Archive for March, 2021

Quarantine Contemplation: We’re all just doing.

Wednesday, March 31st, 2021

At the close of 2020, I promised myself that I would take a gap year. After four years of juggling my academics, extracurriculars, relationships, and well-being, and considering the tumultuousness of the past year, I figured that everyone could use a break. I started planning my summer. Wake up, eat, eat, eat, sleep, repeat—the closest that humans can get to hibernation.

Then came January, February, and March, and upon a string of fortunate events, from becoming a mentor, to landing my first part-time job, to applying to graduate school, to entering an internship, to volunteering with an organization, to landing my second part-time job, to becoming a mentor (again), to accepting a fellowship, to being invited to present at a research conference, I decided to accept an offer for a third part-time job. I thought I’m already wearing all these hats, might as well fill up the closet.       

You don’t have to be a nurse to appreciate these busy-bee nursing memes. You just have to be…busy.

The dominoes fell, and my mind whirl winded.

Advocate in more spaces. Volunteer with more organizations. Pursue a remote global internship. Apply to the Fulbright program. Enroll in a TEFL certification course. Learn a new language. Join a research lab. Run a virtual marathon. Look for a fourth part-time job.

By mid-March, I was the most involved I’ve ever been. Feeling like I not only was capable but obligated to take on every opportunity I was extended, I cast myself a vote of confidence. No doubt I could balance these responsibilities and achieve my quality (and quantity) standard all the while maintaining my physical and mental health.

Super-busy-girl memes can be very helpful when you’re too tired to express how tired you are.

Right!

Right?

Certainly!

Uncertainly.

With summer inching closer by the day, I’m filled with what I can only describe as a bidirectional spiral of invigorating uncertainty. Over these last three months, I have thought more about my future than I ever have before, and yet, I still feel like I have no idea why I’m doing what I’m doing or what it even is that I’m trying to accomplish. On top of the shakiness of simply being a graduating senior and young professional, the blow and the blur of the pandemic only exacerbate this uncertainty.

While I’m determined to bat at nearly every pitch, I have friends who are ready to build their careers in full-time positions with laser focus. Some friends are preparing for medical school and higher education, wracking their brains, and wrecking their sleeping schedules. Others are siphoning their resources into self-care, determined to dedicate their summer and immediate post-grad plans to self-development and nurturing their passions.

All of these plans and proposals, all of these actions and initiatives, and yet, the question persists in so many people’s heads—now what?

Through all the spaces that I’m involved in, I’ve come to two (One-and-a-half? One? I’m not sure, I’ve never really been good with numbers) revelatory realizations. I do my best to avoid blanket statements, but here’s a comforter for you—no one knows exactly what they want to do or what they’re doing.

We’re all just doing.

And that’s okay.


Thoughtful consumption and self-care have never been more important — try some clean eats at LifeThyme Natural Market

by Christianne Evasco

Christianne is a senior at New York Univerity, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies (CAMS) and Creative Writing. Christianne’s endeavors are fueled by her passion to use her voice to help others harness the power of their own voices through therapeutically-creative means and to connect people through language and cultural exchange. In her free time, you can find her catnapping with her cats.

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 encourages 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 Covid Cooking Club: Chapter 4: Eating Out

Wednesday, March 31st, 2021

The Covid Cooking Club

Chapter 4: Eating out

An empty restaurant, like it should be.

Don’t! There’s still a pandemic going on, remember?

https://www.campusclipper.com/new/popup1.php?CUP_COD=4019

By: Alexander Rose

Alexander Rose studies satire at NYU Gallatin and wishes he was actually just Oscar Wilde. He is interested in writing, roleplaying games, and procrastination. Describing himself in the third person like this makes him feel weird.

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 encourages 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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My First Internship: How I Got Paid to Eat Gourmet NYC Food

Wednesday, March 24th, 2021

As I entered my sophomore year at NYU, I was feeling pressure to get an internship. I had spent the summer working in a restaurant in my hometown, collecting tips and saving them all for my semester abroad. While this was a perfectly normal and productive way to spend my first summer at college, I still worried that I was inadequate compared to my NYU peers who interned for hedge funds or theater companies. 

I came into Welcome Week sophomore year determined to land my first internship (or on-campus job). I was in the weeds trying to figure out work-study when an upperclassmen friend of mine posted in our sorority Facebook group about a job opportunity in public relations. My friend, Chehak, edited and polished my resume, then gave it to the PR company with her glowing recommendation. After a fairly straightforward phone interview, I was offered the job. I realize now that this experience is like an actor saying they landed the gig on their first audition—it would never happen again.

My Instagram story from my last day in the office

I dressed up for my first day but was surprised to find my supervisor wearing a flowy maxi dress and flip-flops. The office was in WeWork Williamsburg. I was amazed by WeWork, with beer on tap, fancy snacks, and trendy couches where people seemed to be lounging and working simultaneously. Huge windows poured light onto the coworking tables. The offices didn’t even have walls—just windows. It was a modern start-up world, completely different from any New York office I had seen in the movies.   

My position was at RVD Communications, a boutique public relations firm. Most of our clients were NYC restaurants and bars. I didn’t realize at the time how great I had it with this internship—I got paid weekly, including an unlimited monthly MetroCard, and I got to attend press and influencer events at some of the best restaurants in the city. I worked 15 hours a week, including a full day on Fridays. 

The best part of the job was working with my fellow interns, two NYU students who would become some of my closest friends. Each Friday, the three of us would claim one of the restaurant-style booths in the WeWork common space and spend the day there, giggling and sharing stories about the frat boys we were hoping to see that weekend while creating Pages presentations for the account leaders to present to clients.

A delicious churro I sampled while working an event at a Times Square food market

Many of New York’s food holiday markets are run by the same company, Urbanspace, which was one of our clients. I found the Bryant Park Holiday Market by accident my freshman year when I went to the New York Public Library to study. I was enchanted by this little world full of lights, art, hot chocolate, and lots and lots of food. Needless to say, I was ecstatic when my fellow interns and I were asked to work a press and influencer event at the opening weekend of the Bryant Park Holiday Market. For these types of events, we invited journalists and Instagram influencers to come to the market, take pictures, and write articles. Our job as interns was to track mentions of our clients on Instagram and online publications. At the event, however, we were given press passes and allowed to roam the market, trying dishes from every stall. We pretended to be influencers, taking photos and videos with our Belgian fries, mozzarella sticks, and Korean-style tacos. Even though I did not end up pursuing a career in PR, I am so grateful for my experiences in the industry. I learned how to speak up for myself in a professional environment and how to balance interning with schoolwork. Best of all, I got to eat some great food.

Tips: On finding your first internship and being successful in the workplace

  • Reach out to upperclassmen you know from class or the clubs you are involved with. Upperclassmen can become great mentors and great friends.
  • Don’t be picky. You are trying to get experience working in a professional environment in New York City. That experience could be in a variety of fields. I didn’t expect to work in public relations, but I ended up having a great time.
  • When communicating with your new supervisor(s), be clear about your work and school boundaries. Constantly evaluate whether you are working the right amount of hours for your major, class schedule, and extracurricular involvement.

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By Marisa Bianco

Marisa graduated from NYU in May 2020, summa cum laude, with degrees in International Relations and Spanish. She grew up in Nebraska, but she is currently living in Córdoba, Spain, where she works as an English teacher. You can find her eating tapas in the Spanish sun while likely stressing about finding her life’s purpose.

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 encourages 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 Covid Cooking Club: Chapter 3: Vegetables

Wednesday, March 24th, 2021

The Covid Cooking Club

Chapter 3: Vegetables

How to Grow Cabbage In Easy Steps
A picture of a delicious cabbage. At least I think it’s delicious, I’ve never cooked cabbage. Hell, I don’t remember if I’ve ever even eaten the stuff.

Vegetables are the things your parents told you to eat when you were kids, and you either ignored them completely or complied entirely out of fear. The fact that we must be forcibly conditioned to consume boring green stuff is evolution’s fault, as we have become a sedentary society without our bodies ever adapting to the fact that if we want to eat we no longer have to chase down a gazelle on foot and beat it to death with a rock. Thus, I must consume at least some vegetables if I don’t want to devolve into a quivering mass of immobile gelatin, which would be extremely inconvenient as it would deprive me of the manual dexterity required to build the plastic model robots that have been my closest friend during the current crisis. The vegetable I eat most often is celery, not because it tastes good or has any nutritional value aside from fiber but because it doesn’t need to be cooked, just washed. The fact that it has zero calories makes it attractive to me since it means I can waste the space on something else later, but I almost always end up dipping it in hummus to give it some actual flavor and thereby defeating the entire point. My favorite cooked vegetable might be spinach, which I literally never make. This is partially because it’s another food my family makes a lot better than me, and partially because you can buy ten pounds of spinach at the store, cook it up, and wind up with half an ounce. Obviously that’s an exaggeration but I only have so much fridge space and spinach takes up too much of it. Normally the vegetables I prepare the most are green beans and broccoli. These are also both foods I associate with my parents, but I can make them in a way that doesn’t totally embarrass me. I make broccoli more rarely because of two reasons. The first is that it just takes much longer to boil in water, and I don’t trust myself to fry it, so boiling green beans is just more efficient. The second is that ever since I was young I’ve had this weird thing where I only eat the buds of the broccoli, not the stem. I think it has to do with little baby me believing that broccoli was just tiny trees or something, but either way I end up not eating half of the broccoli and that’s just wasteful. It does make it easier to prepare though; to make green beans you need to individually slice the tips off each bean while with broccoli you can just break a piece off the stalk and wash it. Generally I eat vegetables separate from my actual meals, because as previously mentioned in the first chapter my pot is much bigger than the stovetop itself so I can’t really have another thing cooking at the same time. This also means that a lot of the time when I’m feeling pressed for time I just skip vegetables entirely, which would definitely be a bad idea if I considered the future consequences of my actions beyond wildly unrealistic scenarios like turning into a lump of fat who can’t build robot toys. I’m sure the fact that I eat vegetable at all puts me ahead of many, and so by the time I become like unto the blob people from Wall-E there will have already been innovations by the manufacturer which make the model kits able to be assembled the fingers the size of drain pipes.

https://www.campusclipper.com/new/popup1.php?CUP_COD=4032
Don’t make my mistakes! Save yourself with healthy food before it’s too late!

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By: Alexander Rose

Alexander Rose studies satire at NYU Gallatin and wishes he was actually just Oscar Wilde. He is interested in writing, roleplaying games, and procrastination. Describing himself in the third person like this makes him feel weird.

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 encourages 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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Rules of Dating

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2021

Hookup culture is more prevalent than ever, and more bound to happen than conventional dating on a college campus. Dating is difficult because it’s hard to find someone who is on the same page as you. Students are more comfortable and familiar with the act of hooking up because it lacks the etiquette of traditional dating. Hooking up is designed to be a more casual activity in which there’s more comfort, and society has gotten acclimated to it. A genuine date involves only two individuals that are attracted to each other, nobody else should be a part of it. It’s important to come up with at least 3 questions prior to setting up a date. The point of this is to sustain a conversation and get to know one another on a deeper level. It’s advised that one should be diligent in regards to questions, because asking countless questions will probably lead to an interview or interrogation rather than a date. If someone doesn’t make time or effort to see you, then continue to proceed with the next one to avoid wasting time and being emotionally attached to one person. The objective of going on dates is to understand if both parties are compatible and could see a future together. In addition, attending multiple dates with the same person is like an experiment to progress further and see if the next step should be taken. Just like rankings, there are levels to dating which are a series of sequential steps that form the foundation of a relationship.

Stage 1: You’re permitted to go on countless dates with different people to see who is the right fit and worth dating. This part of the process can be defined as trial and error by selecting potential partners and weeding out those not worth your time and attention. The date must be in person, under 90 minutes, and with no physical interaction or intimacy. If you’re proposing the date then you should take charge and cover the cost, and don’t forget to have three to four questions in mind prepared. A level one date allows you to explore others’ personalities, their preferences and dislikes, who they really are, and helps you to decide if you want to pursue a relationship with that person.

Stage 2:  Now that you’re on the path of dating you can take baby steps to proceed, but this doesn’t have to be real relationship work. Once you are dating someone then there shouldn’t be any sense of uncertainty as to whether your partner likes you. I mean obviously your partner likes you, otherwise there wouldn’t be a romantic relationship in the first place unless you’re being manipulated or cheated on. This stage also conveys exclusivity, which implies that you’re concentrating on only one person and having sexual affairs. 

Stage 3: After you complete the first two stages, you should be capable of laying the groundwork for what’s next. By this phase, you should be emotionally invested in your partner and schedule time to hold long and important conversations. Have a timeline of where you would like to be, and see if it aligns and meshes well with your significant other. For example, get in the habit of chatting about marriage, family, and moving in together. Jumping too quickly to this portion of the relationship will inevitably lead to a skewed partnership which will end up in a big predicament.

https://www.datingadvice.com/advice/the-dating-rules

Following the guidelines above will put you in a safer position in the dating realm, and it’s better to be safe than sorry. Technology has changed the way we communicate; more chats occur online than in person. We’ve grown so attached to our devices that sometimes we deem online messaging to be more conventional and less awkward than in person exchanges. A good deal of people fear the idea of a relationship because of the commitment aspect and sacrifices. It would be preposterous to not believe that everyone prefers an attractive person when it comes to romance. However, it’s probable that you can develop feelings for someone who you may not be initially attracted to once you really begin to see their character. You’d be astonished to see how many failed and toxic relationships break out as a result of just dating off of physical appearance alone; it’s crucial to recognize one’s ideology and what they can project to the world aside from their beauty.

I admit that dating can be frightening for a variety of reasons like rejection and vulnerability. Even so, you should perceive this as a driving force to help you put the idea of dating into practice, to explore new territory and get you out of your comfort zone. There’s no telling what new heights you can reach if you just take the chance because it’s either now or never!

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By: Alex Huang

Alex is a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology majoring in Advertising & Marketing Communications. He used to major in psychology because he didn’t know what to do with his life and now wants to be in the business world. He gets distracted easily by all of the pretty girls in New York City and hopes to become a PR or Marketing manager someday. One of his favorite things to do is going out for bubble tea.

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 encourages 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 Covid Cooking Club: Chapter 2: Meat

Wednesday, March 17th, 2021

The Covid Cooking Club

How To Cook Steak In The Oven - Best Perfect Oven-Steak Recipe
A generic picture of steak. Mine actually looks kind of like this, but less tasty.

Chapter 2: Meat

Meat. The manliest of all foods, according to people who don’t understand how chemicals work and think eating soy will invert their gender. I don’t think eating meat will make me any less of a wimp, but it’s filling and tastes good. The meat I eat the most is canned tuna fish, because it’s cheap and requires zero preparation aside from opening the can and chowing down—though sometimes I drink the fish oil first like some sort of absolute barbarian. The problem with tuna is that it makes your whole room smell like fish. I don’t find it that irritating, considering the other things my room could smell like. Sometimes I mash it up with a fork and mix it with mayonnaise to make tuna salad, but my most successful attempt has been boiling it in oil with garlic and parsley to create a less messy pasta sauce (which wasn’t in last week’s article because I did it this Wednesday).

I call it Pasta Ala Xander, because I like making puns more than I like names that don’t suck.

I’ve cooked whole fish as well, covering it in flour and frying it in oil on a pan. The result is a relatively bland white mean that falls apart faster than a South American republic that refuses to export bananas to the US in the early 20th century when touched with a fork. I could probably get more flavor out of white meat by cooking chicken, but I’m also scared shitless by anything involving raw chicken. I’m a bit of a hypochondriac when it comes to food—though not enough to wash my hands for the full recommended duration each time when cooking—so whenever I try to cook chicken it ends up getting totally burned because otherwise I won’t touch it for fear of contracting salmonella. In theory, I have more success with red meat. I can cook sausages okay, since I just need to cover them in oil and pan fry them. The real issue here is steak. I love steak, and I’m not terrible at making it. The trick is to add a completely excessive amount of salt and pepper on both sides to build up a big crust, then fry each side in oil until it looks like it’s burned. It ends up being too crispy on the outside and too soft on the inside, but it’s still tasty. At least it would be if I didn’t keep comparing it to my dad’s steaks. Honestly, I’m probably the worst cook in my immediate family. My sister is a naturally gifted cook, and my mom and dad have essentially been trying to one-up each other in cooking skills since their divorce. I’ve only just started trying to make food since last March when going outside became the equivalent of taping an “eviscerate my lungs” sign to your back. So even when I enjoy the steak, it just reminds me of how crappy of a cook I am compared to the rest of my family. That still doesn’t stop me from making it, it just means that once every few weeks I subject myself to feelings of deep inadequacy in exchange for a burst of cholesterol. There have been worse tradeoffs in history.

https://www.campusclipper.com/new/popup1.php?CUP_COD=4026

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By: Alexander Rose

Alexander Rose studies satire at NYU Gallatin and wishes he was actually just Oscar Wilde. He is interested in writing, roleplaying games, and procrastination. Describing himself in the third person like this makes him feel weird.

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 encourages 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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Dating Opportunities & Obstacles

Tuesday, March 16th, 2021

As cliche as it sounds, love is beautiful, and everyone deserves to feel loved and find happiness. People choose to get into relationships for different reasons, whether to share your life with another person, or to fill a void. Sure, it may sound like it’s super simple to have a romantic connection with someone, but have you ever thought about the long term outcomes? It’s difficult to detect if someone is content with their partnership because it’s easy to conceal your true feelings and pretend that everything is fine. I find myself fantasizing all the time about the type of relationship I desire and how amazing it would be. I’m envious of those who’ve already found a partner, it makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong since I’m still single. In spite of my rationale, I understand that I can be setting up myself for disaster and repentance if I carelessly rush myself to obtain a girlfriend. I’m not implying that a romantic connection is awful, because it’s not, just there are perks to being both single and in a relationship. In the long run you’ll most likely make a fair amount of sacrifices and compromise which are pivotal to having a successful love story.

I’m not writing this to condemn you or patronize you if you’re in a relationship for the “wrong” reasons; that’s not what I’m trying to accomplish here. I just want my audience to be well informed and embed into their minds that you’re allowed to take things at a moderate pace; take the time to embrace your single days and mature before placing yourself in a delicate position and being vulnerable, that way you’ll be much more enamored of your partner. Not knowing what you want out of a relationship or the benefits and disadvantages of a relationship can put you in a foggy situation, it’s terrifying to say the least. I don’t want you to leave here in a puzzled state and not valuing your decisions. The next time you’re ready to open to love again, really scrutinize the circumstances beforehand and understand that this is a serious commitment.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-2-questions-to-ask-if-you-want-to-end-up-in-a-happy-relationship-2019-02-13

Opportunities

  • Financial Assistance: As humans, we usually need money to survive and afford our necessities. Unfortunately, not everyone is born wealthy which is why the majority of us have to work our butts off day in and day out to be financially stable. When you find “the one,” they can support you and vice versa; as such, you can pay the bills while your partner can take care of the groceries.
  • Lots of love and appreciation: If you say that you’re okay being alone and feel nonchalant about love, you’re most likely lying. People naturally crave love and the feeling of being acknowledged, we’re all like that in one way or another. You can find that same validation from a close friend but it doesn’t compare to what a romantic partner has to give. It doesn’t take away anything, but I’m just conveying that a romantic connection brings out the best in you since you’ll always be comforted and cherished.
  • Family and friends: As you enter into a long term commitment with your partner, you’ll eventually have to discuss important matters such as having a family. Once you’re in that phase, you can take on new responsibilities as new parents and care for your new family. Having your own children and being parents will generate a special feeling you can’t obtain elsewhere, it’s immeasurable and that’s the epitome of true love. Oh, I can’t forget about friends and social life. In most cases you’ll most likely get along with your partner’s group of friends unless they resent you for some reason or don’t vibe with you. From there, you’ll begin to build relationships with them and get to know them better meaning your social circle will gradually expand.

Obstacles

  • Continuous effort: You may think you’re all set and free to go after establishing a relationship. I hate to break it to you but it’s not that easy. You have to keep supplementing the relationship, otherwise what’s the point? It’s like feeding a turtle for the first couple of days and not feeding it days to come, and then the turtle dies. You still have to do your part and be open to uncomfortable conflicts and conversations. Reference the rule of love languages if you need to, they’re really important principles that will strengthen a partnership. 
  • Time constraint & less freedom: Your lifestyle will undoubtedly change to a great extent and you’ll have to take your partner into account when making decisions. You can’t just do whatever you feel like doing and act on your own accord, that could be seen as being selfish. I don’t know your age but I’m going to presume that you’re an adult and you have things to prioritize and a load of responsibilities to take care of; don’t renounce them and walk away so that your partner can do everything for you. Yes, it’s a drag that you’ll need consent from your partner before going out with your friends for a drink or flying out to a different city, but remember you signed up for this. Ensure that you have your partner’s word before doing anything that can obstruct your relationship, be considerate! 
  • The Possibility of Not Working out: You heard me right, there’s no telling how far a relationship can go just like how unpredictable life is. How can you be so confident and sure that the relationship is going to work out in the long run? I’ve heard many anecdotes regarding how impeccable one’s partnership is and how he or she is “the one.” I can come up with a plethora of reasons that justify a relationship not going as planned; to name a few, the same level of chemistry and momentum you once had for someone may wear off after some time has passed, you might come to the realization that he or she isn’t your person after all, and you may need time for yourself and your partner to be separated. Although you poured your heart and soul into an individual and let your walls down, you can still appreciate the moments you had and learn from your experiences!

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By: Alex Huang

Alex is a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology majoring in Advertising & Marketing Communications. He used to major in psychology because he didn’t know what to do with his life and now wants to be in the business world. He gets distracted easily by all of the pretty girls in New York City and hopes to become a PR or Marketing manager someday. One of his favorite things to do is going out for bubble tea.

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 encourages 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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Confessions of a Recent Graduate: What Am I Going to Do with My Life?

Sunday, March 14th, 2021

The college years are supposed to be the time when you figure out who you are and who you want to be—or at least that’s what I thought when I was 18 years old and headed to my first class at NYU in a blouse-pants combo that tried and failed to come off as business casual. I knew I wanted to apply to NYU’s International Relations Honors Program and that I would double major in Spanish. (At the time, to graduate with an International Relations degree at NYU you had to be admitted in the honors program. Current undergraduates can choose to do the major with or without the honors component). I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with these degrees. I knew I was interested in expanding my horizons in the literal sense; I wanted to learn about the political and cultural complexities of places I had only read about growing up in a conservative Nebraskan town. I also knew I wanted to help people, which I admit is a vague goal, but I felt an almost tangible empathy for the people I met and the people I read about that I couldn’t ignore.

Graduating in my backyard!

I was sure that answers, or at least some sort of clarity, would come to me. I certainly didn’t expect to feel even more unsure of what I wanted to do with my life when receiving my diploma than when I was walking to my first class. I was about to graduate, yet I was reading articles and taking personality tests trying to figure out what type of career might spark my youthful spirit (or at least not smother that spirit under a pillow) and earn me enough money to live in an apartment that’s up to code. After three years of internships, I was still no closer to deciding my career path than when I fumbled to my first interview in ill-fitting heels.

However, I’ve realized that I don’t need to find or choose a career path. I’m already on a career path; it’s right there on my resume. I have years of workplace stories to share from at least three different industries. My eclectic ventures, swinging from job to job, have shown me sides of the world that I wouldn’t have encountered at a small college where the only available jobs are at the library or student center. 

Through this series of articles, I will attempt to connect the dots between my odd jobs, from New York City to Spain, and from public relations to public defense. At first, I wanted to shape foreign policy at the State Department. Then I wanted to fight for justice and work to end mass incarceration as a top-shot attorney. Through these experiences, however, I often felt a creative urge when I least expected it. There was a love for film and literature that I couldn’t satiate no matter how much I consumed. I still want to advance a global mindset, like a UN Ambassador, and contribute to the fight for justice, like an ACLU attorney, but I want to do it through the art of storytelling. 

I resisted this conclusion for a long time, as I was tempted by the increased stability of a more straightforward career path. Through plenty of practice (and years of mental health care), I have learned to accept and even embrace uncertainty. I am constantly discovering what I am interested in, what I am skilled at, and who I want to be. I believe that going to college in New York City is one of the best ways to open yourself to the array of possibilities that is your career and your life. I will share how I navigated the competitive internship market, the setbacks of rejection, and the brilliance of finding something you love to do. I hope to convey that it is more than acceptable to feel uncertain about your future during college. In fact, that uncertainty might propel you somewhere better than you ever expected.

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By Marisa Bianco

Marisa graduated from NYU in May 2020, summa cum laude, with degrees in International Relations and Spanish. She grew up in Nebraska, but she is currently living in Córdoba, Spain, where she works as an English teacher. You can find her eating tapas in the Spanish sun while likely stressing about finding her life’s purpose.

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 encourages 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 Covid Cooking Club: Chapter 1: Pasta

Tuesday, March 9th, 2021

The Covid Cooking Club

Do cooks have to wear masks?
A very professional-looking chef, who is definitely not me.

Introduction

With the current pandemic making venturing outside your room an act equivalent of walking across the street blindfolded, it is more important than ever that college students learn how to effectively prepare food on their own in order to decrease the possibility of getting permanent lung damage without even experiencing the questionable joy of nicotine. Ideally, this information would be given by a professional chef or at the very least someone with any sort of culinary talent. Instead you’re going to be getting it from a conked-out liberal arts student whose only knowledge of gastronomy comes from how far his head is up his own ass. God help you.

Chapter 1: Pasta

Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe - Cooking Classy
A delicious and generic plate of pasta with red sauce, made by someone who also is not me.

Pasta. It’s the classic college food for a reason: that reason being most college students are deeply in debt and can’t actually afford anything else. (If only there was some sort of magazine that offered discounts on food products to help them out! But such a radical idea could never come to pass.) The humble cup of ramen has become an icon among undergraduates less for any inherent nutritional or taste value and more for being their best hope of avoiding complete bankruptcy long enough for their debt holders to be lined up against the wall and shot during the inevitable populist uprising. As someone who has the prospect of postgraduate financial stability through an accident of birth, I am not obligated to prostrate myself before the rapacious god that is instant ramen. This has the practical result of the pasta I make being named in Italian instead of Japanese. Pasta has a long and storied history, most of which can be condensed down into “it’s easy to make and tastes okay.” The cooking setup in my dorm consists of a microwave and a gas stove with two cookers with enough room for exactly 1.5 pots, so ease of preparation is appreciated. Also, I’m very lazy. All anyone needs to prepare pasta is a pot, some water, some salt, and a stirring implement. Put the water, salt, and pasta (preferably but technically not necessarily in that order) in the pot, and then boil until it is ready. After an amount of time totally unrelated to whatever it says on the packaging, the pasta will be ready. This can be tested by eating some of it and seeing if it triggers your gag reflex; other testing methods exist but they all sound as if they were dreamt up by lunatics. This will give you something that is edible. Making something good will require a lot more thought and I am not sure if I am actually up to the task. Sure, I enjoy a lot of the pasta I make, but that’s because I like my food to be as carbohydrate-dense as my writing is linguistically dense, not because I achieved any great success in preparing it. My most frequent failure occurs early. The pasta I prepare most commonly is spaghetti, because I have fond memories of eating it as a kid. I probably ate other pasta as a kid, but spaghetti is the only one I remember. It’s also a terrible choice since I inevitably put too much in, then stir too hard before it gets soft, causing the noodles to snap into pieces and defeat the entire point. I usually have better luck with tortellini and macaroni, yet I make them less because I apparently value nostalgia over competence. Fortunately, any pasta can be saved through use of a good sauce. Unfortunately, I am both too lethargic and too ill-informed to make any so I always use canned sauce from the store (or from my parents when I can swipe some off them). I eat mostly red sauce, which inevitably burns and creates an incredibly annoying brown crust on the pot whenever I try to heat it up. There are many instances where I nearly surrender to the dishes instead of cleaning them, and 75% of those come from red sauce. At least it usually tastes decent, though I somehow managed to always spill some on my shirt. Good pasta ultimately requires good sauce, and not having any saucing skill I am utterly unqualified to instruct anyone in its creation. And let’s be honest, you could figure out how to make it adequately without me telling you.

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By: Alexander Rose

Alexander Rose studies satire at NYU Gallatin and wishes he was actually just Oscar Wilde. He is interested in writing, roleplaying games, and procrastination. Describing himself in the third person like this makes him feel weird.

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 encourages 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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Restaurant Review: Gorin Ramen

Monday, March 8th, 2021

Gorin Ramen is nothing short of exceptional. Paris and I stumbled into the chic restaurant on a freezing weekday night, our faces pink and wind burned from the cold. A good bowl of ramen is exactly what we needed. Warm soup broth, noodles, tender pork belly–what else could you want when it’s 25 degrees out? 

That being said, this location is more than just a fantastic bowl of ramen. The owner Shuma welcomes us enthusiastically. The restaurant’s ambiance matches Shuma’s energy. The hip and friendly chef from Kyoto is extremely accommodating and eager for us to try the uniqueness of his menu. 

Shuma posing at entrance

When we take a seat, I have a chance to admire the restaurant’s setup. The decor is modern, and the tables and stools match the black brick exterior of the building. All diners have a direct view of the kitchen, which gives people the chance to admire the artistry of the chef and food. 

“I’m going to make you guys the gyoza (deep-fried dumplings) and karaage (fried chicken). For ramen the Abura-Soba, the Classic Gorin, and the Kitakata. Also two desserts: the Matcha affogato and Hakka style mochi!” 

Paris and I look at each other and exchange smiles–we already know we are in for a treat. We ordered two drinks, a Tokyo sparkling cocktail and a plum wine. Both are delicious, but we are particularly enamored by the cocktail. The bitterness of grapefruit are perfectly complemented by the sweetness of the drink.

Plum sparkling wine
Tokyo sparkling cocktail

The appetizers come out, and we are already impressed by the presentation. The karaage, or fried chicken, is glistening with caramelized sugar. We both take a bite, and I am immediately in love. The skin is crispy, and the saltiness and sweetness is perfectly balanced. 

It is a challenge to move on from the chicken, but Paris and I both grudgingly use our chopsticks to pop pork gyoza into our mouths. We aren’t disappointed.  “The sauce perfectly compliments the dumpling,” Paris says. “I also love the pairing of scallions, it adds a freshness to the food!”

Karaage fried chicken
Pork gyoza

From our seats we watch Shu conduct culinary magic in the kitchen, noodles and broth boil in big pots. Flames flare as shallots and pork belly fry. The aroma that fills the restaurant is completely intoxicating. 

All of the ramens have their time and place. The flavors of the Abura-Soba and Classic Gorin are similar, the pork belly and noodles are the same. The greatest difference is that Abura-Soba doesn’t have broth, which is why I would be more inclined to get it in late spring or summer. 

The star of the show (according to me, Paris, and Shuma) is the Kitakata ramen. Get the Kitakata ramen. That is a command, not a suggestion. The pork belly is extremely delicate and the broth is amazing. Shuma has infused it with a chicken flavoring, which makes the dish taste less salty and more balanced.

Abura-Soba Ramen
Classic Gorin
Kitakata Ramen

When dessert comes out, we are stuffed. However, these treats are not something you want to pass on. The matcha affogato are small mochi stuffed with ice cream, and hot matcha tea comes alongside it. Shuma tells us we are supposed to pour the tea over the mochi. The effect is the mochi becomes infused with matcha flavoring and gooey. 

I am a peanut butter fiend, and as soon as I try the mochi lightly dusted with peanut powder, I am obsessed.  

As our experience comes to a close, I consider the highlights:

  1. Food. Everything was delicious–Shuma is a fantastic cook! However, I found the sparkling cocktail, karaage, kitakata, and peanut mochi to be the most excellent.
  2. Service. The servers and staff in this restaurant are extremely accommodating and dedicated to their customers. 
  3. Go during weekdays! Gorin is busy during the weekends, break up your monotonous week by stopping by for seating that is more guaranteed.

When we finish our amazing meal, Paris and I realize that we were so captivated by the restaurant experience that we forgot to take pictures of ourselves! In a frantic scramble to rectify this error, we took a picture with the matcha tea, where there is no longer mochi because we ate it all.

Me posing with melted mochi and matcha
Paris and matcha soup

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By: Erin Zubarik 

My name is Erin Zubarik and I am a Junior at New York University majoring in Global Liberal Studies and minoring in Chinese and Italian. Over the last few years I have been lucky enough to study abroad in Florence and Beijing, where I enhanced my language skills and became acquainted with lovely people. This fall I am primarily holed up in my apartment taking online classes, and playing with my hamster Pork Chop. 

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 encourages 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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