Issue 26 - 4/30/25

Table of Contents

1. hot aer: things from the editors by campbell mccormack, ryan stumacher, and maisie quinn

2. the invisible manifesto by siegfried liu

3. the whale (the essay, not the movie) by campbell mccormack

4. i pop my collar by zoë fairweather

5. boing by amelia swedloff

6. #, vol. seven by julius d. levy et al.

hot aer: things from the editors

campbell mccormack, ryan stumacher, and maisie quinn

the plan

that’s right, we snuck in an april issue on the very last day of the month! the people doubted us, but we triumph nonetheless. this month, look out for meditations on springtime, humanity, pride, whales, onomatopoeia, and popped collars. dear readers, it will soon be time for us to say goodbye, but today let us bask together in this last breath of april sunshine. 

p.s. next month will be our college essay issue. graduating seniors, we’re looking at you – submit your favorite college essay (that we know you worked incredibly hard on), whether supplemental or personal statement, to aer’d for publication!

p.p.s let this issue serve as a reminder to please not lose hope. we know that things look shitty right now, but the smallest act of rebellion is maintaining your individuality. stay true to yourself. write some bad poetry. go outside every once in a while. don’t forget to love the world.

the good

Q1, pollinators, jules’s cat, everything (in moderation), em dashes (AND FUCK YOU RYAN FOR SAYING OTHERWISE - campbell), emily dickinson, windows down weather, blood orange, bargain thrift, chocolate peanut butter ice cream

the bad

Q3, pollen, giant arm bruise, leaky headphones, hot car, not wearing layers when you should be wearing layers, fast fashion, “grade-wide spray tan,” two essays due one after the other, the new evil puppet on puppet history

the ugly

Q4 (finality is hard), sneezing all over yourself, jules’s cat’s poop, melty chapstick, punchable face (what can i say?), costume vault dust in my lungs, floor custard, rain on a monday morning

the invisible manifesto

siegfried liu

I call upon all human beings, existing on the basis of innate kindness, to join hands and hearts, and to recognize the fundamental principles of equity, justice, diversity, respect, and inclusion. The functioning of our loving and supportive society relies on these principles, our acts of appreciating commonalities and divergences, acknowledging progress and deficits, and our tendency to see good in all situations. Failing to uphold these standards would result in a gradual deterioration of trust in the society we call home and the people we call family, and can be only reconciled through the belief in the power of these values. It is altogether fitting and proper that in the efforts to avoid tragedies attempting to disregard the inalienable rights of all humans, we reiterate, emphasize, and uphold the capabilities and resilience of the principles of equity, justice, diversity, respect, and inclusion, alongside our countless efforts, both silent and aloud, with the aspirations of protecting the sacredness of life.

Critical times often perpetuate the aptitude of prioritizing oneself for opportunities in the face of adversity. However, it is equally essential for us to recognize that approaching hardship with the attitude of highlighting the bonds and sharing difficulties through said bonds is the way to drive all of us together into a better predicament. Until we pull each other out of quicksand, none of us are free from its tugging wrath, because no matter how elusive the connection might be, we are all threads knotted together. To strive for the impossible vision of ensuring equity, respect, and justice for all humans, we must first acknowledge each other. The dream may seem grand or fantasy-like, but its roots stem from the fabric of our reality and the sights we see everyday. From routine tragedies and heartaches, we must distill our aspirations in powerful words and take actions according to those ideals.

We, the people, exist no matter what labels or markers others have placed on us or attempted to erase from us, will always be a challenge to alter and expand the way against limitations. Existing is the self-sustaining way of kindling humanity. We often speak of self-expression, with the emphasis on “expression”. However, the keyword is “self”. Expression is a decorative noun added as an extension for the self, aiming to manifest the self into material. Hence, the physical self embodies the spiritual self, meaning that the existence of the self, either physical or spiritual, is a poignant statement. Let us take pride in the power within us that allows us to be. We are all shedding light on the people standing next to us, intentionally or unintentionally, making the world a better place.

Our society is built on the foundation of trust. Besides legal restrictions, there are other moral guidelines put in place that do not reach the level of law yet exist on the basis of trust and respect. We rely on our trust that others will follow these guidelines collectively in search of a better environment. Trust not only fosters a potent bond between individuals but also relieves society of the burden of constant skepticism. Acts of trust display faith in humanity and the willingness to see good and light as opposed to responding instinctively with doubt and fear. In times of uncertainty, we must set our sights and hearts upward. Much concern is placed on the amount of trust given to newcomers, and there are people who squander the trust that other people had in them. To have trust is not equivalent to turning a blind eye to instances where trust is broken and agreements are violated, but simply having a high level of belief from the very beginning. Pessimists will be correct on occasion, yet optimists will always strive forward. Only with trust and optimism are we able to divert the hyperfixations on minute lapses and move forward.

Humans are nothing if not different. From the most fundamental biological differences in heredity and mutations to stunning cultural diversities, we survive and thrive because we are different. That diversity stems in the freedom to explore and experiment according to one’s curiosity and the eternal struggle of finding one's true self. Difference is the sign of humanity. A homogeneous society lacks the spread and depth to support itself and all its members within. Suppressing differences in physicality, preferences, opinions, and identity is against the fundamental characteristics of what makes us humans and what enables us to be true to ourselves. We are all different, whether those differences are socially accepted or not, and are all celebrated because of it. In that divergence, we all possess emotions, perspectives, and opinions that differ to those next to us. Let us return power to differences, and uphold the values to make space for all thoughts. Every single response to stimuli is valid and original, and suited for the experience and inheritance of every one of us. However, it is equally important to stress the limits to expressing those actions and reactions. Similar to the restrictions to freedoms which I will elaborate below, the limits to expressing diverse opinions are based on the ground principle of not attacking other people’s rights.

The most essential aspect of democracy is its resilience and patience. Democracy isn’t simply the answer to everything, it is also the process. Like every other method of decision-making, mistakes regularly happen in a democracy, and it is inevitable that we make mistakes collectively. In contrast to other forms of decision making though, democracy is able to bounce back every time and correct its mistakes. We, the people, will serve as guardrails and supervision to every decision made, in efforts to ensure the best outcomes. Our supervision of power requires us to put trust in the system. With our constant efforts of course correction, we have to give equal effort and patience that democracy will prevail. When mistakes are made, we shall raise our voices and attempt to minimize damage and reverse errors. The etymology of “democracy” can be broken down into two simple pieces: the people, and rule, beautifully put by President Abraham Lincoln when he said, “of the people, by the people, for the people”.

Respecting the way of humanity is the way democracy is maintained. That respect is given in the form of freedoms that do not interfere with other people’s freedoms. Freedom to stand wherever one may desire does not give one the right to stand on other people’s toes. Equally, the rights to humanity, identity, and expression are under the same privileges and limitations of said freedoms. Restrictions to the innate humanity, identity, and expression are undemocratic and inhumane. We strive to recognize every aspect and every diverse part of each and every one.

Some people already enjoy the benefits of the principles, from both arbitrary selection and laborious efforts, and they have different perspectives on the advantages that they enjoy. Their opinions fall across the spectrum from supporting the expansion of these principles to otherwise. As writing comes to an end, we have come to realize that dreams do not have words as arms and legs. In order to take these ideals down from the pedestal and make them stand on their own feet, they need actions as limbs. Expansion of those rights against resistance is the direction that people of the world have pursued, and in the rhyming times of history that we live in, the cycle will perpetually repeat itself in all aspects. Generations and generations in the past have pushed the boulder up the hill and have also let it slip. We are now the people giving all our might to push the rolling rock higher than before, hoping that it doesn’t slip as far down as the last time. In a modern sense, we are all Sisyphus pushing the boulder against gravity. Our past, present, and future existence and efforts will be the driving force in an uphill battle, and accompany the ones exerting their full forces in the future. Join us, in the pursuit of equity, justice, diversity, respect, and inclusion, and take every minuscule step possible towards that impossible dream.

the whale (the essay, not the movie)

campbell mccormack

Beside me was my father, both of us strangling the railing of the boat with white-knuckled grips, shifting in our seats to catch a clearer glimpse of the water. Cradled in the shallow belly of the vessel was a mother and her son, strangers to me, kneeling with their heads propped on folded hands, heads tilted identically to the right. Clasped hands, prostrate postures, reverent gazes — what was this, if not prayer? 

The first mate, Elijah, explained to us what exactly was occurring in the ocean beside our small ship. There was one whale — an adult humpback, unfathomably large — spraying from her blowhole great arcs of water that caught the sunlight and then shattered it. Beneath her was a shadowy shape that we pilgrims couldn’t quite make out. This, Elijah said, was her calf, born in the winter and not yet weaned. The mother whale was releasing her breastmilk into the water and her baby was jubilant below, lapping it up out of the sea that held them, unaware of so many celebrant eyes. 

I remember knowing, as I lived in this moment, that it was destined to be poetry. I couldn’t quite grasp all the ideas that were flying about my head, but one picture was clear as day: three pairs of parents and children, united under the same midday sky. Life giving life giving life, all of it warmed by one fiery sun. 

The world is a scary fucking place right now. As a trans kid hurtling toward that inevitable fate of moving out of my parents’ house and carving a life of my own, I feel particularly afraid. I tried everything to reassure myself: reading all the news and being as informed as possible; reading no news and focusing on my own little life; seeking out opinion editorials; seeking out inarguable statistics; spending more time with friends; spending more time with family; getting angry; getting sad; getting scared and shutting down. I was clinging bodily to someone else’s false hope. 

Until the whale. 

It can be easy to forget that the planet extends beyond our small human society. But it does. We are not alone on the Earth. And, in fact, the Earth flourished without us for eons and has rebounded from five (or more, depending on who you ask!) mass extinction events. Like a messy celebrity sitting down with Oprah after rehab, the Earth has proven time and time again that it can pull itself back together. Humanity, in all our narcissism, is not powerful enough to change that. 

The whale reminded me that the world is so much bigger than it often feels. I am not stranded with my fears. I am surrounded by everything else that lives and breathes and photosynthesizes. I am going to be okay. There is always a way toward the sun because the planet spins without us asking it to and so there must always be a light, somewhere. Even when we cannot see it ourselves. Even when we don’t believe it’s there. 

Springtime has reinforced this revelation. My backyard looks infinitely green and I’m starting to feel okay again. I’m starting to believe that I’m going to survive this, and maybe even emerge stronger on the other side. Whoever you are, reading this essay, I know you will survive this too. You just have to force yourself to believe it. I love you. Don’t stop looking for your whale.

i pop my collar

zoë fairweather

I don’t do drugs but 

I pop my collar.

Blue jeans and clown shoes.

The good old fashioned kind of rocker.

Elvis Presley sex appeal and

Springsteen blue-collar.

The girls against the barricades

Start feeling real improper.

A line of hot chicks loop around the block.

“Ooh Baby!” the manic hoard hollers.

They scream and shout until they pass out.

Somebody call the doctor.

In this case I’ll be no help,

See I’m a mind not a body scholar.

“Sorry ladies, maybe next week”

I don’t have sex but I pop my collar.

When she wants to get up close

My bodyguards will stop her.

And if she does she’ll smell sandalwood.

You can bet your bottom dollar.

I swing my lanky legs off the barstool.

Just a glass of milk for this nightcrawler.

I’d never drink alcohol 

But I will pop my collar.

boing

amelia swedloff

spring has sprung

boing

i drive to school with the windows down

pollen blows into my nose

i sneeze

achoo

outside my bedroom window children scream across the street

peewee soccer season is here

the ball is nearly the size of the children

they kick it with very little force

thunk

it’s still light out after dinner

i forget that i have to do my homework

i’d rather sit on the couch and listen to my dog bark at the birds chirping outside

tweet tweet

bark bark

the tree in my backyard has turned pink

long ago, we named her astrid

every morning i start my car with flower petals on my windshield

as the windows open, they blow into my car

woosh

they also make me sneeze

achoo

#, vol. seven

julius d. levy, et al.