Getting the Most out of Social Media

May 23rd, 2012

With countless sources of social media at your fingertips, it is hard to decipher just exactly what each website should be used for.  The first name that comes to mind when social media is considered is, of course, Facebook.  Facebook is a fantastic way to communicate with your friends, as well as promote yourself as an individual.  However, with other websites such as Tumblr and Twitter available, it has become difficult to choose when to use which type of social media.  This post will attempt to guide you to the proper social media outlet for whatever your needs may be.

Perhaps the largest use for social media is to update friends with current activities; if this is your ultimate goal with social media, Twitter is most likely for you.  Twitter’s clean layout is perfect for quick updates from your friends, or ‘followers’ as Twitter labels them.  Your Twitter page is essentially a listing of your friends’ most recent “Tweets.”  This layout works perfectly for individuals who use social media on the go, as updates from your friends will be no longer than 140 characters.  Due to the 140 character limit imposed by the creators of Twitter, Twitter is a great social media website for individuals who are consistently pressed for time.  The following is an example of a Twitter homepage layout

While Twitter is best for quick, on the go use, Tumblr serves as a social media site for just the opposite.  Although Tumblr can most certainly be used on the go, or when pressed for time, it is mainly composed of images selected by the owner of the Tumblr page.  Creating a Tumblr consists of posting pictures of things that strike your interest.

 

Furthermore, Tumblr can be used to share your pictures with people who may have overlapping interests.  Many people choose to post original photos, while some Tumblr users post stock images.  Either way, sharing images through Tumblr is a great way to get involved with social media.

Finally, we’re left with the largest social media website of them all, Facebook.  Facebook is a fantastic social media site, mostly due to its size and versatility.  While Twitter and Tumblr focus on either text or image based posts, Facebook has been successful in integrating both into one user friendly layout.  Moreover, Facebook also offers an instant messaging service called Facebook Messenger.  With these three elements combined, Facebook is able to stand out as the most crucial social networking website.

Whichever social media website you decide to register with, or combination of websites for that matter, make sure to consider the aforementioned.

Michael Turzilli, Quinnnipiac University

Check out my Twitter!

Click here  to download the Campus Clipper iTunes App!

Follow Campus Clipper on Twitter or keep current by liking us on Facebook

Interested in more deals for students? Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter to get the latest in student discounts and promotions. For savings on-the-go, download our printable coupon e-book!

Share

Posted in onValues | No Comments »

Existential Anguish: Longing for the Past in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris

May 23rd, 2012

In Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, Owen Wilson rubs shoulders with the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, all while musing about man’s dissatisfaction with his place in time. Though viewers may consider such existential crises standard Allen fare, Owen’s turn as the deep, insecure writer departs from his usual role as the still insecure yet shallow bachelor. He broods, he vacillates, he jokes drily. We know its Allen who’s doing the talking, but with Wilson as the mouth it comes off lighter and more optimistic than usual.

Wilson’s Gil Pender is a Hollywood screenwriter and closeted novelist on vacation in Paris with fiancée Inez (Wedding Crashers costar and love interest Rachel McAdams) and her parents. As Inez and her wealthy parents live the high life at upscale restaurants, Gil feels an itching to go off and wander the streets of Paris, which he claims is most beautiful in the rain. This is trademark Allen—during an interview, he once mentioned that London’s rainy weather best suited his personality.

Gil in Rain

 

But with Gil, we see something more than Allen’s trademark melancholy. We see romanticism, the same kind that brings the fictitious Tom Baxter to life in Allen’s Purple Rose of Cairo. As with the main character in that film, though, we see the ridiculousness of Gil’s romantic notions. How else but by sheer absurdity could Gil find himself pulled into a 1920s cab one night and transported to the world of Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and Hemingway?

Gil, who has been nursing his novel for years without letting anyone read it, brings it to the house of Gertrude Stein where he meets Pablo Picasso’s charming young mistress Adriana (Marion Cotillard). Though Inez can’t understand why Gil centers his novel on an antiquities shop filled with what she no doubt considers worthless junk, Adriana feels drawn to Gil and his pining for the past. As Gil returns night after night to 1920s Paris to continue seeing Adriana while meeting other notables like Dali (Adrien Brody) and the surrealists, Inez is secretly having an affair with Paul (Michael Sheen), her friend’s pedantic husband. Like Gil, we don’t want this pleasant dream to end. Like Gil, we know it must.

Looking at Allen’s work as a whole, it can be difficult to separate the man from the comic persona. He’s mastered the art of studied dissatisfaction, of not getting too excited because you know you’ll just spoil it later—or something will do it for you. As contrived as that might be, you can’t help but think that it has some basis in the real Allen, though maybe film is just his way of rising above the melancholy.

Midnight in Paris isn’t necessarily a happy movie, but it is an optimistic one. Gil has to let go of a few notions by the end of the movie, and his trip to France’s belle époque with Adriana reveals the impossibility of trying to be completely happy with the age  you were born in. However, Gil’s statement near the end of the movie is the most telling: in the same way that we long to escape our present by looking to the past, future generations may look to our own era as the best of times. Does this mean we should be happy living in our  time? Probably not. Allen revels in half-unhappiness, so it would be too much to say he’s telling us that things are fine. But we can’t let our longing for the past stop us living and advancing. We too will be longed for someday. Years from now, when person-to-person communication has become all but obsolete, our phones will sit inside antique shop windows, and passersby will stop and say, “How quaint those people were, at that time. How charming it all was!

Andres Oliver, Emory University
Check out my blog and twitter!

Click here  to download the Campus Clipper iTunes App!

Follow Campus Clipper on Twitter or keep current by liking us on Facebook

Interested in more deals for students? Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter to get the latest in student discounts and promotions. For savings on-the-go, download our printable coupon e-book!

 

 

 

Share

Posted in Movies, onEntertainment | No Comments »

An Introduction

May 22nd, 2012

I grew up in Jamaica Queens. My apartment building was sandwiched between a bodega and a pupuseria. For the unexposed, a bodega is a deli grocery store typically owned and operated by Dominicans with heavily accented English. You know a corner store is a bodega if when you walk in there’s an employee holding a newspaper leaning against a food stand or ice cream freezer speaking with the man behind the counter in rapid fire Dominican Spanish smattered with at least fifteen diques and babosos per second. A pupuseria is a Salvadorian restaurant that specializes in pupusas- a thick tortilla stuffed with any combination of pork, cheese, and beans. My mom used to pick up a fifteen pack of pupusas revueltas (mixed) every weekend for dinner. On the weekdays after school I’d search for quarters in the sofa and go to the bodega for a ring pop. Growing up in New York City I was constantly exposed to different people and cultures. Being a kid, I was never aware of the privilege that is exclusive to those who are raised in big cities. I had classmates and friends from all around the world and I experienced their cultures through food. For immigrants from any country, food can be the most important tie to home. I realized this about myself when I lived in El Salvador for three months. Sure, the local riguas, pupusas, and pasteles were great but after the first month, all I really wanted was a cheeseburger or a turkey sub.

I love food and I’m incredibly un-picky about my tastes. I’m an adventurous person and I explore with my stomach as much as I do with any other part of my body. Fried spicy Malaysian noodles with squid? Serve me a platter. Pasteles stuffed with cheese and guava? That sounds interesting- I’ll take two. This place has a C on the front door? Who cares? The Cuban sandwiches are great, salmonella be damned. To me, eating food and participating in the ritual of consumption is the funnest, cheapest, and most delightfully exciting way to experience culture. That’s why I’ll be blogging about finding great authentic ethnic food in New York City, as well as creating some dishes at home. My name is Catherine and I’ll be your guide through the best the five boroughs has to offer.

Catherine, Hudson County Community College, Read my blog

Click here to download the Campus Clipper iTunes App!

Follow Campus Clipper on Twitter or keep current by liking us on Facebook

Interested in more deals for students? Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter to get the latest in student discounts and promotions. For savings on-the-go, download our printable coupon e-book

Share

Posted in onValues | No Comments »

A Few Words of Introduction

May 21st, 2012

My dad has always been a big film buff. You could say that’s been passed down, definitely in my upbringing, though possibly genetically as well. I watched Disney when I was younger just like any other kid, but then there were the others–Cinema Paradiso, Zorba the Greek, basically the complete works of Jack Lemmon–not your standard childhood viewing. Back then I’d start protesting as soon as he put in the VHS and I noticed that the movie was in black and white. This was a sure sign of heavy themes and thought-provoking commentary on the human condition.  What kind of kid wants to have to think when he’s watching a movie? But years later, I look back on those grainy black and white films and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they’re the reason I don’t spend weekends watching Michael Bay movies. I think I would have liked cinema regardless of my upbringing, but I’ve got my dad to thank for having some semblance of taste.

Did I introduce myself? My name is Andres Oliver. I’m a 21-year-old student at Emory University majoring in creative writing and Japanese, and this summer I’ll be doing movie reviews for The Campus Clipper. This means my film likes and dislikes will be out there for the world to read, discuss, and quite possibly debate hotly over dinner, creating new friends of enemies and tearing families apart. Ok, I’ll tone it down. I love movies, but this is the first time I’ve been given free rein to comment upon them in a public space, so forgive me if I get a little carried away. Some of my favorite films include Blade Runner, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Sleuth. I’ll be covering recent films as well as some of the older ones that might not be as familiar to college students. There’s a lot of material to pick out–race relations, gender portrayals, violence and profanity–and I’ll be doing the picking. Look forward to a summer’s worth of material

Andres Oliver, Emory University
Check out my blog!

Click here  to download the Campus Clipper iTunes App!

Follow Campus Clipper on Twitter or keep current by liking us on Facebook

Interested in more deals for students? Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter to get the latest in student discounts and promotions. For savings on-the-go, download our printable coupon e-book!

 

Share

Posted in Movies | No Comments »

Staying Entertained Without Emptying your Wallet

May 16th, 2012

Staying Entertained Without Emptying your Wallet

Trying to steer away from boredom is a task that we all face almost every day.  With summer around the corner, students will likely become bored very quickly without the excitement of being at college.  To keep yourself entertained is often an easy task. However, it usually requires spending a lot of money $100 cash loan online.  Seeing as how money is generally tight for students nowadays, here are some low budget ways to keep yourself entertained:

1) Take up cooking as a hobby!
This is a particularly cheap way to spend your time due to the fact that the money you spend to cook is also the money used for your food.  The process of cooking can be very exciting, especially if you find yourself to be a good cook.  Be adventurous at the supermarket and get creative; this will lead to more intricate meals that are more fun to cook and more delicious to eat!

2) Start Blogging
Blogging is a fantastic way to kill time if you are the type of person who likes to share stories.  Creating a blog will allow you to express your daily life through the internet.  Most blog hosting websites are free, such as WordPress or Blogspot, so blogging will actually cost you nothing.

3) Borrow Movies, Rather Than Seeing Them in Theatres
Movie ticket prices have gotten so expensive that complaining about the price has become almost cliche.  With the average ticket price around $12.50, students are often forced to stay at home instead of seeing new movies.  The simple solution for this is to borrow movies from your friends.  Although you may have to wait a few months to see the movie, you will be saving yourself a ton of money, and will be able to watch the movie at your own pace.

These three tips should serve as useful to many college students this summer.  For more savings, check out the following coupons:

 

 

Michael Turzilli, Quinnipiac University
Check out my twitter.

Click here  to download the Campus Clipper iTunes App!

Follow Campus Clipper on Twitter or keep current by liking us on Facebook

Share

Posted in onValues | No Comments »

Pursuing a Musical Dream

May 16th, 2012

It’s not often that college students get to spend their free time producing Hip-Hop beats for famous artists.  However, when Kenny Blum, who produces under the name Kenny Beat, is not in class, he is likely in the studio focusing on his musical talents.

For Kenny, a student at Berklee College of Music, music has always been a major part of his life.  Kenny originally began producing music his sophomore year of high school, and began to take music production seriously after placing second in a nation wide competition for students.  Kenny’s decision to pursue music as a serious career has turned out to be a great decision, as he has already produced tracks for numerous artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Smoke DZA and Dom Kennedy.

Kenny’s brief rise to critical acclaim serves as a great source of inspiration for all students looking to pursue their talent.  At under 21, Kenny has already been able to receive tremendous credit from the media.  As made clear by Kenny, anyone who seriously dedicates themselves to fulfilling their dream has the chance of making it in their industry.

If you are looking to follow a similar path as Kenny, be sure to stay musically focused.  For some inspiration, check out Kenny Beats’ Twitter page at @kennybeats or his website, kennybeats.com

For anyone interested in music, the following coupons are now available for use at Karaoke Boho in NYC:

Michael Turzilli, Quinnipiac University
Check out my twitter.

Click here  to download the Campus Clipper iTunes App!

Follow Campus Clipper on Twitter or keep current by liking us on Facebook

Share

Posted in onTalent | No Comments »

Jackson Diner: Yes I want Indian food for cheap

May 4th, 2012
I love Indian food. The mixture of herbs and spices excite my tastebuds in ways that normal American food cannot even hope to compare. So what if you smell like curry afterwards? The wonderful spicy flavors and marinated meats are worth it. However, Indian food is typically on the pricey side. The places I have visited before have a minimum of $20 per dish. Though the food is superb, as a college student I cannot afford that. Which brings me to my latest find: Jackson Diner.
Jackson Diner Cheap Indian Food

Welcome to Jackson Diner!

An Indian Buffet at lunch time, this might make you think that the food quality would be less. Even I did not expect too much at first. Maybe it would surpass the quality of Chinese buffets, but would it reach restaurant quality for only $11?

I could only find out by trying it out.

Entering Jackson Diner I noticed they have a color theme of red and brown. The outside of the restaurant is misleading. While it seems cheap with plastic looking red doors and signs promoting their Indian Buffet, the inside is full of rich browns and little red accents. The buffet is to your right, the bar to our right. Along the walls you see chimes, sculptures, and other cultural art pieces. Looking closer to these pieces you can see how much work went into their tiny metallic details or wood cut images. The buffet is an interesting experience in itself. Lining the wall are insets containing cultural artworks. A glistening green almost mosaic centers the buffet section with art pieces and statues in square insets to it’s left and right. The owner Mr. Singh is a sweet man. He explained how he purchased all the pieces personally from India. In a bustling place like this I felt that the artwork could be overlooked. Coming from a family of artists and craft dabblers, the delicate details caught my eye.

While picking your buffet dishes to the background music of Bollywood songs and people chatting, mostly Indian but there are plenty of non- Indian customers as well; they have grouped the dishes from a straight line towards the entrance, the first half being vegetarian and the latter half being the meat section. At the very end is salad and rice pudding. A very simple, thoughtful and efficient presentation.

The best thing about a buffet is that if you do not know what to get you can just settle for a little bit of everything. First plate was rice, with tandoori chicken, chicken tiki marsala, cabbage, Curry Pakoda, and salad. They also give you unlimited naan and water. As colorful as the plate was it all surprisingly balanced each other out.

authentic Indian Food

A dish of many delicious wonders

The Naan was soft and just a little crispy at the edges. Just the way I like it. No cheap pita bread-like substances here.

The curry and chicken tiki marsala worked well with the rice. I would have liked a little bit of each on my fork and then follow it with a bit of cabbage. The cabbage was plain but had a slight flavor, as cabbage should. It balanced out the powerful flavors from the chicken dishes.

While people always say to me that they love Chicken Tiki Marsala what won me over was the Tandoori chicken. The deep red color led me to think it would be spicy but the level of spice was just enough to tease your tongue but not burn it. The chicken was tender and I could almost peel sections of it off because it was that well cooked. There was a bone in the center which usually turns me off but the bone was soft and broken. It was easy to take out and added to the chicken’s well cooked testament. I have gone to Italian restaurants that charge $15 dollars per dish (that being cheap) and was given dry unlovable chicken. For $11 I could have this Tandoori chicken all I wanted. Jackson Diner really impressed me.

The rice pudding was the last thing I had to try. I could find nothing wrong with it. Inside they had grapes and cashews, which added a very sweet touch.

The summary of my visit to Jackson Diner and trying out their $11 buffet: Great food. Great price. Lovely art pieces. Sweet Owner. I’m definitely coming back.

 

For more pictures and details on the food at the Jackson Diner check out my blog!

 

Sophia, Rochester Institute of Technology

Check out my blog!

Click here to download the Campus Clipper iTunes App!

Follow Campus Clipper on Twitter or keep current by liking us onFacebook

Interested in more deals for students? Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter to get the latest in student discounts and promotions. For savings on-the-go, download our printable coupon e-book!

Share

Posted in Cheap Eats, onFood, Restaurant Reviews | No Comments »

If it Ain’t Broke, Why Go Broke Buying A New One?

April 29th, 2012

I’m a person who eats, lives and breathes all things creative. Okay, maybe not eat because that’d be a bit odd but you get my point.
One of my creative indulgences has always been photography. Cameras, particularly the type I like to work with, aren’t exactly cheap. I currently own a Nikon D-60, which by 2012’s standards would be considered outdated. What are they up to now, the Nikon 25,000?
I’m joking of course, but Nikon has added a ton of new models to their line up since I first got my little D-60 about four years ago.

The little Nikon that could.

If you’re like me and enjoy the arts and photography in particular, you know that sometimes there is a need to keep up with the changing technology in photography, only if you’re a total tech head.

But if you indulge in the simple pleasure of creating art with a camera, there are tons of ways to tickle your every photographic whim while sticking to that college budget.

First, don’t go selling your car just to buy the latest camera model. You know for a fact that in another six months or so, the company is just going to release yet another, fancier version of the ‘latest’ model so don’t waste your money; it’ll only lead to heartbreak.

Instead of spending the money you originally planned on using to buy that new model, spend the money on pimping out the camera you currently have. For example, instead of buying a new camera for my little D-60, I instead opted to upgrade my lens. Now, my pictures are just as great as those that are taken with a D-5,000.

A new lens enhanced the quality of my photos for way less than the price of a new camera.

Another great way to further your endeavors in photography is to shop around vintage stores for old film cameras. If you have any knowledge of darkroom photography, this can be a great way to take your photography to the next level. In today’s tech savvy world, it’s rare to come across a photographer who actually knows how to work with film.

However, if you have no prior knowledge of film photography but have the time and patience to learn a new skill, buying a cheap, used film camera and learning on your own doesn’t hurt.
And what do you do if find yourself with a broken camera and face the temptation of filing for bankruptcy just to buy a fancy new camera?

Fix it! It’s way less expensive to fix a used camera then to buy a whole new one. However, if you truly want to buy a new camera, at least go through less expensive sellers like Ebay or Amazon rather than big name stores where they jack up the prices.

To save a bit of money getting that broken camera fixed, be sure to use this student discount and look for other student discounts when purchasing any electronic items. Remember, it never hurts to ask!

Janet, College of Saint Elizabeth, 2012

Follow me on twitter! Check out my blog!

Click here  to download the Campus Clipper iTunes App!

Follow Campus Clipper on Twitter or keep current by liking us on Facebook

Interested in more deals for students? Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter to get the latest in student discounts and promotions. For savings on-the-go, download our printable coupon e-book!

 

Share

Posted in onSavings, onShopping | No Comments »

Cabin in the Woods: You think you know the story?

April 23rd, 2012

 I saw the trailer for this movie a month ago and it started as any other horror movie would start: A bunch of young people going off into the woods only to later be murdered by some unknown monster. Typical and predictable. Then in the middle of the trailer words appear in an eerie white font, “You think you know the story?” and I thought to myself, “Yes, I do think I know the story but prove me wrong because now I am interested.” What they showed next was a mixture of flashing images of force fields, monsters, blood, people screaming, things twisting, stuff turning and finally what really won me over was the name of the writer: Joss Whedon.

I am a big fan of this man’s work. He wrote Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and several X-men comics. He is a talented writer who can really perfect characterization and take typical concepts and twist them into an extraordinary experience. He also has a quirky and sometimes disturbing sense of humor.

Onto the movie itself, Cabin in the Woods was AMAZING. The movie tricks the audience into thinking they know what is going to happen and then the movie morphs out of your expectations creating an environment of thrills, suspense, and excitement. The movie switched between moments of complete comfort of knowing what was happening to the group of protagonists, moments of complete horror, and moments of oddly placed humor which adds to the disturbing effect Whedon creates so well.

The movie overwhelmed my expectations. Yes, a lot of parts of the movie seemed obvious such as the old man warning them that they won’t be able to get back, the characters being foolish enough to play with items and read out demonic latin words that lead to blood and sacrifice. Yes, that is a bit cliche  and not hard to predict. However, it is not a movie that takes itself seriously. It is fun and meant to play with the audience with its campy spirit. The acting and characterization were perfect and the twists either scared me (like they should have), shocked me, or a combination of the first two followed by spontaneous laughter or disbelief at what was going on.

Also, there is a suprise guest at the end, though not everyone would know or appreciate this addition.

I have come to a conclusion that Joss Whedon never dissapoints and that this movie is given the rating of AWESOME. Go see it for yourselves if you don’t believe me. Don’t look for spoilers though. That just ruins the entire movie.

For after movie munchies, remember to take advantage of student discounts and the great offers at Campus Clipper.

Sophia, Rochester Institute of Technology

Check out my blog!

Click here to download the Campus Clipper iTunes App!

Follow Campus Clipper on Twitter or keep current by liking us onFacebook

Interested in more deals for students? Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter to get the latest in student discounts and promotions. For savings on-the-go, download our printable coupon e-book!

Share

Posted in Movies, onEntertainment, onFun | Comments Closed

Overhearing or Oversharing?

April 20th, 2012

One of the greatest things (which also may be it biggest flaw) about New York City is that it is full of many different kinds of people. Maybe it’s the loud cacophony of vehicles and conversations, we cannot deny how the city is just inherently full of loud people. While not intended, we have all come across a situation where we may have overheard a conversation someone else was having with their friends, perhaps on the phone, or maybe even with themselves.

Nevertheless, even though we are trying to sleep on a train and hearing the murmuring of our neighbors makes us create our own threatening murmurs in our head, sometimes you come across interesting conversations.

Last week, I was on the train, coming home late at night from a class, and had the lovely luck of sitting next to a big man eating burgers and talking loudly to anyone who would hear. While I usually ignore people on the train, I could not help but hear and listen to what he was sharing. He talked about a woman who he considered the only person he could trust and that he no longer travels to a certain area because a fight broke out and he got shot there. Even if it was just the tall tale of a man desperately seeking attention, it was interesting and slowly I transformed the story he told to the train inhabitants into a movie in my mind.

He began getting repetitive but then he mumbled how you can’t trust anyone and how nowadays people aren’t afraid to backstab you and shoot you without remorse.

Yes, very morbid things I overheard, or maybe he was just oversharing, but it depends on how you look at it. Here was a man who had learned a very harsh lesson and was telling it to anyone who could hear. In one train ride I learned a personal secret and lesson from a complete stranger.

Ending note? Listen to others and what they say. You don’t have to intently listen in to strange homeless men but don’t reject a person’s words right away as soon as they seem a little crazy. Take their words with a grain of salt because it is how you view the world that changes how the world affects you.

But not everything you overhear  has to be morbid. In a complete change of tone, Overhead Everywhere is a hilarious site containing overheard conversations all over the country. It has mature language and content but all in all, I find myself skimming through these pages for a good laugh every so often.

If only when I went out, I could keep track of things I overhear. It’d make great fodder for stories or sharing with friends. You could use your money to get a digital recorder or even simpler get a fancy notebook with a student discount at  an art store.

The possibilities are endless when your ideas come from crazy New Yorkers.

Sophia, Rochester Institute of Technology

Check out my blog!

Click here to download the Campus Clipper iTunes App!

Follow Campus Clipper on Twitter or keep current by liking us onFacebook

Interested in more deals for students? Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter to get the latest in student discounts and promotions. For savings on-the-go, download our printable coupon e-book!

Share

Posted in onLife, onValues, Uniqueness in NYC | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »