experience.

This is also Moody’s first big production in the cinematic world. She says, “I do a lot of television stuff here on campus, so this project was a completely different experience from what I am used to. Most elements of production are the same, but there is just something different about film. I work with a lot of big thinkers with great ideas in film, where as in TV it is also creative but very efficient about what can and can’t be done.”

Tompkins reflects his climactic joy in seeing it finalized.

Having been something he has mulled over in his head for much time, there were certainly some shots that differed from what he originally envisioned. Nonetheless, seeing every scene captured and played out in reality - at times even better than imagined was an emotional and gratifying experience for Tompkins.

Waterman expresses a similar satisfaction: “The best part of making the film is always the moment after you set up lights, set pieces, and camera, sometimes for hours, and you finally see the scene unfold on the monitor. I love the feeling of seeing scenes from the film and knowing I made that happen.”

Looking back at it all, Tompkins says, “This was kind of my break-out project. I’ve felt like I’ve been a lot of talk with little to show, and this was kind of my, ‘I want to prove I’m more than that project.

“For me this project was showing what I could do, and that it’s more than what some people expected.”

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FILM: zero dark thirty Text // Hunter Harris For all that’s been said about anti-American sentiment in the Middle East, little attention has been paid to the perception of the region stateside. After a 60 Minutes-esque documentary about the American effort in Afghanistan was shown to my high school interdisciplinary English/History class, we were all left speechless. Between the language barriers, deep cultural divides, and distinct ideological disagreements (all this, amidst harrowing and life-threatening violence), my class of primarily upper-middle class WASPs had all reached the same conclusion, one permeated with a sense of desperate uncertainty. Ultimately, the region and all efforts to salvage it were relegated as hopelessly empty. In post9/11 America, the same desperation that has permeated foreign policy has been mimicked onscreen: whether it’s a sequence in a Transformers movie or a disappointing Russell Crowe/Leonardo DiCaprio movie with a big budget and a conscience, the Middle East is presented as a highly stylized and controlled commodity with its nuances and paradoxes simplistically dismissed. As 2009’s The Hurt Locker skillfully did not fall victim to this deficiency, its director’s upcoming feature, Zero Dark Thirty, is slated to continue the legacy of giving the region its due.

Before continuing, I should be clear: most likely, Zero Dark Thirty is exactly what you think it is—Hollywood’s treatment of the Osama bin Laden assassination helmed by Kathryn Bigelow. Written by freelance journalist and Oscar-winning screenwriter Mark Boal, the film chronicles the decades-long search for bin Laden and his ultimate assassination. The title, as Bigelow revealed in an interview, refers to “a military term for 30 minutes after midnight, and it refers also to the darkness and secrecy that cloaked the entire decade long mission.”

As United States military initiatives in the Middle East have struggled, Hollywood media compartmentalizing and simplifying the region have prevailed. Though some feature an illicit love interest with a russet-toned complexion and others display a willing, ebony-haired ally familiar with the territory, Middle Eastern nations cannot be relegated to the status of “that mess abroad.” This view is obvious in a solid amount of Western media: Tony Stark is confronted by his past and forced to face his future in Iron Man, a True Blood lead is provided a smoke monster incarnation

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of his post-war guilt, and the Sex and the City gal pals can revive old flames and come to terms with the clash of customs as Samantha screams about condoms in a crowd. As they stand, these are neither accurate nor reasonable representations of the countries and cultures they claim to be fair to. Of course, it is not only fruitless to ask that Iron Man portray an apt version of Afghanistan posing real questions about the country’s stability and Iron Man’s powerlessness in the larger ideological conflict, but it’s unfair: that’s not what Iron Man is. It’s not unreasonable, however, to ask that the filmmakers be conscious of the version of the conflict in Afghanistan that it perpetuates. Hoping that a few bronze-skinned actors playing thugs impervious to American influences is enough for a film destined for inevitable mega-success to represent a region rich in culture and diversity is absurd and embarrassing. We can do better.

The Hurt Locker, 2009’s Oscar Best Picture, proves that this simplistic representation is not inevitable. In 131 minutes, Bigelow and company presented a multi-faceted vision of American involvement in Iraq that was at once complex: wide in thematic scope, but retaining intimate connection with the protagonists. As each character is pushed to remain loyal to a complicated array of allegiances and responsibilities, there wasn’t an offensively stereotypical villain with dark eyes and a hero with white skin.

Shockingly, the film about the war in Iraq remains shockingly apolitical: in the rush of adrenaline that United States bomb disposal teams encounter daily, there are no teams, political parties or propagandistic demonizations of the other side. Instead, these conflicts are powerfully ignored in favor of the life-threatening task of defusing an improvised explosive device, or IED. As the December limited release for Zero Dark Thirty nears, it can continue the precedent set by The Hurt Locker. Eight years after the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq, a more fair demonstration of the conflict and the Iraqi culture—in addition to any Middle Eastern culture—should be presented, and demanded in its absence. No one benefits from the existing trend of gross simplification of varying Middle Eastern nations and people, an industry and cultural ill that Zero Dark Thirty seems on track to avoid.

YOUR arts & entertainment

THERE AND BACK AGAIN: Peter Jackson’s return to MIDDLE EARTH Text // Charles Nash

When The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was released in December of 2001, it was not only an incredibly box-office success, but was hailed as an instant classic from both critics and audiences. Based upon the first entry of author J.R.R. Tolkien’s highly influential trilogy of fantasy novels, the film was not only loved by hardcore fans of the books, but was warmly embraced by newcomers to the story as well. I will never forget the first time that I saw it in theaters when I was only 11 years-old; the film enveloped me in a shroud of divine wonder. The scope of the picture was so massive, the characters were so intimately developed, the action sequences were so rivetingly alive, and director Peter Jackson’s enthralling visualization of Tolkien’s story is so meticulously structured that it had transported me into a world of visceral ecstasy. The next two installments, The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003), were not only as equally sensational, but added to the depth of Jackson’s crowning cinematic achievement. The Return of the King ultimately won 11 Academy Awards (in every category it was nominated for) and the trilogy as a whole has been considered a landmark in blockbuster filmmaking.

Now, nine years later, Peter Jackson’s long, LONG, awaited film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic children’s book, The Hobbit, is finally being released on December 14th. It’s a book that Tolkien had written prior to The Lord of the Rings, and was far simpler in terms of its plot, characters and overall mythology. It tells the story of Bilbo Baggins (played in this film by Martin Freeman), a hobbit that lives in a peaceful region of Middle Earth known as The Shire, who sets out on a journey to reclaim a stolen treasure from a villainous dragon known as Smaug. Leading him on this quest is a wizard known as Gandalf the Grey (the great Ian McKellen, reprising his role from The Lord of the Rings), who is also guiding a variety of spirited dwarves to reclaim their stolen fortune.

The movie has been highly anticipated for years,

but has faced a hellish slew of problems while in production. Initially, the film was supposed to come out before The Lord of the Rings, when Peter Jackson made an effort to greenlight the film in 1995. However, due to complications that he had faced in attempting to obtain the movie’s distribution rights from United Artists studios, his producer, Harvey Weinstein, ultimately persuaded him to move on to developing The Lord of the Rings.

However, based on the gargantuan success of those three works, The Hobbit immediately came back into the spotlight, causing everyone in Hollywood to go insane over the project all over again.

Initially, Peter Jackson stated that he didn’t want to direct The Hobbit after he completed The Lord of the Rings due to the fact that he didn’t want to compete with his past trilogy, not only for the fact that he felt so proud of those films, but that he would have to live up to them in terms of quality, which he had already poured his heart and soul into. Therefore, this increases the likelihood of disappointment amongst fans and critics, and adds an abundant amount of pressure for Jackson to top his own magnum opus. That’s why, in 2008, Guillermo del Toro was hired to direct the project, but he ultimately left due to complications with the budget that he originally held MGM Studios responsible for. However, he now takes back this testament, stating that there were a variety of dilemmas that made him go fucking bananas, whether they were politically or economically driven. However, on June 25th of 2010, it was confirmed that Peter Jackson would return to direct this eagerly awaited film adaptation, which would be split into two halves.

While the departure of del Toro left many of the fans upset, Jackson returning to the director’s chair was barely looked down upon by the social media.

What primarily infuriated people (well, me at least) is the announcement that the film would be divided into three films. In my opinion, this decision doesn’t give off a tone that the filmmakers need this amount

of running time to flesh out the story, but that they want to milk as much money as possible out of these motion pictures. I’m a very slow reader, but I read The Hobbit a few months before The Fellowship of the Ring was released, and it’s three-hundred-andtwenty pages long, depending on what version of the novel you decide to pick up. That’s about twohundred pages less than each of The Lord of the Rings books, which were adapted into movies that each ran at least three-hours-long, but the source material was so rich with material that the running time felt completely justified for each of those films.

I’m not saying that The Hobbit isn’t thriving with possibilities, or that splitting one book into two or three films is completely unnecessary; I thoroughly enjoyed both segments of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, which might have been a colossal mess if it had been condensed into one two-anda-half-hour film due to the immense length of the book. However, ever since the financial success of those final Harry Potter films, I can’t shake the paranoia I feel of Hollywood using this technique to obtain as much wealth as possible.

Overall, am I excited for these films? Yes, but I have to admit, I’m incredibly worried. On top of the fact that it’s being split into a trilogy, my big concern is that Peter Jackson decided to shoot the film at a shutter speed of forty-eight frames per second, as opposed to the usual twenty-fourframes per second, not because it looks terrible, but because it just looks… off. Obviously Middle Earth is a fictional setting for a fantasy adventure to take place, but the first three films made this world appear convincingly real, where the footage that has been released from the trailers thus far makes it seem undeniably artificial. Don’t get me wrong; I’m certainly rooting for this movie. I adore the book and I was floored by film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I have to be honest and say that I’m concerned about the true motivation to translate this cherished literary saga to the screen.

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MILLA JOVOVICH’S TITS and other reasons THE FIFTH ELEMENT is the best movie ever Text // Jackson Birnbaum

The Coolidge Corner theater, one of the last great surviving independent theaters in the area, continues its proud tradition of giving you something to do on the weekends at midnight other than tearful masturbation (that’s a normal friday night, right?) with its Coolidge @fter Midnight series. So while the “cool kids” are out wasting their time on social interaction or having passionate sex this December, you and a handful of like-minded social rejects can find solace in events such as the Burlesque Marathon on the 1st. This is an overnight extravaganza of near-nudity and sensual dancing harkening back to the days when stripping required more than holding back tears while a sweaty fat man stared intently at your asshole. If you’re not in the mood for Burlesque, which boggles the mind to imagine, you can find a seat on the 7th and 8th at the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead, which for some incomprehensible reason people enjoy watching.

More excitingly, the 14th and 15th bring us The Fifth Element, the brilliant Luc Besson sci-fi masterpiece.

The story follows Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis, playing a character that is in no way just John McClane in space), a soldier-turned-cabbie whose life is thrown into chaos when a beautiful, half-naked woman (Milla Jovovich, in a role that caused more awkward movie theater boners than Deep Throat) literally falls into his lap. Turns out, she’s a weird clone of an alien finger, and also the key to saving the universe, I guess. Korben must team up with a couple of monks and Ruby Rohd, a radio host with a voice made of suicide played by Chris Tucker, to save the world from Zorg (a

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deliciously evil Gary Oldman), a spooky business man taking orders from some Lovecraftian darkness. Along the way, they pull some magic stones from a blue girl’s bullet wounds. Flash Gordon this ain’t.

As with every great sci-fi film, the beauty of the film is in the details.

The cigarettes with filters that take up 3/4ths of the length. The elaborate costumes, designed by Jean Paul Gaultier. The floating food truck. Visually, there’s hardly a frame when you can’t find some wonderful, gorgeous detail hidden in the background. The Fifth Element is a fun, funny, actionpacked ride, but one detail takes a fun movie and makes it a masterpiece.

Well, two details. Two delightfully perky details. Yes, Milla’s breasts can be glimpsed ever so briefly early on into the film. It takes a sharp eye to catch it, but totally worth it. They are beautiful. And even when Besson begrudgingly covers them, he does so in an outfit that makes slave-girl Leia look like a grandma in a full habit.

The film’s nearly fatal flaw is the inclusion of Chris Tucker. Between his incredibly grating voice and his seeming inability to go not freak out like a hyperactive puppy on copious amounts of cocaine for like two seconds renders most of his scenes borderline unwatchable. With this year’s release of Taken 2, Besson has shown us that he’s still capable of writing thrills and action, if not an original story. So why not take this chance to see what is arguably his second-best film (nothing beats Leon. Nothing.)?

Suggested drinking game: Drink until Chris Tucker becomes tolerable, or until you pass out in a pool of your own vomit. Whichever comes first.

YOUR arts & entertainment

BOOK REVIEW:

B.A. SHAPIRO’S the art forger Text // Caroline Cassard

“Poor, clever Ely Sakhai. Caught with nowhere to hide. And he had such a good thing going,” concluded B.A. Shapiro during her reading at the Boston Book Festival this fall. Figures such as Sakhai inspire The A rt Forger’s likeably spontaneous and daring protagonist, Claire Roth.

As a struggling painter sleeping on the floor of her cramped studio apartment and surviving off of macaroni and cheese, Claire has recently overcome a scandal involving the suicide of her graduate school professor and lover, Isaac Cullion. Lured by gallery owner Aiden Markel, Claire takes advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity in order to reverse her bad reputation. Beginning anew, she decides to forge Degas’ After the Bath, one of 15 stolen masterpieces from the 1990 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist in return for her own featured show at Markel G., an elite Boston gallery. Unfortunately, the trade-off isn’t as simple as Claire had planned, and she finds herself questioning the legitimacy of the original Bath that she works to replicate.

Shapiro successfully balances three major aspects of the story: Claire’s present-tense conflicts, flashbacks to her draining and scandalous relationship, and intermittent letters to Amelia Prescott from the late Isabella Stewart Gardner herself.

Shapiro’s ability to bring Gardner’s powerful personality to life through fictional letters adds a special dimension to the novel. The woman who once walked Boston’s streets with two lion cubs in tow elegantly writes to her niece about Parisian dinners and lavish masterpiece purchases.

Her extravagant lifestyle as a late 19th century art collector provides an obvious juxtaposition with Claire’s ethical struggles to be recognized for her own honest work.

Not an art guru myself, I felt Shapiro included just the right balance of artistry and forgery background for me to understand the context and Claire’s well-researched techniques while still focusing on the action. A well-written novel that effortlessly teaches the reader something newlike the practice of art forgery and the history of the Gardner heist- is an accomplishment in of itself.

Overall, The A rt Forger is a fun and compelling read. Shapiro introduced me to a Boston art scene just around the block from Emerson’s campus.

I was excited to recognize everything from street names and T stops to Newbury shops and, of course, internationally famous museums that play a part in Claire’s Boston art detective escapades.

The action isn’t overdone, the forgery risks are balanced with romance, and the art history adds basic understanding and background to the plot without cataloging facts. While I had mixed feelings about the ending, the majority of the novel makes it worthwhile. For an entertaining weekend read, Bostonians and readers alike should check out The A rt Forger. You’ll be surprised you haven’t run into Claire around town, in an art store, along Newbury Street, or at the bar, until now.

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ART:

an elevated view Text // C. Streit

The oh-too-familiar nail grinding noise of the Boylston stop T hardly inspires one to give the MBTA a second thought. Yet, whether you live on or off campus we all have had some memory, good or bad, of hopping on and off these battered and tired cars. I am sure that many of you would be little surprised upon discovering that the MBTA represents the oldest continuously working streetcar system in the world, and the first active subway nationwide.

For better or worse, Boston simply would not be the same without these beloved and somewhat neglected dinosaurs.

Tucked away above and behind the meticulous murals of French artist Pierre Puvis De Chavannes lies the newest exhibition from the Boston Public Library’s Wiggin Gallery, An Elevated View. This photography exhibit captures the nature and defining moments of everyday life of individuals living in Massachusetts during the mid 1980s; a time representing great development and landscaping of Boston’s transportation system. The show features an eclectic collection of 65 coloured and black and white photography, taken from part of the 1985 project “Arts in Transit.” A project organized by the nonprofit organization URBANARTS on behalf of the MBTA to document Boston’s elevated rail system prior to its controversial 1987 dismantling.

In 1987, the MBTA under went a restructuring of its elevated rail system, now called the Orange Line. The once elevated Orange Line, known as the EI, served as a dependable and necessary source of transportation from Washington Street to Dudley Square, between 1901 and 1987. Though a couple stops of the EI remain

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apparent on the Orange Line, the restructuring entirely converted the routing, displacing and distancing individuals from the suburban and industrial sectors of Massachusetts even further.

Arranged in order of MBTA Orange Line stops, from Forest Hills to Dover Station, An Elevated View showcases the work of four paired photographers, Lou Jones, Jack LuedersBooth, Melissa Shook, Linda Swartz, and David Akiba (Emerson’s own photography professor). In collaboration with several of their photography students, these highly recognized professionals were commissioned to document the transition of the Orange Line.

Using the T’s architectural and social surroundings as the focal point of their work, the powerful imagery depicted through this exhibition does not only allow one to reflect on how much the city has developed, but also how much has remained the same. Hints of Boston’s segregated sectors are not only highlighted but also challenged through the photographs in the collection. The various enclaves of individuals of different ethnicities are explored through the collection as a whole, however, it is primarily through the work of Jack Lueders-Booth that evokes some of the greatest discussion and thought as to the meaning and intangible nature of lines and boundaries in these areas.

What is particularly interesting throughout the exhibition is being able to gaze upon the views of the four different photographers shooting the same landscapes. Photography is often considered to be a very individualized and intimate experience, where the photographer builds a bridge between his or her eye with that of the camera. Yet, though each shot has been

approached, framed and printed with a different intended mood, tone and purpose, a feeling of orchestration and fluidity is evoked in the viewer upon viewing the collection.

It is a real testament to the professionals of being able to individually explore a different attitude and part of themselves while working collaboratively. A great sense of their camaraderie is conveyed throughout the collection, and without it one begs to question if An Elevated View would have the same story to share.

This exhibit is highly recommended as it depicts an all rounded unique perspective, above and below, that captures the individuals flavors of the once dynamic EI stations and individuals who frequented them. Preserving many of the day-to-day habits, stories and struggles and, perhaps more importantly, a historic piece of Boston.

SUMMARY What: “An Elevated View” Who: Lou Jones, Jack Lueders-Booth,

Melissa Shook, Linda Swartz, David Akiba

Where: Boston Public Library Wiggin Gallery, 700 Boylston Street, Boston When: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. (through Jan. 19) Price: Free

YOUR arts & entertainment

JAPANDROIDS: the REDEEM team

Text // Miles Bowe

As we come to the end of a very interesting year in music, the more cynical listener might look at 2012 and see the not-as-good sequel to 2009. Let’s just take a moment and tally up all of the follow ups we got: Animal Collective, Dirty Projectors, The XX, Dan Deacon, Baroness, Bear in Heaven, The Very Best, Bat For Lashes... whew, just give me a second to catch my breath, okay: Grizzly Bear, Lightning Bolt, Mount Eerie, and finally Japandroids, whose Celebration Rock was THE album of 2012 for many people Japandroids: The band on that list that I would most likely have expected to have the fastest turnaround for a second album, and (I feel like a dick saying it but...) the most likely to deliver a disappointing follow-up. Most of the listed bands had a good enough track record (Animal Collective, Mount Eerie, Grizzly Bear, arguably Dirty Projectors) to count on something good coming next, or were rocketing to popularity with their big break (The XX, The Very Best, Bat For Lashes, arguably Dirty Projectors). Japandroids who fit nicely into the latter category were primed for disappointment, oh let me count the ways.

The debut, Post-Nothing, while great was the kind of fast burning pop record you’d expect to not stand up upon repeated listening over those three long years (it did, but that’s not the point).

Furthermore when the band’s killer 2010 single “Younger Us” was one the already brief track list people began to worry and with good reason. A band that is putting a two year old single out on their new record is generally cause for concern.

Finally, the attitude of the band in the interviews preceding the records release was questionable.

In an interview with Pitchfork, Brian King eluded that for a band that put all its effort into live shows and touring, actually recording a new album was more just a means to continue the show. All of this came from a band whose initial breakthrough nearly arrived stillborn when they had considered it a last hurrah before giving up; break up albums are quite the cliché, but how often do you hear about a breakup debut? And yes, that underdog story of a band on the verge of giving up suddenly getting their big break was intoxicating, but it’s the new story in 2012 that I like a lot more: hyped indie band brushes off “sophomore slump” myth and releases a better follow-up without changing their style, become rock stars in the process.

The strange history of the band and where they’ve ended up makes total sense once you put on Celebration Rock (the perfect title for this album, I should add). Everything in between the bookended fireworks that open and close the record is incredible; no fat, no filler, and a completely natural feel. Emotional as it is (especially in the perfect second half of the record), guitarist Brian King and drummer David Prowse give the impression that they bled over these tracks. Opener “The Nights of

Wine and Roses,” sets the tone for the first half of the record, that of the ultimate garage band.

“Nights”’ romanticizes drinking, smoking, and kissing girls; they sing, “We yell like hell to the heavens,” and then they yell. I don’t mean to make light of the record, but rather emphasize the nostalgic beauty the band creates with the first half, which closes with the Gun Club cover of “For the Love of Ivy,” a cover that any garage band worth their instruments should be able to thrash out.

As it shifts into the very different gear of its second half, Celebration Rock moves from one of the best rock albums of this year to simply one of the best rock album in years. When “Adrenaline Nightshift” describes characters that are drunk, in love, and “still waiting for a generation’s bonfire to begin,” you get the impression that band is commenting on the stort world they inhabited on their previous music with a bittersweet nostalgia. Old single, “Younger Us,” instead of being stale, sounds like it was meant to sit at track six on this record 2 years before the thing was even conceived. In the context of the album it is even greater than it was on release and we were all calling it their best song. Meanwhile “House that Heaven Built,” could put guidance counselors out of work with a line like, “When they love you and they will/

I’ll tell ‘em to love in your shadow.” It’s the song where all of the burning passion felt throughout the record focuses like a laser of positivity.

Finally that closer, “Continuous Thunder,” is a dead ringer for golden era Guided by Voices at moments. It takes the sense of youth, nostalgia, and angst felt throughout the record and turns it into something heartfelt before we return to the fireworks that opened the record.

Which, I guess, brings me back to the point I started with: this was the year The XX let everybody down. It was the year Lightning Bolt seemed like they were throwing in the towel. Many argued this was the year Animal Collective finally failed. The cynical part of me can look at this year which had more disappointing follow-ups to great albums that any year in recent memory and get pissed. But then I listen to Celebration Rock, a record that looks at youth, passion, and potential and how it can seems to spark brightly and fade as quickly as those fireworks; a record that looks at all that sadness, and says “Go to hell.” It’s a record that many have said sounds a bit timeless, like it could have come from ’88, ’94, ’01, you name it; but I’m glad that it came out in 2012. This was the year we needed it.

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SHOW PREVIEW:

twin sister/school of seven bells @ the sinclair

Text // Regina Mogilevskaya

The first sixteen seconds of the track “Daniel” dapple intrinsically out across the room; a singsong collection of chimes that beckon you into the cerulean haze of a Twin Sister record.

As December ascends slowly up our porch steps and begins to unfurl its icy fingers, there’s no denying that none of us would mind warming up with a little bass, a little synth, and a whole lotta misty vocals fogging up our windows. Luckily for us, Twin Sister will be making a pit stop in Boston very shortly along with School of Seven Bells, spreading a few hours worth of chill wave and dream pop across our windy city.

Relatively speaking, both bands are still babies, only having met, recorded, and released music in the last four to five years. Twin Sister, the younger of the two, originally hails from Long Island and is made up of vocalist Andrea Estella, keyboardist Dev Gupta, bassist Gabe D’Amico, guitarist Eric Cardona, and drummer Bryan Ujueta. Now Brooklyn transplants, the quintet came together in 2008 after a few months of sending each other demos back and forth, feeling out one another’s sound and jam (most of which can be found on the band’s website). Though a bunch of goofballs that

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jokingly cite anime, meat, and suburbia as a few of their main influences in interviews, there is an undeniable romantic quality about Twin Sister whose debut LP, In Heaven, twists and swirls breathlessly and beautifully. To add, there’s the gorgeous, understated lyrics that range from aching goodbyes, faraway cabins, and personal skeletons left in nearby sceneries.

School of Seven Bells, who’ll be opening, run close along the same path. Also from New York City, the band formed back in 2007 originally with five members, all living and recording together, that have now narrowed down to twoBenjamin Curtis on lead guitar and Alejandra Deheza on vocals. Though their arrangements follow the same ethereal, chill wave fluidity of Twin Sister’s, what the duo really prides themselves on is their commitment to their lyrics. For SVIIB, it’s the lyrics that fuel the musical process, and not the other way around.

Deheza explains that as someone who commits to life very intensely, writing equates her with a sense of precarious balance. In the band’s latest album, Ghostory, Deheza indulges in crafting songs about past lives, particularly the déjà vu tones of past loves and hopes for new. The

outcome is a pleasurable drift across a palette of drum loops and mysticism.

Mark your calendars for December 2nd, when Twin Sister and School of Seven Bells bring their talents to The Sinclair which, if you haven’t yet heard, is a brand spankin’ new music venue for us to enjoy locally, brought to you by the The Bowery Presents. Located at 52 Church St. in Cambridge, The Sinclair is a 525-personcapacity venue that hopes to bring about 200 shows a year to Boston, adding to its already eclectic music scene. With a management team of that combines Josh Bhatti of Bowery Boston and Josh Smith and Carl Lavin of CQ Presents, The Sinclair is quickly making its way up to the likes of beloved Boston venues like The Great Scott, TT The Bear’s, and The Middle East, not to mention that it boasts a season patio, two dining areas, and a wrap around mezzanine level with its own bar, circa House of Blues. Tickets to the Twin Sister/SVIIB show are $15 in advance and $17 at the door, so don’t miss out on your chance not only to reward your ears with some sweet music, but potentially gain a favorite new music venue in your favorite town.

YOUR arts & entertainment

COMICS: marvel NOW!

Text // Nick Johnston

The words “relaunch” should send shivers down any comic book fanboy’s spine, especially when it comes to Marvel Comics. The company premiered its creative reshuffle/relaunch, Marvel NOW!, recently and the mood surrounding it was quite righteously subdued. They’ve had some amazing ideas crushed by terrible writers and bad art (see Jeph Loeb’s involvement with the Ultimate universe), some mediocre starts that led to promise (the Spider-Man line relaunch Brand New Day) and some flat-out awful ones (Heroes Reborn). Even DC hasn’t had much success since starting the trend with the Post-Crisis relaunch of their major titles; the much-touted “New 52” being about 5-47 when it comes to quality.

We were wrong.

Balls-out, wonderfully wrong. This relaunch is shaping to be one of the best things that has happened to Marvel since they hired Matt Fraction to write Invincible Iron Man in 2008. Perhaps it’s because there’s no gigantic break with previous continuity like DC’s, where the characters change and everything gets all shook up. Marvel took the soft approach, simply reshuffling the creative teams on each title, and it’s paying off for them in spades. The free sampler that was released by the company a few weeks back even managed to make me excited for a fucking Thor book (mainly due to how much I like writer Jason Aaron’s previous work and artist Esad Ribic’s painted art), which has never happened under any circumstances prior.

For the best proof of how this translates to the single-issue reading experience, I offer up Uncanny Avengers, a spin-off from this past summer’s crossover Avengers vs. X-Men, where members from both groups form a new team as a result of the events in the mini-series.

Normally it’d be some pretty contrived status-quo reestablishment like the 2010 Avengers relaunch, but it’s not that in the least. Thanks to the creative team of writer Rick Remender, who maintains his high-quality sensibility for team dynamics that he perfected with Uncanny X-Force, and artist John Cassaday who happens to be fucking amazing regardless of what he’s drawing, the book has a colorful identity of its own. The thirty pages flew right by, and the reveal at the end should excite anybody who picks it up.

Given how fantastic Marvel NOW! is and seems like it will continue to be, it’s bizarre to think that, roughly a year ago, I was bashing Marvel left and right for what I thought was the worst “big event” idea to come out of the bullpen since Atlantis Attacks. Even if Avengers Vs. X-Men left a pretty bad taste in reader’s mouths, it’s more like getting a shitty appetizer before having an amazing steak than anything else. For now, Make Mine Marvel.

the playlist:

A MERRY F******

christmas Text // A&E Staff

Ah, the holidays: the time of year where everybody goes home to see their parents, eat good food and drink, celebrate fun times, and give gifts. For couples, especially dorm-based Emerson kids, it’s the absolute worst. I mean, can you imagine not seeing your significant other for a month, much less have sex with them? So, your friends at the Your Mag A&E staff, having had all the weird and kinky sex with attractive people have made you this playlist for that last candle-lit night together which somebody messes up by farting too much or something. As always, stay safe and test often, but remember to live it up and have fun, too. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have cats to pet.

1. “Bonnie and Clyde” - Serge Gainsbourg & Brigette Bardot 2. “Northern Lights” - Kate Boy 3. “Gimme Danger” - Iggy and the Stooges 4. “Fuck the Pain Away” - Peaches 5. “Sad Eyes” - Crystal Castles 6. “Love Play” - School of Seven Bells 7. “Digital Versicolor” - Glass Candy 8. “When Doves Cry” - Prince & The Revolution 9. “Criminal” - Fiona Apple 10. “Chinatown” - Destroyer 11. “Thinkin Bout You” - Frank Ocean 12. “Cherry Blossom Girl” - Air 13. “Shoplifters of the World Unite” - The Smiths 14. “Need You Now” - Cut Copy 15. “Kimmi in a Rice Field” - Twin Sister 16. “You’ll See It” - Washed Out 17. “The Nightcaller” - Flying Lotus 18. “Bang a Gong (Get it On)” - T. Rex 19. “White Dress” - RZA feat. Kanye West 20. “The Night” - Morphine 21. “Fineshrine” - Purity Ring 22. “When the Movie’s Over” - Twin Shadow 23. “Under Your Spell” - Desire 24. “Distant Lover” - Marvin Gaye

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