Your Magazine Volume 11 Issue 2: April 2019

VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 1 | MARCH 2019 VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 2 | APRIL 2019

2 | YOURMAG

YOUR MAG VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 2 | APRIL 2019

N ATA L I E G A L E Managing Editor

DAY S I A TO L E N T I N O Editor in Chief

ELEANOR HILTY Creative Director

M O N I K A DAV I S Editorial Director

BOBBY NICHOLAS III Co-Head Designer

KARINA SANCHEZ Co-Head Designer

CAROLINE BRODERICK Romance Editor

L I L Y WA L S H Photo Director

TALIA SMITH Living Editor

ISABELLE BRAUN A&E Editor

DELIA CURTIS Style Editor & Street Style Director

Y E L I Z A V E TA R O G U L I N A Art Director

TIANNA LOVERDE YourMagTV Director

GLORIA PEREZ Co-Web Director

LEE ANN JASTILLANA Co-Web Director

RANA SAIFI Talent Manager

BAILEY BOUCHARD Co-Marketing Coordinator

ALAN PÉREZ Head Proofreader

NICK BUNZICK Co-Style Director

A D R I A N A A L AV I Co-Marketing Coordinator

HANNA EL-MOHANDESS Asst. Talent Director

GINA YORK Co-Style Director

L I N D SAY H OWA R D Copy Chief

EMILY KING Asst. Photo Director

DITI KOHLI Asst. Romance Editor

EMILIE KRONE Asst. Living Editor

ABIGAIL NOYES Asst. Copy Chief

ANDY CAIRA Asst. Style Edtior

A M A N DA H A M P TO N Asst. A&E Editor

SHAWNA KONIECZNY Asst. Proofreader

COPY EDITORS: THERESA MIELE, KAITLYN HACKETT, CATE HAYES, LIU ESTHER, NATALIE MICHAUD, ANNA MOON, SHAWNA KONIECZNY, MEHER GUPTA, TIVARA TANUDJAJA, ALLISON CARAVELLA, MADELYN MULREANEY, KATIE POWERS DESIGN: TATIANA GUEL, OLIVIA HEINZE, SELINA HSIAO, SOFIA MURZIN PROOFREADERS: NATALIE MICHAUD, ESTHER LIU, MADELYN MULREANEY, KATHERINE POWERS, OLIVIA SMITH

CONTENTS ROMANCE 4 THE PERFECT SEXUAL FIT

8 10 12 EDITORIAL 14 STYLE 30 32 34 36 STREET STYLE 38 LIVING 46 50 52 54 EDITORIAL 56 ARTS & ENTERTAIMENT 70 72 YOUR THINGS 74 YM ADVISES 76 ARTIST STATEMENT 78

ALLURING OR ANNOYING THE ETHICS OF AGE GAP IS IT OKAY TO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU WANT? LIMINAL SPACES DON’T CALL ME PLUS SIZED STILL HOLDING ON A NEW KIND OF CANVAS DOLCE’S DOWNFALL STREET STYLE C’EST LA VIE BITTERSWEET NOSTALGIA OUT OF MY BODY THE PERKS OF KEEPING A DREAM JOURNAL 9 TO 5 THE COMEBACK KID THE GOLDEN GIRL: KACEY MUSGRAVES WEB DIRECTOR GLORIA PEREZ “I DON’T KNOW, WHAT DO YOU WANNA DO?” LILY HARTENSTEIN

YMEMERSON.COM | INSTAGRAM: YOUR.MAG | TWITTER: @YOURMAGEMERSON

2 | YOURMAG

EDITOR’S letter hat does it mean to take care of yourself ? It’s more

W

On the topic of discomfort, YMTV director Tianna

than just putting on a face mask or taking a nap. For

Loverde captures the unsettling nature of “Liminal Spaces” in

me, it is sitting down with myself and assessing what

her eponymous photo editorial.

requires me to question or confront what exactly it is that has

screenprint with Andy Caira’s “A New Kind of Canvas.”

I need to feel physically, emotionally, and mentally well. This

Finally, take a moment for self-care and learn how to

been making me feel a certain way. Am I overworking myself ?

There are a lot of moments of reflection and self-

Have I fully addressed something that bothered me? Am I okay?

reclamation in this issue. I hope that it makes you consider your

It is often easier to avoid the things that bother us than to confront

own needs and helps you empathize with others.

them. However, it can be cathartic to discuss and address the issues that have deeply affected us.

Take care,

There are some articles in this issue that feature heavy, personal topics, so here is a preliminary content warning. Katie Redefer discusses the problem of young adult men preying on teen girls in “The Ethics of Age Gap Relationships.” Annie Wojnarowski describes her experience with dissociation in “Out of My Body.”

These topics may be uncomfortable to read about, but it is important to acknowledge the strength that comes from this kind of vulnerability. Discomfort can be anxiety-inducing, but it can also help us grow.

Daysia

YOURMAG | 3

THE PERFECT Se ual Fit WRITTEN BY MELISSA MARIE ROSALES ART BY NATASHA ARNOWITZ

I

t was the perfect first date. Clyde Rodgers*, a senior engineering student at Tufts University, took me out for drinks at Kings Dining & Entertainment in Back

Bay. We laughed and teased each other all night over a competition of air hockey and eight-ball. Everything was going well, so I took him home. It wasn’t until we were in bed that I realized a new problem I never had before: he was sexually incompatible with me.

Dr. Kristen Mark Ph.D. said sexual compatibility is important in order to reach sexual satisfaction.

Research shows that perceived compatibility is a major predictor of sexual and relationship satisfaction, as one increases (or decreases) the other usually follows.

Unfortunately, the night left me with low sexual satisfaction.

Rodgers and I started kissing, and then I wanted more, but he just kept kissing me. Rodgers likes a

4 | ROMANCE

slower, longer buildup to sex. He believes it amplifies the experience as tension rises.

“For me personally, I kind of finish quickly so it helps me last longer,” Rodgers says. “I also feel that it can just make it more intense and explosive when it finally builds up to full on intercourse.”

I felt like I was waiting forever. Eventually, the frustration grew and I stopped returning the kisses. I told him the truth—that this was not how I enjoyed sex—and we did finally move on. But then the sex was too slow for me. I don’t mind starting slow, but I wanted to pick up the pace. When I grabbed his waist to thrust even deeper and harder, he abruptly came then apologized.

I couldn’t help but be shocked and disheartened by the whole situation. After an uncomfortable, honest discussion, I told Rodgers that although I did like him, we were just too sexually incompatible and that I didn’t think we should continue seeing each other.

Like me, sex is usually a good experience for Rodgers, especially if the personalities are compatible too. But this was a first for both of us and it was a jarring moment.

“Before [the sex] it had all seemed to be going well,” Rodgers says. “That was just kind of [a] left turn out of nowhere and just kind of changed the whole dynamic between us.”

Steven Myer*, a senior behavioral neuroscience major at Northeastern University, had a similar experience. His partner wanted a slow and “nonenergetic” event, as he describes. Myer enjoys a lot of energy in bed. He says there’s an ebb and flow to sex.

However, he tends to have a hard finish.

“I guess it’s all part of the performance,” Myers says. “When you’re kind of in that space, once you kind of come out of it, you have the whole energy expended and you’re just like exhausted. It’s a much more satisfying feel.”

MJ Smith, junior visual media arts major, falls right in the middle when it comes to sexual intensity.

ROMANCE | 5

“Sometimes I’m content and all I want is very soft and smooth, easy sex, and I don’t want anything strenuous,” she says. “But other times I’m like ‘Okay. I’d really like if you could handcuff me to the bedpost, and tickle me with feathers, and move up in butt plug sizes.’”

According to the ABC News “Primetime Live” survey, 55 percent of Americans are sexually traditional, while 42 percent are sexually adventurous. Smith prefers being dominated because it makes her feel wanted, desired, and the center of attention.

“The less I feel like they can control themselves, kind of the hotter it is for me,” Smith says. “If they’re so attracted to me and so horny that they’re like losing their mind and thrusting as hard as they can and as fast as they can, [that] makes me feel really good.”

While Rodgers, Myer, and Smith have different sexual compatibilities, they all agreed that sexual compatibility is not a dealbreaker. But, Abby Cameron, junior visual media arts major, has a different answer.

“Sexual compatibility with a purely sexual partner is really, really important to me,” she says. “But with someone I’m romantically involved with, it’s more important to me to be emotionally compatible than for them to meet me sexually all the time.”

Cameron once kicked out a Northeastern student at 3:00 am in the middle of a blizzard because he didn’t want to go down on her. But, Cameron is now in a relationship with a man who doesn’t like giving oral sex at all.

“It’s weird coming to a situation where I really like oral sex, both giving and receiving, and he’s kind of like, ‘I don’t really need it and I don’t really like to give it.’”

Hard, fast, pounding, and anal sex are what Cameron’s boyfriend likes, interests that Cameron is not physically capable of doing. It wasn’t until they built a strong emotional bond, where they learned to understand and value each other’s needs, that they started to work on the issue.

“It’s just about making sacrifices, and knowing that relationally, and emotionally is more important to us than our sexual needs,” she says.

Rodgers, Myer, Smith, and Cameron had varying degrees of how different and important sexual compatibility is to them. This is because compatibility is all about how one perceives it in someone. I didn’t see Rodgers as my perfect sexual fit, but I know someday I’ll see it with someone else. *Names have been changed to keep interviewees’ confidentiality. YM

6 | ROMANCE

ROMANCE | 7

alluring or

annoying WRITTEN BY DITI KOHLI PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILY KING

8 | ROMANCE

F

reshman Carolyn Vaimoso sat in a movie theater with

like sex that they know won’t cause serious damage. The fun is in

some friends and her then-boyfriend back in high school.

the mild thrill.

Halfway through the film, things got hot and heavy

But the jury is still out on whether the potential gratification

with her beau. When the lights came up and the group walked

from giving and receiving sexual momentos forgives the hassle and

out into the lobby, one of her friends made the point to loudly

embarrassment afterward.

identify the glaring hickey on her neck.

“I felt so embarrassed,” Vaimoso, a communication studies major, says. “Obviously, it’s kind of rude to be making out when you’re with your friends and have evidence of it later.”

Since that day, she’s been conflicted about how she feels

Temporarily stamping someone’s body with scratches and bruises can make people feel powerful and in control of their relationship and partner.

“I like planting [a hickey] on a guy’s neck or leaving marks on his back,” Vaimoso says. “It’s kind of like a warning symbol if he’s hooking up with another girl...like ‘Oh, he’s doing stuff already.’”

about visible marks from sexual activity––hickeys, bite marks,

Xea Myers, a freshman business of creative enterprises major,

scratch marks, bruises, and more from the endless plethora of

doesn’t enjoy lingering physical reminders from sexual experiences

painful possibilities.

as much. She prefers the softer side of pleasure.

Lots of people covet melding pain with pleasure by

“I’m a wimp, so everything actually hurts me,” Myers says.

imprinting marks in this way. In fact, the close connection

“I understand aspects of it. I just don’t understand the whole Fifty

between pain and pleasure bases itself in science.

Shades of Grey, let’s hang someone against a wall mentality.”

Following our brain’s command, endorphins flood our

But overall, the reality is most people will experiment with

bodies when we feel pain. While doing their work to block

sexual marks in their lifetime. Yet everyone continues to condemn

this sensation, these hormones induce the gratifying feeling

each other for the public exposure of these stamps. We resort to

of euphoria. A BBC article titled, “Why Pain Feels Good”

clothing that will cover these reminders and quick online remedies

said the “post-pain rush [is] similar to the high of morphine

to make them go away.

or heroin.”

However, outside of a few select situations, painful

Vaimoso questions this constant judgement around these marks.

sensations rarely make us feel good. Paul Rozin, a psychology

“It’s kind of hypocritical because everyone does it, everyone

professor at Stanford University, attributed the concept of

participates in sexual intercourse. It’s a societal norm that you have

“benign masochism” to the feeling of painful sensations being

to be this picture-perfect person when walking around. And I think

enjoyable. It simply means humans seek out pain in situations

it’s time to break that stigma,” Vaimoso says. YM

ROMANCE | 9

THE ETHICS OF AGE GAPS WRITTEN BY KATIE REDEFER

T

ILLUSTRATION BY SOMARI DAVIS

he first man I became romantically involved

Freshman Kaitlyn Fehr spent her free time as a

with was 19-years-old when I met him. I

10 to 11-year-old talking to teenage and adult men on

had freshly turned 15 at the peak of our

websites such as Facebook, Omegle, and other online

relationship, and to make matters worse, he was my

communication forums.

“I thought to myself at the time, ‘You know what?

theater camp counselor.

When I met Andrew* in July of 2015, I was

I want male attention. I’m going to talk to men online.’

enamored with the attention he gave me. I wasn’t used

So I made a Facebook because I felt like I needed to be

to any boys—let alone grown men—showing romantic

in a relationship,” Fehr says. “We place such a high value

interest in me. I fell for Andrew in the way only an

on women being in relationships, even at a really young

emotionally underdeveloped teenager can—I became

age.”

completely infatuated with him.

Societal pressures can cause teenagers to develop

At the time, I did want to be romantically

warped concepts of the types of relationships that are

involved with Andrew, so I thought that meant I was

healthy to have at a young age. Dr. Anne Gehrenbeck-

consenting. What I didn’t consider were the ways he

Shim, a psychology professor at Emerson with a Ph.D. in

took advantage of my immaturity. He would ghost me

clinical psychology, says teenagers receive mixed signals

for days, leaving me desperate to hear anything from

from what adults tell them is appropriate for their age

him. When he would call me days later in the middle

versus what they see on social media.

of the night to profess his love for me, I was so happy,

“There’s a split between what’s shown on social

I thought of it as “romantic.” These were red flags I

media as to what you’re supposed to be doing, yet at

didn’t notice because of my emotional immaturities as

the same time I think most 15 and 16-year-olds don’t

a 15-year-old—which Andrew took advantage of.

have that level of emotional maturity, wisdom, and life

From talking to young women I know, I’ve

experience to be jumping into same age relationships or

noticed a pattern of girls feeling the need to date as

relationships with someone much older,” Gehrenbeck-

early as their pre-teen years. It’s a pressure put on us

Shim says.

by adults in our lives, by other girls our age, and by the relationships we see on social media.

10 | ROMANCE

Gehrenbeck-Shim explains that the frontal lobe of the brain—specifically, the prefrontal cortex located

at the front of one’s forehead—controls executive

circumstance worth the risk of a teenager being taken

functions like decision making, planning, and problem

advantage of ?

solving. She says medical research indicates this section

I feel lucky my relationship with Andrew only lasted

of the brain isn’t fully developed until far past one’s

a couple months. We never had sex, so I’m grateful I

teenage years.

didn’t lose my virginity in a context in which I couldn’t

“The frontal lobe is not fully developed until 25 to 30 years old, depending on the view of different

consent to. There are countless women I’ve encountered who weren’t as fortunate as me.

researchers. There’s still a lot of brain developments

Freshman Kelleigh Levesque lost her virginity to a

happening in the late teens, early 20’s, and well into the

19-year-old man when she was 15, who she met at her

20’s,” Gehrenbeck-Shim says.

part-time job at McDonalds. Levesque says she believes

Looking back, I recognize I was being taken advantage of by Andrew. I didn’t realize this at the time,

his intentions were to convince her to have sex with him because she was an easy target to manipulate.

but Andrew was leaps ahead of me in maturity. This is a

“I was hoping for someone to love me and

result of not only my brain being less developed than his,

wanted to feel loved, so I did whatever it took. I think

but also a disproportion in life experience. He owned a

he just wanted a girl he could easily have sex with.”

car, had many previous romantic partners, and worked

Levesque says. “It ruined sex for me for a while. By the

multiple jobs. Meanwhile, I was too young to have a

time I was going to have sex again a few years later, I

driver’s license, had never had a boyfriend before, and

was terrified.”

had no clue what future I imagined for myself.

The years before one turns 18 are so crucial to

This is precisely the problem I have with relationships

the way one develops into an adult. It took me years

where an adult is dating someone in their teens—there’s

to realize my relationship with a 19 year-old-man left

an inequality of intellect occurring in most cases. In

me emotionally damaged and with an unhealthy view

many circumstances, such as my own, the older person

of romance. Although I regret my involvement with

in the relationship is well aware of the other’s naivety,

Andrew, I refuse to let the manipulation I fell victim to

and uses it for their benefit. Perhaps there are some cases

define the woman I’ve become today. YM

where a teenager may be “mature” enough to consent to a relationship with an adult—but is the rarity of this

*The actual name of “Andrew” has been removed from this story for privacy reasons.

ROMANCE | 11

Is it okay to not know what you want?

WRITTEN BY LILLIAN COHEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELEANOR HILTY

12 | ROMANCE

N

ot every love story is like Cinderella, 10 Things I Hate About

platonic companionships, different people are different kinds

You, or High School Musical. We know that. But, whoever

of friends to different people. It depends on how close you are,

said we wanted a whirlwind romance in the first place?

where you hang out, what you enjoy doing together. That’s why

It’s a commonly held contingency in any rom-com that the

people usually have multiple friend groups, even if they overlap

main character is looking for love, or was and coincidentally gave

sometimes. Different people like different things. It’s the same

up just before they found someone. But, what if Cinderella didn’t

with more romantically leaning relationships. There’s physical

know if she liked Prince Charming? What if Romeo was never

touch and human connection, deep conversation, the feeling of

in love with Rosaline in the first place? What if he saw Juliet and

home, domestic compatibility, sexual expression, and more. Craft

just said “eh, okay”? It’s probably not the perfect popcorn ending

the relationship (or lack thereof) with your partner according to

we look for.

what both of you like. It’s a partnership, either way. Act that way

Not everyone is looking for a relationship. We see that a lot

and check in with each other. Communication is always key.

in real life and in college where one-night-stands and casual hook-

“If you start a relationship with someone… and you

ups are trendier than high waisted mom jeans. The expression

aren’t sure what you want, it could end badly, or it could end

of independence is a growing narrative within society, with

well,” Christian said. “You don’t know. But everyone dies alone

more and more people owning their sexuality and pleasure. It’s

anyways.”

liberating, but it also creates two poles of relationships: the casual

Just as with everything else in life, it’s trial and error. If you

and the serious. This liberation gives way for sexual freedom, but

don’t know what you want, try something out and see how it

not everybody knows what they want in a relationship.

makes you feel. Never lose the component of yourself. Take time

That’s the question I think many of us ask ourselves as we

off when needed.

get over the freshman frat-party phase and grow as adults: What

There is never anything wrong with you. It’s always okay

do I even want out of a relationship? Figuring out what you want

to not know what you want out of life. That just means you have

out of your love life—or any relationship—is never easy. It takes a

more room to grow and change. YM

lot more looking into yourself than looking into the other person.

“To some extent, all relationships are exploratory—you’re feeling each other out and creating a connection that is unique to you both,” dating coach Laurie Davis told Elite Daily in “If You’re Dating But Not Sure If You Want a Relationship, Here’s What To Do.” “I started a relationship, originally not wanting a relationship, and then changed what I wanted based on what the other person wanted,” said sophomore journalism major Julia Christian. “I feel like if you’re going to do something like that, you have to be okay with changing what you initially wanted.”

“I’ve had enough bad relationships that now, pretty much, I know,” laughed Julia Stanton, a sophomore political communications major at Emerson.

All relationships are multifaceted. Even with strictly

ROMANCE | 13

DIRECTED BY TIANNA LOVERDE PHOTOGRAPHED BY CLAIRE RICHARDS STYLED BY NICK BUNZICK, KAITLYN SHOKES, ANNA WOJNAROWSKI, EMILY MCMANN

limin spac

nal ces

MAKEUP BY KAITLYN SHOKES ASSISTED BY MONIKA DAVIS, ELEANOR HILTY MODELED BY KATRINA CHAPUT, CHLOE RAMOS, MICHAEL FIGUEIREDO (FIGGY)

DON’T CAll ME plus-sized WRITTEN BY LILLIAN COHEN

T

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LILY WALSH

he fashion community has been heavily criticized over

“What upsets me is the fact that if you’ve categorized me,

the last few years due to its lack of diversity in their

you’ve categorized all women my size and above in the real world.

models and sizes. But, as the movement for more “plus

The term has really negative connotation thanks to the fashion

size” models in the industry increases, many are missing the

industry,” Iskra Lawrence told Shape Magazine.

point. Through the push to destigmatize larger sizes, why are we

The average American woman has a 38.1 inch waist,

still calling them “plus size?” Why are we still othering the people

measures five feet three inches tall, and weighs 168.5 lbs. This

we claim to represent?

equates to a size 16 or 18. I understand that I am smaller than

The buzz surrounding the issue of size inclusivity in the

that, but even women my size are excluded from the narrative.

fashion industry and clothing retail could pollinate a forest.

Stores that run out of my size shortly after stocking—because

“Plus size” models like Iskra Lawrence and Ashley Graham

most people are between a 12 and 14—contribute to further

grace the covers of magazines ranging from Sports Illustrated

issues within the fashion industry.

to Vogue. Their social media influence continues to grow, and

H&M, after removing the “plus size” section from all

Lawrence recently became Managing Editor for RunwayRiot—a

11 New York City stores, announced their initiative to create

fashion, style, and beauty site for curvier women that have been

uniformity between US and UK sizes. After customers claimed a

underrepresented within the fashion industry. She’s also an

“real” size 4 could barely fit in H&M’s size 10 jeans, they changed

ambassador for the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA)

their US size 12 to a size 10. If the brand were to offer a size

and teaches classes through The Body Project, a prevention

16 in their old sizing system, it would only fit up to a “real” 10,

program for eating disorders.

meaning they weren’t actually stocking any “plus size” clothes. It’s

Though “skinny shaming” is also a growing epidemic that

a positive shift, but just one small step forward compared to the

we don’t need, the tactics that models use to fit the sizes required

many miles taken backward including numerous racist marketing

for runway shows are unhealthy and often detrimental to their

campaigns. Remember those?

general well-being. Jameela Jamil has been praised over the last

Aerie by American Eagle Outfitters is praised for its size

few months for calling out celebrities that promote juice cleanses

inclusivity, but reports from Today show that they’ve dramatically

and detox teas. Victoria Secret models don’t even eat during the

changed the sizes of their jeans; a woman’s size 4 from the 2000s

days leading up to their runway debut, some even cutting out

and a size 10 from today’s line measure out in exactly the same

liquids entirely according to The Guardian. It’s all cute and funny

way. And yet, they have “extended sizes” of up to at least 18 in

to have Dylan Sprouse bring Barbara Palvin a cheeseburger to

stores, which is better, but not great for everyone.

snack on after the show until someone gets hurt.

“Calling someone ‘plus size’ seems like it’s for attention

So, why are we still holding this image as the industry

and publicity. Get over it—she’s a wonderful model,” Lawrence

standard? Why do we discount larger and curvier women by

commented in Shape Magazine. “And now, brands actually are

excluding them from “normal” narratives and sizes? Why do we

taking away the ‘plus’ from their names because [of] the negative

call them plus size?

connotation. I think women prefer ‘curvy’ instead of ‘plus size.’ I

I’m a size 12-14, depending on the store and design of

would say I’m a curvy model.”

the jeans (which, honestly, is a joke within itself). That range

It definitely doesn’t feel great to be labeled as “other,”

isn’t typically called “plus size” within the mass-produced retail

siphoned off to special sections while trying to find clothes to

community, but it is when it comes to models on the runway and

make me feel good about myself. I’m proud of my curves. I love

in magazines.

them. But, some days I just can’t do the mall unless I’m feeling

I have wider-set hips, large thighs and a large butt, a slightly

my absolute best self, because I know along the way I’m going to

small waist, and a larger bust. I don’t have a flat stomach. I don’t

be knocked down. I can only imagine how it feels for those who

fit what most brands categorize as the “ideal” sizes they carry a

only fit into “plus sizes,” and measurements that often require

surplus of in physical stores. Because of that, I often find myself

online purchases.

browsing both the “regular” and “plus size” sections of stores like Forever 21.

30 | STYLE

We need clothes that represent us accurately. These outdated labels and sizing systems need to burn. YM

STYLE | 31

32 | STYLE

Still Holding On PHOTOGRAPHED BY CALLIE KENNEDY

WRITTEN BY ELOISA DE FARIAS

A

bout every three months, I go through my clothing to decide what I want to donate and what I want to keep. The last time I did this, I noticed something interesting. The ‘keep’ pile always has around three items that don’t fit me, but that I never throw away. And I finally realized why. It’s because of the stories and memories.

Thomas Akiona, ‘22: The clothing items I still own are Christmas themed

I wore it as a child. This shirt is such a simple thing that can

Hawaiian shirts. I would get a new one every year at [the]

remind me of a lot of memories It reminds me of a big era

Christmas Eve dinners we had at my great grandparents’

of my life and that’s why I keep it. I think some people keep

house. There are a handful of deceased relatives who would

certain clothing items because [they were] wearing clothes

be present at those events and they would always comment

[during certain] memories so they can be like ‘I was wearing

on how nice the shirts looked and how I was growing

that when I was proposed to,’ or ‘When I broke up with my

into them, but they [his grandparents] just aren’t around

first boyfriend I was wearing this,’ it has a memory or feeling

anymore. I thought about throwing them away when I was

attached to it.

moving to college; I wondered, “What am I going to do with these because I can’t fit any of them?”, but then I decided to pack them away because if and when I have children,

Cristian Ganges, ‘20:

maybe they’ll fit them. I am a sentimental person in a lot of

I still own a pair of Reebok Zigs, they’re the black ones with

areas of life, but with clothes specifically, there are certain

the blue bottoms. I got them in 6th grade, [and] although they

items that I could never get rid of. There are emotional

don’t fit me at all and are beaten up, I don’t let my parents

attachments to clothing items whether it be the person who

throw them away. The significance of the shoe is the fact that

gave it to you or the time period in which it was given to you

when my mom purchased them for me, we didn’t have much

[even] if it was a really good time in your life or, equally, a

money, so when she [did], it was a really big deal for me and

really bad time in your life, you tend to place those things to

I was really grateful. I felt so awful that she was paying so

a certain [level of] importance.

much money for shoes when we had much bigger things to worry about. The guy at the store also sold her on the fact that

Jane Moritz, ‘22:

my feet face outward and because of that I had to buy these special insoles, so she bought the soles too, which were an extra

A clothing item that I still own that is very sentimental to me is

$20. I remember wearing them when I played basketball. At

this T-shirt from my elementary school. It has a really quirky

the time John Wall was one of my favorite basketball players

font that says the name of my elementary school and this

and promoted these shoes, [and] I would wear them because

homemade looking drawing of a lion, which was our school’s

it made me feel and think [that] I was [like] John Wall. It

mascot. It’s also bright, tomato-red. It reminds me of being

motivated me to play better. I have way too many clothes and I

on the playground at my elementary school and it’s a daily

have a really hard time giving them away, sometimes I think, “I

reminder to be more open and to have more fun. In high

don’t really care about this, but it was gifted to me by someone

school, I did this cleanse through my closet and got rid of a

I care about,” and you kinda feel like a bad person giving it

lot of clothes, but kept this shirt. I like the idea of having it in

away. I have never thought about throwing these shoes away

a box and looking at it when I’m older and remembering that

and I don’t think I ever will. YM

STYLE | 33

A New J Kind of canvas

ackson Pollock dripped and flicked his paint on the ground. Yayoi Kusama speckled her canvas with intentional marks. Mark Rothko bled his paints and

pigments into an unprimed duck canvas. Andy Warhol actually did what you’re going to do. Screenprint. Creating your own art is one of the best feelings, but being able to wear something you designed and printed is one of the proudest.

There are a few different printing techniques and each

involves a different screen preparation process and achieves a unique final product. There are three methods to screen printing: the paper cut stencil method uses a paper stencil taped to your frame to create the print, the drawing fluid method allows you to

WRITTEN BY ANDY CAIRA ART BY ELEANOR HILTY

paint onto your screen print frame to create your design, and the most popular is the photo emulsion method that uses a transparent film and a chemical reaction to create your screen. Below is a step by step to the most popular way to get detailed and clean custom screen prints.

34 | STYLE

Photo Emulsion Method You’ll Need: Screen Frame A shirt or other fabric to print onto Speedball Diazo Photo Emulsion Speedball Sensitizer Speedball Photo Emulsion Remover Screen printing Squeegee Screen printing fabric ink A piece of glass that fits inside the frame

1. Mixing the emulsion.

Start by filling the bottle of sensitizer up halfway with water then close the bottle and shake it really well. Now open your bottle of photo emulsion—it will be a bright blue color. Pour the bottle of sensitizer into the bottle of photo emulsion and mix them with a wooden mixing stick until fully incorporated. This process should turn the photo emulsion green. If all of the sensitizer did not mix into the emulsion, add a little more water, shake, and repeat.

2. Coating the screen.

5. Exposing your image.

Before exposing your screen to light, place your transparency inside of the screen frame, design side down. You need to make

This is a tricky and important part. You want to coat the

sure the ink or paint side is touching the mesh so light does not get

screen completely with emulsion without over saturating it—it

through. Place a piece of plexiglass or glass on top of that; if you

should not drip. Lay your screen over a sink or tub and pour a

do not have a piece of glass you can tape it down or temporarily

horizontal bead of emulsion along the flat side on one end of the

glue it. Place a black sheet of paper (or any black material as long

frame. Place your squeegee at about a 45 degree angle behind the

as it is not glossy or reflective) on a flat surface and then your

emulsion and pull it across the screen, coating it as you pull. Go

screen on top of that. The amount of time it will take to expose

back over the side to make sure you coat the entire back of the

your image will depend on your light source. The brighter the

screen, pulling off any extra emulsion (you can save this in your

light, the shorter it will take to expose. In direct sunlight, any sized

bottle).

screen will take approximately 45 seconds to expose. If using a

3. Drying the screen.

lamp, secure it above your screen approximately the distance of

When your emulsion dries it becomes light sensitive and

the diagonal of the screen. You can find instructions on specific

needs to be kept in a dark place. You can keep it in a drawer, a

exposures with lamps on the packaging of screen printing kits as

closet, a cupboard—anywhere dark. Lay your screen horizontally

well as online sources.

in a dark place for at least 4 hours. If you need to move your

6. Printing.

screen, use a black trash bag, covering the screen completely. You

Wash out your screen in the sink or outside until the green

can keep it for up to 1-2 weeks in a dark place if you don’t plan on

emulsion is removed from the design and pat it dry. If too much

using it right away.

washes out then your exposure was not long enough, but if too

4. Creating your art.

little washes out, gently scrub it. Place your screen on top of your

In order to prepare your designs for screening using photo

printing surface, frame side up and put a few tablespoons of ink

emulsion, you need to print it onto a transparency sheet. You can

on your screen on the far side from you. Use your squeegee to pull

do this by using a photo illustrating software such as Photoshop,

from behind the ink at a 60 degree angle toward you. Lift your

Illustrator, MS Paint—whatever you fancy and print it onto

screen up and push your ink back to re-ink your screen, this is

transparency paper (most print and copy centers can do this), or

a flood stroke. You can do a few prints with the ink you have on

you can draw and paint directly onto a transparent sheet. Make

there. Remember to always do a test print. Do not let the ink dry

sure to only use black ink or paint when creating your design; the

in the screen; most can be washed out in the sink because they are

black bits will be in color on your final print.

water based. YM STYLE | 35

Dolce’s Downfall WRITTEN BY LEE ANN JASTILLANA ART BY FRANCISCO GUGLIEIMINO

T

he Chinese model, dressed in a ruby red dress and

the ill-named “slave” sandal, and two years ago, they released

sparkling jewelry, sits down in front of a huge pizza. She

a graffiti-style sneaker with the words “I’m Thin & Gorgeous”

looks bewildered, giggles, and attempts to use chopsticks

scribbled across. The sneaker elicited backlash from the National

to dig into her meal. The Instagram video series, deemed racist

Eating Disorders Association to which Gabbana commented on

and stereotypical, follows the same format—model uses chopsticks

Instagram, “Darling you prefer to be fat and full of cholesterol???

to eat Italian dishes while a mocking voice over narrates her

I think you have a problem.”

actions. These videos, meant to promote Dolce and Gabbana’s

Needless to say, Gabbana’s unfiltered words never failed

“The Great Show” in Shanghai, became a catalyst to the brand’s

to provoke outrage. The brand even mocked the criticism with

inevitable downfall. Later, Instagram direct message screenshots

the release of their “Boycott Dolce & Gabbana” graphic tees.

of Stefano Gabbana saying “China ignorant dirty smelling mafia”

Somehow the brand has successfully been able to make fun of the

made rounds on the web.

controversy and capitalize on it. Not this time.

This wasn’t the first time Stefano Gabbana let loose a stink

This time, the long-overdue repercussions were extremely

bomb of controversy, but for many of us, this detonation locked in

severe. The luxury brand cancelled “The Great Show,” and their

the last nail in the coffin.

products quickly disappeared from Chinese e-commerce websites

Naturally, boycotts ensued all over China in response to the

like Alibaba’s TMall, jd.com, and secoo.com.

three promotional videos and direct message screenshots leaked

The Chinese market holds crucial importance in the world

late fall of last year. Chinese consumers trashed and burned their

of luxury fashion. In an interview with Imrad Amed at the

Dolce and Gabbana items, actors and models set to walk the D&G

Business of Fashion Chinese Summit, Gucci CEO Marco Bizarri

show pulled out, and Chinese star and D&G ambassador Wang

emphasized how the Chinese market contributed significantly to

Junkai terminated his contract with the company.

the brand’s current success.

God bless Gabbana’s public relations crew as one can only

Since Dolce’s disaster last November, luxury fashion has

imagine what it must have felt like to wake up and be in charge of

had no shortage of problematic launches. In December, racially

fixing this disaster. The D&G Instagram account tried to assuage

charged figurines appeared in Prada’s SoHo shop display. Not long

the damage, claiming both the official account and Gabbana’s

after, Gucci released a black balaclava sweater featuring bright red

account had been hacked. “We have nothing but respect for China

lips around the mouth opening. Images of the figurines and the

and the people of China,” the post offered.

sweater went viral, many denouncing the culturally insensitive

With Gabbana’s track record for brutish comments, a

designs.

“sincere” and “honest” apology became a hard sell. Let’s not

Director Spike Lee ignited a boycott on Prada and Gucci,

forget the time he called Selena Gomez ugly or that time he called

and the Instagram pages of both brands flooded with critical

IVF babies “synthetic.” Three years ago, D&G also released

comments from angry consumers. However, unlike D&G, both

36 | STYLE

DIET BALMAIN WRITTEN BY OLIVIA CIGLIANO Creating affordable garments that provide the same expensive look as designer clothing is great—in theory—because the same opulent drip becomes accessible to the masses.

But when it reaches a point where fast fashion brands are blatantly stealing designs from major designers, is it moral?

Companies like Forever 21, Zara, Nasty Gal and, most poignantly, Fashion Nova, are now beginning to produce copycat pieces at a swift rate. The likes of celebrities, such as the Kardashians and Jenners, often find their looks posted almost immediately after wearing them; Kylie Jenner’s, custom LaBourjoisie birthday jumpsuit and her Peter Dundas satin dress appeared on Fashion Nova the next morning, and Kim Kardashian’s vintage Mugler dress she donned for the Hollywood Beauty Awards appeared on the same site less than 24 hours later.

Fashion is uniquely vulnerable because it doesn’t hold the same copyright protections as other art mediums. When a brand takes the same design but tweaks it just slightly, the original designer can’t claim copyright because it’s not exactly Prada and Gucci responded promptly and sincerely in a way that

the same. In recent controversy, the imitation of Kardashian’s

restored favor with the public. Marco Bizarri met with African

aforementioned Mugler dress was found to be shot four

American designer Dapper Dan in Harlem to understand his

days prior to her appearance.

perspective and receive counsel on the brand’s next steps. Gucci

the Instagram page @diet_prada, specializing in knockoff

has since created a design scholarship program and said it will

exposés of luxury designs, raised the question of whether she

begin conducting unconscious-bias employee training sessions

leaked her look to the site as a secret collaboration. However,

this May.

Kardashian denied this on her socials saying, “It’s devastating

Many people, including

Prada established a diversity council headed by Ava Du-

to see these fashion companies rip off designs that have taken

Vernay and Theaster Gates. In addition, the initiative mentioned

the blood, sweat, and tears of true designers who have put

partnering with universities to create scholarships, internships,

their all into their original ideas.”

and apprenticeships to help propel this commitment to diversity.

Fashion Nova posted their own statement on Instagram

As consumers, we want to connect with brands that reflect

denying the rumors as well, “...We have not worked with Kim

our views on cultural respect. Even with the artistry and impecca-

Kardashian West directly on any of her projects, but have

ble tailoring of D&G’s Fall 2019 collection, we can’t help but feel

been driven by her influential style.”

wildly disconnected from the brand.

Luxury brands are now beginning to offer their styles for

Domenico Dolce, who hasn’t directly commented on the

sale immediately after the collection is shown on the runway

issue, appears in an apology video alongside Gabbana. We want

as ready-to-wear pieces to combat this new phenomenon.

D&G to take accountability; however, unlike Prada and Gucci,

This unprecedented format is beginning to be adopted by

their history means they must do extra damage control. The first

major names such as Burberry, Paul Smith, Tom Ford and

step is internal—inject humility by apologizing for all problemat-

Tommy Hilfiger.

ic occurrences prior because printing more boycott t-shirts can’t

But as a consumer, it’s natural to take inspiration

bandage this. D&G did not grace this year’s Oscars red carpet,

from fashionionable figures in popular culture and want to

and everyone understands why stylists steered clear. Sorry, Stefa-

implement it into your personal style. So it’s up to your own

no, but it looks like a comeback isn’t happening any time soon.

ethical philosophy. In the words of Cardi B: sure, you can buy

Cute dress, though. YM

designer… but that Fashion Nova fit. YM STYLE | 37

Your Your mag mag street street style style DIRECTED BY DELIA CURTIS

STREET STYLE TEAM: CAROLINE BRODERICK, CARRIE XU, SONALI ANAND, TAINA MILLSAP, KEREN HE, SOLEIL EASTON, ANDREW TAETS, OLIVIA CIGLIANO, EMILY KING, CAITLYN ONG, RONALD CRIVELLO-KAHIHIKOLO, LIPSKY ZHOU, KATRINA DIZON, MARLENA LERNER

38 | YOURMAG

YOURMAG | 39

evan carson he/him/his | Visual Media Arts, 2019 Instagram @ec.oppedisano

INTERVIEW & PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILY KING How would you describe your personal style in 3 words?

Wool over linen.

Do you have any celebrity style icons? If so, who are they?

Frank Ocean, Fiona Apple, FKA Twigs, Young Thug, Jaylen Brown.

Do you have any brands that you can’t live without? Any that you highly recommend?

Highly recommend used clothing only, don’t buy new shit! I haven’t bought a new piece of clothing in around two years and the best thing to do is circulate used clothings amongst your friends. But, if I have to pick some brands I love, Woolrich, Puma, Hermes.

40 | YOURMAG

devina fan she/her/hers | Marketing and Communications, 2022 Instagram @devina_fan

INTERVIEW & PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILY KING How would you describe your personal style in three words?

Comfortable, Trendy, Simple/bright.

Where do you typically get your inspiration for outfits?

Magazines and also models for online shopping and Instagram.

Are there any brands that you would highly recommend to people?

I buy a lot of clothing from a Korean fashion brand called Stylenanda.

YOURMAG | 41

Beatriz Andrade she/her/hers | Visual Media Arts, 2022

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TAINA MILLSAP INTERVIEW BY SONALI ANAND How would you describe your personal style in three words?

Comfortable, colorful, skater.

Where do you typically get your inspiration for your outfits?

Thrasher, Golf Wang, literally any of the skater boys I have crushes on.

Any brands that you highly recommend to people?

Golf Wang or Urban Rules.

Who’s your celebrity style icon?

Jaden Smith.

Describe your ideal piece of clothing?

I have this really fire Champion sweatshirt that’s a quarter zip. It’s brown with red letters on it. It’s really sexy. I just bought a vest from Golf Wang that says “No Violence” so I’m excited for that to come, and probably my shoes.

Caroline Kearney she/her/hers | Journalism 2022 Instagram @heycpk

PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLIVA CIGLIANO INTERVIEW BY SONALI ANAND How would you describe your personal style in three words?

Cute, practical, and utilitarian. I love pockets.

Great, I love that quote. What article of clothing would you be if you had to choose?

If I had to choose, I would be a pair of overalls because they have two back, two front, and a central pocket on the chest.

A theme of pockets.

Yes. I myself own a lot of one piece suits that have multiple pockets and I find it useful.

Lovely. If you could only shop at one place for the rest of your life where would it be?

I would shop at secondhand stores because that’s the most ethical way to consume clothing because buying retail is actually detrimental to the environment.

elise sanchez she/her/hers | Marketing Communication with Entrepreneurship minor, 2020 Instagram @p.s.es

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TAINA MILLSAP INTERVIEW BY SONALI ANAND How would you describe your personal style in three words?

Bold, chic, and different.

Where do you typically get your inspiration for your outfits?

I love Olivia Culpo. I follow her, @colormecourtney, and @lexiconofstyle. I really like the New York bloggers.

Honestly I get inspiration everywhere. I see someone on the street, copy it. From my friends too.

What’re three pieces of your wardrobe that you can’t live without?

My gold hoops, my staple black heeled boots, and my staple pants.

Any brands that you highly recommend to people?

Even though I am a fashion blogger (@p.s.es on Insta!), I’m not really brand heavy, I’m all about seeing the actual clothes and feeling the fabrics because you know it always varies. But I’m a huge Nordstrom girl, especially Nordstrom Rack.

meghan orkins she/her/hers | Visual Media Arts, 2020 Instagram @meghanorkins

PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLIVA CIGLIANO INTERVIEW BY ANDREW TAETS Describe your ideal piece of clothing.

Sweatpants. Always. Always.

Love that. Any brands that you highly recommend to people.

Nike, obviously, I love Off-White, Moschino; I mean not that I own that many of those things but if you’re looking up to brands, definitely I love that kind of style. Half Evil too is a really cool streetwear brand, if you’ve never heard of them they’re definitely on Instagram.

I’ve never heard of them, I’ll have to look them up. And where do you get inspiration for your outfits?

Instagram. 100 percent. I just follow a bunch of streetwear brands and influencers and find what I like from there!

t s e ’ C la e i V 46 | LIVING

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED

BY NATALIE GALE

O

n a sunny morning last summer, I got off the plane at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris with three new rolls of film, two new bikinis, and a

new pair of linen pants in my bag. I had been preparing for months. I met Rupert at the airport—like in the movies.

The sun was beating and cars were honking as our suitcases rattled along the cobblestone to our Airbnb. The stairs to the apartment slanted quaintly as if it was none of our business how old they were. The apartment was a bit small—the studio held not much more than a futon, a sink, and a two-foot by two-foot shower. But it was all we needed.

That evening, we had drinks at a café and climbed the steps of the Sacré-Cœur to watch the sun set over the city. The next day was jam-packed with tourist activities: the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées. Falafel in the Jewish Quarter was some of the best food we had all week. We ended the night directly under the Eiffel Tower, cheap red wine in hand. The tower glittered and lit up the whole park, and my heart was full with the tower and Paris and my love.

The next morning, we set out for the south. If only the rest of the trip went that smoothly.

My first word of advice: buy train tickets for long rides in advance.

After discovering that all the trains to Marseille for the rest of the day were full, we Bonnie and Clyded our way onto a train, and, thankfully, no one checked our tickets.

Marseille! The sun felt like Arizona and there were palm trees and an ocean breeze. Another train took us to the next town over, and from there we were on our own. We were ecstatic to book a stunning harbourfront Airbnb in a tiny town called Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer months before. But once we LIVING | 47

made it to the southern coast, we had no idea how to get to it.

den. Our host showed us the two nearest beaches on the map,

A bus took us a bit closer. Then it seemed the only way

and the next day we hit both, with a baguette and cheese in

into the town was on foot, up a steep and winding road along

our bag. Every morning we slept in, and Rupert cooked us

the water. This place seemed more trouble to get to than it

breakfast while I got bread from the bakery. The town was

was worth. After a sweet woman pulled over and insisted she

much larger and busier, with more to do.

give us a lift into town, we finally made it into Saint-Mandrier.

Tip number two: If you want to travel somewhere off the beaten path, know how to get off the beaten path.

Tip number five: Bigger towns are more touristy. But they also have more English speakers and public transit.

Fate likes to throw curveballs. Next up, we had tickets

Our friendly Airbnb host then told us the only way into

to an overnight ferry from Nice to Sardinia and four nights

the town was on a ferry from the city across the bay. (Well, that

at an Airbnb there before our flight home. But the train to

wasn’t the only way.) Dinner was al fresco at the restaurant

Nice was delayed two hours, and we missed the ferry. The next

downstairs; the seafood and pasta that night was the winning

one didn’t go for three days. I cried. Then we trekked back to

meal of the trip.

our place with the pretty garden with our lemons. And made

Tip number three: The food tastes better when you had to work for it.

lemonade.

We chose to go back to our first love, Saint-Mandrier,

I am still homesick for Saint-Mandrier. The little town

and booked a small, last-minute studio. We lost a lot of money

surrounds the harbor, and the hills stretch back behind that.

between the non-refundable ferry and plane tickets, and my

Our apartment’s French windows opened out to the water. On

new flight home from Paris. But we were headed back for three

Saturdays, our host told us, farmers and craftworkers from all

more days of al fresco dinner and our little rock by the tur-

over go to Saint-Mandrier and set up a market in the plaza.

quoise waves.

Tip number four: Your Airbnb hosts are often your best resource.

We bought fruit, bread, and cheese from the market,

Tip number six: Be careful with your glass bottles. We managed to shatter a bottle of wine and a bottle of olive oil all over two different kitchen floors.

wandered to the beach, and set up camp on our own little rock

With the missed ferry and our extra time in France, we

by the sea. Saint-Mandrier was a two-day blur of fruit from

decided to take advantage of our freedom and choose one fun

the farmer’s market, rosé, and wide open windows. It was over

thing to do. So on the second to last day, we took the first train

before it began, and then it was off to the next adventure.

up to Paris and visited Monet’s Gardens. After an afternoon

The next day we took the train to La Ciotat, 30 minutes

of stepping inside a Monet painting, then strolling through the

west. Once again, the train only took us so close, and since the

fairytale town, then dining outside while the sun was still up at

bus was too foreign and the taxis too sparse, we walked. Pro:

10:00 pm, and meeting the sweetest gray kitty walking home,

It was a beautiful walk. Con: It was an hour and a half walk.

I wouldn’t have traded that night in Normandy for anything.

See tip number two.

This time, we had a whole house with a sprawling gar48 | LIVING

Tip number seven: When you’re traveling, some things won’t go your way. Stick it to fate and let the mishaps guide you. YM

LIVING | 49

Bittersweet

Nostalgia Nostalgia Nostalgia WRITTEN BY ELOISA DE FARIAS PHOTO OR ART BY OLIVIA CIGLIANO

L

ast month, I received a care package from my mom in the

is extremely powerful and stimulates a variety of feelings. This

mail. It was full of snacks that remind me of my home

explains why we can feel a mixture of emotions when we are

in Hawaii—guava cookies, chocolate mochi, and Maui

nostalgic. Moon went on to say, “your senses like taste, touch,

onion chips. My mistake was starting with the chocolate covered

and smell contribute to certain memories you have because

sunflowers. The minute I tasted them, I burst into tears. They

without them you wouldn’t be able to have all the details of those

reminded me so much of my childhood. It was downhill from

memories.”

there. I put on my headphones and played “Somewhere Over

Emerson student Mariely Thomas recalled her own

the Rainbow” while quite literally eating every snack my mom

“expereinece” with food nostalgia. She said, “every holiday or

sent me and sobbing uncontrollably. This nostalgic feeling is

celebration, whether it be Christmas or a birthday party, my mom

one we all experience through food because it reminds us of

would make the traditional Latin dish, flan. I remember going to

people, places, and times in our lives. Food nostalgia is directly

the stores with her and helping her pick ingredients so she could

connected to the fact that food is social; the sensory experience

make it the night before. Once it had cooled in the fridge she

that comes with eating brings us back to memories that are vivid

would take it out and the best part of the process came. Hovering

and emotional.

over the kitchen counter, we’d anxiously watch as she flipped it

Psychologist Tais Millsap says, “food can be a negative or a

over, hoping it would fall out in one piece. She made it so much

positive trigger. For example, if a parent used to make a specific

that I eventually grew tired of it, however, it still holds a special

food, whenever you eat that food it will feel like comfort to you.

place for me since it was such a staple in my childhood.”

You will relate that food to the good experience that you had. In

As humans, we miss things and we like to belong. This is

the same way, this nostalgia can serve as a negative trigger. For

why we feel the need to be nostalgic when we experience being

example, if a child is neglected food in their childhood, having

out of place. We can look at a picture of a time in which we did

food will become a trigger of not having food.”

feel comfortable, and live vicariously through that.

This explains why a bite of a funnel cake might bring you

“If you are nostalgic, this means that you lived through

back to the carnival you went to for your eighth birthday and

something that was positive, but also means that you are past

makes you feel happy. Similarly, how a bite of lasagna might bring

that part of your life,” says Millsap. “This explains the mixed

you back to the time you got food poisoning and ended up in the

emotions that come with missing something.”

ER. Good or bad, we all have memories associated with food.

Food and nostalgia go hand in hand because food is such

Anna Moon, Emerson College, ‘22, recalls spam, rice, and

an important part of our everyday lives. Whether it be the smell

eggs as a nostalgic meal from her childhood. She quotes, “My

of a turkey roasting on Thanksgiving, the taste of hotdogs that

mom makes breakfast in the morning for my siblings and me, and

remind us of backyard barbecues with the family, or even a bite

spam, eggs, and rice is her go-to thing. When I wake up that’s the

of popcorn that triggers memories of your favorite movie, food

first thing I smell—the spam cooking. It smells so good, it makes

nostalgia has a place in everyone’s lives.

me get out of bed.”

Millsap says it best, “ The types of food that bring you

“Our senses are what brings us the most information about

certain feelings are part of your identity. Your identity is created

what reminds us of things, and food has two of them—the smell

with culture, with family, and with everything that you live. Food

and the taste,” Millsap says. When we smell and taste food, it

is a part of that, and that is a part of who you are.” YM

Out of my Body WRITTEN BY ANNA WOJNAROWSKI ART BY OLIVIA KELLIHER

“This time, I know I’m fighting. This time, I know I’m back in my body.”

- Back in My Body, Maggie Rogers

I

was walking down Boylston, on my way to the Ansin

a psychiatrist from New Jersey, says that dissociation, specifically

building, when I felt so dizzy I thought I was going to throw

depersonalization, “saves you from some level of psychological

up. I wasn’t a part of myself; it was like I was watching

distress, but then creates another distress: that of feeling

myself from the cheap seats up in the sky, somewhere in the

unreal.” Evidently, this kind of detachment “helps you cope

clouds. At the same time, I found myself feeling trapped in

with anxiety, but then [makes] you pay a high price because

my chest, screaming, trying to get out. I crossed the street to

you are also detached from your connection with others. We

Tremont, feeling less claustrophobic being in an actual building

are highly social beings that need to feel connected to feel whole

than being in the fresh air of Boston. I spent my class answering

and safe.”

questions, yet not remembering what I said immediately after,

or having no idea if I ever said anything at all. I could only

disorders, but far more people experience milder spouts of

depend on a faint voice in my head reflecting on something

dissociation. It is even more common among people in their

I might have said or not. I was three months off my anxiety

teens. It seems as though people our age are taking the reins

medication. Later in the day, I went back to my dorm and slept

over de-stigmatizing mental health, particularly anxiety and

for five hours. I woke up with the worst headache I can ever

depression. So, why don’t we talk more about dissociation?

remember having. It was 8 at night. I ate dinner at 9 and then

went back to sleep at 11.

like they are experiencing dissociation. They do not feel like a

About 2 percent of people have actual dissociative

Illnesses like anxiety and depression can make one feel

A couple of weeks later I was texting my friend who goes

part of their own bodies, and they may not feel a strong sense

to another school, asking how she was doing. She told me she

of themselves. This further exemplifies the dire need to bring

was feeling depressed, kind of anxious, and generally numb.

dissociation into the forefront of mental health education.

She believed she was “dissociating.” I had heard of that term

Dissociating is one of the most emotionally painful experiences

before, but I wasn’t that well-versed in what it really meant. I

I’ve ever gone through, mostly because it took me three months

pulled up Google on my phone, typed it in. As pages upon

to realize that I was in a dissociative state. If I had the sense

pages of information dropped, I started sobbing.

that what I was feeling was valid, maybe I would have reached

Dissociation, according to Mental Health America, is a

out to others sooner, or avoiding associating these feelings with

“mental process that causes a lack of connection in a person’s

my diagnosed generalized anxiety disorder. Giving those who

thoughts, memory and sense of identity.” It can branch into other

experience dissociation the help they need so that suffering

forms, such as derealization, which is the feeling of not being real,

in silence because of thinking it’s just a “passing feeling” or a

or depersonalization, feeling an out-of-body experience.

“different issue altogether” must be encouraged. I don’t think I

Dissociation can show up for a lot of reasons, but one

am ever going to feel like I’ve been “cured” of dissociation. I am

of the main causes is trauma. Dissociation can “take the pain

still going through the effects of coming back from dissociation,

away” because it is unbearable for one person to deal with, and

and find solace in knowing that some days are going to be better

push the brain to derail any sense of self. Therefore, when you

than others. Having knowledge of what dissociation is and how

dissociate, you feel outside of your own body. Dr. Samiris Sostre,

it will make me feel makes the bad days a little less scary. YM

52 | LIVING

LIVING | 53

54 | LIVING

The PERKS OF KEEPING A

Dream Journal WRITTEN BY LILLIAN COHEN

I

ART BY EMILIE KRONE

“When people narrate their dreams, they typically leave

f you’ve been using the CoStar app as a GPS to life, get ready for dream journals—no app required.

out numerous details that seem too trivial or obvious to mention.

Scientists recognize that a large part of our mannerisms

Yet it is precisely these seemingly worthless details that often

and thoughts are automatic or come from our subconscious;

become highly significant in later explorations,” Psychology

that’s why they’re interesting. We love to discover the unknown,

Daily says.

through astrology, horoscopes, and tarot cards. But there’s

Remembering gets easier as it becomes ingrained into

actually a much simpler way to dive into the unconscious mind:

your routine. Your brain typically throws dream memories away

dream journals.

because it thinks you don’t need them. Once you tell your brain

Dreams happen within the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of our sleep cycles. REM marks the deepest part of our

what to do, it will hold onto memories for longer, encouraging strong memory.

If nothing sticks for a week, that’s okay. Keep going.

sleep, the point where waking up can leave you feeling groggy and still tired. Depending on how long you sleep, you can have numerous REM cycles and dreams. But when we wake up, we

Step 4: Read through your dreams.

Once a week, go through your journal. Highlight and star

often don’t remember them. That’s where dream journals come in. The more you journal, the more you remember.

anything that reoccurs or you think you should pay attention to.

Make connections to things in your life. Think of it as a time to

Step 1: Keep a notebook and pencil beside your bed.

get to know yourself better.

As soon as you wake up, you’ll want to write down your

Carl Jung, a pioneer of dream theory, says, “We are not

dreams. That’s when they’re most fresh and least likely to be

dealing with isolated dreams; they form a coherent series in the

altered by your conscious mind.

course of which the meaning gradually unfolds more or less of its own accord.”

Scientists are still discovering a lot about what happens

Step 2: Remember to remember.

It’s odd, but it’s true. Trying to actively remember will help you hold on and recall your dreams.

when we dream. Scientists didn’t seriously study dreams until they discovered REM in 1953. Now, many argue that recording your dreams is a big part of the creativity associated with them.

Step 3: When you wake up, write down exactly what

REM sleep stimulates the brain in the same way that learning

you dreamt of.

does.

It sounds simple, but this is often where people mess up.

Just as with astrology, though, take all of this analysis with

As soon as you wake up, write. Don’t think. Sketch down what

a grain of salt. Maybe it will help your writing or improve your

you remember seeing and feeling. Do not try to decipher your

connection with yourself. Either way, the daily practice of writing

dreams. Take your memories out and set them aside for later.

down your dreams can only benefit you. YM

LIVING | 55

9 5 to

DIRECTED BY DAYSIA TOLENTINO

PHOTOGRAPHED BY LUKAS MARKOU

STYLED BY GINA YORK, CRISTIAN GANGES, LAUREN DILLOW, SOLEIL EASTON, KASEY O’CONNELL MAKEUP BY LAUREN DILLOW ASSISTED BY MONIKA DAVIS MODELED BY MARIAH VAILAHI, JULIAN LEMUS, NINA RODRIGUEZ, ALYSSA DEVRIES

w

The

CCOmeback Kid

70 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

WRITTEN BY MOLLY GOODRICH ART BY ELEANOR HILTY

A

few years ago, only a relatively few amount of people

and crude humor, something that stand-up comedians are

knew the name John Mulaney. If you did, you were

often known for.

most likely a comedy buff or perhaps just aware of

Not Mulaney, though. Progressive and democratic, he

the fact he was the co-creator of Stefon on Saturday Night

prides himself on the ability to create hilarious, different bits

Live’s Weekend Update.

that aren’t trying to pick people out in a crowd and laugh at

Today, you don’t have to be a SNL superfan to know the

them. With a focus on himself and his past, he switches up

name. In fact, he’s likely one of the most popular comedians

the typical comedy genre. Straight, white, male comedians

in the world right now. You can’t go a day without hearing

get away with making fun of other people far too often, and

one of Mulaney’s quotes get thrown around, whether it’s

Mulaney is cautious not to fall into that category. Making his

a loud proclamation of “Street Smarts!” or a singsong tone

love and respect for his wife known throughout his comedy

of “Because we’re Delta Air Lines, and life is a fucking

is a perfect example of this: by being an admirable man, we

nightmare.” His comedy has certainly changed the Emerson

automatically want to like him more.

community for the better.

It’s not just about playing nice. Mary Spadaro, a comedy

Despite a failed 2014 sitcom, ingeniously titled Mulaney,

major, doesn’t just appreciate his approach, but also the

he has had plenty of success in the world of comedy. After

structure of his jokes as well. “He governs the stage with such

working as a writer for Saturday Night Live, he added three

authority that the audience is never uneasy in his presence. It’s

Netflix comedy specials to his name: New In Town, The

his control that separates him from other comedians. The ride

Comeback Kid, and Kid Goregous. In the last year, Mulaney

Mulaney takes you on is simultaneously steady and wild; you

has voice acted for Netflix original series Big Mouth and

feel safe in trusting that his story will be funny even when you

Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse, solidifying his career as

don’t know where it’s going.”

more than just a stand-up comedian as he ventures into bigger and better projects.

The safety aspect is key. Mulaney isn’t afraid to drop you down before he takes you back up, but that’s how he

But what makes his comedy so unique? For BCE major

reels you in. He’s so relatable that you feel as though you

Laura Phillips, she claims his use of universal humor is what

have an inside joke with him, even when millions of others

has struck a particular chord for her. “His jokes don’t come at

are in on it as well. Considering his ever growing popularity,

the expense of other people,” she explained while expressing

it’s hard to say if there’s anything that will throw him off his

her love for the comedian. Gone are the days of stereotypes

rhythm. YM

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 71

The Golden Girl: KAcey Musgraves WRITTEN BY ANNIE WOJNAROWSKI

ILLUSTRATION BY YELIZAVETA ROGULINA

W

ith long black hair, a kaleidoscope of colors

comparable Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, men have

shown through her whimsical outfits, and one

taken the reigns in the country music establishment and

of the most peaceful stage presences in music

defined roles for how female country artists should act, what

today, Kacey Musgraves is doing it all on her own terms and

they should sing about, and how they should dress. Kacey

winning them all over by being the country girl that only

recognizes this, acknowledges this, and actively rebels against

she knows how to be. In only a year, Kacey has transformed

it any moment she gets. Through this record, Kacey shines

from just a budding country artist to the ‘yeehaw’ queen of

and shows that the future of country music is in the control of

2018. Kacey’s music, specifically her Grammy award-winning

all artists, and not the male-controlled music establishment.

album Golden Hour, has done the impossible: make people

In the first track of the album, Slow Burn, Kacey

proclaims her independence.“I’m alright with a ‘slow burn,’

“... she really breaks the mold from what country music is ‘supposed’ to sound and is her own entire entity.”

taking my time / I’m gonna do it my way, it’ll be alright.”

This calm nature of going about things the way you want to radiates onto her listeners and creates a fanbase, particularly of women, that want to come with her on this journey of self-discovery and liberation. “Her music brings a kind of warmth and calm into my heart at any point in the day, and I can’t say that about many artists,” says Emerson sophomore Somari Davis.

This almost psychedelic energy that Kacey translates

to her music is a quiet rebellion against the molding in which who don’t like country music like country music. Emerson

female country artists have seemed to abide by. Speaking

sophomore Erica Petrillo is someone who didn’t even realize

about her mental health, feeling lonely, drugs, and not

that her music is country, “I had to be told by someone and

exclusively talking about romance is a breath of fresh air that

even then I didn’t believe it because she really breaks the mold

is one of the many reasons that people flock to her album

from what country music is ‘supposed’ to sound and is her own

that hits all the censored topics that female country artists

entire entity.” A growing pattern between people that have

have not traditionally talked about in the 21st century. With

discovered Kacey, and people who have been fans since the

long black hair, a kaleidoscope of colors shown through

beginning of her career, is that she represents something that

her whimsical outfits, and one of the most peaceful stage

seems to have been lost in country music in recent years: the

presences in music today, Kacey is doing it all on her own

liberated woman.

terms and winning them all over by being the country girl

that only she knows how to be. YM

It seems as though after the prime careers of the

72 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 73

your

ILLUSTRATION BY ENNE GOLDSTEIN

WITH WEB DIRECTOR GLORIA PEREZ

SHAKESPEARE & CO. TOTE

CAT-EYE GLASSES

I got this tote from Shakespeare and Company when I was in

I have a problem with cat-eye glasses! I love the shape and they’re

Paris two years ago. Paris is my favorite place in the whole world,

the only kind I wear now. I actually hate contacts for some reason,

which is so cliché (and so Libra of me to say, I know). It’s a nice

so I have three variations of cat-eyes at this point, but my black

little reminder of the time I spent there. I use it daily, so it’s a little

framed pair is my favorite.

beaten-up now but I love it dearly, we will never part ways!

SPOTIFY (WITH “MOTION SICKNESS” ON REPEAT) JAPANESE BREAKFAST T-SHIRT

I really can’t function without music playing at all times so Spotify

Japanese Breakfast is one of my all-time favorite artists and last

is my best friend. Also I will never get tired of the song “Motion

summer, I bought tickets on a whim from someone on Facebook

Sickness” by Phoebe Bridgers. Shit slaps. I can listen to it on

because the show was sold out. It was truly one of the best

repeat for days and it was my most-listened-to song of 2018 and

experiences I’ve had at a concert, and she puts on an amazing

will most likely be the one for 2019 too because I have issues.

show. This shirt is a staple in my everyday wardrobe now, and I’ve cut the neckline and the hem so it’s extra comfy and cute.

SALLY HANSEN BLACK AND BLUE NAIL POLISH I hate going to nail salons because I’m an anxious nail-polish

ICED MATCHA LATTE FROM THINKING CUP

scratcher, so i prefer to do my nails myself and only in this color.

I’m obsessed with Matcha and I adore the Thinking Cup’s Iced

I’ve worn it since high school, and sometimes dabble in other

Matcha Latte because they actually steam the milk so it’s nice and

colors, but I always find my way back to this iridescent teal-

foamy when you drink it and the Matcha isn’t sweetened, so the

purple shimmer.

flavor isn’t overpowering.

74 | YOURMAG

YOURMAG | 75

Ym “i don’t know, what do you wanna do?”

We all know about the MFA. The swan boats. The North End. Here are our best offbeat date spots in Boston. From (sort of) locals.

Dating can get messy so why not embrace it? My favorite unconventional date spot is Holly Crab on Comm Ave! Throw on a bib and start cracking open your choice of crab, shrimp, or lobster out of their glamorous plastic bags. If you ask nicely, your waiter might even snap a polaroid of you and your partner and hang it on the wall near the entrance!

Rana Saifi, Talent Director The Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline hosts a bunch of awesome “Coolidge After Midnite” showings of old, cult classic films.

Grab your date and impress them with your out-of-the-box thinking and go see a midnight showing of Gremlins, The Grudge, or Alien.

There are also a bunch of cool places in the area to grab dinner or some drinks before!

Lindsay Howard, Copy Chief Year-round, the Boston Ghost Tour company offers “haunted nighttime tours” of places all around the city. The typical tour is about an hour long right after sunset, and makes for the perfect spooky stroll with your significant other! It’s up to debate whether or not the tours are actually scary or not, but they’re only $19 a person and definitely worth the experience!

Talia Smith, Living Editor So here’s the tea...literally. The Boston Tea Party Museum has a beautiful ocean-front space just behind the gift shop where you can relax and sample all the teas thrown into the harbor back in 1773. A bonus: the experience is only $4 for bottomless tea. Sit in Abigail’s Tea Room, chat with people in period dress, and play some Ye Olde Draughts while you snack on scones and fresh cream.

It’s weird and wacky and my girlfriend and I LOVED it.

Delia Curtis, Style Editor and Street Style Director One of my favorite dates is cooking together at home. There is a small restaurant and market in Cambridge called Dave’s Fresh Pasta where you can pick from more than 30 handmade pasta flavors and 50 ravioli flavors. They’ll cut it fresh to order, and you get to mix and match with their homemade sauces. Spending time in the kitchen always brings the best conversation, especially when it comes with a story!

Abigail Noyes, Assistant Copy Chief Just don’t date.

Bobby Nicholas III, Co-Head Designer Living in the city makes getting enough fresh air pretty tough. On your next date pack a lunch and water and take public transit to one of my favorite outdoor spots right near Boston. Blue Hills Reservation is great if you want a good hike with beautiful views of the city without compromising the feeling of being in the woods. The reservation is an impressive 7,000 acre state park with meadows, bogs, forests, and swamps, and over 125 miles of hikes. It’s a ways outside of Boston, but still accessible by the Red Line or bus, and is one of my favorite places.

Andy Caira, Assistant Style Editor

76 | YOURMAG

ART BY BOBBY J. NICHOLAS III

YOURMAG | 77

ARTIST STATEMENT

Lily Hartenstein Painting (acrylic, watercolor), digital Describe your work in one sentence.

I think the whole point of art is that it can’t be described in one sentence!

Do you have an artistic process?

It very much depends. In high school, my art class was essentially studio time—I could do whatever I wanted, but by the end of the year I had to have a certain amount of work completed. At the beginning of the year I had a map of my pieces with a bunch of rough sketches, but mostly abstract concepts. To begin a piece, I would sketch out my idea, then draw that onto my canvas and begin painting. I would edit as I work. That’s what I love about painting: how it evolves. Nothing I have painted looks like the original concept in my head, but I usually end up liking the final product more. Since I’ve started college, my artistic process has changed. I don’t really have time to work on big projects, and instead make little paintings, collages, or drawings. I just started picking up digital art, drawing on my iPad. Since these are just little pieces, not necessarily to be displayed but just for the sake of creating, I worry less about planning. When I feel like I want to create, I just try to muster as much raw emotion inside me as possible. Usually that’s listening to music and scrolling through Pinterest boards, but sometimes it can just hit me after I watch a moving film or read an article that sparks something in me. Then I just create, letting whatever ideas I have as I work flow.

When do you feel most creative?

I feel most creative when I look at my best friend, when I’m listening to my favorite playlist, when I’m sitting alone in the Renaissance Room at the MFA, when I’m having a conversation with a professor about something that excites me. Experiencing art inspires my creativity. The creativity of others energizes me, gives me something to build on. If the world is full of a bunch of waves at different frequencies bouncing around, I sort of imagine creativity like that: reverberating, echoing, reflecting, refracting, amplifying.

What inspires you?

I guess what inspires me is the need to express what cannot be said. We all have a need to express, and I am very much victim to that need. The driving force of my art is that it allows me to express a part of me no other outlet can. What inspires me to become a better artist, though, is what inspires my creativity. I love experiencing art and when I experience art I want to create art, good art, in return.

It’s like a back and forth with me and all my surroundings.

Who are some of your favorite photographers/ designers/ artists?

This is such a cliché right now, but Frida Kahlo is my favorite artist. My parents gave me a book with pictures of her work and short descriptions when I was about seven. When I grew older, and more invested in art, I found myself continuing to return to her work, but more importantly, her story. Her paintings are beautiful, but who she was makes me admire her art more, and has influenced my art a lot. As for other famous artists, I really love Klee, Dali, and Basquiat. I recently have been getting into the work of Graciela Iturbide. She had an exhibit at the MFA, and I immediately connected with her work. I’ve been looking into a lot of her photos, watching interviews with her. Just like with Frida, the artist enhances the art; she’s an amazing woman with amazing talent. She’s actually featured in the Frida exhibit at the MFA right now. I’ve been following Chan, an artist on Instagram @flesh.png, for a long time, and I am forever obsessed with their style.

What’s one of your favorite pieces you’ve done? What makes it special?

My favorite painting is actually one I made when I was fourteen, so technically speaking, it’s not great. Fourteen was a rough year for me; it was when I first started dealing with mental illness. I was groping with suicidal ideations with no mechanisms to cope, smack in the middle of my My Chemical Romance phase (that is actually a lie, as I have never left my MCR phase, but you get the picture). Needless to say, my art was ridiculously emo. I never worked with color, and everything I made was a depressing cliché. The first acrylic painting I did was about how creativity gets sucked out of youth, depicting a person staring blankly with their brain exposed. There was a tap sticking out of their brain, draining color like water. It was the product of an angsty fourteen-year-old, but I love the symbolism of it now, looking back. Not the symbolism I intended, but the world gives art meaning you never planned. To make the brain, I fingerpainted rainbow swirls; I realized I loved working with color. If you look at my work since then, it’s incredibly colorful. People tell me all the time that I “wear a lot of color,” and I can never tell if they mean it as an insult or what. But I love color! And that piece literally shows my transition into color. In the painting I was trying to say that I was getting drained of creativity by a dark and depressing world, but in reality it marked the beginning of the bloom of my creativity in a depressing, but also incredibly beautiful and inspiring world.

What is the best part of creating art?

I would have to say the best part about creating art would be how it changes as you work on it. I paint with direction and intention, but the final product is never what it was in my head. It’s almost like a collaboration of me and circumstance—like Bob Ross says, happy accidents. I love seeing how my ideas change as I put them to canvas.

Where can readers see more of your work?

I have an Instagram @lilyohart, but I don’t post as often as I’d like. I’m working on that, though! And I do illustrations for Your Mag when I have time, so you can sometimes find my work in this very publication.

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