YOUR MAG
VOLUME 13 | ISSUE 2 | APRIL 2020
CONTENTS ROMANCE 3 SEXUAL EXPERIENCE IN COLLEGE
EDITORIAL STYLE
EDITORIAL LIVING
EDITORIAL ARTS & ENTERTAIMENT
YOUR THINGS Y.MP3 ARTIST STATEMENT
5 7 9 11 17 19 21 23 31 33 35 37 39 51 53 55 57 59 61 62 63
EMBRACE YOUR “HOE PHASE” “FIRST COMES LOVE...” PEGASUS LOST IN SPACE CROCS AND PEARLS SO FRESH, SO CLEAN DO I REALLY HAVE TO THROW OUT MY $50 PALETTE? NOIR TAG, YOU’RE IT! CROWN OF CURLS ANTIDEPRESSANTS HOW TO ESTABLISH BOUNDARIES SPRING BREAK THE RISE AND FALL OF YA THE IMPORTANCE OF DINERS IN MOVIES THE FUTURE SOUNDS AND IS FEMALE THE NEWS ON MUZE JULIE GIFFIN AND LEA GURVAL YELIZAVETA ROGULINA SONGS FOR A RAINY DAY IN QUARANTINE SHANNON KAY
YMEMERSON.COM | INSTAGRAM: @YOUR.MAG | TWITTER: @YOURMAGEMERSON
1 | YOURMAG
YOUR Mag
EDITOR’S letter
VOLUME 13 | ISSUE 2 | APRIL 2020
EMILIE KRONE
TIANNA LOVERDE
ABIGAIL NOYES
LILY WALSH
LILLIAN COHEN
MADISON DOUGLAS
ANDY CAIRA
TATIANA GUEL
OLIVIA CIGLIANO
MARIANNA POLETTI
ISABELLE BRAUN
EMILY KING
AMANDA HAMPTON
PALLAS HAYES
TALIA SMITH
YELIZAVETA ROGULINA
LEE ANN JASTILLANA
NATASHA ARNOWITZ
TIFFANY CARBON
ELOISA DE FARIAS
ALLISON HUGHES
LAUREN DILLOW
JESS FERGUSON
RANA SAIFI
KATIE POWERS
ALLISON DUGGAN
JULIE GIFFIN
ELLA WANG
Editor In Chief
Managing Editor
Romance Editor
Style Editor
Assistant Style Editor
A&E Editor
Assistant A&E Editor
Living Editor
Web Director
Assistant Web Director
Co-Copy Chief
Co-Copy Chief
Head Proofreader
Marketing Coordinator
YMTV Director
Co-Creative Director
Co-Creative Director
Co-Head Designer
Co-Head Designer
Photo Director
Assistant Photo Director
Art Director
Assistant Art Director
Editorial Director
Style Director
Talent Manager
Co-Event Coordinator
Co-Event Coordinator
LEA GURVAL
Assistant Marketing Coordinator
COPY EDITORS: ALLISON CARAVELLA, CHARLOTTE DRUMMOND, ALEXIS GARCIA-RUIZ, MEHER GUPTA, KAITLYN HACKETT, CATE HAYES, KATE HEALY, NADIA HIBRI, REBECCA LETTS, ANDREA MENDEZ, NATALIE MICHAUD, MADELYN MULREANEY, AMAYA SEGUNDO,
N
eedless to say, these are uncertain times. In the past month, the world has changed astronomically. With COVID-19 threatening our health and safety and with the future somewhat uncertain, everyone is feeling a little bit anxious. Here at Your Mag, things are no different. In the past few weeks, our staff has been forced to move off campus and away from one another, meaning we’ve put this issue together remotely. Though stressful, this process has also been incredibly rewarding. In a time of chaos and craziness, there’s a certain relief in continuing to work on something that’s been a part of our daily lives for months already. With that in mind, we hope our April issue will give you a sense of familiarity in an otherwise unfamiliar time. If you’re looking for a brief distraction, I recommend turning to page 31 for Meredith Stisser’s “Tag, You’re It!” which looks into the culture of the “tag yourself ” meme. For an out-of-this-world experience, turn to the Lost in Space editorial on page 11. Or, if music is your escape, check out the latest edition of Y.MP3, a playlist curated by our e-board just for you, which can be found on page 62. However you unwind, remember to engage in selfcare during this time of social distancing. And above all, wash your hands! With love,
TIVARA TANUDJAJA SOCIAL MEDIA: ALLISON DUGGAN, SEOYEON LEE, ELLA WANG DESIGN: SEREN CHO, ANA HEIN, ILEANA PEREZ, HONGXI YAO, GUO YU
Emilie Krone
PROOFREADERS: CHARLOTTE DRUMMOND, KATE HEALY, REBECCA LETTS, MADELYN MULREANEY, MARYCATHERINE NEAL
YOURMAG | 2
Sexual experience in college
WRITTEN BY SYDNEY TAYLOR ART BY ELIZABETH APPLE
W
hat’s your number? How was your first time? Who’s the best you’ve ever done it with?
For “the average sexually experienced” college student, these questions are easy to answer. For me, not so much. I have never had sex or been in a serious relationship, but I never saw it as a problem until college. “The average guy” has sex for the first time at 16.9 years old and a girl at 17.4 years old. By this standard, I was behind. I felt like the oddball out. Whenever sex was brought up in discussions, I couldn’t relate, and my friends pointed out that I “wouldn’t know.” By the time my older sister was in her first year of college, she had been in a relationship for almost three years. My mom got married at 23 years old and had my sister a year later. My grandma got married when she was 19 years old. Even in my own family, I wasn’t the norm. I felt out of place. In college, sex is the norm, which places pressure on students to be sexually experienced. Dating apps and television shows help play up the idea of one-night stands and hookup culture, asserting it as the supposed norm. The daily sexcapades of teenagers on Riverdale and messy hookups on Good Trouble overexaggerate the amount of sex that teenagers are having on the other side of the small screen. Messages such as “Can I sit on your face?” and “DTF?” litter the inboxes of dating apps, leaving many to use them as a “what if ?” game, rather than an actual romantic option. Though many students are exploring their sexualities, not everyone is in a personal position to take the step toward sexual intimacy with partners. I created a Tinder account last semester, late at night with my roommate. Everyone on campus seemed to have one. As time went on, it became more annoying than fun. It got tedious how often I had to explain that I was looking for a relationship. Most people weren’t on the same page. Recently, one of my matches followed up by saying, “yeahh I wouldn’t say I’m trynna date haha, but I mean you do got pretty big
3 | ROMANCE
boobs soo.” It’s definitely not a great track record. I went on one date with someone I met on Tinder last year. He went to Wentworth and told me he did not smoke or drink. He understood my boundaries. When he came to my dorm room for our date, we talked for hours. The most he tried to do was hug me when saying goodbye. “It was really nice meeting you,” he said, suggesting we should hang out again. I told him I would text him, and he left. We continued talking for a few days before he stopped responding. It came out of nowhere. I have yet to find someone I would want to have sex with. I want to save sex with someone I trust and have an intimate relationship with. I am open to having sex in college, but I am in no rush. Why does that matter to so many people? Writing, literature, and publishing major Chloe Aldrich ‘22 has had similar experiences in college. “I think people want to gain experience, but with someone they actually care about, and don’t want to settle for just anyone,” she says, adding that “most people I know seem to be tired of societal pressures to gain experience as soon as possible.” Many college students feel the need to justify why they haven’t had sex, but there is no single answer. Everyone’s sexual journey is unique. Sex has become important in society, but it does not have to be the core of your college experience. When 700 college students were surveyed by New York Magazine, 74 percent of college first- and secondyear students believed they were having less sex than their friends, while 64 percent of third- and fourthyear students said the same. The study also revealed that 41 percent of college women and 49 percent of college men were not sexually active, while 39 percent said they had never had sex. Not having sex doesn’t take away from my college experience. I still have friends, go on dates, and party the same as my peers. I’ve never had sex, and I am not ashamed of it. YM
embrace your hoe phase
WRITTEN BY MELISSA ROSALES ART BY MADELYN MULREANEY
I
never expected to find myself in the “hoe phase.” It sounds like the plot of a classic ‘90s movie, but it happened to me. I’m not ashamed of it. In fact, I’m grateful for the personal and sexual exploration it pushed me into learning more about myself in two years than I had the 19 years prior. I started my first relationship when I was 15. It lasted for three and a half years. We met at an afterschool tutoring center. He was emotionally abusive. After we broke up during my freshman year of college, I jumped right into a nine-month relationship with someone else—arguably not my best move. My mom always told me to keep my options open. Like Samantha from Sex and the City says, “If you’re single, the world is your smörgåsbord,” I found my own smörgåsbord in Europe when I was studying abroad in the Netherlands. I managed to use my minimal French to hook up with a Belgian I met at a techno club in Brussels. I had the most Before Sunrise-esque date in Prague, stretching from 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. I found myself trying to hit on a woman for the first time-a Czech woman in a hip-hop club. When I got back to Boston, I downloaded numerous dating apps and was ready to have some fun and explore my sexuality. I had crazy sex with Navy boys and had group sex for my 21st birthday. I hooked up with fraternity boys and even went to a formal in Vermont. I was excited to date really attractive men, even men from Ivy League schools, but then I realized there are more important factors to consider dating someone besides how smart or elite they are. I learned something from everyone I was with. I hooked up with stoners to get free weed, and I realized I could never date someone who spent all their time in their room. I went rock climbing with an introvert and discovered I was attracted to introverts who complimented my bubbly personality.
I went to late-night wine nights at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, breweries, rollerblade rinks, sushi jazz restaurants, underground tunnels at Northeastern University, and so much more. During my first date with a girl, she cooked me pasta. I felt pressured to be secure in my sexuality right away. I just wanted to hook up, not have a girlfriend. I had trouble accepting my bisexuality at first, but as I dated more girls and fell in love with a few of them, I realized it was okay to accept that part of me. I had a lot of fun, but not everything was great. I’ve been kicked out more than once right after sex. One time, it was during a snowstorm. I cried on the Uber ride back, which I made him pay for. I went on a date with a new boy I really liked, but he already had a huge hickey on his neck the whole time. I vowed I never wanted to be with someone who disrespected me like that again. I was taking a shower, getting ready for a date, when my date texted me and said dinner reservations were too much and too soon. I fell in love with a shy girl from Wellesley College, but she ended things when she saw my wilder side. My heart was broken, but I learned I shouldn’t apologize for being myself. I swam the ocean, not the sea. Then, once I had enough, I knew what I wanted. He didn’t have hickeys on our first date, and he loved every single part of me. He was hardworking, passionate, and a total introvert. I didn’t wonder about the “what-ifs” with him. I spent those years answering every “what-if ” I had. Being single for two years was fun, crazy, and miserable, but necessary. I wouldn’t be as happy, secure, and confident in myself if it weren’t for that. I wasn’t merely “single.” I explored my entire self and learned to love who I am. I encourage people to enjoy their “hoe phase.” Embrace it. Take it as an opportunity to explore yourself, your body, and your heart. Because no matter how many relationships you have, what’s important is the one you find with yourself. YM
ROMANCE | 6
"First comes love..."
W
as the timing right? Should I be saying “I love you?” Should I be having sex? Should we be more than sex?
There seems to be some kind of “map” of the path that relationships are supposed to take. It’s perpetuated throughout movies, art, and children’s storybooks. You have the perfect meet-cute, go on a few dates, become exclusive, and fall in love. Marriage follows, or the relationship collapses. We’re taught from a young age to follow this map in order to be happy, but in reality, it’s all synthetically generated. It places pressure on the relationship by setting a ticking clock on the timeframe they should follow. Any deviation from the norm is met with confusion and assumed failure. Walking into a relationship, it’s important to know that one doesn’t have to know exactly when things will happen. It can cause overthinking and forceful communication between partners. Most of these expectations aren’t just when to have sex or say “I love you,” but they also control the simple things like holding hands and meeting the family. “We are social beings, and we care a lot about our close relationships, which is why we have high expectations for the things we love,” says Lindsey Beck, an Emerson professor and social psychologist who focuses on human relationships. “I think people are likely to feel pressured in areas that are personally important to them and/or to their broader society and culture,” Beck says. “These areas might include timing-related to being sexually intimate with their partner, moving in together, getting engaged, getting married, or starting a family.” IDIP major Grace Griffin ‘20 has seen the pressure of relationship timelines in her own life, especially on social media. Timelines in relationships are always something I have been aware of, because they’re seemingly everywhere,” Griffin says. “I’ve seen countless articles, 7 | ROMANCE
tweets, and advice columns that weigh in on the right time to have sex with someone, the right time to move in with a partner, the right time to define the relationship, et cetera. It’s societally inescapable, so I understand how it can put pressure on people.” While adding one-night stands to her sexual experience, Griffin also admits to waiting over a month into a relationship to have sex. “It’s so dependent on what both people want at the time and so many other personal external factors that influence a partnership,” she says. “Relationship timelines are honestly damaging to promote because they try to establish a ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ time to do things when human connection is never that cut and dry.” Flash forward to my own experience, there wasn’t a single thorough thought going through my mind the moment I said “I love you” for the first time. Not even a month had gone by before it slipped out of his mouth. And even though I felt the same, I hesitated because societal norms said it was too soon. The thought of everyone reminding me to wait wouldn’t leave my mind. If you were to tell any friend around you that you said “I love you” to your partner before the first month was up, they would most likely judge you for it. Society forced societal deadlines on us, blocking our ability to think and act under our own terms. “It should be across the board to respect others’ decisions when it comes to their relationships and how they want to express their affection to their partner,” Writing, literature, and publishing major Anna Phillips ‘23 says. So, when is the right time to say “I love you?” The truth is, there is no answer. Whether it’s the first date, month, or year, there is no benchmark. Whether it’s holding hands, having sex, or introducing your loved one to your parents, there is no pressure. Only you can determine when the right time is. Being in a relationship shouldn’t feel like you’re running on a stopwatch. YM
WRITTEN BY MARIANNA POLETTI REYES ART BY YELIZAVETA ROGULINA PHOTOGRAPHED BY EMILY KING
Pegasus
WRITTEN BY MEREDITH STISSER ART BY MADISON MARZANO
P
egging. Maybe you’ve heard of it? Long regarded as a sexual taboo, even in relatively sex-positive circles, something about pegging makes it less readily accepted than other kinks discussed in the mainstream. To understand why we hold such deep-seated biases against pegging, we point to the assertions in R.W. Connell’s concept of hegemonic masculinity. Connell is a revered gender theorist with over 98,000 citations. Her theory of hegemonic masculinity is defined as a practice that legitimizes men’s dominant position in society and justifies the subordination of everyone else that deviates from this norm. The theory identifies the supremacy of men as a foundational building block of society, politics, and culture, and emphasizes the necessity to rewrite that narrative. Pegging and the apprehension it is met with captures the essence of this theory. Pegging plays on several different power dynamics, placing it at a cornerstone of controversy. It is a longpracticed and entirely healthy sexual expression, yet it is often met with apprehension and stigma. The act of pegging challenges the long-standing heteronormative ideal that sex equates to a man penetrating a woman. This, of course, is not the all encompassing definition of sex. However, pegging is the kink that strips that exclusive definition of sex from the backs of those upholding toxic ideals of masculinity. If a woman can penetrate someone, what’s next? Equal pay? The heteronormative power dynamic of men as the active party and women merely existing as a passive object during intercourse is toppled. The entire gendered system is overthrown. Other kinks like bondage, voyeurism, or role-play do not directly threaten that foundation in the explicit way pegging does. Everyone’s kinks, preferences, and tastes are influenced by their personal experience and the cultural norms they’re exposed to. So, if people acknowledge those biases and continue to forge ahead as an accepting community, a new order of love and lovin’ has space to emerge. The depiction of pegging in the media has done little to normalize or popularize the kink. Many depictions of pegging in TV and movies (Weeds, Horrible Bosses, Deadpool, etc.) use pegging for comedic relief, as if the subversion hegemonic masculinity is absurd. Punchlines rely on the emasculation of a man and perceived “weirdness” of the woman involved.
Broad City is one of the first shows to address pegging as an exciting and nor mal sexual episode. The iconic television show has taken similar taboo topics to the mainstream before through a representative conversation. Pegging, like all sexual exploits, may make someone a little nervous at first, but when all parties consent, it can lead to a zesty and positive sexual experience. Though the expression is trite, communication is key during sex. Yet some conversations, especially those about pegging, are more daunting to invoke because of the social implications and norms that they challenge. That became a problem for Peggy Peterson.* She says, “[Pegging] was always something I had wanted to try, but I didn’t know how to bring it up to my boyfriend, Peggary*, without making him feel really on-the-spot or uncomfortable.” Bethany Booty* echoed the same sentiment. “As a lesbian, there is so much stigma around that sexual arena already that revolves around ‘Who’s the guy?’ I felt like my interest in trying it out might have come from a place of pressure to give in to that trope,” she says. “There is such a prejudice and internalized homophobia in the mainstream media that anything with homoerotic characteristics is automatically qualified in some shameful or jokey way,” Shay Staystrap* says. “People don’t think about pegging as something that can create pleasure because they’re too caught up in portraying it as a way to make fun and shame people.” The stigma surrounding pegging is a reaction of the vice grip that hegemonic masculinity holds over modern culture. So many consensual sexual adventures are stigmatized because of outdated, unproductive ideals. If you’re interested in trying it out, fear not if you feel a little funny about it and don’t know why— social conditioning may be the culprit! The best way to approach any new sexual venture is with honest discussion, patience, and a healthy amount of waterbased lube. In a world that we are floating through without aim, happiness and genuine pleasure are extremely valuable and should be actively embraced— be that eating vanilla ice cream with melted peanut butter, going for long walks down neighborhood streets, or pegging a consenting partner. Explore your sexual fantasies. Peg on! YM *Names have been changed to maintain confientiality.
YOURMAG | 10
lost in
DIRECTED BY ELOISA DE FARIAS PHOTOGRAPHED BY MADISON DOUGLAS ART BY YELIZAVETA ROGULINA MODELED BY MADISON GOLDBERG SMRUTI TARANA THIRUNAVUKKARASU MAKEUP BY MARI KUWABARA
Crocs and Pearls: What’s in Your Treasure Trunk?
WRITTEN BY OLIVIA CIGLIANO PHOTOGRAPHED BY PALLAS HAYES
A
ny fashion lover has go-to pieces and outfits that feel authentic to them. I wrangled stylish Emersonians to share their sentimental pieces and their unique approaches to dressing for themselves. KELLY “Sharp, functional, and utility” are the words Kelly Chen uses to describe her style. Sitting under her bed, she files through a sea of brown, navy, and black to uncover her favorite items. She first addresses the curious blue-gray Crocs. “These are the Crocs that my camp idol wore,” she gushes. “She was just the best counselor, and she was really good with kids and her photography was great. And she wore these. So two years later, I went and got them.” Another well-loved accessory is a blue fisherman net bag that she snatches off the floor. She pauses. “For someone who’s so private about eating, I love to carry four huge bags of spinach around in this for everyone to see.” She unearths a brown Pink Floyd “Millenium” long sleeve tee that reminds her of something her dad would wear, though she admits she doesn’t reach for it often anymore. Lately, she’s preferred her monochromatic ensemble of a black turtleneck and whatever black pants are lying around. “When I’m feeling particularly out of order, I wear all black and try to look really intimidating so nobody questions what I’m doing.” ELOISA Eloisa de Farias likes variety, sitting before me in a windbreaker, geometric earrings, and translucentframed glasses. “I like simple things that stand out,” she says. Naturally, she also gravitates towards vintage. She plans her outfits the night before on her Notes app. “I lay in my bed and think of things I haven’t used in a really long time and try to make them work.” To combat the restrictive Boston weather, she adds “extravagance” to simple outfits with jewelry and her collection of go-to headscarves. Turtlenecks play a major role in her style and are her favorite weapon against the cold, as someone who calls Hawaii home. De Farias also keeps a black and white striped sweater in rotation, which was a gift from her grandma. Its initial purpose was to keep her warm when she lived in Brazil and experienced her first winter. Thoughtfully, she notes, “It reminds me of Brazil and my family, and it’s a part of my culture. It’s something I’ll never get rid of.”
YUHAN Before Yuhan Cheng adds a pieceto his closet, he makes sure the item fits him and his “analysis of himself.” Balance and comfort are key. “I always try to make myself seem like I have better proportions,” Yuhan says, explaining his signature combination of a high-waisted pant and tank top. He likes to set off feminine pieces with oversized pants or jackets. He cherishes a pair of high-waisted jeans from freshman year that suffered a tear in the butt, dooming them to retirement. Its wide legs perfectly housed his boots, and the high waist allowed him to experiment with crop tops. “I realized I bought pieces based on the pants,” he says. “I had to buy something that looks exactly similar.” He admits he’s never considered the way he styles himself. It comes naturally. Cheng’s most loved accessory is a tiger print scarf he found at Goodwill over a year ago. He laughs, “I wear it basically everyday.” GRETA Greta Kip identifies with the words “wise, grandma, and strange,” as she sports a boy tee and a strand of pearls. Kip’s favorite fashion item is the very treasure sitting on her neck, gifted from her mother on her 16th birthday. “They were her mom’s pearls and they’ve been passed down. They’re like my good luck charm. I’m always wearing them no matter if they match the outfit.” Kip’s perfect outfit: One of her grandfather’s “old 80s whacky sweaters,” jeans, and her cowboy boots. The boots came from Kip’s “very Jewish grandma who was not into flashy fashion.” She did, however, allow herself to enjoy pearly-white, luminescent cowboy boots that now spend a lot of time on Kip’s feet. Her 10-year-old J. Crew sweater is another staple. “I’ve accidentally shrunk it a bunch in the dryer, so it’s very small on me,” she says. “It’s like the one thing that goes with all my outfits. I will keep wearing it until it’s in rags.” So, how do you connect with your clothes? Material goods aren’t always lifeless. Fashion can inspire us to live authentically, devoting us to a life-long love affair with a piece that we’d never want to escape. Even if said item has shrunk in the dryer hundreds of times over, or bears a rip in the butt. YM
STYLE | 18
I
SO FRESH, SO CLEAN
n terms of style, I’m more of a maximalist, and I often find myself expressing my individuality through bold colors, crazy silhouettes, and loud patterns. From a pair of assless chaps to a pair of bedazzled boots, every item in my closet is there to accentuate my crazy personality. Recently, however, my mornings have become more difficult due to the increasing amount of clothes that I own. I keep packing my wardrobe with trend-based items, and it has become more difficult to put an outfit together because I’m always questioning if it’s still trending or figuring out what goes with what. I just don’t have the time to labor over what to wear anymore, so I decided to delve into minimalism. The key to pinpointing minimalist style is by keeping it simple. It’s the art of removing all the bells while still maintaining a stylish look and focusing on things like fabrics and textures. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t necessarily have to fill your closet up to be considered “fashionable.” Minimalist fashion icons like Kanye West and Victoria Beckham are walking examples of “less is more.” West made the idea of wearing neutral colors stylish after the debut of his second fashion show during New York Fashion week under the brand Yeezy. This collection featured a series of dusty, drapey, militaryinspired pieces that were stunning. Beckham, on the other hand, is famous for her simple yet chic looks. You can always catch her in an ensemble of refined silhouettes, neutral colors, and a pair of heels that can literally cut a b*tch. The explosive popularity of minimalism fashion from designers such as OAK + FORT, Acne Studios, Helmut Lang, A.P.C., and Mijeong Park has permeated every corner of the fashion industry. From Paris fashion week to the red carpet of the Met Gala, minimalist fashion has gone mainstream. Brands like Everlane and COS are ushering in a slew of toned-down palettes and classics in their most chic form. Think plain white tees and selvedge denim, a monochromatic look with a pop of color, cashmere sweaters, ankle-length trousers, and simple wool coats. This style is all about using materials and pieces that are capable of making a statement on their own. 19 | STYLE
So, if the idea of adding minimalist accessories and clothing to your wardrobe sounds like a breath of fresh air, then here are a list of five curated steps to help you pull off this chic look. STEP 1: Declutter! Empty out that closet of yours, and separate your clothes in two piles—the ‘yes’ pile, and the ‘no’ pile. Discard items that no longer fit, don’t make you feel confident, are worn-down, or don’t match your current style. Then take your ‘no’ pile and donate them. (Don’t throw them away! You’ll be contributing to massive landfills.) STEP 2: Evaluate! Take a look at the remaining clothes in your closet, and bookmark the looks that you find on Instagram or Pinterest. Take mental notes of what colors, fabrics, and silhouettes that make you feel sexy, confident, and comfortable. Once you zero in on your style, focus on that look and make sure you keep it consistent. STEP 3: Expression! The typical color schemes in a minimalist closet include white, black, and gray, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to eliminate colors from your wardrobe. If you’re into vibrant colors and fun patterns, then you should incorporate those items into your wardrobe. However, make sure that you can style it with the rest of the clothes. For example, If you make the decision to rock a vibrant red T-shirt, then you should pair it with a neutral pair of white trousers. STEP 4: Essentials! These articles of clothing are vital to your wardrobe: three blazers, two pairs of jeans, four sweaters, one coat, three T-shirts, three tank tops, two pairs of trousers, three pairs of shoes, two buttondowns, three bags, and three dresses. Every piece in your closet should coordinate with one another so that you can combine all of your looks together to create endless combinations of looks. STEP 5: Invest! Repeat after me: “quality over quantity!” Invest in pieces that will last you for years to come, and stay away from trends. Trends die! With a minimalist style, you’ll be saving yourself time, money, and space in your closet. In addition to that, you’ll also gain a fresh sense of clarity and contentment in your life. So what are you waiting for? Open up that closet of yours and get started! YM
WRITTEN BY RONALD CRIVELLO-KAHIHIKOLO PHOTOGRAPHED BY LETAO CHEN
Do I Really Have To Throw Out My $50 Palette? WRITTEN BY AUDREY JABER
P
eople save money for months, just to splurge on one piece of makeup that they think will last them a while—and if they only use it on special occasions, maybe it will. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it should. Makeup is expensive, so when you spend $50 on a single eyeshadow palette, of course you want to make the most of it. However, keeping it too far past its Period After Opening (PAO) can become dangerous. Although the FDA doesn’t require cosmetics to have expiration dates on their labels, most products will have a PAO, which serves as a guideline for when the product should be thrown away. The PAO is a small icon that looks like an open container. It’s accompanied by a number followed by an “M,” which tells you the number of months that a product is safe to use after it has been opened. Makeup usually lasts from four months to two years after it has been opened, depending on the type of product. Mascara can last from four to six months, while lipstick and blush can last up to two years. In general, powders will last longer than liquids. The Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palette, for example, costs $54 and has a PAO of 12 months. This means that despite the expensive price tag on this product, it should be thrown away after one year, regardless of how much eyeshadow is left in each pan. Though this may seem like a waste of money and product, it’s important to listen to the PAO. A study from the Journal of Applied Microbiology found that nine out of 10 makeup products contain bacteria capable of causing illnesses and infections. Your makeup could be harboring bacteria like Staphylococcus Aureus (Staph), E.coli, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, and Citrobacter freundii, among others. When these types of bacteria come in contact with your mouth, eyes, nose, open cuts, or pimples, they have the ability to cause dangerous skin and eye infections. And the longer a product is kept past its PAO, the higher this likelihood gets. However, there are a few things that you can do to keep a product as safe and clean as possible. For one, never share makeup—especially products that are used close to your eyes. When you share makeup, there is a high probability that you are also sharing germs, which can lead to an infection.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY ELAINE TANTRA
Storing makeup properly helps reduce the risk of bacterial growth. Make sure that all covers are screwed on tightly. For mascara, don’t pump the wand in its tube to get product on it, as this forces air and bacteria inside. Also, don’t leave makeup anywhere too hot, like a car, because bacteria and fungi tend to prefer warmer environments. Makeup applicators and brushes should be cleaned regularly, especially Beauty Blenders. Research published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology stated that makeup sponges have the highest levels of potentially harmful microbes. Despite this, over 90 percent of makeup sponges are never cleaned by their owners, the journal said. Makeup applicators should be cleaned weekly a n d t h o ro u g h l y w a s h e d o n c e a m o n t h . T h i s can be done using dish soap or makeup brush shampoo, which can be bought at stores like CVS, Target, or Sephora. You can also clean the products themselves. For products like lipstick, lip liner, pencil eyeliner, and concealer sticks, wipe the surface with an alcohol wipe. Pressed powders and cream makeup can be sprayed with isopropyl alcohol, which you can buy at any drugstore. Lastly, although it may seem obvious, make sure that your hands are clean before you apply any makeup. Every time you dip your fingers into a product, you are introducing microorganisms. Even with this knowledge, however, it’s likely that at least a few out-of-date products will remain in your makeup collection. It can be painful to throw away a product that you spent your hard-earned money on. But if you are going to keep a product past its PAO, it’s important to keep an eye out for the warning signs that it has gone bad. In all your products, you should look out for a change in smell, texture, or color. In liquids, like mascara or concealer, watch out for clumping or drying out. If you notice any of these changes, you should throw the makeup out immediately. So next time you’re planning to spend big bucks on a piece of makeup, check out the PAO. Will you really finish that product by then? If not, consider investing your money into something that will actually last, without any risk. YM STYLE | 22
DIRECTED AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY TAINA MILLSAP MODELED BY THEODOR HOLM MICAELA LEON PERDOMO LETAO CHEN MAKEUP BY MARI KUWABARA
tag, you’re it! WRITTEN BY MEREDITH STISSER ART BY KAY THOMAS 31 | LIVING
“T
ag yourself,” your friend jokes as they point to a scene of a mother and two children. The mother scrolls through her phone while one child spins in circles and the other child sleeps soundly in a stroller. “The spinning one, obviously,” you respond. “I’m the unbothered mom,” your friend decides—bam, you’ve both been tagged. From Sex and the City characters to cigarette carton packaging, we are a generation enamored with curating personal brands. The trend of “tagging yourself ” is far more complex than picking which Powerpuff Girl you and your friends are going to dress as for Halloween. It uses the essence of images and character traits to define who you are and how you relate to the world. Flickr was the first platform to use the term “tag,” which was later popularized by Facebook. To “tag” is an activity that developed via social media, and we were the first generation to do it. When we tag ourselves online, we identify who we are as a part of a group—we chose to own our image. When we tag ourselves in everyday conversation, we develop and curate our own personal brands by piecing together different cultural aspects that we see reflected in ourselves. We are a generation inevitably inundated with information and media and consumption of such. And when we tag ourselves, we reclaim what would otherwise go unspoken. Acknowledging ourselves as a collection of experiences, media, and materials is a casual way of citing our sources. By tagging ourselves out loud, we get to choose what aspects of ourselves we wish to have perceived by others, or which aspects we’d like to amplify in our own minds. However, to tag yourself can be dangerous—it can put you in a box or normalize toxic tendencies. This is why I advocate for an understanding of why we love to tag ourselves and to use the tool as a practice of liberation and self-discovery.
So, I pose a few simple tags to you: Tag yourself: - John - Paul - George - Ringo Tag yourself: - Newports - Marlboro Reds - American Spirit Tag yourself: - Pomeranian in the garden - Squirrel in the common - White swans in the garden - Frogs in the frog pond This format, though simple to us, may very well baffle a boomer. I venture to guess that it only took youa few seconds to decide which option you identify as. This shows the subtle superpower in knowing exactly who you are and choosing to be so unapologetically. Even in cases in which we may not feel a connection to any of the options to tag, we still inevitably pick one—a roleplay of sorts. This kind of exploration into the self lets us try on different hats and see how they fit. This is a quality of Gen Z that I so admire and feel lucky to be a part of. Tagging yourself need not be restrictive and rigid, as there is always the option not to be tagged at all, an option to “hide from my profile”— but the self-awareness that goes into these decisions is thunderous. We are a generation of rule-breakers, deniers of the oppressive, and champions of creativity. To use the “tag yourself ” format is not to stifle personality and rest in the familiar, but to expand a sense of self. And so, this is the task I implore you to pursue. Tag, you’re it. YM
LIVING | 32
Crown of curls I
remember the day well: it was early in my freshman year of college, and I had managed to snag a spot as the international correspondent on a campus news show. It was my first-ever episode, and I had worn my naturally curly hair to set. I took a look around at the other correspondents and anchors and quickly realized I was the only one with textured hair. So, I went home that night and searched popular news programs, including WBZ Boston and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Not only was there not much diversity in the newsroom, but the few anchors of color did not wear their natural hair on the air. I then realized that not only could I relate to this issue, but that it is a problem that spans decades in my prospective industry. According to The Washington Post, as of December 2019, only three states currently have protections in place for discrimination against employees who wear natural or protective hairstyles (this could be curls, afro-textured hair, braids, or locs). These states are California, New York, and New Jersey. This pressure to whitewash newsrooms to appear “professional” runs so deep that some may not even realize it. I once brought up the issue of straight haired news anchors in class, and my professor was astonished—she had never thought of it as an issue. And while it may seem like “just hair,” the unsaid suppression of natural hair being worn on the air has a profound impact on the careers of news anchors and reporters, and the relationship with their viewers. In 2019, MSNBC reporter Simone Boyce, who identifies as biracial, returned to wearing her natural hair on TV. In a column on Today’s website, she revealed she had started to receive less and less freelance opportunities immediately after she ditched her flat iron. Back in 2018, meteorologist Corallys Ortiz, a half-Puerto Rican and half-Dominican meteorologist on WBBJ TV in Jackson, Tennessee, chose to wear her naturally curly hair on the air. She received several hateful voicemails from a woman who called her
33 | LIVING
multiple racial slurs before ultimately telling her to “make her hair more normal” on the air. The constant perpetuation of Eurocentric beauty standards creates a massive rift between journalists and the communities they cover. In cities like Los Angeles, for example, why should reporters like Simone Boyce be left to straighten their hair every day when they are reporting in a majority-minority city? The answer is that they shouldn’t. Reporters should feel free to look like themselves—and the communities they cover. I grew up half-Ashkenazi Jewish and half-Puerto Rican—and with a head full of dark, auburn curls. I inherited my hair from both sides of the gene pool and grew up feeling like I constantly stuck out. While I have definitely faced challenges with tangles and time management in the morning over the years, I have grown to love my naturally curly hair. It is part of my identity, and I wouldn’t want to sacrifice it for the sake of “professionalism,” as many people like me have seemed to be forced into doing. Professionalism is work ethic, organization, and attitude—not hair. So why do so many people associate professionalism with appearance? Emerson College journalism professor Cheryl Jackson reflected on her experience with hairstyles in the broadcast industry. “When I was in the news business, I don’t think I saw anyone wearing natural hair. It was totally unacceptable. Everyone had about the same hairstyle. Straight hair, cut in a bob,” Jackson says. “I was told by someone who worked in the business that you couldn’t get through the door to do good reporting unless you looked like a reporter. There’s usually only one, or the very most two, black reporters in a newsroom, based on my experience.” Lack of diversity in the newsroom has created a major lack of representation for reporters of color. Growing up, I had never seen anyone who looked like me on television news. I felt like it was something I could not pursue because I didn’t have the “look” for it. But, in reality, news reporting doesn’t need to have a “look”—it needs to have integrity, honesty, and diversity, regardless of hairstyle. YM
PHOTOGRAPHED BY ELIANA FLORES-BARBER WRITTEN BY MADISON GOLDBERG
Antidepressants: How I Decided to Care for Myself WRITTEN BY KATIE POWERS PHOTOGRAPHED BY XINYI GAO
“A
nxiety and depression run in our family.” My aunt said this to me one night during winter break, giving my hand a quick squeeze. I was uncomfortable with the sincerity dripping from her voice, so I laughed to shake off some tension. I knew she was right—my family does have this history, as I’m sure most families do. In my immediate family alone, two of my three siblings are on antidepressants. I had also recently started therapy to see if medication would be a good fit for me. So, yes, I already knew about my family’s history; I just didn’t want to talk about it at that moment. It was hitting too close to home. Anxiety-induced nausea is something I’ve become all too familiar with during my first two years of college. I’ve had anxiety in the past as well—ranging from moments in elementary school to long stretches during high school. I had been used to dealing with bouts of anxiety involving existential matters, social situations, obsessions over my health, and other fun things to worry about. Mostly, it’d been manageable,
35 | LIVING
but it had become increasingly less so over time— peaking this year. Symptoms of my anxiety only got worse after moving away from the comfort and consistency of my life and family at home in St. Louis. For the past year or so, I felt this constant baseline level of anxiety that sat in the pit of my stomach, ready to flare up at a moment’s notice. Boarding a plane, anticipating a new or unfamiliar social situation, thinking about climate change, having a misunderstanding with my boyfriend or a friend, or finding an abnormality about my body all had the power to ramp up the intensity of my anxiety before I even had time to realize what was happening. I’d grown to hate this feeling of having a complete lack of control over my thoughts, resenting myself for how quickly my mind could spiral out about any number of issues. No matter how real or perceived these thoughts were, it even began to affect the way I felt physically. I could not understand why I couldn’t just make these fixations stop; it seemed so simple.
The ramping-up of my anxiety often led me to talk to my family and friends about trying out therapy or medication to help manage my symptoms. I’d been expressing some form of this sentiment since high school, but until recently, it was all talk. I always liked the idea of feeling less anxious and not so drained and emotionally raw after particularly long or intense periods of anxiety. Still, I never felt like my anxiety or periods of feeling down were bad enough to require medication or therapy. I’d tell myself I could deal with it on my own, or that it really wasn’t so bad. I knew that some people needed extra help mentally— and that I was probably one of them—but I was scared of what that would look like and how I would need to make changes in my life. What would life be like without the constant undercurrent of worry that highlighted and controlled me? In early November of last year, I decided I needed to find out for myself what life could be like without this constant I had grown used to. I was ready for a
change, even though it is fun to use my nausea as a laugh line: “Yes, this is what happens to me. Isn’t it crazy? I cannot make it stop and worry about throwing up constantly.” It’s not even a very funny joke when I think about it now. I knew how beneficial a combination of therapy and antidepressants had been for so many different people in my life, so I had to try it out for myself. Enough talk, I decided. It was time to take care of myself and prioritize my mental health after years of putting it off. I found a therapist who I liked, and she found me a psychiatrist. A few weeks after that slightly uncomfortable conversation with my aunt, I walked out of my first psychiatrist appointment with a folder filled with a prescription and packets of my listed diagnoses— generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and depression in adults. I flipped through the pages in the Lyft on my way back to campus from Brookline, trying to make it to my 10:00 a.m. on time and feeling the weight of what this diagnosis meant to me. It felt good to finally have someone validate why I, at times, had such a hard time mentally. More than anything, I was hopeful that I would start to feel better. Later that same day, I picked up my first prescription for antidepressants, stuffing them in my backpack for later. It felt like I was having a secret, monumental day, and no one had any way of knowing about it. After over two years of telling myself that I should do something about my anxiety, I had finally done it. I examined the small, orange bottle that night in my room and continued to pore over the packets from my psychiatrist visit earlier that morning— and I started crying. As much as I joked about my mental health, this day meant a lot to me, and I felt a certain sense of pride in going through with it. I’ve only been taking my antidepressants for about a month now, but I can already feel a difference in the way my body and mind feel when I experience bouts of anxiety. The baseline level I had grown so used to has mostly faded away, I do not mentally spiral out as quickly as I am used to, and nausea happens somewhat infrequently. I am, of course, not “cured” of my anxiety or depression—the latter of which I still only sort of understand—but I am grateful to be getting to a healthier mental place. Every night at 11:00 p.m., my phone shoots me a reminder: “sertraline.” And, every night, I swallow my pill with a drink of water, knowing I am making the decision to take care of myself one day at a time. YM LIVING | 36
How to establish boundaries
WRITTEN BY DAMICA RODRIGUEZ ART BY NATASHA ARNOWITZ
37 | LIVING
E
very Friday of the new month, I mark down the letter “P.” This “P” stands for ‘my personal day to myself,’ when I either catch up on my favorite shows, read a book, or just relax in my bed while scrolling through my phone. I got the idea from Rihanna’s interview with Interview Magazine where she said, despite how busy she gets, she marks a “P” on her calendar to dedicate a day where she can simply take a break. I started establishing “P” days in my routine not just so I could relax after a long week of school and work, but so I can be alone. My alone time allows me to focus on myself and nothing else. So, when that Friday comes, it becomes my day to claim. Establishing personal days has made me rethink how I need to establish boundaries to get the alone time I need. However, that’s much easier said than done. Saying, “hey, I kind of want to be alone today,” sounds like a reasonable request. There may be no special reason for it other than a desire for personal solitude—unless it’s taken the wrong way. Others may perceive this request as something being wrong with them, or they may assume that there’s something serious going on. It sounds ridiculous on paper, but the truth is that, human nature makes us project our inner emotions and perceptions onto someone else. And unless we look outside of ourselves, we may internally conceptualize boundaries as a negative practice. Personally, there are days when I don’t want people to touch me, moments when I don’t want to talk, and social situations that I don’t want to be present in. Coming to college made me realize how much of myself I tend to overexert every day in my social, work, and academic life. I slowly began to realize that while I was out and about doing all of these things with other people, I felt drained emotionally, mentally, and socially. So, “P” days became part of my daily practice. But, in order for me to successfully complete my “P” day, I had to learn how to establish mental and physical boundaries within myself and others. It wasn’t only desirable but necessary so that I could be my whole self. Marketing Communications major Skylar Figaro ‘22 says establishing boundaries for herself is a form of self-care. She emphasizes that doing activities by herself—such as going for a walk, listening to music, or writing—are all things she incorporates into her routine to decompress. “It just makes me feel like I have control,” she says. “When you feel like you don’t have any control, taking time to yourself helps you feel better.” However, Figaro expresses how difficult this can be when you have people relying on you. “Sometimes it sucks to have to tell people that you need space,” she explains. “I usually feel honored
that they would come to me but sometimes it feels tiring. Especially when you’re the ‘close friend’ to all your close friends.” The emotional toll of constantly being there for others is a difficult expectation to sustain—especially when it comes to a point when you can no longer handle it all yourself. Figaro says that making others conscious of when you get overwhelmed is difficult to communicate because of how much we care about our friends and their needs. “At times, I feel like I can’t differentiate whether I’m feeling something myself or if I’m feeling what they’re feeling,” she says. Whenever a new week approaches, I predict whether or not I’ll get to indulge in my personal days. I’ll try to establish some space between myself and others so I can at least feel at ease with myself, but sometimes my anxiety rushes back in. This is usually when I tell myself that I can’t let up. At the end of the day, I’m a daughter, a sister, a college student, a friend, and a coworker—and I’m still responsible to keep those roles together even if I’m falling apart. However, there are ways though to maintain your boundaries even when you can’t dedicate a full day to yourself. Instead of isolating myself and numbing out my emotions when I get anxious or stressed, I’ve employed more “I” statements to communicate what my boundaries are and how I wish to set them into place. “I” statements are exactly what they sound like. They are sentences that start off with “I” followed by a clear expression of emotions or needs. This form of communication is highly beneficial because it allows the listener to focus on the speaker’s thoughts without feeling any blame is placed on them. Starting off conversations with “I feel…,” “I need…,” or “I will…” is an effective skill for not only establishing boundaries but for conflict resolution. My therapist recommended this to me after feeling overwhelmed by how little time and agency I had given to my own mind and body. Using “I” statements helps to minimize the blame or confusion people will often feel if you communicate that you need to take time to yourself. Admittedly, it did feel awkward in the beginning, but using these statements has allowed the people around me to be more mindful of my headspace and my personal needs. In the end, you can’t help how other people will react if they’re not able to be receptive to your personal needs. The only thing that you can control is yourself. Knowing that your boundaries are valid, no matter how others might take it, is vital. For me, seeing an array of marked “P” days comes from an honest place that doesn’t warrant any explanation— other than the fact that it’s my own day to claim. YM LIVING | 38
DIRECTED AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY YM STAFF
H GOODRIC BY MOLLY WRIT TEN A ROGULIN LIZ AVE TA ART BY YE
G
rowing up as a young girl in the 2010s, one of the most influential parts of pop culture for me was the rise of the young adult novel. I still remember being 12 years old and wandering into the teenage area of the library, a vastly different world from the children’s section, and finding a whole new array of books that were seemingly made specifically for me. Dystopian, romantic, though often times forumalic, the books I got my hands on as a young teenager massively shaped my childhood and continue to shape my adult life, as I am studying literature at school. These books, while not all examples of literary genius, had a large impact on many young people. However, the genre may be slowly slipping out of popularity. The term “YA” is fairly broad, as it encompasses any book that is aimed for readers aged 12-18. This means fantasy, romance, science fiction, historical fiction, and pretty much any genre in between can be considered a YA novel if it’s written with a teenage audience in mind. The 2000s gave rise to an explosive trend of blockbuster hits based on these books, with some of the most well-known films of the generation originally starting as YA novels. The Fault in Our Stars, Twilight, The Hunger Games, and even Harry Potter are classic examples of teenage books turned films. However, despite these books generating success, young adult fiction tends to be one of the more lookeddown-upon genres. Especially those books that are geared towards girls. Sadie Pelletier ‘22 expressed how girls are frequently put down for liking things that are created specifically for them, a phenomenon that happens not just with books. “I think young girls are often shamed or led to believe that there is something wrong with relating to YA content. These novels offer an escape from the pressures of being in your most formative years,” she says. When you’re young, the books you’re reading become a huge part of you-and as Pelletier emphasizesbecome a part of your formative experience. When you’re then torn down for reading them, it can do real damage. When girls are torn down for what they’re reading, they may stop reading altogether, unlike more long-term interests like music and movies. According to Bookseller Magazine, in 2019, YA sales were at the lowest point in 11 years. Critics from
The Guardian and The New Yorker have expressed their distaste for the entire genre. Even when they’re becoming blockbuster hits or are some of the bestselling books of the year, most of the time, YA novels are seen as kids-only content that don’t have any literary merit. Classrooms have always maintained an emphasis on classics, which are all supposed to have this inherent literary merit, but many of the classics schools teach started as young adult novels. Little Women, Catcher in the Rye, and Lord of the Flies are all canonical, young adult fiction, and yet the modern texts— the one kids are relating to and expressing interest in—are written off. Joy Freeman ‘22 recalls how she used to spend all her free time reading, her favorite genre being YA romance, but insecurity got in the way. “The books were mostly cheesy, I think there was one called Anna and the French Kiss, but I felt awkward carrying that around school, and eventually I sort of just subconsciously stopped.” While there are probably a thousand reasons why young girls stop reading for fun at a certain point, such as new social media platforms, a social or romantic life, or simply losing interest, it does beg the question of why our society continues to normalize girls feeling ashamed for reading something they genuinely enjoy. But while young girls are feeling pressured not to read fiction aimed towards them, it’s important to note that, according to The Atlantic, only 45 percent of YA’s audience these days are actually young adults. The other 55 percent are adults, largely adult women. This also isn’t good enough for the media, it seems, and adults are then criticized for liking books made for children. The Harry Potter series was wildly popular, but since the books were marketed towards kids, adult covers were made, switching out the cartoons and bright colors for dark shadows and more intense images. Many teen fiction books followed this trend of appearing more mature than the content may actually be, whether out of embarrassment or to show the critics that YA only has to “look” adult for it to be taken seriously. The YA world is one that is confusing and everchanging, with fewer kids and more adults now consuming the genre. Despite being one of the greatest successes of the publishing industry just a few years ago, it is now considered a dying genre. While it produced classics that cemented themselves into 2010s pop culture, it seems as though the criticism and shame was unfortunately cemented into our minds as well. YM
order up! the importance of Diners in Movies WRITTEN BY ELOISA DE FARIAS PHOTOGRAPHED BY MADISON GOLDBERG
53 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
G
rowing up, I always imagined that at age 16, I would smoosh into a car with all my friends at 12 a.m. and drive to a diner to get blueberry pancakes and milkshakes. Watching shows like Riverdale and movies like Waitress curated this picture for me— that having a set place to gather and eat with my friends would make my teenage experience movie-like and quirky. In my mind, having a town diner we could all go to was some way of fulfilling “the American dream.” Often, people reveal large milestones and big chunks of information in diners. Why is that? Maybe it’s because the diner setting facilitates the gathering of all the characters in one spot. A lot of times, diners are used in film and television to create a social space for the characters to interact. This dates back to old Western movie saloons that were, in a way, an older version of a diner and served a similar purpose. Since then, diners have become a cultural phenomenon that many movies and shows use to tell a story. “These spaces are the interacting of private and public,” says James Lane, Emerson Senior Scholar-inResidence and Graduate Program Director for Writing for Film and Television. “For the storytellers, it’s a convenient way to introduce new characters into the movie or the show by way of this semi-public, semi-private space.” A great example of this in practice can be seen in the show Twin Peaks, in which the Double R Diner is a critical space for character growth and development. Many secrets are shared over coffee and cherry pie in this diner. Christopher McKenzie, an instructor of film and television at Boston University and Emerson College brings up Seinfeld as another example of using a space like a diner to unpack stories and allow characters to socialize. “The entire point of having sets at all is that you get more than one person in the cast together in one place. It’s just a space where people can logically get together,” says McKenzie. “A diner serves that purpose: to have a spot that is consistent and regular.” This might bring up the question, why specifically diners? Why not a nicer, upscale restaurant? “If you put people in tables across from each other, you are inviting interaction that way. It’s different from any other eating establishment. There’s a different vibe and setting. A diner is casual and relaxed,” McKenzie says.
“Diners are an excuse for characters to meet because diners are a real part of American life.” Interestingly enough, featuring diners and cafés as central meeting spaces in TV shows and movies is an excellent way of branding and marketing. “These places, whether they be sets or real or semireal places, are all used one way or another to market and promote the shows, whether they are currently on, or on reruns,” Lane says. “It definitely enables shows to have a lot longer life in syndication and rerun than was ever initially intended.” Julija Garunkstis ‘22, a Visual Media Arts student at Emerson College, believes diners are a great way to anchor the viewer’s mind into correlating a set location with a show or movie. “I don’t really watch Riverdale, but I know they spend a lot of time at a diner,” says Garunkstis. “That’s a perfect example [of] the fact that [even though] I don’t even watch the show, I know that it’s shot in a diner, [so] it’s an easy connection to make.” A lot of the TV shows and movies that display diners are set in small towns and provide a connection to small-town life. Although sometimes there isn’t much to do in a smaller town, teens and young people find a place to call their own so that there is something to do on the weekends and a common place to meet up. This may allude to what diners represent in American society. “It’s a place where you go to get food, it’s a place that you go to sit with people, but it’s not fussy and it’s not uptight,” McKenzie says. “The food can often be good but sometimes it’s just passable and that says something about American culture, we want something fast, comfortable, accessible, and relaxed and we see that as almost a treat.” Also, an important thing to note is that none of the diners in the shows mentioned above are chain restaurants. They are all one-of-a-kind, trademark places located in the town the show or movie is set in. Lane says it best: “Americans need a semi-public space where they can get together and be free of corporate influence and meddling.” Diners showcased in TV shows and movies mean more than just a place characters can meet and eat; it’s a place where people can engage, connect, and make memories, and this is not only true in media, but also in real life. YM
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 54
T
he music industry has recently been the center of change and controversy. In a world that is quickly evolving and adapting to new societal norms, it can come as a shock that certain industries have yet to keep up quite as fast. Specifically, it has quite a ways to go when it comes to gender bias. It is not much of a secret that both fans and professionals play a role in the reason why gender equality has yet to be reached within the world of music. The issue is partially due to fans who embrace stereotypes within genres instead of combating them, as well as managers in the industry abusing their power. However, there are many female artists right now breaking down barriers in terms of gender, culture, and the double standard. And while the media does strive to focus on mainstream artists who are making a difference, artists outside of the pop genre have equally important messages. To provide some examples, Megan Thee Stallion and Kacey Musgraves are two who specifically stand out. As a young female rapper in a competitive industry, Megan Thee Stallion already has countless impressive achievements under her belt. She became the first woman to join 300 Entertainment, the Lyor Cohen- and Kevin Liles-founded record label, joining popular male artists such as Fetty Wap and Migos. Her lyrics challenge popular sexist concepts and remarks, creating a way for people to both subconsciously and knowingly pay attention to the messages that matter most. Stallion uses her lyrics to stand up for women regardless of societal norms. In her collaboration with Normani for “Diamonds,” she raps: “You want me to be a little more ladylike?” with a sarcastic follow-up lyric in response. The “Hot Girl Summer” rapper is also combating the stigmas surrounding the education status of artists in the industry. She is currently pursuing a career in Health Administration at Texas Southern University despite the assumption that artists have to choose between getting an education and pursuing a career as an artist. Stallion has defied these odds, showing that education and being an artist are not mutually exclusive. Another female artist paving the way is someone who has been in the business for awhile but just
55 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
recently has received the recognition she deserves: Kacey Musgraves. Not only does her music bring people together, but it touches on the realities of growing up without a filter. She is not one to pretend that everything is rainbows and butterflies, though her song titles may say otherwise. Musgraves goes against stigmas within the music industry and is committed to sparking change that needs to occur. Her debut single, “Follow Your Arrow,” was originally released and sent to radio back in 2013. And while the track received some mainstream popularity, it more importantly turned Musgraves into an LGBTQ ally and broke barriers within country music. She went somewhere no one had gone before in regards to the messages presented within that genre. Before sexuality and accepting yourself was widely promoted in mainstream music, Musgraves made it a priority. An ongoing theme of acceptance is something that listeners have experienced for years through her lyrics. She advocates for inclusivity and acceptance, a subject that is generally ignored within country music. Her pop-country sound has been criticized by countless critics as not being country at all. And despite the judgment, Musgraves does not spend time thinking about what genre her music is. Her creative decisions both sonically and lyrically have pushed the boundaries of country music and brought light to inclusivity in a genre that has struggled to keep up with societal changes. The time for change in popular industries is now. Female artists like Megan Thee Stallion and Kacey Musgraves have made successful strides to change the music industry for the better. With heavy focus on using their platform for good, these two artists, as well as countless others, are breaking down barriers faced by their respective genres and the industry as a whole. Their attention to detail has supported a shift in gender bias, not only within the music industry but in the world. By not conforming to the norms set by the industry and society, they are changing the way music fans and professionals in the industry are now viewing and analyzing artists and their lyrics. Pushing these boundaries may be risky, but every woman who has committed to taking that leap of faith is changing the industry one step at a time. YM
THE FUTURE SOUNDS FEMALE WRITTEN BY ALESSANDRA GUARNERI ART BY ELEANOR HILTY
The NEWS ON MUZE WRITTEN BY HANNAH LEMKE
ART BY REBEKAH CZUKOSKI
P
icture this: you’re an aspiring musician who just graduated from Berklee College of Music, one of the top-ranking music schools in the country, and are now gathering together a decent catalog of your own original material. Because the Boston music scene is relatively small, however, you make the strategic move to Nashville, Tennessee—or as the world refers to it (in its more colloquial term), “Music City.” Seems great, right? You’re completely set: you’ve got your music, you’re in the right area, and now you just have to wait until someone discovers your talent. But first, you need to find a space where you can play and actually have the opportunity to be discovered, which is easier said than done. You’re unfamiliar with the area, and unsure of venues, people who are hiring, musicians who are already playing, or the general music needs of the public. Well, that’s where MUZE steps in. This new business has arrived in Boston, and nobody’s yet ready for it. MUZE, an Airbnb-style, music booking company, is filling a gap that we didn’t know existed. By providing a platform for local artists to connect with local venues, it is quickly and fairly meeting the needs of each side of its customer base, and changing the music business landscape as we know it. The idea for MUZE started after co-founder and Berklee alumnus Elijah Stavena first began working at large companies in the music industry, such as NBC’s The Voice and Def Jam Records. Upon accepting these positions, he quickly “began realizing that the music industry only works for the top one percent.” He sat on this truth and later felt unprepared when a family friend asked if he knew an artist who could play at a last minute cocktail party. He was stricken with the knowledge that there wasn’t really an app or online entity that could deliver instant services of finding and booking live performers. “The problem is [that] musicians don’t know where to find the performance opportunities, and as we have found out, the general public doesn’t know where they can find a musical performer that fits their performance needs,” Elijah says. With a background in Business and Marketing, Emerson alum and co-founder Adriana Alavi pushed to hit the ground running when it came to meeting these newly realized needs. Finding a passion and drive to build the company, her partnership with Stavena began, and MUZE was born. “In the last four months, we have done over 300 events, ranging from some of the biggest night clubs in the city, to weddings, restaurants, and even real estate open houses. Regardless, within 30 minutes of booking a band or musician, they can be at the facility ready to play,” Alavi says. The opportunities are out there, and they are abundant. According to Alavi, MUZE’s vision is simply to bring back the art form of live music in an easy, approachable way. With over 300 artists and venues already committed to and excited about this project, there’s no telling where it’ll go next. Now that MUZE is newly-incorporated, Stavena and Alavi are eagerly pushing their platform development, eventually hoping to expand outside of Massachusetts. But one thing’s for certain: the music industry needs a change, and this very well could be it. YM
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 58
YOUR T WITH MARKETING DIRECTOR JULIE GIFFIN STRIPED TURTLENECK The only upside to cold weather is the fashion. Turtlenecks in general are amazing, and you can layer them with everything! I thrifted this purple striped one in particular a few years ago and from then on, it has been one of my winter staples. I think at this point, I have about 10 different colored striped turtlenecks, so if you see me around in the winter, you’ll definitely catch me sporting one.
MINI PINK KANKEN Truly everyone has one of these bags, but for very good reason. They’re so colorful, they come in the most perfect sizes, and they last! I adore mine and carry it with me everywhere, so it’s always equipped with my wallet, keys, and a disposable camera. I customized mine by tying a festival wristband to it and adding a few pins.
MY RECORD COLLECTION Music is the most important part of my life, so towards the end of middle school, I decided to start collecting my favorite albums on vinyl. My collection has slowly grown, and I proudly display my favorite album covers around my room. Putting an album on the turntable and sitting in my room became a ritual of my youth. Some of my favorites I own include Pure Heroine by Lorde and Currents by Tame Impala.
59 | YOURMAG
THINGS ART BY YELIZAVETA ROGULINA
WITH ASSISTANT MARKETING DIRECTOR LEA GURVAL JEAN JACKET My oversized jean jacket has been the best thing I have ever bought. I wear it all the time, no matter the weather. Even though almost everyone has one, it still is one of my favorite pieces of clothing. I honestly don’t know what I would do without it.
NIKE SOCKS For as long as I can remember, I have always worn Nike calf-length socks. I probably look completely weird wearing them regardless of what outfit I have on, but I still rock them anyway. Seriously, even when I’m dressed up I’m still wearing my Nike socks.
CHELSEA CUTLER’S HOW TO BE HUMAN ALBUM If anyone knows me, they know Chelsea Cutler is my favorite artist. Her music, especially this album, has helped me through so much. Her writing is some of the most honest writing I have seen, and it is so relatable for people our age. If you haven’t listened to her before, she is amazing!
YOURMAG | 60
YOUR THINGS
WITH ART DIRECTOR YELIZAVETA ROGULINA IPAD PRO + APPLE PENCIL In a meta turn of events, I am starting with my iPad. Since I got it on my birthday junior year, 95% of the art I produced came from the Ipad. It is truly the most convenient piece of equipment to do digital art on. I say that it’s meta because all of Your Things art this semester was done on my iPad. Even the drawing of the iPad itself ! I carry it with pretty much wherever I might have a chance to get some sketching in. It totally changed the game for me art-wise.
POLAROID CAMERAS I currently own two Polaroid cameras. The first is a vintage OneStep that my parents brought from Russia. It took me a couple of years to build up the courage to actually buy film for it, as no one knew if the thing even still worked. Thankfully, it did, and it lit my obsession. More recently, I bought the Stranger Things OneStep 2 camera. I got it both because I really wanted it, and because the film is cheaper for modern cameras. I hope to keep going and have a bigger collection of Polaroid cameras. SUVA BEAUTY HYDRA LINERS So Euphoria had a big impact on me. I’ll admit it. In the wake of the show, I was inspired to get a lot more experimental with my make up. I bought lots of new products, but the standout item is definitely my Hydra liners. They are super intense, water-activated eyeliners that come in a cake formulation. Surprisingly, the red has been my dark-horse favorite out of the small collection I have accrued. I’m having a lot of fun playing around with pops of bright colors.
61 | YOURMAG
Y.MP3 SONGS FOR A RAINY DAY IN QUARANTINE PUT YOUR RECORDS ON—CORINNE BAILEY RAE DREAMS—FLEETWOOD MAC DON’T KNOW WHY—NORAH JONES RIVER—LEON BRIDGES SHRIKE—HOZIER CHERRY—HARRY STYLES WHITE HORSE—TAYLOR SWIFT COFFEE—BEABADOOBEE DOWN THE LINE—BEACH FOSSILS ANSWER—TYLER, THE CREATOR FIRST CLASS—RAINBOW KITTEN SURPRISE JULY—NOAH CYRUS GIRL ON AN ISLAND—ALICE PHOEBE LOU GARDEN SONG—PHOEBE BRIDGERS BAREFOOT IN THE PARK—ROSALIA + JAMES BLAKE TAKE THREE—JERRY FOLK I DON’T KNOW YOU—THE MARIAS DAYBED—FKA TWIGS HELL N BACK—BAKAR DARK RED—STEVE LACY DARLING—CHRISTIAN LEAVE YOURMAG | 62
S ha n n on
K ay
artist statement How would you describe your work in one sentence? I try to visually reflect a feeling that I find beautiful. How and when did you get into photography? I spent a lot of time bedridden and sick as a child. My mobility was limited, and that’s when I became interested in visual art. I think it was around eighth or ninth grade that I got a camera for Christmas, and I guess I’ve been taking pictures since then. What inspires you? I’m most inspired by nature, spirituality, and poetry. Those are probably my roots. Who are some of your favorite artists? My favorite photographer is a 23-year-old artist named Andrés Mario de Varona, who grew up in Miami and actually used to be a pen pal of mine. His work is incredibly beautiful; it really inspires me. I love to watch films from Terrence Malick, Wim Wenders, Edward Yang, Kelly Reichardt, Charles Burnett. I also love writers like Toni Morrison, William Carlos Williams, Sylvia Plath, and Samuel Beckett, to name a few. I hope to study different painters in the future too. What is one of your favorite photos you’ve taken? What makes it special? Probably this photograph I took of my mom crying. I just like that she let me capture that vulnerable moment and preserve it. What advice would you give other/new photographers? Honestly, I still don’t know what I’m doing, so I can’t give much advice. I just think the process should feel natural, at least in that you’re following your heart. Where can readers see more of your work? I post a lot of photos on my instagram account, @shannonmkay, but I also plan on making a website soon under my name.
YMEMERSON.COM | INSTAGRAM: YOUR.MAG | TWITTER: @YOURMAGEMERSON