BARNARD BARNARD BARNARD
BULLETIN BULLETIN
Vol. CXVII, Issue 10
May 2009
Inside: A Welcome to the Athena Center for Leadership Studies
Letter From the Editors When you work for a publication you always hear tall tales, whether they’re about editors of yore or funny rituals. Working at the Bulletin is no exception. For instance, you may have heard that the Bulletin is the oldest continuously-running publication on an all women’s campus in the United States or that Margaret Mead was once an editor. While we’re proud of our history, these tidbits may seem a bit irrelevant to our readership. So in an attempt to bridge the gap between editor and reader, we want to share some snapshots of our experience over the past few years.
4. We sometimes receive letters from prisoners in Cuba asking for female correspondence. 5. We still have a typewriter and filmloader in our closet, just in case computers cease to exist. Thank you for reading,
Five things you probably don’ t know about the Bulletin: 1.
The Bulletin office lacks the proper amount of oxygen, resulting in prevalent insanity. Side effects of being in the office for more than 5 consecutive hours include strange dancing, almost painful laughter and an increase in appetite.
2.
When we made t-shirts with Martha Stewart’s face on the front and “Doing our time” on the back, she bought 3 of them.
3.
While we used attract cigarette advertisers, we are now popular among egg donor agencies.
Editorial Board Co-Editors-in-Chief Alison Hodgson ’10 Allegra Panetto ’09 Managing Editor Viana Siniscalchi ’11 Editor-at-Large Amanda Lanceter ’09 Co-Features Editors Samantha Greenberg ’11 Hayley Panasiuk ’11 Politics & Opinion Editor Nancy Elshami ’10 Arts & Entertainment Editor Rebekah Kim ’10
Music Editor Rebecca Spalding ’12 New York City Living Editor Emma Brockway ’10 Art Director Emily Stein ’09 Head Copy Editor Gillian Adler ’10
Management Head of Finance Nelly Davcheva ’10 Advertising Manager Iffat Kabeer ’11 Office Manager Claire Frosch ’10
Please note that the opinions expressed by individual authors are not necessarily reflective of the Bulletin Staff.
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Alison Hodgson
Public Relations Coordinators Tracy Rodrigues ’11 Miriam Toaff ’10 Chief of Distribution Stefie Gan ’12
Photo Editor Julia Martinez ’09 Web Designer Diana Windemuth ’11
Front Cover Art
Production Associate Editors Ariel Merrick ’09 Daliya Poulose ’12 Amanda Rodhe ’12 Claire Stern ’12 Layout Editor Meagan McElroy ’10 Assistant Art Director Mabel McLean ’12
Want to support the Barnard Bulletin? Check donatons can be made payable to the Barnard Bulletin and sent to: Barnard Bulletin, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
Allegra Panetto
Concept: Alison Hodgson Allegra Panetto Emily Stein Photography: Allegra Panetto
Back Cover Emily Stein
Want your artwork on the back? Please submit it by email to backcover@barnardbulletin.com.
Features
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Essentials 5 The Ar t of Negotiation 5 Rever ber ations 6 Cooking Column: Panamania! 7 Well-Woman: 8 The Medical Minute 10 The Bar nard-Columbia Gr ading Dispute 35 Archive Page
Politics & Opinion
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Ir aq: Six Year s Later Women and Self-Reliance in India’s Politics Uzbekistan Bans Hijabs and Miniskir ts from its Schools A Casualty of Peace
Centerpiece
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A Welcome to the Athena Center for Leader ship Studies
Arts & Entertainment
Pollitt Pokes Fun With the Mind-Body Problem 19 Sisterhood and Spoons: Playwright Samantha Car lin, BC ‘09 23 Musings of a Pop Culture Junkie: The Anatomy of a Pop Culture Junkie 24 $60K for Henr y Hudson 18
Music
The Rise of kc quilty 26 Just Beat It, The King Is Back 28 Lykke Li: Music You Can Dance, Dance, Dance To 25
NYC Living 2 2 The Wandering Photogr apher : Centr al Par k West 29 The End of Locavore Lit? 30 Running in Flats: The Real Life of a Fashion Intern 31 Sense in a Centsless Wor ld: Discover y Cheap and Painless Roads to Economic Recover y 32 The Fr ugal Foodista: Porchetta
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bear essentials ACADEMIC STANDING REPORTS: The Dean of Studies Office is receiving reports from faculty members about students who seem to be having difficulty in particular courses. If we receive one for you, we will ask you to meet with your adviser or Class Dean to talk about ways of improving your standing. We hope that the reports and conversations will be helpful to you. THE MANDATORY PRE-DEPARTURE MEETING will be held on Wednesday, May 6th, 5-6:30pm, in 304 Barnard. This is a mandatory meeting for students studying abroad for the Fall 2009 semester and/or the 2009-2010 academic year. Dean Young will discuss many things you need to know before leaving as well as share important information from Health Services, Career Development, and Admissions. At the end of the meeting, there will be an opportunity to talk with Barnard study abroad alumnae who studied in many of the countries or regions where you will be going. STUDENTS WHO WILL BE ON STUDY LEAVE IN THE FALL: Please complete the appropriate study leave forms and submit them to Dean Young by Monday, April 27. If you have not heard from your chosen program or institution by the 27th, please be in touch with Dean Young or Mr. Farrell to arrange for an extension. Please be sure to secure all other approvals (including financial aid clearance) before requesting Dean Young’s signature. These forms can also be printed from our website at http://www.barnard.edu/dos/ study_abroad. Follow the link to “Before Leaving”. Until you submit these forms, your Barnard bill cannot be updated. NEW STUDY ABROAD BLOG: Check out at www.barnardabroad.blogspot.com for all the latest news on approved programs, upcoming information sessions, scholarships, summer opportunities, international events here on campus, students currently abroad and much, much more!
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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS All F-1 students who will be traveling outside the United States after the end of the semester must obtain a new signature on your I-20s prior to leaving the country if the last signature is more than six months old. You will need the new signature in order to be admitted back to the United States. Dean Kuan Tsu, Dean Starks and Mr. Farrell, all in the
Dean of Studies Office, are authorized to sign I-20s. Seniors who are interested in working in the United States after graduation should make an appointment to see Dean Tsu or Dean Starks as soon as possible to begin the application process for optional practical training. STUDY ROOMS: Students may reserve rooms 404 and 406 in Barnard Hall for study groups during reading days and exam week. To sign up for a room, please call 212-854-2024 or stop by the Dean of Studies Office. SPRING LISTENING HOURS: The Furman Counseling Center offers evening residence hall walk-in sessions. No appointment necessary. No concern or topic is too big or small. Whether the financial climate has you stressed and strained, or senior thesis and job searching feels overwhelming, or you need a place to talk out the final push towards exams or summer planning, or you just don’t know what’s bothering you but you think something is, drop by one of our Listening Hours and we’ll help you sort it out. Listening Hours are open to all Barnard students. They are held by Counseling Center staff on Tuesdays in Plimpton Hall, 7-9:30pm, and Thursdays in Elliott Hall, 7-9:30pm. STRESSED OUT? Every Wednesday, 12:15-1pm, there’s a Stress Management workshop in the Well Woman office (119 Reid), facilitated by therapists from Furman Counseling. No sign up necessary, just show up. Come once, come every week! WITHDRAWING STUDENTS: If you do not plan to return to the College for the fall semester, and if you will not be on study leave, please meet with your Class Dean before the end of the semester to complete withdrawal procedures. If you decide to withdraw during the summer, please contact your class dean immediately. YEAR-END REMINDERS FROM HEALTH SERVICES Please pay outstanding Health Service bills. Failure to do so will delay or prevent you from registering for next semester. Seniors, your transcripts and diploma will be delayed!
All Students: The Health Service will be closed for clinical care for the summer after Friday, May 29. Please make sure you have enough allergy serum, birth control, acne medications, and any other medications you may need to last through the summer. Call HS (212-8542091) to make an appointment to pick up any medications you’ll need. Barnard Students may be seen at Health Services at Columbia for urgent care needs only during the summer months. You will be charged a fee of $60 at the time of your visit which can be claimed on your Student Insurance or family insurance. Make sure that the provider gives you a receipt that contains all the codes for your visit (CPT & ICD9), the Health Service Tax ID# and the provider’s name and title. Please visit www.barnard.edu/health for more information on reimbursement. Basic and additional Optional Student Health Insurance can be extended through the summer months (please note that Optional Insurance can only be extended through the summer if you had Optional Insurance in the fall and spring). Seniors, you are eligible for this extension, too! The application deadline is June 8. Coverage is from May 26 through August 21. Please call HS for more info or download an application online: www.barnard.edu/health/summercoverage.htm. If you are traveling to a foreign country over the summer or next semester, please make an appointment with the Health Service for a pre-travel visit to learn about required and recommended vaccinations and your destination’s health care policies and concerns. Be sure to have enough of your prescriptions (in their original containers!) to last your trip. Wear sunblock! Remember, hormonal birth control and some antibiotics can make your skin more sensitive to the sun. YEAR-END ACADEMIC PROCEDURES: Please refer to Dean Blank’s e-mail message about end-of-the-semester completion of coursework, which has been sent to students and faculty members. We know that this time of year is often stressful, and we’re counting on you to contact your Class Dean, your adviser, Counseling Services, and other student services if you need help.
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The Art of Negotiation
Tips on pay negotiation from powerful and accomplished women
Before an interview, do your research on the current salaries for the position you’re looking for. This way, you’ll have a realistic idea of what you could be earning. Even better, you’ll have the confidence of knowing that your expectations are fair. Go into the negotiation knowing what you want and what you’ll accept, but remember to consider the entire package, including benefits and perks. Be creative— if the employer can’t give you what you want in base salary, perhaps they can make up the difference in bonus. Ultimately, you’ll need to make the determination of how much you want the job and what offer is acceptable. Make sure to fight for what you want and need. Sometimes, that can even mean walking away. Bobbi Brown, CEO of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, author of Bobbi Brown Beauty, Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty and Bobbi Brown Beauty Evolution Focus on what you will be doing and what the market pays for that position. This way you frame the discussion around your future compensation and not your current compensation, which may be low but possibly irrelevant if the target job is very different. You will need to do research so you know your target market. You will need to make a case for why you deserve to be in that salary range. But this will only make you a more knowledgeable and confident candidate, which will help get you both the job and the appropriate salary. Caroline Ceniza-Levine, BC ’93, co-founder of SixFigureStart, partner at Redseeds Consulting, and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs Negotiations take many forms with different circumstances and players yielding different styles and approaches. Successful negotiation, however, almost always has two parts: preparation and the actual negotiation. To prepare, the negotiator must understand clearly what is to be achieved and on whose behalf. Equally important, one must be educated as fully as possible about the other side’s perspective, needs, goals, and culture. Then, during the actual negotiation, one must listen very carefully to hear and understand what the other side needs and/or wants most, and be open-minded about how to help them achieve it, while also, of course, successfully advancing and fulfilling one’s own goals. The best negotiators strike an exquisite balance between persuasive articulation of their side’s case, and working hard to narrow any gap that exists between the two sides’ aims. In other words, the goal is not only to satisfy one’s own interests, but to achieve an outcome that both sides value and that will, therefore, endure and be successful. Ellen V. Futter, BC ’71, former President, Barnard College, President, American Museum of Natural History In a negotiation with someone on the other side of an issue, make sure you’re giving the opposite party “room to back up.” Everyone likes to save face; no one wants the appearance of defeat. You can be in the right of an argument on the merits, but if the only way for someone to agree with you exacts a toll of humiliation, you’ll be in the middle of that push and pull for a very long time. Figure out some givebacks in advance that you can live with. And then dole them out judiciously to sweeten the path to the end. Ann Henstrand, SIPA ’88, ACORD Corporation, Assistant Vice President, Compliance, Government Affairs and Forms Much of the art of negotiation is about building your self esteem. You have to have the ability to dream and to know want you want. Women are not always the highest dreamers because we may not believe we are worthy. We as women need to build our selfesteem so that we feel confident to ask for what we deserve. You can’t ask for equality if you don’t believe you are worthy of it. The second tip is to raise the bar higher than your comfort zone since when negotiating you’ll need room to come down a little. Work through your fear of walking away if you don’t get a fair deal. Don’t settle for less then you are worth. Whomever you are negotiating with needs to believe you will walk away if your needs aren’t met fairly. Wendy Kaufman, President and founder of Balancing Life’s Issues, Inc. .
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R EVE R B E R AT I ON S
Creative fiction, non-fiction, poetry or prose submitted by Barnard students.
do a line and take a car use the car like a hendrix guitar race it, smooth it, sail it, soothe it curl it around my finger and hold my breath like there’s nothing else left pierce fear like a needle in a cloud overcome, i’ve got to face it now relinquishing memories, i need to be free i’ve got to be free we remember the things we had chosen to forget the people that haunt our dreams the broken wings tried on and clipped the empty childhood i would have been better off without but not stronger i can feel no thing, no one, no where but it is real, so real flashes burning and falling with the rest, but faster and smoother so much involuntary passion electrifies the steering wheel like wildfire they beckon and i fall so much faster than the rest i might as well do this when i don’t give a fuck whether i live or die tomorrow i withdraw and cannot save myself anonymous
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cooking
photo by Christina Black
Panamania!
A column by Christina Black Panamanian food is not particularly subtle; it sticks to your bones. It rarely deviates from its basic, comforting spectrum of flavorful ingredients. I can claim authenticity for these recipes (although who would think of faking a Panamanian recipe really?) thanks to the Panamanian immigrants now living in New Mexico who taught me. Garlic, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar form the backbone of the cuisine’s flavors, with additions of Old Bay seasoning, lemon pepper, and soy sauce desirable but not strictly necessary. Although these recipes call for a lot of frying, which can be off-putting, the key to good Panamanian cooking is to reuse the oil for deep frying as the base of flavor in all your other dishes. Where you might regularly use olive oil to get things started in a warm pan, instead reach for a spoonful of pork and plantain-infused oil. Try it. It’s as addictive as the fried pork and plantain chips, and it means nothing goes to waste. If you throw the essential Panamanian flavors into a large Ziploc bag with several 1 to 2 inch cubes of pork (rub the marinade in well), marinate it for several days (although an hour will suffice in a pinch), and then deep fry** in a few inches of vegetable oil (or any other neutral oil), you will create the ultimate indulgence of fried pork. It’s all in the name. What’s not to like about a dish so decadent it borders nutritional and cultural offence? Plantains are another staple, and their cooking method varies on ripeness. Thinly slice the yellow/green variety into
rounds, and deep fry** (perhaps in the vegetable oil from the pork, or vice versa). Fish them out as they become golden, not quite brown, and blot on pieces of paper towel. They don’t even need salt. If the plantains are ripe and blackened, slice them lengthwise and fry them in butter, sprinkled with coarse salt at the end, for an incredible side dish to the pork. Speaking of side dishes, use a few spoonfuls of the oil used to fry in the bottom of the pot before adding rice to cook, frying the rice for a minute. It adds a depth of flavor to each grain. Serve with black beans cooked low and slow with any of the afore-mentioned spice combinations. The vegetables I encountered tended to be raw and simple yet hardy in order to stand up to the richness of these other dishes. Panamanian salads revel in the simple goodness of their few fresh ingredients, so that a salad of avocado and tomato will simply be carved into chunks and served naked, without any dressing. To drink? While Panama has no notable vineyards to my knowledge, a Chilean or even Argentinean red would stand up admirably to the meal. I can also recommend a mojito, as a rumbased dish fits in so well with the Latin American theme. Mojitos! -1:3 proportions dark rum to Sprite -Ice -Lots of lime wedges -Fresh mint sprigs
In the bottom of the glass, place several mint leaves, squeeze and throw in a wedge of lime, and add a splash of Sprite Using a long wooden spoon (or whatever you have on hand that works), smash and grind (called “muddling” in the bartending world) the ingredients together for a few seconds until the mint releases its essential oils, but before it becomes pulverized. Fill the glass to the top with ice cubes. Fill the glass 1/3 of the way with good-quality dark rum Fill the rest of the way with Sprite Rub the rim of the glass with a wedge of lime, squeeze and throw in a few more wedges. Add a beautiful, long sprig of mint. Stir as best you can before serving **Tips for deep frying: Use a heavy-bottom pot with high sides. Have tongs or a slotted spoon on hand for retrieving food. Never use olive oil. Use oil with a high smoke point (meaning it won’t bubble or smoke until a very high temperature). Vegetable, canola, peanut, corn, safflower, sunflower, and grapeseed oil all fit this criteria. For extra safety, purchase a cooking thermometer and maintain the temperature at the universal cooking point of 350°F. Otherwise, watch the oil closely and test the temperature by dropping in bits of bread. The temperature is ready when it instantly starts cooking and turns golden brown.
Christina Black is a Barnard senior and Bulletin cooking columnist.
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features
Well-Woman
By Sophie Soares Journalist Naomi Wolf called it a turn off to the “real thing,” sex therapists Wendy and Larry Maltz named it as a “trap” and Joey and Chandler…well, they simply rejoiced in its wonder. What am I talking about? Why, porn of course. And in that infamous episode of Friends, “The One with Free Porn,” as Joey and Chandler debate turning off the television because of its unforeseen effects – “I was just at the bank, and there was this really hot teller, and she didn’t ask me to go do it in the vault” – these two men might have exposed us to something rather important: the impact pornography may have on us in our sexual encounters with others. Now, what’s so interesting about Chandler’s imagined, titillating proposition in the bank is how matter-of-fact the whole encounter is supposed to be: “hot” person, “horny” person, sex. It’s formulaic, expected, and almost mathematical, if you will. And herein may lay the problem. I ask you, how do we all cope in real-life sexual experiences with a man or woman when we are bombarded with images of how it “should” go? When pornography is telling us that put two men, two women and/or a man and woman in a room, a car, a shower i.e. a ridiculously daffy, transparent situation and then “ooh baby, ooh baby,” how are we affected when it simply don’t turn out that easy? Let’s consider some of my girlfriends, interested both in men and women, who’ve told me that “that thing” that should normally give them an orgasm just simply doesn’t “do it” for them. Confused? Disappointed? And a lot of that has to do, I suspect, with the fact that pornography, and other media by extension, dictates that getting someone to orgasm or surrender, as several prominent sex researchers and therapists call it, or being the one that orgasms is really not that hard to do. But that ain’t necessarily so; it’s possible that what so easily turns
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on the stars of those steamy adult movies may not turn you on or that you need more than what those personalities of porn get. You should not feel bad or abnormal about it. Indeed, a lot of women find pornography oppressive to women. So, at least for now – ’cause don’t get me wrong, porn can be great and you need not feel weird or ashamed about watching it – turn off that sexy adult cable channel, close those seedy pop-ups on your computer and stop the film with too obvious a title and consider trying these tips: 1. One of the best ways to be able to explain to your partner what feels good to you and how you like to experience pleasure is to practice on yourself! Self-pleasuring and self-exploration can help you better understand what is pleasurable for you so that you can explain your technique, fantasies, or positions to your partner. 2. If you are concerned about some aspect of your sex life, the best thing you can do is talk to a qualified health care provider or educator, particularly if you are hitting physical and/or psychological roadblocks. Often, just talking openly to an objective person can help people better understand the issues with which they are struggling. If an in-person conversation feels at all intimidating, there are websites that allow you to ask and receive answers to sex-related questions from experts, like www.howtohavegoodsex.com. What do you think? Visit the Well-Woman blog at www. wellwoman.wordpress.com to discuss! Sophie Soares is a Barnard senior and Well-Woman Peer Educator.
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Medical Minute: Caring for Your Immune System By Dr. Marjorie Seidenfeld, M.D. Your body’s ability to recognize infection is amazing. Tiny cells in your blood stream (white blood cells), as well as even tinier proteins that they produce (antibodies), are able to recognize and attack viruses and bacteria that invade your systems in a cascade of reactions. The body also offers barriers to these foreign invaders in your skin and on the inside of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. One example is the cilia, or tiny hairs, that grow in the lining of your airway, which have
“And here on campus, where you are living in close quarters and exposed to whatever is brought in from the outside, you need to maximize your defenses!” been likened to a tiny escalator, carrying germs up and out of your nose. It’s a brilliant system that generally protects you from harm; unless of course, you interfere with this. How might you be interfering? Sometimes, you can’t avoid this. If you have had asthma, for example, you might have been treated with oral steroids, which suppress your immune system. If you’ve been treated for cancer, you have been given very toxic medications that severely suppress your bone marrow’s production of the all-important white blood cells. These therapies are aimed at treating a dangerous condition at the risk of temporarily interfering with your immune system and generally can’t be avoided in order for you to survive. However, there are ways in which you may be interfering
that are not required to save your life. You might be smoking cigarettes that alter some of those barriers in your airway. You might be drinking alcohol and caffeine that alter some of the cellular functions that protect you. You might be eating poorly, so that your cells do not receive the nutrients that they need for the chemical reactions that fight off infections. And most likely, you are stressed and not sleeping enough, both of which may alter the neuroendocrine (hormonal) regulation of the whole system. And here on campus, where you are living in close quarters and exposed to whatever is brought in from the outside, you need to maximize your defenses! So what can you do? You probably can guess. All the things that your parents keep asking you about… Are you eating your vegetables? Are you getting to bed before 3am? It’s really that old fashioned stuff that you need to focus on. Maybe when it’s 1am, you should turn off your computer and stop surfing the net and go to sleep. Maybe you can choose the mixed vegetables or fruit instead of the mashed potato at the cafeteria. And maybe after your second drink of alcohol, you can choose to drink cranberry juice straight up instead of another beer. Take better care of those white blood cells of yours and they’ll take better care of you! Dr. Marjorie Seidenfeld is the Medical Director of Student Health Services. Reference: Rubin J, Chalder T, Wessely S. Psychological Aspects of Infectious Diseases. Cohen & Powderly: Infectious Diseases, 2nd Ed., Mosby, 2004.
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The Barnard-Columbia Grading Dispute By Amanda Evans
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graphic by Adrienne Hezghia
“A class at Barnard is a G.P.A boost.” This mentality is all too common throughout Columbia University. However, students and professors alike seem torn on the question of where it is easier to get an A. Like with most issues of debate regarding the Barnard-Columbia relationship, there is no definitive answer, only ambiguous interpretations. Despite the stereotype that Barnard classes are easier, professors from both schools maintain that they see similar, if not better, performance from Barnard students. Professor Roxanna Sooudi, professor at Columbia University in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, says, “Barnard students have been among my best students. The[ir] work ethic is often more consistent than that of my Columbia students – that is not say that Columbia students do not perform well in my classes.” Professor Jonathon Reider, professor in the sociology department, has taught several seminars in past years that included both Columbia and Barnard students. He says that in his experience, “Barnard students have performed better than Columbia students.” He adds that he does not want to “over generalize [the performance of Barnard and Columbia students],” explaining that the performance of the students did
vary and there have been years when Columbia and Barnard students earn very similar grades. Perhaps the reason performances vary between Columbia and Barnard students is because of the differences in the way the classes at each school are conducted. Recently, the New York Times published an article, “Student Expectations seen as causing Grade disputes,” which discussed the desire of many students to receive an ‘A’ based on effort rather than just the grade on a test. Indeed, students feel that the main difference between Barnard and Columbia is the work ethic; at Barnard one needs to constantly work for a class if one wants to do well, while at Columbia, much more emphasis is put on just two or three tests or essays throughout the semester. The New York Times article illuminates the notion that a Barnard class means not only constant effort, but also effort that is seen and appreciated more by the professor, making it more difficult to get an A. Due to the fact that Columbia is a large university with many larger lecture classes than at Barnard, which has many smaller seminars, comparing grades seems to many a fruitless venture. Kelly Holloway, BC ’12, believes that “the style of grading, and the way to get an A are entirely different—you can’t compare the two.” Grace Royer, BC ’11, who has taken a many classes at both Barnard and Columbia, concurs with the notion of a different work ethic at the two schools. “At Barnard,” she says, “the classes are easier in terms of the fact that the material may not be as complicated, but you have to work so hard to do well, at Columbia the material is often extremely dense, but because of that the curve is usually huge and getting a ‘B’ or an ‘A’ is not difficult at all.”
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Some classes come with a quota— a limit to how many A’s a student can receive. Meghan, CC’ 11, a Columbia student who did not want her full name disclosed, says many of her professors at Columbia College have informed students that only 5% can receive ‘A’s. However, this is not the case in all classes at either school. In terms of grading, Professor Sooudi said she has no quota for how many A’s, B’s, etc that will be handed out. However, if she found that almost the entire class was receiving A’s, she admits that she would be inclined to reevaluate her grading system. Professor Reider also has no “arbitrary cut off for the amount of grades willing to give out. “ Meghan added that while many classes in certain departments at Barnard are “notorious” for being an easy A, there are Columbia classes equally well known for giving out A’s when they are often not deserved. For example, “Frontiers of Science [a Columbia core class] is a class that is widely known as an easy A,” says Meghan. The crux of the grading and class debate seems to center mainly on which school will have the classes that will be easier. In this G.P.A.-obsessed environment, many students want to take the classes for their major that will give them that ‘A.’ Many premed students at both Columbia and Barnard agree that Barnard science classes are more difficult, in terms of both material and grading. Thus, many choose to take their classes at Columbia. Conversely, the general consensus is that classes in the math department are easier at Barnard, consequently math majors often choose to take more classes at Barnard. However, in other departments opinions seem much more varied. In the political science department, it seems the stigma still exists that Barnard classes are undoubtedly easier in terms of grading. Gairy Hall, CC ‘11’, explains that while he personally has not taken any classes at Barnard, his friends that have said that it is simple to receive an ‘A’ or ‘B’ in a Barnard class. “In the political science department, my friends say that the level of difficulty is not as high as in Columbia classes.”
“A Barnard class means not only constant effort, but also effort that is seen and appreciated more by the professor, making it more difficult to get an A.” History majors from both Columbia and Barnard see little difference between the grading at either school. However, some students speak of a discrepancy between the amount of work needed to put in the class to get the grades they would like. Mujib Mashal, CC ‘11 says of the classes he took for his history major, the Barnard ones were consistent with the
grading he had received in his Columbia classes, but the material a lot easier and the amount of work he put in was “ a lot less.” Wyatt Ford, CC ’09, says that he loves the Barnard classes he has taken, in particular “Filthy Lucre,” a history class he is currently taking, which has been consistent with both the material and grading so far with his Columbia classes. The language departments also seem to elicit different reactions. Brian Oches, CC ’09, a Russian literature and culture major, says that classes for his major have been essentially similar at Barnard and Columbia, but that the “grading at Barnard has been a [bit] harder, not because the classes are necessarily harder, but because the professors are more strict.” Essentially, a general statement cannot be made about the difference in classes at either school. It depends on the major, the classes taken within that major and even more importantly, the individual taking those classes. Of course, sentiments will remain on all different levels of the spectrum when it comes to grading at Barnard and Columbia. The issue is not, and will more than likely never be, a black and white one. Perhaps the best one can do is to accept that grading will vary no matter what side of Broadway you may call home. .
Amanda Evans is a Barnard first-year.
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Sisters at Barnard: Can’t Live With Them— Or Can We?
By Heena Sharma Going away to college is typically seen as an opportunity to escape from the confines of domestic family life where individual growth is hardly possible. For students with siblings, there is the added benefit of finally being alone, for once. It is quite possible, however, to enjoy a more than fulfilling college experience with relatives by your side. Barnard students who have had, currently have, or who will have a sister at Barnard can attest to this seemingly contrary statement. Liza Kostreva, Barnard first year, sees her older sister, Amanda, almost every day. They attend several of the same dance classes, but Liza enjoys their regular rendezvous at Nussbaum & Wu just as much. Her present adoration for the school took time to develop; she had been ambivalent about applying to
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Barnard even while Amanda was already here. Sipping on a drink from Java City, the Massachusetts native told me it was as late as October of her senior year of high school that she finally decided that her academic interests, love of ballet, and the enchanting attraction of New York City joined together to push her to commit to an early decision. Since then, she has never looked back. Although Liza decided on her own that Barnard would be the right choice for her, her sister’s presence was seen as a positive bonus. This is not always the case, with the example of Ellie McNamara, a current junior at Barnard. “My sister [Kate] and I are very different, and I thought that if it was a good fit for her, then it couldn’t be a good fit for me,” recalled Ellie. She spent a year at
Fordham and, when visiting her older sister (who is now a Barnard graduate), she realized that she was missing out on all Barnard had to offer and took the leap. Ellie also reaped the benefits of having Kate around. “My sister was my personal guide to Barnard,” she concluded, after listing the ways an experienced older sib came to assistance. However, the arrival of the younger sister was not simply full of one-sided advantages. In both of these cases, having a sister around proved to be beneficial for the relationship between the pair, even in the long run. Despite their differences, Ellie believed that being at the same school as Kate allowed them to grow as individuals, while allowing them to grow closer. Having to make time to see one another made Ellie realize how close
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she and her sister really were. Liza also remarked that having her sister available as a source of support allowed her to see Amanda as a role model as well as an equal. An interesting thing about both pairs of sisters was that each claimed to have a complete absence of sibling rivalry. Liza, Amanda, and Ellie reported an lack of competition with their respective sibling. As a current Barnard student whose sister will be attending Barnard in the fall, this struck me since sibling rivalry often causes our sister-sister bonding to become hostile. After finding out that my sister got into Barnard, I greeted the news
“Although Liza decided on her own that Barnard would be the right choice for her, her sister’s presence was seen as a positive bonus.”
with mixed feelings. I was excited that she would be attending a school with near limitless opportunities, but at the same time, I was hesitant about how this would affect our relationship. Would we grow sick of each other? Would we be able to live our own lives? However, listening to the stories of Liza, Amanda, and Ellie made me hopeful. Having a sister alongside them helped them grow as individuals as well as grow in their relationships with each other. To borrow Ellie’s words, maybe our experience at Barnard can become something special that my sister and I could share as well. Heena Sharma is a Barnard sophomore.
Amanda Kostreva, a Barnard first year, and her sister Liza, a Barnard junior.
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politics
& opinion
Iraq: Six Years Later March 19, 2009 marked the sixth anniversary of war in Iraq. Today, rather than fighting a war in search of weapons of mass destruction, which was the original mission of the United States when it entered the Middle Eastern, oil-rich country, American soldiers are fighting to end what many might call a civil war in Iraq. Since the United States invaded Iraq six years ago, there hasn’t been the slightest evidence of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). The greatest accomplishment that the U.S. has achieved during these its sixyear occupation of Iraq is the removal of Saddam Hussein. However, even this accomplishment has a controversial side to it, for the U.S. had brought Saddam to power in the first place. The U.S. succeeded in removing him from power on December 13, 2003, within the first year of occupation in Iraq, giving a false illusion of success that would haunt the Bush administration for the duration of its reign. While conditions were expected to improve after Saddam’s removal from power, the lack of centralized rule in Iraq created a power vacuum which was to have great repercussions. The violent struggle between three groups of people within Iraq vying for authority is directly linked to the United State’s imprudent policy and haste. This struggle for power, which the U.S. created, ironically, in about 9 months, has become a conflict from which the U.S. cannot detangle itself today, after over five years of occupation in Iraq. Following the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, President Bush initiated the Iraq Survey Group (ISG) to locate WMD findings in Iraq. The group consisted of American, British, and Australian intelligence agents and military personnel. Along with thoroughly raking Iraq for evidence of WMD’s, the group
also examined the capabilities of Iraq to develop such weapons and deploy them. The group reported that it located a total of 53 munitions that they suspected to have been part of pre-1991 Gulf war stockpiles. However, the group also reported that such a discovery was rare and that it had not led to the greater discovery of a significant collection of weapons or of any programs to develop WMDs. In a testimony to Congress, Charles Duelfer, the leader of the ISG, announced, “We were almost all wrong” on Iraq. After this declaration, President Bush seemed satisfied that Iraq did not possess or aim to possess WMDs. In 2005, the ISG discontinued its search in Iraq. However, at this point, the state of the affairs in Iraq had deteriorated to continuous violence among citizens. The U.S. could not yet
end its occupation without leaving the country to fall into disarray. Today, the U.S. is fighting the same war it has been fighting since the realization, or admittance, that there are no WMDs in Iraq. More than 4,000 U.S. soldiers have died and more than one million Iraqis. The repercussions of the war on the Iraqi people cannot be overstated. Hundreds of thousands
By Sigourney LaBarre have been displaced. Over five million children are orphaned and homeless. Millions of women are widowed without income. And the remainder of the Iraqi people live in constant fear and disarray. The U.S. aided Iraq in establishing a democratic government with elected officials; however this government is led by Shiites, who are only one of the two main denominations of Islam in Iraq. Their leadership continues to draw violence from Sunni insurgents, the other main denomination in Iraq. While President Bush visited Iraq for the last time to survey the devastation and bid it farewell, a journalist among the crowd displayed an expression of discontent which was foreign and “weird” to many Americans, but understood by Arabs around the world. Throwing a shoe at the President, Muntadhar Al-Zaidi expressed his indignation and lack of appreciation for the man who brought his country to shambles and came expecting a pat on the back. The election of President Obama rekindles hope for a change in the course of events. The goal of the new President is to end the U.S. combat mission in Iraq by August 31, 2010. This goal entails removing more than 100,000 troops by August 31, 2010, leaving between 35,000 and 50,000 troops, which will be removed by the last day of 2011. While much work remains unfinished, Obama has announced his hope for political progress in Iraq. One of his main goals before withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq is to train Iraqi security forces so that the recovering country can begin to establish and maintain order on its own.
Sigourney LaBarre is a Barnard sophomore and Bulletin staff writer.
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politics
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Women in Politics
Women and Self-Reliance in India’s Politics In India, the caste and societal hierarchy tend to marginalize women and their issues, restricting women from ascending in the political sphere. Underrepresented and overcome by men, women have had rare opportunities to influence decisions in government. A few women today, however, have come to the forefront in Indian politics. J. Jayalalitha was Chief Minister of the opposition of the Government of Tamil Nadu, and has succeeded in banning high interest private loans and establishing a rural women selfhelp program to benefit women in villages. Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal founded the Trinamool Congress Party, which became the principal opposition to the long-standing communist government. Various women in India have countered female subordination by establishing independent political parties, and have begun a paradigm-shifting process to demand equality opportunity and rights. Women are also seeing advancements in rural India, outside of politics and by means of social change. The Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund, named in honor of former professor and dean of Barnard, sponsors grant projects for women’s groups in low per capita income countries; money is awarded to enable the creation of educational endeavors and community development programs. In 2007, the Gildersleeve Fund sponsored a group of women in Kavali, India, a region that was severely devastated by the 2004 tsunami; the women created a fish-picking business and the Gildersleeve Fund helped provide training in production, business skills, and money. The women became unusually successful in their business, more politically and socially empowered, and aware of their ability to address their rights. But women in India are also organizing themselves on their own; in a world where the caste system becomes dangerously entangled in politics, women have created homegrown movements to encourage advancements in women’s labor rights and improvements in civil rights. SEWA, the Self-Employed
Women’s Association, represents a group of poor, self-employed women workers who seek to authorize themselves for full employment and obtain the common laborers’ work security, food security, income security, and social security. Ela Bhatt, recently discussed in the Saturday Profile of The New York Times, expresses the Gandhian approach that women leaders have taken with SEWA. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, the group was founded on the idea that the worker deserved autonomy and protection from oppression by employers or the state. Bhatt struggled to attain higher wages for women, and eventually established India’s first women’s bank. Pivotal in the
“Women are also seeing advancements in rural India, outside of politics and by means of social change.” successes of SEWA, Bhatt influenced the organization’s proposals to offer women retirement accounts and health insurance, lend working capitals to women interested in small entrepreneurial efforts, train women to become engaged in a wide range of work, and help artisans sell their work. The movement, acknowledging the fact that women workers remain uncounted, virtually unnoticed, and unprotected in the work force, continues to stress the desire to conduct social change through the Gandhian principles of satya (truth), ahimsa (non-violence), sarvadharma (integration of all people), and khadi (self-reliance), according to www.sewa. org. Bhatt has shaped many women through ideals of self-sufficiency in a world where social and economic challenges inhibit women from obtaining simple securities like health benefits and access to credit. The principals guiding
By Gillian Adler these women symbolize a dawning of women’s transformations outside of the domestic arena and myriad developments in policy-making and general decisionmaking; women have experienced significant leaps since the early 1970s, when conditions of exploiting women workers revealed the sums or women unaided by unionization government policies. Caste in India has emerged as a frequently corrupt and discriminatory system. Efforts have been made politically to explore the backwardness of the hierarchical order and criticize past instances of discrimination. In 1993, the Indian Parliament passed the 73rd “Panchayati Raj” Amendment, which legislated representation of underserved populations in panchayats, or village political councils; women in rural populations were allocated 33 percent of seats. Nevertheless, implementation has been slow. In addition, the question of the actual power possessed by panchayats permeates the issue of whether women have indeed been awarded measures of power and influence. Examples of Indian women who emerge from obscurity into the domain of vocal politics are becoming more positive and are increasing in number. A low rank in the caste system will prevent a woman from wielding power; while she may participate in lobbying for government decisions, she ultimately makes no contribution to the legislative process. However, the grass-roots attitude has forced women to develop in the political process so to influence, ultimately, at the national level, and to not only enforce, but implement new legislation that may protect women’s rights. Possibly, the police and law courts, often manipulated and potentially detrimental, will not stand as the effective forces in generating change for women, many who have new expectations for themselves in a democratic India. Perhaps these groups of inspiring women will constitute the formidable empire to conquer oppression and the invisibility of their rights and identities.
Gillian Adler is a Barnard junior and Bulletin Head Copy Editor.
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Uzbekistan Bans Hijabs and Miniskirts from its Schools Hijabs, the traditional Islamic headscarf, and miniskirts are polar opposites within the fashion world, but in Uzbekistan, both garments have come under fire. The Uzbekistan government has recently deemed hijabs and miniskirts as “alien” to Uzbek culture and a potential health risk. Doctors have announced rather ridiculous warnings that donning the hijab can result in oxygen and calcium deficiencies, and miniskirts make women susceptible to infections and additional unnamed health issues. Further reasons for this ban include violence prevention; it is believed that religious extremist women carried guns in their hijab. Prohibiting miniskirts is an effort to make women dress in moderation, meaning less Western and more in tune with Uzbek culture. Moreover, wearing the hijab is considered disrespectful and a threat to security if the face is covered. This ban follows suit of nearby Tajikistan, where Education Minister Abdujabbor Rahmonov prohibited females from wearing the hijab to school. According to WorldWide Religious News, he claimed, “These types of clothing are foreign to us. This is propaganda by other countries, and we will not allow it. If we’re a sovereign country, we have to have our own model of dress.” Students can be prevented from attending classes, taking exams, suspended, or worse, expelled for breaking these new rules. Whether the miniskirt ban is an effort to make women dress traditionally and conservatively as opposed to Western, or for argument’s sake, infringes upon the expression of individuality, the hijab is an entirely different case. The purpose and symbolism behind the hijab is not at all the ignorant opinion of Rahmonov. Rather, it is a symbol of religious faith and a sign of culture which does not aim to impose on others. Westerners especially have the tendency to relate the hijab to oppression, even though the majority of women wear it by choice. The scarf represents more than religious practice; it expresses modesty and chastity. Additionally,
By Shazeeda Bhola some women who wear the scarf feel that prevents them from being characterized by physical beauty, and instead they will be recognized for their spiritual beauty. Hijab is not offensive, oppressive, or an obstacle to maintaining Uzbek culture. Furthermore, eighty-eight percent of Uzbekistan’s population is Muslim. The proposition to ban something that represents the religion of such a large portion of the population seems absurd and unfair. To place the miniskirt in the same category as the hijab is nonsensical; they are opposites in nearly every respect. Short skirts are considered racy and inappropriate, whereas the hijab is conservative. The latter is a symbol of piety and purity, while the former is a mere fashion trend with no other significance. There has been speculation in both Tajikistan and Uzbekistan that the miniskirt ban was added to the hijab ban in order to quell suspicions that the Islamic head covering was the sole target. A second rumor claims that this is an issue of gender discrimination—i.e., the schools are purposely expelling females to change the male-female ratio in the former’s favor. What right does Uzbekistan truly have to disallow women from wearing the hijab, which is so much more than a fashion choice? If Uzbekistan’s purpose is to have its own standard of dress, it will undoubtedly ignore and insult eighty-eight percent of its population by prohibiting their religious garb. Uzbekistan, and other misinformed governments need to rethink their image of the hijab. To refer to it as oppressive or an obligation is an outright insult to the population of women who in fact feel liberated by their choice to wear it. In today’s world, it seems that personal choices are more and more tolerated; sadly, donning the Islamic scarf is inconceivable under the control of an oppressive system that governs and represents a vast majority of Muslims.
Shazeeda Bhola is a Barnard sophomore.
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politics
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A Casualty of Peace Thirty years later, it is still difficult for 81 million Egyptians to come to terms with the Camp David Accords which established peace between Israel and Egypt. The implications of these accords cost Egyptian president Anwar Sadat his life; they also cost Egypt its legitimacy and influence in the region. Despite Egypt’s normal relations with Israel, the majority of the Egyptian people still view Israel as an enemy. Israel’s numerous transgressions upon the Palestinian people, met with impunity, spark the sympathy and indignation of their neighbors, ivory-tower treaties and peace agreements notwithstanding. Once the most prominent and
graphic by Joyce Ng
“The significance of the Camp David Accords in compromising Egypt’s role in the region can only be understood in the context of the country’s history.” influential Arab state, Egypt has experienced its efficacy grow to be greatly compromised as it becomes more intertwined with American and Israeli interests. The most recent collaboration between Egypt and Israel during the Operation Cast Lead severed the last blow to Egypt’s reputation. According to the International Press Service, Egypt was not only informed of the attacks in advance, but it reassured Hamas that there was no threat of an Israeli attack in the near future. Egypt also refused to open its border with Gaza to allow civilians to escape or allow the entry of humanitarian
aid. Its compliance triggered vehement protests against the Egyptian government across the Middle East. Of the most serious concerns straining Egypt’s relationship with Israel is a decision signed in 2005 guaranteeing the country’s export of natural gas to Israel at a price below market level. Several estimates put Egypt’s losses as $9 million a day due to this deal. In a country where the majority of the people live in poverty, it comes as no surprise that such an arrangement is met with fierce opposition. The significance of the Camp David Accords in compromising Egypt’s role in the region can only be understood in the context of the country’s history. Spearheading the pan-Arab nationalist movement, Egypt under the reign of Gamal Abdel Nasser was considered the torch-bearer of the Palestinian cause, anti-imperialism, and Arab sovereignty. The decisive blow that the war of 1967 wrought upon Nasser’s movement crushed Arab nationalism and shifted Egypt’s concern from the interests of the Palestinians to regaining the Sinai Peninsula. The marginalization of the Palestinian issue is most palpable during Anwar Sadat’s presidency. The Camp David Accords, though effectively ending the cycle of war and violence between Egypt and Israel, essentially left the Palestinians unprotected. Largely politically disenfranchised, Palestinians have depended upon neighboring Arab countries for support of their cause since the
By Nancy Elshami 1948 War. Egypt had played a pivotal role in upholding Palestinian rights until that time. The Accords were initially propagated as the beginning of a resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. However, the truth is that they rescinded Egypt’s support for the Palestinians for fear of compromising the strained peace, leaving the Palestinian non-entity to grapple with Israel as a supposed equal. The brimming discontent over the recent Gaza conflict was geared towards President Hosny Mubarak as much as it was towards the Israeli government. This disgruntlement at the submission of the Egyptian government to Israeli and American interests serves to empower oppositional political factions like the Muslim Brotherhood. As Egypt mediates between Israel and Hamas, and Hamas and the PA, it struggles to quell the dissatisfaction brimming among the Egyptian people. Ironically, the military aid the U.S. provides Egypt, established as part of the Camp David Accords, works to do exactly that.
Nancy Elshami is a Barnard junior and Bulletin Politics and Opinion Editor.
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arts
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Pollitt Pokes Fun With The Mind-Body Problem By Sharon Guan
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Photograph by Embry Owen.
At the Women Poets at Barnard cooking, Mary listens to Jesus instead and, no matter what the topic, it’s always event held on April 7, New York native of helping her sister. The exhausted 1000 words. In Learning to Drive, I and Columbia graduate Katha Pollitt Martha complains, yet Jesus tells her wanted to explore personal experience (MFA ’75) read a series of nine poems to not blame Mary. “And I thought, ‘that in a freer, more imaginative way, and from The Mind-Body Problem, see where it took me.” Pollitt her new book due out this June. revealed that like a photo The series, called the “After album, Learning to Drive the Bible” collection, depicts captures moments from her Pollitt’s version of Biblical daily life. “For me, life is pretty stories. The series begins with fragmented,” she explained. the poem “The Expulsion,” “You go along having your which details Adam and Eve day, and every now and then excitedly leaving the Garden of something strikes you.” The Eden in order to begin human things that strike her she life, and ends with “Rapture,” preserves through words. a parody of the fundamentalist In the story Christian belief that God will “Webstalking,” for instance, raise Christians into Heaven Pollitt describes the channeling while leaving everyone else on of her inability to move past earth. a broken relationship into Pollitt’s poetry centers cyber-stalking the person. on the human experience. Pollitt calls the Web a “verbal “Heaven is rather boring, even map” of reality because the God is more interested in Internet allows the user to what’s going on down below,” access most things in life Pollitt commented in an ewithout experiencing them. mail. Her portrayal of God’s The story concludes with the abandonment in “Rapture” narrator giving up her habit strips the halo from the divine because ultimately, it cannot and emphasizes the human. replace human experience. Despite her critique of But if the Internet Christianity, the poems she removes people from real read at the Women Poets event experience, then could the clearly displayed her interest in same be said about literature? the Bible. “What’s interesting Pollitt thinks not. “Where about these Bible stories is that would we be without writing, there’s always something new without words? Without Writer Katha Pollitt has a laugh before reading her in them, something you didn’t poetry, philosophy, fiction, work at the Women Poets at Barnard event. notice the first time you read fantasy? We could not them,” she said before reading understand reality without her eighth poem of the night, language.” Rather than about baby Moses and the women who is so typical of a man,’” Pollitt joked at distance the reader from life, literature saved him. “In the Bulrushes” depicts the the reading. “Well, did he think dinner enhances living. baby playing with his toes, ignorant of would cook itself? Naturally he preferred Having established humanity’s his mother’s concern, and ends with the the sexy one.” dependence on language, Pollitt leaves In addition to poetry, Pollitt aspiring writers at Barnard with these entrance of Pharaoh’s daughter. “I just felt Moses was not sufficiently grateful to writes different kinds of prose. Besides words: “The most important thing a women,” Pollitt remarked at the event, to her biweekly Nation column “Subject writer can do, besides write, is read. to Debate,” in 2007 she published the That is how you develop your sense of audience laughter. Pollitt’s twist on the baby Moses autobiographical Learning to Drive: and what language can do, what a poem or story echoes her emphasis on women’s Other Life Stories. Pollitt explained her a story or an essay can be. You need to significance present in other poems in desire to compose the memoir: “I wanted know what other writers, especially great the collection. “Martha,” for example, to write prose in a different mode from my writers, have done, so that you can do parodies Jesus’ visit to Lazarus and his column and political writing. My column something different.” sisters. While Martha busies herself with is focused, pointed, tightly organized— Sharon Guan is a Barnard first-year.
arts
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Sisterhood and Spoons: Playwright Samantha Carlin, BC ’09 As with most good things in life, it all began with a tub of ice cream. Barnard senior Samantha Carlin’s play, Three Spoons, centers on three sisters who must cope with deep-rooted feelings of love and betrayal after a date goes terribly wrong, all while baking cupcakes and eating ice cream. Carlin began writing the play at a weeklong residency program at the New South Young Playwright’s Festival in 2008. After finishing the play, thanks to encouragement from her playwriting class at Barnard and Three Spoons director Natalie Glick, BC ’09, Three Spoons debuted at Lerner Blackbox Theater this past April. Carlin’s career as a playwright began in fourth grade, when her teacher failed to produce a promised “special” part for her and her twin sister in a school play. Carlin wrote a part for them based on Revolutionary War legend Molly Pitcher (coincidentally, Carlin is an American studies major now). Years later, Carlin continues not only writing plays, but also producing them. She is the president of the student group NOMADS (New and Original Material Authored and Directed by Students), and has cultivated much of the theatre talent on cam-
pus, including producers, actors, playwrights, and stagehands. Carlin’s role as a mentor does not stop there. In high school, she was part of the group Girls Write Now (GWN), a non-profit that pairs professional women writers in all fields with high-schoolaged girls in a mentorship program to develop their writing. The program was cofounded by Barnard alumna Maya Nussbaum. Discussing her most memorable experience at GWN, Carlin described an exercise called the “traveling writers workshop,” in which the girls split into small groups and wandered around a New York City neighborhood to find inspiration. Carlin walked into a historic church on Mott Street. She shared, “A few pews ahead of me, I noticed a grown man crying, sobbing in a kind of pain that consumed his whole body. I knew I was witnessing a private moment. I even felt like an intruder.” From that day on, Carlin realized that “in order to build worlds for the stage, it is essential to take trips everyday, to find the exotic and foreign in what is local and immediate.” Naturally, when Three Spoons debuted, Carlin wanted GWN to be a part of the experience. She and NOMADS in-
By Allegra Panetto vited current GWN mentees to the performance (and held a bake sale to offset the costs), and even held a question-andanswer session for them after the show. The mentees were eager to talk to Carlin, and many related to her work. Quanasia, a GWN mentee from the Bronx, said, “The play reminded me of something that I wrote where there is a love triangle.” Actors from the show also joined the discussion, including Katrina Kostro, BC ’12, who played the youngest sister Chelsea in the production. Kostro wore the guitar pick that Chelsea’s boyfriend gave her in the show, and even quoted her character’s memorable line, “The environment is really hot right now!” during the discussion. As a graduating senior, Carlin does not know what the future holds, but wants to continue to work in the theatre. When asked about what she hoped the GWN mentees got from the experience, she replied, “I wanted them to get a glimpse of college life, and to start to generate their own ideas about ways to keep writing after high school.” A remarkable cycle realized, thanks to sisterhood. And, in some part, to a tub of ice cream.
Photograph by Allegra Panetto.
Allegra Panetto is a Barnard senior and Bulletin Co-Editor-in-Chief.
Three Spoons playwright Samantha Carlin, BC ’09, discusses her play with audience members
Three Spoons playwright Samantha Carlin, BC ’09, two Girls Write Now mentees and Samantha’s sister, Ilana
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centerpiece
A Welcome to the The BLI: The Past and Present
The Barnard Leadership Initiative is no more—in name, at least. Say hello to the Athena Center for Leadership Studies, slated to open formally in fall 2009. The new name was made known at the start of April, but the conversations about the program have been taking place for months. In her October 2008 inaugural address, President Deborah Spar announced the intention to build a program “devoted entirely to the theory and practice of women’s leadership.” During this past academic year, Spar has actively pursued that goal, meeting regularly with certain faculty, administrators, students, and alumnae to assess and redefine the BLI. The product of those conversations is a four-page document, the “Athena Center for Leadership Studies Overview and Proposal.” The proposal outlines the goal and general structure of the Athena Center. It also mentions the problems the BLI faced: a lack of “dedicated funds, focus, and energy.” Spar and her interlocutors have thus far provided the energy for the Athena Center. The funding issue remains. What is its focus? A job description has been drafted and sent out for the position of Athena Center director. The search is on.
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Graphic by Emily Stein.
By Rebekah Kim
The BLI does currently have a director, at least formally. Originally launched in 2006, the BLI officially has operated under the direction of Associate Professor and Economics Department Chair Alan Dye. But the general sentiment, articulated by Provost Elizabeth Boylan in a February press meeting, is that “the key” is the appointment of one director whose sole job will be to run the program. History Professor Rosalind Rosenberg agrees. Initially invited by Boylan and former Barnard President Judith Shapiro to serve on the BLI faculty committee, Rosenberg has been involved with the BLI since the beginning and has participated in the past months’ conversations with Spar on the re-launch. She echoed Boylan in an e-mail, “Those of us on the faculty who were involved in the early development of the program have multiple commitments. Having a dedicated leader will make the program better.” The lack of a director has affected the BLI in visible and invisible ways. The BLI has an official goal and structure, but the program has remained fairly ill-defined and poorly publicized in real terms. Officially, there are two aspects to the program: curricular and co-curricular. The curriculum consists of the mandatory course Women and Leadership, taught by Professor Rosenberg or Adjunct Assistant Professor of Urban Studies Liz Abzug; three electives chosen from a list of about 13 BLI-approved courses; and a two-semester senior seminar. Dye compared the program’s size to that of a minor, but emphasized that it did not fulfill any particular major or a minor. The aim of the program, according to Dye, is not to focus on one discipline, but to be able to “come at problems and communicate in a variety of disciplines.” The curriculum list therefore includes courses from multiple departments: women’s studies, economics, sociology, psychology, urban studies, and political science. The BLI’s aim is to examine leadership across fields of study, making for a relatively flexible curricular program. To supplement the curricular aspect, there is officially a “Learning From Leaders” co-curricular set of events, offered through the Office of Career Development, which consists of three parts: a speaker series, off-campus events, and “skills and awareness events”—a workshop in public speaking, for example. According to Dye, however, the body of activities has been retired for now. Rachel Wilkinson, BC ’10 and a participant in BLI, said, “It’s not really clear what the co-curricular element is anymore,” especially since Suzanne Stein, the BLI coordinator at OCD, left. Another BLI student, Amy Chen, BC ’10, added, “I think that one of the problems is that there’s no one BLI coordinator,” a single “go-to person.” The lack of co-curricular events, which are open to the whole Barnard community, does little to improve the already low visibility of the program. In November 2008, for instance, Stein in conjunction with the BLI and Smart Women Lead, a campus leadership group, organized an event with Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-Queens/Manhattan); fewer than a dozen were in the audience, despite the speaker’s profile. Communication to the larger student body has been an
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Athena Center for Leadership Studies issue. “It’s not very well-publicized” and “[communication is] more word-of-mouth,” Wilkinson said. Katie Palillo, BC ’10 and a member of the BLI, learned of the program from her advisor only as a second-semester sophomore. “I don’t remember hearing about it before,” she said. Rosenberg acknowledges the issue but is optimistic: “I think that visibility remains a problem but that President Spar is overcoming that problem with her new initiative.” The Athena Center: Redefining the BLI The Athena Center is both familiar and new territory. The name itself suggests the dichotomy: Athena, the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom, will be smack in the middle of today’s Morningside Heights. The topic of women’s leadership, too, is old and new. Women have come to occupy an unprecedented role in leadership in the U.S. in both number and level of position; four women were recently named to President Barack Obama’s Cabinet, seven served in George W. Bush’s, and five in Bill Clinton’s. At the same time, familiar challenges remain in the power structure. The issues of social perceptions and norms, work and family, and accessibility are still present. Yet they stand in a less defined landscape than in previous decades. The norms are no longer fact, but concepts to be questioned and examined. The Athena proposal suggests that it is Barnard’s new leadership center that will be negotiating this ambiguous landscape. Spar has emphasized the center’s focus on exploratory study and its cohesion with liberal arts, as opposed to pre-professional education. “This wasn’t about training leaders,” she said, but about “studying leadership.” The Athena Center will aim to examine leadership theory and experience across disciplines, history, and cultures. The goal of the center, then, is essentially the same as that of the BLI. The structure, however, has taken different form. The program will consist of three parts. Firstly, the curricular aspect will be fairly similar to that of the BLI. Second, though, is a new required internship aspect to be completed in the summer after junior year. According to Rosenberg, this internship aspect is not an entirely new idea, as those involved in the BLI “hoped from the start that participating students would do internships.” But the difference between the idea and its tangible, administered realization distinguishes the new Athena Center from the BLI. After all, these are not run-of-the-mill internships. Spar emphasized their new mentorship emphasis, which will allow the Athena Fellow to shadow a woman leader and will place more obligations on the employer to meet personally and regularly with the student to discuss her observations. The Athena proposal indicates that the “special set” of internships will be fully funded, stipend included. The third and final aspect is a senior seminar to be taught by the future director of the Athena Center. Spar indicated that the director will probably be a woman. The purpose of the seminar is to teach students to use their curricular and internship experiences to explore leadership for themselves. The seminar’s abstract structure is in place, but it awaits the arrival of the flesh-and-blood director to define its true direction, and the center as a whole.
The Director, the Direction The director herself is something like the current state of the Athena Center. She exists on paper, but is not yet defined. Spar has “an archetype in mind.” Spar said, “It has to be somebody who’s a bit of a hybrid,” someone who has experience with both leadership and scholarship in one of the humanities. Who precisely she is, and how exactly the center will look after she takes over, are yet to be determined. But the assumption is that she is out there, and Spar hopes to have her in place by early to mid-summer. Once the director is determined, more deciding conversations will take place. The issue of funding, both shortand long-term, will undoubtedly be discussed. Spar indicated that she did not want to begin raising funds for the center until its future existence was certain and the director was hired. Despite the economic climate—which has resulted in a 3-percent tuition increase and a faculty wage freeze—Spar expressed optimism about the “sense that people are excited” about the new center and the prospect of funding it. This spirit of collaboration and contribution has marked the process of redefinition to an extent. Spar has included BLI students and faculty in the conversation. She also pointed out that the Athena Center was designed such that each component will be open to the whole community. The program’s selection of six to eight courses, for example, will be open to all Barnard and Columbia students. The level of openness will certainly be lower in seminar courses, such as Women and Leadership; but Rosenberg, who teaches the fall section of that course, noted that the class is now offered twice a year “to meet expanding demand,” although “non-BLI students are [still] welcome.” Rosenberg also indicated that she wants the Athena Center “to be as open as possible.” While the program’s third component, the senior seminar taught by the center’s director, will be limited to Athena Fellows, an accompanying series of workshops in practical skills—including “public speaking, financial literacy … and resilience,” according to the proposal—will be open to the larger campus community. The Leading Internships, in theory, also will be available to students depending on the number not filled by Athena Fellows. However, with 20 rising juniors to be accepted to the center each year and the mandatory nature of the internship component, the actual level of openness in this respect is yet to be determined. Availability will depend on the eagerness of institutions and women leaders to offer such mentorship-internships. Ultimately, the Athena proposal aims high in its redefinition of the BLI. “For years,” it states, “we have seen that Barnard women make great leaders. Through the Athena Center for Leadership Studies, Barnard College will truly be at the forefront of the women’s leadership movement.” How exactly that will be realized—that negotiation of tradition and uncharted territory, of the exploration of leadership and the active defining of it—remains to be seen. Much will depend on the appointment of the director and the summer’s continuing conversations. Rebekah Kim is a Barnard junior and Bulletin Arts and Entertainment Editor. Aditional reporting by Barnard junior Maisha Rashid.
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nyc living music
The Wandering Photographer Central Park West By Embry Owen
Central Park is New York’s most famous playground for children, but people of all ages gather to roller skate, throw frisbees, play cricket and take a rest from the busyness of everyday city life.
In the middle of the park, the Bethesda Fountain overlooks the stunning Bethesda Terrace, both of which are main gathering spots in the park and excellent for people-watching. The Terrace is also one of the best places to catch an impromptu performance.
The Central Park West skyline is best viewed from the south side of the Lake. If you’re feeling more adventurous, rent and paddle a boat with a friend. Rentals are inexpensive and provide an even better view of the area.
Enjoy a sweeping view of the Midtown skyline from the north side of the Lake, all amidst the tranquility of the park. From here, exiting the park is simple and allows you to explore the Upper West Side.
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arts
Musings of a Pop Culture Junkie:
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A Farewell From the Pop Culture Junkie By Amanda Lanceter
Well, dear readers, this is it: my final column for the Bulletin. I’ve been a loyal Bulletina since I first came to Barnard as a transfer in 2006, and it saddens me that this little magazine will no longer be a part of my life. I started this column in 2007 as an excuse to write about things I like, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I have to thank the two Arts & Entertainment editors with whom I’ve worked while writing this column, Natalie Guevara and Rebekah Kim, for supporting me and allowing me to do this (and forgiving me the countless times I’ve turned my drafts in late). For those of you who are interested in hearing what I have to say once I leave Barnard, you can find me at http://awkwardprincess.blogspot. com. I’ve thought a while about what I’d write for my last column, and it’s hard to find an appropriate way to end this. I decided that the best way to go out would be a top-10 list to clear the air of the various pop culture topics that I hold near and dear. So, without further ado, may I present the Pop Culture Junkie’s InNo-Way-Comprehensive-or-Definitive Top 10 Favorite Things (at the Moment), many of which have graced these pages before. 10. “Desolation Row” by Bob Dylan. I love this song more than I can tell you. A whole big chunk of my thesis was on this song. Every time I hear it, it blows me away. The lyrics are Dylan at his best. It is, in part, a song about the perils of fame and the falseness and deceit we encounter in others. I should stop now before I decide to start retelling my thesis, which tends to happen every time this song comes up in conversation… 9. Twilight. I have a morbid fascination with the whole phenomenon. The books are poorly written and the plots aren’t anything new. They’re really no better than a great deal of the fan
fiction that can be found online. The movie wasn’t much better, though I do get a good laugh out of it. Yet, for some reason, I’m drawn to these sparkly vampires. I read all four books, saw the movie on opening day, bought the special edition of the DVD… Am I really any better than the 13-year-old girls who go crazy over the series? 8. Harry Potter. The books, the films, the fans have all been a part of my life for years now. The Harry Potter fandom was the topic of my very first column. Unlike Twilight, the novels were well-written, and I know they will be read for years to come. The films have, for the most part, successfully translated the novels to the screen. The fandom is insane at times, but it is a strong, diverse community full of intelligent people who value the books the way I do. Somehow, I get the impression that no matter how old I am, I will always return to these books and continually find new and interesting things to explore within them. 7. Doctor Who. For those of you who missed my recent column on this very subject, I’ll sum it up for you: David Tennant + science fiction + British pop culture = awesomeness. 6. Arrested Development. I only really got into this show a few months ago. Now, I run around saying things like, “It’s as Anne as the nose on Plain’s face.” It is by far one of the best comedies ever—intelligent, witty, original. Like everyone else who loves it, I cannot wait for the movie to be released. Do yourself a favor and add it to your Netflix queue. 5. Louis Theroux. His documentary specials are incredibly well-done and entertaining. Because they originally aired in Britain on the BBC, you won’t find them on television here in the U.S., but there are many clips and full episodes on YouTube and Google Video. Some are serious, some are funny, and all are worth watching.
Theroux’s awkwardness makes for plenty of entertaining moments, breaking the tension and allowing him to bring out humanity in people who seem to lack it. 4.The Beatles. Listening to this band is always a positive experience, in part because of the music and in part because of the memories and emotions I associate with it. I’m suddenly 15 again, pretending that it’s actually 1964 while watching A Hard Day’s Night. They were my escape when I needed one most. I tend to forget about them from time to time, but whenever I hear a song of theirs, I am instantly happy and reminded of how much I continue to love them. 3. Tori Amos. She has a new album—I am beyond excited. Tori Amos changed my life. She comes across as a little out of her mind sometimes, but I love love love her. I have never connected with music the way I have with hers. I don’t necessarily understand exactly what she means in every song, but something about the underlying emotion causes them all to make perfect sense to me on a fundamental level. She’s not for everyone, but she’s perfect for me. 2. Rufus Wainwright (and family). You don’t know me at all if you thought that the Wainwrights wouldn’t get mentioned here. I think the whole family is incredibly talented. Rufus Wainwright is one of the most innovative artists recording today, combining genres and styles to produce brilliant music. If you want to know more, see… well, let’s put it this way: pick up any Bulletin since Fall 2006, and there’s a really good chance that a Wainwright will be mentioned. 1. Barnard Bulletin. Thank you to everyone who has read my column and articles over the years. Thank you to the wonderful people I’ve worked with as a writer and an editor. I hope that I’ve managed to entertain and/or inform you in some way for the past three years. It’s been a blast.
Amanda Lanceter is a Barnard senior and Bulletin Editor-at-Large.
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$60K for Henry Hudson By Julia Martinez In 1909, the Society of Daughters of Holland Dames donated a beautiful stainedglass window illustrating Henry Hudson’s discovery of Manhattan to the New York Historical Society. The window now needs restoration, so the society is trying to raise $60,000 for that purpose. The stained-glass window was made by Frank J. Ready of the Gorham Company. According to Margaret Hofer, Curator of Arts at the NYHS, it originally served as an exterior window. It was exposed to the elements of an urban environment for 30 years before wings were added and it became an interior window. Time took its toll on the stained glass. Buildings settle over time, placing an enormous amount of pressure on windows. Without maintenance, a stained-glass window could buckle under the weight. Hofer said that the window has been repaired in small ways over the years, but added that “it’s a given that stained glass will need restoration every hundred years.” The Daughters of Holland Dames is dedicated to the window’s restoration at this time. The price, however, has raised quite a few eyebrows. “The amount is not much considering the amount of work needed for restoration,” Ms. Hofer said. “The entire window needs to be removed and taken to the restorer’s studio.” Mary Park, Directress General of the Society of Daughters of Holland Dames, called the estimate “reasonable” when considering both the window’s size—it takes up a large portion of the NYHS reading room—and its importance as a reminder of the rich Dutch history in New York. “I’d like to see it funded, not just
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for the group, but for New York,” Park said. She pointed out that there are not many historical reminders of the Dutch founding of New York. As women who come from a long line of Dutch ancestry, remembering that history is very important. Started in 1895, the Society of Daughters of Holland Dames is one of the oldest lineage societies in the country. In order to become a member, applicants must prove their heritage by going back 12 or 13 generations. It is not surprising, then, that the members of the society are dedicated to keeping Dutch history alive. “One of my goals,” Park said, “is to teach the taxi drivers about Dutch history. They have no idea that we have such a long, rich history.” To Park and her fellow dames, physical reminders of a rich history like the stained-glass window are not quantifiable. “If they are lost, they will be lost forever,” she said. According to Professor Alberro of Barnard’s Art History Department, $60,000 is a small price to pay for the benefits that such preservation would have for the city. “In a moment of recession,” he said, “communities are falling apart. To invest in cultural heritage is to build community and allows many people to identify with the same type of artwork.” Professor Alberro suggests that a period of economic insecurity may be the perfect time carefully to invest in artifacts. “To not invest would be shortsighted,” he said. At the same time, he stressed the importance of being careful by having criteria for the types of investments to make during such hard times. In the end, the various cultural, social, community, and economic benefits may be “worth” it.
Julia Martinez is a Barnard senior and Bulletin Photo Editor.
music
The Rise of kc quilty By Aileen Farren from pop culture. “You can’t ignore pop have been booking the whole tour. I culture today” Fader states, explaining just don’t have time to do anything with why kc quilty’s distinct songs are so catchy schoolwork.” As an English major with without having that bubble gum pop a writing concentration, Dupuis has been sound. “I definitely have some problems hard pressed for time but always seems with being angry sometimes so I’ll channel to make it for the band. that through other parts of pop culture. Kc quilty is planning on touring to If I’m miserable I’ll relate it to something Austin and back this summer. It also has I’m watching or listening to” says Dupuis. two shows lined up for this semester and The self proclaimed “aggressive” band is working on music for a movie. “We explains that this aggression is achieved try to play every show like we’re a house through lyrics about obscure things in party” says Dupuis explaining the familial pop culture or “obtuse attacks” against atmosphere the band and the audience bands they hate. have. Kc quilty will be playing May 11 Though she is the only female in at Goodbye Blue Monday and May 15 at the band, Dupuis affirms that it does Columbia’s music festival Collision. They not affect her. “I don’t think it makes a are also coming out with a seven inch on difference that I’m a girl, it’s not relevant.” Cooling Pie records, featuring new and Her only complaint is her constant need old songs that can be found at Myspace. to explain herself. “People think I’m KC com/kcquilty. but I’m not.” Dupuis, however, does find it hard to balance Barnard’s workload with the band’s schedule. “It’s been really bad this semester. Julian and Spencer Aileen Farren is a Barnard sophomore.
Photograph by Embry Owen.
Kc quilty is stumped on how to describe their band in one word. Finally, the members settle on “salty” after debates between awesome, rabid nutria, and some kind of tangent regarding murder mysteries and Agatha Christie. Kc quilty, a group that was started by Sadie Dupuis in 2006, has established itself in the world of underground music as a strong force that is here to stay. Sadie, a rising Barnard junior who transferred from MIT this past December, began the group with two other members attending Boston schools but has since transitioned through various drummers and guitarists until she formed what lead guitarist Spencer Tricker calls the “extra quilty” kc quilty. The band consists of four members; Dupuis on guitar and vocals, Julian Fader on the drums, Spencer Tricker on lead guitar and vocals and John Carnes on bass. While Dupuis is the main lyricist who takes an “organic approach,” she credits everyone for creating unique sound. “I mostly write the songs although everyone adds to them. I bring it in and we’ll figure them out in rehearsal studio,” Dupuis explains. “We quilty them” adds Fader. Tricker, who also writes for the band thinks differently. “I don’t think of music in terms of notes or colors, I think of it as in terms of feelings. I attach adjectives to sounds” states Tricker. The band is not short of inspiration. With the exception of Dupuis, each member came from musical families. Bands such as Pavement, Radio Head and Guided by Voices have also inspired kc quilty. “There’s the whole girl lead singer, hard rock contingent and there’s the noise rock thing and the 90’s arena thing. We’re all such big music fans we have so many different influences” Tricker explains. When it comes to lyrics however, Dupuis gets most of her inspirations
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music
Just Beat It, The King Is Back By Sophia Mossberg The gloved one. Moonwalker. Two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Baby dangler. Guinness World Records’ “Most Successful Entertainer of All Time.” Criminal. Humanitarian. Deemed by Rolling Stone “a prodigy”; by Time “a one-man rescue team for the music business.” Mesmerizing performer. Wacko Jacko. Receiver of the highest royalty rate in music industry history. Musical and choreographic visionary. Broke. There is no singular way to describe Michael Jackson that can possibly acknowledge the enormity of his contribution to entertainment and its impact on popular culture. However, today’s consumers and audiences are less attuned to his performing genius as to his legal, economic, and personal pitfalls. As the preceding descriptions show, the contradictory nature of Jackson’s history and fame is undeniable, rendering “The King of Pop” one of the most controversial figures of American culture. Mention the name Michael Jackson in virtually any contemporary setting and it is likely that unlike ten years ago, when perhaps an awkward moonwalk would be executed or the hook of “Billie Jean” hummed, his name will incite disdainful commentary on sexual abuse, Neverland, or veiled children— all strange incarnations of recent years that have helped to change Jackson from a legend to a loony in the public eye. Despite the palpable association with scandal, the March madness that
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ensued in the past weeks shows Jackson fans and music industry tycoons to be undeterred, steadfast, and everywhere.
“However, suddenly it is as if an enormous part of the global population has been jerked from dormancy; millions are ready and willing to invest and believe in his work and its place in entertainment today, despite the fact that the majority of his hits stem from decades back.” What is perhaps a desperate attempt to aid his publicized financial struggles (still looming: an auction of classic
memorabilia and furniture, including the “Thriller” glove, is set for April 22-25) has prompted what Jackson’s publicist reveals is “the fastest ticket sale in history.” The comeback of the year, and arguably of the decade, is quite literally around the corner. During the pre-sale for Jackson’s summer concert series at London’s 02 Arena, tickets sold at the rate of 20,000 per hour, or more than five per second. This drastic scramble for tickets is indicative of a brewing phenomenon that suggests Jackson’s limelight, and more importantly, his career, is far from over. The New York Times characterization of Jackson is striking: “in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everyone else.” In the past years, this statement has been increasingly put to the test amidst a sea of images and disparaging news reports as opposed to radio time. However, suddenly it is as if an enormous part of the global population has been jerked from dormancy; millions are ready and willing to invest and believe in his work and its place in entertainment today, despite the fact that the majority of his hits stem from decades back. Just as Thriller marks the turning point of music videos from promotional snippets to full blown art, the London concerts will alter and define another form of entertainment: the comeback. Ironically, a monetary crisis is the catalyst for what the director of TicketMaster UK calls “a live entertainment phenomenon.” This impending comeback suggests the
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possibility for transcendence of personal downfall through artistic genius— and at the end of the day, or year, or century, isn’t art what it’s all about? Though much has been made over Jackson’s dramatic change in skin color, doesn’t his anthem “Black Or White” offer a more significant, lasting commentary on race? it is interesting to consider how the media and its impressionable audiences (which might as well be referred to as “America,” or perhaps even “people” due to its unavoidable place in culture) characterize legacy. Jackson is an example of a figure whose artistic contributions are some of the most widespread and lasting in history, and yet it would be difficult to find even the most discerning listener who utters “The King of Pop” without some sort of feeling of loss, or at least nostalgia. It is important to articulate what it is about Michael Jackson as an artist, not a media figure, that accounts for the
massive international response regarding the summer concert series. It is safe to say that virtually contemporary pop or R&B artist is fundamentally influenced by his music, however indirectly. Little boys and girls around the country sang into spoons to the Jackson 5’s “Who’s Loving You” and “I’ll Be There.” Brilliant and undeniably innovative movement mesmerized audiences. Time Magazine’s “hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley” churned out massive hits like “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Thriller,” and “Billie Jean”— all of which are inextricable from the musical cannon of the eighties. Roots in Motown and soul are infused into funk and discopop beats, and even tinges of rock in “Bad,” “Leave Me Alone,” and “Smooth Criminal.” The infectious and rousing “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” never gets old— seriously, and the reflective “Man In The Mirror” never fails to soar as a gospel backing choir echoes Jackson’s urge, and
arguably humanity’s urge, to “make that change.” As someone whose musical tastes were seasoned and shaped by the likes of Jackson’s repertoire (and to an even lesser extent than the generation immediately preceding), I can’t help but believe in the importance of musical legacy as opposed to sensationalized object. And judging from the millions who this month slept on sidewalks, dropped hundreds of dollars for mediocre seats, and booked flights to London, it seems I am not alone. A general sense of optimism creeps from beneath our collective cynicism, and always has. Jackson is certainly not a blameless target, nor one whose actions do not merit the calculating scrutiny of the public. However, his artistry deserves to prevail, and this “comeback” will determine to what extent it can. Though stories of failure will sell, those of transcendence will sustain.
Sophia Mossberg is a Barnard first-year and Bulletin Staff Writer.
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Lykke Li: Music You Can Dance, Dance, Dance To
Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson (stage name Lykke Li) is an up-and-coming electropop music artist from Sweden whose soft voice and simple, yet catchy songs are making headway in the United States after first becoming popular in the UK. Her first album, Youth Novels, was released in August 2008. Interestingly, the album title is a reference to the bildungsroman genre of German literature, or any novel that concerns itself with the development of a youthful protagonist as he or she matures—a perfectly pertinent title for this young artist’s first album. The track “Dance, Dance, Dance”
is the best track on the album. As a huge fan of the electronica genre in general, I’ve heard almost everything— that is, until I discovered Lykke Li. The song carries a certain innocence and adolescence to it and possesses a girly and fun vibe that begs you to listen to the track on constant rotation. “Dance, Dance, Dance” was featured as the Single of the Week on the French iTunes, and in the same week, the track “I’m Good, I’m Gone” was featured as the Music Video of the Week on the US iTunes. Rolling Stones even placed “I’m Good, I’m Gone” on the list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008 as number thirty-eight. Lykke Li’s journey to musical success is a rather amusing one. Throughout her childhood, Lykke Li’s rocker father and punk singer/photographer mother traveled often. In an interview with New York Magazine, she mentions staying in an Algerian prostitute’s house in Morocco due to her parent’s failure to book a hotel room on time. Home, however, is Stockholm, Sweden and a small mountain village in Portugal. It is clear that she has never been scared to enter new territory,
By Shazeeda Bhola and this personality is reflected in her career. Lykke Li decided to come to New York to try at becoming a successful music artist. In 2005, she was playing small gigs at hip venues including Caffe Vivaldi, the Village Underground, and C-Note. Three years later, her popularity has of course increased, and in addition to the downtown places she first played in New York, Lykke Li graces the stage at much larger venues, like the Bowery Ballroom and the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. One might assume that the catchy rhythms of this “electropopstar” are influenced by the famous foursome, ABBA, who also come from Sweden. But Lykke Li claims to have never listened to any music from the pop sensation of the ’70s and early ’80s. Musicians like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Nina Simone, and Edith Piaf are more compatible for the young musician. As a matter of fact, Lykke Li revealed that she dreams of becoming the next Madonna. There is absolutely more than meets the eye with Lykke Li. She may look and sound like a little girl, but looks can be deceiving. Every song on the Youth Novel album was written by Lykke Li and stems from her real life experiences with falling in love, experiencing heartbreak, and everything in between. Perhaps Lykky Li will reach her goal of being the next Madonna; it should be easy for her to achieve, as she has proved herself to be a multi-layered artist. Her album, Youth Novels, experiments with the sounds of disco, hip-hop, and folk using not only her voice, but also an assortment of instruments and even a megaphone for the track “I’m Good, I’m Gone.” Each track sounds completely different and unique from the next, and this is the key trait of Lykke Li that makes her music irresistible. No matter your music taste, Lykke Li is absolutely worth a listen.
Shazeeda Bhola is a Barnard sophomore.
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nyc living
The End of Locavore Lit? “You behave normally, and you kill the things you love.” Such was the grim pronouncement made by journalist Alex Beam writing on the fate of the bookstore in The New York Times several weeks ago. The future of the independent bookstore is not a promising one: local book vendors have been struggling for years in the face of large corporate chains like the ubiquitous Barnes & Noble and its wannabe younger sibling Borders. The rise of Internet use and portable devices like the Kindle, that allow users to read books electronically, have compounded these struggles; the accessibility, variety and discounts found on sites like Amazon, Google Books and eBay threaten the ageold retail format. While the challenges of corporate behemoths and new technologies predate the recent economic crisis, the recession has certainly not made things any easier for independent retailers. The struggle of privately owned bookstores has been a slow regression rather than a quick, sweeping demise. Today the American Booksellers Association, a nonprofit trade association representing independent booksellers, includes about 1,500 businesses at about 2,500 locations. It is not surprising that twenty years ago the numbers appeared quite different: businesses totaled 4,700 at approximately 5,500 locations. The emotion that accompanies a bookstore’s closing can be quite poignant, as Meg Ryan proved to us in the classic chick flick, You’ve Got Mail. Yet we cannot deny that our own actions are causing our local shops to fail, when we consider our reliance on the Internet and insatiable desire for the lowest possible price. Warm and fuzzy feelings abound when you intend to purchase the latest bestseller at the likes of Book Culture instead of a Barnes & Noble, until the scruffy, bespectacled sales guy regretfully informs you
that the title you’re looking for is not currently in stock. So what do you do? That’s easy: you run home to your laptop, and in five clicks or less, your much sought-after book is due to arrive in 5-7 business days or less. How do we negotiate high-minded values and the reality of a face-paced and computer based way of life? Left unanswered, we cannot help but sense our own hypocrisy. Short of ascetically removing all online bargain hunting, Google Book-ing and Kindle fetishism from one’s life, it is quite possible and even practical to support small bookstores here in New York. The most obvious way is to “buy local” (a useful conflation of the current “locavore” trend for locally grown food and a value strongly promoted by independent booksellers). Given that broke college students are the likeliest candidates to scour the Internet for cheap deals, it is particularly significant and fortunate that Columbia University professors often encourage students to frequent local shops like Book Culture when ordering their reading lists each semester. In addition, there is a certain cachet for the liberal, academic (dare I say hipster?) set on buying literature locally, especially used books. Strand Bookstore, the iconic used book emporium located at 12th and Broadway, appeals to both inquiring college minds and high-brow intellectual aspirations, and it remains today a cultural icon of the cerebral set. (Gossip Girl’s Dan Humphrey is apparently a Strand fan). While hipster commerce and support from academic institutions may not keep every independent bookstore afloat, both certainly help. Another practical response to hard economic times is a turn to public libraries. Library patronage does not help independent bookstores, but it manages to appeal to one’s broad sense of justice for its resistance to corporate chains. The recession has been a boon for public li-
By Ellie Krupnick braries, as readers take advantage of costfree literature as well a variety of other resources, including free Internet, career and résumé-writing help and after-school programming. While New York City public libraries may not seem novel or even the slightest bit appealing to frequent denizens of Butler and Lehman, they offer a free literary retreat to those still paying off last month’s Amazon purchase. Independent bookstores face threats on multiple fronts, from public libraries to sophisticated technology to corporate chains with discounted wares. But our beloved institutions certainly have one thing on their side: the guilty consciences’ of their customers. Ultimately we know that our everyday habits are killing the things we love, but with a dose of discipline and a little extra cash, it is a reality that can, at the very least, be faced.
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Ellie Krupnick is a Barnard sophomore and Bulletin staff writer.
nyc living
Running in Flats: The Real Life of a Fashion Intern By Ellie Krupnick
My first task: walk all the way to Tenth Avenue and pick up two Kenneth Cole T-shirts. My second task: help Accessories interns untangle necklaces. Last job for the day: go to Bed, Bath and Beyond and pick up a washcloth for my boss’s infected eye. Yes, the life of a fashion intern is so glamorous. It is with the jaded perspective of a former Seventeen intern, that I’ve been watching the Style Network’s new reality show, Running in Heels. The show is the latest of many to go “behind the scenes” at a fashion magazine and it follows three interns and their editors at Marie Claire in a Hills-esque documentary style. While there is no formal competition or elimination aspect to the show, it is clear from the start that the interns are set on outshining each other to gain the bosses’ favor in what they know to be a cutthroat industry. After watching the show for the past few weeks, I have to say my initial skepticism was not too far off. As a “docuseries” claiming to show what really goes on at a top women’s magazine, Running in Heels gets some things right and a lot of things very, very wrong. Like Stylista and The Devil Wears Prada before it, the show takes the basic tasks and environment of Marie Claire and glamorizes and dramatizes both for
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entertainment’s sake. Having worked just a few floors below the Running in Heels interns, I cannot help but to compare my experience with theirs. The contrived nature of the show is clar from the start, as each intern is introduced with a specific character type subsequently born out by savvy editing. There is Ashley, the aggressive D.C. party girl with “tons” of previous magazine experience and a bitchy attitude. Talita is the prissy L.A. fashionista with a Chihuahua puppy named Chanel and an aversion to anything resembling work. And of course, there is inexperienced Samantha from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, whose naïve, upbeat attitude grates on the interns but earns her the respect of the editors. The three characters all live together in a SoHo apartment, and pitting these driven personalities against each other creates the perfect amount of drama for reality TV. Once they get to work, much of the intern experience is glamorized for television. The girls get their own little cubicle with chairs. (I shared a chair with five other interns and stood for hours on end.) They work closely with top editors, including Editor-in-Chief Joanna Coles, who knows them by name. (Whenever Seventeen’s EIC Ann Shoket would enter the fashion closet, interns would be ushered out quietly and abruptly.) Most notably, the Marie Claire girls assist at a red carpet party where they sipped champagne alongside Heidi Klum and Lindsay Lohan. (The only red-carpet event I ever got to go to was… oh yeah, none.) And as for actually running in heels? It was always ballet flats for me.
There are some real elements of the show that I can relate to, such as the overwhelming anxiety of entering the imposingly chic Hearst Tower, home to Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan and Seventeen. Other accurate experiences include Ashley’s task of packing up clothes and accessories for an in-house photo shoot and Samantha’s sweaty trip to the Garment District, where she rushes around trying to find the entrance to a showroom (realistic… until she hops in a cab to rush back to Hearst; real interns take subways). Even though I know Running in Heels does not portray the intern experience perfectly, the show is still appealing. For me, the goings-on of both interns and editors at Marie Claire are amusing enough, but even cooler is the mere fact that all of the show’s action was taking place a few floors above me while I toiled in the Seventeen closet. For the average viewer, this show is just as good as any other reality TV program: based on reality but way more entertaining. Running in Heels airs on Sundays at 8 PM on the Style Network.
Ellie Krupnick is a Barnard sophomore and Bulletin staff writer.
nyc living
Sense in a Centsless World
Discovering Cheap and Painless Roads to Economic Recovery A column by Melissa Lasker
City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn addressed the Council with a “State of the City Address” in February. Reading the transcript of her speech, I was surprised and impressed by her optimism, ingenuity and pragmatism in the light of the daunting economic challenges the city will face in the coming months. With the same confident, inspiring tone that Barack Obama first brought to the political arena as a presidential candidate, Speaker Quinn outlined her ideas for an urban recovery program. She plans to waive city-issued permit application fees, digitize the processes to obtaining permits and start selling web addresses with “.nyc” domain suffixes. Quinn also wants special permission to award city contracts to local businesses, instead of obligatorily granting them to the lowest bidder – wherever they are from – as the law currently requires. The city is also launching a campaign to bring more tourists to the five boroughs and has preemptively constructed facilities to attract biotechnology firms to New York. She also wants to cut the size of New York City’s government by merging bureaus that have similar functions. In that same address, Quinn added that she wants to address the shortage of nurses and rearrange the city tax-bracket system to relieve pressure on New Yorkers whose annual incomes are less than $45,000. She hopes to negotiate the prices of unoccupied units with real estate owners and developers “to turn unsold apartments into affordable homes.” All of these ideas promote industrial growth and entrepreneurship; they create jobs and support local business owners. Additionally they aid low-income New Yorkers and will help businesses “go
green.” Speaker Quinn’s goals for New York are indeed ambitious, but they are also realistic and achievable. Ms. Quinn has as diverse a group of constituents as her counterparts in federaland state-level government positions. But her ideas are distinguishable from her peers because of the relief that they provide for businesses and individuals, without calling for the kind of financial outlay that massive spending bills require. Consider President Obama’s and Governor Paterson’s plans for economic improvement. President Obama has taken the “spend money to make money” approach with the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It provides hundreds of billions of dollars – almost $800 billion – for stimulus spending, intended to jumpstart the national economy. The act has apportioned money for all kinds of initiatives, including investment in renewable energy sources, rebuilding the nation’s physical infrastructure and digitizing health care systems. New York State Governor Paterson has followed the President’s lead, by launching projects to strengthen the Empire State’s economy. The 2009 New York State Rail Plan calls for new track to be laid and old track to be repaired between New York City, Albany, Montreal and Niagara Falls. The improvements will benefit not only passengers, but also businesses that rely on freight trains to ship their wares. The project is expected to take 20 years to complete and comes with a price tag in excess of $10.7 billion. When all is said and done, New Yorkers will have an inexpensive, convenient way to navigate throughout the state. Both President Obama’s and
Governor Paterson’s plans are forwardlooking. Even in the midst of a struggling economy, they are planning for America’s long-term future, by creating jobs and funding projects that will make this country run more smoothly at the end of this recession. While both plans laudably tap the pool of unemployed, able-bodied workers, they are heavily capital-intensive, demanding billions of tax-payer dollars – money that cashstrapped Americans simply can’t afford to give up. City Council Speaker Quinn has found a variety of non-capital-intensive ways to create jobs, cut costs and generate new revenue for the city while imposing few additional financial burdens on New Yorkers. These changes and initiatives represent the kind of innovative thinking that will make all the difference in pulling America out of this recession quickly. Forging the right relationships – between government agencies, across industry barriers and between the private and public sectors – will be crucial to implementing Speaker Quinn’s nuggets of economic creativity.
Melissa Lasker is a Barnard junior and Bulletin Finance Columnist.
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nyc living
The Frugal Foodista
Porchetta 110 E. 7th St. near 1st Ave. 212.777.2151 www.porchettanyc.com
It seems like every New York City eatery is devoted to making one signature dish. At the Obika Mozzarella Bar, it is fresh balls of moz. At S’mac, it is their comforting mac and cheese. At Porchetta, it is none other than Italian porchetta… and a handful of sides to go with it. New York City has become home to thousands of specialized eateries, which certainly raises the bar for each restaurant’s respective delicacies; it requires one dish to be truly outstanding. Porchetta opened recently in September 2008, and countless foodie friends have been recommending it to me since. It seemed as though the restaurant was doing a fantastic job at cooking its namesake, so I thought I’d check it out. Located on a quaint Lower East Side block surrounded by mom and pop stores and old brownstones, Porchetta stands out with its bright red awning and pig logo. However once you enter the cozy location, there is no doubt that the prepared porchetta on display with its caramel scorched skin will catch your eye. The huge roasted chunk of pork doesn’t fail to tempt customers as they wait for their freshly cut order. Now, what is porchetta exactly? The restaurant’s website provides the best definition I could find: “roasted pork with crispy skin, highly seasoned with aromatic herbs and spices, garlic, sage, rosemary and wild fennel pollen; it is a typical plate of the Roman cuisine and slow cooked fast food.” If that doesn’t get your mouth watering, I don’t know what will. The pork is roasted daily for five and a half to six hours creating the most succulent combination of tender, juicy
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pork and crispy, crunchy skin. (You can hear the skin crunch in your mouth like a firecracker!) Porchetta serves up their specialty either plain or sandwich style on an airy ciabatta from Sullivan Street Bakery. Porchetta offers a handful of veggie sides to compliment their main feature. Their beans and cooking greens are perfect savory options. The sautéed greens are slightly bitter, offsetting the sweet pork flavor, and the beans are big and hearty maintaining their shape instead of becoming a pureed mess. Customers can also dig into a fresh chicory salad or crispy potatoes mixed with little bits of porchetta “burnt ends.” During my visit, they also offered two specials. I opted for the roasted brussels s p r o u t s with lemon, honey and thyme giving the winter vegetable a perfect hint of sweetness. Curried cauliflower soup was also available as the soup of the day. Although Porchetta is designed more as a take-out restaurant, it does have six stools to accommodate inhouse diners. (I apologize that my last three reviews have limited seating,
A column by Ava Friedmann but I promise, they’re worth the wait!) However, there are no paper plates and plastic-ware here. Porchetta treats its diners as any other restaurant would, with homey china and silverware. It even offers an extra ounce of personality since the open kitchen allows customers to hear all the inner workings of the place. Porchetta successfully meets the needs of New Yorkers’ busy schedules. The food is ready to eat within five minutes of ordering, but it doesn’t lack in flavor as fast food tends to do. Instead, spices and juices set into the fresh pork for hours each day ensuring that each
bite is full of robust flavor. Delivering on taste and time, there’s no reason not to take a trip down to this small restaurant. While the scenery may not transport you back to Roman times, your palette certainly will.
Ava Friedmann is a Barnard senior and Bulletin Food Critic.
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