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Editors
Art Directors
Production Manager
Copy Editor
Launch Director
Alberto Montalti
Peter Jasinski
Sarah Anolik
Yasmeen Gharnit
Kelsey Mulvey
Morgan Stukes
Virginia Ashe
Contributors: Shireen Ahmed, Jaime Bautista, Marion Berrin, Ricardo T. Castano,
Bryant Eslava, Sara Gharnit, Alexander Holm, Anett Holmvik, and Tommy Ton
Cover Image: Alexander Holm
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Printed By: Boston Universitys Journalism Department
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h
ave you ever been out to dinner with a few friends when all
of a sudden you realize you have nothing at all to say? Your
heart starts to beat and your palms start to sweat, just like
they did before your frst, painfully awkward kiss.
To your relief, the food comes and you start piling it into your mouth
as quickly as you can. If my mouth is full, I cant possibly talk, right? you
think to yourself. Youre really grasping at straws, here.
T
en, to everyones delight, your friend starts to open her mouth. So...I
watched Twilight for the frst time this weekend and... you start to choke
on your oyster. Twilght? Twilight? Is this girl a real human being? How
does she get through life? More importantly, how are the rest of us going to
get through this dinner?
Dont let this happen to you. You may be young, but you are an
intellectual being with a need for social and cerebral stimulation.
You should be celebrated as such.
Our goal is to englighten, captivate and enhance worldly dialogue.
Never again will you struggle to make conversation.
We all have a lot to talk about, so lets start...
T
e Rev Team
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P
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P
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Peter
Jasinski,
Editor
(@PeterJasinski)
Parnassus Books is a former centuries-old
general store named after a Greek mythological
mountain. Although it is located in New Englands
capital tourist destination (Cape Cod), most
tourists have never stumbled upon it.
Which is a shame, seeing as its
books are far cheaper than
Barnes & Noble.
6
Alberto
Montalti,
Editor
(@Montalti92)
In the middle of Crasqui Island in Los
Roques, Venezuela, there is an odd, tiny
inn named El Rancho de Don Otilio. The
walls are nonexistent, the floor is the
sand, the room is your
hammock, the food is
incredible, and the
view is a spiritual
experience.
2
Sarah
Anolik, Art
Director
(@sanolik14)
The Eastern Beaches Coastal Walk
in Sydney, Australia's suburbs features
stunning views, quiet beaches, parks, cliffs,
bays, and rock pools. This four mile
walk, starting at Bondi Beach and
ending at Coogee Beach, is
worth the strenuous
stairs and rough
cliff climbing.
5
Virginia
Ashe,
Launch Director
(@vcashe)
Its hard not to fall in love with La
Casa Que Canta in Xijuatanejo, Mexico.
The boutique hotel houses private
pools overlooking the coast,
delicious ceviche and
enchanting views of
the endless
ocean.
3
Morgan
Stukes, Copy
Editor
(@morganlois)
Ive been visiting Marthas Vineyard, a
tiny island off the coast of Cape Cod, my
entire life and Giordanos is my absolute
favorite place on the planet. Get the
chicken fingers and ask for a side
of blue cheese, ugh Im
salivating already.
1
Yasmeen
Gharnit, Art
Director
(@yazzysjazzy)
Barcelona, hands-down, is the most
charismatic city on the planet. And it is
home to the most charming Airbnb ever: at
Carrer Sant Pere Ms Alt, theres an
endless supply of biscuits and
DIYs that would put
Anthropolgie to
shame.
7
Kelsey
Mulvey,
Production Manager
(@kmulvs)
Los Coloniales in Sevilla, Spain is not easy to
find, and you may have to endure a long wait;
however, the sangria and tapas will blow
your mind. Seriously, best croquettas
ever. With each meal available
in several portion sizes,
this restaurant is
perfect for any
occasion.
revs staff reveals their favorite secret international destinations
in this issue
CULTURE
How To Survive Social Media
14
Gen-Y Overload
Influencer:
Alexander Karpovsky
Emerging Graffiti And
Street Art Culture
The Glitter Bin Collective
Losing My Religion
Rum Rains On A Parade
16
24
30
38
42
50
An investigative piece on Judaism - whose
exclusivity is hurting its staying power
As public art and graffiti is growing, we take a
look at why its a legitimate art form
Social media annoyances are blowing up
everyones news feeds, here are a few simple
ways to deal with tthis
An interview with Indie darling Alexander
Karpovsky
With the incessent criticism of Gen-Y, we ask:
Are Millenials really just creative geniuses in the
making?
Welcome to a house full of colors,
personalities, ideas, and Anarchism
An annual Catholic procession involving one
saint, thousands of people, and a lot of booze
Winter 2013
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NEWS &
POLITICS
Voices In The Smoke
Mayoral Duke Out
It Could Happen To You
64
58
68
STYLE
How To Be A Fashion Snob
From The Streets To The
Blogs To The Designers
76
88
Though joining the fashion industry's elite seems
doubtful, being a style snob is possible in a few
simple steps
From India to America, rape is an all too real
threat against women. Finally, everyone is taking
a stand
A playful battle of Boston and New York's
mayoral race
Were investagiating the new sources of
inspiration for fashion designers
A closer look into the dispute to legalize
marijuana
Editors Picks
80
Our favorite products at the moment
FOOD & HEALTH
MUSIC &
FILM
Exploring Boston Cuisine
Shanghai In Allston
The Spinning Obsession
Film Reel
Anatomy Of An Internet
Sensation
98 108
114
120
128
One of Allstons newest restaurants is
transporting us to Shanghai through its
Asian cuisine
This popular workout trend is doing more harm than good The Greater Boston area is filled with
yummy food joints - check out 10 favorites!
Our favorite movies of the year and years past
We detail the music industrys
transformation through the digital age
Editors Playlist
124
The music we cant get out of our heads,
accompanied by a mixtape made with love
Winter 2013
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FINAL THOUGHTS
Love Letter: The City
That Sleeps Too Much
142
A False Sense Of Security
138
Dear Boston, you're supposed to be America's
ultimate college town but your early closing
hours suggest otherwise
Discussing the idea of security theatre and its
repercussions on immigrants in the United States.
Expand Your Vocab
148
Digital Getdown
136
Because the word selfie is so February
2013
The best apps and sites on the worldwide web
How to survive social media 14
Culture
The glitter bin collective 24
Losing my religion 30
Influencer: alex karpovsky 38
Rum rains on a parade 42
Graffiti and street art culture 50
Gen-y overload 16
by sarah anolik
by yasmeen gharnit
by alberto montalti
by virginia ashe
by yasmeen gharnit
by alberto montalti
by sarah anolik
photographer: ricardo t. castano
HOW TO SURVIVE
THE WORLD OF
SOCIAL MEDIA
I was reading through my Facebook newsfeed the
other day when I stumbled upon an old high
school friend. Well, I guess she more of an
acquaintance than a friend. Anyway, she posted
some elaborate status about how she was no
longer dating Dave, she was dating Ryan and
everyone needed to get that straight. Well, I
thought, thats all fine and dandy, but I dont
really care about your love life nor do I want to
hear the intimate details about it. But for some
reason, every single person connected to her on
Facebook needed to know this. Dont be that girl.
Please, just dont.
The world of social media was invented to
share ideas, photos, news, the latest trends, and
all that good stuff. But, some people just dont
understand the idea of sharing too much. FYI,
when you complete your court-mandated 30-day
stunt in rehab, you dont have to tweet about.
Since you all have to live in this world, you
might as well learn how to survive in it.
BY SARAH ANOLIK
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What should I do when my best friend
starts posting threats to her ex on
social media?
My first piece of advice slap some sense into
him or her. If you start hating your best friend
because of the absurd Internet personality he or
she has adopted, there is a problem. Explain to
him or her that this is the Internet, not his or her
own personal diary, so they should really keep
the love letters, hateful statuses to an ex, and
ridiculous selfies to a minimum. Your best friend
is your best friend for a reason theyll forgive
(and thank you) one day, I promise.
What should I do if these people start
cluttering my newsfeed?
The simplest solution is to defriend these people
so that you never have to see their obnoxious
profile updates. But, I understand if you want to
stay connected to these people in some way. They
are your friends after all. An alternative solution
is to block them from your newsfeed so that
their insufferable updates dont clutter your
newsfeed. n
Struggling with an issue but dont want to consult
Dr. Phil? Ask Anolik instead! Send an email to
letters@revmag.com with questions and youll have
a chance to be featured in the next issue of rev.
What should I do when my crazy aunt
friends me on Facebook?
We all have crazy relatives. And Im sure weve
all had crazy relatives that have friended us on
some type of social media website. My advice
just accept their friend request. Theyll probably
only bother you from time to time with a strange,
nonsensical Facebook message. Or maybe theyll
comment on a random picture of you out
drinking. Sarah, did we drink too much Sam
Adams last night? It may be kind of annoying at
the time, but accepting that friend request will
make them happy. So just do it.
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It is 2:14 a.m. and Heather Potts is sprawled out
on her quilted white leather sofa. Macbook
Retina on her belly, legs contortedly hung above
her, one hand hanging dead to the floor, the
other lethargically navigating the interweb. It
looks like she was punched under each of her
eyes, the blood vessels becoming more
prominent by the minute. And despite the two-
hour power nap she took earlier, the
once-white sclera surrounding her arctic green
iris are stained by pale pink veins. She fights to
keep her puffy, dry eyes focused on the screen
ahead. Refresh page. Refresh page. Refresh page.
She is writing a screenplay and getting quite far
with it. Three lines of dialogue down in just 45
minutes or so. At this rate, shell be done with
her first draft in 73 years, assuming she doesnt
sleep. After all, she can sleep when shes dead,
which may just happen to align with the
completion of this script.
Whats the screenplay about, you wonder?
Its about a 22-year-old trying to figure out what
she wants to do with her post-grad life. She
makes a lot of stupid decisions and has some
semi-wild experiences, but thats all in the name
of finding out who she is. I havent exactly
figured out the details, but theyll come to me
soon. With another Buzzfeed refresh, most
likely.
With depictions like these, its hard not to
see why newspapers and magazines are
consistently posting front-page and cover
headlines condemning todays youth.
The Me Me Me Generation
The Go-Nowhere Generation
Generation Frustration
The 1% Generation
The Social Media Generation
The Generation That Expects Everything For
Nothing
The Ruined Millennial Generation
Sure, generational studies and analyses
have been around for decades anthropological
criticisms date far past The Baby Boomers, whose
most formative decade, the 70s, was so
affectionately dubbed The Me Generation by
New York Magazine. But never before have there
Winter 2013
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been so many timely studies and criticisms of a
developing generation.
I am about to do what old people have
done throughout history: call those younger than
me lazy, entitled, selfish and shallow. But I have
studies! I have statistics! I have quotes from
respected academics! Unlike my parents, my
grandparents and my great-grandparents, I have
proof, opens Joel Stein in his Time cover story
Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation.
Coupled with these flawed character traits
and the so-called statistics to back them up,
members of Gen Y have unrealistic expectations
and wildly absurd passions, countless articles
argue.
Is todays current batch of 20-somethings
no better than Lindsay Lohan was in all her 00
glory: self-centered and shallow? Lazy enough to
stunt the growth of not only themselves, but also
everyone in their sphere of influence? Wasting
away their talent on the disillusioned dreams of
fame and fortune? Should the world be trembling
with the same wide-eyed fear as North West so
innocently and courageously expressed in her
debut snapshot?
Not quite. Sure, at first glance, todays
youth looks disaffectionate and entitled. While
one cannot necessarily say this portrayal is
completely wrong (there are always some that
play into the stereotype), it would be completely
incorrect to call Millenials lazy and unmotivated
is. After all, they are exploring the arts and
culture in ways their grandparents couldnt
possibly have imagined.
Perhaps the most antithetical way this
disaffectioned youth is addressing these claims
is by creating different artistic mediums.
Film & Television: Dispelling Myths By
Embracing Them
Lena Dunham started producing obscure art films
while studying at Oberlin College. A few years
later, at the age of 24, she was showing her first
feature film, Tiny Furniture at SXSW, a prestigious
annual music, film and interactive conference
and festival Austin, Texas renowned for
showcasing new talent. Tiny Furniture centers
around Aura, a recent college grad who moves
back home. She takes up a hostessing job at a
local restaurant because her friend told her it was
easy and, well, it pays. She spends most of her
time simply drifting around New York trying to
engage in relationships which can be most
generously described as fleeting until she
finally realizes she has to start doing something
with her life. But thats as far as the movie gets
she never actually takes any steps to advance
herself or her future career, whatever it may be.
After her film was generously received for
its blunt portrayal of todays 20-somethings, Judd
Apatow approached Dunham to create some
programming with him. Fast-forward two years to
the premiere of Girls, perhaps the most
successful HBO programming since The Wire.
Again, Dunhams characters were honest
depictions of todays youth and critics were quick
to condemn them as lazy, entitled, and
stupid. And if you take a quick glance at the
characters, its not hard to see why: Hannah starts
as an aspiring writer whose main argument when
her parents cut her off after financing her three
years in New York is, I could be a drug addict,
do you realize how lucky you are?; Marnie
depends on the men in her life when she loses
her job as an art curator; NYU student
Shoshanna, thanks to her mother, is able to live
in a single apartment in the West Village; and
Jessa travels the world, drifting in and out of
everyones lives in vintage chiffon floor-length
gowns.
But if you look at Dunham, she is far from
entitled. She hasnt depended on the fame of
her parents, artists Laurie Simmons and Carroll
Dunham. And in addition to controlling the
entire Girls enterprise, she contributes to various
publications by providing literary essays and
societal commentaries, is a feminist and gay
rights advocate and was extremely involved in
the Obama 2012 campaign by incessantly
voicing her support and producing a
controversial PSA entitled Your First Time. With
workdays that sometimes surpass the 20-hour
mark, there just simply doesnt seem to be any
room for lazinessand her co-stars agree.
Greta Gerwig has also challenging these
stereotypes in a similar way. In her film Frances
Ha, which she co-wrote with beau Noah
Baumbach, Gerwig plays a 27-year-old who, five
years after graduating from Vassar, is still
searching for her identity. After being kicked out
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of the apartment her successful book editor
friends parents paid for, she decides to become
an interpretive dancer, although she lacks the
talent necessary for such an unconventional
profession. She fabricates job prospects, drifts
from couch to couch and engages in
relationships that can be describes as fleeting, at
best. Even the films cinematography reflects the
core generational values and general youthful
misguidings of Generation Y. The entire movie is
shot in black and white, paying homage to
French New Wave, the 50s/60s movement
characterized by the French youths self-
conscious rejection of traditional artistic
mediums and formats, and monochrome Woody
Allen films, which highlight human flaws. And if
anyone tries to paint Gerwig as uncultured, self-
centered, or apathetic, they would be far from
the truth.
Digital Images & Shorts: An Alternative Form of
Exploration
It is traditionally thought that young people do
not have a strong, definitive voice that holds
serious weight in society. However, the concept
of power through maturation is massively
outdated. As always, young persons are still
establishing their perspectives and trying to get a
footing on their identity, but Generation Y seems
to have one of the strongest voices of any
generation.
Energetic and outspoken, 20-somethings
are turning to digital media to unleash, and
validify, this voice, whether this be through
Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Redditthe list goes
on and on. Millennial artists are taking this digital
outcry and channeling it into their artwork in
multiple capacities and forums.
Fate, and university prerequisite, brought
Mike Bailey-Gates and Claire Marie Christerson
together. Soon after Mike first heard Claire
singing My Fair Lady in the dark room of a
freshman year critique class at the School of
Visual Arts, the two began collaborating together
on experimental projects and quickly rose to
indie art fame as digital artist duo Mike and
Claire. Although they are only 20-years-old, they
explore the fusion of sundry influences that
create todays DIY counter-culture. Mainly
focusing on GIFs and improvised green screen
videos, the artists exploit the same botched
Photoshop techniques 12-year-olds used in 2002
(pixelated images of hearts and dollar bills,
sparkly WordArt graphics, sloppily cropped
floating heads pasted over alien bodies) to
explore nightlife, queer, ghetto, and youth culture
through exaggerated eccentric characters. It takes
an immense amount of ingenuity and dexterity to
make meaning out of scenes of a pink-wigged
crossdresser booty-popping over Mary Poppins
scenes layered with a girl with a unicorn
jamming to Dixie Chicks, but Mike and Claire
succeed in capturing the experimental spirit of
20-somethings.
STILLS FROM SOME OF
MIKE AND CLAIRES GIFS
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Art world provocateur Jayson Musson
piques the boundaries of cultural stereotypes in
pop culture in his writing, performance and
visual art. Via his alter-ego Hennessy Youngman,
Musson places hip-hop and art world vernacular
against one another to parody cultural clichs in
his YouTube series Art Thoughtz. The series
explores the journey of self-discovery and
understanding of identity, capitalizing on the
disparity between historical idioms and current
cultural norms. By using a mass media platform,
Musson challenges the cogency of the often
pretentious, inaccessible art world. I want
people to realize they dont need permission to
make themselves heard. The possibility exists just
to do it, he has said.
One of Generation Ys most promising
emerging artists is Gareth Proskourine-Barnett,
who explores technologys effect on society and
our perception of the world by creating mixed
media creations. The 29-year-old London-based
artist explores cities, like Bangkok and Paris, and
collects materials and photographs, focusing on
utopian ideology and its effects on modern
development and architecture. Barnett then
digitally distorts the images, challenging viewers
to think about the way they perceive progress
and innovation.
But its not just artists who are exploring
various creative outputseveryday Millennials
are taking advantage of the opportunities
afforded by the digital age. And it would be hard
not to. Young people today are living in a world
where even their dreams are infiltrated by
Technicolor mixed media. Artsy digital
projections accompany virtually every concert
and small-venue show, smartphones with photo
manipulation apps have become the norm, and
minds function as camcorders, editing memories
similar to reality show clips.
**********************************
9:30 p.m. the next night, Heather Potts is scarfing
down her second mashed potato scallion pizza
slice, musing about the development of her
screenplay. In the past 15 hours, she finally
mapped out in-depth character traits, a general
plotline, and thought of a working title. She also
wrote 38 pages of witty dialogue, montages,
scene descriptions, and detailed shot directions
before she hit another temporary writers block.
But shes not worried about it.
Your twenties are meant to be your formative
years. Its a bit ridiculous that we as a generation
are criticized for engaging in different
experiences, she says with a sigh. I can see
how our growth may seem a bit stunted when
you compare how people used to live. But Im
not interested in settling down and into a desk for
the rest of my life. Id rather struggle doing what I
love. For the time being, anyway.
**********************************
So are 20-somethings really voiceless, lazy and
entitled? Some might be, but as a whole, the
Millennial Generation is challenging social
norms through various artistic, creative realms.
Just go out into the world or onto the worldwide
web and see for yourself... n
PIECES FROM GARETH
PROSKOURNE-BARNETT
THE GLITTER BIN COLLECTIVE
Winter 2013
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Its 9:00 p.m and the weekly group meeting has
officially started in the recently named Glitter
Bin Collective, a rented house where eleven
self-styled anarchists reside. Although the house
is located on Allstons Brainerd Street, a mostly
student residential area, only eight of the
residents are currently going to college and some
of those have only recently moved in.
This meeting is different from most others
because four people moved out of the collective
and four replacements moved in. Chores must
be reassigned and formal introductions are to be
made. The facilitator moderates, holds the
planner for the evening, and gives the residents
permission to speak. To prevent any member
from having too much power, the role of the
facilitator rotates. The group goes through a lot
of work to maintain equality of power
throughout all of their interactions. No one
should feel oppressed, bullied, or hurt. Most
importantly, no one should be afraid of
expressing their discomfort.
Lets do the check-ins first, says Tanya
Nell, a 22-year-old woman with short blonde
hair and a white, sleeveless shirt. Everyone
please say your preferred name, pronouns of
preference, ethnicity, energy level from one to
BY ALBERTO
MONTALTI
ten, and answer this question: If you were an
object in an art box, what object would you be
and why?
So Im Jasmine but you can also call me
Jazzy Trash clam, says Jasmine, a 21-year-old
who was born male but now lives as a woman.
Jasmine is always smiling. She has long, brown
dreadlocks and her toenails are painted bright
red. She wears black eye shadow, a grey tank top
and a denim skirt over a pair of black leggings.
Her face looks impeccably hairless, but her
armpits are left unshaved. Definitely she or her
pronouns only, please! Im half Cuban, half
French, my energy level is probably a seven right
now and glitter! Glitter! Glitter!
What makes the front of the house
distinguishable from the typical Allston frat is the
colorful graffiti on the old wooden walls. The
anarchist symbol, the letter A inside the letter O
is drawn many times in different colors of chalk.
According to the Federal Council of Spain, the
first organization to use the symbol in 1868, it
stands for Anarchy is the mother of order.
Posters advocating for feminism, veganism,
anarchism and gender activism are also all over
the front wall.
Anarchism has been present in western
social discourse for more than 170 years.
Although many men advocated for similar ideas,
which contributed to the philosophy decades
earlier, it was after the French philosopher Pierre-
Joseph Roudhon published his work What is
Property? that the term was established as it is
commonly understood. The term anarchy
comes from the ancient Greek word anarchia,
which literally means absence of ruler.
Although the precise definition of the
philosophical current varies depending on
different interpretations, most of the widely
accepted definitions include one common
element: a direct opposition toward authority
and any type of hierarchical organization. From
this premise, it can be understood how
anarchists are actively in favor of stateless
societies where individuals are organized by
free association instead of one large power
pyramid.
KC Mackey, a 21-year-old Glitter Bin
resident, is a very outspoken activist for gender
equality, veganism, and anarchism. She is a
Boston University alum who majored in
philosophy and religion.
Im KC, she tells the group. She and her
pronouns are cool. Im white, about a five in
energy because of finals, and I would be
chalk! She has a broad white smile, a silver-
colored septum piercing and a buzz cut on the
sides and back of her head, which surrounds her
long red, brown and yellow hair.
Minutes before the meeting, she sits on a
large couch in the common room while other
members of the collective walk in and out. The
room has several couches, beanbag cushions,
and chairs in a circle. The ceiling is full of
colorful bows, resembling a sea of birthday
presents. They are there because the roof over
our heads is a gift, says a cheerful man in his
twenties who is wearing a military camouflage
jacket and blowing soap bubbles around the
room. A young woman stands on a leather chair
next to him, organizing a crowded bookshelf by
carefully labeling each one with tape.
Come get your rice and beans! exclaims
a tattooed man in his thirties who is standing by
the kitchen. Dinner is served!
Mackey was born and raised in a mainly
white suburb in Florida. Since she had always
been interested in feminism and gender equality,
she joined a student activist group at BU during
her freshman year. As she networked her way
through the large activism community in the
University, who started the collective almost
three years ago, she was attracted to the new
ideas they proposed.
I was kinda skeptical at first, you know?
says Mackey. Their ideas seemed impossible. I
thought, How could you not believe in the
police, prisons, government, or any type of
hierarchical system?
Mackey seems embarrassed as she
describes the way she lived before embracing
p r o n o u n s o n l y p l e a s e ! I m h a l f C u b a n , h a l f
F r e n c h , m y e n e r g y l e v e l i s p r o b a b l y a s e v e n r i g h t
n o w a n d G l i t t e r ! G l i t t e r ! G l i t t e r !
W h a t m a k e s t h e f r o n t o f t h e h o u s e
d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e f r o m t h e T y p i c a l A l l s t o n f r a t i s t h e
c o l o r f u l g r a f f i t i o n t h e o l d w o o d e n w a l l s . T h e
a n a r c h i s t s y m b o l , t h e l e t t e r A i n s i d e t h e l e t t e r O
i s d r a w n m a n y t i m e s i n d i f f e r e n t c o l o r s o f c h a l k .
A c c o r d i n g t o t h e f i r s t o r g a n i z a t i o n t o u s e i t i n
1 8 6 8 , t h e F e d e r a l C o u n c i l o f S p a i n o f t h e
I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o r k e r s A s s o c i a t i o n , t h e s y m b o l
s t a n d s f o r A n a r c h y i s t h e m o t h e r o f O r d e r .
P o s t e r s a d v o c a t i n g f o r f e m i n i s m , v e g a n i s m ,
a n a r c h i s m a n d g e n d e r a c t i v i s m a r e a l s o a l l o v e r
t h e f r o n t w a l l .
A n a r c h i s m h a s b e e n p r e s e n t i n w e s t e r n s o c i a l
d i s c o u r s e f o r m o r e t h a n 1 7 0 y e a r s . A l t h o u g h
m a n y m e n a d v o c a t e d f o r s i m i l a r i d e a s w h i c h
c o n t r i b u t e d t o t h e p h i l o s o p h y d e c a d e s e a r l i e r ; i t
w a s a f t e r t h e F r e n c h p h i l o s o p h e r P i e r r e - J o s e p h
R o u d h o n p u b l i s h e d h i s w o r k W h a t i s P r o p e r t y ?
t h a t t h e t e r m w a s e s t a b l i s h e d a s i t i s c o m m o n l y
u n d e r s t o o d . T h e w o r d a n a r c h y c o m e s f r o m t h e
a n c i e n t G r e e k a n a r c h i a , w h i c h l i t e r a l l y m e a n s
a b s e n c e o f r u l e r . A l t h o u g h t h e p r e c i s e
d e f i n i t i o n o f t h e p h i l o s o p h i c a l c u r r e n t v a r i e s
d e p e n d i n g o n d i f f e r e n t i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s , m o s t o f
t h e w i d e l y a c c e p t e d d e f i n i t i o n s i n c l u d e o n e
c o m m o n e l e m e n t : a d i r e c t o p p o s i t i o n t o w a r d
a u t h o r i t y a n d a n y t y p e o f h i e r a r c h i c a l
o r g a n i z a t i o n . F r o m t h i s p r e m i s e , i t c a n b e
u n d e r s t o o d h o w a n a r c h i s t s a r e a c t i v e l y i n f a v o r
o f s t a t e l e s s s o c i e t i e s w h e r e i n d i v i d u a l s a r e
o r g a n i z e d b y f r e e a s s o c i a t i o n i n s t e a d o f
m o d e r n s o c i e t i e s o n e l a r g e p o w e r p y r a m i d .
T w e n t y - o n e y e a r o l d G l i t t e r B i n r e s i d e n t , K C
M a c k e y i s a v e r y o u t s p o k e n a c t i v i s t f o r g e n d e r
e q u a l i t y , v e g a n i s m , a n d a n a r c h i s m . S h e i s a
B o s t o n U n i v e r s i t y a l u m w h o m a j o r e d i n
p h i l o s o p h y a n d r e l i g i o n .
I m K C , s h e t e l l s t h e g r o u p , s h e a n d h e r
p r o n o u n s a r e c o o l I m w h i t e , a b o u t a 5 i n
e n e r g y b e c a u s e o f f i n a l s , a n d I w o u l d b e
c h a l k ! S h e h a s a b r o a d w h i t e s m i l e , a s i l v e r -
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anarchism, I was raised to be afraid of black
people; I knew nothing about child labor, or the
exploitation of workers, she admits. I was a
capitalist consumer, blindly contributing to all of
these horrible atrocities. I had no idea what kind
of world I lived in. So, I was introduced to
anarchy with very good timing.
As much as she has worked in favor of the
anarchic cause, Mackey accepts that there is
some hypocrisy in their actions, as they still
contribute to the system everyday.
I know the picture of an anarchist college
student is kind of an oxymoron, says Mackey.
But its what we strive for. Many things we do
contribute to a greater cause, and we just have to
keep doing our best.
The check-in is almost done when
introduces herself. Tanya, 22, white, a glue
stick, and, oh right, my energy level is like nine
now cause I just got back from dumpstering,
she says.
One evening every week or so, a few
members of the collective hop in a car and drive
down the streets of Brookline to find food and
useful objects in dumpsters. Nell says almost all
the furniture and appliances in the house have
come from dumpsters. A great part of the food
shared by the residents also comes from the
trash: the food is consumed by them, donated to
the homeless, or shared with other collectives in
the area whenever needed. The amount of
money spent in goods for the collectives
common use is minimal.
Dumpstering, or dumpster diving, is not a
revolutionary new lifestyle. It has been around
for ages. However, there is much more behind
dumpstering than solely gathering free food for
consumption. It is an important part of modern
anarchic activism. Freeganism, another term
for the act, is aimed as a direct opposition to
capitalist culture in many ways. The most
important one is probably, as Salon writer Laurie
Essig puts it, that they are not just living off the
grid, but off of the excess that the grid produces.
p r o n o u n s o n l y p l e a s e ! I m h a l f C u b a n , h a l f
F r e n c h , m y e n e r g y l e v e l i s p r o b a b l y a s e v e n r i g h t
n o w a n d G l i t t e r ! G l i t t e r ! G l i t t e r !
W h a t m a k e s t h e f r o n t o f t h e h o u s e
d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e f r o m t h e T y p i c a l A l l s t o n f r a t i s t h e
c o l o r f u l g r a f f i t i o n t h e o l d w o o d e n w a l l s . T h e
a n a r c h i s t s y m b o l , t h e l e t t e r A i n s i d e t h e l e t t e r O
i s d r a w n m a n y t i m e s i n d i f f e r e n t c o l o r s o f c h a l k .
A c c o r d i n g t o t h e f i r s t o r g a n i z a t i o n t o u s e i t i n
1 8 6 8 , t h e F e d e r a l C o u n c i l o f S p a i n o f t h e
I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o r k e r s A s s o c i a t i o n , t h e s y m b o l
s t a n d s f o r A n a r c h y i s t h e m o t h e r o f O r d e r .
P o s t e r s a d v o c a t i n g f o r f e m i n i s m , v e g a n i s m ,
a n a r c h i s m a n d g e n d e r a c t i v i s m a r e a l s o a l l o v e r
t h e f r o n t w a l l .
A n a r c h i s m h a s b e e n p r e s e n t i n w e s t e r n s o c i a l
d i s c o u r s e f o r m o r e t h a n 1 7 0 y e a r s . A l t h o u g h
m a n y m e n a d v o c a t e d f o r s i m i l a r i d e a s w h i c h
c o n t r i b u t e d t o t h e p h i l o s o p h y d e c a d e s e a r l i e r ; i t
w a s a f t e r t h e F r e n c h p h i l o s o p h e r P i e r r e - J o s e p h
R o u d h o n p u b l i s h e d h i s w o r k W h a t i s P r o p e r t y ?
t h a t t h e t e r m w a s e s t a b l i s h e d a s i t i s c o m m o n l y
u n d e r s t o o d . T h e w o r d a n a r c h y c o m e s f r o m t h e
a n c i e n t G r e e k a n a r c h i a , w h i c h l i t e r a l l y m e a n s
a b s e n c e o f r u l e r . A l t h o u g h t h e p r e c i s e
d e f i n i t i o n o f t h e p h i l o s o p h i c a l c u r r e n t v a r i e s
d e p e n d i n g o n d i f f e r e n t i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s , m o s t o f
t h e w i d e l y a c c e p t e d d e f i n i t i o n s i n c l u d e o n e
c o m m o n e l e m e n t : a d i r e c t o p p o s i t i o n t o w a r d
a u t h o r i t y a n d a n y t y p e o f h i e r a r c h i c a l
o r g a n i z a t i o n . F r o m t h i s p r e m i s e , i t c a n b e
u n d e r s t o o d h o w a n a r c h i s t s a r e a c t i v e l y i n f a v o r
o f s t a t e l e s s s o c i e t i e s w h e r e i n d i v i d u a l s a r e
o r g a n i z e d b y f r e e a s s o c i a t i o n i n s t e a d o f
m o d e r n s o c i e t i e s o n e l a r g e p o w e r p y r a m i d .
T w e n t y - o n e y e a r o l d G l i t t e r B i n r e s i d e n t , K C
M a c k e y i s a v e r y o u t s p o k e n a c t i v i s t f o r g e n d e r
e q u a l i t y , v e g a n i s m , a n d a n a r c h i s m . S h e i s a
B o s t o n U n i v e r s i t y a l u m w h o m a j o r e d i n
p h i l o s o p h y a n d r e l i g i o n .
I m K C , s h e t e l l s t h e g r o u p , s h e a n d h e r
p r o n o u n s a r e c o o l I m w h i t e , a b o u t a 5 i n
e n e r g y b e c a u s e o f f i n a l s , a n d I w o u l d b e
c h a l k ! S h e h a s a b r o a d w h i t e s m i l e , a s i l v e r -
to an area and you multiply and multiply until
every natural resource is consumed, and the only
way you can survive is to spread to another area.
There is another organism on this planet that
follows the same pattern. Do you know what it
is? A virus.
Nell and three other members of the
collective returned home with a cool treasure:
an electric UV towel sterilizer that was left
outside a Dunkin Donuts. There was a lot more
useful objects in the containers, but they decided
to leave it behind. It is against dumpstering
etiquette to empty out a dumpster.
It is perfectly good bread says Mackey as
she opens a large plastic bin with enough bread
to stock up a small store. Cmon! This definitely
takes off some hypocrisy points from us! Were
further away from contributing to capitalism and
its good for the environment. Also, expiration
dates are usually bullshit anyways.
After the chores are divided into groups
kitchen pod, outdoors pod, bathroom pod ,
andcommon room pod -- the meeting addresses
different problems. Theres a new landlord whos
not into chalk graffiti and a curious Boston
In an incredibly idealistic act of faith, they
believe that by redirecting consumer capitalisms
waste stream to those in need, they are actually
dismantling the masters house with the masters
tools.
It is illegal to steal from the garbage and
especially enforced when the dumpsters belong
to private companies. The reason seems to be
clear: It is not in a private companys best interest
to have their products available for free. This
decreases the perception of the value of the
products for potential costumers. However,
freegans claim that the amount of waste is so
excessive, the problem is not only the perfectly
good food being denied to the less fortunate; but
the immense ecological damage the system is
creating.
While explaining the importance of
dumpstering for the anarchist cause, Nell tried to
remember a quote from the 1999 sci-fi thriller
The Matrix. Although her memory failed her
slightly, the original quote is relevant, Every
mammal on this planet instinctively develops a
natural equilibrium with the surrounding
environment but you humans do not. You move
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Police Department Officer who has an eye on
them.
Everyone has to be careful with what they
say when they are not indoors, whispers Jazzy.
Dont be too loud about things you dont want
to be heard. Remember, Officer Love loves us--
yes, thats his actual name.
Illegal acts like vandalism and shoplifting
are up to each residents own comfort zone, but
they do happen on occasion. The Glitter Bin
residents are not very responsive with questions
about specific illegal actions they have
performed or witnessed; however, they do not
deny that civil disobedience and violent acts
must always be options, even if they are never
used.
Theres a terrible stereotype about
anarchism that links us only to violence and
vandalism, says Mackey. People imagine
anarchists as always running around burning
things, but for me it is more about educating the
community in alternative thinking. The residents
nod their heads in approval.
Lets wrap it up guys, its getting late,
says Nell, more than two hours into the meeting,
The last point to discuss is the name. We agreed
on it a week ago, but there are newcomers that
might have a different suggestion. Does everyone
like it? Everyone nods enthusiastically.
Okay, then. Welcome to The Glitter Bin
Collective, guys! n
LOSING
MY
RELIGION
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director of MEOR Boston, Infatuation is not a
Jewish thing. It is no surprise that marrying
within the faith is a priority to Jews, especially
since it is a Talmudic mandate. The Torah even
goes further to state that children born to
interfaith marriages are lost to Judaism (Deut
7:3-4.) In this day and age, where rules and
restrictions are challenged, and modern families
are common, if not widespread, can a religion
with such strict mandates survive? Further, does
MEOR, which means to illuminate, an
organization targeted at youth, extend an open
mind to modern practices?
I am not telling people what to do, or how
to do it I am here to present Judaism. Hopefully
I can inspire you by showing the vast wealth that
Judaism has to offer, said Loketch, it doesnt
matter what background. Even if they have zero
Jewish background, if they are passionate about
being a part of the Jewish community then we
want to educate them to make a difference.
This anonymous source, a BU student who
grew up with a Jewish education, in a very
Jewish community in Miami, was very passionate
about her heritage. She believed that the MEOR
class would help her fill that gap she has felt her
entire life, with her half-Jewish background. Her
rejection from the class left her with a bad taste
for the organization, Hillel, and her blood.
Another BU student, who also chose to
remain anonymous, spoke about a recent trip to
Brooklyn that she took with the MEOR
organization. This trip, while not obligatory, was
encouraged throughout the course with the
purpose to see how an Orthodox community
lived. The group stayed with Orthodox families,
shared meals and stories, and had to dress in
appropriate fashion, covered up in long skirts.
If I hadnt gone and visited I would have
judged it, because I don't know anyone like that.
But I realized I had more in common with [them]
than I thought, said the anonymous source, Im
not as distant to the idea as I was.
The source also commented that there was
a discussion about shomer negiah, the
Orthodox practice that forbids physical contact
with a member of the opposite sex, excluding
spouses and family members. Loketch argued
that if the girls on the trip wanted to find a
respectful partner, they should look at the boys
A Boston University student hears all her friends
are joining a new Jewish organization at school
MEOR. The Maimonides Leaders Fellowship
class, taught by Rabbi Avrohom Loketch, offers
students a stipend (which they are encouraged to
spend on a MEOR sponsored Israel trip) and aims
to teach young Jews religious history while
challenging beliefs, asking questions and
developing their Judaism. This Boston University
student, who chose to remain anonymous, was
not allowed to attend the class. She believes it
has to do with her mixed heritage her mother is
not Jewish, her father is. In turn, according to
Talmudic law, she does not classify as Jewish. A
major Pew Research Center survey released this
year reveals that a third of Jewish millennials
identify as having no religion at all. This leads to
a lesser identification with religion and two-
thirds of that group not raising their kids Jewish.
All leading to the claim that Jewish life in
America shows a shift away from religious belief
and toward cultural identification. Also, the rate
of Jews marrying outside the faith has been
increasing. Yet, 94% of those surveyed said they
were proud to be Jewish. Is assimilation the end
of Judaism? There are two strong movements
going on in the world today. Jews who are very
much engaged in the world today but are losing
their Jewish identity, and those who are very
much identifying with their Jewish identity but at
the cost of disengaging from the world, said
Rabbi Baron Sacks, ex-Chief Rabbi of the United
Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth,
introducing his new pamphlet on A Judaism
Engaged with the World.
MEOR
Cue MEOR, an organization focused on reaching
out to younger Jews who are curious on learning
more about the religion they were born into. For
eight years they have established themselves in
college campuses across the nation looking to
strengthen the Jewish religion. One of the goals
of their class is educating students to choose a
Jewish spouse and raise a Jewish family, among
other things.
We need to marry Jewish and have Jewish
families so that we can stay alive and exist. We
are falling off the edges by leaps and bounds, we
are dissipating, said Rabbi Loketch, executive
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practicing shomer negiah. The BU student, who
identifies as observant and Reformed, disagreed
and felt offended that these ideas were being
imposed upon her.
To her, Judaism means family and values,
not doctrines.
The Pew Research center study also found
that there seems to be no loss of identification
within the Orthdox Jews. If anything, there is a
subtle increase in those who identify as
Orthodox. This supports Rabbi Sacks statement
on the loss of a middle ground either you
assimilate to the world and lose traditions or you
isolate.
I cannot think of a single friend who
actually does things for the religious aspect. They
might be spiritual, or celebrate traditions because
of the culture but definitely, across the board, my
peers are less religious, said Brian Landsman,
who classifies as a Reformed Jew from Long
Island, I fast less and less every year.
When asked what Judaism meant to him,
Brian responded that it has to do with identity
and culture, identity and belonging.
Those that are born Jewish but choose to
identify as something else, or dont partake in
any traditions, will always be Jewish like it or
not. In Judaism, a Jew is a Jew that means that
once you are Jewish you are always Jewish, even
if you convert and take on another religion, says
Loketch. What they do and how they do it is
their choice, today in America most people dont
know better.
Loketch told a story about a student whose
grandmother was Jewish, but whose mother
converted to Christianity. The student identified
as Christian, but the Rabbi insisted he was
Jewish, because of the matrilineal descent. Yet,
the BU student who could not join MEOR was
turned away because of her lack of Jewish
matrilineal descent.
It is a deterring factor if they are coming
from a mixed family. We can soften the attitude
but we cannot soften the reality, said Rabbi
Shmuel Posner, a Rabbi at the Chabad House of
Greater Boston. According to the Pew Research
Center study, the Reformed Jews are the ones
becoming less religious and ultimately
abandoning Jewish practices and identification.
Landsman does not believe in a God, and the BU
student participating in MEOR cares more about
family being brought together than a spiritual
connection with a higher being.
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Who is more Jewish? Who is a better Jew? Its
not about denominations but at the end of the
day, are we trying to adhere to the foundation of
a Jewish life? asks Loketch.
Conversion
Those who look to convert for marital purposes
are looked down upon, and for the most part,
rejected from the conversion process by
Conservative Orthodox Rabbis. The Torah says
that Moses converted an entire nation at Mount
Sinai, so technically all Jews are converts.
Nonetheless, it is not a proselytizing religion;
they also do not encourage converts. Loketch
speaks of Judaism as a life long challenge and a
responsibility; he does not see why someone
would want to take on this Jewish guilt for
other motives then to please their Jewish spouse.
Converting is kind of cheating the system
a little when it comes to marriage, said Albert
Tawill, an Orthodox Syrian Jew from Boston
University. Judaism is a mindset, a lifestyle, it
guides your decisions and how you act. It is not a
fun thing I do, its the cards that I was dealt.
Is this exclusive club, part ethnicity, part
spirituality, declining because of their lack of a
warm embrace to converts or those of mixed
descent?
I have a problem with the Pew Research
Center study. The answers seem guaranteed;
there is a problem with the framing of the
questions. Listen, we are not an anti-assimilation
group, we just want Jews to do one more mitzvah
every day where it wouldnt make sense for
people to marry non-Jews, said Posner.
I disagree with the premise of the Pew
Research Study because who is doing the study?
Older people who are trying to derive differences
between generations. How we associate to our
religion changes, maybe synagogue attendance
or frequency of practices isnt the best
measurement for an engaged Jew anymore, said
Joel Udwin, a Conservative Jew, and student
President of Boston Universitys Hillel.
Udwin argues that the real problem with
modern Judaism is the lack of a common voice
throughout the denominations, and the lack of a
formal Jewish education. His goal as President of
Hillel is to promote an environment of learning
where Jews of all sorts of denominations and
beliefs can come together and feel comfortable.
Judaism means community, tradition and
continuity to Udwin, whose grandparents are
both Holocaust survivors. He also stresses that
Judaism is different from other religions, as
Judaism is an ethno-religion with their own
country, language, DNA.
Hillel looks to promote more interaction
with the Jewish religion; they provide Freshmen
mentorship programs, access to birthright and
have so far had over 13,500 interactions with
individual students since the school year started.
Some people at Hillel have a problem
with the MEOR class, which apparently
disguises itself as a liberal, open platform for
Jewish students of all denominations by hiring a
young Rabbi who identifies with students. In
reality, the MEOR program promotes Orthodox
ideals and this could rub some of the Reformed
Jews taking the class the wrong way.
Udwin believes that a solution to engaging
more Jews with their religion is to create that
comfortable environment where everyones
definition of Judaism is different but where you
have the knowledge to make that decision.
Offering fun programs to connect with your
religion could keep those that are looking to
disassociate with their religion and keep them
within the community, rather than dictating how
they choose to practice Judaism.
Taglit-Birthright Israel, a very popular
program, is a free trip to Israel offered to Jewish
students, of any descent, looking to learn more
about their heritage. While the program focuses
on connecting to their Israeli roots, it has been
found that kids come back wanting to be more
religious and observant.
There is always a debate with Judaism
where people argue if Judaism is a peoplehood
or a religion. Those two camps debate but they
are intertwined. Birthright hits on nationhood,
said Jen Gutman, Program Associate for Taglit-
Birthright Israel, But it does show a religious
aspect, as you run on a Jewish calendar in Israel
the city of Jerusalem shuts down on Shabbat.
Mikayla Nissan, a junior at Boston
University, and a Reformed Jew from New Jersey,
said that these programs were life-changing. At a
tough time of her life she found guidance after
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an eye-opening trip to Israel. The trip brought her
closer to her family and to values that she felt she
was losing.
According to the Talit-Birthright website,
more than 350,000 young Jewish people from 64
countries have received a free trip to Israel.
Testimonies range from finding oneself to getting
more in touch with Judaism to seeing their
homeland in a brand new light.
This year, birthright is said to bring in more
than 17,000 young adults in their winter session,
boasting the largest number of winter participants
since the non-profits inception thirteen years
ago.
With only 2% of the Jewish population
being converts, and the religion being so closely
tied to ethnicity, it is a dilemma for Jews and
non-Jews alike to define the religion in strict
terms. Youth groups, college organizations, and
Rabbis stress, now more than ever, that Judaism
comes with the responsibility of marrying within
the faith. Does this message fit with millennials
view of love and dating in the 21st century? Only
time will tell but what is for certain is the
definition of religion is changing, the definition
of faith and labels are too. Is accepting converts
with marital intentions the answer? How about
embracing those that come from mixed
marriages? Marrying to preserve ones faith seems
archaic at this day and age, but the message is
still strong across denominations and Jewish
teaching.
Rabbi Sacks highlights that in the twenty-
first century the world will need Jews, and Jews
will need the world. Therefore, Jews will have to
adapt to changes in the world but withhold core
Jewish values and beliefs. Most importantly, the
weight lies in how the youth views Judaism.
You can get so lost in law and spirituality,
Judaism for me means kindness. As long as you
are kind, you are a good Jew. We are the chosen
ones for a reason, we are the model citizens for
the world, said Gutman. n
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INFLUENCER OF THE MONTH:
ALEX KARPOVSKY
ALEX KARPOVSKY IS ONE OF THE MOST
INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE INDIE FILM
INDUSTRY. AND FOR GOOD REASON.
Alex Karpovsky is in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and it is hard to hear him on my iPhone 4S. It is even harder for him to hear
metalking on a speaker phone in a crowded Kenmore Square Starbucks is not the most conducive environment to
conduct an interview, after all. He does his best, but two minute into the conversation, he finally tells me he has no
clue what I am saying. All he hears is the sound of the boisterous laughs from the middle-aged women behind me
layered with the sound of a teenage girl sobbing over her boyfriend. I take him off speaker phone and squish the
recorder up against the front of the phone, struggling to hear him even more and panicking that the recorder wont pick
up any of the audio. Because although he would never say it, Alex doesnt really have much time to talknot with
everything hes working on.
After writing, producing, directing and starring in two feature films last year, Red Flag and Rubberneck, starring in Lena
Dunhams Girls and moving into more mainstream films with the new Coen Brothers movie Inside Llewyn Davis, Alex
still answers his own emails. And he gives his personal number for the interviewthe struggle on my end is worth it.
Heres what I was able to record. YASMEEN GHARNIT
Were any of you prepared for the success of the
show?
I cant speak on behalf of the others but I
certainly wasnt. Im so proud of it and so happy
that its getting what its gettingI definitely
could not have predicted it. The show is doing so
many things differently and I guess that whys its
catching on and why people seem to be
responding the way that they are, but I just
thought it wouldnt click. I thought it would be
too weird or too Brooklyn-y or too personal or
too niche-y to really find a mass audience.
Delightfully, I was wrong though.
Why do you think its resonating so quickly?
For various reasons, I think its doing something
very refreshing and new I feel in some aspects,
by being authentic whilst still being very funny. If
you look at a lot of network comedy, its so broad
and silly and removed from any vague notion of
naturalism or authenticity and I think our show
tries to do that whilst till having characters that
are comedic. And still have characters and
storylines that have dramatic resonance. And I
feel that is something we havent seen too much
of. Im not saying it hasnt been done, but it
hasnt been explored a lot and it hasnt been
explored recently, because of this realism and
authenticity a lot of people are enjoying it.
Were you surprised at how many men have
become fans of the show?
Im not surprised. I think men are really curious
about what girls talk about and the sort of notion
of authenticity surrounding the show I think guys
are doubly curious because theyre curious for
information. Plus they can identify with a lt of
the characters because of how believable they
are.
What were you like at that period in your life?
Early to mid-20s? Still very very very much
finding myself, very much existentially adrift and
try out many different social and creative hats,
just trying to figure things out in a way thats very
sloppy and familiar.
I know youre looking at things from a different
perspective: Your character in the show is a bit
older than the rest of the cast. What do you
think the differences are between Rays
generation and the rest of them?
I dont know if theres a generation divide, but he
is definitely older. I dont know if this is a direct
answer but the fact that hes old makes him feel
as though hes in a position to inject perspective
and guidance to these girls lives. Even if its
unfounded and misguided he feels, based on his
age, that hes in a position to. I think if he was
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hanging around people his age, he wouldnt
necessarily be doing that, its not intrinsic in who
he is, its just relative to their age differences, he
somehow is required to do this. Its some sort of
unspoken obligation that he has. How much
wisdom does he really have to share, thats
debatable. In terms of cultural or societal
criticism he might have something to offer, but in
terms of relationship advice thats a little bit more
questionable. Season 2 explored that a little bit.
Whats your character like in Inside Llewyn
Davis?
I have a small role. I play this character Marty
Green and in the movie theres sort of a
downtownits set in 1961 New York through
the folk music scene and theres sort of a
downtown scene of musicians and bohemians
and theres an uptown scene of academics and
squares who are curious about whats happening
downtown and want to be downloaded on
whats hip but dont want to get their hands dirty.
Theyre a small part of the story, its mostly
actually downtown. I think Adam [Driver]s
characters downtown. Anyway, I play an uptown
academic whos invited to a dinner where he
tries to kind of participate in a discussion on
whats going on downtown. But I play a
Columbia professor who pretends to know what
this is, Columbia-wide.
You think generally life as an independent
filmmaker is cold, or do you think that its
feasible? How tough was it for you to get
started in the business?
Well I dont feel like Im part of any business,
really. I feel like Im held up to any industrial
fabric. I started as a video editor. I didnt go to
film school. I started the video editor while I was
doing standup comedy to support myself and I
fell in love with the editor part of it, even though
I was filming garbage. I was editing like
corporate videos, industrials, karaoke videos, but
I didnt know anything so there was a lot to learn
and it was very interesting to me. And the
company I was working for was really great
small, close production house that had a lot of
equipment that they let me borrow and just a
little bit of financial support, so with their help I
made my first two movies and thats sort of how I
started. And I put myself in my first movie (I
wasnt in my second or third movie), but because
of the first movie that I acted in I was put in a few
small projects that I acted in and one of those
projects led to me kind of meeting Lena
[Dunham]; it opened up a lot of doors. So thats
how it started me kind of like karaokewell,
liking editing karaoke, making my own movies
too and being lucky to be cast in the movies that
I make.
Its natural you seem remarkably un-self-
conscious. Is there anything that makes you
nervous?
Yeah, there are a lot of things that make me
nervous. Meeting people that I dont know often
makes me nervous, pitching ideas often makes
me nervous, talking to attractive people often
makes me very nervous. I feel like Im pretty shy
and nervous and introvert for the most part. I
dont know, maybe other people disagree, but
Well you clearly dont seem that way and in
your films you really put yourself out there.
Well, in my films, yeah. But if were talking about
real life I think you can be shy and an introvert
as well, not being self-conscious. I also think you
could probably teach anyone to be an actor if
theyre reasonablyif they have the ability to
turn off their self-consciousness and self-
awareness, at least being an actor that I would
like, an actor that could kind of sell reality, sell
authenticity. I never went to acting school, I dont
think I personallyI dont know, I dont want to
say itI just feel like technique and theory is
good for some people; it doesnt work for me, I
think its because I have priority issues or
something. It just doesnt work for me. Theres a
natural antagonism/ But I do feel like anyone
who can turn off their self-awareness mechanism
can be a good actor. And if you have charma
little bit of charm on top of that, a little bit of wit,
intellect, then the chances increase. n
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GUSTAVO BAUER
RUM
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BY ALBERTO MONTALTI
Drums and a cheering, singing crowd echoed
down the streets of Cabimas, a small city in
northwestern Venezuela. A rhythmic beat grew
louder as the minutes passed. The air began to
smell distinctively like pure Caribbean rum. Not
too long afterwards, behind the curling heat
waves, a large crowd began to flood the main
avenue. The procession had left the 18th century
Cathedral Nuestra Seora del Rosario, and was
on its way down the street
Located on the coast of the Maracaibo
Lake, the largest in South America, the city of
Cabimas is famous for three things: its
overwhelmingly hot temperatures averaging 86
degrees Fahrenheit each year, its enormous oil
drilling industry, and its San Benito de Palermo
(Saint Bennedict) processions, celebrated each
year on December 27th and January 6th. San
Benito, or the moor, is one of the few black
saints recognized by the Catholic Church. The
Italian holy man, born in Sicily during the 1520s
is widely viewed in the region as the saint of
slaves. Born of Moorish parents, it is believed
his patrons freed him at birth, to live an
exemplary, charitable life.
The life of San Benito is celebrated in
several countries in Latin America, especially in
the areas with a large Afro-Caribbean heritage.
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Processions in his name are not uncommon in
several regions of Venezuela, but none are as
peculiar as the ones celebrated in Cabimas,
where the presence of rum seems to be as
important as the Saint.
It used to be only one parade, said
Gustavo Baer, a Venezuelan photojournalist
who has covered the procession on five
occasions. The church divided it into two in
order to avoid a violent conflict between the
inhabitants of the wealthier part of the city with
the poorer side. Tension between both
economic classes made it impossible to choose
only one location, so the celebration alternates
between both dates and venues each year.
By 10 a.m, the sun was already scorching
the dry asphalt while more than 30,000 people
paraded down the street. The citys infrastructure
seemed to have been halted in the 1970s and
worn out by the next 40 years. The oil-rich land
used to be home to many American and
European oil tycoons during the early 1900s, but
they mostly left after the industry was
nationalized during the seventies.
The American influence in the citys culture
is still present in other almost imperceptible
details. Almost half of the pilgrims walking down
the street were wearing Converse sneakers in
different variations and colors. Also, the streets
are numerically organized, reminiscent of
American cities built from scratch. The locals
use the slang word gircho (pronounced weir-
cho) in a derogative way to refer to people in
lower social classes in the city, said Baer, the
word comes from the Americans; who used the
term wild child when referring to the more
uncivilized locals.
As the crowd moved along the avenue in a
synchronized hip-swinging dance to the loud
banging beats, the saint was barely visible. A
pitch-black figure dressed in bright blue robes
rose from the middle of the crowd. On every
side, hundreds of arms visibly fought their way
through to touch the holy garments.
People will do anything they physically
can to touch the robes, said Baer, They
believe that is the only way the saint will bless
them for the year to come.
The source of the smell could be spotted.
Most people walking with the saint and standing
by the street held at least one bottle of rum.
Splashes of brown liquor could be seen all
around the statue, as everyone did their best to
aim the liquid toward the divine figure.
The story dates back to the 1700s, when
Spanish missionary priests where stationed on
Venezuelan coasts, filled with black, Carribean
slaves. The missionaries needed to spread the
word of the Church and keep the slaves from
engaging in inappropriate behaviors, so they
taught the slaves a lesson. Since rum was the
slaves biggest pleasure and virtues biggest
problem, they were taught to avoid drinking
alcohol but continue to pour it as they usually
would. Every time a slave managed to avoid
drinking, he would store the rum in a container.
When the time came, the slaves would give their
rum to San Benito as an offering by leaving the
vases at the church. It was believed that in return
for their sacrifice, he would bless them for the
following year.
As the day went by, the warm rum was no
longer only a splash, but also a beverage. At a
public plaza a teenager was offering rum bottles
for double their cost. The state government had
established the dry law for the weekend, so
alcohol could not be legally purchased that day.
Ten muscular twenty-something-year-old
men carried the statue, all with their heads
shaved, and wearing distinctive bandanas. This is
one of the most respected tasks a man can be
given in the city. The heavy idol was clearly
hurting their shoulders. Soaking wet in rum and
sweating under the 92 degree sun, they marched
on. One of the bald men screamed in pain as a
bucket full of rum was poured on his eyes and
he blindly pushed forward against the random
arms coming from all directions. The scene
resembled a gang fight, but everyone seemed to
be enjoying it.
Around 2 p.m., with the sun at its worst
and the party at its best, Baer recommended
that outsiders step away from the fun. Its no
secret that violence tends to arise after the
procession. When night hits after San Benitos
holy day, whoever is left outside is most
likely still drinking. Fistfights are frequent and
burglars tend to take advantage of the ambiance
to put in some extra hours. Ive stuck around
during nighttime before, said Baer, If you
think its ironic how this is all supposed to be
religious during the day, you dont want to see
how it is at night. n
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EMERGING GRAFFITI AND STREET ART CULTURE
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illustrator: alexander holm
BY SARAH ANOLIK
EMERGING GRAFFITI AND STREET ART CULTURE
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The graffiti wall in Cambridge, MAs Central
Square glistened in the autumn sun. The
abstract shapes sprayed clear ocean blue,
candy apple red, lime green, and cotton candy
pink popped out in the narrow alleyway.
The shapes created a piece of artwork a
colorful, abstract combination of shapes.
There is a growing culture of (free) street
art all over the country. Graffiti and street art
showcase different public artists who spray
paint their way through the streets. Graffiti, a
form of art that is by and large illegal in public
spaces, is expanding its presence legally in the
Greater Boston community. The Central
Square graffiti alley is the areas only legal
graffiti wall.
Boston is a culturally rich city, loaded
with history, packed with extremely different
communities that somehow come together,
and filled with social tension it is only
understandable that graffiti and street art
would be prominent. In Boston, there is gang
graffiti, individual tags (often hard to
differentiate from gang tags), artistic,
community-approved graffiti (sponsored or
permitted, such as murals), hostile
messages/symbols, indicative of area social
tensions, and crime-related symbols of area
hardships. There is also street art that is
territorial/neighborhood-claiming, ethnic
pride/ethnicity-related, business-sponsored,
and symbols of young love.
On a more global level, there are over
1,100 legal graffiti walls worldwide, and this
number is growing as the acceptance of graffiti
as a form of legitimate art progresses. We also
see an increased acceptance of graffiti and
street art as legitimate art, as it has moved
from the streets to being featured in high-end
galleries and shows. Through the fall of 2013,
the Institute of Contemporary Art staged a
show by Os Gemeos and a show by Barry
McGee graffiti artists.
However, even though graffiti has
become more widely accepted and valued as
art, graffiti is also defacement of public
property, illegal and punishable by law in the
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GRAFFITI IS OFTEN
SEEN HAS A VENUE OF
EXPRESSION, WHEN NO
OTHER VENUE IS
AVAILABLE...
Steinberg Museum of ARt at Hillwood on the
campus of LIU in Brookville, NY.
Tagging is seen as a cultural outlet that
allows artists to convey their beliefs and share
them with other members of society. Public art is
often seen as a venue of expression, when no
other venue is available. Whether or not viewers
see it as a positive influence or negative societal
defect, graffiti gives society a view on American
culture as a whole and our desire for complete
freedom of speech and public spaces. Graffiti
Boston wrote that graffiti is important because
Graffiti is the collected stories of time and place,
community and self, freedom and oppression,
and where the individual fits in amongst all of it.
EXPLORING THE CENTRAL SQUARE
GRAFFITI ALLEY
Strolling through Central Squares Graffiti Alley is
like walking through Dylans Candy Shop in New
York City. No, there is no candy, but the bright
colors of spray paint on the skinny alley are
captivating, and quite wonderful for any art lover
and tourist alike. The alleys walls are literally
covered in every single color in your Crayola
crayon box (the big size box, that is) from
coffee cream white to deep grape purple to
Caribbean Sea blue. The alley is a public wall
open for any artists or residents to create
something many recognizable artists have
graffited in the alley including a large piece by
Shepard Fairey, who created the iconic Obama
HOPE poster. The Associated Press sued Fairey,
saying that he violated copyright laws by basing
his poster on an AP image. The wall is frequently
spray painted over with new art and graffiti, so if
youre planning on paying a visit youll most
likely see a completely different alley every
time. n
state of Massachusetts. When caught graffiti
artists and taggers are often arrested and fined.
Like every graffiti artist, the recognizable
ones were also punished. The late Keith Haring,
for example, who was an extremely popular
artist and social activist in the 1980s, started as
a graffiti artist and spoke to the street culture of
the 1980s with his identifiable, colorful figures
depicting concepts of birth, death, and war.
Graffiti, today and then, speaks to the culture of
the time as well as to the universal issues such
as political corruption, social problems, world
peace, and more.
Starting in the mid 1990s, graffiti was
first accepted for its inventive merit and cultural
value. Now-famous artists like Banksy and
Marc Ecko started their career during this
period, creating politically challenging murals
that were relevant to the society of the time.
By the 2000s, graffiti became widely
accepted in the art community as a legitimate
form of expression. And the introduction of
Facebook, Instagram, blogs, and other social
media sites have supported artists because their
art can be more widely and easily viewed.
Ryan Seslow, New York-based artist and
college professor, started instructing a class
The History & Emergence of Street Art &
Graffiti in 2010 at both Long Island University
and CUNY York College. Teaching the art of
graffiti and street art was something he thought
to be long overdue. Seslow started writing
graffiti in 1984 at the age of 12 and has been
hooked ever since. Seslow currently has a show
running from 11/16/13 to 12/16/13 at the
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Barry McGee
GRAFFITI ARTISTS TO
WATCH FOR IN BOSTON:
Os Gemeos Brothers
Jimboe
Marka27
-ISM
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Voices in the smoke 58
It could happen to you 64
Mayoral duke out 68
&
by peter jasinski
by kelsey mulvey
by virginia ashe
VOICES IN THE SMOKE
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BY PETER JASINSKI
In the first one hundred and fifty years of the
United States existence, the laws surrounding
the legality of cannabis became increasingly
strict. Until the twentieth century, marijuana was
something fairly commonplace. It was grown, it
was sold, and it was used by countless
Americans. It was only in 1906 that the Pure
Food and Drug Act was passed limiting the sale
of cannabis to pharmacies on the condition that
a doctor had to prescribe it.
Over the following decades, the laws
prohibiting cannabis became increasingly
severe. Many historians have suggested that it
was the combined efforts of William Randolph
Hearst, Andrew Mellon, and the DuPont family
that demonized cannabis and linked its effects to
violent crime, as the catalyst for what became
the nations widespread disapproval of the
substance. Popular theories behind this range
from financial gain to moral obligation.
Whatever their motives may have been, the
campaign against cannabis worked. For the rest
of twentieth century it grew into a social and
moral taboo in the U.S.
On November 6th, 2012, voters said yes
to Question 3, which allowed cannabis for the
first time in almost a century to be legal in the
state of Massachusetts for medical purposes.
After last Novembers election, there were
officially eighteen states where medical
marijuana was legal, fifteen where it had been
decriminalized, and two where it had been
legalized for recreational purposes at a state
level.
Changing the states laws from simply
decriminalizing marijuana to making it legal in
some capacity carries many additional changes
for the state. Slowly, a part of our culture, that for
so long had been deemed off limits, is coming
back into the mainstream. It raises ethical,
scientific, and moral questions. The effects of this
are only now starting to be seen and are sure to
reach all levels of society. As a result an array of
voices from all sides of the issue are begining to
be heard.
ASKING SOME EXPERTS
The Massachusetts Medical Society is a nonprofit
organization that represents over 24,000 doctors
in the Bay State. It is the oldest, continuously
operating state medical society in the country.
Since 1781 it has been acting as a center for
medical and public health education, health
policy research, medical publishing, as well as
legislative and regulatory advocacy for physicians
and patients.
On May 19th, 2012, the MMS approved a
resolution to oppose the effort to make medical
marijuana legal in Massachusetts. In its official
statement, MMS explained it could not support
legislation intended to involve physicians in
certifying, authorizing, or otherwise directing
persons in the use of medicinal marijuana
outside of scientific and clinical trials.
Unconvinced that the cannabis could
be used to treat patients, the MMS instead
suggested that more research should have been
conducted before holding a vote to make it legal
for medical purposes.
The feelings of the MMS were reflected in
the sentiments of many of the countrys other
medical societies, including the American
Cancer Society and the National Multiple
Sclerosis Society, who stated, This decision was
not only based on existing legal barriers to its use
but, even more importantly, because studies to
date do not demonstrate a clear benefit
compared to existing symptomatic therapies and
because issues of side effects, systemic effects,
and long-term effects are not yet clear.
Now that Question 3 has been passed, the
MMS is working with the state government to
ensure that regulations are put in place.
The MMS will advocate for the
development of appropriate standards for
marijuana certifications by physicians, including
that physicians must have an active license from
the Massachusetts Board of Registration in
Medicine, a Massachusetts Department of Public
Health Controlled Substances registration, and a
federal Drug Enforcement Agency registration,
said MMS spokesman Rick Gulla.
According to Gulla, the MMS plans to
work with the Massachusetts Board of
Registration in Medicine in defining the
states regulations, including issues of what
constitutes an acceptable dosage as well as how
granting consent to patients under the age of
eighteen will work.
The MMS has already advocated to both
the Board of Registration in Medicine and the
Department of Public Health a list of
recommended regulations for physicians in
prescribing cannabis.
The list is pretty much what you would
expect from a group that publicly condemns
medical marijuana. It expresses a need for
doctors to inform the patients of side effects,
regularly monitor progress of the treatment,
continually record that the patient does in fact
require cannabis, and ensure that the issuance of
cannabis is not a disproportionately large (or
even exclusive) aspect of their practice. The list
also suggests that physicians should have a pre-
existing and ongoing relationship with patients in
question before prescribing cannabis.
illustrator: shireen ahmed
LOBBYING WITH A CONSCIENCE
A few years ago, Whitney Taylor moved back
home to Massachusetts. Before that she
had been working in drug policy in California.
When her step-father was diagnosed with lung
cancer he was given only six months to live.
She was able to get home in time for the last four
of those months.
The treatment her step-father was receiving
involved heavy dosages of oxycodone, which left
him incoherent and confused. Whitney describes
the medication as having been so strong that he
wouldnt recognize people whom he had known
for years. Watching him suffer was unbearable.
Not doing anything about it became
unacceptable.
Whitney went out and obtained marijuana
through what she refers to as illegal means. She
then infused the marijuana into butter. This
creates the key ingrediant to what many refer to
as edibles. By infusing cannabis into butter it
can be incorporated into almost any food and
still retain all the affects it can have. Meals
prepared using cannabis butter became the
staple of Whitneys step fathers diet. Soon his
oxycodone intake was reduced to two-thirds
what he had been taking without causing any
additional discomfort.
Although she lost him, she was able to
provide him peace and comfort in those final
months.
I was totally willing to break the law to do
that, says Whitney, sitting in her corner of the
American Civil Liberty Unions Boston offices.
Two colorful posters will catch your eye as
you walk into her office. Theyre both movie
posters from the 50s. One says Assassin of
Youth, the other Reefer Madness. They give
you a hint to just how little she cares about any
taboo that surrounds cannabis.
Before Question 3 even made it to the
ballot, a petition to legalize medical marijuana
had to be drafted, signed, and approved.
Officially it is known as An Initiative Petition
for a Law for the Humanitarian Medical Use of
Marijuana. Whitney is signed on as the
petitions proponent.
What follows after that are the six pages
and seventeen sections outlining the proposal
and regulations to developing a system of
dispensing medical marijuana. Its thorough, its
dense, and it covers everything from cultivation
to confidentiality.
Californias was a poorly written law
when it came out, says Whitney, In coming up
with ours we didnt want to be California or
Colorado. We wanted to figure out the
regulations beforehand.
Instead of just legalizing medical
marijuana and then building up its limitations
and sanctions, the structure that would hold up
the proposal was designed first. The complex
nature of cannabis, what it can treat, and
how it can affect people were all taken into
account. Some of the major concerns were in
separating the medical purposes from the
recreational ones. Despite her belief that
cannabis can be used effectively in treating a
variety of illnesses, Whitney does acknowledge
that the system could be abused if the right
precautions arent taken.
In the meantime, Whitney is happy with
how things have progressed so far. She sees the
passing of Question 3 as a triumph in what
she views as a battle with the state government
that has spanned over thirty years. Ideally she
would like to see a number of solid dispensaries
evenly geographically distributed across the state
in the near future. To her this scenario is not far
from possible.
I want to see that we continue education
in understanding the difference in recreational
and medicinal, says Whitney.
In the meantime both she and her
colleagues continue to ensure that their plan to
provide accessible treatment to all those in need.
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THE MAIN OPPOSITION
Despite there being enough popular support for
medical marijuana to be legalized in eighteen
states, there are still private citizens doing what
they can to keep all things cannabis out of the
hands of your everyday American. Take the
people who voted against the passage of acts like
Question 3, and combine them with some of the
people from the 32 other states where medical
marijuana is still illegal, and you are able to see
the formation of groups like Citizens Against
Legalizing Marijuana.
The group, also known as CALM, is a
California-based, all-volunteer committee
dedicated to preventing marijuana from being
legalized in any capacity. Their belief is that
federal laws against the use, cultivation, and
transportation of marijuana should be maintained
and enforced instead of being relaxed or
softened. In an effort to reach these goals they
try to inform the public through a website
stating what they perceive as the horrors of
marijuana use.
According to CALMs website, After
decades of study the FDA continues to reaffirm
that there is no medical benefit provided by the
use of smoke marijuana and that, in fact,
considerable harm can be caused by such use.
CALM, in fact, tells us very little about
what the FDA had to say about medical
marijuana other than it apparently being capable
of causing cancer. The cancer they are referring
to is actually lung cancer. What they also neglect
to mention is that its not the marijuana itself, but
simply the act of smoking that can cause cancer.
When ingested, or inhaled as a vapor, there is no
potential for cancer cells to grow.
Another important marijuana fact CALM
likes to bring up is that there are 483 chemicals
in marijuana, that, when smoked or ingested are
four to five times more cancer-causing than those
in tobacco cigarettes. There is no name or source
attached to this information, nor is there any list
of these chemicals. Its just placed on their
website under a section called Marijuana by the
Numbers. This fact, along with a lot of the others
in the section could have come from anywhere.
Some facts that are actually attributed to a
specific source further down the page. It is here
that we get a list of some of the side effects
marijuana can have. These include memory
problems, possible psychosis, lung damage, and
decreased motor coordination. CALM goes on to
say that heavy users may have increased
difficulty sustaining attention, shifting attention to
meet the demands of changes in the environ-
ment, and in registering, processing and using
information. All these facts come from the
National Highway Safety and Transportation
Association, an organization whose research is
primarily concerned with things like traffic
fatalities or the effectiveness of different models
of air bags.
CALM has a lot of information at its
disposal, but its shaky at best. Unfortunately it is
just one of many similar groups. All are made up
of concerned individuals, but not all of them are
the best informed. Like CALM, many employ
facts with disregard for where they come from or
how authoritative they are. Organizations like
this are the primary force behind the opposition
of medical marijuana.
WHY IT MATTERS
Scott Murphy is what military standards refer to
as 80 percent medically disabled. As a result of
being deemed more than 30 percent disabled, he
qualified for medical retirement. It was a series of
bad luck and painful injuries that sent Scott out
of the military and into a pursuit for a way to
treat the pain from his injuries.
Push-ups, as many of us imagine, are in
fact a regular part of military life, but when a
broken wrist never fully healed, Scott no longer
had a full range of motion. As a result, he was in
constant pain and unable to complete the
standard physical fitness tests he was required to
perform. The wrist injury was just the one that
finally pushed Scott into retirement. Over the
course of his military service he actually
developed chronic arthritis which he said was
sped up in development as a result of his military
service. At 19 he was in a motorcycle accident
that left him with a broken femur, shattered hip,
broken left wrist, as well as a damaged
metacarpal bone. The arthritis is not limited
just to these injured areas but has spread to
others as well.
Theres minor things like arthritis in both
knees, wear in the middle of my back, a nerve
shoulder condition and pain in my neck along
with ringing in my ears, said Scott.
For almost two years Scott has sought the
use of medical marijuana as a treatment for the
constant pain from his injuries. Since ending his
tour of duty in the Iraq War, he has not been
timid about voicing his opinions about using
cannabis as a form of treatment. Following the
suicide of his best friend at the age of 22 he has
been an outspoken patient advocate for medical
cannabis for returning veterans who suffer from
post traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.
Although my friend did not use medical
cannabis himself, knowing how many of my
friends and all veterans suffer from these
conditions and the fact that cannabis has been
shown to be beneficial, I think it is our nations
moral obligation to at the very least allow them
to try a non-toxic option, said Scott.
The biggest issue Scott has with the current
systems of treatment is the lack of uniformity in
how different states tackle medical marijuana.
The fact that American combat veterans are
having their health care and lives ruined in one
State for a medical choice but not in another,
even though they are using the same health care
system is beyond dumbfounding, said Scott.
The other issue that serves as a focus for
much of Scotts frustration is what he refers to as
the years of misinformation surrounding
marijuana. He believes that most people are
unaware, and even blindly accepting, of why
everyone has been against cannabis for so long.
According to Scott, we currently live for the most
part in a largely misinformed population where
rumor and tradition trump facts and evidence.
When people begin to use this climate of
unawareness to shape the future and acceptance
of medical marijuana Scott becomes even
more angry.
Claims that are used to induce fear by
prohibitionist angers me to my core. Knowing
their words are delaying progress in the medical
cannabis movement, a movement that directly
benefits those that were willing to die for this
country makes me question what the mean when
they say they support the troops, said Scott.
Both myself and many if not most veterans I
speak with, especially actual combat veterans,
hate the hollowness of the statement and the
false patriotism that is observed in the saying.
For now, Scott continues to voice all these
opinions in an attempt to further the acceptance
of medical marijuana. Like all others involved in
this movement, information is the biggest
bargaining chip no matter what side of the issue
is being argued. Popular support does seem to
be steadily shifting away from traditional
standards to more accepting feelings towards
medical marijuana.
The cause of this is information, but not the
information coming from the doctors, or the
lobbyists, or the protestors. Real change seems to
be stemming mostly from the patients
themselves. They support medical marijuana not
out of any moral obligation, or affinity for
smoking pot, but out of the most brutal and
honest fears. Theyre trying to relieve pain that
they feel, a pain not felt by the doctors,
politicians, and protestors. n
The horrific crimes are becoming more prevalent
BY KELSEY MULVEY
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to the public, and were fighting back.
IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU
As big an issue as rape is, we often feel distant
from the harsh reality that women all over the
world. Images of sexual predators and abusers
are flashed on our television screens and, just
after we mentally condemn them, their guilty
faces and the crimes theyve committed are
erased from the screens, only to be replaced by a
puff piece about the local petting zoo. After a
cup of coffee and your first crisis of the day at the
office, the quick blurb about the woman who
was brutally raped and murdered evaporates as
we struggle to remedy that paper jam. After all,
there were no grotesque images on the screen
that shatter our mental state.
Even when we do read extensively
detailed literary accounts or watch a simulated
attack on a movie screen, we are all comforted
by one redeemable fact: this all happened to
someone else. Whether we turn the page or
switch the channel, we can convince ourselves
of one thing: I could never fall victim to such a
horrid crime. Well she lived on the wrong side
of town, you rationalize after an episode of Law
and Order: Special Victims Unit. Shes a
delinquent, you think to yourself after
completing the notoriously graphic rape scene in
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I for one am
no delinquent.
However, this past year has been
revolutionary From Delhi, to Brazil, to Boston,
we have been bombarded by an all too real
image of sexual assault. With vivid details and
accounts from real women who were simply in
the wrong place at the wrong time, these
occurrences leave a haunting, lasting message:
you do not have immunity. And, unlike closing
the book or turning off the television, people are
finally standing up.
Unlike the quick blurbs on the local news,
the story of Delhis recent gang rape and murder
of a 23-year-old after boarding a privately-run
bus was told with excruciating details: four men
brutally raped and mutilated the victim with an
iron bar, causing fatal wounds. Even a
trustworthy male companion could not stop this
inhumane violation, as he too was beaten up
and thrown off the bus with the rape victim.
Prior to this December 16th, 2012 crime,
rapes in India were a painfully reality that rarely
received closure. According to Indias National
Crime Records Bureau, 24,206 rapes were
reported; however, more than half of the
violators have not been caught.
Just one year later, as The New Yorker
reported, Indias citizens were compelled to
respond and seek justice:
In the first few days, several hundred
students, mostly from the progressive Jawaharlal
Nehru Universitywhich is adjacent to the bus
stop where she had boarded the bus in
Munirkacame out demanding justice for the
victim, The New Yorker reports. But for rape
victims in India, a country scarred by a high rate
of sexual violence, justice is most often elusive.
And, in this individual case, justice was
served. In September, the four men accused of
raping, beating, and eventually killing this
woman were sentenced to death.
Closure was also found in Brazil, as three
men who beat and raped a 21-year-old American
student as well as a 22-year-old Brazilian woman
were convicted. The 14-year-old boy who was
involved with this case is awaiting trial in a court
for minors, The New York Times reports.
Though we are many time zones away
from the horrid events that occurred in Delhi and
Brazil, the chilling truth is that America is not
Link, Casa Myrnas statewide hotline, receives
about 100 calls each day from educators,
victims, and victims loved ones. If a victim is
calling from an area that is not close to the
organizations shelters, Casa Myrna will assist
callers with finding local shelters and
resources.
Transitioning from a victim to a survivor
does not end by calling Safe Link and
checking into one of the organizations
shelters. Casa Myrna also supplies their clients
with legal service and economic resources.
Though organizations like Casa Myrna
are making great strides towards improving the
wellbeing of victimized women in Boston
the organization reports that in one day, 1,752
victims of domestic violence received services
in Massachusettsthere is still room for
improvement.
In general, [theres this] silence and
shame around domestic violence and thats
something we all need to get over, says
Brown.
By shaping the publics attitude toward
crimes against women, the message will be
loud and clear: it can happen to anyone, and
thats unacceptable.
We need to create a climate of
intolerance, demands Brown. Everybody has
a hand in and everybody has to help. We want
men to come forward and say, I will never
abuse another person. We want them to say
this kind of behavior is not okay. n
safe from this crime. In fact, injustices are
shockingly prevalent in the City of Boston.
In addition to sexual assaults, domestic
violence is just one of the many crimes against
women that are common in Boston. And just like
rape, nobody is exempt.
Domestic violence doesnt discriminate,
says Stephanie Brown, reigning CEO of Casa
Myrna, an organization that strives to aid
domestic violence victims in Massachusetts. It
doesnt matter how old you are or where you
come from, it happens.
According to the organizations findings,
approximately one in three women experience
violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime
while one in four women fall victim to severe
violence by a loved one.
One of the things that we really have to
[do] better, says Brown, is helping women to be
informed, so they know what to do if they do not
feel safe in their relationships.
With a lack of shelters and economic
means to help these victims make a safe
transition throughout Massachusetts, Casa Myrna
strives to educate and assist women in leaving an
abusive situation and growing as strong
individuals.
There arent as many resources as there
were five or ten years ago, notes Brown. A
woman who might want to move away from her
abuser may not be able to find housing that she
can afford. She cant get subsidized housing, she
cant afford rent because its so high now, so her
only option is going to an emergency shelter.
Though the organization is best known for
its three types of sheltersan emergency shelter
for a 90 day or less stay, a transitioning shelter
that victims can stay up to two years, and a teen
parenting shelter that caters to teen parents for
up to two yearsCasa Myrna also aims to
connect victims with their local resources. Safe
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THE PRIMARIES
Who knew keeping up with the mayoral races
brought out more trash and drama than Keeping
Up With The Kardashians? Sexting incidents,
alcoholic pasts, and the end of two legacies
make up this years telenovela of Boston and
New York mayoral elections. The primaries were
a circus narrowed down to two candidates,
hungry for their last debate. As rival cities Boston
and New York bid farewell to their longstanding
mayors, the cities start to welcome, for better or
for worse, the start of a new era. Let the
games begin.
The primaries are the mayoral hopefuls chance
to court the city and duke it out amongst
themselves. The New York primaries got really
dirty on the Republican side, Malcolm Smith,
state senator, and several other politicians were
arrested on charges of bribing Smith, a
Democrat, to run as a Republican. On the
Democrat side, Carlos Danger, alias Anthony
Weiner, took over Americas computer screens as
images of his sexting went viralagain. Nasty
takedowns with anti-Gay sentiments haunted
Christine Quinns run. Meanwhile, in Boston,
things stayed clean with all candidates running
as nonpartisan. The big problem was trying to
garner voter turnout, as the most important
election Boston has had in 20 years seemed to
not be of great interest to Bostonians. With 12
candidates competing for a spot, it was rather
tame compared to the antics in New York there
were teachers in the mix, Southies, and Boston
Globe endorsements, but no apparent scandals.
Winner: Boston. Save the drama for
your momma Beantown knew
how to run a drama free campaign,
focusing on how to better Boston
and improve and expand on
Meninos policies. We didnt need to
see Anthony Weiners Weiner.
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THE GHOST OF CITIES PAST
It is a tough transition for the people when
beloved mayors to leave their cities, hence the
importance of this election. It is impossible not to
compare the era of Michael Bloomberg and Tom
Menino, mayors who have gone through thick
and thin with their cities, with their successors.
Like the one who got away, Bloomberg and
Menino are the exes that you just cant get over.
Bloomberg, business mogul extraordinaire, was
the billion-dollar lovable-but-protective guy who
liked his city safe, healthy and on a diet. He was
with The City for 12 years, nursing her after the
tragic events on 9/11. While loyal to NYC he was
a bit indecisive with party affiliation, switching
from Democrat to Republican and finally to
Independent. Bill de Blasio hails from Medford,
Massachusetts creating some jealously and
claims of possessiveness from his current gal, the
City.
Bloomberg was the perfect man for the job
repairing the Citys broken economy after 2001
with his business savvy. While he was
economically conservative, he held socially
liberal views he was pro-choice, in favor of
legalizing same-sex marriages, and an advocate
for stricter gun control. Bloomberg was so
committed to the City that he extended the citys
term limits law and ran successfully for a third
mayoral term. Among the things he did for New
York are, improving the NY educational system,
increasing safety, calling for stricter gun control,
and providing electronic subway timers. He is a
generous man, with his hands in various
philanthropic efforts and he is also quite
fashionable, often times attending New York
Fashion Week and collaborating with the Council
of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).
Bloomberg wanted to keep his girl slim and
healthy so he implemented a smoking ban,
calorie counts and tried to ban sodas, but that
one didnt go too well. He also took extreme
measures to guarantee her safety, like protecting
NYPDs stop-and-frisk policy that has been called
racially discriminating. Still harboring feelings for
the City, Bloomberg gave no endorsements for
the 2013 class of NYC mayoral suitors; and it is
rumored he doesnt really like De Blasio, calling
him racist for using his multi-racial kids as
leverage to attract a African American
demographic to the voting booth.
Mayor Menino, on the other hand, has
been with Boston for 20 years the citys longest
serving mayor. Coming from more humble
beginnings, Menino didnt attend college right
away, but he always knew what he was pining
for winning over Bostons heart as mayor.
Menino began as City Councilor, and after a stint
as temporary mayor, decided to secure his
position by running in 1993. He won over
Beantown with his lovable speech impediment,
and was even endearingly nicknamed Mumbles.
He helped start Mayors Against Illegal Guns,
incentivized building in Boston, bike-sharing
systems, promoting public art, redeveloping
certain stagnant parts of the city, and made
Boston one of the most desirable places to live
in the Northeast, said James T. Brett, CEO of The
New England Council, to the Boston Herald.
Menino was like that ex that helped his girl grow,
he really beautified Boston and he also stood
by her during hard times, like the Boston
Marathon bombings. Like Bloomberg, Menino
did not endorse any candidate for the upcoming
Boston elections; having trouble letting go much?
Winner: Mayor Bloomberg takes it
on this one. Although controversial
at times due to his strict manner of
employing policies, Bloomberg is a
celebrity, with his social media
adeptness, inherent coolness, and
power, he has helped take the City
That Never Sleeps to the next level
making it the most relevant and
important city in the world.
Finally, two mayoral candidates emerged from
each city facing off November, 5, 2013. In
New York City, Republican Joe Lhota opposed
Democrat Bill de Blasio. Lhota put on a tough
fight, attacking de Blasios not a morning
person personality, stance on city security,
religious beliefs, and calling him a socialist.
While De Blasio attacked Lhota on his MTA
increases during his time as chairman of the
New York City metro and tried to link him to
radical Republican ideals. They differ in opinions
on education, policing and taxes while they
share a common ground with bike share
programs and a ban on horse-drawn carriage
rides. TKO Lhota. Boston had John R. Connolly, a
former teacher and city counselor, running
against Martin Marty Walsh, the current state
representative and an advocate for working
people. Connolly revved up the fight against
Walsh by calling out his alcoholic past, and
outside donations. Walsh said that Connollys
plans for school reform are too extreme and
could hurt students in an effort to help teachers
and unions. Walsh wants to pull the Boston
Redevelopment Agency apart while Connolly is
called for more transparency from the agency.
Walsh approves of the citys infamous casino
plans while Connolly had his reservations on the
plan.
THE FINAL ROUND
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Winner: Tie. The Bloomberg and
Menino era left huge shoes to fill. All
candidates seem to be yawn-worthy
departures from their precedents.
Nonetheless, both cities are due for
big changes, and a new legacy. After
the Red Sox win, one can easily say
New York no longer overshadows its
picked-on rival, Boston.
Actual Winners: De Blasio won
New York City with 68% of the
citys vote. Marty won Boston with
52% of the citys vote. n
photographer: tommy ton
style
How to be a fashion snob 76
Editors picks 80
From the streets to the blogs to
the designers 88
by kelsey mulvey
by the rev team
by morgan stukes
HOW TO BE A FASHION SNOB
Joining the industrys group of elite
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influencers just got a little easier.
BY KELSEY MULVEY
Anyone can don a pair of Chlo sunglasses or
carry The Rows swankiest bag, but joining the
industrys army of elite style savants isnt that
easy. In ths world, you can walk the walk in five-
inch Brian Atwood heels, its imperative to talk
the talk. Butchering Giambattista Valli wont land
you a seat in fashion months coveted front row.
Instead, youll be people watching outside of
Lincoln Center. To prevent such a travesty, think
of the fashion industry as a college-level history
class that requires one thing: memorization. After
mastering a few terms, you can convince anyone
that youre a style elitist.
Regardless of his or her accent, every
fashion snob knows how to pronounce fashion
brands. There is nothing chic about
mispronouncing Givenchy-- for authentic
trendsetters, its like nails on a chalkboard. While
some examples are quite simple-- you would
have to intentionally mispronounce Marc Jacobs-
- others require more practice (see sidebar).
After practicing each term in the mirror for
an hour every day, its crucial that you know who
heads each fashion empire. In short, the whos
who in the industry is a sneaky game of musical
chairs. In a blink of an eye, one designer can
divorce a fashion house while another one is
rumored to take over. Though there is much
debate about who will take over Jil Sanders
eponymous line, especially after leaving the
brand for the third time, it is important to know
these recent changes: Raf Simons is the new
Creative Director for Dior, Alexander Wang is
owning it at Balenciaga, and Nicolas Ghesquire
was recently dubbed Louis Vuittons new creative
director. You will probably be the bane of every
certified fashion snobs existence if you still think
Marc Jacobs designs for Louis Vuitton. Cue the
eye roll. Stay updated by following your favorite
brands on Twitter, Facebook, and any social
media platform your fashion-forward heart
desires. Because we both know you were already
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Walk the Walk; Talk the Talk
(Courtesy of Valet Magazine)
Balmain: ball-MANE
Bottega Veneta: BO-teg-a VEN-eta
Comme des Garons: Comb day gar-SON
Dior Homme: dee-OAR OM
Dries Van Noten: DREEZE van KNOW-ten
Givenchy: Zshee-VON-she
Herms: AIR-mehz
Junya Watanabe: JUNE-ya Wah-TAH-nay-bay
Lanvin: lon-VAUN
Loewe- lo-WAY
Louis Vuitton: loo-E vo-WE-ton
Yohji Yamamoto: YO-jee ya-MA-moto
Yves Saint Laurent: EVE Sane-LOR-aunt
Zenga: ZANE-ya
on those sites virtually stalking your annoying
boss and hot co-worker.
Put all your training into use by
memorizing each collection. Not knowing the
difference between Prada Ready-to-Wear Fall
2013 and Prada Ready-to-Wear Spring 2014 is
like throwing on a dunce cap: outdated, yet a
clear sign of of style stupidity. For the ultimate
fashion month coverage, log onto Style.com.
With videos of each look, front row coverage,
and backstage beauty photos, this website makes
fashion groupies everwhere feel like they
actually scored tickets to every show.
Knowing prominent industry insiders is just
as important as memorizing fashion houses and
collections. Though everyone and their mother
knows Anna Wintour, Editor in Chief of
American Vogue, Artist Director of Cond Nast,
and notorious Ice Queen, some of the less
mainstream characters may be complete
mysteries to the sartorially-impaired. While
breaking down every front row essential could
be as lengthy as The Odyssey, start off with the
basic players.
As the Creative Director of American
Vogue, Grace Coddington is famous for her on
the pulse taste and curly red hair. In 2012, the
fashion fixture debuted Grace, a memoir that
chronicles her career as a model and influential
editor. Lazaro Hernandez makes up half of the
genuis Proenza Schouler design team. After
meeting business partner Jack McCoullough at
Parsons, the two design dreamboats combined
forces and created a colllection in college that
caught the eye of Barneys. And what about Cara
Delevingne? With her cheeky persona and stellar
street style, the British model is arguably the
industrys newest It Girl.
Beware of thos B-listers who play
themselves off as industry powerhouses. After a
very public split from former boss Rachel Zoe,
Brad Goreskiset set out to create his own styling
empire. Sorry, Brad: colorful suits and a Bravo
reality series arent enough to make you a style
savant. Same goes for you, Emmy Rossum. A few
movies, sub-par albums, and front row seats
hardly makes you fashions newest It Girl.
Nobodys a fashion snob without mastering the
everyday style adjectives. If shortening
champagne to champers or eroticizing Rag &
Bone with Rag & Bone-r seems extravagant,
take a deep breath and prepare for Rachel Zoes
style vocabulary. The stylist-turned-designer is
infamous for her hyperboles: she does not just
love fashion, she dies for fashion. Additionally,
an ensemble is bananas instead of awesome.
In fact, Zoe even trademarked some of her
catchphrases.
If you havent realized, fashion snobs are
passionate people. They not only study fashion
perhaps more than they studied for the SATs, but
they are not afraid to gush. In order to be a
fashion snob, you need to have the passion
above all things. And if you lack this passion,
dont feel bad. You can always turn to fashions
antithesis: sports. n
P
E
LIKE IT
LOVE IT
GOTTA HAVE IT
WELL GIVE YOU OUR TIPS & PICKS FOR
FREE...NO SINGING NECESSARY
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P
WELL GIVE YOU OUR TIPS & PICKS FOR
FREE...NO SINGING NECESSARY
4. Christian Lacroix Voyage
Boxed Notecards
Forget about email and
Twitter there is nothing better
than receiving a handwritten
letter. A far cry from your
average dollar-store cards, these
Christian Lacroix note cards are
sure to stand out against a pile
of taxes and unwanted catalogs.
1.
5.
1. Jao Refresher
Purrell is so 2006. Jaos
Refresher can be used as a
hand sanitizer, zit zapper and
spray deoderant. Plus, it doesnt
smell like a doctors office.
3. Brian Litchenbergs
HomiesSweatshirt
This sweatshirts shameless
street aesthetic wins over
fashion newbies and
connoisseurs alike.
2. Equipment Siganture Shirt
These 100% washed silk
button-down shirts will add
some luxury to your 9-5
workweek. Dont worry gents,
Equipment also has a slew of
stylish shirts for you.
5. Private: Giancarlo
Giammetti by Giancarlo
Giammetti
Between the collection of
exclusive photographs and in-
depth interviews, Giammettiis
look into the Valentino empire
is a must-have.
6. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Sure this book is borderline
archaic in the literary world,
but if you want to be prepared
for the upcoming movie
adaptation (whilst being mind-
f**ked), read Gone Girl
immediately. 6.
4.
2.
3.
K
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M
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1. Collider.com
On this film news website, you
can find out the next five
movies your favorite actor is
thinking of starring in or what
the follow up is to a particular
diretors Best Picture winning
film. Its a reliable source that
few seem to even know exist.
2. Bose Headphones
Earbuds are bad for your ears,
the ones by Skullcandy never
last, Beats headphone are
overpriced. Go with Bose.
Theyre comfortable, sleek,
simple, sound great and you
can rely on them for years.
3. Frank Turner
When you combine two
unlikely things, you
occassionally get something
really special. Frank Turner is
one of those hybrids. Take
punk, mix it with folk and you
get this English wizard of rock.
5, Steve McQueen
No, Im not talking about the
King of Cool. This McQueen
is currently working to make a
name as an acclaimed director.
The London natives past film
endeavors (Hunger, Shame)
were critical darlings that
failed to attract much attention,
but his most recent, 12 Years a
Slave, is sure to make people
stop calling him The
Other McQueen.
6. Wooden Sunglasses
Sorry, Im not going to tell you
which ones to buy. Shwood is
the big name in the wooden
sunglasses market right now,
but theyre overpriced. Just
think of Ray Bans made from
sandalwood. Theyre worth a
little shopping around.
4. Trakdot Luggage Tracker
Its a helpless feeling, standing
in an airport without your
luggage. Are they still on the
plane, or are they still back in
Boston? Throw this handy little
box in any bag and with a
smartphone, you can find out if
your luggage is just around the
corner at Terminal D or bound
for Marakesh.
P
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T
E
R

J
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S
I
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S
K
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1.
5.
6.
4.
3.
2.
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M
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A
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S
T
U
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1.
2.
4.
5.
3.
6.
1. Seeking Love, Finding
Overalls by Leandra Medine
Leandra Medines psuedo-
extention of her blog, The Man
Repeller (which you should
immediately follow if you
dont already), is a quick,
hilarious read.
3. Dannijo Hixon iPhone 5 or
5s Case
Since Ill probably only be able
to afford a Dannijo statement
necklace at their sample sale,
thei phone case will have to fill
my obsession for now.
4. Tory Burch Eau de Parfum
Spray
I cannot getenough of this
scentits the perfect
combination of sweet
and musky.
5. Thymes Frasier Fir Candle
This candle is Christmas.
2. Michael Kors Mens
Lexington Chronograph Watch,
45mm
Its a mens watch, but who says
it cant be for a woman, too?
6. DASH Premium Juicer
Because nothing says
Happy New Year like a
good juice cleanse
1. Smythson Queen Bee
Wafer Notebook
As if Lordes hit single,
Royals, werent inspiration
enough to be Queen Bee, this
luxe Smythson notebook
reminds you every day that you
wear the crownor at least lets
you pretend you do. The purple,
leather bound notebook is
perfect for those who dont
want to use their iPad to jot
down their to-do lists.
3. Frends Headphones
These trendy headphones give
you that Harley Viera-Newton
look that every one will envy
while you are jamming out.
2. Goodbye to All That: Writers
on Loving and Leaving New
York edited by Sari Botton
This collection of essays on
getting over New York ring true
to the Bostonians ear, who
have known for years that NYC
isnt the center of the universe.
Based on Joan Didions famous
essay, Goodbye To All That,
you start by ending your love
affair with the Big Apple and
start fantasizing affairs with
other cities.
4. Diptyque Candles
Candles from this French brand
have a soothing aroma that
transport you to a Parisian
balcony overlooking the
Champs-Elysses. Its subtle yet
unforgettable scent make a
perfect gift, or a welcome
companion to a weekday
bubble bath.
6. Bach Rescue Remedy
Pastilles, Natural Stress Relief
As a big believer in
homeopathic, natural
medicineBach is the way to
go. Chew on this natural
supplement before a
presentation, job interview, or
anything that rattles your nerves
and stress be-gone! It is a
miracle worker, and they taste
delicious.
5. Brics Luggage
If you are looking to make a
quick getaway in style,
definitely fly with Brics
luggage. This British brand,
loved by the Middletons, has
an air of professionalism and
aura that will make your Coach
seating feel First Class.
3.
6.
5.
2.
4.
V
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1. Bliss Naked Body Butter
Its safe to say that Im in love
with body butters. But, I always
struggle to find the perfect one.
I never want one thats too
potent or greasy (which
most seem to be). This Bliss
body butter is awesome,
unscented, and absorbs nicely
into your skin.
2. Marc Jacobs Honey
Fragrance
This fragrance is so versatile!
Its light and refreshing, with a
floral and honey scent. Its
great for everyday use or for
a night out.
3. Hufa Lens Cap Strap Holder
This lens holder is perfect for
any DSLR camera owner. It can
be found on photojojo.com -
and as they call it, it is a
strapping soluation for losing
lens caps. Never again will
you have to awkwardly grasp
onto your cap while taking a
photo - just clip this lens holder
onto any strap !
5. Rag & Bone Pilot Bag
As a big fan of Rag & Bone
clothing, I was thrilled when
they came out with a signature
bag. The Pilot comes in
different sizes, colors, and
materials - my favorite being a
navy in leather.
6. Pizza Compass
This iPhone app is literally a
compass for pizza. Please tell
me what is better than that. The
app uses Four Squares API and
a Google Map overlay to help
users find the nearest pizza
joints. To discover which
direction to walk in, simply
spin the pizza slice. The pizza
slice will start steaming as you
get closer to your destination.
This may be a small step in the
app world, but its a huge step
for drunk people everywhere.
4. Warby Parker + Donors
Choose Collaboration
Yes, Warby Parker is known for
its stylish and affordable specs.
But they have some pretty
sweet collaborations too. With
every $95 frame purchase from
the Warby Parker + Donors
Choose educational
collaboration, Warby Parker
will donate $30 to the
DonorChoose.org project of the
purchasers choice.
1.
2.
4.
5.
6.
S
A
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A
H

A
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O
L
I
K
3.
6. Persol Suprema Sunglasses
They probably wont be too
useful during the next few
months, but they are well worth
the wait and will last forever.
3. Martin Jetpack
Yes, a jetpack. The release for
personal purchase of this dream
toy is scheduled for 2015 and
priced (most likely) under
$150,000. But hey, can you
really put a price tag
on happiness?
1. Heima by Sigur Ros
In the 2007 film documentary,
Heima (Home), the band
showcases their home ountrys
natural beauty with the
breathtaking photography and
artistic vision that has
characterized them from
the start.
2. Xbox One
Have you compared Xbox Live
with that thing Sony offers? If
you are planning on upgrading
your gaming consule, this is the
way to go.
5. Quoddys for JCrew
Beautiful, practical handmade
leather boots exclusively
designed for the modern,
trendsetting man? Sounds good.
1.
3.
4.
2.
5.
6.
A
L
B
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R
T
O

M
O
N
T
A
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T
I
4. Humans of New York by
Brandon Stanton
This is the first time I have ever
been excited about a coffee
table book. Mr. Stanton may
not be the best photographer
out there, but he has managed
to capture the essence of
New York, one refreshingly
personal, simply humane
portrait at a time.
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1. Marshall Monitor
Headphones
Sleek headphones are
surprisingly hard to come by
nowadays. These deliver
powerful, crisp audio with a
deep bass response and offer
removable audio filters to
adjust to your sound
preferences. Who needs a big
b over their ears anyway?
4. Just SZA
Her etherial, synthy beats have
a talent for transporting one
into an LSD-induced trance,
without the harmful
hallucinogenic effects. She
recently signed onto Top Dawg
Entertainment (as their first
female artist ever), so an album
is in the worksno news on its
release yet, so until then, Ill
keep her EPs on a steady
rotation.
3. Dayna Decker Dalia
Absinthe Chandle
Its wooden wick burns so loud
that you might think your house
is burning down, but its hints of
fig, jasmine, cedar, vanilla and
bourbon make the minor heart
attack more than worth it.
5. Worth & Worth Montmartre
Hat
Because everyone needs a well-
made pretentious hat made of
100% wild rabbit, right?
Y
A
S
M
E
E
N

G
H
A
R
N
I
T
1.
4.
2.
3.
5.
2. ArtStack
As a high-brow alternative to
Instagram and Pinterest,
ArtStack is a way to discover,
share and archive artwork. Its
still in Beta testing at the
moment, but it has already
been used to showcase
amazingly talented new artists.
Id tell you which ones, but art
is subjective after all...
F
R
O
M
T
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S
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H
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BY MORGAN STUKES
photographer: tommy ton
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The minds of fashion
desigers can be
insane places. No,
Ive never physically
been inside a brain,
but I do know that
fashion designers are some of the most creative
people on the planet.
Fashion is an art form, and clothes are the
pieces of artwork that designers create with
inspiration drawn from many different places.
Some designers, such as Tory Burch, typically
draw influences for collections from their travels.
Others, such as Proenza Schouler, take
inspiration from art itself, and some, like Karl
Lagerfeld, have to stick with the typical standards
of their fashion house.
But these designers are starting to step
outside their comfort zone for their inspiration.
The key to success in fashion is to give the
people what they want; so to be honest, I dont
know why designers havent done this before.
They are looking to the streets, to college
students at New York University who are wearing
a casual look on the way to class, or to the
modern day businesswoman who has combined
her personal favorites from Target with her brand
new Dannijo statement necklace.
Its all about the trickle-up effect, taking
trends such as the crop top, or the oversized
athletic sweatshirt, and making it high fashion.
The New Trickle Up Effect of Inspiration
B
L
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S
T
O
T
H
E
D
E
S
IG
N
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:
Celebrities such as Nicole Richie, Jessica Alba
and Rihanna began wearing crop-tops by
designers such as Prabal Gurung, Alexander
Wang and Versace, who realized this was a
booming style. These designers clearly drew their
inspiration from the street, where the crop-top
fad began.
With the rise of fashion bloggers and street
photographers playing such an important role in
spotting and discussing the newest street trends,
its become easier then ever for designers to find
sources of inspiration for new designs
Street style has been in the eyes of
photographers and fashion bloggers for
years. With the work of photographers like
Bill Cunningham of The New York Times
Magazine, Tommy Ton of Style.com, and Scott
Schuman of The Sartorialist, finding a source of
street inspiration for designers has more
attainable then ever.
Fashion bloggers have made it their job to
talk about street style, and their own personal
style. People like Leandra Medine, of The Man
Repeller, Jean, of Extra Petite, and Julie Sariana,
of Sincerely, Jules, have become such influential
sources of style and fashion that designers have
even teamed up with them to give the people
what they want.
And so it started. Designers began to put
their spin on street style trends.
The Street Style Fashion Blogger
Street style photographers constantly skim the
streets for bold prints, unique accessories and
the savvy pairings of highs and lows (in terms
of prices). Some of the best outfits that match
this criterion can be found during New Yorks
fashion week. Calling it a week is a bizarre
concept, considering it lasts for about a month,
but nevertheless, this is the time for street
photographers to shine.
Bill Cunningham is the leader of the
pack, with his staple blue blazer, neutral
colored slacks and fancy dSLR cameras slung
around his body. Hailing from Boston, he
attended but shortly dropped out of, Harvard
University. Cunningham began his street style
career in 1966 as a young fashion
photographer in New York City.
Since then he has gained his own
column in The New York Times Style section
every Sunday, titled On The Street. Here he is
able to publish a selected collection of street
style photos from that week that have
originated from places from Milan to New York
City. Its here that you can find the most
creative outfits of people who arent fashions
most influential socialites, but regular people
who are expressing themselves in a way that
stands out in a crowd.
Tommy Ton has found his niche doing
the same thing. He acts as the leading street
style photoblogger for Style.com. Shooting
for GQ and his two personal blogs, Ton has
come a long way from Oakville, Canada where
he began his fashion recording at
FashionTelevsion.
He began his career in the fashion world at the
ripe old age of fifteen when he interned for a
Canada based designer, Wayne Clark. He
worked his way up to becoming a buyer for the
well-known upscale store, Holt Renfrew. In
2007, he was asked to attend the fashion shows
in London and Paris, which is where he began
photographing street style.
He photographs street style at fashion
shows, big music festivals, and high-brow events,
always looking for something that stands out in
an outfit like a big necklace or bright flats.
Scott Schuman was the street style
photographer for GQ prior to Ton. Schuman left
to pursue his own fashion photo blog, The
Sartorialist.
Schumans reason for becoming a blogger
was the love for his family. He was working as
the fashion director at his showroom before he
stepped down in 2005 to care for his daughters,
Isabel and Claudia. This is when he decided to
start his blog, The Sartorialist.
Initially, he was going to use this blog as a
way to post photos of his children at play, street
fashions that he liked and add an informal
question and answer section geared to fashion
lovers such as himself. The blog quickly
transformed into something more than photos of
his daughters on the playground and a cute shirt
of someone at the local pizza shop. Telling
Forbes that he started the blog as sort of a goof,
his whimsical decision to create an outlet for his
photos quickly turned into his meal ticket to
fashion shows all around the world.
In 2006, he was asked by the then Editor-
in-Chief of Style.com, Dirk Standen, to
photograph the mens runway shows at Milan
Fashion week. It was this turning point that
turned his photo blog towards street style and
not so much about children.
The Personal Style Fashion Blogger
People will always have an opinion about
fashion, and as long this is true, the fashion
blogger will be around. These are people who
write about their own personal style in small
sound bites online to accompany their OOTD,
or outfit of the day. Photos of what the bloggers
wear, and like, are posted neatly on their free-
form blogs, which are then read by thousands of
fashion lovers who love their creators and their
personal style.
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To count all of the fashion style blogs out
there would take weeks, if not months. I
will narrow it down to three specific bloggers
who have come from very different backgrounds.
Not to say that all the other names who will
go unmentioned are not important, but these
three ladies happen to stand out for their very
different styles.
Trends that women love and men hate.
Thats pretty much what spurred Leandra
Medines blog, the Man Repeller. Her inspiration
for this blog was sparked one afternoon in
Manhattans SoHo neighborhood store, Topshop,
when a girlfriend of hers was discussing the
reason why Medine hadnt been able to keep a
man in her life for a long period of time. The
term Man Repeller was born and its been a hit
ever since.
Started in April 2010, when Medine was
simply a 21-year-old student at Eugene Langs
New School studying journalism. The Man
Repeller blog was a way for Medine to talk about
clothes that she loved and the different ways that
she would style them. In her earlier days on the
blog, Medine would turn a cute man getting
outfit into a man repelling outfit. This would be
done by way of taking something like a tight
black dress and booties, and then layering it with
a plaid flannel shirt, an acid washed jean jacket
and a huge patterned turban to top off her messy
dark-brown hair.
Since then, Medines unique fashion sense,
quirky personality and hilarious blog have
gained her over two million page views a month,
a new book deal with Grand Central Publishing
and numerous collaborations with designers.
Its to no surprise that Medines fashion
sense is something that gained the attention of
designers. Her street style looks have been
photographed by almost every blogger, including
Ton. Designers have loved her creative style so
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much that they have asked her to join them in
creating small collections for their labels.
Medine has paired up with the jewelry
designers Danielle and Jodie Snyder, of Dannijo,
to create multiple collections with them. Not
only did this benefit Medine by giving her a
more physical way to connect with her fans, but
Dannijo saw an opportunity to reach a consumer
market they may not have gotten to before.
Medine wasnt the first, or the last, fashion
blogger to team up with a big name designer.
The pages of the blog Extra Petite caught the eyes
of both Ann Taylor and the cute once-a-month
beauty delivery service, Birchbox.
Jean, the 27-year-old creator of the blog
targeted for very petite women (hence the name),
only gives her first name to followers
for reasons still unknown. She has a way of
taking mens, womens and childrens clothes
and making them not only fit her 4-foot-11
The best fashion show is on the streets- always
have been and always will be. Bill Cunningham
inch frame perfectly, but adds innovative ways to
style them.
One of my favorite things about this
blogger is that she will take a dress she finds on
sale that is two sizes too large, get it tailored to
fit her and separate it into a top and an skirt in
order to be able to pair it to create ever more
outfits. Oh, and shes from Boston. I have never
found such a well-known fashion blogger from
Boston, so Jean is definitely the cream of the
Beans crop.
What may not be known to most of Extra
Petites readers is that Jean first began her
blogging career with a different blog titled
Fashionable Finance, which was her outlet for
discussing personal finance. She decided that
wasnt working so she so began Extra Petite
because she was tired of being mistaken as for a
young teen while at work. She didnt leave her
love for finance in the past though. She works in
risk and compliance for financial companies full-
attended college at the Fashion institute of
Design and Merchandising. She was motivated
by the motto, dream, believe, achieve, which
sparked her to create her first few pieces of
clothing: plain white t-shirts with her motto
printed in bold, black lettering on the front.
Since then, Sariana has expanded her
online shop to include sweatshirts, crop tops and
t-shirts with sayings such as Sorry were cool,
Viva la Moda, and Clfie, on them. Her
designs have not only been a hit with her fans,
who have shopped her site so much that three of
her designs are sold out, but her Clfie shirt
has been spotted on bloggers, celebrities and
street style trend setters at
fashion week.
Although Sariana has not been able to
design for a fashion brand, she has teamed up
with the clothing brand, Mango, by attending
many of their featured events, and being the
center of an issue of their online magazine. A
collaboration to design with a company may be
in her near future, though. Sariana openly said
that she hopes to work with a designer in the
future, but for now, shes creating her own looks
sold on her own website.
From The Designers
Designers have been verbal about where they
draw their inspiration from, and their answers
may surprise you. Some take from contemporary
art, others from their family and friends and
some from the creativity of their predecessors.
I recently spoke with Jack McCollough,
one half of the design team for the fashion brand
time between having her boyfriend, Nick, take
the photos of her in her original outfits.
Its not surprising to find out that she has
teamed up with Ann Taylor multiple times for in-
store styling events for her followers and Ann
Taylor shoppers alike. The store saw a way to
involve Jeans readers with their own fashions to
hit a new market of shoppers. Jean also worked
with DSK Jewelry, an online jewelry company,
and created a few pairs of earrings with her
classic style in mind. This is yet another way that
the street style outfits of Jeans creation grabbed
the attention of a designer who knew getting her
involved would end up benefitting both of them.
Some bloggers even had the opportunity to
create their own designs under their own names.
One of them is the Cali-gal Julie Sariana. She
started her blog, Sincerely, Jules, in February of
2009 and to this day it mirrors her laid back
West coast lifestyle.
Featured in Teen Vogue, in their Blogger
of The Moment section, Sariana says she
started her blog as an outlet for her to post styles
she liked in a sort of digital style diary as she
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Proenza Schouler. He told me that although
they do not buy into, or design for trends,
sometimes a street style fashion that they saw
while driving around New York City will spark
a design idea.
During an interview, Shimon and Ariel Ovadia,
designers of the fashion company Ovadia and
Sons, said the reason they started designing is
that they wanted to make clothes that they
wanted to wear. They wanted clothes that
would mimic what they liked to wear on the
streets and something they knew other people
like them would want to wear as well.
Designers are naturally creative people but
today theyre starting to think outside the box
when it comes to inspiration behind their
clothing designs. Designers can pull from the
creative outfit ideas of fashion bloggers with
one click of their High-Tec computers mouse
or scroll for days if theyd like, through the
street style archives of fashions biggest street
style photographers.
Whether its through the man-getting to
man-repelling outfit combinations or photos
snapped while the photographer is riding his
bike, getting outside and onto the streets is
becoming the best way to spark new ideas that
previously wouldnt have been able to get in
the front door at fashion shows.
It is blogs like these that designers can
look to for what is trending on the streets
and for what they can incorporate into their
newest designs.
Designers have reached into a previously
untapped market for working with bloggers to
create pieces they know consumers will want.
They have moved into a modern age when
coming up with ideas is more collaborative
and not just in their always thinking, creative
minds. n
food
&
health
The spinning obsession 98
Exploring boston cuisine 108
shanghai in allston 114
by morgan stukes
by sarah anolik
by morgan stukes
photographer: bryant eslava
Winter 2013
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Do you remember your first time?
Awkward, sweaty, unprepared, moving
around trying to get comfortable? Some of us
have been in this position, but for 21-year-old,
Jessica Benson, the daunting nature of her first
time has never stopped her from going back. To
SoulCycle that is.
Her first time was away from the comfort
of her mountainous Colorado home. But little
did she know that after this, shed be chasing the
dragon, always trying to get back to the
excitement and blood-rushing feeling of her first
time participating in a spinning class. Her first
time took place while she was vacationing with
her mother, Sharon, in the relaxing oasis of
Canyon Ranch Spa in Tucson, Arizona. In short,
spinning is an indoor cycling exercise, that is
usually done in groups, which focuses on high-
intensity endurance and strength training, while
on a specially-made stationary bicycle.
BY MORGAN STUKES
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She was always an avid runner and
extremely athletic. Donning her Lycra
LuluLemon yoga pants and matching zip-up
jacket, the young college student striving to be
the next Erin Andrews, would get up every
morning and run on the suburban streets of her
Highlands Ranch hometown. Her drive to always
succeed in her academic career mirrors her
passion for exercise, so it was no surprise when
she decided to try out a new cardiovascular
workout, on a whim, while away from home.
Little did she know that her new favorite exercise
experience would turn into a spinning obsession.
An obsession that unknown to her was actually
doing more harm than good to her health.
Three years and a big move to California
later, Benson would end up attending her very
first class at SoulCycle in West Hollywood, CA.
She was bored with the same regular running
regime and figured she could use this as an
excuse to wear her new LuluLemon running
pants to a place other than a closed-up
classroom. A sorority sister of hers, and former
roommate, excitedly spoke about the hot new
workout trend and convinced Benson she should
give spinning another shot.
Entering the bright, white open space that
is the lobby of SoulCycle, she was greeted by
their trademark yellow wheel graphic, plastered
to the outside of their glass window. The lobby is
the only area in the studio that will be graced by
the suns warm light, and Benson would soon
enter a spinning room only lit by the gleaming
sweat droplets that are reflected from the burning
candles on the floor and red Exit signs that sit-
atop the doors towards the back of the room.
I felt like I was going to die, Benson said
of her first SoulCyle class in November of 2012,
and I loved it. This masochistic outlook on the
seemingly harmful cardio workout is what ended
up keeping Benson coming back for more, even
having recently taken her 143rd class on
October 3rd, 2013 in Brentwood, CA. A
combination between what she calls an intense
workout, filled with cardio, arms, strength and
soul, Benson felt like she was in the most
intense therapy session she had ever been to.
Benson rises before the sun to go to these
intense workouts three days a week, at 5 am, and
is taking full advantage of her financial status at
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the moment to fund her cycling obsession,
because she knows it wont last forever.
Financially, it frankly is rough, she says
of the classes that cost between $30 and $34,
per class. Currently, she is able to afford the
$250 per 10 class package deal by way of her
parents generously giving her money, which
surely is supposed to go towards books and other
necessities as she is away from home. She knows
that once she becomes financially independent,
which is coming up as she graduates this Spring,
she will have to cut the heart pumping workouts
out of her budget. But for now she, says a few
Top Ramen meals are a sacrifice she does
not mind making to afford the spinning classes
that she has grown so attached to. The spinning
classes that are actually straining her young
heart muscles.
Where It All Began
Spinning isnt anything new which is
why this growing trend is confusing to some
people, as they can hop on a bike at their
local gym while keeping hundreds of dollars in
their wallets.
With the first indoor spinning bike dating
back to 1897, with advertisements being featured
in publications such as The Rambler, the
spinning craze was brought to light in the minds
of many Americans when South African athlete,
Johnny Goldberg, moved to the States.
Born in 1966 in Johannesburg, Goldbergs
love for working out began at the tender age of
six when he began to box. His favorite sport
changed from boxing, to swimming, and after 20
years the candle that was his love for biking was
lit. After participating in a charitable bike race to
raise money for school necessities to go to under-
privileged children in Africa, Goldberg knew this
is was the sport for him.
After serving in the army for two years, he
picked up another sport, squash, and he then
began working at a Sandton gym as a personal
trainer, which was the route to beginning his full-
time career. What happened next would change
his life, open his eyes, and begin him on the path
to change other lives forever.
While on vacation in Santa Monica, CA,
then 22-year-old Goldberg was robbed at
decades to come. While working in
California, Goldberg competed in bike
races all across the state. He soon came
to the realization that the California
weather was not always conducive to his
training schedule, so he needed a way to
train indoors.
Here lies the birth of his first
indoor cycling workout, which was
created in his garage. One thing spiraled
into another and Goldberg ended up
opening his own indoor cycling gym in
Santa Monica, which began the aerobic
workout that is spinning. With a recipe
of heart rate training, breathing
awareness and motivational coaching,
Goldbergs new cardio workout took off.
He teamed up with fellow cyclist John
Baudhuin, and worked to create a better
stationary bicycle that ended up being
purchased by multiple fitness gyms and
studios.
In 1994, Goldberg and Baudhuin
founded Madd Dog Athletics, which
began as a start-up company geared for
indoor cycling. This is when they
trademarked the name: spinning. Soon
spinning would become a household
name that would influence
entrepreneurs who
wanted to put their, for lack of a
better word, spin on the trend.
The Current Front-Peddlers
Exercise crazes like spinning tend to only last
about 15 minutes. In 2008, it was more common
to see women toting their rolled up yoga mats
tucked under their arms as they came or went to
their respective classes. The Hindu based activity
incorporated the spiritual and physical body
working
together through the art of deep breathing
and interesting poses that mimic those during an
intense game of Twister.
There was soon a transition to a different
form of exercise, Pilates, which instead utilized
machines that looked very similar to a human
mousetrap. Both exercises relied heavily on
intense breathing and relaxation, and with
Pilates the reformer, which was the special
gunpoint in his hotel, leaving him left to sell the
only thing of value he had to his name: his plane
ticket back home.
The money that he gained from selling
this ticket quickly ran out in the city of Angels
and Goldberg was forcibly stranded in
California, with no job and no money. After
being left to sleep on a the beach in Venice once
the sun-bathers and families had gone back to
the comfort of their homes, he was in need of a
home of his own, and money to afford it.
Goldberg convinced the owner of a
West Hollywood gym to give him a job as a
personal trainer, after telling him he could
successfully increase the gyms profits by 10
percent each month.
He lived up to his promise and
unknowingly began a trend that would last for
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machine, was used in many forms to strengthen
and tone the muscles in the body.
Spinning is not very dissimilar. It
incorporated the meditation-like breathing, along
with an interesting machine, except this one was
more recognizable to the average exercise lover.
Two businesses in particular
had successfully capitalized on the newest
healthy activity.
Heart and Soul
Seeing spinning as a great new form of exercise
and a perfect opportunity to shake things up,
as Jessica recently said, happens to be the same
reason the creators of SoulCycle started their
booming business in the first place.
The wheels behind SoulCycle began
spinning, no pun intended, when friends
Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice were both on the
hunt for a full-body, cardio workout. Co-founder
Rice fell in love with indoor cycling while she
was living in California and working hard in the
movie business, while Chicago based co-founder
Rice, was getting in touch with wellness and
healing during her time abroad in India.
Both women ended up in Manhattan and
were left soul searching for a cardio exercise that
would work for them. They werent looking for
any old workout, but one that not only made
them feel better physically, but mentally as well.
As fate would have it, both women met in 2006
and were both looking for the same type of
full-body workout. When asked by Rebecca
Jarvis of CBS News, why cycling? Cutler
responded, Its the one exercise you can do with
your eyes closed.
While still in Chicago, Rice had been a
member of the Reebok Sports Club where she
met Ruth Zukerman. Zukerman taught a spinning
class at the Club that Rice would attend, and
grow fond of, as it incorporated yoga breathing
and promoted riders to let their frustrations out in
each pedal they took. Zukerman created the
bond between Rice and Cutler after teaching a
spinning class that Cutler attended at the Zone
Hampton, a physical
fitness facility located in Long Islands East
Hampton, NY.
In 2005, all three women brought
something different to the table that would get
their business going. Zukerman had the cycling
background, Rice had the management skills
as an ex-talent agent, and Cutler had the
financial knowledge, as a previous investor in
companies like Izze.
After two years and a successful craigslist
search, the first SoulCycle studio would open in
partnership with the popular gym, Equinox, with
their first studio blossoming on the upscale
pavement of the Upper West Sides 72nd Street.
Transforming the former 72nd street funeral
home into what would create an exercise shot
heard round the country, their one location
would grow into 19 soul havens with studios
crossing from SoHo to Los Angeles. Cutler and
Rice had no intention of stopping there, having
told CBS News that they hoped to expand their
company and have 50 to 60 locations by 2015.
What makes SoulCycle different from the
typical indoor spinning class that it incorporates
spinning with mediation, light weight lifting,
low-lighting and booming bass music to drown
out the heaving exhaustion that comes with high
intensity workouts. Its about feeling good from
the deepest part of your
core, in addition to feeling good about
your physical body.
SoulCycle also only ignites small white
candles on the floor to light the room. This is
because the focus of their class is not to
constantly be staring at yourself in the mirror
wondering if your sweat stains have grown to an
embarrassingly large size, or if your effortless
messy bun has gone from the perfect topknot to
a droopy side chignon. Its about the workout. Its
about the energy in the room and about feeling
good, not looking good. Besides, its a workout
after all. And is it really a good workout if you
look the same when you leave as you did when
you walked in?
Rice and Cutler would be faced with
competition in the spinning sector of cardio
exercise when their former business partner,
Zukerman, left the company in 2009 to start her
rival spinning brand, Flywheel, by 2010.
Flying High
The reason behind Zukermans exit from the
growing cycling brand, SoulCycle, cant
discussed with the public due to legal issues.
Although her departure from SoulCycle, and her
two business partners, does not seem to be a
friendly one, it did not keep her own brand from
being successful.
Zukerman went into her business in
partnership with former football star Tiki Barker,
having coached his ex-wife, Ginny Cha, in
spinning classes, and created the cycling
company, Flywheel. (Barber soon left the
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company after rumors surfaced that he was
having an extra martial affair.)
None of these setbacks kept Zukerman
down as she grew her company into becoming
one of the leading cycling businesses in the
nation. With 25 current locations, including one
in Dubai, Zukerman sets herself apart from
SoulCycle as she heavily relies on her strong
dance background when teaching her classes.
The Flywheel classes are generally the
same as those at SoulCycle. The high intensity
workout, this one lasting between 45 and 60
minutes, is priced from $18 to $32 per class, and
incorporates light weight lifting while the
carefully curated music plays loudly in the
background.
What sets Flywheel apart from other
indoor cycling companies is that they try to
encourage friendly competition among riders as
the performance of all cyclers are posted on flat
screens in the front of the class. With the set-up
of bikes being modeled after stadium seating,
everyone has a clear view of the instructor in the
front of the class. Riders are also able to track
their performance, not only for the one
individual class, but online, they can track their
progress throughout their Flywheel spinning
experience. Combine this with the ability for
spinners to change the resistance of their bikes,
the Flywheel experience sets itself far apart from
that of SoulCycle in that SoulCycle is much more
of a mind and body experience whereas
Flywheel boasts spinning as a slightly
competitive, physical exercise. Unfortunately,
both businesses thrive off of exercise practices
that push your heart to a limit that could end up
doing irreparable damage to your health.
between. One of the only benefits of high-
intensity exercises, in general, is that they are
best when someone wants to burn a lot of fat,
fast, but it comes at a high health cost. Does
this mean its time to call it quits it with your
first and move on to bigger and better things?
Medical journals and studies rarely, if
ever discuss any of the positives to long-term
high-intensity workouts and most dissuade
people from participating in them. One study
from the European Society of Cardiology says
that prolonged high-intensity workouts can
actually lead to myocardial heart damage. This
means there is damage to the heart muscle
due to lack of oxygen, which is caused by an
infraction in the blood supply to the heart,
which, in Laymens terms, is a heart attack.
Walter R. Thompson, a professor of exercise
science at the University of Georgia told The
New York Times in 2007 that pushing your
heart rate up very high can put a strain on
the cardiovascular system, provoking a heart
attack or stroke.
Other guidelines regarding how to go
about high-intensity workouts have been
outlined by researchers, such as the ones at
the U.S. Department of Health & Human
Services.
In their 2008 Physical Activity
Guidelines for Americans, the department
made it very clear that adults should always be
engaging in physical activity, but that the
activity they are participating in should not be
more than150 minutes of moderate-intensity
aerobic activity, per week. Divide this per day,
and the average adult should not be engaging
in over 21 minutes of moderate-intensity
aerobic activity. When comparing this, to the
activity that Jessica is participating per week,
she is taking part in over half the
recommended amount of activity that the
department suggests. Given that she is a
healthy young-adult, she is exerting herself far
too much for her heart to handle.
A great alternative to Bensons love for
spinning, at a high intensity at over 130
minutes per week, is interval training. One that
is highly recommended is high-intensity
intermittent training, known by the acronym
FlyWheel and SoulCycle have both recently
opened new locations in the downtown Boston
area so the close competition between the two
very similar businesses will be at an all time
high. May the best spinner win.
The Nitty-Gritty
Calling them a big indoor dance party, as
Benson put it, is one way to entice cycling
virgins to try indoor spinning for the first time,
but people should be skeptical of their benefits
and concerned that the intense workout could
do more harm then good.
Humans are supposed to be engaging in
150 minutes of moderate-intensity, physical
exercise per week, according to the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention. So taking a
high-intensity spinning class a couple times per
week should be doing more harm then good,
right?
The benefits of high-intensity, prolonged,
cardio workouts, the results are few and far
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HIIT, and it has been suggested to Americans by
health departments and studies alike.
Dr. Phil Campbell, author of Ready, Set,
Go, explained how high-intensity interval
training is more beneficial to the body then one-
extended high intensity workout, saying the
types of fast-twitch fibers that our body is
made of do not become heavily engaged until
you add velocity of movement during your
workout. The velocity he is referring to is that of
interval training. What this basically means, is
that it is better for people to go engage in
physical activity that consists of five minutes on
the treadmill, going into 20 squats reps, and
immediately transitioning into about 20
overhead weight lifts. It keeps your body moving
and your heart pumping. Also, when looking to
lose an optimal amount of fat, the best high-
intensity workouts are those that are intermittent.
In a study preformed by a group of doctors
in Canada for the International Journal of
Obesity, in March of 2001,subjects who engaged
in intermittent high-intensity exercise, lost the
most amount of weight over the 20 week study.
Their study also gave a clear and concise
explanation as to why HIIT is the best form of
exercise to engage in when trying to lose the
optimal amount of weight. Reason one: HIIT
results in a greater amount of post-exercise
energy expenditure and fat utilization. Reason
two: there is an increased amount of fat
utilization in the recovery stages after engaging
in HIIT. Reason three: HIIT significantly
increased muscle 3-hydroxyacyl coenzyme A
dehydrogenase activity, which means the fatty
acid metabolic processes are heightened. Reason
four, and probably the simplest of reasons: It
suppresses appetite, which ends up having the
effect of reducing the saturated fat intake.
Add all those up and you get the summary as to
why HIIT is far more beneficial to ones
health and physicality versus long-term high
intensity workouts.
These beloved spin classes that people
around the nation have become obsessed with
are actually detrimental to their health. While
pedaling with all of their might, and sometimes
competing with others in their class, they are
putting an increased amount of strain on their
hearts that have been known to cause heart
attacks. If cyclers, like Benson, were aware of
these facts, they would probably opt out of these
45 minutes indoor cycling classes and take more
advantage of their gym memberships, signing up
for interval training classes.
These facts havent stopped Benson from
attending her beloved Soul classes in her local
West Hollywood studio. She loves these cycling
workouts so much that she has even gotten her
60 year-old father involved. Having taken him
with her to a packed SoulCycle class on
Christmas morning in New York City, Bensons
uber-competitive father, Karl, was left with the
words, Wow, now that was a workout. A
workout, yes, but is there a better form of
exercise, definitely. Now go set your watches to a
20-minute timer, and every five minutes, try a
different high intensity exercise. Its better for
your heart, and physical health, which will make
you a happier human. n
EXPLORING BOSTON:
BY SARAH ANOLIK
Oh, have you heard of ____ restaurant? Have
you ever eaten at ____ bakery? Did you try the
drinks at ____ bar?
The city of Boston is filled with restaurants,
cafes, and destinations that are hard to resist.
Bostonians and tourists have all heard of the
North End for its authentic Italian food and
Newbury Street for its shopping, but what else is
there?
I have searched (and eaten) high and low,
near and far for some of my favorite Boston
hidden gems, hole-in-the-wall eateries that Im
sure you will enjoy as well. Listed are my
favorite, under-the-radar spots in Boston, to
hopefully inspire young people to do the same,
explore! Get out of your neighborhood! Even
though you may not have heard of these distinct
eateries (or maybe you have) you should still try
them. And tell your friends. Because theyre
totally awesome.
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Carmens
The North End
Yes, its an Italian restaurant in the
North End. But its something a
little off the beaten path from the
typical big dish, family-style Italian restaurant
that you find on every corner of the North End.
Carmens is literally a hole-in-the-wall yes, it
is that small. So when trying to find it, make sure
youre looking closely because its very hidden.
Tucked away at 33 N Square off of Hanover
Street, Carmens features small, tapas-like plates
and a wine bar something unique to the North
End area. In my visit, I sat at the wine bar and
even though the space is tight it felt cozy. The
small plates were the most memorable I
enjoyed the roasted sweet peppers with
homemade mozzarella & basil and spice-cured
beef tartar tenderloin with arugula aged balsamic
& fresh parmigiano. As a main course, I
attempted to eat (in entirety) the baked penne
dish, elegantly wrapped in a rustic paper the
way the real Italians do it, according to our
server with apulian style meatballs, fresh
mozzarella, & roasted tomato sauce. I failed, but
at least I went home with leftovers.
Zinnekens
Harvard Square
Located at 1154 Massachusetts
Ave on the outskirts of Harvard
Square is a hidden waffle joint.
Even though the caf is small, you can smell the
aroma of freshly baked goodies and sweet, sweet
waffles from blocks away. The strong smell of
sugar and dough takes over, and will make your
mouth water uncontrollably. Zinnekens
specializes in authentic Belgian waffles and
Im not talking about the thick, fluffy diner-style
waffles. Im talking about liege waffles the
perfectly sweet and perfectly crispy Belgian
waffle made out of gooey dough and crystallized
sugar. You can get caramel, nutella, Belgian
chocolate, Oreos, whipped cream, ice cream, all
types of fruit, and more the perfect toppings to
a sweet treat.
ONE RESTAURANT AT A TIME
M3
Davis Square
MEAT N THREE, better known
by locals as M3, lies in the heart
of Davis Square on 382
Highland Ave. With its
matchless, rustic dcor and distinctive southern
dining, M3 is a hidden gem I highly suggest.
Some of M3s most delicious dishes are the
chicken & waffles a southern favorite turned
(um) classy. Also, the mouthwatering buttermilk
fried chicken & biscuits would satisfy any
chicken lovers cravings. And if youre looking for
something light and refreshing, go for the
watermelon salad mixed with cucumbers, fresh
mint and goat cheese. Theres also a delicious
brunch menu served all day Saturday and Sunday
with some of my yummy favorites like buttermilk
biscuits, cinnamon bran French toast, and
Belgian waffles.
Hi-Rise Bread Company
North Cambridge
Located in the heart of the quiet
Huron Village in North
Cambridge, Hi-Rise Bread
Company is my go-to for snack
food when in this residential area. The
assortment of bread, sandwiches, salads, soups,
and coffees is scrumptious and relatively
healthy. Placed at 208 Concord Ave, this
neighborhood favorite is tucked away from
Harvard Square about a mile walk from the T
station. The Lx Heart Ache sandwich is to die for.
Its a unique take on an egg, cheese, and meat
breakfast sandwich topped with mounds of
gorgonzola cheese, hand-cut bacon, two brown
eggs, tomato, red onion, & honey mustard on a
semolina roll grilled to your liking.
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Root
Allston
A rare combination of
inspired food and juicery,
Root is located at 487
Cambridge Street in Allston.
The rustic, hip environment feels warm and
inviting. The outside is even made all out of
wood, which is visually awesome. Root
emphasizes fresh, tasty food that is feel-good and
simple. The black bean and quinoa burger is a
healthier alternative to a regular beef burger
and it is quite delicious. The LA wrap, a hummus
& veggie inspired wrap, and the sweet potato
quesadilla are also notable. But, if youre not
hungry enough for a whole meal try a side of the
herbed fries, made with fresh parsley and herb-
infused olive oil and served with house made
ketchup, Dijon horseradish, and garlic aioli. And,
dont forget to top off your food choices (or even
if you get no food at all) with a tasty juice like the
citrus medley (a combination of orange, lemon,
and lime), the basil lemonade, or the cucumber
mojito. Simpli Bar & Bites
Jamaica Plain
Ill start off by saying that you
shouldnt go here if youre
looking for a sit-down, full
dinner. While the portions are
big enough to please most peoples appetites, the
menu ranges from salads and sandwiches
(available from 11 AM 4 PM) to small bar bites
and flatbread pizzas (available from 4 PM 11
PM). That said, the bar bites are a must! The
lollipop lamp chops and pretzel pucks are, to my
surprise, good and probably the most distinctive
items on the menu. The lollipop lamb chops
arent really lollipops (as cool and unappetizing
as that sounds), but the dish comes with four
spring lamb chops served with a side of tzatziki
sauce and the pretzel pucks are four little pretzel
rolls coated lightly with butter & sea salt served
with a side of spicy brown mustard. If you are
coming from downtown Boston, the trek is
relatively long to 3840 Washington Street in
Jamaica Plain, but in my opinion its worth it. The
elegant bar food and appetizing drinks will
entertain you all nightor at least until they
close at 11 PM.
Barcelona Restaurant & Bar
Brookline
If youre looking for a hip weekend
spot, try Barcelona at 1700 Beacon
Street in Brookline. Specializing in
tapas style dishes, the menu is large
and delicious. There are a variety of meats,
cheeses, and small plates any food lover is sure
to find something. There is also an extensive
wine list with delightful sangria options. When I
visited, I went on a Sunday night and the bar and
dining area were both packed. Definitely make a
reservation ahead of time. As I entered, a waiter
was walking around with jamon and chicken
croquettes for free reminding me of a wedding
or dinner function where a catering company
walks around with appetizers. The atmosphere is
loud and chatty, but not overwhelming. For my
main meal, the table shared a variety of tapas
dishes including patatas bravas yummy sliced
potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce and garlic aioli,
crispy calamari, and spiced beef empanadas.
Area Four
Kendall Square
Located at 500 Technology Square
near the Kendall Square/MIT Red
Line is Area Four a
coffee/bakery, restaurant, and bar
all in one. The Mac & Cheese main dish is
delicious and definitely big enough to share
with a friend. The pizza selection is also great
from Margherita to Hawaiian to Carnivore
pizzas, they have just about everything. The
prices are also relatively cheap around $15 for
a meal (ideal for a college student on a budget!)
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Moksa
Central Square
This Pan Asian tapas style
restaurant is located in the
busy streets of Central Square
at 450 Massachusetts Ave.
Moksa has just about any Asian style dish you
could ever want soups, salads, rice, noodles,
teriyaki dishes, every kind of sushi, and more.
Some of the standout dishes are oven roasted
butternut squash soup, spicy edamame, chicken
lettuce wraps, ginger crab & shrimp fried rice,
popcorn shrimp, and a large assortment of sushi
rolls. The prices are great all food ranging from
$4-$16! And for those over 21, there is an
extensive cocktail and wine list perfect for some
happy hour drinks! n
The Fireplace
Brookline
In the heart of Brooklines
Washington Square at 1634
Beacon Street is new
American and New England
cuisine. Fireplace offers fine dining without the
inconvenience of trekking all the way downtown.
The menu changes frequently every sesason but
one of my favorites is the pumpkin risotto and
the Fireplace burger - topped with thick cut
bacon, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, and
a garlic dill pickle, on a homemade english
muffin with hand cut fries and kale chips. The
portions are huge - so sharing is suggested. The
brunch menu, available from 11 AM - 2:30 PM
on Saturdays and Sundays, is enormous. Two
good options are the egg sandwiches and challah
french toast.
Its like finding a small pearl in an oyster. I think
that pretty much sums up the location of the
newly opened restaurant and lounge, the
Shanghai Social Club. This metaphor does not
speak to the dishes that the restaurant whips up,
but to the locale of the small, Asian-themed
establishment.
After passing a construction site, a
McDonalds, and an empty building with brown-
papered windows on Commonwealth Avenue, in
Allston, MA, you will begin to see a modern,
brick building with a large Buddha sitting atop
the doorway that is the Shanghai Social Club.
From the outside, the way the club looks is
reminiscent of New York Citys trendy Asian
restaurant, TAO. The only difference is that TAO
is across from another NYC hotspot, the club
LAVO. The Shanghai Social Club is across the
street from a CVS.
The location is definitely not ideal,
especially since it would probably get more
attention from an older, more sophisticated
demographic had it opened in the downtown
Boston area. With that said, it is very
convenient for college students who are looking
SHANGHAI IN ALLSTON
A wiff of foreign culture and food, in this student-ridden street
photographer: morgan stukes
for some delicious, and inexpensive, dumplings
and drinks.
The club officially opened on August 22,
2013, just as all the college students were
worming their way back into the city for the
approaching school year.
Owned by restaurateur Doug Bacon, who
also owns Harrys Bar & Grill, the White Horse
Tavern and the Last Drop, the restaurant features
dishes meticulously created by Chef Bob
Botchie. Botchie knows a thing or two about
cooking, especially since, according to Eater, he
is an alum of Myers + Chang and Erbaluce. The
Chang refers to the founder, and head chef of
Flour, the delicious bakery and caf in Back Bay
and Cambridge, MA.
Location aside, once you step foot into this
trendy new hotspot, you are welcomed into a
cool Asian-themed room, filled with decorative
Buddhas, low burning burgundy candles and
matching red lanterns that hang from the
wooden ceiling. You would never think to find
this gem in Allston, as it is hidden between
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residential streets and masked by tall apartment
buildings.
The restaurant features its larger dining
area, with high and low top tables, which sit
along side the fully stocked bar area. In the back
end of the restaurant, there is a private dining
space that has oversized pillows on top of a long
wrap around couch.
The walls are lined with vintage Asian
newspaper clippings that feature photos of old-
fashioned Asian dignitaries who silently look
down upon the large Buddha that sits in the
middle of the restaurant.
Trendy, low-volume tunes act as
background music as my good friend and
lunch-date, Sarah, and I are seated. Our waitress
for our late Sunday, first-day-of-fall lunch
introduces herself as Dee as she carefully places
down homemade duck sauce and fried
noodles. Without going further, might I
Take your time, hang out, just dont
take your shoes off!
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immediately add that the duck sauce tasted like,
and had the same consistency as, sweet
apricot jam with a delicious spicy kick at the end
that I loved so much I would have eaten it on
toast for breakfast.
Dee suggests that we order one of three
drinks: the Scorpion Bowl, the Shanghai Sling or
the Pain Killer. Sarah has been voted the drinker
for the afternoon and she takes Dees suggestion
in ordering the Painkiller, which is a mix of gin
and a plethora of tropical fruity flavors. Since I
was going to eat my meal sans alcohol, Dee
suggested that she could create a special fruity
drink that she would make it seem like I was
drinking a fun fruity cocktail. I obliged, with little
hesitation, and ended up with a drink that took
me to a tropical island with every sip. Ill blame
the high level of pineapple juice and the fact that
the cute tiki cup was adorned with a skewered
orange slice and a piece of a green leaf, but I
was happily waffled back to my vacation days on
the beach.
When it came to ordering entrees, Dee
pointed out the Pu pu platter and the steamed
buns as being two of their most popular
dishes. Sarah and I opted out of both and
stuck with our staple Chinese dishes: sesame
chicken and chicken fried rice. They both
arrived in large-sized bowls with great
presentation, the fried rice even being topped
with a sunny side egg. Everything about both
of our meals was fresh, flavorful and as
healthy as sesame chicken and fried rice can
be (my sesame chicken was not battered and
fried, but instead was simply cooked in a Wok
with a bold seasoning and sauce).
You definitely get a bang for your buck
at this restaurant, seeing as both Sarah and I
couldnt finish our meals, which were both
under $15. We took the rest of our food home,
which were put in the traditional Chinese take
out box, accompanied with an extra pair of
chopsticks for those savvy enough to know
how to use them.
Take your time, hang out, just dont
take your shoes off, Dee said just as she
handed us the check. Sarah and I conferred
and both came to the conclusion that we
could gladly come back to this cute, new
hidden gem in the back of Allstons college-
student ridden streets.
Whether it be for drinks, which Sarah
raved over, the food, which couldnt have
been better, the kind wait staff or cool
ambiance, anyone seeking a new restaurant
would want to try the Shanghai Social Club.
Just as we were about to get up out of
our raised booth to leave, Chef Bob Botchie
arrived, trying not to draw any attention to
himself. He flashed us both a warm smile and
preceded back into the kitchen where he
would create meals even more delectable
than the ones we had just enjoyed.
As I push open the heavy front door,
adorned with a black iron design covering the
glass, I am immediately reminded that I am
back in Boston and my staycation in the club
has come to an end. n
photographer: anett holmvik
Film Reel 120
Editors playlist 124
Anatomy of an internet sensation 128
Music
&
film
by peter jasinski
by the rev team
by yasmeen gharnit
FILM REEL
BY PETER JASINSKI
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GRAVITY (2013)
Director: Alfonso Cuarn
Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney
It starts as a seemingly simple synopsis. The lives
of two suburban families are thrown into chaos
when the youngest daughters go missing on
Thanksgiving. Hugh Jackman plays Keller Dover,
a family man who is frustrated by the tactics
taken by Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal). Keller
likes creepy misfit Alex (Paul Dano) as the prime
suspect, but Lokis not convinced, so the family
man takes things into his own hands and kidnaps
Alex.
It sounds simple and plain but its anything
but. Think Silence of the Lambs combined with
Mystic River and throw in a bit of Gone Baby,
Gone and youll have a good understanding of
what Prisoners feels like. The film takes what
most of us can only relate to through headlines
and the six oclock news and acts it out in an
engrossing display: the fear and helplessness of
losing a child, the moral implications of taking
someone prisoner, frustration with life, God, and
your fellow man, its all there. Its long at two
hours and thirty-three minutes, but chances are
you wont mind. Its slow burn in all the best
ways. You ache with despair like the characters
youre watching.
Jackman does a good jobnot a great
job but a good one: you see the emotional
complexity of what hes experiencing and it feels
believable; Gyllenhall makes for a good
detective and the kind of hero you want to root
for. In a weaker year theyd probably be up for
Oscars. Dano does a convincing job playing a
weirdo, as does Melissa Leo. But unfortunately,
most of the impressive cast is wasted and just
seems to be there for show.
The real attractions are in Denis
Villeneuves masterful direction and Aaron
Guzikowskis script. Its Villeneuves American
debut and hes making one hell of an entrance.
The film is beautifully shot with a style that is
both atmospheric and subtle. Guzikoskis script
glides between themes without being too heavy
handed and leaves even the most jaded mystery
veteran astray. I dare you to try to figure out this
one as it goes. Nothings ever what it seems in
this movie.
PRISONERS (2013)
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal
Space, as the saying goes, is the final frontier. In
terms of cinema, its anything but. Ever since
Georges Mlis filmed A Trip to the Moon,
filmmakers have been fascinated by the great
unknown. Even now, 111 years after that first
trip skywards, were still doing it. Mexican
filmmaker, Alfonso Cuarn, brings us the most
recent exploration in Gravity.
In tthese 100 plus years the space movie
genre had been exhausted, and yet Cuarn
makes it all new. Watching it, you may realize,
that you are watching something rare. Its a
movie about space, real space, and just what
that actually means.
As she hurtles untethered from her
spaceship into the great nothingness, Dr. Ryan
Stone, played by Sandra Bullock, sums up the
reality of her landscape in quite possibly the best
line from the movie: I hate space. Despite all
its beauty and mystery, she has good reason for
these words.
The film begins when Dr. Stone, who
along with fellow astronaut Matt Kowalsky
(Clooney), survives a deadly assault of space
shrapnel. The rest of the movie is just them trying
to make their way back to Earth. Compared to
other movies, this sounds so simple, but in
reality its
anything but.
Everything that can go wrong does.
Bullock has about the worst day at work
possible, and when youre an astronaut, things
can get pretty bad. Proving The Blindside was no
fluke, Bullock pulls off a harrowing performance
that at most times is a one woman show. And
what a show it is.
Clooneys part is small, but necessary in
order to keep the film (for lack of a better word)
grounded. The visuals and spectacular effects are
a true spectacle in themselves. Seeing Cuarns
handy work is reason enough to see this film.
Its Bullocks performance, however, that
will make you love every minute. She draws you
in and eventually you feel the same emotions
she feels. Panic, fear, dread, hope, and
eventually warm confidence all burn up inside
you. Gravity is one hell of a ride; make sure you
buy a ticket.
Most people know WaterworldOne of the
most expensive films made during the 90s,
notorious for production delays, angry feuds, a
silly script, and worse dialogue. It gave Kevin
Costner a career blow so heavy that only now is
he starting to recover.
It didnt kill him though. No, that was The
Postman.
Based on David Brins 1985 novel of the
same name, it arrived in theaters the same year
as the likes of Titanic and Good Will Hunting,
making it easy for this flop to go unnoticed. It
faded into obscurity, taking the director/star
Kevin Costner,
with it.
It was set out to be Costners grand return
to success, but ended up being Waterworld, the
mailmans version of America. Its set in a ruined,
post-apocalyptic future America, where violent
militias are running around like Gestapo on
horseback. Costners nameless character starts
dressing up like a mailman, inadvertently
inspiring people to start caring about how great
America used to be. High-jinks ensue and before
you know, it an army of postal workers are
fighting militia soldiers in fields all over the Mid-
west.
The Postman isnt so bad, though. Just
follow two rules: dont take this movie as
seriously as it tried to be, and dont be swayed by
its almost three hour running time. If you do, the
movie is pure entertainment from start to finish.
At times, you will be in as much in disbelief as
Costner as he encouters both lions and people
named Ford Lincoln Mercury on his surreal
journey.
The film has got plenty of the post-
apocalyptic themes we all love and a surprising
amount of originality-its completely bonkers
originality, but original all the same. If thats not
enough, Tom Petty shows up half way through.
And finding out who he is supposed to be
playing is reason enough to watch The Postman.
Its surreal, unintentionally funny, enter-
taining, and completely worth watching. Dont
watch it by yourself or when youre in a
particularly thoughtful mood. Wait for a night
you have nothing planned, invite some friends
over, pour some whisky sodas and get to
watching. By the end of the night, you will have
enough quotes to make a lifetimes worth of
inside jokes. n
THE POSTMAN (1997)
Director: Kevin Costner
Starring: Kevin Costner, Will Patton
MICHEL GONDRY is perhaps one of the greatest
surrealist filmmakers of our time. NOAM
CHOMSKY definitely possesses one of the
greatest minds of our time.
So it makes sense that the two would collaborate
to create the most intellectually and visually
stimulating work of our time. At its core, "IS THE
MAN WHO IS TALL HAPPY?" is a series of
recorded conversations between the two, set to a
gondry-style hand-animated film. After all,
"visual experience is just stimulations of the
retina, but we impose an extreme and rich
interpretation of it" - Chomsky's words, not ours.
In anticipation of its November release, we asked
illustrator SHIREEN AHMED to animate our
favorite scene (set on the Charles River) in
Gondry's ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE
SPOTLESS MIND.
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THE EDITORS PLAYLIST:
WHAT WE CANT STOP/WONT STOP LISTENING TO
Flume
Flume
Flume, or more formally known as Harley
Edward Streten, is a 22-year-old Australian-born
electronic music instrumentalist, producer, and
DJ. His self-titled album debuted last
November and hit the top charts all over
Australia and New Zealand. His unique
mixture of electronic beats and captivating
lyrics are unlike most electronic music artists.
The next time Flume is in America, I highly
suggest seeing him (especially while his shows
are still $5). SARAH ANOLIK
Repave
Volcano Choir
Volcano Choirs last album Repave is already
number one on my list for this winter and
probably for every winter after that. I heard
about them recently when a friend invited me
to Paradise Rock Club to listen to (Bon Ivers)
Justin Vernons new band. Little did I know
Repave was their second Album and their first
release Unmapped was all the way back in
2009. The concert was intimate, melodic, loud,
comfortable, and overall amazing; so is this
album. ALBERTO MONTALTI
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Bangerz
Miley Cyrus
Miley has given a big F.U. to everyone in the
music industry and beyond with her crazy stage
antics. Her twangy voice along with producer
Pharell + Mike WiLL Made Its urban beats make
for infectious dance tracks. Its so wrong, its right.
VIRGINIA ASHE
Matangi
M.I.A.
After three tumultuous years since her last
album, Maya, M.I.A. is back with a more
refined, ever-mischevous sound. With loud
basslines and outspoken lyrics, Matangi is the
perfect soundtrack for anarchists, activists, and
indie ravists alike. YASMEEN GHARNIT
Pluto
Future
Future has been featured in songs with Lil
Wayne, Rihanna and Rick Ross but has not
needed their help to become an extremely
talented performer in his own right. In 2011,
when his song Tony Montana starting playing
all over Atlanta, his music and popularity soon
spread outside of his hometown of Atlanta.
With chart-topping songs like Karate Chop
(Remix) and Honest, his unique voice brings
a fresh tone to the rap game. Personally, his
feature on Rihannas Loveeeeeee Song is one
of my absolute favorites. MORGAN STUKES
Royals (Cover)
Puddles Pity Party
Ive been listening to a lot lately, but one thing
sticks out in my mind as the thing I need to tell
you all about. He only sings covers of songs
and he dresses up like a sad clown, but Puddles
The Clown With the Golden Voice is really
someone everybody should hear. His cover of
Lordes Royals is equally beautiful and haunting
(yes its actually better than the original). From
the most unlikely and unassuming source
comes a heroic voice that will not only move
mountains but also souls. PETER JASINSKI
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Walk The Moon
Walk The Moon
In what seems like a split second, Walk the
Moon has transformed itself from a college
band at Kenyon University to a must-watch
group. Whether youre jamming out to
Quesadilla or prefer a ballad like I Can Lift a
Car, the bands self-titled album consists of
catching lyrics and addictive beats. Once
youre completely smitten with the bands
unique sound, make sure to see them live. Lead
singer Nicholas Petriccas stage presence and
voice is on another level. KELSEY MULVEY
MAG MIXTAPE:
1. HAERTS All The Days
2. DORNIK Rebound
3. PHANTOGRAM Black Out Days
4. KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS Oostende
5. WASHED OUT All I Know
6. BRAIDS Fruend
7. CAGED ANIMALS The Sound of Thunder
8. TEMPLES Mesmerise
9. JAGWAR MA Come Save Me (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
10. OLYMPIC AYRES Magic
11. HIGH HIGHS In A Dream
12. STILL CORNERS Berlin Lovers
13. SLOWDANCE Boyfriend
SOME SUNNY ELECTROPOP VIBES TO
HELP YOU SURVIVE BRUMAL BOSTON
anatomy of an internet sensation
by yasmeen gharnit
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ON THE WORLDWIDE WEB, THE MUSIC
IS AS FREE AS THE ARTISTS. IN THIS
FORUM, SOUND AND VISUAL
EXPERIMENTATION HAVE REPLACED SEX,
DRUGS AND ROCK & ROLL TO
SOME EXTENT, AT LEAST.
Picture a desert at sunset. The pink horizon fades
to peach and then to purple. An eery, Arab chant-
like howl begins. Then picture a black Escalade
rolling across that desert. A gnome-like woman
with long blonde dredlocks stands in front of the
bright headlights and waves her arms the way a
jellyfishs tentacles move through the Indian
Ocean. She may or not be tripping on acid.
Cut to a rocky beach. The beat picks up.
The soft waves crash as sword dances are
performed by a woman with floor length pink
braids and the same gnome from before. Flute
undertones kick in. Now picture a suburban
street. The fluorescent pink-braided woman with
snake eyes struts down the tar path in silver body
armor and platform sneakers. She licks a lollipop.
Imagine the gnomethis time, in Sailor
Moon pigtails alone in the back of a limo. She
begins to sing. She meets up with her possy in
suburbia. One of them is the demon-like friend
who struts down on the street. Theres a python.
Picture the desert again. This time, the gnome has
a medieval mace.
This is Grimes.
And without the Internet, you probably
would have never heard of her or her music
todays MTV TRL-free world.
anatomy of an internet sensation
by yasmeen gharnit
Practically everyone knows the stories of
the Justin Beibers and Lana Del Reyssuccessful
YouTube videos yield successful record deals,
which yield fame, fortune and stardom. It seems
like an easy enough formula, which is why it has
become commonplace for musicians to utilize
the Internet as a career launching platform. And
while an artists ultimate goal is still to gain the
attention and endorsement of a major record
label, they are no longer chasing record deals
theyre waiting for the labels to come to them.
The wonderful world of YouTube isnt just
for watching videos of sleeping cats and possibly
intoxicated news anchors cover the election. On
the mega-streaming site, you can discover a Gay-
ngsta rapper spitting rhymes on the laps of
shirtless men in Pikachu masks (Le1f); a girl
busting out some bawdy beats in the middle of a
trailer park motocross show (Angel Haze) and a
plethora of prepubescent boys belting out their
high-pitched voices (Cody Simpson, Justin
Beiber, Greyson Chancethe list goes on,
however unfortunate).
And in the bountiful breast of SoundCloud
and Bandcamp, you can listen to both signed
and unsigned artists and bands belt their little
hearts out and slap the bass without watching the
sometimes excruciating facial expressions and
the awkward member interaction often
associated with new bands.
So an artist records the songs, makes a
video (if they so choose) and posts it online.
Whats next? Cause if they think theyre instantly
a one-name pop sensation, they must be living in
a fantasy (or material) world. How do they
actually get people to listen? How do they
generate that large fan base?
This free music thing, says Ryan Palm,
founder of Blind Mouse Entertainment (a website
that spotlights films and music, all found on the
internet), the more effort you put in, the more
you get back.
Artists post on similar, well-known artists
message boards with a simple comment: Hey, if
you like this artist, check out my video (insert
link here). Some fans of that big artist will look
at said link and if they like it, they spread it from
there.
It is a process of self-promotion through
social media, says John Kellogg, Assistant Chair
of the Music Business/Management program at
Berklee School of Music.
Jay-Z and Beyonc are spearheading the
fight against the popular belief that rock stars are
nothing like politicians. And what King Z and
Queen B want, they get. So lets see how they are
synonymous. Both groups start at a grassroots
level. Only instead of rallies, musicians infiltrate
as many small web markets as possible. That
means reaching out to small blogs and
independent web publications.
With a little bit of research, artists can find
editors names and email addresses and send a
quick email. These small organizations websites
are more likely to take a listen and promote an
unknown band than bigger publications. And
while a feature by large prestigious music
mechanisms like Pitchfork and NME can catapult
a musician to fame, smaller sites have religious
followings (in essence, the same effect The Rocky
Horror Picture Show has on those who attend
and perform its midnight screenings).
And because everyone loves a good
blitzkrieg, these grassroots spread like wildfire.
Its kind of just a frenzy where one blog will
post it, somebody else listens to it; itll get
reposted, says Ryan Camenzuli, lead singer of
unsigned up-and-coming indie experimental
band Wild International, recently represented by
PR powerhouse Terrorbird Media (Animal
Collective, Sufjan Stevens, Dirty Projectors). Its
kind of just a cycle that goes on and on and on.
And just like politicianseh hem, Anthony
Weinerare generous enough to send out
pictures to the public free of charge, musicians
are also building their fan base by offering free
streams and downloads of a single, LP, or EP.
People say that Steve Jobs single-handedly
killed the music industry by putting a price on a
song, says Palm. 99 cents ($1.29 ughhh) was
all it took to cripple an industry thats existed for
all of human history. Now we get a real chance
to fight back. Sure, musicians used to make a
living by selling records. But when Napster
replaced Sam Goody, people began to expect
free music. Thanks Sean Parker, for single-
handedly keeping our wallets full at the expense
of the rich.
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A modern-day Robin Hood, he is indeed.
And while many ostracized him for destroying
the record industry, his work is ironically saving
new musicians. I think when youre first starting
in a bandyou obviously want to make a living
doing it, but at the same time, you have to
establish that fan base first, says Camenzuli.
People are definitely willing to listen to your
music and give it a chance when they can get it
for free and test it out; try it, rather than commit
to $5-10 and pay their money for something they
dont even know anything about really.
So hows a rock star supposed to be able to
have enough money for sex and drugs? In the
long run, what youre trying to do as an artist is
build your brand. And the brand isnt just selling
albums, says Kellogg. Youre trying to build
your brand so that youre in a position to get a
fragrance deal, as Rihanna and Taylor Swift have
and Gwen Stefani with [Loral]. You might want
to become an actress, like Queen Latifa. And
then you can do other things.
This Disney Channel culture of the
quadruple-threat may give room for new talent,
but shaves years off the life of a musical artist.
The music worlds the catalyst, continues
Kellogg. And thats the reason why record
companies want to sign artists for the 360-degree
deals, where they participate in all forms of
earning from the artist that they invest in to help
their career.
When youre rolling in a pile of musical
money, the money may become more important
than the music.
The release date for Dr. Dres first studio
album in 14 years, Detox, has been pushed back
for a few years and counting. Why? As former
Def Jam president Kevin Liles told Forbes, I
understand why Dre didnt finish Detox. Its
called Beats. Yes, the Beats by Dr. Dre
headphones empire that earned the hip hop
mogul $110 million in one year alone has
stopped him from making music that would be
going through those very speakers. It makes
sense if you dont think about it
Lucky for you, artists that might never have
gained the attention of record labels in the early
90s are now widely accessible with a pinky-
click of the enter button. A well-rounded iPod
could shuffle from Adele to How To Dress Well
to Oberhofer.
You no longer have to be a slave to the
billboard charts or what they say is cool in
Rolling Stone, exclaims Palm. Youve heard the
quote, Radio plays what they want you to hear.
And now we have a legitimate way of fighting
back. Just think of all of the underground music
scenes that have popped up in the aughts and
have subsequently blew up? I mean, just the sub-
genres within EDMstuff like Electro,
Moombahton, and now Trapspeak immensely
of the fundamental shift were seeing in the
industry.
Artists now have the freedom to create
different sub-genres now, as well. Without the
economy-driven record labels breathing down
their backs and twisting the hands of producers
to increase the bass or auto tune a beautiful,
pure track, artists are able to actually create art.
I think for us, a lot of it is experimenting
and working in the studio and all of us [his two
bandmates Greg Coffey and Bryan Daly] sitting
there just tinkering with one sound for a while
and getting a vibe of a song to sound the way
that we feel like it should, says Camenzuli.
And I think having no restraints on having things
sound this way, or having a time frame when it
needs to be done in this x amount of time gives
us a lot of freedom in making it what we want it
to sound like. And its definitely something we
dont take for granted.
Because isnt the Internet like the drunk
uncle at the family holiday dinner? Critical at
times. An advocate of outrageous statements and
creative endeavors. Sometimes a tad creepy
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Picture a charcoal-lidded 20-something. She
opens her eyes. Its Zosia Mamet. A mans raspy
voice screams lyrics as a deep synth pounds in
the background. She smashes a mallet into a raw
filet. Her hand swipes against her brow. A thick
trail of blood appears across her forehead. She
slices onions and hot dogs into precise geometric
shapes. She sets the table using a metal
protractor.
A man appears in the hallway. He looks
confused. He steps into the apartment. Zosia
smiles.
Switch to Zosia in a bedroom. She picks up
a frame, two protractors, a mallet and a light
bulb. Spider web-thin strands of invisible strands
appear from the tools. She packs them in a
suitcase.
Shes on a Williamsburg street. She breaks
into an apartment. Invisible black strands spawn
from her back. As she lifts her hair into a
ponytail, you see she has a black diamond tattoo
on the nape of her neck. Shes cooking again. The
man walks down the hallway and she smashes
the light bulb and cooks it in the onions.
They sit down to eat. She intensely stares at
him. He starts to choke and bleed at the mouth.
She gets up.
This is Ambassadors.
And without the Internet, youll never
know how this video ends. n
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j
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b
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FINAL THOUGHTS
Digital getdown 136
A false sense of security 138
the city that sleeps too much 142
expand your vocab 148
by the rev team
by alberto montalti
by kelsey mulvey
by the rev team
THE BEST APPS & SITES ON THE 2013 WORLDWIDE WEB
FARMSTAND (IOS)
This iPhone app makes eating seasonal and fresh produce relatively easy. It sounds kind of lame
because who really cares about eating the best fruits and veggies, but for those that do care, its an
awesome way to find the best and closest farmers markets to you. Farmstand uses your exact location
to track the closest farmers markets. After selecting a market, you can see its hours of operation,
photos of the products sold there, and more.
WUN WUN (IOS)
Move over, Siri. Wun Wun takes the crown as your actual personal assistant - there is nothing this app
cant do. Want someone to stand in line for you in the hot new MOMA exhibit? Wun Wun will do it.
Assign Wun Wun holiday shopping. Ask Wun Wun for a restaurant recommendation. Ask Wun Wun
for coffee. Let Wun Wun go on dates for you - kidding. But really, Wun Wun will do almost anything
you ask it on-demand - with a $15 delivery and $2 charge for every 5 minutes of every other service.
DAY ONE (IOS)
Creating a diary sounds like so much work. Who has the time to sit down with a journal and day
anymore? With Day One, recording your life's greatest memories just became easier. Upload
pictures, write down short memories, and revisit them with the calendar option. And unlike your
diary, this app will never leave your sight.
LOGMEIN (IOS, ANDROID)
No matter how hard Apple or Microsoft may try, theres no replacing your computer with a
smartphone or tablet. And no matter how hard you may try, you cant lug your laptop around with
you all the time. Luckily, LogMeIn lets you remotely access your computer remotely, so you can pull
up that file you forgot to copy onto your flash drive.
TAASKY (IOS)
When balancing your social and professional lives, organization is key. Thanks to Taasky's collection
of editable, color-coded lists, you will never forget that monthly report or your best friend's birthday
present again. If the organized lists aren't enough to make you swoon,Taasky focuses on your top
priorities. Thank you, tech gods.
DIGITAL GETDOWN
TECHCRUNCH (TECHCRUNCH.COM)
Whether it be new apps, IPO announcements, or industry
secrets, TechCrunch is the mecca of technology news.
TechCrunch tells you the who's who of angel funders, start-up
gurus and more.
ZADY (ZADY.COM)
Fashion nerd or not, there are only a few things you definitely know about your
favorite clothes and accessories: where is was made, what it's made out of, and its
retail price. Every piece has a story, and Zady co-founders Maxine Bdat and Soraya
Darab want to share each one with you. With a bevy of brands and price points,
shoppers can learn where their products are from and how they were made. In wake
of the Bangladesh factory fire, its necessary to know about your threads. Kudos, Zady..
CHARTGIRL (CHARTGIRL.COM)
Hilary Sargent, who goes by the Internet nickname, Webgirl, has put her
diagraming skills to good use on her website, Chartgirl. She takes
complicated contemporary matters, such as the Boston Mayoral Election,
and sums them up into easy to understand charts, detailing the who, or
what, the main issues, or people, are in the headliner and why theyre
important to the subject.
MCSWEENEYS INTERNET TENDENCY (MCSWEENEYS.NET/TENDENCY)
Brainchild of San Fransisco-based publisher McSweeneys, Internet Tendency
releases experimental fiction daily. With great wit and charm, the site gives an
absurdist perspective to everyday, mundane activities and traditions.
THIS IS MY JAM (THISISMYJAM.COM)
We cant say whether love at first sight is real, but we can say that love at first listen is.
On This Is My Jam, users share that one song theyve neglected all the rest for, personalize
it and share it with their followers for up to seven days. Its a great way to discover new
music, handpicked by the friends (or strangers) you love the most.
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BY ALBERTO MONTALTI
A Boston University college student stressed about his
piled-up assignm
ents for class as he sits in a Starbucks
on Kenm
ore Square. In the m
idst of his productive
m
ultitasking, his Sm
artphone vibrates with an urgent
m
essage from
the Associated Press App. Two
explosions reported near the finish line of the Boston
M
arathon
The 20-year-old reads the m
essage,
instantly dism
isses it and keeps flipping through his
history book. Am
ericans
he thinks, going crazy
over a gas leak.
This of course, was not a gas leak. The
student of course, was an idiot, and yes, you
guessed it: I am
the student.
However, pleading idiocy will get m
e
nowhere here, so Ill start by saying this: I
think I know whats wrong with m
e
I
have a severe case of the do-you-
know-where-I-com
e-from
?
syndrom
e. I was born and
raised in Caracas, Venezuela,
ranked as the 3rd m
ost
violent city on earth. I
A

F
A
L
S
E

S
E
N
S
E

TSA employees are designed to mantain the calm
as much as the actual safety.
This is large-scale conditioning. Like
Pavlovs dog; people are being trained to feel safe
when they wait in line for an inspection. The
truth is that these measures arent as effective as
we are made to believe. Lets say a law-abiding,
average American citizen is cordially requested
by an authority figure to throw out his water
bottle before going through security; he will most
likely comply without hesitation or complaint.
What he doesnt realize is that he is being tricked
into thinking that his action will guarantee his
own physical security. He will probably buy a
new (approved) bottle after he goes through
security and continue his journey calmy;
knowing he contributed to the cause. But, would
things have been different if hed brought three
smaller water bottles instead of the large one?
Probably not. This whole thing may in fact be
called the biggest placebo pill ever prescribed for
anxiety.
But calm is not the same as safety.
Security guru and author Bruce Schneiers
theory is that we need to separate what makes us
feel safe and what keeps us safe in order to
distinguish theatre from real life. He also believes
the media plays a huge role in the production of
the theatre. Since it has become the medias job
to publish only what is considered extraordinary,
for years it has been inflicting unnecessary fear
into people and neglecting important safety
information. Security theatre does not only
personally know at least 10 people who have been
kidnapped; Ive witnessed several robberies, and
one shooting (Even though I live on the safer side
of the city.) So, as most of my fellow countrymen, I
have been trained in the arts of extreme paranoia
since childhood.
Now consider this: Why would someone who has a memorized script on how to perform when kidnapped, not worry about massive explosions apenning less than a mile away from his
caramel frappuccino? The answer is simple: false
sense of security.
Just to be clear, Im not saying I should feel
as endangered and paranoid in Boston as I do in Caracas; the numbers are clear on which is safe
and which is not. But what is this feeling of entitlement I get from getting on the T? Why do I
(and many other immigrants) think myself too tough to be scared anywhere in the first world? It definitely has something to do with a modern phenomenon that experts call security theatre. It consists in small things artificially placed
in our environment, which may be completely useless but give us a sustained feeling of security and calmness. The most common stages for these security plays are airports, especially after
9/11. The shoes, belts, and jewelry
removal; the tray for the laptop; the
newer, more invasive x-ray
machines; the racial
profiling; and the
overall power trip
behavior of
OF SECURITY
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happen in airports, it is everywhere and affects
everyone to some degree.
In a 2010 TED Talk, Schneier said, what
newspapers do is they repeat again and again
rare risks. I usually tell people: If its in the news
dont worry about it. Because by definition, news
is something that almost never happens. When
something is so common, its almost never news.
Like car crashes and domestic violence, those
are the risks you should worry about. Yes, this
may be a bit of a catch 22 situation because the
media is informing you right now, but take
Schneiers word for it, not mine.
The American public has been exposed to
probably the worlds most scandalous,
conflictive, and ever-present media for the past
few decades. The exponentially increasing
exposure to this type of media throughout
several generations has clearly affected to some
degree what Americans understand as safety.
However, the public perception of the security
provided by American soil and government
agencies has not only affected the views of
American citizens. In fact, the act presented in
this security theatre has been seen by the entire
world. The American dream must be (because
such is the nature of dreams) much less magical
and surreal when achieved than when dreamt
from the distance; and this includes the security
it provides.
In October 2006, a Boston University
freshman named Beatriz Ponce was fatally hit by
a car when crossing the road on her way home.
She was 17 years old and had been in Boston for
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only two months. She had lived her entire life in
Venezuela and left because of the hazardous
living conditions of her home country. Ponces
tragic death does not have any strong
significance in terms of statistics, but it does
serve as an example of how misleading our
perception of safety can be.
Just in case it is necessary, I will reiterate
the disclaimer: There is no doubt that Boston is a
safer city for its residents than the majority of the
cities immigrants come from. But it is also clear
at this point that an immigrants perception of
safety is compromised by his past, his
expectations and his experiences within the
American culture.
Much has been written about the
hardships of adaptation to different cultures. In
these commentaries it is normal to encounter
topics revolving the most basic human needs
and how they are fulfilled depending on cultural
settings. The endless differences between eating
habits, typical housing accommodations, and
especially social connections all around the
globe are broadly understood. However, there
seems to
be a lack of popular discourse around the
global differences concerning our first primal
need: physical security, the feeling of calmness
and the vulnerability of our perception with
these issues. n
The anti-love letter to the
ultimate college town.
BY KELSEY MULVEY
THE CITY THAT
SLEEPS TOO MUCH
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Dimmed streetlights shine on the edge where the
cracked sidewalk meets the smooth, charcoal-
colored pavement. Apart from the clusters of
drunken twenty-somethings stumbling across the
street and fighting over the sparce yet occupied
cabs, the road remains unoccupied.
As time progresses, the scene looks more
like something out of an urban, western-inspired
film. In one fell swoop, restaurants and bars close
their blinds, shut their doors, and turn off their
lights. Empty plastic bags and empty cans of
Natural Light are the citys tumbleweed, dancing
above the vacant street as a small gust of wind
blows through a nearby deserted alley. However,
this is not a random occurrence that is followed
by a traditional duel between two modern-day
cowboys. Instead, this is the norm for Boston
after 2 a.m.
With 250,000 college students in the
Commonwealth (according to StudyBoston.com)
to a slew of buildings that house young, local
startup companies, Boston is arguably an
epicenter of youthful spirit. However, instead of
being a city that never sleeps a la New York and
most European cities, Boston is the city that
sleeps a little too much.
Dear Boston, what gives? As every
Bostonian under 30 years-old in Boston knows,
its simply not cool to go out before 10 p.m.
Because anything before then could be mistaken
with quickly grabbing drinks with an old
acquaintance or having a late dinner. Contrary to
what Billy Joel says, the regular crowd doesnt
shuffle in until 10 p.m. Once Bostons hippest
dwellers leave their college dorms or Beacon Hill
brownstones, the city turns into one big party.
The night is spent glamourously sipping on
bespoke cocktails and bopping to the hottest
jams. Once the sun rises, young Bostonians head
home in their gilded chariots and get some
beauty sleep before they do the same thing the
following night. Scratch that -- thats not exactly
what its like in Boston.
The line wrapped around an average
Boston lounges brick walls is a microcosm of the
citys youthful population. Nervous college
students - busy memorizing their fake IDs
address, zip code, and birth date - cautiously
look down at the ground to avoid any suspicion.
Boozed Red Sox fans, decked out in beer stained
David Ortiz jerseys, mumur delayed cheers as
they head out for their (tenth) celebratory drink.
Primped twenty-somethings, all sporting tight
black dresses and sky-high heels, strategically
apply layers of lipgloss before they cut the line
and enter the club. Looks matter, even in a city
where there are more guys who sport Patriots
jerseys than Brooks Brothers suits. Checking the
stereotypically hot girls are the State Street
bros. After graduating from a prestigious liberal
arts school, these partygoers sport their pristine
suits to Bostons hottest bars in order to woo the
objects of their affection.
You and your group of friends inch closer
and closer to the abrasive bouncers who just
seized those college freshmens fake IDs. Once
youre at the front of the line, the bouncer
snatches your ID from your hands. He glares at
your the card, shining a small flashlight at it,
then abruptly glares at you. After asking you a
slew of questions, the bouncer bends your out-
of-state ID back and forth.
We can do this all night, you silently
think to yourself. But please dont destroy
my ID.
The bouncer quickly nods and tosses your
ID back to you. Its 10:45 p.m, and the party has
officially begun.
Whether you end up at a sporty dive bar
with a small dance floor or you set your eyes on
a nightclub like Estate or Bijou, the scene is
eerily similar. The floor is damp from the spilt
beer and overflowing martinis. The rooms
perimeter is lined with men, staring at the groups
of girls who are dancing to Get Lucky. After a
few songs, a brave male soldier will disperse
from his pack and ask that tall blonde with the
fake tan to dance. While some guys will
introduce himself and chat up his crush before
they start seductively dancing to We Cant
Stop, others will immediately wrap his arms
around the victims waist and grind his pelvis
into her rear. While any sober girl would push
this creep away and to dance on the opposite
side of the room, a couple of cocktails magically
justifies this behavior. As Pharrell Williams once
said, Were up all night to get lucky.
As for the girls still waiting for their
drunken Prince Charming to save them from a
crowded, yet lonely, dance floor, they
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aggressively chug mojitos as they eye the army of
suitors.
Every group has that one friend who drinks
a little too much. You see her stumbling towards
the bar and shouting the lyrics of Icona Pops
anthem, I Love It; but you dont get the
privilege of meeting this club dweller until you
make your way to the bathroom.
You just wanted to quickly go to the
bathroom and re-fluff your hair, yet you are the
key witness to a crime: public intoxication
followed by overly sensitive tears.
The girl that devoured those mojitos just
moments ago is now hunched over next to a
toilet. Though you turn away just in time, the
sound of gagging rings through your ears.
Moments later, you hear heaving and
sobbing. You turn your head to see who sounds
like a dying hog, and of course its Mojito Girl.
Guys dont like me because Im fat and
ugly, she cries as she throws her bony arms
around the tainted toilet.
You are gorgeous, Abby, another girl
declares, wiping mascara-infused tears from her
friends eyes. Ben was so lucky you guys dated
for so long.
Your bladder is at maximum capacity and
you didnt sign up to participate in an episode of
Jersey Shore, so you politely ask if the girl with
her head in the toilet is okay. Shes fine, her
friend snaps and continues to pet she-who-
partied-too-hards head.
Just before you can introduce yourself to
that cute Ivy-Leaguer whos been staring at you
all night, the lights are flipped on and music
abruptly cuts off. What rhymes with hug me?
Well never know because Mr. DJ had to end the
party early. Bartenders and club security start
yelling at you and your friend to leave. You need
to grab your coat, and they need to relax.
As guys search their pockets in hopes to
snag that girls number (a 10 with beer goggles
on) and girls fumble through their bags to text
their friends, there is no shock when their
iPhones display 2 a.m.
Nobody says, Look at the time! I cant
believe its so late out. Instead, everyone just
shrugs and carries on with their business.
As you look to the street, hoping to find
rows of cabs that are fighting to take you away
from this sticky club, you realize that its empty.
Isnt this how every episode of Law and
Order: Special Victims Unit begins? you
jokingly ask your friends. Okay, maybe youre
not joking.
Dear Boston, why must you make it so
hard to get home? You feel like a modern-day
Cinderella; however, instead of your gilded
carriage turning into a lopsided pumpkin, the
rattling T pulls away from the station at midnight,
and doesnt make a return until the wee hours of
the morning. Since walking from the waterfront
to Allston in the middle of the night sounds like
the worst idea, you resort to being chauffered by
a cranky cab driver who barely knows the
between from Boylston and Beacon Street.
If youre with a group of friends, each
member takes on a particular personality. There
is the ringleader of the group, who constantly
has his or her hand in the air in attempt to hail
that cab. The mope usually sits on the curb and
whines, I just want to go home. Dont deny it,
weve all been the mope at least once. Then
theres the walker, who really thinks that walking
up in the air and says, Guys, were finally
going home.
The cabs puts its directional onin the
opposite direction. Okay, maybe the cab driver is
a little bad with directionsa clear red flag, by
the way. The cab continues to steer to the
opposite side of the street and thats when you
see them: the cluster of girls in tight, black
dresses and platform heels. They all scurry to the
cab, trying to fit as many inside as possible. You
see the cab driver explain that he can only drive
four passengers, and then you spot the groups
very own ringleader slip the driver some extra
cash. After a couple more passengers fit into the
cab, the clown car of drunk biddies drives off
into the distance, leaving the street even
more deserted.
Completely embarrassed that the
ringleader failed to snag that cab, he or she
comes up with a new plan: lets call a taxi. How
revolutionary. Someone quickly dials the number
thats plastered on an occupied cabby this
point, your phone is dangerously low on battery
(how convenient).
Where are you located? the
transportation operator asks.
Thats a good question. Since you cant
really say, On the corner between Dunkin
Donuts and Boloco, your friends frantically
across the city at two oclock in the morning is a
good idea. What part of walking from the
waterfront to Allston is sketchy did they not
understand? Good luck with getting everyone
else on board with that plan.
Of course theres always the friend who
believes money is no issue, especially after a
couple glasses of Long Island Ice Tea.
Why dont we take an Uber? the groups
spender slurs.
Founded in 2009, Uber Bostons choice of
cruising in a luxe SUV, town car, sedan, or taxi
has been deemed the premier way travel around
the Commonwealth. However, the virtual
chauffer service has its own slew of controversies
and downfalls.
Recently, the City of Cambridge filed a suit
in the Middlesex Superior Court, asking to forbid
the use of Uber; however, Cambridge lost its
battle and Uber was allowed to continue its
private transportation corporation.
Despite the companys legal woes, many
Bostonians feel that Uber overcharges partiers
once the bars have served last call.
So Uber is a no.
Finally, an unoccupied chariot takes a
sharp left and is heading your way. The ringleader
lets out a giddy squeal, sticks his or her hand
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begin to run down the block to see the cross
streets.
Someone will be there shortly, the
transportation operator responds.
Then you wait. And wait. And wait some
more until you see two glowing beams of light
inching closer and closer. At last, your chariot is
finally here. You feels like a hostage who has just
been recused. You and your friends pile into the
cab, with big smiles on your faces.
Where to? the driver asks.
Yet another dilemma. All this waiting,
combined with a mlange of vodka and beer,
you are starting to crave some mozzarella sticks.
Scratch that, you are desperately craving
mozzarella sticks. However, are any eateries
even open at 2:45 a.m,
Dear Boston, why must you make it so
hard to eat after a night out? While you would all
love to splurge on some late night munchies at
fabulous Newbury Street restaurants such as
Cafeteria or Sonsie, they close at 1 a.m.
Okay, next best thing: greasy Chinese food
or pizza. But are they even open?
Take me to Hong Kong, you order the
cab driver, as if you are a knight guiding your
noble steed.
By the time you get to the restaurantyou
were obviously dreaming about your seasame
chicken with a side of brown rice for the whole
car rideyou are rudely awakened: Hong Kong
is closed. The lights are off, theres nobody
inside, and your heart just broke. That pizza joint
around the corner? Same sad sob story.
So where to next? your cab driver asks,
obviously annoyed that you are forcing him to
embark on an unwelcomed scavenger hunt.
But even if you do track down a late night
restaurant, the chances youll actually satisfy
your craving is minimal. Allstons T Anthonys
Pizzeria stops serving fried food after 2:30 a.m.
No fried food? you accidentally ask
yourself outloud. This is an outrage!
Since minimal customers will join your dramatic
revolt against this restaurant , you suck it up and
order a slice of pepperoni pizza.
This sucks, you mumble, as you pick off
the pepperonis and wonder why you even
ordered this. You hate pepperoni pizza.
So instead of playing the food edition of
Russian roulette, you command your cabbie to
escort you and your friend to your respective
homes.
After you shove all your loose change at
the driver, you stumble into your apartment,
where you make al dente ziti (not skimping on
the parmesan cheese), chug a glass of tap water,
and fall asleep to Saturday Night Live: The Best
of Will Ferrell.
Dear Boston, why cant you be like the rest
of the cities in the world? While partygoers in
Europe do not even consider leaving for the club
until midnight, New Yorkers go home when the
sun rises.
But as youre watching Will Ferrells
famous Spartan cheerleaders skit, you have an
epiphany. Sure, Boston doesnt gift us with
staying awake until breakfast is served; but it has
one thing that American competitors, such as
New York, lack: history.
You could be hungover and sleep until 3
p.m, or you good wake up with a dull headache
and explore the location of the Boston Massacre.
Perhaps the Commonwealth isnt the fountain of
youth, but maybe people are lured to the city
because its somewhere they can grow up.
Whether you want to get a drink with your
friends or binge watch episodes of Breaking Bad,
this city is for everyone. Boston, you might not
be so bad.
Dear Boston, maybejust maybeyou
are above all the grueling hangovers and
awkward morning after encounters. Perhaps
you are teaching us to rise above the trashy
nights and embrace the perks of a full eight
hours of sleep. n
In todays technology-obsessed world, new made-up vocabulary is thrown
around daily. Weve all heard the terms Facebook stalking and sexting,
but here are a few you may have never encountered that the rev team
wants you to know about...
Friendscape (verb)
The act of trimming ones friends list on different social media websites. For example: This weekend, I friendscaped
and deleted all the annoying people who post about their loves lives via Facebook status every evening.
Antistalk (verb)
Purposely learning a ridiculous amount of information about another persons daily routine in order to systematically
avoid them. i.e. Ive been antistalking my ex because I really hate the guy.
Crosstext (verb)
Relax, we've all accidentally send a message to an innocent by-texter. Your best friend receives a scandalous text that
was meant for your significant other, and your boss is confused by a text that was for "daddy." It's awkward, it happens,
and now we have a word for it .
EXPAND YOUR VOCAB
Bukate (verb)
To go back on your word, like Rose at the end of Titanic.
Krishre (noun)
Emotion that fuses deep-rooted disgust and amusement. Often directed toward pretentious persons, like former English
majors and hedgefund investors.
Equis (adjective)
More than irrelevant, equis is something so unsubstantial its not even on your radar. i.e. Did you hear about Becky?
Ugh, Becky is so equis. [Change subject]