Archive for June, 2011

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How to Manage Your Time For… Gaming?

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

Can I go to class now, please?

PC gamers and console junkies alike can attest to not only the increasingly social nature of video games, but also the greater acceptance of gaming as a group activity since the first Xbox came with internet capability. While party games like Mario Kart were always popular and took advantage of the fact that people hanging out together required entertainment, classic and modern MMOs (massively multiplayer online games) like World of Warcraft and console games like Halo and Call of Duty call on people from all over the country and all walks of life to organize and play together. For college students, this means fitting gaming into a schedule, just like class or work, and keeping up with the demands of other players who might not be as busy, which can be difficult and frustrating. After all, no one wants to be left behind by his/her friends, even ones that are strictly online.

If you are getting into online gaming or have been gaming for years and are having trouble keeping up now that you’re in college, here are some tips to keep your head afloat in both work and play. Just like schoolwork, online game obligations can take up a lot of time, so it should be managed and incorporated into realistic schedules that don’t overlap with each other. For example, each semester, I look at my class schedule and syllabi and note which nights (or mornings, if you do your best work early in the day) that I know I will have something school-related to do, like weekly response papers that are due every Thursday and Calculus homework due every other Tuesday. Since it’s important to do assignments well and on time, Mondays and Wednesdays would be my days that I need a few hours just for studying.

Then I look at my gaming schedule. It might be weird to hear about someone having appointments for gaming, but when other players depend on you, it’s important to be on time for them like you’re on time for class (hopefully). If my clan/guild/group likes to play together from 9pm-12am on Wednesdays and Saturdays, I should make sure that whatever assignments I have to do on Wednesday gets done before 9. Many guilds on World of Warcraft raid in the middle of the week, so Sundays are great for doing all of the major assignments you know you won’t have time for on Tuesdays. Games that require load times or other periodic breaks are good for doing required reading though the frequent interruptions are less ideal for math or science problems or anything that requires an extended thought process.

When you’re having trouble managing your time because you procrastinate over deciding whether to play or write a paper, you may have to reassess your self-control. If doing work ahead of time isn’t a possibility because you don’t have the discipline, it might be a good idea to switch clans to one that plays only on the weekends, be involved with a smaller number of games, or play the games more casually, i.e. single-player instead of in a group. Despite wanting to prove to ourselves that we have the ability to do everything by sheer will power, it isn’t always realistic. Admitting one’s flaws and rearranging our schedules to account for procrastination is better than making idealistic plans and not getting the work done at all.

No matter how well you manage your time, finals week is always a difficult strain on your already packed schedule. But not everyone in your clan or guild is unemployed or a housewife, and it has always been my experience that when I take time off for finals, plenty of other players are doing the same, even guild leaders. Explain to them which days you will be missing and why. If it’s the kind of guild that requires 100% attendance, it isn’t a good fit for a student anyway since no matter how important your clan is, it’s not worth failing your classes for. Find a comfortable balance between your school and social gaming obligations, but always makes sure it tips a little to the school side.

And with all that time sitting at your computer or console, make sure to eat! Check out this awesome coupon for Whole Foods Market that lets you get all the ingredients for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for some sweet gaming fuel at a discount.

-Avia Dell’Oste.

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Clicking for Change

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

Is it possible to make change with the mere click of a mouse? Social media has forever changed the image of the socially conscious individual. The political uprisings this past spring in the Middle East and North Africa prove this to be true. If it were not for sites like Facebook and Twitter these revolutions would not have had the global awareness and impact that they did. The ability to connect through these tools has become an essential agent to making a difference in the world.

As a freshman in college you can at first feel very small (I know I did) and so very far away from what’s going on in the rest of the world, yet social media has filled this gap permanently. It is important to note that the most effective way of making a difference is by getting out there but for college students it’s easier said then done to just drop everything. This is why it’s important to educate oneself with world events documented via Facebook pages and tweets because it’s a step closer to being a worldly individual, also, in today’s world we are all so much more capable to be just that. Social media is in a way amateur journalism because the crises experienced around the world are related directly by the most legitimate source: the people who experience such events.
During the uprisings of Spring 2011 I realized this was the first time in my nineteen years I was conscious of revolution and also saw what it looked like. To be honest, revolution for most of my life equated to what I read in American history textbooks and The Beatles White Album. A perfect example of how interconnected the world is today is reflected in my own experience this past spring. I followed the protests in Iran via facebook pages like 25 Bahman, which aims to bring to light the plight of the Iranian people under the illegitimate rule of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The fact that an average NYC college student like me could experience this on what is meant to be a social networking site shows how social awareness has changed immensely. On this particular Facebook page videos uploaded by Iranian protesters documenting police brutality and updates of progress as well as setbacks. The majority of global outreach by way of social media involved the youth of such troubled nations like Egypt, Yemen, Iran, and Bahrain. College students essentially ran this youth revolution; social media was such an effective tool, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen were forced to resign from their Presidential posts. Internet can serve as a catalyst for change and that’s why it’s such an immense threat to foreign dictators. An example of this is China’s censorship of Google. President Obama and Hilary Clinton have both addressed that Internet usage should be encouraged globally and it’s an attack on individual rights to disallow Internet connection to the masses of a nation. The fact that not everyone is allowed  internet access makes it only more valuable and something to be greatly appreciated.

The revolution brought to you by Facebook.

If foreign college students can oust Presidents by mass text (Honduras ex-President Manuel Zelaya), organize protests on facebook, and update the entire world better than CNN can by way of tweets, than NYC students are just as capable of making change for causes relevant to their lives. In high school I created a facebook event promoting a local protest of a hate crime that took place in my own Queens neighborhood. Facebook made it exceptionally easier for me to reach a great number of people to bring about awareness for LGBT acceptance. My first experience with activism was rooted in facebook messaging and its endpoint for me was handing out anti-hate fliers at a televised protest, which you can do too if you stop by the Advanced Copy Center. The first step to being socially conscious is to make yourself aware, so I suggest following foreign facebook pages, twitter accounts, and blogs to keep yourself up to date with world events. This is a good addition to reading both national and foreign news publications. There are also several websites out there informative about how you can help and where, even if it’s just by clicking a mouse. For example, www.change.org is a website that allows people to electronically sign petitions for free as an aid for social change. These petitions are for just about every cause imaginable, like the public support for Saudi women to drive. All it takes is just one click for a better world! Social media and the internet have infiltrated the realm of civic duty and that’s a good thing considering you’re reading this on the internet this very moment.

Anjelica LaFurno

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Students Can Afford to Watch Broadway Shows, Too

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

We all know that Broadway shows can be very expensive. But that does not mean that the pleasure of witnessing some of the world’s finest theatrical works has to be out of reach for average students. In an effort to encourage the younger audience to attend the shows, the theater companies offer a variety of discounts.

For instance, anyone between the ages of 18 and 35 can simply call HIPTIX at 212-719-1300 and join for free. Members can buy tickets to the Roundabout theatre productions for only $22, including fees. Each member may only purchase two tickets at a time and the person you are buying the ticket for will also have to be between the ages of 18 and 35. The shows include The Importance of Being Earnest, which is a really good deal as the regular tickets for the play start at $102. You can also buy tickets for Anything Goes amongst other Roundabout productions through HIPTIX. Membership may also get you invitations to after parties where you can mingle with fellow theater lovers.

Schooltix also offers discounts to various shows, including Phantom of the Opera! The cheapest ticket with this discount for Broadway’s longest running show is $26, and even though these tickets are for the rear mezzanine, it beats having to get standing room only tickets, which is the only type of rush tickets for Phantom. The discounts vary from show to show and may also depend on the seats. Other Broadway discounts include shows such as Catch Me If You Can, Chicago, Mary Poppins, Rock of Ages, and Mamma Mia!

You can also sign up with Playbill, free of charge, and receive 10%-50% discounts on Broadway, off-Broadway, Opera, Restaurants and Hotels.

Bushra Tawhid

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A Beginners Guide to Willyburg!

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

My Grandma always said to me growing up, “There’s nowhere better than Brooklyn!” Even then, and still now, there was no possible way I could have disagreed with her. She saw the beauty in her hometown of Williamsburg, Brooklyn before gentrification was normatively associated with the area. In other words, Williamsburg was effortlessly cool before being branded so by the Hipster invasion. Some complain that the influx of Hipsters and the influence of their subculture will decimate an already existing culture. There is certainly some truth to that belief commonly held amongst natives, yet I’d like to celebrate and focus attention on the treasures of this area both new and long established. After all, if it were not for the newcomers there would never have been the much deserved attention and interest in Williamsburg. Here are five things to do and see in the urban paradise of Williamsburg, Brooklyn:

1. Eat Something Sweet

-Fortunato Brothers
289 Manhattan Avenue (between Ainslie & Devoe St)
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Fortunato Brothers is the ideal Italian pastry shop in the heart of a once predominantly Italian-American neighborhood. Here you can indulge and enjoy traditional Italian pastries like cannoli, sfogliatelle, and pastiche. Not only are their pastries great, but also Fortunato’s is well known for their homemade gelato flavors. I highly suggest sitting down with a friend for the café experience, order one of their heavenly hot drinks (cappuccino, espresso), and listen in on the Italian jabber of the older, dapper regulars.

Forget Neverland! Just take a trip to Greenpoint, Brooklyn and enjoy a scrumptious donut!

-Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop
727 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211

A celebrated Polish bakery that is so well know even Tina Fey of 30 Rock has raved over how amazing their donuts really are. Popular donut choices are the red velvet, coconut crème, jelly, and my own personal favorite, the classic white crème. They also serve coffee for a mere buck and the place has a cool, retro atmosphere as well. So I say sit on a swivel seat, have a cup of coffee, and enjoy a yummy donut! If you can’t make it to Brooklyn for the day, I suggest stopping by Just Sweet Desert House in Manhattan to get your sweet fix!

2. Enjoy the Great Outdoors

McCarren Park is a nice retreat from urban nuisances.

-McCarren Park
780 Lorimer Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

McCarren Park is the place to be if you’re looking to spend the day outside, soak up some rays, and take part in athletics. The 35-acre park consists of a baseball field, soccer field, running track, and handball courts as well as bocce courts. On Saturdays the park becomes a farmer’s market filled to the brim with fresh produce and homemade baked goodies. This year the park will be the home base for the Northside Festival, which will ooze live music from artists such as: Wavves, Guided By Voices, and Beirut!

3. Check Out Cool Sounds

There are three premier record stores in Williamsburg and they are:

-Sound Fix
44 Berry Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

The most organized of the three Sound Fix is an oasis for those obsessed with music. They have an extensive collection of both used and new albums from alternative artists that are both classic and contemporary. Also listening stations are available to customers so that they can preview albums.

-Academy Records
96 N. 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Academy Records is vinyl heaven in a nutshell. The vinyl collection at this particular record store eclipses both Earwax Records and Sound Fix. You can also find used CD’s at their cheapest here! It is a sort of “school” for the true record enthusiast!

-Earwax Records
218 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Although the most expensive, Earwax has the most variety of the three. They have a great selection of different artists and genres, which is a guarantee that you will walk out with just what you wanted. This place is bound to remove the wax from your ears and fill it with cool sounds for sure!

4. Dance with the Giglio! (July 6- July 17, 2011)

-Feast of Our Lady of Mount Caramel
275 N. 8th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

An annual festival held by Our Lady Of Mount Caramel Church for over 100 years now is a guaranteed fun time with friends. You can eat traditional festival food (zeppole, sausage and peppers) and dance with the Giglio. The Giglio is a large statue carried by a large number of men while a band plays music and people dance. It is a tribute to an Italian saint Paolino di Nola and the feast is one of three Giglio feasts conducted nationwide. It’s not to be missed!

5. Experience Live Music

-Music Hall of Williamsburg
66 N. 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

The Music Hall of Williamsburg is one of the many Bowery Presents venues in New York City. A young crowd flocks here primarily on the weekends to listen to live music, and the 21+ group has the added perk of a swanky bar on the lower level. I’ve personally seen live acts such as Wavves, Sonic Youth, and Best Coast. Every performance I’ve attended here has been a satisfying musical experience. If you’d like to get your mosh on (depends on the band) or just listen to some pretty darn cool music, here are some upcoming shows:

  • The Low Anthem, Wednesday 6/15
  • Flying Lotus, Wednesday 6/22
  • Peter Bjorn and John, Thursday 9/15

Anjelica LaFurno

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Do the right thing and check out these Williamsburg spots and for great student discounts visit  http://campusclipper.com!

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The Whole Jersey Shore

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

http://blog.silive.com/latest_news/2008/12/large_JERSEY%20SHORE.jpg

While most young New Yorkers have heard of Seaside Heights from the wildly famous show The Jersey Shore, many of them don’t know what the whole shore really consists of.  The beach towns of New Jersey stretch all the way from Sandyhook NJ to Capemay NJ with boardwalks and music and nightlife that, in ways, out-do Seaside by a long shot. Not to bad mouth Seaside Heights—my family for years has been traveling from Westchester to Seaside since I was a baby; it’s just that in recent years I’ve traveled up and down the coast and found new treasures that need to be shared and should be explored by all.

From Penn Station on 7th avenue at 33rd street, there is a train line (New Jersey Transit Line) that runs down the shore of NJ. For the fee of $14.00 New Yorkers can take the train down to all types of Beach towns and cities! Depending on what type of vacation you’re looking for (orientated towards family fun, romantic couple time, or fun with friends) there are a range of spots to suit your needs.

Long Branch, the first (and probably one of the nicest!) real beach town you’ll reach while riding the train is known for its clean beach, romantic restaurants and family fun events. Long Branch is the perfect town to take a family or couples vacation too. They have nights where everyone is allowed to go and make bonfires and spend the night under the stars. The beach has a long history of being one of the nicer beaches in New Jersey and is full of surfers (When I asked my surfer friend to describe it all he said was, “it’s got greeaaattt waves”) and restaurants of all different types. It is a great town to walk around, window shop and end your day at a restaurant. It’s a casual, calm sort of town that you would want to visit at least once in your life.

You can take a stop next at Asbury Park, NJ—where the legend Bruce Springsteen began his musical career—and take part in the thriving music scene.  Around every corner there is a coffee shop playing live music. Asbury park is known for its underground clubs all the way to their large music halls. With Festivals planned throughout the summer, any music buff would be crazy to skip over this city!

But if music isn’t a great interest of yours in the summer time heat, travel just two more train stops and hit up Belmar for the beach and nightlife. Belmar is like the northern Seaside Heights—the main difference being that most New Yorkers inhabit Seaside during the summer while native Jerseyians tend to flock to Belmar instead.  Just like Seaside Heights there are bars and pubs and restaurants all along the boardwalk and during the day the Beach there is clean and full of young people.  Belmar is an ideal spot for a vacation with friends. Belmar is best during the day; you can get the ultimate beach day in New Jersey if you head to Belmar! Like most beaches in New York and New Jersey, there is a fee of $7 for a daily beach badge. To save money though, I suggest bringing your own drinks and food with you to the beach so you don’t have to leave the beach and miss out on the sun! The town of Belmar isn’t loved only for the beach but also for hosting the New Jersey Seafood Festival in late May which brings in a crowd! People from all over the Tri-state area come to try all different types of seafood for a surprisingly cheap price. The Festival alone is worth the trip down, you don’t want to miss out on all that good food!

However, if you still plan on going to Seaside Heights (the desire to catch a glimpse of Vinny fist pumping and Snookie eating some pickles is too hard to resist, I understand) I strongly suggest taking a car.  Without one, the trains take you only as far down as the town of Bay head. It takes about 2 and a half hours and is still a good 15 minutes cab ride away from Seaside. It’s a challenge, but if you’re planning on spending the week there, renting a house with a group of friends, it may be well worth the trip! In Seaside Heights there’s a beach (10 dollar daily badges!), a carnival where you can go on big rides and eat delicious carnival food, bars that on Friday nights are 18 to enter, 21 to drink, and even a water park! But because there is so much to do, money quickly goes, so if you’re going for longer than a weekend, I highly recommend going to a local supermarket and making your own food to save some cash for going out.

But hey, if worst comes to worst and you’re low on cash, don’t have the spare time, and can’t make it down to the shore at all, you can always go to Future Tan Salon and Spa and get a mystic spray tan and look the part of someone that spent the weekend in the warm Jersey sun even when you didn’t!

Jackie Aqel

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Going the Distance

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

People didn’t start leaving me until I went to college. All my life people stayed close by. My older siblings all stayed within a twenty-mile radius for college and when it came for my friends and I to apply to college, we didn’t dare look beyond the tri-state area.

When I first got to college I was ecstatic to find out that my new friends and newly acquired boyfriend all lived within an hour of our school. My family would come and visit on a weekly basis and many of my friends were just a subway stop away for me; everything was going great. That is, until sophomore year. Mallori, my best friend since I was 8 years old, decided to study abroad. She wanted to go to Ireland for an entire semester to be exposed to another culture.

“But what about your family, Mal?” I asked.

Really, what I was trying to say was “what about me?!” I personally didn’t have what it took to live in another country, let alone live outside New York, (I have what they call, “fear of leaving the island”) and to see her go was hard. That semester, instead of going down into the city to meet and go out at night, we had Skype and calling cards on hand for emergency girl talks.

When she came back, I thought I was in the clear. I had the summer going into junior year with everyone home to keep me company. But that summer as my boyfriend and I became closer, he let me in on a little secret; he had decided to study abroad in Brazil for spring semester. At first it was okay, we had a few months left together and when he left, we would make it work… I hoped. I mean, a friendship could easily survive separation, but a relationship? Even on the day his plane took off, I wasn’t sure we’d make it. And as the days went on, it only became harder and harder. I suddenly realized I had to act like a taken girl but I was always alone. I had the commitment, but none of the perks of a relationship. No handholding, no kisses, no napping together—no nothing. That semester I hardly went out. My mindset was to just get to class, get all my homework done and get to bed at a decent hour. My two roommates, who were both in relationships, would try to include me and keep me occupied, but it always ended up making me feel sourer. They were constantly pushing me to go out with them at night but it was a rare occasion when I actually did. I hated the end of the night too much. My roommates would all go to their boyfriends’ apartments and I would do a lonely walk back to our dorm room.  There were many nights I would be alone and cry in my bed listening to the commotion of students laughing and flirting and having the kind of night I had to wait four more months for.

But it got better.

One day it dawned on me that I was the one causing my own unhappiness and maybe this separation could be viewed as a good thing instead of a bad one. And with that revelation, everything changed. A whole new part of my life emerged. I began socializing and making friends with people I normally wouldn’t have time for, I met with teachers and excelled in class, I worked on my writing and made time for new hobbies and even got this internship at the Campus Clipper! I was happy and felt content with myself. I realized that there was no reason to fear leaving or being left behind. New York is an amazing city—no doubt about that—but if an opportunity came where I would have to leave, it would be okay to go. College pulls people physically apart from each other; but that doesn’t mean you have to become estranged from one another! Even if you aren’t a quick drive from each other, you are still just a call or an email away. When you really care and love people, a little distance is healthy and can make you value them more than you have before. Now that my boyfriend is home, our relationship is stronger then ever.  Our time with each other is precious but we make sure to make time for ourselves and other parts of our lives. It’s important to remember that if you’re far away from home or someone you’re close with leaves for a college that’s far away, remember that yes, the distance is hard, but they can always come and visit! You’re in New York City! They can come stay at the Blue Moon Hotel that’s right between Little Italy and SOHO and spend your days running around the city together (you couldn’t ask for a better excuse to do all the touristy stuff).  It’s important to feel grounded not by where you are but by what you do, and to remember that life always gets better if you give yourself the chance to grow.

Jackie Aqel

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