by Editor-in-Chief Olivia Carey and Assistant Editor-in-Chief Charlotte Zerbst

Movies

“The Way He Looks”

Leo, short for Leonardo, is a blind Brazilian teenager who spends his days at the side of his best friend, Giovana. He struggles with wanting to do more than his parents are willing to let him, worried for how their disabled son would manage. Leo already feels different enough because of this, and so he tries to ignore how close he’s getting to a new classmate named Gabriel. He hides behind his and Giovana’s friendship with Gabriel until he can’t turn a blind eye any longer, no pun intended. Overall, it has everything a sweet coming-of-age movie needs: high school parties, class trips, and rebellious midnight bike-riding.

“The Way, Way Back”

Over summer break, Duncan is forced to spend the season with his mother’s controlling and belittling boyfriend Trent (played by Steve Carell) and Trent’s daughter at his beach house. Duncan, through a series of events, finds a job at a nearby water park and forms friendships with his co-workers. With this classic coming-of-age story, the complex concepts of growing older, tackling one’s problems, and finding one’s true character are shown through the growth of Duncan’s character and his relationship with others.

“Moonlight”

“Moonlight” follows the story of a black boy named Chiron, breaking his life down into three phases: Little, Chiron, and Black. Each phase represents his childhood, teenagehood, and adulthood respectively. This movie explores what it is to grow up hard and fast in addition to tackling topics like black maculinity and homosexuality.

 

Albums

“BEYONCÉ”

by: Beyonce

Beyoncé’s 2013 self-titled album is a journey through Beyoncé realization of herself as both a strong woman and artist, and the realization that these factors are able to exist simultaneously.  Although each song can be plucked out and made into a hit single, the album from beginning to end provides   every emotion of being a woman, from love to strength to power to jealousy.

“Awaken My Love”

By: Childish Gambino

Although the songs throughout the album may not reflect the self exploration of Donald Glover (a.k.a. Childish Gambino), this album introduces a new genre for Glover. It is an exploration of his music through an unprecedented genre for the artist/actor/comedian. With “Awaken My Love”, a new side of Glover is “awakened”, proving his multi-dimensional career in music.

“The Chief”

By: Jidenna

Jidenna’s music encapsulates both the ideas of self-exploration and storytelling. His lyrics are his life, the enrapturing story of a biracial Nigerian kid moving from his home country to Boston.  His childhood was spent in Nigeria, and he incorporates stories of guerillas attacking his family, shooting him in the foot as a six year old. He raps about his father, a chieftain who wanted a son who was about more than music. Now, he’s a Stanford graduate and accomplished artist who just released his first album. Jidenna makes it clear how he’s evolved and where he comes from through both his colorful twist on classic suiting and his lyrical storytelling.

“Under Pressure”

By: Logic

“Yeah, dear family, I’m so sorry that I’ve been distant, Everything changed in an instant, my time has been inconsistent”. Logic’s album “Under Pressure”  is an introspective look at himself, his family, and his rise in the music industry. His song, “Under Pressure” includes unique interludes in the form of phone calls from family members like his brother and father.  Like Jidenna, Logic is a biracial rapper who grappled with his father, albeit in different ways.  As lyrical wizardry intertwines with addictive bass, Logic sifts through his thoughts out loud.

 

Songs

“It’s Not You, It’s Me”

By: Coconut Records

“Sleepover”

By: Hayley Kiyoko

“Sweet Sound of Ignorance”

By: Soko

 

Books

“The Interestings”

By: Meg Wolitzer

 

Other

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