Archive for June, 2010

Volumes: Siren Music Festival 2010

Saturday, June 26th, 2010

Thank God for the Village Voice. Not only do the provide me with ample subway reading fodder, but they’ve got excellent taste in music. Which is good because every summer, the hold a free music festival know as the Siren Music Festival at Coney Island, and this year is going to be big. Usually, they don’t ask bands who have already played to come back. They’re forward thinkers over at the Village Voice. But this is going to be their tenth anniversary, so they’re calling in the big guns.

The big headliners are Matt and Kim and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. I saw Matt and Kim at a free show last summer, and it was a blast. they’re a synth/drums duo who are out on a quest to have an endless amount of fun. And they’re succeeding. Don’t see them without your dancing shoes, or you’ll regret it. When it comes to Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, I’ve been quoted as to calling Ted Leo my generation’s punk-rock super-hero. Their shows are always energetic and full of blisteringly good musicianship.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.

All that being said, I got a lot more excited than I really should have when they announced Ponytail was playing. I had never listened to them before until I saw them last summer at the Williamsburg Waterfront. Never before had I been so surprisingly filled with joy ad glee. The lead singer, Molly Siegel, hopped and bopped all around onstage, yelping her lungs out while the guys were weaving a musical tapestry of textures behind her. I remember at one point specifically, the instruments were building up and up and up into a climax until Siegel screams into her microphone “KAAMEEEHAAAME … HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” sending the band behind her into a frenetic whirlwind. I was in love (If you don’t get it, a “kamehameha” is a reference to a cartoon called Dragonball).

The festival is on Saturday, July 17, starting at noon. But get there early. It gets really crowded. It also gets really hot, so dress appropriately and bring LOTS OF WATER.

-Andrew Limbong

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Volumes: Rock the Bells 2010

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

If you’re reading this, and you are even remotely interested in hip-hop, listen up. This year, the seventh annual Rock the Bells festival is taking place Saturday, August 28 at Governor’s Island, and it’s going to be immense. I don’t mean to say that it will just be a fun time, and I don’t mean to say it will just be entertaining. Immense is the word I used, and I wholeheartedly mean it.

What makes this year so special? For one thing, the line up is crazy good. Snoop Dogg is headlining, but if that doesn’t quite set you over the top (which I completely understand), he’s also joined by some hip-hop old guards like Wu-Tang Clan (all original members, mind you), KRS-One, Rakim, and the act I’m personally most excited for, A Tribe Called Quest. Add onto that some other acts that have been making huge waves in the underground hip-hop scene for a while, and you’ve got a recipe for a great time.

But I said immense, right? What makes this year’s Rock the Bells immense is that it is “in commemoration of the greatest albums in hip-hop history.” And as such, each of the bigger acts are going to be performing  album sets. That is, they will each perform one of their more critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums. This means you can see Snoop’s Doggystyle performed in its entirety. You can see KRS-One performing Criminal Minded. You can see A Tribe Called Quest perform Midnight Marauders. Or, you can take part in what will surely become history, and watch the original members of the Wu-Tang Clan, with ODB’s first born son Boy Jones, perform Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in it’s entirety. I think I’m tearing up a bit at the mere idea of it.

Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), a.k.a. 36% of NYC Culture.

Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), a.k.a. 36% of NYC culture.

And then there’s Ms. Lauryn Hill being featured as a “special guest,” performing some stuff off of her solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. If you’re unfamiliar, that’s the album with that song that went “thaat thing, thaaaat thing, thaaaaat thiiIIIiiIIiing.”

Tickets are a little pricey ($99 for General Admission), but if you factor in how significant these sets are, it’s a fair deal. You can buy tickets here. Buy them sooner rather than later, because the prices will probably go up the closer the festival gets.

-Andrew Limbong

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Listen to Advisors

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

Chris, a  community college student, had problems with his Spanish class. Loads of new words and fast-paced studying environment did not seem to work well with him. Even though Chris was about to graduate, he had to stay at school for another semester in order to complete Spanish II as well. To make things worse, he failed Spanish I, so he would have to take it over. It was then when Chris found out that he could take Philosophy as exempt from foreign language, as he studied Spanish in high school. As a result, he has to stay at school for another semester just to take Philosophy. Could he avoid such a situation and can you?

Luckily enough, every school has academic advisement. Don’t wait that they will go around looking for you to tell you what classes you have to take or how many credits you need to graduate. On the contrary, you should find and consult them. If you do so, you will be able to plan your graduation semesters before.

Academic advisors know more about classes, schedules and requirements more than you do. They can tell you what course may be easier to take, what class may match your interests and which one is not necessary for you. They also help you make a convenient schedule, organize your time properly and make the best academic choices. If you decide to change your major at one point, your academic advisor will inform you what courses match your new major and which ones will be counted as electives.

If academic advisement is so helpful, why don’t students use it to their advantage? Well, in most cases, they don’t think about it until they face problems. Then they get upset and complain that “no one told” them. Another issue is the lack of time. Why waste time one can use to study in the library or go out with a group of friends? The truth is, however, that an appointment that takes no more than 30 minutes may save you the whole semester and some cash, as it could have been in Chris’ situation.

Thus, if you decide to be provident and get some advisement, the first thing you need to do is to find out who your advisors are and how to meet them. Remember that your advisor may not be available in the times you are, so plan it beforehand. Find out if you are required to make an appointment or may just stop by the office.

As your time matters as well as theirs, prepare some questions for the meeting. Make sure you find out what courses are necessary for your degree and which are electives. It is a good idea to take college and department requirements first because sometimes they will not fit into your schedule some time later. Even though it may be sad that an elective course you like does not fit, you can always replace it with something else, maybe even more interesting. You cannot do the same with a required class.

Find out what classes have pre-requisites and make sure you take them before. Classes that consist of two parts need at least two semesters. And face it: you may fail one of them and may have to take it over. Do not postpone your graduation because of one course, give these “long,” two-semester courses priority.

If you are planning to transfer to another school, ask your advisor what classes will be taken by the institution you are transfering to. If you pay for the course and do the work, why not get credit for it? Every credited course is a huge step towards your successful graduation, so don’t  wander around and choose a straight path.

And finally, make sure you know at all times how many credits and what classes you have left to graduate. If you need to meet your advisor again, don’t be shy: that’s what they are there for.  As a famous saying claims, “Only educated are free,” so be educated about your school load and do not neglect advisors’ help.

Ekaterina Lalo

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The Importance of Being Counseled

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

Let’s face it, college can be an emotional rollercoaster. While you’re studying for tests and working on papers, you also have to deal with issues like friends, family, and your own happiness. I think people forget that college students are more likely to feel depressed than any other age group and that college is, for many, the first time of so many things. Some experience new academic pressures, and some feel the anxiety of paying for school. Some must finally confront the concept of “independence,” and some first begin the journey of who they are. During my first few months in college I got really down and spoke to my parents a lot. They would come visit me often since I went to school about thirty minutes away and they were sad that I wasn’t feeling my best. I got through that time by myself, but I started feeling down again during my sophomore year. I ended up going to the counseling center at my school just to check it out and see what my options were. I walked into that building feeling like every eye was looking, studying, and judging me and that I had some major problem that I needed to seek help for. After speaking with a intake counselor so they could get a sense of who I was (which, by the way, felt extremely impersonal and uncomfortable), I discovered that every student at my school was entitled to twelve free sessions a year with a graduate student studying in the masters of psychology program and I set up my first session. I began these sessions with hesitation, as I wasn’t sure how therapy was supposed to go. Was I supposed to just start speaking about my life with a total stranger? What if someone found out that I was in therapy? What if I hated the session and realized I just wasted an hour of my life? The truth was that these were and are valid concerns before starting therapy, but since this experience I have become an ardent supporter of therapy, if just for the sake of talking to someone else about what’s going on in your life. You don’t need to have something “wrong” to go to therapy. Therapy is a fantastic way to flesh out ideas, feelings, and opinions with an objective listener and if you also happen to have some issues that you’re dealing with what better setting is there than with a person whose job it is to listen and try to help? In an ideal world everyone would be in therapy and the stigma of being in therapy would disappear. We go to the gym to take care of our physical health, so shouldn’t taking care of our mental health be equally as important? Most schools have counseling centers and it doesn’t hurt to see what kind of options your school has to help with mental health. You have enough exams and research papers to deal with so check out some ways to make sure you’re feeling at your best.
Counseling is a different experience for everyone and it may take time to find a good person that you feel is actively listening to you. Let me know if you’ve ever seen a counselor and how the experience was.

-Roni Tessler

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Making Ordinary Extraordinary

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

It’s Saturday night and after hours of debate you and your friends have finally decided that tonight you’re going out on the town. You’re in New York City after all, the most amazing and exciting city in the world, and if you don’t soak it up, well, you’d just be wasting the precious moments you have left. The problem is that once you’re finally ready, no one can decide what to do. A movie seems boring, you know that party is going to be lame after ten minutes, and before you know it almost two hours have gone by and you haven’t left your living room. This has happened to me more times than I can count and sometimes the best way to avoid this trap is to….are you ready for it?….to do what you’ve always been doing, BUT with a twist.

Making the ordinary extraordinary is nothing new, but certainly something that we all forget to do. It’s a fantastic way to spice up any dull day and keep activities fresh. There are so many ways to go with putting twists on things, so I’ll give you two of my favorite now and re-blog from time to time on some fun ordinary to extraordinary ideas.

I Scream For (Twenty Scoops Of) Ice Cream:

Getting ice cream is nothing new (in fact, for many of us it’s our dinner), but you can make this routine snack one worth remembering.

One of the first great nights in college actually began with the above problem. Some friends and I were talking about what to do and no one could agree on anything. In the end we decided to venture out to Ben & Jerry’s for a very typical ice cream stop, but we had no idea how much fun we would have. Reading over the menu in the store, the word “Vermonster” happened to catch my eye. I inquired the ice cream scoop attendant about this strange ice cream flavor and she explained that it was not a new flavor at all, but rather a twenty-scoop sundae with hot fudge, bananas, cookies, brownies, and every topping in the store. Well there were ten people there so we thought “Why not?” and proceeded to have the most decadent ice cream feast I’ve ever had. Granted, our stomachs hurt a little the next day, though this Vermonster was definitely a beast worth conquering.

Express Your Inner Tourist

Tourists. Those picture taking, I Love NY t-shirt wearing, Double Decker bus riding tourists. NYC just wouldn’t be the same without them and deep down in your heart you know you love ‘em. Well why not do what yo’uve always been doing and invoke that inner tourist and enjoy yourself!

Recently, my roommate and I were doing work in our kitchen on a Monday night when a friend of ours stopped by to say hi. We made a joke about why she wasn’t dressed up for a Monday night and she commented sarcastically, “Oh I’m sorry, I was just about to put on my gown.” Well she might have thought that was clever, but my roommate and I looked at each other and thought it was brilliant. We gave ourselves another thirty minutes to study, put our books away, and got dressed in our sauve-iest (there’s really no better fake word to describe it) attire and went out to the nearest dive bar. It was drizzling and a little chilly, but nothing could have stopped us. On the way there one of us had the brilliant idea to play tourist. But not just any tourist. We were going full on British-bloke with a visa and a degree from Oxford tourist. So with our tuxedos and suits in check we proceeded to discourse in the best British accents we could fake (which, truth be told, were not that bloody great). We ended up talking with two girls for an hour, who actually believed we were from England (don’t ask me why), and having an amazing time.

So the next time you’re faced with a ‘what-to-do’ conundrum remember that it’s all about putting the spin on the old and adding the extra to the ordinary.

Let me know what “ordinary” fun you get into!

-Roni Tessler

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What Recession?

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual unemployment rate across the country has more than doubled since 2006. While the national unemployment rate for the month of April was 9.9, the unemployment rate for New York wasn’t too far behind at 8.4.  This is troubling, not only for the entire workforce, but for recent graduates as well. It seems that the end of the recession is never going to come and that all is lost. I beg to differ.

For the past two years of my life, while many have been running around in a frenzy, spreading the word that “there are no jobs because we are in a recession,” I have been denying what everyone seems to be saying. I’ve never really been too keen on statistics, as I learned how they could be altered, while completing my studies in undergrad. I often saw students change both words and numbers around, molding their PowerPoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets to fit certain ideas, even if the real numbers or real data didn’t match up to these concepts; sort of the way some journalists do with their “objective” stories. I’d rather base my opinions on what I see. And based on what I’ve been seeing, we are in no way, shape or form, experiencing a recession. I can prove it.

Exhibit A: I want you to pick a Saturday when you have nothing but free time or even a few hours, preferably mid-afternoon to three o’ clock PM. Take the train to 34th Street in Manhattan and walk along this street, from Fifth Avenue to Eighth Avenue in either direction. Take notes, look around, and take pictures if you want.  What do you notice? Is it desolate? If not, approximately how many people are walking the streets? Do they have bags in their hands? Are they going into stores? Do the stores seem crowded? If your answer to the last three questions are yes, then you have successfully proven my point thus far. Recession’s, don’t usually include the joys of shopping.

Exhibit B: Let us move on to entertainment. I have been to the movies about three or four times this year. Now that may not be a lot to some, but each time I went, I always felt that I was on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange. By the way, I’d visited three different theaters and the environment was always the same, from Chelsea to Midtown to Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, the crowds were always there; even on weekdays! I went out with a variety of friends for three weeks in a row to several restaurants around events around the city, and they were packed as well. Hmph, some recession!

Exhibit C: Now according to some, there are no jobs. Really?!? Then how come when I visit web sites such as craigslist.org or monster.com or the career web sites for the colleges I’ve attended, I see thousands upon thousands of jobs, internships, and careers? These are added on a regular basis and come from all industries as well as all career levels. But how can that be if we’re in a recession?

By now I hoped you’ve figured out the answer; just reread the title if you haven’t. So, keep looking for jobs, continue to shop, eat, and live. That’s what I’m doing because I live life by looking at what’s directly in front of me. Plus I’ve never really liked the news. It’s so depressing!

What will you do? Will you believe what the statistics say or will you believe what’s directly in front of your face?

Shana H

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More Time – Less Money

Monday, June 14th, 2010

Did you know that unlimited metrocards save you a lot of money? No matter how hard it is to part with $89 for a monthly subway pass, get it and you will save on every trip. Moreover, a monthly card saves you more than a weekly one: the longer the time, the less you pay for each trip.
As a college student, you have to commute to school 4-5 days a week. Besides that, you meet your friends, shop for books, food and clothes and use subway or bus if you need to see a doctor or an academic advisor. All this may give you, at least, two trips a day six days a week, keeping in mind that you may stay at home studying or just relaxing one day a week. Thus, you will spend, at least, $27 a week if one trip is $2.25. As $27 is the price for a weekly metrocard, you do not lose anything if you purchase it. On the contrary, you may go wherever you want as many times as you wish.
If you are now running to a closest vending machine seduced by this convenience, stop! If you buy an unlimited metrocard for two weeks, you will save $3 extra, as it is $51 only. Finally, you save $19 if you buy an “expensive” monthly pass.
Even though unlimited metrocards are very convenient and save money, many people prefer to buy regular cards, as they are afraid to lose the “expensive” one. Did you know, however, that while a regular card is treated like cash, meaning that losing or finding it is like losing or finding money, an unlimited metrocard is insured? The only thing you have to do is to purchase it with a credit or debit card from any MTA vending machine. If you do so, you can report your loss, and you get a refund for each remaining day. Price for the card is divided by the number of total days, so you do not lose anything. Be aware, though, that you can report the loss only twice a year; the first time for free, and the second timea $5 fee applies.
These cards are especially convenient for visitors, those who want to see as much as possible in a limited amount of time. And also, for people who like to feel free of limits, a monthly metrocard is like a bottomless wallet always filled in with money for transportation.

Ekaterina Lalo

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An Apology

Saturday, June 12th, 2010

Stepping off the Q train the other day, a sharp pain of guilt hit me in my stomach. In getting up, walking towards the door, and exiting the train, I realized that I might not be as good of a person that I thought I was. That’s because in getting up, walking, and exiting, I noticed this old lady standing near where I was sitting. I don’t remember her getting on the stop before, or even the one before that. She must have gotten on well before my stop, standing there, while I was sitting. The sharp sudden pain of guilt came to me because I didn’t do anything about it.

There may have been other seats available on the train, it wasn’t that crowded. She might not have even wanted to sit. Maybe she really did just get on the stop before. But these are all just rationalizations. In reality, what had happened was I was so immersed in whatever music I was listening to, in whatever book I was reading, that the thought never even came for me to exercise some common courtesy and offer her my seat.

In writing, it seems like an insignificant occurrence. It happens everyday. People don’t get seats. It’s a tough city, New York. She’s probably used to it. But in its insignificance, I’m reminded by how tough of a city it can be. So why shouldn’t we help each other out?

Being a student in the city, being a student everywhere, being a person, even, it’s easy to get wrapped up in your own mind. There are deadlines, and books, and jobs, and music, and relationships, and movies, and friends, and emails, and everything else the day-to-day offers us, making it easy to not notice the people that surround us. It’s easy to ignore the guy looking for food in the trash. It’s easy to ignore the lady collecting cans off the street. It’s easy to ignore the old lady standing on the subway.

But that doesn’t mean we should. Now, I’m not saying we should all drop what we’re doing and start committing our lives to charity. What I am saying is that, we should lay our hurried minds to rest every once and a while, and notice the seemingly minuscule things around us. Plug out and zone into the world surrounding us, and see that apathy isn’t necessarily a sin of commission. More often than not, it’s a sin of omission, a sin of people trying too hard to live their own lives without thinking about making it just a little easier for other people to live theirs.

To the old lady on the Q, I’m sorry.

-Andrew Limbong

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Let’s Dance: NYPL for the Performing Arts

Friday, June 11th, 2010

My favorite library in NYC is the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, no contest. I was there today picking up an obscure dance book for some summer reading (fun, right?), and was reminded of just how great this place is. Not only does it have the most extensive library of dance books, periodicals, photos, and videos, but it also celebrates the arts in an important way. This library is not your standard collection of resources – it contains information on all types of performance art, and also has installations and events to celebrate the artists found within the vast collections of books and other resources in this library.

When you enter from the Lincoln Center Plaza entrance (which is almost completely done with construction, and looks GORGEOUS, by the way), straight ahead you will see a room that is home to changing displays. I have seen a display of Cunningham costumes, a musical celebration, and many other exhibits here. Currently, it is under construction, but it’s always worth poking a head in to see what is being showcased – you might learn something, and there will certainly be something to look at or listen to.

If you enter from the Amsterdam Avenue entrance across from La Guardia High School, you’ll walk in and see another small exhibition center to your right and a theater to your left. Two years ago, one of my teachers curated an event on the Dance Theatre of Harlem. In the room to the right we got to see video of past performances, examples of costumes and documents, and posters of the dancers both past and present. As part of this exhibit, I also attended a panel discussion in the auditorium across the hall and got to listen to Arthur Mitchell, one of the creators of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, talk about his experience in the dance world. Obviously, the exhibit has since changed – they change every couple of weeks, and the latest exhibits can be found here.

As if these exhibits weren’t enough, there are also performances constantly happening at this library. Weekly concerts, movie showings, and speakers are all common events. And in addition to these being educational and truly well-done events – they’re FREE!! I’ve always loved libraries, but one complete with performances and exhibits really takes the cake.

So head over to the Performance Arts library, located at 40 Lincoln Plaza (65th Street, by Broadway and Amsterdam Avenues) and check out the exhibits, performances, and books. And if there’s no upcoming events that pique your interest? Consider going into the research archives and watching a historic performance. I’ve spent entire days there watching their footage of William Forsythe‘s choreography – it’s not the same as seeing it live, but at least it’s free and accessible!

-Meghan Q

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Secrets of Commuting

Friday, June 11th, 2010

image credit: cyclinglondononline.wordpress.com

If you are lucky enough, you will find an apartment near your college and a job near your apartment. What if you are not lucky enough? Then you will have to get a bicycle or learn how to use a subway.

Getting a bike is an appealing, but not a great idea. First of all, you may not have enough space to keep it. Secondly, you cannot use it when it is raining. In New York City it usually rains heavily, from an early morning until night, so there will be days when your bike will be a useless decoration, not to mention winter time with all this snow around.

Moving to New York City, you have to familiarize yourself with its subway system and bus routes. While a car is a necessity in rural areas, it costs an arm and a leg to maintain it here. Parking is expensive, especially in Manhattan, which adds up to gasoline and insurance costs. Hence, if public transportation is the best option, how do you use it effectively?

One of the things you need to do is planning your trip beforehand. Take a free subway map in any booth within a station. Find out what is the best way to get to your destination. Keep in mind that transfers within stations are free, but before you get off, make sure that transfer is available.

Once you plan you trip to an unknown area, you should go online and check whether there are some changes in schedule, as it usually happens every day. Routes are changed because of construction, some stations are closed, trains are going express where they are supposed to run local and what not.

By the way, local and express trains can be seen on a map as well. Notice that some trains skip certain stops and make sure you will not miss yours.

A mobile device with GPS may be a helpful tool. You just have to put in start and end point, and your cell phone will plan the trip for you. But keep in mind that this innovative technology is not perfect and cannot predict everything.

Following these simple advices, you should never be lost in the city. If you happen to, in spite of everything, do not be shy to ask a station attender or another rider. People in New York City seem distant and indifferent, but in reality, they are very helpful and attentive.

Ekaterina Lalo

Check out my blog at www.nycvalues.blogspot.com

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