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Something exciting to mention to you this morning: This October we're going on a 🚐SYSCA roadie!!!🚐
I feel like I need to bring you along on this journey with me (literally and figuratively) because I bring you everywhere with me!! The SYSCA gals are currently planning a very special SYSCA road trip across the country (Aotearoa) where we try to get to every big university to chat to as many of you as poss!! So if you’re reading this and you go to a NZ uni, or have a cool spot that you reckon we should check out while we're driving across the damn country, reply to this and maybe you can help us in operation SYSCA on tour.
We're very early days into our planning, but the goal is to spread the SYSCA joy (and let as many people know about the newsy as poss) so if you've got any ideas for us about what else we should get up to, let us know. Also, if you're a company reading this and this feels like something you want to sponsor... hit me up!!
Love you all! See you on the road 👀
An Indian teacher was forced to quit her job over Instagram photos
New episode of Culture Vulture: All about Dan Schneider
Emma Chamberlain just raised $7m for Chamberlain Coffee
Speaking of Emma Chambo, her job with Pacsun has been taken… by Lil Miquela
More Addison Rae drama
Get with the program!
An Indian teacher was forced to quit her job over Instagram photos
This story first came to me via one of you glorious newsy readers (such a smart bunch) and then it appeared on the BBC! So go you for breaking this story for me! What happened here, is that an associate professor at a private university in Kolkata said that she lost her job for having photos of herself on Instagram in a bikini. While the university has denied this, she has “accused the university officials of "sexual harassment" and says that she "was bullied, browbeaten, and subjected to moral policing."
Apparently, the father of one of her male students had laid a complaint after finding his son looking at photos of her on Instagram, and he “requested the university to save his son from such vulgarity."
After receiving the complaint, the associate professor was ordered into an interrogation room with a committee of people (men and women) where they passed photos of her around from her Instagram and made her confirm that it was her.
The photos (not that it matters) were Instagram stories (which means they disappear after 24 hours) of her in a two-piece swimsuit and they were posted two months before she even joined the university.
"I was asked why did you even do it? As a woman don't you think it's objectionable? As a professor, isn't it your duty to society to conduct yourself appropriately? Don't you know that women have a dress code?
"They told me that I was bringing disrepute and shame to the university. I was asked if my parents were on Instagram and if they had seen those pictures? I felt nauseous and traumatised."
The next day she was required to make an apology, but by then she said that the board had recommended she quit:
"But the vice-chancellor told me that the board had unanimously recommended my dismissal. He said your photographs have gone viral, most students have seen them and they will not take you seriously and parents would complain. He said it would be better if I resigned voluntarily."
Even though the university denies this, she’s now lodged a formal complaint with the police:
“She has lodged a police complaint and sent a legal notice to the university, which has responded by accusing her of defamation and demanded 990m rupees ($12.4m; £10.5) in compensation.”
This story is just so disheartening - every single part about it is unjust, and I’ll be keeping you in the loop about how it unfolds!
New episode of Culture Vulture
Dan Schneider & the Nickelodeon Nightmare — open.spotify.com
This episode features a lot of D's... Dungeons and Dragons, Dan Levy & Dan Schneider. First of all we've got an update on Luce and Liv's foray into D&D, then we discuss Dan Levy's new role as a teacher in Sex Education, and finally, we sink our teeth into Jennette McCurdy's new book and all the allegations surrounding Dan Schneider.
Emma Chamberlain on launching and investing in her own startup, Chamberlain Coffee
I am truly, truly, obsessed with Emma Chamberlain. I’ve been watching her for years, I think she’s effortlessly herself and never tries to be anyone else, and I just love her a lot. She’s also a #girlboss and her coffee company Chamberlain Coffee has just raised $7mil in its latest funding round.
Emma is the epitome of monetising your personality - and not in a bad way. She was basically the girlie who made iced coffee cool - so it made SO much sense and felt so authentic that she launched her coffee company. I love when people just lean the fuck into who they are - no one is gonna question your passion for the thing when you’ve been YouTubing about it for years!! This makes more sense than when idk.. Logan Paul did energy drinks or when Mr Beast did burgers (though no doubt those ventures slaaaayed.) Anyway, I just love Emma and wanted to give her some kudos in the newsy for her bizzo ventures (not that she’s reading this, but a gal can dream.) Also, when I started watching her she was also obsessed with chapstick so I’m surprised we haven’t seen that yet 👀
Speaking of Emma Chambo, her job with Pacsun has been taken… by Lil Miquela
You all know who Lil Miquela is because we made an incredibly good video describing how she works here:
Basically, she’s a ‘virtual influencer’ created by Brud and she’s Pacsun’s latest brand ambassador. Here’s the tea:
“In a bid to continue expanding its digital presence and metaverse strategy, Pacsun has signed a mid-season campaign partnership with self-proclaimed ‘queen of the metaverse,’ Miquela (formerly known as Lil Miquela) – one of the first-ever digital influencers to be created by entertainment company Brud. Pacsun and Miquela will join forces to produce social content and boost the brand’s back-to-school and holiday campaigns throughout 2022.”
And here’s what Miquela says:
"I'm so excited to be working with PacSun on this campaign," Miquela said in a press release. "As a fan of their fits, vibe, and vision, I couldn't be happier to partner up as we explore what the future of fashion and culture looks like for a new generation."
Whenever things like this happen there’s always a ‘robots are taking our jobs’ and ‘this is just capitalism wanting everything to be as productive and quick as poss’ gut reaction, but the tech optimist in me is choosing to view this in a different way. We need to give ourselves a lil credit - we know what and who is real and fake, so we're not being 'duped' here... maybe Lil Miquela is just a weird lill experiment in storytelling??? Maybe she’s still too close to uncanny valley territory for our liking??? Either way, interesting to write/ think about!
More Addison Rae drama
If you know/ care about Addison Rae then this is for you bestie! If not, no need to let me know, plz just scroll on. Basically, her Dad cheated on her mum, she unfollowed them both, and now her Dad appears to be dating a girl who invented the ‘coronavirus challenge’ (where you lick a toilet seat…) and publicly thirsted after Addison's then-boyfriend Bryce Hall. Now she’s Addy’s new step-mom. Poor girl! Receipts here if you care!
Get with the program!
Do you say program or programme? This question popped up extremely organically as Rubes and I were trying to write an email one day and we genuinely didn’t know the answer!
73% say program
27% say programme
Turns out (as with most of our polls) it’s down to geography! ‘Programme’ (when referring to an agenda) is the British spelling, and ‘program’ is US! And to make things a lil more 🌶spicy🌶, if you’re talking about computer ‘programs’, it’s spelt like that in both places.
Also:
Dan Schneider and the Nickelodeon Nightmare (Culture Vulture)
nepo babies nepo babies nepo babies (idiots, continue)
Dennis Rodman says he's going to Russia to seek release of Brittney Griner (NBC)
Coffee geniuses use lasers to make cold brew in three minutes (Input)
Andrew Tate, Explained (The Shit Show)
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