THE REVIEW Since Stanton’S First Blog Post Brandon Stanton, Photojournalist and Founder of Humans of New York, Spoke at the University on Monday Night
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© O © © udreview T he R eview TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016 VOLUME 142, ISSUE 16 The University of Delaware's independent student newspaper since 1882 | udreview.com HONY founder packs Trabant MATT MOORE was nothing he anticipated. Senior Reporter Bom and raised in Georgia, Stanton grew up in a suburb of Center stage before a sold- Atlanta, graduating high school and out crowd packed into the Trabant soon enrolling in the University of Multipurpose Room on Monday Georgia where he studied history. night, Humans of New York founder It was not until Stanton came Brandon Stanton stands in silence across a number of people that he underneath dim lights, scratching found to be interesting, that he felt his beard for a moment and nodding. the need to find out and document “If what you want to do is their stories. nothing, then get a job,” he says. “The first time I ever picked “Otherwise, you have to get out there. up a camera was when 1 decided I If I had waited until I had the idea for wanted to do this documentary,” Humans of New York, I never would he says, leaning back into the couch have created Humans of New York.” and smiling. “Basically, I didn’t know For roughly one hour, Stanton what I was doing—I just borrowed a spent the first half of his lecture video camera from my friend.” casually pacing and speaking on the Stanton soon graduated in 2007 "IF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS humble beginnings of the now widely and eventually went on to work as a successful blog, and the second half bond trader in Chicago. It was during seated and fielding questions from a this time that he describes his life sprawling line of students. revolving solely around money and NOTHING THEN GET A JOB." He spoke slowly and quietly, the unpredictable shifts in the stock often smiling then pausing to reflect market. Once the market crashed, Since 2010, Stanton has garnered more than 17 million likes on Facebook. on the photographs being projected Stanton lost his job and was forced behind him that chronicled six years to decide what was next. of striking portraits and stories that So he left Chicago and embarked he has devoted his life to capturing on a cross country road trip, taking and retelling. photographs and posting them on Facebook. RACHEL CARDWELL/ THE REVIEW Since Stanton’s first blog post Brandon Stanton, photojournalist and founder of Humans of New York, spoke at the university on Monday night. in 2010, Humans of New York Once he arrived in New York City (HONY) has garnered more than 17 after months of traveling, Stanton million likes on Facebook, published decided that it was where he needed originally with the purpose of to incarcerated Americans and that somebody who I’ve met within two bestselling photo journals and to move and start his life again. taking their photo,” he says. “And Pakistani farmers. such a short amount of time would taken on several philanthropic Grinning slightly and staring then, I started communicating with Yet, rather than attempt to feel comfortable with being so open causes, including raising more than ahead, Stanton, now 31, reflects on them, adding quotes, then suddenly convey a specific ideology or make about their thoughts and about their $2 million to end bonded labor in his initial lack of direction with a the quotes were getting longer, and a political statement, Stanton lives. I think there is a very strong Pakistan. certain fondness. then I was interviewing the person.” prefers to let the subjects and the impetus inside of people to share Sitting alone on a couch “It wasn’t a fully formed idea Now, Stanton has extended his stories speak, showing the power in and to disclose, and 1 think so few backstage before Monday’s lecture, that I had and executed. It was reach far beyond New York City communication. people take an interest in other Stanton takes sips of water and the result of just going out there, and into other settings, centering “When you kind of step back people’s stories.” explains how the success of HONY approaching 10,000 people— on stories from Syrian refugees and just look at it, it is really amazing University lacks resources for transitioningveterans RYAN BARWICK that seeks to establish a community “It’s in a veteran’s nature to not Senior Reporter of military personnel on campus. seek help,” Bristor said. “We figure out They come to Delaware on the G.L things ourselves. It’s a thing of pride. It was Todd Glessner's first day at Bill, funded from the Department of You put your game face on and deal the university. The tiny wooden desk Veterans Affairs (VA). Many have seen with it. It’s ingrained in you.” barely accommodated his 6-foot-3 combat. Some are still active in the Veterans don’t like to seek help: frame. His eyes, black enough to lose National Guard, like Glessner, and may That’s a fact. Their rate of suicide is 50 an iris, starea at the professor with an be called to leave at any moment. percent higher than average Americans intensity that could spark a flame. In “We have grown exponentially with the highest chance occurring the seat to his left, a student blatantly over the last couple of years,” club three years after deployment, which texting and nodding off during the president Brandon Bristor, who came is most likely the time when a veteran lecture. In the seat to his right, a young to Delaware after four years in the would utilize the G l Bill. woman, face illuminated by a laptop, Navy, said. “It gets hard sometimes,” Glessner shopping for dresses online. Both Bristor and Glessner touched said. Glessner rapped his knuckles on the transition from the coarse He hasn’t been deployed since under his chair. How good it would feel, and regimented life in the military to 2007. he thought, to get up out of his desk, civilian life— an incredibly emotional “I still keep my eyes out, I sit in walk over to the guy texting and snap ordeal. The military is engineered to certain parts of the classroom I don’t the phone like a Saltine. How righteous completely shift a soldier’s brain- really appreciate it when doors are it would be to close the laptop and fling think the way the military wants slammed,” Glessner said. it like a frisbee out onto The Green. But him to think. It conditions him. It He said there’s a stigma—people he didn't, begrudgingly. surrounds him with the same unit; don’t talk about mental issues. The staff sergeant knew he he fights alongside the same unit. His “You hear on the news about guys was in a different place now. Just 10 unit is his family. This cohesiveness who can’t cope, dealing with PTSD,” days before coming to the university, and camaraderie make up his identity. he said. “1 can deal with things on my Glessner was in .Afghanistan, an He is no longer an individual, just a own. I don’t want to be diagnosed explosives contractor with the piece of a larger whole. And then he with something I don't want to be Department of State. leaves. He’s without his unit, without diagnosed with. I get called crazy—no Glessner is among the 215 his identity. more job. It’s simple.” COURTESY OF EVAN KRAPE veterans attending the university. He is This does not include the The university has let down its student veteran population last the paperwork vice president of the Blue Hen Veteran immense and irreversible trauma one See VETS page 5 fell to the side. University veterans also lack the knowledge of resources on Club (BHVC), a student organization may experience in combat. campus. CO■x LU O FACULTY DIVERSITY COMMONWEALTH QDOBA OPENING < Diversity among gender and race ! Band of Blue Hens returns for Another entrant into the war I V) lacking among professors Home Grown concert for burrito supremacy Z MOSAIC Page 9 £ NEWS Page 3 NEWS Page 4 MARCH 1,2016 - Free Lunch Friday, 11:10 a.m. - 12:10 'ENC;il? p.m., Venture Development Center - Art of Networking with Susan Luchey, 12:30 - 2:00 p.m., Trabant 209/211 Faculty lacks diversity Kildare’s still vacant IT IK 1 - Etiquette Dinner, 6 - 9 p.m., Trabant 11 ir> Lounge Emily Davis, an English Seven months after closing, professor, is a chair of the faculty the second-floor Kildare’s space senate committee on diversity and SGA expands pres, pool remains vacant. The agent for the inclusion that has been trying to building said he has shown the develop new programs that will With 15 votes the Student space to four restaurants, as well mentor minority faculty members Government Association passed as several other potential tenants, TUESDAY, MARCH 1 SATURDAY, MARCH 5 of color and female faculty a new proposal for the SGA but no agreement has been members. Davis said these groups Leadership and Internship Program reached. However, Chuck White of often feel excluded from their proposal which was brought to White Realty Associates is now in a - Multicultural Greek Congress’s Blood - USC Bus Trip: New York City, 9 a.m. - Drive, 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m„ Trabant departments. the floor of the SGA February dialogue with at least one business. 11 p.m., Trabant University Center Carol Henderson, the senate meeting by Vice President Kelly Bachman, the multipurpose rooms 5th Annual Dance Minor Concert, 7:30 - Center for the Study of Diversity: communications manager for the p.m., Mitchell Hall university’s vice provost of of External Affairs Lalu John.