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Boston Globe
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
In ‘An American Girl Anthology,' dolls still teach us how to be girls
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Hysmith — who earned her master's in gastronomy and food studies from Boston University in 2014 — met Orlovsky-Schnitzler at UNC Chapel Hill, where they were both part of the school's American Studies department. There, Hysmith worked toward her PhD, while Orlovsky-Schnitzler completed her master's thesis in folklore, and spent time at the Harvard Schlesinger Library as an undergrad in 2016, where she researched the NOW (National Organization for Women) archives and '[pretended to be] a Harvard student.' Advertisement The two had gone their separate ways, with Hysmith moving back to her hometown in Texas while Orlovsky-Schnitzler moved to the West Coast. It wasn't until 2022, when Orlovsky-Schnitzler gave a talk at the American Folklore Society Conference on American Girl in the digital age — specifically Advertisement After witnessing the enthusiastic connection between audience members and American Girl, Orlovsky-Schnitzler was inspired to give voice to the important but 'historically disparaged,' topic of dolls and culture. With the help of Hysmith, the two scholars set out to curate 'An American Girl Anthology,' resulting in 17 essays written by a group of 16 contributors, including Hysmith and Orlovsky-Schnitzler themselves. Topics range from American Girl's both problematic and admirable representation of ethnic and religious minorities, to community-created head-canons — or aspects about the dolls sprouted from the interpretation of fans — The collection debuted May 15 and Orlovsky-Schnitzler and Hysmith will celebrate the anthology's release at Orlovsky-Schnitzler and Hysmith sought out academics to contribute to the anthology through social media. HANDOUT Q. How did you go about selecting whic h essays y ou wanted t o include? J : The diplomatic and correct answer to say up front is that we love all of them. [To solicit submissions] we did what you do now, we put out a call on Instagram. KC : And we made a cake that had words on top, saying, 'We need your essays.' And then it just was off to the races. So many people [reached out]. We would get emails that were frantic — and there were typos — just because people were clearly so excited to write about their feelings, their perspectives on American Girl. Advertisement Q. What are the most interesting or complex things you learned from your contributor's essays? KC: For me, it's always the doll [face] mold. J: [For] Kaya, the Indigenous doll, the company made a new mold because they learned that the Nimíipuu people did not show their teeth because that was seen as a sign of aggression. And all the dolls, as you know, have a kind of slightly open mouth. They had a little spectrum of doll molds to represent different ethnicities. But when it came to Nelly O'Malley, who's meant to be a recent Irish immigrant to the United States, she had the same face mold as Rebecca Rubin, the Jewish American doll. It felt like there was a lumping of these immigrant groups. KC: Also the fact that [founder] Pleasant Rowland was just really disappointed with the offerings out there for girls, doll-wise. She had grown up with Barbie, and was really frustrated by that, and so set out to do a lot of research to figure out what she could do differently. She combined her training as an educator and this new businesswoman work ethic to create this whole universe. Q. The 'Barbie' movie brought the word 'girlhood' to the mainstream. How do you think American Girl represents girlhood differently? J: Barbie, she's an adult woman. She's had 150 jobs, and she's a pro at all of them. And we love that! She's a doctor. She's president. She can be anything. American Girl dolls are meant to be around nine years old when their stories start. They're not great at math. They have troubles with their siblings. They aren't always sure how they should be treating other people. They just have a different lens. Advertisement KC: And a lot comes down to 'What is girlhood?' Which is a lot of what we talk about in the book. Is girlhood just for girls? Or people who identify as girls? Does it have an age? Because, my grandma's just a girl, but so is my nine-year-old kid. There's no right or wrong answer, really, is the takeaway. There's just lots of different ways to think about it. Q. I wanted to talk about the cover as well as the close-up of those iconic teeth. KC: We talk about the American girl teeth in the book a couple of times, and it's so iconic [and] instantly recognizable. But it's also just a little bit creepy. We also can't put just one doll on [the cover]. We don't want to say American Girl is just white. That's part of the criticism, right? But we really struggled with how to do that. We figured the best way was just to focus on teeth. J: And that [photo] is my childhood doll. Q. Wait — it's your doll, specifically? J: Yeah. KC: She has a tiny little smudge — a chip in her tooth. Q. That's such a full-circle moment. J: She was with us [at the book launch]. We actually had everyone who brought dolls to the book launch — which several people did, and I hope they bring them to Porter Square. Advertisement Justine Orlovsky-Schnitzler and KC Hysmith will be in conversation with Sarah Biskowitz, cultural activist and manager of the , May 23, 7 p.m. 1815 Mass Ave., Cambridge. . RSVP required. Marianna Orozco can be reached at
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Here's How the News Networks Covered the Election of Pope Leo XIV
White smoke emerged from the Vatican's Sistine Chapel chimney on Thursday afternoon-the signal that that a new Pope had been elected. Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago will become Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff. The various news outlets have provided continuous coverage of the papal Conclave since it started on Wednesday. The election process produced two periods of black smoke-indicating that no winner had emerged-with Prevost being selected on the third round vote. Pope Leo succeeded Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Monday, after serving as head of the Catholic Church for over eight years. The news networks provided extensive coverage Francis' funeral, which took place on Saturday, April 26, 2025. Here is how the various networks covered the Conclave and the election of Pope Leo XIV. (All times Eastern) ABC News ABC World News Tonight's David Muir has been anchoring live from the Vatican since Wednesday, joined by anchor Linsey Davis, chief international correspondent James Longman, senior national correspondent Terry Moran, foreign correspondent Maggie Rulli, reporters Ines de La Cuetara and Patrick Revell, WABC-TV's Joe Torres, WLS-TV's Liz Nagy, and contributors Father Jim Martin, Father John Wauck, and Helen Alvaré. CBS News Norah O'Donnell, Tony Dokoupil, Maurice DuBois, Seth Doane, and Chris Livesay have been offering live reports from Rome. Additional insights have been provided by Vatican analyst Delia Gallagher, Father Anthony Figueiredo, and John Allen, editor of Crux. The network broke in with a special report at 12:07:53 when white smoke was seen at the Sistine Chapel. CNN Erin Burnett has been co-anchoring live coverage from Rome, joined by CNN Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb. CNN Senior International correspondent Ben Wedeman and senior national correspondent David Culver have been reporting live from the crowds gathered at St. Peter's Square. CNN en Español's Jose Levy, Rafael Romo, and journalist Barbie Nadeau are also in Rome reporting across the network's platforms. Fox News Senior correspondent Benjamin Hall has been anchoring live coverage with reporting from chief religion correspondent Lauren Green, correspondent Alex Hogan, and contributor Jonathan Morris. Additionally, FOX News Radio reporter Jonathan Savage has been reporting live from Rome. MSNBC MSNBC has maintained a YouTube livestream of the Vatican chimney for the duration of the Conclave. Additionally, anchor Chris Jansing provided continuous coverage for the network. NBC News NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt has been on the ground since Tuesday, joined by Anne Thompson, Molly Hunter, and NBC News senior Vatican analyst George Weigel. Also joining in for NBC News coverage are Kathleen Sprows Cummings, NBC News Contributor and Notre Dame Professor of American Studies, Christopher White, National Catholic Reporter Vatican Correspondent, Bishop Robert Barron, Father John Bartunek, and Joe Donnelly, former senator and former ambassador to the Holy See. Holt anchored a special report at 12:09 p.m. on NBC News with news of Pope Leo's ascension. NewsNation National correspondent Robert Sherman has been reporting live from St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, with additional contributions from EWTN reporter Colm Flynn, Ines San Martin of Pontifical Mission Societies, and Bishop David O'Connell of Catholic University. Scripps News Correspondent Joe St. George has been in Rome providing live updates and content throughout the Conclave. Correspondent Maya Rodriguez offered reports from the National Basilica in Washington, D.C., and Alex Miller was stationed at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Scripps News will air an hourlong special on the new Pope beginning at 5 p.m. tonight. Spectrum News Spectrum News+ coverage was hosted by anchors Josh Robin and Bree Driscoll, alongside Spectrum News D.C. bureau reporter Kevin Frey. Coverage also included analysis and context from University of Scranton vice president of Mission and Ministry Daniel Cosacchi, and Reverand Patrick Flanagan, C.M., associate professor at St. John's University. Spectrum Noticias' coverage was hosted by anchor Patsi Arias, alongside reporter Will Mendoza as well as analysts Father Hernan Paredes and Father Cesar Jaramillo, who was live from the Vatican. Noticias Telemundo Julio Vaqueiro has been anchoring special coverage from Vatican City, joined by Damià Bonmatí. Conclave coverage is airing on the Telemundo network and streaming on Noticias Telemundo Ahora.
New York Post
08-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Columbia silent over fate of masked anti-Israel student rioters who trashed campus library
Columbia University students and Jewish advocates called on the Ivy League school Thursday to crack down on the more than 80 anti-Israel rioters who took part in a violent takeover of a campus library. The elite Upper West Side school has so far kept quiet about what, if any, punishment students and staff who stormed Butler Library on Wednesday will face, including whether they would be suspended or even expelled. 'What happens the day after? We need to see serious consequences,' Joseph Postasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis told The Post, calling for 'some Old Testament' justice. 'This happened during preparation for final exams — they don't qualify as serious students,' he said of the rioters. 'There should be harsh consequences — people were assaulted. Columbia needs to come down hard or this activity will happen again and again.' Postasnik's sentiment was echoed by the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association, which said it was 'dismayed at the violence, destruction of property and antisemitic acts by protesters' at the library, while still thanking the school for calling in the cops. 'We look forward to Columbia holding these students accountable for their actions so that the 99% of Jewish and non-Jewish students can do what they pay for — focus on learning.' 3 Masked anti-Israel rioters stormed Butler Library at Columbia University on Wednesday. Obtained by NY Post Dozens of masked thugs stormed the campus library in the afternoon as students studied there. The protesters committed acts of vandalism and injured two campus security guards in the melee, prompting the school to call in the NYPD hours later, administrators said. In all, 81 rioters were arrested — 62 women and 19 men — all of whom have since been released with tickets or summonses for trespassing or criminal mischief, law-enforcement sources said. Their identities were not released. Acting Columbia University president Claire Shipman put out a video statement Thursday morning condemning the 'substantial chaos' caused by the mob, and hinting that 'the disciplinary proceedings will reflect the severity of the actions,' but did not give further specifics. Shipman said the disruptive protest forced some 900 students from the library reading room, many of whom left their belongings behind in the chaos. 3 The Ivy League school called in the NYPD a few hours after the chaos began, leading to 81 arrests. Christopher Sadowski She condemned the rioters for intruding on hard-working pupils whose studies were interrupted. 'It's a big shame and a big offense to students who are trying to study for the finals. It's an unbelievably considerate disruption that does frankly nothing for their cause,' agreed Natan Rosenbaum, 22, a junior studying American Studies. He called the library break-in 'completely inexcusable.' 'This is nothing more than sowing chaos and anarchy and I'm glad it was shut down,' he told The Post Thursday, praising Shipman for having the cops bust up the demonstration. Elisha Baker, also a junior, called the mob's actions 'outrageous and unacceptable,' and said she was grateful for Columbia Public Safety officers holding the ground, despite being far outnumbered. 'I am looking forward to seeing any students involved disciplined for their behavior. There is no place for those actions on a college campus,' she said. 3 Columbia University acting president Claire Shipman hinted in a video statement that those involved would be punished, but the school has yet to specify how. Christopher Sadowski Although it was quiet on the Morningside Heights campus a day after the violent episode, Matan Barak, 22, an Israel Defense Forces soldier on vacation, said he feared further escalation was still possible. 'What are they waiting for? For something worse to happen?' he said of the university administration. As for the protesters' frequently repeated refrain of 'free Palestine,' Barak said, 'If you have never been in Israel, how could you cheer on a team you've never been to? If you've never seen a basketball game, how could you cheer a team you don't know?' He was incredulous that the students involved in the riot were allowed to remain on the rolls. 'Why do they still have people that go to school here that want to kill Jews? That's what they want to do,' he said. Columbia has been locked in tense negotiations with the Trump administration over demands it take meaningful action to curb antisemitism on campus — which has erupted in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks that killed over 1,200 people. President Trump threatened to yank around $400 million in federal funding if the school failed to comply, and in March Columbia agreed to adhere to many of the requirements in principle, chief among them forbidding mask wearing by students engaged in violations of university policies. Nearly all of Wednesday's rioters were wearing masks while flagrantly flouting the rules, and the university's response will be something of a referendum on how strictly it intends to follow the newly implemented prohibitions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the feds would be reviewing the visa statuses of those involved in the mayhem.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Seagulls Roosting on Sistine Chapel Roof End Up with VIP Seats to Papal Conclave
The Sistine Chapel seagulls are becoming the stars of the 2025 papal conclave. The livestream of the historic event, which began in the early morning hours of Wednesday, May 7, panned to a flock of seagulls perched on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, including an adorable fluffy seagull chick, to the delight of viewers watching from home. The birds stuck around for the secretive voting process, but appeared to clear out at 3 p.m. ET, when the cardinals expelled black smoke from the chimney to indicate that a decision on the next pope is yet to be made, per USA Today. Social media users shared humorous reactions to the scene of the curious seagulls. "This seagull is all of us rn," LifeSite Catholic wrote in a post on X. "Shoutout to that one seagull locked in on the Conclave proceedings," Father Cassidy Stinson wrote on X. Alistair Bruce of Sky News and ABC shared a video of the whole seagull family, writing on X, "our #Conclave distraction … seagull family on our roof in Rome." Another user wrote excitedly on X, "ONE OF THE CONCLAVE SEAGULLS BROUGHT A BABY SEAGULL." The conclave seagulls appear to be a tradition. Several X accounts with posts dating back to 2013, during the conclave that ended with Pope Francis' election, documented seagulls visiting the Vatican. The live stream of the ongoing election among the College of Cardinals to select the late Pope Francis' successor has captured the attention of thousands of viewers online. The first pope from Latin America died on Monday, April 21, at 88. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. On Wednesday, May 7, only one vote was held among the College of Cardinals. Cardinals will be eligible to vote twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon going forward, the Vatican confirmed. Cardinals under the age of 80 compose the voting body of the College of Cardinals eligible to vote for the 267th pope. Black smoke released from the Sistine Chapel indicates that voting is ongoing, while white smoke indicates that a new pope has been selected. The College of Cardinals is sequestered from the outside world throughout the papal election, in a process well documented in the 2024 film Conclave. The conclave typically begins 15 to 20 days after the death of a pope, and takes as long as needed. Pope Francis was elected after only one day of voting. He was the first Latin American pope and held openly progressive views on immigration and the LGBTQ+ community. Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Meeting of the College of Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel. Meeting of the College of Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel. Kathleen Sprows Cummings, a Pope Francis expert and professor of American Studies and History at the University of Notre Dame, previously spoke to PEOPLE regarding the process, which dates back to the 13th century. 'So, the proceedings of the conclave are secret,' Cummings told PEOPLE. She elaborated that 'invariably things leak out,' citing the meeting that led to Francis' papacy over a decade ago. The conclave is livestreamed daily on YouTube on the Vatican's official account. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What Happens During a Conclave? Cardinal Timothy Dolan Shares Behind-the-Scenes
The conclave to select a new head of the Catholic Church will take place on May 7 in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel Cardinal Timothy Dolan shared a glimpse into the process of selecting a new pope, revealing that there is a focus on prayer and reflection White smoke will be sent up the chimney once the new pope has been elected With less than a week left until the conclave to select a new pope is set to begin, Cardinal Timothy Dolan has given an inside look at the process. The meeting of the College of Cardinals, where the next head of the Catholic Church will be selected, is scheduled to take place on May 7, following the death of Pope Francis on April 21 at the age of 88. Dolan said the choosing of a new pope focuses on prayer and reflection rather than campaigning, according to Fox News' The Story. Related: What Is a 'Conclave' and How Does It Work? An Expert Demystifies the 'Secret' Process That Decides the Next Pope (Exclusive) "Every cardinal will have the chance to speak. Do they speak about, 'Oh, I think this guy should be the next pope?' Baloney. They're not about to say that," said Dolan. The archbishop told the outlet that each cardinal will instead "speak about where they come from and what they see to be the light and some of the darkness in the church, what they see to be the blessings and what they see to be the challenges." "This will give us not only appreciation for that cardinal's wisdom about where he comes from, but also, it'll give us a sense of that wider church," he said. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! Related: Conclave to Elect Pope Francis' Successor Will Begin May 7, with Cardinals Converging to Select New Pontiff Noting that the church is "universal," Dolan said that the conclave is "a beautiful pollination of wisdom and knowledge." Speaking of Francis' impact, he added that while "every cardinal in the world will say [that] we need a pope with some of the characteristics of Pope Francis," the conclave allows cardinals to express what they want in a new pope. "They might also say, but here's some things we'd like to see the new pope emphasize. ... We don't look at one another as belonging to camps. We look at each other as believers, as disciples, as brothers," said Dolan, per Fox News' The Story. The church announced on Monday that the conclave will take place in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel, which will remain closed to visitors during those days. While speaking about the process to PEOPLE, Kathleen Sprows Cummings, a nationally recognized Pope Francis expert and professor of American Studies and History at the University of Notre Dame, said that the cardinals will pray for guidance before voting can begin. "There'll be a Mass presided over by the dean of the College of Cardinals," said Cummings. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, a 91-year-old Italian, currently holds the title. Being that he is over the age of 80, he is ineligible to vote. The first ballot usually takes place that first night, and the cardinals who can cast ballots 'will continue to vote until they reach a two-thirds majority," per Cummings. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. She explained that after each vote, smoke is sent up a chimney. Once white smoke is seen, it signifies that a new pope has been elected. Read the original article on People
