Archive for July, 2018

Dating Dooms

Friday, July 27th, 2018

It’s no thought that high school consists of painful memories that include rude boys. Back then, I would often receive snarky comments about how skinny I was or about my short fragile hair. However, looking back, I was thankful that my dating fate did not consist of rude losers who only dated girls for their bodies because believe me, that was the sad image of my high school.

Fast forward to college and I feel much more confident in my looks. I’ve started wearing my natural hair more and I look delightful all on a budget. I even started gaining weight but in the right areas. Going into college, I wanted to experience a real relationship and not some hookup or temporary fling. I never had a boyfriend so I felt that college was an amazing opportunity to act on that desire considering everyone is older and much more mature.

When I actually got to college, though, I obviously found that this wasn’t the case. Many guys had immature personalities or just sought sex. I can’t act surprised because college is notorious for its hook-up culture especially in this day in age where Tinder dominates everything. However, I was still disappointed by the lack of charm these guys had. One guy I could have sworn liked me showed all the signs just to give up on me after three weeks. Usually when I like a person, I fantasize about my future with them just like a mad girl. But, this time I had the guts to actually talk to the guy, so when he showed signs of interest back, those fantasies continued to spur even if nothing was actually confirmed. So when I found out that his interest was no more, the rejection also struck my self-confidence a bit. Was I not pretty enough? When would my first relationship start? It sucked not experiencing the moments that many teenagers had already gone through.

I began to even ponder the fact that it must have had to be that I am a black woman. Black girls, especially those in darker skin tones, are less likely to marry, find dates, and are even viewed as the most unattractive compared to women of other races. So finding love with men of many cultures/races as a black woman in a predominantly white college is slim. On top of that, thinking about not having my first boyfriend did have me feeling like a loser at times. However, this mentality and the sting of rejection was only momentary. I try not to let negativity or any person consume my joy. I always end up loving myself the next day and consider myself the beauty that got away–his loss. I crazily appreciate my looks and intelligence, but definitely my fun personality because it undeniably me. Knowing how quickly I got over a dumb crush makes me hopeful that I will be strong for my first, but hopefully nonexistent heartbreak. I do still fantasize about my future husband and I do get a bit jealous when I see couples happily holding hands in Washington Square Park. I want that joy, but I will wait for it when the right time comes up. In the meantime, I have myself to love unconditionally and permanently.

Image Credit: http://www.rateddramaiseya.com/rateddwomen-1/2016/2/10/lonely-love

By Tiana B.


Tiana is a sophomore at NYU concentrating on journalism and creative writing. She seeks to display the representation of African Americans and Latinos by providing her own experiences and illuminating marginalized issues in her own writing. When she’s free from her stressful college life, she likes to listen to rap music, binge watch on anime, splurge on Kmart deals, and cook her Hispanic cuisines. Tiana also runs another blog called True T which also highlights not only her personal experiences, but her genuine and unfiltered opinions on today’s matters.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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The New Student Special: Oversensitive Disturbances

Friday, July 20th, 2018

I remember watching South Park and being intrigued by its newest character, PC Principal. He would become annoyed every time someone would disrespect a social/political movement even if it was unintentionally. The PC Principal in South Park was a parody of college students in their PC culture craze. It wasn’t until witnessing and being in unnecessary arguments that I realized how accurate this parody was.

As an Afro-Latina in a predominately white school, I was open to the fact that there would be ignorant people around me. I’m normally a very fiesty person and will snap back if anyone goes too far. However, after a few angry mini arguments with people at NYU, I figured out that it’s not worth it. From arguing in and even about elevators, yes elevators, you would be surprised as to how low some people’s breaking points are. It got to a point where allowed myself to go by the “silence is golden” rule. Now, I just say my opinion, and if someone disagrees especially in an immature manner, I will simply not respond or waste my precious sanity/energy to engage.

I once saw a student ripped apart in class for saying that girls in Middle Eastern countries were probably never complimented on their beauty and probably had low self-esteem. Although his wording may have been off, I was disgusted by how the class became piranhas and attacked his ignorance. He ended up apologizing, but was dismissed. The moment someone becomes rowdy and childish displays to me that I can’t engage in an intellectual discussion with them.

I first followed the “silence is golden” motto when my best friend’s white roommate told me the backstory as to why her friends called her racist. My best friend’s roommate, Lea, told her friends that she disliked Bruno Mars’ song That’s What I Like and in response her friends called her ignorant and racist. Lea continued to tell me that she would take time to process the argument, and call back her friends once she understood their perspective. I, being Tiana, told her that disliking a song does not make you racist and your friends don’t sound like friends. I was extremely confused as to why she was more than willing to “understand” a perspective based on ridicule. She proceeded to rant to me that when best friends argue, that they take time apart to understand the severity and eventually come back together. After she gave me these pre-Hulk vibes, I calmly said, “ I feel like you’re being extra, but good luck.” That is exactly how the conversation ended.  I could have told her more. I too dislike it when people are ignorant, but trying to educate someone through a harmless Bruno Mars song is calling for criticism especially since music is subjective, the song itself had no political connotation to it, and people will always have a different taste for great music. Trying to educate people when we live in a world where Google knows everything is redundant. Trying to argue with people who are fixed in their immaturity and bias, is completely useless.

I can definitely say that NYU has caused me to mature. I don’t fight over petty things as much and would rather maintain my happiness that having it crushed by some idiot.

Image credit: https://pics.me.me/triggering-intensieles-co-13592243.png

By Tiana B.


Tiana is a sophomore at NYU concentrating on journalism and creative writing. She seeks to display the representation of African Americans and Latinos by providing her own experiences and illuminating marginalized issues in her own writing. When she’s free from her stressful college life, she likes to listen to rap music, binge watch on anime, splurge on Kmart deals, and cook her Hispanic cuisines. Tiana also runs another blog called True T which also highlights not only her personal experiences, but her genuine and unfiltered opinions on today’s matters.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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Student Savings or Student High

Friday, July 13th, 2018

Back in high school, we had alumni telling us about their personal experiences with parties and drugs in college—he majority just warned us to stay away from the drug and alcohol scenes in college for fear of being punished and having our scholarships revoked. I have only drunk a few times at family gatherings—I was never really a drinker. As for drugs, I would often see how shaky, paranoid, and unalert people were made by the so-called harmless drug of marijuana. I’d hear about certain kids offering special discounts and being able to rack up $40 in just four hours. I would just roll my eyes and promise myself never to try it out in college.

A year later, I’ve kept that promise nice and strong. My roommates were respectful about it, and didn’t seem too involved in the drug and alcohol scene themselves.  Nonetheless, sometimes it seemed to me like just about everyone else would smoke a blunt or go to Saturday night outings to drink their semester stress away. I would hear about it and smell the smoke on the corner of 6th avenue which caused me to assume that only 10% of people are completely sober here.

I actually took a class called Drugs and Kids last semester, and in it the argument of whether or not to legalize marijuana came up and the teacher proposed a poll. She first asked who thinks it should be legalized, and the majority of the class raised their hand—although some people didn’t vote at all. She let those who raised their hand explain their reasoning and then proceeded to ask those who didn’t think it should be legalized. I raised my hand more so in a shaky way, because I only agreed to an extent. Marijuana policies do create extreme numbers in arrest (especially for African Americans), overpopulated jails and diminishes every single tax benefit. But, I made it clear to the class that I felt mixed about the situation because of my experience in seeing how screwed up my high school peers were. I even mentioned how I never tried it so I wouldn’t know the beautiful high of it and one of the students just turned around: “Really?” Yes, really.

I remember feeling quite embarrassed by the dead silence that filled the room. I wondered if there were even kids who were scared to raise their hands. But then again, why should I feel ashamed? In college, or in life in general, abiding by the law is seen as a joke and breaking it is the trend. The whole conversation was one big replica of high school, something I dreaded. I never went to any parties or did any drugs during my freshman year. Though, I did have a nice alcoholic experience with family after the spring semester. Not everyone in college is partying, drinking, or doing drugs. And even if they are, I shouldn’t put those who party in the same category as those who do drugs or drink because that is simply not the case. I assumed this in the beginning because I didn’t know many people and I hadn’t found my niche. If you’re like me, a traditional person who doesn’t want to see people blacked out and prefers laid out and rather cheap, safer environments, then you will find people like me eventually. I wouldn’t consider myself an antisocial person—trust me, I’m not—but just like Alessia Cara, I don’t do parties and I feel great about it.

Image result for college party

Image Credit: https://studybreaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/college-party.jpg

 

By: Tiana B.


Tiana is a sophomore at NYU concentrating on journalism and creative writing. She seeks to display the representation of African Americans and Latinos by providing her own experiences and illuminating marginalized issues in her own writing. When she’s free from her stressful college life, she likes to listen to rap music, binge watch on anime, splurge on Kmart deals, and cook her Hispanic cuisines. Tiana also runs another blog called True T which also highlights not only her personal experiences, but her genuine and unfiltered opinions on today’s matters.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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Roommate Horrors

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2018

Her laughter would annoy me as she was approaching the door. I would be even more annoyed if there were a second laughter that harmonized with hers–she loved to bring friends over at night. These are just some of the complaints I had about my roommate, who I will name Tory. My other roommate, with the pseudonym of Ally, was fairly quiet. I remember hesitating as to whether or not I should live on campus because I already lived in NYC. My number one concern was having an awful roommate that I would be stuck with–and although Tory wasn’t necessarily terrible, I consider myself unlucky for being bombarded with an inconsiderate person. Despite her thoughtlessness, I established strict rules on drinking in the room–I had been admitted on a scholarship that stressed that any of its students caught drinking would have their scholarship confiscated. After all, a full scholarship is a sweet student deal and I’m all about student discounts.

Looking back, NYU was not strict at all when it came to room checks, but I don’t regret emphasizing that rule to my two roommates. I was only a freshman who wasn’t aware of NYU’s leniency, and I was simply looking out for myself and definitely my financial wellbeing. Speaking up was never an issue for me, but I didn’t want to seem like the mother of the room. Even though I had the right to peacefully speak up about certain factors such as cleaning the bathroom, keeping the noise down when guests come over, and not slamming doors in the morning, I didn’t want to overdo it. On the other hand, I can only keep my mouth shut for so long when it comes to living with someone. Tory had proposed a rule to me and Ally, called “sock on the door.” We all agreed on it, and Tory tested the system for the first sometime during the spring semester. I was with my friend when I saw Tory’s text and about an hour later, we went to check if the sock was still in place–of course, it was.

When I ran into Ally later that day, she admitted that she was also annoyed by the inconvenient timing of Tory’s occupying the room which went on for an hour and a half in the evening the day of a residential floor meeting. When the actual confrontation took place with Tory, Ally was silent as a mouse. I was the only one to speak up during the uncomfortable conversation. Although there was some tension in the room afterward, the situation passed. Some of our other issues with Tory still persisted, and I couldn’t rely on Ally to say anything because of how timid she was. There was always a competition as to who would take out the trash as it would pile day by day. Thank goodness I had my own trash can, my Zzzquil for those noisy nights, and my apartment nearby to help me keep my sanity. Still, we all got along for the most part and the living situation could have been much worse, because I know not everyone can tolerate me. I’m happily moving in with my best friend next year, and I know I  might become annoyed by things she does, but I am proud to know that I have the guts to speak up about whatever issues may arise.

By: Tiana B.


Tiana is a sophomore at NYU concentrating on journalism and creative writing. She seeks to display the representation of African Americans and Latinos by providing her own experiences and illuminating marginalized issues in her own writing. When she’s free from her stressful college life, she likes to listen to rap music, binge watch on anime, splurge on Kmart deals, and cook her Hispanic cuisines. Tiana also runs another blog called True T which also highlights not only her personal experiences, but her genuine and unfiltered opinions on today’s matters.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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