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Back to Artwork Nightmare on Main Street Back to Sections Nightmare on Main Street- Isabella Mascetti Isabella Mascetti November 6, 2023 Pen Volume 4 Issue 1

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections The Holiday Season and Representation By Alain Deen Volume 3 Issue 2 December 23, 2022 Image provided by Elaine Ching The modern holiday season occurs during the months of November through early January. Most notably, the holiday season encompasses Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Thanksgiving. It is also associated with a rigid increase in shopping, sales, and marketing. Furthermore, the holiday season has faced immense commercialization throughout the years, with industries developing a stark desire for profit. The film and media industry are primary culprits of this concept, often prioritizing profit margin in contrast to producing films which appeal to a variety of audiences, especially in the United States. This is ironic, especially considering the diverse populace of modern United States. With various races, ethnicities, and religions inhabiting the United States, it is utterly crucial to adhere to the representation and portrayal of minorities within these groups In a 2018 Variety article, the Motion Picture Association of America conducted a study to identify the spread of racial demographics in terms of movie-going. The MPPA’s report highlighted that Latinos, which represent about 18% of the U.S population, composed 24% of consistent moviegoers. Additionally, Asians fall not too far behind, accounting for 8% of frequent moviegoers. It is worth noting that Asians represent only 6% of the U.S population, as well. Caucasians, comprising 61% of the U.S population, amounted to 54% of consistent moviegoers. The study also demonstrated the ever-growing popularity of film culture among minority audiences across the United States, with the number of frequent African American moviegoers doubling to 5.6 million in contrast to the year prior. Of particular interest, film culture is only expanding across marginalized audiences within the United States, as the film industry begins to implement representational techniques in writing, casting, and directing to efficiently entertain the U.S populace. Therefore, there seems to be an increasing need for the film industry to represent and depict stories regarding the lesser-known holidays of the holiday season. To properly evaluate the necessity of representational films regarding minority-based holidays, it is best to analyze specific examples and determine their ineffectiveness in providing audiences with memorable content and even nostalgia. Specifically, seasonal films most often involve Christmas with subtle Hanukkah sublots to ensure a sense of “inclusivity.” However, to actually represent and appeal to the Jewish population, it is crucial to include the cultural values of Hanukkah itself. When most people think of Jewish holiday films, their minds might drift to Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights. In short, the film involves Davey Stone, a 33-year-old party animal who finds himself in trouble with the law. For one last chance at redemption, the judge allows Davey to the spend the holiday season performing community service as an assistant referee for a local youth basketball league, or else he heads to jail. With a severely underwhelming IMDB rating of 5.3/10, Eight Crazy Nights proves to be a massive flop for Jewish audiences across the nation. Rotten Tomatoes reviews are no help either, with critics calling the film distasteful, stereotypical, unwatchable, and offensive. This is a prime example of the necessity of the film industry to develop rich, authentic, stories regarding Hanukkah, effectively and sensitively representing the Jewish population. A similar sentiment is present with Kwanzaa, as about 12.5 million people in the United States celebrate the holiday. It is crucial to represent cultures of all kinds, especially through the medium of film. Most modern films regarding Kwanzaa are documentaries, namely The Black Candle (2008). Even so, the film yielded an underwhelming 6.6/10 rating on IMDB. It is also worth noting that I could not find any fictional films with Kwanzaa-related themes, plots, or even sublots, demonstrating the sheer need for films regarding the lesser-represented holidays of the holiday season. Overall, the lack of representational holiday films demonstrates the ever-growing need for compelling, rich, and nuanced stories to be told through a holiday-oriented lens. However, it is not too late. Film culture is always growing among “minority” audiences in the United States. Therefore, young filmmakers, writers, and creatives alike may join forces to create a new, diverse era of holiday classics. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Royal Annie Diep Volume 4 Issue 3 March 13, 2024 Image Provided by Annie Diep BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Pop Art Back to Sections Merab Fatima - Pop Art By Merab Fatima January 14, 2022 Photography Volume 2 Issue 3

Back to Artwork Heckscher Back to Sections Heckscher - Anonymous - 1 Entry 7 April 14, 2022 Mixed Media Volume 2 Issue 6

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections L.W. Album Review By Charles Posada Volume 1 Issue 6 March 18, 2021 Original album cover by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard The sister album to K.G. Review by Charles Posada This album contains strong language and violent imagery: LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED On February 26, 2021, Australian Rock Band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard released their 17th album, L.W.: Exploration Into Microtonal Tuning Vol.3 . L.W. It is the continuation of their last album, K.G.: Exploration Into Microtonal Tuning Vol.2 which was released back on November 11, 2020. Both albums are sequels to the band’s first dive into microtonal tuning Flying Microtonal Banana: Exploration Into Microtonal Tuning Vol.1 which was released on February 24, 2017 (Along with 4 other marvelous albums). Flying Microtonal Banana took a psychedelic rock route. However, K.G. and L.W. were more of a “rainbow” stretching from Rock to Metal along with Turkish Dance music. On L.W. , the band’s music becomes more diverse and more expressive in its lyrics than ever before. Currently, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard consists of 6 members: Stu Mackenzie, (Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer, Mellotron, Flute, Bass) Ambrose Kenny Smith, (Vocals, Harmonica, Keyboards.) Joey Walker, (Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards) Cook Craig, (Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards) Michael Cavanagh, (Drums, Percussion) and Lucas Skinner (Bass, Keyboards). If Not Now, Then When? The album opens with dramatic metal riffs (a continuation of the previous/last song from K.G “Hungry Wolf Of Fate”) sounding a lot like 70’s rock band Black Sabbath in their “Sweet Leaf” era. As the final riff has been played, you may think that this is a heavy, sludgy metal song. However, that’s where you're wrong – the song is actually a journey into funk. “If Not Now, Then When?” is the band’s debut into a uniquely funk-inspired experiment. The song keeps your feet tapping with deep lyrics about the world around us, with subjects including animal extinction, technology’s advancement and danger, and the increase in global warming. As their first dive into funk music, they have proven once again that they as a band can do any genre whenever they want. O.N.E O.N.E starts with a dreamy, ghostly type of flow with a bluesy harmonica while front man Stu Mackenzie sings in a melancholy tone on “One not everywhere.” The hi-hats then start tapping while the song gets more upbeat, and suddenly it turns into a desert rock tune. The lyrics describe having a nightmare because of animal cruelty and the responsibility humans have regarding animal abuse. The instrumentation is perfectly done with some intense guitar riffs, rumbling drums, and a thunderous bassline. The song’s climax then arrives with an incredible solo by guitarist Joey Walker. It’s somewhat of a standard song when it comes to King Gizzard’s microtonal rock, but this pushes it slightly above their average microtonal rock music. Pleura Pleura sounds like a Krautrock song from the 70’s done by the band “CAN”, with repeating melodies, heavy bass and drums, guitars as backup instruments and very grungy vocals. It's not all heavy however, there are some parts where it gets to a slowed down psychedelic chorus melody. The lyrics give a bit of a throwback to their 2016 - 2017 period of Obscured Mythology: nerdy lyrics with H.P Lovecraft or Robert Graves type descriptions, contrasting with their current modern environmental/activist type messages. With this subject it talks about COVID-19 and how it can destroy the thin membranes in your lungs called pleura. The song also strongly alludes to the past and current political climates, with charged messages directed towards our former President. The Necromancer, the band argues, will greet us all as we all slowly become diseased from COVID-19. It’s dark… both lyrically and instrumentally. Easily one of their best works in recent history. Supreme Ascendancy This is a song coming straight out of a “Kill Bill” movie, filled with sounds of a haunted shrine and a beginning of a big battle with samurai swords. It's all spooky until fast-paced drums kick in and Ambrose Kenny Smith sings “How can you get away with a murder?” A provocative song with powerful anti-religious imagery, this track dives into grievances with the present state of religion in America. Static Electricity The sounds of the wild west. The dust in the wind flowing across the land, nothing but tumbleweed and lurking bandits. Suddenly, the acoustic guitars play in and all the instruments play in a menacing rhythm as if a showdown is about to happen. As the song progresses and becomes faster and more intense, you’ll almost want to ride a horse to this wonderful Spaghetti Western style song with Eastern Turkish style sound. You may assume the song is about something political or environmental. That’s not the case in this one, though, as it talks about a reoccurring character in the band’s discography called Han Tyumi: A curious cyborg who seeks to return to his human self and to seek knowledge of the universe. This marks an unexpected return of the band’s nerdy Sci Fi type lyrics and every King Gizzard fan’s favorite character. East West Link This is the Boogie of the album and almost like the younger brother of “Static Electricity.” It sounds nearly identical to “Static Electricity,” only a bit groovier and faster. This song would definitely be in a Quentin Tarantino movie if he ever made a spaghetti western film, the protagonist and his crew on their way to rob a train filled with a gold. The title and lyrics refer to the “East West Link Project” which was very controversial in Australia. The proposal consisted of building a giant road that connected the east and west part of Australia, potentially damaging the region’s wildlife. The project was cancelled due to lack of convenient transportation and excessive monetary expenses. As the band is from Australia, it’s only reasonable for them to write a boogie rock song about it. Ataraxia Written by Joe Walker, this is probably the only real menacing song on the whole album. This slow song with a heavy Nirvana/Foo Fighters inspired riff feels like it wants to explore but it never does. The vocals are quiet and whispering - almost like ghosts formed a rock band. The song becomes boring at some points, but it makes up with heavy drums and roaring guitar. The song juxtaposes lyrical, mental peace with the instruments dying to explode like a timebomb. This song isn’t the worst they have done. But it certainly could have been improved here and there with maybe more easy-to-listen-to vocals. See Me The keyboards, percussion, and vocals steal the show in the catchiest song in the album. Sounding like a random ringtone with dramatic arrangement, the song has lyrics talking about society being blind to the mess we have made around our planet that is supposed to be our home. The vocals almost sound like Stu Mackenzie about to cry or being very dramatic about the mess we can create. K.G.L.W (Outro) At last, the grand finale. What will it be? Rock? Funk? A genre we have yet to hear? No. instead, the band’s heaviest metal song ever to be composed finishes the album. With inspirations from bands like Sleep and TOOL, K.G.L.W is the ultimate song of the whole album. Chanting vocals repeating the letters “K G L W”. Heavy bass, roaring guitars, and menacing drums give the whole thing its glow. K.G.L.W (Outro) is the older and superior sister to K.G’s version of K.G.L.W. which was more of a warmup session of microtonal tuning unlike L.W’s version of K.G.L.W which feels more like an anthem. The song reaches to the album’s highest climax and ends beautifully with a howl from Stu Mackenzie. What happens after that? Will the next album be yet again another exploration into microtonal tuning? Perhaps something they have not done before? We can only wait and found out what the band has planned for their 18th album… OUTRO A wonderful album overall. Perhaps even better than their previous album “K.G.,” the collection’s occasional rough edges are almost unnoticeable from many of the best highlights this album gives. Even if this album was a horrible take, it was made during a time of pandemic and limited access to sessions, so who would be able to blame them? This album was a perfect second half of the band’s name as well as an improvement of the band's creativity. As of right now, King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard promises to release 3 albums (maybe more) during 2021. The wizards never rest showing no signs of stopping on being one of the most creative modern bands out there. L.W: 8/10 Sources: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - L.W. Lyrics and Tracklist | Genius BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Beauty in Nature Back to Sections Nora Rivera - Beauty in Nature By Nora Rivera February 10, 2022 Photography Volume 2 Issue 4

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Women Who Have Dominated the Grammys By Isabella Menjivar Volume 1 Issue 6 March 18, 2021 Original artwork by Isabella Menjivar Alison Krauss - She currently holds the record for female artist with the most Grammy awards. Her astounding number of awards comes from her work in Country music. In 2019, she was awarded a National Medal of Arts. Some of her well-known songs include “When You Say Nothing at All”, “Gone Gone Gone”, and “Paper Airplane”. Beyonce - After becoming a solo artist, she’s gone on to win 22 Grammy awards. Her 2017 Grammy performance sent an inspiring message of honoring women was a showstopper. Aside from the breathtaking visuals, at the performance she balanced on a floating chair while pregnant. Beyonce also holds the Grammy record for most nominations. Whitney Houston - With 6 Grammy awards and 25 nominations, the legendary singer’s most famous win was her song “I Will Always Love You” being awarded record of the year. Whitney’s powerhouse voice is unforgettable, and her performance at the 36th Grammy Awards featured fireworks, and her vocals were astounding. Taylor Swift - Her Grammy performances that feature incredible music, scenery, and background dancers are what makes her on the list to perform at the 2021 Grammys. Taylor’s 10 Grammy awards and 41 nominations are all products of her relatable music. Many different people make up her fan base because she has written country, pop, and indie music. Taylor is currently re-recording old music to officially hold rights to her records, all written by herself. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections "Right Lucy" By Victoria Niksa Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by FreePik 6:32 It was a chilly Halloween night. Lucy had been invited by her friends to a costume party, which she was at. Everybody had been ignoring her. She wondered if it was because she was dressed as a witch, and everyone thought she was cursed or cruel. It turns out her assumption was false. A girl dressed as an angel, who was also being ostracized, invited Lucy to go on a walk. “Hey, you wanna ditch this party? Everyone seems to be ignoring us here anyway,” the girl whispered. “Oh, uh sure,” Lucy was hesitant to answer. She knew better than to go around places with a stranger. “I’m Julie, by the way. I know we haven’t met or spoken before,” the girl said. 6:48 The two had been walking around the neighborhood for about 7 minutes. Then they came across a playground. “Ooh! Maybe we should go on the swings!” Lucy suggested. “Yeah! That seems like a nice idea!” Julie replied. 7:02 The two began to grow close in those few minutes since they’d met each other. “This is like the place in horror movies where teens jump, scared by some creepy monster. Maybe we should go,” Lucy warned. “Yeah, maybe we should....” Julie paused, looking at the bushes. Listening carefully, they heard a rustle in the bushes. They both looked over in the direction of the sound. “What was that…?!” Lucy whispered. “I’ll go check it out…” Julie said with a nervous tone. When Julie was slowly walking towards the bushes, she noticed Lucy close behind her. “If we go down, we go down together,” Julie whispered. Lucy had jolted awake. “W-what… It was all… a dream?” 7:13 As Lucy sat in the corner, still in shock, she noticed a girl walking her way. She was dressed as an angel. “Hey, wanna go for a walk or something? You look a little lonely,” she asked. Lucy stared at the girl in front of her. She was about to ask her name until… “I’m Julie,” the girl said, before Lucy could ask. Lucy looked at her in disbelief. It was like she could read her mind. She couldn’t believe what she heard next. “I know. You had that dream too... Right, Lucy? ” BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Nightmare on Main Street Back to Sections Nightmare on Main Street- Madisen Dubose Madisen Dubose November 6, 2023 Digital Art Volume 4 Issue 1