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Student Depression: Inspirational Films No Student Should Do Without

Friday, November 8th, 2013

Warning: overly elaborate introduction ahead. If you so desire, simply scroll to the *** symbols to get to the crux of the matter. I won’t be mad.

Sometimes we just want to be inspired. Sometimes we want a medium to cajole us into creativity. We want all that latent energy that was stored away, subconsciously accreting verve and passion, to burst forth into a flurry of productivity. We want our intense emotions to be put to use, instead of letting them dissipate into an easily alterable and forgettable memories.

Us depression fighters are like that: this need comes natural to those who experience the wide gamut of emotions. We needlessly overthink, overfeeel, overact, overreact, over-everything. There are moments where we wish we were as passive as cows, a peaceful and unassuming existence. And then there are moments where we are secretly content that we feel something, anything.

Okay, I know, this is getting so long-winded that I may be tying myself into a knot here. So to cut to the chase: we want a medium to help us comprehend our emotional energy, make it real, tangible, and present it in a agreeable and understable way, so as to help mold and hone this energy into something we can use for ourselves.

For the time-conscientious student, the answer is cinema.

Am I still tying knots? Here, then, I’ll just hand it to you: we want to watch movies that “get” us, that bring us out of misery (or at least help us comprehend it) and give us the drive to do the things we are actually excited to do.

Not to say I haven’t enjoyed drivel like Meet the Spartans. And I mean really enjoyed. Maybe more than I should have.

And, come on, that penguin…

But I’m not here today to talk about guilty pleasures, or mindless blockbusters, or schlock.

I’m here to present to you films that not only act as interpreters for strong sentiment, but also as guidance counselors and motivational coaches that direct you towards creative expression and give you enough creative drive to use those sentiments in a productive capacity.

*** So here it is, the list of inspirational films that no depressed student should do without.

An aside: these films are not so much comedies, or “feel-good” movies, or exactly “happy” in any immediate way. They’re not even traditionally deemed as inspirational, in the most basic sense. Their artistry, however, riles both heart and mind, and is a great catalyst for converting more emotionally volatile times into drive and creativity.

Fight Club

The Inspirational Message: Sometimes it’s not a bad thing to lose everything. It gives you a fresh perspective, renewed energy to seek greater heights, and provides you the necessary momentum to get you to your next peak.

Pulp Fiction

The Inspirational Message: Let’s reel back a bit to a more meta vantage. The script is unbelievable, the writing is at once gritty, organic and poetic and leaves you creatively pumped.

Exit Through the Gift Shop

The Inspirational Message: Banksy does what he does out of love for the arts and the immense power they carry in their messages. His verve is infectious.

Stalker

stalker_2010_film_poster

The Inspirational Message: Stalker manages to elicit a gamut of reactions from its viewers, from scared shitless to deeply introspective to confused to enthralled, and does it all without us ever seeing the danger directly. A powerful work of fiction.

Fellini 8 1/2

The Inspirational Message: Our obsessions can become our greatest muses and our most foul demons. Also, creativity is never a sole entity: it draws from out life experiences, good and bad. If you’re missing either of those, you’re only getting half your mind’s worth.

Amélie

The Inspirational Message: Again, looking at this from the angle of the theatre seat. It’s fine to create something strange. Strange and different can work infinitely better than tried and true, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet is an excellent example.

“Love is in the details; God is in the details, the strange. Amelie is enamoured with the little thing. She is captivated by an author’s quotes, she makes two people come together, she finds love through the games she plays. She overcomes her solitude through small details and through them finds a connection with another person.” Quote by Elena Gladoun.

Children of Men

The Inspirational Message: When there is nothing left of a resource, whether it be oil or children or time, fear sets in and incites violence and hatred. Never dwell on loss, only on abundance.

Before Sunrise

The Inspirational Message: A single spontaneous decision can change your entire life.

“Within the chaos of spontaneity, life, negativity, love still exists in a imperfect form there is still a glue.” Quote by Elena Gladoun.

Almost Famous

The Inspirational Message: Take initiative. You want to get your articles or short stories printed in big publications? Don’t have a network that can hustle you in? Create the opportunity of a lifetime by reaching out voluntarily, write the articles for free, get your name out and get noticed.

Wild Strawberries

The Inspirational Message: Someone you could never relate to can give you the clairvoyance to look at life in a completely different way.

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Aleksandr Smechov, Baruch College.

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Tags:Almost Famous, Amélie, Before Sunrise, Children of Men, college depression, college life, depressed, depression and creativity, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Fellini 8 1/2, Fight Club, films that inspire, films that inspire creativity, films to watch when depressed, Pulp Fiction, self help, signs of depression, Stalker, student depression, Wild Strawberries
Posted in onCollege, onEntertainment, onFun, onLife, onValues | No Comments »

Student Depression: Funny is the Best Medicine

Saturday, October 26th, 2013

Ever had that fight with your significant other/parent/yourself (I don’t judge) and one of you said something unintentionally hilarious, and, despite your best efforts to scowl in anger, you couldn’t help but crack a smile?

The situation seemed so much less serious when you both lightened up, right? All you had to do was smile and something that could have lasted hours dissipated in minutes.

“They” say that laughter is the best medicine. Who are “they”? People who just don’t understand how bad you feel inside. If they’re happy all the time, how the hell would they know what it’s like to be angry, frustrated, depressed?

It’s the same situation with those people that tell you to take life less seriously; you just know that if they were in your shoes they’d feel your pain.

Well, they do know how it feels, and likely as much as you do, if not more. They’ve found that elusive balance, that secret to the right amount of sad and happy, and at the right intervals.

The only thing “they” have over you is a simple truth: sometimes, humor is the best medicine. Not necessarily the most logical (I’m looking at you, happy pills). But it’s up there.

"Can't resist... the cuteness"

The crux of the matter here is, the best way to tone down the macabre and channel your inner Macarena is to laugh. To actually perform the infamously over-exaggerated LMFAO. To become one with the ROFLCOPTER.

I know, sometimes this task is beyond challenging: it’s downright impossible, especially for those moments when you’re catatonic from despair. One mistake many of us depression fighters make from time to time is believing the idea that happiness means being ecstatic all the time. But just like in the atomic world, everything seeks a balance: positively charged protons need a similar number of negatively charged electrons to create a stable atom; certain atoms’ valence shells strive to abide by the octet rule, and that means gaining or losing (negatively charged) electrons. Basically, for stability, life needs both the pluses and the minuses.

Everyone needs those low points to get enough momentum for the high ones. But if all you get is a series of flaccid bumps, the ride becomes stale, sad, and in serious need of excitement. You need a funny injection.

That’s why, for those brief moments when you actually feel (sort of) good, the best possible thing you can do is capitalize. Bank on the moment. Profit. And for those bad moments? More on this in a bit.

How do we get that funny injected in a timely manner? We don’t have time for a two-hour comedy, we don’t have the patience for feel-good books or articles or tweets. So what’s left to do? Scour YouTube for cat videos? I’ve got a better idea.

In 2000, the Internet was introduced to Pandora Radio. Over the past 13 years, Pandora has acclimated to the needs of its 200 million users quite brilliantly. And it now has the ability to make us laugh.

Just like with your favorite musicians, you can create a Pandora station with your favorite comedians. While music can be a great escape, excellent comedy can bring you way down to serious reality while still seeing it from a hilarious angle, whether you’re listless in bed and are in dire need of a peak, or you’re experiencing that intermittent moment of elation and want to capitalize on it.

Talented comedians have the ability to teach us that even the lowest of lows are sources of humor.

So while you may wallow in bed, moaning with your bottle of gin for love long lost while your cats stare at you in what looks like apathetic curiosity, when you do recover, you’ll be able to view that gutter-licking crevice you momentarily fell into as part of a balanced emotional spectrum. You’ll also take subsequent episodes less seriously.

With all that said, let’s take talk shop. Which comedians? Why would you consider listening to them in the first place? You have questions, I have answers and funny pictures…

Louis C.K.: One of the best comedians alive for the very reason that he turns the most guttural points in life on their heads to create some of the most raw, genuine and human comedy around.

Jim Gaffigan: He ponders on the little things in our day-to-day lives that we don’t give a second thought to, like hot pockets and laziness, and creates lighthearted little diatribes that are spot-on.

Demetri Martin: Embodying the very idea of idiosyncrasy, Demetri uses hilarious puns and nerdy observations to bring to life even the most tepid subjects.

Dane Cook: Can be annoying. But in small doses can produce gol—eh, maybe silver. Or copper. But who else buys a cement truck just so they can put their friends in the empty mixer, and then throws jolly ranchers at them as they tumble around?

Mitch Hedberg: Do you like cheese? Because Mitch is all about shooting off those hit-or-miss one-liners and arbitrary observations, which more often than not convey sheer brilliance. Stand up was a labor of love for Mitch: he’d usually wear sunglasses, close his eyes and hide his face under his hair to help with stage fright.

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Aleksandr Smechov, Baruch College.

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Tags:Dane Cook, Demetri Martin, depresssion, Funniest comedians, jim gaffigan, louis ck, mitch hedberg, self help, signs of depression, student depression
Posted in onCollege, onEntertainment, onFun, onLife | No Comments »

Something Sweet from Across the Pond: The London Candy Co.

Monday, October 14th, 2013

I had just gotten done with my 11 AM Fiction Lit class. My brain hurt, my eyes were starting to close on their own, and I hadn’t had my coffee yet. It was one of those mornings, and it felt like it would last all day. So, I decided to escape my collegiate walls at the New School and make the short walk to Bleecker Street. A visit to the London Candy Co. might provide just the turn around I needed for this caffeine-less, homework ridden day.

Barely ten minutes went by and I was standing at the front door of a new culture entirely. Spelled out in blue, neon wire was the word “LONDON,” and with a quick glance inside, no further explanation was needed. The store was so colorful! Decked out with bright reds and blues, everything seemed lit up and fun. The shop itself was filled—absolutely, floor to ceiling, filled—with everything and anything English. Don’t be deceived by the title of the store: while there was just about every piece of English candy I could ever imagine, The London Candy Co. is so much more than an ordinary candy shop.

Ready to enter an English candy paradise!

Wall to wall English treats!

Howie, the incredibly friendly manager, who walked me through the ins and outs of the Candy Co, likes to think of this hidden West Village gem more as a British convenience store. “What’s different is that no one else sells this much of a range, we have more stuff than shops you’ll find in England. There’s just so much to offer.” And he isn’t kidding. At a glance, I saw chocolate, gummies, chips (or as the English say, “crisps”) candy bars, mallomars, or the English equivalent, an assortment of English beverages, gift boxes of sweets, and English greeting cards as well as calendars and the like. In addition, this candy/convenience/ English awesomeness store carries Stumptown coffee—they even have cold brew, both a French Roast and a House Blend, on draft, something I’ve never even seen in my multiple years living in New York. As said before, this was at first glance, and I was impressed.

Give your someone sweet, something sweet!

If the actual products of the store weren’t enough, the staff on hand were extremely friendly, helpful, knew their customers, and knew their supply. It was nothing but smiles from the moment I walked in and why shouldn’t there be, we were surrounded by European chocolate! But Howie does prove a point as to why the staff are so lighthearted, “People get excited to come into the store. There’s always positive energy, you don’t get many frowns, always smiles. People are happy to be here and we share that as well, we provide that.”

Meet the gents at The London Candy Co!

And this is what helps to make The London Candy Co. unique. No one does exactly what they do with the attitude in which they do it. Plus, let’s be honest, there can never be too much chocolate. Howie gave me the low down on some of the best and most popular items in the store, including his personal favorites. First was the Cadbury Flake Bar, a chocolate bar with ribbons of deliciousness inside. Then I learned one of the most popular chocolate bars is the Cadbury Crunchie bar: chocolate on the outside, with a honeycomb and toffee center. Howie’s personal favorite happens to be the Galaxy Chocolate, creamier than Cadbury with a crunchy cookie inside. The shop also has a variety of “higher end” chocolate, for those with a more “advanced pallet,” such as Willie’s cacao. In fact, The London Candy Co is the only store in America to even sell Willie’s.

Like I said though, the store has much more than chocolate. Known for their Maynard’s wine gums, jelly babies, unique flavored crisps, such as T-Bone steak, full line of beverages, such as Irnbru—as Howie describes a drink that resembles liquid bubble gum—and so much more, one could spend hours in The London Candy Co and still find new items that tickle their fancy. Whether we Americans like it or not we’re all Anglophiles at heart, infatuated by the accent, the customs, and of course the divine chocolate. Indulging on our curiosity of English culture is definitely worth doing, especially if the indulgence is spent at the Candy Co.

I think the photo explains itself.

Upon leaving, Howie filled up a fresh cup of iced coffee, on draft, and handed me a palm size treat, wrapped in red foil. Only 50 cents at the Candy Co, Howie claims that this is one of the simplest, most amazing treats they have—a Tunnock’s Mallow. Basically, an American mallomar-turned-Brit. I thanked everyone for their hospitality and made my way back to school to prepare for my 2 o’clock class. Sitting in the New School Café, I unwrapped this chocolate treat and dove in. Even as a writing student, I find it difficult to put into words how heavenly this simple English sweet truly was. Coated in silky European chocolate and stuffed with fluffy marshmallow, I felt I could take on the day. Matched with some of the best coffee New York has to offer, my trip to The London Candy Co was not only a sweet escape to an English haven, but it was a much needed pick-me-up for the hectic day ahead of me.

Everyone NEEDS to try one of these--delish!

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Daniela Bizzell, Eugene Lang College, The New School University.

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Tags:candy, chocolate, English, London, NYC, sweet
Posted in Cheap Eats, onFood, onFun, onValues, Uniqueness in NYC | No Comments »

The Things I Miss The Most

Thursday, September 5th, 2013

I’ve been out of New York City for almost a week now (with many more to go), and I’ve realized I miss a lot of things I wasn’t expecting.

CITY SOUNDS

My college is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, so the only thing you hear is students talking, partying, playing their instruments. And crickets. I honestly miss the sound of people going places, the subway rumbling beneath the sidewalk and the soles of other New Yorkers’ shoes scurrying off to start their days. I miss being able to hear the fireworks from Coney Island (every Friday night until autumn hits) from my house. I miss the constant buzz of excitement, the sense that things are always happening.

Coney Island

GRAFFITI/STREET ART

There is an amazing street artist of the name De La Vega that puts his creative stamp on the city. The first time I saw his work was on the sidewalk by my high school, on the Upper East Side. It was a very simplistic chalk drawing of a fish with the words: BECOME YOUR DREAM written in bold letters.

SINGLE-FOOD STORES

I know this probably sounds weird, but when you have to eat all your meals in a single dining hall, you realize how unique NYC food is. While I do miss the bagels and the pizza, one of things I miss the most is actually all the stores that sell only one item. S’MAC (East 33rd Street or East 12th Street), for example, sells only mac and cheese. (I promise it will be the best mac and cheese you’ve ever tasted.) Wafels & Dinges (trucks located around the city, one stationary cart on the Great Lawn in Central Park, new café in the East Village) sells only waffles with a variety of delicious toppings to smother them in. If you’ve never tried a Liége wafel with spekuloos, you haven’t really lived. And, my personal favorite, Pommes Frites (2nd Ave between 7th and St. Mark’s) serves only french fries with a menu full of interesting and strange sauces to dip them in (try the pomegranate teriyaki mayo, one of the best/weirdest). Savor these!

COOL SUBWAY STATIONS

I’ve visited cities with subway stations that are clearly cleaner than the ones we have in New York City. But none have been more creative or alive. A lot of the street performers/musicians are actually painfully talented in the way only the undiscovered can be. But people set aside, the stations themselves have a lot of personality. On the NQR train platform at Herald Square, for example, there are green pipes that hang from the ceilings. If you put your hands over different holes, different sounds come out. Just a little something fun to do while waiting for the train. My favorite of these stations is, of course, Grand Central. But not for the constellation-covered ceiling or the analog clocks or even the shops. I love Grand Central for the whisper gallery. There are four columns, and when you speak into one of them, the person standing at the opposite column can hear what you say.

Whisper Gallery, Grand Central

BEING SELF-RELIANT WITH TRANSPORTATION

As intimidating as the MTA subway and bus system may seem, you will eventually learn to navigate them like a native. I really miss being able to hop on a train and go anywhere, all by myself. (Up in Vermont, where I am, I have to rely on friends with cars.)

THE BENCHES IN CENTRAL PARK

The benches in Central Park have the most lovely, funny, and witty engravings on them. These are for and by your fellow New Yorkers. Read them all.

Central Park, Upper West Side

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Katie Yee, Bennington College

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Tags:central park, food, grand central, living in the city, NYC, street art
Posted in NYC Student Guide, onFood, onFun, Uniqueness in NYC | No Comments »

A Look Inside Vada Spa and College Discounts for Students

Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013

First-time-spa-user here. I’m not really one to make a big fuss over nothing, even crazy college savings, but I have to say– there are certain things you must try in life, and one of them is getting a professional massage. This is a level of pampering that will absolutely erase your bad day, and the Vada Spa employees go well out of their ways to make sure you leave feeling like royalty. I want to take a minute and describe my trip to you.

Vada Spa, located in downtown Manhattan, is committed to excellent service that is affordable and accessible to anyone. It has two floors: the nail salon on ground level and the hair salon and spa upstairs. When I walked in to make the appointment, I was greeted warmly at the front desk, and was even offered a glass of wine to sip on while I waited for massage. (I mean how classy is that? That’s what I mean when I say they go the extra mile.) I decided I’d get a manicure before my appointment, so I picked out a pale pink Essie color and took a seat at table right away. The woman who did my nails was extremely thorough when she was prepping them, and very neat with the polish itself. I learned that all of Vada Spa’s employees all had at least five years of experience before coming there, and anyone who’s ever gotten a messy manicure knows that this really makes a huge difference.

When I was finished drying my nails, it was time to get my massage. My masseuse came to meet me at the front desk. He introduced himself as Tibor and then escorted me to the spa on the second level. It looked as though there were about four or five separate massage rooms on this floor. My room was dimly lit as if by candlelight, and there was soft music playing in the background; it was easy to get comfortable there. The massage itself was one of the most relaxing experiences I’ve ever had, both mentally and physically. It’s funny how you have no idea how tense your muscles are until someone works out all the knots. I’d had backrubs before just from friends, but this is on a completely different level. By the end of it I was so relaxed that I didn’t want to get up– I couldn’t believe an hour had gone by!

This is one experience I’d like to repeat. Those of you who’ve had massages before, you know exactly what I mean! Those who haven’t? Well, you’ll just have to take a trip to Vada Spa!

Check out this college discount before going!

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Laura DeFrancisci, Manhattan College. Check out my Blog!

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Posted in Family, Friendship, onBeauty, onHealth, onSavings, onShopping, onStyle, onValues, Out On The Town, Uniqueness in NYC | No Comments »

The Brooklyn Book Festival

Monday, September 2nd, 2013

September is the best month to be a book-lover in New York City.

I discovered this last year, when I had just started interning for a Brooklyn-based literary magazine, The Coffin Factory. As a member of the team, I was asked to go out to the Brooklyn Book Festival, an annual celebration of all things literary. (http://www.brooklynbookfestival.org/BBF/Home ) It’s the perfect place to be, whether you’re an aspiring writer, an avid reader, or just a college student looking for something interesting to fill your time with.

The editors of The Coffin Factory at the Brooklyn Book Festival

The festival itself takes place on one Saturday (this year it’s September 22 from 10am – 6pm). However, there are a plethora of free literary events hosted by various members of the New York City literary scene for the entire week leading up to the big event.

Last year, The Coffin Factory hosted a panel entitled “Who Gives a Sh*t About Literary Magazines?” with editors from Granta, Tin House, and The Paris Review discussing their opinions on literary culture, readership, and the future of print magazines. I remember sitting at the back of the independent bookstore (Book Court) where the event was held and thinking that it was wonderful that such a thing could exist and that so many people cared enough to come. I guess a lot of people give a sh*t about literary magazines after all.

The events prior to the actual festival are always fun, engaging, and sometimes intimate enough to get to talk to the hosts afterwards. There are pretty much always opportunities to win free print issues or subscriptions, and most importantly, you get the chance to be a part of the conversation.

The festival itself is like a maze, with booths for popular publishing houses and lesser-known literary magazines alike. The event welcomes people from all aspects of the literary community, from all over the world. You never know what you’re going to find there. Maybe you’ll strike up an interesting conversation with the staff of your favorite Saturday-morning-read; maybe you’ll stumble upon an internship opportunity. Or maybe you’ll discover a writer or a magazine you’ve never heard of and fall irrevocably in love.

Because that’s what the Brooklyn Book Festival does: somehow, every year, it beckons to people from all different walks of life and manages to coax them out of whatever chaos they are in the midst of. It manages to swallow them completely for one week or weekend out of the year and get them all down to Brooklyn Borough Hall. And when they emerge from the Court Street subway station, they will inhale the distinctive but subtle scent of a good book, hear snippets of conversations revolving around their favorite writers, and see stacks of polished pages awaiting them.

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Katie Yee, Bennington College

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Tags:book lovers, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Book Festival, literary magazines, literature, New York City, publishing houses
Posted in onBooks, onEntertainment, onFun, Outside Manhattan, Uniqueness in NYC | No Comments »

Friends of Campus Clipper: SocialEyes NYC

Monday, August 19th, 2013

Even living in the exciting atmosphere New York, sometimes I get bored. Which is crazy! What a city to be bored in! Sometimes I just need a little inspiration, or maybe a nudge in the right direction. SocialEyes NYC is a great blog to give you that nudge.

socialeyesnyc.com

First you can pick by area, in case you don’t want to stray too far from your home, or if you’re feeling adventurous and want to explore a certain neighborhood. Or, you can select from museum deals, concerts, or even sporting events. No matter your interests, SocialEyes NYC is your blog for fun, affordable outings.

My favorite of the current events: classic film screenings at Bow-Tie Cinemas. Tickets are only $7.50 and they’re showing movies like The Goonies, Casablanca, Psycho, and The Birds. Another great idea to get in on is the presale for the New York Comedy Festival. This is a huge event each year, with a ton of fun comedians and groups coming to town, so hitting up the presale is a must.

Let SocialEyes NYC help you search for your next fun night in the city!

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Erin O’Brien, NYU.

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Tags:cheap outings, Fun, savings, socialeyes NYC
Posted in Businesses We Love, Movies, onCollege, onEntertainment, onFun, onSavings, onValues, Out On The Town, Outside Manhattan | No Comments »

Friends of Campus Clipper: The Hang

Monday, August 19th, 2013

The Hang has a very similar approach to Campus Clipper, which is why we’re proud to consider them our partners in fun. Run by college students, The Hang is a guide to all student discounted events in NYC and the surrounding area.

Some fun events The Hang has pointed us to are Free Fridays at the Museum of Moving Image in Astoria, and free admission to the MoMA on Friday evenings.

For the older college students, there’s a list of NYC party events that are 21+, each offering free or discounted tickets on certain days of the week.

The Hang also offers a long list of retail stores that offer great student discounts.

So hang out! Do your thing! Because with The Hang, fun is affordable to every student.

thehangny.com

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Erin O’Brien, NYU.

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Tags:free, NYC, savings, The Hang NY
Posted in Businesses We Love, onCollege, onFun, onSavings, onValues | No Comments »

Thirty Seconds to Fame

Tuesday, August 6th, 2013

Our day at the ‘office’ started with a mission: to make an ad. With the energy at an ultimate high, we all sat around the glass table to brainstorm. The process resulted in three phases.

The first was the idea phase. No idea went unheard, and no idea was forgotten. Joey wrote it all down in his fancy book, which we later used as a prop. After throwing some thoughts around, we came up with the idea of showing the connection between students, the journey of the coupon booklet from student to student, until it reached the final destination: Papaya King.

With that idea in mind, we entered the actualization phase. Now that we knew what we wanted, we needed to strategize how we would bring it alive on camera and who would play what part. Miles grabbed a piece of paper, being the cameraman, and drew a series of boxes. That’s when we knew we were getting down to business. He outlined the scenes as we came up with the order and the scenery behind the coupon. We had about eight frames on paper when we were ready to hit the road.

The last phase was bringing it to life. We picked a corner on Saint Marks street where Ing gave out the Campus Clipper Coupon booklets. We acted as the people passing by, and a woman who wasn’t even asked to participate grabbed one! Then, the camera followed Anna as she ripped a coupon and passed it onto the writer on the bench, James. Then, with the scenery changing, James passed on the coupon book to the guy playing a guitar on the street, Joey. With his guitar all packed and the spare change in his pocket, he then traveled to the artist on the staircase drawing a tree. Saying “Hey Sofia,” he passed it onto me. The last transition was when I passed the coupon book to Christy and Jackie as they typed away on their laptops. Although the coupon book exchanged several hands in different backgrounds, we all ended up in the same place for the same great deal: Papaya King. The rest of the interns who opted out of the transition roles were included as extras eating the hot dogs in the last scene.

The process was fun and enlightening. Here is what I learned from this journey of the Campus Clipper Booklet:

1. Plan before you film; spending two hours planning beforehand actually saves time

2. Pick a leader to take charge when directing the filming process (to avoid giving too many directions)

3. Ask people for their ideas, and brainstorm together

4. Write everything down, even if you do not think it will work (ideas work off of each other and each idea helps inspire the next)

5. Be open to playing different roles

6. Try to include everyone as best as possible

7. To make a thirty second ad, it takes much more than thirty seconds!

8. Have fun!

Grab the Campus Clipper coupon booklet for a discount and visit Papaya King with your friends!————————————————————————————————————————————-

Sofia Khiskiadze, Baruch College.

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Tags:ad, coupon, Fun, Papaya King
Posted in Cheap Eats, commercials, onFood, onFun, onSavings, Out On The Town | No Comments »

New You– Summer ‘Do

Saturday, July 27th, 2013

Ready for an updated look? There’s no better time than now! Listen, New York gets hot in the summer. The kind of hot where it feels like we’re forever alternating between sticky heat waves and solid weeks of rain; not the best recipe for a good hair day, I know. My hair is thick and curly, which in summer months best translates to massive and frizzy. I’m used to wearing my hair up in a bun almost all the time over the summer, and it’s less because of the heat than because my hair just gets unmanageable. I was determined to fight back this year, and so I looked into upscale hair salons hoping that there would be some difference between the fancier places and my usual local ones. What I wound up trying was Salon Ziba, downtown by NYU. I want to talk a little about my experience there. (Spoiler Alert: great haircut, great people, great price, happy Laura.)

I walked in and immediately felt that this salon was out of my normal price range: chic and modern where my old place was more drab and uninspired. But I spoke a little bit with the owner, Alonso, and he explained to me that the salon’s goal is to deliver high-end, profession haircuts and styling for an affordable price. Alonso told me that his inspiration came partially from his own haircuts 25 years ago before Ziba opened. He said that he was very happy with how they looked and the great care that he received, but also that he was annoyed at having to pay up to $75 for a trim. When he started Salon Ziba at its first location in midtown, he kept this in mind and aimed to keep the prices low without sacrificing quality. As a low-income college student, I was particularly excited to hear this news.

The employees treated me like a princess. They offered me tea or coffee as they walked me to the back to get my hair washed. When it came time to pick a cut, my stylist asked me what I wanted and had his own advice about what I should do. (I’m on a mission to grow my hair out long, so what I really wanted was a look that would not only frame my face nicely at its current length, but also look just as good in a year.) What he recommended was that I angle it more at the front since my face is almond shaped, and that I try a center part for a more fierce look than my old side part. After I let him do his thing, he asked me if a wanted a blow-out. This is a first for me! My stylist was really nice and he showed me just what he was doing so I could try it at home.

Five days later on a humid day, curls are still intact.

I walked out of the salon that day feeling beautiful and renewed. They all gave me a lot of attention and good advice to help my hair grow faster. And the best part? The whole thing, wash cut and style, cost me $48. That only about $10 more than I pay for just a haircut at the place I used to go to. Guess I have a new regular hair salon!

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Laura DeFrancisci, Manhattan College. Check out my Blog!

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Tags:beauty, cheap haircuts, downtown, Fashion, glamor, hair, Health, NYC, salon, Salon Ziba, styling, ziba
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