Archive for July, 2022

Reflecting Friendships

Friday, July 29th, 2022

I like to think that my worldview has grown a lot in the past few years. Once I took the first steps necessary to become more independent and responsible, beginning with my journey into a foreign country for college and continuing as I make my way towards different travels and milestones, I came to realize many lessons and values that I failed to before. Most particularly, I learned how to reevaluate my relationship with the people around me. 

I often hear about “red flags” or “warning signs” in any kind of relationship on social media, and though these warnings aren’t always reliable, they prompted me to start considering my personal boundaries with others. There were tiktoks and tweets that I came across that made really general statements about interactions, categorizing slow texters or people who use a certain kind of emoji as being “bad” or undesirable. While I know I shouldn’t take these posts too seriously, I began wondering if I had traits that others considered to be “red flags” or absolute boundaries, or just how others viewed their relationship with me in general. Of the faults that I could readily list about myself, I must admit to being a terrible texter. Not because I don’t want to respond, but oftentimes I just forget to, or I get way too in my head about it and end up feeling unnecessary anxiety about my replies instead. I wondered if these “failed” interactions were my fault, or if I was allowed to expect my friends to be more or less accommodating of these faults. 

As with most people, I’ve had my fair share of difficulties in navigating relationships, particularly with friendships. I grew up in a small community amongst a rather static group of peers. Few people entered this circle, and fewer people really left. It’s safe to say that my social circle never experienced major ups or downs, and as time passed everyone kind of just got used to being around each other. While I was fine with this as a child, I started feeling more and more alienated as I grew older and my interests developed differently from my peers. Quite a few of my friendships came to pass in this manner — maintained as an extended familiarity, but fading away without any real attachments. 

As a result, I held a lot of rather naive expectations about socialization when I grew older and started stepping out into a broader community. I figured that with an increased population size I would find my place somehow, and I definitely believed I did, but it was only as my freshman year of college came to a close that I realized that my “place” was just temporary. As this first year progressed, my peers began to shed their early orientation-driven enthusiasm and with it, many friend groups collapsed and faded away. I found myself at a loss as conflicts erupted in the groups around me, and my own relationships with these people grew brittle, and eventually broke away. I was deeply upset that those I had trusted and believed to be close confidants had so easily let go of our friendships. 

In the two years since then, I’ve grown and found comfort in my own goals and interests, but I often recall the naivety I held in my first year, and wonder if there was anything I should’ve changed to keep hold of the people who I thought were important. But at the same time, without these continuing attachments, I’ve had the time to reflect on myself and really focus on my own growth. I’ve come to appreciate being alone most of the time, much unlike the way my old friend group was adamant about doing everything together. I think I’ve found that keeping to myself works a lot better for my personality, and in this time I spent focusing on myself, I’ve also found several very valued friendships that I’m comfortable within and that I trust to be respectful of my boundaries. Most importantly, I’ve come to accept that there are some people who are only meant to be in my life for a period of time, and though they no longer hold that position, I should just be thankful for the joyful memories we shared and let them go without resentment. 

Exploring shared interests is a great way to spend time with my friends without feeling overwhelmed or fatigued — this was from a trip to Dia Beacon!

My younger self was perhaps too dependent on the idea of the glorified “best friend,” the media-marketed ideal of a tight-knit group where everything functions perfectly and no one ever gets hurt. While this may be a reality for many people, it simply hasn’t been for me, and I understand now that this expectation may have prevented me from really being a good friend to others. I convinced myself that the issue was just that we weren’t a fit, and while that may have been the case as well, this selfish belief kept me from putting in as much effort as I perhaps should have. But as I’ve matured and cast aside such habits, I think my greatest lesson throughout these many failed friendships is that there really isn’t a reason why I should need a perfect friend group. More than anything, I’ve learned that I’m perfectly fine and happy even without, and this ideal that I chased all throughout childhood only served to make myself miserable as I compared every relationship I had to “perfection” and found them wanting. There were definitely many connections that I mistakenly let go of due to these misconceptions, but as a wiser (as I’d like to think) version of myself, I trust that I have grown enough to be happy as I am, and hope that in this way, I can foster much healthier relationships with the people I come across in the future. 


One of the best ways I’ve found to catch up with others is to meet up for a meal or a cup of coffee and chat. Use this student discount and treat yourself and a friend!


By: Fiona Lin

Fiona Lin is a rising senior at New York University’s Abu Dhabi Campus pursuing a double major in Literature and Creative Writing and Art and Art History. She enjoys traveling, drinking tea, and learning new languages. In her free time, you can find her reading web novels or playing video games.


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.

Share

Chapter 1: Keeping Up With Your High School Friends

Thursday, July 28th, 2022

One of the most integral parts of the college experience is moving away from home to explore new horizons in the brave new world of college. However, people inevitably get left behind in the process whenever someone goes somewhere new. When you were growing up, it’s very likely that you made a couple of friends along your path to adulthood. Sometimes you saw these friends daily, whether in class, in clubs, or just hanging out in your free time. Not being able to see these friends who you’ve spent all of your time with for much of your daily life may be easy for some people but can be a big adjustment for others when they get to college. 

Image Credit: https://unsplash.com/photos/jCEpN62oWL4

In my experience, people tend to have one of two reactions when interacting with their high school friends in college: people either stay very closely attached to those friendships, or they neglect them altogether. It is important to remember that wherever you go, these relationships will still be a part of your life, and there are ways to include them in your life in a balanced way.

The best way to manage high school friendships is to set times to talk to them each week. If there are high school friends that you find yourself wanting to maintain some kind of relationship with, the first step is to track how much time you’re already interacting with them, whether it’s long video calls or short text exchanges. If you find that you’re constantly catching up on long calls with your friends back home, the best solution to this is to set a time each week to chat with them. While staying connected with your friends is good, you want to be careful to avoid doing so at the cost of your social life at college. College has a diverse social landscape chock-full of opportunities to try new things and to meet new people. It is important to take at least some time to explore these opportunities. College is now, and it will likely be at least a few months before you see your high school friends again. Once you get to the point where you have some roots at college, you can start dividing the time between high school and college friends however you like. Setting times to talk to people can also be helpful if you already have trouble maintaining relationships with people, especially ones you want to keep. Set a reminder for yourself to send a text or two a week to a few friends, just asking them about how they’ve been. While it may not seem like much, these little gestures can go a long way in maintaining friendships, and they are an easy way to hold yourself accountable. Sometimes people can struggle socially at college, and these little messages can help friends lean on one another. 

My second tip for high school friendships is to recognize that people are going to inevitably change. College is a completely new environment that is different from that of your hometown, and that means people are going to have the opportunity to explore themselves without the influence of parents, teachers, or other people that they’ve had in their life. Maybe they pick up a new hobby or start to explore another side of their personality. Either way, the next time you see your high school friends, it is very likely they will not be the same person as when you left them. In some cases, this could mean strengthening a bond with a person who is more in touch with themselves than ever before. In other cases, this could mean that a relationship that was strong before doesn’t last a year after college. This is totally okay. Not every relationship you have has to last forever. Starting and ending relationships is just a part of life. You do not have to feel guilty that you don’t connect with a person the same way you did before. Now you can use the experiences from that relationship to become a better person for your new friends down the line.

My final tip is to give your high school friends a chance. I think some people tend to get caught up in the newness of college. People hear that college will be the best four years of their life, and, as a result,  will try to leave everything in their “old life” behind. Like it or not, your old life is still your life, and the things that happened in it are going to influence you moving forward. In addition, this attitude can create high expectations of your time in college that may never be reached. Yes, it is true that college can be the best four years of your life, but that doesn’t mean it has to or that it will be. Yes, it is true that you may drift apart from people you may not be as compatible with anymore, but sometimes you can keep some really good friends from your high school years and continue to grow with them. Just as you can’t afford to waste any new opportunities in college, you can’t waste any old opportunities with your friends back home. 


And finally, when you do go back home for break, what better way to catch up on college memories than on some good food in the city? You can try some great North Indian food at Punjab Palace! You can get 10% off your takeout order with your student ID!

By: Lucas Pratt


Lucas Pratt is a senior at Boston College studying Philosophy, English, and Chinese. He enjoys games of all kinds, Dungeons and Dragons, and getting around to finishing the copy of Dune that’s been sitting on his nightstand for months on end. Lucas has decided that the words “employable majors” don’t mean anything to him, and is eagerly seeing where the world takes him in the future.


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.

Share

Rapid Revival Resteraunt Review Returns Reinvigorated: Bobwhite Counter

Tuesday, July 26th, 2022

I did in fact vanish into the luminiferous aether, but only for two months.

I love fried chicken almost as much as I love not dying of heart disease. In fact, based on my consumption of it I may actually like it a little more. Bobwhite Counter is a place designed to deliver as much fried chicken to your stomach as quickly as possible. The inside of the shop is rather spartan, but that’s because accommodation would get in the way of chicken. The outside seats are nice though.

(My images won’t load so pretend there’s a picture of chicken here)

The chicken itself is great. The breading is less crispy than expected but sticks onto the meat very well, while the actual chicken is quite good: a little spicy, but not enough to offend my vulnerable white tastebuds. It’s served with a biscuit which somehow manages to be both crunchy and doughy at the same time, which should be considered the highest biscuit-related praise.

(Same as above but with macaroni)

They also had Mac and Cheese, both of which are things I definitely RP ever over not having heart disease. It’s definitely Mac and there’s definitely cheese, in a bit of a hot and sloppy configuration that’s very tasty though also spicy enough to burn my throat while going down.

(Imagine whatever you want here, maybe some sort of pachyderm)

I was obligated to try the brownie after the Bean swindled me. I am happy to report that it is in fact an actual brownie, with all the implications that carries. It has a little too much flour, but that’s a small price to pay for authenticity.

Verdict: 9/10 Failed Image Uploads


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.

Share

Will I Ever Be Doing Enough?

Monday, July 25th, 2022

You aren’t doing enough. 

You’re a failure. 

Other people will do it better than you. 

You’re disappointing.

These self-deprecating thoughts are constantly running through my mind. In culmination of the question, “will I ever be doing enough?” It seems at moments when I am doing okay, whether it be at school or work, I always believe I can be doing it better and that my parents would expect more from me. 

Yet, my parents have never actually applied this type of pressure onto me or anything I do. They expect me to only do what makes me happy and yet, I still feel I disappoint them if I don’t achieve all these great things or succeed at everything the first time. 

I feel this need to be productive 24/7 in order to feel okay with myself, which is suffocating. When I overload myself I tend to crave a break and burn out easily. But, when I take a break, I think of all the other things I have left to do, and then inwardly tear myself apart. My thoughts constantly lead me to believe that I am lazy or that I am not doing the best that I can with my work. When I am taking a break, I feel that I’m not actually resting because my mind is always thinking about the work I have left to do. I’m not actually taking care of myself because my mind won’t let me stop thinking about the ways I need to improve. This can make taking breaks just as exhausting as doing work. 

Image Credit: https://clipart.world

To alleviate this stress, I try to engage in some form of self-care that will help keep my mind off of the work that has yet to be done. However, it is not a long-term solution. Overall, when taking breaks, I try to keep my mind clear and off of everything that needs to be done. I remind myself that I deserve a break because I have done the things that I wanted to accomplish today. Despite this reminder,  I still want to try and get ahead. Even when I am taking a break, I go on social media and I see all these other people that have multiple internships or jobs, and then I compare myself to them. I feel as though I am falling behind and must catch up to them to feel some sort of accomplishment. 

This outward comparison adds a pressure that maybe isn’t even really there, and yet it feels like it is crushing me. And that I will never be doing enough in college or in my summers that will help me to be successful. Most times, to quiet this outward comparison I really try to remind myself that everyone works at their own pace, and that all I really need to do is focus on my own goals and work to achieve them on my own time. 

If you are in NYC and feel that you need a break from work and school, try getting out and visiting Café Habana, get 15% off when you show the coupon below.


By: Ashley Geiser 

Ashley Geiser is a Junior studying English with a concentration in Creative Writing at Pace University. She is also the Editor-in-Chief and Co-President for Her Campus at Pace. She loves reading and editing. And when she is not reading or editing, she can be found baking in her kitchen.


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.

Share

Are You Still Watching?

Sunday, July 24th, 2022

Surely we have all come across this question once or twice before in our lives—the one Netflix asks you when you have been watching TV all day and they want to do a cute little check in to make sure you’re still there. At which point you pause, think to yourself, “wow, have I really been watching all day?” and then you proceed to hit “continue watching.” What fun!

If there was a time that we needed entertainment the most, it was during the pandemic. We were cut off from our friends, our family members, our neighbors, and basically everyone who we didn’t already live with, and aside from worrying about our safety, it was a time of mass boredom. We seemed to have so much time on our hands, so what were we to do with it?

At the beginning, for me at least, keeping busy took the form of watching TV. It was easy to do before, in between, or after Zoom classes, and it doesn’t take a lot of energy to keep you engaged. I had just gotten Disney+ the previous winter, and during a time of increased isolation, you could say I was feeling a bit nostalgic. I started watching some of my favorite childhood TV shows like Wizards of Waverly Place. Then, I obviously had to undertake the very strenuous task of watching all of the Marvel movies in timeline order. I later started watching the more predictable teenage fan favorites, like The Vampire Diaries and Outer Banks, and after finally succumbing to all of the traction it was gaining on TikTok and Twitter, I regrettably watched the first season of Tiger King (key word, first). As many I’m sure can agree, it was a time that was favorable to consuming all kinds of content in whatever way we could get it.

But the allure of the television could only last for so long, and soon I was looking for other things to do once my time freed up after classes were done for the semester. First, it was making friendship bracelets (which turned out terrible), then it was painting any and everything in my room (not as bad as the friendship bracelets but still not my best work), and finally it was doing 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles (subtle flex, I know).

My family was also trying to find new ways to spend time together, since we were all getting caught up in the monotony. We started getting takeout every Wednesday so we could have a treat to look forward to, even though we usually just rotated between our usual favorite restaurants. When the weather started to get nice and it was safe to spend time with people outdoors, we took our dog on a family walk every Sunday at nearby parks and trails. Although I did not love getting up early on weekends, it was a nice way to get some exercise, leave the house, and spend time with my family.

Hunter, the 15-year old dog in question.

At school, trying to find ways to be social and have fun while keeping myself and others safe was also a challenge. We couldn’t go back to doing all the things we enjoyed doing at college, but we just had to find new things and expand our horizons. For instance, during the fall of 2020, my roommates and I went to a pumpkin patch to pick pumpkins and get ice cream. It was a great way to do something fun while also abiding by COVID-19 guidelines.

Self-explanatory.

Out of all the activities I did to keep myself occupied during the pandemic, the thing that I did the most was read. Throughout my life, I have always loved reading—getting lost in fictitious worlds, being inspired by my favorite characters. When I was little, I would go through books incredibly fast, especially if they came from the Magic Tree House series. Of course, children’s books are shorter, but I also just had more time and energy to immerse myself in a good read. In middle and high school, I still loved to read, but I didn’t make it as much of a priority as other things—like homework, sports, and extracurriculars. It wasn’t until quarantine that I truly began to rekindle my love for reading. I would take my books, lay outside in the sun, and read for hours. I also started to read a little bit each night before I went to bed, which had one of two effects: either it would help me fall asleep, or it would keep me up half the night turning the pages. Regardless, I made a promise to myself that I would read a little bit each day, even while I was at school; reading was not only something that I loved to do, but it was also a great form of escapism during a time when many of us needed it most.

Our lives are so busy that we rarely take the time to pause and do things for ourselves. We always come up with excuses or push things off, but it’s important to make time for things that matter to us. Of course, work will always be important, but finding small moments every day to do something for you—even if it’s just a chapter a night—can be just as important, whether you are at school or at home. Honestly, if the pandemic had not come along to slow things down, I might not have realized just how caught up I was in the motions of everyday life. I think that sometimes we feel like entertainment is synonymous with wasting time, but it’s always important to take a breather, blow off some steam, and immerse yourself in something that makes you happy. It won’t always come easy, since as I’m sure we can all attest, these last few years have introduced us to a feeling of fatigue like no other, one that makes social activities or hobbies feel just as draining as work. Finding what gives you joy comes in bits and pieces and changes all the time, so just remember to be patient with yourself. 

And, if you’re looking to start your own version of take-out Wednesdays, use this coupon to get 10% off Indian cuisine from Punjab Palace!


By: Katie Reed

Katie Reed is a senior at Villanova University studying English and Communication. She is in utter disbelief that she just admitted to being a senior. She loves to read, but has made barely a dent in the increasingly large pile of books on her bookshelf that she told herself she would read this summer. She hopes to enter a career in the editing and publishing industry.


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.

Share

Songwriting and Publishing: Burning Bridges

Sunday, July 24th, 2022

Burning Bridges

Any fan of Taylor Swift can reassure you that there is no better feeling than screaming one of her bridges at the top of your lungs. You might even lose your voice from it. There’s something in the way that she writes this pivotal part of her songs; they make you feel like you’re releasing the emotions you’ve tried so hard to gather. The bridge of any song, but hers, in particular, progresses the story, allowing the audience to fluidly follow. For example, the bridge of Taylor’s song “Cruel Summer” gets me every time. The catchiness of the shift in melody and the impact of such well-written lyrics make it impossible to not scream along. It evokes the feeling of falling in love with the windows down in your car going a million miles an hour. Listening to it makes you feel like you’ve just popped a bottle of champagne and there’s an overflow of bubbles you cannot contain. This is what makes a good bridge; not only does the song provoke such emotion, but it is the shift in emotion that makes it so valuable. It is the showing and not telling part of the song that allows people to feel such an overwhelmingness of emotion that you, plain and simple, have to scream. 

With such high expectations to live up to, writing a bridge is very difficult for me, especially the part where you change tones in the melody. Usually, in all the songs I listen to, the bridge is a variation or alteration of the original chord progression found in the verses and the chorus. This automatically sets the tone for the bridge. Will it be uplifting or will it be absolutely gut-wrenching? If it’s uplifting, major chords will suffice, but if it’s a sadder vibe you are willing to achieve, minor chords are your best friend. Sometimes, or in my case, I chose to make the bridge in my song take a more despairing turn melodically, but have the lyrics be on the happier side to create a push and pull effect. I think that this adds more dimension to what I’m trying to achieve. Yes, a love song is supposed to be happy and make you feel, well, in love, but love itself is a very complicated emotion. It is not a linear line to get from point A to B, but more like a tornado of different emotions combined into one. Cruel Summer is a perfect example of this. It makes you feel happy during the verses and chorus, but once that bridge hits, I’m three sheets to the wind and angered, wanting to scream the words that Taylor wrote so beautifully. 

There is no such thing as a perfect bridge, let alone, any part of a song. What I think makes an effective bridge is a distinctive contrast in point of view. Lyrically the words shouldn’t be ones that simply push or continue the already stated narrative but create a new outlook. I usually draw inspiration from events in my life to solidify what I’m trying to convey. In any circumstance, this is the most natural way for me to gather inspiration. For example, Taylor Swift’s song “Betty” is told from a whole different point of view that isn’t Betty’s, but from a teenage boy who is experiencing losing his first love after making a huge mistake. This throws the audience off, but when you listen to it, the more intense it grows, all from a perspective that isn’t her own. The bridge in this song is a sense of realization in his apology, saying “I was walking home on broken cobblestones/ Just thinking of you/ When she pulled up like/ A figment of my worst intentions/ She said “James, get in, let’s drive”/ Those days turned into nights/ Slept next to her, but/ I dreamt of you all summer long”. This bridge not only leads us listeners right into the sweet spot of the song but unpacks more of the story as to why things happened the way they did. 

It’s important to note that not all songs need bridges and sometimes it doesn’t even feel necessary to clump one in. A bridge should act as an emotional response to the rest of the verses and chorus. Think of it as a tool to lyrically shift the perspective in your writing, but it is not always imperative to include one, some songs do just fine without them. What I love the most about bridges and writing them is that they take a situation and look at it from a completely different angle which can be so therapeutic, especially if the song is based on true life experiences. It gives not only the audience clarity for the sake of the progression of the story, but it allows you as a writer to step back from your work and look at your inspirations from a completely fresh point of view. 

Use this coupon at Al’s Cafe to get a $10 student deal to grab a sub in between songwriting!


By Megan Grosfeld

Megan Grosfeld is a Junior at Emerson College majoring in Writing, Literature, and Publishing with a concentration in Publishing. Her dream is to be like the modern Carrie Bradshaw of the Publishing world, but with more writing, sex, and infinite pairs of Manolo Blahniks.


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.

Share

The Quit

Saturday, July 23rd, 2022

The vape is clutched in their hand. They hit the device, casually, not understanding their privilege. Their lack of reverence for the “dizzy” fills me with a fiery anger. They don’t appreciate how lucky they are to be able to satiate their nicotine addiction. I grind my teeth together and try to remember my tracker, counting my days. They’re saying something, laughing about something. I can’t take my eyes off the colorful cylinder. An unending cycle of words courses through my brain, through my veins: “I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it.” I have no idea what they are talking about. I can’t think of any of the reasons I’d written down, can’t think of any reason I shouldn’t be allowed this one reprieve, a momentary breath of utter bliss. “Can I?” I blurt out, pointing to the vape. I am granted my deepest desire, but the vapor that spills into my lungs hurts, making my throat close and stomach curl. The “dizzy” betrays me. I want to go back, I wish I hadn’t broken my streak, I wish I could’ve held out for another minute. I open the tracker app and reset my timer, disgusted.

Quitting nicotine is comparable to breaking up with a toxic ex. Someone who makes you feel good but tears you down. Who keeps you from realizing your full potential. Even though you know they’re bad for you, you miss the good times. You let them back in when they beg you to, and you have to cultivate the strength to kick them out of your life once again.

This is Quitting sent me a text in late September, saying “Write a breakup letter to your vape. It may seem silly, but a letter can be an emotional commitment to quitting.” I did think a breakup letter sounded silly. Because I had already written so much about nicotine and why I needed it out of my life, however, I figured writing a letter directly to nicotine could be satisfying. A final goodbye.

“I should’ve never let you [nicotine] in, because you’ve wormed your way into my head. It’s hard getting rid of you. I worry that I’m never going to be able to forget you, fully leave you behind. But that worry is a trick. That’s YOU, in my brain, still trying to pull the strings. YOU DON’T OWN ME… You are simply a nuisance, a weed I must uproot from my psyche. It hurts, in all honesty, and the pulling is long and drawn out… well, I’m not having any of it. You are disgusting. You hurt me, you harm my whole being, but you had me hooked. Not anymore. We are DONE.”

-”the breakup,” September 2021.

It did feel good. I felt free. I turned to this form of coping with the withdrawals more often, jotting down my experiences and feelings in my notes app or typing away a craving in my QuitVaping app. As a writer, it would make sense that writing about this frustration and pain would be so helpful.

I didn’t just write in order to erase the habit. I changed so many areas of my life in order to shake nicotine, replacing the old routine with something new. I doodled to keep my hands busy, drank coffees and teas constantly, kept my purse stocked with suckers, watched asmr videos in an attempt to replace the physical feeling of the “dizzy” with tingles (somewhat effective). I wrote when I was particularly frustrated, and other moments were filled with little tasks to keep my mind from returning to nic.

Doodles produced by the urge to do something with my hands.

I was exposed to nicotine nearly constantly, which sucked. Being without nicotine is okay when you don’t have any access. You can forget about it and replace it with something else, as I did with coffee and suckers and snacks. I knew that any of those things were better than nicotine in the long run, for both my health and my bank account. Being near someone who has a vape or a cigarette, however, created such a strong craving that I gave in time after time, begging to obtain the “dizzy.” It was embarrassing that I couldn’t quite kick the habit just yet.

A coffee to keep the cravings away.

While I didn’t have the strength to fully stop thinking about nicotine, I had the strength to stop buying my own, to keep it out of my dorm and my spaces. Progress was slow, but I found myself making it to 3, 4, even 5 days with no nicotine before breaking, and with each reset of the timer, I began to feel more confident that I could be done forever. Finally, in mid-November, that day came. I pushed through cravings like never before, even when I was around temptations that nearly gave me physical pain. The rush of satisfaction and triumph I experienced each night I avoided the “dizzy” was nearly as good as the “dizzy” itself.

“It wasn’t too bad. Seriously, future Soph. Don’t. Have a sucker or a mint or some gum or a snack or some ice. ANY of those are better. You’ve got this<3” 

 -QuitVaping Check-in: December 3, 2021.

I couldn’t quit by myself. My newfound conviction stemmed from thoughts of my family and friends, of others who needed me to be strong and push through these cravings. In the moments when I couldn’t quit for myself, I quit for my mom. I quit for my friends, those who vaped and those who didn’t. I quit for everyone else, until finally I could quit for myself. For past-me, the writer who wanted so badly to escape the cage she’d built herself. For future-me, who still wanted to be able to sing and run and save her hard-earned money. Finally, I quit.

“I haven’t had any nicotine in my body for a whole month. Life goes on. I might miss you sometimes, but I know my decision to stay away is the best for me and my friends. I escaped your clutches!! I have complete control over my thoughts and actions. You don’t deserve another second of my time or another penny of my hard earned money… Cheers to a month without you, nicotine. Fuck you.”

– “an anniversary,” December 2021.

Even after a month without any nicotine in my body, being nic-free was difficult. Gina Shaw’s medically reviewed WebMD article entitled “Surviving Without Smoke: Month 1” discusses what nicotine withdrawal looks like, saying “…symptoms of nicotine withdrawal include: anxiety, irritability, headache, trouble sleeping, fatigue, and hunger.” Shaw writes that these symptoms “hit a peak within the first three days of quitting,” but can linger for two full weeks. By the time you’ve made it a month without nicotine, these symptoms should be greatly diminished, if not fully gone. The cravings for nicotine, however, are a different story. I began to ask myself, “when will the cravings actually go away?”


Through my experience quitting nicotine, I found that coffee is a simple joy in life that can be both rewarding and motivating! I find that discounted coffee is even better:) NYU students, head over to Brewlita for 20% off your order when you show your student I.D.!

Sophie Rounds is a rising junior at Loyola University Chicago, double majoring in creative writing and Spanish. She loves to read and wishes she were a better cook. When she is not reading or writing, she enjoys singing in several choirs at her university and thrifting with her friends.


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.

Share

Taylor’s Version

Saturday, July 23rd, 2022

When you go to listen to Taylor Swift on Apple Music or Spotify, I’m sure you’ve noticed that her two latest released albums are labeled with “Taylor’s Version.” Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version) are the first two albums that the artist has re-recorded since their original release. In 2019, Swift announced the plan to re-record her first six studio albums, along with surprising her fans with unreleased songs from “the vault.”

Being one of the biggest and most dedicated musical artists in the world, why is Taylor Swift releasing her previously recorded songs once again? Unfortunately, it is not shocking that a hardworking and successful woman has had her work stolen while certain individuals attempt to deface her career. When she was just 15, Swift signed with Big Machine Records, however, this contract ended in 2018 when the company was sold to Ithaca Holdings, owned by Scooter Braun. Braun sold Taylor’s first six albums without her consent along with owning the rights to sell and distribute any copies of these albums.

Re-recording and re-releasing these albums on her own terms gives Swift ownership of each of the songs that she has written, sung, and played. She is now able to own the masters of her first six albums. She already owns her most recent albums; Lover, Folklore, and Evermore. As each of Taylor’s first six records gains the label “Taylor’s Version,” not only is she rightfully taking back what is hers, but these songs are being reborn to dedicated fans and to a new generation of listeners. As a woman who has dealt with a great deal of misogyny throughout her career, it is empowering to watch Taylor Swift always come out stronger in the end, even with people’s attempts to bring her down.

It’s not every day that devoted fans get to relive the journey of growing up with their favorite artist’s music. Listening to the original release of Fearless when I was 7 years old, I was eager to experience all my “firsts;” my first crush, my first best friend, my first day of high school. Now, listening to the re-recording, I reminisce on the enthusiasm and heartbreak that resulted from these experiences, all while feeling nostalgic about growing up. Living in my first New York City apartment while Red was re-released reminded me of how grateful I am to be living in this city, soaking in lyrics like “’Cause in this city’s barren cold I still remember the first fall of snow” and “Back to a first glance feeling on New York time.” I’m so excited for the next four re-recordings, as I’ll get to not only relive parts of my childhood but continue to connect her music to my personal growth.

If you are a life-long fan or if you just listen to her music occasionally, you can appreciate Taylor Swift’s current journey right along with her. Whether you’re inspired by her efforts to take back what is hers, praise her mature vocals on the new albums, or are excited about “the vault” tracks, we can all learn valuable lessons from this amazing artist. You can show your support for these re-recordings by listening to Taylor’s Version and deleting the stolen copies from your music library! Songs from Fearless such as “Fifteen,” “You Belong With Me,” and “The Way I Loved You” will transport you back to your childhood bedroom. Songs from Red will validate all your feelings of loneliness, betrayal, and happiness, especially with vault tracks like “I Bet You Think About Me” and “Better Man.”


Pick up your favorite snack from Mulberry Market with this student discount!

Jacqueline Rappa is a rising senior at the Fashion Institute of Technology studying Advertising and Marketing Communications with a minor in English. You can find her aimlessly walking around New York City while drinking an iced coffee and listening to her favorite albums on repeat.


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.

Share

The Art of Eating Chapter 2: Middle Eastern Food (Naya)

Friday, July 22nd, 2022

July is finally making itself known in New York City this week as the heat rolls in through the streets and the air takes on more and more oppressive humidity. Standing out in the sun feeling the sweat roll down my back, it’s easy to imagine getting away and finding somewhere to finally cool off. My imagination transports me to a faraway place where the food compliments the weather and can help me relax in this overbearing heat. Seeking this out, I decide to duck into a restaurant and reset. Naya has several locations across Manhattan, but the one I manage to stumble across on this sweltering afternoon is located on University Place– just a step or two away from some of NYU’s main buildings. Right away entering the restaurant is a sigh of relief; it feels so good to finally be enjoying the air conditioning and protection from the sun inside a nice building.

Interior of Naya with seating (left) and bar for ordering (right)

My first impression is that the whole store is really spacious with a lot of seating options. There’s a large area next to the bar to order food that’s full of tables and chairs, but customers can also sit at the window and face out at the street if they’d prefer. Sitting here gives customers a full view of Naya’s outdoor seating, though there’s a notable lack of people enjoying the tables out there today. Whether or not the weather makes it unbearable to take the food outside, the air conditioning inside keeps food and people alike nice and cool! At Naya, ordering said food is also quite simple. There are three main bases to choose from for your meal: roll, bowl, and salad. From there you slide down the counter, pick out a protein for your meal, and then finally choose from a wide range of toppings.

As a die hard pita fan I, of course, have to go with the roll for my main base; it’s truly the perfect way to enclose any combination of food. Easy to eat and easy to enjoy. Still, the pita is just the base and there are countless possibilities for what to put in it. The employee helping me gives me a hint by suggesting that the chicken shawarma is a customer favorite, and who am I to break the norm? That, along with the tahini sauce and an assortment of vegetables like cucumbers, and cabbage, makes up the refreshing roll of my aforementioned, overheated dreams. If the roll isn’t refreshing enough though, then the salad bowl is sure to resolve any remaining issues. My friend, Alex, is feeling the heat as much as me apparently, as she orders that with a large assortment of cool vegetables. 

Wrap with chicken shawarma and tahini sauce

Once our main meals are all put together all that’s left is to grab a drink and take our seats. Most of the options are pretty familiar brands, but there is an organic peach ginger black tea that catches my eye. The flavors are perfectly refreshing and the natural fruity quality also goes well with the sweet flavor of fresh tomatoes in my roll. It also has a lovely little haiku written on the side of the bottle to remind you that life is beautiful sometimes and not always gross, and sweaty, and hot. I guess. Still, in the middle of a long day looking out the window at New York and enjoying a fresh meal, the heat doesn’t seem so bad. Thanks to the good food and the relaxing vibe, once I’m done with eating I feel rejuvenated and ready to brave the suffocating heat again.

Overall, Naya is not only a great casual spot to take shelter from the weather, it’s also nice to just simply sit and enjoy the food there. They offer a lot of customizable options for everyone with fresh produce and great flavors!

To those looking to cool off, or just anyone excited to give Middle Eastern food a try, be sure to use this coupon along with your student ID:

If you want to see more snippets of the food and interior of Naya you can also check out my TikTok on the Campus Clipper page!


By: Peter Schoenfeld

Peter Schoenfeld is an illustrator and self proclaimed food fanatic from New York. If he’s not trying new food, he’s drawing it (and if he’s not doing either of those things, then you can probably find him curled up on the couch watching dramas). As an incoming sophomore at the School of Visual Art he focuses on creating art that connects people to his personal passions– like eating!


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.

Share

(Cultural) Spaces

Friday, July 22nd, 2022

One of the greatest takeaways from my time in college has been my understanding of cultural literacy. Knowledge and curiosity about other cultures has fundamentally altered the attitude and actions I take when interacting with the people around me. 

When I first moved to Abu Dhabi for my freshman year of college, I held a lot of preconceived notions about what living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) might be like. Prior to my departure, many of my friends and family worried about whether the country would be safe or accepting of foreigners like me. At that point, I had done a bit of research on the country, so I was relatively confident that I would adjust well, but it was only after my arrival that I understood the importance of cultural acceptance and open-mindedness. As someone who had never been in the region before, I found cultural expectations and religious considerations to be confusing at times, especially because unlike my home country, religion plays a major role in the UAE. During my orientation we learned about some general customs and norms within the country, including local religious holidays and practices, differences in the work week (Sundays to Thursdays!), and even ways to show respect for the culture in our public presence. In one of our first orientation seminars, we engaged in discussions about ideas of religion, secularity, and government. The orientation committee told us about religious and cultural taboos, and asked us, very politely, to refrain from wearing anything overtly revealing in public spaces. While most of these considerations were not strictly enforced or punishable, they reminded me to be mindful of the different customs of a foreign place, and this reminder became very important as I began to adjust to my new environment. 

On my first visit to a mosque, I wore skinny jeans and a t-shirt, but was told at the entrance that such clothing would not be appropriate. The staff directed me to a changing room where I put on an abaya, a full length robe often worn by Muslim women in the UAE, that came with an attached hood as a replacement for a sheila, which is a headscarf worn to cover a woman’s hair. Quite frankly, I thought I looked ridiculous, but my appearance was much less important than actually visiting the mosque in the grand scheme of things, so I put on the garment and went inside to admire the grand architecture and detail put into every space. I came to understand that abiding by dress codes or other policies wasn’t so much an issue of obeying rules, but a way to pay proper respect to a sacred space. 

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque located in Abu Dhabi

Over time, experiences like this have revealed the importance of being open and considerate about the needs of others, and highlighted that the major comfort and due respect of others far outweigh actions that may cause minimal inconvenience to myself. Our student body is composed of people from various cultures and backgrounds, and it rapidly became apparent that I couldn’t simply apply my previous experiences or “common sense” to others because they might interpret situations very differently. At one point, I asked a friend of mine what wearing a hijab meant to her, and I learned that she believed the practice to be a show of faith and religious empowerment rather than the restriction some forms of media often make it out to be. I learned to respect their identities beyond basic courtesy, and paying attention to these cultural differences became a priority from then on.  

When I began to travel more often, these experiences with cultural literacy helped me stay mindful and open to the traditions and practices in various countries, and ensured that I learned as much as I could during my temporary stays. It became essential that I visit at least one museum or gallery in each place that I explored, whether that be an art exhibition, or historical center. I’ve found that these institutions are a great avenue for learning about the local history, as well as the intersections between the locale and other sites, and I’ve often delighted in seeing signs and symbols of my own background represented abroad. Once I grew the confidence to navigate new environments with relative ease, I tried visiting these places and even exploring the cities on my own, and I’ve found these excursions to be periods of great reflection. 

Visiting these institutes or seeing popular historical sites and landmarks often makes me think about aspects of humanity that seem to remain unchanged despite temporal and geographic differences. There is an appreciation and respect for the same subjects in art through every country and period regardless of the style or medium used, just as there are shared documentations of conflict and warfare locked in the glass display cases of every historical museum. There are mementos of the greatest achievements, just as there are relics of the periods of deepest suffering. 

Being alone in a foreign place feels like zooming out of my own head and realizing how big the world is around me. It gives me time to take everything in quietly, without feeling the need to force conversation or constantly engage with others, and it has pushed me to renegotiate my comfort zone and my relationship with myself. Learning to be alone in a foreign place has taught me to take the time to appreciate differences in background and ways of living, while taking comfort in the moments or gestures that echo the familiarity of home. Being alone in a foreign place means immersing myself in a cultural space and allowing myself to take in the atmosphere, to learn about the backgrounds of others, and to grow into an individual more considerate and aware of the people around me. 


Use this student discount for a taste of another culture with some Egyptian Street food!


By: Fiona Lin

Fiona Lin is a rising senior at New York University’s Abu Dhabi Campus pursuing a double major in Literature and Creative Writing and Art and Art History. She enjoys traveling, drinking tea, and learning new languages. In her free time, you can find her reading web novels or playing video games.


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.

Share