Archive for June, 2023

Chapter Two: Commitment is Key

Monday, June 26th, 2023
Me (black shirt) gripping the frisbee disc at a tournament.

In ninth grade, I was running along the pier when I saw a girl on my high school frisbee team deliver a perfect flick throw on a field. As the disc cut crisply through the air, I wished I could do that too. I tried with my own frisbee at home later that day, but it came crashing to the ground a few feet in front of me. The throw seemed impossible. I’d probably never learn how to do it. 

When I joined ultimate frisbee in college, I already knew how to perform the basic backhand throw, where you bring your arm across the side of your body to release. I learned how to grip the disc correctly for different scenarios. To aim for accuracy and stability, I learned the fan grip, and for longer and more powerful throws, I learned the power grip. I had no idea how to do the flick throw, a notoriously difficult maneuver for beginners. It usually takes a couple months to learn and get comfortable with, and I was no exception. The flick involves bringing your arm back towards your forehand side instead of across your body, a hand grip shaped like a gun, and wrist rather than arm movement to release the disc. 

I was annoyed at myself for not being able to grasp the concept at first. Lots of these girls had done frisbee in high school but the ones who hadn’t seemed to be improving faster than me. I was embarrassed when I had to throw a flick and it wobbled to the side just seconds after the disc was released from my hand. But the energy and atmosphere of the team motivated me to keep trying. Even when I failed or messed up, I would receive high fives and constructive feedback from the captains. They always told me what I had done well and how I could improve. When we were doing drills or practice scrimmages, they would always yell at me to “get in there!” and cheer loudly for me. Not just me, for everybody, but I was especially motivated when they called out my name. And slowly, I began to improve. I gained confidence and was able to throw smoother and longer flicks. It was fun. It became so easy that I started to prefer flicks over backhands.   

At a tournament a couple months ago, I faked a deep cut and sprinted under to receive the disc. Now that I’d caught it, I had to look for someone to pass the disc to next. Almost like it was in slow motion, I saw one of my teammates running full speed towards the endzone. I had an instinct, like I knew what to do without even thinking. I brought my right arm back and 

swung the disc with all my might. It was a perfect flick, sailing through the air, headed directly towards where my teammate was running. The next couple minutes were a blur of cheers, screams, and hugs as we celebrated that amazing play. Everyone was in awe of that throw. It may have been the longest, most accurate, most beautiful throw I had ever performed in my ultimate career, and it came at the perfect moment without me even really preparing or thinking about it. It just came naturally. 

Me hugging my teammate who caught the disc after my flick throw described above.

Even though the whole play was probably under 15 seconds, I think fondly of it all the time. I watch the video someone took of that throw just to relive that moment and hear everyone screaming my name. I think about how all the practice, all the failed flicks, and all the wobbly discs have all paid off for that moment. All the frustration from my mediocre throws was motivation for me to keep practicing those flicks, and now throwing a seamless flick with the right grip is automated for me. There’s still room to improve, of course, so I’ve been practicing longer, more powerful throws. But now I know what I can do. I know what I’m capable of. I came from that first terrible throw all those years ago to an amazing throw just like that girl from high school. Practicing may not always seem like it’ll pay off, but there will be a moment where you know it did. That moment came about a year and a half after I joined ultimate frisbee, when I made that throw. I realized that while every practice and throw may not be my best, they all contribute to the end result. Commitment is key. Don’t give up. 

I was able to talk to Dawn Culton, a nationally regarded rising ultimate frisbee star. She played throughout high school and for the University of North Carolina, and is now part of the US Women’s U-24 team for ultimate frisbee. She talked about how being committed to the sport has helped her grow. There were significant challenges, including the pandemic, but being physically and mentally present to all tournaments and practices is what pushed her through. The point about being mentally present really spoke to me, because you can be in the best physical shape but without the right mindset, you’re toast. I’ve learned to have a growth mindset in frisbee and focus on my improvements rather than my failures, which translates to all aspects of college. I’ve had a lot of “oops” moments where I’m running behind on an assignment or I have an issue with my friend or roommate, but instead of getting in my head about it, I really try to improve for the future. I’m a big overthinker but frisbee has taught me to trust the process and be more free. To not think so much but to just let it happen naturally. I’m proud of the progress I’ve made and excited for the growth that’s yet to come.


Use this student discount to treat yourself to a smoothie or bowl!


By Agatha Edwards

Agatha Edwards is a rising junior at Brandeis University from Brooklyn, New York. She is majoring in health: science, society, and policy as well as psychology. She enjoys playing ultimate frisbee with her college team, going on runs, reading, writing, and binging TV shows. She enjoys exploring NYC and Boston with friends, especially where there are cute coffee shops involved.


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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Chapter One: An Introduction to Ultimate Frisbee

Wednesday, June 21st, 2023
My frisbee team, the Brandeis Banshee, at Northeast Regional Championships last spring

Jogging past the Hudson River on a breezy afternoon, I spy a disc zipping through the air. My high school’s ultimate frisbee team is having practice. I long to join them and sprint after that disc, make a sick catch and spike the frisbee hard on the grass, yet I can’t. I run Varsity cross country and track, and I have practice every single day. Turning my head around to focus on the path in front of me, I think, maybe someday

Three years later, I’m anxiously pacing towards a group of girls huddled on the corner of the Brandeis University club field. I almost didn’t come tonight because I’m nervous about a new sport and meeting new people. But I’m taking the chance and going to this first ultimate frisbee practice because who knows, it could be fun. 

Little did I know it would change my life. 

Ultimate frisbee is a seven versus seven non-contact sport played on an outdoor field. It is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, played by over 30 countries and by many high schools and colleges in the US. The goal is to pass the frisbee among players and make it to the endzone in order to score a point. The rules are like football and soccer, although ultimate is a non-contact sport. 

It was difficult at first to learn all the new terminology for ultimate. In terms of sports, I had only done basketball for a year in middle school, and then cross country and track for several years, which didn’t involve any ball or object. With ultimate, I had to learn how to hold and throw the disc, field formations (vertical stack, zone, poachy defense), names of certain plays we had to carry out, and how to cut successfully on offense, which is making a move on the field to get open for the disc. I learned how to be strategic and smart. 

Me, #64, high-fiving my teammate during a tournament

Another thing that was new to me was Spirit of the Game. Ultimate frisbee heavily emphasizes good sportsmanship, fairness, and honesty. As opposed to ice hockey or football, which can sometimes get messy, I noticed that my frisbee teammates were constantly encouraging and lifting each other up and giving positive feedback to each other. At my first tournament, we shouted team cheers and high fived after every single point. Though there is fierce competition with other teams on the field, we were all friendly with each other because of the pure joy that comes with playing this sport. The mindset of “I’ve got you next time” instead of “sorry for messing that up” really transformed my outlook on not just frisbee, but life. Immediately after each point during a tournament, my coach always says that the next point has already started, and to focus on that. For my schoolwork now, I try to focus on the next time, or the next opportunity, instead of drowning in failures of the past. I keep my head clear and focus on the future, what I can do to improve, and proactively go after it.

Now, three times a week, I have something to look forward to after classes. This motivates me to complete my work on time so that I can have fun and work hard at frisbee practice. This helps me balance my education with my extracurricular activities. I’m able to get great exercise in and focus on something other than schoolwork for a couple hours. And on days we don’t have practice, sometimes I’ll toss a frisbee casually with teammates to take a break from schoolwork or just to unwind and hang out. The positivity encapsulated by these teammates made me look forward to frisbee even more. The decision to go to that first practice that night may have been one of the best I’ve ever made. I’ve found a sport I love and a community I vibe with. Being surrounded by these friends helped me develop a passion for ultimate and motivated me to work harder at practice for the team. More on that next… 


Use this student discount to treat yourself to a free coffee with the purchase of a pastry at Paris Baguette!

By Agatha Edwards

Agatha Edwards is a rising junior at Brandeis University from Brooklyn, New York. She is majoring in health: science, society, and policy as well as psychology. She enjoys playing ultimate frisbee with her college team, going on runs, reading, writing, and binging TV shows. She enjoys exploring NYC and Boston with friends, especially where there are cute coffee shops involved.


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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Rapid Revival Restaurant Review: Bastard Burgers

Tuesday, June 20th, 2023

Long time, no see! Although I know I promised I would do reviews more often, it turned out I was doing them without Campus Clipper approval, so I was arrested and spent several months in Sing Sing before escaping during the recent dust storm and blackmailing the staff into authorizing my reviews by holding their air conditioner hostage. But anyway, Bastard Burgers.

Bastard Burgers is a place where they serve burgers for bastards, so I may not be the right person to review it since as far as I know my parents were married when they had me. I did feel at home though, the place goes for an aesthetic of mostly metal and black paint like they never quite got out of the grunge era, and while I don’t actually know what grunge music sounds like I like how the word sounds when I say it.

Double Yankee Burger with Ziggy Fries and Bastard Sauce

I had the Double Yankee Burger with the Ziggy Fries and Bastard Sauce. The Double Yankee is the most “basic” burger they have because I’m a coward. It was extremely and unnaturally flat, like it had been placed in a hydraulic press and then sat on by an elephant before being served. It tasted pretty good though, so I can’t complain. The cheese tasted very cheesy, which you’d think would be normal for cheese but is actually quite rare. I normally hate zigzag fries, they seem way harder to make than normal fries and generally don’t taste any better. Unfortunately for me these were fantastic, they had a perfect ratio of crunch to squish and tasted incredible. The Bastard Sauce is purportedly an unholy combination if somewhere around twenty different ingredients, but to me it just tasted like tangier mayonnaise. Fortunately, I like mayonnaise.

Verdict: 7.6/10 bastard children

Try the Burger of the Month with this coupon!

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